Space Chronicles: The Last Human War

by Dean Sault

“What’s HE doing here?” Simon said and pointed an accusing finger.

  “It’s okay, young man. Dr. Hadje is our friend. He’s trying to help us free our people. Doctor, I’d like to introduce you to Simon.”

  “Hello. I am not here to harm you. You can trust me.” The doctor stepped out from behind Benjamin and extended his hand in friendship.

  Simon looked apprehensively at Kelly, and she nodded her tentative approval. The former boom operator cautiously took the Tanarac’s four-fingered hand into his own. The scientist’s double-opposing fingers felt odd. As a young man, he marveled at the advantages of Tanarac physiology. Two sets of opposable fingers allowed greater dexterity than in human hands, but he always took some measure of pride in the far greater grasping power of his hands.

  The small group headed for the surface in silence. Simon refused to relate his experiences inside the human space ship with a Tanarac present. As they exited from the cave, he noticed the lack of people.

  “Where is everyone?”

  The senior Elder gave a quick summary of events during his absence. He explained the plan to move a third of the free humans into captivity while the rest hid in deep caves. “We’ve sent the rest into deep-hides while we see if the Tanaracs will agree to allow human freedom.”

  “You can’t do that!” Simon shouted in disbelief. “We can save all our people. They don’t have to go back to quarries or caves. We can leave this place forever.”

  Benjamin appreciated the young man’s wishful thinking, but explained that Johan Frumm foresaw this plan of action, and there were simply no better alternatives. “Besides, we don’t have the means to leave the planet, and we can’t remain in hiding forever. The best chance for human survival is to develop our relationship with Tanarac.”

  “No. We do have another choice. The Wall. It’s a space ship . . . a human spaceship!” Simon blurted out his secret, disregarding the nearby Tanarac scientist. “It’s been here since the end of the Human War. It’ll take us away from here as soon as we’re ready.”

  Shilgar grabbed Simon by the shoulders.

  “A space ship? Are you saying we could have left Tanarac at any time?”

  “Not exactly. They’ve been waiting for a pilot. The ship can’t operate without a human interface. The crew of the ship died a long time ago, and Dr. Boroski, he’s a hologram, he—”

  Benjamin interrupted the young man when it became obvious he had a great deal of information to share and that it may have a bearing on their current plans.

  “Shilgar, call the Elders to the meeting hall.”

  The young boom operator could hold back no longer.

  “Kelly, you should see this ship. It’s huge.”

  He rambled on incessantly about his experiences on board the vessel while the group made their way to the meeting room. Benjamin pulled out a chair at the head of the conference table and motioned for Simon to sit. As the room filled with Elders, the Tanarac scientists listened from the doorway.

  Benjamin began the meeting.

  “Young man, tell us everything you learned while inside The Wall. Take as much time as you need.” He cautioned his fellow Elders, “Please do not interrupt him. Save your questions until he is done. Okay, son, start at the beginning.”

  Simon took a deep breath and began by sharing his apprehension at being drawn into The Wall. He described the interior of the ship as best he could, struggling for words to adequately convey the magnitude inside the spaceship. Minutes passed into hours until Simon reached the end of his story.

  Dr. Hadje could barely believe the things he had heard. Elders began firing questions at Simon, but Benjamin gestured for quiet.

  “Give him a few minutes. I think I speak for everyone when I thank you for your detailed report, young man. We will take a brief recess. Please prepare your questions for when we return. Simon, please come with me.”

  Elders gathered in small groups excitedly discussing how to handle the opportunities presented by this new information. Some argued that the process of evolving relationships with the Tanaracs should be the highest priority while others lobbied to recall the groups that were now in transit. For the first time in their lives, they had an option promising real freedom.

  Benjamin led Simon down a hallway with the Tanarac scientists following. They entered a small room where Kelly waited alone. As Dr. Hadje entered, Simon again displayed his distrust.

  “You don’t have to fear Dr. Hadje. He truly is our friend,” Benjamin confronted the young man’s attitude before asking Kelly to join them. The group weaved down several more corridors and into a chamber with an old conference table at the far end.

