by Andrew Beery
The former sovereign of the Nester people approached the human who had sacrificed her very life to protect her progeny.
“Well met Blessed of the Creator,” She-Who-Sang said using the traditional Galactic Coalition greeting.
Cat smiled. “I see you have been learning our customs”
“My daughter has taught me many things. Your greeting was one of the easiest to understand. This concept of ‘merit-based’ advancement between castes is harder for me to grasp… but I can see how it inspires the best from people.”
Cat bowed respectfully to her new friend. Turning slightly, she approached She-Who-Sings. The newly promoted monarch of the Nester people was already showing signs of bulging egg sacs. Her time in the pools would be coming soon.
“Well met, Queen Mother and Blessed of the Creator,” Cat said formally.
She-Who-Sings was tapping her claws together repeatedly. “To have talked with you so often… and then to see you after you died saving my mother’s last clutch… it defies mere words to express my thoughts. Truly your name will be honored among my people.”
Cat smiled wanly. “I did what had to be done. People acting in fear and anger put those children at risk. To allow them to perish under my watch would have been to forfeit whatever was left of my soul.”
She-Who-Sings swayed gently on her leg pinchers. Cat knew this was equivalent to shaking one’s head.
“Your technology that allows minds to be transferred to new host bodies… it is impressive. How does a society survive when no one ever need die?”
“That’s a question we have yet to answer for ourselves Queen Mother. To be brutally frank, the technology is so new that only a limited number of our best and most committed defenders have access to it. It may surprise you to know that my own resurrection is based on an older technology gifted to us by an ancient race known as the Heshe.”
“We have legends about a race called the Heshe… They are very old and very powerful… and in many ways very dangerous. I thought they were stories to frighten the very young,” She-Who-Sings said.
Cat laughed. “They are certainly all of that. There is much about the Heshe that could be frightening but I have found them to be a race committed to making the universe a better place for everyone.”
Ken Kirkland and Sam Wise both coughed gently. The main reason for their audience with the new queen had yet to be broached.
“Right,” Cat said. “There is the issue of my people’s subjugation.”
She-Who-Sings stepped back a few paces and adopted a more-regal tone.
“The Nester civilization has lived by the caste system for untold generations. Ever since the first of our kind discovered the warmer sands yield stronger, more capable offspring. Adopting a new system, however just, will require time. Our institutions cannot be changed overnight. That said, change they will. It will be my life’s work to see this happen.
“Your people, including those of the Longhorn will be allowed to leave immediately. Should you ever return, know this… you will be treated as honored guests. Further… we will no longer engage in forced subjugation. Those member races that have been subjugated will, over the course of a few years – as we adjust our economy… be allowed to seek other destinies.”
***
Cat stretched slowly as she got out of bed. The pace of the trip back to GCP space had been slow and thankfully uneventful. The entire crew had welcomed the rest. They had been traveling for just over a month and had passed through seventeen ring-gates. The time had been well spent… forging new relationships.
The Nesters had provided a number of diplomatic liaisons including She-Who-Sang who would serve as an ambassador for her people. The crab-like Nester had quickly become one of Cat’s closest friends. It seemed she loved to play cards and was especially fond of an ancient Earth game called Bridge.
In addition to ambassadorial staff, the Nesters had provided a complete map of their ring-gate system and a reasonably up-to-date map of the spreading dampening field. The field was expanding at roughly the speed of light. This meant the first of the GCP member worlds to be effected would see the field encroach their system in forty-three years. Earth had about twenty more years. But in less than two centuries, most of the GCP would be enveloped in the disruptive field. Hyperfield jump technology would be rendered all but useless except through pre-existing ring-gate pairs.
That was how long the Galactic Coalition had to develop a massive ring-gate system of their own. In addition, the GCP would need to start a massive exploration effort to push ring-gates into every corner of the galaxy they could. Once the dampening field hit a region of space the only options for travel would be sub-light and the pre-existing ring-gates. A system who lost their gate would essentially find themselves cut off from the rest of the galaxy. This was why the Nesters typically built two gates to any given system. The redundancy ensured disparate star systems would not be cut off from one another in the event of a single failure.
