by Dan Worth
‘I had heard rumours. It seems like the corporations have bought everyone off, including the President.’
‘Of course they did. It’s business, right? The collapse of the Empire has created a goddamn free for all with officers on regular pay overseeing whole systems during the interim. What did you think would happen? Some people even think that’s why we went to war in the first place. Anyway, the end result is that everyone is covering their own backs. Haines is no different.’
‘They bought off Haines?’
‘No, I don’t think so. But all these heads rolling in the upper ranks will ensure that he can cling on to his position for a few more years, assuming he manages to dodge any accusations of responsibility for this mess. Seems like the old warhorse doesn’t know when to quit. He’s been peddling his paranoid theories to us here at the Joint Chiefs for a couple of years now, some load of crap about a hostile alien race that no-one has yet seen save for a few crazies who spent too long in deep space and a few vague indications from the Arkari. You can bet that’s why he sent Chen. He got wind of this and it set him off. Frankly it’s embarrassing, but I guess the old guy just needs an enemy, now that the K’Soth are no more. It’s sad to see him like this really.’
‘Well, I’ll bear that in mind sir,’ said Cox with a certain degree of satisfaction. ‘As to our progress: aside from our little problem we’re doing well. The heavy lifters have arrived in system and we should be ready to lift the alien vessel off the surface of the moon by tomorrow morning at oh-nine-hundred standard. We discovered that the lava layer under the craft is more brittle than that surrounding the sides of the vessel. Our excavation teams have made excellent progress during the last twenty four hours.’
‘That’s excellent news, Charlie. Keep me posted and remember what I said.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Morgan out.’
The lights in the briefing room were dimmed. Instead, most of the light came from the wall mounted screen facing the assembled pilots and crew of the Hidden Hand. The screen was currently displaying a Mercator projection of the surface of Rhyolite. The vast lava flows, blackened volcanic cones and fields of sulphuric outpourings formed a sweeping, vivid pattern across the screen. The sparse settlements across the surface were labelled, as well as key geological features. The Navy dig site was highlighted by a livid, red bull’s-eye. To one side of the screen stood Anna, a control wand in her hand as she talked. Isaacs sat near the back in the shadows behind the rows of assembled crews. Anita sat at his side in the aisle, having snuck in late at the last second.
‘As you all know, we’ve been monitoring Navy activity on Rhyolite’s surface for some time now,’ said Anna, using the hand held device to manipulate the image and zoom in on the dig site. The circular shape of the dome that concealed the alien vessel was clearly visible, as were the concentric rings of air defence positions situated around it. ‘These pictures are the most recent that we have, and were taken yesterday around sixteen hundred hours by one of our scouts. As you can see, the dome pretty much covers everything. However, we also managed to get a few sensor readings through the dome, which correlate with the pictures we managed to get from within the site thanks to our spies there.’ The picture changed again, as Anna overlaid the outline of modules and buildings within the boundary of the dome, as well as the strange spiked outline of the alien vessel. Labels appeared denoting the various features.
‘We know from the Nahabe and from the accounts of numerous others that this is a Shaper vessel. It is dormant at the moment, but it is nevertheless fully functional and conscious. The Navy has brought Atlas class heavy lifters in system and we believe that they intend to remove the vessel from the surface and take it out of our reach for study. Our time to strike is now, people, and we haven’t a moment to lose. We cannot allow that thing to survive. The Speaker has chosen me to head up this operation, unless anyone else has any other preference?’
There were a few shaken heads and grunts of agreement.
‘No. We’re all with you on this Anna,’ said Maria. ‘The amount of work you put in co-ordinating the surveillance, you know that moon like the back of your hand. So what’s your plan?’
‘Our mission has two objectives. Firstly, we need to destroy that ship. However The Speaker has also requested that we rescue two archaeologists from the base before we do so.’
‘Shit,’ said Maria. ‘I knew it wasn’t going to be simple. What’s so special about these two guys?’
