Machine Gods (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 2)

by Michael G. Thomas

  “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in control of that Raider ship and enjoying the sights of Terra Nova in the next few days.”

  He did his best to reassure Teresa, but even Gun found it impossible. Teresa tried to smile, but she couldn’t manage it. Spartan had gone missing in the past, but this time it was different. By entering one of the Spacebridges, he had travelled to a destination that could be anything from a light year to thousands of light years away. There simply wasn’t a way to track him down other than visiting every star for thousands of light years, a task that would take centuries and resources that simply didn’t exist. The whole idea was in fact an almost impossible task. The door opened behind her, and in walked two marine guards. They stepped to the side and waited in silence. Gun nodded to the Admiral and then moved out and through the door. Teresa started to follow him but paused, and then turned back. Admiral Anderson had a concerned, serious expression on his face.

  “I know you must have doubts, but the knowledge this expedition could obtain will help secure Spartan’s life, and guarantee the safety of the Alliance. The T’Kari are willing to share critical data with our leadership, in exchange for our military support in leading this expedition to Helios. The Taskforce will assemble at Hades in three days. I will pass on the details to you.”

  Teresa nodded, still having no idea what she had just agreed to.

  “There’s just one thing,” she finally said, now desperate to learn anything.

  “What are we expecting to find there, and how will it help us or Spartan?”

  The Admiral moved around the table, placing his hand on her shoulder. To most it would be something too familiar, but their history was complex, and the trust between them could only be earned through struggle and combat.

  “Helios is apparently the center of something important. The T’Kari have not been there for a long time, but they say it will give us all the information we need to map and protect the Network once and for all.”

  Teresa was unconvinced. This was the first she’d heard about Helios, and the idea they would arrive to find a map detailing the arteries of space sounded like a fallacy to her. The Admiral could see her confusion, so he hardened his tone slightly.

  “Teresa, this operation is critical, and for it to work it will require a combined effort that includes people from both our societies, T’Kari and the Alliance. Now you and Spartan have a colorful past, which is true. But one thing nobody can argue with is your ability to get the job done, and the T’Kari have already seen this. They want you on this operation...and so do I.”

  The room was quiet for a moment as he let his words sink in.

  “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and we need every man, woman, and child, even Jötnar to be ready. You weren’t there for the meeting of the Joint Chiefs when we briefed the President. There are concerns, serious concerns that Pontus and his cronies could show up at any time. We have the intel on Helios, but how is it going to affect us? The Alliance can’t afford any more schisms. We need strength, and we need unity. More importantly though, we need a full and complete picture of what the hell is going on out there.”

  Teresa looked up at him and thought of Spartan, and the people that worked for their company. What he said sounded interesting, but she had other commitments now. The Admiral could see her hesitation and sensed the moment was now. He reached into his jacket pocket and handed her his secpad. She held it up, noticing it was the front page of her own military dossier. She looked back at him in confusion.

  “We need you back. As of thirty minutes ago, your corporation’s contracts in T’Karan were terminated, as were all those in the remaining PMC Corporations. I understand that in the next hour your senior executives will be forced to ask for emergency financial aid, or have your assets liquidated.”

  Teresa twisted around in surprise. Her face contorted in anger. The conversation had moved on from Spartan and this operation, to one concerned with the destruction of his company and her livelihood. She wanted to shout, but the Admiral lifted his hand to stop her from saying anything else. Gun walked back into the room with his hand on a guard’s throat. He must have heard Teresa and had returned to help her.

  “Gun, it’s okay, stand down,” she spat out, looking back at Admiral Anderson.

  “Due to the launch of the operation, our resources in New Charon will be spread thin. I’ve been given the authority to appropriate any assets I deem necessary to secure this region. APS Corporation has resources, people, and skills that are needed. It will remain as a shell corporation, with your employees signing new contracts with Alliance departments, if they so wish. If you agree to this, it is my firm intention to look after your people and what is left of your company’s finances. All executives will be offered posts in the Alliance bureaucracy already being established out here.”

  Teresa knew Anderson was a loyal friend, and there was little, if any chance he would try to take advantage of her or of Spartan. She could only assume this was a plan he had been working on to ensure that APS Corporation continued to function, even after being officially shut down.

  “What if I say no?” she asked.

  Anderson smiled.

  “Well, actually, I heard a rumor that the hostile takeover is imminent. You can wait it out, but do you really want to be part of a failing Corporation as it is stripped apart by its new owners? This way your people keep their jobs, and you retain at least some of your assets.”

  Teresa had half expected something like this to happen. APS was on its knees, and she was surprised they’d staggered on this far. Only the T’Kari contracts had kept them in the black. The more she listened to Anderson, the clearer it was becoming he’d planned this little rescue for some time.

  “What about our operatives and combat teams? What about us?” she asked, pointing to herself and to Gun.

  Admiral Anderson seemed to positively glow at this question.

