Akira

by Frank Carey

  Andie took another deep breath just as Sheila walked into the room. “Ah, you're awake. May I assume the good doctor has not made introductions?”

  Andie shook her head no.

  “I'm crewman Sheila White, ship's Medic and the good Doctor's nurse, and she's Dr. Siatar, the ship's physician. I'm a human from a planet called Earth and she's an Alturan from a planet called Altura,” Sheila said as she extended her hand, which Andie shook after only a moment of hesitation. “And you are?”

  “Cmdr. Andromeda Clyemne of the Olympian Republic Space Force,” Andie replied. “I'm the executive officer of the Olympian War Ship Artemis under the command of Capt. Freya Heranna.”

  “Andromeda, what a lovely name. On Earth, Andromeda means 'ruler of men,’” Sheila explained as she handed Doc tools and instruments as requested.

  “As it does on mine. How is this possible?”

  “Good question,” Fiona said as she walked into the room. “May I join you?” she asked.

  “Why not?” Doc said as she checked Andie's neck for swelling. “Should I order a bottle of wine and Chinese takeout?”

  “Don't mind her,” Sheila said. “Cmdr. Andromeda Clyemne, this is Capt. Fiona Hisakawa, our commanding officer.”

  “Commander, I hope our good doctor is taking good care of you.”

  “She is,” Doc answered. “Commander, you are fit for duty. Let me know if you feel even the slightest bit out of sorts,” she said as she slid through a doorway into another compartment.

  “Captain, I seem to have lost my uniform,” Andie said self-consciously.

  “Had to cut it off you,” Doc said as she slid up to the bed with a stack of clothes. “Courtesy of crewman Madeline Anton who happens to be your size.” She slid off once more to attend to other duties.

  “I'll let you get dressed. Sheila, bring her to the lounge when she's finished,” Fiona said as she turned and left the examination room.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” the nurse replied.

  ###

  Fiona walked into the combination lounge/mess/workroom and found Resh and Nyla getting coffee. She looked at the unlikely duo and wondered for the umpteenth time what the hell they saw in each other. You have Resh, the Storen, who would rather be sleeping, and Nyla, the Tralaskan Tyen, who had enough energy for five crewmen. Though polar opposites from two different planets it was as if they were destined to come together.

  “Captain!” they both said as Nyla handed Fiona a cup of her favorite Irish tea.

  “Nyla, Resh,” Fiona said with a nod. “Good work today. Our passenger owes you her life.”

  “'Tis nothing, Ma’am. We were just doing what we were trained for,” Resh said in his typical self-deprecating tone.

  “Well, she'll be here in a few moments if you want to see her upright and breathing,” Fiona said just as Sheila and Andromeda walked into the lounge through an open hatch.

  “Damn,” Nyla said as she watched the six-foot plus Andromeda walk into the room while Resh remained politely silent.

  “Cmdr. Andromeda Clyemne, crewman Resh and crewman Nyla Jinks, the two who pulled you from the wreckage,” Fiona said. “Resh is from the planet Stora and Nyla is a Tyen from the planet Tralaska.”

  “Thank you both for saving me,” Andromeda said as she shook their hands. She noticed designs on Nyla's fingernails disappeared under the edge of the flesh at the base of the nail.

  Noticing her look, Nyla explained, “All Tyen are Tralaskan females, but not all Tralaskan females are Tyen. It's a genetic quirk which manifests itself in times of trial and tribulation, or so the story goes.” She extended her claws and fangs to full length.

  Andromeda took a step back, shocked at the sudden transformation.

  “Ain't nothing to worry about. She's a vegetarian,” Resh said as he ran his hand down Nyla's arm as a sign of affection. Nyla smiled at him while retracting her weaponry.

  “Are there a lot of you on Tralaska?” Andromeda asked.

  “I think less than twenty League-wide.”

  “Amazing. And you and Resh are...”

  “Dating,” Nyla said as she hugged Resh's furry arm.

  “Can you, you know?”

