What surprised Syra the most was she had never heard of anyone from any other surrounding planet near Zhian that were enemies with her people.
Now it appears they did have a serious enemy which was on a planet found furthest from Zhians sun.
The planet relied on the same crystals as Zhian did. Many thousands of years before any records Syra was ever aware of that were kept, she now learned the truth about what really happened to her old homeworld and why.
She learned the truth as to why her people had such powerful weapons yet never fired them at anything except an asteroid or two.
She learned why two of the four zones on her planet had such drastic weather that it became unlivable for plants and animals alike.
She had learned the truth about why they developed so much in such a brief time that would save the Zhianites.
It would take some time before a full report would be written up which would read as an exceptionally large file and could only be accessed in segments of time. That room was becoming a library of the history of Zhian.
With everyone coming and going from the room and the thousands of hours Zerk continued to tell everything he knew about the planet Zhian, their travel to Earth and what he could remember from the brief time he was on Earth continued daily.
Syra knew it would be some time before she would fully understand how lucky they were because of Maxtn questioning something that did not seem right and taking a closer look.
Later that week Syra decided it was time to develop a new research team to dive into all the information coming from Zerk and to look for anything that could help them on Earth II.
They would review any and all information because no one knew for sure just how long Zerk would continue to function without being connected to the Sphere, and that was never going to happen as far as anyone was concerned that was connected to this project.
Zerk had always had access to the council, and he had always had access to Zhian Sphere’s core system. Without it, he may calculate his own demise thinking that he is no longer useful.
Zerk did understand that he was now nothing more than a backup of what he used to be and that the original programming was now lost.
Having access to the Sphere is something Syra would not want or ever allow it to happen at this point in their research.
Meanwhile, Zerk continued to jump back and forth throughout the history of Zhian as if some data had been shifted around and was now having to be regrouped.
But Zerk did not have the ability to defragment his information, so he just continued to babble, and that was simply fine with Syra.
Jayeden and Celethe continued to comb through the data and found something no one had mentioned so far. They called for the team to return for the latest discovery and both were a bit frightened.
They most certainly hoped that this threat they discovered was long since forgotten or perhaps even gone.
And so when the team showed up that morning, Jayeden began explaining what they had learned.
The furthest planet from Zhian in that same quadrant of space was named Xnaethea. According to the information from Zerk in the recording, it was as old as Zhian and the inhabitants needed the crystals Zhian had and had made a deal to mine it in exchange for technology.
But the Zhianites trusted the Xnaethean’s far more than they should have. Over time, they had raped the land in zones 2 and 3 leaving them virtually barren.
Then a war broke out between the two worlds and a surprise attack by the Xnaethean’s nearly killed hundreds of thousands of the population of Zhian.
That is when the Zhianites started building a war arsenal and took their revenge. They eventually invaded Xnaethean’s planet killing millions for the deaths Zhian had endured, and for the raping of their lands rendering them nearly useless.
When all was said and done, both sides losses were greater than either could bear. Zhianites swore to never harm another and they would be a peaceful people for all time.
However, Xnaethean’s swore vengeance and time and time again for thousands of years, they flew around the planet of Zhian firing upon it time and time again and could not break through the shields they had in place.
The planet Zhian had taken advantage of all the new technologies given them in exchange for the crystals and their landscape began to change because of this new knowledge.
The Xnaethean’s were a technological race that had many great discoveries and swore to find a way to break through the Zhianites shields, and destroy every living being on the planet, even if it took an eternity to do it.
Jayeden and Celethe both explained to everyone, they believed that that threat was still valid even today, and if the Xnaetheans discover the Zhianites had left their planet and if they can trace them to Earth II, this could be a very serious matter.
The Xnaetheans were once far more advanced than the Zhianites, and there was a chance they could have advanced even more over the thousands of years since they last confronted the Zhianites.
Jayden and Maxtn both agreed, that there was an equal chance that because Xnaethea may have suffered a huge setback in technological advancements due to the lack of crystals, they may not even have the capability for space travel.
Captain Zee had been invited to the meeting which of course was in a different room than the one that housed Zerk and the recording of his memory.
The captain’s concerns were voiced; he explained that they did leave behind many worker bots in Zone 3 and they had only been stripped of their power packs.
He also explained that not all crystals were removed because conditions were too dangerous to mine them.
Syra asked, “Do you think it is possible the Xnaethean’s eventually made it back to Zhian and found those bots? Possibly powering them up and mining again?”
“If they did, then it is very possible they could trace the crystal signature to Earth II. We have advanced so much now, it’s hard to image, but if they have advanced too, we could be facing our own end,” the captain replied.
