His prayer was in earnest, as Tee hoped for a successful outcome to... the plan.
The ship thrummed with energy as it streaked into orbit. Two enemy ships automatically fired, missing their target completely, as Mahtenah varied the acceleration routine and maneuvered well beyond his tolerance specifications. Gabe, Tee, Viz, and Rock were inside the sphere, the only location on the ship where the terrible G-forces were null. Mahtenah returned fire, targeting the closest enemy ship, which was suddenly wrapped in a semi-transparent storm of tiny coils, and then collapse into non-existence.
As the image played out before those inside Mahtenah’s sphere, Tee looked at Rock and barely whispered. “What just happened?”
Rock shook his head, but then spoke up anyway. “What I saw was the relative vacuum of space suddenly boiling in a froth of quantum particles hastening to annihilate, a behavior natural to their kind, programmed from the beginning of the universe to conserve the laws of energy. Quite unnatural was the statistically abnormal number of anti-particles that found it necessary to renormalize, a process that resulted in the complete annihilation of the ship. There may also have been an energized shield lensing effect that gave magnification to the process. The expenditure of energy necessary to bring about that outcome would be astronomical.
Mahtenah spoke up. “The deception is complete. They have seen that Gabriel is alive and on board. It is their understanding that their communication jamming was effective and he has not been able to reach out to his people. He is running for home. They have effectively intercepted the communication he just sent, describing the attempt on his life, along with detailed recordings.
“The Dahnahaash will now do whatever is in their power to destroy Gabriel, and me, thinking they can yet conceal the attempt on his life by their agents. You must all cloak and port to safety. I will... take it from here and send quantum packets detailing the outcome.”
We ported back to Cygnus Prime, knowing... the outcome would quickly unfold.
Gabriel waved a hand, which produced something that looked very much like a window without the frame, allowing us to watch as the events unfolded. A second Dahnahaash ship vanished to oblivion, as what looked like 100 pinwheels spinning a merry dance, made contact, and then shrank down to nothingness.
Mahtenah teleported, but only after making sure one of the ships had lashed him with an energy leash. That wait allowed a second enemy warship to fire. Waves of energy cascaded around his shielding, some of the force breaking through to damage his hull. He tried to port again, but the hit had taken a toll in teleportation recovery time. His evasion techniques helped him avoid another direct hit, but two more impacts reduced his shield integrity to 13%. There was not enough time to wait for the recovery cycle to finish. He dumped reserve power to his gate and teleported.
There, before him, was Cygnus Minor, and the blasted shell that had once been Jasmin. Mahtenah adjusted the minimal power left to his shields and pushed in toward the caustic star. His scanning system was still working reasonably well, allowing him to detect his shielded secondary power core, immersed in the stellar glare. Then, the entire Dahnahaash fleet untangled all around him. Success! Something, very like a stray thought, brought him pause, as decoherence threatened to overcome his processors. He knew in that moment he would smile, or even laugh... if he only had a heart.
A final burst of energy from one of the enemy ships impacted his unshielded hull just as his augmented power core, delivered earlier by the Allenmore Four, sunk ever lower into the corona of Cygnus Minor, and released a tidal wave of energy. A rapid chain reaction caused the star to explode. The Dahnahaash fleet cooked off in fiery death.
Cygnus Prime would receive a high dose of cosmic rays from its hated neighbor star, though a robust magnetic field would protect life on the planet. Who knows, perhaps someday, the inhabitants might even come around to appreciate the price that was paid for their survival.
Chapter Six
WHAT’S NEXT
A REFLECTIVE PAUSE
Shockwave has assembled on Ahaam with Gabriel. It was the least we could do when he expressed a desire to see where Mahtanah had rested all those years. It’s June 20th.
Gabe opened one of his windows to show images of Mahtanah when he first landed, around 2,000 years ago. There were also images of the nearby ruins of the bug city, not looking much different than they do now. Well, except for all the archeological equipment, and a bustling human town. He closed the window, bowed, and gave a prayer of thanks that the mission had been a success, saving so many lives. Frankly, it was a wonderful prayer that lifted our spirits, something we definitely needed. It had been a very hard week.
