“But no sign?”
“Not yet.”
Jess looked back at the Earth.
“The good news is,” said Nani, “with everything running through one, giant network like it is, everything is, eventually, connected. Makes it way too easy. With one solid hook we can plug into your entire world. It’s just a matter of breaking down the right doors. It actually makes it easier than if the tech was lower. Isolated, disconnected info is much harder if not impossible.” Nani was suddenly a kid in a candy store. “But you guys have everything plugged in. Once I get in …”
Then: “I really can’t believe how advanced your world is on this front. You guys don’t have space travel?”
“Not really. Kind of. We’ve been to the moon.”
“Amazing,” Nani continued the disbelieving shake of her head. “With this much technology you should have bases on the moon. Amazing,” she repeated, more to herself—becoming consumed with each new discovery. For her it was like a cascading revelation.
Jess focused on the staggering view.
Earth, her home, spread out before her; it was such an unreal sensation to be standing there, looking down on it from the bridge of an alien spaceship. Like the whole thing, everything that had happened so far, would turn out to be a dream after all. Like she might actually wake with a start in a warm bed in her room back in Boise. Reality just seemed so … impossible. For a moment she lost herself in the memories of that former life. Posters on the wall. Childhood trophies. Smell of fresh baking drifting upstairs. The sound of Mom working in the kitchen. Amy in her room, talking on the phone.
All of it, right down there.
Behind her she heard Satori speaking with Nani. Nani was explaining this or that function as Satori made an effort to understand.
Jess inhaled. Heard Satori asking: “So no sign?”
Nani clicked her tongue as if concentrating. “The Icon would’ve dropped him over Point Two. I’m moving us back around to an orbit above that area. We’ll take a closer look from there. So far no evidence of anything that would indicate his presence. Nothing coming over communication channels about a monster or an attack or any sort of activity like that. Of course, there’s so much to sift through there’s no way yet to be sure.”
Kang was who they had to worry about now.
“It hasn’t been that long.” Jess wondered if Kang did suffer an accident in transit. Or maybe the Icon failed. Or, and this was possible, maybe that other ship back there blew him up. Maybe they were about to fire on Zac when the Reaver showed up.
“From what I saw on the laptop the place in the Rockies where the Icon connects is pretty remote. Maybe he popped through and is laying low.”
Satori snorted. “Kang?”
Jess had to admit that wasn’t likely.
“Or, maybe he just hasn’t made it anywhere yet.”
“Didn’t your government build a base there?” Nani asked.
Jess nodded.
Bianca piped up. “Maybe he went into a coma like Zac.”
That gave them pause. Was it possible the mighty Kang, killer of Kazerai, could be lying in the mountains out cold?
It was an interesting thought.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Nani worked away at the screens. “I’m tapping the global network. Putting it all together, decoding what I can. I’ve got a few of the major encryptions cracked and have already gained access to your key networks. Believe it or not, the hardest part so far is identifying what data is important and what’s not. The sheer volume is overwhelming.”
Again Nani marveled at the advancement of Earth: “I just can’t believe how much information you’re throwing around! Only a fraction of it seems to have any relevance to anything significant. The rest is pure garbage. Music, movies, pictures … All personal stuff. Nonsense.”
“That’s Earth,” said Jess.
Starting to wonder how exactly they would stop Kang once they found him.
And once they stopped him, what then?
CHAPTER 11: A TERMINAL SITUATION
Kel warlord Eldron stood face to face with the monster, barely two paces away. In its hand it held the silvery device it had been so keen to retrieve which, according to it—and in line with what Eldron had suspected—was what brought it and the other creature, the human, to that deep space point in the Kel star system. “It” called itself Kang, and Eldron had been speaking with it back and forth in the somewhat stilted dialog that began once they realized the newly acquired language base could be used to talk to it. Whatever data feed had been broadcast by the intruding vessel was a near-perfect correlation of Kel and the language spoken by the beast. Once confirmed it spoke eagerly, rasping as their computers ground out translations and, in turn, spoke Eldron’s responses back in the alien tongue. So far the creature was proving as maniacal as it looked.
“Does that make sense?” the thing asked. “I know you understand quite clearly.” The delay through the computer was slight, overlaying his rough, grotesque voice with the smooth Kel translation. Eldron found the whole process grating.
“We understand you.”
His bigger concern, however, had become the alien craft. He regretted he’d not followed through on his instinct and destroyed it, or at least attempted to, when he had the chance. Kang was a threat to ship and crew, yes, but Eldron had already made the decision to sacrifice both. They were isolated with the beast. It could cause no harm elsewhere. That alien ship, however … that was indicative of a much larger problem. What if it carried more like Kang?
Why did I not engage it!?
