“If necessary,” Camlin replied uneasily. “We don’t want there to be any violence, but we must have those children.”
“I’m not sure all of this concern is necessary,” said Clarissa, her blue eyes focusing on Camlin. “Before we left on our mission to the black matter nebula and the Dyson Sphere, Kazak and I were getting along quite well. I’m almost certain I can talk him into cooperating. Particularly once we convince him we have the cure.”
“How soon before we leave?” asked Kathryn. With over seven months having passed since they destroyed the Dyson Sphere a lot could have happened with Kazak and the Dominator.
Camlin looked over at Leeda, who nodded. “Two weeks. That’s how long it will take to finish the upgrades to the Distant Horizon.”
“How long will the trip take back to the Triangulum Galaxy?”
“One week,” replied Camlin. “The Distant Horizon is much larger than the ship Leeda and the others arrived in. It will also give your people time to become more familiar with the modifications that have been made.”
Kathryn leaned back in her chair as she considered what she had just heard. “The ship will need to go through a shakedown cruise to test its new equipment and weapons. I would need at least two weeks for that before I would be willing to face Kazak and the Dominator.”
“That can be arranged. We can set up your hyperspace dropout point far enough away from the nebula Gaia is in to allow you to test the weapons and become more familiar with the ship. There will also be a small number of AIs going along as well to help with the ship if necessary. We realize your crew has a lot to learn in a relatively short time.”
“You’ve obviously installed a lot of Originator technology on the Distant Horizon,” said Reesa, feeling concerned. “From what you told me back in the Dyson Sphere in our galaxy you have never shared Originator technology with anyone, at least not until now. When this mission is over, what will happen to the Distant Horizon and its crew? They will have picked up a lot of knowledge about your advanced technology, knowledge you don’t want spread around. For that matter so have Kelnor and I as well as the rest of our exploratory team. I was under the impression you were leaning toward not allowing any of us to return home.”
“It was a difficult decision to equip the Distant Horizon with our technology,” admitted Camlin. “Many of us wanted to repair it and leave its technology as it was. However, due to the fact Originator children might be involved on the Dominator that line of thought was overruled. What will happen to the Distant Horizon and the crew is still being discussed. There is a possibility we might allow you to keep some of the technology and return home when this is over. However, the weapons will be removed as they are too dangerous for a race as young as yours. There is also a small possibility of us forming a partnership to deal with the Simulins. All that will be decided upon the Distant Horizon’s safe return.”
Kathryn looked long and hard at Camlin. “If we agree to accept this mission I will want some of the advanced technology to remain on the ship. If we succeed in rescuing these children then I will expect some concessions to be made by you to allow us to keep part of it or all of it.”
Camlin’s eyes narrowed and then she replied. “I will speak to the others. We may be willing to make such concessions when it comes to your ship. We might even be willing to allow you to share some of the technology with your people on Gaia. However, no such concessions will be made as to sharing such advanced technology with your Federation. Such advanced technology in the wrong hands would be highly dangerous.”
Kathryn looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. She knew the technology question could be better negotiated at a later date “All right, let’s tentatively accept the timetable of two weeks.” Kathryn then turned to the Altons and Humans who were sitting at the table. She didn’t know any of them. Looking directly at the young Alton woman who seemed the most willing to talk, she said. “Who are you and how the hell did you get on board an Originator Dyson Sphere?”
-
For the next hour, Kathryn listened as various members of the Humans and Altons present told her of their adventures aboard the Dyson Sphere and the current military situation back home. She was deeply concerned about the possibility of the Shari and the Federation going to war. That Admiral Tolsen was involved didn’t surprise her. He was probably the Federation’s most talented admiral still in active service.
When they were finished with their explanations, Kathryn turned once more to Camlin. “And why exactly did you bring them here?”
