Arkship Conquest

by Niel Bushnell

  ‘It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?’ She let her hands rest on her stomach, caressing her child. ‘You’re gonna love it.’

  An alarm beeped, a proximity warning. She tensed, taking control in an instant, just in time to see something streak past the windows. She killed the engines, turning the ship back towards the object. Probably just an asteroid . . .

  Ahead, the object came into view, dark and vague. It didn’t register on her scanner, nothing on the holograph, not until she was almost upon it. She hit the spotlights, bathing it in light, and her skin tingled. It wasn’t an asteroid.

  The object was spherical, made of a dark lusterless metal, with spikes sticking out all over its surface. It was a graviton mine.

  EARTH

  Scribe Akito Mori should have been happy. Today was the day of his inauguration, the culmination of his life’s work. He would forever be remembered as a Scribe of the Church of the Infinite. It was a day of celebration, of renewal and change, surrounded by those he respected. But Mori was not happy, he couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling that everything was falling apart.

  They had travelled here without fanfare, leaving the blessed arkship Spero on a modest shuttle, traversing the storms of dust to find the elusive Church station which marked the location of the dead world. The Firmament, a slender spire of stone and glass, floated amongst the ruins, an oasis of order in the churn of chaos. The sight of its golden surface had lifted Mori’s spirits, but not for long. Soon, his dread returned. Perhaps it was this place, this wilderness, this grave. Earth.

  There was nothing left of the planet now, save for a handful of larger bergs of its crust. Some of these had been populated for a time, but war always found this orbit, disrupting hopes of a return to Man’s cradle. No, nothing lived here, not for long. Some called it the Wasteland, an apt description, Mori thought, for there was nothing here to exploit. It was all gone. Water, fuel, minerals, life, hope. All gone. Earth may have been the traditional location for a Scribe’s inauguration, but Mori would have preferred anywhere to this sea of souls.

  But it wasn’t Earth, he realized. That wasn’t why he felt so hopeless. It was because of the pad on the table in front of him.

  When he was a younger man, he had stood outside of this chamber, waiting as Scribe Barrahaus entered the room alone on the day of her inauguration. She was young too back then, beautiful, her face glowing with anticipation. When she emerged, Mori swore she looked ten years older, her face drawn with worry. From that day forwards, that weight remained with her, and in those early days he wondered what could possibly have been inside that room.

  Oddly, he’d forgotten about that strange ceremony until today, until he was outside of the room once more. It was a sealed vault, deep within the Firmament, only ever used on the morning of inauguration. The Scribe alone had access, granted by a sophisticated artificial intelligence that had been programmed for this task decades ago. Now, it was his turn. Now he knew what was inside.

  The room was smaller than he had expected, simply decorated with the ubiquitous symbol of the Infinite casting its light over him. A dark wooden table and a chair were the only furniture, nothing else to distract him. And on that knotted oak surface was the pad.

  The pad was square, an unusual shape, Mori noted, jet black, refusing reflections. His fingers touched the side, testing the surface, then he grasped it with both hands and lifted it from the table. He couldn’t feel any buttons, the skin was seamless, reminding him of smoothed stone. He stared at it, and he swore it seemed to be looking back at him.

  ‘What am I supposed to do?’ he muttered, turning the pad over. As he spoke he felt a tingle in his fingertips, and he realized he could no longer release the pad. The flat surface glowed, illuminating the room with the seal of the Church of the Infinite, then a face appeared, a face he recognized.

  ‘Scribe Barrahaus?’ Mori gasped.

  ‘Greetings,’ Barrahaus said with a tight smile.

  Mori chuckled in amazement, she was alive after all! Then he saw the smoothness around her eyes, the difference in her hair, and he realized this was a recording from years ago.

  ‘Congratulations,’ she continued. ‘Today is a glorious day. You are to be my successor, the next Scribe of the Church of the Infinite.’

  Mori reddened, feeling his irrational fear grow.

