The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost: A Lost Fleet Novel

by Raymond L. Weil

  “I don’t like this,” Hailey said, her face creased in a deep frown. “Why haven’t they attacked?”

  “Perhaps after our last battle they decided to stay away from Originator space,” suggested Commander Erick Sutherland. “They did suffer a major defeat.”

  “They will not stay away,” said Caria. Caria was an Originator AI and the ship’s helm and navigation officer. “They will attempt to destroy all who oppose them. They will return. They now recognize us as a threat and one which needs to be eliminated.”

  Hailey looked over at the tactical display. As it had for the last several months, there were no red threat icons showing. Glancing at the viewscreens on the front wall of the Command Center, she could see a number of the ships under her command. She had twelve hundred heavy dreadnoughts, all updated with the most recent advances as well as 4,200 of the two-thousand-meter Originator battlecruisers. These too had been updated but were still not as powerful as Hailey would like. She knew back at the Communications and Transport Hub new Originator battlecruisers were being built that would have the new triplex energy screens as well as more powerful weapons. Some of the Dyson Spheres were also in the process of converting their shipyards to producing the new battlecruisers as well. Eventually all of them would be converted.

  “I guess I just hate this waiting,” Hailey said with a deep sigh. “Even our crews are getting on edge. There are only so many emergency drills and training drills we can do to keep the fleet at top efficiency.”

  “Just think about Rear Admiral Cross,” said Commander Sutherland. “He’s been stuck inside the Dyson Sphere with his fleet from nearly the time he arrived.”

  Hailey knew Erick was right. Rear Admiral Cross was her ace in the hole. His fleet was comprised of two hundred heavy dreadnoughts and five thousand Originator battlecruisers. If the Eternals attacked, Hailey planned on drawing them into a fleet battle and then gradually withdrawing back toward the Dyson Sphere where its heavy weapons could come into play. Once the Eternal fleet had been degraded sufficiently Cross would exit the Dyson Sphere and help in the mopping up. At least that was how the plan was supposed to go but Hailey knew that very seldom did things go as expected in a battle.

  Hailey stood up with a yawn. It had been a long day and she was ready for some rest. She was going to get a quick bite to eat and then head off to her quarters. She had a few reports to write and then with any luck she would get a good eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  “Commander Sutherland, you have command. I’m off to get something to eat and then to my quarters.”

  Erick nodded. “I have command. Get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Hailey exited the Command Center and headed to the small cafeteria on the command level. She was in the mood for a tuna fish sandwich and some ice-cold tea, then off to her quarters.

  -

  Near the edge of Galaxy X-938, the first of two Eternal fleets suddenly exited hyperspace. Four thousand swirling blue vortexes appeared and from each vortex an Eternal battlecruiser emerged. Twelve minutes later more vortexes opened up expelling ten thousand more of the large vessels of war.

  -

  “All ships are present,” reported Motan from his sensor console as he scanned the two assembled fleets.

  Fleet Commander Norlan had expected no less. “Inform all ship commanders they have two hours to ready their ships for combat. We will exit hyperspace forty million kilometers from the Shrieel and then begin our attack. Any defending fleet we will annihilate and then proceed to the Shrieel and begin our bombardment of its surface.”

  “We may take some heavy losses when we go into orbit,” warned Second Commander Telan. “The Shrieel will have powerful offensive and defensive weapons.”

  “We have sufficient ships that we can afford the losses,” Norlan said dismissively. “We just need to hold one area and get our warrior robots and shock troops down to the surface. Once we’re safely inside the Shrieel their weapons will be useless.”

  “Should we send a few ships in under stealth to scan the system?”

  Norlan shook his head. “No, we know they have the technology to penetrate our stealth field. I don’t want to give them any indication of an impending attack. Fleet Commander Solten and his attack force will arrive first. If there is a danger, he will inform us prior to our arrival in the system.”

  “This Shrieel will be the first to fall to us,” Telan said. “It will mark our first victory against a Shrieel and will be the first of many.”

