Platos. I see that Operator Charlotte is not registering yet.
Only her life signs have registered, Javon. However, the Neutron has arrived in the right time field.
Not the Andromeda? Javon asked.
No. Platos replied.
Then, perhaps the fault is with Charlotte’s orb?
Unlikely, Javon.
H’mm. Well, at least the fleets are virtually in position, Platos.
Yes, Javon. That part is within the predicted tolerance… But, the Garoden homeworld situation worries me.
Nevertheless, Javon, I feel that somehow, Operator Charlotte won’t let us down. I believe that Richardson may be the problem.
Agreed. Javon said, then relaxed. He was still not sure what field operator Charlotte was playing at.
But, Javon was sure that Richardson was the thorn in their side, regarding the success of Delta’s master plan to save humanity. And, of course, Delta itself.
Chapter 33
Tricky is the day
The Cruiser Neutron dropped out of its Hyperspace wormhole, at just twenty-four kilometers from the waiting Andromeda.
Then, the Neutron immediately swung onto the correct heading and started accelerating towards Andromeda.
Frank, felt a warm glow spread inside him as the two ships got closer to each other. Then he tried to contact Andromeda, but although she was functioning correctly, her AI didn’t respond to Frank’s mental contact, or to his brain transceiver implant.
“Andromeda’s AI will only work from the control room’s manual input command unit,” Charlotte advised him having sensed that he was trying to make mental contact with the ship.
On hearing Charlotte’s words, Frank realized he’d made a big mistake. From now on, he’d have to put a better mental block in place to make it harder for Charlotte to read his mind. But, at least he was sure now, that Charlotte was hiding much more than he had first thought. And, she certainly didn’t want him to have full access to Andromeda… But why?
“If that’s so, how do we get entry?” Frank asked Charlotte.
“My Orb is fully in control,” Charlotte told him.
Frank didn’t follow up on that statement, having already decided to just go along with whatever Charlotte had planned.
As the Neutron got closer to Andromeda, she started to decelerate. Then slid alongside Andromeda, coming to a halt opposite the airlock door.
The transfer tube then extended and clamped around Andromeda’s outer airlock door. Then came a hiss, as the transfer tube pressurized to equalize the air pressure between both ships. Within seconds, a green light illuminated at both ends, allowing the airlock doors to open.
Charlotte and Frank then walked through the tube and stepped into the Andromeda.
“Frank, wait here and make sure that the Neutron’s droids transfer the second Shutdown-pulse-generator chamber without damaging it,” Charlotte ordered him.
“Will do,” Frank calmly replied.
“As soon as the second chamber’s connected. I’ll be waiting for you in my old cabin, Frank… So, don’t take too long, time’s getting short,” Charlotte warned him.
Frank didn’t respond, but his heart rate went up.
A short time later, two of Neutron’s droids floated through the transfer tube, guiding the coffin-like chamber, followed by the three spare warp crystal chambers that Frank had attached earlier.
Once the chamber was inside Andromeda, Frank quickly disconnected the three warp crystal chambers and shoved them out of sight.
He then ordered the droids to put the coffin-like chamber down and attach it to the floor. To his surprise, they did as he had ordered, then connected it to Andromeda’s services.
Just then, something that appeared to be Charlotte’s Orb; the object Andromeda had warned him about when they were leaving Earth. Floated past Frank, and carried on and into the Neutron, via the transfer tube.
Frank knew that he was going to stay on Andromeda. But, seeing the Orb, made him realize that he didn’t know where Charlotte was going, if anywhere.
Meanwhile, Charlotte had prepared herself and sent Frank a mental prod to Hurry up.
At which, Frank, having already accepted he didn’t have any real say in what was going to happen in her cabin, quickly checked that his three spare warp crystal chambers were safely hidden. Then went off to meet his fate, albeit warming to the idea.
Once Frank had completed his obligation to Charlotte, both showered and dressed before calling for hot food from the in-cabin food synthesizer. Both, hungry by now, collected their food then sat down quietly to eat.
“So, tell me why you needed to be on board the Andromeda?” Frank finally asked while they ate.
“Easy. Andromeda has one of the most accurate human diagnostic systems around.”
“So, better than your ship’s diagnostic system, then?”
“Yes, of course. It’s an experimental Crillon ship, Frank. It’s certainly not sophisticated enough to verify if I’m pregnant at such an early stage.”
“So, how long before you’ll know?”
“Andromeda’s conception scan will show within twenty-three hours if the chemical change occurs.”
“I thought it was a minimum of a week or so?”
“Apparently not, Frank. It’s much quicker. Soon after your sperm mates with my eggs, it’s detectable.”
Frank didn’t continue the conversation, thinking it best not to pursue this subject any further.
However, he reckoned that it would be another fourteen to fifteen hours before Charlotte would know. So, she must have factored in this delay in working out when the Neutron and Andromeda must leave.
“Okay…, explain to me again how this plan is supposed to go?”
“Ah. I see you’re wondering about my Orb,” Charlotte replied.
“Well, yes…I saw it floating into the Neutron.”
