Peacekeeper Pathogen (Galactic Alliance Book 6)

by Doug Farren

  “No doubt thanks to the Gwon equipment they had in their possession,” Tom said.

  “True. It’s a shame it was all destroyed. One of the researchers was a brilliant microbiologist. He also kept meticulous, hand-written notes. Buried- - -“

  “I thought everything was destroyed in the fire,” King Syan interrupted.

  “Almost everything,” Tom corrected. “The microbiologist kept the notebook on his person at all times in case he needed to write down a thought no matter where he was. He had it on him when he was evacuated from the facility.”

  “That notebook is filled with a wealth of information,” Flothir continued. “Buried in the notes, I found a reference to a chemical formula he’d seen displayed on one of the Gwon instruments while he was using the machine with a sample of the King’s tissue. From what I can determine, they were putting samples in the machines and then experimenting by randomly selecting items from their menu and then observing the results. Next to the formula was a single heavily underlined word—‘No’. On a hunch, I manufactured a small sample of the compound. It’s very hard to make and tends to break down quickly. When I presented it to a sample of your tissue the result was an immediate destruction of the pathogen.”

  “You found a cure!” Tom exclaimed before anyone else could react.

  “Truth?” King Syan asked.

  Flothir looked at Tom and said, “It should cure King Syan as well as all dirt-eaters. But it’s very specific in how it affects the pathogen. It has no effect unless it’s actively generating spores. It won’t kill the spores and it won’t stop it from killing someone once it’s been activated but it does bring a rapid halt to the generation of new spores.”

  “That means I can go home!” King Syan said.

  “If it works, yes,” Flothir replied.

  “When can we try it?” Lashpa asked.

  “I need to run a few more tests to confirm it won’t cause any additional harm,” Flothir replied. “A few days at the most. We’re not sure how it should be administered either so we’ll have to start with a topical application and if that doesn’t work we’ll start out with very small intravenous doses and increase them until the pathogen responds.”

  Tom turned to King Syan and said, “We leave tomorrow morning for Safa, the homeworld of the Purists. If this cure works, I guess I’ll see you on Gwon-Go when this is over.”

  “If not there, you know where to find me,” King Syan said, raising his arms to indicate the walls of his room.

  “I don’t like seeing you having to live like this,” Tom said.

  “I’m fine,” the King replied. “I’m learning more about your people than I ever would have had I remained on Gwon-Go. I’ve been told I’ll be able to live a long life as long as I’m under constant medical care and for that I’m grateful.”

  “You’re the most optimistic person I’ve ever met,” Tom said. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “Don’t worry,” Flothir said. “We’ll find a cure. I’ll keep you informed.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Good bye King Syan,” Lashpa said. “Given Biomaster Flothir’s expertise, the next time I see you will be without a wall between us.”

  Chapter 33

  Lashpa moved her queen and called “Check.”

  Even though he could have taken the queen, Tom chose to slide a pawn forward to block the attack. A less experienced player would have thought she had made a plunder. But taking the queen would have opened a hole in his defenses resulting in a checkmate in another three moves.

  “We are approaching Safa,” Orion informed him.

  “ETA?” Lashpa asked having heard the same information.

  “Dropping to normal in six minutes. We’ll be in orbit three hours after that.”

  “We have time to finish then,” Tom said. “Your move.”

  They continued their game for another hour as the ships navigated themselves through space on approach to Safa. Tom eventually realized that defeat was impossible to avoid. Tipping over his king, he said, “Congratulations. It’s getting almost impossible to beat you.”

  “I had an outstanding instructor,” Lashpa said, waving her hand to clear the virtual board. “Krish—status?”

  “Still on approach to Safa,” the ship’s AI instantly replied. “The fleet has been transmitting our intentions since dropping out of stardrive. The only response was one received a few minutes ago stating that the High Sultan has rejected the Alliance Grand Council’s decision and that any attempt at overthrowing his legitimate government would be viewed as an act of war.”