Immediately upon its escape, as the current standoff with Kang developed, he’d instructed his operators to relay everything from the encounter back to Kel. This was now being processed. Information regarding the earlier rampage of the monster aboard their ship had already been sent and, as yet, no response forthcoming—though news of the intruding starship yielded additional traffic. An armada was assembling and would arrive shortly at their location. Eldron debated requesting the ceremonial destruction of his own ship, by the same armada, accomplishing a purge of the beast and seeing that as a far more honorable way out than plunging into the gas giant, or simply destroying all controls and drifting off into space. However, when the beast began communicating he rethought that idea. Opting instead to share the ongoing transmission. Therefore his debate with Kang was now being listened to by his commanders back on Kel. Perhaps they would have a different take on the situation. An idea as to how to preserve honor and, perhaps, even save his crew.
His men were good warriors. They did not deserve to die over some freak such as this.
“Why do you hesitate?” Kang asked through the translator. Eldron could see the beast was irked. His elation at discovering he could talk to them had been quickly replaced by agitation at their failure to jump to his suggestions. Eldron could see Kang was a highly emotional creature; was probably unstable in all ways.
“Answer me,” Kang repeated, false calm in his voice.
Eldron remained impassive.
“You do not enjoy the position of strength you think you do,” he spoke clearly, eyes locked to the monster’s red/yellow orbs. As the computer finished its translation into Kang’s crude tongue the beast frowned.
“What do you mean? I can destroy all of you. This whole ship if I choose.”
It was not a threat. More of a confusion, and Eldron sighed at the level of creature he was being forced to deal with.
“If I am to understand your ambition,” he spoke slowly for it, “killing us and destroying this ship are not your plan. That is the last thing you want to do. Would you not agree?”
“I will,” it said. “If I have to.”
“Nothing, surely, is stopping you.”
And it stood there. Seething.
Eldron stood taller. “I suggest you use your precious device and go back. There is nothing for you here.”
“No,” came a voice at Eldron’s console. A different voice, fr
om his commander back on Kel. He and Kang both looked at the console with equal levels of concern.
“No?” Eldron queried. Kang watched him, suspicious.
“Don’t antagonize it.”
The computer had been instructed to skip this translation. To relay only Eldron’s direct words to Kang, nothing else. Eldron spoke to his commander directly, in Kel, in open privacy.
“You see value in it?”
Hesitation on the other end. Then: “No decision has been made. However, based on everything so far we feel it would be foolish to let it escape.”
“Let it escape? It holds us captive, not the other way around.”
“There may be a connection between the device it holds and the vessel that breached our system.”
Kang interrupted the dialog he could not understand: “If you won’t accept my demands I’ll kill you all. If it takes time to learn the operation of this ship then so be it. I will learn it. I will have this.”
“The controls will be destroyed,” Eldron said matter-of-factly and the computer translated it, Eldron barely turning his attention from the voice of his commander. “The ship will be useless to you. A coffin.”
“Wait,” the commander back on Kel instructed. A moment later he continued. “The fleet will take up position at your location. We’ve confirmed the other vessel arrived using a similar method of travel as the one used by the creature and its device. Both seem to employ the same quantum-flux systems. The connecting points could be anywhere but, based on the arrival signature, wherever that is we do believe both the beast and the craft probably came from the same location.”
It was as Eldron feared. There could be a whole world of these things out there. And now they knew how to get to Kel.
“The size of the device is remarkable,” his commander went on, and Eldron couldn’t tell if it was his own marvel or if he was relaying that of the council from where he spoke. “We must have it. Much has happened in a short time, but we must use forethought. The ship has escaped. The creature and the device are still ours. How can we retain them?”
Eldron stared at Kang. The expression on the thing was near unreadable. Eldron knew it was angry, but even in the few moments of revelation, such as when it realized it could talk to them, the heavy brow and blood-red eyes conveyed static rage. It seemed it was in a perpetual state of displeasure.
He wondered just what they were getting themselves into.
“It wants this ship,” Eldron said, watching Kang warily as he spoke to his console. “And our subjugation, from the sound of it. You’ve heard the dialog so far. If we make gestures toward this end, at least in promise, it might be led. If it looks like we’re going to give it what it wants.
“But I cannot stress enough the extent of its strength. This is like nothing we have ever seen. I don’t believe we could ever contain it. Destroy it, perhaps, but not without massive collateral damage. Right here, right now, we have it aboard one ship. If we relinquish this opportunity to destroy it there’s no telling how difficult that might become later.” It felt odd to be talking so openly about killing Kang right there in front of him. Already the creature grew increasingly annoyed, listening to the back and forth that was clearly a conversation about him. Surely it must assume they were discussing how to be rid of it. How much longer would it stand there quietly?
The pause on the other end stretched.
“What are you talking about?” Kang asked in his gruff voice, filling the silence.
“Whether or not to destroy you,” Eldron said honestly, satisfied to make the thing worry—if only a little. Many Kel lives had been sacrificed; Kang would realize they were a race of warriors, unafraid to die. Maybe they would leave him floating there in a metal coffin, the beast seemed to be thinking. Eldron could see the gears turning in its head.
Then, when it seemed as if Kang would leap over the edge, restore himself to a full rampage and kill them all, Eldron’s commander came back on the line.
“The Praetor will meet with him.”
The Praetor?! Unprecedented. Consul to the Tremarch herself? What need did they have of such elevated rank?
