The Epherium Chronicles: Echoes (6 page)

Hood opened a new channel on his terminal, and Sanchez’s face came into view. “Commander, contact the fleet and raise the alert status.”

“More trouble, sir?” Sanchez ventured.

“Remember when I told you our Cilik’ti worries were behind us?”

“Yeah.”

His next words formed a phrase he’d hoped never to say to a junior officer. “I was wrong.”

Chapter Six

EDF
Armstrong
Cygni 4
Orbit
Monday, February
24
Earth Year 2155

The main officer briefing room aboard the
Armstrong
was silent. Nobody around the table could believe what they’d just witnessed. Hood stared one last time at the fiery wreck of a modified civilian transport that littered the launch port outside Riyadh, the capital of New Arabia, back on Earth. The injured and dead were everywhere, but it was hard to count them all in the dark billowing smoke that permeated the area. Women leaned over bodies of their families, crying and howling in anguish. One child covered in black marks on his face and blisters on his arms staggered away from the burning ruins. Anguish choked Hood’s heart and he turned off the vid screen.

Aldridge broke the silence. “How many people died, sir?”

Hood hesitated for a moment, then stood and walked to the front of the briefing room. “Command puts the death toll at more than twelve hundred civilians. Most of them were families.” His voice echoed how he felt, hollow and disgusted. “This latest event is the worst in a series of sabotage-style attacks across Earth. There have been five in the last week alone, but until now, none targeting large groups of civilians.”

Aldridge checked her data pad. “That transport was an upgraded model with a modified space-fold drive. With that many civvies, she couldn’t have been headed to Proxima. Was it headed here?”

Hood put his hands on the table, leaned heavily upon them and sighed. “
EDF
Command believes word has been leaked about the viability of the Cygni colony. No one is certain where the leak originated, but I’ve been assured it didn’t come from the Chancellery or
EDF
Command staff. It was classified to the highest level.”

Jillian studied the images still on Hood’s data pad and shook her head. “Who would do such a thing?”

Hood straightened. He needed to give a sense of strength to his junior officers, but he was finding it difficult to come up with the right words. “After the war ended, several groups explored interest in settling their own colonies on other worlds. They didn’t want an open colony or domed city. Instead, they wanted a planet for themselves. Over the past two years, those requests and frustration have intensified. This new escalation in violence between rival groups started once they learned of Cygni 4’s existence.”

“What’s Command want us to do? Do we share this with the colonists?” Sanchez asked.

“No. Command is working with security forces everywhere to lock this down and keep any of it from spreading,” Hood responded. “Commander Howard and a select few of the colony leadership are the only ones who have been informed. Until ordered otherwise, this information is confidential and will remain so until given clearance. Understood?”

Everyone at the table agreed.

“Good.” Hood slid his data pad back over in front of him and activated the vid screen again. “With the recent changes within the Cilik’ti hierarchy, we’ve been given new orders.” The first images displayed were that of another one of the Epherium colony ships. “I’ve concluded several discussions with N’lan leadership. Since the dissolution of their Council, the N’lan believe the Chi’tan may attempt to strike at our outposts in retaliation for their defeat here. With the defenses bolstered in this system and at home, the most logical target is the last reported location of the
Cabot
at Tau Ceti. Admiral Tramp has ordered us to finalize our repairs and head there within forty-eight hours.”

“Sir, the Chi’tan will be watching our every move once we leave this system,” Sanchez began, his voice mirroring the concern in his eyes. “We’re playing right into what they want—us out in the open.”

“I understand the risks, Commander, but we’ll take a careful route that will limit our exposure to ambush, and the N’lan have promised support, as well. One of their allies is already preparing to send forces to secure the Tau Ceti system until we arrive.” Hood turned to his communications officer. “Lieutenant Wells, I want you to lock on to the beacon closest to Proxima headed toward Tau Ceti. I want to gather as much intel from the colony’s communications as we can.”

“On it, sir,” she affirmed.

“The rest of you, I need you to see to your areas and teams. We’ve got a lot to do before we leave and there can’t be any delays. Dismissed.”

The command staff of the
Armstrong
filed out of the room with Hood at the rear of the group. Just as he exited, he heard a man calling his name from down the hall. He recognized the voice and turned to see Henry McCraken jogging toward him.

“Captain,” McCraken wheezed out. “Sorry. I had to run from the far end of the deck to catch you. Do you have a minute?”

“I’m on my way to the Command Deck, but I could spare a minute or two. What do you need?”

