Commander Zhu nodded, grabbed one of his data-pads, powered it up and quickly tapped the keyboard and held it up to Captain Fei.
‘FULL VSV – PREPARE YOURSELF – ENTIRE HULL – 10:00’
Fei nodded in approval. Commander Zhu tapped the screen, started the countdown and made his way through the bridge. Each time he stopped at a new station, the officer read the note. After finishing with the bridge, Zhu handed the data-pad to the COMs officer who crept off the bridge to alert the remaining crew-members.
It was the look of fear overcome by curiosity, Fei thought or possibly curiosity overcome by fear. Either way, his crew was about to see something new. What if the VSV shows nothing but true blackness? Deep space was dark with lighter stretches of gray mixed with pinholes of distant light, but what if the camouflaging field consumed all spectrums of light? With no stellar map to guide them, no sensors to lead them, the Kwan Yin could be lost for good. A drop in an ocean. I will find a way out of this, Captain Fei promised, there is always a path if one can find a way to see it.
The COMs officer crept back onto the bridge, held the Data-Pad up for everyone to see.
‘FULL VSV – PREPARE YOURSELF – ENTIRE HULL – 1:37’
48
Aris the Chosen One
the Darkness
Aris the Chosen One drifted in the Darkness with a new sense of purpose. Three of the ancient Prox had arrived and as was customary for Prox of a lower rank, they remained just below her and waited for the last member of their pack.
When the forth arrived the hunting pack would be whole. Aris would be the fifth and final Prox, completing the ancient tradition of ‘forming the five’ and the uploads from the Creators would commence.
Aris studied the three ancient ones. Each gently brushed against one another. But do I? she thought, do I see them or is the Darkness feeding the images to my sensors? And are the Creators uploading to the Darkness? No, she concluded, the Darkness feeds itself. Fins continued moving below her, just enough for the Proxs to keep their positions in the Darkness that swirled, pushed and pulled against their carapaces. All Prox shared the same carapace overall size but she marveled at the various shapes of the three below her. This was the truth of the Creators’ offspring, each clan had its own bulk, its warrior’s symbol that represented the space they consumed with their form and all were created within its rubrics. But how each of them filled that space was fascinating to Aris.
A current pushed past her sensors, the last of the four approached. The eldest of all the Prox was moments away and it was her right, even her duty to arrive last. Aris felt the warrior’s rage begin to drip into her systems. Soon it would seep into her organs once the hunting pack was whole.
Where are the Creators’ plans? Aris thought on a private thought-stream. The hunting pack continued to jostle against one another, the warrior’s rage growing within each Prox and with it, fearless aggression would soon overtake the pack. The Creators must upload the plans before the four lost control of their systems to the building fury.
Serenity washed over Aris. She closed her private thought-stream and opened one to the pack. The ancient Prox swam into their midst. The pack was whole and their prey was close. A surge pushed into the pack, each of the five carapaces arched and stretched. The Creators began to upload their plan.
Aris heard the singular voice echo throughout all of her systems and vibrate through each plate in her carapace. Even her fins twitched and flexed with the sound of the Creators.
The enemy has entered the Darkness, invaded the territories. A warrior’s action and an opportunity for a Prox hunt that has not taken place in the territories since the ancient conflicts, billions of cycles ago, before the Darkness herself came into existence. The upload continued until all known data of the invading vessel was stored in the Prox core organ.
Aris the Chosen One, new leader of the Prox and the clans with the aid of the four ancient beings that had existed for billions of years, would finally fulfill their Oath and protect the Creators and defend the territories. The data push slowed and then stopped.
Aris gently moved her fins and slipped through the oily-black current towards the last known location of the enemy voices and the foreign beast they traveled in. Four ancient shadows followed her while the warrior’s rage coursed through their carapaces, turning them into a predatory force with a single purpose.
The voices must be silenced.
