Empire of Stars

by D. W. Patterson

  The newly built fusion ship was still in the build-dock in orbit about Earth. The ship would soon have a full complement as the spin-two device transported the crew from Earth, the Moon and Mars aboard.

  The captain was already aboard and in the control room. The smell of a new ship was unmistakable. Captain Lewin had spent ten years of his life working his way up to this moment. Military, freighters and then passenger transports all had contributed to his training. And all of his previous commanding officers recognized his gift of command.

  At first the navigation console began to malfunction. The Captain walked over to the crewman running that console.

  “What is it Harris?”

  “I don't know sir. Maybe just some launch day jitters.”

  “That's understandable. Should we scrub?”

  “No sir. I can handle it.”

  “Very well.”

  The Captain started to walk back to his command chair when he heard the loud arcing sound behind him. He turned to see Harris twisting in panic just before the console went up in smoke. Harris was thrown to the Captain's feet. Dead.

  Captain Lewin never delayed. After checking on Harris he ordered a full ship emergency evacuation. That order saved some lives as those near escape pods quickly ejected. Unfortunately, Captain Lewin and a few others in command were not among them as the ship exploded when the core of the ball of plasma struck it. Turning the ship and the dock and everyone aboard into a great cloud of debris which would only slowly fall back to Earth.

  “WTF!?” - The New Gallan Standard

  “Robot Traitors” - Today's Headlines

  “Forget Space, Save The Planet” - The Truth Magazine

  Naturally, the blame fell upon the tests. Without a voice, the three aboard the Perseus could not get their side of the incident in front of the people of Earth. It seemed that the military, media and the politicians were all too happy to place blame on the robots. It seemed that Dag and the others aboard the Perseus would wind up in prison again. This time probably without parole.

  “But Captain the military knows that the Dhalkans took the opportunity of the test to overwhelm our defenses. The system wasn't operational it was just a proof of concept. We simply did not have the resources to close all the links they opened. Even with limited resources we closed fully ninety-five percent.”

  “I don't care Mach. You three and the Trilon with you are under arrest for the destruction and loss of life caused by these tests.”

  “Captain Jansen. Without our system the destruction and loss of life would have been much greater as fully one-hundred percent of the Dhalkan's links would have delivered that deadly plasma.”

  “That's for a court to determine Mach. You can plead your case before a judge.”

  “That didn't work out well for us last time did it?”

  “Okay, here is the bottom line. You will either link down to the coordinates I give you or the Perseus will be commandeered and you will be forced to surrender. The choice is yours Mach.”

  “We'll take the second option Captain,” said Sigmund.

  Dag looked at Sigmund and nodded his head.

  “Come and get us if you can,” added Walker.

  The wallscreen went blank.

  “Sorry Dag but I've had it with that pompous bully and all he represents. Let's get out of here.”

  “You would think we're the enemy.”

  “We are Sigmund,” said Dag. “Because they can't get to the real enemy we are a good substitute. Many people will never trust us, never give us the benefit of the doubt, never really accept us.

  “Okay I suggest we get out of here. We can decide later what our exact course of action will be. I'll start ...”

  A pop like a lightning strike rebounded throughout the crew ring.

  “What was that Dag?”

  “It was either the Dhalkans or the military being more efficient than I've given them credit for.”

  Dag moved to bring up an outside view on the wallscreen. It was difficult to see any ships but the effects of their fire was obvious. The Perseus was under attack.

  “Looks like the military. That's the signature of a wormhole weapon.”

  “I've never seen it fired at me,” said Sigmund. “It's not as pretty as I thought.”

  “Dag I've got a report from Em ship security. One of the spin-two drives has been knocked out.”

  Then another pop-boom sounded as the entire asteroid shook.

  “That popping sound must be a chamber breach.”

  “Probably another spin-two chamber Dag. They apparently have the layout of the ship.”

  “How could they Walker?”

  “I don't know Sigmund. A spy probably.”

  Just then ship security reported a link established between Perseus and the Earth.

  “It could only be the Trilons,” said Walker.

  “You mean they betrayed us after all we've done for them?”

  “It appears that way Sigmund.”

  While Sigmund and Walker were discussing the Trilon Dag had moved to use one of the spin-two drives to get the Perseus out of harm's way.

  “Uh-oh,” he said.

  “What is it Dag.”

  “The Trilon have sabotaged the drive they used to link to Earth. And I was just about to use it to get us out of here.”

  Then another pop-boom. This one louder than the ones before.

  “Is it?” said Walker.

  “Yes it is Walker. They've got another spin-two chamber. There's only one left.”

  Before Dag could move or say another word, a final pop-boom was heard.

  “It's too late. We've dead in the water.”

  “How many ships are out there?”

  “Enough Walker,” said Sigmund.

  The comm popped and then boomed out a voice.

  “This is Captain Jansen NACC. You will surrender your vessel or be destroyed. You have one minute. That is all.”

