Project Ouroboros (17 page)

10 years later.

Fifteen hours...

Fifteen hours of non-stop fighting, where it was unlikely for someone to survive. This war had been going on for several years and was not going to end.

There were two main enemies: the Alliance and the Union, where more and more  new colonies joined. The alliance included three Empires, sharing the galaxy Alpha Centauri and a part of the Milky Way. However, the Union (two Empires who reigned over the most part of the Milky Way) did not agree with the Alliance, because it wanted to return the entire galaxy to its possession. And the Union had decided that terrorism was the best way to get a few colonies.

It was a dirty war. It was not a war of the machines — too many people had died in the meantime. Each of the opponents tried to kill as many civilians, without any blood on their hands. For these purposes, they used the knights of death, formed from special squads of cleaners — they were sent back to where it was impossible to do with only military robots, not very suitable for complex tasks.

Jack Getterbørgen was the commander of one of these groups, who knew no mercy and defeat, hired by the Alliance. He had not worked in a special squad NDF — Alexandria was the last mission, but when Jack was asked to lead a hundred knights it  was not in his power to refuse such temptation.

Fifteen hours of battle. His head ached unbearably, back ached from the strain, the electric shots passed through the body. Jack tightly clutched the railing on the bridge, watching the scene. Almost all of the opponent's drones had been destroyed, and his men still could not get to the command ship of the Peloponnese, where the captain, as well as Jack was standing on the bridge, gripping the railing and watching the scene.

There were no forces to give orders anymore.

Jack just stood there, painfully clutching the handrail and, without blinking, was looking straight at the screen.

A little more, more...

He removed the grown bangs back from the eyes and tidied a strict black tunic. The uniform of the knights of death was completely black, while the rest of military had it dark green and more like civilian suits. Black always suited Jack. This beret, elongated jacket, leather pants and high, knee-length boots suited him.

Heck! The enemy reinforcements came! He wanted to howl. Tears ran from the sore eyes. It would never end...

All drones were identical: matte black cubes that could move strictly in six directions, stuffed with weapons and explosives. They could be discerned only by the flag on one side. Flag of the Alliance was blue stripes at the top and bottom, and inside there were three large five-pointed stars on white background. Union's flag was a simple black cross on the red background.

Drones functioned with the plasma engines and frozen plasma, along with debris was floating around, covering part of the view. Usually in such cases, the robot scavengers were working, but this was not up to them.

Jack's knights kept to the last, but no one had ant forces, and Jack realized that this was their last chance:

— We must create a corridor to the main ship, in order for several kamikaze drones to get as near to it as possible!

— But, captain — was heard in the earpiece the answer — it would destroy all our drones and make the command ship vulnerable!

— So we will have more chances to survive... — Jack sighed and closed his eyes. — I'd rather lose hundreds of drones, but save a single soldier.

— Thank you, Captain...

Everything was decided.

— So, how much drones are there left?

— Seventy-eight, Captain.

— Ten remain to guard the command ship, and fifty will create the corridor. Another ten will guard the manned fighters and eight would approach to the command ship of the Peloponnese. All clear?

— What about the fighters?

— Carry out the supervisors work. Do not let anyone break through the defense of the kamikaze. Do everything you need as quickly as possible, so that the enemy does not have time to understand anything. Otherwise, we cannot do it...

— Aye, Captain!

— And — Jack smiled wearily. — I promise that as soon as we get the free time, my wife will treat all to gingerbread. Everybody ready? Three ... two ... one ... Go! Height, speed, manoeuvre, fire! You will cope with it!

Then everything happened so fast that it was impossible to keep track.

Sunny, dear, if I do not come home after this fight, come back to Earth, please ...

Jack hated fighting in open space. No sound, absolute silence and weightlessness. It seemed as if nothing at all was happening. And tension was brought to the limit.

Peloponnese drones tried to get to the captain's ship, but the fighters defended Jack as they could, putting themselves at risk.

Hell!

The two fighters of the black knights scattered like broken constructor. Sudden flashes of red laser shone before his eyes, the drones were getting closer to the enemy, despite the losses.

The bridge began to shake. Their ship was hit. The alarm sounded, the system's cold voice of an imperious woman reported that livelihood would be turned off after ten minutes and asked everyone to evacuate at the meantime.

Jack did not move.

— Captain, you will perish! — Someone tried to grab his hand, He thought it was a junior technician. He climbed onto the bridge to Jack, but received only a look of anger and determination in response. Hand was released and the technician left.

I will go then, I will go the last...

Captain of the space warship "Virginia", the commander of the Black Knights, was being defeated. Jack no longer clutch the railing till it hurt, he settled down and leaned against the railing with his forehead.

