Progeny (The Progenitor Trilogy, Book Three)

by Worth, Dan

  ‘Yes. I did have a list of possible candidates for you to choose from, however I think I’ve found just the man for you.’

  ‘Sir, with respect. I’m tired of having executive officers who have been sent to report on me to others higher up in the chain of command.’

  Cartwright looked a little taken aback. ‘I think you misunderstand me. You of course reserve the right to choose your own XO. I was merely recommending this man to you as a favour to you, and to him. Here, I have his records to hand as it happens.’

  Cartwright handed her his datapad. Chen cast her eye over the file he had pulled up for her. Commander Robert McManus. The accompanying photo showed a bearded, middle aged man with a scar above his left eye and greying, receding hair. She looked down his file, at the list of various citations and commendations, and then one final entry.

  ‘He’s suspended?’ said Chen, in disbelief.

  ‘Yes, well... Captain McManus was suspended and demoted for drunkenly assaulting a superior officer, Admiral Deuchamp.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘However, Commander McManus is a man of unique talents, immense bravery and has a history of devoted service to the Navy. He also saved my life on at least one occasion during the K’Soth war. Of course, we can’t tolerate such a breach of discipline, hence his punishment, but I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, don’t you, Admiral Chen? You of all people should understand that much.’ Cartwright looked at her intently as he uttered those last sentences.

  ‘Yes sir, I do.’

  ‘Glad to hear it. You have led a charmed life Admiral, but it seems that Haines was lenient in his treatment of you for good reason.’

  ‘Sir I was absolved of any...’

  Cartwright silenced her with a dismissive wave.

  ‘It doesn’t matter, not now. You’ve won. Now it’s time for you to show the same magnanimity. Commander McManus is an experienced officer. During the war with the K’Soth he ran a number of deep strike missions against the enemy, attacking convoys and undefended facilities, pulling recon and black ops teams out from under the enemy’s nose, that sort of thing. He’s tough and used to unconventional warfare and he always ran a tight ship when he was captain. He deserves a chance to redeem himself. I think you two will get along like a house on fire, and right now we need all the capable commanders that we can get.’

  ‘He sounds like the kind of XO that I’m after.’

  ‘My thoughts exactly. I do hope you give Commander McManus due consideration. He’s been fully vetted. We don’t want a repeat of what happened with Commander Haldane, do we? As soon as your ship is back in one piece and you have a full crew, you’ll be ready to go.’

  ‘Yes sir. Go where, sir?’

  Cartwright cleared his throat. ‘We need you for a rather special mission.’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘Your time as part of Haines’s private black ops force has given you experience of operating deep in enemy territory with little backup and has made you rather more independent and creative than other commanders. As you’re aware, we’ve been attempting to modify our Thea class frigates to accommodate the technical modifications recommended by the Nahabe in order that we might attempt to detect the Shaper vessels before they emerge from hyperspace. Those modifications have been completed on two vessels and we require a field test of both vessels before we proceed with modifying further ships as well as the deep range monitoring arrays scattered throughout the Commonwealth. Once the repairs to the Churchill are complete, you are to accompany the Nahabe command ship Shadow in the Void to the Delta Pavonis system where you will rendezvous with the two modified ships. You will then receive further orders as to your final destination.’

  ‘Yes sir. Thank you sir.’

  ‘Don’t thank me yet. We’re are talking about the use of unproven technology against an enemy that has, so far, proven itself to be far superior to our own ships. Recon flights are yet to determine a suitable candidate system. Suffice to say that your mission will be to proceed to said system and test the modified sensor arrays in conjunction with the Churchill’s own systems. We want to see how our modifications perform. Engineering teams will be aboard both vessels to make adjustments on the fly if need be. The Nahabe vessel will act as back-up in case you need to make a quick getaway and the Churchill’s own spatial distortion cannon ought to be able to deal with Shaper vessels if necessary as a last resort. Sadly, manufacturing our own weapons of that type will take a little longer. Furthermore, I’m conserving ships for the time being until we can recall more from the territories liberated from the K’Soth and I’m unwilling to risk any more vessels against the Shapers if they can’t defend themselves. Four ships, Admiral Chen, that’s all you get.’

