AMP The Core

by Stephen Arseneault

  Frig pressed several keys on his console. “The original fleet has 4,151 ships. Nearly 800 are those immense battleships with one mega-ship, which I would presume to be their command ship. The fleet behind us has 2,798 ships. Five hundred twelve of those are battleships.”

  I sat back in my chair. “You know, maybe it is time to talk to them. Return that hail for me. They don’t seem interested in moving any closer to that planet. Let’s see if we can use that to our advantage.”

  Frig enacted the hail signal and patched it through to my comm. “Bulgar fleet. I am Don Grange of the Human fleet. This is a free star system. Stand down your hostilities.”

  The Bulgar spokesman replied, “That is an audacious request from a fleet of such small stature. We will offer this one last chance for you to surrender and prepare to be boarded. Your security will be assured under Bulgar law. You have willingly violated our space; formal procedures must be followed.”

  I laughed. “Sorry, Chief. We were watching the last time whatever is on that planet became active. We saw what it did to your ship. This is no more your star system than it was for those thousand other ships out there that have been destroyed. Perhaps instead of puffing up our chests, we can cooperate on a mission of discovery. I would be interested in your thoughts on that.”

  The comm was silent for several seconds. “There will be no mission of discovery, Human. The Bulgar have long claimed this system, and there is nothing to be discovered by or shared with anyone else. Disarm your weapons and prepare to be boarded!”

  I placed my hand on Frig’s shoulder. “Bring our Wren back, and let’s move in a little closer to that planet. I bet they stay right where they are.”

  As the Wren turned towards our fleet, a great beam shot out from the Bulgar mega-ship. Before evasive maneuvers could be taken, the 160 layers of Tantric armor on the Wren were burned away and the Wren vaporized. Six seconds in the intense beam was all she could handle.

  The Bulgar spoke. “Humans, we can strike your position from where we are. Comply or suffer a similar fate.”

  I turned to Frig. “How long before we can get everyone through the portals to the Orienta?”

  Frig replied, “That process will take the better part of an hour, Sir.”

  I stood. “Here is what I want to do: ram everyone through those portals, including yourself. When the last man is through, I want you to program this fleet to take up orbit around that planet and to then settle down on the surface on the opposite side from where that signal comes from. If our ships get destroyed, well, at least they don’t fall into the Bulgars’ hands. And make sure all the self-destructs are set so that if anyone other than a Human or a Gonta tries to set foot on there, they destroy themselves.”

  Frig spoke. “I believe that to be our only good option, Sir. I will coordinate from here and will be the last to leave.”

  I replied, “No, I will be the last to leave. I’m taking the Swift out to see if I can buy us some time. If the Bulgars start shooting now, we risk losing everyone. Once you are on the Orienta, just keep a portal open on the Swift. If they fire that beam, I should have six seconds to dive through.”

  Frig shook his head. “That is a horrible idea, Sir. If you wish to attempt a delay in that manner, you should return to the Orienta and broadcast a signal from there through the Swift to the Bulgar. Why risk your life needlessly, Sir?”

  I replied, “Sometimes you just have to be there in person. If there is little risk involved, I am likely to do a poor job keeping them occupied. Besides, I have been itching to take the Swift out for a spin.”

  Frig stood. “I must protest this action, Sir. You are too valuable to needlessly risk. I offered a sound alternative to your plan!”

  I nodded my head as I stood and walked towards the door. “Just focus your efforts on getting everyone off of here as soon as possible. I’ll be prepping the Swift if anything else pops up.”

  I left the room before Frig had a chance to continue his argument. My mind had been made up, and it was not something that was easily unmade. I walked into the cargo bay and made my way onto the Swift. There was a feeling of comfort that came over me as I sat in the pilot’s chair. The ion generator was powered on and preflight checks completed.

  As I lifted from the bay floor, a small cargo throughway opened in the center of the immense bay doors. The Swift slipped through the opening and was immediately in the deep, dark void that was space. All systems showed green as the external temperature dropped dramatically.

