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

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Are you suggesting a second group is hidden in stasis?” asked Kelsey, her eyes showing disbelief.”

  Kathryn nodded. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “That would indicate several competing power groups within the Originator civilization,” said Commander Grissim, sounding confused. “Wouldn’t Bartoll have known about that?”

  “Possibly,” Kathryn said. “When we get back to the Communications and Transport Hub we need to have a meeting with Fleet Admiral Strong and Governor Barnes and inform them of our suspicions. There’s a chance the Originators have not been entirely truthful with us.”

  “I believe you are correct,” commented Sible, who had been listening to everything. “I believe I can clarify a few things from my own knowledge of that time.”

  Kathryn slowly shook her head. She had forgotten about Sible being in the Command Center. The Originator AI had become such a reliable member of the crew Kathryn often failed to think of her origin. “Go ahead.”

  “There have always been competing philosophies in Originator history. In the time of the pathogen there were several opposing groups, none of them violent but just believing the growing catastrophe should be handled differently. I believe what we have here are representatives of two of those views.”

  “It still doesn’t explain the weapons research being done on the Dominator,” commented Andram. “While Sible is probably correct about there being conflicting parties involved in this, we may be looking at a third party as well.”

  “Some group not quite as peaceful as most of the Originators,” suggested Kelsey. Kelsey looked over at Sible. “Is that possible? Was there a more radical group of Originators?”

  “The Defenders of Zorn,” answered Sible, her eyes opening wide. “They were a more radical group with members on several of the Dyson Spheres. They were determined to pursue more powerful weapons of destruction to destroy the Anti-Life before they escaped from their galaxy. Their leader was Balaf Zorn, a very old Originator. He believed the Anti-Life would someday escape the hyperspace disruption field surrounding their galaxy and descend upon the Shrieels. He was determined to make sure that didn’t happen by destroying them first.”

  “What happened?” asked Commander Grissim.

  “The group was never taken seriously. The war with the Anti-life had been draining, and the Originators in the Shrieels wanted no part in a second one.”

  Kathryn shook here head. “This is getting more complicated. “Sible, I have to ask you not to mention to the Originators or other AIs anything mentioned just now.”

  “I understand,” Sible replied. “However, if an Originator asks me a direct question, I have to answer. It’s part of my programming.”

  “When we get back to the Communications and Transport Hub it might be best for you to stay on board the Distant Horizon until after I’ve spoken to Fleet Admiral Strong.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” Sible replied. “I do not wish to do anything to risk my position here on the ship. I enjoy my duties as navigator and helm officer.”

  “You’re quite good at it,” answered Kathryn. Leaning back in her Command Chair she felt uneasy about what she had just learned. It appeared the Originator civilization hadn’t been quite as peaceful or in agreement with one another as they had been led to believe.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jeremy was in the Tower meeting with Bartoll, Dazon Fells, Nomar Krill, Admiral Kalen and Governor Barnes. They were waiting for the arrival of the Seeker and the return of Rear Admiral Barnes. They should be arriving at any time. Jeremy was deeply concerned because Kathryn had sent him an encrypted message indicating she had some important information to share with him about the Originators. The message had ended with the cryptic comment “All may not be as it seems.”

  “We believe the Eternals will be sending fleets to several Shrieels to determine where the ships came from that entered the Median Galaxy,” began Bartoll. “They will want to know how active we are in those galaxies and if our AIs were responsible for the fleet that entered their space.”

  “We’ve already dispatched Rear Admiral Mann to the Shrieel nearest the Median Galaxy,” said Admiral Kalen. “She has six hundred of our new heavy dreadnoughts.”

  “Galaxy X-938,” replied Bartoll, sounding concerned. “The Shrieel there has been placed on alert as well as several others we believe the Eternals may visit. There are two thousand of our battlecruisers in the Shrieel in case they are needed. Most of them have been updated and are ready for combat. Additional military AIs have been dispatched as well.”

  Jeremy looked over at Dazon Fells; he was an Originator who was a specialist on the Anti-Life. “What do you think the Eternals’ response will be to discovering our ships?”

  Dazon’s brow creased in a frown. “They will want to know where those ships came from. In all probability they recognized Originator technology being used by your heavy dreadnoughts. The fact they lost a number of their warships will add to the seriousness of the matter. I doubt if the Eternals have run across anyone before who had the firepower to damage their vessels like that. They will want to assess the threat to determine what type of response needs to be made. Since they will be dealing with Originator space, they will be cautious but thorough.”

  “Dazon is correct,” Bartoll said. “We made a grave error in sending the fleet to investigate the Median Galaxy. We should have waited a few more years until we were better prepared.”

  Jeremy nodded his head in agreement. They had been too anxious to discover what the Anti-Life were up to. “Are the drones ready to send into what we believe is Eternal space?” By using the drones, they would not be risking crewed vessels.

  “The first batch have been built,” answered Nomar Krill. “We’ll be sending twelve hundred into each of the galaxies we believe the Eternals control. We’ll use the Accelerator Ring to send them though the trip will take longer due to the size of the drones. They have a small hyperspace drive for use inside of a galaxy, but they lack the larger and more complex intergalactic hyperspace drives. Once through the Accelerator Ring their intergalactic speed will gradually decrease. Instead of arriving at their destinations in a few days to a few weeks we will be looking at anywhere from four weeks to sixteen.”

