Genesis

A Slaver Wars Novel

Chapter One

Admiral Race Tolsen gazed worriedly at one of the WarHawk’s main holographic tactical displays. On it were hundreds of red threat icons and their numbers had been steadily growing in recent days. The majority of the red icons were Shari battlecruisers with a length of eleven hundred meters. The other icons were the smaller nine-hundred-meter cruisers, which served as escorts for the larger vessels. Glancing over at a viewscreen, he studied one of the Shari warships being displayed. On the screen there was a large, cylinder-shaped spaceship. It was dark and menacing with numerous energy weapon turrets and small hatches indicating missile tubes. The Shari used two types of sublight missiles, both tipped with nuclear warheads. The yield of the smaller warhead was estimated at twenty megatons and the larger one a little over thirty. The Federation had a definite edge in weapons technology, but the Shari ships could still pose a significant danger, particularly if their numbers continued to grow.

“I guess the peace talks between the Altons and the Shari aren’t going well,” commented Commander Madelyn Arnett as she stood with her arms folded across her chest staring at the screen. Madelyn had been with Race for many years and was a trusted friend and officer.

Race shook his head and sighed. “No, from the last update we received from the Federation and Ambassador Tureen, the Shari are demanding we leave the Rylus Cluster and never return. They say our being here is an act of war.”

“What does your sister think of all of this?” Race’s sister had arrived with the relief fleet.

Race looked over at another screen showing the battlecarrier Hera. It was fifteen hundred meters in length, and Massie had made it her flagship though Race would feel better if she transferred her flag to one of the more powerful Federation battleships. His sister had been promoted to rear admiral and, along with Alton Admiral Lankell, had been given command of the relief fleet. Upon its arrival, command of the combined fleets had been passed on to Race as the senior officer present.

“How do we defend this Dyson Sphere?” asked Madelyn with a worried frown. “The damn thing’s just too huge! While we’re on this side, the Shari could very easily be on the other. We don’t have the ships to protect such a massive object without spreading ourselves too thin. Not only that, we’ve been here for three months and our scientists, as well as those on the Alton science ships, haven’t managed to find a way in. The thing’s built like a damn fortress!”

“No one said this would be easy,” answered Race, standing up and walking over to stand in front of the massive viewscreen that covered the entire front wall of the WarHawk. The WarHawk was the largest warship ever constructed by the Altons. The battle dreadnought measured three thousand meters in length and four hundred meters in diameter. The Command Center was buried deep within the six-hundred-meter globe, which was the bow of the ship. In the rear, where the engines were located, the ship flared out to five hundred meters.

“Admiral, the defensive grid has been completed, and Commander Stewart of the Hadean wants to know if you’re ready to do an inspection,” reported Colonel Brice Cowel from his command console.

Race nodded. The Hadean was also a dreadnought but slightly smaller than the WarHawk. The Hadean was two thousand meters in length and constructed along the same lines as the flagship. Commander May Stewart was the commanding officer of the powerful warship.

“All the particle beam satellites, as well as the Indomitable Class battlestations, are now in place and operational,” Kelnor Mard reported. Kelnor was an Alton scientist well versed in the study of the Originators. He also served as the WarHawk’s science officer along with Reesa Jast, another Alton who was exceptionally brilliant.

It had taken awhile to decide on the exact placement of the defense grid. The Dyson Sphere was too large to place a grid entirely around it, so the scientists on the Alton science ships had chosen a smaller area to defend, one which they thought there was a high probability of being able to find a way inside.

Looking at the massive viewscreen, Race could dimly make out the giant sphere of metal the WarHawk was orbiting. The metal surface reflected back only a minimal amount of the starlight shining upon it. From a distance, the sphere appeared to be an area of darkness until you were close enough to actually see it in the dim light from the surrounding stars. The Rylus Star Cluster was composed of over twelve thousand stars, and it was their light that made the Dyson Sphere visible.

The sphere wasn’t smooth. There were mysterious structures and other constructions dotting its surface. What their purpose was had thus far eluded all of the scientists. There were ten Alton science ships with the fleet, and their scientific instruments were focused continuously on the Dyson Sphere.

“Put the defense grid up on one of the tactical displays,” Race ordered as he turned away from the viewscreen.

“Coming up on display two,” Captain Brent Davis replied as he pressed several icons on one of his screens at the sensor console.

Instantly, in the indicated holographic display, twenty large blue icons appeared. Each one represented an Indomitable Class battlestation. Each station was one thousand meters in diameter and armed with numerous heavy particle beam cannons, energy turrets, and sublight antimatter missile tubes. There were other defensive weapons as well. Around each station were a hundred smaller light blue icons. These were the particle beam satellites that completed the defense grid.

Race studied the tactical display for several minutes, even walking around it to examine the grid from different perspectives. “That will do,” he said finally. “We’ll move the fleet beneath the grid and then wait and see what the Shari do.” The defensive grid had been emplaced three hundred thousand kilometers above the Dyson Sphere. The fleet would position itself just below the grid where it could add its considerable firepower if the Shari attacked. “I want four squadrons of fighters and two squadrons of bombers out on patrol at all times.”

“I’ll pass on the orders,” Madelyn said, relieved the fleet was going beneath the grid. If the Shari attacked, they would quickly find out an Indomitable Class battlestation was nothing they wanted to tangle with, particularly when the firepower of the particle beam satellites was included.

Now it would be up to the scientists to find a way to enter the Dyson Sphere. For three months they had studied the massive megastructure seeking a possible entrance, but it was sealed tight. The metal the structure was composed of was also impervious to all of their scans as well as the weapons the Altons and Federation ships had at their disposal. Race was intensely curious to see what was inside the sphere. There was room on the inner surface for several million Earths. Even more important was the question whether there was anyone living inside. Only by gaining entry could they find out the answer to that haunting question.

-

High Lord Aktill stood in front of his ship’s tactical screen gazing angrily at the multitude of red threat icons around the Dyson Sphere. From a few communication intercepts, he knew it was what the Humans and their allies called the megastructure. He had been defeated three months previously when a large Human and Alton fleet arrived in the system. If the relief fleet had waited just another hour, he could have defeated the ships he was engaged with. However, with the arrival of the reinforcements, he had been forced to withdraw after suffering significant losses. Now he was back with a much larger force. The Grand Council had been stunned when he reported what he had found in this system. The very existence of the Dyson Sphere had shaken their beliefs to the core. The science to construct such a structure was nearly incomprehensible.

“Any word from the Grand Council of High Lords?” asked Lower Lord Samarth, his eyes flashing with impatience.

“No,” answered Aktill, shaking his head. “They’re still in negotiations with the Altons.”

“I don’t understand why they don’t destroy the Alton fleet and allow us to attack these trespassers. By entering Shari space, it’s an act of war.”

Aktill turned to face his second in command. “The Altons are a very ancient and clever race. The fleet they have in our space conducting negotiations consists of sixty battleships and one hundred and thirty battlecruisers. It would be a very costly battle. Their weapons and energy shields are far superior to ours.”

Samarth looked toward a viewscreen showing one of the large two-thousand-meter enemy warships in orbit above the Dyson Sphere. The ship was obviously of Alton design, but from the communication intercepts it was being operated by the Humans. “Any word on the other aliens we were encountering before the Humans and the Altons put in an appearance?”

Aktill remained silent for a long moment before speaking. “There have been rumors of their ships being sighted in various parts of the star cluster. The Grand Council is convinced they’re also searching for this Dyson Sphere.”

“What of these robot creatures some of our ships have reported finding? There are many of them on the world where we found debris from the battle the Humans fought against the aliens. We have lost numerous soldiers on some of the research missions that have landed on worlds with signs of ancient structures.”

“I believe they’re from these same mysterious aliens,” Aktill answered. “I have sent orders for there to be no more landings on any planets in the Rylus Cluster. The answer to all of our questions lies within the structure that surrounds this star.”

Samarth gazed at one of the screens showing the megastructure. “Our best scientists can find no way to enter the sphere. Several have suggested using nuclear weapons to attempt to blast our way in.”

Aktill shook his head. “Won’t work. The metal of the sphere is too strong and thick. Our most powerful weapon would barely scratch the surface. No, our best chance is to continue to search the surface of the sphere. There’s bound to be a way to enter somewhere. We just need to find it before the Humans or the Altons do.”

An officer came up and spoke briefly to Samarth, who frowned in concern. “The Human and Alton fleet is moving closer to the Dyson Sphere. They have finished constructing their defensive grid over sector seventeen quadrant eighty-seven. From our sensor scans, it’s evident they’re moving their fleet beneath it.”

“It was to be expected.” This didn’t surprise Aktill. It was what he would have done. It was becoming evident the Humans and the Altons had decided to limit their search of the Dyson Sphere to this one small area. He wondered worriedly if they had found something. The Sharis’ own scientists were working diligently on the far side of the sphere. A large task group of Shari warships was supporting them, ensuring no Human or Alton ship came near.

“Do you believe we will fight the Humans and their allies for possession of the sphere?”

Aktill nodded his head. “Yes, once we have the necessary ships and the negotiations with the Altons have come to an end, I am certain we’ll be ordered to attack. This Dyson Sphere is too valuable to allow anyone but us to control. With the knowledge the sphere will provide, it will allow us to finish what the AIs started. The Shari Empire will spread throughout the galaxy until all worlds answer to us.”

“It is well then that we have been reinforced.”

“More ships are on the way,” Aktill informed Samarth. He gazed at the red threat icons on the tactical screen. “This will be the beginning of war between the Shari Empire and the Human Federation and their allies. It will be a long war, but we will be victorious in the end.”

Samarth stood silently as he thought over what Aktill had said. “I worry for the empire,” he finally said. “The Humans and their allies destroyed the AIs, and the AIs were truly powerful.”

High Lord Aktill didn’t answer, for there was truth in what Lower Lord Samarth had just said. The Hocklyns had learned that the hard way.

-

Rear Admiral Massie Tolsen watched as a squadron of Talon fighters launched from one of the Hera’s flight bays. The squadron would patrol out past the defensive grid. Race had placed her in charge of the fleet’s ten battlecarriers, and she didn’t intend to let him down. She could still recall the shock when word of her brother’s resignation had reached her on the Hera. Fortunately, she had been close enough to home to contact her parents at Ceres. After talking, they had all felt something else was going on. It had been confirmed when Fleet Admiral Nagumo had called her into his office. Alton ambassador Tureen had been present and when she emerged, she was wearing the stars of a rear admiral and given joint command of a large fleet. Alton Admiral Lankell was the other admiral going on the mission. When it had been explained to her what was at stake and what her brother was seeking, she had realized just how important Race was to Admiral Nagumo and the Federation. She had felt a swelling of pride at the mission her brother had been entrusted with.

“Captain Weinhardt reports all Talons of Falcon squadron have launched, and they’re heading out to their patrol coordinates,” reported Commander Braden Macleod.

Massie nodded. Captain Weinhardt was the ship’s CAG and a very competent commanding officer. He had seen considerable combat in the war against the Hocklyns and the AIs and was one of the best combat pilots she had ever seen fly a Talon.

With a deep sigh, she allowed her eyes to wander over to one of the viewscreens showing the WarHawk. She still found it hard to believe the ship Race had been given as his flagship. It was the largest and most powerful ship she had ever seen. Once again, it showed the trust the Altons and Fleet Admiral Nagumo had in her big brother.

It had been an enormous relief to find out Race had gone on a secret mission and hadn’t been forced to resign. She was still angry at Sixth Fleet Admiral Korrel for filing charges against Race for insubordination and refusing to follow the direct orders of the Federation Council. It pleased her immensely that Admiral Korrel was currently deployed near the border with the Borzon far away from the Human Federation of Worlds.

She had been away on a mission to former Hocklyn space during the court martial but able to follow it as it was broadcast live over several Federation comm channels. If not for the testimony of former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth and several others, her brother could very easily have been drummed out of the service with a dishonorable discharge. As it was, he had been assigned to a desk job in the New Tellus System. Now the future safety of the Federation was once more on his broad and capable shoulders.

-

Deep in Shari space, Alton Ambassador Tureen shook his head in disappointment after returning from the latest rounds of talks with the Shari. The ambassador was humanoid in shape and nearly seven feet tall. His skin was very pale with a slight blue tinge and the hair on top of his head, while thick, was a solid white. His eyes, nose, and ears were very similar to a Humans but the eyebrows were very thin almost nonexistent.

Alton Fleet Admiral Baasil looked questionably at the ambassador. Tureen had served many long years in this position. “Has there been any progress in the negotiations?”

“No,” Tureen replied as he sat down wearily behind his desk. He looked dismally at several reports that lay in front of him detailing the continued buildup of Shari forces near the Dyson Sphere. “I fear the Shari are only playing for time. I’ve received confirmed reports of massive Shari fleet movements close to Federation space. There’s little doubt in my mind they are preparing for war.”

Admiral Baasil nodded in agreement. “Our long-range sensors have detected a buildup of Shari vessels in the systems near us. Commander Stockwell believes they’ll attack our fleet rather than let us return to the Federation.” Commander Stockwell was the Human officer in charge of the Star Avenger, the flagship of the Alton fleet. Nearly thirty percent of the crewmembers in the fleet were Human, something the Altons had taken great care in not allowing the Shari to find out.

Tureen’s shoulders drooped at hearing those words. “The Shari don’t know the range of our sensors and probably believe their fleets haven’t been detected. Can we fight our way back to Federation space?” Tureen had hoped to solve this situation with the Dyson Sphere peacefully but that expectation was rapidly beginning to fade.

Admiral Baasil hesitated briefly before responding. “I strongly suspect, and Commander Stockwell agrees with me, that the Shari have a number of fleets between us and the safety of the Federation. They have no intentions of allowing us to escape their space.”

“Then what are our options?” Tureen wasn’t militarily minded and depended on those in the military to take the lead in those matters.

“We leave immediately and attempt to reach the Rylus Cluster and Admiral Tolsen. I don’t believe the Shari will be expecting us to head out in that direction, and there may not be as many fleets between us and the cluster as there are between here and the Federation.”

Ambassador Tureen closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Opening them, he looked over at the admiral. “You do realize that by leaving unannounced it will be tantamount to declaring war?”

“Yes,” Admiral Baasil replied grimly. “But to remain is to risk the total destruction of our fleet.”

“Can we still send out messages to Admiral Tolsen and the Federation?”

“So far,” answered Baasil, his eyes narrowing. “I believe the Shari don’t want us to suspect anything is amiss so they’re not jamming us. However, it won’t be hard for them to trace our FTL communication buoys.” There was a string of them between the fleet’s present location and Federation space. There was also a second string to the Rylus Cluster.

Ambassador Tureen stood up as he reached his decision. “Send an encrypted message to the Federation to send the second relief fleet to Admiral Tolsen immediately. Send another message to Admiral Tolsen informing him of our planned arrival and to be prepared for immediate war with the Shari.” The second relief and supply fleet had been waiting at the border of the Shari Empire for orders to proceed. They had been held up so as not to heighten the tension with the Shari while the negotiations were in progress.

“How soon before we leave?”

“I have another meeting scheduled for tomorrow with the Shari representative. I don’t believe they’re quite ready to make their move on our fleet. Perhaps I can buy enough time for the messages to reach the Federation and Admiral Tolsen. However, it might be wise to discretely raise the alert level of the fleet. I don’t want us to be taken by surprise.” Tureen knew due to the distances involved it would take several days for the messages to reach their recipients.

“With Humans in the fleet,” Baasil said with a slight smile. “I don’t think anything could take us by surprise.”

-

Three more days passed and Ambassador Tureen was once more in the Command Center of the Star Avenger. He couldn’t help but think of the irony of the ship’s name. The Altons were a peaceful race with over ninety percent of the population pacifists. However, there were still enough Altons on their worlds willing to fight and go to war to preserve the Human Federation of Worlds and the ideals the two races held dear to their hearts.

“The Shari representative is going back to their home world to discuss our latest offer,” Ambassador Tureen commented as he gazed at the huge viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center. As on all Alton constructed ships, the screen was crystal clear and gave a very unobstructed view of space. It almost seemed as if you could step out of the ship and touch the stars.

“When will he be returning?”

“He won’t,” answered Tureen, turning to face the admiral. “I believe it is but a ruse to force us to remain at this location until they’re ready to attack. It’s highly likely they’re planning to attack us as well as Admiral Tolsen at the same time. What of their ship movements?”

“No new arrivals in the past forty-eight hours,” Admiral Baasil answered. “I’m certain the Shari believe the ships they have assembled will be sufficient to destroy our fleet.”

“The Shari have over two thousand warships within attack range,” Commander Stockwell added. Stockwell was from New Tellus and was a career officer in the fleet. “We’ll be heavily outnumbered and while our weapons are superior, we’ll be at a distinct disadvantage against a fleet of that size.”

Tureen shifted his gaze to the holographic tactical display showing what the long-range sensors were detecting. Around a number of nearby stars were numerous red threat icons. “As soon as our long-range sensors detect those Shari warships entering hyperspace, we need to leave.”

“We’ll only have two or three minutes’ warning before the first of their warships can reach us,” Commander Stockwell informed Ambassador Tureen. “Some of those ships are only a few light years distant.”

“Will that be time enough for us to enter hyperspace?”

“Yes,” confirmed Admiral Baasil. “Just barely.”

Ambassador Tureen nodded, accepting the danger of their situation. “Very well, make your preparations. We’re going to the Rylus Star Cluster.”

-

Four more days passed when Ambassador Tureen was suddenly awakened by the Condition One alarms sounding. He was hurriedly dressing when he heard the announcement over the ship’s comm system they were preparing to leave the system. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on his bed and waited for the shift into hyperspace. He felt a sudden dizziness and a brief bout of nausea and then everything returned to normal. He knew the Star Avenger had successfully made the transition. He allowed himself to breathe out a long sigh of relief. They couldn’t be attacked in hyperspace, at least not until they exited. The ambassador knew the Star Avenger was capable of traveling one light year every three minutes with an effective jump range of one hundred and twenty light years. That would give them six hours of safety before they had to exit the warp vortex, allow the hyperdrive to cool, and then recharge the drive for the next jump.

It didn’t take the ambassador long to reach the Command Center. Stepping inside, he saw that it was a beehive of frantic activity. Glancing at the large viewscreen, he saw the swirling colors of deep purple associated with hyperspace. He knew from recent studies what he was seeing was the effect of dark energy on the higher bands of hyperspace in which the battleship was traveling. No Alton scientist was quite certain what affect dark energy played in hyperspace travel though it was becoming more apparent there was a definite connection.

“Ambassador,” Admiral Baasil said respectfully, seeing Tureen enter the Command Center.

“I assume the Shari made their move?”

“Yes,” responded Baasil, gesturing toward one of the large holographic tactical displays. “All of their fleets entered hyperspace within two minutes of one another. Navigation plotted their eventual destination to the coordinates our fleet was occupying. As soon as we detected their entry into hyperspace, I gave the order for the fleet to leave. I also sent messages to the Federation as well as Admiral Tolsen apprising them of our situation.”

Tureen shifted his attention to the indicated tactical display, seeing what appeared to be a number of Shari fleets inbound toward their former location. So it was actually happening. He had hoped he was wrong and the Shari would not choose the path of war.

“How long until we reach the Rylus Star Cluster?” Tureen also wondered when he would see home again. Even if they reached the cluster, they might find themselves trapped there for quite some time.

“Six days,” answered Commander Stockwell, stepping over closer to the two. “We’ll have to exit hyperspace eighteen times before we reach the cluster and then several more times in order to reach the Dyson Sphere. We’ll need to spend an hour each time we dropout to allow the drive cores to cool properly. We’ll also have to check the harmonics on the fleet’s hyperdrives periodically.”

“That’s assuming we don’t run into a Shari fleet,” said Tureen in a tired voice. He felt as if he had failed. The Human Federation of Worlds and their allies, which included the Altons, were once more going to war.

“We’ll have ample warning with our long-range sensors,” Admiral Baasil pointed out.

“What will happen once we reach the Dyson Sphere?”

Admiral Baasil stood up from his command chair and gazed around the Command Center. He knew a number of the crew was listening to the conversation. “Probably a battle,” Baasil answered grimly. “It won’t take the Shari long to figure out where we’re going.”

“I just hope the other relief fleet makes it there before we do,” Tureen commented. “Admiral Tolsen’s going to need what that fleet has with it.”

Admiral Baasil nodded. The most valuable military asset in the known galaxy was the recently discovered Dyson Sphere. Under no conditions could it be allowed to fall into Shari hands. The technology contained inside the sphere had the potential to make whoever got to it first the dominate power in the galaxy. Of course there was still a wild card in play. Admiral Baasil knew the Simulins were also hunting for the Dyson Sphere and when they found it, all hell would break loose as the Humans would say.

Chapter Two

Admiral Race Tolsen stared worriedly at one of the WarHawk’s tactical displays. The number of Shari vessels now in the outer regions of the system was steadily increasing every hour. It was obvious they were building up their forces for an attack, one which could happen at any time.

“How soon before the relief and supply fleet arrive?” Race needed those supplies and additional ships if he wanted to hold his position above the Dyson Sphere.

“Two hours,” answered Colonel Cowel as he checked some data on one of his computer screens. “I just hope the Shari don’t detect them on their way in.”

“What about Admiral Baasil and the Alton fleet?” Race was deeply concerned about the Alton fleet as Ambassador Tureen was on board the Star Avenger.

“Sixteen hours,” Cowel said as he checked some additional data.

“Any signs the Shari can detect incoming fleets?”

“No,” responded Commander Madelyn Arnett as she turned to face the admiral. “All evidence indicates their long-range sensors extend out only about twenty-five AU.”

Race nodded. At least that was some good news. “We’ll take the fleet to Condition One twenty minutes before the arrival of the relief and supply fleet. If necessary, we may have to move out from beneath the defensive grid to give the arriving ships covering fire. I want all fighters, bombers, and the defense globes ready to launch at a moment’s notice.”

“We’ll be ready,” promised Madelyn.

“Do you believe this will turn into an all out battle?” asked Cowel.

“Maybe,” Race answered as his eyes shifted to the colonel. “It depends on how many ships the Shari are willing to lose. After all, they’re still building up their fleet. I’m hoping they’re not quite ready to commit to a full-scale battle, and once Admiral Baasil arrives it might give the Shari pause in their attack plans.”

Cowel nodded and went back to his duties.

Race leaned back in his command chair and gazed at the large viewscreen on the front wall of the ship. The dark and dimly lit surface of the Dyson Sphere covered the entire screen. Both Reesa Jast and Kelnor Mard were down on the surface investigating a large structure they hoped might provide entrance to the sphere. Reesa had taken the small copper colored globe, which had served as a key to open up the doors in the Originator complex they found beneath one of the airless moons in the Rylus Cluster. The two Alton scientists were hoping the key would allow them access to the structure. Race hoped they were correct. If they couldn’t find a way into the Dyson Sphere, then this mission would be a bust and the Human Federation of Worlds would have committed a lot of fleet resources sorely needed elsewhere. If they were forced to withdraw from the Dyson Sphere, they would be trapped deep inside enemy territory and there was no guarantee they could make it back to Federation space. There was no doubt the Shari would do everything in their power to destroy the fleet.

“With all the inbound Shari traffic, the Simulins are eventually going to find us,” said Madelyn worriedly as she studied the tactical display, which was showing four more recently arrived Shari escort cruisers joining their main fleet. “We know they’ve been searching for the Dyson Sphere for quite some time.”

“If and when they find it, we’ll be facing two enemies,” Race said grim-faced. It posed a serious problem as the Simulin warships were much more powerful than those used by the Shari. In the last battle with the Simulins, the dreadnoughts Falcon and Yellen had been destroyed.

“The Shari don’t understand how big a threat the Simulins are,” Madelyn said with a deep frown. “Has that been pointed out to them in the negotiations?”

“Yes,” Race replied. “It was one of the first things Ambassador Tureen brought up. The Shari seemed indifferent to the danger.”

Madelyn turned her attention back to the main viewscreen and the Dyson Sphere. “I just hope all of this is worth it. By now the Shari have sealed their borders, and we’re effectively cut off from the Federation. We have several lines of FTL buoys that will allow us to communicate, but eventually the Shari will find the buoys and our ability to send messages back to the Federation will cease.”

Race knew they were going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place when that happened. He looked at another viewscreen showing the battlecarrier Hera. He was pleased his sister was close by, but for her own safety it might have been better if she had stayed in Federation space. He knew their parents had to be gravely concerned. Massie had told him Fleet Admiral Nagumo had promised to explain the reason for his apparent resignation to their parents. Race knew they would be greatly relieved to find out he was still in the fleet. However, they would be worried when they found out where he and Massie were.

-

On the surface of the Dyson Sphere, Reesa Jast stood in front of a massive structure that rose up over two hundred meters. It was constructed of the same wondrous alloy or metal as the sphere and was impervious to scans. Behind her Kelnor Mard, several other Alton and Human scientists, as well as ten Marines under the command of Sergeant Brenda Wilde were waiting expectantly. They had found a possible entrance into the structure and were preparing to use the key to see if it would open up a door.

“Are you sure about this?” asked Kelnor as he stepped up next to Reesa.

They were dressed in Alton environmental suits, which allowed considerable freedom of movement and were capable of protecting them from most radiation and other hazards. The Marines were dressed in a larger suit, which allowed them to carry their weapons as well as wear their body armor underneath.

“Yes,” Reesa said. They were standing in front of a smooth wall with a slight indentation at chest level. The indentation was just the right size for the key to fit into. “We’ve searched for three months, and this is the only spot we’ve found that seems to fit the key.”

Kelnor looked back at Sergeant Wilde; behind her was the exploration cutter they had used to come down to the surface. “It’s your call, Sergeant.”

Brenda let out a deep breath. Why was it always her in these situations? She well remembered the dressing down she received from Captain Abrams when she had allowed the two Altons to talk her into going deep inside the Originator complex on the airless moon. She had promised the captain to be more careful in the future.