  “Have kids? Oh yeah,” Nyla replied as she looked up at Resh and batted her eyes. He just grunted and smiled at his energy-filled mate-to-be.

  “A number of League species are capable of interspecies procreation, which is odd considering the distances involved,” Fiona noted.

  “Have I missed anything?” Akira asked as he entered the lounge.

  “Not at all. Cmdr. Andromeda Clyemne, this is my husband and the ships executive officer, Capt. Akira Hisakawa,” Fiona said as Akira walked up and shook Andie's hand.

  “Welcome aboard,” he said.

  “You're male.”

  “Last I looked,” he replied.

  “And you hold the rank of captain?”

  “Yes, as well as the rank of first officer. You seem amazed.”

  “It's just where I come from, males are...not in positions of authority. I’ve been told it’s due to a genetic abnormality.”

  “Interesting,” Akira said as he glanced over at Fiona who gave a tiny shrug. “Please, have a seat. Sheila, is it okay for her to have tea or coffee?”

  “Scans say she can eat anything we might offer.”

  “Excellent. Would you like a hot beverage?”

  “Tea would be wonderful,” Andie said.

  Resh brought over a cup of black tea and handed it to their guest. “It smells great,” Andie said as she took a sip, “and it tastes delicious. Thank you. Captain, what was it like, where you found me, I mean?”

  “Debris. No life signs for a hundred thousand miles.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “Suit beacon,” he said.

  “But I didn't have a suit beacon. There was no radio,” she said, confused. “So, how...”

  “The beacon we detected was about a hundred yards away from your position. We were worried it was a trap, so we did a tight-beam scan and found nothing. Meanwhile, the beacon stopped the moment we initiated the scan. Before we proceeded to dock with the piece of debris you were in, something odd happened.” Akira walked over to a console and pressed a button. “We received this message.”

  “Save her,” a booming voice said. There was nothing further.

  “When we got you on board, something from the same area in space as the beacon, scanned our ship. It stopped when it hit Sickbay. We think it was looking for you.”

  “What was looking for me?”

  Fiona nodded to Akira who pressed a button, activating the lounge’s main view screen. An image formed, and they all watched as the giant ship decloaked before moving off.

  “A very large ship of some kind. It measures just under three miles in length...”

  “It's called Annihilator.”

  “You know about this thing?” Akira asked.

  “It's the prototype for our newest class of warship. It was stolen from our shipping yards a few hours ago.”

  “Stolen? How do you steal something that big? Wouldn't the crew object?”

  “The Annihilator's normal crew complement is five thousand warriors and crew. Since this was a shakedown cruise, the only person aboard was the pilot.”

  “How could one pilot run something that big?” Streen asked as he walked in and grabbed a cup of the battery acid he called coffee.

  “Direct neural control. The pilot is wired directly to the ships control systems. There is provision for up to eight pilots, but today we were using only one. Those destroyed ships were supposed to be Annihilator's chase and support team.”

  “We detected two life signs aboard Annihilator,” Natasha said.

  “Two? That's impossible. The orders were for only one pilot,” Andromeda said with a worried look on her face. “Were you able to locate them within the ship?”

  “Yep,” Natasha said. “They were close to one another near the center of the ship.”

  �
�The control beds are near the center of the ship.”

  “Andromeda, is it possible one or both pilots know you?”

  “No, at least I don't think so. The pilots are special, especially the males. The chances of me interacting with them are slim to none.”

  “Excuse us for a moment,” Fiona said as she pulled Doc and Akira out of earshot. “Doc, did you find anything odd in her DNA?”

  “Captain, you know I ain't supposed to talk about this with anyone 'cept her and her family,” Doc said. She quickly changed course when she saw Fiona's look. “Hypothetically, I would have to say no. She's a perfectly normal human female in her mid-twenties. Why, Captain?”

  “Something about the way she says male raises my hackles. It's too clinical for someone of her age and profession to use.”

  “I'll take your word for it,” Doc said. “I'll see if I can pry something from her.”

