“Everyone have a seat,” General Breslin ordered.
The General ended up sitting opposite Ray with his back to the curtains. Rachel sat at the General’s left while the large woman sat at the table’s head farthest away from the others. Arnold ended up in the seat beside Ray facing Rachel and the General. He got a sense of Déjà vu
from his interview almost two weeks ago. Two weeks. How the world changed.
“OK. This is it. We are moving from crisis to crisis here people, so we don’t have time for much briefing. The least I can do is make introductions.
The woman you see to my right is named Donna. She is an original Unit member. She is former Advocate Heavy Infantry. She was inactive in the Unit, but I am very glad to have her back. We will rely on her greatly.
Donna, this is Lieutenant Triska, U.S. Army Signals Intelligence. He is a brand new recruit to the Unit, and his orientation was only today. This is Sergeant Nichols, U.S. Army, MP. He is on my staff now for the task at hand.
And this young person by the door is Corporal Makon. She is with Colonel Balanik, and I am uncertain how her arm came to be in that sling,” and the General cast his raised eyebrows at Rachel for a moment before continuing. He did not like to see his soldiers wounded. “So it looks like this is now a task force. First order of business is: what the hell just happened on your former home, Colonel Balanik,” and he turned to Rachel.
“The most likely scenario is a direct conflict between Advocate elements. We won’t be able to know that until we make contact with our Advocate assets,” and Rachel produced two items from a small satchel she had carried into the room. “But we can start by contacting that inbound ship.”
Rachel placed two fist-sized objects on the table. They looked like amber-colored Hope Diamonds. She slid one down the table to Donna, who stopped its slide with her hand and paused.
“Communications crystals,” Rachel said, “Linked with the ship.”
Donna went wide-eyed, said, “The ship is still here?”
“It’s one of our principal assets,” Rachel said, and she closed her hand around the crystal.
***
“Captain!” Nayar suddenly called aloud, “I have a strange communication from Earth.”
Nina had given the order to destroy the attacking ships less than an hour before. She lay on her flight couch with her eyes closed, trying to come to terms with what she had done. Her stomach was sour.
“Earth? Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, Captain. Completely sure.”
“Who is it from?” Nina asked.
“It is from one Rachel Balanik. She claims to be a former Intelligence Division officer of generation Vel.”
“Why do you say ‘former?’” Nina shot back.
“This is how she describes herself.”
“What does the message say?”
“It is a request for contact.”
“Let her join the network. Restrict her access to communication only. I want us all to hear this,” Nina ordered. Nayar informed Rachel, and there was a brief pause.
“This is Colonel Rachel Balanik, United States Army and former Advocate. We understand you are on your way here,” the voice said casually.
Nina thought for a moment before replying, “If there were such a thing as a ‘former Advocate,’ they should not be concerned with our destination. What do you want?”
There was another long pause before Rachel replied, “First, please tell me who I am speaking with.”
Nina thought there was no harm in answering, but she was not about to give any details, in spite of any obvious facts. If this Colonel was truly an Advocate, she already had a good idea what Nina was up to.
“Captain Nina Gaav, Range Division,” Nina said. “Now tell me what you want.”
“I want you to disclose your mission, the number in your party, the type and disposition of your ship and your destination.”
“And what makes you think I will do that?” Nina asked defiantly.
“Because your mission will depend on cooperation with Earth, Captain Nina of Gaav Generation. Earth is now an independent Sentient Homeworld. Any incursion requires human consent.”
What was this? Nina thought. How could this be? She took a deep breath before calling Rachel’s bluff.
“Request denied,” Nina said and made a cutting motion with her hand. Nayar disconnected Rachel from the network.
***
Donna and Rachel opened their eyes at the same time and stared at each other for a few moments.
“Oh!” Rachel suddenly exclaimed, shaking her head as if snapping out of a daydream. “Excuse me, everyone. Donna and I were still talking. I spoke with a Captain in command of what we must assume to be the Seed Mission ship. I couldn’t get much from her. At this point, we don’t know if her ship was sent by Olthan or the Queen. We can safely assume that her ship was the victor of whatever skirmish we detected.”
“Ray,” the General said, “Are you in contact with your ship and if so, do you have any information?”
“I am in contact with my ship. It was not in a position to detect the approaching Advocate Craft, but I have dispatched it to orbit to do so. Colonel Balanik, please link your ship with mine and we will share that information.”
Rachel closed her eyes for a moment “Done,” she said, and then addressed Sergeant Nichols, “Sergeant, take Corporal Makon, collect a small crew and have them clear the basement. Report back here when done.”
Sergeant Nichols acknowledged the order and briskly left the room with Corporal Makon in tow.
“General,” Ray said, “My ship has located the Advocate craft.”
Nina ordered the bridge filled with kinetic fluid. She decided to push the ship to the physical limits of its passengers. It would still be too time-consuming and draining to power levels to calculate and create the inertia field necessary for near-light speeds. Her overall strategy now was to get to Earth as quickly as possible while keeping the ship in the most effective defensive posture possible. That meant striking a balance between rapid travel and power reserves.