  ‘I’ll attempt to make the best of it, sir.’

  ‘I should hope that you will. There is one other thing you might be able to help me with...’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘You are of course aware that Admiral Haines is apparently still alive. Though the message we received appears genuine we have kept its existence secret due to the fact that we are unable to wholly trust our own people. We do not wish this information to fall into enemy hands, lest they become aware of his survival and attempt to capture him. I’m sure you can appreciate the implications were the knowledge held within Admiral Haines’s mind be made available to our foe, not to mention his tactical acumen and years of experience.’

  ‘To be honest sir, it doesn’t bear thinking about. I am very glad to hear that he’s alive though. When I heard that final message from the Lincoln...’

  ‘Yes well. No-one is immortal, not even Admiral Haines, despite his best efforts to convince everyone otherwise. However, he has apparently somehow managed to survive. We need to locate him within the Achernar system and get him out of there. We owe him that much. All we know is that he sent the message from the moon of Orinoco. Whether he’s still there and still at large is anyone’s guess. The trouble is, that the CIB can’t even trust its own agents for the time being. I had hoped, since you spent much of the past two years as part of Special Operations Command, that you might be able to point us in the direction of individuals who might be suitable for a mission to locate and extract the Admiral. It is my understanding that screening for Shaper agents was undertaken regularly in SOC.’

  ‘We didn’t spot Haldane. Who knows how many more misguided fools like him are within our ranks?’

  ‘Then it has to be people you trust implicitly, people that you know intimately if need be. We need individuals who can get into Achernar unnoticed, move around the system unnoticed, gather information on the whereabouts of the Admiral and if possible, get him out of the system and back to friendly space.’

  ‘I think I may know just the people that you’re looking for,’ said Chen. ‘I’ll have their full records provided to you. As part of SOC I have clearance to some things that you do not, even though you outrank me, sir’

  ‘Of course you do, I was counting on that. Excellent. There is of course one thing, Admiral Chen.’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘If they cannot prevent Haines from falling into enemy hands or they discover that he has become host to a Shaper parasite, the individuals that you select for this mission should be prepared to terminate him without hesitation.’

  McManus had been confined to quarters aboard Batavia Port. Chen returned to the vast orbital dock from the Trafalgar and, following directions from Cartwright, eventually located McManus’s quarters amid the labyrinthine corridors. A bored looking marine corporal was stationed outside. He saluted smartly as Chen approached.

  ‘I’m here to see Commander McManus. Orders from Admiral Cartwright for his release if he agrees to my offer,’ said Chen and showed the corporal a printed copy of Cartwright’s orders. The man scanned down them briefly then returned them to her and unlocked the door.

  ‘Yes ma’am. You can go inside,’ he replied and stood aside to allow Chen past.

  She found McManus recline
d on his narrow bunk, peering through small square glasses at an age-worn book. He looked up as she entered, noticed her rank, then hurriedly stood up and saluted her.

  ‘Admiral Chen. An unexpected pleasure.’ A native of Earth, McManus had a thick, Scots accent. A grin split his broad, neatly bearded face. ‘You’re something of a celebrity, I hear. To what do I owe the honour?’

  ‘I have a proposition for you, Commander. My old XO turned out to be a traitorous son of a bitch who tried to shoot me on my own bridge. I need someone dependable, someone who’s not afraid of a fight, but someone who’s used to out-thinking their opponents. Are you that man?’

  ‘Well, I am a son of a bitch, but you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m no traitor,’ McManus replied. ‘Also, I’d love to stick it to that bastard Morgan. I never had much time for the stuck up arsehole anyway, but now I hear he’s in league with an alien race out to enslave us all, well it’d be my pleasure ma’am. Only one problem see? I’m stuck on here till they bring me up on charges.’

  ‘You want to tell me about that?’