“I’d like to formally request permission to accompany you and your crew to Tau Ceti.”

Hood raised an eyebrow. Information traveled fast—in the case of Epherium, too fast. “I thought you were needed here with the colonists.”

“Well, I was, but I talked to my superiors. Epherium has several support personnel on-site now and more on the way. They need an experienced executive to be their representative for the Tau Ceti colony.”

Hood crossed his arms. “So Epherium tosses you into the fire and now they want you to go on another dangerous assignment. Pardon me for asking, but what did you do to piss off the folks back home?”

“Nothing.” McCraken laughed. “I volunteered.”

Speechless, Hood dropped his arms to his sides. The man had meddled with his crew during the journey to Cygni, withheld crucial information and was more interested in protecting himself and his company’s secrets than anyone else. Perhaps he’d misjudged him, but it was still too early to tell.

“Captain, those colonists at Tau Ceti are my responsibility too. I want...no, I need to make sure they’re safe and the effects of the Embrace are still intact.” McCraken lowered his head. “I can’t ask anyone else to do this. It has to be me.”

“Very well, Henry. You can come along, but the rules are the same. No interference with my people or their jobs. Are we clear?”

“Crystal, Captain.” McCraken’s spirited answer brought a smile to Hood’s lips.

“Alright, I have to run. Be sure to contact Lieutenant Greywalker to let her know you’ll be staying on board. All civilians need to be cleared through her.”

McCraken paled at the mention of Maya’s name. Hood was aware that the past few encounters with his genetically enhanced chief security officer hadn’t gone well for him, but it didn’t matter. Working with Maya in McCraken’s case was protocol, not mean. Well, it was slightly. McCraken had been a pain in his backside for most of the voyage to Cygni, and perhaps he was due a little of his own. As he turned to leave, Hood thought about it for a moment and the quick smile from earlier broadened.

* * *

Stifling back a yawn, Hood walked out of the elevator lift en route to his quarters. The hours of meeting and preparing the
Armstrong
had flown by, and he was exhausted. One other person was in the hall with him, a crewman cleaning the floors. While he walked, he pulled out his data pad and checked his upcoming schedule. His final meeting with the N’lan leadership was first up in the morning. He scrolled down his calendar to the next few items, when the screen of this data pad warbled. He tapped the side of it twice, but the screen continued to malfunction. Angry, he turned it off. He thought about contacting his aide, Mr. Martin, when he realized he was standing in front of the door to his quarters.
It can wait.

He was about to type in the code to his quarters, but stopped. He turned to his left, and the crewman who was cleaning the hallway a few moments earlier was gone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood, and any hint of drowsiness was gone. Not taking his eyes off the hall, he typed in the code to his quarters from memory and entered. The lights to his quarters flickered on, revealing no one inside. The door shut behind him, and his comm band buzzed. Still on edge, Hood jumped in surprise.

Annoyed with himself, he stomped over to his desk and answered the comm. “This is Hood.”

“Sir, this is Petty Officer Martin. I wanted the let you know that your late-morning meeting with Mr. Whitaker was rescheduled to 1400.”

“Thanks.” Hood laughed, feeling more at ease. “At least I’ll have time to orient myself to our chief engineer’s way of thinking.” He picked up his data pad. “I need you take a look at my data pad in the morning. It may be malfunctioning, and I want to take care of it before we leave Cygni.”

“Will do, sir. See you in the morning.”

Hood closed the channel and leaned back in his chair. He was sure the day wasn’t ending fast enough, but he needed it to just hold its course so he could get a few hours of sleep. He stood and started to walk toward his bed when he noticed his data pad screen warble again. He reached to turn it off, and then the terminal screen on his desk experienced the same distortion. The disturbance on his screen intensified and congealed into a face of a man. Hood recognized the face, but couldn’t place the man’s name.

“Good evening, Captain.” The man’s voice was rough and his words echoed with a tinge of static. “It’s been a long time.”

Hood remembered the man now. “Lieutenant Alistair Beckett. What’s a washed-up
EDF
intelligence agent doing hacking my terminal?” Hood asked and didn’t veil his disdain for the man with his question.

“It’s colonel now, and I’m hardly washed up. Like you, I’m moving up in the world.”

“Cut the chitchat, Beckett. What do you want?”

