Invasion

by Jerry Shepard

  GON'CHA

  An hour after obtaining the disc from Rig'nak, Liana inserted it into the portable system the team had brought from one of the large crates inside the personnel carriers. She turned it on and the holographic image appeared in front of her of a Xen in a uniform. Liana had never seen that style of uniform in Xen history feeds, before today. The figure appeared to be the captain of a ship called the Zok'an.

  The figure spoke. However, the translator software in the system was a few seconds behind the speaker;

  "We are running low on power. Our science officers estimate that we have no more than three cycles to go before we have completely exhausted our reserves. We have not been able to re-engineer the solar collection panels to power the ship. The conversion aggregator was destroyed when we crashed landed on this planet. All records will continue to be kept but in a more crude manner. If my people, who also escaped, somehow find us, please know that we have done all we can to protect the Gon'cha."

  Liana searched through each one of the logs on the disc and when one of the last ones displayed, she stopped the feed and popped her head outside of room.

  "Noah! Rig'nak! Lur'vot! Come here, quickly! You need to see this!"

  The trio quickly ran into the room and took their seats behind Liana. She pressed a button on the datapad and the holographic screen appeared again. And once again the Xen Captain appeared.

  "We have secured it by burying it under the bridge. Its secrets, like all of our secrets, will require the effort of our people."

  Liana turned to the group behind her and with a wide grin she addressed them. "Gentlemen, I think we have an idea where the anomaly is. Can we get the team to start searching ASAP?"

  "That shouldn't be an issue," Noah said.

  "I'm curious as to the cryptic nature of the last entry though," Liana said. "Its secrets, will require the effort of our people. What does that mean?"

  "Possibly, just meant that they only expected one of their people to come across the site and that the ones who did would just need to excavate it," Noah offered.

  "Yeah, that is a distinct possibility. Still, I wonder why it wasn't worded differently."

  "Who knows what these...Xen, think about, sometimes?" responded Noah.

  "And what is a Gon'cha?" she said. "I've never heard that word before."

  DISCOVERY

  "Over here!" yelled the Marine, pointing to the hole that his squad was digging. Lt. Johnston came running over to observe. His Marines had cut a large hole in the metal floor of the bridge and then proceeded to dig a large hole in the center of the bridge. He saw the object and immediately used his short range communicator to summon the rest of the team.

  "What in the hell is that thing?" asked Noah.

  "I'm not sure what it is," answered Rig'nak. He looked sideways at Lur'vot who seemed to be smiling wider than usual.

  "Stop! Do not touch the object!" yelled Liana as she approached the dig site in a sprint. Rig'nak noticed she was out of breath and doubled over. "I just went back through the captain's logs again and noticed that he refers to this object as one of great power. I do NOT recommend any of us touching this object until I have had more time to study it."

  The team all took a few steps back and looked at the object again. It was three feet tall and two feet wide by one and a half feet thick. The surface was smooth, and glassy and tinged yellow.

  "What we need to do, is to get this object back to the Titan and in stasis so we can study it in the lab. Before we do this, I need to take readings to determine if this is a danger to the ship. I'll need everyone but Lur'vot and Rig'nak to leave the immediate area for now."

  "I'm going to stay as well Dr. Sarduun. Just so we're clear," replied Noah.

  "Fine. But stay out of our way captain," Lana said with a curt smile.

  Liana and Lur'vot began to take readings of the object from their hand held scanners while Rig'nak talked to them about the stories he was told as a child of objects that were something like this one. He related the one that his father told him of a smooth object that met the description of the one in front of them. His father explained that this object could enable their people to travel large distances in an instant. Of course, his father also told him that the object was also capable of destroying a ship with the power that was locked up inside. He had dismissed these as mere children's stories as he grew older. And yet, here was something that almost perfectly matched his father's description.

  "If this is one of those objects, Dr. Sarduun, I do not want it on my ship until we are sure it poses no danger to it and my crew," Noah said.

