Alien Games (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 17)

by T. R. Harris

  “And this end is guarded by the Nuoreans,” Trimen pointed out.

  Adam waved his hand. “I’m not worried about that. If we come up with a plan—and slow the arrival of reinforcements—we could place ten thousand allied ships around this area.”

  “Panur, have you considered a realignment?” J’nae asked.

  “What does that mean,” Riyad asked.

  Panur looked around the room. “It means that with a slight shift of the main generator, the Nuoreans could change the entry point in the Milky Way.”

  There was a long silence in the room, as it appeared they were once again at square one. Even the mutants weren’t offering a solution. Sure, it was possible they could mess up the works—for a while. But then the aliens would just move the entry point to another region and start flooding it with warships again.

  “The main generator has to be knocked out,” Adam concluded. “I’ll go. If I have to sacrifice my life, it might as well be saving the galaxy.”

  “I’ve heard you say that before,” Riyad said. “And if you go, I go.”

  “Please my friends, don’t be in such a hurry to throw your lives away.” Panur had a thin smile on his smooth, gray face. “We can still block this entry point. That will give us time to develop a more long-term plan.”

  “You have something in mind?” Adam asked.

  “I always do.”

  Chapter 18

  It happened in a flash, and when it faded they detected the G-8 about two million miles away, and the only contact for half a light-year in any direction. But what made Sherri’s blood freeze was the fact that there was almost a solid wall of contacts beyond the border of the void—and many more than had been there before.

  “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” she whispered.

  Copernicus was busy at the pilot’s station. “We have well-integrity back,” he announced. “I think I know what happened. I’m heading back through.”

  He cranked the generators up to full and bolted into space away from the glowing mass of stars to the rear. He also promptly forgot about the Juireans. They would have to fend for themselves.

  It was clear sailing ahead, without a single ship for as far as they could detect in front of them. There were also no accompanying flash or weird gravity effects. They were simply racing through space, empty space.

  It didn’t take an alien mutant genius to figure out what had happened. Sherri placed a wide angle view to the rear of ship on the main screen. It’s hard to discern the shape of a galaxy this close to one, but the incredible blaze of stars on the screen was much more than that of the Milky Way.

  It was the Andromeda Galaxy in their rear view mirror, and it wasn’t getting any smaller. They had made a two-and-a-half million light-year jump in a flash—literally—and were now bolting through the open channel between galaxies. At their current speed—and without the assistance of the gravity link created by the Nuoreans—the Milky Way was only about sixty years away.

  Even as this reality hit, Copernicus didn’t cut the engines. There was still a massive fleet of enemy ships to the rear. Their only hope of survival was to get as far away as they could before doubling back. After that, the only way to return home would be hitch a ride with a surge of Nuorean ships heading for the Milky Way. That or find a quiet, out of the way world to settle down on and live out the rest of their lives as Andromedaeans, or whatever they call themselves here.

  “Looks like our reprieve didn’t last long,” Sherri declared from her nav board. “They’re coming, and right up the pike after us.”

  “It must take time to recharge the generators required to open the wormhole. They know it’s safe to enter the channel.”

  “But like before, when they run, we need to run too. I think that if we’re not at the launch point, it could be very dangerous sitting in the line of fire.”

  “How many are coming?”

  “It looks like all of them,” Sherri answered. “The signal’s too strong to make out individual units. I’ve never been this popular since I got drunk after that high school football game.”

  Coop turned to her and snickered. “That was you?”

  “Funny. What now?”

  “I say our first priority is not to get killed.”

  “Damn, Coop, you’re a genius. I hadn’t thought of that.” Then she turned serious. “We have to get sucked back into the Milky Way. For that to happen we have to in the right place at the right time.”

  “That’s never been my strong suit,” Copernicus pouted.

  “Have faith, sweetheart. We just need to shake the pursuit and then come up with that miracle plan heroes are known to pull out of their asses.”

  “You’ve been hanging out with Cain too long. Sometimes things are just a shitty as they seem.”

  Sherri checked the screen again. Luckily, all the pursuit was behind them. She placed a hand on Coop’s shoulder. “If there is one thing I’ve learned from Adam Cain, it’s that surrender is not always the last resort. In some cases it can be an advantage.”

  Copernicus nodded. She had a point—maybe. But it sure beat getting blown to atoms two-and-a-half million light-years from home. He cut the engines.

  ********

  “I have to get back to friendly forces,” Panur stated.

  “What do you have in mind?” Adam demanded. “We don’t have much time.”

  “That’s why we need to get back. I can’t do what I want to do without resources. And you only have nineteen days left before I leave to search for Lila.”

  “You’re still holding to the thirty-day deadline?”

  “Of course. Although I would hate to see your galaxy taken over by the Nuoreans, my true interest is in Lila. You knew this all along.”

  “You are one cold-hearted sonofabitch.”

  “Yes…and I feel really bad about that. But that’s reality, Adam. Now, Mister Tarazi, how fast can you get us back to your lines?”

  “That depends? Do you finish your engine modifications first, or do we go on conventional drive?”

