by Scott Baron
“He said––”
“I think I can guess what he said,” Vince interrupted, turning to the old alien. “We’ll get you your world back, Maarl. Whatever it takes.”
The Chithiid nodded his head in thanks.
“We shall do all we can, and if we should find fortune in our efforts, I will walk the soil of Taangaar’s lush fields once more.”
Circling the Chithiid planet of Taangaar, Maarl’s heart broke as he looked out of Freya’s thick windows.
“Oh, my home. What have they done to you?”
A dozen Ra’az command vessels orbited the planet, as Maarl had anticipated. What was below, however, was far worse than he could have foreseen.
What had once been fecund forest land and shining cities was now an industrialized grid of housing units and food-growing facilities. All were designed with efficiency in mind, nothing else, and the once-pristine landscape showed the effects.
Ore was strip mined where needed, deep pits scarring the surface of the planet like a pock-marked wall, damaged by shrapnel from an exploding bomb.
While vast oceans still covered much of the planet, the areas nearest the shores were murky with runoff from waste-removal facilities and smelting and fabrication plants.
“They have ruined my world,” Maarl lamented.
“I am so sorry, my friend,” Daisy consoled. “We will make them pay for what they have done.”
“Of that I have the utmost faith,” Maarl said, a cold look in his eyes. “And yet, despite the damage they have wrought, my people are strong, and they are resilient. Our planet still lives, and though it may take generations to do so, we can re-shape our world back into the tranquil beauty of its former self.”
He shifted his gaze to the massive Ra’az command vessels locked in geosynchronous orbit above the planet, each controlling a huge swath of the world below. “But first, we must root out the infection. We must destroy the Ra’az and wipe them from this solar system.”
His anger was clear, and Daisy felt confident that same level of visceral drive would push the rest of his men to great acts of bravery when the time came. Lives would be lost, and blood would be spilled, but if they planned it just right, and if they struck with an abundance of speed and a lack of mercy, they just might be successful.
“Maarl?” Vince asked, waiting for the translator to kick in. “Scans seem to show entire populations have been shifted to the main housing facilities in each sector. I know this is uncomfortable to discuss, and I apologize for bringing it up, but I think it’s something we should talk about. How are we going to track down and repatriate your people, once we succeed?”
Maarl listened to the translation, then thought a moment before replying.
“You are correct, Vince. It will be difficult to liberate and reunite my people. We have one thing to our advantage, however. Even where records were destroyed, our familial songs will not have been. Even the young children will have been taught their family’s song from their earliest years.”
“Of course,” Daisy said, as the realization of just what that meant sank in. “Even without something like a computer record or census, your people can fall back to the songs they used long before those machines and tabulations even existed.”
“You understand,” Maarl said with a smile.
Freya quickly translated for Vince as well as both Sarahs, bringing everyone up to speed.
“Freya, have you recorded and logged all relevant data?” Maarl asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got it all.”
“Then we are done here. Let us depart. I would not look any longer upon my world in this state. The next time I see it, it will be as a liberated planet, bathing in the blood of our enemies.”
“Okay,” the young AI replied.
Freya flew well clear of Taangaar, making sure she was nowhere near any Ra’az scanning apparatus before prepping for their next warp. The long, long trip to the Ra’az world. The planet their enemies called home.
Ra’azengar.
It was quick work deciphering the star charts the Ra’az had left behind when they fled their facilities in San Francisco, and thus far, all of the landmarks had matched up with what Freya already held in her massive data core. But as she powered up, readying for the long warp to Ra’azengar, something felt off to her. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Daisy?”
“Yeah, Freya? What is it?”
“I-I’m not sure, exactly.”
“Is there a problem with your systems? Are you ready to jump?”
“Yeah, that’s all fine,” the AI replied. “It’s just that something about this feels weird.”
“Weird in what way?”
“I don’t know. I just get this uneasy sensation when I plot the course.”
Daisy felt a cold shudder run down her spine. Instinct was something she very much believed in, and if a mind as powerful and informed as Freya was uneasy, they would damn well listen to her instincts.
“Power down, Freya. If there’s something up, we need to figure it out.”
“I’m sorry. I know you want to get there as soon as we can.”
“Not if there’s a problem. No, you did the right thing. Your mind is full of massive amounts of data. If something feels wrong, you should trust your gut and triple-check until you’re satisfied. Believing in yourself will save you more often than not.”
“Okay,” Freya said, her relief obvious in her voice.
She spent nearly a half hour reviewing and re-reviewing the Ra’az charts, but something still wasn’t sitting right. She just couldn’t figure out why.
“A suggestion, if I may,” Sarah said, her hangover finally receding after her fifth electrolyte pouch. “Something is up, and we don’t know what it is, right?”
“Right.”
“So let’s not take any chances. I mean, I know it feels like we’re in a rush, but this is just a scouting and recon run. The fleet won’t even be ready for the assault for months, so let’s take our time and not press our luck.”
“What are you suggesting, Sis?”
“Warp to the far edge of the solar system and go in under normal power. We’ll have plenty of time to see any problems long before we reach them that way.”
