Nanomachine War series Box Set

by Don Viecelli

Rahta waved his hands in frustration and stood up. He walked over to his side window and looked out at the mountain views with his back to Anahta. “Tell me, High Commander. How did the Holtu show up in a single shuttle without us detecting it first?”

  Fortunately, Anahta had received a full report of the incident and relayed all he knew. “First Commander Balota reports the Holtu have camouflage shields on their spacecraft. They exited hyperspace undetected at the fringe of the Qum star system and used the two moons to hide their approach until it was too late to stop them. Ten Spitka fighters tried to intercept them, but were stopped by two Holtu fighters as they sped from the planet. Once they entered hyperspace, we could not follow them.”

  “What did they find in the hidden facility?”

  “Nothing of value, Imperial Leader. It was not a research center, just a hidden government facility. Our troops fought with gallantry to gain entrance, but there were Holtu soldiers guarding the facility and they had to be disposed of first.” Anahta did not comment on First Commander Balota’s account of the battle and his reported losses.

  “There is some good news, Imperial Leader. Our troops managed to capture a Holtu android soldier alive. He is being transferred to Yoykan for interrogation as we speak.”

  Rahta’s mood brightened at this bit of unexpected good news. “Our scientists must test for weaknesses we can use against them at once, Commander!”

  “It will be done, Imperial Leader.”

  Rahta thought for a moment and said, “I expect the scientists will be taken to Holtu.”

  “It is a long journey to Holtu. They may exit hyperspace somewhere to transfer to a Holtu warship. Then make their way to Holtu or perhaps stop in the Human star system first. There is no way to know, Imperial Leader.”

  Rahta let his anger simmer for a few moments. He needed to be rational about the situation and think what to do next. He decided to change subjects.

  “When will we be ready for the invasion?”

  “Our warship fleet is being assembled now. The new imperial dreadnaught Yoykan Melee Ta will be ready for you to board soon, Imperial Leader.”

  Good news at last thought Rahta. “I will board when we are ready to leave. “How many warships will be in the fleet?”

  Anahta considered his answer carefully before speaking. There had been many changes in the plans to invade Holtu. The final plans were agreed to by all his warfleet commanders. “We have assembled a five hundred warship fleet to travel to Holtu. We leave soon.

  “A small fleet of warships will drop out of hyperspace near the Earth star system to destroy the small number of Holtu warships guarding human planets. We plan to test our new nanomachines on the human population to gauge its effectiveness. After we capture Holtu, we will return to finish the enslavement of the humans.”

  Rahta listened to the news impassively. He had left the final plans for the invasion up to Anahta and his commanders. He only demanded to be present for the final battle at Holtu. He wanted to make sure they captured alive enough Qumru scientists who could provide the Onutu technology he desired. The rest would be enslaved by his nanomachines or eliminated. It was the Yoyka way. There was no other; for his race was destined to rule the galaxy.

  Chapter 35

  Mars

  The trip back to Mars on the Holtu transport shuttle took the same amount of time as the trip to Qum—10 human hours. This came as a shock to most of the Qumru passengers. Only a few scientists including Killian and Jopar knew of the recent Holtu advancement in the FTL hyperdrive system. When the others were told by Doug and First Leader Randu, they were relieved. It meant the Holtu would have more time to prepare for the battles with the Yoyka to come.

  Doug handed out translator devices to several Qumru. Then he introduced himself to Killian and Jopar as the shuttle flew through hyperspace. “My name is Doug Martin. My wife is Doctor Janice Martin. She worked closely with Tumil to develop nano-agents to stop the Yoyka nanomachines.”

  Killian and Jopar knew who Janice was from their communications with Tumil. Killian replied, “It is good to meet you, Doug Martin. Tumil has said many good things about Doctor Janice Martin. My people greatly appreciate the help you humans have given us. We took the preventative nano-agent before Tumil left Qum. It saved us from the Yoyka nanomachine contagion. Now, we wish to free our people on Qum from this ruthless Emperor and his invaders.”

