The smoke cleared to reveal several deep cracks and a notable dent inflicted by the first two collisions; yet the remainder had impacted along a strip of hull deeper and richer in hue than the rest of the ship. It continued to shine unmarred and unaffected by the assault. Adiamene.
Caleb couldn’t say why swarmers were suddenly crashing headlong into their foes, but he did know what it meant.
We were winning.
The joy in his chest notched up another level above its previously lofty heights, sent there by succeeding in saving Isabela and Marlee and now by being so close to reaching Alex. She lived, and that knowledge alone had sustained him through the short but too-long voyage from Krysk. He hadn’t bothered her with inquiries, not wanting to distract her from her vitally important task—a task which he suspected she was succeeding at to an astounding degree.
Now he was here, and it was past time he paid her a visit.
Though it cut an impressive figure once sighted, the Churchill was not the sole dreadnought present and he located it among the ocean of ships only by radar. The trip to reach his destination through a gauntlet of interweaving fighters and swarmers, darting frigates and charging cruisers was a harrowing one, invisible or not. He didn’t relax until he’d deactivated the cloaking shield and docked on the expansive flight deck.
A sergeant met him at the bottom of the Siyane’s ramp. “Mr. Marano, I’ve been instructed to take you directly to the bridge.” The very young soldier lacked the discipline to suppress an air of dismay at being asked to personally escort some random civilian to the bridge of the flagship of the Alliance military.
“Excellent. Lead the way.”
The level of activity on the ship would be called anarchy in any other environment. But he supposed everyone had their own individual duties and understood where they were going and why.
He didn’t know what he would find on the bridge. He knew very little of what had transpired in the intervening hours.
He didn’t know what role Alex played or how it was working out for her. If they were winning it could only mean good things, right? Yet a traitorous voice in the recesses of his mind whispered warnings of the high cost of victory.
The lift finally came to a stop and the door opened onto a bridge larger than any ship he’d been on until now. Some two hundred people staffed dozens of stations or dashed about in their purposeful wanderings. There was a concentration of people in the far center two-thirds of the way down the bridge. He zeroed in on it.
Several officers worked on either side of an oversized screen at which Alex stood. An Admiral stood beside and slightly behind her while she pointed at various details on the screen in an animated manner.
He approached quietly, savoring the opportunity to watch her as each familiar movement, each shift of her head and toss of a hand reassured him she was not merely safe but had stayed fundamentally Alex.
Abruptly she spun around, brilliant gleaming eyes immediately landing on him. His heart leapt into his throat as her face lit up almost as brightly as her eyes. Then she was in his arms.
Her own joy overwhelmed him to the point he found he was spinning her around, lifting her into the air as she cackled into his neck.
“You’re here! And you’re okay—you are, aren’t you?” She pulled away a sliver to inspect him.
“I am. Are you?”
She quickly nodded. “I’m sorry, I can’t shut Valkyrie off right now, too much is going on—but yes.”
He smirked mischievously. “Prove it.”
Her mouth smothered his, audience be damned…and he was home. The tension—the dark, simmering terror which had been gripping him far beyond his recognition of it—faded into nothingness. In its place rose a quiet yet bountiful contentment.
He chuckled softly against her lips. “I believe you.” Recognizing they had probably stretched the indulgence of their hosts as far as they should, he set her down and took a half step back. Only then did he realize her hair hung in a tangled mess, its disarray only partially concealed by the wrap half holding it in check. Her left cheek was smudged with a silver fluid of some sort and her shirt had two long tears in it.
“You look a wreck. What happened?”
“Oh, nothing much. I went for a space jump, broke into one of the superdreadnoughts, hacked the core programming of its systems hub and hitched a ride back atop a recon ship.”
He blinked several times; yep, she still managed to surprise him. “You are…remarkable. Is that all?”
“Not really. But you—Isabela and Marlee are okay? I know O’Connell’s dead, but the details are a bit sketchy.”
“They earned a few bruises, but yes, they’re okay. The details of O’Connell’s death will keep for now. But know I could not have gotten to them in time without your ship. I owe you everything.”
Her irises twinkled like stars beneath the artificial radiance. “No, but if you want to try to repay me….”
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Nope.”
He leaned to murmur against her lips. “The Siyane is fine. Not a scratch, though it wasn’t for lack of trying.”
A grimace asserted itself at the margins of her features, only to be squelched the next instant.
“I crashed her through the hulls of both frigates and the Akagi.”
“What!”
“Not a scratch…or at least not a scratch that didn’t heal itself by the time I got here.” He reluctantly prodded her away. “From what I saw outside, you aren’t finished working yet. Go.”
She looked disappointed but began backing up. “Will you stay?”
“I’ll stay. I just need to find somewhere unobtrusive to lean.”
“Over there should be—”
When Alex opened her eyes, she was on her knees and her hands clutched her temples. The single jolt of pain had torn through her skull with the force of a lightning strike, then just as quickly was gone.
Alex: What the fuck was that?
Devon: I feel like my brain was ripped out of my skull through my ears.
Morgan: Reminded me of my second-worst hangover.
