by Chris Fox
Its newest progeny had located the Birthplace.
The Eye watched as the entity that erroneously thought of itself as Reid explored the Forge. It spun off thoughtlines to study everything Reid saw, the ramifications spawning thousands of possibilities. The Birthplace was a temporal anomaly. Somehow, the Primo had either created or harnessed an area of space where time could be sped or slowed.
The power represented in the Birthplace was nearly limitless, especially for an entity like the Eye. It could breed thousands of generations in a moment, create trillions of soldiers and an endless supply of food. This would dramatically speed conquest of the nearby galaxies, allowing the Gorthians to continue their expansion.
The Eye watched eagerly as its progeny pushed through the Forge, engaging the defenders. It watched with disappointment as Reid fled, then with renewed hope as he seized control of the Gate Ship. If the Eye could recover that ship, not only could it then reach the Birthplace, but it could also reverse-engineer the Helios Gates themselves.
That spun off thousands of thoughtlines. For the first time, the Gorthians would be able to move quickly through the stars. No longer would they need to swim the vast gulf of blackness, wasting centuries in transit.
Then the Helios Ship exploded, and the Eye's progeny was extinguished. The Eye suppressed its disappointment, spinning off new thoughtlines to incorporate the event. It had still learned much, could still eventually reach the Birthplace now that it knew where the fabled place lay. All it needed to do was breed a Primo vessel specifically for the task. It could fool the causality matrix the Primo had left in place, convincing other Helios Gates to follow the Eye's slaves.
In the meantime, it was ready to see to its needs. The Eye's hunger was terrible, and must be sated. It was time to harvest Earth.
Chapter 45- That Ain't Right
Most Marines hated boring detail, the un-sexy jobs that officers often punished you with. Not Annie, though; she looked forward to gigs like this.
She turned to the Primo storage chamber, the blue metal completely out of place amidst the junk she'd accumulated in her shuttle over the years. It sat there humming quietly, the clear plate over the occupant's face revealing a pretty woman in her mid-twenties. She appeared to be sleeping.
Unlike the rest of Nolan's crew, Annie had met Kathryn. She remembered the selfless soldier fighting for them back on Coronas 7, and remembered being both surprised and impressed by the woman's abilities. Kathryn has been a trained field agent back then, while Nolan had clearly been nothing but an analyst. Annie empathized with Kathryn, because she owed the woman. She'd been as responsible as--or even more responsible than--Nolan, for Annie and the rest of the station getting out alive.
That had been why Annie had volunteered for this gig, offered to wait quietly at the rendezvous for Nolan to return. The others could go haring off after the Birthplace, while she babysat Kathryn. Nolan had been clear that Kathryn's parasite could be a threat, and that bringing it to the Birthplace was risky. So, even though Annie knew the man was in love with her, he'd given the order for Kathryn to remain behind.
That left Annie with nothing but time. An officer might have used the time to strategize, but Annie was just a grunt. Downtime was rare, so she enjoyed it to the fullest. There were two new seasons of Star Team 7 to catch up on, for starters. After she'd finished those, she'd gotten good and drunk for the first time since she'd been an independent miner.
Today, she was mindlessly surfing Quantum. She used a news site run by vets, as they tended to have the best intel about the war's real effects on humanity. Annie was scrolling down the list of today's stories when she spotted a holo of the president. She selected it, curious what Gregg had to say. She'd voted for the woman, and was pleasantly impressed by how well the woman had done in Earth's convoluted political system. Annie followed the president's career diligently, and had watched every address she'd ever given.
"Fellow humans," the president began, the resolution sharpening as the video buffered. The UFC logo on the podium leapt into focus, as did the president's weathered face. Her hair had been swept into a simple ponytail, a style few politicians were willing to embrace. It was a severe, military style. Annie loved it. "Today we face a monumental threat. We've learned that the Void Wraith are launching their invasion of Sol. I implore anyone capable of helping the defense to return home. Not just warships, but cargo ships and transports. The military, led by Admiral Dryker, is massing in orbit. They will do their utmost to drive back the invaders, but should they fail, we will need all the help we can get with the evacuation."
