Earth Fall_To the Stars

by Raymond L. Weil

  “If the Alcubierre Drive works,” Kia said, eating a well-done New York strip steak with a loaded baked potato.

  Brett shifted his gaze to Kia. “It will. All the simulations show it will. It’s an exact duplicate of the one on the Jelnoid scout craft, only larger. It’s also not a true Alcubierre Drive, since it does not use exotic matter.”

  “Again assuming we reverse engineered it properly,” Kia replied. “The drive in the scout craft was damaged. The drives in our ships are based on what we could extrapolate from the drive itself and what was in the Jelnoid database.”

  “It’ll work,” Brett insisted. “In a few more days we’re going to the stars.”

  Everyone quieted as they thought about that. They would leave the solar system in search of allies against the Trellixians. While it would be a journey of exploration, it was also one of desperation. Without aid, Earth would eventually fall to the alien invaders.

  Lisa looked at Derek who had taken out a small notebook and was scribbling something in it in between bites of his steak. Before coming to the restaurant, they had all spent time in one of the science labs on board the Vengeance where Derek was attempting to build a successful quantum computer. They had tried to think of various methods to make the computer more accurate but were still coming up short. If they could get it to work, it would be extremely useful on their voyage.

  “What are you writing down?” asked Lisa, curious.

  Derek looked up, excited. “I may have an idea about how to get the quantum computer to work. Let’s see if Professor Weir can figure out the mathematics of what I need.” Professor Weir, in addition to being a scientist, was a very astute mathematician.

  Lisa leaned back in her chair, setting down her fork near her almost empty plate. “We’re leaving in a few more days. Professor Weir may not have time to finish what you need.”

  “I know,” answered Derek. “At least I can get him to start working on it.”

  Brett leaned over toward Lisa. “Are you seeing Professor Wilkens before we leave?”

  Brett knew how close she and Professor Wilkens were. Lisa nodded. “Yes, we’re going out for breakfast in the morning. The professor promised me the best pancakes in the complex.”

  Lisa looked forward to spending some time with the professor—even an hour or so just talking, when they weren’t actually working. Particularly since, once the Vengeance left, it would be months before she saw him again. The professor seemed like the only real family she had left after what had happened in Portland.

  “Don’t forget we’re going shopping tomorrow afternoon,” added Brenda. “All three of us still need to pick up a few things before we leave.” Brenda nodded at Kia who was going along as well. Brett and Derek had declined as they said everything they needed was already on board the ship.

  -

  The next morning Lisa ate breakfast with Professor Wilkens. She had to smile at the professor’s plate. Not only did he have a huge stack of pancakes with maple syrup but ham and eggs as well.

  The professor grinned upon seeing Lisa’s expression. “My mother always told me breakfast was the most important meal of the day.”

  Lisa nodded. “So did mine. She used to get upset when I’d rush off without eating.”

  “Your parents were special people,” Wilkens said with a sad look in his eyes. “I wish I could have saved them.”

  “You did all you could,” replied Lisa, reaching out and putting her hand on the professor’s. She had long since accepted the death of her parents and Streth. “Those were terrible times, and many people lost everyone. Only a few were lucky enough for their families to survive.”

  “We lost so much,” Wilkens replied in a soft voice. “I guess we’re fortunate to still be here.”

  “You saved a lot of people with your research, and now we have the spaceships.”

  Wilkens took a bite of his eggs and then looked at Lisa. “What do you think about this mission?”

  “Brett’s really excited about it and so are the others. I just hope we can find allies in our search.”

  Professor Wilkens hesitated for a long moment and then spoke. “It may be a longer mission than expected. We know from what the Jelnoids said and from the information we’ve recovered in some of the Trellixian shuttles we captured that very seldom have the Trellixians encountered other space-going races. Only the Jelnoids and maybe three or four others who had developed interstellar travel. Most of the worlds the Trellixians had conquered were similar in advancement to Earth or even less technically advanced. Many did not possess any military forces at all. Earth and the Jelnoids seem to be unique in that respect. The Jelnoids only had their military fleet to protect their colonies, and it was quite small.”

  Lisa took another bite of her pancakes. The professor was right; these were very good. “What do you think the odds are of us finding another race who can help?”

  The professor seemed to fidget in his chair before answering. “Not good. If you look at how large the Trellixian Empire is and at the number of worlds they’ve conquered, there may not be anyone left out there who can come to our aid.”

  “Then why go on the mission?” Lisa waited to hear the professor’s answer.

  “Because we might be wrong, and you may, indeed, find a race to help.” Wilkens paused for several long moments as if unsure how to say his next words. “There is something else also. If your ship does not find any allies to come to our aid, its secondary mission is to find another world for us to colonize. As soon as the battlecruisers are launched, we will begin building colony ships to carry some of our youngest and brightest off Earth. We will need to set up a colony far enough away from the Trellixian Empire to ensure it can grow sufficiently before the Trellixians find it in the far future. We don’t have to let our race die out here on Earth.”

  Lisa had overheard Captain Erickson and Lieutenant Commander Barrington discussing that aspect of their mission several days back. She was certain they were not aware that she had heard them talking.