  “Hello again,” Shilgar said, standing alone at the far end of the room. “I have a gift for Simon and Kelly from Dr. Hadje.”

  The scout motioned to the Tanarac scientist who then walked across the room and opened a door near the far corner. “Won’t you please join us?”

  A young human stepped cautiously through the doorway.

  “Adam!” Kelly instantly recognized their lifelong companion and ran across the room to throw her arms around him. Simon was not so fast to believe the impossible.

  “Is that you?” he asked.

  “Hey guys, I thought you both got ate by hicays,” Adam said. “Taskers told me you were both dead. They were gonna stick me on a stinking new plow team. Man, I’m glad to see you.”

  Simon’s hesitation vanished. He wrapped his arms around both Kelly and Adam.

  Dr. Hadje approached the trio and risked familiarity by placing his hand on Simon’s shoulder as he talked.

  “Your friend gave us quite a scare. Fortunately, the supervising Tasker wasted no time getting Adam to a full-care medical facility. We were able to close his wounds and restore cardiac function before any permanent damage to his central nervous system. There’s not much we can do about the scars but at least he’s going to be fine.”

  Adam’s new free-human clothing fit looser than Tasker garb. Three dark red scars ran from the side of his neck around to his back where they vanished under his new shirt.

  The Tanarac doctor explained, “Our big problem was massive blood loss. It took an hour to manufacture enough replacement platelets. It’s a good thing he is such a strong young man. I doubt Tanarac physiology could have survived such trauma.”

  Simon noticed Dr. Hadje’s hand on his shoulder but did not pull away.

  Adam pushed back from his friends and began chastising them.

  “Why’d you guys run? That was stupid. I woke up in that hospital, and they told me you turned into ‘runners.’ They were gonna stick me on a plow with beginners. I was pissed! Your buddy here, Dr. Hadje, he was the first one to tell me anything different. He brought me to this place. Man, this is unreal!”

  “No, it’s real alright.” Simon could not wait to tell his lifelong friend about the space ship. “And, there’s a lot more you don’t know.”

  “I hate to break up this reunion but we have urgent matters with the Council of Elders.” Benjamin said and asked Simon to follow him.

  Dr. Hadje was also invited, but the human leader directed Jix and the other humans to wait here. He explained there would only be enough room in the meeting for essential Elders.

  Chapter 27

  “Byn, are you monitoring this?” Admiral Paad asked, loud enough to be heard over all the other sounds coming from his Command Bridge.

  “Yeah, we’re getting a full feed from your command deck.”

  “Looks like the lizards mean business.” The admiral began issuing orders in preparation for confrontation.

  “Recall all scouts. Activate remote sensors. As soon as our scouts are clear, activate all minefields without safeties.”

  “Sir, are you sure? No safeties? That’ll make those mines dangerous for our ships too.”

  “Do it, Mundey. We’re reducing maneuvering options for the enemy. Better to fight them on our own terms. We’ll just have to clean up the mines in this region of space after thi
s is over. Send all mine grid coordinates to our ships, so they can avoid the kill zones.”

  General Tragge felt helpless, listening from his post. There was nothing more he could do for the 9th. He and his staff watched pensively while their military brothers prepared for combat.

  “Sir!” the admiral’s deep space monitor tech called out. “Multiple grav field distortions in six sectors.”

  General Tragge’s War Room monitors responded to signals from the 9th and began showing hundreds of alien spacecraft as they emerged from folded space.

  Admiral Paad’s voice rang out.

  “Mundey, hail the Heptari command ship. Demand to speak with their commander.”

  “No response, sir.”

  “Continue hailing. Captain Futek, establish defense grids in the Third Radial component of quadrants T-two, T-three, T-twenty and T-twenty one. Notify all field leaders, they are authorized to fire-on-contact with the enemy. Did you warn the squadrons about those new Heptari weapons?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Mundey, are the Heptari’s communicating within their own fleet?”

