James Wittenbach - Worlds Apart 03

by Bodicea

  “I hope they put us up somewhere for the night,” Lear said. She turned to Armatrading.

  “We have … one day to convince Ciel to join a friendship treaty with Republic.”

  Far, far away, seventy-six million kilometers away, the world-ship received the message.

  There was a short period of silence, then six hundred sixty-six gravity engines fired, sending waves of graviton-based energy toward the planet Bodicéa.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The Bodicéan City of Rhiannon, on the northeast corner of the northern continent was protected by an ancient greystone seawall. It rose over the city for nearly two hundred meters, and was one of the engineering marvels of the planet.

  Rhiannon lay below the level of the sea. It had been low to the sea when it was founded, back in the days of the Patriarchy, and in the thousands of years that had passed, had gradually sunk lower and lower, until the seawall became a necessity. It had stood for centuries, wrapping the city to the north and east, and the women of Rhiannon give it little notice. It was a part of the landscape.

  Today, though, the sea was raging. The moon in the morning sky was bright, the air only a little cooler than normal, but waves battered the seawall in a way Cirin, the old seawatcher had not seen since the hurricane of twenty years past. Water crashed against the seawall, shaking the watchtowers along its length, splashing over the top and raining down the side.

  The streets of the city closest to the wall were beginning to flood.

  When Cirin saw the crack begin to open, a few meters from the base of her tower, she climbed the curving stone staircase to the bell tower at the top of the tower, and pulled with all her strength on the cord. The sound was drowned out in the tower by the roaring sea, but it tolled over the city, warning the people to flee to higher ground.

  In Serenopolis, a perfect cloudless day had given way to a rich emerald night. Its women retreated from the business of the day and withdrew to their dormitories and collectives, Gathering around circles of quiet light, they prepared and consumed meals, gossipped, read, went over lessons with their daughters, and settled in for the night.

  On the edge of Serenopolis, in the most fashionable sector of all, inside Ciel’s ancient home, Pieta was enduring an unquiet night. She was accustomed to falling asleep to the distant but audible sussurus of the ocean. On this night, though, the sea was churning, thrusting against the cliffside and spitting fountains of salt-green foam almost to the top, as though a hurricane storm were raging.

  She lifted the comforted and padded in bare feet to the hallway. “Mater? … Nana?”

  The hall was dark, and the sound of the sea drowned out her footsteps. She saw a light on in her mother’s study, the door was cracked open a little. She picked up the pace and ran the short distance. “Mater.”

  She pushed through the door and was disappointed to see Tobias, sitting on a chaise, his short bare legs folded underneath him, staring out the window at the sea. He turned up to see her. “Daughter?”

  “Is Mater here?”

  “She’s in Concordia,” Tobias answered.

  “When will she be back?”

  “I don’t know.” From what he understood, there were small earthquakes and raging tides across the planet.

  Pieta walked past him, to the window ledge. She looked outside, in the direction of the sea.

  “This is a very bad night,” she said.

  Three thousand kilometers away, in Concordia, Ciel was trying to make sense of the reports coming into the chambers of the Inner Circle. Oceans were raging across the planet, every coastal city was being pounded. There were earthquakes in nine of the planet’s provinces, the most severe of which had split open a great crack down the middle of the city of Lourdes, and leveled every building.

  “I don’t understand it,” she said, fighting exhaustion. She had not slept in two days.

  “The Woman from Pegasus claims she knows why this is happening,” her aide, Alexia, told her. Alexia was very tall for a Bodicéan, which made her almost as tall as a Republicker woman.

  Ciel looked up, rubbed her eyes blearily. “I suppose she will only tell me in the context of a personal audience.”

  Alexia bowed her head.

  “Send her in,” Ciel sighed.

  Alexia parted the double doors to Ciel’s office, and Goneril Lear entered, Trajan trailing at her heels. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

  “Given the lateness of the hour, and my own exhaustion, please spare me the pleasantries.

