OMEGA Allegiance

by Stephen Arseneault

  Garrett winked before turning away. I moved to the viewing room and sat with Joni in front of a large holo-display.

  Garrett walked up to the Green. "Good. I see you're finally awake. I thought you were a goner."

  The Green scowled. "We do not die easily, Human."

  I turned to Joni, who had joined me. "He is aware of Humans. He must have knowledge of their interactions with the Grumar."

  I typed out a few more suggestions for Garrett to use.

  Garrett nodded. "OK, well, since I have already killed a half dozen of your kind with my bare hands, I would have to differ about your dying easily. But proving who is the stronger species here today is not what we are after. There really is no comparison. What I would like to know is what you were building on that moon?"

  The Green let out a low growl. "You have not killed a half dozen Grotus. Even with one arm, I would rip your limbs from your body and beat you with them!"

  Garrett stepped forward, poking his thumb up under the Green's good arm. The Green winced in pain.

  Garrett smiled. "I know all of your weaknesses, which, despite your stature, make you very easy to subdue. I wouldn't equate that with some great species. In fact, I would bet the Grumar would be fascinated by that little fact."

  I crossed my arms. "I'm not comfortable with him speaking about our vulnerability."

  Joni replied, "Relax, it's just you, me, and him. No one else is watching or listening, just as you requested."

  Garrett continued: "Back to that moon base. Why are you planning to rebuild it? Oh, and one other question, why would a supposed god be sent up there to be a common supervisor? You must be on the bottom of the Grotus hierarchy. Are you slower or dumber than the others?"

  The Green again growled. "I will enjoy tearing out your heart, Human. No Grotus is superior to any other. We all perform the tasks that we are given."

  Garrett raised his hand. "Ah! So, someone is giving you orders. Forgive me, but that sounds a lot like a hierarchy to me. Someone with more authority must be telling you what to do. But go ahead and believe that you are all equal. I'm sure your people could get a lot done when voting with a committee of fourteen million Grotus."

  Garrett walked around the gurney holding the Green. "Speaking of the fourteen million, I find it interesting that you would make some deal with the Moddle to send troops to Bilotha rather than fight there yourselves. I mean, aren't you supposed to be the great warriors? You are here as a supervisor. Doesn't that make the Grotus more like administrators than fighters?"

  Garrett raised his hand to his chin. "Huh. Maybe that's why I was able to kill your brethren so easily, you've grown soft."

  The Green writhed in anger. "Cut me loose and I will show you soft. I will show you the softness of your skull when I smash it in with my fist. Why should we risk our own lives when we have others we can put at risk? The Moddle are mere tools for us to wield to meet our ends."

  Garrett raised his eyebrows. "Ah, so I see, you are sending others to fight for you out of fear! If you are the wonder warriors that you say, wouldn't the expansion of the empire go faster with Grotus doing the fighting? Aren't you just wasting time?"

  The Green seethed as Garrett continued to circle the gurney. "We fight only when necessary. Why should I foul my nostrils with the stench of another species when I can send five Humans to do it for me? That is not fear, that is intelligence."

  Garrett leaned in. "If you Grotus are so intelligent, why are you here, strapped to that gurney? Kind of makes you look foolish."

  Joni shook her head. "Man, that guy is going to explode if he's not careful. He is really working him over. I'm actually enjoying this!"

  The Green gritted his teeth. "It is you Humans who are weak of mind. You send your own people to fight for our expansion. Who are the fools in that scenario?"

  Garrett nodded. "I don't follow. We have already secured three worlds. We will be populating those worlds, along with Doomlight, soon. Once we are established, it is the Duration or whatever you are calling it, that will cease to endure. The Human empire spans galaxies. Your, what is it, seventy-nine colonies? Your seventy-nine colonies are no more than a single sector in our empire. It is you who are weakening our enemies for us, which will allow us to expand more rapidly. The troops we are sending through for you to use are just a ruse. They are nothing more than criminals, colonists who didn't pay their taxes, conscripts if you will. When the mighty armies of our empire arrive, the Grand Duration will be little more than the Grand Annihilation."

