Immortal Guardian: Hoast Saga Book 2 (Host Saga)

by Michael Farlow

  The captain and his crew all had red crests signifying the warrior, or Red, class of the Arkon Empire. They were not the ruling class, however, who had blue crests and were called Blues. At the bottom of the Arkon order were the Browns, a number of which were on the Moor, filling technical and support roles.

  “Captain, we are at the coordinates of the speed transition, but we can find nothing,” said the sensor operator of the Arkon scout ship.

  “I can see that for myself!” said the irritated scout ship commander. “Continue on the same course and increase speed as we discussed earlier. Astrogation, what do we know about this system?”

  “Little to nothing, Captain,” said the astrogator. “Sensors suggest eight planets circling the central yellow star. Many of those planets have one or more moons, but that is all.”

  “Then start a new star chart. This discovery might be worth our while. Honor to us all if we handle this well.”

  The Moor accelerated along the path the Aurora had taken hours before.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Allison Cooper with a news alert. Sources close to the Chinese and Russian governments have revealed that there is renewed conflict on the Moon. We are fortunate to have with us again retired US Air Force Gen. Herb Owens. General, what can you tell us about this latest event on the Moon, and what is the impact to all of us here on Earth?”

  “Thank you, Allison. To begin with, the US Department of Defense has confirmed through national intelligence sources that conflict and attacks similar to the last ones have taken place on the Moon. Both the Fan Lau and the Tycho sites appear to have been damaged. To what extent, we aren’t sure. Neither are we sure who did what to whom. Of greatest concern to all of us, however, is that both countries have increased their alert level to the most extreme. That would be the equivalent of DEFCON 1 in our system.”

  “That’s not good news, General. Can you explain the implications to us as Americans and, in fact, to the world?”

  “No, it is not good news, Allison. We have not seen any country go to the equivalent of DEFCON 1 since the end of the Korean War. It is, literally, unprecedented for over seventy years. What is more, my contacts in the Pentagon say the US has been forced to go to DEFCON 3.”

  “Surely the US is not thinking of going to war!” said Allison with some alarm.

  “No, Allison, we are not planning to go to war. But if the Chinese and the Russians do, the US must be in a satisfactory defensive position to protect itself. DEFCON 3 takes us to a high level of readiness, just in case.”

  “Stay with us, General, as we break for news of a new toothpaste that will give you whiter teeth in just two weeks.”

  In his control center, an anxious Anikin was out of his chair and pacing back and forth. “Mikhael, tell Major Bovarin to land at the Tycho site and render assistance. Then tell him to load up everyone and get back here in the shortest possible time.”

  “Yes, General. The Oryol has already landed and says there are only three survivors.”

  “Then get them into the Oryol, and the bodies as well if it doesn’t take more than fifteen minutes. I want the Oryol back here more than I want dead bodies. And make it fast,” Anikin said as he stopped pacing and pointed an emphasizing finger at his trusted aide.

  “Yes, General.”

  Then the taxed general renewed his pacing, hands clasped behind his back. What do I need to do next? he thought and stopped abruptly, facing Mikhael again. “And after that, get hold of those fools in Moscow to see what insane response they are thinking of. Also, send a car for my family and any of yours you want to protect. Bring them here and we will shift to the emergency bunker below us.”

  “Yes, General,” said Mikhael with great concern.

  “Colonel Fei!” yelled Gen. Li Jing.

  “Yes, General. How can I help you?” asked a nervous colonel, rubbing a hand up and down one pant leg.

  “Are the Chang’e 5 and 6 back on Earth?”

  “Yes, General. Both have completed fueling and arming and await your next orders.”

  “Good! Put as many technicians as possible in each craft. Include at least one intelligence officer. When complete, launch both craft for the Moon,” commanded Jing.

  “Yes, General. What is the mission?” asked a confused Fei.

  “First, I want both craft to go to the Russian site and investigate it. See what we can find as intelligence. After that, fly both to Fan Lau and see to repairs. I want that site operational as soon as possible. Keep both spacecraft on the Moon for as long as possible to protect against another attack. In any event, I want at least one craft on the Moon at all times. This is a great opportunity, Fei. We must take advantage of it.”

  “Yes, General,” said a disturbed Fei as he rapidly left the general’s office to issue orders.

  “Van?” said Dick over his implant.

  “What is it, Dick?”

  “Where are you right now?”

  Dick’s voice carried more stress than usual, Van thought. “We’re about to enter Earth atmosphere on our way to Site R. Why?”

  “Do you have control of the site now?”

  “No. Harry and two of your guys are there right now trying to gain access. Again, why?”

  “Things are really going to shit here, Van. The Chinese and Russians are now on a war footing, and there is near panic everywhere. I suggest you pick up the team at Site R and get back to the Moon base pronto.”

  “But Meier is still in control of the site!” argued Van.

  “That may not matter if things go bad. We don’t need you, Harry, and the team exposed if there is a nuclear exchange,” said Dick.

