Worlds Away (The Interstellar Age Book 3)

by Daniels, Valmore

  Chow Yin knew he truly was a god.

  Just as the thought came to him, he became aware of something else in the vicinity, another presence, and he instinctively knew it was of a magnitude more powerful than he was.

  For the first time in his life, Chow Yin felt fear.

  39

  Unknown :

  Unknown :

  Nothing.

  Then something.

  The smallest whisper.

  A crescendo of sound.

  Everything inside him was outside.

  The infinite universe filled his essence.

  Answers just out of reach.

  Music of the Spheres?

  Song of Stars?

  Cosmic Opus?

  Key.

  A rift.

  Absence of light.

  The inexistence of time.

  A dichotomy of spacial matter.

  Convergence of light, space and time.

  Everything outside him was inside.

  Simultaneous divergence of matter.

  Invariance and covariance.

  Quantum absence.

  Everything.

  40

  Low Earth Orbit :

  Sol System :

  His first thought was that he had died and gone over to the other side.

  A feeling of completeness came over Michael as he regained consciousness. The soft, cradling warmth that flowed through his body was unlike anything he’d experienced before.

  The ever-present ache he felt in his knees and hips as he grew older came back, and that was when he realized he wasn’t dead. Every cell in his body was on fire, and he knew this was because he’d been irradiated by the reaction to the Kinemet in the alien. It had not been enough radiation to kill him immediately, however. Then why had he felt like he was going to die?

  He opened his eyes and looked around. To his confusion, he realized he was in officer’s quarters on a ship. There was a desk with an old-fashioned DMR casement. The screen held orders for the captain of the ship, and the name was all too familiar.

  Michael struggled to understand how he’d ended up back on Lieutenant Gao’s ship.

  In space?

  His disorientation and confusion sent his heart racing. What was going on? How did he get here?

  Fighting against the feeling of weakness running through him, he got up, and a wave of pain coursed through his torso.

  He had a broken rib. Something must have fallen on him during the explosion. That was why he’d felt heavy. Shock had tricked him into thinking he was going to die.

  With one hand, he felt the bandage around his ribs. It still hurt to breathe, and it took him a bit of time to approach the computer console. There, he read the status report on the screen.

  The ship was in orbit at the L3 point on the opposite side of the Moon from the Earth. That region was long-held as a launching point for missions to the outer planets. It had been one of Chow Yin’s first targets.

  The status report indicated that there were dozens of ships sharing the same orbit, and the majority of them were models used by USA, Inc., Canada Corp., UK PLC, and Deutschland, AG. More than half the ships, however, were of Chinese manufacture. Was Chow Yin massing an armada to invade Earth? Had he captured all these ships? Had he captured Michael?

  His confusion heightened when Lieutenant Gao entered the quarters and smiled at him.

  “I see you are awake and well, Mr. Sanderson.”

  Dropping all pretext of civility, Michael demanded, “What the hell is going on? How did I get here?”

  Putting up a hand to calm his guest down, Lieutenant Gao said, “You are safe, I assure you. If you feel up to it, I can explain.”

  Though he knew the radiation in his body, combined with the broken ribs, was sapping his strength, he felt more than up to an explanation.

  “Please do,” he said, bringing himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bunk.

  Lieutenant Gao pulled a chair out from a small desk set into an alcove on the wall, and eased himself down. “We only have a few minutes, so pardon me if I give you the highlights.”

  “Go on.”

  “I am, and always have been, an agent for the PRC, planted among the Solan Empire to undermine Chow Yin’s rule. When you arrived in Sol System, we sent an alert to avoid the mines, but the alien vessel did not receive the warning in time. When I saw it fly toward another mine, I sent a warning missile to get it to change course. I had no idea the vessel would explode. I am so sorry about your friends.”

  A mix of emotions went through Michael at the admission, but soon enough, he nodded to Lieutenant Gao to continue.

  The lieutenant said, “Over the past few months, we have been secretly amassing a fleet out here, launching during solar flares to mask our movements. In one hour, we will begin to take back Sol System, and we require your help.”

  “Me? What do you think I can do?”

  “You were captured by rebels in Honduras, who were working for Chow Yin, is that correct?”

  “Yes,” Michael said. “The last thing I remember, the complex was under attack. Humberto, a friend of mine, said the Guatemalan army was liberating us.” He gave the lieutenant a hard look. “How did I get from there to here?”

  “When the authorities found you, the Cruzado informed them that you had sustained injuries and would only speak to Alex Manez. Of course, that was impossible at the time, but he finally agreed to speak to Minister Calbert Loche, one of your top officials.”

  “What did he tell him?”

  “You had sustained a few broken ribs, and that you had been exposed to Kinemetic radiation. Word was sent through diplomatic channels from your government to the Americans, then to my government who has been working in cooperation with them. My ship was in low-Earth orbit on a routine patrol when I received instructions to break my cover and take you aboard. The Guatemalans launched a small vessel to rendezvous with our ship. You’ve been here for several days, drifting in and out of consciousness. Now, our ship’s doctor has verified that you are well on the road to recovery from your physical injuries.”