  "Understood. We are working on determining that now," she said. "Is that all, or can I now get back to my work?"

  "My apologies doctor. Please continue," said Noah, turning to walk away. He stopped next to Reggie and put his hand on his shoulder. "Notify me if anything weird comes up, Reggie."

  As Lur'vot continued to take scanner readings, Rig'nak thought he noticed another device in his right hand. When he looked again, his hand was empty.

  SABOTAGE

  Noah made his way back to the LZ in one of the carriers that accompanied them to the wreckage and approached Lt. Johnston as he was barking orders at the Marines.

  "Move it, I want the stasis carriers brought down from the Titan in three hours!"

  "Lieutenant," Noah said. "I'd like your men to move the carriers into the city and closer to the wreckage. I'd like to set up a perimeter around it. Is that possible? I want to ensure that we have adequate protection for the team while we extract the object."

  "No problem, captain. Consider it done." Johnston waved one of the Marines over and looked at the datapad he was given. He studied it for a few seconds and made a hand motion to hold up Noah.

  "Sir, I'm also coordinating with the shuttle bay now. There's a problem with the shuttle bay external door. Which means the stasis carriers will not land here for at least the next three hours. The only problem is that by then, it will be almost nightfall. My suggestion is to delay extraction until tomorrow morning."

  To Noah, Johnston looked like he wanted to add to his report but was holding something back.

  "Understood, lieutenant. Is there anything else to report?"

  "Sir, it's just that, the Xen scientist with Dr. Sarduun," Johnston wavered. "He's been acting awfully weird on planet, did you notice?"

  "He has? How so?"

  "Well, he seems to linger behind every time we stop to examine any artifact. One of my Marines swears that they thought they saw him talking with someone using a hand held communicator, but I cannot confirm that. On top of all that, he has been pretty damned happy once we got on this planet. In case you might have missed it, his entire demeanor changed as soon as we confirmed this was a Xen wreck."

  "Let's hope he is merely excited to see the old Xen artifacts," Noah said. "Thanks for the report on the shuttle bay. I will contact the Titan to follow up."

  Noah walked away from the Marines getting the LZ prepared and back to the carrier. He fired up the communicator on the carrier and pressed a button. The top of O'Malley's ginger haired head appeared on screen before he sat back and showed his face. O'Malley finished eating the sandwich in his hand as he responded to the hail.

  "Aye, Captain. How can I be of assistance?"

  "O'Malley, stop stuffing your face for once, will ya'? What's the sitrep on the shuttle bay?"

  "Shuttle bay door controls are fried. We're replacing the whole unit. It looks like the panel was rewired and when the technician went to open the external doors, it fried the whole panel."

  "Any ideas on how that could've happened?"

  "I do, Noah. But you aren't going to like it."

  "Try me."

  "One word," replied O'Malley. "Sabotage."

  "Yeah, you're right. I don't like it." Noah said, his voice raising. "I need the security team investigating this now!"

  "Already on it, boss," replied O'Malley.

  "Okay, then give me a briefing every
hour on the situation with the shuttle bay. I also want a report on how the crew is doing up in orbit. I want to know that everyone is getting along. The last thing I need right now, is for chaos to erupt there while I'm still on planet. And find me that saboteur!"

  "Oh don't worry, Captain. I've got it under control," O'Malley joked while brandishing his sidearm.

  "No!" Noah laughed as he pointed at O'Malley. "No deaths on this trip. I need them alive. I want to know why it was important to sabotage this mission."

  "You never let me have fun anymore, Noah. Such a killjoy," O'Malley said.

  Noah returned to the wreckage to see that the Marines had finished maneuvering the carriers into a circle around it and were patrolling the perimeter on foot. He positioned the one he was driving in the missing spot, dismounted from it and went to find Liana.

  "Dr. Sarduun, we will need to wait until tomorrow to extract the object. It's going to get dark soon and the stasis carriers are still on the Titan."

  "I was afraid of that Captain. It's not a big inconvenience. It will give me more time to go over the logs and the written records from the walls in the wreckage as well as that history we discovered earlier."