  “My friends, I would like you all to reconsider your re-enlistment into the Corps. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has given me the authority to reinstate former personnel, and I have a position for both of you and any of your crew, if you’re interested. I cannot assign you to my command staff. That would raise many questions. But I do have a unit that is in a shambles. It needs people with experience to whip it into shape, and you two are definitely in that bracket.”

  Teresa looked to Gun who appeared equally surprised.

  “I could do with your leadership as well, Gun. A Jötnar commander is just what this unit needs, and it will mean you will both be very close, if and when I need people I can trust,” the Admiral added mysteriously.

  The hostility towards Gun’s people was well known in the Alliance. It had led to them being removed from the Marine Corps itself, and was one of the main reasons Gun and the others had turned to mercenary work or operating with the private contractors. The chance to return to the Corps rather than stagger on with the ailing business was tempting. Anderson beckoned to them both.

  “I suggest you get packed for your trip. You need to get going, and fast!”

  She looked a little confused, but he added just a few more words.

  “I’ve forwarded data on the fleet and those commanders present, Major. You might check the force disposition of your new battalion. Your clearance levels have been restored, as has your payment account with the Alliance.”

  With that he beckoned to the door where Gun waited patiently. Teresa was now even more confused than before. Gun, on the other hand, looked even happier at whatever they had just signed up for. She shook the Admiral’s hand and finally left the room. The door shut and left the two of them out in the corridor. Two marine guards watched but said nothing, instead acting like statues or sentinels. Teresa started to walk to the right side of the corridor, and once Gun caught up started to speak.

  “Did you get any of that?”

  Gun burst out laughing, and the loud roar of his powerful voice echoed down the corridor like a me
chanical hammer. His frame was massive, and next to the slight body of Teresa he looked more like a giant. They passed by more marines, and each of them glanced at him before turning their eyes away. The Jötnar had been an important part of the Alliance for years now, but the sight of one in the flesh was always a cause for conversation. Gun had been the first of his kind to turn on his makers and had a reputation for violence but also fairness. He was also the leader of his entire race, and that was something of great interest to all those aboard ANS Beagle. The fact that the leader of the most powerful race in the Alliance chose to work with APS Corporation was one of their greatest assets, and a reason behind their success. They moved on further down the corridor before he finally answered her.

  “Teresa, you managed to miss that? You just agreed to assist with the combined Alliance-T’Kari Helios Expedition.”

  She stopped and looked hard at him.

  “The combined Helios what?”

  Again the leader of the Jötnar laughed and shook with pleasure. Like all of his people, he had little time for politics or discussion. He liked to explore, fight, and eat. Though sometimes even the most bizarre topics seemed to amuse him, in this case it was Teresa. Everything else to the Jötnar was a chore.

  “It is a mission to another part of space, a place we have never seen or heard of before. Anderson said the T’Kari call Helios the holy place that links the seven peoples together at a single point. They suspect there will also be a link back to our own system. They have been cut off from there for a century because of the wars with the enemy and his followers, and it control access to hundreds of worlds.”

  Teresa stood in disbelief at what he’d just said.

  “Wait. We’re sending an expedition to this place? Where is it?”

  Gun actually seemed to genuinely smile at this news.

  “We don’t know yet. It is a secret. The T’Kari say they guard it, but no ship has traveled there for a century. That is why we will go together, one big happy family.”

  He then leaned closely as if sharing a great secret.

  “Somehow I think this peaceful expedition will include a lot of warships and marines, don’t you?”

  Teresa felt so stupid that she had managed to miss the most important part of the briefing. By her estimate, she must have drifted in and out through twenty minutes of talking and discussion. Spartan had managed to get into trouble before, but this time it was different. Her children were away, and all but her most distant relatives were light years away on Carthago. Even though her old friend Gun was there, she could feel coldness in her body; the coldness you felt when everybody else had gone and just you were left. Not even her company remained to offer much in the way of solace.

  How the hell did I miss all the detail? Is this dementia?

  She started to worry. In theory, it was possible with her in her forties, yet medical knowledge and genetic manipulation had progressed so far that she had the body and fitness of a woman twenty years younger. There were marines in service now that were still passing the combat fitness tests in their sixties. These weren’t generals either, these were low and middle-level officers that moved and fought in the frontline with their troops.

  No, it has to be something else. It must be the stress catching up with me.

  They continued along the corridor with a cheery looking Gun and a mortified looking Teresa. The more she thought, the less she could believe the words from Gun’s mouth. She started to worry that either her memory or mind was starting to fail her. This part of the ship was slightly different and consisted of a much narrower corridor, but with a long run of narrow windows running down one side. It provided a perfect view of the Rift that would take any ship in this system directly back to Alpha Centauri and the many worlds of the Alliance. Sitting just in front of the Rift was the menacing shape of the jewel of the Alliance Navy, a Crusader Class warship. These mighty vessels were of a similar size to the older designs of cruisers but required less crew. They were fitted out with more advanced weapons, artificial gravity, and enough space to carry a powerful contingent of marines. They were truly the first universal ship design. Teresa looked at the vessel for a moment before turning her attention back to their operation.