  “Do that, Doc. Husband, your thoughts?”

  “I have one question, but I am unsure how best to broach it,” he said, frowning. “Why is Annihilator heading to Earth?”

  Doc and Fiona both looked at him, having asked the same question. “Prelude to war? Someone seeking asylum?” Fiona said.

  “Or someone is carrying out a personal vendetta,” Doc noted. “One could do a lot of damage with Annihilator.”

  Fiona walked back to where Andromeda stood. “Andromeda, I know you're tired, so I've prepared quarters for you, but I have one final question. Why Earth?”

  “Captain, on my honor, I have no idea. Until a few hours ago, I had never heard of Earth or the League of Planetary Systems. I was taught this part of space was uninhabited.”

  “Bridge! How's the communications blackout?” Fiona asked over the intercom

  “Captain, this is Liz. The channels are clearing. Give it another half-hour and we should be good to go.”

  “Good. Let me know the moment we can make a call. Helm, ETA?”

  “One hour, Ma’am,” John replied.

  “How's our new friend, Annihilator, doing?”

  “So, it has a name. Annihilator is maintaining course and speed with us keeping up about a light second behind it. We've detected no more scans which makes me wonder if it lost interest in us.”

  “I doubt it, but one can hope. Let me know the minute anything changes. Fiona out.”

  “Roger that, Captain. Bridge standing by.”

  Fiona looked around the room at the crewmembers taking a break before they arrived in Earth space. The Hippolyta had a complement of twenty-five souls--twenty-six now that Andromeda joined them--all trusting her and Akira to do the right thing.

  “They'll follow you to hell, you know,” Akira said as he handed her a bottle of water, instinctively knowing when her caffeine level was too high.

  “I know, husband, but I don't want to take them there, ever. This Annihilator may be the devil, though.”

  “I don't think the Olympians even know what they've built,” he said. “Olympians. Ancient Greek language. I checked the UT, and it’s not even breathing hard. I would bet credits to confections they visited Earth back in the day.”

  “I bet they either were or they spawned the ancient Greek myths, but why leave? They had everything: worship, nice climate, a home in the mountains. I don't get it,” she said as she sipped water.

  “What are you up to, Annihilator?” Akira said quietly as he stared at its image displayed above the holotable.

  “I know that look, husband. The past is the past. Do not dwell there,” she said while stroking his arm.

  “Yes, wife,” he replied, taking her hand in his.

  “Come on. We need to get to the Bridge. Andromeda, please join us,” she said as she took Akira by the hand and led him and Andie out of lounge, while the image of Annihilator spun in the air above the table.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The admiral sat in her day cabin reading reports in a vain attempt at understanding what happened. Across from her, Hera watched from a couch as she tried to help.

  “Admiral, we found Agent Callusa. She is on her way to your day cabin,” Capt. Myrene said over the intercom.

  “Where was she?”

  “Security Office, querying the computers.”

  There was a knock at the door. “Thank you, Captain. Come!” she said as she killed the connection to the Bridge.

  The door opened and a tall woman with dark, almost black hair, strode in. “You called? I was in in the middle of...”

  “Who stole Annihilator and why?”

  Margarete stopped and looked first at Athena, then Hera before reaching back and locking the door. She pressed a button on the lock pad which activated the room’s security field. Now, no one outside the room could hear them.

  Margaret walked over to the bar and poured three stiff drinks which she handed out to the others while keeping one for herself. She sat down before beginning.

  “CSec knows about the Probe and Earth. We have an observer in Science Division. We also know about the log. Unfortunately, we aren't the only ones watching Science. Shortly after your discovery, the Oracle Sisterhood got wind of it. They arranged for one of their sisters to be smuggled on board to kill the pilot and take control of Annihilator.”

  “Why in the hell would they do that?” Athena asked as she took a large drink from her glass.

  “To destroy Earth, thus insuring their prophecy of the death of the Olympian race in two generations.”

  “Not another doomsday cult!”

  “Unfortunately, they may be right,” Margarete said.