  Michael, his mind racing with all the information he’d just received, reached the most vital conclusion. “You broke cover. That means—”

  “Chow Yin is aware of my duplicity. We already have information that he is gathering his forces at Qin Station—he is obviously protecting something very important. Our fleet will launch within the hour, but General Gates, the commander of the flotilla, needs to debrief you before we finalize our mission specs.”

  “Debrief me?”

  “You may be the only person who can contact Alex.”

  “Alex?”

  The lieutenant nodded. “I was able to send off Humberto’s encoded message to an agent at Qin Station; Doctor Naysmith. We have no way to verify whether Mr. Manez received it, and we’ve lost contact with the doctor.”

  It took a moment for Michael to wrap his head around all the new developments. He asked, “What about the others, Humberto and his men, and Yaxche and Patli?”

  “As far as I know, they have been escorted back to Honduras, and are under the protection of their military. They are fine.”

  A chime sounded, and the lieutenant stood. “Ah, it’s ready.”

  “What is?”

  “We have prepared a shuttle to take you to the general’s flagship.”

  ∞

  The Liberty was the largest battle cruiser in the US Space Force. It had eight torpedo tubes with both nuclear and conventional warheads, twelve short-range missile launchers, and two dozen heavy gun batteries. There were six portals on either side of the ship for small fighter shuttles to dock. The ship utilized the latest high-tech countermeasures, and was equipped with state-of-the-art computer technology.

  What got Michael’s attention was not the weaponry or the firepower. As his shuttle neared the warship, he saw on the monitors that someone had installed a quantum drive. From what he could tell, it was the same configuration as the p
rototype he had installed on the Ultio.

  This was the first he’d heard of a light-speed capable military ship—of course, all they were missing was a Kinemat who could pilot it.

  By the time he docked, disembarked from his shuttle, and was led to the bridge to meet General Gates, Michael was bursting with questions.

  Before he could say anything, however, the general pulled him into a small conference room away from the other officers.

  “Mr. Sanderson, welcome to the Liberty. Thank you for assisting us.”

  “How can I help?”

  “We plan to attack Qin Station, which is Emperor Yin’s base of operations. We have reports coming in that Emperor Yin has four times the number of our ships, but most of them are scattered around this area of space. If we stand any chance, we must arrive in force before he has a chance to gather his fleet. Our attack must be unexpected. No doubt, you are aware that our ion engines have improved over the past few years. It should only take us two or three days to arrive there once we launch.”

  “What is it you want from me, then?” Michael asked.

  “It is our belief that Emperor Yin is building a quantum ship of his own. Should he successfully create a Kinemat, he will have an advantage over us. We know he has coerced Alex Manez into assisting him; we must retrieve him alive if we are to have any chance of creating our own force of Kinemats.”

  “Alex had no choice…” Michael said.

  “We know. That’s not important. What’s important is that he may not know whom to trust. That’s where you come in.”

  “Of course. I will do anything to help.”

  “Good.” The general nodded, and then took a moment to form his words. “We don’t believe we’ve been able to contain news of the Guatemalan revolt, which is why we believe Emperor Yin has moved up his timetable. Once he has what he wants from Alex—”

  “He’ll kill him,” Michael finished.

  41

  Qin Station :

  Sol System :

  There was no sense of time or space. It was a complete metaphysical metamorphosis. Alex was unaware that he’d ever been a corporeal being. His consciousness was filled with the entire scope of the universe’s existence. At the same time, he was suspended in a moment of a pure energy.

  He could have existed in that state for all time, and not known the difference—or cared, for that matter. It was the end and the beginning of all things for him.

  In an instant, he became aware of his unawareness, and he willed himself to become conscious.

  There was another sentience near him, and the edges of his perception told him it was a presence similar to him.

  The overwhelming bliss called him back, and he was very near to dismissing the anomalous sense that there was someone or something near him. All he wanted was to exist in that glorious fragment of time and space for all eternity, the suspension of all reality.

  Still, there was something in his psyche that would not let him remain in his current form. What was it? If he had the perception of consciousness, did he not have an obligation to embrace it? Otherwise, the infinite inexistence was a lie.

  He concentrated, and became cognizant that there was a material universe surrounding him.

  Galaxies, solar systems and planets. Elements, particles, molecules, and quanta.

  Time slowed down and returned to him, and his memories were restored.

  From one moment to the next, he realized a great many things.

  He was different from before. For nearly twenty years, he’d been affected by the radiation of Kinemet. Now, the Kinemet was a part of him. Every cell in his body, his very DNA, was altered. Kinemet was part of his fundamental physiology now. He was no longer a failed conversion, no longer a half-human, half-Kinemat—he was different enough that he’d become another species, even though he knew his physical appearance would not show the changes.

  The Grace! Was this what the Grace were? Alex sent his consciousness out. Though he could always sense every planetary body in Sol System, he could not send his awareness more than a hundred-and-fifty kilometers away from his photonic self. Beyond that limitation, the details were completely obscured. Now, if he concentrated, he could push his awareness out to every point in Sol System.

