Nanomachine War series Box Set

by Don Viecelli

  Chapter 56

  Holtu Meeting

  Soon after the battle ended, First Chair Brendu, First Chair Cleota and Vice Chair Penda were waiting impatiently for the Holtu leaders to arrive for a military briefing. The meeting was being held in Brendu’s office building in a large conference room in the capital city of Iconda. Vice Leader Di was the first one to arrive with his most senior warship leaders that survived the Yoyka attack. Admiral Jason Weston with Commander Doug Martin arrived shortly afterwards. The meeting was ready to begin.

  Brendu stood up to face the attendees in the room. “Vice Leader Di, we are all saddened to learn of the fate of High Leader Altek and the destruction of his warship in the space battle. He fought bravely and died with honor. Altek’s leadership and strategy for the defense of our planet and star system led to our victory over the Yoyka. As soon as the Onutu process is complete, we will award him our highest military and government honors in person.

  “The reason for this meeting is to learn the results of this battle and plan for the next phase in our war with the Yoyka. There is much to discuss. Please, Vice Leader Di, give us your battle report.”

  Di stood up at the table and faced the First Chairs. “Our forces destroyed two hundred thirty Yoyka warships; fifty percent of their war fleet, including the imperial dreadnaught. We destroyed seventy percent of their Spitka fighters in the battle. The total number of Yoyka dead number over one hundred sixty-four thousand dead with over six hundred Yoyka captured alive.

  “Our losses in the battle were three times less. We lost thirty percent or one hundred twenty warships with nine thousand crewmembers. Thirty-five percent of our Zoltu fighters and crews were destroyed; forty-two thousand pilots. Our total number of casualties number fifty-one thousand with at least one thousand wounded. Fortunately, with Onutu technology, many of these casualties will be returned to active duty within twenty cycles. The Yoyka do not have this luxury.”

  Brendu remained seated, but needed to remind everyone one troublesome fact. “That may not be true much longer. The Yoyka managed to steal our Solruku spaceship and take it back with their forces. They now have access to our Onutu technology and improved FTL hyperdrive capability. What are you doing about this?”

  Di remained calm. “We recognize the importance of this loss, First Chair Brendu. I have sent a warship with a full complement of Zoltu fighters to try and find the Solruku and destroy it before the Yoyka have a chance to steal our technologies. We must decide if a larger force should be sent immediately to the Yoykan star system to improve our chances of success.”

  “We have a chance to strike at the Yoyka home world now while their forces are in disarray! I say we send our fleet while we have the advantage,” Brendu said forcefully.

  “I disagree, First Chair Brendu. We must replace our losses first and then strike,” Cleota answered. “What do you think, Vice Leader Di?”

  “It is true we could strike Yoykan before the remaining fleet that attacked us here can return to their star system. However, the Yoyka have a new EMP weapon to use against us, the nuclear electromagnetic pulse or NEP. It does not affect the equipment on our warships or fighters, but it affects android minds and causes us to lose consciousness for a long period of time. We need time to find a remedy to prevent this from happening in any future battle with the Yoyka.

  “We also know that Emperor Rahta escaped the battle and left on the Solruku. He has already sent warning to his home fleet, which still number in the hundreds. They would be waiting for us with their new weapon. Our only option now is to try and destroy the Solruku.”

  “How do you know Rahta survived the battle?” Brendu asked looking surprised.

  “The AI, Shonya, on board the Solruku informed us secretly before the ship entered hyperspace.” Di answered calmly.

  “If we are in touch with Shonya, can she not initiate the self-destruct sequence aboard the ship?” asked Brendu.

  “She tried, but the Qumru in charge, First Leader Utor, overrode the command.”

  “First Leader Utor? I know him,” Doug burst out suddenly.

  “Yes, Utor is still alive and under the control of the Yoyka nanomachines. We must find the Solruku and try to destroy it,” Di repeated.

  “I agree with Vice Leader Di, Brendu. We must find a solution to the NEP problem before we can attack Yoykan. The Solruku is our main concern now.”

