by Peter Kratky
“Oh, no?”
“No. I got another one of these birds here. We activated the ship's scanners and detected it hidden in an interior room.”
“Yes? And where did it come from?”
“I don't know. Looks like he followed Ronta's shuttle a little later than we left the LauKlars ship. He came in on another single-seater shuttle. He's young. Apparently, he's the son of the expedition leader who found us. His name is Nahr.” Helen smiled.
“Is he willing to come with us?”
He doesn't have enough training, conviction, or old age to say no. So, I think we still have our bird in the cage.”
“Wonderful. We must stick to the plan, and we must not delay any longer. The accumulators are no more than 20% and we are vulnerable at the moment.”
“All right, we're waiting for you.”
Helen returned to the command room of the giant black ship. As she headed for the shuttle hangar, she activated a communication system so that it could be heard by the entire crew of the black human ship.
“Hello, everybody. I'm Helen. We've waited a long time for this moment. It was risky. We never knew how the facts would evolve. We knew we were at stake. But it went well, as we had planned. Now the time has come to finish what we started. The phrase “what's impossible in a year, is inevitable in a million years” makes more sense now than ever before. We have made the impossible inevitable. Now it is time to move on. We're back. And this time, it'll be different. Thank you all so much for being there at a difficult time. Now, after all this time, our time has come. The galaxy will be human, or it won't be. Be attentive, work hard, and we will have nothing to fear, and much to gain. Oh yeah... Scott, get me those copies of Sheryl Crow over there, please. I haven't heard music in eons. End of connection.”
The huge black ship landed in the devastated area near the Xarwen laboratory, and a fearful Nahr climbed into one of the few rooms that allowed him to be housed in the cargo area, escorted by four armed humans. His father was going to worry, a lot. Why should he have been so curious? However, something told him that, after all, he was still alive at the moment. And he'd take any chance. “Don't get in trouble,” his father often told him. No doubt, he was in a lot of trouble now...
Galactic Encyclopedia: The Age of Chaos.
The Age of Chaos is the nickname with which the Karni Age was officially known, and specifically, according to historians, the Karni-Mat period. It was a period of enormous tension in LauKlar society, and by extension throughout the Galaxy and the thousands of species that populate it. For the first time, and without practically any previous reference in the historical archives of the oldest civilizations, the possibility of a total war and a complete annihilation of life in the Galaxy was a possible factor and to be taken into account.
The facts date back to the beginning of the second phase of the Karni-Mat Era, when the LauKlars, for what reason, did not know very well, initiated an investigation, apparently unimportant, which set in motion a relentless war machine under the control of a species thought to be extinct. The beginning itself is remembered by the name of Neivaark T-893, by the first ship that had contact with unknown ships of a strange triangular configuration, black and with a strange symbol on its surfaces....
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The First Threat
Neivaark T-893 was the name of the LauKlar city ship which was moving across the area that millions of years ago had been known as Orion's belt. Now that group of stars had long ago disintegrated, and ancient stars moved through the area with their cut planets, several of them alive, and several of them populated by groups of LauKlars and other species. All those LauKlars planets had small populations, due to the philosophy of allowing planets to develop according to their natural principles, without external actions. That is why T-893, known among its inhabitants as Neivaark (white sky in the LauKlar language), was, like many other ships, completely populated. And it was, in every sense, their home. When a ship is a hundred kilometers long and fifteen kilometers high, and large areas are immense flight zones, inhabited by living nature, the mind can feel that it is, in its entirety, in a world. A world that is a home traveling through the stars. Like a planet, but artificial.
So, when the ship's sensors detected three objects just over a kilometer away moving towards them, there was no immediate concern. It was striking that these ships had not been seen with long-range sensors, something inexplicable. It almost looked like they came out of nowhere. Something, of course, impossible. Nor could they be equipped with a cloaking system. The sensors of the LauKlar ships were able to detect even the smallest distortion of space-time caused by the mass of a ship of that size.
The official in charge of navigation fixed the screen on the ships. They were black, completely opaque, with some bright windows at their ends. And with three octagons circling a cube in its center. One of them had a strange picture of an ancient predator. The ships were approaching at hyperluminal velocities. There was no record of such ships in the database. And they weren't responding to standard warning calls.
The standard procedure in such a situation was to activate defense systems. LauKlars used to engage in combat defense activities, although many would never see a real shot, nor would their parents or grandparents, children or grandchildren. But in this case, those ships were not responding to the call, and were moving on an intercept course. So, to everyone's surprise, the combat alarms were activated.
The black ships approached two light-years away, and suddenly disappeared. The confusion became evident among the LauKlars. They had simply disappeared from the sensors. Where were those ships?
They checked the instruments. They were all operating normally. The human ships, simply, and after a new verification, had disappeared, leaving no trace... Just to show up again 60,000 kilometers away. They were still moving, apparently, at the same speed. How had they come that far in an instant? No hyperluminal engine was capable of anything like that. Something very dangerous was beginning to take shape.
