Galactic Vortex: Set in The Human Chronicles Universe (The Adam Cain Saga Book 4)

by T. R. Harris

  “That’s why we want the Juireans to lead the way, Captain. It will take a major effort for anyone to go up against an armada of six hundred warships, whether they’re super-advanced or not. By seeing how the Juireans do against them, we’ll learn what we have to do to mount an effective defense, and eventually, victory. Even if the Juireans win, their forces should be greatly depleted, as will Kanan’s. And Kanan doesn’t have any reserve ships. All he’s got is the original six hundred. We’ll be in a much better position strategically to come in an clean up the mess. And if afterwards, the Juireans try to toot their own horn about what a great job they did, we’ll just say that was what they were elected to do. But, honestly, I think it’s going to be one hell of a fight. Better the Juireans going in first rather than us.”

  “Of course, sir,” Adam said.

  “How’s it going with the Gracilian scientists?” the Ambassador asked. Euker was privy to all the Human’s contingent plans.

  “They’re working on a portable version of their suspension field. They should have it completed in another week or so.”

  “And then what, Captain?”

  Adam blew out a breath. “Good question. That part we’re still working on. Knowing that Kanan has a base of operations will help. But as you know, the devil is in the details.”

  “Let me know when you come up with something. From what I can tell, this Kanan character is the key to everything. The new modules follow his orders. If we get rid of him, we cut off the head of the snake. Of course, we have to hope that the Juireans can do the job for us, even if it may hurt us politically. The Union is in this for the long haul. I’m not about to hope for the worst just to gain a few bonus points with the refugees. The welfare of the Zone is my main concern. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that our green-skinned friends can take out this immediate threat.” She looked directly at Adam. “And if not, then you need to be ready to go.”

  “Roger that, Madam Ambassador. We’ll be ready when the time comes.”

  Chapter 10

  Adam had a lot on his mind on the way back to his home from the meeting at the Embassy. He had delegated all operations with the Enforcers to Riyad while he worked with Copernicus and Jack Brown on the Kanan issue. And now there was a whole other level of activity taking place, as evidenced by the huge fleets of warships gathering for a fight. But Adam’s task was more personal, more directed. He was after Kanan, and although the military and political powers in the Zone had confidence in their plans, Adam doubted their efficacy. He’d met Kanan, and he knew the Aris. He knew that eventually it would come down to man-on-machine in the final battle. And as a vulnerable bag of flesh, Adam was nervous about his prospects.

  Arieel was still at his home, with no plans of returning to Formil until the crisis was over. She’d been sympathetic to his distractions, giving him time to think between the occasional sexual trysts, used mainly now to relieve his stress. And now with the Juireans preparing to take on the DE fleet head-on, he knew he’d have to wait on the outcome before implementing any of his own plans. Hopefully, all his strategizing would be purely academic. Kanan was just one ancient Aris service module. If the mane-heads could take him out, then Adam could get on with the rest of his life. Until then, he’d take a day or two just to relax and savor Arieel’s sweet company.

  As soon as he entered the house, Adam knew that wasn’t going to happen.

  There were half a dozen people in his home, all Formilians and busy setting up equipment. It looked as if they were constructing a medical suite in the middle of his living room.

  Arieel rushed up to him and gave him a warm welcoming hug and kiss. She didn’t offer any explanation, leaving Adam to ask the questions.

  “What’s going on, Arieel? What are you up to?”

  “I have something to show you. Please come.”

  She took him by the hand, leading him past the activity in his living room and into the kitchen. She sat him on a stool at the breakfast bar and then rushed off to bring in a long, narrow box from another room. She set it down in front of him.

  “Here is my gift to you.”

  The way she said gift made him curious. He took the unsealed box and lifted the lid. Inside was a shiny, three-inch long by half-inch in diameter cylinder with a smooth surface and rounded ends.

  “Is this what I think it is?” he asked.

  “It is,” Arieel announced proudly. “It is the latest version of the Gift, your errantly-termed artificial telepathy device. It does so much more than simply allow for telepathic communications.”

  Adam didn’t take the device from the box. Instead he studied it in its bed of cotton. “I know what it can do, Arieel. I had one for well over ten years. But why? And why now? I thought the Governing Council was against anyone other than you having one. That’s why they zapped my team after the Kracion mission.”

  “That is true. The Council knows nothing of this. I used my residual influence as Speaker to secure this device. It is an even further upgrade from the one I have. On the way back from Arret, I linked with Formil to have it delivered. It arrived only this morning.”

  Adam looked back toward the living room. “And it’s going to be installed … here?”

  “Yes. As you know, the procedure is relatively simple. It is the tuning that takes the most time.”

  Adam still had his old ATD buried under the skin beneath his right armpit. At the moment, it was just a cylinder of burned out circuits. After returning to Formil from setting Kracion on his mission of repairing tears in the space/time continuum, Adam and his team walked into an electrical field designed specifically to fry the innards of the brain-interface devices they had. It was unexpected, and Adam could remember vividly the moment it happened. It was as if he’d gone blind, at least until he learned to rely on his normal senses again. He hadn’t realized at the time how dependent he’d become on the device, giving him added awareness and abilities that he’d come to accept as normal. It took months for him to return to true normal, with the senses of the standard Human.