‘One’s a human woman, the other an Arkari male. They’re civilians, but the Navy asked for their help. The Speaker says that they know an awful lot about the Shapers, possibly more than any of us here. Moreover, they could be the key to discovering more about our enemy. The only problem is that it seems that there was some sort of incident at the dig site, and the two of them are being held under guard in the accommodation block. We have people on the inside who can get them out of the base, but someone has to fly down there and pick them up before we destroy it. So here’s how it’s going to work.’
She worked the screen again, which panned out to show a schematic of the moon and its various orbiting habitats and the shipping-lanes to and from them. A blinking arrow head appeared above the dig site on the moon below.
‘Okay, Group One led by Maria jumps in here, five hundred clicks above the site at eight-hundred hours standard and uses kinetics against ground based defences. With luck you’ll take out a few before they get the site’s shield up, however your main purpose is to attract attention and act as a decoy for the time being. In the meantime, I’ll take the Jilted Lover and jump in close to the moon, over the horizon from the dig site, here.’ She indicated as a further arrow head appeared on the screen, dangerously close to the point where Rhyolite’s gravity well would pose a threat to the vessel’s jump engines. ‘I’ll come in on a shallow course and approach the dig site at low level so that their radar doesn’t pick us up. We rendezvous with our people on the ground, pick up the archaeologists and make a break for it. When we’re clear, Group Two jumps in and destroys the site from orbit with anti-matter warheads. Captain Vakkulak, have you completed the modifications to your ship?’
A rather worn looking Vreeth with numerous scars on his flotation sacs rose up from a group of others of his kind. The clicking sounds from his mouthparts were translated by the device he wore at the base of his head section.
‘The Fear of Solitude and her sister ships are ready to go, Captain Favreaux. We did experience some minor compatibility problems between the torpedo magazine and the Mating Call, but we’ve worked around the problem. If I might ask, what sort of window are we allowing for this operation?’
‘Response time from Centrepoint will be the usual fifteen minutes, however we’ve also detected a Saturn class carrier, the Winston S. Churchill currently in parking orbit at Barstow.’ There were a few curses around the room. ‘Alright, alright, I understand. We’ve factored this into our plans. We’re not sure what the Churchill is doing here right now. She’s not regular Navy, so she might not be a part of Admiral Cox’s fleet, however she will most likely come to assistance of the dig site should we attack it. This is why we are hitting it when Barstow is on the other side of the moon. Group One is to jam all transmissions from the dig site. In any case, we have theorised that the Churchill may be here to investigate what is going on in this system for Special Ops. It is remotely possible that she may not stand in our way if we destroy the alien ship. They are also looking for my husband Cal. Why, we don’t know, but we’ve changed the IFF transponder on his ship for now.’
‘Friendly or no, they’ll go ape-shit once they detect those AM warheads,’ said someone near the back.
‘We’ll have enough time. The Churchill’s been launching sporadic patrols to sweep the system, but the ship itself is parked well within the traffic control zone of Barstow, it’ll take them a good ten minutes to respond. A ship that size will have to be careful about jumping around a planet for fear of grazing the
gravity well’s threshold. The size of their hyperspace envelope will prevent them from cutting it as fine as we do in our smaller ships. Now, targeting data and navigational waypoints have all been downloaded into your ships, any questions?’
‘Yeah,’ said Isaacs. ‘How about I sneak down to the planet instead of you?’
‘Cal…’
‘Come on, my ship’s faster than yours and it’s actually truly atmosphere capable. I can manoeuvre much better in atmosphere using the Profit Margin’s lifting body airframe that you can on AG alone. Plus, I can make it back into space much faster with those up-rated engines of mine.’
‘I have the canyons in that area tattooed into my brain.’
‘So? Come with me and show me the way. Come on. You know it makes sense.’
She gave him an exasperated look.
‘Oh, and I’ll need a gunner as well now that my ship’s been fitted out.’
‘Well I already volunteered myself for that,’ said Anita at his side.
‘You did, huh? I thought you didn’t like this kind of thing.’ Isaacs replied sceptically.
