“Captain Werner,” Sergeant Wilde said over the comm. “Bring your two companies up. We need to make a concentrated push to take the Control Center. We’re about to run out of time.” The threat of Simulin reinforcements was forcing her to fight the battle on the Simulins’ terms. That sent a cold chill down her back.
-
Above the Shrieel, Lanthon gazed at a viewscreen showing the dark blue color of a swirling intergalactic vortex. The Simulins had managed to establish a stable energy shield to protect it. Occasionally the shield would fluctuate slightly but then it would strengthen and return to normal. Lanthon had a neural implant, which allowed him to communicate instantly with any of the twenty warships in his fleet. He was on board a standard Originator battlecruiser two thousand meters in length and heavily armed with all the most modern weapons. The ships under his command had all been updated, and he was confident they could handle any threats the Simulins might pose.
Lanthon contemplated firing his fleet’s weapons at the energy shield when it fluctuated. From the sensor scans, he was fairly certain his fleet’s weapons could bring it down, particularly with the use of black matter missiles. If he did use the powerful missiles, it would be necessary to activate the energy shields, which protected all of the habitat squares near the vortex to full power to prevent them from being damaged. The shields were currently being kept up at minimal power to prevent the Simulins from gaining access to any of the squares. After a moment he decided to wait until the Simulin reinforcements arrived. When they did he would knock down the protective energy shield and then destroy the Simulin fleet. It would serve to teach them not to use the Originator Intergalactic Vortexes.
-
Brenda winced as several energy beams flashed above her head. They had reached the large corridor just outside the Control Center. As expected, the corridor was full of Conqueror Drones as well as several metal barricades. She was crouched down trying to give the drones and the Simulins commanding them as small a target as possible. The weapons fire in the corridor was heavy, and Marines were dropping as they had nowhere to hide from the incoming fire.
“Sergeant Metz, send the combat robots up. We must break through. We’re taking to much incoming fire!”
“I’m hit!” cried out Sergeant Haggard.
Brenda looked and saw Sergeant Haggard leaning against the wall of the corridor, then watched him slide to the floor and lay still. “Medic!” she yelled as several incoming rounds bounced off her armor. Where the rounds had struck it, felt like she had been stung by a hornet. She saw several medics rush past her to Sergeant Haggard. One of them stumbled and lay still in the middle of the corridor. The second one reached the sergeant and began working on him.
Looking forward Brenda saw the combat robots push into the swarming Conqueror Drones; there were so many drones the robots seemed to vanish into their midst.
“Move forward!” she ordered as she stood up and rushed toward the drones firing her pulse rifle toward the carapace of one nearby. With satisfaction she saw the energy beam penetrate the carapace and the drone drop to the floor as its CPU was destroyed. Other Marines were rushing forward as well in an attempt to stem the onslaught of so many Conqueror Drones.
The battle intensified as the robots moved forward into the thickest group of drones. Conqueror Drone parts flew everywhere as the combat robots tore into them. The robots tore off appendages leaving some of the drones without any method of mobility. These were quickly dispatched by the Marines right behind the robots. As they neared the hatch to the Control Center, they encountered a number of Simulins behind a heavy barricade where they were directing the Conqueror Drones. The Simulins were armed with heavy beam weapons and a number of combat robots fell to the floor with holes burned through their chest armor.
Explosive rounds began firing, tearing large chunks off the barricade. Major Wilde paused, took careful aim with her pulse rifle, and managed to pick off one of the Simulins when he raised his head too far above the obstruction. A few moments later the first combat robot reached the barricade and climbed over. Screams echoed through the corridor as the robot reached out and tore the head off a nearby Simulin. Then other robots and Marines climbed over the crumbling barricade, and after a few moments of heavy weapons fire the corridor feel eerily silent.
“That’s the last Conqueror Drone,” said Sergeant Metz as he fired a burst of weapons fire from his assault rifle into the carapace of a dismembered drone.
