by A. K. DuBoff
Kira reached the bottom of the ladder and then ran to the galley.
“What’s going on?” Kyle asked.
“Gravity generator, we think. And they may have hacked our nav system,” Kira replied. “But we’re going to take them down first.”
She stared at the planet out the viewport, extending her mind. “No more playing. Let’s have a chat.”
Her telepathic probe met only emptiness at first, and then a chorus of voices whispered in her mind. “You’ll still be ours.”
Kira tapped the side of her head to let Sandren know she’d made contact.
Sandren, in turn, pointed to the ticking clock for their synchronized strike. Kira would have to keep the Trols talking for another seventy seconds.
“Where did you come from?” she asked as a stall tactic.
“Far from here, and soon all will be ours,” the chorus replied.
Another jolt shook the ship, and Kira steadied herself with her hands on the viewport’s sill. “I appreciate your ambition. In fact, I was just talking with a friend about how you need to go big or not bother. So, congrats on that.”
The aliens retreated slightly, as though caught off-guard by the casual tone—just like Kira had intended.
“We’d really like to stop fighting with you,” she continued when they didn’t reply. “Except you’re making that rather difficult.”
“Submit!” the chorus said in her mind.
Kira felt the tug of their power, but she held firm. “See, we want that the other way around.”
“We will never work with inferior beings.”
Feedback squealed on the ship’s comm system, breaking Kira’s focus. She covered her ears. “What was—”
“Transmitter on the planet just activated!” Aleya announced over the comm when the squeal subsided. “Signal is fifteen times prior recorded magnitude.”
Sandren swore under his breath. “We need to shut that thing down!”
Shite! Kira struggled to clear her mind and restore the telepathic link. “What are you trying to do?” she asked the aliens.
They didn’t reply, but the connection was reestablished; she could sense their satisfaction.
Kira checked the countdown clock: five seconds. Let’s see how long that smugness lasts.
Sandren activated a magnification overlay on the viewport. The enhanced image showed a torpedo launching from the ship nearest the Raven, forming a thin, bright streak across the black. The trail continued through the planet’s atmosphere, and then there was a moment of stillness.
An explosive plume flashed for a second, and then a shockwave rippled through the surrounding landscape. The torpedo had hit its mark, and systems registered that the capsule carrying the chemical cocktail had disintegrated like it was supposed to.
“I bet that got their attention,” Kira said without taking her eyes off the viewport.
“Sorry,” she continued through the telepathic link, “that was rude of us to bust down the whole front door rather than knocking politely.”
The aliens roared in her mind—blind, directionless rage.
Kira smirked. “Oh, wait, you enslaved a bunch of our people and then said you’d do it all again. Yeah, we’re not here to play nice.”
— — —
“All right, it’s almost time,” Ellen said after checking the clock that had been synced with the Guard’s master time. “How are we coming with that hole?”
“Survey puts it at a meter shy of breaking through the cavern roof. The Trols have to know we’re close,” Fiona reported.
“But even if they know exactly what we’re doing, they have nowhere to run.” Ellen smiled to herself.
They’d gotten lucky with many aspects of the plan. The rock was too dense to complete a geological survey ahead of time to make sure they were, in fact, positioned above the cavern and the pit it contained. At the halfway point, though, the scanning tech had been able to pick up the layers underneath. The drill’s aim had been off by five meters, but they were able to adjust the angle so the final tunnel would bore out above the center of the pit.
While the Trols may be expecting an assault through the main tunnel—both due to the commotion on the surface, and because they were privy to the original components of the plan that Garett had known—the sonic component was a new addition, thanks to Kira’s observation in Edgar’s memories. When Ellen had suggested that Kira talk with him, she’d never dreamed such critical information would be gleaned. It was the advantage they needed to settle the score once and for all.
With the chemical tanks already rigged up, all that remained was to punch through the final rock in the cavern ceiling and drop the distribution hoses down the shaft.
Ellen consulted their timetable. “Okay, go!”
She released a long breath and splayed her fingers on the desktop while the drill made its final cut.
“We’re through!” Trisha announced after getting confirmation from the drill team over the headset. “Dropping hoses—”
The ground rocked underneath the drill, trembling the camera.
“What’s happening?” Ellen demanded.
On camera, the teams scrambled to untether the drill and move it away from the shaft. The scaffolding holding the drill flexed, threatening to collapse and block the hole.
