Kali's Doom

by Craig Allen

New stats appeared, and Cody’s eyes widened. “My God. A gamma-ray burst.”

  “Caused by the collapsing star,” the Ann-puppet said. “It will pass through this system in five days.”

  “Five days?” Jericho walked up to Simmons, and Cody was sure the admiral would throttle the man. “Every ship in the fleet will be burned to a cinder by the energy wave.”

  “We would’ve warned you in time to escape,” Simmons said.

  “Predictions of this magnitude cannot be made with such a narrow degree of accuracy.” The Spican waved a tentacle at the image. “This danger can arrive any moment.”

  “Agreed.” Jericho made a fist then relaxed his hand. “We should’ve left weeks ago, at the very least. What if it’s early?”

  “It is not.” The Ann-puppet turned in place to face the admiral. “I have calculated the precise moment. You may depart when you wish, but leave me to my fate, and you shall never retrieve the information regarding this new technology.”

  “How can we possibly protect you?” Cody asked. “A gamma-ray burst can wipe all the atmosphere off a planet. How can we…?” Then everything came together.

  The Ann-puppet nodded in a very human fashion. “Yes, you understand. This system will be irradiated, but my world will not be here.”

  She pointed at the table again, and a new view appeared, showing a star and the statistics of the star. “I have found a suitable star, remarkably similar to this one, in a galactic spiral arm far from this one. The ring will transport my world and myself to this new system, placing us in perfect orbit around the star.”

  “How can you guarantee the orbit?” Cody asked. “If your calculations are off by even a small amount, you’ll either crash into the star or be hurled farther away.”

  “The star’s mass is virtually identical to the local star,” the Ann-puppet said. “Momentum will be conserved when passing through the gate. My world’s motion through space will be maintained, and I will fall into the correct orbit.”

  Jericho continued to stare at the image then chuckled. “Amazing. We transport your planet far from human space, putting you out of our hair. At the same time, we will have a technology we have dreamed of for centuries.”

  “What’s to guarantee you won’t come back?” Cody asked.

  “Come back to where?” The Ann-puppet focused on the image of the star. “There is no other place for me to go.”

  “Do you see now, Admiral?” Simmons asked. “It’s imperative that you not contact UET just yet.”

  Jericho stroked his chin. “I think they should know anyway.”

  “No.” The Ann-puppet drifted toward Jericho but stopped when the marines raised their rifles again. “I will interpret any attempt to contact your people outside this star system as an attempt to disrupt my escape from this system, and as a result, I will not reveal the details of the new technology.”

  Jericho stood before the Ann-puppet. “You do not have the right to disrupt the operations of my fleet. Is that perfectly clear?”

  “As I said, I will not risk my survival over petty squabbling.” Her skin rippled briefly, as if dozens of snakes squirmed underneath, then settled once more. “Violate the agreement, and you will not receive the new technology. I promise you: your scientists will not find the solution along their current lines of research.”

  Jericho sighed. “I don’t like being shoved into a corner. Can you understand what I mean?”

  The Ann-puppet’s shoulders sagged in a very human gesture. “What would you do if your fate depended on those who despised you? Can you understand what I mean?”

  When Jericho started to respond, the comm chimed. “Admiral, we have a read on the Hive. Her forward momentum has stopped.”

  “Acknowledged.” Jericho wiped away the images on the table with a gesture and pulled up another.

  The holodisplay showed the Hive floating in space. From what Cody could make out of the readings that appeared next to the image, the Hive was at a dead stop. She wasn’t even in orbit around the star.

  Jericho pondered the image for a moment. “Dr. Brenner, is it possible the fliers have control of the Hive?”

  “I don’t see how, Admiral,” Cody said. “They hardly understand the concept of space travel.”

  Jericho waved a finger at the holoimage. “Something must be—”

  “Admiral,” the person on the comm channel said, “multiple contacts, sir. They jumped in system just now and are folding up their Daedalus struts. One zero zero by zero nine eight, ten million klicks.” There was a pause. “Sir, they’re Kali ships but not the same configuration as most recently used by Kali Prime. Their cross sections are identical to the original UEAF Kali that crashed ten years ago.”