  Like a lighthouse beaming directly into his soul, the star beacon on Pluto shone brightly. No longer was it a distant pin of luminescence in the farthest reaches of his sight.

  And … Alex could see beyond it. Not in the physical sense. It wasn’t as if he could see past it on a spacial basis. Though he could still detect other star beacons throughout the galaxy, his new perception of Sol System’s beacon was beyond anything he’d imagined before.

  An ethereal symphony emanated from it, something much more majestic than the Music of the Spheres, or the Song of the Stars. It was all-encompassing perfection, and it called to him. The message had been there since Macklin’s Rock, but now it was much more powerful than ever before.

  Alex, come home.

  How had he changed? The doctor! How had Doctor Naysmith known that injecting Alex with Kinemet before the conversion process would have this effect? Or had it been an accident?

  That was the final key, Alex knew. Priming the Kinemet to match the Song of the Stars was only half the equation. Exposure to its radiation would convert a physical being to a Kinemat, but a Kinemat was merely the halfway point. Infusing the converted Kinemet during the conversion process changed Alex into a full quantum being.

  Was this the secret the Kulsat had been searching for over the past thousand years? In theory, it sounded right, but there was a seed of doubt in Alex’s mind. He would need to think about it more.

  Another realization came to him, this one more immediate. There was something important about the secondary presence he’d sensed.

  There was a physical distance between him and the other photonic being. Several thousand kilometers. Before he could think about the question, he had the answer. Alex, in his quantum state, had drifted outward from the Sun. A quick calculation of his position among the planets told him he’d been in the alternate awareness for several days.

  Using his sight, he focused on the presence, and realized it was very near Qin Station.

  It was another Kinemat, and Alex focused his perception to identify it.

  When he realized it was Chow Yin, Alex pushed his photonic self forward.

  At one point, he’d thought the only option for saving Sol System was to help the self-styled Emperor of Sol System. Now that he’d discovered how to create Kinemats, Chow Yin would not stop in his mad quest. The last thing they needed was a maniac running around with that power.

  Chow Yin had to be stopped.

  Though his perception traveled at near-light speeds, Alex still had limitations, and could only push his photonic self at a fraction of that speed.

  As he neared Qin Station, Alex felt the presence of a significant quantity of raw Kinemet, the entirety of which was loaded on a large warship. He could sense Emperor Yin’s Kinemetic presence on that warship, and he detected there was a quantum drive installed in the vessel.

  By the time Alex’s essence had reached Qin Station, the warship had moved a few kilometers away and was coming about.

  Chow Yin’s ship launched a Kinemetic torpedo at the station.

  As Justine had caused the torpedoes to explode years before when they were being chased from Canada Station Three, Alex pushed his senses out at the weapon and detonated the Kinemetic torpedo before it hit the station.

  Immediately, the Emperor’s ship launched a conventional missile, and Alex could do nothing but watch in horror as Qin Station was obliterated.

  How many innocent people had been on that station?

  No! Alex raged. He had a crazy thought: as he’d detonated the weaponized Kinemet on the torpedoes, perhaps there was a way he could detonate the Kinemet on the Emperor’s warship.

  Before he could push his senses out, Chow Yin activated his quantum drive, and the warship
disappeared in a streak of light.

  It was then that Alex sensed another quantity of Kinemet. A fleet of ships were coming his way. His first thought was they were the Emperor’s reinforcements, since many of the ships carried markings of the People’s Republic of China.

  When he looked closer, he realized the ships did not carry weaponized Kinemet warheads. One of the ships bore a USA, Inc. signature and had a quantum drive installed, and several hundred kilograms of Kinemet on board—more than enough to power the ship for years.

  At the same time, another group of ships converged on the newcomers from another direction; they must have been the remainder of Chow Yin’s forces.

  As the two fleets met, they began to fire on one another. Alex was helpless in the fight.

  If this had been a vid, or a rendition of Nova Pirates—the game Alex had loved to play as a youth—he would have enjoyed the epic space battle that ensued. He would have reveled in the conflict, cheering his side on.

  Now, Alex could only watch in horror as dozens of ships, and hundreds of soldiers on either side, were destroyed in the fight.

  After what seemed like hours, but was in truth less than five minutes, the battle was over.

  Chow Yin’s forces, without the Emperor at their head, quickly broke ranks, the ships turning away from the fight and fleeing from certain death.

  The Earth forces had won the battle.

  But what of the war?

  Certainly, Alex knew, there were pockets of imperialists throughout Sol System, but without their Emperor, the odds favored Earth.

  Alex had been distracted by the fighting, but now that the conflict was over, he scoured the main Earth ship. Were they truly from his side?

  When he focused his perception on the bridge, he felt a surge of relief.

  Michael!

  Pushing himself forward, Alex passed through the hull of the ship and onto the bridge.

  Michael, as if expecting him to arrive all along, said, “It’s so good to see you, Alex.”

  His warm smile was in complete contrast to the look of shock on the officers’ faces when Alex materialized into physical form.