All Syra could say was, “Well we have awakened Zerk, will we be sorry we did? What if by awakening him, we somehow have awakened the Xnaethean’s?” She added, “If so, ladies and gentlemen, we must prepare for war.”
Silence filled the room and not a single word was spoken.
BOOK THREE
chapter two
The next morning Central Command Center was buzzing with a full house of anyone and everyone who needed to be a part of what would later be considered a turning point in Earth II’s history.
With the room filled, Syra stepped up to the podium and welcomed everyone to what she believed to be a dawning of a new day.
Welcome everyone to our first ever meeting to build a military base on Earth II. I am sure most of you have read over your meeting agendas and have had the opportunity to think about what you would like to see happen. And we will later open the floor for such discussion and debates.
Until then, please hold your questions.
The Zhianites and Earthlings that live on Earth II are a peaceful people. However, we do have the means to protect ourselves and as we should. There is no proof an old enemy out there searching for us, but if they are, we will be prepared to confront them.
Just the thought of a new enemy is also just as urgent a reason to build our very first military base on here on Earth II. We already have our very own super battleship, The Ark Royal.
However, to protect Earth II, we need a fleet and the Ark Royal needs backups should we ever have to go into battle. We will need young men who wish to be a part of this military base to please sign up today or as soon as possible. Construction will start as early as today to break ground and set up the perimeter of the new base.
Once Syra was finished speaking and all questions answered, for the rest of the day many of the young women and men were busy signing up. There were hundreds who served in several wars back on Earth who were eager to join the new military to help train and lead.
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Some would make excellent leaders since they already served in different armed services in the United States such as the Navy, Air Force, Army, and Coast Guard.
They had chosen the location of the military base and started the construction before the end of the day. It had been decided that day that the location would be to the west of the Zhian Sphere on the Waterfall Mountain plateau.
That was the highest peak other than towards the east on the ridge where the Chadwell Lawson Retreat was.
Then a section of the land was set aside to manufacture military equipment needed to protect Earth II.
No one from the retreat would be able to see any of the construction of the new military base because it was too far away from them and on the other side of the Zhian Sphere. This was good because it meant the retreat would remain the beautiful peaceful place it was.
John Hamilton Crawford III, who was a retired general and whose family lines go back five generations and had led many battles successfully back on Earth, would take charge of the new base.
The general was the youngest appointed in US history and had earned his stars and stripes in record time. Even though he was now aging fast, he was still in his prime if he had anything to say about it.
It was estimated that the construction of the military base would be about a year while the military fleet would take much longer to build.
Within weeks, both the base and manufacturing area for the fleet was well underway.
Meanwhile, Syra continued to question Zerk based on reports of data he had already supplied. The idea was to pull more information out of him than he was willing to give. This would be done through either misleading him or manipulating him.
Keeping Zerk in this special room meant there would be no leaks whatsoever and the isolation was a security protocol, anyway. This allowed only a select few to be able to approach him as well.
It was Syra’s intention to keep Zerk so busy supplying information he would have no time to calculate his situation and find a way to end it.
Exactly one month to the day, Syra would reach a breakthrough with Zerk that would create a turning point for everyone in their military base construction and progress.
“Good morning Zerk, how are we doing this fine morning?” Syra asked.
“My timestamp is still not active, so it is all one long day for me Syra,” Zerk replied.
That was the moment Syra realized they should always pretend it is the same day to avoid any further problems, and so it was noted to everyone who entered that room to continue as if it were the same day.
“May I interrupt you for one moment from your data you are providing, and you can pick back up where you left off when I am done?” Syra asked.
“Yes, and how can I help you?” Zerk stated.
“You spoke of Zhian once having a military fleet, may I have a copy of the schematics of all the vehicles in the fleet that would have been used, please?” Syra asked.
“Well, this may take some time, can you wait?” Zerk replied.
“Yes, and, thank you Zerk,” Syra answered.
Syra knew that if they could get their hands on those old schematics, they could upgrade them to the latest technological advances and have ultramodern equipment on their military base.
There would be no starting from nothing because any delays in this project could cost thousands of lives should their old adversary ever challenge Earth II.
She knew to be able to tap into the past and the great military fleet the Zhians once had, would make all the difference in a battle or war should it come to that.
In no time at all, dozens of different weapons, ships, detection equipment, arsenals, and anything else Zerk could produce, he did.
No one in Syra’s time nor four or five generations before her would have been able to remember seeing any of this type of military equipment or supplies. Mostly because it had been destroyed so long ago, and they had become a peaceful race.
Syra sent at once these schematics to Crawford to distribute to his builders to start the work now; they were marked as most urgent, and the replicators we already set up and ready.