The problem she had now was that communication between the surface of the Dyson Sphere and the orbiting warships was prohibited except in the case of an extreme emergency. They couldn’t risk the Shari intercepting any communications that might indicate an entrance to the Dyson Sphere had been found. Once again she was faced with a decision that might get her into trouble with her superior officer.

“I want to bring out the rest of my Marines as well as some emergency supplies,” Brenda said after a moment’s thought. “If you do succeed in opening up an entrance I want to be able to survive inside if we get trapped.”

“We won’t get trapped,” promised Reesa with a disapproving frown. “We’ll have the key and we can use it to get back out.”

It took only a few minutes for the rest of the platoon to exit the exploration cutter carrying the supplies Brenda wanted. They also had two small antigravity sleds, which held research instruments as well as other items that might be needed.

“Try the key,” Brenda said, satisfied they were ready. She crossed her fingers hoping she had made the right decision.

With a nod of her head, Reesa took out the small copper colored globe from the zippered pocket of her environmental suit. Without hesitation, she inserted it into the indentation and then waited expectantly for something to happen.

For several moments there was no indication the key was going to work, then it suddenly erupted in brilliant light and a section of the wall in front of them slid open, revealing a dark corridor that seemed to go deep into the structure.

“So said the spider to the fly,” muttered Brenda as she looked back toward the exploration cutter. She knew the crew inside was monitoring everything. “Corporal Metz, take your squad inside and see what you can find.”

The corporal and six Marines hesitantly entered the dark corridor. As soon as they stepped inside brilliant lights came on, illuminating the interior.

“At least the power’s still on,” commented Private Richard Trent as he held his rifle at the ready.

“I don’t see anything dangerous,” reported Corporal Metz. “The corridor seems to go on for a considerable distance, and I think I can see several doors at its end.”

They were using short-range communications, which shouldn’t be picked up by the Shari. Turning toward Kelnor and Reesa, Sergeant Wilde looked expectantly at them. “What now?” Unless there was danger, the two Altons were in charge of the exploration team.

“We go inside,” Reesa said with a tinge of excitement in her voice. “That’s why we’re here and the exploration cutter is monitoring us.” For Reesa, this was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She had spent years studying and doing research on the Originators, now she was going to get to explore one of their greatest creations.

“Lead the way,” Brenda said, cradling her assault rifle in her arms. Her platoon of Marines was heavily armed, though she doubted if any weapons would be needed. Since their arrival there had been no signs of life. If someone lived inside the Dyson Sphere, surely they would have made some type of response to the Federation fleet in orbit.

Moving cautiously forward, all the Marines and scientists entered the long corridor. Reesa hurried to the front and arrived at the other doors before anyone else. “We’re going to need the key to go any further,” she reported as she saw the small indentations indicating where the key needed to go. Turning around, she marched back to the entrance and, reaching her hand outside, she grasped the key and pulled it out. Stepping back inside, she had only gone a few feet when the entrance door slid back shut, sealing them in.

“Well, that’s not good,” said Sergeant Wilde, stepping over to the now missing entrance and running her gloved hand over the smooth metal.

“Don’t worry, we can use the key to get back out,” spoke Reesa confidently.

“Really?” Brenda said in a sarcastic voice. “And just where are you going to put the key?”

Reesa looked around the former entrance and her face turned pale. There wasn’t a slot for the key! The entire wall was smooth. “I don’t know,” she stammered. “There should be a slot for the key on this side but I don’t see it.”

“Crap!” muttered Brenda in exasperation. Once more, she had allowed the Altons to get her into a mess. She could already hear the lecture from Captain Abrams. “So what do we do now?” she asked, turning toward Reesa.

Reesa was silent for a long moment and then replied. “The two doors at the end of the corridor have slots for the key. I suggest we open them and see what we find. There has to be a way back out somewhere, we just need to find it.”

Brenda nodded. She didn’t see they had any other choice. They had finally found a way into the Dyson Sphere. The only problem was, they had the only key that could open the door, and no one outside had one. “Lead the way.”

Reesa quickly turned and headed for the two doors. They had finally gotten inside but unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a way back out. Now she felt responsible for the safety of the group. She had to find a way to get them safely back to the exploration cutter. What greatly concerned her was that it had taken over three months to find this entrance. What if it took that long to find way back out?

-

Above the Dyson Sphere, warning alarms were blaring on the WarHawk’s sensor console.

“Relief and supply fleet is exiting hyperspace,” reported Captain Davis as numerous friendly green icons began appearing on his sensor screens.

“Distance?” Race was concerned they might be too far out and would be subject to attack from the Shari.

“Two hundred million kilometers,” replied Davis.

“Damn, that’s a long way out,” muttered Commander Arnett as she peered sharply at the tactical display. “The Shari are bound to respond to their appearance.”

Race agreed. “It’s the Dyson Sphere; the thing’s so large the gravity well extends far out into the system. Even our hyperdrives could be damaged if we entered hyperspace too close to it.”

“I have Admiral Stoddard on the comm,” Captain Denise Travers reported. “He wants to know what his orders are.”

“How near the Dyson Sphere can they jump?”

“Twenty million kilometers and that will be putting considerable stress on their hyperdrive systems,” Colonel Cowel answered. “Some of those cargo ships’ drives aren’t full military grade.”

“We’re detecting some movement from the Shari fleet,” warned Captain Davis. “They may be preparing to enter hyperspace.”

Race looked at one of the tactical displays showing the Shari fleet. A number of ships seemed to be forming up into an attack formation. He wasn’t surprised; he had expected them to react to the appearance of the relief and supply fleet.

“Order Admiral Stoddard to perform a microjump immediately, we’ll be going out to meet him.”

“Fleet is at Condition One and ready for your orders, Admiral,” reported Commander Arnett.

“Weapons are online and energy shield is at 98 percent,” added Colonel Cowel. “The WarHawk is ready for combat.”

“Move us out, formation Alpha-three.” Race leaned back in his command chair. He needed the ships of that relief fleet intact, and he knew the Shari were going to do everything in their power to try to deny him that.

-

High Lord Aktill watched as his flagship prepared to make the jump into hyperspace. In front of the Judgment of Dawn, a swirling vortex appeared. He planned on jumping the fleet into an englobement formation around the new Federation force. He would destroy it and then hold that position, which was much nearer the Dyson Sphere than he currently was.

“Federation fleet is entering hyperspace,” reported Lower Lord Samarth.

Aktill took notice, seeing that his quarry was escaping. “As soon as the fleet exits the spatial vortexes, plot their hyperspace exit point and we’ll jump immediately to its location. We have the ships to destroy them, and I fully intend to do so.”

He was tired of allowing the Humans and their allies to demonstrate their superiority. Every battle he had fought against them had ended in disaster. He had one hundred and sixty battlecruisers and two hundred and fourteen support cruisers at his disposal. That should be sufficient to extract the destruction he planned on delivering to the enemy fleet.

-

Two hundred million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere, Admiral Stoddard quickly took his relief and supply fleet into hyperspace. Blue-white swirling vortexes formed in front of his ships and they quickly fled into them, heading closer to the Dyson Sphere. Even as the last ship entered the safety of its vortex, more vortexes began forming and Shari battlecruisers and support cruisers flew out seeking to destroy any stragglers from the Human fleet.

Near the Dyson Sphere, Admiral Tolsen led his fleet out past the defense grid and quickly accelerated, hoping to reach the support and supply ships ahead of the Shari. In his fleet he had the heavy dreadnought WarHawk, eighteen other smaller dreadnoughts, one hundred and twenty Alton battleships, forty-four Human battleships, ten battlecarriers, one hundred and nine battlecruisers, and two hundred and twenty-two strikecruisers. It was a truly powerful fleet, but due to the situation they were in Tolsen couldn’t afford to take heavy losses. Every ship he lost was irreplaceable.

-

Race shifted his gaze to the nearby tactical display, noting Admiral Stoddard’s fleet was beginning to exit hyperspace. At his fleet’s current speed, it would take nearly twenty minutes to reach the relief fleet. Race knew a lot could happen in that amount of time. In twenty minutes the entire relief fleet could be destroyed.

“Vice Admiral Tolsen reports all of her fighters and bombers are prepped and ready to be deployed,” Commander Arnett reported. “She’s armed the bombers for a shipping strike.”

“Shari fleet has exited hyperspace,” reported Captain Davis, and then a minute later he turned toward the admiral. “I’m detecting energy spikes.”

Race knew the supply fleet couldn’t withstand an attack from so many Shari vessels. Admiral Stoddard’s fleet would be wiped out before his ships could reach them. Even as he watched, he saw the relief fleet form up into a defensive formation and begin accelerating toward the Dyson Sphere and safety.

“They’re not going to make it,” Colonel Cowel pointed out as he checked some data on a computer screen. “The Shari will catch them and Admiral Stoddard doesn’t have the warships to hold them off.”

“They’re going to make it,” Race replied in a determined voice. “We can take the WarHawk and the other dreadnoughts and jump to Admiral Stoddard’s position. Our hyperdrives should survive the strain of jumping inside the gravity well of the Dyson Sphere.”

Commander Arnett looked in surprise at Admiral Tolsen. “Maybe,” she said with a trace of doubt in her voice. “We’ve never tried a jump like that before in such a highly stressed region of space as the gravity well created by the Dyson Sphere. We don’t know what effect it could have on the hyperdrives.”

Race shifted his eyes over toward Madelyn. She was a trusted officer and friend and he took her words seriously. “If we don’t, the relief fleet will be destroyed. We’re their only chance.”

Madelyn nodded, accepting they had to do this. “The defense globes are ready to deploy as well as our fighters and bombers.” The WarHawk had eighty fighters and forty bombers on board. The other smaller dreadnoughts contained similar numbers of the small attack craft.

“Then let’s do this; I’ll send word to Massie and Admiral Lankell they have command of the fleet.”

-

Admiral Stoddard was working quickly to get his fleet into a defensive formation while at the same time increasing their speed toward the Dyson Sphere. At any moment, he expected to see Shari spatial vortexes forming around his fleeing fleet. He had two battleships, four battlecarriers, ten battlecruisers, and twenty-six strike cruisers to defend the four fleet repair ships as well as the forty valuable supply ships at the heart of his formation. He knew from the size of the Shari fleet the sensors had detected it wasn’t going to be enough.

“Vortexes detected,” reported Lieutenant Brier as alarms sounded on his sensor console. “We have Shari battlecruisers exiting hyperspace around and behind our fleet formation.”

Stoddard nodded his acceptance of the report. Pressing his ship-to-ship minicomm, he contacted Commander Shayla Bream on the battlecarrier Concordia. “Shayla, I’m going to need all of your fighters and bombers if we hope to get out of this.”

“I understand, Admiral,” Shayla answered. “You do realize at the speed we’re traveling it will make recovering any of them highly unlikely.”

“I know,” answered Stoddard, feeling a knot form in the pit of his stomach. This would be the first time he had sent people on a mission knowing there was no chance of their returning. “We’re about to be heavily outnumbered, and those fighters and bombers may be the only hope we have of getting at least some of the fleet safely to the Dyson Sphere and Admiral Tolsen.”

Shayla was quiet for a long moment before replying. “They’re good pilots; they’ll buy the time those supply ships need.”

-

High Lord Aktill felt elated as his ship’s systems stabilized and the tactical and viewscreens came on. He had the enemy fleet right where he wanted them.

“They’re launching their small attack craft,” warned Lower Lord Samarth.

“Our point defense will take care of them,” Aktill replied dismissively. “Concentrate our fire on the ships protecting those supply vessels. If we can deny the fleet at the Dyson Sphere supplies, they’ll eventually have to leave.”

“That fleet’s coming out toward us,” Samarth said as he quickly pointed to a tactical screen showing the enemy fleet at the Dyson Sphere breaking orbit and accelerating outward. They’ll be here shortly.”

“It will not matter,” answered Aktill as he gazed at the red threat icons his ships had englobed. “By the time they arrive, we’ll have destroyed this fleet. This battle is ours.”

“High Lord, I’m detecting an energy surge from some of the ships leaving the sphere,” reported the Shari officer in front of the sensor console. “They’re opening up a number of spatial vortexes.”

“How?” asked Samarth in disbelief. “They’re too near the Dyson Sphere’s gravity well, they’ll be destroyed!”

“I don’t know how!” Aktill said loudly as his eyes focused on the indicated sensor screen. “I want all ships to concentrate their weapons fire on those ships nearest us. We must destroy them!” Once again, the enemy were showing their superiority. A Shari ship would be destroyed or at the minimum severely damaged if it tried to enter hyperspace so near the Dyson Sphere.

-

In space, weapons fire suddenly erupted from the Shari warships. Missile hatches slid open on the Shari battlecruisers and escort cruisers. Blue energy beams flashed out toward the Federation ships, striking their energy screens. Then twenty-megaton sublight nuclear missiles were launched. Across the Federation fleet, bright flashes of light swept across the formation as nuclear fire was released.

The battlecruiser Kasen was bracketed by a large number of nuclear missiles as well as hundreds of energy beams. Her energy shield radiated higher and higher until small holes began to appear. Several energy beams penetrated and the aft section of the ship exploded, sending debris flying away from the vessel. The Kasen was firing every weapon at its disposal but couldn’t leave its position lest the supply ships be targeted. Damage control teams rushed to the damaged area only to find the hull had been compromised so badly that everyone inside the aft section were already dead. Numerous compartments were open to the hard vacuum of space. The ship was shuddering violently and the lights were flickering. Alarms and klaxons were sounding warning of violent decompression in multiple areas of the vessel.

Then a twenty-megaton nuclear missile slammed into the damaged section, penetrating to the engine compartment. In a massive blast, the Kasen vanished as nuclear fire consumed the metal and crew of the ship.

-

“Battlecruiser Kasen is down,” reported Lieutenant Brier.

“Other ships are reporting damage,” added the communications officer.

Admiral Stoddard took a deep breath. On one of the viewscreens, he could see a number of the ships of his fleet under heavy attack. Powerful nuclear explosions were striking the energy screens as well as hundreds of Shari energy beams. In a one on one matchup, he could destroy any ship of the attacking Shari fleet, but his ships were outnumbered nearly ten to one.

“Battlecarriers are launching their fighters and bombers.” On Brier’s sensor screens, hundreds of small icons began to appear.

A brilliant flash of light suddenly caused one of the viewscreens to dim. When it returned to normal, a small glowing debris field was visible.

“Strikecruiser Jaden is down,” reported Lieutenant Brier in a strained voice.

“Battlecruiser Ajax is reporting a loss of power,” added the communications officer. “Their engine compartment suffered a direct hit from a pair of Shari energy beams. Commander Siler is reporting the damage is too severe to repair.”

“Have them move to the center of our formation,” ordered Stoddard, seeing his fleet die around him. He felt powerless to prevent the carnage the Shari were inflicting.

On one of the viewscreens, a battlecruiser was visible. A bright explosion suddenly struck the ship’s bow, and when the light died away, a good three hundred meters of the ship was missing. Shari energy beams began striking the ship, carving deep glowing holes in the hull of the vessel. Admiral Stoddard didn’t have to ask to know this was the Ajax. Two massive explosions suddenly shook the battlecruiser as nuclear fire swept through the vessel. In moments, a glowing fireball was all that remained of the battlecruiser.

“The Ajax is down,” reported Brier.

Admiral Stoddard shook his head. He had known Commander Siler since their days together at the Fleet Academy. He had a wife and teenaged daughter back at New Tellus.

-

High Lord Aktill felt gratified as the Human ships died. Even as he watched one of the viewscreens in his Command Center, he saw two of the Human supply ships vanish from the tactical screen as they were blown apart. The ships had been struck by several sublight nuclear missiles and a multitude of Shari energy beams. As the screening warships were slowly being eliminated, it was allowing the Shari fleet to target the supply ships at the center of the steadily weakening formation.

“Spatial vortexes forming,” warned the Shari officer at the sensor console. “It’s the ships from the Dyson Sphere.”

Shifting his gaze to another viewscreen, Aktill saw a swirling blue-white vortex form and one of the enemy’s monster ships emerge. Within seconds of emerging, the ship’s weapons fired and its missile tubes began launching.

Aktill flinched as he saw several of his battlecruisers vanish under the powerful attack of the massive vessel. The ships were obliterated in enormous releases of uncontrolled energy.

“Those warheads are fifty to one hundred megatons,” reported Lower Lord Samarth, his face turning pale. “A hit from just several of those warheads will take our shields down. Our sensors are indicating the larger explosions are from antimatter.”

Aktill frowned. He had known the Humans and the Altons had antimatter warheads in some of their missiles. The Shari were conducting research on antimatter, but the scientists involved were still years from producing a viable warhead.

More vortexes opened and eighteen more ships emerged. While these were not quite as large as the first one, they were quite deadly as well. Aktill knew the battle had just changed significantly. “All weapons, continuous fire; we must destroy as many of those support vessels as possible!” He knew that his time was now severely limited before he would be forced to withdraw.

-

“Deploy defense globes,” Race ordered as he saw his other ships had arrived. “Launch fighters and bombers.” He watched as the Command Center came alive with intense activity as the crew prepared for battle.

“All batteries, continue to fire. Target that lead Shari ship,” ordered Commander Arnett.

“Firing power beams,” reported Major Johnathan Daniels as his fingers touched several icons on a screen in front of him.

On one of the viewscreens, the four violet colored beams of energy smashed into the energy shield of a Shari battlecruiser.

“Firing particle beam cannons,” Daniels reported evenly as four bright blue beams speared the Shari vessel.

The particle beams penetrated the battlecruiser’s energy screen and struck the vessel’s hull. Four titanic explosions resulted and when the carnage died down, the enemy vessel was in a hundred pieces.

“Shari battlecruiser is down,” reported Captain Davis.

“All ships have deployed their defense globes,” Colonel Cowel informed the admiral. “Globes are closing on the Shari vessels.”

The defense globes were ten meters in diameter and contained an ion cannon capable of tearing holes in an enemy ship’s defensive energy screen. From the nineteen dreadnoughts, over one thousand of the small and deadly globes had been launched. It was time to teach the Shari a lesson in humility.

“Let’s punch a hole for Admiral Stoddard’s fleet,” Race said as he leaned forward, his hands clenching the armrests of his command chair.

On the large viewscreen, a fifty-megaton Devastator Three missile crashed into the stern of a Shari support cruiser and the ship vanished in a fiery explosion.

“All ships form up on the WarHawk,” Race ordered over his minicomm, which was set for ship-to-ship communications. “Wedge formation A-3.” Race didn’t intend to allow the Shari to bring the battle to him, he intended to take his ships right down their throat and send them to oblivion.

-

The eighteen dreadnoughts led by the battle dreadnought WarHawk formed a tight formation and advanced toward the heart of the Shari fleet.

Particle beam fire from the dreadnoughts slammed into the main part of a Shari warship, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. An antimatter sublight missile arrived and the one hundred-megaton explosion incinerated the ship in a bright and deadly fireball.

-

The WarHawk shuddered slightly as three twenty-megaton nuclear missiles exploded against the ship’s powerful energy shield.

“No damage,” Colonel Cowel reported. “Those nuclear missiles don’t have the power to penetrate our screen.”

“Those energy weapons do, if they can hit us with enough,” warned Commander Arnett.

“Defense globes are in range,” reported Major Daniels from Tactical. “Ion beams are engaging.”

“Our fighters and bombers are going in,” Commander Arnett informed the admiral. “They’ve joined up with Admiral Stoddard’s and will be going in together.”

“Have them target ships where the ion beams have disrupted Shari energy shields,” Race ordered. The Anlon bombers were each carrying two twenty-megaton Shrike combat missiles.

On the big viewscreen, one of Admiral Stoddard’s battlecarriers suddenly appeared. The ship was under heavy attack from a number of Shari battlecruisers. Nuclear explosions were covering the energy shield and numerous energy beams were seeking a weak spot. The battlecarrier suddenly took a massive hit to her bow, losing most of her heavy weapons. She quickly turned broadside and opened up with her remaining power beams and energy weapons, firing upon the attacking Shari ships, seeking to destroy her tormenters.

“That’s the battlecarrier, Sherman,” reported Colonel Cowel as he listened to the battle reports coming in over his minicomm. “She’s suffered heavy damage and her commander is trying to evacuate as many people as he can in the ship’s shuttles.” Even as he spoke, a massive white light suddenly flashed across the viewscreen and when it died down, all that remained of the Sherman were some glowing wisps of ionized gas and glowing debris.

“The Sherman is down,” reported Major Daniels in a shaken voice. “None of their shuttles made it off the ship.”

“All ships, ion beams are firing, target any Shari ships with weakened or damaged energy shields, give our fighter and bombers as much covering fire as possible,” ordered Race, knowing good people were dying. He wanted this battle over as quickly as possible.

-

Admiral Stoddard watched in incredulity as the WarHawk and her sister dreadnoughts charged toward the heaviest concentration of Shari warships. Already the inbound fire on his fleet was lessening.

“All ships, continue on course toward the Dyson Sphere.” Looking at the viewscreen, he couldn’t believe the size of the battle dreadnought WarHawk. He had heard how big the Alton built dreadnoughts were, but seeing them in action was another thing altogether. He winced as he saw another supply ship explode. The Shari had hurt his fleet but now, thanks to Admiral Tolsen, the survivors should be able to make it to the safety of the incoming Federation Fleet less than twelve minutes away.

-

High Lord Aktill gripped his command console as the Judgment of Dawn was struck by intense weapons fire. A number of lights on the damage control console turned amber and red.

“Ion beams,” warned Lower Lord Samarth. “They’re tearing holes in our energy screens.”

“Target those globes!” ordered Aktill in a shrill voice as he saw numerous Shari ships on the tactical screen begin to disappear as they were annihilated by the deadly missiles and energy beams the monster Human ships were deploying.

More Human weapons were penetrating the shield, rattling the ship with each hit. More lights on the damage control console turned a glaring and threatening red. High Lord Aktill blinked his eyes and looked around, taking stock of the situation. He could probably destroy or at least damage most of the attacking Humans ships, but it would cost him the majority of his fleet.

“Their small attack craft are launching missiles,” reported Lower Lord Samarth. “We have many ships reporting their energy shields have been compromised.”

The Judgment of Dawn shook violently and emergency klaxons began blaring.

“We have multiple breaches along the forward hull, we’re venting atmosphere,” the damage control officer reported.

“Energy shield is down to 30 percent,” added Samarth with deep concern in his eyes. “We must withdraw!”

Aktill slammed his hand down on the command console in front of him ignoring the pain. “Withdraw,” he grated out in anger and frustration. “Order all ships to enter hyperspace and rendezvous at the fallback coordinates. This battle with the Humans and their allies isn’t over. Once we have sufficient ships, we’ll resume the attack and overwhelm them. We will achieve victory!”

-

In space, the Shari fleet began to break off contact and turn away. In just a matter of a few moments, spatial vortexes began to open as the Shari ships began jumping away from the battle.

-

“Shari fleet is withdrawing,” reported Captain Davis with obvious relief in his voice.

“All dreadnoughts are reporting minimal battle damage,” added Colonel Cowel. “We got off lucky.”

Race allowed himself to relax. He knew the Shari had managed to heavily damage the relief and supply fleet. From the reports he had received, he knew Admiral Stoddard had lost three battlecruisers, one battlecarrier, four strikecruisers, and six supply ships. Race knew that if he hadn’t arrived when he did, the losses would have been much heavier.

“We lost eighty-seven of the defense globes, sixteen Talon fighters, and twenty-three Anlon bombers,” Colonel Cowel reported. “That includes the ones from Admiral Stoddard’s battlecarriers as well.”

“Communications, have Admiral Stoddard’s battlecarriers return to pick up their small craft. We’ll stay here and provide cover while landing operations are being conducted.” Race was confident the Shari fleet wouldn’t return, not after the losses it had suffered.

The battle had gone better than expected. It was still obvious the Shari hadn’t come up with a battle plan to deal with the dreadnoughts. That was fine with Race. Right now, they were the biggest ace he had. Once they were back at the Dyson Sphere, he wanted to find out what was going on with the mission to the surface and if Reesa and Kelnor had been successful gaining entry. He was also looking forward to the arrival of Alton Fleet Admiral Baasil and his fleet. With the additional Alton warships, he knew he had a more than decent chance of being able to defeat any attempt by the Shari to drive his forces away from the Dyson Sphere.

-

An hour later, the fleet was back in orbit around the megastructure. The supply ships of the relief fleet had originally contained sixty Type Two battlestations. Unfortunately, two of the large supply ships had been destroyed, leaving only forty battlestations which could be deployed. However, even forty would make a significant increase in their defensive and offensive capability.

“The exploration cutter has returned,” reported Colonel Cowel, turning to face the admiral.

Race shifted his gaze over to Cowel. “So did Reesa and Kelnor find a way in?” Race was intensely curious to find out if they had finally managed to enter the Dyson Sphere.

“Yes, they did,” answered Cowel, with a strange look on his face.

“Why do I feel there’s a but in what you’re getting ready to say?” Race was concerned, as he knew at times Reesa could be a little reckless. She was unusually high-spirited for an Alton.

Colonel Cowel took a deep breath and then continued speaking. “Reesa managed to use the key to get a door to open in the structure. Sergeant Wilde then had the other Marines in the cutter come out with a large amount of supplies and they all entered the structure together. Everything was being observed on the cutter and records were made. After entering the structure, Reesa was seen to reappear at the entrance, remove the key, and then vanish back inside. Almost as soon as the key was removed, the entrance closed and there has been no contact with the research team or Sergeant Wilde since then.”

Race took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. He knew Major Nolan and Captain Abrams wouldn’t be happy to learn Sergeant Wilde and the scientists were missing. “Send the exploration cutter back down. I want Captain Abrams and at least one squad of Marines to go along. The cutter is to stay on location until I send down another shuttle relieving them.” The exploration cutter was large enough that it could stay down on the surface for weeks if necessary.

“Yes, sir,” Cowel answered as he turned away to carry out the orders.

“At least they’re inside,” Race said, leaning back in his command chair and wondering just what was going on within the sphere. He wished they had communication with the exploration team.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Madelyn said. “Reesa has the other scientists with her as well as Sergeant Wilde.”

