The only thing they all agreed on was that the energy needed for this demonstration of might was incalculable.
»Magnetic field strength is still decreasing, but seems to be leveling out at about 1 micro-tesla!« Senitschko announced uncertainly. »Satellites in close Earth orbit are already seeing the effects of the solar winds … and that’s only the beginning.«
»What a damn nightmare!« Friedberg commented aloud. »What happens next if this keeps up?«
»As you can imagine: malfunctioning compass needles and communication breakdowns are the lesser evils. Prolonged radioactive exposure will cause mutations among plants, animals … possibly even Humans. It’s not the first time that the magnetic field has changed. Every time it did, the impact on the life-forms on Earth was catastrophic. The longer it lasts, the worse for us all …!«
»… and?« Friedberg inquired. He had some scientific education, but he was no biologist, still, he got the drift.
»Higher levels of radiation and greater absorption of highly charged particles in the atmosphere, will generate more energy in the upper layers. Earth will become even warmer, leading to inevitable climate change. No, it won’t happen overnight – but it will be irreversible!«
Senitschko watched Friedberg’s face. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what the admiral was thinking.
Senitschko shook his head as a warning.
»Don’t even think about attacking the bolide – not even from Earth based positions. We’d have a snowball’s chance against such what that ship can unleash. We’d only provoke them – and I have no doubt they can and would beat us into submission!«
Friedberg scowled.
»I’m not that stupid, Mr. Senitschko,« he replied with more of a growl than he’d intended. »I agree, we should listen to what they want – if anything.«
»What about Daralamai’s report, Sir? I find …,« Senitschko began. The admiral waved him off.
»… just some pictures of the beings who are trying to occupy Triton Base. I’m more concerned about the bolide that’s staring us in the face!«
»Of course, Sir. They didn’t come here just to demonstrate their superiority. If we knew what they really want we’d have the key to dealing with them.«
»Magnetic field increasing in strength again, Sir!« a scientist yelled in surprise – and relief. »Five micro-tesla!«
Friedberg smiled mysteriously when he heard that.
Looking at the holo, he saw that the bolide was pulsating less. Energy discharges flashed all around the spaceship, vanishing as dark shadows and eddy currents.
›Looks as if the energy is being pulled from this continuum into another one!‹ Senitschko pondered.
»If I’m right, then the invaders will need to terminate their demonstration soon. I think we’ll see the magnetic field stabilize again in short order,« Friedberg announced. »I don’t care how advanced the bastards are, they can’t keep up their compensation field or whatever it is indefinitely.« He allowed himself a short chortle. »Everybody has to recharge their accumulators sooner or later … what do you think, Mr. Senitschko?«
Senitschko didn’t reply. He had no definite answer yet.
Friedberg groomed his beard with his right hand and said, »They probably even did us a favor!«
»Favor? What do you mean, Admiral?« Senitschko asked, frowning.
»Hmm … do me a favor and calculate the energy reserves of this particular bolide. Use all the neuronal computer capacity we’ve got!« Friedberg had a hunch.
»I’ll pay especially attention to durations and relationships, such as required energy vs. magnetic field strength vs. time and so on,« Senitschko nodded a couple of seconds later. »But even if the enemy has used up almost all his energy, they’ll still outclass anything we have to throw at them.«
»Uhem … we need to know their limits … just how invulnerable are these victory circle guys?« Friedberg coughed artificially.
They’ll kill us all
»What did you do to the Moxantans? And while you’re at it, how about telling us how you dissolve walls and rebuild them?« Nok inquired.
Hassan Khalil, Nuri and Nok were in a room parallel to the main corridor. It had no doors, but dimmed lighting emanated from the walls. They had entered the room through a hole in the wall that closed after them like magic.
Hassan ignored her questions with a perfunctory shrug.
Nok looked around and realized that she didn’t know this room. She could swear that she knew her base like the back of her hand, but this room … The ceiling and the walls were smooth and even. There was no room like this on the base.
