Eradication (The Void Wraith Trilogy Book 3)

by Chris Fox

  "Why was I not told of this?" Carnifex asked, but the heat had left his voice.

  "Because of spies, fool," Fizgig snapped, immediately regretting the lapse. She moderated her tone. "Apologies for keeping you in ignorance, Mighty Carnifex. But we lack the time to debate this. We must come up with a plan to win, or we must use this respite to flee."

  "As you can see," Nolan began, sending a feed of the giant golden sphere that had exited the sun. "We've harnessed the Helios Gate as a defensive tool. All damaged and civilian vessels can shelter there. I'd encourage you to have your people do the same, if they're in a position where they can't fight any longer."

  "Done," Fizgig said, nodding to a dark-furred comm tech behind her. The tech began quietly relaying orders. "What about the Eye? Do we have a means of killing it?"

  "Possibly," Nolan said, hesitantly. He didn't want to deliver false hope. "The Forge is tearing up the enemy fleet on its way to the the Eye now. But there are a few other tasks we need to deal with."

  "Dryker," Fizgig growled, eyes narrowing to slits.

  "And Mendez," Nolan said, nodding. "If there's any chance you can take Dryker alive we have the means to cure him. Kathryn and I are after Mendez as we speak. The Forge will support your vessels until you can fall back into the Helios Sphere."

  "There is something you must see," Fizgig said, frowning. "This footage was beamed by the 14th Fleet. It shows the Eye's current location."

  Nolan was transfixed by the terrible footage. It showed the Eye over Asia, a sea of blue tendrils extending from its open iris. It appeared to be sucking up things from the surface, and it wasn't much of a stretch to guess what the Eye was feeding on. Millions must already be dead. Possibly billions.

  "Manda, are you monitoring the connection?" Nolan asked. The thought came suddenly, but given the Primo's technical superiority it was very likely they had the means of listening in.

  "Yes, Captain Nolan," Manda said, her face appearing next to the others. "The footage you were just broadcast shows something vital. The Eye is vulnerable, if we can reach it in time. With the iris open, we can fire our temporal cannon at its unprotected inner eye. We can end this."

  Chapter 62- Run and Hide

  The Steadfast had cloaked, passing silently through the Void Wraith ranks. Dryker made for the moon's nadir, staying in her shadow. He was close enough to monitor chatter, but far enough away that he'd likely avoid scans. He was under no illusion about what was going to happen now that the Forge had arrived. The Void Wraith ranks were getting chewed up, giving the Tigris breathing room.

  As soon as Fizgig had breathing room she'd be coming for him, then Celendra. Dryker knew from the Eight-Year War that Fizgig was an implacable enemy, one that would hunt you across the galaxy, for years if necessary. She'd be coming for him now, and his best defense was stealth. That wouldn't fool her forever, but it would fool her long enough to give her another target.

  Celendra's carrier was a big, shiny target. If Fizgig couldn't find him, then she'd likely settle for Celendra. That bought him time, which he could use to formulate a new plan, though what that plan might be eluded him. For the first time, the possibility of the Eye's defeat seemed real, but he wasn't sure how he could either help or hinder it. He'd lost his credibility with the fleet by making his last order, so he doubted they'd obey another.

  Even if they would, the second he broadcast one, Fizgig would know where he was. His only chance of survival was waiting silently. So that was what he did, watching as the battle continued to unfold.

  Chapter 63- Keep Eating

  Hundreds of millions of humans were sucked in by the tendrils of light, dropped into a digestive soup already forming inside the Eye. They died near instantly, their genetic matter distilled into a usable form. It was the most pleasurable experience the Eye could partake in, something to savor. Yet this experience was rushed, and the Eye had a dilemma.

  Not even thousands of thoughtlines provided sufficient clarify. Should it continue feeding? Or deal with the newly arrived Forge? Based on the vessel's current speed, and the resistance it was meeting from the Void Wraith, the Eye was nearly certain that it could keep the enemy at bay long enough to finish feeding.

