The Lost Fleet: Genesis: A Slaver Wars Novel (20 page)

“Report,”
ordered the AI in command of the ship. There were only sixty AIs on the
warsphere as most of its functions were automated.

“Intense
radiation from the star,” the AI at the science console answered in its cold
mechanical voice. “Shield is holding.”

“Hyperdrive?”

“Recharging,”
the AI at the navigation and helm controls answered. “Hyperdrive will be fully
operational in six minutes.”

“The dark
matter missile?”

“Ready to
launch,” reported the AI in front of the tactical console.

The AI in
command of the ship checked the timer on one of the consoles. It was
twenty-seven minutes until time to launch the missile.

“Will the
gravity well of the star have any effect on the hyperdrive?”

“Minimal,”
replied the science AI. “We’re just on the edge of where the influence of the
star’s gravity would interfere.”

“Sensors?”

“No contacts.”

The AI in
command was satisfied. There was nothing to hinder the completion of their
mission.

The minutes
passed quickly by, and the timer on the console finally reached zero.

“Missile
launch,” confirmed the AI at Tactical. “Sixteen minutes until impact and
detonation.”

“Launch the
FTL probe,” ordered the AI in command. “As soon as it has cleared the energy
screen, activate it.” The AI knew that due to the intense radiation the probe
would only function for forty minutes. That would be more than enough time for
it to complete its mission.

On one of the
viewscreens, the small probe became visible as it moved away from the ship. It
was a small globe five meters in diameter.

“Activate
hyperdrive and set coordinates for the fleet rendezvous point.”

-

In front of
the AI warsphere, a swirling white spatial vortex appeared and moments later
the vessel vanished into it, leaving the blue-giant star system far behind.

In the system,
the dark matter sublight missile continued to accelerate toward its
destination. The minutes passed as the missile drew nearer and then it finally
dove into the Corona of the blue-giant star. The missile was made of the same
material as the
Dominator
and resistant to the raging heat. It continued
through the Corona entering the Chromosphere, but it didn’t stop there. The
heat was beginning to affect the missile, and the massive turbulence attempting
to tear it apart, but it continued diving into the Photosphere where it
exploded.

The blue-giant
star at first seemed unaffected, then it contracted in on itself. Massive solar
prominences rose high above the surface. Then, in a titanic release of energy,
the sun exploded, transforming into a supernova as electrons and protons fused
together sending out a massive wave of neutrinos and matter.

-

Aboard the
Dominator
,
the huge panoramic viewscreen was divided into ten sections, each one showing a
blue-giant star. Almost simultaneously the ten stars began to expand until they
covered the screens with their violence.

“Detonations
confirmed at all ten stars,” reported Andram as he studied the data coming
across his science screens. “Detecting a massive increase in neutrinos.”

Even as he spoke,
the screens rapidly went blank, one by one.

“FTL
communication probes have been destroyed,” reported Kazak. “Preliminary data
indicates we were successful in turning all ten stars into supernovas.”

“How soon before
we know if they’ll stop the radiation front?” asked Katie. Her eyes had been
glued to the viewscreens. She had never imagined seeing something like a
supernova at close range. The screens had made the star explosions seem as if
they were right next to the
Dominator
.

“Not for seven
to nine months,” Andram answered. “The energy front from the supernovas is only
moving outward at the speed of light. While the radiation front from the Dyson
Sphere supernova is moving much faster, it will take three to four months
before they interact with each other and then another four to six months before
we can judge the affects.”

Kelsey shifted
her eyes away from the viewscreen as it began to show a normal view of space,
if the heart of the blue-giant nebula could be called normal. “As soon as all
the warspheres have reached us, we’ll set a course for home.”

Kelsey saw the
relieved look in Katie’s eyes. With a deep sigh, Kelsey leaned back in her
command chair. She wondered what Jeremy would say when he learned she had allowed
Kazak to talk her into blowing up ten star systems. She just hoped she had made
the right decision and the Dyson Sphere supernova would be substantially
weakened.

-

In Simulin
space, Supreme High Commander Callat was inspecting one of the massive shipyards
in orbit around Malkor. He was in one of the enormous construction bays
watching the final work being done to a new seventeen-hundred-meter
battlecruiser.

“The reports
have been confirmed,” reported High Commander Faberh. “The ship of the sphere
builders was detected leaving the Fitula Nebula.”