The black ships approached. Suddenly, from each one of them came a blue-white light, a very intense beam with an energy that the LauKlars could not measure. The three beams of light converged at one point in front of the central ship, and a new beam of light was directed towards the Neivaark...
The impact was terrible. The Neivaark's energy shields barely held up the powerful power source, and part of it reached the hull, piercing several decks. The LauKlars fired the entire arsenal of energy, plasma and antimatter weapons, but the black ships disappeared just before impact, reappearing later. Getting a target seemed like impossible business. Every chance of impact failed over and over again.
The LauKlars began to flee in despair, as the Neivaark captain tried to turn the ship around and increase speed, placing the area where the shield was strongest towards the black ships. These were still approaching, and launched a second group of beams, this time separately, entering through the weakest areas of the shield. Two of the three beams opened huge holes in the Neivaark, and the LauKlars in that area began to be depressurized and thrown into the vacuum of space. Many of them were irremissibly suffering from the force of the ship's decompression. A cold and cruel death that left many thousands of bodies floating along the hull.
Black ships launched a third concentrated beam. This hit the ship again in the engine area, causing a chain explosion. The Neivaark began to disintegrate. Shortly before she died, the captain sent a distress message and a file with information on the incident, which reached a LauKlar base a few light years away.
The Neivaark was left adrift, wounded to death. Some escape ships were destroyed, but others could survive. Or maybe they just didn't attract attention. Or perhaps it was hoped
that some witnesses would survive...
Then the emptiness. The darkness. All three ships were gone. It was the first contact with those black ships. It wouldn't be the last.
Re-encounters
The Neretva starship was an improved variant of the Leena class starships, built just before the end of the Previous Age. Together with the Fenrir, they were considerably faster and agile in standard space, and of a wider range. This was the second ship recovered after Fenrir herself, commanded by Vasyl Pavlov.
Now, the Neretva was Helen's temporary headquarters, while her own ship was recovered and overhauled, along with her crew. Everything was provisional in that room where a table, a computer terminal and a coffee machine had been set up, next to an old record player that had been recovered from a warehouse. An old vinyl LP was spinning at 33 revolutions per minute through an outdated analog data storage system, emanating some music from someone called Steve Hackett.
Helen was standing behind the old table. An antique table with an aspect that imitated walnut wood. She was seated, or almost arguably stretched, on a rickety standard four-legged chair, which once had wheels. The gravitational chair to be used for this position required adjustments and was not operational. In the sordid silence of the room, intensified by the large window that showed the few stars on the edge of the Galaxy, Helen looked at the constant twist of the disk, with her eyes lost in memories of a time that had long since ceased to exist.
A double knock on the door pulled her out of the ecstasy she was in. The audio signal from it didn't work either.
“Go ahead! “ she shouted unconvincingly. A woman poked her head out, walked in, closed the door, and walked toward the table. Her complexion was rather brown, and her figure thin and small, not very tall. With big, dark eyes, her hair was wrapped in a classic bow tie. She watched Helen for a moment before she spoke.
“Ma' am, you called me...” Helen turned her head, and smiled warmly.
“Yolande Le Brun! my dear Le Brun, how good to see you safe and sound. You're looking good.”
“Thank you, madam. The DNA regenerators are fully operational. I've been lucky.”
“Good luck? No doubt. Being able to count on you in this new Era is a great advantage for everyone.”
“Thank you, madam.”
“Don't be modest, Le Brun. You've earned the respect and admiration of everyone. And you're really doing great. To me, however, look at the face those giant chickens have left me...” Helen touched her face with both hands. “I look horrible, I look like a monster.”
“Milady, you don't look like a monster,” denied Le Brun.” You're looking good. But, if you'll allow me, you should cheer up a little.” Helen arched her eyebrows slightly.
“Cheer me up, Le Brun? Why is that? Is there any particular reason for this? Do you realize where we are? And, above all, how are we doing?”
“Well... I think so... For starters, we're alive, thank God. And fortune.” Helen rose from the chair and sighed.
“God has nothing to do with this, Le Brun. And fortune, well... You've seen it.”
“See what, ma' am?”
“The time. The time we've spent here. In this universe. Three billion years...”
“Yes, ma' am. But we're here now. The chances of survival were...”
“Scarce, yes,” Helen cut. “And no sign of the Xarwen. To know what happened to them. We need to check the databases we have stolen in detail, and see what information they contain. We're on our own now, Le Brun. Completely alone. A handful of humans lost in a universe that saw the end of humanity an eternity ago. More than it took life to be born and evolve to humanity on Earth. Do you realize what that means? It's not going to be like it was in the Old Age anymore. This time things are going to get really tough.”
“Ma' am, if I may: We will fight. Like we did before. “
“Fight? No doubt. But what are we fighting against?”
“Well... Against the LauKlars, ma' am.”
“Yes, yes, of course, the LauKlars.... But what LauKlars, Le Brun? These are not the ones we left behind. They've changed. They're different. They seem... More confident. Even peaceful ones.”
“I don't believe the pacifism they seem to have, ma' am.”
“Of course. But they've fallen into the trap, and now we're free. They could have destroyed us, and they didn't. I wonder why.”