  She picked up her pack. "In the meantime, it's starting to get dark, can we set up a guard here at the object and the rest of us take shelter in the wreckage? It looks like it might be a bit cold out tonight"

  "I'll stand guard at the object," offered Lur'vot. "I feel a connection to the object and if someone has to stand guard to protect it, then I can think of no one more motivated or equipped than I."

  "Are you sure being out here alone is a good idea?" Liana asked. "Perhaps Rig'nak or one of the Marines could keep you company?"

  "No, no, no, no. I can handle it. Besides, I know the Marines are patrolling a wide perimeter around the dig. I'll be safe enough. I've got a small sleep sack and a thermal blanket to keep me warm. Don't worry about me Dr. Sarduun."

  "Okay, fine. But I'll send out someone regularly to check on you to ensure that you really are okay," said Liana.

  "That would be acceptable," Lur'vot said, turning his face to hide his eyes.

  "That will not be acceptable," countered Noah approaching the group. "Doctor, will you come with me? I need to speak with you, now."

  "Certainly captain," Liana said.

  FINDERS KEEPERS

  The figure on the screen fidgeted with the buttons on the device as they answered the communication. "This had better be worth my time. I am missing my rest cycles."

  "I have found it! It is here!" exclaimed Lur'vot in a low voice that was interspersed with squeals of joy.

  "You have it in your possession?" asked the figure.

  "Not yet," explained Lur'vot.

  "Are we safe to talk now?"

  "Yes," replied Lur'vot. "Doctor Sarduun and Captain Jameson are conferring in another room. I slipped away to make contact."

  "How soon until you can obtain it?"

  "We still have to extract it and get it to the ship tomorrow. I have volunteered to stand guard over it tonight."

  "You mustn't delay in your tasks."

  "I will not. You can count on me," said Lur'vot with a self-satisfied smirk.

  "And once you've obtained it? Your secondary mission? Is that still active?"

  "Yes," said Lur'vot. "The secondary objective is still progressing nicely. I should have the opportunity to complete that mission sometime tonight or tomorrow."

  "Please keep me informed. Finding out that The Destroyer of Fleets is dead is going to be the highlight of my life. To the return!"

  "As you wish," said Lur'vot. "I wanted to establish a new deal however. I think that I..."

  Just then the transmission ended. Lur'vot took the hint on how seriously they were taking this whole contract situation. He needed to complete both missions or he would be hunted for the rest of his days. To that end, he needed to take control of the ship, secure the object, and kill Captain Jameson in the process.

  GUARD DUTY

  "I want an explanation, Noah!" yelled Liana as she followed him into one of the compartments in the wrecked ship.

  "Just listen to me. And keep your voice down. Sound carries in this old wreck," Noah admonished her in a firm but hushed tone.

  "Okay, shoot. What is it?" responded Liana in a shrill whisper. She was not happy with being overruled and she certainly wasn't thrilled to be shushed.

  "The stasis chambers will be delayed due to a problem with the shuttle bay doors. It seems that the shuttle bay door wiring was fried."

  "So? What does that have to do with anyone on this team? It's a really old ship, Noah. Those wires are probably a hundred years old."

  "No. That wiring was retrofitted to accept the new Xen technology interfacing with it. It was checked and rechecked before we left port. I personally inspected it. The doors were working. Your friend, Lur'vot, was acting strangely in the shuttle bay before we left for the surface."

  "Lur'vot? The guy couldn't hurt a fly. He's about as straight-laced as a Xen can get, and that is saying something!"

  "He's apparently been acting weird on planet as well. Hanging back, waiting for the team to move on. One of the Marines thinks he has been communicating with someone. So, from where I stand, he is a security risk."

  "Come on, Noah. He's just excited to be examining all of this treasure trove of information. You don't understand. For us, this may very well be the crowning achievement of our lifetime."

