I’m afraid it was a jest. I’ve been working an angle to get the soldiers off-planet. During the recon were you able to gather enough data to tell me if the SUGAR and SPICE haulers are still intact? The haulers have no weapon systems, and without fleet control they’re probably in a wide orbit almost 2-light-hours from Prime.
Sugar and Spice haulers? Yes. I understand. And, yes, the haulers are intact.
That’s my plan, then. We need to destroy or otherwise disable the Dahnahaash ships. There may be Empire ships to handle as well. And it will be necessary to dump trillions of dollars of equipment into space, and program the haulers to descent below the anti-teleportation grid surrounding Prime. Oh, the haulers will have to maintain an exact heading through the safe zone corridor so the fortress guns can’t blast them. We have to let the teams know of our plan, so they can somehow port onto the crowded haulers for evacuation without being destroyed by the Primer Air Force. Well, when I put it that way, it sure sounds impossible.
May I make one of those suggestions you seem to enjoy?
Please do.
If we are successful against the Dahnahaash warships, we could just destroy one of the anti-teleportation grid substations. Your soldiers can then teleport offplanet to their heart’s content.
Yes, let’s do that.
***
GABRIEL
The massive wave of destruction, that should have killed them was definitely disorienting, especially to Fierce. Panic gripped him when he managed to open his eyes to see they were at least 1,000 meters above the ground. Gabe patted him on the shoulder, hoping for a calming effect, then skritched a finger along the invisible sphere wall for Fierce to see.
Fierce was mesmerized, looking at the molten filled crater receding in the distance as the defensive device descended well away from the event. “This little sphere saved us from that?”
Gabe had a similar look. “It is something, isn’t it? I’m not sure if I understand the concepts enough to explain. Someone in the Assembly sounds excited, actually elated that it worked. He’s yammering about an equalization of forces on the quantum level focused on this reticulation shell which was able to draw enough excess energy from the weapon effect to unencumber the Higgs fields enough to sustain a froth of quantum foam and stabilize this sphere.
“Hold on a sec. Now the guy is laughing. No, I lost him. Apparently, a quasar or something just blew up, sparking interference on the network. I am not sure what he was laughing about. I will track him down, though.”
Fierce is eying the skies, more interested in when the next blast of energy will hit them. “I’m afraid our position is compromised.”
That got Gabriel looking around as well. “I think we’re well hidden within the sphere. But, you’re probably right. They’ll eventually spot us, and I doubt our little fortress, here, can withstand a large-scale attack. Let me check on something. Good, the interference has been cleared.
“I have been given permission to share some technology, an energy cell of sorts.”
The implications of that don’t register with Fierce. “That’s nice. Can you plug it into the sphere to give us more protection, or concealment?”
That’s partially true. No, not the sphere. But it should be able to interface with Viz’ array to extend the size and length of time she can hold a cloaking field.”
That’s supposed to be a secret. “You know about Viz?”
That brought a sort of shrug. “Well, you know, advanced alien race with super cool technology. Actually, my scout was watching by the cave when Viz, and, was it Amy? Yes. I saw them cloak and try to rescue you. I’ve been on your trail ever since.
“There! The scout has their location. How about we burst this bubble and you can introduce me to the gang? Before the Dahnahaash find them. Which is imminent.”
***
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
The crew aboard the Dahnahaash warship were on edge. They had only followed orders, but killing one of the Ahmtobim in a military strike had clearly shredded the Ancient Treaty, which had, for the most part, been upheld for a very long time. More than a few on the ship trembled at the thought of and outright provocation against the King. That sort of thing could end in the Pit of Darkness. The reconnaissance run by the Ahmtobim ship had not gone unnoticed.
Another command soon followed that was nearly as bad. They were to kill all the humans on Cygnus Prime. And there were a lot of them. At least they would be allowed to teach the Dahkoreen a lesson, for all this trouble, though destroying only a few cities seemed light punishment. To see at least some of the planet reduced to ashes was at least something. Sequential targeting locks aboard both ships signaled their completion. It would all be over in the time it would take to complete and orbit of the miserable planet.
