Even as these thoughts flashed through her brain faster than she could be aware of them, the huge structure to her forward left began to glow. First red, then white, while the heat and radiation, even a good bit of the blast effect, was absorbed by the structure.
What the hell? thought the Lt as she stared at the ancient structure, then looked at her HUD as it displayed the sensor take of her suit. That’s impossible. The heat and radiation that should have been washing over the area was only a fiftieth of what it should be. Even the blast effect was reduced to a stiff breeze that did little more than raise some dust from the ground.
The mushroom cloud rose into the sky, while the blast wave continued to move out, except for the area of the ancient artifact and a couple of hundred meters to each side, like a big chunk bitten out of the disaster.
* * *
“We’re picking up a small energy surge from artifact Alpha-four,” said Lt. Commander Christi M’tumbo, the sensor officer of the Lewis, looking back at Captain Walther Huang.
Lewis had been given the duty again to watch the blue star. It wasn’t a duty he wanted, but the Admiral hadn’t asked his opinion, and here they were again.
“Any idea where it’s coming from?” asked the Captain, looking at the blinking icon of the artifact on the tactical display.
“Not a clue, sir. And none of the other artifacts are exhibiting any change.”
“Strange,” said the Captain, his eyes narrowing. And we aren’t expecting a courier here for another week, and no other way to get the news to the Admiral without leaving our post.
“Keep a close watch on it, Christi. As soon as there are any more changes, let me know.”
Five minutes later the Sensor Officer looked back at Huang again. “Energy readings have dropped back to normal background for the star.”
Enough energy to incinerate a human in an instant, thought the Captain, looking at the graph that showed the minor blip of whatever had been radiated from the object. So the other energy had to come from somewhere, but where? And why only that one object, at this time?
* * *
Rear Admiral Nguyen van Hung watched the holo of the mushroom cloud that rose into the upper atmosphere of the planet. Twenty megatons, he thought, shaking his head. Every one of the offensive missiles in his flagship’s magazines had warheads at least fifty times more powerful. But this one was detonated on the surface of a planet, within less than two kilometers of a number of his people. And if not for that effect from that artifact, it would have been much worse.
Still, he had lost four Marines permanently dead, unrecoverable by the medical science of the Empire. Eleven other personnel had been rendered temporarily dead, and would be resurrected and returned to duty with time. And there were over a score who were injured to varying degrees. Out of over a hundred people who had been within the serious damage range of the blast.
“The first of the rescue shuttles has arrived at the site, sir,” came the call over the com.
Nguyen opened another holo with a thought through his implant, watching the scene as personnel started from two grounded shuttles to fan out across the site, while another started to settle toward the ground, and yet one more was on final approach.
“I want every one of those people brought up to this ship,” ordered the Imperial commander of the system. “What about the nearby native habitations?”
“The town nearest to the blast was totally destroyed,” said Captain Susan Lee, Nguyen’s Chief of Staff, breaking in on the conversation. “We don’t expect any survivors there. Every town and village for fifty kilometers was damaged to varying degrees.”
“And the state of the local response?”
“They're starting to move. Aerial vehicles are on the way, and while they can deliver medical and rescue personnel, they only have limited utility as lifting bodies.”
“Meaning they have to bring in heavy ground equipment to lift and dig,” said Nguyen, nodding his head. “I want every heavy lifting body we have down there aiding in the rescue. I don’t care how much effort it takes search and rescue, we will get the job done.”
After all, even if it was some alien fanatics who set off the bomb, they wouldn’t have bothered if we weren’t there.
Every Imperial ship, from frigates on up, Fleet and Command, had personnel trained in search and rescue. In everything from rescuing the crews from wrecked ships on the verge of exploding, to planet side disaster relief.
“We’ll get them organized, sir,” said Lee, dropping off the com. She was back on in a moment.
“I’ve just gotten word from Clark that Captain Albright was on a shuttle heading to the site when the bomb went off. She dropped off the grid just before the detonation, in the high mountains overlooking desert. And sir, Ensign Nguyen Dat was with her.”
“Crap,” exclaimed the Admiral, staring at the holo that now switched views to the mountains, and a high pass that led between two really massive peaks. Dat was a very distant relative, which meant that in his family he was still family, and still to be protected. “Start a search of the area with sting ships,” he finally said, looking over the list of small craft dispositions and seeing that the cupboard was just about bare. “When we have some atmospheric troop carriers available, and a location for her shuttle, start a ground search of that area. Get with Colonel Isaiah and have her detail a platoon.”
“I have to warn you, sir,” said Lee. “There was no way that blast could have brought them down. Not at that range. And I doubt they just crashed.”
“So, what are you saying, Captain?”
“The aliens still have some of the weapons they captured from Albright’s assault shuttle. Including antiair missiles. Anything we send down there could become a target as well.”
“So you think we should not send down a search and rescue party?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, sir. Just warning you. And I would advise that one of our ships keep a close watch on that area, and be prepared to provide covering fire if needed.”
