Warrior Chronicles 2: Warrior's Blood Page 12

  “Okay. What’s your next step?”

  “That depends on them. If they approach Argyre or any other colony, I will fight them. If they go for the module, I won’t.”

  “Okay. I’m going to work. Are you okay today?” Kim was still worried about Cort’s stamina, regardless of his morning ‘exercise’.

  “Yeah. I will turn the FALCON on and off throughout the day to keep building up my strength.” Cort hesitated and asked, “Are you coming back here tonight?”

  “Do you want me to?”

  “Yes.” Cort stared at her. “No promises Kim, but I would like you to come back tonight.”

  “Good. Because I want to.” Coke followed her through the door.

  Twelve

  Oxia Palus

  Chief Rhodes was watching MPS feeds from the security office. One ship was approaching. Because of the angle of approach they didn’t know if it was headed for the module containing Cort’s medallion or the Argyre facility. Four railguns were tracking the ship. Cort’s HAWC suit was linked to the MPS network, but his railgun was not activated. He was halfway between the Argyre facility and the disconnected module, ready to attack the alien vessel if necessary. While his railgun was not actively tracking the ship, it was fully charged and in fractional mode.

  Oxia Palus had been broadcasting on all frequencies for the past hour. The message was Cort’s voice warning the vessel away from the populated sites and directing it to follow the laser beacon that was emitting from the module. So far, there had been no response from the approaching ship.

  Approaching Mars Orbit

  “Sir,” Parvess said, “we are receiving a transmission from the fourth planet. Communications is trying to decode it now.”

  Glydnal was studying the planet surface. “They have three active colonies on the surface. There is one at a polar region that is inactive. There are also multiple sites containing synthetic debris. Perhaps from earlier exploration activity. There is also one structure emitting an amplified light signal. Its location matches the location of the beacon.”

  Parvess closed his eyes and read. When he opened them again, he said, “That conforms to our interpretation of the signal. It is directing us away from the populated areas and ordering that we move to the location of the light signal. Instructions, sir?”

  “They are confident, I will acknowledge this species has that trait. Approach and recover the Beacon first. Then we will attempt communication.”

  Near Argyre

  “It looks like they figured out what we were saying, Chief. But don’t stop tracking the ship until they are gone. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, Cort. You want us to track until they leave orbit.”

  “You’re learning, Chief.” Cort had long since been training everyone in proper radio procedures, and Chief repeating his instructions was a first. Usually, he did just fine in drills but had not followed the training in actual situations.

  “Thanks, boss. A smaller vessel has left the ship. I think it is going to land near the module. It would be nice if they didn’t damage it.

  “Send me the best feed, Chief,” Cort ordered.

  “You have it.”

  On his HUD, Cort saw a craft that looked like a small, old style space shuttle gliding toward the module. When it was over the laser beacon, it landed vertically next to the module. One side of the craft opened, and a quadrupedal robot moved toward one end of the structure.

  “Chief, can you open the module remotely?”

  “No, Cort. Sorry.”

  “I doubt you’re getting the module back, then.”

  As if on cue, the robot fired a laser at the end of the module. One long arm held a tethering ring as the laser cut an opening. The robot then crawled through the hole. A minute later, it emerged holding the lead box that contained the medallion. After the robot entered its shuttle, the craft lifted vertically and returned to its mother ship.

  “Cort, I’m getting a transmission from the ship. In Atlantan. It’s asking for permission to approach the colony.”

  “Patch me through, Chief.” Cort said.

  “You’re on.”

  “Do not approach the colony. You will be destroyed.” Cort said.

  “Who are you? I am designated Glydnal. Who am I addressing?” The voice was thin and sounded synthetic. Cort suspected it was some sort of translation system.

  “I am Cort Addison. I protect this planet. We are no longer associated with the planet that attacked you. Please do not approach our structures.”

  “Cort Addison. We wish to speak with you. We must know how our beacon was brought to this planet. How it was activated. How you travelled forward in the timestream with our device.” The metallic voice reminded Cort of HAL from the old science fiction movie, if HAL had inhaled helium.

  “I will answer your questions, but do not approach our population.”

  “Cort Addison, regardless of your designation, you are not in position to dictate to me. We will land at your colony and you will board our ship.”

  “Do not approach our colony, Glydnal.”

  Twelve hundred light years away, Speral was listening to the exchange. This creature is dangerous. Do not push him, Glydnal. You have good judgment. Use it. Come home to me.

  “Cort Addison. You will comply with my instructions. You appear to have violated the regulations of this arm. You must explain your actions.”

  “I will answer your questions. I may even enter your ship. But I will not allow you to approach my people.”

  Glydnal turned to Parvess. “First, can they harm us? Cort Addison appears to believe they can.”

