by James Rosone
“Dr. Johnson, we should head back in. We’re running low on oxygen, and that storm is approaching,” one of her staffers said hesitantly.
Not everyone on her staff enjoyed accompanying her on these outings. The man meant well, but he was clueless when it came to understanding her reasoning behind these long walks on the surface of Mars in EVA suits. These ventures outside the biospheres were therapeutic to her. They helped remind her that she was on an alien planet, in a hostile environment that could quickly kill her if she wasn’t careful.
Sighing to herself, she complied and made her way over to the rover. She climbed in and attached the oxygen cable to one of the ports on her suit. A second later, she was breathing from the vehicle’s system while it refilled her tank. The two of them drove in silence back to the docking bay.
There’s still so much to this planet we haven’t even explored yet. So much I still want to learn about this place…
Katherine had now lived on the Martian surface for thirty-two years. She was among a very small group of people who had lived on Mars this long. With her children grown and living on Earth, she and her husband had chosen to make Mars their home. Her husband was a geologist, and while he didn’t work for the government like she did, he did work for a university back on Earth. She envied him; he had the job of exploring the various aspects of Mars, looking for signs of a past civilization or other unique and interesting things about the red planet.
Katherine and her assistant drove for a few minutes back to the military outpost until they reached one of the entry control points. She entered her code and swiped her security card, unlocking the armored entrance. Once it had retracted, they drove in and continued their short drive until they reached the entrance to one of the docking bays that would connect them to the internal part of the facility.
They waited for one of the vehicle ports to depressurize so they could enter. It took a couple of minutes, but then the outer door opened up, and they drove into the docking bay. Once they were inside, the exterior door closed, and the room repressurized itself to match the internal docking bay. A moment later, another vehicle door opened, and they were able to drive inside the facility.
As they entered, Katherine immediately saw Commander Niles standing there with his hands on his hips, waiting for them.
“Enjoy your ride on the frontier, Doctor?”
“It was restorative, as always, Commander. Thank you for allowing me to venture outside the lab. It helps me think more clearly,” she replied as she gave him a mischievous wink.
He didn’t need to give her permission to go outside the base, but she liked to make him believe he did. She liked Commander Niles—he was a good man, a smart man. He probably wouldn’t take command of a starship as Captain Hunt had, but he was a much better scientist than Hunt. Hunt was destined to be a ship commander, probably an admiral someday if she thought about it.
“Are we ready to present the Voyager’s findings to Admiral Bailey and Senator Walhoon?” she asked as the two of them began the process of gaining entry into the research lab and SCIF part of the facility.
“That’s what I came out here to talk to you about.”
She turned her head slightly as they continued to walk. “Something wrong?” She hoped there wasn’t anything urgent she’d missed. The two of them were supposed to leave on a shuttle in a handful of hours to meet up with a destroyer that would ferry them back to Earth. Granted, the ride only took a matter of eight hours, but they were still going to be transported via a warship given the gravity of the information they were carrying.
As they walked, Niles stopped for a moment. Katherine stopped too and looked at him. “What is it, Commander?”
“We received another com drone an hour ago from the Voyager. We just completed the download when I came out to get you. We…have a problem.”
*******
Eight hours later, Commander Niles, Dr. Johnson, and six of their best analysts were camped out in the briefing room of the destroyer, going over the latest data dump they’d received from the Rhea system. There was a lot of information. They had images of what this new race’s warships looked like as well as intel on their propulsion systems, armaments, power generation, and FTL capabilities. It was concerning, to say the least.
Of all the information being thrown at her team, the thing she found most interesting was the two minerals that were apparently in abundance on the planet, called Trimar and Morean. They had a chemical composition unlike any she had ever seen. What she found most helpful about this new data was some analysis from the Voyager’s science team, which had gone to great lengths to provide as much information about the minerals as possible. They had attached over a dozen different reports detailing what the minerals were, how the Zodarks were using them, how this new race of humans called the Sumerians had used them, how they mined and refined them, and other ways the minerals were used in their daily lives.
From what Dr. Johnson could discern, these minerals were to the Zodarks what petroleum or uranium was to Earth: a raw material that, when refined, produced an incredible amount of energy. When she came across an interview about how the Zodarks’ reactors—which were apparently the same type of reactors the Sumerians used for their own energy needs—worked, her eyes went wide as saucers. The amount of power these reactors were putting out was beyond what she could comprehend with their current technology.
Looking at the notes about the Trimar and Morean minerals again, she realized these minerals were the key to it all. For whatever reason, these two materials were critical to making this reactor work.
The eight-hour transit from Earth to Mars gave Dr. Johnson and her team the needed time to synthesize the information they’d received and break it down into manageable chunks. For once, she was glad she was traveling on one of the older, slower Space Command vessels and not one of the newer FTL-equipped ones. She needed the extra time to digest and understand this information. A lot of important decisions were going to be made based on the information her team was about to brief later today. It was vital not to drown the decision-makers with information they couldn’t understand. They weren’t scientists or researchers. They were senior military leaders and politicians—a dangerous group if you gave them the wrong information.