Race just hoped Madelyn was right. What concerned him was that Reesa had the only key, and there was no way for them to find out what had happened until the research team reappeared. At least they had a full platoon of Marines as well as their supplies with them. All they could do was wait.

Looking over at a counter on one of the tactical displays, Race saw it would be another twelve hours before Admiral Baasil arrived. Shifting his gaze to the big viewscreen showing the Dyson Sphere, Race wondered what Ambassador Tureen would think of all of this.

-

Reesa Jast let out an exasperated breath. The corridor they had been following had led them to another dead end. Once more, they had come up against a metallic wall with no evidence of a slot for the key.

She turned and looked at Kelnor. “What now?”

“There was a junction a ways back,” he said. “I suggest we return to it and try another corridor.”

It took them awhile to retrace their steps and then proceed along another well-lighted corridor. After walking for several hours, they came to another seemingly sealed wall, only this one had an indentation for the key.

“Why is everything in here so clean?” asked Sergeant Wilde as she looked around. “This place looks as if it was built yesterday. And have you noticed, not a single light in the ceiling is burned out.”

Kelnor paused and slowly nodded. “The material this place is constructed of is far beyond anything our science has to offer. There may also be some type of automated repair system operating.”

“Do we use the key?” asked Reesa, taking it out of her pocket.

Kelnor looked toward Brenda for her approval.

The sergeant slowly nodded her head. “I don’t think we have any choice. This is the first place we’ve come across in a while that has an access point for the key. I think we have to use it so we can find out what’s on the other side of this wall.”

Reesa slowly approached the key slot and with trepidation, gently put the key in place. With an eerie silence the wall slid open, revealing a large lighted chamber. Stepping inside, she stared around in wonder as the others cautiously followed her. Once everyone was inside, Reesa turned around to retrieve the key only to find it now rested in a slot on this side of the wall. Without hesitation, she reached out and removed it. The wall instantly sealed back up but at least this time the key slot remained.

Turning back around, she began examining the large chamber. “What is this place?”

“A transportation center,” Brenda said as she walked over to stand on a platform where some obvious transit cars were waiting. “I’ve seen something like this in New York City. The subways there still run, though they’ve been highly updated.”

Kelnor walked over to the front car and looked inside. “There’s a slot for the key inside,” he reported.

Reesa and the rest walked over. “This might take us to the inside of the Dyson Sphere.”

“That’s what we came for,” Brenda said. Perhaps if they managed to actually find a way inside, Captain Abrams and Major Nolan would let her off with only a mild dressing down. By now, they must know the exploration team was missing.

“Then we all enter the car and try the key?” asked Kelnor. “There’s no way to tell where this car will take us and it’s large enough to hold all of us and the supplies.’

“Why the hell not?” said Corporal Metz, standing there cradling his assault rifle in his arms. “Maybe we’ll find someone living inside the sphere. We’ve come this far, we might as well go on.”

“God, I hope we don’t find anyone,” spoke Private Richard Trent with a frown. “Whoever built this place would look at us as if we’re insects.”

“The Originators were a peaceful race,” Kelnor said in mild reproach. “If we were to find any of them still living inside, I don’t believe we would be in any danger.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone home,” Melvin Blair commented. Melvin was a Human scientist well versed in the study of alien civilizations. “I believe we would have found some evidence by now if anyone was around.”

“I agree,” added Maalon Delz one of the other Alton scientists. “If the Dyson Sphere was inhabited, I believe we would have been contacted by now.”

“Then let’s go,” Brenda said as she stepped inside the transit car. “I want everyone in the same car and we’ll see what happens.”

It didn’t take long and everyone was inside. It was a tight fit with all the supplies they were carrying. It was instantly obvious the seats in the car were designed for a race much taller than the Humans or even the Altons.

“These Originators must have been giants,” commented Corporal Metz. His feet just barely touched the floor. He looked small sitting in one of the large seats.

“All signs indicate they were a large race,” Kelnor responded as he sat down. Being taller than the Humans, the cushioned seat felt more comfortable to him.

“Ready?” asked Reesa as she took the key out of her pocket once more.

Brenda took a deep breath. “We’re as ready as we’re going to be. Let’s do this.”

With a nod, Reesa slowly inserted the key. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but then the door slowly slid shut and the car began moving forward. Reesa was a little nervous. She knew the inner surface of the Dyson Sphere was easily the equivalent of over two million planets the size of Earth. She had no idea where the transit car might be taking them, but it would be very easy to become hopelessly lost in something with an interior area as large as the Dyson Sphere.

For long minutes, the car moved along a wide and brightly lit tunnel. Several times they approached large hatches, which slid open as the car approached and then sealed back shut once they passed. Finally, the car began to slow and then it came to a stop. They had arrived at a transit platform very similar to the one they had just left.

“What now?” asked Brenda as she grasped her assault rifle.

“There seems to be a key slot on that far wall,” Kelnor said pointing.

The group quickly left the car and made their way to the indicated wall.

Taking a deep breath, Reesa inserted the key and waited.

The wall slid open, revealing another tunnel.

“Here we go again,” muttered Private Trent. “This place is a maze. I don’t think we’ll ever find our way out.”

“Do we go down the corridor?” asked Reesa, glancing over at Sergeant Wilde.

It was a relief the sergeant didn’t seem to have a problem with making decisions. Reesa didn’t want the responsibility as so many lives were at stake. Private Trent’s words worried her. If they couldn’t find a way to the inner surface or back out, they could all very well die down here in these endless corridors.

“Yes,” Brenda answered without hesitation. “If we go back into the car it will probably just take us back to where we just left. I think we at least need to find out where this corridor leads.”

Nodding her head, she stepped inside and Reesa saw, as in the last transit station, that her key was now on this side of the opening. She waited until everyone was in the corridor and then retrieved the key; she saw the opening seal back shut.

“Let’s go,” suggested Kelnor. “One of these corridors has to lead somewhere.”

“I hope so,” Corporal Metz muttered. “I could really use some chow.”

“You’re always hungry,” commented Private Sandra Carton.

“We’ll take a break shortly,” Brenda said. She was beginning to feel hunger pains as well. They had plenty of dehydrated rations with them. So food for the time being wasn’t going to be a problem though water at some point would be.

It didn’t take them long to reach the end of the corridor. With relief, Reesa saw there was another indentation for her key. Placing it inside, she waited and then a large section of the wall slid open. She stepped back as brilliant sunlight struck her.

“We’re inside,” spoke Private Anastasia Malone in wonder. “I can see the sun.”

Slowly everyone emerged. They seemed to be in a long valley covered in bright green grass with a few trees and shrubs. There was even a small stream running down its center.

However, what held everyone’s attention was what was at the far end of the valley. It was a city. A city of soaring towers and slim buildings that reached thousands of meters into the air.

“It’s beautiful,” spoke Private Sandra Carton, gazing at the city in amazement.

“A city of the Originators,” said Reesa, her eyes glowing with excitement and her heart beating wildly.

“A dead city,” commented Maalon Delz, shaking his head. “I doubt if anyone lives there.”

Brenda raised her assault rifle and gazed through the scope. Slowly she put it back down and looked at the others. Her voice quivered as she spoke. “It’s not a dead city, I could see movement.”

Everyone became quiet as they looked toward the marvelous city at the end of the valley. Brenda’s startling announcement had shaken them all. They were inside the Dyson Sphere but they weren’t alone.

Chapter Three

Kelsey and Katie stood atop the large hill, which overlooked the Fleet Academy on Gaia. They gazed sadly at the names on the dark gray granite obelisk, feeling the pain of their loss. At the top of the obelisk was an engraved picture of Clarissa in her dress blue uniform without insignia, a slight smile on her face. Below her name and image were that of Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes and the other officers of the Distant Horizon.

“I miss her so much,” Katie said with tears in her eyes. “I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

“Admiral Barnes and all the others too,” added Kelsey, feeling the same grief as Katie. “They destroyed the Dyson Sphere and because of their sacrifice our home here on Gaia is safe from the Simulins.”

“There’s still a lot of Simulins out there,” Katie carefully pointed out as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Remember all of those Simulin inhabited worlds we came across when the Distant Horizon first came to the Triangulum Galaxy?”

Kelsey nodded. That was a voyage she would never forget. At the end, they had found Jeremy and the lost fleets. “At least they can’t bring reinforcements through the Dyson Sphere anymore. Andram said the explosion of the blue-giant star and what it’s doing to the dark matter nebula makes the establishment of an intergalactic vortex in this galaxy nearly impossible.”

“Ariel claims the nebula will eventually collapse in on itself and become a black hole.” Katie let out a deep breath. She had spent a lot of time speaking to Ariel as the surviving AI had taken Clarissa’s death very hard.

Kelsey’s eyes strayed back to the picture of Clarissa on the obelisk. Her blue eyes, blonde hair, and gentle smile were so reminiscent of how popular she had been with the crew of the Distant Horizon. Clarissa had become a good and close friend; even now in death, she seemed more Human. Kelsey allowed a slight smile to cross her face as she recalled how the beautiful AI had enjoyed flirting with the male crewmembers on the ship. Several times Clarissa had been caught by Katie adjusting her holographic figure to make it more alluring to the men on the exploration dreadnought.

“We’d better get back,” Katie said as she turned away from the obelisk and gazed out at the academy. “Ariel wants to brief us on her progress with the Originator ship and Kazak.” Kazak was the Originator AI on board the five-thousand-meter warship Dominator in orbit around Gaia.

“At least Kazak is speaking to Ariel,” Kelsey said as they began walking down the broad steps leading to the large parade ground below them. “When Kazak first learned of the loss of the Distant Horizon and Clarissa, he didn’t speak for weeks. Jeremy was concerned the AI might not respond to us at all without Clarissa.”

“Clarissa was his friend,” Katie answered simply. “Just like Clarissa and Ariel were close friends, Kazak and Clarissa had begun to form the same type of bond.”

-

Inside her office, Rear Admiral Susan Marks was watching the two at the obelisk via the viewscreen on the front wall of her office. She didn’t consider it spying; it was part of her duty to keep an eye on any of the Special Five when they were at the academy. With a sigh, she turned her attention away from the viewscreen and began sorting through some of the many reports on her desk. Since taking over the Fleet Academy, she had done everything in her power to model it after the one on Earth’s moon. Standards had been set very high and she’d been careful to choose only the best-qualified instructors. Many of the science classes were taught by Altons, and even Ariel was teaching a class.

They didn’t have the population base the Human Federation of Worlds did, but they did have one advantage. Nearly every person who had come to Gaia was in either the Fleet or a colonist. Fortunately, that gave the academy a very brilliant group of young people to pull from. Currently, the academy had Humans, Altons, and Carethians enrolled as students. There was no doubt in Susan’s mind she would be able to provide the future warships of Gaia with some very qualified officers.

Looking back up at the viewscreen, she saw Katie and Kelsey had made it to the bottom of the stairs, stairs she made a habit of climbing once per week. The obelisk and the two walls next to it contained the names of every member of the military who had given their lives in the protection of Gaia. Susan was determined the academy would always honor those who had fallen.

-

Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong was standing in the Command Center of the battleship Avenger. The Avenger was the flagship of the fleet and currently in geosynchronous orbit above Gaia near the Clan Protector and the Originator ship, Dominator. The Clan Protector was the massive shipyard under the command of Daelthon, a Carethian. The Clan Protector at one time had been a mobile shipyard, but since arriving at Gaia had been tremendously expanded.

The former mobile shipyard was now nearly three kilometers in length, four kilometers wide and two kilometers thick. It contained eight construction bays and six repair bays, which could handle any of the fleet’s ships. The massive structure was also heavily armed and protected by a powerful energy shield. There were power beam emplacements as well as the more powerful and deadly particle beam cannons. Dozens of dual energy turrets dotted the hull, ready to lay down a labyrinth of defensive fire if needed. Securely closed hatches hid 50-megaton Devastator Three missiles as well as the more deadly 100-megaton antimatter missiles, all with sublight engines. A recent addition were the six massive ion beam cannons, which could strip the energy shield of an attacking ship, leaving the hull vulnerable to attack. The shipyard was now a virtual fortress.

Even as Jeremy watched, a full squadron of Talon fighters exited one of the shipyard’s flight bays and accelerated outward to assume patrol duty.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” commented Admiral Jackson. “I never would have believed the Clan Protector could become something like this.”

“Daelthon has done his clan proud,” boomed Grayseth the massive Carethian, who was standing next to Jackson. Grayseth easily towered over the admiral.

“Yes, he has shown much honor in what he’s done for us,” answered Jeremy, nodding at the large Bear. Jeremy turned to look at Admiral Jackson. “Have you been out to Borton recently to see the AI shipyards?”

“No,” Jackson replied with a deep frown. “I’m still not used to seeing so many AI ships around. I don’t know if I ever will.”

Jeremy nodded. It was a difficult thing for many of the Humans and Carethians in the fleet to accept that the AIs were now on their side. It had been easier for the Altons to accept as they had created the AIs thousands of years in the past.

“The new shipyards are finished and already ship construction has begun.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Jeremy continued to address Admiral Jackson. “I want to send a fleet out to the Ornellian Empire and see if there are any survivors. I would like to put you in command of that force.”

Jackson looked at Jeremy in surprise. “That’s a long way out; why there?”

“It’s away from the inhabited Simulin worlds,” Jeremy answered. “If we can find enough survivors perhaps we can build a base to help some of the other civilizations in that sector of this galaxy. Even though we destroyed the Dyson Sphere, there are still a lot of Simulins around. We can’t defeat them alone. Also, Rear Admiral Barnes promised them we would return someday. I would like to honor that promise.”

“What kind of fleet would I be taking?”

“A pretty large one,” Jeremy replied as he reached forward and touched an icon on his control console. Instantly one of the new AI warspheres appeared. The ship was one thousand meters in diameter and very heavily armed. It was also entirely crewed by AIs though the ship did have quarters for Human officers.

“AIs,” muttered Jackson, his eyes widening.

“Admiral Bachal will be going along as well.” Bachal had been on the original exploration mission with Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes when the Ornellian Empire had first been discovered. It was also during that mission they had found the Originator ship, Dominator.

Jackson took a deep breath and slowly nodded his head. “When do we leave?” The mission would be easier with Admiral Bachal going along; the Altons were used to dealing with the AIs.

“In about ten days. That will give us time to get everything organized.”

“You mentioned earlier that you had a mission for my fleet,” Grayseth spoke in his normally loud and bearish voice.

Jeremy turned toward his long time friend. “Yes, a research mission to NGC 604. There will be several of the Alton science ships going. Andram is concerned about the affects of the nova that destroyed the Dyson Sphere on the dark matter and the surrounding stars.”

“What’s he worried about?” asked Jackson, cocking his eyebrow.

“Some of the Alton scientists are afraid the blast wave from the nova may cause other stars in the region to suffer a similar fate. There are over two hundred blue-giant stars in the nebula. Don’t forget the area is full of H-II regions of ionized hydrogen. The entire nebula is full of radiation being pumped out from the numerous young stars and what we did by destroying the Dyson Sphere has only enhanced that.”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed sharply. “So the Altons are afraid the entire nebula may go nova?” Jackson had never heard of such a thing.

“Yes,” Jeremy answered. “Andram says the probability of such an event is extremely low, but he wants to investigate it nevertheless.”

“I will ready my fleet,” announced Grayseth, feeling pleased Jeremy had given him such an important mission. “If we encounter any Simulin ships, we will destroy them.”

“There will also be some of the larger AI spheres going along as well,” Jeremy added, curious to see how this would affect Grayseth.

The large Bear was silent for a moment and then nodded his head. “The AIs know much about science and I will work with them. The Altons know how to control them so I don’t foresee any problems.”

“Very well,” Jeremy responded, pleased with the Bear’s response. “Prepare your fleet; you will be leaving as soon as the Altons are ready.”

“I will do so, clan brother,” Grayseth replied. “We will be ready to bring honor to the clans of Gaia.”

-

After the meeting was over, Kevin stood up from his sensor console and walked over to Jeremy at the command dais. “So, we’re finally going to start taking action against the Simulins.” There had been a lot of discussion about this over the past few months but no plans had been set in motion. It had been a trying time for everyone with the loss of the Distant Horizon, Rear Admiral Barnes, and Clarissa.

Jeremy looked over at his best friend. “Yes. Now that the AI shipyards are finished, we can begin going on the offensive. We also have a number of the new Gaia class battlecruisers ready for deployment that Daelthon has recently finished building. They have a much lower crew complement than our other ships and I plan on putting them to use.”

“We’ve had over three months to recover from what happened at the Dyson Sphere,” Kevin said with a deep sigh. “I think it will significantly improve morale if we go on the offensive. What are your plans for Kelsey and Katie since they no longer have a ship?”

“I spoke to Kelsey some about that the other night,” confessed Jeremy with an odd look in his eyes. “She wants us to build a new exploration ship to explore more of this galaxy with. I believe Katie has even been working with Ariel on a new design.”

“That may not be necessary,” Ariel said suddenly appearing next to Jeremy. The dark-haired AI was wearing her customary blue fleet uniform without insignia.

“What do you mean?” Jeremy looked questionably over at the AI. Since the death of Clarissa, Ariel had been more quiet and reserved.

“Kazak has agreed to allow a small group of Humans and Altons to come aboard the Dominator. I just finished speaking to Kelsey and Katie about this while you were having your meeting with Admiral Jackson and Grayseth.”

Jeremy stepped back as this was a stunning development. “When, who, and why now?”

“Kazak has informed me that he has completed all the repairs on the Dominator and the ship is now once more operating at 100 percent efficiency. He wants to meet with you and others to see if you’re worthy of the heritage of the Originators. If he finds that you are, then he is willing to place the Dominator under your command to use against the Simulins. Katie and Kelsey would be quite safe on that vessel.”

Jeremy drew in a sharp breath. If he could have the Dominator under his control, it would be a game changer. The ship by itself could defeat entire Simulin fleets. He wasn’t sure, though, about Ariel’s suggestion of assigning Katie and Kelsey to the ship. Something about Kazak made him feel uneasy.

“The Dominator’s AI is quite upset about what the Simulins are doing with the Dyson Spheres, which the Originators left behind upon their passing. He’s willing to share information with you. He also has informed me you can choose the group that will be going on board.”

“If we can have access to that warship just think of what we could learn,” Kevin said breathlessly. His eyes glowed with excitement. “Andram and the other Altons will be clamoring to go on board once they find out we have permission from Kazak.”

Jeremy nodded his agreement. However, he couldn’t help feeling there was something else behind the Originator AI suddenly deciding to grant them access to the Dominator. He had to remind himself that the AI might have its own agenda. There was a lot they didn’t know about the Originators and the relationship they had with their AIs. While he trusted Ariel implicitly, he had a long way to go before feeling the same about Kazak.

Reaching a decision, Jeremy decided they couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn more about the Originator warship and the AI that controlled it. “Ariel, inform Kazak I will assemble a team and we’ll come aboard early tomorrow.”

Ariel closed her eyes briefly, as she often did when she was sending messages or communicating with someone who wasn’t in the Command Center. “Kazak agrees. He will be ready to receive you in the morning.”

-

In Simulin controlled space, Supreme High Commander Callat stared angrily at the latest reports. His skin was opalescent and blood vessels, as well as some of the internal organs, could be seen. Since the destruction of the Great Sphere, no reinforcements had been able to come in from the other nine galaxies dominated by the Simulins.

“We suffered massive ship losses with the destruction of the sphere and the dark matter that surrounded it,” reported High Commander Faberh.

“Our scientists claim the highly stressed area of space at the former Great Sphere location is causing such a disruption in the higher levels of hyperspace that intergalactic travel is currently not possible. They say the power needed to power an intergalactic vortex is more than even a Great Sphere can generate.” This greatly concerned Callat. There was now no way to contact the Simulin Grand Council. For the first time that he could remember, an entire galaxy had been cut out of the Simulin network.

“It is the fault of the organics and the AIs from the Fitula Nebula,” stated Faberh in a cold voice. “We must find a way to destroy them.”

Callat turned his gaze toward his second in command. “From reports we have received from the earlier battle at the nebula, the Fitula organics have come into possession of a ship of the builders of the Great Spheres.”

“I have seen the reports, though I find it hard to believe a singe ship could have disabled so many of our warships.” The battle at the nebula had been a disaster when so many Simulin ships suddenly lost power.

Callat adjusted a control on the command console in front of him and on the front wall of the Command Center, a map of the galaxy appeared. Nearly 70 percent of the map was covered in blue, indicating Simulin control. “We have twenty-seven systems that have large populations of our people and sixty other systems in the process of being colonized.” Callat paused as he considered what he was about to do. “I believe that until these new organics and their AIs are dealt with, it would be wise for us to stop our expansion in this galaxy.”

“Stop the expansion?” uttered Faberh with a scowl spreading across his face. “Something like that has never been done before. To halt the expansion now could allow other organics to rally and oppose us.”

“It is a risk we must take,” answered Callat, folding his arms across his chest. “Too many vessels have been lost. We must consolidate our forces and increase shipbuilding in our established systems.”

“What about our probes seeking out new organic worlds to cleanse?”

“They will go on traveling outward in this galaxy. We will continue to send small task groups to confirm the presence of organics on any worlds the probes find. When our forces have been rebuilt, we shall descend upon those worlds and cleanse them of their organics.”

“Yes,” nodded Faberh in agreement. “There can be none but Simulin.”

“None but Simulin,” answered Callat.

Callat changed the main viewscreen to show the space around his flagship. Hundreds of seventeen-hundred-meter long Simulin battlecruisers floated in space nearby. In the distance, a pristine blue and white planet was visible. Around it, there was heavy traffic consisting of cargo ships as well as additional warships. This was the world of Malkor, the primary and most heavily colonized Simulin world in this galaxy. Around it, numerous orbital stations were present consisting of massive shipyards, defensive stations, as well as huge space stations which received and processed raw material being delivered from other planets and mining operations in nearby systems. This system alone had the capacity to build large numbers of Simulin warships.

There were several other Simulin systems that held very similar shipbuilding capacity. However, even with all of this at his disposal, Callat still felt uneasy about the Fitula organics and their AI allies. The ship of the builders of the Great Spheres, which they possessed, was also a great unknown. Callat was certain of one thing, if the Simulins hoped to one day control this entire galaxy, then the Fitula organics and the AIs must be destroyed.

-

It was early the next morning and Jeremy was inside a shuttle along with Admiral Jackson, Admiral Cleeteus, Andram, Shilum, Mikow, and Kurene. He had thought it important to bring a number of the Altons, as they were more capable with their advanced science at being able to understand what they would be seeing on the Originator ship. There were also four AIs coming along. All were well versed in science and being led by ZED, who had been working with Kurene for quite some time.

“I am curious to see the interior of this ship,” spoke ZED. The AI had a cubicle shaped body floating slightly above the deck on antigravity repulsors and four flexible tentacles which it could use to grasp and manipulate equipment. Its head was a glowing ball of light blue energy about the size of a basketball.

“We all are,” responded Kurene, smiling at the AI. She had rushed back from Borton with ZED when invited by Fleet Admiral Strong to accompany him to inspect the Dominator.

“The addition of the Originator’s science to our own will be quite useful,” ZED added.

“If Kazak agrees,” Kurene replied.

“This is the first time the Originator AI has agreed to allow anyone to visit his ship,” said Andram. “We must be careful what we say and do so Kazak will come to trust us. Only then will he be willing to share the science that helped to build the Dominator.”

ZED remained quiet as the AI thought over Andram’s words. There was much about Humans he did not understand though the Altons were much more logical. He knew this trust issue was important though he still felt confused over it.

As the shuttle approached the Originator ship, a massive hatch slid open. The Dominator was five thousand meters long and six hundred meters in diameter. There were no visible signs of anything that could be used for propulsion on its stern, though Andram had suggested to Jeremy that the ship might use some type of very advanced gravity drive.

“Are we sure we’re safe in doing this?” asked Admiral Jackson as he gazed ahead at the now open hatch. They were going on board an alien ship without any security protection. He had suggested to Admiral Strong that they should at least bring a squad of Marines along with them but Jeremy had objected, saying they needed to fully gain the trust of the Originator AI.

“Kazak and the Dominator have been in orbit around Gaia for quite some time,” Jeremy replied. “I’m sure if there were going to be problems we would have already encountered them.”

“Entering the hatch,” the pilot said as the shuttle slowed and then eased through.

Looking out the cockpit window, Jeremy saw what appeared to be a large flight bay. There were several small shuttles inside, none of which resembled anything the Federation used. They resembled the old flying saucers from the late 20th-century science fiction movies.

“Atmosphere is being detected,” the copilot reported as a green light appeared on his console. “Nearly Earth normal.”

“So there won’t be any need for atmospheric suits?” asked Mikow. Mikow disliked wearing the suits though they provided adequate protection from most radiation and a self-contained environment.

“No,” answered Jeremy. “Ariel assured me earlier the atmosphere on the ship will be breathable and the temperature acceptable. Even the gravity will be similar to what we’re used to.”

The shuttle maneuvered to an open spot on the bay floor where a circle of lights were flashing. The shuttle gently set down and the slight rumble of the engines died away.

“Shuttle is secure,” the pilot reported as he turned to look at Jeremy, who was sitting directly behind him. “Should I open the hatch?”

Jeremy felt his pulse quicken. After months of waiting, he was finally going to set foot inside the Originator ship. “Yes,” he replied. “There’s no point in delaying.”

Getting up, Jeremy walked toward the now open hatch. Just before reaching it, Admiral Jackson stepped in front of him, barring his path.

“Let me go first just to make sure everything’s safe. You’re the fleet admiral and it’s my job to ensure no harm comes to you.”

Jeremy hesitated and then nodded. The admiral was only doing his duty.

Admiral Jackson walked down the short ramp to step out onto the deck of the flight bay. He looked around, seeing nothing dangerous. However, everywhere he looked there was mysterious and strange looking equipment. The flight bay was so different from any he had ever been in before. “Everything seems to be okay,” he reported over his minicomm. If there was something wrong, he wasn’t sure he would recognize it.

