“Our surviving records from that time indicate the Shrieels were in chaos,” confirmed Camlin. “Many AIs and repair robots were destroyed in the anarchy that existed toward the very end. You were wise to hide your stasis facilities so far from a Shrieel.”
“It’s amazing you managed to build your facilities and move so many Originators without word of what you were doing spreading,” commented Kathryn. “How was it possible that nobody was aware of the project?”
“Great pains were taken to keep the project secret,” Belson replied. “Only the council knew and a small select group which would remain behind. For years after we arrived in the cluster a group of us was always awake waiting on word of a cure. There was minimal communication with our people on the dark matter Shrieel until there came a time when there was no longer a response to our communications. We knew then our people on all the Shrieels had succumbed to the pathogen or had gone into stasis. It was a very sad time for all of us who were awake.”
“Have some of your people been awake all of this time?” asked Kathryn.
“No, only periodically. “Every few thousand years a team would be awoken to check on the stasis facilities. We also set it up so some of us would be woken if a ship came near the cluster. When a cure was found we had a small stasis facility on the dark matter Shrieel that would be notified. The Originators in stasis would be roused and would inform us of the availability of a cure. That never happened. We were despairing of a cure ever being found and finally decided fewer of us would be woken as the pathogen was taking a toll. I was the senior military commander of our ships and as a result I was awoken from stasis when your fleet entered our hyperspace interference field. You can imagine my surprise upon finding out it was a fleet of Originator ships. I was fearful it was the Defenders of Zorn as our people on the Shrieel would have sent a message, not a fleet. That is the reason we treated you such until your identity could be confirmed.”
“That explains a lot,” Kathryn said in understanding. “I think it would be best if Zafron fills you in on what has transpired since we found the Dominator and then I’ll tell you the history of my race and the Carethians, while Andram can speak for the Altons.”
Belson nodded. “I am anxious to hear. I did receive some of this information from Saber and Anthon based on what they found in your ship’s computer, but I have many questions and this may be the best way to get them answered.”
Kathryn agreed and invited Zafron to begin.
-
For several hours they talked about the different races and what had happened in both the Federation’s war with the Hocklyns, the escape of Fleet Admiral Strong’s ships to the Triangulum Galaxy, their encounter with the Simulins, the discovery of the dark matter Shrieel, and eventually the Dominator. Occasionally Belson or one of his military AIs would stop them and ask detailed questions over some aspect of what had happened.
After a while Belson seemed satisfied with what he had heard. “All you have told me is amazing.” He glanced over at Andram. “It seems very likely to me your race is on a path similar to that of my own. In time your race may evolve to the point they begin building their own Shrieels.” Looking over at Kathryn he continued, “You Humans are unique. You show the promise of an evolving race but the rashness of youth. I am interested in meeting a Carethian. Their adherence to a code of honor sounds intriguing. However, for now we must begin awakening more of my people and to do that we must travel to another star system where our primary space station is.”
“You mentioned there were several stasis facilities,” said Kathryn. She was curious to see them.
“Yes, the space station is one and there is a much larger facility hidden on the planet it orbits.”
Camlin spoke up, wanting to bring up a point. “You realize very soon we will be in a full scale war with the Anti-Life.”
Belson nodded. “I am saddened to hear what the Anti-Life are doing. It distresses me even more knowing at one time they were Originators. For that reason alone my people will be willing to join in the war effort. We have many esteemed scientists and research personnel in stasis. From what Zafron and you have told me of the research our AIs have done since we went into stasis, I am certain we can make many breakthroughs in research very quickly. The Anti-Life should have stayed in their galaxy.”
Kathryn began to feel more at ease. She had been concerned about how Belson would feel about Humans, Altons, and the Carethians being on one of the Dyson Spheres and having nearly unlimited access to Originator technology, particularly the warships. At the moment it didn’t sound like it was going to be a problem.
“What system are your stasis facilities in?” asked Kazak. “I searched much of the Triangulum Galaxy seeking signs of where you had gone. I never suspected you might have departed the galaxy for one of the star clusters which orbits it. In hindsight, your decision to locate the stasis facilities in this star cluster makes perfect sense.”
“It was fortunate your search failed,” Nomar said. “You could have led the Defenders of Zorn directly to Belson and his group. Who knows what the consequences of that would have been?”
“If you will allow Saber access to your navigation computer he will provide the coordinates to the system,” Belson said. “It will be good to begin awakening those in stasis and give them the cure. It has been too long in coming.”
“Once more of your people are awake we have much to talk about,” Commander Zafron said. “This will be a new beginning for our race, particularly once we get back to the Communications and Transport Hub.
“I am looking forward to it,” Belson said.
-
Kathryn was back in the Command Center of the Distant Horizon. The entire fleet was back in hyperspace making a short trip of eighteen light years. “Anything showing up on the long-range sensors?” she asked. Her eyes kept wandering over to the tactical display, which was only showing the green icons of her fleet and the accompanying Originator fleet of Belson’s.