“Merely following protocol. That’s all.” Beckett produced a smirk that rose Hood’s temper meter more than a few degrees. “My unit’s been ordered to investigate the latest string of attacks on Epherium facilities, personality reprogramming, your friends in the stealth frigate and any possible connection to the Cilik’ti. Imagine my surprise when I learned you had one on board with you. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but your help isn’t needed.” Hood kept his voice calm, but still laced with contempt. “My people are already working it. I’ll inform Admiral Grant to have your unit stand down.”

“No can do. My orders come from the top. Admiral Grant should be receiving the same briefing about them right now.”

Beckett’s statement had told Hood enough. Someone at the Chancellery had ordered Beckett’s people in, and it was clear Beckett had access to all of his logs and reports. Hood shook his head. His day was getting better and better by the moment, and he wasn’t sure when the downward spiral would finally hit bottom.

“Captain, I’m going to be blunt. My people are in place and you are ordered not to interfere with their mission. You probably won’t notice them anyway, but you’re to inform no one about their presence. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” Hood seethed, noting the irony from his conversation with McCraken.

Beckett’s malevolent grin at his answer made his face flush. “Good. Glad to see we’re on the same page for a change.”

Chapter Seven

EDF
Armstrong
Deep Space Route to Tau
Ceti
Friday, February
28th
Earth Year 2155

Captain’s Log, February 28th, 2155. The
Armstrong
has made three long-distance jumps over the past few days. I’ve put us on a course that parallels the route the
Cabot
used on its journey to Tau Ceti, but far enough away from the beacons to avoid detection. Anyone could be watching the beacons now, and it’s not safe. I’ve resorted to more disinformation even in my encrypted reports to Admiral Tramp. I need to keep a few steps ahead of whoever might be listening and I don’t trust Colonel Beckett.

He and I go way back. He was in command of a listening post on the edge of the asteroid field during the war. My fleet was moving to evacuate two stations the Cilik’ti were about to hit. We’d set up a diversionary assault on one of their rear supply depots, while we moved in get our people. Right before our initial attack, his people sent out an alert signal to my fleet hidden in the asteroids. The Cilik’ti picked it up and moved up their attack. We lost four hundred good people on one of the stations because we couldn’t get there in time. He blamed the incident on an equipment malfunction, but the logs from his site were lost. It was my testimony at the hearing that had his command stripped from him. The last I’d heard, he was doing reconnaissance work on Mars during the invasion. It’s clear a powerful high-ranking official back home has given him another chance, but he hasn’t forgotten me, that’s for sure. The feeling is mutual.

Speaking of forgotten, I neglected to note the reassignment of Lieutenant Commander Turnbow and the surviving members of the command crew of the
Cestus
. I needed a reliable team to continue the search for Captain Styles in our absence. Admiral Tramp had dispatched one our reconnaissance frigates, the
Jeffries,
to Cygni, and I requested them to be stationed on board. It feels good to have personnel with a strong attachment to Styles conducting the search. My dreams lately have been filled with what-ifs about the attack on the
Cestus,
and they always end with Styles calling my name.

We haven’t seen any sign of Cilik’ti activity or that stealth frigate since we left Cygni. To limit our exposure, I’ve refrained from contacting the Cygni colony. However, our new friend, Kree, has assured me the system is still secure. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve come to trust this Cilik’ti. His people have held up every part of our agreement in regards to the colony, and I see no reason they’ll change. It’s just too quiet now. Like the calm before the raging storm.

* * *

Lieutenant Juanita Wells arrived at the door to Kree’s makeshift quarters a few minutes earlier than Jillian Howard and found herself tapping her foot in a nervous rhythm as she watched the woman’s approach. She clutched her data pad, almost too tight, but she couldn’t help it. She was excited to finally talk about what she’d discovered.

Jillian stopped next to her and smiled. “You ready?”

Wells took a deep breath and let it out. “Yeah.” She keyed in the sequence to the door and both women stepped inside.

It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but Wells found Kree sitting in the back corner of the room, watching them.

“Hello, Kree. It’s good to see you again,” Wells said as she and Jillian approached. She hadn’t spoken with Kree since the aftermath of the battle on Cygni and there hadn’t been any time to discuss her research until now.

“Lieutenant Wells and Commander Howard, this one is happy you have come.” His monotonic voice echoed in the metal-walled room, but was muffled by the high-pitched clicking sounds of his nervous feet on the metal floor. “You mentioned there was an issue of great importance to discuss.”

