by Chris Fox
31
The Admiralty
Kathryn hesitated as she entered the conference room. Seven men sat around the table, each of them one of the most influential admirals in the OFI. There was more collective power in this room than anywhere else in human space. She moved to stand behind her father, placing her hands behind her back. There were two other aides in the room, each adopting a similar pose.
“You all know why we’re here,” her father said, his dark eyes roaming the assembled admiralty. “The Johnston has gone rogue. It should have reported to Primo space two days ago, and we’ve had no direct report since.”
“The Johnston is your responsibility, Mendez,” Admiral Kelley said. He was an older man, with deep white hair and a face like granite. “It’s unclear to me why you think it necessary to call this gathering to deal with one AWOL captain.”
“I’ll tell you why it’s necessary,” Mendez shot back, pounding the table with a fist. “We’re not the only ones looking for the Johnston. The Tigris are mobilizing—and that isn’t even what should really concern us. The Primo are moving, gentlemen.”
That caused a stir. Everyone began murmuring at once, and several admirals began typing furiously on data pads. Kathryn’s father, ever the master showman, let the tension build, then spoke again.
“The question,” he yelled, silencing the room, “is what we choose to do about it.”
“Should we do anything at all?” Admiral Chu asked. He was the youngest man at the table, in his early fifties. “If the Tigris or Primo find the Johnston first, what do we really lose? We simply disavow them, and sanction any action either government wants to take.”
“That ignores a critical factor,” Kelley said, jumping in just before Mendez could reply. “What if the Johnston is right? I’ve seen the footage they forwarded. The vessel shown is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and the fact remains that colonies are disappearing. Two more went dark this morning. Two, at the same time. Are none of you alarmed by this?”
Kathryn expected a show of support, from Admiral Stiegman at the very least. Stiegman was responsible for one of the two colonies that had disappeared that very morning, yet he sat there impassively. What the hell was going on?
“No one?” Kelley asked, his gaze roaming the assembled faces.
“The disappearance of those colonies is alarming, certainly,” her father finally said, his tone placating. “I’ve dispatched several vessels to investigate, and I know that Admiral Chu has done the same. If there is any substance to these claims, then we’ll find it. I find that unlikely, however.”
“Unlikely?” Kelley roared, half-rising to his feet. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. We have circumstantial evidence showing a new race of very hostile aliens. We’re losing colonies at an ever-growing rate. What will it take to convince you that there’s a problem?”
“Real evidence,” her father delivered smoothly. “I’m not saying there isn’t a problem, but we can’t afford to go off half-cocked. Not when the Primo are interested in this. Are you willing to risk offending them?”
Kelley’s jaw clicked shut, and his eyes narrowed. He sank back into his seat, scanning the assembled faces again before speaking. “No one wants a war with the Primo. We all know how that would end for humanity. But, at the same time, I don’t want to see one of our vessels turned over as a sacrifice—not even one from the 14th. This whole thing leaves a sour taste.”
“You’re right,” Mendez said. He said no more for a few moments, gathering the attention of the room before continuing. “I move that we dispatch a division of the 1st fleet to hunt down the Johnston. If we find them first, then we can choose how to deal with this. That way we avoid a diplomatic incident, and keep the Johnston from being turned over. We can likely get away with just offering Captain Dryker to the Primo.”
“Is there a second?” Admiral Chu asked, looking around the room.
“I’ll second,” Stiegman said.
“All in favor?” Chu asked.
Everyone but Kelley raised their hand.
“Vote passes, six to one,” Chu said, rapping a gavel on the table. “Admiral Mendez, you called this meeting. Did you have anything further to discuss?”
“Not at the moment,” her father replied, giving a plastic smile as he rose to his feet.
Something about the entire situation chilled Kathryn to the core. The horrified look on Admiral Kelley’s face spoke volumes. To her mind, he was the only one talking sense, yet the others had simply brushed him off. She knew better than anyone that everything her father did was calculated. She was missing something vital.
32
Confirmation
Nolan had very little to do while they waited for the Primo to return. Lena had buried herself in a data cube she claimed couldn’t be found anywhere else, which left him alone with his thoughts. He found himself chasing around the events of the last several days, from the first attack on Mar Kona to the recent disappearances. There were patterns there, but so many pieces were missing.
It felt like hours had passed by the time the blue-skinned acolyte returned, this time with four arbiters in tow. That alarmed Nolan, and his hand slid unconsciously to the grip of his pistol—not that the weapon would do anything here. If they’d considered it a threat, the Primo would have confiscated it. The fact that they had let him keep it underscored how outclassed he’d be in a fight here.
There would be no physical resistance on his part. Hannan wasn’t going to break in and save them if something went wrong, regardless of the captain’s assurances.
“We’ve examined the data cube,” the acolyte said.
That drew Lena’s attention, and she finally looked up from the data screen she’d been studying.
“It seems the cube is 26,092 years old. This predates the Primo dynastic culture, making it the oldest data cube on record. It’s quite a find.”
The way the acolyte stated the facts—as if it had been the one to discover them—rankled, but Nolan held his tongue.
