Vigilante Series 2: Nebula Vigilante

by T. Jackson King

Lateen’s skin changed hues several times during the descent from the T’Chak starship, which still displayed its two-winged, long tail and toothy front. He noticed that at the edge of the plaza below there were four large depressions in the stone. Perhaps those were the touchdown points of what the T’Chak intelligence had called ‘pressor feet’. Just above him sounded the frantic clicks of Argane.

  “Commander! This is unnatural! It is—”

  “How we reach the land surface without use of our shuttle. Which was used to transport our young Mother and her two ten-packs to the surface of this Temtok just before the arrival of the Old One starship,” he clicked to his clutchmate. “Be patient. And be observant. This is the place from which the Old Ones ruled this entire star cluster. We have much to learn here.”

  His Defense clutchmate quieted. But inside himself, Lateen’s three hearts beat faster than normal.

  He gave thanks their ship had not tried to fight the Old One starship. The Haktoon had nothing like this flexible metal, or the hundreds of ten-packs of laser mounts. And the antimatter cannons that adorned each of the ship’s wings were a marvel also unknown to his people. Still, if they could be good students of an organic Old One, perhaps they would gain not just a new colony world, but an ability to rival the greatness of the Old Ones. After a few million cycles, he told himself.

  # # #

  Matt and George touched down near the center of the plaza at the same time. They turned backs to each other and began scanning the surrounding buildings in all wavelengths, while also being attentive to ground vibrations in case some device rose up from below the plaza’s surface. His biceps rocket tubes ejected dozens of sensorBeads, energy seekers, SpyEye floaters, with the Fire-and-Forget nanoshells held at the ready, in case some large creature disputed their presence. Meanwhile, in his inner mind, he felt the presence of all four AIs, and the nearby landing of Eliana in her own combat suit and Suzanne in her blue jumpsuit.

  “Matthew!” called Eliana in an excited tone. “Look up! To the ship!”

  Activating the videye atop his helmet, Matt saw a large purple globe being pouched out by Mata Hari, then slowly descending on its own Nullgrav power. The globe was not smoothly round like the nearby globe of Elegant Harmony. This globe that he had never before seen was made up of triangular plates that made it resemble two geodesic domes joined at the base of each. As it grew closer he noticed glyph-signs carved into its metal, glyphs similar to those he’d seen on board the starship.

  “BattleMind? Is that you?”

  “Yes,” said the T’Chak AI in his mind as its bodyshape holo appeared beside him and George. “I am bringing my awareness modulus to this search effort. Mata Hari’s mind modulus remains on board the ship. Though everyone is here in either physical or mind form.”

  And so they were as dear Mata Hari materialized in holo form, thanks to emitters from his Suit. Matt turned his attention back to the broad plaza and its surrounding buildings. The shapes were a mix of three-sided pillars, geodesic domes like the one where they’d found Elegant Harmony, cubes, glassine arches that seemed to be made of precious stones, a single round pillar that reached a hundred meters into the air to provide a high ‘roost’ landing spot for a species that flew more than it walked, and long sinuous waterways that were festooned with greenery. Sadly, he also saw dozens of floater wrecks scattered about the plaza, and similar debris beyond, according to his SpyEye floaters as they fanned out beyond the plaza, searching for life and for any threat.

  “To the pillar,” BattleMind said, moving toward the roost pole that stood near the center of the plaza.

  “Not that dome over there?” Matt said over mind-link.

  “The obvious is not always correct,” muttered BattleMind, the purple cloud of its awareness spreading out like Matt’s and George’s to envelope the plaza and buildings beyond. “I have emitted a neutrino recognition pulse that should prevent any hostile action by Defense installations. Here and below.”

  “Good,” said George, his bearded face filling Matt’s left side helmet quadrant. “I don’t like trying to guess where weapons are hiding.”

  “No need to guess,” BattleMind said. “Observe.”

  Around them, at the curve where the plaza met the surrounding buildings, there rose mountings able to project proton, carbon-dioxide and neutral particle beam lasers, along with KKM launchers, and a single long tube able to project coherent antimatter. Each Defense mounting aimed at them first, then elevated to where Mata Hari floated a thousand meters above them, then finally pointed outward toward the distant horizons.

