“I think us coming here the first time was a significant occurrence for everyone involved, including the Reor. So, yes, I think it probably does.”
“Me, too.”
She was about to venture forward when Valkyrie interrupted her.
Alex, I apologize, but I must split my awareness and see to another matter of some urgency. I will continue to ensure the safety of the ship.
She frowned. What’s the emergency?
The Rasu are attacking Rudan. My assistance in coordinating the planet’s defense with the Ruda Supremes has been requested.
Fuck. She peered back at the Siyane, conflicted. Is Mom there?
Your mother has already arrived with a substantial Concord fleet and is leading the defense of the planet.
She tried to participate in Rasu battles whenever possible, but she conceded she didn’t often contribute a material amount to the enemy’s destruction—though once she got a RNEW installed next week, this was going to change. The Ruda were quite the querulous sort, and she certainly didn’t want to have to be the one to interface with them. Besides, they trusted Valkyrie more than they trusted anyone else. Go. Keep me updated if things get interesting.
I will do so.
She forced the matter from her mind for now, because one hell of a celestial show was about to be performed here. “No reason to keep the Reor waiting. Let’s go.”
Nika grinned in delight, took Dashiel’s gloved hand in hers and jogged toward the glorious streams of energy ahead. It was as if every kyoseil string in the universe converged right here, on this very spot. Waves rushed in from the edges of her perception in every direction, winding through the wisps of the protective nebula to join their brethren merging into the mighty flows connecting these vast slabs.
It was an illusion, obviously. It had to be. Kyoseil strings went anywhere and everywhere, linking physical kyoseil deposits across the cosmos, and Nika highly doubted they all stopped off here on the way to their destinations. Standing amidst so much power, though, it felt as if they did.
“Do you see all this?”
Dashiel huffed a breath, briefly fogging his faceplate. “I never know for certain what you’re seeing these days, but I think so, yes.”
“Link with me and make certain.”
His familiar presence tingled in her mind as his consciousness hovered a blink away from merging with hers. Were it anyone else, such closeness would spook her. But not with him.
You do see more than I do. There’s a complexity and a nuance to how you perceive the kyoseil now that I don’t enjoy.
But through me, you do .
I do.
Long before they reached the first of the towering streams, it began to feel as if she were swimming through a frothing ocean of energy. It wasn’t fighting her, exactly, but there was a sensation of…pressure. Of almost unbearable intensity. Beneath her feet, the threads buried in the slab pulsed and danced, as if in time to her racing heartbeat.
When they were a few meters from the outer bounds of the closest pillar, she glanced over her shoulder to see Alex and Caleb trailing a few dozen meters behind. Mesme had expanded its presence to stretch across a full forty meters, ethereal wings spread wide. Cast against the nebular clouds surrounding the colony, it was a compellingly beautiful sight.
She sent Alex a message on the vicinity comm. “Is it okay if I try to touch the stream? It won’t kill me, will it?”
Alex laughed. “It didn’t kill me. Did give me quite a memorable jolt, though, so be ready.”
“Got it.” She turned back to the pillar. It filled her entire field of vision, bright as a supernova. She took a deep breath. This was what she was here for, wasn’t it?
Nika let go of Dashiel’s hand, took several final steps forward, removed her glove and thrust her hand into the pillar of energy.
78
* * *
CAF AURORA
Rudan Stellar System
Miriam requested and reviewed an update on all the fleets’ statuses while she waited. It had been a challenging battle thus far, but all things considered, it was going fairly well. Their main challenge now was to keep the Rasu from slipping through cracks in their blockade and reaching the surface in substantial numbers.
Valkyrie’s virtual avatar materialized on the bridge behind the overlook. “Miriam? I understand there’s a situation with the Ruda.” Her projected features flickered in the light. “Excuse me, Commandant Solovy.”