Then, the Nahphalim shock troops could hunt and kill the humans as they scurried like rats in the caverns. They would pay large sums for the opportunity of the hunt. The ship crews would receive shares from that bounty. There would be celebrations!
The Dahnahaash ships slowly separated to begin their rounds of devastation when eleven ships of the Ahmtobim surrounded them. A modulated eigenvector stream rippled through the ships, allowing the entire crew to hear the command. Leave the system immediately, or face immediate destruction. Immediate and eternal. The restless crew members eyed each other, perhaps with thoughts of mutiny.
The Dahnahaash warships moved off at a moderate, though steady acceleration.
Tee couldn’t help but marvel at the technology he had witnessed. “Mahtenah, how were you able to observe the goings-on inside the ships? And that command, audible to the crew. It was amazing.”
Mahtenah sounded matter of fact. “It’s all a matter of perspective. And eigenstates. I don’t think you have the math to go beyond that.”
Tee nodded. “No doubt. I’ll have to introduce you to Rock and Roll. And Communal. Do you have the location of my team?”
“I would like that. And I have located your team. They are currently uncloaked, meeting with one of the Ahmtobim, it would seem.”
“Can you drop me down there, with them?”
“Yes, I have plotted a route that will avoid fortress fire. But I would prefer you stay here until we destroy the power grid, to help with any potential problematic decisions.”
“Just destroy one of the power grids, simple as that.”
“Ten additional Dahnahaash ships have appeared in this sector.”
“Let’s hurry, then.”
“Tee, there may be a skirmish, with the choice of whether or not to return fire. Death. I am designed to operate with a commander, someone to act as a heart and conscience, for want of better terms. It is because I am not capable of making moral decisions. With no heart or conscience, how can the King’s Law be internalized and obeyed?”
“I think I understand. Our battlestars seem to do well enough. Algorithms. I suppose that’s a sort of law we write within their programming. No, more like the instinct of birds and bees. But, less perfect. It’s only a matter of time, I suppose, until some sort of unintended consequence creeps up. Sorry, I work with AI all the time, and this sort of thing eats at me. Anyway, I won’t be long. And in the meantime, think of it this way, even very good humans make wrong moral choices.”
“So I have heard, though it is something I have not experienced.”
“Are you stalling?”
“No. We have landed. I will make sure of your safety. Then I will destroy the power grid, which happens to be in the vicinity, and has already been attacked. It seems fitting that I finish the job. As soon as the anti-teleportation screen is down, I will then notify your troops, planet-wide, that they are free to port. Remember I am unable to find you if you are cloaked by Viz. To the point, your team has just cloaked. When I have finished, I will return to this spot.”
“Thank you Mahtenah. Here, you will need this information to access enline and send the notification message to the troops. They won’t believe you otherwise. Use t
his as well. It’s my seal.”
***
Tee moved quickly to exit the ship, which had come to rest in a small glade. He called out, suspecting they were under observation from his team. The cloaking field enveloped him, as did an enthusiastic round of hugs. Gabe got caught up in the moment and ran up for a hug as well.
Tee looked him up and down. “Hello there. I don’t think we’ve been introduced. You’re a member of the Ahmtobim, I presume. And I’m Tee. Oh, hold on a second. I should mention, the ship is going to blast one of the power grids. We will soon be free to port. The ship has access to enline, and will give notice to our troops the anti-teleportation shield is down, with orders to port to their assigned emergency off-planet PLZ.”
Gabriel smiled. “Hello, Tee. Fierce and I arrived just before Mahtenah landed.”
“You know Mahtenah?”
“Of course. Mahtenah is my ship. Or, perhaps it would be clearer to say, I am the captain. No, that’s still not quite the correct nuance. This form of communication is so... complicated. Mahtenah was made not long after I was born and I was selected to be his commander and moral compass. Don’t tell him. It’s a surprise. Anyway, with the signs of the times, predictive analytics, careful interpretations of what-is-to-come... at the time, it made sense to give him up for a while, until you were done with him.”
“The archeologists on Ahaam are quite sure the ship has not moved for 2,000 years or more, until we discovered it.”
