Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  One of the men reaches out, as if to catch it. “NO!” Shouts the other in utter panic.

  The ball smashes to the concrete floor, its sheer weight embeds it deeply. Both men stare nervously at the circular hole. It is so deep the men can no longer see the fallen object. Their supervisor, Guo, arrives on the scene within minutes. He stares at the results of the accident, then glances fearfully at Commander Jie’s tower.

  Guo purses his lips while considering their options, then after a moment issues his instructions. “Notify the gravity plate and power cell teams that the gravity sleds are faulty.”

  Guo stares at the men questioningly, “This was not your fault, but, you will stay to supervise the recovery of the power core. We will need it for the next phase of testing.”

  The pair is most relieved that they will not be blamed for the accident. It takes crews almost twenty-four hours to dig under the concrete, slide another gravity plate in place, then finally lift everything up.

  Guo spends this time drafting letter after letter, deflecting any and all blame to other departments. Staring at his efforts, he smiles then files copies of the letters away. Tapping his extensive filing cabinet, he closes his eyes and relaxes, I will not let anyone’s failure reflect on my project.

  Commander Jie is leaning back in his chair grinning like a hyena. He is so happy with the reports of discord amongst the coalition, he starts to spin around in his swivel chair. Let chaos reign, he thinks as he closes his eyes, we will become the new order.

  Later that day, Jie receives word of the accident by Guo’s men. Usually such an event would result in severe repercussions. Jie considers his response, what is one accident when compared to the destruction of the American research facility? Another thought crosses his mind, one that he failed to consider earlier. With the other nations diverting efforts to assist the beleaguered Americans, this will derail the entire coalition’s efforts. They will be set back years. It may even stall the construction of both their new spaceship, and their efforts in deciphering the alien database.

  Guo is most surprised when the only response he gets back from Jie’s office is a note in the commander’s handwriting.

  ‘Keep me informed of your progress, and make the necessary changes to prevent such an incident from happening again.’

  Guo is so surprised by the words, he has to read them twice. He takes the note and uses it to push his own agenda. All that see it follow Guo’s instructions immediately. No one dares challenge Jie’s orders, even when given vicariously.

  Thus, unbeknownst to Jie, this one act of benevolence actually allows Guo to advance his project ahead of schedule. Other departments fall into line as Guo’s power unit project proves to be the linchpin to the entire endeavor. Furthermore, new buildings are constructed under Guo’s instructions as he enjoys this unexpected and unprecedented free hand in completing his work.

  Six Months after the Nevada Incident

  Location:

  Kangbashi District

  China

  Commander Jie throws the letter down in disgust, satisfactory! That’s all the central government can say of my progress? He strides to the balcony, then boldly steps out. He gazes at the scene before him with pride. Hundreds of buildings dot the landscape, home to over two million workers. The contingent of one hundred thousand Chinese guards are reinforced by his private army of old North Korean Generals, and their ten thousand loyal troops. With no home to go to, they can either obey me, or go back and face war crimes tribunals. He relishes in the feeling of power he gets when gazing at the city before him. His feelings of grandeur falter, a single failure can see me replaced, he realizes, then gulps. What to do?

  With thoughts of self-preservation coming to mind, he stares at a number of buildings. I must show them something, something so special I will never lose my position. His eyes lock onto a few key buildings, then as an idea begins to coalesce, his face breaks into a broad grin.

  Returning to his desk, Jie grabs another piece of paper, a scientific report on the power units the aliens use. Having previously discarded the boring looking document he sighs, then reads the lengthy report.

  Gamin Power plants.

  Having an atomic weight in the realm of five hundred, these cores are the most dense and heaviest material we have ever encountered. Manufacturing of these cores will require a zero-g, vacuum environment. Fortunately, the core material is inert throughout the entire process. They are constructed by a specialized process of layering that requires months. Once completed, gravity plating is to be assembled around the core. It is critical that the core not be moved. These specialized gravity plates have numerous holes in them, through which ‘reaction’ material is able to be inserted and/or removed.

  Warning: Once started, the process cannot be stopped, which explains why the aliens gave away a power unit. We have determined that its core is almost depleted, with perhaps twenty years of use left, that is, if utilized at its full capacity. Replacing an active core is a risky endeavor. If there is any reaction material left at all, the results would be catastrophic, even cataclysmic.

  The unit’s minimum setting is a fraction of one percent, and just enough to maintain the power to its surrounding gravity plating. The area the core is suspended inside is square, at two meters in size, not round, leading to conjecture that the design can be improved upon. This core is protected by massive amounts of reflective shielding, in the form of thick armor plating. This material is highly specialized and designed to deflect particles back into the reaction chamber. The space on either side of the core is taken up by a pair of high density capacitors. These will require their own specialized manufacturing process, and must be installed prior to the core being activated.

