Erica Olafson, Voyages of the Tigershark 24

Chapter 24: Crucible

Hans and my marines lowered their weapons and I could see the projector heads of Directed Energy cannons appear out of the smooth skin of the Silver Streak. I said into my communicator.

“Stand down, the Y’All are with us. They are just so big, Har-Hi and I basically disappeared between them.

“Ak Fective standing guard next to the boarding ramp growled.

“Captain, how many are there?” “Fourty eight. Three of them need immideate medical attention.

“To the unharmed Y’All who had sort of taken the lead of the other Y’All I said.

“Di you think you can find your way back to that chamber where you have been re-animated?” “Yes, anyone should be able to do so, we left a clear path.

““Please take my security chief, med techs and a few marines there. Let’s make sure the two missing ones can’t be helped. Then I think my Science Chief needs to check out that machinery. If it was able to receive that signal then we might be able to find out what kind of signal controls you. I don’t want 48 Y’All go nuts inside my ship against their will.

“The Y’All looked at Hans, then at Xon who came down the ramp and finally he focused on me.

“I begin to see why they follow you. I will take that big security chief of yours to that chamber.

“I nodded and said to Xon.

“Good that you are here, please coordinate with Cateria and then with Sobody to accomodate the rest of our new friends.

““At once Captain. I came out to tell you we isolated that call signal that forced TheOther and we are certain we can protect against it. Shea and SHIP think they might even be able to duplicate it ourselves.

““Good news. Keep at it.

“Then I waved Har-Hi,”You and I are not done. We go back and find someone we can squeeze for info.”

TheOther was hit by a strong energy beam, that came from an automated intruder containment weapon or something. Mama said.

“Primary shields down five percent. Second and third shield layers unaffected. Gravitation has been increased to twelve times standard, compensating.

“Plostrak behind him was strong but he felt the increase and each of his feet felt like encased in lead blocks.

“This is not Mora tech.

““With all due consideration to that sorry crap tech, we Y’All relied on, and apparently still do. I would not want to be caught dead in such substandard junk.

““You do not even speak like a Y’All.

“TheOther released a Seek-n-Destroy drone from his left wrist launcer. The small robotic device, based on Dai boarding tech and greatly improved and enhanced by Terran weapon engineers zipped at many times the speed of sound down the corridor and disabled the ceiling cannon with blinding release of zero point energy.

“I am Y’All by design and nature, but I am a Union Officer and first and foremost, I am a Union Citizen. You called me a dumb brute, but it is you and the likes of you who will never understand what that means.

“TheOther was angry and determined to reach this ships core to destroy it, and with unbridled anger stomped an armed robot and the battle suit wearing crew member to bits, having the ordacity to try to stop him. Plostrak who had led a harsh life filled with violence and fighting had to fight the urge to flee in panic. He was not even so sure anymore about being waste. Seeing the Y’All unleashed fight was even to him a frightening sight. He was certain he only glimpsed a fraction of what this Y’All was capable off. Compared to that, the Pepino were indeed just weak children. He swallowed.

“Then try to tell me, what does it mean.

““It means to hold up your head, no matter what you are. Being respected for what you can do, being protected by law that means the same to everyone.

“TheOther turned to look at Plostrak.

“Everyone thinks we Y’All are the strongest. In our Union there are hundreds of species much stronger, wilder, more powerful and more resiliant. A single Bandrupo could squash a regiment of Y’All in a heart beat, without weapons and not even trying. A single Narth could lift a dozen into the sky or teleport us in the heart of a sun. Dusty our living stellar cloud is so much stronger than a thousand Y’All. Yet there are beings stronger than him, and we all are Union citizens and together we are stronger than anything. We Y’All were defeated before we had Translocatir cannons in every ship, we Y’All or whatever will be sent against us will be defeated.

“Plostrak again sensed that pride. He had sensed it even when the exiled refuges spoke about their home. Even crooks and criminals headed to be executed, felt homesick and spoke with deep passion about their Union. In all the distress and the situation he was in, he felt jealous. He changed the subject.

