Darkest Reach

by Eric Warren

  “Unknown, sir. It is large, five-hundred kilometers in diameter and roughly spherical.”

  “Can we get a visual?”

  “Not yet, sir. Something about the creature is masking it from visual telemetry. The probes are only picking up its radiative signature. I can give you a general shape.” Zaal’s pleasant face disappeared and was replaced with one bearing a scowl. Cas wasn’t sure if it was intentional or if Zaal had programmed his hard-light avatar to automatically reflect his given personality. “There is something strange here, these readings don’t make sense.”

  “Let’s see whatever you can show me,” Greene said.

  “Aye,” Zaal said, further concentrating on his readings.

  The screen in front of them changed from a generic view of the nebula to completely black, with small sparks of red, orange and yellow in certain areas, representing the radiation given off by nearby stars. In the center was the dead space, which Zaal zoomed in on, and as he did the rough shape of something came into view, though the edges weren’t defined and bled out into the black.

  He was right, it was spherical as far as Cas could tell, though it seemed to be more in the shape of a large brain than a ball. The upper front side seemed to be covered in spiky mountains, but those could be something else, they’d have to wait until they could get a better view. The image also showed six tentacle-like appendages extending from the bottom, three on each side, but they ended abruptly at about the same length. It certainly wasn’t a Grande-Grande or any other kind of spaceborne creature Cas had ever seen.

  “Anything in the database showing a match?”

  “I’ve got nothing,” Evie replied, searching through her own computer adjacent to her chair. “It doesn’t match anything in our library.”

  Cas watched the image and noticed the tentacles seemed to be undulating in a way, as if they were growing longer and shorter as they made random movements. “It’s definitely alive,” Cas said. “It’s moving.”

  “Confirmed,” Zaal said. “The creature seems to be staying in one place, but is holding itself there by some unknown force. I see no method of propulsion.”

  “Information is coming in from the third probe, captain,” Uuma said. “Scans indicate the creature may be multi-dimensional.”

  Cas snapped his gaze to Zenfor, but she didn’t seem fazed. Her eyes remained glued to the screen.

  “Multi-dimensional?” Greene asked.

  “Yes sir, the probe is picking up traces of a tear in space inside the phenomenon. Though I’m not receiving anything from the other side.”

  Greene turned to Zenfor. “Commander Robeaux told us about your work in multi-dimensional space. Have you ever encountered anything like this before?”

  Zenfor shook her head. “Not this creature, no. But it doesn’t surprise me. The number of available dimensions is theoretically unlimited. The fact a creature found its way through the membrane that keeps them separate isn’t necessarily shocking.”

  “There’s no indication the creature created the tear itself,” Uuma said. “Perhaps it just happened to find it.”

  Cas turned to Zaal. “Any indication of the Iphigenia?”

  He shook his head. “I am not receiving any telemetry from a Coalition ship.”

  “But you’re still receiving the distress signal.” Zaal nodded.

  “Maybe the ship fell through the tear and the creature kept it open so we can still hear the signal,” Evie said. “Regardless, I doubt anyone is left alive on board. It’s just the automated call.”

  “Can you tell why we can’t move?” Greene asked.

  “The scans seem to indicate the creature is generating its own gravitational field,” Zaal said. “It seems to be proximity-based and we just happened to get close enough to fall in. Without a massive burst of energy it is unlikely we’ll be able to escape on our own.”

  “Damn,” Greene said.

  “The probes are close enough, I think we can get a visual now,” Uuma said. The screen in front of them flipped to complete black. Three lights switched on, one illuminating from below the screen, two others off in the distance. Each shined their lights on the center of the darkness and Cas made out the rough outline of what must be the creature. Its skin was a mottled beige gray, covered in callouses and marks. The “mountains” he’d seen seemed to be large spikes or pieces of shell, all clustered at the front of the creature itself. On the back it had a patch of fuzzy-like material he couldn’t identify. And then below the six appendages moved back and forth, but disappeared when they reached a certain area.

  “That must be the tear,” Cas said, pointing to the bottom of the screen. He turned to Zenfor. “Are you sure this isn’t anything like the space beneath you told me about before?”

  She cut her eyes at him. “Nothing lives there. This is something else. I don’t know what but I’ve never seen it before.”

  Cas sighed. “Great,” he whispered.

  Greene stood. “Conference room, five minutes. Bring everything you have. We’re finding a way out of this, one way or another.”

  15

  Everyone filed into the conference room with Greene coming in last, taking the chair at the head of the table. Everyone else either took chairs or stood off to the side like Zenfor, who crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, waiting for them to start.

  “Okay,” Greene said. “Thanks to Consul Zenfor we at least know what we’re dealing with here. But it presents some new problems. Lieutenant Zaal says we won’t be able to move without a massive burst of energy which I’m assuming he means an explosion of some sort, am I right?” Greene glanced to the Ops officer.

  “Correct, Captain,” Zaal said, his hands folded into his robe arms.