Now it dawned on her. »Energy-matter transformation. You created this hideout by expanding a section of the service tunnel parallel to the main corridor. I don’t know how you did it, but hiding here won’t save us for long. Sooner or later, they’ll find us.«
»Why do you insist on seeing me as your enemy?« Hassan whispered, shrugging off Nok’s worries. »I’m no threat to Humanity: I escaped from my cell to create this refuge … I want to help you.«
Nok looked at Hassan suspiciously.
»I don’t know who to distrust more: you or the invaders!« Nok responded harshly. »We only know that you’ve been infected by degenerated technology – the same damned technology that possesses the Globusters. I can’t forget that.«
»I have changed, but I’m no Globuster … I’m something entirely different!« Hassan said defensively, frowning at the comparison. »Do I look like a Globuster?«
Nuri stepped closer, gazing intensely at Hassan.
»What’s happened to your aura, Hassan? It’s not the aura of a healthy Human being.«
»I’m not ill, Nuri,« Hassan rebutted. »Actually, I feel better than I’ve ever felt. More alive, sensitive to … well, I can see and feel things an ordinary Human couldn’t dream of. The technology that’s merged with my body would never harm me! It’s improved – upgraded –my body and mind.«
Nuri looked cautiously at Hassan’s hands.
»What was growing out of your hands out there in the corridor? How do you know that they call themselves Moxantans?« Nuri wanted to know.
Hassan looked at his hands. He seemed unaware of what had happened minutes ago.
»My fingers?« he asked perplexedly, as if she’d made a bad joke.
»Obviously, you can’t control the process!« Nok concluded. She pulled Nuri back.
»You … don’t understand what’s going on inside me, because you’re just a Human,« Khalil tried to explain. »I’ll prove to you that I’m worth your trust!«
»I want to see that, Nok replied a touch too sarcastically. »I really don’t have the time to assess your little problem. My base and very likely the entire solar system have been invaded. We need to find a way to prevent a total occupation by the enemy. I don’t think that we …«
»… I know now why they’re here!« Hassan cut in rudely.
Nok didn’t like to be interrupted. She shot him a stern look. Then it dawned on her what he’d said – and that he meant it.
»Talk to me,« she sighed.
»Humanity has a lot to learn about these invaders. They’re dangerous! They have the capability to erase us from the galaxy!«
Nok paled and shuddered.
»How did you find that out?« Nuri inquired cautiously. »These extraterrestrials haven’t really said anything yet.«
Suddenly, she had an idea.
»Did the Moxantans in the corridor tell you that?«
Hassan smiled lamely but didn’t answer.
»The circle battle ship on the tachyon platform is going to take orbit around Neptune,« he announced instead. »They will harvest Despina’s debris to build the foundation for a Circle Fortress.«
»A Circle Fortress? What’s that?« Nuri asked quickly. »Some kind of space station?«
»A space fortress, bigger than you can imagine. It’ll let them control not only this solar system, but also the ones in the galactic neighbor
hood! More bolides will arrive, an entire fleet, and hide behind our Dimensional Shield.«
»They want to stay here forever?« Nok asked with a trembling voice.
»The Moxantans and other galactic peoples know of the coming catastrophe,« Hassan explained. »The Circle people heard about the Great Tremor and see themselves as the chosen ones who will defeat the attackers from the parasite galaxy. Then they want to take over the galaxy. This Circle of Victors has enslaved many civilizations and eradicated others.«
Nok Daralamai paled.
›If he’s right, then our days are numbered!‹ she thought, appalled.
»How do you know this? … and this time, I want an answer ,« Nok demanded.
