Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

  “The last of my kind should be buried deep inside this object you call Makemake.”

  The image of the other machine changed to the minor planet. It showed a cool, lifeless rock. The object had first been discovered back at the start of the twenty-first century and had never seen any interest from humanity’s colonists.

  “Yes, we’ve already landed mining machines on the dwarf planet. Based on the information you’ve given us, we should have results within six to thirty hours. That’s the problem; we have to move and soon.”

  Z’Kanthu looked at them both and then turned and looked out through the vast artificial windows. Like them, he would have known only too well that the windows were completely artificial. Yet even these fake windows gave him a view of something he hadn’t been able to look upon for so many centuries. He looked back at Teresa and extended his hand to show the imagery of his comrades.

  “Each of my brothers is worth an army to the cause. As you have seen, they were all buried along with their armies. Give me twelve more hours. There are things we can do to speed this up.”

  He looked out at the blackness of space, filled with the myriad of stars and objects.

  “Tell me about the soldiers. Do you have enough ships for them all?”

  Teresa looked to Spartan and back to the machine.

  “It wasn’t easy. Luckily for us, the casualties caused by the attack on Mars freed up an awful lot of civilian vessels. We’ve commandeered enough transports for all the containers you’ve helped us locate so far.”

  Spartan rubbed his chin while she spoke. Finally Teresa finished, and he stepped a little closer.

  “Tell me, old friend. Don’t you think it’s time we had a look inside one?”

  The machine looked away from the windows and toward Spartan. If he’d been human, Spartan might have expected some form of insult. Instead, he stood there motionless, like a statue.

  “Yes, we should examine one to be certain its contents have not spoilt. There are no guarantees that our procedures were infallible. Maintaining machines over such a period is difficult. Living matter is something even more…complex.”

  Spartan struck his arm.

  “If there’s anything your people are good at Z’Kanthu, it’s managing hybrid living machines. Let’s go and take a look.”

  Spartan was out of the door before he looked back and found the machine was still exactly where he’d left him.

  “What?”

  Again there was a pause, but finally the Biomech spoke.

  “The control system. I am…uncomfortable with the programming you have supplied me.”

  Teresa looked to Spartan, and he could instantly see the nerves coming to the surface. Spartan put his hands on his hips and looked at Z’Kanthu.

  “What exactly aren’t you happy with?”

  Z’Kanthu moved away from where he had been waiting and took two short steps in the direction of Spartan. It looked like he might simply walk through the man, but he quickly slowed in front of him.

  “The current system relies upon orders from a command figure that can be overridden by a Core transmission. It is a simple chain of command that has multiple levels of redundancy. What you propose…well…it is…”

  Spartan looked increasingly impatient.

  “What?”

  The machine lowered half a meter and then stopped. A gentle hiss and whine from his motors now being the only sound anywhere near them.

  “Dangerous.”

  Spartan nodded in agreement and then smiled.

  “You can bet your ass it’s dangerous. I want this Core concept removed once and for all. The only way these soldiers can fight for us is if their loyalty is without question. If they can be reprogrammed at will, then the Biomechs will always have a way to take them back.”

  “But this solution, it will give the Thegns complete autonomy. They could turn against your own armies, or even against your commanders.”

  Spartan now understood the machine’s concerns.

  “No, that’s not it, is it?”

  He stepped close to the Biomech so that his face almost touched his scarred metal armor. At this distance, the machine could have killed him by simply crushing him against the wall. He said nothing though. Teresa looked to Spartan as confused as she’d been a minute earlier.

  “What do you mean, Spartan?”

  He looked to her and then nodded to the doorway.

  “He’s worried that if we give them the ability to choose their own fate, they will use it to turn on their enemy. The one enemy that has spent their entire existence killing, mutilating, and torturing them.”

  “Biomechs,” Teresa said under her breath.

  Spartan looked back to Z’Kanthu.

  “Somehow, I don’t think they’ll care too much about this rebellion of yours. They’ll want revenge against you, Dersna, and any other Biomech they can find.”

  The machine made a few odd noises before speaking

  “That is one of my concerns.”

  Spartan smacked his artificial left hand down onto the metal plating.

  “Then we’d better make sure they understand what’s at stake.”

  He then moved through the door with both of them following him. Spartan was sure he could sense one last question. He looked over his shoulder to see the machine walking just a few meters behind.

  “What?”

  “How can you be sure of their intentions?”

  Spartan moved on and indicated toward the pair of red armor clad Jötnar waiting on each side of the wide passageway.

  “Almost every one of the Jötnar was constructed by the enemy for one purpose. After capture, we removed the programming of every single one of them. Any born since have been clear of the command system of your people. Do you know what we’ve found?”

  Z’Kanthu shook his metal torso from side to side.

  “They are the most loyal, trustworthy, and brave soldiers in the Alliance. But even more than that, they have a hatred that is bone deep for anybody that would attempt to enslave or control them again. It’s why they are such formidable fighters.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  Teresa laughed.