“The Simulins are dead as well,” added Captain Werner. The captain was standing on the other side of the barricade with a number of his Marines. Blood was running down his right arm where he had been wounded. Werner noticed the major’s stare. “It’s just a graze; no big deal.”
Major Wilde climbed over the barrier noting how few of the original forty combat robots still survived. If her count was right, only twelve were left and three of those were damaged to some extent.
“I can’t believe this,” Rakell said as he looked in disbelief at the surviving robots. “I wasn’t expecting so many to be destroyed.”
“These are the more advanced Conqueror Drones,” Brenda replied. “Not only that the Simulins were firing some heavy energy weapons at the robots.”
“They saved a lot of lives,” Sergeant Metz said as he walked up. “I just checked on Sergeant Haggard and he’ll be okay. He took a round to his chest but the medic has him stabilized. As soon as we can get him back to a medical center he should make a full recovery. We have twenty-seven other Marines also injured. I sent all of them back a ways in the corridor and assigned a squad to protect them in case any drones are still wandering around.”
Brenda looked at the waiting Marines in the corridor. “How many did we lose?”
“Forty-two Marines KIA as well as twenty-eight of the combat robots.”
Brenda turned pale at hearing those numbers. That was by far the most Marines she had lost on any op since they began assaulting the Control Centers on the Dyson Spheres. Turning toward Rakell, who was messing with the controls to the hatch, she asked him a question. “Can you open the hatch?”
Rakell turned away with a frustrated look on his face. “No, they’ve locked out the controls from the inside and disabled the mechanism. Not even the command key can give us entrance.”
This didn’t surprise Brenda. She had been expecting it. “We’ll blow it.” They had some special explosives furnished by the Originator AIs that could blow the hatch. Brenda turned toward Sergeant Metz and Captain Werner. “As soon as the hatch is blown send in the three damaged combat robots and then a platoon of Marines. Once the last of the Marines are in send in the remainder of the combat robots.” Brenda was certain the Simulins and Conqueror Drones inside would be expecting an assault by the robots. By sending in a platoon of Marines, it just might cause some confusion. By the time they adjusted to the Marines, the next wave of combat robots would be entering.
“When the last of the combat robots are inside I want another Marine platoon to follow them. Everyone else will wait out here in the corridor in case they’re needed.”
“We’re going to take a lot of losses if what’s inside that Control Center is anything like what was in this corridor,” warned Sergeant Metz.
“I know,” Major Wilde said resignedly. “But we have no choice.” She looked down at her watch. “We have ten minutes before the Simulins begin coming through the vortex. That’s how long we have to gain control of the Control Center so Rakell can shut it down.”
“Then we better get with it,” Sergeant Metz said as he turned and began ordering explosive charges set on the hatch. “Everyone move back. This is going to be one hell of an explosion.”
Major Wilde moved back along with the rest of the Marines further down the corridor. A few moments later Sergeant Metz and the two Marines who had been setting the charges joined them. Metz looked at Major Wilde who nodded. He pressed the detonator in his right hand and a resounding explosion echoed down the corridor. Smoke and flame b
ellowed up from where the hatch was.
Instantly the three designated combat robots charged through the door followed by a platoon of Marines. Heavy weapons fire broke out as the robots and Marines engaged the Simulins inside. Hurriedly the rest of the combat robots and the next platoon of Marines rushed through the hatch. Major Wilde was quick to follow.
Inside the large Control Center it was chaos. Conqueror Drones were literally laying on top of one another firing on the combat robots and Marines. Behind the drones, dozens of Simulins stood firing energy weapons at targets of opportunity. Brenda saw a number of Marines were already down as well as several more of the combat robots. “Captain Werner, send in two more platoons. It’s wall to wall drones in here.” Brenda raised her pulse rifle and began firing at the drones. They were the biggest threat at the moment.
