by S. H. Jucha
Then, without warning, vid cams were blinded by a massive explosion, the blast destroying and launching belt debris in all directions.
“Captain,” Esteban said with urgency.
“What just happened?” Patrice asked, on her feet and staring at the holo-vid, which had regained the image of the belt. There was an enormous cleared area.
“We’re launching our fighters to destroy the rocks, which have been thrown inward,” Francis explained.
“Understood, Captain. My question was meant to ask for an explanation about what happened to the probe, besides exploding, I mean. We didn’t hit it,” Patrice riposted.
“Good question,” Olawale said, glancing toward Esteban.
“Different probe, newer version, better programming,” Edmas replied instead, enumerating the different factors they faced.
“Ser has the essence of it,” Esteban agreed. “I would surmise the probe’s detection programs recognized a pattern in the rocks that were approaching. It might have even connected their onslaught to our ship, as the instigating party. In which case, the application might have concluded that it had been discovered, which led to the detonation.”
“The commodore,” Nikki said, holding up her reader to Esteban.
“Captain Desgardes here,” was heard over the Rêveur’s bridge speakers, after the SADE placed the call.
“Thus concludes the Omnian demonstration of the dangers of alien probes, Captain,” Nikki quipped.
“And an eye-opening demonstration it was, Governor,” Commodore Binghamton replied. “Are the odd ships that launched from your liner the Omnian fighters?”
“Travelers they’re called, Commodore,” Nikki replied.
“Please tell me you’re doing everything possible to procure us the means of having these travelers for ourselves, Governor. It’s rumored that the colonel and you are favorites of Alex Racine.”
“Negotiations are ongoing, Commodore,” Nikki replied, staring intently at Olawale. “By the way, you’re free to begin your trip to Earth.”
“One question for our friends, if they’re listening, Governor?”
“They are, Commodore. Go ahead.”
“Initially, you requested a clearance radius of 16 million kilometers, but then you doubled that. Our instrumentation registered the wave’s destructive reach attained 21 million. Why the radius change, not that I minded being moved beyond what turned out to be the danger zone?”
“To paraphrase an Omnian captain, Darius Gaumata, who exhibits a healthy respect for the unknown, I chose to apply an extra portion of insurance, when I recognized that this probe was quite possibly a newer model,” Esteban explained.
“Hmm,” the commodore muttered, dwelling on the explanation. “I think I like this Omnian captain. He’s my kind of officer, careful and smart. And my cap is off to you, Esteban, for your successful efforts. Governor, I’ll be making my report to the president and putting in a good word for your friends. Binghamton out.”
“I estimate the traveler pilots will be busy for 5.6 days, Ser,” Esteban said, directing his comment at Olawale.
“We can take our guests to Idona Station and return for our travelers,” Francis suggested.
“How about your pilots? Won’t they need to rest during the next six days?” Nikki asked with concern.
“They’ll have it, Governor,” Esteban replied. “I’m programming their controllers so that the operations of prioritizing targets, closing on an asteroid, and destroying it are automated. The pilots can sleep and eat whenever they choose.”
“Now I know the commodore would really want some of these,” Patrice said, laughing.
“Well, we have a few days ride to Idona,” Nikki said. “However, I’m now wide awake. This seems like the opportune time, Olawale, to have a quiet chat. Just the three of us, Patrice, you, and me.
“I’m at your disposal, Governor,” Olawale said politely, and waved the women toward the bridge accessway.
Settling into the comfortable chairs in Olawale’s salon, Nikki opened the discussion.
“Olawale, you, more than anyone else, know what the people of Sol have been through. The interminably long decades of deprivation and incarceration under United Earth nearly brought us to the brink of ruin. But we’ve changed, thanks to Alex Racine and his people, and there’s no going back for us.”
“Is your government still called United Earth?” Olawale asked.
“No,” Nikki replied firmly. “When the new constitution was ratified by the elected representatives and governors, it was done so under the banner of Sol Enclave.”
“But, and you’ll appreciate this Olawale, people refer to the constitution as the Idona Accord,” Patrice said, grinning.
“Olawale, we can’t thank you enough for remembering your home world and returning to check on us,” Nikki said. “The stories of the spheres are frightening, but knowing the probes are present across so many systems is absolutely terrifying.”
“What does Alex think?” Patrice asked. Her eyes locked onto Olawale’s, demanding a forthright answer.