Another three fighters were killed and twenty drones destroyed...

— Captain! There is one more remaining place! We are waiting for you!

— Coming! — Jack switched to the headset, which linked him with fighters:

— Guys, Save yourselves! Return to the base!

— But Captain, we're winning!

— "Virginia" is evacuated! I am left here alone.

— Captain go, we can handle!

— Without you, I'm not going anywhere.

— Go! — he heard a lot of voices, echoing each other.

— Okay, but you agree to destroy the "Peloponnese" in the next five minutes, otherwise you are not getting any gingerbread!

— Aye, Captain!

They destroyed the "Peloponnese", but none of the black knights involved in a fight, survived. They died for the right to destroy two half-empty colonies, where there were only the sick and the poor, but it was a victory for the Alliance.

"Virginia" was disposed of, Jack received a reprimand for such loss of expensive equipment and resigned.

"Sunny, I left you and the children money, go back to Earth." — Message sent.

It seemed to El'Athar that the war was launched to destroy all colonies — at its end, there was not a single man who didn't live on Earth. After a hundred years, all the technologies that emerged during the colonization were lost, as if somebody erased them with a powerful hand — not to repeat the failure of the space age. And then he knew that it was the hand of Mr Daath.

El'Athar woke up in his bed in the Ophite estate early in the morning. Soon, the doctor had to come, he needed to get up, drink some coffee, tidy himself. Leg hurt no longer, but without sleeping pills it was still hard to rest.

His head was so heavy, as if El'Athar didn’t sleep at all, and for every single action a huge effort was required. At first it was hard to recall where the kitchen was, and then how to make coffee in that strange and expensive coffee machine.

Hell, too strong...

Thoughts were confused. So many clues, speculation and facts, but they all lead nowhere, had no logic. El'Athar still could not understand what he knew so important that Mr Daath ordered to get rid of him. Just because he saw the cradle of Lamashtu?

How he would like to get out of there.

Mr Aine Soph also promised to come that day and to give the following instructions. If only he was released as soon as possible, at least for the Tekhina's funeral, where nobody would come except him and two Lamashtu. Maybe Mr Aine Soph would be present, unless, of course, he would be busy with more important things than premature death of an unreliable employee. Who could know.

The doctor held a regular inspection of the leg, asked about health and appetite, and then opened the package he had brought with him.

— It's a gift to you, Mr El'Athar. — The doctor showed a thing with longitudinal stripes of white plastic held together with steel inserts in the form repeating human leg from knee to the ankle, but there still hung some strange details and too many bolts. It looked very strange.

— What is it?

— A leg fixator. Very expensive.

— And where did you get it?

— Mr Aleph bought it.

He wondered where Aleph got so much money, if it was so expensive that Mr Aine Soph wasn't still able to pay for it?

— You know, — continued the doctor, — the fixator is so good that you can safely walk without crutches. Even in the shoes, but only in very free and closed: running shoes, boots...

— Got it. It's good. Today I'll have to get out of here.

— Soon you will cease to be a prisoner of this house — Mr Aine Soph was sitting in a chair in the hall for receptions, where there were still a few glasses of champagne, a few days later.

— I really hope so.

— But you will need to hold an official reception. You're the head of the oldest, richest and the most influential closed society.

— What is the reason for the reception?

— One of the valued members of the Order is running for president of Persia. We must support him and do everything so that he wins the election.

— We'll raise funds for the election campaign?

— That, too. I'll show you everything.

— You promised to tell me what you were really striving for, when I'm ready to hear. I'm ready.

— You yourself will understand what I want from you — Aine Soph watched El’Athar with his cold unblinking eyes, and he seemed to understand.

— Aleph was given his salary? — Agent changed the subject.

— Yes, and a decent bonus.

— It was he who bought me the fixator.

— The fixator is worth more than his salary and the bonus. But Tharsis and Rada seem to be involved.

— I see ... — El'Athar frowned. — And the funeral?

— Now we will go there.

— You too?..

— Of course.

El'Athar frowned looking at an urn, issued in the crematorium. This tiny steel box — all that remained of his girlfriend. El'Athar did not understand what he was feeling. Some dull heaviness that seemed to pull him down, the body was numb. El'Athar wanted to say something, but could not. His mouth opened and closed like of a fish out of water. He did not think it would be so hard then.

Aleph watched the agent trying to figure out what he was thinking. The boy did not know whether El'Athar had something to do with the murder of Tekhina and the fact that the investigation of the crime was hushed up, but the words of their last telephone conversation did not leave him for a second.

— I think...

— ... that it was me who pulled the trigger?

— Do you mean, El'Athar, that you killed her?

