Peacekeeper 2

by Doug Farren

  Peacekeeper 2

  By: Doug Farren

  Copyright © 2014

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Peacekeeper 2 — Galactic Alliance (Book 5)

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Cover art design: Heather Zak

  Copy-edited by: Lee Dilkie

  Proofed by: Cheryl Farren

  Published by: Doug Farren

  Author Photo by: John Gilbey

  Printed by: CreateSpace

  Cover art Copyright © 2014 by Doug Farren

  Note from the author: I strongly encourage you to read the first two books of the Galactic Alliance series (Translight and Chroniech) as well as Peacekeeper before reading this book. Although you will still enjoy Peacekeeper 2, it will have a greater impact if the books are read in order. Peacekeeper 2 continues to follow Tom Wilks as he explores his relationship with Lashpa.

  Prologue

  History is ignorant of the true origins of the Galactic Alliance—for good reason. Only a tiny handful of people out of the hundreds of billions that have benefited from the Alliance are aware that it was created by a machine intelligence. Jay Kauffman, the inventor of the Terran stardrive, was the spark that set things in motion. CAIN (An acronym for Cybernetically Advanced Intelligent Network) was considered a failed experiment in machine intelligence when it was given to Jay Kauffman to help him finish the development of his stardrive. Jay treated the machine as a partner instead of a computer. This triggered changes in CAIN’s heuristic programming algorithms that led to the creation of the first and only truly self-conscious AI.

  Humans quickly learned they were not alone in the universe. At least a dozen species were known to exist. Through a complex set of interlocking treaties, these races had joined together to form the Coalition. Earth would only be allowed to join if they presented themselves as a unified planet. Until doing so, Earth would remain isolated and unable to share in the technological wonders the other races enjoyed. The United Nations hammered out a unilateral treaty among the various nations of the Earth to satisfy this requirement and Earth became a member of the Coalition.

  On the surface, Earth was united, but in reality this was far from the truth. Rivalries between nations still existed and the flow of Coalition technology quickly became a point of contention. CAIN, with its vast ability to process information from around the world, could easily see that war was on the horizon. Searching for a solution, the machine infiltrated many alien computer networks. In doing so, it discovered that the Coalition was nearly as fragmented as Earth. It devised a plan to solve all these problems—it started a war.

  Before triggering the Tholtaran – Terran war, CAIN planted the seeds of what would become the Galactic Alliance. After allowing these ideas to grow, CAIN initiated the war by sending a Tholtaran fleet on a mission to destroy a secret Terran military base. Under normal circumstances, a Tholtaran battle fleet would have obliterated the Terran defenses along with the base. CAIN created an illusionary fleet that existed only within the Tholtaran tactical data network. The Tholtarans found themselves outgunned and lost the battle. The Terrans retaliated, destroying the Tholtaran outpost that had launched the attack. The Tholtaran response was devastating.

  Instead of fighting among themselves, every nation on Earth set aside their differences to fight together in the defense of Earth. During the war, a defect in CAIN’s crystal matrix which housed its intellect, grew until the machine could no longer function. CAIN ceased to exist. Earth lost the war but the failure of the Coalition to prevent it from happening in the first place caused the members to question how the Coalition was organized. The seeds CAIN had planted earlier resulted in the formation of the Galactic Alliance.

  After the war, a handful of Tholtarans who had been involved in the first attack, began to question the validity of what had become known as the ‘phantom fleet’. Unwilling to risk having to admit that their ultra-secure tactical data network had been infiltrated, the Tholtaran military quickly stepped in and talk of the phantom fleet ended.

  Three years after the end of the Tholtaran – Terran war, the Galactic Alliance Grand Council authorized the creation of the peacekeeper organization. Fifty years later, the Alliance would be challenged with the arrival of the Chroniech. They are an ancient race that had been gathering intelligence on the Alliance for years while working on a plan to exterminate them.

  The Komodo Dragon became a key player in the coming conflict when it encountered a very old derelict ship with a functioning stasis machine in its cargo hold. The ship had at one time belonged to the Chroniech who were known as the Slavers thousands of years ago. This discovery triggered the Chroniech to act, effectively starting the war earlier than they had planned.

  Inside the stasis device was another ancient race known as the Kyrra. Their home planet had been destroyed by a wandering neutron star and they were now in hiding. A mysterious race called the Hess asked the Komodo Dragon to bring the Kyrra to them. The Hess revealed that it was actually one of hundreds of sentient probes built by the Kyrra thousands of years ago to gather information throughout the galaxy. The Hess secured an agreement from the Alliance to return the lost Kyrra to their people. Since the mission would take them through Chroniech space, the Hess outfitted the Komodo Dragon with an advanced stardrive, shielding, and weapons.

  While the Komodo Dragon was away on its mission, the Chroniech invaded Alliance space. Their more advanced ships presented a nearly unstoppable force and the Alliance was losing the war. The Dragon succeeded in its mission, located the Kyrra, and then convinced them to get involved in the war. Instead of destroying the Chroniech fleet, the Kyrra (who were revealed as being the mortal enemies of the Chroniech) made the Chroniech believe they were about to attack their home planet.