“They are correct.”
“You’re that old?”
“I don’t think I’m old. Do I look old? Actually, I’m quite young.”
Tee decided to start afresh. “Who are you?”
Fierce jumped in, remembering his journey to Gabe’s homeworld. “Don’t ask him that unless you want to take a very long trip.”
Gabe smiled. “Don’t worry, I know we have time constraints. My name is...”
At that moment, Rev and Dean came running up to the group, escorted into the cloaking field by Para. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that the cloaking field had been growing in size, and nearly covered the small glade.
Rev’s sorrowful look got worse when he spotted Tee, then he almost passed out when he saw Fierce, which prompted Dean to speak up. “Uhhh, Rev and I were out on our rounds. We were up on a ridge, and saw you, Fierce. You and this... fellow. I was looking for a nice spot to drop in and pick you up, when the entire valley, for miles around, erupted in molten destruction. We... saw... you... die. Yet, here you are. Not looking very dead, at all.”
Fierce thought it was time to introduce his friend. “It’s true. I’m not dead, though, all because of Gabriel here. Everyone, this is Gabe. Gabe, I’m sure you’ll get to know these guys. They’re all a great crew.”
Rev finally found some words and a wide-eyed expression. “Gabriel. Is it thee? Thou art the Archangel Gabriel, who standeth before the Lord God Almighty?”
That brought a frown to Gabe. “Why do you people keep saying that? No. I am definitely NOT that Gabriel. I’m a messenger, sometimes, isn’t that what angel means? But I definitely have a physical housing, just like you. There are spirit beings, though, such was the very famous Gabriel. And I am definitely not he. Call me Gabe.”
“Now, I’ve got a great idea. How about you move along out of this clearing before the Dahnahaash actually do kill you. Tee and I have a slightly different path.”
Gabe took a moment to hand the power cell over to a very exhausted looking Viz and gave her a quick tutorial. Having a huge cloaking field moving along and hiding a large chunk of the countryside would be worse than having no cloak at all. Viz adjusted the device, confining the field to only cover the people. She was elated to find the device auto-adjusted the field size as Para wandered to the right. This thing was going to be wonderful.
And with that, they were off to meet the other recon teams, who would soon be converging at the nearby meeting site. From there, the extensive search and rescue missions would begin.
As they walked along, Tee decided to gather some information. “Gabe. May I call you Gabe? Thanks. Gabe, what do you know of the Dahnahaash?”
Gabe pursed his lips, wondering where to start. “They are spawn of the rebellion against the King, the creator of all things. Sometimes we call them the Fallen, though etymologically, Nahphalim is closer to that term, in meaning. Etymologically? Where do you guys come up with these words? Anyway, most Nahphalim are also Dahnahaash, which means Devoted of the Nahaash. It seems, etymologically... Nahaash has similarities in your ancient tongues, to the word serpent. That’s as close as I can get with the constraints of this mode of communication. How about we have a nice delve, later on?
“From what I understand, the Nahaash were among the first to rebel against the King. They may have had something to do with the Breaking, when the universe began dying. A cunning people, the Nahaash fomented rebellion all throughout the universe.
“But you are well aware of that, I am sure, Earth being a targeted planet, and all.
“And the Ahmtobim, we are not of the rebellion. We are the Unfallen.”
Tee found himself liking this person, but wanted a lot more information. “Where are you from, Gabe?”
Simple enough. “I live on a nice planet in Mother’s Galaxy.”
Fierce thought some clarification might help. “Hoag’s Object.”
Tee didn’t know what to believe as a communication pierced into his mind. Matenah was back from his grid crashing mission. He also had some good news, and bad. The anti-teleportation shield was down and troops were already porting home in earnest. But landing on the planet had compromised the tactical deception. The Dahnahaash now knew there was only one Ahmtobim ship, not eleven. And 12 enemy warships were closing in, cautiously, but with conviction.
Time. In the death and confusion of constant attacks, many thousands of troops had been separated from their port-techs. It would take time to locate them. Time is a fickle commodity. Often, it seems to cost nothing at all. At other time, the price is high. As Tee and Gabe ran to board Mahtenah, Tee couldn’t help wishing he had more time to spend, here. And that the cost of his coming would not have a price too high for him to bear.