  “Because these Thegns have the potential to be more than just cannon fodder for your wars. They could be an asset to all of us, just like the Jötnar proved to be.”

  The two humans walked ahead, and Z’Kanthu trailed behind, trying to imagine what kind of universe it would be if the Thegns had free will. No matter how many different ways he looked at the problem, every single one ended up with him and his kin dead.

  * * *

  The storage hold on the port side of the ship was large, easily big enough to house four Maulers and all their assorted paraphernalia. Instead, this section of the ship was being used to store a number of the special containers collected from the other dig sites throughout the Kuiper Belt. Each was the size of a Cobra, one of the small Marine shuttles. They were rectangular and surrounded by a lattice of armored ribs that protected whatever lay inside. Two-dozen marines waited at their posts along the two entrances, as well as around the containers themselves. Z’Kanthu moved closer to the unit and placed both his hands on top.

  “Wait there, do you know what is inside?” Teresa asked.

  The machine looked back at her.

  “This one carries the markings of On'Sarax. She is one of the youngest of the rebels. We fought together at the Battle of Fire where seventy of our brothers held the line. It was a major victory for us, but not for long.”

  “On'Sarax, a female?” Spartan asked.

  Z’Kanthu looked at him, his machine eyes glowing bright red.

  “Yes.”

  He pointed to the other containers.

  “There are more of them bearing her mark and those of her bandon. They will contain the warriors, but it is this one that contains her.”

  He then looked back to the container and twisted two of the bars to reveal a hidden panel. He reached inside his c
hest and withdrew a pair of smooth cables and pushed them into the unit. Dots of color moved back and forth from the container to him. This went on for almost a minute before the colors flickered and died. Z’Kanthu rose to his full height and stepped back.

  “Well, is that it?”

  The machine remained completely still.

  “Watch.”

  They waited, and for what seemed like an eternity nothing happened. Then a gentle hiss and clunking sound spread from one end to another. One of the ribbing bars turned and dropped to the floor. The others followed until all of those on one side had broken away. More noise came from the container, and then the entire panel on the side tipped over and crashed to the ground with an almighty crunch. Two of the marines moved from where they were watching, both with their weapons raised to their shoulders. Teresa lifted her hand and sent them back.

  “Soon,” said Z’Kanthu.

  Dust now surrounded the unit as more panels and sealed layers of thin metallic film ripped away, and a dark shape moved. Spartan wanted to move ahead, but the sounds coming from inside did little to encourage help. Finally, an object appeared, a machine-like leg little different to Z’Kanthu. The metal object touched the floor and tapped it. Another quickly followed, and then with a crunching sound the machine pulled itself out from the container and lifted itself up to a height not far short of Z’Kanthu.

  “Wow, we have a second one,” said Teresa.

  Z’Kanthu approached and stopped two meters away. Both machines faced off like a pair of metal demons. This new one was shorter and much broader in shape. Its legs were of the same design, but instead of two arms, it carried two on each side, both hanging down low to the knees. There was no obvious head, but a single blue lamp flickered as it began to speak roughly where a face would have been. The two spoke for nearly thirty seconds, and then they turned to face Teresa and Spartan.

  “This is On'Sarax. She is my old master at arms and my teacher in the ways of war.”

  * * *

  Spartan, Teresa, and Major Terson walked quickly along the starboard access corridor. The ship was busy now as marines moved about carrying equipment for the new arrivals. There was a palpable sense of both urgency and danger every minute they stayed out here in Sol. The passageway was wide enough for four marines to pass along and lit by a series of floor and ceiling strip lights at regular intervals. On one side were short, full-width windows that showed a clear view of the empty space further away from Mars. Like all the windows on the ship, they were artificial, yet they served the purpose.

  “Look,” Teresa said.

  She stopped for a moment and pointed out of the window. Spartan saw the shifting patterns of darkness, as the stars seemed to dance. All three of them knew what was coming, but a young private further down the corridor stopped and watched in surprise.

  “What the hell is that?”

  Another marine coughed to get his friend’s attention. The man looked at the three senior officers and straightened up before continuing toward them. Spartan smiled at the man’s surprise and looked back at the shifting colors.

  “He’s early, isn’t he?”

  Major Terson checked his secpad.

  “Yes, by a few minutes at least.”

  The color shifted one last time before a kaleidoscope of color announced the activation of the Rift. In a single flash of light, a Spacebridge of just over four light years was created between Mars and Terra Nova. It was the miracle of science that had given the Alliance the ability to spread far and wide with minimal effort or resources. Instead of what they were expecting, a twenty-one ship civilian convoy entered the system. Teresa looked almost disappointed at their arrival. These were a mixture of freighters and passenger liners that traveled together for mutual protection. All were privately owned and decked out with a bizarre assortment of livery and insignia marking out their owners and interests. The only ships to stray from this were the two Liberty destroyers moving with them as escort. It was a timely reminder of the situation transport vessels now found themselves in throughout Alliance territory.

