by Chris Fox
He left his quarters, threading his way through the harvester toward the bridge. There were more Judicators in the halls now--only a few dozen, but at least the place was no longer a ghost town. They'd been created from the civilians the ship had harvested, those that had not yet been placed into bodies when they captured the vessel.
As he neared the bridge, he was unable to stifle a sigh. This was the fifth time they'd arrived at a Primo world they hoped might contain a First Age master core, and it was the least likely to contain one. The planet itself had broken up into moon-sized chunks, and the core had likely been lost or destroyed in that turmoil. But they had to check anyway.
"What do we have so far?" he asked, striding onto the bridge. Lena and Atrea were clustered around the hologram depicting the planet--or, rather, the planetary fragments.
The Marines--and he included Izzy in that now--lounged against the far wall. Edwards pulled his robotic knees to his chest, trying not to be massive. Delta and Annie shared the same disinterested expression, not that Nolan could blame either of them. Even Hannan looked distracted, her freshly shaved head gleaming under the soft light.
"All right, this is the last lead. If we don't find something here, we're back to square one," Nolan said, moving to join Lena and Atrea. "What do you have so far?"
"I have good news, Captain," Ship interjected. "Well, potentially good news. I'm picking up a large number of Void Wraith drive signatures. Some are in orbit, some on the surface of the largest planetary fragment."
"That's good news? Ship, you got a lousy sense of humor," Annie called from the corner. She spit a gob of black into a pail she'd set up near her feet.
"It is good news," Nolan countered, his attention still on the holographic display of the planet. "If the Void Wraith are interested, there must be a reason. Look at that bit of land here, around the ruins of that city. Their forces are centered around that point." He gestured at the holo, zooming in to illustrate.
"Yeah, but it's also bad news because, you know, Void Wraith," Hannan said, unwrapping a protein bar. "I know you, Captain. You're going to want to go down there, break into a library they probably have staked out, and then steal this thing right from under their noses." The way she smiled at the end didn't make it sound like she disapproved.
"We don't really have much choice," Nolan said. He turned from the hologram, facing the crew. "If we picked up their drives, they picked up ours. As far as we know, they have no friend-or-foe system. If we act like a Void Wraith, they may leave us alone. If we run..."
"They give chase, because they sense prey," Izzy finished for him. Her large feline eyes studied the hologram with an intensity that had been lacking the last time he'd seen her. She'd grown, just like the rest of them had. It really underscored how much combat experience mattered, something Nolan hadn't really understood until recently. "You're right, Mighty Nolan. We are committed."
"Situation's about normal. Maybe even a little easier than normal," Delta said, in a rare display of verbosity. Then he added even more, bringing his word count for the day up to about twenty. "At least we haven't been shot at yet. That's new."
"That will turn right around, I think," Annie said, grinning at Delta. "Ain't even noon yet." She rose to her feet, stretching, and addressed Nolan again. "So, we moving down to the cargo hold? You're gonna land this bird, right?"
Nolan turned back to the hologram. "Let's find out what we're dealing with first."
Ship was descending through the debris field around the planet. A cloud of meteorites littered surrounding space, each on a separate orbit. Ship threaded a path through them, circling past a station-sized fragment. It was the smallest of the three, and once they'd circled it they were able to make a straight dive for their target.
The largest fragment was probably half the size of Earth, its surface covered in a thin, blueish haze.
"Ship, what's the weather down there like?" Nolan didn't want to use the EVA suits, especially given that the Judicators would be able to move about normally. It was simply too large a disadvantage.
"Surprisingly, the atmosphere is breathable," Ship explained, cheerfully. "The oxygen concentration is lower than normal, so prolonged exertion is not recommended."
"So it will be like high-altitude training," Hannan said, nodding. "Tough, but if we go in light and move intelligently we should be fine."
"The question is where 'in' is." Nolan turned to Lena and Atrea, happy to have the pair at his disposal again. "What do you ladies think? Can you approximate where the master core might be?"
