by Dean Sault
“I know,” the general replied. “It’s a win when a Heptari counterpart loses his composure. When he raised his voice, he betrayed a lack of confidence. We won this first engagement.”
General Tragge changed his focus.
“What’s the travel time for our deep space heavies?”
He knew his small attack fighters could not defeat the large Heptari cruiser.
“Eight hours, sir, for the capital ships of the 9th. Their flagship is the DS Starship Folvic commanded by Admiral Paad. The 9th has sixteen medium-heavy and heavy star-class cruisers plus a couple dozen fast attack cutters. Other groups are routed to Wallow Minor, as ordered.”
“Good. The 9th has plenty of firepower to deal with these Heptaris. Order the fighters to remain under our shields. No sense in taking unnecessary casualties. Activate ground-based, heavy cannons and maintain a direct open channel from my command to their fire control.”
“Uh . . . sir, last month you approved retrofits for all three ground based batteries,” Captain Ludic responded. “Upgrades won’t be complete for six months.”
General Tragge looked over tactical positions of the Heptari fleet and turned to his adjunct.
“Suspend the retrofits. How long will it take to get those systems back on line?”
Satisfied with the answers to his question, the general left the War Room, confident that the planet was secure under triple redundant shields. In addition, he had an entire deep space battle group on the way, and his ground-based cannons would be back on line within a couple days. The situation was under control.
The general returned to the government Council Chambers. His fellow politicians were abuzz with nervous energy. He strode to the podium, bypassing normal protocol, to address rumors that were already spreading through the governing body. Everyone was anxious to hear his report and gladly overlooked his disregard for time-wasting formality.
“My fellow Councilors, please forgive my departure from traditional protocol. Under the circumstances, brevity demands my actions. As you probably heard, a small Heptari attack group has surrounded our planet. All three shields are in place, and the Heptaris have been ordered to vacate our sphere of influence. They claim to be here peacefully scanning for human colonies. Of course, I denied the existence of humans, and we neutralized their scans. They pose no real threat to us with our shields up.”
The general-politician took a sip of water.
“Our 9th Deep Space Battle Group has been recalled to local space and should arrive within eight hours. They have more than enough firepower to remove the Heptaris from our space, if that even becomes necessary. The situation is under control.”
General Tragge paused as an undercurrent of discussion broke out among his peers.
In addition to being the leader of Tanarac’s military, he was also a politician. Like all politicians, he was not above using the present crisis to promote his agenda.
“For three hundred years, we lived with this human risk. Our motivation in protecting the humans was noble, and we spared no cost in our scientific efforts to rehabilitate this race. We failed. Just last week, this legislative body made the courageous decision to terminate the human experiment. We chose an ethical closure, consistent with our Tanarac values. I submit to you,” the wily old politician knew when to allow pauses for effect, “it is no longer in our best interest to keep our human secret.”
General Tragge allowed time for his words to sink in. Politicians argued among themselves, rehashing tired old debates. He gauged the reaction of his peers before selecting the ideal time to proceed.
“My fellow governors, I ask permission to inform the Heptari government of our resolution to end the human problem. This will assure them that their goal of complete human eradication will occur. With everything in the open, they have no further interest in our space, and we can resolve this crisis peacefully.”
One of the junior politicians asked the obvious question.
“General, what if they are unwilling to wait for the natural life span of humans to pass?”
The general anticipated this question.
“Heptaris are powerless to do anything about our decision. Our military is certainly their equal. They will complain about our approach, but they have no other choice than to wait. I see no reason to fear Heptari threats.”
A member of the chamber requested, and was granted, permission to speak.
“Honorable members of this Council, as you all know, I am Chairman Uleb of the Offworld Intelligence Committee. I disagree with Councilman Tragge. We have been monitoring Heptari military activity for the past fifty-two years. During that time, they absorbed over one hundred small star systems on the periphery of their empire. While I support our military, I—”
General Tragge interrupted his colleague.
“Thank you for your military support, Chairman Uleb, but, right now, we must resolve the present crisis. Humans are at the center of the immediate dispute. I move for a resolution to acknowledge the existence of our humans and to notify the Heptari Empire of our Human Solution Act. Will anyone second my motion?”
The second came swiftly, and the Council’s Assembly-General called for immediate debate.
Like politicians of every race, the Tanarac chamber quickly filled with rancorous argument as political agendas clashed. The general watched for an opening in the unruly debate. Under Tanarac legislative rules, he knew it would require three votes to ratify his motion. He wanted to get the first vote out of the way as quickly as possible.
Suddenly, the whole building shook with a violent jolt. Plaster dropped from the ceiling, papers burst into the air, and politicians dove for cover under desks and chairs. A young military liaison officer ran to the podium where the general stood, surveying the chaos. The officer relayed information as quickly as he was receiving it in his radio earpiece.
“General, the Heptari flagship knocked out two of our shield generators and fired on the Council Chamber before the last shield could be raised to one hundred percent. The shield is holding for now, sir. Your sled is ready.”
