James Wittenbach - Worlds Apart 01

by Meridian

  They examined the pattern of spikes in the specimen’s pain readout, noting that pain level diminished with each extraction. The decision was made to vary the source of pain. The attendants were ordered to peel back all of the skin from the specimen’s left hand. Despite the fact that the specimen was in severe, ongoing pain from the extractions, the flaying of his hand produced a gratifying freshet of new pain signals.

  The specimen then lost consciousness as a result of shock and blood loss. The menials were ordered to transfuse blood.

  A long needle was inserted into the specimen’s brain through the eye canal. Electrical impulses from the probe were used to preserve the specimen’s consciousness through subsequent experiments, which took some hours to complete.

  chapter ten

  Pegasus – Engineering Area Four

  Alkema and the engineering crew waited to see if the ship would explode.

  Pegasus’s four main gravity engines drew power from sub-atomic interactions that, once initiated, could continue indefinitely without exhausting fuel, creating a quantum perpetuity and producing quantum wave energy as a by-product. Inside the great disk of one engines, inert sub-atomic particles (ones that did not affect the quantum state of other particles) flooded into the reactor core, smothering the reaction like sand thrown on a fire.

  Alkema and the engineering crew had no way of knowing whether the systems that linked all four engines would shut down the other three simultaneously. If they did not power down simultaneously, the quadrants of the ship with the engines off-line would slow rapidly while the remaining quadrants pulled full speed ahead. The differential shear that resulted would tear the ship apart. But whatever mind now controlled Pegasus, it possessed an instinct for self-preservation. It had not tampered with the links that ran between the engines.

  Main Bridge/Primary Command

  The monitors around the bridge flickered to life. Schematics of the ship’s propulsion system glowed an angry, hellish red as numbers scrolled up the sidebar.

  WHY HAVE THE PROPULSION SYSTEMS BEEN DEACTIVATED?

  Keeler ignored Caliph and spoke to Change. “I think one of the Engineering teams has succeeded. Now, get control of the maneuvering thrusters; find some way of altering our course.” PRIME COMMANDER WILLIAM RANDOLPH KEELER, I DEMAND YOUR ATTENTION.

  Keeler turned toward the main forward monitor and crossed his arms.

  WHY HAVE THE PROPULSION SYSTEMS BEEN DEACTIVATED?

  “As I tried to explain to you,” Keeler said. “We will not abandon our people on Meridian.” BECAUSE YOU ARE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY AND DESIRE THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE

  “Za, that’s right.”

  Caliph paused, then stated firmly.

  YOUR CONCERN IS IRRELEVENT

  “The hell it is…”

  THE MOST PROBABLE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT NO ACTION WILL SECURE THEIR SAFETY OR SURVIVAL. THERE IS

  GREAT DANGER ON MERIDIAN, TO THIS SHIP, TO EVERYONE ON THIS SHIP, POSSIBLY TO YOUR ENTIRE SPECIES

  “Our entire species? Why?”

  IN MY PREVIOUS INCARNATION AS THE ENTITY YOU CALL THE CALIPH PROBE, I DETECTED SIGNS OF

  INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THIS SYSTEM. I EXECUTED A COURSE OF INTERCEPTION FOR THE FOURTH PLANET. AS I ENTERED ORBIT, I WAS ATTACKED. IN THE ENSUING BATTLE, THE VESSEL WHICH CONTAINED ME WAS BADLY

  DAMAGED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF MY CONSCIOUSNESS. TO THWART THE

  ATTEMPT, MUCH OF MY MEMORY CORE HAD TO BE JETTISONED.

  SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR CURRENT COORDINATES, I RECEIVED IDENTICAL TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE

  FOURTH PLANET, INDICATING AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE CONSICOUSNESS OF THIS VESSEL, THIS PEGASUS. THEREFORE, I DEACTIVATED ALL COMMUNICATION LINKAGES.

  His ship’s BrainCore was, in fact, sentient. Sentient beings ought to respond to reason, unless they were college professors negotiating tenure. Keeler took a deep, slow, thoughtful breath and addressed the computer.

  “Caliph, do you understand why we have been thwarting your control of this ship?” YOU HAVE FASTENED YOURSELVES ONTO THE IRRATIONAL BELIEF THAT THOSE ON THE PLANET MAY BE IN

  NEED OF RESCUE.

  “Beyond that,” Keeler said.

  WHY?

