Book 10 - Chapter 1 - Limping away (edited)

Chapter 01: Limping away-edited

The tall man in the all-black uniform and the mirror-polished boots stepping into McElligott's office was the most celebrated hero in all of Union history.

McElligott knew some considered him a myth, some even considered him a god, but the vast majority of Union Citizens loved this man. His reputation had long transcended into the very fabric of Union culture and society and his name was known far beyond the boundaries of the Union.

True entities of tremendous power, like Mothermachine, the Klack Queen, even the mysterious Narth Supreme spoke of him with the greatest affection and respect.

The Old Highlander knew that this man did none of what he did for glory or acknowledgment. He simply did it because it had to be done.

They called him the Eternal Warrior, and Admiral McElligott who was around for just as long, secretly admitted there was no better title describing this man.

After a little over three thousand years, they developed something that was beyond friendship. Obrock McElligott, the Admiral of the Fleet never considered the man a close friend, there was always that nagging feeling of envy. A petty and stupid emotion, he knew had no place between two men that were considered immortals. Yet deep down McElligott was human and could never truly suppress his feelings. That this textbook definition of a Teutonic hero didn't have the most favorable opinion of McElligott was something he believed to be true, even though Stahl never said anything in that regard.

But they had a working relationship, perhaps like none other in the universe.

When it came to war and fighting battles, even the enemies of the Union agreed there was no one more experienced and capable of that old warrior.

McElligott got up from behind his desk, the windows behind him provided a fantastic bird's eye view over San Francisco Bay. Despite the available technology, there was no weather or climate control on Earth and while the new calendar called this date Two-Day, Red Week, Fifth Divider 5028. According to Old Terran Time, it was the tenth of September. It was a particularly beautiful California coast day with a crisp blue sky and brisk winds churning the waters below the still elegant and beautiful bridge to white-crested waves.

The old warrior walked past him and gazed past the transparent Duro plast. McElligott joined Stahl and there was a moment of silence. Then Stahl sighed. "I have traveled this universe of ours from one end to the other; stepped on the surfaces of many thousand planets, but I still don't think there is a more beautiful world than our good old Earth."

McElligott had to agree. "Even after all this time, I can never really get enough of this view."

"I think I take a few days of vacation and visit Europe. The October Fest will soon open."

"So you decided not to travel to the Leo galaxy after all?"

"No, I think Admiral Rasmussen is doing a great job. He is commanding two battle clusters and I think that is more than enough to check if there is anything left of the Crucible."

"Yes, you told me about this Steve Rasmussen. Was he not one of those you put through your Big Test?"

"A variation of it, I put him in charge of a battle group, while he was just a Lieutenant."

"And how about the Or-Ghe? Do we know why they decided to declare war on us?"

Stahl moved away from the window and took a seat in the visitors' chair across McElligott's desk. "Officially, they object to the Kakth talking to us. They deposed their king, literally by throwing him out the window of his palace, throne and all and want to join, but we have intel that it was a very well planned and well-disguised agitation of the Kermac. I am sure they are livid about the fact that we found Koken."

"I always wonder what happened that made them abandon their world of origin."

"There are suggestions that the Ker fell for an elaborate trick. This seems to be substantiated by reports and documents that were found in the Archives of the Golden."

"We should send the Tigershark, they uncover the secret in no time. So how we are doing Or-Ghe wise?"

"Harris turned two planets of theirs to slag and depopulated two more dropping Marines and robots. A delegation of Or-Ghe is on its way to Pluribus ready to sign an unconditional surrender if I understood Harris correctly."

"And I bet a bottle of my special reserve that you were among the grunts dropping on the Or-Ghe."

"Your liquor is safe."

"Well not really, care for a spot?"

"I would not mind". Stahl fished for one of his beloved cigarettes. He knew the Old Highlander didn't mind and would most likely stuff a pipe in a moment or two. "Say Obrock whatever came about that explosion at the Assembly?"

"Or mutual friend Phil is on the case. He determined it was not a terror attack, but a well planned and executed theft."

"I expected as much. Well, he is much better to find out who did steal that document. There aren't too many entities that could have pulled that off."

