by Kord Stone
She looked down at her display. “Soon after the rogue star was caught in the other star’s gravity, it had an orbit of about three hundred days. The orbit has decayed with matter transfer and the speed has increased a lot since then. The rotation is closer to twelve hours now. That is a very rare occurrence you see with that binary. They are in a rapidly decaying oval orbit. Usually a white dwarf star would be absorbing the other long before they would get that close, due to its dense gravity, but something about the two stars’ cores is preventing it, and when the two stars finally do merge, it will be interesting to see if it goes supernova or creates a supergiant. I would say the two stars will probably merge in the next few decades if this event is anything like my past observations. Anyway, with every orbital pass of the dwarf, the surface of Anukan is bombarded with deadly amounts of radiation.”
“That’s interesting. I’d imagine the astrophysicists on Earth would love to see something like that.”
“In all of the time I have been active, I have only witnessed this type of merging three times, and two of the three ended badly for the solar systems. Well it appears as if we are in the clear here. Now we just have to wait for everyone else,” Calia said.
TDS 1 arrived three hours later, and they set their plan in motion. They were going to allow TDS 5 enough time to connect to the generator, then they would use TDS 3 like a cue ball and knock TDS 5 off the pyramids generator beam with the bounce of the engines energy fields. If that didn’t work, they would do the phase shift in Anukan’s geomagnetic field and give TDS 5 another GMP focused on their location, and hope it would disconnect the ship from the beam.
TDS 5 arrived on the dark side of Anukan and immediately connected to the pyramids generator. Justin was just about to begin the collision course when Jerren’s voice rang out. “ABORT!”
They held their position and Justin asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jerren replied, “The commander just transported to the surface. If we fail to knock TDS 5 off of the beam, the AI might be able to transport him back… There, I sent you and Jason his location. I think one of you needs to collect him first then get him out of range.”
Jason entered the conversation. “I see where he is. We should be able to get close enough to collect him. Be ready to initiate the plan…” A moment later Jason shouted, “We have him! Do it now!”
Justin didn’t hesitate as he set them on the collision course and phased in. He felt the telltale push from the other ship’s energy field and even though the two ships were a substantial distance from each other, the energy field popped TDS 5 right off the beam. With a sigh, Justin re-phased his ship and took Calia in his arms and gave her a celebratory kiss.
The relief he felt was short-lived however. A moment later Jerren’s overly excited voice rang out. “You guys need to get in here fast!”
Justin’s heart began pounding and he thought, What the hell could have gone wrong this time? He and Calia made it to the master control room just as Jason and Alise did. Justin, Calia, Alise, and Jason shouted, “What is wrong?” in unison.
Jerren was smiling and said, “Nothing… Look!” he pointed to the TDS 5 console. And the four of them hurried to stand behind Jerren.
TDS 5
System failure imminent.
AL not online.
Commander no longer viable.
Commander override required.
Justin looked at the others. He thought it and the others must have as well because a moment later a new line appeared.
Reset binding disk for new commander? (Yes) or (No).
Justin didn’t even hesitate; he immediately selected (Yes).
The lights in the master control room dimmed a moment and a second later Calia pointed to a location beside the console. “The disk… Jerren put it on fast!” she shouted.
Jerren looked hesitant. Justin looked back to the disk and noticed it was beginning to vibrate.
A moment later Jerren snatched it up and said, “Here goes nothing,” and he applied the disk to the spot behind his right ear.
Justin was expecting Jerren to drop like a ton of bricks, and almost lunged for him, but he didn’t pass out as the rest of them had.
A moment later he heard Jerren say, “That was weird.”
Justin looked down and he read,
TDS 5
System failure imminent.
AL not online.
Commander no longer viable.
Commander override required.
Reset binding disk for new commander? (Yes) or (No)
Binding disk reconfigured, apply to new host.
Bonding procedure successful.
Data link confirmed.
Commander input required.
“Jerren, it needs your input,” Justin said.
Jerren closed his eyes a moment and Justin said, “There it is,” and read,
TDS 5
Input received, command functions TDS 5 transferred
Minimal access protocol, reengage full access (Yes) or (No)
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jerren had selected (Yes) and Justin drew in a quick breath. Jerren didn’t writhe in pain and a moment later everyone in the room seemed to release a collective sigh.
Justin looked down and saw a new line appear:
Auto data stream 55%.
Justin said, “Damn, my data stream started out much lower than yours.”
Calia chuckled. “That is probably due to your body’s DNA at the time. Now that all of us are changed, it probably allows for better connectivity.”
Justin approached the TDS 3 display and after reviewing it he replied, “You’re right; mine is at fifty-eight percent now.”
Jerren drew everyone’s attention when he said, “I’ve wanted to do something ever since I first entered the master control room.” He closed his eyes a second then reopened them.
Justin looked behind Jerren and found that the archway was opened and TDS 5 was ready for entry.