  “Any activity on the surface?” Tom asked.

  “None detectable so far. Terran agents on the surface have reported that all key government personnel have made their way into the security zone surrounding the palace.”

  “We’ve had unconfirmed reports that the palace is protected by a shield,” Lashpa said. “They may be preparing to turn it on.”

  “Incoming transmission from Fleet Admiral Yasumi,” Krish announced.

  Even though they were separated from each other by hundreds of kilometers, the full immersion virtual reality world created by the AIs gave Tom and Lashpa the impression that Admiral Yukiko Yasumi had appeared before them. From the Admiral’s point of view, she saw the image of Tom and Lashpa appear on her screen as they normally would.

  “Peacekeeper Wilks, Peacekeeper Krish,” she said, giving them each a small nod. “My tactical officer believes the Purists will be raising a shield over the palace as soon as we enter orbit. I’ve been told we have an agent inside the shield perimeter. My plan is to try to negotiate the High Sultan’s surrender while the agent attempts to deactivate the shield if it actually exists. If that fails, we’ll proceed as planned for this eventuality. I’m assuming your roles remain unchanged?”

  “Correct,” Lashpa replied.

  “Very well, Yasumi out.”

  “Time to get down to business,” Tom told Lashpa. “See you on the surface.”

  “Be safe,” Lashpa replied. “Try not to lose an arm this time.”

  “You lost one too,” Tom quickly pointed out just before breaking the link.

  The virtual world around him dissolved and Tom found himself sitting in the command chair of his ship. After using the restroom, he sat back down and said, “God mode.”

  The ship’s computer once again took control of his cybernetic systems and created the illusion that he was hovering in space just outside his ship. The gently curved surface of Safa lay before him. As he looked around, Orion placed icons in his field of view allowing him to identify the other ships in the spread-out fleet. Looking down at the planet, Tom noted that Safa’s capital, Balab was over the horizon at the moment.

  “Full planetary view,” he ordered, then added, “Manual controls.”

  The spherical orb of the planet became transparent with only the relevant features highlighted allowing him to see their target even though it was not in his direct line of sight. The city of Balab was highlighted by a blue dot which was rapidly approaching. A set of virtual controls appeared in front of him allowing him to take manual control of the ship at any time.

  Working in a virtual environment had taken a great deal of training. It was easy to forget that what he was seeing was not real and that he was actually sitting in a chair in the command center of his ship. Even though he believed he was moving his arms and head around, no actual physical movement was taking place. The AI’s ability to mesh with his cybernetics was so perfect that it could simulate the feel of his arm as he moved it in the simulation. His physical arm, however, remained where it was. If someone had been watching Tom while he was in this mode, they might easily have thought he was dead.

  A yellow icon suddenly appeared, hovering over Balab and indicating that a shield was now in place.

  “Attention all fleet units,” Fleet Admiral Yasumi broadcast. “The Purists have raised a shield over the palace. There has been no response from Safa. Execute plan alph
a.”

  Three large troop carriers broke formation and headed for the planet, a pair of destroyers leading the way. Tom and Lashpa remained with the bulk of the fleet as it settled into position 300 kilometers over the planet’s capital.

  The Purists waited until the approaching ships were within 50 kilometers of the palace before opening fire. Three powerful beams of energy leapt out from within the shielded area of the palace, striking one of the carriers. The ship’s shield blazed with deflected energy sending huge arcs of plasma into the upper atmosphere. The sources were identified and 120 milliseconds after being fired upon, the fleet counter-attacked with devastating results.

  Coordinated through a linked tactical data network, all available beam weapons from the destroyers as well as the carriers simultaneously opened fire on one of the Purist installations; nothing was held in reserve. The Admiral’s flagship, the Terran battleship Denmark, as well as most of the rest of the fleet’s ships, added their own firepower. The incredible concentration of energy instantaneously overloaded the shield at the point of impact, allowing a significant portion to penetrate.

