The Lost Fleet Box Set, page 119
part #1 of The Lost Fleet Series
“Concentrate our fire on just a few of the AI ships,” he ordered, his eyes narrowing sharply. It was his duty as a Simulin commander to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible. Failure to do so would result in his demotion and possible execution. It was better to die in combat than face failure in front of his superiors.
“Concentrating fire on four of the AI spheres,” the Second Commander replied. “Firing energy cannons as well as antimatter missiles.”
-
In space, the firing from the Simulin vessels intensified. White energy beams impacted the screens of four AI warspheres. Antimatter missiles began detonating against the shields, causing them to waver. An energy beam suddenly penetrated, blasting out a huge chasm in the side of one of the warspheres. The ship turned, placing the damaged area away from the Simulins. The Simulins, seeing weakness, focused more firepower on the damaged vessel. Three energy beams penetrated the screen simultaneously, drilling deep inside the warsphere causing catastrophic damage. The energy screen flickered and then failed as too many power conduits were destroyed or damaged. Almost immediately an antimatter missile arrived, blowing the AI ship into a thousand glowing pieces. The Simulin ships then turned their focus to the other three targeted warspheres.
-
“Warsphere WS-97 is down,” reported the sensor operator to Grayseth. “Spheres 33, 47, and 62 are under heavy attack.”
On one of the primary viewscreens, a sudden flash of light suddenly filled it.
“Warsphere WS-47 is down.”
A deep frown crossed Grayseth’s face. Even though these were AI ships, they were still under his command. He knew each warsphere that was lost contained a crew of forty AIs. “Press forward; I want those Simulin vessels destroyed!” he roared, his eyes glowing red as another warsphere exploded on one of the viewscreens. The Simulins were beginning to extract a steep price on the fleet for its appearance so close to their shipyard.
On the viewscreens, massive explosions lit up space. Grayseth’s fleet was now launching primarily fifty-megaton Devastator Three missiles along with the much more powerful one hundred-megaton antimatter missiles. Across the Simulin formation, titanic explosions shook their energy shields as particle beams and power beams attempted to find weaknesses.
“Focus our weapons on that escort cruiser which has strayed from the Simulin formation,” ordered Grayseth, seeing a possible easy kill. In the hunt, it was prudent to take advantage of opportunities whenever they presented themselves.
“Firing,” reported the tactical officer.
-
In space, a particle beam penetrated the weakened energy screen of the designated escort cruiser. It struck the hull, tearing an energy turret into shreds and blasting a deep chasm into the side of the ship. Several power beams penetrated, raking the hull and opening up more compartments to space. Finally a Devastator Three missile arrived, annihilating the escort cruiser in a blazing explosion of light and energy.
-
“Escort cruiser is down,” reported the sensor operator.
Grayseth felt the ship shake slightly from weapons fire impacting the energy screen.
“Screen is holding at 82 percent,” Ganlon reported as he checked his console. “No damage.”
“Find us another target,” Grayseth ordered as he watched the battle on the ship’s viewscreens. This was the hunt and there was still more prey to kill.
-
On board the Gaia class battlecruiser Empress, the Command Center was in shambles. Two Simulin battlecruisers had managed to briefly overload the ship’s energy screen, allowing a pair of energy beams to strike the hull. Damage inside the ship was extensive.
“Status!” yelled Commander Brivington, trying to see through the smoke and sparks. Several consoles were on fire and others were shorting out. Heavy smoke was filling the Command Center, overwhelming the ventilation systems’ attempts to clear it. Brivington’s eyes were burning and the smoke was making it hard to breathe.
“Sublight drive is down and the energy shield is at 22 percent,” reported Lieutenant Simkins. “We took two hits just forward of Engineering. Chief Engineer Mason reports several fires out of control and the airtight doors have engaged, sealing off the engineering compartment.”