“Did the ship
that detected the vessel report on its destination?” Callat knew because of the
distance involved this report was several weeks old.

“The nebula
where the Great Sphere resided.”

Callat turned
his cold gaze upon his second in command. “We have several fleets in the
vicinity of the nebula, have they been informed?”

“Yes, the
commander of the vessel sent warning messages to the fleets at the nebula. They
will be watching for the ship’s arrival.”

“And the fleet
we have forming up at the Fitula Nebula?”

“Many of the
ships have arrived; there are still a few task groups inbound to the assembly
coordinates.”

Callat was
satisfied things were going as planned. He had been waiting for the appearance
of the ship. Once the ship of the sphere builders was detected returning to the
Fitula Nebula, the waiting Simulin fleet would jump in and launch every
antimatter missile they had in their missile tubes. Callat was convinced such a
massive onslaught of antimatter energy would at least damage the vessel, giving
the attacking Simulin fleet a chance to capture it. If he was wrong, they could
lose the entire fleet. It would be a setback but one that could be dealt with.

“The fleet we
sent from Tranton should be arriving at Ornellia shortly,” Faberh added. “Once
we have destroyed the Fitula organics and their AIs in the Ornellia System, the
threat they pose to that region of space will have been neutralized.”

“All must be
Simulin,” Supreme High Commander Callat spoke in a resounding voice.

“All must be
Simulin,” replied Faberh reverently.

Callat watched
as several energy cannons were moved over to the battlecruiser for
installation. The Grand Council was now firmly under his control and his plans
for a more powerful fleet as well as increased planetary defenses were
proceeding smoothly. The only real threat to eventual Simulin domination of
this galaxy were the organics and the AIs from the Fitula Nebula. If the ship
of the sphere builders could be captured or destroyed, then that threat would
be a very minor one. Someday they would have the technology to penetrate the
nebula and strike at the system the organics and AIs were encamped in.

“It is time
for us to return to the flagship,” he said, turning away from the battlecruiser.
“I wish to go to Tranton and then to Gladen Three to inspect the defenses
there.”

“I will have
the flagship prepare for departure,” replied Faberh.

-

In the Fitula
Nebula, Jeremy was back on board the
Avenger
. He had just returned from
a second staff meeting with all of his admirals. During the meeting he had announced
the promotion of Commander Newman of the battlecruiser
Gaia
to the rank
of rear admiral as well as the promotion of Commander Hiru Akira of the
battlecarrier
Retribution
to the rank of rear admiral. Newman would be
in charge of the squadron of twenty-four Gaia class battlecruisers built by the
Clan Protector. Akira would be responsible for all the fleet’s battlecarriers
as well as fighter and bomber operations.

“Grayseth
reports his fleet is ready to depart,” said Lieutenant Shayla Lantz from
Communications.

“Admiral
Cleeteus and the Command AI have their forces ready as well,” added Commander
Malen.

Jeremy looked
over at the main computer console where Kurene was sitting. Behind her hovered
ZED, who would be accompanying them. This would be the first time Jeremy had
ever allowed an AI to be in the Command Center of the
Avenger
during a
mission. While he sought to destroy the fleet in the Zeta 3A Star System, he
also wanted to attempt to capture a Simulin warship. If they could capture a
ship and access its computer, they might be able to learn just how strong the
Simulins were in the Triangulum Galaxy as well as find out where their
inhabited worlds were. The tactical data they could gain would greatly enhance
their ability to fight the war.

For this
battle he was taking six Federation battleships, ten battlecruisers, forty
strikecruisers, and twelve of the Gaia class battlecruisers. In addition, Alton
Admiral Cleeteus was taking twenty battleships and twenty of his
battlecruisers. The Carethian fleet, which Grayseth and Admiral Calmat were in
joint command of, consisted of two battleships, ten battlecruisers, and
twenty-six medium cruisers. The Command AI was also committing a fleet. Sixty
of the stupendous fifteen-hundred-meter warships were going as well as eighty
of the one-thousand-meter warspheres. Jeremy intended to crush the Simulin
fleet in the Zeta 3A Star System and then seek out and destroy any Simulin
surveillance ships around the nebula.

Looking around
the Command Center, Jeremy took a deep breath. By attacking the Simulin fleet,
it ensured the
Dominator
wouldn’t fall prey to a trap when it returned
from the blue-giant nebula. It would also be sending a message to the Simulins.

“Will I be
allowed to fight with the
Avenger
?” asked a girlish voice from behind
Jeremy.

