by Kocho
As the ship approached Earth the small crew started gathering and in groups heading towards the bridge. The AI’s avatar appeared on it several minutes before they arrived. All the AI’s were in fact copies of the brains of the smartest people that were represented in the Alteran society. They were rarely aware of that fact, but sometimes the respected scientists who chose to have their brains scanned gave their permeations for the AI to be informed about the person or persona that it represented. Aria was one of those lucky few. She was an older model than Anaya and her owner died in the opening stages of the last war. But before that she chose to give Aria her real name and rank, and chose to allow her to know everything she wanted about her creator. Aria Wan Hassen was a brilliant astrophysicist one of the best in her young generation. The AI remembered the mind link even today, and she remembered the young joyful women that gave her everything she ever dreamed of. It was extremely rare for an AI to keep the same name as the person that donated the brain scan. But the AI decided to keep it in the memory of her. And she also kept the same physical look that she found on the net from the days when Aria was younger.
The avatar was that of a slender blonde woman, with deep green eyes, white tan, and small lips that formed a lovely smile that everyone found inviting and as the marines that were now on her decks said brought joy to their hearts. Same as Anaya she was also appearing in the white dress that all avatars usually chose to wear. She remembered all the stories about how beautiful Earth looked from space. And now that she had a chance to see it for herself for the first time she almost gasped. A thin smile appeared on her face.
“They are right. It’s a rare jewel.”
Her smile grew deeper as she noticed the looks of the people she carried. Their looks were the same as the looks on a child when it sees something amazing. There were tears on some of their faces. And she knew that her last crew had those same looks on their faces as well. And even she would have it to. This blue jewel was the home world of the human race, the world that was the birthplace of her creator’s race and in some way, even to her as well. She was an artificial being but even she could feel the power, the magic and the beauty of this world.
“You were right lieutenant. It is beautiful.”
Bradley smiled and turned towards her.
“I told you. And it will look even better every time you see it.”
The AI raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
“And I guess you are speaking from experience.”
“Well yea. It is after all my second time.”
His comment drew couple of smiles.
As they approached the planet she received calls from both the space station and from NASA.
“Demetrion this is ISS Freedom. Welcome home.”
The AI smiled at the comment. In a strange way she was home.
“Thank you Freedom. It’s good to see you as well. Waiting on the landing coordinates.”
“I’m sending you the coordinates now. There is a big crowd down in Nevada waiting on you Demetrion. Have a safe landing.”
“Thank you.”
Aria smiled as she set the landing coordinates. The cruiser slowly turned toward its new heading and started descending in to the atmosphere.
“If you can everyone should take a seat for the landing. It would be safer.”
Everyone on the bridge was seated even before she gave the comment a reaction she knew came from the primitive shuttles they used previously.
As the cruiser entered the atmosphere it trembled slightly. But thanks to the inertial dampeners no one inside it felt anything. And the activated shields protected the hull from the heat that was generated during the reentry. The cruiser descended fast and as it broke through the upper atmosphere it started reducing its speed rapidly. As it broke in the lower attitudes dozens of fighter planes joined it and provided an escort. The ship headed towards the most infamous place in the US. Towards the place called Area 51.
The remote military base was a remote part of the Edwards Air Force Base and it was centered in the southern portion of Nevada. It was the testing ground for most of the US Air Force top secret projects and it was thanks to the many conspiracy theories the most known air force base in the world.
The US government denied the official existence of the base until the 29 September 1995 and until the incident in the Mediterranean never actually conceded to any of the theories or demands for civilian opening of the base. That only increased the public interest in the base and the simple fact that the base never appeared on any government maps only fueled the conspiracy theories and mysteries about it. And even after the news about the invasion reached the public the official policy of the government was to still deny and ignore any comments about the base. As the ship came closer to the base its escorts turned toward the nearest base and left it to the ten Black Hawks that appeared and took their place.
Even though the government never really admitted anything the simple fact that most of the scientists that were involved in the research and reverse engineering of the equipment of the alien ships came from this base meant that at least some of those theories had merit. More than two thousand people were now gathered in the base. Most of them were scientists, but there were also plenty of engineers and people that came from the Navy as well as a good number of pilots that were chosen as the best in their class for starting of the training on the marvelous and agile fighters that were reported by Jennings. And most of them were standing outside. Plenty of civilians were present on the cliffs that surrounded the base, accompanied by members of the press. Even though the alien menace was now a known the policy of not allowing entrance for the press stayed in power. As the cruiser appeared everyone gasped. Even now twelve thousand years since the day it was activated, even with all the scars from the battles it fought, it still looked amazing.
Dr. Paterson gasped as the ship appeared on the horizon. And the reaction of the group of military officers beside him was the same.