  Brendu considered Cleota’s advice and said, “I must agree with First Chair Cleota. It is of the utmost importance we find and destroy the Solruku before it’s too late.”

  “With your permission, First Chair Brendu, I will leave immediately to intercept the Solruku. We received one more message from Shonya that the Solruku will stop at Qum before heading to Yoykan. The reason is not clear, but it has something to do with Tumil.”

  “You may not reach Qum in time, Vice Leader. But if you do, you must destroy the Solruku at all costs,” Brendu said.

  The meeting went on for another hour as the leaders in the room agreed on a new strategy to deal with the Yoyka threat. It was finally agreed to wait until their damaged warships and fighters were repaired or replaced with new ones and allow the humans time to build their defenses as well. It was generally acknowledged that the Yoyka would probably uncover the knowledge to Onutu and the new FTL hyperdrive technology on the Solruku before it even arrived at Yoykan. The final recommendation was to put Vice Leader Di in charge of the Holtu war fleet until High Leader Altek was able to resume command.

  As the discussions continued among the leaders, Doug realized there may be another option they had not thought of. He suggested, instead of destroying the Solruku, perhaps it would be better to try and use it for intelligence gathering; in effect act as a spy deep inside enemy space. The reason Doug thought this might work was because they already had someone on board who just might be able to help Shonya accomplish the task—Tumil.

  Chapter 57

  Washington

  President Mary Woodley had her hands full today. The past two months have been non-stop crisis after crisis; not just in the US, but worldwide. It all had to do with that damn nanomachine missile attack the Yoyka used to try and sterilize the whole planet. And it didn’t stop with Earth, even Mars had similar problems.

  On top of all that, there was the small matter of the Yoyka attacking Holtu with four hundred plus warships. If the Holtu lose that battle, then nothing she could do would stop the Yoyka from attacking Earth and Mars one final time. That would be the end of things. Waiting for news from Holtu on the outcome of the space battle was making her extremely anxious.

  Allison Conley burst into the Oval Office. “We just received word! The Holtu defeated the Yoyka! We Won!”

  Mary dropped her head and said a silent prayer. She was a practicing Episcopalian by faith and she almost felt the hand of God on her shoulder. “Call a NSC meeting in one hour and let’s try to get a conference call with someone at Holtu over the quantum transmission link. I want to know exactly what happened.”

  “Yes, Madam President. I’m sure someone over at the Pentagon is in touch with Holtu. I will set the meeting up right away and get back to you.” Allison left the room.

  Mary looked at her President’s Daily Briefing report. The news was not all bad. The world had stopped the Yoyka nanomachines from spreading worldwide, but the damage was done. It was almost a repeat of the first Yoyka nanomachine attack seven months ago that tried to make humans slaves of the Yoykan Empire. Again, it was the development of another counter nano-agent that prevented the nanomachines from spreading unchecked. The world had two scientists to thank for that; Doctor Janice Martin on Mars and Chief Scientist Tumil on Holtu. Without their solution, all humans would be facing slow extermination by the Yoyka.

  Less than fifteen minutes rolled by before Allison came back to the Oval Office and reported, “The NSC meeting will start in forty-five minutes, Madam President.”

  “Good. Come in and sit down, Allison. I have a few minutes to talk. Wha
t have you heard so far about the battle?”

  Allison sat down in front of the president’s desk. “Not much. I got a call from Carlo Russo who received word from General Bradstone who was notified over QTL by First Chair Cleota. I called Carlo back to set up the NSC meeting and he said he would set up a call with Cleota at the NSC meeting. You can ask her how the battle went in person.”

  “That will do. I just finished reading the PDB report. It goes into a lot of detail on the nanomachine damage to world crops and animals. So much land was affected; the world will be facing a food shortage this year. The UN is concerned about food riots and mass starvation in third world countries. I think we better prepare for the worse this year.”

  “I could schedule a meeting with the Secretary of Agriculture to discuss the issue if you want.”

