The Lost Fleet Box Set, page 120
part #1 of The Lost Fleet Series
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The vortex activated as a dark swirling void of blue suddenly appeared directly beneath the ship. Sible turned the vessel until it was pointed directly toward the center and then accelerated sharply. The vortex seemed to rush toward them and then the ship made the transition to hyperspace. The swirling colors of blue were suddenly replaced by deep purple.
“We’ve made the transition to hyperspace,” Sible announced. “You may now relax and enjoy the amenities on the ship. Our voyage to the communication and transport hub will take twenty hours.”
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“How does the ship manage to travel so fast?” asked Sergeant Wilde. She knew it had something to do with the different bands of hyperspace. She wished she had paid more attention to her studies back at the Academy.
Leeda turned toward Brenda. “The intergalactic vortex gives our ships a boost into the higher bands of hyperspace where intergalactic travel is possible. Our ship is equipped with a drive capable of maintaining that speed until we reach our destination. Once there, we will transmit a signal activating the receiving vortex. The receiving vortex will decelerate the ship almost instantly until we drop out of hyperspace and exit the vortex.”
“What’s going to happen once we reach our destination?”
“The AIs at the Communication and Transport Hub are in the process of repairing and rebuilding the Distant Horizon,” Leeda explained. “Once it’s finished we’ll be returning to the Triangulum Galaxy to see if we can find Kazak. We also need to make plans for taking the intergalactic vortex Control Centers away from the Simulins.”
Brenda nodded. She had a strong suspicion she hadn’t seen the last of the Simulins or their dreadful Conqueror Drones.
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Reesa turned toward Leeda. Staring out the window at the swirling purple colors of hyperspace was unsettling. “You said earlier Kazak had control of the Dominator and it was the most powerful warship ever built by the Originators. Won’t this be a dangerous mission? What if Kazak doesn’t want to turn over the Originators in the stasis chambers to you? What can you do? Not only that, there’s no guarantee there are any Originators in the chambers. They may have all died from the pathogen millions of years ago.”
“The Dominator was the most powerful warship the Originators ever built,” confirmed Leeda. “However, we’ve learned a lot in the time Kazak has been missing. We’re putting much of what we’ve discovered into the Distant Horizon. If we can find Kazak and the Dominator, the Distant Horizon will be able to hold its own if a battle breaks out. That’s why we need Rear Admiral Barnes and her ship. Your people are familiar with war where mine are not.”
“Why would Kazak attack the Distant Horizon?” asked Kelnor, cocking his eyebrow. “Wouldn’t he be excited to hear from other surviving AIs, particularly if you tell him you have a cure for the Originator pathogen?”
Leeda slowly shook her head. “There were AIs on the Shrieel that Rear Admiral Barnes destroyed. Kazak made no move to rescue them or even go to their aid. In all the years he’s been missing, he never attempted to contact them; though there are confirmed reports he returned to the Shrieel eons ago and then left again never to be heard from afterward. Supposedly he didn’t speak to any of the other AIs, only accessed the Shrieel’s main computer archives and then disappeared. We fear Kazak may have his own agenda.”
“Do you know what he was searching for?”
“We don’t know. The AIs at the time looked into it but couldn’t find what Kazak had been interested in. All traces of his inquiries had been deleted from the archive computer.”
“If we knew it might explain why he disappeared for so long,” Kelnor suggested. “It’s evident Kazak was searching for something, something he never found.”
“Perhaps we’ll know when we speak to him,” answered Leeda. “I’m still hopeful all of this can be worked out peacefully.”
Reesa leaned back in her chair. She still found it hard to believe all she had learned in recent weeks. Now she was off on a journey to the center of Originator power. She still wasn’t quite sure why Rakell had been so insistent she and the others accompany Leeda on this mission. Touching one of her pockets, she felt the small round copper colored globe she still carried with her. The globe was an Originator key that could grant her access to most of their facilities. While it didn’t have the capabilities of the gold command globes, it had served her very well in the past and Rakell and Leeda had allowed her to keep it.