  My aide tells me you have an explanation for the disturbances around my world. First, how did you even know…”

  ” Pegasus has monitored seismic activity across the planet. Your oceans are in a state of extreme tidal flux, all of which is because the Aurelians, the moment they received word of the treaty, activated their ship’s gravity engines and began moving in. The collected force of their propulsion systems was like… having hundreds of moons appear on one side of the planet, all pulling.”

  Lear pulled Trajan forward, until he was standing before Ciel’s desk. “This is my son, Trajan. He is a little older than your daughter, Pieta…”

  A sudden commotion rose in the hall outside. First there was a pounding, then, a shouting.

  Finally, came a loud series of pops; weapons fire from firearms based on the principle of solid projectiles fired by chemical explosions.

  “What’s going on?” Ciel demanded.

  “I shall find out,” Alexia said, she went to the door.

  No sooner did she open it than two more shots were heard. Blood burst from her neck and chest. She fell to the floor. Ciel screamed. Lear pulled Trajan down to the floor and threw her body over his.

  Four women in body armor and hoods burst into the room, carrying large heavy weapons, pointing them at Ciel and Lear. “The chamber is secured, My Lady,” yelled the largest among them.

  Another woman entered the room, similar attired in body armor, but carrying no weapons, only an expression of supreme satisfaction: Solay.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Ciel asked, voice quaking, whether more in anger or fear, no one could tell.

  “Aurelia triumphs,” Solay shouted. The other women echoed her call.

  “Aurelia?” Ciel repeated.

  “Come on, you really should have figure it out,” Solay taunted. She crossed to Lear and gave her a hard kick in the ribs. “Get up!”

  Lear rose slowly, trying to shelter Trajan as best she could, while keeping a stern steely lock on Solay’s eyes. “What about us?”

  “I haven’t decided whether to let you die when the Aurelians claim this city, or to keep you alive as hostages against the interference of your people. Coronado will tell me, when I inform her that you are safely in the custody of the Bodicéan Proto-Echelon.”

  She took Lear by arms and embraced her, whispering in her ear, “Welcome to the Echelon.

  Coronado believes there still may be hope for you.”

  Lear pulled away. Solay was utterly calm as she choreographed events. “Take the woman and her boy to the Tower of Justine with the others. I will escort our lady Ciel personally to the Chamber of the Outer Circle, where the rest of our Government shall be brought and held for the arrival of our Aurelian hosts.”

  They were hustled into the entrance corridor, where Armatrading, Driver, and Alkema stood with hands on their heads, weapons trained on them. Armatrading was standing stoically, but tears were streaming down her face. Lear was relieved that they were alive, but wondered how long any of them would stay that way.

  “A glorious era is dawning,” Solay told all of them. “A glorious era for all of us.”

  Four hundred thousand kilometers and more above, Pegasus was rocking like a ship on the high seas.

  “Dampers to full,” Shayne American called out, holding tight to her post.

  “What’s going on?” Lt. Commander Miller demanded.

  Miller bent over the tactical display. “I am reading massive displacement w
aves. The signature is identical to the Aurelian fleet.” He called down to Keeler. “War Room to Commander Keeler. The Aurelians have activated their gravity engines. They’re moving toward the planet.”

  At that same instant, another transmission came in, from PC-1. “Commander,” came the voice of Specialist McCormick. “We are receiving an incoming transmission from the Aurelians.”

  “Put it through,” Keeler ordered.

  Coronado appeared on monitors in PC-1, the War Room, and in Caliph’s Chamber.

  “Dear friends on board Pegasus. I have just received word that the people of Bodicéa have chosen to join the Aurelian Union. They are now part of our body. Your presence here is no longer required. You are instructed to either depart the system immediately, or you may also join the Aurelian Union by turning over your ship to us. We promise to accelerate consideration of your petition. If you choose to leave, we will not pursue you. We hope you will respect the enlightened decision made by the people of Bodicéa, and will not interfere with their peaceful integration into our body.”

  “Message ends, commander,” said McCormick.

  “Retransmit our message. If they move within the orbit of the sixth planet, we will treat them as hostile.”

  Miller added, “If they are moving, it means our forces have already engaged them.”

