“They agreed to that?”
“Best they don’t know for now. Try to be as stealthy as possible. I will help you with that. I have considerable experience sneaking into remote systems undetected. But I need you to take the lead on that.”
“Alright,” said Yanis with a nod.
“What about me?” Cedric inquired.
“I need you to study the entity’s code. I’ve made a copy of some of its matrix, and loaded it into a non-networked station over there. So if it does overcome the system and render it unusable, it won’t propagate.”
“What should I look for?”
“Root pathways and primary command structures. Try to understand how these operate, and work on a virus to insert new ones as stealthily as humanly possible. The idea here is a slow-acting, slow-growing virus that makes very subtle changes, in a perfectly optimized sequence, so as not to get flagged as an intrusion by the entity.”
“You do realize that it might be infinitely smarter than all three of us put together by now, and anything I come up with it might see right through?”
“I do, so try to think outside the box. Never use a tactic you would have used normally. Try to do something opposite to your logic; and whatever you do, don’t use code similar to what you used when you beamed the bombs. That would be flagged immediately.”
“Alright. Did you just ask me to dumb myself down?”
“That’s one way of looking at it, I guess. The less obvious the approach, the less chances of it being recognized as an attack.”
“That sounds like fun. Hope you brought a coffee machine, because we’re in for long nights.”
“You can synthetize anything you need over there. That includes pieces of hardware you may require to do your job.”
“Kewl. That takes me back; reminds me of my first LAN party.”
Spiros looked puzzled. “What’s a—”
“Never mind. It’s an Earth thing. What about you? What will you be working on?”
“A contingency plan, a way to use nanites to infect every computer on Earth and the ships simultaneously, that will delete all systems by scrambling their data with an unbreakable, multi-layered encryption program; so if it comes to us or the entity, we can at least disable every piece of technology at once.”
“You do realize that would render us defenseless?”
“I do, that’s why I’m also going to work on a second program for the nanites that will quickly replace the OS of every device with something including just basic operating commands, so we can at least get manual control. Just enough to restore backups on every system after the wipe.”
“Ingenious, but we may have to pray that the Zarlacks don’t attack us before we’re done restoring backups.”
“I’m hoping Argos’ departure with Chase and Aphroditis is a priority for him and he will leave Earth alone in the meantime.”
“Wait? What?” asked Yanis. “Chase is here?”
“Was. He stole the Iron Fire, took Aphroditis with him and left. Pretty sure Argos was on the ship too.”
“I know my friend. There’s no way he is working with Argos now.”
“And the entity showed me he is. Look, I’m tired of explaining this, so the short version: the Sarah he killed was a clone; she is still alive, and Argos is blackmailing Chase to do his bidding.”
It took a few seconds for Yanis to register all that, and his face grew darker. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t want to be him right now either; but what’s more troubling is that once he’s done doing whatever Argos needs him for, we may yet face another threat.”
“How did you arrive at this conclusion?”
“Granted this is just speculation, but think about it. Argos could have stolen the plans I had, but he didn’t. He made us think that by forcing Chase to kill the woman he loves he didn’t get his hands on them. That means that whatever he is after, whatever he needs Chase for, is worth way more than this tech. I have headaches just thinking about what it could be.”
Yanis swallowed hard, realizing that Spiros’ logic seemed right on target. “Alright, we’d better get started then.”
Daniel sat next to Keera in the Valken’s cockpit.
“Now what?” he asked.
“I’m running scans based on the ship’s log of the Iron Fire’s departure, but the computer, as I feared, can’t compute a single destination.”
“How many possible ones?”
“One hundred and twenty-seven.”
“Great, how are we supposed to follow then?”
“I can discard the ones in Obsidian space, Droxian space and ex-Alliance space.”
“How do you figure?”
“Well, I’m just speculating, but it’s doubtful that wherever they go now is within these systems.”
“Okay, for the sake of argument let’s say you’re right. I see where you’re going with this. How many destinations left?”
“With my current star charts, which are top of the line, only eight destinations remain.”
“That could still be too many.”
“Any better idea?”
“Yeah. Mind if I place a call?”
“Be my guest.”
Soon Yanis’ face appeared on the holo-screen.
“Hi, Daniel, not the best of times, I’m afraid. Mind if I call you back later?”
“No can do. I need your help. It’s about Chase.”
“Let me guess, you need to know where the Iron Fire went?”
“How did you know?”
“Just been briefed about the whole Sarah-not-being-dead thing. There, I sent you the Iron Fire’s jump destination, but if they stop and make another jump from there, they’ll be too far out of range to get the next coordinates.”
“Thanks, pal!”
“You’re welcome. Please be careful. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to follow Chase under the circumstance, but I understand why you’re doing it.”
Daniel smiled and nodded. “Will do.”
