Conflict: Rise Of Mankind Book 4

by John Walker

  It would be so easy right now to convince the Behemoth to help us take down the Founders then face the enemy without them. With the power they command, they could turn the tide of this conflict, put one or the other of our sides in charge. I don’t even know why I’m resisting that tactic…but I can’t do it. Not if what Atwell says is true.

  Raeka connected to the Founders. “What do you want, Darm?”

  “I see Emancipated treachery still runs deep.”

  “Because we stopped wasting our power on attacking a target we cannot destroy? Wake up. There’s more going on here than a visitor coming into our space. Now we have others, racing toward us and they’ve already destroyed one of our outposts.”

  “Outlandish lies,” Darm barked. “I suppose you heard this from the target. Did you stop to think they could be lying? Or even worse, that they have reinforcements on the way?”

  “Do you think they need them?” Raeka asked. “They could very easily wipe out both our fleets right now. You saw what they did to the asteroid. They’re sending us historical data which I’ll share with you but know this, one way or another, they’re going to face an enemy on our behalf. The least we could do is provide them some backup.”

  “You’re a fool, Raeka.”

  “No, because I see the truth before me, Darm. And you’re ignoring it. Technical giants like these people do not need help to kill us and they wouldn’t toy either. I’ve spoken to them and found they are much like us in many ways. They operate on reason…which perhaps does differentiate them from you.”

  “Your slander isn’t helping win me over.”

  “I’m rapidly reaching the point of not caring about your opinion,” Raeka said. “Now, your choices are simple: cease fire and hear them out or continue firing and risk obliteration. I’ve got to analyze this data now so do make your decision quickly. Raeka out.”

  The com line went dead and he turned his attention to the computer. Somehow, the Behemoth was able to translate the information into a format they could consume, converting it appropriately. More wonders they could offer us but we’re playing the blind man to opportunity. He wondered how many other cultures they met who treated them with reverence instead of fear.

  Raeka thought about aliens many times as a child. He remembered stargazing, wondering if anyone else might be out there, looking up at a different formation of stellar bodies. His parents never understood his fascination, often chastising him to focus on his studies and to stop day dreaming.

  Years later, after joining the military and taking to the stars, he finally had the opportunity to visit the vastness of space. But instead of exploring the cosmos, he applied his creativity and wit to violence. Countless soldiers lost their lives when they went up against him and as he advanced through the ranks, it felt more and more like he would never see another solar system.

  One day, my luck will run out. I’ll be dead or worse…forced into retirement. What a sad end to a child’s dream.

  Information appeared on his screen from the Behemoth, detailing their encounter with the enemy and showing just how dangerous they truly were. As he began to take it in, he felt alarm building in his gut. The horror this enemy represented felt far worse than anything his people had ever done to each other…which was saying a lot considering how long the war raged.

  Darm will have to listen to this and if he won’t, we’ll have to leave him behind. This could be the end of all if we’re not quick to respond.

  ***

  Adam stood up when the guards announced Timothy Collins’s arrival. He intended to see how guilty the young man appeared by putting it to him pretty hard. This meant he needed to steady himself, preparing for a hard approach to someone he worked with every day. He lost the element of surprise by summoning him during combat but he felt he might be able to knock him off balance, trick him into revealing something.

  Tim stepped inside and snapped to attention, offering a crisp salute. “Lieutenant JG Timothy Collins reporting as ordered, sir!”

  “I need to know your whereabouts prior to the jump,” Adam said. “What were you doing after the mining operation wrapped up?”

  “Senior bridge staff had been relieved for the next shift,” Tim replied. “I went to the mess hall for dinner then returned to my quarters to get some rest, sir.”

  “What did you have for your meal?”

  “Er…a ham sandwich, sir.”

  “To drink?”

  “Water, sir.”

  Adam scowled. “What did you do when you returned to your quarters?”

  “Showered then watched a vid before going to sleep.”

  Adam checked the computer to corroborate his story. He did check into the mess hall but his quarters did not log his entry until after the event. “Would you like to explain why you just lied to me?”

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  “You were not in your room.” Adam gestured to his computer. “You didn’t check in there until after the event so explain. Why would you lie? I’m about to have you arrested for treason, insubordination and conduct unbecoming an officer.”

  “I…” Tim’s cheeks reddened. “Sir, I…”

  “Out with it, Lieutenant!”

  “It’s just…I didn’t stay alone.” Tim cleared his throat. “I was in Lieutenant Conway’s room…sir.”

  Adam knew Theresa Conway. She worked in security. He checked her file and found she kept under the radar, mostly performing administrative duties. Her technical expertise fell in computers and surveillance. She and Tim might have pulled the job off together but he didn’t see how she connected to it all. What motivation would she have for helping?

  “How long have you been seeing one another?”

  “Three weeks, sir.”

  “I see. And you were there all night?”

  “You can check her room, sir. We both logged our entry just after the mess hall.”

  Adam looked and the logs did indeed show their arrival. What it didn’t have was when they left. More importantly, the logs seemed to stop an hour before the event and didn’t ever pick back up. Some computer glitch prevented it from storing activity. Someone may have tampered with it but Adam would need a better technician to confirm.