"Absolutely," Lena said, wrapping a friendly arm around Atrea. "They'd have kept the core in the central library, right?"
"I believe so," Atrea confirmed. She raised a weathered hand to the hologram, pointing at a spot very near the densest concentration of Void Wraith. "That building. I believe we'll find it in there."
"Right in the hornet's nest." Annie sighed, withdrawing a tin from her pocket and pulling out a little chew. "I can see getting in all right, what with the stealth tech, but how are we gonna get out? Especially carrying something the size of a master core."
"Edwards, looks like you're going to be a mule again," Nolan said, turning to the Alpha. "You'll be carrying the cube, and we'll form up around you. Annie's right about getting out, though. We need a solid plan of escape, or we're not going to get very far. Atrea, Primo use sanitation systems, right?"
"Of course. All races have waste to dispose of," Atrea said, blinking at Nolan as if confused by the question.
"Ship, can you bring up the city's substructure, particularly the area near the central library?" Nolan asked.
"Affirmative, Captain," Ship answered. The hologram dissolved into another image. This one showed a cutaway of the central library, revealing just how far underground the city went. There were hundreds of sub-levels. "What about those tunnels? Ship, can you plot a direct subterranean route from the approximate location of the master core back to the ship?"
"Done," Ship confirmed a moment later. "There are three relatively direct routes that match your criteria."
Three lines--red, green, and blue--appeared under the city. They overlapped in several places, and emerged within a city block of each other. One seemed as good as another.
"Okay, that might get us off the planet, but what then? How do we outrun their fleet?" Delta asked. His tone was neutral. He wasn't condemning the plan, merely requesting more data.
Nolan paused to consider before responding. There was a way, but if they screwed this up their deaths were assured. "Ship, do you detect any ships other than harvesters in system?"
"Yes, Captain. There is one exception. A UFC vessel, designation Sparhawk," Ship replied.
"The Sparhawk is here?" Nolan's surprise was total, though he mastered himself quickly. "That will mean Reid."
"Reid? If that twisted son of a bitch is down there, we need to take a shot," Delta said, his chrome eyes conveying as much anger as his tone. "Not just because I owe the bastard, but because he's the primary link to whoever controls the Void Wraith. Severing that link will deprive them of an important tool. Also, he's a bastard."
"He's responsible for what happened to Kathryn," Nolan said. "I want him just as badly. If we get the chance we'll deal with him." He didn't want to encourage the man's vendetta, not when it could cost them. "Our primary mission, though, is the core. We only take a shot if we can do it safely--and, honestly, I don't see how that will be possible. We have to get out without being detected."
"Yes, sir," Delta said, giving the barest nod. He glanced down at the deck, so Nolan dropped the subject.
"Ship, how far from the planet would we have to get before we could guarantee a safe escape to the Helios Gate?" Nolan asked, studying the holomap critically.
"Here," Ship replied, a green dot appearing a small distance from the planet. "If we can reach this, it will be impossible for another harvester class vessel to catch us before we reach the Gate."
"Well, there's your
answer," Nolan said, turning to Delta. "Not only do we need to get this core, but we have to do it without alerting the whole planet. This needs to be a surgical strike, because if they get even a hint that we're here, there's no way we'll escape."
Chapter 18- Mission Impossible
Hannan tightened the strap on her new goggles, then thumbed on the tactical display. It had everything from number of rounds remaining to a minimap showing her squad's location, plus it let her play video feeds when communicating. Their fancy new toys had come from the armory that used to belong to the 1st Fleet, and some days they made Hannan love her job.
Today was not one of those days. She resisted the urge to fidget with her plasma rifle, instead standing in as relaxed a position as she could manage. She was the example here, and the squad would take their lead from her. If she was nervous or antsy, it would spread.