“No,” Captain Reynolds replied. “All the sensors are still showing no contacts.”
“You won’t detect anything until we arrive,” Saber said. “The entire system is covered by a special stealth field we developed shortly after arriving here. For the first thousand years or so we still had a quite a few Originators awake. The advanced stealth field is one of their developments.”
“Did you explore all the systems in this star cluster?” asked Clarissa. “If you had a thousand years that would seem logical.”
“We did,” Saber replied. “We explored and cataloged every system. We also set warning buoys to advise us of any ships that might have gotten past our hyperspace interference cordon. In all the two million years we have been here only six times has a ship reached the barrier. Each time they withdrew on their subspace drives and never returned.”
“Were you one of the original military AIs that came to the star cluster in the beginning?” asked Camlin.
“No, I was created much later. There are still a few of the original AIs around who have had their memory engrams transferred to new AI bodies over the years.”
“Hyperspace dropout in five minutes,” reported Sible. “We will exit hyperspace two million kilometers from the fourth planet in the system. The planet is in the goldilocks zone and long-range scans show liquid water.”
“It’s a habitable planet,” explained Saber. “Our own AIs have been doing research on a cure for the pathogen. However, we are still thousands of years away from finding a solution. If nothing was heard from the Shrieels, there was a possibility of colonizing this world once a cure was found.”
“This never came up in our meeting,” Camlin said with a curious look on her face. “Why did your people fear the Defenders of Zorn so much? They took a lot of effort to hide themselves from that sect of the Originator race.”
Saber hesitated as the Distant Horizon dropped out of hyperspace. “I think it best if one of our Originators explains that.”
On the main
viewscreen, a beautiful blue-white word appeared. On the magnified view, a massive space station could be seen in orbit. It consisted of numerous large disk sections stacked on top of one another with short connecting arms or corridors. The station was easily twenty kilometers in length and over four kilometers in width at its widest. Near it were hundreds of Originator battlecruisers.
“That is our manufacturing and research station,” Saber revealed. “It is capable of ship repair and nearly everything else we need. There are also over fifty thousand Originators on board in stasis.”
“All of our other ships have exited hyperspace as well as Belson’s fleet,” reported Commander Grissim.
“Belson is asking us to dock both the Dominator and the Distant Horizon to the station’s docking ports,” reported Captain Travers. “He is anxious to begin awakening more of the Originators who are in stasis on the station.”
“I can direct you in the docking,” Saber volunteered. “It is relatively simple. If I may?”
Sible looked at Kathryn who nodded. Standing up and stepping aside she allowed Saber to take her place at the Helm.
“This is a momentous day,” Saber announced as the Distant Horizon moved toward the station. “It will be remembered as the rebirth of the Originator race.”
Kathryn remained silent as she watched Saber expertly maneuver the exploration dreadnought. She was highly curious where all of this would lead. She also needed to get a message back to the Communications and Transport Hub that they had found the lost Originators. Bartoll would be thrilled when he heard the numbers. She also wondered how this would affect the Humans, Altons, and Carethians living on the Dyson Sphere. She suspected no matter what there were going to be some changes. Only time would tell what they would be and how they would affect the three Federation races.
Chapter Eight
Fleet Commander Norlan gazed in satisfaction at the viewscreens in front of him. Thousands of Eternal battlecruisers were aligned in attack formations. There were so many vessels the most distant appeared as dim specks. Nearly fourteen thousand ships had been assembled for the attack on the Shrieel in Galaxy X-938. After studying the vessels involved in the most recent battle against Eternal ships in the Median Galaxy, it had been decided to increase the size of the invasion fleet. He had spent hours studying the videos from Fleet Commander Solten’s confrontation with the Originator AIs and their proxy race.
“Fleet is ready to enter hyperspace,” reported Second Commander Telan. “Fleet Commander Solten will lead the advance force.” Solten had been added as the fleet’s second in command after his recent battle with the Originator ships.
“Inform Fleet Commander Solten he is to depart immediately. The rest of the fleet will follow shortly.” They would drop out of hyperspace just short of Galaxy X-938. Once Norlan was satisfied all vessels of both fleets were operating at full efficiency they would launch their attack.
Norlan’s plan was to have Solten’s fleet drop out of hyperspace in the star system that contained the Shrieel. He would emerge and set up in a defensive formation and then wait for the rest of the fleet. If the Originator AIs and their proxy race attempted to resist the appearance of Solten’s fleet, he would fight a delaying action until Norlan and the main portion of the fleet arrived. Norlan would then move to crush any and all opposition.
In recent days he had been in contact with Clondax, the First Leader of the Council of Eternals. Clondax wanted as much information as possible on the proxy race the Originator AIs were using. If this race could be eliminated, then it was believed the war with the Originator AIs would come to an abrupt end. The council believed at that point the AIs would agree to turn over the Shrieels to the Eternals, as they were the direct descendants of the Originators.