“Why are we going towards engineering? Would we not want to regain control over the ship. She is mine and there are protocols I can iniciate to make it so.

“TheOther did not want to tell the Pepino that he intended to destroy the ship and doom everyone in it, including him.

“It is where boarding parties head first, always.

““This is the Traa, she was built for me. We are not boarding her we take her back.

““Alright, us being in control is better than fighting our way to the engineering section. Where do we need to go?” “Upper decks. We need to find a tronic interface that is not protected or shut down. All I need is direct access to this ships tronic brain.

“Just then the vibration and ambient noise changed.The ship had dropped out of Quasi space, perhaps it had already reached its destination.

“Plostrak suddenly turned stiff and groaned in pain and then he said.

“I must obey.”

He-who-guards-the-Crucible could not understand while the voice of his connector brain suddenly screamed and demanded the gnawing brain leeches to be removed. The connector brain was in a hermetic sealed bio solution filled hemisphere. No parasites could get in, not that there weren’t any in the first place. His service slaves had replaced the ninth connector brain and as soon as he turned the thing on and tuned it into the Psion stream, the same thing happened. HWGTC at first persumed something went wrong in the cloning process and ordered new brains to be taken from a different earlier batch. However even these brains immideatley projected horrible nightmare images and turned insane. None of the brains, rewgrdless what connection was chosen, started to act like this. Since it was not a cloning error, at least none he could find and the problem involved all connector brains, he suspected the old Crucible AI being responsible. He fought that ancient AI for thousands of years and was so certain he had gained the upper hand for a long time. However the old AI was shrewd and maybe found yet another old system that was independent from the main line. With annoyance he switched to Myon Transponders. He disliked this form of communication, as it was neither fast nor could it be made truly secure. But who would listen and know what he was asking, other than those who knew and were under his control anyway? “Messenger, have you obtained the true warrior?” It took almost three hours before he received an answer.

“Yes, He-who-guards.The brute followed the summon, despite trying to resist it.

““Do not mention who I am. A malfunction disabled the Message brains. The traveler with the weapon secret?” Again after a considerable delay.

“Yes I have the Terran and he is willing to share his knowledge in return for a chance of revenge.

““He will share, regardless of incentive. Now, have you also secured the fool that tried to bargain with me, instead of obeying?” The answer came faster.

“We are almost there. Yes I have Plostrak...

“The transmission trailed off despite being still active.

“I will have to resume transmissions later.It appears the Plostrak managed to escape and free the Y’All. Is this device of your not working properly?” “Do not mention names and species. The device works. It works on you!” There was no answer.

Har-Hi and I were on our way to the Plostrak compount as we originally planned. We had found out that the covered hangar almost ninety klicks across the space port hole inside that asteroud belonged to Plostrak, the very same local pirate that associated with the refugees of our galaxy and who supposedly killed Lia. When Har-Hi threatened to shorten a technician that worked at that covered hangar by a head, the tech eagerly spilled his knowledge. The ship was the Traa and belonged to Plostrak. After demonstrating that I too was able to threaten sufficently, the fourth tech promissed in tears that he really had no idea where the Traa was heading, but he was certain officers and associates of Plostrak still at the compount would know. Har-Hi looked back over his shoulder as we approached the local transportation verti shooter.

“I believed him, he was really just a tech hand fueling ships.

““He is alive, I didn’t harm him ... much. That first one you shaved with your blade might be scared for live.

““Well he should not have said, that he didn’t care about my questions.

“I stopped short of the verti shooter alcove. One of the now familiar vent holes was occupied by one of the scavenger worm things.

“Wheeze thankez.Youzee many nize to Wheeze. Bringz Graaphilj, makez Yehaa not makez muchs breakiz anymorz. Youzee likez Wheeze, Wheeze likez youzee.Wheeze wilz help” “Sorry I don’t have time not any Grabilk this time.

““Wheeze not stoopiz.Wheeze hearz you lookz for Plostrz.

“I stopped im my tracks.