“Damn!” muttered Brivington. “Contact the Warrior’s Pride and inform Grayseth of our situation. Get as many damage control teams as possible working at getting to the engineering department. We need that sublight drive back online.”
“Communications are out,” replied Simpkins, shaking his head. The ship suddenly shook violently, throwing Simpkins to the deck.
Commander Brivington saw even more lights on the damage control console turn a glaring red. He knew his ship was dying around him. He felt helpless knowing there was nothing he could do.
“Secondary engineering is gone,” gasped the damage control officer in between fits of coughing from the smoke. “We’ve been hit by another energy beam. There’s no way the damage control teams can reach Main Engineering.”
“Two Alton battleships are moving toward us,” added the sensor operator with hope in his eyes. “I think they’re trying to maneuver between us and the Simulins.”
“They’re going to try to take the fire meant for us,” Lieutenant Simpkins said as he staggered back to his feet. He nearly fell as his ankle was broken. “If they’re successful, we just might survive this.”
“Inbound missile,” screamed the sensor operator as the ship suddenly seemed to be lifted up and then set violently back down.
Commander Brivington heard a loud groaning noise coming from his vessel and the sound of tearing and ripping metal. In the distance, he could hear the screams of frightened crewmembers. The security hatch was leaning at an odd angle where a support beam had smashed into it and he could see into the outside corridor.
“We’re breaking apart!” yelled Lieutenant Simpkins, his eyes showing fear as the sound of tearing metal suddenly reached a crescendo.
The lights abruptly went out as the power failed. The last thing Commander Brivington saw was when the Command Center opened up and he could see stars above him.
-
High Commander Arnthos grinned mirthlessly as he watched one of the organic ships die under the fire of his ship’s weapons. A second antimatter sublight missile finished blowing the shattered ship apart, leaving a glowing debris field to mark its passing.
“We’ve managed to destroy four of their AI ships as well as one of the organic vessels,” reported the Second Commander. “Perhaps we should withdraw. We did receive orders that preserving our fleet was of a high priority. The battle computer is now projecting an 82 percent chance of defeat.”
High Commander Arnthos turned toward the Second Commander. His hand strayed to the energy pistol at his waist. What the Second Commander had said in other times would have been considered treason. However, he was correct about the order though Arnthos had no intention of obeying it. Simulins did not retreat from battle. They destroyed the enemy for there could only be Simulins. All others must be annihilated.
“Continue the attack,” he said coldly. “We will destroy as many of the enemy as possible in order to weaken them so our other fleets can annihilate these organics and their AI allies. We are Simulins and we recognize no others.”
The Second Commander nodded his understanding and acceptance. “There can only be Simulin,” he said emotionlessly. Death in combat was the highest honor for a Simulin and was expected by the Grand Council.
“Only Simulins,” Arnthos replied as he saw another one of his battlecruisers explode on one of the viewscreens.
-
“The Empress is down,” reported the sensor operator on the Warrior’s Pride. “She was struck by at least two Simulin antimatter missiles.”
Grayseth blinked his large eyes. He hadn’t expected to lose one of the powerful Gaia class battlecruisers. “Status of the enemy?”
“The hunt goes well,” Ganlon responded as he studied the tactical displays. “The Simulins have only four battlecruisers and two escort cruisers remaining.” Even as he spoke one of the battlecruisers vanished in an antimatter fireball on one of the viewscreens.
“AIs are advancing and focusing their firepower on the remaining Simulin vessels,” the sensor operator reported. “The Altons are closing also.”
Grayseth knew the Alton ships were primarily manned by Humans with only a few Altons on board. As he watched, the remaining Simulin vessels came under heavy attack, so heavy they became totally defensive. In bright explosions of antimatter energy, the last Simulin ships died.
“All enemy targets have been eliminated,” Ganlon reported. “Our fleet lost four AI warspheres and the Empress. We have damage to a number of others vessels including one of our own battlecruisers and two cruisers. It has been a successful hunt.”