  “Then, I suppose, we are at Battle Situation One,” Keeler stated, matter-of-factly. “All crew to battle-stations, put a hold on tonight’s Wally-ball tournament.”

  Several displays in PC-1 activated, displaying the notice “Battle Situation 1: Attack Imminent.” Eliza Change was in command there, and she sent out the order throughout the ship. “All personnel, Pegasus is at Battle Situation One. Enemy attack is imminent. All battle crew, report to stations. Peripheral personnel, report to your designated shelter areas. This is not a drill. Pegasus is at Battle Situation One.”

  Throughout the command tower and Flight Decks, the crew scrambled toward their battle stations. In the missile hatcheries and point defense stations at the bow of the great ship, weapons were primed for use. Guardians guided the civilian crew to the hardened shelter areas deep within the hull.

  “Sixteen Aves ready for launch. Sixteen more in final preparation,” American reported.

  “Manned and unmanned Shrieks ready for launch.”

  The ship rolled again, more gently. The dampening systems had adapted.

  Honeywell leaned over to Miller. “Commander, suggest we implement battle plan beta, set out an additional line of defense between Pegasus and the planet.”

  “Agreed. Flight Control, this is Lt. Commander Miller. Launch all ships.”

  “Missile hatcheries and point defenses on-line,” American reported. “HellBlazer and Doom Patrol Flight Groups report engaging Aurelian attack forces.”

  Keeler looked at the Dead Guy. “It’s started.”

  Tripwire Force consisted of sixteen Aves from HellBlazer and Doom Patrol Flight Groups were positioned at the south pole of the sixth planet, escorted by forty-eight autonomous Shrieks. They had been given orders to engage the Aurelians as soon as they moved within the orbit of the sixth planet. When the first Aurelian ships moved past the orbital margin, they sprang.

  Flight Captain Ponyboy James led them from his Aves, which also was named James.

  “Break off by quarters, attack from behind, all their guns are forward, disable their weapons and propulsion systems.”

  They flashed over the surface of the planet. 12 255 Vulpeculus VI had been an airless gray and rocky world, but the impact of 60,000 Aurelian projectiles had kicked up enough dust to obscure the whole of the surface under a flat, iron-coloured cloud. The cloud had given them cover before, now they rose above in four separate flights and moved on the sixty-six Aurelian ships that led the invasion. The Shrieks followed them, to provide a line of defense between the Aves and the next wave of Aurelian ships.

  As they closed on the ships, they were subjected to a tremendous buffeting, like kayaks in a whitewater rapid.

  “The gravity wakes of these things are unbelievable,” said Flight Lieutenant Ironhorse, in the Aves Kate.

  “Hold tight, stay the course,” James ordered. “With this much gravitational distortion, we’re going to have to get pubic hair close to ensure a lock.”

  The sixteen small ships bore down on the sixty-six big ones.

  James drove hard toward the lead Aurelian ship. “Everybody, choose a dance partner, we’re going in. Weapons, prepare to lock. We’re closing.”

  “Positive lock, optimal range,” reported James’s Weapons Officer.

  “Fire missiles.”

  “Missiles away.”

  Thirty-two hammerhead missiles shot forth. The Aves peeled up and away as the missiles broke free. Space held its nonexistent breath.

  Seconds later, thirty-two bright flashes split the darkness. A few seconds after, there was one massive explosion, followed by a chorus of other bright flashes, and several more enormous explosions.

  “Whoa, Pony, you nailed his reactor core…,” said the weapons officer of the Aves Olive.

  The weapons officer of the Aves James reported ten ships disabled and six completely destroyed.

  “That leaves fifty more,” Ponyboy said. “Shall we dance? Tripwire one and two, break right on my wing. Tripwire three and four, break left. Let’s hurt them.”

  “Uh, Pony,” said his Weapons Officer, “Look behind us.”

  Flt. Lieutenant James looked at the aft sensor feed. “Kum Bah Yah!”

  The other six hundred ships of the Aurelian fleet were moving forward, and flashes of light showed they were firing weapons. The Shrieks moved to intercept, but it was obvious it wouldn’t be enough.