That Earth was facing yet another invasion weighed on us heavily. We knew by then, as well, that the Ahmtobim could only be of limited assistance in the absence of a direct Dahnahaash threat. It was a legal issue. The evidence of an attempt on Gabe’s life might just bring the scrutiny needed to establish a connection between the Dahnahaash and the Anatoid. That seemed likely.
And I smiled a little smile as I thumbed the tiny power cell that Gabe had given me. That sort of technology was not to be taken for granted. And a meeting was already in the works between emissaries of Mother’s Galaxy and the Solar League.
As you know, I’m ever the curious sort. “Gabe, it seems as though you could have used this ship for other things, over the last 2,000 years.”
Gabe shook his head. “No. It’s like I said earlier, signs of the times, predictive analytics, careful interpretations of what-is-to-come moved us to leave the ship. Knowing the exact timing of such things is much more difficult than knowing that something must be done. We knew it was an operation to counter the Dahnahaash. Mahtenah slept, waiting to awake at the proper time, when you arrived. With the technical skills available to our enemy, we could only monitor the situation infrequently and with great care.”
There must be more to it. “Weren’t you concerned the Dahnahaash would take the ship? Haul it away?”
Another shake of the head. No. It was registered as a ship in distress, though not requiring assistance, which actually was the final outcome. An anti-tampering warning was placed, which the Dahnahaash know well enough to heed. They learned that early on, after the Breaking. Besides, the dome shielding is nearly impregnable
“You will ask next about the meteorite shard. That was not us. It does seem to have been helpful all the same. Yes? And the solution to Dahnahaash shielding, it would seem. The Ahmtobim have already made modifications. Of course, any of you could have just have touched Mahtenah’s shield, and it would have opened to you.
“I must express as well, my sorrow for your friend, Corporal Martin. Perhaps we should have monitored the situation more closely. If only Mahtenah had wakened by then, he could have intervened.”
We were interrupted at that point by shouts coming from the direction of the city. I found my hand resting on my blaster by the time I realized the shouts were festive rather than related to some new peril. A girl came skipping up, bubbling with excitement to give us the news. She skidded to a stop at the site of Gabriel, eyes wide. To her credit, she quickly composed herself and said a treaty had been reached with Cygnus Prime.
We quickly tuned-in to hear more of the developments. Tee, in the meantime, contacted friends at Solcom. The Primers confessed straight-up that they had charged the gate on Crimson for the Anatoid-Karrin. It’s a long journey from Cygnus Prime to Crimson. They must have had one of their secondary gates hidden in the Crimson system.
Actually, talks are technically still in the late planning stage, but there is great hope. We all know, it would be fooling to put too much trust in any words that come from the mouth of a Primer politician. But they are certainly motivated.
The Dahnahaash promise to turn Cygnus Prime into a molten cinder has them rattled, despite their direct knowledge of the destruction of the Dahnahaash fleet, along with the despised star, Cygnus Minor. With their superstitions surrounding the caustic star, it w
as a good thing they had captured so many images of Mahtenah, and knew he was the proximate cause of their survival. And that he had direct ties with Earth.
Apart from that, they would likely have thought other powerful benefactors had come to their aid, and continued on in the evil ways. Well, I suppose we will still have to see how willing they are to change.
The hidden portal gate near Saturn was theirs as well. It had taken years to set it in place, using extreme stealth, with the gate only recently completed. News of our surprise attack at Oort, as their attack fleet cruised to invade Earth, prompted them to dispatch a stealth ship with gate materials. Even after the defeat of their fleet, they hoped to crush us before we had a chance to mount our counter offensive. But our own attack plans moved along quickly, before they had a chance to test the gate.
