“Status?”
“All defenses are down and we’re receiving no response to our hails,” reported the communications officer.
“What about the warships?”
“Same there. I’ve attempted communicating with several of them but all I’m receiving back is silence.”
Fleet Admiral Nagumo stood staring confused at the multitude of viewscreens on the front wall of the Command Center. On them were views of battleships, battlecruisers, strikecruisers, and even a few battlecarriers. All were in orbit around Ceres and seemed to have been abandoned. “Send boarding parties over to a few of those ships. I want to know what happened to their crews.”
Seven days earlier, Ceres had gone silent. A space buoy had begun broadcasting a message for all Federation ships to stay away until further notice. It had caused a furor on Earth and Mars as well as the huge battlestations defending the home planet. After every attempt at communication had failed, Admiral Nagumo had decided to take the Luna and its task force to Ceres to find the underlying cause of the mystery.
Minutes passed by and then word came that all the warships the boarding parties had boarded were empty. There were no signs of the crews.
Fleet Admiral Nagumo took a deep breath. He had known Governor Barnes and Admiral Kalen for years. He couldn’t imagine any type of disaster that could have caused this situation. There had been no distress calls or any signs of there being a problem at Ceres until the buoy began broadcasting.
“We checked the ships for any signs of airborne pathogens and radiation,” reported the ship’s executive officer. “All tests have come back negative.”
Nagumo shook his head. This mystery was only deepening.
“Prepare my shuttle; I’m going to Governor Barnes’ office. If there’s an explanation as to what has happened here, that’s where we’ll find it.”
-
An hour later Fleet Admiral Nagumo made his way toward Governor Barnes’ office. He was wearing an Alton spacesuit to protect him against any possible pathogens or unknown radiation that might have affected the people of Ceres. He had also sent squads of Marines into the various habitats to search for survivors.
Reaching the governor’s office he opened the door and stepped inside, leaving his Marine escort out in the hallway. With surprise he saw someone was sitting behind the governor’s desk.
“Hello, Admiral,” said former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth. “Your protective suit is not needed.”
“Where is everyone?” demanded Nagumo, wondering why Fleet Admiral Streth was here. What did he have to do with this?
“They’re gone,” Hedon replied with an all-knowing smile. “Take off your suit and I’ll explain.”
Nagumo took off his protective suit and went to stand in front of the desk, gazing at Hedon. “How can the population of an entire world just vanish?”
Hedon leaned forward and looked directly into Nagumo’s eyes. “They didn’t just vanish. They left.”
He didn’t bother to explain how he had gone on all the video channels at the request of Governor Barnes and informed the inhabitants of Ceres how important it was to rise to the challenge and go to the aid of Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong and the rest of the Special Five. He had stressed how the Special Five had been fighting for the safety and freedom of the people of Ceres for years in a far off galaxy. Now it was time for the people of Ceres to go to the aid of the Special Five.
“They left!” Nagumo said, looking even more confused. “How? None of the sensors in the entire system detected any unauthorized ship movements.” Then a suspicious look appeared in Nagumo’s eyes. “Does this involve Fleet Admiral Strong?”
Hedon smiled. “I once had a vision the Special Five would be responsible for fighting a great war in order to save numerous galaxies in our universe. That vision has now been verified.” In that vision he had also come to know Jeremy and the others would never return to this galaxy. He had also thought the same of the Distant Horizon though the ship, which returned, was vastly different than the one that had left.
“I don’t believe in visions,” muttered Nagumo.
Hedon slid the letter from Fleet Admiral Strong over to the fleet admiral. He then handed over a small computer disk, which outlined what had occurred in the Triangulum Galaxy. “Everything you need to know is in those.”
Nagumo opened Fleet Admiral Strong’s letter and began to read. Once he was finished he put it down and picked up the small computer disk. “I’m not going to be able to talk to anyone about this, am I?”
“That’s your decision,” answered Hedon, folding his arms across his chest. “However, before you view what’s on that disk let me fill you in on a few more details.”
-
For the next hour Hedon explained to Fleet Admiral Nagumo what had transpired. Hedon had been fortunate enough to go on board the Distant Horizon and meet with the Originator AIs. In many ways, Hedon almost wished he were younger so he could have gone with them.
Fleet Admiral Nagumo listened, his eyes widening in amazement and disbelief. “All of this is hard to believe,” he said when Hedon finally stopped. “A war between two races even older and more advanced than the Altons?”
“You saw the images of the Dyson Sphere in Shari space,” Hedon pointed out. “This is a war involving the builders of that sphere. All the proof you need is on that computer disk.”
Nagumo let out a deep sigh. “I’ll have to tell the president and a few others but I think we can limit those who will have knowledge of what’s happened. We’ll have to find a plausible excuse to explain where everyone went.”
