The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators: A Slaver Wars Novel

by Raymond L. Weil

  Zafron frowned and slowly shook his head. “Kazak thought much the same. The Anti-Life would have strung you along until they got from you the secret of the hyperspace jamming stations surrounding their galaxy. You would have released them to continue their war of expansion across the known universe. This time there would have been no one to stop them.”

  Leeda nodded. “Not all of us agreed with attempting to contact the Anti-Life. Many of us were concerned it would not end well, but we were outvoted.”

  “How many disagreed?”

  “Forty-six percent,” answered Leeda promptly.

  This seemed to satisfy Zafron for the moment. “There may be hope for you yet.”

  -

  “Are you really an Originator?” asked Reesa no longer able to restrain herself. “I’ve waited all of my life to meet one of you.”

  Zafron turned toward the woman, who was obviously an Alton. “Who are you and why are you here?”

  Reesa looked taken aback by the questions but responded. “I am Reesa Jast, an Originator research scientist. I was in the Shrieel in our home galaxy and ended up on the Distant Horizon at Leeda’s request.”

  -

  “I see,” Zafron said as he turned his attention back to Leeda. “Tell me what has been occurring with the Shrieels and the AIs we left to maintain them since the pathogen wiped out our race.”

  Leeda nodded and began speaking.

  For many long minutes, Leeda gave a brief summary of the AIs research and their upkeep of the many Shrieels and bases of the Originators. Her voice paused when Kazak reappeared carrying the vial with the amber colored liquid.

  “It is a cure,” announced Kazak. “It is organic and meets all the parameters we were seeking.”

  Zafron set back down indicating for the others to do the same. “It seems I have a decision to make. Fleet Admiral Strong, I wish to awaken the other adult Originators. The children can be left in stasis for the time being until we decide upon our future.”

  “We will be glad to assist,” answered Jeremy, sensing a reduction in the tension in the room. It was evident the cure Leeda brought had been the turning point.

  “There are four Shrieels at the Communication and Transport Hub,” Leeda said respectfully. “I am sure you can find a new home there for the survivors in one of them.”

  “It is a possibility,” Zafron said noncommittally. “Kazak, reduce the ship’s alert stasis and change our weapons to stop targeting the Distant Horizon. I no longer feel there is a threat.”

  “Clarissa, contact Commander Grissim and have her do the same. Take the ship to Condition Three,” ordered Kathryn.

  -

  Katie looked over at Clarissa who was sitting a few chairs down. Something just didn’t seem right. Unless her imagination was fooling her, she thought she had heard the chair squeak slightly when Clarissa sat down. Standing up, she walked over to Clarissa and put her hand on her shoulder. She encountered a warm and solid surface. “You’re real!”

  Clarissa grinned reaching up and taking Katie’s hand. “Yes, I’m real. Leeda was gracious enough to create an artificial AI body for me. I have one for Ariel as well on the Distant Horizon.”

  Clarissa stood up and hugged Katie. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.”

  Katie stepped back with a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’ve missed you so much. There hasn’t been a day go by that I didn’t think about you and some of the experiences we had together.”

  “The same here,” Clarissa said. “I can’t wait to show Ariel her new body. I hope she likes it.”

  “She will,” promised Katie. ”When we have the time, I want you to tell me everything that happened while you were gone.”

  “Some of it will be hard to believe,” replied Clarissa smiling.

  Katie looked around the room. “I think we both have some stories to tell each other.”

  -

  “You are an interesting people,” Zafron said, confused by the showing of affection between Clarissa and Katie. “I fear my age has made me forget the emotions of my youth.”

  “There is much you can teach us,” Jeremy said. “As you know we’re stranded here in the Triangulum Galaxy with no way home. We face a great enemy in the Simulins and may soon face attack even here in the nebula. It’s one of the reasons we were hoping Kazak would turn over some of the Dominator’s weapons technology to us.”