  Massive bolts of plasma shot out from the shield, tearing through buildings and starting a range of fires. Thunderous booms more powerful than anything produced by the largest bolt of lightning nature could generate, caved in walls and blew out windows. Behind the shield, the beams struck the weapon, melting through its armor in less than two seconds before turning the entire weapon installation into a glowing pool of smoking, molten steel.

  As soon as the first weapon had been silenced, the fleet swung their guns to the second and then the third. Eight seconds later, the beams winked out. The carrier had escaped with only minor damage to its outer armor plating, a glowing arc indicating where the shield had been breached. The Purists had lost three of their powerful energy cannons and suffered a terrible amount of devastation to the surrounding civilian buildings.

  “Attention Safa!” Admiral Yasumi began, broadcasting across as many frequencies as possible. “The government of Mahaajir Hadi has rejected our offer of a peaceful transition of power. The attack on our ships has forced us to retaliate, resulting in the destruction of civilian real estate. We have demonstrated our overwhelmingly superior firepower. We call upon the government of Mahaajir Hadi to lower the palace shield and surrender. Failure to comply will result in further destruction and unnecessary casualties.”

  Although she commanded a far superior force with more than enough firepower to reduce the palace to a molten lake, the Admiral refrained from attempting to knock out the palace’s shield generator. Doing so would have resulted in a horrific loss of civilian life surrounding the palace due to the energy of the attack being deflected away from the shield. Earth’s primary goal was to take over the government of Safa with as little loss of civilian life as possible.

  The carriers began deploying their troops. Armored and individually shielded landing pods carrying a dozen marines each detached themselves from the carriers and quickly descended to the surface. As soon as they landed, marines wearing powered combat suits spilled out and began the task of going from building to building, rounding up anyone they came in contact with. The goal was to get them as far away from the palace shield as possible. Anyone who resisted or brandished a weapon was dealt with accordingly. The injured were treated as best as possible and then helped to evacuate.

  “Link me in with Admiral Yasumi,” Tom ordered.

  A moment later, the Admiral’s face appeared, floating in front of him in the virtual environment the Orion continued to maintain.

  “Are you sure anyone down there is listening?” Tom asked.

  “We show an active receiver on our primary military channel,” the Admiral replied. “They hear us. They’re just choosing to ignore us.”

  Moving in a carefully organized pattern, the marines quickly began clearing the area surrounding the palace. It didn’t take long before the civilians understood that the marines were not there to kill them or even arrest them but to get them out of harm’s way. Fifteen minutes after landing, a large crowd of people were streaming away from the area around the palace.

  While the ground forces were clearing the area, Admiral Yasumi continued her attempts at establishing contact with the palace. After sending yet another message, she threw her hands up in the air and turned to Tom for help.

  “You’ve had more dealings with these people than I have,” she said. “Why don’t they answer?”

  “We’re dealing with fanatics,” Tom replied. “They don’t behave rationally—at least not what normal people define as rational thought.”

  “Attention invaders!” a voice Orion identified as that of Mahaajir Hadi began. “Safa will never allow itself to be ruled by aliens or an alien controlled government. Withdraw your forces immediately or I will be forced to take action. You have ten minutes to comply.”

  “We are here under the orders of the World President,” Yasumi replied. “Safa has been declared a colony of Earth and will now be governed by an Earth-appointed- - -”

  “Leave! Now!” Mahaajir Hadi screamed. “This is our world and we would all rather die than be ruled by the likes of you!”

  “Have you discussed this with your citizens?” Admiral Yasumi calmly asked.

  “All of my people will gladly die before bowing down to alien filth. We will be remembered for a thousand years and others will take up- - -” There was a crashing noise followed by a grunt as the signal suddenly stopped.

  “The receiver is off-line,” Tom heard someone on the Denmark say.