  ‘To wear those robes, you must be worthy of the position of Scribe. You have no doubt studied the sacred texts, watched and learned all you can about the position you now find yourself in. No doubt you have been dreaming of this day for years, I know I did.’ She smiled, looking fragile. ‘But there is more to this role than you yet know, secrets that you alone must carry, secrets so grave that no other person can know of them. This is a sacred trust, passed down from the first Scribe, through all of your predecessors, to me. Today, I pass this knowledge on to you.’

  Scribe Barrahaus paused, and it almost looked like she might cry.

  ‘One day soon, you will record a similar message for your successor, but you will need time to process what I am about to tell you. First, let me say how sorry I am. This will change you. It is a terrible secret to keep, but millions of lives depend on your silence. It is a secret about the Church, and about why we are here.’ She leaned back, smiling. There was a hint of mischief on her face, an expression he remembered from before she was the Scribe, a look that had died on the day she recorded this message.

  ‘Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.’

  DISPUTE

  ‘I’m sorry, Prince Halstead, but we are not the Cluster’s police force,’ Lady Addington insisted. ‘The Harvest Union exists to support its members, to promote trade and–’

  ‘And to ensure the security of Union interests,’ Halstead replied. He felt cornered by better speakers. Their arguments were always considered and reasoned while his were driven by passion, and as such would often crumble under scrutiny. ‘The Draig threat is why we formed this union in the first place. We cannot allow it to be the reason for our downfall. If we do nothing, the House of Draig will have the time to grow again. We can’t allow that to happen.’

  ‘I agree,’ Chief Sinclair said, smiling to placate the others. ‘But we cannot simply attack them. We must let their civil war run its course and offer the hand of diplomacy to the victors.’

  ‘They will cut that hand off, Sinclair. You know I’m right.’

  He shrugged. ‘Perhaps, but when their need is greatest, when they are weakest, then we can move. But diplomacy must always be our first weapon.’

  Lady Addington agreed, but Faron Dulac said nothing.

  ‘What about you, Dulac?’ Halstead asked, realizing he had allowed his resentment to surface. ‘What do you think?’

  Faron leaned over the table, looking uncomfortable. ‘There are no simple answers, but . . .’

  One of his aides appeared by his side, a thin man with a dark complexion, gripping a pad with both hands. ‘Excuse me, but we have an emergency. I must get you all to the shelters.’

  ‘An attack?’ Faron asked.

  ‘I told you!’ Halstead said, hitting the table.

  ‘No, a graviton mine has been detected within the fleet.’

  Lady Addington stood. ‘I must contact my arkships.’

  ‘All ships have been warned and are powering up for Cube transit. We will rendezvous at Earth.’

  ‘How long till detonation?’ Halstead asked.

  The aide shook his head. ‘We do not know. It was discovered by accident, so we don’t know if its armed or not. It could be left over from the Red War, drifting for years, but we can’t take any chances. One of our ships is there now.’

  Faron took the pad from the aide, checking the information. Halstead joined him, trying to read the tiny text. A hazy video showed the outline of the mine as it rotated slowly, drifting through space.

  ‘Tell the scout to withdraw,’ Faron ordered.

  ‘Sir, it is not one of our scouts. It is the Gallus.’


  ‘The Gallus?’

  Halstead reeled. ‘Bara?’

  ‘Yes,’ the aide replied.

  Rage coursed through Halstead. He responded without thought, his hands gripping Faron. ‘You let her go out in her condition?’

  ‘I had no idea,’ Faron replied, facing up to him.

  ‘She’s pregnant!’

  ‘You think I didn’t notice?’

  Once more, Halstead and Faron were separated by Sinclair. ‘This is not the time for blame,’ he said sharply. ‘We have to deal with this situation.’

  Halstead let go, stepping away.

  ‘Get her back on board,’ Faron shouted to the aide. Then he turned to the others. ‘There isn’t time to return to your own arkships. I’m going to the flight deck, you can join me, if you wish.’ His eyes bore into Halstead’s.