49
Admiral Chen
10th Fleet
Admiral Chen observed from his flagship the Qing Long. The chasing missile locked on to one of the few remaining enemy targets so skillfully cloaked as one of their own Data-Pods down to the electronic signature. Moments later, the missile made contact, turning the Hull Pounder into flame for a split second before the vacuum of deep space erased it from existence. Shrapnel thudded against the outer hull, close to the bridge. Chen thought about the creation of 10th Fleet, its purpose and its reality.
Far cheaper than iron, poly-epoxy plastics gave vessels the ability to carry vast amounts of fuel and supplies for short-range missions. Layered across lightweight carbon-fiber frames, they created a superior hull and allowed grav-fluid to flow and spin at incredible speeds between layers creating ninety-eight percent Earth gravity.
Other spaces between the five layers were filled with patching epoxy to ensure any punctures or even a heavy impact crater could be filled and sealed within seconds. The downside of the lightweight materials, Chen thought, they may have no place in combat. 10th Fleet represented the pinnacle of technology and power. In reality, it was a horse and pony show meant to awe their competitors, the Russian Federation and Euro-Arab League and inspire the Chinese people now under the umbrella of the United Nations. But most importantly, 10th Fleet gave China immense influence within the UN. Another warning siren pulsed over the COM.
“Damage report, Commander.” Chen kept his eyes level and back straight. The Oortians used 10th Fleet’s stealth formation against it, but they had not caught them with their Battle-Net down. The close proximity of the vessels allowed many of the Hull Pounders to inflict damage, but it was minor.
“COM-Sats off line on…” Commander Lee read off each code name for the eighteen damaged boats. As he finished a flash lit the Battle-Net screen and the final attacker exploded along the Fleet’s port flank.
“All enemies destroyed, Admiral,” Lee added, and the alarm fell silent.
Chen gave his usual nod and tapped the control panel on the right arm of his admiral’s chair. A smooth, clear screen emerged from its sleeve on the side and silently followed its track until it rested over his lap.
The flagship Qing Long was bustling with hushed activity. Each crew-member went about their duties, but from here on out, anything could be an attack or enemy. After studying the information that passed over the screen, Chen looked to his commander.
“Eighteen COM-Sats destroyed…” The admiral let his statement hang in the air. “Five of these… ‘things’ imitating our Data-Pods came at us from the bow and twenty more skirted our starboard flank, then attacked our stern after creating the illusion they were heading to Station Pluto and Earth.”
Commander Lee listened, his eyes never leaving the admiral’s face.
Chen continued, “Yet, they destroyed eighteen of our fleets COM-Sats.” Chen tapped his screen, slid it over the arm it sprang from and pushed himself to a standing position. “They attacked what they knew. They hit only our Viper class patrol boats, just as they destroyed Captain Fei’s battle-group. They took out their ability to communicate with the Fleet.” Chen wiped the sweat off his brow with a thick, solid forearm. “The Oortians attacked the same vessels they destroyed. This time, they mimicked our own electronic signatures without us knowing it.” Admiral Chen paced the small area around his chair. “Without Captain Falco’s warning…” He cleared his throat, shook his head and sat back in his chair.
Commander Lee turned from his screens. “They are learning from each
encounter,” he paused, “and so are we. However the Oortian technology may be far better than we estimated.”
Chen looked across the bridge as if he could see through the hull itself. “Yes, Commander Lee, the Oortians mimicked the size of our Data-Pods or already had something similar to their signature.” He closed his heavy eyes. “The strategy was sound and based on the destruction of eighteen of our COM-Sats… effective.”
“Admiral, our long-range sensors have detected irregularities.” The lieutenant continued to monitor the incoming data feed. “Sir, we have detected irregularities in the astro-field 2.012.031.9.”
“Commander.” Chen gave his second-in-command a nod.
Lee moved quickly to the young officer’s station where the lieutenant was already standing to the side of her chair. The commander sat hard and keyed in the field reference code. The vast Kuiper Belt surrounded them. It extended from the orbit of Neptune and went well beyond Pluto. Within its influence were millions of objects from small asteroids to dwarf planets and everything in between.