  “We’ll find allies,” promised Lisa. “We have to. We’re not abandoning Earth.” After all they had gone through, she could not see them giving up in defeat. Somehow they would find a way to save the planet.

  Professor Wilkens smiled. “Young people were always so optimistic. I hope you are right.”

  -

  General Mitchell was in his office inside the civilian complex. President Katelyn Hathaway had requested he maintain an office close to hers in case she needed to consult with him. Currently the president was busy reorganizing the country as well as bringing in people from across the world, people whose countries had been so devastated by the Trellixians that it was not practical for them to remain there. Passenger ships and low-flying passenger planes transported the survivors to different destinations around the world.

  “In Canada, Mexico, and the United States we currently have forty-two million survivors,” General Briggs reported to General Mitchell. “We have 62 percent of the needed industries up and running, and the rest should be coming online in the next six months.”

  General Mitchell was pleased with this. The small fusion reactors of the Jelnoids had saved the human race. They were able to place energy shields over the small towns and cities that the civilians occupied as well as provide the necessary power. While all the major cities had pretty well been devastated, many cities with populations of 250,000 or less had been left relatively untouched. These cities were now occupied by the survivors.

  General Briggs’s report was interrupted as ten officers wearing the insignia of ship captains entered the room. These were the ten individuals who would command the battlecruisers built by Complex One.

  “Have a seat,” said General Mitchell, gesturing toward the empty chairs at the conference table. “We have a lot to discuss today.”

  Once everyone was seated, General Mitchell began the meeting. An image of the Moon appeared on the large viewscreen behind his desk.

  “Currently fourtee
n Trellixian battlecruisers are in orbit around the Moon. From our observations these same battlecruisers have been there over eight months.”

  “Eight months,” said Captain Baker, shaking his head. “I would be bored to death.” He was assigned to the second exploration ship, the Constellation.

  General Mitchell nodded. “That’s what we hope. We’ve done everything we can to make them think the threat from Earth has steadily decreased. We’ve launched no new satellites and kept all aircraft travel below ten thousand feet. Even the airliners we are using have been covered in a special material to make them less detectable by Trellixian sensors. Travel between cities has been limited primarily to our underground monorail system. To the Trellixians, it should appear as if our people are dying out.”

  “So when do we launch our attack?” asked Captain Odell. He had been the commanding officer of the second Columbia Class submarine, the one that had remained hidden in the Pacific Ocean.

  General Mitchell looked to his left. “Colonel Fields, explain our attack plan.” Colonel Fields was familiar with the Jelnoid weapons installed on the battlecruisers.

  “We launch in forty-eight hours,” Fields informed the ship captains. “You will be joined by battlecruisers from China, Russia, and the UK. We will have nearly a three-to-one advantage over the Trellixians and should be able to overwhelm their energy shields and destroy their vessels. We do not expect a prolonged battle.”

  “Who will be in overall command of the fleet?” asked Captain Baker.

  “Admiral Daniel Edwards from the UK,” answered General Mitchell. “Admiral Edwards is a carrier commander and has all the necessary qualifications to lead our fleet.”

  “What if the Trellixians pull back from the Moon and go to Mars or another planet in the solar system?” asked Captain Erickson.

  “We will follow them,” Colonel Fields answered. “Our plan is to drive them completely out of the solar system. We don’t want them in a position to observe us putting up our defensive grid over Earth.”

  Captain Odell leaned forward, gazing intently at Colonel Fields. “What losses do we expect?”

  Colonel Fields let out a deep breath. “I would like to say none, but the Trellixian battlecruisers are much larger than our ships and are very powerful. We are hoping our losses are minimal, but we won’t know until we engage the enemy.”

  “As soon as we’ve confirmed the Trellixians have been driven from our solar system,” General Mitchell continued, “we will launch our new defensive system. Complex Two has built four large cargo ships to handle the emplacement of the new Jelnoid energy beam satellites and missile platforms. As soon as all those are in place, we have six small battlestations we will assemble in orbit.”

  “You’re expecting the Trellixians to return shortly,” guessed Captain Erickson.

  General Mitchell nodded. “Yes, as soon as they find out we have either destroyed their observation fleet or forced it to withdraw from the system, we are fairly certain the Trellixians will return with a much larger fleet and attempt to destroy ours. We’re hoping the defense grid and a few other surprises we’re holding back for them will thwart that attack.”

  “Okay, let’s get down to the details of our plan,” said Colonel Fields. “From the time our ships launch until the time we hit the Trellixians, we want to hold that to a minimum. The less time the Trellixians have to prepare, the better.”

  -

  For the next two hours Colonel Fields described in detail what the fleet would do and which actions to take, depending on how the Trellixians responded to the appearance of the Earth battlecruisers. When the meeting was finally over, the captains left. Next time General Mitchell spoke to them, the solar system would be free of the Trellixians.

  “What do you think?” Mitchell asked General Briggs.

  “According to Professor Wilkens, the likelihood of the Vengeance and the Constellation finding allies for us is very remote. I fear all we’re doing is delaying the inevitable. We’re just kicking the can down the road.”

