by James Rosone
She snapped herself back to the present as her chief scientific officer, Dr. Jonathan Milton, stepped forward to the podium, the monitor behind him populating with data—or at least the information they knew up to this point.
Clearing his throat, he began to speak, his thick British accent further playing into the pompous demeanor he seemed to display whenever he was asked to speak in front of a group.
“Admiral,” he said, pronouncing each syllable like he was talking down to a student who didn’t understand his lecture, “I’d like to take just a moment to summarize what we know up to this point. I think it’s good for us to establish some fundamental facts and then build on that knowledge base as we expand it further.” He paused for a moment as he lowered his chin, almost looking down on her and the other crewmen present.
Jonathan Milton was a pompous bastard, having spent his entire career as a researcher working for the UK Astronomy Technology Centre. He was also a department chair at Cambridge. He was arguably one of the smartest people on the expedition, and he’d had the forethought to bring with him a leading anthropologist from the University of California–Berkeley and a sociolinguistics specialist from Harvard. The three of them, along with their lead data scientist and programmer from Carnegie Mellon University, Professor Ekhard, had deciphered the language of the humanlike aliens within twenty-four hours.
Halsey groaned softly to herself but nodded for him to continue, so he did. “As everyone is aware, a few days after settling in orbit around New Eden, we began to land geological and survey teams along with reconnaissance teams at various points of interest around the planet. One of those teams was a Delta platoon sent to investigate the possible signs of intelligent life.”
The doctor paused for a moment before continuing, enjoying every moment of leading this monumental discussion. “What they found was nothing short of astounding.” Behind him were several images of the large bluish aliens. “But what else they found is what I would like to discuss with you now.” Pictures of the human-looking prisoners popped up next.
“While we weren’t sure what to make of these prisoners, our soldiers on the ground were able to use their parabolic microphones to capture their communications with each other for nearly a day. Likewise, they were able to do the same with the large blue aliens. After nearly twenty straight hours of collecting both video and audio interactions between the two species, our quantum computer, using a sophisticated AI algorithm Professor Ekhard had created, was eventually able to sequence their languages. With the help of Professor Audrey Lancaster, we were able to decipher the language of the humans in its entirety. We’ve got a working understanding now of the blue aliens’ language as well.”
Dr. Milton held his chin up a bit as if he had somehow made this discovery and not the team standing there with him.
“As it turns out, the human-looking creatures are speaking a variant of an ancient version of Chaldean—we estimate their language to be related to Chaldean as spoken on Earth five thousand years ago. This dialect has origins that date back to the Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia and of ancient Elam. That civilization dates back to roughly 4050 BC.”
A few audible gasps and chattering started up by the people involved in the briefing. Halsey let it go on for a moment longer before she raised her hand to silence them. Most of her leadership team was only just now learning of this discovery.
“Dr. Milton, this is an incredible breakthrough, and congratulations to your staff for having achieved it. But how is it in the vastness of space, we managed to discover a group of humans on a planet twelve light-years from Earth, that just so happens to speak a variant of the Chaldean language that relates to a civilization from six thousand years ago?” asked Admiral Halsey, deflating the intellectual high that the doctor was currently riding.
Professor Audrey Lancaster, who had just returned from the surface, jumped in before the doctor had a chance to reply. “We’re still trying to figure that piece out, Admiral.”
Dr. Milton gave her a slight smile as if thanking her for the quick help he didn’t need.
Leaning in, Halsey prodded, “What are these people calling themselves, and where are they saying they’re from?”
Audrey stood taller; she was the only person to have spent a few hours with these new humans, so she eagerly took the question. “The leader of the group of prisoners says his name is Hadad. He said they are from a planet called Sumer, which would make sense if they came from an ancient Chaldean-speaking group on Earth, given their ancient Sumerian-Akkadian history.
“He said they call this planet we’re in orbit of Clovis. It apparently belongs to the Zodarks, the large bluish aliens we just fought to recover Ambassador Chapman from.”
“Excuse me, Admiral,” Jonathan interjected briskly, “as much as I’m sure Professor Lancaster would like to talk about the history of the Sumerian people and how they came to be, I believe we should focus our attention on the threat this other species poses, and this so-called Zodark Empire.”
Halsey nodded. “You’re right, Dr. Milton. Professor Lancaster, we’ll discuss the Sumerians at a later date. In the meantime, continue to learn as much as you can about them. Right now, I think we need to focus on this other immediate threat. Doctor, please continue.”
Smiling now that he had control of the briefing again, Dr. Milton went on to explain, “The Sumerians told us this other species is called the Zodarks. As you can see, they are large brutish creatures who have apparently been a spacefaring race for many hundreds or even thousands of years. What little we know of them thus far is that they are an advanced apex predator species that have yet to run into a race of sentient beings they haven’t been able to either subdue or eliminate.”
Admiral Halsey noticed a few of her military officers becoming a bit uneasy by that proclamation. Captain Hunt, who was participating via holograph, didn’t appear fazed, though.
Of course he’s not intimidated—he’s commanding our most powerful warship, Halsey thought jealously.