  “The toads?” Cody looked at the Ann-puppet. “You sent them out long ago, didn’t you?”

  The Spican leaned his body over the table, glaring at the Ann-puppet with two of his eyes. “You have brought them here. They are your servants that you have twisted beyond recognition.”

  The Ann-puppet locked her gaze with the Spican. “Those creatures abandoned me long ago.”

  “They want to be free of you,” Cody said. “They say they can feel you trying to gain control.”

  “They are already free of me,” she said. “Unless they touch my world again.”

  Cody shook his head. “But they say—”

  “They are free.” She turned her body toward him, her eyes writhing briefly. “Your kind and the creatures of my world are adept at fooling themselves. Regardless, I will keep my world safe. No matter the cost.”

  “Is that why you attacked the hopper in space?” Jericho asked. “You must’ve known about the satellites in orbit. Why would you wait until now before—”

  The Ann-puppet dissolved into red tentacles, which vanished into thin air. Simmons jumped toward the wall, bumping into the one of the marines.

  Jericho stared at where the Ann-puppet had been, then his face went grim. “Battle stations. Bring the fleet to zero seven zero by three two five—full burn until we are fifty million klicks away.” Jericho looked at the Spican. “I suggest your people evacuate as well.”

  The Spican’s eyes darted in different directions before he responded. “We are initiating our own plan.”

  Before Jericho could respond, Simmons spoke. “Wait, you know those other ships? Who are they?”

  “They’re the toads from the globular cluster,” Cody said. “The Reed Entity sent them there in search of exotic matter. The question is why they returned.”

  “Admiral,” the officer on the comm said. “The Spicans are closing in on the incoming fleet.”

  Jericho started to groan but stopped himself. “Ambassador, I strongly suggest you tell your people to back away.”

  “We will fight so you may escape,” the Spican said. “We need not do this task together.”

  Jericho started to say more, but the officer on the comm spoke again. “We have additional contacts, sir, approaching from the planet’s surface.”

  A cross-section of a Kali ship appeared on the conference table’s holoviewer. Sections were highlighted, indicating similarities to the old UEAF Kali, but other areas were marked differently. The ship looked as if someone had added new sections on top of it, including expanded Daedalus struts, weapon pods, and a host of other systems Cody couldn’t recognize. The sensors flagged the vessel as being identical to the stealth ships the Reed Entity had used against the fleet eight months before.

  “Goddamn it. I knew the Reed Entity had more technology.” Jericho stared at the image. “Carry out my previous orders. Get us to a safe distance.”

  “What are you going to do, Admiral?” Simmons asked.

  “Never stop the enemy when he’s shooting himself,” Jericho said. “And I’m still convinced the Reed Entity is our enemy.”

  “You can’t do that, Admiral.” Simmons started toward the admiral, only to have the marines in the room stop him. “We need this technology, Admiral Jericho. Don’t you und
erstand that?”

  “Tell that to those ships out there,” Jericho said. “I won’t sacrifice my fleet for your technology.” Jericho addressed the ambassador. “Neither should your people.”

  “We are not concerned,” the Spican responded.

  Jericho manipulated the table controls, and a tactical display of the system appeared. The fleet continued to retreat while the Kali ships moved toward the Hive though they didn’t approach the fleet. The Spicans moved to engage, but they wouldn’t arrive before the Kali fleet.

  The Hive sat motionless in space, doing nothing while the Kali fleet closed in. Then, the Hive launched itself forward without actually building any momentum first, as if fired from a slingshot. In under a minute, it was within the range of Kali fleets.

  Beams of energy fired from all angles of the Hive. Unlike grasers, the beams were easily visible. Each beam touched a ship, and that ship ceased to exist. Most vaporized at once, the energy beam penetrating their fusion bottles. Others simply hovered in space, stripped of both power and life.

