Search for the Saiph (The Saiph Series Book 2)

by PP Corcoran

  #

  Heather felt like she couldn’t breathe properly in the bio suit she had insisted that everyone who would be putting their feet on the planet’s surface wear. She knew it was only her mind playing tricks on her. The small backpack she wore circulated air at a comfortable room temperature but with a slight over-pressure to ensure that anything which may manage to tear the tough nano-polymer suit wouldn’t allow the planet’s atmosphere into her suit. Heather looked over at the small marine contingent that the admiral had insisted accompany her science team in their Wraith suits. How they could spend hours on end in those things amazed her. Activating her link, she addressed her small party. “OK, people, let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this mystery. I want plant and soil samples from the immediate area and if you can find any insects or animals, all the better. Remember, nothing gets put onto our shuttle without first having been through the mobile lab, understood?”

  A series of mumbled “yeses” came back over the link. The second shuttle with the mobile lab sat off to one side. Hermetically sealed against the slightest chance of any contamination, the scientists who manned it could work without the handicap of wearing full bio-suits. And why didn’t I detail myself a cushy job in there, Heather berated herself. Because you like to get your hands dirty, that’s why.

  Two and a half hours later and Heather was regretting her decision. Her body was telling her there was a fault with the suit’s temperature and humidity controls. Her brain was telling her there was nothing wrong with the controls and to just admit that she was getting too old for working in the field. The high-pitched voice of Lindsey Sears erupted into her left ear.

  “Doctor Reid, it’s Lindsey, could you come into the lab for a moment? I’ve found something that I think you should see.”

  The prospect of having to go through a complete decontamination before she could shed the suit wasn’t the most appealing of ideas but at least she could take it off for a while. That of course meant she would have to put another suit back on to come back out and then go through the whole decontamination process for a second time but what the hell, a cup of coffee in the relative comfort of the lab sounded good.

  “OK Lindsey, I’ll be right over.”

  Heather trudged over to the lab’s airlock and opened the outer door. Stepping inside Heather felt the vibration of the small motor that circulated air inside her suit die as the suit sealed itself for what was to come. The scrubbers concealed in the walls automatically came on as the outer door sealed, replacing any oxygen in the airlock with inert argon so only the air already within the suit itself remained. The walls, roof, and floor of the chamber lit up with intense ultraviolet light, killing any microbe that had managed to attach itself to the outside of the suit. As the lighting returned to normal, Heather released the seals of her helmet and suit and dropped the whole thing into the waste chute by the inner door. The complete suit would be flash burned before the ashes were dumped in space on the return trip to the Triton.

  #

  Lindsey Sears may have had a very irritating voice that reminded Heather of fingernails being dragged down a chalkboard, but she was a first-class virologist, so Heather sat patiently as Lindsey walked her through what she had found and no matter how hard she tried, Heather couldn’t find fault in her findings. Putting down her cup of cold coffee, Heather gave Lindsey a small pat on her arm as she walked past her and made her way up to the shuttle’s small communications console. Sitting down, she took a deep breath as she tried to settle the butterflies that were suddenly flying around in her stomach. Heather steeled herself and activated the link to the Triton. A second later the all-business face of a young naval officer filled the display.

  “Communications. Lieutenant Dhal. How can I help you, Doctor Reid?”

  “I need to speak to the admiral.”

  The young officer hesitated a moment. “I’m sure Commander Bekker is available, Doctor.”

  Neil Bekker was Admiral Glandinning’s Chief of Staff and would normally have oversight of everything before deciding whether to bother the admiral with it. Not this time, thought Heather.

  “I need to speak directly with the admiral now, Lieutenant. And I mean right now!”

  #

  The image in the holo cube looked remarkably like a thin white worm to Gavin Glandinning. “So what am I looking at, Doctor?”

  “Admiral, you are looking at what is responsible for there being nothing left on the planet any bigger than a large mouse.”

  Gavin looked from the doctor with the grating voice to Heather and then back again. “Perhaps you would care to explain, Doctor Sears.”

