“The Avenger and the Warrior’s Pride survived,” Clarissa announced with relief. “Their power’s out but should be restored shortly.”
“What happened to Gaia?” asked Katie, staring at one of the viewscreens. The planet looked gray and forlorn.
“The black matter energy wave,” Andram said as he checked his science console. “Not only that, it appears the Simulins managed to strike the planet with at least twenty nukes before the blast wave hit them.”
“What about the surviving Simulin ships?”
“They’re leaving,” Captain Reynolds reported. “They’re activating spatial vortexes and are jumping away from the planet.”
“How many?” asked Kathryn.
“Less than two hundred,” answered Reynolds.
Kathryn thought for a moment and then began issuing orders. “Captain Travers, contact the Benson and have them return here with all warships and noncombatants. We’re going to need the hospital ships and the fleet repair ships. How many warspheres do we still have with us?”
“Thirty-eight,” answered Commander Grissim.’
“Send them to Gaia and have them secure the planet. I don’t want any Simulin ships sneaking back in and firing off any more nukes.”
“What about the Dominator?” asked Grissim. “I’m detecting twenty-eight warspheres still intact there.”
“Send the Dominator’s warspheres to Borton to search for survivors. Both AI and organic.”
Kathryn took a deep breath. It looked as if the war was over and they had won. But the cost had been horrific. More so than any of them could have possibly imagined.
Chapter Nineteen
The Avenger was back in orbit around Gaia. The planet had been devastated by the Simulin nuclear attack as well as the setting off the dark matter missile. Jeremy spent a long time just staring at the viewscreens showing the ruins of the world they had called home since coming to the Triangulum Galaxy. It was difficult to believe this was the same planet.
“What are we going to do?” asked Kelsey, coming to stand next to Jeremy. “Can we still live there?”
“Ariel, what are the current conditions on Gaia?” Jeremy strongly suspected the news wouldn’t be good.
“Radiation levels are higher than normal, particularly in regions where a nuclear explosion occurred. What makes it even worse is the fact that all the nukes went off around the equator. Then add in the effects of the black matter missile and the planet will soon be completely uninhabitable unless cities are placed inside energy shields such as the one which protects the Fleet Academy.”
Jeremy let out a deep sigh. Living beneath an energy shield presented its own problems. “What about the cities?”
“Only New Eden and a few farming communities survived,” Ariel replied, her eyes showing deep sadness. “We’ve managed to contact many of the deep bunkers and the people in them are fine.”
“What are the estimates on our population loss?”
Ariel hesitated. “Not all of the people made it out of the cities in time, and some of the bunkers didn’t provide adequate protection. We lost about 42 percent of the population.”
“Ariel,” said Angela, her face showing anxiety. “What about the shelter where Clair is?”
“Clair’s fine. It was one the first things I checked on.”
Jeremy shook his head. “Is there anything else I should know?”
Ariel seemed to hesitate and then answered. “The planet, particularly the former habitable area, is infested with Conqueror Drones. Early estimates indicate tens of thousands of the drones were landed on Gaia. There is fierce fighting around New Eden, but so far the defenses are holding. There are several squadrons of fighters and bombers stationed at the spaceport, and they’re flying attack missions against the Conqueror Drones nonstop.”
“Angela, have we managed to contact General McGown?”
Angela shook her head worriedly. “A nuke went off close to his Command Center and at present all communications are down.”
“Do we have contact with any of our Marine bases on Gaia?”
“Only Major Caulder’s,” Ariel replied. “His base is currently under heavy attack from Conqueror Drones.”
Angela looked over at Jeremy deeply concerned. “Brace will hold out until we can send him help.”
It sounded to Jeremy as if the situation on Gaia was dire and if something wasn’t done many of the survivors could fall victim to the Conqueror Drones. Knowing how they killed, he needed to do something to ensure the safety of the survivors.
“How many fighters and bombers does Rear Admiral Akira still have left on his battlecarriers?”