  “Yes, Admiral. There’s a lot of buzz between ships. They’re setting up traditional attack patterns, with mediums on point. Sir, what about quadrants T-four and T-fourteen? Do you want to get some combat ships in there?”

  “Negative. Concentrate all our forces on the other four sectors.”

  General Tragge watched several screens as the approaching Heptari fleet maneuvered for combat.

  “Byn, you there?” the admiral asked.

  “Yes. We’re watching.”

  “Keep an eye on those monitors in T-fourteen and T-four. Our friends are about to experience some new Tanarac technology. They aren’t the only ones with new toys.”

  Admiral Paad seemed almost delighted at the prospect of springing his trap.

  “Tactical Comm, transmit activation code to the defense field in sectors T-4 and T-14. Authorization, Paad two, seven, seven, two, delta, one.”

  “Full activation confirmed, sir.”

  A set of screens near General Tragge showed Heptari fleet progress in each sector as they penetrated deeper into Tanarac space. In most areas, enemy ships advanced at a slow, steady rate, having to pick their way through carefully placed Tanarac minefields. In sectors T-Four and T-Fourteen, Heptari vessels moved fast with no resistance.

  Enemy forces split into multiple tactical groups, each group forming a conical wedge with linked forward shields. One Rahl-class, deep-space heavy ship anchored the center of each formation, surrounded by medium and light star-class warships. Enemy ships flew confidently down the center of T-4 and T-14 on direct attack vectors toward the Tanarac fleet.

  Swirling dots on the screens in those space divisions moved away from the approaching Heptari vessels as if repelled by the aliens. The white spots pulled back until they skirted the outermost limits of their respective sectors. Then, they suddenly changed course, aligning into a single linear strand circling their regions of space at increasing speeds. Lines of individual dots accelerated until they blurred together, forming a glowing wall, encircling the entire sector.

  Heptari ships appeared to be flying down the center of a vast, glowing space tube.

  The lead enemy group in the T-4 tunnel slowed to a stop. Subordinate groups mimicked its action. Behind them, the far end of the light-tube closed, sealing off retreat. At the instant of the tube’s closure, multiple shafts of light thrust inward from the sides of the space tunnel. Each energy shaft sliced completely through one of the powerful Heptari heavies at the center of an attack group. Big enemy ships vanished inside massive detonations of antimatter breeches. Violent secondary explosions engulfed and destroyed most of the nearby smaller ships.

  Surviving Heptari vessels began rapid acceleration toward the only open end of the tube, directly at the waiting Tanarac fleet. Tanarac warships moved to intercept.

  “Mundey, order our ships to hold position. Do not enter those tubes—repeat, do NOT enter those sectors.” The admiral’s orders stopped the Tanaracs.

  As Heptari ships raced forward, walls of the tube began compressing inward onto the aggressors. One fleeing enemy ship after another came under attack from energy beams that speared inward from the walls of the tube. Dozens of Heptari ships exploded every second. A few enemy ships attempted to turn and fly directly through the glowing sides of the tube. They vaporized on contact. Not even debris remained.

  The entire collapse of the tubes in both quadrants took less than two minutes. It was over as fast as it had begun, and not a single enemy warship survived. Charred remains of two entire Heptari battle groups now floated harmlessly in space. Only a few dozen faint white dots remained in each sector. Having completed their jobs, the admiral’s trapping minefield returned to passive patrol mode, patiently waiting to kill again.

  “Byn, how’d you like my new antimatter sweep system? It’s a prototype in development for over ten years. Guess it passed the test. Wish I had more of those things. Looks like we’ll have to deal with the rest of these lizards the old fashioned way.”

  “Impressive,” General Tragge said and managed a smile despite seeing the size of the remaining enemy fleet. At that moment, he knew he had the right man for the job of defending the home system.

  “Sir, the Heptari command ship is hailing.” The admiral’s comm officer called out, “I’ve routed him to your personal h-pad.”

