by Tony Healey
Eventually they came to an office. The doors sensed Clarke’s bio-signature and opened for him.
"Come in; take a seat," he told them.
The Admiral settled in on the other side of a long desk. Captain Singh and Commander King sat. They watched as Clarke removed his thick glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. He slid the glasses back on before continuing.
"I’ve had hardly any sleep in the past thirty-six hours," he explained. "So forgive me if I appear to be a little tired."
Singh sat forward. "What’s going on here?"
"Top secret shipment, Andrew. I’ve only just found out what it is myself. Orders came straight from the President," Admiral Clarke said. He let what he'd just said sink in for a second. "It seems the fleet's research division has opened Pandora’s Box."
"What do you mean?" Singh asked.
Clarke looked from Singh to Jessica. "Commander King, what you are about to hear is highly classified. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you’ll spend the rest of your life rotting in a penal colony somewhere out on the frontier."
Jessica swallowed. "No, Admiral."
Singh raised his hands. "Arthur, with all due respect . . . what’s good to say in front of me is good to say in front of Jess."
"Then I’ll defer to your judgement, Captain," Clarke said. He drew a deep breath. "Two days ago I received an encrypted communiqué from the President. Apparently they’ve been tinkering with something . . . and they didn’t expect it to work."
"What are we talking about here?" Singh asked.
"A weapon," Clarke said. "A weapon of such destructive force that it can destroy an entire system with only one shot. One shot. Can you imagine?"
Captain Singh slumped into his chair. "My God . . ."
"Admiral, is that what’s being put in our hold right now?" King asked.
Clarke nodded. "Yes."
Jessica looked from one to the other. "Well, is it safe?"
"We believe so, yes," Clarke said. "I’m afraid you don’t have the luxury of deciding whether to take it or not, Commander. It’s a done deal. Normally a starship would have a right to refuse a shipment it deemed potentially volatile. But not in this instance. The order comes from the top. It couldn’t possibly come from any higher."
"How did it get here?" Singh asked.
"The William Tell dropped it off about twelve hours ago," the Admiral said. "But as you know, she's just a light cruiser. We need a ship with some real defensive capabilities. And a Captain we can trust."
"So, you said it’s a weapon. What kind?" King asked him.
Clarke crossed his arms. "They call it a Sun Hammer. It’s a kind of canon that fires a specific type of catalytic energy. When that energy strikes the kind of material at play in the heart of a sun, the reaction is . . . explosive, to say the least."
"Go on . . ." Singh said.
"The weapon is fired. The star explodes, goes supernova," Clarke moved his hands as he explained. "It expands. The reaction destroys everything in its path, then the sun shrinks back rapidly. As quickly as it’s begun, the reaction is over. It shrinks to nothing. Collapses into itself. Gone, as if it never existed."
"That’s . . . unbelievable . . ." Jessica said.
"It’s unthinkable," Singh said, just as awestruck by the implications of such a device.
"Both of those and more. It’s more than a weapon of mass destruction. It’s more than anything we’ve had before in our arsenal. Not even the act of obliterating the surface of a planet is in the same league as destroying an entire star system. The President himself explained the Sun Hammer as an 'abominable weapon of total destruction.' And you can quote me on that one," Clarke said.
"So let’s get this right," Captain Singh said. "They messed about with this technology, then when they realised what it was they’d created, they decided to hide it away somewhere."
"Correct."
"Why not just destroy it?"
"To be honest, they don’t know what will happen to the type of energy source inside if it’s detonated in any way," Clarke said gravely. "Which is why we’ve taken the utmost care in how it’s been transported. As a wise scientist once said, 'Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'"
"Why not assign it first to a battleship. Why start with the William Tell at all? Surely it would've kept things simple. Why the complicated plan?" Singh asked.
Clarke shrugged. "Captain, you know I have my orders too. This is the way they wanted it. I just go with the flow, as we all do. I’d assume the change is for security reasons. Possibly there are concerns the weapon could be the target of forces in opposition to the Union."
