The Pike Chronicles: Books 5-8 (Pike Chronicles Space Opera Book 2)

by G. P. Hudson

  Yes, Lieutenant Jarvi. This is interesting technology. It would have hidden any signal from the comm from me, were I not already occupying the device.

  Where is the Admiral now?

  He has entered one of the lifts, and is heading to the ground floor.

  Can you stop the lift?

  Yes, although that might attract attention.

  Just stop it temporarily, so that we can get down to the ground floor ahead of them.

  Understood. Lift has been stopped. I have another lift waiting for you.

  “Let’s move,” said Jarvi. “AI is tracking the Admiral.”

  “Where are they?” said Breeah, falling into step beside Jarvi, while Anki trotted beside her.

  “They are on the lift. AI has paused it so that we can get ahead of them.”

  “You have an AI in control of our lifts?” said Miira.

  Jarvi eyed her with suspicion. “It was necessary.”

  “Interesting. How did you manage this?”

  “Our AI is quite capable,” said Jarvi, as they all entered the lift. “Admiral Pike can explain it all to you after he is rescued.”

  “How capable is your AI?” pressed Miira.

  Jarvi ignored the question, focusing on how to get the Admiral back. AI, do you think you could create a virtual outline of the Admiral that our ocular implants can identify?

  Yes, Lieutenant Jarvi.

  Good, make the modification.

  It is done. Your implants will identify the Admiral, even while cloaked.

  Excellent. I suppose you cannot identify the Dvorkans he is with?

  No. Unfortunately, the Admiral’s comm device does not possess any sensors that would allow me to locate them.

  Understood.

  “AI is extremely capable. We rely on her for much,” Breeah said to Miira.

  “AI is my friend, too,” said Anki.

  “Interesting,” said Miira. “The Empire considers artificial intelligence to be a threat, and has banned any advanced AI development.”

  “Our AI is not a threat. At least not to us. To our enemies, that is a different matter,” said Breeah.

  “You use your AI as a weapon?”

  “At times. Our AI is quite powerful and can take over enemy computer systems,” Breeah said with pride.

  “AI has given the Chaanisar the ability to see the Admiral,” Jarvi said, to the rest of the team. “The Chaanisar will attack once the enemy’s lift opens its doors. If the enemy is not cloaked, the rest will join the attack.”

  “But if only the Admiral is visible to you, how will you target the enemy?” said one of the Diakans.

  “We will attack them while they are still inside the lift. They will have little room to evade us. With the element of surprise, and our enhanced speed, we will prevail.”

  “What about the Admiral’s safety?”

  “The Admiral is our secret weapon. Once we strike, the Admiral will surely join in the melee. These Dvorkans are no match for the Admiral’s capabilities.”

  “You speak with such confidence,” said Miira. “Yet you are unarmed, and much smaller than the Dvorkan soldiers. Surely this must be misguided arrogance. You do not stand a chance.”

  “We are Chaanisar. We do not know arrogance, only victory, and the freedom of death.”

  “I do not know what the word Chaanisar means.”

  “Then watch, and learn.”

  The lift reached the ground floor, and the group stepped out.

  “Take your positions,” Jarvi said to the other Chaanisar. “AI, have the Admiral’s lift resume its descent.”

  “Resuming lift’s descent,” said AI.

  The Chaanisar stood ready, and brandished their concealed ion blades.

  Moments later, the doors slid open, and the Chaanisar charged.

  Chapter 25

  The Dvorkans were partially translucent. Looking down at his own body, he found he too seemed to shimmer. “Am I cloaked?” he said to the Dvorkan commander.

  “Look, we’ve got another genius alien on our hands,” the Dvorkan said disdainfully.

  A smirk spread across a few Dvorkan faces, and Jon resisted the urge to permanently remove it for them. Inside him the creature growled its contempt for his captors. All in good time, Jon said to his symbiont. Look on the bright side. They just gave us their cloaking technology.

