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

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Was he right?” asked Jeremy.

  “We don’t know,” answered Bartoll with a deep frown. “There are no records of such.”

  Jeremy looked over at Ariel. “Get Leeda and Reesa working on this. If there are hidden Originators on any of the Dyson Spheres I want them found.”

  “I’ve already spoken to them,” Ariel replied. “They’ve been doing some research and we may have a few leads.”

  Jeremy nodded. “What about the missing Originators that left the dark matter Dyson Sphere? Did Jankel have any idea where they went?”

  Bartoll looked over at Commander Zafron and then answered. “Jankel was communicating with a small group hidden on the dark matter Shrieel. When the pathogen finally entered its last stages, this group went into stasis. They of course were killed when Rear Admiral Barnes destroyed the Shrieel.”

  Shaking his head, Jeremy thought about how much he now regretted that happening. “So we’re back where we started from.”

  “Not quite,” Commander Zafron said. “While Jankel didn’t know the star system the missing Originators went to, he does know the star cluster.”

  Jeremy sat up his interest piqued. “Where?” This sounded like the break they needed.

  Commander Zafron looked over at Rear Admiral Barnes. “I don’t think you’re going to believe this. You were almost there on your last trip to the Triangulum Galaxy when you rescued the Ornellians.”

  “The star cluster they were heading for,” gasped Kathryn, her eyes growing wide. “It’s the farthest out from the Triangulum Galaxy. Was that the missing Originator’s destination?”

  “Yes,” Zafron answered. “Somewhere inside that cluster is where we will find them.”

  “How many?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Bartoll.

  Bartoll sighed. “We don’t know. We believe quite a few, but there are no records of how many left the Shrieel.”

  Jeremy looked over at Kathryn. “How soon can you be ready to depart?”

  “The entire exploration fleet?”

  “Yes, plus the Dominator and a few of our heavy dreadnoughts and enough construction ships to build an Accelerator Ring. I don’t want to risk anything going wrong with this.”

  “A few weeks and I can be ready,” Kathryn replied. “We’re having a few updates done to the exploration ships.”

  “Same with the Dominator,” said Commander Zafron. “Two weeks sounds reasonable.”

  “That will be fine,” Jeremy said. “They’ve waited a few million years, a few more weeks isn’t going to hurt. “Rear Admiral Barnes, you have your new mission.”

  -

  A few days later Jeremy was in his office staring out across the city. It was late afternoon and he had just finished talking to Admiral Calmat and Aaliss. They had a possible way to get into the Median Galaxy undetected. They had developed a new polymer they believed would absorb the scans from the hyperspace detection fields which would need to be crossed. In order for it to work, the ships would have to be traveling at a very slow speed in hyperspace. It would add an extra two weeks to the journey. He had already decided only two ships would be going on the rescue mission: Admiral Calmat’s flagship and the new Avenger. He had already ordered the admiral’s ship into a construction bay for further updates. It would have the same type of energy shield as the Avenger.

  He had also spoken to General Wesley. Major Wilde would be going along with two hundred of her Marines as well as four hundred of the new combat robots. Jeremy hoped they would not be needed, but in case they were, he would have them.

  “You need to take some time off,” a voice spoke from behind him.

  Jeremy didn’t even turn as he recognized the voice as belonging to Ariel.

  “I know, but there’s just so much to do.”

  “It can wait,” answered Ariel firmly. “You have Admiral Kalen, Governor Barnes, Bartoll, Clarissa, and myself to help. Everything will get done.”

  Ariel stepped over to the window to stand next to Jeremy. She was using one of her holographic figures as she was currently busy helping Leeda and Reesa in their search for any Originators who might be in hidden stasis chambers on the Dyson Spheres. “It’s a beautiful world.”

  Jeremy nodded. “I still miss Gaia. It protected us for so long.” Jeremy knew the only structure still standing on the planet was the Fleet Academy. The protective energy shield was still in operation above it and would continue to be for many years to come.

  “This is our home now,” Ariel said. “It’s probably the safest place in the universe. “I don’t believe even the Eternals can pose a serious threat to the Communications and Transport Hub.”

  “We’re going to war,” Jeremy said in a more subdued voice. “After the battle in Galaxy X-938, the Eternals will now consider themselves at war with the Originators.”

  “They don’t know if it’s the Originators or their AIs who were involved,” said Ariel. “As far as the Eternals know all the Originators died out from the pathogen two million years ago.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Jeremy said. “I’m sure they suspect another race is involved as well.” Jeremy turned away from the window, looking at Ariel. Her dark eyes were focused on him, and her black hair barely touched her shoulders. She looked to be in her early twenties and still so innocent. With a deep sigh, Jeremy knew what he had done with his foray into the Median Galaxy and then the battle in Galaxy X-938. He had brought about the beginning of the Originator Wars. There would be no turning back now.

  -

  Later that evening Jeremy was at home lying in bed, deep in thought. He wondered if there was anything he could have done differently. He hardly noticed when Kelsey slid into bed next to him, turning off the lights.