And … meet?
“The Praetor intends to come here?” Eldron could not disguise the disbelief in his voice.
“He will come aboard, yes. He will meet the creature face to face and negotiate for the device.”
Eldron was stunned.
Kang stared hard at him, the beast chewing on its own doubts. As if wondering whether to act, or to continue letting them debate among themselves. Eldron wondered how they might possibly negotiate with it. Yet, considering the scale of their entire civilization, pitted against a single monster it was possible that, with the right degree of reason, they could get through. Come to a compromise. Get their hands on the device. If nothing else Kang had so far demonstrated raw intelligence. And enough reason to at least stop himself short of a full massacre.
Eldron looked at the device, closely for the first time. Such a simple looking contrivance. Smooth. Mirror-like reflectiveness. No moving parts to be seen.
Somehow it could transport individuals across vast distances, just like a full-scale starship drive. A personalized way to travel between worlds.
Incredible.
“Very well,” he said to his console. “How should we proceed?”
“Inform it. Remain on station until the fleet arrives. Once command has been transferred, return to Kel at once.
“The Praetor will meet you in orbit.”
CHAPTER 12: INDECISION
“Still no indication anyone’s spotted us.” Nani’s evaluation of the Earth and its infrastructure had hardly slowed as they moved cautiously around the planet in high orbit, positioning themselves discreetly over North America. As more of the flood of information was catalogued and cross-referenced, connections made and the database built, their scientist guide seemed to be settling into the discovery of a new world. “I would’ve expected to pick up some reference to us by now. It looks like we haven’t been seen.”
Jess was amazed. Weren’t people and machines always searching the sky?
“We’ve been mostly over the daylight side,” Bianca noted, idly; eyes glued to the screen at the console at which she sat. “Maybe no one’s looking up?”
Jess looked across at her friend.
“Our countermeasures exceed your detection ability,” said Nani. “But we’re still visible. I haven’t tapped all your secure networks yet. It’s possible someone’s seen us, but so far we haven’t made the news. We haven’t been mentioned.”
Since they arrived they’d been listening to Nani’s ongoing wonder, backed by occasional comments from Satori, and as the two Anitran women talked Jess found herself curious as to how Anitra worked. Her time on their planet had consisted primarily of fleeing this or that danger, charging into danger or otherwise finding herself in a series of challenges and violent ends. She hadn’t had the chance to really observe, to see how they reported news, how they stayed in communication with each other and so on. To hear Nani, and even Satori, describe it, the sheer glut of information being transmitted on Earth was staggering in comparison. Part of her wanted to ask questions, to learn the differences. But now was not the time.
“We can’t ignore the Kel threat,” Nani was multi-tasking. Jess saw she’d shifted attention from whatever process she was running on various bits of Earth information, turning to the screens she had up on the Kel. “I haven’t found anything to change my assessment.” She’d been studying the Kel in parallel, pouring over and analyzing the snapshot of data she got on the Kel warship and the other star system.
Jess, for her part, kept trying to shove the stark images of the alien Kel from her mind. Earlier, when Nani showed them the graphic pictures of the aliens, from archives aboard the Reaver, Jess found herself utterly shocked. Everyone was shocked, of course. None of them—Willet, Satori, Bianca—had ever been faced with images of a real alien. After the encounter with the Kel ship, after the st
unning discovery that the Kel were still very much alive and well … to then pair that wake-up-call with example pictures of the aliens themselves, visages of beauty overlaying deadly purpose …
Yes, the others were shocked. None, though, as much as Jess. For the others the images were merely faces to go with the rest of the facts. For her the Kel were far too …
Familiar.
Pale, perfect complexions; youthful yet ancient elfin features; shock-white hair and yellow eyes.
It was a difficult feeling to shake.
“That was definitely a Kel warship,” Nani was saying. “Like this one, but an entirely different generation. Modern but less advanced. A whole different configuration. They’ve lost ground in the last thousand years. If I had to guess I’d say they had a dark period of some sort, loss of technology, and then rebuilt. I can tell you, though, they haven’t changed in terms of their purpose. At present, as in the past, their entire culture is geared for war. Now that they’ve seen us … now they know we’re out here, we’re going to become their objective. I can guarantee it. Nothing I see in the data I captured indicates they know where we are, and I’m pretty sure they can’t follow us—I can’t even do that with the Reaver—but their entire purpose will become Find The Humans. We—Earth, Anitra—need to prepare for that. It will take time to bring ourselves up to a level to even fight them, and there’s no telling how fast they’ll be able to find us. With the Reaver technology we can—”
“I think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves,” Satori interjected. “Obviously there’s a whole crap-load of things staring us in the face that weren’t there before. Things we had no knowledge of. Ignorance is bliss, and right now we know too much. In the short term we’ve got to finish what we came for and get this back. Let the smart people figure the rest out.” She looked to Nani. “No offense. In all honesty you’re probably smarter than anyone. But you know what I mean.”
Nani did. “It needs a high-level discussion, I agree.”
Star Angel: Dawn of War (Star Angel Book 3) Page 11
