The Calypsis Project

by Brittany M. Willows

  The Legacy of Night punched a hole in the marshland floor in an explosion of water and mud. Golden sunlight on the viewscreen illuminated the bridge as impact alarms blared, and the carrier began to decelerate.

  Hell yes, freedom at last!

  Alana released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and let go of her teammate’s arm, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “Good job,” she praised, then added more sternly, “Now let’s never set foot in those tunnels again.”

  As the carrier leveled out, the Corporal caught sight of the colossal Nepheran vessel just as its tail end was disappearing into the indigo ring of an alien portal. It must have opened only a few moments ago.

  Surprisingly, though, nothing in the area appeared to be damaged. She would have expected to see at least a few downed ships, if not a goddamned crater in the ground—but there was nothing.

  “There’s Dr. Chambers’ shuttle.” Alana pointed to a small speck on the viewscreen, a shadow against the clouds. “Get her on comms, will you?”

  “Done,” Kenon said.

  “You scratched my ship!” Levian exclaimed over the bridge speakers. He didn’t exactly sound angry, but there wasn’t enough cheer in his tone to take it as a humorous remark.

  “Worry about that later,” Dr. Chambers said to the Ship Commander, adding to Kenon and Alana, “Open the carrier’s docking bay and we will come aboard, then we can get to work on a feasible plan.”

  Chapter

  ———TWENTY———

  Unknown Hours, December 03, 2438 (Earth Calendar) / Unknown Location

  Lieutenant Knoble swore under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. He’d been sitting on the hard floor beside a cot for a grueling half hour whilst he tampered with his headset. He had torn the padding out from the inside of his helmet and split wires apart with his bare hands, then rejoined them as best he could.

  Knoble was attempting to access a comms channel. He didn’t care who he made contact with, he just wanted to talk to somebody—he wanted to know what was going on outside, if anyone knew where he was—but he hadn’t had any luck yet. Something in this ship was screwing with his equipment, and he was trying everything he could think of to get past the problem.

  After reconnecting a couple of wires, he heard a loud beep come through the headset.

  Finally!

  “This is First Lieutenant Lance Knoble of Alpha Team. If you are receiving this, please respond.” He found himself struggling to get the words out, the tightness in his throat making it difficult to make any sound at all. It hurt to speak, but if he received a response he would just have to ride it out.

  “Knoble?” That was the husky voice of Fleet Admiral Phillip Anderson, and the Lieutenant was damn happy to hear it. “You’re alive? Jeffrey Shepherd’s last report had you listed as MIA. I was sure we’d lost you.”

  “Still alive and kicking, last I checked.” Knoble rubbed his throat with a scratched-up hand. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but I need you to listen to me. I don’t know how long I’ve got.”

  “. . . Go on.”

  “The Drocain are up to something.” Knoble had to keep this message as short as possible; he couldn’t waste time spilling all the little details. “All of our lives could be in danger. You have to warn everyone—you have to evacuate Calypsis!”

  “We can’t.”

  Knoble’s heart sank. Did that mean he was too late? How much could have happened while he was away? “Why not?” he asked.

  “The Drocain have arrived in full force outside Calypsis and deployed a shield around the entire goddamned planet. We can’t pass through it . . . and what’s worse, all means of communication to the surface have been severed,” Anderson explained. “The people of Calypsis are on their own until we can find a way around this.”

  Houston’s shipboard AI cut into the conversation with a warning: “Sir—security breach! I have detected an unauthorized construct in the—”

  The voice of a British man interrupted Alice, and the pinging in the background indicated that she had been shut down. “Perhaps I can be of assistance.”

  “Orion?” Admiral Anderson said, outraged. “Return Alice to her post immediately!”

  “Oh, hush. Alice will be returned once I have completed my business here.”

  “What is your business here? How did you get on this frequency?”

  “Temper, temper. One question at a time.” Orion laughed. “You are aware of my talents; you know I can breach Drocain systems—UNPD communications frequencies are a small step down.”