“Not enough,” Kelsey answered, her tone betraying her concern. “I spoke to him a few minutes ago. He lost a big part of his bomber force attacking the Simulins and most of his fighters when the dark matter missile energy wave hit. He has four squadrons of bombers and seven squadrons of fighters still flight capable.”
It seemed as if the bad news was never going to stop. “Have Akira to begin launching attacks on the Conqueror Drones with what remains of his fighter and bomber forces. They’re to concentrate their attack on areas where we know there are survivors. They can also use their ship KEW batteries to take out any large concentrations of the drones.”
The hatch to the Command Center opening drew Jeremy’s attention. With relief, he saw Kevin step inside with a bandage wrapped around his forehead.
Kevin stopped and spent several long moments gazing at the views of Gaia on several viewscreens. “How bad is it?”
Jeremy shook his head. “Nearly as bad as it could be. I don’t think we’re going to be able to remain on Gaia.”
“The Benson and our other ships are emerging from hyperspace,” reported Lieutenant Tyrone Fleming, who had taken Kevin’s place at the sensor console.
“Have them go into orbit around Gaia,” ordered Jeremy. “We’re going to need the hospital ships for the injured. We’re also going to have to start bringing people up from the surface.”
Kelsey nodded. “I’ll inform the colony ships to stand by to start receiving evacuees.”
Jeremy gazed at the viewscreens for several more moments. “We need to set up some safe zones where we can land shuttles. Contact Rear Admiral Akira and have him concentrate his first Conqueror Drone strikes around Major Caulder’s base. We’re going to need his Marines.”
Kelsey sent the necessary messages and then turned toward Jeremy. “Where are we going to go? This was our home!”
“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” answered Jeremy, folding his arms across his chest. “We’ll have to head out to Ornellia. Admiral Jackson is there and the planet has a powerful defense grid. It can be a safe haven for us until we decide what to do next.”
“He does have a decent sized fleet there,” commented Kevin. “They’re also in the process of building a shipyard.”
Jeremy nodded. He looked at a viewscreen showing the shattered remains of the Clan Protector. Daelthon and his people would be greatly missed. With a deep sigh, Jeremy tried not to think of all of those who had just died.
“Kelsey, get a status on all of our surviving ships. I need to know what we have left and if they’re capable of making it to Ornellia. Then contact the remaining Indomitable Class battlestations as well as the Type Twos and see what their status is.”
“Ariel, contact the Distant Horizon and the Dominator. I need to meet with Rear Admiral Barnes and Commander Zafron as soon as possible. We have one other aspect of this war we need to discuss.” Jeremy was determined to make sure the Simulins would never pose a threat to any race in this galaxy again. They may have destroyed Gaia, but now it was his turn.
-
Kathryn stared in despair at the ruined planet. Never again would it be able to sustain life. From the sensor scans the ship had taken, it was evident in a relatively short time the planet would be uninhabitable.
“Not even our technology can correct what has happened here,” said A
ndram as he turned away from his science console. “The radiation we can remove, but the entire ecology of the planet has been irreversibly damaged.”
“What about terraforming?” asked Katie hopefully. “It was being used some back in the Federation.”
“You must understand,” Andram replied in his patient and lecturing voice. “Gaia was already dying. Only the green strip around the equator was habitable. The resources are just not there to make terraforming practical. It’s better if we go and seek another world.”
“That’s why Jeremy will want to go to Ornellia,” said Katie. “Our ships there are already transforming that world back to what it once was. It’s also heavily defended.”
Camlin had reminded silent for much of the battle and she decided now was the time to speak. “There might be another option. One none of you have considered.”
Kathryn turned toward the Originator AI. “What, try to find a new world? I don’t think that will work. We just don’t have the population base anymore to sustain a technology driven civilization. At least at Ornellia, once rescue operations are finished, there will be millions of Ornellians to begin rebuilding a civilized culture. I’m sure the Ornellians will agree to let us have a small area on their world to live.”