“The Simulins in part,” replied Camlin. “We have decided to take a more active role in driving the Simulins out of the Shrieels. We do have a few military AIs, but none like Kazak. Since taking the command key from the Simulins at the Shrieel in your home galaxy, their taking over of other Shrieels will come to a halt. However, that doesn’t solve the problem of those they’ve already seized. Granted it’s only a number of Control Centers for the intergalactic vortexes but that alone makes them a dangerous threat. We want Sergeant Wilde to lead a team in taking back all of the Originator Shrieels. Once we’ve regained control of a Control Center we can lock it out, preventing the Simulins from ever using it again. It’s one of the reasons we’re considering forming a temporary partnership with your people.”
Kathryn studied Camlin for a long moment. This might be an opportunity to press her once more on the technology question. “If we agree to this, what’s in it for us? Would you be willing to let us keep the weapons and technology currently on the Distant Horizon? You will need a large number of highly trained Marines to free all the Shrieels. Probably several thousand at least. The Simulins and their Conqueror Drones are quite dangerous to face in combat.”
Camlin slowly nodded her head. “You bring up an interesting proposition. If we decide upon this partnership, and I should warn you that a large number of Originator AIs will be against it, we may indeed be willing to grant access to some Originator technology.”
Kathryn studied Camlin for a long moment and then spoke again. “What about all the worlds the Simulins have conquered? They have a massive industrial base. They’re bound to attack the Shrieels in the future.”
“We have warships,” said Leeda a little hesitantly, looking over at Camlin. “Can some of them be turned over to Rear Admiral Barnes to help keep the Simulins from the Shrieels?”
Camlin looked surprised by Leeda’s suggestion. “I will have to discuss it with our other AI leaders. The ships would need a minimal crew to operate efficiently. A mixture of AIs, Humans, and Altons would be the most logical. I am not sure our AI Council will agree to this but I will bring it up.”
“How many warships do you have?” asked Kathryn. She leaned forward to add one more point. “Keep in mind it was your inaction that allowed the Simulins to take over so many of the Control Centers in your Shrieels. Countless trillions of lives were lost because of that. The Simulins not only need to be driven out of the Dyson Spheres, they need to be removed from all the galaxies they’ve conquered.”
Camlin closed her eyes as if in deep thought. “We have a large number of warships in stasis. We may be willing to turn over a number of Originator warships, not as powerful as the Dominator or the Distant Horizon, but still much more powerful than anything else your people now possess. These could be used against the Simulins in the galaxies they have conquered. We may also be willing to allow limited access to the Shrieels and perhaps the intergalactic vortexes. As I said before, there is much to discuss before this could happen. Your home galaxy would have to be off limits. As far as the Simulin ships inside and around the Shrieels, if we have Kazak’s cooperation and the use of the Dominator, the automatic defenses can be activated without the need to modify our programming.”
“I’ve seen those defenses in action,” commented Sergeant Wilde. “They can easily wipe out the Simulin ships around and inside the Dyson Spheres.”
Kathryn was taken aback by the offer of the use of a number of Origin
ator warships. She had to find a way to make that happen. “Is there any particular reason you want Sergeant Wilde in charge of taking back the Control Centers?”
“We trust her,” Leeda said definitively. “She’s also familiar with the Control Centers for the vortexes.”
Kathryn sighed. She knew the Originator AIs were determined to make this happen. At least they were willing to do something about the Simulins. She just wished they had decided this long ago. Turning toward Sergeant Wilde, she spoke. “Sergeant, it looks as if you will be leading a team of Marines against the Simulins to retake the vortex Control Centers on the Dyson Spheres. Effective immediately I am promoting you to the rank of captain. I will also be assigning an additional fifty Marines from the Distant Horizon temporally to your command. Once I’ve made contact with Fleet Admiral Strong, I will arrange for more to be sent.”
-
Sergeant Wilde stood and saluted. “Thank you, Admiral; I won’t let you down.” Brenda sat back down, feeling overwhelmed. She had just been handed the task of freeing the Dyson Spheres. It would mean fighting the Simulins and their Conqueror Drones. She just hoped she was capable of doing the job that had been assigned to her.