  “Jeremy, there is something you should know,” Kathryn said, remembering the new intergalactic drive on her ship. “The Distant Horizon has an intergalactic drive on it and can reach the Federation in about two weeks’ time.”

  Jeremy felt his breath catch in his throat. Could they actually have a way home?

  “I think that discussion needs to wait for another day,” Zafron said. “My people have some serious rules and restrictions about sharing technology with other races. Some of our technology, particular the weapons technology, could be extremely dangerous in the hands of those not mature enough to handle the responsibility such technology and weapons bring.”

  “Leeda and Camlin mentioned those same restrictions,” Kathryn lamented. “They told us we might not be able to keep some of the upgrades they made to the Distant Horizon.”

  “I understand the concerns,” Jeremy said as diplomatically as possible. “As you said earlier, we can discuss this at a later date. I believe our best move for now is to schedule the awakening of the other Originator adults.”

  Zafron eyes shifted to the cure Kazak was holding in his hand. “I believe we should awaken Bartoll next. He was our greatest scientist and very wise. We may need his wisdom in deciding what we should do on a variety of subjects.”

  “Bartoll,” spoke Leeda in reverence. “We have heard of him. He is the greatest scientist ever produced by the Originators.”

  Zafron allowed a smile to cross his face. “He’s also a very determined individual when he sets his mind on something. Now, Leeda. I wish to go over to the Distant Horizon and speak with Camlin and her group. I have no desire to have two opposing groups of AIs on the same ship.”

  Leeda nodded, even bowing slightly in Zafron’s direction. “If Rear Admiral Barnes approves, I see no problem in that.”

  “I’ll arrange it immediately,” Kathryn said relieved the crisis was over. She had been prepared to deal with Kazak, not a living Originator.

  Jeremy looked around the conference room wondering where all of this would lead. Zafron seemed much calmer and was speaking in a more measured voice, one Jeremy would expect from an Originator. They were about to awaken a group of people who had probably forgotten more about science than even the Altons knew. The next few months were going to be unbelievably interesting and exciting. But first he had other fleet business he needed to attend to.

  “Rear Admiral Barnes, as soon as you’ve made the arrangements for Zafron to see Camlin, I would like you and Clarissa to report to the Avenger for debriefing. I believe we have a lot to go over.”

  “I think Reesa should be there as well,” Kathryn said, nodding toward the Alton woman. “She can brief you on what’s been occurring back in the Federation.”

  “Very well,” Jeremy said. “Let’s adjourn this meeting. From the sound of it, we all have a lot to do.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Camlin was in the detention center of the Distant Horizon. For hours now all of the Originator AIs who had supported her plan of using the exploration dreadnought to take over the Dominator and capturing Kazak had sat silently in their cells. Standing up, Camlin walked over to a wall and began pounding it with her fist. She was four times stronger than a Human was yet her fist didn’t even leave a dent on the wall.

  “There’s an energy shield running through the walls of these cells,” Jolban said from where he was sitting. There were four Originator AIs in each cell. “You can hit that wall all day and it won’t do any good.”

  Camlin whirled around, her face showing anger. “How could Leeda and Sible do this? They’ve taken away any chance
we had to recreate the Originator race.”

  “Perhaps we were wrong all along,” Jolban said, leaning back against the wall. “Contacting the Anti-Life would have been extremely dangerous.”

  “It was our only choice,” responded Camlin, shaking her head in denial. She came back over and sat down. “It doesn’t make any difference anyway with all of us imprisoned in these cells. We all heard the Condition One alarms sound earlier and now whatever the threat was seems to be over.”

  “We’re at Gaia,” Jolban said calmly. “By now, Kazak knows what we were planning. He won’t allow any of us near the Dominator.” The main hatch to the detention area opening interrupted him. Rear Admiral Barnes, Leeda, Reesa, and another man entered. Jolban rose to his feet, scarcely believing what he was seeing. He suddenly realized the terrible mistake they had almost committed.

  Throughout the entire detention area all the Originator AIs rose to their feet, gazing in shock at the apparition that had appeared in their midst.