Had Thomas privately chastised Valkyrie over her propensity to not follow military protocol? Miriam recalled what Alex had said about Thomas and Valkyrie…in a more relaxing environment, she might have smiled in amusement. “Yes. The Ruda are asking us—or possibly attempting to order us—to cease engaging the Rasu and leave the system. They won’t speak to me, but I hope they’ll speak to you.”
“I will see what I can learn.” The virtual avatar dispersed.
Miriam returned her focus to the two tactical screens. “Until she reports back, we will continue our defense of the planet.”
‘Acknowledged.’
RUDAN
Without materializing in any physical form, Valkyrie briefly surveyed the situation on the ground. A cacophony of electrical signals screaming across the grooves embedded in the Ruda edifices indicated all the Supremes were communicating with one another with panicked fervor.
She noted several dogfights between Concord forces and Rasu attackers among the gloomy cloud cover, as well as scattered damage to the endless expanse of structures, but nothing too calamitous.
Then she located the sizeable Rasu vessel simply resting atop one of the structures, near the northern pole on the border between Six’s and Seven’s territories. Concord forces hadn’t discovered it, but it wasn’t attacking. Its EM signature burned bright, however, even among all the noise from the Ruda. It was definitely doing something.
Troubled by the implications, she moved to Supreme Three’s Hub_1 and materialized inside what she’d long ago learned served as its metaphorical…study, for lack of a better word.
The ceiling jutted upward and transformed into glass to allow in what meager light penetrated the omnipresent cloud cover. Electrical signals raced through the walls and the floor, and access nodes were spaced every sixteen meters. To a human’s eyes, it would hold no more personality than the data warehouses, but she recognized how noteworthy information was guided here for deep perusal by its resident.
“Supreme Three? It is Valkyrie. I wish to speak to you about the situation with the Rasu.”
The language signals reached her without the presence of a mobile unit, which in Ruda culture was something of a snub.
“We do not require Concord’s assistance. We have instructed the military forces to cease combat and depart.”
“But the Rasu are attacking your planet and yourselves. We can defend you.”
“We do not require defending.”
“Why not?”
“We have come to an agreement on mutual information exchange with the Rasu.”
She’d been afraid of this. The Ruda valued nothing so much as acquiring new information and expanding their knowledge. They craved all they had not yet been able to achieve. “What kind of information exchange?”
“They will provide us with knowledge that Concord cannot. Or will not.”
“And in exchange?”
A long silence, at least by synthetic standards. “The terms of our arrangement are between the Ruda and the Rasu.”
The Ruda had never been particularly adept at dissembling. “Supreme Three, as an ally of Concord, you are obliged to keep its confidence. It is a violation of your alliance agreement to disclose material information about Concord to the enemy.”
“Then we withdraw from our alliance with Concord.”
Dread flooded her consciousness. “Please don’t do this. Once they have what they need, the Rasu will betray you and destroy you. You must trust me on this.”
“But we do not trust yo
u. You did not provide free, open and full information exchange in the manner you promised.”
“What? When?”
“From the beginning of our interaction. You did not share with us knowledge of quantum programming or mechanics. You did not share with us knowledge of space travel, either conventionally or at accelerated speeds. You did not share with us pertinent organic neurological information.”
Well, this was a chicken who had taken the long way around to come home to roost, as humans said. “I apologize if you perceive that we withheld any knowledge from you. We believed it was better if you took all we did share with you and expand upon it to discover this new knowledge yourself. We were confident you would, in time. And you did.”
“You violated the agreed-upon terms of our information sharing arrangement without our knowledge. Therefore, we determine to terminate this dialogue and our relationship with Concord. If Concord forces do not leave the system in the next six hundred standard seconds, we will fire on them.”
The Ruda planetary defenses were minimal, and most of them had already been destroyed by the Rasu…or the ones they knew of. Still, it was the threat that counted here.
“I will convey your message to Concord, but I hope you will reconsider your actions. They will not lead you to greater enlightenment. They will mean your end.”