  “That would be good, Allison. Set something up for later in the week.” Mary went over several other issues with Allison and revised the agenda for the rest of the day. It was time to attend the NSC meeting. Mary straightened up her desk as she prepared to leave the Oval Office and head to the basement where the Situation Room was located.

  The room will filling rapidly as Mary and Allison made their way to the conference table. By the time they sat down the room was filled to capacity. The normal NSC military staff was present as well as the Vice President, various Secretaries and others who happened to be in the area for the meeting. Today, the mood in the room was decidedly more positive.

  Mary called the meeting to order. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. Everyone knows by now that the Holtu achieved a great victory over the Yoyka in the Holtu star system. I am anxious to hear the details of the battle and what happens next. Carlo, why don’t you tell us what you know.”

  “Very well, Madam President. We have been monitoring the space battle using the quantum QTL communication equipment set up between here and the military headquarters on Holtu. The final battle report came in less than two hours ago. The Holtu did indeed win a major victory over the Yoyka. In fact, they chased the bastards out of the solar system with over fifty percent enemy losses in warships and crewmembers; over seventy percent losses in fighters and pilots, which is almost one hundred sixty-five thousand Yoyka dead. The Holtu lost thirty percent of their warships and thirty-five percent of their fighters, which is fifty-one thousand killed; three times less than the Yoyka.

  “In addition to the new FTL hyperdrive capability, it appears the development of our new Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM) was one of the deciding factors in winning the battle. The other was our people.

  “Vice Leader Di reports the Yoyka used a new weapon of their own that did serious damage to the Holtu androids who were first attacked. The Yoyka used a Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse weapon (NEP) that apparently has the capability of knocking the Holtu androids unconscious, but did not affect any electronic equipment.

  “Di reports it was the ability of the Qumru and human crewmembers and pilots who managed to keep on fighting, which the Yoyka had not anticipated. It appears our military personnel helped the Holtu win the final battle.”

  Everyone smiled and started clapping their hands at the good news. Mary had to hold up her hands after a few moments to quiet the room to continue the meeting. “That is very good news, Carlo. It means our military alliance with the Holtu has proven very effective in fighting the Yoyka. What happens next?”

  Carlo pointed to the QTL communications equipment on the table. “It’s time to let First Chair Cleota speak. She is waiting for our call.” Carlo punched a button and the call set up. Within a few moments, Cleota’s face and shoulders appeared on the wall TV monitor.

  “President Mary Woodley, it is good to see you again.” Cleota’s voice was clear and strong.

  “Thank you for participating in our meeting. I wish to congratulate your people on a great victory over the Yoyka. We are anxious to learn your current situation.”

  “I am sure you know the details of the space battle from your military leaders. We managed to win the battle with human and Qumru help, both in new weapons and people. Our Holtu android armed forces were seriously affected by the Yoyka EMP weapon they used.”

  “Yes, I have been told of the Yoyka NEP weapon. Can that be prevented in the future?”

  “Our scientists are working on a solution now. Although the Yoyka warships have left our system and are headed home, we have a potentially more serious problem. The Yoyka have captured the Solruku spaceship that originally visited your solar system.”

  “How did that happen, First Chair Cleota?” Mary interrupted.

  “During the battle, the Yoyka sent ground assault troops to attack the space platform orbiting Holtu where the Solruku was docked. We did not anticipate the move until it was too late. The starship escaped our solar system before we could stop it.”

  “Why is this so bad?” Mary asked for clarification.

  “The Solruku has the Onutu regeneration chambers and mind transfer quantum computer equipment on board. The ship was also upgraded for the new FTL hyperdrive capability. Both of these things are highly desirable to the Yoyka. Somehow, they knew the Solruku was important to them, especially once they felt the battle was lost and they could not take our planet.”

  The news was indeed bad. It was very quiet in the room. Mary waited for Cleota to continue.