“Odin help, I get the feeling I should asked you the right question. Where is Plostrak?” “Zhe iz not nize to Wheeze. Heeze the waste, notz wheeze!” The ugly worm thing actually sounded offended by something. The thing continued.

“Pepinoz iz the waste. Hez lefz wiz the Traa, hez not left wanting to lefz. He lefz witz Yehaa, theyz goz to maker of Yehaa.

“Har-Hi blinked.

“Did you just say TheOther and that pirate left against their will to the source of the Y’All?” “Youzhe lisenz, Wheeze sayz that.

““And anyone here knows where that is?” “Alz the Pepinoz theyz comez from therez.

“I thanked the worm thing, promissed more Grabilk and said to Har-Hi. Let’s find us a Pepino.The last ones we found are wormfood, literally.

“From behind me came the comment.

“Wheeze eatz everyonz.”

The Traa approached an immense artificial looking space station, the size of a planet. The Terran technician and the Pepino traitor had barricaded themselves on the bridge. The ship was no longer theirs, they hoped to reach the Crucible before the raging Y’All warrior reached them. The door was reinforced by forcefields and should be an insurmountable obstacle even for a Y’All. But whatever they had thrown into the way of that Y’All had been destroyed, had been utterly ineffective or dead. The Mewook that was so effective controlling the Pepino and even this very ship, or that Mora Intelligence known as the Agresso, had no effect anymore over the Y’All. The Pepino that had sold out his own best friend, because of a genetic safeguard programmed into him. He had been in the presence of He-who-guarded-the-Crucible and the genetic anchored obediance kicked in. He could do nothing but obey. Plostrak instinctively feared something like this could happen and send a messenger rather than going himself. Yet Plostrak fell for the initial lies of Lorkis and let down his guards. Lorkis did it all in full conciousness and with the knowledge that he not only doomed his best friend, but the potential freedom and creation of a race of Pepino. Yet every fiber of his being urged him to please the AI that created him and all Pepino. With him was a human who carried the secrets to incredible weapon technology safe coded into a few cells somewhere in its body. Safe from psionic probing, but it would not be safe from an artificial intelligence that could read genetic codes and manipulate it in an eyeblink. All of this would be mood if the Y’All gained access to this bridge. The human was afraid, nothing has worked out as planned. He was sitting in a corner of the bridge and thought back to where it all begun. Born on the most beautiful world of them all, at least in his oppinion. He was born on planet Earth, under the golden rays of Sol on the shores of the mediterran sea. His mother, from the Italian region and his father a Pan Saran. Both of them high paid engineers for the famous Terra-Forge company. He was not born alone, but there was his twin brother Hector, who came after him by a mere fifteen seconds. They both had a careless and problem free time growing up. Their parents were highly respected, made much money and loved their jobs and their sons. The greater family was spread all over Union space, but with Space Train and Space Bus only a trip away. While he was an eager student and wanted to follow his fathers example and become a famous weapon engineer, his brother for reasons no one could explain went the oposite way. He shared the same looks, the same IQ and there was no difference how they were raised. Harold eventually became a very successful and celebrated weapons engineer, while Hector joined the Union Navy. Harold was interrupted thinking about his past, because the ship did pass through a force field curtain and made its automated approach to a docking berth. The former Union officer was used to mega structures. He had been to Sol Hub many times and he had been to the Ross 128 torus, which was the largest Union construct, but he held its breath as he realized just how incredibly huge the Crucible was. This hangar, space port or whatever it was seemed to go on forever and it was filled with spaceships. He had seen the visuals of the last Y’All invasion in history class and recognized these dark egg shaped ships for what they were, Y’All brood ships. There had to be ten thousand or more. The Pepino who shared the bridge with him also stared at the big view screen.

“There are millions of these, human. The Mora-6 factories churning them out, ever since the last call was made.

“Harold covered his open mouth in an involuntary gesture of reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder.

“They are coming again, they really coming again.