  “You think that’s a real possibility?”

  “Absolutely. And if you are down here when it breaks out, you can’t be of much help. So get back to the Moon!” emphasized Dick.

  “What about you guys?”

  “We don’t matter as much as you guys.”

  This made Van feel small. Intense feelings of regret that he had put all of this in motion and his friends at risk rose up from his gut, tasting like bile and, maybe, a touch of fear. But it had to be done, didn’t it? And we are in the risk business. But still, it’s a hard pill to swallow. I may have let this problem develop, but I didn’t count on Meier going so far. We have to put a stop to him and this conflict before it goes too far and puts an end to the goal of global unification. At this moment, however, I have to take care of my friends, who are needed! Why did I ever agree to do this?

  “The hell you don’t. Get yourself to the warehouse right now and I’ll have a shuttle pick you up.”

  “But you don’t have a disguised one. Won’t that blow your secret?” asked Dick with concern.

  “As you said Dick, it may not matter. So get your collective butts to the warehouse immediately.” Van disconnected. “Harry, you heard all that, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  “Can you remotely control CS1 and CS2 well enough to pick Dick and his folks up? The Truman may not hold enough people.”

  “I have already given both shuttles the commands, Commander. They can fly fast enough to pick up Mr. Carson and his people and return to Moon base by the time you pick us up and return. You realize, however, that Mr. Meier will be free to do almost anything he wants when we are gone. I can stay behind and continue to seek access.”

  “No, Harry, we all go. And right now, Meier can do what he wants regardless of if we’re there or not. Tell the boys to get ready to leave. We’ll be there in just a few minutes. Oh, one more thing: I’m sure there will be people not briefed on what we do when we pick up Dick’s people. So keep the view screens in the CS1 and 2 cabins off and instruct Dick not to mention they are on the Moon or let them go below Level 2 or to the maintenance facility next door. Dick can play host until we get there.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Allison Cooper again. In a few moments, we expect the president of the United States to make an addres
s to the country. We don’t know the specifics, but sources close to the White House suggest that he will be making a statement regarding the Chinese and Russian escalating conflict. Please stand by after these words from our sponsor, Toujour Soap—the soap nine out of ten of the most beautiful women prefer to use.”

  CHAPTER 33

  A little over an hour later, the Enterprise entered the Moon-base flight deck. CS1 and CS2 were sitting empty with ramps down but no people milling about. Of course! What was he thinking? With the flight deck doors open for their arrival, there would be no atmosphere, no air.

  “If Dick made it, he must have everyone in Level 2,” Van said, addressing Harry as they all debarked the Enterprise.

  “Yes, Commander. He contacted me just minutes ago to say they all arrived safely.”

  “Good, good. Did he say how many are with him?”

  “About seventy-five, Commander.”

  Van stopped in midstep. “Seventy-five?”

  “Yes, Commander. Thirty Carson employees and their families, including Mr. Carson and his wife.”

  “Oh boy. For Dick to bring families, things are more volatile on Earth than I thought.” Van resumed walking to the elevator and Level 2. “Before I meet the families and all the extras, tell Dick to meet us in the Ops Center with Barbara and everyone else briefed in. Especially the Aurora crew.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  Ten minutes later, Van stood before a small but determined-looking group he now knew well. “OK, the fact that we have a bunch of new people here, including families, is because things are not going well on Earth—because of the Chinese and the Russian activities that you know about. What some of you don’t know is that Meier has taken control of Site R and, in fact, has been the actual one shooting up bases on the Moon, or at least causing the attacks to occur. This was not something that any of us expected, to say the least. And things have become too dire too fast for us to explain things to any government—US, Chinese, or Russian. They’d never believe us, and we could only make things worse in the end by exposing the Host and our resources.

  “A few hours ago, we destroyed the B1, which was on its way back to Earth after causing mayhem again between the Chinese and the Russians. Meier was not flying that shuttle. We think it was his security officer, Dieter Hellman.”

  This caused a hush among many of the people in the room.

  “But more importantly,” Van resumed, “if the two contentious nations launch weapons at each other, we and the Aurora may be able to help. This is what I think we should do….”

  “To all of America and those of our friends listening from other countries, I greet you with a heavy heart. As you know, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation are in serious dispute over actions on our planet’s Moon. The UN Security Council, as well as myself and the leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany, and ten other countries, have spoken to both opposing leaders. We have urged a peaceful resolution to their differences and have offered numerous safe locations where they can personally meet and talk. So far, both countries have declined our offers and advice.

  “Since yesterday, the United States and other allied countries are on high defensive alert to ensure we are safe from any errant threats the potential conflict might produce. I say again, we are taking a defensive posture, not an offensive one. We do not want nor do we encourage in any way unprovoked hostile actions. But we will defend ourselves if necessary.