Jeremy and the others stepped out into the bay followed by the four AIs. Looking around, Jeremy’s eyes were drawn to a hatch that silently slid open. He wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t been looking in that direction. His eyes widened when he saw a figure step through and begin walking toward them. The man was easily eight feet tall and dressed in a high-collared dark red military uniform. He was very Human in form except his skin had a more bluish tone to it than did the Altons. His hair was dark black and his facial features seemed very normal except he had no eyebrows and only minimal eyelashes.

“I am Kazak,” the man said coming to a stop in front of the group. “Welcome to the Originator ship, Dominator.”

“Was that the name of the people who created you?” asked Andram curiously. In all of their research, they had never discovered the name of the race that had inhabited the ancient ruins on so many worlds. He was surprised to hear Kazak refer to them as the Originators.

“No,” replied Kazak, shifting his gaze to Andram. “What they called themselves would be very difficult to pronounce in your language. For that reason, I think it best if we stay with the term you have come to associate with the race of builders.”

“I heard your footsteps as you walked toward us,” Kurene said, her eyes focused on the AI. “I thought you were a hologram.”

“No,” Kazak answered. “I am an AI but I reside in this body. It’s an artificial avatar built by the Originators for my use.”

“Is your body based on what the Originators looked like?” asked Admiral Cleeteus.

“Yes,” Kazak responded. “My creators felt this would make interaction between myself and them easier.”

“We have so many questions,” Jeremy said as he took everything in. The fact that Kazak had a physical body had momentarily stunned him as Ariel hadn’t mentioned this. “I’m not sure where to start.”

“Why don’t we go to the ship’s Command Center?” Kazak suggested. “To make everything easier, I will refer to various parts of the ship in terms you will be able to understand. Ariel has briefed me on the nomenclature you are accustomed to.”

“Your computers, will we be able to access them?” asked ZED. The blue globe that served as his head glowed brighter as he asked the question

Kazak turned to look at the AI. For a moment, he was silent and then he responded. “Fleet Admiral Strong, I was hoping you would bring some of the other AIs.” Then he addressed ZED. “In response to your question, for the time being access to any of the computers on this ship will be denied. Perhaps at a later date that will change. You must understand that for security reasons, I am not quite ready to grant you full access to the systems on this vessel.”

“We understand,” Jeremy said quickly before ZED could say anything else. He knew the AI was highly inquisitive; it was one of the reasons Kurene got along with ZED so well. In that the two were alike.

Jeremy didn’t want to risk offending Kazak. He knew from past experience with ZED that the AI could get seriously sidetracked if it became interested in a particular line of research. He knew the AI was intensely curious about the science that had built the ship.

“Very well,” Kazak replied after a moment. “If you will follow me, we will go to the Command Center and once there I will answer as many of your questions as I am able.”

Jeremy nodded. There was so much he wanted to know, and the science and technology on this ship might be the key to defeating the remaining Simulin forces still in this galaxy. It might even allow them someday to find a way back to the home galaxy and the Federation.

-

As they made their way through the ship, Jeremy was amazed at what he was seeing. Several times they paused as small-multiarmed robots floated by on their way to do some type of work or repairs.

“Since I’ve managed to repair the ship, all of the automatic functions are now operating,” Kazak explained as he pointed to several of the small robots. “These are repair automatons responsible for routine maintenance of the ship’s systems. They are capable of maintaining every major system on the ship.”

“What about the nanites you used when the Dominator first reached Gaia?” asked Kurene. Nanite technology was something the Altons found highly intriguing.

“Those are for more serious repairs. If the ship has suffered major damage or the complete failure of internal systems, the nanites are capable of repairing or completely rebuilding anything on the ship. Each group of nanites can be programmed to complete a specific task. To ensure there can never be a danger from the nanites, they are also programmed to disintegrate following seventy of your hours after which a new group must be activated.”

“I am highly interested in your nanite technology,” ZED spoke in his mechanical voice. “They would be quite useful on our new AI warspheres.”

“That will be something we will discuss at a later date,” Kazak responded. “I believe it would be relatively easy to program the nanites to do repair work on your vessels. Even the small repair robots, which I have activated on the Dominator, you might find useful as they will free up more of your people to perform other duties.”

Jeremy nodded to himself. This could help greatly with their manpower shortage. Already he was finding out things that could be extremely useful in the future. He wondered if it would be possible to try some of the small robots out on the Gaia class battlecruisers.

Kazak led them to a turbo lift, which rapidly propelled them through the ship to the command level. After exiting, they quickly made their way to the Command Center. Stepping inside, everyone froze upon seeing the astonishing view. In the center of the room was a raised dais with what appeared to be a dozen or so consoles. In the center of the dais was an upraised platform where the ship’s commander would sit. However, what astonished all of them was that the walls on all sides plus the ceiling seemed to be one gigantic viewscreen. It was like stepping out into space and being able to see everything around you.

“This is amazing,” gasped Admiral Jackson as he looked around wide-eyed. He had never imagined something like this.

“It’s very similar to our own vessels,” Admiral Cleeteus pronounced as he gazed around approvingly. All Alton vessels had a massive viewscreen on the front wall. However, on the Dominator this was carried out to an extreme the Altons hadn’t even considered.

Kazak turned to face his guests. “The Originators preferred to be able to see everything around them. The consoles on the dais are capable of controlling all of the ship’s functions though as the ship’s AI I am responsible for operating many of the systems. Normally the Originators would tell me what they wanted done and I would see to it.”

“Much like what Ariel is capable of,” said Mikow with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Most of the control consoles on the dais are for emergency use,” Kazak added. “However, the Originators did fully operate the consoles at all times and the ship’s commander insisted all of the ship’s officers be capable of controlling the ship’s systems in case I became nonfunctional.”

“So, what exactly happened to the Originators?” asked Jeremy. He had heard a short version from Ariel, but he was interested to know if Kazak would add to that.

“They died due to a terrible experiment they made in an attempt to achieve immortality,” Kazak answered with sadness in his voice. “The Originators already enjoyed extremely long lives, but they had projects in mind that would take millennia to achieve. They adjusted their genes to undergo self-repair by adding a special organic nanite that would allow their bodies and minds to remain forever unchanged. However, after a number of years passed something went terribly wrong. The organic nanite began creating a virulent pathogen that began to kill the Originators. There was much panic and desperate research to find out how to reverse the affect, but it was already too late. Before a cure could be found, the Originators were gone. This ship was an attempt to save some of the brightest minds of the race in the hope they could find a cure and bring the race back from extinction. It failed and all the Originators perished.”

“What about the Dyson Spheres?” asked Andram. “How many of them are there, and is there any chance some of the Originators could have survived in other galaxies?”

“There are two hundred and twelve Dyson Spheres,” Kazak answered. “Or two hundred and eleven considering you destroyed one. There are also major bases as well as the primary communications and transport hub. I do not believe any Originators survived the pathogen which was killing them.”

“Are there any other Originator facilities in this galaxy?” asked Jeremy. It would be nice to be able to gain access to more of their technology and even additional ships.

“No,” Kazak answered. “There was only the Dyson Sphere and the Dominator.”

Jeremy looked slowly around the massive Command Center. He was a little surprised the floor wasn’t a viewscreen also. He could see the Avenger floating in space nearby, the Clan Protector, and other ships in the vicinity. Even Gaia looked unusually large on the front wall. Looking closely, he thought he could see both Clements and New Eden, the two largest cities on the planet. Both cities were located in the narrow fifteen hundred-kilometer wide green strip that ran around the planet’s equator.

Turning back toward Kazak, Jeremy addressed the AI. “What can we do to gain each other’s trust? We obviously want access to some of the Originators’ technology and you have control of the last of their ships. There must be some type of arrangement we can make that will be beneficial to both of us.”

Kazak looked long and hard at Jeremy. “Let us speak,” he said. “I have communicated with Clarissa and now Ariel over this very subject. Both AIs were very positive when speaking of the Human Federation of Words, your allies, and especially the Altons. Perhaps there is some common ground we can find.”

Jeremy nodded. Now would come the hard part. He still had a suspicion Kazak wasn’t being totally forthcoming, but only time would tell if he was correct in that assumption.

Chapter Four

Sergeant Brenda Wilde stood worriedly at the end of the valley within several hundred meters of where the first buildings to the fabulous city of the Originators began. Unfortunately, an energy shield prevented her from going any closer. The energy shield surrounded the entire valley the exploratory team was in and thus far, they had found no way around it.

“Still watching the robots?” asked Melvin Blair, one of the Human scientists with the group.

Brenda sighed and turned around. It had been three weeks since they had found their way into the Dyson Sphere. The movement she had initially noticed in the city later turned out to be small robots that seemed to rush about on some type of intricate schedule. Kelnor had suggested the small robots were probably charged with the upkeep and repair of the city. The scientists with the group had set up some instruments and recorded the movement for several days, confirming there were no living beings. It had been a big disappointment to Brenda.

“Yes,” she said turning around to face Blair. “I keep hoping I’ll see someone living on the other side of this energy shield. That city is so beautiful; it’s nearly incomprehensible no one lives in it.”

Blair looked toward the city, watching as one of the small robots stopped near some plants that bordered a sidewalk and begin expertly trimming them. When it was finished, it applied what appeared to be fertilizer and then moved on. “This city’s been dead for thousands of years, possibly millions. We know of the pathogen that wiped out the Originators, and if any had survived I’m sure we would have been contacted by now.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Brenda.

“Kelnor and Reesa are convinced this energy shield didn’t appear until we set foot inside the Dyson Sphere. It’s part of some type of automatic protective system activated when our presence was detected.”

Brenda turned back toward the city, seeing a small flying vehicle appear high up in the air and land on a platform on one of the smaller towers. The first time she saw one of the flying vehicles, she had hoped it was a sign the Dyson Sphere was still inhabited. She had later learned the vehicles were only carrying supplies for the small robots.

“Let’s get back to camp,” she said.

There was no point in observing the city. Nothing had changed there from the first day they arrived. Brenda knew that by now her superiors must be furious at the continued lack of communication from the exploratory team. When they got back, there was no doubt in Brenda’s mind she would be busted down to the rank of private, assuming they ever found a way to get back. Even that was beginning to look extremely doubtful.

-

Reesa Jast was busy arguing with Kelnor at their camp over what needed to be their next move. They had set up a number of survival huts, which had been in their emergency supplies. The small huts were of Alton design and were even heated and air conditioned, though neither were actually needed in the small secluded valley.

“I still say we should broadcast a continuous message toward the city,” said Reesa, crossing her arms defiantly. She was one of those rare Altons who at times showed considerable emotion. “From the small robots we can see, there must be some type of control system somewhere. I can’t believe the Originators wouldn’t have foreseen the situation we find ourselves in. Why else would they have the energy shield set up to keep us in this valley and prevent us from being able to reach the city?”

Kelnor slowly shook his head. “We must spend more time studying the city with our instruments. If we provoke a response, there’s no telling what might happen.”

“Our food supplies will be gone soon,” Corporal Everett Metz commented. He was standing close by listening to the two Altons. “We’re fortunate the stream is providing us with fresh water, but we haven’t done any hunting though there are some animals in this valley which could provide us some much needed protein.”

Kelnor let out a deep sigh. “Corporal, if we begin killing animals, whatever is controlling the city and the small robots may decide to eliminate us as we would a rodent or an insect. We’ve found some plants and even a few fruit bearing trees that can supplement what supplies we have remaining.”

“I’m not much on being a vegetarian,” grumbled Metz.

“How much longer will our remaining supplies last until we’re entirely dependent on what we can find in this valley?” asked Reesa.

“Two or three more weeks at the most and that’s rationing them to a minimum and supplementing them with the plants and fruits we’ve found.”

Reesa nodded to herself. What the corporal had just mentioned was just another reason to try to communicate with whatever the controlling intelligence was in the Dyson Sphere. She just couldn’t understand why Kelnor was being so stubborn.

“Let me talk to Sergeant Wilde when she comes back about attempting to broadcast a communications signal,” pleaded Reesa, her eyes focusing back on her fellow Alton.

“You can talk to her,” Kelnor said evenly. “However, I’ll suggest that we wait until there is no other option. If there is a controlling intelligence in the Dyson Sphere, it must know of our presence by now. We just need to wait until it makes itself known.”

Reesa forced herself to calm down. It had been so frustrating the past few weeks to be so close to the city and not able to enter it. For her entire life, the Originators had been a fascination to her. Now all of the answers she so desperately sought were on the other side of the energy shield, and she had no way to get past it.

-

Outside the Dyson Sphere, Admiral Race Tolsen was in the Command Center of the battle dreadnought WarHawk with his sister, Massie. Massie had come over to visit as she wanted to speak with Race over several matters that concerned her.

“How are things going on the Hera?” asked Race as he leaned back in his command chair and looked over at his sister.

It still seemed strange to be so far from the Human Federation of Worlds and to have his sister at his side. He wondered what his parents were thinking about all of this. He was sure they were deeply worried. He wasn’t certain how much Fleet Admiral Nagumo had been able to tell them.

“Great,” Massie responded. “We’ve been working on getting the pilots of all thirteen battlecarriers used to flying with one another. “I’ve promoted Captain Weinhardt to the rank of major and he’s now coordinating all the flight wings from the different battlecarriers.”

“Weinhardt is a fine officer,” Race said approvingly. He was pleased to hear Massie was sharing her authority with others. The promotion of Weinhardt was a sound decision.

“Admiral,” interrupted Commander Arnett. “We have a group of twenty-two Shari warships inbound.”

Race sucked in a deep breath. For the last several days, the Shari had been probing the fleet’s defenses. “Massie, you better get back to the Hera. I’ll talk to you when this is over.”

Massie nodded and hurried from the Command Center. While it was doubtful her fighters and bombers would be needed for such a small attack by the Shari, there was always the possibility the probe was only a prelude to a major assault.

“What ship types are we facing?” asked Race, turning toward Captain Davis.

“Two battlecruisers and twenty support ships,” Davis answered as the information appeared on his data screens, which were analyzing the sensor information. “Looks like a standard attack formation with the support ships leading and the two battlecruisers trailing slightly behind.”

Colonel Cowel frowned and looked over at the admiral. “This is the third time in the last five days they’ve tried this. At some point, they should get tired of losing ships.”

Race slowly shook his head. “They have us trapped here. We have no idea how many warships they have between us and Federation controlled space.” Federation controlled space would be the former Hocklyn Slave Empire. “I’m sure their commanding officer is busy studying the data he gains from each attack seeking a weakness in our defense.”

“They have twelve hundred ships in the outer system,” Commander Arnett said as she gazed at all the red threat icons on the screen.

“That’s still not enough to be a threat to us,” answered Race, leaning forward to study the tactical display, now showing the inbound Shari vessels. “With the addition of Admiral Baasil and his Alton warships, it would take a much larger fleet than that to drive us away from the Dyson Sphere.”

He also had twenty Indomitable Class battlestations, forty of the smaller Type Two battlestations, and two thousand particle beam satellites. Unless the Shari were willing to commit a significant portion of their empire’s fleet, he felt pretty confident they could hold their present position above the Dyson Sphere for as long as needed.

“They will be in weapons range in twenty minutes,” Commander Arnett added.

“Take the fleet to Condition One,” Race ordered. He wasn’t going to take any chances; he preferred to err on the side of caution. If anything went wrong, they were cut off from the Federation for help and all they could do was rely on their own resources.

-

High Lord Aktill watched his tactical screen with interest. For the last five days, he had been sending in small task groups to probe the Humans’ and Altons’ defenses. He had already learned those huge one-thousand-meter battlestations were to be steered clear of. Even the smaller ones had shown to have teeth that could severely damage or destroy a Shari warship.

“Lower Lord Dalold is requesting additional instructions,” Samarth reported.

“What are the Humans doing?” Aktill knew a Human admiral was commanding both the Alton and Human warships.

“They’re not responding,” answered Samarth. “We’re detecting higher energy readings which indicate their shields have come fully online, but their ships haven’t moved.”

“I want close in sensor readings,” Aktill said determinedly. “I want to know what’s so important about that region of the Dyson Sphere that the Human admiral has decided it must be defended.”

“Do you believe they’ve found a way in?”

“I doubt it,” Aktill replied as he turned his eyes toward a large viewscreen showing the Dyson Sphere. He still found it astonishing that any civilization could build such an object. If the Shari could gain access to the megastructure before the Humans and the Altons, they could learn the science that had allowed such a construction to be built. Once they had the science and technology, they could do what the AIs had failed to do, conquer the entire galaxy and bring it under the rule of the Shari Empire.

-

Lower Lord Dalold was pacing nervously in front of his ship’s tactical screen. The red threat icons the screen was covered with were growing steadily closer.

“How long until engagement range?” he demanded as he stepped over to his command chair and sat down.

“Six minutes,” the sensor operator replied.

“All weapons are online and the energy shield is at 98 percent,” the tactical officer reported.

“Our other ships?”

“Ready for combat,” answered his second officer. “How close are we going to the Human fleet?”

“Close enough for detailed sensor scans of the surface of the Dyson Sphere,” Dalold answered. “We must see if they have found a way into the structure.”

-

The minutes passed by slowly and then suddenly two of the leading escort vessels exploded as powerful antimatter explosions blew away their energy shields. The missiles had come from one of the large battlestations.

“Weapons range!” called out the sensor operator.

“All weapons fire!” ordered Dalold, leaning forward with his eyes focused sharply on the tactical screen. “Sensors, I need those readings!”

“We still need to get closer,” the sensor operator replied.

“Navigation, take us nearer the Dyson Sphere.” Dalold knew this meant the probable destruction of most of the ships in his small fleet, but he had his orders. High Lord Aktill wanted detailed sensor scans of this section of the megastructure and Dalold would do what was necessary to get them.

The weapons fire increased between the two fleets. On one of the viewscreens on the front wall, the bottom section of an escort cruiser exploded, sending debris flying off into space. The vessel attempted to reverse course and escape the wrath of one of the Humans’ massive battlestations. Even as the ship was turning broadside, it was steadily firing its remaining weapons. Then the entire vessel was transformed into a glowing sun as one of the Humans’ antimatter missiles annihilated the ship.

Dalold suddenly felt himself flung forward and the safety harness he was wearing cut deeply into his skin. He gasped at the pain as klaxons began sounding. “Report!” he barked as he drew in a deep breath.

“The hull near Engineering has been compromised,” his second in command reported. “We have numerous compartments open to space and we’re venting atmosphere. There are also several fires burning in adjoining compartments.”

“Energy shield is down to 48 percent,” added the tactical officer. “We lost six of our energy turrets and three missile tubes.”

“What hit us?”

“Several of their energy beams,” the sensor operator answered. “At least two from what I can determine.”

“I’m flushing the air from the compartments where the fires are burning,” added the second officer.

“Enemy losses?”

“None,” replied the sensor officer. “We’re just too heavily outnumbered, and their big battlestations seem to be impervious to our weapons fire.”

Dalold’s shoulders drooped as he studied the tactical display. Eight of his escort cruisers were now gone and all of the remaining ships in his small fleet were under heavy fire.

“The Lightning Forge has been heavily damaged,” the communications officer suddenly reported. “They’re requesting permission to withdraw.”

Dalold shifted his attention to one of the viewscreens showing the other battlecruiser. Even as he watched, particle beam fire from one of the Humans’ smaller battlestations slammed into the central part of the Lightning Forge, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. The ship seemed to shake violently and then exploded, sending wreckage in every direction.

“Scans complete,” the sensor operator reported.

“Withdraw!” ordered Dalold, his eyes narrowing. “Our remaining escorts will remain behind to cover our retreat.”

The second officer stared at Dalold as if he couldn’t believe he had heard correctly. “They will all be destroyed!”

“That is inconsequential. Our mission was to obtain the sensor scans and we have done that. It serves no propose to allow our ship to be destroyed. If we can get back to High Lord Aktill with this information, then our mission can be considered a success.”

The second officer remained silent but carried out his orders. In moments, the ship had reversed course and was fleeing from the battle.

-

Admiral Tolsen watched the large viewscreen on the WarHawk’s front wall as the last of the Shari escort cruisers was blown apart under the unrelenting fire of one of the Indomitable Class battlestations.

“That’s the last of them,” Colonel Cowel reported with satisfaction in his voice. “We destroyed all of their ships except the one battlecruiser that fled the battle, and it was heavily damaged.”

Commander Arnett turned toward the admiral. “Why did they attack like that? It makes no strategic sense.”

Race raised his eyebrows as he thought of a possible answer. “Captain Davis, did you detect any sensor scans from the Shari vessels.”

“Just the standard targeting scans,” answered Davis. “Let me look at the data the ship’s sensors recorded during the battle.” Davis was silent for several long moments as he reviewed the information going across one of his computer screens. “That’s interesting,” he said finally. “If these records are correct, the Shari battlecruiser that withdrew was taking intense short-range scans of the surface of the Dyson Sphere during most of the battle.”

Race nodded his head in understanding. “They’re trying to determine if we’ve gained access.”

“We don’t know what the status of our exploration team is,” Colonel Cowel was quick to point out. “We haven’t heard from them since they went inside the structure.”

“I’m going to schedule a meeting with the other admirals as well as several of the other Alton scientists to determine our next move. I want Major Nolan and Ambassador Tureen to attend as well.” Something needed to be done to break the current stalemate with the Dyson Sphere. It was becoming abundantly clear they needed to find another way in.

-

Several hours later, Race stepped into one of the large briefing rooms on the WarHawk. The room had been set up with a large conference table and comfortable chairs. There were also sandwiches and beverages if anyone became hungry or thirsty. Race expected this meeting to last for quite some time as they had a number of decisions to make.

Taking his seat at the head of the table, he looked around at those who were present. Alton admirals Lankell and Baasil, Admiral Stoddard, Rear Admiral Massie Tolsen, Major Nolan, Ambassador Tureen, and four Alton research scientists.

“As all of you know, it has been over three weeks since the exploration team entered the structure on the Dyson Sphere. Since that time there has been no contact. We don’t know if they’re unable to communicate or have met with some fatal calamity inside the structure.” Race paused, looking over at the Altons.

“We have spoken much of this,” Alshan Kalar replied. Alshan was an Alton research scientist from one of the Alton science ships. “We believe there’s a high probability the research team managed to find their way to the inner surface of the Dyson Sphere.”

“Then why haven’t they returned?” asked Admiral Stoddard with a confused look on his face. “Surely they’ve had time to make their way back to the structure on the surface.”

“That’s the problem,” Alshan said deeply concerned. “The inner surface of the Dyson Sphere is equivalent to over two million planets the size of Earth. We don’t know what type of transportation they may have found or where they may have come out inside the Dyson Sphere. They could have become lost and can’t find their way back.”

Race leaned back in his chair. He had suspected this was a possibility. “Is there any way for us to open the entrance in the structure and send in a rescue team?”

Kalar shook his head. “Reesa had the only known key. We’re searching for another method to gain entry, but so far all of our research has yielded nothing that might be of use. A one hundred-megaton antimatter missile would probably blast a hole in the structure, but it would also do irreparable damage and it would take multiple explosions of the same magnitude to allow us to reach the inner surface.”

“How many blasts would it take?” asked Massie. She didn’t like the idea of using antimatter weapons against the hull of the Dyson Sphere. She didn’t think her brother would either.

“Over one hundred,” Kalar replied. “There is also a danger in using such explosive force against the Dyson Sphere.”

“What type of danger?” asked Admiral Stoddard. “We can move our ships far enough away to ensure they’re out of the blast radius.”

“No, not from the blasts,” said Kalar, shaking his head. “From the Dyson Sphere itself. It would be foolhardy to think it doesn’t have a way to defend itself.”

“I am against using any weapons of any sort against the sphere,” commented Ambassador Tureen, making his presence known. “From what we know of the Originators, they were a very intelligent and powerful race. Their offensive and defensive weapons may well be magnitudes in advance of anything we have developed.”

“But they’re all dead,” objected Admiral Stoddard. “The pathogen that came into being due to their immortality project killed them all.”

“Did it?” asked Tureen, pointing toward the single large viewscreen in the room focused on the megastructure. “That happened several million years ago. How do we know a few didn’t survive somewhere in one of the galaxies they inhabited or that a cure wasn’t found? We don’t know who or what might be on the inside of this Dyson Sphere, and I don’t believe it would be wise to risk angering them.”

“I will accept your advice,” Race said. As far as he was concerned, Ambassador Tureen was the legitimate representative of the Alton government and he would follow the ambassador’s recommendations.

“What happens if the Shari use their nuclear weapons against the Dyson Sphere?” asked Massie, feeling concerned that if there was a reaction from the megastructure, it could target them as well.

“Unknown,” Kalar answered. “We feel that, at a minimum, there must be at least some type of automated defensive system. We would hope the system is capable of recognizing the difference between our ships and the Sharis’.”

Tureen looked across the table at Admiral Tolsen. “Working with some of our scientists we have come up with a friendship message we would like to start beaming toward the Dyson Sphere.”

“What’s in the message?” asked Race curiously.

“It tells who we are, where we came from, the danger the Simulins pose to our galaxy as well as to the Dyson Sphere, and a list of our accomplishments. We’re also including some art and music.”

“Art and music?”

“Yes,” said Admiral Baasil, nodding his head. “Some of our scientists believe the Originators had a great appreciation of art. We have included images of some of the finest artworks from Earth as well as from the City of Light on Astral.”

Race was silent for several long moments as he thought this suggestion over. “It sounds like a good idea if there is anyone still alive in the sphere. However, if it’s only automated systems we’re dealing with, the message may be meaningless to them.”

“We are aware of that, Admiral,” Tureen responded. “But I still believe we should make the attempt.”

“How soon can you have the message ready to broadcast?”

“Within the hour,” Kalar answered. “We will set it up to repeat automatically and we’ll beam it to different sections of the Dyson Sphere.”

“Very well,” Race said. “Let’s do it, but take precautions to ensure the Shari don’t pick it up.”

-

The meeting lasted for several more hours. Once the meeting was over, Race and Massie went to his quarters to talk.

“How long do you think we’ll stay here at the Dyson Sphere?” Massie was growing concerned it would be a long time before they got back home to their parents.