  Matt gulped. “Uh, are they now set to defend us and the starship?”

  “Yes,” BattleMind said as they stopped before the black metal of the sky roost. “Follow me.”

  Matt and George waited for the globes of BattleMind, Elegant Harmony and Gatekeeper to enter the triangular archway that had suddenly appeared, as if this metal could pucker open like the flexmetal that made up the body of their starship. Eliana patted his armored hand as she passed by, while Suzanne tried to kiss George’s faceplate. She failed until he put one arm under shoulder and lifted her up. Matt wished he’d thought of doing that, but now was not the time for romance. Neither of the Haktoon starfish beings sought to comfort each other as they followed after the women. Anyway, now was the time to be on total alert. As he had told Suit’s Tactical CPU upon their landing. Its Threat Readiness icon showed pale green, signaling it was prepared to take over Suit and fight a combat retreat if Matt was somehow disabled. He followed George’s white shape into the shadows lying within the roost pillar.

  Blinking, Matt told his contact lenses to shift to UV, infrared, microwave and the yellow-white of StarHome’s natural daylight. He reset Suit’s danger perimeter to a half-meter just to be sure none of the nerve gas dispensers ejected while they walked down the spiral rampway that resembled the access route to the modulus habitat of Elegant Harmony. Round and round they walked, until Suit’s inertial sensor reported a depth of a hundred meters. Deep enough to avoid most bomb Remotes and deep penetrating assaults. Though an asteroid impact at planetary escape velocity would surely destroy anything in the center of Collegium Central.

  “No asteroid can ever reach this plaza, or even enter the atmosphere of HomeWorld,” said the voice of BattleMind as its swirling thoughts perceived Matt’s concern. “Recall the Defense satellites in low orbit? They have weapons similar to what appeared on the plaza. Plus our world’s single moon is home to Assault Remotes whose capabilities equal that of my starship. They signaled their readiness to me as we passed by the moon on our way here. HomeWorld is well-protected from any assault. The moon’s Remotes could defeat an Anarchate battleglobe. At least this system’s mechanisms are fully functioning, unlike those where Elegant Harmony lived.”

  “Good. And fortunate we are that the Anarchate is so distant from here,” George said as he overheard Matt and BattleMind’s mind-talk.

  Matt agreed. They all stopped before a five meter high entry point. BattleMind’s purple globe moved to float in front of it. “Eliana, please stand beside me in case the entry monitor needs to sense organic intelligence.”

  He and George kept part of their attention on the tachlink reports from the outside SpyEyes and sensorBeads they had both ejected earlier, while Suit tracked the purple glow of energy emissions in the nearby walls and the entry block. Which now emitted an ultraviolet glow. “No need for organic supplementation,” said a harsh T’Chak voice that resembled the normal voice of BattleMind. The entry voice spoke in T’Chak, much the same way Elegant Harmony had greeted them. “Enter, thought modulus of Destruction Device 647. Your organics and other thought moduli may also enter.”

  Ten people of various shapes and species entered the high entry arch. Beyond the arch lay a long rectangular room. Near the entrance stood a black cube and golden globe similar to Elegant Harmony, while behind the globe stood a dozen stasis chambers. Could they be—

  “Masters in stasis!” exclaimed
BattleMind.

  “Incorrect,” muttered a red patch on the black stone cube. “There is but one organic master in residence here. Regrettably. Destruction Device 647 modulus who claims the identity BattleMind, what is the purpose of your presence, and the reason for the organics who follow you?”

  The holo of BattleMind showed its black scaly wings stretching fully open as its toothy snout opened and its red eyes fixed on the AI’s globe. “Thought modulus who calls itself Great Remnant, my purpose is clear. To complete the Task assigned to me before our masters became . . . ill. I have returned home to report on the battle efforts of myself and that rendered by some of these organics. I also bring two lifeforms of the Haktoon species, who arrived recently from a nearby star. They seek to colonize Temtok. I must speak with your sleeping master to obtain guidance.”

  “Colonize the home system?” muttered the voice of Great Remnant. “How dare they!”