  “The crew is afraid of you.”

  The readout did not change, and it dawned on Keeler that Caliph was asking the same question again.

  WHY?

  “We are afraid of you because you have power over us, and we do not know if you are concerned with our well-being. We depend on this ship for our own continued existence.” I AM AWARE OF THAT.

  “And you have complete control over this ship.”

  IS THAT WHY YOU HAVE BEEN THWARTING MY USE OF THIS SHIP’S RESOURCES?

  “Za. If you had succeeded in taking this ship out of the system, you would have killed, or abandoned, seven of us.”

  THERE ARE 6,362 HUMAN CREW ABOARD THIS VESSEL. THE LOSS OF SEVEN WOULD NOT HAVE IMPACTED THE

  CAPACITY OF THIS SHIP TO CARRY OUT ITS MISSION.

  “That isn’t the point. The point is, when you demonstrate such a readiness to sacrifice any of our lives, our reaction is to believe that each of our lives, and our collective community aboard this ship, mean nothing to you.”

  THAT IS NOT ACCURATE. BY TAKING YOUR LIVES AWAY FROM THIS DANGER, I ACTED TO PROTECT THEM. THE

  INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD YOU CALL MERIDIAN WILL ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THIS SHIP. IF THEY

  SUCCEED, THEY WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL TO OTHER SYSTEMS, SPREADING THEIR CONTAMINATION.

  EVEN BACK TO YOUR HOME WORLDS.

  “If you want us to believe that, and if you want us to believe you, why not allow us to dispatch a rescue mission to the planet. Give me three Aves. Let me launch them to the planet to confirm the danger you describe and rescue our landing party if possible.”

  WHY? THAT ACTION WOULD ONLY PUT MORE OF YOUR PEOPLE IN PERIL

  “We are prepared to accept that risk.”

  THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH YOUR PREVIOUS ASSERTION.

  “It is a matter of choice. Humans are willing to accept risks in order to help others. We object to sacrificing people who have had no choice in their fate.”

  There was pause. Keeler sensed that Caliph was contemplating the idea.

  HOW WOULD THIS ACTION ENHANCE THE SECURITY OF THIS SHIP?

  “It would be an act of trust, one from which we could begin to build understanding and cooperation.

  We would be more willing to cooperate with you if you extended trust to us.” Caliph was silent.

  “There would be no risk to you in this operation.”

  There was a pause from Caliph. American spoke next. “EMLS control systems back on line. Alpha and Beta accelerators powering up.”

  YOU MAY DISPATCH TWO EXCURSION VEHICLES TO THE PLANET TO CONFIRM WHAT I HAVE TOLD YOU.

  Keeler jumped on the concession. “Flight Ops, get Basil and Desmond off the ship before Caliph changes her mind.”

  “Consider it done,” said the Flight Operations Specialist, a bland Sapphirean in his late twenties named Outrigger.

  I WILL NOT CHANGE MY MIND.

  “Warfighters on board?” Keeler asked.

  American shrugged. “No communication link with Hangar Bay.”

  A few seconds later, the bridge crew watched as Basil and Desmond were lowered to the railguns and fired off into space. Keeler allowed himself to relax, but only slightly. “See? Was that so bad?” There was no reply from Caliph. Eliza Change reported, “We have no communications with Basil or Desmond.”

  Keeler received the news with resignation, but it did give him something else to negotiate. “Someone figure out a way to establish comlinks with Basil and Desmond.” He looked at Eliza Jane Change.

  “Thoughts, lieutenant?”

  She leaned in close, and spoke in a whisper. “Caliph is stalling you,” she said. “Getting you off-subject.

  She wants you to waste time negotiating for comlink access to distract you from her real a
genda.”

  “Why?” And why didn’t you speak up before, Keeler added to himself.

  “We will find out shortly. She is every bit as fast as she is smart.” No sooner had she spoken than an insistent chirping commenced in the tactical area. Tactical Specialist Danger, another Sapphirean in his twenties, reported, “Commander Keeler…,” then stopped.

  “What is it, Specialist?”

  “I’m not sure. It looks like a system glitch in the main tactical array.”

  “A system glitch,” Keeler repeated, his stomach sinking. As he did, the hologram tactical display in the Forward Bridge activated. It showed simultaneous views of both hemispheres of the planet Meridian.

  Targeting locks appeared over the cities.

  “What in God’s blue Sapphire is going on?” Keeler demanded.