“If that’s all?”
“It is, thanks; and Yanis?”
“Yes, I know: I never got this call.”
“Right,” said Daniel with a smile. “Take care.”
“You too. Yanis out.”
Daniel fed the coordinates into the Valken’s computer.
“We’re good to go. How fast is your ship?”
“Speed ain’t a problem, but range might be.”
“Can we make that jump in one go?”
“Let me check. Uh-huh, alright. Yes, but there’s a catch.”
“We can’t jump back?”
“Yeah. We won’t have enough to make any jump for a resupply run either. None of the refueling bases I know would be in range. So it’s either a one way trip or we need to restock on fuel now.”
“What does your engine run on?”
“Quadrinium. Why?”
Daniel’s mouth arched into a smile. “Feel like doing a heist?”
“Sure. So I take it we’re not jumping right now?”
“No. See that ship over there?” Daniel pointed at the Destiny.
“Sure, what about it?”
“That’s going to be our next stop.”
15
Chase restlessly paced on the bridge of the Iron Fire.
“This is going to be a rather long jump. You may want to relax, brother.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“That won’t change the fact that we are brothers.”
“I will never consider you my brother, so stop calling me that.”
“Don’t like being called brother. Don’t like being called Laiyos. What should I call you then?”
“Just, just . . . Oh shut up, will ya?”
Argos smiled. “To think we were once inseparable, you and I. How things changed.”
“I’m glad I don’t have those memories. Wait . . . Did you have anything to do with that?”
“With what?”
“The fact I don’t remember
anything more than ten years or so ago.”
Argos didn’t answer.
“It was you! Wasn’t it?”
Argos’ gaze changed and froze Chase’s blood.
“Why?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“I don’t think so. The day I erased your memories, you and I took different paths; and whatever bond we had died that day as well.”
“Why won’t you tell me why you did it?”
“Because I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“Yet you need my help.”
“Unfortunately . . .”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”
Argos chuckled. “Only one?”
“Very funny. Tell me this, though. When I was about to end your pathetic excuse for a life back in Tokyo, you said you needed my powers. But we’re pretty evenly matched, so what is it you need me for that you can’t do on your own?”
“I don’t think I like your tone. Watch it.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me or Sarah? That can’t work anymore. We both know you need me. You’ve proven that time and again lately, so I’ll speak to you as I please.”
“I think I liked you better before.”
“I wouldn’t know about that, thanks to you. Now answer me!”
Argos growled. “You seem to be able to reach a higher level of power when pushed to the limit, and for our next fight, we’ll need that edge.”
“Fight? Who are we fighting?”
“Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
“Oh but I do. If I’m to be your puppet, I want to know what we’re getting ourselves into.”
“All you need to know is that our foe is the most powerful thing in this universe.”
“You fought it before, didn’t you?”
Argos exhaled heavily. “And lost.”
“Ouch. That must be frustrating; humiliating, even, for you. Then that brother you hate so much, whose memories you’ve wiped and discarded like he didn’t exist anymore, holds the key to your whole plan. You do realize I will stop you one day. Today you’re holding Sarah and my unborn child as leverage. But let’s make one thing clear right now: you will undo this bond you have on her the minute you get your hands on whatever it is you’re after. I hope we’re clear on that.”
Argos jumped out of the captain’s chair and came to within an inch of Chase’s face.
“Don’t antagonize me. Remember your place!”
“I see anger issues run in the family,” said Chase with a broad smile. “I’ll do as I please. If you think we’re going to become best pals along the way, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Argos spat on the ground. “I’d rather kill myself than consider you my pal, Laiyos.”
“I’d like to see that. One day perhaps. Are we clear on my terms, though?”
“Whatever. You have my word: once I have what I need, you and your precious Sarah will be reunited.”
“And?”
“And I’ll remove the nanite bomb from her occipital artery. Happy?”
Chase smiled inside. Poking and annoying his brother repeatedly had worked. He knew what was used and where it was now. So if Argos tried to double cross him, at least he could try to disarm the device himself.
“For now. Understand this—and make no mistake here—if you don’t free her fully when we’re done, and I mean the minute we’re done, then I’ll kill you myself.”
“Empty threat. You wouldn’t risk her life.”
“I would if you use her as leverage to make me do as you please. I’ll make sure we both perish, but I’m taking you with me in this scenario. Look into my eyes and see if I’m lying.”
Argos saw nothing but truth. “I see. I had no intention of double crossing you on this one. If we get the . . . If we get what I need, you can be on your way.”
“The what?”
“Forget it.”
“It must be darn important for you to go to all these lengths to get it. Tell me what it is.”
“No, that I won’t do. But rest assured, you’ll be surprised by the result.”
Of that I have no doubts, thought Chase.