  “What the hell is going on down there?” Admiral Yasumi asked, running a hand through her hair.

  “Admiral,” Tom began, “You need to take down that shield now. Mahaajir Hadi is mad and I wouldn’t put it past him to nuke his own population.”

  “You can’t be serious?” she asked.

  “These people believe it’s better to die a martyr than to surrender,” Tom replied. “If he has the ability, he’ll murder everyone in the city.”

  “Good Lord!” she replied. Spinning around, Tom watched her arm shoot out and toggle an icon on one of the screens to her left. “Attention all ground forces! We’ll be targeting the palace shield in three minutes. Get those civilians out of there!”

  Turning to her right, the Admiral said, “Weapons, target the palace; all beam weapons, full power. Hold fire until I give the command.”

  “Orion,” Tom ordered. “Cancel God mode. Begin descent. Keep us clear of the path of fire. Prep my suit.”

  Chapter 34

  “Their shield is down,” Admiral Yasumi announced over the fleet broadcast channel as the Orion began a rapid descent toward the surface. “Execute operation Turnover. Ground units, maintain your current position.”

  “Did I miss something?” Tom asked his ship as he walked down the passageway. “Did the fleet open fire early?”

  “The fleet did not fire on the palace,” Orion informed him. “The shield was dropped.”

  “Any word from the surface?”

  “Not yet.”

  Admiral Yasumi’s announcement triggered a flurry of pre-planned actions. The main tactical computer used the fleet’s vast array of secondary weapons to pinpoint and destroy key installations in and around the perimeter of the palace. Gun emplacements, security posts, and known weapon stores were targeted and destroyed. Since all of these targets had been pre-identified by ground agents, it took less than five seconds to eliminate them.

  Two more troop carriers descended, heading directly for the palace. Tom and Lashpa followed close behind. Tom was on his way to his combat armor and about to send a congratulatory message to the Admiral when another fleet-wide broadcast began. This one was a rebroadcast of a message being received by everyone on Safa.

  “Attention all loyal citizens of Safa,” a voice the Orion’s AI could not identify began. “A large fleet of warships is here from Earth to replace your leaders. They’re under the mistaken belief that Safa is a c
olony of Earth. We do not have the strength to defeat them and your government has wisely decided not to resist. Doing so will result in the needless deaths of many citizens. This does not mean our struggle to free Earth has ended. By remaining alive and remaining free, we will continue to spread the word that Earth belongs to humans. Follow the orders of these invaders. Do what they ask of you. Remain strong.”

  There was a moment of silence then Admiral Yasumi said, “It appears as if Safa has surrendered, however the voice we just heard is not that of Muhaajir Hadi. As such … standby … patching you in to another broadcast.”

  There was a short delay then, “… ler. I am calling on behalf of the government of Safa, do you read me?”

  “This is Fleet Admiral Yasumi—I read you loud and clear Mr. Eichler. Where is Supreme Sultan Hadi?”

  “He … um … His Excellency has been removed from office by his advisers. I’ve been authorized to tell you that we are surrendering.”

  “Where is the Sultan?” the Admiral repeated her question.

  “He’s in his office under arrest. All members of the advisory council are there as well. We will remain there until you arrive.”

  “Very well Mr. Eichler. Please inform your security forces that they are to offer no resistance. Any display of force will be severely dealt with. Is this clear?”

  “I will make sure to pass the word along. Safa out.”

  Switching to a private channel, Admiral Yasumi contacted Tom and Lashpa. “Given recent developments, how would you like to proceed?” she asked.

  “Have your troops secure the palace,” Tom said, pulling his arms out of his combat suit. “Lashpa and I will take care of dealing with the existing Safa government. Tell your troops they are not to enter the Supreme Sultan’s office until we arrive. As soon as we’ve assessed the situation, and verified it’s safe, you can send down the provisional governor.”

  “Understood. Admiral Yasumi out.”