  Ships on both sides reversed their courses and attempted to accelerate away from the Hive, but they were already too late. Most were destroyed before they had the chance to fully change course. Those that did manage to maneuver away were shot down anyway.

  The Spican vessels backed away from the attack, untouched, as more Kali ships were vaporized. The entire battle ended in under thirty seconds. The Hive floated for a moment within the debris field it had created, then it resumed course toward the planet.

  The Spican ambassador broke the silence. “I am relieved we were not involved in the battle. I advise we not interfere with the alien structure as it approaches the planet.”

  “Noted, Ambassador,” Jericho said. “Dr. Brenner, contact the fliers if you can. Maybe they’ll listen to you.”

  “What do you want me to tell them?” Cody asked.

  “See if you can get them to stop their approach to the planet, assuming they are in control of the Hive. Then again, if the Hive is operating on its own…” Jericho pointed at the comm controls on the table while staring where the Ann-puppet had once stood. “Maybe the Reed Entity can find a suitable world for them. See if you can make that deal with the fliers.”

  “Sir,” Cody said, “I’m still not convinced the fliers are in control of the Hive, but I’ll see what they say.”

  “Thank you, Admiral Jericho.” Simmons had a smile on his face. “I’ll see that—”

  “Oh shut up,” Jericho said. “I’m not doing this for you or your precious technology.”

  Cody pulled the table’s comm control and sent a standard hail, one he had sent to the fliers before. In moments, the call came through. Stripe appeared, and text appeared below him.

  “We have cleared the path for our return to the planet.”

  Cody reread the text several times. Christ. The fliers really are in control of the Hive.

  He cleared his throat. “We ask that you hold off, just for now. I’ll try to explain as best as I…”

  But the response appeared beneath Stripe’s image even as Cody began to speak.

  “We have monitored the conversation between you and the Reed. We have heard your explanation for the technology the Reed offers. Interesting but unimportant to us.”

  “How did you…?” Jericho stepped toward the image. “Stripe? Are you… well?”

  The view pulled away, as if whoever was holding the viewer on the other side had stepped backward. Stripe’s full form came into view as he stood near the interior wall of the Hive. Behind him, several pinkish tentacles had emerged from the wall and connected with him. Some were attached to his head, others to his back. They pulsed as if pumping something into Stripe though Cody couldn’t imagine what that would be.

  “What will happen next will happen regardless of what you wish.”

  Cody struggled to gather himself. “Stripe, you were right. You can protect yourself. The Reed Entity can never touch you. I understand that now. But if you heard our conversation, then you know of the possible deal we could make with the Reed Entity. It could find you a new home.”

  “We already have a home.”

  The view cut off, replaced by the view of the Hive as it floated toward the planet.

  Jericho stared at the image then contacted the bridge. “This is the admiral. Time until the Hive reaches the planet.”

  After a pause came the answer. “At this rate, five days.”

  “They could go much faster than they are,” Cody said. “Are they waiting for the gamma-ray burst?”

  “They heard everything we said,” Jericho said. “That means they know about the ring and what it can do.”

  “Maybe they want to travel with the ring,” Cody said. “But what about the Reed Entity? I doubt the two could coexist.”

  Jericho shook his head then looked at Simmons. “Mr. Simmons, a ship will return you to your facility. What do you require from us to complete this project over the next five days?”

  Simmons swallowed as if unsure if the admiral was serious. “The thing we need the most is exotic matter. A lot of it.”

  “Define a lot,” Jericho said.

  “We have about a hundred kilograms,” Simmons said. “Most of which we got recently. We need at least fifty kilograms more.”

  “The crashed hopper had some exotic matter stowed on board,” Cody said.

  “Much of it was transferred from the missing ex-mat chambers from the battle eight months ago.” Simmons shrugged. “The Reed Entity had been hoarding them.”

  “Of course it was,” Jericho said. “Why did it attack the satellite, then?”

  “You’ll have to ask the Reed Entity,” Simmons said. “That thing’s tight-lipped. Assuming it has lips.”