“Yes.” Wells accessed her data pad and opened the files related to the research she’d conducted on the stone image in the canyon on Cygni. She showed the screen to Kree and scrolled the images. The pictures reflected on the smooth facets of his eyes. “After the battle, I was able to spend more time studying the stone image and the radiation patterns it emitted. The low-level radiation pulses were a code. I managed to decipher it, and look what it unlocked!”

When she reached the last of the pictures that depicted the strange map, Kree raised his head sharply to look over the screen and stepped backward.

“Kree, what’s wrong?” Jillian’s vocal concern mirrored Wells’s confusion to Kree’s reaction.

“You must stop.” His words were harsh and blunt.

“I don’t understand.” Wells scowled. Kree has seemed so open to talk before. What had changed?

Kree turned and skittered away from the two women. His upper torso swayed back and forth as if he was writing in pain. “Forget what you have learned. There is nothing for you there.”

Jillian tried to the move closer to her friend, but he continued to keep his distance. “Kree, what do these images mean?”

Kree stopped and walked back toward Jillian. He put his head close to her face. “Pain and death.” He turned his head back to Wells. “Destroy your data and never return to that site, Lieutenant. This one’s people will make sure it is dealt with.”

Wells shook her head and pointed to the last image and the symbols displayed. “Kree, I’ve seen these symbols before on Cilik’ti spacecraft and this image. It could be a map. If this has something to do with your people, why are you so afraid of it?”

“Because it is dangerous!” Kree’s words bellowed from his translator device.

Shocked at his outburst, Wells didn’t say anything. She glanced at Jillian, who shrugged.

“This one is sorry. Enough pain and anguish have come from this.” He walked over to the table and picked up a device. Broken shards of green crystals fell to the floor. “This one does not want to see you or your people hurt. Not even to cure millennia of sorrows.”

Kree’s words were cryptic, but Wells started to grasp their meaning. She stepped closer to the alien and bent down. She picked up one of the crystal shards with her fingers and held it up toward him. “You’ve been studying that image too, haven’t you?”

One of Kree’s four-fingered hands gently took the shard from her hand and placed it back on the table. “Yes, Lieutenant Wells. This one has studied the images in the stone.” He gestured to the broken device in his hand. “But my research has come to an end.”

Wells figured the device was a Cilik’ti data storage device, and he confirmed it.
Did he break it?
She handed him her data pad. “Here. Use this. This map—or whatever it is—was created by your people. Take what I have, and let’s research it together.”

While Kree stared at the image on the data pad, Jillian picked one of the small green pellets from the table. She rubbed it in her hand and it left a green smear. She tried to place it back in the container, but Kree glanced over at her and provided a respectful shake of his head. Jillian apologized, pulled a small cloth from her pocket and cleaned her hand.

Kree returned to inspecting the image. After a few moments, he handed it back to Wells. “No. This one cannot do as you ask.”

Wells stood and pointed at the image again. “I’ve already sent my data back home for analysis. If you’re worried about more people knowing about it, then that’s a bigger issue. But Commander Howard and I can help. Whatever we find, we can keep it here.”

Kree lowered his head. “Very well. This one will explain.” He set the broken device on the table. “Do you remember when this one spoke of The Lost Shi?”

Wells thought about it for a moment. “Yeah. You mentioned it in the caves on Cygni. An entire Shi was wiped out by the others for some horrible crime.”

“The crime may have been in their eradication,” Kree elaborated. “The Ku’lan were the ones who first encountered the Nelfarren, and it is that encounter that brought about the twilight of their Shi.”

The Nelfarren were another alien species the Cilik’ti had encountered before. They were telepaths with incredible power who dominated the Ku’lan. “I remember. You said the Nelfarren used the Ku’lan as weapons against the other Shi.”

“Correct, but not all the Ku’lan had fallen under the thrall of the Nelfarren. Those who resisted fled to regions unknown.” He used one of his fingers and scrolled across the data pad to select the close-up pictures of the map. “Legends spoke of markers left behind by the survivors of the purge. The markers are interstellar guides to their exile, should they be deemed worthy to rejoin the Shi once more. This is one of those markers.”

“I knew it was a map, but I don’t know where to begin. Nothing matched any of our current star charts.”

“This one has an idea where this map begins, but it will take time to research it.”

“I understand,” Wells replied and put away her data pad. “One thing I don’t understand is why this information is so dangerous. Wouldn’t it be great to discover a long-lost remnant of your people?”