Osae calculated they could reach earth in eight hours and still meet the requirements of this strategy. Azin had advised Nina that there were likely no ships available to Olthan capable of catching up to them at this speed. The eight-hour travel time would increase the likelihood they would be able to take a defensive position on Earth before either Olthan or the Humans had a chance to respond. That was her hope, at least. Nina was glad that Azin still seemed to be on her side. The scarred officer was making positive contributions to this mission. Nina wished that to continue.
They each deployed the breathing tubes from their flight couches as the kinetic fluid rapidly filled the chamber. Their sheaths were still up, and Nina pushed as much energy into her battle robe as she could muster. They would need this for the burst of acceleration to come. Nina let out a breath as the breathing tube turned into a blob that covered her mouth and nose as she brought it to her face. Once the chamber was filled, the kinetic fluid went through its familiar calibration routine.
“Program is in place, Captain,” Nayar reported, “We are ready to proceed when your order.”
“Is everyone ready?” Nina asked, and each soldier responded in the affirmative. “Go.”
She had never experienced acceleration like this. None of the countless combat engagements or drop pod launches prepared her for this brand of violence. Even with the kinetic fluid and a fully-charged battle robe, the malevolent hand of inertia tried to smash her into the flight couch as if she were a lower order insect. She fought hard but halfway through the acceleration, the breathing fluid was squeezed from her chest. By the time the ship had reached full speed, she was seeing spots. Osae had passed out. Nayar reported their youngest soldier had two ribs with hairline fractures. Even Azin had trouble hiding the impact of their ride.
Nina released herself from the flight couch as the kinetic fluid drained. She waded through the now loose fluid
and placed a hand on Osae’s flight couch to query it. Osae’s blood oxygen was dangerously low, but there was still power in her armor. Two ribs were definitely fractured, and there was some hemorrhaging in her abdomen. It looked like she was able to keep her sheath strong but just barely strong enough to survive. Nina instructed the couch to deliver more oxygen and Osae began to stir. She tried to take a deep breath and winced in pain, exhaling instead.
“Careful,” Nina spoke gently. “Slow and easy.”
“I am sorry, Captain,” Osae struggled to say.
“Nonsense. No apology necessary. You did very well. Let’s get you to the healing chamber,” and Nina bent down. Osae roped her arm around her shoulder. Nina helped her up as the last of the liquid drained into the deck.
Azin had already opened the rear bridge door and made her way aft to prepare the healing chamber. As Nina approached the healing chamber, she saw Azin standing and looking down at the floor. The chamber door was retracted. Azin wasn’t moving and didn’t turn to them as they approached, nor did she acknowledge Nina when she stood at the chamber edge.
The healing chamber was a rectangular box filled with mineral oil similar to kinetic fluid and breathing oil. It held nutrients and allowed energy fields repair damaged tissue. This chamber was not empty. Nina looked down at the naked, battered form of Talin suspended unconscious in the fluid.
Chapter 20: Earth, Endgame
The newly formed task force huddled over papers and laptop screens and engaged in side conversations as they grappled with all the new data, trying to come up with a course of action. A drone of urgent voices bubbled up through the floor from the living room below which was now a command center. The little farmhouse teemed with soldiers.
“I have calculated the trajectory of the Advocate craft,” Ray announced. “My sources among the Advocates have also sent data. All information will be relayed to Colonel Balanik’s ship.”
“Exile One,” Rachel said.
“Pardon?” Ray replied.
“The ship. Ours. It’s called Exile One,” Rachel replied.
“Since when?” the General asked. None had bothered to name the ship in at least seventy years. It was less of a ship and more of a laboratory or office space.
“Since the moment, it became necessary to fly it to wherever this Advocate Captain will land.”
Every head in the room turned toward Rachel. General Breslin for once did not have a snappy response.
“Explain,” General Breslin ordered.
“We need to intercept this Captain and find out what her intentions are. I believe this calls for direct confrontation.”
“Colonel,” Arnold ventured, “what if that confrontation turns violent? What kind of collateral damage or exposure are we looking at?”
“Right to the head of the class, Lieutenant Triska. Took the words right out of my mouth,” the General directed his comment toward Rachel.
“There is a good chance it will come to that,” came Rachel’s frank answer. “We still don’t know whether this Nina is operating for Olthan or by the Queen’s authority. We can’t let her set down unchecked in any case.”
“My sources report this Captain Nina was sent by the Queen,” Ray answered, surprising them all. “I have examined the data from my contacts. It appears that Captain Nina destroyed two scout ships sent to intercept and destroy Queen’s shuttle. This happened only after the two scout ships attacked the Seed Mission on the planet surface just before it launched.”
“That means she’s already bloody,” Arnold said. “This makes her a greater risk. She has shown a willingness to kill her own kind to complete her mission. In my experience, this suggests extreme commitment if not fanaticism.”
“Then let’s hope it’s the former,” General Breslin replied.
Rachel and Donna were silent as they used the communications crystals to access the new information relayed from Ray’s ship. Donna discovered something.