These were all thoughts that raced through Cat’s head as she took a quick shower and dried herself off with a towel. As she dressed, in her crisp white Admiral’s uniform, she wondered what the day would hold. The gate that the Yorktown would reach later in the day would be the first that would allow the Yorktown to travel beyond the confines of the dampening field.
In some ways, it was ironic. The direction the Yorktown was traveling was actually away from their intended destination… the Sol system. It was, however, according to the Nester’s map the quickest way to open space where the Yorktown’s built-in hyperfield jump drive could be used. They had spent a month traveling less than sixty light years but in a few hours, they would travel ten times that far in a single jump.
Once dressed, Cat exited her quarters and made her way to the marine deck. She had to make sure Commander Stone and his Infinity Brigade were ready to beard the lion in his den.
***
AG was running the exercise track with JJ Hammond when Admiral Kimbridge located him. They had just completed a 20K run and were thinking about a competitive sprint for another five kilometers.
Cat toggled her internal comm system and sub-vocalized a greeting. “Commander, when you are finished teaching humility to JJ will you join me in my Ready Room?”
AG stopped as he rounded the track and jogged up to her. He went to salute her but the dirty look she gave him put a stop to that nonsense. They had been friends for longer than either of them cared to admit and in many ways Cat was responsible for his career. No salute was required to demonstrate the respect each had for the other.
“Absolutely Admiral, unless I can talk you into joining us in the Marine mess for a little chow?”
‘A little chow’ turned out to be something on the order of forty-five hundred calories composed vat-grown Kobe beef, mashed potatoes and apple pie… one pie per person.
“Is our little engineering project complete?” Cat asked while chewing on the tender steak.
AG gave her a thumbs-up. His mouth was too full to easily speak. He had finished his steak and trying to decide if he dared risk trying to steal a bit of JJ’s. It wasn’t that he was still that hungry as much as it was a challenge to be undertaken. JJ must have seen his wandering eyes and wrapped his arm protectively around his plate. “Not my fault you ate your steak so fast ya forgot to taste it! Ya big oaf.”
“That’s ‘big oaf, Sir’,” AG said with a smile.
“I stand corrected, Sir,” JJ said.
“You’re sitting.”
“Exactly.”
Turning back to the Admiral, AG continued to answer her question. “Thais designed and replicated the pieces we needed. The installation was pretty straight forward after that.”
“Any power or size constraints to worry about?”
AG shook his head. His right hand continued to move ever so slightly in the general direction of JJ’s plate.
You’d never know these were two of my most senior officers, Cat thought to herself.
/> AG must have realized the raised fork JJ was holding was intended to spear his hand so he gave up his attempt to steal a bit of steak and settled for a piece of pie. In an incredible act of compassion and esprit de corps AG limited his activities to his own dessert.
“Our favorite Brazilian engineer lived up to her reputation as a miracle worker. The new design is a fraction of the size of the Nester device and its power draw is actually quite minimal once a stable field is created.”
“Then we are ready,” Cat said with a smile.
“Just waiting for you to give the word, Admiral.”
“In that case, gentlemen,” she looked at the two marines as they tried to fork each other’s pie, “The word is given.”
Chapter 20: GCP Titan…
Senior Fleet Admiral Augustus Imera was walking towards his quarters on his flagship, the GCP Titan when he was suddenly hailed by his aid, Commander Kason McMillian.
“Talk to me Kacy. What’s up?”
“Sir, you are going to want to come to the bridge. We’ve made contact… with the Yorktown!”
“Impossible. Have you confirmed?”
“Sir, yes Sir. Her ident codes are authentic and Admiral Kimbridge has personally requested to speak with you.”
As he was speaking, the Fleet Admiral made his way to the turbolift that would take him to the command deck. A few moments later he stepped on to the bridge of his flagship.