  “Jeremy, I think I’ve decided to work at the Tower. I spoke to my father, and he wants me to be his military liaison.”

  Jeremy felt startled. He had heard rumors that the girls, Ariel, Clarissa and some others were working on a new exploration super dreadnought to explore the galaxies in Originator space. “What brought this on?” he asked, turning toward her and putting his hand on her waist.

  Kelsey was silent for a long moment. “We’re getting ready to go to war. Some of us or all of us could die. I think it’s important to ensure we leave behind a legacy. Someone to carry on our work and our dreams.”

  Jeremy felt his heart skip a beat. “Are you saying you want us to have a child?”

  “Yes,” Kelsey answered softly. “A son.”

  “When?”

  “Now is as good a time as any,” replied Kelsey, pulling Jeremy closer and kissing him deeply.

  Moments later, the two were involved in passionate lovemaking.

  -

  Ariel turned off her monitors she had been using to watch the two. She felt excited as she knew soon there would be another member of the new Special Five. Clair would not be alone! From the activity she had observed between Kevin and Katie earlier, there might be another member as well. She couldn’t wait to tell Clarissa the exciting news. The Originator Wars might be about to start but a new and exciting future for the Special Five and their children was beginning as well. Already Ariel was thinking about the training the children would need and what would be expected of her and Clarissa. She could hardly wait!

  The End

  If you enjoyed The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and also help sell books. Reviews can be just a few short sentences, describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website, link below. Thank you for reading Universe in Danger and being so supportive.

  Coming this summer.

  The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost (Book Two)

  The scene is set, and the Originator Wars are about to begin in earnest. The Eternals are determined to destroy whoever is using Originator technology against them. A full-scale invasion of Originator space is planned. Fleet
Admiral Strong embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue Grayseth if he still lives. In a distant star cluster Rear Admiral Barnes and Commander Zafron search for the lost Originators. If they want to win the war against the Eternals, they must be found.

  For updates on current writing projects and future publications, go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when my new books come out on Amazon.

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

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  Turn the page for an introduction to Earth Fall: Invasion a new military science fiction series that will be starting later this year.

  Earth Fall: Invasion

  Major Mark Dolan crawled painfully to the top of the small brush-covered hill he’d been behind for the last several hours. His uniform was ragged and filthy; blood ran from a shallow, jagged cut on his forehead, the result of a splinter grenade falling too close to his position. Only by throwing himself to the ground upon realizing what was about to happen had Dolan survived at all. The private who had been with him lay dead, his body torn apart by the grenade.

  Around Dolan, dead bodies and burned-out vehicles were everywhere. Unfortunately most of the bodies were human and not Trellixian. The aliens were nearly unstoppable, their vehicles protected by energy shields and possessing weapons much more powerful than the humans’. The enemy could be killed with great effort, but normally the attacking humans died in the attempt. However, the humans were fighting for their world, and there was never a shortage of volunteers to attempt the almost impossible.

  In the distance Dolan could hear the heavy explosions of powerful warp missiles and more splinter grenades blasting away at the weakening human defenses. The Trellixians were rapidly pushing back the meager remnants of Earth’s military toward the bunker complex that housed their last-known active base. For nearly twelve hours, Mark and his handpicked squad had been watching the battle. Their job was to stay on the outskirts, undetected, and report back to their superiors the results of the battle. Several times Mark had been tempted to join in the fighting when a Trellixian passed within weapons range, but his orders were very explicit. No contact with the enemy! Observe and report back!

  “Major, this is Captain Reynolds. I’m in position,” a female voice said over his earpiece.

  Everyone in his squad wore a small communications earpiece, set to a frequency they didn’t think the enemy would be monitoring, so they could stay in contact with one another. It was a risk, but one that was necessary if they wanted to complete their mission.

  Captain Lisa Reynolds was two hundred meters to his west on another small ridge, which provided a good view of the ongoing battle. She had two other soldiers with her, assigned to keep her safe. Reynolds was a military analyst sent on this mission to gather data on Trellixian battle techniques. Mark wasn’t sure what good that would do if the mountain base and its bunker complex were destroyed. As far as Mark knew, resistance across the planet had been smashed, and this was the last major surviving military installation still fighting back.

  “Make sure you record everything,” ordered Mark, as his gaze swept across the embattled human defensive lines. Several massive explosions struck the human lines, blasting deep smoking holes in the ground. Mark thought he could see soldiers pulling back from the besieged positions. “Keep messages to a minimum. We don’t want to tip off the enemy we’re here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Reynolds replied. “We’ve got my equipment set up and are recording the battle.”

  “Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Mark instructed. “I want us all to get back safely.”

  Removing his battle helmet and enhanced vision goggles, he wiped the sweat from his brow and cautiously rose up to better see what lay on the other side of the small hill. A blackened ruin of blasted earth, burned-out trees, destroyed vehicles and dead bodies lay as far as his trained eyes could see. Several kilometers to the north, close to the mountains, he could see the fighting still raged, the meager Earth forces battling desperately to hold on to the last bastion of hope against a fearless, overpowering enemy who knew no mercy.

