by T. R. Harris
“Forgive me, Nunki,” J’nae said, “but I am still confused about the decision you made. Even though you could not foresee the outcome of continued evolution, surely you were excited about the prospect of changing, as you had over the million years of your civilization? During that time, you became more advanced, smarter and more powerful, than when your civilization was first founded. You would have become even more had you continued along your normal path.”
The Aris let out a very Human-like laugh. “You would imagine such,” Nunki said. “In fact, because we could look back over our evolution, we saw times when our race was stronger, more resourceful and more powerful than later generations. Intelligence doesn’t always mean progress, not unless that intelligence is focused in the right direction, which is impossible to do in hindsight.”
He looked back at Adam. “Many of you have wondered why the Human race has been able to accomplish what they have in such a short time? It is because we sped up the evolutionary process, while at the same time restricting some of the more traditional changes that take place. A normal species would require an additional hundred thousand years to reach the mental capacity of a modern Human. In the meantime, the physicality of that creature would diminish, as they modify their environment to become more accommodating. Humans reached their level of mental acuity sooner, even as their planet remained a very dangerous place to live. This has allowed Humans to become extremely intelligent—relatively—while retaining their animal instincts and advantage over their physical environment. It has made them both strong and smart, which in traditional species is often mutually exclusive. In truth, you were programmed to become such, just as the Formilians were endowed with a particularly strong and omnipresence sexual scent. As a result, we have produced the Apex Being, the first naturally-born immortal in the galaxy.”
“Yet Panur is also immortal,” Lila said, speaking for the first time.
“Which is a surprise—and a joy—to us.”
“And what of me?” J’nae asked. There was concern—almost fear—in her voice.
He looked to Panur. “First, I must give my compliments to you, Panur. In a blink of time you created what it has taken the Aris three billion years to achieve. However, you did have the advantage of a prototype to work from—yourself. And now with three immortals, we have more options.”
“Such as?” Adam asked. “What are you going to do to Lila?” To Adam, this was the sixty-four thousand dollar question. He could care less what happened to the other mutants.
“The Aris are very patient creatures, so we have been studying her, attempting to discover the best way to utilize her special abilities to our advantage. Just as Panur had a prototype for his creation of J’nae, we now have…Lila. Yet we also have a dilemma. Whereas what Panur created was a near clone of himself, the Aris do not wish to create more Lila’s. Instead, we wish to transfer her immortality to us. Call us selfish, but the entire purpose for the experiment was so that we—the eighteen remaining Aris—can live forever, without need of the aforementioned procedures, which only mimic immortality.”
“And how do you expect to do that, to transfer Lila’s immortality to you?” Adam asked. He wasn’t comfortable with where the conversation was headed.
“That is what we have been contemplating. We have been studying the Apex Being since her apprehension and have developed procedures which—theoretically—could work. It conforms to the conservation of energy law within nature. Lila’s essence cannot be destroyed, yet it could be divided up and transferred, thereby retaining the balance of energy inherent with her unique existence. The models show this to be a viable course of action.”
“You’re going to kill her!”
“Did you not hear me, Adam Cain? She cannot be killed, yet her cells can live on…in a symbiotic relationship with the Aris.”
“And does she have a say it this?”
“The Apex Being was bred for a purpose; she is fulfilling that purpose.”
“She is a living, thinking being, with a mind of her own. Maybe she doesn’t want to be cut up into little pieces and transplanted into the Aris. Did you ever think of that?”
“This is much more important than a single being. At this time, there are only three true immortals in this galaxy. If we are successful, there will be eighteen.”
Adam turned to Lila. “You can’t let them do this to you.”
“I have attempted resistance since my arrival, yet we are under constant surveillance and others can place us into interphase status at a moment’s notice.”
“She is correct,” said Nunki. “I said before that we wish you no harm, meaning you and the Formilian. The mutants, however, we will retain for study and eventual assimilation.”
“So you’re going to let me and Trimen go free?”
“Of course not. You will be placed in a secure location on the station where you will remain until you naturally expire—or become too much of a burden to house.”
Before anyone could react, all the non-Aris in the room were encased in interphase spheres. They stood up and were coaxed by the moving balls of blue light down an adjoining corridor, to be placed in secure rooms with shimmering blue light dancing on the exterior walls, Trimen and Adam were put in one with a recently added bathroom, Panur and J’nae in another. The Apex Being—Lila Bol—was taken to another location. Adam hoped it wasn’t a laboratory where her assimilation would begin.
********
Father.
Lila! Adam cried out in his mind. Are you all right?
Yes.
Can the Aris hear us?
No, they are only able to read thoughts through artificial devices, such as your Formilian Gift. I am contacting you through true telepathy.
Adam was relieved and saddened at the same time. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to help more. It seems our rescue plan has been a failure.
To the contrary, the rescue is proceeding exactly as planned.
What do you mean? He was surprised he was able to contain the mental link and not blurt the sentence out loud. He was sure the room was being monitored.