  “I or my offices will keep you informed of our success in calming this issue. As my family and I are doing, please go about your daily productive lives. Be assured the government is doing its job of protecting all citizens. Thank you.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Allison Cooper. That was the president of the United States. To summarize his statement, all efforts are being made by the US as well as all other major governments to find a peaceful solution to the tension between China and Russia. He emphasizes that US alert posture is defensive only and there are no plans for, as he said, unprovoked hostile actions on the part of the US. Here with me again is retired US Air Force Gen. Herb Owens. General, what did you think about the president’s remarks? Did he put you and other Americans at ease?”

  “To answer your first question, Allison, the president’s address was what you would expect. He recognizes that a serious issue exists and that our elected leaders are acting in our best interest to protect us. My contacts in the Pentagon tell me that we have gone to DEFCON 2. As the name implies, that is a defensive alert posture. What we should also recognize is that all our offensive systems are also on that same level of alert just as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

  “As to your second question, I think Americans want to know what is happening. Knowledge helps calm stressed nerves. However, knowing of the seriousness of the current DEFCON level as well as the intransigence of the conflicting parties, I am not at ease.”

  “Thank you again, General. We will return with Gen. Herb Owens after these words from Romance, a new fragrance that will add spice to any woman’s life.”

  Van and his crew watched the president’s statement from the screens in the Moon-base Operations Center.

  “What do you think, Dick?” asked Van of his old friend.

  “I think everything is about to go to shit, and you need to get out of here so you can be ready with your plan.”

  “I agree. Can you hold the fort here with Barbara and some of Brice’s team?”

  “We can do that, but one of the women is pregnant and may go into labor at any time. We would need the doctor for that. Can Dr. Ramos stay behind?”

  Everyone turned to look at Rose, including Barbara, whose squinted eyes looked over the beautiful new doctor with hostility.

  “I can stay,” Rose agreed. “The Aurora isn’t going very far, and I don’t expect the crew to be in much danger. Plus, there is a very good medical facility here that I am familiar with.”

  “Perfect,” said Van. “Then the crew needs to board the Aurora immediately and start the prelaunch checks. Harry and I will follow in a few minutes.”

  The room quickly emptied, except for Van, Harry, and Barbara.

  “Why am I here and not on the Aurora?” asked Barbara in a cold tone.

  “Excuse me?” asked Van, puzzled.

  “I would think that being on the Aurora would be an excellent opportunity to collect intelligence, which is my job,” she said.

  “Under other circumstances I would agree. However, you aren’t yet familiar with the Aurora or this facility. We can’t take the time to teach you about the Aurora, but you can learn about this facility and this center. Harry has developed a program that will help you learn, and you can access it from any of the terminals here,” said Van.

  “Yes, Harry mentioned that, and I guess you’re right. There is a lot I can learn here. Will you miss your doctor?” asked Barbara with a look Van had never seen before.

  “She’s not my doctor. She’s the ship’s doctor, as well as the chief medical officer for this facility. When you get to know her, you’ll see how lucky we all are that she is part of this group.”

  “Yes of course, and I do look forward to getting to know her,” said Barbara as she stepped out, leaving the room a little colder than it was before.

  The Aurora was performing perfectly. The brand-new cables had replaced the ones in engineering and the plasma torpedo bay. Both CS1 and 2 were in the flight deck, as well as two of the new fighters.

  “Commander, we are in geosync orbit above and between the Asian continent and Russia, as planned,” said Jan from the astrogation station.

  “Very well. Harry, what do the ship’s sensors tell us?” asked Van, reminding himself they needed sensor operators for the future.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, Commander.”

  “Stan, everything shipshape?” asked Van, using an old naval term.

  “All systems are green, and engineering reports the new cables are working as planned.”

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sp; “Then I guess we’re playing the waiting game. Maintain position and stealth mode. Weapons, be ready as planned.”

  “All weapons systems are up and ready, Commander. Jimmy is giving the plasma torpedo bay one last look. Never can be too prepared, like my grandma said,” replied Ross with a smile.

  After another day of rest, Meier sat in the Site R operations center watching the developing news about the conflict he had started. No mention was made of any conflicts between spaceships. Dieter was long past his time for return and could not be reached by the radios in the center. Whether it was stress, fatigue, the ALS drugs, or some combination of things, Meier was no longer coherent. The profit motive was gone, replaced by some dark sense of illogical purpose.

  “He must be dead,” said Meier out loud. “Oh well, that leaves only me to push the Chinese a little further. But it is getting harder to walk, much less control a spaceship. But I must try. The Chinese and the Russians need to be put in their places, and I’m the one to do it. The world will thank me for it.”

  With difficulty, Meier arose from his chair, gathered up the Chad computer in Dieter’s backpack, and slowly went to the elevator to descend to Level 3 and the awaiting B2. He wasn’t sure he would be back to this site, so he took the computer just in case he needed it later. With the extra weight, it took all his concentration and effort, but he finally made it to the pilot’s seat of the B2 and placed the computer on the deck behind him.