by Kumar L
Book 2
Earth to Centauri
Alien Hunt
By
Kumar L.
Copyright © 2018 Kumar L.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
All characters and events in this book are fictional. Any resemblance of characters to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Edited by Anita Vermaak ([email protected])
The story so far….
Book 1 - Earth to Centauri: The First Journey
In the year 2117, Antariksh became the first spaceship from Earth to make a journey to interstellar space and reach the planet HuZryss, in the Alpha Centauri star system, four light-years from Earth.
The crew of Antariksh made contact with the ‘new humans' on HuZryss and the civilisation on a second planet - KifrWyss. But they also found an enemy in the TrueKif, led by the enigmatic ‘Chairman’ who is determined to keep the KifrWyss bloodline pure. Captain Anara and her team is held hostage on HuZryss but they turn the tables with the help of their new found ally, the leader of the ruling ‘Discat’ -RyHiza.
Anara offers to bring three of the ‘new humans’ - Joe, Lucy, and her unborn child, back to Earth.
This is where ‘Alien Hunt’ begins….
Author’s note:
The reptilian people from KifrWyss have been referred to by ‘it’ rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’ in this book, since they do not have gender differentiation.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Six months ago, somewhere on KifrWyss
Six months ago - Antariksh
2118, The present day
The Prime Minister’s Office, New Delhi
Three Light-years from Earth
Home
Preparations - NIA, New Delhi
INHS Asvini, Mumbai
The arrival
Implications
Fifty kilometers from the Mega-city
T minus 48 hours - NIA station, Mumbai
T minus 48 hours - Stage 1
T minus 48 hours - INHS Asvini
T minus 47 hours - NIA, Mumbai
T minus 46 hours - chorbazaar, Mumbai
T minus 42 hours - NIA Station
T minus 42 hours - Panvel station
T minus 40 hours - INHS Asvini
T minus 36 hours - standstill
T minus 32 hours - ATS
T minus 30 hours - NIA station
T minus 28 hours - Marketplace
T minus 24 hours - NIA station
T minus 24 hours - Operation Moksh
T minus 20 hours - Marine Drive
T minus 18 hours - INHS Asvini
T minus 18 hours - NIA Station
T minus 12 hours - Panvel station
T minus 10 hours - NIA Station
T minus 6 hours - Highway
T minus 4 hours - The Prana Protocol
T minus 4 hours - Marine Drive
T minus 3 hours – the search
T minus 2 hours – the underwater city
T minus 2 hours – the escape
T minus 0 - INHS Asvini
INHS Asvini - breach
INHS Asvini - Standoff
West wing, INHS Asvini
East Wing, INHS Asvini
The return
Epilogue
Glossary
About the author
Prologue
Lucy woke up screaming.
She had another nightmare. The same nightmare. She was still in the middle of this nightmare, if only for a few seconds. It took her a moment to stop thrashing, catch her breath and remind herself that the darkness surrounding her meant she was no longer in that place, even if it did little to make her feel better.
‘Lights’, she reminded herself. She was supposed to say ‘lights’. She whispered it, then a little louder when she realised the AI had not heard her. The room brightened, and she slowly exhaled. The lights didn't eradicate the nightmare, but it made her feel better, if only for a short while. She didn't feel so alone now.
But, she reminded herself as she placed her hand on the gentle swell of her stomach, she wasn't alone. Not anymore. Not with the reason she was going to Earth. My daughter will need the love of her people, not the hatred of the TrueKif, she thought.
She lay back on the pillow, trying to get comfortable. She needed the sleep to keep up her strength - Dr. Khan had insisted on that. Never having experienced or witnessed childbirth or having had a parent of her own, Lucy had learned to listen and follow carefully whatever the doctor told her to do. In the end, her daughter needed to be born healthy and tough. Anything less would not do for the firstborn of the HuZryss.
********
The Chairman seldom had reason to smile, but it had to admit that the campaign was close to giving it one. Very soon the Discat would be overthrown. Very soon it would rule the land from the West Ocean to the Edge of the East. Very soon the civil war would end in victory. It had taken years of preparations but the time had finally come to deliver the people of KifrWyss.
And yet it was not happiness, satisfaction or anticipation that filled its heart. No; the burning, acrid desire for revenge saw to that. The Chairman could not abide humiliation, and so the people of Earth would not endure what was about to be unleashed on them. Not vengeance; but justice. Justice for what they had done to HuZryss. Never before had the prospect of justice tasted so very delicious.
The mercenaries were ready. The moment was close.
Perhaps, the Chairman supposed, it had enough reason to smile after all.
********
The wounds had opened again. Major Rawat could feel the fresh blood inside his boxing gloves, its horrible wet warmth coating his fists. But he didn't stop. The pain was fuel, fuel for his anger, fuel for each strike against the bag. Maybe, if the pain was terrible enough, it would drive the mission from his thoughts and nightmares. Perhaps he didn't deserve the pain.
Even so. He kept punching.