“Shite!” Trisha exclaimed. “Is it going to cave in?”
A shrill squeal sounded over the comms, and Trisha ripped out her earpiece. “Transmission on all frequencies,” she reported.
Fiona’s eyes widened. “Are we too late? Was that the transmitter?”
Ellen didn’t care to wait to find out. “Now! Release it now!”
Trisha swiveled back to her station. “Communication band is clearing. Sending order.”
The monitors showed the equipment around the drill site springing to life. The nebulizer activated, sending the chemical mixture through the tubes as a fine mist that would permeate the cavern walls beneath the drill site. Additional tubes, ending in spray nozzles, deployed a shower of chemicals to coat the walls of the pit.
The shaking stopped as quickly as it had begun.
“Is it… working?” Fiona asked cautiously.
“I don’t know, but that ground is too unstable,” Ellen replied. “Clear the site.”
Trisha glanced over her shoulder. “Time to blast them?”
Ellen nodded. “As soon as everyone evacuates, activate the speakers.”
— — —
Kira stared down at the dwarf planet, bolstering her connection to the alien collective within. “You had your chance to live,” she told them, “but now force will be met with force.”
“And you will be overpowered,” the aliens sneered back.
The Guard soldiers sitting around her in the galley went rigid.
“Sir?” she said to Sandren, hoping the situation wasn’t what it appeared.
He took a choking breath, but remained immobilized.
Fok! Kira’s connection to the Trols faltered as she tried to assess the state of her friends. “Stay with me!” she shouted, but they made no indication they could hear her.
Kira broke eye contact with the planet to spot the auditory equipment that was set up on the galley table. As soon as she looked away from the viewport, the connection weakened.
Jasmine’s words refocused Kira. She knew exactly what she had to do.
She had to get angry.
All the hurt and confusion that had been swirling inside her since her nanite exposure flooded to the surface. She let it fuel a seething rage wi
thin.
Her nerves ignited—eyes illuminating orange as the nanites formed nails, fangs, and scaled armor. She wished there was something to slash, but telepathic destruction was in order on this particular day.
“You want to get to know your creation? Well, here I am!” she snarled.
Kira opened her mind to share her physical sensory experience. Her consciousness became one with the planet, integrated with the hub and carried through its tendrils, woven throughout the rest of the world. Thoughts were no longer her own, sharing everything linked through the hub.
Pain and anger led her to her transformation—to her power—but it was the other side of the spectrum that would lead to victory.
She drew on her sense of fulfillment in the Guard, her love for Leon, the bond she shared with her team—flooding the telepathic connection with the positive thoughts of what always gave her strength, but would be poison to the Trols.
They tried to pull back, but Kira’s telepathic hold was complete. Sharing her happiness was just the opening volley, a ploy to catch them off-guard.
It was time to go in for the kill.
Kira activated the recording of the opposing soundwaves for the frequency resonating throughout the planet below.
The Trols shrieked in Kira’s mind as she pelted them with the sound. Their pain washed over her, but nothing would stop her assault. They had done too much to her. She could take their pain, and she’d make sure they wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else again.
Her friends in the galley gasped as they regained control of themselves, freed from the shackles of their would-be masters.
Kira gritted her teeth as the shrieks in her mind intensified. The Trols had nowhere to go, try as they might. They struggled desperately to force their way into her mind and use her as a host, but she held them at bay behind an invisible wall.
“There’s no escape,” she told them. “You won’t stop yourselves, and so I must.”
She cranked up the volume of the frequency recording. It vibrated through her, filling her body and mind until she could hear nothing else.
In front of her, the view of the planet changed. No longer was it a peaceful orb. It trembled and seemed to glow with an inner light. Cracks formed across the surface, and giant, dark clouds billowed into space.
“Holy shite! It’s working!” Ari exclaimed behind her, having been released from the aliens’ hold.
“Hit it now!” Sandren ordered into the comm linked to the fleet.
The tanker ships surrounding the planet released their secondary payload, spraying the chemical cocktail as a high-velocity mist around the debris. It was too large an area to get complete coverage, but they focused on the former location of the main transmitter, where the bulk of the valteron was concentrated.
As the mist connected with the rock particulates, the chorus of screams within Kira’s mind diminished. She continued pelting them with the sound until no voices remained.
The telepathic link severed.