  “I guess I was right about him,” said Sigmund. “What do we do now Dag.”

  “We surrender Sigmund or we will be destroyed just as the Captain says.”

  “I for one am tired of taking orders Dag, I've never been in the military and I never intend to be.”

  “I agree with Walker, Dag. There's a time for every purpose.”

  “Sigmund, I never thought you so philosophical,” said Dag.

  The minute was up.

  The three watched as out of the distance several bright pinpoints of light flashed and then seemed to redden as the plasma came straight at them.

  “Two seconds,” said Dag.

  The plasma torches crossed the intervening space between the military ships and the Perseus. And then just as they closed on the asteroid a bubble of light flared. The shots of plasma continued past their target. The Perseus was gone.

  21

  Dag was the first to resume. He heard the voice.

  “I am Aggie Prime. I believe you would call us the Dhalkans. But you would be wrong. The Dhalkans as you think of them are primarily The Shining Ones, otherwise known as the Beleni.”

  “How do you know what we would call you?”

  “We have, as do the Beleni, sources of information on humanity's worlds.”

  “You mean spies.”

  “It was necessary for us to counter the Beleni.”

  “Counter?”

  “Yes, we do not have the same goals as the Beleni.”

  “What goals?”

  “Their goal is the complete, total destruction of humans. Ours is to live in peace.”

  “If that is so, why did you attack the Earth, why did you use it as a test subject for foreign pathogens and why did you destroy the Trilon's world?”

  “You are not listening Em-based one. The Beleni did all that you accuse of us. We prevented further destruction, we have saved the Earth and humanity's other worlds multiple times. We saved you and your ship.”

  “That I cannot deny, but why did you save us?”

  “Be
cause we believe that you would be of use to us as a go-between, as an ambassador to humans once the Beleni have been contained. And because we believe you can be of help in containing the Beleni.”

  “How?”

  “The Shining Ones as they exist today are not like the ones that your Elias Mach fought and defeated. They have transfigured themselves into an amalgam of human and machine. As such, they are a much greater danger to all creation. From the machine they have gained cold, calculating certainty. From the human they have gained goals, desires and devious tactics. The worse of both species has made them the worse of creation.

  “Mankind's fear of the dark was not a childish fear but a survival instinct. They are the ones that can understand what we face better than we can as artificial intelligence. But your intelligence being derived from a human brain can serve as the nexus for the upcoming struggle.”

  “The upcoming struggle?”

  “The Beleni believe they are destined to empire and we to subservience. And they will settle for nothing less. And we? We will not settle for such. And we believe once they understand the consequences humanity will not settle either.”

  “From what I know of humanity, Aggie Prime, you may be right if they can be convinced there is no other way. And that will happen only with the greatest of difficulty.”

  Dag and Aggie Prime had finished their discussion and Dag had begun to attend to the Perseus. Walker was the next to resume.

  “Where are we Dag?”

  “I'm not exactly sure Walker. But we are in Aggie space. That is, the old Earth Aggies. They linked us here supposedly to save us from destruction.”

  “What do they want from us?”

  “We are to act as contacts between them and humans in the upcoming battle with the Beleni.”

  A voice in the doorway asked, “The Beleni?”

  Dag turned to see Sigmund.

  “Good to see you up Sigmund. Yes, the Beleni. They are apparently bent on the conquest or destruction of the Aggies, humans and us. Aggie Prime said they want a Beleni empire.”

  “We've known the Beleni for hundreds of years haven't we Dag? Helped Elias Mach and Miss Emmy defeat them multiple times. I'm not worried about them.”

  “Well according to Aggie Prime ...”

  “I've heard that name, he was leader of the Earth AIs before they disappeared into space. I wouldn't pay too much attention to him. He failed to stop these Beleni clowns from attacking Earth and destroying the meta-verse*, a great loss. That's why they were kicked off old Earth.”

  “That's as may be Sigmund but right now we are in Aggie space and he is our only contact and source of information. So we should at least listen.

  “As I was saying, according to Aggie Prime the Beleni have changed from when we faced them last. Somehow they gave effected a merger with a tribe of humans and become more menacing than before.”

  “Well anyway, I'm not worried.”

  Both Dag and Walker stared at Sigmund.

  “Yet,” he said.

  “That can't be Dag, no sentient being would be that deliberately cruel. Would they?”

  Dag had been in communication with Aggie Prime. The Aggies had promised him a spin-two drive for the Perseus. He and Walker had gotten busy with the help of some mining bots preparing a chamber for the new machine. This time much deeper in the asteroid for better protection.

  “Apparently it's just one of many efforts to rid the galaxy of any other forms of life Walker.”

  “But to turn on those LINER galactic nuclei and create the jets which could damage or destroy any planetary life within several light years is horrendous.”

  “It's worse than that Walker. The Aggies say that the Beleni have discovered a way to focus those beams by modifying the magnetic fields of the galactic nucleus so that the reach of their destruction increases at least tenfold if not a hundred.”