McElligott handed Stahl a tumbler with a deep golden liquid, the distinct scent of highland moss emanating from it.

Stahl inhaled deeply and then flicked his 3000-year-old Zippo, many hundred times refurbished and put the flame to his cigarette.

McElligott complained. "How can you even smell anything else with that gasoline fume thing?"

Stahl looked at the ancient lighter like he would look at an old friend. "I guess I got used to it. This thing was with me when we faced Chinese tanks, so long ago."

McElligott sat down and sure enough begun his ritual to prepare a pipe. "I hear you, I have my suspicions too, but there is not a shred of evidence". McElligott was, of course, responding to Stahl's previous comment.

"It's called the Good Company after all. If I ever get my hands on even the smallest shred of evidence..."

"He is at this as long as we are and he is a businessman. What use would he have for some old parchment? His only motivation seems to be profit."

Stahl sipped from the old Single Malt. "No Obrock not profit but power. I am still mostly in the dark about things. Not that I understand most of what is explained to me, but my wife thinks that parchment is the key to unimaginable power."

"So this 'power' you speak off is up for grabs to whoever has that parchment?"

"That is where I am not so sure. That Neo Viking we both know is, in my opinion, the real epicenter of all this metaphysics gobbledygook."

"Well, it might be just a coincidence. She and her crew uncovered a Necro conspiracy penetrating the Thaauran society for a very long time. They also recovered a dozen Trans spatial threshhold bars. Technology we think is of Nnnth origin. The Narth Supreme sent a real Narth engineer examining those things."

"I heard she was mixing up the Thaurans pretty good."

"It was one of her latest crew additions, a thing called Meeze". McElligott took the first puff and then reached for his glass. "You know there were more than 20,000 of these worms and a significant number of those Y'All calling themselves Yeehaa now, descending on Blue Harbor, scaring the living daylight out of them".

"And now the Thaurans complain in the Assembly?"

"Not at all, the new Emperor and the recently elected cabinet is thanking the Wheeze and the Yeehaa for helping to cleanse old Thauran filth. The incident has not even developed into a docket issue. It's all over GalNet Channel three though".

Stahl turned the glass in his hands. "So where did you sent Erica and her boatload of unusual individuals?"

"I told her to stop sticking her nose in civil Union affairs and get that cursed Ypeherix problem solved. The last I heard she slipped past the GalNet horizon and is somewhere Spin or perhaps downward."

--""--

Alegar marveled about the private one hundred meter space ship of Phil Decker as he and his two friends followed the old detective aboard. "If I didn't know better, but this ship you call the Jolly Blue does not strike me as a Union product, but more like a Saresii one. Yet I have never seen any Saresii ship looking like that".

The immortal detective closed the ramp and said. "Some of it is Union tech, like the GalNet com and the AutoChef". He then had a strange distant smile on his face. "It is a gift from my wife. She was Seenian and this ship comes from a time when Saresii and Seenians ruled the galaxy".

He led them to the small flight deck and gestured suggestively towards comfortable seats. "Let me get this ride in space and then we can talk some more".

Phil Decker, born on Earth and in New York even before the second world war, went through the motions of taking a ship into deep space, with the confidence and routine of someone doing this for a long time.

Alegar looked at an old two dee picture of a rare dark-haired Saresii beauty. "So the legend is true, you really were engaged to Alegra Soneri?"

Decker linked the Jolly Blue into the automated departure traffic system. While Pluribus Spaceport seven was a small port at the edge of Government continent, almost exclusively used by privately-owned space ship, it was still part of Pluribus traffic. There were few planets and space systems with more traffic than Pluribus. Automated traffic assistance was the best way to avoid collisions, disturbing someone else's acceleration run or being considered a potential unknown. After he had done that he too looked at the prominently displayed photo. "No, Mr. Moansti we were not just engaged, we were married Earth-style in a New York City church and I am still married to her. It may take an eternity, but I will see her again. I met and loved many women since, but none like her".

Egill who had no idea what Alegar or Phil were talking about said. "Then you are an immortal? A pal of Stahl, Schwartz, and McElligott?"

