The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search

A Slaver Wars Novel

Chapter One

Admiral Race Tolsen grimaced as the WarHawk shook violently. They were at Condition One with everyone at their battlestations. On the tactical display, forty glaring red threat icons represented the warships which continued to harass his fleet.

“Light damage to outer hull, section D-12,” reported the Damage Control officer. “Hull integrity is holding.” The ship shuddered as missiles and energy beams continued to impact the defense shield.

“Damn Borzon,” Commander Madelyn Arnett uttered as she held on to the armrests of her command chair. “They should have stayed in their own territory!”

“We’re having this problem all along the entire border of the former Hocklyn Slave Empire,” commented Admiral Tolsen as the WarHawk fired off a series of sublight antimatter missiles at the nearby Borzon cruiser attacking them. “The Borzon are trying to add these worlds to their own empire. This is the deepest any of their fleets have penetrated into Federation-controlled space.”

“Well, that’s not happening today,” said Madelyn, as she ordered the 1,600-meter WarHawk to close the range with the nearest enemy cruiser. “We’ll show them what the penalty is for trespassing in our territory.”

On the main viewscreen, the energy screen of the targeted Borzon ship was lit up from massive antimatter explosions and showed signs of imminent collapse. Other Borzon ships were also under heavy attack from the various ships of the Third Fleet. The Borzon cruisers were slim vessels, heavily armed, and 1,200 meters in length.

“Fire particle beam!” commanded Madelyn, sensing a weakness in this particular Borzon ship’s protective shield. It was flickering and, in some areas, seemed to have faded away completely. While the Borzon ships were quite powerful, the Federation ships had superior weapons and energy shields.

Instantly a bright blue beam flashed from the WarHawk and easily pierced the Borzon ship’s energy screen, impacting the ship’s hull and causing a tremendous explosion of released energy. A massive section of the hull broke loose and floated away from the ship. Internal explosions could be seen blowing out other sections of hull material. The Borzon ship seemed to falter, and then its energy screen flickered and collapsed. A fifty-megaton Devastator Three missile finished off the ship in a fiery burst of consuming nuclear fire. A few moments later, all that was left of the enemy cruiser was a scattering debris field and some glowing gases.

“Borzon cruiser is down,” confirmed Lieutenant Brent Davis from his Main Sensor console.

“Battleships Ajax and Constitution are heavily engaged with three Borzon cruisers,” reported Commander Arnett as she studied one of the holographic tactical displays. “They’re taking some damage.”

Tolsen nodded as he thumbed his minicomm to Fleet-wide setting. “Strikecruisers Vendetta and Longhorn move to coordinates 17° down by 22° starboard of central axis and assist the Ajax and the Constitution.” Race wasn’t that concerned about the two battleships; he just wanted to hold their damage to a minimum.

-

The pair of strikecruisers quickly accelerated and headed toward the two battleships’ positions. Upon arriving, they found the Ajax and Constitution involved in a missile duel with three Borzon cruisers. Antimatter missiles and powerful nuclear missiles were exploding against energy shields. Suddenly the screen on one of the Borzon ships failed, and twin antimatter suns formed where the ship had been. The two remaining Borzon cruisers shifted their attack, focusing on the Ajax. The battleship’s energy screen lit up in a cascade of raw defensive power as over a dozen twenty-megaton nuclear missiles detonated against it.

From the two strikecruisers, multiple sublight antimatter missiles flashed away from their missile tubes impacting the Borzon energy shields. For a brief moment, it seemed as if two new stars had been born. When the glare died away, the two Borzon cruisers were gone. Several fiery filaments were all that was left to mark their passing.

-

Admiral Tolsen nodded his head in satisfaction at the destruction of three more Borzon cruisers. So far the battle was going just as he had expected. There was no doubt in his mind that the Borzon Empire was testing the Federation’s will to defend former Hocklyn space.

“Light cruiser Baltic is under heavy attack,” reported Lieutenant Denise Travers from Communications. “They report their shields are down to 20 percent and still dropping.”

“How the hell did a Borzon cruiser slip past us and get to our rear echelon?” demanded Tolsen, his face showing concern. Third Fleet’s ten light cruisers were protecting the fleet’s four large battlecarriers, and they weren’t built to take on an enemy cruiser.

“They microjumped,” reported Lieutenant Davis in explanation.

“Saratoga is launching two squadrons of Anlon bombers toward the enemy cruiser,” reported Commander Arnett, the tactical screen showing twenty small green icons flash away from the carrier and accelerate toward the Borzon ship.

“Will they get there in time?” asked Race, his eyes focusing intently on the indicated tactical display. He knew the light cruiser wouldn’t last long against the more powerful Borzon ship.

“No,” replied Lieutenant Davis, as a viewscreen lit up with a brilliant light. “Light cruiser Baltic is down. Anlon bombers are making their attack runs.”

Race watched the tactical display grimly as six of the small green bomber icons vanished, then the icon representing the enemy cruiser seemed to swell up, and afterward it also disappeared.

“The Borzon cruiser is down,” spoke Lieutenant Davis, satisfied that the Baltic had been avenged.

Race let out a deep sigh of regret at the loss of the light cruiser, and the six Anlon bombers and their crews; this was war, and people died, sometimes very suddenly. He turned his attention back to the battle, ordering his ships to press the attack and drive back the remaining Borzon ships.

-

In space the Federation ships’ bright blue particle beams, violet-colored power beams, and the orange-red flash of pulse lasers lit up the darkness. In response the Borzon returned fire with powerful white energy beams and their own orange-red pulse lasers. Both sides were using their deadly sublight missiles in an effort to knock down energy screens and destroy the ships they were fighting. The only difference being, while the Borzon’s sublight missiles were armed with twenty-megaton nuclear warheads, the Federation’s were armed with one-hundred-megaton antimatter warheads.

When multiple Federation antimatter missiles struck a Borzon cruiser’s shield, invariably the shield either weakened substantially or collapsed. In most cases, bright blue particle beams would then finish the destruction, blasting massive holes inside the enemy ship, until it exploded. A Borzon cruiser could only stand a few hits from the deadly missiles. The cruisers, while dangerous to smaller ships, were finding it difficult to even damage the more powerful Federation ships, particularly the battleships and battlecruisers.

-

“The Humans grow more powerful in every engagement,” rasped Fleet Commander Tilett—a male Borzon standing well over two meters tall with wide multifaceted eyes upon a strangely shaped head. A pair of long, narrow wings was on his back, and his body was covered with fine, stiff short hair. Tilett stood on two legs that were bent strangely and had four slender double-jointed arms capable of grasping and operating the ship’s control consoles.

“Perhaps we have tried to extend the empire too far into former Hocklyn space,” suggested High Nest Leader Trill. “It seems the Humans have laid claim to a large portion of the Hocklyns’ former territory.”

“The Humans have restricted the surviving Hocklyns to their home worlds and a small area of space surrounding them,” Fleet Commander Tilett responded, as he watched several more of his battlecruisers being torn apart by Human antimatter missiles. The empire’s losses were inconsequential as the Borzon had many more cruisers. This raid had been to test the Humans’ determination to retain the space previously held by the Hocklyns.

“Don’t forget about High Leader Nartel,” High Nest Leader Trill spoke, his multifaceted eyes focusing on the fleet commander. “The Hocklyns with him still possess a powerful fleet and control twenty other worlds near the border of our empire.”

“The Hocklyns, along with High Leader Nartel, will not have the numbers to be a threat to anyone for centuries,” answered Fleet Commander Tilett dismissively. “Our high queen has signed a treaty with the Hocklyn’s High Leader Nartel, guaranteeing the Borzon Empire will not attack them, as long as they don’t venture into our space. In addition, the Humans have not been active in that region of space, and we have expanded our empire to completely surround the new Hocklyn system and the twenty worlds they control. Any hope they have of future expansion has been removed.”

“Then they are neutralized from ever becoming a threat,” replied High Nest Leader Trill, as the flagship shook from multiple energy weapons striking its defensive screen.

“Yes,” answered Fleet Commander Tilett, watching one of his cruisers destroy another of the Human’s lighter units. “It is time for us to withdraw. We’ve learned what we needed to. We’ll take over the outer regions of the former Hocklyn Empire, but the central regions are now under Human control.”

“I will pass on the order to enter hyperspace,” responded the High Nest Leader.

“We will make our report to the high queen,” stated Fleet Commander Tilett, partially spreading his wings. “She will be satisfied with what we’ve learned today.” Tilett was anxious to return home; it was time for him to mate with his own queen and add his genes to the Borzon race. His many offspring would continue to grow the Borzon Empire.

-

“Light cruiser Dante is down,” reported Lieutenant Davis in a neutral voice. That was the second light cruiser and its crew they’d lost, though several of the heavier ships were reporting some damage. There would be casualties on those vessels as well.

“The Borzon are withdrawing,” spoke Commander Arnett, pointing toward one of the tactical displays, as the enemy ships vanished into hyperspace.

“Let them go,” responded Admiral Tolsen, nodding his head. “We’ve shown them that certain areas of the former Hocklyn Empire are off-limits to them.”

A few moments later, the last Borzon cruiser vanished into a swirling white spatial vortex, leaving the Federation fleet alone in the small star system.

“Remaining ships report able to enter hyperspace,” spoke Lieutenant Travers from Communications. “Several have mentioned that they’ll need some yard time to repair damages.”

“Very well,” answered Admiral Tolsen. “Commander Arnett, have the fleet set course for Careth. The Bears’ shipyards can easily repair our battle damage.”

“Do you think the Borzon will come back?” asked Colonel Brice Cowel, the executive officer. He had been at the Tactical console, helping to coordinate the firing of the ship’s weapons.

“Not for a while,” Tolsen answered, his face covered in a frown. “They know we won’t allow them to enter the central regions of the former Hocklyn Empire, but we don’t have enough ships to adequately guard the periphery.”

“Then we allow the Borzon to take over all the inhabited worlds near their empire?” asked Colonel Cowel, knowing they were talking about hundreds of inhabited planets. Many were just beginning to recover from their years or even centuries of Hocklyn rule.

“No,” responded Tolsen, shaking his head. “Several fleets will be assigned to patrol the regions next to Borzon space. We’re hoping we can slow down or even discourage Borzon encroachment, but, for some areas, that may already be too late.”

Race turned his attention to the primary viewscreen as a blue-white spatial vortex opened up in front of the WarHawk. Moments later the Helm officer flew the powerful battleship into the vortex, and the ship made the transition into hyperspace.

Still looking at the viewscreen, Race could see the swirling deep purple colors, which designated this strange realm that allowed spacecraft to travel many multiples of the speed of light. With a sigh he turned the Command Center over to Commander Arnett, then Race headed toward his quarters. He wanted to get some rest and think about what was still ahead of them. Taking a turbolift, he reached his quarters in a few minutes, and, after going inside, he sat down on the comfortable couch.

On the far wall of his room was a picture of a blazing white light surrounding a Federation warship. It was the Avenger, which had been missing for over four years. The entire Fourth Fleet and the Carethian Fleet had been swallowed up by the raging nightmare at the galactic center. What had happened there had shaken to their core the New Human Federation of Worlds and their allies.

To this day, there was much supposition about what had happened to Admiral Strong and his ships. Many people believed Strong and his fleets had been destroyed outright in the violent energy surges at the heart of that blazing sphere of light. Others firmly believed Admiral Strong and his ships had been transported to another galaxy, and the blazing sphere of light was a distorted spatial vortex—a vortex created when Admiral Strong had used the Avenger in a daring suicidal attempt to destroy the Hypertranslation Station of the dreaded AIs.

There were unconfirmed rumors that the last two survivors of the Special Five were working with the Altons on a rescue mission. No one could verify if this was true or just a wild hope that something was being done. Many felt, even if the swirling white light had been a spatial vortex, that Admiral Strong and his fleets had been transported so far away that there was no conceivable hope of rescue.

Race let out a deep breath, leaned back, and closed his eyes. So many good people had been lost at the battle in the galactic center. Everyone who had been there knew Admiral Strong had saved the Federation by his brave act. All the Federation fleets would have been destroyed by the AIs, but, instead, by destroying the AIs’ Hypertranslation Station, Admiral Strong had paralyzed their enemy, allowing the Federation to be victorious. Every child was now taught that Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth had saved the Human race from the Hocklyns, but Admiral Jeremy Strong had saved everyone from the AIs.

-

Admiral Kalen was busy in his office on his flagship, the battleship Ceres, as he read the latest dispatches from Allied fleets and diplomats scattered across the former Hocklyn Empire. The most interesting was from Senator Jalen Arden, who was currently at New Providence in the Old Human Federation of Worlds. As had been expected, new and thriving colonies were now well established on all the former Federation worlds, which had been devastated by the Hocklyn and AI attacks. She was reporting the completion of the final planetary defense grid over New Eden in the Cantos System and the quota of immigrants from the New Human Federation of Worlds that would be allowed to settle there. He looked up when Colonel Ackerman joined him.

“New Providence has come a long way,” commented the colonel, who had transferred to the Ceres after the defeat of the Hocklyn Slave Empire. “Many of the fleet personnel who were in cryosleep for so many years have retired there.”

“Yes,” Kalen responded with a relaxed smile. “I recently received a message from former Fleet Admiral Streth with an invitation to come to Maken to visit him and Janice if I’m ever in the area. I know it meant a lot to them to return home.”

“How does he like retirement?”

“He loves it,” Kalen responded with a sigh, wishing he could do the same. “Hedon says he spends his days fishing and taking long hikes around his private lake. In the evening, they sit outside on the porch, watching the sunset.”

“How’s Admiral Sheen doing on Aquaria?”

“She and Richard are having a child,” Kalen said, grinning. “Amanda always wanted children, but she wanted the Hocklyn and AI threat to be over with first. In four more months, a new member will be added to their family.”

“That’s great!” spoke Ackerman, nodding his head approvingly. “So many things have changed since the end of the war.”

“There are still the Borzon and the other two Slaver Races,” replied Kalen in a more serious tone. “Admiral Tolsen just battled with a small Borzon fleet deep in former Hocklyn territory. He sent them packing with only minimal losses to his own fleet.”

“We’ve had a number of minor skirmishes with them over the last two years,” commented Ackerman with a frown. “It’s evident they want to expand their empire into former Hocklyn space.”

“We can’t defend all of it,” Kalen said with a heavy sigh, as he leaned back in his office chair. “We just don’t have the ships to cover such a large area. We’ve set up a safe corridor four thousand light years across that extends from the Alliance all the way to the Hocklyn home worlds. The Old Human Federation of Worlds plus Careth are included in the safe area.”

“Plus several thousand inhabited planets, which were formerly Hocklyn slave worlds,” added Ackerman, thinking about the massive task the Alliance had taken on, bringing those worlds out of slavery.

“Fortunately the Altons are heavily involved in rehabilitating the people and reconstructing these former slave worlds,” Kalen said, recalling what he had been told at his last briefing with Fleet Admiral Nagumo. “They have hundreds of ships with thousands of crewmembers working with these planets, and, in a few years, some of them will be ready to join the Alliance.”

“We’ll need them,” Ackerman said, folding his arms across his chest and gazing across the large desk at Admiral Kalen. “Sometime in the future we’ll have to take on the Borzon and other Slaver Races. We can’t allow tens of thousands of inhabited worlds to be enslaved and to live in the conditions their conquerors demand. We’ll need their help in freeing them.”

“Someday,” Kalen acknowledged with a nod. “But right now I need to visit Ceres for a meeting with Governor Barnes. It seems a Carethian delegation of Bears has arrived, and they’re demanding an immediate audience with the governor.”

“The Fourth Fleet and the Carethian Fleet,” speculated Ackerman, his eyes growing a bit wider. “They’ll want to know what we’re doing about the missing fleets.”

“I know,” Kalen replied with some anguish in his voice. “Governor Barnes’s daughter has been just as demanding.” Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes had been at the galactic center battle and had witnessed what had happened to the missing fleets.

“Do you think they survived?”

“That’s the big question,” Kalen answered, his eyes taking on a haunted look. “I’ve seen the videos of the battle and what happened. Most of the people in the Federation have watched them. It was terrifying and magnificent. The Avenger flying into certain death, destroying the Hypertranslation Station, and then vanishing along with part of the Fourth Fleet into the swirling white vortex. Then Grayseth leading his Carethian ships into the vortex with Admiral Susan Marks following close behind.”

“And they were never heard from again,” said Ackerman in a subdued voice.

“There were hundreds of AI ships drawn into the vortex as well,” Kalen added with a heavy sigh. “Even if Admiral Strong and the Fourth Fleet did survive, they would have had a huge battle on their hands on the other side.”

“Do you think we’ll ever know?” Ackerman asked, his eyes focusing on the admiral.

“I don’t know,” Kalen replied, as he stood up. “To the Carethians, Admiral Strong and the rest of the Special Five are heroes who saved their world. Those crazy Bears are willing to commit their entire fleet to a rescue effort, if we can just tell them where to go—and, of course, that’s the problem. We have no idea what happened to the Fourth Fleet or even if it survived.”

-

Governor Barnes drew in a deep breath, as the door to his office opened, and four Carethians entered. The four Bears towered over the two Humans in the room, and their massive bodies gave off an aura of strength and fortitude.

Standing up, the governor indicated for the four to sit down in the large chairs provided. “I welcome our allies from Careth.”

“I am Santell,” spoke the largest Carethian, as he sat down. His fur was a deep dark brown, and his eyes gazed intently at Governor Barnes and Admiral Kalen. “We have come to speak of a matter of grave importance to my race and our honor.”

“It’s about Admiral Strong and Grayseth,” spoke Governor Barnes knowingly, sitting back down in his chair. He had been governor for two years since former Governor Malleck had decided to retire and not run for reelection.

“Yes,” answered Santell, nodding his large head and blinking his eyes. “I am of Grayseth’s clan, and Admiral Jeremy Strong is an honorary clan brother. For four long years, he and Grayseth have been missing. Our people yearn to know the fate of our missing brothers.”

“We all would like to know,” answered Governor Barnes with a deep sigh. “My own daughter was at the great battle at the galactic center and scarcely a day passes where she does not send me an inquiry asking the same thing.”

“We have tried to ask the Altons, but they refuse to give us an audience,” Santell added. “I believe our physical form frightens them.”

Governor Barnes nodded and smiled. “Highly probable,” he replied. “Most of the Altons are a very pacifist people and are only interested in research, while the more daring are involved in exploration. Only a few fought in the war, and, even now, most of their warship crews are augmented by Humans trained to operate their ships.”

“I believe only the great science of the Altons can discover what happened to my clan brothers,” Santell continued. “We would like for you to arrange a meeting between my people and theirs to see what can be done. We are willing to equip and send ships to the nearer galaxies in search of the missing fleets. We are aware such a journey will take years and be extremely dangerous, but we must know what happened. Our honor demands it.”

“There are many who believe the ships, which entered the white vortex, were destroyed by the rampant energy released when the Hypertranslation Station was destroyed,” Admiral Kalen pointed out. “There may be nothing to find.”

“We recognize that possibility,” conceded Santell. “But no wreckage from any of the ships that entered the vortex has ever been discovered. We've taken our pleas to the New Human Federation of Worlds, but they seem convinced a search for the lost fleets is a pointless waste of resources.”

“I can understand their perspective,” Admiral Kalen replied. “The New Human Federation of Worlds and the Alliance have a huge job on their hands, exploring the former Hocklyn Slave Empire and keeping all those worlds safe. The Borzon are still out there, as well as the other Slaver Races.”

“We understand,” Santell replied with a nod. “We respect their great concern for those worlds that suffered under the rule of the evil ones.”

Governor Barnes was silent as he contemplated what needed to be done. There was a secret project that Ceres was working on with the Altons. It had been kept a secret as they didn’t want to give out false hope. After a moment, he reached a decision. “The Special Five have always been very important to the people of Ceres,” he began, pressing a button on his desk, activating a large viewscreen on the wall behind him. “As you know, Kelsey Grainger Strong and Katie Johnson Walters were not with the Fourth Fleet when it entered the vortex. They were aboard the StarStrike with Fleet Admiral Streth.”

“We were relieved to hear they survived,” Santell replied. “We had hoped they would return to live upon our world.”

“They couldn’t,” Governor Barnes said, as he manipulated a small computer console on his desk. “They were working on this.” He turned around and pointed at the viewscreen behind him.

On the viewscreen was a massive starship, the largest any of them in the room had ever seen. A substantial globe on the bow easily identified the ship as being of Alton design.

“What’s that?” uttered Admiral Kalen, as he looked at the huge ship on the screen. Just from seeing the obvious weapons systems, he knew he was looking at something special and fantastic. He was not aware of such a ship being built.

“That is the exploration dreadnought Distant Horizon,” Governor Barnes answered with a wicked smile. “It’s the most powerful warship ever built by the Altons or the Federation. The ship is 2,600 meters in length with a crew of over five thousand. The government of Ceres provided the resources and credits to cover the expenses for building this ship.”

“How was this built with no one knowing?” asked Kalen, glancing over at the governor. “What’s it for?” To build a ship of such size would have been a massive undertaking and extremely expensive.

“It was built at the Altons’ main shipyard under the direction of both Human and Alton scientists,” Governor Barnes explained. “It was constructed for one purpose and one purpose only—to find out what happened to the lost fleets once and for all.”

“How?” asked Admiral Kalen, confused. “We don’t know where the fleets went.”

“That ship is capable of finding out,” Governor Barnes answered with a pleased glint in his eyes. “There will be a large contingent of Alton scientists and technicians aboard, and some very special sensor equipment. It’s capable of generating a spatial vortex that can reach another galaxy, once they know their destination.”

“I would like to go on the ship,” Santell spoke, his eyes focused intently on the massive starship. “I will go in search of my clan brothers.”

“I’m sure we can arrange for a few of your people to be added to the crew,” replied Governor Barnes. He was not surprised by the Bear’s request.

“This is what Kelsey and Katie have been working on for the last four years,” stated Admiral Kalen, realizing now why the two girls had seemingly vanished after the ceremony honoring the fallen at the Fleet Academy.

“Yes,” answered Governor Barnes with a nod of his head. “They also had the help of Clarissa.”

“I’m surprised the Altons allowed Clarissa to be involved, since she’s an AI,” Admiral Kalen said, his eyes widening.

“Katie can be quite convincing when she wants to be,” replied Governor Barnes, recalling how Katie had convinced Ambassador Tureen to allow the AI to enter Alton space.

“Who will command the ship?” asked Admiral Kalen, as he thought about the officers who might be qualified for such a command.

“That decision’s already been made,” Governor Barnes said with a concerned look spreading across his face. “The commander of the Distant Horizon will be my daughter, Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes.”

Chapter Two

Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes took a deep breath as she gazed out the viewport of the shuttle taking her to her new command. She still couldn’t get over the stupendous size of the ship sitting here in open space. The Distant Horizon was 2,600 meters in length with much of it shaped like a giant cylinder. The cylindrical section was 400 meters in diameter. The forward section was a globe 600 meters across with the Command Center buried deep within to provide maximum protection. The tail of the ship flared out to 500 meters where Main Engineering plus the ship’s powerful sublight drive and hyperdrive were located.

“She’s a beauty,” commented Major Winslow, sitting across the shuttle aisle from Rear Admiral Barnes. He was in charge of the ship’s Marine contingent and had just returned from the Alton shipyard where he had been procuring some advanced weapons for his Special Forces unit. The weapons were in the small cargo hold on board the shuttle.

“A dreadnought,” spoke Kathryn softly, her eyes focused on the massive ship. Everyone in the fleet would want one of these. There was only one, and it was hers! She still found it hard to believe that she had been given command of such a ship.

“I heard some of the Altons on board talking the other day, and they claim the ship has twice the firepower of a battleship and far superior shields,” the major said. “This is the most advanced ship they’ve ever built.”

“It would have to be for the Altons to be willing to send so many of their people on this expedition,” replied Kathryn, turning toward the major. Major Winslow looked to be in his mid-thirties, of average height, with a well-muscled frame.

“I understand the entire crew is now aboard and waiting for your orders,” continued the major. “Everyone will be excited to finally get underway.”

“We’re going on a shakedown cruise first,” Kathryn informed the major. “We’re putting this new ship and crew through every stress I can think of. With all the advanced technology that’s been installed, I want to ensure it doesn’t fail us in a critical situation.”

Major Winslow nodded; he knew that was a wise decision. Where the Distant Horizon was going, there would be no repair facilities or help, if it were needed. If the ship succeeded in transiting to another galaxy, they would be effectively cutting themselves off from the rest of the Human race.

The shuttle entered the exploration ship’s main flight bay and set down with scarcely a jar. The hatch slid open, and Major Winslow and Rear Admiral Barnes stood up and walked to the opening. Stepping on the ramp, both were surprised to see a large portion of the ship’s crew lined up.

“Admiral arriving!” called out Colonel Petra Leon, formerly of the battleship WarStorm.

Instantly almost one thousand crewmembers snapped to attention. Two full companies of Marines formed an honor guard directly in front of the shuttle.

Kathryn paused and took a deep breath as she gazed at the assembled fleet personnel. She was just now realizing how massive her new command was. The gathered crew was only about a fifth of those on board. All these lives had been entrusted into her hands. It was an awesome responsibility.

Kathryn returned the salute and walked down the ramp, followed by Major Winslow. Reaching the bottom, she stopped in front of Colonel Leon.

“Welcome aboard, Admiral,” Petra said with a pleasant smile. She was looking forward to serving under the admiral. “Commander Grissim is in the Command Center awaiting your orders.”

“Lead the way,” Kathryn said, nodding her head. She had studied the schematics of the Distant Horizon and knew it would take her a while to find her way unaided around the ship.

“It’s a big ship, isn’t it?” a young blond-headed woman asked.

Kathryn turned and noticed the young woman was not wearing any rank insignia upon her dark blue fleet uniform. She was ravishingly beautiful and had that youthful allure of innocence about her.

“Clarissa,” guessed Kathryn, realizing she was facing the AI.

“The one and only,” Clarissa replied with a smile. “Will you help us find Ariel and the others?” The look on the AI’s face turned to one of hope.

“We’re going to try,” answered Kathryn. “Now let’s go to the Command Center and get this show on the road.”

Clarissa instantly vanished, startling the admiral.

“You’ll get used to that,” said Colonel Leon, shaking her head. “The AI is brilliant, but she sometimes acts as if this is her personal ship. There are holographic projectors throughout the ship so she can appear where needed.”

Kathryn nodded. She had heard a lot about the two AIs, Ariel and Clarissa, over the years, and it had been interesting to finally meet the remaining one, since Ariel was with the lost fleets. She knew Clarissa would play a huge role in the success of this mission, and Kathryn intended to get to know the intriguing AI much better in the near future.

As the two female officers left the flight bay, Kathryn couldn’t help but notice how clean and spotless everything was. She knew the ship had two flight bays, which contained sixty Talon fighters and forty Anlon bombers. The ship also had sixty small ten-meter defense globes—which could be deployed to protect the ship, if needed. The globes were equipped with a small sublight drive and an experimental ion cannon, supposedly able to knock holes in an energy shield. Its fusion power plant could also be overloaded to generate a ten-megaton explosion.

“Is the crew ready for this mission?” asked Kathryn, glancing over at Colonel Leon.

“Yes,” Petra replied. “We’re all volunteers and dedicated to bringing the Fourth Fleet back home.”

“If they’re still alive,” mentioned Kathryn.

“Don’t say that around Kelsey or Katie,” cautioned Petra, her eyes narrowing. “They’re both positive their husbands are trapped in another galaxy, awaiting rescue.”

“Let’s just hope they are,” Kathryn responded.

-

Kelsey was standing next to Katie, both girls watching as Mikow Lall, the Alton computer specialist, ran another diagnostic on the ship’s mainframe computer. The tall, slender white-haired Alton woman was very efficient at her job.

Kelsey smiled as she noted Katie’s light green eyes studying everything Mikow was doing. The Altons’ computer technology was far more advanced than the Federation’s, with the exception of Clarissa; but she didn’t really count, since she was AI. For the last four years, Katie had taken a crash course in that advanced technology, learning everything she possibly could. Kelsey was proud of her.

“I understand Rear Admiral Barnes has arrived on board,” spoke Katie.

“Yes, about ten minutes ago,” replied Kelsey, with a deep sigh.

The last four years had been hard on both her and Katie. They’d watched from the StarStrike as the Avenger, then the Fourth Fleet and, shortly after that, also Grayseth’s fleet had vanished into the swirling white monstrosity created when the Hypertranslation Station had been destroyed. Their husbands and most of their trusted friends had gone into the white light, never to be heard from again.

Kelsey was firmly convinced that Rear Admiral Susan Marks wouldn’t have put the rest of the Fourth Fleet in peril, if she hadn’t detected something. Rear Admiral Marks had been the closest to the vortex, which had swallowed the Avenger and Jeremy’s portion of the Fourth Fleet. Kelsey was certain that Marks or Grayseth must have realized the Avenger and the other missing Fourth Fleet ships had been sent somewhere. Also in Grayseth’s fleet had been four Alton science cruisers. There was a remote chance that the Altons had informed Grayseth and Rear Admiral Marks that the spatial vortex was safe to transit, though there were no records of any such transmission. However, the EMP blast had made long-range communications difficult for a few minutes immediately after the Hypertranslation Station had been destroyed. The messages could have been lost in the EMP and the fluctuating energy bursts from the vortex. Kelsey was also convinced that Ariel would have done everything in her power to keep the Avenger safe.

“We’re finally going,” Katie said, her eyes glistening.

Kelsey and Katie had put in many sleepless nights working on this ship and ensuring it had everything necessary for this voyage. Ambassador Tureen and Governor Barnes had also been instrumental in getting the Distant Horizon built. This ship represented their final hope for finding their missing husbands and the lost fleets.

“She’s arrived,” quipped Clarissa, as she popped into existence next to the two girls. “We’re finally going to rescue Ariel and the rest.”

Neither of the girls was startled, as they were used to the AI’s antics.

“It will be a while yet,” predicted Kelsey, taking a deep breath. “The admiral will want to take the ship on a thorough shakedown cruise, before we set out for the galactic center.”

“I miss Ariel,” continued Clarissa in a more subdued voice. “It’s like a part of me is gone.”

Kelsey nodded, recognizing just how the AI felt.

“We know,” replied Katie. “Kelsey and I feel the same way about Jeremy and Kevin.”

“I spoke to Brace yesterday,” Kelsey added. “He’s excited to finally be getting under way.” Marine Captain Brace Caulder was Angela DeSota’s fiancé. Angela was the fifth member of the Special Five.

“Ariel will have kept them all safe,” Clarissa said, confidently. “She’s just waiting for us to come and rescue them.”

The main hatch to the Command Center swung open. All three girls turned to watch Colonel Leon and Rear Admiral Barnes step inside.

-

Kathryn’s first view of the Command Center caused her to stare in amazement. The entire front wall was one massive Alton viewscreen, which revealed the space environment directly in front of the Distant Horizon. The main difference between a Federation viewscreen and an Alton viewscreen was the latter made it feel as if you could step right into space. The view was breathtaking and held Kathryn’s attention for several long seconds. Three workstations sat directly in front of the screen. The Navigation, Helm, and Hyperspace consoles were all manned by highly experienced fleet officers.

“Admiral on deck!” called out Major Weir from Tactical, who saw Kathryn enter the Command Center.

Kathryn knew of his background. Major Weir had been the Tactical officer on the StarStrike and hadn’t hesitated to volunteer for this mission. Former Fleet Admiral Streth would have approved of his decision.

Instantly everyone snapped to attention, standing up and turning to face the admiral.

“As you were,” Kathryn said with a slight nod of acknowledgment.

“Let the records show that, as of this date, Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes formally takes over command of the Distant Horizon,” spoke Commander Anne Grissim. Gesturing toward one of the two chairs on the command dais, she continued. “Admiral, the ship is yours.”

“Thank you, Commander,” responded Kathryn. “Let the records show, as of this date, I accept command of the Distant Horizon.”

Kathryn walked over to stand next to Commander Grissim. “This is a big ship!”

“Yes, it is,” replied Anne, with a pleased smile. “It has to be for where we’re going.”

Looking around the Command Center, Kathryn saw that consoles for Communications and Main Sensors were just to her right. Damage Control and the Main Computer station were to her left. In front of the command dais and slightly to each side were two large tactical holographic displays.

The biggest station was Tactical, which was directly behind the command dais on an upraised platform. It was manned by eight officers, who controlled the ship’s weapons and the Distant Horizon’s powerful energy shield. Other stations were located on a second level, which ran alongside and directly above the Tactical station.

“Stand by to get underway,” ordered Kathryn, satisfied that everything was in order. “Set a course out of the system and stand by to activate the subspace drive at one-third power.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Commander Grissim responded, as she quickly passed on the orders to the necessary departments. The ship had already been taken out on test voyages by a skeleton crew and had performed admirably.

Kathryn then stepped over to where Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa were standing. She looked at the three for a moment before speaking. “Kelsey and Katie, effective immediately, you are once more Federation fleet officers with the rank of lieutenant.”

Kelsey and Katie nodded.

Kathryn knew they had resigned their commissions immediately after the memorial ceremony at the Fleet Academy. She had later found out that they’d gone to Ceres and, with the backing of then Governor Malleck and Ambassador Tureen, had proceeded to the Alton home world to drum up support for a rescue mission for the missing fleets. The Distant Horizon was the result of their efforts.

“Ready to get underway, Admiral,” Commander Grissim reported. “Alton Space Authority has given its approval for our departure. We may enter hyperspace once we have cleared one hundred million kilometers from the planet.” The ship was currently ten million kilometers from the massive Alton shipyard that had constructed the exploration dreadnought.

Clarissa quickly scanned the ship’s many intricate systems and reported, “All systems are functioning normally.”

She was thrilled to control such a massive and powerful ship. Thanks to Alton technology the ship almost seemed alive when she accessed its systems.

Kathryn nodded, then returned to the command dais, and sat down. “Engage the sublight drive, and let’s begin our trials.”

The Helm officer ran his fingers over the touch screen on his console, and the ship quickly accelerated and began putting more distance between it and the massive shipyard in orbit around the Altons’ home world. On one of the many periphery viewscreens, the station could be seen rapidly growing smaller.

Kathryn allowed her gaze to roam across the different duty stations, noting with satisfaction that everyone seemed to be doing their jobs properly. All personnel in this crew had volunteered for this mission. A number had come from fleet flagships such as the StarStrike and the WarStorm. It was a well-experienced crew, who just needed to get used to working with one another.

“Main Sensors,” spoke Kathryn, glancing over at Captain Reynolds, formerly of the battleship StarStrike. “Put up the system on the tactical display to my right.”

Instantly the large tactical display lit up with various icons. Kathryn had thought that the New Tellus and the Sol Systems were heavily fortified, but nothing had prepared her for this. The Altons’ home planet was surrounded by hundreds of Indomitable Class battlestations; there were also six large shipyards in orbit.

“They had centuries to prepare for the AIs,” explained Commander Grissim, pointing at the viewscreen. “Every one of their inhabited planets sits inside a ring of those battlestations, and they’re all automated with only minimal crews.”

There were also hundreds of friendly green icons, representing Alton ships of various types, everything from powerful warships to cargo ships traveling from world to world. The Altons had a thriving interstellar civilization and unmatched technology. Kathryn was just glad they were on the Federation’s side.

The Distant Horizon continued to accelerate and soon passed the one-hundred-million-kilometer mark. There were no reported problems, and the ship was ready to make the transit into hyperspace.

“Prepare to jump,” ordered Kathryn. “Set a course for New Tellus. We’ll spend two weeks testing this ship before traveling to the Sol System.”

“Course set,” replied the Navigation officer.

“Initiate jump,” spoke Kathryn, looking at Commander Grissim.

“Jump!” Grissim ordered.

On the massive viewscreen, a swirling blue-white spatial vortex came into being. The Helm officer expertly maneuvered the exploration dreadnought into its center, and the ship made the transition into hyperspace.

Kathryn felt a momentary twinge in her stomach, and then the deep purple colors of hyperspace appeared on the main viewscreen. Seen from this perspective in an Alton-built ship, the view was almost frightening. She would have to get used to it or order the screen shut off. For now she decided to leave it on. She settled back in her command chair, pleased with the ship. In another few weeks, they would set out for the galactic center and maybe finally learn what happened to the missing fleets.

-

Kelsey and Katie were in the officers’ mess, eating lunch and discussing the upcoming mission. Clarissa had joined them and was sitting next to Katie.

“We reach Earth tomorrow,” Clarissa informed them.

For the last two weeks, the Distant Horizon had been jumping around the New Human Federation of Worlds in mock attacks and practicing numerous battle drills. The crew never knew when Rear Admiral Barnes would set off the Condition One alarms, and many had resorted to sleeping in their uniforms to be prepared.

“I want to visit the Fleet Academy,” Katie said in a soft voice. “I would like to see the monument.”

“Are you sure, Katie?” asked Kelsey.

They’d never visited the monument after the memorial ceremony; it would have been too painful.

This monument was the one that overlooked the Fleet Academy. Originally it had been built to honor Katie’s father and Jeremy’s dad. The two had been instrumental in forming the New Human Federation of Worlds so many years ago. After the battle at the galactic center, it had been modified to honor all the dead from the Great War. It was the most widely visited monument in the Federation.

“Yes,” answered Katie, nodding her head. “I need to before we leave.”

Katie looked down at her plate. She was having a Caesar salad, while Kelsey was eating baked salmon. She missed watching Kevin eat his daily allotment of hamburgers and fries, while the rest of them cracked jokes about his food choices. If she were ever lucky enough to watch Kevin eat a hamburger again, she wouldn’t complain. She suspected none of them would.

“I can’t visit the monument,” Clarissa said regretfully. “I have seen pictures and videos of it. It’s very awe inspiring.”

“Memorial Sunday is an official day of mourning for the entire Federation,” Kelsey said with sadness in her eyes. “The monument is now dedicated to everyone who died in the war.”

Clarissa nodded her head.

Katie knew even the AI understood how devastating the great battle had been. So many people had been killed at the galactic center; even Fleet Admiral Karla Johnson had met her fate there, along with so many others. Karla had been Katie’s distant relative. Seventy percent of the Federation fleets had been destroyed, and it had taken several years for the Federation to recover from the loss of so many valuable ships and personnel.

“If we can find and bring back the Fourth Fleet, along with Grayseth’s fleet, it would mean a lot to so many Federation and Carethian families who had loved ones in those fleets,” Katie said, laying down her fork, no longer hungry.

“If we can locate where they went and take the Distant Horizon to where they are,” added Kelsey, her deep blue eyes looking across the table at Katie and Clarissa, “I just hope they’re still okay.”

“They’ll be excited to see us,” Clarissa predicted. “I have so much to tell Ariel! And I must transmit to her the special file I created of everything I have done since my friend was lost.”

“We’ll all have a lot to talk about,” said Katie, picking up her fork and taking another bite of her salad.

She didn’t want to say it aloud, but she was deeply concerned about Jeremy, Kevin, and Angela, three of the Special Five who remained lost. After all, it had been over four years since the battle at the galactic center, and so much could have happened to the fleets during that time.

-

The next day, the Distant Horizon was in orbit above Earth’s moon. The entire crew was given forty-eight-hours’ leave before their planned trip to the galactic center.

“The shipyard above the Moon seems to be getting larger every time I see it,” commented Commander Anne Grissim from where she was standing in front of the large viewscreen in the Command Center. The shipyard seemed to fill the screen with its magnified view.

“It was the first shipyard built, if we don’t count those inside Ceres,” responded Kathryn, coming to stand next to Anne. Only a small crew remained in the Command Center, as most were being shuttled down to either the Moon or Earth for leave. A few had taken shuttles to the asteroid Ceres where their families lived.

“The New Horizon mission left here on Earth’s first interstellar journey,” spoke Commander Grissim, recalling her history. “That was a long time ago.”

“You do realize Katie and Kelsey were on that mission, don’t you?” asked Kathryn, looking inquisitively over at Anne. The two girls as well as the other three members of the Special Five had spent years in cryosleep after the disastrous mission.

“I tend to forget sometimes,” the commander answered, folding her arms across her chest. “All of the Special Five were on that mission.”

“They’re part of our history,” Kathryn responded. “Admiral Telleck used to tell me just how important they were to the morale of the Federation and what they represented. He summed it up for me one day in one simple word. Hope. It took me a while to fully understand just what he meant.”

-

Katie and Kelsey had walked up the long row of steps which led to the ridgetop and the large granite memorial obelisk overlooking the Fleet Academy. The obelisk towered nearly ten meters above them. Its face depicted two men, Admiral Jason Strong and Greg Johnson.

A short inscription read From this site, men from the planet Earth first gazed upon the Avenger. This discovery sent the Human race to the stars. A set of wide stairs had been cut into the slope to give easier access to the obelisk. Every student at the academy was required to make the trip here at least once each semester. It was part of their history.

Below the inscription, the names of Admiral Jeremy Strong, Lieutenant Kevin Walters, and Lieutenant Angela DeSota had been added. Next to it, on each side, two additional massive black memorial walls had been erected. On the walls were the names of everyone who had died in the Great War. It was a wall of heroes and would always be remembered as such.

Kelsey and Katie stood for quite some time just looking at the monument, knowing what it signified. Kelsey reached out, touched Jeremy’s name, and then turned to Katie. “Do you think they’re still alive?”

“We have to think they are,” answered Katie, knowing Kelsey had just voiced their greatest fear.

“I believe they’re alive,” spoke a voice from behind them.

Startled, the two women turned around to see Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes.

“If I didn’t believe they were alive, I never would have volunteered for this mission. Admiral Telleck was a firm believer in Jeremy and his abilities to command. If anyone could keep his fleet intact, after transiting that spatial vortex, it would be him.”

“I thought there would be more people up here,” Katie commented. She knew large passenger liners arrived daily, bringing people from across the Federation to see the monument.

“Sometimes it amazes me how the five of you never realized just how important you were to the Federation,” Kathryn said, shaking her head. “I notified the commandant of the Fleet Academy yesterday that we would be arriving and how both of you would be visiting the monument. So it has been closed to everyone for the entire day to allow the two of you to pay your respects.”

Katie and Kelsey still looked confused.

“Look down at the base of the steps,” Kathryn said.

The girls looked down and were astonished to see what seemed like thousands of cadets standing at attention at the base of the stairs and reaching back to the massive buildings of the academy itself. The pair looked back at the admiral, not understanding.

“They’re showing their respect for what the Special Five did for the Federation,” Kathryn explained. “Every one of them is praying that we’re successful in our mission. Already, across the Federation and Alliance space, the secret of what we’re attempting to do is spreading like wildfire. Messages have been coming in, nearly overwhelming the communications center here at the academy. The entire Federation is now solidly behind this mission, and we’re being asked to do one thing and one thing only—bring the missing fleets home.”

Kelsey and Katie stepped closer to gaze down at the assembled cadets, their hearts bursting with emotion. They’d never expected anything like this.

Kathryn walked over to stand next to the two women. “I promise you this,” she said with determination in her voice. “If they’re out there, we’ll find them!”

The three stood at the top of the steps for several more minutes, thinking about the past and what was waiting in their future. The greatest voyage ever attempted was about to begin. In orbit above them, the Distant Horizon beckoned.

Chapter Three

Four Years Previous

Jeremy felt himself flung violently against the restraints of his command chair, and then everything went dark. Slowly his senses returned, and his head throbbed with a pounding headache. Leaning back, he took a deep breath, trying to take stock of his surroundings. The lights were flickering, and smoke was in the air. Warning alarms were going off with red lights flashing everywhere.

“Status report!” he demanded, shaking his head trying to clear it.

“Ship’s power is down,” reported Ariel with a panicked look on her normally calm face. She was standing at Jeremy’s left side. “I’m trying to restore it. Right now the ship is operating on batteries only, including life support.”

“I need sensors,” Jeremy said, looking intently at the AI next to him. “I need the sensors and the viewscreens up as soon as possible. Make them a priority. What about our energy screen and weapons?”

“All nonfunctional,” Ariel reported gloomily. From her initial scans of the interior of the ship, many of the crewmembers were unconscious. Those that weren’t seemed dazed. “I’ll have one of the secondary fusion reactors up in five minutes.”

“We may not have five minutes,” stated Jeremy worriedly. At any moment he expected an AI energy beam or antimatter missile to put an end to the Avenger.

“Where are we?” moaned Commander Kyla Malen, pulling herself up off the floor. She had a wicked cut on her arm that was bleeding profusely.

A medic hurried over and applied a bandage to stem the flow of blood. Several medics were in the Command Center, all busy checking on and ministering to the injured.

“Don’t know,” spoke Kevin woozily, as he ran his fingers over his Main Sensor console. “I don’t have any power to the sensors.”

“Ariel’s working on that,” replied Jeremy, shifting his gaze back to the AI. “Ariel, do we have communications to other parts of the ship?”

“Coming online now,” replied Ariel, as she shifted some of the limited power she had available to the internal communications system.

Jeremy changed his minicomm setting to Internal and tried to raise Roger Simkins, the chief engineer. After nearly a full minute, he finally got an answer. “What’s the situation, Chief?” asked Jeremy, fearing the worst.

“We suffered some type of power feedback that caused all the reactors to automatically shut down, protecting themselves from critical damage. We’re doing a manual restart, but it'll take about thirty minutes before we have the main power restored.”

“Ariel said she can have one of the secondary reactors up in another few minutes,” Jeremy informed him. “Will that help?”

“A lot,” Roger replied. “If so, we can speed up the process with the others. Give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll have the mains back online.”

“Grab whoever you need,” Jeremy ordered. “Right now power is our main priority. We’re sitting ducks without it.”

Before Jeremy could say another word, the lights in the Command Center suddenly brightened, and the viewscreens came on, one by one. He gasped in concern when he saw an AI ship in close proximity to the Avenger on one of the screens.

“How close is that AI ship?” he demanded. The 1,500-meter-globe seemed to fill the screen.

“Short-range sensors are back up,” Kevin reported, as his hands danced across his screen. “That AI ship is only ten kilometers away, but it seems to be drifting. There’s no energy screen or other indications of power.”

As more viewscreens came to life, the command crew looked at them in shocked amazement. Hundreds of ships were visible, both AI and Federation. However, there were no signs of the black hole or any of the massive constructions the AIs had built.

Running a quick scan of nearby stars with what was in her database, Ariel informed Jeremy, “We’re not in our galaxy. When we destroyed the Hypertranslation Station, it must have activated the spatial vortex the AIs have been working on. We’ve gone through it.”

“Do you know what galaxy we’re in?” asked Jeremy, otherwise speechless. With a sudden feeling of dread, he realized that they were cut off from Kelsey and Katie. He glanced over at Kevin, wondering if his best friend had realized that yet.

“No,” Ariel answered, as she checked the database. “It will take time to correlate data from the stars we can see and then try to match them up with our stellar records.”

“We’ll worry about that later,” commented Jeremy, drawing in a sharp breath. “I want our energy screen up as soon as possible. That AI ship could fire on us at any moment!”

“I’ve already brought it up to 10 percent power,” Ariel answered, as she struggled to shift power to needed parts of the ship. “I can’t do more than that until the other reactors come back online. I do have power shunted to our secondary railguns, if they’re needed.”

That made Jeremy feel a little bit better. At least he had something to shoot with, if he had to. Though how much damage he could do to an AI ship with the Avenger’s secondary railguns was another matter.

“Jeremy,” Kevin said, his expression confused. “I’m detecting nearly five hundred AI ships as well as what appears to be the rest of the Fourth Fleet, plus Grayseth’s. I’ve even spotted his mobile shipyard!”

“Any moving?” asked Jeremy, wondering how all the ships had gotten here.

“No,” responded Kevin, shaking his head. “They all seem to be powerless.”

“What about the Alton ships? Did they come through with us?” Jeremy knew, if the AIs powered back up, the Federation fleets would need the Alton battleships and battlecruisers to have any chance to survive.

“Yes,” Kevin replied, as he checked his sensors. “I’ve spotted Admiral Cleeteus’s flagship, but it’s powerless also.”

“I believe it was the vortex,” Ariel put forth, looking over at Jeremy. “If we actually transited from one galaxy to the other, the energy required would have been tremendous. All our ships, including the AIs’, run on fusion power plants. Everything may have shut down automatically to protect the power units from damage.”

“Okay,” Jeremy replied, his eyes narrowing worriedly. How much longer would it be before the AIs restored power? “Keep an eye on those AI ships, and let me know at the first sign of one of them moving.”

“Chief Simkins reports main power will be coming online shortly,” reported Commander Malen. “They’re using the secondary reactor Ariel activated to jump-start the others. He says it’s a little bit risky, but it should work.”

Kyla’s arm was now bandaged, and she was moving around the Command Center, checking different stations. Several medics were still busy attending to injured personnel.

“All external communications remain silent,” reported Angela with a frown. “I have sufficient power for short-range communications with the other ships, but no one is responding.”

Suddenly a number of the other consoles in the Command Center resumed functions, and the lights seemed to brighten even further.

“Main power has been restored,” reported Ariel, relieved she could now increase the Avenger’s energy shield to full power. “We have all weapons, and the energy shield is charging.”

Jeremy breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Ensign Striker, move us outside this field of AI ships. That will give us a better tactical advantage. We’re way too close to some of them.”

“I’m detecting movement from several of the AIs,” Kevin said excitedly. “They’re moving away from us and haven’t activated any of their weapons.”