“The Sumerians have been able to provide us some data on the Zodarks’ ships, but not much. While the Sumerians have been a spacefaring people for a few hundred years, their technological advancements have been greatly limited by the Zodarks. They’ve been largely confined to some interplanetary activity in their own solar system.”
One of the officers in the room let out a soft whistle. “Nearly two hundred years? It sounds like these new humans we’ve discovered are pretty advanced if they discovered space travel more than two hundred years ago. Heck, we’ve only developed the ability to leave our own solar system in the last twenty.”
Dr. Milton bobbed his head up and down before continuing. “That is true—a good point, Commander. I am hopeful that during our debrief of them, we’ll be able to ascertain exactly how advanced their people truly are. Now, back to the Zodark ships. The Sumerians have been able to give us some information about them. For instance, their weapon systems are largely based on pulse beam technologies. In a way, that’s a good thing because we’re experienced in that field of research. Space Command’s current and future warships also feature a modulated armor, developed to defeat pulse beam weapons. What we’re unsure of is how strong the Zodark weapons are, and their effective ranges.
“We also know they have an advanced form of space travel,” Dr. Milton continued. “The Sumerians said the Zodarks seized what we believe was some sort of wormhole technology, but they’re not aware if the Zodarks were able to understand how it worked or implement it. Right now, the Sumerian leader said their current home world is two months’ travel via a Zodark ship. Since we have no idea of how fast a Zodark ship can travel, we aren’t sure how far that is. What we do know is it takes us two weeks to travel one light-year.”
Interrupting the discussion, Captain Hunt’s began to speak via his holographic image. “If I may, Doctor, Admiral, why don’t we show the Sumerians some star maps and see if they can point out their system or region? From there, we’ll be
able to figure out how far away their home planet is, and potentially where these Zodark core systems are. Right now, not knowing leaves us, and thereby Earth, pretty vulnerable to a species that now knows we exist. I think it would be prudent to compile as much information as possible and begin to transmit it back to Sol. We need to inform them of what we’ve found and warn them of this Zodark threat. We’re going to need a united Sol to defend against them if they ever discover where we came from, Admiral.”
“I agree, Captain. Doctor, I need you to compile everything we’ve learned up to this point and dispatch a com drone immediately,” Admiral Halsey directed. “Next, your people need to keep unraveling everything you can learn about this threat from the Sumerians and send a daily com drone back home until we leave the systems. Make sure Dr. Johnson is brought into the loop on this. We need DARPA and NRO’s brainpower working on this as well.”
Halsey shifted in her seat to face Major Jenkins, who had recently arrived from the surface; Captain Hopper had been left to maintain a small contingent down there while they finished sanitizing the camp and collecting all the refined minerals the Sumerians had told them to bring.
“Major, tell us about the raid on the camp and the Zodarks we were able to capture.”
Jenkins nodded and stood to speak. “As we just learned, the Zodarks are a fierce and brutal species. When our first contact team attempted to speak with them, they appeared interested. That changed rapidly when Ambassador Chapman wouldn’t tell them which star system Earth is located in. When our Special Forces soldiers made their presence known, the Zodarks went completely berserk. They kidnapped the ambassador and attacked our soldiers. We were completely caught off guard by how fast and vicious their attack was and lost a number of good people right off the bat.”
Major Jenkins continued, “Additional forces were brought down to the surface, and a plan was put into place to retrieve the ambassador and liberate the camp. We’ll have some videos and our after-action reports drawn up soon to illustrate what happened. Suffice it to say, it was a real ballbuster of a fight. My battalion sustained fifty-three killed and another forty-eight wounded. Captain Hopper’s unit sustained twenty-nine killed and eighteen wounded. We also lost three of our Mech units, which were torn to shreds by the electrified short swords the Zodarks use when they get up close to you. In the end, we were able to capture twelve of them, to include their leader, T’Tock. In all, we killed one hundred and fifty-two of them. Captain Hopper’s remaining soldiers are working with some of our synthetics to get the bodies buried and sanitize the camp of anything that might lead them back to Earth.”
Halsey took a deep breath. “I assume we have these Zodarks under lock and key right now?”
Jenkins nodded. “They’re being kept in the brig. We have a contingent of soldiers assisting the master at arms in guarding them as well.”
“I assume they were able to transmit a distress call before we subdued them?” she asked next.
Grimacing at the question, Jenkins explained, “They likely did that as soon as they abducted the ambassador. But, yes, when we launched our attack on the base, they probably sent another message out of the system. We can also be sure the other Zodark camps on the planet likely know of our presence and capabilities.”
The admiral turned to look at Captain Hunt’s holographic image next. “Captain, you’re the tactical fleet commander. What is your suggestion for what we do next? How should we go about protecting the Voyager and the Gables?”
A short pause ensued as Hunt thought about his response. He finally replied, “We’ve detected an asteroid belt about two AUs from the planet. We can hide in the belt and wait for a ship to arrive and then leave the system or stay and fight—test our ships against them.”