  The Dvorkans led Jon to one of the lifts, and pushed him inside, the commander’s weapon still pointed at him. The doors closed and the lift headed down to the ground floor.

  “What do you want with me? Is this another shakedown? Are you going to hit me up for credits at some point? Because if that’s what you want, we can just settle it now. No need for all this hostility.”

  “This is about more than credits,” said the commander.

  “Oh yeah? What’s it about then?”

  Jon saw the stock of the Dvorkan’s weapon coming for his face, and sidestepped the blow. The Dvorkan commander stumbled when he missed, becoming visibly angry, and pointing his weapon at Jon’s head.

  “Move again and I will melt your skull,” said the Dvorkan commander.

  Jon laughed, and the Dvorkan pressed the muzzle of his weapon against Jon’s forehead, trying to push him into the wall. Jon didn’t budge. Instead, he pushed back with his head, forcing the weapon backward, to the astonishment of the Dvorkan, and his men.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, you don’t scare me,” said Jon, ensuring the Dvorkan could see his resolve. He might be outnumbered, and outgunned, but he could still mess them up with psychological games. Their problem was their size, and their guns. It made them overconfident. Careless.

  With such a large advantage, they took Jon’s fear for granted. They’d expected to be able to intimidate Jon. They’d expected Jon to became docile, and cooperative. What the commander didn’t expect was the crazy son of a bitch pushing his forehead against the weapon’s muzzle.

  “Go ahead. Shoot,” said Jon. “Or aren’t your balls as big as the rest of you?”

  The commander roared in anger, and for a moment Jon thought he had pushed him too far. Even with his enhanced speed, he couldn’t get out of the way fast enough if the Dvorkan fired. He didn’t find out, because at that moment the lift stopped moving.

  “What happened?” the commander said to his men.

  Relief washed over Jon as the Dvorkan removed the weapon from his head with a scowl.

  “I don’t know,” came the response. “The lift has stopped moving.”

  “You’re just as smart as this alien, aren’t you?” said the commander in frustration.

  “It looks like we have some time to get to know each other better,” said Jon. “What planet are you all from?”

  “I’m from Altara Three,” said one of the Dvorkans.

  “Shut your mouth!” said the commander.

  “You’ve got some real anger issues, you know that?”

  The Dvorkan drove the stock of his weapon into Jon’s belly. This time Jon allowed him the satisfaction. Exhaling sharply, Jon doubled over, as he absorbed the impact.

  “Maybe you will be quiet now,” said the commander.

  “Seriously,” said Jon, still bent over holding his abdomen. “I was like you once. Angry at everything and everyone. It’s no way to live.”

  The stock of the Dvorkan’s weapon connected with the side of Jon’s head this time, sending him face first into the floor. A big boot crashed into Jon’s ribs, lifting him off the ground, and hurling his body into the elevator wall.

  Jon lay on the floor for a few moments, and then slowly got to his feet. As he did, he looked up and locked eyes with the glowering Dvorkan commander. “You know, I have to admit, you hit pretty damn hard. I honestly didn’t think you had it in you.”

  The commander shook his head in anger and turned to his men, who were all watching the confrontation in amazement. “What are you gawking at? Get this elevator moving.”

  As if on command, the lift began to descend. Jon c
huckled. “That’s an impressive trick. You’ll have to teach it to me sometime.”

  “The only thing I’m going to teach you, alien, is pain, followed by slow death.”

  “Yes, that line is very frightening. I’m sure it scares the shit out of most of your prisoners.”

  “If it doesn’t scare you, then you are a fool.”

  Jon smiled. “Bring it blue boy.”

  When the doors slid open, Jon saw the blur of movement that was the Chaanisar. They flew into the lift like winged demons, their ion blades crackling as they slashed about blindly. The cramped quarters ensured that the vicious strikes connected with soft flesh, and screams of horror rang out all around him.

