Hive (The Color of Water and Sky Book 4)

by Andrew Gates

  The Color of Water and Sky

  Book Four

  The following novel is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this story have been invented by the author’s imagination and are not intended to represent anything in the real world.

  First copy published by Kindle Direct Publishing in 2018.

  The Color of Water and Sky: Book Four – Hive

  Copyright © 2018 by Andrew Gates

  Written by Andrew Gates

  Cover Art by Sarah Anderson

  All rights reserved

  Hive

  By Andrew Gates

  Table of Contents

  Prologue: Infinitum

  Chapter One: Jallah

  Chapter Two: Christening

  Chapter Three: Hijacker

  Chapter Four: Squad-Leader

  Chapter Five: Ladder

  Chapter Six: Scion

  Chapter Seven: Reunited

  Chapter Eight: Archives

  Chapter Nine: Tracker

  Chapter Ten: Swarm

  Chapter Eleven: Rakhaan

  Chapter Twelve: Regroup

  Chapter Thirteen: Procedure

  Chapter Fourteen: Vezaria

  Chapter Fifteen: Adaptation

  Chapter Sixteen: Duty

  Chapter Seventeen: Hive

  Chapter Eighteen: Korgo

  Chapter Nineteen: Queen

  Chapter Twenty: Slayer

  Chapter Twenty-One: Weapon

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Sorreveous

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Frost

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Echoes

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Metamorphosis

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Emperor

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Assault

  Epilogue: Tomorrow

  I would like to thank my readers for enjoying this series. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

  As this is the final book in what has been a grand four-part undertaking, I also want to take the time to thank every single person who has helped me with any part of this journey:

  Brian McElhaney (editing), Dawn Chapman (editing), Erica Chandler (editing), Felipe de Barros (artwork), Joe Knotts (editing), Karen Thorn (editing), Kelly Gates (editing), Laercio Messias (artwork), Mary Crawford (formatting), Ron Gates (general advice) and lastly and most importantly, Sarah Anderson (basically everything).

  Thank you all so much.

  Hive

  Prologue

  Infinitum

  Capt. Kal Azar

  Outer space: the empty, black, desolate expanse.

  Here everything felt so lonely, so isolated. Even when surrounded by her crew, Captain Kal Azar could not help but feel like she was the only living being for lightseconds in all directions.

  The poised Kholvari captain wiped her eyes and let out a deep sigh as she stared at the display on the holographic projection. At long last, Mars was finally coming into view, bright and red in the light. It had been a tiring journey to get here. She and her crew had traveled for nearly three weeks at the velocity of 2.7 million kotans per minute, using enough fuel to power a small city for a month.

  Phobos and Deimos came into view seconds later, orbiting the red world.

  “Finally, we are coming into visual range,” narrated Navigations Officer Kho Ri’Ango as he tapped away at the controls.

  “Enhance the image,” Azar said, stepping closer to the display.

  The image of the planet grew larger. Azar could now make out the sight of Kholvari settlements on the surface, though they were too far away to see in any clear detail. The ship’s data probes were useful, but not perfect.

  “Any life signatures detected?” Azar asked.

  “Scanning now,” added Kho Krass, the ship’s science officer. “Data is coming in from probe readings. Captain, no life signs detected on the planet’s surface, nor any power output of any kind.”

  “A blackout would render the settlers without oxygen. If power levels have stopped, they would surely perish,” the captain surmised. She spun around and faced Krass, who seemed glued to his monitor. “Have you any indication of what may have caused the blackout? Anything at all?”

  “Negative, Captain, though I am still searching. It is difficult to determine when we are still so far out.”

  The captain nodded and turned back to face the projection again. Krass was right. They may have been close enough to see the planet, but they were still a few days away from seeing anything in clarity. There was only so much they could learn from here.

  Kho Krass was easily the most fascinating member of Azar’s crew. The two of them were alike in age, though Krass’s face, pale, thin and withered from planet-cycles of hardship, would not indicate such a likeness. If Azar did not know any better, she would have thought him a decade her senior.

  Krass was Kholvari by birth, born in Merezok during the reign of Supreme Chieftess Kozana, but a half-breed by blood. Birthed from a Kholvari mother and a Sorrevahni father, his shell bore a lighter shade than his pure-blooded counterparts; a mark he could never erase.

  As if his curse from birth were not enough of a burden, both his parents had deceased before he was even old enough to speak. His father, Soh Tyssl, was attacked in the streets, assaulted for nothing other than being different. His mother, Kal L’Karak, reportedly died defending him, though that tale had never been confirmed. Krass was not old enough at the time to remember either of them.

  As a result, young orphaned Krass was given to the care of his aunt, a Kholvari who had neither the time nor patience to raise him.

  Azar heard tales of Krass’s troubled time as a nymph. From what she had been told, Krass endured planet-cycles of ridicule and mistreatment from his fellow youths and neglect from his aunt, which only hardened his resolve over time. The young half-breed learned to adapt, to endure, to survive. By his adolescence, Krass no longer paid mind to his fellow Kholvari. Instead, he shut them out, focusing his efforts on planet-cycles of study in the world of physics and, more specifically, astrodynamics.