  Panur smiled. “I am quite impressed. You have brought up a very good point. Since we are cloaked effectively, J’nae and I can complete the work in twelve hours, fifty-six minutes…approximately. Once completed, the increased capabilities of the drive will easily compensate for the delay in leaving. Very good.”

  “I’m glad you’re impressed,” Adam barked. “What’s so important that we leave the area without doing—anything?”

  “Do you recall how we first met?”

  “Yeah, you were the head genius for the fucking—excuse me J’nae—Sol-Kor.”

  “And how were the Sol-Kor so successful against your forces?”

  “The suppressor beam!” Riyad called out.

  “Precisely. I propose to build two platform projectors—the kind we used against planets—and position them across the entry point. When a fleet arrives, we simply negate the crews and then have your ships destroy the enemy vessels. It might even be impressive to let the massive debris field be sent back to the Nuoreans a few days later. At that point they may reconsider their plans to invade the Milky Way.”

  “Will the beams work on the Nuoreans?” Adam asked.

  “It’s designed to work on any being with upper intelligence, as witnessed by the variety of planets we were able to harvest. It will work on the Nuoreans.”

  Adam was silent, staring at the tiny mutant. He had to admit, it was a great idea. Nearly all Union and Expansion warships still carried the counter-suppressors, so they wouldn’t be affected by the reintroduction of the technology to the galaxy. But to the Nuoreans, it would be a whole other ballgame. He liked the idea, but it would take time to implement.

  “How long would it take to build the platforms, as well as give some of our ships projection capabilities so we can place them?”

  “That would depend on the sincerity of the effort, but assuming an all-out campaign, three months at the most.”

  “Will you stic
k around to see the completion?”

  “No…but I will provide the plans.”

  “Hate to rain on your parade,” Riyad began, “but the Nuoreans have only been in the galaxy for about a month, and look what they’ve already done. What will it be like in another three if they’re allowed to come in unabated until the platforms are built and deployed? From what that admiral said, Formil and Juir could fall by then, along with all the manufacturing worlds from here to Sandis IV. Who’s going to build the platforms when half the galaxy is under Nuorean control? And one last thing: Just as we learned to make counters to the suppressor beam, so will the Nuoreans. You can count on it. So this will only be a temporary fix, even if we do manage to finish the job before we’re overrun. The bottom line…the midpoint generators still have to be destroyed at some point.”

  “You are a fountain of intellect and deductive reasoning this day, my friend Riyad,” said Panur, beaming.

  “Knock it off!” Adam commanded. “He’s right, unfortunately about everything. So something has to be done now to at least temporarily slow them down. Now think, all you geniuses—Riyad included. You’re not getting paid to sit around looking pretty.”

  Panur turned to J’nae and smiled. “Well…looks like our friend Adam has just defined our current mission. Yessir, Captain Cain, sir. We will now commence to…think.”

  ********

  While ‘thinking’ the two mutants went to work completing the modifications to the D-4’s gravity drive; apparently they could do more than one thing at a time. When the job was done, Panur announced he had a plan.

  “I will need access to one of the Nuorean ships in the line.”

  “What do you mean access?” Adam asked.

  “I mean someone will have to place a small device I will construct aboard the vessel, in a specific place and manner and linked to their command circuits.”

  “Why, what are you planning to do?”

  Panur assumed his best professorial persona—absent the reading glasses he would be looking over. “We wish to prevent the Nuoreans from entering the galaxy, while also giving them pause before resuming their activities. The easiest and quickest way to make an impression would be to send a cluster of powerful bombs through the link. It would have to be powerful enough to affect the area we’re talking about. Yet we have no explosives, and I cannot manufacture anything large enough with what I have aboard the ship.” He smiled, readying the punchline. “So I propose we use the border ships as our weapon.”

  “How exactly are we going to do that?” Riyad asked.

  “Through a device I will build, I will be able to temporarily override the local control of their gravity drives, or at least all the ships within range before the Nuoreans resume control. It won’t be long, but it should be long enough.”

  “Long enough for what?” It was Trimen’s turn to ask a question.

  “To send a hundred of more Nuorean ships crashing into the fleet as it appears at the gate, causing a spectacular chain reaction among the tightly packed starships within seconds of their arrival in the galaxy.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Like I said, I will only have control for a few seconds. Their engines will already be engaged, having just fired up to avoid being sucked back to Andromeda. When the gravity affects are reversed and the fleet arrives, I will activate back-wells for every ship I can link with in the brief time I have. Not all of the incoming fleet will be destroyed, but a majority. It will disrupt their operations and make them more cautious when entering in the future.”

  “Won’t they simply shift locations?” Riyad asked.

  “That is a possibility. Yet if your technicians can build the beam platforms, then they will be ready for deployment the moment a new entry point is identified. With the initial success of suppressor technology on unsuspecting forces, your ships should be able to reach the point without too much resistance and deploy the weapon.”

  “But this device you’re going to build needs to be placed aboard one of the Nuorean ships bordering the void?” Adam didn’t like the sound of the words coming from his mouth. They sounded too much like a mission impossible. He also knew who was often called upon for such missions.

  “We can drift in close in dark status, then you simply jet over in spacesuits.”

