by Paul Teague
The business of the Off World Federation had gone on since the 1940s, unknown to the majority of the world’s leaders. Initially contact was restricted to those countries with the capacity to send rockets, animals and – eventually – people into space. Off World Federation members were bound to strict rules.
Each of the twelve planets which formed this alliance were at different stages in their evolution. Some were advanced technologically, others lived simple lives and were concerned more with cerebral matters. One planet, Zatheon, resembled Earth. It was dominated by humanoid and intelligent life forms but advanced in terms of its technology, social justice and environmental initiatives. In fact, Zatheon was not dissimilar to a utopian version of the Earth that science fiction writers might create, an evolved version of the planet where petty squabbles between leaders were largely resolved, democracy was universally applied, and a fair but firm justice system permitted the inhabitants to live a high quality of life.
As a consequence of each planet’s unique circumstances, there were binding rules for Off World Federation members. These rules included allowing other planets to co-exist with no external interference, to preserve life on any planet that was under threat, and to restrict space travel, exploration and exploitation of other uninhabited planets to agreed zones.
One of the rules enshrined in this interplanetary pact related to the level of contact permitted between planets. Only a very limited number of leaders on each planet knew about the Off World Federation. For the general population, life on other planets was largely a matter of conjecture and rumour. But the issues on Helyios 4 and Earth had resulted in a new pact, an agreement for three planets to share expertise and data.
When the Global Consortium was formed in 1983, compelling the divided nations across the globe to work together to solve the looming environmental catastrophe, it followed shortly afterwards that any solution must also involve off-world input. It was sanctioned by the Off World Federation because it pertained to preserving life and keeping two member planets alive, an overarching principle of this alliance. And so O-Fed became involved in the Genesis 2 project. There was an agreement that technology and expertise could be shared, but it must be used and contained only in this project, it was not to be deployed to accelerate progress and technological advances elsewhere on Earth.
Helyios 4 was also granted this privilege. The problems facing that planet were mineral based. Their power sources were becoming completely depleted. The Helyions were a formidable and warlike people who lived predominantly underground. They thrived in radioactive environments, their industry was heavy and destructive, and they were a disruptive force within the Off World Federation.
There was a feeling among the more advanced planets that Helyios 4 needed to become part of the inner circle or – in many generations’ time, when their ability to travel deep into space had evolved – they might be inclined to play the role of aggressor. The Off World Federation felt it was better to guide and influence rather than to leave the planet to its own devices and the inevitable violent conclusion.
It was because of these pacts that Zadra Nurmeen had been permitted to leave Helyios 4 to work alongside the humans on Earth. And it was the reason that a female mineral specialist was sent to the same planet, as an emissary from Zatheon – a gifted mineralogist who was to end up years later as the tortured captive of the Helyions that she was supposed to be helping.
* * *
The Fifth Button
* * *
The control room was on red alert. Magnus had rushed away from whatever he and Viktor were discussing to attend to the breach.
Since the Quadrants had separated, the main vulnerability seemed to be via the elevators on Levels 1 and 2. The transporter areas on the lower levels were now hovering above the planet – they’d broken away from the main bunker. Security in the elevator areas was tight, and there were heavily armed guards on both levels. The screens in the control room were switched to multi-camera view so Magnus could see the nature of the breach. It had come in on Level 1, the floor above us, and the tension in the room was high. The doors hadn’t yet opened. We watched and waited. There was complete silence.
As the doors began to open some kind of probe flew fast out of them, making those of us watching on the screens jump. Immediately came shots from the security teams and the probe exploded, falling to the ground.
‘They’re preparing to take over the Quadrants,’ Magnus announced. ‘They’re checking out our defences first.’
The security chief who had overseen the shooting down of the probe spoke over the comms system.
‘It’s a 360-degree probe. They just got a complete feed of our fortifications. I’d recommend that we disable the transporters.’
Magnus wasn’t so sure – I could see it in his face. He knew, like everybody else in the room, that if we blew up the elevators we could prevent a trooper attack, but in doing so we’d abandon the bunker teams who’d been captured in the other three Quadrants. I reckoned Viktor and Xiang wouldn’t go for that either.
Magnus made his choice – we were going for defence, but he still ordered the security teams to wire the elevators with explosives. If they had to be destroyed, they could be, at the push of a button. But for the meantime they were our portals to the remaining Quadrants and they needed to be defended. Magnus gave instructions to deploy additional security, effectively creating levels of deterrence three lines deep along each stretch of corridor opening to the elevators. My comms tab beeped. It was Nat – at last. One look at her face told me I needed to take this message on my own.
I sneaked into one of the smaller meeting rooms. I had to know what she was up to.
‘Nat, where are you?’
The video feed from her tab blurred momentarily, then adjusted on her view. It took my eyes a second to refocus – surely I wasn’t really seeing what I thought that was? Another blur as she repositioned the comms tab so I could see her face again.
‘I’m in space, Dan. It’s amazing!’
‘How the heck did you get there?’
