Mosar (Bright Horizons Book 3)

by Wilson Harp

  “Yes,” said Smith. “This is the conclusion we reached as well. Ocampo was sent here to betray both your people and mine.”

  “Who would have sent him?” Kyle asked.

  “Who shot Chancellor Wu?”

  Kyle smiled. “I’d rather not speculate.”

  “I feel the same way about Ocampo’s benefactors. But this time, he will not escape punishment.”

  “He escaped before?”

  “Yes, many years ago. He had worked to destabilize another of our treaties. It is a capital offense, the disruption of business contracts and treaties. But he escaped. We assumed he was dead, so it was a great surprise when we identified him.”

  “I’m not sure we could find a charge which would be comparable to what he is facing in your custody. I’ll just inform Admiral Salazar we have the fugitive and have him alert other global law enforcement agencies to call off the search.”

  “That would be appreciated, Ambassador.”

  “Our planet just went through a big shock, Mister Smith. If word got out there was an alien close to President Wu, the mood could shift against aliens even more.”

  “I understand. What can we do to make things easier for your planet’s government?”

  “It was more a caution than an attempt to wring a concession from you. The best action you could probably take would simply be keep a low profile. No negotiations or announcements for the next several months.”

  Smith nodded. “Thank you for your advice, Ambassador. I believe our meeting draws to an end. Is there any news which would be important to share?”

  “The General Assembly will elect a new Earth Chancellor tomorrow,” Kyle said. “If it goes as planned, you won’t have to worry about the treaty being in danger.”

  Smith smiled. “That is good news.”

  “Will you attend Chancellor Thomas’ funeral?”

  “I don’t believe so,” Smith said. “The anti-alien sentiment is still strong at this moment, and I would not want to distract from such a solemn ceremony. Part of that keeping a low profile you cautioned me about.”

  “I understand. Thank you, Mister Smith. We’ll talk again later.”

  “Goodbye, Ambassador Martin.”

  Smith left Kyle’s house. Kyle watched as the alien drove off into the darkness then closed the shades and went to the kitchen. The security detail had settled in around the table again, and Kyle needed another piece of pepperoni.

  Chapter 14

  Kyle placed the card in his Bible as he stood. The pallbearers were taking the casket out of the Church and the family would follow to the airport where the body would be flown to Ohio. Former Chancellor of Earth, Jim Thomas, would be buried in the same small cemetery which held his parents and his brother.

  Kyle looked over at Kitch. She was in uniform. He knew it must have taken some effort for her to put it on. She still had several tubes running out of her up to the IV bags which hung above her head. When the crowd cleared, her nurse would come in and wheel her back to the ambulance. She should still be in a hospital bed, but she had been insistent that she attend Thomas’ funeral.

  “Glad to see you, Diane,” Kyle said as he came over.

  “It’s not anything I ever wanted to attend,” she said. “But I’m glad I was able to make it.”

  “Salazar should be sworn in by now,” Kyle said as he looked at his watch. “Are you ready to take back your office?”

  Kitch nodded. “Yes, I have Mueller coming by later. He’s been very cooperative and has made the transition easy. He will be court-martialed, but I’m positive he’ll be able to retire without legal issues.”

  “Part of me wants to find evidence he ordered the attacks. I want someone to punish. I want someone to pay.”

  “Wu paid. That’s good enough for me,” Kitch said. She clenched her jaw as a shock of pain went through her body.

  “What time frame have the Doctor’s given you?”

  “Four months before I can be on my own. Checkups after that. You know the drill.”

  Kyle nodded. His injuries during the Indian War had him down for weeks, and they were nowhere near as bad as what Kitch had suffered.

  “Are you going to stay in New York, or are you going to move back to Pennsylvania while you rest?”

  “Pittsburgh. Mom wants me near. And I want my Mom. They are setting up a small workstation for me in her downstairs guest bedroom.”

  Kyle grinned at her.

  “How long will you stay in New York, Ambassador?” Kitch asked.