  I moved the Swift to a position that was still near our fleet, but between it and the Bulgar mega-ship. I settled into position and awaited a new hail from the Bulgar.

  The comm warbled. “Human, what is the meaning of this? Disable your weapons, or this ship will meet with the same fate as the last!”

  I replied, “This is Don Grange. I am the spokesman for the Human fleet. Perhaps we can comply with your request in a different way. Allow us the time to follow our procedures for doing this. In the meantime, who is your commanding officer, that we might discuss terms?”

  A voice responded, “This is Admiral Daki Maturra. Mr. Grange, you will move your fleet out to our position one at a time. From there we will commence our boarding of those ships. Any hostile activities will be met with a swift and overwhelming response.”

  I pressed the comm button on my arm pad. “No worries from us, Admiral. Allow us to follow our process, and this will be over soon enough. Oh, and Admiral, I am on the small craft that has separated itself from our fleet. I would ask that you not vaporize me as you did our prior ship. That vessel was unmanned.”

  My delay tactic lasted for forty-five minutes with the Bulgars. The Admiral was growing impatient with my odd requests for time.

  Frig came over the comm. “Sir, all personnel will have been transferred to the Orienta, including myself, within the next five minutes. That includes those who have been undergoing upgrade operations. The fleet is awaiting your command to move to the planet and to land on her. I have opened a microportal in the Swift’s hold behind you. Press the blue flashing button on your arm pad, and it will expand to full size for your jump through. And Sir, keep your jump clean, as we will need to close the portal immediately afterward to prevent any residual beam from passing through behind you.”

  I replied, “What is any residual beam going to do if I am already through the portal?”

  Frig shook his head. “It will vaporize you and the room surrounding the portal.”

  I nodded. “OK, good to know. Keep that portal locked onto me, Frig. I need to program the Swift. I’m certain the moment she begins to move, they are going to start shooting.”

  The next several minutes were used to punch in a course for the Swift to take to the planet’s surface, while taking evasive actions. We had somehow once again slipped away from the jaws of death. Our fleet was in jeopardy, but our people had escaped unharmed.

  As I programmed in the last of the maneuvers, I sat back in my pilot’s chair. “OK, old friend. Let’s hope you can slip out in one piece.”

  I looked down at the flashing blue button on my arm pad and pressed it. The portal opened wide behind me.

  Chapter 4

  At that moment, a new hail came over the comm from the Bulgars. “Your time is up, Mr. Grange. It was just revealed to me that on our latest scan, there was only one bio life-form remaining on your fleet. I do not know how you accomplished that, Mr. Grange. You have shown yourself to not be truthful and are being judged accordingly.”

  Before I could turn to jump through the portal, the immense beam from the mega-ship impacted the hull of the Swift. I slapped the controls to the right as I was nearly thrown from my chair. The Swift slipped out of the beam and into a hundred smaller beams from the Bulgar ships surrounding their command ship. Eighty-six of my one hundred sixty-two layers of Tantric had been burned off in only a few seconds. The Swift’s outer layers continued to peel away as the smaller, yet still powerful beams hit their target.

/>   I pressed a button on my console that started the remainder of the fleet towards the planet’s surface. Heavy fire from the Bulgar fleet shot through the space in and around our ships as evasive maneuvers were taken.

  I pressed my comm. “Frig! They started shooting early! I never had the chance to jump! Can you get that portal open again? It looks like it closed!”

  Frig replied, “I am attempting to track your position, Don. I cannot lock on and risk opening a portal with you making erratic movements. The portal automatically shut down when you first moved. If the side of the portal were to touch the Swift, Sir, she would be frozen solid in seconds.”

  I yelled into the comm, “I can’t go straight or I’ll get whacked! That Bulgar fleet is not moving! Can you send them some presents through the portals? Maybe take a little heat off my ass?”

  Frig punched away on a console on the Orienta. “Excellent suggestion, Sir! The mega-ship should be the first one to take a hit with a portal bomb.”