The president was grimly silent for a long moment. She coughed into her hand, then looked back at the screen. "This could very well be our final battle, but it's a battle we need to fight. And win. To this end, we've asked the Tigris for support. If they agree, their vessels may fight alongside ours. I know there is bad blood between us, but we need to put that aside. We need all the help we can muster, including the surviving Primo. Today, not just humanity but all the sentient races of the galaxy will stand together. If we succeed, our children will live to thank us. If we fail...there will be no children."
The video clip ended, leaving Annie in stunned silence. Return home? Admiral Dryker had been very clear when Annie had seen him speak to Nolan. The admiral had intentionally scattered their forces, knowing that guerrilla tactics were their only chance.
Massing in a single system, even Sol, meant that they could be wiped out all at once. The move made no tactical sense, not unless you believed you could win that battle. They couldn't, and Dryker knew it. The Void Wraith had countless ships, at least several thousand. That would certainly be enough to take Earth.
So what was the admiral hoping to gain?
She hoped Nolan got back soon.
Chapter 46- We Need A Plan
Nolan popped the pill into his mouth, squeezing a little water from the bottle, then setting it onto the table. He didn't like having to rely on stims, but events were moving quickly and if he didn't stay current they'd outpace him. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the meeting, which was about to start.
Manda was the last to arrive, seated atop a floating hoverchair. It bobbed up and down on one side of the table, roughly where a human head would be. Manda folded her tiny arms, evidently waiting for him to speak.
"Thank you for coming," Nolan began, nodding not just to Manda, but also to Lena, Atrea, and Thetah. "The minds at this table represent the best chance we have at stopping the Gorthians, and the Void Wraith. The goal is to bring everyone up to speed on the data, then find a way to win this war."
"What's the situation?" Manda asked, as if bracing herself for a blow. Her opinion of Nolan had been decidedly cooler since she'd learned that they'd brought Reid onto the Forge. He couldn't blame her. If not for Delta's sacrifice, they'd all be dead.
"I've received word that the Gorthians tried to implant Fizgig. She and I had discussed the possibility, and we believe that there's a high likelihood the Gorthians would also have moved on Dryker and Celendra."
"Assuming one of them wasn't already implanted," Lena said, ears twitching.
"You said this Admiral Dryker was the leader of your human military forces," Manda interjected, leaning forward to stare hard at Nolan. "Who is this Celendra? The name sounds Primo."
"It is," Nolan said, nodding. "Celendra is the closest thing your descendants have to a leader. She's the Voice of the First Light, a Primo carrier. The other Primo follow her."
"Voice?" Manda asked, confusion evident.
"A Voice is the elected speaker for a vessel," Atrea supplied. Her tone was exasperated. "The system is antiquated, and often prevents real action from being taken. Most Primo will follow the Voice of their vessel, but they are not compelled to do that."
"That's a terrible system," Manda said, aghast. "What's the purpose in doing away with a chain of command?"
"I asked myself the very same thing the moment I became aware of th
e Tigris military leadership," Atrea said. She nodded to Lena. "Her people are much wiser than we. They lead by strength. The humans as well, to a lesser extent."
"So this Celendra may be implanted," Manda said. She looked to Nolan. "Do you have a way of confirming that either leader has been compromised? If so, what do you intend to do about it?"
"There's another piece of news that's relevant," Nolan said, steeling himself. The next words were some of the most difficult he'd ever uttered. "I believe Dryker is definitely implanted. He's given the order for all human vessels, not just military, to return to Earth for a final defense."
"Forgive me, but won't that mean their utter annihilation?" Thetah asked, speaking for the first time. She blinked as everyone looked in her direction. "I'm sorry if that's already obvious."
"That's exactly what it means," Manda said. She was still looking Nolan right in the eye. "And Nolan is correct. For their supreme military commander to issue such an order, he would have to be implanted. This makes things difficult."