  “Gun, how much did I miss?”

  He looked to her and smiled gently.

  “Couple of minutes, Anderson said he’d go over the details with the leaders of the expedition on Hades. We need to leave quickly. The ship is on her way to Hades and leaves within the hour.”

  “Ship?”

  Gun nodded slowly.

  “Yes, we’re getting a ride on the most powerful ship in the entire fleet, her.”

  Teresa looked back at the grey warship as a number of fighters moved past her flanks. Another ship came through the Rift and moved slightly above the first ship.

  “Which ship is that?” she asked, though more to herself.

  “Anderson said we were getting ANS Crusader, and he wants us as part of this big adventure.”

  Crusader, huh? The flagship of the entire Navy.

  She looked at the vessel for a moment and back at her friend, suddenly remembering the words from Admiral Anderson.

  “Major?” she exclaimed.

  Gun simply beamed back at her.

  “Don’t you remember? We’re both back in the Corps.”

  She looked at him with nothing but bewilderment on her face.

  Gun roared with laughter and banged his fist against the window, much to the horror of a group of passing marines. Teresa noticed he seemed more alive and more excited than he had in years. She tilted her head slightly, and he looked back.

  “My people are finally managing to govern themselves. I need a break, and some time back in the Corps is exactly what my muscles need! Hell, if this works out maybe we’ll get more of my brothers into the Corps. Wictred and Hunn managed it; maybe we can get some more in?”

  With that, he tensed his arms and clenched his fists, feeling the blood pumping through his massive body. Teresa couldn’t but be in awe at the sight of him, yet seeing him becoming excited at the prospect of action returned her mind to their many battles in the past. Like him, she’d enjoyed her service, but she never had the bloodlust or pleasure in battle that he seemed to have.

  Still. I need to do something to help Spartan, and taking part in this expedition is better than sitting around and waiting for APS to die, she thought, while the great bulk of Gun continued to writhe about in excitement at his prospects.

  “Gun, you are one crazy bastard!” she laughed.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The T’Kari were as unexpected as the results of the Helios Expedition. With different races to compete with, and new trade routes opening up almost daily, the prospects for humanity were simply to rise to the challenge or to fall aside. Luckily for all of those in the Orion Nebula, humanity chose the former.

  Orion – The future?

  Spartan opened his eyes and looked about the interior of the ship. As before, the lighting was poor, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. His suit’s heads-up display indicated that only a small number of his operatives remained on the vessel. The connection to the transport had gone, as had the connection to the shuttles.

  Great, that’s a good start.

  He lifted himself up and instantly felt the pull of gravity. Either the artificial gravity was functioning on the ship, or more likely, the engines were still on full burn and creating a single gee of gravity as a side effect. He spotted the shapes of his comrades nearby. They appeared to be unconscious though none appeared dead; at least the information in his armored suit told him otherwise. According to the suit’s sensors, he was now almost completely out of oxygen and power.

  Dammit, what’s it like out there?

  A quick glance inside the armor showed both gravity and a safe, breathable atmosphere. He didn’t hesitate and immediately activated the seal on his helmet. The visor hissed open, and the odd, damp smell of the ship’s interior wafted inside.
Khan was started to stir nearby, and he walked over to check on his friend. There were bullet holes nearby but no signs of an enemy. As he moved to Khan’s side, he tried hard to remember what had happened. He recalled the creatures, and then finally the images of the pods in the room returned to him. It was the sight of the unconscious Pontus and Typhon that shocked him to his core. He almost tripped over at seeing the face of the most hated men in the Alliance.

  “What happened?” asked Khan.

  Spartan looked around the corridor and started to recall the gunfight and their failed attempt to escape. They’d been staggering and falling as the engines powered up before all had been thrown down. He could still feel the gravitational pull as they had accelerated to wherever they were going. Each of his operatives finally stood up, apart from Porter who remained on the ground, grasping at his leg wound.

  “Well, I think you can assume they managed to get the engines going. What we need to know is, where the hell are we?”

  He checked once more that his team was intact. Lovett and two of his own operatives were all off to the right and getting up. Upon seeing his commander, the former marine called out.

  “Spartan, we’ve got a problem.”

  “Really?” replied Khan in a deeply sarcastic tone.

  He walked over and at seeing the Porter, indicated for his own people to tend to the wounded man. He then quickly checked his carbine before reaching Spartan and Khan. Like Spartan, he wore his rugged complexion well for a man in his forties. Years of Marine Corps training had indoctrinated him with a firm interest in keeping both mind and body fit. He’d opened his own visor, and his face was visible to all of them.

  “The last signal from ANS Serenity warned of a Spacebridge activating.”

  “You think we went through?” asked Spartan.

  Lovett shrugged.

  “Maybe, it would explain why we’re picking up no signals of any kind on this ship.”

  “Yeah, I wondered about that. Where’s the rest of the crew? Before the engines powered up we were attacked by those creatures as well as the T’Kari Raiders.”