  Parvess closed his eyes. “No, sir. We are being monitored by five projectile type weapons. The projectiles are solid and do not have a radiation component like those used to destroy our expedition vessel.”

  Glydnal spoke to Cort again. “Cort Addison. We will land our excursion craft next to your colony, and you will board it. Then it will be decided if you will be transported back to our homeworld.” Why does he not comply?

  “Do not approach the colony, Glydnal.” How long? How long will this be my life? Why did I leave the cabin?

  Speral felt fear. Even through translation, this creature instilled fear. She could not intercede, but she hoped that her mate would change his mind. Please, Glydnal. Please let this go. We punished the ones who destroyed our ship.

  “Cort Addison. If you comply with my instructions, we will not enter your colony. But we will take you into custody.” This being is hiding something. Something in that colony.

  Cort signalled Rhodes to pause the transmission. “Chief, if that ship moves, fire on it.”

  “If the ship moves, fire. Got it.”

  “Open the transmission again.” Cort waited for the notification on his HUD and spoke to Glydnal again. “Glydnal. I will warn you once more. Do not approach my colony. You may land elsewhere on the planet, and I will speak with you. But if you approach my colony, we will fight you.”

  Speral saw her mate give the order to approach the colony. No, Glydnal.

  “Cort, they are moving toward the colony. The landing craft has separated from the mother ship as well. Firing now.” Four railguns fired at once.

  “Sir, they have fired on us. Defensive barriers holding. No effect,” Parvess said.

  “Oh shit. No effect, Cort.”

  The railgun extended from Cort’s HAWC suit. The rails fully extended.

  “We are being targeted by another weapon system, sir. This time from mobile unit on the surface.”

  “Chief, I will transmit from here now,” Cort said. Then he matched the broadcast frequency of the ship above him and said, “I am sorry. I did not want this.”

  “Sir! Cort Addison is in the mobile weapons unit. It has converted its weapon profile.”

  Glydnal screamed, “Move toward that unit. Increase defensive barriers!”

  Speral couldn’t turn away from the image being sent to her from so far away.

  Cort’s HAWC lo
cked on the ship fifty kilometers above him. He fired the railgun and the ship disappeared in flash of blinding light. The landing craft fell from the sky, crashing several hundred meters from Cort. It was a drone. “Kim, are you online?”

  “Yes, Cort. I’m here.”

  “Get a MELF headed to my location. I want to study that drone. I’m going to stay on site until we are sure it’s inactive. Rhodes, we need to upgrade the MPS railguns. Can you give them a fractional mode?”

  “No, the coils are not large enough. We can modify the ground units though. I can add it to the maintenance orders for the swivel upgrades. I’ll get on it immediately,” Rhodes said.

  “Get the fractional upgrades done first. They won’t come from the ground, and we’re going to need all of them we can get.”

  “How long do you think we have?”

  “How long did it take for them send the second wave when Atlantica attacked the first ship?”

  “A few hours.”

  “That’s how long you have then,” Cort said. “Wait. Do they still have ships around Earth?”

  “Yes, two of them.”

  “They will send them first, I suspect. Get started on those coils now.”

  1200 Light Years From Earth

  “Pagztay, I need a moment,” Speral said as she turned toward the door.

  “Yes, sir. You will not be disturbed.”

  “Thank you.” Speral disappeared through the door.

  Back in her private office, Speral broke down. Several fractions later, she returned to the control center.

  “Pagztay, I am dispatching the other two vessels in System 432 to the fourth planet. Send them all the data we retrieved before Glydnal’s ship was destroyed. I am instructing them to negotiate a peace with Cort Addison. Our only term is that he be brought to me. They are to agree to any terms Cort Addison requests, within reason. They may not give up any of our technology. Do you understand, Pagztay?”

  “Yes, Director. Should we notify the Collaborative Government?”

  “Not yet. Once Cort Addison is in our possession, we will notify them, but not before. Am I clear, Pagztay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thank you. I will be informed of any changes. And I will be present when our ships make contact with Cort Addison. Thank you, Pagztay.” Speral turned and left. She was distressed before the door was closed behind her.

  Ares Federation, Mars

  Five weeks later, two ships emerged from the shadow of Mars’ outer moon. The event was immediately noted and the ships were destroyed by six ground-based fractional railguns. Director Speral was watching from her control center when the feeds from both ships terminated.

  Thirty minutes later, forty more ships appeared at the last location of the two newly destroyed ships.

  “Okay, boys and girls. It’s showtime,” Cort said over the communications link. Kim Point had control of the six railguns at Argyre. Mike Rage was running the four-gun system at Oxia Palus. Cort himself had control of the four guns at Aeolis, as well as the mounted gun on his HAWC. “Remember, the targeting system will divide the targets. You will have to prioritize them yourselves. Larger targets first, then closer ones. We’ve been practicing for this moment for over a month. Make every shot count. You may fire at will.”