  “How will they communicate?” asked Governor Barnes. “At intergalactic distance won’t it take too long for a message to get back to us?”

  Bartoll switched his gaze to the governor. “In each galaxy we send drones to there will be a number of slightly larger drones. They will be able to project a small intergalactic vortex for communication. The drones are also set to self-destruct if an Eternal vessel gets within one thousand kilometers of one.”

  Admiral Kalen folded his arms across his chest and leaned back. “With as many drones as we’re sending, the Eternals are bound to detect some of them. They’ll know someone is scanning their space. I suspect they’ll know instantly where the drones had to have come from.”

  “The drones are made out of a special composite material which will make them difficult to detect,” responded Krill. “A few may be noticed but due to their small size I doubt if many will be. They are programmed to report each time they discover an Eternal occupied world.”

  Jeremy frowned in concern. “Won’t the Eternals detect the communications between the drones?”

  “Possibly, but highly unlikely,” Bartoll answered. “The comm messages will only last a few microseconds and will only occur after the drone has left the system it has scanned.”

  Governor Barnes’ eyes narrowed slightly. “How many galaxies are going to be scanned by the drones?”

  “The first survey will consist of the thousand galaxies nearest our space,” Bartoll replied. “The next survey will consist of ten thousand more.”

  Governor Barnes’ eyes widened even further. “It’s just so hard to imagine such a thing. Only a few years ago we were concerned with what was occurring just a few light years away. Now we’re talking about other
galaxies.”

  Bartoll smiled. “It took my people a while to get used to the idea as well. The intergalactic vortexes in the Shrieels made intergalactic travel commonplace. Now, with the Accelerator Rings, we can make the same trips far faster.”

  Jeremy took a deep breath and looked over at Bartoll. “What do you know of the Seeker? Are there any records of the ship in your computer database?” Jeremy was curious how Bartoll would respond to this question.

  Bartoll face looked as if a dark shadow had passed over it. “The Seeker was sent from the dark matter Shrieel which your forces destroyed. Fortunately all computer databases from the Shrieels are backed up by the main computers here at the Communications and Transport Hub. We have all of the files from the dark matter Shrieel. As soon as I heard the Seeker had been found I requested all the pertinent information. I fear we may be facing some of my people’s darkest secrets, secrets I had hoped had died away and would never appear again.”

  “I don’t understand,” said Jeremy, feeling confused. “What secrets?” He wondered if this pertained to what Kathryn had hinted at.

  Bartoll took a deep breath, looking at the other two Originators at the table. Both nodded their heads.

  “When the pathogen broke out and our people began to die, there were a number of conflicting ideas on how to deal with it. The majority wanted to establish a major research center here to deal with finding a cure. Another group wanted all the Shrieels to launch their own research programs believing having more research scientists involved would greatly increase the likelihood of finding a cure. There was a third, more vocal group that launched the Dominator. They wanted the best research scientists placed together in a ship where their primary focus would be finding a cure. That’s all their lives would be dedicated to. As you know, it failed.”

  “But the research center here, run by the AIs, eventually succeeded,” said Admiral Kalen.

  “Yes, it did,” replied Bartoll with great sadness in his eyes. “I have often wondered if we had come here instead of setting out on the Dominator whether we might have found the cure and saved our race. There were some truly talented research people on the ship. To many of us, it sounded like a grand adventure setting out on a voyage to save our race.”

  Ariel suddenly appeared in the conference room looking at Jeremy. She still used the holographic emitters when she needed to get somewhere fast. “The Distant Horizon and the other ships have arrived. They just exited the Accelerator Ring. Rear Admiral Barnes will be docking soon, and she needs to speak with you.”

  Bartoll and the others looked worriedly at one another. “Go meet with Rear Admiral Barnes,” Bartoll said. “When she has briefed you on the Seeker we will hold another meeting.”

  Jeremy looked over at Bartoll. “Is there something else you need to tell me?”

  Bartoll’s shoulders drooped slightly. “Perhaps, it depends on the crew of the Seeker.”

  “The Distant Horizon is entering one of the docking bays,” reported Ariel. “They seem to be in a hurry and Clarissa is being strangely quiet.”

  “I better go see what’s going on.” With that Jeremy and the other Humans left the conference room.

  -

  Bartoll watched them leave. Then he took out a small device, setting it on the table and activating it. The device prevented anyone from monitoring their conversation as well as blocking Ariel from returning. “I fear our greatest secret is about to come out.”

  “The Humans and their Alton friends are very bright,” conceded Krill. “There is a possibility they have already decrypted some of the data files from the ship’s computer.”

  “We’re still not certain who sent the ship,” said Fells. “Those records were very obscure. We only know the commander of the vessel was Barsii Alvord.”

  “But we know who Barsii was,” said Krill, with grave concern in his voice.

  “Yes,” Bartoll answered, in a lower voice almost afraid to mention what they were all thinking. “He was a member of the Defenders of Zorn.”