“Agreed,” replied Grayseth. Losses were expected in battle. “Instruct the AIs to close with the Simulin shipyard and destroy it.”
-
The thirty-six surviving AI warspheres approached the Simulin shipyard. It only took a few moments of intense particle beam fire to bring down its defensive energy shield. Two fifty-megaton Devastator Three missiles then reduced the structure to glowing gas and burning plasma. Everything in the system that was Simulin had been annihilated.
-
“Target destroyed,” confirmed Ganlon. “The hunt is over and we have brought much honor to our clans.”
“Yes,” agreed Grayseth, showing his teeth. “We will stay in this system long enough to repair the damage done to our vessels and then proceed to the second target. If all goes well, we will be back at Gaia in a few more days.” Grayseth was pleased with the victory. He had shown Jeremy had been correct in placing his trust in him to carry out this mission.
“It will be good to return home and celebrate our victories,” replied Ganlon. “Our mates and cubs will rejoice in the honor we will bring back.”
Grayseth was also anxious to return to Gaia. He was curious about the Originators in that formally secret compartment on the Dominator. He also wanted to know how Jeremy was dealing with Kazak, particularly after the Originator AI had taken the ship and destroyed six Simulin worlds. It was frightful to know a ship with that much firepower was in orbit above Gaia.
Chapter Three
Reesa gazed in awe out of the large observation window in the Originator ship assigned to them. The Dyson Sphere flashed by beneath them at an amazing rate as Sible piloted the ship to their destination. Square after square of color was visible. Various shades of blue, gold, brown, and green were present. Even clouds and a few thunderstorms were evident in some of the habitat areas. Reesa knew that in most of those habitation squares, there was at least one Originator city as well as a myriad of exotic plants and animal life. Someday she wanted to return and spend time visiting each and every one. With a deep sigh, she knew that wasn’t practical due to the massive size of the sphere. Nevertheless, she would like to see as many as possible. There was so much to learn here, and she fully intended to ask Leeda if it would be possible for her to return and explore the Dyson Sphere.
“It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?” Leeda said with a knowing smile. “Even though I’m an AI I never tire of flying above the Shrieel. There are trillions of living creatures in those habitats. Even I haven’t had time to see all of them.”
“What’s it like going through an intergalactic vortex?” asked Reesa, turning slightly to face the Originator AI. She had learned so much about the Originators over the last few days and in some ways wished she could stay with the others on the Dyson Sphere. Not everyone was going with them on the Originator ship.
“With our ships, the effect is scarcely noticeable,” Leeda explained. Leeda was an Originator AI with red hair and stood nearly eight feet tall. She was finely proportioned and quite beautiful. “When we are in position, Sible will activate the intergalactic vortex that will take us to the primary Communication and Transport Hub.”
“How far away is it?” asked Kelnor Mard, the older Alton who was Reesa’s mentor.
“Nearly ten million light years,” Leeda replied. “It’s just outside the local group of galaxies.”
“Ten million light years,” Reesa repeated, her eyes growing wide. She couldn’t imagine traveling so far. “How long will it take for us to get there?” The ship they were on was a small one. It was a cylinder with curved ends and two hundred meters in length. The quarters on the ship were quite comfortable, but there were twenty Humans on board, many of them Marines. Reesa wasn’t prepared to spend months on the ship.
“Not as long as you would think,” Leeda answered with a gentle smile. “The trip will take about twenty of your hours.”
Reesa felt astonished. Ten million light years in twenty hours. It made her realize how even Alton technology was far behind the Originators.
“Do you do this often?” asked Sergeant Brenda Wilde. Brenda was in charge of the fifteen Marines on the vessel.
Leeda shook her head. “No, most of the time we use the vortexes for communication. It’s been centuries since any AI left the protection of the Shrieels. We have made it a point not to engage with any of the budding civilizations in the numerous galaxies where the Shrieels reside. Very few races even know of their existence. Those that do stay away.”