Phil glanced at the instrument readouts and then shook his head. "Again that would be a no. I was part of a group that became immortal long before the rest. I did not know about the Guardian and met that artificial spook only briefly in 2100. Egill, I was born on April 4th, 1912. 189 years before this so-called Guardian revealed itself to Humankind. Long before the ascent of Earth.

I resided on Sares Prime for over a century when the Sarans landed on the White House lawn".

Egill processed this with a hard swallow. "But how did you become immortal? Are you human?"

"My mother was the first female Police detective in Earth history. My father was a police officer in New York City as his father was. My father died in France during World War One. I am as Terran Human as Richard Stahl. You are immortal, Mr. Skallagrimmson. The guardian of Earth had nothing to do with it. A certain White Fish however has, is that not so?"

"I almost died if it weren't for the great skills and knowledge of my Saresii friends". Egill paused."How do you know about that?"

"I am a detective remember? You applied for security classification when you decided to join the Assembly Security Council, part of that application is a detailed background check and an investigation into your Psionic abilities. The results of these checks are available to me".

The Narth Rep sounded pleased. "The detective considered us potential suspects and investigated our background, how delightful."

Alegar gasped. "Suspects, you considered us to have anything to do with that explosion and that theft?"

Egill sighed. "Of course, he did, he is the most logical thinking man I ever encountered. We barged in on him right when he showed up. He had to consider us as potential suspects".

Phil nodded. "Indeed, your interest in the events and my investigation could very likely be fueled by self-interest and the desire to stay abreast of the investigation. All three of you have, at least theoretically access to the resources I mentioned to conduct this crime and fabricate the cover. The Eldest of the Saresii. A man who has unlimited access to the resources of Silver Hawk Inc. The Narth Representative with virtually unlimited resources and access to the Narth Supreme".

Alegar leaned forward. "Are we still considered suspects?"

"No, I was pretty certain neither of you was, but I had to eliminate you based on evidence nevertheless."

Phil pointed at the Narth. "The Narth have near unlimited resources indeed, but never displayed cunning deceptive behavior. Covering the theft with a manufactured terror attack is simply not within their MO. Besides if the Narth wanted that Parchment for whatever reason, the Coven would have never hesitated to give it to them".

He then nodded towards Alegar. "You are the Eldest of the Saresii. Your kind is quite capable of deceit and subterfuge if it is deemed vital to Sares interests. Pulling off that theft as it occurred is well within the capabilities of the Gray Cat society. What eliminates you, is the very long history of Sares allegiance to the Union and the same reason that eliminates the Narth. If Sares wanted that Prophecy, the Coven would have no objection and gladly assist in translation and interpretation if necessary".

He then turned to Egill. "While you do have unlimited access to Silver Hawk resources and most certainly the credits to fund such a caper. In terms of galactic history exposure, you are virtually a Virgin. Before you arrived on Nilfeheim, you had no knowledge of things beyond Nilfeheim. But if for whatever reason you knew about that prophecy, all you had to ask one of your friends, their friendship to you is well known."

Egill digested that, while the Jolly Blue lined up before a Hyper Jump Gate. He then said. "So the source of your immortality is a secret?"

"No, not so much a secret than it is a mystery even to me. The Immortals chosen by the Guardian received specific tasks. Other so-called immortals know of their purpose. I don't. I and a few others became immortals by the association to a being called Dark Cloud. Who or what he was, I never found out. I think he made us immortal simply because we were friends. Dark Cloud and Wulf Starr disappeared before the Ascent. The only other Immortal like me still around is Peter Baker, he patrols the fringe regions as a Union Ranger".

The Narth asked. "We are pursuing that Saresii scholar to Sares because this was one of the destinations the Astrographical society revealed to him?"

Decker transferred the Hyper Jump-Gate fee and his ship approached the immense bluish glowing structure flowing in deep space, just a few light-hours from Pluribus.

They were caught by the guide tractor fields right after a Meteor freighter and pushed into the bright white energy field.

"Yes, and since he is Saresii and a member of the Black Cats, I think his first try to find out more about Avondur will be the Deep Libraries of Sares One".