  And now Arieel was offering him the gift of enhanced senses again. He was like a former drug addict about to take his first hit after a long layoff.

  He cringed at the analogy. Having an ATD wasn’t a bad thing. His addiction to it had saved his life on more occasions than he could count. It was different than a drug addiction.

  Why then was he feeling such a high?

  “Arieel … this is amazing,” he blabbered. “But why now?”

  “It is Kanan,” she said seriously. “I survived because of my Gift. I fear you are destined for another encounter with him and I wish you to survive. Perhaps my Gift will save you, as it saved me.”

  A stunningly good-looking Formilian male entered the room, dressed in a grey surgical gown, his chiseled tan face frowning, his eyes filled with concern.

  “This is Aoran Pal,” Arieel said. “He will be performing the implant procedure.”

  Adam noticed how hard it was for her to say implant. It was still a point of contention with her knowing that the supposed hereditary powers of the Speakers were nothing more than the product of an artificial device.

  “Have you told him?” Aoran asked Arieel.

  “Told me what?”

  “I have not. Perhaps you should. It will be Adam’s ultimate decision.”

  Some of the luster of the moment faded.

  The handsome alien turned to address Adam. “I have been informed that you witnessed the energy absorption feature of the new interface device.”

  “I did. It saved Arieel’s life.”

  “That it did. The device is able to absorb large quantities of energy and then vent it through a particular process. That process involves the creation of a quantum singularity no larger than a molecule.”

  “You mean a blackhole? It can create blackholes?” Adam was shocked, and a little concerned.

  “That is correct,” said Aoran. “As with standard diffusion shields, energy must be disbursed. Starship-ba
sed units vent the energy along the hull, spreading the intensity over a much larger area and reducing the impact. The interface device creates a spontaneous singularity that absorbs the energy from flash bolts. As you are aware, where the energy goes after that is still a mystery to modern science.”

  Adam looked at the sour faces of Arieel and Aoran. “Okay, that sounds great. But why do the two of you look as if you just swallowed a fly?”

  Aoran frowned even deeper and looked at Arieel.

  “Do not fret; he is using Human-speak,” she told him. “Please continue.”

  Aoran nodded. “The standard quantum singularity can absorb an estimated three or four level-one bolts before issues appear.”

  “What issues?”

  “As mentioned, it is a quantum singularity. It only appears under certain circumstances, and that being the intake of an intense plasma charge. The singularity is not a permanent feature of the device. However, should more charge be absorbed, there is a possibility the singularity will expand, spreading its influence.”

  Aoran paused. Adam got the sense he was done and that he’d already revealed the great ‘secret.’ Adam didn’t want to sound dumb, causing him to struggle with deciphering the information.

  “So, it could grow larger … and what?”

  Arieel grew frustrated. “It means there is a possibility you could be drawn into the singularity!”

  “Sucked into a blackhole!” Adam yelled. “Really?”

  “Our experiments has shown such, however, it is rare and unpredictable,” Aoran said. “There are factors involved we do not fully understand. We are fairly confident that the device can tolerate several bolts, but the exact number is unknown. And the Speaker mentioned dark energy. The device can absorb this as well, but how much is even more of an unknown. An analysis has shown that it was this form of energy that struck the Speaker, and she survived after a brief period of unconsciousness. This new device should avoid that temporary condition, especially when used by a Human. Our concern is the carrying capacity of the interface before a catastrophic event occurs.”

  “Like me being sucked into a blackhole?”

  “Precisely.”

  Adam looked at the aliens. “I see now why all the glum expressions. This thing could save my life. It could also kill me. Sounds like most things in life.” He looked at Arieel. “And now you want to know if I’ll go ahead with the implant?”

  “It will give you an advantage. How much of an advantage is the question. Without it, Kanan can surely kill you. With it, you could survive long enough to make a difference in the outcome. As I said earlier, I fear a confrontation is coming. You will insist upon it. I want you to live.”

  “So do I,” Adam said, taking Arieel’s hand in his. “You know I’m going to say yes.” He looked to Aoran. “You say I won’t be continually walking around with a blackhole under my arm; it only appears when needed?”

  “That is correct.”

  “Then let’s do it.” He smiled wickedly at Arieel. “I can’t wait to have intimate conversations with you again where no one else can hear.”

  “And now he becomes amorous,” Arieel said, the frown still on her face. “I wish you would be consistent.”

  Chapter 11

  Adam Cain was in heaven. And it wasn’t because his minor surgery had healed surprisingly fast, hastened by the calloused cavity he already had from his last ATD.

  It was because it was as if he could suddenly see again. He marveled at the colors he saw, enhanced to reflect their energy content. Also, this new device was able to amplify sound waves, and he even thought he had an enhanced sense of smell, although Arieel said that was just his imagination. He now walked through life enchanted by the additional information his brain was receiving. He’d gone several years without an ATD, so he couldn’t tell if this incredible feeling came from the new version of the device, or if this was how it always was. And unlike with his old ATD, he didn’t have the long learning curve that came with the first one. That was an awkward time. However, this time he was up and running almost from the moment the device was tuned to his brainwaves. Arieel assured him there were other features he’d yet to experience, but that would come with time. For the moment Adam Cain felt like the superman so many people considered him to be. Superhuman. The Alien with an Attitude, and with the means to kick all the alien ass he desired.