Thanks to the Krill, evidence has already surfaced of an Empire treaty with the Anatoid-Karrin, along with an agreement that they infest the Solar System. Well, the Primers have already as much as confessed to that. They must not have felt they had a choice, with the forces of Solcom about to move against them. And, now, with their military might all but crushed, they’re all the more desperate. It’s only a matter of time before the Anatoid-Karrin come for them, assuming the Dahnahaash don’t end them first. All of that should push the treaty along on the fast-track.
As an indicator the Empire is willing to be reasonable, in a show of good faith, they anchored but otherwise did not touch the SUGAR and SPICE haulers, or the rest of our goods. We’ll probably need it, even if a treaty with the Primers does develop. The Anatoid-Karrin clearly intend to set up their own galactic empire. And it looks as though Earth will once again have to stand against the onslaught. On our own planet, and who knows where else.
Hey, guys. Where is everyone going? Evidently, the team has had enough information overload. We’re off to the nearby ruins of the ancient Ahaam city. It turns out Gabe has an interest in archeology. Let’s go see what’s new, make that, what’s old, on Ahaam.
I’m glad to see so many bugs working in the digs. It’s been a long road for them, something like 3,000 years since they lived here. After that, I know the Empire forced them to move at least twice. It looks like we’re going to receive a guided tour, starting with a facility housing the smaller relics that have been found.
Look at that! Something familiar. It’s a crystal stela just like the one Steve led us to on Turkskee, and the other that was presented to us on Crimson by the Clerics of Hope. Between the stelas we’ve been able to experience three Songs of the King. Two of the Songs were clearly incomplete.
I decided to mosey over to Gabe, to see if he knew about the stelas. “Gabe, I want to show you something that we’ve seen on two other worlds. Maybe they originated in Mother’s Galaxy? I’ve been wondering, why do you call it Mother’s Galaxy?”
Gabe seemed lost in thought for a couple of heartbeats. “That name goes back a very long time, in homage to a mother who, with immense fortitude, tried to restore order in the midst of the chaos brought about by the Breaking. Before the rebellion, the universe was a wonderful place. The children of the King lived in peace and prosperity, a golden age. It was as though the very stars were seated in closer to one another. Whatever the workings of it, travel between worlds was swift and simple.
“We lost so much in the Breaking, when the universe began a slow process of decay that is even now leading to its death. The only place unaffected is the third heaven, the dwelling place of the King, which is separated from this realm.
“This kindly woman had no children of her own, and would never have the pleasure. She expended her energy and genius to the point of exhaustion, with no thought of reward, always fighting against the encroaching chaos. It was, as she said in her old age, for all of us, her dear adopted children. To those who benefited, from her BIDs and pids, her quputers and QuIM systems, she is thought of as their dear mother.”
Talk of the breaking, along with the dread of yet another imminent invasion of Earth, had pushed Tee to a gloomy place. “We stumble through this life in a daze, surrounded by trouble and sorrow, impacted by this fallen, dying realm, the entire universe festering in the bondage of decay.”
Then, in sudden reversal, he perked up. “But in keeping with God's promise, we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells, and the time when God Himself will wipe away every tear.”
Gabe quietly nodded his agreement.
I still wanted to know more about the crystal stelas we seem to keep running across. “What about the crystal stella?”
Gabe smiled. “Oh, yes, those showy things. By that, I don’t mean the Songs of the King, I mean the gaudy vids someone added to the Songs, before they sent the... stelas hither and yon. As for the Songs themselves, I have found them to be interesting. They were written around the time I was born, which happened to be a momentous time in your own history. Your people, of course, should find the Songs of particular interest, since they are about you.
“A fun fact, the Songs were written by a child as an aid to his studies of humanity. Someone, I suspect it was the child’s mother, presented the Songs to the Assembly. And they launched, not in one subcategory or another, but throughout the entire Assembly. That was unusual, for what amounted to simple poetry written by a child. It was evidently the timing. There are many that long to look into these matters, even to this day.”