  Krass’s self-imposed isolation forced him to give everything he had to his work. It was the only thing that did not bring him pain, and therefore, the only thing that drove him on. As a result, by the time Krass came into adulthood, he was one of the most talented minds in the field, far exceeding the talents of even the most experienced Kholvari scientists.

  Azar had only met Krass a few months ago, but she had heard his name long before that. In the months since he joined her crew, he had proven to be a valuable member of the team. Azar was glad Krass was with her now, here aboard this ship of all places. She felt confident knowing that he was here by her side. There was no one she trusted more.

  “Kho Metfallah, begin the deceleration process. We don’t want to collide into Mars,” the captain said to the ship’s helmsman, a younger Kholvari on his first long-distance mission.

  “Yes, Captain. Initiating retro rockets now,” he responded.

  Within seconds, Azar felt the ship slow its velocity as small rockets on the front of the ship let out exhaust in the direction of the vessel’s motion.

  “How much longer until we’re close enough to study the surface in any real detail?” she asked.

  “At this rate of deceleration, I would put our estimate at 21 hours, Captain,” Krass replied as he studied the numbers on screen.

  Azar clasped her claws tightly and did her best to mask her frustration. As far as she was concerned, all this waiting, all this dead time wandering through the void, was time lost. Azar needed information as soon as possible. There was no time to delay. This mission was important, perhaps the most important mission of her entire career.<
br />
  When General Kal Ri’Khor first informed Azar of her mission nearly a month ago, she did not fully understand the severity of her new assignment. She took it to be a simple scouting mission, nothing more. In hindsight, the severity should have been so obvious. Ri’Khor’s order came right from the mandibles of the Supreme Chieftain herself, the now-deceased Kal Khtallia. This “simple scouting mission” came as a direct order from the most powerful authority in the Chiefdom. In hindsight, of course it was important. How could she have been so blind?

  It wasn’t until mid-way through the journey, when Captain Azar received a detailed message from Kal Kh’Datto, that she finally understood what this mission truly entailed.

  Azar remembered the moment well. She was in her private quarters at the time, checking personal messages before retiring for the night. She logged into her personal terminal and stared at the monitor embedded into the wall of Infinitum.

  “Captain Kal Azar,” the message began. Kh’Datto was poised on screen, though there was a heaviness to her words. “I wish you well along your journey and apologize for the late hour of this message. While I recognize that General Kal Ri’Khor has already informed you of the purpose of your mission, I send this message as a follow-up to express the significance of the task placed before you and your crew of Infinitum and to inform you of some recent developments in the Chiefdom.”

  The captain stood from her seat, instantly eager to hear what the military’s chief liaison to the Martian outpost had to say. Any message from her mandibles was to be held in the highest regard.

  “You know that there has been a blackout on Mars and you know your crew is meant to investigate. You also know that we have received no communications from the colonies since the blackout. Not one. This, of course, is cause for concern. As you can likely determine on your own, this blackout may be fatal for the colonists. I don’t need to remind you that if they are without power, they will die.”

  The captain nodded, though no one was there to see it. So far none of this was new information. Ri’Khor had informed Azar of all of this prior to leaving Earth’s orbit.

  “Here is where things become interesting,” the message continued. “Some among the hierarchs suspect this blackout to be the work of our enemies. The office of Kho Veznek has instructed me to warn you that Mars may have been attacked by the likes of the Sorrevahni Empire, the Lunar Confederacy, or even the evolved-ones.”

  Azar shuddered, but remained poised. Some of these theories had already gone through her head, but now coming from Kh’Datto made them seem all the more plausible.

  “And there’s more,” Kh’Datto said, before pausing and lowering her gaze. For the first time during this message, she had lost her composure. “The… the Supreme Chieftess,” Kh’Datto continued, lifting her head again to reveal eyes full of tears. “She is dead. The Supreme Chieftess was murdered, attacked before all the Chiefdom to see. I am sorry to share this news with you, Captain. These are truly trying times for all of us.”

  Azar gasped. Her heart fluttered. She instinctively stumbled back, nearly tripping on her seat.

  “Kho Veznek has inherited the role of Supreme Chieftain,” the message continued. “For now, the Chiefdom is not without a leader, but in these dangerous times, I warn you and your crew to remain cautious. Do not underestimate the severity of the task that lies before you. The mysteries that trouble Mars may prove more paramount than we could have known.”

  Those words stuck with her even to this day.

  Azar closed her eyes and unclasped her claws as the memory flowed through her mind. She let out a deep exhale and stood as still as she could, trying to stay calm.

  “Captain,” a voice suddenly said, prompting her to open eyes again and return to the present.

  “Yes, what is it?” she asked, spinning around to face the speaker.

  “Captain, I’m detecting something… something odd. I didn’t notice it on our sensors before, but I’ve discovered an entity in close proximity,” Krass explained as he leaned in close to his monitor.

  “What is it?” Azar wondered. She walked over to his terminal.