  “And the majority of their group was living on the dark matter Shrieel,” said Fells. “The one the Humans destroyed and also the one that launched the Dominator.”

  “There are over six hundred Originators in stasis on the Seeker,” Bartoll said. “We’re going to need all of them for what’s in our future.”

  “I wonder how many of them are followers of Zorn?” asked Fells. “They will not be pleased to learn we have allowed the Humans and their friends access to the Shrieels and particularly the Communications and Transport Hub. There could be problems.”

  This greatly concerned Bartoll, particularly since the survivors from the Seeker far outnumbered those from the Dominator. Unfortunately Bartoll wasn’t certain what was the greatest threat: the Eternals or the Originators in stasis on board the exploration ship. He was feeling nervous about what Fleet Admiral Strong would say when he returned from his meeting. Bartoll felt strange about all the emotions he had been experiencing since his awakening from stasis. Normally, at his age, emotions were fairly easy to control.

  -

  Kathryn entered Jeremy’s office in the Tower; along with her were Sible, Andram, and Clarissa. She had spent hours talking to the three in private on board the Distant Horizon trying to get a better feel for what was going on with the Originators. Were they keeping secrets on purpose or was it simply an oversight because they felt the past wasn’t important? She hoped it was the latter. She felt confused about the issue and hoped by talking to Jeremy some of it would be cleared up. She had also decided to bring Sible to the meeting. Entering the office, Kathryn was surprised to find her father and Admiral Kalen there with Jeremy.

  -

  Jeremy gazed at the four, seeing the looks of concern on their faces. Even Sible seemed to be uncomfortable as if she didn’t want to be here.

  “Hello, Kathryn,” said Governor Barnes as he stood and gave his daughter a welcome home hug. He released her and smiled. “When we get through with this meeting, why don’t we go somewhere and eat and catch up on what’s been going on?”

  “I would like that,” Kathryn replied. “But first we have something very important to tell Fleet Admiral Strong.”

  “I received your message about the Originators. What did you mean all may not be as it seems?” Jeremy leaned back in his chair prepared to listen.

  Kathryn took a deep breath. “As you know we recovered the Seeker. On board are over six hundred Originators in stasis. We’ve checked the stasis chambers, and they all seem to be okay other than they’re all infected with the virus.”

  “That’s not a problem since we have the cure,” commented Admiral Kalen. “There must be something else that concerns you.”

  Kathryn nodded and began to tell Jeremy everything they had learned. Jeremy, Admiral Kalen, and Governor Barnes had numerous questions, some Kathryn could answer but most responses were coming from Clarissa and Sible.

  After listening to the four, Jeremy felt gravely concerned. “So if I understand this correctly there were at least two different factions of Originators on board the Dominator. One group was obviously seeking a cure for the pathogen, and the other was seeking more powerful weapons to be used against the Anti-Life.”

  “Yes,” answered Sible. “I believe the Defenders of Zorn were the ones responsible for the military research while the second group was more interested in finding the cure and taking it back to the Shrieels.”

  “However,” Clarissa said. “Since much of the military research being conducted on the Distant Horizon was banned by the majority of the Originators, the Defenders of Zorn in all probability didn’t plan on allowing the cure to reach the Shrieels until the Originator population had been substantially reduced. We’re not sure where, but there must be a hidden facility on one of the Shrieels where the Defenders of Zorn placed many of their people in stasis waiting for the return of the Dominator.”

  “What about the Seeker? What was its purpose?” asked Admiral Kalen.

&
nbsp; “A backup in case the Dominator didn’t return in time with the cure,” replied Clarissa. “One of the factions wanted to make sure the cure was brought back to the Shrieels as soon as it was discovered. They planted a small group of researchers on the ship, and that group reported back to Jankel who in turn used his communications equipment to send regular status reports to the Seeker.”

  “I still find it amazing Kazak never spotted the Seeker or noticed the communications,” said Governor Barnes. “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t believe that it is,” Clarissa replied, her eyes showing concern. “I think there is a good possibility Kazak’s programming was adjusted, preventing him from reporting on the Seeker. If that’s not the case then Kazak had to be assisting the Seeker from the very beginning, which implies the help of at least one senior officer.”

  Jeremy let out a deep breath. “I think we need to call in Bartoll, Commander Zafron, and Kazak and try to get this sorted out. This could seriously damage our relationship with the Originators, and I don’t want that to happen, not with the threat from the Eternals looming over our heads.”

  -

  An hour later all of them were in Jeremy’s office. As Bartoll walked in he could see the deeply concerned look on Fleet Admiral Strong’s face. He also saw Sible sitting at the small conference table in the room next to Clarissa and Rear Admiral Barnes. With a deep sigh, he knew this was going to be a very tense meeting and he wasn’t certain what he should reveal. Perhaps the best option would be to open and completely honest. It was what most Originators would choose.

  -

  As everyone took their seats, Jeremy looked over at Commander Zafron and Bartoll hoping to get some answers. “It’s been brought to my attention there were three groups of Originators on the Dominator. One group seems to have been spying on the research being done on the ship and reporting back to the Seeker.”