Nanomachine War series Box Set

by Don Viecelli

  It took a moment before Rahta made his decision. The majority of his Imperial Fleet was scattered throughout his empire. To bring most of them home would leave his slave worlds unprotected from rebels and any opportunistic race still his enemy. Still, his greatest threat now was from this Holtu military alliance with Humans. “Order my fleet home now. Tell the commanders to leave one or two warships behind to protect our interests. The rest must return to Yoykan to secure the empire.”

  “Yes, Imperial Leader. It will be done immediately.”

  “Once the fleet is here, we attack the Human home worlds! I want the Humans to die; all of them!”

  “Of course, Imperial Leader. They will not be as protected as the Holtu home worlds. And they are on the way.” Anahta knew Earth was only ll,000 light-years from Yoykan while Holtu was 31,000 light-years away. Now that the Yoyka warships were equipped with newer FTL hyperspace drive systems, it would take hours instead of months to reach all of them.

  “Send spy probes to see how many warships are there. This time I want no surprises to prevent us from destroying these worlds and all the people on them!”

  Chapter 26

  Return To Mars

  It felt good to return home to Mars. Doug watched through the Command Center windows as the USS Illinois sped quietly through dark space towards Mars. He was glad to get the chance to see Jan soon and his baby boy, Jules. He must be almost three months old now, Doug thought to himself trying to remember how much time had passed while on mission.

  “Thinking about home, Doug?” Jason asked sitting in his command seat on the Bridge.

  “Yes, Admiral, I am. My baby boy, Jules, will be three months old this month. I hope I get a chance to see him and Jan soon.”

  “You will. We’ll be here until we know where the Yoyka will attack next. It’s a good bet they’ll come here before they attack Holtu again.”

  Doug was afraid of that. “The Yoyka must be mad as hell we attacked them at Yoykan. They lost a lot of warships. It’ll take them some time to build up their forces before they hit us again.”

  “Maybe, but I fear the worse. We need to get ready,” Jason said.

  It will take a lot of work, both of them knew. The Earth solar system defenses were already well constructed with Holtu help, but it was far from complete. If the Yoyka came with a sufficiently large force, it would be hard to prevent disaster for the human population on Mars and Earth. Doug would do all he could to protect his family and Mars from attack. He would give his life if necessary as would everyone else in the fleet. He just wished there was a better way to prevent all of this.

  “We’re almost there. Prepare for orbit around Mars,” Jason ordered the crew on deck.

  Doug checked their position and speed and entered the required space coordinates to achieve high orbit around Mars. They came with a fleet of twenty Holtu warships from Qum where Vice Admiral Di remained for the time being. Di was monitoring Yoyka military communication channels decrypted by Shonya on board the Solruku before the starship escaped to Qum and then left for Holtu. It was a brilliant piece of spy work that could very well mean the difference between victory and defeat for the Galactic Military Alliance. Doug hoped to see Tumil in person soon to thank him and Shonya for what they have done.

  “The Holtu fleet is dispersing to guard the solar system from attack. We’ll stay in orbit around Mars until Di returns and we hear from General Bradstone on Earth. I believe we’ll be called to Earth for a meeting with the NSC soon,” Jason said to Doug.

  “I would like to request some time to see my wife and son before we leave, Admiral,” Doug said.

  “Request granted, Captain. Give them a hug and kiss for me,” Jason replied with a smile. He dismissed Doug with a wave of his hand.

  Doug took the next shuttle down to Mars with a bunch of Marines taking leave. Colonel Shirley Tills and Captain Chuck Williams were among them.

  “Hello Colonel; Captain. It’s good to see you both again,” Doug said offering his hand to shake.

  “It’s good to leave Qum and get home for awhile, sir,” Shirley replied.

  “I’ll see my family again. It’s been weeks since we left home,” Chuck added.

  “I know. My boy is three months old now. He’ll be walking soon,” Doug said.

  Shirley laughed, “Maybe on Mars, but it’s at least nine months on Earth before babies start walking.”

