The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger: A Lost Fleet Novel

by Raymond L. Weil

  “I believe I can contact them now,” Captain Travers said as a green light appeared on his console.

  Kathryn nodded. “Send a message to Admiral Prest and ask him to take the evacuation fleet out of hyperspace. Inform him who we are and that it’s urgent we speak to him and Tomar Pelh.” Tomar was the only member of the Ornellian ruling council with the fleet. The others had stayed at Ornellia rather than taking up valuable space in the evacuation fleet.

  -

  On board the Ornellian battlecruiser Laviam, Admiral Prest gazed at the computer screen in his quarters. It was displaying the latest status of the fleet. All the battlecruisers were still functioning normally as well as most of the smaller cruisers. However, seventy-eight of the colony ships and thirty-seven of the fleet’s cargo ships were having moderate to severe problems with their hyperdrives. The problems with the fleet were steadily getting worse. The civilian ships just hadn’t been designed for such a long and extended voyage.

  With a deep sigh, he realized they were rapidly reaching a decision point. The only option he saw was to bring the fleet to a stop and repair or replace the malfunctioning hyperdrives. The only viable source for parts or new drives was to use the ones on the cargo ships. While that would solve the short-term problem, it would mean they would be arriving at the star cluster with a shortage of supplies and materials needed to construct a new and viable Ornellian colony. He had already spent hours discussing this with Arlak Grall, the chief scientist, and Tomar Pelh. Their options were few and very limited and growing worse every day.

  The comm unit on his desk buzzed and taking a deep breath he reached forward, activating it. “Admiral Prest.”

  “Admiral, we have just received a message from three spacecraft which are rapidly gaining on us. From our scans they appear to have come from our home galaxy.”

  “What was the message?” Prest asked uneasily. He hoped these ships weren’t Simulins following them. The fleet was in no condition for a fight.

  “It’s from Rear Admiral Barnes,” Second Commander Alsberth answered excitedly. “The Distant Horizon and two other ships have come looking for us. They say they have importation news about Ornellia and the conflict with the Simulins.”

  “Have you confirmed it is indeed the Distant Horizon?” Prest didn’t want to fall for a trick. While he did have sufficient warships to handle three Simulin vessels, he had no desire to engage in combat in intergalactic space. He had only four repair ships with the fleet, and they were already being overworked just trying to keep the fleet operating. A battle with the Simulins would doubtlessly result in a loss of civilian ships.

  “They claim the Distant Horizon has been updated and rebuilt. The three ships approaching us are much larger than the original Distant Horizon that came to Ornellia.”

  Admiral Prest weighed his options. He needed to drop the fleet out of hyperspace anyway. It was time to do some routine repairs as well as to decide once and for all what to do about the failing hyperdrives. “Very well, acknowledge the message and prepare to drop the fleet out of hyperspace. I’m on my way to the Command Center. Place all of our battlecruisers on high alert. If this is the Distant Horizon we have nothing to fear, but it’s best we take precautions just in case this is some type of deception by the Simulins.”

  As Prest prepared to go to the Command Center he was hoping this was the Distant Horizon. Perhaps they could aid in repairing the fleet’s hyperdrives. He was also extremely curious as to what news they could be bringing about Ornellia and the Simulins. He knew for a fact Admiral Krusk had died defending the planet. It was general knowledge all of the Ornellian worlds, including Ornellia, had been nuked and the Simulins’ deadly Conqueror Drones sent down to eliminate any survivors. It was sad to think all of their worlds were now lifeless husks with only the deadly Simulin drones roaming the surface of the planets. Perhaps Rear Admiral Barnes was bringing the last few survivors who had survived the deadly onslaught. If she was, he was curious to hear their stories.

  -

  The Distant Horizon and the other two exploration dreadnoughts dropped out of hyperspace a short distance from the Ornellian fleet. Kathryn was certain the appearance of the three massive ships would shock Admiral Prest and the others who were in charge of the refugee fleet.