  “We are the Eternals,” said Norlan. “We are nearly immortal and far more powerful than our ancestors could ever have believed possible. If there were Originators still alive they would cower in our presence.”

  “We are superior,” agreed Second Commander Telan. “We will soon demonstrate that to the Originator AIs and their upstart proxy race.”

  “In two hours Fleet Commander Solten will make the jump to the star system containing the Shrieel. Shortly after that we will follow with the main part of the fleet.”

  Fleet Commander Norlan stood flexing the muscles in his arms. His arms were powerful and bulged with muscles. Inside his body microscopic mechanical nanites augmented his strength and intellect. The Eternals were the ultimate life form in the universe. No one would be allowed to stand in their way.

  -

  Hailey was sound asleep when suddenly the Condition One alarms sounded. Her eyes flew open and she sat up with a groan. Shaking her head, she forced herself to come fully awake. Focusing her eyes, she saw the red lights in her quarters flashing and then Commander Sutherland’s voice came over the ship’s comm system announcing the setting of Condition One.

  Swinging her legs out of bed Hailey reached for her uniform and began getting dressed. There was no need to ask what the Condition One alert was for. Only one thing would cause the setting of Condition One and that was the return of the Eternals.

  As soon as she finished dressing she exited her quarters. Her quarters were on the command deck and it was only a short distance to the Command Center. Reaching the hatch the two Marines there opened it, allowing her admittance. With the setting of Condition One all hatches were now shut and the one to the Command Center under permanent guard.

  “Status?” she asked as she made her way to the command chair, which Commander Sutherland had just vacated upon seeing her arrival.

  “Four thousand Eternal vessels detected on the long-range sensors,” he reported. “They are inbound toward the Dyson Sphere.”

  “Four thousand,” repeated Hailey, feeling a little confused. “I thought they would send more.” She had been expecting a much larger attack.

  “They may have,” said Erick. “This may only be the first wave we’re detecting. There may be others behind it.”

  Hailey nodded. “Send word to Rear Admiral Cross the Eternals have been detected. Also, inform the Originator AIs to activate the weapon systems on the Dyson Sphere. We will need them shortly.”

  One of the Control Centers inside the Dyson Sphere was in continuous contact with the Victory, Rear Admiral Mann’s flagship.

  “Messages sent,” reported Lieutenant Denise Sparks. “Messages have been acknowledged.”

  “Dyson Sphere weapons are becoming active,” reported Captain Horatio Adams from his sensor console. There were now massive power readings coming from the surface of the sphere.

  On the main viewscreen, hatches slid open and weapon turrets appeared. Ion cannons swung around pointing their barrels outward toward space. Numerous gravitonic cannons did the same.

  “Fleet is at Condition One,” added Commander Sutherland.

  Hailey leaned back in her command chair. Now they had to wait until the Eternal fleet exited hyperspace. Hailey wondered how many more might be coming. She had run drill after drill preparing her fleet for this moment. Now it was time to put those drills to the test.

  “Inform Rear Admiral Cross to send a message to the Communications and Transport Hub. He is to inform Fle
et Admiral Strong the Eternals have returned and their approximate fleet strength.” The main Control Center in the Dyson Sphere could send communications to the hub almost instantaneously and would relay Cross’s messages. “Also add there may be more Eternal forces we haven’t spotted yet.” Hailey had a feeling there were indeed more they hadn’t seen.

  Glancing over at the tactical display, Hailey was expecting to see a second or even a third Eternal fleet put in an appearance at any moment. She was certain if this was an attack to conquer the Dyson Sphere, it would be in overwhelming force.

  -

  Fleet Commander Solten gazed at the ship’s tactical display now showing the Shrieel and the Originator AI forces protecting it.

  “We are detecting 5,400 vessels,” reported Second Commander Albor. “Twelve hundred of the larger vessels, which we believe are controlled by their proxy race, and 4,200 Originator battlecruisers which are most likely being operated by the AIs.”