  “Well, I guess this means things are starting to get back to normal,” said Spartan.

  Major Terson tensed his brow and frowned.

  “This is different though. Until now, it’s been rare for Alliance ships to make this trip. Earthsec are pretty militant about looking after their own territory.”

  “You don’t say,” muttered Spartan.

  Major Terson looked at him, tensed a little, and then looked to Teresa.

  “Sending Alliance ships in as escort is a clear message from Terra Nova. In the past, we’ve had to clear a flight plan well in advance with Earthsec. Why do I think High Command just sent these through without clearance?”

  “Great,” said Teresa, “so Terra Nova is flexing its muscles.”

  Spartan watched the shapes of the ships with a mixture of annoyance and curious fascination. He could already identify some of the markings from Euryale and Kerberos.

  “Those ships have been around the block a bit.”

  He then looked back to Teresa and the Major.

  “I don’t really get it. Earthsec is something that had significance maybe before the Rifts. Now we are linked together by a matter of days, or hours in most cases. Sol is part of the Alliance, so why the hell do we let something like this even exist?”

  Teresa looked almost as surprised as the Major.

  “Well, the Alliance has an agreement with Earthsec. They operate semi-independently but under the protection of the Alliance.”

  Spartan shook his head and continued on forwards. He looked at the ships as they activated their thrusters and moved into high orbit around Mars. With the planet now secure, there were hundreds of other vessels dropping off people and supplies to the Red Planet. Even more ships were making preparations to travel to the other worlds and moons throughout Sol to ply their wares once more. Trade and industry was taking a chance in this system, but even as they tried to return Sol to some semblance of normality, it was clear that times had changed. None of the crews could have missed the new shapes of the huge cruisers and destroyers that had taken up positions around Mars and further away toward the Rift entrance itself.

  * * *

  Spartan watched the mainscreen inside the CIC of the massive warship with fascination. It had been some time since he’d been on board such a vessel, let alone inside the CIC. Teresa looked at him and shrugged. Many types of military ships were now posted there, but it was the flagship ANS Dreadnought that caught most attention. It sat there, squat and foreboding, unlike anything owned or operated by Earthsec.

  “There’s nothing like a few warships to get things moving, don’t you think?”

  Major Terson looked to Spartan and finally nodded in agreement.

  “This is a failed backwater; Mars was barely functional before the Biomechs attacked. Now, well, it’s a ruin. There’s little of value out here anymore.”

  Spartan couldn’t really argue with that, though he had just remembered that Captain Cobb, the leader of the mission to Mars had just entered the CIC and was looking right at him.

  Great, I wonder how much of that he heard?

  The two had come to something of an understanding during the original operation on Mars. Now that it was over, he’d being doing his best to avoid the man. The officer was one of the sternest Spartan had met. Even on a ship of which he had no jurisdiction, he still strutted about as though he had some degree of influence on board. He moved past them and directly toward Captain Vetlaya who watched his arrival warily. He stopped and saluted.

  “Captain, I bring greetings from Earthsec as the senior Earthsec officer in this territory.”

  She smiled and threw a quick glance to her executive officer.

  “It is good to finally meet you, Captain. I understand some of your operatives are still being cared for on board one of our medical frigates. Is there anything your people need?”

  Spartan didn’t know the Captain, but he c
ould see there was much more to her than the façade offered by her pleasantries. Though not particularly young, she was still young for the command of a vessel as significant as this one. Spartan looked to Teresa in her smart dress uniform and immediately felt a slight pang of nostalgia. He might be wearing clothing taken from Alliance stocks, but he was no longer involved in the Corps.

  “Governor Trelleck thanks our armed forces for their assistance in this unfortunate incident. I have been tasked with facilitating the handover to our own security units on the surface.”

  Captain Vetlaya opened her mouth to speak, but Teresa interrupted her.

  “Captain, perhaps this would be better left to the new delegation from Terra Nova?”

  That put a smile on the Captain’s face.

  “That is an excellent point, Colonel.”

  She then looked back to Captain Cobb.

  “Colonial matters are a little out of my jurisdiction, Captain. My forces are here by the order of Alliance High Command.”

  “But Earthsec has…”

  She raised her hand to silence him.

  “I’ve already answered. Now, let us discuss other…”

  Spartan looked away to Teresa, but she had moved away and in her place was Khan. He still wore his armor, but at least it had been repaired, patched, and cleaned. Even so, he still looked as though he’d just arrived fresh from a warzone.

  Well, I suppose he has.

  “What are you doing up here? I thought you were busy swapping war stories with your friends?”

  Khan’s visor was open and showed his large, expressive face clearly. He lifted an eyebrow in mock pain.

  “Me? Why are you here, Spartan? We’re not in the Alliance military anymore.”

  He found it hard to stay serious though, and his face broke to a smile.