  Facing Jon, the commander didn’t see the Chaanisar when the doors opened. Jon didn’t need any more prompting. His hand shot up, his fingers like iron rods, and speared the commander’s throat, severing his windpipe in one deft movement. He saw the surprise in the commander’s eyes, as he stripped the weapon from his hands, and fired on his comrades.

  It was all over in seconds. Jon and the Chaanisar were left standing amid visible Dvorkan bodies, no longer cloaked, Band blood splattered walls.

  “Take their weapons, and their cloaking devices, and let’s get the hell out of here,” said Jon. “AI, close these doors and keep them closed for as long as possible.”

  “Yes, Admiral. The doors will remain closed until they are forcibly opened.”

  “I… I don’t understand,” said Miira, staring at the dead Dvorkan soldiers as the lift’s doors closed in front of her. “How did you do that?”

  “I’ll explain everything, but we have to go. Are you still coming with us?” said Jon.

  Miira seemed unsure now, and Jon couldn’t say that he blamed her after the bloodbath she just witnessed. “I’m coming,” she said finally. “But I want answers.”

  Chapter 26

  Miira had to duck to get through the hatch into the shuttle craft. Once inside things improved slightly, giving her room to stand. The seats were wide enough to accommodate her larger frame, but there was not much leg room to speak of. She braced herself for an uncomfortable flight to Admiral Jon Pike’s spaceship.

  What am I doing? she thought. She realized that her actions were likely very foolish, considering what she had just witnessed. But the promise of finding the Builders was too tantalizing to give up. If she had doubts before about Pike’s ability to reach the Builders, they were rapidly fading.

  As the shuttle lifted off the landing pad, Miira decided it was time for information. “You promised me some answers,” she said to Jon. “You can start with how your men were able to defeat armed and cloaked Dvorkan soldiers.”

  “My men here are known as Chaanisar,” Jon said, gesturing toward Lieutenant Jarvi and his team.

  “Yes, your Lieutenant Jarvi mentioned that, but this word means nothing to me.”

  “The race I told you about that we are at war with. The ones who consider the Erinyie their gods. They’re known as Juttari. They conquered my home world a little more than five hundred years ago. They ruled over us for those long five centuries. During that time, they abducted human children, implanted them with alien technology, and turned them into elite soldiers. Those children grew up to become the Chaanisar, the most feared soldier in the Juttari Empire.”

  “Fascinating. But that would mean that these men are your enemies, yet they fight for you. Why?”

  “The Juttari inserted alien technology into our brains. These brain chips were used to enslave us,” said Jarvi. “We have been liberated, and are no longer under Juttari control.”

  “I understand. The Erinyie’s arrival threatens that freedom,” said Miira.

  “Yes. That’s correct,” said Jon. “What do you know about the Erinyie’s capabilities?”

  Miira collected her thoughts for a moment. Despite the circumstances, it felt good to have someone value her research. Dvorkan society didn’t have much interest in her field of study, most considering it a waste of time. She studied ancient myths, which was tolerated well enough. But when she began to argue that the mythical beings she studied were indeed real, she was ridiculed and discredited. Now, here she was among these strange aliens seeking out those very same beings.

  “All the information I’ve uncovered on the Erinyie indicate that they have incredibly powerful collective minds. They control everything through their minds, including technology. In fact, based on what you have told me, I am inclined to believe that the Erinyie taught the Juttari to enslave the Chaanisar.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “It is how the Erinyie do things. They manipulate technology, and use that technology to control others. While these Juttari would require a physical link to control the brain chips, the Erinyie simply project their minds into the chips. In reality, the Erinyie occupy technology. They are a hive mind, and can project their collective consciousness into any computer system within range. That would include a Chaanisar brain chip.”

  “Then our days as free men are numbered,” Jarvi said ominously.

  “I do not know,” said Miira. She turned back to Jon. “Are you a Chaanisar as well?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “But you also possess abnormal capabilities. Do you not?”

