Intrinsic: Book One of the Terran Cycle

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  One of the seated men wiped the sweat from his balding head with a handkerchief. With a flick of his eyes the Holo projector in front of him vanished giving him a clear view of Kalian.

  “Kalian,” the balding man said, “can I call you Kalian?” He had never liked being called Mr Gaines. Except for the freshers, even his students called him by his first name.

  “Sure.” Kalian was starting to get annoyed, how could they drag him all the way out to the desert and not know why?

  “I’m Commander Barnes, this is Commander Laney.” He flicked his thumb towards the man next to him. “Let me start by saying that anything you see or hear in this facility is never to be reported.” Kalian could tell that there were consequences behind that statement, he simply nodded in agreement.

  “As I’m sure you are aware by now, at oh seven thirty two this morning an unknown vessel appeared in orbit.” He tapped a few commands into his Info-band and a holographic image appeared in the middle of the table. It was detailed picture of the unknown ship.

  “At oh seven thirty three every monitor in our command centre received the same message-” before Commander Barnes could continue he was interrupted by the Chief.

  “They broke every firewall we’ve got inside of a minute!” Kalian could tell there was hint of fear behind his anger.

  Commander Barnes continued, “They only sent one message and it was very clear.” This time he tapped the table and sent the image across the surface until it stopped in front of Kalian. He looked down and read:

  WE COME AS FRIENDS TO HUMAN KIND.

  REQUEST MEETING.

  SELECT LOCATION.

  CHOOSE REPRESENTATIVE AND TWO WARRIORS.

  BRING KALIAN GAINES.

  Underneath the text was a layout of someone’s DNA stretching from end to end of the screen. Kalian couldn’t believe what he was seeing; he read it two more times to be sure. There are actual aliens in that ship, real aliens...

  Kalian couldn’t form a coherent thought through the shock of seeing his own name in an alien message.

  All three men were staring at him trying to gauge his reaction, to see if he had some insight they didn’t.

  “Are you even sure this is me, I mean I can’t be the only Kalian Gaines that exists across two solar systems?” He could feel his fear mixing with desperation, it was too late. The static on his arm was building again, his spine felt hot. He didn’t even think to try and control it; he couldn’t stop seeing his name in that message. The lights in the room flickered for a moment, sending them all into sporadic darkness. Even the Holo projectors blinked out.

  “What the hell is this?” The Chief’s question brought Kalian’s attention back. In his panic he hadn’t realised what he had done. He concentrated on the chair in front of him; he convinced himself there was nothing else in the universe except that chair. He regained focus and slowly brought himself back to the present. Years of self meditation had taught the best techniques that worked for him. The lights and projectors winked back to life. The Chief tapped his Info-band.

  “Lieutenant Walsh, report.”

  The Lieutenant’s voice came back over the inbuilt speaker. “Some kind of electromagnetic pulse sir! We can’t trace its origin but it appears to have hit half of the facility, we’re analysing for any damage now.”

  Half the building? How the hell did I do that?

  The Chief sucked in a breath, just one more thing for him to worry about.

  “Are we under attack?” The leather chair creaked under the Chief’s grip.

  “All systems have rebooted as if nothing happened Sir.” She replied

  “Keep me updated lieutenant,” he turned back to Kalian.

  Kalian felt like sinking into his chair and disappearing forever. A moment of nausea swept over him.

  The chief continued, “You see that strand of DNA at the bottom of the message?” Kalian took another look at the image, it meant nothing to him. “That’s you son, your specific DNA. We ran it through the Birthing Databank, it’s a perfect match.

  The Birthing Databank was the largest database ever created; it stored all the DNA and genetic structure of every person at the time of their birth. It allowed for instant identification which was useful if retinal scans failed.

  “What... what could they possibly want with me, I’m just a history lecturer from San Francisco?” Kalian was doing his best not to lose control again.