“There must be a very powerful reason, ma' am. And that worries me.”
“I totally agree, Le Brun.”
“We'll finish them off anyway, ma' am. One way or another.”
“Well, that's the idea. We have a major advantage over them. They will submit, or disappear.”
“Yes, ma' am.”
“What is known about staff and material recovery processes? Any word from Pavlov?”
“Recovery is going well, as established. Pavlov's with the Fenrir.”
“Have you talked to him?”
“Yes, ma' am.”
“And what did he say to you?”
“Apart from a bunch of obscene and completely unrepeatable expressions and adjectives, ma' am?” Helen laughed.
“Yes, I can imagine. Other than that... Kim, where are you?” cried Helen for the intercom.
“I'm helping the chief engineer to restart all systems and the main engine, ma' am,” replied Kim, Helen's personal assistant, through the built-in earphone.
“Bring me a bottle of water when you can. The ship's water system is not yet operational. Is there anything that works in this can?”
“I'll take care of it right away, ma' am. And you must eat something” confirmed Kim.
“Sure, Kim, a great idea! Eat something, of course!.... And if possible, chicken, not that nutrient crap.”
“I'm glad to see that the lady is regaining her sense of humor,” Kim replied through the communicator.
“Don't be so hopeful, Kim,” answered Helen, cutting off communication. Then she headed back to Le Brun.
“Where were we?” Helen asked disoriented.
“We were with the man who could destroy the patience of any human being, ma' am,” Le Brun answered with conviction.
“Oh yes, Pavlov! I didn't get a chance to talk to him very often. He was always saving somebody's ass with the Fenrir. We owe him a lot. He was one of the architects of the, well, you'd call it a miracle.”
“It was a miracle, ma' am. But milady was the principal architect.”
“Well, let's call it whatever we call it, that was a way to save the skin. I won't complain about it, Le Brun. Pavlov may have expeditious and straightforward ways of doing things, but they are certainly effective methods.”
“There is no doubt about that, ma' am.” Helen glanced sidelong at Le Brun.
“I think there's more than pride in your words when you speak of Pavlov, Le Brun.” Le Brun shuddered slightly.
“Ma' am, I wouldn't look at such a man if he were the last in the universe.”
“No? Are you sure about that?”
“No, I'm not sure, ma' am. And lying won't do me any good.” Helen nodded with a smile.
“Well, let's put that down now. Send him two orders. First, don't open the lines too much. I want you to attack and destroy several more LauKlars ships before contact with that... President of theirs. Let him do all the damage he can. But watch out for any suspicious actions by the LauKlars, and above all, don't risk the ships for anything in the world. We have to be grouped together in these first steps. The second is that, for once in his life, he should learn to follow my orders without questioning them, or mumbling or roaring like a stampede elephant. Will you make yourself clear to him?”
“I'd be happy to do it, ma' am.” Helen leaned back on the chair. She almost sank into it. She sighed deeply.
“How do you see it, Le Brun?”
“What, madam?”
“This madness.”
“We must be cautious, ma' am. We have a technical advantage. But....”
“That's what I'm thinking..
. Anyway, everything has to be reorganized again. I...” The door rang again.
“Come in! Get in there!” Helen shouted. The door opened slightly, and the face of a thirty-something old man appeared, a somewhat neglected-looking man with half-broken jeans, sneakers of a near twentieth-century style, and a shirt from an old rock band.
“May I?”
“Will you please come in, Scott? Le Brun, that's all. Leave me here with the man of a thousand mysteries.”
“Yes, ma' am.” Le Brun bowed slightly and stepped out. She glanced sidelong at Scott, who looked sideways at her. Helen got up and approached him.
“I thought I'd get rid of you after three billion years in a bottle. But it seems my condemnation is certainly eternal.” Scott stood still, frozen, stiff, and unable to look at her. She continued as she leaned against the table:
“Look at him, there, undaunted, the ice man, the distant heart... Will you please relax a little? You are not in front of the goddess Freyja, even if you continue with the habit of calling me that. I'm Helen, not a Tyrannosaurus. Damn it! Who would send me to get into...” Helen babbled something unintelligible as she touched her head with her hands in a gesture of pain. Then, suddenly, she stood still, stood up, and turned around, at a speed that defied all physical logic, as she looked directly at Scott.
“All right, let go now! What happens now, Scott?”
“You must calm down. Please. Tough times are coming. What we went through in the past has little to do with what we are going to live through.”
“Really, Scott? Don't you see? We're back to the same thing. How many times have we had this conversation in the past?”
“Too many times.”
“Too many times, yes...” Helen sat in the chair. She looked exhausted.
“Do you think we're sick, Scott? Do you think it's been worth sleeping for three billion years, just to wake us up in order to turn the dreams of thousands of species into an endless nightmare? Do you think that, after so long waiting for the Ragnarok, the Apocalypse, or whatever you want to call it, we are finally the angel who plays the trumpet, or the Fenrir who unleashes his fury before the LauKlars and thousands of other species?” Scott remained pensive for a moment. He looked up slightly, looked at Helen, and answered:
