“Wait,” he shouted, being forced to walk to stay within its protection.
No answer.
“Where are we going?”
Still no answer.
“Damn it, Tamar. I know you’ve been in my head. So bloody well answer.”
Still nothing.
Gerry managed to keep pace with the sphere’s forward motion, while he continued deliberating with himself, over the next ten long minutes.
Why? He asked himself, but he had no idea. Who? He wondered. Could it be related to Richardson’s prediction of a coming conflict? Or, perhaps it was something to do with this Tamar and the supposedly extinct Varon race?
The slow walk continued for another six minutes before the protective sphere came to a halt.
Gerry looked around. But, there was still nothing to be seen except the flat gray terrain in front of him.
“What now?” He grumbled out loud.
Again, no one answered.
After two more minutes, the sphere started to move forward again, but at an increased pace.
“Resting time for you, was it?” He asked
No answer.
“Huh. In a hurry now, are we?”
Still no answer.
Gerry finally stopped throwing questions at this…. no-one. Then thought about the ‘How’ part of his predicament.
If two days have indeed passed, he theorized, then the stories about a Time Ship might well be a possibility.
What else? Gerry wondered. Then concluded No. that’s too much speculation on my part and decided to concentrate on how this sphere could exist.
It doesn’t seem to have a field generator.… Come to that, where am I getting my life support from? He looked down at his feet as he walked along. That’s odd, my feet should be disturbing the surface. But, they aren’t.
Then he recalled something, ‘How about Press-field technology?’ Gerry asked himself. He knew that PFT was a thin stealth platform about a meter or so in diameter. He also knew that it was being used in some of the latest ships, to save space in their gymnasiums. And, that it gave the user the illusion that they were walking on the platform’s surface.
This must be similar technology, he thought. But why all this effort? And, that still doesn’t explain where my air is coming from.
Right then, the sphere stopped again.
“I really don’t need a rest while we’re walking at this pace” he grumbled.
Still no comment.
Looking around, he noted that the landscape hadn’t changed. It was still flat, gray, and dull.
Then, about 20 meters ahead, he saw a circular area of ground blow upwards, creating a hole, and sending a shower of what looked like earth and dust into the atmosphere.
As he reached the hole, Gerry looked down into it and was surprised that he couldn’t see how deep the hole was.
“What now?” He shouted.
A voice in his mind replied, surprising him.
‘You End Here,’ the voice answered.
Then, the hole in the ground suddenly illuminated and the sphere immediately moved towards it.
“Whoa. Stop. You’re going to bury me,” Gerry shouted, but knew there was nothing he could do to stop the sphere.
Then the sphere came to a halt, directly above the opening.
Looking down, Gerry could only see a seemingly endless hole that he was about to be dumped into.
“Alright, I give in… That’s some prank,” he jested, hoping that it really was.
But, it was all to no avail, as his supporting sphere suddenly vanished from beneath him, and Gerry hurtled down and into the hole.
Chapter 6
Up-Time
Stardate, Unknown.
Location: Delta’s central chamber.
Delta’s Central chamber was virtual, in that none of its Prime Council Elders needed to be physically in attendance for today’s meeting. Instead, holographic images of the nine elder’s heads hovered in the air around a holographic image of a large circular table. Each of the prime Council Elders was designated by a number. With the chairperson being addressed as number One.
The Chairperson started the meeting by audibly addressing the other Elders to facilitate a recording of the meeting.
“I have studied all of your reports and recommendations. However, a few items need clarification,” number one stated.
“Number Two, has any correction to the Temporal overlay for 2773 been observed since your reports were issued, and now?” He then asked.
“None.”
“Then, we must assume that the human’s timeline still doesn’t exist beyond 2773. Agreed?”
“Correct, Number One. The same as for our timeline.”
“Naturally. And the Predictors, what do they say?”
“They are absolutely confident that the rogue Time Operator Charlotte is the cause of the Timeline's demise. And, that she has already started to expand her personal fleet, just as my predictors foretold.”
“But, much earlier than you predicted, Number Two,” Number One snapped.
Then turned his attention on Number Four. “Are Richardson’s children capable?”
“We believe so. Our operatives have observed both operator Charlotte’s and Richardson’s children at work. Both sets of children are effective in different ways.”
“Very well. We’ll come back to that later Number Four.”
“Number Seven, this Gerry Stevens doesn’t seem to have the abilities yet, that we need for this type of fixer. Do you agree?”
“Yes. However, we still believe that Stevens could have, eventually.”
Number One stared at Number Seven’s holographic image for several seconds, before continuing. “I see that you had to use a Time-ship because this Stevens was already way behind schedule.”
“Yes. That’s why we have already arranged to terminate Stevens. We are in the process of selecting another to take his place.”
“H’mm a pity to take another human life, even if he’s not up to the task…. But, so be it Number Seven. Let the council know when it’s done.”