  Doug smiled. “You’re probably right. This is our first baby. We’re still adjusting to raising a kid.”

  “My kids are older; going to school now. My wife and I can barely handle two of them. Say hello to Jan for me,” Chuck said as the shuttle made a soft landing at the Haffen City Spaceport.

  “I will. You two enjoy your leave. We may not get another one for awhile. They all shook hands again before departing the shuttle.

  Doug walked through the spaceport to the subway train platform. He hopped on the next train and found a seat. It was a short ride to his destination near the UN Building where he used to work. Janice worked nearby at the Science and Research Department. She was waiting for him there to meet for dinner before heading home. They had a lot to talk about.

  Doug found Jan standing in the lobby by the front door. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a long kiss and hug. “It’s so good to see you, Jan. I missed you and Jules.”

  Jan smiled and kissed him again. “I missed you too. We both did. Jules keeps looking for his dad when I feed him. He’s fine. You’ll see him soon; after we eat dinner.”

  “Where are we going?” Doug asked.

  “We have a new Greek restaurant nearby. It just opened. I thought you might like it.”

  “Great. I’m tired of the food we eat on the ship. I really could use a drink of some Greek wine.”

  Jan led Doug down the street for two blocks. The restaurant was across the street. It was small in size, but very cozy inside. There were about ten tables scattered around a small bar. It was already almost full of people sitting down for dinner.

  “It smells great, honey. I’m famished,” Doug said.

  The waiter approached as soon as they were seated. She handed them two menus and asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Doug looked at the drink list and then at Jan. “Will a bottle of Roditis do?”

  “Certainly.”

  That sounded good to Doug. He ordered the wine and began to tell Jan all that happened on his mission to Qum. He just started his story when the wine arrived. The waiter poured both of them a glass of red wine and departed.

  Doug held up his glass for a toast. “It’s good to be home again. Here’s to a long, happy life on Mars.” They both took a drink. The wine was slightly dry, bold and crisp. It was something they used to drink a lot of on Earth. It was good to get that feeling of home again.

  “God, I missed this,” Doug added after taking a long sip.

  It was soon time to order dinner. They placed their orders with the waiter; then Jan added, “Order two saganakis as well.”

  After a few drinks, the waiter returned with two dishes of saganakis on a tray. She placed the tray on a stand and lit them on fire. As the cheese turned a dark roasted color, everyone around them yelled, “OPA!”

  The waiter placed the dishes on the table and left to give them some time to enjoy before bringing the main dishes.

  Doug finished telling the story of what happened at Qum and the battles at Yoykan. Jan was happy for Doug at news of the successful mission, but very concerned what was going to happen next.

  “So Tumil is safe?” Jan asked.

  “Yes. He may come here soon to meet with you and other scientists to see what we can do about the Yoyka nanobot drone weapon. That is our main worry right now with the military.” Doug told Jan about the NDW weapon. It made Jan even more upset at the Yoyka.

  “I don’t want to spoil our dinner. Let’s stop talking about this for now, Jan. All I want to do is enjoy dinner and be with you.”

  The two main
courses arrived. Jan had ordered the Moussaka dish. Doug ordered grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes and rice. They both shared a large Greek salad with all the trimmings. It smelled and tasted delicious.

  “This is a real treat. I can’t believe we can get real Greek food on Mars now,” Doug said between mouthfuls.

  “It’s been like this since the Holtu space shuttles became available. They can transport any kind of food and goods from Earth every day now. Haffen is growing fast. We’re as large as some cities on Earth,” Jan said.

  The time passed quickly. They finished the bottle of Roditis by the time dessert arrived. Doug just had regular coffee. Jan had Baklava, a sweet pastry. It was time to go home.

  Doug paid the bill and they left the crowed and noisy restaurant. They took the subway home. Doug paid the babysitter and offered to take her home, but she lived nearby and he could watch her walk to her building and enter her home safely.

  Doug went to Jules’ room. He was fast asleep. Doug watched him breathe in silence for awhile. Then he kissed Jules on his forehead and turned off the bedroom light. By the time he went into his bedroom, Jan had already undressed and was under the sheets waiting for him.