“Ah… So, you thought that was my Orb, Frank… It wasn’t. The Orb that was on Andromeda has split into two. The second Orb that you saw going into the Neutron will control the complete operation.”
Frank didn’t reply straight away, but he knew that was possible by just tapping into the original AI’s Control systems.
“What, fly the Neutron as well?” he then asked, stating the obvious.
“Yes, Frank… The Neutron will firstly rendezvous with my ship. Once I’ve transferred, and after the Neutron has adjusted her transit time. The Neutron will jump again to emerge within the battle area, then trigger the warp crystal’s death pulse. This should then cause confusion within the Garoden fleet.”
“So, exit, companion brains.”
“Hopefully, yes.”
“And, can I assume that your Orb will control Andromeda?” Frank then asked.
“Yes… Don’t feel put out, Frank. The Predictors assumed that you were dead. Therefore, this orb was pre-programmed to operate on its own.”
Frank could see the logic in that. But, was skeptical the orb could succeed, as he’d had to do things that neither of the orbs seemed capable of doing on their own. No, he wasn’t convinced, he decided. But said nothing.
“So, tell me how you came to acquire this Crillon ship of yours?” Frank then asked Charlotte.
“Well, let’s put it this way, I manipulated a Time ship's pilot to help me steal, and hide the Crillon experimental ship.”
“And, did you reprogram it then, to ensure it would only respond to you, or another one of your Orbs?”
“Of course, Charlotte replied. Then calmly asked Frank if he wanted a drink.
“Okay, hot chocolate for me, Charlotte.”
“So, you’ve got a sweet tooth, then?”
“Let’s just say sugar gives me a sharp lift,” Frank just replied smiling at her.
“H’mm…” she said and smiled back. Then turned her attention to the food synthesizer’s control panel.
“Here we are,” she said a while later, handing him his hot chocolate drink as she sat down next to him.<
br />
He took a sip and finding it just the right temperature drank it back in one go.
“So, we're good then, Charlotte?” Frank asked.
“Absolutely,” Charlotte replied.
That was the last word Frank heard.
Frank woke with a start. His head throbbed, and he felt queasy. Frank, instinctively knew that Charlotte had drugged him. And, looking at the chronometer, saw that he’d been out for at least twenty-four hours.
After a while, he recovered sufficiently to realize that although he was still on Andromeda, he couldn’t locate Charlotte’s mind anywhere on board. And, unless he was mistaken, Andromeda was about to drop-in on the Garodens.
He was right about that. Almost immediately, he felt the effects as Andromeda exited warp, straight into the Garoden homeworld's space. Then, Frank sensed the warp crystal’s shutdown pulse generator, activate.
He felt, rather than saw, the warp crystal jerk violently, as its low-level holding magnetic-field went to maximum magnetic flux. He almost screamed in sympathy with the Crystal as its dying warp pulse confirmed its violent destruction. Frank imagined, as before, the Crystal, as it slowly crumbled to dust, then was no more.
Garoden companion brains screamed as they died, with Frank struggling to fight off the mental turmoil that was flooding his mind.
Andromeda scanned the area as she rotated and warped space, creating a wormhole in front of her.
Then, surged forward into the wormhole. Just as the Garoden’s Automatic defense grid, tried, but was too late, to lock onto her.
Chapter 34
Into Battle
T minus thirty-three minutes.
Admiral Christopher Winton felt nervous as he watched the last few seconds of the chronometer’s count down to zero.
He knew that, then, it would either be a Jump to their deaths. Or, hopefully, victory.
“Eight more Solveron battle spheres are now re-registering, Admiral,” Lieutenant Farrow said, quickly updating the AI’s tactical data.
“Well. That’ll improve the odds,” Winton acknowledged. However, Winton wasn’t really sure what use the extra Solveron Battle Spheres would be.
“Admiral,” Comms Officer, Ensign Paula Childs called out, sounding somewhat shocked. “Earth’s subspace link has just data burst a short message to us.”
“What’s the message? Ensign.”
“It seems that these eight Solveron Battle Spheres just saved Earth from four Garoden ships.”
“Well. That is good news, Ensign.” Winton replied, sounding more hopeful now.
Maybe Savron had been right when he told me his battle spheres would be valuable, Winton thought, feeling more confident.
Then, the chronometer finished counted down. Four…Three… Two… One… Zero.
On the other two tactical screens, Winton saw, just for an instant, the other fleets starting to jump. Then the images vanished as the Jefferson warped space and created her own wormhole.
As she surged forward, Admiral Winton saw the familiar elongating of his surroundings, followed by the usual stomach yanking sensation that made him feel as if his stomach had been left behind.
Now, in just thirty-two minutes, they would all be committed to engaging the Garodens.
T minus six minutes.
Lord Dankel was pleased that the Seventh fleet had finally arrived and that the Inter-Ship comms were now active.
However, he noted that Plank’s strategy AI had sent out an order that was to be used in the event of a disaster. The order being that all ships must jump to a predetermined rendezvous point.
Dankel, shook his head, thinking his son was too much in the ‘what if’ mode these days, for his liking. No doubt, some of Viceroy Verice’s own hesitancy had rubbed off on Plank.
