by Dan Worth
‘The entire planet is filled with machines?’
‘We think so, yes.’
‘Good grief…’ she muttered, truly astonished. Who could have constructed such a gigantic device?
‘Quite,’ said Spiers noting her expression. ‘We had also previously discovered ring shaped structures floating above the surface of the two stars. It now appears that they also form part of the device and control the plasma flux tubes that you can see. The plasma powers the device which generates a stable wormhole at the centre of the planet. I’m sure as a star ship captain that you understand the potential implications of such technology.’
‘Yes theoretically, the ability to instantly travel any point in time or space that you wish?’
‘Precisely.’
Chen looked out. They were now passing beneath the flow from the B star. The bright, twisting tube of superheated particles would annihilate the squadron of ships if they got too close.
‘There’s more,’ said Spiers. ‘It also appears that the rings and the device on the planet are, to coin a phrase, inhabited, by artificially intelligent entities. They refuse to communicate with us directly, but they have communicated with Professor Cor’s ship and the one on the planet spoke to the archaeologists. Cor’s ship has now disappeared inside the device. We think it passed through the wormhole, and then the portal de-activated itself shortly afterwards.’
‘So why have they taken such a shine to the Professor’s ship, Captain? They’ll talk to a ship but not to us?’
‘The Professor loaned his ship from the Esacir and apparently it contains a fugitive AI that the Esacir discovered and resurrected. It would appear that this entity, known as Varish, is actually of similar origins to the beings that inhabit the machine it has now entered.’
‘Which is?’ enquired Chen.
‘Do you have time for a brief history lesson?’
The Normandy and her group jumped into the Fulan system twenty-five minutes after the destroyers and assumed a low level orbit above Maranos. There, standard procedure dictated they would act as spaceborne artillery if necessary in support of the landing of ground forces, whilst the Mark Antony and her group assumed a defensive position above them. The gigantic carrier, flanked by the destroyers Saladin and Zhukov and under the command of Admiral Kojima, was relying on Chen’s group to bear the brunt of any attack whilst they conducted their landing.
Colonel Simonov stood on the gantry above the main hangar and surveyed his troops. The huge space was full of men and materials, landing craft and gunships. The craft that would soon be used to transport his landing force to the surface squatted in rows on the deck like fat birds of prey. He watched as his troops took their places inside their bellies.
The advance guard of atmosphere capable fighter bombers had already launched, though more as a show of force and to scout for landing sites than anything else, since the Dendratha posed no threat. The landing craft and their accompanying gunships would follow, then the heavier transports that would deploy the armour, artillery, air defences and supplies necessary to provide the backbone to the small mobile force under his command.
It wasn’t the Dendratha that Simonov was worried about. This deployment would surely bring the K’Soth charging into the system very soon. He was aware of the war plan and he had little intention of sacrificing his men needlessly to any higher purpose. Seizing the capital was a secondary concern. He intended to seize Marantis and dig in and if the K’Soth came, he’d make them fight for every inch of the city.
He had studied maps of the planet and of the location of the access point to the alien device. Marantis would provide an excellent defensive position. It was almost totally surrounded by relatively featureless plains that would make it very difficult for any landing force to find cover from fire directed from space or from the city itself, except to the west where there lay steep sided gorges that were impossible to land in. Though he himself had designated the plains around the city as landing points, Simonov had no intention of his troops remaining there. Having landed they would move into the city and occupy it. The K’Soth, on the other hand, would have to do the same thing, but under a barrage of fire from his men, and on the flat featureless expanses around the city, they would be very exposed. Their only refuge would be the gorges to the west of the city, though they would have to reach them first from the plains above. Landing further away and proceeding up the gorges would give the Commonwealth ample time to call in reinforcements.
If the K’Soth succeeded in reaching the city, Simonov was confident that the warrens of narrow winding streets could be used to bog down the K’Soth long enough until reinforcements arrived and exact massive casualties upon the besiegers.