  After sliding his goggles and helmet back on, he adjusted the sights to allow him a close-up view of the fighting. Trellixian hover tanks were moving steadily forward, their large cannons firing round after round of heavy blaster fire into the entrenched human troops. Side launchers on the hover tanks fired a seemingly unending supply of splinter grenades into the human positions. Occasionally an Earth heavy missile would strike one of the tanks, stressing its shield but having very little effect. Mark let out a deep, guttural sigh of frustration. If they could only find a way around the Trellixians’ energy shields, the battle would be more even.

  Thousands of Trellixian troops in nearly impenetrable battle armor followed closely behind the tanks, mopping up straggling pockets of defenders. Occasionally short-range missiles and shells from heavy artillery exploded among the advancing Trellixian troops, but a direct hit was necessary to penetrate the battle armor. Scanning the dead, Dolan noticed a few Trellixians scattered among the human casualties, but not many.

  Above the ground fighting, Trellixian wedge-shaped attack craft swooped and dove at the fragile human defensive positions, trying to crack open the human lines by firing small warp missiles which impacted the ground in towering explosions of flame and dirt. The warp missiles made a high-pitched screaming noise as they came down.

  Human aircraft had been cleared from the skies weeks earlier. Defensive missiles and occasional blaster fire from the main base itself were now directed heatedly toward the attacking Trellixian aircraft as they came within range, in a futile attempt to turn the tide of the battle. Only recently had human scientists reverse engineered a captured hover tank, enabling them to create energy cannons similar to the enemy’s.

  Mark almost stood up in elation as several beams of white energy converged on one of the Trellixian craft, cracking through its energy shield and causing the ship to explode in a bright orange fireball, spilling out its flaming parts over the fighting below. If the humans had only had more energy cannons, they might’ve had a chance to turn the tide of the battle. From what he could see, only about a dozen of the powerful weapons were being used by the defenders.

  As Mark watched, a large and ominous shadow passed over him. Looking up, he sucked in his breath as he recognized one of the Trellixians’ space battlecruisers plodding through the Earth’s heavy atmosphere toward the human military base. In moments, the massive cylinder came to a stop, its defensive shields lighting up as the base focused all its firepower on the massive vessel in a last-stand effort. Heavy missiles and energy blasters smashed futilely against the powerful energy shield, which erupted in bright cascades of color as it shrugged off the ineffective attack. The outside of the huge vessel was dotted with antennae, communication dishes, and offensive and defensive weaponry—designed for war.

  Huge beams of incandescent energy leaped from the nose of the vessel, plowing up the earth along and through the human troops’ defensive lines. Smoke and fire burst into the air as the ground was burned. Whenever the beam touched a human soldier or vehicle, they were turned instantly into smoldering ashes under the tremendous destructive power being unleashed. For long minutes the deadly beams moved up and down the human lines, until the defensive firing lessened and then stopped.

  Mark felt intense anger at what he had just witnessed. He gripped his assault rifle tightly in his hands, wanting to rush forward and fire it at the Trellixians. However, he knew to do so would be suicide and against his orders. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to lie still and continued to observe the battle. He greatly feared it was nearing its end. He desperately looked for any signs that the embattled soldiers could regroup, but there were none.

  The enemy spacecraft continued to move forward, now focusing its powerful energy beams on the mountain and the underground base it sheltered. However, the base was buried deep beneath several thousand meters of bedrock and protected by reinfo
rced steel beams with thick concrete walls. It was fortified with all the defensive and offensive weapons the human race had been able to throw together in the short time since the Trellixians had invaded Earth and embarked on their genocidal war. The base was protected by a rudimentary energy shield cobbled together by some of Earth’s greatest remaining scientists, who had taken shelter in the base.

  The shield strained as the Trellixian beams tried to penetrate to the base below. Great streams of energy seemed to be erupting from the mountain, and the shield persevered. Mark held his breath. The Trellixians seemed to have been stopped for the first time. Their energy beams ceased firing, and for several long minutes silence came over the battlefield.

  Mark refocused his enhanced-vision optics on the ground immediately in front of the base. The Trellixian hover tanks and their armored troops were pouring through the smashed human lines. Little to no resistance was encountered, as most of the defenders were dead. Mark tried not to think of the thousands of human soldiers who had lost their lives in this battle.

  As the Trellixian hover tanks came within range of the base, heavy energy weapons hidden among the rocks opened up, tearing through the tanks’ shields like a knife through butter. These weapons operated off the base’s fusion power plant, and their energy output was nearly off the scale. Unfortunately they burned out after firing one shot, as they could not handle the torrents of energy passing through the barrels. The Trellixian hover tanks couldn’t stand up to such energy. Tank after tank fell to the ground, split open by the powerful energy beams. Loud explosions reverberated across the valley, and smoke filled the air. The few surviving troops cheered loudly, seeing the nearly indestructible tanks stopped and feeling a brief rise of hope.