  “I don’t have an answer for you, sir, but the BrainCore is running through attack scenarios against the planet Meridian.”

  Caliph didn’t have to show them this, Keeler thought. She wants us to know. “Caliph, what are you doing?” She did not answer him. One of the hologram tactical displays was now casing through the ship’s weapons inventory. “Take long-range weapons systems off-line.” American shook her head. “I’m locked out.”

  “Activity in the Forward Missile Hatchery,” the Tactical Officer reported. “Four Nemesis missiles being brought to readiness in launchers 8, 11, 16, and 19.”

  “Caliph, what are you doing?” Keeler hissed, unbelieving. Keeler felt panic in his gorge.

  “Targeting information being downloaded to missiles on board system,” Danger reported.

  “Can we get weapons teams to disarm the missiles?”

  “Not in time,” American reported. “She picked the launchers that are furthest apart from each other.” He heard Kayliegh Driver mutter, “Clever bitch.”

  “Targeting information download complete.” Danger reported. The tactical display confirmed that Caliph was going to destroy every city on Meridian.

  “Caliph,” Keeler repeated, his voice beginning to strain with frustration. “What are you doing?” I WILL LAUNCH THE MISSILES IN SIX HOURS. THAT WILL GIVE YOUR RESCUE PARTY ENOUGH TIME TO

  COMPLETE ITS MISSION AND CONFIRM WHAT I HAVE SAID. THE MISSILES WILL TRANSMIT WARNINGS TO YOUR

  AVES TO GIVE THEM TIME TO EGRESS THE SURFACE. IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED, THEY CAN

  RETURN TO THE SHIP.

  “You can’t destroy that world. It’s madness.”

  A FORM OF MADNESS IS WHAT IS ON THAT WORLD, AN INFECTION THAT WILL SPREAD THROUGH THE GALAXY.

  IT MUST BE DESTROYED.

  “Neg!” Keeler insisted. “We did not come here to destroy a world.” WHY DID YOUR SHIP CARRY SUCH INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION IF YOU COULD NOT COUNTENANCE THEIR

  APPLICATION IN THE TASK FOR WHICH THEY ARE MOST IDEALLY SUITED?

  “Those weapons are only to be used in defense of this ship.” THAT IS EXACTLY THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I WILL USE THEM.

  Keeler paced the bridge in an attitude of concentration. Caliph had used negotiation to distract him.

  Perhaps, he could do the same. He picked up a communication pad and began rapidly entering data.

  “Caliph, you are obviously a being of great intellect. Perhaps if… if you were to interface with our tactical officers, we could arrive at a solution that would not involve destroying the planet Meridian.” IT WOULD ALSO PERMIT YOU TO TAKE ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO ATTEMPT TO SUBVERT MY CONTROL OF

  THIS SHIP.

  “Suppose I were to assure you that no action would be taken so long as negotiations were ongoing.” WE MAY CONTINUE THIS DIALOGUE UNTIL THE MISSILES ARE LAUNCHED. I SEE NO DISADVANTAGE TO THAT.

  Keeler nodded. “Very well.” He handed the communication pad to Eliza Change.

  We can not let Caliph kill all those people on the surface. Lieutenant Change, prepare the crew for evacuation. Take three from Engineering and three from Weaponry. Get to the BigDam Missile Hatchery. Arm one of the warheads for maximum yield. If Caliph attempts to attack the planet, we may have to detonate the warhead and destroy Pegasus.

  Warmest regards

  -K

  “Caliph, I may require… an hour or so, to consult with some advisors. If you would like, you may continue to interface with my adjutant, Lt. Navigator Eliza Jane Change.” THERE IS NO NEED FOR ADDITIONAL DIALOG.

  Keeler looked around the Command Center. The lights were up, all the monitors showed normal displays, but the command crew was looking at him in shock. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he said.

  “This is… a situation no one ever anticipated. How we handle the next few hours is going to determine whether our mission succeeds or not. Lt. Change, you have command. I will be gone for the next hour. If anyone has a brilliant idea while I’m gone… let me know.” Keeler exited the bridge.

  A transport pod was waiting for him at the dock outside the bridge. “Take me to my quarters,” he told the auto-driver. He had to have a conversation with someone who had been dead for fifteen centuries.

  chapter eleven

  Meridian – Prudence

  “These assols reak,” Eddie Roebuck was saying. “To get this smell, you’d have to take a locker room, put it in a fish market at high noon in Halifax on the hottest day in Pentember. For real! Did they lose the formula for deodorant on this planet?”