"Admiral, if I may," Jessica said. "Where are we taking this thing?"
"Good question," Clarke said. He got up and walked to a holographic display at the centre of the room. He activated it and called up a star chart. It moved past a dozen systems Jessica recognised from memory and even more that she didn’t. The Admiral brought the display to rest on a distant star system, several days travel from any civilised systems. "Here, in the Takei System. We have a secret underground facility on the third planet, guarded by several battle cruisers in orbit. There are only a dozen people within the Union aware of its purpose, including the two of you."
"So what are our official orders?" Singh asked.
"Captain, you are to proceed with haste to the Takei System. You are to observe a complete communication blackout during the journey. Your course has been carefully plotted to avoid any possible encounters with Draxx forces, however, it will take you through several heavily inhabited systems. You are not to stop while in transit. Just keep going until you reach your destination."
"Understood."
"I’ve assigned two of my people to the Defiant to assist in the transport of the device. One of them, Doctor Grissom, knows more about its inner workings than anyone. He travelled here on the William Tell. Doctor Grissom will be responsible for making regular checks of the Sun Hammer to ensure it is stable."
"And the other?" Jessica asked.
"The other is Doctor Russell. He’s one of my own. He’s to assist Doctor Grissom with whatever he needs. Show them both full co-operation," Clarke told them.
"Aye," Captain Singh and Commander King said in unison.
The Admiral showed them to the door. "Good luck, the pair of you. Captain, you’ll find a copy of the orders in your quarters upon your return."
"Thank you," Singh said and shook Clarke’s hand.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Commander," Admiral Clarke said to Jessica as he saw her out.
"If I could ask one last question, Admiral?" she asked.
"Go on," Clarke said.
"Was the weapon tested?" she asked. "Are the consequences of firing the Sun Hammer purely theoretical? Surely it hasn’t been fired on a sun for real . . ."
Clarke looked down at his shoes. When he looked back up, she could have sworn she saw regret in his lined face. And knowledge.
"Until we meet again, Commander," he said, and shut the door.
25.
The conference room was half empty with only the Captain, Commander King, and Lieutenant Commander Greene present. They waited for the two doctors from the station.
"I don’t like it," King said. "It’s like carrying nitro. We don’t know how stable it is. Certainly we know how volatile it is when fired. I mean, what if it blows?"
Captain Singh sighed. "I know Jess, but we don’t have a choice. Besides, look at the great service we’ll be doing to the entire galaxy by hiding this thing."
"I have become death, destroyer of worlds," Greene said. They both looked at him. "Sorry, it’s something a famous scientist said centuries ago on Earth. It’s always stuck in my head."
"An apt quote, Del," King said. "The Admiral referred to it as being like they’d opened Pandora’s Box. That’s pretty apt too."
Captain Singh sipped his glass of water. "We’re human. We h
ave to push things as far as we can. We don’t know the limit's there until we can reach out and touch it. The evidence of that is sitting in our hangar bay under armed guard."
The doors to the conference room opened. Dr. Grissom and Dr. Russell walked in.
"Welcome gentlemen," Singh said. He got up and shook their hands. "Please have a seat. Can I get you anything? Some water?"
They both shook their heads as they sat.
"Thank you Captain, but no," Dr. Grissom said. "We just had the nicest coffee I’ve had in a long time. Your mess hall is excellent."
"I don’t usually get decent coffee at the station," Dr. Russell explained. "Not this far out."
"Well, I like my crew awake at their posts. Reprocessed coffee grains don’t quite hit it," Singh said. "I trust you’ve been shown your quarters, and that they’re satisfactory?"
"Certainly," Dr. Russell said.
"Good. Now, doctor Grissom, this weapon has been secured correctly in the hangar?" Singh asked.