“You don’t understand,” Camlin said. “I caused the deaths of many of your people when I interfered with the hyperjump to Ornellia. I want to make up for that.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Let us take what remains of your people to the Communication and Transport Hub. There are four Shrieels there. I’m sure we could build appropriate accommodations to suit your people.”
“Commander Zafron will never agree to it,” Kathryn said, partially stunned by Camlin’s suggestion. It was not something she had considered. What Camlin had just suggested would be the best of all solutions. However, there was no way Zafron would ever agree to it.
“One thing you should know,” Camlin said with a smile. “Commander Zafron and Kazak only have command of everything military. Bartoll, as lead scientist, is now the leader of the Originators. If he approves, then Commander Zafron has no choice but to obey.”
“It would be the ideal solution,” Clarissa said, stepping forward and folding her arms across her chest. “We would be safe there and could assist in removing the Simulins from the Control Centers of the other Dyson Spheres. Once that has been done their conquest of other galaxies will come to an end and the Simulin war will finally be over. We can easily maintain our technology base on one of the Dyson Spheres.”
Kathryn shifted her eyes back to the viewscreen. It saddened her that since her return she hadn’t been able to go down to the planet. Now she never would. “Camlin, will you talk to Bartoll for us?”
“Yes, I’ll take Leeda along as well.”
“Admiral Barnes, Fleet Admiral Strong is requesting your presence on the Avenger,” Captain Travers reported from Communications. “He has also requested the presence of Commander Zafron.”
“I wonder what that can be about?” asked Commander Grissim, arching her eyebrow.
“I suspect it has to do with the remaining Simulin worlds,” suggested Clarissa as she ran some quick computer projections. “We just destroyed their fleet. At the moment they would be vulnerable to attack.”
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there. Andram and Clarissa will accompany me over to the Avenger. Camlin, you should get over to the Alton science ship where Bartoll is and see if he will agree to your idea of our people moving to one of the Dyson Spheres. I don’t want to mention this to Fleet Admiral Strong until we know if it’s possible.”
-
Jeremy was waiting in the main briefing room on the Avenger. One of the fleet repair ships was already alongside beginning repairs on the damaged hull of the battleship.
“What forces do we have left?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Ariel who was standing nearby.
“It could be worse,” the dark haired AI replied. “We have sixty-six AI warspheres, twelve of the fifteen-hundred-meter spheres, three Federation battleships, four battlecruisers, four strikecruisers, eighteen battlecarriers, seven Monarch cruisers, and ten light cruisers. The Altons have eight battleships and four battlecruisers. Grayseth has his flagship and four battlecruisers. That’s a total of one hundred and forty-one remaining warships. Plus what Admiral Jackson has at Ornellia.”
Jeremy felt the room swim. He had lost nearly 84 percent of his fleet that had been defending the Gaia System. It was a military disaster by any means even though they had defeated the Simulins.
The door opened and Commander Zafron and Kazak entered. They were followed moments later by Rear Admiral Barnes, Andram, and Clarissa.
“Everyone have a seat,” Jeremy said as he sat down at the head of the table.
“What is the purpose of this meeting?” asked Commander Zafron. “We have defeated the Simulins, and I am anxious to gather all the Originators on the Dominator and set out for the Communication and Transport Hub.”
“I believe you still need to build an intergalactic hyperdrive,” commented Kathryn. “How long will that take?”
Zafron looked over at Kazak and then back to Rear Admiral Barnes. “Using the Originator AIs and the ship’s repair robots we should have the drive completed in six weeks.”
“I have a request to make,” Jeremy said, focusing his attention on Commander Zafron. “We have destroyed the main part of the Simulin fleet. Ariel believes they sent every available ship they had to attack Gaia. Right now their systems are largely undefended except for orbital defense grids.”
“Kazak has also made that assumption,” admitted Zafron. “I don’t see how that involves me or my ship.”
