Affecting objects and particles that were out of sight was a new skill for Kalian. His mind had always been able to find things out of sight, but it was only recently that he felt able to actually interact with them. Thinking of some of the amazing feats Esabelle had performed during their time together, it was clear that Kalian still had much to learn.
The doors opened onto a busy corridor with a startling white floor and green walls, the same shade as the ship’s hull. Aliens from all twelve races went about their jobs, checking systems and installing upgrades where needed. The Sentinel, like all Conclave vessels, had been designed with a variety of biological needs in mind. The hulking Raalaks had the space to move about unencumbered, while the Ch’kara had access to multiple methane stations around the ship, ensuring a constant supply of their breathable atmosphere. When the corridor opened up, to what Kalian could only compare to a shopping mall on Earth, the walls were overlaid with gravity-defying walkways for the nimble Novaarians.
Kalian continued through the massive ship, along with ALF’s entourage. On his way to the hangar bay, the group was forced to walk by the gargantuan double-doors that concealed the starillium. Kalian could feel the hum of the great engine on his skin. Beyond those doors was a sphere of callic-diamond that housed an artificial star the size of a football stadium. Kalian shifted his senses and felt the enormous amounts of electromagnetic radiation being absorbed and funnelled into the drives, where the intrinium waited to blast the Sentinel into sub-space.
Feeling the power of the engine, Kalian’s mind was cast back a few months ago. Aboard the Nova, he had performed an unbelievable feat of his own and actually contained the raw sun inside the starillium, after Professor Garrett Jones had unleashed a nanocelium virus into the Nova’s systems. It would have killed Kalian had it not been for his impenetrable armour and his desperate need to protect…
That source of strength was gone now, taken from him. Where Li’ara had provided him with a reason to always try harder and give nothing but his best, he was now only left with a shell. His strength would now come from a sense of uncaring and lack of fear. He had become a man with nothing to lose.
“Has there been any word about the Gomar?” Kalian was confident that his question went unheard by the busy crew.
“I take it you’re referring to those taken from Gommarian?” ALF clarified.
“I thought your IQ was incalculable?” Kalian quipped, irritated with ALF’s ignorance.
The AI was more than aware that he was referring to the eleven Gomar, who had been put to sleep in the Rem-Stores shortly after Savrick had been killed on Naveen. At first, Kalian had wanted to jettison them all into the nearest star and be done with the killers, but Esabelle had tempered his anger towards them. She had pointed out that they may be of use further down the line when the real threat was uncovered. He had never really agreed with her, but now that she was gone, Kalian felt quite alone in the galaxy, and the Gomar was all that was left like him.
Any plans to use the Gomar had been scuttled, however, when High Charge Uthor took control of the Gommarian and had them sent who knows where. The Highclave hadn’t been too happy to discover the existence of the surviving Gomar. It was secrets like that which frayed the relationship between the Conclave and humanity, preventing them from being granted membership and a planet of their own.
“I have asked Charge Ilo but she is forbidden from divulging classified information, as expected. In truth, I don’t think she actually knows. I doubt there are many beyond the Highclave who know where they’re being kept. At least we know they haven’t woken them from their Rem-stores yet.”
“How do we know that?” Kalian inquired.
“If eleven Gomar had been woken up, the Conclave would be in ruins by now…”
Kalian was inclined to agree. The eleven Gomar survivors that Esabelle had put to sleep, before disconnecting from the Gommarian, had lived through the Terran war and were veteran fighters. Their exo-suits allowed them to counteract the Harnesses that kept their Terran abilities in check and grant them a level of control. They would be capable of feats Kalian could only dream of.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kalian caught sight of a Laronian and a Ch’kara staring at him. The two had stopped working on the individual jobs and stood together, watching him as he walked by. Their Novaarian superior officer gave them both a nudge and directed them back to work, before glancing at Kalian as well. At first, the attention he gained wherever he went had been strange, having lived most of his life as a history lecturer, but now he barely took notice.
