John retreated to his office and laid on the couch. He was upset for allowing the situation to get out of control. He should have never agreed to meet with either side. Now the planet was embroiled in outright hostility and he felt responsible for the escalating tension.
“Commander Olson to captain, please report to the command deck,” said Julie over his pip. The captain hoped that she had good news, that one of the nations had agreed to speak with John. He just needed to explain himself. Maybe he could diffuse the situation.
John left his office and joined Julie, Alex’sis, Thresha, Chris, and Chief Sandoval at the operations table. The expression on Julie’s face was all John needed to know that the news wasn’t good.
She was unsure how to give him the information. “Captain, we’ve picked up movement by the Mirimiss military. They’ve crossed into Cruo territory and have attacked one of their cities.”
John’s heart sank. They were so paranoid about PHOENIX siding with a nation that they were willing to go to war?
“And?” said John.
“A few minutes ago the Cruo military responded by launching a coastal attack against several Mirimiss cities,” said Julie. “Both nations have formally declared war.”
“Private Michaels,” said John. “Open a channel to the Volux leaders.”
“They won’t take the calls,” said Bret.
“Then hack into their communications systems and force the transmissions through,” ordered John angrily. “They’re going to hear me whether they like it or not.”
Bret complied and in a few minutes he had patched into the communications systems of both leaders’ offices. “Channel’s open, captain.”
“This is Captain Roberts of the PHOENIX,” said John. “We’re monitoring the situation on your world and I implore you to cease your hostilities against each other.” He waited for a response, but all he got was silence. “Confirm they’re receiving the transmission.”
“The line’s open,” said Bret. “They can hear you.”
“Consider what you’re doing,” continued John. “You’re willing to plunge your people into war over a race you just met and barely know? All we wanted was to exchange information with you, nothing more. We never intended to trade weapons with either side.”
“I’m getting a video feed from both capitals,” said Bret.
“Put it up,” said John. A holographic image of Nurof and an unknown Cruo appeared over the operations table. John assumed it was the new Cruo leader.
“Your words are hollow, captain,” said the Cruo. “We know you met with the Mirimiss and negotiated a delivery of your weaponry to them.”
“That’s not true,” replied John.
“Do not deny it,” said the Cruo, slamming his hand on his desk.
“Lies,” said Nurof. “It was you who was communicating with the humans. We intercepted the messages.”
Julie looked at Bret, who shook his head. There was no way any unauthorized transmissions came from the PHOENIX. The communications dish was locked down and Drix had ensured that no one could use it without proper authorization.
“I don’t know what you think you picked up, but I can assure you we haven’t talked to either side about trading for weapons,” said John. “Please, this is a horrible misunderstanding. Don’t sacrifice the lives of your peoples.”
An explosion could be heard in the distance from Nurof’s location. “The time for talking is over. The Cruo attacked us first and they will not rest until they have conquered us. But the Mirimiss will not give them the satisfaction of surrendering.”
The sensors beeped on the operations table and Alex’sis checked it. “Captain, I’m picking up thousands of missiles being launched from the Mirimiss territories.”
“Destination?” asked Julie.
Alex’sis triangulated their trajectories. “They’re all headed towards the Cruo. Captain, I’m reading a highly dynamic energy source coming from the warheads.”
“Nurof!” said John, almost pleading. “Don’t do this!”
Another beep on the table. “I’m picking up a launch of missiles from the Cruo,” said Alex’sis. “Same energy signatures and they’re heading towards the Mirimiss.”
“Can we shoot them down?” asked Julie.
“There’s too many of them,” replied Alex’sis. “We’ll never get them all.”
“Remember this, captain,” said the Cruo. “Remember that it was the treachery of the Mirimiss that ended the Volux.”
John wanted to scream at them, but he was powerless to stop what they had started. Soon the missiles hit their targets, obliterating cities all over the planet. The dissipation of the energy blasts interfered with the communications network. The images of both leaders became distorted and soon vanished.
“Is there anything we can do?” muttered John, almost shaking with the realization that they were witnessing the end of a civilization.
“Based on my estimation, there won’t be any survivors,” said Alex’sis.
Thresha placed a comforting hand on John’s shoulder. She could feel his anguish.
“Captain…,” started Thresha, but he couldn’t hear her. His head was filled with the imagined screams of the Volux as their lives ended.
John looked at Julie. “We need to stay, in case of survivors.”
“Understood.” Julie wanted to take PHOENIX away from the horrific scene playing out below, but they needed to remain in case there were any Volux left alive.
John said nothing more. He walked out of the pit and left the command deck.
The captain spent the next few hours alone in his quarters. He was slumped on the living room couch, looking at the gorun crystal laying on the coffee table. It was the last remnants of the Volux, now in his possession. The black crystal was a reflection of the hole in John’s heart. A glass of wine sat untouched next to it. He couldn’t bring himself to even have a sip. All he could do was sit and wonder why things went so horribly wrong.
The door chime rang and John assumed it would be Julie, delivering a status report on the Volux homeworld. It was a report he didn’t want to read.