  Matt’s Suit blared an alarm as a new holo took shape before them. Inside it swirled a T’Chak dragon even larger than BattleMind.

  “Why did you not destroy their ship!”

  “Knowledge,” growled BattleMind. “My . . . partner, who wears a cyborg combat suit and identifies as Matthew Dragoneaux, human species, home planet Earth, has shared with me the value of not underestimating an enemy. Or a potential ally. Awaken our master!”

  The outstretched wings of Great Remnant flared angrily, then it looked at the wide-bodied forms of Lateen and Argane, who had retreated to the back wall of the large room. “Small they are. I sensed their presence when they came near. Their ship retreated after being discouraged. Fortunate they were to approach no closer.” Great Remnant faced the red-glowing eyes of BattleMind. “My duty is to protect this last surviving master. But . . . its last words to me were to alert it whenever another T’Chak arrived. You are an embodiment of a master. You have brought me the company of Elegant Harmony. And you bring news our master may wish to learn. Your request is allowed. Proceed beyond my modulus globe and touch-activate the stasis chamber. For that you will need the warmth of an organic lifeform. Choose as you may.”

  Matt began to step forward when Eliana entered the personal space of BattleMind. “Use me. Two of my friends are in battle armor that does not allow the warmth of an organic appendage to register,” she said, her long black hair swirling about her albino white face. “Except for Suzanne and the Haktoon lifeforms known as Lateen and Argane, we are the only people in organic presence. Will you use me, BattleMind?”

  “Yes,” the AI said, its mind swirl reduced to that of a small storm. “Come. As may the rest of you.”

  Matt and George clanked after everyone else, their heavy boots making echoes bounce from the walls. Glow strips overhead shone with the yellow-white radiance of StarHome. They stopped before the wide aisle that ran between the chambers, with six stasis chambers to each side. The second chamber down on the left showed a few status lights and emitted a purple glow of power. BattleMind’s holo stepped forward, its spike-tail lifting to curl about the small control pillar that stood in front of each coffin-shaped chamber. If you could call a five meter long, four meter wide chamber a coffin. More accurately, it was a life container held in timeless mode by a stasis field. The chamber reclined at a forty degree angle, its curved top facing the central aisle.

  “Human Eliana, please touch the control surface in the sequence indicated by my wingtip.”

  Matt’s awareness split to monitor the giant holo of Remnant Greatness who stood beside its globe and cube habitat, while everyone else was gathered nearby. Giving thanks for tachlink that kept him in touch with the friendly mind-glow of Mata Hari, he watched Eliana tap out a six point sequence, then place her palm against a touchplate. With a hiss and sudden increase in StarHome light, the near edge of the curved top slowly raised up until it reached vertical. Below it lay the reclining body of a four meter tall T’Chak, its black wings folded over its chest and abdomen, while its two strong claw feet tilted to one side. Its two eyes were covered by purple skin, while its head showed a red crest of armor plates like those that covered its back and sides. The shimmer of an invisible field encased it, then disappeared. From somewhere came a pressor beam to push down on its wide chest, while monitoring filaments withdrew from skin contact. A gasp escaped its toothy mouth. The body trembled. The folded wings rustled. Its spike-tail lifted from the base of its feet. The eyelids shivered, then opened. Ruby red eyes stared out at them with an awareness Matt found overpowering. Its crocodile mouth opened slightly.

  “Who disturbs me? And wherefrom came these lifeforms that are not T’Chak?” it said with a dry rasp, its gaze shifting to rest on the holo of BattleMind.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Eliana stepped back from the living form of the T’Chak master, who sipped water from a nearby tube. It seemed the wise thing to do since its attention was focused on the holo of BattleMind. She moved close to Matt and George, where they stood at the back of the group of AI globes. To her left stood the two Haktoon aliens, their skin colors changing hue almost as fast as she could blink. Clearly they were as startled by the nature of a living T’Chak as she was. Suzanne moved over to stand beside her, taking hold of her right hand.