The hangar bay was unusually empty when he arrived. The rows of smaller fighter ships were unaccompanied by their engineers and mechs. Resting in the middle of the two rows, and taking up most of the space, was a black ship equipped with four chunky engines on the back and a cuboidal front nose where the bridge was located. The ship’s name, Advent, was written on the side in white lettering.
“I take it the name was your idea?” Kalian mused out loud.
“It means origin…” ALF replied smugly. “I thought it fitting, given our destination. It’s a hybrid human/Conclave design. They used what they learned from the remains of the Fathom to manufacture a Solar Drive that can store energised intrinium. It should have at least one jump in it before a sunspot is required.”
Kalian didn’t much care; the ship was a means to an end. He just wanted to board the Advent right away, but he knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Charge Ilo emerged from behind the ship with a small entourage of her own. The Laronain captain, as it were, dismissed the guards that had followed Kalian from his quarters, with the flick of her blue head.
“Mr. Gaines…” Ilo bowed her head in respect. “The Advent is prepped and ready for launch. I’ve pulled back all the crew working on the Starforge; we can control it remotely from the Sentinel.”
Kalian managed a smile for the Laronian. “Thank you for allowing me to stay aboard your ship for so long. You have an excellent crew.”
Ilo’s beautiful, diamond-like scales glistened as she took the compliment. Kalian regretted now all the times he had turned her invitation down to dine with the Charge and her senior officers. He hadn’t shown Ilo the same level of respect she had shown him.
“The Highclave wish to speak with you before your departure,” Charge Ilo added.
Kalian appeared confused. He expanded his awareness beyond the Sentinel and searched for the golden hull of the Marillion, the Highclave’s personal ship. As expected, there was nothing but the emptiness of space, leading to his quizzical expression.
Ilo explained, “We are setting up a link to the capital; it should be ready momentarily. In the meantime, I have someone who would like to wish you well…”
Kalian turned around, annoyed with himself for having missed the presence. Perhaps he was becoming too closed off. He didn’t examine the thoughts any further and instead held out his right hand to greet a friend.
“Greetings of peace, Telarrek.” Kalian clasped the Ambassador’s forearm, truly happy to see his old friend.
“Greetings of peace, Kalian.” Telarrek looked down at Kalian with a Novaarian smile.
Another Novaarian hand gripped Kalian’s shoulder when Naydaalan appeared at his father’s side. The affectation was very human and certainly not natural for his species. Along with his father, Naydaalan had been spending a lot of time with the humans in their new habitat. Clearly, they were starting to rub off on the younger Novaarian.
“Good to see you again Naydaalan,” Kalian offered with a half smile.
“Your presence has been missed by your people,” Telarrek said. “Many ask for you daily.”
“I bet the council doesn’t…” Kalian had never got on with any of the elected councillors, especially Laurence Wynter.
“Captain Fey keeps them in check, often reminding them of your accomplishments and… sacrifices.” Telarrek added with a somber expression, shared by Naydaalan - who had become quite attached to Li’ara.
Telarrek appeared disgruntled. “The Highclave will not entertain the idea at present. Until a permanent decision can be made, the habitat above Arakesh will have to suffice. But fear not, your people will not be left to starve. Their provisions are being taken care of.”
“Thank you Telarrek, you’re a good Ambassador.” Kalian wanted to say more but he hadn’t the energy to. He just wanted to board the Advent and leave. “You both didn’t have to come all the way out here to see me off. We’re not exactly on the beaten path.” Kalian had seen their location on a star chart and knew the Starforge had been built on the far reaches of Conclave space.
Telarrek and Naydaalan looked at each other before Charge Ilo interrupted. “The Highclave is ready.”
One of Ilo’s entourage, a male Shay, stepped forward and presented five metallic spheres. The cyborg activated each of the spheres inside the case with its half organic, half robotic hand and watched as they floated into the air. The spheres projected a near perfect rendering of the Highclave in their various sizes - the holograms appeared solid and in colour, despite only being generated from light. The five alien councillors formed a neat line by the side of the gathered group.