“Give the orders to Captain Jackson,” said Nguyen. “I want Boudeuse to keep a close watch over the Marines, and provide any fire support they need.”
And what the hell do they expect to accomplish with this madness? he thought, switching back to the view of the mushroom cloud.
Chapter Ten
Technology gives many advantages. But without sufficient training, technology is a false crutch. A well trained soldier with minimal tech is the match for any rabble carrying more advanced equipment.
Imperial Army Infantry Training Manual.
“How are you feeling, Ensign?” asked Albright as she pulled Nguyen along. The young officer had regained consciousness moments before, the nanites in his system repairing the damage of his concussion. He was still a little groggy, but that would pass.
“Where are we?” asked the Ensign, looking around him.
“We came down on the mountains, son,” said Albright, releasing her grip on the Ensign’s suit and keeping one hand on him to steady him on the path she wanted him to take. “We took out the people who shot us down, but I think there are more out there, waiting to get shots at whomever is sent to look for us.”
Albright looked back at the Marine who was watching the rear. “Any sight of them, Private?”
“No, ma’am,” said the Marine, his helmeted head turning as he covered the area to the rear. His heavy suit was not only stronger and carried much stronger armor, but his sensor suite was also an order of magnitude more sensitive. Their medium battle suits were made to interface with ship and small craft systems, while the Marine armor was designed to search the natural environment for threats. “I’m still picking up the jamming though. And it doesn’t appear to be moving.”
“Can you get a fix on it?” asked Albright, looking back at the Private.
“I’m close,” said the Marine. “While we’ve been moving, my suit has been working on the triangulation. Fortunately, these guys don’t seem to kno
w about moving the source.”
Albright nodded. Under normal circumstances, it would take two or more suits in different locations to triangulate a target, as targets tended to move to keep from being located. If it sat in place for too long, even a single suit moving along a path could triangulate. And the manual on the launcher’s capabilities wouldn’t have given them much in the way of information about our suits and their capabilities.
“That way,” said the Marines, pointing across at the slope of another mountain.
The directional indicator of the Captain’s HUD blinked into life at the same moment, giving her an accurate pointer to the launcher. If they knew what they were doing, they would leave the damned thing off until they were ready to engage. But if they left the jammer off, we would be talking to our own side about now.
“I think we can get a good line of sight on them over there,” said the Marines, and another blinking cursor appeared on her HUD. She turned in the direction of the arrow, moving her viewpoint down, until a small hollow on the side of the mountain they were on lit up with the same color as the cursor.
“Let’s go,” ordered Albright, then turning to her Ensign. “Can you make it, Nguyen?”
“I think so, ma’am,” said the young man, lifting his suit a couple of centimeters off the surface.
The Marine led the way, rifle ready, dropping down the side of the mountain, his suit’s stealth field blending him in with the rock and ice. Nguyen followed, while the Captain took up the rear, keeping an eye on the young pilot. When she set down gently on the rock Nguyen was already lowering himself into the depression, while the Marine was lying prone, his scoped particle beam pointed toward the target.
Albright again extended her own scope and stock as she settled into a firing position that would give her the best cover and concealment. She slaved the scope to her HUD and saw what looked like over forty of the aliens. With them were two launchers and at least three particle beams. Enough to down a couple of sting ships and damage a troop carrier or two before the Imperials even knew what was happening.
And we’re not going to let that happen, thought the Captain, waiting for the Marine to open fire to start the ball rolling.
* * *
Warrant Officer Melissa Sung kept a close watch on her sensors as her sting ship flew over the valley. It was fantastic scenery, and she found herself sorry that all of this was doomed. When the radiation wave struck, there wouldn’t even be a microbe left on the surface of this world.
Snap out of it, Lissa, she told herself, concentrating on her instruments again, looking for the tiniest inconsistency that might point out her target.
“Anything, Sung?” asked Lt. Commander Karl Heinzmann, the leader of the squadron.
“Just that damned jamming,” she replied, looking at the wave pattern on her holographic oscilloscope. “I wonder what they’re trying to accomplish.”
The powerful laser transmitters on the sting ships had no problem reaching one of the ships above, which relayed it to the next one. It didn’t do much to their sensor suite either, though it was hard to localize the source. And it means they have some of our tech down there, whoever they are. Most probably one or more of those launchers they stole from us.
She couldn’t think of any reason why their own people would try to jam a search and rescue effort. They would be doing everything they could to attract the aircraft to their location, so that left the aliens. And if one of those missiles could knock down an assault shuttle, they could blow a sting ship completely to hell. So what are they waiting for? To get as many of us into their basket as possible?
So Melissa continued on her search, cringing a bit inside at the thought that she might get a fraction of a second warning before a hypervelocity missile took her craft out, and her with it. All of her systems were armed, her AI set for auto-targeting, ready to light up anything that appeared that looked like a threat to her ship, while at the same time aware that the last thing she needed to do was to kill the people she was trying to rescue.
She twisted her head around, and the ship followed her motion, as her sensors picked up a flash of light off her port stern.