All of her life she had dreamed of meeting the Originators. While that might not ever be possible, this adventure she was embarking on was the next best thing. She would be learning more about the Originators, and if it was true there were still surviving Originators in the stasis chambers on the Dominator, then the rest of her dream might just come true as well.
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Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes was back on board the Distant Horizon. She had spent several hours speaking to Clarissa about how she had gotten the code to activate the intergalactic vortex on the Dyson Sphere. After that she and Anne had gone over the list of surviving crewmembers. A few were still in one of the AIs’ medical centers but should be up and around in the next week. She carefully sat down in her command chair and nearly jumped when it adjusted itself to her form. Looking around the room, she saw that much had changed. The massive viewscreen still covered the front wall, but the number of control consoles had been reduced and those that remained had been updated. Even the tactical displays had been modified.
Kathryn turned toward Camlin. “What exactly have you done to my ship?”
“I’ll let Jolban explain as he’s in charge of the reconstruction.” Camlin motioned for an AI who was busy speaking to several crewmembers to come over to them.
“Camlin,” Jolban said respectfully. “What can I do for you?” Jolban was dark haired with an athletic looking body.
“This is Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes,” Camlin replied. “The Distant Horizon is her ship. Will you tell her what modifications you’ve made?”
Jolban nodded. “We’ve pretty much rebuilt the ship from the keel up. As you can see, we’ve modified the Command Center. While some of it is the same, all the consoles have been modified. All the screens are touch screens or can be voice controlled. Just tell the screen what you want done and the action will be carried out. The ship’s primary computer now has more control over ship operations. We’ve also greatly expanded the computer’s capability. It’s not an AI, but it’s pretty close. All a crewmember needs to do is tell the computer what he or she wants and the computer will see that it’s done.”
“I would have thought the consoles would be even more advanced than that considering how advanced Originator technology is,” commented Kathryn.
“They could be if your crew would like neural implants. The implants would allow your crew to communicate directly with the ship’s computer with just a thought. It would make ship operations far more efficient and response times would be cut down to milliseconds.”
Kathryn’s face turned pale at the thought. “I think it was wise to pass on the implants. I don’t think we’re quite ready for something like that. What else have you done?”
“The Distant Horizon has been increased in length from 2,600 meters to 3,000 and in width from 400 to 600 meters. That allowed us to keep all of your research facilities, which we have also updated, and to install the new power systems and other installations that were needed.”
“What type of power system did you put on my ship?” The Fusion Five reactors the ship had been equipped with were the most powerful the Altons had been able to design.
“Two antimatter chambers,” replied Jolban. “They are capable of generating ten times more power than the advanced fusion reactors you were using.”
Kathryn leaned back as she thought of the power that was now available. “Why does my ship need so much power?”
Jolban looked over at Camlin who nodded. “The energy screen has been greatly enhanced. We have increased the power of the ship’s particle beam cannons by tenfold. We have also added gravitonic cannons and antimatter projectors to the ship’s weapons. In addition your ship’s sensors can now reach out for a distance of thirty light years.”
Kathryn’s eyes widened as she listened to Jolban. It sounded as if her ship, when finished, would be able to take on an entire Simulin battlefleet by itself.
“What about the defense globes? Did you leave them alone or make changes?
“We made changes. The defense globes have been modified. They contain a miniature antimatter chamber for power. Their energy shields have been greatly enhanced, and the power of their particle beams and the ion cannon have been increased substantially. If you overload one now, it will result in a two hundred-megaton explosion. The number of defense globes has been increased from sixty to one hundred.”
Kathryn looked over at Commander Grissim. “How is the training of the crew going?” She knew it would take her crew time to learn all of the new systems. Her greatest worry was that they would be able to operate them but have no idea how they worked, which might make repairs a problem.