“Status of weapons and shields,” He barked. Most Admirals turned control of their flagships over to a flag captain. Imera had tried it and decided he had too much of a need to be in control.
“All systems online and ready, Sir,” the First officer reported. “The Yorktown’s shields are up but her weapon systems are cold. Her posture is completely defensive.”
“Very well. Make ours the same. Comms, open a channel. Let’s see what the good Admiral wants to say.”
Instantly a holographic image of the Yorktown’s bridge shimmered into existence. Cat Kimbridge stood next to the command chair. The chair itself was occupied by Captain Kirkland. On the other side of the Captain was one of the strangest creatures Fleet Admiral Imera had ever seen. It seemed to be a large, furry crab… complete with a large number of eyestalks.
“Thank you for agreeing to talk with me Admiral,” the image of Cat Kimbridge said.
“Tell me Catherine, why should I not arm my weapons and blow you out of the sky?”
“You can certainly try but I think you may find our defenses have been somewhat enhanced since the last time we met. Your smart kinetics will have very little effect on our shields now. Besides, I think it might be in your best interests to hear me out. I have an Ambassador from the Nester Empire with me. She would like to establish diplomatic relations with the GCP.”
Imera bowed ever so slightly. “I’m pleased to meet you Ambassador…?”
“I am known as She-Who-Sang. My daughter is our current sovereign. I carry the greeting of my people. I would take it as a personal favor if you were to refrain from… ‘blowing us out of the sky’”
“I will certainly keep that in mind your excellency,” Imera replied. “Admiral Kimbridge, you obviously had something in mind. Would you care to enlighten me as to your intentions in this matter?”
The holographic image of Cat smiled briefly. “I would like to shuttle over to your ship. Just the Ambassador and myself.”
Admiral Imera was stunned. “What stops me from taking you into custody the moment you step aboard my ship?”
“Nothing Admiral. I’m hoping my demonstration of good faith will cause you to listen seriously to the information the Ambassador has to share with you. It literally could mean the demise of the Galactic Coalition and every nearby independent federation.”
“Very well, Admiral Kimbridge. I am suitably intrigued. I will grant you and the Ambassador safe passage on my honor as Galactic Coalition Flag Officer. You may shuttle over but I will warn you only once. If I detect anything threatening I will order my men to fire on you and make my apologies to the Nestor Empire later.”
***
Forty-five minutes later Cat pulled the Galileo into the Titan’s primary landing bay. A weak energy barrier kept the atmosphere in place as the shuttle entered the bay. Once safely inside, Cat relinquished the shuttle’s controls to the larger ship’s AI to land.
As the Galileo settled on the pristine white deck of Imera’s flagship, the Admiral sent out an honor guard in the form of sixteen fully armored and armed marines. As soon as Cat and the Ambassador exited the shuttle, Fleet Admiral Imera stepped forward and greeted the Nestor Ambassador.
“Greetings and welcome to the pride of the Galactic Coalition, the GCP Titan,” Imera said to the Ambassador while totally ignoring Cat.
“If you will follow my assistant Commander McMillian, he will escort you to my Ready room where we can talk freely.”
“Thank you Admiral Imera. And will Admiral Kimbridge be joining us?” She-Who-Sang asked.
“I’m afraid I need to talk with ‘The Admiral’ about another matter briefly. I’ll be along shortly I assure you.”
Imera waited silently as four of his men and Commander McMillian escorted the Nestor Ambassador from the room. As soon as the door swished shut, Imera turned to face Cat. The rage on his face was barely contained.
“Scan the shuttle. Make damn sure there isn’t anybody onboard and then… lock her up,” pointing to Cat. “And Sergeant, if you lose the key… I won’t be upset.”
***
“You guys ready?” AG signaled his assault team with a hand gesture. The twenty-one men and women, wearing their stark suits and carrying fully charged ‘pointer’ rifles, gave him a series of thumbs-up signals.
