“What is it with you guys and windows,” Kalian saw Li’ara pause and change direction heading towards a panel on the wall.
“Windows are a structural weak point, they can’t be re-enforced the same way the hull can.” Li’ara’s tone suggested he had asked another stupid question. She thumbed the panel on the wall. The entrance to the ship and the wall surrounding it instantly disappeared. Where the wall had been was now a clear view of the outside world, Kalian was momentarily blinded by the desert Sun. When his vision returned he could see they were still rising into the sky. Below the ship Kalian saw the entrance to the hangar bay closing after them; it had been in the roof. The exterior of the doors was covered in desert sand camouflaging it to conceal any underground activity.
Kalian couldn’t believe what he was seeing; there had been a wall there only moments ago. He moved forward and reached out, unsure of what he might feel. His fingers vanished from sight like a mirage in the desert heat; he felt the cold steel of the door beyond.
He looked to Li’ara for confirmation as if she could read his thoughts. She tapped on a cylindrical beam that ran from the floor to the ceiling. A thin line of bright light shone down the centre from which the image was being generated. Kalian noticed an identical beam on the other side closer to the cockpit. The image itself was the entire breadth of the wall. This technology wasn’t exactly new, but the clarity of the holo image was so perfect he could have sworn there was a hole in the ship.
“Tiny cameras on the hull fed back images of the outside,” Li’ara’s expression suggested it was the least exciting piece of technology on the ship. She moved away and took her seat opposite the Ambassador. Kalian was impressed; he wondered what else this little ship could do.
Commander Hawkins tipped the Fathom on its side trying to get the right angle and direction. To Kalian it appeared as though the Earth was moving around them, his brain told him he should be falling but his feet remained firm on the deck. At this altitude they were well above the high walls that fortified The Hub. The base was spread out for miles across the desert; it was like a city in itself. There was only one building higher than the walls situated at the back of the base near the far corner. Kalian could just make out the array of antennae protruding from the top. There were several large domes scattered across the landscape in between stark white structures. Kalian had no idea what any of the buildings were for. From what he had seen, the most important part of The Hub was underground. The soldiers were starting to look like ants now as they ascended into the upper atmosphere.
The Ambassador hadn’t looked up once; the view was of no interest to him. He had a faraway look on his face, clearly lost in his own thoughts. Kalian felt it best not to disturb him.
At least I’m not here to represent the human race.
The ocean of blue sky began to fade giving way to the vastness of space and the stars beyond. It had been so long since he’d seen this view; he had forgotten how beautiful it was. As the Fathom turned towards the moon he could see the curve of the Earth with the Sun behind them. The beauty was undeniable. The blue hue that blanketed the atmosphere was like a protective halo. In moments the Fathom passed over the Atlantic and across the countries that used to be part of a collective, before Central Parliament brought everyone together. Even from this distance the Mag Hyperways could be seen connecting the continents. The underwater cities remained concealed, though some of the spires and platforms were visible. Kalian recalled the lessons he himself had taught on the subject of such aquatic habitats. They were the last constructions to be built before the move into the solar system, there really was no more space on Earth.
As they passed into the dark side of the planet, all Kalian could see was the millions of lights from the cities below. Kalian noticed how little space for greenery there was. From the images he had studied in college he knew that Earth had been blue and green in appearance. But now, where there had been so much green, was an endless sea of silver and gold glittering in the lights. What was left of nature had been placed under the strictest protection laws within giant domes, some of which could be seen from orbit. He promised himself he would see more of the world after this; maybe even visit Mars and Century or some of the moons.
“ETA three minutes,” Commander Hawkins voice came over the speakers again.
Kalian could feel butterflies in his stomach, his hands became clammy again. This is it. He let out a long breath.