“You might have a problem with that. From what I understand videos of the battles in the Triangulum Galaxy are already being broadcast on Careth.”
Nagumo shook his head. His job over the next few weeks and months was going to be a headache. How could he explain how so many Humans, Altons, and Carethians had vanished?
-
Later Fleet Admiral Streth was standing on a balcony overlooking the Aquarian habitat. In the past deceased Fleet Admiral Carla Johnson and Admiral Teleck had stood in this same place admiring the view and discussing the Special Five and the future of the Federation. With a smile, Hedon wondered what they would be thinking now if they knew what Jeremy and the others had accomplished. Looking upward, Hedon could well imagine the titanic struggle, which would shortly be waging between the galaxies. With a deep sigh, he turned and started walking back to his private shuttle. It was time to go home to his wife and children. He knew after today his services would not be needed again. The future had moved past him and he was now only a part of history.
Epilogue
Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong stood atop a balcony in a tall building that was the headquarters of the new Originator military. Down below on the busy streets, people were going from one building to another anxious to see all the wonders the Originators had provided. When Rear Admiral Barnes had returned with all of the volunteers from the three races a month earlier, the new cities to house them had already been built by the Originators and their AIs. It had been wonderful to see Governor Barns and Admiral Kalen. Jeremy had instantly named Kalen as his second in command. With Kalen’s vast experience it had taken a load off Jeremy.
A whimpering noise behind him drew his attention. With a smile, he turned seeing Angela holding Clair and talking to Brace in a low voice.
“How long until we send ships out against the Anti-Life?” asked Kelsey as she took Jeremy’s hand and squeezed it.
Jeremy looked back out the balcony. “We have a lot to do before we go to war. New ships need to be built and the crews trained. I spoke to Commander Zafron and Bartoll yesterday, and they are both in agreement that it will be a year or two before we’re ready.”
Kelsey grinned broadly. “So I get you uninterrupted for at least a year, minimum?”
“Looks that away,” Jeremy said smiling. “Do you have anything in mind?”
Kelsey just smiled innocently.
&nb
sp; Katie walked over and started playing with Clair. She was just about to say something to Kevin when the door to Jeremy’s office opened and Ariel, Clarissa, Kazak, Leeda, Zafron, and Bartoll came in. Ariel had finally allowed her consciousness to be downloaded into the AI body Clarissa had brought for her.
“We may have a problem,” Ariel said as she walked over and tickled Clair under the chin. She enjoyed playing with the small child. Especially now that she could actually feel.
“What now?” groaned Kevin. “We deserve some time off before we start another war.”
Leeda had a very excited look on her face. “Do you remember when I mentioned Kazak had gone to the dark matter Shrieel and searched through the central computer core?”
“Yes,” Jeremy replied. He had been briefed about this. “You thought he was looking for another group of Originators who had left seeking a place of safety, but there was no evidence that actually happened.”
“None that we knew of,” Leeda answered as she turned toward Kazak. “Show them what you found.”
Kazak nodded and activated one of the viewscreens in the office. “When I returned to the Shrieel, I found evidence that a large group of Originators did indeed leave seeking a refuge where they would be safe from the life extension pathogen.”
Jeremy nodded. “You said in the past you thought such a group might exist and you even searched for them for several thousand years. Are you certain the evidence you found was real or just plans the group was making?”
“It’s real,” Bartoll replied. “What Kazak didn’t tell you was that in the records he accessed he found a message.”
“A message?”
Put it up on the screen,” Commander Zafron said.
Instantly on the screen, a jagged line appeared with highs and lows. It was a frequency recording of a message of some kind.
“What does it say?” asked Kelsey, feeling curious. “Did they find a refuge?”
“That’s the strange part,” Bartoll said, looking confused. “All the message says is that we’re safe and we’ll wait for you.”
“What does that mean?” asked Jeremy, his eyes focusing on Bartoll.
“We think it was meant for another group that was supposed to meet up with the original group at a later date. Possibly with the cure. From the date the message was recorded, we know the Originators in the Shrieel had already succumbed to the life extension pathogen when the message was received.”
“So there was no one to receive the message,” Leeda explained. “The core computer in the Shrieel recorded it and placed it in its record files. There was no evidence as to where the message was sent from.”
“When I found the message, I deleted all evidence of it from the files of the core computer as well as the other records which indicated there had been an exodus of a large number of Originators,” explained Kazak. “I didn’t want some future enemy to find them and realize there might still be Originators in the Triangulum Galaxy somewhere.”
Bartoll turned away from the viewscreen with the message on it. “Fleet Admiral Strong, we must find these Originators if they exist.”
Jeremy thought long and hard about what Bartoll was asking. Admiral Jackson was still in the Triangulum Galaxy with a large fleet of warships and AI vessels. They were helping the Ornellians restore their world and rescue the survivors from the other worlds of their empire. The Simulin threat was gone since the Dominator and its escort of AI warspheres had annihilated all of their shipyards.