  “Contact the Laviam and ask Admiral Prest if he, Tomar Pelh, and Arlak Grall would be interested in coming over to the Distant Horizon.”

  “I would suggest mentioning we can help with their hyperdrives,” said Andram.

  “Their fleet is in a bad way,” added Captain Reynolds as he studied some sensor readings. “Some of their ships are going to have to be used for spare parts if they want to continue on to the star cluster.”

  Kathryn looked at the large viewscreen which surrounded her. She could see the Ornellian repair ships already moving toward colony ships needing repairs. Kathryn could hardly wait to tell them about what had transpired at Ornellia and the defeat of the Simulins. What would they say when she told them they could go back home?

  -

  Kathryn watched as Admiral Prest, Arlak Grall, and Tomar Pelh entered the briefing room she had set up for the meeting. She noticed the instant look of relief on Arlak Grall and Tomar Pelh’s faces upon seeing her.

  “Rear Admiral Barnes, it’s a pleasure to see you once again,” Arlak said with a pleased smile on his face.

  “Have you been to Ornellia?” asked Tomar, his eyes showing great sadness. “I imagine the planet’s turned into a wasteland by now from all the radiation.”

  “Let’s all have a seat and we’ll discuss it,” said Kathryn, gesturing toward the conference table in the center of the room. “And yes, I did just leave Ornellia. Oman Lantoll sends you greetings and hopes everyone in the fleet is doing well.”

  “Oman!” stuttered Tomar, his eyes showing disbelief. “How did he survive? I would think by now with the widespread radiation and the Conqueror Drones everyone would be dead. Even the deep shelters would be running low on food by now.”

  Kathryn took a deep breath preparing to lay the bombshell upon them. “Things have changed in the galaxy since you left. Thanks to the Originator vessel you showed us we were able to go on the offense against the Simulins. I can’t explain how but we destroyed six of their primary worlds, including their capital planet in the Triangulum Galaxy. With the science and weaponry from the Originator ship, we were able of force the Simulins to surrender. The Simulin war is over.”

  Admiral Prest slowly shook his head. “All due to the abandoned ship in the asteroid field?”

  “Yes,” Kathryn replied. “Only the ship wasn’t completely abandoned. Its AI was still functional.” Kathryn decided not to tell them about there being Originators on the ship in stasis. That was still a secret and one which would remain so. To all the galaxies at large it was important they continued to believe all the Originators had died millions of years in the past. “With its help we were able to repair the ship and then use it against the Simulins.”

  “One ship,” said Admiral Prest in amazement. “It’s hard to believe. The Simulins had thousands of warships.”

  “The weapons technology on that ship was highly advanced, so advanced the Simulins had no defense against it. We gave the Simulins a simple choice: surrender or we would use the Originator vessel to destroy all of their worlds. They chose to surrender.”

  “What about Oman?” asked Tomar, his eyes alight with curiosity. “How did he survive? Did he escape in another ship?”

  Kathryn shook her head. “No, Admiral Jackson returned to Ornellia and fought several major battles with the Simulins. In the end, he was able to free Ornellia and, with the help of the Altons, remove nearly all the radiation from the planet. There were several million survivors. Not only that he has been conducting rescue operations on all of your former planets for months. There are now over five million survivors on the planet with more being brought in every day. Admiral Jackson believes when the last survivors are brought to Ornellia from your o
ther planets the total will be around ten million.”

  Tomar leaned back in his chair his face showing disbelief. “Ten million?”

  “Yes,” Kathryn replied smiling. “When Admiral Jackson arrived there was still heavy fighting going on. The Conqueror Drones were trying to break into several of the deep shelters on Ornellia. He destroyed the drones and then proceeded to launch air strikes against all of the drones anywhere on the planet he could find them. With the help of your own surviving military, they set up safe zones around the mountains and began moving Ornellians back into the smaller cities and villages. He’s been using the fleet repair ships he has at his disposal to get the infrastructure repaired. Power, water, and other necessities have been restored.”