Egill stared past the viewports and at the humongous construct. "I traveled many times to Sares, but always aboard a Space Train. What is that thing we are approaching?"

Phil explained. "This is a Hyper Jump Gate, an entry point to the Union Intergalactic Highway network".

"I am a hick from a backwater planet after all. I still have no idea what it is".

Alegar explained. "As you may know, bridging the vast distances in space has always been a challenge for societies spreading over multi-parsecs distances.  The lack of contact and interaction with the core worlds has almost always been the reason why star empires eventually failed. The Saran - Pan Saran split is a prime example of this. The Pan Saran revolution was only successful because it took months and years for messages to arrive at Thebes".

Egill stopped himself from a grumpy response because his friend gave him a history lesson, rather than explanation, but he knew he was learning things he needed to know anyway; he kept listening. To his surprise, the Narth did too.

Alegar was in his element and kept on. "The Shiss lost 32 Purple Throat Colonies for the same reason. By the time the First Nestling ordered the attack on the 33rd Colony and Shiss forces arrived, they encountered 32 Colonies that were Union along with waiting for Union Fleets.  Our Union is growing in leaps and bounds and claims territories in all four Milky Way Sectors, the LMC, Andromeda and other galaxies of the Local Group.  Our Assembly has always put great emphasis on integration and communication. Technologies such as GalNet, TransMatter Radio, Space Train, Space Bus and the very recent and quickly expanding Trans Matter Tunnel network are the real reason such a huge and diverse Community feels united and part of the whole".

Egill grunted. "By the time you are done with that Basic School lesson and tell me what we are jumping through, we might as well retire".

The Narth Representative hushed him. "One has never attended Union School. Let Alegar complete his educational monologue".

Egill crossed his arms and Alegar continued. "Todays space ships rely on the much safer and more practical ISAH drive to access Quasi Space, instead of the old Hyper Jump method. As the distance limitations still make traveling across the Galaxy via Hyper Jumps a still quite risky and time-consuming business.  A team of scientists and engineers looked at that old Hyper Jump Technology. They developed a new way of FTL travel. With a grant of the Linda Schwartz Foundation, they formed the company Intergalactica and introduced the Hyper Highway concept, right after the 4th Intergalactic War. Intergalactica is expanding its network of Hyper Highways ever since.

The original concept of Hyper Jumps was dangerous and limited to jump from Gravity Well to Gravity Well and Jumps of more than 10-12 Light years were impossible. Ships had to have two different drive systems, sub light velocity Engines, and Hyper Jump Drives. Traveling in the system to a safe Hyper Jump Point took weeks or months, velocity and momentum was taken along and long deceleration maneuvers had to be performed.

Hyper Jump calculation is difficult and leaves no room for error. Hyper Jump Engines to this day are dangerous and not reliable. When ISAH introduced the ISAH Drive, Space hyper-jump technology was abandoned. However, Intergalactica developed these Hyper Jump Gate at fixed positions, creating its own Gravity Well by simulating a small gravity singularity and generating an External hyper-jump pulse. Calculations are always the same as the target is another gate.

Ships with standard Isah Drives can make hyperspace jumps of up to 5000 Light years and Travel times between gates in minutes".

Phil nodded. "So for a fee of 5,000 credits we make the trip to Sares Prime almost as fast as a Space train".

"And that would have been all the explanation I needed".

The Old Detective said. "There are certain ill effects on humans, including those who are considered immortal. I think they call it Hyperspace Nausea, so we better get ourself in Zero Stasis".

Just before Phil activated the Zero Stasis field for the passengers, Egill heard the Narth. "It is still a mystery to me why we are going to Sares Prime. I know where Avondur is."

--""--

I scrambled on the bridge. Two heavy jolts had rocked the Tigershark, Har-Hi was just getting on his feet.

Even before I reached my seat I said loud. "Maximum reverse thrust. Shield and hull status?"

A heartbeat later I was in my seat and SHIP raised me into battle view. Every department was represented by a floating symbol. It was then when I saw whatever had attacked us. It was humongous and with some imagination looked like an arrow-shaped yule log, with lots of jagged extrusions. Scanner data told me that it was 24,000 meters long.