  “A respectable force,” Solten responded. “The number of ships in the system are much greater than those Fleet Commander Norlan encountered in his previous battle in this galaxy.” Solten wondered how many ships the Originator AIs and their proxy race possessed. There had been some debate about, after all these years, whether the Shrieels had even maintained a fleet. It was possible all of the vessels they were facing were new construction. If so, this could be a major portion of their available fleet.

  “Our ships are larger and more heavily armed,” pointed out Albor. “We should be able to handle this fleet even though it’s equipped with Originator weapons.”

  Solten felt the urge to attack the enemy as soon as his fleet exited hyperspace but he knew as soon as he did the enemy fleet would most likely fall back toward the Shrieel. No one was certain how heavily armed the Shrieel would be after the passage of so many years. It was assumed it would have powerful weapons to resist other space traveling races.

  “When we emerge from hyperspace, the fleet will form up in a globular defensive formation and we will await the arrival of Fleet Admiral Norlan. Once his fleet arrives, we will attack the defending fleet and destroy it, then move upon the Shrieel.”

  “We will be exiting hyperspace shortly,” Albor said. “What if the enemy attacks us upon emergence?”

  “Then we fight back and try to annihilate it before Fleet Commander Norlan arrives.” With four thousand Eternal warships Solten was not overly concerned about meeting the waiting fleet in battle. He was confident if the Originator AIs and their proxy race attacked he could destroy them.

  Albor nodded, satisfied with the answer. His eyes shifted over to the tactical display showing the huge red icon representing the Shrieel. “Soon victory will be ours and the AIs on the Shrieel will know what it means to serve the Eternals. They will have their uses.” The Eternals had long since quit using AIs, at least in the form of Eternals. There were AIs upon some of their ships or on planets the Eternals controlled but they were all in the form of computers.

  -

  Several minutes passed and suddenly hyperspace vortexes began forming in the star system containing the Shrieel. Hundreds and then four thousand of them came into being. From each a four-kilometer-long Eternal battlecruiser emerged. As soon as they were in the system shields came up and weapons were brought online. The fleet quickly adjusted its formation until it resembled a massive globe. This was a defensive configuration aimed at allowing the fleet to fire its weapons in all directions. They would maintain this formation until Fleet Commander Norlan arrived.

  -

  “Eternal fleet emergence,” announced Captain Adams. “Distance is forty million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere.”

  “The Eternals are forming up into a globular formation,” added Commander Sutherland as he watched the tactical display.

  Rear Admiral Mann studied the display for a few moments. “There must be more Eternal vessels in transit,” she said. “That defensive formation is to ensure it can arrive safely without interference.” Hailey had been certain there would be more Eternal ships. This seemed to confirm it.

  Commander Sutherland turned toward the admiral. “We could jump a force behind the Eternals. That’s the most likely spot for a second fleet to emerge from hyperspace. They may not be expecting a move such as that.”

  Hailey thought about it for a few moments. If it was timed just right, they could hit the main Eternal fleet as it was exiting hyperspace. “We’ll take the dreadnoughts only. We’ll jump in and try to hit them as they’re emerging.” Hailey did some swift calculations in her head. “Thirty seconds, that’s all the time we can afford to stay before we come under intense weapons fire. As it is we’ll be subject to heavy fire from the fleet that’s already in the system.”

  “Contact,” called out Captain Adams. “Second Eternal fleet detected. Long-range scans indicate an additional ten thousand warships.”

  Commander Sutherland looked over at the admiral. “There is a second fleet as we suspected. We’ll be going up against fourteen thousand Eternal vessels.”

  Hailey nodded. “We’ll jump in, empty our missile tubes, hit them with our energy weapons, and then get the hell out.”

  “Then fall back to the Dyson Sphere?”

  “Eventually; we’re going to need its weapons and Rear Admiral Cross’s fleet if we hope to survive this.” Hailey then turned toward the Helm. “Caria, can you set up a precise jump to put us two hundred thousand kilometers behind the Eternal fleet that’s in the system? I want it timed so we exit hyperspace the exact moment the second Eternal Fleet arrives.”