  “If we had only known,” said Admiral Prest, shaking his head sadly. “My fleet would have been a great help in searching our other planets. We could have shown you where to look for survivors.”

  “We had help from your fleet,” Kathryn answered. “Admiral Santeld and part of his fleet survived. He has six battlecruisers and nineteen of your smaller cruisers under his command. There were also a number of surviving cargo ships and passenger liners.”

  “Admiral Santeld would have been my second in command,” said Admiral Prest. “I am very glad to hear he survived.”

  “He was ambushed by a Simulin fleet and could not reach the rendezvous coordinates in time,” Kathryn explained. “He hid out from the Simulins until Admiral Jackson managed to free Ornellia. He’s been heavily involved in the rescue operations.”

  Tomar took a deep breath. “I’m sure with the advanced technology on your ships you know the condition of our fleet. I’m afraid many of our vessels will not make it to the star cluster we have set as our destination. We have the same issue if we turn back and attempt to return to Ornellia.”

  “What if I could have you back at Ornellia in just a few weeks?” asked Kathryn.

  Arlak looked stunned. “How?”

  “I can summon a small fleet of Originator ships operated by their AIs,” Kathryn explained. “They can set up a hyperspace Accelerator Ring; there’s already one in orbit above Ornellia. You could take your fleet through it and be home in just a matter of hours.”

  “You found more of these Originator AIs like the one on the ancient ship?” asked Arlak, his eyes widening in amazement.

  “Yes; many more. They have been aiding us in a particular search.”

  Tomar looked at the others and then nodded. This was an easy decision. “I think I speak for everyone in the fleet: we would like to go home.”

  Kathryn nodded; she had expected this decision. “Then let’s make it happen. I’ll send a message summoning the construction ships with the Accelerator Ring. It will take them a few days to get here and it will also take some time to set the ring up. They can do sufficient repair work to your hyperdrives to make sure they can survive the voyage in intergalactic hyperspace. Once the ring is ready, we can begin sending your ships to Ornellia. I know Oman and Admiral Santeld will be thrilled to see your return.”

  Tomar stood. There were tears in his eyes. “I never expected to see Ornellia again. How can we ever thank you?”

  Kathryn smiled. “I promised to protect Ornellia. Bringing all of you back will allow your planet to prosper. Already a new shipyard is being built in orbit. It won’t take long and you will once more have control of all of your worlds. My people look forward to a long and friendly relationship with yours.” Kathryn felt very satisfied with these developments. She knew her father would be proud of her finding the Ornellian refugee fleet and bringing its people back home.

  -

  Several days passed and Kathryn was watching as three Originator construction ships built the Accelerator Ring. Once it was finished, the Ornellian refugee ships would enter. Fortunately the fleet was still close enough to the Triangulum Galaxy that the special intergalactic hyperdrive, like the one on the Distant Horizon, wasn’t needed. Their regular hyperdrives would suffice.

  “I’m glad they’re going home,” commented Kelsey as she gazed at several of the Ornellian colony ships visible on the viewscreen.

  Katie turned toward Rear Admiral Barnes. “Do you think they would have made it to the star cluster if we hadn’t found them?”

  “Possibly,” Kathryn replied. “They had four repair ships so they could have done some maintenance to their vessels.”

  “Not all of them would have made it,” Clarissa said. “I believe only 28 percent of the fleet would have survived the journey. The rest of the ships in the fleet would have been abandoned and cannibalized in order to keep the others functioning.”

  “Clarissa is correct,” Andram said. “The hyperdrives on the Ornellian ships weren’t designed for such extended use.”

  “Admiral Jackson is ecstatic we found them,” added Kathryn. She had sent a message to Jackson informing him of finding the Ornellians. “This fleet is full of their youngest and brightest as well as numerous scientists and technicians. It will allow the Ornellians to maintain their current level of technology and finish rebuilding their planet. It won’t be long and they’ll be recolonizing their other worlds.”