  The original railgun system took twenty seconds to charge and fire. The additional energy requirements of the fractional system meant it took almost forty-five seconds for the weapons to cycle. During that forty-five seconds, the targeting system would analyze the data from Chief Rhodes’ MPS system. What all of it meant is that it took two minutes and fifteen seconds to destroy every target in system. Cort didn’t have to fire his HAWC mounted weapon a single time.

  “Good job, people. We probably have one day before they show up again. Next time it will probably be a single, small ship. We will track it all the way in, but we will let it through. I’ll take the first watch. Mike, relieve me in four hours. Kim, you take the last slot four hours later. We’ll rotate duty until they arrive.

  A little over four hours later, Kim awoke as Cort walked into his bedroom. “Hey. No news, I take it?”

  Cort peeled off his sweat-soaked tunic and turned on his shower. “Nope. They are weighing their options.” He poured himself some of his old whiskey and sat down on the bed next to her. “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  Because you just killed God knows how many people. “I just expected you to be exhausted. I thought maybe you were having trouble sleeping.”

  “No, I set an alarm. I wanted to be awake when you got here.” Kim glanced at the shower. “Maybe I can wash your back.”

  “Such a bad idea,” Cort said as he pulled her to the shower.

  1200 Light Years From Earth

  “Director,” Pagztay began. “This is a bad idea. Please let me go in your stead. Your conference with the Collaborative Government is just three rotations from now. How will I explain if you fail?”

  “I have left a data message addressing my absence. If I am successful, I will be able to bring much more information to the Collaborative Government. Perhaps even hope. If I do not return in time for the conference, the data message will exonerate you in this matter. In it, I have stated that I am doing this out of grief for the loss of Glydnal, as well as for the betterment of the collaborative. Cheer up, Pagztay. If this does not go well, you will probably be elevated to my position, at least temporarily. It will be good for you.”

  “I do not wish to advance in this manner, Director Speral.”

  “I have made my decision, Pagztay. We must know how they destroyed our ships, as well as attempt to negotiate a peace with Cort Addison. That is my intention. If I do not succeed, the Collaboration will end. There will be nowhere else to run. I cannot allow that.”

  “Very well,” Pagztay conceded. “Good luck, Director.”

  Speral closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she said, “I have turned over my duties to you temporarily. I am transferring to my ship, now. Good bye, Pagztay.”

  “Good bye, Director. I hope we are rejoined.”

  “As do I.”

  Ares Federation, Mars

  “How does he do it?” Mike Rage asked Chief Rhodes. “Every time. He always knows the enemy’s plan of battle.”

  “I don’t know. But I am thankful he does,” Rhodes responded as he commed Cort. Once Cort answered he said, “They are here, Cort. One small ship. It appears to be about four times the size of a colony module.”

  “Okay, how far away is it?”

  “It appeared in the same area. It’s approaching slowly. Much slower than the previous ships. Probably a bit less than three hours until they are overhead,” Rhodes responded.

  “Thank you, Chief. I’ll get suited up. Start sending the message and keep me updated.” Cort broke the connection and began to dress. He turned to Kim and said, “I assume you heard that.”

  “Yes. What now?” she asked.

  “Now I meet the aliens.”

  --

  Two and a half hours later, Cort was in his HAWC suit. He was five kilometers south of the Argyre site, standing just inside the rim of an ancient weather beaten crater. A laser beacon was strobing its signal from the center of the shallow depression. As he watched the small ship approaching on his HUD, he spoke to the other administrators. “I am keeping my channel open. You will hear everything. If anything goes wrong, bury the ship. Also, and the military already knows this, if I die, Kim Point takes over my position. She understands how it needs to be for us to survive. Is everyone clear on that?”

  “Cort, why are you just now bringing this up?” Rhodes asked. “We need to discuss it before a decision like that is made.”

  “I’ve already made the decision, Chief. I am just informing you of the new chain of command within my group. As for why I’m bringing it up now, well, until now you wouldn’t have survived without me. With the fractionals in place and the colony now self-sufficient, you can. So we need to plan for
that eventuality. If Kim falls, military control goes to Mike. Then Doctor Verne.”

  “Wait,” Verne said. “Me? Why me?”

  “Because you were willing to cut off my hands to save my arms. You are cold and calculating when it comes to defending your patients. That is the kind of person the federation will need if it loses the rest of us.”

  “I see. Do I have a choice in the matter?” Verne asked.

  “Not if you want the colony to survive, Doctor. Okay, here they come. Chief, broadcast everything to the entire planet, and stream it to Earth.”