by Gary Caplan
Klein’s image was on one side of the viewer, and the rest showed the summary presentation with some images of specimen data and diagrams. Klein had drawn his own conclusions, including his ideas about who was responsible. He said, “In summary, the initial data you sent me about various animal loss on other worlds, and the local information I and my small evaluation team who reviewed events with the Rhyn have gathered, have led us to believe that three likely groups could be responsible. The Thurians could use riftways and gateways to collect creatures; the Myroid might look to be adding organic components from a diverse genetic stream; or the Calyx, who are whispered legends among my people—it is believed they have the necessary technology.”
Natarris said, “Fleet Captain Harrolid has come up with basically the same conclusions we have, so now we need to add his data to the previous data and the more recent data from the Star Knights. The IOCD provided evidence of other specimen disappearances that either occurred in the past or were more recently determined to be missing and not reported until now.”
Sheppard said, “Well, I think I can compile that. As the crew is busy with repairs, I’m going to use this time to pose a question to the computer to try to locate some early area in space and locate a possible origin point. To make it somewhat of a challenge for me and recall some of my science skills, I will write this program manually.” Sheppard immediately began writing a selection program.
As he watched what Sheppard was coding, Garfield said, “That would work nicely by combining the estimated dates of specimen loss with the present number of systems examined from all sources. Then you can derive an extrapolation of where the first occurrences may have happened.”
Natarris added, “That is presuming these events started from an origin going to closest systems first as opposed to heading to more distant star systems first to collect species and then moving back toward their point of origin.”
Sheppard said, “Yes, that is a possibility, too, and if things start to look like that from the data analysis…give me a moment to alter this short program to examine that possibility.”
Garfield stated, “Let’s hope we are not dealing with a mobile facility. The factions involved are all capable of building extremely large spacecraft like the Talcon’s Starcity.”
After seeing the rather large area of the initial results, Sheppard asked, “Fellow Knights, if I might ask you to review this program…the initial check provided more origin system possibilities than I might like or have time to go to visit or explore.”
Natarris and Garfield looked at the projected information Sheppard displayed and began to make some small changes or additions in the search program. Then, after running the search parameters again, a narrower region of about a hundred light years across looked like the prime area to start an initial active search.
Natarris said, “It appears there are still a few hundred star systems in that more coreward and star-dense slice of the galaxy in the cubic x, y, and z vectors within the calculated zone.”
Sheppard said, “Many of these systems are technically unexplored by the Alliance of Worlds, or minimally explored. I think I’ll need to go to astrometrics later to get some help.”
Garfield said, “I can explore some of these possibilities with the Zeloc’s detectors and scanners and look for some likely candidates. I can even cross-reference data from elder civilizations to determine if they have facilities or colonies in that region.”
Natarris said smiling, “I can go to the astrometrics section now and start until Mr. Andor or one of the other science officers has some time. Then, Robert, that will let you get back to your fleet duties.”
Sheppard nodded and smiled. “I do have a few things to get done if I intend to arrange to go on another side mission.”
They each rose and headed to their tasks.
In the damaged section of the Phoenix, Commander O’Brien, along with several other engineers and technicians, was finishing repairs on the systems affected by the Varlon nanotorpedo circuitry. Once they had applied the anti-nanomachines the Hegemony sent, the net effect was inhibition of the Varlon nanomachines. The affected parts and equipment then had to be removed and sterilized as the Varlon nanomachines were still dangerous if enough weren’t stopped by the Hegemony’s neutralizing nanomachines. The Hegemony’s ships’ hulls had built-in protection, and they carried additional supplies only for times when the Varlon used excess torpedoes or from space discharged and scattered Varlon red-field nanomachines.
On the bridge, Captain Wilder was given status reports to verify progress that the repairs on the Phoenix at least were close to completion. He had been informed that he and Commodore Helmslar would be taking the remaining starships to rendezvous with the rest of the Sixth Fleet task force toward Ceyloom border space. Fleet Captain Kellog had survived but was injured and would be staying to take command of the remaining damaged starships and those still requiring further repairs at the orbital warbase’s repair facility.
As Natarris and Garfield entered the corridor, Ares stood to the side to let the superior officers pass. She said, “Sirs, if I might ask a question…”
They paused and looked back.
Ares said, “I was wondering now that I have seen some things…if I might want to learn more about becoming a Star Knight.”
Natarris said, “As I mentioned earlier, I would be willing to instruct you while I am here.”
Garfield said, “I can help with training as well, but you will need to determine your degree of involvement. For some it’s like an old-style guild club, for others it’s an unusual business, and still others believe it to be a calling. I’m sure you can find a part that fits you. Maybe you can even learn a version of this…” Garfield smiled and then appeared to look far away. An aperture formed in the corridor, and he passed through.
Ares vaguely sensed something, since this was the first time he’d allowed her to see the process. Usually he just seemed to vanish.