‘Well, I don’t really. But I figured that I ought to be able to do my bit. Besides, you’ll be avoiding combat won’t you? I’ll just be along for the ride.’
‘That’s the plan…’ said Isaacs and winced.
‘So, it’ll do me good. You said yourself I had to get used to this, and I am a qualified gunner you know. I made sure I was useful aboard ship.’
‘You can say that again,’ someone in the assembly commented. There were a few guffaws and sniggers. Word got around pretty quickly in such a small community. Anita, it seemed, had something of a reputation. Anna was not amused, judging by her expression
‘Well,’ said Isaacs. ‘I think I’m probably going to regret this, but alright. Just don’t shoot anybody unless I tell you to, okay? So Anna, what do you say?’ He looked at his wife whose mouth had narrowed to a thin dark line.
‘Come with me one moment Cal,’ she said and walked outside into the corridor. When he followed her and shut the door behind him she rounded on him.
‘Cal, this isn’t some fucking joyride!’
‘Yes I know, which is why I’m volunteering to fly the mission. You think you can just waltz into the airspace of a heavy defended military installation? I’m the best pilot with the best ship here.’
‘Maybe… but how dare you just come in here and… and undermine me! I’ve spent weeks planning this! And as for that little tart...’
‘Alright look, I’m sorry. Maybe I was out of line back there. But I’m a damn good pilot and my ship is the best one you have out there in the hangar and you know that. If we combine my flying with your knowledge of the moon’s surface and the navigational information that you guys have been using to cut it so fine out there we can do this. But we have to do this fast and clean or we’re completely fucked. If we hang around too long and the Churchill shows up I don’t think the fact that myself and her commanding officer have met before is going to matter if she sees your ships carrying anti-matter. Admiral Chen made something of a name for herself hunting down pirates before she became a war hero. The sooner we get clear, the sooner your Vreeth buddies can wipe that thing off the face of the moon and we can all go home.’
Anna nodded. ‘True. Alright, we’ll go with your plan, and by the way, Anita is a damn good gunner, at least on the sims. She’ll do fine.’
Isaacs noted something about Anna’s expression. ‘It’s definitely over between me and her, you know,’ he said.
‘Good. You know you’re almost old enough to be her father.’
‘Hey! I’m not that old!’
‘Hmm. Besides, when you aren’t being infuriating and presuming we survive this I’d like to think you and I had some sort of second chance.
‘Yeah, I know. So do I, actually.’
‘Come on, let’s get back in there and finish the briefing.’
Rekkid scowled at the armed guard who peered in through the door that he had roughly thrown open. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, the man closed the door again and locked it, then resumed his position outside in the corridor.
Rekkid and Katherine had been confined together in Rekkid’s quarters ever since the incident inside the alien ship. They had been questioned again and again by Cox and his men and had given the same answers each time: That the ship was dangerous and that its captain had asked them to kill him. It didn’t seem to satisfy their captors who had then started asking all sorts of questions about Admiral Haines and making veiled threats to the effect that they would be treated as terrorists. At this point the two of them had declined to offer any further information and had asked for legal representation, though they both severely doubted whether it would ever arrive. Due legal process had a way of evaporating where the military and alleged acts of sabotage were concerned.
Rekkid had decided to take the opportunity to show Katherine what he had found amidst the ancient Progenitor files. He strongly suspected that his laptop would eventually be taken from him as part of the investigation into their actions. If that happened, he fully intended to wipe the machine’s contents, if at all possible. He wanted to show Katherine what he had found whilst he still could.
Rekkid unfolded the device and placed it on his knees then he executed the ancient Progenitor program. The glittering image of the galaxy filled the screen, slowly rotating before them. A series of small icons sat at the edges of the screen, small and rounded like little jewels. Katherine gave a short intake of breath.
‘It’s beautiful Rekkid,’ she said. ‘This is absolutely remarkable.’