  ‘Aye, why not? I spent a couple of years away from home, running the sort of missions that you don’t get to talk about: dangerous stuff, behind enemy lines for weeks at a time. The Actium is a good ship, a good crew. We went to hell and back and most of us made it out alive. I was damn proud of that. Then the war was over and we went home and guess what?’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘I found that slimy shite Admiral Deuchamp had been fucking my wife for the past two years. Whilst I’d be out on the sharp end risking my neck every day he’d been having it away with my missus. That fucking desk bound arsehole has never been near a battle - they moved him into a desk job years ago. Oh he’s very charming, very sophisticated. He decided to tell me man-to-man so it was all out in the open and above board. He said it was the honourable thing to do because we were both officers and gentlemen.’

  ‘I can’t imagine that went well.’

  ‘Not really. I pointed out that gentlemen don’t go shagging other gentlemen’s wives whilst their husbands are away fighting a war. He said the old line about “all’s fair in love and war,” so then I stuck ma heid on the bastard. It wouldna have been so bad, except he fell off my front steps and broke his arm as well. I’m pleading diminished responsibility.’

  ‘Has this sort of thing ever happened before?’

  ‘You’ve seen my record. No.’

  ‘Off the record?’

  ‘Absolutely not. I have never raised my hand to another crew member, my voice aye, when it’s needed, but not my fists.’

  ‘Or your “heid” as you put it.’

  ‘That neither.’

  ‘Mr McManus. Right now the Commonwealth needs all the able bodied personnel we can lay our hands on. I’ve seen the list of commendations on your record and I’ve some idea of the sort of work you’ve been involved in. We need you. Admiral Cartwright is prepared to make all of this go away. If you agree to be my XO the charges will be dropped, you’ll be returned to active service immediately and you’ll have a shot at getting your own command again in the future.’

  ‘Cartwright? Aye, he’s one of the good guys. Bit of a cold fish, kind of talks to you like he’s a school teacher and you haven’t done your homework, but he’s alright by me. Hard but fair. He owes me a few favours. Let’s see, I get my job back, and I get to kill some Shapers too. I’ve been itching to get back in the action. Sounds good to me. You’re on.’

  ‘Excellent. Glad to have you as part of my crew. We’ll have you out of here within the hour.’

  Chen’s eye strayed to the book that McManus had left on the bunk. She couldn’t make out the title from here, but the faded dust jacket showed a vessel from the great age of sail, its cannons blazing away at an unseen enemy.

  ‘What are you reading?’ she asked.

  ‘That? Oh, it’s a biography of Thomas Cochrane. He was a Napoleonic era captain in the Royal Navy. The man was either a military genius or a total crazy bastard, no-one was really sure. A man after my own heart. I’ll lend it to you after I’ve finished it if you like.’

  ‘Thank you,’ replied Chen. ‘He sounds like a man after mine too.’

  Chapter 17

  ‘I’ve got a proposition for you both,’ said Chen, standing inside the cargo bay of the Profit Margin as Isaacs and Anna downed tools and broke off from their work repairing the loading conveyer.

  ‘You have?’ said Isaacs. ‘More work?’

  ‘Yes, I have a job for you. That is, if you’ll take it.’

  ‘Is it dangerous? I mean compared to what we’re used to. Danger has become a somewhat relative concept of late. Personally, I’m just relieved if a day goes by without someone trying to kill us.’

  ‘It is dangerous, yes. I realise I can’t compel you to follow orders. But we really need you this time, and you’ll be well compensated. You’ll be looking at five million each.’

  Isaacs let out a low whistle.

  ‘You know, I do find numbers with lots of zeroes on the end to be a major motivating factor in my work.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Anna. ‘What was all that you said the other night about “being a part of something,” or were you just trying to sound all heroic?’

  ‘Well...’

  ‘Admiral Haines may still be alive,’ said Chen. ‘We received a message from an emergency beacon. The transmission came from the surface of Orinoco in the Achernar system. We need to find out where he is and see about a rescue.’

  ‘Wait a second,’ said Isaacs. ‘That’s a little out of our league. Shouldn’t the CIB or Spec Ops be handling this? We wouldn’t even know where to start.’

  ‘CIB may have traitors in their own ranks. Special Ops need to know where he is before we can launch a rescue op. We need you. You won’t have to do anything except get one of our SOC operatives onto the surface of Orinoco and then support him with whatever he needs once you get there.’