“There are those among the Shi who believe finding the Ku’lan could be considered a blessing. At the time of the purge, they were the most skilled in developing new technologies to benefit all the Shi. The survivors were rumored to have invented a defense against the Nelfarren and took it with them into exile.” Kree paused. “But they also made weapons to fight against the other Shi. This one fears that elders in each Shi will do anything to gain what the remnant of the Ku’lan possess.”

“Even Great Ut’liss?” Jillian questioned.

Kree moved to his left and tapped another of the devices on the table. “The Hal’ta N’lan have known the beacon was on the planet your people are now colonizing for many planetary cycles. This one is unsure of the reason to unlock its secrets now, but yes, this one believes that Great Ut’liss might be tempted to sacrifice her honor and abandon sound judgment to locate the Ku’lan.”

Wells imagined having humans in a big warship showing up at the planet made the N’lan reevaluate their decision. Kree had been willing to give his own life to save the honor of his people during the K’rveen. That time it was to protect innocent lives on Cygni. She wondered if he would do so again just to protect secrets that had been buried for ages.

He spun his large body to face the two women so fast, they nearly jumped back in surprise. “This one will help you. This one fears for the future of the N’lan and your people. Whoever finds the Ku’lan first will have a distinct advantage in reshaping the Shi or destroying them.” Kree rose and arched his neck. His translator globe took on a strong blue glow. “We must find them first.”

* * *

Sergeant Toronaga’s call to the Marines in the onboard barracks roused everyone from their sleep. Fifty Marines called this room their temporary home, but for a Marine in the
EDF
, any place to rest your head for a few hours was considered paradise. Men and women scrambled from their bunks to get dressed for early physical training and ops simulation. Even in deep space, training promoted vigilance, and Major McGregor expected nothing less from his troops.

Harlan Jarvis pulled out his drawer under his bunk to remove his clothes for the day. The lightweight BDU jacket had his name printed over the left breast, but it wasn’t what everyone called him. It was Priest. On the sleeve of the jacket, a new insignia had been added. Seeing the insignia brought a surge of accomplishment in him, and he lowered his head to give thanks to the Lord. Prayer was a welcome practice he always performed when starting a new day. The sergeant insignia was a goal he’d dreamed of when he’d first joined the Corp. Many of his platoon mates during the battle by the lake at Cygni had received commendations, but Priest had been promoted two ranks. The move was not unheard-of in the Corp, but it had gained a lot of attention with his fellow Marines.

“Stop gawking at your new stripes, Priest. We gotta move,” said a large Marine to his left.

Priest turned and regarded the man. “I wasn’t gawking, Kirtland, just giving my thanks where it’s due.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kirtland mocked. “Sergeant Toronaga and you both get big promotions, and the rest of us get the scraps. Typical.”

Priest stood and wanted to protest, but he noticed an object on Kirtland’s forearm just inside his sleeve. It was a small clear square patch that resembled a bandage. He waited for the rest of the Marines nearest him to leave and moved in closer to his bunkmate. “What’s that on your arm?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Tell me you’re not on that stuff, man,” Priest challenged. Illegal adrenaline boosters called juicers had made their way through the Corp before. Most were extremely addictive and once hooked, they destroyed Marines’ lives.

Irritated, Kirtland tried to brush past him. “It’s none of your business, Priest. Let it go.”

He pointed to the man’s forearm. “I’m your friend. Trust me, you don’t need that stuff. It’ll kill you.”

The larger Marine whirled on him. “Don’t start talking all high-and-mighty to me! I was in the bunkers fighting off those damn bugs while you were all nice and cozy in your MACE armor, taking potshots. I gave everything I had to try and take down one of those Cilik’ti Elite Guards, and it still tore our bunker apart.” He pulled up his shirt to show a web of scars across his abdomen. “I spent a week in Medical just trying to stand after that fight, so excuse me if I need to find a perk to even the odds a bit.”

Priest studied the scars for a second then sighed. Sorrow filled his heart. He didn’t want to judge Kirtland, but concern got the better of him. He looked up at his friend’s face. “I’m sorry, man. I just don’t want to see you get hurt by that stuff is all.”

“Listen, you know me better than that.” He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the patch. “I checked this stuff out. It’s called ‘The Quick’. A friend back home told me about it. It’s a new performance enhancer a little start-up company is developing.” He pulled the patch off and handed it to Priest. “The drug takes a few days to buildup in your system, but I feel great. My rehab time was cut in half after I started using it.”

Priest examined the patch. There was a small logo on the top, but he couldn’t make it out. “What about side effects?”