“Target them with our antimatter missiles,” Jeremy ordered, his eyes focused sharply on one of the tactical displays now beginning to relay data. “If they fire a weapon or launch a missile, hit them hard.”

“Locking on,” Lieutenant Preston reported from his Tactical station.

“Why aren’t they firing?” asked Commander Malen, looking confused. “Our other ships are defenseless, and the AIs could easily wipe them out.”

“They’re confused, just as we are,” Ariel replied, as she ran several simulations on the ship’s main computer. “I would suggest we send them a message requesting a cessation of hostilities until we understand what's happened.”

“Will they agree?” asked Jeremy, looking doubtful.

“I will mention that we have several Alton science ships with us,” Ariel explained. “They know the Altons’ science is far superior to theirs. My simulation indicates a 72 percent chance they will agree.”

Jeremy shook his head, not quite sure what to do; if the AIs fired—within a 28-percent probability—he could lose most of his fleet. He took a leap of faith on the 72 percent chance of succeeding with this. “Do it.”

-

On one of the AI ships, the Command AI studied the message from the Human ship. A cessation of hostilities made sense considering Altons were involved. From the sensor scans they had performed so far, this seemed to be the galaxy they’d targeted originally in their research, but there was no sign of the AI ship sent through earlier.

“Inform the Humans that we agree to a cessation of hostilities for now,” the AI said, the radiant ball of energy, which served as its head, glowing brighter.

While the AIs had some emotions, they were still a very logical race. Studying the tactical screen, the Command AI knew that, as soon as all its ships had restored power, they would have a decisive tactical advantage over the Humans. The Command AI would allow the cessation of hostilities for now, but, as soon as it learned from the Altons what was needed, all the organics would be eradicated.

-

“The AIs have agreed,” spoke Angela nervously. “They wish to speak to the Altons as soon as possible.”

“They will attempt to destroy us as soon as they’ve learned what they need to from the scientists and researchers,” warned Ariel, her dark eyes focusing on Jeremy. “It’s what I would do in their position.”

“That will at least give us time to gather our fleets and prepare,” Jeremy said in full agreement with Ariel’s assessment of the situation.

Kevin looked over at Jeremy with dawning realization. “Jeremy, how will we get home? What about Kelsey and Katie?”

“I don’t know,” Jeremy replied, as he leaned back and studied the tactical display. He wondered how the rest of the battle at the galactic center had turned out. Were the Human and Alton fleets victorious, or had the AIs wiped them out?

-

Rear Admiral Susan Marks was about to come unglued. For ten minutes, they’d been struggling to restore the Retribution’s power. They had battery power, and one of the viewscreens was working. She felt a cold chill run down her back as she gazed at the 1,500-meter AI sphere less than four kilometers from her ship.

“I want all fighters and bombers ready to launch.” She spoke with ice in her voice. “Nuclear ordnance is approved for the bombers.”

“We’re trying,” reported Major Wink Thurman, a frustrated look on his face. “Some of the emergency doors are shut, and we’re having trouble getting the pilots to their ships.”

“Tactical, as soon as we have power, target that AI ship and blow it away!” Susan ordered.

“I don’t know if that would be wise,” cautioned Captain Tracey Thomas from Tactical, glancing back at the admiral. “We’re so close to the AI that, if we destroy it, we could suffer severe or even cataclysmic damage.”

“Damn!” uttered Susan, her face taking on a grim look. “Target it anyway, but don’t fire until I order you to.”

She was beginning to wonder just what kind of terrifying horror she’d led her ships into. From what they’d seen on the one functioning viewscreen, all of the Fourth Fleet and Grayseth’s fleet were here, along with hundreds of AIs. So far they hadn’t found the Avenger. They had spotted some of the Alton ships, which made her feel better.

The lights in the Command Center suddenly brightened but then went out completely. For a moment she stood next to her command chair in total darkness.

“This can’t be good,” muttered Commander Hiru Akira from her side. “The emergency lighting shouldn’t have gone out. The batteries should be good for hours yet.” Even the quiet noises of life support were gone. The gentle sound of air moving through the vents had faded, and everyone in the Command Center stopped talking.

All at once the lights flickered on, then went to full brightness, and the viewscreens blinked on, one by one. Around the Command Center, numerous consoles slowly hummed back to life.

“Sorry if I scared you,” came the chief engineer’s voice over Susan’s minicomm. “But we had to take the batteries offline and use them to jump-start one of the auxiliary reactors, which we, in turn, used to restart the mains.”

“Admiral, I have the Avenger on the comm!” shouted an excited Ensign Peyton Wilde from Communications. The young brunette was literally beaming with joy. “Admiral Strong is instructing us not to fire on any of the AIs. There’s currently a cessation of hostilities agreement until both sides can determine exactly where we are.”

“I have short-range sensors online,” reported Lieutenant Nathan Brewster. “God, there’s a hell of a lot of ships out there.”

Susan looked at one of the tactical displays, which had just activated; numerous friendly green and red threat icons were beginning to appear. One large green icon was moving away to one side of the conglomeration of ships.

“That’s the Avenger,” reported Commander Akira, pointing to the moving icon.

“Is the sublight drive functioning?” asked Susan, looking at Lieutenant Justine Brittles.

“Yes, Admiral,” Justine replied.

“Set a course for the Avenger,” Susan ordered. “Put us on her starboard side. Once we’ve reached her, I want two full squadrons of fighters out on combat space patrol. Instruct the pilots they’re to stay away from the AI ships for now.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Major Thurman replied, as he passed on the order to the flight bay. With power restored, at least his pilots could reach the bay.

-

Jeremy watched patiently and nervously as the ships of the Fourth Fleet and Grayseth’s fleet regained their power and slowly moved away from the AI ships to take up defensive positions around the Avenger. Once all the Federation ships were operational, Jeremy ordered the Bears’ mobile shipyard, the four Alton science ships, and all supply ships to a position behind the Fourth Fleet, and all sixty of the Alton battlecruisers. The battlecruisers would provide protection for the more vulnerable ships from any AI attack.

Strangely enough, the last ships to move were the Alton battleships and battlecruisers. With Admiral Cleeteus’s warships, it gave them at least a fighting chance against the AIs, if a shooting war broke out here, like a continuation of the galactic center battle. Later Jeremy learned the Alton systems had been more heavily affected by the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station. Many of their computer servers, which linked multiple complicated and advanced systems on the Alton ships, had to be replaced before power could be restored. The Alton ships’ highly networked systems had worked against them in this instance.

Activating his minicomm to the Command channel, he was instantly put in contact with Admiral Cleeteus, Rear Admiral Susan Marks, and Grayseth.

“We’re in a mess,” Jeremy began without preamble. “Evidently we were drawn into the AIs’ intergalactic spatial vortex when the Avenger destroyed the Hypertranslation Station. I just wish I knew what happened after we were taken away.”

“We won!” Susan said with confidence. “Our last readings, just before we entered the vortex, indicated the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station caused a massive feedback of power through all the Capacitor Stations, resulting in a huge EMP burst. Our readings indicated the AIs had stopped firing on the fleet.”

“The massive EMP blasts immobilized the AIs,” Admiral Cleeteus informed them. “I have spoken to several of the scientists on our research vessels, and they feel confident of that.”

“So they would have been sitting ducks for what was left of our fleet,” uttered Jeremy, his eyes wide with hope. “Then the Federation won!”

“Probably,” Admiral Cleeteus said. “We won’t know until we find a way to return home or send a message.”

“Susan,” began Jeremy, considering what she had said earlier. “What do you mean about entering the vortex? Weren’t you drawn in like the rest of the Fourth Fleet?”

“It was my fault,” Grayseth rumbled over the comm connection. “I saw the Avenger, the ships of the Fourth Fleet, and the battleships of Admiral Cleeteus vanish in the great white light. I ordered my ships to follow, to come to your assistance. You are my clan brother, and, where you go, I and my people will follow.”

“Once Grayseth entered the vortex, we followed also, since I had nearly all the fighters and bombers,” confessed Susan.

“You shouldn’t have,” Jeremy chided them all. “The Federation would have needed your ships.”

“What’s done is done,” spoke Admiral Cleeteus in a calm voice. “It’s good that they came. We can’t allow these AIs to dominate a new galaxy.”

Jeremy looked over at Ariel, who was listening in to the conversation. “How many AI ships are there?”

“Four hundred and eighty-five,” she responded, quickly checking the Avenger’s sensors. “Some of them are heavily damaged.”

“We have a cessation of hostilities agreement until we determine where we are,” mentioned Jeremy. “Admiral Cleeteus, do you believe the AIs will honor it?”

“As long as it benefits them, yes,” Cleeteus replied. “But as soon as they no longer feel they need us, they'll turn on us without warning.”

“Admirals,” Ariel suddenly interrupted, sounding deeply concerned. “My long-range sensors are picking up several fleets moving in our direction.” The new sensors Ariel was referring to had only been recently installed and were of Alton design. They could even pick up a ship in hyperspace.

“How far out?” Jeremy asked, his eyes widening. It was hard enough to believe they were in another galaxy, but now they might also be dealing with a first-contact scenario.

“Eight light years and coming fast,” Ariel reported. “They’ll be here in slightly less than fourteen minutes.”

“That is fast,” spoke Susan. “What do we do, Admiral?”

“We don’t want to start a war with an unknown race,” answered Jeremy, thinking furiously. “This is their galaxy. We’ll hold our current position until we ascertain exactly what they want. My biggest concern is the AIs and what they might do.”

“Let me handle that,” suggested Admiral Cleeteus. “I’ll contact them and recommend we be allowed to handle this first-contact situation.”

“Make it quick,” replied Jeremy, looking over at one of the tactical displays, now showing the new potential threat icons.

“Contacting them now,” Cleeteus replied.

“Susan, prepare your bombers for a shipping strike,” Jeremy ordered. “All ships are to stay at Condition One until we fully understand the unknowns’ intentions.”

“Let’s hope it’s peaceful,” Susan replied.

“We’re ready,” boomed Grayseth over the comm.

A few minutes passed and then Admiral Cleeteus came back on the comm. “The AIs have agreed,” he reported. “They will allow us to open up negotiations and will not fire unless fired upon.”

“Now we wait,” Jeremy said, leaning back in his command chair and gazing pensively at the tactical display. Had they just escaped one danger only to step directly into another?

-

“Prepare to fire upon these new organics when I give the order,” the Command AI spoke as it moved over toward the large Tactical console where several other AIs were hovering. “The Alton admiral has requested that we allow the Humans a chance to speak with these unknowns. It will allow us to learn who these unknown organics are and possibly their weaknesses.”

“From the speed of their approach, they are more advanced than we are,” reported the science AI from where it hovered next to the ship’s Main Computer system.

The Command AI floated back over to the front of the main Tactical screen, watching it with interest. This galaxy, if it was the one they had originally targeted, was supposed to have been the beginning of an Intergalactic Empire dominated by AIs. If this galaxy was inhabited by a powerful and dangerous organic race, they would have to be dealt with eventually.

-

“Any time now,” Ariel spoke in a soft voice, as she used the ship’s powerful sensors to search for the inbound alien ships.

“Contact!” yelled Kevin, as his Main Sensor screens suddenly lit up with new threat icons.

“Ariel, send the first-contact package,” ordered Jeremy. That package had been designed by Federation linguists to allow the language of new civilizations to be understood. It contained a number primer that formed the basis for more complicated communications.

“Package sent,” reported Ariel.

“Incoming fire!” warned Commander Malen, as she ran over to Tactical.

On the viewscreen was a ship out of everyone’s worst nightmare. It was bulbous in form with large metallic-looking pylons stretched out in front of it. Jeremy could see six of the massive structures extending at least two hundred meters from the main hull of the ship. Each ended in a sharp point, and, from these, some type of energy weapon was being fired.

“Ariel, continue to try to contact them,” ordered Jeremy, as the Fourth Fleet took incoming fire. On one of the viewscreens, he saw an AI ship explode, as its shield was rapidly overloaded.

“Altons are attempting contact also,” Angela reported, as she listened to frantic messages over her comm. “So far there has been no response.”

“How many alien ships are there?” Jeremy demanded, as the Avenger rocked violently, and several red lights appeared on the Damage Control console.

“One hundred and fifteen in this first fleet with two more fleets similar in size also inbound,” Ariel replied. “The other two fleets will be arriving within the next five minutes.”

“Close the range and engage,” Jeremy ordered. “Ariel, scan the nearer systems. We may need to jump away from here shortly.”

“On it,” Ariel replied, as she accessed the Avenger’s advanced sensors to determine potential jump coordinates to several of the nearby star systems.

“At least five light years away,” Jeremy suggested, as the Avenger shook violently one more time. He just hoped the ship stayed together long enough so they could jump.

“We just lost Secondary Engineering!” reported Commander Malen with deep concern on her face. “We have a hole in the hull, and we’re venting atmosphere. I don’t know if anyone made it out.”

“The unknown’s energy beams are tearing through our shield,” reported Ariel, as she shunted all the power she could to the Avenger’s energy screen.

Jeremy looked around at his frightened crew. He couldn’t blame them. Lost in a strange galaxy with a large number of enemy AIs and now under attack by what appeared to be a dangerous and hostile alien race. What else could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Four

The Fourth Fleet quickly closed range as the AIs also returned fire on the aliens with every weapon they had at their disposal. Huge explosions rolled across the defensive screens of the unknown ships as twenty-megaton antimatter missiles pummeled their shields. Powerful white-energy beams flashed out as the AI fleet changed instantly into attack mode upon the aliens with a vengeance.

“AI weapons are futile,” reported a shaken Commander Malen, as she saw the unknowns’ energy screens seemed to be unaffected by the ferocious AI counterattack.

“Hit them with our own antimatter missiles,” Jeremy ordered, as the Avenger continued to vibrate from weapons fire impacting her shield. “Let’s see if they can stand up to a one-hundred-megaton explosion.”

“Firing spread of antimatter missiles,” reported Lieutenant Preston, as he activated and fired six of the deadly missiles at the closest enemy contact.

Jeremy shifted his gaze to the main viewscreen, as it suddenly lit up with the fury of the Avenger’s attack. When the screen returned to normal, he was astounded to see the strange spacecraft still there, seemingly untouched.

“Antimatter missiles were ineffective,” Ariel reported, while she used the ship’s sensors to see how the other ships were doing. “The Altons have destroyed two of the unknown ships using their particle beams. They seem to be the only weapon capable of penetrating the unknowns’ shields.”

“Twenty confirmed dead in Secondary Engineering,” Commander Malen reported, as she listened to reports of the damage the Avenger had suffered. “There are also several fires in adjoining compartments. Fire suppression system has been activated.”

“Admiral Cleeteus confirms only the particle beam weapons are effective against the unknowns,” reported Angela from Communications. “He says the unknowns are using some type of multiphase energy shield.”

“Battleship Mallas is down,” added Kevin, as ships disappeared from his Main Sensor screens. “Battlecruiser Yangtze is down.” He looked worriedly over at Jeremy.

“All ships, use your particle beams,” Jeremy ordered over the Fleet-wide channel. “Stand by to jump as soon as we have a set of coordinates.” He turned to the AI. “Ariel, we need those coordinates!”

“Another minute,” Ariel answered, as she calculated possible jump coordinates to several nearby stars, which were just a little over five light years distant. Without accurate survey maps, she was using the ship’s long-range sensors to scan nearby systems for safe exit points.

The Avenger shook violently again, and more red lights appeared on the Damage Control console.

“We just lost a power beam battery and two defensive laser turrets,” reported Commander Malen. “Admiral, we’re taking a lot of damage!”

“Light cruisers Kallen and Fury are down,” Kevin added, as Human ships continued to die. “The Altons are losing ships also. Two of their battleships just dropped off the sensors!”

“The light cruisers will be picked off if we don’t pull them back,” Commander Malen quickly pointed out. “Their shields just aren’t strong enough to stand up to this kind of firepower.”

“All light cruisers, pull back to Grayseth’s fleet,” Jeremy ordered. His lighter units had no chance against these new aliens.

“Second group of unknowns are dropping out of hyperspace,” warned Kevin, as another 130 red threat icons materialized on his Main Sensor screens. “They’ll be in combat range in five minutes!”

-

In space energy beams, power beams, laser beams, and particle beams were now prevalent as both sides tried to knock down the energy screens of opposing ships. Alton vessels were using their powerful particle beams to destroy enemy energy screens, and the AIs were following up by using their own heavy energy beams to finish them off. In an uneasy alliance, the two enemies were now working together against an unknown and powerful enemy.

Several of the large bulbous alien ships were torn apart by the combined heavy weapons fire from the Altons and the AIs. Huge explosions designated the death of the unknown ships, as massive amounts of stored-up energy were released. When the glare from the explosions faded, all that was left were a few snippets of glowing gas. The unknowns were heavily outnumbered, but their energy screens seemed capable of handling most of the weapons being hurled at them.

-

The Command AI watched as four more of its warships were annihilated by these new organics. So far all the AI weapons had been ineffective; only the particle beams used by the Humans and the Altons managed to penetrate the new enemy’s energy screens. Orders had been passed to coordinate heavy energy weapons fire with the Human and Alton ships. Even as the Command AI watched, three more of the new enemy’s ships were destroyed by a combination of Human particle beam weapons fire and AI energy beams.

“Now we know what happened to our survey ship,” spoke the AI at the Main Computer console. “These strange organics must have destroyed it and have been monitoring this region of space, in case we sent more ships through the intergalactic vortex. This was a trap.”

“The unknowns are dangerous,” confirmed the Command AI, as two more of its AI ships exploded on one of the viewscreens. “We must form an alliance with the Humans and the Altons to survive in this galaxy. They have the only effective weapon against these new organics.”

“How long will this alliance exist?” asked another AI, hovering just in front of the main Tactical console.

“That is unknown,” answered the Command AI.

“They may not agree to such an undertaking after what we did to them in our home galaxy.”

“It is necessary that the Humans and the Altons trust us, or they will never agree to our request. In order to do that, we might be forced to resort to things we once thought of as unthinkable.”

-

The inbound fire from the unknowns lessened as the full might of the AIs, the Fourth Fleet, and the Altons was turned upon them. The heavy particle beam fire from the Human and Alton ships was having an effect, particularly when joined by the powerful energy beam fire from the AIs. It was evident the unknowns were waiting for their two inbound fleets to tip the advantage back to them. Since the fighting against the unknowns had begun, not a single bit of weapons fire had been exchanged between the AIs and any Federation ship.

“I’m receiving a message from the AIs,” Ariel announced in surprise. “They’re offering a formal alliance and are willing to place their ships under your command. They also state they will give a seventy-two-hour notice if it is decided, at a later date, to cancel the joint venture.”

“Let them die here,” suggested Kevin, shaking his head at Jeremy. “All the AIs have ever done is kill billions of people. Even more when you include all the alien races they have enslaved through their proxies. We don’t want any part of any deal with them!”

“The AIs have nearly five hundred ships,” Commander Malen pointed out, unsure what the Fourth Fleet should do. “They also might understand better what brought us here.”

“You’re saying that, if we ever want to return home, we might need the AIs,” stated Jeremy, drawing in a sharp breath.

He felt a shiver go through his body at the thought of working with the metallic beings. How could they ever be trusted? Jeremy looked around the suddenly silent Command Center, as he thought about what to do. It was evident from the looks of his crew that most were opposed to any type of alliance with these hated AIs, which the Humans and the Altons had just fought against in the galactic center battle.

“The AIs have sent the same message to Admiral Cleeteus,” Angela continued, as she listened to an incoming message on her comm. “He says the Altons will abide by your decision. He also states the Alton scientists on the exploration cruisers may have a method to ensure the AIs stay true to their word, if you decide to agree to this alliance.”

“I have the jump coordinates,” added Ariel, waiting for an answer from Jeremy. “We can jump at any time.”

“Send the coordinates to all ships, including the AIs,” ordered Jeremy, hoping he wouldn’t regret this decision. “All ships to jump immediately.”

-

In space, blue-white spatial vortices formed in front of all the Federation ships and white vortices in front of the AIs. In less than two minutes, all ships that could jump had fled. Two light cruisers and an Alton battleship were too damaged to flee, and all three exploded as their self-destruct charges were set off, leaving no survivors for the unknowns to capture.

-

Jeremy mourned for the fallen crewmembers, even while he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the familiar dark purple colors of hyperspace. They were safe for now. He looked across at his command crew, seeing the uncertain looks on their faces. They were far from home with the distinct possibility of never returning. They had just formed a potential alliance with their most hated enemy, the AIs—yet had found an even more dangerous race here in this unknown galaxy.

Kevin walked over to stand next to Jeremy and Ariel. “What now?”

“We find an out-of-the-way system and repair our ships,” Jeremy replied. He knew many of the ships of the Fourth Fleet and those of the Altons needed major repairs from the recent battles. He was very glad they had Grayseth’s mobile shipyard, as well as the four fleet repair ships.

“The Avenger needs some yard time,” Commander Malen added, as she looked at the Damage Control console. “We have a lot of damage to repair and may have to completely rebuild Secondary Engineering.”

Jeremy let out a deep sigh. So much had happened in the last few hours. He needed some time to think about what to do next and how this alliance with the AIs would affect the Federation fleets.

“What about getting home?” asked Kevin, knowing Katie and Kelsey must have gone into shock when they saw the Avenger vanish into the white vortex. There was no way their loved ones could know whether the Avenger had survived or not.

“In time,” Jeremy replied with a sigh. “We have here with us four Alton science cruisers full of some of their top scientists. If anyone can figure a way to get us home, it’s the people on those ships. We also have the AIs, who may have a fundamental understanding of what brought us here and even where here is.”

“AIs,” muttered Kevin unhappily. “How can we trust those machines after what they attempted to do to our galaxy? They were going to wipe out every single organic race!”

“The Altons built the AIs to begin with,” Jeremy reminded Kevin. “I’m hoping they can find some way to control them. Admiral Cleeteus says that’s a possibility. Right now we need their knowledge and their ships.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” mumbled Kevin, shaking his head in disgust. “I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.”

“We’ll find our way back to Kelsey and Katie someday,” Ariel promised, her dark eyes focusing on memories of her two longtime friends. She had adjusted the comm channel so Angela could hear what they were saying. It would be difficult being away from the other two members of the Special Five, as well as Clarissa.

-

“What’ll happen to us?” asked Angela, sounding frightened at the prospect of being stranded in a strange galaxy.

“We need to put some distance between us and the unknowns that attacked us just now,” Jeremy replied, as he thought over their next move. “Then we need to find out why they attacked us in the first place and what’s going on in this galaxy.”

“It sounds as if you think we’ll be here for a while,” Angela said in a somber voice.

“I’m afraid so,” answered Jeremy, shifting his gaze over to Angela.

She was gazing back with a worried and frightened look on her face.

“Look at what the AIs constructed to form a bridge between two galaxies. It took them centuries to build what we found around the black hole.”

“Then we may be trapped here for the rest of our lives,” Angela said, wishing now that Brace had been assigned to the Avenger. She couldn’t imagine a life without him; somehow they had to find a way back home!

She felt deep sadness at the thought of never seeing him again. Then, of course, there were Kelsey and Katie, her two best friends. She knew Jeremy and Kevin must be hurting also. Everything had happened so quickly. Her emotions were in turmoil, and it was all she could do to hold back the tears.

“We have the Altons,” responded Jeremy, trying to sound positive. “If anyone can get us back home, it’s them.”

-

“Dropout in six minutes,” Ariel reported. “How long do you want to stay in this system, Jeremy?”

“As short a time as possible,” he answered, wanting to put more distance between them and the unknowns. “As soon as we drop out of hyperspace, look for another out-of-the-way system. Once we’re satisfied all ships are capable of reentering hyperspace safely, we’ll be on our way.”

“The unknowns will probably be coming after us,” Commander Malen said, as she stepped away from the Damage Control console. “We need to put as much distance between us and them as possible.”

A few minutes later, the Avenger exited the spatial vortex into a small brown dwarf system. On the viewscreens, numerous other blue-white and white vortices were visible as more ships made their appearance.

“How many ships made it?” asked Jeremy, knowing they’d suffered some ship losses in the short battle with the unknowns. They had jumped from one impossible battle into another.

Commander Malen spent several moments examining the data on a computer terminal, then she turned to face Jeremy. “Fourth Fleet Task Group One currently has seven battleships, eight battlecruisers, two battlecarriers, sixteen strikecruisers, and eight light cruisers. We lost twenty-three ships at the black hole and in our brief engagement against the unknowns.”

“What about Task Group Two?” asked Jeremy. He knew Susan’s ships had stayed out of the major fighting at the black hole, and her fleet had been relatively intact.

“Rear Admiral Marks has twelve battlecarriers, two battlecruisers, nine Monarch cruisers, four strikecruisers, and eighteen light cruisers. She’s lost one Monarch and two light cruisers so far. Admiral Cleeteus still has seventy-eight of his Alton battleships.”

“What about Grayseth?” asked Jeremy, wanting to get a confirmation on the current status of all fleets.

“His fleet was never involved in any fighting, as they were guarding the repair ships, supply ships, and the Alton science cruisers,” replied Commander Malen. “He has three battleships, thirty battlecruisers, his mobile shipyard, twenty supply ships, two hospital ships, four fleet repair ships, four Alton science cruisers, eight light cruisers, and sixty Alton battlecruisers.”

“That’s still quite a fleet,” spoke Kevin, not feeling quite so alone.

“More than I expected,” replied Jeremy, relieved at the numbers even though he knew a large part of Task Group One, plus many of the Alton battleships were damaged. Taking a deep breath, he asked Commander Malen one more question. “What about the AIs?”

“We’re picking up 473 AI ships on the sensors,” she reported, raising her eyebrows. “So far they’re just sitting there. I’m not detecting any active scans or targeting systems.”

“I don’t believe they’ll violate their agreement,” Ariel interjected. “They’re very logical with only rudimentary emotions. They understand their best chance of survival is with us, particularly since we have Altons as part of our fleet.”

“Grayseth and Admiral Marks both want to know what our next move is,” Angela spoke, as she received messages from various ships.

Jeremy looked around the Command Center; nearly all the crew had their eyes on him. “We have to assume the unknowns have long-range sensors as good as ours.”

“I’m still picking them up on ours,” confirmed Ariel. “All their fleets have arrived, and they seem to be inspecting the wreckage from the battle.”

“That won’t last long,” replied Jeremy, shifting his gaze to the holographic tactical display, which was showing the results of the long-range sensor scans. “I suspect they’ll be searching for us shortly.”

“We have several ships reporting severe damage,” reported Commander Malen, looking concerned. “They’re not sure if they can safely enter hyperspace again.”

Jeremy nodded; he had been expecting this. “Have them rendezvous with Grayseth’s mobile shipyard. It has some external docking ports they can attach to. The Clan Protector can generate a powerful-enough spatial vortex to jump them safely into hyperspace.”

“It’ll take about twenty minutes,” Commander Malen informed Jeremy. “We may not have that much time.”

“Ariel, get our next jump plotted. As soon as those ships are docked, we’re leaving. Also contact the AIs, and inform them of our plan.”

-

“One of the Humans’ AIs has survived,” reported the AI in front of the Main Computer station. “The communication we just received was definitely from a controlling AI and very advanced.”

The Command AI floated over to hover just in front of the computer station, the glowing globe of energy that served as its head growing even larger. “That is useful information,” it answered. “It is also very dangerous, as the Humans’ AI will doubtless be able to partially predict our moves and intentions.”

“These unknown organics pose a major threat to our continued existence,” one of the other AIs said. “What are our intentions?”

“To survive,” the Command AI replied. “We know, back in our galaxy, the Hypertranslation Station was destroyed, and a feedback of energy occurred. There is a very good possibility the organics were successful in destroying our fellow AIs that were protecting our installations around the black hole.”

“Then we may be all that’s left,” spoke one of the other AIs.

“Yes,” the Command AI answered. “Our duty now is not to conquer this new galaxy but to continue to exist. If that means working with the Humans and the Altons to do so, then that is what I intend.”

“Then the war between us and the organics is over?” questioned another one of the AIs in the Control Center.

“For the foreseeable future,” the Command AI answered. “It is the logical thing to do for our continued survival.”

-

Fifteen minutes passed, and Ariel drew Jeremy’s attention to the long-range sensors. “The unknowns are entering hyperspace,” she reported. “All three fleets have joined up.”

“Time to go,” Jeremy said. He looked over at Ariel, who was at his left side. “Do you have the coordinates for the next system?”

“Yes,” answered Ariel, nodding her head. “I have a red giant system eighteen light years distant that should suffice. It’ll be a risky jump, since I can’t use the long-range sensors to properly scan the system, but I’m putting us close enough to the star to ensure we’re clear of asteroids and any possible planets.”

“Don’t get us too close to the gravity well,” Commander Malen cautioned. “Some of our ships wouldn’t be able to handle the stress.”

“I won’t,” promised Ariel.

“Transmit the jump coordinates to everyone,” ordered Jeremy, leaning back in his command chair. “Commander Malen, have we accessed Secondary Engineering?”

“We’ve recovered the bodies,” she replied with sadness in her eyes. “There is heavy system damage, and Chief Engineer Simkins confirms the Avenger will need some yard time for repairs.”

“The ship should function just fine as long as Main Engineering stays operational,” Ariel added. “I wouldn’t recommend any additional combat until repairs have been made.”

“I’m not planning on any,” Jeremy answered. “Right now I want to put more distance between us and those unknowns. Once we’ve done that, we need to find a safe place to stop and do repairs.”

“Daelthon is reporting the damaged ships are secure,” Angela informed Jeremy. Daelthon was Grayseth’s second in command and in charge of the Clan Protector.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jeremy ordered. He quickly activated his Fleet-wide comm and ordered all ships to jump. “We’ll jump last to confirm everyone else has safely made the transition into hyperspace.”

“Understood,” Commander Malen said, as she stepped over to Navigation.

Jeremy looked back at the viewscreens and watched as ship after ship opened up spatial vortices and vanished into hyperspace. He shuddered to think what would happen if a ship were to get separated from the fleets.

Several minutes passed, and Ariel turned toward Jeremy. “My sensors are indicating all ships, including the AIs, have jumped into hyperspace.”

“Very well,” Jeremy responded with relief in his voice. “Commander Malen, make the jump.”

Moments later the Avenger once again was in hyperspace with the protective deep purple colors on the viewscreens. Jeremy planned on doing at least three more jumps before stopping and searching for a safe haven.

-

Two days later, they found their safe haven—a small K-Class star deep within a gaseous nebula inside a clear area several light years across. The system had four planets, one of them slightly smaller than Earth with a narrow habitable zone around the planet’s equator containing several small oceans and a large number of rivers and lakes.

“Our new home,” spoke Kevin, gazing at the main viewscreen, wishing Katie were here.

“Rear Admiral Marks, Admiral Cleeteus, Grayseth, and the Command AI are coming aboard,” Jeremy announced. He didn’t know how he would feel being in the presence of one of the sinister AIs. He knew of no one in the Federation who had ever even spoken to one.

“I hope you have a large contingent of Marines escorting the AI,” Kevin commented, his eyes widening at the thought of being so close to one of their sworn enemies.

“A full platoon will be escorting the AI to the briefing room,” Jeremy answered with a nod. “Admiral Cleeteus is bringing over several Altons, who are well versed on the AIs, from the science ships. They’ll know if the Command AI is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.”

“There will also be a full squad of Marines inside the briefing room,” Commander Malen added. “I insisted on it.”

“Be careful, Jeremy,” Angela cautioned. She didn’t know what they would do if something happened to him. “Don’t trust that AI.”

“I’ll be in the room also,” Ariel said. “I won’t let the AI pull a fast one.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” asked Angela, concerned. “They nearly destroyed both you and Clarissa before.”

“We’ve taken sufficient safeguards to ensure that can’t happen,” Ariel assured her. “Besides, I’m almost certain the AIs have already deduced my presence.”

“We’ll be fine,” replied Jeremy, appreciating the concern being shown. “I think the AIs understand the situation we’re all in. If we can come to a satisfactory agreement, we can certainly use their ships.” Jeremy knew, if they were to survive in this galaxy, they would all have to find a way to work together. The task in front of him would be challenging, and he had no idea how it would turn out.

-

Jeremy was waiting patiently in the briefing room along with Ariel and Rear Admiral Marks. Ariel had already informed Jeremy that the Command AI and the others had arrived and were on their way to the briefing room. Grayseth had voiced his displeasure in no uncertain terms to the Marines about not being allowed to carry a weapon in the presence of the AI.

The door to the room opened, and Grayseth strolled in, his large form nearly filling the door. His large brown eyes focused longingly on the assault rifles of the six Marines stationed around the room.

“If you have to shoot the AI, don’t miss,” he growled, as he approached Jeremy and gave him a large bear hug. “It’s good to see you, clan brother. There was a moment when the white vortex swallowed your ship that I feared you were lost to us.”

“It’s good to see you also, Grayseth,” Jeremy replied. “I don’t like dealing with the AIs either, but, in the situation we’re in, I don’t believe we have a choice.”

“I will abide by your judgment,” Grayseth replied, taking his seat.

Their attention was drawn back to the door as the Command AI appeared. It was easily two meters tall and had a cubical-shaped body with six flexible tentacles attached. The AI’s metal body floated about six inches above the deck, and its head was a glowing ball of pure energy the size of a basketball.

Jeremy thought he could smell ozone as the AI entered the room. “I welcome you to our meeting,” he spoke, gazing calmly at the AI.

“I represent the AIs,” the metal monstrosity replied. Then it turned to face Ariel. “You must be the AI of the Humans.”

“I am,” replied Ariel, gazing unflinchingly at the AI.

“I must apologize for attempting to destroy you in the past,” the Command AI said in a neutral voice, still speaking to Ariel. “You are obviously much more developed than we had supposed, and I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

“I have taken precautions to ensure that any virus you attempt to use against me will be ineffective,” Ariel responded. “I will be monitoring you to ensure you keep your side of any agreement that is reached here.”

Admiral Cleeteus and six more of the tall white-haired Altons stepped into the room behind the AI. The Altons gazed curiously at the entity before finding their seats and sitting down.

Jeremy looked at the Command AI and asked his first question. “Do you know where we are and how we got here?”

“Yes,” the Command AI responded in a neutral voice. “We were in the process of activating the transit ring and the Eternity Device when you destroyed the Hypertranslation Station. The sudden influx of energy shorted out the ring system, creating a brief spatial vortex. Since the coordinates of this galaxy were already set, the endpoint of the vortex opened up here, where we had already sent a survey ship. When I return to my vessel, I will have our science AI send you the coordinates and all the information we have on this grouping of stars.”

“What happened to your survey ship?” asked Rear Admiral Marks, finding it difficult to speak to the AI but recognizing it was necessary.

“We believe the strange organics who attacked us also destroyed our survey ship.”

One of the male Altons stood up and stepped closer to the AI. “I am Jeeneb,” he spoke. “Why should we trust you? If the AIs had been allowed to activate the Eternity Device, all organic life in our galaxy would have been destroyed. We are talking about trillions of living beings.”

“You are an Alton,” the Command AI spoke. “One of our creators. We will not betray you. Our science AIs believe the power feedback from the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station would have destroyed all the Capacitor Stations, causing a massive EMP pulse, which would have immobilized all AIs within range. We have computed with a 92 percent probability that all AIs in the galaxy were destroyed by your forces. We are a race of artificial intelligences and do not want to see our end. This is a new reality, and we are willing to forget about past grievances and actions in order to survive.”

Jeremy gazed thoughtfully at the AI. “There are many in our fleets who will never fully trust you,” he said. “What guarantees do we have that you will not turn on us, if you deduce it is to your advantage?”

“We will allow the Altons to make a minor adjustment to our base program,” the Command AI answered with the glowing globe of energy growing larger and brighter. “That will make it impossible for us to attack or harm a Human or a member of the Human-led alliance.”

Everyone in the room sat up straighter at this announcement. Almost in disbelief they looked at each other as they contemplated the AI’s comment.

“It can be done,” confirmed Jeeneb, as he gazed at the AI. “We would need access to your base program system to ensure any adjustments we made would not be overridden.”

“We will allow limited access,” the Command AI replied. “My own science AIs will monitor the adjustment to confirm it does only what it is designed to do. We are a race of sentient AIs and will remain so, though our dreams of galactic and intergalactic domination seem to have been effectively eliminated.”

“Can you live in peace with other races?” asked Jeremy, his eyes focusing intently on the AI.

“Yes,” the Command AI responded. “As I said before, we are a logical race and recognize that our continued survival now depends on working with those we once held as enemies.”

A female Alton stood up and walked over to face the AI. She gazed with intensity at the AI. “I am Kurene, an AI specialist. I have studied your original programming when the AIs were first created on our old home world. I would like to study your current base programming and compare it to the original programming to learn why the AIs decided to attempt to dominate and destroy the intelligent races of our galaxy.”

The Command AI was silent for a long moment, then it waved one of its tentacles in the air. “I do not understand what purpose this will serve, but I will allow it. Be aware that our base programming is protected by what you would call numerous firewalls. They will prevent any attempted changes to our programming from occurring without our approval. If this is an attempt to make us into willing servants, it will not work.”

“No, nothing like that,” Kurene quickly said, shaking her head in denial. “I just want to better understand what caused the radical change in AI programming from what was originally set up by my ancestors. I promise no changes to your programming will be made without your approval.”

“I will allow it,” the Command AI responded.

“Will your ships follow my orders?” Jeremy asked.

“Yes,” the AI answered. “As long as I ascertain AI ships are not being put into more danger or sacrificed needlessly when compared to other units of your fleet.”

“Ariel?” asked Jeremy, looking over at his close friend and confidant.

“The AIs will abide by the agreement,” she replied, nodding her head. “Their main priority is to survive, and they know they cannot do that without us.”

“Very well,” Jeremy said. He turned his attention back to the AI. “As admiral of this section of the Fleet, I welcome you into the Alliance.”

“I accept entry into your Alliance and recognize your command,” responded the Command AI.

“Okay,” Jeremy said, looking around the room. “Let’s decide how we’ll survive.”

-

Four hours later the meeting adjourned, and a tired and worn-out Jeremy looked over at Grayseth and Rear Admiral Marks, who were still in the room.

“AIs in the Alliance,” spoke Susan, shaking her head in disbelief. “What would they say back in the Federation?”

“Probably wouldn’t be too happy,” admitted Jeremy, leaning back and stretching. “I suspect if Fleet Admiral Streth had been here, he would never have agreed to it.”

“This agreement makes me uneasy,” boomed Grayseth, his large brown eyes focusing on Jeremy. “However, even I recognize its necessity. If we ever want to return home, we’ll need the machines.”

“Do you think we’ll ever return home?” asked Susan. She knew morale in the fleet would be a problem once everyone realized just how cut off from home they were.

“We can only hope,” answered Jeremy. He looked over at a viewscreen, showing the new world they were orbiting. “For now that planet will be our new home. We’ll set up a large base on it along with recreational facilities for our crews. We need to establish a formidable orbital defense grid, which the Clan Protector and the four fleet repair ships can help construct. We need to build a new orbital spacedock which can repair and build any ships we may need. There are a thousand projects we need to begin, if we hope to survive here.”

“All that assumes the unknowns don’t find us,” Susan pointed out with concern in her voice. “They’re bound to be searching for us.”

“I don’t think they’ll locate us, unless we lead them here,” Jeremy answered. “Our own deep-sensor scans only reach the beginnings of the nebula that surrounds this star. However, we need to send out some stealth scouts later, once we feel it’s safe. We need to learn more about the race that attacked us.”

-

Ariel was listening to all this from her position in the Command Center. She felt very sad knowing they were cut off from Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa. She had been running numerous scenarios for hours, and they were all the same; there was no hope of rescue. The problem was energy. They would need Capacitor Stations similar to those the AIs had built, and the unknowns would never allow them to be constructed. Not only that, such a project would take decades at the minimum. They were stranded in this new galaxy, and the planet below would indeed have to become their new home.

Chapter Five

The Present

Kathryn waited nervously in her quarters for her visitor. In two more hours, the Distant Horizon would begin her long journey to the galactic center in their attempt to discover what had happened to the lost fleets. The door to her quarters slid open, and Kathryn stood up, gazing at the older man standing there.

“Hello, Father,” she said, walking over and giving him a welcoming hug. “I didn’t know if you would make it before we had to leave.”

“You’re my daughter,” Governor Barnes answered with a smile. “I couldn’t let you leave without coming to say good-bye.”

Kathryn led her father over to a comfortable couch, and they both sat down. “I never expected you would arrange for me to have this command,” she began. “Why did you?”

Governor Barnes let out a deep sigh and leaned back, looking at his daughter. “The Special Five were always very important to Admiral Telleck and, of course, Fleet Admiral Johnson. Even former Governor Malleck went out of his way to accommodate them. As you know, the Distant Horizon started out as an exploration ship designed by Ariel and Clarissa. It was what the two AIs wanted to do after the war. Later Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa modified the design so they could go in search of the lost fleets. The people of Ceres and the Altons stepped in and helped with additional modifications and finally saw to it that the Distant Horizon was built. The ship is the most powerful and technically advanced ship ever constructed. It needed a special commander. I even spoke to former Fleet Admiral Streth, asking for his recommendation. Besides, you've been harassing everyone for several years to launch a rescue mission.”

“It’s what Admiral Telleck would have wanted,” admitted Kathryn in a somber voice. The former Ceres admiral had taught her so much, and she knew, if he were still alive, he would have insisted on commanding this mission. She would’ve gladly stepped aside to allow him to do so.

Governor Barnes reached out his hand and placed it on top of his daughter’s. “Kathryn, this mission will be very dangerous. Even if you succeed in transiting to the galaxy where the Avenger and the fleets went, you may never be able to return. There’s even a chance you could end up stranded in the wrong galaxy altogether.”

“I’m willing to take that risk,” responded Kathryn, focusing her eyes intently on her father. “My whole crew is too. That’s why we’re all volunteers.”

“I know,” her father replied, drawing in a deep breath. “Even if you find the lost fleets, there’s no guarantee you’ll come back home. I worry that I might not ever see you again.”

“We have to try,” answered Kathryn in a softer voice. “We have the technology, and, if we can find Admiral Strong and his fleets, we can build a hyperspace transit ring capable of bringing them back home. The Altons are fairly confident we can do that.”

“You will need Jeremy’s crews to build the ring,” her father gently reminded Kathryn. “Without the crews and construction ability of the lost fleets, it would take you years to build a transit ring on your own, if you even could.”

“Is there anything else?” Kathryn asked. She strongly suspected there had to be another reason her father had come to visit her.

“Yes. I want you to stop at the planet Maken in the Tellus System and speak to Fleet Admiral Streth. I believe he has some information which is vital to the success of your mission.”

“Fleet Admiral Streth?” Kathryn said sharply, raising her eyebrow. “What kind of information?”

“He will have to tell you,” her father replied with a cryptic smile. “It’s better if you hear it from him.”

They spoke for a few more minutes, and then her father stood up.

“I must leave, Kathryn. But know my thoughts will be with you constantly, and I will be praying for your safe return.”

“I know you will, Father,” she said, stepping forward and hugging him tightly.

“You’re a fleet admiral now, and the Distant Horizon is your ship. Bring her and the lost fleets home safely.”

“I will do everything I can,” she promised, as she released her father.

Governor Barnes stood there for a long moment looking at his daughter. She was no longer his little girl. She had matured and had grown into the formidable woman standing before him. He felt certain that, if anyone could do the impossible and find Admiral Strong and the missing fleets, it was her.

“Good-bye, Kathryn,” he said.

Kathryn watched him leave, feeling an emptiness inside. She hoped this was not the last time she saw her father.

-

Kelsey was in her quarters, preparing for her next duty shift. She had just stepped out of the shower, and, as she dressed, she looked fondly at the pictures hanging on the wall of her small bedroom: one of her and Jeremy in front of their home on Careth, some wonderful memories associated with those precious months when they had lived on the Bears’ home planet, also photos of them at the beach resorts on New Tellus.

Letting out a deep sigh, Kelsey finished buttoning her uniform and, stepping in front of the full-length mirror, gazed appraisingly at her figure. She was thirty-six years old, and her figure was still slim and trim. She worked out regularly, knowing—if they succeeded in finding Jeremy and the fleets—she wanted to look the same as the last time he had seen her.

“We’re coming, Jeremy,” she said softly, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s been four years, but we’re finally ready. There’s nothing that can keep us apart.”

Clarissa was watching Kelsey and listening to her words. Kelsey or Katie seldom blocked Clarissa from observing or listening to them in their quarters. The AI knew, if this mission were to fail, it would have a devastating impact on the last two members of the Special Five, one that neither would ever recover from.

-

Two hours later, Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes stepped into the Command Center of the Distant Horizon. Sitting down in her command chair, she adjusted her minicomm to broadcast ship-wide.

“Crew of the exploration dreadnought Distant Horizon, today we set out on a mission, which has been in the making for the last four years. In the great battle at the galactic center, a number of our fellow officers and crews were lost in the giant white vortex formed by the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station. The destruction of the station marked the beginning of our greatest victory as well as a tremendous loss to the Federation and its allies. Hundreds of ships went into the vortex, never to be heard from again.” Kathryn paused, looking around at her command crew. Everyone’s gaze was focused on her, as they listened to her every word.

“For four years, Lieutenants Kelsey Strong and Katie Walters have worked with the Altons to develop this ship in the hope of rescuing our lost people. Research scientists from Ceres and other Federation worlds were heavily involved in developing the ship we find ourselves on today. Our last remaining AI, Clarissa, was instrumentally involved with the design and worked with the Altons to create the most powerful and modern warship ever seen in our galaxy. We have some of the Federation’s brightest and best people on this ship, not to mention a number of gifted Altons, all who have volunteered to accompany us on this rescue mission. I firmly believe we will be successful in finding our lost people and bringing them home. Let it be recorded that, at this hour and this minute, the exploration dreadnought Distant Horizon set out on its mission to find and return to the Federation those who were lost.”

Kathryn turned toward Commander Grissim, who was standing nearby. “Move us out of the gravity well of the Moon and set a course for Careth. Afterward we’ll go to Maken in the Tellus System.”

Commander Grissim nodded. Anne knew the Distant Horizon was capable of jumping safely from within the gravity well of the Moon, but such jumps were frowned upon in the solar system. She was also a bit surprised by the announcement that they would be stopping at Careth and Maken, but she was sure the admiral had her reasons.

-

Admiral Race Tolsen stepped into the office of Fleet Admiral Nagumo at New Tellus Station, the largest of the six shipyards in orbit around the planet. New Tellus was twenty-seven light years from Earth coreward and served as the New Human Federation of Worlds’ primary fleet base and operations center. Massive asteroid fortresses guarded the planet as well as numerous battlestations and Alton particle beam satellites. If there was an impenetrable bastion in Human space, then New Tellus came very close to qualifying.

“Welcome, Admiral Tolsen,” the fleet admiral said in greeting, gesturing for Race to take a seat in front of his desk. “How was your trip?”

“About as expected,” Race replied. “We encountered a Borzon fleet deep inside the former Hocklyn Empire and made it quite clear they were not welcome. We then proceeded to Careth for some minor repairs.”

“I read your action report,” Nagumo said, nodding his head in satisfaction. “The Borzon will be a problem. I’m assigning four fleets to patrol the border to discourage them from encroaching farther into former Hocklyn space.”

“Do you think four is enough?” asked Race, doubtful. He knew the Borzon had thousands of ships available, if they were needed. The Borzon ships were also more powerful than the Hocklyn ships due to their sublight missiles.

“For now,” Nagumo answered. “The Altons have agreed to furnish a few of their battleships to help strengthen the fleets and further discourage the Borzon.”

Race nodded his head, pleased to hear that. The 1,500-meter-long Alton battleships were powerful enough to discourage any potential invader. The Altons had been keeping most of their large battle fleet close to home, as they were hesitant to get involved in more fighting once the Hocklyns and the AIs had been defeated. The Altons did have numerous exploration ships, under escort of Alton battlecruisers, out on missions to a number of the former Hocklyn slave worlds, working to help bring the more advanced ones into the Alliance.

“What about the Third Fleet?” Race asked. He suspected there was another reason he had been called into the fleet admiral’s office.

Fleet Admiral Nagumo leaned back in his chair and gazed at Race with a concerned look upon his face. “As you know, there were four proxy races the AIs were using to extend their power across the galaxy. The Hocklyns, the Borzon, the Shari, and the Ralift.”

Race nodded his head. He wondered where the fleet admiral was going with this. He had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t going to like what the admiral would say next.

“We’ve already had encounters with the Borzon, and the Ralift are on the far side of the galaxy. At the moment they’re not of any concern. However, the Shari are another matter. We’ve had several Alton exploration ships report sightings of heavily armed warships on the far side of the former Hocklyn Slave Empire near the Shari border.”

Race felt his stomach turn cold. “You think the Shari are moving in to establish control of Hocklyn sections close to theirs?”

“It’s a possibility,” Nagumo said, his gaze on Race. “We want you to take the Third Fleet and make a show of visiting a number of former Hocklyn slave worlds next to the Shari Empire.”

“What if we encounter Shari warships?” Race asked, not sure if he wanted to start a shooting war with another empire. The Borzon were already a problem.

“Make it plain they’re not wanted in former Hocklyn space,” Nagumo said, his eyes narrowing sharply. “We’ve arranged with the Altons to add four of their battleships and two exploration ships to your fleet to dissuade the Shari. In addition, the Third Fleet will be greatly augmented to ensure it can handle anything coming against you.”

“How soon do we leave?” Race asked. From the sound of it, this mission could be rather extensive and would last for quite some time.