The general received the documents and was thrilled because he was having difficulty trying to work with the designers and engineers to create such an arsenal. This would change everything and speed up the process.
They at once started setting up sections of the land for weapons manufacturing and the fleet.
The barracks to house the pilots and soldiers would soon be completed and the mess hall and everything the general could think of that would make this the most efficient military base possible had to be set up that day or at least in the plans to do so.
The general started working on his new plans and many times forgot to eat or sleep until he had nearly fallen out.
Meanwhile, Zerk continued to churn out information Syra’s team would collect continuously.
But it was a total shock to find out Zerk had so much information and yet that information was found nowhere else in the Sphere’s core.
That evening, back at their new home at the retreat, Syra had an idea she wanted to run by her husband James. And so, after dinner, she called him into her office where the room was secured and filled him in on all the latest top-secret information, they had gotten from Zerk today.
Syra and James rarely discussed her parents, Allieah and Arteemus. They had been killed before Syra was born and were in the Core systems of the Zhian Sphere when Syra had Zerk and the Council extracted. She saved the likenesses and memory of her parents.
But Syra had never questioned her parents. They had only been activated in the holocom chamber unit a few times over the years since Syra understood they were just likenesses and memories programmed into the unit.
What Syra was suggesting was calling them up again and questioning them to see what they remember about the old days on Zhian. They had never been plugged into the Zhian Sphere and had only existed in the unit Syra had at home since the extraction and destruction of Zerk.
They were killed more than 2,000 years before Syra’s birth, so it was possible they could contribute needed information.
James agreed, but seriously recommended the unit be taken to a secured room next to Zerk where there would be no contact between the two rooms, but everything would be secured and private. They too would need to be as isolated at Zerk, to protect any information they provided.
The next day Syra and James loaded the portable unit into Sheevah, and they went directly to the CCC. A special room was set up exactly as Zerk’s was. But neither would know the other was present or that close to the other.
Syra had not turned on the Holocom unit that held her parents’ likenesses since the early days of landing on Earth II. So, it would be good to see them again, but Syra needed answers, and she needed them as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, Zerk’s programming was still running, and he continued supplying even more information from the old planet Zhian and its warfare.
Once the Holocom Unit was turned on, some of Syra’s team was present but not seen by Allieah and Arteemus. They were there for observation and preservation of the information only.
“Good morning Mother and Father,” Syra stated.
“Good morning darling daughter, how are you?” Allieah replied.
“I’m doing fine mother; may I make a request of you and also of my father as well?” Syra asked.
“Yes, anything for our lovely daughter,” Both Allieah and Arteemus replied.
“Wonderful. Please split your holocoms and I would like to ask each of you to tell me everything you remember about our planet Zhian and thank you from my heart,” Syra replied.
The holocom units split and there were two separate visuals which were cordoned off from the other and kept isolated.
Both Allieah and Arteemus began from what they remembered from their earliest memories. This would take some time and so Syra had each of those sessions recorded for future reference right up unti
l there was nothing else to add.
Syra thanked each of her parents and had their holocom units turned off and returned to her private living quarters. Her team began analyzing the data they had provided her for any new details that could be useful.
Meanwhile, Syra and James started spending some time whenever they could at the new base Crawford, and if he had any questions, he could contact them easily at their private home at the retreat.
The base security was already set up, and any wildlife removed from within the perimeter was relocated.
Temporary housing for the construction workers and bots was in a separate area. The barracks was finally done, and the mess hall was completed shortly thereafter.
Then the training area was finally completed. This really excited the general because so much of the Zhian technology was constantly amazing to see in action.
Just after one year, the military base was complete, and an official grand-opening day celebration was in just one week. There was a lot of work to do to get ready and the Chadwell Lawson Retreat had every room and cabin reserved for the big event.
There was no monorail system to the military base, so transportation there was by shuttle and there would be a limited number in attendance for the actual ceremony.
Everyone at the retreat would get a flyover from the base as part of the celebration. The City of Allieah and the City of Arteemus would get the same flyover so many decided to stay home and watch from their front yards or top-level balconies.
By the end of that week, the excitement had really built up, and Syra could see it in everyone she interacted with. She was ready and so she and James boarded the Sheevah and picked up Zach and Zoey and their children for the ride to the base. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren did not attend.
When they arrived, from the air they could see it was a fully functional base. Everyone continued to show up and in no time at all the celebration at the base was officially started.
Syra took her seat on stage and sat next to Crawford. Her family sat just behind her. It took a while to get everyone settled down from all the cheering before each could give a short speech and then on to tour the base.
The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus Page 43