“It’s been slow,” Anne replied. “Many were seriously injured and have only recently been revived and allowed to resume their duties. They’re learning but it’s going to take awhile. When Jolban says he rebuilt the ship, he means just that. Everything is more modern and bigger. If you want to see how significant some of the changes are just go down to Main Engineering. Our new engineering deck bears no resemblance to the old one. Chief Engineer Jalat is in the process of retraining his entire engineering team with the aid of several Originator AIs.”
“Does he understand the changes?” Jalat was an Alton and extremely brilliant. If anyone could understand the modifications done to the ship, it would be him.
Anne smiled. “For the most part. He escaped injury and has spent most of his time with the AIs learning their technology. He feels confident he can operate and repair everything as needed. Many of the other surviving Altons are helping in other areas of the ship. They seem to be grasping the new technology very quickly.”
“What happens if the ship needs repairs?”
“Some we can do,” Anne answered. “We’re also going to have some of the small repair robots on board similar to the ones on the Dominator, but more advanced. We’ll also have a supply of nanites that can repair major system damage if need be.”
Kathryn was silent for a long moment and then turned toward Camlin. “Just how badly was I injured that it took so long to revive me?” She had been curious about this since her awakening. Why had it taken over seven months?
Camlin hesitated and then replied. “You were near death when the Distant Horizon reached us. Much of your body had to be rebuilt. A number of your internal organs had to be regrown including your heart and lungs. While we have the knowledge and ability to do all of that, it takes time.”
Kathryn shuddered thinking of how close she had come to dying. She also suspected Camlin wasn’t telling her everything. Perhaps it would be a good idea to speak to the ship’s doctor. Doctor Alexis Keil had survived and assisted the AIs in healing many of the injured crew personnel.
“One final question and then I would like to go on a tour of my ship. We destroyed the Dyson Sphere in the Triangulum Galaxy. How are we going to return?”
“Even though the Shrieel has been destroyed intergalactic travel using one of the other Shrieels is still possible. It just takes a tremendous amount of additional energy. We also have accelerator rings, which can be used without a Shrieel. They can send a ship almost anywhere very quickly. However, we’ve equipped the Distant Horizon with an intergalactic hyperdrive, which will allow the ship to travel between galaxies if necessary. While the drive is not as fast as using the vortexes in the Shrieels or the accelerator rings, it will get the ship where it needs to go.”
Kathryn drew in a sharp breath. Camlin had just told her the Distant Horizon was now capable of returning home to the Milky Way Galaxy. Perhaps she would get to see her father again. However, for now she wanted to walk around her ship and see just what changes the Originator AIs had made and to speak to the surviving crewmembers. Then later, when she had time, she needed to review the list of those who had died. She fully intended to write a personal letter to the families of all those who had perished.
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Reesa had been summoned to the observation lounge. Upon arriving, she saw that most of the Humans on board were already there. “What’s going on?” she asked as she walked up to Sergeant Wilde.
Brenda turned and replied. “Leeda says we’re about to drop out of hyperspace at the Communication and Transport Hub for the Originators.”
“Any idea what’s waiting for us?”
“No clue whatsoever,” Brenda said with a grin. “I can’t imagine anything being more impressive than the Dyson Sphere we just left.”
“I think you will be in for a surprise,” Leeda said as she put in an appearance. “What you’re about to observe has been seen by no one else but the Originators.”
“Dropout in two minutes,” reported Sible over the ship’s comm.
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“So, Sergeant,” spoke up Corporal Metz, who was sitting nearby. “Are we going to see some action on this trip?” Metz was growing bored with little to do on the small Originator ship.
“Anxious to kill a few more Conqueror Drones?” chimed in Private Sandra Carton, who was sitting next to the corporal. “I thought you got enough of that in the vortex Control Center back on the Dyson Sphere.”
“Conqueror Drones,” muttered Metz, shaking his head in disgust. “I don’t see how any race can be so savage as to create a ruthless killer like that.”