“We’ve copied the cube into our local archives, and will begin a full study of its contents,” the acolyte continued. “If you’d like a copy of our findings, we will arrange to have it forwarded to your ship.”
“How long will that take?” Nolan asked.
“Between seven and nine hours,” the acolyte said.
“What about the cube? Where is it?” Lena asked. She rose from her seat, stepping around the table to stand next to the acolyte. “If you’ve copied it there’s no reason to keep the original.”
“Are you certain you can’t be persuaded to turn it over to the library? It is a Primo artifact, and belongs with us,” the acolyte said. It stuck a hand inside its robe, probably to clutch the cube.
“Quite certain,” Nolan said, rising to his feet. “We’ll take it back. Now, if you please.”
“Very well,” the acolyte said, extending the cube to Lena. She took it, and dropped it back into her satchel. “We’ve made a slight modification to the programming of the original code. This modification includes several modern languages, so that you can communicate with the VI. No payment is necessary for this service.”
“Commander Nolan, this is Johnston actual,” the captain’s voice came over the comm. The acolyte seemed startled by the sudden voice. “Return to the Johnston immediately. Run, Commander.”
“Sir?” Nolan said, switching his comm to internal so only he could hear it.
“We’ve got three Primo warships emerging from the Helios Gate. They don’t look friendly, and they’re headed our way. It might be coincidence, but I seriously doubt it.” The captain sounded tired.
“You son of a bitch,” Nolan said, turning to the acolyte. “Who did you tell we were here?”
“Our organization is neutral, but of course we passed your arrival along to the proper authorities. If they choose to detain known fugitives, it’s none of our business,” the acolyte said. It wore a very smug smile, and Nolan resisted the urge to punch it in
its tiny mouth.
“Let’s go,” Nolan said, seizing Lena’s hand. Then they ran for the Johnston.
33
Blockade
“Commander Nolan is aboard, sir,” Juliard said.
Captain Dryker relaxed into his chair, his attention focused on the view screen. “Time until intercept?”
“It’s too late, sir. The Primo carriers are nearly here,” Emo said, glancing nervously up at Dryker.
These were Primo ships of the line, which not even he had ever faced. The Primo mostly kept out of galactic squabbles, and had for several centuries. The few exceptions had ended in the total annihilation of whichever group had been foolish enough to anger the Primo.
“Juliard, call Nolan up here,” Dryker said. Then he turned back to Emo. “Keep the engines hot, and get ready for full burn on my command.”
“Should I ready the weapons, sir?” Ezana asked from the gunnery station.
“Negative,” Dryker said. “If we do they might take that as hostile.”
“The commander is inbound,” Juliard called.
Dryker’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the arms of his chair. The three carriers grew larger on the screen, each blue-black vessel larger than either a Tigris or human flagship. They were pretty, all curves and artfully-placed weaponry.
Pretty, but no less deadly for it.
“Sir?” Nolan asked, plunging breathlessly through the hatch.
“About time,” Dryker said, shooting to his feet. “Commander, you’ve studied the Primo, yes?”
“I’m familiar with all the data the OFI accumulated,” Nolan allowed. He glanced at the screen, going white before turning back to Dryker. “What do you need to know, sir?”
“How do we fight them?” Dryker asked.
“We don’t,” Nolan said, moving to stand next to the captain’s chair. His eyes were focused on the view screen again. “The Primo use four particle beam weapons. They’re extremely accurate at short range, and will melt our hull to slag in seconds. If they use maximum charge, they can even short out electronics in the areas hit by the weapon. Their hulls are a composite armor we’ve never successfully identified. We have no idea what its composition is, or where they manufacture it.”
“But it is vulnerable to our weaponry?” Dryker asked. The carriers grew larger on the screen, silhouetted against the backdrop of the blue dwarf.
“Yes, sir,” Nolan nodded. “There’s an account of a gauss cannon being fired at a carrier. The carrier took significant damage, though it immediately wiped out the vessel that fired on it.”
The carriers were close now, relatively speaking. There would be no getting past them—not without a fight, anyway.
“Recommendations?” Dryker asked.
“Our only choice is to stay docked,” Nolan said, scratching at his newly grown beard. “In theory, we’re in neutral territory. The carriers can’t apprehend us unless we leave the library.”
“We can’t stay here forever,” Dryker snapped. He rose from his chair and approached the monitor.
“We could make a run for it,” Emo said, his voice quavering.
The three carriers were now close enough to make out the sigils on their hulls, each colossal vessel fanning out in a different direction. Dryker stared at them helplessly, trying to find an option that didn’t end with the deaths of everyone on the Johnston.
A bright blue beam shot from the first carrier. Dryker winced, but there was no impact.
“What are they attacking?” he demanded, rounding on Juliard.
“Sir, that shot hit the library,” Juliard replied, her surprise evident. “The library is firing back.”
There was an exchange of particle weapons, beams flashing from all three carriers. The library shuddered, and the ship’s connection to the docking tube caused it to shake as well.
“Sir, all three carriers are launching drones,” Juliard said, her voice more steady now.