A thundering non-human voice could be heard. "Non-conforming life must be sterilized".

Our shields had been completely obliterated, most of the simulated hull of the Silver Streak destroyed, but our real hull once again had saved our bacon.

Shaka signaled that he was executing my orders and we were accelerating in reverse, passing the Quasi threshold entering at first, that in itself was certainly a Fleet unit first. Giving attest to the great skills of my chief engineer, who must have adjusted the ISAH fields for so vital supersymmetry on the fly, and in a few seconds flat.

"Great job, Circuit!"

Warner appeared behind the engineering icon. "Lt. Circuit is still on the virtu coach captain. Our new engineering apprentice, Meeze did that".

In the background I heard Meeze. "Pfffz, apprenticez. Meeze knowz ze machinz".

I promised myself to talk a little more with Meeze, he was clearly not just a scavenger with some rudimentary engineering skills.

Narth reported. "That unknown has pulled us out of Quasi and engaged us with very strong multi-dimensional based weaponry".

Shea interacted as well. "Now known species, tech level beyond ours. I estimate TL 10 or 11".

Elfi elaborated. "The unknowns transmitted in virtually all known communication methods, including psionic and Quasi space radio. No GalNet and GalCom equivalent. Their hail is contained and isolated but repeats itself".

Mao was next. "The thing obliterated the shields that came with our Janus disguise. We are now under full TransDim shields.

Har-Hi delivered casualty and damage report. "Seven crew members have been injured, including your XO. No injuries are life-threatening. Our Janus device is severely damaged, no prognosis of possibility if repair possible at the moment. Our Dime-tap energy siphon is malfunctioning. Engineering has shut it down. Warner and Three Four are on it".

I acknowledged the reports. "None of the known adversary civilizations were able to pull a ship out of Quasi. I knew NAVINT operated a special spy ship codenamed Tarantula that was able to do so. I also knew we had this capability, but have never tried".

You needed truly far-reaching multi-dimensional scanners, to time this just right. A few nanoseconds of real-time at best. Technology that could reach into quasi and collapse an ISAH field fast enough to make such an attack successful was at the upper edge of TL nine.

"Mao, SHIP ? Why didn't that thing show up on our sensors before it could attack. Aren't we able to scan ahead?"

"Unknown at this time.

Mao added. "Whatever it is, it has vanished from our sensors".

"Mao, light up our real sensors, active probing and tie in Tyron's experimental sensor suite".

"Aye, captain. No artificial object within sensor range".

Narth chimed in. "There is a spatial distortion exactly where that unknown attacked us first".

"Elfi they are broadcasting in standard lingu?"

It was Narth who answered. "No, Captain. The psionic component of their broadcast triggers comprehension".

"Why can I hear it then, am I not shielded?"

"Like no other entity, known to Narth Captain. The psionic component was so intense, it overwhelmed my defenses. Your mind and mine are linked".

"Alright, Elfi hail then on all channels you got!"

Her icon blinked in acknowledgment and the external communications symbol appeared before and turned from red to green.

"This is Captain Olafson of the USS Tigershark. You just attacked unprovoked. I am offering communication alternatives to hostile action".

I was interrupted. "You are not conforming to life we tolerate. You must be neutralized, sterilized so conforming life may spread. You are insignificant, you are impotent, your existence insults approved life".

"I understand there are philosophies that are alien to ours, however, this is deep space and it was you who initiated hostilities. We are prepared to defend ourselves".

"Eliminate your existence and we are satisfied. You do not conform..."

I cut the transmission.

"Shaka drop us out of Quasi and keep us stationary at the outmost scanner horizon to that anomaly Narth detected."

"Aye Captain!"

"Tactical prepare to launch a Mirage drone, simulating the energy and mass signature of a Union Battleship".

Mao acknowledged.

"Circuit still out?"

"Yes, Captain. He is still connected to the Nnnth Core and unresponsive to external stimuli. Our Non-Corp said".

"Three-Four, can we use our SPDWG?"