““Isn’t that why you are here? Revealing the secret of these Translocator cannons and these marvelous shields? Bargening to command one of these fleets and destroy that Union of yours?” Harold nodded without saying a word. For the first time he realized what he was about to do. There beyond the viewport, a force very capable of inflicting a deadly blow to the Union, if equipped with Translocators and ParaDim shields. He also for some reason, remembered his oath, an oath he had given ten years ago. His life was done for, it didn’t matter if he escaped the hangman’s noose. He lost it the second his brother manipulated him. True, it was great injustice, they threw the book at him without investigating further. But what he was about to do would also affect his mother and father. His family and his children. They already suffered from the disgrace and the fact that he had been sentenced to death for treason and dealing with the Worm. He had not, it was his twin brother who somehow managed to be declared dead and act in his stead. The Traa settled on her landing gear and the engines powered down. A booming voice came on.

“Debark immideatly, I have need of you.”

TheOther had fought Plostrak. The Pepino was obviously under external control. He of course stood no chance against a Y’All warrior. If TheOther had been his old self Plostrak would be dead, but he was no longer a mindless warrior drone, but a Union officer who really believed in every aspect of his chosen career. Plostrak was helplessly glued to the floor with the content of an entire can of Stick-N-Fix. He was so glad he had followed the advise of Hans to always carry a can with him. Everyone aboard the Tigershark did. He like everyone else aboard loved to hear stories of their Captain, and the times she used that marvelous stuff, not the way it was intended of course. He patted Plostrak’s bald head.

“As I said, you are lucky. My Captain would have diced you by now.

“Plostrak was completley immobilized and groaned something in a language TheOther did not understand. He tried to hack into the computronic of the ship and progressed slowly. He did not have the skills or knowledge like Shea or Circuit, and had to rely on the suits AI for instructions. The ships systems were well protected and were remote controlled by the same Hyperspatial communication wave as the Pepino and perhaps everyone else aboard. He did fight and kill quite a few beings and destroyed much of the Intruder containment systems. The sturdy bridge access door however resisted his breaching attempts so far. He did not have his Y’All power lance or side arm that had been part of his disguise. He muttered to himself.

“The next time, I leave the ship. I am taking demoliton charges along.

“He, like Hans and Xon relied on their incredible strength, agumented by their suits and never realy used the weapons they carried or had available.

“Mama responding. Demolition charges available. This system is equipped with a Nano load Translocator. Availabe munition suitable for demolition purposes.

““It would look very weird if I would hug you, Mama. Did I tell you how much I love Union tech?” “One is an integrated routine of this systems AI resources. Physical interaction is impossible. System user mentioned his love for Union Tech, seventeen times since acoustic activation.

“The simulated personality of the suit added.

“Analysis of suit wearers familiarity with this suits capabilities concludes a 95 percent deficency.

““I am a Y’All and not a marine. The last instructions in suit operations I got over a year ago and Atlas suit operation has not been taught in the Academy so far.

““User’s species association is unrelated to suit operations.

““Y’All tend to do ignore those things. I know it is a regretable flaw.

““Your Mama recommends to activate full battle systems under instruction mode.

““Do it.

“The suit fully sealed and the peripherie of his field of view populated with small symbols. This was familiar to him, as the older Destroyer suits used the same visual input method. The available offensive system symbol gave him an entire list of options he didn’t even knew he had. A booming voice echoed down the corridor.

“Cease all resisting, drone, your are malfunctioning. Leave the vessel and proceed to be analyzed.

“TheOther raised his own voice.

“You will learn what resisting really means. I am not a drone anymore. I am Ensign TheOther, and I am coming for you alright, prepare to be destroyed.

“With an infernal noise, the armored hull of the Tarr was ripped open not far from where he was standing. Y’All like creatures, somewhat smaller and different colored clawed their way in. There were many and he knew he was in for the fight of his life.