  “Since receiving the message my guys here have been going over every scrap of information there is on you, and there isn’t much of interest.” He looked at the eyetrak on the table and with a flick of his eyes he changed the Holo projection of the ship to a page of information about Kalian.

  “Kalian Gaines, born in San Francisco 2913 AD, parents Joseph and Mary Gaines...” He paused for a moment reading the next section in his head first.

  “They died in 2920 due to an accident involving a Mag-car; the report came back as a malfunction of the magnetic generator.” He said the word malfunction as if he had never heard of it. “I was under the impression that Mag generators took centuries to degrade.” Was there an accusation in there?

  Kalian elaborated for them, “The car slipped off the track at about seventy miles per hour, went straight through the railing and off a bridge...” His memory was disjointed after that, he remembered waking up in hospital alone.

  The Chief took another look at the information.

  “The hospital records show that you had no injuries, not even a scratch, but they couldn’t explain why you were unconscious.” He was staring at Kalian again, “I guess we found something interesting about you after all...”

  They know something isn’t right...

  The subject of his parents’ death had always scared Kalian; deep down he felt that he was the cause of the accident but he wasn’t sure how. The generators have multiple fail safes to prevent that kind of accident. As he grew up he had done some research into Mag-cars to find a possible cause for such a malfunction, he had found none.

  “...You’re one lucky son of a bitch; I don’t know anyone who could walk away from a crash of that magnitude unscathed.” Kalian tried to hide his relief.

  They don’t know.

  “You spent a few years in and out of foster homes until you got your qualifications in the subject of history,” he placed the Datapad down on the table ending the Holo projection of Kalian’s file.

  “And that’s the end of your story Kalian Gaines... so what the hell do they want with you?” Kalian sat back in his chair just as confused and curious as them. Commander Barnes sat forward in his seat.

  “Here’s what we know, Kalian; the ship found on Pluto’s moon Charon was indeed of alien origin, but our analysts can’t find any similarity between that ship and this one.” He pointed towards the ceiling in the general direction of their new visitors. Kalian had noticed the same thing.

  “Do they have Solar Drive technology like the old ship?” Kalian felt more comfortable asking questions now he knew his secret was safe.

  “Honestly, we have no idea. They didn’t come from the direction of the Sun, they just appeared from nowhere. Most of our scans are just bouncing off the hull; we have no idea what’s going on inside that ship. Hell, we can’t even figure out what the hull’s made of.” He rubbed his eyes, looking at monitors all morning had obviously given him a headache. “The only thing we know for certain is it’s five times the size of the Hyperion. That’s eight miles long.” He was referring to the flagship of the UDC fleet; it was the largest ship they had ever made, the pinnacle of human engineering.

  “So you think these might be different aliens to the ones that crashed here centuries ago?” Kalian’s curiosity was growing; he found himself eager more information. Commander Barnes let out a large sigh.

  “We don’t know that either, it’s one theory. It’s also possible that in over four hundred years they just got better ships.” Kalian was starting to get a sense of how frustrating this must be for them. The UDC ha
d been in control of all security matters for five hundred years, they knew everything about everything. Now for the first time, they were in the dark.

  “I want to help you, I really do but... I just don’t see where I fit into all of this.” A thought suddenly occurred to him, “What about Century; has a ship appeared in their orbit?” Kalian couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about Earth’s sister world, Century. Terraformed in 2632, it had taken one hundred years to create a breathable atmosphere and start colonisation. Situated eight light years away it was now home for six billion human beings. Thanks to Solar Drive powered ships it could be reached in a couple of days, jumping from star to star.

  “We’ve been in communication with them all morning, but they’ve reported no activity.” Commander Laney checked his own Datapad in case of updates.

  Kalian asked, “Why would they only be here, why not Century too?” It was the Chief Commander who replied.