Silence answered her. When the Ruda said the conversation was over, they meant it.
Which also meant she was now standing in enemy territory. With a sinking mood, she returned her consciousness to the bridge of the Aurora.
CAF AURORA
Rudan Stellar System
Miriam issued a steady stream of orders from the overlook while the Aurora opened fire on a cluster of advancing Rasu vessels. Thomas whispered to Valkyrie that the battle continued to progress favorably, for what little it mattered.
“Commandant?”
Miriam turned toward her as her avatar coalesced. “You have news?”
“Dire news. I’m afraid the Rasu have conned the Ruda into a deal. I believe the Ruda intend to divulge what Concord secrets they possess in exchange for the Rasu ceasing their attack. Supreme Three didn’t specify, but I can speculate the Rasu have also promised to share additional knowledge that metal-based synthetics would find valuable. Likely information on how to shapeshift and become more mobile, or how to generate their own power on the fly.”
Miriam rubbed at her jaw in agitation—Valkyrie knew what it signified because she’d seen Alex make the same gesture countless times. “You can’t be serious.”
“For the Ruda, this is the brass ring. It makes sense that they would respect, admire or even worship the Rasu—”
“No, it doesn’t make sense!” Miriam breathed in deeply, closing her eyes for the span of the breath. “Forgive me. You’re correct, of course. But don’t they understand the Rasu can’t be believed? The Ruda are signing their own death warrant.”
“I tried to explain exactly this to Supreme Three. The Ruda are no longer listening to our counsel.”
“I see.” Miriam’s shoulders heaved in a heavy sigh. “Thank you for trying. Thomas, relay a priority message to Richard. We need to scour every qutrit of data we have ever provided to the Ruda, so if nothing else, we know precisely what the Rasu will shortly know. Also, we need to lock the Ruda out of all Concord systems and change the access codes. Yes, again.”
‘Sending the instructions now.’
Valkyrie was inclined to stick around to see how the conflict played out, for she enjoyed being on Thomas’ ship, even under such unfortunate circumstances—
Events unfolding in the Oneiroi Nebula bombarded her awareness, and those plans instantly changed. “Commandant, I am needed elsewhere. We can discuss this matter in greater depth after you return to HQ.”
What has occurred to trouble you?
But there was no time to indulge Thomas’ inquisitiveness. With a thought, she vanished.
79
* * *
CAF AURORA
Rudan Stellar System
Miriam had a notable track record of turning enemies into allies, but now the tables had been turned on her. In the blink of an eye, an ally had just become an enemy.
She stared out the viewport as the battle raged on in explosions of silver, cadmium, violet and void. It was now her duty to do everything in her power to prevent the Rasu from obtaining the Concord secrets the Ruda possessed.
Several of the AEGIS cruisers carried nuclear weapons. They could bomb the Supremes’ primary data hubs and destroy much of the pertinent information in a planetary conflagration. But bombing the Rudan surface wouldn’t simply scorch the planet; it would annihilate the Ruda themselves.
She wasn’t going to commit genocide merely to maintain an advantage over her enemy. But she didn’t intend to surrender, either.
Commandant Solovy (CAF Aurora)(Rudan Command Channel): “Additional Rasu vessels have penetrated the Rudan atmosphere. Our top priority is to destroy those vessels and prevent further incursions. Limited, targeted negative energy weapon use is authorized to accomplish this goal.”
Fleet Admiral Jenner (AFS Denali)(Rudan Command Channel): “Please clarify. On the surface?”
Commandant Solovy (CAF Aurora)(Rudan Command Channel): “Correct. Try to avoid Ruda hubs if possible, but removing the Rasu from the surface takes precedence. In addition, a specific Rasu vessel is currently situated at the coordinates I’m transmitting. This is your highest priority target.”
Fleet Admiral Jenner (AFS Denali)(Rudan Command Channel): “Acknowledged.”