  “This, Admiral, is a virus. No scrub that.” Lindsey looked upon the thin white image with a distinct triple head and curved tail with respect bordering on admiration. “Admiral, for a virus to spread, it does so in a number of ways. For a communicable disease to spread from an individual host to another individual it could be by droplet contamination. Where one individual coughs or sneezes on another. By direct physical contact, where an infected person touches someone else. By indirect physical contact, where you would touch, say, contaminated soil or a contaminated surface. By airborne transmission, where the microorganism can survive in the air for some time. Fecal or oral transmission, where you are infected usually from contaminated food or water sources. Transmission could also be indirect. Using another vector or organism such as, say, malaria via a mosquito or tapeworm via infected pigs. Most viruses known to us will use only one or possibly two of these methods and are almost always specifically aimed at one particular species. Now this,” Lindsey indicated the image in the holo cube, “this little beauty is capable of not only employing all the methods of transmission, but is a cross-species infection and will kill its host within a week of being infected.”

  Gavin couldn’t help but look at the virus in the holo cube with a newfound respect. “Damn. How does nature even come up with something like that?”

  “Oh, nature didn’t come up with this one, Admiral. This baby was specifically designed.”

  Gavin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Come on, Doctor, be serious. All the data we’ve seen indicates that the civilization was only at a level equivalent to Earth’s medieval period. No way could they have bio-engineered a world-killing virus. And even if they could have, why would you design a virus that would kill your own civilization along with everything else on the planet? You must have made a mistake.”

  Lindsey looked affronted. “I assure you, Admiral, my findings are correct. Science does not lie.”

  Before Gavin could retort, Heather interjected.

  “Perhaps you should tell him the rest, Lindsey.”

  Gavin looked at her incredulously. “There’s more?”

  “As I said, Admiral, there is no way this virus could have occurred naturally. The telltale signs of manipulation are there. Humans experimented with tailor-made viruses in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and although a leap beyond what they were, the basic ideas behind this virus are easily achievable. What really got my attention was that the computer was able to identify the DNA that the virus was designed to latch onto.”

  “Well, we know this planet was listed in the Saiph database, so it would seem to me that it wouldn’t be too big a leap to expect the virus to be specific to Saiph DNA.”

  Lindsey gave Gavin a smug look as Heather answered. “Very nearly correct, Admiral. Yes, it was designed to attack Saiph DNA, but more specifically, Saiph DNA which had been spliced with the DNA of the species we know as the Others.”

  Gavin felt his spine tingle with excitement as he tried to control his voice. “Are you telling me that we’re in orbit around the Others’ home world?”

  Heather nodded as a large smile spread across her face.

  Gavin sat back in his seat, his mind racing at the news. After a few moments he activated his link.

  “Communications. Lieutenant Dhal.”

  “Lieutenant, prepare a communications drone for i
mmediate launch… cancel. Make that two drones, destination Survey Command, and stand by for a data packet from Doctor Reid. Mark it Priority One.”

  Gavin cut the link before Dhal could acknowledge.

  “Doctor, I need to know everything you can find out about that planet down there. Anything you need, you just holler. If we don’t have it within the flotilla I can guarantee Earth will get it to us ASAP.”

  #

  DURAV – 172 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH

  It may have been summer in this hemisphere of Durav but at this high altitude the snow still lay on the ground and the ceaseless wind that blew cut you to the bone. None of this seemed to bother Tama Narath as he resolutely trudged up the path worn in the mountainside by many a faithful pilgrim before him. As he reached the cave entrance, the ever-present guardians recited the ancient challenge, their evil-looking targath blades ready to cut down anyone foolish enough to attempt to enter the High Coltus for any reason but to commune with the Creator.