  Caria spent a few moments analyzing the current course of the inbound Eternal force. “We could jump right into the center of their emerging formation,” she warned. “Some ships could be quite close. Possibly just a few kilometers.”

  “Thirty seconds,” Admiral Mann said definitively. “I want thirty seconds to unload everything we have on them and then jump back out.” If she could hit them hard enough, it just might cause them to pause in their planned attack.

  “We’re going to lose a few ships,” warned Commander Sutherland. “Though it will be a very brief battle we may leave a few damaged ships behind. Even with our triplex shields their energy weapons will still be dangerous.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Hailey replied. “That fleet will be the most vulnerable when it’s emerging. We get our hits in and then get out.”

  “So will we,” Sutherland reminded the admiral. “It may only take a few microseconds for our shields to come online but the Eternal fleet already here will be able to fire on us as soon as we emerge. We’re also going to be so close weapons are not going to miss and those energy weapons of the Eternals are dangerous, even with our new shields.”

  Admiral Mann nodded. “That’s true, but with any luck we’ll be in the middle of their emerging fleet and it might be hard for them to lock their weapons on without hitting their own vessels.” Hailey knew she was taking a risk, but the surprise to the Eternals would be worth it. With a little luck, she would get in the first blow and be able to escape with negligible losses.

  “Jump is set up, Admiral,” Caria said as she glanced away from her console. “The other Originator AIs on the other dreadnoughts are aware of the plan and will do everything they can to get their ships back safely.”

  “That’s all we can ask,” answered Hailey. She pursed her lips as she thought over the coming action. “Commander Sutherland, I want all the missile tubes on the dreadnoughts loaded with dark matter missiles. With any luck we can get off two full salvos before our time runs out.” Hailey leaned back in her Command Chair. She had done everything she could for the moment. Now they just had to wait on the main Eternal fleet to arrive.

  -

  Fleet Commander Solten sat in his command chair waiting for the arrival of Fleet Commander Norlan. So far the enemy fleet had remained stationary, obviously fearful of getting too far away from the Shrieel and its heavy weapons.

  “Fleet Commander N
orlan’s ships are about to exit hyperspace,” reported Second Commander Albor.

  Solten looked up at the viewscreens seeing the first vortexes beginning to form. At the same time warning alarms began sounding on the sensor console.

  “Enemy capital ships are jumping,” warned the sensor operator.

  “What? Where are they going?” Was it possible the enemy had decided to flee rather than face destruction?

  On the viewscreens, the first of Fleet Commander Norlan’s battlecruisers began to emerge at the same time even more spatial vortexes began to form.

  “The enemy capital ships are materializing inside Fleet Commander Norlan’s emerging fleet,” warned Second Commander Albor as a 3,200-meter warship exited a vortex.

  “Lock on those ships and fire!” commanded Solten, recognizing the danger Norlan’s fleet was in. Those ships would be able to fire upon Norlan’s battlecruisers as they emerged from hyperspace. While the energy shields would activate within microseconds, it would take a few seconds longer for the weapons to come online.

  “Enemy ships are firing!” warned Second Commander Albor.

  On the main viewscreen, thousands of Eternal ships were now exiting hyperspace. Huge explosions began to appear all across space as missiles impacted Eternal battlecruisers. Beam weapons were also firing. Solten feared he was seeing the beginning of a disaster. No logical race would jump their fleet directly into the path of an emerging fleet, but this proxy race of the Originator AIs had done precisely that.

  -

  Fleet Commander Norlan had witnessed the larger ships of the enemy fleet vanishing from the tactical display just as his ship exited hyperspace. The Devastator suddenly reeled as if it had run into an obstacle. Alarms started sounding, and red lights began appearing on the damage control console.

  “We’ve been struck by a dark matter missile,” reported Second Commander Telan. “We have major damage to the forward section of the ship.”