-
“Reesa and Kelnor will be accompanying you on the Distant Horizon,” added Leeda. “They are the foremost experts in your Federation on the Originators. They will also serve as science officers on board the ship. Reesa and Kelnor have won the trust of the AIs on the Shrieel in your home galaxy and will be able to advise us on issues that may infringe on our mission. It is highly likely at times, our goals and yours may not coincide. They can act as intermediaries to help alleviate any potential problems between us. They may also be very useful in dealing with Kazak.”
-
Reesa sucked in a deep breath. At least now she knew why she was here. Looking over at Kelnor, she saw he had that thoughtful and oftentimes brooding look on his face. She suspected he was deeply concerned about this mission and Kazak. Reesa, however, felt excited. If everything worked out and they were successful in delivering the pathogen cure to the Originator children on the Dominator, then she would finally achieve her lifelong dream of actually meeting one of the ancient race.
Chapter Four
Kelsey was on board the Dominator speaking to Kazak. Kazak stood eight feet tall, with dark hair, and features that were very normal for a Human. The only odd thing was his height and the bluish skin color. In many ways he resembled an Alton except he was taller and his skin had a much more bluish tone to it whereas the Altons only had a hint of blue. He was dressed in his normal high-collared dark red uniform.
“Has there been any progress with the pathogen?” asked Kelsey. She knew Kazak was spending much of his time in the Dominator’s labs answering the numerous questions the Alton research scientists had about the deadly pathogen that had wiped out the Originators.
Kazak was standing next to her on the command dais in the Command Center of the ship. “No,” he said with evident disappointment in his voice. “I was hoping the Altons with their own background in life extension drugs might be able to offer some new insights toward perfecting a cure. They are going down many of the same dead ends as the Originator scientists on this ship did before they died.”
“The Originators worked for centuries trying to find a cure,” Kelsey reminded Kazak. She didn’t want to upset the AI but he needed to understand a cure wouldn’t be found overnight. “It may be necessary for the Alton scientists to duplicate some of their work in order for them to better understand the problem.”
Kazak remained silent, not responding. This concerned Kelsey as there was still much about the Originator AI they didn’t know or understand. Ariel suddenly appeared on the lower level of the command dais where the control consoles resided. Several holographic emitters had been installed to allow the beautiful AI to transfer her image over to the Dominator whenever necessary. Kelsey knew Ariel normally monitored the Command Center in case she was needed.
“The Altons are doing everything they can,” Ariel said, stepping up on the dais and gazing into Kazak’s eyes. “They have brought their best medical doctors and research specialists on board the Dominator to study the pathogen and seek a cure. You must be patient. After all, you’ve already waited several million years. The Altons are the most advanced race we know of. If anyone can find a cure, it will be them. What are a few more years if they’re successful in the end? You monitor the stasis chambers daily and there has been no change. The children and the adults are safe.”
“At least they’re trying,” Kazak grudgingly acknowledged. “The Altons are the most advanced race I’ve encountered other than the Originators. However, there are twenty-three adult and two hundred and seven Originator children in stasis waiting for a cure. I can’t wait forever.”
“We don’t expect you to,” answered Ariel. “Just give us time.”
“How much time?” demanded Kazak. “My patience is nearly at its end.”
“What does that mean?” asked Kelsey, her eyes focusing on Kazak. Was this a threat he was making? It sure sounded like it. “I’m sure the Altons are doing all they can.”
Kazak folded his arms across his chest. “I will wait one month. If progress hasn’t been made by then it may be necessary for me to apply further inducements.”
“What kind of inducements?” demanded Kelsey. This was what she had been afraid of. Kazak controlled the Dominator and all of its advanced weapons and technology. He could make good on any threat.
Kazak didn’t respond but turned and left the Command Center.