The cruiser was almost fifteen hundred feet long and almost three hundred feet wide. Massive gun ports were visible on its ventral hull and smaller gun ports were visible on both sides. It had a rectangular frame. The hangar bay was placed on its right side. As the ship descended he noticed the shimmering of the light around it. He recognized it as the effect of the active shields that reacted to the air and the speed. As it descended it was obvious that the large frame was no obstacle for the landing. When it came above the place where it was supposed to land the ship stopped in the air and as it did that the landing gear extended. It hovered and slowly dropped to the ground. As it did it raised clouds of dust that spread in all directions. Paterson could hear the thrusters as they were shutting down. Both he and the rest of the scientists were amazed by the technology they were seeing. He knew that the derelicts that the navy gave them at Norfolk and in Macedonia were more advanced than this ship. But they were ships that were nearly totally destroyed in the fighting and even with all the discoveries it was obvious that they were missing so much more. And the ship before his eyes, even with all its battle damage that was obvious to the naked eye, even with the groaning of its hull from its age it was still a functioning ship, a ship that could give them the pieces that they couldn’t see and could only guess. He could feel the tears that appeared in his eyes. They were tears of joy because now he knew that humanity had a chance, a real one. He wiped them away as the dust cleared and together with the rest of the men headed toward the ship. As they were closing in the hangar bay opened up and two strange looking planes came out. They were flying just several meters above the ground. They were moving slowly, it almost seemed like they were hovering. They passed them as they looked at them with astonished eyes and headed towards one of the open hangar bays of the base. As they flied by the reporters turned after them forgetting for the moment the huge ship. After the plains left he could see the small ramp descending below the ship and the people standing on it. He recognized all of them. Most were scientists although he could
see several soldiers as well. He recognized all of them considering the long time they all spent preparing for the mission under NASA’s careful eye. The soldiers were wearing normal military clothes. He guessed that the armor was in their quarters on the ship. The scientists were talking with excitement discussing something between them.
As the two groups closed in the soldiers stopped and saluted. The officers in his group stopped and returned the salute.
Paterson just walked over and shook hands with the closest scientist.
“Welcome home Christopher.”
The astrophysicist smiled at his older colleague. So did the others.
“It’s good to be back. She is a beauty James.”
Both of them turned and looked at the ship.
“Gentlemen if you are finished we have a lot of work to do. I believe that there are some things that we should take of that ship. I would like your help about that.”
The group of scientists turned towards the waiting admiral. Simonson smiled as the group of scientists turned toward him. He was several years younger then most of them. The scientists watched him and the other officers and soldiers carefully.
“You are right admiral. Everything that has to be taken of the ship is in the hangar bay. The rest of the soldiers are there.”
One of the officers, this one wearing the ribbons that identified him as a general, waved with his hands at the people in the distance and several vehicles started moving towards them. Most of them were large trucks. A large group of soldiers and base personal was coming as well.
“We need to do this quickly so that the first group of passengers can board the ship.”
“Yes general.”
The older general saluted to the admiral and started forward towards the ship.
As he did that one of the soldiers stepped forward.
“Sirs before they start I believe there is something you need to see.”
The general stopped and turned. The admiral and the rest of the officers turned as well.
As they did that they noticed that the scientists lowered their heads.
“And what that might be Lieutenant?”
Bradley just looked at the group of officers and so did the rest of his soldiers. The look they gave made both the admiral and the general quiet.
“Lead the way Lt.”
Bradley inhaled.
“Yes sir.”
As he turned so did the other four soldiers. They slowly went toward the ramp. As they started forward Dr. Paterson left the group of scientists and joined them.
As they entered the ship they noticed two more soldiers waiting for them. They quietly passed through several hallways and stopped as they approached a closed door at the second deck. Two soldiers stood guard there. When they saw the general and the admiral and their staff approaching they saluted.
The Lt. turned toward the general and with a serious face nodded toward the door.
“They are here sir.”
The group went forward. As they approached one of the soldiers pressed his hand on a button on the wall and the door slid open. It revealed a large room far larger then any other they saw on the way there. And as the officers stepped in they saw that it was filled with hundreds of coffins.
“My God… There are hundreds of them.”
The general just nodded at the words of the younger admiral. They all took of their hats.
Bradley stepped forward and joined the group of officers. So did Dr. Paterson.
“Seven hundred and sixty nine sirs…There are seven hundred and sixty nine of them sirs.”
His voice was serious. It was the voice of a man who can recognize the loss that he was now seeing. And he could feel the pain it brought.
As they watched a shimmering light appeared in front of them. It took them by surprise and they stepped backward. The light disappeared and they all saw a beautiful young woman. The hologram smiled weakly and turned toward the coffins.
“They were members of my last crew. They never managed to see this world but they died so that others may have that chance, so that you may have this future.”
