BOOK III: Chapter 17

Har Hi got up from the seat.” Captain, we are receiving a distress beacon signal from the USS Paracelcus. We are the closest Union ship.”

I sat down.” What is the nature of the distress call?”

Elfi turned.” Automated beacon, no response to hails.”

“How far?

“3.5 light years, Captain. Mao responded.

“Wetmouth coordinate with Mao and give me a sensor report. Elfi contact Fleet Command.”

Wetmouth sat next to Mao and dedicated her side of the Console to science. She then reported.” Captain we got a mass reading close to the Paracelcus. Sensor data is inconclusive but it appears to be a Wanderer.”

“Define a Wanderer for me please.”

“A celestial object not bound to a star system but wandering in intergalactic space, there are many known dark planets, asteroids, dust clouds, moons, large ice chunks that have been catapulted out of their original system by a collision or similar event. The object we believe is near the Paracelcus is some sort of rock formation, a large asteroid or moon most likely.”

Elfi said.” I got Fleet Command on, Sir.”

She opened the connection and I said.” This is Midshipman Olafson currently in command of the Devastator Auxiliary Ship 45-12, Baracuda Class Destroyer. We where en route to the Dover System when we received an automated distress call from the USS Paracelcus 3.5 Light years from our current position. Our sensors picking up a Wanderer in the vicinity, I am requesting permission to investigate.”

On the screen a white haired man appeared, Commodore rank. “ This is Commodore King. Fleet Command Center 4, we received your transmission and the accompanied data of the distress call. You are the closest ship, proceed with your investigation. The Uss Paracelcus is a non armed Hospital ship under command of Captain Perma. The Paracelcus was on its way to Colony Planet Gregory to assist in an epidemic disease disaster. Proceed with caution and record all actions. Keep us informed. We send additional units to assist.”

I acknowledged and said: “Mao full shields. Krabbel set a course. Muhammad get us there but approach slowly and drop out of Quasi at least 30 light minutes away. Mao and Wetmouth you keep your eyes on those sensors. Hans stand by for Damage control.”

The Paracelcus hung dead in space. It was a new Uni design ship, wedge shaped all in white. The Wanderer turned out to be a rock chunk of 2000 kilometers diameter.

“Energy or life form readings?” ”I am reading 85 faint life form readings aboard the Paracelcus, emergency battery power only. The antimatter cores are gone. They ejected their containment coil and all the AM.”

“Any battle damage?” I asked.

“We’re still to far out for the visual sensor to pick out details. But I am not showing any debris.”

I didn’t like the situation one bit. There was something that stopped a state of the art starship, twenty times bigger than the Baracuda Destroyer. True the Hospital ship had no offensive weaponry, but its shields where equal to an Ultra battle ship. As far as I knew there was nothing so deep in Union space that could attack and overwhelm such a ship.

Hospital ships where designed with strong shields and engines so they could survive an attack and flee.

I was looking with one eye over the technical readout on that ship.

“Hold our position, Muhammad. Wetmouth launch a probe and scan that rock and ship closer. Mao activate all weapons and load the sniper cannon with 5k loads.”

“Probe launched.” Wetmouth said.

“Weapons active, Sniper cannon loaded.”

I was on the edge of my seat watching the telemetry of the probe.

A sudden flash from the Asteroid surface and the probe telemetry went blank.

Wetmouth reported with calm voice:” There is a Energy source on the surface of the Wanderer. Energy signature is clearly alien and strong.

“Mao target that source and fire!”

The Barracuda had two Translocator sniper cannons. Small load Translocator cannons designed for long range precision shots.

Our long range visuals where at maximum and we saw the bright energy bubble expanding where the 5 kilo Antimatter bomb exploded.

“Captain I am now detecting a small vessel detaching from the surface. Mass and size calculation makes it no bigger than a Wolfcraft, but the energy signature is 100 times that of a Wolfcraft. Energy signatures are transdim in character and alien.

Object is shielded and shields are similar to our Transdim shields. Translocator bombs can not penetrate those shields!”

Whatever it is, it is on an intercept course.”

The Barracuda shuddered and I was almost lifted out of my seat, but the emergency restraints activated and pulled me back.

Har Hi’s said:” Direct hit of unknown Energy weapon. Primary shields at 50% One more hit and we are down to secondary shields.”

“Alright, whoever this is want’s to play rough. Let’s show them what a Barracuda can do!”

“Muhammad go into Virtu Helm, evasive action. Elfi report our findings to Fleet Command. Mao switch to Graviton bombs and place dual loads to each side, as soon as you sense shield weakening fire Translocator bombs at their drive section! Simultaneous launch Loki torpedoes Exo load warheads, proximity fuse.”