  As Frig and the Gontas prepared to launch the first of many portal bombs, a row of twenty-six Bulgar battleships imploded in the center and then exploded along a central line. It was as if a high-speed gravity projectile had traveled through the twenty-six ships in an instant. A debris field stretched outward from those ships, damaging a number of others in its wake.

  As I turned and jibbed, another beam from the mega-ship grazed my hull, knocking off another thirty-two layers of protection. “Frig! You better make it fast! I just took another big hit! And did you see those battleships on the scanner? It looks like our invisible friend might be back!”

  Frig replied, “I did, Sir. Twenty-six ships at once. We could use such a weapon!”

  I pulled up hard on my controls, barely avoiding another large beam. “How are those bombs coming? Hit that big ship first if you can, as the next hit from it is likely a kill! I’m down to sixteen layers!”

  The comm blared. “Another twenty seconds, Sir. You must hold on!”

  I pushed the controls full over forward. “I don’t know if I have twenty seconds left!”

  In a second blow to the Bulgars, a row of thirty-seven battleships in the surrounding fleet imploded and then exploded in the same manner as before. Another fifteen ships in the wake took heavy damage. The beams continued to fire on the Swift as I grew closer to the planet. Just as I began to reach the atmosphere, I received another grazing blow from the massive beam of the mega-ship.

  I yelled into the comm, “Crap! I’m down to partial layers on about half of my port side! Smoke is in the cabin! I don’t know if she is going to hold together to land!”

  I tilted the weak side of the ship towards the upper atmosphere as the starboard side glowed white hot from the friction. A single smaller beam found its mark, crippling the environmental system, sending shrapnel flying, and exposing the cabin to the outside air. I corrected the Swift’s orientation as I fast approached the ground. Sensors showed the northern hemisphere of the planet to be cold and icy, but the atmosphere was thick with oxygen.

  I pulled up on the controls and landed hard on an ice field between two high ridges. It offered protection from the beams that were not from directly overhead. The Swift made a dent in the ice, sending cracks out in many directions as her right wing slammed into what I could now see was a frozen lake. Her ion generators shut down.

  Several heavy ion beams impacted the area around the Swift, turning the surrounding ice directly into steam. As I stepped out of the hold onto the ice, a nearby hit knocked me from my feet. I pushed myself up, dazed, and looked down at the damage that had been done to my arm pad.

  I yelled, “I’m standing on ice, and it is coming apart as we speak! Those ion bolts are going to heat this water! I have about two kilometers to reach land!”

  There was no reply. As I stood, another ion bolt impacted the ice just in front of the Swift. The exploding wave of steam again knocked me from my feet. As I stood and turned, I could see my ship listing forward as the ice underneath her cracked and weakened from the heat. The last of the ion beams was taking my means of escape!

  I attempted to restart the Swift from my arm pad, to save her from the watery depths, but my arm pad would not respond. I was then reminded of my own peril as the ice beneath my feet continued to crack and undulate from the heated water below. As I again looked up at the Swift, she nosed over and slipped into the darkness beneath the ice. My comm link to Frig and the others was severed, and my footing was becoming ever-more treacherous.

  I turned and began to sprint towards the nearest shore, turning my gravity assist to full as I ran. I was bounding along at twenty meters a hop as the Bulgar beams continued to dot the ice field around me. The beams quickly came to a stop.

  I reached the shoreline and was grateful to place a foot on the snow-covered, rocky, dry land. I repeatedly tried my comm but received no connection. It had been damaged beyond use. Were the Bulgars coming? Had Frig been successful in driving them away with the portal bombs? I sat down on a rock to further evaluate my situation.

  I checked the environmentals on my helmet sensor. The oxygen level was at 19 percent, with a temperature that hovered just below freezing.

  I spoke to myself. “Way to go, Grange. Got yourself stranded on another planet.”