  “Which puts us in a precarious position. Coalition law prohibits us from injuring or killing another living being unless absolutely necessary. If what we’ve learned is true and this creature has us in some kind of gravitational hold, we need to find a way to break free without injuring it.”

  Laughter echoed through the room. Everyone turned in unison to Zenfor who reined it in, but still chuckled to herself. “Something funny, Consul?”

  “Your laws. They make no sense,” Zenfor said. “You’d be willing to sacrifice every member of his crew for a spaceborne creature who may not even know it has you in its grasp? Even we don’t make that sort of sacrifice for others, and we’re bonded with living ships.”

  “So if one of your…ships…was stranded and the only way to free it would be for one of your other crews to sacrifice themselves to break it free, you’re saying you wouldn’t do it?” Evie asked, fixing her stare on Zenfor.

  “Of course not. That makes no sense. If the ship is stranded it is stranded, there is nothing we can do. We can’t save every life in the universe and we can’t protect everything from change. Things die. Other things are born. It is the way of life. Your ship and your crew have a mission to save life. And you’re going to let this one creature get in your way. Even when it could end up costing you.”

  “That’s not how we do things in the Coalition,” Greene said. “This creature may have no idea it’s holding us. And I won’t destroy it for something that could be an accident. How would you feel if you were killed because of an action you accidentally took?”

  “It wouldn’t matter. I would be dead,” Zenfor replied. “My feelings would be irrelevant.”

  Greene turned back to the rest of the table. “Killing the creature is not an option. I need more. Zaal, any update on the backup?”

  “Confirmed at ten days, captain,” Zaal replied. “The Chalastra is the closest vessel.”

  “I checked the navigation computer again before we came in here,” Ensign River said. Cas noticed a slight tininess to her voice, something he hadn’t picked up in the open space of the bridge. But here in the conference room it was easier to hear. He could only assume it had something to do with her implants. “The gravitational pull has increased by a factor of two. It’s getting harder to m
ove at all. It’s like the thing is holding on for dear life.”

  Zenfor scoffed.

  Greene, ignoring her, addressed the table. “Let’s have some options. We can’t wait ten days for backup, we might not have ten days. So we need another solution that doesn’t involve killing the creature.”

  “Unfortunately we can no longer try polarizing the hull. It may have an adverse effect on the creature,” Zaal said.

  “We might still be able to try the vibrations,” Ensign Ronde said. “But it’s going to take more power. Like Natalia said, it’s got us in a grip that’s only getting tighter. It will take a lot more power to work up sufficient vibration.”

  Greene looked over the table. “Anything else?” He glanced to Evie. “Commander?”

  “Nothing as of yet, sir. I’m still assessing whether we’ll be able to use the spacewings out there or not.” She shot Cas a glance before turning to Zaal.

  “If we used all the spacewings and shuttles we have on board to tow Tempest could we get her free?” Greene asked.

  “If we were equipped with stronger tractors perhaps. But we’d need to make significant upgrades to each ship and we’re still not certain any ship that leaves the Bays won’t get stuck as well. There’s nothing to indicate the gravity field only affects large objects.”

  “Keep working on it,” Greene said. “I want as many options as you can give me.” He took a moment, his eyes shifting between each of them in turn. “I don’t have to tell you what’s on the line here. We can’t afford more than a few days delay because that armada out there is getting closer all the time. Getting the ship back on schedule is our top priority at the moment. If anyone thinks of anything else, bring it to me immediately. In the meantime, Zaal, you and Ronde work on setting up the vibrations. If we don’t have any other choices we’ll give it a shot.”

  “I don’t understand,” Uuma said. “Ships come through here all the time. Why has no one else seen this thing?”

  “And what happened to the Iphigenia?” River asked.

  “All good questions, but they aren’t our priority. Return to your stations and work on your assignments. Consul?” Zenfor glanced up. “Any help you can provide in this area would be most appreciated.”

  She nodded in response. Cas couldn’t help but notice Evie wouldn’t stop shooting him looks. He could only assume it was because he hadn’t stayed in the Bay with the spacewing pilots, and now he understood why. She’d been trying to prepare a backup plan in case they needed it. He couldn’t hold her gaze and glanced away.

  “If there’s nothing else then,” Greene said, standing. No one objected. “Let’s work the problem. I have no doubt we can find a good solution. Dismissed.”

  16

  “Commander, a moment please?” Evie trotted to catch up with Cas and Zenfor, on their way back to the weapons lab. He was hoping he’d be able to get back down there before she came and found him. Or she’d be too mad to talk to him at all. No such luck.

  “Your orders were to report to Bay Two to help Chief Rafnkell with modifying the spacewings. Would you like to explain why you violated those orders?” Her tone was brusque, as if she was speaking to someone she didn’t even know.

  Cas held his temper. “Consul, please go ahead back to the weapons lab. I’ll meet you down there later.” Zenfor studied him a moment, then glanced at Evie before she disappeared around the corner. “Look,” he said, trying to maintain his composure. “I went down there to give them a hand. But Rafnkell didn’t want me there. So I had Box help them out instead. I figured the best place I could be was in weapons helping Zenfor finish those probes.”