“Alex and Julien believe the probes indicate that an ancient and widespread civilization is seeking ever more space and has been working at expanding its territory far longer than humans have been traveling to the stars.”
Nikki and Patrice regarded each other. Words weren’t necessary. They’d already discussed what they intended to ask Olawale. Now, what they’d thought might be a request had been suddenly transformed into an appeal.
“We need your help, Olawale,” Nikki said. “Or, more precisely, we need the Omnians help. Sol is getting back on its feet, but it will take us a while before we reach the stage where we could protect ourselves from a sphere.”
“Yes, we have heavy warships with firepower,” Patrice added. “But they haven’t the capability to intercept a sphere, and they fire missiles. It doesn’t sound as if these would be effective against the sphere or its defenses.”
Olawale silently shook his head.
“But, according to Esteban, Edmas, and Jodlyne, your people have increased their military power specifically to take on these Nua’ll spheres,” Nikki said.
The mention of his companion’s names in conjunction with the information about Omnia Ships, which might better have been kept private, told Olawale how much his comrades wanted to help the people of Sol, who were valiantly trying to put an ugly past behind them.
“Do you think Alex will be successful against this second sphere?” Patrice asked.
“I’m worried, like most people are, Patrice, but, then again, it’s Alex,” Olawale said, lifting his hands to indicate that was all he could offer.
Patrice and Nikki nodded thoughtfully. Some animals, such as cats, were reputed to have multiple lives. Both women were considering the possibility that Alex was an amalgam of many cats.
“I can tell you,” Olawale said, “that Alex requested a report on the progress that was being made for the people of Sol by your government. In that regard, I found the conversation with your president refreshing, and the fact that you two hold senior positions is illuminating.”
“I knew there was a reason I wore my best dress to our first dinner,” Nikki rejoined.
“And, it was most becoming,” Olawale replied, a twinkle in his eye.
“I swear there’s some of that Omnian advanced technology in you, Olawale,” Nikki replied, laughing. “At times, you act like a man half your age.”
When Olawale winked, Patrice groaned. “That’s not fair, Olawale. We need that medical support as much as you. Can’t you share?”
“I’m sorry. It’s not possible, but, if you’d like to immigrate to Omnia, I’m sure you’d find life exciting.”
“Probably more exciting than we can handle,” Nikki admitted.
“You never know,” Olawale replied, leaning back in his chair, an exp
ansive air about him.
“Back to business,” Nikki said. “Would Omnia be willing to help us?”
Olawale reviewed his conversation with Alex, who had left it to him as to what he could say. “I would like this conversation to be shared only with your most senior people,” Olawale replied. “I can tell you that you’re not requesting aid from the Omnian government but from Omnia Ships.”
“One company?” Patrice asked.
“One man, Alex, who holds the majority of shares. The warships that Omnia Ships has built and are chasing the second sphere have come about because of some incredible technological innovations. How Omnia came into being, including Omnia Ships, is a long story. But, the upshot is this: Alex was setting up agreements with his ex-home world, Haraken; another single system, New Terra; and the multicolony civilization called the Confederation —”
“All human?” Patrice asked.
“Yes,” Olawale replied. “When I left Omnia, these governments were considering a contract with Omnia Ships that allowed them access to our warship and scout ship technology, which they could construct, in exchange for supplying Alex with half their contingent to fight with the Omnians.”
“And Alex thinks he will need that great a force,” Patrice said, sitting forward on the edge of her chair.
“Seems so,” Olawale replied.
“Would Alex consider offering Sol the same agreement?” Nikki asked.
“It’s not that simple, Nikki. Your technology is far behind that of these other worlds.”
“But we’re another system of humans, Olawale,” Patrice persisted. “We need protection, and we can help Alex. You know we won’t shirk from a fight, alien or not.”
“I have no doubt of the courage of you two,” Olawale said, shifting to the edge of his chair. His big hands were clasped tightly together. He desperately wanted to help the people of his original home world, but he couldn’t forget the many who had been sacrificed under the crushing boots of United Earth. To give Sol advanced technology, only to see the government backslide and use it against the populace would be unacceptable. Worse, it would scar Alex to think he’d done that.
Nikki hand signaled Patrice out of sight of Olawale. It asked her to wait and give Olawale time to think.