Alex: Mia?
Silence.
Devon: The hell? They’re gone.
Alex: What do you mean?
Devon: I don’t know. They dropped off the connection and not in a benign manner.
Alex: Try to contact Mia directly.
Devon: Don’t you think I am? But there’s nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb was crouched at her side and had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She swayed against him, allowing him to support her; the after-effects of the mental wallop had left her nauseous and unsteady.
Alex: Malcolm. He might be with her.
Her pulse to him felt glacially slow compared to the instantaneous exchanges with the others.
What happened to Mia? Do you know? Can you find out?
Soldiers were rushing toward her, but she waved them off and made an effort to struggle to her feet. “I’m okay.”
The statement had been directed more at the over-interested onlookers than at Caleb. Having reached a standing position with his help, she leaned in close and dropped her voice low. “Something happened to Mia. I don’t—hang on.”
An asshole working for the aliens blew up her Artificial. She had some kind of seizure, or maybe a stroke. She’s alive but unconscious. I’ll take care of her, I promise.
Thank you. Thank you.
Caleb could obviously tell the news wasn’t good as soon as she met his gaze, for his expression darkened and his grip on her arm tightened.
“She’s alive, but Meno’s gone and…we don’t know exactly what that means for her. I’m so sorry.”
He gave her the most beautiful smile. Oh, how she’d missed him. “It’s okay. Keep me updated?”
“I will.” Equilibrium regained, she reluctantly began pulling away. “Listen, things are about to get interesting. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Dare I ask what
you mean by ‘interesting’?”
Her answer consisted of a raised eyebrow and mysterious quirk of her mouth.
His brow furrowed into its endearingly straight line, but he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then let her go and found his wall.
She pivoted and strode back to the overlook.
Alex: It’s time.
54
EARTH
EASC HEADQUARTERS
* * *
“ADMIRAL SOLOVY? WE HAVE A PROBLEM.”
Miriam continued tracking developments above Seneca. Alexis and Valkyrie’s successful corruption of the SDs’ operating systems had pushed the battle definitively in their favor. With the exception of the incident involving Ms. Requelme on Romane, the news had been uniformly positive for more than an hour now.
As such, ‘a problem’ was not what she wanted to hear. And honestly, she didn’t see how the Director of Terrestrial Defense could be the bearer of a relevant problem. “Yes, Admiral Grigg?”
“Ma’am—” she jumped, as Grigg had crossed the room and was whispering in her ear “—the Prevos have taken control of the arrays.”
“What arrays?”
“Earth’s arrays, ma’am.”
She frowned at the man. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either but—”
“Admiral Solovy, we have a problem.”
Her eyes flicked to the Leonidas holo. Gianno was working a screen of cascading data while conferring with officials back on Seneca. Here the room buzzed in growing clamor as Grigg’s attempt at discretion had failed to keep the turn of events secret. “The Prevos have taken control of the Senecan orbital defense arrays?”
Eleni tilted her head a fraction. “So it would appear.”
Miriam moved Grigg out of her personal space and raised her voice to an authoritative level. “ANNIE, did you take command of the Terrestrial Defense Grid?”
“We did, Admiral.” It wasn’t ANNIE’s electronic voice but rather Devon’s.
He was located in the primary sim room at Special Projects. Four guards were stationed outside, for protection, assistance or whatever other need might arise. The room projected the entirety of data available to them from both fronts and provided him a degree of access and control which matched her own, and possibly surpassed it.
A tall holo on the right edge of the table allowed her to keep an eye on him, but other than the occasional wisecrack his presence had largely gone unnoticed as he worked in silence or through ANNIE.
Now she bestowed on him her full attention. “Why?”
“You will see soon enough.”
The response evoked a shiver to race along her spine, but before she was able to react a message from Alexis arrived in her eVi. Her chest ached with dread as she opened it.
Mom,
I can’t explain to you what’s going on. I wish I could, but it’s imperative events play out to their conclusion. When it’s over you’ll understand. Just know that many things are not what they seem. People may not be what they seem.
If you have ever trusted me, I ask you to trust me now. Please. I won’t let you down.
—Alex
P.S.: Do me a favor and look at Richard right now.
Her gaze shot up to find Richard regarding her intently from across the long table. He lacked a role to play in the battles themselves but had asked to be present in the War Room. She had agreed, because he possessed the necessary clearance but mostly because he gave her some small measure of comfort.
Now his lips moved in silence. Trust her.
How could he know? Something of enormous import was happening, and she did not appreciate being kept in the dark. At all.
“Admiral, what is the situation?”
She schooled her features and pivoted to Brennon’s holo. “Give me thirty seconds, Prime Minister.”
“You have twenty.”
Right. “Devon Reynolds, explain this action now or we will unplug you.”
“It won’t be enough. It’s what I feared—what I warned you about. They’ve gone mad.”
The room suddenly felt overcrowded, the air thick and bodies pressing in on her as she spun to face Brigadier Hervé. The woman had maneuvered herself to the front row circling the table.