I was incredulous. This had started out as a family day trip – nobody mentioned space travel.
‘Dan, there’s a new button on the transporters. It seems to have appeared after the Quadrants separated. I pressed it by accident and we’ve surfaced somewhere in space. We’re on some kind of space station. You need to join us, but keep it quiet for now, I don’t know how it fits in with things yet.’
I was desperate to join Nat. Surely this must be the hub for what was going on. It would make perfect sense bearing in mind how the Quadrants had separated and started to move above the surface of the planet. Nat and I had the run of the place. Nobody was challenging us or treating us like kids – there was a general understanding that we were key to everything.
I think it had finally sunk in for me too. At first it had seemed unbelievable that any of this could be connected with me. But seeing what I’d seen in those bunkers over the past forty-eight hours, being reunited with a twin I thought was dead, finding out that my mum and dad had lived hidden lives which they hadn’t cared to share with us. It was just incredible.
I was getting the hang of it now, and I liked it. When I was in the bunker entrance after the darkness fell, I was scared, fearful, a victim. Not any more. I was energized, motivated and angry. I wanted to fix this thing, and now I could see where Nat’s anger was coming from.
I wasn’t going to be a victim. I was getting off my butt to sort this or I’d die trying.
So I checked out with Nat and told her to wait. I was on my way … to space!
* * *
A New Ally
* * *
As Nat switched off her comms tab, she turned away from the window looking out onto the stars and registered for the first time who her second companion had been.
‘Hell! Kate!’
She launched herself at her, enraged. Simon was fast to intervene. It was a good job too – Nat hit him with quite some force.
&n
bsp; ‘Hold on, Nat!’
He was struggling to restrain her. Nat could see that Kate was taken aback by her attack, but she was only prepared to give Simon thirty seconds to come up with a good reason why she shouldn’t continue. As it was, Kate started to explain. She hadn’t met Nat yet, but she could tell already that she was extremely spirited.
‘Nat, you’re fine. I’m not a threat to you.’
Nat smouldered and didn’t look convinced. Kate picked up quickly. She liked this young woman and could see something of her own fire in her. Simon felt the tension in Nat’s arms ease slightly, so he offered some reassurance.
‘It’s okay, Nat. Kate and I know each other from way back.’
Nat showed she was ready to listen, but only for a short time.
‘I can’t explain what happened to me in the bunker,’ said Kate. ‘I knew what I was doing, but somehow it didn’t concern me, I seemed to have lost my free will. I can only describe it as if someone was controlling me. My conscience had disappeared, it didn’t seem to matter. But when the explosion went off on the surface, something happened – it was as if I’d got my senses back. I knew that what I’d done wasn’t good. I took one look around the control room and the troopers, and I got out of there fast.’
Nat was interested now. Simon gave Kate a bit more help.
‘It’s these devices in their necks, Nat, the same as your mum and James have ...’
He hesitated at the mention of James.
‘Kate was being controlled for most of the time she was in Quadrant 1.’
‘We need to find out who’s doing this, Nat,’ Kate continued, ‘and I’ll bet any amount of money the answer lies right here!’
They’d all come to the same conclusion at the same time. You didn’t need to be a detective to figure it out. Whatever answers they were after would be found here. And all three wanted to speak to one man in particular. Doctor Pierce was the key to this. As they stood there in that corridor in space, a new alliance formed in an instant and became glued by mutual contempt for the same man.
Suddenly the lights went out. The entire structure powered down then rebooted. It took less than a minute, but it was obvious that something important had just happened. A voice, cold, without emotion, almost robotic came through the speakers which lined the corridor. It was a female voice, but one which sounded detached, as if all humanity had been washed away and discarded.
‘Your Queen has taken control of the Nexus. The final assault on Earth can now begin.’
Chapter Five
Emissary From Helyios 4
* * *
On 10 July 1999 a 32-year-old mineralogist from the planet Zatheon began a unique placement on Earth. This was only the second time one of her species had been to the planet, and she was privileged and honoured to have been chosen for the task.
Even at such a young age, Davran Saloor was highly proficient in her field. She was the leading expert in mineralogy on her home planet, surpassing the skills of her own mentor and teacher and making ground-breaking discoveries about mineral composition that revolutionized all thinking and learning on the topic.
So, when the Off World Federation finally heard the pleas from Helyios 4 to assist with the mineral depletions that would eventually kill their own planet, the elders on Zatheon thought it only fit to send Davran to Earth. That planet had a very similar mineral composition to Helyios 4, so Davran’s task was to apply the knowledge and principles developed on her own planet to see how they might help with the crisis.
Davran was also crucial to Earth’s own terraforming proposals. They would use technology from her own planet Zatheon to facilitate this process and deploy lessons learned in the resurrection of Helyios 4 when their turn came. Accompanying her would be the abrupt and rude Zadra Nurmeen, who had been dispatched from Helyios 4 to work alongside two prominent scientists from Earth, both of them at the forefront of Earth’s Genesis 2 project.
