by Andrew Gates
Ellen popped up from behind the crate, prompting Margery to turn and face her. She raised her wrist again and let off a few shots. Ellen bolted out of the way, dodging the blasts. Equipment exploded around her as she ran. Sparks flew in every direction.
Before Ellen could reach the next cover, a blast hit her left leg. Ellen shrieked and fell, practically banging her head against the metal surface of the floor. She quickly crawled the rest of the way to another crate. Her leg felt as if it were on fire.
She’s a non-sentient robot. She’s probably been programmed with a movement-analysis algorithm. The more you dodge her shots, the more she’ll be able to predict your movements, Yuri warned.
“Fuck,” Ellen said with an exhale. “Then I guess I need to do something unexpected.”
Ellen gave herself a few seconds to prepare, then pushed against the heavy crate, sliding it across the floor. Margery’s beam fire collided against the crate’s surface, but Ellen was safe on the other side.
“How far am I from her?” Ellen asked.
Two meters. Keep going, Yuri replied.
After a few more seconds of pushing, Ellen popped up from behind the crate. She wanted to be close to the target, but not this close. To her shock, Margery was but a breath from where she now stood. The robot aimed her wrist-cannon to Ellen’s face. The alignment was perfect. She fired. This time, Ellen was not fast enough to dodge the blast.
It was the JSR all over again.
In an instant, Ellen saw her life pass before her eyes. She saw it all: her time as a Marine, a pilot, a mother, a simple woman in field with her cat. She closed her eyes and accepted her inevitable fate.
Somehow, someway, the blast missed her face. Ellen felt the heat of the beam pass by her head. She opened her eyes, curiously, as a shoe dropped to the floor.
It was Dave’s shoe. Ellen recognized it instantly. He had thrown it at the last second, prompting Margery to lose her aim.
This was it. This was her chance. Ellen took the opportunity to tackle the robotic woman, forcing her onto the floor.
Now subdued, Ellen held Margery’s wrist cannon away from her and forced it down. Its muzzle faced the far wall. Using her other hand, Ellen bashed the robot’s head with all her might. The robot squirmed. It seemed Ellen’s strikes did nothing.
Her skin is thick. You can’t breach it, Yuri explained.
Trying something else, Ellen pulled her hand back and distributed nanobots. The tiny microscopic machines entered through the robot’s mouth and into her system, disrupting the circuitry. Margery started flailing wildly now, as if she were losing control. More beam blasts erupted from her wrist, creating holes in the hangar’s wall.
It’s working, Yuri said. Her systems are malfunctioning.
Ellen held her down for a few more seconds, keeping her pressed to the floor with all the strength her muscles could muster. Finally, Margery stopped moving. Her limbs fell lifelessly to the floor.
A wave of relief rushed over Ellen. She took a deep breath and stood up. Her heart raced uncontrollably.
“I should’ve known Tauris was a trap,” she said aloud as she picked up Dave’s shoe from the floor.
Dave popped up from cover. A look of worry shone across his face.
“Is she dead?” he asked.
Ellen nodded.
“Good,” Dave replied. He walked her way with one shoe on.
“Dave, thank you. You saved my life,” she said.
“You saved mine countless times,” he replied.
“Still, thanks. I owe you, more than you know.”
“We’re a team. I couldn’t let you die, not after we’ve come this far together.”
“The Governor tried to have us killed,” Ellen said. She looked down at the lifeless machine that had tried to murder them. “I guess we couldn’t trust him after all.”
“We still have access to his ship,” Dave replied.
“Thank god. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Ellen turned back to the ship and walked toward it. Her heart raced with every step. She could not believe this was happening.
They were lost at sea, picked up by pirates, captured by the Navy, forced to escape, brought before the Governor, made to fight in a war against people she admired and a boy who reminded her of her son, left to traverse through darkness in a small boat for two, and finally, betrayed by the Governor in a last-minute trap.
It had been a long journey to get here, but at long last, they were finally going home.
Home, Sweet Home
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 04.21.5673
Location: Unnamed Ship, Outer edge of Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
43 days. Ellen could not believe how much time had passed.
Ellen and Dave had remained awake for all of it. They dared not go into stasis this time. Systems checked out just fine, but after the disaster they encountered, neither of them was willing to take that risk, not again. Part of Ellen wondered if she could ever find the courage to go into stasis after what had happened on their way to the planet.
The ship was spacious enough to keep them both from going insane. Yuri determined that it was once a cargo vessel used by Vexa Corp during the terraforming of Red One. It was amazing to see how well it had been maintained for over a millennium. Ellen and Dave could even have their separate space when they wanted it. With two levels of spacious floors and cargo space, it was easily six times the size of the Vexa Corp fighter the Taspansans now called the Silver Pearl. It even had its own shower, a real shower with water and everything.
It was just like being home.
But not everything was perfect. The food supply, for one, was less than ideal. If Vexa Corp had ever stocked this vessel with food, it was long gone. The refrigerators had been restocked with more tack, an obvious addition by Margery and the Governor. As if the tack aboard the boat wasn’t bad enough, the tack stored in the ship tasted even worse. Ellen could not believe anyone would willingly eat such garbage.