“Don’t worry,” the Ambassador said. “Just let me do all the talking and we will be fine.” He stood up allowing his robe to fall into place. Li’ara stood up as well removing her weapon from its holster. She inspected each side of it making sure all the settings were to her liking. The gun itself looked quite formidable. Kalian had seen other UDC soldiers armed with the same weapon but this one seemed bigger in places. Li’ara had obviously made some modifications over the years. The top of the gun had a small screen with numbers on it, no doubt detailing the amount of ammo stored within. A bright red dot appeared from a small apparatus under the barrel. Kalian wondered how many times she’d actually had to use it.
“My God...” Ambassador Arlek had made his way over to the panoramic holo image. Kalian and Li’ara went to join him. The pictures he had seen didn’t do it justice. The alien ship was immense in size. Its hull continued to shimmer and moved like the surface of the sea. The Sun began to rise over the crest of the Earth, the rays of light striking the alien ship. Kalian couldn’t imagine the time it would take to build such a ship. It may have been alien in origin but its structure wasn’t dissimilar to human ships. It had been built from end to end with the engine at the back; at least Kalian assumed it was the engine. It was perhaps the most obvious feature; a giant circle of light that reached from top to bottom of the ship. He couldn’t look at it too long, as it constantly burned like a giant blue star. Kalian was sure an entire star cruiser could fit inside, with room to spare.
It was hard to tell from the constant movement on the hull but Kalian guessed its surface it to be some shade of purple. Spiralling out from around the engine were arcing pillars that came to sharp points, stretching across the entirety of the ship. Somewhere in the middle, the pillars extended out again reaching the head of the ship. The intricacy was a sight to behold, at times Kalian couldn’t figure out where one started and the other stopped. As a whole it appeared totally smooth with no visible contours. The front of the ship sloped down into a sharp point like an eagle’s beak.
“Incredible...” Li’ara couldn’t stop from staring. Her voice momentarily caught Kalian’s attention. For an instant he saw a very human side to her, no more the soldier, just another person humbled and awed by beauty. It didn’t last; she noticed Kalian’s brief attention and raised her chin becoming the soldier once more.
“What do you suppose they are?” The Ambassador was pointing at one of the protrusions on the alien ship. Dome shaped structures were fitted along the edge creating a circle around the presumed engine. At first glance they resembled the panels on human ships used for absorbing the magnetic fields of the Sun.
“Maybe they do have Solar Drive technology.” Kalian remembered the Chief Commander’s concerns about the aliens’, mode of transport.
“We’ll find out soon enough.” Commander Hawkins strode into the cabin while sheathing a blade into his thigh. He ignored the view of the ship and went straight to the weapons room. Li’ara tilted her head trying to take in the whole length of the ship.
“I don’t see any cannons or launcher bays, you’d think on something that big they’d be obvious.” She narrowed her eyes taking in as much of the detail as possible.
“It’s what we can’t see that concerns me,” the Commander rejoined them by the holo image. He had strapped a similar looking weapon to Li’ara’s onto his hip. It was the gun on his back that caught everyone’s eye.
“Are we expecting a war Commander Hawkins?” The Ambassador only glanced at the weapon unable to take his gaze off the ship for too
long.
“I like to be prepared for every eventuality sir.” The Commander reached round and placed a comforting hand on the giant barrel. Kalian look back towards the massive ship.
“I think if this comes down to a matter of size Commander... they’ve already won.” Kalian didn’t need to look to know the commander was burning holes in the back of his head.
“When did they get here?” The Ambassador half turned to Li’ara.
“Once they received confirmation. They started moving before we even sent them the coordinates.” She shared a concerned look with the Commander. “They knew exactly where the Icarus station was, they’ve definitely been doing their homework.”
“I wonder how long they’ve been watching us.” Kalian felt mesmerised by the sight of the ever shifting light on the ship’s surface.
“I intend asking them that very question Mr Gaines.” Ambassador Arlek lifted an eyebrow at Kalian. It was another signal from the Ambassador that he shouldn’t do any of the talking.
The Fathom began to angle away on a heading below the alien ship. Kalian had the feeling he should be falling again.