“Well that worked. Let’s try to restart the ship.” Jerren no sooner said it than the lights dimmed again and the display changed to read,
TDS 5
System Optimal
Justin cupped Jerren on the shoulder. “Sweet, now try to reconnect the ship with the pyramids generator.”
Jerren closed his eyes to concentrate on his task. It took him a few attempts but he finally got it connected.
Opening his eyes, Jerren asked, “Got it. What’s next?”
Alise said, “All right, it is going to take at least twelve hours to recharge, and I have moved our ship into an overwatch position… We need to decide the fate of the prior commander.”
Calia got a stern look and said, “I have a lot of questions for Baelentus, starting with why he betrayed Atlas’s trust!”
Alise had a troubled expression as she said, “I do not think you will find the answers you are looking for, Calia.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
Alise seemed to ponder the best approach and stated, “Because the commander we have is female. We transported her directly into medical and put her into stasis. I think we should all head over to our ship and see what we can get out of her.”
They all agreed and Jerren said, “If we take her out of stasis, what happens to the bonding process with me and TDS 5?”
Calia answered, “When the new disk is configured, the old disk becomes non-responsive. So she will have no control.”
He nodded looking relieved. “Okay let’s see what she has to say for herself then.”
One by one they passed through the TDS 1 archway with anticipation building over the information that might or might not be in store for them.
They all entered the medical unit with Calia taking up the rear. Shocked, Calia stared intently at their prisoner, and after taking an indrawn breath she rasped out, “This is not good. Do not wake her from stasis yet!” The group turned to her and were looking at her in confusion. Looking back to their prisoner she tried to figure out
how this was even possible.
It was Justin who drew her attention. “Who is she?”
Calia looked nervous as she said with a pointed look in the prisoner’s direction, “That…is Enyali.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Didn’t you say Enyali was Hyais’s wife and she was supposed to have been publicly executed?” It was Justin who asked the question.
Calia only nodded and the room erupted with questions. She explained to them again about her first commander and the circumstance of his death, along with the fact that her family insisted on carrying out Enyali’s execution to uphold the family honor.
Alise shook her head and said, “Not much honor there, since they did not follow through with it… The Lantins had a humane death sentence. It seems against their nature to allow an honor killing. Who petitioned to perform it?”
Calia replied, “He was Enyali’s great-grandfather, and he was the ninth member of the Ennead. His name was Khepri-Atum—”
Alise drew in a sharp breath this time and muttered, “That would explain the hatred.”
“What?” Justin asked.
Alise explained, “I mentioned before about the eleven conspirators responsible for the destruction at Lantis. Khepri-Atum was the ringleader and when Elgon went to confront him he was captured by their allies and tortured. When Elgon’s wife and son came to plead for his release, Khepri-Atum’s son Shu-Atum and daughter Tefnuit-Atem orchestrated their torture and murders, which were carried out in front of Elgon.”
Justin sighed and said, “Seeing as how Enyali is still alive, we will probably have to deal with her family as well—”
Alise was shaking her head. “No. They have been taken care of already.”
Calia looked at her questioningly and Alise continued. “Right after Elgon became the commander, we tried to locate them but my transporting him to safety must have spooked them, because they had vanished. We had to take care of an incident in the Algarin system along with a few other incidents that had come up. However, upon returning to Terra several thousand years later, we found that the Eleven had returned and set themselves up as gods.
“They were ruling the barbaric clans and Elgon was enraged. When we located Khepri-Atum, Shu-Atum and Tefnuit-Atem we transported them aboard this ship. We were searching for the others but were unable to locate any of them. For the crimes against Elgon and the Lantin people, Elgon and I sentenced them to death. It was performed using the Lantin protocol. They were put into an induced coma, then stasis, followed by being transported into the corona of the sun. That would explain why she had a vendetta against Elgon’s descendants.”
Calia was irritated, some of the pieces were coming together but she wanted more, “Who were the other eight and have you been able to locate any of them?”
Alise shook her head. “We collected DNA samples from them before the executions, but we were unable to track the rest of them. They were a single family however. Aside from the three I told you about, there were Gebb-Atum, Nuit-Atem, Osiris-Atum, Isis-Atem, Sethis-Atum, Nephthys-Atem, Horuisis-Atum, and Anubisis-Atum.”
Justin said, “I recognize some of those names, at least parts of them. They were the Egyptian gods—”
“They were not gods!” Alise snapped. “They had the chlorophyll DNA procedure done to them which granted them immortality. That along with the technology they had left over from Lantis assured them their new roles.”
Justin looked toward the medical unit. “You said Enyali is a relative, correct? So we can collect her DNA as well and track the others.”
Alise nodded and closed her eyes a moment. “Yes, I would venture to bet the reason we could not DNA track them before was because they were on TDS 5 and out of phase. Our list of things to do is getting larger by the day… There, I have her DNA on file as well. I have applied a tracer to her DNA so we can track the others. It should not be much longer than twelve hours for a lock on the nearest. What are we going to do about her?”