"What's the plan, Sarge?" Edwards asked. He was crouched next to the energy curtain, his enormous head peering down at the rapidly approaching planetary fragment. Oddly, she only thought of him as the Alpha now. It seemed to fit him better than his original body ever had.
The harvester zoomed past the fragment, into a suddenly clear space. Below them was nothing but wispy clouds, and the mountains surrounding what had once been the largest city Hannan had ever seen, even larger than the California sprawl she'd grown up in. Broken spires stabbed miles into the sky, and rings of structures extended endlessly outward in all directions.
"We're just going to walk in and take the core. Ideally, we'll take a subterranean route to avoid as many enemies as possible. Plan's a bit light on details," Hannan admitted, staring at the rapidly approaching city.
They were close enough to see the LZ now, and her bowels turned to water. She counted quickly. Twenty-nine harvesters, with hundreds of Judicators prowling between them. It was the largest group they'd ever faced, and the Captain was leading them in completely unsupported.
"What if they attack us?" Edwards asked. There was no nervousness there. The Marine wasn't at all concerned about dying, but that had been true long before he'd become an Alpha.
"Then we attack back, but we do it smart." Hannan kept her tone firm. "That means eliminating them quietly, so we don't alert this entire place. That happens, and we're toast. There's a lot riding on this, so don't get flashy."
"She means don't go off half-cocked, son," Annie supplied, tightening her boot laces.
"I know, Sarge," Edwards said, his tone somber. "I won't let you down."
"Everyone ready?" the captain asked, striding into the docking bay.
Delta shadowed him, moving to stand by Annie and Edwards.
"Yes, sir," Hannan said, giving a relieved smile. The damned waiting was over. "The squad is good to go. We're in better fighting shape than we've been since the Johnston. Maybe even better, with our new hardware."
"We're going to need to be better," the Captain replied, staring through the energy curtain at the section of the city directly below them. "When we touch down we'll activate our stealth belts, and follow Edwards toward the building with the core. Ship has given us a safe route through the sanitation tunnels, so we'll follow that into the library. Hannan, just tell me where you want me."
That was one of the things she most liked about the Captain. Just before their first mission, they'd had a conversation about tactics versus strategy; ever since then, he'd let her do her job without interference. She'd never had a commanding officer who understood the benefits to both parties in that arrangement. The job got done well, and nobody died doing it.
"Yes, sir." Hannan moved to the energy curtain, next to Edwards. They were rapidly descending toward a landing pad not far from the target. She tensed as the harvester touched down, waiting for Judicators to turn and light their ship up. "No reaction. They don't seem interested in us. Okay, belts on, everyone. Let's move."
Hannan tapped the button on top of her belt, then leapt to the golden metal platform. She snapped her plasma rifle to her shoulder, sweeping in tight arcs as she advanced toward the tunnel indicated on her HUD. There were no Judicators between them and the narrow doorway, but there were plenty milling about, some within a few dozen meters.
"Captain, Annie, Delta, into the hole. Izzy, you're on rearguard." Hannan's voice was barely a breath, but the comm picked it up and transmitted it.
The squad moved quickly, working their way toward the doorway at the opposite side of the landing pad. Hannan watched their telltale shimmers disappear inside, followed by Edwards. He was forced to scoot sideways, his head brushing the top of the doorway as he squeezed through. The maneuver sent up a spray of sparks and a loud screech of metal on metal.
Hannan froze, turning slowly to the group of Judicators a dozen meters away. All four turned to face the doorway, cocking their heads as they studied it. Her finger moved to her trigger, though she wouldn't fire unless she could confirm that they'd been detected.
Then she was staggering to the side as an explosion blossomed from behind her. She spun, eyes widening as she realized what had just happened. Rows of compressed tanks stood near one of the enemy harvesters, and someone had detonated one of those canisters--probably with a well-timed plasma blast.
All four Judicators turned to face the blast, then prowled in that direction to investigate. Hannan spotted a shimmer as a cloaked figure circled away, not just from the blast but also from the tunnel entrance. Izzy was leading them away.