  I remarked. "Wow. He did that one all on his own. I think Garrett missed his calling. He would have been a great interrogator for the security forces."

  The Green jerked at the bindings that held him down. "You no more control entire galaxies than I have a long tail! Our technology, our weapons, and our armor is superior to the feeble ships you send to our sector. We do not fear Humans. We loathe Humans and the species you send to fight. They are weak and ill-trained for combat.

  "The Moddle were pushing back the Doomlighters when you showed up. You managed to turn that fight around. Then the two of you turned on each other. We dealt with the remainder of the Doomlight population as both of your pathetic armies fought against one another. Now you are each fighting for us on other worlds. You are fighting the Moddle on their home worlds while the Moddle fight a totally separate war for us, while believing they are fighting on your home worlds."

  Garrett nodded his head. "Yes, we are fully aware of what you believe you are doing. When finished, we will control the Moddle worlds, and the Bolitha worlds will have been sufficiently weakened for an easy takeover by our main battle force. I have to say, we take great pleasure in the ease with which you Grotus are manipulated."

  Garrett stopped and turned. "One thing I find fascinating is that we know the location of your worlds, and yet, you have no idea of the location of ours. Don't you find it troubling that we just show up from seemingly nowhere?"

  The Green's scowl turned to a grin. "It is only a matter of time. We have interrogated a number of your people who all tell the same lies of traveling between galaxies, a feat that is not physically possible."

  Garrett threw up his hands. "And yet we are here!"

  The Green growled.

  Garrett lowered his arms. "You seem to be greatly bothered by my confidence. I have to call into question whether or not the Grotus would be worthy of joining our empire. Given what I know, I believe you could be productive citizens, but there are others who believe your species to be beneath the status we offer our citizenship. They feel you are not much beyond common barnyard animals who are to be milked or ground up as protein meal for other, tastier meat-bearing herd animals. You know, boraks will eat just about anything."

  The Green raged and yelled. "Humans are the inferior species! It is you who will be food for animals! I will personally see to it that you are ground into feed for galligs! Our weapons are ten times that of your latest battlecruisers! Our armor will absorb and deny damage from your weak ion cannons! Our warriors will march through the streets of your cities, destroying all in their path! You will bow to the power and might of the Grand Duration and the Grotus!"

  Garrett paused as he fiddled with his arm pad, bringing up an image of one of the great ships we had observed at Doomlight. "Now hold on. Ten times the power? You aren't talking about these ships having ten times the power, are you? If so, well yes, if you are comparing them to the meager fleets we have been sending your way. They are not close in power to the main battle fleet of the Alliance."

  Garrett laughed. "I can't tell you any specifics, but suffice it to say our ships are far superior to the garbage scows you call your best. Unless you have something to offer besides these ore haulers you call battlecruisers, I suggest you rethink your position!"

  The Green quieted at the notion that the Grotus fleet was inferior. The Greens were a proud species. They would not be bested, they would not be made fools of.

  Garrett turned off the displ
ay and offered his best angry face. "We have a thousand spies on each of your worlds! We know the movement of your ships before you know the movement of your ships! The Alliance will be coming to your worlds soon enough. There are even traitors among your own species! We will come, the Grumar will cower in fear and the Grotus will wash our feet before you are all slaughtered and your hides tanned to make boots and belts for the commoners of our citizenry! Great warriors. Pffft!"

  With that, Garrett turned and left the room. The Green was left to brood over the lies he had been told.

  Garrett entered the monitoring room. "Wow. That was intense! I thought he was going to burn a hole through me with his eyes!"

  Joni replied, "I hope you never need to interrogate me! I thought he might burst into flames right there while you were poking him!"