“Naturally, Number One.”
“Number Nine. Is the temporal extraction from 2620 still stable?”
“Yes. But the ship’s location and condition fluctuate within the temporal overlay.”
“That’s to be expected Number Nine.”
“True, Number One. But, if the ship has to fight, then its out-of-time Entropy might shock it straight back to 2620.”
“Yes, but it’s a calculated risk,” Number one stated.
Then turned to Number Two. “Thinking about Richardson’s children. Can we communicate with them without affecting the Timeline?”
“As you already know Number One, the act of trying to communicate would change the Timeline anyway.”
“Yes. I know, Number Two. Even so, have your predictors double-check Richardson’s siblings’ abilities with Number Four. See if there are any points in time when we could safely alter their progress.
“Very well Number One. But, we are all still in catch-up mode.”
“Understood,” Number One acknowledged. “This session has ended.”
With that, the Holographic scene dissolved.
Chapter 7
First Engagement
Stardate, 2330.028
Earhart’s command of Invincible and the two accompanying cruisers Victor and Excalibur had been cut short. With holographic images of the two human-like beings that had taken over control of their actions being permanently embedded in his, and all three of his ship’s crews minds.
Of course, even though Earhart’s and his captains enhanced brain cells told them that these human-like beings weren’t present, the officer's brains had been rewired to believe that they were. And Earhart knew that his bridge crew had no other thought in their minds than to obey their new masters.
In one way, Earhart wished he had just been an ordinary crew member, knowing that they weren’t subject to any mental conflict, they just had to obey
without question.
Commodore, Jack Earhart, studied the images of two rogue Crillon Battle-cruisers that were directly in front of his ships and showing on his screen right now.
On seeing the two ships, Invincible’s Captain Carpenter issued an order to his ship’s control AI.
“Engage Criton,” he instructed.
“Establishing,” the AI advised.
Criton, the large and newly developed real-time holographic tactical sphere, then established itself in the central area of the Invincible’s bridge. Now, they could both see that all the ships placements around the Invincible, were clearly shown within the holographic sphere.
“One of the ships is standing down. The other won’t,” Captain Carpenter informed Earhart, his voice sounding cold.
Commodore Earhart didn’t reply. He was waiting for the second Crillon ship’s bow to tilt downward, signifying the ship was standing down. Then realized that there must be someone, or something, aboard the ship that was able to resist the mental control of Earhart’s new master.
“Shields to maximum,” Earhart immediately ordered.
Then, Earhart unbelievably heard himself issue the Engage command to destroy the none compliant Crillon ship and its crew.
He tried to reverse the order. But, despite all his efforts, he was unable to control the situation. And, inevitably, the Invincible surged forward, with the two accompanying cruisers, Victor and Excalibur following line-astern. With all of them heading to a predetermined position where they could quickly join the action.
Earhart knew that he had to proceed and that by going down the left side of the Crillon ship they would avoid its Antimatter weapon. This also meant that the Crillon ship would be at a disadvantage and wouldn’t be able to withstand Invincible’s massive weapons fire.
Invincible swung in an arc to enable her to reach a valid firing point. Once in place, Invincible would then fire the weapon and follow up with a devastating broadside of high-energy Particle beams as she passed by the Crillon ship.
The two cruisers, Victor and Excalibur, would then be close enough to be able to finish the job if needed, even though their primary task had been to ensure that the other Crillon Battle-cruiser stayed out of the engagement.
Invincible’s sensor grid registered the Crillon Battlecruiser’s protective screen surging to full strength as the ship prepared for battle.
Both, Commodore Earhart and Captain Carpenter stood watching their tactical screens as Invincible closed on the Crillon vessel, then prepared to fire the Antimatter weapon.
Then, just when Invincible reached a valid firing point, the Crillon ship opened-up with a massive particle beam assault, causing Invincible’s protective screen to flare as the Crillon beams tried to penetrate it.
“No danger, Commodore,” the tactical assistor AI droid declared.
“Fire,” Captain Carpenter involuntary yelled, even though he knew his weapons and tactical assistor AI’s would carry out the action in their own way.
The usual slight delay then occurred before the Fire control system took over. This system would compute the optimum firing point to achieve maximum damage before it automatically fired the Antimatter weapon.
Earhart felt sick as a jolt signaled the Antimatter bolt’s release. Then it flashed through the Invincible’s forward tube and sped on towards the Crillon vessel.
In one short second, the Antimatter bolt hit the Crillon ship’s screen boundary, before any Crillon particle beams could lock-on and intercept it.
Earhart and Captain Carpenter’s tactical displays monitored the Antimatter bolt as its positive and negative matter collided, triggering several nuclear explosions at the screen’s periphery. The fallout from this, eventually dissipating into Space, leaving the damaged Crillon ship with a severely weakened protective screen.
