Legacy of the Argus

by E. R. Torre

  “We won’t be near enough by the time the first alien vessel is projected to emerge,” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “Understood. Then cover us. Inquisitor Diana?”

  “Yes sir?”

  “Once you’re done with the mines, target the Displacer’s energy core. Stand by to fire.”

  “Sir, with the mines we should be able to…”

  “We have no idea what these ships are capable of,” Inquisitor Fulano said. “If the Displacer’s personnel can’t regain control we’ll have no other option but to destroy the Displacer to prevent the alien vessels from arriving.”

  “There are sixty nine people aboard the Displacer,” Inquisitor Diana said.

  “There are twenty billion people on and around Helios and we have two forces of unknown origin and power about to wage their war on our doorstep. If they make it here, there’s no telling how many fatalities we’ll be dealing with.”

  Inquisitor Fulano was silent for a few seconds before adding:

  “This is our Capital, Inquisitors. This is the seat of our power. Today, we fight for Phaecia!”

  Inquisitor Raven scanned the computer monitors before him.

  The smaller and faster cruisers the Minoan and Bastille exited their orbit around Helios and were rapidly making their way toward –and then past– the Cygnusa.

  The Displacer’s Defensive Platforms were charged then aimed inwards at the interdimensional corridor. They were ready to torch whatever emerged from within. If the fusion cannons on the Platforms failed, the thick carpet of mines the Hagios was laying down would blast anything that came within range.

  Distant thought the Cygnusa was, the crew within her bridge saw the interdimensional core light up. On another monitor, the alien ship and her equally alien pursuer neared the Demonos Displacer.

  “Time’s running out,” Inquisitor Raven said.

  A single drop of sweat rolled down Lieutenant Sanders’ forehead as she frantically worked her computer.

  “I’m still working on disabling the virus,” she said.

  “And?”

  “No luck.”

  She worked frantically and, after a few seconds, swore.

  “Sorry sir,” she said almost instantly. “Sir, I—”

  She fell back in her chair.

  Inquisitor Raven switched on the private military communication channel.

  “Inquisitor Fulano, we’re unable to remotely shut off the Displacer.”

  A second message came in from the Hagios.

  “We can’t get through either,” Inquisitor Diana said.

  There was a moment of silence before Inquisitor Fulano said:

  “All vessels in this vicinity, listen carefully. We can’t get control of the Displacer and time has run out. We have no choice. I hereby order the destruction of the Helios Displacer’s power core. I repeat, take out the Displacer’s power core. Do it now!”

  39

  The machine creatures followed the movements of the battleships Cygnusa, Hagios, and Reverie as well as the cruisers Minoan and Bastille. The smaller ships were already past the Cygnusa and neared the Reverie as they made their way to the Helios’ Displacer.

  They noted the powered up Defensive Platforms as well as the mines lining the area.

  The machine creatures’ weapons were ready.

  Then they intercepted Inquisitor Fulano’s order.

  Though they were still far apart, the weapons systems on the Reverie, Hagios, Minoan, Bastille, and Cygnusa synched and locked on the Helios Displacer.

  “The crew of the Displacer knows what we’re doing,” Lieutenant Sanders said. “They know we’re targeting—”

  “Are the torpedoes ready?” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “They are, sir. But by the time we’re in range, they won’t be necessary.”

  Torpedoes from the Hagios and Reverie emerged from their pads and headed at incredible speed at the Helios Displacer.

  “Seventy torpedoes on their way,” Lieutenant Sanders said.

  It felt like overkill but given the size of the Helios Displacer and the danger these alien vessels represented, it was the only way to make sure the device was taken out.

  The missile paths were illuminated on the main view-screen. The deadly projectiles slipped past the Helios Displacer’s Defensive Platforms and approached the mines.

  On board computers guided their courses and small corrections to their trajectory were made. Each second they drew closer to Helios Displacer’s energy core.

  No one aboard the Displacer was expected to survive.

