by G. P. Hudson
“Sorry, my boy. Bear with me for a little longer.”
The pain was intense, and Danny wanted to rip the headband off. But he didn’t. He was somehow managing to endure the agony. Was that what Isaac meant by enhanced pain tolerance?
“Almost done, Danny. How are you holding up?” said Isaac, trying to keep Danny calm, but only managing to annoy him.
“Just finish whatever it is you’re doing,” Danny said through gritted teeth.
“Yes, of course. Sorry.”
Moments later the pain vanished, as quickly as it had come. Leaving Danny gasping for air.
“There,” said Isaac. “That part is done.”
“You mean there’s more?!” Danny said in disbelief.
“Yes. But it won’t be as bad. I promise.”
“I don’t feel any different.”
“No, I don’t suppose you would.”
“What did you do?”
“What I said I was going to do. I hacked your brain.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ve disabled Zeta’s control mechanisms, including their geobroadcast.”
“Geobroadcast?”
“Yes, all clones geobroadcast. Not to worry. It isn’t a long-range signal, but any Zeta personnel in the vicinity would pick the signal up and pinpoint your location.”
“That’s how they found me.”
“That’s right. Not to worry. It won’t happen again. We can’t have a bunch of soldiers storming into my house now, can we?”
“No, that wouldn’t turn out well.”
“The Zeta control mechanism is exactly what it sounds like. It is how Zeta exerts its power over you.”
“What if they capture me? Can they turn it back on?”
“Technically yes, but this is the best part. I’ve inserted code directly onto your implant’s hardware. This code is hidden, and nobody will find it, unless they know exactly what to look for. And the only person who knows how to do that is me.”
“Are you going to tell me what that code does?”
“It guarantees your freedom.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I have given you control of your operating system. Stealth control. You see, Zeta programming gives Zeta the last word when it comes to its clones. This is because you are not permitted to access the deepest areas of your system. I have altered this code to give you access.”
“Okay, but can’t they just take that away?”
“No. They won’t find it. But even if they do, they won’t be able to change it. That’s because the only way to remove the code would be to replace the implant entirely.”
Danny didn’t like the sound of that, but chose not to voice his concern.
“Any attempt to control you by Zeta, or anyone else, will be blocked by my code. The elegance of it is that they won’t even notice. From their end, everything will be working as it should. My code will inform you of every attempt at obtaining control, and you can then chose the appropriate response.”
“Isaac, how am I supposed to do all this? I have no idea what the hell you are talking about?”
“Fear not my boy. We are about to download some data packs into your brain that will solve that very problem. But first I need to give you another implant.”
“Don’t I have enough?” said Danny, not really welcoming the idea of more technology invading his body.
“This one is different, and it will only take a couple of seconds to insert. Now, please extend your left hand, palm up.”
“Wait, what is this implant going to do?”
“Give you what you should have received from the start.”
“Isaac, just answer the question.”
“Alright. I am going to insert a tiny implant into the tip of your index finger. That implant will allow you to access and sync with any computer system or network. Zeta had restricted such access, allowing connection with only Zeta systems. It has served to keep you solely under their control. But today, when you connected with my systems, I released you from Zeta’s hold. This implant will allow you to connect with any system, to access its data, it’s networks and devices.”
“But I don’t know how to do any of that.” Danny felt a slight panic at everything Isaac was expecting of him.
“Knowledge packs, my boy. Now, are you going to extend your left hand?”
Danny stuck out his left hand, palm up, and Isaac brandished a metallic syringe. He gripped the back of Danny’s hand, holding it steady, and inserted the needle into the tip of his index finger. There was a popping sound, and Danny felt a slight prick.
“There, all done,” said Isaac. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Now we can move to the knowledge packs. I’m sure you’re familiar with data downloads. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Danny took a deep breath. “Let’s get it over with.”
Searing pain burned through Danny’s temples, leaving him writhing in agony in his chair.
Chapter 23
“You’ve done well, Reynolds,” said Admiral Cherenko over Reynolds’s private comm. “The Emperor is very happy with your performance.”
“Thank you, Sir,” said Vice-Admiral Reynolds. “I am honored to serve the Emperor.”
“He was certainly pleased. Especially when I told him how you threatened to bomb the Pallian cities. I believe the Emperor’s words were, ‘that is the type of iron will we need.’”
With some measure of difficulty, Reynolds managed to suppress his glee. “Thank you, Sir. The Emperor is far too kind. I’ll make sure the Pallians remain firmly under control.”
“That won’t be necessary, Reynolds. I have a new assignment for you. The Emperor would like you to prove yourself once again, so he has asked that I send your fleet to the Allimanian system. The Allimanians have recently jumped on the rebellion bandwagon, and have declared independence from the Empire. The Emperor wants you to go there and put down their little rebellion.”
“It would be an honor, Sir.”
“The Emperor has gone ahead and purchased a squadron of these new Zeta warships. They will be placed under your command. They are now UEDF ships, but will keep their Zeta crews until they can be replaced with UEDF crews. The remaining Zeta ships will stay in the Pallian system as an occupation force.”