»I saw it as I touched the Moxantans and briefly become one with them,« Hassan replied mysteriously. »The Circle considers itself an alliance of elite people, victors of galactic wars and battles, conquerors of numerous civilizations and foremost: Thieves of technology and mental property. They stole the fruits of other people’s labor and founded their Circle of Victors. They’re full of themselves if they think they can defeat the Looters. They’re wrong: the Circle of Victors is no substitute for the Protector Fleet. Their self-serving alliance will fall apart as soon as they encounter resistance. They’re not pulling on the same string; they all have different interests. Their “alliance” is made up of people who would otherwise be fighting each other tooth and claw.«
»Hmm … then they might not hang around for much longer. They’ve probably discovered that we don’t have much to offer,« Nuri speculated.
Hassan’s eyes stared into the distance. He seemed to be in a different world, removed from this room. He didn’t react as Nok addressed him several times. Suddenly, his eyes cleared and he replied in a low voice, »If the Circle ever does leave this system, which I don’t believe, they’ll exterminate all of us first … they don’t like to leave anything behind. Wait … one group of the Circle people just found out the purpose of the Dimensional Shield!«
A cold shower ran down Nok’s back.
»So … no matter what happens, they’ll kill us all?«
Hassan nodded.
»If they haven’t done it yet, it’s because they’re looking for something … something we have and they desperately want!«
No negotiations
Suddenly, black capsules rained down on the North Polar Region. Ten, then hundreds and then thousands of spindle-like objects. They glowed briefly in the atmosphere, then descended quickly to the surface. Arrow-like they hit the permafrost ground in Greenland and dug into the ice shelf.
»It’s an invasion!« Friedberg announced, and alerted the ground forces. Moments after the objects impacted they released thousands of strange looking robots. These immediately began to level the ground to form a circle ten kilometers in diameter. Then they cut large blocks out of the ice and stacked them on top of each other. Someone noted that there were hedgehog-like beings among the robots. They seemed to be frolicking grotesquely through the ice and snow.
Senitschko demanded to see a demographic survey of the region.
»The local settlements have been abandoned because of the elevated UV emissions,« Senitschko remarked. »We should warn our scientific outposts on Greenland to evacuate as fast as possible.«
Friedberg nodded.
»Give the order. I want our forces to take positions in the area, but only to observe them for now. If they like the cold, let them freeze their asses off.«
»Hmm … it does seem they like the climate, or they would’ve landed somewhere else,« Senitschko responded with a smirk.
»I want Greenland, especially their landing sector, cordoned off. If the enemy tries to break through we’ll show them who owns this turf ... with everything we have!« Friedberg commanded.
»Admiral, don’t forget the battle ship. It’s still in orbit over the North Pole. If it tries to interfere …«
»… I’m aware of the tactical situation, Mr. Senitschko,« Friedberg barked. »But there are limits to my patience, understood?«
The Russian paled, then his neck and face went red.
»This is going to be a one-sided affair, Sir. Bet your ass on that!« Senitschko replied defiantly. He didn’t like to be yelled at. He was a civilian, not a member of Friedberg’s military machine.
Friedberg turned his head to lecture the scientists, but changed his mind.
›Civilians!‹ he thought.
Spy satellites delivered the pictures from the North Polar Region to the tactical holo in Friedberg’s conference room. The extraterrestrials had begun building pyramids out of the ice blocks the robots had cut and arranging them around a midpoint marked by the spiral-like capsules.
»Looks as if you are right, Mr. Senitschko. The invaders seem to like it there. They’re building igloos. Maybe they come from an ice-world,« Friedberg said with a nod.
»The control computer of the spy satellite must have noticed something important, Sir,« a communication officer announced.
The viewing angle and focus had changed, and zoomed on the robots and hedgehog beings. Then the camera stopped at a new target object.
Friedberg didn’t want to believe his eyes.
The camera showed a naked woman walking barefoot through the ice-cold environment with dozens of these 30 centimeter tall hedgehog beings clinging to her body. The resolution was high enough that Friedberg could see that the beings had pierced the woman’s skin. The stinger insertion points were dark blue in color.