  Notes: An active core can’t be shut down. In addition, once the capacitors are full the core will eventually overload the unit, causing an explosion of immeasurable power. These power units are designed with many automatic features. The control system maintains the capacitors at around fifty percent, though this can be overridden. Each power unit is able to generate approximately two hundred fifty gigawatts of power. The life expectancy of each is estimated to be in excess of two thousand years.

  Your Faithful Servant.

  Guo

  As Jie puts the report down his eyes widen, perhaps I should read more of these. Jie suddenly has an epiphany, picking up his phone, he tries to remain calm as he speaks into it. “Assemble everyone, now!”

  Jie knows the order will be difficult to accomplish, but he also knows that it will be done. An hour later he stands on the balcony once more. The massive courtyard, purpose built to allow vast numbers of people to stand together, is filled to capacity.

  Commander Jie steps forward, lifts the letter he had read earlier, then with his voice amplified through an array of microphones, begins his speech. “The Central Government is pleased with our efforts, as am I. However, as always, they demand even more from us. I hereby decree that tomorrow shall be a day of rest for most of you. Some of us never rest in our duty. As such, I will meet with all science heads in the morning. The day after shall see us working toward a new goal, an ambitious plan, one we must not fail.”

  The crowd cheers, they always cheer, he thinks. I give them a day off per month, and they are happy. I give them two, and they are overjoyed at my generosity. Jie smiles as he waves condescendingly at the crowd, then steps back inside.

  The following morning, Jie meets with the dozens of scientists that make up the department heads. He stands proudly before them all and points authoritatively at the first scientist, “Report,” he states bluntly.

  The short scientist stands, nods in respect, then calmly responds. “The section of alien plating has helped us immensely. We can now manufacture internal gravity plating and external gravity lift plating.” He sits down, a single droplet of sweat works its way down his face. I should tell him that the gravity plating is probably going to be pre-set to the alien’s standards. The man ponders the pros and con
s for a long time before deciding to wait and see.

  Meanwhile, another scientist is calmly giving his report, “We now know that the Terran lifted off with navigational shields, but no main shields.” The man beams with excitement, “And we can construct both!” He adds with pride.

  Commander Jie is usually bored by now during these sessions, but not today, he points to the next man in line.

  The man stands, and then nervously speaks. “We are getting closer to creating a powerful laser beam, but have yet to achieve success.” He gulps, failure is rewarded with demotion, or death. Sweat begins to build up in his armpits, it rolls down his sides while he waits anxiously.

  Commander Jie surprises everyone in the room with this calm response, “Continue your work. If you require additional resources, they will be made available to you.”

  The sweating man nods in shock, “It will be done, sir.”

  Jie nods as he looks the distressed man up and down, these people understand that failure is not an option, good! He points to another man, who is also obviously nervous.

  The man licks his lips then timidly speaks, his voice almost too quiet to hear. “The absorption/creation tool eludes us.” He gulps again, his voice gaining a little confidence, “We have to manufacture everything via a more standard approach. But so far we have been able to do this, though the power requirements are high, and the workforce needed is large.”

  Jie nods his head in understanding, “Soon you will have an abundance of power, and as for people, that has never been an issue for us.”

  The reports drag on through life support systems, control systems, and more. Finally, he points to Guo, “I read your report, what can you add to it?”

  Guo stands, offers a courteous bow as he prepares his words carefully, thinking, it was rumored that reports went unread. He begins, “Every step of the process is undergoing final testing, then we can start the assembly line. Each power unit will take four months to complete from start to finish. But once we start the production line, we’ll be able to produce a new power unit each month. I expect the testing to be concluded in a matter of weeks, and our first power unit should be available in five months.”

  Jie stands up and then unexpectedly claps, “Congratulations to all.”

  This rare display actually scares most of the men in the room. Jie then begins his long oration. By the time he has finished outlining his plan, they are all stunned at the massive scale of the endeavor, but they agree it can be done. His scientists learned early on that disagreeing with their Commander is hazardous to one’s health. Failure is akin to certain death.

  Jie gazes around the large meeting room, groups of men huddle here and there clearly formulating plans. He surprises them with one last comment. “I give you one year to produce what I have asked for.”

  Jie smiles at his own wisdom, I don’t want my people taking unnecessary risks, besides almost all of the alien technology can be replicated now. The Americans are so far behind, thanks to my efforts. He gazes off at the far wall as another thought comes to mind. Perhaps I should give the suicide squad some posthumous award for their brave actions at the Nevada facility. In one stroke, I not only destroyed their research, I crippled their economy.

  Commander Jie leaves the room smiling, knowing that as always, his wishes will be followed.

  One Year after the Nevada Incident

  Location:

  White House

  Washington DC

  The President stares at the mirror, then shakes his head slowly. He has aged badly over the last few years. Not only does it show on his face, but he also feels extremely run down. Leaving the bathroom and walking to the Oval Office, he is once again expecting bad news. When the Joint Chiefs call a meeting, and request my presence, it’s never good news, he muses.