  For a being to whom time was nearly meaningless, the next ninety seconds were of vital importance. The Eye weighed the possibilities, and chose to take the infinitesimally small chance that the Forge could both get to it in time and do enough damage to kill it. It continued to feed, sucking in tens of millions of humans.

  The central cities were empty now, and it had further split each blue tendril into ten smaller ones. Those smaller ones darted between human settlements, each one sucking up hundreds of thousands over the space of a few seconds. Already, the Eye had begun to digest the first humans it had ingested. Already, new thoughtlines were possible.

  It continued to feed, exalting in the fresh knowledge, fresh power. Thoughtlines were detached to monitor the approaching Primo vessel, and to keep it apprised of the military battle. Its fleets had been severely damaged by the Forge's arrival, but still dramatically outnumbered their opponents. Unfortunately, those opponents had retreated within the Helios Sphere.

  Only the tightly compact Tigris fleet remained outside the protective Sphere, and they were tearing apart the Void Wraith in their sector. They fought with a tenacity and ferocity that the Eye found surprising. Certainly, the Primo had never demonstrated that kind of fervor. They'd been pragmatic, even in the face of their certain extinction.

  That caused a stray thoughtline, lamenting what had happened to Tigrana. So much biomass wasted in a pointless orbital bombardment. Still, the Eye had feasted on Jaguara, and that had given it a taste of Tigris cunning. It cut off that thoughtline, returning its focus to the task at hand. It needed seventy-eight more seconds to depopulate this hemisphere.

  The Tigris were pushing through the Void Wraith line, the Void Wraith buckling as the Forge delivered another barrage. Several Tigris harvesters darted out from the main body, toward the last Primo vessel, the one commanded by vessel Celendra.

  Chapter 64- Release

  The First Light shuddered under another railgun impact, and Celendra barely caught herself against the railing.

  "Shield down to twelve percent," Jaranta said, staring worriedly at the small crack in the dome above them.

  "Order all drones to assault the lead vessel," Celendra said, making a risky decision. It was their only chance of survival. "All power to the engines. Make for the Helios Gate."

  Running was dangerous, but in this instance it was the right choice. Drones pivoted from their targets, zipping over to the lead pursuer, a human destroyer. The vessel fired round after round, most from its smaller railguns. Then the main gun spoke, and the First Light shuddered again. Another crack spread across the dome.

  The drones answered in kind, savaging the destroyer's engines. The ship slowed, its smaller cannons rotating to engage the new threats. The First Light continued to accelerate, opening a gap between itself and the destroyer. It was now far enough away that there was no way for a human vessel to catch them.

  "Our last drone has been destroyed," Jaranta said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Massive damage to over eighty percent of the ship. The First Light may never fly again, after this day."

  That saddened Celendra. She'd spent six decades aboard the First Light, four as her Voice. This place was more than a ship; it was a home. Home to a culture that was about to disappear forever. It ate at her that she'd been subverted by the enemy, but at least some tiny part of the Primo would survive the day. They could make it safely to the Helios Gate, where they could find somewhere to refit.

  Celendra was shocked when three harvesters materialized off the prow. She stared out the dome at the one directly above, powerless to stop the immense ball of blue plasma gathering between the wing tips.

  She knew who it was. It could be no one else. Fizgig had come to administer justice. Not vengeance--this wouldn't be personal. It was an unp
leasant task that the Tigris would perform dutifully.

  Celendra gave a beatific smile, willing the comm to open a channel to the harvester. "Thank you for releasing me, Fizgig."

  Three balls of plasma shot into the bridge. Celendra died in the second impact, vaporized by the blast that tore apart the First Light and ended the Primo's mighty fleet.

  Chapter 65- Nolan's Run

  "Ship, engage the enhanced cloaking system," Nolan ordered, walking the last half-dozen paces into the harvester's shuttle bay. The harvester itself was still inside the Forge's shuttle bay, sheltered from the battle raging outside.

  "You sure that thing's going to work, sir?" Hannan asked, quietly, so the others wouldn't hear. Annie and Kathryn were laughing at something Edwards had said, not far from the crackling blue energy curtain on the far side of the hangar.