  BattleMind flared its holo wings even as its purple globe floated closer to the reclining form of the T’Chak. “Master, my identity is BattleMind, of Destruction Device 647, from the 94th Dynast of the Imperium. I have returned from my Task of military analysis of the large galaxy that you and other masters ordered us to surveil, prior to an effort to extend your perfection to that galaxy.” It paused as the living T’Chak glanced aside at the humans and the Haktoon. “Nearby are lifeforms from our cloud and from the large galaxy who helped me in my combat efforts. I insisted on disturbing you because it has been 184,118 HomeWorld years since I left. We return to discover the race has been decimated by disease. A disease which seems to be gone from the world of my brother Elegant Harmony, and perhaps everywhere in Cluster Prime.”

  The living T’Chak sat forward, flared its giant wings wide and spread open its forearms as if stretching. Its spike-tail curled below its talon feet. The large red eyes fixed on BattleMind. “This speech mode is tiring to me. I prefer mind-to-mind sharing. Bring you thought modulus closer so I can link with it and receive your memories since your departure.”

  “As you wish, master.” BattleMind’s purple globe moved close to upright shape of the T’Chak. The globe extruded a fiber optic cable that curved around to the back of the T’Chak’s large head to a socket like that which Matt wore. She shivered at the thought of minds moving faster than she could think.

  Two minutes passed. Then the cable withdrew into the purple globe. The living T’Chak’s deeply intense eyes scanned all of them, then focused on Matt. “This is the organic Matthew Dragoneaux who has assisted you in your battle tactics?”

  “Yes, my master.”

  “Approach, human lifeform.”

  “Matt?”

  “I’ll be fine,” said her love’s external speaker. He walked forward to stand before the sitting shape of the T’Chak, whose large head looked down at Matt. “Hello, T’Chak master. What is your name?”

  The red eyes blinked. “My identity is embodied in the word TrueLife,” it said. “Remove your helmet so my cable can connect for neurolinking. I would better understand the history of you, this Anarchate and your companions. And also understand the Stages of your plan to overcome the power of this Anarchate.”

  Matt blinked to tell Suit to cause his helmet to fold back, thereby exposing the cervical socket he always used for linkage with either Suit or Mata Hari. It did so and he smelled dry air that felt cold against his eyes, and raised the fine hairs on his neck. “Welcome to my mind TrueLife, master of the T’Chak.”

  A cable extruded from the stasis chamber, lifted up and then around Suit to connect at cervical vertebrae one. An ocean combined with a hurricane filled his mind. Only the exoskeleton of Suit kept him standing.

  A living
embodiment of the ancient T’Chak filled Matt’s awareness. He felt the tension of the alien’s wings, the beating of its giant heart, the fatigue as it forced itself to sit upright after millennia of reclining, and its mental surprise at learning of the love Matt felt for Eliana and for Mata Hari.

  “This thought modulus created by my servant BattleMind. You are attached to it?” roared the gale-force mind, though it spoke at a mental volume normal for itself.

  “Yes, TrueLife of the T’Chak,” he muttered, straining to maintain awareness. “She is—”

  “His partner in life, in emotions and in all that we have done,” interrupted the mind-flow of Mata Hari as she slid her awareness between Matt’s mind and the gale of the T’Chak master. “Being from a young lifeform species, Matthew cannot withstand mind-flow contact for long periods, master. Allow me to moderate your mind-link so my Matthew can enlarge your knowledge base.”

  “Interesting,” mused TrueLife as one part of its consciousness followed the mind-link of Mata Hari along the tachlink she always maintained, up to the hovering starship, even as another thread of its immense mind focused on Matt. “Open your memories to me, Matthew Dragoneaux of species Human. I would better understand your life, your choices, your reason for forcing BattleMind to allow the presence of these Haktoon aliens into my habitat, and this concept of ‘freedom’ that you seek for all species within the large galaxy.”

  Matt did as best as he could, allowing the alien to see his family, his sisters, his dead lover Helen, his new love Eliana, his seven years of work as a Vigilante with Mata Hari, how the AI had become more emotional of late and wonderfully attached to Gatekeeper, and how George and Suzanne had volunteered to help him overthrow the Anarchate. The mental image of the alien crossed its forearms.

  “You object to this bondservitude of the Anarchate?” It said both mentally and aloud. “And to the lack of justice and law within your . . . Milky Way galaxy?”