“‘Gone mad’? Is that a technical term, Brigadier? Am I to understand your professional assessment is the Prevos have abruptly ‘gone mad’ after performing flawlessly throughout these battles and saving our skin in countless actions?”
“Victory over the aliens isn’t enough for them. Now that they’ve gained power they won’t give it up. I tried to warn you this would happen.”
Devon’s voice rose above the growing din. “Jules, Jules, Jules. You worry too much. I assure you, we have not ‘gone mad.’”
Miriam’s focus remained on Hervé. “Then what have you done, Devon?”
“I told you. You’ll see.”
The shiver in her spine froze to solid ice. Was Hervé correct? Oh, Alexis….
Trust her. Richard’s silent words repeated themselves with demanding insistence in her mind. She checked him again, but this time he merely offered her a careful nod. Her gaze flickered to the Churchill. Alexis stood at her personal display, ostensibly studying skirmishes and combat data, but Miriam noted the corners of her lips upturned in profile.
Things are not what they seem. People may not be what they seem.
“I can shut them down. Prime Minister, I request authorization to use the Kill Switch.”
She whipped back to Hervé, taking a step toward the woman while one eye went to Brennon. “What ‘Kill Switch’?”
He was stroking his chin. “We should try to resolve this peacefully if we can.”
Defense Secretary Mori leaned forward until his nose hairs were visible in his holo. “Prime Minister, if there is a way to disable these monstrosities you must use it!”
“What ‘Kill Switch’?”
Hervé gave her an odd smile. She didn’t recall the woman’s smile being so disquieting in the past. “The one I secretly installed in the firmware underlying their links. I send a signal from any control panel and the connection is broken.”
“You stupid bitch! A hard cutoff will cause a stroke in the human—you saw what happened to Mia!”
Abigail—another person in the sea of bodies crowding the room—was here in case of complications with Noetica. Which they now had. Up until now the doctor had contented herself with studying the technical soundness of ANNIE’s output and periodically reviewing Devon’s vitals. Now she charged up to Hervé and appeared to be considering cold-cocking her.
“I am not, nor have I ever been, stupid, Abigail. Of course it will cause a stroke. But if the alternative is the death of billions, it’s an easy price to pay.”
A calm certainty descended upon Miriam. In war no price was easy to pay, but some were too high to ever justify. She took another step toward Hervé and locked her expression into an appropriately threatening countenance.
“Brigadier Hervé, stand down. As your commanding officer I order you to NOT activate that Kill Switch.”
The woman ignored her to plead with Brennon. “Prime Minister? Your authority overrides the Admiral’s.”
“Brennon, do not—”
“Are they taking any action with the Defense Grid?”
“Not yet, but once they do it will be too late—”
“The array nodes are turning inward—they’re pointing them toward Earth!”
“Stop them!”
“That’s it, I’m doing it—”
Hervé’s hand never reached the panel. The beam from Miriam’s sidearm struck her full in the chest and sent her slumping unconscious to the floor.
Miriam gestured to the security officer at the door. “The Brigadier has been relieved of her station. Secure her in a holding cell then see to it she receives medical attention.”
Now Mori was yelling, among other people. “Admiral Solovy is personally compromised and
no longer fit to lead. Prime Minister, I demand you relieve her of command!”
“Mori, for the love of god, shut up.” Mori’s holo vanished, presumably terminated by Brennon. “Admiral, you have five seconds to avert disaster. I suggest you use them.”
Miriam nodded thoughtfully, crossed her arms over her chest and stood there, to all observers composed and untroubled.
The room roared in dissent and panic, but she once more tuned the noise down to a low hum.
5…
If you have ever trusted me, I ask you to trust me now.
4…
I won’t let you down.
3…
Trust her.
2…
“Admiral?”
1…
I trust you.
Around the Earth two hundred orbital nodes, each one equipped with a four hundred kilotonne laser weapon, fired on the planet below.
55
EARTH
EASC HEADQUARTERS
* * *
Two Days Earlier
RICHARD LOOKED UP IN SURPRISE as the door to his office opened and Alex and Devon walked in. His door had been locked.
The set of his mouth tightened in consternation. “And when did ANNIE get access to the EASC security system?”
“When we decided she needed it.” Devon flashed a mischievous smirk, which was rather disconcerting what with his irises glowing an iridescent white. Alex, too. Standing there together they made for an eerie sight.
He tried to keep from broadcasting the jarring discomfort he felt. “I see. Can I help you?”
Alex planted her hands on the rim of his desk and leaned into it. “You really, really can. We have a problem.”
“I’m going to require a little more information—but before you start, let me activate the extra shielding I had installed.”
“It’s already active.”
He considered Devon briefly then dropped his forearms on the desk and switched to Alex. “All right. Go.”
“The aliens still have a number of agents out there—people in positions of power in the military, government and business, as well as others wielding less influence but who are strategically situated to cause harm. We believe when the aliens begin to realize they are losing this war, they will use these agents in any number of ways to tip the scales back in their favor. Some of those ways may be catastrophic in nature.”
Transcendence: Aurora Rising Book Three Page 36