* * *
The Marine fired as one of the aliens holding a launcher put it to his shoulder and aimed. Albright gave him the go ahead, not sure if they were getting ready to fire on the single sting ship hovering above the peak to the east, and not willing to take the chance. The particle beam, fired by a trained Marine in combat armor, was of course perfectly on target, almost obliterating the alien while slicing through and destroying the launcher.
Albright fired her own weapon, aiming for one of the aliens with a particle beam and hitting the male who stood up in front of him at the last moment. The particle beam gunner threw himself to the ground and swung his weapon around, using the pointing line of the Marine’s heavy rifle, as it destroyed the second launcher and operator, to fire back at their position. The beam splashed from the heavy armor, doing superficial damage, but forcing the Marine to duck down before it caused more serious problems.
Albright ducked down as well, pulling a still confused Ensign Nguyen down with her. Particle beams continued to strike the rocks in an explosion of fragments, while automatic weapons fire spattered the mountainside around them.
* * *
“Gotcha,” cried Sung as the nose of her ship swung around and the targeting carrels sprung into being on her HUD. Her finger stroked the trigger, and every weapon aboard the small craft fired in an instant.
The lasers from the nose ring struck first, sending megajoules of power into the mass of aliens who were trying to kill a ground target. Twin particle beams hit a nanosecond later, pumping high energy protons into the enemy and the rocks around them. The grenade launcher in the nose popped off a trio of forty millimeters that packed a heavier punch than any comparably sized weapons the Klassekians possessed. And the heavier punch of a pair of rockets sped from their rails at thousands of gravities, the ton equivalent antimatter warheads blasting bodies and boulders into the air to rain on the valley below.
Two seconds. That was all it took to kill every one of the aliens. It might not have even needed that much time, but that’s how long her weapons systems engaged in a severe case of overkill.
All of the guerillas had siblings who were not there, from one to eight, who were connected to them through their quantum entangled nerve tissue. The guerrillas who had been killed did not suffer much. They barely had time to realize that they were dead. Their litter mates, on the other hand, felt the echoes of their deaths for days afterwards, and would try to sleep with memories of sudden death for the rest of their lives.
* * *
“We’ve found Captain Albright and your cousin, sir.” Captain Susan Lee looked out of the holo with a smile on her face. “Both are well, though I can’t say the same for the people who shot them down.”
“Did we get all of the guerillas?”
“As far as we can tell. And the sting ship, as well as Captain Albright, accounted for at least two of the missing launchers, and a half dozen particle beam rifles.”
“That is good news,” agreed the Admiral, looking over at another holo that showed one of his shuttles hovering in the air over some rubble, lifting a vehicle above the house it had been flung into by the blast. Battle armored figures moved through the remains of that house, pulling out bodies, including some very small ones, a young litter of children.
“I want us to find out who was responsible for this,” he growled, looking back at the holo with his Chief of Staff centered in it. “I want these bastards.”
“Shouldn’t we give any information we have to the local authorities?” asked Lee.
“The hell with the local authorities. When we find out who they are, we will go after them and end them ourselves. Once we get all the information we can out of them. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get our intelligence people working on it right away.”
“Tell them I want to
know who’s at the top. It’s one thing to strike at combatants, but what these people have done is a crime against sentient life. And they will pay.”
He killed the com link and sat back down, his eyes glued to the holos that were following the rescue efforts. Over sixty thousand dead. More injured. And it would have been much worse if it had been in a much more densely populated region. I know most of these people don’t have much more than a year remaining, but that’s sixty thousand years of sentience wiped away. I will see these bastards killed. I will take from them what they took from these others.
* * *
Revador was the capital city of Honish, the dwelling place of over fifteen million people. Despite the number, it did not have the vitality of Tsranar, the capital city of Tsarzor. It lacked the industry, and there were fewer vehicles on the streets. The only vitality in the city revolved around the numerous temples that seemed to take up all prime locations that weren’t occupied by government buildings.
There were some humans in the city, those belonging to the diplomatic missions that the Imperials had insisted on. Mostly they stayed to their compound, when not engaged on business with one of the Honish government agencies. When moving through the city they rode in armored vehicles, or walked in groups, all in their battle armor and accompanied by Marines.
But today some other humans moved through the city, also in battle armor. Very specialized battle armor, made for a very specific purpose. Recon suits, maximized for both stealth and sensor capabilities. Worn by naval officers and ratings who had primary or secondary specialties in intelligence.
Chief Petty Officer Travis Martin was one of the score of people who were floating through the air over the city, his stealth field bending the light waves around him, so that anyone looking in his direction would see an image of what was behind him. The field was not perfect. There were some minor flaws, some wavering of the image, but only in small places along the entire field. Only someone who was looking for a stealth field would have a chance of spotting it on visual. It did give off quite a bit heat, but reflectors controlled by the suit’s on-board computer sent most of that infrared off on angles that were less likely to have sensors ready to pick it up. Radar and lidar was absorbed. Rain and snow could be a problem, but not on this day.
Exodus: Machine War: Book 1: Supernova. Page 12