Hundreds of tiny fighters drifted from the carriers. They began coordinated strafing runs at the library. The library wasn’t undefended, and dozens of particle beams picked off fighters. It was a terrifying display of ferocity, on both sides.
“Emo, decouple us from the station. We’re making a run for it,” Dryker said, walking as calmly as he could back to his chair. He sat, gripping the arms again.
The Johnston pulled away from the library, accelerating rapidly toward the star. One of the carriers adjusted its course toward them, and several dozen drones moved to intercept.
“Incoming, sir,” Juliard warned.
“Full burn, Emo. Ezana, pick off as many bogies as you can,” Dryker ordered. He was aware of the quaver in his voice, and of Nolan watching him with concern. For a moment Dryker considered turning over command, but knew this wasn’t the right time. He needed to get them through this.
The whole bridge rocked as a pair of particle beams hit. Sparks flew from several panels, and the lights flickered.
“We’ve lost power to the aft side of B deck,” Juliard called. “Compiling damage reports now.”
A blue-black fighter whipped by the view screen, firing tiny blue plasma pulses into them. Dozens of its companions joined in, and the Johnston shuddered under the furious assault.
“Sir, we can’t take much more of this,” Juliard said, giving him a sober look. “Engine two just took a hit. We’ve lost pressure in the aft wing. We’re sealing what we can, but the damage is spreading faster than we can contain.”
The turrets began to fire and, one after another, the fighters exploded. For every one destroyed, three more continued the attack. The Johnston was gaining distance from the library, but at this rate it wouldn’t matter.
“Is the carrier pursuing?” Dryker demanded.
“Negative, sir,” Emo said.
“Fire on A deck, sir,” Juliard said. “It’s spreading quickly.”
“Order damage containment teams to deal with that first,” Dryker said, lurching as the Johnston jerked from another impact.
“Sir, the fighters are breaking off,” Emo said, giving Dryker a wide-eyed look. “It looks like they’re moving back to the library.”
“They’re letting us go?” Dryker asked, relaxing a hair as they pulled further away. The ship had sustained heavy damage, but the shuddering stopped. The turrets went quiet, and it appeared they had a clear path to the star.
“Oh, my God,” Nolan said, his eyes widening. He turned to Dryker. “They’re destroying the library to prevent the data cube from reaching Primo command.”
34
Reveal
Nolan rapped on the hatch to Lena’s temporary quarters. There was no answer, so he rapped again. The wheel on the hatch spun, and it opened to reveal Lena’s rumpled face. She licked her chops in a very alarming way. “Nolan! Come in. I was just going to go find you.”
Nolan ducked through the hatch and into the cramped quarters. Lena had been given a room with a single bunk and nothing more. There wasn’t even another place to sit. She was using the bed as a research station, and had a tablet with wires running to the cube. She returned to her position, tapping the tablet screen then studying the data feed.
“It’s the first chance I’ve had to break away from repairs,” Nolan said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Engine two is offline, our hull looks like Swiss cheese, and we lost two turrets on the aft side. We need six months in dry dock to get back into fighting shape.”
“We’re alive,” Lena said. “Also, I’ve been able to converse with the cube. It contains far more information than I’d have guessed. I’ve only done a cursory examination, but I’m already learning some disturbing things.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” Nolan said, leaning against the wall. “Tell me what you’ve found. Is it the kind of proof that might get our respective governments to take some action?”
“If we can get this in front of the right people they won’t be able to ignore it.,” Lena said, finally looking up. “How much do you know about ear
ly Primo history?”
“Pretty much nothing,” Nolan admitted.
“The Primo empire didn’t hit their stride until about nineteen thousand years ago. Before that is the period they refer to as their pre-dynastic times. For nearly six millennia they were nothing more than scattered tribes, and many of those tribes weren’t even capable of space travel,” Lena explained. “This cube predates those dark ages by at least a thousand years.”
“I know that the library said the same thing, but how are you substantiating that date?” Nolan countered. “That will be important if we’re presenting this as evidence.”
“Stellar drift,” Lena said, giving an excited smile. “This data cube contains star charts from the time it was made. I cross referenced those charts with our current astrological charts. Our galaxy has a rotation, just like a solar system or even a planet. That rotation takes approximately twenty-six thousand years, and the chart in the cube lines up with ours almost perfectly.”
“Okay, so what is this thing?”
“As near as I can tell, it’s a record of something they called the Eradication. It seems to have been a final war, one that was wiping out their empire,” Lena explained. “The implications are staggering. It means that the Primo empire we know isn’t the first. It’s the second incarnation. The first was wiped out twenty-six thousand years ago, and it took them nearly seven millennia to rebuild something close to what they’d had before.”
“Wiped out by what is the question. These Void Wraith?” Nolan asked, remembering the term from their brief encounter with the VI in the cube.
“That’s the implication. The Void Wraith used technology very similar to the Primo, and there were some theories that they were an offshoot of the Primo empire. Those theories were never substantiated, because the Void Wraith wiped out most resistance. They eradicated world after world, taking all citizens they encountered. Just like we’re seeing with the colonies that are disappearing.”