  ‘Yes,’ the prince replied.

  DETONATION

  ‘No, Benwick, there’s no time to get back to you,’ Bara shouted. ‘I’m picking up activity inside the mine, I think my scan has activated it. I’ll use my own Cube drive and meet you at the rendezvous.’

  The com officer began to respond, but was abruptly cut off, then a new voice invaded the cockpit of the Gallus.

  ‘Bara, it’s Faron . . .’

  She grimaced. Of course, it would be him.

  ‘Are you alright?’ he asked. ‘How soon can you get back here?’

  Bara sighed. ‘I’m not coming back, Faron, there’s no time. Get the Benwick clear, I’ll do the same.’

  ‘In the Gallus?’ he replied, incredulous.

  ‘She can do it,’ Bara snapped defensively.

  ‘You said you’d dismantled the Cube drive, didn’t you?’

  ‘And I put it back together again. It’ll be fine,’ Bara said quickly. She decided it was probably best not to tell him that she hadn’t tested the Cube drive since she’d overhauled it.

  The com rattled, and the voice changed again.

  ‘Bara, it’s Halstead . . .’

  Sol! As if she didn’t have enough to deal with.

  ‘You’re close to the Caerleon. Dock there and you’ll be safe.’

  ‘I’m safe here, thanks. My Cube drive is almost ready. I’m getting out of here, advise you do the same, Gallus out.’

  She cut the com, wanting to focus on the situation without the distraction of those two. Outside, she noticed the flash of one of the arkships transiting away. She hoped they would have enough time.

  Bara checked the mine. ‘All good, so far,’ she said to herself as she turned the ship away from it. Her Cube drive was at seventy six percent, and the Gallus began to accelerate, ready to transit. Another half minute and she’d be clear.

  She activated the holograph, focusing on the graviton mine, curious to see one of these ancient relics up close. They had caused devastation during the Red War, destroying entire fleets in the blink of an eye, emitting gravitational distortions for months. That was the problem with them, they didn’t just attack vessels close by. Their shockwave could travel for light years, disrupting arkships millions of miles away. They were far too volatile for anyone to use. Outside, another arkship blipped away, then another.

  As she glanced back to the holograph, Bara saw the mine’s outstretched spikes retreat into the sphere. The holograph flickered with interference, and Bara knew exactly what had just happened. ‘All ships, this is the Gallus. The mine just armed itself. You’ve got about a minute to get clear!’

  She checked her own Cube drive. It was almost ready. Behind her, the graviton mine detonated. At first, she felt nothing, then the Gallus began to slow, it’s engines fighting against the drag of the weapon. The entire ship vibrated, the pull becoming more and more insistent. She knew she only had seconds now.

  Through the blurred haze of her vision, she saw the flashing green light of the Cube transit system as it hit full charge. Bara activated it immediately, hoping it was powerful enough to counteract the mine’s graviton waves.

  TRANSIT

  ‘All ships, this is the Gallus. The mine just armed itself. You’ve got about a minute to get clear!’

  The com signal broke off, leaving behind a rattle of static that fought with the alarms triggered across the Benwick’s flight deck.

  ‘Bara?’ Faron shouted in the com unit. ‘Bara, can you hear me?’

  ‘Channel’s dead,’ Captain Beric said. ‘Sir, Cube drive is fully charged. We have to transit now.’

  ‘You can’t leave her!’ Halstead said, facing up to Faron.

  ‘I won’t.’

  ‘We have no choice,’ Beric replied firmly. ‘If we move to rescue her, we’ll be caught in the mine’s gravity well. We’d be crushed. All we can do is hope she can activate her Cube drive in time. We have to get the fleet clear, we have thousands of people on board.’

  Faron stared at the holograph, shaking his head.

  Halstead checked his wrist com; the Evanine had already left, and the Caerleon was powering up. They would make it.

  ‘One of the Addington arkships has reported a Cube drive failure,’ Beric said.

  ‘Can we get to them?’ Faron asked.