Once their ship arrived in Earth orbit, her team boarded a shuttle that would take them directly to Kennedy Space Center. As their shuttle left their ship and began its descent, Dr. Johnson caught a glimpse of the ships being built in the yards surrounding the orbital station. Most of the vessels under construction right now were transport ships, most likely being constructed to aid in the colonization of New Eden. She wondered how many more transports would be built after today’s briefing. She doubted there would be many.
*******
Florida
Kennedy Space Center
Space Command HQ
Senator Chuck Walhoon reached for the glass of water in front of him, his hand trembling slightly as he wrapped his fingers around it. Lifting it off the table, he brought it to his lips and took a couple of gulps to push down the bile that was building up in the back of his throat.
Seeing the footage one of the Deltas had taken of the room in which Ambassador Chapman and her assistant, Justin, had been held was more than most of them could stomach. When they watched the video from the ambassador’s contact lens, Chuck nearly lost it. He wanted to vomit. Not since his younger years, when he was a soldier in the last Great War, had he seen something so gruesome, so repulsive as this.
“Are you all right, Senator?” Admiral Bailey asked, concern evident on his face.
Putting the glass down, Walhoon replied, “I—I’m…just not used to seeing such barbarism. It…brought back some rather unpleasant memories I had suppressed of the last war.”
The military men in the room all nodded. They shared some of those same memories. The others in the room also clearly felt uneasy at what they had just seen.
“Admiral, I know this is a formal
briefing and all, but do you happen to have something strong to drink around here? I think I need a little something to calm my nerves a bit after having seen that,” Senator Walhoon said sheepishly. The poor man looked pale as a ghost.
Admiral Bailey stood and walked out of the room, presumably to go scrounge up something for the senator.
Dr. Johnson straightened her jacket before apologizing to the senator for showing him that particular video. A minute later, the admiral walked back in with one of his aides in tow. They had two bottles of Kentucky bourbon and some glasses.
“I’m not condoning drinking while in uniform or on the job, but I understand if anyone needs a stiff drink to calm their nerves. As the senator said, these are some unsettling images we’ve seen,” Bailey announced as he placed the bottles on the table. He prepared a glass for the senator himself and handed it to him. The man nodded gratefully as he accepted it.
Only one other officer, one of the Republic Army commanders, and the senator took Bailey up on the drink. The others chose to abstain while in uniform.
Once the senator had downed half a glass of bourbon, he looked at Dr. Johnson and said, “Tell me there is some good news to all of this—some reason why you’ve shown us that video.” He was practically begging.
She nodded slightly. “There is, Senator. And again, I’m sorry for showing you those disturbing images, but I believe it was important for everyone to keep in mind exactly how vicious this alien race is. We sent a peace delegation to speak with them, to introduce ourselves to them. This was how they responded. As one of the liberated Sumerians said, these Zodarks view our species as little more than cattle and slaves.”
Chuck felt the alcohol starting to kick in a bit. “Dr. Johnson, do you believe we can negotiate with these Zodarks if we try again?” he asked.
Dr. Johnson shook her head. “I would like to think we could. However, when their ship came into the system, we made contact with them again—we tried to speak with them. The response we received from them was not receptive. As you can see from the transcript, there is only one thing they will accept from us.”
The others looked a bit unnerved by her proclamation. It was clear many of them had hoped that maybe if they tried a second time to communicate, this could all be cleared up. Clearly, that was not going to happen.
The senator thumbed through some of the reports in front of him before returning his attention to her. “Doctor, do we know if Ambassador Chapman or her assistant spilled the beans to these Zodarks about where Earth is?”
She sighed. “Senator, that is a good question. As you can see from the medical report from the ship’s doctor, Ambassador Chapman has endured a lot. They may have been able to get her to open up and talk, but as of the time this com drone was sent, she was still in a catatonic state.”
The senator shook his head in frustration. “We need to know if the Zodarks know where Earth is. If they do, this could be disastrous for us.”
Admiral Bailey interjected, “We’ll hopefully know more when we receive the next com drone from the fleet. Right now, I think we need to bring the rest of the civilian leadership into the loop. This is too big for us to keep under wraps. We’re also going to need to brief the TPA.”
The senator nodded in agreement. He wanted more information, but he also knew they couldn’t just sit on this while they waited.
Senator Walhoon changed subjects. “Doctor, the next section of your report talks about a new resource we discovered on the planet. You also said this new resource was a game-changer for our space program. Can you please explain that a bit further? Is there a new technology that runs on this mineral that we may be able to employ to help protect Earth and our ships?”
For the next hour, Dr. Johnson and her team members went over how Trimar ran their reactors and how Morean was a crucial component in their actual construction. Her team showed them the power outputs of these reactors and how they allowed the Zodark ships to travel at unfathomable FTL speeds—one light-year a day, fifteen times faster than Earth’s current technology.