The Barracuda shuddered again.

Lights flickered, but kept going. Cirruit’s voice came on.” Primary shield projectors damaged. Secondary Shields holding.”

Har Hi reported:” Alien ship intercepted Loki Torpedoes with counter measures of sort, they vanished!”

We where hit again, this time the lights didn’t come back on, but the consoles still worked.

“Secondary shields at 35%”

“Muhammad, micro jump behind that alien ship, overwrite micro jump safety. Mao stand by on FTL projectors and Loki Torpedoes as soon as we come out of Quasi I want you to fire point blank. Cirrcuit, put all energy you got in our forward shields as soon as Mao fires!”

The Barracuda was designed to take a pounding and all systems where at least triple redundant, my damage board showed me that this was the reason we where still alive.

Muhammad proved he was one hell of a helmsman. He executed a micro jump with computronic precision, Mao fired as we saw our attacker for the first time close up. It was a small ship, disc shaped, almost looking like a miniature version of the Devastator. The similarities where so great that one could think they came from the same designer.

Our FTL projectors fired, at the same time Mao laid two Grav bombs on each side of the vessel and two Loki torpedos with Exo loads launched and connected!

Muhammad executed the second part of the micro jump but still our shields collapsed from the energy overload of two Exoloads.

We re entered Planck space and witnessed the alien ship emerging from the energy cloud, but it’s shields flickering.

“Mao now! Microloads into their drive section FIRE!!”

Mao fired manually as the fire control automatics where down. The aft section of the alien ship was ripped apart and it drifted in space!” ”Captain, sensors indicate the alien ship is without shields and maneuver power and one life form! I also detect repair activity!”

What did it take to defeat that thing? It was clearly more advanced than anything the Union had, and it was only Wolfcraft sized! What if there was something much bigger?

“Muhammad get us close enough for Main Translocator. Mao Place a full load in that drive section!”

Mao’s shot exploded a micro second before the shields of the alien came back on. This time the aft section was completely vaporized.

But the bow section was still intact.” Micro loads into secondary energy sources!”

Four more explosions crippled the alien ship and reduced it to a burning wreck.

“Captain I am still reading the life form!”

“Mao,Tech stop and Paralysator full intensity.”

Wetmouth didn’t take the eyes of her scanners.” Captain this is incredible. The ship over there is destroyed and disabled to over 80 percent and I can detect molecular manipulation and energy to matter replication. The ship is repairing itself! Whatever this is Captain it is at least Techlevel 11.”

“Can you localize the energy sources?” ”Yes Captain! There are 200 of them.”

“ Mao fire all weapons till that thing is destroyed completely and utterly destroyed!”

The Cockpit section of the Alien ship detached itself as Mao kept firing., but Mao was on the ball and he send a gravi bomb into the path of the cockpit. It was shielded as we could see now but unable to evade and the Gravitation bomb pulled it into its Grav center and depleated the shields.

I felt as if I was fighting a mythical dragon that kept regrowing heads, a smaller object emerged from the cockpit. It was a humanoid shape in a space suit.and it approached our ship! I didn’t want to fire on a being in a space suit, but from what I saw  whatever it was could perhaps regrow an entire ship.” Mao target that being and fire!”

The Alien ship was gone, Mao’s gravitation and anti matter bombs had reduced it to atomic dust and dissipating energy.

We where hit by a powerful weapon beam from the suit being before Mao could place a Translocator bomb close enough.

The suit beings weapon had penetrated our shields and hit the portside, dong considerable damage to the molecular compacted Ultronit armor. Muhammad’s evasive flying prevented it from penetrating and causing more damage.

“Alien Suit is damaged, shields down. I can read humanoid life signs.” Wetmouth reported.

“Hit it with Paralysator and Techstop! Maybe we can capture that alien and see what they are and find out if there are any more of them!”

“Hans and Har Hi.I hate to ask you but get into Quasimodos. Cut it out of its’ suit and place it in Stasis.”

“Aye Captain!” ”Wetmouth launch another probe and see if there are any more surprises around that Asteroid.”

“I am on it!”

“Cirrcuit, Damage report please.”

---“”---

Wetmouth’s detailed scan of the asteroid revealed no other energy signatures. Cirruit was busy fixing our shield projectors. The Barracuda was still space worthy but we where depleted of much of our ammunition. Several systems where damaged but Cirruit was confident he could repair it within a day.