  Beric shook his head, his face solemn.

  The holograph screen cut to a live feed of the ailing arkship. The image was full of noise, but Halstead could make out the shape of the vessel. It was drifting backwards, towards the detonated mine. As he watched, the rear section tore away, accelerating into the dark circle of the graviton source. The debris fell in on itself, crushing down to a shrinking vortex, until it disappeared into the blackness. The rest of the arkship followed, splintering, folding, collapsing to nothing.

  ‘I’ve lost contact with the Gallus,’ Beric said.

  ‘Did she transit?’ Faron checked.

  ‘Can’t tell. Sir, we must leave now. Any further delay and we won’t be able to break free.’

  The flight deck began to shake. The gentle vibration grew, throwing people to the floor as the arkship groaned under the dreadful power unleashed by the graviton mine.

  Faron closed his eyes, gripping the console with his hand, and nodded.

  Captain Beric shouted to the flight deck crew. ‘Engage Cube transit. Emergency evac.’

  As the struggling arkship coursed with the energy of Cube transit, Halstead watched, knowing it was the right decision, but hating Faron for leaving Bara behind.

  THE BUBBLE

  She had always liked it here, amongst the silent history of Earth. Usually, she had it all to herself, but today Valtais Valine had to share it with the rest of the Cluster. The ashes of the old planet were not alone, the collected arkships of dozens of families gathered here to pay their respects. They kept their distance from each other as they made for the dark shard waiting for them in the mist. Valine had never visited the Firmament before, usually it was strictly off limits to those outside of the Church, and she was keen to see what it was like. It was still just a line in space, but soon it would reveal itself, and the Gargan’s shuttle, along with those from the other arkships, would be allowed to dock.

  Valine checked the scan again. No sign of the Kenric fleet, but the prince would be coming. He was meeting with the Harvest Union first, then he would travel here.

  She stepped closer to the edge of the observation bubble, until she stood on the transparent floor. This was reinforced pleximesh, strong enough to hold her and several hundred other people, plus the pressure of the internal atmosphere. It was common on arkships, and the official name had eventually been replaced by the generic term, glass. It bore no resemblance to that ancient material, except for its transparent properties. It wasn’t brittle, and it wouldn’t break, she knew that, but still the back of her legs tingled as she stepped forwards. Her senses tried to warn her, but she fought against those primal instincts. Her rational brain would win, it always did.

  The bubble was seamless and gave unbroken views out to the Cluster, she couldn’t even see the edge of the hull now, it was too far behind her. It was just the clouds of the C
luster and Valine. She had the entire sky to herself. Even gravity was all but gone here, and she felt her body relax into this new state. Yes, she liked it here, amongst the ruins of the old world, where mankind had become lazy. Their planets had made them content, they had no reason to fight, no reason to go on living, until the Fracture. She thought of the time before, and all she felt was disgust. It was better now, without the planets and the sun, she was certain. No safety net. They were truly alive out here, sustained only by their technology and their wits. Valine would have hated to have lived on the Earth, constrained to its surface, with all those billions of people, living without purpose. Out here, amongst the Cluster, every single person had fought for the right to life. They didn’t carry people, not any more, which was how it should be.

  The gentle vibration of her wrist com interrupted her thoughts. She considered ignoring the call, but there was too much happening for her to hide away for long.

  ‘What?’ Valine said sharply.

  ‘Valtais.’ It was Chief Berg. ‘I have an inbound Draig communication for your eyes only.’

  ‘From where?’

  The Chief hesitated. ‘We don’t know. We can’t pinpoint the signal source, but it’s got all the correct protocol for an Etevin signal.’

  Etevin: the highest encryption of the Draig fleet.

  ‘Put it through,’ she said, waiting as the com signal blipped and crackled. Finally, the static cleared, and the silence of an open channel caught her attention.

  ‘You are a hard woman to speak to.’

  The voice was slow, playful, yet full of menace. Valine felt a shiver pass through her body and she turned her back on the view.