They were in the Titan’s shuttle bay having just exited the Galileo shuttle. Unknown to the crew of the Titan that had briefly inspected the small vessel, a ring-gate, not at all dissimilar to the gate used to breach the Yorktown several weeks ago, had been built into the roof of the shuttle.
Members of AG’s Infinity Brigade literally dropped through the floor of a sister ring on the Yorktown and into the shuttle onboard the Titan. Once inside they activated their personal cloaks.
Their first order of business was to split up into three groups. JJ’s team would secure Engineering while Jon’s headed for the bridge. AG’s team had two goals. First, they were going to free Admiral Kimbridge. Second, they were going to take the Imera and McMillian replicants into custody.
The entire operation was complete in twenty minutes without a single shot fired. The Yorktown’s AI, assisted by a direct tie-in with the Heshe super AI known as WhimPy-101 convinced the Titan’s AI that Admiral Imera and his Executive Officer were, in fact, replicant doppelgangers.
It turned out AG didn’t need to rescue Cat. She had easily incapacitated the six guards that had attempted to lock her in a cell. People who didn’t know her as well as AG did, had a bad habit of underestimating both her abilities and her determination. By the time he and his team had gotten to the detention block, she was already walking out the door having locked the six-member security team in her cell.
“Shall we find the Admiral? I believe he will be in his Ready room along with She-Who-Sang,” Cat said nonchalantly as she latched the door behind her.
***
“What you are telling me is our ability to travel between systems is going to disappear because of some natural phenomenon that we have no control over?”
“That is correct, Admiral. My people became aware of a solution but it is of little value if not put in place before the dampening field arrives. Many of our colonies were lost. I have children I will never see again because we did not act fast enough,” She-Who-Sang replied sadly. Her pincers hung loosely.
“What is this solution?” Imera asked. If what this creature was saying was correct the very fabric of Galactic society would be torn apart. It made his situation as a replicated impersonator seem irrelevant.
“We call them ring-gates. I’m a
fraid I don’t understand enough about hyperfield physics to be much help beyond what we call the devices.”
Imera made a snap decision. He might be a replicant but his mind functioned like the original Imera. One of the foremost experts in the field of hyperfield dynamics was locked in his brig. If he was right, the time for squabbles between himself and Admiral Kimbridge was over. It was a luxury the galaxy could no longer afford. He toggled his comms.
“Security. Free Admiral Kimbridge and escort her to my Ready room immediately.”
There was no response. Irritated that he had not been answered, he hit the comm button again. Before he could call a second time, however, the door to his Ready room opened and Cat Kimbridge strolled in with Commander AG Stone and several of his men.
***
“So, we are agreed,” Cat said. “My name and the entire Yorktown taskforce is cleared. You and your fellow replicants are pardoned. You will assume the rank of Taskforce Commander with four stars rather than five. Your mission will be to begin the process of establishing ring-gates in a line away from the encroaching dampening field. I will assume my former rank of Fleet Admiral and begin the process of establishing ring-gates between member worlds and those independent systems that desire our help.”
“It is agreed.” Four Star Admiral Imera signed the document in front of him and shook her hand. The two would never be friends. Too much bad blood had passed between them but each knew winter was coming and they had much to do before it arrived.
**** This Ends Book Nine in the Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles ****
Watch for the next book in the Catherine Kimbridge Universe featuring Commander AG Stone and the Infinity Brigade…
The Infinity Brigade #3 - Stone Breaker
coming soon!
Colony Ship: Preview
Copyright 2017 by Lori Beery
Kindle Edition, v1
In the far reaches of space, in a time when Earth is but a vague memory, the survivors of a crashed colony ship must make their way on a harsh planet they are ill-equipped to survive. Hidden on this world are other intelligences whose goals and ambitions put them at odds with the two-hundred rag-tag humans. In the end, Kyrah Oaks, a young girl with extraordinary talents, must help her people find a way to work together if they are to survive…