“Don’t you worry about her, sweetie,” said Chris. “She can handle TERRA. I’m sure she picked up some of your defiant behavior.”
“Chris is correct,” Thresha reassured John. “She will be fine.”
They were right. Now wasn’t the time to worry about his friend. Julie had weathered three years in space and four years as John’s roommate at the Academy. She would handle TERRA with ease.
“Kevin, activate the drive and take us to the Screen,” ordered John.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Although the Mars communications center was technically at battle alert status the past three years, the staff had become complacent. Ever since the EXODUS left, TERRA expected that a Screen invasion would follow. When it didn’t, people assumed they dodged a bullet and no one expected the Screen would ever attack.
So the staff was taken off-guard when the alert klaxons blared. “Unidentified ships entering system. All personnel to stations.” An alarm also sounded throughout Crimson City, with an announcement that all citizens needed to report to designated shelter areas. As people began evacuating the streets, the huge blast shields came up and encapsulated the Martian city.
Admiral Rollins emerged from his office and took his place in the front row consoles. “How many Screen?” He knew this day would finally come. The Screen wouldn’t simply forget about the EXODUS leaving the solar system. He was surprised they waited this long.
“Admiral, we’ve got twenty vessels out by the perimeter of Pluto heading inbound,” reported the lieutenant. “But none of them conform to Screen vessel configuration or energy signatures.”
“What kind of vessels are they?” asked Rollins, confused that it wasn’t a Screen attack force.
“Unknown designations. I can report the group comprises of three distinct different vessel types, all alien in origin.”
This was unexpected. Rollins never anticipated this scenario. “Deploy the fleet. I want all capital ships ready for an attack. Have the planetary gun charged and notify Crimson City authority that we expect to go into battle.”
“Admiral,” called out another officer. “We’re getting an inbound transmission from the alien fleet.”
“Put it up on speakers,” ordered Rollins.
“Mars Defense, this is Julie Olson of the ship known to you as EXODUS. I’m commander of the alien fleet you’re detecting. Do not open fire on us. We have no hostile intentions and are heading to Mars with our weapons offline. I’m requesting to speak with the council immediately. I have vital information regarding the Screen.”
“Can we verify that’s Cadet Olson?” asked Rollins.
“Computer verifies that it’s her vocal patterns, but the sensor net is having trouble penetrating the ships’ hulls. We can’t determine if any human life signs are there.”
“Any sign of EXODUS?”
The lieutenant checked the sensors. “Negative, sir.”
Where was that experimental starship? Was it truly destroyed by the Screen as the council had claimed? And where was John Roberts? Was he dead?
“Advise the council of our situation and request instructions,” ordered Rollins.
On the GUIX, Julie paced back and forth behind the vori who was overseeing his operations staff at their stations. Jacks watched Julie with intrigue.
“Do you anticipate a hostile response from your people?” asked Jacks.
“I don’t know.” Julie expected TERRA to react negatively, she just didn’t know how they would respond. She looked to the Onixin ship commander. “Anything?”
“There is no response to your message,” replied the vori. “They are moving their capital ships in a formation that appears to be defensive. We also detect they are powering up the planetary cannon. If you are unsure of their reaction, perhaps we should be cautious and raise our shields.”
“If they attack, we are far enough away to raise shields before they could inflict any damage,” said Jacks.
“Let’s give them a few more minutes then.” Julie could only imagine the chaos going on in TERRA. They probably weren’t sure how to respond to the appearance of a fleet of three different alien starships. Despite her low opinion of the military, she hoped that logical heads would prevail and they wouldn’t attack.
The vori called her attention. “We are receiving a transmission. It is coming from the small moon orbiting your homeworld.”
Luna. It had to be the command council. “Put it through,” ordered Julie.
Some static came over the bridge speakers. “This is Admiral Donalds, head of TERRA military and speaker for the human race.”
“Admiral Donalds, this is Julie Olson.” She didn’t dwell over his statement that he spoke for the human race.
“Explain your presence on an unknown alien vessel, cadet. Where is the EXODUS?”
It irked Julie to be called a cadet. She had become accustomed to being called commander for three years and had the experience to justify her title. She knew TERRA wouldn’t recognize her rank on PHOENIX, but it still bothered her to be regarded as the equivalent of an inexperienced Academy student.
Julie put her feelings aside. “I’m more than happy to answer your questions, but I’m requesting to meet with the council in person with one of my colleagues. I have urgent news regarding the Screen.”
Again she had to wait for a response. Obviously, the admiral was conferring with the rest of the council as to how to proceed.
“Cadet, the ship you’re on will be allowed to proceed to Luna. You and one other person may come to meet with us. The remainder of the alien fleet is to maintain their position.”
“Agreed,” Julie said without hesitation. She banked on the council agreeing to see her, but she also knew they would probably try to arrest her and use her as leverage to try and get PHOENIX back. It was a risk, but she had already put some plans in place to make TERRA think twice about trying to detain her.
Julie looked at the vori. “Proceed to Luna and establish an orbit over the capital city.” She looked to Jacks. “You’ll be coming with me and act as the representative of the alliance.”