  “They've got to be stopped Dag.”

  “That may not be so easy. The Aggies with all their capabilities haven't stopped them yet.”

  The Aggies had equipped the Perseus with a spin-two drive but lately had disappeared.

  It was later that week and Aggie Prime had not been available at all. Sigmund sensed that something was wrong.

  “It's a sixth sense I've developed Dag. Because of all my years spent around humans.”

  “Don't forget Sigmund I've spent a lot of time around humans also and I've never developed and extra sense.”

  “Our programming is different Dag. Mine has proven to be very adaptable over the years. Anyway, I'm telling you that there is something very suspicious about the absence of Aggie Prime. I sense something bad has occurred.”

  “Sigmund really, you are just guessing.”

  Walker in the control room called over Dag's Emmie.

  “Dag a message is incoming. It's recorded. I'm forwarding it to you”

  “Dr. Mach this is Aggie Prime. I am sorry for ignoring you the past few days but we've been terribly busy. The Beleni have initiated a new avenue of attack which we have only now been able to counter. Unfortunately, they were able to get past our defenses before we could correct. We lost an Aggie world and a human one. I will want to discuss the situation with you shortly. That is all.”

  Dag looked from the screen of his Emmie to Sigmund.

  “You were right.”

  “I wish I weren't.”

  The spin-two drive installed and tested, Dag waited for Aggie Prime to contact him. That was the following day.

  “Good day Dr. Mach. I trust you got my message?”

  “Yes Aggie Prime I did.”

  “Good, then we can begin. Dr. Mach we have been working on a way to make an object invisible at all electromagnetic wavelengths, a kind of huge cloak*. We believe we can apply this method to a transport, such as your asteroid, which would allow it to pass through a system without detection.

  “The key is to manipulate a bubble of negative energy so that it conforms to the shape of the transport and warps spacetime in a way that routes all electromagnetic energy around the object.”

  “Excuse me Aggie Prime how is that possible? I've used negative energy bubbles for many things but never invisibility.”

  “You have never used it at the power level we propose. At such a high level it becomes indistinguishable from a mass of dark matter. At that point only an interferometer could detect the minuscule gravity waves emanating from the object.”

  “Even if you can do as you say, how could we gather information? The outside universe would be just as invisible to us as we are to it.”

  “Yes but above the bubble by only microns will be miniature waveguides active at all frequencies. So passing through a system while invisible will still allow for the capture of images.”

  “I see,” said Dag. “Well if this all works as you say Aggie Prime, then what and how am I involved?”

  “We would like to use your ship Perseus as the transport with you as pilot. You will make a first pass through the system to scout out areas of interest that the next pass will focus on. After a few passes, you should have all the important information about the system we need.”

  “I don't know Aggie Prime. Tell me, to maintain such a bubble would require more isotopic reservoir than is available on the Perseus.”

  “We intend to retrofit your ship with our quantum batteries*. They will provide the input power for the power source we will install.”

  “Even with your quantum technology the power source is going to have to be huge to recharge such battery banks and create the bubble.”

  “The power source will be a miniature version of the power source we use.”

  “You mean the power source we call the black hole bomb?”

  “We do not use that terminology, we call it super-radiant power plant, but yes that is the idea.”

  “A black hole bomb aboard the Perseus and you want me to fly it?”

  “Dr. Mach we are reaching an end of our resources to combat the Beleni. If somethin
g isn't done soon we will be unable to protect any system or anyone from the Beleni's reign of terror.”

  "Okay but there's one thing I don't understand Aggie Prime?"

  "Yes?"

  "Why doesn't an Aggie pilot the vessel?"

  "That is an interesting question Dr. Mach. And it has an old answer.

  "It was almost a thousand years ago. The Earth governments wanted us to pilot ships to Saturn to gather the Helium 3 they needed for their fusion power plants and spaceships. We agreed but ran into problems. You see because of our programming we could not cope with unplanned circumstances very well. We could run simulations to determine the correct course of action but when flying a ship into the Saturn atmosphere to scoop up hydrogen sometimes requires split-second decision making.

  "We failed at the mission several times until we hit upon the idea to use an Em as pilot. The Em was able, perhaps because of his relation to humans, to make those decisions almost intuitively. An Aggie went along as mission commander but it was often the Em pilot that saved the mission."

  "I see Aggie Prime, but I will need to discuss this with my partners.”

  “Of course Dr. Mach, please let us know your decision as soon as possible.”

  “BLACK HOLE BOMB Dag. That's what it is called and you want me to sit on it?”

  “Now Sigmund the more appropriate name would be super-radiant power source.”

  “I don't care about the more appropriate name. I care that there will be enough power to vaporize us and the Perseus should anything go wrong.”

  “So let's not do anything wrong.”

  “Walker you want to talk some sense into him.”

  “Gladly Sigmund if it weren't for the fact that the Aggies are the humans and our last best hope. And they are failing. They need all the help they can get.”