  "I can understand that, doctor. And I wish that I could believe that. But right now, Lur'vot does not stand guard over the anomaly tonight. Just until we have apprehended the culprit."

  Liana knew she was beaten. She didn't believe that someone she had spent almost a decade working day after day beside, could be a saboteur. But, under the circumstances, if she were Noah, she would come to the same conclusion about someone who was a stranger to her.

  Still, she could not completely rule it out. Some of the other Xen team members had issues with Lur'vot from time to time. Most didn't care for him nor interact with him outside of work. One of them had mentioned to her that Lur'vot's family was too interested in climbing the social strata of Xen society.

  So maybe he had a point. She hoped that the saboteur would be found quickly and she could rub it in Noah's face.

  "Okay," she said. "He doesn't guard the artifact. But he is an integral part of this team. And without him, I think we might run into issues later. So my request is that he stays on the surface to assist with the rest of the cataloging and evaluation of the site. Agreed?"

  "Fine, doctor. But let me make it clear, he is to come nowhere near that artifact. I'm going to order the artifact to only be guarded by Marines."

  "Sure thing…captain."

  MESSAGE: SENT

  The explosion shook Rig'nak out of his 'bed' of sleep sacks and thermal blankets. The ground trembled and rattled the wreckage, causing parts to come loose and pelt his head as they fell. Rig'nak covered his head and ran outside the room to see what had happened. It was then when he noticed through a hole in the ceiling above him that the night sky was lit up beautifully in the direction of the bridge.

  A single, wide stream of light was blasting into space. It glowed so brightly that the entire area was lit up as if the sun were shining overhead. He heard someone grunting in pain in the direction of the light and remembered that the Marines had been guarding the anomaly there. He quickly wrapped his head in thermal fabric from his blanket and left a slit for his eyes to minimize the glare from the light. Once he was finished, he took off running in the direction of the painful cries.

  When he reached the site, he could see that the object had been further revealed as a result of the explosion. And the object itself was streaming the light into the night sky. He could see the object change color while it was streaming and the heat from the object was intense enough to cause him to step a few meters backward. Looking around, Rig'nak could see that the hole had been blown at least to twice the size that
the team had left it. In front of him, he saw that the Marine, who had been standing guard, was on the ground and not moving. He rushed over to him, but could not immediately see any signs of life.

  And on the other side of the hole, he could see Lur'vot standing up against one of the carriers and staggering back to the object. It looked like he had been thrown clear from the wreckage, for a distance of forty feet, all the way to the personnel carriers.

  Rig'nak ran to the scientist and helped him walk a few paces before gently lowering him to the ground. He noticed Lur'vot's hands which were severely burned and bleeding. Some of the flesh on his digits had melted to an unrecognizable form. On other parts of his hands he could see the burns had opened up wounds that were badly bleeding. He noticed that the Marines were running to the bridge dig site while he was assessing the state of the scientist.

  Lur'vot just kept smiling and repeating "We can go home now".

  "Medic!" shouted Rig'nak to one of the Marines. "We need a medic here now!". The Marine took off running toward the wreckage and was met by the rest of the team running the opposite direction toward the site. A few moments later the medic and Dr. Sarduun arrived with the rest of the team in tow.

  Rig'nak pointed to Lur'vot and the Marine. "One down and one severely wounded, doctor."

  The medic, accompanied by two other Marines, rushed to the fallen Marine. He scanned the lifeless body and performed emergency triage. "I've got a heartbeat. It's faint, but he's alive!" he yelled. He turned to the two medical assistants and directed the triage. "Ok. Looks like third degree burns over twenty percent of his legs and torso and what looks to be blunt trauma to the back of the head. Get him in the emergency pod as quickly as possible. I want him stabilized and on the shuttle in ten minutes! Alert the surgeon on the Titan that we have one critical on the way and to prep the O.R."

  As one assistant continued CPR, the other went to the carrier and brought back the emergency pod. This pod was basically a stasis pod for humans and allowed emergency personnel to transport critically injured over short distances to emergency operating rooms.