“Greetings...” The Novaarian councillor, Elondrasa, often spoke on behalf of the Highclave.
The Novaarian representative appeared in her usual regal form, with a golden headdress and flowing red and purple robes. The translucent dreadlock tendrils that ran down her long back were bound in gold rings.
“Councillors.” Kalian bowed his head in respect. These five individuals were the only thing standing between humanity and a new home.
Elondrasa continued, “We hope your time aboard the Sentinel has been resting, Kalian. What you face next holds unknown challenges…”
Ch’lac, the small councillor from Ch’ket, was quick to add, “The chief of which will be finding a way back to the Conclave and reporting your findings!”
ALF appeared right on cue, his holographic form projected from Kalian’s armour, along the waist. “As I told you when we first agreed on this plan of action,” the AI explained, “there are numerous Starforges in Terran space. I can reactivate one at will and plot a course back to this very quadrant.”
Nu-marn, the Shay councillor, lifted his cybernetic arms in dismay. “According to you, those Starforges have been dormant for two-hundred thousand years. What if they are no longer operational? The knowledge you learn from the remains of the Terran Empire may be vital to uncovering the machinations of this... Malekk.”
ALF replied with a look of condescension. “I build things to last. Time is of no concern to my creations. After we find the answers we seek, I will activate a Starforge and we will return.”
“Perhaps then you can return and help us to further understand the nanocelium…” Lordina, the blue Laronian, flashed them all her sparkling white teeth.
Kalian looked at ALF’s image, studying the AI’s expression for a moment - not that it counted for anything, being a hologram. Kalian hadn’t been aware that any tests were being conducted around nanocelium, but then again, he hadn’t been paying attention to much for the last three months.
As if reading his mind again, ALF’s voice echoed inside his mind. “They are in possession of several tons after I was forced to eject the Conclave crew that remained aboard the Gommarian.”
Lordina’s left eye arched in a quizzical expression, unsure as to the lack of reply. “You had a hand in designing the nanocelium did you not?”
“I repurposed them,” ALF’s hologram replied. “The Terran invented nanocelium and I simply took control. They stopped being a weapon and started improving everyone’s quality of life.”
“It would be a major contribution to the Conclave on behalf of the humans,” Lordina replied, seductively. “It would go a long way to building trust among our people…”
“Are the Starforges not enough?” Kalian couldn’t help himself. “You’ve just been handed over a piece of technology that will reshape the Conclave.” His anger was quick to rise these days.
Nu-marn raised his pale elongated head and fixed his robotic eyes on Kalian. “After all the chaos your people have brought to our homes... the Starforge technology is the only thing that has stopped us from exiling your race into the cold of space.”
Brokk’s gravelly voice spoke out, “Nu-marn…” It was all that was needed to calm the Shay councillor.
“It cannot be done,” ALF announced, silencing any further argument. “The nanocelium you possess came from the Gommarian and was manufactured in the Terran Empire, specifically, inside the Criterion, where my hardware was housed. The nanocelium was programmed from there to respond to Terran DNA only. I cannot change the base programming without a nanocelium factory, and the only one in the galaxy is inside the Criterion. Before Savrick died, he told of how he destroyed my original housing.”
Brokk responded, “But we have seen it work on humans. After Professor Garrett Jones attacked Captain Fey’s crew, the nanocelium was used to heal them.”
“Human DNA is so close to their predecessors that the nanocelium cannot tell the difference anymore. They are certainly more limited in terms of its manipulation, but simple constructs and medicinal techniques are compatible.” ALF’s expression was impossible to read.
Kalian just didn’t trust him anymore. The connection between Malekk, the cubes and the Terran is nanocelium, and as ALF just pointed out, only he can alter its design.
“Perhaps you will learn more during your time there.” Elondrasa’s calming voice cut through the rising tension. “But your priority is to learn more of this external threat, we can discuss everything else upon your return.” The Novaarian councillor looked beyond Kalian. “Are you ready Naydaalan?”