By the end of the meeting, the senator and Admiral Bailey had agreed on the need to brief the President and the Senate. It was time to start getting them and the TPA ready for the news the Voyager and her fleet were sending back.
Chapter Seventeen
Surprises
John Glenn Orbital Station
1st Fleet HQ
Admiral Chester Bailey stood in front of the crowd of people—politicians, fellow officers, and those who lived and worked daily on the orbital station—and looked at the two drone cameras that hovered nearby. He knew that his image, and soon, his words, would echo across the rest of the world and probably the system.
He paused for a moment before speaking, collecting his final thoughts and willing them to be expressed. “My fellow Earthers, today marks the first day in a new chapter in our history. I use the term Earthers and not Republic citizens because today we are one people—not a conglomeration of nations competing against each other, but one unified planet in this new endeavor. Today, the space forces of the Tri-Parte Alliance and the Republic will form an allied fleet to stand up against this newly discovered threat to our species.
“Over the last thirty days, we have received multiple communication drones from the Republic-led fleet in the Rhea system detailing to us a new and grave threat to our very existence and way of life. They’ve also made what is perhaps one of the most profound discoveries of our time: not only is there intelligent life beyond our system, there also appear to be other races of humans on faraway planets. While we still do not know how these humans came to be on these planets, what we do know is that they are enslaved.”
He paused for a moment to let that last sentence sink in before continuing. “For better or worse, humanity has now discovered an insidious race known as the Zodarks—a fearsome breed of aliens that have conquered many planets and subjugated our fellow humans on these other planets as nothing more than slaves to serve their growing empire.”
Bailey knew that as he was speaking, the videos of the Zodarks were being played across the TV to emphasize his point.
“We are fortunate, however. We learned of this threat before they could pounce on us and devour our planet like they had so many others before. We are also lucky to have such brave men and women willing to serve in our armed forces to defend our way of life. Today, the people of Earth are forming up the 1st Combined Fleet, which will marshal together in defense of our planet. Starting this week, Republic and TPA naval forces will begin to provide joint combat patrols of Sol and our current colonies within the system. When the Rhea expedition returns, we will work with Admiral Halsey to put together a second, much larger fleet to return to the Rhea system and claim it as ours. This new system will act as a buffer zone and forward-positioned base to defend Sol against the Zodark threat.
“Today, we also announce the construction of a fleet of new warships that will protect Sol and ensure our people do not fall prey to these vicious and evil aliens that would doom our species to a life of slavery. I humbly request that you consider joining the armed forces to help protect our planet and our way of life. We are going to raise an army and build a fleet that will make sure our planet is never subjected to this kind of barbarism. With that, I hand the rest of this announcement over to President Luca. Madam President,” Bailey said as he took a step back for her to take the podium.
President Alice Luca had been sworn in as the new president a few months back. She’d been doing her best to handle everything thrown at her. The previous president had really left her in a bad spot after pulling out of the SET and the Centaurus mission, only to discover the Zodarks instead.
The leader of the TPA also stepped forward to the second podium that had just been brought up. The two of them would now give a joint statement more or less reaffirming everything Admiral Bailey had just said, only in political double-speak and niceties.
It took nearly an hour for the two of them to finish their
prepared speeches and then take some questions. Afterward, they left together to answer more reporter questions in another room set up for private interviews. It was quite the dog and pony show, one Bailey was glad he didn’t have to participate in.
Admiral Bailey made a beeline to get out of the room before a reporter could corner him. The CEO of Musk Industries held a side door open and motioned for him to head in his direction. Bailey smiled at the gesture. The man knew exactly what he was trying to do, and he was helping him out. Several reporters saw him making a break for it but were unable to stop him before he ducked out of the room and away from their ability to hurl questions at him.
“Thanks for that, Andy. I owe you one,” Bailey said as the door closed in the face of a particularly nosy reporter.
“No worries, Admiral. I could see the vultures circling for you the moment the President was done with her speech. If you don’t mind, why don’t we come back to my office? Actually, I have a better idea. Follow me if you will,” Andrew said secretively.
Bailey’s left brow rose, but he didn’t say anything as the two of them walked briskly through one of the unknown corridors of the station. They walked through a couple of long hallways until they made their way onto the Musk Industries side of the station. Once there, Andrew led him up to the glass room where they had had dinner a while back. Bailey had to admit, it had been the most fantastic dining experience of his life: sitting at a table in a glass cube floating above the station and Earth below while sipping on an expensive scotch and eating a Kobe steak. He doubted he’d ever top that.
When they climbed into the cube, the CEOs of BlueOrigin and the two largest Tri-Parte Alliance shipyards were there sitting at that same table, each with a scotch in hand. They rose as he entered the room and offered a quick greeting.
“I have a feeling this meeting has been in the works for some time,” Bailey said quizzically as he approached one of the empty chairs. A glass of the brown gold awaited him.