by John Walker
They can use me. I know it. I’ve got the experience and knowledge to help.
They’d need to study the ship schematics they took from the alien computers. Cassie had them all stored on her computer and assumed Captain Bradford would as well. Once they were aboard, she would send him a meeting invitation to go over the weaknesses and strengths of the opposition.
Cassie stepped outside into a warm breeze. Soldiers and technicians dashed about and massive transports moved heavy equipment to various parts of the structure. She’d been to Gamma Alpha several times but never seen it bustling in such a manner. The controlled chaos made her head spin.
Technicians installed new weapons at the hard points around the base and enhanced anti-aircraft cannons occupied the hills to either side of the structure. An energy field would be installed soon, something to provide some protection against a crashing vessel or projectiles. Each new addition made Gamma Alpha that much safer.
The shield technology existed before but with a little help and determination, engineers found a way to make the energy consumption far more efficient. These new deflectors could be raised as soon as enemies were detected closing in on Earth. Eventually, a method to keep them on at all times would be discovered.
Maybe major cities need the same treatment. It’s a miracle the attackers only hit this place. Had they gone after a couple of large population centers, our military may have been too distracted to stop them from achieving their goals.
The question became whether they chose not to do so because they were civilized, didn’t think of it or simply didn’t have the manpower to pull it off. The basics of their plan were laid out in the computer: distract the military in orbit, hit the facility hard with ground troops and claim the Orb for their own.
Nothing in the orders suggested they had a contingency plan if they couldn’t break through the defenses. They committed everything to the attack. While the aliens lingered in the solar system studying humanity, they may have discovered that Earth didn’t know there were other creatures in the universe.
The invasion itself may have been enough of a surprise for them to risk everything.
Cassie arrived at the shuttle at the same time as the others. The whine of the turbine made it impossible to hear but Desmond gestured for them to board ahead of him. He followed, slapping a button on the wall to close the door. The moment it sealed, they were plunged into near silence. Alerts from the cockpit computers were the only sounds.
“We’ll be at the Gnosis in fifteen minutes,” Desmond said.“Stow your things and we’ll get moving right away.”
Cassie stuffed her bags into a storage bin at the back and took a seat, strapping in. The shuttle she took from her home in Geneva to Gamma Alpha was far more comfortable, with civilian luxuries the military vessel didn’t bother with. Her seat lacked padding, just cold metal and the walls were utilitarian without panels to hide the infrastructure beneath.
The Gnosis isn’t like this. These smaller ships must’ve been cheaper this way.
Because people were expected to live on the Gnosis, the engineers made it as comfortable as possible. One of the larger expenses came from the way they gave it some personality, just shy of an ancient luxury liner from the nineteen hundreds. The recreation areas had burgundy carpets and warm toned fabric panels on the walls.
The more technical areas erred on the side of high tech with metal floors and no-nonsense brown cushioned seats. But their quarters were designed to give people a chance to unwind in a pleasant way. Psychologists helped to design some of the finer points of the ship after several studies suggested prolonged space travel might be mentally unbalancing.
Defense ships tended to stay in orbit for short periods of time, essentially going on patrol for a few days at a time before rotating out their crews. It allowed people to be on planet enough to shake off any deleterious side effects of space travel but it didn’t give researchers much to go on concerning their mental state.
Now I get the opportunity to help prove it for them with this next trip.
The ship launched, lifting slowly upward before tilting toward the sky. Cassie gripped her safety straps, drawing a deep breath just before the thrusters kicked in. They were hurtled away from the surface, the ship rattling wildly as they went. She did her best to remain cool, especially since Desmond and Salina didn’t seem to even notice.
The turbulence became far worse the higher they went until the straps dug into her shoulders and made her head ache. Suddenly, it all stopped and the ship became silent and still. The inertial dampeners kicked in as they broke orbit, promising a smooth ride the rest of the way. Cassie forced herself to relax, tension slowly lifting from her muscles.
“First time in orbit?” Salina asked.
“No,” Cassie replied.“But it is the first time I’ve had to get here so quickly. Civilian ships tend to take a little more time. They gradually ascend.”
Desmond nodded.“Yeah, they’re more cautious. Anyway, we haven’t had time to really get to know each other much it’s been so busy. Plus, your file’s a little light. You probably know everything there is to know about us but… maybe you can share some details about yourself.”
Cassie’s cheeks burned.“I’ve seen the crew files for the Gnosis but I didn’t pour over them in great detail. Um… so… I’m originally from California but moved to Geneva to attend the Advanced Technical Academy. The AIA recruited me just before I graduated and I’ve been working with them ever since.”
“How’d your parents feel about that assignment?” Desmond asked.
Cassie looked away.“I’m afraid they… well, they died before I graduated. I’d like to think they would be happy for me but dad tended to be a conspiracy theorist. He probably would’ve had some strong opinions about my employers and what they were up to.”
Desmond smiled, though she saw more sadness than anything in his eyes.“I’m sorry to hear that. My dad was the same way, actually. Always looking in the shadows for a story other people didn’t want him to hear.” He sighed and shook his head.“Anyway, I grew up in Florida and Salina there is the most uptight Oregonian you’ll ever meet.”