Jeremy allowed
himself to smile. Sometimes he forgot Ariel had originally been programmed to
command a warship in battle. “Perhaps,” he answered. “We’ll see how the battle
goes.” Looking over at the sensor console, he noticed the panicked look on
Kevin’s face. Ariel tended to get overzealous in her maneuvers during battle,
and some of her antics could be quite frightening if one wasn’t prepared.
“Don’t worry Kevin, it might not be necessary.”

Kevin nodded
and turned his attention back to his sensor console.

“Commander
Malen, take us out,” ordered Jeremy as he settled back in his command chair.
“We’ll stop just inside the outer section of corridor five and send a few ships
out to take scans. Once we’ve confirmed the enemy’s location and numbers, we’ll
launch our attack.”

On the main
viewscreen, Jeremy watched as they began to pull away from Gaia. It would have
been relatively easy to remain hidden in the nebula for years to come and stay
away from the Simulins. However, to do so would be to allow the Simulins to
rebuild their strength and Jeremy could not allow that to happen. No, it was
time to go on the offense and take the war to them. Jeremy just hoped he
wouldn’t come to regret his decision.

Reesa looked
with boredom around the room she was imprisoned in. It had been six days since
the appearance of the Originator in the museum. The being hadn’t said a word
but had motioned for her to follow him. She had been taken to this room and
once inside found the door locked. Twice per day a tray of food appeared in a
slot on the wall.

It had taken
her a while to figure out the restroom facilities as everything was designed
for an Originator. Sometimes she felt like a child in an adult’s room. Even
though Altons were a tall race, the Originators were even taller. She was in a
suite of rooms which contained a living area, a bedroom, and a restroom.
Everything was vaguely similar to what one might expect in an ordinary
apartment building except larger. For instance, she could sit on the bed and
her feet didn’t touch the floor. The same with the furniture in the living
room. For six days she had examined every aspect of her prison, not finding any
way to communicate or to even guess where she was.

With a heavy
sigh, Reesa sat down in one of the comfortable chairs, which nearly engulfed
her. Every day she was growing more restless and concerned. Kelnor must be
highly upset with her, even more so than he had been. It seemed her enthusiasm
was constantly getting her into trouble. She didn’t see how Humans handled all
of these emotions without self-destructing. Most Altons were more logical, and
only a fraction of the population was like Reesa. It was one of the reasons why
most had shied away from the war effort.

A noise at the
door drew her attention and much to her surprise, it opened. Instead of the
male Originator who had brought her to this room, a female stepped inside.
Reesa drew in a sharp breath. The woman was easily eight feet tall. She was
very Human in form except her skin had a more bluish tone to it than did her
own. Her hair was a fiery red, and her facial features seemed very normal. If
Reesa didn’t know better, she would think this was an Alton, just taller with a
few minor differences.

“Hello?” Reesa
said, rising immediately to her feet. The woman gazed critically at Reesa and
remained silent. “Who are you?”

The Originator
stepped over closer and folded her arms across her chest. “Why have you come here?”
she asked. “Our world is not for your kind.”

Reesa was
startled as the Originator’s voice sounded very normal, even a little youthful.
“My name is Reesa Jast, and I’m an Alton. We came to the Dyson Sphere to make
contact with your race.”

“That is what
you call the metal sphere which encloses this star?”

“Yes,” Reesa
answered. “We mean no harm.”

“Where did you
get this?” asked the woman, holding out the copper colored key.

“My people
found it long ago in the ruins of a planet near here.”

“What is your
function?”

Reesa thought
this was a strange question. “I’m a research scientist specializing in the
Originators.”

“That is what
you call the race that built this Dyson Sphere?”

Now Reesa was
feeling even more confused. “Aren’t you a member of that race?”

The woman
regarded Reesa critically for a moment before replying. “No, the Originators,
as you call them, died out several million years ago.”

Reesa’s eyes
widened at this revelation. “Then who are you?”

“I am an AI,
and this body is an avatar I use to give myself a physical form when needed.”

“An AI,”
repeated Reesa, feeling stunned. It helped to explain why this conversation
seemed so strange. “How long have you been here?”

“From the
beginning. There are a number of us responsible for the upkeep of the Dyson
Sphere. Most of us stay in stasis until we’re needed to serve some function
which the regular repair robots can’t handle.”