Daisy thought about it a moment and liked the idea.
“Freya, you good with that?” she asked.
“Yeah, I think it’s a good plan.”
“Okay, then. Plot your warp for the outer limits of the solar system.”
“Will do,” she said.
Moments later she was ready to go.
“Okay, warping in five.”
The ship glowed a faint blue, then popped out of space, reappearing far, far away.
The blaze that filled her windows and screens was blinding.
“Freya, get us out of here!” Daisy shouted.
Fortunately, Freya had already powered up and jumped them clear, even as she spoke those words. A few seconds after they arrived, they were safely out of harm’s way, freaked out, a bit singed, but alive.
“What the hell was that?” Sarah stammered.
“It was a sun,” Freya answered.
“But the charts didn’t show that.”
“No, they didn’t,” Daisy replied. “Sonofabitch.”
“What?”
“The fucking Ra’az, man. They did it again,” she sighed. “First the decoy comms station rumors on Earth, now altered star charts. Those paranoid bastards––”
“You mean it was a trap, set in their own records?” Vince asked, stunned.
“Yeah. Unless you’re a Ra’az and knew better, following their charts to the letter would have landed you right in the middle of a supernova. That entire solar system was a trap.”
“So we don’t know where their planet is,” Sarah noted, dejectedly. “We are so screwed.”
“And our fleet will have to spread itself thin to find it, unless we get lucky somehow,” Daisy grumbled. “This could take some time.”
She paced the command cabin, weighing their options. Unfortunately, until their tacticians had a look at the data, they’d be flying blind out there, and that was far too risky, given what they’d just experienced.
“Okay, Freya,” Daisy reluctantly said. “Not much more we can do out here for now. Take us back home.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“So we split into teams and get looking,” Commander Mrazich growled. “For the love of Pete, are you all giving up so easily?”
“No, Commander, not at all, it’s just we’ve had quite a day, is all,” Vince replied.
Daisy watched the discussion, careful to bite her tongue. Mrazich was on edge ever since the loyalists had taken over the base. His base. And his powder-keg attitude would not be well-served by her snark on this particular occasion.
“Swarthmore! Tell me you’re working this problem,” he barked, spinning toward Daisy where she sat in his command center.
“We are, sir, and Freya has already relayed the scenario to the other AIs in the fleet. I’m afraid the terrestrial ones won’t be much help, though. This is a spatial thing, and the ones relegated to ships seem to have a much better capacity for strategic analysis of these types of situations.”
“So Cal and his buddies are worthless? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“No, not at all. It’s just this isn’t their forte. You know, let specialists specialize,” she said. “If you make bread, you shouldn’t be expected to squeeze oranges.”
“You what?”
“You know, bakers can’t be juicers,” she said.
Mrazich looked at her blankly as the joke fell terribly flat.
“Oh, jeez, you did not just say that, Daze.”
What? I thought it might lighten the mood.
“Does his mood look lightened?” Sarah asked.
The darkness on Commander Mrazich’s face spoke louder than words.
No, I guess not.
“Sorry, Commander. What I’m trying to say is all of our best resources are doing what they can. We did, however, get a ton of great data on not only the Chithiid homeworld, but we also have detailed scans of the entire Ra’az fleet.”
“Yes, I saw that. But without taking out the Ra’az homeworld, they’ll just send out another fleet eventually, and who knows? Maybe that one we won’t be able to stop. We’re lucky to have the slightest of edges with a more advanced warp technology as it is.”
“And stealth,” Sarah added.
“Yes, and that,” Mrazich agreed. “And speaking of which, where the hell is that Arlo character? He and that stealth ship of his need to get retrofitted with a warp system ASA-fucking-P.”
“Uh, I believe he is in Los Angeles, helping Finn whip up some treats for the newlyweds,” Vince replied.
“Oh, for crying out––Look, they’ve been married for years. The festivities are over. We need everyone to get their head back in the game. Get your asses down there and get him dialed in.”
“Commander?” Daisy said, quietly.
“What now, Swarthmore?”
“One thing. Arlo isn’t from our fleet. I know he has been helping out, and he’s really starting to fit in around here, but his original mission was to survey the planet and report back to his people. What if he chooses to do just that once Marty is outfitted with a warp drive?”
Mrazich clenched his jaw, slowly forcing himself to relax it.
“If that’s the case, then so be it. But with warp technology, perhaps he can convince his own people to step up to the task. If they still care enough about Earth to send a scout, one would hope they care enough to help in this fight.”
“Okay. I figured as much, but I wanted to get it directly from you. I’ll go track him down,” Daisy replied.
They found him in the spacious kitchen in the hotel in which the Harkaways had taken up temporary residence. He and Finn were having an absolute blast, experimenting with ingredients, playing with flavor combinations, and utilizing an utterly enormous cooking facility.
The two were like kids in a candy shop, only they were the ones who got to make the candy, and lots of it.
“Try this, you guys,” Arlo said, plating a delicate flan for Daisy and Vince. “We just made it this morning. Well, afternoon, technically. Finn was looking a bit rough when he rolled in at the crack of noon, if you know what I mean.”