He felt Lila smile as she continued. Panur anticipated that his jamming device would be good for only one use, after which the Aris would confiscate the controllers.
Which they did.
But what he did beyond that was make the units so they would act as a different kind of device once placed in close proximity to one another. By making them each only one fourth of this new device, it has been impossible for the Aris to detect their true purpose.
Which is?
To create an illusion of the interphase effect.
Adam looked over at Trimen. He was lying on the second cot, staring at the ceiling, oblivious to the mental conversation taking place. With all the startling revelations Lila was telling him, Adam hoped he could maintain his calm, exterior demeanor.
Remember, sweetheart, I’m just a dumb Human. You’re going to have to explain more.
When the Aris activated the shields a few minutes ago, all that was created was a blue halo around us. There was no true shifting of dimensions.
So we could have attacked them? Why wasn’t I told?
Because that is not the immediate goal; instead, we must secure a way for all of us to escape and not allow the Aris to follow or conduct a second abduction at a future date. Busting a few heads, as you would say, would not have achieved that goal.
Yeah…but it would have made me feel a lot better.
The mental smile of his daughter widened. Spoken as a true warrior, but now you must embark on a new mission, one which will hopefully be more stealthy than violent.
That’s fine, just so long as we can save the violent part for later. What do you want me to do?
We need you and Trimen to slip from your chamber and proceed to the control room for the Aris energy source. Do you recall the location from the tour?
I think so. But we’re locked in this room, with a blue light—oh…it’s just a light, and not
a real interphase effect.
You are learning, father. The belief in the nature of the light is the only thing keeping you there.
It’s the same for you, right?
Yes, but we are under closer surveillance; you are not. To the Aris, they are done with you and Trimen. It is now time to make them pay for their indifference.
Okay, once we get to the control room, what then?
Follow this sequence. It will disable their energy supply and initiate the next phase of the plan. Once you are in the room….
Chapter 14
The allies knew where most of the Nuorean forces were in the galaxy, at least until this latest revelation concerning shifting entry points. But knowing the location of your enemy doesn’t always mean you were anxious to attack. Two thousand heavily-armed starships with well-trained crews was not something you took lightly.
Yet Captain Akira Tanaka had a secret weapon: a recently-completed suppressor beam platform and forty beamships, ranging in class from destroyers to cruisers. Even with knowledge providing the task force commander with a sense of confidence, he suspected the Nuoreans wouldn’t be anxious to engage if he took the initiative.
After the demise of Admiral Ware’s force, the enemy would know the allies were running scared, reluctant to engage even the smallest enemy force, expecting it to be a trap. So here was a fleet of slightly smaller size rushing to attack. Why? What gave the allies the confidence to believe they could win in light of recent events?
If Tanaka was in charge of the alien fleet, he would suspect the allies had a valid reason to believe they could win. As a result, he would perform a strategic retreat until he could assess the why of the allied attack.
So his challenge became how to make the aliens believe he wasn’t out looking for a fight, but just happened upon one.
The first thing Tanaka did was not head directly for the Nuoreans. Instead, he gave them a wide berth, while segregating a segment of his fleet consisting of Juirean ships. The leaders of the Expansion had protested fiercely when yet another fleet was placed in the command of their age-old enemy. That was the truth. Humans commanded two-thirds of all the fleets, which pissed off the Juireans and set up the coming conflict perfectly.
Next he initiated a running CW commentary between the two segments of his force—including their commanders on Earth and Juir—indicating the Juireans were threatening to break off from the main fleet and go it alone. As the fleet skirted the region where the Nuoreans were clustered, the argument came to a head and the Juireans split off, ostensibly to return to Juir.
The Human contingent came to a halt, awaiting further others. They knew it wasn’t safe to be sitting still this far from planetary support, but command was in turmoil, frustrated with the Juireans and unsure whether to continue with the patrol.
It was fairly well established by this time that most communications in the galaxy were being monitored by the Nuoreans. Hundreds of passive drones had been detected and many destroyed. It also meant many more were still out there. So when the departing Juireans just happened to engage a small screening force from the main Nuorean fleet, the fact that the Humans were ordered to come to their rescue became common knowledge.
The beamships were located two layers back in the fleet, with the huge platform vessel at the center. Unfortunately, to lure as many enemy ships within range of the beams required that the leading edge engage the Nuoreans with conventional weapons. However, as expected, the aliens didn’t stay in contact long before shifting course and running away. They had employed this same tactic against Admiral Ware and now they expected Tanaka to follow suit.
Without firm orders to the contrary, the headstrong Juireans set off after the invaders. They were vastly outnumbered and more than likely heading into a trap, which required Tanaka and his main force to follow, if only to rescue the surviving Juireans.
At least that’s what Tanaka wanted the Nuoreans to believe.
Everything went according to plan, and four hours into the battle, the secondary Nuorean fleet—the hidden fleet—made its presence known. Soon the space between the worlds of Deenen Sim and Rec So-em was filled with a blaze of brilliant plasma bolts, as over five thousand starships joined for a spectacular battle to the death.