Har Hi and Hans had recovered the Alien. We had to destroy its suit completely as it too began to self repair itself.

The Alien was to our surprise a human female and Wetmouth was in sickbay examining her.

I ordered Muhammad closer to the Paracelcus and now we saw that the ship did sustain damage, the entire Engineering section was ripped open and the energy producing antimatter reactors where completely gone.

I made my way to Sickbay to inspect the Alien. Hans had activated two Cerberus robots to stand guard, just in case.

Our sickbay was small but state of the art and Wetmouth, even though she wasn’t a designated Medic, held a MD degree and was an Xeno biology expert stood next to a diagnostic unit on which a restrained naked woman was lying. She looked human, had short black hair appeared to be in physical peak condition.

Wetmouth said. “We almost took a Trojan Horse aboard.”

“A Trojan Horse?”

“An ancient legend of Earth, where the Greek, a Terran native tribe overcame another Terran tribe, the Trojans by giving them as a present a wooden Horse. Inside the Horse where soldiers and the Trojans pulled the trophy inside their city unaware of its hidden cargo, the Soldiers inside opened the gates of the City and thus caused the doom of that city.”

She pointed at the Alien.” She was loaded with very advanced nanites ready to spread out throughout our ship and transform it into whatever she needs.”

I felt suddenly sick and swallowed.” Where are those Nanites?”

“Thanks to Cirruit. He saw the nanites and we contained and destroyed them.”

“Any chance there are more inside her?”

“Cirruit says no. She is full of Medic Nanites of ours now, trying to repair her cells and save her life.”

“She doesn’t appear to be sick or wounded.” I said.

Wetmouth looked at me.” Eric, that woman is human, while her DNA isn’t Terran, Saran or Pan Saran. It is similar to all. Like all Humanoid species we encountered so far, she shares many similarities. If my analysis and diagnostics are correct, that lady is over 1 million years old and her Cells are failing. My guess is she was in some sort of stasis or suspended animation but way longer than anticipated. The reanimation process was either interrupted or unable to restore her.”

Just then the woman blinked and opened her eyes. She tried to move but the physical restraints and the contour force field made that impossible.

Then she said something and it sounded angry and demanding, but whatever she said was in a language I did not understand.

The Computronic beeped and said: Language not on file. Translation sequence started.”

The Computronic spoke directly to the Alien in single phrases and the Alien woman responded. After about eight minutes, Wetmouth spoke in the same alien language to the Woman and listened to her response. The Computronic beeped again and said:” Translation process completed. Verbal communication filters in place.”

“I am Commander Cateria. I carry important information for the Empress. You are inferior life forms and you are herby ordered to release me at once and supply me with all I need. Otherwise I will destroy you!”

“Hold it right there, Commander!” I said.” You attacked an unarmed Hospital ship and caused casualties and damage. You are inside Union space and you are in no position to make any demands!”

She closed her eyes and opened them with an even angrier look.” It matters not if you destroyed my ship or my suit. My Nanites have infiltrated your systems as we speak and you will be at my mercy in mere moments.”

“Sorry to burst your hopes, Commander but we detected your Nanites and destroyed them. On the other hand our Nanites are in you repairing your cell structure. I have a good mind and order my medical officer to cease all restoration procedures and simply recover your brain and do a memory dump. We don’t really need your entire body.”

She blinked again and tried to swallow.

I said.” I don’t know who you are, but trust me I will show you how uncivilized I can be if you don’t tell me what you have done to the Hospital ship. Are there Nanites of yours?”

She didn’t answer my question.

Cirruit came in and held a little metal cube shaped device.” I have never seen anything like that. This Alien Nanite technology is light years ahead of the best X101 technology. Only because her Nanite control unit was damaged, was I able to counter hers. Luckily however her nanites where work units only. My Battle nanites where able to infiltrate it and shut it down. I removed it from her brain and isolated it.”

She starred at Cirruit with hate in her eyes but then sudden despair replaced her anger:” Is it not better to be under our rule than face utter destruction from the Dark Ones?. Aide me to reach the Throne World and I will make sure your species will be rewarded.”

She stared at me and I felt as if something was pushing into my very mind. For some reason I saw Narth in a dreamlike vision and instinctively I pushed back. I saw Wetmouth slumping over and Hans holding his head with both hands, I knew she attacked us psionically and even Wetmouth wig that shielded her from such attacks was not effective. Just as I had seen Narths vision I somehow knew what to do and pushed back even more. The Alien woman screamed and blood ran out of her nose. Whatever affected me was gone. Hans slowly lowered his hands and then pulled his blaster aiming it at the alien woman.” That Witch has psionic powers too!”