  “Why do you think the computer stopped logging activity for that room after the event?”

  “Perhaps it was a short, sir,” Tim offered. “Many systems suffered similar problems all over the ship.”

  Adam nodded. “What’s your opinion of the alliance?”

  “They’re…fine, sir. They saved us, didn’t they?”

  “Not exactly an answer…certainly a non-committal one. Do you hate them?”

  “No, sir.” Tim’s expression altered, turning cold. It was as if he turned off all emotion.

  Is he hiding something or is he just uncomfortable that I’m pushing? Time to press harder I guess.

  “So you don’t agree with the perspective of Admiral Jameson?” Adam asked.

  “Sir?”

  “I know you got your endorsement letter from him and you acted as an aide for a while. Are you trying to tell me none of his rhetoric wore off on you? You didn’t find him the least bit compelling?”

  “I’m not sure what rhetoric you’re referring to, sir.”

  Adam slapped his desk. “Cut the shit, Lieutenant! This is serious and you’re playing games. We both know that Admiral Jameson is a strong opponent to any sort of collaboration with the alliance. He doesn’t trust them, doesn’t like what they’ve done for us and will tell anyone who will listen how we should back out of any arrangement with them. Do you deny that?”

  “No, sir. The admiral can be heavy handed from time to time.”

  “So what do you have to do with this sabotage?”

  “Nothing, sir.” Tim stiffened his back.

  “What does Conway have to do with this sabotage?”

  “You would have to ask Lieutenant Conway, sir. I cannot put words in her mouth.”

  “I don’t believe you.”
r />   “I’m telling the truth, sir.”

  Adam stood up and paced behind the young man, giving him a moment to think about the situation. The situation became far too fishy, too full of coincidence to be let go easily. He wanted to bring the man down to interrogation and hook him up to a lie detector test but it was pretty obvious he wasn’t telling the truth.

  Whether he sabotaged the jump module or not didn’t change the fact he was hiding something. Why bother at this point? He could save himself by speaking up. If he didn’t commit a crime, keeping quiet just incriminated him. Was he protecting someone? Surely, he knew it wouldn’t work out.

  “Did you hack into the computer to erase video footage of the engine room?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did you have anything to do with altering security data to ensure someone would not be caught tampering with the jump module?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Let me be more specific. Did you coerce or assist anyone else with the aforementioned activities?”

  Tim hesitated. Shit, I got him. Adam hoped his line of questioning would lead to nothing. He counted the lieutenant as at least friendly if not a friend. This whole situation felt terrible, especially as he had to work his way through various potential suspects. Dealing with the navigator though…that in particular bothered him the most.

  “I’m waiting for an answer, Lieutenant.”

  “I refuse to answer under article forty-seven in the New Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

  Adam wouldn’t have been more shocked if Tim punched him in the face. He thought he might be on to something with the hesitation but a claim of silence, of invoking one of the articles…What was this boy hiding? Surely he didn’t hold anyone’s freedom so much higher than his own.

  “I see.” Adam stood and called for the security personnel who entered the room. “Place Lieutenant Collins under arrest on a charge of conspiracy to commit treason.”

  One of the guards took out handcuffs and bound Tim’s hands. They began to lead him out of the room when Adam stopped them. He advanced, moving so he stood only a few inches from the Lieutenant, staring into his eyes. They remained silent for some time, just peering into each other’s faces.

  “Will you at least tell me if there were any other acts of sabotage? Are we in danger of damaging ourselves further?”

  Tim hesitated again.

  “Damn it, man! Your shipmates are on board. If something happens to them, their suffering is on you. Can your conscience handle that?”

  “I’m not aware of any sabotage beyond the jump module, sir.”

  A clever answer. One that didn’t incriminate himself or anyone else but it also may not be the truth. Adam stepped back and rubbed his eyes. The Uniform Code of Military Justice was quite specific as to how a member of the armed services was to be treated in the event of a criminal accusation but considering the circumstances, Adam had to wonder if an interrogator should be brought in.

  One of the security people, perhaps someone Lieutenant Colonel Marshall Dupont might pick, could get the information out of the young man. But Adam didn’t want to subject Tim to the indignation. Maybe someone else had the ability to talk it out of him, someone closer. Lieutenant Commander Redding seemed to get along with him and of course, there was Lieutenant Darnell.

  “Take him away.” Adam paced back to his desk and leaned against it as they led the young man out. He straightened his shoulders after they left and headed to the bridge. He could brief the captain in his ready room up there. The answers wouldn’t make him happy, hell they made Adam miserable.

  Such investigations rarely lead to a good end and this one was shaping up to be quite the tragedy.

  I hope it was worth it to you, whoever masterminded this nonsense. When we find out, you’re not going to be a happy camper. I promise you that.

  ***

  Olly wiped his sweaty palms on the legs of his pants. Half the fleet stopped firing at them but the other one really laid it on heavy. He watched the shields like a hawk, ready to report on any decline in power but so far, they held strong. As they moved away, they would soon be out of range and then, he figured he’d breathe easily.