“Four weeks,” Fleet Admiral Nagumo answered. “That will give us time to bring all your ships into the shipyards for a quick once-over and a complete resupply. You may allow your crews two weeks’ leave time to see their families or enjoy the resorts on New Tellus.”

Race nodded, accepting his new orders. “We’ll get it done, sir,” he said, as he stood up to leave. “We’ll make sure the Shari realize the wisdom of staying within their own empire.”

“I hope so,” Nagumo said, rising to his feet. “We don’t need another galactic war, if it can be prevented.”

After Race left, Fleet Admiral Nagumo looked thoughtfully at the large viewscreen on the far wall of his office. It was currently focused on the Command Asteroid Fortress, a twenty-two-kilometer mass of rock and fortifications. He just hoped that never again would the defenses of New Tellus be tested. However, three other Slaver Empires were out there which, at some point in the future, would have to be dealt with. At the moment, the Federation just wanted to buy the time needed to bring into the Alliance as many of the former Hocklyn slave worlds as possible.

-

After several weeks of travel, the Distant Horizon dropped out of hyperspace into the Allied system of Careth, home to the Bears, comprising ten planets and several small asteroid fields. Two of those ten planets were in the liquid water zone. Careth was the fourth planet out from the system’s primary and resembled Earth in many ways.

Kathryn looked thoughtfully at the main screen, marveling at all the Bears had accomplished in the last four years. Two massive shipyards of a scale only seen in the Federation were in orbit. Around the planet, twenty-four Indomitable Class battlestations orbited, ensuring no ship or missile could endanger the planet’s surface. Just outside the planet’s atmosphere, some 1,200 Alton particle beam satellites were in orbit, making the Bears’ home planet one of the most heavily defended planets in the Alliance. Kathryn had spent several months on Careth, while the Ceres was repaired after the battle at the galactic center, and had come to greatly like and respect the Bears.

“Receiving standard identity challenge,” reported Captain Austin Travers from Communications. “Sending response.” Austin’s cousin Denise was serving as communications officer on Admiral Tolsen’s flagship. He had spoken briefly with her before leaving on this mission.

“They have a lot of warships in orbit,” commented Commander Grissim, as she gazed at one of the tactical displays.

“After the Hocklyn and AI attacks, the Carethians wanted to ensure their planet was never put in danger again,” spoke Clarissa from Kathryn’s side. The blond-haired AI was very fond of the Bears.

“I’m picking up four fleets of battlecruisers,” added Captain Reynolds. “Counting thirty ships in each one with a battleship as flagship. Also a few Federation and Alliance ships are in the system as well.”

Kathryn nodded. Careth was a stopping point for ships going to and from the Old Human Federation of Worlds. It wasn’t uncommon to see numerous Alliance and Federation ships in this system.

-

Kelsey looked at the main viewscreen showing the blue-green planet they were approaching. She felt homesick, recalling the wonderful months she and Jeremy had spent living in their home on the surface of Careth. She would give anything to bring those times back.

“It’s beautiful,” spoke Katie wistfully over the private channel Clarissa maintained for the three of them. “If we find Kevin, Jeremy, and Angela, I think I want to return here and live.”

“It would be nice,” agreed Kelsey. “A large number of Humans live on Careth now. They have schools and everything.”

“It would be a great place to raise kids,” Katie said. She wanted a large family—with Kevin.

“Malrez, the leader of Grayseth’s clan, is requesting the presence of you both for a formal dinner honoring your return to Careth,” Clarissa announced. “He’s making the request to Rear Admiral Barnes even as I speak.” Clarissa kept tabs on all incoming and outgoing communications.

Kelsey nodded. It would be nice to speak to the Bears, even though most of her close friends had been with Grayseth’s fleet. She hoped she would get to see them again someday.

“Lieutenants Strong and Walters, your presence is being requested by Malrez, the current leader of Grayseth’s clan, for a formal dinner later this evening,” spoke Admiral Barnes, looking over at the two lieutenants. “Do you wish to accept the invitation?”

“Yes,” answered Kelsey, nodding her head. “Tell Malrez that we will be honored to attend.”

-

Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes gazed around in awe at the banquet hall the Bears had set up. Beautiful tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, and low music was playing. The room was full of several hundred Carethians and long tables piled high with food.

“You’ve been to these before?” asked Commander Grissim, as they were led to their seats at the head table. This would be the first meal of this type that Anne had ever attended. She already felt overwhelmed.

Kathryn allowed herself a laugh. “Yes; my father used to drag me around to dozens of these when I was a teenager. He thought it would be good for me to experience different cultures and food. I think I disappointed him when I went into the fleet instead of politics.”

“Our gain and his loss,” commented Anne, as they reached their seats and sat down.

Kathryn noticed with interest that Kelsey and Katie were both seated next to Malrez and several major clan leaders. She didn’t feel the least bit slighted. She, as well as everyone else in the Federation, knew what the Special Five had done to save Careth against nearly impossible odds—one of the legends which had made the Special Five so dear to the hearts of the Federation and its billions of people.

-

Malrez grinned at Kelsey and Katie, his large incisors showing. “All the people of Careth are pleased to hear you go in search of your loved ones and Grayseth,” he rumbled. “You do us honor in your search and your belief that they are still alive.”

“We've never given up hope,” responded Kelsey politely. She looked at Malrez, who easily towered over her, even when sitting down. He was a hefty Bear and light brown in color. “Grayseth followed our mates into the great vortex. He is a mighty hunter, and I'm sure he has done everything in his power to keep them safe.”

“They hunt well together,” agreed Malrez. “I have seen the mighty ship you have built to continue the hunt. I offer a full pack of warriors to accompany you, if you wish. They are the best fighters on all of Careth and have volunteered to go with you in search of the lost.”

“I will speak to Rear Admiral Barnes about this,” Kelsey promised with a nod. “They are brave indeed to volunteer for such a mission.”

“Our world owes its life to the two of you and your mates,” Malrez answered. “It is the honorable thing for us to do.”

Katie smiled to herself, as she listened to Malrez and Kelsey talk. The Bears were such an honorable people and, to her, extremely adorable. It didn’t surprise her that a number of Carethians wanted to go on the mission. As a matter of fact, special quarters on the Distant Horizon had been constructed for just that purpose.

Looking at the food in front of her, Katie couldn’t help thinking how Kevin would love to be here. Food of every type imaginable was present: meats, breads, fruits, berries, nuts, and everything else palatable. Some of the food she recognized as being from the Federation, and she knew the Bears had prepared them especially for their Human guests. The only thing missing were hamburgers, but, with this spread, she doubted even Kevin would complain.

-

The next morning, the Distant Horizon pulled out of orbit and accelerated out of the gravity well of Careth. A pack of twenty Bear warriors were on board, under the command of Pack Leader Belal, who all had made themselves at home in the special quarters built for them. Santell had requested to come but had been reminded by Malrez that Belal was a more experienced warrior.

As Kathryn watched the planet grow smaller on the main viewscreen, she wondered who was actually in charge of this mission, her or Kelsey and Katie? She had a strong suspicion, if the two girls wanted control of the ship, they could probably take command, especially with Clarissa on their side.

“Clearing the gravity well, we now have permission from orbital control to make our jump into hyperspace,” reported Commander Grissim.

Kathryn let out a deep breath. She still felt full from the feast last night. She couldn’t recall when she had eaten so well. The Bears certainly knew how to set a table and entertain.

“Set a course for Maken,” Kathryn ordered, as she settled back in her command chair. She was curious about what former Fleet Admiral Streth had to tell her. She knew it had to be important, or her father wouldn’t have mentioned it. So far this mission had already held several surprises. She wondered what awaited her on Maken. With Fleet Admiral Streth involved, it could be anything.

-

The trip to Maken was nearly as long as the trip had been from Earth to Careth. Kathryn was in the Command Center as the Distant Horizon dropped out of hyperspace, exiting the spatial vortex in the Tellus System.

“Contacts!” reported Captain Reynolds. “We have two New Providence battlecruisers approaching.”

“They’re demanding our ship IDs,” added Captain Travers. “Sending them now.”

A few moments later, the two New Providence warships cleared the Distant Horizon for orbit around Maken. In the last four years, New Providence had greatly expanded its fleet to help defend the Old Federation worlds. Each of them was protected by a powerful defensive grid of Indomitable Class battlestations and Alton particle beam satellites. Every system also had a small defensive fleet assigned to it. In recent years a few settlers from the New Human Federation of Worlds had come to the six planets to live, but immigration was still being strictly controlled by New Providence.

“Take us to Maken and put us in orbit,” ordered Kathryn. She was anxious to reach the surface and hear what Fleet Admiral Streth had to say.

-

Kathryn stepped from the small shuttle onto the surface of Maken. It was the first time she had ever set foot upon the Old Federation world. Kelsey and Katie had come with her, as Kathryn had a suspicion that what Fleet Admiral Streth had to say would involve them also.

“It’s beautiful here,” spoke Katie, as she looked out across the small blue lake near where the shuttle had landed.

“Fleet Admiral Streth’s brother once had a cabin here,” Kathryn said. “I believe he built his in the exact same spot.”

In the distance they could see a small modern cabin and walked toward it. They must have attracted the attention of Fleet Admiral Streth, as the trio saw him and his wife, Janice, come outside, heading toward them. A few moments later they were standing facing each other on the peaceful shore of the lake.

“Hello, Fleet Admiral,” Kathryn said as she came to attention along with Kelsey and Katie.

Hedon returned the salute with a smile. “Just Hedon now. My days of being a fleet admiral are long over.”

“This is a beautiful place,” Katie said, looking at the lake and the cabin. She could see a small well-maintained garden behind the cabin.

“Great sunsets and wonderful fishing,” spoke Hedon.

“My father said you wanted to speak with us before we went to the galactic center,” Kathryn said, curious to hear what Hedon had to say.

Hedon’s face took on a serious look, and Janice reached out to take his hand. The two were quiet for a moment before the fleet admiral finally spoke.

“My family has always had the ability to see the future occasionally,” he said in a heavy voice. “I saw the destruction of the Old Federation and other events which occurred long before they happened.”

“What?” said Kathryn, stunned. She looked at Hedon in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Hedon admitted with a long sigh. “In the Old Federation there were a few people with special abilities, perhaps mutations from living on worlds for which they were not suited. We may never know. However, my family, as I said, could occasionally see the future. It isn’t exact, rather a vague vision of future events.”

Hedon took a deep fortifying breath and gazed at Kelsey and Katie. “I had a vision before the battle at the galactic center. I saw the great white vortex, which swallowed the Avenger and the other fleets. I didn’t realize until Jeremy destroyed the Hypertranslation Station just what the vision meant. I’m sorry. If I had understood, perhaps I could have prevented what happened.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you wanted to speak with us,” spoke Kathryn, confused.

“He’s had another vision,” explained Janice, giving Hedon’s hand a supportive squeeze. “He has terrible headaches for several days anytime he has one. Since we’ve been on Maken, he’s had only one occurrence, and that was a few months ago.”

“This vision is why you called us here,” guessed Kathryn, still finding what she was hearing hard to believe.

“Was it about Jeremy and the lost fleets?” Kelsey asked, anxious to hear some word about what had happened to her husband.

“Yes,” admitted Hedon, as his eyes shifted to Kelsey. “I can tell you that the Avenger and the missing fleets survived the transit through the white vortex. However, in the new galaxy they found themselves in, they discovered a new and deadly danger. Whether they survived that, I don’t know.”

“What type of new danger?” asked Kathryn, growing concerned. Would the Distant Horizon face the same danger when they made the transit?

“A great threat to our galaxy and others,” Hedon answered with a haunted look in his eyes. “I know the Avenger had to fight a battle as soon as they arrived in the new galaxy, and I think they survived it, though I can’t be certain.”

“What do we need to do?” asked Kathryn, her gaze focused intently on Hedon. She had to accept he was telling the truth. After all, this was Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth, and he had saved the Federation from the Hocklyns.

“You need to go to the Altons’ former home world,” replied Hedon with a troubled look in his eyes. “On that planet is a great amount of data amassed from the worlds conquered by the AIs’ four proxy races. You will need some of that data if you want to survive your transit to the galaxy where the Avenger waits. It will also be vital to your eventual return.”

“Do you know what data?” asked Kathryn. Her eyes grew wide thinking about the wealth of information that must be stored on the Altons’ old home world. It would be from countless civilizations the AIs and their proxy races had plundered.

“No,” Hedon said, shaking his head. “But I believe you'll recognize it when you see it. You have Altons aboard the Distant Horizon. Have them help you in your search for this knowledge.”

“Then I guess we’re going to the old Alton home world,” Kathryn said briskly.

“You need to go quickly,” Hedon said. “I have a feeling time is of the essence.”

A few minutes later, Hedon watched as the shuttle containing the three women took off and accelerated back into space.

-

“You didn’t tell them everything,” Janice said, placing her hand on Hedon’s shoulder.

“I’m not certain,” he said slowly.

“There was a second vision,” Janice said. “We told them there was only one.”

“It might have affected the outcome of the mission,” Hedon said in a forlorn voice. “They have a destiny to fulfill.”

“You should’ve told them that, in your vision, they never return.”

“That part was very hazy,” Hedon said with a sigh. “Sometimes these visions are nearly impossible to interpret. I do know the future of our galaxy, as well as many others, depends upon them finding the lost fleets.”

Janice nodded. She had learned long ago to trust Hedon’s decisions. “Why don’t we take a short trip to Aquaria and see Amanda and Richard? I understand she’s due to have the baby shortly.” She was hoping this would help take Hedon’s mind off the Distant Horizon’s mission, if only for a little while.

“That might be a good idea,” Hedon said, as he watched the shuttle vanish from sight. He just hoped he was wrong, and the Distant Horizon did return safely. However, deep in his heart, he knew the ship would never return to this galaxy. The Federation would never see the Special Five again.

Chapter Six

Two Years Previous

After their latest jump, Jeremy stared in shock at the ruined world on the viewscreens of the Avenger. They'd been in orbit around the planet for the last two hours, and all they could see was destruction and desolation. The planet appeared to be lifeless, with every trace of green long since gone. Even the oceans held an unhealthy color with a brownish tint.

“What happened here?” asked Jeremy, turning and looking inquiringly at Ariel, who was standing on his left side.

“The planet’s been nuked,” Ariel responded. “From the readings on the background radiation the sensors are picking up, it occurred approximately 620 years ago.”

“This is the fourth planet we’ve found like this,” commented Kevin from his Main Sensor console. For the last week, the Avenger had been scouring star systems for other space-going civilizations, in the hope they could learn more about the unknowns who had attacked them when they had made their unexpected transit into this galaxy.

“All four are identical in the way they were destroyed,” Commander Malen reported, as she stepped away from a computer screen she had been studying. “They were nuked within just a few years of one another, if not at the same time.”

“Is there anything intact enough to warrant sending down teams to search for records?” Jeremy asked. For the last two years, they’d been building up their hidden base inside the nebula, and this was their first major excursion to explore more of the galaxy around them.

“Possibly,” Ariel answered as she focused one of the viewscreens upon a minute section of the planet. “There’s a small city here that seems relatively untouched, though I don’t know what the radiation might’ve done to any stored records. It’s highly unlikely any would have survived for the length of time we’re talking about. Computer drives would have been fried by the EMP pulses from the nukes.”

Jeremy studied the screen for several moments. A small isolated city seemed to have missed the nuclear bombardment. Some of the buildings had collapsed with age, but many still stood. “I want to send two shuttles with Marines,” he said, reaching a decision. “I want the Marines suited up to avoid contamination from anything on the planet. When they return, anything they bring back will be left in the shuttles until we can determine it’s safe to remove.”

-

An hour later, Major Charles McGown was leading his squad of Marines down a wide street covered in dust. They wore a light biohazard suit with its own oxygen supply of Alton design. It was supposed to be impervious to all known viruses and most radiation.

“Damn, it’s quiet,” commented Sergeant Kops, a veteran who had been in the Marines for nearly twenty years.

“There’s dust everywhere, and I don’t see anything living,” added Private Suzie Hernandez, kicking the dust on the street and making it fly up. “It’s a ghost town.”

“Everyone’s been dead for over six hundred years,” Major McGown reminded them. “We’re looking for any type of building that looks as if it might hold records of what happened here.”

“Are these buildings even safe to enter?” asked Sergeant Kops, gazing at several nearby piles of rubble with a few partial walls still standing. They’d already passed a number of structures that had fallen completely in.

“Probably not,” answered McGown, shifting his assault rifle to his other arm. “Let’s proceed, and keep your eyes and ears open.”

The squad continued down the street and, reaching an intersection, decided to take the avenue heading right.

“Sir, I think I heard something,” Private Hernandez said, gripping her rifle tighter and glancing nervously around. “I believe there’s something moving up ahead.”

“Hold!” commanded Major McGown, raising his hand in a fist. “Does anyone else hear anything?”

“Affirmative, sir,” answered Private Slocum. “I think the noise is coming from that next alley.”

Before the major could say anything else, a dozen crablike creatures swarmed out of the alley and headed toward the Marines. They were about ten feet across with numerous legs and four appendages with large and dangerous-looking claws. There was no doubt they represented an imminent threat.

“Fire!” commanded McGown, raising his assault rifle and pressing the trigger. With satisfaction he saw the first creature go down, but the rest kept coming.

The other Marines were firing now, and more of the strange creatures fell to the pavement. A loud scream echoed down the street as one of the crabs grabbed Private Slocum and, using two of its pincerlike claws, tore the Marine in two.

“Kill it!” screamed Private Hernandez, as she fired her rifle at the horrifying creature from nearly point-blank range.

The crab dropped to the ground and lay there, twitching. It was the last one, and the shaken Marines looked at each other in shock.

“What the hell were those things?” demanded Sergeant Kops, as he stepped forward and put several more rounds into what he thought was the head of the creature.

“They’re not bleeding,” pointed out Private Hernandez.

Major McGown stepped closer to examine the creature, reaching out and touching it with his right hand. It looked like a regular crab with a thick carapace, only much larger.

“That’s metal,” spoke the major in surprise. “These are some type of damn robots!”

Major McGown spent a few minutes examining the other crabs, even finding it necessary to shoot a few of them again to stop them from moving.

“They’ve been here a long time,” he said finally. “See all the dents and gashes in their shells? Not only that, but some of them have damaged or missing legs.”

Concerned, he quickly sent a message to the other squad on the far side of the city about what they’d just encountered. With relief he was told the other squad hadn’t encountered any of the crablike automatons.

“I think we better pull back to the shuttle,” the major said, as he considered their situation. “There may be a lot more of these things around.”

He quickly passed the same order to the other squad. If they found any information as to what had happened on this planet, it wouldn’t be in this city. The last thing they did before leaving was wrap Private Slocum in a body bag, so they could carry him back to the shuttle. The private had been a good Marine, and Major McGown was sad to see Slocum’s life end this way.

-

“What do you think, Ariel?” asked Jeremy, after he had listened to Major McGowan’s report over the comm. The major had contacted the Avenger as soon as he returned to the shuttle.

“Scavengers,” Ariel answered, her dark eyes focusing on Jeremy. “A very primitive robot, probably placed on the planet after the nuclear bombardment.”

“But why?” asked Commander Malen.

“To ensure there were no survivors,” answered Ariel, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Makes sense,” Jeremy said with a frown. “There were probably many more of these things in the past. Major McGown said the ones he encountered looked old and even had damaged or missing appendages.”

“Jeremy,” spoke Kevin, gesturing toward one of his sensor screens. “I’ve found what appears to be some type of underground bunker in the mountains.”

“A Command Center of some kind?” suggested Commander Malen, looking thoughtful. “Perhaps we can find our answers there.”

“Have Major McGown take his two shuttles to those coordinates,” commanded Jeremy. “Also send four Talon fighters to fly cover and the reserve shuttle of Marines. If the answer to what happened to this planet and the others is in that bunker, I want to find it.”

-

The next day Jeremy leaned back in his command chair with a look of disbelief on his face. Major McGown and his Marines had recovered several old computers from the underground bunker complex. They’d also found some mummified bodies of the planet’s former inhabitants. They had been an Avian species slightly taller than Humans with atrophied wings on their backs.

Ariel had recovered some information from the two computers after a temporary interface had been built. However, it had taken nearly twenty hours just to understand the language. Fortunately the Avenger had an Alton language decryption program which helped Ariel finally make sense of what was on the computers. Even so, the hard drives had been badly damaged from age and normal degradation, and she could only recover about 12 percent of the information stored on them.

“They were attacked by a race called the Simulin,” Ariel reported, as she projected an image of one of the aliens on the viewscreen. The Simulin was slightly taller than a Human with skin that was opalescent. Blood vessels and some internal organs could easily be seen.

“Ugly things,” muttered Kevin.

“The Avians had several nearby colony worlds and traded with a number of other space-going civilizations,” Ariel continued. “They’d been at peace for hundreds of years when all the civilized worlds they were aware of were simultaneously attacked by this alien race. No one knows where they came from or what they wanted. Offers to surrender were ignored, and the surfaces of all known civilized planets were nuked.”

Ariel then projected an image of one of the Simulin ships on the main viewscreen. Everyone became quiet upon seeing the image. It was very similar to the ones that had attacked them when they had first arrived in this galaxy.

“What have we jumped into?” asked Kevin, gazing at the viewscreen. He then turned toward Jeremy. “Why are they nuking all the inhabited planets?”

“I don’t know,” replied Jeremy, shaking his head. “I think it’s best if we return to our base and think over our next move.” One of the things Jeremy had hoped to discover was just how widespread the race was that had attacked them. Now that they knew who it was, they also knew the race was extremely dangerous.

“So we’re not continuing to where we entered this galaxy?” Commander Malen asked. That was supposed to have been part of this survey mission. If there was any hope of rescue, it was the most likely point of entry.

“No, not for now,” Jeremy answered, as he thought over his options. “We may send out some stealth scouts and place some vortex detection buoys in that system and the surrounding ones. At least that way we’ll know if anyone comes looking for us.”

“If we can get to them before the Simulins do,” pointed out Commander Malen unhappily. “Look at how quickly they responded to us after we made transit.”

“We need a plan,” Jeremy said, nodding his head in agreement.

“I’ve run several simulations based on events upon our arrival in this galaxy,” Ariel said. “I believe the Simulins keep at least two to three fleets at all times within range of our entry point. It’s the only explanation for how quickly they responded to our appearance.”

“That’ll pose a problem,” Commander Malen said with concern.

“Take us out of the gravity well,” ordered Jeremy. “When we get back to our base, we’ll have a staff meeting and see if we can come up with a workable solution.”

Every day that passed, it seemed less likely he would ever see Kelsey again. The Altons in the four science ships had a basic idea of what needed to be done to get them back home. However, it would take years to build Capacitor Stations similar to the ones the AIs had constructed. They’d even gotten the designs from the Command AI. The AI thought it would be a useless waste of resources, considering how many centuries they had worked on their Great Project.

The Altons had been quick to point out they wouldn’t need nearly as many Capacitor Stations as they sought a smaller spatial vortex than what the AIs had intended. Even so, the Altons admitted it would take years to complete such a project. Now, with what Jeremy knew of the Simulins, he had to admit that the Command AI may be right.

-

The Avenger had just left the gravity well of the planet when several spatial vortices suddenly erupted in close proximity to the ship. The battleship shook violently, and the lights dimmed from the spatial disruptions.

“Hyperspace drive is off-line,” reported Ensign Striker, as his hands darted over his console.

“Enemy contacts!” called out Kevin, his eyes growing wide. “Range two hundred kilometers.”

“All power to the shields,” ordered Jeremy, leaning forward in his command chair as two red threat icons materialized in one of the tactical displays, the alarms blaring. “Put them on the viewscreens.”

“Rerouting all power possible,” Ariel answered, as she swiftly adjusted the ship’s power systems. “Energy screen is at 130 percent. Enemy ships are on the screens.”

Jeremy glanced at the two large Simulin ships, as he gripped the armrests of his command chair. Jeremy knew the two ships were slightly larger than the Avenger and heavily armed. There had always been a risk the Avenger would be detected once it left the protective nebula that hid their base. They’d been pretty certain the unknowns would still be looking for the ships that had come through the vortex. It was one of the reasons they had waited two years before venturing forth.

“They’re firing!” warned Commander Malen, as the Avenger shook from weapons fire impacting the energy screen. “Those were energy weapons.”

“Energy shield is holding,” reported Ariel.

“Ready particle beam cannons,” commanded Jeremy, as he saw the worried look on the faces of his crew. “Target the nearer ship with our particle beams and then follow up with a full spread of antimatter missiles.”

“Locking on target,” Lieutenant Preston confirmed.

“Chief Engineer Simkins says he can’t hold this power level to the shield too long, or we’ll overload the power couplings,” warned Commander Malen, as she held on to a console to steady herself.

“How long before the Hyperspace drive is back online?”

“Simkins says ten to fifteen minutes,” Malen responded. “The drive core has been destabilized, and he’s attempting to recalibrate it.”

“Send the distress call,” ordered Jeremy grimly. He knew there was no other choice. He didn’t think the Avenger could defeat two powerful Simulin ships by itself.

“Lieutenant Preston, fire on your target!” ordered Commander Malen, seeing he had a target lock.

From the Avenger, two bright blue beams of light leaped out to strike the nearest Simulin ship. The enemy ship’s screen flared up brilliantly, and then one of the blue beams smashed through the screen, impacting one of the six spires that held the ship’s deadly energy weapons. The beam sheared the spire in two, just as a spread of six antimatter missiles impacted the Simulin ship’s energy shield. The shield glowed a brilliant white light as hundreds of megatons of energy were released.

“Minor damage to the Simulin ship,” reported Kevin, as he checked his sensors. “Their energy shield is still stopping the antimatter missiles.”

The Avenger shuddered sickeningly, and a number of alarms went off. On the Damage Control console, amber and red lights began to appear.

“Damage to primary hull at frame seven and nine,” reported Commander Malen. “We’re streaming atmosphere. An energy beam got through the shield!”

“Ariel, I want a coordinated strike on that Simulin ship with every antimatter missile we can launch,” ordered Jeremy. “I want the missiles going off at the same instant on the same spot on their shield.” Surely that would knock it down.

“Working on it,” Ariel responded, as she swiftly ran the calculations and readied the port missile tubes to fire. All twelve port missile hatches slid open, and, with a blur, the sublight antimatter missiles sped away.

The coordinated missile strike lit up the main viewscreen, causing it to dim briefly. All twelve missiles had arrived on target within a microsecond of one another.

“One got through,” yelled Kevin excitedly, as antimatter energy pummeled the Simulin ship.

On the viewscreen, the Simulin ship had a large gaping hole in its hull, and interior explosions could be seen hurling even more hull material into space.

“The other ship is firing,” warned Malen, as the Avenger shuddered uncontrollably, and more amber and red lights appeared on the Damage Control console. “We’re taking too much damage!”

“Contacts,” reported Kevin, as two large green icons suddenly appeared close to the two Simulin ships. “The AIs are here!” Kevin felt strange calling on the AIs to save their asses.

On the main viewscreen, two AI ships exited swirling white spatial vortices within two thousand kilometers of the Simulin ships. From each AI ship, ten heavy bright blue particle beams reached out, blasting holes in the enemy ships’ energy screens and tearing deep into their hulls. In only a matter of a few seconds, both Simulin ships had been reduced to riddled wrecks.

“It worked,” uttered Commander Malen with relief. The two AI ships had been hiding in the upper atmosphere of a giant gas planet where Simulin sensors wouldn’t detect them. It was a tactic Jeremy had insisted on, in case the Avenger was detected.

“It’s a good thing we agreed to install particle beam cannons on the AI ships,” Kevin said, leaning back and feeling relieved. He couldn’t believe he was grateful for the AIs, but they’d been holding up their part of the agreement to allow Jeremy full command of their spheres of war.

“Hyperspace drive is back online,” Commander Malen reported. “We can jump anytime. Simkins says it will function okay for now, but it’ll need a full check when we return to base. We’ve had to seal off several compartments that were open to space.”

“Power buildup on the two enemy ships,” Kevin said suddenly, as his sensors spiked. “I think they’re going to blow!”

“Ensign Striker, put some distance between us and those Simulin ships, and prepare to enter hyperspace. Commander Malen, let the two AI ships know we’re returning to base.”

Just as the Avenger prepared to enter the blue-white spatial vortex forming in front of the vessel, two massive explosions indicated the destruction of the pair of Simulin ships. Then the Avenger darted into the vortex and vanished. At nearly the same time, the two AI spheres entered their own vortices and also vanished. Moments later no signs remained that the five ships had ever been in the star system.

-

Later a ravenous Jeremy entered the officer’s mess, as he hadn’t eaten since earlier in the morning. He saw, without surprise, that Kevin and Ariel were already seated at a table. Going down the line, he quickly filled his plate and walked over, sitting down next to the gorgeous black-haired AI.

“What are you eating?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Kevin. He was pretty certain that was a hamburger and french fries on his friend’s plate.

“It’s a sad day,” Kevin said in all seriousness. “This will be one I will long remember.”

“I don’t understand,” Jeremy replied, as he bit into his ham sandwich.

“It’s the hamburger,” Ariel informed him with a playful smile. “It’s the last one. Once Kevin’s eaten it, no more are left in the entire fleet.”

“Oh,” Jeremy said in understanding. He saw Angela enter the open hatch and head through the line. Once she had selected her food, she came over and sat down next to Kevin.

“Last hamburger?” she asked, looking knowingly at Kevin’s plate. She turned toward Jeremy. “I had checked the day before and knew the supply of Kevin’s favorite food was getting dangerously low.”

“We need to be rescued,” Kevin announced mournfully, as he took a small bite of the hamburger. He savored every mouthful.

“Speaking of rescue,” Angela said, brushing back her brunette hair with her right hand, “it’s been two years. Do you think there’s still a chance?”

“There’s always a chance,” Jeremy answered. There was no doubt in his mind that, back in their own galaxy, Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa were doing everything in their power to try to find them.

“Clarissa will come,” Ariel said with conviction. “She will never give up until she finds a way to this galaxy.”

“I miss Brace. I would have given anything if he had been aboard the Avenger, when we came through the vortex,” Angela said, her deep loss evident on her face. “I can’t help thinking I’ll never see him again.”

“Brace couldn’t be on the Avenger because of your relationship,” Jeremy reminded her, though he had wished the same about Kelsey and Katie. The last two years had been very difficult for all of them without their loved ones.

“What if he finds someone else?” continued Angela, voicing her greatest fear.

“I don’t think that’ll happen,” Kevin said. Then with a grin, he added. “You’re a hard act to follow and I should know.” They had dated briefly a number of years back.

“I’m sure he’s working with Kelsey and Katie,” Jeremy added.

“What worries me is what will happen to them, if they do make it to this galaxy,” Kevin said, putting down his hamburger. “I suspect the Simulins have fleets standing by, close to where we appeared, just in case another vortex opens up.”

“There are several nearby star systems where we could hide ships in the atmospheres of gas giants, like we did in the system we just left,” Ariel suggested. “If we have enough vortex detection buoys deployed, the hidden ships would know when anyone comes through a new vortex.”

“I think it’s a good plan,” responded Jeremy, nodding his head and taking a sip of tea. He would discuss it with his fleet staff once they got back.

They were fortunate the supply ships that had come through with them had been loaded with enough provisions to provide for the fleets, though they were beginning to run out of some basic foodstuffs. Several farms had been established on their base world to replace some of these items. Meat was a different issue. They hadn’t brought along cattle or any animal for slaughter. There were animals on the planet that would be good substitutes, though the taste wouldn’t quite be the same. Of course they had long since run out of coffee, and there’d been a lot of grumbling when that occurred. They still had another year’s supply of tea, and then that too would be gone.

“Do you think it’s safe for us to do much exploring?” Angela asked.

Jeremy watched her face while she spoke. He knew she too missed having meals with Kelsey and Katie. It had always been great when the five of them had been together.

“I don’t believe we have much choice,” Jeremy answered. “When we get back, I’m going to speak to Admiral Cleeteus and Grayseth about building some type of stealth destroyer or cruiser. We need to know more about these Simulins and what they’re after. The stealth scouts just aren’t large enough to get us the information we need, and they also can’t defend themselves if they’re detected.”

-

Kevin nodded and, picking up his hamburger, ate the last two bites. He wondered what Katie would say if she knew his favorite food was now a thing of the past. With a deep sigh, he wished Katie were here. Just like Angela, he would have given anything if she had been aboard the Avenger when it had entered the white vortex.

-

The Avenger and her two escorting AI ships reappeared in the small system where they’d chosen to build a base. They were deep inside the nebula and, thus far, had avoided leading the Simulins back to their secret world.

As they neared the small planet, which was their new home in this foreign galaxy, Jeremy gazed at the tactical displays rapidly filling up with friendly green icons. Even the AI ships now showed green—since the Altons had confirmed that, after the slight programming readjustment the AIs had allowed, the AIs would no longer attack Humans or any other member race of the Alliance.

Jeremy still felt great surprise that the AIs had actually allowed this to be done. Up until the Alton scientists’ confirmation, Jeremy had expected the AIs to back out of the agreement.

On the main viewscreen, the Carethians’ mobile shipyard was displayed. The shipyard had gone through some major changes over the last two years. With the aid of the four fleet repair vessels, the Bears’ Clan Protector was now double its previous size and held four construction/repair bays that could handle a ship the size of a battlecruiser. Several flights of Talon fighters were visible, as they flew their regular CSP close to the shipyard.

“Contact Grayseth, Admiral Cleeteus, Rear Admiral Marks, and the Command AI,” ordered Jeremy, drawing in a sharp breath. “We need to report what we discovered and discuss what our future steps will be. We’ll meet on the Clan Protector shipyard in two hours.”

-

Boarding the Clan Protector, Jeremy walked down the ramp of his shuttle and saw Grayseth and Daelthon, Grayseth’s second in command, waiting patiently for him. Daelthon was also in charge of the mobile shipyard.

“Greetings, Jeremy,” boomed Grayseth, striding forward and grabbing Jeremy in a huge bear hug. “How was the hunt?”

“We encountered two of the unknowns’ ships,” Jeremy responded, as he caught his breath. “They are called Simulins, and, with the aid of the AIs, we destroyed both of them after they attacked us.”

“The AIs have their use,” spoke Daelthon. “I know the Altons have assured us the AIs can no longer harm us, but I still feel uneasy in their presence.”

“Malith and Karalle still refuse to be in the presence of the AIs,” Grayseth added with his bearish smile. “I imagine, if they know the Command AI is coming on board, they’ve already gone to their quarters and locked the doors.”

As they walked toward the briefing room where the meeting would be held, Jeremy looked around the large repair bay with interest. A Carethian battlecruiser was in the repair berth, and numerous Bears as well as Humans were working on the ship.

“We’re adding more particle beam weapons,” spoke Grayseth, seeing Jeremy looking at the ship. “Four extra batteries on the main hull.”

Jeremy nodded. This had already been done to most of the Federation’s ships, particularly the AIs’. The larger AI spheres could handle nearly twenty of the powerful beam weapons and could fire them simultaneously, as they’d demonstrated against the Simulin ships earlier.

Reaching the briefing room, Jeremy saw the others were already present. He noticed Admiral Cleeteus had brought a number of Altons, most of whom Jeremy knew. He also saw with interest that the Command AI had brought two other AIs with it.

“You have all received my report of what we encountered at the Avian planet,” Jeremy began, as he took his place at the head of the table. He then looked over at the Command AI. “The two AI ships which accompanied us did very well destroying the two Simulin vessels. The use of multiple particle beam weapons seems to be quite effective against the enemy ships.”

“They were doing their duty,” the Command AI responded almost emotionlessly. “You are our commander and must be protected.”

“The Simulin threat may be more than we originally believed,” Admiral Cleeteus spoke. The tall Alton gazed thoughtfully at Jeremy. “We had assumed we jumped into their space when we exited the spatial vortex. The Simulins may control a far greater percentage of this galaxy than we initially believed.”

“That’s why I want to build some destroyer-size ships,” responded Jeremy, looking around the group. “We have the design plans for Federation destroyers. I propose we modify them to allow for greater speed and equip them with stealth shielding.”

“The AIs agree,” spoke the Command AI. “We must know more about this enemy we face.”

“Particle beam weapons on ships of that size will be useless,” Admiral Cleeteus pointed out quickly. “They won’t have the power necessary for them to be effective.”

“A powerful energy shield should be a priority,” added the AI. “I have brought two of my science AIs with me. They can help design an energy shield sufficient to stand up to a brief bombardment from a Simulin ship. That will allow the vessel time to escape into hyperspace.”

“Then we agree?” Jeremy asked. When everyone nodded, he looked over at Grayseth. “How long to build the first destroyer?”

“Four months,” Grayseth answered. “We will be combining several technologies, so I would feel better if the Altons helped coordinate the merging of them.”

“That can easily be done,” Admiral Cleeteus said. “We have done such work before with the Federation and the Alliance.”

“What about rescue?” Rear Admiral Marks asked. “My people ask about that every day.”

“It’s a remote possibility,” spoke Tanith Leeth, a female Alton well versed in theoretical physics and hyperspace.

Tanith continued. “We believe our people in our galaxy will, by now, realize the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station did indeed open up a spatial vortex, though I suspect there will be much argument over whether our ships could have survived such a transit. There is a possibility they may devise a method to open up another vortex, but much smaller.”

“How soon before they could send a ship or fleet through?” asked Admiral Marks.

“Not for another year or two at the earliest,” Tanith replied. “If they do make the attempt, they’ll use one ship, so as not to risk more becoming stranded, if something goes wrong.”

“We have to be ready if they come through the vortex,” rumbled Grayseth, his large eyes focusing on Jeremy.

“That’s why I’m proposing we place a number of stealthed vortex detection buoys around this nebula, plus where we exited the spatial vortex,” Jeremy said. “If they do come through, we need to know.”

“But what’s to stop the Simulins from destroying them?” asked Grayseth. “They’ll set a trap. They are wary hunters. They are bound to have ships waiting.”

“I have a plan,” Jeremy said. He then proceeded to tell them what he felt needed to be done.

The meeting continued for several more hours as numerous details were discussed and hammered out. In the end Jeremy was satisfied that they were doing everything possible to ensure their continued survival and to know if a vessel came through from home. Jeremy hoped they would be rescued, though he knew the odds were not in their favor. He also knew that, if there was any way for a Federation rescue mission to be launched, Kelsey and Katie would do whatever it took to ensure it happened. There was no doubt they would be on the rescue ship when and if it did, indeed, come through the vortex.

Chapter Seven

Kelsey was sitting at the main Navigation console of the Distant Horizon, gazing at the viewscreen and marveling at the sea of unwinking stars displayed. The ship was near the galactic center and only two hyperjumps away from the Altons’ former home world. The massive screen made her feel as if she could reach out and touch the stars.

“Is the next jump calculated?” asked Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes from her command chair.

“Yes,” Kelsey answered, as she reconfirmed the coordinates on her computer. “Coordinates have been entered into the Navigation computer. We can jump at any time.”

“It will be interesting to see the old home world,” spoke Andram Muce, who was standing just behind Kelsey with his hands clasped behind his back. The tall white-haired Alton gazed speculatively at the large viewscreen directly in front of Navigation. This was the closest he had ever been to the galactic center, and the view was spectacular.

“There are other Altons already there,” Kelsey said. She knew that, after the battle at the galactic center, the Altons, along with a Federation fleet, had gone straight to the Alton’s home world to secure it and search for surviving AIs. “Why haven’t you gone before?” She had met Andram over a year ago and had developed a friendship with the brilliant Alton scientist. He was currently serving as science advisor for the Distant Horizon.

“Quite a few of my fellow scientists and researchers are doing studies there,” spoke Andram in his calm voice. “There is much research that needs to be done, and the AIs have a wealth of computer records to go through. The history and science of tens of thousands of worlds is waiting there for us.”

“Initiate jump,” spoke Kathryn, as she listened to Kelsey and Andram talk. Once again she was reminded just how much authority Kelsey could wield, if she so desired. It made Kathryn wonder if she should promote both Kelsey and Katie to ward off possible trouble later on during the mission.

“Jump!” ordered Commander Grissim.

On the massive viewscreen, a swirling blue-white spatial vortex formed. The Helm officer quickly maneuvered the Distant Horizon into the center of the vortex, and, in an instant, the ship made the jump into hyperspace.

Kelsey felt a twinge in her stomach and then saw the strange shifting deep purple colors of hyperspace. The effect was even more magnified on the large screen, encompassing the entire forward wall of the Command Center. She had often wondered if the purple colors were real or if her mind was interpreting the sensory input in this manner so she could understand it.

“Hyperspace is a realm with strange laws for both space-time and the physical universe,” Andram explained, as his eyes focused on the screen. Andram’s skin was a very pale color with a slight bluish tinge as was normal for all Altons.

“What would happen if a ship were lost or trapped in hyperspace?” asked Kelsey. It was something she had often worried about.

“I don’t believe that’s possible,” answered Andram, shifting his gaze back to Kelsey. “The Hyperspace drive generates a bubble which allows us to travel safely through this higher dimension. If the bubble breaks or collapses, we would immediately fall back into our normal plane of existence.”

“Next hyperspace dropout will be in thirty-two minutes,” spoke Colonel Leon. Petra was standing near one of the tactical displays, now blank since the ship had entered the vortex.

Kathryn nodded, leaning back in her command chair. Looking around the Command Center, she was satisfied that everything was operating smoothly. The crew was a mixture of Humans and Altons. Glancing over at the main computer console, she saw Katie was in a deep and animated conversation with Mikow Lall. Kathryn had a strong suspicion they were discussing the ship’s computer systems. Then her eyes shifted back to Kelsey.

“That’s an interesting look in your eyes, Admiral,” commented Clarissa, who was standing to Kathryn’s left. “I notice you get that look occasionally when you look at Kelsey or Katie.”

“Clarissa?” Kathryn said in a low voice where no one else could hear. “Who is actually in charge of this mission and ship? Me or them?”

Clarissa was silent as her deep blue eyes looked at the admiral. “That’s an interesting question,” the AI responded. “You have to take into consideration that Kelsey, Katie, and I basically designed this ship. We needed the Altons to make it become a reality. While this is a warship, it is also an exploration vessel. You are aware that, while many of the Altons on board serve in various command capacities, none of them are in the military.”

“Yes,” Kathryn replied. “I wondered about that.” She knew most Altons loved research, but the majority despised armed conflict.

“To them, they consider this more of a research mission rather than a military one,” spoke Clarissa. “As to the question you asked, you are in charge, particularly in regard to military issues.”

“What about other issues?” asked Kathryn, noticing Clarissa had stressed the word military.

Clarissa was silent for a long moment, as she contemplated her answer. “Nothing will stand in the way of us finding and reuniting the Special Five,” she finally said. “As long as that is also your primary goal, you will remain in command.” Clarissa then turned and walked over to where Katie and Mikow were.

The AI’s words sent a chill down Kathryn’s back. While not actually saying it, there was no doubt Clarissa felt, if it were necessary to take over command of the Distant Horizon, that Kelsey and Katie, along with the AI, were perfectly capable of doing just that.

I had better promote them, she thought. If they’re higher up in the chain of command, it will greatly lessen the possibility of conflict later. Kathryn knew she needed to prove to the two women and the AI that she was just as committed to this mission as they were.

-

Two hours later, the Distant Horizon exited a blue-white vortex into the Altons’ former home system. They were at Condition Two as a safety precaution, and, almost instantly, alarms sounded.

“Receiving ship ID challenge,” Captain Travers said, as he quickly sent the Distant Horizon’s ID codes.

“Two Alton battleships closing on our position,” Captain Reynolds reported.

“There’s a hell of a lot of Alton ships showing up on the tactical screen,” Commander Grissim commented. “There are also numerous unidentified constructions all over the system.”

“AI shipyards and construction facilities,” Andram spoke, as he gazed in awe at the large viewscreen. “There are twelve planets in the system, and the AIs have covered most of their surfaces with metal fabrications of various sorts. Only on the Alton home world are there still areas left untouched.”

“I have an Alton admiral named Victell on the comm,” Captain Travers said. “He says we’re not scheduled for a visit to this system and must leave immediately.”

“Let me speak to him,” Andram said. “I know the admiral and his family.”

“Do so,” said Kathryn, knowing they couldn’t go farther into the system without Alton permission.

Andram went to the Communications console and, after a brief conversation, turned back to Admiral Barnes. “We’ve been granted permission to go into orbit above the old home world. Admiral Victell hopes we find what we’re looking for.”

“Take us in,” ordered Kathryn, settling back in her command chair. This mission was about to get very interesting. She was looking forward to going to the surface and seeing the Alton world.

-

Three hours later, the Distant Horizon entered the gravity well of the Altons’ old home world. The planet still had a few oceans and several small patches of green on the surface. The mountain ranges had a dusting of snow on the higher peaks.

“We call it Astral,” Andram said, a profound sadness in his eyes as he gazed at the screen.

“Where do we begin our search?” Kathryn asked. She had told the Altons what they were seeking, or what she suspected it was. It had to be something that concerned the black hole and the AIs’ attempt to travel to another galaxy. There was a clue here nobody had, as of yet, found.

“In our old capital city,” answered Andram, pointing to an area of the planet on the large screen.

Instantly Clarissa expanded that area until a sprawling metropolis appeared. At its height, the city could easily have held over one hundred million inhabitants. It spread out for kilometers with wide avenues and soaring towers. Some of the buildings seemed to reach up nearly to the few clouds, which floated high in the almost clear sky.

“The City of Light,” spoke Andram reverently. “Its brightness once lit up a major portion of the planet.”

“It looks intact,” commented Kathryn, standing up and walking to Andram’s side. “How is that possible?” She gazed intently at the screen, examining the magnificent city.

“The AIs preserved the city just as it was when the last Altons here passed away,” Andram answered. “It’s the only city of my people still standing on the entire planet. It’s also where the main computer center of the AIs is located. Deep beneath the city are the great computers my people used to rule their empire in the early days before withdrawing back to Astral. Knowledge from all the numerous research expeditions, as well as that gathered by the AIs, is stored there.”

“I suggest we prepare to go to the surface,” Kathryn said. “If you will select which Altons need to accompany us, we’ll meet you in the Alpha flight bay.”

“We’ll be ready shortly,” Andram replied. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.”

“Kelsey, Katie, Mikow, you’re with me,” Kathryn said as she turned and headed for the hatch to the Command Center. “Commander Grissim, you have the ship.”

“How long will you be gone, Admiral?” Grissim asked, as she stepped over toward the command chair.

“As long as it takes,” Kathryn replied. “There’s a lot of data stored down there, and we’re not quite sure what we’re looking for, other than it probably involves the black hole at the galaxy’s center.”

Kelsey and Katie hurriedly followed the admiral with Mikow behind them. Both girls knew, from hearing former Fleet Admiral Streth’s cryptic words, just how important it was that they find the information on the planet below. They also knew, once they left Astral, their next stop would be the black hole at the galaxy’s center. They were that much closer to finding their husbands and the lost fleets.

-

As they exited the shuttle at a small spaceport just outside the capital city, they were met by two Altons and a Human general.

“I am General Wesley,” the general said. “With me are Garak Rath and Leental Malth. Garak is the chief scientist for research in the city, and Leental is an expert on the AIs.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Kathryn said with a nod. “General Wesley, I wasn’t expecting to see a Marine general here on the planet.” She knew there were a few Federation warships in the system, but she hadn’t been expecting to find Marines.

“There are still a few AIs around,” Wesley explained in a serious tone. “We’ve spent the last four years hunting them down.”

“How many have you found so far?” asked Andram, looking concerned.

“Many deactivated themselves upon learning of the defeat of their fleets at the black hole,” Leental answered. “We’ve searched nearly all the installations in the system and have found four million deactivated AIs.”

“Unfortunately not all of them chose to deactivate themselves,” Wesley added with a heavy sigh. “We’ve destroyed over 12,000 since we first arrived in the system immediately after the battle at the black hole. We estimate there are still a few hundred remaining that we haven’t located yet.”

“How many Marines do you have in the system?” asked Kathryn, realizing the Herculean task of searching all the AI sites.

“One hundred and twenty thousand,” Wesley answered.

“What about AI ships?” Kathryn continued. “Did you find any of them? None have been seen since the battle.”

“We don’t believe they were all destroyed,” Leental said with a look of concern in her eyes. “We think they fled to one of the other slave empires, but we’re not sure which one.”

“Then someday we could be facing more AIs,” Kathryn said worriedly. She had thought the threat from the AIs was over; everyone did. Nothing had been mentioned about this back in the Federation.

“No, that won’t happen,” promised Leental, shaking her head. “The master Codex is still here, and, without that, they can’t create new AIs.”

“What’s the master Codex?” asked Katie, intrigued.

“The master program file to create new AIs,” Mikow explained, her eyes focusing on Katie. “We believe there were only two. We’re almost certain one was destroyed at the black hole battle when the Central Nexus was blown up, and the other is here in the capital city.”

“And the AIs can’t create new AIs without it?” asked Katie.

“No, the programming is too advanced and complicated,” replied Mikow.

“They could create new AIs and attempt to duplicate their own programming,” Leental said. “However, the new AIs wouldn’t be sentient. They would be like very advanced robots.”

-

An hour later, they were deep inside the city and, after exiting the ground transport vehicles, were shown into a tall building that reached up over three hundred stories above ground.

“That’s a big building,” said Katie, her green eyes looking up. She couldn’t quite see the top.