  “If you have been in contact with Tumil recently, then you know they’ve developed a possible cure for your enslaved Qumru.”

  “I have seen the preliminary test results from Tumil. I await final results on some of our infected test subjects on Holtu. It would be great news if the new nano-agents work as described.”

  Jopar listened to the conversation before asking his own question. “Where are we going?”

  “Vice Leader Di is taking us back to Mars, my home planet in the Earth Solar System. There are Holtu warships guarding our solar system. You will be taken to a warship for travel to Holtu. The rest of us are preparing for war with the Yoyka.”

  “Can we win such a war?”

  Doug put on his best game face. “We have partnered with your people in a new military alliance. We never give up, even in our darkest hours. The Yoyka are strong, but they can be defeated just like anybody else. I believe we have a chance and will fight to the last person. We will not become slaves!”

  First Leader Randu interrupted the conversation to say hello to Killian and Jopar. “It’s good to see you both again.”

  Doug noted Killian and Jopar did not seem surprised at his appearance, even though they had been informed of his death on Qum.

  “It’s good you have returned to help save us, First Leader Randu,” Jopar said.

  “I’m sorry I could not save the rest of my soldiers at this time. They fought bravely to protect you from the Yoyka troops. They will return to continue the fight.”

  Doug wanted to ask Randu several questions; how fast, when and where the Onutu process of replacing the fallen Holtu androids would happen. He felt hesitant to bring the subject up with Randu directly, but he needed to know for future conflicts.

  “I am still amazed your people can do this, Randu. I’ve seen for myself how the Onutu regeneration process works for Qumru, but I have not seen it work on Holtu androids.”

  Randu turned his attention to Doug. “It is not much different than for Qumru. We use synthetic materials instead of biological DNA to build our bodies. Actually, android bodies can be remade quicker, which is of major advantage in war. Qumru bodies take longer to regenerate after death of the body.”

  Doug shook his head. Death was permanent for humans. It was not so for Holtu and Qumru peoples. Overcoming death was the ultimate dream of scientists. It did not fit in with the religious teachings of God and the afterlife. Humans had to die to go to heaven or hell. Doug knew this Onutu process would change humanity forever and he could not predict whether this would be good or bad.

  “May I ask if you remember everything that happened before you were brought back to life?”

  Randu did not hesitate in his answer. “I remember everything. We do not fear death; only the interruption. If there is enough time, we initiate the Onutu quantum memory upload link to preserve our last thoughts. All is recorded for reinsertion.”

  “Where does all of this happen?”

  “The Holtu have Onutu quantum computer facilities for storing data hidden on Qum and within our star system. We have Onutu regeneration equipment on many of our warships. We have prepared ourselves for any losses we will incur in battle with the Yoyka.

  Doug thanked him for answering his questions. Randu returned to his seat.

  Doug turned to Killian and Jopar. “My wife would like to talk to both of you when we get to Mars. I’m sure you have questions for her about the latest nano-agent tests.”

  “We would like that very much. Thank you again for coming to rescue us. The Yoyka would not have been kind to us if we had been captured,” Killian said.
/>
  Doug nodded his head. He understood their concern. He decided to take his seat and try to get some shuteye before reaching Mars. He hadn’t slept for the last eighteen hours and he was exhausted. He knew the next few weeks were going to be very busy planning for some kind of Yoyka attack. He hoped they would have enough time to prepare for it.

  *****

  Ten hours later the Holtu shuttle with the Qumru scientists arrived back in the Earth solar system and headed straight for Mars. They were directed to High Leader Altek’s warship Iconda. They landed inside the hangar bay without incident.

  First Leader Randu showed the scientists to their new quarters where they would stay for the journey to Holtu the next day. Vice Leader Di and Doug were summoned to the Command Center where they found Altek waiting for them in the conference room. He quickly got down to business.

  First, Altek congratulated them for the successful rescue mission. “Your team has done well, Vice Leader Di. Welcome back.”