“That didn’t sound good,” Kelsey said, looking over at Ariel. “What do you think he meant by that?” Kelsey would make sure Ariel reported this conversation to Jeremy.
Ariel was staring at the hatch Kazak had exited through. “I don’t know. I’ll speak to him and see what I can find out. I fear he’s deeply concerned his mission will be a total failure. If the Altons can’t find a cure then in all likelihood Kazak will have no further options. I know with every day that passes with no progress being reported, Kazak seems to be brooding more. It’s as if the past is coming back to haunt him. I know he’s been spending a lot of time in the stasis compartment checking the chambers.”
Kelsey was about to respond when the hatch opened and Katie, Mikow, and Commander Malen entered. Kelsey felt as if a load had been lifted from here shoulders upon seeing Kyla.
“We saw Kazak leaving,” Katie said as her eyes took in her surroundings. The Command Center of the Dominator was very impressive. “He didn’t look pleased.”
“He’s not happy with the speed of the research,” Kelsey explained. “I fear he may be contemplating taking some type of drastic action if some progress isn’t made soon. He talked about applying additional inducements in thirty days if the research isn’t progressing to his satisfaction.”
Commander Malen let out a deep sigh. “I’ll go down and speak to the Altons and see how they’re doing. Don’t worry, Kelsey, we’ll get through this.”
“Make sure they’re not getting bogged down in their research,” Mikow said. “I know my people can get sidetracked very easily while doing research if something interesting comes up.”
Kyla nodded and left through the hatch.
“What are you two doing back on board? Did you see Angela while you were down on Gaia?”
Katie grinned and nodded her head. “She’s as big as a blimp.”
“She’s pretty certain the baby will come in the next few days,” added Mikow.
“We should all be at the hospital when she’s born,” proclaimed Kelsey. “I think Angela would like that. She would do the same for us.”
“Talking Jeremy and Kevin into going to the hospital for the delivery might not be so easy,” Katie said, her eyes narrowing. “Men aren’t that interested in babies like most women are.”
“They’ll go,” Kelsey said determinedly. “Now what are the two of you doing back on board? I doubt if it was to give me a re
port on Angela.”
Mikow and Katie looked at one another and then Katie replied. “Kevin went back on board the Avenger to help with an upgrade to the ship’s sensor systems. Mikow and I wanted to do some additional research into the crew of the Dominator. Kazak has released all of the crew records to us.”
Kelsey held up a cautioning hand and looked over at Ariel.
“He can’t hear us,” she replied. “I’ve temporality disabled all the audio and visual recorders in the Command Center. He won’t notice it for a few minutes.”
“What else is going on?” Kelsey strongly suspected the two weren’t telling her everything.
Mikow pulled out a small handheld computer pad from one of her pockets. “We’re going to download the crew information and as much other data relating to the pathogen and the Dominator’s mission. Then we’re going over to one of the Alton science ships and analyze the data. Kurene is going to help us.”
“Is that going to be safe?”
“It should be,” Ariel responded. Her dark eyes focused on Kelsey. “Kazak has allowed me access to many of the ship’s systems. I think I can download the data to the computer pad without Kazak’s knowledge.”
Kelsey nodded. “Do it; I’m afraid we’re running out of time. We need to show some measure of progress in the next month.”
“I’m glad to see Commander Malen has been assigned to the Dominator,” Katie added. “I bet it’s a big relief to you.”
“Yes,” admitted Kelsey, leaning back in her command chair. “Commander Malen is a seasoned officer and will be of great help. I don’t care that much for command, but I think Commander Malen actually enjoys it.”
“We need to hurry,” Ariel said as a look of concern filled her dark eyes. “I need to drop the blocking of the audio and video recorders shortly or Kazak’s going to notice.”
“Go ahead,” ordered Kelsey. There was no point in making Kazak overly suspicious. “Just try to give Katie and Mikow enough time to download the data.”
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