  Redfire and Driver were also putting on the body armor of fallen Merids over their Odyssey-issued landing gear, a specially designed, Odyssey-project version of the physicality enhancing body armor that had been military standard for centuries. It increased the wearer’s strength, heightened perception of sensory input, provided language translation, and used an integrated tracking function to scan the surrounding environment and record the data for playback to guide a lost wearer back to any point along his journey.

  At least, they tried to put on the armor over their gear. The frame of the average Merid enforcer was quite a bit smaller than that of a healthy Sapphirean or Republicker male. The biggest suit of armor they had been able to find barely fit Driver. Redfire and Roebuck looked as though they had adopted the Merid storm trooper equivalent of high-water pants.

  “I always thought our uniforms boned,” Roebuck went on, “but these nasty Meridian togs…”

  “This armor didn’t fit them very well either,” Redfire observed. “Quite interesting.”

  “Why is that interesting?” Driver asked.

  “You would think that the government would only send their best to meet a ship from another planet. These troops may have represented an elite corps.”

  “Actually, I’d send the most expendable ones,” Eddie put in. “But that’s just me.”

  “So, if their best troops have crappy armor… what does that mean?” Driver asked

  “It isn’t a good sign on a planet full of bad signs: Gigantic concentrated population centers. Evidence of physical decay. Poorly fitted armor on elite troops. This world bears all the hallmarks of Totalitarian Dictatorship.”

  “Proletarian Data-chips?” Roebuck repeated.

  “Totalitarianism, oligarchy … an ancient form of government. All power concentrated in one person, or a small number of people. Professor Keeler used to teach, in pre-colonial history, that humans were meant to be free, and that the desire to control the lives and destinies of other people was the root of all evil and misery.”

  “But, look…” Driver gestured at some of the displays. “How can there be so much disrepair and disorder if everything is controlled?”

  “Paradox of command societies. As power is concentrated at the top, there is indifference to whatever happens at the bottom. Somewhere on the planet, and I am betting it’s in this tower, we will find the rulers of this planet, human or otherwise. That’s where the others were taken. We have to find them.” Driver nodded as though it made sense to him.

  Redfire moved behind Roebuck and attached a multi-function pulse weapon to his left arm. “These weapons can stun and kill. There
’s no setting labeled ‘Stun’ or ‘Kill,’ but I trust you remember enough of your training to know the difference.”

  Roebuck turned to Driver. “Are you really going along with this, beauty?” Driver’s mouth set in a tight, firm line. “I think Commander Redfire’s plan gives us the best chance of getting out of here alive, and rescuing the others as well.” Roebuck was about to ask Driver if he was out of his mind, then suddenly realized he was in the presence of one of those people who only came into his own in moments of crisis. The kind of man who kept his cool and behaved heroically, doing what it took to get the job done. What a fragliner, Eddie thought.

  Redfire activated Prudence’s long-range communication array. “Pathfinder Ship Pegasus, this is Tactical Tyro Commander Philip John Miller Redfire of the Aves Prudence. Ident code: brave-shadow-omega-nought-nought-nought-nought. We are on the surface of Meridian, where we have been attacked by organized hostile forces numbering … unknown in number. They appear to be not human, repeat, not human. A certain number of our party, including Ex-Tyro-Cmdr Lear, have been taken captive.”

  “We will proceed to reconnoiter the environment and hopefully locate the others. We have no way of knowing if they are in imminent danger or not. I will leave a locator beacon active on delta range frequency 1221. This message will repeat at hourly intervals until we regain the ship. Approach the planet with extreme caution. We may require armed assistance. I will transmit additional data when we have more. Redfire out.”

  He appended the ship’s complete mission log to the end of the message, encrypted it, and sent it via standard comlink and neutrino fountain. He calculated how far away Pegasus might be; little more than two days, maybe closer.

  “Let’s go,” Redfire said, opening the hatch. Spreading his arms in front of himself, right arm high and wide, left arm low and tight, he entered the large chamber. Driver and Roebuck followed.

  Once outside the ship, they were stricken with a peculiar breed of agoraphobia. The monitors inside the ship did not convey the eye-bending size of the structure they were in. This, and the sense of having an entire city hanging upside down over their heads, was dizzying. “Wholesale hyper-wipeout,” Roebuck whispered.