  Colonel Fields shook his head. “We will build five colony ships here at Complex One. If we can’t find allies, then we will send our people out into the galaxy. Perhaps someday, in the future, they will return and free Earth.”

  “By then no humans will be here,” General Mitchell said. He stood and walked to his desk where he sat down. “We will draw out the war with the Trellixians as long as possible. Other countries will build a few colony ships as well. It may well be that the future of the human race rests out in the galaxy and not here on Earth.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Colonel Fields responded, his eyes narrowing sharply. “I think the human race is very resilient. We have our deep bases hidden in various countries around the world. This world is ours, and we will never let the Trellixians take it from us. Even if only our deep bases survive, it will take the Trellixians years to dig us out of the ground.”

  General Mitchell remained silent. He hoped Colonel Fields was right. It would be a shame if the human race was forced to abandon the planet of its birth.

  -

  Major Mark Dolan stepped into the Command Center of the Vengeance. The only person here besides a communications officer was Lieutenant Commander Barrington. Mark would be serving a dual role on board the ship. He was in charge of the tactical station as well as the Marines providing security for the vessel. It had been decided that two full squads would be sufficient for security. He retained his Ranger rank of major, though it was understood he was third in the chain of command behind Lieutenant Commander Barrington.

  “Welcome aboard,” said Barrington, seeing Mark enter the Command Center. “I wasn’t expecting you until later this evening.”

  Mark smiled. “I wanted to go over a few things and get all my gear stowed away. Then I’m off to visit my sister, as it may be a while before I see her again.”

  Barrington nodded in understanding. “We may be gone for six months or more. We have no idea what we may encounter out there.”

  “Aliens,” Mark replied. “Let’s hope they’re friendlier than the Trellixians.”

  Mark sat down in front of the large tactical console and activated it. He spent a few moments running through some simulations of what it would be like if the ship actually engaged a Trellixian battlecruiser. The Vengeance was equipped with six primary Jelnoid energy beams—two on the bow and four on the main hull. Also twelve secondary Jelnoid energy turrets were located in four concentric rings along the hull, allowing the ship to fire in all directions.

  On each side of the primary hull were six missile tubes, all capable of launching modified Jelnoid missiles powered by sublight drives able to hit any target within twenty thousand kilometers. That was something else Mark had to get used to. On board ship, everything was in meters and kilometers, whereas, on the ground, it was yards and miles. Mark was certain it was a scientist thing, just to make everything more confusing.

  Two other officers would join Mark at the tactical console. In a combat situation, each one would command a different set of the ship’s weapons. For nearly two hours Mark ran through a number of simulations. In the last year he had spent a lot of time on board the Vengeance as well as going on a few missions with his Rangers.

  At first he had been uncomfortable in the role he had been assigned. However, after working with Captain Erickson and Lieutenant Commander Barrington, Mark gradually became more at ease in his tactical role. In a combat situation, sometimes snap decisions were required; it was one of the reasons he had been chosen to fill this position on the Vengeance. They needed a tactical officer who wasn’t afraid to make the hard decisions.

  Finally satisfied, Mark stood and stretched. He would head to his quarters and change and then meet his sister. They were going out to eat and then to a play she wanted to see. While Mark wasn’t thrilled about attending a play, tonight was all about his sister and making her happy.

  Tomorrow he would return to the Vengeance and prepare for their launch. He was
curious how they would get all ten battlecruisers out of the large construction cavern without detection. The few times he’d asked about this, the other officers had only smiled and said to wait and that he’d find out. Mark suspected a large exit tunnel was somewhere.

  -

  General Mitchell walked along the sidewalk to a wide thoroughfare in the underground city. It was the beginning of the night cycle, and still a large number of people were out and about. The underground city was in a cavern nearly fourteen miles long and three wide with a ceiling one mile above. Mitchell had to grin, looking up. Small lights set in the ceiling simulated the stars, though the lights didn’t move. Mitchell knew at the moment nearly three hundred thousand people lived in the civilian section of Complex One.

  It seemed as if he were in a normal human city. There were restaurants, shops, movie theaters, and everything else one would find in a city. The difference was, in this city, there was no pollution and no crime. It was also the most highly advanced city on the planet. Taking a deep breath, General Mitchell entered a small sidewalk café that served excellent Chinese food. As he sat down, he wondered just what the Vengeance and the Constellation would find out among the stars. Someday he wanted to walk on Earth’s surface and not worry about what might be in orbit above.

  Chapter Four

  Captain Erickson sat down in his command chair and took a deep breath. In a few minutes the Vengeance and the other battlecruisers would be entering and exiting the long tunnel leading up to the surface. On the main viewscreen a huge section of the rock wall in the cavern slid back, revealing a lit opening. For ten miles the tunnel stayed level before gradually turning upward. Then another twelve miles before they exited on the far side of the mountains. The tunnel had been hollowed out with Jelnoid heat beams years in the past. If the Trellixians were to detect it, the tunnel would seem more like a lava tube because of its depth. However, it was doubtful the Trellixians had anything, which could scan this deep beneath the planet’s surface.