  The Kyrra worldship (a massive spaceship 3,000 kilometers in diameter and possessing weapons of unbelievable power) headed into Chroniech space with the entire Chroniech fleet following behind them. Instead of destroying the fleet, the peaceful Kyrra erected a transdimensional barrier surrounding all of Chroniech space. This barrier sealed the Chroniech as well as the Kyrra inside their own artificially created and maintained cosmos.

  A few years after the war ended, Earth was the focus of an attack by a group calling themselves the Army of Humanity. This was a radical group who had opposed contact with any alien race. They tried to disrupt Earth’s entrance into the Coalition and after failing to do so left Earth to form a society of their own. At the start of the Chroniech war, they made an attempt to steal the Kyrra stasis device from the Komodo Dragon, believing (as did the Tholtarans who also showed up) that the Dragon had found an ancient weapon of incredible power.

  Peacekeeper Tom Wilks was instrumental in defeating the Army of Humanity and saving Earth from a very long-planned attack from both within and without. His efforts revealed the presence of a large amount of very sophisticated legacy code placed there by CAIN that was still running on key computer systems. This code was being used by the AOH to arm their attack force, gather intelligence, and place operatives at high levels. Wilks also learned the truth behind the phantom fleet.

  Chapter 1

  Peacekeeper: A highly-trained, cybernetically enhanced individual tasked with enforcing Alliance law. Peacekeepers are the solution to a problem: How do you enforce th
e laws of a society made up of a dozen species spread out across hundreds of planets? A peacekeeper’s authority comes directly from the Alliance Grand Council. They have absolute authority in all matters relating to Alliance law on any planet anywhere in Alliance controlled space.

  The heavy carpeting softened Peacekeeper Tom Wilks’s footsteps to a barely audible thud as he walked down the hallway. Even though the soles of his cybernetic feet were padded, it was difficult to silence the sound generated by his 235 kilograms. The hallway ran along the outer wall of the upper-most floor of the six-story building that served as the headquarters for all peacekeepers in the Sol-system. The window running the entire length of the hallway to his right was polarized to prevent the morning sun from turning that part of the building into a solar oven. The wall opposite the window was adorned with pictures of peacekeepers performing various acts of heroism.

  “Good morning Caroline,” Tom greeted the secretary in the outer office.

  “Welcome back Peacekeeper Wilks,” she replied with a smile. “Peacekeeper Sorbith said you were on your way up. He’s expecting you.”

  Tom walked through the open door of the corner office where his supervisor was sitting behind a massive solid oak desk. A bank of four large screens displaying an array of constantly shifting graphical and textual data was stacked two high on the wall to his right. A smaller screen sat on the right side of the desk. A complex, constantly moving miniature sculpture was the only other item on the vast expanse of polished wood. Unlike the highly decorated hallway, the walls of this office were virtually bare with only a single picture of a city built near a large body of water hanging on the wall behind the man sitting at the desk.

  Sorbith’s eyes were closed but Tom knew he wasn’t asleep. He was most likely absorbed in reading or watching some important piece of information being sent directly to his cybernetic eyes by the building’s AI. Sorbith was a Saulquin–a rarity among peacekeepers–but his cybernetics hid most of the features that distinguished him from Terrans. His six fingers might have given him away but there were some Terrans with a mutation giving them six fully functional digits. What set him apart was his face.

  Like Terran dolphins, Saulquins are able to remain under water for long periods of time. They have a special muscle that serves as a pump to move water through an internal gill. Their hands and feet are webbed and their skin is very smooth and taut. Their eyes, which are adapted for use on land and under water, are set considerably farther apart than most other species. Due to their unique biology, they give up the ability to procreate when they become cyborgs which is why there are so few Saulquin peacekeepers.

  Tom came to a halt in front of the desk. Sorbith opened his eyes and smiled. “Welcome back! How was your trip to Anar-B’ren?”

  “Satisfying.”

  “How did Losher ti Suteanus react when you told him who was responsible for starting the Tholtaran / Terran war?”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen a more relieved or surprised Tholtaran in all my life,” Tom replied. “He’d been waiting for over 50 years to hear the truth of what happened at Olympus. Hearing he had been right about the phantom fleet was an enormous relief.”

  Sorbith tapped a finger on the desk then asked, “Did you tell him about CAIN?”

  “I did,” Tom replied, grabbing the back of a chair sitting next to one of the bare walls. Picking it up with one hand, he moved the heavy upholstered chair to the front of the desk and sat down, not because he needed to but because it created a more relaxing atmosphere.

  “You should have seen the look on his face when I told him the phantom fleet was a creation of a sentient machine built by Terrans.”

  “I’m surprised he believed you.”

  “He didn’t at first,” Tom replied. “He started to come around after I told him CAIN was the result of an accident and the machine no longer exists. I think he finally believed me when I told him the reason why it started the war.”