***
A MATTER OF THE HEART
As Shockwave and the other teams moved out for search and rescue, Tee and Gabe entered the ship hoping to find a way to buy some time for the Earth troops.
Was it Tee’s imagination, or did Mahtenah sound excited? “Commander Gabriel, it is good to have you on board again after such a long time. It is rare for my kind to host two commanders at once. I think... I am beside myself.”
Gabe had to clear his throat a bit, in what was evidently a moment of intense emotion. “Yes, my friend, it is good. I am afraid we have little time to reminisce.”
Mahtenah was quick to catch the sentiment. “Of course. How may I be of assistance?”
Tee nodded as Gabe deferred to him. “Mahtenah, ramp up your anticipation mode and provide the information we need to stop the immediate Dahnahaash threat, in 100 words or less.”
Mahtenah sounded as though he was smiling. “Well stated. You learn fast, Tee. Though if we’re going to talk, we’ll most certainly bust through your 100 words or less mandate. Just saying.
“The Dahnahaash are frustrated with the leaders of Dahkoreen, Cygnus Prime. To them, this Empire was merely one of many experiments, in their attempts to optimize accumulation of military assets for a future war. The Dahkoreen have only risen to a level of sub-vassals, not even actual Dahnahaash.
“My... recon and psyops endeavors have been successful. At the very least, the commander of this fleet believes Gabriel was killed by the military strike. Merely an attempt would be an act of war. The attack on Commander Gabriel and Fierce was not a high-level directive, but rather an ill-conceived blunder by two marauding members of a Nahphalim horde. The commander of the ship who authorized the attack has been severely reprimanded. Torn asunder, that was the terminology used.
“C
urrently under discussion is the total destruction of Cygnus Prime. I believe the Dahnahaash fleet is awaiting orders from their headquarters. In the meantime, they entertained themselves by tormenting the leadership council on Prime with graphic details, assuring them their planet will soon be reduced to molten slag. The repositioning of the fleet suggests their local commander believes planetary destruction will become the objective. There have already been limited strikes. Several human groups, platoons, were targeted. Oh. An entire Dahkoreen city has just been destroyed.
“I have a plan to eliminate the immediate Dahnahaash threat. It will involve a good deal of death and destruction. My thoughts are... troubled.”
Gabriel is concerned. “How may we help, my friend?”
Mahtenah sounds so very sad, as though he already suspects the answer. “I have a robust preservation program, perhaps somewhat analogous to your own instincts for survival. Yet, in mere moments, we will witness the deaths of so many, including the remaining humans. If you could prevent that with an action that would certainly involve your own demise, would you do it?”
Gabriel was quick to respond. “I would.”
Tee agrees. “I would as well. For my friends, running for their lives on this planet. And, I hope, I would do it for my enemies here as well. Billions of sentient beings, who I know once walked in peace with their neighbors, and who I hope will do so once again. My granddaughters are down there, Mahtenah! I would do almost anything to save them.”
With time of the essence, and secure communication an imperative, Mahtenah hurried to find Viz, which was not easy due to the cloaking field. A bird in flight suddenly disappearing and reappearing gave the clue. With that, he pushed out a secure communication line for Tee. A few minutes later, Viz, Rock, and the Allenmore Four untangled at the coordinates they had been given. A small light reached out to them, showing the way to the entrance of the hidden ship.
Mahtenah opened a passage to his inner sphere. An orb, small in size, but massive, floated to the opening, but did not exit. The Allenmore Four could handle the lift, hopefully. If they managed, it would be their new maximum. Bodey had a blank stare as he concentrated, readying himself to tether the port. At his nod, the others moved in, reaching out to touch the orb. They were back in a moment, acknowledging delivery of the package, then ported to their next assignment. That Viz and Rock remained on the ship was of little solace. They may have been safer on Cygnus Prime. Who can know such things?
Invasion: Journal Three (Shockwave Book 3) Page 38
