Vortex incursion, p.43
Vortex Incursion, page 43
Nira noted to Cordelia.
Cordelia mused. She connected to Gretren.
When Gretren’s call with the admiral ended, he eyed Korvath.
Aboard the Nyslara, the telemetry officer directed the controller to search every ship’s recordings. The SADEs were doing the same thing, and the Quadrant’s controller was nearing capacity to manage the numerous links and data streams.
After reviewing the available information, the SADEs and the bridge officers concurred the Dominance hadn’t been sighted.
Z regarded his partner, and his eyebrows waggled up and down. Then he connected to Kreus.
Kreus admonished.
Z deadpanned.
It took Kreus a tick or two of time to realize that the SADE was being flippant. It made him imagine a future in the SADEs’ company.
Miranda interjected.
Cordelia inquired.
Nira, who’d been listening, briefly swore.
Kreus heard the laughter of four alien visitors, and his hopes for the future continued to climb.
Deckus gathered his peacekeepers and the supply ships representing Hobar’s research groups. Then his fleet chose a course on a tangent away from the Helgart system, which the SADEs tracked until the fleet disappeared into the dark.
Most of the outpost fleet made Helgart far in advance of the Krackus engineering ships. A Trident squadron remained behind to pace the damaged peacekeepers.
“The alien’s support makes me feel better about their intentions,” Gretren commented to Korvath, as he viewed recent telemetry, which displayed the tri-hulls.
When Korvath didn’t reply, Gretren asked for a report on hull stresses.
“Nominal for both ships,” Korvath replied. “Engineering recommends increasing acceleration by another three percent.”
“Monitor the hull stresses continually,” Gretren admonished. “I don’t want anyone falling asleep on the bridge,” he added, eyeing the officers who glanced backward.
Korvath hadn’t replied to Gretren’s original comment for one reason. He suspected the warships accompanied them in the event the imperators ordered their missile ports opened. He had no doubt that, if they did, the peacekeepers would be swiftly destroyed.
At Helgart, the Krackus transports prepared to exit the Nyslara.
Ahead of them, Z boarded a cargo-style traveler for the trip planetside. The traveler wasn’t accommodated by the Helgart’s shuttle tubes, and Z was left to exit the traveler in an environment suit.
Kreus communicated to Z via the landing pad’s antenna, and he directed the SADE to an automated maintenance and fuel bunker from which bots exited.
Inside the bunker, Z doffed his suit and stored it out of the way of the silent bots that were tucked in their charging stations.
Exiting the service ramp, Z found the corridors utilitarian at best. He maintained a link with Kreus, who shared their exchanges with Cordelia and Miranda above them.
Miranda offered.
Z entered a huge bay. Instantly, he recognized the need for its size.
Front and center was an enormous and fierce-appearing individual, who lowered a glistening scaled head to regard Z with vertical elliptical pupils.
“On behalf of the dissidents, Z, it’s my pleasure to welcome you to Helgart, humble as it might be,” Kelter said.
Through Z’s link with Kreus, he heard the translation, and he requested the language.
Kelter heard the humanoid reply in his language. He hissed, “It’s an honor to be greeted by an impressive being such as you, Kelter.”
The Gorder reared his head on a long neck and roared at the bay’s overhead. Dropping his head again, Kelter hissed, “The pleasure is ours, rescuer!”
Initially, Z spent his time meeting the various dissidents living on Helgart under Imperium decree. Kreus provided him with a star map of the vast empire. Z used it to build a database on the Nyslara’s controller of the incarcerated individuals, details of their societies, and the locations of their home worlds.
Meanwhile, while entering the system’s rim, the damaged peacekeepers passed near the inquisitor’s ship.
Eyeing the inquisitor’s ship stranded in space, Gretren’s brow furrowed, dragging his crest upright. “Intriguing and terrifying,” he said quietly to Korvath.
“Understandable,” Korvath empathized. “Following the conclusion of the contest, the inquisitor’s ship has never moved.”
“That the aliens can do this to our ships doesn’t bode well for the Imperium,” Gretren continued.
“With respect, Imperator, we must shift our vocabulary,” Korvath cautioned. “The visitors comprise many races. We must learn to identify them by name and society. First and foremost, the digital sentients are called SADEs. They’re the ones penetrating our ships’ systems.”
Rather than respond, Gretren said, “Look now,” and indicated the monitor displaying nearby space.
Korvath saw the same image he’d been looking at for cycles. The second peacekeeper sailed about fifty kilometers away, and the Trident squadron held positions high above them. Then he saw what had caught Gretren’s attention. The inquisitor’s ship, which had been bow onto their approach, was using attitude jets to turn about.
“You know what this means,” Gretren said, pointing at the small image that marked the inquisitor’s ship.
“That there are probably SADEs on every visitor ship,” Korvath surmised. “The outpost fleet doesn’t have a few of their kind. They’ve many.”
Finally, we’re underway, Tarbar thought. He hurriedly left his nest, exited his cabin, and made his way to the bridge.
But Tarbar didn’t find the jubilant crew he expected. Officers stared at him with despondent faces. “What?” he demanded.
“We’re not doing this, Inquisitor,” the imperator replied. “We’re still not in control of the ship.”