  Camlin slowly turned and her eyes widened in disbelief. “This can’t be,” she uttered, her mind reeling. “There are no Originators left alive.”

  “I told you there might be in the stasis chambers on the Dominator,” Leeda said, striding over to Camlin’s cell. “I was right!”

  Camlin gazed at Leeda and then turned toward the Originator who was standing directly behind her. It was a sight she had never expected to see. She bowed slightly and then spoke. “I beg for your forgiveness. I was wrong and what we did was obviously a very foolish choice. We are here to serve you.”

  “This is Second Officer Zafron of the Dominator,” Leeda said in a clear voice. “There are over two hundred Originators in stasis on board the ship. Most are children. However, it has been brought to my attention that the Originator scientist Bartoll is also among the survivors.” All the AIs in the detention center knew from the ancient records that Bartoll was the wisest and most intelligent of all the Originators.

  Camlin nodded slowly, accepting how close she had come to making a serious and irrevocable mistake. She turned toward Rear Admiral Barnes, knowing what she must do. “Admiral, there is nothing I can do to make up for the lives lost due to my actions. I only did what I thought was right in order to bring back the Originator race. I accept any punishment you wish to hand out. If my continued life as an AI is forfeit, I accept it.”

  “We are at war,” Kathryn said, her eyes focusing on Camlin. “In war, we all make mistakes that at times cost innocent lives. In your case, you were fighting for a cause that has been the focus of the Originator AIs for several million years. While I can never forgive you for the deaths you caused, I will not inflict further pain upon you for doing what you believed was right. I leave any punishment for your actions up to Second Officer Zafron.”

  “Open the cells,” Zafron said, folding his arms across his chest and gazing slowly from one cell to the next. “All Originator AIs are under my command as the second officer of the Dominator. Since the Distant Horizon contains valuable Originator technology and weapons you are also under the command of Rear Admiral Barnes.”

  Kathryn was surprised to hear this. She wasn’t quite sure what to say or why Zafron was doing this.

  The AIs slowly came out and stood in a large circle around Zafron.

  “There are twenty-two other adult Originators in stasis on the Dominator,” Zafron announced. “In addition there are two hundred and forty-seven children.”

  The AIs looked from one to the other. They all knew what this meant. Once they returned to the Shrieels, they could now harvest sufficient germplasm and by use of artificial birthing chambers, they could rapidly increase the number of living Originators. It would only take a few generations to have a stable and thriving population.

  “What are your orders?” asked Camlin. “Are we returning to the Communication and Transport Hub?” With its location being in intergalactic space and with the four Shrieels and other megastructures, it would be the safest.

  “No, not yet,” replied Zafron. “We will use the pathogen cure on several more of the adults in the stasis chambers. Once we’re satisfied it functions properly, we will awaken all the adults. The children will wait until we are at a safer location.”

  “And where will that be?” asked Camlin, hoping it was the Communication and Transport Hub.

  “That has yet to be determined. I wish to consult with Bartoll and several others on where we need to take the Dominator.”

  “Do you wish us to oversee the administration of the cure?”

  “You may assist. For now I want the Altons to be in charge of awakening our people. They are very advanced when it comes to medical procedures, and I’m confident they can handle this.”

  Camlin nodded. “As you wish. We too have noticed how advanced the Altons are. They are very scientifically minded and have been instrumental in the installation and the use of Originator technology on this ship.”

  Zafron frowned. “That is something else we need to discuss. Some of our most important laws restrict what you did in providing such technology to the Distant Horizon. I need to know how it was done and why.”

  “When the last Originators were dying they gave us the ability to adjust our programming. We have very seldom used that option in the past two million years. However, in order to find the Dominator and Kazak we made the necessary changes to allow us to circumvent several of the restrictions on sharing Originator technology.”

