The Apex Warriors

by Marc Stevens

“Operative, the Prule entity is still emanating strong distress signals that are attenuating with the drop in temperature. When they reach a level that I determine to be acceptable and no longer annoying, I will stabilize the temperature.”

  Justice’s reply was polite enough, but still had a hint of “shut up” thrown in for good measure. He was not going to waste his, or our time, bringing a lifeless block of ice aboard. Sael got the message and turned around and headed for the ready room. Tria gave me a smile and we followed Sael to the ready room. Coonts and Klutch did the same but had to do their usual amount of pushing, shoving, and arguing. Just like Sael, we wasted no time stepping out of our armor and vacating the area. Tria took me by the hand and we headed for my cabin. I noticed Sael was watching us closely and it made me stop.

  “Is there something you wish to discuss Senior Operative?”

  Sael turned her gaze away and walked toward the lift that would take her down to the crew quarters. “No Commander, it can wait.”

  I looked over at Tria and she shrugged her shoulders. She tugged me along and I stopped long enough to call to Sael before she stepped into the downtube. “Sael, I know I have yet to say it, but as far as I am concerned you have earned a permanent place on our strike team. If you choose to stay you should gather your gear and move it to the Officer’s quarters off of the bridge. There are a few to choose from, so help yourself.”

  Sael smiled and gave me a nod, then stepped into the downtube. I looked at Tria to see if it bothered her that I was moving Sael down the hall from our cabin. If it did, she didn’t comment, she had other things on her mind and pulled me along.

  “Justice,” I called. “Let me know as soon as you get something from the drones.”

  “Affirmative Commander.” The AI replied.

  We awoke seven hours later and I was famished. Tria and I showered and headed for the galley. When we entered, we saw that Coonts and Klutch were sitting at opposite ends of the same table. Sael was wise enough to sit at a table across the room from them. The looks she was giving the pair, said loads about the content of their dialog. Coonts’s and Klutch’s conversation was better described as an argument that toned down to inaudible levels when they took note of Tria’s and my entrance. Sael’s face brightened when she saw us. When we made our ration selections and headed for our usual table, Sael picked up her tray and moved to join us. She grimaced when she saw my two favorite troublemakers do the same. Her pace slowed until Coonts and Klutch took their seats across from us, then she sat down next to me. She made that decision after seeing Klutch did not bring a food tray with him. She looked relieved that she would not suffer a food barrage along with her meal.

  Coonts was his usual fidgeting self and started off with a report that I should have got from Justice. “Commander, what are your thoughts on Justice’s report?”

  That made me raise an eyebrow. Justice hadn’t said a word to me as of yet. Rather than look like the ill-informed dummy that I apparently was, I threw out the first thing that came to mind. “Which one?”

  Klutch saw that Coonts was ready to bust loose with an answer so he quickly interrupted. “The last gate has an exit point at the galactic core. It is so close to the supermassive anomaly in the center of our galaxy, that all the drones were forced to jump to hyperspace. The onboard AI’s sent an IST signal just before they jumped to safety. It was a warning not to use the gate.”

  I dropped my eating utensil on my tray and frowned. I knew that I specifically told Justice to let me know if he got any news from the drones. Tria put her hand high up on my thigh and gave me a squeeze. It threw my frustration at the AI into neutral.

  She leaned her head close to mine. Her emerald green eyes had a twinkle to them. “The information was of little use. Justice thought we needed rest more than ineffectual intel.”

  I pretty much knew Justice wasn’t interested in how much rest we got. However, Tria did have a point. Finding out the gateway could possibly be a oneway trip to oblivion was of little intelligence value. It was highly doubtful if the Prule would want to deal with the deadly dynamics of a supermassive black hole. The gate’s exit point did make me wonder why it was near such a dangerous destination. The only answer I could come up with in my small Earthman brain was that the black hole was not as large as it is now when the gate was constructed. If that was indeed the case, the gates were incredibly old.

  Coonts was still looking pissed at Klutch for the interruption. He changed the course of the discussion and my thoughts with another nugget of information that was a lot more interesting.

  “Justice, says that the remains of the alien he brought aboard for study, has such a unique DNA structure and sequence, he believes the alien came from Andromeda.”

  Tria was quick to ask the next question. “What were the results of Justice’s study of the alien’s weapon?”

  This time, Sael commented before Coonts and Klutch could divulge the intel. “The architecture is archaic and some of the internal components are constructed of unknown materials. The weapons focusing aperture and power crystal both emit radiation of an unknown spectrum. Justice speculates the weapon’s origin is also a product of Andromeda.”

  I was starting to get a little miffed that Justice didn’t pass the intel directly to me as I instructed. I held my hands up for silence. “Justice,” I called. “Is there any part of the intelligence briefing that you would like to personally pass on to me?”

  “Other than the aliens were most likely a once formidable race from Andromeda that were subjugated by the Prule and enslaved as their protectors, no.”

  The look on my face soured further. I had a feeling this was a tit-for-tat response for not staying in touch with him when we were on the alien ship. As far as I knew it was the only thing I had recently done to get the AI riled at me. Rather than fret over it, I moved on. “Justice, how long will it take for the drones to be recovered?”