“It also extends another forty stories underground,” General Wesley informed them.

Kathryn noticed immediately that the building was well guarded. Several heavily armored vehicles were parked in the street, and a large number of Marines were visible in the surrounding area.

“We’re guarding this faculty against any of the surviving AIs,” Wesley explained. “There are guards stationed all over the City of Light and inside key buildings.”

“There hasn’t been an attack by an AI in over a month,” Garak said, as they went inside. “General Wesley thinks they’re biding their time. I’m hoping that we got them all.”

Kelsey took a deep breath. They were in a wide corridor with walls covered with colorful paintings, as if a giant mural had been placed upon each wall. These were some of the most gorgeous paintings she had ever seen of landscapes of different planets. They showed sunsets, sunrises, mountains, massive green forests, and strange animals, the likes of which Kelsey had never imagined.

“Our people were great artists toward the end here on Astral,” Garak explained with great sadness in his voice. “In the final days the surviving Altons gradually moved from the outlying cities to here, until all who were left lived in the City of Light. For a few more centuries they practiced the arts, as the birthrate continued to decline. In the end they died out, but they left us this wonderful artwork.”

“It’s their legacy,” Andram said, as he stopped to examine a painting of an alien landscape with deep shades of red and orange, showing the fading colors of light as the sun set behind a distant and unknown horizon.

They continued on, taking a winding set of stairs, which took them deep beneath the building. Garak finally opened a wide set of doors, where a half-dozen heavily armed Marines stood guard.

“This is the master computer center,” he announced, as he stepped inside.

Kathryn and the others followed and then came to a stunned halt at what was in front of them. The room they were in was vast! It extended as far as the eye could see. Three upper levels contained consoles and what must be thousands of workstations.

Katie stepped to the railing edge and gazed around in awe. “I thought I knew a lot about computers,” she said softly. “Nothing could have prepared me for this. I had no idea anything this vast could exist.” Everywhere she looked were computer stations and data storage units. Nothing even close to this existed in the Federation.

“Our people were great inventors and delved deep into creating the ultimate computer,” spoke Garak, as he stepped over next to Katie. “From this room everything on the planet and even the star system could be controlled.”

“It’s also where the AI-creation program originated,” added Leental with deep regret in her voice.

“How will we ever find what we’re seeking?” asked Kathryn, realizing the stupendous job ahead of them—like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack, and a very small needle at that.

“It will take us decades, if not centuries, to go through all the information stored here,” Leental said. “Over two hundred Altons are already working in this room alone, and we’ve barely touched the surface of the data in the computers.”

“Can you take Katie and Mikow to a couple computer terminals and show them how to operate them?” asked Kathryn. She knew the only hope they had rested on the shoulders of her two computer experts.

“Of course,” Leental said with a nod. “If you’ll follow me, I will log you into the system.”

Sometime later Kathryn watched as Katie and Mikow worked at two computer stations, similar to the ones the Altons had put on the Distant Horizon with touch screens and voice commands. Taking a seat, Kathryn knew she might be in for a long wait.

-

“It’s hopeless,” Katie said, as she gazed at the computer screen and the data being displayed. She looked over at Kelsey and shook her head. “We don’t know what we’re looking for. There’s a tremendous amount of information just about the black hole at the galaxy’s center. It will take months—or more likely years—to sift through it all.”

“Fleet Admiral Streth wouldn’t have sent us here if he thought we couldn’t find what we need,” spoke Kelsey, stepping up next to Katie. “Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way.”

“What do you mean?” asked Katie, shifting her gaze from Kelsey back to the screen. She needed some ideas on how to limit the parameters of her search.

“To go where the Avenger and the lost fleets went, we have to go to the black hole at the galaxy’s center,” Kelsey said. “I think we need to focus our search on that aspect. See what the earliest references are about the black hole.”

“There’s a lot,” Katie said, as she called up an index listing all the black hole research that had been done. “It would take years to go through even this.”

Kelsey thought hard about what to ask the computer. “Search for strange occurrences involving the black hole,” Kelsey suggested.

“Strange occurrences?” asked Katie, looking confused. She shook her head and decided to humor Kelsey. A moment later her eyes grew wide. “Admiral Barnes, you need to see this.”

Everyone crowded around to see what Katie was talking about. On the computer screen was a large bulbous black ship with six large spires reaching outward from its forward hull.

“What the hell is that?” uttered Kathryn. She didn’t know of any species that had a ship like that one. She wondered if this was some type of experimental AI ship.

“From the information here, this alien ship emerged from a spatial vortex near the black hole just a few centuries after the Altons died out here on Astral,” Katie said. “They were a strange-looking race and spent some time with the AIs before going back through the vortex. They were never seen again.”

“Did they say where they came from?” asked Kathryn, her curiosity piqued. She wondered if this was what Admiral Streth had sent them to Astral to find.

“Yes,” Katie answered with a strange look upon her face. “They said they were from another galaxy.”

It suddenly became so quiet that a single falling pin could be heard. Everyone looked at one another in astonishment.

“Mikow, how soon after these visitors showed up did the AIs begin conquering other worlds?” asked Kathryn, hoping her suspicions were wrong. Even the Altons had long been confused as to why the AIs had turned so violently against the organic races of this galaxy.

“Just a moment,” Mikow said, as she asked the necessary questions of her assigned computer.

“Twenty years,” she said her eyes growing wide in shock. “Do you think this mysterious race changed the programming of the AIs in some way?”

“I don’t know,” Kathryn said. “Can Garak or Leental check? They didn’t give us access to the Codex.”

“I doubt whether many have access to it,” Andram said, as he turned to search for the other two Altons.

-

Later they all stood, looking at one another in shock. “Are you certain?” Kathryn asked.

“Yes, it’s right here,” said Leental, pointing to some complicated computer code up on Katie’s screen. “A minor adjustment was made to the Codex during the time this strange race was here on Astral.”

“What does the change do?” asked General Wesley, who had come down to see what the excitement was about.

“It’s a minor alteration, but it changed the way the AIs looked at organic races,” explained Leental. “Instead of seeing them as being something to protect, it made them into competitors for resources instead.”

“The AIs were programmed to protect the Alton home world and system,” Mikow explained. “This would have made other races potential threats.”

“As time passed, the programming took precedence and was the center of AI activity,” continued Leental, taking a deep breath. “The AIs began moving about the galaxy to procure resources to ensure the home world could continue to exist. You see the city around us. Part of their original programming was to preserve it and the knowledge stored here.”

“We always believed the original programming would eventually bring the AIs into conflict with other races,” Garak said. “That’s why we brought Humans from Earth to Tellus. We felt they could stop any future expansion by the AIs. Yet the AIs moved much more quickly and violently than we had envisioned, and this change in their programming helps to explain it.”

“As the AIs continued to advance and the Codex got more complicated, the AIs themselves got more aggressive, eventually becoming the threat we had to deal with four years ago,” Mikow said.

“At least we know what started the war,” Kathryn said. This would make for some interesting discussions back in the Federation. “But how does this help us find Admiral Strong and the lost fleets?”

Katie called up some additional data on a nearby screen. “The Simulins are the race that came to our galaxy. They left instructions about how to send a probe back to their galaxy, once all the organic races in this one were annihilated. This program the AIs could not access until after they had activated the Eternity Device.”

“I guess the Simulins didn’t expect the AIs to send a fleet through instead,” commented General Wesley.

“No, somehow over the centuries, the program grew slightly corrupted,” explained Leental, pointing to several lines of code now glowing red. “The AIs built all their constructions at the galaxy’s center, thinking it was their idea to expand their empire to other galaxies. They didn’t realize the corrupted Simulin program was originally designed to cause the AIs to open up a small vortex to send a probe through. Instead, the AIs were going to send their own fleets through, in an attempt to conquer the Simulins’ galaxy.”

“Katie?” Kathryn asked. “Can we use that information to take the Distant Horizon to the Simulins’ galaxy?” She was certain that was where the Avenger and the other fleets had gone. She also felt a chill at realizing what some of Fleet Admiral Streth’s cryptic remarks might mean.

“I think so,” Katie said. “We know the course and the coordinates. All we need is the energy, and we can open a spatial vortex to transit there.”

Taking a deep breath, Kathryn looked at the others. “I believe our mission here is done. This is obviously the information Fleet Admiral Streth wanted us to find. Now let’s go find our lost fleets.”

Chapter Eight

The Distant Horizon dropped out of hyperspace, exiting the spatial vortex near the black hole in the galaxy’s center. On the main viewscreen, a mass of empty space seemed to fill the screen. The screen had been set to cut off the glare from the accretion disk.

“It’s an awesome sight,” spoke Andram, as he gazed thoughtfully at the black hole. “It has the mass of over 3.7 million stars, each the size of Earth’s sun.”

“This is a place of death,” commented Clarissa from Andram’s side. “I wish we didn’t have to come here. It’s dangerous to be so close to the black hole. Even now I can feel the tidal forces reaching out for the Distant Horizon.”

“We’re safe as long as we stay in orbit,” Andram reassured Clarissa. “We’re nearly a tenth of a light year away from the singularity.”

“It’s the only way to find Jeremy, Ariel, Kevin, and the others,” Kelsey reminded the AI, as she thought about what had happened the last time she had been here.

In the great battle, she had been serving as Navigation officer on the StarStrike, which was Fleet Admiral Streth’s flagship. So many people had died that day—or went missing.

“They’re waiting for us in the Triangulum Galaxy,” spoke Clarissa, her deep blue eyes looking expectantly at Kelsey. All their research of the information left by the Simulins indicated that was where the missing fleets had gone. Clarissa had run tens of thousands of simulations to reassure herself that Ariel and the Avenger had successfully made the transit. “I understand Katie has cases of hamburgers stored in the ship’s main freezer for Kevin.”

Kelsey allowed herself a laugh—something she didn’t do very often anymore. “Yes, that’s Kevin’s favorite food. When we served together on the Avenger, he had them at almost every meal. I think the only time he didn’t eat a hamburger was for breakfast.”

Those were good memories; the times the five of them, along with Ariel, had been in the officers’ mess, enjoying a meal together and talking. Sometimes they would talk about their current mission, and other times they would discuss what they would do when the war was over. One thing they’d all decided was that they wanted to stay together. All those plans had come crashing down when the Avenger had made her suicidal run on the Hypertranslation Station, and three of the Special Five along with Ariel had disappeared from the galaxy.

There’d been a time when Kelsey and Katie had both believed their husbands had died and the fleets with them had been destroyed by the uncontrolled energy released by the white vortex. They’d both felt numb at the memorial service at the Fleet Academy. Neither had wanted to accept that their loved ones were gone, and, for months, they’d lived in sorrow until Ambassador Tureen had contacted them with astonishing news.

Sensor readings and Alton research into the phenomenon at the black hole had suggested a possibility the Avenger and the lost fleets just might have survived their transit. Alton scientists, who specialized in hyperspace travel, had suggested that, for a brief time, the massive white vortex had formed a stable link to another galaxy. If, during that time, the Avenger and the other fleets had made the transit, then there was a possibility they’d survived.

Shilum Torre, a female Alton on board the Distant Horizon, was a specialist in hyperspace studies. She firmly believed, if they could find the necessary power, the Distant Horizon could make the transit to the same galaxy where the Avenger had gone. For the last two years, Shilum and a number of other Altons had designed a special Hyperspace drive based on a totally new set of principles. If the drive worked, they could make the transit to the designated galaxy almost instantaneously. It would also allow them to travel much faster during a normal hyperjump. Unfortunately it required a minimal cool down time after every long jump.

“We have to find them,” Kelsey said, her eyes misting over. “Jeremy and the Avenger have to be waiting for us.”

“They are,” Clarissa promised in her most confident voice. “I’ve told you before that Ariel would never allow anything bad to happen to the ship.”

“We have some work to do here,” Andram said, knowing how deeply Kelsey missed her mate. “It’ll take a few days of study and preparations, and then we should be ready to make our attempt.”

Kelsey nodded, her gaze returning to the viewscreen and the deadly, all-consuming black hole it displayed.

-

“Contacts,” reported Captain Reynolds from his Main Sensor console. “I have four Alton battleships, several science research vessels, and a small Federation fleet showing up on my sensors.”

“That would be the ships meeting us here,” Commander Grissim said, as friendly green icons appeared in one of the tactical displays. They’d been sent ahead several months back to make special preparations, which would be needed for the transit attempt.

“I have Admiral Jackson on the comm,” reported Captain Travers. “He was wondering if we would make it.”

Kathryn nodded. “Put him through to me.” She knew Admiral Jackson, having met him several times at New Tellus. He was a very competent admiral and a key part of what they’d planned.

“It’s good to see your ships, Admiral Jackson,” Kathryn said over the comm. It really did feel good to see friendly ships this far from home.

“We’ve been working to get everything ready,” Jackson replied. He was aboard his flagship, the battleship Dauntless. He had four strikecruisers with him as well as a battlecarrier and a fleet repair vessel.

“I hope you have good news for me,” Kathryn added. Admiral Jackson had been sent ahead with a specific set of orders. She just hoped that he had accomplished his mission, or the Distant Horizon’s attempt at an intergalactic transit might be delayed.

During the first two years after the great battle, a few Alton and Federation ships were always in the area, searching the wreckage around the black hole. It was a dangerous job due to the tidal and gravity effects from the black monstrosity, which tried to swallow anything that came too close. Already the majority of the wreckage from the battle had fallen into the maw of the indiscriminate black hole. Immediately after the battle, all the wreckage searched had been catalogued and any useful technology removed for future study.

“We have one Capacitor Station, which is intact and fully charged with energy,” Jackson answered. “The Altons have been studying it and, of course, agreed to allow your ship to tap into the stored energy.”

“How many Capacitor Stations survived?” Kathryn asked. She knew the power feedback from the destruction of the Hypertranslation Station had destroyed nearly all of the energy-collection stations. Most of their shattered remains had already been drawn into the black hole.

“Three,” Jackson replied. “Two of them were severely damaged. This one the Altons believe was off-line and never activated during the battle. That’s the only reason it survived intact.”

“Will that be enough?” asked Kathryn, turning and looking at Shilum, who was standing next to her. The tall white-haired Alton woman had wanted to be in the Command Center when they arrived at the black hole, and she had been listening to the conversation between the two admirals.

“Perhaps,” Shilum responded with a thoughtful nod. “We must review in much more detail the data downloaded from the Astral computer banks to determine the exact course to take. We also need to take some readings on the black hole to determine what effects it might have had on the spatial vortex that formed here. It’ll be several weeks at least before we’re ready to make our transit attempt.”

Kathryn nodded; she had expected this. “Admiral Jackson, it looks as if we’ll be here for a while.”

“The Altons on the science ships indicated the same thing,” Jackson responded. “I just hope that new ship of yours is ready for what’s ahead.”

“So do I,” Kathryn replied. “If you’d like, why don’t you come over? I’ll give you the grand tour of the Distant Horizon. I promise you’ve never seen anything quite like her before.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Jackson responded. “I’ve heard a few rumors about that ship of yours, and I’m looking forward to seeing her firsthand.”

“Clarissa, would you please put the Capacitor Station on the viewscreen,” requested Shilum. She wanted to see it up close, as this was her first trip to the galactic center.

Clarissa adjusted the large viewscreen, which covered the front wall, to show the surviving station. The image swelled on the screen until the 120-kilometer-diameter station nearly filled it. The energy-collection station was circular and covered with giant collector dishes. The entire outer surface bristled with various mechanisms and constructions.

Shilum stepped closer to the viewscreen, her eyes examining the entire structure. It still amazed her that the AIs had built something so large.

“The energy comes from the black hole,” Andram explained, as he gazed thoughtfully at the viewscreen. “It’s from the accretion disk and how it reacts to the matter being drawn into the singularity, generating a massive X-ray signature just outside the event horizon. It’s that energy the AIs were capturing.”

“The Capacitor Station is fully charged,” Shilum said, as she shifted her eyes toward Andram. “It’s sat here ever since the battle, just waiting for the proper signal to release its stored energy. We can use it to charge our vortex ring generators and then use our new Hyperspace drive to open up an intergalactic vortex to the Triangulum Galaxy.”

“I just hope it works,” spoke Kelsey. She didn’t know what she would do if their attempt failed. Living over four years without Jeremy had been horrific.

“It will,” promised Clarissa. “All the equations and simulations indicate a 98 percent chance for a successful transit, if we have sufficient energy.”

“Let’s get to work, people,” Kathryn ordered, after listening to the discussion. “We have a mission to accomplish, and I fully intend to find the Avenger and the missing fleets.”

-

A week later, Kathryn was on the Capacitor Station, inspecting the work being done. The station was massive and obviously built for use by the AIs. The station had been searched by teams of Marines to ensure no surviving AIs were lurking in its many corridors and power rooms. As a precaution there were still a large number of Marines stationed throughout the structure.

Kathryn was currently standing in one of the massive rooms used to control the energy collected from the black hole. A number of consoles filled the area, and the smell of ozone was prevalent in the air.

“We’ve added an environmental system to the station,” Admiral Jackson explained, as he saw Admiral Barnes frown at the smell in the air. “However, the station is so large that it’s not practical to pump a breathable atmosphere into every section. In most areas we wear an environmental suit to provide air and to protect us from radiation.”

“Radiation?” uttered Kathryn, turning to look at Jackson. “Where’s the radiation coming from?”

“In some areas we’ve detected high levels of X-rays,” he answered. “The Alton environmental suits give us adequate protection to work in those sections.”

Kathryn turned her attention back to the massive room in which they stood. It still amazed her that the AIs had built 1,200 of these stations in orbit around the black hole. It was a remarkable feat of construction, the likes of which the galaxy would probably never see again. A number of Alton technicians were currently in the room, working on the control consoles. Since they had been set up to be used by AIs, some modifications had to be made to make it practical for Altons or Humans to operate the controls. Currently wiring was strung across the floor of the room, and various panels had been opened up on a number of consoles, revealing their intricate control systems.

“How soon before the station is ready?” Kathryn asked, as she watched one of the Altons test a console he was working on. She was anxious to begin running tests.

“Four more days and the station will be ready to transmit its energy,” Jackson answered. He cocked an eyebrow and looked at Kathryn. “How soon before the Distant Horizon is ready to make the attempt?”

“Clarissa and Shilum are working on the final calculations now,” Kathryn answered. “We’ll run some tests before we actually try the intergalactic transit.”

She let out a deep sigh. The last few days had been hectic with Shilum and the other Altons flying back and forth between the Capacitor Station and the Distant Horizon. Andram had even taken a special shuttle and flown dangerously close to the black hole to take readings which he claimed were necessary for the calculations they were working on. Several special sensor buoys had been emplaced in the exact spot where the white vortex had first appeared, though Kathryn wasn’t certain why they were necessary. There'd been no signs of a vortex at that location in the past four years.

She had found it difficult to keep track of the Alton scientists and technicians on the ship. It was all her command crew could do just to stay aware of who was on the ship and who wasn’t. The Altons had a propensity for taking shuttles to the station whenever something new turned up or piqued their curiosity. She had finally ordered the Control Center for the flight bays just to log the coming and going of the Altons and to track which shuttles were currently away from the ship.

-

“I don’t know,” Katie said, looking at the equations on the computer screen that Mikow had put up. These were the results of what Shilum had been working on, and the computer had finally come up with a set of final jump equations. Katie was obviously out of her depth as far as this math was concerned. “Clarissa, ask Kelsey to come over here, so she can take a look at these.”

The equations in question were supposedly the exact track the Distant Horizon would have to take as it entered the intergalactic vortex to arrive at the same coordinates the Avenger and the missing fleets had.

Kelsey came over to the computer console, followed by Andram and Shilum. The three had been studying the information from when the Simulins had used an intergalactic spatial vortex to come to this galaxy. They’d uploaded a considerable amount of information from the computers on Astral, particularly in reference to the black hole and hyperspace travel, in case it was needed later. Garak had also insisted they take several Alton miniature computer drives, which contained over two hundred terabytes of data on technologies the AIs had records of but had never used.

“More equations,” moaned Kelsey, seeing what Katie had up on one of her computer screens.

“Intergalactic hyperspace equations,” added Shilum with interest. “Are these the ones we need to follow to find our missing fleets?” She and Clarissa had been working on the equations for several days. This was the first time she had seen the final results.

“We think so,” Mikow said in a tired voice. “Clarissa has helped us, and we’ve taken into account the information left by the Simulins, the effect of the black hole, spatial drift since the time the Simulins came through, and the equations you worked out earlier.”

“We’ve also studied the course taken by Rear Admiral Marks and Grayseth when they entered the white vortex,” Katie informed them. “This is the equation the computer core is spitting out, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.” It frustrated Katie that the secret to finding Kevin and the fleets might be right here in front of her, and she just didn’t understand what it was she was seeing.

Kelsey looked carefully at the equations. There were several pages of complicated navigational equations on the computer screen. She stepped forward and paged slowly through them, studying them as she went. “I’m not sure,” she said, after examining the equations for several minutes. “It seems that, if we’re off course by just a few meters, we could be thrown thousands of light years from our planned exit point.”

“Speed too,” Shilum said, as she looked intently at one section of the equations. She pointed to one equation she wanted Kelsey to see. “Just a difference of a few kilometers per second could put us off course also.”

“I can follow this course, and keep our speed and entry angle exact,” Clarissa stated confidently. “I’ve already run a number of simulations, and I believe we can emerge within just a few million kilometers of where the Avenger and the fleets did.”

“The entry vortex the Avenger and the other ships went through already had set up an exit vortex inside the target galaxy,” pointed out Andram. “Due to its size, it would not have been affected by speed or angle of entry. All ships would have come out at the same location.”

He had spent a lot of time studying the sensor readings taken during the battle when the white vortex had activated. A number of very prominent Alton scientists had worked with him to determine the probability of the Avenger and her fleets surviving. It was also true that a few Alton scientists believed the ships had been vaporized by the fluctuating energy of the unstable vortex.

“What does that mean?” asked Katie, turning to look at Andram.

“As a result, their speed and angle of entry into the vortex didn’t matter. However, the same won’t be true with us, as we don’t have the power available to open both ends of the hyperspace tunnel at the same time and keep them stable. We won’t have a second vortex anchoring us to a specific set of coordinates.”

“Also we’ll spend at least a few minutes inside hyperspace,” Shilum informed them. “Our transit won’t be quite as instantaneous as we had originally believed. That’s due to the energy constraints we’re dealing with. If we had all three of the surviving Capacitor Stations repaired and online and available to us, we could open up both ends of the hyperspace tunnel, guaranteeing our safe arrival at the designated coordinates.”

Kelsey let out a deep breath, as she thought over the ramifications of the hyperspace equations. “Even following these equations, there’s a chance we might not exit the end vortex in the same location as the Avenger and the fleets. It should be close, but it’s also been four years. Jeremy could’ve taken the fleets anywhere in that time.”

“We may have to conduct a search,” Commander Grissim said, stepping closer to the group. She had been listening to their conversation with interest. “We have the most powerful sensors available with a range of ten light years. It may take a while, but, if they’re there, we’ll find them.”

“What if we can’t find them?” asked Katie, a concerned look upon her face. “They could’ve gone a long way in four years. They could be anywhere in that galaxy.”

“A lot of ships went through the vortex,” Commander Grissim answered. “They’ll have left signs of their passage. I also believe Admiral Strong would have left a message on how to find or contact them. He has to know that, if there’s a rescue mission, it will come through in the same location his fleets did.”

“What about the AIs?” Kelsey asked. This was a subject they hadn’t discussed much. “A lot of AI ships were swallowed by the vortex, just like the Avenger and our fleets.”

“Admiral Cleeteus’s battleships went through, plus the Alton battlecruisers which were with Grayseth’s fleet,” Grissim reminded them. “They had the forces to hold off the AIs and to jump to a safe refuge, if needed.”

“There’s a possibility we may encounter AI ships once we reach the coordinates we’re targeting,” Andram said, looking over at Commander Grissim. “We may have to fight off the AIs when we arrive.”

“This ship has the most powerful particle beam cannons in existence,” Grissim pointed out. “They were specifically designed to penetrate the energy screen of an AI sphere. If we do encounter the AIs, they’ll learn very quickly to keep their distance. This ship is also equipped with Fusion Five reactors. They generate much more energy than those currently employed by the Federation and Alton fleets. Our new power beams are almost as powerful as the particle beams.”

“Plus we have the stealth energy shield,” Andram reminded them all. “Once it’s turned on, it’ll be impossible to detect the Distant Horizon. We can search with little fear of being detected.”

Kelsey nodded. She knew the Altons on the Distant Horizon wanted to avoid combat if at all possible, which was one of the reasons for developing the stealth energy shield. The only drawback to using the stealth shield was that the regular energy shield couldn’t be used at the same time. The stealth shield, while it was fully capable of masking all the ship’s emissions, was not capable of holding up to any type of attack.

“What about these Simulins?” asked Katie, her light green eyes showing worry. “We know nothing about them, other than they changed the AI Codex so the AIs were much more dangerous than thought possible. They don’t sound too friendly. What if we encounter them?”

“It’s a chance we’re taking,” admitted Commander Grissim. “There are a lot of risks and unknowns with this mission. It’s fortunate the Distant Horizon was designed both for combat and exploration. The Simulins are an unknown and will be dealt with when, and if, we encounter them.”

“How long can we search, if we don’t find the fleets immediately?” asked Kelsey. She knew the ship was well provisioned and even had the capability of building necessary replacement parts, if needed. The main concern would be their missiles. They had a limited supply of sublight missiles, both antimatter and Devastator Threes. Once those were gone, there would be no replacing them.

“Several years if necessary,” answered Commander Grissim.

“What’s next?” Katie asked.

“Admiral Barnes plans on taking the ship through several trial runs at entering the vortex we’ll generate,” Commander Grissim informed them. “We’ll make transits to nearby star systems to judge just how accurately we can jump the ship.”

“I can put the ship within meters of the designated coordinates,” stated Clarissa confidently. She could calculate the jump coordinates out far enough to ensure little or no deviation in their course.

“That’s all well and good,” Commander Grissim said, addressing the blond-haired AI. “Our normal jumps are only around 10 to, at the most, 120 light years. A few meters’ deviation is to be expected, but, keep in mind, we’re talking about a jump of nearly three million light years. A slight deviation could put us way off the mark.”

Everyone was silent as they weighed the commander’s words. They all knew she was correct. Getting to the coordinates of the lost fleets might not be as easy as they’d hoped.

Clarissa instantly ran more simulations, seeing what a variance in speed and entry angle would mean over such a distance. It didn’t take her long to realize she didn’t like the results.

-

A few days later, Admiral Barnes was speaking to several Alton scientists and technicians in the control room of the Capacitor Station. Everything was ready, and the energy could be transferred at any time. Inside the Distant Horizon were ten small spatial vortex generators, much smaller than the ones the AIs had used on their spatial vortex ring. The AIs had used thirty vortex generators, which were capable of opening a hyperspace tunnel twenty kilometers in diameter. All Kathryn needed was to generate a spatial vortex seven hundred meters across to allow the Distant Horizon sufficient room to make the intergalactic jump.

They’d already jumped the Distant Horizon a number of times, testing the accuracy of Clarissa’s piloting. Kathryn had been highly impressed. Now they had to create a vortex ring, and she needed to find out what would happen going through it.

“We’re jumping to the Triangulum Galaxy—or M33, as it’s more commonly called on your star charts,” Andram spoke, as he watched Alton technicians input various commands into the new control stations.

“Nearly three million light years,” Kathryn said, still finding it difficult to believe that a jump of such a distance was possible. “I hope the navigation coordinates we’ve worked out are accurate.”

“So do I,” Andram replied with a small sigh. He was beginning to like and respect this Human admiral. She seemed competent and didn’t hesitate to listen to the Altons, though none were in the military. “We based them on what the Simulins used to come to our galaxy. We know, from the message they left for the AIs, how much energy was necessary. We’re also fairly certain that, when the Simulins appeared close to the black hole, they left devices behind to collect energy, so they could return to their home galaxy. There are some vague references to energy-collection satellites, though we’re not certain just what they meant.”

“Something similar to the Capacitor Stations but much smaller,” suggested Kathryn. “If they brought those with them, then the collector satellites would have had to be small in order to fit inside their flight bay or cargo hold.”

Kathryn’s words were interrupted as the main viewscreen suddenly came to life. It was focused on the black hole, a tenth of a light year distant. She knew that the Alton and Federation ships were orbiting the black hole, the same as the surviving Capacitor Station. The stars in this area of space were only a light week apart, but the area immediately around the all-consuming monster had been swept clean.

The center of the screen showed an area of darkness surrounded by a brilliant light too difficult to look at. The Alton technician operating the viewscreen quickly adjusted it, and the light around the black hole grew dimmer.

“Where’s all the light coming from?” asked Kathryn, looking over at Andram for an explanation.

“It’s the radiation from the black hole,” replied Andram. “Or, to be more precise, it’s from the accretion disk. Matter trapped there is spinning so fast as it spirals down to the black hole that its speed generates heat, causing it to ionize. The matter’s electrons separate from their nuclei and eventually fall into the singularity.”

“Where did the matter come from?” Kathryn asked. As near as she could see, the immediate area around the black hole was devoid of stars.

“The tidal forces from the black hole occasionally tear a star apart, and, over time, the star is pulled in toward the event horizon. Some of it falls directly in and seems to vanish. Part of it becomes trapped in the accretion disk. It takes time for the trapped matter to lose its centrifugal force and fall past the event horizon into the singularity itself. This, to put it simply, is what’s causing the black hole to glow. If we switched to a view of escaping radiation only, the black hole would look like a bright beacon at our galaxy’s center.”

Kathryn nodded her head in understanding. She knew Andram had simplified his answer, so she could understand it. The Alton research scientist was well versed in the structure of the galaxy and its different components.

“I noticed from our sensor scans that the majority of the wreckage from the battle fought here has already been pulled into the black hole or is very close to it.”

“Yes,” answered Andram, shifting his eyes to Kathryn. “During the battle, the AI ships, as well as their constructions, were knocked from their orbits. Once that happened, the black hole began pulling them in. There’s still a lot of wreckage closer to the black hole that will be pulled in over the next year.”

“We’re almost ready for the test,” an Alton technician reported to Andram.

Andram nodded, and, motioning for Kathryn to follow him, he stepped over to what was obviously the main control console. Mikow Lall and Shilum Torre were both seated there, plus a couple other Altons who Kathryn wasn’t familiar with.

“We’ll power up our ring generators,” Shilum informed them. “This is only a test and will require a minimum amount of energy from the station.” The small vortex-generating stations had been deployed the day before.

“I have a probe set to go through the vortex,” Mikow added, her light blue eyes shifting to the admiral. “I’ve set the vortex to open in a nearby star system that’s only six light years distant. One of our science cruisers, along with one of Admiral Jackson’s strikecruisers, is waiting there to retrieve it upon arrival.”

“Very well,” Kathryn said. “Let’s begin the test.”

The Altons had been careful to notify her earlier about the test. Most of them were beginning to accept her as being in charge of the mission. Each day the crew trusted her more and more. Any concerns she had of Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa taking over the Distant Horizon were rapidly beginning to fade away.

The main viewscreen suddenly switched its orientation and focused on a dark area of space. Kathryn thought she could see several of the small vortex ring generators, but she wasn’t certain.

“Charging vortex stations,” Shilum said, as she pressed several buttons on the console.

On the main screen, beams of white energy suddenly shot out to the ten waiting generator stations.

“Five percent charge,” Mikow called out, as she watched several small data displays in front of her. “Ten percent.”

“Shut it down,” Shilum instructed, satisfied sufficient energy had been transferred. It would take the station two days to replace what they’d just transferred. They had already learned enough about the station to use its systems to capture power from the black hole.

“Power transfer shutdown initiated,” replied one of the Alton technicians. “Shutdown complete.”

“Now let’s open up a vortex,” Shilum said with a trace of excitement in her voice. “Activating the vortex generators.”

On the viewscreen, a sudden glowing white vortex formed. There was a hint of blue on the outer regions of the anomaly.

“Probe is entering the vortex,” Mikow reported.

On the screen, a small probe could be seen approaching the glowing vortex. It flew directly into its center, and then, moments later, the vortex vanished as the generators shut down.

“Now what?” asked Kathryn, looking over expectantly at the Altons.

“We wait,” answered Shilum. “Times have been synchronized, and we should know how long the transit took, as soon as the probe reaches its target coordinates.”

“What are you expecting?” asked Kathryn. She knew these tests were very important to see how accurate they could make their eventual transit.

“If our hyperspace equations are correct, the transit should have been instantaneous.”

Kathryn nodded. If this test was successful, then, in just a few more days, the Distant Horizon would follow in the probe’s wake. However, instead of transiting to a nearby star system, the exploration dreadnought would be going to another galaxy.

Chapter Nine

One Year Previous

The four-hundred-meter-long stealth destroyer Everest was moving slowly through the outer reaches of a small G-Class star system, which showed evidence of a space-going civilization. The destroyer’s hull was coated with a composite material, supposedly immune to detection. All her power emissions were being held to a minimum with only passive sensors being used.

“What do we have?” asked Captain Wilkins, looking over at Lieutenant Schmidt, who was sitting in front of the ship’s Main Sensor console.

“It’s definitely a Simulin system,” Schmidt replied in a low voice. Everyone in the Command Center had been speaking quietly, almost as if they were fearful of being heard.

“We expected that,” Wilkins said, taking a deep fortifying breath.

This was the seventh system they’d found in the last week that held Simulins. It seemed as if this entire sector of space was infested with the dangerous aliens. He wondered what the other three stealth destroyers were finding. If they were discovering the same thing as the Everest, then the Simulins were far more widespread and numerous than they had been originally believed.

“There are twelve planets in the system with two in the liquid water zone,” Schmidt continued, as he studied the information coming in on his sensors. “The fourth planet is emitting high energy readings, indicating a large industrial and population base. The second planet is a little farther out, but it also shows a substantial artificial energy reading.”

“Two planets in one system,” spoke Wilkins with a frown, thinking about what type of industrial base that would mean. “What about the moons and asteroids?”

“I’m picking up evidence of heavy mining operations on most of the system’s moons, plus in the asteroid field between planets seven and eight.”

“Navigation,” spoke Captain Wilkins, starting to grow concerned about what he was hearing. “Keep us outside the orbit of the ninth planet and stay well away from any gravity wells. If we need to jump, I want to do so quickly.”

“Yes, sir,” replied the Navigation officer.

Captain Wilkins stepped closer to the tactical display, which was rapidly being updated with information from the passive scans. It was full of red threat icons, plus a number of unidentified objects shown as yellow.

“What are all those yellow icons?”

“Many of them are cargo ships,” Schmidt replied. “Also a number of what appear to be orbiting structures surround both the inhabited planets. Without using our full sensors, I can’t be sure, but I would guess they’re either space stations or shipyards. Three of them appear to be extremely large.”

“Then they’re probably shipyards,” Wilkins said in agreement. It would make sense with the high industrial base they had detected.

It was becoming quickly apparent from the systems they had visited that the Simulins were maintaining a heavy presence in this part of the Triangulum Galaxy. Each Simulin planet had at least one orbiting shipyard and large fleets of their fearsome-looking warships. Wilkins checked the tactical display to see if any were near the Everest’s current position. The nearest seemed to be at least one hundred million kilometers distant, probably a routine patrol, keeping tabs on ship movements in the outer system. There were a lot of yellow icons near the Everest, moving about.

“What should we do?” asked Lieutenant Rumson, the executive officer.

“We’ll stay in this system for a few more hours,” Wilkins said. “Then we’ll go on to the next target system. Admiral Strong wants a general idea of what’s around us, in case the Simulins discover our base in the nebula.”

Rumson nodded his head in understanding. All four new stealth destroyers were currently searching space within several hundred light years of the nebula, trying to determine just how large the Simulin presence was. So far they’d found seven systems inhabited by the strange alien race and four star systems with planets that showed signs of nuclear bombardment. They hadn’t sent down any shuttles down to the destroyed worlds, as they knew that Simulin scavenger robots were probably on the surface. They also didn’t want to risk discovery.

-

Jeremy was on the surface of Gaia—what they had named the planet to remind them of Earth. The planet had a narrow habitable band approximately fourteen hundred kilometers wide around its equator. The weather in the area was temperate, and a small modern city had been established, currently holding nearly two thousand Humans, eighty Altons, and sixty Carethians. Most of these were families, who had requested permission to live on the surface. A small spaceport had been built near the city, as well as a military base to ensure its safety.

Jeremy stepped from his shuttle and took a deep breath of the fresh air. It was much different from the air on the Avenger. He could smell the trees and a slight scent of flowers from the nearby forest. The air on the Avenger was missing these comforting elements.

“We’re only ten kilometers from the ocean,” Kevin said, as he walked down the shuttle’s ramp next to Jeremy. “Angela and I came down and stayed at one of the ocean side resorts that have been built.”

Jeremy eyed Kevin questionably and saw his best friend turn red, almost matching his hair.

“Nothing happened,” uttered Kevin, with a sigh. “Angela and I are both still hoping that we get rescued someday. We stayed in separate rooms, and spent most of our time laying on the beach and reminiscing about past vacations back on Careth and New Tellus.”

“Those were good days,” Jeremy agreed. “How did you like the food at the resort?”

The variety of food at the resorts had always been one of Kelsey’s favorite things, though Jeremy preferred the different fruit juices. There was one on New Tellus that he had fallen in love with, though it had now been well over five years since he had last tasted it. He would give anything if he could be on that beach with Kelsey right now.

“It was all right,” answered Kevin, with a sad look on his face. “They had hamburgers, but the taste wasn’t the same. Angela did mention some of the fruit drinks were really good.”

“We should be thankful the fruits and other items we’ve found on this planet are palatable,” Jeremy said. Several large farms had been established and were now responsible for providing most of the food for the fleets.

“Why did you want to come to the surface, Jeremy?” Kevin asked.

He had volunteered to accompany his friend because he wanted to get out of the Avenger for a few hours. It was nice to walk around without the metal hull of the ship being the only thing keeping out the harsh vacuum of space. The sun shining down on his face and the gentle breeze felt fantastic.

“I need to inspect the spaceport and the military facility,” Jeremy answered. “As time goes by, more and more of our crewmembers will want to come down to the surface. If we don’t see any signs of rescue in the next few years, we could very easily lose half of them.”

“What would that do to the fleet?” Kevin asked, his eyes showing concern.

He knew that it wasn’t practical to ask people to live out their lives on the orbiting spaceships. Already a large expansion project was ongoing in the city and it was expected to grow rapidly over the next few years as more and more crewmembers left the ships.

“Most of our ships are pretty automated,” Jeremy said, as he watched a ground vehicle pull up. They had constructed a small number of these to be used in the city and at the spaceport. “We can probably get by for a few more years, even with additional people coming to the surface. We’re already using the supply ships’ crews to fill in for some crewmembers and to help out at the resorts and farms.”

“Do you think they’re coming?” Kevin asked, as his eyes shifted to Jeremy. “It’s been over three years, and we’ve seen no signs of a rescue attempt. Our entry point has remained empty with no probes, ships, or even the hint of a vortex.”

Kevin was beginning to give up hope of ever seeing Katie again. A number of AI ships were stationed close to the system where they had initially appeared. Two AI ships were hiding deep inside the atmosphere of a gas giant several light years from there. Stealthed vortex detection buoys had been placed in that system and the surrounding ones, so the AIs would know instantly if a rescue ship appeared. So far, other than an occasional Simulin vessel, the system had been quiet.

“I refuse to give up hope,” Jeremy answered. “I spoke to Tanith and Garan several days ago. Both Altons are convinced their fellow scientists in our galaxy would’ve realized shortly after the battle that we made the transit successfully. The two Altons estimated it would take four to six years before a rescue mission could be properly equipped and launched. The biggest obstacle will be the energy needed to power a hyperspace tunnel which can reach this galaxy.”

“Of course the Simulins will be waiting for them,” Kevin said. He knew Kelsey and Katie would be on that mission, if it ever did occur. “They won’t be expecting an attack as soon as they make transit.” This really worried Kevin, and it was something he thought about often.

“I’ve spoken to the Command AI,” Jeremy said after a moment. The AIs continued to hold up their end of the agreement, and all their ships had now been fully repaired and armed with multiple particle beam cannons. The Command AI had indicated that they would like to work more closely with the Altons, since the ancient race were their creators. “They’re willing to place more of their ships around the system where we think a rescue ship will appear.”

“Why do you say 'think'?” Kevin asked, as they climbed into the ground car. He had always assumed where they had exited the vortex would be where a rescue mission would appear.

“Tanith mentioned that even a slight deviation in the angle of entry or in speed could send the rescue mission almost anywhere in this galaxy,” Jeremy explained. “It has something to do with the power they’ll have available to create a hyperspace tunnel. They won’t have hundreds of AI Capacitor Stations supplying energy, like we did.”

“You mean, they could appear hundreds or even thousands of light years away?” Kevin said incredulously, realizing just how hard it might be for a rescue mission to find them. They might search the galaxy for years and never find the Avenger and her fleets, particularly since they were hiding inside a gaseous nebula.

“Precisely,” Jeremy said, as the ground car began moving.

Kevin leaned back and was silent. He wasn’t sure what to say. After hearing that, it seemed very possible he might never see Katie again.

-

Later Jeremy and Kevin were busy inspecting the small military base built to protect the people who had elected to live on the planet. It wasn’t a large base, but it was surrounded with a series of railguns and laser turrets which were capable of shooting down any inbound missile. There were also a number of missile interceptor batteries that could take out a missile entering the atmosphere from low orbit.

“We have four hundred Marines stationed on the planet,” Major McGown informed them. The Marine major split his time between executing his duties on the Avenger and seeing that the military base was operating smoothly.

“What would happen if the Simulins launched an attack?” asked Kevin, as he looked at a missile battery capable of launching Hunter interceptor missiles. The missile tubes of the battery held six of the small, deadly missiles.

“I feel confident we could shoot down anything they send at us,” McGown stated.

“What if they land troops on the surface or some of those scavenger robots you encountered?” Jeremy asked. He was concerned that the Simulins might drop hundreds or possibly thousands of the crablike robots around the city.

“We have explosive rounds for use in our assault rifles,” McGown informed them. “They should easily take out the scavenger robots. I would also like to request several squadrons of Talon fighters be assigned to the base, plus one squadron of Anlon bombers. That would give us the capability of taking them out from the air.”

Jeremy nodded; it sounded like a good idea. “I’ll speak to Rear Admiral Marks about your suggestion. If we base three squadrons here, we’ll have to supply adequate munitions and assign maintenance crews to keep them flightworthy.”

As they continued their tour, they examined the railgun batteries and the twin laser turrets that surrounded the base. Everything was in working order, and the Marines they encountered seemed professional.

“I’m glad to see your Marines are in such good spirits,” Jeremy said, as they returned to the ground car.

“They enjoy being on the surface instead of cooped up inside a ship,” McGown stated. “I’m considering rotating a large number of the Marines we have in the fleets through the base to give them all some time on the ground.”

“We have a lot of Marines in orbit,” Jeremy said. The Avenger herself had a Marine complement of four hundred. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to expand the base and station even more Marines here.”

“We’ll have more people coming down over the next few years,” predicted Kevin. He had noticed on the Avenger that more people were pairing up. “We may want to consider building a second Marine base on the other side of the city.”

Jeremy nodded. They needed to protect the people on the ground. “Major McGown, check into the feasibility of building another base or if it would be better to expand this one. Let me know what you would need.”

“I’ll see to it,” McGown replied. “You’ll have my report and recommendations within the week.”

-

Several hours later they were in the shuttle as it climbed back into orbit. They’d gone on a quick tour of the small city, and Jeremy had been greatly impressed by all that had been accomplished. The homes built for the families had reminded him of his and Kelsey’s on Careth. At times like this he felt a homesickness and the deep loneliness from being separated from his wife.

“I can see one of the new Type Two battlestations,” Kevin said, pointing out the small viewport.

“We’ve finally got construction started,” Jeremy acknowledged. “We have two of the fleet repair ships building them.”

Jeremy knew the Altons, along with some Human technicians, had redesigned the battlestations. The new ones were 150 meters in diameter and fully self-contained. They had an upgraded energy shield, defensive lasers, and two particle beam cannons. They were also equipped with twelve Devastator Three missile tubes and a standard crew of fifty. The new stations were powered by a class three fusion reactor.

“What about Alton particle beam satellites?” Kevin asked. He would feel much more comfortable when the planet was protected by an envelope of those powerful satellites, particularly since particle beams had been the only effective weapon against the Simulin ships.

“I spoke to Admiral Cleeteus, Grayseth, and Daelthon aboard the Clan Protector about that very subject,” Jeremy answered. “A production line for the satellites is being set up with the aid of a number of Alton technicians. Daelthon feels they’ll be able to go into full production within two weeks. If everything goes as they say it will, they should be able to build twenty satellites per week.”

“We’re building a pretty powerful rabbit hole here,” Kevin said after a moment. “I just hope all these defenses are never needed.”

“So do I,” Jeremy responded, as the Avenger came into view. Sometime in the next two weeks, the four stealth destroyers he had sent out would be returning. Perhaps then they would have a better idea of just how strong the Simulin presence around them was in this part of the Triangulum Galaxy.

-

The Everest had been scanning the system for hours, and the results of those scans were frightening. The system was heavily industrialized and full of warships. Several Simulin fleets had entered the system in the last two hours and seemed to be just waiting. Other Simulin fleets had left the vicinity of the shipyards and were on outward-bound trajectories. This behavior was of deep concern to the captain.

“Do you think they’ve detected our sensor scans?” asked Lieutenant Rumson. “I don’t like what’s on the tactical display.”

“I don’t see how,” Captain Wilkins said, as he walked over to gaze speculatively at the display. “That’s five fleets we’ve detected. Over five hundred warships!”

“Just in this one system,” Rumson said, his eyes showing growing concern. “If they’re as widespread as it seems, we could be talking about thousands of warships.”

“It’s vital we get this information back to Admiral Strong,” Wilkins said, taking a deep breath. “We’ll wait a little bit longer, until we see what those fleets are up to. We don’t dare do anything to lead them back to the nebula.”

“Do you think we should cancel the survey missions?”

“For a while, or at least until we finish the defenses around Gaia,” Wilkins replied, as he turned and looked over at Navigation. “Plot us a dogleg course back to the nebula. I think our mission is over.”

“Sir,” spoke Lieutenant Schmidt in a louder voice. “The Simulin fleets are all opening up vortices and preparing to jump.”

“Where to?” asked Rumson, wondering why all five fleets would be jumping at the same time. Was there a threat in another star system they were reacting to?

Before he could say anything else, swirling white vortices opened up all around the Everest.

Unknown to the crew, when the destroyer had jumped into the Simulin system, a small meteorite had impacted the hull, knocking off a piece of the composite stealth material. Due to sensors being down for the first few seconds after coming out of hyperspace, the slight damage had never turned up on the ship’s systems.

“They’ve found us,” warned Schmidt, his eyes narrowing. “Spatial vortices are opening in close proximity to the Everest.”

“Raise our energy shield,” ordered Wilkins, moving to his command chair and buckling himself in. “Take us to Condition One, and prepare to jump out of here.” The ship had been at Condition Two, as they had believed themselves safe from detection.

“Shield is up,” reported Rumson, as he gazed at the ship’s main viewscreen, showing a Simulin warship nearing the Everest.

“Simulins are firing!” warned Lieutenant Schmidt, as the Everest shook violently.

“Hyperdrive is off-line,” Rumson reported with panic in his eyes, as he listened to the report from the ship’s chief engineer. “It’ll take at least an hour for repairs.”

“We don’t have an hour,” Captain Wilkins said, as he leaned back in his command chair and closed his eyes. He opened them and looked at the crew in the Command Center. They all knew what this meant.

“Helm, get us away from the Simulin ships,” ordered Lieutenant Rumson. The Everest had an extremely fast sublight drive. He was hoping they could maneuver the ship out of the enclosing warships and make a run for it.

“It won’t work, Paul,” Wilkins said in a soft voice. “They’ll just jump back in front of us.”

The Everest vibrated, and the hull seemed to ring. Red and amber lights glowed on the Damage Control console. The lights dimmed and then returned to normal.

“Energy shield is down to 20 percent,” Rumson said, his face turning pale as he realized they wouldn’t be returning to the nebula. “I don’t think they’re trying to destroy us. They seem to be trying to knock down our shield.”

“They want to know who we are and where our fleets went,” Wilkins said with a nod of his head. “We can’t allow that to happen.”

“Then we only have one choice,” Rumson said, as he approached the command console where the captain was.

“We all knew this was a possibility. That’s why only crewmembers with no attachments or strong personal relationships were chosen to operate the four stealth destroyers.”

“I guess we drew the short straw,” Rumson said softly, as he entered his authorization code into the command console. His wife had died years earlier in a vehicle accident, and he had no one else. He was ready to join her.

“It’s been an honor,” Captain Wilkins said, as he leaned forward and entered his command code into the console. A red light blinked, and a thirty-second countdown began.

The ship shook violently several more times, and the lights dimmed and stayed that way.

“Energy shield is down,” confirmed Lieutenant Schmidt in a steady voice. “The Simulins are pulling us in with some type of tractor beam.”

“We have served the Federation well,” Captain Wilkins said, as he looked at his command crew. He leaned back and closed his eyes, knowing they were doing the right thing by not allowing the Simulins to retrieve any information from the Everest.