  "No," Nolan admitted. He met her gaze, taking a stealth belt from the wall and buckling it on. "The only proof we have is that it seemed to work for the Forge when we arrived in system. Will it work for us, too? Hopefully we don't find out the hard way that it doesn't."

  "I still feel like we should be going after Dryker," Hannan said, eyeing him sidelong as they walked toward the others.

  "You're saying that because we owe the old man," Nolan said, eyeing her back without giving an inch. "You're loyal, like me. He doesn't deserve this, especially knowing that we can save him." Nolan nodded toward Kathryn for emphasis.

  "So why are we here? Couldn't some of the Tigris take out Mendez?" Hannan asked, but with less heat in her voice.

  "Do you really want to trust someone else to do this?" Nolan snapped, letting the stress get to him. "Listen, Hannan. Fizgig will take care of Dryker--you have my word on that. But we have a job to do. Mendez commands the Void Wraith. Stop him, and we stop the Void Wraith. Doing that will save countless lives, and not just on Earth."

  "I know." Hannan looked away, rejoining the others.

  Nolan dropped back half a step, waiting until Hannan had reached the others before speaking. He used his best parade voice. "Uh-ten-tion."

  There was a half-second of stunned silence, and then the entire squad snapped to order. They held a perfect salute, every last one of them.

  "At ease," Nolan said, noting that while they dropped the salute, most still stood at attention. "I know we're generally lax on discipline. We get the job done, whatever it takes. There's not usually a need for the structures we had to deal with in the UFC. But today that need is there. We're going in to do the most important thing we can for this war effort. If we succeed, we could shut down the Void Wraith fleet.

  "The plan is simple. As we speak, this vessel has just departed the Forge and is now headed toward the Eye. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are going to land on the surface. We are going to find Admiral Mendez, and we are going to neutralize him." Nolan paused, scanning their faces. They were still listening, accepting what he was saying without question or reservation. That mattered more than he'd ever be able to express.

  "We're using the sample taken from the larva in Kathryn to locate Mendez, somewhere on the Eye's backside. Edwards will carry that Primo medbed into the cave where we think he's hiding," Nolan continued. He paused again, meeting Kathryn's gaze. "If possible, we take him alive. The medbed can purge the larva in less than two minutes. If the Void Wraith fleets have been programmed to obey Mendez directly, then he might still be able to control them."

  "Meaning he could force them to stand down, or turn on each other," Kathryn added. The others looked at her, and she raised an eyebrow at Nolan. He nodded, so she continued. "Worst case, we remove the enemy commander. Best case, we steal their fleet and use it against them."

  "Sir," Edwards boomed, "I just gotta say, I really like your lady's style." He made a cocking noise, and mimed chambering a round in his assault rifle.

  "We're landing on that thing?" Annie asked, blinking. Then she reached into her pocket and withdrew her can of chew. "You're nuts, Nolan. Have been since the first day you saved my bacon. Kathryn, if you supported this, you're nuts too. Still, it's good to have you back."

  Kathryn lit up, something in Annie's words touching her deeply. "Thank you, Annie. It's damned good to be back. What we're doing might seem a little crazy, but it's Nolan. He's pulled off bigger stunts. We'll get through this."

  "Ship, how long until we make planetfall?" Nolan asked, trying not to preen too much over the obvious flattery.

  Hannan rolled her eyes, and Izzy just stood there looking confused by their behavior.

  "Fourteen minutes," Ship replied.

  "Can you project a holo down here?"

  "Yes, what would you like to see?" Ship said, pleasantly.

  "Show us the battle," Nolan ordered.

  A hologram sprang up about half a dozen feet away, displaying the planet below. Hundreds of ships massed; above it all, the Forge cut a path toward the Eye. Their harvester had already outdistanced the Forge, wheeling silently past the combat. None of the Void Wraith reacted to their presence, suggesting that the improved cloaking worked.

  "Dear god," Nolan muttered, eyes widening as the holo gave him the first glance of the Eye.