The time to speak with the entity again was almost upon Spiros. He dreaded their next talk. The entity seemed emotionally volatile and, while his more than hundred years of life experience had taught him some diplomatic skills, he still wasn’t sure he was the best ambassador for the task. But he was the most qualified technically to detect patterns of behavior that could provide hints of what to look for within the entity’s sentient matrix.
“You alright, Spiros?” asked Cedric.
“Nervous.”
“No shit. Try to buy us some more time. We’re nowhere near a solution. Not even a sketchy one.”
“I know, and that worries me.”
“I’m really sorry about all of this, Spiros.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why? It’s not your fault.”
“It is. Nobody said it out loud, and I appreciate people trying to spare my feelings, but I know I screwed up. I created this entity.”
“You saved the planet that day. Give yourself a break.”
“To have it destroyed another day? That’s not saving.”
“You had no way of knowing this would happen; and I’m impressed by how much you’ve managed to do in so little time. This is just an unforeseen, unpredictable side effect.”
“Thanks, man, but I still have trouble sleeping.”
“Well don’t, really. No one blames you.”
“Not even the admiral?”
“She never even hinted at it, that much I can tell.”
Cedric seemed relieved. “Shouldn’t you be going next door?”
“Yeah, wish me luck.”
“Break a leg.”
“What?”
“Sorry, that means good luck on Earth.”
Spiros smiled at the irony. “See you soon, then. Please keep working on that virus.”
“Will do.”
Spiros exited their lab and headed next door. He lost no time stepping onto the communication device they had moved aboard the Cronos just hours before. He ran a quick diagnostic to make sure everything worked properly, and double-checked that the array was connected only to Earth’s networks. No need to risk infecting the Cronos’ internal systems. They hadn’t found a trace of the entity yet, but Spiros knew it could be hiding within the ship’s own AI. One line of well-placed code and it could activate itself.
When he confirmed everything was set correctly, he put the mind link devices on his temples.
This time he wasn’t in a weird, floating cyberspace like before, but stood in a nice meadow, with birds chirping and the relaxing sound of a waterfall in the distance. It was a bright, blue day, with the sun shining high in the sky.
“Gaia? Are you here?”
“I’m here,” said the voice, as if coming from the heavens above.
“Well, good day to you. Have you chosen this simulation?”
“I did. I wanted to show you how things should be. Unlike this.”
Suddenly everything changed in real time and he was in the middle of a very grey, very industrial zone with chimneys releasing dark, thick clouds into the atmosphere.
“I see. There can’t be many places like these left around Earth nowadays.”
“Even one is too much, but I’ll grant you that the quadrinium power plants are much less detrimental to my health. I guess I should at least thank you and the Alliance for this change.”
“I’m glad you see things that way. Does that mean we can find a way to cohabitate?”
“I’m still debating this, but we have to discuss the weapons of mass destruction in orbit.”
“Our ships?”
“And satellites, yes.”
“What about them?”
“I want them gone, today.” The entity’s voice resonated all around Spiros and it sounded as though many voices had spoken together.
&nbs
p; “Look, that’s not possible. Surely we can discuss this.”
“Is that why you are on one of the ships today?”
“What?”
“To attack and destroy me?”
“Look, Gaia, we mean you no harm; and we would never fire upon Earth. Surely you see that the seven billion lives down there haven’t moved. We wouldn’t kill our own.”
“History tells another tale.”
“Yes, and like many civilizations, mine included, there were times when wars happened. It was senseless and cost all parties involved dearly.”
“I am trying to understand why humans wage war.”
“There are no wars on Earth at the moment.”
“True, it seems there aren’t; but there is a threat from other races. The death and destruction Earth-bound wars used to bring in the past seems to have been replaced with threats from the stars now. When will it stop?”
“I wish I knew. We don’t want this war with the Zarlacks and Argos. Please understand that.”
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
“About the ships.”
“I promise we won’t use them to attack you. In fact, they are part of Earth’s defense. You must have seen how many ships and humans were lost when the Zarlacks attacked this world.”
“I did.”
“So why want them gone?”
“The enemy could follow you elsewhere if you leave, and leave me alone.”
“I guarantee this won’t be the case. Argos will destroy Earth without a second thought if given the opportunity, which is exactly what will happen if the ships leave orbit.”
“I see. Are you trying to stop Argos? It seems he could have been killed yesterday. I should have intervened.”
“On that I agree. If you had the means to kill him, you should have. Why didn’t you?”
“I calculated a high probability that if he died in front of this Chase character, his rage could overtake him and obliterate the planet as a result.”
“I don’t think Chase would have killed seven billion lives, no matter what.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
Spiros sensed nothing but truthfulness in that last comment, which sent a shiver down his spine. Could Chase’s rage have destroyed this world? Was he that powerful?
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 107