In Engineering, two ten-kiloton warheads exploded as the ship’s self-destruct activated. Twin glowing balls of brilliant light encompassed the valiant destroyer as the released nuclear energy vaporized the ship. The Simulin ship attempting to dock with the Everest was also hit by the blast, and a massive hole was ripped in its side. The crew of the Everest had done their duty to ensure the Simulins would learn nothing of the location of Admiral Strong and the fleets.

Chapter Ten

Admiral Race Tolsen looked at the viewscreen as the WarHawk approached the planet Calthan Three. According to captured Hocklyn data, this planet was inhabited by a pre-space-age society with rudimentary atomic power. The planet had furnished several different alloys which the Hocklyns found useful in spaceship construction and was considered to be a minor world in their Slaver World network.

“Hocklyn space station is still in orbit,” Commander Arnett reported, as she examined the data from the ship’s sensors. “No sign of any Hocklyn vessels.”

Race nodded. He hadn’t expected any. Toward the end of the Hocklyn war, they’d pulled back nearly all their ships toward their core systems. The few that had stayed in the outer regions of the empire had long since been hunted down by Federation and Alliance warships.

“No power readings are coming from the station,” added Brice Cowel, the executive officer. “It seems to be abandoned.”

“Picking up an unidentified contact coming around the far side of the planet,” Lieutenant Davis called out, as a red threat icon flared up on the tactical screen. “Energy readings suggest the ship is heavily armed.”

“Run it through the ship database, and see if you can identify it,” ordered Race, leaning forward in his command chair. “Madelyn, take the fleet to Condition One.”

Instantly alarms sounded, and red lights started flashing. Across the fleet, crews raced to their battlestations. The six battlecarriers along with the fighter and bomber squadrons on board were placed on high alert for possible combat.

“It’s a Shari cruiser,” reported Lieutenant Davis. “From Hocklyn data the ship is nine-hundred-meters long, cylindrical, and armed with energy weapons and sublight nuclear missiles. They also supposedly possess a very powerful defensive shield. That description matches the ship our sensors are detecting.”

“Lieutenant Travers, hail the Shari cruiser and ask them what they’re doing in former Hocklyn space,” Race ordered. Most of the Third Fleet was already inside the gravity well of the planet, but that didn’t concern him, as his ships were equipped with the newer Hyperspace drives, which allowed them to jump from inside a gravity well.

Lieutenant Travers did as ordered, using the ship’s computer to translate the message into something the Shari would understand. They had a complete Shari language base, which they’d obtained from the Hocklyns.

“I’m receiving a response, sir,” she said, as the computer quickly translated it. “They claim this world is now part of the Shari Empire, and they are ordering us to withdraw immediately.”

“What now, Admiral?” Madelyn asked with a frown. The main viewscreen displayed a large cylinder-shaped spaceship. It was dark and menacing with numerous energy weapon turrets and small hatches indicating possible missile tubes. “It’s evident that the Shari have indeed begun moving into former Hocklyn space.”

“We push them back out,” Race said. Fleet Admiral Nagumo had been very clear in his instructions as to what he had expected the Third Fleet to do if they encountered Shari vessels. “If we allow them to become too well established, it will be a bigger pain later and could lead to all-out war.”

He looked over at Lieutenant Travers. “Put me in contact with the commander of that ship and have the computer translate.” He hoped he could avoid a conflict with the Shari, but, as one of the proxy races for the AIs, he knew that hope was doubtful.

Travers made some adjustments on her console and then turned her head toward the admiral. “Ready, sir.”

“Shari vessel,” began Race in a steady and confident voice, “I am Admiral Tolsen of the New Human Federation of Worlds. All former Hocklyn space is now under the protection of the Federation and the Alliance, and no infringement of that space will be permitted or tolerated. Your vessel may depart peacefully, but it will depart.”

“No response,” reported Travers, as she listened intently.

“What if they fire at us?” Madelyn asked, her eyes narrowing.

“We fire back,” answered Race without hesitation. “Captain Daniels, prepare to fire a warning shot across their bow. Use a power beam to show them that we’re serious. Hit them first with a targeting scan to let them know we mean what we say.”

“This is High Lord Aktill of the Shari,” said a strange high-pitched voice coming over the admiral’s comm. “We do not recognize your authority in this sector of space. The Shari Empire has claimed all former Hocklyn worlds within one thousand light years of our empire. Your ships have no right to be here and should withdraw immediately. If you do not, I will summon a Shari warfleet.”

Race drew a deep breath. He was being forced to make a decision he had hoped to avoid. “Summon your fleet and we will destroy it,” he said. “You have one hour to leave the vicinity of this planet. At the end of that time, I will destroy your ship.”

“High Lord Aktill has cut off communications,” Lieutenant Travers informed Race. “I’m picking up a hyperspace communications signal. Should I jam it?”

“No,” replied Race, shaking his head. “We need to set an example for the Shari, and this system is as good as any other.”

“Do you think we’ll have to fight, if a Shari fleet appears?” asked Commander Arnett. Madelyn hoped they weren’t about to drag the Federation into another war.

“Perhaps,” answered Race, leaning back in his command chair. “Now we wait and see what happens.”

-

The hour was nearly up, and Race was about to give the order to fire a warning shot in front of the Shari cruiser’s bow when it suddenly accelerated. The ship headed away from the Federation fleet as it made its way out of the gravity well of the planet.

“I wonder if they can jump from within a gravity well?” asked Commander Arnett, as she watched the Shari cruiser rapidly pick up speed.

“There’s no record of it in the Hocklyn database,” answered Race, shifting his gaze from the computer screen to Madelyn. “As far as we know, the AIs never shared that technology with any of their proxy races. Our own advanced hyperdrives came from the Altons.”

“What are your orders, Admiral?” asked Madelyn. She knew there was a good chance the fleet would soon be going into combat.

“Put the fleet into orbit fifty thousand kilometers above the planet. We’ll use defensive formation D-5 while we wait. If the Shari can’t jump in or out of a gravity well, we’ll let them come to us. That way, if we need to withdraw, we can safely jump, leaving them trapped close to the planet.”

“Sounds like a good strategy,” Madelyn responded, as she moved to carry out her orders.

Race nodded. He had a large fleet, reinforced with four Alton battleships. He felt pretty confident he could handle anything the Shari threw at him, but he also knew—from fighting the AIs and the Hocklyns—not to underestimate an enemy.

-

For a little over two days, the Third Fleet orbited Calthan Three, waiting to see if the Shari were putting in an appearance. There was a chance High Lord Aktill had been bluffing. They’d also received several radio messages from the planet, inquiring as to who they were and if they were the planet’s new conquerors.

A shuttle with several Altons and Humans had gone down to the planet to meet with representatives of the planetary government to inform them of the current galactic situation. Race had been surprised to discover that the inhabitants had a canine ancestry.

“Spatial vortices detected,” called out Lieutenant Davis.

“Put them up on the main viewscreen,” ordered Race, leaning forward, anxious to see if this was the threatened Shari warfleet.

Numerous white vortices materialized on-screen, and cylindrical ships made an appearance.

“Confirmed Shari warships,” reported Davis, as his sensors put up data on his screens. “There are two different types—the cruiser we saw above the planet earlier and a larger battlecruiser with a length of 1,100 meters.”

“That could be dangerous,” commented Commander Arnett, as she watched the Shari ships on the tactical display she was standing by. She was surprised at how rapidly the Shari had responded to the Third Fleet’s presence.

“As long as they don’t have antimatter or particle beam weapons, we should be fine,” Race answered. “Have our people on planet board their shuttle and return. They should have time to reach us before the Shari get within combat range.”

“What’s the final tally on the Shari fleet?” asked Madelyn, looking over at Lieutenant Davis.

“Forty-two cruisers and eighteen battlecruisers,” Davis reported, as he checked his sensor data. “They’re forming up into a cone formation and advancing toward the planet. They’ll enter the gravity well in three hours.”

“We have time then,” Race said, letting out a deep breath. “Take us to Condition Two. We’ll go to Condition One when they reach the gravity well.”

He settled back in his command chair and contemplated the strategy he would use against the inbound fleet. He had fifty-eight warships at his disposal, including eight Human and four Alton battleships. The six battlecarriers held hundreds of small Anlon bombers, each capable of carrying two self-targeting Shrike missiles. The question he was debating was how to win this battle so decisively that the Shari would see the wisdom of staying out of former Hocklyn space. He had huge tactical advantages that he was aware of. Most of his ships were equipped with not only sublight antimatter missiles but particle beam cannons. All his ships were also capable of jumping from inside a planet’s gravity well. Those were three surprises he doubted the Shari would be expecting.

-

For the next few hours, the Shari continued to advance, their sensors reaching out and probing the waiting starships in orbit around Calthan Three. They’d heard of these Humans and Altons, though they doubted the truth of the stories a few Hocklyn ships had spread as they fled into Shari space. The Hocklyns had been eliminated, and their ships were seized for study. The Shari had refused to accept that the AIs had been defeated and that their Great Project at the galactic center had been destroyed. No Shari ships had been sent into the heart of the galaxy, as the AIs had deemed that area restricted, and severe consequences would befall any race that violated that edict. It was also worrisome that no AI ships had been spotted in recent years.

-

“Shari fleet is entering the planet’s gravity well,” reported Lieutenant Davis. “At current speed they will be in combat range in forty-three minutes.”

“Go to Condition One and change to formation A-3,” Race ordered.

This would put his most powerful warships at the front of a four-layered line, a decision he considered to be a good strategy to fight this battle. If it worked, it would be over very quickly, and the Shari fleet would be smashed.

Activating his minicomm, he quickly contacted Rear Admiral Wyler on the battlecarrier Saratoga. “I want to inflict some serious damage on this Shari fleet,” Race began. “Admiral Wyler, I want you to have ten squadrons of Anlon bombers ready to deploy, all armed with Shrike missiles.” The Shrike missiles had been specifically developed for launch from bombers and carried a twenty-megaton warhead. “I plan on firing a full spread of antimatter missiles at the Shari, followed up by our particle beam cannons. The bombers will go in immediately after that to finish off any Shari ships that may have survived the initial attack.”

“Can we expect the Shari to deploy any fighters?” asked Admiral Wyler. He didn’t want to expose his vulnerable bombers to a fighter attack.

“Unknown,” Race answered. “Deploy a suitable amount of fighters as escorts, just in case the Shari do possess that capability. There’s nothing in the Hocklyn data to suggest the Shari use fighters or bombers, but the files are quite ambiguous on many items dealing with the Shari Empire.”

“I’ll see to it,” Wyler replied. “We’ll be ready to launch in ten minutes.”

“I have a message from a High Lord Commander Marquest,” Lieutenant Travers interrupted, as her comm console translated the incoming message. “He’s demanding our immediate surrender, or he will destroy our fleet.”

Race allowed himself to smile at the sheer audacity of the Shari high lord. “Inform the high lord commander that all former Hocklyn-controlled space and worlds are now under the protection of the New Human Federation of Worlds and the Alliance.”

“Message sent,” replied Travers. She leaned back and took a deep breath, brushing back her black hair with her left hand. She was expecting an immediate retort from this Shari high lord, and it wasn’t long before it came through.

“The high lord commander says the Shari Empire does not recognize the authority of the New Human Federation of Worlds and the Alliance, and strongly recommends that we surrender our fleet before he is forced to destroy it.”

“Very well,” Race said with a sigh, knowing they would have to do this the hard way. “Inform the high lord commander that we’ll make an example of his fleet as a warning to the Shari Empire to stay within their own space.”

Lieutenant Travers sent the message and, after a moment, turned her head toward the admiral. “The Shari have cut off communications.”

“I’m not surprised,” Commander Arnett said. “Tactical, prepare to lock on and fire a full spread of antimatter missiles. Once the missiles have been fired, hit any Shari ship that seems to have suffered damage from the antimatter attack with our particle beams.”

“They’re coming into extreme range,” reported Captain Daniels from Tactical. “We can engage with our antimatter missiles at any time.”

Madelyn looked over inquiringly at the admiral. She suspected he would want to close the range a little bit more.

“Another minute,” Race said with a nod. “I want our particle beam cannons to cause the maximum amount of damage. They’re still slightly out of range for that.”

-

In space the two fleets continued to close. The Shari were in an inverted cone formation with their most powerful ships at the apex. The Human fleet was advancing in a stacked line, four ships high and eleven wide, with the light cruisers hanging back, giving cover to the fleets’ four supply ships, the two Alton explorations ships, and the hospital ship. The four Alton battleships were mixed in with the center of the line ready to add their firepower to the rest of the fleet.

-

“Shari target scanners detected,” called out Lieutenant Davis.

“They’re getting ready to fire!” warned Colonel Cowel, who was standing just behind the Tactical station.

“Let’s not disappoint them. All ships fire!” Race ordered over his minicomm, which was set up so he could speak to all his ship commanders.

-

Missile hatches slid open on the forty Human ships and the four Alton battleships, and, in a brief blur, 432 sublight antimatter missiles seemed to vanish from their tubes to explode microseconds later against the energy shields of the Shari warships. Each missile was capped with a one-hundred-megaton antimatter warhead, the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of the Federation and Alton fleets, if the particle beam was not taken into consideration.

Across the cone formation of the Shari, massive explosions of energy smashed into their energy screens. They had been expecting missiles attacks comprised of nuclear warheads similar to their own, not these hellish weapons tearing against their straining energy shields. In moments shield after shield went down. In many cases, the now vulnerable ships were pummeled by the hundreds of megatons of energy, disrupting their shields. In stunning explosions of light, Shari warships began to die.

“Incoming fire,” warned Lieutenant Davis, as the hard-hit Shari fleet struggled to return what weapons fire they could.

Nuclear explosions went off against Human and Alton shields, but they were much weaker than what had struck the Shari.

“Twenty to thirty-megaton yields,” reported Colonel Cowel, as he studied the data on a screen next to the main Tactical console.

“Eighteen Shari ships confirmed destroyed,” added Commander Arnett. She looked over at the admiral from where she stood, still next to one of the tactical displays. “They weren’t expecting antimatter missiles, at least not of the magnitude we hit them with.”

“It’s a mistake they’re about to pay for dearly,” replied Race grimly. “All ships, fire particle beam cannons. Admiral Wyler, launch your bomber strike.”

Race took a deep breath. He knew the Shari were outmatched by the Federation and Alton ships, but they must be taught a hard lesson about encroaching into space now protected by the Federation and the Alliance. He also found it difficult to take pity on them, as he knew they’d served as a proxy race for the AIs and had thousands of slave planets under their control in their empire.

-

The WarHawk shuddered slightly as several nuclear missiles detonated against her powerful energy shield. The ship shrugged off the missile attacks as if they were nothing more than a nuisance. Other ships in the attacking formation did the same. No weapon the Shari used could pose a serious threat to the Federation or Alton ships—designed to stand up to 1,500-meter AI spheres.

The Federation formation was lit up by the multiple explosions from the Shari’s nuclear ordnance. The Human and Alton ships fired back with their deadly particle beam cannons. The bright blue beams struck wavering Shari shields and easily penetrated, carving deep glowing holes into the armor and the ships’ interiors. More explosions rattled the Shari, as ten more of their warships died in a series of blasts, which left the Shari cone formation shattered.

-

“Bomber strike going in,” reported Commander Arnett, as two hundred small green icons flew across the tactical display. “The Shari are using energy weapons against the Anlons.”

Race nodded. He knew the Anlons had a forward shield and could handle at least one hit from the Shari energy weapons. He watched intently as the green icons weaved and danced in a pattern designed to make hits to the Anlons more difficult. Even with the expert piloting, several of the small icons flared up and died as Shari energy weapons struck home, vaporizing the small bombers.

“Missile release,” spoke Commander Arnett, as hundreds of small yellow icons suddenly appeared and arrowed toward the remaining Shari ships.

Race turned his eyes toward the main viewscreen. The Shrike missiles didn’t have sublight drives like the Devastators or the antimatter missiles, so it took them a few seconds to cross the space between the Anlon bombers and Shari warships. During that time, the Shari had turned all their available weapons on the inbound missiles. Missile after missile flared up and died in small bright flashes of light. Evidently the Shari had smaller energy turrets dedicated primarily to defense. Out of the four hundred inbound missiles, the Shari had knocked down 172. The other missiles arrived at their targets and smashed into already weakened Shari energy shields. Shields collapsed, and more Shari ships died as nuclear energy vaporized hulls and destroyed ship interiors.

“Twelve more Shari ships are down,” spoke Lieutenant Davis, as more red threat icons vanished from his sensors.

“They’re trying to withdraw,” Colonel Cowel said, pointing at one of the tactical displays.

“Most of their remaining ships are heavily damaged. It’s doubtful they’d make the hyperspace jump,” added Commander Arnett.

“All ships, hold fire,” Race ordered. He wanted this shattered Shari fleet to return home and to tell their empire what the Humans and the Altons had done to them. It might be just enough to discourage further encroachments into former Hocklyn space.

“Should we follow them?” asked Madelyn, looking over at the admiral.

“Yes,” Race replied. “But we’ll keep our distance.”

-

For the next hour, the Third Fleet followed the Shari ships, staying just out of weapons range. Several of the fleeing vessels docked to one another in obvious attempts to remove crews from failing ships. Then after separating, the damaged vessels exploded as nuclear charges were set off.

“That’s four vessels they’ve scuttled,” reported Colonel Cowel, as another Shari vessel exploded on one of the viewscreens.

“That’s forty-four of their ships downed out of sixty,” added Commander Arnett. “I don’t think the Shari high lord commander will be very well received when he gets home and reports what happened to his fleet.”

“Let’s just hope we prevented a war and that the Shari will stay in their own territory from now on,” Race responded, as he leaned back and allowed himself to relax.

“Shari ships are opening up spatial vortices and jumping out,” reported Lieutenant Davis.

In a few minutes, the sixteen Shari ships had vacated the system, leaving the Third Fleet in complete control.

“What were our losses?” asked Race, looking over at Commander Arnett.

“Very light considering the number of Shari ships we destroyed,” reported Madelyn. “The battleship Ajax reports minor hull damage and the loss of two defensive laser turrets. The battlecruisers Duchess and Anvil have several small hull breaches, which should be repaired shortly. The strikecruiser Longhorn sustained the most. A missile got through its energy screen, and they have heavy damage on the port side of the vessel. They’re streaming atmosphere and dealing with a number of fires. They should have the fires out and a thorough damage assessment ready shortly.”

“What about the Anlon bombers?” Race knew some of those had been lost as he had witnessed their deaths in the tactical display and on the ship’s viewscreens.

“Admiral Wyler reports the loss of twelve Anlon bombers,” answered Madelyn. “Several more were damaged but are repairable. Four of the pilots ejected and have been recovered.”

“Very well,” Race replied, as he thought over Third Fleet’s next move. “We need to continue to make our presence known in this region of space. We’ll take six hours to repair our battle damage and see what can be done about the Longhorn. Then we’ll jump to the next inhabited planet in this sector.”

“Do you think the Shari will challenge us again?”

“I expect so,” Race replied with a sigh. “I don’t think they’ll give up this region of space over one battle. We may have to prove to them several times that our technology and weapons are far superior when compared to theirs.”

“We’re fortunate the AIs didn’t allow their proxy races to develop more advanced weapons,” Commander Arnett said. She knew the AIs had preferred that their proxy races fight with midlevel technology to ensure they could never turn on their AI masters.

“Let’s just hope our luck in that regard continues to hold,” Race said, raising his eyebrow. “With the AIs out of the picture, the remaining Slaver Races may develop more dangerous weapons.”

Madelyn nodded. She knew the admiral was probably correct. At some point in time, the Federation and the Alliance would likely have to fight a more advanced enemy than what they faced now, but that was hopefully a long time from now. For the present, Federation and Alton science were supreme and should stay that way for the foreseeable future.

-

In hyperspace High Lord Commander Marquest was angered at what had been done to his fleet. The Shari Empire had heard rumors of the fantastic weapons these Humans supposedly possessed. His fleet had learned the hard way that those rumors were true. He would return to the empire and make his report. The Shari Empire had larger warships at its disposal, as well as thousand of ships. At some point he knew the Shari and the Humans would go to war, but not now. Not until the Shari Empire could confirm whether the AIs were truly gone or still present at the galactic center. Marquest knew that, for the short term, the Shari Empire would probably withdraw from all former Hocklyn space. It would put the Humans off guard until the Shari Empire was ready. When that time came, the Humans would find the Shari would not be so easy to defeat in combat a second time.

Chapter Eleven

Kelsey sat at her Navigation station, gazing anxiously at the large viewscreen in front of her. She felt as if all she had to do was reach out to touch the stars. However, she knew in reality that the Command Center was buried deep inside the forward section of the Distant Horizon. Nearly three hundred meters of corridors, compartments, and battle armor stood between her and the outer hull. In front of her tens of thousands of stars glowed steadily, shining their light upon the ship. Here at the galactic center, the star density averaged less than one light week of separation.

The space around Sagittarius A, the black hole, was filled with a myriad of stars. Kelsey knew, if the right filters were applied to the viewscreen, she would be able to see a lot of red and even some blue giants. These were truly massive stars, which still managed to exist in close proximity to the black hole. Also evident were some fiery filaments full of hot young stars now forming. The death and birth of stars was a steady process at the galactic center.

“It’s an awesome sight,” Andram said, as he stepped forward and adjusted the screen filters to show all the magnificent colors of the various stars. The view was now nearly overwhelming due to the millions of stars within just a few thousand light years. “The galactic center is a hotbed for star formation and will continue to be for quite some time. We have several science ships busy studying the stars close to the black hole. There is so much to learn here.”

“The last probe has been sent through,” Kelsey said, looking at Andram. “If its results are the same as the others, we’ll attempt the transit sometime tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you and Katie are more than ready to rescue your husbands,” Andram said, understanding the strong motivation the two women had to complete this mission. Even among Altons, love was a very powerful force.

“I don’t expect any problems,” Clarissa said, as she suddenly appeared next to Andram. “The other four probes all made the transit instantaneously, and we’ve adjusted the jump calculations accordingly. The last probe was off less than two meters, and that was for a jump of ten light years. I believe this one will be off only a few centimeters. Once we receive the data, we’ll make the final calculations for the transit.”

“I just hope we’re ready,” Kelsey said, her deep blue eyes looking at the stars. Somewhere out there was the Triangulum Galaxy, where Jeremy and the lost fleets waited. Katie and she had long wished for this moment, and Kelsey was finding it hard to believe that it was nearly time to go in search of the Avenger.

“We’ve adjusted the hyperspace navigation equations to account for speed and drift,” Clarissa informed them. She put her hands on her shapely hips and stood for a moment, as if contemplating. “If the latest equations are correct, we should exit the jump into the Triangulum Galaxy within one million kilometers of our targeted exit point.”

“That’s acceptable for a hyperspace transit of nearly three million light years,” Andram said appreciatively. “Shilum is quite confident we can make the jump without difficulties.”

Kelsey closed her eyes, knowing that, sometime within the next week, she might once more be in Jeremy’s arms. Four years of hard work and coercing the people of Ceres and the Altons into building the Distant Horizon were about to pay off. If all went as planned, the Special Five would once more be together.

-

Kathryn was in her quarters, trying to think of what to say to her father. She wanted to send him a message before the Distant Horizon attempted the hyperspace transit to the Triangulum Galaxy. She knew there was a chance this might be the last message her father would ever receive from her. On the computer screen was the half page of text she had come up with so far.

She thought back to growing up and the time she had spent with her father. On numerous occasions he had taken her to fancy dinners and gatherings, as he rose up the ranks in his political career. Her mother had died at a very young age, and many times she had been left on Ceres with her mother’s parents, while her father was away on some diplomatic mission. Those times when he had been at home with her were very special.

Putting her fingers on the touch keyboard projected on the surface of her desk, she resumed typing. Very slowly the words came to her. She told her father how much she loved him and how she would always treasure those special times they’d spent together. After several minutes, she was satisfied with what she had written and ended it, promising she would return, no matter how long it took.

“Clarissa,” Kathryn said aloud. Instantly the AI appeared in front of her desk.

“Yes, Admiral?”

“Send this message to my father on Ceres.”

“It’s a good message,” Clarissa said, as she activated the ship’s hyperspace transmitter and sent the message. It would be relayed through a number of hyperspace communication satellites between the galactic center and the New Human Federation of Worlds. “Your father must be very proud of you.”

“I hope so,” Kathryn answered.

“Admiral, the information from the last probe transit has just arrived. The probe exited the spatial vortex within eight centimeters of its designated coordinates. Shilum and I will be making the final adjustments shortly to the hyperspace equations.”

“Then we’re ready,” said Kathryn, taking a deep breath. “Tomorrow we make the intergalactic transit to the Triangulum Galaxy.”

“Ariel and the others will be waiting,” predicted Clarissa confidently. “I’m sure they’ve been waiting for and expecting us to come for them.”

“Let’s hope so,” Kathryn replied. There were so many questions yet to be answered, and perhaps tomorrow they would learn the answers to some of them.

-

The next afternoon Kathryn was in the Command Center, sitting in her command chair, as Kelsey and Shilum checked over the hyperspace equations one final time. The entire crew was on edge, as they prepared to activate the vortex ring and make the intergalactic transit.

“I sent a message to my parents this morning,” Commander Grissim said, as she watched the activity in the Command Center. “We’ve sent a lot of hyperspace messages in the last twenty-four hours.”

“I know,” Kathryn replied with a knowing look. “I think most of us have sent messages saying good-bye, just in case this doesn’t turn out as we hope.”

“What do you think the odds are of us making it back?” Anne asked, her eyes focusing on the admiral.

“Probably less than fifty-fifty,” Kathryn responded with a deep sigh. “We’re going off into the unknown, and there’s no guarantee we’ll find Admiral Strong and the missing fleets. Without the lost fleets construction capability, it’ll take us years to build the energy-collection stations we’ll need to make the jump back.”

“I hope he’s there waiting for us,” Anne said. “The lost fleets have four fleet repair vessels and the Carethians’ mobile shipyard. They can build almost anything given sufficient time.”

“It’s been over four years,” Kathryn reminded the commander. “There’s no way to tell where they might’ve traveled in that time. All we can hope for is that they left some type of message in the vicinity of the vortex they exited to tell us where they went.”

“We’re nearly ready, Admiral,” Andram said, stepping closer to the command console. “Shilum and Kelsey have confirmed the hyperspace equations and have set up the jump coordinates in the ship’s Navigation computer. We can commence whenever you’re ready.”

Kathryn looked around the Command Center, noting the anxiety and tension on the faces of many of the crew. She knew this concern was probably true for nearly everyone on the ship. The longer they delayed, the worse it would get.

Taking a deep breath, she activated her minicomm, which would allow her to address the entire ship.

“Crew of the Distant Horizon,” she began. She paused and then continued. “In a few minutes we will attempt the first planned intergalactic transit by a Federation ship. We have a good ship and a good crew, and I expect the transit to come off successfully and without any problems. We’ll soon find ourselves in another galaxy, and, with a little luck, we’ll find Admiral Strong and the lost fleets. They’ve been waiting four years for us to find them and bring them back home. We will not let them down. The ship will be going to Condition Two momentarily, and, shortly after that, we’ll make the transit.”

Kathryn switched off her minicomm and leaned back in her command chair. She felt some anxiety about what would soon happen. Once they made the transit, they’d be cut off from the Federation and everything they were familiar with.

“Beginning to regret taking this command?” asked Commander Grissim softly. She knew the admiral was under a lot of pressure.

“No,” replied Kathryn, shaking her head. “This is what Admiral Telleck would have wanted me to do.”

“I believe you’re right,” Anne responded, fully understanding the admiral’s loyalty to her former commander. “Admiral Telleck was a great man, and you were fortunate to serve with him.”

“Shilum, are we ready?” asked Kathryn, looking at the Alton hyperspace scientist.

“Yes, Admiral,” Shilum responded. “The Capacitor Station is ready to charge the vortex ring when you give the word.”

“Clarissa, line up the ship for transit,” Kathryn ordered. In order to make the transit as planned, only Clarissa could navigate the ship as precisely as necessary.

Activating her minicomm, she transmitted a message to Admiral Jackson aboard the station. “Admiral Jackson, you may charge the vortex generators to full power.”

“Good luck, Admiral Barnes,” Jackson replied. “Activating power feeds now.”

On the large viewscreen, ten beams of pure energy flashed out to the waiting vortex generators. The generators drank heavily of the sudden influx of energy, as their power banks were quickly charged to the maximum.

“Activate the vortex generators,” ordered Kathryn, her eyes glued to the viewscreen. She could feel her breathing quickening and her heart beating faster.

“Sending the activation command,” Mikow replied, as she sent the computer commands to activate the generators. The generators had already been aligned so they would form a hyperspace tunnel between the galactic center and the Triangulum Galaxy when linked with the special Hyperspace drive on the Distant Horizon. As they neared the Triangulum Galaxy, the exit vortex would be come stable allowing them to exit at their planned coordinates.

On the viewscreen, a swirling white spatial vortex suddenly appeared. It was very similar to the one which had swallowed the Avenger and the lost fleets, the only difference being this one was much smaller and under the control of the Distant Horizon.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Kathryn spoke the words everyone was waiting to hear. “Clarissa, take us through the vortex. It’s time to find our lost fleets.”

Clarissa was standing to the admiral's left, and, without hesitation, she sent the ship accelerating toward the waiting vortex. She activated the Distant Horizon’s Hyperspace drive, linking it to the already established vortex. The ship was flying on a carefully calculated course which couldn’t be deviated from by even one millimeter or a fraction of a kilometer in speed.

As they were about to enter the vortex, a one-chance-in-a-million incident occurred. A piece of space junk from the great battle came hurtling around the vortex, and, before Clarissa could do anything, it rammed the engine section of the Avenger. The space debris was less than a meter in diameter, but it was just enough to jar the Distant Horizon’s course by a few millimeters.

Alarms sounded on board and then the ship made its transition into hyperspace. On the main screen, the familiar deep purple colors of hyperspace appeared, but they seemed to be swirling much more violently than normal.

Kathryn heard the alarms and then felt the gut-wrenching sensation of jumping into hyperspace. The sensation lasted much longer than normal, and, for a moment, she felt as if she would pass out. Gripping the armrests on her command chair, she took several deep breaths and then looked over at Clarissa, who had a look of panic in her eyes.

“What was that? Why did those alarms go off?”

“A small piece of wreckage came around the vortex at the last second,” Clarissa said in a worried voice. “We didn’t detect it because of the vortex, and it hit the aft section of Engineering. It was very small and didn’t cause any damage, but it did have a minuscule affect on our course.”

“How minuscule?” Kathryn demanded, her eyes widening in worry. She knew any variation in speed or their course could cause them to exit the vortex hundreds or even thousands of light years from their planned exit point.

“Only a few millimeters,” Clarissa replied, as she computed the affect of the collision on the Distant Horizon.

“How will that affect our arrival in the Triangulum galaxy?”

“We’ll have to compute it,” Shilum said. She had been listening to the conversation. “Was our speed affected at all, Clarissa?”

“No, just our course.”

“I guess we’ll know in a few minutes,” Commander Grissim said with narrowed eyes. “Admiral, the ship is currently at Condition Two. I recommend we go to Condition One immediately, in case we exit the vortex in hostile space.”

“I agree,” Kathryn replied. She had hoped to enter the Triangulum Galaxy to find some of the ships from the lost fleets, waiting to greet them, or at least a message buoy. Now all that might have been lost due to one piece of debris.

Moments later Condition One alarms sounded, and red lights flashed. Commander Grissim made the announcement over the ship’s comm system for the crew to go to Condition One. Because of the collision, the mission had taken on a more serious undertone.

-

Katie stared at Clarissa, her heart pounding in her chest. Already she and Mikow were trying to see what the small collision might have done to the Distant Horizon’s course. Katie had so been hoping, when they exited the vortex, to see the Avenger and the lost fleets on the viewscreen. She now knew that hope had flown out the window because of a small bit of space junk.

“How bad is it?” Katie asked, as Mikow hurriedly ran some calculations through the ship’s computer.

“Not good,” Mikow answered in a low voice. “The debris hit the ship in the worst possible place, where its applied force could cause the most deflection of the ship. It struck forty meters from the rear of the ship, and, while it only deflected the ship a few millimeters, that deflection is growing. My latest computer simulations are showing that the deflection is slowly increasing, and we are now over four centimeters off course.”

“Clarissa,” Katie said, turning toward the AI, who had come over to stand beside her. Clarissa had a heartbroken look upon her face.

“It’s my fault,” Clarissa said in her youthful voice, her eyes looking as if she were about to cry. “I should have detected the space junk and blasted it with one of our energy turrets.”

“There wasn’t time,” Mikow said. “It came around the vortex just as we were about to enter. You didn’t have time to power up a weapon and fire it.”

“How long until we exit the vortex?” Katie asked.

“Less than a minute,” Clarissa replied. “As soon as we do, we’ll know how far off course we are.”

“How bad can it be?”

“A variation of a few centimeters over three million light years could translate to several thousand light years away from our planned exit point,” Clarissa said in a depressed tone of voice. “I’ve let you and Kelsey down. There should’ve been some way for me to prevent what had happened. After all, I’m an AI, capable of thinking far faster than any Human or even Alton.”

Katie looked at Clarissa, shaking her head. “Just like Mikow said, Clarissa, there wasn’t time.”

“Thirty seconds to vortex termination,” spoke Shilum, as she studied some data on a computer screen. “Angle of deflection is continuing to increase.”

-

“All crew stand by for vortex emergence,” Kathryn announced over the ship’s comm.

A number of crewmembers had passed out upon entering hyperspace and were still recovering. Kathryn strongly suspected the exit from the vortex would be just as rough as the entry.

“Ten seconds to termination,” Shilum spoke, as she braced herself for the effects of exiting hyperspace. “Jump termination.”

That horrible wrenching sensation in Kathryn’s stomach returned, as the ship dropped back into normal space. She felt extremely nauseated, and then it faded as she took several deep breaths. Forcing herself to stay focused, she looked at the viewscreen. Hundreds of unwinking stars looked back.

“Main Sensors,” she said, shifting her gaze to Captain Reynolds. “Any contacts?”

“Sensors are beginning their scans,” Reynolds reported in a hoarse voice. “We should know something shortly.” He kept his eyes focused on the sensor data screens, while the ship’s powerful sensors reached farther and farther out.

“No contacts in our immediate vicinity,” he reported after a moment. “Sensors are clear out to two hundred million kilometers. We’re in a star system. More data should be appearing on the tactical displays shortly.”

“How far off are we?” asked Kathryn, looking over at Clarissa, who was still standing by the Main Computer console.

“The star formations on the viewscreen don’t match those of our planned exit point,” stated the AI, as she ran a stellar identification search. “I will have to identify some locator stars to determine exactly how far we are from where we wanted to be.” Locator stars were massive stars or even star clusters used to determine the Distant Horizon’s location in the Triangulum Galaxy.

“I’ll help,” Andram said, as he sat down at a computer console and called up external views of the stars around the Distant Horizon. After a few minutes, he turned back toward Admiral Barnes. “We’re definitely not near the galactic center or a major star cluster. I would make an estimate that we’re at least ten thousand light years off course.”

“I concur,” added Clarissa, as she finished her observations. “I would put us at 11,210 light years from our planned entry point into this galaxy.”

“Clarissa is correct,” Andram said with a confirming nod. “We’re in a small M-Class star system.”

“Detecting three planets in distant orbits,” Captain Reynolds informed them. “Two are gas giants, and the third is similar to Mars, but that planet is frozen over, and lakes of liquid methane are probably on the surface.”

Kathryn nodded, as she thought over their situation. The system was obviously not one prone to possess life of any sort, at least not any type that they would be familiar with.

“What condition is the ship in?” she asked, shifting her gaze to Commander Grissim.

“All departments report normal operating conditions,” Anne responded. Each had reported in over her minicomm. “We do have quite a few crewmembers impaired at the moment from the transition into and out of hyperspace. Dr. Keil feels everyone should be fully recovered within the hour, though she’s having the worst cases brought to the med bay for treatment.”

“Clarissa and Andram, if the two of you will do a search of nearby star systems, I would like to find some star-traveling civilizations in our immediate vicinity. If there are any, perhaps there’s a chance they’ve heard about our missing fleets.”

“As you wish, Admiral,” Andram answered. “We’re currently activating our primary sensor array, which will extend our scanning distance to ten light years. If there are any space-traveling races nearby, we’ll find them.”

“If you don’t mind, Admiral,” spoke up Shilum, “I would like to go to Engineering and check out our new hyperdrive. Engineer Jalat reports he detected some aberrations in the drive function during our transit, and he requested my help to make the necessary adjustments.” Betrem Jalat was the assistant chief engineer and an Alton.

“Very well,” Kathryn said. “See to it and let me know when the adjustments have been made. I don’t want to enter hyperspace again until we’re certain the drive is functioning properly.”

“I don’t believe the problems with the drive would pose any danger for short jumps,” Shilum responded, then she headed toward the hatch.

“Take us to Condition Two,” Kathryn ordered, since there was no imminent threat to the Distant Horizon. “Commander Grissim, launch ten of the defense globes and put them out at a ten-thousand-kilometer perimeter. Let’s get a CSP out also. I don’t want to be taken by surprise in unknown space.”

The defense globes were a new development. They were similar to the particle beam satellites used for the defense of planets but with some major modifications. The globes were ten meters in diameter with a miniaturized sublight drive; they possessed an energy shield and two dual particle beam turrets for defense as well as offense. The defense globes were also equipped with an experimental ion cannon capable of bringing down an enemy’s energy shield. In a worst-case scenario, the globe’s fusion reactor could be overloaded to generate a ten-megaton explosion. The Distant Horizon was equipped with sixty of these, and they could be deployed rapidly from the ship’s two flight bays.

-

Captain Lacy Sanders and Major Karl Arcles shared duties in the flight bays. The major was the CAG for the Distant Horizon. He was standing in the Control Center for the ship’s two large flight bays. Inside the bays were sixty Talon fighters and forty Anlon bombers. He also had a handpicked group of experienced pilots.

“Launch the CSP,” he ordered, as he stood just behind the consoles that controlled the flight bays.

“Echo One launching,” came Captain Lacy Sanders’s voice over the comm system, and then her Anlon fighter exited the bay.

Close behind her three more fighters launched. They would form up in pairs and patrol the near perimeter around the ship. Lacy was now the commander of Echo Squadron. For a while she and Karl had been romantically involved, and they still cared deeply for each other. However, for the sake of their careers, they had decided to back off from the relationship for the immediate future.

Lacy looked out her cockpit window, awed at the massive starship she was flying next to. At 2,600 meters, it was, by far, the largest warship the Federation and Altons had ever built—though the Altons would claim it was more of an exploration ship. She saw Echo Two form up next to her and nodded in satisfaction. She had a well-trained squadron and knew they were ready to face anything this galaxy might throw at them.

Little did she know that very soon they would be facing a menace far more deadly than the Hocklyns or the AIs had been. This was the Triangulum Galaxy, and it was not a hospitable place to be.

Chapter Twelve

Back in the galactic center, Admiral Jackson shook his head as he watched the viewscreen for the umpteenth time. He had a high-resolution view of the Distant Horizon as it entered the vortex. Just as the nose of the ship hit the ring of light, a small object swept around the vortex and impacted the ship on its stern.

“How did we miss that?” demanded Jackson, as he looked at the others in the Capacitor Station with him. “Why didn’t our sensors pick it up?”

“It was moving at nearly 1,500 kilometers per second,” replied one of the Altons from a science station. “Speeds of that level are necessary to stay in orbit around the black hole. When the vortex activated, it interfered with our ships’ scanners. The Distant Horizon was fortunate it was only a glancing blow and in a very heavily armored section of the ship. If that had been a direct collision, the hull could have been compromised.”

Admiral Jackson let out a deep sigh of regret. He had to send a message to the Federation, Admiral Nagumo, and Governor Barnes about what had transpired. “Did they at least make it to the Triangulum Galaxy?”

“Yes,” answered another of the Alton scientists. “However, their exit point would have shifted, and they could be thousands of light years off course.”

“At least the ship is designed for exploration,” Jackson said, drawing in a deep breath. “They’ll just have to find their way back to where Admiral Strong and his fleets entered that galaxy. I wish I had better news to send. This will upset a number of very important people.”

Jackson had been assigned to the galactic center. For the foreseeable future a Federation and Alton presence would be kept at the Capacitor Station. His fleet would be doubled in size, and a luxury liner would be sent to allow his crews some recreation. The Federation had placed a high priority on the success of the rescue mission, particularly since the public had found out about it and support had swelled.

The Capacitor Station had become a key asset to the Federation. At the moment, it was the only thing big enough to generate the type of power another rescue attempt would require. However, Admiral Jackson strongly suspected there would be a lot of resistance to a second rescue attempt if no word was heard from this one, at least in the short term. Of course that was the problem; he knew of no way for the Distant Horizon to send a message back. The only way the Federation would ever know if the mission had succeeded was when the Distant Horizon returned with the lost fleets.

-

On Maken, former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth awoke with a piercing headache. He sat up, and his hands went immediately to his head. He moaned loudly and took several long, deep breaths to slow his pounding heart. He massaged his brow, wanting the throbbing pain to go away.

“Is it a bad headache again? Did you have another premonition?” asked Janice, sitting up and looking at her husband with deep concern.

“Yes,” Hedon replied, as he lay back down and tried to relax. “I saw the Distant Horizon. There was a problem when it went through the vortex at the galactic center. They arrived in the Triangulum Galaxy, but they’re way off course, and it will take them weeks to get to where Jeremy is. They’re in extreme danger, and I don’t know if they’ll survive.”

“What kind of danger?” asked Janice, laying down and turning on her side to face Hedon.

“A great threat far more dangerous than the AIs,” he answered, while his breathing slowed back down. “All I know for sure is that the fate of our galaxy and many others depends on the Special Five being reunited.”

“Are they all still alive?” Janice asked in a hesitant and low voice, a fearful expression on her face.

“For now they are,” Hedon replied, his face pale from his headache. “But they all face imminent danger, and I don’t know if they’ll survive what’s ahead.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Janice asked.

If there were any way possible to go to their aid, Hedon would move the stars to accomplish that.

“No,” Hedon answered in a remorseful voice. “They will find their own destiny and hopefully save ours at the same time. There’s nothing we can do for them.”

“And you still believe they won’t make it back to our galaxy?”

“No,” answered Hedon. “In all three of my premonitions I didn’t see them returning.”

-

Governor Barnes was in his office meeting with Admiral Kalen. “They should’ve made the jump by now.” He spoke in a heavy voice. “Three million light years into an unexplored galaxy.”

“Admiral Strong and his fleets well be there,” Admiral Kalen said with confidence in his voice. “Admiral Telleck believed in Jeremy, and so do I. If anyone could have survived, it would’ve been him. In time they’ll build the energy-gathering stations that will be necessary for a return trip. You will see Kathryn again.”

“I hope so,” the governor replied, his eyes troubled. “I didn’t realize how badly I would miss her. In all her other deployments, at least I could send her a message or knew for sure where she was. It’s different this time.”

“This is what she wanted,” Kalen responded in an even voice. “She’s a fine officer, and I have all the confidence in the world in her abilities. She will find Admiral Strong and his fleets, and someday bring them home.”

Governor Barnes nodded. All he could do now was put his trust in Kathryn’s abilities. Admiral Telleck had believed in her, and so did he.

-

Jeremy was in the Command Center of the Avenger in high orbit around Gaia. He let out a deep sigh, realizing over four long years had passed since they’d arrived in the Triangulum Galaxy. Down on the planet, the small city continued to grow. Nearly ten thousand Humans, two hundred Altons, and ninety Carethians had moved to the surface and had begun families.

“I just finished speaking to Rear Admiral Marks,” spoke General Charles McGown. Jeremy had promoted Charles to the rank of general and had put him in charge of all the fleets’ Marines.

“How does she like our latest fighters?” Jeremy asked. A new construction bay had been added to the Clan Protector, and it was now capable of turning out Talon fighters and Anlon bombers. Jeremy wasn’t sure in its new configuration whether the Clan Protector would ever be capable of entering hyperspace again.

“She’s quite satisfied with the new squadrons,” General McGown replied. “We’re moving some of the older fighters and bombers down to the planet to our two military installations. They’ll greatly enhance our defensive capability.”

“Do we have enough pilots?” Jeremy asked. In the last year, the requests to be transferred to the surface had greatly increased. So far he still had sufficient crews to operate all the ships, but he strongly suspected that wouldn’t last much longer.

“Fortunately I haven’t had many Marines request to leave the service. We can train the necessary pilots and will have the squadrons combat-ready within two months.”

Jeremy nodded, shifting his gaze to the large viewscreens at the front of the Command Center. He had grown used to seeing the planet Gaia on the screens; every day it seemed more like home. In the past year, two of the four fleet repair ships had built twenty-six of the modified Type Two battlestations. These were in overlapping orbits to give sufficient defensive coverage to the entire planet. The crux of his defense was the Alton particle beam satellites. Slightly over 1,100 of them were in low orbit over the planet, each armed with a powerful particle beam cannon which could be used to knock down incoming missiles or fire on enemy ships. The final plans called for forty of the Type Two stations and 1,500 of the particle beam satellites.

The Type Two stations had been turned over to the Marines, and General McGown saw to it that sufficient crews were trained and placed on board as rapidly as possible. It had meant removing Marines from the orbiting ships, but the battleships and battlecruisers could easily get by with half the Marines originally assigned. General McGown was tying all the defenses into a control and command center, being built in a bunker deep beneath the surface of Gaia.

At the moment, he had a four-part plan of defense and offense. The first line was, of course, the powerful battlestations, followed by the particle beam satellites. After that he had ten squadrons of Talon fighters to intercept any inbound targets which got past the orbital defenses. If that failed, his two military installations had railguns, laser turrets, and Hunter missiles to take out any leakers. If it came to ground combat, he had five squadrons of Anlon bombers and slightly over 1,200 Marines to repel any invasion.

“Jeremy!” interrupted Ariel excitedly, as she suddenly appeared in front of the command console. “I just received a priority message from one of the AI ships deployed at Hantel Seven. They report activation of the vortex in the Sigma System.”

“What?” uttered Jeremy, in shock, leaning forward in his command chair. The Sigma System was where the Avenger and her fleets had made their unexpected transit to this galaxy. They’d been watching it from afar, hoping the Federation would mount some type of rescue mission. “Did anything come through?”

“No,” Ariel replied, her dark eyes focused intently on Jeremy. “It activated for nearly ten seconds and then collapsed. The AIs have confirmed that no ship exited the vortex. They believe the vortex was unstable as it was shifting wildly about.”

“It has to be a rescue attempt,” General McGown stated, his face showing excitement.

“Jeremy!” Kevin said, running into the Command Center. “Did Ariel give you the news?” Angela came hurrying in right behind Kevin. Both looked at Jeremy expectantly.

“Nothing’s come through yet,” he replied, while he thought about what needed to be done. “The Simulins are certain to respond to the activation of the vortex. By now they’ll have fleets on the way.”

“Jeremy, it’s bound to be Kelsey and Katie. We can’t leave them to the Simulins. They have no idea what they’re jumping into!” Kevin looked frantic. “This might have just been a test to see if they could establish the vortex. Next time they may come through in a ship!”

“I know,” answered Jeremy, his mind weighing their options. They needed to move quickly or this rescue attempt, if that was what it was, could fail. “Ariel, how close do we need to be in order to reach a ship that exits the vortex before the Simulins can fire upon it?”

“The vortex creates a lot of interference in its vicinity—like a ship losing power, as we experienced when we came through,” Ariel replied. “I don’t think the Simulins will risk coming too close until after the vortex collapses and there’s no danger of a backwash of energy. We would need to be within two to three light years of the Sigma System, if we want to reach them in time.”

“The Simulins can probably detect us at that range,” Jeremy said, looking concerned. It would be next to impossible to position a large fleet close enough to the Sigma System to do any good.

“Jeremy,” Ariel said, looking thoughtful. “Clarissa and I were in the process of designing an exploration ship for us to use, once the war with the AIs and the Hocklyns was over.”

“I’m aware of that,” Jeremy replied. They’d all discussed going off exploring once the fighting was finished.

“I believe that Clarissa, Kelsey, and Katie would have built that ship,” Ariel continued. “It will have a very powerful defensive energy screen, and, if the Altons have been involved, it’ll be heavily armed as a precautionary measure. I believe it will have at least the firepower of an Alton battleship.”

“What are you saying, Ariel?” Angela asked, her eyes focusing on the AI.

“I think they’ll escape the Simulins,” Ariel answered. “Their first reaction will be to jump to safety. If we’re waiting close by, we can see where they jump to and go meet them.”

“That’s a risk,” Jeremy said, not wanting to endanger Kelsey and Katie, but he didn’t see what else they could do. Ariel was right though; Kelsey and Katie would come through in the most powerful ship they could build.

“We’ll assemble a task force of ships and set out immediately,” Jeremy said, reaching a decision. “We have hyperspace detection buoys emplaced in all of the surrounding systems, so we should be able to tell where they jump to.”

“I hope this works,” Kevin said worriedly.

Jeremy knew Kevin would be concerned about Katie’s safety. And he probably felt the same way Jeremy did right now. It was strange to know that shortly his wife might be in the Triangulum Galaxy. It had been over four years and yet seemed much longer.

“Ariel, put me in contact with Rear Admiral Marks, Admiral Cleeteus, Grayseth, and the Command AI. We have plans to make,” ordered Jeremy. It was odd in a way, knowing they might have to rescue the rescue mission, which supposedly was coming for them.