Without hesitation, Tanarac’s top military officer joined his staff in the antigrav glider. As it rose over the Council Chamber, he saw an ugly black scar of a weapon blast, stretching across the dome of the Tanarac seat of government. The general clenched his teeth in anger while his staff briefed him on the situation.
“General, our last shield is preventing them from hitting ground with full weapon power. Heptaris are trying to take out Shield Three now. Their command cruiser took a low orbit directly above the shield projector array, and they’re throwing everything they’ve got at us. Captain Ludic doubled the shield strength directly above the generator, but those guys over at the array station are taking a beating. All our fighters got off the ground, but they’re holding under the protection of the shield, as you ordered. The 9th is still seven hours away.”
The young officer waited anxiously for his commander’s response.
“Sir, our system fighters don’t have a chance against that deep space cruiser. We can take out the smaller vessels in the blockade, but that cruiser is the big threat.”
General Tragge made a decision.
“Order our fighters to engage the blockade ships on the opposite side of the planet. Let’s see if we can draw the Heptari command cruiser away to protect their smaller ships. That will take pressure off the shield generator. Warn our pilots to keep their distance from the cruiser. Just try to draw her away from the shield site. Contact airbases near Shield Generator Three and have them send their portable shield arrays to Site Three. I’d rather lose a few air strips than risk losing that last shield.”
The general and his entourage re-entered the War Room.
“Ludic, talk to me! How are we doing with that shield?”
“Holding, sir, for now. They caught me by surprise on those first two shield sites. I didn’t know they had such powerful weapons, sir. Never read any tech reports about this new Heptari cannon.
It blew right though the first two shields. I doubled field density over Site Three before they could recharge their primary coils, but I had to protect the generator at the expense of shield density everywhere else. That’s why some of the energy got through the shield when they fired on the capitol building. Sorry about that, sir.”
“Good job, Captain. You made the right decision. Will that shield hold until the 9th arrives?”
General Tragge was already formulating backup plans, in case the answer was not what he wanted to hear.
“I had to re-route power from the city’s energy grid to Site Three. The good news is, we’ve got 110% shield strength, for now. Bad news is, it will depend on how long the city power grid holds up. Neutralizing that new Heptari cannon takes power at an incredible rate, sir. Can you do something about that cruiser, sir?”
“Let me worry about the cruiser, Ludic. You just keep my shield healthy.”
General Tragge surveyed the monitors. His fighters were destroying small enemy ships on the far side of the planet, but were not successful against two medium-class blockade ships. More importantly, the big cruiser did not leave its position directly above the third shield generator. Its main battery continued a relentless assault on Tanarac’s last shield.
“Get me retired General Frox on a crypto-comm channel in my staff room. He’s at the Decom Depot in the intra-system belt.”
Moments later, the general lifted a red phone from his desk in his private quarters.
“Frox, Byn Tragge here.” The general listened for a moment before continuing. “You already heard? Yeah, we’re taking a beating down here. I could use your help, my friend. What’s the status on that old Kyome Heavy we sent you last month? Yeah, I know it doesn’t have any weapons. Is she still operational? Good! Here’s what I need.”
As the general walked back into the War Room, he called for a status report.
“Shield strength dropping, General. City power grid is failing. Wouldn’t mind seeing the 9th about now.” Captain Ludic said what everyone was thinking.
Minutes passed like hours. Most of the light Heptari vessels were now destroyed, and the two surviving medium aggressor spacecraft moved close to the heavy cruiser for the benefit of collective firepower. The small Tanarac fighters could not penetrate the combined threat of the three larger ships.
“Order the fighters back under the shield. They’ve done all they can, for now. Convey my thanks to the pilots.”
“Sir! I’m losing shield three.”
Chapter 15
Shilgar called out, “Say your goodbyes, Tai. We must return to camp immediately.”
Simon held Kelly as she trembled, and her pulse raced. He threaded his fingers through her hair, trying to help her to calm down. “It’s okay now,” he consoled her.
“I . . . I thought they got you,” she stammered, her thoughts rushing faster than she could relate. “Taskers were coming. I was scared . . . ran . . . ran into the jungle. Didn’t know what to do. I kept running. Simon, I lost you . . . couldn’t sense you. The big hicay. Woke up, Ammul was there. He helped me. I was so scared.”
She sobbed and buried her face in his chest, unable to go on.
Benjamin motioned to the others and everyone obediently left the room.
“I will return in half an hour,” he said. “You and Kelly need some time alone.”
After thanking Benjamin, Simon led her to a nearby bench where they sat facing each other, holding hands while she regained her composure.
“I ran through the jungle until I fell down,” she said through sobs. “I couldn’t go another step. When I woke up, it was morning. I was thirsty and hungry and tried to find my way back to the quarry, but I was lost. I saw a fruit tree at the far side of a clearing, but when I got to the middle, I heard a noise behind me. Simon, it was awful . . . a hicay, just like the one that killed Adam. It screamed. I tried to run, but when I turned around, there was another one, even bigger!”
She was physically shaking. He squeezed her hand but was careful to not interrupt.
“Kerl-Ga jumped completely over me and fought with the wild one. I tried to run, but I tripped and hit my head. That’s the last thing I remember until Ammul woke me. He was helping me sip water. He brought me here.” Her eyes widened. “Kerl-Ga is his hunting partner. Simon, these people live with hicays.”