Natarris said, nodding appreciatively, “An advanced ability only those with the necessary skill as well as innate ability can achieve. I am headed to astrometrics. Once finished there I will look for you, and we can discuss this more.”
Ares nodded and said, “It might be time to learn about my innate psi ability in any case.”
She watched Natarris head down the corridor, and for a moment she was happily excited about future prospects before she headed back to her duty station.
Chapter 13
The Arkology and Other Events
The crystals and stones sang a melody deep and sonorous and sometimes high pitched like glass cracking within a vast, cavernous area. Crystalline and metallic structures moved about in a dance of predetermined intelligence. Specimens had been arriving for months and continued to arrive and be catalogued, each given identifying sounds and other labels.
The Keeper sat in a central location, monitoring. The Keeper vibrated with the excitement of incoming knowledge. Observing the abundance of information, the Keeper could sense the activities of its crystalline citadel like a central processor issuing orders and responding to incoming data. The collection process had been going on in stealth mode for some time, and the scope of completing the great Arkology of samples and specimens of living creatures on a system-wide scale had taken many centuries. The specimen collection had been accelerated. The great project would be completed sooner.
More recently, a change in the Keeper had begun. The Keeper was undergoing ascension to a greater state and would have a new form, one commensurate with its eventual new status. As it awaited the final transformation, it continued to learn of the new specimens and observe as they were catalogued, analyzed, and placed in habitats designed for them.
The dimensional breech alarm chimed again, and the Keeper examined the information. Again he watched other groups of his people, the Calyx, using their own systems and their ancient allies, the Thurians, to track the Nahal entity as it traveled across space trying to escape its pursuers. The Kee
per thought for a moment to send aid but observed and realized they did not need help. The fragments broken off by the battle were destroyed by starcraft now following the task force.
“It was wise to do so,” the Keeper thought aloud, its ideas reverberating in the control chamber. “The great Arkology worlds were meant to preserve things against such incursions as the Nahalion’s, and similar threats.”
Deep in space, the battle between the Nahalion and its pursuers continued. The immense entity was moving ponderously like a small planet on a wobbly course. The Calyx ships were strafing it, staying just out of the reach of the tentacles and other projectiles it released. The Calyx would pause occasionally, changing tactics from attacking parts to just releasing some energy, and the Nahalion would follow, being attracted to the energy.
Onboad one of the ring-shaped Thurian starships, the officer in charge watched his and the Calyx’s ships’ activities. The Thurian commander was also telepathic, and he could sense the Nahalion trying to send its mind’s voice out to others of its kind. That fortunately was being blocked, but the echoes of its mind could be sensed by those others with telepathy or who were Mystic Knights from the home world and presently serving on one of the starships.
The Nahalion sensed its mass had even slightly decreased from all the pummeling it had taken. It had been trying to open a rift using part of the energy it had drawn from the first planet and stored. It realized if it could get far enough ahead of its pursuers, or distract its enemies by getting them to follow escaping pieces of itself, it could attempt to summon others of its kind.
The Thurians were now using micro gates connecting to young hot stars that melted sections of the Nahalion’s body. The Calyx were using, in this case, effective particle cannons and mass drivers to inflict damage or break sections of the Nahalion. The Nahalion was attacking their ships with pieces of itself that morphed into smaller forms and then launched at the starships. But the Calyx starships were resilient, and the morphed attack structures were blasted apart or split by apertures. Those morphed pieces of the Nahalion never seemed to get close enough to any of the Thurian starcraft.
During its existence, it had never sensed so much loss of pieces of itself; this was a new thing. None of the tiny things had ever caused such disruption before. It reached out and sensed the surroundings, looking with all its senses. The Nahalion thought “there,” and it began to sense life energy from another point in space. The tiny ones kept cutting and destroying the pieces it sent after them. It thought again, “could be large enough resource supply,” but there was now more interference from those tiny things to its sensing structures. “if i cannot gain more organic mass or energy, either along this present way, or in hyperspace or at a destination, then no more of my kind can be pulled through.”
The Thurians and the now the Calyx listened to the stricken entity’s thoughts and ramblings. It was sometimes difficult to pick out something as the entity tended to think so many things at once, having a vast, scattered neural network. Their systems told them the Nahalion was about to open a hyperspace rift—not a large one as a door for its kind, since its energy levels were not adequate, but one large enough for it to move it into hyperspace.
The entity created a hyperspace pathway, and the Calyx and Thurian starships did not initially interfere, or perhaps didn’t appear to interfere, with the action.
The Thurian commander and Calyx commander communicated to each other after disintegrating the morphed or broken pieces and set course as if they already knew or anticipated where the Nahalion had fled. They had led the Nahalion closer so it would be able to detect energy. The Nahalion had sensed a great gathering of power sources in another star system. The attractive energy was the result of releases of energy from so many starcraft in one area.