  Evie sighed. “She was close to being done, she said so herself. The reason I asked you to report to Rafnkell was because we might need a backup. But because you decided to disobey—”

  “I didn’t disobey orders,” he said. “I did what you asked then found a better way. Have you talked to Box? He should be about done by now.”

  “That’s not the point. You don’t just get to pick and choose which orders you want to follow.” Her voice wavered. Cas noticed a flush to her cheeks. “I wanted you down there because no matter how good Box is, you are the better engineer. And I don’t care if you didn’t get along with them. You find a way to make it work.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t get along with them. Just Rafnkell, she was—”

  “Cas, it doesn’t matter,” Evie said, clenching her jaw. “The point is you had a job to do and you made an executive decision on your own not to do it. And you didn’t even notify me.”

  He fumbled for an explanation. Why was she coming down so hard on him? Everything had worked out fine. It wasn’t as if the ship was any worse off. “It worked, didn’t it? The probes told us more than we knew before and now we at least have an idea of what we’re dealing with. I understand you’re upset. But look at what we accomplished.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering. You were so much less combative before you took your commission back.”

  Cas turned away, unable to keep her gaze. He should have figured. “You’re still uncomfortable with me having my old rank again. I told you, I’m not a threat to your authority.”

  “You just blatantly ignored my orders,” she yelled, gesturing with one hand. “How can I trust you’re going to follow the chain of command if you just do whatever you want when you want? This isn’t the Sargan Commonwealth, you can’t just go off on your own.”

  He didn’t have a response. She had a point, but he didn’t want to concede it. He wasn’t a bad officer; he’d found a better way to get the job done. Time in the Commonwealth had given him perspective on how to get things done. And if she couldn’t see that, then maybe she needed to back off some. Take her own fresh perspective. Though he grimaced at the thought of actually saying that out loud.

  “I’m placing a formal reprimand on your record,” Evie tapped the comm through the back of her hand. “It’s not something I want to do, but you’re leaving me no choice here.”

  “What?” Cas yelled. “You can’t do that. We’re in the middle of a crisis here and you’re going to write me up?”

  “What do you suggest I do? You won’t listen to me, and you don’t think you did anything wrong. How would you have handled a situation like this back when you were the first officer?”

  “Not by writing someone up while we’re dealing with—whatever this thing is,” Cas replied, too hot to think straight. He’d barely been back in action a few weeks and now he was about to have a reprimand? How would that look on his record? She was just being vindictive now.

  “Then I guess that’s the difference between you and me,” she said, finishing the sequence on her comm. “I’m not willing to let something this big slide. I don’t care about the results; I care about the intent behind them. And your intent was to violate orders and place your own needs above those of your crew. It sounds like reprimand material to me.”

  “That’s not what I did,” Cas replied, flaring his nostrils. She was supposed to be his friend. How could she do this to him? “Besides, if I hadn’t returned to the weapons lab when I did there is a good chance Xax would be wrapping up Ensign Tyler in a body bag right now. She might have killed him. Wasn’t that my first duty? To help the consul?”

  “Are you saying the consul shouldn’t be interacting with the crew? That you’re not acclimating her well enough?” Her voice had taken on an air of superiority.

  Cas tried to let the dig go. Because it was the truth. She wasn’t integrating well. Cas fully expected by the end of this trip to find one casualty at the hands of Zenfor. “I’m saying it’s difficult for her. The crew is antagonistic and she’s not…you know. She’s not a warm person. She can be volatile. You didn’t help any with that comment in the conference room.”

  She ignored the accusation. “I highly doubt she would have hurt him,” Evie said. “And you had no way of knowing that was happening when you made the decision to return, which goes back
to my original point. Just because things worked out doesn’t mean the intent behind the original decision wasn’t flawed. That’s what you’re being punished for. Not the results that stemmed from the events.”

  He screwed up his face and studied her, searching for a response. As always she was very put-together, not a hair out of place or a wrinkle on her uniform. She wasn’t giving an inch. If she didn’t learn how to bend a little she’d break by the time she reached captain. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  “Yeah. I guess you don’t,” she snapped. She turned on her heel and made her way back down the corridor.

  Cas flexed his hands open and closed again. He was watching in real-time the destruction of something he valued deeply and there was nothing he could do to stop it. How could she have written him up? Didn’t she know how precarious his position was? He never would have written anyone up in the middle of a crisis. People panicked sometimes, you had to cut them some slack. Not that he’d panicked. He’d just found a better way to do things.

  Cas took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. He wouldn’t do anyone any good if his anger got the better of him. Maybe he could talk to Evie after all this was over, if she’d still talk to him. Get her to understand. So much had happened in such a short amount of time they hadn’t had the chance to process it all. Plus the stress of knowing what they might be facing once they got out of this had to be weighing on her. At least he hoped that’s what it was. Because it was clear something was wrong.

  When Cas turned the corner he found Zenfor standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at him. “Consul?” he asked.

  “Volatile?” She narrowed her eyes.