These unprecedented steps for off-world species to interact with each other were subject to draconian controls. Under no circumstances would the Off World Federation permit contact with other humans not directly engaged in the respective projects of Earth and Helyios 4.
Although Davran was humanoid in appearance, her biological make-up was very different to that of the humans. Her skin was light, her hair dark and her eyes a piercing grey, but there was nothing about her – other than her manner, habits and slight difficulty making the ‘th’ sound in human words – that would have given her away on Earth.
Zadra was also predominantly humanoid in form, but it was absolutely imperative that he was not seen, as his eyes, nose shape and skin texture would have made him stand out immediately among human beings. His species was well adapted to hard physical work so they tended to be short and compact. On each hand they had seven fingers for more effective use of tools in tight underground locations.
Zadra and Davran, along with the twin scientists from Earth, were well aware of the consequences of breaching the code of engagement agreed by the members of the Off World Federation. No contact with humans unless they’d been given full Genesis 2 clearance. No tests, experiments or processes to be carried out unless within the agreed remits and specifications. A complete and total confidentiality clause on all off-planet experiences. These rules were crucial to the integrity and peaceful co-existence of the twelve planets which formed the Off World Federation.
Which is why, when she breached the code, Davran was subjected to such severe and terrible consequences.
* * *
Supremacy
* * *
For a sociopath like Henry Pierce, throwing his own brother violently from his chair at the helm of the control console was a spiteful and long overdue victory. One which he had imagined now for many years, and one which he knew he’d savour when the opportunity finally came.
The Off World Federation could come up with as many rules and codes as it liked, but when Doctor Henry Pierce and Zadra Nurmeen had met, there had been an instant ignition of friendship, one which would have no respect for those rules. As Henry learned more about Helyios 4, he began to feel that he’d been born on the wrong planet and at the wrong time. He had much more in common with the values of his new friend. So when Henry and Zadra narrowly escaped ostracism after their own debacles, the bond had already been forged. Two hate-filled men with a mission for revenge against a perceived enemy which had been merciful in its treatment of these offenders.
But they had knowledge, they’d been exposed to the far-reaching plans which affected both of their planets. And the woman from Zatheon had been the one to give them the key. Helyios 4 needed minerals, minerals which were in plentiful supply on Earth. Henry Pierce hated Earth – they’d rejected him and failed to appreciate his skills and intelligence. Earth was dying and Genesis 2 was going to save it. But using the knowledge and expertise of the mineralogist from Zatheon, as well as the privileged access Pierce and Nurmeen had had before being taken off the project, it was possible to sabotage Genesis 2.
Henry Pierce’s aims were simple. They didn’t take any account of interplanetary codes or off-world covenants. Henry Pierce cared only about himself. With his friend Zadra Nurmeen he would destroy his brother’s work. He would then sabotage the Genesis 2 project. The Earth would be destroyed – a failed mission, an Off World Federation project gone sadly wrong. Under Federation laws, if Earth died of its own accord, its mineral deposits were fair game, where no sentient or intelligent life existed – or was capable of existing. They’d make sure of that. The shards were already injecting the poisons that would kill this planet. Earth had begun to burn. Henry and Zadra would become vastly rich and powerful selling the mineral supplies back to Helyios 4. Henry would return to that planet as its saviour. This dream was within his grasp.
As Harold fell to the floor, he kicked him with the contempt he thought he deserved. Blood began to trickle from his mouth and head, and Henry was reminded of the delightful time he’d enjoyed when he’d poured
scalding hot water over his brother as they’d bathed when children.
He keyed in some codes on the control panel before him. The power went off momentarily, then resumed. It was not unlike what had happened in the bunkers hours earlier, only without the twenty-four hour delay that had been necessary to infiltrate the Global Consortium mainframe. That was when they were most vulnerable, at the point at which power was handed over from world governments to his brother.
A cold female voice came over the speaker system in the ops area. The Queen was connected to the Nexus. Harold Pierce would be eliminated and the final processes to kill off the Earth could at last be put in place. With the Queen now online, the troopers would quickly overcome and destroy the final bunker.
Having recovered slightly from the violence of Henry’s attack, Harold Pierce began to pick himself off the floor. He should have stayed where he was. Henry kicked him once again, hard and ruthlessly in the head. Harold dropped, unconscious, bruised and bloody. Henry sneered at him. The brothers looked so alike he could be watching himself lying there, pathetic, on the floor. Only he would never let anybody do that to him. Life to him was about supremacy, dominance, victory. Right now, in this moment, he felt indestructible. With his friend Zadra Nurmeen at his side, he would destroy the cursed planet thousands of kilometres below them and live a new life on Helyios 4 where he would be rich, adored and powerful. And he would achieve it using the skills of another person who’d been cast aside, just like he was all those years ago. It was good to hear her voice in the ops area at last – the final part of this plan was coming together, after so many years.
She would be his secret weapon, it would be her power that would allow him to make the final twist of the knife and kill the planet he hated so much.