“Admiral, we have three small objects giving off faint heat signatures.”
Admiral Chen knew it could be explained by one of a thousand different scenarios, but he could feel the intensity rise from those around him. What are the chances, he pondered that after a wave of enemy attacks, our sensors pick up irregular heat signatures a thousand klicks out?
All eyes fell to Admiral Chen.
“Scan the field for any objects similar to what data we have on the Oortians so far.” Chen hesitated as he thought of the name Captain Falco had given the round projectiles. “Scan the field for the Hull Pounders. Use the data from our skirmish and the Anam Cara’s encounter.
“Admiral Chen?” The young lieutenant kept her tone low, eyes down.
Chen did not know her name, but recognized her mannerisms as old-world displays of respect. From a lower cast, he thought, possibly farmers. “Speak, Lieutenant?” He inflected the last syllable and motioned with his hand.
“Lieutenant Bai, sir.” She spoke it like someone used to stating her name again and again. Bai was one of twenty officers of which five were low ranking lieutenants like herself. “If we search for these Hull Pounders specifically, by size, what of the other types that the Anam Cara encountered?” She felt a growing confidence and continued. “What of the bigger Oortians we know to exist, but have yet to encounter?”
Commander Lee glanced up from his task and shot the admiral a look of concern. Chen met the glance with agreement. “How do we scan for other potential enemies, Lieutenant?”
“Exhaust, sir. Every self-propelled entity excretes a byproduct or waste by simply burning or using some type of fuel.”
Admiral Chen came close to releasing a smile, but kept it at bay. “Lieutenant Bai, you have access to all data on the Oortians. Form a team and find a method to scan for enemy threats. Report back to me within the hour.” Chen followed the young officer while she did her best to mask the magnitude of his order, saluted and rushed off.
“Commander,” Without a single vessel left from Captain Fei’s battle-group, Admiral Chen had no reason to move, nowhere to hide. “Fleet formation, Tzu!”
“Yes, Admiral.”
The Battle-Net would sound if anything moved in a way that did not conform to the known physics of space. What bothered Chen were these rules and principles were based on human experience, an experience that had no knowledge of a vast camouflaging field big enough to hide a solar system. And for how long? he thought. Before humans walked the Earth? The Oortians had caught him off-guard and it would not happen again.
Moments later Admiral Chen of the People’s 10th Fleet watched his screen as twenty-nine heavily armed vessels positioned around his flagship, the Qing Long. The image of the vast black wall looking down upon his 10th Fleet seemed like a damn that could crumble at any moment, releasing a rushing river of Oortians.
So be it, Chen pondered, there is nowhere to run and nothing to hide behind out here but our multiple layers of plastic.
50
Captain Falco
Station Pluto
Commander Shar’ran and Lieutenant Wallace sat quietly reading the encounter report from 10th Fleet while Captain Falco scanned the latest update on Station Pluto. The Pluto Room and now command center of the space station sat in shadows, the glow from the paper-thin screen lighting Falco’s hardened features.
Satisfied with the station’s progress, Falco looked up from his data-pad. “Just as we feared, battle group’s Data-Pods were compromised.”
“Worse,” stated Wallace, “the Oortians somehow hacked into the unhackable, stole the encrypted Fleet signatures and stuck them on Hull Pounders.”
“And our sensors let them walk on in,” Commander Shar’ran added.
“We hope to fix that soon. Holts and Lieutenant Bai are on it.” Falco looked to Wallace. “Bring up the hologram of Station Pluto, Lieutenant.”
Wallace shot Commander Shar’ran a sheepish look. Shar’ran stood, moved to the large tables control panel and sat down. Moments later the center of the table glowed bright and Station Pluto appeared, floating a meter above the cool surface.
Shar’ran raised an eyebrow toward Wallace who simply shrugged and proclaimed, “I fly spaceships.”