  Sorbith’s finger tapping increased in speed and volume. “I still have my doubts about the explanation the Kauffmans gave me,” he said. “I don’t think an AI would take a risk like that.”

  “You had the note,” Tom said, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. He stopped himself before his arm covered half the distance; old habits were very hard to break. “It was validated as genuine. How can you still have any doubts?”

  “A self-aware AI starts a war to force its creators to band together against an alien attack?” Sorbith shook his head in disbelief. “Earth couldn’t possibly have won a war with the Tholtarans. CAIN knew that. So why would it- - -”

  “We’ve had this discussion before,” Tom interrupted. “Several times in fact. It happened 50 years ago; ancient history. Why are you still bothered by it?”

  “I don’t know,” Sorbith admitted. “Maybe it’s because I have a hard time believing it happened like I’ve been led to believe. Like Losher and the phantom fleet.”

  Throwing his hands in the air, Tom replied, “The war’s long over. The Alliance is doing very well. Why stir up a past that nobody wants to remember?”

  “Because, like Losher, it’s a mystery that eats at me,” Sorbith said, looking down at the surface of his desk for a moment.

  Two loud taps announced a change in venue. Leaning forward, Sorbith tapped the computer display on his desk. “I have some good news for you. I wanted to tell you myself so I asked your ship not to say anything. Because of your performance during the AOH incident, you’ve been promoted to a class-II. You’re still assigned to Earth and you’ll still report to me but I no longer have to approve your every move.”

  Class-II! This was a big deal. Tom’s apprenticeship was over. Although he still reported to a supervisor, he no longer had to clear his every action with him. Sorbith was also a class-II. There was only one other classification higher and that was a class-III. Peacekeepers reaching that level reported directly to the Grand Council.

  Some have tried to argue that this extraordinarily short chain-of-command gave the Grand Council—a political body—far more power than it deserved. They were wrong. The Grand Council is the political body that governs the Galactic Alliance, keeps the various member races living together in peace by settling disputes between them, and maintains the set of laws by which all member races are to abide. The peacekeepers are the law enforcement arm of the Alliance. They are tasked with upholding both Alliance as well as local law without regard to species.

  To prevent them from becoming a pawn of the Grand Council, each peacekeeper is intimately linked with an artificial intelligence that closely monitors their behavior. Built into the underside of their armored skulls is a device capable of monitoring the peacekeeper’s thoughts—the biolink. The AI can also communicate with its peacekeeper through this device. The AI’s primary job is to ensure the integrity of all peacekeepers. They can, if needed, shut down the cybernetics that give a peacekeeper their incredible abilities.

  “Thank you!” Tom replied, a smile forming on his face.

  “There’s nothing pressing going on at the moment,” Sorbith said. “What’re your plans for the next few weeks?”

  “I promised my sister I would visit her when I got back,” Tom replied. “After that, I have some important personal business to attend to. I might be gone for quite awhile if that’s okay with you.”

  “You’re a class-II now,” Sorbith replied. “You no longer need my permission to go anywhere or do anything as long as you keep me informed. You deserve some time off. Would you mind telling me what your personal business involves?”

  “Gragrakch,” was all Tom had to say.

  Taking the cue, Sorbith queried his biolink, a process akin to talking silently to himself. Internally, all Sorbith had to think was, “Ship. Explain.” Since his ship, the Tri-Star, heard and saw everything he did, it immediately understood the request. The reply came back in the form of a stream of text displayed on his cybernetic eyes so only he could see. Black, semi-transparent text floated
through the room allowing him to read the reply. The ship could have sent the same message to him as a pattern of thoughts but this method was more reliable—although the biolink was a marvel of technology, it did have its limitations.

  “Ah, Peacekeeper Lashpa Krish. I remember now. I worked with a peacekeeper many years ago who was in a gragrakch relationship. She had a mate and so did her gragrakch. I could never keep the relationships they shared with each other straight. But I do know this gragrakch thing is deeply rooted in Rouldian society and backed by their laws. Make sure you know what you’re getting into.”

  “It’s too late for that lecture,” Tom replied, feeling a little annoyed. Everyone, it seemed, felt the need to tell him to be careful. “Lashpa and I have been gragrakch since the academy. I plan on surprising her by making it official.”

  Sorbith’s eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair. “Are you sure you want to do that? You’re not Rouldian and I’m not sure how their laws will apply in this circumstance.”

  “I know what I’m doing. I’ve researched Rouldian culture and I’m aware of what I’m getting into. Lashpa and I are connected on a level that’s hard to explain. It’s very important to me that I do this the right way. That’s one reason I have to see her.”

  “You’re planning on going to Glish then?”

  “Yes, and from there to Fanish. It’s near the edge of Rouldian space and a long way from here. I won’t be back for several weeks.”

  “Take your time,” Sorbith said. “Come see me when you get back.”

  Tom got up from the chair. “Thanks again,” he said.

  Sorbith stood up and extended his hand. He had lived among Terrans long enough to know the meaning of a handshake.