  “If I reverse the gate so the drones can make an attempt to reenter it, we could lose some or possibly all of them to the gravitational forces of the anomaly.”

  “You don’t happen to have a theory as to what is keeping the gate from being sucked into the anomaly”

  “My initial theory is that the gateway is an opening to a tunnel through one of the higher levels of interdimensional space. I surmise the entrance and exit points are acting as anchors in normal spacetime. Beyond that concept, I have nothing else at this time Commander.”

  “I’m sure you have an answer to the drone situation. What is your suggestion?”

  “The drones will have to make the transition back to our location with their onboard jump drives. I estimate a minimum of one hundred and sixty hours to return to the hub.”

  I had no intention of waiting around the gateway hub that long. The answer to the problem was a tough decision, but one that made the most sense to me. “Justice launch the rest of the drones. We will leave them here in stealth mode for surveillance of the gateways. The others will eventually join them, and we will have a way to know if anything unexpected shows up in the area wanting to make use of the gates.”

  “Drones launching now Commander. The DEHD Core matrix is charged and ready for a deep space transition.”

  “Roger that, take us home Justice.”

  “Commander, after giving it careful consideration, I would like to make another recommendation on our next destination.”

  “Okay Justice, let's hear what you got.”

  “The Chaalt Homeworlds.”

  That statement got a quick reply from Sael. “May I ask why Justice?”

  “Senior Operative, your people were aware of my attempts to save their damaged ships during the siege of the Scrun held planet. They were also aware when I departed the area of operations and did not return. My transition to the location of the gateway hub left behind distortion waves of unparalleled quantifiability. It is doubtful if they detected my exit point, but they would have no problem detecting similar distortion wave bursts within our gala
xy.”

  It wasn’t hard to figure out what Justice was alluding to. The Chaalt had to know the Legacy was behind the unprecedented ripples resonating from the barriers of spacetime. At least two were recorded from the area near Alpha Base. Chaalt scientists are very astute and would have some fairly accurate conclusions as to why. The timing of the Chaalt visit to Alpha Base was now taking on another significance. They suspected my death, and that of the Senior Operatives might be a bit premature.

  “Do you object to my destination Senior Operative?” Justice asked.

  It was nice of Justice to give Sael a hint at another alternate suggestion. Something I personally wished the AI would do for me before arbitrarily making one of his own.

  After a slight pause, Sael answered. “No Justice, you are correct. They know something unusual is happening and were hoping when they made their visit, they would get satisfactory answers. I suspect when they left Alpha Base, they were less than happy with the outcome of their visit.”

  “Then you agree it is time to let your people know the truth of what took place on the contested planet and the fate of the Fury?”

  Sael turned and stared at me until I nodded in agreement. “Yes Justice, it is time to let them know that I am still alive and won’t be coming back.”

  “Justice,” I called. “Prep a data cube that will show the Chaalt leadership what has taken place since the take over of the Scrun Base.”

  “I have already taken the liberty to have one available for the Senior Operative. I have made small edits to the content to protect some of our intellectual property, but they are insignificant when compared to the content of the data.”

  “What about the Prule entity? Will it become incoherent during our delayed return?” Sael asked.

  “No Senior Operative, it appears to have stabilized its rapid decline when it was forcefully removed from its enclosure. It has a means for self-preservation that has altered its critical state and is maintaining minimal sustainability. If I felt it would have terminated the entity's existence, I would not have suggested we take the time to explain ourselves to one of our more important trading partners.”

  Justice’s answer gave Sael pause. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. It was beginning to settle into my brain what Justice was up to.

  Sael went ahead and hit the nail squarely on the head. “Justice, this sounds to me like it has less to do with smoothing relations with my people and more to do with preparing them for another eventuality.”

  “Yes Senior Operative, you are correct.”

  When Justice failed to elaborate further, Sael pushed forward with her conclusions.

  “The data on the cube will reveal that your subsystems were inhabiting the Fury’s systems and that I allowed you to gain access to one of my people’s most guarded secrets.”

  “Yes, Senior Operative. The information will show the reasons why, and that we also protected the data from falling into Prule hands.”

  With everything that has been going on, I had all but forgot about the transporter technology that Justice gained access to. The AI was making sure the Chaalt knew we came by it honestly, and that we did everything in our power to protect it from proliferation.

  It had me wondering just how much of our adventures he was going to reveal to the Chaalt. “Justice, are you going to tell the Chaalt leadership that we have a high-level Prule entity in our possession?”

  “Yes Commander, you should also consider letting the Chaalt have access to data that we harvest from the entity.”

  “I have a feeling you have already included that perk in the data cube,” I said with a frown.

  Justice’s reply made me shake my head. “I can remove the inducement, but feel that it, along with the other discoveries revealed in the data, will further the understanding that Sael Nalen should not be held culpable for the breach of security.”

  My expression eased. There was always the chance that the Chaalt will demand to see Sael in person and take her into custody. The data cube was a pretty big stick to leverage a favorable outcome for everyone.