›She must be in a lot of pain!‹ Friedberg thought. ›But … wait … she’s smiling!‹
With small leaps, the woman was making her way through the snow and ice.
»What did those bastards do to her?« Senitschko shouted in horror. »It’s minus 25 degrees Centigrade or worse out there. How can she stand the cold?«
»Find out who this woman is. The invaders must have kidnapped her and brought her down with those capsules,« Friedberg demanded.
»I’ll up her picture through the computer networks. She might be a Horkland survivor. They probably found her among the debris and took her on board their ship,« Senitschko guessed.
Senitschko couldn’t take his eyes from the holo – and not just because it displayed a naked, beautiful woman.
»She should show signs of frostbite and related symptoms by now,« he remarked. »How is that possible?«
The poor woman suddenly looked up to the sky, directly into the camera as if she knew that she was being watched.
Friedberg froze.
»We have an ID, Sir!« Senitschko yelled across the room from the communication nook. »She belonged to the Horkland crew. Her name is Uma Boos, an astro-geologist.«
»Why are they doing this to her?« Friedberg asked quietly at a loss for words. This kind of maltreatment didn’t make sense to him.
›It’s a strange torture when she’s still smiling …,‹ he thought.
»Can we rescue her?« Senitschko asked.
Friedberg gave him a strange glance.
He didn’t answer the question. His eyes were on the holo where more and more robots with strange equipment began to circle the woman.
»Sir … we’re receiving a strong modulated signal from the landing place! Fleet frequency … it’s that woman, Sir!« the comm-officer announced.
»Record the message and transfer it to the main holo,« Friedberg replied quickly.
The large holo showed the woman and her misery. Her body was riddled with wounds and covered with extraterrestrials. Still she smiled at Friedberg, wanting to let him begin the conversation.
He looked at Senitschko, then stepped into camera range.
The naked woman seemed to breathe more heavily as she recognized Friedberg.
›She’s excited or afraid,‹ Friedberg thought.
She stood there and let more and more snowflakes settle on her hair.
»I know who you are,« he began the conversation. »Are you okay? Can you speak freely?«
She grima
ced.
Friedberg saw a mixture of pain, despair, happiness – and arrogance in her face.
›It’s so strange, the way she looks at me!‹ he pondered.
»The Frigonans have made me their liaison. I am to inform you about the creation of Circle Fortress “Ice-Stronghold”!« she proclaimed sternly.
Friedberg was shocked for a moment. He took a couple of seconds to collect his thoughts.
»I can imagine that you’re in shock. Can we do anything to help you? Is it possible to talk directly to the invaders?« Friedberg inquired.
She just looked at him while thin streams of blood trickled from her wounds, only to freeze on her skin after a couple of centimeters.
»Resistance or submission? There are no negotiations!« she replied flatly. Her expression changed, almost pleading. »Consider well before you answer.«
Survival
On their way back, Nok Daralamai, Nuri Jawa and Hassan Khalil were stopped by 20 armed Moxantans. The three Humans had decided to cooperate during the occupation.
An eerie silence held the base. Few people moved about; and Nok hoped that most of the crews were out of harm’s way in the bunkers or their quarters.
Nok recognized the Moxantan leader from their confrontation in the command central. He approached her in his usual arrogant manner.
»We were looking for you, Circle Servant!« he snarled at her.
»Inspection tours are part of my daily duties,« Nok replied cautiously while trying to pass the being.
»You’re not needed in the command central, but Circle General Mindbreaker wants to talk to you.«
»Anytime, just tell him to look me up,« she snapped back.
The Moxantans swayed and leaped nervously. The leader stepped forward.
»That’s an order, not a request. You will report with us to the Quadranan bolide. Circle General Mindbreaker will see you on board his ship Boodrum! I hope we don’t need to make another example? You are smart enough to understand the consequences if you don’t come.«
NEBULAR Collection 4 - Second Reserve: Episodes 17 - 21 Page 26