  Doug quickly took off his clothes and washed his face. He was lying beside Jan’s naked body within minutes. He kissed her on the lips and held her close. Her skin felt smooth and soft. He could see her white skin in the dark as his eyes adjusted. They never said a word. Doug held Jan’s body with his arms as Jan rubbed his back with her hands. Doug wasted no time in making love to his wife. He could not remember feeling more in love since they first met.

  Doug came quickly, but did not stop until Jan moaned in unison with his body. They hugged each other tightly and took a few minutes to enjoy each other’s warmth. Ten minutes later Doug made love to Jan again, taking it slowly this time until she enjoyed the same feelings he had earlier. Making love was effortless and satisfying at the same time for both of them. Doug wanted this felling of happiness and contentment to last forever, but knew it was not possible with such short life spans. For now, he was content to enjoy the moment. They both fell asleep in each other’s arms within minutes and did not awake until Jules began to cry early the next morning wanting to be fed.

  Chapter 27

  Earth NSC Meeting

  The President of the United States called a National Security Conference meeting in the White House and requested that Vice Leader Di and Admiral Jason Weston attend. Doug Martin and a few other officers from the fleet accompanied Di and Admiral Weston to the meeting.

  It was a warm April morning in Washington, DC. Doug was glad to get a chance to return to Earth for the day. He enjoyed the fresh air and sun shine, but it was a struggle to keep up his stamina in Earth gravity. The UN Space Strike Force maintained 90% Earth gravity on board their warships, which was much stronger than Mars gravity, but less than full Earth gravity. It would take a few days to adjust if they remained on Earth.

  Doug and the rest of the commanders arrived at the NSC conference room a few minutes before President Mary Anderson and her Chief of Staff, Allison Conley, walked into the room. Everyone stood and waited for the President to take her seat.

  “I’m glad you made it here for the meeting, Vice Leader Di, Admiral Weston. I want everyone to hear what you have to say about your latest battles with the Yoyka before we discuss other military matters,” Mary said.

  “I will be happy to do so, Madam President,” Di answered. It took almost fifteen minutes to describe what happened at Qum and the recovery of the Solruku.

  “So, Tumil is safe and sound back at Holtu?” Mary asked when Di finished.

  “Yes, he is well and safe. He is working with our research scientists to find a solution to the Yoyka nanobot drone weapon. It is a terrible nanoweapon the Yoyka intend to use on our worlds if they get the chance,” Di answered. “We have video recordings to show you what it does to people when you are ready to see them.”

  “We will look at them later. I can only imagine how devastating this new weapon is. The Yoyka nanomachines attacks were bad enough. The Yoyka must be stopped. Perhaps Carlo Russo can update us on our own military status.” She turned to Carlo.

  “Certainly, Madam President. The UN Space Defense Group is almost at full strength. We have fifty million military personnel on full duty status. The UN Space Strike Force is growing stronger every day. We have over two hundred Holtu and UN warships on duty in our solar system. Earth is producing five warships and over a thousand Zoltu fighters per month now.

  “With Holtu backup, we feel we can protect our worlds and solar system from the Yoyka if they choose to attack us again.”

  Mary turned to Di. “What do you think, Vice Leader? Will this be enough?”

  “We have the strength to prevent defeat, but not necessarily the strength to stop the Yoyka from killing millions of our people first. Unless, we can attack and defeat the Yoyka space fleet in Yoykan solar system, the Yoyka will continue to be a threat to our civilizations.”

  “How many warships do the Yoyka still have?” General William Bradstone asked Di.

  “We estimate close to five hundred and thirty warships still at their command.”

  “How many do we have counting the Holtu warships?” Bradstone asked again.

  “Our number of warships now total three hundred fifty,” Di said.

  “That won’t be enough, will it Di?” Mary asked.

  “No, Madam President. But we are recruiting other races the Yoyka have attacked in the past such as the Synorans. We are certain we will find more partners to help us defeat the Yoyka.”