  “Stay tight on the attack, watch your six and prepare to jig,” James ordered. He turned to the weapons officer. “Are we still transmitting to Pegasus?”

  “Continuous feed, but they’re six light minutes behind us.”

  “Commence second attack run!” Ponyboy ordered. The sixteen ships moved in on their secondary targets and unleashed double-braces of Hammerheads. The gravitational wakes that made them have to fire at point-blank also protected them by diverting the missiles that broke through the line of Shrieks.

  An Aurelian missile found its mark on one of the autonomous Shrieks, hitting one of its metal butterfly wing and ripping it cleanly away. The craft recognized itself as terminally wounded, and directed itself, kamikaze style, head on into one of the Aurelian ships, smashing against its bow.

  “Enemy fire intensifying,” James’s Weapons Officer reported.

  “Our orders were to stand and fight,” James repeated. “Until we hear otherwise…”

  Suddenly, from behind the ships came a burst of explosions, lighting up space behind them like a massive interplanetary lightning storm, like a fireworks display from Valhalla itself, like a thousand points of light detonating. “Kum Bah Yah, what in the hell was that?”

  Miller studied the tactical display. “The ships at the edge of the Aurelian Fleet are spreading out along all axes, they’re going to try to out-flank us in three dimensions. Project tactical projection.”

  The display in the center of the room showed battle-groups comprising about 60 of the Aurelian ships moving to surround Pegasus.

  “Clever,” Miller conceded. “Time to formation.”

  “Forty minutes.”

  “Forty minutes to devise a defense, ” he repeated.

  “The most obvious defense is to move Pegasus. Their sensors can’t find us in real time any more than ours can find them,” Shane American pointed out.

  “Good. Miller to Bridge. Prepare to alter position.” He tapped into the display, trying to choose an optimal point for repositioning.

  “While we’re busy with the pack, it frees their other ships to attack the surface,” Shane American pointed out.

  “Okay, then we’ll move away from the orbital plane… fourteen degrees, and 45 light seconds.” The tiny gold holographic Pe
gasus moved to a new point on the display. “Bridge, execute new position.”

  An alarm began to sound. “Commander, we have incoming fire.” Vectors appeared, hundreds of them.

  “Course projections,” Miller asked. Dotted lines appeared between the incoming targets and their projected points of impact. Most of them were headed for the planet, but at least a hundred were aimed at Pegasus. Beside each target was a projected time to intercept. The first of them would reach Pegasus in just nine minutes.

  “Smack,” Miller spat. “Status of Range and Point Defenses.”

  “All systems armed and ready. Incoming targets being tracked.” Shayne American shook her head. “There’s no way we can defend Pegasus and the planet.”

  “What do we have on those incoming? What are they? Missiles or energy weapons?”

  “Two of our Aves were in a position to scan. If they reported anything… we should know in a couple of minutes.”

  “Miller to Main Bridge, prepare for evasive maneuvers,” but staring at the display, he knew there was no way to maneuver Pegasus and still defend the planet.

  “Alter course heading 158 by 18 by 3, maximum speed.”

  Shane American looked at him like he was nuts. “You are going to take Pegasus right into the projectiles.”

  “Za, and order the Aves to defend the planet. Do we have any more Aves ready to launch.”

  “Second Doom Patrol is standing by. 20 Shrieks are in hot ready.”

  “Launch. They’ll have to defend Bodicéa.”

  “New course projections laid in … Intercept of targets in … two minutes, twelve seconds.”

  “Lock on point and range defenses.”

  “Range defenses locked in forty-five seconds.”

  “Launch when targets are in range. Hammerhead missiles.” The atmosphere in the War Room was dry, hot, and electric, the second before a storm in the desert. “Status of Basil, “

  Miller asked, since they had a few seconds.”

  ” Basil reported atmospheric penetration nine minutes ago. Basil should be closing on Serenopolis, now.” No one had asked, but American added anyway.

  ” Prudence is still on the ground in Concordia. We have been out of contact with them for over four hours, and we recently lost contact with their locator implants.”