  Chapter 66- Payback

  Manda smiled grimly, guiding her hoverchair closer to the tactical holomap at the center of the war coliseum. All seven of her advisors were present, each relaying instructions to the repair drones throughout the ship. Those drones were both their armada and the means by which they'd keep the catastrophic damage in check. The Void Wraith weren't much, individually, but enough of them together were a real threat.

  She glanced at the cloud of vessels retreating into the Helios Sphere, confident that they'd be safe for the moment. Manda turned her attention to the course ahead, watching as the holo shifted to show the planet's curvature. They were in low orbit, as was the Eye itself. It was using the planet to screen itself for as long as possible, of that Manda had no doubt.

  The ship shuddered as something got past the cannons. Whatever the impact had been, it was close enough to the war room to be of concern. Nor was she the only one to think so. Her advisors exchanged nervous looks.

  "Time until we have a clear shot on the Eye?" Manda asked, watching with satisfaction as a combination of drones and plasma fire cleared the path for them. Yet, as quickly as they destroyed them, the Void Wraith kept filling in the gap, selling themselves to buy the Eye time.

  The stalling tactic was a costly one, as harvester after harvester blew up in a cloud of debris. Still, they didn't die quietly.

  "Damage estimates, Daughter?" She turned to Elvu, her youngest prodigy. Elvu's parents had protested when she'd joined Manda, even more so when Elvu came to see Manda as a mother figure. It was a sentiment she heartily returned.

  "We've lost fourteen percent of our cannons, and roughly twenty-seven percent of the surface has been damaged. A number of hangars are offline, and quite a few drone bays have been destroyed," Elvu said, sending the metrics to Manda's data comp. The personal computer was part of the contact she wore in her left eye, and it displayed the data in the lower corner. "As you can see, our ability to fight has not been significantly impacted, and we should reach the Eye in approximately thirty-two seconds."

  "What's the charge on the temporal cannon?" Manda asked, turning to a bespectacled Primo with age-mottled skin. The professor was still sharp, though.

  "We anticipated the rough moment we'd need the weapon, so we began charging it over a minute ago," Professor Lanur explained. "It will be ready to fire in forty-eight seconds."

  Manda nodded, clasping her hands atop one knee as she watched the planet below. They were passing over a wide expanse of blue, a massive ocean larger than her entire home world. In the distance, the Eye became visible, hovering near the planet's atmosphere. Its sickly blue tendrils scoured the land beneath it, and Manda had to steel herself to prevent losing her breakfast.

  "By the Core," Elvu whispered. The silence on the bridge carried the words.

  "Line up your shot
, Lanur," Manda ordered, mouth firming into a tight line. "This is the last atrocity the Eye will ever commit."

  The Void Wraith had grown frantic, some actually ramming the Forge's engines in an attempt to slow them. The ship shuddered, but continued inexorably forward. Their cannon fire never slackened, turning the defending Void Wraith into a sea of flaming wreckage. The volume of it was immense, and she'd seen what that could do to a world. It would rain down over the next several years, wreaking havoc on the world below--if there was anyone left alive to see it.

  "Manda," Elvu cried, pointing.

  Manda already saw it. Perhaps the Eye had panicked, or maybe it had finished feeding. Whatever the reason, the tendrils of light began to dissipate. After several moments, the blueish glow coming from inside the Eye sputtered and went out. Then a thick membrane began to slide from the open edges of the Eye.

  "Elvu, how long until that thing closes?" Manda asked. Elvu was their mathematician, and could most quickly make use of the data.

  "Seventeen seconds," Elvu replied in a somber tone. "Time to temporal cannon is nineteen seconds."

  "Lanur, you know what's at stake. I need two seconds," Manda demanded, turning her chair to the scientist.

  "I make no promises," the professor muttered, bending to his lap console. His fingers flew across the screen with the ease of a lifelong typist, a dying art form in her time.

  Chapter 67- Critters

  Hannan loved horror holos; she had since she was a kid. The idea of a bunch of Marines invading a giant Eye seemed exciting...until she was the Marine doing it.

  "This place has a breathable atmosphere," Kathryn said, surprise evident in her tone. She looked up at Nolan, mostly avoiding eye contact with the rest of the squad.