“Understood,” replied Jacks.
On Luna, Admiral Vespia could see Donalds was nervous. She tried to allay his fears by replacing the council guards with elite soldiers from her security detail to man the council chambers. The council never discussed the possibility that aliens other than the Screen would show up to the solar system. Although Vespia was personally worried about their appearance, she was more fascinated watching the nervous theatrics of Donalds and the other council members.
Everyone stopped what they were doing when the chamber doors opened and Julie Olson walked in, accompanied by a humanoid whose skin appeared pitch black. They were flanked by two guards on either side of them. As they got closer, the council members were shocked to see the humanoid alien had no facial features, only a crisscross pattern of white lights. Some couldn’t resist and whispered to each other. Despite the decades of being under threat from the Screen, this was the first time any council member set eyes on an alien.
Donalds looked at Julie as she and her alien companion stood in the center of the chamber. She showed no hint of fear, no apprehension. It was a miracle she had returned to the solar system, but Donalds refused to believe she had survived due to her skills. She had to be alive by sheer luck.
“Well, cadet,” spoke up Donalds. “Are you the only survivor of the EXODUS?” expecting to hear that the ship had been destroyed and John Roberts was dead.
“No, admiral,” replied a defiant Julie. “PHOENIX is currently en route to the Screen homeworld, monitoring the enemy fleet that’s amassing there.”
“You lie!” blurted out a council member.
“Julie Olson speaks the truth,” said Jacks.
“And who are you?” asked Vespia, curious how the alien could speak with no visible mouth.
“The PHOENIX crew has designated me Jacks. I am of the Ni and speak for the races that have aligned themselves with Jo
hn Roberts and Julie Olson. I can assure you what Julie Olson says is the truth. You are in danger.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe the words of a cadet who betrayed her oath to TERRA,” said Donalds. “We need proof.”
That was it. Julie didn’t have the time to deal with their pompous arrogance. “In a matter of days an armada of Screen starships will arrive with the intent of wiping out humanity. We came here to prepare TERRA for the attack.”
“How many ships?” asked another council member. Donalds shot the member a nasty look, upset that anyone would believe Julie’s claim.
“We don’t know,” replied Julie. “That’s why PHOENIX is heading to their home system, to find out what we’re up against.”
“If an armada is coming here, will PHOENIX and the twenty ships you brought here be enough to stop them?” asked Vespia.
“No, but the Onixins, Quix, and Senfo are sending additional ships here. The Screen believe that if humanity is wiped out, the other races will become subservient again.”
“It appears you and John Roberts accomplished quite a bit out there,” said Vespia. Julie didn’t know if she was giving a compliment or being condescending.
“Enough!” shouted Donalds. “You expect us to believe that an inexperienced crew managed to defy the Screen for three years and establish an alliance with multiple alien races?”
“That’s exactly what we’ve done,” shot back Julie.
“Even after EXODUS escaped, we continued to restrict travel to the outer solar system and the Screen never came,” said Donalds. “If we continue that mandate we have nothing to fear.”
“You’re an idiot!” said Julie.
“The Screen are coming,” said Jacks. “You must listen to what we have to say.”
“You’re a traitor,” Donalds said to Julie. “A traitor who’s spinning a lie to try and save herself. You failed in your mission, and you will be arrested and prosecuted for your crimes.”
“I don’t think so!” said Julie. “Olson to Vori Frunes. Target engines on the SOLARA and fire.”
Donalds shook his head as he heard no reply from anyone Julie was supposedly talking to. Suddenly, a message came in over the chamber speakers.
“Rollins to command. One of the alien ships fired and struck the SOLARA. Her engines are offline and all her weapons systems are down.”
The look on Donalds face was priceless, and Julie wished she could have taken a picture to show John later. The other council members were equally speechless by the power Julie just demonstrated.
“Well, it seems we have all the proof we need that this cadet is telling the truth,” said Vespia, acting as if the demonstration didn’t bother her. “I take it you have a plan of readiness you want to present us.”
But Donalds interrupted before Julie could respond. “You would be stupid enough to listen to this child?”
Vespia slowly rotated her chair to face Donalds and calmly spoke to him. “It’s you who’s stupid. You never expected EXODUS to survive, yet this cadet defied all odds and came back to us with a fleet of starships warning that the Screen are coming. Even with her demonstration, you still refuse to see past your own assumptions. You will listen to what she has to say.”
“I am the head of TERRA and am in charge,” replied an angry Donalds.
“You’re an old fool who’s no longer fit to lead.” Vespia nodded and the elite guards in the chambers stepped forward and aimed their weapons at all the council members. “Remove Admiral Donalds and the council members I’ve instructed you to detain.”
“What are you doing!?” shouted Donalds.
Vespia only grinned. “If any one of them resists, shoot them.”
Julie watched with fascination as the guards removed all but three council members from the chambers. She thought she might have to overthrow the council, but she never expected a council member to do the work for her.
When the prisoners were escorted out and the doors closed, Vespia took her seat at the head of the table and faced Julie.