“Enter,” said John, but instead of Julie, there stood Thresha.
“Commander Olson completed her report on the Volux,” said the Aldarian as she walked in. “I offered to deliver it.”
“Did anyone survive?” asked John. The look on Thresha’s face gave him the answer. John extended his hand for the DAT. “How many?”
“I do not think it is necessary for you to read this,” said Thresha as she put the DAT on the coffee table and sat down next to the captain. “Whether it is a few hundred or billions, the Volux are gone.”
“Maybe I need to see the numbers to have it sink in,” said John. “I’m the one who caused their destruction. I should know how much blood’s on my hands.”
Thresha gently took John’s hand. “You do not believe that anymore than I do. You are attempting to inflict guilt upon yourself.”
“Maybe I am,” said John. “But someone has to. Who else is going to mourn their loss? Not the Mirimiss or Cruo leaders. They took the chickenshit way out and blew themselves up along with the rest of their people!” John didn’t realize he was almost yelling.
“The Volux were in turmoil long before our arrival,” said Thresha in her typical calm voice. “They chose their destiny, even if they did not realize it.”
“If we hadn’t shown up to their system,” said John. “Maybe they could have eventually found peace for themselves.”
“Their world was on the verge of war for years,” said Thresha. “Perhaps our arrival hastened the pace, but we…., you are not the cause.”
“I can’t just brush off the extinction of an entire race,” said John angrily.
“Of course you cannot, because you care. In the time I have known you I learned you hold a deep affection for those around you. You mourn for the Volux as you would mourn for a crew member.”
John laid his head on the back of the couch
. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“This ship commander thing sucks sometimes.”
Thresha smiled. “The crew believes in you. We are all here to help you through this difficult period.”
Although John didn’t want to admit it, he did feel a little better. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the guron crystal emit a dark blue light.
“Strange, first time it’s lit up today,” said John.
“What do you think it represents?” asked Thresha.
“Nothing, it’s just responding to changes in my body chemistry,” said John. “The science departments figured that out. But…, I’d like to believe that its carrying the spiritual energy of the Volux, guiding them to a better place. My head tells me they’re gone, but my heart wants to believe they still somehow exist.”
“They still exist,” said Thresha. “You hold the memory of the Volux. As long as you find peace for them within yourself, their spirits will be at ease.”
Elsewhere on the ship, fifteen individuals were gathered together in one of the maintenance corridors. The clandestine meeting was to discuss the recent events regarding the Volux. Some of the attendees included Professor Donavin and miners Jeremy Hakins and Larry Cleveland. Their unknown host was present and still wearing a camouflage unit that distorted light, making his or her appearance a shadowy figure.
“So we wasted all that time in the Volux system and learned nothing new about the Screen?” asked Jeremy.
“I can’t believe the entire race is gone,” said Larry.
“If the captain hadn’t ensured the Mirimiss and Cruo became aware of each other’s presence on the ship, perhaps the Volux would still be here,” said the shadowy figure.
“What makes you say that?” said Donavin. “Official reports don’t conclude how the Mirimiss picked up the Cruo shuttle.”
“Officially, that is what’s being told,” said the host. “Unofficially, the captain sent a carrier wave to the shuttle that pinged off the hull and was picked up by the Mirimiss.”
“Why?” asked Larry.
“The captain discovered that the Volux had knowledge of the Screen,” replied the host.
“I knew it,” said Jeremy. “That proves he has no intention of completing our mission.”
“What sort of information did the Volux have on the Screen?” asked Nurse Williams.
“The specifics are unknown, but the Volux did know of them,” said the host.
“His actions are treasonous,” said Jeremy.
“So he really has no intention of completing our mission and returning home,” said Larry. The miner continued to want to give the captain the benefit of the doubt, but there was no question in his mind now that Roberts had his own personal agenda.
“We should remove him from command,” said Donavin. “But too many people still believe in him.”
“There may be more crew members who doubt him after the Volux’s destruction,” said the host. “We’ll seek them out and grow our ranks. When we have enough people on our side, we’ll remove Captain Roberts from command.
CHAPTER NINE
“What do you think?” asked Julie as she put the black dress up against her body and looked at herself in the mirror.
“I think it looks great if you’re going to a funeral,” replied Chris as he stuck his finger in his mouth.
“You hate anything in black,” said Julie. “What do you think, Thresha?”
“The garment is beautiful,” replied the Aldarian.
“Oh sweetie, I need to get you educated on fashion,” said Chris. The trio were in Beverly Margio’s clothing shop, taking advantage of the downtime with some shopping in Central.
“The dress looks fabulous,” commented Beverly. “But your TERRA uniform is black. You need to color up your wardrobe.”
“See, Beverly’s on my side,” said Chris.
“No, I’m not,” said Beverly. “I like dark colors.”
“So do I,” countered Chris. “I just like to accentuate them with glitter and shiny jewelry.
“And you,” said Beverly, pointing to Thresha. “When are you going to buy something?”