Reesa paused
as she thought of her next question. “Why was I brought here and then left
alone? It’s been six days and my friends must be worried about me.”

“Ah yes, your
friends in Raelen,” the AI said. “We’ve been monitoring them. We were curious
as to how you gained admittance until we found a computer pass key on you.”

“The copper
colored globe?”

The AI nodded.
“It is surprising one survived outside the Dyson Sphere.”

“Will you take
me back to the others?”

The red-haired
AI gazed thoughtfully at Reesa. “We’re not sure. We allowed your people into
Raelen when we realized the food resources in the small valley were being
exhausted. If not for the computer key in your possession, you would never have
found the technological section of the museum. We have analyzed the primitive
technology of the ships orbiting the Dyson Sphere and determined the technology
in that section is far too dangerous for your people. Some of it is thousands
of years more advanced than what is currently being used on your spacecraft. We
have locked that part of the museum down so no one else can gain entrance
again, even with a computer key.”

“We mean no
harm,” reiterated Reesa, feeling desperate to gain the AI’s trust. “We just
want to know more about the people who built this fabulous place. There is
nothing else like it in the galaxy.”

The AI slowly
shook her head showing doubt. “One group of ships on the far side of the Dyson
Sphere has emplaced nuclear explosive charges against the hull. That is not
what I would call a peaceful gesture.”

“Those are the
Shari,” replied Reesa, feeling worried upon hearing about the nuclear charges.
She couldn’t believe the Shari would be foolish enough to attempt to blast
their way in. “They have conquered this section of our galaxy and seek the
science of the Dyson Sphere for their own ends. If they gain access, they will
use your science and technology to conquer the entire galaxy and enslave every
inhabited world.”

“And your
people? Your ships are even more heavily armed than these Shari you speak of.
We have detected antimatter weapons on board many of your starships. What makes
your people any different?”

Reesa was
feeling overwhelmed. “We recently fought a war against a great enemy to free
part of the galaxy. The Shari are a segment of that great enemy though not
nearly as dangerous. Even now, there are others who pose an even bigger threat.
They are called Simulins and come from outside this galaxy. They are searching
for the Dyson Sphere as well.”

“We know of
the Simulins,” the AI said with a deep frown. “They have taken over a number of
the spheres, or at least managed to access the intergalactic vortexes the
Originators once used to travel between galaxies.”

Reesa felt
confused. “Why have you allowed them to do this? Surely it’s within your power
to prevent them from using the Dyson Spheres for evil.”

“At first, we
didn’t realize their intentions,” confessed the AI. “We have since sealed most
of the Dyson Spheres from their use. We have also ensured they only have
limited access to the ones they have gained a foothold on. Very few of the AIs
in the Dyson Spheres have been trained for actual warfare or how to deal with
the current situation.”

“Surely there
are automatic defenses?”

The AI nodded.
“Yes, very powerful ones. If the Shari explode one of their nuclear charges
against the outer hull, it will trigger an immediate response.”

This concerned
Reesa greatly. “What about the ships in my fleet? Will they be harmed as well?”

“It’s
possible; the automatic defenses are controlled by the Dyson Sphere’s core
computer system. It may not differentiate between the ships of the Shari and yours.”

Reesa pursed
her lips at hearing this. Somehow, she needed to get a warning to Admiral
Tolsen. There was no doubt in her mind after seeing the technology of the Dyson
Sphere that the automatic defenses could probably destroy every ship in orbit.

“Is there any
way I can get a message to the admiral in charge of our fleet and warn him of
the danger if the Shari actually explode one of their devices?”

The red-haired
AI gazed at Reesa and was quiet for several long moments. “I have spoken to
several of the other AIs currently out of stasis. By consensus, we have decided
to take you to one of the Dyson Sphere’s Control Centers. Once there, we will
make our final decision on your request to communicate with your fleet.”

“Thank you,”
Reesa said. She just hoped they would allow her to send a message and it would
be in time.

-

On board the
WarHawk,
a new shift was starting in the Command Center. “No change in status,” reported
Commander Arnett as Admiral Tolsen entered through the thick metal security
hatch. “The Shari are still holding their positions and the size of their fleet
has remained unchanged.”

“Thank you,
Commander,” Race answered as he sat down in his command chair. Looking at the
large viewscreen, he saw it was focused on one of the large circular
indentations on the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

“I have Alshan
Kalar on the comm for you,” reported Captain Denise Travers. “He says it’s
vitally urgent he speak with you.”