It was so easy for Captain Anara to make noises about diplomatic victories. As if those hollow words meant a damn thing to those who had spent three days in captivity. As if those words could make up for the sleepless nights and the dreams that came when he did eventually fall asleep. Elite soldiers, his team had been called. It was a cruel joke. Nothing about their conduct had been elite. Calling them herded, helpless cattle would have been too kind. The TrueKif on HuZryss had dominated them, held them hostage and he had been impotent to protect his people.
Never again, Rawat promised himself. With every punch, he said the words to himself. Never again. One more chance to even the score with the TrueKif was all he needed. For that, Rawat would have sold his soul to the devil.
Six months ago, somewhere on KifrWyss
T he Chairman prided itself on its hideout. Hidden within the mountains of the continent, buried in the depths of a vast jungle, only a handful of trusted TrueKifs knew of its existence and fewer still knew where its exact location. From the outside, and especially from the air, it was undetectable, but inside it was a veritable palace, full of everything the Chairman could desire to be comfortable.
Surrounded by opulence, standing on a raised platform looking down at the two people so crucial to its plan, the Chairman had scarcely ever felt so powerful or at ease. Those things came with knowing that it was in control. It had detailed out every contingency and provided for every eventuality. The pl
an was infallible, and the only thing left was to convince the two individuals of the fact. Everything depended on their complete and total devotion to the cause of the TrueKif. The Chairman had chosen them carefully; both shared a burning desire for revenge, reinforced by utter lack of fear or compunction in taking another persons life.
The disgrace of having lost out to the Earthpeople, the outlanders, on HuZryss blazed deep in its heart. The capture of its team and their public trial had added insult to injury. But it had managed to free them. And then it had mounted an attack on its own people – on the leaders of the Discat. They had to pay. The time had come for the TrueKif to come out of the shadows and seize power. But there was one more task to be accomplished.
The Chairman's voice filled the room, echoing from the gilded walls as it addressed the two. “You have been raised. You have been rewarded. I have bestowed much on you since birth. Now, the payment has come due.” The Chairman paused, watching them. There was no visible reaction from either of them. “However, not every payment is painful,” the Chairman continued. “Yours will be that of a great task, one replete with honour should you succeed. I will not lie; it is a dangerous task. It requires the utmost cunning and bravery. If you succeed, your name will be legendary on KifrWyss and there is nothing worth more than receiving honour from the true citizens of KifrWyss.” It paused again, letting the message sink in. Still no reaction. It was time to roll the dice.
The two kept their heads bowed; faces obscured, as they listened in silence. The Chairman began to walk, moving down from its platform to circle the two figures. It could smell their fear now; fear of the raw power emanating from the Chairman. That was good. The Chairman could use fear, especially when that fear was bolstered by the awe they must be feeling. It was, after all, virtually unheard for people to be brought into this room to meet the Chairman face to face. For them, the mission itself would guarantee immortality.
“The outlanders,” the Chairman infused that word with all the spite it could muster, “from Earth defiled our home when the probe we retrieved brought their foul seed to HuZryss. Now they have defiled it with rank humiliation, bringing a ship, lording over us and holding our people hostage. And what does the Discat do? Punish them? Execute them? NO!” It stopped right in front of the two, trembling with rage. “NO! The Discat gave them fame in the very same hall where our noble ancestors have met for generations. The Discat; fools and old men - easily seduced by the offer of friendship from a planet they deem exotic. And RyHiza - the biggest fool of them all. It believes that these outlanders will make it stronger! It is imperative that I make everyone understand that the TrueKif will NEVER accept this; that we will fight to the last person to keep our lines pure!”
Still, the two did not raise their heads or say a word. They understood. It was more than their life’s worth to express anything except complete obedience in the presence of the Chairman.
It spoke quietly now, each word barely more than a hiss. “I will send a message to Earth so deadly that the mere mention of the word TrueKif will turn them into mewling children. I will show them my power; strike them deep in their homes until they feel my wrath for having contaminated my planet.” It smiled, baring rows of sharp teeth. “And today I have the means to fulfill this. You two, my brave emissaries, will go to Earth. You will carry out my orders, and upon your return, you will be heroes. You will have the wealth and power very few dare to even dream of.”
The Chairman could now see the smiles on their faces, and its satisfaction grew.
“In secret, we have built a ship - a ship with capabilities unknown to most. More powerful and more advanced than anything that’s ever been built. This ship will have only one purpose, and that is to see you to your destination. You will have a small crew to assist you. Once on board, you will get detailed plans. From there, I demand of you only one thing. For your sakes as much as for anyone else's.” It came to a halt directly in front of them. “DO NOT FAIL ME!” With that, all that was needed was a wave of the hand, and the two were gone, bowing themselves out of its presence.
********
PiYena, the Chairman's assistant, waited for them outside the door. Swiftly it ushered them down a hall and into a room. It was only as the door closed that the two allowed themselves to raise their heads and look at PiYena.