  “Thank you, High Leader. We saved the Onutu scientists, but we lost two Zoltu fighters with six pilots.

  “They performed their duties with Holtu Honor, Vice Leader. Their minds will be downloaded into new android bodies soon. We have gathered new intelligence on Yoyka Spitka weapon capabilities. It will prove valuable in the coming battles,” Di said.

  “How many Yoyka warships were stationed in Qum space?”

  “We identified four warships, one orbiting Qum with troops aboard. The rest were near Qum mining planets,” Di answered.

  “We could attack and destroy them, but the Yoyka would retaliate harshly on the Qum population; perhaps kill them all by sending their nanomachine quantum kill code like they did to the humans here,” Altek said.

  “What are you planning to do then?” Di asked.

  “We must wait before attempting to free our people on Qum. Instead, we must prepare for the Yoyka attack on Holtu; and perhaps here in Earth solar system. I fear Emperor Rahta will take his revenge out on the humans first since Earth and Mars are closer to his empire.”

  “When do you think Rahta will attack us?” Doug interrupted.

  Altek voiced a command to display a holographic star map above the table where they sat. It showed the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy with the Yoykan star system, Qum star system, Earth star system and Holtu star system highlighted and identified for all to see.

  He continued to speak. “The Yoyka is assembling their attack fleet now. Earth is closer to Yoykan than Holtu. It will take them thirty-three Earth days at their current FTL speed to reach this star system. I am certain they will send some of their warships to attack humans again. We must prepare for this.”

  “Any idea how many warships they will send?” Doug asked, more than a little concerned.

  “Their spy probes will have reported by now how many Holtu warships are in this star system. They will send three or four times our number to destroy us.”

  Doug pictured in his mind, forty or so Yoyka warships, each almost a mile long, attacking Mars and Earth with impunity and great loss of human, Holtu and Qumru lives. He was distressed and it showed on his face.

  “The Yoyka warship fleet will not succeed in defeating us,” Altek quickly announced.

  Then it dawned on Doug what Altek really had in mind. “Your new FTL hyperdrive capability!”

  “Precisely!” Di said.

  Chapter 36

  Preparations For War

  The next three days were a whirlwind of activity, both on Mars and on Earth. Doug was driving himself and others to the point of exhaustion. A battle was coming and everything hinged on its outcome.

  This morning was no different from yesterday. Doug woke up early in bed next to Jan. He was still tired from lack of sleep. His eyes hurt as did his head. He knew it was due to stress, but seemed helpless to prevent it.

  “Can’t sleep?” Jan said rolling over to see his face in the dim early morning light.

  “Not really. Too much on my mind.”

  “You really need to rest more. You can’t keep going on like this.”

  “I know, but there’s too much to do?”

  “You’ve done all you can. I know you, Doug. You’ve done the best you can do. Everybody has.”

  Doug sat up and rolled his legs to the floor. “I have to pack and leave for duty today.”

  Jan sat up beside him, put an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I know, but not before we have a good breakfast.” Jan felt her belly move. “He’s restless too.”

  Doug smiled at her. “Still think it’s a boy, do you?”

  “I know it is. All the signs my mother told me are there. He’s riding low and kicking up a storm and I’ve rarely had any morning sickness.”

  “We could take the DNA test to find out for sure.”

  Jan shook Doug playfully. “We agreed it would be more fun to guess and see what happens. Do you really want to find out now?”

  Doug’s headache seemed to lessen with each passing minute. “No, I just think knowing if it’s a boy or girl based on your mother’s predictions are just myths. We have a fifty/fifty chance of either one, that’s all.”

  Jan giggled. “I know. I’m a scientist after all, but it’s exciting not knowing until it happens.”

  Doug leaned over and kissed her. “I love you. Now get some more rest while I get up. I’ll make breakfast before I leave.”