"More than difficult," Nolan said, clenching his fists under the table. "If we can't find a way to stop the Eye, then the Void Wraith are going to wipe out the human home world. In one battle, they'll break the back of any resistance, and this war will be effectively over."
"The Forge is powerful, as are the Helios Gates," Manda said. "We can give your race a chance, at least. But you have to understand what's at stake here, and it matters more than any of us. Partly, the Eradication exists to build an army, but I do not believe that is its primary purpose. I believe the Eradications exist to feed the Eye. During our war against it, we watched as it consumed worlds. It can devour billions in a matter of hours."
"Can it be stopped?" Nolan asked.
"Possibly," Manda replied, looking pained. "Our attempts to kill the Eye always failed. Its skin is resilient enough to pass through stars, making it impervious to nearly every conventional attack. However, the Eye does open its iris to feed. If we can find a way through the iris, I believe we could launch an attack on its heart. The few scans we've obtained suggest that the Eye's internal organs are significantly less well protected."
"We'll also need to deal with their fleets," Nolan said. "They'll have thousands of vessels at their disposal. Can the Forge stand up to that kind of punishment?"
"Not for long, but if we bring a Helios Gate we can shield ourselves, and any allies," Manda suggested. She pursed her lips, "Wait, you said that the Gorthian we killed back at the Birthplace was the first that you'd seen, right?"
"Yes," Nolan nodded. "It's possible there are others, but so far as we know Reid was the first to be implanted. One other nearly hatched, but we destroyed it before it could."
"That could be excellent news," Manda said. "The Void Wraith can be overridden by a Gorthian, but not by someone who's been implanted. If they haven't hatched another, then odds are good the fleets are controlled directly."
"I know exactly who'll they have placed in charge," Nolan said, grimly. "Admiral Mendez. He's possibly our finest strategist, and the senior most spy they turned. If it were me, that's who I'd have running the show. So if I'm understanding where you're going with this, you're saying if we can take out Mendez we leave the Void Wraith fleets leaderless?"
"Precisely," Manda said, grinning as she slammed a tiny fist against the arm of her chair. "If we can stop this leader, we might be able to leave the Eye defenseless."
"How do we find him?" Nolan asked. "Mendez is canny, and will be careful to cover his tracks. He'll be orchestrating this war from the shadows, careful not to be discovered."
"The fastest way is through another implanted individual," Thetah said, again blinking when everyone stared at her. She blushed, stammering as she continued. "By that, I mean, we need two things: a living larva, and a sample of the subject's DNA. All larva come from the same Eye, and all share the same quantum entanglement. Each larva will give off a different resonance, influenced by the host's DNA. We can use one implanted subject to locate the resonance of this Mendez."
"I may be able to supply both," Nolan said, giving a sudden grin. "We have the admiral's daughter, Kathryn. She was implanted, and we put her in a Primo stasis chamber to slow the growth."
"The direct progeny of the subject would be ideal," Thetah said, perking up. "We can definitely use this Kathryn to locate her father."
"That brings up an important question," Nolan said, shifting the topic. This was a personal matter, but he also needed to be focused, and knowing the answer would help focus him. It might also deliver a powerful ally. "Can you cure someone of the larva?"
Chapter 47- A Cure
Nolan was waiting in the hangar when Annie guided the Tibs to an ungainly landing. The rusted vessel landed hard, one of the struts giving a few inches so that the vessel canted at an angle. Nolan winced, mentally willing the shuttle to hold together. He had no idea how it had for this long.
Manda floated a few feet away, lounging on her chair as she stared at the shuttle. "That vessel is not spaceworthy."
The side hatch popped open, and Annie jumped the three feet down to the deck. "Hey there, Captain, you didn't have to come meet me personally. Who's your, uh, friend?"
"She's the commander of this vessel; her name is Manda," Nolan explained, already hoping Annie's rough-edged nature wouldn't offend the Primo.