Race nodded.
Every time Alshan sent a message, he claimed it was vital. “Alshan, what have
you discovered? Have you found another entrance into the Dyson Sphere?”

“No,” Alshan’s
replied in a shaky voice. “However, we have discovered something much more
important. The bowl-shaped area we have been investigating is not an airlock.”

“It’s not?”
replied Race, feeling disappointed. He knew by now the odds of the exploratory
team still being alive were slim. Their only hope lay in if they had succeeded
in making it to the inside of the Dyson Sphere and had found a viable source of
food and water. The odds of that were infinitesimal. “What are they?”

“We believe
the bowl structures do indeed open, but when they do it’s to establish an
intergalactic vortex.”

Race’s eyes
opened wide in shock. “But some of those structures are nearly thirty
kilometers across!”

“Yes,” Alshan
answered excitedly. “It would allow for the movement of entire fleets at a
time.”

“How many of
the bowl-like structures have we detected on the Dyson Sphere?”

“Twenty-seven,”
Alshan answered promptly.

“How would
they be powered?” Race recalled that the AIs had built an entire series of
energy collector satellites around the black hole at the galaxy’s center to
power their massive vortex. Two of the surviving power satellites had been used
to send the
Distant Horizon
to the Triangulum Galaxy in search of
Admiral Strong and the lost fleets.

“From the sun
inside the Dyson Sphere,” Alshan answered. “They probably only powered up one
or two of them at a time but the energy they could capture from the sun would
be sufficient. Depending on the size of the star inside the Dyson Sphere, they
could have upwards of four to five thousand yottawatts available.”

Race leaned
back in his chair and frowned. This was not what he had wanted to hear. “There
has to be an entrance somewhere.”

“I agree,”
answered Alshan. “We just haven’t been able to locate it.”

“Continue
looking,” Race ordered. “And keep me informed of any further significant
developments.”

Commander
Arnett looked over at the admiral with a sad look on her face. “I spoke to
Major Nolan earlier. He says if the exploration team didn’t find a viable
source of food and water they’re probably all dead.”

Race knew in
all likelihood the team had perished. It also was beginning to appear to him
they weren’t going to find a way into the Dyson Sphere. He wondered about
contacting Ambassador Tureen and seeing if the ambassador could speak to the
High Lord commanding the Shari fleet. Perhaps they could come to an agreement
where both sides agreed to leave the Dyson Sphere alone. He was well aware the
ambassador had failed in his first attempt with the Shari Grand Council of High
Lords. Perhaps now they would be more willing to negotiate in order to avoid an
all out war.

If they could
agree for both the Shari and the Federation to keep a small observation force
in the system with open lines of communication back to their respective
governments, maybe that could end this dangerous standoff and take the Dyson
Sphere off the table. With a deep sigh, he leaned back in his command chair.
Looking over at a secondary viewscreen, he saw the battlecarrier
Hera
,
where Massie was. They talked every day which helped being so far from the
Federation, but he knew morale in the fleet was becoming a problem. It was
difficult being so far from home for such an extended period of time.

-

In the Shari fleet, High Lord Aktill gazed with concern at the ship’s main viewscreen. He had just
finished speaking with Abrade, the Shari scientist responsible for the research
being done at the Dyson Sphere. Once more the scientist had demanded he be
allowed to set off the explosive charges so they could blast open an entrance
to the Dyson Sphere. Several days before, Aktill had sent off a message to the
Shari Grand Council of High Lords asking for instructions. He had also included
the warning sent by the Humans. Aktill had informed Abrade no explosives were
to be used until there was a response from the council.

“The fleet
grows impatient,” warned Lower Lord Samarth. “Our enemy is still at the Dyson
Sphere and our crews wonder why we don’t attack.”

Aktill frowned
and turned toward his second in command. In recent days Samarth had become more
demanding about the fleet taking a more aggressive stance.

“Look at the
defenses the Humans and the Altons have set up above the portion of the Dyson
Sphere they’re exploring. They have superior weapons and better energy shields.
If we attack, we stand the chance of losing the majority of our fleet, if not
all of it.”

“I don’t
believe that,” scoffed Lower Lord Samarth. “Their vessels are just slightly
more powerful than ours. The only ships we need fear are their larger ships and
they only have a few of them. We have over sixteen hundred warships to attack
with. If we send our entire fleet in we will overwhelm them and victory will be
ours.”