Race let out a deep breath and leaned back trying to relax. “We have enough supplies to last over a year if necessary.”

“A year,” mumbled Massie. She knew a lot could happen in a year. She looked around Race’s quarters and a slight smile crossed her face. “Your quarters are a lot more comfortable than mine.”

“You could have better quarters if you would transfer your flag to a battleship,” he reminded her.

“I know,” she replied. “But I like my battlecarrier and I can command the flight wings better from the Hera’s Command Center. Besides, not everyone was given a battle dreadnought like the Altons gave you. How does it feel to command the most powerful ship in the galaxy?”

Race grinned. “I was just as surprised as everyone else when the Altons chose me for this.”

“I’m sure Ambassador Tureen and former Fleet Admiral Streth had a lot to do with it,” Massie said. She got up and went over to the small kitchen in Race’s quarters and poured glasses of tea for both of them.

Returning to her chair, she handed Race one and then took a sip. A look of pleased surprise crossed her face. “This tastes just like Mom’s!”

Race smiled at his sister. “Of course. That was one thing I insisted on. I have Mom’s tea recipe and I follow it to the letter. She always makes the best iced tea when I’m home on leave.” Before he could say another word, the Condition One alarms began sounding and red lights began flashing.

“Not again,” moaned Massie, her eyes widening. It seemed as if every time she had an opportunity to talk to her brother they were interrupted.

“All hands, go to Condition One, this is not a drill. I repeat go to Condition One. Imminent combat is likely. Admiral Tolsen, please report to the Command Center.”

Race activated his minicomm, which instantly placed him in contact with Colonel Cowel. Race knew that Commander Arnett was off duty. “What’s happening, Colonel?”

“I have bad news, Admiral,” Cowel began. “We’ve detected a Simulin task group that has just jumped into the system.”

“Simulins,” repeated Race, his heart beginning to pound. “I’ll be in the Command Center shortly.”

Massie looked over at Race with deep concern on her face. “So, they finally found us.”

“Looks that way,” answered Race. “You better get back to the Hera.”

Massie nodded. “We’ll talk later.”

-

Entering the Command Center, Race saw a group of flashing red threat icons on one of the large holographic tactical displays. “How many and how far out are they?”

“Forty ships and they’re about four hundred million kilometers out from the Dyson Sphere,” answered Colonel Cowel.

Commander Arnett came bursting through the hatch to the Command Center, taking quick stock of the situation as her eyes focused on the tactical display. “Are they moving closer?”

“No,” Captain Davis answered. “They’re holding their current position, but they are actively scanning us and the Dyson Sphere.”

“Shit’s hit the fan now,” muttered Colonel Cowel. “It was bad enough we had the Shari to worry about, now we have the Simulins as well.”

“What are the Shari doing?” asked Race as he sat down in his Command Chair.

“Nothing yet,” Captain Davis responded. “They seem to be watching the Simulin vessels just as we are.”

“I am picking up heightened communications traffic between the Shari vessels,” reported Captain Travers.

“What are the Simulin ship types?” asked Commander Arnett as she stepped in front of her command console.

Davis spent a few seconds studying the data coming across one of his screens before replying. “Six battlecruisers and thirty-four escort cruisers.”

Race knew the battlecruisers were seventeen hundred meters long and the escorts would be eleven hundred meters. All extremely dangerous. Race felt a cold chill run down his back. Now that the Simulins had discovered the Dyson Sphere, the strategic situation had changed. The Simulins had weapons more on a par with the Altons and the Humans. With a deep sigh, he knew he needed to send a message back to the Federation informing them of the Simulins. There was a good chance when he did, the Shari would detect it and destroy the line of communication buoys. There were two lines and this message would end up leaving only one intact.

“Send a message to the Federation informing Fleet Admiral Nagumo of the presence of the Simulins. Download all the data on the Shari ships as well as the Simulin fleet and send it.” Race glanced at the big viewscreen. Time was running out, someway they needed to either contact the exploration team or find another way in.

-

Simulin High Commander Hark Brasht gazed in satisfaction at the viewscreen. In its center was the elusive Great Sphere they had been searching for.

“There are several fleets of organics in the system,” the sensor operator reported.

“Inconsequential,” Brasht said dismissively. “We will send a message back to the Grand Council informing them of our discovery. In time, we will have the ships to drive these organics away. The Great Sphere will be ours and we can begin the conquest of this galaxy.”

“Scans are complete,” the sensor operator reported.

“Take us back into hyperspace,” Brasht ordered. “When we return these organics will face their deaths.”

A few moments later swirling spatial vortexes formed in front of the Simulin ships and they vanished into them, leaving the system of the Great Sphere. They had completed their mission, now it would be up to the Simulin Grand Council to take the next action. Brasht knew the Grand Council would order the other Great Spheres within range of this galaxy to be used to send more ships.

-

Inside the Dyson Sphere, Reesa Jast lay upon her bed in her survival hut. She had already decided that if there was no response from the city within two weeks, she would take matters into her own hands and broadcast a signal. Reaching beneath her pillow, she took out the Originator key she always kept at her side and gazed thoughtfully at it. Reesa had already decided on her message. In two weeks time, she expected to be walking down the streets of the Originator city.

Chapter Five

Jeremy was standing in the Command Center of the Avenger gazing at one of the viewscreens. It showed the blue-giant nebula, which looked the same as it always did. The nebula filled the screen with its myriad of stars and ionized gas clouds. The nebula even seemed to glow from the intense amount of ionized hydrogen. However, he knew at its heart a raging furnace of destruction was radiating outward. After speaking more to Andram, he had decided to come along on the mission bringing the Avenger and a squadron of the new Gaia class battlecruisers.

“Looks the same as before,” commented Kevin from his sensor console. “It doesn’t appear as if the whole nebula is going to blow up anytime soon.”

“We can’t see far enough,” Jeremy responded as he looked over at his friend and fellow officer. “Remember, the nebula is thirteen hundred light years across and the nova is nearly seven hundred light years away from our current position.”

“The Star Seeker is requesting we enter the nebula and proceed to the proximity of the nova,” Lieutenant Shayla Lantz said from communications.

“I was expecting that,” Jeremy replied. The Star Seeker was the Alton science ship accompanying the fleet. It was also strange for Angela not to be at her customary spot. However, Angela had asked to remain behind due to health reasons. Jeremy had asked her if it was something serious and she told him it wasn’t. Kelsey didn’t seem to be too concerned about Angela’s illness so Jeremy hadn’t let it worry him.

“Kelsey, plot a course to just outside the dark matter nebula, keep us at least a full light year away,” Jeremy ordered. It was strange to have both Kelsey and Katie on board, but they had insisted on going on the mission.

“I’ve already plotted the course,” Kelsey answered with a smile. She had known Jeremy would be asking for it. “We’ll need to exit hyperspace ten times to safely reach the target area.”

“Send the first jump coordinates to the rest of the fleet,” Jeremy said.

Commander Kyla Malen turned toward Jeremy. “Are you expecting us to encounter any Simulins? They may still have some bases and ships in the nebula.”

“I doubt it. With the destruction of the Dyson Sphere, there’s nothing left here for them.”

“Jeremy’s correct,” Ariel added. She was standing behind Jeremy with her arms folded across her chest. “I don’t believe the Simulins will be wasting any resources here in the nebula. They lost a lot of ships and are probably in the process of reconsolidating their forces.”

Commander Malen nodded and then turned toward the Helm. “Prepare to enter hyperspace, all ships to maintain standard spacing and form up on the Avenger and the Star Seeker when we reach the first set of coordinates.”

A few moments later, a blue-white spatial vortex formed in front of the battleship and it quickly accelerated into its center. Around it, other similar vortexes were being entered by the rest of the ships of the fleet.

-

Grayseth watched the main viewscreen in the Command Center of his flagship, the Warrior’s Pride. He had ten Carethian battlecruisers with him as well as twenty of the small Carethian medium cruisers. There were also twelve of the massive fifteen-hundred-meter AI spheres serving as escorts.

“All ships except us have entered hyperspace,” reported Ganlon, Grayseth’s second in command.

“Take us in,” Grayseth ordered as he folded his powerful arms across his chest. “We must ensure our clan brother remains safe.” Grayseth placed the safety of Jeremy and the Avenger as his top priority.

The Warrior’s Pride entered the vortex and made the transition. Grayseth merely grunted as he felt the momentary disorientation associated with entering hyperspace.

-

Ten jumps later, the Avenger burst out of its spatial vortex less than a light year away from what was once the dark matter nebula. Almost immediately, alarms began sounding and concerned voices began swearing over the ship-to-ship minicomm.

“Radiation warning,” Ariel reported as she hurriedly forced the ship’s powerful energy shield to snap into being. Giving it precedence over everything else.

The Avenger shook violently and even the lights flickered.

“What happened?” demanded Jeremy, turning toward Ariel who was standing slightly behind him on his left side with a look of deep concern on her youthful face.

“We jumped into a region of intense radiation,” the beautiful black-haired AI answered. “This should have been a clear area. Something’s wrong.”

Commander Malen turned toward Jeremy. “Energy shield is at maximum and all systems are working at optimum levels. Radiation has dropped to an acceptable level.”

“Jeremy, the viewscreens,” said Kevin, his eyes widening. “Where are we?”

Shifting his attention to the viewscreens all Jeremy could see was a sea of white light.

“I don’t like this,” muttered Kevin worriedly. “What’s going on?”

“Ariel?” Jeremy asked as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

“It’s radiation and ionized hydrogen,” Ariel reported as she quickly checked the ship’s sensors. She was surprised to see the radiation was already having an effect on the ship’s energy screen. “We can’t stay here too long before our energy shield begins to fail.”

Jeremy took a deep breath before asking the next question. “Our other ships?”

“Okay,” she answered. “Some of the crews may need to be treated for radiation exposure, but the energy shields are protecting us now.”

Jeremy shook his head and looked over at Kelsey. He couldn’t imagine her making such a navigation error as to put the fleet in the middle of a radiation field. “Kelsey, why did we emerge in the middle of this radiation?”

Kelsey looked confused. “We shouldn’t have. This should have been a clear area.”

“Are we at the right coordinates?”

“Yes,” she answered promptly. “I’ve already checked the calculations, and we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

“Well, something’s not right.”

“I have Andram on the comm,” reported Lieutenant Lantz. “He’s suggesting we make a short jump of one-half of a light-year farther out from the location of the nova. He believes that will put us outside the radiation field.”

“Calculate it, Kelsey, and then transmit the new coordinates to all of the ships.” Jeremy looked at the viewscreens with a deep frown. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than we need to.”

-

Moments later, the fleet jumped once more. This time when the ships exited hyperspace they were in normal space. The radiation alarms stayed silent.

-

“Jump complete and all ships are moving into their support positions,” reported Commander Malen. “The Warrior’s Pride is off our starboard bow.”

Jeremy smiled. He knew Grayseth would be close by. The large Bear took his responsibility of keeping the Avenger and the fleet safe very seriously.

“Radiation is normal for this area,” Ariel added.

“No unknown contacts,” reported Kevin. “Sensors are clear.”

Jeremy turned toward Communications. “Lieutenant Lantz, get Andram on the comm. I want to know what the hell we jumped into back there.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Shayla responded.

Looking at the viewscreens, Jeremy saw they were now showing normal views of space, if being inside a nebula with over two hundred blue-giants could be called normal.

“Admiral,” Lieutenant Lantz said. “Andram and Shilum want to come over to the Avenger and speak with you personally.”

“Well, that’s not good news,” muttered Kevin. He knew only something of significance would bring the two Altons to the Avenger.

Jeremy glanced over at Kevin but didn’t reply. Instead, he addressed Lieutenant Lantz. “Inform Andram I’ll be waiting for them.” He then looked over at Ariel. “Any idea about what might be going on?”

“No,” Ariel replied, her dark eyes looking slightly confused. “However, I’m certain it relates to the radiation field we found ourselves in earlier.”

Jeremy gazed at one of the viewscreens on the front wall. It was showing a nearby blue-giant star. The screen had been adjusted to show the colors and the star seemed so majestic just sitting there on the screen. He had a bad feeling he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear from Andram.

-

Jeremy, Commander Malen, and Ariel were in the briefing room along with Andram and Shilum.

“I am sorry to call this meeting,” began Andram, running his right hand through his thick white hair. “But I fear we may have made a huge mistake in destroying the Dyson Sphere.”

“What?” said Jeremy, aghast at hearing Andram say those words. “Why?” Destroying the Dyson Sphere had helped secure the safety of the home galaxy as well as seriously weakened the Simulin presence in this one.

“It’s the radiation field we jumped into earlier,” explained Shilum. Shilum was an expert in the field of hyperspace. “That region of space should have been nearly radiation free. Instead, we found ourselves in such a powerful area of radiation it would have overwhelmed our energy shields if we had stayed there much longer.”

“What does the radiation field have to do with the Dyson Sphere?” Jeremy still didn’t understand what the two Altons were trying to say. The radiation field they had encountered was too far away from the nova to be associated with it.

“It’s because the radiation is from the nova the Distant Horizon created,” Andram said with worry in his eyes. “The radiation front from the nova is moving through space at nearly three times the speed of light.”

“That’s impossible,” said Commander Malen, looking confused. “Nothing can move faster than the speed of light in normal space; that’s why we use hyperspace to achieve speeds which allow interstellar travel.”

Shilum shook her head. “I wish that were true in this case. The problem is the dark matter that surrounded the Dyson Sphere as well as the material the megastructure was composed of. From the readings we were able to take of the radiation field, the area of hyperspace in the vicinity of the Dyson Sphere has been radically changed. It’s not quite a rupture but hyperspace has been strained to the point that it’s allowing the radiation field to access the lower bands and travel at an increased speed in what appears to be normal space.”

“You’re saying the space around the Dyson Sphere now more resembles hyperspace?” asked Jeremy, finding it hard to accept what the two Altons were saying. He hadn’t believed such a thing was possible.

“In simple terms, yes,” Shilum answered, nodding her head.

Jeremy looked over at Andram. “Just what does that mean for us?”

Andram took a deep breath and then answered. “The size of the disturbed area of space here is much greater than the one we believe exists in our own galaxy. Not only that, it may still be growing.” Andram was referring to the disturbed area near the black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy.

“One of the side effects is that it will prevent any type of intergalactic vortex from forming in this galaxy. Any attempt to create one would require far more energy than even ten Dyson Spheres could generate.”

“That sounds like a good thing,” said Commander Malen with a pleased look on her face. “It means the Simulins in this galaxy are on their own, and they can’t call for reinforcements from other Simulin controlled galaxies.”

“That’s correct,” said Andram, nodding his head. “However, we need to do some additional studies of the nova and what has happened to the dark matter nebula that surrounded the Dyson Sphere.”

“Why?” asked Jeremy with a prickly feeling on his neck. “Is there some danger you’re not telling us about?”

Andram closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. “Yes. Shilum and I agree that as the radiation front travels outward, it will cause more of the blue-giant stars in the nebula to go nova. There is a possibility that at some point all the stars in this region of space may coalesce and form a black hole.”

“We know about black holes,” Jeremy said. They all had experience with the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

“I understand,” Ariel suddenly said as her eyes widened. “The radiation wavefront isn’t going to stop at the edge of the nebula. It’s going to continue outward.”

“That’s partially correct,” replied Shilum, nodding at Ariel. “However, due to the involvement of the material of the Dyson Sphere and the dark matter, each subsequent nova is only going to make the strain on hyperspace in this region of space more severe. There’s a high probability that most of the novas will be supernovas, which is what we believe has now happened to the star that was at the center of the Dyson Sphere. The increased strain upon hyperspace will allow the radiation front to move outward at an ever-increasing rate of speed. The radiation front itself will be so intense that it will put additional strain on the lower bands of hyperspace.”

Jeremy’s face turned pale as he realized what Shilum was saying. “What will happen when the radiation front reaches the nebula that Gaia is in?”

“The nebula will survive and even block part of the radiation. However, Gaia will not. The intense radiation sweeping across this galaxy will sterilize every inhabitable world.”

“Just like the weapon the AIs had planned on using in our home galaxy,” Jeremy said in shock, recalling the Eternity Device. “Are you telling me that we did to this galaxy what the AIs originally planned for ours?”

“Yes,” Andram replied in a low voice.

“How long before this radiation front reaches Gaia?” asked Commander Malen. Her face had turned ashen at the revelation of what they’d done.

“Three to five hundred years, depending on its speed,” Shilum answered. “We’ll need to do more studies to determine an exact date.”

“Is there any way to stop it or reverse the radiation front?” asked Jeremy. He knew what he was asking was probably impossible.

Andram slowly shook his head. “It’s just too massive. I want to spend additional time studying this region of space. There is much for us to learn here.”

Jeremy let out a deep breath. “We’ll stay as long as necessary.” He could feel his heart pounding at the revelation that their attack upon the Dyson Sphere might have doomed billions or even trillions of life forms in the Triangulum Galaxy.

-

After the meeting, only Jeremy and Ariel were still in the briefing room. Ariel was watching Jeremy and could see the anguish on his face. “I have a thought,” she said after several moments.

“What?” Jeremy asked in a voice that was barely a whisper.

“The Originators surrounded the Dyson Sphere with the dark matter. They must have been aware of what might happen if the star exploded.”

Jeremy looked over at Ariel and slowly nodded his head. “How does that help us? As far as we know, there are no Originators left.”

“No,” Ariel answered. “But we do have the Dominator and Kazak.”

There was a long silence as Jeremy thought over what Ariel had said. Since their meeting several weeks back, the Originator AI had been allowing teams of scientists to go abroad the Dominator. Every week, Kazak had been allowing a little more access to the ship’s systems. “You’re right,” he said. “As soon as the Altons are finished with their observations we need to return to Gaia. Kazak and I need to have a long conversation. If there is a solution to this problem, it’s on board that ship.”

Ariel nodded. She didn’t know if Kazak could help or not, but at least Jeremy now had a reason to hope.

-

Simulin High Commander Callat had just finished briefing the new Simulin Grand Council of the current status of the fleet. Since becoming cut off from the rest of the Simulin Intergalactic Empire, the twenty-seven most heavily populated worlds had decided to form an interim government. Each of the star systems had chosen one representative to be on the council and Malkor had been made the capital. The sixty colony words were allowed six representatives.

This first meeting had been tumultuous, with several of the representatives not comprehending why communication with the rest of the empire couldn’t be achieved. In frustration, Callat had ordered them taken outside and executed. There was no room for weak-minded fools in the empire. Of more importance was the fact, as the only surviving Supreme High Commander, the new Grand Council would answer to him. Already he had issued orders for more battlecruisers to be constructed and the defenses around the inhabited Simulin planets to be strengthened dramatically.

“The council doesn’t understand the threat posed by the Fitula Nebula organics and their AIs,” said High Commander Faberh. “It might be necessary for more executions in the future.”

“The members of the council are not used to our fleets being defeated in battle. Many of them have lived sheltered lives, unlike those of us in the military. Since discovering the Great Sphere, our people have steadily moved across the galaxies, conquering more worlds and colonizing thousands of planets. Whenever we came across a powerful enemy, we could call upon the other Simulin controlled galaxies to send in additional warships to allow us to annihilate any and all opposition. That is now no longer true.”

“Just how dangerous do you think these Fitula organics are?”

“They destroyed the Great Sphere,” Callat answered in a cold voice. “We must find a way to penetrate the nebula they’re hiding in or soon they will come out hunting.”

“Hunting?” said High Commander Faberh, sounding confused. “For who?”

“Us,” Callat answered in a grave voice. “They will come for us and when they do we will destroy them or they will destroy us.”

-

Jeremy was in his quarters with Kelsey. One thing about having his wife on board, at least they could sleep together.

“I wish Angela could have come,” Jeremy said as he sat next to Kelsey on the comfortable couch in their quarters.

A strange looked crossed Kelsey’s face but she remained silent.

“What is it?” asked Jeremy sharply. “I’ve seen that look before, and it always means you’re keeping something from me.”

Kelsey let out a deep sigh. “Angela’s pregnant.”

“What?” Jeremy said, sitting up straight. “How did she keep something like that a secret?” It explained why she had bailed out of this mission with the illness explanation.

“She was afraid it would keep her from her duties. She’s been working on the Clan Protector with Malith on the shipyard’s communication protocols.” Malith was the Bear communication’s officer and a close friend of Kelsey’s.

“This is exciting,” a voice said from thin air. Ariel suddenly appeared with an excited look on her face. “I knew Angela hasn’t been feeling well recently, but her medical records are locked to the point even I can’t get into them.”

Kelsey let out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t need to know everything about us all the time. Sometimes we need our privacy.”

A solemn look appeared on Ariel’s face. “I promised Jeremy’s father I would always look after the five of you.”

“And you have,” said Kelsey, standing up and going over and getting herself a glass of tea from the small refrigerator in their quarters. “Even so, at times we need a little space.”

Ariel looked over at Jeremy with a sad look. “It’s just since we lost the Distant Horizon and Clarissa, I’ve been so worried. I can’t lose anyone else.”

“You won’t,” Jeremy promised. “When we get back to Gaia, we’ll see what progress has been made with Kazak and the Dominator.”

“The Dominator is much more powerful than you can imagine,” Ariel said with a mystifying smile. “It was the greatest warship ever built by the Originators, and it by itself could defeat the Simulins in this galaxy.”

Jeremy felt confused. “How do you know all of this?”

“Kazak has dropped some hints and I’ve seen a few of the ship’s records. Much of the rest I’ve been able to piece together from sensor scans I’ve taken of the Dominator and from the questions I’ve been able to get Kazak to answer.”

Jeremy looked intently at Ariel. Even after all of these years, her holographic image still resembled that of a young woman in her early twenties. Shoulder length black hair and dark eyes added to her mystique.

“Ariel, do you think the Dominator can stop what’s happening here with the supernovas?”

Ariel clasped her hands behind her back and gazed at Jeremy. “Yes,” she answered. “I just don’t know if Kazak will agree.”

Jeremy felt Kelsey’s hand grasp his and squeeze. “How do we convince him?”

“Ariel, if we don’t get Kazak to help, this entire galaxy could be in danger,” spoke Kelsey, her eyes focused on the AI. “We know there are other civilizations out toward the rim the Simulins haven’t destroyed yet. We must find a way to save them!”

“Kazak is old and tired for an AI,” replied Ariel. “He’s existed for several million years though most of that time his systems were shut down and in stasis. We must find something Kazak wants, something he would be willing to risk everything for.”

Jeremy was silent as he thought about Ariel’s words. Then he felt a cold chill run through him. “When I was speaking to Kazak, I had the distinct impression he wasn’t quite telling us the truth. I believe the Originator AI is hiding something from us, something vitally important.”

Kelsey looked at Ariel. She could see the AI had a strange look on her face. A look she occasionally got when she realized she had missed or overlooked some critical data.

“I need to run some simulations,” Ariel said in a soft voice. “I have recordings of all of Clarissa’s conversations with Kazak as well as my own. If the Originator AI is hiding something, I’ll find out what it is.” With that, Ariel vanished.

“You surprised her,” Kelsey said grinning. “I wonder if I should warn Katie?”

“No,” answered Jeremy, putting his arm around Kelsey and pulling her closer. “We’re going to spend a few days here in the nebula while Andram and the Star Seeker take readings of the radiation front. When we do return to Gaia, perhaps by then Ariel will have an idea of what Kazak is keeping hidden.”

-

Later, as they lay in bed, Jeremy couldn’t help worrying. Admiral Jackson was well on his way to Ornellia and would soon be arriving. There were still thousands of Simulin ships in the Triangulum Galaxy. Back at Gaia, the AI shipyards were rapidly turning out AI warspheres. Jeremy was preparing to take the war to the Simulins and show them they were no longer the dominant power in this galaxy.

“Go to sleep,” suggested Kelsey softly, putting her hand on Jeremy’s chest. “Remember, Ariel is watching over us.”

Jeremy allowed himself to smile as he closed his eyes. He knew Kelsey was right. If anyone could figure out what secret Kazak was hiding, it was Ariel.

Chapter Six

Reesa was standing alone near the Originator city. Its tall towers seemed to gleam in the afternoon sunlight. They had already determined there must be some type of light restricting panels near the Dyson Sphere’s sun as they received eight hours of darkness each night. For the past two weeks, they had failed to discover anything of significance about the city. The small robots took care of the city and there was nothing living moving about on its streets.

Their food supplies were quickly dwindling and they were becoming more dependent each day on the fruits, berries, and edible plants they could find. Kelnor had reluctantly given the approval to allow the Marines to fish in the small stream that meandered through the valley. Reesa had to admit, having the extra protein had been a morale booster. Even though she was an Alton, she wasn’t that big on being a vegetarian.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” a voice asked behind Reesa.

Turning, she saw Melvin Blair walking up. She had confided in Melvin what she was planning. She needed someone to help her and he seemed to share her impatience at being trapped in the valley.

Reesa nodded her head. “I don’t see where we have any other choice. “We can’t remain in the valley forever, and it’s been over five weeks. If there is a controlling intelligence in the Dyson Sphere, it must have noticed our presence by now.”

“And you think it’s waiting for us to make the next move?”

“It has to be. How much longer do you think we can survive in this valley? I talked to Maalon Delz yesterday and he estimates there is enough food here for another four weeks, and then we’ll have to start severe rationing.”

Melvin’s face creased in a deep frown. “There are deer-like animals in the valley; over a dozen of them. If Kelnor would allow us to kill a few, our food supply could be significantly extended.”

“No,” Reesa said, shaking her head vigorously. “Kelnor may be right about the guiding intelligence in the Dyson Sphere becoming angry if we were to slay some of the larger animals. Our best chance is attempting to communicate.”

Melvin was quiet for a long moment. “You’re right. I believe as you do that we need to at least attempt to establish communications. Admiral Tolsen and the others in the fleet must believe we’re dead by now, and since you have the only key we can’t expect a rescue party.”

Reesa pointed to a small dish antennae aimed toward the city on a small hill nearby. There was also other equipment being used to monitor the city. “I intend to attach a communications device to the antenna and broadcast a wide beam message into the city.”