“The auto pilot’s bringing us into the Icarus.” Commander Hawkins checked his bracer’s touch pad to double check the coordinates. The emitter’s inside projected a green holographic image of the Icarus station- zooming in on a section near the centre. “We’re both docking in the executive hangar bay near the command bridge.” It was clear to see from the design of the station that most if not all ships docked on the outer air locks. The executive hangar must have been built to allow for immediate access to the command bridge.
The station came into view moments later. Having seen the alien ship the Icarus station didn’t quite measure up. It was spherical in shape made up of an outer ring and an inner ring. They were connected by long walkways that converged on a central sphere in the centre. Cutting the station through the middle was another set of rings that connected the central sphere. From their approaching vector the station appeared as a giant white X.
Kalian could make out the double-barrelled cannons fitted along the outer ring. It hadn’t escaped him that they were all pointed at the alien ship.
The Fathom had passed over the first ring now and was on a set course for the sphere. The entrance to the bay doors appeared open, exposing the hangar bay to the harsh vacuum of space. Contrary to its appearance the entrance was in fact sealed. As the Fathom decelerated it began to pass through the threshold and enter the hangar. The portal blurred around the edges of the ship as the, membrane-like, substance passed over every millimetre of the Fathom. This invisible wall of thin jelly allowed the ship to enter without breaking the atmosphere. Kalian knew the technology existed but he had never seen it. On his trip to Armstrong as a child they had docked via one of the habitat domes on an outer platform.
He turned back to the cabin to find Li’ara looking at him. How long had she been watching him? Kalian assumed she was still trying to get the measure of him. He wasn’t surprised; his part in all this was sketchy at best. If their roles were reversed he would be suspicious of her too.
Kalian heard the same noise as before when the landing gear extended from the ship and gently pressed onto the bay floor. Li’ara deactivated the holo image leaving them blind to the outside. At the base of her back, attached horizontally between two panels of armour, was a long blade in a black sheath. Compared to the weapon attached to her thigh he wondered how useful a knife really was. He especially couldn’t imagine anything getting past that monster of a gun Commander Hawkins had.
The outer hatch opened up rising out of view as the ramp descended to the hangar floor. Commander Hawkins stood with one foot on the ramp.
“I lead; the Lieutenant Commander brings up the rear. For your security I want you both to remain in between us at all times,” he looked at Ambassador Arlek, “You have authority in all matters sir, but if I or the Lieutenant Commander feel your safety is at risk, we will take control.” The Ambassador bowed his head at the Commander.
“I wouldn’t expect any less; Chief Commander Hendricks assured me you are the best for the job.” He looked at Li’ara as well, who simply nodded in return.
They left the Fathom and waited by the main doors to the hangar. There was evidence around the room that showed workers had been interrupted from their duties. The personnel onboard had been evacuated as fast as possible. Kalian noticed a cup of cold coffee sitting on a container and loose tools left where they had been dropped. He briefly examined the rest of the hangar. It wasn’t anywhere close to the size of The Hub’s. It could probably fit another three ships the size of the Fathom. Like all things UDC it was stark white against a black floor with little thought put into appearance.
It hadn’t occurred to Kalian how the aliens would enter. It had been assumed they would land a craft in a similar fashion to them.
What if they don’t have a ship small enough? What if they don’t even use smaller ships?
Kalian imagined them appearing from nowhere like their ship had above San Francisco. It wouldn’t be a wild stretch to assume they had that technology.
Kalian’s questions were answered as a craft broke through the invisible film to the hangar bay. At first glance it was obvious the ship was bigger than the Fathom. Just like its parent ship this one was seamless as well, though it didn’t have the ever shifting light over its hull. It certainly wasn’t dull in appearance however. The surface was so shiny Kalian could see all of their reflections in its purple exterior.