The Tigris's voice came through the comm. "I'll keep them distracted. Get below and find the core."
Hannan's mouth tightened into a line, but she turned and sprinted toward the tunnel mouth. She paused just inside, glancing out at the growing cluster of Judicators around the explosion.
"Be careful, Izzy." Even as she said the words, Hannan knew that Izzy wouldn't listen. Izzy was a soldier; if sacrificing herself meant the mission was successful, that was exactly what the Tigris would do.
Chapter 19- Awaken
The new entity awoke. It was no longer the human Reid, yet that vessel had given form to it. Thus, the new entity decided it would keep the identity.
That dilemma solved, Reid became aware of a hundred new senses. He could hear the frequency of the vibration passing through the the deck as the Sparhawk's engines purred quietly. He knew the exact composition of the atmosphere, down to the traces of fluoride emanating from a small lake four point two kilometers away.
Yet those outer sensations were a tiny flow of data compared to the vast ocean within. For Reid was no longer alone. He was connected to something much greater, a repository of information that stretched across seventeen galaxies. The sensory data of billions of appendages was available for his perusal, hundreds of millennia of recorded memories stretching endlessly before him.
Reid was aware of all of that, yet it all became secondary as he examined his new body. He was unsurprised to find his body was similar to the Eye itself: He'd become a bulbous white sphere. Dozens of tendrils extended from what had been his back, each like a separate limb. Experimentally, Reid stretched several of them out, using them to press buttons on the console, pick up a plasma rifle, access a data pad.
"Interesting," Reid murmured. His voice was a deep, Lovecraftian tenor. It thrummed within him, created by something entirely different than human vocal cords. "Our metamorphosis took just under nineteen hours."
Much had transpired in that time, the most relevant in the last hour. An unregistered harvester had entered the system and landed near the southern end of the city. Sensors had detected several cloaked signatures exiting the vessel, and those signals had disappeared into a building not far from the ship.
"Computer," Reid said, willing his body to rise from the chair where it had been born. He hovered several feet above the deck, held aloft by one of the marvelous new organs this body contained. "Display a map of the tunnel system running beneath the city. Extrapolate the speed of the cloaked signatures based on their recorded movement, then show me the most likely route to the c
entral library."
"Working," Em said, the VI manifesting as a hologram displayed on the corner of the console.
A moment later the hologram shifted, displaying a tangled nest of corridors crisscrossing the bottom of the city. Several different colored lines were displayed, each plotting a possible route to the central library. That had to be their destination, of course, but Reid lacked sufficient data to determine which route they would choose.
Reid considered his course of action. He knew this had to be Nolan, and for once Reid had the upper hand. He could destroy their harvester before it lifted off, leaving them stranded. Even if the Judicators below somehow failed to capture or kill Nolan, he'd be trapped here, unable to continue his quest for the Birthplace.
The Birthplace. Reid spun off a separate thoughtline, another thread of consciousness to be considered in tandem with the Nolan situation. This spawned other thoughtlines, dozens of them. They grew into a vast tapestry, one stretching back to the original Eradication, when the Gorthians had first discovered this galaxy.
"I have the answer." Reid knew instantly that he must report his findings. It thrummed, sending a quantum signal across tens of thousands of light years--another of the marvelous new organs.
"Speak, progeny." The Eye's response wasn't words, not precisely. It was pure sensory data, but Reid's mind still thought of them as words. Rendering them in that way was helpful somehow.
"I have made a connection. You have commanded that Nolan be kept from the master core, but I believe we must allow him to acquire it," Reid transmitted the aggregate of all thoughtlines, speaking only the conclusion aloud. "I believe the Primo used a causality matrix, and I think I know what the key to that matrix might be."
"Your thoughtlines are clear," the Eye mused. "I agree with your findings. Need may be the key to the matrix. Allow entity Nolan to take the core, and he may be able to find the location of the Birthplace."