That’s when the beams were switched on.
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Every enemy warship within range of the platform and the beamships ceased firing. Tanaka was ecstatic. He and others had been carrying a modicum of doubt whether the beams work on Nuoreans. Now they had their answer.
All the allied ships emitted nulling beams to protect their crews from the stupor effect of the beams—a weapon first deployed against them by the flesh-eating Sol-Kor. Now Tanaka gave the order, and within seconds a wholesale slaughter of over three thousand enemy vessels began. Never in the history of space warfare had so many enemy vessels been destroyed with so little loss on the side of the victor.
The Nuorean ships on the outer edge of the beam’s influence managed to escape. This was expected. But now the Nuoreans knew they were up against a galaxy that wouldn’t go quietly into the night. In fact, the Milky Way was about to become their worst nightmare.
********
Fleet commander Sanelis (316) received the report of the crushing defeat within minutes of the fringe ships clearing the area. His fleet—along with two others—were stationed near the border of the Kidis and Dunnon sectors, essentially midway between the major governing planets of Earth and Juir. He had over five thousand vessels in the area, plus another twelve thousand in other parts of the Kac, less the three thousand he just lost.
The reports came to him calmly and with detail. The Nuor were players; they didn’t let a sudden shift in strategy by their opponents fluster them too much.
“I wasn’t aware they had influencing technology,” said Sanelis’ second-in-command, Lead-Player Anns (432) Kallen-Noc.
“They have not employed it to date,” replied Sanelis. “I wonder why?”
“Only recently invented?”
“Techs have analyzed the data sent to us; the signature is highly refined, superior even to the beams we have developed. This is not something that just appeared. So again, I wonder why they are just now employing this weapon against us?”
Sanelis had observed the courage of his race many times before, knowing that when faced with a devastating loss, they would see this as a challenge, an opportunity. Indeed, this new level of warfare against the Nuor would elevate the immunity points awarded to the fleet. The Kac had just got more interesting, even without individual challenges being widespread. His crews would welcome this news, not fear it, especially knowing they had a counter to the enemy’s influence waves.
As if reading his commander’s mind, Anns spoke: “We do have countermeasures, and the fleet can be modified in a relatively short period, once refit centers are established in this galaxy.”
“This is true. Influence waves have not been used in hundreds of years, yet their nullifiers are well known. Do the leaders of the Kac suspect we are not that sophisticated to have an answer for such a simple weapon? They must be desperate.”
“What are your orders, Master?”
Sanelis hadn’t thought that far, at least not enough to develop a long-term game plan. But he knew what to do in the interim. “Let them believe their weapon is effective against us. Have our fleets avoid the enemy, appearing to be frightened of engagement. Have them congregate at a central location, as if huddling in fear. This will give our enemy confidence…even arrogance. Then once our ships are equipped with countermeasures, the forces of the Kac could be lured to our location, expecting to slaughter us in one glorious battle. They will be surprised by the actual outcome.”
Anns smiled. He appeared both physically and mentally stimulated; the execution of a masterful game plan was like sex to a Nuorean. “And for now?” he asked.
“Send word to the fleets. Converge on the area around ND-12.” Then Sanelis himself grinned. “Many a
renas are completed, more will come. We shall pass the time with individual immunity challenges for the senior players. There are Humans there, as well…a lot of them. The contests should be…entertaining.”
Chapter 15
Riyad’s interview with the Nuorean Azon went about as well as the others. But for some reason, the alien decided to beat on the Human for a while, even if the effort brought spasms of pain to his injured face.
The journey to where they were going was a week old, and Azon only visited the Human cell twice after the interviews. His face was healing rapidly, and the second time he came to the cell he wasn’t wearing the face guard.
“Damn, you’re a handsome devil when you’re not wearing the mask,” Sherri commented. “Be still my beating heart.”
“Your words are confusing, and irrelevant,” said Azon. “I have come to inquire as to your physical condition.”
Sherri stood up, thrust out her breasts in one direction and her hips in another in a very pin-up girl-like pose. “You be the judge of that, big boy.”
“Why are you acting so strangely?”
Sherri pouted. “Because I’m bored. When are we getting to wherever we’re going?”
“Two days,” said Azon. “And I assure you that once we arrive, you will not be bored. We are going to a location designated ND-12. It is a sparsely-populated world near the boundary of the Human’s stellar empire and that of the Juireans. We have constructed an array of combat arenas and begun rotating our ships and crews to the location for individual immunity challenges. I hope you recall my promise to engage you all in contests with my Cadre players.” The alien’s smile was sinister, while his eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Do you think you’re up for it?” Riyad asked. “The last time you went up against a Human shoe salesman, he nearly killed you.”
The smiled vanished from Azon’s face. “That was not a challenge; it was an experiment.”
“That went horribly wrong, I take it.” Copernicus added in his two cents.
“That will not happen again.”