Dave, surprisingly, did not seem to mind the taste. He devoured tack like it was anything else, though the repetition of eating nothing but tack for over a month was clearly starting to take its toll, as his appetite dwindled more and more each day.
Days aboard the ship were largely uneventful, which allowed Ellen enough time to study up on the history she had downloaded from the ATG. The Governor’s database was extensive, though there were clearly holes here and there.
As far as Ellen could tell, the Lightspeed Wars had done more than just topple old systems of government. Longstanding treaties and protocols had been eradicated, cultures evolved, technology moved both forward and backward. In most systems, AI were now practically treated like slaves. Part of Ellen feared what they would find when they reached Mateo. It was as if they were traveling to a whole new universe.
Meanwhile little progress had been made in decrypting the Governor’s rejuv data. Whatever it was he was hiding, he had clearly taken extensive steps to keep it as secure as possible. The secrecy of it only fuelled Ellen’s desire to find out more. Yuri seemed to share her passion, as he spent hours on end developing new algorithms to decrypt the data, though nothing ever worked.
Ellen put these thoughts out of mind for now. Soon they would be coming out of faster-than-light speeds. She sighed and shook her head. This was where things were about to get interesting.
“How much time do we have?” asked Dave as he carefully monitored the holo.
20 seconds, Yuri supplied. Prepare to drop out of FTLT.
“Got it,” Ellen said. She was not about to screw this up, not after getting this far. She was laser focused.
Ellen brought the ship back to visible speeds. A vista of stars suddenly shone before her, reminding Ellen what space was supposed to look like.
“Report,” Ellen said.
Diagnostics report coming in. Everything checks out. We’ve successfully made it to Thrace with no damage to the ship, Yuri said.
“Oh my, thank god,�
� Ellen replied, letting out a deep sigh. She instinctively stood up from her chair, walked over to Dave and gave him a hug.
Dave hugged her back while remaining seated. After a few seconds, Ellen pulled away and patted him on the shoulder.
“We did it,” she said, looking him in the eyes.
“Finally,” he replied with a smile.
Ellen turned to face the holo. Thrace lit up before her, just as she remembered it. She could see the various worlds surrounding the star. It was unmistakable.
Her eyes naturally met the world she called home. It looked so beautiful, so familiar.
“Mateo,” she said aloud as she studied the glowing ball of light.
“Our home,” Dave added. He shifted in his chair as he studied the image. “Think it’ll be different?”
“I do,” Ellen replied. “But how different, well, that’s another question. The Lightspeed Wars clearly changed a lot of things.”
“What if it has changed more than we hoped? What if our home is really gone for good?” Dave wondered.
Ellen did not like the sound of that, but she knew it was a possibility. She had asked herself the same question countless times.
“Let’s hope not,” was all she said back. There was really nothing else she could say.
I’m sure whatever we find there, we’ll make it work, Yuri said, optimistically.
“How about you? Are you worried? You’ve read the same data I have. You know how AI are treated in this millennium,” Ellen said.
So long as I am with you, I am not worried, Yuri replied. I trust you until the end.
And I trust you, added Gloria, referring to Dave.
Ellen felt herself smile. She sat back down in the chair and gripped the armrests. A mix of excitement, happiness and nervousness overcame her at once. It was like nothing she could explain.
Ellen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Once again, she envisioned her home overlooking the fields.
“You can do this,” she said aloud. “You’re home.”
We’re being hailed, Gloria announced.
“Hailed? By who?” Ellen asked.
Someone calling herself Captain Daltus of the VCS Patriot, Gloria explained. Should I put her through?
Yes, answered Yuri before anyone else even had the chance. That’s a VCS ship. She’s part of Vexa Corp. I’ll bring her through now.
A quick scan of the ship revealed that the Patriot was massive. The enormous warship sat at the edge of the FTLT jump zone, waiting like a hawk for anyone entering the system.
Ellen faced the holo as the image of a clean-cut woman in a Vexa Corp uniform filled the air. Ellen was not used to seeing people so clean and blemish-free.
“Travelers, welcome to the Thrace system,” the woman said. Her tone was stern. “My name is Captain Daltus.”
“Pleased to meet you, Captain Daltus,” Ellen said. She sat up straight. “My name is Corporal Ellen Milsen and this is David Cutter.” She casually motioned to Dave.
“That’s quite a ship you have there. Our data says your ship was reported missing for over 1,300 years ago. It was last seen docked with the VCS Euripides. Care to explain where you found it?”
She thinks we’re thieves, Yuri said.
Yeah, I figured that would happen.
Just tell the truth. There’s no reason to do anything stupid.
Trust me, Ellen replied, I’m done doing anything stupid. Not when we’re so close.
“This may seem strange to you, Captain, but David Cutter and I got lost on a Vexa Corp terraforming mission over 1,300 years ago. The Euripides was part of that mission. We have only just now made it back to the system.”
“Over 1,300 years ago?” the captain repeated.
“Yes, in the Vexa Prime system,” Ellen elaborated, “the world called Red One.”
“Red One was a failure. The world was abandoned. Nobody was left behind.”