  “We suspect they’ve been watching us for a while now, that’s how they know our language and forms of communication. We’re assuming that with this knowledge they also know that Central Parliament is located on Earth. They know that all the decisions come from this planet, not Century.” It was clear the Chief wasn’t happy with the situation. Knowledge was power and right now, he had none. These aliens were an unknown factor, and as long as they remained a mystery they were a potential enemy in his eyes.

  “Also,” Commander Barnes added, “We think they’re over San Francisco specifically, because you were there.” Kalian found that piece of information overwhelming.

  Aliens chose that exact place just because of me? What is going on here? Why am I so important? There must be billions of people more important and interesting than me!

  Kalian had so many questions which he needed the answers to, but he looked at the faces in front of him and realised they knew as little as him. They could at least answer his next question.

  “So, what happens now?” Kalian looked at each of them in turn, he didn’t care who had the answer, he just wanted someone to have one. The Chief took command again.

  “We’ve already picked out the location for this little get together.” A slight smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth twisting his scar. Picking the location gave him some measure of control.

  “As we speak the Icarus station is being evacuated of all personnel.” Kalian had heard of this place, it was a security way-station built to stay in orbit between the Earth and the Moon. There had been a news report on it a few years ago. The station had been built primarily to free up UDC ships. This way they could patrol further out into the Solar System and beyond.

  “The station is perfect, it’s isolated and completely under our control.” The Chief began to pace up and down the room as if he was giving a motivational speech or a plan of attack. “Right now the big-wigs in Central Parliament are choosing their representative to speak on our behalf,” the Chief turned on Kalian mid step.

  “If nothing else Mr Gaines, remember this; the representative that goes with you is there to speak for all mankind. You, on the other hand, are there because you’re a condition! You will not speak in this meeting unless spoken to. We have no idea what the outcome of this is going to be, and I’m sure you appreciate the complications civilians can bring.”

  Kalian knew what he was saying; civilians are hostages, civilians are untrained, civilians get in the way and civilian deaths are reported on the six o’clock news. Kalian was sure if the Chief had it his way the entire population would be subscripted into the UDC. He agreed with the Chief to a point, he just wished he wasn’t such an asshole about it. Kalian simply clenched his jaw and nodded silently. Even if he was allowed to speak to the aliens he wasn’t sure what he would say. He had so many questions, not just on their apparent fascination with him, but also everything about them. It suddenly dawned on him that this meeting would be a monumental piece of history; that he would be a part of that history.

  To think, I might have to give lectures about myself!

  The sinking feeling in his stomach brought him back to the present; he was yet to find out what part in history he would play.

  “Speaking of such complications,” the Chief continued, “We’ve already selected two warriors to accompany you.” He emphasised the word warriors as if it was an archaic term. He looked to Commander Barnes to provide the details.

  “We believe they’ve allowed us to pick the location and send guards as a sign of trust. Our scans can’t tell us anything but, if their ability to sneak up on us undetected is anything to go by, they’re more advanced. So at this point, any sign of trust is good for us.” He gave a quick glance to the Chief as if he had said something he shouldn’t. They were hoping it was a sign of trust; Kalian was willing to bet the Chief wasn’t the kind of man who had time for hope.

  Kalian could see where they were coming from.

  “Is there a reason we shouldn’t trust them? The message says they come as friends. If they’re as advanced as you think they are, wouldn’t they just attack us rather than send a message?” The Chief gave him a condescending look.

  “If I want to see a man I knock on his door first, I don’t just appear in his kitchen while he’s eating breakfast.”

  It was how the ship had appeared from nowhere that had them on edge. The unknown ship hadn’t appeared in the solar system using what they knew to be conventional Solar Drive technology. Since learning about the engine of the crashed ship, the UDC had set up more patrols closer to the Sun. After all, it was called Solar Drive for a reason. The only method of traversing light years in a few hours or days required the most powerful source of energy in space, a star. Kalian didn’t know the applied physics to Solar Drive but like every other child had been taught the fundamentals. The ship must fly into the orbit of a starspot on the surface of the Sun where the strongest magnetic fields are emitted. Using technology re-engineered from the alien craft, the UDC ships absorb the magnetic fields which in turn ignite the Solarcite; the alien fuel charges the engines creating a thrust capable of faster than light travel.