Outside, the former dwarf planet was no more than a loose cloud of dust.
“I think they’re gone,” Kira murmured. She shifted back to her normal state and turned off the recording of the sound frequency.
Jasmine gave her a mental hug.
The mental exchange was interrupted by Nia wrapping Kira in a tight physical embrace.
“That was incredible!” her friend cheered.
“The fleet is no longer under the gravity’s pull,” Sandren reported. “The generator was destroyed along with the rest of the world.”
Ari grinned at Kira. “Standing here, it looked like you stared at a planet until it exploded.”
Kyle laughed. “Ultimate staring contest! The planet lost.”
Kira cracked a smile to share in her team’s enthusiasm, but she was far too drained for it to be heartfelt. “There was a little more going on behind the scenes, but I’m glad it was a good show.”
“No one else could have done that,” Sandren said and clapped her on the shoulder. “Well done, Kira.”
She gave a deferential nod. “All in a day’s work.”
CHAPTER 21
Some experiences always lingered in the mind, and Kira could tell that what she’d just been through would be one of those. As she prepared for her official debriefing with Kaen and Sandren, she found herself with an uncharacteristic feeling of irresolution, despite the mission being complete.
The AI gave a mental shrug.
She traversed the halls to the conference room near Kaen’s office. The two officers were just stepping inside as she approached.
“Good work,” Kaen told her as she walked into the room. “That was smart thinking, with the connection.”
“Thank you, sir.” Kira tried to suppress the dissatisfaction that was gnawing at her.
They took their seats.
“We took some risks on this mission,” Kaen began, “and not everything went how we would have liked. However, we defeated the enemy. That’s what’s important in the end.”
So we think. The thought wasn’t as private as Kira thought.
Jasmine smiled in her mind.
Kira looked across the table at the two officers.
Kira took a deep breath. “Have you given any thought to who these Trols were, sir?”
It was strange to use the past tense, but it fit, given the circumstances.
“A little,” Kaen replied. “Why? Did you have something specific in mind?”
“Well,” Kira folded her hands on the tabletop. “We know they had access to advanced technology, but nothing we’ve seen from them can cross space—they were using the Mysarans for all transportation. They were on Valta at one point, but Nox made it sound like they didn’t start out there.”
“Is there a question in there?” Sandren prompted.
“Well, sir. It just makes me wonder if they were the only ones of their kind.”
The two men exchanged glances.
“That’s not a line of questioning we want to go down at present,” Kaen stated.
“Yes, sir. It’s just—” Kira bit her tongue. “Never mind.”
Sandren took a deep breath through his nose and released it. “What is it, Captain?”
“I’d think not,” Sandren jumped in. “I mean, they were able to jump in and assume people’s lives with relative accuracy.”
“But is it genuine understanding or just mimicry?” Kira countered. “After all, they treated people as a vessel to be controlled. How well could they understand us and find that to be acceptable?”
“There are plenty of sentient beings with their own bodies—Tarans included—who perform acts that violate the autonomy of others,” Kaen pointed out. “Just because they showed no remorse doesn’t mean that they didn’t know it was wrong.”
Kira nodded. “I like to hope that there’s another group of Trols out there who thrive on positive emotional energy.”
Sandren cracked a smile. “That is a nice thought.”
Kaen steepled his fingers. “And maybe more likely than not. There are counterpoints in nature, after all—like an antidote for poison.”
Kira smiled. “I choose to believe we scored one for the good guys.”
“We did,” Kaen agreed. “And we’ll always keep fighting for the good.”
— — —
Leon paced back and forth in his quarters. He knew that Kira was back, but she had yet to reach out to him.
Debriefing, maybe? How long is that supposed to take?
He sighed. Consciously, he knew he was being impatient. All the same, he wanted to know what had happened in the Gaelon System. If Kira wasn’t yet available to provide answers, maybe others were.
The central logs indicated that Kira was presently in a meeting with Kaen and Sandren, but the rest of Kira’s team was in their quarters.
While he’d never presume to be in their inner circle, he had, perhaps, progressed beyond a generic outsider enough for them to fill in him on recent events. He headed for the team’s quarters.
Kyle answered Leon’s knock on the door. “Hey. Why are you here?”
“Sorry. I haven’t been able to talk with Kira since you got back. Is she okay?”
The soldier softened. “Yeah, she’s fine. Come in.” He stepped aside.