“We were, Captain.”
The woman on the holo turned to face someone off to the side, as if conferring with someone else in the room. After a few seconds, she turned back and faced Ellen again.
“I hope you understand our hesitancy. A story like that is rather exceptional,” the captain eventually said.
“I understand.”
“I cannot allow you to land on Mateo at this time. Instead, I request that you dock with our ship, the Patriot. I am sending you docking procedures now.”
Ellen accessed the docking procedures as they came in over the ATG.
Just our luck, said Dave, privately.
Deal with it. The sooner we follow their orders, the sooner we can go home, Ellen replied.
“In the meantime, Corporal, I’ll be running an extensive check on your background from my end. I hope you do not mind,” the captain continued.
“Not at all,” Ellen said. “We have nothing to hide.”
“Proceed on the designated route and do not deviate. Doing so will result in force.”
“Trust me, Captain Daltus, you have nothing to worry about. We are proceeding on course.” Ellen quickly took a look at the data. They still had several hours to go. “See you in five hours.”
“In five hours then, Corporal.”
With those words, the holo snapped back to displaying planets in the Thrace system.
“Fuck!” Dave spat as soon as they were alone again. “Why can’t we just go home? There’s always something!”
“We’re almost there, Dave. This is our last something. Then we’re home free.”
“How can you be so sure, huh?”
Ellen stared at him, but did not answer. Deep down, she knew she could not be certain of anything. She turned away from him and focused on the holo, hoping to distract herself for the time being. For now, docking with the warship was all that mattered.
“Let’s just stay focused on our mission,” she replied, ignoring Dave’s question. “First we dock with the Patriot, then we can go home.”
“If you say so.”
***
In the age of FTLT, manipulation of gravity was the key to everything.
FTLT changed more than just how fast ships could jump across entire sections of the galaxy. It changed the way people designed entire infrastructure. Here in the docks of the VCS Patriot, that fact was more apparent than ever. The narrow passages and tight spaces were like nothing Ellen had ever seen in a space dock before. Where thrusters would require ample space to maneuverer through, gravitation manipulators allowed ships to slide through tight spaces and rapidly change direction with ease. It was like a whole new ballgame.
“Easy there,” Dave said as he watched Ellen bring the ship in. He sweat and tapped his feet.
“I’ve got it,” she replied, trying to calm him down. “I brought a ship into dock with chemical thrusters 1,300 years ago, remember? I think I can handle a gravitation manipulator.”
“That dock was a lot more spacious,” Dave said.
She’s got it, Dave. Trust her, Yuri added.
Dave took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
I guess somethings haven’t changed, Ellen noted, privately.
Somethings haven’t changed, but a lot of things have, Yuri debated. Believe it or not, David Cutter has grown on this mission. You may not be able to see it, but I can.
Oh, I see it, and I agree. He has grown, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still tease him from time to time.
It was not long before Ellen touched the ship down on the metal surface of the warship’s dock. Once the ship was secure, she undid her safety belt and stood up from the seat. It felt good to stretch her legs. The holo display powered down automatically.
“Alright, alright, you did it,” Dave admitted. Despite his words, there was a tone of worry in his voice. Ellen wondered if he was still afraid that they would never get home.
“Thanks, Dave,” she replied. “Thank you for everything, for being with me by my side all the way.”
Dave smiled back to her and nodded. He did not sa
y a word, though no words needed to be said. The look in his eyes said enough.
“Well,” Ellen continued. She turned away from him and faced the back of the ship. “Now let’s get outside and see what these Vexa Corp guys have planned for us.”
The rear doorway lowered, revealing several soldiers standing at the ready. Each were armed. Captain Daltus stood at the front of the group. She locked eyes with Ellen right away and stepped forward.
“Corporal Ellen Milsen, David Cutter, if you two would please come with me,” she said, motioning for them to come forward.
Ellen did as she was asked. Dave nervously followed behind.
“Gentlemen, if you would be so kind,” the captain continued, this time referring to the soldiers at her back.
The soldiers stepped forward and grabbed hold of Ellen. Before she even realized what was happening, they placed restraints along her wrists and clasped her hands together behind her back. They did the same to Dave.
“Hey, what’s this?” Dave asked.
“Corporal Ellen Milsen and David Cutter, by order of Vexa Corp President Tano, you two are under arrest for sabotaging the terraforming operations of the VCS Euripides.”
“Under arrest?” Dave repeated. “But there’s got to me some mistake! We didn’t sabotage anything! Our ship failed. We were stranded!”
“Take them away,” the captain ordered.
Ellen struggled to get free from the restraints. She flexed her muscles as hard as she could, hoping that her enhanced strength on Taspansa would magically come back to her. She squirmed and kicked. But this was not Taspansa. Here on the Patriot, she was just as strong as anyone else.
Several more guards rushed in and grabbed hold of her. The last thing Ellen remembered was someone knocking her over the head.
Everything was quiet after that.
The Daltus Conspiracy
Chapter Preview
Saboteurs
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 04.21.5673
Location: Docking Bay, Section 214, VSC Patriot, Outer edge of Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