  Part of his stress came from the sudden departure of Tim. He’d worked with the guy for quite a while so to have him yanked from the bridge in the middle of important action meant something really bad went down. When his replacement arrived, Ensign Leonard Marcus, he took the seat quietly and just got to work.

  I guess he doesn’t want to know why he got summoned here or maybe the captain told him. Either way, he looks about as freaked out as I feel.

  “Ensign Marcus,” Gray said. “Please double check our position and the course we have laid in to get home.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Wow, he doesn’t trust Tim’s numbers. That’s crazy. I guess it makes sense.

  “Confirmed, sir,” Leonard said. “I’ve matched up adjacent star maps and determined the coordinates are accurate. When we’re ready to jump, we should arrive near Mars.”

  “Thank you,” Gray replied.

  Silence fell over the bridge for a moment. Olly sat up straight, eyes wide as he looked at the scanners. The fleet…they stopped firing! Their weapons went cool and their ships backed off. Any relief such an event might’ve provided died quickly when he saw just how close the real enemy was to getting there.

  We’ve got twenty minutes at most. I wonder if they know about us.

  Olly started running a quick program to see if they’d been scanned. He turned slightly to speak. “Captain, the fleet has stopped firing and we’ve got twenty minutes before the enemy ships arrive. I’m checking now to see if we’ve been detected.”

  “Looks like a little more good and bad news,” Gray replied. “Let me know right away. Clea, has Raeka reached out to us yet?”

  “Not yet, sir.” Clea frowned. “Trying to reach them but their com channels seem to be full.”

  The elevator opened and Ensign Agatha White stepped into the bridge, offering a salute. Dark circles ringed her eyes but she seemed as alert as any of them. “Sorry for the delay, Captain. Ensign White reporting for duty.”

  “Good to have you back, Ensign.” Gray motioned. “Relieve Clea from coms. She’ll fill you in on what’s going on.”

  Olly hummed. “Sir, I’m seeing some motion in the two fleets. I think they’re trying to form a battle line of some kind. They might want to talk to us about the weapon capabilities first.”

  “First task, Ensign,” Gray called out. “Get them on the horn so we can work this out. Olly, do you know if the enemy made us yet?”

  “We have not been scanned by them, sir.” Olly turned to Leonard. “Can you start looking for a large body? Something else like the asteroid or even a moon? Something with enough gravitational body to mask us when we reduce engine power.”

  “Yes, sir.” Leonard started his work and Olly turned to the captain.

  “Is that the plan, sir?”

  “Very good, Lieutenant Darnell.” Gray smirked. “I’m fairly certain the enemy isn’t prepared for us. They’re thinking this is another walk in the park. Let’s find a position and get ready. Ensign, send a final message to those fleets and let them know if they don’t answer our hails shortly, we can’t coordinate. We’ll be going radio silent soon.”

  ***

  Raeka paced on the bridge as the ships moved into position to take an advancing target, giving them all space to avoid a single explosion taking out multiple vessels. The tactic was shared by both cultures though they had to change it up frequently to be of any use against one another. They’d all seen it a dozen times but hopefully, it would work on the alien.

  Coms were jammed but they finally got a message from the Behemoth. Gahlir flagged him down, gesturing emphatically at his station.

  “They’ve stated they’re moving off to create an ambush and have offered us some additional information. These fiends are willing to ram their enemies and their shields and weapons are
on par with the Behemoth. Our weapons may not penetrate their defenses immediately. They said we’re going to need to be ready to hammer them when they drop.”

  “So they’re going to let us lure them in and spring a trap?” Raeka nodded. “Okay. But for that to be effective, we should cut our connection in case our new enemy is able to trace it. Send the other fleet this intelligence. This may be one of the biggest fights of our lives. Let’s be sure to deliver it with efficiency and honor.”

  The rest of the bridge crew offered a resounding affirmation before diving back into their duties, coordinating all the other ships under their command. This was the kind of thing some of them lived for, a battle of overwhelming odds but the tenacity necessary to pull through. Raeka hoped that would be true this time. He’d seen rough battles before but this was an entirely different game.

  One we may not even be qualified to play but that won’t stop us from trying to win.

  ***

  Wing Commander Meagan Pointer sat in her fighter wishing she could take a nap. Even with the shots the med bay handed out like candy, she felt exhausted. The adrenaline of going into battle helped a little, fending off the worst of her fatigue but the stimulants made her head ache and the back of her neck was stiff.

  Stretching barely touched this nonsense. I hope being jarred around in a fighter helps. Though I don’t know what I’m saying, this is going to be about as pleasant as being kicked in the face by a mule.

  The rest of her wing reported in as they prepared for launch. Each of them suffered the same fatigue as her but the younger ones rubbed in a natural resistance to it. Meagan privately wondered just how much those kids drank during their time off. She considered their current condition to pretty much be a hangover.

  The other wing committed to the action was a bomber squad led by Wing Commander Rudy Hale. They’d run several missions in tandem but rarely were directly together like this. The idea was they would mingle with this alien fleet, wait for the enemy to show up then harass them while the Behemoth launched an ambush attack.