At those words she looked at them and in her eyes Bradley saw gratitude for his words.
Simonson looked at the coffins and at the strange flag that covered them. It was torn at places, a casualty of time. Then he looked at the avatar of the AI. He knew that her name was Aria from the briefings.
“They will be buried with all honors Aria. They will be buried alongside our own, like heroes.”
“Thank you Admiral.”
General Alexander looked at the admiral and nodded. Malcolm Alexander knew the price of the sacrifice that he saw now. He saw lots of that in his long career. He was a veteran from the first Golf War, and the war on terror in Afghanistan and in Iraq in the beginning of this century. He looked at the AI. He sensed that although she was artificial, she felt pain.
“If you allow, my men will take care of them.”
Aria turned and looked at the bodies. She didn’t feel pain but she could steel feel sadness and pride as well. They were finally home.
“They are in your care. Treat them as they deserved general. Treat them like the heroes they truly were.”
“We will.”
The AI just nodded with its head and disappeared.
General Alexander turned toward the admiral.
“If you allow me I will go and make the preparations for their removal.
Simonson looked at the general and nodded.”
The general and the rest of the soldiers left the room. The small group of officers left with them leaving Simonson alone.
He looked at the bodies and raised his hand to wipe a tear from his face. The bodies brought back memories of the people, of the friends he lost. The pain was still there.
He kneeled and raised the torn flag that had fallen from the nearest coffin and gently he placed it over it. As he raised himself he kept looking at the coffin. He wondered if this was just a premonition of what was to come, of the death he and every other soldier will soon have to face. He felt fear inside him but as he looked at them he also felt pride. He remembered the words of the AI.
“They never managed to see this world but they died so that others may have that chance, so that you may have this future.”
“You gave us this chance. Thank you.”
He saluted and left the room. As he did that the AI appeared again. She looked at the admiral as he was leaving and then she turned towards the bodies.
“You are finally home.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
12 May 2018 12:00 hours
Sedna Sol System
Dr. Paterson looked at the beautiful view from the bridge of Argus. He couldn’t believe that just seven days ago he was back on Earth. Now the small moon humans called Sedna was circling before his eyes.
He never dreamed that he would get a chance to be in space. Not even when the first news about the discovery arrived. But with the arrival of the Demetrion everything changed. In just seven days the cruiser transported five and a half thousand people. Beside the large contingent of soldiers that arrived and the pilots, there were hundreds of scientists, engineers, linguists, and many other people. Most of them were Americans and people from NASA, but there were also people from almost every nation from Earth. He turned and noticed the Demetrion. The cruiser was preparing for another trip to Earth. It was carrying the rest of the dead crewmen of both the Argus and the Hidea. The ship this time had no crew on it. Aria was good enough to make this trip alone. She was taking them to join the rest of their comrades. She was taking them on their last trip.
As he watched the ship started moving forward. He felt eve as he watched it leave. He admired the technology that he was now watching. A small smile appeared on his face as he noticed the other ship that was visible in the distance. The Deadalus, the first real starship that humanity managed to build. The Deadalus was preparing for its next mission. The last three days the small, but fast shuttles t
hat all three ships had made dozen trips to the warp point placing a hundred nuclear bombs around it that the Demetrion brought from Earth. They were bombs that came from the large stockpiles of Russia, the United States and China, and several came from several other countries as well including to the surprise of everyone from South Africa, Iran and North Korea. As he watched the Deadalus drifted slowly in the hangar bay of the Argus. As the ship did that he heard Anaya.
“The Deadalus is in the hangar bay Admiral. We are ready for the mission.”
Simonson looked at the AI before him. He came here in the first trip and took command from Captain Jennings. The captain was now on the Deadalus together with the marines and several scientists. From the original crew several scientists were staying here and they were replaced by several new astronomers. The reason for that was simple. The Deadalus was going to make the first trip to another star system. He smiled at that thought. The sixty people on that ship were about to make a trip that every human wanted to make. They were going to make history.
“Ok Anaya. Let’s make the delivery.”
“Yes Admiral.”
The AI turned and just seconds later the ship started moving. He couldn’t feel the movement, but he knew that they were moving thanks to the fact that Sedna disappeared from the screen. The trip didn’t last long. Even with all the damages that the Argus had, the mighty battleship made the trip in less than an hour. When the ship stopped he noticed the data map showing the presence of one more ship. It was the second cruiser, the Hidea. The cruiser arrived here several hours ago and it was planned to stay on watch until the Deadalus returned. The Argus was supposed to stay as well.
When the ship stopped he stood up and looked at the place where the warp point was supposed to be. He couldn’t see anything but from what he could see on the sensor readings it was obvious that the point was there. The screen also showed the hundred nuclear bombs that were now drifting around it.