  ‘Okay, but won’t the enemy be on the lookout for ships entering the system?’

  ‘Our recon flights have indicated that traffic in the renegade systems appears to be returning to normal, although ships coming directly from systems still loyal to the Commonwealth are being stopped and boarded before they can dock. We have arranged for you to meet our man in an unclaimed system near Vreeth space, far out to the east. I’m sure with your skills you can disguise where you’ve been, and you have your ship’s new found stealth capabilities to assist you. We’ll see to changing your ship ID again as well as making changes to registration databases. It won’t be as easily traceable as a fake this time.’

  ‘Well yeah, I have managed to acquire the knack of keeping a low profile, I suppose,’ said Isaacs.

  ‘You managed to escape Achernar and arrive here without being followed.’

  ‘True. Listen, Admiral. The truth is: we’re anxious to find out what’s happened to our comrades in Achernar. We’d planned on heading back there anyway. I don’t suppose you could render them some sort of assistance? They’re sitting ducks. Ours was the only ship that survived the Shaper attack undamaged. It’s possible that they may have managed to repair the surviving Nahabe ship and escape, but we’re worried. I’m sure you can understand.’

  Chen looked thoughtful. ‘Why don’t I sweeten the deal a little further? We’ll be issuing you with a secure comms unit. I take it that this ship of yours has hidden compartments that you use for smuggling?’

  Isaacs looked a little sheepish. ‘Kind of, yeah. Some of the internal wall panels can be removed. I used to stash stuff behind ‘em. It won’t stand up to a detailed scan though.’

  ‘Fine, we can have some of those spaces lined and make them opaque to cursory scans. As well as giving you the secure comm. unit, we can then fill those spaces with weapons and ammo for your friends. What do you say?’

  ‘Okay, what the hell. Deal,’ said Isaacs. ‘Anna, are you in?’

  ‘Hell yeah,’ Anna replied. ‘I mean, who wants to live forever anyway?�
� she said dryly. ‘So, how do we find this guy?’

  ‘I’ll provide you with the system details. You get yourselves there without being followed and he’ll find you. You get picked up by the enemy, and we’ll have to think of something else. Just act natural. Pretend that you’re doing what you used to do before you got mixed up in all this. Our operative will have your details. Obviously we can’t divulge his in case you’re captured en route.’

  ‘Just like that, huh?’ said Isaacs.

  ‘Just like that.’

  ‘You trust this guy?’

  ‘As much as I trust anyone these days, yes. He’s one of SOC’s best. He’s very good at what he does and we go back a long way,’ said Chen.

  ‘Has he fought the Shapers before?’ Anna enquired.

  ‘Yes he has. As long as I have, in fact.’

  ‘Okay, good,’ said Isaacs. ‘So, when do we leave?’

  ‘As soon as humanly possible.’

  Chapter 18

  Morgan poured whisky from the bottle into the tumbler on his desk. His hands shook involuntarily and he spilled some. The glass half full, he lifted it to his lips and took a mouthful. The alcohol would steady his nerves. He had to numb himself to the fear clawing at him, clutching at his guts. He was too scared now to contemplate leaving the residence. Most of the time he was too terrified even to leave the suite of rooms that had belonged to the Governor and which he had taken over. He heard noises in the night. Terrible noises coming from the basement. He saw them taking people down there. The ones that came out were no longer human, he knew that. The ones that didn’t... he saw covered trucks leaving under cover of darkness, and smelt the butcher’s stink that rose from them: offal and burnt meat.

  He wanted to make a run for it. He fantasised about making it to the spaceport and boarding a ship and escaping back to the Commonwealth to face whatever charges they could dream up to pin on him. Anything was better than this. But he knew that he’d never make it out of the grounds of the residence and what his new masters would do to him then didn’t bear thinking about. He knew that he would be the one doing the screaming in the basement, before they put one of those things into his head, and he ceased to be himself anymore, just a husk for some alien thing to walk around in. He felt the warmth from the whisky spreading outwards from his stomach as he took another gulp, easing the pain and terror he felt inside.