  “Perhaps we won’t need them if our new weapon works as designed,” Bradstone offered.

  “What new weapon?” Admiral Weston asked.

  “Our scientists have modified our drones that can fire nuclear missiles or our kinetic energy missiles. We added cloaking ability to the drones. We’re calling them Orcas and are testing them now.” Bradstone answered.

  Doug liked this announcement. “You’re saying our drones, these Orcas, can now be cloaked like our warships and fighters?”

  “That’s correct. We can send the drones closer to enemy warships undetected before firing our missiles. They produce very low energy signatures.”

  Di spoke up. “Can you give us a few Orcas to test their capability?”

  “Certainly. I’ll arrange to have some delivered from our Moon facility to your warships at Mars today.”

  General Bradstone gave everyone in the room a brief report on the new drone weapon, its development and test results so far. It looked very promising. It might be just as, or more, effective against enemy warships as the KEM weapon. Then the attention turned to the Yoyka NDW recording Di had brought with him.

  Di gave a data card to Mary to play for the group. It took a minute to set it up and for the images to appear on the overhead viewscreens. It was a video recording of the attack on Qum. The images of Qumru being attacked by a swarm of black nanobots and consumed right before their eyes were too horrific to watch. Groans of fear filled the room. Mary had Allison turn the video off.

  “That’s horrible, Di. How did you stop it on Qum?” Mary asked.

  “We had to use low yield EMP missiles to destroy the nanobots before they could spread.”

  Another groan could be heard from several members in the room.

  “We need a better method to deal with this. What are our options?” Mary asked.

  “I have been told Tumil may have a solution, but it will require everyone receive a new injection of nanites,” Di finally said.

  “What will the injection do to us?” Mary asked.

  “It will help us neutralize the nanobot drones and stop them from spreading and reproducing,” Di answered.

  “Then, by all means, have Tumil send us the solution so we can begin injecting our people,” Mary said.

  That seemed to satisfy most people in the room. Doug wondered how long it would take to get the injections, especially
for the people on Mars. He wanted to protect Jan and Jules as quickly as possible.

  The NSC meeting was adjourned shortly afterwards. It was time to return to Mars. General Bradstone said he would meet with Di later to discuss defense plans for Earth and Mars. They did not have much time to get ready. The Yoyka were planning to attack soon.

  Chapter 28

  Holtu

  Vice Leader Di was requested to return to Holtu for a meeting with High Leader Altek and First Chair Brendu. Di asked Admiral Weston and Captain Martin to join him on the trip. Doug was anxious to return home to Mars after the NSC meeting on Earth, but he knew the trip to Holtu would be short. At least Jason and Doug got some rest on the journey to Holtu.

  The meeting was to be held in Brendu’s office in the Iconda Capitol Building where Doug met with him on his last visit one month ago. He was not sure what to expect. Di flew the shuttle with Jason and Doug on board for the short ride down to the spaceport.

  After a quick ride to the Capitol Building, They took the elevator up to the conference room on the top floor. First Chair Brendu, Vice Chair Penda, High Leader Altek, First Leader Orentu and several other Holtu warship commanders were already present.

  “Welcome to Holtu, Vice Leader Di, First Leader Miata, Admiral Weston, Captain Martin,” Brendu said greeting them all warmly. Jason and Doug were wearing translator devices in their ears, but they already understood more of the Holtu and Qumru language as time went by.

  “You have been called here to listen to High Leader Altek’s plans for the defense of our solar systems. I will let High Leader Altek explain.” Brendu turned the meeting over to Altek.

  Altek stood up and turned on a viewscreen for everyone to see. He began, “We are preparing for another Yoyka attack coming soon. We know this from deciphering military communications from the Yoyka; thanks to Shonya on the Solruku when they were captured and held at Yoykan.

  “The Yoyka warship fleet is estimated to be five hundred fifty warships ready to depart from Yoykan space. They lost almost two hundred warships when Vice Leader Di attacked the main force before they could leave the area to attack us. This may mean the difference between victory and defeat.