  I brought what little planet mappings I had available up on my helmet display. I was four hundred kilometers from the point of the mystery signal. What possibly remained of our fleet lay twelve hundred kilometers on the other side of that.

  I looked back out onto the frozen lake. The hole that had swallowed the Swift was already beginning to ice over. Any recovery of her was far from my abilities. I turned back towards the high ridge behind me and began an effort to reach a low passage around the ridge on the southern end of the lake.

  My power cells were nearly full, and my battle suit, other than the now-defunct arm pad, was easily able to keep my body temperature at an agreeable reading. I had no food, but a scan from my helmet sensors revealed that the water ice that surrounded me was safe to drink if melted. I began my journey towards the southwest.

  I was again thankful for the balance and strength that was provided by my prosthetic legs. I found it rather easy to jump from one rock pile to the next as I made my way around to the southern end of the frozen lake. When I had reached the pass through the high ridges, I found a frozen waterfall with a sheer cliff that dropped off for two hundred meters.

  The gravity on the small planet was 8 percent less than standard, so I took a leap off of the high edge to an outcropping halfway down. After a perfect landing and another leap, I found myself on a valley floor that had gently sloping sides. I soon found myself bounding along again at twenty-meter steps.

  The valley ran for ten kilometers with ever-widening sides. The rocky stream that carried water from the lake remained partially frozen over where currents had slowed or become still. When I had reached the end of the valley, I again evaluated the course that lay ahead. I could follow the river southward until it finally fed into an ocean, or I could attempt passage through the mountains in a more direct route to where our fleet had supposedly landed. I chose the shortest path and turned, bounding upwards through the inclining valley of another tributary.

  As I came up over a short ridge, I took note of two large creatures that had something cornered. I moved closer for a look and was surprised to see a biped with a spear, jabbing at the two beasts that had it cornered. Being the compassionate person that I was, and after seeing a fellow biped in trouble, I drew my blaster.

  With two long leaps, I was standing behind the great beasts as they challenged their prey.

  I yelled, “Hey! Meatheads! Over here!”

  When the first of the two beasts turned in my direction, I stumbled backwards as it stood up on its hind legs. It was fifteen meters tall, with enormous fangs and claws, and I suddenly wondered if I had been too bold. As the great beast shrieked down at me, I pulled the trigger on my blaster, only to have no ion bolt emerge. The heavily
furred, giant white beast then slashed at me with its closest claw.

  In an awkward attempt at fleeing, I sprang straight up, dodging the wild animal’s blow. When I came down from my upward lunge, I found myself landing on the beast’s right shoulder. It turned violently and again swung its humongous claw in my direction. A second leap removed me from danger.

  As I landed on a large rock and then leaped again up onto a short ridge, I found myself just out of harm’s way. The large, furry attacker seemed to be ever-more agitated that I had once again dodged its assault. With a moment to think, I picked up a rather substantial-sized boulder and heaved it at the beast. A strike to the head, followed by a gush of blood, told of an enemy that had been severely injured. The beast turned and bounded off with another loud shriek, although this time with an anguished sound.

  A second large rock was then heaved in the direction of the remaining snow beast. A heavy strike on its right shoulder sent the remaining snow beast screaming in the other direction.

  I hopped down from my perch as I looked in on the being that had been trapped. The brown, scaly creature held up its spear in a threatening manner as it grunted and hissed. I took note of the leather-and-fur clothing that it wore around its midsection. As it continued to make threatening noises and to poke at me with its spear, my universal translator began to do its work.

  The creature spoke. “Stay goorant! Goorant!”

  I held up my open palm in a friendly gesture and replied, “Stay goorant.”

  The animal gave an inquisitive look and then began to speak in his language, which I could still not understand.

  After his third sentence of gibberish, the translator got a lock and the words began to flow. “My fellow hunters will be here any moment. You should go before they overpower you!”

  I replied in a tongue that the creature could understand. “I mean you no harm. You looked as though you were in trouble, so I stopped to help. My name is Don Grange.”