  “Stand by,” Inquisitor Raven told Weapons OP Hamilton.

  “Standing by, sir,” Weapons OP Hamilton replied.

  Though they were seconds away from being in range, Lieutenant Sanders was correct. Their torpedoes would not be necessary.

  The two alien vessels were very near the activated Demonos Displacer but would not make their jump into Helios before that Displacer was destroyed. On a fourth monitor was displayed the status of the Reverie, Minoan, Bastille, and Hagios’s weapons. The two battleships and two cruisers prepared another volley of torpedoes. They would be ready in two minutes.

  Inquisitor Raven’s eyes moved from those monitors to another, this one showing the Helios Displacer in real time. For a fraction of a second, he thought he saw a flickering light off to the Displacer’s port side.

  Upon seeing it, a sudden and great unease settled over him.

  In their haste to stop the alien crafts from entering Helios, Inquisitor Fulano had the nearest ships unleash all their most powerful offensive weapons against the Displacer. Though they still had fusion cannons, their torpedoes were temporarily spent. If the Cygnusa had launched her torpedoes, every ship in the area would be temporarily unable to use that offensive weaponry.

  Then, another thought occurred to him.

  “Why is she coming here?”

  “Sir?” Lieutenant Sanders said.

  “The alien ship,” Inquisitor Raven said. “They could jump anywhere. Why come here?”

  Lieutenant Sanders was about to offer an answer but didn’t.

  “They must know they’re entering one of the most heavily defended zones in the Phaecian Empire. They could have jumped to a dozen different systems. So why come here?”

  Lieutenant Sanders’ eyes suddenly opened very wide.

  “Sir… they’re capable of camouflaging their ships,” she said.

  “By the Gods,” Inquisitor Raven said. “Boost all thrusters to maximum. Bring us alongside the Reverie and Hagios. Quickly.”

  Inquisitor Raven slammed his hand against the paneling on the side of his chair, activating the outgoing communication signal.

  “Inquisitor Fulano, this is Inquisitor Raven. The alien craft is escaping to Helios because she has ships waiting for her here!”

  Inquisitor Raven bit his lip.

  “Sir, it’s a trap,” Inquisitor Raven continued. “Fall back. Fall back!”

  Overlord Emeritus closed and sealed the doors into his garden. The locks glowed with powerful, and alien, energies.

  Distant footsteps, approaching Inquisitors, were heard. They were no doubt coming to inform Overlord Emeritus on what was occurring so many miles above.

  They could not know he knew more about those events than all of them combined.

  In his mind he simultaneously saw every camera angle from every vessel in Helios space and heard every new transmission, including Inquisitor Raven’s latest message.

  It was curious that Inquisitor Raven, a proven failure, was the only one with an idea of what was coming.

  Overlord Emeritus let that thought fade away. His forces noted the position of the Phaecian torpedoes and vessels. They were waiting for his order to engage.

  The order was given.

  40

  The torpedoes were less than a hundred miles from the Helios Displacer when four separate energy discharges appeared out of nowhere and moved quickly at them.

  They hit the torpe
does and, in an instant, every one of them was rendered inert.

  Inquisitor Raven jumped from his chair.

  “What happened?” he yelled.

  Lieutenant Sanders’ fingers pressed the keys on her computer. Images were magnified and new information was analyzed.

  “The torpedoes… they’re gone.”

  On the Cygnusa’s main view-screen was the Helios Displacer. Lights flickered around her. The lights were dim at first, then brighter and brighter until they coalesced into four separate forms.

  Four separate alien vessels.

  They were as large as the Reverie and sported no identification. Their design, Inquisitor Raven and all those in the bridge around him immediately knew, was that of the ships that were attacked at Demonos and part of the group that General Jurgens identified as showing no regard for human life.

  “By the Gods,” Inquisitor Raven managed.

  The ship nearest the Hagios unleashed another series of powerful energy blasts. They slammed into the Phaecian battleship’s midsection. The Hagios’ port side went dark.