Dr. Grissom shifted in his seat. Jessica looked him over. He was middle aged, clean shaven, slicked-back dark grey hair. Piercing sapphire eyes. Dr. Grissom was handsome, but Jessica sensed there was something else to him, in the rigidity of his movements, in the air of formality about him. He wasn’t comfortable in this type of setting, not entirely, but he knew he had to make a show of being so.
"Strapped to an anti-grav platform aboard one of your shuttles and locked in with magneto clamps, with two armed guards watching over it. This vessel could lose all gravity tractions, do a somersault, and it would still remain in place inside that shuttle craft. Rest assured, Captain, that weapon is going nowhere," Grissom said.
"You’ve worked with this technology?" King asked him.
"I was on the original team that conceived of it, though I wish I weren’t. The Sun Hammer is not a weapon, on that we’re all wrong in defining it as such. It is a mistake. An awful, regretful mistake I wish we’d never been a part of. However, I was," Grissom said. "Now we must take it to the farthest reaches of our known galaxy and hide it twenty-two miles under the ground."
"I think you’ll find we all share your sentiments, doctor," King said. "We just want to make sure it won’t blow up during transit. We pass through some heavily populated systems along the way . . ."
Dr. Russell cleared his throat. "Uh, both the doctor and myself will be checking the device every six hours and will monitor any change in temperature or radiation. If it were connected to your reactor, the Sun Hammer would be housed in a specially lined chamber."
"This thing’s radioactive?" Greene asked, appalled.
"It does emit very slight degrees of radiation when inactive, however they’re no more harmful than what you'd be exposed to on a sunny day. We will carefully monitor it to ensure the emissions do not change," Russell explained.
Greene sipped his own water now.
"Well, I believe that’s about everything. I don’t see any reason to wait around. We disembark within the half hour," Captain Singh told them all.
"Thank you Captain," Grissom said. He got up from the table. "We’ll both get out of your hair."
"Very well. Doctor Grissom, Doctor Russell, I’ll catch up with you both once we’re under way," Singh told them.
Grissom thanked them all and left.
"Friendly enough," Greene said.
Jessica nodded. She was contemplating how a man of Grissom's age could have such bright blue eyes.
*
Ten minutes later the Defiant cruised away from the station, carrying within its belly the Sun Hammer, the most destructive man-made force ever created.
26.
Captain Singh studied the astronomical charts over Ensign Rayne’s shoulder.
"We’re just leaving the Dunbar System behind, sir," Rayne said, showing him where they were on the chart.
"What’s this disturbance here?" Singh asked, pointing to an area ahead of their present course.
"Our charts update with the latest information regarding galactic weather systems gathered from probes in every system. That is an ion storm," she explained. "It’s not the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’ll still be a bumpy ride."
"And we can’t use the Jump Drive through that," Singh said knowingly. "Any way of getting around it?"
Rayne shook her head. "Not unless you want to cost us a couple of days travel. Although command have plotted this route for us, they couldn’t have known things like this would develop."
Singh straightened up. "I’d just as soon have this whole trip over and done with. Very well, Ensign. Keep an eye out. How long until we reach it?"
"A little under eighteen hours," Rayne said.
Captain Singh returned to the command chair. "Everyone listen up. In eighteen hours we will be dropping from Jump to cross an ion storm. I want full system checks from now until then. Anything we won’t need, shut it down. We don't need things blowing if the Defiant is hit by a discharge of ions."
He turned to Jessica and smirked.
"Time to batten down the hatches, Commander. Looks like the sea’s getting choppy."
*
"What about the hull plating?" Commander Greene asked the Chief.
Meryl Gunn cocked an eye at him. "What about it?"
"The Captain wants the extra power there. We can’t take any chances," Greene explained.
The Chief wiped her hands on a greasy rag. "Look, don’t you worry yourself over it, Del. Leave me to get things down here ship shape. You lot worry about your end of things."
"I’m just asking, Chief . . ." Greene said defensively.