Simon began sharing the tale of his own encounter with a friendly hicay. It seemed they had just begun their visit when Benjamin returned.
“You two will have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, I need answers. Kelly told us she was about to black out in the quarry when the stun cord released its grip on her throat, but that’s all she remembers before she ran into the jungle. Exactly what happened with that Tasker?”
Simon relayed every detail of his ordeal except for the secret link between him and Kelly. He started with the death of Adam and his feelings about it. The old man listened patiently as missing information unfolded. Benjamin seemed particularly interested in the physical assault on the Supervising Tasker. Everything now made sense to tall human. Tanaracs would have great interest in these two runners, particularly the young man.
Benjamin fiddled with his beard. “Son, you may not understand the magnitude of your actions. We’ve maintained this secret colony of free humans for over two hundred years. Our continued existence depends upon absolute secrecy. Your attack on that Tasker brought Tans deep into their own forbidden territory for the first time in centuries, putting us at risk.”
Simon apologized.
“It’s not your fault, son.” Benjamin patted the young man’s shoulder reassuringly. “This day was foretold long ago. Those of us who lead our people must now prepare accordingly. We’ll talk more after your orientation. You both have a lot to learn.”
When the old man rose to leave, many years of Tanarac psychological programming surfaced in Simon.
“Why can’t we just turn ourselves in?” he glanced at Kelly while he offered his idea. “Taskers would never harm us. If we do that, they will not come any further into the jungle, and your people will be safe.”
Benjamin replied firmly, but gently.
“Humans need freedom. You experienced that primal need when you became a runner. Ask yourself, do you really want to go back to captivity now?”
Simon thought for a second. This human leader was right. He could never return, yet it was difficult to override a lifetime of programming.
Benjamin sensed the conflict.
“Trust me,” he said. “The two of you will be comfortable with freedom after orientation. A member of my staff is waiting to show you around your new home. Don’t worry about the Tasker problem. Our Elders will consult The Wall for advice. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
Benjamin pushed the door open, holding it for the newcomers to follow. He introduced them to a pleasant young woman who began their orientation to the settlement. As they walked on the tour, the guide relayed the history of the free human society.
“In the early years, a few runners learned to survive in the jungle. Eventually . . .” She told the entire story, ending with, “and those small caves became our first organized colonies.”
The young narrator paused as the group stopped on a footbridge overlooking a small yard. Below, three boys playfully chased a little girl who was carrying a baby hicay. The children giggled in happy exuberance when one of the boys tackled the fleeing girl, causing everyone to tumble into a dusty heap. Even the small hicay seemed to be enjoying the horseplay.
The guide resumed her tour.
“As you see, hicays have turned out to be wonderful companions. Now, where were we? Oh yes, in the beginning, most of our time was spent meeting basic needs, you know, food and shelter. Our founders were mostly runners. They knew what would happen if we were ever discovered. Above all else, it was obvious we needed to keep our community secret. That fundamental rule still governs our existence today.”
Simon couldn’t get over what he had seen a
short while before.
“You actually live with hicays?”
The escort smiled and gave an understanding nod. This was not the first time she witnessed amazement by new runners as they walked this same path.
“Hicays are only one of the things you’re going to find surprising here. I’ll bet you have never seen a pregnant woman, have you? And, believe it or not, in our society we select our own professions. We’re not pre-selected before birth for a lifetime occupation, and there is no mind programming here. You two have so many things to learn. You’ll even be allowed to visit The Wall someday.”
This was third time Simon recalled hearing about a “wall,” and it caught his attention.
“Benjamin and Shilgar said something about a wall. What are they talking about?”
The young guide’s tone turned very serious.
“The Wall is the source of all our knowledge. It is our window into the world beyond caves and the jungle.”
Kelly remembered an archeology class where she had learned about ancient civilizations.
“Is this wall inscribed like the memory walls of the Karth Horde?”
“Oh no, it’s not a rock-glyph. It’s alive. Johan Frumm, our first elected leader, was looking for new caves to grow our population when he discovered The Wall. He was exploring an unusually deep cave, but the end of this cave was not like other caverns we use. This one had a perfectly smooth, flat wall made of some unusual material, extending completely across it. When he touched it, it glowed.”
The guide stopped walking as she told the story.
“Johan told the other leaders about it, and after gathering some tools, he went back down to study The Wall. Several days passed when searchers found his tools lying next to the strange surface, but he was nowhere to be found. Elders boarded up the entrance, worried that there might be a hidden side tunnel used by a hicay. This was before we learned how to communicate with them.
“Nearly a month passed, when, early one evening, Johan Frumm could be heard calling for help from behind the barrier. He came out of the cave in perfect health, carrying a heavy pack on his back. It was full of books—books about ancient Earth, books about human anatomy and medicine. Some were about science and mathematics. There were even technology manuals and plans for building small machines. Johan said these books were a gift from The Wall. He also said The Wall confirmed the importance of keeping our existence secret. Since then, every member of our society visits The Wall at least once in a lifetime.”