  The alien ships quickly targeted the Bastille. Energy burst rammed the smaller vessel and, in moments, the cruiser split in half.

  “Are we within range?” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “Yes sir!” Weapons OP Hamilton yelled.

  “Prepare ten torpedoes,” he said and pressed his communicator button. “Minoan, target the nearest attacking vessel, broad dispersal. Fire your fusion cannons!”

  The fusion cannon fire provided cover for the Cygnusa’s torpedoes. They streaked across the emptiness of space and passed under the Hagios before closing in on the nearest of the attacking vessels.

  Before they could reach their target, the vessel fired another energy burst. Almost all the torpedoes sent by the Cygnusa were incapacitated but thanks to the fusion cannon fire three made it through the alien craft’s defenses and slammed into her.

  Within the bridge of the Cygnusa, a cheer erupted.

  “Quiet!” Inquisitor Raven said. “This battle’s just begun.”

  The alien vessel slowly spun around. It settled between the Phaecian battleships and the Helios Displacer. The section hit by the torpedoes crackled with energy. The three holes created by the torpedoes, incredibly, were closing.

  “Sir, the ship… its repairing itself!” Lieutenant Sanders said.

  Inquisitor Raven examined the readouts.

  “By the Gods, what are these vessels capable of?” he said. “Reverie, Hagios, Minoan, fall back!”

  The alien vessel’s weapons spit out more energy bursts.

  The already injured Hagios, her engines barely able to move her, nonetheless positioned herself before the remaining Phaecian vessels.

  “Get behind me!” Inquisitor Diana transmitted. “I’ll cover you!”

  Inquisitor Raven gripped his chair and watched helplessly as the stricken Hagios shielded the other Phaecian vessels.

  “Launch all remaining torpedoes at nearest attacking vessel!” he ordered.

  Torpedoes streaked forward and around the Hagios. They moved at the alien vessels even as those vessels fired back mercilessly. Explosions filled the area and lit up the darkness.

  A blast brighter than the rising sun forced the crew of the Cygnusa to shield their eyes.

  When the energy was spent, the Hagios’ bow was crushed and her port side roasted. None of her many hundreds of internal lights were on and her thrusters gave out heat but she did not move.

  “Inquisitor Diana?” Inquisitor Fulano called out.

  He got no response.

  “Sir, our torpedoes hit their target!” Lieutenant Sanders said.

  Inquisitor Raven checked the information on his computer. The alien craft, so intent on taking out the Hagios, failed to deal with the torpedoes and all ten had indeed hit her. Unlike the Hagios, the alien vessel still showed signs of life but the massive holes in her side and her diminished speed suggested she was badly injured.

  “They’re vulnerable when attacking,” Inquisitor Raven said. “Communicate with the Displacer’s Platform defenses. Fire everything they’ve got at those vessels!”

  The Helios Displacer’s Defensive Platforms erupted with fusion cannon fire. Deadly energy bursts rippled along at the alien vessels’ sterns.

  It wasn’t much, but at this point anything was helpful.

  “Keep the Hagios between us and the alien ships,” Inquisitor Fulano ordered. “Cygnusa, what’s the status on torpedo reload?”

  “Forty five seconds,” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “We’re going to launch a coordinated attack on my mark,” Inquisitor Fulano said.

  “Understood.” Inquisitor Raven faced Weapons Ops Hamilton. “Ready those torpedoes for—”

  “Sir,” Lieutenant Sanders interrupted.

  Inquisitor Raven was about to tell her not to interrupt but then noticed the very pale look on her face.

  “Sir, the Displacer…”

  The Helios Displacer’s hollow core was at full power and her interdimensional corridor was filled with lights and energy pulses.

  In the center of the interdimensional corridor appeared a shadowy form.

  The first of the alien vessels arrived from Demonos.