For several minutes the battle raged as both sided tried to kill each other. Marines and robots fell unmoving to the floor as more Marines came through the hatch to take their places. In a last desperate move the Conqueror Drones charged forward. Several Marines screamed out in pain as they were grabbed and pulled apart by the terrible pincers of the deadly drones. Major Wilde was knocked down and saw a drone hovering menacingly over her. Before it could use its pincers to grab her a combat robot appeared, picking up the drone and hurling it against another. The robot then stood in front of Brenda, shielding her.
The fighting grew very intense and Major Wilde had to call in another platoon of Marines. More fell victim to the deadly Conqueror Drones dying gruesome deaths. The Control Center was full of smoke and the noise of battle. Brenda was now firing around the combat robot at the Simulins who were behind a barricade on the far side of the room. As the last Conqueror Drone fell to the floor, more firepower was turned on the Simulins. Explosive rounds began blowing apart the barricade. The Simulins didn’t even try to surrender but fought until the last one fell. Then quiet swept over the room. Marines stood stunned looking at the carnage surrounding them.
“Check to make sure all the drones are disabled and the Simulins are dead,” ordered Major Wilde.
She didn’t want to bring Rakell in until it was absolutely safe to do so. Glancing at her watch, she saw that less than a minute remained. Taking a deep breath, she realized her Marines and the few surviving combat robots might have to barricade themselves inside the Control Center if the Simulins were successful in landing reinforcements. What was more disconcerting was that Rakell had one of the rare gold command keys. Under no condition could that key be allowed to fall into the Simulins’ hands. It could reverse all of their gains of the past few months.
“Clear,” called out Sergeant Metz.
“Rakell, get in here,” ordered Major Wilde.
Rakell came through the hatch and made his way to one of the control consoles. There was an indentation where he placed the gold command key. After a moment the console activated and Rakell quickly entered a series of commands. “Intergalactic vortex is shutting down,” he reported. “I’m also shutting down the energy shield the Simulins were using to protect it.”
“Did any ships make it through?” asked Brenda, her eyes focused on Rakell.
Rakell checked some data and nodded his head. “Yes, I’m showing fort-seven Simulin warships. Lanthon is moving to engage them.”
Brenda nodded; all they could do now was wait.
“There is nothing to be concerned about,” Rakell assured the major. “With the energy shield down, the Shrieel’s own defenses can be used against the Simulins as well. The enemy fleet won’t last long.”
-
Lanthon noted the sudden appearance of forty-seven Simulin warships as they exited the intergalactic vortex. At nearly the same moment the vortex vanished and the energy field which was protecting it disappeared. Lanthon smiled, realizing Major Wilde had taken the Intergalactic Vortex Control Center and Rakell had deactivated both the vortex and the protective energy shield. Using his neural implant, he directed all the ships in his small fleet to fire their gravitonic cannons. The deadly beams flashed out, disrupting the energy screens protecting the Simulin ships and ripping huge chunks of hull material out of the stricken warships. Several exploded immediately as too many of their primary systems were destroyed. The deadly beams continued to play across the Simulin vessels. In desperation the trapped warships began to fire back but their beams only managed to make the Originator vessels’ energy screens react with a dim glow. More Simulin vessels died in brilliant flashes of released energy as power systems were compromised.
Nodding in satisfaction, Lanthon directed the firing of the fleet’s antimatter projectors. More Simulin vessels died in fiery bursts of destruction. The surviving ships dove toward the surface of the Shrieel seeking a place to land. With a devilish grin, Lanthon activated the Shrieel’s defenses. Instantly black balls of energy rose from the surface, striking the remaining Simulin warships. In moments they were gone, destroyed by the Originator’s most deadly weapon.
-
Major Wilde breathed out a sigh of relief. Rakell had just informed her Lanthon had destroyed the Simulin fleet and no reinforcements had managed to make it to the surface. The air in the Control Center was just now beginning to clear of smoke as she gazed around at the wreckage. This had been by far the toughest battle yet. She was gravely concerned as there were probably three more Dyson Sphere Control Centers even more heavily held by the Simulins than this one. The one in their home galaxy might be impossible to gain control of.