  Adam nodded and pursed his lips. “Yeah…a piece of cake. We do it all the time.”

  Riyad spoke up. “I assume you and J’nae will have other things to do at the time, leaving the job up to me and Adam?”

  “You could send your Humans friends from Ankaa, but I assume you prefer to save the truly heroic missions for you and Adam,” said Panur. The other three men were on the bridge as well, but none seemed anxious to volunteer. Now Panur stretched out a wide grin. “It will be fun…and you get to fly around like your Buck Rogers.”

  Riyad shook his head. “Even Buck Rogers didn’t fly around like Buck Rogers. That was all done with wires. This is the real thing.”

  Chapter 19

  The problem with trying to conquer a distant galaxy was that information only came through every few days and in condensed packets of data that required translation and assimilation in real time.

  As a result, the Nuoreans pursuing the Fracker had no idea who or what they had when Copernicus surrendered. The top brass knew, but only after a lot of research.

  “You have been identified as Humans,” said the light brown-skinned alien officer. Sherri actually envied his perpetual tan. It was just the right shade to accent her blond hair. “Humans have been placed at the top of the challenge ladder by Game-Master Daric. As testimony to this, we have reports from two links ago indicating that the Game-Master lost an immunity challenge to a Human, and in a most spectacular fashion. Are you a player or a tech?” he asked Coop.

  “That depends,” the Human said. “I suppose I’d be player, unless I’m a tech which would make me not a player, unless I’m player-tech…or a tech-player. But now I’m just being technical.”

  His statement had the desired effect. The two Nuoreans in the holding cell with him and Sherri looked at each other, confused. “I am not aware of such classifications. Are you speaking of Kac designations or Nuorean?”

  “Yes.”

  This really threw them for a loop. Finally, the leader shook his head. “It matters not. Your ship was present at the time of the link. How many more of your forces are at the other side? No data came through at that time regarding any such contamination of the entry point. Another jump is coming in fourteen hours. We need to know what to expect.”

  “I can help,” Sherri volunteered. The aliens leaned a little closer. “Expect…the unexpected.”

  The Nuorean officer began to gnashed his teeth and breathe heavily through his nose. “You Humans are a confusing species. You do not communicate properly, speaking in gibberish.”

  “It’s our native language.”

  “As observed!” the lead alien said, turning to his associate.

  The other alien spoke. “We recovered the occupants of the disabled vessel. There was evidence of battle damage to the ship. Did our forces inflict such damage? Those aboard are refusing to speak.”

  Copernicus cocked his head. “I wish I could help you—no, wait…I don’t. Never mind.”

  “Enough!” roared the leader. “I will have you sent before the Qualifying-Masters for disposition. With your current ranking within the Kac, they may decide to arrange challenges for you on Nuor rather than seek information. Your being here is an anomaly, that is all. I refuse to concern myself with you any longer.” The pair turned to leave the cell.

  “You better be careful,” Sherri said. The aliens stopped to look at her, questions on their faces. “Look what happened the last time a Nuorean fought a Human. It wasn’t pretty.”

  Once alone, Copernicus and Sherri burst out with laughter. It was almost too easy. They laughed, not only from the humor of the interaction, but from relief. The plan to surrender had worked, at least for the moment. T
hey were alive and to be sent before something called a Qualifying-Master. It gave them time to work on a longer-term plan.

  And the Juireans were alive too. Perhaps they would be reunited, making it six beings from the Milky Way against all of the Andromeda Galaxy. Hell, it hardly seemed fair.

  After the moment passed, they sobered up quickly. They had watched from the Fracker as they were taken aboard one of the three-mile long battle-carriers. If the huge vessel was part of the fleet assembling for the jump to the Milky Way, then they would be moved to another ship before being transported to the planet Nuor. After all, they were VIP’s—Very Important Players—in the eyes of the Nuoreans. The aliens liked a good challenge, even in light of what Panur/Adam had done to their leader in the other galaxy. If it came down to Copernicus—and possibly Sherri—being challenged, it was a fair bet the aliens would come better prepared this time.

  But Daric had fought an immortal mutant alien, not a Human being. That could prove problematic for Copernicus. The Nuoreans would be expecting a lot more from him than they would get.

  What the pair needed was to get aboard—or stay aboard—one of the ships heading back into the Milky Way. Another caravan was leaving in fourteen hours; how long an hour was to the Nuoreans was anyone’s guess. But no matter what, if they wanted to make this train, they had to think of something soon.

  ********

  As expected, the prisoners were soon taken from their cell and escorted to one of the massive landing bays of the battle-carrier. A small spacecraft was being readied, and apparently in a hurry. Nuoreans scurried about doing whatever it took to make the ship space-ready.

  The lead officer from before met them at the ship, along with another Nuorean wearing a light-colored green uniform and carrying a datapad.

  “The larger creatures from the Kac are already aboard,” the officer announced. He turned to the other alien. “Be especially careful of these two, pilot. They are extremely dangerous.”

  The pilot nodded to the four-person guard detail and the two Humans were moved aboard. Sherri glanced back and heard the officer speaking to the pilot. “Depart soon. We must return to the jump point immediately. You will receive resupply at Banocan.”