Several of the Crillon ship’s screen emitters were also overloaded and burnt to a crisp. While weak points in the Crillon’s screen showed like depressions in a wireframe representation.
Invincible’s weapons then focused on weak areas, as she passed the Crillon ship on the port side. Deliberately slowing to create a five-second window, thus ensuring her particle beam salvos would count.
Space boiled around the Crillon ship as Invincible’s high-powered particle beams started to penetrate the Crillon’s screen and hull.
Several sections of the Crillon ship’s hull suddenly rippled, then melted from the effects of the particle beam onslaught. Causing multiple explosions that shattered the weapon’s energy-containment sphere. While a vortex of fire swirled throughout the ship, melting bulkheads and feeding on the remains of its atmosphere as it went.
A shockwave rocked the Invincible, as the Crillon’s warp core exploded in a blinding flash that sent life forms and debris expanding outward into Space until only the mangled hulk of the Crillon Battle-Cruiser remained. Then, the ship still venting smoke and debris, slowly tumbled away into Space.
Commodore Earhart and Captain Carpenter stood watching their tactical screens as the Crillon vessel rolled slowly away. Occasionally, bursts of dispersing inflammable gas from the wreckage flared, as it touched small globules of rapidly cooling molten metal that permeated the Crillon ships mangled hulk.
“What now, Commodore?” Carpenter asked.
Earhart was silent for a long time before he could bring himself to answer.
“Another ship has joined the Trexis group,” he matter-of-factly remarked, pointing at the image on his screen of the Crillon ship that had stood down.
Commodore Earhart knew what the Trexis group was all about, after attending the lecture given by Frank Richardson and Susanna, a year ago. The Trexis was Charlotte and her children’s plan for their dominance of the future.
“Are we ready to leave?” Captain Carpenter queried.
“Yes, Captain. Sync our three ships, and the Crillon ship, to rendezvous with the Trexis group.”
Earhart had no idea how many ships this Trexis group had. Or, even if it was just this one Crillon ship so far.
“Energize,” Commodore Earhart ordered.
Earhart was apprehensive of the Jump as the new warp engines weren’t so easy on the human body as the older versions.
He braced himself as his ship suddenly warped space and created its individual worm-hole, with its trademark swirling milky-white vortexes of pure energy that marked its outer boundary.
Earhart, like the rest of his ships crews, almost screamed as his body felt like it was being stretched and pulled apart, causing his mind to go blank. At least, until the Invincible had entered her wormhole and was on route to rendezvous with the Trexis group.
Chapter 8
2330
Gerry’s stomach lurched, as his downward plunge through the glowing hole came to a sudden stop just above a metallic-looking surface, stunning him by the speed and abrupt ending of his descent.
Then Gerry felt himself slowly drop another meter, before landing on the floor of a dimly lit chamber. ‘Was that a gravity-lift?’ Gerry’s mind speculated.’
Welcome aboard, Captain, a voice greeted him.
Gerry quickly looked around the chamber but not being able to see anyone realized that the voice must have been in his mind. However, the word Captain, concerned him more than the slightly hairy drop had.
“Captain? What am I the captain of?” He queried.
‘Why, the greatest Starship achievement in the twenty-seventh century, of course.’
“If that’s so, why the hell are you hiding underground?” Gerry snapped, then noticed for the first time that he wasn’t alone.
There was a small greenish colored sphere hovering some ten meters to the left of him, that he was sure hadn’t been there earlier.
“I am your interface with this ship,” came a human-sounding voice from the sphere.
“Okay… So, you can speak. But you still haven’t answered my question. If you really are a Starship, why the hell are you underground, and not in space?”
&nbs
p; “A good question,” the sphere pondered. “It seems that I am in a different time-period than expected.”
“So, first, what period are you from? Second, why are you here? And third, why call me Captain?”
“From 2620,” the sphere simply stated in reply to his first question. Then remained silent.
Gerry immediately sensed that something had changed. He knew all about temporal displacement and entropy, and the faint green entropic shimmer that he could see seemed to hug every part of this sphere’s ship. This, on its own, proved to him that the sphere’s statement that this ship was not in its own time, was right.
‘If that’s the case, then surely any violent activity would wrench this ship back to its own time,’ he thought to himself.
“Then you must also see that we win every time,” the sphere said, reading his thoughts.
Gerry studied the sphere for a few seconds, then involuntarily took a step backward as the half-meter diameter sphere suddenly disappeared, then re-appeared less than two meters in front of him.
“Do you have to jump around like that?” he nervously asked but didn’t get an answer.
Gerry noted that the front of the interface sphere had a fluidity about it. The more he looked at the Sphere, the more it loosely resembled a human face that seemed to be able to mimic Human expressions.
“Captain Gerry Stevens?” he heard another voice query from right behind him.
Galactic War Page 4