  Stepping into the room, he notices the serious expressions on the faces of those present. He walks to his chair, sighs, and asks, “What’s going on people?”

  An old General turns his head, looks around at the others, and then speaks up. “Sir. We have some disturbing news. It would seem that the Chinese have been manufacturing components in an effort to construct, amongst other things, a spaceship of their own.”

  The President sits down, relieved. Is that all? He thinks, but instead, he says, “This was to be expected, they did have full access to the alien spacecraft in the Australian Outback.”

  The General nods, then continues, “This brings up another point, Mister President.” He pauses, then speaks his mind, “We should be in charge of the alien facility, not the Australians.” Shaking his head, he adds, “Progress on the new spaceship is too slow.”

  The President nods in agreement, then motions to the chairman. “Your thoughts?”

  Standing up, the chairman purses his lips while he carefully considers his response. “If we were in charge of the Australian facility, the construction efforts on both the new ship, and the space station, would be handled more efficiently. At the same time, we would also improve security, the existing measures are laughable. With us controlling the flow of resources, we could also prioritize our domestic rebuilding program.” He paces behind his chair, frustration building in his voice as he continues, “We still have millions living in tents following the disastrous quakes.” He pauses for a moment, looks around. His voice is full of disdain as he concludes, “A civilian should not have been put in charge of the Terran’s mission either. I am sure that’s why it’s lost. The next ship launched should be a military operation, one led by the US.”

  The President sits back in his chair and ponders. The disaster in Nevada has cost trillions, and almost bankrupted our economy. If it were not for the Russians, we wouldn’t have an alien technology program anymore. He stares at those in the room and says, “The Australians have been pressing us to assist them in the construction of a new space station. They are holding out hope that the Terran will return. Perhaps we could come to some mutually beneficial agreement? Then there are the Russians, they have an alien power module facility which should be online soon.”

  The talks continue for a long period of time. Afterward, calls are made and deals are brokered, as is the way of politics. The leaders of the many countries making up the consortium finally come to a consensus. Some of the member nations are happy with the group’s decision, others are not.

  Robert fidgets in his chair then sighs. He gazes around the room and reflects, special presidential reporter indeed, more like a gag order to me. He plasters a well-practiced smile on his face as he takes a few more pictures, then makes some notes that may or may not ever see the light of day. National security indeed, everything I do is vetted for content. Well, better than the alternative, I suppose. His mind wanders back to the day the military transport picked him up at the site of the crater. Radiation exposure concerns! Another cover story! He glances up to see the President looking at him. Robert nods in respect, well damn it, he is the President, and this is an assignment others would give their eye-teeth for. This last positive thought lifts his spirits. If nothing else, he really is in the thick of it, and loving it, most of the time anyway.

  Location:

  KGB Headquarters

  Minsk, Russia

  Igor and Pavel are sitting together quietly when the rest of the group assembles. Seeing the two men in such a passive state causes quite a stir amongst the others in the room.

  Pavel stands up, then addresses the assembly. “The President will not be attending today’s session; therefore, we shall begin immediately.” He gazes around the room before continuing. “We have been instructed to send the new power units to the Australian facility.”

  The room goes dead quiet. Igor rests back in his chair, then after a few moments, breaks the silence. “Pavel and I are in agreement! We should send all but the first one. We have our own power shortages to contend with, after all.”

  A bedlam of noise breaks out as the men in the room loudly disagree. It takes Igor and Pavel a while to get the room under c
ontrol.

  Igor shakes his head in disappointment. “This is something we must do if we are to beat the Chinese to space.”

  The statement hangs in the air for a moment, then Pavel continues. “I know what some of you are thinking, that we should ally with the Chinese. But I tell you now, that is a most dangerous path.”

  Many of the men nod in agreement, but none dare speak up. Igor and Pavel stare at each other for a few seconds, their uncanny behavior causing concern more than anything else.

  Igor slowly stands, and walks to the expansive windows. “We have fresh reports that China is close to a breakthrough, and may have already begun construction of their own spacecraft.”

  One of the men call out, “All the more reason we should join them.”

  Pavel shakes his head, “Don’t you see, we’re not in their plans, or we would have been contacted long ago. No, they are up to something. Our best efforts have not been able to shed any light as to what’s going on at their various research facilities.”

  With Pavel and Igor in agreement, and no one else willing to debate the decisions, the meeting breaks up quickly.

  Pavel stares at the table deep in thought, his mind racing as he recalls the events of these last two years. The Gamin gave China a functioning power unit! But what did these alien visitors get in exchange? Last year the American research facility is vaporized, and the ensuing earthquakes devastated their country. An accident? Somehow, I think not.

  Location:

  Outback

  Western Australia