“Lord Dankel, Excellency Vectra is on the link,” Comms Officer, Ensign Savric informed him.
Then Dankel saw the holographic image of Excellency Vestra, the Commander-in-chief of the Garoden Seventh Fleet, as it hovered just above the Holo-emitter in front of Dankel’s command chair.
“Welcome, Vestra,” Dankel calmly said.
“Good to be here, my Lord. We are combat ready, Dankel. But where are the enemy?”
“They are just beginning to arrive at their so-called, assembly point,” Dankel replied.
“Well, let’s go, then,” Vestra urged him.
“Don’t be too impatient, Vestra. We’re waiting, to make sure all the Alien fleets arrive,” Dankel told him.
“Though, I’m hoping for Garoden Sciences to re-analyse the alien’s first hyperlinked message. And authenticate it, before we charge into what might be a trap,” Dankel added.
“I suppose, that, is at your son Plank’s request?”
“Yes. I know you all think of my son as unfit for command, Vestra. But for once, I agree with him… Even so, we may be forced to move before I receive confirmation from Garoden Sciences.”
“Well, it’s your show, Dankel… Oh, and as requested, we’ve brought the long range Hyper-space exploration probes your communique asked for.”
“Excellent. My AI will give you the details of the areas we wish to survey in more depth.”
“Very well, my Lord… So, just how many Alien ships have arrived at this assembly point?”
Dankel, updated his Tactical display for the latest information, before replying.
“Our surveillance probe has confirmed four ships so far, Vestra. One of which is at least as large as my own command ship.”
“Not very many if..,” Vestra started to reply. Then paused briefly. “Still, as I said, it’s your show, Dankel,” Vestra finished.
Dankel studied the deployment of both their fleets, noting that Vestra’s fleet had correctly left the mandatory fifteen-kilometer gap between his ships.
Then, Science officer, Lieutenant Chellor, looked up from his console, in shock.
“My Lord, my hyperlink to Garoden command is exhibiting erratic… uh… jibberish… chatter.”
“Put it on my board,” Dankel quickly ordered. Then listened. The ensuing sounds of confusion, of moans, and of panic, shocked Dankel.
“Off,” he snapped and contacted Plank.
“Plank. What did you say the effects were when these aliens killed your companion brains?”
“We felt lost, and disoriented for about four minutes. Before we were even able to work out how to manually operate the ship’s systems, without the Companions doing it for us. And, even then, we had to make a quick jump homeward, to survive.”
“That’s what I thought you said,” Dankel replied.
Dankel thought about the situation for a while. He remembered what his son had said before, that it had taken some time to realize that the execution of orders by the Companion brains was not possible. And, of not being able to teleport. Yes, it was evident to Dankel now, that all of that would account for the sort of confusion that was coming over the Garoden homeworld link, right now.
Then, knowing there was nothing he could do about this situation. Lord Dankel flipped the manual control on his command chair, to the ON position. Then selected, Auto Origin Ready.
After which, he tapped in Jump fourteen’s coordinates on his screen. Then pressed Save.
Dankel wasn’t afraid to fight. But on the other hand, if Plank turned out to be right. All he would need to do was hit the Jump pad. Then, even if all the companion brains had died, his ship would automatically Jump for the Garoden Homeworld.
He was sure that his son, Plank, would have taken that same precaution as well.
“What is it, Dankel?” A worried Vestra asked him.
“It may be an attack on Homeworld, Vestra.”
“Our Third-fleet was at Garoden when we left,” Excellency,” Vestra confidently stated. “So, they should be able to cope with any attack.”
Hearing this, Dankel dithered, wondering if Vestra was right. Even though it was true that the alien’s mental attack on Plank’s ships had been devastating. He couldn’t really
believe that the Aliens would be as effective against their fleet of thirty or so ships, around Garoden.
“Ensign Savric. Re-transmit that communication from Garoden home-world to Excellency’s Plank and Vectra. Now,” Dankel ordered.
“Yes, my Lord.”
Lord Dankel still felt uneasy. Feeling things were becoming cloudy. Too many unknowns creeping in, he thought.
Then, Dankel’s AI interrupted his thoughts as contact warning alarms sounded across the Bridge’s operations stations.
“Battle stations… Unknown multiple wormholes forming,” came the audio warning from his AI.
Dankel cursed under his breath as red contact points rapidly populated his tactical display.
“Damn, we’ve been caught napping” he grumbled. But, was relieved to feel the surge of power to the defense and weapon’s grids.
“A single unknown wormhole is forming in the separation zone,” the AI added.
“Why a Loner?” Lord Dankel queried aloud.
Chapter 35
Deceit
Charlotte was on the bridge of her stolen Crillon experimental Cruiser. She was waiting patiently for Frank, and Andromeda to rendezvous with her ship, now that they had completed their task at the Garoden’s Home-world.
She smiled to herself, thinking how smooth the operation had been and how it had all worked out in her favor.
The Garoden War. (SpaceFed StarShips Series) Book 7. An exciting, action-packed SpaceFed Series finale that also concludes the Garoden War.: ‘Military Gamble.’ Page 14