  “A few more days. I need to get back home and take care of a few things. Then I’ll come back up here if they need me.”

  “Wedding things?”

  “Yeah. Hard to believe my little girl is getting married.”

  “She’s 25, Kyle. She isn’t so little anymore.”

  Kyle nodded. “I know. There are times I swear I see Sandy as she walks by, or when she mutters under her breath. Sometimes she’s still a six year old, though.”

  “What about Geoff? Is he good enough for your little girl?”

  “I’m supposed to say, ‘No’, right?” Kyle laughed. “He’s great for her. She loves him and I have made it clear to him how I expect him to treat my little girl. He’ll be okay.”

  Kyle looked up at the door as Kitch’s nurse walked in.

  “I think they are ready for you, General.”

  Kitch smiled. “I’ll speak with you later, Ambassador. Give Sara a hug for me.”

  Kyle felt a vibration from his belt. He started to reach for his phone, but realized it was further back.

  He looked around the sanctuary and caught a glimpse of one of the ministers moving some of the sound equipment into a storage room.

  “Excuse me,” Kyle said as he approached. “Is there a room where I might have some privacy?”

  “Oh, Ambassador Martin. Yes, there’s a prayer room just down the hall.”

  “Thank you,” said Kyle.

  He found the prayer room and peeked in to make sure it was empty. The device on his belt buzzed at him again.

  “I’m coming,” he muttered as he found a good place to place it. He pressed a small notch on the side of the rather plain looking disk and stepped back.

  An image of A’nacal appeared in the room.

  “Sorry to call on you unexpectedly, Ambassador Martin.”

  “I was just leaving the funeral, A’nacal. I had to find a place where we could speak in private.”

  “Good, because I have received word which will concern you, I believe.”

  “What type of concern?”

  “Apparently your Chancellor Wu didn’t even trust King Heban. Not that I can blame him. Even before Heban was taken by mosar, he wasn’t trustworthy. But he did something rather foolish, and this has caused some problems.”

  Kyle steeled himself for some very bad news. A’nacal would have made a great Public Relations spokesman. He always delivered the worst news in the most casual and conversational ways.

  “It seems Earth has broken the Treaty of the Stars.”

  Kyle sighed and covered his face with his hands. This was what he had feared. This was the main political problem which Earth faced. They had signed the Treaty of the Stars, as well as five other pacts, at the end of the Iltia’cor war. But not everyone on Earth had agreed with what those in charge had done.

  The agreement with the Pelod was one example. In order for Earth to obtain the engines needed to wage war against the Iltia’cor, there had been some concessions given to the Pelod. They included mining rights and security agreements which could never be modified or rescinded.

  There was bitter debate in the United Nations about the wisdom of such actions. Some nations felt the United States had too much power and the agreements were reflections of the American mentality when it came to territories and trade.

  “What did Wu do?” Kyle asked.

  A’nacal grunted and shook his head. “An Earth vessel was hailed as it crossed into a quarantine zone around th
e Mo’ti’sat system. This area has been deemed off-limits to non-authorized vessels in the Treaty of the Stars. There is never an authorization granted.”

  “How do you know it was an Earth ship?”

  “They responded. They said they were a diplomatic ship and they did not answer to anyone except the Earth government.”

  “Who found them?”

  “The Inado. You haven’t had a chance to meet them yet, and I doubt you will. They patrol the quarantine zones for the Higher Council and they are one of the oldest races to hold a seat.”

  “Where are these quarantine zones?” Kyle asked.

  “Mostly near the galactic core, but there is one not far from Earth. By the Treaty we don’t even list them in the navigational systems, so the only way to find them is to stumble upon them or be given direct coordinates. The Inado patrol in case a ship stumbles upon a place they shouldn’t be. And to report to us any ship which leaves or enters the zone.”

  “The Inado didn’t try to stop the Earth ship?”

  “No, it isn’t their way. They are there to aid ships who need assistance, and most people have enough good sense to accept their aid when offered.”