“Have the Allimanians joined the Frontier Alliance?”
“No, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about this time. The Allimanians are a stubborn people, and prefer to do things their own way. Their obstinance will prove their downfall. Either way, the surrendering of Pallias is a wakeup call for the Frontier Alliance. They may not rush to the aid of other systems so quickly now.”
“They would be wise not to.”
“I am transmitting all the details of the operation. Some preliminary battle plans have been drawn up. Feel free to modify them as you see fit.”
“Thank you, Sir. I won’t let you down.”
“See that you don’t, or the Emperor will have both our heads. Cherenko out.”
The Admiral’s weathered face vanished from the comm, and Reynolds leaned back in his chair to contemplate these developments. The Emperor has noticed me, he thought. He said I have the type of ‘iron will’ he needs. After all these years, they have finally recognized my ability. They wouldn’t dare force me into retirement now. Not after this. I must capitalize on this. I can’t lose momentum. I need to prove myself worthy of the Emperor’s praise.
Reynolds pulled up a star chart to locate the Allimanian system. They were an isolated system on the fringes of the Empire. With the current state of the Empire, a system like this wouldn’t normally be worth the trouble, if not for one valuable commodity. Risium.
Metaspace travel was reliant on the building of jump gates and jump drives. A vital component in their construction was risium. Without it, metaspace travel wouldn’t be possible. It was also what made the Allimanian system so valuable. Just the prize Reynolds needed to prove his
worth to the Emperor.
But why hadn’t they joined with the Frontier Alliance? If the Alliance approached the Pallians, then certainly they would’ve approached the Allimanians. The Allimanian system was not the only system rich in risium, but the resource was scarce enough to make it worth the effort to secure. Were the Allimanians overplaying their hand?
The more Reynolds thought about it, the less he believed Cherenko’s view that the Allimanians were simply difficult. It was too simplistic. It was not wise to be isolated in these tumultuous times. Surely the Allimanians knew this, and if they didn’t, they would after the fall of Pallias.
He would have to assume that the Allimanians had in fact allied themselves with the Frontier Alliance. Despite what Cherenko’s intelligence said, it was the logical conclusion. Not that it mattered. Allied or not, he would have his victory.
Chapter 24
“I am very sorry, Mr. President, but there is nothing I can do,” said Ed Masterson, CEO of Zeta Corp. “I’m afraid the Emperor has paid for exclusivity.”
“You should have offered the ships to the Alliance as well. Why wouldn’t you give us the opportunity to bid against the Empire?” said President Rivoli, of the Frontier Alliance.
“As much as I enjoy a good bidding war, the Emperor agreed to pay a premium to avoid one.”
“This is outrageous! You have sided with the Empire, despite your claims of neutrality.”
“No, that is not true. As I said, the Emperor purchased an exclusive contract. It is just a business transaction.”
“You do not fool me, Masterson. I see through your lies.”
“They are not lies. I am telling you the truth.”
“Then prove it. Give the Frontier Alliance a chance to bid against the Empire for exclusivity.”
“President Rivoli, I did not want to offend you, but do you really think the Alliance has more money to spend than the Empire?”
“Do not underestimate us, Masterson. More worlds join us every day. I think you’d be surprised at just how much money we can raise.”
“Be that as it may, I seriously doubt your coffers can match those of the Empire. Even if they could, the matter has already been decided, and I am legally bound to uphold my end of the agreement.”
“Legally bound?” scoffed Rivoli. “Don’t make me laugh. Since when does Zeta respect the rule of law?”
“Are you trying to offend me, Mr. President?” said Masterson, feigning anger.
“No. I am merely pointing out that you purposely moved your operations to a system not governed by the laws of the Empire, or any other system. Or have you forgotten that human cloning is a violation of the law in all of civilized space?”
“I have not forgotten,” said Masterson, now truly annoyed by Rivoli’s sanctimonious attitude. “But it seems you have forgotten that the Frontier Alliance has had no problem hiring our human clones for its own use. Isn’t it a little late to start quoting the law to me?”
“If the Empire is prepared to use your clones, then we must follow suit,” said Rivoli, his pale face reddening with exasperation. “Look, if you don’t give us access to these ships, then the war is lost. If the Empire wins, how long will it take before the Emperor comes after you?”
He had a point. Masterson held no illusions about how he would be treated if the Empire emerged victorious, and he had no intention of allowing it. “The Empire has not won the war, Mr. President. Nor has it attacked the Frontier Alliance.”
“It hasn’t attacked us, because it doesn’t have the resources. But with the addition of your fleet, it is only a matter of time before it starts invading our worlds.”
“The key word being time.”
“What does that mean?”
“While it is true that we have signed an exclusive agreement with the Empire, that agreement does have a renewal date. While we are not currently able to lease you our assets, we are free to negotiate other matters.”
“Matters like your renewal of the contract with the Empire?”
“That does appear to be an ideal place to start.”
Rivoli shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me, Masterson.”
“Does that mean you are open to the idea, Mr. President?”