  As great as the technology is, it still has its limitations. With the fuel requiring such strong magnetic fields in order to be ignited, a star must be present. Without a star the ship would be stranded in space with no way of igniting the fuel. Everyone knew the story of The Paladin, the only ship to disappear in the process of using Solar Drive. It was the third ship in the colonising expedition to Century; it had one hundred thousand people on board, all ready to start a new life on an exciting new planet. The last transmission received before they left was from an officer on the bridge shouting about a navigational error. Since they never arrived at Century and never returned to Earth, it was assumed they were lost in space with no stars close enough to reignite the Solarcite. That was two and a half centuries ago.

  Solar Drive meant that all ships took off from the surface of a star and arrived close to the next star. Since this technology was taken from an alien race it was assumed by the UDC that this is how they would eventually re-enter our Solar System. But they didn’t, instead they appeared in the blink of an eye without alerting one human vessel.

  “It’s possible,” Commander Barnes said, “They’ve been sitting there for a while. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume they have some kind of stealth technology.” The Chief waved his hand as if to push the subject away.

  “This discussion is for another place Commander, the focus right now is Mr Gaines here. Whatever it is they want with you son, I don’t want you to make any kind of response or decisions without consulting the representative and the security detail.”

  Do you want me to hold their hand too?

  The thought occurred to Kalian that he hadn’t actually been asked if he would go but then, he got the feeling that the Chief Commander of the UDC didn’t ask anything.

  Lieutenant Walsh’s voice came back over the speaker on the table.

  “Sir, a shuttle from Central Parliament has just landed. They ap
pear to have elected Ambassador Sebastian Arlek as representative for the meeting. I have a data-packet on him for you to review on the way up sir.” The Chief Commander’s face dropped at the name.

  “I don’t need any data on him. We’ll be right out.” He turned to Commander Barnes, “It’s time to get the ball moving; send a message back on the same frequency informing our friends of the location and time of the meeting.” He looked back at Kalian, “I think it’s time to find out what they want with you Mr Gaines... what they want with all of us.” The commanders stood up to leave the room with him. The Chief ignored Kalian on the way out but Commander Barnes motioned for him to follow them.

  Lieutenant Walsh was waiting for them by lift. At this point Commander Laney broke off from the group and joined the fray of people working around the monitors. Kalian watched him go until the large monitor at the end of the room caught his attention. It showed a similar looking craft to the one that had escorted him to the base. The sand around the platform was being kicked into the air as it landed.

  The Chief Commander’s frustration filled the lift like an angry mob. Kalian opened his mouth to ask about the Ambassador when Commander Barnes grasped his wrist. He subtly shook his head to deter him from saying anything. Kalian had the feeling the Commander had experienced the Chief’s outbursts before and knew when it was a good time to remain invisible.

  The doors opened into the stark entrance that was The Hub’s main foyer. The soldiers that had escorted Kalian to the base were stationed at various points around the room. The Chief strode out of the lift with Lieutenant Walsh on his heels. Kalian noticed the soldiers salute the Chief as he passed them.

  As they approached the main doors he saw a woman stand up by one of the long benches that lined the walls, she was obviously UDC as she was wearing the uniform. After the Chief had gone by she sat back down resuming her original position. The main doors opened, bathing her in a soft glow. Her features appeared exaggerated in the sunlight. She didn’t look like the other soldiers he had encountered, not even Lieutenant Walsh. Her hair wasn’t cropped short but instead fell just below her shoulders; the copper ringlets shone reflecting the bright light from outside. Her skin was fair against her high cheek bones and pointed jaw line. He couldn’t deny she was attractive. Her eyes stood out the most. In the sunlight they shone a brilliant green.