"Yes, I think so. It was repaired while we were in Dock at Christmas Base".

"Captinz, Meeze likez ze bigz bumbz. Meeze helpz fiz it".

"You know how it works, Meeze?"

"Maybeez youz lizze biz stoopiz. Meeze knowz the machinz".

I decided to overlook that insult for now.

"I think that alien Yule log hides behind some kind of unknown cloaking field. Target that anomaly, as soon as it reacts to the decoy drone, fire the SPDWG".

Our decoy drone simulated the mass and energy emissions of a full-size battleship and sure enough, as it reached a point just two light hours from that anomaly, the huge alien Jule log thing came suddenly visible, the drone was pulled out of Quasi Space and immediately fired upon.

Krabbel executed a perfect short-range Quasi jump, bringing us into range and Mao slammed his hand on the activation sensor of our Spine weapon.

It took almost a second before the weapon had charged to full capacity, energies equal to the output of a white sun obliterated whatever shields the alien had and cut the enormous thing in half.

Mao reported. "The drive section of the unknown is destroyed, but there are energy sources consistent with weapon energies and repair activity in the bow section".

My left hand keyed in a special authorization code to our Arsenal vault control. "Tactical, launch three Loki VI. ZPV warheads authorized and released for use".

My tactical department worked as fast as possible to follow my orders. True to their high skill levels, Mao reported the launch of the torpedoes only five minutes after I gave the order. Changing the ready for launch torpedoes with different warheads was a major task, I knew.

A weapon beam originating from the bow section engulfed us. Our shields held but were pulled down to the second of three layers.

Har-Hi's deadpan tone reported. "Energy reserves down to 53 percent. Trans Dim tab is still inoperative. Primary shields gone, secondary shields at 45 percent. SPDWG still recharging. Opponent shields opaque to Translocator fire.

I acknowledged with a nod and said. "Evasive maneuvers, Shaka. Krabbel stand by for emergency jump".

ZPV warheads were the latest addition to our arsenal. Technically not only experimental but also Trans X class. Weapons generally not fielded by Fleet units, but the Space Force and use authorized by the Assembly. Since they were still in the experimental stage that was a grey area. Over sixty percent of our arsenal was experimental for that very purpose.

A ZPV warhead did not carry a load of Anti Matter, but a phase shielded bulb of zero-point radiation. This was also called zero-point energy; the energy of a system at a temperature of zero. Because then a quantum of matter would be left with less than the minimum amount that the laws of quantum physics require it to have. Thus zero-point radiation of the vacuum was an order of magnitude greater than nuclear energy.

As the commanding officer of the Tigershark, I had been briefed about these warheads. Eighteen delivered to us during our brief stop at Mildrus Edge. It was the most potent weapon in its size ever developed.

I was not sure if even Har-Hi had been briefed.

The three Loki torpedoes dropped out of Quasi space, accelerated to 99 percent of the speed of light, impacted into the alien thing and obliterated the bow section, displacing every quanta separately. It imploded into a momentary singularity and... was gone!

Har-Hi received the telemetry data just as Narth, Mao, and Shea did. "Galactic spirits what did we just release? Those things had enough power to obliterate an entire Dai Fleet!"

"Terrans developed these Max Destruct ZPV warheads from a Camogi concept if I am correct".

After listening to the Damage report delivered by Har-Hi, I was called from engineering. While I had great confidence in Warner, our Non-Corp and gained a new respect for Meeze, I felt great relieve to see Circuit. "Captain, I am back!"

"I don't have the time now to express my relieve to see you up and in charge of things. What is our status? There is a good chance that thing is not the only one of its kind".

"We need to land somewhere, our SHIP held up remarkably well, but there is considerable damage, we are not able to tab energy at the moment and our reserves are depleting fast. We won't survive another encounter with an adversary like that"

"Krabbel is there anything we can reach with the reserves we got?"

"There is a GIII type eighteen light-years distant. It is not in our catalogs at all".

"Circuit can we make 18 light-years?"

"Yes, if we go slow and don't fight anyone".

"Shaka get us there, nice and slow".

--""--