“Yes, I am open to the idea.”
Chapter 25
“We are unable to locate the Allimanian jump gate, Sir,” said the Valiant’s sensor operator.
“Double check your readings,” Captain Travers snapped.
“Yes, Sir. The data is confirmed. There is only debris. The jump gate has been destroyed.”
Vice Admiral Reynolds gazed at the viewscreen, studying the turbulent metaspace environment. Destroying a jump gate was an extreme action, effectively cutting off a system from the rest of the galaxy. “Someone tipped off the Allimanians. They are anticipating the invasion.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Travers. “They knew we were coming.”
I can’t turn back, thought Reynolds. If the Emperor wants officers with iron will, then that is what he is going to get. “Activate a jump point, and order the Zeta squadron to do the same.”
“That will leave the bulk of our fleet in metaspace, Sir,” said Travers. “We’ll be outnumbered.”
“Yes, we will. Is that a problem?”
“No, Sir.”
“Order the rest of the fleet to hold position. They are to block any non-UEDF ship from entering the Allimanian system. They are authorized to fire on any ship that does not turn back the way they came.” Only large ships capable of opening a jump point could to enter or exit the Allimanian system with the jump gate destroyed. While that might mean a capital ship, Reynolds was confident that his fleet could get the job done.
“Orders sent. Jump point activated.”
“Take us in.”
Accompanied by the Zeta squadron, The Valiant entered Allimanian space and immediately started to take fire.
“Return fire,” ordered Reynolds, while analyzing the disposition of the enemy. Travers was right. They were outnumbered, by at least a three to one ratio. But the Zeta squadron gave them the technological edge. It would have to do.
The battle had barely begun, and Reynolds immediately started taking losses. They had tried to jump into the system in formation. Several Zeta ships had landed in the forward position, ahead of the Valiant. The Zeta ships were to provide powerful buffer to protect the Valiant. But Reynolds couldn’t make sense of how they could do that, when there were blinding explosions where those ships were supposed to be.
“Report!” Reynolds barked.
“We lost four of the Zeta ships, Sir,” said Travers. “They jumped into mined space.”
Clever, thought Reynolds.
“New contacts!” said the tactical officer. “Several ships just appeared from behind the planet’s third moon. They’re attempting to flank.”
As Reynolds watched the new contacts on his display, he found himself impressed with the Allimanians, even if they’d become annoying. Their flanking maneuver was particularly inconvenient. Outnumbered as they were, he couldn’t afford for ships to break formation to intercept. But he was left with little choice.
“Order two Zeta ships to intercept the new contacts.”
“Relaying orders,” said Travers.
Reynolds watched the two ships break formation, racing off to confront the enemy. Now their position was much weaker, and his ships looked as if they would be swallowed whole by the enemy fleet.
But the Zeta ships’ modified weaponry started to shift the balance. As the Allimanians advanced, more and more of their ships were destroyed by the powerful Zeta plasma beams. The Allimanian losses quickly surpassed the four destroyed Zeta ships.
“Get me the Allimanian president,” said Reynolds.
A scowling, heavy set man soon appeared on Reynolds’s display. “I am President Basil Zaman. What do you want?”
“This is Vice-Admiral Reynolds of the UEDF. Your system will soon return to the Empire. I am giving you a chance
to surrender, avoiding heavy casualties.”
Zaman roared with laughter. “Don’t be absurd, Reynolds. You are vastly outnumbered. You’re in no position to demand our surrender.”
“Just to be clear, Mr. President. This will be your only opportunity to surrender. If you decline, your cities will be bombed.”
“Yes, I heard about how you threatened the Pallians into submission. I should warn you that those tactics won’t work here.”
“Are you refusing to surrender?”
“That’s right. We are not weaklings. If you want to take this system, you’ll have to defeat our forces first.”
“Very well. Just remember, I gave you the opportunity.” Reynolds closed the connection, and turned back to his tactical display. The enemy was still trying to encircle his ships, relying on their numerical advantage. So far, his ships had withstood the onslaught, but their posture remained defensive. That needed to change.
“Captain Travers, order all ships to push forward and punch a hole through the center of the enemy line. All ships are to remain in formation and accelerate through the gap. I want the Allimanian line split into two.”
“Aye, Sir. Relaying orders.”
The UEDF fleet focused their fire on the Allimanian ships occupying the center of the enemy line. A phalanx of plasma beams speared the defenders, isolating the warships in the center. These were large, sturdy vessels, with powerful shields. Those shields could have offered some protection against the modified plasma beam, but not against the focused energy of multiple Zeta beams striking at once.
In contrast, the Zeta shields withstood a punishing onslaught. Reynolds had one display feed him a live report on the hull integrity of each ship, and was impressed by their resilience. Even with the considerable damage they were taking, they pressed on. These ships were bruisers, plain and simple.
Determined to break through the Allimanian center, the UEDF warships continued to accelerate. As the defenders blew apart, a hole formed in the Allimanian center. The Zeta battleships bullied their way through the enemy formation. Effectively breaking the enemy line in two.