“I will promise you this,” Olawale said, after a few minutes of silence. “My report to Alex will be favorable. That might lead to something, or he might want to visit and see the changes for himself. Either way, don’t expect immediate results.”
“What if that sphere visits us in the meantime?” Patrice asked.
“Highly unlikely, and you don’t have to take my word for that,” Olawale said, raising his hands to fend off Patrice’s objections. “It’s the consideration of the SADEs that this second sphere is investigating systems on the other side of our worlds.”
“Meaning it will go through your worlds before us,” Patrice surmised.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Olawale replied.
“Enough said,” Nikki said, rising. “We’ll take you at your word, Olawale, and we hope to see Alex and you in the near future.”
The women said good night and left Olawale to spend several hours considering what he would say to Alex.
* * *
When the Rêveur drew near Idona, Patrice arranged for a small militia shuttle to transfer Nikki and her to the station. After the Idona vessel landed aboard the liner’s bay, the Omnians saw their guests off. It was a bittersweet moment — old friends separating again amid a cloud of uncertainty.
The last in line for goodbyes was Esteban.
“Thank you, Esteban,” Nikki said, hugging the SADE.
“I’m happy that you’ve been freed, Esteban,” Patrice said, when she embraced him, delivering a kiss to his cheek.
When the shuttle hatch closed behind its passengers, Esteban commented, “I rather like Earthers.”
Olawale laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You liked being hugged and kissed.”
“It was a pleasant experience,” Esteban replied.
Francis returned to the site of the probe’s detonation to collect the travelers, which had completed their destruction of the larger asteroids. The remaining rocks, much smaller in size, would burn up when they entered the atmosphere of any populated planets or the defense networks would remove them.
The Omnians settled in for the trip home, all of them wondering how their fleet was fairing.
-22-
Found and Lost
The squadron had transited seven times following their exit from the Worlds of Light. Each time the scout ships had searched and managed to pick up the sphere’s trail, and the fleet had followed. Telemetry was analyzed to determine the approximate length of time that the systems’ prime worlds had remained fallow since they were ravaged. The answers supplied by those estimations allowed the Omnians to count down the decades, as they closed on the Nua’ll ship.
By the SADEs’ calculation, there was a high probability that the last system entered might have contained the sphere. Now, the odds had reached nearly 100 percent that the Nua’ll vessel would be found in any one of the systems the scout ships were presently searching.
“We’re getting close, Alex,” Tatia said, her voice earnest.
“Very close,” Alex agreed, before turning in for a night’s sleep. Unfortunately for Alex, sleep never came.
“My love,” Renée murmured, half-awake in the early hours of the morning, “as much as I want you in our bed, I prefer you either paying attention to me or asleep. You’ve been doing neither. Go speak with Julien and resolve whatever is troubling you.”
Renée rolled to her other side, away from Alex, and he slipped out of bed, pinging Julien.
The difference in lifespans between humans and SADEs reared its ugly head, and Alex grunted in reply.
The two friends met on the warship’s bridge. A second lieutenant offered his command chair, but Alex waved him off. He sat with his back against the rear bulkhead, and Julien sat beside him.
The lieutenant never heard a word of Alex and Julien’s conversation. The pair communicated entirely via implant and comm. They might have conducted this exchange from their respective places, without meeting. It just wasn’t the way the two friends preferred to chat.
Julien leaned his head against the bulkhead, imitating Alex. It was something that humans and SADEs close to the pair noticed about them. They were slowly adopting the habits of each other. The words the other twins were often mentioned in close circles when referring to them.
Julien sent.
Julien halted his summary and his head snapped off the bulkhead, as he sent,
While the pair sat with their thoughts about what it meant to be hunting an adversary that might know it’s being chased, Julien sent,
* * *
Julien directed the squadron toward the new destination, and the fleet controllers dutifully executed their directives. Simultaneously, he notified the five other scout ships of the discovery and the rendezvous coordinates.
The energy and attitudes of the fleet’s personnel changed, especially aboard the New Terran warships, where the arguments and fights ceased overnight. Boredom was replaced by anticipation. Frustration gave way to focused intention.
Tatia reviewed the attack scenarios with her senior officers, depending on the final disposition of their adversary. The Minimum Risk had reported the sphere was underway within the system. With the scout ship’s orders to collect minimal telemetry and withdraw far beyond the system, there was no way the fleet could know whether the sphere was entering or exiting the system.