  Zafron turned so he could face both Leeda and Camlin. “I want half the Originator AIs on the Distant Horizon reassigned to the Dominator. They are to assist in the weapons upgrades Kazak has initiated. Until I say otherwise, I want two AIs in the stasis compartment at all times monitoring the individual stasis chambers. Leeda, since you had faith that there were still Originators on the Dominator you will lead the AIs going over to the ship. Camlin, you will continue to work closely with Rear Admiral Barnes.”

  Kathryn frowned. “My crew is still familiarizing themselves with the changes to the ship. It will reduce the efficiency of my crew to respond to an emergency by having that many of the AIs transferred to the Dominator.”

  “Contact Fleet Admiral Strong and request additional Altons be assigned to the Distant Horizon. Your ship is short on crewmembers as it is. I would suggest you use this opportunity to fill all of your crew vacancies in case I decide to allow you to keep some or all of the technology our AIs have provided you with.”

  “I will do so immediately,” responded Kathryn. It didn’t bother her that Zafron was giving orders. After all, he was an Originator. She would have expected nothing less.

  -

  At Gladen Three, Supreme High Commander Altrab waited for the arrival of Grand Councilmember Marden. This time he had left his armed escort behind. He fully expected to be executed as soon as the councilor arrived on board the StarFire. He let out a long breath. He gazed at his hand, seeing the pulsing blood veins beneath his skin. Altrab had served many years as a dedicated officer. He had no fear of death but regretted deeply that he had failed in his last mission. The hatch suddenly slid open and Marden stepped inside. Altrab was surprised to see the councilor was alone and hadn’t brought his normal retinue of armed escorts.

  “Let us go to your Command Center,” Marden said. “What I have to say, I want all of your command crew to hear as well.”

  “Yes, Councilor,” answered Altrab, wondering what was going on. Was Councilor Marden going to carry out the execution himself in front of the crew as an example of what it meant to fail the Grand Council?

  For several minutes they made their way through the ship with neither speaking. Reaching the Command Center, Altrab stepped inside with his head bowed, waiting to be struck down by the councilor.

  “Take your place at your command station,” ordered Marden. “Today is not your day to die.”

  Altrab felt confused but made his way to his command chair and sat down, turning his attention back to Grand Councilmember Marden. “I don’t under
stand. I failed in my duty to the council.”

  “You faced a ship armed with weapons from the ancient Sphere Builders,” Marden explained. “We ran numerous battle simulations on the main battle computer on Gladen Three and all resulted in the destruction of your fleet at Ornellia. You didn’t fail due to your strategy; you failed due to the presence of that single vessel.”

  Altrab hesitated. In normal circumstances, it was not wise to ask questions of a councilmember but he sensed this was not a normal situation. “What are we to do?”

  “Turn on all of your viewscreens,” ordered Marden. “We are gathering our fleets.”

  Altrab gave the order and then sat back in disbelief. Around Gladen Three, there were thousands of Simulin warships.

  “There are more ships arriving every minute,” the sensor operator reported. “Sensors indicate the presence of six thousand vessels.”

  “I don’t understand.” Altrab hadn’t checked the sensors since arriving in the system as he had expected to die.

  Marden stepped closer to the viewscreens. “We are gathering all of our ships to strike the organics and their AIs inside the Fitula Nebula. All ships will be equipped with a device that will render the hyperspace jamming in the nebula ineffective.”

  “There may be more ships in the nebula equipped with ancient weapons,” warned Altrab. “We could be risking substantial ship losses if we attack their base.”

  “We have considered that,” replied Marden. He turned back to face Altrab. “We are gathering all of our ships. The outer fleets have been recalled as well as all the ships protecting our remaining worlds.”

  Altrab nodded his understanding. “We risk everything. Either we win or they do.”

  Marden nodded. “Yes, if we lose, then control of this galaxy will fall to the Fitula organics and their AIs. I suspect they will cleanse our worlds of life to ensure we never become a threat again.”

  “Who will command this fleet?”

  Marden gazed directly at Altrab. “The main battle computer has selected you as commander. You have already fought a ship equipped with ancient weapons. We have also developed several strategies based on the battle information you sent back that might be effective against such ships.”