“I will come straight to the point,” said PiYena. “You will launch in two days, with six crew members to pilot the ship. Your weapons will be on board; you will learn to use them on the way. Make no mistake, this mission is deadly, and you need to be thoroughly prepared if you are to have even the smallest chance of success. You will devote your time on the ship to this purpose alone. From now on you will only be referred by your designations; Jur and Biw. One and Two. The secrecy of this mission is paramount.”
Jur glanced at its companion. “But PiYena… we know nothing about Earth. And even less of what we are supposed to do there. How–“
“Shall I report your doubts to the Chairman, Jur?” PiYena asked. “Or the implicit disrespect of your questioning? You will have help as soon as you land. Someone will be waiting for you there. He will take you to your destination. And as to your task - it's elegant in its simplicity. You will deploy a device so formidable it will annihilate whole cities and teach the human race something their arrogance has blinded them to thus far,” PiYena grinned. “And that is to never approach us again.”
Six months ago - Antariksh
T he crewmembers had been elated by the success of the mission to Alpha Centauri, but the enthusiasm was slowly subsiding. The terror of having been ambushed in space was giving way to the acceptance that life on Earth had changed.
The attacks on their ship, Antariksh, by the alien ship of the TrueKif. Their retreat from HuZryss leaving the landing team and their captain behind as hostages. Finding humans four light-years from Earth. The subterfuge with the atomic weapons. Learning about the secret carried aboard the space probe Voyager 1. And finally, the friendship of the people of the planet KifrWyss and their charismatic leader RyHiza. It was all behind them. They were on their way back home.
After decades of searching, humankind had made contact with an alien civilization. They had found life on not one but two planets besides Earth. The crew onboard Antariksh were heroes. It was another matter that they would have to wait several more weeks before contact with Earth could be established again and for them to gain this recognition.
Antariksh was now within the Oort cloud on the outer fringes of Earth’s solar system. The journey back from Alpha Centauri had been uneventful. Antariksh had continued to make good progress, eating away the light-years of distance, interlacing Jumps at the speed of light with the more sedate cruising velocity.
The Captain had taken her deputy Commander Ryan’s advice to heart and was seen more often roaming around the ship than she was seen in Ops. Her interaction with the crew had significantly increased. The excitement of the contact with the KifrWyss and finding a set of human beings on another planet was still alive. She’d encouraged the crew to personally chronicle every aspect of the trip from their viewpoint. Indeed, now that most of the team was involved in cataloguing the information and connecting the dots, new revelations were cropping up.
For instance, the similarity in DNA patterns of the two species, Human and KifrWyss, was uncanny. Scientists on both planets would be spending years trying to unravel this mystery. To Anara, a scientist at heart, this proved that evolution worked in similar ways. Any planet that has the necessary ingredients for life - water, oxygen and a suitable temperature - would sooner or later give rise to living organisms. The only variables would be time, measured in eons, and possibly external factors that resulted in a particular species becoming dominant. Bipedal mammalian humans rose on Earth, and reptilian life achieved sentience on KifrWyss.
However, a thought kept nagging her at the back of her mind - isn’t it still possible that this DNA had been planted on the two planets by some other beings? Life on two s
olar systems so close to each other in this vast galaxy was just a tad bit mysterious. Just like Voyager 1 had carried human DNA to a distant planet, wasn’t it probable that other alien probes had carried DNA to both Earth and KifrWyss and then evolution had taken over? This was a question that had been debated by theologians of all religions on Earth for hundreds of years. Maybe this was best left to them to resolve.
She was only too happy to have played a small role in finding and making friends with a new species. And even better - they were bringing back two of the ‘new’ humans to Earth, and one of them was pregnant. This will blow her boss, Director Srinivas’s mind for sure, she thought.
She and her crew had been wholly devoted to the care and coaching of Joe, Lucy, and the unborn child. Dr. Khan, the head of medical, was like a lioness protecting her cubs, when it came to the welfare of the two people. In the beginning, he had allowed them minimal contact with the crew, confining them to the medical bay in protective areas while he checked out their immune systems. After all, they couldn’t wear sterile suits forever. Their bodies had never been exposed to any diseases from Earth. The last thing he wanted was that the first family coming back to Earth, from HuZryss, caught a virus and perished.
He had begun to build up their resistance through a careful regime of inoculations and controlled exposure to the ship's environment. Everyone coming in contact with them went through strict decontamination protocols. Every bit of air was cleaned through high-efficiency filters, and the food and water were synthetically prepared. His efforts had begun to bear fruit, and he was confident that Joe and Lucy would be sufficiently prepared for life on Earth by the time Antariksh landed. Though, to be on the safe side, he’d still prefer another period of quarantine.
Anara had set up a roster enabling every person of her crew to interact remotely with the couple. This would help Joe and Lucy to polish their language skills and prepare them to be better assimilated. They were also being given lessons in history and culture to help them get a better understanding of life back on Earth. Anara was sometimes afraid that bombarding them with vast amounts of information may be too much for the couple to handle. But they had surprised her with their voracious appetite for knowledge.