They both took bites of the offered treat, and it was unlike anything they’d ever had aboard the Váli, or even on Dark Side Base.
“Incredible, right? He said it had to do with being able to source real ingredients down here on the surface. Real eggs and that kind of stuff.”
“Damn, dude, this is really good,” Vince said, scooping up another bite. “Hey, Finn,” he called across the kitchen. “This kicks ass!”
“Thanks, man!” he called back, then turned his attention to the flaming pan in front of him.
“Pears flambé,” Arlo explained. “We made some fresh vanilla bean ice cream earlier, so he wanted something to go with it.”
“You two are something else, you know that?” Daisy said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should. But listen, we’re here to discuss the next steps of all this madness.”
“I assume you don’t mean all the wedding festivities,” Arlo said.
“You would be correct.”
Daisy filled him in on the discoveries of the day. How the Ra’az fleet was larger than originally anticipated, but most ships were Chithiid-crewed, which meant none, save loyalist ones, were armed. They also relayed the state in which they found Maarl’s homeworld.
“Poor dude,” Arlo said softly. “That’s gotta really suck, coming back to your home after all those years, only to find it all kinds of fucked, thanks to the Ra’az.”
“Not the most eloquent way of putting it, but that pretty much sums it up,” Daisy agreed. “Here’s the thing. We have to track down the Ra’az homeworld, and even with warp tech, there’s only one ship that can safely do it without tipping them off.”
“Two, if you count Marty,” he noted.
“Well, that’s what I was getting to. We know you’re on a mission for your own people, and understand if you need to return. The fleet will gladly offer you one of their warp drives, whatever your decision is, but we were hoping––”
“Oh, hell yeah. We’re in!” Arlo exclaimed. “You think I’d fly home now? After all this? No way I’m going to miss all the fun. And I know Marty’ll have a blast.”
“That was a lot easier than I expected.”
Me too. But as they say, gift horse, mouth, and all that.
“Yup.”
“Then we’ll have the fleet talk to Marty and get a warp drive sent to you as soon as possible. They can have a team of techs––”
“Nah, just drop it off. Me and Marty, we’ll install it ourselves. It’ll be fun.”
“You sure about that?” Vince asked. “It might be a bit of a tricky task.”
“Come on, man. He’s a super-smart AI stealth ship. I think we can handle it.”
“Aaand there’s the cockiness again.”
At least he’s competent.
“Better be, with that confidence.”
“All right, we’ll have Zed hook you guys up. Once you’ve incorporated the warp drive, we’ll start running a grid, looking for the Ra’az world. Whether we find it before or after, once we are ready to begin the assaults, I’ll need you to go with Maarl and help his people sneak close to Taangaar. It looks like a good portion of their mission will be sabotage before the main assault.”
“What’s a Taangaar?”
“The name of their planet.”
“Ah, gotcha. Never thought to ask.”
Daisy looked him over. Indeed, he seemed calmly confident, and even beneath what could very well have been teenage bravado, an air of certainty was present.
“He’s good, Daze. I think he’ll come through.”
I agree, Sis. I
just hope we all survive this.
Daisy and Vince turned to leave.
“Hey, Daisy,” Arlo called after her.
“Yeah?”
“Hang on a sec.”
The teen reached into his shirt and pulled a slender chain from around his neck. A small pendant with a trio of raised gemstones, well polished from years of wear, dangled at its end. He pressed the left-hand one briefly and a happy little tune played from the device, also somehow tapping into the building’s built-in speakers. He pressed the stone again and silenced the pendant.
“Cool gizmo, Arlo. That’s a nice tune.”
He reached out, offering it to his new friend.
“You’ve been really great to me, Daisy. All of you have. I wanted you to have this as a token of our friendship.”
“This looks old,” Daisy said, taking it from his hand. “Are you sure you want to part with it?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of a good luck charm. Been in the family a long time. I was playing it when I found you guys, which was pretty amazing luck, if you ask me. And now we’re about to go off on this insane mission, and you’ve done so much for me, well, I just kinda thought maybe you could use it.”
Daisy smiled warmly and slid the chain over her head. The pendant rested comfortably on her chest, the metal still warm from its prior owner.
“Thanks, Arlo. It’s lovely.”
“And it’ll bring you luck.”
“I certainly hope so,” she replied. “It’s going to be a tough one, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, but we’ll win.”
“I appreciate the confidence. Let’s just hope you’re right.” Daisy thought on it a moment. “Hey, I’m going to do a more detailed scout of the Ra’az fleet. You and Marty want to come?”
Arlo’s face brightened.
“Sounds like fun!”
“Fun, he says. More like insanely dangerous, if you ask me,” Sarah quipped.
Maybe, but I think those two are up for it, Daisy replied.
Outside the building, a few blocks away, Freya quietly monitored the discussion over the open comms system while her machinery hummed away.
“Not just the fleet, but also the Chithiid and Ra’az homeworlds? This is going to be the most dangerous thing we’ve ever done,” she said to herself, her voice echoing slightly inside her walls. “I think it’s time.”