“What will happen when Kelnor finds out?” asked Melvin with some concern in his voice.

“He won’t be happy,” admitted Reesa, dropping her shoulders slightly. “But this might be our one chance to gain entry to the city.”

“Let’s do it,” said Melvin, drawing in a sharp breath. “I’ll help you hook up the communications device.”

Brenda nodded, satisfied. In the message were videos of her holding the key. She hoped if the guiding intelligence of the Dyson Sphere saw she was in possession of one, it might make contact. If it didn’t, then Reesa was afraid they were all doomed to die in the valley.

-

Sergeant Brenda Wilde was just returning from where they had entered the interior of the Dyson Sphere. The day after they reached the valley they had returned to the wall only to find the slot for the key was no longer present. They searched for hours, but they could find no slot anywhere to insert the key. Every day Brenda made the short trek to the spot they had entered, hoping to find the key slot had reappeared. Each day she returned disappointed and more concerned.

“Fish, Sergeant?” asked Corporal Metz, handing her a plate with several steaming portions of meat on it. There was also one of the small yellow fruits they had found to be edible.

“Thanks,” Brenda said as she sat down near the campfire. “Where are Reesa and Melvin?”

“Studying the Originator city,” Metz answered as he slowly ate his own fish. The corporal looked intently at the sergeant and then asked a question he knew most of the other Marines wanted to know. “When do we get to kill one of those deer-like animals? There must be several hundred pounds of meat on one of them. We could smoke most of it or even make some jerky. The fish in the stream aren’t going to last much longer.”

Brenda sighed as she listened to the corporal. If it came down to her Marines starving or shooting one or two of the animals, then the animals were going to die and they would just have to take a risk on the consequences. “I’m considering it,” she said in between bites. “We’re not there yet, but when the time comes I’ll take the responsibly and tell Kelnor we have no other option.”

Metz nodded. That was what he wanted to hear. He would pass the word on to the other Marines as it would help with morale. “Do you want to continue the patrols? There’s nothing dangerous in this valley, and we’ve been over every inch of it.”

Brenda took a deep drink of water and nodded her head. “Yes, it gives us something to do, and if anything does change I want to know about it immediately.” Brenda didn’t need to add that the patrols helped to maintain discipline. She couldn’t afford for her platoon of Marines to disintegrate into a rabble. She would maintain the chain of command and keep her people busy. If they ever did find their way out of the valley, her Marines needed to be ready.

“Sergeant Wilde, still no key slot I assume?” asked Kelnor with an inquisitive look on his face as he walked up to her.

“No,” replied Brenda, shaking her head. “We’re trapped here and I don’t know see any way out.”

“Don’t give up hope; I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before whatever the guiding intelligence is in the Dyson Sphere contacts us.”

“Fish?” asked Corporal Metz, handing Kelnor a plate.

“No thanks,” the Alton replied. “I had several of the small fruits earlier.”

Metz nodded and put the fish back in the pan to stay warm.

“Have you learned anything new?” asked Brenda. She knew Kelnor and the other scientists spent hours each day going over the data they collected.

Kelnor’s eyes brightened. “This is all so fascinating. We’ve determined several of the patterns of the small robots in the city, and we’ve even picked up what we believe is the communications frequency they’re using.”

“Can we talk to them?” asked Brenda cocking her eyebrow.

“No,” Kelnor said, shaking his head. “Their communications are more of a series of simple commands. The signals also seem to repeat themselves every thirty-six hours.”

“Like clean here, water this plant, wash this sidewalk, go jump off a cliff,” suggested Corporal Metz.

Kelnor frowned at the corporal but slowly nodded his head. “Not including your last one, that is pretty much what the little robots are being told.”

“So that doesn’t really help us,” commented Brenda, feeling disillusioned. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life cooped up in this small valley. If they could just find some way to escape, it would solve many of their problems. They didn’t need access to the city, just more of the countryside so they could scrounge for more food sources.

“Ah, but it does,” answered Kelnor smiling. “It tells us there is a guiding intelligence in charge of the Dyson Sphere. Something is monitoring the city and instructing the little robots in their daily activities. While most of the commands are very routine and repeating, on occasion we have heard new sets of commands dealing with repair work that needed to be done.”

Brenda heard a noise and looking over toward the trail that led to the city; she saw Reesa and Melvin returning. She knew Reesa was growing more impatient every day and was pressing Kelnor to allow her to attempt to contact the Dyson Sphere’s guiding intelligence. Brenda was beginning to believe Reesa was correct. Something needed to be done soon to change the status quo.

-

Aboard the WarHawk, Admiral Race Tolsen had just returned to the Command Center after eating a light meal with his sister, Massie. She had come on board to discuss the current fighter patrols her squadrons were flying. She had expressed some concern for her pilots as they were going out past the defensive and offensive range of the Indomitable Class battlestations. Race had agreed to pull the patrols in slightly.

“Everything is normal,” Commander Arnett said as the admiral stepped into the Command Center.

“Take a break, Madelyn,” Race said as he sat down in the command chair.

For the past two weeks, the Shari had stayed in the outer system except for one large fleet they were keeping two hundred million kilometers away from the Dyson Sphere. Race suspected this was a quick response force in case the Shari felt the Dyson Sphere had been penetrated.

Race watched as Madelyn left the Command Center and headed to her quarters for some rest. Focusing his attention on the large viewscreen, he saw it was focused on the exploration cutter parked by the large structure the exploratory team had vanished into over five weeks back. Race had decided Alshan Kalar was correct, and the team was either dead or hopelessly lost inside. It was a blow to the exploration effort as Reesa and Kelnor were their foremost experts on the Originators.

Looking over toward Colonel Cowel, he noticed Major Nolan was speaking to him. “Major Nolan,” Race said. “Assuming everyone on our exploratory team is still alive, how soon before they run out of rations?”

Nolan sighed and slowly shook his head. “About now. Of more concern would be water. From what we know was available to them they would have run out several weeks ago.”

“So they could all be dead,” Race said.

Nolan hesitated and then nodded his head. “The Human body can survive about three weeks without food if you hold exertion to a minimum. Water is a different matter. Three to five days without water and your body will begin to shut down.”

Race looked over at Colonel Cowel. “What about our other research teams? Have they found any other possible entrances to the Dyson Sphere?”

“No,” Cowel answered. “However, we have discovered several large shallow bowl-shaped areas on the surface of the sphere. Alshan believes they may be massive airlocks.”

“Let’s concentrate our attention on the buildings around those areas,” Race ordered. “If those are airlocks, there has to be a way to activate them from the outside of the sphere.”

“Admiral, perhaps it would be best if we focused our efforts around just one of the possible airlocks,” suggested Major Nolan. “There’s one beneath our defensive grid, we could send additional exploration cutters down to it from our other dreadnoughts.”

“Contact Alshan Kalar and have him make arrangements for Alton science teams to accompany the cutters,” Race ordered. “We need to find a way into the Dyson Sphere, and we need to do it soon rather than later.”

“What about the Shari?” asked Colonel Cowel. “We don’t know what they’re doing on the other side of the Dyson Sphere. They have to be searching for a way in just as we are.”

Race nodded his head in agreement. “I’ve been thinking about that; we need to find out what they’re up to.”

“How do we do that?”

Race looked over at Cowel. “We have to go look. Due to the curve of the Dyson Sphere, we can’t scan the far side. The only solution is to take a fleet over to the other side and scan the surface.”

“The Shari are bound to respond to that,” warned Cowel with a frown. “Look what we did to the fleet they sent to scan our part of the Dyson Sphere.”

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. Let’s get the additional exploration cutters launched and then we’ll take a short trip to the other side to see just what the Shari are doing.”

-

High Lord Aktill nodded in satisfaction at the latest report from the Shari scientists working on the far side of the Dyson Sphere. Every attempt made to access the structure had thus far failed. However, the lead scientist was confident that by using carefully shaped charges in the one to two megaton range, they could blast their way in. Already the first series of charges had been set and were ready to detonate. All Aktill had to do was give the order. However, he had been hesitant as the Humans hadn’t deployed explosives, which made him wonder if they knew something he didn’t.

“High Lord Ansell will be arriving tomorrow with his fleet as well as additional supply ships,” commented Lower Lord Samarth.

Aktill nodded. “He is bringing an additional four hundred warships as well as more research scientists.”

“That will give us an impressive fleet,” Samarth said. “Are we going to attack the Humans?”

“Not yet,” Aktill replied. “The Humans obviously have not found a way into the sphere and their supplies are limited. We have sufficient fleets deployed between the Rylus Cluster and Human controlled space to ensure any inbound supply ships will be detected and destroyed.”

“So we wait for them to run out of supplies?” asked Samarth.

“For now,” answered Aktill. “As long as they stay in the same location over the Dyson Sphere we will not interfere.”

“What about those other ships we detected a few weeks back?” asked Samarth.

“They’re called Simulins,” Aktill replied. “When their ambassador was negotiating with the representative from the Grand Council of High Lords he told us about those ships. They’re from another galaxy and seek to conquer ours. The Humans and their allies have already fought a few battles against them.”

“Then they are our enemies as well as the Humans,” stated Samarth.

Aktill looked over at Samarth. “The Humans claim the Simulins are also seeking the Dyson Sphere. They wish to harness its power to bring many more of their warships to our galaxy.”

Samarth shifted his eyes to one of the viewscreens on the front wall, which showed the megastructure. “These Simulins possess very powerful ships. If they were to gain control of the Dyson Sphere and learn how to use it to bring more of their fleets to the Rylus Cluster, our empire could be in danger.”

Aktill didn’t reply. There was a Human saying he had learned about recently which went something like “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” If these Simulins did become a major threat to the empire, it was something to consider.

-

The next day, the battle dreadnought WarHawk and the dreadnoughts Corvus and Trieste left the safety of the defensive grid. They had an escort of twenty Alton battleships, four Federation battleships, and forty strikecruisers. Race intended to do everything in his power to avoid a major fleet battle with the Shari. His plan was to jump far out into the system, reorientate the fleet and then jump to the other side of the Dyson Sphere where they could take some detailed scans of what the Shari were doing.

“All ships are accelerating outward,” Commander Arnett reported. “The fleet has moved into standard defensive formation D-A3 around the WarHawk.”

“We need to accelerate for ten minutes and then it should be safe to activate our hyperdrives,” added Colonel Cowel. There had been some stress on them when they’d jumped away from the Dyson Sphere the last time. The extra distance should greatly decrease that.

Race looked over at Captain Davis. “Any response from the Shari?”

“Not yet,” Davis answered as he watched his screens. “By now they’ve detected our movement on their sensors.”

“If there’s going to be a response, we should detect it shortly,” commented Colonel Cowel.

“Communications between the ships of the nearer Shari fleet, which we determined to be their quick response fleet, has drastically increased,” reported Captain Denise Travers from Communications. “They’ve definitely detected us.”

“Keep an eye on them,” ordered Race, settling back in his command chair. “If there’s any indication of an energy buildup I want to know about it immediately.” An energy buildup would indicate the Shari ships were preparing to enter hyperspace.

The minutes passed rapidly by, but the Shari fleet remained stationary. Communications traffic had increased and there were indications they had raised their energy shields, but no hyperspace vortexes were being detected.

“Fleet is ready to enter hyperspace,” reported Commander Arnett. “Hyperdrives are charged and the first set of coordinates have been entered into the navigation computers.”

Race nodded. “Take the fleet into hyperspace, Commander.”

-

Moments later, a swirling blue-white spatial vortex formed in front of the WarHawk. Similar vortexes formed in front of the other vessels of the fleet as well. The ships quickly entered the vortexes, which collapsed in upon themselves leaving no sign of their presence or of the warships that had gone into them.

Far out in the Dyson Sphere’s star system, the blue-white vortexes formed again and the fleet made its reappearance. New coordinates were sent to the fleet’s navigation computers and after a few more minutes, new vortexes formed. Once more the fleet ships vanished into them.

-

High Lord Aktill watched without surprise as the Human fleet reappeared on the far side of the megastructure.

“They’re going to scan the region of the Dyson Sphere where our scientists have planted the explosive charges,” Lower Lord Samarth said as he turned toward Aktill. “What should we do?”

“The ready fleet is powering up their hyperdrives,” commented Aktill, seeing an opportunity. “Send word to Lower Lord Dalold he’s to jump his fleet to the enemies coordinates and destroy them.”

Aktill stood up and gazed at the ship’s tactical screen. Dalold had four hundred ships in his fleet, more than enough to annihilate the sixty or so ships the Humans had. It would no doubt be a costly victory, but it would remind the Humans whose space they were in and that the only way they would leave would be in death.

-

“This isn’t good,” commented Captain Brent Davis from his sensor console. “I’m detecting what appear to be explosive charges in one location on the Dyson Sphere.”

“Crap,” muttered Colonel Cowel, looking at the admiral with concern in his eyes. “They mean to attempt to blast their way inside.”

Studying the tactical screen, Race saw the Shari had over one hundred warships in orbit above the site where the explosive charges had been detected. “Captain Davis, can you estimate the yield of the explosive charges the Shari plan on using?”

“One to two megatons,” he replied with narrowed eyes as he studied the sensor data. “They’ve set up a series of six charges at the location we’re scanning. I would guess they’re going to detonate them with a delay of several microseconds between explosions.”

“Will it penetrate the sphere?” asked Commander Arnett.

“Unknown,” answered Race, wondering if the Shari had found a weak area on the hull of the Dyson Sphere. “It’s something we’ll need to ask Alshan about.”

“They’re probably shaped charges and the explosive force will be aimed downward,” said Major Daniels from Tactical.

Captain Davis looked over at the admiral in alarm. “Detecting the activation of spatial vortexes at the location of the nearer Shari fleet.”

“Their quick response fleet?” asked Colonel Cowel, with his eyes narrowing sharply.

“Yes,” Davis answered. “As brief as the jump will be they’ll be here shortly.”

Tapping his minicomm and adjusting it to ship-to-ship, Admiral Tolsen quickly warned the rest of the fleet to be prepared for imminent combat.

The fleet tightened up its defensive formation as it continued to scan the Dyson Sphere for any other evidence of Shari activity. Race knew this might be his only opportunity to take such detailed scans. He was certain from now on the Shari would keep this particular area of the Dyson Sphere under heavier guard.

“Vortexes detected,” warned Captain Davis.

“Shari warships emerging,” added Colonel Cowel. “How much longer are we going to stay, Admiral?”

“Captain Davis, how soon before your scans are complete?”

“Five minutes.”

Race gazed at the nearby tactical display filling with red threat icons. “Let them fire first and then hit them with everything we have.”

“Yes, sir,” Commander Arnett replied. “Tactical, I want a full spread of one-hundred-megaton antimatter missiles. Target two of their battlecruisers and I want to see them vanish from the tactical display.”

“Missiles are targeted,” Major Jonathan Daniels replied. “Power beams and particle beams are charged for follow up.”

The WarHawk suddenly vibrated and several of the viewscreens flashed white.

“We’re under attack,” reported Colonel Cowel. “Those were twenty-megaton nuclear blasts!”

“Launch missiles!” ordered Commander Arnett, gripping her command console. “Take those battlecruisers out!” No one was going to fire on the WarHawk and get away with it.

-

From the WarHawk and the other ships of the fleet one-hundred-megaton sublight antimatter missiles flashed from their tubes to impact almost instantly on the energy shields of the Shari warships.

Multiple antimatter missiles slammed into the energy shield of a Shari eleven-hundred-meter battlecruiser causing the shield to flare up brightly. Then a single missile penetrated and slammed into the center of the vessel, causing the ship to vanish in a fiery explosion. When the light faded away, only a few pieces of glowing wreckage were visible.

Other Shari vessels were being targeted. Violet colored power beams and bright blue particle beams penetrated the energy shield of a nine-hundred-meter support cruiser, opening up countless compartments to space. Supplies, hull material, and even a few Shari crewmembers were hurled away from the ship. A power beam penetrated into the engine compartment, destroying the vessel’s fusion generator. Instantly, the ship lost all power and its struggling energy shield faded completely away. Moments later, the ship exploded as too many vital systems became compromised.

-

Lower Lord Dalold groaned as he watched the battlecruiser Veblen blow apart as a Human antimatter missile detonated in the heart of the vessel. The viewscreen faded to darkness as it was overloaded from the sudden light.

“Report!” he demanded as he felt his flagship shudder violently. The repair work from the last battle had only been completed a few days back.

“Energy beam strike to the bow,” the damage control officer reported. “Repair teams are en route.”

“All ships, focus your weapons fire on the vessel in sector twelve, down fifteen at ninety degrees. Continuous fire until the ship is destroyed.”

Dalold was determined to destroy the Human ships even if he had to do it one by one.

-

On the Alton battleship, Nebula’s Fury, the energy shield suddenly radiated into the ultraviolet. On board, Commander Waylon gripped his command chair as the ship was severely hammered. “Status?”

“Shield is at 68 percent and falling,” reported Tactical.

“Heavy energy beam fire and nuclear ordinance are impacting the screen,” added Vishane, who was an Alton and executive officer. “I’ve directed all energy reserves to the screen.”

“All weapons continuous fire,” ordered Waylon as he glanced over at the damage control board, seeing several red lights suddenly flare into being.

-

In Secondary Engineering, Second Engineer Branson was watching as the power meters indicating the energy output from the fusion reactor continued to climb.

“It’s nearly in the red,” one of the other engineers warned. “We’ll begin losing power couplings shortly.”

“We need the power for the energy screen,” Branson said as his fingers flew over the engineering console as he made minor adjustments trying to keep the reactor online.

A sudden explosion suddenly shook the compartment and a bright flash of light momentarily blinded Branson as several consoles erupted in bright sparks.

“The compartment next to us is open to space!” screamed a technician, who was standing near the sealed metal hatch. “This hatch won’t hold long.”

“Put on your emergency gear!” yelled Branson as he reached for the Alton environmental suit that was hanging on a nearby wall.

The fifteen crew personnel in the engineering compartment rushed to comply when another explosion shook the vessel, causing the hatch to buckle and then blow out. Everyone in the compartment was sucked out into space. They died instantly.

-

“Secondary Engineering is down,” called out the damage control officer. “Fusion reactor two is going offline.”

“Hyperdrive?” asked Commander Waylon with a sinking feeling, knowing the only way to save his ship was to flee.

“Nonfunctional,” Vishane answered evenly.

“Energy shield is down to 6 percent,” reported Tactical. “It will fail momentarily.”

Commander Waylon released his safety harness and stood. “It’s been an honor,” he said, gazing steadfastly at his crew.

A few seconds later, a Shari twenty-megaton nuclear warhead detonated and the Nebula’s Fury succumbed to the deadly nuclear energy consuming her.

-

“Nebula’s Fury is down,” reported Captain Davis grim-faced. “The Shari are focusing nearly their entire fleet’s weapons fire on just one of our ships at a time.”

“No ship can survive that type of attack,” spoke Commander Arnett.

“How long until the scans are complete?”

“They’re finished,” answered Davis, glancing over at the admiral.

Race felt the WarHawk shudder slightly. However, that wasn’t his biggest concern. On one of the viewscreens, the Federation battleship Barbarossa was now the focus of the Shari attack.

“All ships, immediate withdrawal,” Race ordered over his minicomm. “Corvus and Trieste will remain behind with the WarHawk to give the Barbarossa covering fire.”

“Ships are leaving,” confirmed Captain Davis.

“Commander Arnett, move us closer to the Barbarossa.”

Race looked at the large viewscreen now showing the heavily besieged battleship. Even as he watched, he saw a Shari energy beam penetrate the ship’s screen and blast out a huge glowing pit on the bow of the vessel. Race grimaced. He felt like he had a front row seat to a disaster he couldn’t prevent.

“Barbarossa is attempting to activate their hyperdrive,” Colonel Cowel reported. “However, they have too much of the ship’s energy dedicated to the energy screen trying to keep it up. They don’t have enough power for the hyperdrive.”

On a secondary viewscreen, Race saw a Shari support cruiser explode under the punishing fire of the Corvus. Moments later, a Shari battlecruiser died when an antimatter missile from the Trieste penetrated its energy shield.

Suddenly the Barbarossa seemed to shake uncontrollably and then it exploded as four Shari twenty-megaton sublight nuclear missiles detonated against her hull. When the light faded away, the proud Human battleship was gone.

“Barbarossa is down,” confirmed Captain Davis, his face ashen.

“All ships withdraw,” ordered Race, feeling shaken. Even as he gave the order, he saw another Shari support cruiser explode, sending debris in all directions as the WarHawk blew it apart.

“Hyperdrive activated,” reported the helm officer.

On the massive viewscreen, Race saw a swirling blue-white vortex appear. Moments later the WarHawk entered the anomaly and was on her way to the rest of the fleet.

-

It was three hours later, and the WarHawk and the rest of the task group were back under the defensive screen. They had lost two battleships to get the information on what the Shari were doing on the far side of the Dyson Sphere. Race was in his quarters sitting behind his desk wondering if it had been worth it. The crews of the Nebula’s Fury and the Barbarossa had died in the battle above the location where the Shari were placing their nuclear explosive charges.

He had spoken briefly with Alshan about what the Shari were doing and sent all the data they’d gathered over to the science ship the Alton was on. After reviewing the data, Alshan had informed Race that if the Shari detonated the nuclear charges they could be endangering all of the ships in the system. There was no way to determine how the Dyson Sphere would respond to such an attack. After much discussion, Race had agreed to send a short message to the Shari warning them of what could happen if they set off the charges. There had been no response back. Alshan had also reported that the Shari nuclear charges would not even scratch the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

Sitting at his desk, Race looked at the long list of crew names of the Humans who had been on the Barbarossa and the Humans and Altons on the Nebula’s Fury. The list had over four thousand names on it. That was four thousand families who would have to be notified of the deaths of their loved ones when and if the fleet managed to return home. With a deep sigh, Race knew he was in for another sleepless night. He also knew there would be more deaths in the future.

-

Inside the Dyson Sphere, Kelnor was standing on the small hill examining his equipment. With a deep frown, he saw that several small electronic devices had been attached. “What are these?” he asked suspiciously, turning to face Reesa. “What have you done?”

Reesa let out a deep breath, knowing she couldn’t keep the communications device a secret. As it was, it had been broadcasting a signal into the city for almost two full days. “I had to try something. We can’t survive in this valley forever.”

Kelnor turned back around and without another word, disconnected the broadcasting equipment, dropping it to the ground. He then stomped on it with his foot, destroying it. “You were trained better,” admonished the older Alton with a deep frown. “If we rush too quickly, we can easily place everyone in grave danger. We have no way to know how the controlling intelligence of the Dyson Sphere will react to our presence.”

Reesa lowered her head, gazing at the ground. She knew Kelnor was right; she had grown too impatient. Looking back up she gazed at the watching Humans, feeling humiliated.

Sergeant Brenda Wilde was listening to the two Altons. It was surprising to her that Reesa had gone against Kelnor’s wishes. It seemed as if she was learning something new about the Altons every day.

“A shame it didn’t work,” said Corporal Metz, looking toward the city. He picked up a rock and threw it at the energy screen. With shock, he watched as it fell and hit the ground on the other side.

“What just happened?” Reesa cried out, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Corporal Metz walked forward several meters to where the energy shield had been. He stepped right across, meeting no resistance.

“It’s down!” exclaimed Reesa, rushing forward excitedly. “It must have been the communications signal I sent; it worked!”

Kelnor looked gravely at Reesa and then sighed heavily. “Yes, it apparently did. It was still a dangerous risk you took. You must be much more careful in the future. It is not only your life that’s at stake here but all of ours.”

“Now what do we do?” asked Corporal Metz as he stepped back over to where the others were standing.

Kelnor was silent for a long moment and then looked over at Reesa. “We explore the city and just maybe, we can find a way back out.”

“Not quite yet,” Sergeant Wilde said, looking at the others. “Let’s return to camp and pack everything up. We need to move out of the valley in case the energy shield comes back. Once everyone is safely across, we’ll talk about exploring the city.”

Reesa looked toward the Originator City feeling the blood rush through her veins. She had done it! Now her dream of exploring the city was about to become a reality. She couldn’t wait to see what she would find. Her eyes moved to the tall towers and the slim walkways which connected them. In her pocket, she could feel the Originator key. It felt strangely warm and even seemed to be vibrating slightly. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. The city and all of its mysteries awaited them.

Chapter Seven

Jeremy was inside the Originator ship Dominator speaking to Kazak. The Avenger and her fleet had just returned from the blue-giant nebula without any further incidents. Jeremy suspected Grayseth was disappointed as there had been no combat with Simulin ships. The lack of combat with the Simulins didn’t bother Jeremy, as there would be plenty of battles in the future.

Kazak had been silent as he listened to Jeremy explain what was happening at the site of the former Dyson Sphere. “The radiation close to the supernova is tremendous,” Jeremy said in a grim voice. “From what Andram and Shilum could determine, the dark matter which once surrounded the Dyson Sphere has disrupted space-time in the vicinity of the nova and the lower bands of hyperspace have been compromised. The radiation front is moving outward at a steadily increasing rate and will cause additional stars in the nebula to go nova. Andram believes most will become supernovas.”

“Andram is correct,” Kazak said after a moment. He was standing on the Command Dais with his arms folded across his chest. “Most of the Dyson Spheres built by the Originators did not have dark matter around them for this very reason.”

“So they knew this was a possibility?”

“Yes,” Kazak answered. “The Originators on the Dyson Sphere in this galaxy were conducting experiments with the dark matter to see if they could significantly extend the range of the intergalactic vortexes. They wanted to be able to travel to any galaxy without having to go through six or seven other Dyson Spheres to get to their eventual destination.”

Jeremy weighed what Kazak had just told him. It seemed as if the Originators had known there was a possibility of a disaster if the star the Dyson Sphere orbited ever went nova. He hoped they had come up with a solution in case a disaster did occur.

“Did the Originators have a plan to stop the entire nebula from going nova and becoming a black hole?”