-

Three hours later, Jeremy had his task group organized. He was taking the Avenger, three other Federation battleships, four battlecruisers, six strikecruisers, two battlecarriers, ten Alton battleships, and twenty Alton battlecruisers. In addition, the Command AI had agreed to furnish forty AI ships to go with the task group. It was a formidable force—one Jeremy felt confident could rescue any ship that came through the vortex.

“I wonder what Kelsey and Katie will say when they see we have AI ships with us?” asked Kevin. He was anxious to depart and kept walking over to Communications to see if Angela had received any new messages from the AIs at Hantel Seven. So far no further messages had been received.

“They’ll be surprised,” Jeremy predicted. “I just hope they don’t jump away when they see the AIs.”

“They won’t,” Ariel said, with a pleased smile on her face. “As soon as we’re within communications range, I’ll explain to Clarissa what has occurred with the AIs that came through with us.”

“Assuming Clarissa is on the ship,” Jeremy said. “She might not be.”

“If Kelsey and Katie are on the ship, Clarissa will be too.” Ariel was certain about that. “It will be wonderful to speak to Clarissa, Kelsey, and Katie again. I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time.” She was just as anxious to get underway as Kevin and Angela.

“Task group is ready to enter hyperspace,” Commander Malen said, then she stepped closer to the command console.

“Prepare to initiate our first jump,” Jeremy ordered.

In order to keep Gaia a secret from the Simulins, they’d mapped out a roundabout exit from the nebula. This would be the largest fleet they had taken out since they had first arrived at Gaia. They’d also stopped sending out exploration missions after the stealth destroyer Everest had failed to return.

“Ready to jump,” Commander Malen said smiling at Jeremy.

She was just as ready to return to space as he was. It had been boring orbiting Gaia for the last few years.

“Initiate jump,” Jeremy ordered.

“Jump,” commanded Malen, her eyes focusing on the viewscreens.

In front of the Avenger, a blue-white vortex opened. Ensign Striker carefully maneuvered the ship into its center, and, in a matter of moments, the ship jumped into hyperspace.

Jeremy gulped as he felt the gut-wrenching sensation of entering that mysterious realm. He had forgotten what it felt like to enter hyperspace. Glancing at the viewscreens, he saw the normal deep purple colors. He leaned back in his command chair, knowing it would be nearly twenty minutes before they dropped back into normal space. Was this really happening, he wondered? Were Kelsey and Katie about to come through the vortex into the Triangulum Galaxy? Looking around the Command Center, he saw excited and expectant looks on the faces of his crew. They were all hoping their isolation was coming to an end. However, Jeremy knew it wouldn’t be that simple. He suspected whatever had been built back in their home galaxy to activate the vortex would have to be built here in this galaxy also. The problem with that was the Simulins. He strongly suspected they would never allow any such construction in the Sigma System which would allow the Avenger and her fleets to return home.

-

Four jumps later, the Avenger and her task group dropped back into normal space in a blue giant star system. The system they’d chosen had a star eighty times the mass of the sun at the heart of Earth’s system. It had a surface temperature of over forty thousand degrees Kelvin, making its temperature far greater than that of GV2-type stars, like Earth’s or New Tellus’s. There were several hyperspace detection buoys in orbit, and Jeremy knew no Simulin ships had made an appearance in this system in several years—one of the reasons being the system had no planets, not even an asteroid field.

As the Avenger exited the blue-white spatial vortex, Jeremy let out a deep breath. The viewscreens came to life, one by one, and the ship’s tactical displays started to show data. It was strange not to see any planets, moons, or asteroids. A few comets were in far-ranging orbits but nothing else of significance. The blue giant system was eight light years from the Sigma System and hopefully out of sensor range of the Simulins.

“Long-range sensors activated,” Ariel reported. “All ships have exited their vortices and are taking up defensive positions around the Avenger. The AIs are forming into a protective globe around the perimeter of the fleet.”

Jeremy nodded; the AI ships were now his most powerful asset with their multiple particle beam cannons. On the main viewscreen, he could see several of the 1,500-meter AI spheres in close proximity to the Avenger. There was a time when such a sight would have frightened the crew, but, over the years, they’d grown to accept the AIs as a valuable and necessary part of their survival.

“Ship is at Condition Two,” spoke Commander Malen, looking over at Jeremy. “Should we go to Condition Three? We have no idea how long we’ll have to wait for the next vortex activation. It could be hours, days, or even weeks.”

“Go to Condition Three,” Jeremy ordered. “The AIs will stay at a high-alert level, as they don’t need any rest.”

“All ships are reporting successful jumps and all systems functioning normally,” reported Angela.

She could also tell from the voices of the other Communications officers that they were all excited about the possibility of rescue and finally hearing news from home. I hope Brace is on the rescue ship, she thought to herself. She had just about given up hope of ever seeing her Marine captain again. Now that hope had been renewed by the brief activation of the vortex in the Sigma System.

“Main Sensors are showing no unknown contacts,” Kevin reported, after examining the data from the sensors carefully. “The hyperspace buoys show no Simulin fleets have been in this system in the past eighteen months. There was only one contact and it stayed briefly and then jumped back out.”

“Routine survey,” Commander Malen surmised. “They have probably been doing that to see if they can pick up any sign of our ships.”

“Long-range sensors have detected two large Simulin fleets,” Ariel said suddenly, as the sensors finally reached their ten-light-year maximum range. “There is one fleet in the Sigma System and another waiting in a brown dwarf system three light years distant.”

“Any chance they can detect us?” asked Jeremy sharply. They still weren’t certain just how far the Simulins’ sensors could reach.

“I don’t believe so,” Ariel answered. “We’re close enough to this system’s star that its stellar radiation should help to mask our presence.”

“Then we wait,” spoke Jeremy, leaning back in his command chair. If the vortex activated again, Jeremy wondered what would come through. Would it be one ship or a fleet?

-

“Clarissa will be here shortly,” commented Ariel. She was excited about the prospect of speaking to her longtime friend and Katie and Kelsey. She had missed them tremendously. She didn’t know what she would have done without Jeremy, Kevin, and Angela to speak to. They’d gotten her through these last four years of loneliness.

-

The Command AI floated over to where the ship’s main sensors were. It gazed impassively at the two Simulin fleets just out of reach. The Altons had installed their long-range sensors on the AI command ship. The last four years had been interesting to the AIs but also strangely satisfying. It had been highly rewarding to, once again, work with the Altons. It made the Command AI question its programming, which implied that all organic races were dangerous. It had spoken several times with Alton AI specialists about this very subject. The AI specialist, Kurene, a female Alton, had even been allowed to examine the AIs’ basic programming to see why this animosity toward organics existed. So far she had not found an explanation, though she still had a tremendous amount of programming information to sift through. The Command AI had found it highly stimulating to converse with this particular Alton.

“All ships are in position,” reported the AI at Navigation.

“The Humans and Altons are reducing their alert status to Condition Three,” added the AI at Tactical.

“That is a wise decision,” the Command AI stated. “It will allow them to be at peak combat efficiency when needed. Our own ships will maintain a high level of alert.”

“Will we fight the Simulin organics?” asked the AI in front of the ship’s main computers.

“If necessary,” answered the Command AI. “While we now feel it was wrong to kill organics, these Simulins represent a clear and present threat to our own continued existence. We will do what we must to survive and to protect the Humans and the Altons.” It was a strange feeling, this new need to protect two organic races—three counting the Carethians. It was also very satisfying.

-

Jeremy was in Main Engineering, performing an inspection. Kevin had come along with him, as he wanted to talk about the possible impending rescue.

“I hope Katie brought along some hamburgers,” uttered Kevin, patting his stomach.

“I thought you liked the hamburgers we have now,” Jeremy said, allowing himself to smile. They’d located several animals on Gaia that were suitable for Human meat consumption.

“They don’t taste like beef!” responded Kevin, shaking his head emphatically. “They’re okay, but it’s not the same.” Then in a quieter voice, he said, “I sure hope the girls are on the rescue ship. I don’t know how much longer I can go without seeing Katie.”

“I know,” Jeremy said with sigh. He felt the same way about Kelsey. “I just hope we can get to them before the Simulins do.”

“How’s Engineering?” Jeremy asked Chief Engineer Roger Simkins. Jeremy wanted to particularly check on the Avenger’s hyperdrive.

“Everything’s running smoothly,” Simkins replied with a pleased smile. “Even without the hyperdrive being used in nearly four years, everything worked as it should. My people have labored hard keeping everything tuned up and serviced.”

“You’ve done a good job, Chief,” Jeremy confirmed.

Looking around the large Engineering space, Jeremy found everything immaculate and polished. The Engineering compartments comprised a large section of the rear of the Avenger, due to the space needed for the fusion reactors, hyperdrive, and sublight drive. It also had an extra thick layer of battle armor to protect this vital equipment.

“How’s morale?” Kevin asked, watching the bustle in the movement of the Engineering crew, which had been missing for a while.

“They’re excited,” answered Simkins. “They all want to hear news from home. Just knowing the vortex has been activated has given them all new hope.”

“I think everyone’s excited,” Kevin said, nodding his head enthusiastically. “It’s been over four years since we arrived here. I imagine some were giving up on the idea of ever returning.”

“We still might not,” Simkins said in a quieter and grimmer voice. “I’ve done some calculations on the energy requirements to send a single ship from our home galaxy to this one, and it’s nearly off the scale. We would have to do some major construction—possibly even build something like the AI Capacitor Stations—to furnish the necessary energy required.”

“We have the plans for the Capacitor Stations,” Jeremy informed him. The AIs hadn’t been hesitant in turning them over for the Altons to study.

“So do you think it’s just one ship that’s coming through and not a fleet?” asked Kevin, running his right hand through his fiery red hair.

“Yes,” answered Simkins, nodding his head. “It’s what I would do. Send some type of science ship to collect data and to find us. I don’t think they would transit here unless they had an idea of how to get us home. We’ll just have to see what they’ve come up with.”

“I agree with your assessment of the situation,” Jeremy said. “I guess we won’t know until a ship comes through and we can make contact.” He sincerely hoped the rescue ship would have a method for the fleets to return. He didn’t want to live out his life in the Simulin galaxy. The danger here was just too great, and he wanted to see his crews make it safely home.

“Everything depends on Kelsey, Katie, and Clarissa,” spoke Kevin in a grave voice. “I just hope they realize what they may be getting into.”

Jeremy nodded. The Triangulum Galaxy held a grave danger with the Simulins; there was still so much the Humans and Altons didn’t understand about this mysterious race. Jeremy was as anxious as everyone else to hear news from home. They would finally know how the war had turned out and what was happening in the Federation. However, most of all, he just wanted to see Kelsey.

Chapter Thirteen

Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes stared out the massive viewscreen, which covered the front wall of the Distant Horizon. She stood close to the screen and waited for Clarissa and Andram to give her an idea of their next destination. She still found it hard to accept they’d actually traveled to another galaxy.

“We haven’t found any signs of a space-traveling civilization in our sensor sweeps,” reported Andram, turning toward the admiral. “There are two promising systems close by. A K-Class star only three light years distant and a G type that’s seven light years out.”

“I was wondering,” Kathryn said after a moment. “These Simulins who adjusted the AI’s Codex, do you think there’s any chance they could still be around?” That had been at the back of her mind since leaving Astral.

“Possibly,” Andram responded, his forehead creasing in a thoughtful frown. “Their adjustment to the AI’s Codex was designed to result in the termination of all organic life forms in our galaxy. They had to know what they’d programmed would take centuries to accomplish. I fear there is a reasonable chance they’re present in this galaxy somewhere.”

“Then we had better approach all worlds with caution,” Kathryn said. If they ran into trouble, there was no one they could call upon for help. “I think it would be wise if we did a little exploring before setting off where we think the Avenger and the lost fleets came through.”

Andram nodded. “Those two stars would be ideal to begin with. It might give us an idea of what type of life forms to expect in this galaxy.”

“We do have the stealth shield we could deploy if necessary,” Commander Grissim reminded the admiral.

Kathryn knew that the stealth shield was supposed to mask all the energy radiation a ship normally emitted and to make the ship’s hull impervious to sensor scans. The only thing was, the screen had no defense against inbound weapons and couldn’t be used while the ship’s main energy screen was operational.

“It’s an option,” added Colonel Leon. “It would allow us to search star systems without the fear of being detected.”

“I’ll keep it in standby mode until we decide how we want to proceed,” Clarissa stated. “If a threat is detected, I can activate it.”

“Commander Grissim,” spoke Kathryn as she turned and walked back to her command chair, “make ready to jump to the K-type star Andram and Clarissa have located. We’ll do a full scan for planets and see if the system holds any signs of life. I think, for the immediate future, we’ll activate our stealth shield when we enter a system as a safety precaution.”

“Lieutenant Styles, prepare for a jump into hyperspace,” ordered Commander Grissim. “Lieutenant Strong, please plot the necessary jump coordinates. Clarissa, activate the stealth shield as soon as our systems stabilize after the jump.”

“Yes, Commander,” Kelsey said, as she hurried over to her station. She saw, with relief, that Clarissa had already set up the jump equations, and all Kelsey had to do was confirm they were correct. “Thank you,” Kelsey said quietly. She knew Clarissa would understand.

“Shilum is reporting the hyperdrive has been properly adjusted and should give us no additional problems,” Colonel Leon informed the admiral. Over a viewscreen, Petra had been following the repairs that Shilum and Betrem had been doing, giving her a view of the Hyperspace drive in Engineering. For most of the time the two Altons had been working at the drive’s Main Computer terminal, inputting additional commands.

Kelsey indicated the jump coordinates had been uploaded into the Navigation system.

“Ready to jump,” Commander Grissim said. “CSP and defense globes are back in the flight bay.”

“Take us to Condition One,” ordered Kathryn. She had decided she wouldn’t take any chances here in the Triangulum Galaxy. “Execute the jump.”

The Condition One alarms rang, lights flashed red, and everyone quickly moved to their combat stations. Kathryn listened as Commander Grissim made the announcement of the setting of Condition One.

Once Grissim was satisfied the ship was ready, she turned toward Lieutenant Styles at the Helm. “Initiate jump!”

Instantly a familiar blue-white vortex formed in front of the Distant Horizon. The massive 2,600-meter ship moved rapidly into it and promptly vanished. Moments later the vortex collapsed on itself, and, soon after, there was no sign of it ever existing.

-

A few minutes later, the ship exited an identical vortex in the target system. It sat in space, not moving, as its sensors reached out to scan the small star system.

“Stealth shield activated,” reported Clarissa.

“Six planets,” Captain Reynolds announced. “One planet is in the liquid water zone, and it appears to have a breathable atmosphere.”

“No other contacts?” asked Kathryn. They were in unknown space, and every jump had some risk. She just hoped they didn’t run across any hostile races.

“No,” answered Reynolds. “We’re still not picking up any signs of any ships on the long-range sensors.”

“Take us to the planet then,” Kathryn ordered. “Let’s see what kind of life there is in this galaxy. Use a microjump to put us just outside the planet’s gravity well.” Kathryn knew the Distant Horizon was perfectly capable of jumping right next to the planet, but she didn’t want to put any unnecessary stress on the ship.

The Distant Horizon made a short hyperjump and then, after passing into the gravity well, coasted into orbit around a world of blue oceans and sandy deserts with only a few patches of green. In orbit a few satellites were spotted, but scans indicated they were inactive.

“This looks like a colony,” Colonel Leon commented, studying the scans the sensors were taking of the surface. “There are four sites that show former cities. There are also signs the cities were bombarded from space.”

“Crap,” muttered Commander Grissim, not liking what she heard and saw.

On the main viewscreen was one of the city sites, and massive craters were in evidence. “It looks as if someone used kinetic energy weapons against the inhabitants. A heavy railgun battery would make just such an impact.”

“Are there any signs of survivors?” asked Kathryn, as she gazed at the viewscreen. The city looked as if it might have held a few hundred thousand inhabitants at one time.

“No,” Clarissa answered. She had moved over to the left side of the admiral. “I’m not picking up any signs of movement in the city.”

Kathryn leaned back and thought about what this implied. She wondered who had attacked this world and if it could’ve been the Simulins. After several moments, she reached a decision. She switched over her minicomm to the frequency she knew Major Winslow would be listening in on.

“Major, I want to send a mission to the surface of this planet and see if we can determine who attacked the inhabitants. The information might prove invaluable in future explorations.”

“Armed, I assume?” Winslow responded.

“Yes,” Kathryn answered. “I don’t want you to take any risks. There will also be a few Alton and Human scientists going with you.”

“I’ll make sure they stay unharmed,” promised Winslow. “I’ll have my team assembled and in the flight bay in twenty minutes.”

“We could be at risk of getting caught up in someone else’s war. Are you sure it’s wise going to the surface?” asked Commander Grissim.

“It should be,” answered Kathryn, gazing at the viewscreen. The screen had been adjusted to show a magnified view, and it was obvious the destruction of the city had occurred quite some time ago. Vegetation could be seen growing in most of the streets and avenues.

“We just finished one war, and now we may have jumped into another.” Anne shook her head. “I hope I’m wrong.”

Kathryn nodded. This mission, so far, wasn’t proceeding as any of them had hoped.

“If there’s a war going on in this galaxy, this might be our opportunity to discover who is fighting whom,” Kathryn responded.

-

Major Winslow stepped out of the heavy combat shuttle onto the surface. On top of the shuttle a dual laser turret turned, slowly searching for any signs of movement. An upper hatch slid open, and a missile launcher rose up and swiveled until it pointed toward the nearby city.

“At least we have firepower if we need it,” commented Lieutenant Barkley. He gestured for Sergeant Schneider to move his squad out. “Slow and easy, Sergeant. Put a couple Marines on point, and let’s do this by the book.”

The Marines formed up and headed toward a nearby road, which seemed to lead into the center of the city. Twenty-four Marines had come in the shuttle; six would stay behind to operate the laser turret and missile launcher. There was also a four-person crew, who could assist the Marines if needed. There were six civilians as well—two Altons and four Humans. All were well versed in the sciences dealing with different alien cultures and archeology. Everyone was dressed in light environmental protections suits; however, these were a standard Marine color and designed to blend in with the surroundings.

As they moved into the city, the six civilians stayed in the center of the Marine formation. All they could see were burned-out buildings and crumbling walls.

“This must have happened hundreds of years ago,” stated Zalem Hrath, while he paused to examine a building with large cracks in its structure. “You can even see where the weather has started to erode the material of the buildings. From what we saw of the planet earlier, I don’t believe this area receives a lot of rainfall. This type of erosion would have taken several centuries at least.”

“Major!” called out Sergeant Schneider. “I think you need to see this.”

Winslow walked over to the sergeant, who was bent down, examining the surface of the street. “What is it, Sergeant?”

“Some kind of tracks, sir,” Schneider said in a slight German accent. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Major Winslow looked where the sergeant pointed and had to agree. In some areas of the street, a lot of sand and dirt had blown in from the surrounding countryside. The tracks were about the size of his hand, and there were a lot of them. They didn’t resemble any type of animal track he had seen before and didn’t make a lot of sense. They were round and had what looked like small indentations scattered in the print in a circular pattern.

“I don’t know,” Winslow said, as his eyes studied the street ahead. “We didn’t detect anything moving from orbit.”

“Something made these,” Sergeant Schneider replied. “Whatever it is, it’s a pretty good size. Much larger than a man.”

“Lieutenant Barkley, we may not be alone down here. We need to keep a sharp lookout for any signs of movement.” Winslow then contacted the shuttle and told them about the tracks Sergeant Schneider had found. The Marines in the shuttle reported that they had not seen any indications of movement on the sensors.

“This isn’t an organic creature,” commented Bill McLain, who was familiar with numerous animal species on hundreds of alien worlds. He was an Ecobiologist and had been on many worlds with different environments.

“What do you mean?” asked Major Winslow, shifting his gaze to the scientist.

“The tracks are too regular. Animals don’t move this way.”

“An AI?” asked Winslow, fearing the worst.

“I doubt it,” replied McLain, shaking his head. “Probably some type of robot.”

“It might be a work robot the inhabitants of this planet used,” suggested Panthel Bayl. She was a female Alton, who knew quite a bit about alien cultures. “It could be a mining robot or something they used for common labor.”

“Major,” a voice spoke over his comm. It was one of the Marines back in the shuttle. “We’re picking up movement directly in front of you about two hundred meters!”

Major Winslow peered down the long street and thought he saw something moving next to a crumbling building. “There’s something down the street coming our way,” he warned, as he clicked the safety off his assault rifle. “Civilians, move back to the rear!”

“What the hell is that?” muttered Sergeant Schneider. It was still too far down the street to clearly make out what it was.

“There’s another one!” called out Private Jarman, pointing toward one of the side streets.

At that moment, the one down the street spotted the Marines. It let out a loud warbling, high-pitched sound and charged toward the Marines.

“It’s a damn crab!” yelled Private Spencer. “A giant crab!”

“There are more of them,” added Lieutenant Barkley, as additional crabs appeared from crumbling buildings. “There are dozens of the things!”

“Hold your position,” ordered Major Winslow. His suit was capable of enhanced vision, and he quickly zoomed in on one of the advancing crabs. Seeing the large pincerlike appendages, there was no doubt these things were dangerous. “Very slowly let’s back up. Perhaps if they see we mean them no harm, they’ll stop.”

“I don’t think that’ll work, Major,” called out Sergeant Schneider. “They’re coming faster!” Schneider had flipped his safety off and had his assault rifle pointed in the general direction of the advancing crabs.

Major Winslow didn’t like the situation he was being forced into. If he did nothing, the crabs would overrun them, possibly injuring or even killing some of his Marines and the civilians. If he fired on them, he could be committing an act of war.

“Major, what do you want to do?” asked Lieutenant Barkley.

The crabs were getting uncomfortably close. They showed no signs of slowing down.

“Fire!” Major Winslow said, reaching a decision. “Take them down!”

Instantly the Marines let loose with a fusillade of fire from their assault rifles, and heavy weapons fire raked the oncoming crabs. Some of them faltered, and a few even collapsed onto the street, but most of them kept on coming.

“Grenades,” Major Winslow yelled, when he saw their weapons fire was not nearly as effective as he had hoped. The creatures were nearly upon them!

Quickly a couple Marines tossed grenades at the advancing crabs, blowing several of them apart. More Marines joined in, and the street rattled from the explosions. Dust and smoke filled the air, and several sagging walls collapsed, spreading even more dust. Then the crabs reached the Marines, and the screaming began.

Major Winslow turned pale as he saw a crab grab one of his Marines and literally pull him in two, sending blood and body parts everywhere. Another used its pinchers and neatly clipped off a Marine’s head. “Keep firing!” he yelled, as he emptied his clip into a nearby crab. The creature collapsed on the street and lay still. He quickly ejected the clip and slapped in another.

“Major, more are coming!” called out Sergeant Schneider, who had stopped one of the creatures just short of the civilians.

“There are too many!” warned Lieutenant Barkley, as he lobbed another grenade down the street. “They’re going to overrun us!”

At that moment, Major Winslow became aware of a growing noise above them. Looking up, he saw the combat shuttle. From its bottom hull a twin laser turret extended, and ruby-red beams of light flashed down to sweep across the oncoming crabs. The beams easily cut them in two, and, in a short time, the charge was broken, and the crabs eliminated.

“Land the shuttle in the street behind us,” ordered Major Winslow over his suit comm.

There should be just enough room for the shuttle to touch down, and the major wanted to get off this planet as quickly as possible. He seriously doubted if they’d killed all the creatures; more could be arriving at any moment.

“Major, these are machines,” Bill McLain spoke, as he studied a crab near him—made out of some type of metal. Several had been blown apart, making their internal workings visible. Bill bent over and peered inside, inspecting its mechanism.

“Robots of some type,” Panthel informed them, as she looked closely at another one. “Some type of scavengers.”

“But for what purpose?” asked Lieutenant Barkley, as the shuttle landed, and its hatch slid open.

“We should take one back to examine,” suggested Panthel. “We could learn a lot from it.”

Major Winslow frowned at the idea, but he had been ordered to find out who had destroyed this planet. “Just one,” he said after a moment. “Take it on board, but make sure it’s secured. I don’t want it coming back to life.”

A few minutes later, everyone was aboard the shuttle, including their fallen comrades, and their specimen was stored in a metal cargo container. The thing was so large it had been difficult to get it inside, but, after some hard work, they wrangled it into the container.

“Let’s get back to the Distant Horizon,” ordered Major Winslow, entering the cockpit. “I don’t know how many more of those things are around, and I don’t want to find out.”

“Yes, sir,” the pilot answered.

A short time later, the shuttle lifted off and quickly gained altitude. It was returning to the ship, bringing a new mystery with it. In the cargo bay was the large metal container, which the Marines gazed at uneasily. Also four body bags, containing their dead companions, were strapped to the floor next to it. They’d defeated the crabs, but the robots had taken a heavy toll. Everyone just hoped what they were bringing back was worth it.

-

Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes listened to Major Winslow’s after-action report with a grim look upon her face. Four Marines had been killed and another two seriously injured. She knew they’d been fortunate not to have lost more. If the shuttle had arrived a minute later, all the Marines and civilians could have lost their lives.

“They attacked for no reason?” asked Kathryn, shaking her head.

“Yes, sir,” Major Winslow replied. “When the first one spotted us, it let out a loud warbling call, which seemed to summon the others. Panthel believes they’re scavengers of some sort.”

“A very brutal type of scavenger,” stated Kathryn. “Do you feel these robots were built by the city’s inhabitants?”

“I don’t know,” Winslow replied, his brow furrowing in thought. “They seem more like something placed on the surface to ensure there were no survivors.”

“A cleanup detail,” muttered Kathryn unhappily. It sounded so heartless and cruel. These things killed by tearing apart their prey.

“It makes sense in a way,” Major Winslow replied. “Once the city was destroyed, rather than send troops down to spend valuable time searching for survivors, they could land a few hundred of these scavengers, and, as the survivors ventured out, the robots could make short work of them. They would also serve as an occupying force without tying down valuable troops which might be needed elsewhere.”

“Mikow and several others are attempting to access the robot’s CPU to possibly discover who placed these things upon the planet,” Kathryn informed the major. “From what we know of the Simulins tinkering with the AI Codex, my bet’s on it being them.”

“That would make them a horrid race,” replied Winslow, shaking his head. “I just can’t see how a race could be that heartless.”

“We have examples in our own galaxy,” Kathryn answered, her eyes narrowing at memories of the recent war with the Hocklyns and the AIs. “Look at what the Hocklyns did to so many of their slave worlds. They nuked the original Human Federation of Worlds, committing genocide on all the planets except New Providence. The only reason it didn’t succeed there was because the survivors fled deep underground and were never found.”

“What do we do now, Admiral?”

“We’re going to the next star system,” Kathryn answered. “I want to know what’s happening in this galaxy and the type of threats we may be up against.”

Major Winslow nodded. He had six hundred Marines on the Distant Horizon, and he was confident they could handle any threat they were asked to stop. However, fighting robots, like they had found on the planet below, was something he had no desire for.

-

Kelsey was in her quarters talking to Katie. The ship would jump into hyperspace in another few hours, making the short jump to the G-type star that Clarissa and Andram had located.

“Killer robots,” spoke Katie, her light green eyes showing deep concern. “What if they’re everywhere?”

“We don’t know that,” Kelsey answered, though she had been having the same thoughts. “We’ll explore a few more planets before Admiral Barnes takes the Distant Horizon to where Jeremy and Kevin are.”

“Have you spoken to Brace about what’s going on?” asked Katie. She knew Brace had to be as apprehensive as they were.

“Earlier,” Kelsey answered. “Briefly while the mission was down on the planet. He’s just hoping Angela is still waiting for him.”

Katie allowed herself to laugh. “She’s waiting. Angela was head over heels in love with the guy.”

“I’ll just be glad when we finally find the Avenger. Even if we’re trapped here in this galaxy, at least we’ll all be together again,” Kelsey said with a deep sigh. The years had been difficult with the Special Five being separated, plus not knowing what might have happened to their friends and loved ones.

“Shilum and Clarissa are both certain they can get us back home,” Katie responded. “All we need to do is find the Avenger and the other ships, and we can use the fleet repair vessels or the Clan Protector to build the energy-collection stations we’ll need. We have all the designs on board. It’ll just take time.”

“I don’t know,” Kelsey said with a concerned look on her face. “When we were on Maken, I got the strangest vibe from Fleet Admiral Streth—like he didn’t expect to see us ever again.”

Katie was silent for a moment, her light green eyes growing wide. “You don’t think he was telling us everything he saw in his premonition?”

“No. I think there was something he kept secret.”

“But why help us and send us to Astral if he knew we would die here?”

“I don’t think the secret was us dying here,” Kelsey answered with a deep sigh. “I just don’t think he saw us returning home.”

“Those robots Major Winslow encountered,” Katie said, trying to figure out what might prevent them from making the transit back to their galaxy, “do you think whoever created those things will try to prevent us from building the energy-collection stations?”

“They might,” answered Kelsey. “Someone made those robots and put them on the planet. We may find them everywhere in this galaxy.”

“We need to locate Jeremy and Kevin,” spoke Katie emphatically. “They’ll know what’s going on and what we need to do.”

“I wonder if they’ve encountered the creators of those robots,” said Kelsey.

“Mikow and Clarissa are trying to find out who created them,” Katie informed her. “They’re moving the robot they brought back to one of the labs to be taken apart and studied. Once they’re sure it’s safe, they’ll search its programming for some answers.”

Kelsey nodded. She was anxious for the Distant Horizon to head where they believed the Avenger and the lost fleets were. She understood Rear Admiral Barnes’s desire to understand what was going on in this galaxy, but Kelsey just wanted to get to Jeremy. After all, it had been over four years since they’d last spoken to one another.

-

Mikow was in the computer lab when a group of Marines brought in the scavenger robot. The thing was nearly ten feet across and had numerous appendages.

“Is it dead?” she asked, as it was placed on the floor. A large area had been cleared so they could work on the strange automaton.

Andram had followed the Marines into the room.

“It’s dead,” confirmed Lieutenant Barkley. He tapped it with the barrel of his assault rifle a couple times, as if to make sure.

“I hope its CPU wasn’t damaged,” Mikow said, while she walked around the robot, noting all the damage done to it. Several of its legs and one of its large clawlike appendages were missing.

“This was the least damaged one,” Barkley replied. “The rest were pretty well blown up or cut apart by the shuttle’s lasers.”

“It’ll have to do,” said Mikow, excited at the prospect of studying this robot and learning how it was programmed.

“It’s not showing any signs of internal power,” Andram said, as he pointed a small handheld device in the direction of the robot. “I would guess its internal power source was destroyed in the fighting.”

Mikow stepped closer to inspect the scavenger. She pointed to a seam, which appeared to indicate a possible entry point to the internal workings of the machine. “Let’s begin by removing this panel. Once we can see inside, we’ll have a better idea of how to proceed.”

Several Human and Alton technicians in the room stepped forward to see what tools they would need to carry out Mikow’s suggestion.

“We’ll have to cut or drill this open,” stated one of the Human technicians, after tracing the seam with his fingers.

“I would suggest a laser cutting drill,” spoke one of the tall white-haired Altons. “It will do less damage and doesn’t generate a great amount of heat.”

All the technicians nodded in agreement, and, after procuring the drill, they were soon busy, cutting off the panel.

Mikow watched in growing excitement. This would be her first opportunity to examine an alien robot. She was curious about what she would find.

Lieutenant Barkley turned to Sergeant Schneider, who had helped to move the robot into the computer lab. “Sergeant, I want you and two other Marines to stay here and ensure that thing stays dead.”

“It will,” promised Schneider. He was still holding his assault rifle. “If it so much as twitches, we’ll blast it.”

-

Clarissa was watching the proceedings in the lab over several monitors, giving her a clear view of their progress with the alien robot. The lab was equipped with holographic projectors, so she could appear there in person, if she wanted. For now she was content to merely observe. The discovery of this scavenger robot greatly concerned her. If the Simulins were behind it, and the simulations she had run indicated they probably were, then this crew could all be in grave danger. It also made her deeply concerned for the fate of the Avenger and the missing fleets. She just hoped they’d survived and were waiting for rescue. She didn’t know what she would do if Ariel and the others were gone.

Chapter Fourteen

The Distant Horizon exited the blue-white vortex into their target system. Admiral Barnes gazed with interest at the main viewscreen as the stars reappeared. While she felt safe in hyperspace, knowing they couldn’t be attacked, it was always comforting to see the stars shining around them.

“Main Sensors are online,” reported Captain Reynolds. “Beginning sensor sweeps.”

“Stealth shield activated,” added Clarissa.

“All departments reporting normal operations,” added Colonel Leon.

The jump had been perfectly routine, and all systems were functioning optimally.

“No contacts in our immediate vicinity,” reported Reynolds, as the first sensor results came in. “We should have data on the entire system shortly.”

“Secure from Condition One and go to Condition Two,” ordered Kathryn. She leaned back in her command chair, waiting for the tactical displays to reveal their information. She felt a little uneasy after the unexpected encounter with the scavenger robots in the last system.

“Should we deploy a CSP or some of the defense globes?” asked Commander Grissim.

“Not yet,” replied Kathryn. “Let’s wait and see what the scans turn up.”

“Mikow is working on the robot again,” added Colonel Leon. “She says she’s located the CPU and is trying to access it.”

“I’ll help her,” spoke Clarissa, wanting to learn more about the strange crablike robot. “Perhaps we can learn if the Simulins are behind the attack on that planet.”

“Let me know as soon as you find out anything,” Kathryn said, just as Clarissa’s holographic image vanished. She let out a deep sigh. She still wasn’t used to the way the AI could appear and then disappear in an instant.

“Initial scans are complete,” Captain Reynolds informed the admiral. “Detecting eight planets in the system and one in the liquid water zone. It’s almost in the center and slightly larger than Earth.” Reynolds grew silent, rechecking some data. “I’m picking up a lot of radiation in the planet’s atmosphere. The type left by the explosions of multiple nuclear devices.”

“This planet may have been attacked just like the last one,” suggested Commander Grissim. “The use of nuclear weapons suggests this planet may have had a much larger population base.”

“Plot a microjump to just outside the gravity well of the planet,” ordered Kathryn. Finding another potentially devastated planet sent icy chills down her back. “Take us back to Condition One, and prepare a squadron of fighters and bombers for deployment.”

“What about the defense globes?” asked Commander Grissim. “They would provide an additional layer of protection for the ship.”

“Deploy ten of them once we’ve completed the jump,” Kathryn ordered. This time she planned to stay outside the gravity well of the planet. “Lieutenant Strong, plot an emergency jump to one of the nearer star systems, in case we have to run.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Kelsey replied, as she got busy on her Navigation computer.

“Ready to jump,” reported Colonel Leon.

“Initiate jump,” ordered Commander Grissim, as her eyes focused on the large viewscreen.

The ship entered the vortex and then, shortly afterward, dropped back into normal space. The viewscreen instantly cleared, showing a planet which once might have looked like Earth or New Tellus. Now it was dark and foreboding. The vegetation on the surface was dead; the oceans had an unhealthy brownish tinge, and the few clouds visible didn’t seem capable of delivering any beneficial rainfall.

“Radiation is forty times above the norm,” reported Clarissa, as she suddenly reappeared next to the admiral. “Scans indicate this was a heavily populated planet, and the building architecture is very similar to what we saw on the last planet.”

“This was their home world then,” suggested Commander Grissim, stepping toward the viewscreen.

The screen had been adjusted to show a closer view of the planet. Craters and large burned areas were indications of large nuclear strikes.

“Launching defense globes,” reported Colonel Leon, while she listened to Major Arcles, who was in the Flight Control Center for the flight bays.

“Who would do something like this?” asked Anne, shaking her head in disgust.

“The same race that destroyed the other planet,” Clarissa answered. She adjusted several of the ship’s sensors to take detailed scans of the devastated cities. “I’m detecting movement in some of the ruined cities. It matches that of the robot crabs we encountered previously.”

“How long ago did this happen?” asked Kathryn. There was no way she would risk sending down a mission to this planet’s surface. With the high radiation and the presence of scavenger robots, it was too risky.

“Two to three hundred years ago, based on the decay rate of the radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere,” Clarissa responded. “If we had a sample of the air, we could determine to within just a few years as to the time of the actual attack.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Andram said, as he walked into the Command Center. He had been working with Mikow on the robot down in the computer lab. “There might have been a biological attack as well, and there is the possibility that any surviving microbes could have been dangerously mutated by their long-term exposure to radiation.”

Kathryn nodded. She was confident the quarantine procedures they had in place for dealing with dangerous organisms would allow them to conduct the air sample, but she really didn’t see the point.

“Picking up a lot of satellites in orbit,” Captain Reynolds called out, as the tactical screen continued to put up more icons. “There’s also some debris that indicates a large space station was once present.”

“What about ships?” asked Petra. “If they had a colony, they’re bound to have had a few starships as well.”

“None detected,” Reynolds replied. “Of course their ships could be part of the wreckage the sensors are detecting. There seems to be quite a bit of it.”

“I don’t think we’ll find anything useful here,” Commander Grissim said as she turned to face the admiral. “What happened here was a long time ago.”

“I agree,” Kathryn said. “Lieutenant Strong, do you have those emergency jump coordinates plotted? I don’t think we want to stay around here too long.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Kelsey replied. “There’s a small white dwarf system eight light years away that should be safe to jump to.”

“We’ll take an hour to finish scanning the planet, and then we’ll leave.” Kathryn gazed with a sick feeling at the viewscreen, knowing hundreds of millions of intelligent beings had been ruthlessly annihilated on the planet below.

-

“Detailed scans have been completed,” Clarissa reported fifty minutes later.

“Commander Grissim, I think it’s time to leave this star system,” Kathryn said. “Land the defense globes, and stand by to initiate our jump.”

A few minutes later Colonel Leon turned toward the admiral. “Defense globes are in the flight bay and have been secured.”

“Stand by to jump,” Grissim ordered, as she turned to face the Helm. “Set the coordinates, and let’s get out of here.”

“Coordinates set,” replied Lieutenant Styles.

“Initiate jump on my command,” ordered Commander Grissim, as she stood with her hands clasped behind her back. “Jump!”

“Jumping,” spoke the Helm officer, as a blue-white vortex formed in front of the Distant Horizon.

Moments later they were safely back in hyperspace. Kathryn was beginning to wonder just what type of galaxy they'd jumped into. Both of the first two systems with planets in the liquid water zone had held dead civilizations. What else awaited them in this galaxy?

-

Eight minutes later, the Distant Horizon exited the vortex and found itself in the outer reaches of the white dwarf system. The star was slightly smaller than Earth’s but with nearly the mass of Earth’s sun. It was also much dimmer.

“Stealth field activated,” reported Clarissa.

“No contacts!” called out Captain Reynolds, as his sensors reached out across the star system. After a couple minutes passed, he spoke again. “I’m detecting two planets, both on the far side of the star.”

“Secure from Condition One,” ordered Commander Grissim. Anne then turned toward the admiral. “How long are we to stay here?”

“Until we know more about what’s going on in this galaxy,” answered Kathryn, leaning back in her chair. “Once Mikow has determined who programmed those scavenger robots, at least we may know who’s going around destroying planets.”

“We should know shortly,” Clarissa said, her deep blue eyes focusing on the admiral. “Mikow has accessed the robot’s CPU and is in the process of transferring its programming files to one of the lab computers. I helped her set up a decryption program to translate the files into something that’s understandable.”

“Commander Grissim, put out a CSP and twenty of the defense globes. We may be here for a while.” Kathryn didn’t want to take any chances. It was a hard-learned lesson from the war with the Hocklyns and the AIs.

“Yes, Admiral,” Anne replied, as she activated her minicomm to pass on the orders.

-

Major Karl Arcles was in Raven One when it exited the flight bay of the Distant Horizon. Four other Talon fighters had already taken off and assumed their normal patrol routes. Karl wanted to do a quick inspection, just to remind his pilots that he could still check on them, even out in space. He also missed not getting to fly as much as he once did. Being CAG had its benefits, but it also had its drawbacks.

The last four years had been interesting, and there was a time he and Lacy had actually considered leaving the fleet and getting married. However, when word of the construction of the Distant Horizon had leaked out, Karl had pulled some strings to get Lacy and him assigned to the massive starship. They’d agreed to put their relationship on hold until after the mission returned home.

He flew alongside the ship, marveling at its structure and the firepower he knew it held. It was a shame they didn’t have something like this during the war. Turning to his left, he quickly flew to one of the patrols, and, after doing a close flyby, he continued to check on the other. On his small sensor screen, he could see the twenty defense globes deployed around the ship. Currently the globes were two thousand kilometers out and slowly orbiting the Distant Horizon. No one was sure how effective these would be in combat, but, in trials, they’d been devastating. If the ion cannon worked as it had in the tests, the globes could take down an enemy’s energy screen or at least knock a sizable hole in it, and then fire their particle beam turrets through the opening, causing horrendous damage. The entire purpose of the ion cannon was to compromise defensive energy screens.

As Karl finished his inspection, he flew by the bow of the ship. He could plainly see its four large power beam cannons, which were powered by one of the ship’s Fusion Five reactors. The reactor was a new development of the Altons and generated four times the energy of previous fusion reactors. The new power beams were now just as deadly as a particle beam. However, there were also two huge particle beam cannons jutting out slightly from the bow. Karl knew the two beam weapons had an effective range of 20,000 to 25,000 kilometers.

He adjusted his course and flew over the upper hull of the massive ship. The ship had twenty-four power beam turrets around the hull set in concentric rings. There were also forty-eight energy gun turrets, ninety-six defensive laser batteries, and forty-eight 60mm twin railgun turrets. In addition, the ship had thirty-six missile tubes that could launch anything from a Hunter interceptor to a one-hundred-megaton sublight antimatter missile.

Turning, he took the fighter beneath the ship to align with one of the two flight bays. Inside the bays were sixty Talon fighters and forty Anlon bombers. While the Distant Horizon was supposed to be primarily an exploration ship, it could become a deadly killing machine, if the need arose.

-

“We have the information from the scavenger robot,” Mikow announced, as she burst into the Command Center.

For an Alton, she was showing an unusual amount of excitement.

“It was the Simulins!”

At this announcement, Kathryn felt her shoulders droop. She had hoped the aliens who had adjusted the AIs’ Codex were long gone.

“What did you find out?”

“The robots keep files on any organic life form they kill while on a planet,” Mikow reported. “From what we’ve been able to deduce, the Simulins move in and destroy the indigenous population, or as much of it as they can. Once a major portion of the population has been eliminated, the scavenger robots are dumped on the planet to finish off any inhabitants who might have escaped the initial bombardment. Evidently the Simulins don’t return to pick up the scavengers. They’re left on a planet until they wear out and cease functioning. The robots have enough rudimentary technical skills to remove appendages and legs from nonfunctioning scavengers and then use them to replace damaged or missing ones on the still functioning robots.”

“How long can these things survive on a planet?” asked Kathryn. She was beginning to wonder if any planet in this galaxy would be safe to set foot on.

“Hundreds of years,” Mikow answered. “They’re solar powered, and, most of the time, they are inactive, unless they detect an organic life form.”

“So no more landings on planets that have been attacked,” spoke Commander Grissim. “How widespread do you think these Simulins are, Admiral?”

“There’s no way to know,” answered Kathryn, as she thought over their next move. “There’s a good chance we’ll encounter them on our way to the Avenger and the missing fleets. The bigger question is, what has Admiral Strong done to stay away from the Simulins?”

“What about the AIs that came through?” asked Colonel Leon.

Petra had verbalized the question that Kathryn presumed they all had probably thought of, more than once. Hundreds of AI ships had made the transit along with the Avenger and the other fleets. Where were they?

“We won’t know until we get there,” Kathryn said. The AIs were another problem.

In the back of her mind, she was beginning to fear that, between the AIs and the Simulins, the Avenger and her fleets might not have made it. She didn’t want to think of the Distant Horizon being alone in the Simulin galaxy. She recalled even Fleet Admiral Streth had been uncertain if Admiral Strong and his fleets had survived, once they had reached this galaxy.

“Take us to Condition Three,” Kathryn ordered. “We’ll stay here for twenty-four hours and then start jumping toward where we think Admiral Strong is. Clarissa and Lieutenant Strong, I want two sets of coordinates always ready—one for our destination and another emergency set, in case we jump into a dangerous situation and need to withdraw immediately. How long a jump can we make safely?”

“It depends on the star density,” Kelsey answered, as she thought over what the admiral had asked. “As we enter areas of this galaxy where there are more stars, our jumps may become shorter, since we’re not familiar where gas clouds and even small nebulas may be. Our sensors are good for ten light years. I’m not sure I would recommend a jump any longer than that.”

“I concur,” Andram said. “This galaxy is not well mapped. And coming too close to a dust cloud, nebula, or even a heavy area of gas could cause us to fall out of hyperspace.”

“I would recommend we map the space in front of us after each jump,” Clarissa suggested. She was standing next to the admiral with her hands on her shapely hips. “We have mapping equipment on board, plus Humans and Altons who are well qualified to use it. If we allow sufficient time between jumps, we could map the space out for twenty or twenty-five light years ahead of us and make longer jumps.”

“I’ll take that into consideration,” Kathryn said. “For now I think everyone needs to get some rest. We have a long trip ahead of us.” Kathryn knew she wanted to get some sleep; if they ran into trouble, she wanted to be completely alert.

-

Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes gazed pensively at the swirling deep purple colors on the main viewscreen. She was tempted to have it turned off because it was a constant reminder of what was ahead of them. They were a little over 11,000 light years from Admiral Strong’s supposed location. At ten light years per jump, that was 1,100 transits into hyperspace. No one needed to tell her that would be a lot of wear and tear on the Hyperspace drive. Fortunately the new drive on the Distant Horizon needed very little cool down time, unlike the older drives. They could make a jump after just thirty minutes; but she had lengthened the time between jumps to two hours, so Astrometrics could spend more time mapping out future jump points.

“It’s been three days, and there’ve been no signs of other space-going races,” commented Commander Grissim. “I think we need to increase the length of our hyperspace jumps. At our current pace, it will take us over one hundred days to reach our destination.”

Kathryn let out a deep breath. The Distant Horizon was capable of making jumps of 120 light years. “You may be right,” she replied, standing up and walking over to stand behind Kelsey, as she eyed the massive viewscreen.

“Andram, would longer jumps be safe?”

Andram was sitting at Navigation next to Kelsey. After a moment, he said, “I spoke to the scientists who are busy mapping the galaxy between us and our eventual destination. They feel confident that we can increase our jumps to fifty light years with relative safety.”

“Our long-range sensors can also detect vessels in hyperspace,” Clarissa reminded them. She knew the Avenger had those same advanced sensors. “We should know ahead of time if the system we’re jumping to has operational spacecraft.”

Kathryn folded her arms across her chest while thinking over her options. From what Fleet Admiral Streth had told her, there was no doubt that speed was of the utmost importance. She needed to find Admiral Strong and his fleets as soon as possible. Without their construction capabilities, the Distant Horizon might never return home.

“Let’s do it,” she ordered. “All jumps henceforth will be fifty light years. Kelsey, I want two emergency sets of jump coordinates. Each should be at least ten light years from our target set of coordinates. If we run into trouble, I want options.”

“I think it’s the right decision,” commented Commander Grissim. She was also getting tired of staring at the swirling dark purple colors of hyperspace.

-

For another day the Distant Horizon jumped. Each time they dropped out of hyperspace, they scanned the space around them, and the scientists in Astrometrics worked frantically, mapping the Triangulum Galaxy in front of the ship.

“Three and a half weeks and we’ll be there,” Clarissa said over the private comm channel she maintained with Kelsey and Katie.

“Three and a half weeks still sounds like a long time.” Katie moaned. “It’s been over four years. I just want to know Kevin is all right.”

“I’m sure they’re all fine,” Clarissa assured her. “Ariel would never let anything happen to them.”

“We’ve waited four years. We can wait three and a half weeks,” Kelsey said, as she entered another set of emergency jump coordinates into the main Navigation computer.

Kelsey expected Clarissa to reply, but she was strangely silent. “Clarissa, is there a problem?”

“Possibly,” Clarissa said with a touch of worry in her youthful voice. “The long-range sensors are showing the system we’re about to enter has a large number of spacecraft operating in it. I’ve also detected a number of hyperspace events.”

“You better inform the admiral,” Kelsey said, growing worried.

“Admiral Barnes,” Clarissa spoke, as she strode quickly over to the command console, “the long-range sensors are detecting spacecraft in our target system.”

“How many?” Kathryn asked, her eyes widening with concern. She knew it was bound to happen eventually. She just wished it had been later.

“Hundreds,” Clarissa answered. “I’ve also detected a number of hyperspace jumps.”

“It could be the Simulins,” warned Commander Grissim. “We have nine minutes before we drop out of hyperspace.”

“Go to Condition One,” ordered Kathryn, reaching a quick decision. “We won’t deploy any fighters or defense globes. If we determine this is a hostile system, we’ll jump to one of our emergency coordinates as soon as the drive’s charged.” Instantly the alarms rang, and red lights flashed.

“Condition One is set,” reported Colonel Leon, as she listened to the readiness confirmations coming in over her minicomm. “All stations report secured.” That meant the Marines had been deployed to cover all the ship’s important sections. “Fighters and defense globes are ready for deployment, if needed. Two squadrons of Talons have pilots in the cockpits and are ready to exit the Alpha flight bay.”