“Why now then?” Tarbar inquired, his crest falling flat.
“The two peacekeepers, which are sailing to Helgart, approach us. Apparently, we’re to join them,” the imperator replied.
Tarbar didn’t respond. He turned and made his way back to his cabin.
A bridge officer turned to his companion and said, “I used to think it was prestigious to crew for an inquisitor.”
“Amazing how encountering powerful aliens can change your perspective,” the companion responded sourly.
At Helgart, Miranda contacted Imperium Appointee Ragirt and set up a meeting with him. At the appointed time, she boarded a traveler and approached the gigantic engineering ship. There was sufficient space in the open bay for the traveler, and the pilot set it down.
Ragirt and some senior engineers stared through the bay’s viewplate, as the alien transport landed on the deck.
“No attitude jets,” an engineer said in wonder.
“It touches down so lightly,” another engineer added.
“The Imperium needs this technology,” a third engineer commented.
“The Imperium will receive this technology,” Ragirt said darkly. “Although, the manner in which the executors partake of the demonstrations won’t please them.”
“Why only the one alien?” an engineer asked Ragirt.
“Miranda is a SADE, with a female persona,” Ragirt replied. “From our conversation, I gather she’s a unique individual among her kind. Don’t forget that everything she sees and hears will be relayed through her transport to her ship.”
Ragirt and the engineers watched a hatch seam appear in the smooth hull. Then the aft end of the ship lowered, forming a ramp. Several amazed gurgles escaped the audience. Those sounds were nothing compared to their next reactions when they saw Miranda descend the ramp.
Miranda saw the Krackus gawk at her, and she waved and smiled at them.
“How do we compete with the likes of her?” an engineer whispered in awe.
“I don’t think you do,” his companion quietly returned.
Miranda entered the corridor via the airlock. “Greetings,” she said to the assembled engineers.
“I’m Ragirt,” the Krackus replied, stepping forward.
When Miranda extended her hand, Ragirt hesitated.
“This is the manner in which we greet each other,” Miranda explained. “We clasp hands and move them up and down. It’s a sign of acceptance of the other sentient as an equal.”
Nervous gurgles escaped the engineers behind Ragirt. The concept of equality with the huge SADE seemed absurd.
Miranda kept her hand out until Ragirt felt compelled to participate. He expected his thin-boned hand to be crushed and was surprised by the gentle pressure.
Having surmounted that hurdle, Ragirt turned and introduced his senior engineers. He received some perverse pleasure watching his direct reports struggle with the idea of shaking hands with the SADE.
“Those are the Imperium denizens?” an officer aboard the Nyslara inquired of Nira.
Through Miranda’s eyes, the bridge crew saw an avian race who was near human height. However, their long thin legs and necks indicated they carried less mass than a Méridien.
Compared to Miranda, they appeared as willows in the wind. Of course, Miranda’s avatar had that effect on most races.
“Let’s start with your ship repair manuals,” Miranda said. “Afterward, I’d like to review your fabrication techniques. Then we can talk about your proposed assembly-and-placement processes.”
Miranda watched Krackus orbs widen, and the engineers regarded one another in consternation.
“That’s been our problem,” Ragirt admitted, his neck gently wobbling. “We’ve zero experience in making major repairs to a peacekeeper in space.”
“What about damage from a meteor strike?” Miranda offered.
“Our missiles defeat incoming objects,” an engineer volunteered.
“Then you’ve left behind any vessel unable to sail after being struck during engagements,” Miranda surmised.
“Long ago, it was said that was the way the fleet behaved,” Ragirt replied. “Often the derelict was directed toward a star. However, we’ve not had the situation for centuries.”
“Then, if you fail to repair these two peacekeepers, they’d be destroyed,” Miranda surmised.
“Regretfully,” Ragirt admitted.
“We were made to understand that the first peacekeeper to be beam struck was under repair,” Miranda said. She saw short broad feet in ship boots nervously shuffle.
“We’ve made unsuccessful attempts,” an engineer responded, “and we wanted to keep the imperators hopeful.”
Miranda gazed at the Krackus. She spotted their minute neck trembles. Combined with their wide orbs, she perceived the engineers’ trepidation. “Well, we’ll just have to see about repairing your ships properly,” she said.
In response, crests flared upright and heads bobbed.
34: We Invite You
QUELLER WORMHOLE
NAIAD-EMPTY SPACE
Captain Gistamia looped the Freedom through the Everett anomaly to the Gelus system. Immediately, he transited the Quadrant to the system’s rim, which was the last known location of Commodore Tocknicka’s carrier, the Emergence.
When the Freedom exited the dark, Gistamia pinged for responses from nearby controllers.
Tocknicka swept the comm IDs on the Freedom. The presence of Minimalist and Luther, and the absence of Z and Miranda indicated the equitable decisions reached.
Gistamia and the SADEs received the contact information for the site’s director.
When Tocknicka’s link dropped, Samuel queried him.
Tocknicka replied. While linked to the Freedom’s controller, he’d detected Samuel’s presence. Having worked with Samuel for many cycles, he recognized that the new SADE rarely approached a subject directly. In that regard, he shared characteristics with humans.