— I think no one will ever know.

— Why did you do it?

— I did not say I killed her.

— So did you or not?

Short beeps.

— What does the Order do, except for financing "Enki"?

— It controls all the political and economic systems of the region.

— How did the Ophites gather so many influential politicians and businessmen in the order?

— They have been doing it for two thousand years.

— And what about Aine Soph? Does he control everything?

— Yes. I think he and Mr Daath started all this together, but for different reasons.

— Who is Aine Soph?

— I do not know. Not a man for sure. But not Lamashtu. He is older than me.

— Jack, haven't you thought that you were the same with him?

— No, what are you talking about. I'm just a man. The only one in this whole company...

— Then why you are more than two thousand years old, and not getting older?

— I do not know... I almost do not remember anything. Only recently there began to reappear some scraps of memories and feelings. I'm not sure that my name is Jack.

— But not El'Athar.

— This is the name of a man whose place I have taken.

— And Mr Daath? What do you think of him?

— I believe that this is a project. A position. And these "Mr Daath" were numerous in the history of mankind.

— Was the project created by the Ophite order?

— No, Mr Daath created the Ophite order. He is about ten thousand years old. It seems that he has always existed.

— Have you seen him?

— No, it seems to me that even see Mr Aine Soph haven't seen him. At least nobody knows him in the face. He comes only in complete darkness.

— And the rest of "Elohim", are they the same as him? No one has seen them too?

— I have seen their faces, but could not remember a single one. They were somewhat identical and grey. I remember only the black suits, white shirts, ties and grey leather briefcases. That's all I can say.

— Who are the "Elohim"?

— The ones willing to take Mr Daath's place.

— Like Aine Soph?

— Yes.

— Well, we've got that now.

— Very good, as I am tired.

— That's not all. Let's go back to the Ophites. What do they do in the "corner of Dr Moreau"?

— Experiments.

— More specifically?

— I think they are trying to create a new Lamashtu, but most of the technology is already lost.

— So that's why they needed Tekhina with her synthetic neurons?

— Yes. And Aleph's DNA.

— Is he the progenitor?

— In some ways.

— Tekhina was not killed because she sold the draft to the military?

— She found out how Lamashtu were created.

— And do you know?

— Me?.. No, how could I. I only know that the DNA of other Lamashtu is a symbiosis of human and Aleph's DNA.

— Is Aleph's DNA so different?

— It is composed of the same chemical elements that we are and the whole universe is... But his DNA is closer to the DNA of, for example, a praying mantis. Or a cockroach... But still, the similarity is only 60%. The remaining 40% are not found on Earth.

— Does it scare you, Jack?

— I do not know how to treat this. What scares me is not the part of his DNA, but that he looks like my son, Alex.

— Do you have a son?

— Yes. And two daughters. When my wife started asking why I was not aging, I had to leave. Alex was ten years old then. I have never seen them again, I was back on Earth.

— It was during the Galactic War, Captain Getterbørgen?

— Yes...

— All people who have not returned to Earth, were killed. Did you condemn your family to death?

— No, I have left them some money so that they could also return. But I do not know whether they did or not.

— And Sophie? You married for the second time.

— It's been two thousand years later. And very briefly.

— I understand. So you project your love for your son and the regret that you left him on Aleph?

— At first, I gave into this feeling, although I did not quite understand what was happening, but then I began to remember, and it's... It's tough.

— Aleph has become your friend.

— Unfortunately. I'm better on my own.

— But from him more good comes than trouble.

— If he does not fail me, he would be the most helpful person I've ever met.

— Let us return to Tekhina. Did she tell anything else?

— No, we have not been close recently, and I could not find out anything. But I understand that she knew too much. A lot more than I do.

— Your relationship failed, even though she loved you very much. And trusted you, and you...

— ...And I could not save her.

— So you did not kill her?

— We are going in circles.

— Good. Did you love her?

— No of course not. Despite her genius as a scientist in her life, she behaved as if she was eight years old. I was not up to it.

— But you wanted to save her?

— Yes.

— Why?

— Because if I didn't tried, I would never forgive myself.

— Would you pity yourself?

— Incredibly. And I admired her as a scientist.

— Do you have a copy of her work on the neurons?

— Of course, I feel offended.

— What are you going to do next?

— I do not know the whole truth.

— But you know enough to understand what is happening.

— The circle is closed.

— What do you mean?

— I feel like dying. My body is exhausted. But I have to understand what should I do when the circle closes.

— Do you mean...

— Soon humanity will not remain even on Earth. When all Lamashtu will be gathered they...

— You want to say that...

— The history of mankind will begin again as it already had many times before.

— Cyclicism?

— Something like that.