The admiral considered the options. On the one hand, the smarter thing to do would be to get out of Dodge and head back to Sol with what they knew. On the other hand, any intelligence they could gain on the enemy ships and their capabilities could prove invaluable, especially if they ended up having to fight them.
Halsey looked at Jenkins. “How long until our ground contingent is done collecting those materials and sanitizing the place?”
Jenkins leaned forward in his chair. “I’d estimate another twelve hours.”
Halsey sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers. Turning to face Hunt again, she announced, “Here’s what we’re going to do. When the ground team finishes on the surface, we’re going to send the Gables back with everything we’ve collected and as many of the wounded and the Sumerians as we can. The Rook and Voyager will stay here and wait to see what kind of starship shows up. When they do arrive, we’ll look to engage them.”
Chapter Fourteen
New Leadership
Earth—Sol
Space Command
Vice Admiral Chester Bailey looked over the reports from the two orbital shipyards. On the one hand, he felt he should be satisfied with their progress; they were clearly ahead of schedule on a couple of ships. On the other hand, they were also falling behind schedule on some of the larger transport ships. Those vessels were critical to the outward expansion of the Republic if they were to have any hope of keeping pace with the GEU and Asian Alliance’s expansion into the stars.
There was a soft knock on his office door, and Admiral Jose Sanchez stuck his head in. “Mind if I come in, Chester?” He had a look on his face that said he had something important to say, and a mysterious small bag in his hand.
Unsure of what his boss wanted, Vice Admiral Bailey waved Admiral Sanchez in. He took a moment to close up what he was working on as the other admiral took a seat at the far side of his office, on one of a pair of couches angled to look out the window at the sea. One of the benefits of Space Command being headquartered at the Kennedy Space Center was the view: palm trees, white sandy beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Once Bailey had joined him, Sanchez pulled a couple of glasses and an unopened bottle of Gran Patrón out of his bag. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here, Chester,” he said. He opened the bottle of fine tequila and proceeded to pour a healthy amount into both glasses, handing Bailey one. “My wife bought this for me on her last trip to Mexico City. She’s finalizing the purchase of our new home there, a big beautiful place right on the ocean in Cabo. It’s a lot closer to where the rest of the kids and grandkids live these days.”
Bailey’s brow furrowed at the comment. “Being close to family is a good thing. Are you going to commute between here and there?” he asked.
Sanchez let out a soft laugh. He looked out the window for a second before he returned his gaze to Bailey. “This may come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m retiring, Chester. I’ve officially tendered my resignation letter to the Secretary of Defense and the President as of two hours ago. My final day on the job will be Friday, two days from now.”
Bailey tried to keep his jaw from hitting the floor; he didn’t even know how to respond, at least not right away. “I, I thought you were going to stay on a few more years—at least long enough to know how the Rhea expedition went.”
Sanchez shrugged off the comment. “No, I’m getting up there in age, and so is my wife. Even with these medical nanobots coursing through my bloodstream, I’m still getting old up here,” he said as he pointed to his head. “My wife and I want to spend more time together. I’ve spent sixty-eight years in Space Command. It’s time to hang it up and let someone else take the reins.”
Bailey felt a slight tinge of concern. This abrupt retirement had definitely caught him by surprise. He hadn’t heard about the old man looking to throw in the towel yet, so he had no idea who might be coming in to take his place.
Clearly seeing the look of confusion on Bailey’s face, Sanchez interceded. “Chester, I brought this fine tequila to your office to tell you that I’m ending my military career, but also to inform you that I have recommended that you take over as the new head of Space Command. As you know, Chester, I don’t have the final say in who is selecte
d for this position—it’s politically appointed. If you are selected and confirmed by the Senate, you’ll hold the post for seven years, at which point you’ll need to be reconfirmed. If you aren’t reconfirmed, you’ll be retired. There’s no rule limiting how many terms you can serve, but know this, Chester—it’s all political.”
The older man paused for a moment, sizing him up. “I’m not going to lie to you. You’re young enough that you could conceivably serve another twenty or thirty years in your current position or even as a fleet admiral in charge of ships beyond Sol. Hell, with the continued advancements in nanotechnology, you could live well into your mid- or even high hundreds, which means you could serve fifty or even seventy years longer than me. However, if you leave your current post as head of space operations, your stint as the head of Space Command could end your time in the military if you aren’t selected for subsequent terms. If you end up on the wrong side of things, you could find yourself a one-term commander. Think about that for a few days, OK? I personally think you’re the right man to lead Space Command going into this new frontier of discovery, but I’d hate for you to have your space career cut short if you crossed the wrong senator or president.”
Vice Admiral Bailey knew he had a bit of a temper at times—he’d been known to ruffle some feathers on occasion. He sat back in his chair and took a long pull of the tequila, feeling the smooth liquid race down his throat. To take over as the leader of Space Command had always been his dream, but the warning Sanchez had just given him gave him pause. He hadn’t considered that he could end up serving only one term. Then again, if we grow New Eden, they’re going to need a governor and fleet commander out there. I could use my position as head of Space Command to create my own empire in the Rhea system…