On the main viewscreen, the view switched to show the Warbringer, Fleet Commander Solten’s flagship. The four-kilometer-long heavily armed battlecruiser floated majestically in space. Abruptly it turned away from the Devastator, Norlan’s flagship, and began accelerating toward a now open hyperspace vortex. Hundreds of other swirling vortexes were opening as well as Solten’s section of the fleet began entering hyperspace. The Warbringer entered its vortex and vanished as seconds later the vortex collapsed, leaving no signs of the massive warship. Other vortexes began collapsing as well and Solten’s fleet was gone.
“Fleet Commander Solten’s ships have all entered hyperspace,” confirmed Second Commander Telan. “They will arrive at their target in 4.3 days.”
“Prepare the rest of the fleet for entry into hyperspace. We will make the transition in twelve minutes.”
Telan nodded and began passing on the order.
Fleet Commander Norlan gazed coldly at the viewscreens in his Command Center. He had no doubt about the success of his mission. He would annihilate any ships the Originator AIs and their proxy race put before him. He would then attack the Shrieel, destroying its defensive and offensive weapon emplacements. After that he would land warrior robots and Eternal shock troops to open up one of the huge hatches on the surface of the Shrieel, allowing his fleet access. Once inside, he would use the warrior robots and shock troops to take command of all the Control Centers. Once that was accomplished the Shrieel would be his. He could then use that Shrieel and the intergalactic vortexes it controlled to launch attacks against all the other Shrieels in Originator controlled space. It wouldn’t take long for all of Originator space to be under the control of the Eternals.
-
The minutes passed quickly by and then it was time for the Devastator and the rest of the ships of the fleet to enter hyperspace. All across space in front of the massive fleet, swirling blue vortexes formed. In squadron formation, the different sections of the fleet entered their vortexes. In front of the Devastator a vortex opened and soon the powerful flagship of the Eternal fleet vanished into it. Moments later there was no signs of a fleet ever having been in the star system. The war against the Originator AIs and their proxy race was about to begin in earnest.
-
At the Communications and Transport Hub Jeremy was on board the Avenger speaking to Bartoll, Faboll, Jankel, Leeda, Reesa, Major Wilde, and Admiral Kalen.
“I have done a complete scan of the memory of the Originator AI in our possession,” Faboll reported. “From what we have been able to determine there are still hundreds of these AIs scattered about on different Shrieels. Their allegiance is to the Defenders of Zorn, but that part of their programming will not be activated unless they encounter a confirmed member. The AI we have has a list of recognized members it is to respond to.”
“Is Alvord one of them?” asked Jeremy. He was still concerned the former commander of the Seeker could cause problems for them. Currently Alvord and those still aligned with him were confined to their quarters.
Faboll nodded. “Yes, he is on the list as well as the former commander of the Dominator. The rest I was not familiar with, other than Zorn and a few others who were most likely killed when the dark matter Shrieel was destroyed.”
“What about our decoy stasis facility?” asked Jeremy, looking across the conference table at Major Wilde.
“It’s ready. All we need to do is leak its discovery.”
“How real does it look?”
Bartoll smiled. “It looks authentic; I was there yesterday inspecting it. If one of the AIs we are seeking makes it inside it will find everything to be authentic. We have placed copies of Originator bodies in the two hundred stasis chambers.”
Jeremy’s eyes widened. “Where did you get those?”
“They’re clones,” explained Bartoll. “A clone body has no viable brain and is useless to true Originators. In the early years of our civilization, the harvesting of organs from clone bodies was quite common. As our medical science advanced that no longer was necessary. The practice was abandoned.”
“How are we going to go about spreading a rumor of a newly discovered stasis facility?” asked Admiral Kalen. “Will it not seem strange to suddenly discover one?�
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“We’ve got that covered,” Reesa said, her eyes focusing on Admiral Kalen. “We’re going to imply we got the information from one of the Originators on the Seeker. Since the Seeker was launched during the time of the pathogen that someone on board might know of such a facility will not seem too surprising.”
“It might work,” Jeremy said. “How soon do we want to begin spreading this rumor?”
“My people are in place,” Major Wilde said. “We intend to limit the number of AIs who have access to the facility once we announce its discovery.”
Jeremy frowned. “How are you going to induce one of the AIs we are seeking to come there?”
“We’re going to mention the Originators in the facility will soon be awakened and that we hope they will know of other secret stasis facilities,” said Faboll.
“That should cause the AIs who have the information we’re seeking to attempt to breach the facility to stop the spread of the information,” Major Wilde said. “When they do, we’ll capture them.”
“How will we know we’ve got the right AIs? We need one that knows the location of other stasis facilities.”
“I’ve designed a computer program we will use to analyze any of our AIs who attempt unauthorized entry into the facility. It will seek out the information we are looking for.”
Jeremy still wasn’t satisfied this plan would work. It sounded like they were taking too many risks. “Let’s try it and see what happens.”
-
Rear Admiral Brenda Hailey Mann was growing nervous. She was on her flagship the heavy dreadnought Victory. The vessel was twenty million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere and everything was way too quiet. She had expected an attack from the Eternals to have already occurred but there had been no sign of them.
The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 13