Kalian whipped his head around to look at Telarrek and his son, with no lack of confusion displayed across his face.
“I am, Councillor,” Naydaalan replied with a bow.
“What are you talking about?” Kalian asked, frantically.
Ch’lac appeared to adjust the holographic dial around his chest plate, altering the shield and the methane gas that surround his head. “Your mission is too important to be left to you alone. A representative from the Conclave will go with you to ensure… transparency.”
“You mean you don’t trust me.” Kalian balled his right fist but managed to stop his personal electromagnetic aura from disrupting the Sentinel’s systems.
“Not just you…” Lordina glanced at ALF.
Kalian clamped his jaw shut, aware that he had nothing helpful to say.
ALF placed his hands inside his gaping sleeves. “I trust that while we search for answers beyond your territory, you will continue to search for answers a little closer to home.”
As Brokk shifted his considerable bulk, the holographic emitters transmitted the sound of grinding stone. “We have already located and arrested three members of the Protocorps board members. Though to date, they have been quite uncooperative. Gor-van Tanar and Kel-var Tionis remain at large. They each held considerable holdings and an unknown amount of wealth. Finding them will be harder, but we have tasked multiple organisations with the job.”
Nu-marn, a fellow Shay, appeared agitated throughout Brokk’s speech. It hadn’t escaped Kalian that the Councillor’s previous campaigns for office had been funded in part by Protocorps.
As one, all five Highclave members looked to their right, clearly seeing something on their end.
“We have other matters to attend,” Elondrasa commented. “We wish you both luck in your endeavours and a speedy return.”
“With answers…” Ch’lac added.
The spherical emitters shut down and floated back to the Shay crewman, like pets returning to their master.
Kalian turned on Naydaalan. “I don’t know what’s on the other side of that forge, but I can bet it isn’t going to be anything good, and it certainly won
’t be anything the Conclave have seen before. It’s too dangerous.”
Naydaalan puffed out his narrow chest and looked down on Kalian. “Though considerably younger than my father, I have been training for missions like this since before you were born.”
Kalian didn’t have a response. He often forgot how old the Novaarians were and in truth, he had no idea how old Naydaalan was. Instead, Kalian looked to Telarrek for support. Surely he wouldn’t want his son to go on this mission?
“The Highclave has spoken,” the Ambassador replied. “Naydaalan is more than capable.”
Kalian studied Telarrek’s expression and doubted the Novaarian’s convictions. It was clear to see that he feared for his son’s life.
Another life on his shoulders. More responsibility. Kalian had wanted to go through the Starforge to avoid scenarios like this one.
“Fine. But I’m in charge.” Kalian locked eyes with Naydaalan.
The Novaarian warrior nodded his agreement.
“Mr. Gaines.” Charge Ilo walked over. “The Advent is ready. As requested…” Ilo hesitated. “Esabelle’s body has been stored in the ship’s cargo bay.”
The mention of her name deflated him. He had watched Malekk take her life as if it were nothing. Esabelle had lived for two-hundred thousand years inside the Gommarian’s virtual reality. Her wisdom and experience couldn’t be found anywhere else in the galaxy.
“What is the purpose of this?” Naydaalan asked, genuinely curious.
“It’s an ancient Terran tradition,” Kalian explained. “Death was rare before the civil war, but if anyone died they were given back to the star that birthed them. Esabelle was born on Albadar, the Terran capital. I’m going to give her back to the sun…”
After a brief farewell to Telarrek and Charge Ilo, Kalian and Naydaalan entered the Advent’s bridge and familiarised themselves with the controls. It was a spacious vessel, able to accommodate a crew of twelve at least. The Conclave engineers had retrofitted the interior to be comfortable for human and Novaarian, along with a considerable amount of food supplies. Due to its size, the Advent couldn’t house a shield generator or stealthware technology, so when they arrived in Terran space it wouldn’t be a quiet entry.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 95
