by Paul Phipps
And we believe if that were to occur then this planet is lost because our forces can’t fight a hive-mind of that size. We might not even be able to stay in the Solar system.”
“Lt. Commander, that is a HORRIFIC scenario!” Seeker burst out from her holograms’ place at the conference table.
“Yes, it is Seeker. It gives me nightmares now that we came up with it.”
“And the second item, Lt. Commander, Shaitan’s Breath?” Admiral Webster pressed.
“We got to brainstorming about that too. What if the Mother gathers as many Quarn-Slaves to her as she can and uses telekinesis or possibly teleportation to remove the Sample of Shaitan’s Breath from behind the IUR Blockade Shield?
She could have it released world-wide and by the time we caught on to it a large portion of the populace would be infected and only the ingestion of a Q-Mot would save their lives. Only it wouldn’t as we now know they would just be taken over by the Quarn with the same result as far as we are concerned. This world of humans would be lost and once again we might have to abandon this Solar System.”
“You’re correct Lt. Commander. Those are indeed worst case scenarios.” Admiral Webster growled while looking pensive. “On the other hand since you came up with them do you have a plan to counter-act them?”
“Yes Sir, I have the mission statement for one: Find and Destroy the Quarn Mother as soon as we can.”
“Easier said than done, Lt. Commander.” Captain Johansson added.
“That’s a true statement Captain Johansson.” Ansel said from his place at the table. “However I think I might have the beginnings of a plan.” And he began to speak; the others listened and added in where they could. After some time the beginnings of a workable plan started to be fleshed out.
Wednesday, January 27, 2027
“Good morning General Owens.” Gunnar boomed cheerfully on the telephone that Air Force General Owens was holding. “I have some good news for you.”
“Good news would be very nice to hear right about now Captain Johansson. So what do you have for me?”
“Fleet Admiral Webster has authorized me to offer you limited TSN support on the design of those Jets and the SSTO you were inquiring about.”
“Really?! That is good news indeed. But why now?” The General asked cautiously.
“I believe that this can be considered a good faith effort on our part, considering how hard Secretary Anderson has been lobbying on behalf of President Richardson to get the Congress to pass the bill authorizing the working agreement between the Department of Defense and ourselves.” Captain Johansson told him.
“Excellent! When are you available for a meeting?”
“Most nearly anytime as long as I have a day’s notice, I also recommend that you have representatives from the Aerospace industry there.”
“Why?”
“Because they are the ones who are going to build them, of course. The TSN will provide one prototype, blueprints and assist the manufacturers in their tooling efforts.” Captain Johansson told General Owens,
“That sounds good to me, it sounds like a win-win for the United States. Let me get the ball moving and I’ll get back to you Captain Johansson.” The General said with an approving tone of voice.
* * *
“Good Morning Captain Keppler.” Admiral Caparelli said from the video screen in the Captain’s Conference room on board the Epiphany.
“Good Morning Admiral.” Captain Keppler answered back.
“And how was your trip around the ‘Horn’?”
“It was interesting, the weather as usual was miserable but the Epiphany was steady as a rock. We used both the water jets and the propellers and went though at sixty-five knots.” Captain Keppler replied with pride evident in his voice at the quality of his vessel.
“I think we completely surprised your unofficial escorts. Once you left the company of Task Force 14 they appear to have been undecided about who to shadow, you or the rest of the Task Force.” Admiral Caparelli said with a large smile. “In any case the Atlantic is completely out of their operating zones. On the other hand I believe that a combined British/EU task force centered on the HMS Prince of Wales is trying to intercept you. Your extra-ordinary speed has been keeping them confused and that combined with your stealthy profile is causing them a bit of a headache.” At which point he chuckled. “I have a little bet with Sir Arnold Jamesway that you can be off of the East Coast before they can do an intercept on you. So please do your best to win that bet for me.”
Captain Keppler glanced over at his Executive Officer and smiled, “Certainly Sir! Does anything go?”
Admiral Caparelli in turn gave the two officers a jaundiced eye and then grudgingly nodded his head. “Yes Captain, anything goes. Just don’t cause an International incident.”
* * *
Evana was attending a meeting with the Board of Directors of the Iceland Ecologic Institute at their headquarters in Reykjavik, Iceland. There had been a fairly detailed presentation to Evana of the Institute’s overall plan for acquiring and managing as complete a Genetic Material collection for the whole planet.
“And in conclusion Captain Thomas, we believe that this effort will take approximately fifteen years to complete using the methods presented here.” Director Jarlsson said in a pleased tone of voice.