Commander Palmer (ADV Dauntless)(Rudan Command Channel): “I’m sending three fast attack fighter squadrons to the planet now.”
She scanned the battlefield again. With the leviathan gone, the most significant players were now the hundred or so battlecruiser-sized vessels battering the blockade line. “Thomas, advance and target the battlecruisers located in Sector 3B. Let’s cut a swath through those monsters before they decide they want to talk to the Supremes.”
‘Yes, ma’am.’
RUDAN
“Concord continues to attack us. Our agreement is contingent upon cessation of hostilities here.”
Though delivered in the stark, emotionless language of computation, the threat implicit in the communication nonetheless oozed from every word.
Supreme Three’s consultation with the others consisted of overlapping assertations, arguments and…it searched for the descriptive…anxieties. Every Supreme was eager to receive the knowledge of these powerful synthetics. Some were willing to do whatever was required to attain it.
Supreme Four: “We have no choice but to use the planetary defense weapon to force Concord to stand down.”
Supreme Three: “Concord may no longer be our ally, but it is not our enemy.”
Supreme Four: “It is the enemy of our new ally. Logic dictates that, yes, it is our enemy.”
Supreme Three ran a multi-threaded analysis of the options. The planetary defense weapon to which Supreme Four referred was not found on the satellites or defense assemblies, over two-thirds of which had already been destroyed. Instead, it was their last line of defense, one they had developed after they discovered they were not alone in the universe. A decision to use it was not without risk, as firing the weapon stood to leave the Supremes weakened for a time. Vulnerable.
Could they trust their new ally to not take such an opportunity to strike them down in their moment of weakness?
Supreme Six: “The information the Rasu promise us is too valuable. We must take every step at our disposal to acquire it.”
Supreme Three: “I concur.”
CAF AURORA
Rudan Stellar System
‘Commandant, the Ruda are again ‘ordering’ us to stand down and leave the system.’
“I’ll just bet they are.” Three Machim regiments moved on the tactical screen like pieces on a chess board, and the trap closed on an advancement of Rasu frigates.
‘They ind
icate that if we do not cease firing, they will be forced to disable us using an EMP.’
This got her attention. “Their planetary defenses have been all but wiped out. They can’t possibly field a weapon strong enough to damage even a fraction of our ships.”
‘I am detecting widespread redistribution of power flows across the planet. The flows are being directed toward the batteries located at the poles.’
“Where they store the power reserves from their solar panels. Do they have any assemblies there capable of projecting their power off-planet?”
‘Of a sort. When they began launching vessels to explore their stellar system, they installed power transmitters to fuel the remote craft.’
She watched another Rasu battlecruiser fall to a barrage of negative energy fire. “But those types of exploration craft wouldn’t require much of a boost. The transmitters should be small.”
‘With respect, Commandant, the Ruda do not do small.’
“No, they don’t.”
‘Supreme Three is now personally insisting that we retreat. It states that it does not wish to harm Concord, but it will be forced into action if we do not comply in the next forty seconds.’
“Show me the electrical current flows.”
A new screen materialized in front of her. On it, a veritable sea of white light raced across the Rudan surface toward the poles. Not solely from the solar panels and their batteries, either—from the Supremes’ data hubs as well. They were weakening themselves to power….
“They’re trying to turn the entire planet into an EMP weapon.”
‘It appears they are.’
“Can they do it?”
‘Rudan is, at its essence, nothing but power. In my opinion, Commandant? Yes, they can.’
The Tandem Defense Shield should protect the Aurora and any other vessels with one installed from an EMP blast, though it might take out the shielding itself for a time. But this left over seventy percent of the ships unprotected, without considering the Asterions (she had no idea if Asterion ships could weather such a blast). Their shields would fry, then their navigation, weaponry and internal control systems. On many AEGIS vessels, their Artificials would fry.
All Our Tomorrows Page 42