“What did we lose?” asked Brenda, turning toward Sergeant Metz and Captain Werner who had been going through the Control Center checking on the dead and wounded.
“All together we lost ninety-six KIA and one hundred and twelve wounded,” Captain Werner replied. “A few of the wounded may not survive.”
Brenda felt a cold chill run over her. “What about the combat robots?”
“Three survived,” answered Sergeant Metz, gesturing toward the hatch where the three large robots stood guard.
“I had hoped they would do much better,” said Rakell, looking disappointed.
“They did great,” responded Sergeant Metz. “Without them I don’t think we could have taken the Control Center. At the very least they saved a lot of lives. When we attack the next one, I want more of these combat robots with us.”
Rakell’s eyes seemed to brighten. “When we get back I will inform the others. I believe we can make additional improvements in the combat robots’ armor to make them more durable in battle. We underestimated the power of the Conquer Drones as well as the energy weapons the Simulins use. We will make those corrections in the next batch of robots.”
Brenda nodded. Sergeant Metz was right: without the combat robots many more Marines would have died. “Let’s begin sweeping all the corridors for any drones or Simulins we might have missed. It’s time to wrap this up and get back to the Communications and Transport Hub. Once there we will hold services for our dead.”
Taking one last look around the Control Center, Brenda walked to the hatch stepping back out into the corridor. Her heart was still racing from the battle. She knew she would have nightmares for days from what had just happened. Many of the Marines who had died she had known for several years. People like that could not be replaced. They would live on in her memories from this day forward. If something was to happen to her, she hoped someone would remember her in the same way. This battle was over, and it was time to return to the Communications and Transport Hub to heal their wounds and prepare for the next one.
Chapter Thirteen
Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes watched with relief as over seven hundred and twenty friendly green icons appeared on the long-range sensors. After several weeks of searching, they had finally found the Ornellian evacuation fleet. It was already far outside the galaxy and well on its way to the star cluster the Ornellians had set for their destination.
“We’ll be within communications range shortly,” Clarissa reported as she checked the scans on the Orn
ellian fleet. “They are traveling slower than originally planned. However, all of their ships are still with the fleet.”
“Undoubtedly their hyperdrives are causing them problems on such an extended voyage,” said Andram as he studied some data on his science console. “From the readings I’m getting they have a number of ships with hyperdrives functioning at a lower efficiency level than they should be.”
“At their current speed how long will it take them to reach the star cluster?” Kathryn was concerned an extended voyage might prove detrimental to many of the Ornellian vessels, particularly considering how rushed the construction of the evacuation ships had been.
“Four point seven years,” Clarissa reported. “That assumes they can maintain their current hyperspace speed.”
“I doubt if that’s possible,” Andram said, shaking his head. “Their fleet needs widespread repairs and perhaps even resources from mining to go on much further. At some point they will have to start cannibalizing some of their ships to keep others functioning.”
“It’s a good thing we found them when we did,” Commander Anne Grissim said. “I’m sure they’ll be excited at the prospect of being able to return to Ornellia.”
Kathryn merely shook her head. Here was a prime example of how desperate civilizations in the Triangulum Galaxy had been to escape the Simulins. She wondered how many other evacuation fleets might be out here in the intergalactic void seeking a safe sanctuary. Unfortunately intergalactic space was too vast to search. They had only been able to find the Ornellian fleet because they knew of its destination and approximate course.
On the way to find the Ornellian fleet they had been scanning nearby star systems, nebula, and empty space for any signs of the missing Originators or the exploration ship that had been trailing the Dominator so many years ago. So far their searches had turned up nothing, and the same had been reported by the rest of the exploration fleet. The Distant Horizon was equipped with a special intergalactic communicator and used it regularly to contact Admiral Jackson at Ornellia. It worked by opening up a miniature intergalactic vortex, which could be used for communication. All the four small fleets involved in the search were required to check in at Ornellia every 72 hours with the latest search results.
The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 19