  I nodded. "I can't say I would have fared well in that exchange. He gave up much more information than I thought possible. The lies you told about the Alliance were particularly helpful."

  Garrett sat. "Yeah, it went well. Only problem is it confirms what we were thinking when we saw those battlecruisers. We don't have anything that would stand up to even one of those ships. We'll have to quiz Gasua about how many they might have. Right now we are pretty much defenseless."

  I shook my head. "That is not true. Right now we have the space between galaxies to keep us safe. Unless we open the door, they cannot come through and are of little threat."

  Garrett crossed his arms. "And what of the other portal gates here in Andromeda? If they conquer this place, they would control those gates, one of which opens to the Triangulum."

  I nodded. "While it may be true that they could take those portals, the ones which connect to the other galaxies can only be opened if both ends are willing to do so. Our gate to Andromeda is shut down. No one goes out or comes through."

  Joni added, "And who says they couldn't figure out how to manipulate a gate like my uncle? That is a single gate they used to get us here. If we can do it, so can someone else."

  Garrett looked up at the holo-display of the Green. "Anything else you want to know from him? The longer we let him sit there the sooner he is going to wise up and stop talking."

  Joni gestured towards the display. "See if you can get him to reveal how many of those big ships they have. And try to get out of him if there is an actual hierarchy. If there is, that might give us a targeting order should an opportunity arise."

  I nodded. "Both good points to know. I suspect they are like every other species out there in that either a small group is in charge, or an individual. See if they have the concept of a king. My people once had a royal family. And see if there are any other species on their other home worlds besides the Grumar. They are egomaniacs. They would require subjects to rule over. If there are a number of different species, perhaps one day we would be able to pit one against another.

  "As far as the power and technology they possess goes, I believe there is an AMP history lesson, from the early Humans, that speaks to this: 'Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force, never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.'"

  Garrett smiled. "For pitting one species against another: 'A house divided against itself cannot stand.' That's also from an old Human history lesson. So, what we want to know is what species they have as subjects? Do they have a king? And how many of those big ships do they have? I'll go back in and work him over for a bit. Hey, let me borrow Raptor for a few minutes. Just having him sniffing around might be a good distraction."

  Joni held out her hand. "If he can help, then make use of him. I'm sure he would love to sniff around someone new anyway."

  Garrett left the room with Raptor at his heel.

  I walked with Joni to the bridge. "I think we are getting a good picture of the situation. The Moddles are expansionists, but small. The Grotus, they are very powerful and would easily defeat any defense we could muster. Now, as for your uncle, unless he is attempting to expand the Alliance, I can't figure out why he is here. These planets were never part of the AMP or the New Alliance. Is there a corner of the Andromeda galaxy that was never settled by the AMP?"

  Joni half laughed. "Yeah, if we're even in the Andromeda."

  I stopped and grabbed her arm. "What you just said, is that possible? Are we fighting a war in a galaxy other than Andromeda?"

  We hurried to the bridge. "Jack! Do we have any images of the Andromeda galaxy aboard this ship? I know we don't have the star maps as they weren't available to us. If we have an image, we might be able to at least verify our location by the surrounding galaxy's shape!"

  Jack replied, "I have the small image I showed before. Not much detail there though."

  Jack opened a comm channel to entire crew. "Listen up. We need an image of the Andromeda galaxy if anyone has one. Search your personal storage and any devices you brought with you. If you find an image, send it to the bridge as soon as possible!"

  Jack searched his personal gear. "I don't have anything but that one. Will knowing our location tell us anything we should know? Are there destinations out here we can head for if the portal doesn't open?"

  I walked over to the nav station. "Do a 360 degree scan and shrink the image of all the stars in this galaxy down to fit on the main screen."

  The nav officer complied. Fifteen seconds later we had a side view of the galaxy we were trapped in.

  I continued, "Flip it down so we have a perspective as if from the top."

  The image spun down.