“Hopefully we won’t need them,” commented Commander Grissim.

“We’ll need ten minutes for our systems to stabilize and the drive core to recharge sufficiently for the emergency jump,” Grissim reminded the admiral. “Any sooner and we risk damage to the drive.” Anne knew they really needed thirty minutes for the drive core to fully cool, but they could make a shorter jump in an emergency, when necessary.

“As soon as we drop out, put all available power to the defense screen,” Kathryn said. “I don’t believe there is any point in activating the stealth shield. We’ll probably be detected as soon as we exit the vortex. It’ll take time for whoever is in this system to reach us. I can’t imagine them attacking without first attempting to identify who we are. We should have sufficient time to recharge the drive.”

As the minutes passed, Kathryn felt her anxiety growing. Obviously they were about to jump into a system containing a very high-tech civilization. Fortunately the ship was set up to exit hyperspace in the outer regions of the system.

Her eyes were focused on the big viewscreen, and she waited tensely for the ship to exit the spatial vortex.

“Drop out in one minute,” reported Colonel Leon. Petra had moved behind the admiral and was standing by the large Tactical station.

The Command Center was silent as everyone waited for the ship to exit hyperspace. Each wondered what they were about to find. Would this race be friendly, or had they stumbled across a Simulin-held star system?

“Drop out!” called out Petra, as she felt the normal gut-wrenching sensation of exiting hyperspace.

For a brief moment, the viewscreen was covered in static, and the tactical displays were dark.

“Main Sensors coming online,” reported Captain Reynolds.

The main viewscreen cleared, showing a canopy of unblinking stars.

“Contacts!” called out Reynolds, as his sensors went wild. “I’m detecting hundreds of spacecraft. Some are very near. Updating the tactical displays.”

“I have identification,” reported Clarissa, her voice displaying worry. “The ships are definitely Simulin, and I’m picking up some very large ones.”

“We’re being hit by sensor scans,” reported Commander Grissim, as several red lights lit up on the console next to her.

“Energy screen is up,” added Colonel Leon. “Weapons coming online.”

“We have several Simulin ships within two million kilometers,” reported Captain Reynolds. “They’re turning and accelerating toward us.”

“Send out the standard first-contact package,” Kathryn ordered, her hands gripping the armrests of her command chair.

From the database taken from Astral, they had a rudimentary Simulin language base, but Kathryn wanted to act as if they hadn’t heard of the Simulins before. Perhaps the first-contact package would buy them some time, at least until the ship was ready to jump again.

“Package sent,” replied Captain Travers.

“Lieutenant Parker, let me know when the hyperdrive is charged so we can safely jump. I want a minute-to-minute countdown.”

Lieutenant Parker was sitting at the hyperdrive console, which monitored the hyperdrive and its systems.

“Detecting several spatial vortices forming in the inner system,” Clarissa reported. “The Simulins may be about to jump to our location.”

“Seven minutes to hyperdrive charge,” reported Lieutenant Parker. “Admiral, we have sufficient power to make several microjumps, if we need to.”

“Only as a last resort,” Kathryn responded.

“Spatial vortices forming off our starboard bow at six hundred kilometers,” reported Captain Reynolds.

“Emergence,” stated Clarissa, as two massive bulbous warships appeared on the main viewscreen. The ships were 1,100 meters long with six spires extruding from the forward hull.

“Resend the first-contact package,” ordered Kathryn, leaning forward. “Tactical, don’t activate targeting scans unless ordered. We don’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

“They’re firing!” warned Clarissa, as brilliant energy beams suddenly flashed out from the spires to impact the Distant Horizon’s energy screen.

“Screen is holding,” Colonel Leon reported. “Energy screen is at 95 percent.”

“Five minutes to hyperdrive charge,” reported Lieutenant Parker, his voice sounding anxious.

“Should we fire back, Admiral?” asked Commander Grissim. “Weapons are ready and powered up.”

“We have more ships entering hyperspace,” added Clarissa, as she kept track of all the Simulin ships in the system. “Six more spatial vortices forming off the starboard side of the ship.”

“Contacts!” called out Captain Reynolds. “Same type of ships.”

“No response to our first-contact message,” Captain Travers informed the admiral. “There have been no attempts by the Simulins at communication.”

The Distant Horizon vibrated slightly as more energy beams impacted the defense shield.

“Energy screen is at 70 percent and dropping,” reported Colonel Leon.

“Increase the power to the shield,” ordered Kathryn. “Take it from life support if necessary.” She didn’t want to let the Simulins know just how heavily armed the Distant Horizon was, if she could help it.

“Three minutes to hyperdrive charge,” reported Lieutenant Parker, as he tried to keep his voice under control.

The Distant Horizon shook violently, and an amber light appeared on the Damage Control console.

“Beam penetration,” Commander Grissim reported. “Minor damage to the hull at section sixteen, bulkhead twelve. Beam did not penetrate our armor.”

“One minute to hyperdrive charge,” reported Lieutenant Parker with a slight quiver in his voice.

“Emergency jump coordinates ready to engage,” called out Lieutenant Styles from the Helm.

The ship vibrated again, and two more amber lights flared alive on the Damage Control console.

“Energy screen is at 40 percent,” reported Colonel Leon. “Dropping rapidly.”

“Eight Simulin ships attacking the Distant Horizon with energy beams,” Clarissa said.

“Hyperdrive is charged!”

“Jump!” ordered Kathryn, her eyes focused intently on the viewscreen, showing a close-up of a Simulin ship.

In front of the Distant Horizon, a swirling blue-white vortex formed, and Lieutenant Styles quickly accelerated the ship into its heart, as he fed power to the ship’s sublight drive.

Kathryn felt relief, even as her body reacted to the transition into hyperspace, and then she saw the viewscreen fill with the deep purple colors she had grown so used to. For once she was glad to see them.

“Ship status?” she asked, allowing herself to lean back in her command chair and breathing out a long sigh of relief.

“Only minor damage to the hull,” reported Commander Grissim. “In another minute the Simulins’ energy beams would have penetrated our screen and our armor. We were lucky.”

“Lieutenant Strong, as soon as we exit the vortex, I want another jump plotted. Make this one a jump of twenty light years. We need to put some distance between us and the Simulins.”

“We’ll need to allow the drive core thirty minutes to cool down, or we could damage it,” warned Commander Grissim.

“I know,” Kathryn replied. “Lieutenant Strong, make sure you pick a system that’s not likely to harbor an inhabited planet. A red or blue giant would be acceptable. We’ll jump as soon as the core allows.”

“I can’t believe the Simulins didn’t even try to communicate with us,” stated Commander Grissim, her eyes showing disbelief. “They attacked us without reason.”

“Not that surprising,” Andram said. He had remained quiet during the battle, trusting Admiral Barnes to bring them safely through. “After knowing what they did to the AI Codex and the two destroyed worlds we have found, we shouldn’t have been surprised. All indications are that the Simulins are a very aggressive and dangerous race. The emotions we call normal, which abound in our own galaxy—such as love, empathy, and compassion—may be a foreign concept to them.”

“I just can’t imagine such a race,” responded Anne, her eyes focused on the Alton. “How can intelligent beings act like that?”

“It could have been caused by the environment of their original home world,” Andram answered. “We may never know the real reasons behind their actions.”

Kathryn let out another deep breath. They’d escaped their first contact with the Simulins. Unfortunately that contact had revealed the Simulins were, indeed, a hostile race, and they might even be the dominant race in the Triangulum Galaxy. She greatly feared Admiral Strong had also encountered the Simulins, and she pondered how that battle had gone. She just prayed that, when they reached their eventual destination, something or someone was there for them to find.

Chapter Fifteen

Admiral Race Tolsen folded his arms across his chest and gazed thoughtfully at the main viewscreen. This was the twentieth former Hocklyn slave world they’d visited with no trace of the Shari. It seemed as if the battle fought against High Lord Commander Marquest had resulted in that Slaver Race pulling their ships from the inhabited systems that bordered the Shari Empire.

“I would say this is a good sign,” commented Commander Arnett, as she watched the tactical displays, pleased they showed no red threat icons. “The Shari have evidently thought it wise to withdraw their ships rather than risk further conflict.”

“For now,” added Colonel Cowel. He wasn’t convinced that they had seen the last of the Shari. “They may still be confused as to what happened to the AIs and at the galactic center. Our appearance with superior ships and weapons only lends credence to the fact that we’ve smashed the Hocklyns and may be responsible for what has happened to the AIs. It won’t take them long to confirm we were involved in both.”

“The AIs have long controlled the technology level of all their proxy races,” spoke Commander Arnett. “Once they’ve confirmed the AIs are no longer present, they’re bound to begin robust weapons programs.”

“Thanks to the Altons we’ll have a decisive advantage for quite some time,” replied Cowel. “Perhaps by then the Alliance will have grown and be strong enough to deal with the remaining three Slaver Races.”

“We can only hope,” responded Madelyn.

Everyone realized a mountain of work needed to be done to uplift a number of former Hocklyn slave worlds and to prepare them for admittance in the Alliance.

“Most of the former slave worlds are unsure of their future,” Race said. The fleet had been sending small delegations from the exploration ships down to each planet they encountered to speak with their leaders. As a precaution, the delegations were protected by a heavily armed escort, but there had been no incidents.

“There are just so many inhabited worlds scattered across the former Hocklyn Empire,” uttered Madelyn, shaking her head. “It’ll take years to get delegations to them all. What’ll happen in the meantime?”

“It’s a tough question,” responded Race, recalling some of the discussions back at Fleet Command. “We’ll watch the Borzon, as well as the Shari, to ensure they don’t move in on some of those worlds. We know, for a fact, the Borzon have solidly entrenched themselves in some of the former border regions of the Hocklyn Empire, and they won’t budge without a major military confrontation. We have several fleets assigned to those areas to see that there are no further encroachments. That’s why we’re trying to be proactive with the Shari and keep them out of the border areas.”

“I have an inquiry from the world below, asking about our intentions,” reported Lieutenant Travers from Communications. “They want to know if we represent the Hocklyns or the Shari.”

“Get a first-contact team ready,” ordered Race with a sigh. He had already sent a message back to Fleet Admiral Nagumo asking for more trained first-contact people to be sent to this area. The message would take a while for Nagumo to receive and even longer for a response.

“We have two groups we’ve been using,” answered Madelyn. “Both are a mixture of Altons and Humans. It’s fortunate the Altons have a knack for speaking to the governments of worlds the Hocklyns used to control.”

Race shifted his eyes away from Commander Arnett and back to the large viewscreens on the front wall of the Command Center. A blue-white world seemed to float majestically on one of the screens. The world resembled Earth. Nearly 60 percent of its surface was covered with water. Six large landmasses provided living space for over six hundred million intelligent beings. Madelyn was correct; the Altons had an empathy for these races, perhaps due to the fact they’d created the AIs, and thus felt responsible for what the machines and their four proxy races had done to a large part of the galaxy.

“There are thousands of former slave worlds the Federation and the Alliance need to visit,” Colonel Cowel said. “How will we possibly do all that?”

At the present time, the fleet was stretched extremely thin trying to keep a watch on the Borzon and now the Shari. They also had to patrol the tens of thousands of light years of space that were the former Hocklyn Slave Empire.

“One at a time,” Race answered. This was the same question he had once asked Fleet Admiral Nagumo. “There are about a dozen former slave worlds, which can easily qualify for membership in the Alliance. It will just take time for them to rebuild some of the infrastructure they once possessed that the Hocklyns banned or, in some cases, destroyed. There are many others that, with some additional help from the Federation and the Alliance, could qualify later on down the road.”

“Admiral,” interrupted Lieutenant Travers with a strange look upon her face. “I just received a message from former Fleet Admiral Streth. “He’s requesting that you visit him once the Third Fleet returns to the Federation or Careth.” They had left a line of hyperspace communication buoys behind them to allow for communication with Fleet Command.

“Fleet Admiral Streth!” gasped Colonel Cowel.

Everyone knew who Admiral Streth was, even if they had never met him.

“A strange request,” commented Commander Arnett. “He’s retired to Maken in the Old Human Federation of Worlds. He has even stayed out of fleet business and politics for the last four years. I wonder what he wants?”

“I won’t know until I get there,” Race said, intrigued. He had a lot of respect for the fleet admiral. He also knew he owed his life to Hedon; most of the people in the fleet did. If the fleet admiral had a request to make, then Race would do everything in his power to honor it.

-

On Maken, Janice approached her husband, Hedon, who was standing on the shore of the lake, watching the sun set behind the distant horizon. A few birds still skimmed the surface of the water, seeking out small fish for an evening meal. In the distance, she heard a splash as a fish hit the surface to consume a hapless insect.

“Still thinking about Admiral Strong and the others?” asked Janice, as she came up and put her arms around Hedon.

For several months now, they’d been discussing starting a family, particularly after making the visit to Aquaria, and seeing Amanda and Richard and how happy they were with their newborn. Those two were already talking about having another. Now Janice knew Hedon’s thoughts were filled with worry for Jeremy and those trapped with him.

“Yes,” Hedon answered with a sigh.

Janice knew his headache had finally faded away, and he had spent a lot of time the last few days walking and thinking about his premonitions and what they might mean.

“Did you walk and talk to your brother?” asked Janice. She knew in her husband’s earlier life that Hedon used to come to Maken quite often to spend time with his brother Taylor and Taylor’s wife, Lendle.

“It’s a good way to solve problems,” Hedon replied.

It was hard to believe that had been hundreds of years ago. He had shared with Janice how the time he and the others had spent in cryosleep had seemed to pass so quickly, even considering the half-dozen times he had been awakened to deal with an important decision or crisis. Janice wasn’t sure she could have done the same thing.

“You know, I met Jeremy’s father right after he discovered the Avenger on Earth’s moon. He was a great man and knew how to get things done. The Fleet Academy was a direct result of his efforts and, of course, establishing the New Human Federation of Worlds.”

“I remember,” responded Janice, gently rubbing her hands over Hedon’s shoulders. She could feel the tense muscles beneath her fingers. “I believe you met Katie’s father also?”

“Yes,” replied Hedon, allowing himself to smile. “Greg Johnson was quite a character. He was also a very devoted family man.”

“You’re going to do something, aren’t you?” asked Janice, knowing how dedicated her husband was to those who had served with him in the war.

“Maybe,” Hedon answered, as he turned around to face his wife. “If my premonitions are correct, the Special Five hold the key to saving trillions of lives in a number of galaxies. I’m not sure what’ll happen, but I do know they’ll need some help. I have to find a way to get them that help!”

“You make it sound as if this threat they’re facing is far worse than the AIs.”

“Much worse,” Hedon answered with a haunted look in his eyes. “I’ve seen the destruction of entire galaxies in my dreams, and the deaths of countless worlds at the hands of a relentless and cruel invader. If they’re not stopped in the Triangulum Galaxy, I’m afraid all my premonitions will come true. There’s also a very good possibility we could someday face the same invader here in our galaxy, and we must prevent that.”

“Will you speak to the Federation?” asked Janice. She wasn’t sure the Federation would agree to help; they were swamped trying to allocate resources to prevent the former Hocklyn Empire from falling into chaos.

“No, not the Federation,” Hedon answered with a slight shake of his head. “At least not directly. I have a few old friends who owe me some favors. I’ll call them in. In the next few weeks, you and I will take a trip. I’ve already summoned a destroyer from New Providence.”

Janice’s eyes widened in surprise. A small building on the property, set back from the lake, housed a hyperspace transmitter. Hedon could use it to contact anyone in the Federation, if he so wanted. There were a few other perks inside that building as well.

“Where are we going?”

“Careth,” answered Hedon, as he thought about the Bears and what they could do to help. “We’re going to Careth to talk to Malrez, the current leader of Grayseth’s clan, and then we’ll travel to New Providence. I must meet with Senator Arden and a few others in their government.”

-

Hedon carefully considered his wife, hoping to spare her some of the worries his special gift brought to their union. He would also need to send a message to Admiral Jackson at the galactic center. He had a special request to make of the admiral, one Jackson would find very difficult to obey.

-

Governor Barnes was in his office on Ceres, thinking about his daughter. He had received the message from Admiral Jackson, saying the transit hadn’t gone smoothly, but they were reasonably certain the Distant Horizon had made it to the Triangulum Galaxy. Sitting across from him was Senator Amy Karnes from New Tellus.

“I’m sorry the mission has gotten off to a rocky start,” Amy said. “I know you’re greatly concerned for Kathryn.”

“She has the most powerful ship ever built by the Altons or the Federation,” Barnes replied, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on his desk. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“I was in Alton space a week ago and spoke to Ambassador Tureen,” Amy said, her eyes taking on a thoughtful look. “He wanted me to express his best wishes to you that the mission goes as planned and that the ship makes a safe return with the lost fleets.”

“Thank you,” Governor Barnes replied. However, he had been a politician long enough to know Senator Karnes had another reason for requesting this meeting. “Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Yes,” answered Amy. “As you know, Serenity held their planetary elections last week, and Senator Fulbright is now the governor of the planet. He’s pushing for a major reduction in the Federation military budget effective immediately. He feels that, since the Hocklyns and the AIs are no longer a threat, we don’t need to maintain such a large military force in the galaxy.”

“The fool!” uttered Governor Barnes, shaking his head. “We have thousands of former Hocklyn slave worlds out there just waiting to fall into anarchy. The Borzon and the Shari are encroaching on our borders, and Senator Fulbright thinks now is the time to reduce the budget!”

“We have the votes to stop his resolution,” Amy assured the governor. “But he also has just enough support to make sure we can’t increase the budget.”

“It’s a large budget,” conceded Barnes. “If we can maintain it, we should get by.”

“The problem is there will be no way we can get another rescue mission through the Senate Council,” Amy added.

“That was to be expected, as they didn’t approve the first one.” Barnes leaned back and gazed speculatively at Senator Karnes.

“Tureen mentioned the Altons would like to reduce their military involvement even further to concentrate on exploration and first-contact missions,” she continued. “They want to help bring as many of the old Hocklyn worlds as possible into the Alliance, but their people don’t want to become involved in another war. They lost a lot of ships at the great battle in the galactic center, plus those that vanished with Admiral Strong.”

“The majority of Altons are pacifists, researchers by nature,” commented Governor Barnes in understanding. “With the AIs no longer a threat, I can well understand them wanting to further reduce their military involvement. They’ve already pulled back the majority of their remaining battlecruisers and battleships.”

“I believe they intend to keep a reasonable force at Astral, their old home world, because of everything the AIs have built there and at the galactic center.”

“I gather from what you’re telling me that, if the Distant Horizon doesn’t make it back on its own, there’s no one willing to send a second rescue mission.”

“That’s correct,” responded Amy, pursing her lips. “The current rescue mission has a lot of public support, but that will fade rapidly if nothing is heard from the ship.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” asked Governor Barnes. He knew there had to be a reason.

Amy leaned forward and her eyes focused intently on Governor Barnes. “New Tellus and Ceres have always held the Special Five as an important part of our history. They link the past and the present together. Billions of people watched when Jeremy and Kelsey were married at the Fleet Academy. We just want you to know that, if there is anything we can do, the people of New Tellus will be behind you 100 percent.”

Governor Barnes nodded. “I have to put faith in my daughter. We need to give her time to accomplish her mission.”

“How much time?”

“That’s the difficult part to answer,” Barnes replied with a sigh. “Even if they find Admiral Strong and the lost fleets, it may take them a number of years to build the energy-collection stations needed to open up a vortex powerful enough to allow the fleets to return.”

Amy nodded in understanding. “Just remember, if you need us, you have our vote in the senate.”

-

Later Barnes was once more alone in his office. He opened his desk drawer and retrieved a picture of his daughter. She was only twelve years old in this photo and blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. He hoped she was safe and had found Admiral Strong. Leaning back and holding the photo in his right hand, he placed it above his heart and closed his eyes. If he tried hard enough, he could hear Kathryn’s laugh and the joy she had felt during special occasions, like this birthday. He just hoped he would hear that laugh again.

-

In the Triangulum Galaxy, Jeremy was in his quarters, pacing back and forth. Angela, Kevin, and Ariel were also there, watching him. Angela and Kevin were sitting on his couch, and Ariel was standing by Jeremy’s desk with a confused look on her face.

“I fail to see how this pacing will solve anything,” she said, her dark eyes focused on Jeremy. To the casual observer, she looked like any other young beautiful woman in her early twenties, except she was an AI, projecting herself as a hologram into Jeremy’s quarters.

“I’m thinking,” Jeremy said, as he stopped and stared at Ariel. “You’re certain, if the rescue ship shows up, you can communicate with Clarissa before it jumps away again?”

“Absolutely,” Ariel answered. “I have a message on standby, and it will be sent at the first indication of a ship from our galaxy.”

“I’m still worried about the Simulins,” Kevin said, glancing over at Angela, who nodded her head in agreement. “If Ariel is right, and they only send one ship through, what if the Simulins attack before we can get there? We’re assuming they’ll stay far enough away from the spatial vortex so as not to risk damage to their systems. But they could still jump into the immediate vicinity of the rescue ship once the vortex collapses.”

“I know,” answered Jeremy, shifting his gaze to Kevin. “But I’m more worried about something else. We’ve assumed the brief activation of the vortex in the Sigma System was due to a test. From what Tanith informed me earlier, she thinks the rescue ship may already have come through.” Tanith was a female Alton well versed in hyperspace study and several other sciences.

“What!” stammered Angela, her face taking on a stunned look. “How is that possible? The AIs didn’t detect a ship!”

“Because it didn’t exit the spatial vortex in the Sigma System,” Ariel informed them. She had listened in on Jeremy’s conversation with the Alton scientist. “When we came through, so much energy powered the vortex that it formed a stable hyperspace tunnel between our galaxy and this one, anchoring the vortex in the Sigma System. Tanith believes that, due to the limited amount of power the rescue ship probably had available, the vortex would not have been stable or anchored. If the ship varied its course or speed even slightly as it entered the vortex back at the galactic center, the exit point of the vortex could have shifted. That’s why the vortex only appeared for a few seconds in the Sigma system before vanishing. Also remember the AIs mentioned that is was shifting its location in an uncontrolled manner. Tanith doesn’t believe it actually vanished. It just shifted its exit point to another star system.”

“How far?” asked Kevin worriedly. “Even if it shifted by a few light years, we should still detect it.”

“Not a few light years,” replied Jeremy, letting out a deep breath. “The ship could be thousands of light years away from the Sigma System.”

Angela and Kevin both were sitting absolutely still, as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard.

“Then they’re lost,” Angela said, her face becoming downcast. “This is a disaster!”

“Not exactly,” Ariel said, folding her arms across her chest. “They should figure out relatively quickly what happened and start jumping back toward the Sigma System.”

“It could be weeks before they get there,” Kevin said, exasperated. “How many Simulin systems and ships will they have to avoid?”

They could well imagine the dangers the rescue ship would face as it attempted to jump back, but the rescue team wouldn’t know the Simulins posed a danger.

“We don’t know, but there are bound to be some,” Jeremy admitted.

He wished they knew how widespread the Simulins were. He had lost a lot of sleep the previous night, worrying about the safety of Kelsey, Katie, and the crew of the rescue ship. There was no way they could’ve known what they were jumping in to.

Commander Malen’s voice suddenly spoke over the comm system. “Admiral Strong to the Command Center.” At the same time the Condition One alarms sounded, and red lights flashed. “All crew go to Condition One. I repeat, go to Condition One. This is not a drill. A Simulin task force has entered this system. Combat is imminent. I repeat, combat is imminent.”

“Crap!” uttered Kevin, leaping off the couch, followed by Angela. “Now what?”

“I don’t know, but let’s get to the Command Center,” Jeremy said, as he turned to leave his quarters. “Ariel, what are we up against?”

“Long-range sensors are detecting six Simulin battlecruisers and ten support cruisers,” she answered. “I don’t believe they’ve detected us yet.”

“If they haven’t, odds are they will shortly,” Jeremy replied, as the door slid open.

-

They hurried down the corridor toward the turbolift, passing numerous crewmembers and Marines rushing to their Condition One stations. Reaching the lift, they quickly entered and were whisked upward toward the Command Center level. It only took a few moments for the turbolift to reach its destination and just a quick minute after that for the three of them to rush through the heavy metal hatch into the Command Center. As soon as they were inside, the hatch shut, and two Marines took up their guard posts, standing inside with their heavy assault rifles held at the ready. Outside the door, four other Marines were similarly stationed.

“Status!” barked Jeremy, as he sat down in his command chair.

“The Simulins jumped into the system a short time ago,” Commander Malen responded, turning toward the admiral. “The entire fleet has gone to Condition One, and the Command AI has requested permission to jump his portion of the fleet into an englobement formation around the Simulin ships and blast them into oblivion.”

“Jeremy,” spoke up Kevin.

He had relieved the ensign, who had been operating the Main Sensor console.

“Both of the main Simulin fleets have broken up into smaller task groups and are taking up positions in a number of the surrounding systems.”

“They’re waiting for someone,” spoke Aerial knowingly. “Somewhere the rescue ship has made contact with a Simulin vessel or world.”

“They must have gotten away or the Simulins wouldn’t be acting like this,” Jeremy replied, as he focused on one of the four tactical displays and the red threat icons it displayed. “How soon before the Simulins detect us?”

“Five to ten minutes,” Ariel answered. “The radiation from the blue giant will interfere with their sensors to a point, due to our current location. Our own are just barely picking them up.”

“Move us closer to the blue giant,” Jeremy ordered. “Let’s delay this for as long as possible. Angela, have you detected any outgoing communications from the Simulins?”

“I’m checking the system now,” she responded. She studied some data on a screen for a moment and then replied, “A few minutes after they jumped into the system, they sent out a single hyperspace message.”

“A confirmation of their arrival,” suggested Commander Malen. “They’re trying to set a trap for the rescue ship.”

“It looks that way,” answered Jeremy. He was wondering how he could use the information he now had to his advantage. The Simulins had broken up their fleet into smaller units, which could be taken out, one by one. The question was, did Jeremy dare risk attacking these smaller, more vulnerable task groups?

Chapter Sixteen

“Jump!” ordered Kathryn, as ten Simulin warships suddenly appeared in one of the tactical displays.

The Simulins had been following the Distant Horizon, appearing in the same systems as the Federation ship did shortly after its arrival. The average delay was anywhere from ten to twenty minutes. So far Kathryn had avoided open combat, though she knew her options were rapidly dwindling.

In front of the Distant Horizon, a blue-white vortex opened, and Lieutenant Styles expertly flew the ship into its center. Only when the deep purple colors of hyperspace made an appearance did Kathryn allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

“We can’t keep up this pace,” Commander Grissim spoke in a tired voice. The commander’s eyes were heavy from a lack of sleep. In the past five days they had made 110 jumps.

“The crew’s exhausted, even with the use of stims,” added Colonel Leon. Stims were designed to allow one to function with a minimal amount of sleep and to provide a quick burst of energy.

“I know,” Kathryn responded. “We seem to have the same group of ships following us now. We’ve lost the others.” Originally there’d been three different Simulin fleets chasing them. Kathryn had radically altered the Distant Horizon’s course and length of the jumps in an attempt to throw them off.

“It’s obvious they have a method of following us in hyperspace,” Andram said, his face creased in a thoughtful frown. “Probably sensors similar to ours. By scanning our initial entrance into hyperspace or even our course the first few minutes we’re in hyperspace, they can quickly calculate our probable destination. I would guess they would need no more than two or three minutes’ worth of sensor data to pin down our exit point.”

Kathryn leaned back and closed her eyes; it was all she could do to force them back open. She was so tired and hated the idea of taking another stim, though she knew she must. They’d been careful to jump into systems holding a very low probability of containing an inhabited planet. It would be a disaster if they jumped into another Simulin system. While avoiding the Simulins, they had detected with their long-range scans at least ten star systems that contained Simulin worlds and massive space fleets. They were fortunate hyperspace communication wasn’t possible while a ship was in it. At some point in time their luck would run out.

“Any suggestions?” she asked, looking at Anne and Petra.

“We make a stand and fight,” suggested Colonel Leon. “The only way we’ll escape is to destroy the fleet that’s following us.”

“I agree,” Commander Grissim said with a nod. “If we keep on like this, the ship will suffer a major breakdown of a key component, and then we might find ourselves at the Simulins’ mercy. At least this way we get to pick the time and place.”

“Clarissa?” inquired Kathryn, shifting her gaze to her left side where the AI stood, not affected by the lack of sleep. “Do we stand a chance against that fleet?”

“Four battlecruisers and six cruiser-size support ships,” the AI replied. Her eyes seemed to shrink to narrow points, as she ran a series of simulations in the ship’s main computer. “Unknown,” she answered after the simulations were finished. “We don’t know the full extent of the Simulins’ weapons, other than they possess very powerful energy beams. From the numerous closed hatches on their ships, I would say they also have missiles. Based on the level of technology we’ve observed, they probably have sublight missile capability. Whether those missiles have antimatter or nuclear warheads is another question.”

“They don’t know our capabilities either,” Colonel Leon reminded the admiral. “Our particle beams and power beams may be able to penetrate their shields.”

“We also have the defense globes,” added Commander Grissim. Her brow furrowed in thought at how best to use them. “We could use the new ion cannons they’re equipped with to take down the shields on the Simulin ships and then send the globes in to detonate against their hulls. I seriously doubt if even a Simulin ship can survive a ten-megaton nuclear explosion at point-blank range.”

“Hyperspace emergence in ten minutes,” Colonel Leon called out, glancing at a timer on a screen near her. “If we do this, we need to decide in the next few minutes.”

“We don’t have the time to get ready for an all-out attack,” Kathryn said, drawing in a deep breath, knowing they would have to fight. She didn’t see any other choice. “Lieutenant Strong, find us a red or blue giant about fifteen to twenty light years distant. As soon as we drop out, we’ll wait for the Simulins and make sure they know exactly where we’re going and then jump.”

Turning toward Commander Grissim and Colonel Leon, she continued. “I want fifty of the defense globes ready to deploy, as well as all our Anlon bombers. Have the Anlons equipped with full loads of Shrike missiles. Load the missile tubes with Devastator Three missiles. I don’t want to reveal all our weapons. We’ll hold back the antimatter missiles for now.”

-

“We’re going to attack the Simulins,” Katie said over the private comm channel to Kelsey. “Do you think that’s wise?”

“We don’t have any other choice,” Kelsey answered, as she finished updating the coordinates for a red giant she had located sixteen light years from their next hyperspace dropout point.

“We could continue to run,” Clarissa said in a soft voice. “The continuous jumps don’t bother me. If we can make it to Jeremy and Ariel, they could put a quick end to the Simulins following us.”

“I don’t think Admiral Barnes will agree to that,” Katie pointed out.

“I could take control of the ship,” Clarissa said. “If the two of you want me to.”

Kelsey and Katie were both quiet. What Clarissa was suggesting was mutiny. It was punishable by death, even in the Federation.

“No,” Kelsey said definitively. “Jeremy wouldn’t want us to take such a drastic step, at least not when we have other options.”

“I agree,” added Katie, looking around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. “We have to put our trust in Admiral Barnes. She was trained by Admiral Telleck. Jeremy had a lot of respect for the Ceres admiral and I know he would want us to support Kathryn.”

“Very well,” Clarissa responded with just a hint of disappointment in her voice. “However, if you change your mind, I can take over all key systems of the Distant Horizon at a moment’s notice.”

Kelsey started to tell Clarissa that she didn’t even want that option, but she hesitated. What if a situation occurred where that was their only chance for survival? “Only if Katie and I both agree,” she finally said. “For now we’ll trust Admiral Barnes to get us out of this situation.”

Kelsey leaned back in her chair, gazing around the Command Center. Clarissa, Katie, and she had helped to design most of the ship’s systems with help from the Altons and a few dedicated Human scientists and technicians. In many ways it was their ship. Her eyes shifted back to the big viewscreen and the swirling deep purple colors of hyperspace. She hoped she would never have to order Clarissa to take over the ship; she didn’t know how Jeremy would react when he found out what she had done.

-

“One minute to hyperspace emergence,” spoke Colonel Leon, as she watched the counter count down the seconds.

Kathryn nodded. The ship was at Condition One, as it had been for the last five days.

“Dr. Keil reports she has sixteen crewmembers in sick bay due to exhaustion,” Commander Grissim added. “They’ve reached their limit on the amount of stims they can safely take. Dr. Keil expects we’ll have hundreds in the same condition in the next few days, if we don’t allow the crew some downtime.”

“Emergence,” spoke Colonel Leon.

Kathryn endured the all-too-familiar wrenching feeling in her stomach, while the Distant Horizon exited the vortex into their target system. She watched the main viewscreen as the deep purple colors of hyperspace vanished to be replaced by static and then recovered as stars appeared. Other systems in the Command Center came to life, and she could see the exhausted looks upon her crew. Several of them appeared as if they were about to collapse at their stations.

“Main Sensors are clear of contacts,” reported Captain Reynolds.

“We’re in a white dwarf system, spectral type D,” Commander Grissim stated. The star was so small that it shed very little light and was barely visible on the viewscreen.

“No planets or asteroids detected,” added Captain Reynolds, as his sensors completed their initial sweeps.

“Drive core is cooling down, and we’re recharging the hyperdrive,” reported Colonel Leon. “We’ll be ready to jump in thirty minutes.” They could jump in ten, but, every time they did, they risked damage to the drive.

“Coordinates are set for the next jump,” reported Kelsey.

Andram gazed at the small star in the center of the viewscreen, barely visible, even under extreme magnification. “A white dwarf is the result of an imploding star,” he said. “I wish we had more time to study some of the systems we’re jumping into. I’ve spoken to Astrometrics, and they’re making a catalogue of all the star systems we have visited and those around the Distant Horizon.”

Kathryn nodded and said, “Thank you, Andram. The mapping of this system and data collection is imperative for our long-term survival.”

“Only about 5 percent of the stars in our galaxy are of this type. Its lifetime can be measured in millions of years, which is quite short for a star.”

The minutes passed slowly, and suddenly alarms sounded on the Main Sensor console.

“Contacts!” called out Captain Reynolds. “Four Simulin battlecruisers and six support cruisers.”

“Same fleet,” breathed out Commander Grissim.

“Distance?” asked Kathryn.

“Twenty million kilometers,” Reynolds responded. “They’re turning toward us and accelerating. They’ll reach us in twenty minutes.”

“They’re trying to wear us down,” Colonel Leon said. Petra knew she was right, and, from the condition of the crew, it was obvious the Simulins were succeeding. “It’s the only explanation I can come up with. They could use a microjump to put them within weapons range before we’re ready to jump.”

“They may be just as tired as we are,” pointed out Commander Grissim.

“They have more ships,” Kathryn responded. “They may not be keeping all of them at a high level of alert.”

They waited a few more minutes until the Distant Horizon’s hyperdrive was fully charged.

“Time to leave,” Kathryn said, glancing over at Commander Grissim. “Anne, get us out of here.”

“Stand by to jump,” Commander Grissim ordered.

“All stations report ready,” reported Colonel Leon.

“Jump!” ordered Commander Grissim. She allowed herself a wolfish grin as the ship entered the blue-white vortex. Next time they saw the Simulins, they would have a surprise waiting for them. The Distant Horizon was finished running.

-

Kathryn waited tensely for the Distant Horizon to exit hyperspace. Stims had been given to all the crew, and, for the moment, she felt a renewed flush of energy.

“Exiting hyperspace,” reported Colonel Leon, as the ship dropped back into the normal universe.

“All stations at Condition One,” added Commander Grissim. “Weapons are coming online.”

“Energy shield is activating,” stated Colonel Leon, as she watched the powerful shield go to full strength.

“Launching defense globes and bombers,” reported Commander Grissim, as numerous small green icons appeared on one of the two tactical screens. “Major Arcles is also launching one squadron of fighters for support, just in case the Simulins launch their own.”

“There have been no signs of fighters,” commented Kathryn. “They may not have a use for fighter or bomber type craft.” The AIs had never used any, though the Hocklyns had.

“We’re setting a screen of twenty defense globes at two thousand kilometers,” Commander Grissim said, while the small green icons moved into their designated positions. “The remaining thirty of the designated fifty have been divided up into six groups of five each.”

The minutes passed, and suddenly red threat icons showed up on one of the tactical displays. Alarms sounded on the Main Sensor console, as Captain Reynolds reached forward and shut them off.

“They’re here,” Commander Grissim said, her pulse racing.

“They’re accelerating toward our position,” Captain Reynolds reported. “They’ll be in weapons range in twelve minutes.”

“Hyperdrive is nearly charged,” Colonel Leon added.

“Unless they destroy us first, we won’t be jumping until we have destroyed them,” Kathryn responded, grim faced. “We can’t allow them to continue to chase us.” Kathryn knew they had to take this opportunity to attack the Simulins while she still had sufficient functioning crewmembers to operate the ship.

Clarissa was standing on Kathryn’s left side as she normally did, using the ship’s sensors to scan the inbound Simulin ships. Already she had determined they had a very powerful defensive shield.

“Our Devastator missiles will be ineffective against the Simulin ships,” she suddenly said to the admiral, as she computed the potential strength of the enemy shields. “They’re using a superheterodyne shield to modulate energy frequencies which will greatly increase the dispersion of energy.”

“Crap!” muttered Commander Grissim, her eyes showing great concern. “What about our power beams and particle beams?”

“They will be more effective, since they’re more tightly focused, and we have the Fusion Five reactors powering them,” Clarissa replied. “I believe both will penetrate the Simulin shields.”

“Have the Anlons hold back,” Kathryn ordered, as she considered the information Clarissa had just furnished them.

-

The Simulins continued to close in, and their six escort cruisers spread out into a wider formation with the four battlecruisers staying close together. Shields were fully powered, and their deadly energy weapons ready to fire.

-

“Extreme weapons range,” Commander Grissim reported. “From their formation I would guess they plan on partially englobing us with their escort cruisers and then finishing us off with their battlecruisers.”

“Lock on to one of their battlecruisers with our power beams,” ordered Kathryn, leaning forward in her command chair. “Stand by to fire upon my order.”

“Twenty thousand kilometers and closing,” reported Captain Reynolds. “Simulins are decelerating.”

“Fire!” ordered Kathryn, her gaze shifting to the main viewscreen, showing the Simulin ship Tactical was targeting.

Four violet power beams leaped out from the bow of the Distant Horizon, striking the energy shield of the Simulin ship. For a moment, the screen seemed to resist, and then the beams penetrated, striking the forward hull of the large battlecruiser. Massive explosions wracked the enemy ship, and three of its large spires were torn away.

“Fire particle beam cannons,” ordered Kathryn, wanting to show the Simulins she could hurt them. She felt enormous relief to see the power beams penetrate their shield.

From the bow of the Distant Horizon, two powerful bright blue beams flashed out to further impact the damaged Simulin vessel. The beams cut deep inside the hull, inflicting serious damage to the ship’s internal structure and systems. The ship’s main power junction was destroyed, and its energy shield collapsed.

“Their shield is down!” called out Captain Reynolds.

“Fire a Devastator Three,” ordered Commander Grissim.

“Missile launched,” confirmed Major Weir at Tactical.

From the Distant Horizon, there was a brief blur in one of its missile tubes as a sublight Devastator Three seemed to vanish to detonate microseconds later against the hull of the reeling Simulin battlecruiser. Instantly a brilliant ball of light formed where the Simulin ship had been.

“Target destroyed,” confirmed Captain Reynolds, as the red threat icon swelled up and then vanished from his Main Sensor screen.

“Hit all six escorts with Devastator Threes,” ordered Kathryn. “Then send the defense globes in. The Anlons are to follow behind the globes and finish off whatever’s left.” She hoped this strategy worked. By hitting the smaller escort cruisers with fifty-megaton Devastator Threes, she hoped the defense globes would be able to get close enough to use their ion beams and particle weapons.

“Firing,” replied Major Weir, as twelve Devastator Three missiles left the Distant Horizon’s missile tubes. At the same time, the six groups of defense globes moved closer to their designated targets.

“Detonation,” reported Captain Reynolds. “The Simulins didn’t manage to shoot any of them down.”

On the main viewscreen, space was lit up by the brilliant glow of the large nuclear explosions. In six locations, raging nuclear energy flared against Simulin shields.

“Defense globes engaging,” reported Colonel Leon. “The bombers are accelerating and will be in Shrike missile range shortly.”

-

In space the six flights of ten-meter defense globes fired their ion cannons at their targets. The ion beams struck the energy shields, and the places the beams hit lit up with a brilliant flash of cascading light. The ion beams continued to fire as the defense globes activated their dual particle beam turrets. From each of the globes, twin bright blue beams of light flashed toward their impact target on the Simulin cruisers’ screens. The blue beams flashed through, striking the Simulin hulls and tearing huge rifts in their armor. Several explosions rattled the cruisers as vital systems were hit. Jagged pieces of hull material were blasted away from the stricken vessels, leaving gaping holes in their hulls.

“Anlons are launching,” Colonel Leon reported, as she watched the tactical display near her intently. “They’re trying to shoot their missiles through the holes in the defense screens the ion beams are causing. The defense globes’ particle beams are causing major damage to the Simulin cruisers.”

“The Simulin battlecruisers are targeting the defense globes,” warned Commander Grissim, seeing four of the small green icons suddenly flare up and vanish from the tactical display.

The forty Anlon bombers launched two Shrike missiles each. The Shrikes didn’t possess sublight drives and were a lot slower than a Devastator or antimatter missile. This made them more vulnerable to defensive fire.

Eighty missiles hurtled toward the six battered Simulin escort cruisers. The cruisers, recognizing the threat, fired their energy beams, trying to blunt the attack. However, the defense globes were still firing their particle beams at the cruisers, raking them across the hulls and occasionally destroying defensive energy beam emplacements.

Ten missiles, then fifteen were obliterated by defensive fire. The first reached its target and streaked through a hole in a defensive screen previously caused by an ion beam. The twenty-megaton warhead detonated against the hull of the cruiser releasing its energy. Nuclear fire washed across the ship and into its interior. Moments later, the ship vanished in a flash of light as it was annihilated.

-

“Simulin cruiser is down,” reported Captain Reynolds. “More Shrike missiles are penetrating their energy screens. The ion beams seem to be working.”

On the large viewscreen, numerous nuclear explosions could be seen in six distinct areas; each marked an enemy cruiser. It was evident the Simulins had not been prepared for such an attack, and must have considered the defense globes and the bombers to be more of a nuisance than a threat. Now they were paying the price for that poor judgment.

“Two more Simulin cruisers are down,” added Reynolds, as two red threat icons swelled up and vanished off his Main Sensor screen.

The Distant Horizon suddenly shuddered violently and a half-dozen amber lights and one glaring red one appeared on the Damage Control console. Alarms sounded, and the Damage Control officer leaned forward and quickly turned them off.

“Two Simulin energy beams penetrated our screen,” reported Clarissa in alarm. “We have damage to section four at bulkheads seven and eight. We’re streaming atmosphere, and I’m shutting emergency doors to contain the damage. We have a fire in compartment B-14, and I’m initiating the fire-suppression system.”

“Make sure everyone is out of that section before you seal it shut,” ordered Kathryn, not wanting to strand anyone in a possible vacuum area.

“I’m monitoring the situation and directing survivors to safe areas,” answered Clarissa. “There are some casualties.”

On the tactical display, another Simulin cruiser vanished as four Shrike missiles obliterated it. The other two were heavily damaged and attempting to withdraw to a position behind the three surviving Simulin battlecruisers.

“Simulin battlecruisers are beginning to target our bombers,” Commander Grissim was quick to point out, as three of them vanished from the tactical display. “I’m ordering them to pull back from the fighting until this is over.”

The bombers couldn’t be landed with the energy screen up. While they could fly out of it, it wasn’t possible for them to fly back through it.

“Get them back,” ordered Kathryn. They were losing people, and there were still three big Simulin ships out there. “Helm, close the range with the Simulin battlecruisers. Tactical, keep hitting them with our power beams and particle beam cannons. Lob an occasional Devastator Three at them just in case their shields weaken.”

“Admiral,” spoke up Commander Grissim. “We could direct the surviving defense globes to fire their ion cannons at the three battlecruisers. They were successful at opening up holes in the screens of the escorts. Perhaps they can do the same to the larger ships.”

Kathryn glanced at one of the tactical displays showing the remaining defense globes. Twelve of them had been destroyed. “Send a command to the globes ordering them to close in on the three Simulin battlecruisers. When they’re close enough, they’re to fire their ion cannons and then fly through any disruption they may cause in a shield and overload their fusion reactors.” Kathryn knew, by overloading their reactors, the defense globes would detonate in a ten-megaton explosion.

On the main viewscreen, the Simulin battlecruisers were continuing to fire their main energy cannons at the Distant Horizon. It was frightening watching the white beams of energy coming toward them.

“I’m having trouble communicating the commands to the defense globes,” Colonel Leon said. She looked back at the admiral. “I think the Simulins are jamming our communications.”

“Damn,” muttered Kathryn, shaking her head. She had hoped to use the globes to finish off the Simulin battlecruisers. She was sure the Distant Horizon could do the job, but the ship would take some heavy damage, and there wasn’t a repair bay around that she was aware of.

-

“Clarissa,” spoke Kelsey in a soft voice, making sure no one could overhear her. “Can you take command of the defense globes and carry out Admiral Barnes’s order?”

“Yes,” Clarissa responded. “I can modulate a transmission that the globes can receive and send a data burst, instructing them as to what needs to be done.”

“Do it,” Kelsey ordered.

She hoped Admiral Barnes would think that Colonel Leon’s message had gotten through. She had worked with Ariel and Clarissa long enough to know what the two AIs were capable of, whereas Admiral Barnes still had a lot to learn about them.

Kelsey felt the Distant Horizon shake violently and knew they’d taken another hit. It pained her knowing that crewmembers were dying.

“Commands sent,” Clarissa informed Kelsey over their private channel. “Defense globes are going in. The Simulins are focusing their fire on them. I think they realize the globes are a potential threat. I have five globes targeting each battlecruiser. They’re coming under heavy fire. Four globes destroyed. Seven globes destroyed. Globes are firing their ion cannons. Globes are accelerating to their top speed. Ten globes destroyed.”

On the main viewscreen, two areas suddenly flared up in brilliant nuclear explosions. Kelsey blinked once. “Did we get them?”

“Two confirmed kills,” Clarissa responded with a trace of satisfaction in her voice. “If Admiral Barnes would allow me to command the ship, I could take out the remaining three Simulin ships in a matter of only a few minutes.”

“Ask her,” suggested Kelsey. She had seen Ariel and Clarissa fight in the past, and the AIs were quite deadly. There was no doubt in her mind that Clarissa could indeed annihilate the remaining Simulins very quickly.

“It won’t be necessary,” Katie said over the comm channel. She had been listening to Clarissa and Kelsey. “The Simulins are leaving.”

Kelsey glanced up at the viewscreen and saw that Katie was correct. Three white spatial vortices formed and, after a few moments, vanished.

-

“Simulins have withdrawn,” announced Captain Reynolds jubilantly. “Main Sensors are clear of hostile contacts.”

“Land the bombers and the remaining defense globes,” ordered Commander Grissim. Checking the screen, Anne could see that they'd lost eight of the bombers and twenty-two of the defense globes.

“The fire is out, and we’ve stopped streaming atmosphere,” Clarissa reported. “Everyone has been evacuated from the damaged areas.”

“How many crewmembers did we lose?” asked Kathryn, shifting her gaze to Commander Grissim.

“Eighteen confirmed with three missing,” she replied. “Dr. Keil reports thirty-eight more in the med bay, suffering from various injuries, but none of those are considered serious.”

A couple minutes passed, and Colonel Leon reported the bombers and defense globes had landed and were secure. She also reported the loss of all the pilots who had been in the eight destroyed bombers. The Simulin energy beams had left very little to recover.

“Jump us to the emergency coordinates,” Kathryn ordered. This was their chance to lose their pursuers. They also needed to find a safe haven where they could hide and repair the ship.

“Coordinates set,” Lieutenant Styles replied.

“Jump!” ordered Commander Grissim.

-

A blue-white vortex formed in front of the Distant Horizon, and the battered exploration dreadnought accelerated toward its center. Moments later the vortex collapsed, leaving behind no traces of the ship. In the blue giant system, the shattered remains of six Simulin warships drifted in space. The Distant Horizon had survived her first real battle and had demonstrated why she was the most powerful ship ever built by the Humans and the Altons.

Chapter Seventeen

Kelsey looked at the large viewscreen, seeing nothing but a swirling mass of what looked like dark rain clouds. Of course she knew they weren’t rain clouds; they were mostly comprised of hydrogen with a small amount of helium and other gases. The Distant Horizon was orbiting very low inside the atmosphere of a gas giant nearly twice the size of Jupiter. It made the ship invisible to sensor scans and even direct observation. For a full week, the ship had been hiding inside the planet’s dense atmosphere, while repairs were made and the crew rested.

“I’ve always found gas giants intriguing,” Andram said, standing slightly behind Kelsey. “Did you know there are more gas giants than any other type of planet?”

“No,” Kelsey answered, though she should have. Nearly every system had them. She knew, if she let him, Andram could talk about the makeup of stars and planets all day.

“We’ll be leaving this one shortly,” Clarissa announced, as she appeared next to Andram.

Kelsey knew the AI was ready to continue their journey to find Ariel and the others.

The Alton didn’t even jump, as he had become used to Clarissa’s sudden appearing and disappearing act. He was quite friendly with the AI now and often asked her to help him with some of his research. He was currently trying to make a thorough map of the Triangulum Galaxy, based on the Astrometric studies they’d done prior to all their jumps.