“I do not feel I have a need to change my outfit,” said Thresha, looking down at her white gown. Most of the Aldarian females had taken to human fashion. Thresha was one of the few left who continued to wear what she brought on board PHOENIX.
“Dresses aren’t a need,” said Beverly. “They’re something that make you feel better.”
“The welfare of the crew is what makes me feel better,” said Thresha.
Chris put his arm around Thresha. “Sweetie, you don’t need to worry about others. That’s my department. You need to take care of yourself.”
“Chris’ right,” said Julie as she browsed through the clothes rack. “You have to indulge yourself sometimes.”
“I meditate at the coilquin daily,” said Thresha, referring to the Aldarian temple that had been constructed in Central.
“We mean do something fun,” said Beverly.
“Why don’t you come to our poker game,” said Julie. “The senior staff gets together monthly to blow off some steam.”
“Blow off steam?” asked Thresha, not understanding the phrase.
“A way of relaxing, to rid ourselves of the stress of everyday life,” clarified Julie.
“I would be willing to try that,” said Thresha.
Suddenly, their pips beeped. “All hands to battle stations. Senior staff to command deck,” came the voice of Alex’sis.
Julie tossed the black dress to Chris. “I’ll take that one.”
“I think I’ll find something else for her,” said Chris as Julie raced out of the shop.
Well, so much for an afternoon of relaxation. Julie enjoyed her time away from her duties. She had made a concerted effort in getting to know as many crew members as possible, and was now enjoying a busy social life on the ship. It helped keep her mind occupied. Whenever she was alone she thought about her father. She was worried about him and any fallout he might be suffering from having a daughter branded a thief and traitor by TERRA.
The executive officer was the last of the senior staff to arrive on the command deck. As soon as John saw her, he briefed her on the situation.
“We’ve picked up two Screen fighters attacking an Onixin freighter. The freighter’s issuing out a distress call to any Onixin vessels nearby, but no one’s answering.”
Julie remembered they did some trading with an Onixin merchant back at the alien trade station. “What’s the freighter’s condition?”
“It’s holding up well against the attack,” reported Alex’sis, monitoring the fight on the ship sensors.
“Onixin vessels have well-developed shield systems that allows them to last longer during a Screen attack,” explained Drix. “But the freighter will eventually succumb to the fighters.”
“Time to intercept?” asked John.
“Two minutes,” replied Kevin.
“Soon as we drop out of the jump, raise the shields. Activate particle beams and target the Screen’s weapons and engines. Let’s see if we can disable one of them.”
The staff readied the ship for battle. As soon as PHOENIX exited its jump, the Screen fighters broke off their attack on the Onixin freighter and went after the human starship. John was surprised the fighters elected to attack rather than run. They had to know they weren’t a match against PHOENIX. The fighters made multiple hits on the ship as they passed along the side of it.
“Multiple impacts,” reported Alex’sis. “Energy being absorbed by shields and are holding.”
“Target the fighters and fire,” said John. “Rotate PHOENIX to buffer us between them and the freighter.”
The massive vessel shifted to block the Screen from coming back around and going after the freighter again. Two particle beams fired on them, destroying one fighter instantly and disabling the other one. The fighter spun around in space for eight seconds before exploding.
“Screen fighters have been destroyed,” said Alex’sis. “Sorry, captain.”
“We’re getting too good at obliterating them,” said a disappointed John. TERRA would think that the ease of which PHOENIX was defeating Screen vessels was a good thing, but it wasn’t doing anything for the crew in learning anything new about their enemy.
“Captain,” said Bret. “The freighter’s contacting us.”
“Patch it through,” said John. A holographic display of the reptilian looking Onixin appeared. Alex’sis recognized the species, as she and Drix dealt with one in trade negotiations at the alien outpost. It amazed her how it could communicate so clearly without any visible mouth to speak from.
“Human starship PHOENIX, my appreciation for your help,” said the freighter captain.
“I’m Captain John Roberts. You’re familiar with us?”
“Wulob has apprised all Onixins in this region of space about the remarkable starship that visited the merchant station. Her dealings with the Cresorian and human representatives of your vessel was most pleasant.” Alex’sis couldn’t help feel that it was a personal compliment at her and smiled.
“Wulob is the Onixin we traded with,” said Drix to John.
“My name is Larin, and my thanks for saving me from the alien race you call the Screen. I never imagined seeing them defeated in battle.”
“Captain,” said Alex’sis. “I’m detecting power fluctuations in the freighter’s energy network.”
“Larin, did you hear that?” asked John.
“My primary power core was damaged and is venting,” said Larin. “I am trying to reroute the leaking energy, but the transfer circuits have been destroyed.”
“Radiation levels are rising,” said Julie. “You’ll need to eject your power core.”
“The core is fully integrated with my ship,” said Larin. “It cannot be ejected.”
“Time?” said John.
“Thirty minutes to lethal radiation, forty for core breech,” said Alex’sis.
Phoenix In Chaos (Exodus) Page 5