The ship emitted a low humming noise as it came to a stop two feet above the floor. Kalian expected some form of landing gear to present itself but it never did. Instead the low humming noise became distant, eventually leaving the hangar in silence until the ship was just hanging in the air. Like the bigger ship it had pointed pillars extending from the back all the way to the front. Rather than an intricate pattern it only had the four with two on each side. It was oval in shape with no corners or flat edges; it reminded Kalian of a smaller simplified version of the parent ship.
Like the Fathom though it appeared to have no windows of any kind. The Commander and Li’ara were frozen in place, every muscle ready to react to the ship’s occupants. Both of them had stepped closer to Kalian and the Ambassador, he was sure Arlek’s hands were shaking under the robes of his sleeves.
The tension was becoming unbearable; the ship was just hovering in silence. Kalian could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his fight or flight responses battling each other. The hair on his arms stood on end under his jacket. He could feel it, the build up of energy just under his skin. He instinctively reached out to Li’ara’s hand only centimetres away. She felt like an anchor in the room, something to hold onto and take control of the situation, something to keep him in place. Just the contact seemed to distract him, it took him a second to realise he was actually holding her hand. Her hand was smaller than his but it felt strong through the glove. Li’ara briefly glanced at the hand holding hers and tightened her grip. Was it possible she was feeling the same about these new visitors? Or was she just comforting the frightened civilian?
They were about to experience a moment in history humans had only ever imagined. All of the questions in Kalian’s mind hushed to a whisper as the ship suddenly came to life. The tip of the elongated craft released a loud hissing noise as a blinding white line appeared down its centre. All four of them raised a hand to shield their eyes. The two halves separated and slowly retracted towards the back of the ship. Out of the bright light Kalian could just make out a small ramp descending to the floor. The light dimmed as four silhouettes stood at the top of the ramp. The sight of the shadowy figures made them lower their hands despite the light. Kalian couldn’t form a single coherent thought as he just stood full of wonder. Li’ara had let go of his hand now, she was preparing for anything.
The light emanating from the ship quickly faded, revealing their true forms. Kalian couldn’t believe his eyes, he was both
awed and intimidated by them. Time seemed to stand still as he took in their extraordinary appearance.
They stood upright, regal in their posture. He couldn’t help but look at their arms, all four of them. Where he expected to see the ribs on a human they each had an extra pair of shoulder sockets. It was hard to tell their height from inside the ship but Kalian guessed they were much taller than humans. Their skin was a beautiful mixture of white and purple with speckles of blue interlaced throughout. Their physique was hard to deny, they had muscle groups similar to humans and very defined. Their biceps and triceps were easy to see on their arms but with every movement new muscles became apparent. Their forearms were hidden beneath shining bracers made of a metal that was hard to make out; it seemed to reflect every colour in the spectrum. The same material covered their abdomen extending to their sternum with ridges accentuating the different muscles beneath. It was attached to the aliens via a series of rings that stretched over their chest and shoulders, the rings appeared more like bone than metal however. Kalian was reminded of the ancient Native Americans, who exposed a lot of skin in their dress wear.
As one they all began to descend the ramp. Overlapping material flowed from their waist at the front and back, almost reaching the floor. The material left their legs exposed as it only covered their groin; they had more of the armoured plating encasing their outer thighs. Their legs were truly alien- like the upper half of their body they were all muscle but their shape was unlike any creature Kalian had ever seen. Their thighs protruded forwards until the knee joint at which point their calves extended the other way creating a zigzag shape. The feet then protruded the same way as their thighs. To a human it would be like walking on the balls of their feet.
As they stepped onto the smooth black floor their two thick toes spread out taking the weight. Kalian was fascinated to see that they didn’t wear any shoes. He assumed their skin must be stronger than his own to wear so little. They approached in a pointed formation. The only notable difference was the colour of the material that fell from their waist, the one in the lead had a deep blue material lined with silver; the rest all wore the same shade of purple. He must be the leader, Kalian decided.
Intrinsic: Book One of the Terran Cycle Page 5