  After getting dressed for work, Doug made breakfast for both of them as he promised. With all the military activities occurring on Mars now, one of the benefits was all the new food items available to the residents. Doug scrambled several eggs, fried fresh bacon and buttered English muffins for Jan and himself. He made coffee and found some apple juice in the refrigerator. It was all set on the table when Jan walked into the kitchen to sit down and eat.

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding about breakfast!” Jan said placing a napkin on her lap.

  “I don’t know when we’ll get another chance to eat together again. I didn’t know I would have to report for duty on Di’s warship earlier than expected.”

  Janice tried to hide her true feelings about everything going on right now. “I was hoping it wasn’t going to happen for a few more days.”

  Doug picked at his eggs and drank some coffee before answering. “I’m afraid we’re running out of time. High Leader Altek is convinced the Yoyka will be here in thirty days.”

  Jan looked worried now as she tried to remain calm at the table. “Will we be able to stop them?”

  “I think so. Altek knows what he’s doing. “We’ve done all we can to prepare for the attack. We just don’t know what the Yoyka plan to do; what weapons they will use to hurt us.

  “They’ll try another nanomachine infection first, I believe. They think we’ll make good slaves for their empire.”

  Jan finished her breakfast and drank her apple juice. “I’ll head for the underground shelter when you tell me it’s time. I should be safe there. My doctor skills will be needed at some point, I’m sure.”

  Breakfast was over. Jan offered to do the dishes so Doug could leave for work. He had to stop by the UN Office Building to see how things were running before reporting for military duty. Doug hugged Jan tightly at the table.

  “I love you. Be careful and take care of our child.” Doug kissed her again.

  “I love you too. Be safe, call me and come back as soon as you can.”

  Doug smiled and nodded his head. Nothing would keep him from coming back to her, even death if the Qumru had anything to do about it.

  *****

  The UN Secretary-General Alejandro Garcia Lopez on Earth had left an urgent message on Doug’s comphone to call him when Doug reached his office at the UN Building. Doug decided to call him back right away. The new quantum QTL link the Holtu had provided between Mars and Earth allowed instant two-way video calls. Doug still could not get over how fast and clear the signal was.

  “Hello, Alejandro. You left a message to call you back ri
ght away. How can I help you?”

  “Yes, Doug; thanks for getting back to me. I wanted to discuss some things before you leave on military duty. I know you will be gone for some time.”

  “I’m assuming you found a replacement for me.”

  “You’re right, of course. That is one of the items I wanted to discuss in person over the phone. I’ve found a suitable candidate. She is running the South America office right now, but I didn’t want to send her to Mars until the current situation is resolved. I’m sending her background information as we talk.”

  “I don’t blame you, Alejandro. It will not be safe up here for anyone until after we deal with the Yoyka threat. I’m glad you found someone to accept the position. My duty is now with the UN Space Strike Force. General Bradstone wants me on board Vice Leader Di’s warship today as a Zoltu Squadron Commander.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do a fine job, Doug. I want to thank you again for handling the UN Deputy Secretary duties until I found a replacement for you.

  “Before I go I want to say I met with President Anderson yesterday and she told me what type of space battle we all will probably face in the days to come. I want you to know we will support you every way we can from Earth. Out troops are ready to fight the Yoyka too. We wish you God Speed!”

  “Thank you, Alejandro. We’ll do our best up here. I’m sure we’ll find a way to stop the Yoyka. The Holtu androids are pretty tough to beat from what I’ve observed. We’re ready for them.”

  Alejandro said goodbye and ended the call. Doug was happy his days as UN Deputy Secretary were almost over. Marine duty called and he was ready to serve his country and the world once again.

  Doug waited for the information from Alejandro to appear on his comset before he called Gwen Rollins to come to his office. When she walked through the door, he said, “Good morning, Gwen. Have a seat.”

  Gwen was part of his UN Security Team before the Yoyka nanomachine attack. He asked her to help him with UN duties after Marine Lieutenant Colonel Shirley Tills was reassigned to the UN Defense Strike Force. The athletic looking, smart thirty-two year old former police woman from Chicago, Illinois was proving very capable and good with people.