There was however a possible flaw in his plan, and indeed in any operation that relied on combined space and surface forces. As long as the Commonwealth held orbital dominance he could avoid any risk of tactical bombardment from space, and it was that which concerned him the most. If Kojima and Chen couldn’t hold off the enemy capital ships then he and his men were doomed unless he could scatter his forces; Marantis would be levelled and his men with it.
Simonov made his way to his waiting craft. He had decided to go planetside in the first wave. He liked to lead from the front wherever practical since he found it inspired loyalty in his men and in this instance there seemed to be little risk from being the first man down.
The ship that sat waiting for him was like all the others in most respects. A Condor class landing craft. A dark green, streamlined, diamond shaped lifting body with angular lines that increased the stealthiness of its sensor profile. Its thick central fuselage blended into thick wings which housed the engines and weapon banks. Either side of the rearward clam-shell doors were the thrust vectored exhausts and horizontal stabilizers. Underneath the hull were further vents as well as an uprated antigrav system that allowed the craft to land and take off vertically more rapidly than any civilian vessel. In an emergency, the pilot could initiate manoeuvres that resembled a controlled crash, whilst still being able to land safely on most surfaces, thanks to the sturdy, flexible tri-cycle landing gear upon which the craft now squatted.
His particular craft was a little different however. As a command vessel it was fitted with a suite of tactical displays and comms gear that would allow Simonov to oversee the landing of his troops whilst en-route to the surface himself, as well giving him the ability to use the craft as a command post once it had landed.
Everything seemed to be proceeding as to his orders: it was time. Simonov made his way down onto the deck and walked over to his ship. Ducking inside its darkened interior he exchanged salutes with his command staff before taking his seat in his acceleration couch. He donned a set of earpieces and logged himself into the command network. The fighter bombers were just reporting in:
‘Uh, roger that Normandy, we are over the LZ now,’ Simonov heard one pilot drawl. ‘Report no hostile forces, area is secure. You are clear for the landing.’
‘Thank you Foxtrot wing, we copy that.’ Admiral Kojima replied crisply over the link. ‘You may return to the carrier.’
‘Roger Normandy, Foxtrot One out.’
‘Colonel Simonov, you may begin your landing,’ instructed Kojima.
‘I copy that Admiral, launching now,’ replied Simonov. Now he addressed his men. ‘Alright people, first wave go for launch, let’s do this by the book. The scouts have reported that the LZ is clear. I’ll see you all on the ground, Simonov out.’
Simonov’s ship, and a queue of a dozen others, began to move slowly toward the forward launch deck. The innermost force field deactivated, allowing the first two ships to enter side by side. They locked into place on the deck catapults then tensed like predators ready to pounce as they ran their engines up to full power. The catapults fired, hurling the two craft at breakneck speed out into space. As they were magnetically accelerated down the zero gravity tunnel further force fields opened and closed in series, allowing the ships out into
space whilst maintaining the atmospheric integrity of the hangar deck. When the craft emerged they would be travelling at combat speed, thus making them much more difficult targets for any would be assailant.
As the first ships launched, Simonov’s own moved forward onto the magnetic catapult. There was a brief pause, before he and his staff were pushed fiercely down into their seats by the sudden surge of speed. A few heartbeats and they were powering away from the bows of the carrier and heading toward the planet. The pilot began to orientate the ship for atmospheric insertion.
As the Mark Antony held station a thousand kilometres above the Normandy, Ramirez watched the tactical display with some consternation as a procession of contacts indicated the initiation of the landing. Kojima, it seemed, was making a potentially disastrous tactical error.
‘Captain, I may be speaking out of turn here,’ he muttered to Chen. ‘But just what the hell is the Admiral doing? He’s much too close to the planet.’
‘Admiral Kojima likes to do things by the book. His orbit is a standard one for this kind of operation, it means a shorter journey to the surface for the landing craft and hence less exposure time to hostile fire,’ explained Chen.