The once quite luxurious palace like domicile of Plostrak, had been turned into smoldering rubble. Neither I nor my crew had held back. Anyone found alive had been asked quite sternly regarding the destination of the Traa. The Pepino we found suspected the ship heading for a place called the Crucible and an entity named: ‘He-who-guards-the-Crucible’ but so far no one could give us actual coordinates. Circuit was combing through the available computronic systems, but he too fell short of actually finding useable spatial coordinates. We had learned that the Leo II galaxy was indeed the source and origin of the Y’All. However the location of that Y’All factory was known to no one we had asked. Shea reported from the storage chamber where the Y’All had been kept for so long. She and her team was able to secure quite a bit of Y’All weaponry and equipment. She was also able to save the life of one of the Y’All that failed to reanimate. Jolaj who was with her, could only confirm the death of the other. His stasis box had failed a long time ago. I watched one of my marines drag a Pepino into what once might have been Plostrak’s personal chambers. The walls were sud covered and there were blaster holes everywhere. The dead bodies of those who tried to resist strewn among broken and smoldering furniture. The Petharian marine lifted the terrified and not so fresh looking Pepino on one of his legs, dangling the no longer tough looking creature upside down before me.

“Captain, he claims to be a meal preparer. I think he might now something.

“The Corporal used his lower arm pair to immobilize the Pepino’s arms.

“You better talk, or our captain will be upset and questioning you.

““Please, oh please. I don’t know where the Crucible is.

“Narth materialized right before me.

“Captain, we obtained the information we seek. Elfi and Xon successfully isolated it.

““Can you take me right away?” Narth had transported me right onto the bridge. Elfi apparently waited for me, as she spoke right away.

“Captain, your Psi-virus has successfully shut down this psionic communication network, forcing them to use Myon communication.

““And?” “Keywords used in a communication we intercepted, make it very likely it is a communication between the entity that ordered the capture of TheOther and its agents. I was able to localize both transmissions.

““How likely?” SHIP answered.

“Ninety three percent, Captain.

“I almost hugged Elfi.

“Good job, girl.

“Har-Hi was already issuing an alarm boarding order. Roghor got up from the Command seat and I sat down.

“Krabbel, take Elfi’s coordinates and plot us a course. Shaka, as soon as Circuit reports her buttoned up, get us there as fast as you can.

“There were eager and enthusiastic ‘Aye, Captain’ responses from these stations.

“Elfi, can we hail that entity?” “Yes Captain. The source is called: He-who-guards-the-Crucible.

““I know, put me on.

“A few heart beats later she signaled open comm. I took off my mask and said.

“Tyron, Union uniform please.

“My appearance changed and I got up.

“This is a message to He-who-guards-the-Crucible. I am Captain Erica Olafson of the USS Tigershark. You have abducted a member of my crew and summoned him against his will to you. I am on my way to you. Should I find that you harmed TheOther in any way, I will kill you. You have one and only one chance of surving this, release TheOther at once.

“Elfi said.

“It is Myon communication, Captain. It will take over an hour for a response to reach us, and we would have to be in real space.

“I acknowledged her and turned to my XO.

“Har-Hi?” “All crew and guests are on their way back. Estimated time to completion, ten minutes.

““Alright. And as soon as we are out in open space, turn of that Janus device.”

TheOther was down to his last nano load. He had lost count, how many of these inferior Y’All copies he had killed. He had managed to leave the Taar, and retreat down a service tunnel underneath the immense hangar. He was not exhausted and now carried a Y’All powerlance and a Y’All sword. He had tapped into his own core and unleashed what he was surpressing, the unbridled fighting power of a Y’All battle drone. The service corridor behind him was filled with the torn bodies of his opponents. Those new Y’All were poor copies indeed, but apparently there was an unlimited number of them. Even the best warrior would eventually fall, against the relentless hordes that were pitched against him. He knew it was only a matter of time, but he would die as a free being and make a stand worthy that of a Union officer.

Harold and Lorkis did not have to face the raging Y’All warrior. The bridge walls were torn open, by alien robots and Y’All warriors that appeared much smaller than the original and they were escorted out. The Terran knew it was most likely too late, and he would become the instrument of death and misery to the Union. However if there was a chance for him to stop all this, he would. Suicide was not enough, the information was coded into his genetics. Harold had not been captured, he came willingly when Lorkis asked him to go with him to the Crucible where he would be received with the greatest honors and respect. Seeing the reality of the threat had changed his mind. Harold still carried his TKU.

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