Evana in turn kept a poker face on then leaned forward slowly to eye the Director and the screen with the last of the PowerPoint presentation on it. “By your presentation I see that you intend on doing a fresh collection of genetic material. Why didn’t you want to get a copy of the Plant material and seed collection that Director Fridasdottir already collected and placed into the Arctic vault?”
“That collection belongs to the Nation of Denmark and the United Nations as a whole. We are not permitted to access it.” He told her apologetically. “We were hired to do the initial research and collection but the material acquired belongs to someone else, not to the Institute.”
“I see… And what would be required to speed up your timetable?” Evana asked quietly.
“Transportation of personnel and gathered material will be a problem. But with the Terran Space Navy’s assistance that can cut back the time considerably. The biggest problem will be political and getting permission from each nation to allow us to access their countries for the collection of genetic materials for the Flora and Fauna.”
“I understand that, but you have already done this once. How much harder is it to do it again?”
“That is an unknown, hopefully not too hard. But we will not know until we attempt to get the necessary permissions.”
“Very well then. As soon as you draw up a contract for your services and we review it, you can start to work. We will provide an initial five hundred million U.S. Dollars for your expenses at that time. Please concentrate your efforts in the South Pacific and South East Asia first. Once you are complete there we will decide where to move to next. In addition if any nations volunteer to assist in this effort let me know immediately so that their efforts and yours can be coordinated.” She then stood up and looked around the boardroom and added.
“I want to thank you for a very complete briefing. It is a refreshing thing to deal with professionals who know what they are doing.” At which point there were many smiles in the room. “And as I leave, I want to leave you with a thought.” She looked them over and then smiled. “What you embark on today will lay the groundwork and methodology for doing the same to an additional twenty versions of Earth. And somebody will have to do that work. Please think on that.”
And then she left the silent room behind her and left the Institute’s Headquarters and entered the Gravity Elevator right into the Dawn Seeker. Once aboard and on the Bridge once more she looked in approval at her crew.
“Lt. Floyd, lay in a course for the Comfort.”
“Aye Aye, Captain!” The young woman responded and the crew set about their tasks.
* * *
Ansel sat at his d
esk and looked over the data on his monitor one last time. A quick smile and then he focused his attention on the older man who looked to be around fifty years old in looks in front of him.
“Recruit Cardonez, I want to congratulate you on your progress through Basic training.”
“Thank you, Sir!”
“You’re welcome recruit, but you earned it through your hard work and perseverance.” Ansel told him, “Please sit down, the reason I called you in though is about your civilian life.”
Juan Cardonez was puzzled by that remark but took the seat as he was told too. “Sir?” he asked in puzzlement.
“Yes Recruit?”
“My civilian life? I was a very small businessman who ran a leather shop in Tijuana.”
“That’s correct, and you were nearly eighty when you applied to join the Terran Space Navy. As you know I am the one who gave you your interview.”
“Yes Sir I remember it well.”
“Good, but Juan you did more in your life than run a leather shop. You only did that for thirty years until you ‘retired’ and let your daughter and her husband take it over. What I am talking about is your youth and how you were a guide for various ‘gringos’. In this case one set of people in particular.
How well do you remember Dr. Emmanuel Golden?”
“Ah yes, the good Dr. Golden. I worked as a guide for him for nearly five years. He was a strange one, always looking at things and wondering about their past. He had a fascination about the Zona del Silencio. That was a very strange place to be especially at night. It,” He paused and shook himself a little, “It felt like it was not of this Earth. At night I could feel a hum or maybe it was a low moan of the Earth as if it were in pain. And then we occasionally would see a light, like ball lightning rise from the hills and streak into the sky.”
“Excellent, you do remember. Now I want you to examine your memories in light of what you have been learning here in Basic.” Ansel directed him and then waited while the man in front of him thought.
After a few minutes of inward contemplation Recruit Cardonez opened his eyes and looked at Ansel with respect and said. “There is something to be said about filters on our memories. Command Chief Cavendish told us that we would learn more things here than just in books and simulations.”
“Well Juan, knowing what you know now. Should we go to the Zone of Silence and investigate it further?”
“Yes Commander, we should. Dr. Golden once said that his instruments were crude but even with their crudeness he could tell that at one time something had happened there in the Zona del Silencio that still echoes down through time to today.
Without having anything more to go on than my memories I think that a Gravity-Phase engine went out of control in that location a long, long time ago. The effects I remember are a faint echo of what the Engine simulations have shown me.”
Ansel got up out of his chair and started to pace in the little office with his hands behind his back. After some time he straightened up and sat down again. “Juan, some serious stuff has come up recently and the Zone of Silence is a part of that.
You’ve been here in basic for three weeks now. According to Chief Cavendish and the A.I.’s you should graduate from here in another four weeks. Because of what is occurring I don’t think we have four weeks to spare until you graduate. So I am proposing a different plan for you.