“But you allowed the Simulins access to a number of the Dyson Spheres,” Brenda was quick to point out. “They didn’t stay away. Look at all the harm that’s been done to the civilizations in those galaxies. Many of them have been wiped out. The Simulins believe there should be no other organic life but their own.”
“It was a mistake not to take action,” Leeda admitted with a sad look. “We regret the loss of life our complacency may have caused. Part of it was due to the fact that we’re AIs and are forbidden from interfering. The other was due to the Simulins having an access key to the vortex Control Centers. Because of that we were hesitant to respond when they began activating the vortexes. We only have a few military AIs but none like Kazak. There’s no doubt that if Kazak had remained among us, the problem with the Simulins would never have occurred. Kazak was programmed to handle such transgressions. Our other military AIs are not. We will soon be taking corrective action to right that oversight.”
“How so?” asked Reesa, quirking her eyebrows. “How can you violate your programming?”
“If the AIs that lead us vote to change our programming to allow us to interfere with the Simulins then we have the ability to modify it. It’s my understanding the vote has already been made and the programming change will be completed shortly. The loss of a Shrieel and the attack upon another has forced our leaders to finally respond.”
“You can modify your programming?” asked Kelnor, showing surprise.
“Yes, the ability was given to us once the Originators realized they might not survive the pathogen. It has very seldom been done. I know of only two other instances since the demise of the Originators that modifications to our programming have been approved.”
“In the briefing you mentioned there were survivors on the Distant Horizon,” commented Brenda as she sat down in a comfortable chair near the large observation window. “Did Rear Admiral Barnes survive?”
Leeda hesitated and then spoke. “Yes, nearly a third of the crew are alive.”
-
“What happened to them?” asked Kelnor, his eyes full of curiosity. “You said the ship was heavily damaged?” Kelnor knew the Distant Horizon was of Alton design and was equipped with a very powerful energy shield. When the ship had left on its mission, it was the most powerful ship the Altons had ever built.
-
Leeda nodded in affirmation. “When they set off their antimatter weapons in the central star of the Shrieel their ship was heavily damaged. It just barely made it through the vortex the ship’s AI managed to activate.”
“How did the ship’s AI activate an intergalactic vortex?” asked Brenda, with a confused look on her face. “Did it have a command key?”
She was referring to the golden globe they had taken from the Simulins in the battle at one of the Dyson Sphere Control Centers. The golden globe allowed the Simulins to gain access to the intergalactic vortex Control Centers. It was how they had gained control of so many. Leeda and Rakell had assured the exploration team that the Simulins had only possessed the one key. Without it, they could not approach any of the other Dyson Spheres.
Leeda paused as she looked out the observation window. They were rapidly nearing their departure point. “No, they didn’t have a key, though it’s distinctly possible Kazak has one. For some reason Kazak furnished the Distant Horizon’s AI with the code to activate the vortex which would take the ship to the Communication and Transport Hub. If not for the code, the ship would have been destroyed by the nova. We’re not certain of Kazak’s motives in doing so. Kazak himself never used the code to go to the Communication and Transport Hub in all the time he has been missing.”
“Stand by for vortex activation,” announced Sible over the ship’s comm system.
Reesa shifted her gaze to the surface of the Dyson Sphere seeing they were over a large concave area. “How large is that?”
“Ten kilometers,” Leeda replied. “All the intergalactic vortexes are quite large due to the power involved. They were also used in the remote past to bring entire fleets through.”
“It must have been a glorious age when the Originators were at the height of their civilization,” commented Kelnor wistfully. “I wish I could have seen it.”
Leeda nodded. “Imagine thousands of ships leaving the Shrieels daily on exploration missions or traveling to Shrieels in other galaxies. Even though the Originators moved their civilization into the Shrieels from the thousands of planets they inhabited, they were still highly involved in exploration and meeting new races.”