Jeremy took a deep breath. “I want you and Rear Admiral Barnes to take the Dominator and the Distant Horizon to all the known Simulin systems and blow every shipyard they have into oblivion. You will also send a message to each Simulin world that if they build any warships in the future, we will return and destroy their worlds. They may possess lightly armed cargo ships, but nothing else.”
“And why should we do this?” asked Zafron. “Why should I risk my ship once more?”
“Because it will end the Simulin war in this galaxy once and for all,” answered Jeremy. He pointed to the large viewscreen on the wall showing Gaia. The planet’s atmosphere was starting to turn an unhealthy brown. “I no longer have the forces to fight the Simulins in the future. We must end this war now, once and for all. If you do this, I will not ask anything else of you.”
“The Distant Horizon will accompany me?”
“Yes,” answered Jeremy.
“The Simulins will not possess anything that can damage either ship,” Clarissa said. “Our weapons far outrange theirs. We can destroy all of their shipyards and never come under enemy fire. While we’re doing this the AIs and the repair robots can be building the new intergalactic hyperdrive.”
“What about any remaining warships?” asked Kathryn? “Some of them did escape.”
“Destroy them,” Jeremy answered coldly. “The Simulins will not be allowed to possess any warships of any type. We are ending the war in this galaxy!”
Andram looked at the viewscreen, his face covered in sadness. “All of us have lost friends and colleagues today. Our focus right now needs to be on the living. What of the evacuation of Gaia; how is it coming?”
“We are going to establish three safe zones with our remaining Marines. New Eden survived so we have access to the city’s spaceport. The Simulins nuked two of the Marine bases plus the Command Center. We also lost a large number of Marines who were protecting the cities.”
“There are tens of thousands of Conqueror Drones on the planet,” Ariel said. “Currently Major Caulder is flying strike missions against them with his remaining fighters and bombers. Rear Admiral Akira is doing the same. As soon as the deep bunkers are secured, the survivors will be brought out and put on shuttles. The colony ships will be taking them on board as rapidly
as they arrive.”
“I intend to have Gaia fully evacuated within the week,” Jeremy said. “Once that’s done we’ll set out for Admiral Jackson and Ornellia.”
-
It was four hours later that Jeremy was summoned over to the Alton science ship to meet with Bartoll and several other Originators. Jeremy was unsure as to what they wanted but he decided to take time out from coordinating the rescues on Gaia. It was nerve wracking as the Conqueror Drones were becoming a bigger threat by the hour. There were numerous reports of pockets of survivors being overrun by the drones.
Entering one of the Alton conference rooms used to hold meetings on various science discoveries Jeremy was surprised to find Bartoll, two other adult Originators, Camlin, Leeda, and Commander Zafron.
“Welcome,” Bartoll said, indicating for Jeremy to sit down. “I want to introduce you to Marisa Lillad, who is a geneticist, and Nomar Krill, one of our scientists well versed in the workings of antimatter.”
Jeremy nodded. “What can I do for you? I really need to get back to the Avenger to help coordinate the evacuation of the planet. The Conqueror Drones are becoming a bigger threat with every passing hour. I want to get the evacuation done as quickly as possible so we can set out for Ornellia.”
“That’s what we wish to speak to you about,” Bartoll said gravely. “We deeply regret the loss of lives that occurred today. I would like to make a suggestion. Even if you transport your people to Ornellia, it will be months if not years before you will be able to establish a thriving civilization there. With the reduction of your population, it might not even be possible.”
Jeremy thought over what Bartoll had said. With everyone that had been lost in the space battle as well as on Gaia, things would never be the same again. “What are you suggesting? If we go to Ornellia, we will have the Ornellians to aid us as well.”
“Allow us to transport your people to one of our Shrieels at the Communication and Transport Hub. We can construct suitable cities in a very short time period capable of supporting all the surviving Humans, Carethians, and Altons still on Gaia.”
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