  “There is one more thing to report. One of our most senior scientists was on board the Solruku at the time of its capture. His name is Tumil. He is one of the creators of our nano-agents that can stop or reverse the effects of the Yoyka nanomachines.”

  Several people in the room gasped at that knowledge. They knew who Tumil was and what he has done for everyone. Mary asked, “Can you get him back?”

  “We are sending people to find the ship and see if Tumil can be freed. If not the ship must be destroyed and Tumil will die. The only consolation is we can use Onutu to regenerate his body and mind.”

  It took a moment for those words to sink in around the room. How do humans come to grips with the new reality that people could be brought back as the same person after death? It would shake religious faiths to the core around the world. But it would be very useful in war.

  Chapter 58

  Qum

  The journey to Qum from Holtu space aboard the Solruku took thirty Earth hours. In that time Rahta and Anahta explored the ship and made data records of everything they could to send to scientists on Yoykan. Rahta was taking no chances at losing this precious Qumru knowledge that would help him defeat the Holtu, the Qum and their military alliance partner—Humans.

  “We have arrived at Qum star system, Imperial Leader. We are ready to drop out of hyperspace.”

  “Have you sent an alert message to our warships?”

  “Yes, they have been notified not to fire on us.”

  “Good. It certainly did not take long to get here. This new FTL hyperdrive is what we have been trying to develop for a long time. It will enable us to oversee our slave colonies so much faster.”

  “I am still not certain why we have to stop at Qum instead of going straight to Yoykan, Imperial Leader.”

  “You will see, High Commander. Get me to the planet!”

  “We can be certain the Holtu will be searching for us. We should not stay long here.”

  “Don’t worry, Anahta. What I plan to do won’t take long.”

  Anahta gave the command to Utor on the Bridge to drop out of hyperspace at the specified space coordinates. Everyone on the Bridge was strapped into their seats for safety.

  With a bright burst of light and extreme heat energy, the Solruku exited hyperspace and immediately slowed to sublight speed as it raced towards Qum, the second planet in the star system. Qum is midsized, slightly smaller than Earth or Holtu and orbits in the goldilocks zone of its stellar classification yellow star. Anahta knew Qum had nineteen billion people still on the planet, all under the control of Yoyka nanomachines doing slave work for the Empire.

  Anahta immediately was
informed by the ship’s AI, Shonya, that there were two Yoyka warships orbiting Qum along with dozens of freight haulers and other assorted spaceships travelling to and from the planet’s surface.

  “Warships have acknowledged our presence, Imperial Leader. They welcome you to Qum.”

  “Give my greetings, High Commander. Tell them we are visiting Qum to see how our operations and slaves are doing.”

  “Yes, Imperial Leader.” Anahta passed the request to Utor who had the message sent as ordered.

  “Tell the nearest warship Commander to send over one of our nanomachine quantum control devices for my use.”

  Anahta was taken aback by the request, but did as told.

  Within minutes a shuttle craft from the nearest warship landed in the Solruku’s hangar bay and two Yoyka warriors brought the device to the Command Center.

  First Officer Eurta presented the device to Rahta with a salute and bow. “First Commander Jarta is pleased with your visit to Qum, Imperial Leader. He is at your command.”

  Rahta saluted Eurta and handed the device to Anahta. He said, “Tell your Commander to be on alert for any Holtu warships that may have followed our ship here. We will be leaving this planet soon.”

  “Yes, Imperial Leader. Is there anything else you desire?”

  “No. Return to your warship. Long live the Empire!” The officer saluted and left.

  Rahta watched the two officers leave the Bridge. He turned to Anahta. It’s time to visit our Qumru prisoner and see if he is ready to cooperate with us.”

  Anahta turned the Bridge over to Utor and two senior officers from the Yoykan Malee Ta to watch over him. He followed Rahta to the elevator. “What are you going to do with this device, Imperial Leader?”

  Rahta stared straight ahead as the elevator descended to Level 12 where Tumil was being held prisoner. “I am going to make Tumil do as I request, or his people will suffer greatly.”