  “There’s a mass, some kind of object.”

  “An asteroid?”

  “I am not sure, Captain. Whatever it is, the sensors detect life signatures and energy output,” Krass explained.

  “Could it be the colonists?” Ri’Ango wondered. “Maybe they took refuge on a rock or debris.”

  “This far out?” Metfallah replied.

  “Hard to say, Kho Ri’Ango. I can’t get a visual. Only motion sensors were able to detect it. Whatever it is, it gives off no light. It is pure black, like the void of space behind it,” Krass explained.

  Azar leaned over Krass’s shoulder and stared at the image on his monitor. A live video from one of the data probes shone on screen, but she saw nothing but stars.

  “Look here, Captain,” Krass said, clearly noticing her presence. “See this gap here. It is almost like a hole with no stars at all. This space is where I am detecting the object.”

  Azar had not seen it before, but sure enough, there appeared to be a blank space devoid of any stars.

  “How large is the object?” she wondered.

  “Still working on that. I am still trying to determine just how close it is. Allow me a few more moments… and… done. Oh, this is mighty interesting.”

  “What?”

  “The object, Captain, it’s… it’s massive.”

  “How large, Kho Krass?”

  “300,000 kotans3. That is double the size of… of…”

  “I know,” Azar said, finishing his sentence for him. “That is well over twice as large as Vigilant Behemoth.” She patted Krass on the shoulder and turned to face the holographic projection again.

  “What are your orders, Captain?” Metfallah asked as she spun around.

  “I want you to produce a model of that object. Use lidar to construct the shape of this shadowy entity, whatever it may be. I wish to see whatever is being hidden from us.”

  “Understood, Captain. Initiating laser scan now,” Krass replied.

  “Good and make sure the probes are scanning constantly, not taking a single shot with the lidar. I want a live video feed, not a still image.”

  “Understood, Captain.”

  “Kal Zeelo, see if you can hail that thing. Try all frequencies. If it is as close as Kho Krass suggests, we may be able to communicate,” Azar said to the communications officer.

  “Understood, Captain,” she replied, tapping away at her screen.

  Zeelo was a quiet sort. She only spoke when spoken to or when something needed to be said, a trait Azar always found ironic for someone skilled in the art of communications.

  “Projection coming in now,” Krass said. “The computer will display the dark figure in yellow, as to stand out against the black backdrop.”

  “Thank you, Kho Krass.”

  Moments later, the holographic projection of Mars and its moons faded away, now replaced by a bright yellow image of what appeared to be an oval of swirling rocks. Whatever this thing was, it was not one object, but thousands, or more likely millions, of smaller objects clustered together, spinning and swirling about, but never colliding.

  “By the Chiefdom,” Azar instinctively muttered as she stared at the strange sight before her eyes. She had never seen anything remotely resembling this level of complexity.

  “What are we witnessing? Is this an asteroid cluster?” Metfallah asked.

  “Negative, Kho Metfallah. The rocks are too close together. Asteroids would be farther apart. Additionally, the movement pattern of these individual rocks is finely orchestrated. Notice how they spin and crisscross in perfect harmony. That is not natural gravity, nor momentum at work. That is something else. Something is moving these objects… and doing a very skilled job at it,” Krass explained.

  “To what end?” Azar asked.

  “That, I cannot say, Captain,” Krass replied.

  “Do you t
hink this has anything to do with what is happening on Mars?” Ri’Ango asked.

  “I do not know, but it is certainly suspicious,” the captain replied. She took a step forward as she stared at the strange image before her, then turned to face Zeelo. “Kal Zeelo, have you been able to reach them yet?”

  “Still working on it, Captain,” she replied. “I have tried most frequencies. Still trying and… wait… I think I may have something.” Zeelo straightened her back and leaned forward as she listened to audio coming through on her headset. “Unidentified object, this is the vessel Infinitum of the Kholvari Chiefdom. Do you read?”

  There was a quiet pause as the entire bridge crew seemed the hold their breath at once.

  “Unidentified object, this is the vessel Infinitum of the Kholvari Chiefdom. Do you read?” Zeelo repeated.

  “Infintium,” a deep voice echoed through the captain’s mind. She could feel a presence, as if someone were sharing her brain.

  The captain dropped down to her two front legs and held onto her head with both claws. It stung, as if her skull were being pressed outward from the inside. She trembled and closed her eyes.

  “Captain!” Metfallah hollered.

  Azar could hear Metfallah quickly stand up from his station. She opened her eyes as he helped to lift her up.

  Once back on four feet, the pain seemed to have faded away.

  “You… you didn’t hear that?” Azar asked, studying the faces around her. Everyone else seemed poised and undisturbed.

  “Hear what?” Metfallah asked. A look of confusion covered his face as his mandibles opened wide and his eyes scanned the room.

  “A voice. It was deep. It said ‘Infintium’ and then grew silent.”

  “Negative, Captain. I didn’t hear anything,” Metfallah replied.

  “Captain, attention on the projection!” Krass suddenly shouted, prompting Azar to turn her gaze back to the holographic display.