  Lieutenant Knoble had no desire to listen to these two drone on. For all he knew, he could have seconds left on the line. “It’s great that you guys are getting along and all, but can we please get back on subject?”

  “Of course,” Orion agreed, just as happy to be moving to another topic. “I come bearing information of the highest significance, relevant to both Knoble’s and Calypsis’ situations,” he announced, and Knoble could almost see him flexing his wings. “In the skies above the Terrak Mountain Range, there is a portal which serves as a gateway to the Phoenix System. It leads directly to the planet Dyre. Half an hour ago, an alien vessel ferrying human prisoners passed through it.”

  Now Knoble knew where he was, and where he was headed. But he wondered: when did Orion become aware of the situation? Was it possible that Black Team had avoided capture and made it back to the surface alive?

  “The Phoenix System? . . . Do you have any idea what the lizards plan to do when they get there?” Anderson asked.

  “I never did say the vessel was of Drocain origin, did I?” Orion told him. “Correction; this starship belongs to an extragalactic species who call themselves ‘Nephera’. Now, allow me to unveil another shocking revelation,” Orion paused teasingly, leaving the Admiral and Knoble on tenterhooks. “I am currently aboard the Pioneer, which is parked in the hangar of a Drocain assault carrier. On the bridge, engaged in a conversation much less exhilarating than this one, is Corporal Alana Carmen, Dr. Chambers, a warrior we know as Kenon Valinquint, and the ship’s commander—Levian ‘Nher. We have no firearms or restraints here, just some civilized chitchat as we come closer to entering the Nepheran portal ourselves.

  “. . . An uneasy alliance has been formed, Admiral Anderson, and it is required that you accept this in spite of whatever bitter feelings you hold toward the Royal Empire. These warriors have parted from their faction to fight for a greater cause, which I will explain to you later when you join us in the Phoenix System.” His tone changed and he slipped into a more serious mood.

  Lieutenant Knoble was both relieved and dizzied with dismay. He was glad to hear that his stepdaughter and the others were safe and sound. How they’d managed to get the hell out of those tunnels, he couldn’t even begin to guess.

  “What makes you think I’ll be there?” Anderson grunted. “I will not leave this system while Calypsis and its people are still in danger. There are more Royalty-Class ships on the way here as we speak, and I won’t lose another world to those alien bastards!”

  “You said so yourself, the shield is impenetrable,” Orion said. “For all you know, the Drocain may not be able to pass through it either. It is not their technology, nor is it ours. I should also mention that the shield is part of the planet’s internal defense system, not something deployed from the outside. At any rate, I request only your presence. You may leave the rest of your fleet behind to defend Calypsis.”

  “Give me one good reason why I should.”

  “. . . Recent findings have left me with the fear that the fate of humanity may rest on the tender shoulders of this unlikely team. Should you wish to hear the full story, you must meet with us on the bridge of the Legacy of Night.”

  “. . . Fine,” the Admiral agreed reluctantly after a brief silence, and then a ping signaled Alice’s return and he added to her, “Alice, ready the crew for a jump.”

  “Aye, sir,” Alice complied. “ETA: three hours, thirty-one minu
tes.”

  “Wonderful. I shall be waiting,” Orion said, and then added to Knoble, “Lieutenant, I will make no guarantees, but I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to get you back where you belong.”

  “I appreciate the effort, Orion. I’ll do what I can here in the meantime,” Knoble said, then cut the connection in a hurry and tossed his helmet aside when the door to his room swung open.

  Three hulking guards stormed in with weapons drawn.

  Knoble wondered if they’d heard any of his conversation with Admiral Anderson, or if they were even aware that he’d contacted someone outside of this vessel. He hoped not. If they had, they were probably here to collect his head.

  The Lieutenant got to his feet and tried to look confident, though he felt like he could pass out at any given moment. He put his hands on his hips and took a couple of steps toward the Khael’hin warriors.

  “Evening, ladies,” he said with a grin. “What can a fine gentleman such as myself do for you on a lovely night like this?”

  ———PART III———

  THE KEY

  Chapter

  —TWENTY-ONE—

  1614 Hours, December 03, 2438 (Earth Calendar) / Drocain Assault Carrier Legacy of Night, Phoenix System

  A tiny sparkle of light appeared in the emptiness of space and expanded rapidly to form a wide, shimmering portal. The Legacy of Night slipped in through the bright disc and decelerated with a shiver.

  On the viewscreen, Alana saw the Drahkori homeworld, Dyre. The planet’s sphere was dark against the pink, orange, and gold streamers of the brilliant nebula stretching behind it. It was beautiful, even more captivating than Calypsis—but her heart jumped into her throat when she saw bursts of flame erupting from the planet’s surface.

  The battle had already begun.

  Alana spotted a cluster of silhouetted shapes, some were small, others enormous. Drocain ships—a Royalty Fleet, and by far the largest fleet she had ever seen. They were not alone: the gigantic, ancient-looking Nepheran starships could be seen moving within their ranks.

  “Calamity has struck those who were unprepared . . .” the Ship Commander said with a disgruntled sigh, regarding Kenon with sympathy. “They will not survive long against a fleet of that size, and certainly not against the Nephera—not on their own.”

  The young warrior stared up at the screen, distraught. He looked like he was about to collapse.

  A flash of indigo a few hundred kilometers to the right grabbed Alana’s focus. Another fleet of sleek ships were arriving, blinking out of slipstream space. By their elegant designs, Alana assumed it was another group of Drocain Royalty-Class vessels, but she quickly realized they were of a different faction. She’d never seen ships that looked quite like these.

  Levian opened a communications channel between the Legacy of Night and the flagship at the head of this new fleet. “Hail Thei’legh Fleet of Defense! This is the ship commander of the Legacy of Night and heir to the throne of Oe’Nhervon. My brother, it is I—Levian ‘Nher, son of Amalan!”

  The Corporal raised her brow and looked at the Doctor.

  “That was a dramatic introduction,” Chambers smirked.

  Alana turned back to the screen. She had to agree with the Doctor—Levian did have a long and impressive title, one he seemed quite proud of.

  “Levian ‘Nher? First you join the assault on Dyre, then you dare to call me your brother?” the fleet’s commander responded, disappointed. “What have you become? You have betrayed me—you have betrayed your people! Why? What do you expect to gain from such treachery?”

  “You mistake my reason for coming here, Calephus,” Levian reassured him. “My palms remain unstained. This is the betrayal of Her Majesty the Queen, and this attack is led by the Nephera.”

  “The Nephera? J’ouu’leva . . . They have not been seen for thousands of years, why do they show their faces now?”

  “There is much to tell, my friend. However, my words must be saved for when time is not so crucial. There is chaos upon us, and I fear the Drahkori may be beyond our help.”

  “They organize their warriors as we speak. Though they tremble where they stand, they may have more fight than we give them credit for. There may yet be hope for their kind.”

  “A pleasant surprise. Now, let us join the fight and rid these bastards from our sights!” the Ship Commander hissed. He ordered Ayla to ready the carrier’s torpedoes, then added to the ship’s AI, “Standby for course correction. Divert excess energy burn to shields and increase to maximum strength.”

  Alana headed aft at the blue warrior’s command to assist with preparations for the imminent battle. She finished her work in a couple of hours and headed back up to the bridge. When she strolled onto the deck again sparks of light on the viewscreen caught her attention.

  Her first thought was that more enemy vessels had arrived in the Phoenix System, but to her surprise, it was a human frigate.

  Home Fleet’s flagship, the UNPD frigate Houston.

  A tab on the console began to pulse and Ayla patched an incoming transmission through. The bridge speakers crackled: “This is Fleet Admiral Phillip Anderson of the United Nations Planetary Defense requesting permission to board.”

  “What is this?” Levian growled with a mixture of curiosity and vexation playing in his tone.

  “Anderson?” Dr. Chambers exclaimed. “What the hell is he doing here?”

  Orion’s flickering image appeared on the holo-table next to Kenon, startling the warrior and making him retreat a few steps. The crafty construct must have hacked into Legacy’s systems.

  “I told him to come,” the AI confessed.

  “What?!” Chambers faced her creation with her hands balled into fists. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve just gotten us into?”

  “I realize you are angry, Doctor,” Orion acknowledged. “But if you would be so kind as to calm your nerves for a moment, I can explain my actions and you will find that you understand them completely.”

  “Oh, go on, then. Try me,” Dr. Chambers challenged, folding her arms as she fixed a rage-filled glare on the construct. Alana was sure that if Orion had been a physical being Chambers would have slapped him right across the face. She was fuming.

  “If you lot had been entrusted with the decision of whether to bring the UNPD into this mess you would have decided against it, so I took matters into my own hands and contacted Admiral Anderson. I hope to convince him to send more military support our way and ultimately save the Drahkori and their homeworld; rescuing Lieutenant Knoble and the others in the process. And before you ask: yes, he has been made aware of this alliance—of this awkward little family you have formed—as well as the presence of the Nephera. However, he does not know what the Calypsis Project is—”

  “Neither do we,” Chambers pointed out.

  “But I do. Let me finish,” Orion said. “I dropped the Admiral a few hints to tempt him into joining us for a chat; some bait to lure him in. He agreed, and that is why he is here now. So I suggest you let him aboard immediately. Ah, and while I’m up here, I also feel it necessary to mention that Lieutenant Knoble was in on this conversation as well.”

  “Lance is alive?” Alana said, relieved.

  “Yes. From what I gathered, he is not in the best condition . . . but he knows we are searching for him. Knowing the Lieutenant, that will give him the strength he needs to hold on until we get to him. Now please,” Orion looked past the Doctor to the Ship Commander, “allow the Admiral to come aboard.”

  Alana had been expecting a little uneasiness amongst the team once the Admiral joined them, but this was just ridiculous. She stood next to Dr. Chambers on one side of the table, her body stiff and teeth clenched. Orion hovered in front of them, no emotion displayed on his holographic features as he stared in the Admiral’s direction.

  On the opposite side, the young warrior and his creature companion appeared to be equally as uncomfortable. Lithe swung her head back and fo
rth as if she was waiting for someone to speak, then she took a couple of steps backward and removed herself from the meeting. And finally, staring each other down from either end of the holo-table with hatred burning in their eyes, were the Drocain ship commander and the Fleet Admiral.

  The air crackled with tension, and the bridge was so still that the Corporal was afraid everyone around her could hear the rapid thumping of her heart.

  There’s nothing quite so nerve-racking as being in the same room with two people who want to kill each other, Alana thought. Anderson has good reason to be angry, though.

  Levian had probably taken the lives of thousands of UNPD soldiers while he was still with the Empire, but he’d been led to believe that what he was doing was right. Alana was sure he must be feeling remorse for his killings now that the truth had been uncovered.

  But what if he really didn’t have a single regret about the lives he’d brought to an end? Alana didn’t want to think about that.

  “Rather than standing here like a bunch of deaf mutes,” Dr. Chambers broke the awkward silence, “how about we actually try to cooperate? You know, so we can get back to work before that planet down there is annihilated.” She looked to the Admiral. “You still don’t understand what’s going on, do you, Anderson?”

  “I was told by your mouthy AI that everything would be revealed to me once I arrived,” the Admiral muttered with impatience, folding his arms. “I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t thrown every damn detail out on the table already.”

  “Excuse me?” Orion said with laughter in his voice. He tilted his head back slightly, eyes glittering with gold in the shadow cast by his hood. “Do you take me to be some sort of babbling fool who is unable to hold his own tongue? That is an offensive accusation, Admiral.”