"The implanted woman is inside?" Manda asked, ignoring Annie's question. She zoomed her hoverchair near Annie
"Kathryn? Yep, safe and sound," Annie said. "We weren't bothered much, just took a couple days R&R. Kathryn with the resting, and me with the relaxing."
"Get her," Manda said, gesturing to the cluster of Primo near lurking back by the door. They headed into the shuttle, followed by a floating metal platform that bobbed up and down slightly. It looked designed for cargo.
"Where's she going, Captain?" Annie asked, a little protectively.
"They've got a cure, Private. The Primo can get that thing out of her." Nolan gave a grin, and Annie returned it. They both had reason to want Kathryn back on her feet, and it felt good to be able to share that.
"That's great news," Annie said, shouldering a battered pack and moving to join Nolan. "Have at it, then, and don't worry about leaving a mess behind ya. It can't be any worse than it already was."
The Primo were incredibly efficient, emerging from the Tibs less than twenty seconds later. Kathryn's stasis chamber floated on the platform, and the moment Manda saw it emerge she guided her people out of the hangar.
Since the Primo hadn't forbidden it, Nolan followed. After a moment, Annie did as well. They flanked the stasis chamber, and Nolan stole a glance at the woman inside. Kathryn looked peaceful, as if merely asleep. Her dark hair framed a face he'd thought about a lot over the last few months.
"How are you going to kill the larva?" Nolan asked, directing the question at Thetah. The hologram floated in Manda's wake, and turned to face him when addressed.
"We will use concentrated temporal energy," she said, giving a mischievous smile. "The Gorthians are incredibly resilient. No radiation, no chemical or toxin, not even the stresses of a star can destroy an adult. Even the larva are resilient. The method you're about to see is, so far as we know, the only way to kill a larva without killing the host."
They stopped inside a large room occupied by several white-robed Primo. The tiny scientists stopped their various experiments, hurrying over to to the stasis tube as it settled atop one of their counters. They moved with the same frenzied determination the Primo soldiers had, and with just as much discipline.
"Link up the scanner," a tall--well, relatively tall--green-skinned Primo ordered. The others scurried to obey, using an array of tools Nolan couldn't even understand. Little plasma displays floated next to them in the air.
"Interesting," said another, scrolling through data on a holoscreen. "She is in the earliest stage of implantation. Removal without damage to the host is possible. Her species is new, but appears resilient enough to survive.
"
A larger hologram sprang up above the stasis tube. It showed a cutaway of a human body, the skeleton covered in a sea of tiny root like tendrils.
"Begin the isolation procedure," the lead Primo said. The stasis tube began to hum, and the hologram showed a red energy field around every last tendril.
"Isolation procedure complete," one of the Primo said, tapping away at a data pad.
"They've used a containment field around the larva," Thetah whispered to Nolan. "It will prevent the larva from lashing out during the rest of the procedure."
"Begin the temporal warping," the leader said. "Start with factor 9, and raise it steadily to fifteen."
A high-pitched whine came from the device, and the hologram showed a rain of purple particles over the entire body. Nolan tensed when Kathryn's back arched within the chamber. She gave a pained cry, muffled by the stasis chamber. Nolan reached out, resting a hand on the warm metal.
"Is she all right?" he demanded, looking to Thetah.
"You must try to be patient," Thetah said, giving him a sympathetic look. "The larva is designed to be nearly immortal. We're changing the flow of time in the containment field so that, for it, thousands of years are passing."
"You're aging it to death?" Nolan asked.
"That's impossible, unfortunately," Thetah said. "So far as we know the Gorthians are the first truly immortal race. They do not age in the conventional sense. What we're doing is denying the larva food. Eventually, after enough millennia, it will begin feeding on itself. Watch."
Theta gestured, and a counter appeared in the air. It showed years blurring by. The counter had already hit five thousand, and within seconds had advanced to ten. Then twenty. Then fifty. It continued to hum along, finally stopping at eighty-three thousand years.
"There, see?" Theta asked.