‘I know, but there is no hostile fire and usually this kind of landing is only undertaken once the threat of enemy capital ships has been neutralised. We could have the K’Soth here very soon. He’s much too far down the gravity well to manoeuvre effectively in combat and they’ll be sitting ducks if the K’Soth attack.’
‘Your point is well made Commander,’ replied Chen and opened a channel to the Normandy. Kojima’s face appeared in her vision.
‘Sir, with all due respect,’ Chen began. ‘I was wondering why you had assumed such a low orbit and ordered a landing. Should you not reconsider your current deployment with regard to the current tactical situation? If the K’Soth should arrive you will be placed at a severe tactical disadvantage.’
‘Captain Chen, with all due respect,’ replied Kojima with a cold sarcasm. ‘I am command of this operation and I am conducting it as per standard procedure. Your concern is noted. Kojima out.’
Chen bit her lip and swore inwardly. The arrogant old bastard, he didn’t even listen to her. She began to mentally re-assess the likely assistance given by Kojima’s ships in any forthcoming battle. Fuming silently, she watched the convoy of landing craft head toward the planet. She glanced at Ramirez. His expression was grim.
Spiers and his crew also watched the landing with severe expressions. The deployment of Commonwealth ground forces appeared to be far larger than they had expected. Dozens of landing craft were falling like scattered seeds toward the city below, where the sandstorm had now abated. Now, larger transporters filled with heavier equipment began to emerge from the Normandy’s decks. That - and the presence of the warships in the system - would pretty much guarantee a K’Soth response.
‘Well Bob,’ said Antonov. ‘It looks like we won’t have much opportunity to get a look at that device. Those troops will be swarming all over it in a few minutes. What do you want to do?’
‘The K’Soth will be here soon enough, they can’t ignore this,’ replied Spiers grimly as he gestured at the flotilla of ships. ‘We should leave the system now whilst we still can. Anyone got a better idea?’ There was a sullen silence. ‘Okay. Helm, plot a course for New Colorado in the Klondike system and get us the hell out of here.’ Spiers gazed glumly at the banded orb of Maranos as it swung out of view. ‘We can always come back I guess,’ he muttered. ‘Assuming there’s anything left of course.’
The comm. system crackled to life, they were being hailed by the Normandy. ‘Science vessel Darwin, this is Admiral Kojima. Why are you preparing to leave the system? We need you here to monitor the alien device.’
‘Admiral, my vessel is no warship. Your deployment here will no doubt elicit a response from our reptilian friends. Staying here is suicide as far as we are concerned. Go and start your war, I want no part of it.’
‘Darwin, I am ordering you to remain on station and monitor the device.’
‘You have all the data we’ve accumulated so far and we intend to return once this system has been secured, sir. I will not needlessly endanger my crew. Spiers out,’ he cut the link. ‘Helm, disregard the Admiral’s orders and make for Klondike.’
‘Aren’t you worried that Kojima will bring charges against you Bob?’ said Fullerton. ‘You just disobeyed a direct order.’
‘Mary, if Kojima remains here I doubt he’ll be alive to make those accusations,’ Spiers replied. ‘Helm, engage jump drive.’
Rekkid, Katherine and Steven were woken from their sleep by the scream of engines high above the city. They had finally managed to get out of the temple and snuck out of the grounds, noticing on the way that the dig sites around the building had been drowned by the night’s sandstorm and then trampled by the mob. Disheartened, they had returned to the sanctuary of the university to get some well earned rest. Now, they were being disturbed again.
Katherine rushed to her window and pushed aside the heavy curtains that been hung to block out the ever persistent ruddy glow. Looking upward she could see the bat-like shapes of the Daemon class fighter bombers circling the city in a sky now free of airborne sand. She recognised their shape from news bulletins covering the crisis between the Commonwealth and the K’Soth. Katherine craned her neck upward and peered against the permanent dusk to see if she could see their parent carrier. Sure enough there, just visible, was a new constellation of faint stars, two groups of sparkling dots in the firmament. She instinctively ducked as one of the Daemons screamed low over the university compound. It was low enough that Katherine could see the faint glow of its shields and the assortment of weapon pods that hung below the graceful wings.