  The scale-covered head of the Heptari commander materialized above the holo-pad. His initial words sprayed out in unintelligible hissing patterns of his race until translator programs identified the language and engaged. It even added angry tones as the Heptari leader issued threats.

  “Your actions constitute an act of war against the Heptari Empire. I demand you stand down your fleet, or we will destroy you. We did not fire on you first. Your minefield destroyed our comrade ships without provocation. Stand down, or we will attack.”

  Admiral Paad took a quick glance at his monitors before responding. Heptari fleets stopped their advance in all quadrants. The admiral’s trap caught them completely by surprise.

  “You are violating space of the Tanarac Empire,” the admiral said. “Your warships are in attack formations, and Heptari ships recently attacked our home world. We have every right to defend ourselves. Return to deep space while you still can.”

  “This is not a negotiation.” The commander of the Heptari fleet attempted to intimidate. “We came to Tanarac space in peace to eradicate remaining humans. You are in violation of galactic law by protecting them. Order your fleet to drop shields, or we will destroy your entire battle group. You have five minutes to comply.”

  General Tragge listened to the Heptari commander through Admiral Paad’s link.

  “Patch me directly to the Heptari channel,” he ordered.

  “Done, sir.” The admiral’s comm operator instantly obeyed the general’s instructions.

  “Heptari Commander, I am General Tragge, First Officer, Military Council of the Tanarac Empire. We acknowledge the existence of the humans. You should also know we have recently taken steps to end their existence. This conflict between us is not necessary.”

  He realized his disclosure violated Tanarac law by revealing the existence of the humans without formal authority. In light of recent events, further bloodshed might be avoided by his action. If nothing else, it might buy time. Either way, it was worth a try.

  “General Tragge, I am Prime Skah Rotaga, of the Heptari Military Command and first on the Pillar of Ascension. I report directly to our Royal Codae and represent them. After three hundred years, only now, you admit your Tanarac lies. I am sure you will understand if we do not trust you. We demand to scan your home world and all population centers in the Tanarac Empire. If you exterminated the humans, then we can begin negotiations for reparations. You will pay tribute to Heptari for three hundred years of lies and for the destruction of our battle groups. If you refuse, your empire will be destroyed.”


  “Rotaga, you are violating Tanarac space.” The general purposely omitted the Heptari leader’s title to avoid assuming subordinate stature. “Under Galactic Law, we have the right to defend our empire. We agree to resolve our differences through the Court of Galactic Nations, but we will never surrender to your threats. If you do not withdraw from our territory immediately, your armada will be destroyed. You’ve already witnessed our ability to wipe out entire battle groups without even committing a single combat craft.”

  Admittedly, a gambit by the general, he hoped Admiral Paad’s minefield surprise could cause the enemy commander to reconsider.

  Rotaga made a long hissing noise for which the computer had no translation. Then, he countered.

  “You bluff, General. That antimatter minefield was impressive, but we learn from our experiences. Our sensors have already been re-calibrated to detect such fields. We can avoid them from now on, and our forces outnumber yours four to one. The choice is yours. Stand down, or be destroyed. You have five minutes.”

  The hologram of the Heptari commander blinked off and display screens immediately jumped to life as enemy combat vessels closed on Tanarac forces.

  “Lorm, they won’t wait.” General Tragge warned his commanding officer.

  “Already on it, Byn. Wish us luck.”

  The first wave of Heptari ships attacked the defensive positions of the Tanarac fleet, their new powerful cannons firing as fast as they could recycle. Every screen in the command room quickly filled with space battles. Telemetry relayed from the admiral’s ship produced a backdrop of sound. Blood-chilling radio transmissions from Tanarac warships ended in abrupt silence each time a vessel disappeared from a monitor.

  Admiral Paad issued a steady stream of orders.

  “Central command—lizards rely on central command. All Strike Teams, target command ship comm arrays. Cut their communications. Mundey, keep those light cruisers in formations of three ships with overlapping forward shields.”

  The War Room command staff watched images as the admiral adjusted to dynamics of battle. Random voice transmissions conveyed lethal realities of war.