I’ve only heard one Song of the King that seemed to be complete. “Gabriel, why would your people want to study humanity?”
Gabe rummaged around in his tunic, looking for something, and pulled out a little disc about the size of an old coin, a quarter, and fiddled with it as he talked. “Have you been asleep? Earth has been a focal point in the Great War, going all the way back to the beginning of your race. The Songs tell the tale, at least in part. Surely you know, the day approaches when your people will take their place in the royal courts of the King.
“Anyway, that’s a big subject. And these stelas have seen better days. Please accept a small gift. This device has the Songs of the King as well as other content I’ve found interesting over the years. At your touch, and with a thought, the directory will form. It is all intuitive. I hope you enjoy the content, though there are no glitzy vid-shows to accompany the songs and poems.”
I can do without glitz. “Thank you, Gabe. I can’t wait to listen. The stelas we’ve seen were all damaged, like this one. It’s as though they were shot by a blaster, or hit by some sort of EMP. The Clerics on Crimson were determined to give us their stela, incredibly insistent, but the two available Songs were fragmentary.”
It sounds like Gabe has more information, and I want to hear more about the royal courts. “The Dahnahaash accessed the transmission exciter-signal connecting all the stelas, and send out a destructive pulse. They seem generally opposed to anything that may glorify the King.”
Gabe then turned to look more closely at Viz. “You and your crew certainly get around, if you’ve met the Clerics of Hope. And you must have guardian angels watching over you, to have avoided infestation by the Anatoid. Sorry, you prefer the term Gall.
“A wonderful guild, the Clerics. Their roots can be traced back to one of my own people. In the early days of their terrible invasion by those you call the Gall, he helped the Karrin develop a serum to counter the infestation. Most of us are only able to show love in small ways. We may have an opportunity to lend aid to someone, or in selflessness give way to another. He showed his love to the full, serving even to his death.”
Most of us had clumped together again in front of the stela, wondering if we should ask our guide to play it for us, when Communal spoke up. “I have taken an interest in these Songs of the King, and would like to share some of them on our INntelicast. Perhaps some of you would appear as guests to provide commentary.”
Gabe had moved over by Tee to look at a particularly well-preserved stone statue. Rock looked around the room as though he was looking for a nearby exit bef
ore mentioning he probably had a ‘thing.’ Roll followed on, saying he also probably had a couple of ‘things.’ Communal chuckled at that, not yet having suggested a date, but understanding it was their way of politely saying no thanks. That left Para, Fierce, and me. I tend to avoid any sort of spotlight. Para and Fierce were probably just dazed by the day as they stood there in silence. Communal actually jumped up and down with excitement at our silence.
Yeah, at that point we were locked in, but I was still curious. “Communal, I know your INtelicast has a large audience, but would AIs be interested in something called Songs of the King?”
Communal shrugged. “In fact, humans now make up the majority of subscribers. We think the AI community will be interested as well. Time will tell.”
I’ll include excerpts from the INtelicast in a back section of the Journal if something comes of it. He can’t be thinking of including this as another Lunchbreak Live program.
Our guide was kind enough to let us enjoy the one Song available on the damaged stela. It was pretty glitchy, though it was definitely a privilege to have witnessed the spectacle of all three stelas that had been discovered to date. With that, we had heard what was probably one complete song, and portions of three other Songs. And now, with Gabe’s disc, we could listen to all of them.
True, at some point we would have to turn the disc over to Solcom. They would want to study the technology. They would be even more interested in the power cell. All in good time. Not much time though. Solcom has a low tolerance for excuses.
With that, our day with Gabe was cut short, as all of our pids started to buzz at once. Shockwave was to make every effort to attend a special SpecOps meeting at Darkside Base. As we said our goodbyes, Gabe rummaged for another small disc and gave it to me, a communication device. Evidently, I had become the keeper of the gifts from Gabe. We would stay in touch.
Invasion: Journal Three (Shockwave Book 3) Page 39