  Narath may have been the commander of the largest force the Creator had seen fit to have gathered by the Chosen People in their Ehita against the heretics, but even he was barred from entry into the High Coltus until the guardians were satisfied with his response. Replying with the pilgrim’s prayer, they allowed him passage into the relative warmth of the cave and he made his way along the tunnel that led to the heart of the mountain and the High Coltus. As Narath entered the candlelit chamber at the tunnel’s end, he felt the warmth of the Creator fill him. Narath went to his knees, placing the fingers of both hands on the Gift Stone at the base of his skull as he was bathed in the Creator’s love.

  Blessings be upon you, pilgrim.

  I am Tama Narath, Hand of the Creator, and I bring news of the Ehita.

  Tell me of your news, Narath.

  As the Creator has decreed, I recalled the fleets of the Chosen People and began the process of reequipping them with the gifts the Creator has blessed us with. I am proud to report that although the modifications have taken time, they are now complete and I am preparing to begin the assault that will cleanse the heretics from the stars once and for all.

  The feeling of love that flowed from Narath’s Gift Stone was an-almost physical thing.

  You have served me well, Narath. The time of the Creator’s return is at hand and as you lead the Chosen People on the Ehita I shall lead you all to Aseena. And what of my gift that will open the way for you to complete your task, Narath?

  Narath struggled to gather his thoughts as the Creator’s love slowly left his trembling body.

  As you commanded, I made that a priority and the last of the units are being deployed as we speak. When I receive confirmation of their deployment, all will be in place and I ask for your blessing to deploy the fleet.

  For just a fleeting moment, Narath’s head filled with a series of flashing images as the Creator considered every possible variable that may affect the forthcoming battles. Faster than the fastest computer. Never before had Narath been privileged to see into the workings of the Creator’s mind.

  You have my blessing, Tama Narath. Go forth and sweep all the heretics before you.

  Narath felt the Creator leave his mind and shook off the feeling of emptiness that always came over him after communing with the Creator. But soon I shall enter Aseena and forever stand at the Creator’s side.

  Narath stood and straightened his cloak as he strode purposefully back up the tunnel.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The Rock

  ENEMY HELD SPACE – WHITE DWARF SYSTEM – 54.2 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH

  Sergeant Semple glanced at his passive scanners; he was closing fast on the asteroid that held the Others’ base, 1800 meters per second, to be precise. With a nudge of his finger on the controls, his specially modified egg released pressurized argon and slowed his ship to a more acceptable speed. This was the bit he hated most. The final approach. Until now he’d relied on the guidance information supplied by the navy pukes. As he closed on the asteroid used as the Others’ main naval base in the region, he felt shivers of insecurity run up his spine. Enough! He pulled himself together to concentrate on his job at hand; to land on the rock housing the naval base, disable the defensive batteries and secure the airlocks that the marines of the assault force would use to gain access.

  The past two days of traveling through space confined inside his specially adapted Wraith suit, wrapped in a variation of the egg that the marines used for planetary assaults, had little impact on his present worries…not! Five kilometers out. Umbilicals detached. Thrusters engaged. Separation from the egg complete. Semple ran through the checklist. The rock seemed to be approaching very fast… retro thrusters firing; feet hit first; bend the knees... and ... we’re down. Semple took a deep breath as he completed Phase One. You’re still alive, Semple! He smiled wryly.

  Semple took a moment to orient himself as his suit’s passive sensors soaked up the terrain around him. Yes! It looked like he had landed on the correct asteroid at least. An icon in his heads-up display blinked to a regular beat, indicating the route to his nearest target. The target was a form of area denial weapon; similar to that used by the navy to kill close-in threats, such as missiles, on their terminal attack leg. One of those lasers would do a lot of damage to an approaching assault shuttle. A furtive glance at the countdown clock in the top left of his display informed him he had less than two hours before the assault force arrived. Time is a-marching! Semple hoped the Others didn’t have any work parties on the surface today, or this mission was blown. He shook his head inside his Wraith suit, resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do about it now.

  With dutiful determination, Semple followed the directions to target icon, wondering how many of his forty fellow Thunder troopers had also made it onto this rock.