"I know the routine. My team’s already on it. I bet you’ve not sorted out what I asked you to do, though, eh? Requisitioning those parts for the next time we’re in dock?" she asked him.
Greene took a step back. "No, not yet, but I’m on it . . ."
"There we go. Like I said, leave me to mine, and you deal with yours. Then everyone’s happy," she said and sarcastically pinched his cheek.
The Chief walked away. Green rubbed his cheek with one hand but as he left the engineering section he couldn’t help but smirk at the woman’s brass balls.
On his way back to the bridge, he passed Dr. Russell. "Hey doc."
"Good evening, uh . . ." Russell struggled to recall his name.
"Del. Just Del, doc. How’s it going?"
"Fine, fine. I’m about to get my head down for the night. Doctor Grissom will take over checking the device. Everything appears normal so far," Russell explained.
"Good. That’s a bit of a relief. I swear I have night sweats with that thing only a couple of decks under my bunk," Greene said. "Well anyway, good night doc."
"And you, uh, Del," Russell said.
*
Dr. Grissom looked in the mirror. His quarters were only half lit. He studied his face. Everything looked as it should. Beneath what was there, his natural features almost entirely came from his Mother. Apart from the eyes. They were his Father staring right back at him.
He ran a hand over his chin.
Not long now, he thought. Soon we’ll be hitting that storm. Just as planned.
He snapped out of it. There was someone at the door. He opened it.
It was Dr. Russell.
"Evening, Doctor Grissom. Just thought I’d let you know I’m off to bed now."
"Oh. Very well," Grissom said in a flat tone, unable to fully disguise his disinterest. "Good night."
"And you," Dr. Russell said, oblivious, and walked off. The door closed again.
Grissom went back to the mirror.
Not long now, he told himself again.
27.
The Defiant barely crawled through the volatile ion storm.
Commander King unstrapped herself from the command chair as Captain Singh arrived on the bridge.
He took his seat. "Thank you, Commander. Status?"
The ship trembled around them, every inch of its outer hull subject to the cosmic turbulence of the storm.
"We’ve had to reduce speed to one fifth," King reported. "And the Chief has increased power to the hull plating."
"Understood. I’ll take it from here. Go and get yourself something to eat," Singh told her.
"Are you sure, sir?"
He nodded. On her way out he said, "Tell the cook to save me some of that pie, will you? I’ll throw him in the brig if he gives it all away like last time."
Jessica chuckled. "Aye."
*
"Dr. Grissom" was due to inspect the device, even though he was not aboard. Sonjiin of Nyular checked his timepiece. Everything had gone as expected. Once again he found himself in the mirror.
He had to restrain himself from touching the hidden activator on his neck that would change his face back to that of his own. Sonjiin was eager to leave the identity of Dr. Grissom behind. After today, he’d have no further use for it. And he'd look a good twenty years younger, too.
The Union idiots had no idea just how easy it was to infiltrate their inner circles. To convince them, with some minor tampering of their databases, that he’d been there when the thing was created. It was all a lie. However, the real Dr. Grissom had worked on the Sun Hammer during the early stages of its construction before being reassigned to another station. That foundation was more than enough for Sonjiin's people to build on.
And he’d not seen it tested. But he’d heard about it. They all had.
That was why his people – the Outland Raiders – had to have it. With the power of the Sun Hammer at their disposal, the Union would fall to its knees . . .
Sonjiin studied his face again. Beneath it was a smooth, youthful face for one who had done so much. The other members of the Raiders simply called him "Blue Eyes," and he didn’t mind the name. The media reported his various acts of terror, calling him a faceless menace. Soon, they would have a face to put to their reports of anarchy across the galaxy.
Sonjiin closed his eyes, thought back to his childhood back on Nyular. Green fields, blue skies. The migrating avian species the locals called "Cloud Chasers" that occupied the peaks of the Kreskus mountains. His Mother’s cooking in the evenings. Listening to his Father’s stories when they would fish, on those hot days when it would be a crime to do anything else . . .