“Ray,” Donna began, “This data is incomplete. There is no source information. Where did this come from?”
“I am sorry, Donna. My sources do not wish to be known at this point. They only wish to share information.”
“So they are obviously not dissidents. There are detailed service records here. They must have high-level access,” Donna speculated. “So there is a third faction in the mix; one highly placed.”
“All speculation. We are wasting time. We can slog through all that on our way to intercept,” Rachel said with growing impatience. “According to Ray’s data, they are on a trajectory that will put them down in Antarctica in eight hours.”
“That is near light velocity!” the General exclaimed,
“Not quite, General, but very close,” Rachel said “In any case, they can’t turn at that rate because there is no indication in Ray’s readings of an inertia field. Their destination is a certainty. They are locked in. Their power consumption markers suggest they are configured to stay below near light.
“That is still bloody fast,” the General said, and both Rachel and Donna had to agree.
“General Breslin, if I may suggest, I believe we should depart for the pole as soon as possible. I agree with Rachel ah, … Colonel Balanik,” Donna offered.
“No need for the preamble. You are here to suggest and more. I happen to agree. If this thing turns to shit, you will also be first on the front line, you understand,” the General said, and Donna assented with a grave nod of her head.
The group sat at the table digesting information. Rachel and Donna stayed busy going through the information supplied by Ray’s anonymous Advocate sources. Arnold felt that he had a true place at the table. He had discovered at this moment that warfare was always the same in any context, earth or not. Information was always the first line weapon. The quality of information would always dictate the chances of success.
Arnold guessed that this Captain Nina had decided to get to Earth and establish a beachhead before her rivals from her home caught up to her and before the Unit had a chance to respond. He figured any soldier from any nation would use a similar strategy. Ray’s information allowed them to counter that strategy. The Unit simply had to get there first. Sergeant Nichols entered the room. Arnold noticed he had dust on his boots.
Sergeant Nichols gave a sharp salute and a quick report. “General Breslin. The crew will have the basement clear within fifteen minutes.
“Excellent, Sergeant. I have another assignment for you. I need you to gather arctic combat gear; uniforms and any supplies you can muster as fast as you can. Weapons too. We need full gear for everyone in this room in under two hours. This task force will depart within that time frame, preferably sooner. That includes you and the Corporal with the bum wing. We will need at least a week of MREs.”
Sergeant Nichols did not hesitate. He acknowledged the order with a quick “Yes Sir, General Breslin!” turned on his heel and was gone. No questions asked. Arnold was beyond impressed, although he couldn’t imagine how the Sergeant would get that task done.
“Two hours is cutting it close, General,” Rachel said. “Exile One can only travel so fast in the atmosphere without detection and without causing environmental damage.”
“That’s why I have Nichols. He’ll probably have what we need in half that time.”
“Let’s hope,” Rachel remarked.
“Colonel Balanik. I want a detailed report on this Captain Nina. Please deliver this as soon as possible,” Chase ordered.
“Yes General,” and waving over Corporal Makon, the Colonel said, “Corporal, I will need a laptop computer. Make that happen.” The Corporal Acknowledged and returned several minutes later with a computer.
***
Nina helped Osae over to a bulkhead where she supported herself painfully. When Nina went to the healing bay again, she saw Talin resting like the dead. She could see that Talin’s eyes had been replaced, and the scar tissue on the right side of her face was much smoother. She now had a full scalp. The healing process had
even made her hair grow longer. Her left arm looked stronger, and her left leg was now straight. The chamber was hard at work. Part of Nina wished she could feel something other than confused. The other part just wanted to get on with this mission without more intrigue.
“Nayar,” Nina said through the comm network. “What is your reading on the healing bay?”
“Active, primed and ready.”
“But empty?”
“Yes, Captain. It is ready for Osae.”
“Did it show empty initially?”
Nayar hesitated, “Yes Captain. Why do you ask?”
“Because it is not empty,” Nina said and bent down to touch the floor beside the chamber. A query showed that Talin was indeed inside. The machine confirmed what her doubtful eyes told her. But the chamber did not share the information with the rest of the ship. Someone did this intentionally, but why, Nina wondered.
“Captain, I must advise that we all get back to the bridge as soon as possible and fill it with Kinetic fluid. If we are attacked, the change in velocity may not be survivable, even with the fluid.”
“Understood. We are on our way. I need you to create an auxiliary healing chamber back here.”
“Yes, Captain,” Nayar said, and a section of floor beside the main healing chamber phase shifted to form a second.
Azin and Nina quickly helped Osae into the secondary bay. She would be safe there and healed by the time they reached their destination. The bad news was that Osae would need to sleep and would not be available to copilot the ship. Azin and Nina would have to do their best to compensate. They hurried back to the bridge and slipped into their flight couches.
It took a few minutes for the chamber to fill again with kinetic fluid. They were six hours from Earth. Nina listened to Nayar’s regular reports on ship status, and Azin accessed the ship sensors to look out for pursuit or attack. There were no signs of either.
The Genetic Imerative Page 29