  “They’ll be a good ally for us,” said Commander Grissim. “There will always be a safe haven for us here in the Triangulum Galaxy.”

  Looking at the large viewscreen, Kathryn could see two of the Originator construction ships working on the Accelerator Ring. The ships would disassemble it once the Ornellian fleet passed through.

  “It is a good thing we are doing,” Camlin said from Kathryn’s side where she was standing. “I only wish we had done something about the Simulins years ago. So many have died due to our negligence.”

  “We’re doing it now,” Kathryn said. “In a few more weeks Admirals Cross and Lukel will begin eliminating all Simulin warships at the galaxies in which they have a presence. Eventually the Simulins will no longer be a threat.”

  “Admiral,” interrupted Captain Travers. “Arlak Grall is requesting a meeting with you and Andram. He says it’s urgent.”

  Kathryn looked confused. What could be so urgent that Arlak wanted to meet? In just a few more hours the refugee fleet would begin entering the Accelerator Ring. “Tell him to come over.”

  “I wonder what that’s about?” said Commander Grissim.

  “I guess we’ll find out when he gets here.”

  -

  Kathryn finished up a few other tasks and then headed toward the briefing room to meet Arlak. She couldn’t imagine what he wanted. However, she had a lot of respect for the older Ornellian scientist. After all, he had been the one who had revealed where the Dominator was hidden.

  Entering the briefing room with Andram, she found Arlak slowly pacing back and forth. He was visibly excited about something.

  “Arlak, what’s this all about?” asked Kathryn, walking up to the scientist. She wondered if something was wrong with the evacuation fleet.

  “Andram explained to me you were searching for another Originator ship similar to the one that was in the asteroid field. He showed me the scans you’ve been taking searching for the vessel. Andram said the ship would have certain rare alloys only used by the Originators. I have much of my research on one of the colony ships. When Andram showed me what the scans of those alloys would look like I recalled I had seen something similar in the past on one of my research trips to investigate the ancient ship.”

  ‘That would make sense,” Andram said as he sat down. “The Originator ship you found had these same alloys on it.”

  “That’s just it,” Arlak said excitedly. “The scans I took showing these alloys were not where the Originator ship was located. It was in a different area.”

  Kathryn could feel her own excitement beginning to rise. “Was it in the same system?”

  “Yes,” answered Arlak, nodding his head. “There’s a small moon orbiting the sixth planet. The readings came from inside the moon.”

  Kathryn looked over at Andram. She wasn’t sure
what Arlak had found. It could be the lost Originators or the exploration ship, which had been following the Dominator. If it was the exploration ship that indicated the vessel had managed to follow Kazak for thousands of years without being detected. Kathryn shook her head. She didn’t see how that could be possible. She also couldn’t see how it could be the lost Originators either.

  “Can you send me the readings?” asked Andram, his curiosity aroused by the knowledge they might have a very substantial clue as to where the missing Originators were.

  “Better than that, I brought it with me,” answered Arlak as he took a small computer thumb drive out of his pocket and handed it to Andram.

  “Andram, check that drive and the scans Arlak took. If it matches the alloys we’re searching for then we know our next destination.”

  Andram stood up and hurriedly left, heading for his science console in the Command Center.

  “I assume this is important?”

  “Very,” Kathryn replied. “That ship has been missing for a very long time, and the Originator AIs want to find it.”

  “Missing as long as the ancient ship you recovered?”

  “Perhaps,” Kathryn replied. “We won’t know until we can verify the data on your disk. In all probability we may have to go to this moon and dig down to where those alloys are.”

  “They’re deep,” Arlak replied. “At least twenty kilometers beneath the surface. The only reason my exploration vessel detected the alloys is because we were conducting a routine mineral survey while we were in the system. Our vessel was within fifty kilometers of the surface or we would never have detected anything. The readings made so little sense I assumed it was an anomaly. Alloys such as what we detected were considered to be impossible.”