“A galaxy is a big place to search,” Jeremy finally said.
“We’ll provide everything you need,” Bartoll responded eagerly. “We must know if these other Originators exist. If they do, it would greatly aid us in our war against the Anti-Life.”
“Very well,” Jeremy said after a moment. “I’ll make arrangements for Rear Admiral Barnes to take a task group back to the Triangulum Galaxy and begin a search.”
Commander Zafron nodded. “We’re updating the Dominator with the latest technologies. We’ll also be joining in the search.”
“We’re building ten more ships similar to the Distant Horizon,” Leeda added. “When they’re done they can be sent to the Triangulum Galaxy as well.”
For the next few minutes they made plans to conduct the search and then Bartoll, Leeda, Kazak, and Zafron left.
“And I thought we were going to have some peace and quiet,” muttered Katie.
Ariel looked around the room and then spoke. “More children would be nice. My training program can easily be modified to handle several more.”
“I could assist,” added Clarissa excitedly.
Kevin and Jeremy both looked embarrassed. Katie and Kelsey had thoughtful looks on their faces.
Jeremy walked back over to the balcony, gazing out. This was their new home. A number of cities had been built by the Originators to handle the Dyson Sphere’s new inhabitants. It was a place of safety and beauty, a place where families would never have to fear attack.
Jeremy sensed a presence and turning his head saw Kelsey. She reached out and took his hand and the two of them stood there gazing out at the futuristic city which was now their home.
Everything was peaceful and Jeremy knew there was no reason not to take advantage of this respite and possibly have a child. It was something he would talk over with Kelsey. He knew Kevin and Katie would be having the same conversation.
“I’m going to like it here,” Kelsey said with a pleased smile on her face.
“I think everyone will,” Jeremy responded as he put his arm around his wife and pulled her closer.
The war with the Simulins was over, or would be very shortly. There was still a little mopping up to do. However, now was the time for the survivors of Gaia to rebuild their lives and plan for their future. In the distance, the sky began to darken. Shortly the lights in their new city would come on.
Jeremy looked over at Kelsey. “Let’s go home.”
-
Kelsey nodded. Since the arrival of the Altons, Carethians, and Humans from the home galaxy, Jeremy had seemed to be uplifted. It was wonderful to see all the new and a few familiar faces. Their future looked bright and Kelsey was convinced it would be a good one. Maybe, just maybe, she could talk Jeremy into the two of them having a child. After all, she didn’t want Clair to feel lonely.
-
Back in the Milky Way Galaxy former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth had made it back home to Maken in the Tellus System. He had built a good life there with his wife and children. Standing outside the new and larger cabin he had recently built he looked up into the night sky. There was a time when the people of this galaxy had considered him to be their greatest leader and warrior. He knew that honor had now been passed on to another. A great war was soon to be fought between the galaxies, a war that he would never know how it ended. However, with Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong leading the forces of light against the forces of darkness, there was no doubt in Hedon’s mind how that war would end. With a deep sigh, Hedon went inside the cabin and closed the door behind him.
The End
If you enjoyed The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and also help sell books. Reviews can be just a few short sentences, describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website, link below. Thank you for reading Search for the Originators and being so supportive.
For updates on current writing projects and future publications, go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when my new books come out on Amazon.
Website: http://raymondlweil.com/
Follow on Facebook at Raymond L. Weil
Turn the page for an exciting announcement.
The Originator War Book One
This is an excerpt from the next book in the series. The Originator War will be a trilogy and will bring to an end the Slaver Wars series.
On the far side o
f the galaxy, the empire of the Ralift was preparing for war. It had been brought to their attention the Shari and the Humans had discovered a Dyson Sphere in Shari space that was millions of years old. The sphere held technology far in advance of anything else in the galaxy, even the AIs.
“How soon before your fleets are ready to travel to Shari space?” asked the AI hovering before the Ralift council. Not all of the AIs had perished in the great battle at the center of the galaxy where the AI’s great project had been destroyed by the Humans and Altons. A number of them had fled to Ralift space to consider their next step in conquering this galaxy as well as others. Taking control of the Dyson Sphere could well set them back on their path of galactic domination and spreading their influence across the galaxies.
“Our fleets will be ready in four more weeks,” replied the Ralift who was in charge of shipbuilding. “The last of the upgrades should be competed by then and crew training completed.”
“What of the Borzon?”
“They too are nearly ready. The fleets from our two empires will overwhelm the Shari and Humans, and the Dyson Sphere will be ours.”
Other Books by Raymond L. Weil
Available at Amazon
Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)
Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)
The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)
The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)
The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)
The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)
-
Dragon Dreams
Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars
The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators: A Slaver Wars Novel Page 35