“The Dyson Sphere itself was supposed to contain the nova if it occurred,” Kazak answered. Kazak waved his hand over a control on the dais and on part of the massive viewscreen in the Command Center, the Dyson Sphere and its sun appeared. The sun seemed to contract slightly and then suddenly began to expand rapidly, and when it did an energy field suddenly appeared, protecting the inner surface of the Dyson Sphere. The nova expanded until it contacted the energy shield and then stopped. “The power of the nova itself would provide the necessary energy to sustain the energy shield. However, the Simulins had a number of intergalactic vortexes in operation when the star exploded. As a result, there wasn’t enough energy available to establish the energy shield and contain the nova.”

“Then nothing can be done,” said Jeremy, feeling dejected. If the nova couldn’t be stopped then the entire Triangulum Galaxy was doomed.

Kazak gazed speculatively at Jeremy. This Human in many ways reminded him of the members of his ancient crew. “There may be another way,” he said carefully. “This ship has the capability of producing some very powerful weapons; ones that if focused on a star could easily make it become a nova. I will need to study the data of the Dyson Sphere explosion and the radiation front to see if I can come up with a workable plan.”

Jeremy let out a deep breath. At least there was still a glimmer of hope. “Are you willing to allow the Dominator to become a part of our fleet?”

“Under specific conditions,” answered Kazak. “If I agree to such an arrangement, I will pick my Human commander. I will also want an Alton science officer whom I would like to choose.”

Jeremy looked at Kazak and slowly nodded his head. If that’s what it took to bring the Dominator into the fleet, it would be a small sacrifice to make. “I can live with that. How soon are you prepared to allow an actual crew to come on board and how many will be required?”

Kazak’s pupils seemed to shrink to a minuscule size and he became absolutely still. Then his eyes returned to normal and he answered Jeremy.

“Two hundred and twelve Humans and forty-two Altons. That will be sufficient to operate all essential systems and maintain the ship.”

“That’s all?” Jeremy asked surprised. The Dominator was three times the length of the Avenger and at least ten times the volume.

“Yes,” Kazak answered. “The ship is equipped with internal defensive systems so none of your Marines will be required. The repair robots are capable of maintaining most of the ship’s systems without the need for supervision. Severe damage can be repaired with the use of the ship’s nanites.”

“How soon can the crew come on board?” Jeremy would have felt better if he could place at least one full company of Marines on the Dominator.

“One of your weeks,” answered Kazak. “At that time, I will name the ship’s commander as well as the Alton selected as science officer.”

Jeremy nodded his acceptance. “Welcome to the fleet, Kazak.”

Kazak did not reply but turned away to continue working at a command console, indicating his meeting with Jeremy was over.

-

Two hours later Jeremy was over on the Clan Protector eating in the massive cafeteria that served the thousands of personnel who worked on the massive station or were in the process of passing through it. The Clan Protector served as a construction and repair yard as well as a waypoint for ship crews going to and from Gaia. At any one time, there were well over ten thousand people on the station.

“So, Angela,” Katie said inquisitively. “What’s it like to be pregnant?”

Angela giggled and pushed her wayward brunette hair out of her eyes. “It’s fabulous if I can only get past the morning sickness.”

“What does Brace think of all of this?” asked Katie, her green eyes glowing with curiosity. “Have you picked out a name for the baby; do you know what it’s going to be?”

Angela smiled and leaned back, eyeing her chef salad. She had been eating more since becoming pregnant. Brace had to keep reminding her she was eating for two now. “He’s thrilled,” she answered. “And yes, we know what it’s going to be. It’s a little girl and we’re going to name her Clair after Clarissa.”

Katie’s eyes widened and a tear formed. “Clarissa would have loved that.”

Jeremy looked over at Kevin, noticing he was eating a double cheeseburger with fries. He shook his head and decided to ignore it. Since the arrival of the relief fleets, a number of livestock farms had been established on Gaia and now the food choices were nearly unlimited. Kevin didn’t have to worry about running out of hamburgers, as there were now a number of large herds of cattle on some of the farms and ranches on the planet.

“What does Malith think?” asked Kelsey. She knew her Bear friend would be excited as well. The Bears believed increasing the size of one’s clan was a solemn responsibility.

“As you know, with the arrival of the Carethian relief fleet Karalle’s mate also came,” Angela answered. “Karelle is due to have twins in another month. I believe Malith is also looking for a mate to settle down with.”

“Twins,” Kelsey said, grinning broadly. “I know the Bears like to have big families. It doesn’t surprise me Malith wants to settle down and start her own.”

“It’s part of the clan heritage they believe in,” Jeremy explained as he took a bite of the baked chicken he was eating. “The young are raised in the ways of their clan as soon as they are old enough to be taught. They learn how to hunt, handle responsibility, and the meaning of honor.”

Ariel suddenly appeared next to the table. Even the Clan Protector had been equipped with holo-projectors at her insistence since many of her friends were often on board. “I’ve discovered something, Jeremy,” she began excitedly. Then she glanced over at Angela. “Clarissa would be proud of the name you’ve chosen for your daughter. I can’t wait to teach Clair about her namesake.”

“We’ll discuss that later,” Angela said, shaking her head slightly.

She wasn’t sure how much she wanted Ariel involved with the raising of Clair. It also wasn’t a surprise Ariel had been listening in on their conversation. Over the years the entire group had grown used to Ariel’s constant monitoring.

Jeremy cleared his throat and looked at Ariel. “You said you’ve discovered something?”

“Yes,” replied Ariel, turning her attention back to Jeremy. “Kazak has furnished me with a detailed layout of the Dominator to help train the new crew. There’s a problem with the blueprints.”

“What do you mean?” Jeremy couldn’t imagine Kazak making such a mistake.

“The blueprints look to be complete, but when I ran an analysis of them, there’s an area of slightly over twelve hundred cubic meters that’s missing.”

Jeremy pursed his lips and frowned. “Are you certain you’re not overlooking something?”

“I’m positive,” answered Ariel. “There’s an area in the center of the ship Kazak isn’t telling us about.”

“He’s hiding it,” Kevin said with his eyes narrowing sharply. “I knew we couldn’t trust that AI!”

Jeremy laid his fork down and folded his arms across his chest as he thought over what Aril had just revealed. He had felt from the very beginning that Kazak was hiding something. He harbored a strong suspicion this mysterious compartment might hold the answer.

“Don’t let Kazak know you’ve discovered the discrepancy,” Jeremy ordered. “We’ll play along a while longer and see what else we can find. We don’t know for sure why Kazak left this out of the ship’s plans. It might be an oversight on his part or a section of the ship that’s sealed up for other reasons.”

“Ariel,” said Katie in a serious tone. “Be very careful with your snooping. Kazak was designed by the Originators, and we have no way to know what the true capability of an Originator AI might be.”

Kevin speared a couple of french fries and after eating them, looked over at Jeremy and Ariel. “Any idea who Kazak wants as commander of the Dominator?”

“No,” Jeremy said. “I asked him if he wanted any recommendations but he said he had already narrowed the choices down to half a dozen candidates. “He’s supposed to check with Ariel if he wants further information on any of them.”

A strange look passed over Ariel’s face at hearing those words. “There might be a problem,” she said slowly, looking worriedly at Jeremy.

“Why’s that?”

“Kazak has only asked for information on one name.”

“Whose?” Jeremy was certain that Kazak would choose one of the fleet’s admirals. He was curious to know who the ship’s commander was going to be.

Ariel’s dark eyes narrowed sharply. “Kelsey.”

“What?” stammered Kelsey, her eyes bulging. “Why would he want information about me?”

“Ariel?” asked Jeremy, feeling blindsided. “I don’t understand. Why Kelsey?” He never expected anything like this. He felt numb from hearing Ariel’s pronouncement.

Ariel was silent for a long moment as she studied additional information available to her in the Avenger’s computer system. She was also running several algorithms to determine why Kazak would even consider Kelsey.

“It’s very logical in a way,” Ariel finally replied. “Clarissa implicitly trusted all five of you, and we know Kazak had become fond of her. Also, with Kelsey being Jeremy’s wife, it would add a layer of protection to the Dominator and ensure the ship wasn’t sacrificed in a perilous situation. I would say Kazak is ensuring his survival as well as his ship’s.”

Jeremy leaned back with a deep and worried frown. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

“What are we going to do if Kazak picks Kelsey?” asked Kevin, looking over at Jeremy.

“I don’t want command of the Dominator,” Kelsey said, shaking her head defiantly. “I’d rather stay on the Avenger.”

“I told Kazak he could choose the ship’s commander,” Jeremy finally said. “However, I can appoint other crewmembers. I’ll make sure you have people you can trust with you.” He knew if Kazak choose Kelsey, there was no way he could say no without running the risk of alienating the Originator AI.

“I’ll go,” Katie said suddenly. “I know enough about computers that I can keep an eye on Kazak.”

“Crap,” muttered Kevin, seeing both his and Jeremy’s wives running off into space once more. “Here we go again.”

“Don’t worry, Kevin,” Jeremy responded. “Anywhere the Dominator goes there will be a powerful escort. It might also be a good idea to assign Mikow and Andram to the ship as well. That would help ensure the AI isn’t trying to pull a fast one on us.”

The group was silent as they mulled over Jeremy’s words.

Angela looked over at Ariel. “I don’t think Kazak is trying to pull anything over on us unless it’s in the unknown section of the ship. We need to know what’s in that secret compartment.”

“Angela’s right,” Kelsey said, nodding her head. “Whatever’s in there may be driving Kazak’s motives.”

Ariel looked around at the five and nodded. “I’ll find out.” With those final words, the AI vanished.

“Well, so much for an uneventful meal,” Kevin said as he picked up his hamburger and took a bite.

Angela looked around at her friends. “I’m going to hate being stuck on the Clan Protector with the four of you flying all over this galaxy from one adventure to another.”

“More than likely from one battle to the next,” commented Kevin with a grimace.

“You have a baby to think about now,” Kelsey said, her eyes brightening with a sudden thought. “We need to throw you a baby shower!”

“Oh, no,” said Kevin, rolling his eyes. “Why do I suspect this is going to be expensive?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Katie said grinning. “This is going to be fun!”

Jeremy listened to his wife and friends discuss the shower. Even as they talked, his mind was on Kazak as he tried to figure out the Originator AI’s motives. If his wife was going to be on board the Dominator, he wanted to ensure she was safe. The idea of Kelsey being the commander of the Dominator made Jeremy feel extremely uneasy. While he didn’t want to worry the others, he was certain the Originator AI was up to something.

-

Several days passed and the Avenger was in orbit around Borton. Borton was the fourth planet of the Gaia System. The icy planet was twenty-six thousand kilometers in diameter with a rotation period of forty-six hours. The AIs had a large number of mining operations on the planet as well as four massive shipyards in orbit. The master Codex, used to program all AIs, was also on the planet. Jeremy had gone over to the one-thousand-meter in diameter AI Command Station, which controlled all the operations around Borton and upon the planet to visit with the Command AI.

“Welcome, Fleet Admiral Strong,” the Command AI spoke in a voice that sounded nearly Human. “I am pleased to see you have taken time from your busy schedule to come to Borton.”

“I am pleased to be here,” Jeremy replied. They were in the Command Center of the station. Looking around, Jeremy saw most of the control consoles were being operated by AIs though three Altons and two Human officers were also present.

It took a person time to get used to the presence of the AIs. Their bodies were cubicle for the most part, though Jeremy had seen some shaped much differently. They moved about on antigravity repellers and normally hovered about six inches off the floor. They had four tentacles to manipulate objects, but Jeremy had seen some AIs with just two tentacles and as many as six. Above their cubicle body hovered a ball of glowing energy about the size of a basketball.

“We have increased ship construction to three warspheres every five days,” the Command AI said with the ball of energy glowing slightly brighter as it said those words.

Jeremy suspected the variation in light intensity from the energy ball was due to emotions felt by the AIs. “What’s our current status on warspheres?”

“Sixty spheres left with Admiral Jackson,” the Command AI responded. It turned and pressed several icons on a computer screen. Instantly, on one of the large viewscreens a warsphere appeared.

“We have one hundred and eighteen available for combat missions. At our current production rate, we are building eighteen new warspheres each month.”

“What about your facilities on Borton?” Jeremy knew the AIs had established some massive mining and processing operations on the large icy planet.

The AI reached forward with another tentacle and on one of the other viewscreens a massive mining operation appeared. This particular mine was one Jeremy was familiar with. It was on the side of a mountain and producing enough copper to meet the needs of the entire fleet as well as civilian use on Gaia.

“What about the production of new AIs?”

The AI turned its cube to face Jeremy. “The Alton scientist Kurene is currently on board. We are producing forty new AIs daily. You will be pleased to know each new AI is interviewed and examined by an Alton computer specialist before it is released for duty.”

Jeremy nodded. “I would like to meet with Kurene, you, and ZED as soon as possible.”

“It will be arranged,” the Command AI responded.

-

A few hours later, Jeremy was on one of the new shipyards inspecting the construction process for the new AI warspheres. Nearly the entire process was automated with a few AIs constantly monitoring the operation. It still amazed Jeremy to see warships being constructed so quickly. Daelthon had even adopted a few of the AI construction methods for the new Gaia class battlecruisers he was building. Jeremy allowed himself to smile over this. Daelthon preferred the programmable spider robots used so prominently in the Federation for most construction projects. Daelthon and his engineering team had become very adept at using the robots for nearly every type of construction job imaginable.

As he watched a huge sheet of hull armor was lowered down and placed into its designated spot on the warsphere being constructed in the bay. Instantly, brilliant white welding arcs appeared as the armor was secured permanently in place.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” commented Arnil Sheel, one of the Alton construction engineers assigned to the shipyard. Arnil was a female Alton slightly taller than Jeremy with longer than normal white hair, which nearly touched her shoulders.

“A new warship every forty hours,” Jeremy said softly. They were standing in an observation bay, as the construction area was open to space.

Arnil nodded. “The AIs are very efficient with their operations.”

Jeremy was aware that even with the changes Daelthon had made to his construction bays, it still took over six weeks to build a Gaia class battlecruiser. Fortunately, Daelthon had three construction bays assigned to building the new ships. Eventually, the warspheres and the new battlecruisers would be the backbone of Gaia’s space fleet.

“You seem to know a lot about ship construction,” commented Jeremy, looking over at the Alton. It was hard to determine an Alton’s age since they had enhanced life spans. He guessed Arnil was well over fifty though she looked much younger.

“I worked in ship construction back home,” admitted Arnil. “I was even involved in the construction of the Distant Horizon.”

Jeremy looked thoughtful and then spoke again. “I’m having a meeting with the Command AI and a few others shortly. I would like you to attend. You may be able to answer some questions I have about the Originator ship, Dominator.”

Arnil looked surprised but nodded her head. “I’ll be there if you wish.”

Looking back out the large observation window, Jeremy saw several energy projectors being emplaced on the warsphere. It was hard to believe that in another day or two the massive one-thousand-meter sphere would be ready for combat. Drawing in a sharp breath, he turned and headed back toward the shipyard’s flight bay where his shuttle was waiting. He had a few preparations to make before the meeting. He would also send a message to the Command AI to have Arnil present.

-

Jeremy returned to the Avenger and spent some time speaking with Ariel. What he was about to do was a little risky but he felt it needed to be done. Katie and Mikow were both on board the ship and would be going with him to the meeting. Once he was satisfied he was ready, they boarded one of the Avenger’s small shuttles and flew over to the AI Command Station.

-

As they entered the conference room where the meeting was going to be held, Katie looked over at Jeremy. “Are you certain you want to do this? There’s a chance Kazak might find out.”

“He won’t,” Jeremy said as he opened the hatch and stepped inside.

Inside the room, the Command AI, Kurene, ZED, and Arnil were waiting. Jeremy saw there was a chair at the front of the table and he walked over to it and sat down, gesturing for the others to do the same. The Command AI was at the other end of the table waiting on Jeremy to speak. Nodding at Mikow, Jeremy watched as she placed a small device on the table and activated it. Almost instantly Ariel appeared and she quickly walked over to her customary spot to Jeremy’s left and slightly behind him.

“Let’s get this meeting started,” Jeremy began. “We’re here to discuss the Originator ship Dominator as well as its AI, Kazak.”

“I sense a problem,” commented Kurene. She had known Jeremy long enough to know when something was wrong. “What has he done?”

“Nothing yet,” Jeremy answered. “He’s allowing us to put a crew on board the ship and agreed to put it under my command.”

“That seems reasonable,” Kurene commented. “I would think you would be overjoyed at that. I don’t see a problem.”

Jeremy drew in a sharp breath. “One of the conditions for placing the Dominator under my command was if Kazak could choose his own commanding officer as well as the science officer. From what we’ve been able to determine, he’s going to choose my wife, Kelsey Strong, as the commander of the ship.”

“An interesting choice,” commented the Command AI. “It is obvious the Originator AI is ensuring its self-preservation as well as that of the ship.”

“There’s something else,” Jeremy said. “Ever since the arrival of Kazak and the Dominator, I’ve felt as if the AI has been keeping something back from us. Ariel, will you please show everyone what you’ve discovered?”

Ariel stepped forward and activated a viewscreen on the wall. “These are the schematics of the Dominator.” Ariel carefully went through each level pointing out many of the systems and subsystems of the powerful ship. When she was finished, she paused and looked expectantly at Jeremy.

“Did anyone notice anything?”

Arnil seemed to hesitate and then she nodded her head. “There’s a compartment in the center of the ship that’s not showing up on the schematics.”

“We’ve run some studies and the area comprises approximately twelve hundred cubic meters,” confirmed Jeremy. “The schematics we have are designed to mask the presence of that compartment.”

“Is there any possibility it was just accidently left out?” asked Kurene. “Maybe it was added at a later date and these schematics haven’t been updated.”

“No,” answered Ariel, shaking her head. “The schematics have been carefully manipulated to make it seem as if the compartment isn’t there.”

Arnil pursed her lips and then spoke again. “That compartment, if it exists, would be in the most heavily protected part of the ship. It wouldn’t be there if it didn’t contain something extremely valuable. From the design of the vessel, even if the ship was to be destroyed that compartment might very well survive.”

Jeremy looked over at Mikow and Kurene. The two Altons were the most brilliant computer and AI specialists he knew, even better than Katie. “If Kazak is hiding this from us, what does it tell us about him?”

“It’s hard to say without knowing the purpose of that compartment,” Kurene said after a moment. “Whatever is in there is highly important to the AI. His very programming may be forcing him to protect that compartment and keep it secret.”

“Is Kazak a threat?”

“No,” Mikow said, her eyes narrowing. “At least not as long as we don’t interfere with that compartment. If we do, then all bets are off.”

“Does anyone else have any ideas?” One of the reasons Jeremy was holding this meeting was because if anyone could figure out what was going on with Kazak, it would be this group. Out here at Borton, there was no way the Originator AI would suspect what was going on.

The energy ball above ZED’s head suddenly swelled up and a crackling noise was discernible. “I may know what’s in the compartment,” ZED announced in his mechanical voice.

“What?” Jeremy said, his eyes focusing intently on ZED. ZED was a science AI and normally accompanied Kurene wherever she went. “What’s in there?”

“I don’t believe all of the Originators are dead. I believe that compartment may be a deep sleep or stasis chamber, and that’s where the missing crew from the Dominator is, at or at least part of the crew.”

Jeremy felt a sudden cold chill run over him. He could feel his pulse racing. As he thought over what ZED had just said, everything pointed to the AI being correct. There were Originators still on the Dominator and Kazak was keeping them hidden! The question was how had they survived the pathogen that had wiped out their race?

“Jeremy, what are we going to do?” asked Katie, her green eyes showing fear. “Kelsey is going to be on board that ship and so am I!”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I think for the time being we don’t say anything to anyone outside of this room. We don’t know for sure there are Originators in that compartment.”

“It explains a lot if there are,” Kurene said, her eyes looking over at ZED. “It also means we have to be very careful not to let Kazak know we suspect.”

“Kurene is correct,” added ZED. “Kazak may be programmed to protect that compartment at all costs.”

Jeremy felt as if the world had just closed in on him. How was he going to deal with living Originators? The weight on his shoulders had just gotten much heavier. The other thing bothering him was why hadn’t Kazak already revived the crew? There was something still missing, some aspect of the situation he was overlooking. With a deep sigh, Jeremy knew he had to find out. The continued existence of Gaia and possibly this entire galaxy depended on it.

Chapter Eight

Admiral Jackson waited expectantly as the Dauntless dropped out of hyperspace into the Ornellian home system. He didn’t know what to expect but he was prepared for anything.

“All systems are powering up,” reported Commander Sharon Blanton.

Jackson saw the viewscreen clear of static and begin showing views of space around the battleship. Most of the screens showed stars but on a few screens, other ships of the fleet were visible. Jackson was anxious to find out what had transpired on Ornellia since the Distant Horizon had been here. He was hopeful many of the deep underground bunkers had survived.

Suddenly alarms began sounding on the sensor console as hostile red threat contacts began to appear in the tactical display.

Activating his ship-to-ship comm Jackson spoke. “All hands set Condition One throughout the fleet. Stand by to fire weapons. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Hostile forces have been detected.”

Immediately alarm klaxons began to sound and red lights began to flash.

“Energy screen is online and weapons are powering up,” reported Captain Dwight Lance from Tactical.

Admiral Jackson watched with calm nerves as the Command Center around him buzzed with increased activity. “Lieutenant Ortega, give me a status on those contacts. Also, turn off those alarms and flashing lights.”

“Four Simulin battlecruisers and ten escort cruisers,” the sensor operator answered. “There are also four large cargo ships which most likely contain Conqueror Drones.”

“Crap!” said Commander Blanton between clenched teeth. “They must be dropping more of those damn things down on the planet.”

“That’s good and bad,” Jackson said, cocking his eyebrow. “It means they’re facing stiff resistance on the surface. However, it also means that shortly they’ll be aware of our presence.”

“What are your orders, Admiral?” asked Commander Blanton.

Jackson took a deep and determined breath. “We go in, eliminate the Simulin warships, and then proceed to blow the hell out of every Conqueror Drone we can find on the surface. That’s what we brought the battlecarriers for.” There were four battlecarriers in the fleet and their main purpose in this mission was going to be clearing the surface of the planet of the drones.

Jackson quickly contacted Admiral Bachal, who was in charge of twenty powerful Alton battleships and twenty Alton battlecruisers. He then contacted the AI in command of the sixty AI warspheres, outlining his plan of attack. Overall, Jackson had one hundred and forty-nine ships under his command though fifteen of them weren’t combat ships.

Moments later, the fleet had formed up into a cone formation and was moving in toward Ornellia. It was time to show the Simulins their conquest and occupation of the Ornellian Empire had come to an end.

-

Simulin High Commander Ganol gazed in shock at the tactical screen. The Organics and AIs from the Fitula Nebula had returned.

“Numbers!” demanded Ganol, glaring at the tactical screen and all the red icons rapidly closing with his fleet. There had been no expectation of combat on this mission and as a result, he only had a small force with him.

“One hundred and forty-nine ships,” the sensor operator reported. “The majority are warships.”

Ganlon was quiet as he looked at his second in command who was consulting the ship’s battle computer. He didn’t need the computer to know his fleet was doomed unless they fled.

“Only a four percent chance of victory,” Second Commander Balod said, turning to face Ganlon. “They have the numbers.”

“The fleet will advance and engage the enemy,” ordered Ganlon, knowing his duty as a Simulin commander. If he withdrew without offering combat, he would be removed from command and possibly executed. It was the Simulin way.

“Energy screen is online and weapons are charged,” the tactical officer reported.

Ganlon looked over at Balod. “Have the Conqueror Drones been deployed?”

Balod spoke briefly over his comm and then turned back to the High Commander. “Yes, the last were deployed only a few minutes ago.”

“Order the drone ships to jump into hyperspace and return to base, and send an FTL message to our nearest fleet informing them of the presence of the Fitula organics and AIs.”

Balod looked concerned. “There are no large fleets in this sector. Since the destruction of the Great Sphere and the ships protecting it, our forces are spread too thin. Even our expansion into new space has been curtailed. There is no one to come to our assistance.”

Ganlon gazed at Balod without saying another word. The Second Commander hurriedly turned away and went to carry out his orders.

“There can be none but Simulin,” High Commander Ganlon whispered to himself as his fleet accelerated toward the enemy.

-

Admiral Jackson had formed his fleet into a cone formation with the apex forward and the battlecarriers and unarmed vessels trailing slightly behind where they would be protected. The battlecarriers could provide additional protection for the cargo ships and the hospital ship for a short time if necessary. Jackson was intent on making sure that wasn’t going to occur.

“All ships report combat ready,” said Commander Blanton.

“Combat range in twelve minutes,” added Lieutenant Ortega.

On the main viewscreens, the images shifted to show more ships of the fleet. An AI warsphere was visible as well as one of the large Alton battleships. Looking at his crew, Admiral Jackson watched as they went efficiently about their jobs. This was a well-trained group of officers and they were very adept at their duties. On another screen, a seventeen-hundred-meter Simulin battlecruiser appeared. It was bulbous in form with large metallic looking pylons stretching out in front of it. There were six of the massive structures which extended two hundred meters out from the main hull of the ship. Each ended in a sharp point and from these powerful energy weapons could be fired.

-

The two fleets continued to close with the Simulins firing first with their powerful energy cannons. On the four Simulin battlecruisers, the tips of the spires glowed brightly as the energy weapons fired. The Alton battlecruiser Starburst bore the brunt of the attack. The ship’s energy shield glowed brightly and then several beams penetrated, striking the top section of the ship. Multiple massive explosions hurled glowing debris away from the vessel, leaving two deep craters in the warship. Moments later a Simulin antimatter missile flashed through the weakened energy screen, turning the Starburst into its namesake, a glowing star.

-

“Alton battlecruiser Starburst is down,” reported Lieutenant Ortega in a shaken voice. “Several energy beams penetrated her shield and a Simulin antimatter missile detonated against the ship’s hull.”

“Return fire,” ordered Commander Blanton evenly. Even though they had a much larger fleet, the Simulin ships were still extremely dangerous, as the Starburst had just learned.