  Since the AI put it that way, there was only one thing to say. “Jump us to the Chaalt homeworlds Justice.”

  “Justice, please make our exit point inside the exclusion zone and not over one of my homeworlds.” Sael quickly added.

  Justice’s response was to engage the DEHD Core. My surroundings flared into brilliance and faded away. The return to normal spacetime was again accompanied by a mild case of disorientation. When the feeling faded, I told Justice to use the comms codes Council Leader Marin gave us on our previous visit. He quickly established a secure communication link. Our suspicions that the Chaalt may know we were not deceased, were confirmed when Marin came on the link. She did not sound surprised and the expression on her face was neutral.

  “Commander Myers, We were wondering if you might prove the rumors of your demise wrong, and make an appearance. Is the Principal Investigator present as well?”

  “Yes, she was the only survivor from her strike team.”

  Marin momentarily digested my answer. Her reply sounded callous. “Kala Mor Dee always manages to survive when all others are slaughtered.”

  Sael physically stiffened at the comment. It didn’t sit well with me either. I was going to give my condolences for the loss of lives but Marin’s comment changed my mind. I was on the verge of spitting a little venom back at the Council Leader when Justice beeped my implants and gave me a heads up. Twenty Chaalt warships just transitioned into the exclusion zone and took up stations around the Legacy. My temper was rising and Tria could feel it. She stepped beside me so the Council Leader could see her. She took my hand and it knocked the edge off my anger. Sael surprised me when she stepped into the picture and took my other hand.

  The look on Chandra Marin’s face changed drastically when she saw Sael. “Principal Investigator, I am somewhat alarmed by your appearance. I would like to fully understand what I am seeing, and hope that you can also explain why your military I.D. chip and IST are no longer detectable?”

  “The explanation of my appearance is detailed in a data cube that Commander Myers has prepared for you,” Sael answered.

  Chandra Marin’s eyes narrowed and a frown fleetingly crossed her face. She quickly composed herself and her neutral expression returned. “I am willing to look at the data but would like to hear it from you now. Please enlighten me.”

  I wasn’t sure but had a feeling the Council Leader was questioning the validity of the information we were going to present to her. My anger ticked back up a notch. Sael must have felt the change in my demeanor and gave my hand a squeeze, letting me know she had this.

  “The explanation is simple enough, I died during the recovery of the Fury.”

  The Council Leader’s eyes grew to the size of quarters and it took almost two minutes for her to gather her wits and say something. I wasn’t sure if it was because she comprehended what was behind Sael’s reference to the word “simple,” or it had to do with the Fury. Either way, she was now genuinely uptight.

  “Where is the Fury now!” She blurted.

  Sael was now wielding her sharp tongue like a weapon. Even though I was presenting a stone face to the Council Leader, I was smiling and laughing inside, because the Sael of old, used it on me all the time.

  “If I had to guess, I would say it is in millions, if not billions, of pieces floating around what is left of a Prule controlled planet we destroyed,” Sael answered in a deadpan voice.

  Chandra Marin’s face was now taking on some interesting expressions. Her next question came out much louder than I’m sure she intended it to. “What kind of an answer is that, Principal Investigator?”

  I was hoping Sael might tone it down a couple of notches. But it was not to be. She let loose with another broadside into Marin’s outraged face.

  “It is the only one I can come up with because I was busy dying. Perhaps if you would review the video from the engagements, and the after-action r
eports compiled by the AI of the Legacy, you will know exactly what happened.”

  All Chaalt people have dark complexions. Chandra Marin’s went from dark to the color of the intergalactic void.

  Tria was going to say something to ease the tension in the air, but Marin cut her off. “I will be sending a shuttle to collect the data cube and the Principle Investigator for her debriefing.”

  Sael wasn’t done. She put the icing on the turd cake she just served up to the seemingly ungrateful leader of her people.

  “Council Leader, in the past, you have expressed doubt about my leadership and it has gotten back to me on more than one occasion. When the Fury was lost, you placed the blame at my feet, and I accept that. I was told that you wanted to throw me in the brig for negligence, or at the very least, wanted me to resign from my position of Principle Investigator. If it were not for the support I received from the military after the attempted coup, you would have gotten your way. The only time you have ever expressed gratitude for my service to our people, was when I restored you to power. I am going to do you, and apparently the Chaalt people a favor. I am resigning my commission effective immediately. I am also relinquishing ownership of all my possessions on my homeworld. Since I have never had time for a family due to my continuous service, I want my belongings distributed equally to my immediate subordinates in the intelligence branch of our military. It has been an honor to serve my people. I wish all of my comrades, and that includes you, a good life.”

  Chandra Marin’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She clamped it shut, then quickly started to say something that never made it to out of her mouth because Sael stepped from her view. Not knowing what else could possibly be said after Sael’s sermon, I ended our comms session with a final comment.

  “Council Leader, I will allow a shuttle to land in the Legacy’s hangar long enough to collect the data cube. You have fifteen minutes to get that done before we depart the exclusion zone.”

  Chandra Marin started stuttering. “Co… Commander Myers, our relationship should be…”