“Always appreciate the praise, Captain.” Salina smirked.“You’ll find a fairly diverse group on the Gnosis from all corners of the Earth. Our bridge crew is mostly American with the exception of Deacon Neville, who is one of our pilots. He’s from London originally.”
“I’d like to offer—” Desmond interrupted himself as his computer began to ding. He placed something in his ear and turned away.“Go ahead, sir.” A pause.“What? Are you… serious? That fast?” He nodded slowly.“I see. We’re not quite aboard but will be there shortly. I’ll contact you once we’re there.”
“What’s going on?” Salina asked.
“Admiral Reach spoke to the council and they’ve already agreed that we need to get out there.” Desmond seemed shocked.“He made quite the point about the head start the aliens had and how we needed to get moving.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes.“What’re the orders?”
“We’re to find out why they want the Orb,” Desmond replied.“And stop them from getting this one. Whatever information we can dig up. If, for some reason, the new Orb is not protected, they want us to bring it back to Gamma Alpha.”
“What about defense here?” Salina looked at Cassie.“We all know that we’re in a situation that’s pretty tenuous with that.”
Desmond shook his head.“They’re close on the sister ship to the Gnosis, the one that’s more military leaning. The rest of the fleet is repaired and they’re upgrading them as we speak. But, the council doesn’t believe the aliens are going to attack again soon. After all, they haven’t had a chance to find out they failed yet.”
“And it could take time,” Cassie added.“After all, even if they were expecting a communication transmission, it wouldn’t have arrived yet. Our best bet is to use the hyperspace drive and get there as soon as possible.”
“We’ll need some prec
ise coordinates,” Salina said.
“We have them.” Cassie grinned, tapping her computer.“We took them from the aliens along with a star chart of the destination. We’ll be able to hop in and take a look with long range scanners before diving into a full-on battle. And considering that I calculated a ten hour trip, we’ll be able to examine the schematics for their ships, giving us a tactical advantage.”
“At least the ones they left at Earth,” Desmond said.“Okay, so we have clearance to depart as soon as we’re ready. I’ll contact Vincent and let him know we’re mission active. I expect we’ll be leaving the solar system in less than an hour.” He paused.“Can’t decide how I feel about it.”
“A rational emotion would be fear,” Salina pointed out.“Though I expect no one on board’s normal enough for that.”
Desmond chuckled.“No, we’ve all been itching to get moving. Unfortunately, our first trip involves combat. Still, we can’t complain too much. After all, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, right?”
“Definitely,” Cassie said.“One of the most historic events for humanity since we first set foot on the moon… since the discovery of the Orb even. Pressing beyond what so many people thought was a prison. We’ve conquered distance and now, we have the chance to see what’s out there. For good or ill, we’re the pioneers of our species.”
Salina hummed.“So no pressure at all then, right?”
“None at all.” Desmond motioned with his head toward the cockpit.“We’re about to dock with the ship. Get ready. When we disembark, we’re going to be busy for a while.”
***
Vincent waited in the hangar bay for the Captain’s shuttle to land. He’d received word before they left to expect an AIA agent who was joining the crew and to have the ship ready for immediate departure. They did everything they could without the coordinates for their destination and all on-duty personnel were at their stations.
Fighters were lined up, prepared to launch. They had enough backup vessels to replace the one they lost in the initial fight. Lieutenant Hal Brown had sufficiently recovered to return to his duties and already had a session with a psychologist to ensure he was mentally prepared. After being cleared for active duty, he returned to his unit.
The marines had now had a couple of days of downtime and were itching for another shot at the enemy. Their eagerness didn’t sit well with Vincent but he understood the necessity of such warriors in the military. If everything had gone according to plan, those men would’ve been terribly bored with the original plan.
We’re putting them to the test now. I should be grateful they’re here.
Vincent always looked forward to space travel and visiting other star systems. He was an explorer at heart, always curious about what was beyond the horizon. The Gnosis assignment had been his dream come true and when they got the distress call from Earth, his heart sank.
He’d studied tactics in the academy. He knew how to conduct an offensive but the idea of actively serving in a war hadn’t really occurred to him. After so many years of relative peace, with only minor skirmishes springing up here and there, he thought conflict might finally be behind the human race.
To discover otherwise shocked him likely as much as it did the rest of the people on Earth.
The shuttle landed and Captain Bradford disembarked, saluting the soldiers standing by the ramp. Vincent moved out to greet them and offered his own salute.“Welcome aboard, Captain. We’re just about ready to get underway. Once we have some hyperspace coordinates, we’ll be good to go.”
“Thank you,” Desmond said.“I’d like to introduce you to Agent Cassandra Alexander. Agent, this is Commander Vincent Bowman.”
“A pleasure.” Vincent shook her hand.
“Thank you, Commander.” The Agent stepped back and admired the ships around them.
“If you’d all like to follow me, we’ve got quarters set up and Chief Engineer Webber would like a word with you before we depart.” Vincent shrugged.“He has some concerns about the hyperdrive.”