‘It certainly is,’ he replied. ‘This is a perfectly detailed map of the galaxy, five billion years in the past. See? Our systems don’t even exist yet.’ To illustrate the point he used the icons to zoom in on the western spiral arm until a vast and livid nebula filled the screen. ‘This is the volume around the Solar System. All this will come to form it in time, along with Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Epsilon Eridani and all the rest.’ A series of dark swirling disks were visible within the nebula, one of which would eventually form the cradle for the Human race. Rekkid zoomed out again until the whole galaxy was visible. He selected another icon and each star became colour coded. The overwhelming majority of them turned green, with a few minor pockets of other colours. Labels appeared too in Progenitor linear script, the more common form used in their texts, rather than the more complex tri-linear forms employed by their machines. At this level of magnification the labels appeared to denote systems of particular note. Rekkid pointed to a slightly larger label half-way down the eastern arm of the galaxy.
‘This is the location of the Progenitor home-world. I translated the name and it literally means ‘Home’ which of course is what our home-world Keros is called. It’s a funny thing isn’t it? Everyone seems to call their own planet home, earth or something with religious connotations. Interestingly, the star it orbits has a name which translates into English as “The Sun”.’
‘I guess we all start out in the same situation. All we know of the universe at first is the earth beneath our feet and the heat from the sun in the sky. All the other names of things in the sky follow afterwards when we grow curious about our surroundings and try to see and reach further.’
‘Quite so. However few reached as far as the Progenitors. Have a look at this.’
He zoomed in on their home-world. Instead of a neat diagram of planets orbiting a central star, the centre of the system was entirely taken up with a vast Dyson sphere. The outer gas giants and icy dwarf planets orbited outside it. Rekkid zoomed in still further until the three inner, rocky planets could be seen orbiting in a stately fashion within the vast sphere which entirely enclosed them, save for a hole at each of its poles, presumable to allow the ingress and egress of ships. Two of the planets were lush worlds, the Progenitor home-world and one further out, apparently terra-formed judging from the regular coastlines, with another smaller planet orbiting close to
the sun and largely uninhabited. Rekkid zoomed in on Home, until it filled the screen. Its deep blue oceans and green-brown continents were swirled with banks of cloud whilst two ice caps glittered white at the poles. It shone like a radiant jewel in the sunlight against the backdrop of the Dyson sphere’s interior surface. That vast curving plane was patterned with titanic surface features - continents, seas, rivers and mountain ranges that dwarfed the surface area of any planet. The sheer scale of the thing was staggering, even to Katherine and Rekkid who had spent several months working on a similar, smaller structure. There was more habitable surface in this one sphere than in the whole of the Commonwealth’s inhabited worlds put together. Its diameter was akin to the orbit of Jupiter around the Sun, but the Progenitors had succeeded in rendering its surface warm enough to support life, and house trillions of their own citizens. It had a name: Sanctuary.
‘That,’ said Katherine, ‘is absolutely unbelievable. It’s hard to comprehend that this actually existed. If I hadn’t seen one of their smaller spheres with my own eyes I doubt I’d believe this at all.’
‘Indeed, and here it is too,’ said Rekkid and manipulated the image once more. The view sped across the plane of the galaxy and came to a stop inside another Dyson sphere.
‘There were a great number of these, right across the galaxy. This one was called Bivian. I believe it’s the one that you and I are familiar with.’ said Rekkid. ‘The name means something along the lines of ‘Safe Harbour’. It seems to have been quite beautiful in its day. Such a pity.’
‘I suppose most of them have been destroyed now,’ said Katherine. ‘What with war, the death of their parent stars and whatnot. It’s a wonder Bivian survived at all. I wonder if any survived intact?’
‘Who knows?’ Rekkid replied. ‘I suppose it’s just about possible. Maybe one or two survive around slower burning stars. Their builders are all long dead and gone though.’
Katherine gazed at the blue-green seas, the rolling, green continents swathed in cloud and criss-crossed with the fine, regular tracery of some ancient transport network and remembered the airless, ice-shrouded ruin that the sphere had become.