She noticed that Rekkid and Steven had also stuck their head out the windows of their respective rooms and were regarding the scene with troubled expressions.
‘The Commonwealth are here already Katherine,’ Rekkid called to her. ‘We have to get off the planet right now, before the K’Soth arrive too.’ Katherine nodded in agreement. Steven said nothing. He just stared accusingly at the winged forms as they shot back up into the air in perfect formation, returning to their eyrie in orbit above the city.
They dressed and gathered their gear then ate a hurried breakfast. All the while, Rekkid attempted to contact first Varish, and then the Darwin. There was no response from either, despite numerous attempts, and without either ship to act as a relay station they had little chance of contacting Ambassador Croft either in the near future.
‘We could ask the Navy to extract us,’ said Steven. ‘I could use my position to perhaps request a transport.’
‘I thought you said you weren’t popular with your employers?’ said Katherine.
‘I’m not,’ he replied. ‘But it’s worth a shot. The Navy looks after its own, regardless of its other faults.’
Rekkid let Steven use his computer to make a wideband transmission to fleet in orbit above them: A request for immediate extraction and transport out of the system. There was a short pause before someone answered.
Chen’s face filled the screen. ‘This is the destroyer Mark Antony responding to your distress signal. We… Steven!?’ Her expression turned to one of surprise, and disdain. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she sneered.
All of Steven’s hopes began to drain away. Why did she have to turn up? Why her of all people? ‘Uh, Michelle. Look I have two civilians down here who are going to get caught up in this if I can’t get them out. They’re just a couple of archaeologists, Rekkid Cor and Katherine O’Reilly. They were sent here on assignment from Earth.’
‘Yes, I see from your transmission. The two who found the device, yes?’ Now Chen remembered where she had heard the names Katherine O’Reilly and Rekkid Cor before: the two agents who had come aboard her ship, they had been looking for them hadn’t they? The murdered transport pilot, Minaba, didn’t they have something to do with that? The agents ha
d accused them of working for the K’Soth. Chen made her decision: if Steven was involved in this, then they were up to no good.
‘You will remain where you are until a military escort arrives.’
‘Um, look thanks Michelle but that’s not really necessary, all we’d like…’
‘I don’t care what you’d like, Steven. You will wait for a military escort to arrive and then you and those two fugitives will co-operate with them fully. Do you understand?’
‘Of all the people who had to answer…’
‘Small galaxy isn’t it Steven?’ she snapped.
‘Oh fuck you,’ he swore, cut the link and in exasperation, thumped the table upon which Rekkid’s computer sat. On the bridge of the Mark Antony, Chen smiled to herself, savouring the moment.
‘You two know each other?’ said Ramirez quizzically.
‘Let’s just say our paths have crossed on more than one occasion,’ said Chen. ‘He got your predecessor killed for one thing.’
‘That’s Steven Harris?’
‘The very same.’
‘Good grief. You’re actually enjoying this aren’t you?’
‘Yes,’ replied Chen and began issuing orders for the arrest and detainment of a Mr Steven Harris, a Professor Rekkid Cor and a Dr Katherine O’Reilly wanted for questioned by CIB and currently at large in the city of Marantis.
Simonov sat in the shaking cabin, strapped into his couch and watching the tactical display in front of him as the landing craft plummeted through the atmosphere of Maranos like a knife through butter. The view through the small windows was turned a fiery orange by the glow from the ship’s shields as they were battered by the rushing air. His subordinates were likewise transfixed by their own displays, seemingly oblivious to the turbulent ride as they concentrated upon their own aspects of the operation.