  41

  Overlord Emeritus processed the new information, including the fate of the Hagios and Bastille and shifted his focus on the vessel which just emerged into Helios space.

  She was severely injured but her arrival provided a fresh batch of information regarding the attack on the Demonos base.

  Overlord Emeritus pieced together a timeline of that attack. It was swift, overwhelming, and a complete surprise. The attackers appeared out of nowhere and carried excellent camouflage. The first energy bursts hit with deadly precision and all but took out the base’s defensive and offensive weaponry. Fighter craft, already circling the base, were among the few ships to survive that initial assault. Of over four hundred vessels stationed in and around Demonos, this was the only one to make it out.

  The attack followed what was now a pattern. All the other secret bases between Epsillon and Phaecia experienced similar surprise attacks and equally heavy loses.

  The Overlord scanned the information networks for hints as to where these attacks originated from while another part of him examined his enemy’s coordination and efficiency across so many systems hundreds of light years apart. It was so precise, so…

  Mechanical.

  At first Overlord Emeritus suspected the attacks were orchestrated by humans. The evidence suggested this was not the case.

  Overlord Emeritus was dead still for several seconds, considering and re-considering what now appeared only too obvious.

  There was only one being capable of such precise planning and execution. There was only one creature who could hurt him so deeply.

  “Interesting flowers,” a child’s voice spoke from nearby.

  Standing in the garden some twenty feet away from Overlord Emeritus was one of the children from the group that visited him moments before. The Heaven flies ignored the child as he reached for and plucked out one of the Overlord’s flowers. He removed its petals, revealing thin, metallic cords running between them and the flower itself.

  “Things are not quite what they seem around you, are they?” the child said and smiled. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. To answer your question, Prototype, is yes. Saint Vulcan is back.”

  The alien vessels surrounded the just arrived craft.

  “What’s the status of the Displacer’s Defensive systems?” Inquisitor Raven asked.

  “We’ve lost communication with them,” Lieutenant Sanders said. “The mines are disabled. Sir, take a look at monitor six.”

  Inquisitor Raven checked the monitor. It showed the aft section of the Hagios. Escape craft were emerging from the larger vessel.

  “Praise the Gods: We’ve got survivors!” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “You’ll have to cover them!” Inquisitor Fulano said over the communic
ator. “We’re readying for another attack.”

  Inquisitor Raven faced Weapons OP Hamilton.

  “What’s the status of our weapons?”

  “We’ll be reloaded and charged in less than fifteen seconds.”

  Inquisitor Raven nodded. For the moment the alien vessels were focused on the newly arrived ship and did not fire on the Phaecian crafts.

  It was almost as if this alien vessel’s arrival was more important than any of the remaining Phaecian ships.

  They adjusted their positions before the Displacer, clearly waiting to ambush the second vessel when it arrived.

  The Cygnusa neared the Hagios and, if she was to cover their escaping craft, would position herself in front of that ship.

  Unless…

  “Sir, I’m initiating slow down,” Lieutenant Sanders said.

  “Do not slow the ship down,” Inquisitor Raven said.

  “Sir?”

  “Keep thrusters on full. Pull us alongside the Reverie.”

  “Sir, we’ll pass them by!”

  “Exactly,” Inquisitor Raven said. He hit the communicator button. “Inquisitor Fulano, the alien vessels are ignoring us. They want the incoming ship.”

  “Understood,” Inquisitor Fulano said. “According to the latest information from Demonos, she’s about to enter the interdimensional corridor.”

  “Sir, she could be an asset.”

  “We have no way of knowing that.”

  “With all due respect, the ship attacked these vessels. Not just attacked, but obliterated them. The moment she emerges into Helios space, she will be ambushed.”

  “There’s nothing we can do—”

  “Sir, we need to save her,” Inquisitor Raven said. “You’ve seen what these alien vessels have done to our forces. We may hold them off a little longer, but I don’t see us defeating them. We need that ship. We need her help. It might be the only way to save Helios.”