“Hold your fire!” I said.

Wetmouth pulled herself up and took a deep breath.” I am alright.” She went to her console and scanned the now unconscious woman.” She is alive, and she had a bio tech device attached to her medulla oblongata. It is completely destroyed and crushed!”

I wiped my mouth and realized I was bleeding too. I had bitten my tounge and only now I noticed the pain.” Keep her sedated and scan and examine her cell for cell I am almost certain she has other surprises hidden.”

Hans snorted.” She is to dangerous to be left alive, Eric! She almost killed us twice now. Her technology is far beyond ours.”

“I tend to agree with you Hans, but we must take the risk. We need to know where she came from and if there are more like her. Can you imagine what a fleet of those little ships could do? We are not in unknown space but deep in our own space we deem safe. There are hundreds of worlds in this sector. It is our duty to find out as much s we can until help arrives!”

He grunted.” You’re right! I just hate being attacked that way. It makes me feel so helpless.”

Wetmouth looked at me.” How did you defend yourself against that anyway? Even the Psi Shield in my wig failed.”

“I am not sure, Wetmouth. But I carried the Hughwah of a Narth once and it appears it affected me more than I realized.”

“A Narth? You know a Narth?”

“Yes he is one of my best friends.”

“I don’t know what a Hughwah is.” She said.” But that could explain why the Psi Snake couldn’t control you. Whatever the Narth did it raised your Psionic abilities.”

“I like Narth like a brother but I am like Hans, I don’t like Psionics one bit.”

--“”—

I assembled my little crew in the small conference room behind the bridge. Elfi started the meeting by saying:” I send all our findings and your report to Fleet Command and they say the Devi is on her way and will arrive within the next sixteen hours. The situation on Planet Gregory is getting worse by the moment. They need the medical supplies aboard the Paracelcus badly.”

I nodded and gave Wetmouth a sign to speak.” Our guest is in Zero Stasis. I established an original DNA pattern of hers and removed fourteen artificial enhancements most of them I have no idea what they do. She should be harmless now, and we repaired her enough so she will not deteriorate for the moment, but she needs new organs the ones she has are failing. Our sickbay is not equipped with the necessary equipment to help her. Each of the removed items are also in stasis.”

“But I bet the Paracelcus has equipment to do that, right?” I asked.

Wetmouth nodded.” Yes.”

Cirruit was next:” As I said before, her technology is so far advanced to ours, she is at least Tech 11. Her Nanites are able to manipulate matter on the atomic level and reproduce quickly. Unlike ours, hers are more intelligent and adaptive. I am sure one single nanite of hers could reproduce enough units to rebuild her ship within the hour from scratch.”

“Cirruit, can you detect her nanites?”

“Yes, that was and is my original design. I was born to be a Nanite engineer and can see them and my nanites can find hers if they are not in the open.”

“Can you launch some and see if they infested the Paracelcus?”

“Yes I get right on it!”

“We need to secure the Paracelcus. See who needs medical help and repair her enough so we can get her Gregory as fast as possible.”

Har Hi said:” I think we could tow the Paracelcus if we have to. Once we get her moving and overcome the mass we should be able to go superluminal,not very fast but possible.”

Cirruit nodded.” That be our best option. The entire Engineering section of the Para is damaged and the reactors are missing. There isn’t much I can repair.”

“Well I hope the Devi is here by then. Let’s check her out first and make sure there aren’t any more surprises hidden on the ship or the rock. Send a Cerberus first if you think she’s nanite free.”

--“”—

I was back in Sick bay and said to Wetmouth. “How is she?”

“As long as she is in stasis she be alright, but as I said she needs new organs soon.”

“Get her out of Stasis. I want to talk to her.”

I waited till Wetmouth pulled her out of the Stasis tube and deactivated the zero time field.

“Commander Cateria. I don’t know who you are but let me give you some facts. Our instruments say that you have been in stasis or suspended animation for a very long time. Longer perhaps than intended. Maybe the reanimation process was interrupted or the machinery damaged, but your cell structure is failing. We need to make you new organs if you want to live. The big ship you attacked is a Hospital ship. An unarmed ship but with our most advanced medical technology, able to do just that and save your life, so I am asking you and I am asking you only once, do you have any of your Nanite technology on that ship?”

She listened to me and Wetmouth activated a field screen over her head so she could see the scans of her own body.” I am not sure how well you are trained in medical terms but on the right hand side you see a simulation of a healthy cell and on the left you see an actual picture of yours.”