“Now, cadet. Let us discuss how to prepare for the Screen’s arrival.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Five minutes to the target system,” reported Kevin.
“Acknowledged,” said John at the operations table. He looked at Tim. “Any sign of the Screen?”
“Negative, sir. But I can confirm the system is surrounded by a dense asteroid field that’s interfering with our sensors. The asteroids are scattering our sensors beams, preventing us from scanning the interior.”
“I am not picking up any transmissions around the system,” reported Rudov from the comm. station.
“You still worry about Commander Olson,” said Thresha who, along with Chris Anne, had been keeping watch with John on the command deck.
He kept telling himself she’d be fine, but he couldn’t stop worrying about her. “I hope she gets TERRA to listen to reason.”
“Oh sweetie, I think the sight of twenty alien starships will be enough to get TERRA to listen,” said Chris.
“True.” But without PHOENIX at the solar system, would the council even believe anything Julie said? They probably assumed the ship had been destroyed.
“We’re approaching the system,” announced Kevin.
“Take us right outside the asteroid field,” ordered John. The ship exited its jump, landing right outside the system and in front of a large mass of asteroids.
“Report,” said John.
“No sign of Screen ships anywhere,” reported Tim. “But sensors still can’t penetrate the asteroid field.”
“The field’s too dense for PHOENIX to navigate through it,” added Kevin.
They needed to know what was going on in the system. John looked over to Korifluxinina, who was busy reviewing data on her display. “What do you think?”
“The composition of the asteroids is an impediment to our sensors,” said the Quix. “It is interesting that the entire star system is surrounded by an asteroid field. It is almost a perfect sphere that is protecting the inner system.”
“How’s that supposed to help us?” asked Chris.
“Short range transmissions are possible,” continued Korifluxinina, ignoring Chris’ question. “I believe we could send out a group of fighter bots and stagger them in short distances from one another. They could communicate messages to one another and back to PHOENIX.”
“I see what you’re getting at,” smiled John. By sending out a line of fighter bots, they could control the furthest bot and have it do reconnaissance of the inner system. He looked at Tim. “Start programming the fighter bots.”
“On it,” replied Tim, who began inputting the commands. “We could have Vish take direct control of the bots through the transmissions.”
“Think you can do it, Vish?” asked John.
“Yes, captain. If you give me the programming specifics, I can program the bots myself.”
“Do it,” John said to Tim.
Twenty minutes later, a group of fighter bots launched into the asteroid field from PHOENIX.
“Minor disruptions in the transmission lines,” reported Vish. “But the feeds are stable.”
John watched the holographic display as the bots mapped the asteroid field. He worried that they might find nothing. For all they knew the Screen had already left for the solar system.
“Fighter Bot Delta 14 is picking up a large energy signature,” reported Vish. The display showed that was the fighter bot furthest inside the field. “Energy signature conforms to Screen.”
“Can we get a picture yet?” asked Chris.
“Standby,” said Vish. “Visual resolution is constructing and is incoming.”
Moments later an image popped over the operations table and what it showed took everyone by surprise. There were Screen ships everywhere: hundreds, thousands. Everyone expected that there would be a lot of ships, but no one imagined this many.
“Can…can we get a estimated number of enemy ships?” asked a now n
ervous John. Thresha put her hand on his arm to ease his worries.
Tim checked his display. “I’m showing a count of…” he rechecked the numbers to be sure. “Four thousand, six hundred, twenty four ships.”
The number was staggering. Even with the combined fleet of the alliance, their numbers were minor in comparison to the Screen armada.
John turned to Rudov. “Send a message to the alliance worlds and the solar system advising them of the Screen armada.”
“Yes, captain.”
“Captain, even if the Onixins, Senfo, and Quix sent all their ships to the solar system, it would not be enough to outnumber the Screen fleet,” said Thresha.
“I’m aware of that,” replied John. Even factoring in PHOENIX’s firepower, the alliance was outmatched. Each of the races only had a couple of hundred ships in their fleet, and John only expected for them to contribute a portion of their militaries to protect the solar system. They needed to put a dent into the Screen armada. But how?
John paced around the pit, his mind working to come up with an idea how to deal some sort of blow against the Screen before they left their system.
“You want to clue us in, sweetie?” Chris asked, recognizing John was trying to formulate a plan.
“We need to find a way to take out some of their ships,” explained John.
“Could you use the starburst to disable multiple ships?” asked Thresha.
Tim shook his head. “PHOENIX would have to be in direct sight with any ship to fire a starburst. We would have to wait for the Screen to emerge from their star system. Plus, it takes at least five minutes for the starburst emitters to recharge.”
“What about the fighter bots?” asked Kevin. “The Screen haven’t picked them up yet, correct?”
Tim checked his readings. “I’m not showing any indication they’ve detected the fighters.”
“As the asteroid field prevents any ship from scanning the system interior, it may also prevent the Screen from scanning outside the system,” said Korifluxinina.
“Ok, so the Screen don’t know we’re here and haven’t picked up our fighters,” said Chris. “How does that help us?”
Fury Of The Phoenix (Exodus) Page 11