Falco shook his head. “When this is over, Commander Shar’ran, could you please teach Lieutenant Wallace how to use the holo-feed.”
“Not sure much more will fit in that thick skull of his, but I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Good.” Falco stood and moved toward the hologram. “Magnify one point five times, Commander.” Station Pluto grew so its edges hung over the table. Falco walked around the station with his hand brushing through the image of the newly created bunkers of the Infinity Hall.
“Chief Tenzin sent me his update while he’s upgrading the mounts on the rail guns. All one hundred and fifty bunkers are in place and ready. Those crewing the bunkers need to suit up, tie in and hit the marked glass with the butt of their weapon, it’s been cut almost through.” Captain Falco grimaced, “And hold on until the bunker has equalized.”
Lieutenant Wallace raised his hand.
“Speak freely, Lieutenant, there’s only the three of us. Ensign Holts will make it for the end of the meeting.”
“Why use the Infinity Hall when the level above is already compartmentalized into crew quarters?” Wallace paused. “And not to mention, the hull is thicker and stronger.”
“Yes, Lieutenant, it is. But the hull would also fight against us as soon as we cut into it.”
“Repair epoxy.” Wallace swore under his breath.
“Infinity Wall itself gives up better line of sight for the small weapon systems, hell of a lot easier to cut through the poly-glass.” Commander Shar’ran followed Captain Falco as he continued his circle around the hologram.
“Captain, may I ask what Ensign Holts is working on?” Shar’ran asked.
“Admiral Chen has an officer who thinks she may have a way of detecting the Oortians in open space. For all we know, the Oortian force that attacked the Anam Cara is one of many, sitting out here all around us, just waiting. Holts had a few theories so Admiral Chen asked for her help.” Falco felt a hopeless silence consume the Pluto Room and found his chair.
Commander Shar’ran sat up straight. “As long as the dark field does not swallow us, being able to find an enemy that can completely shut down its systems to the point of leaving no signature, that would be helpful.”
The hatch slid open and Ensign Holts burst into the Pluto Room holding a data-pad.
“I think we have a way!” Without waiting for a response, she moved toward Commander Shar’ran, pointing to his seat in front of the controls, “Commander?”
Shar’ran was up and sitting in the next chair over while Holts linked her data-pad to the holo-feed.
Captain Falco waited until he could see Ensign Holts was prepared. “Any time you’re ready, Ensign.”
“Lieutenant Bai i
s going over the report now with Admiral Chen."
Falco nodded and waited.
“At first Lieutenant Bai thought we could program the Fleet’s sensors to detect the exhaust or waste created by the Oortians.” Holts moved her hand and the Anam Cara replaced the Station Pluto hologram, the vessel floating in a sea of stars with four faint red dots off her port side.
“The Battle-Net optically detected exhaust trails when the Anam Cara made first contact. Though the autopsy created more questions than answers, one thing we feel strongly about is that Oortians use methane as fuel.”
Captain Falco cut in, “Based on the methane trace left on sack of the Hull Pounder?”
“Correct, sir. The challenge is that if the Oortians have fully shut down their ‘systems’ they simply read as debris with no perceivable exhaust or energy signature.” Ensign Holts gestured at the hologram of the Anam Cara with four faint red dots off her bow. “These,” she stood up and placed her finger directly in front of the glowing dots, “are four Oortians powering up.”
Commander Shar’ran leaned forward, squinting at the hologram. “But how does any of this help us detect the Oortians in open space when they are fully powered down?”
“Agreed,” Falco said. “Where are you going with this, Ensign.”
“Yes, Captain.” Holts sat down, tapped on her data-pad. “Then we looked for shapes through the optical scanner.” The hologram became a field of various sized objects. “Once again this could be any debris without a heat signature and even then…” Holts pointed to the four glowing red dots. “The size and shape of the Oortians could be an infinite number of things if they were fully shut down.”
Darkness: Book One of the Oortian Wars Page 23