  “But not Wu’s diplomats.”

  “For being diplomats they were quite undiplomatic.”

  “What are in these zones? Why are they so dangerous?”

  “Mosar has taken these systems. As for as we know there are no living beings and mosar just feeds off of the raw energy of the sun, growing more powerful all the time. Slowly evolving itself into what is essentially a form of corrupting energy.”

  “Do you think Wu knew this?”

  “Yes. From what you told me, Wu was looking to make a bargain with mosar. To submit willfully to its power in exchange for technological advancement.”

  “When they report back, I’m sure they will be shocked to find Wu is no longer in power.”

  “They won’t report back, Ambassador. They will never leave the system.”

  “Mosar will kill them?”

  “We aren’t for sure. Ships never leave a system mosar has taken. That’s why people of good sense don’t go into them.”

  Kyle sighed. “That’s how you knew our mission would fail from the beginning. Jii is leading them directly into a system mosar has taken.”

  A’nacal nodded. “I’m sorry, Ambassador. I truly am. Many people have tried to make direct contact with mosar. None are heard from again.”

  “You said the Inado report on any ships leaving the quarantine. Surely some ships have come out, haven’t they?”

  “Just one, several thousand years ago. It was an Inado ship. It made its way back to their homeworld. Their system became a quarantine zone within fifty years.”

  “So if a ship were to leave the quarantine…”

  “On the very slight chance a ship would leave the quarantine, the Inado would likely destroy it. They despise mosar more than any other race. They will do everything in their power to keep it from spreading.”

  “Do they know about the Otina? Do they know what you did?”

  A’nacal nodded. “They know. All who sit on the Higher Council know.”

  “Why do they not wage war against the Otina, then? Why do they allow you to preside over the Galactic Council?”

  “Because I’m an outcast. The Otina who are out in the galaxy either rule petty kingdoms under the thrall of mosar, or band together in a futile attempt to fight mosar directly. Or they are outcasts, like Jii, trying to find a way to end mosar once and for all.”

  “Or try to join the people of the galaxy together to provide a peaceable life before mosar destroys us all.”

  A’nacal looked away from Kyle. “You think I’m a fatalist. That I’ve given up.”

  “Haven’t you?”

  “A long time ago. So long ago, I forgot that is what I did. When I formed the Council, it was because I had given up fighting against mosar. I came to accept it as inevitable.”

  “And this is why the other Otina shun you.”

  “Yes. They feel I should be helping fight the enemy instead of shepherding younger races into peace and cooperation.”

  “And the Inado? How do they feel about your Council?”

  “They are members, but not very active. They have much more in common with the Otina than any other race. They are also one of the few races the Otina, who fight mosar, respect and communicate with.”

  “What about the Pelod? Jii had a lot of contact with them.”

  “The Pelod are savants when it comes to engineering, you know that. Their designs are as advanced as the Otina. There is some contact between the Pelod and every race. But the Pelod don’t have the capacity to understand the threat of mosar. They would seek to use mosar to enhance their technology. Just as the Hedali would be too fascinated studying mosar to realize they were being taken over.”

  “What system are the Inado on? If I contacted them, would they receive me?”

  “If you could contact them, it would not do you any good. They may have heard of Earth due to the mastery of your war against the Iltia’cor, but they wouldn’t hear your pleas when it came to your ship. Jii will not respond to their hails and he will not allow this mission to be thwarted.”

  “I have to try, A’nacal. What system are they on?”

  “They are on no system, Ambassador. They live on their ships. Their entire existence is to fight mosar. To secure the quarantine zones and stop the spread.”

  “I’m confused. You say they are fighting mosar, their entire lives are dedicated to it. And yet they just guard the quarantine zones. How is that fighting mosar?”

  “The advanced weapon systems all races now use are based on the weapons developed by the Inado. Their cruisers are capable of destroying entire mosar infected asteroids with a single volley. They believe mosar will find a way to propel itself out of a system, not through knowledge, but through a physical manifestation. This is a prophecy of theirs. So they developed weapons which can physically destroy mosar. They lie in wait, like a predator at the den of its prey. If the day ever comes where mosar attempts to leave one of the systems it has taken, the Inado will destroy it. That is what they say.”