  Arieel was staring at him, frustrated at his silly-looking grin.

  “You must acclimate, Adam,” she scolded. “You are being ridiculous. You should use your Gift for good, such as I. I pray to Lila every night through mine, asking for her return to help us in our time of need. More than ever, we need her powers.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie, it’s just that I didn’t realize how much I missed having an ATD.”

  “And now that you do have another, please do not become over-confident, feeling you are ready to rush head-long into a fight with Kanan.”

  “Relax; it may not come to that. The Juireans are assembling their fleet. We anticipate an attack in a day or two. It could be all over very soon.” Then a thought crossed his mind, causing him to panic. “You’re not going to ask for the ATD back if I don’t have to fight Kanan, are you?”

  “I would not dream of it. It would be like taking sweets from a child.”

  Adam relaxed. He stood up from the couch and leaned over to kiss Arieel. Then using his ATD, he opened a link with Arieel’s mind. I have to leave now. The Gracilians have their suspension field complete. They want to brief me and Coop on how it works.

  “Very funny. You are indeed like a child with a new toy. Do not wear it out.”

  Adam was surprised that the scientists wanted to meet him and Copernicus at a hangar at the garrison spaceport. Human guards lined the outside of the building, armed with mean looking M-102 assault rifles. Adam pointed out the added security to Copernicus.

  “Technically, the Gracilians are still prisoners. All we have is custody of them,” he explained. “Besides, they were part of the team that designed the DE ships and built the service modules. I don’t trust their motives.” Copernicus then looked harder at Adam, furrowing his brow. “Are you okay? You look … different.”

  “A few days of rest has done wonders for me,” he lied. He wasn’t going to tell anyone about his new ATD. If he did, they’d all want one of their own. It was simpler to keep it to himself.

  “Arieel is still at your house, is she not?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I doubt you got any rest.”

  Adam smiled and walked into the hangar. As expected, the dark-energy starship he’d taken from Arret was in the center of the building, with huge power cords run to it and half a dozen technicians coming and going. If necessary, it would be this ship that Adam and Coop would take to the planet Tarenuga and Kanan’s home base. An array of equipment sat on metal tables scattered haphazardly across the concrete floor. Generators hummed at the far end of the hangar. The Gracilians saw them enter and exited out the open back of the ship.

  “Welcome, again, Adam Cain and Copernicus Smith,” said the alien Vodenik. “We have had success with the suspension field. We are anxious to show you what we have done.”

  “It’s inside the ship?” Copernicus asked.

  Kovach, the other Gracilian scientist, grinned. “Correction: the ship is the field,” he said with pride.

  “I thought it was supposed to be portable,” Adam pointed out, frowning.

  “In a way, it is,” Kovach continued. “But upon further consideration, we began to view different capture scenarios and decided this was best.”

  “Please explain,” Coop prompted.

  The two aliens led Adam and Coop into the rear launch bay. Like most starships of a particular size, this one contained a small four-person shuttle. Space travel was dangerous enough without having some way of moving between other vessels or checking the hull for damage. Although the DE ships could easily land on a planet, sometimes it was best to leave the main vessel in
orbit while a much smaller shuttle made the trip down and back. Even so, the launch bay wasn’t very big and most of its volume was taken up with equipment modules and other units attached to the bulkheads.

  Vodenik waved a hand at the room. “We infused the electronics of the ship with the necessary field poles and supplied them with power. The field generators cover every part of the ship.”

  “That’s all well and good,” Adam said. “But for it to work, Kanan will have to be in the ship.”

  Kovach seemed particularly proud of the work they’d done. “That is correct, Captain Cain. And that was where our strategizing has been of value. We tried to figure a scenario where you and Mr. Smith could catch Kanan between the poles, more than likely within the confines of his main base. This would require the two of you to infiltrate the facility, avoid numerous other orbs, and then place him precisely between the poles. After that, he would have to be moved to the ship for return to Navarus. ”

  “And he would have to remain within the field for all that time,” Vodenik added. “We also know from your report that Kanan may come in the form of a robot transport. In the smaller field scenario, it would be very difficult to first capture Kanan in the field, and second, to keep him there. And then there was the issue with the additional service modules that would undoubtedly be nearby. By making the field larger and more encompassing, it should be easier to capture Kanan while also eliminating any surrounding orbs as a threat. They, too, would be caught in the field.”

  Adam raised his eyebrows. “That does make sense,” he said. “But we would still need to get him aboard the ship.”

  Vodenik grimaced. “Unfortunately, we could not think of all the strategies on your behalf. We have left that part of the equation to you and Mr. Smith.”

  Adam laughed. “That’s only fair, I guess. We couldn’t expect you to do all our work for us. And honestly, until we saw what you came up with, we didn’t have any idea how to use your suspension field. Not even close. Thanks for putting so much thought into it.”