  #

  Colonel Vladimir Egnorov unwittingly mirrored Semple’s thoughts. His men were still on strict emissions control, just as they had been since their launch from the navy shuttles three days ago, he had no way of knowing how successful Phase One had been.

  The plan devised by Vladimir and Alec Murray was a dichotomy of simplicity and complexity. Using automated reconnaissance probes, launched from stealthy Persai ships beyond the detection range of the Others, they simply used the Others’ own tactics against them.

  At the second battle of Garunda, the Others coasted into the Garunda system with their drive engines off, allowing them to remain undetected by the Sherlock surveillance platforms as they traveled on a ballistic trajectory. The navy now used this same cunning move to allow its recon probes to infiltrate the heart of the Others’ defenses. The probes passed through the system using only their passive systems to collect data. When the navy was sure they were beyond the Others’ detection range, the same stealthy Persai ships collected them, extracted the data, and returned it to Third Fleet for analysis. Vladimir and Alec had spent hours poring over the probe data. They identified the majority of the defenses on and around the base and formulated a plan of attack.

  A plan that Vladimir was in the midst of, he hoped the Others wouldn’t disrupt it. I’m on this rock now, my only ride home is the navy. Vladimir shook off his uncertainty and activated his direction to target icon. The green arrow appeared in his heads-up display. 250 meters? Not far, just need to watch my footing. Vladimir made a mental note of the cratered and pockmarked surface, it would make his route difficult and time-consuming. The countdown clock told him that the fleet’s arrival was in one hour fifty-six minutes and twenty-eight seconds... twenty-seven seconds... twenty-six seconds... Vladimir took off as surefooted as a goat.

  Each of the Thunder troopers was assigned an area of responsibility covering approximately four square kilometers of the asteroid’s surface. The analysts identified an average of three prospective targets in each of these squares, giving the Thunder troopers about forty minutes to reach and dispense with each target before making their way to the final rally point, where they planned to form up for th
e assault prior to the fleet’s arrival.

  Both Vladimir and Alec knew forty minutes was not a huge amount of time, but they also understood the risks; the longer the Thunder troopers deployed on the surface the greater the chance of detection by the Others.

  Vladimir covered the ground in good time. Within fifteen minutes, he was lying on his belly observing his target; the cover of an anti-ship missile silo, or so the navy analysts believed. Perhaps “believed” was too strong a word, “assumed” was much more accurate, Vladimir acknowledged, as he uttered out loud: “It could be the cover of a garbage disposal, for all I know.” He also knew there was no sense in taking chances.

  Vladimir gave the area around the silo a final check for alarms or booby traps before surreptitiously approaching it. With practiced skill, he quickly placed the explosive charges around it and set the timer unit. When initiated, the charges would buckle the silo cover and prevent it from opening, rendering the missiles within useless, he hoped... well, that was the plan.

  With a last verification of his work, Vladimir reconfigured his heads-up display to show the route to his next target; a beam weapon projector, of sorts.

  One hour nineteen minutes and twelve seconds till fleet arrival... eleven seconds... ten seconds...

  #

  Three kilometers away, Semple had already completed his second task, the mining of a radar dome. He was now headed for his third and final target. A swift glance at the countdown clock showed fifty-two minutes left. “Hustle, Semple, hustle!” he muttered, it was over 300 meters to the next target, 400 more to the rally point.

  Semple crested the edge of a crater, whether it was down to his own haste or sheer bad luck, Semple would never know, but there, scant meters away, were two enemy soldiers and they were staring directly at him.

  On instinct, Semple drew his mono-molecular blade in one hand and his pistol in the other. He launched at the startled soldiers as they were confronted with the sight of an eight-foot-tall black shadowy figure coming at them. Their surprise and subsequent inaction was the advantage Semple needed. He fired as he moved, putting two shots into the face plate of the right-hand Other. It shattered and was followed almost instantaneously by an explosive decompression as the air left the suit and propelled the now lifeless body away from him.