Using its own heightened abilities, the Keeper watched the Thurians and the other Calyx and saw multiple possibilities on how his ancient allies’ plan could unfold. Some were beneficial, but only a few would provide the necessary safety. The Keeper thought, “I must continue to collect for the sake of preservation should other Nahalion arrive.”
Chapter 14
The Search
The Phoenix was essentially repaired and was getting ready to set course to rendezvous with other task forces in the combined Third and Sixth Fleets, which had set out for the border of Ceyloom space. Sheppard, Garfield, Natarris, Sherman, O’Brien, Andor, Taylor, and Ares were present in Sheppard’s office. They had gone over the data with the other search team members to keep them in the loop.
Natarris said, “I received information that the Star Knights of another order have asked mine to aid them. So now I am also tasked to investigate the disappearance of a fellow Star Knight named Razel, who has been looking into the issue for a few months now.” He looked at Sheppard and Garfield for support.
Garfield said, “This has now become a missing-person investigation, and we usually look after fellow members, especially those Star Knights on legitimate tasks.”
Natarris said, “Once I learned of the missing Star Knight and her last known location, I began reviewing the location information we obtained and using a mental discipline to help decipher clues. Similar to the retrocognitive ability you, Robert, mentioned to me that you used two years ago. I was able to extrapolate that her probable disappearance location is within the one-hundred-light-year zone we calculated earlier. I then sent that information to Commander Andor for his evaluation.”
Sheppard nodded to Natarris and looked at the assembled staff. Holding his gaze at Andor he said, “Any further reports?”
Andor said, “Sir, I reviewed the earlier suppositions in your location algorithms and made small alterations. Then, using the information and clues from the various sources, including information obtained recently by Fleet Captain Natarris, I deduced possible locations for the star system of origin and was able to narrow the region to a smaller, approximately fifty-light-year sphere. Afterward I shared my computations with Commander Taylor.”
Taylor added, “By coordinating known elder-civilization worlds with the information on the timeline and planets with zoological specimen loss, I think we have narrowed the possible locations as best as we can.”
O’Brien said, “Sir, as I mentioned on an interlink to most of you: my team came up with the frequency bandwidths the collector devices had to be using, and the likely ranges of their cloaking devices. Those who go to investigate can use that information to access communication streams once they find a base of operations.”
Sheppard said, “Good work, everyone.”
Sherman said, “Sir, this task force still has to get going with what starships we can muster and join the rest of the Sixth Fleet.”
Sheppard said, “Yes, Brandon, you’re right. However, I think now that more evidence has come to light, I can arrange the necessary time to investigate this properly, especially since the task force is going to be in hyperspace anyway.”
Natarris said, “A T-200 or even the Phoenix would not provide us the necessary time to arrive close to the arrival of this task force in the particular Ceyloom space region the Talcon are heading for.”
Garfield said, “If we are to later join the combined fleet in Ceyloom border space, we will need to travel aboard the Zeloc.”
Ares said, “Commodore Sheppard, do you plan on going on the mission personally? There may be security issues.”
Sheppard said, “Yes I do. Acting Commodore Sherman, you are in command until I return.”
Sherman said, “Yes, sir.”
Garfield said, “As an admiral I will support your decision to leave, Robert. I believe this is a necessary mission, and it may require more than one Star Knight to complete smoothly.”
Natarris nodded and said, “Perhaps we can take Lieutenant Commander Ares for security support, if she is willing to go.”
Sheppard said, “Pack some gear if you want to go, Ares. We leave in the next hour.”
Sheppard nodded as he looked around th
e room. He was always interested in science and alien technology. One day his more dangerous Star Knight activities might catch up with him.
Most people knew that Star Knights were not a government-sanctioned police or special guards, but were more akin to agents who belonged to various organizations or orders. Even though Natarris and Garfield were not human, they were Star Knights, and they shared a common bond. Sheppard thought about his last major Star Knight mission. He had been aboard a Quarran ship with Star Knights from different races for several days last year. The Quarran were also members of the Hegemony, and he had been on Garfield’s sentient starship Zeloc before, but not on a mission of this nature. He was looking forward to seeing more of the Zeloc.
Sharon met him just before he was about to exit his quarters with his gear pack. She said, “Well, we both know what we signed up for in the Alliance Space Navy. But I am still going to worry about you, Rob.”
“Sharon, I would expect you to worry some.” He gave her a reassuring hug, some for her and maybe a bit for himself. “I’ll be in the company of some seasoned Star Knights, and I will be onboard an impressive elder starship. I will be on a mission to find out what’s going on,” he replied.
“That is somewhat reassuring, for yourself,” said Sharon smiling. “I want to go exploring with Garfield too.” Then she laughed.
Sheppard relaxed when she laughed, smiled back, and then said, “Right. I forgot you are his favorite science disciple. Well I could ask if you can come.”
Sharon replied with a sigh, “No. I mean I have so many things to keep me occupied, and to leave would mean I would have to delegate some things to the science staff, and we are short staff since in the last promotion two officers transferred to more research-oriented posts.”