Calia managed to regain her cool. “I for one want to wake her up and question her. I know for a fact that the disk in her head was deactivated. I want to know how she escaped her execution and came into possession of TDS 5, and also what happened to Baelentus.” She could not understand it. Atlas had witnessed her execution personally.
They all agreed, as long as she was restrained. Calia knew the men would not want to have to fight a hostile female. Calia, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to get in a few licks.
With the restraints in place, Alise removed Enyali from stasis and standing just out of her vision, pulled her out of the induced coma.
“Who are you? What are you doing to me? I will kill your entire family if you do not release me at once!” Enyali spat into the air.
“We will be asking the questions here, Enyali.” Calia said her name with as much contempt as she could muster. Then she continued, “How did you come to be in possession of TDS 5?”
“I am not telling you anything!”
Undaunted Calia asked, “How did you escape your execution?”
Enyali didn’t say a word so Calia continued, “What happened to Baelentus?”
This time, Enyali cracked a smile and chuckled. “Wouldn’t you like to know. When my AI finds me, you are all going to be dead!”
Calia laughed derisively and said, “You do not have an AI anymore. TDS 5 has been reassigned.”
Enyali screamed at the top of her lungs, “You do not have the right! Who are you to think—”
“Silence! We have every right.” Calia gestured to the group and they all approached Enyali’s medical table. They looked down at her with their brightly glowing eyes, and Calia spoke again. “I am—”
“You cannot be here. You all left hundreds of thousands of years ago!” Enyali said with fear in her eyes.
“I…am the AI from TDS 3! You will answer my questions or we will put you back in stasis and carry out your execution immediately.”
Enyali seemed relieved that they were not the Imortum and must not have realized that her time was fading very fast.
She snidely said, “Ha, Bot—” she barked out. “It is against your programming to inflict damage on me. The other AI could do nothing to me either. I will never tell you anything. You are nothing but a gutless computer program.”
Jerren said, “She’s not going to be helpful. I say we put her back under. I can always access the information through the AI on my new ship. We should be able to find the others that way as well.”
“That AI is defective, and you will not be able to find the others. I hid them well!” Enyali ended with a laugh.
Alise sniggered and said, “Before we had you, or access to TDS 5, I would have agreed—”
“I will not tell you—”
“You do not have to say a word, Enyali-Atem. We will track your family using your DNA, dumbass!”
Enyali smiled evilly and said, “That will do you no good. You are all clueless.”
Calia could feel that Justin’s irritation had been piqued and he snapped out, “I’ve heard enough out of her. Let’s just put her under and carry out the execution.”
Enyali looked as if she were about to scream, realizing they were indeed about to kill her and a second later she was out like a light.
“Well, that was a fruitless venture,” Jerren said sounding quite irritated.
Calia smiled. “Not completely… It was difficult, but I looked into her mind while she was riled and I saw a little of what she was trying to hide.” She let out a laugh. “Gebb-Atum is beneath the surface of Anukan. Apparently he is trying to finish the work on an old Lantin ship. And Nuit-Atem is on the second level of your ship, Jerren.”
Justin asked, “Can we send a probe and tag Gebb-Atum, then transport him here as well?”
Alise asked, “Calia, did you see where the ship is located? The radiation from the surface and gravitational waves from the pulsar are masking my scans.”
Calia asked, “Could you bring up a
three-hundred-kilometer overlay image centering on Helios?”
Alise brought up the aerial image, and Calia pointed to the location in the center of where a lake used to be. It was a dried-out lake bed now with old ruins surrounding it and she said, “Here. This is where he should be.”
Alise nodded and launched a probe. A few minutes later the probe arrived at the location and proceeded to go through one ruin after the other until they finally found a shaft leading deep into the ground. “Okay, it is time to see what is down there.” The probe descended several hundred feet and then Alise shouted, “Not again! I am losing control of the probe.”
She moved to destroy it but Justin asked, “Can’t you re-phase the probe so they won’t be able to see it?”
“I have tried…” Alise activated the destruct and said, “If Gebb did not suspect something was wrong before, he does now… Jerren, your time displacement suit is over there. It was removed from Enyali when she was put into the medical unit. It is not your size so you will need to recycle it in your ship and make a new one. I tried to do it here but I keep getting an error saying the item already exists.”
Justin said, “I got the same error when I tried to recycle the suit I had been wearing that came from this ship. I had to recycle it back on this ship. I figured the items must belong to the vessels that made them.”
Calia said, “From what I gleaned from Enyali, there have been a lot of people down there over the past few thousand years. They are close to getting that ship working again. I think we should accompany Jerren to secure his ship then try to open communications then request that whoever is down there turn Gebb-Atum over to us. If they refuse, then we reset them as well, and collect him ourselves. If we have to GMP the planet, then we will either have to wait until Jerren’s ship is finished charging and do a one-to-one TD shift or perform a lower yield pulse. If we have to do it while he is still charging, we could focus it on their location as we did on Serqalin. But to avoid TDS 5 being caught up in the GMP, we would have to go no farther than .25 from positive and negative TDs.”