“I want you to go to the Zone of Silence and explore it using our technology. Let me be frank here, the zone is very weird indeed, our Intelligence Gathering Drones don’t function well there. The communication links are disrupted which we thought was an impossibility by the way, and the onboard A.I.’s function at a highly degraded rate.
You won’t be alone by the way, but you will be the one in charge of the group. You have the knowledge of the area, you have the maturity and well as the respect of the others already. You and the others will continue your training via V.R. and Sims. There will be a scout cruiser assigned to the mission and it will serve as your base.
So are you interested in this?”
“Yes sir, I am. You said there would be others, who are they?” Recruit Cardonez asked.
“Recruit Rosita Alvarez and Recruit Dieter Gruber will be your team mates on the ground. Corporal Harold Campo and Private Xu Lung will be your support on board the Bloodhound. They will provide any needed show of force if one is required.
“For this mission you will hold the position of Brevet Ensign. If it all goes well you will hold that rank upon graduation.”
Juan Cardonez’s face twisted in a sardonic smile. “Thank you for the Carrot sir. Is there a switch involved here too?”
“No, not really, you were already on that track, you display superior skills in leadership. I must admit that those skills appear to have come with age because you certainly were a hellion when you were a young man.” Ansel told him with twisted smile in return.
“Si, I was, but marriage, responsibilities and old age do tend to reduce those indiscreet tendencies don’t they?”
Both men grinned at each other over that.
“Is Dr. Golden still alive?” Cardonez asked, “If he is maybe we could get him to come along. He would be ecstatic to have better tools to explore with.”
“I don’t know, He would be in his Early ninety’s now.” Ansel hummed a bit and made an inquiry though his link with Ariadne.
Ariadne/Private Comm Mode: “There is a record of a Dr. Emmanuel Joshua Golden as a resident of Mountain View Nursing Home in Culpepper Colorado.”
Ansel/Private Comm Mode: “Thank you dear, I’m going to gather up my people and we will use Bloodhound to make a visit on the good Doctor.”
A few hours later Ansel and Ensign Cardonez disembarked from the MARS unit that moved to hover over the trees that surrounded the peaceful looking nursing home. A small gathering of elderly people were gawking at the unearthly looking vessel and the two TSN officers who were walking toward the front Entrance.
A few minutes later they were talking to an aged man who had to use a walker to get around in. His skin was paper thin and his white hair was patchy. But his eyes still twinkled and you could tell that he still had an active mind. The director of the nursing home was a tall stately woman with a smile for the old man and stern look for his two unexpected visitors.
Ensign Cardonez with a glance at Ansel for permission to go first and with a quick nod from Ansel he said, “Dr. Golden it is good to see you once more.”
Dr. Golden looked at him confusedly, “You look like someone I once knew… May ask your name?”
“Manny, Manny it is I, Juan Cardonez. I used to send you a bottle of tequila every year for your birthday.”
“Juan? You sort of look like Juan but the Juan Cardonez I know lives…” He faltered for a minute.
“Yes Manny, I live in Tijuana minding my little leather shop. Well… I lived there, Carmen and Carlos now have the shop and I have joined the Terran Space Navy.” Ensign Cardonez said with pride.
“Juan… You joined the Navy? But you are Eighty-two!” Dr. Golden said in total surprise.
“Si, for my sins they let me join and now I am having the time of my life.”
“Juan… It really is you…” The older man tried to straighten up but it was obvious that there was a lot of pain in doing so. “So my old friend… Come, come sit down. You obviously need to talk to me. What can I do for you” And then he looked at the director of the home who stood in the door opening watching with inquisitive eyes. “Mrs. Baker I will be quite safe here with my old friend and his companion. Please, go… And bother someone else for a while.” He added grumpily.
She in turn laughed and said, “If you say so Dr. Golden. I think I will go bother Mrs. Sandusky.” And then left the room chuckling as she walked down the hallway.
“A fine woman and a good administrator but she does get on my last nerve occasionally.” The Doctor sighed as he sat carefully on a chair. “Now what is it you came to see me about?”
Ansel raised his hand to indicate silence and then opened his briefcase and removed a Jammer and a Truth Verifier. After explaining their usage he activated the Jammer and then the three of them were indistinct shapes to anyone watching them from outside of it.
Ansel and Juan brought the elderly Doctor up to date with what they knew about the Zone of Silence. Which in retrospect was still very little.
“I loved the Zone you know.” He said with a sigh of satisfaction. “I always felt so alive there, the air tingles on my skin you know. And in my mind’s eye I could see people and occasionally things from the far, far past.” He gave his old friend a hawkish glance. “Juan did I ever tell you about the child I saw there?”