  Simmons continued, “Normally, this technology could operate on just the Casimir effect, at least on a small scale. But we need about fifty more kilograms to make this work for certain on such a large scale. The Reed Entity is unwilling to send its own people.”

  “It’s probably afraid it would lose control of them,” Jericho said. “Just like what happened with the toads. That leaves us to do the heavy lifting.”

  Cody sighed. Bridge-sats, like Daedalus drives, required negative energy to work. Exotic matter was necessary for bridge-sats to produce enough negative energy to bend space and create microscopic wormholes. But both bridge-sats and Alcubierre fields used on space vessels required only milligrams of exotic matter as a catalyst. A hundred and fifty kilograms of the stuff was many times more ex-mat than what was used by all the human race and Spicans combined.

  At one time, coming up with such a ridiculous amount of ex-mat would have been impossible, but that had changed months before, when they discovered the mining facility.

  Cody stared at the holoimage. “Admiral, I assume the toads didn’t commit all of their ships.”

  “You can’t know for certain,” Simmons said.

  “They’re not stupid, Mr. Simmons.” Jericho swiped at the image, making it vanish. “They wouldn’t commit everything they had. They’ll have a reserve, probably in the globular cluster.”

  “We shall accompany you,” the Spican ambassador said. “Arrange the time, and we will follow.”

  Jericho took a deep breath. “Very well. We’ll risk getting the ex-mat. For now, we will relocate the fleet near the edge of the system, next to the ring, in case the toads learn about your plan. With luck, this scheme will work, and this planet will be out of our hair indefinitely.”

  “Thank you, Admiral,” Simmons said. “I—”

  “I thought I made myself clear, Mr. Simmons,” Jericho said. “My goal is to keep the worlds joined to the UET safe, and right now the best way to do that is to eliminate Kali altogether, either via your little vanishing trick or allowing the Hive or the gamma-ray burst to destroy it. And part of the first plan involves you, Mr. Simmons, so as much as it pains me, I am stuck with you.”

  Simmons’s face turned red as he started to raise his fis
ts, but he thought better of it. “Admiral, I insist that all comm traffic be routed through the bridge-sat at my facility. Nonessential comms will be blocked. I’m sure you understand.”

  Jericho smiled. “And why should I obey that order?”

  “Because I still have authority over this project,” Simmons said. “I can send you a copy of those orders, signed by UET representatives and UEAF intel. I’m afraid I must insist.”

  Jericho stared at Simmons a moment longer before answering. “Do send me a copy of those orders. I’d like to see who had the audacity to give you any responsibility.”

  Before Simmons could respond, Jericho turned to one of the marines. “Sergeant, please escort Mr. Simmons to his hopper and have him return to that ring he is so fond of.”

  The marine said, “Yes, sir,” then nodded at two others of a lower rank, who approached Simmons.

  Simmons stared at the admiral, as if about to say something, then left the room in a huff.

  “I shall return to my people and make preparations.” The Spican scooted toward the door on his three thin legs. “We look forward to performing this task with you.”

  The doors opened, and the Spican shoved the top of his body through the exit then squeezed through the opening like a newborn babe. On the other side, three wide-eyed marines watched then escorted the Spican down the hall.

  Jericho didn’t speak until the doors closed. “Dr. Brenner, I have an assignment for you.”

  Still amused by the Spican’s exit through the human doorway, Cody turned to look at Jericho. “Of course, Admiral.”

  “I could contact UET directly, and I don’t think it would reflect on me too poorly, given what’s happened here.” He tapped the desk with a finger. “However, I would like to do so without Mr. Simmons’s awareness. Perhaps if someone else relayed the message?”

  “The Spicans?” Cody asked.

  Jericho raised an eyebrow. “They don’t recognize Mr. Simmons’s authority, I’m sure. Maybe they can broadcast a message home. Hopefully, they can do so without the Reed Entity noticing. It made the agreement with us, after all, not the Spicans.”

  “I’ll contact them and see what they can do.” Cody thought of one possibility and grinned. “I think I know someone who can help.”