“Understood. I’ll address him now.” Desmond gestured to Salina.“You should take your post on the bridge. Cassie, you’ve got the coordinates so stow your things and get up there as well. Get Zach to program them in, do some predictive analysis and when I settle Nathaniel down, we’ll get out of here.”
“Yes, sir.” Vincent gestured for Cassie to follow him.“Right this way.”
“I’ll see you both later,” Salina said, heading off in another direction.
“So… the AIA.” Vincent tried for some small talk.“I’ve never met a fully-fledged agent. Not that I’m aware of at least.”
“We could be anywhere, that’s true.” Cassie grinned.“Though I can say there’s less clandestine work going on in our own ships than you’d imagine. If it helps, this is the second time I’ve been on this ship. The first was long before it was commissioned. They barely had the life support systems working.”
Vincent nodded.“I didn’t come aboard until two weeks before our maiden voyage. That was a crash course in systems. Those of us who came on late had a lot of work to do, a ton to learn. Definitely worth it but challenging to say the least. Especially the more esoteric systems… like the hyperdrive.”
“What is the engineer’s concern?” Cassie asked.“Is he worried about the elemental mixtures or the distance we have to go?”
“As you probably know, no one’s gone into hyperspace for more than an hour. We’ve heard rumors of a ten hour trip.” Vincent shrugged.“Sounds pretty risky to me and I think the engineer just wants to voice his concerns to the captain. I’m surprised the doctor isn’t in line to talk about it to be honest.”
“Yes, I understand. Simulations suggest we won’t notice.” Cassie paused a moment.“But we both know real life and simulations aren’t entirely fair comparisons, right?”
“Exactly.” Vincent took her down a corridor and paused before an open door.“This is you. Please, make yourself at home.”
The quarters were only a little smaller than his own with a bed, a desk and a refresher for getting cleaned up. She had enough room to have two people inside without it being cramped but not much more. Much of the crew had to live communally. These private rooms were reserved for VIPs and high ranking officers.
“Thank you,” Cassie said. She dropped her things off.“Can you show me to the bridge? They hadn’t designated where it would be when I was here last.”
“Of course.” Vincent gestured down the hall.“The elevator down here goes straight there. Just hop in it and take it to the top. It requires security clearance but I’ve already had you added to the system. It works on DNA.”
“Nice.” Cassie smiled.“I suppose we should go make history then, hm? Even if it will end with a fight.”
“Indeed.” Vincent sighed as they boarded the elevator.“So you’re familiar with the alien’s technology?”
“And ours,” Cassie replied.“I’ve been hip deep in studying the Orb for several years now. The AIA has quite a few gadgets that came from it. I’ve got a bunch of them in my stuff. Hopefully, they’ll come in handy but even if they don’t, my computer’s got some fantastic upgrades. I might be able to fashion them into something useful for the ship.”
“I’m sure the engineers will be bothering you quite a bit,” Vincent said.“They’re always on the lookout for improvements. Hey, I had a question if you don’t mind… about the AIA.”
“Go ahead, but we’ve only got a moment.”
“Do you guys really learn all the crazy infiltration stuff? Hacking, fighting, you know…”
Cassie nodded.“And we constantly have to practice, even when we’re primarily assigned to research. They never know when one of us might have to go into the field and so we’re always prepared. I honestly thought it was overkill until I got on that shuttle to come up here.”
“Now?”
“I’m grateful they insisted I learn so much.”
The doors opened and Vincent let her go first. Des
mond had yet to arrive from his visit to engineering but the others bustled through their activities, preparing for departure. Vincent directed Cassie to a free station near Salina’s. She already had a login to their network so she inserted her tablet into the dock and started typing.
He turned to his own reports, going through the checklist from other departments. Each section lead reported ready with only engineering appearing red on the list. Vincent expected as much and wondered how the captain would fare with Nathaniel. They didn’t have a choice, so one way or another, they would be on their way shortly. Complaining merely delayed things.
***
Desmond arrived in engineering and Lieutenant Commander Nathaniel Webber immediately met him at the door. He was a bald man, short at five-eight but he carried himself with a lot of feisty dignity. The neat goatee gave him a tough look but at forty-seven, he’d long since given up any sort of trouble off duty.
“What’s going on, Nathaniel?” Desmond asked.“We have to get moving. The orders came from the council.”
“I understand, Captain, but we’ve got to take a moment before we just dive into this. The hyperdrive’sbeen tested, yes… but I’m not sure what’s going to happen if we put ourselves into a long-distance trip of ten hours.”
“What do the simulations say?”
Nathaniel waved his hand at him.“You know as well as I do what those are good for.” He motioned for him to follow him.“Come into my office for a moment.” They entered the private room before the engineer continued his argument.“What if we melt down?”
“What’re the chances of that and how paranoid are you being?” Desmond held his hand up.“The question is, do you honestly think that there’s a danger or are you simply being overly cautious? Because right now, after what happened, we don’t have the luxury of waiting around for more testing. We have to go. Now.”