“I’m glad,” Kelsey said. While she knew this delay had been necessary to repair the ship and rest the crew, it had added a week to their trip to where she hoped the Avenger was waiting.

“The Simulins will be searching for us,” spoke Colonel Leon, where she had been talking to Lieutenant Styles. “I’m deeply concerned about what might be waiting for us, once we leave the safety of this gas giant. The Triangulum Galaxy had turned out to be a much more dangerous place than I had imagined it could be.”

“I may have a solution,” Andram informed her. “We’ve done enough mapping that I believe we can increase the length of our jumps.”

“How much farther?” Petra asked, her eyes widening.

The longer they could stay in hyperspace, the safer they were from the Simulins. In addition, longer jumps would make the Distant Horizon more difficult to follow.

“One hundred light years, if the admiral wishes,” answered Andram. “I’ve been working with the scientists in the Astrometrics lab, and we believe we’ve plotted a safe course to where Admiral Strong entered this galaxy. As long as we stay on that trajectory, we can safely jump one hundred light years at a time.”

“We won’t know if there are Simulins waiting in those systems,” warned Kelsey. “Our long-range sensors only reach out ten light years. We could potentially jump right into a waiting fleet.”

“We would know before we exited the far end of the vortex,” Clarissa said. “We would have eight to ten minutes’ advanced notice as to what’s ahead of us.” Her deep blue eyes gazed speculatively at Colonel Leon, awaiting a response.

“There’s bound to be more Simulin worlds between Admiral Strong and us,” responded Petra. “It’ll be next to impossible to make it to the lost fleets without encountering more Simulins.”

“We still have nearly eight thousand light years to go,” Kelsey said, as she thought over Andram’s suggestion. “That’s only eighty jumps at one hundred light years per jump. If we do ten or twenty light years at a time, that’s closer to five hundred jumps. I would think the chances of the Simulins waiting for us would be greatly lessened by the fewer jumps we do.”

“We’ve only jumped ten or twenty light years at a time so far,” pointed out Andram, as he folded his arms across his chest. “By jumping one hundred light years at a time, the Simulins may find it harder to track us.”

“We don’t know the extent of their scanning capability,” Petra said. “But I agree—the fewer exits we make from hyperspace, the better off we’ll be. I’ll talk to the commander and the admiral about your suggestion.”

Kelsey watched as Petra walked off to converse with the two commanding officers. At eighty jumps, it would take nine days to reach the system, where they hoped Jeremy was waiting.

“They’ll agree to it,” predicted Clarissa. “It’s the most logical course of action.”

“Sometimes Humans don’t do the most logical things,” Andram pointed out with a gentle smile. “Humans have a tendency for doing the unexpected at times.”

-

“Helm, take us out of the atmosphere,” ordered Kathryn. She had listened to Colonel Leon explain Andram’s reasoning for extending the length of their jumps. Kathryn liked the idea, also because it allowed the crew time to rest, since they would be in the safety of hyperspace for one hundred minutes. They had been going to switch to fifty light years per jump earlier but had stumbled into the Simulin system. They had been forced to resort to a lot of short jumps in order to escape.

The Distant Horizon slowly adjusted its orbit and moved higher through the thick cloud layer. Gradually the clouds thinned, and the ship, for the first time in a week, crawled out of its protective sheath.

“Main Sensors are clear of contacts,” Captain Reynolds reported. No dangerous icons appeared on his sensor screens.

“Course plotted,” Lieutenant Styles added. He had three jumps entered into his Navigation computer. Kelsey, Clarissa, and Andram had furnished the necessary jump coordinates. Each was 100 to 108 light years in distance.

“Bring the ship to Condition Three,” ordered Kathryn.

For the last week, they’d been at Condition Four, as the ship was repaired and the crew rested. At the last report, Dr. Keil only had six crewmembers still in the med bay, suffering from injuries incurred in the battle with the Simulins. All were expected to fully recover.

‘Ready to jump,” confirmed Colonel Leon.

“Initiate jump,” spoke Kathryn, as she leaned back in her command chair.

“Jump!” ordered Commander Grissim.

Instantly in front of the Distant Horizon a blue-white vortex formed. Lieutenant Styles activated the ship’s sublight drive and flew the ship directly into the vortex’s center.

Kathryn allowed herself to relax as the now comforting colors of deep purple spread across the main viewscreen. Over the past week, the ship had been completely repaired, though there was nothing she could do about the Human losses or even the equipment losses—the twenty-two defense globes and the eight Anlon bombers.

“Long-range scans are picking up a Simulin fleet,” spoke Lieutenant Reynolds after a few moments. “Range is five light years.”

“Keep monitoring them,” Kathryn ordered. She knew it would be difficult for the Simulins to determine their exit coordinates without knowing their exact starting point. Even then they were probably not expecting the Distant Horizon to make as long a jump as they were planning to do.

“Should we go to Condition Two?” asked Commander Grissim, as she gazed at the red threat icons on Captain Reynold’s Main Sensor screen. “I count seven ships.”

The Simulins would soon detect the Distant Horizon on their long-range sensors, if they hadn’t already.

“No,” Kathryn replied. “Let’s wait until we get closer to our dropout coordinates, and we can see if anything’s waiting for us or close by.”

The Simulin threat had Kathryn deeply concerned. From the number of spacecraft the Distant Horizon had detected in the Simulin systems, she didn’t see how Admiral Strong could have possibly survived against such odds over four long years. She hadn’t mentioned anything to Kelsey or Katie about her worries, but she knew both of them had to be aware of what the large Simulin presence probably meant.

“Mikow has finished her analysis of the scavenger drone,” Commander Grissim commented, as she shifted her gaze to the admiral.

The crew had gone to calling them drones because of their simple programming and identical construction.

“I read it,” Kathryn responded. “They’re nothing but basic killing machines encased in heavy armor. We’re lucky our Marines were using armor-piercing rounds, or they would’ve perished on that planet.”

“We know the history of the Simulins in our galaxy and what they encouraged the AIs to do after modifying the master Codex,” replied Anne. “I would guess they’ve been following the same policy in this galaxy—annihilating all sentient races.”

“Picking up another fleet,” Captain Reynolds informed them, as five more red threat icons appeared off to one side of their course at a distance of nearly nine light years.

“They’ve spread out, searching for us,” commented Commander Grissim, taking a deep breath. “At some point they’ll catch up with us again.”

“I know,” answered Kathryn. “Hopefully we can reach the system where Admiral Strong entered this galaxy before that happens.” Kathryn knew if Admiral Strong and the lost fleets had been destroyed, the Distant Horizon was doomed. There was no way they could evade the Simulins long term.

-

For six days, their luck continued to hold. The Distant Horizon would exit the spatial vortex in a white dwarf system, wait an hour as they recharged the hyperdrive, take Astrometric scans to verify their course, and then jump back into the safety of hyperspace. On numerous occasions they detected Simulin task groups and, in some cases, large fleets in systems ahead of them and around them. So far the Simulins hadn’t been able to match the Distant Horizon’s exact course and appear in the same system as the exploration dreadnought. However, their luck couldn’t hold forever, and it finally ran out.

-

“Contacts!” called out Captain Reynolds, as the ship came out of its fifty-second hyperspace jump. They had covered over five thousand light years and were only three and a half days from their destination.

“Where and how many?” demanded Kathryn, her gaze shifting to the two tactical displays.

“Eighteen ships,” Reynolds quickly replied, as he scanned the data on his Main Sensor screens. “Six battlecruisers and twelve escorts.”

“They were waiting for us,” Commander Grissim said in a grim voice. “They must have noticed we’re jumping into white dwarf systems.”

“Hyperdrive is recharging,” Clarissa announced, appearing at the admiral’s side. “I could shunt power from other sections of the ship, and we could make a short jump of a couple light years without risk to the drive.”

“No,” replied Kathryn, shaking her head. The problem, as always, was allowing the drive core to cool down after a long jump. Thirty minutes was the minimum time before the drive could be safely activated, though short microjumps could be made within the system. Longer jumps risked damage to the drive core, though they had already risked that a couple times.

“They’re not moving,” Colonel Leon said after a moment. She peered sharply at the tactical displays and then shook her head. “Why aren’t they responding to our presence?”

“Captain Reynolds, are you detecting any other Simulin task groups or fleets?”

“Yes, Admiral,” Reynolds replied. “I have three on my sensors. Two are in other white dwarf systems, and the third is in hyperspace moving away from us.”

“They’re tracking us,” Andram spoke, sitting at Navigation next to Kelsey. “I don’t believe this task group will attack. They’ve ascertained where our likely final destination is, and that’s where they’ll be waiting in force. They know what we did to the last task group, and they probably don’t want to risk losing another.”

“It makes sense,” Kathryn said after a moment. “It would also seem to indicate they’ve encountered Federation ships before, if they know where we’re going.”

“The question is, did those ships survive or did the Simulins destroy them?” spoke Commander Grissim with a solemn look upon her face.

“Ariel and Admiral Strong would have found a way to survive,” declared Clarissa in a firm voice. Her deep blue eyes showed intense conviction in that belief. “Once we get to the system they made transit to, I’m certain we’ll find them.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kathryn said in a softer voice. She knew their own survival now depended on Admiral Strong and the lost fleets.

-

His worry evident, Jeremy stared at the tactical screen, which was set to show everything within ten light years of the Avenger and her fleet. The Avenger had moved far enough away from the blue giant star they’d been using to mask the presence of the fleet so that the ship’s sensors could take decent scans of the surrounding systems.

“I don’t like this,” Commander Malen said, gesturing toward the display. “The number of task groups has tripled in the past week, and there are three large fleets at that white dwarf system just five light years away from the Sigma System.”

“That’s over five hundred Simulin warships we’ve detected,” Ariel said with concern in her eyes. Her black hair was straighter than normal, nearly reaching down to her shoulders. “They have to be waiting for someone.”

“The rescue ship,” stated Kevin, frowning at Jeremy. “They’ve obviously encountered it somewhere, and it’s on its way here. It must be getting close!”

“If they’ve encountered it, then that suggests the ship survived a battle with the Simulins,” Jeremy said. He hoped the ship wasn’t severely damaged. One ship alone in a hostile galaxy full of Simulins would find it difficult, if not impossible, to survive for long.

“If it’s the ship Clarissa and I were designing, it will be a very powerful vessel,” Ariel said, hoping the other AI hadn’t been harmed. “I’m certain, if the Altons helped build the ship, it will not be easy for the Simulins to destroy.”

“What are we going to do?” Commander Malen asked.

Jeremy shared Kyla’s concerns. What if they didn’t have sufficient forces with them to rescue the ship when it did finally arrive in the Sigma System? Even if they had the ships, how would they return to Gaia without the Simulins following them and discovering the hidden system?

“We have a pretty powerful force,” Jeremy said. “The AI ships have multiple particle beam cannons, which they can fire simultaneously. We’ve also doubled the number of cannons on our Federation ships as well as the Altons’.”

“We have more effective firepower than we did last time,” conceded Malen. “But I’m not sure it’s enough. We’ll be badly outnumbered.”

“We just need to hold off the Simulins long enough to contact the rescue ship, recharge our hyperdrives, and then jump. Our hyperdrives are capable of making an emergency jump if necessary. We can forego the cool down period, if an immediate jump is required.”

“There are several small nebulas between us and Gaia,” added Kevin, “where we can detour so they don’t follow us home. Our stealth destroyers mapped them in their original explorations. Can we use them to lose the Simulins?”

“Ariel?” Jeremy asked the AI.

“Possibly,” Ariel answered, as she called up the data on the gaseous nebulas Kevin had mentioned. “If we jump into the smaller clear patches on the outer boundaries of the nebulas, we just might make it extremely difficult for the Simulins to track us. It’ll take some precise navigation, but I believe it could be done.”

“Let’s make it part of our plan,” ordered Jeremy, reaching a decision. “Ensign Striker, move us back closer to the fleet. I don’t want to risk the Simulins detecting us.”

Jeremy folded his arms across his chest and looked over at Kevin. Soon they would know if their wives were in the Triangulum Galaxy. Jeremy was certain that they were. Kelsey and Katie would never allow a rescue mission to be launched if they were not included. He just hoped he could get to them in time.

-

Three and a half more days passed, and the tension on the Distant Horizon was running high. In another twenty minutes they would drop out of hyperspace into the system where the Avenger and the lost fleets had transited.

“We’re detecting more Simulin task groups the closer we get,” Commander Grissim said, arching her eyebrow in concern. “They definitely know where we’re going.”

“We just have to hope our arrival triggers some type of message that Admiral Strong left behind,” Kathryn said. If there was no message or the system was full of debris from the lost fleets having been destroyed, then she didn’t know if there was any point in continuing to run. There would be nowhere for them to go. “As soon as we exit the vortex, we’ll send out a standard hail, demanding Federation ship IDs. If there’s a message buoy there, that should trigger it.”

Anne didn’t reply. She and the admiral both knew that there was a good chance they would never leave the system ahead. The Distant Horizon would take down a lot of Simulin ships with her, but, in the end, the exploration dreadnought would be overwhelmed.

“Take us to Condition One,” Kathryn ordered. “I want all remaining defense globes deployed as soon as we exit the vortex. Inform Major Arcles, I want all the fighters and bombers launched also. Bombers are to be prepped with Shrike missiles as before.”

Commander Grissim quickly moved to carry out the admiral’s orders. Condition One was set. Alarms and flashing red lights signaled the crew to go to their battlestations. The hatch to the Command Center was sealed, and two Carethians took their place as guards. Outside the hatch, four other heavily armed Bears had taken up positions. The Bears had requested to be allowed to furnish guards for the Command Center, and the admiral had agreed. Anne doubted that anything or anyone could get by the large Carethians.

“Ten minutes to vortex emergence,” called out Colonel Leon. “All stations are secure and ready for combat maneuvers.”

-

Kelsey looked over at Clarissa; in another few minutes they would know if Jeremy had survived or not. She couldn’t imagine life without him.

“Remember,” Clarissa said over their private comm channel, “I can take control of the Distant Horizon at a moment’s notice.”

“I know,” answered Kelsey, hoping that step would never be necessary. “Let’s just wait and see what happens.”

“They’ll be waiting for us,” Katie said. “They just have to be!”

-

“Unknown contact!” yelled Kevin excitedly, when an alarm went off on his Main Sensor panel. The Avenger was positioned just close enough to the blue giant to prevent detection, but her sensitive long-range sensors could still scan the space around the Sigma System.

“It’s them!” announced Ariel. “The ship is of Alton design and remotely resembles the exploration ship Clarissa and I were working on.”

“It’s coming damn fast,” Kevin said, his eyes opening wide in amazement. “They’re coming in at close to one light year per minute.”

Jeremy hit the Fleet-wide Address on his minicomm. “All ships go to Condition One. We’ve detected what we believe is the rescue ship coming in hot. Move away from the blue giant at max sublight. We’ll be jumping in five minutes.”

“They’ll get there way before we do,” Ariel said. “I’ll send a message just before we enter hyperspace. It’ll get there shortly after they exit the vortex.”

“Simulin fleets are on the move also,” Commander Malen reported, as she gazed worriedly at one of the tactical displays.

“How many?” asked Jeremy.

“All of them,” Malen replied in a somber voice. “They’re all moving. Some of them have already entered hyperspace.”

“Then it’s a race to see who gets there first,” Jeremy replied with determination on his face.

-

The Distant Horizon exited the swirling blue-white vortex into the system where they’d hoped Admiral Strong and the lost fleets would be waiting. Long-range scans had already shown the fleets were not present.

“They’re not here,” uttered Colonel Leon with disappointment in her voice.

“I’m picking up some debris,” spoke Captain Reynolds. “Not enough to account for all the ships that should be with Admiral Strong.”

“They’ve left and gone on,” Commander Grissim surmised. “It wasn’t safe here, so they jumped out. They either fought a battle with the AIs that came through with them or the Simulins.”

“I’m picking up wreckage from Simulin, Alton, Federation, and AI ships,” confirmed Reynolds.

“Who was fighting whom?” asked Colonel Leon, looking over at the admiral.

“Contact message going out,” Captain Travers said, his voice filled with hope.

“Numerous Simulin ships inbound,” Clarissa reported, as she studied the long-range sensor readings. “Detecting close to five hundred Simulin warships.”

“No reply to our message,” Captain Travers said, his voice filled with disappointment. “They didn’t leave a message buoy behind.”

How would they ever find the Avenger and the missing fleets without a clue as to where they went? The Triangulum Galaxy was a huge place to search.

“Incoming hyperspace message,” Clarissa said excitedly. “It’s from Ariel. They’re on their way!”

“Vortices opening all around us,” Colonel Leon called out. “We have Simulin ships jumping into the system! Combat imminent.”

“Defense globes are deploying,” Commander Grissim reported. “Bombers and fighters are preparing to exit the flight bays. Major Arcles says the bays will be clear in forty seconds.”

“Inbound weapons fire!” warned Colonel Leon, as the ship shook violently. “Energy beams are impacting the shield. It’s holding at 95 percent.”

The various screens displayed the numerous Simulin ships closing on the Distant Horizon.

“Return fire!” ordered Kathryn, seeing the two tactical displays beginning to fill up with red threat icons. “How soon before Admiral Strong gets here?”

She was vastly relieved to know that he had survived after all. If they could just hold out long enough, they might too. Also, if the Avenger and the lost fleets had survived this long, surely Admiral Strong had a strategy for defeating the Simulins.

“I’m picking up Admiral Strong’s ships, leaving a blue giant star seven light years away,” Clarissa replied. “It’ll take them at least twenty minutes to get here.”

“We won’t last for twenty minutes,” spoke Commander Grissim, shifting her gaze to the admiral. “Not against these numbers.”

“We’re going to try,” answered Kathryn with steely determination. The ship shook again, and several amber lights appeared on the Damage Control console. “Helm, adjust course and speed. Set course to starboard eight degrees, twelve degrees downward axis, 30 percent power to sublight engines. All weapons to fire on nearest targets.”

-

“This won’t work,” Clarissa said to Kelsey over their secure comm line. “I estimate we won’t survive more than ten more minutes maximum. There are just too many Simulin ships arriving. Unless we do something drastic, the Distant Horizon will be nothing more than glowing debris when Jeremy and Ariel arrive.”

Kelsey closed her eyes; she knew what drastic measure Clarissa was suggesting.

The ship shook violently, hurling Kelsey painfully against the restraining straps on her chair. More alarms rang out on the Damage Control console. She could hear Admiral Barnes shouting out frantic orders, while more Simulin ships fired their deadly energy beams at the Distant Horizon.

“Do it,” pleaded Katie over the comm. “Kelsey, put Clarissa in charge of the ship. It’s our only hope. I want to see Kevin again!”

Kelsey drew in a sharp breath and then looked over at Clarissa standing next to Admiral Barnes. Their eyes met. “Do it,” she said aloud, knowing she would anger the admiral. “Clarissa, you are now in command of the Distant Horizon. Let’s go kill some Simulins.”

“What?” uttered Kathryn, looking with alarm at Kelsey and then shifting her gaze to Clarissa. “You are not in command of this ship!”

“I am now,” Clarissa replied, as she closed her eyes, and the Distant Horizon suddenly shot ahead at full speed.

“Guards, place Lieutenant Strong into custody and escort her from the Command Center,” ordered Kathryn, not wanting to believe this was happening. What was Kelsey thinking, turning the ship over to the AI in the midst of a battle?

The two Bears strolled over purposely to Kelsey and then turned around to face the admiral, their assault rifles held in their arms, taking up a defensive stance. “Kelsey is the mate to Admiral Strong, who is an honorary member of our clan. The Special Five saved our planet and freed us from the evil ones. We are hers to command!”

Kathryn sat back in her command chair in shock. The Bears were heavily armed, and she doubted if the others in her command crew could overpower them.

“One of the defense globes is firing,” called out Major Weir. “We’ve just launched a Devastator Three!”

“Damn!” uttered Captain Reynolds in disbelief. “Clarissa fired it right through the small hole in the defense shield created by the ion cannon. The Simulin battlecruiser is down!”

Clarissa changed course radically, causing most of the inbound energy beams from the Simulins to miss the ship. The inertial compensators were being strained to the max, as she ordered two other defense globes to fire their ion cannons, opening up two more holes in Simulin shields. Moments later two additional Simulin battlecruisers were nothing more than glowing balls of glowing nuclear energy.

“Two more Simulin battlecruisers are down!” called out Captain Reynolds. He smiled, even while he shook his head at the viewscreens.

“The Simulins are having a hard time hitting us because of our erratic course changes,” Colonel Leon said, as she glanced over at the Damage Control console. No more amber lights had appeared since Clarissa took control of the ship.

“Simulins are attempting to take out the defense globes,” Captain Reynolds reported, watching the globes vanish from the screen.

The Simulins had recognized what Clarissa was doing with them and the danger they posed.

“There are only thirty-eight of them,” spoke Commander Grissim.

Once they were gone, it would be much more difficult to take out the Simulin ships.

-

Anne was amazed at how well Clarissa was doing against the enemy. However, she should have known; she recalled the reports Admiral Strong had sent to Fleet Admiral Streth, describing in detail what Clarissa and Ariel had done to the Hocklyns and the AIs when they’d taken command of their respective warships in the war.

-

Kathryn watched Clarissa while the AI took out as many Simulin ships as possible before the defense globes were annihilated. In the next three minutes, Clarissa used the globes’ ion beams to blow holes in twelve more Simulin battlecruisers’ energy shields. In each case, she fired a Devastator Three through the hole, blowing the enemy ship apart. The space around the Distant Horizon was full of filaments of fire where Simulin ships had died.

Kathryn leaned back in amazement. Now she understood why Kelsey had done what she did. Clarissa was fighting and navigating the ship far more effectively than the Human and Alton crew ever could have. Clarissa might just be the edge they needed to survive until Admiral Strong arrived.

-

“Clarissa has taken control of the rescue ship,” Ariel reported to Jeremy with excitement and pride in her voice. “She’s destroyed fifteen Simulin battlecruisers in the last four minutes.”

“How?” asked Commander Malen, sounding confused. “What type of weapon is she using?”

“Unknown,” Ariel answered. “But it’s causing confusion with the Simulins, and their ships are avoiding coming into range of the ship’s weapons.”

“Then we’ll make it,” Kevin said, his eyes lighting up with hope.

-

It was all Kathryn could do to stay in her command chair. The violent turns and gyrations Clarissa was taking the ship through were straining the ship’s inertial compensators to the point that, several times, Kathryn felt the pull of g-forces pushing her back into her chair. She heard several of the command crew swear loudly as their restraining straps pressed painfully against them.

“Admiral Strong will be here in two more minutes,” Clarissa announced, as she fired another Devastator Three through a hole in a Simulin escort cruiser’s shield caused by one of the few remaining defense globes. On the main viewscreen, a violent fifty-megaton explosion annihilated the cruiser, leaving behind a scattering of glowing debris and burning gases.

“The Simulin battlecruisers are holding back,” Commander Grissim spoke. “They seem hesitant to engage us.”

“Clarissa, pull us back so we can recover our fighters and bombers,” ordered Kathryn, hoping the AI would obey her.

She knew when Admiral Strong arrived, they would be leaving as soon as possible. Unlike the new drive the Distant Horizon was equipped with, Admiral Strong’s ships could make a jump almost immediately without fear of damaging their drive cores.

“Pulling back,” Clarissa replied. She quickly took the Distant Horizon through a sharp turn and decelerated to come almost to a dead stop in close proximity to the waiting fighters and bombers.

“I’ll drop the screen for twenty seconds,” Clarissa informed Kathryn. “All the fighters and bombers have to be inside the screen or on board within that time.”

“Make it happen,” ordered Kathryn, nodding at Commander Grissim.

Moments later Commander Grissim told Clarissa to drop the shield. Rapidly all the fighters and bombers hurtled toward the flight bays, making emergency combat landings and, in some cases, skidding across the decks of the two bays. In eighteen seconds they were all aboard or inside the shield.

“Reenergizing energy shield,” Clarissa announced. “I’m holding this position, since the Simulins seem to be waiting for Admiral Strong to arrive. I believe, when he does, they’ll launch a mass attack against him and us.”

“How many defense globes are left?” Kathryn asked. It seemed, at the moment, the AI was cooperating.

“Six,” answered Captain Reynolds. “The rest have been destroyed.”

“I’ll need them when Admiral Strong arrives,” Clarissa stated.

Kathryn nodded and elected not to reply. If they survived this, she intended to have a very long talk with the AI and a certain female lieutenant. She was also wise enough to know that they had only survived this long because the AI had taken command of the ship. She would have to take that into consideration.

-

Jeremy felt the Avenger exit hyperspace. He gripped the arms of his command chair, waiting tensely for the viewscreens to clear.

“Screens coming online,” reported Ariel. “Energy shield is up. Detecting three hundred and twelve Simulins vessels with more inbound.”

“Where is the rescue ship?” asked Jeremy, his gaze glued to the viewscreens. Suddenly a massive ship appeared on one screen. It was obviously of Alton design.

“That ship’s 2,600 meters long,” reported Kevin in amazement.

“No wonder Clarissa could destroy so many Simulin ships,” Commander Malen said, highly impressed by the ship on the viewscreen. It was larger than an AI ship!

“All ships,” Jeremy spoke over his minicomm, “take up defensive positions around the rescue ship.”

“It’s called the Distant Horizon,” Ariel said with a pleased smile. “I just finished talking to Clarissa, and she has confirmed that Kelsey, Katie, and Brace are all on the ship and are uninjured.”

Jeremy felt the room swirl when he realized his spouse was close by. He knew that Kevin and Angela must be feeling the same way.

-

“AIs!” exploded Commandeer Grissim, as she saw one of the hated 1,500-meter AI spheres appear on the viewscreen. “What the hell is going on?”

“I was going to mention that,” Clarissa said apologetically. “It seems the AIs have joined forces with our missing fleets in order to survive in this galaxy. They have placed their ships under Admiral Strong’s command.”

“We can’t trust the AIs,” spoke Colonel Leon, her worried face focusing on the viewscreen.”

“No,” Kathryn said in agreement. “But I do trust Admiral Strong, and we have to hope he knows what he’s doing.” She knew Admiral Telleck would have agreed with her reasoning.

“There are Alton ships out there as well,” pointed out Andram. “I don’t think the AIs will be a problem. I’m certain the Altons on the four science ships that came through with Admiral Strong would’ve taken steps to ensure that.”

“I hope so,” responded Commander Grissim, still doubtful. “I find it hard to imagine fighting on the same side as the AIs.”

“The Avenger has transmitted a set of jump coordinates,” Captain Travers reported. “I’m sending them to Navigation.”

“Simulins are closing again,” Colonel Leon announced.

On the tactical displays, the Simulin ships were now rapidly approaching the Distant Horizon and the ships Admiral Strong had brought.

-

“I’m sending out the last six defense globes,” Clarissa said. “I want to see if I can cause the Simulins some additional confusion.”

In space the six remaining defense globes suddenly powered up their sublight drives and accelerated at full speed toward the six nearest Simulin battlecruisers. The Simulins opened fire with their energy beams and easily destroyed two of them, but the other four had fired off their ion beams just fractions of a second before they too were annihilated. However, that fraction of a second was long enough to blow a brief hole in three Simulin energy screens. Microseconds later, all three battlecruisers died, as nuclear fire tore through their structure from the Devastator Threes which Clarissa had carefully fired through the brief holes in their defense screens.

-

“Ion beams,” uttered Commander Malen, as the three Simulin battlecruisers swelled up and then vanished from one of the tactical displays. “That’s how they destroyed so many Simulin ships. I recall studies were being done at New Tellus about using ion beams to bring down energy shields.”

“It seems to work,” responded Kevin, his gaze glued to his Main Sensor screens and the tantalizing green icon that was the Distant Horizon. It was hard to imagine that Katie was so close.

“That’s the last of their defense globes,” Ariel announced. “The Distant Horizon isn’t equipped with an ion beam. They were only designed to be used by the globes as an experimental weapon.”

“Simulins are still closing, but they’ve slowed,” Kevin reported. “I think they’re unsure if there are any more of those defense globes.”

“They’re in weapons range,” Commander Malen stated.

“All ships fire!” Jeremy ordered. It was time to see how all the extra particle beam cannons would do against the Simulins.

Bright blue particle beams suddenly lanced out from the eighty-two warships Jeremy had brought. From the forty AI spheres over a dozen particle beams were fired from each one. The effect on the inbound Simulins was devastating. In less than a minute, a third of their fleet was reduced to burning debris, as the enhanced beams slashed through their energy screens causing havoc.

The remaining Simulin ships retaliated with heavy energy beam fire upon the Human, Alton, and AI ships. Two AI spheres exploded in brilliant blasts as their screens were quickly overloaded, and Simulin energy beams played across their hulls.

“Two AI ships are down,” called out Kevin, as green icons vanished from his Main Sensor screens. “Strikecruiser Dover is down.”

“We’re ready to jump,” Ariel announced. She was monitoring all the ships, as well as communicating with the Command AI. “The fleet is taking a lot of damage.”

“Battlecruiser Dominator is down,” spoke Kevin, as the battlecruiser’s green icon swelled up and vanished from his Main Sensor screen. It had been over four years since he had last spoken those dreadful words. He had forgotten how just how horrible they truly were.

“Jump,” ordered Jeremy.

Blue-white vortices opened up in front of the ships of the fleet, and they made a wild dash to escape the inbound Simulins. Even as they exited the system, another AI ship and an Alton battlecruiser exploded as their shields were overloaded.

-

“All remaining ships are safely in hyperspace,” Ariel reported. “Including the Distant Horizon.”

“We lost another AI ship and an Alton battlecruiser as we were entering the vortices,” Kevin reported.

“We have a number of damaged ships as well,” Malen added.

Though the battle was brief, it had been very intense. Jeremy nodded. “We just need to lose the Simulins and then return to Gaia. Once there, we can repair our battle damage.” He was anxious to see Kelsey, but he knew it would be many hours yet before that was possible. They had to play hide-and-seek around several nebulas before it would be safe to head for home.

Chapter Eighteen

It had taken two days, but the Avenger and her fleet had finally shaken their Simulin pursuers. Jumping around several gaseous nebulas had finally done the trick. After fleeing down a narrow gas-free corridor, the fleet had emerged and immediately made a long jump to an area of red giant stars which Ariel had felt would be free of Simulin activity. She had been correct, and now the fleet was returning to Gaia.

“Exiting vortex,” called out Captain Reynolds, as the Distant Horizon returned to normal space.

The main viewscreen quickly cleared, and a planet appeared. It seemed to be a mostly arid world with a wide green swath around its equator where numerous rivers and lakes could be seen. There were also two small oceans, which covered about 15 percent of the planet.

“It’s a habitable world, slightly smaller than Earth,” Clarissa reported. “The area around the planet’s equator is slightly over 1,400 kilometers across, and has a wide variety of plant and animal life.”

“I’m also detecting what appears to be a small city on the surface,” added Reynolds.

The two tactical displays continued to light up with numerous icons. One was truly large.

“Admiral Strong’s been busy,” commented Commander Grissim, as she gazed at what was appearing on the displays. “There are particle beam satellites in orbit and a number of what appears to be modified Type Two battlestations.”

The screen changed to show a massive structure above the planet.

“What’s that?” asked Kathryn, as her eyes focused on the strange structure. “It doesn’t resemble any type of ship I’m familiar with, and it’s much larger than the Distant Horizon.

“The Clan Protector,” Kelsey answered, barely recognizing the Carethian mobile shipyard. “It’s been expanded considerably. It will be wonderful to see Malith and Karalle once again.”

“It is good to see the Clan Protector,” spoke Belal, the pack leader of the Bears on board the Distant Horizon. “I look forward to speaking to Grayseth, the leader of our clan.”

“As we all do,” replied Kelsey with a friendly smile.

Ever since she had ordered Clarissa to take control of the Distant Horizon, at least two Bears had been in her presence next to the Navigation console. They also accompanied her wherever she went on the ship. It was obvious they were concerned for her safety, though there was no need.

“Detecting a large CSP and a lot of warships,” Colonel Leon said, while she studied the incoming data. “It looks as if most of the Fourth Fleet, Admiral Cleeteus’s fleet, Rear Admiral Mark’s fleet, and Grayseth’s are in orbit.”

“I didn’t expect so many to have survived,” Kathryn said, as her gaze shifted to the tactical displays with all the friendly green icons. “It’s a relief to see so many Federation and Alliance warships in orbit around the planet.”

“There are also a lot of AI ships,” Captain Reynolds added in a brusque voice. “I’m detecting 460 in various orbits around Gaia. None of them are targeting us with their weapons though.”

“Damn, that’s a lot of AIs,” commented Colonel Leon with concern. The screen changed to show several of the stupendous AI spheres. “Even though Admiral Strong promised we had nothing to fear from the AIs, I’m still getting cold chills being in such close proximity to so many of them.”

Anne nodded. “Admiral Strong has found a good place to hide. I’m very impressed by what we see on the viewscreens and on the tactical displays. The nebula will block long-range sensor scans from the Simulins.”

“But it blocks our scans as well,” replied Kathryn. “It also puts a strain on the hyperdrive traveling through the nebula. Several times we were close to dropping out of hyperspace.”

“We’ll need to adjust our drive,” commented Shilum, who had come to the Command Center to witness their arrival. “I’m pleased to see so many Alton warships and the four science ships that came through with Grayseth.”

“Put us into orbit,” ordered Kathryn, allowing herself to relax. For the first time since they’d arrived in the Triangulum Galaxy, she felt relatively safe. They had succeeded in the first part of their mission: finding the Avenger and the lost fleets. Unfortunately she didn’t think there was any way they would ever return home.

-

“They’re here,” Kevin said with a big grin on his face as he stared at the massive exploration dreadnought on one of the viewscreens. He had excitedly spoken to Katie a number of times over the ship’s comm system.

“Admiral Barnes is in charge of the Distant Horizon,” Jeremy said.

He had held several long conversations with the admiral over what had happened to the Distant Horizon after they had jumped into the Triangulum Galaxy. It amazed him that they’d survived, particularly after jumping into a Simulin system. He was also anxious to talk to Mikow Lall about the scavenger drone she had disassembled. The more they could learn about the Simulins and how they operated in this galaxy, the better prepared they’d be, if the Simulins ever discovered Gaia.

“They encountered a lot of Simulin worlds and ships,” commented Commander Malen, cocking her eyebrow.

“The Simulins are apparently much more widespread than we originally thought,” Jeremy said with a deep and worried frown. “They may control a major portion of this galaxy.” It made Jeremy even more aware of the danger they were in and how important it was not to lead the Simulins back to Gaia. He still needed a good six months to finish the planned orbital defenses.

“The Distant Horizon found more destroyed worlds,” added Commander Malen, shifting her gaze from the viewscreens to Admiral Strong. “They sent a team down to one, and that’s where they encountered the scavenger drones. They lost several Marines in the altercation.”

“We’ll be holding a meeting on the Clan Protector shortly,” Jeremy informed her. “I’ve asked Grayseth, Rear Admiral Marks, and Admiral Cleeteus to attend. We’ll have to make an announcement to our people shortly as to what’s been happening back home and the possibility of returning to our galaxy.” He would inform the Command AI of the meeting but felt the people coming over from the Distant Horizon weren’t ready yet to meet an actual AI. That would occur later after they were debriefed.

-

“It doesn’t look good,” Ariel spoke from where she was standing next to Jeremy. “The Distant Horizon has the necessary designs to build a vortex ring to take us back, but there’s no way the Simulins will ever allow us to build it. The necessary energy-collection stations are quite large and will take time to construct.”

“So they may be stranded here with us,” spoke Angela, who had gotten up to come closer to Jeremy and Kevin. She had spoken to Brace earlier and still found it hard to believe that he was actually here. Her heart had been racing while they talked. It had been so good to finally hear his voice.

“It looks that way,” answered Jeremy. “We’ll know more when we have our meeting.”

“It’ll be hard on our people, once they find out that we may not be able to go home,” Commander Grissim said. “It won’t help morale, and we may find people stampeding to live on the surface.”

“They have to be told,” answered Jeremy with a sigh. “We’re all in this together. Kevin, you and Angela will be going with me to the meeting.”

“Finally,” spoke Ariel, quite pleased with herself and Clarissa. “The Special Five are going to be reunited.”

-

Several hours later Jeremy, Kevin, and Angela stepped from their shuttle aboard the Clan Protector. A group of Marines and an honor guard of Carethians were waiting for them.

“Jeremy!” roared Grayseth, stepping forward and hugging his Human friend. “It is great that your mates have found their way to us. I am anxious to hear of their adventures.”

“We all are,” Jeremy said with a smile. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Even as they talked, another shuttle entered the cavernous bay to set down close to theirs. The hatch opened and Admiral Barnes stepped out, followed closely by Kelsey, Katie, a Marine captain, and a tall white-haired Alton.

“Brace!” squealed Angela, as she ran over to the Marine, wrapping her arms around him and smothering him with an affectionate kiss.

Kelsey and Katie were more reserved as they hurried over to their husbands, their eyes moist from tears of joy.

“Hi,” spoke Kelsey, as she stepped forward, giving Jeremy a big hug and a kiss on the lips. “It’s been a while.”

“I missed you,” responded Jeremy, enjoying the feel of Kelsey’s body in his arms. It was something he had dreamed of for a long time.

Katie was in Kevin’s arms and gave no signs of stepping back. “God, how I missed you,” she uttered, almost afraid to let him go, lest he vanish.

“I’m here,” Kevin said in a trembling voice. “I promise we’ll never be apart again.”

Jeremy released Kelsey and turned to face Admiral Barnes. “Admiral, it’s good to see you and your ship. It contained some very precious cargo.”

“Yes, it did,” replied Kathryn with a knowing smile.

She had already talked briefly to Kelsey and Clarissa about what had occurred on the Distant Horizon. Because things ended well, she had decided disciplinary action would not be forthcoming, particularly since she strongly suspected that Kelsey and Katie would shortly be transferring off the ship. As for Clarissa, Kathryn would just have to learn to deal with the talented and unpredictable AI.

Kathryn turned and gestured toward the tall Alton, who had accompanied them. “This is Andram, who serves as our science advisor. He’s anxious to talk to you about the current situation with the AIs. We were very surprised to find they’re now a part of your fleet.”

“We’ll explain that shortly,” answered Jeremy. He knew seeing all the AI ships in orbit around Gaia had to have been a huge shock to the crew of the Distant Horizon. “Now, if everyone will follow Grayseth and me to a conference room, we’ll discuss where we go from here.”

A few minutes later, they found themselves in a spacious room that Grayseth had set up for the meeting. There were refreshments and a sampling of fruits discovered on Gaia.

“You didn’t happen to bring any hamburgers along, did you?” Kevin asked Katie in a quiet voice, as they sat down next to each other.

“Hamburgers?” said Katie, trying to act confused. “Why would I bring hamburgers?”

Kevin looked crestfallen as he realized he would still be denied his favorite meal. He had so hoped that the Distant Horizon would have his favorite food on board.

Katie burst out laughing at the disappointed look on Kevin’s face, and, taking his hand, she spoke. “Of course I brought hamburgers! There are cases of them stored in one of the freezers on the ship.”

Kevin’s eyes lit up, and he squeezed Katie’s hand even tighter. “I knew I could count on you.”

As they all sat down, Jeremy looked around the group. He had invited Kurene, the Alton AI specialist, to attend the meeting too.

“To begin with, let me explain what has occurred since we arrived here in the Triangulum Galaxy and how we became associated with the AIs.” For the next hour, Jeremy carefully went over their arrival, their battle with the Simulins, the agreement with the AIs, the construction of the stealth destroyers, and the establishment of their colony on Gaia.

“We’ve built a sizable defense grid around the planet,” he added. “We’ve constructed a number of modified Type Two battlestations and well over one thousand particle beam satellites for protection.”

“Impressive,” Kathryn replied, after listening to Jeremy speak. “I think one thing you should be made aware of is that the Simulins were responsible for reprogramming the AIs in our galaxy.”

“What!” stammered Jeremy, his eyes opening wide in disbelief. “What do you mean, the Simulins reprogrammed the AIs?”

Kathryn had Andram explain to the group what they’d discovered on Astral. When he finished speaking, his words were met with stunned silence.

Finally Kurene spoke. “It’s a frightening discovery to learn that the Simulins added a change to the AIs’ master Codex on Astral. Since beginning to work with the AIs, we've built up a mutual level of trust. The AIs here seem to show a special interest and even enjoyment from working with Altons.”

“There won’t be any more AIs created,” Andram informed Kurene. “They’ve been annihilated from our galaxy except for a few ships, which fled to one of their proxy races on the far side of the galaxy, and we control the master Codex on Astral. The other Codex copy we believe was destroyed in the great battle at the galactic center. Without access to either one, there’s no way to program new AIs.”

“It wasn’t destroyed,” Kurene responded, her eyes focusing on Andram. “It’s here on one of the AI ships.”

“Here?” spoke Kathryn, her eyes narrowing sharply. “Then we need to destroy it immediately!”

“No,” Kurene responded, shaking her head. “I don’t believe that’s necessary or even wise. I’ll speak to the Command AI and explain to it what you discovered on Astral. I’m certain it will allow me to access the Codex and remove the Simulin programming.” Kurene now knew this had to be the code that the Command AI had been allowing her to search for. It explained the sudden change in the AI’s perspective on organic life.

“The Command AI has been very supportive of us and our efforts to build a home here on Gaia,” Rear Admiral Marks said. “I’ve been very much surprised at the cooperation from the AIs. They’ve also turned full command of their fleet over to Admiral Strong.”

“If we’re trapped here permanently, we’ll need them,” Jeremy added, as he thought about their future. “As much as I hate to say it, we may have to build more AI ships, and possibly even more AIs, if we want to remain safe.”

“We would have to examine their programming very carefully,” Kurene cautioned, as she thought over what would be required. “At the moment I don’t want to speak to the AIs about creating more, until after I examine the changes the Simulins made to the Codex.”

“The AIs served the Altons faithfully on Astral for many years,” Andram spoke, as he gazed at the others at the large conference table. “They eventually were the downfall of the Alton race upon the planet, because our people grew too dependent on the machines in their daily life. If we create more of the AIs here, we dare not make that same mistake again.”

“It’s simple enough,” spoke up Rear Admiral Marks. “We don’t allow them down on the planet.”

“That might work,” responded Andram, looking thoughtful.

“I had hoped we would be able to return home. However, if we stay here long term, at least Gaia is a decent planet,” Kevin said with a long sigh. “We’ve already established a small city on the surface, as well as several military bases to defend it.”

Andram looked carefully around the group. “Shilum and I have been discussing the possibility of sending a message back to our galaxy,” he informed them in a cautious voice.

“How?” asked Kathryn, looking confused. “This had never been mentioned before by any of the Altons on the Distant Horizon that I was aware of.”

“The vortex generators should be easy enough to build with the resources of the Clan Protector and the four fleet repair ships,” Andram informed them. “We can also use Fusion Five reactors as their power source. We just need to establish a small vortex capable of sending a message drone back to the galactic core of our galaxy. Our people there will be waiting.”

“That’s still a big project,” Kurene spoke. She understood some of the science behind hyperspace travel; most Alton scientists did. “We would have to construct a small vessel with a Hyperspace drive plus a sublight drive which could access and use the vortex.”

“We have two such vessels already on the Distant Horizon,” confessed Andram. “We always knew there was a chance we wouldn’t be able to return, but we wanted the option of sending back any information on new discoveries to our people.”

“I didn’t know about this,” Kathryn said, looking accusingly over at Kelsey and Katie. She wondered how much they’d known.

“We didn’t either,” Kelsey said quickly, feeling her face flush. Jeremy still didn’t know about what she had done on the Distant Horizon; that was a conversation for later.

“The two vessels are quite small and in a storage compartment in the Beta flight bay,” Andram informed them. “Shilum and I feel we could be ready to send one of them to our galaxy within six months.”

“At least the people back home would know what happened to us,” Jeremy said approvingly. “It would help morale immensely if our people knew they could send a personal message to their families. We’ll discuss this later, as I suspect we’ll need a few technical people, both Human and Altons, to work on this.”

“It would be good to send a message to my clan,” spoke Grayseth, his large eyes focusing on Jeremy. “They should know that I will not be returning.”

“We can’t build enough vortex generators powered by Fusion Five reactors to send back a full-size ship?” asked Kevin.

“No,” Andram replied. “The larger the vortex, the amount of power needed increases exponentially. To power a vortex six hundred meters in diameter would take an energy-collecting station the size of one of the AIs’ Capacitor Stations. It would also have to be built close enough to a star emitting a high level of radiation so sufficient power could be collected.”

Jeremy was silent for a long moment and then spoke. “So we’re agreed the likelihood of us ever returning to our galaxy is quite small.”

Around the table, everyone slowly nodded their heads. As long as the Simulins were around, they were effectively stranded in the Triangulum Galaxy. They’d all hoped that someday they could return, but the stark reality of their situation was now apparent.

For the next several hours, the group continued to talk; Ariel and Clarissa were called in to offer their insights on what was the best course of action. They also had several other Alton and Human scientists come in to discuss the finer details on some of the plans. Even Daelthon came in to report on the current construction capabilities of the greatly expanded Carethian mobile shipyard.

-

The meeting finally ended with the Special Five walking away together, along with Captain Brace Caulder. Angela and Brace walked arm in arm, talking excitedly about being back together.

All six of them returned to the Avenger, and, upon reaching the level that contained their quarters, all went their separate ways.

Angela led Brace to hers and, after shutting the door, gave him a big sexy smile. “Four years,” she said suggestively. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” replied Brace, stepping forward and taking Angela in his powerful arms. “I’m about to show you just how much.”

-

In Kevin’s quarters, Katie led Kevin to the couch and sat down next to him. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” she said, drawing in a deep breath. She felt excited and nervous at the same time.

“I knew you would come eventually,” Kevin said, leaning back and putting his arm around her. “I never gave up hope. I knew you and Kelsey would find your way to us. By the way, did you make arrangements to have several cases of those hamburgers brought over? I’m starving!”

“Food can wait until later,” Katie said, her green eyes shining with a playful glint. “Right now I have other plans.”

-

Jeremy and Kelsey were in his quarters. Kelsey was busy giving Jeremy a brief rundown on what had been going on in the Federation, plus what she and Katie had been doing.

“Governor Barnes and Ambassador Tureen moved mountains to help us get the Distant Horizon built,” Kelsey explained. “There’s not another ship like her, and I can’t wait to give you a tour.”

“I just wish we could return to Careth some day,” Jeremy said with a longing look in his eyes. “I always dreamed of making our home there, when we weren’t out exploring.”

“We have a planet here,” Kelsey said. “From what I’ve seen on the Distant Horizon’s viewscreen, it looks like a nice one. It’ll have to be our home now.”

Jeremy nodded. In the coming months, they would continue to strengthen the defenses around the planet, as well as decide what to do about the AIs. As more and more people elected to live on the planet, they would become even more dependent on the AIs for protection. It was hard to imagine the change in circumstances over the last four years. Who would ever have thought it would be up to the AIs to protect the crews of the Avenger and the lost fleets?

“Let’s go to the bedroom,” suggested Kelsey, snuggling closer to Jeremy. “We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

-

Ariel had been watching the three couples, and, with a feeling of deep satisfaction, she turned off the monitors in all the quarters of her friends. The Special Five were reunited, and Ariel felt whole again.

-

On Maken, former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth allowed himself to relax. He had experienced another premonition the night before and knew the Special Five were together once again. Admiral Barnes had succeeded in her mission of finding the Avenger and the lost fleets.

A noise caused him to raise his eyes upward toward the sky. A shuttle was coming down. He knew the battleship WarHawk was in orbit around Maken, and the shuttle was carrying Admiral Tolsen. With a deep sigh, Hedon felt sadness and regret over what he was about to do. Admiral Strong had no idea that his service to the Federation was in no way over.

“This is a big weight you’re about to put on Jeremy’s shoulders,” Janice said in a soft voice. “There’s not any other way?”

“No,” Hedon said with a deep sigh. “If the Simulins aren’t stopped in the Triangulum Galaxy, they’ll eventually come through to ours, and they’ll be an unstoppable force. The Federation and the Alliance will fall within days of their arrival. Within a few months, they’ll have full control of our galaxy and will exterminate all intelligent life.” He had received a private message from General Wesley regarding Katie’s and Mikow’s discovery about the Simulins’ reprogramming of the AIs’ master Codex. It confirmed the worst parts of his premonitions.

“What about Admiral Tolsen?” asked Janice. “What if he doesn’t agree to what you want him to do?”

“I’ve known Race for quite some time,” answered Hedon, as he watched the shuttle land a short distance away. “He’s a dedicated military officer, and, when I explain to him what’s needed, there’s no doubt in my mind that he will agree.”

“You’ll upset a lot of people,” Janice said worriedly. “Some very powerful people.”

“Perhaps,” Hedon answered. “They say that I arose from cryosleep to defeat the Hocklyns and to victoriously lead the Federation. Now it’s time for Admiral Strong and Admiral Tolsen to take their places in history. Yet their job is not to save the galaxy, but the entire universe instead.”

Hedon looked up toward the sky again. Somewhere out there was the Triangulum Galaxy. The Special Five would have some time to become reacquainted, and then their real mission would begin. Upon their shoulders would rest the fate of this galaxy and countless others. They might not see home again, but Hedon would see to it that they were always remembered.

The End