  I pointed. "There! That is a lenticular galaxy! We are not in the Andromeda! Harden Salton has us out here looking to acquire new territory!"

  Joni slowly shook her head. "I can't believe it! He wouldn't do that! That can't be right!"

  Joni began to tear up.

  I walked over and put my arm around her shoulder. "Hey, for all we know, he doesn't know himself. That might all be coming from his advisors."

  Joni shook her head as she sighed. "No, I have to believe he knows what's going on. What better way to get rid of your enemies than to send them off to fight a war in another galaxy. I think it fits perfectly with what he's become. You know, my grandfather built up this family. He was very pro-AMP and the people respected him for that. When he passed, his fortune, power, and control went to my uncle. I think he had his advisors whispering in his ear even before my grandfather's death. It was only eighteen months afterward that the New Alliance was formed. My grandfather would not have allowed that to happen."

  I squeezed Joni and relaxed. "There are no greater corruptors than power and greed. Those who are weak in principle are easily swayed into doing things they would never think of if they didn't have the means. Your grandfather obviously had the principles that your uncle lacks."

  There it was. The reasons for the war revealed. The truth was ugly, the terms harsh. How could we return to face Harden Salton knowing that it was he who had put us there. It was his scheme, his plan all along. And what of the Grumar and the Grotus? What did he really know about them? Were they allies of Harden Salton? Were they playing him for a fool?

  As I walked back towards the interrogation room, I had to wonder about the alliance that I had pledged my allegiance to. Would we be better off as separate colonies, only bound together by trade or the need to survive? I had to believe that together was better than apart. I had to believe that sometime in the future, the old ways could once again become the new. I sat in the monitor room and watched as Garrett worked to irritate and frustrate our Grotus captive. My mind however, was wandering elsewhere.

  Chapter 23

  Garrett walked into the monitor room with a grin. "Got it! One hundred thirty-two of those battlecruisers, sixteen species under their subjugation, and the leader of the Grotus is their King, Spamuel the Beheader! Raptor here was actually a big help. Whenever the Green began to jerk around wildly, he would stand up on the end of the gurn
ey, put his head right down in the Green's crotch, and start growling. It actually made me a bit nervous!"

  Garrett's grin began to fade. "What's wrong? What did I miss?"

  I looked up. "We aren't in the Andromeda galaxy. Harden Salton and his cronies have been lying to everyone."

  Garrett sat down. "That can't be right. Where are we then?"

  I replied, "We are in some lenticular galaxy, fighting a war of expansion. We are not defending the Alliance, we are trying to expand it. Who knows if there is even any problem in Andromeda. Probably not. What we do know is that Harden Salton has been sending all his enemies out here with the dual purpose of killing them off and expanding his empire. All this time I thought we were fighting the good fight, the fight for all of our citizenry. Come to find out that we are only pawns in some corrupt game of empire building. The New Alliance is a sham."

  Garrett sat silent for a moment. "Wow. That's a lot to take in. That changes the game completely. We can't go back through that portal knowing what we know. He would have us put to death before we left the vicinity of that gate. No wonder he hasn't allowed any of the ships, other than those transports, to come back through. I'm sure he has those pilots under strict guard so they can't talk to anyone if they know something, which they probably don't."

  Jack came over the comm. "You two! You'd better get up here to the bridge! It looks like we've got company! And you best run!"

  We arrived on the bridge deck to see a holo-display with a red pinpoint circled in yellow in the center.

  "You sure you weren't followed? They must have tagged you or something."

  Garrett shook his head. "There's no way. I did continuous sweeps of the Jess right up until the time we left."

  Jack pointed. "If you have detection gear on that ship I suggest you go back and check it again. I'm moving us at an angle away from their approach, but I don't know yet which one of us is faster. I sent the other ships directly away from them. If they adjust course in the next ten minutes or so to follow us, we will know it's us that's emitting."