  “Because of what happened to their system?” Kyle asked. “You said it became a quarantine zone?”

  “Yes. They discovered a way using the earliest phase of mosar to create weapons which would disrupt more advanced stages of mosar. Once they had developed those weapons, they knew for certain they had just solved the mosar problem in the galaxy. Something they were quite proud of. They invited some of the Otina to observe their weapons tests, and even some of the Otina relaxed. They believed mosar would soon be defeated.

  “The Inado sent a fleet armed with those weapons into a quarantined system. They recorded everything and transmitted their data back. The first few seconds of their attacks went as planned. They destroyed some debris and small asteroids which had become infected. Then they moved to one of the planets.

  “Mosar struck back. It had developed a physical presence and lashed out at the ships. The observers watched horrified as the Inado fleet was ripped apart. The ships fought back, and they indeed did cause serious damage to the planet, but the mosar counterattack was too much. The fleet retreated and in the end, only one ship made it out of the system.”

  Kyle nodded. Any hope he had for Alex, Carl and the rest to come back from this mission was gone. And yet, Alex had done the impossible many times before. Kyle would be haunted if he didn’t do everything in his power to help.

  “Thank you, A’nacal. You have been most helpful. Thank you for answering my questions.”

  “You’re going to contact the Inado, aren’t you?”

  “You bet I am.”

  A’nacal sighed and shook his head. “I knew you humans were special. The Inado have your kind of determination as well. Maybe you will find a kindred spirit there. Maybe you can convince them. Maybe they will let the ship leave and return back to you. Maybe.”

 
“Who are the Esura, A’nacal?”

  The alien froze. “Where did you hear that name?” A’nacal growled the question.

  Kyle staggered back. Fear washed over him as A’nacal’s anger surfaced.

  “I… I don’t know. I don’t even remember thinking the question,” Kyle said.

  A’nacal leaned in to look at Kyle. “That is amazing. Even through a holographic interface, mosar has this kind of control,” he muttered.

  Kyle felt uneasy and shifted his footing. He realized he hadn’t felt this uncomfortable before a superior since the time he had been caught sneaking out of his dorm as a Midshipman at Annapolis.

  “Very well. I have time to tell you who the Esura were, Ambassador. Enough to satisfy you at least. I don’t know why mosar wants you to know, but I assume it is to frighten you. I have a feeling mosar misjudges your ability to process information.

  “The Esura were one of the first races the Otina met. They were also the first race we saw mosar take control of. They were a peaceful people by nature. They loved creating and imagining new things. They discovered mosar in their system and were amazed by it. They had a fairly advanced understanding of chemistry, nothing like humans had when you made contact, but enough to have categories and isolated elements. When we analyzed their bodies, we were surprised the mosar count was so low. We had yet to understand it was a disease and we were spreading it.

  “We watched the Esura develop their technology and were amazed by the pace of their advancement. In only a few hundred years, they were almost as advanced as we were and were working alongside our scientists as partners. That’s when one of our scientists noticed a significant increase in mosar in some of the life forms on their planet. He brought it to the scientific council, but it was dismissed as an anomaly.

  “Soon the Esura started changing. They became more aggressive. They wanted to explore and at times complained the Otina held them back. Their culture was shifting from an artistic and creative focus into a desire to advance technology, science and exploration.

  “Finally some biologists tested the population and found an 8% increase in the levels of mosar in less than three thousand years. We were stunned by this result, but suddenly all of the changes we had observed fell into place. We had been blind to it. We still didn’t understand mosar wasn’t native to their planet. It was only after we studied some of the earliest data we collected from when we first met them that we made the connection. One of the first things we gathered were some plants on our first trip to the planet. We analyzed the samples and marked them for comment at a later time. That data showed a complete lack of mosar.”