  “Excuse me?” the admiral said in shock. She looked at Hera and saw only calm. “You knew about this?”

  “Yes. The geneticists give us two generations at most before we run out of males. No males; no Olympian race.”

  “Hera's people have been quietly moving the healthiest of our males to one of the outer colonies, but it may be a case of too little, too late.”

  “But Earth fixes this, right?” Athena asked.

  “According to the probe readings, the answer is a resounding yes,” Hera said.

  “But not if Earth is vaporized,” Margarete added. “We got wind of the plan with only a couple of hours to spare, so we swapped out the pilot of record with one of our agents.”

  “You have a male agent?”

  “Yeah, we do. He's trying to slow down Annihilator and stop the Oracle pilot from doing any more damage. She's good, though. Hopefully, he's better.”

  “Who is she, this Oracle pilot?”

  “Procis Hallas, Assassin First Class,” the agent said.

  “The Procis Hallas? Rumor has it she's in league with three demons. I heard she's blaster proof.”

  “I heard that rumor as well,” Margarete said. “I hope I get a chance to test its validity.”

  “So, who's your agent?” Athena asked.

  “He's the only male to survive the Cure. He's a genius and has been an agent since he was ten years old. His is one of a kind and the only agent who has a chance against Hallas.”

  “And what is his name?” Hera asked, getting irritated at the stalling tactics.

  “Romulus Galactus.”

  Athena stood up and pointed a large blaster at the agent. “Romulus Galactus is dead. He died twenty years ago. I saw his funeral on the vid. His body was consumed by the eternal flame as his older sister watched.”

  “He's alive and right now he is fighting for his life, the lives of all Olympians, and the lives of over seven billion humans.”

  “Who the Hell is Romulus Galactus?”

  “My long dead son,” Athena said as she slowly squeezed the trigger.

  “Athena, put the gun down!” Hera demanded. “Margarete, when did you discover the identity of the pilot?”

  “Fifteen minutes ago. His records are stored in a secure section of the database where only the leaders of C-Sec can go.”

  “Then how were you able to access it?”

  “I hacked the system, dammit. I've committed seve
ral crimes against the State to tell you this, so you might as well pull the damn trigger because either you sanction me or one of my colleagues will.”

  Athena lowered the gun. “Why Romy?”

  “It had nothing to do with you, I can assure you. Your son has unique genetics along with an IQ that is off the charts, so they risked using the drug and it worked! Someone decided he was too valuable to leave protective custody, so to you, Andromeda, and the rest of the world, Romulus Galactus died. I can't tell you how sorry I am for all this. I know it drove a wedge between you and Andie. I wish I could fix that.”

  “It wasn't you or Romy that drove the wedge. It was me. I was too centered on work when I should have been with Andie and Romy. I just couldn't deal with him dying.”

  “Well, he's alive. That has to mean something.”

  “Is he? Is Andie? What about the crew of the Hippolyta?”

  “Admiral,” Capt. Myrene called over the intercom. “We are about to transition to real-space.”

  “Copy that,” Athena said. “What about Procis?”

  “Sociopathic zealot assassin. She will do anything and everything to complete her mission. We have agents digging through every scrap of data on her to see if there is a chink in her armor, but I'm not hopeful. She has no known family, lovers, mates, or anyone we could use as leverage against her.”

  “Wonderful,” Athena said. “By the way, Margarete, sorry about the gun, and thanks for what you did.”

  “Your reaction was understandable. I may have fired if our roles were reversed.”

  “Maybe. Well, let's go see what's on the other side of this rabbit hole we've fallen into.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Captains are on the Bridge,” Natasha announced from her station.

  Fiona stopped and allowed Andromeda to get ahead of her before starting introductions. “Everyone, this is Cmdr. Andromeda Clyemne of the Olympian Space Navy. She's going to be helping us stop the ship out there. We and it will arrive in Earth orbit in under five hours. I want this ship squared away by the time we get there. I have a feeling it's going to get rough,” she said. The crew scrambled to perform systems checks.