Brenda looked over at Leeda. “So why did you insist I bring my Marines along? Surely there’s no threat at the Communication and Transport Hub, is there?”
“No,” Leeda admitted. “However, we’re growing concerned that the Simulins may learn of it. We may have a mission for you and your Marines. We will discuss it once we meet with the others. In the eons since the Originators perished from the pathogen that swept through their race, we have made a number of advancements. One of the reasons the Shrieel in the Triangulum Galaxy was established inside the black matter nebula was to see if the range of the intergalactic vortexes could be extended. At that time to travel from one end of Originator space to the other, it might be necessary to pass through a dozen Shrieels.”
“That’s no longer necessary?” asked Kelnor, who was standing close by listening.
“No,” replied Leeda, looking over at the Alton scientist. “We can now project a vortex anywhere within Originator space. That’s how this ship is traveling to the Communication and Transport Hub. During the time of the Originators this trip would have taken several weeks; we’re doing it in twenty hours.”
Brenda felt a cold chill pass over her. If the Simulins gained access to this technology, they could send fleets of their ships to the Milky Way even with the galactic core closed off to them.
“Dropout,” announced Sible over the ship’s comm as the ship seemed to shudder slightly.
Outside the large observation windows, stars suddenly appeared. The room instantly grew quiet as the first of hundreds of massive artificial structures appeared. Many of them were thousands of kilometers in size.
“Welcome to the Originator Communication and Transport Hub for all of Originator space,” announced Sible. “We will be docking shortly.”
Kelnor stepped closer to one of the windows gazing at a truly massive structure that had just come into view. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes,” Leeda replied. “It’s a Shrieel. There are four of them here at this location.”
Brenda looked out seeing the dark structure Kelnor was referring to. “Is there a star inside?” The sheer amount of work that had been done to build all of these structures was beyond anything she could imagine. The Originators definitely built on an immense scale.
“Yes,” Leeda replied with a nod. “We are in intergalactic space between the galaxies. Around us is a small star cluster of forty-six stars. When the Originators found this cluster, they decided it would make an excellent location for their Communication and Transport Hub. While there are two habitable planets in the cluster, there are no advanced lifeforms.”
Even as Brenda watched, more structures appeared. There were several giant rings and what appeared to be massive shipyards. “Can you build ships here?”
“Yes,” Leeda answered. She pointed to one of the large structures. “There are eighty-two shipyards here which are capable of building any ship ever designed by the Originators. All the shipyards use the most modern construction techniques and can create a new vessel in just a few weeks.”
Brenda turned to face Leeda. “Are there ships here as well?”
Leeda nodded. “Yes, there are a number of Originator vessels in stasis waiting for activation if they’re ever needed. I’m not sure of the exact number without checking one of the core computers, but I believe they number in the tens of thousands.”
Brenda suddenly found she couldn’t speak. Tens of thousands of ships! The power possessed by the AIs was astounding. Power they had never chosen to use against the Simulins.
Looking back out of the large observation window, Brenda could scarcely believe what she was seeing. There was no doubt in her mind that if the Originator AIs wanted to they could crush the Simulin Empire with little effort. The problem was the AIs weren’t interested in fighting a war; it went against their basic programming. She was also curious to hear Rear Admiral Barnes views on the Originator AIs and the war with the Simulins.
“We’ll be docking shortly at one of the shipyards where the Distant Horizon is being repaired,” Leeda informed them. “As soon as we’re aboard we’ll be meeting with Rear Admiral Barnes and an AI named Camlin. Camlin is one of the AIs in charge of this complex and is one of our leaders.”
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A few minutes later the small spacecraft slowed down and then moved toward a large structure that was easily one hundred kilometers in length and fifty across. It was immediately obvious this was a shipyard. A number of large vessels were docked to it and several lighted cavernous bays were visible. The ship entered one and then set down on a landing pad.