  “I do. But mine aren’t not technology based, like the Chaanisar. They are organic in nature. I have a symbiont. A being that was put inside me. It gives me extraordinary powers.”

  “Did the Juttari place that being inside you?”

  “No. The Diakans did.”

  “Are they not your allies?”

  “Yes. They had my permission. The enhanced abilities it provided helped me become more effective in the war against the Juttari.”

  Miira shook her head. “You are not like the aliens in the Empire.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “I have one more question,” said Miira. “How will we reach the Builders?”

  Jon smiled. “I think a demonstration would be best. Look out that porthole. Initiate jump to battle group.”

  Miira looked out the window to see the azure skies of Kaizon One. A second later, those skies were replaced by the blackness of space dotted with several hulking starships. She was visibly stunned. “What happened?”

  Jon smiled. “We jumped. Our ships possess the capability to fold space, just like the transit points.”

  “I wouldn’t believe you, had I not seen it myself. How far can you travel with this technology?”

  “A shuttle craft like this one doesn’t have as much range, but our starships can jump up to fifty light years at a time.”

  “Incredible. The possibilities this technology offers are innumerous. It would no longer take years to explore beyond the Empire’s boundaries.”

  “Hold on a second. I agreed to tell you how we would reach the Builders, but I said nothing about giving the technology to the Empire.”

  “Why not? The Empire would pay you handsomely for this knowledge.”

  “First, it’s not for sale. Second, I don’t know that I trust your Empire. If I gave them the technology, how do I know I wouldn’t be facing an invasion force in the near future? A return to your age of glory?”

  Miira let Jon’s words sink in. “You’re right,” she said finally. “The Empire would return to conquest if they had this technology. Do not reveal it to them.”

  Jon smiled. “I like you Miira Kev. I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”

  Chapter 27

  Consul Kang tried unsuccessfully to control her anger at the three-dimensional head floating before her. “How exactly did the mission fail, Captain Keer?”

  “I do not know. The strike team reported that they had Admiral Pike in custody, and were heading back to their ship. A short while later the ship lost contact with them. A second team was dispatched to investigate, and found the first team in an elevator, all dead.”

  “Don’t you find it hard to believe that these puny aliens managed to ki
ll a Dvorkan strike team, Captain?”

  “I do, your worship. It defies belief.”

  “How were they killed?”

  “A firearm killed some. The rest were killed by what seems to be a charged bladed weapon.”

  “A blade? Are you joking? Were your men not armed?”

  “They were, your worship.”

  “Was there something wrong with their firearms?”

  “I don’t know, your worship. Their firearms were not with their bodies. Nor were their cloaking devices.”

  “This is absurd. Either your men are completely incompetent, or we have seriously underestimated these aliens.”

  “I believe we have underestimated them, your worship. For a Dvorkan strike team to be defeated so easily is unthinkable.”

  “What of the scholar?”

  “We could not find her. We believe she has accompanied the aliens. We do not know if she went willingly, or as a hostage.”

  “No great loss, either way. Are their ships still in the Kaizon One system?”

  “No, your worship. They left for the transit point a short while later.”

  “Then they’re on their way back to our system. So be it. We will spring our trap when they arrive. Prepare your ships.”

  “Yes, your worship. It will be done.”

  The hologram of Captain Keer’s head vanished, leaving Consul Kang alone with her thoughts. She had to have that propulsion technology, but these aliens were being difficult. It was time to play rough.

  Let’s see what Admiral Pike does when faced with a squadron of cloaked Dvorkan battleships.

  Chapter 28

  “I’ve assigned you quarters, if you’d like to get some rest,” Jon said to Miira, as they stepped out of the shuttle onto the Freedom’s hangar bay.

  “I am not tired, Admiral,” said Miira.

  “Are you hungry?” asked Breeah, who walked alongside them with Anki.

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “We can take you to the mess hall for some food,” said Breeah, looking for Jon’s nod of approval.