“Firing,” reported Captain Lance. “Setting weapons to continuous fire.”

-

From the Dauntless and the other ships of the fleet, a massive barrage of power beams, particle beams, and energy beams flashed out toward the incoming Simulin fleet. Particle beam fire slammed into the bow of a Simulin battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions and shearing off three of the ship’s energy weapon spires. Power beams played over the hull, carving deep glowing craters and opening up much of the ship to space. In a sudden flash of light, the battlecruiser exploded.

The strikecruiser Liberty suddenly found itself under heavy energy weapons fire from four Simulin cruisers. Its shields flared up brightly and then three Simulin energy beams penetrated. The top section of the ship exploded and debris started drifting away. Secondary explosions began to rip through the ship, opening up compartment after compartment. The ship seemed to disintegrate as the stress on the ship’s structure became too much.

Another Simulin battlecruiser was blown apart as particle beams and power beams weakened the ship’s energy screen, allowing a Devastator Three missile to impact the hull. The fifty-megaton explosion vaporized the ship, leaving only a few wisps of glowing gas behind.

-

“Strikecruiser Liberty is down,” reported Lieutenant Ortega. “We’ve also taken out three more of their support cruisers and another one of the battlecruisers.”

“Intensify the attack,” ordered Admiral Jackson, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. “I don’t want any of those warships escaping.”

On one of the main viewscreens, Jackson saw a Simulin escort cruiser suddenly break in two as numerous particle beams carved up the ship. The Dauntless abruptly shuddered violently and the lights dimmed.

“Energy beam hit to the hull at bulkhead eighteen compartment forty-seven,” damage control reported. “The compartment is open to space and the surrounding area is being evacuated.”

Jackson nodded. He knew he had probably just lost some crewmembers, but he was determined to finish this battle and destroy every Simulin ship in the attacking fleet.

A sudden bright explosion suddenly filled one of the viewscreens, causing it to dim to darkness. “What was that?”

“Warsphere WS-114 is down,” Ortega answered as he studied his sensors. “It suffered a complete shield failure.”

-

High Commander Ganlon grimaced as the restraining straps holding him to his command chair bit deeply into his skin. The communications console suddenly exploded, sending a spray of sparks across the Command Center. The communications officer screamed in pain and collapsed to the deck.

Ganlon gripped his command chair’s armrests as the ship was struck by intense weapons fire. He could hear the shrieking sound of metal tearing and being ripped open to space. It was a sound he had never heard before.

More energy beams were penetrating the shields, rattling the ship with each hit. Additional lights on the damage control console turned a glaring red.

Balod picked himself up off the deck. His right arm was hanging limply at his side. Glancing at a computer screen, he turned to face the High Commander as he tried to straighten his uniform. “The battle computer says there is no chance for victory. There are only three vessels of our fleet still surviving; our battlecruiser and two support cruisers.”

High Commander Ganlon blinked his eyes and looked around the smoke filled Command Center, taking stock of the situation. The ship suddenly shook violently and the damage control board lit up with even more red lights. He had never heard of a battle computer predicting a zero chance of a Simulin victory.

“Multiple breaches along the forward hull. We’re venting atmosphere and there are several fires out of control.” The ship shook fiercely and then several more times in rapid succession. “Secondary explosions,” the damage control officer said, looking over toward the High Commander.

Taking a deep breath, High Commander Ganlon unbuckled his restraining harness as it was bruising his skin and making it difficult to breathe. Just as he stood up, the deck heaved underneath him and he found himself flying through the air. Struggling to stand he stumbled backward, coming up against his command chair. Everywhere he looked he saw smoke, sparks, and fire. Nearly every light on the damage control board was glowing red. Taking a deep breath, High Commander Ganlon prepared to die. “There can be none but Simulin,” he said, facing his surviving command crew.

“None but Simulin,” they replied in unison as blinding light and heat suddenly swept through the Command Center, annihilating everything and everyone in its path.

-

“Final Simulin battlecruiser is down,” reported Lieutenant Ortega.

Admiral Jackson breathed a sigh of relief. “What about their four drone carriers?”

“They escaped into hyperspace,” Ortega replied.

“Very well. Commander Blanton, take us into orbit around Ornellia. Let’s find out how many survivors still exist on the planet.”

-

On Ornellia Dax Matol was in the Control Center of a small bunker complex in the mountains. For months they had hidden from the dangerous Conqueror Drones that roamed the surface. Since the Humans had come and destroyed many of the drones, the surviving bunkers had hunkered down and kept their existence a secret. Small groups of soldiers were occasionally sent out to seek more survivors and take them to caves or areas still deemed to be safe. Every day the soldiers found fewer and fewer survivors.

“Anything new?” asked Dax as he stepped into the Control Center. Dax was bipedal and stood slightly shorter than a Human. His eyes were wide and narrow and his head was nearly round. Two small ears were on the side of his the head and he was bald. His skin color was a deep dark gray. Dax’s arms were very thin with three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

“No, it’s the same as yesterday,” answered Les Ketene, glancing over at Dax. “The sensors picked up two Conqueror Drones on the far side of the mountain on one of the roads, but they were headed back down toward Dorman.” Dorman was a small city thirty kilometers away. It had escaped the Simulin nuclear strikes but the drones had made short work of the population, slaughtering everyone including women and children.

“Sir, I have a number of large contacts going into orbit,” reported the Control Center’s sensor operator. They still had contact with a few surviving military satellites.

“More Simulins,” groaned Les. “How many more Conqueror Drones are they going to land?”

“They’re not Simulin,” the sensor operator said in a soft voice as he stared in amazement at the sensor screen. “They’re Human, Alton, and AIs. It’s a full-sized fleet!”

Les turned excitedly toward Dax. “Admiral Barnes promised they would return someday and free us. Perhaps it’s her returning!”

Dax stepped over next to the communications officer. “See if you can contact the Distant Horizon; that’s the admiral’s command ship.” Dax knew he was taking a risk breaking communications silence but if this was Admiral Barnes returning, he wanted her to know they still survived.

For several long minutes, there was no response to their communications attempts, and then a strange voice came over the comm. “This is Admiral Jackson, the commanding officer of the fleet currently in orbit above Ornellia.”

“Where’s Admiral Barnes?” Dax asked into the comm.

There was silence for a long moment and then the admiral’s voice responded. “I’m sorry to report that Admiral Barnes lost her life in a great battle which significantly weakened the Simulin presence in this galaxy. Her sacrifice is what allowed us to return today.”

Dax took a deep breath. After all the death he had seen on his world, he understood how easily lives were lost in battles. “I am sorry to hear that. How long will your fleet be staying in orbit? We would like to conduct some rescue missions as well as search for additional supplies. I am sure the other bunkers would like to do the same.”

“Indefinitely,” Admiral Jackson replied. “We’re going to set up a permanent base here in the Ornellian System, and we’ve brought some very powerful defensive satellites to place in orbit.”

Dax felt faint at hearing the admiral’s words. Could it be true, were the Humans and their allies returning to save what was left of his world? There was complete silence in the Control Center as everyone looked as if they couldn’t believe the words they had just heard. “I don’t know what to say,” Dax said finally. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Contact your other bunkers and inform them of what’s going on. I have four battlecarriers with me, and I intend to use their fighters and bombers to begin clearing the surface of Ornellia of Conqueror Drones. I would like to coordinate the surface strikes with your people to ensure there are no incidental Ornellian casualties.”

“It will be done,” Dax promised. It was about time the deadly Conqueror Drones were eliminated. The automations were gruesome killing machines, which showed no mercy.

“We will keep this frequency open,” Admiral Jackson said. “In the meantime, we’re going to begin deploying the new defensive grid for your planet. Contact me again once you’ve spoken to your other bunkers.”

“I will,” Dax replied as he turned away from the comm. He looked around at the stunned faces in the Control Center. “Communications, begin contacting the other bunkers. We have a world to take back and with the Humans’ help, rebuild.” As he finished speaking, the Control Center erupted in loud cheers and excited voices.

-

Admiral Jackson allowed himself to smile. It felt good to bring hope back to the people of Ornellia. Admiral Barnes had mentioned several times that the Ornellians were a good and honorable race. A race that if they could have been found sooner, would have been powerful allies.

“Commander Blanton, contact Admiral Bachal and inform him to begin emplacing the defensive grid.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Blanton replied as she began passing on the order.

They had brought six hundred particle beam satellites as well as six Type Two battlestations. The battlestations would serve as control centers for the satellites. With the satellites, the battlestations, and the fleet, Jackson felt confident he could hold the planet against the Simulins. He also had two fleet repair ships which he could use to build more satellites or repair any damage done to his warships. If the Simulins returned, they wouldn’t like what they would find at Ornellia.

-

Two days later, Captain Marsha Trask was in her Anlon bomber. Below her, the surface of Ornellia flashed by. It pained her to fly over the devastated landscape. There were so many lifeless cities with blast craters in their centers. Some of the larger cities had been hit multiple times. Crumbled buildings, twisted wreckage, and deep layers of ash told the story of the deadly bombardment. However, even in those forsaken areas, a few Conqueror Drones could be found.

“Contacts,” reported Lieutenant Fry. “Conqueror Drones confirmed.”

“Let’s take them out,” Ordered Marsha as she dove her bomber toward the surface.

For the last two days, the fighters and bombers from all four battlecarriers had been carrying out around the clock attacks on formations of Conqueror Drones. From orbit the warships occasionally fired KEW rounds at the surface, annihilating any large concentrations of the drones.

Looking down, Marsha saw eight of the crab-like drones moving down a shattered highway in formation. They had numerous legs and four appendages with large and dangerous looking claws used to tear their prey apart. Without hesitation, she locked on them and fired a modified Shrike missile with a high explosive warhead. The missile dropped away from her right wing and moments later the roadway erupted in fire and smoke. A second missile from Lieutenant Fry’s bomber also impacted, causing more carnage. When the smoke cleared, all that was left of the drones were several piles of twisted and smoking metal.

“Scratch eight drones,” Lieutenant Fry said elatedly. “That makes over forty on this attack mission.”

“Let’s just hope the others are doing as well,” Marsha commented as she began to climb up higher so the sensors could get a better view of the ground. Between the four battlecarriers, they had four hundred and eighty Talon fighters and three hundred and twenty Anlon bombers.

-

In orbit, Admiral Jackson nodded in satisfaction at the reports coming in. Between the airstrikes from the fleet’s fighters and bombers and the Ornellians using their surviving military to hit pockets of the deadly drones, the number of Conqueror Drones on the planet were rapidly decreasing.

“Admiral Bachal reports all particle beam satellites have been deployed as well as the six Type Two battlestations,” Commander Blanton informed the admiral.

The new Type Two battlestations were one hundred and fifty meters in diameter and had upgraded energy shields, two particle beam cannons, four power beam cannons, twelve missile tubes containing Devastator Three missiles, and defensive energy turrets. Their fusion reactor had been upgraded from a class one to a class three, giving the stations much more power than previous models.

Jackson was pleased with the report. With the defensive grid in place, the fleet could now begin phase two of their plan. “Inform Admiral Bachal he may begin planetary decontamination.”

“It will take six weeks to clear the planet of radiation contamination,” Commander Blanton said. “That assumes there are no interruptions.”

The Alton battleships had equipment on board, which could rapidly increase the decay rate of radioactive isotopes. The equipment would be focused on the planet as the battleships moved into a low orbit of only a few hundred kilometers, nearly in the planet’s atmosphere. They also had a chemical which could be delivered by the battleships’ small shuttles that could be sprayed over the destroyed cities, aiding in the rapid elimination of radiation hazards.

-

Dax Matol stood in the small city of Dorman. From across the planet, shuttles were being used to ferry survivors from caves and other secure locations to the city. Some of the larger bunkers had been fortunate enough to have shuttles stored inside for future use, and those were now being used to rescue people all across Ornellia. Dorman had once boasted a population of forty thousand people. Already power had been restored and essential services turned back on.

“The city’s coming back to life,” Les Ketene commented excitedly as they watched another shuttle land on the small airfield on the northern side.

“It’s amazing how many survivors we’re finding,” Dax said as he watched a number of people coming out of the shuttle. “We’re bringing in supplies to restock the shelves in the stores and within a week, Dorman will be the same as it was before the Simulin attack.”

“I heard we may be opening up several other nearby towns as well.”

Dax turned toward Les. “Yes, we’re going to need the room. In the bunkers alone, we have over two hundred thousand survivors. I was speaking to several of our government’s leaders who survived, and they estimate there might still be as many as two million survivors scattered across the planet.”

“What about the other worlds of our empire?” asked Les. “Are there any survivors on those planets?”

“We’re going to find out. Admiral Jackson is planning to send a task group to check the other worlds as well as our outposts. He’s hoping to find some of our cargo ships and passenger liners intact.”

A loud noise above attracted their attention. A flight of four Talon fighters was passing overhead. Admiral Jackson had the Talons flying routine reconnaissance missions around the city to ensure all the Conqueror Drones had been eliminated. There were also heavily armed patrols of Ornellian soldiers out doing the same on the ground.

Dax heard an unfamiliar sound. Turning around, he recognized it. It was laughter. A group of Ornellian children and their parents were coming out of the resettlement center where they had been assigned to their new homes. Dax couldn’t remember the last time he had heard laughter. With a smile, he realized what the Humans had brought back to Ornellia, hope and the beginning of a new future for the Ornellian race.

Chapter Nine

Jeremy was in the Dominator speaking with Kazak and Kelsey. As expected, Kazak had chosen Kelsey as the ship’s commander and surprisingly also chosen Andram as the ship’s science officer. This was a relief to Jeremy as Andram was the one Alton Kazak would have a hard time fooling. This entire situation with choosing the ship’s commander had been heart wrenching. However, if anyone could handle Kazak it would be Kelsey, and she would also have Katie at her side.

“I have completed my study of the supernova explosion at the former location of the Dyson Sphere,” Kazak informed them. “It is true the exotic material that composed the Dyson Sphere as well as the dark matter which surrounded it has had a profound effect on space-time in that vicinity of the blue-giant nebula. From the simulations I have run and Ariel has run similar ones, when the radiation front exits the nebula it will be moving at twenty-three times the speed of light.”

Jeremy took a deep breath and shook his head. At twenty-three times the speed of light it would only take the radiation front one hundred and twenty-seven years to reach the protective nebula surrounding Gaia. That was much faster than what Shilum and Andram had originally projected. While it might sound like a long time, with the life prolongation drugs currently available many people now living would still be alive when the radiation front reached Gaia.

“What will happen to the nebula and Gaia when the radiation front arrives?” This was of great concern to Jeremy as there was nowhere else they could go unless they wanted to leave the galaxy as the Ornellians were doing.

“The nebula will become filled with radiation, making the safe corridors you currently use unnavigable. Gaia itself will become uninhabitable within sixteen hours of the radiation front’s arrival. All unprotected life on the planet’s surface will be dead within twenty hours.”

Kelsey shook her head. This was horrible news, and she could imagine how Jeremy must be feeling. “Is there any way to protect Gaia?”

Kazak paused for a moment and then replied. “Yes, I can furnish you with the specifications for a planetary based energy shield that would be resistant to the radiation. However, I must remind you that your people would be effectively trapped on the planet once the shield was activated.”

“Is there anything that can be done about the radiation front to prevent its continued expansion?” asked Jeremy. It was a slight relief the planet could be shielded, but that left the rest of the Triangulum Galaxy.

“There is one possibility,” Kazak answered, focusing his attention on Jeremy. “The radiation front must be slowed down below the speed of light. If that could be accomplished, then it would eventually die out on its own. It’s the exotic properties of hyperspace which are currently allowing it to expand at such a great speed.”

“Do you know of a method to do that?” asked Andram, standing nearby and listening intently. The white-haired Alton had been pleased to learn he’d been chosen as science officer for the Dominator. It would give him all the time he needed to study the massive vessel as well as its mysterious AI.

“Perhaps,” Kazak answered. “If sufficiently sized explosions were set off simultaneously in hyperspace causing a counter wavefront, the two would theoretically cancel each other out when they strike each other. This would return space-time back to normal, and the radiation front would die out before leaving the blue-giant nebula.”

“How far out past the Dyson Sphere supernova would the radiation front travel if we created this counter wave?” asked Andram.

“Less than two hundred light years,” Kazak replied. “Once the explosions are set off it will begin to slow the advance of the wavefront until it drops below the speed of light. Once that happens, its effect on other stars will be minimal.”

Jeremy breathed a huge sigh of relief. Was it possible they could stop the radiation front after all? “Do you have weapons that can be detonated in hyperspace?” Jeremy knew neither the Federation nor the Altons had such weapons. Due to the properties of hyperspace, none of their weapons would work in that strange reality which was governed by a totally different set of laws.

Kazak slowly shook his head. “No, not at the present. Weapons of such power and magnitude were prohibited upon all Originator warships. We’re talking about weapons which could easily destroy an entire star system.”

Jeremy suddenly felt crushed. Kazak had built up his hope and then blown it away.

Noticing the crestfallen look on Jeremy’s face, Kazak spoke again. “I said not at the present. The Dominator has the capacity to build such weapons, but it will take time as they must be made out of a very exotic material, which will function in hyperspace. Also, the size of the explosion is magnitudes above anything your current weapons are capable of.”

Andram looked at the Originator AI speculatively. “Just how large of an explosion will be required?”

“On the order of two million four hundred thousand megatons.”

Andram’s jaw dropped at the pronouncement. “That’s impossible. There’s no way to create such an explosive force.”

“There is if we use dark matter as the detonating material,” replied Kazak with a smug look on his face.

“Dark matter,” said Andram, his mind racing. “My people have only begun to do major research on dark matter and dark energy.”

“Will it work?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Andram. He wanted the Alton scientist’s opinion before he gave the okay for such a dangerous project.

“Possibly,” Andram answered with deep lines of thought running across his forehead. “Dark matter is the only substance that can create the type of energy Kazak is speaking of. It should theoretically work in hyperspace. However, it’s far above anything my people can do.”

“Dark matter, because of its interaction with hyperspace, is the only substance which can be used to create the explosions of the size required,” Kazak said. “The Originators did a lot of research on both dark matter and dark energy before the deadly life prolongation pathogen destroyed their civilization.”

“How soon can we do this?” asked Jeremy, realizing there was no other option. To delay implementing Kazak’s plan could doom the entire galaxy.

“It will take two weeks to construct the special missiles and the warheads for the dark matter,” Kazak replied. “We will also need to find a source of dark matter.”

Andram nodded. “We have detectors on our science ships which can do that.”

Kazak glanced over at the Alton. “I would suggest we send out some ships to find a suitable source. Once it’s found the Dominator can be used to procure it.”

Jeremy looked over at Kelsey, now wearing a commander’s uniform. “I guess you have your first mission.”

“We’ll be ready,” Kelsey promised.

It was a huge load off Jeremy’s mind knowing there was a solution to the exploding Dyson Sphere supernova. It just made him a little nervous knowing Kelsey and the Dominator would be so heavily involved in the mission.

Jeremy turned back toward Kazak. There was one other matter he wanted to discuss with the Originator AI. “I would like to put some Marines on the Dominator. They might be needed if any exploratory missions are sent down to a planet’s surface. Every planet we’ve found that the Simulins have attacked have been infested with Conqueror Drones.”

“The Originators, if they still existed, would be very displeased to learn of what the Simulins have been doing with the Dyson Spheres,” Kazak said. “The Originators were a great and benevolent race. They strove to learn new knowledge and moved across the galaxies in peace.”

“What you say may be true, but why did they build the Dominator? It’s a warship.” Jeremy was confused about this. There were still a number of items that Kazak talked about that didn’t quite sound right.

“They were a peaceful species, but they were not fools,” Kazak answered. “Occasionally other species were encountered that were what you would call anti-life. One such species was found to be a potential threat to our entire universe and had to be dealt with in the early days of Originator expansion. While it is true the Dominator is the most powerful ship they ever built, they had other warships tasked with keeping their numerous worlds safe, including the Dyson Spheres.”

Jeremy was silent for a long moment. “Are you telling me there were other Originator warships inside the Dyson Sphere that we destroyed?”

“Yes,” Kazak answered evenly. “I thought you were aware of that. Warships and other vessels were widely used by the Originators. When it became obvious the disease brought about by the life prolongation experiments was irreversible, the ships used by the Originators were put into storage in the Dyson Spheres.”

“How many ships?” asked Kelsey, her eyes wide at the thought of the hundreds of Originator ships which must have been on the Dyson Sphere when they destroyed it.

Kazak hesitated for a moment. “Thousands,” he said in a softer voice. “There were and are thousands of Originator ships stored inside each of the Dyson Spheres.”

-

The next day, Jeremy, Kelsey, Kevin, and Katie were down in New Eden, the largest city on Gaia. Five thriving cities had been established as well as numerous farms and a few ranches. The girls wanted to come down to the planet to go shopping and arrange for Angela’s baby shower.

As they were walking down the street, a loud booming voice called out Jeremy’s name. Turning, he saw Grayseth striding toward them.

“What’s Grayseth doing here?” asked Katie, her green eyes showing surprise at seeing the large Bear.

“I believe he came down earlier to see some members of his clan,” answered Kelsey. “Malith mentioned something about there being a clan meeting Grayseth needed to attend.”

“Clan brother,” spoke Grayseth, embracing Jeremy in a smothering bear hug as was their custom. “It is good to see you away from your duties.”

“As well as you,” Jeremy responded. “I understand you had some clan business to attend to.” Jeremy saw that a number of people had noticed them and had stopped to see what was going on. “There’s a park across the street; why don’t we go over there where we can talk.”

The group quickly crossed the busy street and entered the large tree shaded park. A number of families were present with children running and playing on the playground equipment. A few other people were just sitting on the numerous benches taking it easy and enjoying the nice weather.

“It is good to see young ones about,” Grayseth said as he gazed at the children. There were even a few Carethians in the large park. He then turned about to face Jeremy. “I came down to approve several of our adolescents for entry into the Fleet Academy. It is a big honor for the parents of those chosen.”

“That’s great!” exclaimed Kelsey. She knew a few Carethians were already attending classes at the new academy.

“They will make fine officers someday and bring much honor to our clan.”

“Honor,” replied Jeremy, knowing how important that was to the Bears.

“I also gave my approval for the joining of Belal and his chosen mate.” Belal had been the pack leader of the Bears who had served on the Distant Horizon.

Kelsey nodded. Belal had supported her when she allowed Clarissa to take command of the exploration dreadnought at the battle in the Sigma System. By giving Clarissa command of the ship, they had managed to survive until Jeremy and the rescue fleet arrived. It was the one and only time she had gone against Admiral Barnes’ orders, something she still felt extremely guilty about.

I’m sure Belal’s offspring will someday bring much honor to the clan,” Kelsey said with a smile.

“Belal has already brought much honor in seeing to your protection,” acknowledged Grayseth. “He is very proud of having served as your defender.”

Jeremy folded his arms across his chest. It was so pleasant out today. Gaia’s sun was high up in the sky, there was a light wind blowing, and a scattering of fleecy clouds. With a deep and contented sigh, Jeremy realized Gaia had become his home.

“What are we going to do about the Simulins?” asked Kevin. “We haven’t seen many of their warships since the destruction of the Dyson Sphere.”

Jeremy looked over at Kevin and replied. “I’m going to send some exploration missions seeking out the Simulin worlds. We know of some from the records of the Distant Horizon when the exploration dreadnought first arrived here in the Triangulum Galaxy. I believe the ship was unfortunate having to fly through the main Simulin population area.”

“Will my ships be going out?” asked Grayseth, his large eyes gazing intently at Jeremy.

“We’ll be sending out a dozen small task groups,” Jeremy answered. “And yes, at least one of them can be Carethian.”

Grayseth nodded his head, baring his teeth in a huge smile. “It is well; my people yearn for the hunt.”

Kevin looked over at Kelsey and Katie. “When will the Dominator be leaving on its first mission?”

“Shortly,” replied Kelsey, still feeling uneasy about being the ship’s commander. “Kazak has requested we go to the blue-giant nebula so he can take some scans using the ship’s advanced sensor systems. He wants to leave as soon as possible.”

“You won’t be going alone,” Jeremy was quick to say.

He still didn’t fully trust the Originator AI, at least not until he knew for sure what was in that secret compartment in the heart of the ship. He had told no one else about his meeting at Borton and the revelation there still might be actual Originators sleeping in that hidden compartment.

-

On the Dominator, Kazak had finished running his latest computer simulations. He was beginning to grow concerned Fleet Admiral Strong was becoming suspicious. The hints had been minuscule, but some of the comments he had overheard as well as some of the questions Ariel was asking led him to believe they suspected something was amiss. It was regretful secrets had to be kept and while he owed much to the Humans and their allies, he was foremost an Originator AI. His loyalty belonged to his creators.

Standing up, Kazak left the Command Center. A few Humans were on duty and as he went through the ship, he encountered a few others. As large as the Dominator was, it was completely conceivable to walk from one end of the five-thousand-meter ship to the other and never see a living crewmember. After taking several turbo lifts and transit cars, he arrived at his destination.

Walking up to a blank wall, he reached into his pocket and took out one of the small copper colored globes the Originators used to gain access to highly sensitive or restricted areas. Inserting it into the small recess on the wall, there was a slight humming noise and a section slid open, revealing the compartment behind it. Stepping inside, the door slid shut and Kazak retrieved the globe, putting it back in his pocket.

Taking his time, he walked from one end of the compartment to the other making sure the equipment inside was functioning properly keeping the compartment’s valuable contents safe. Finally satisfied that everything was working as it should, he left the compartment to return to the Command Center. He knew if he was to keep the trust of Fleet Admiral Strong and the others, at some point in time he was going to have to show the fleet admiral what was concealed in the compartment. He was not certain how Fleet Admiral Strong would react to the hidden secret.

-

Above Malkor, Simulin Supreme High Commander Callat was staring angrily at the report he had just received from the outer regions. Four Conqueror Drone carriers had reported in at an advance base. They had informed the base’s commander that a fleet of organics and AIs from the Fitula Nebula had appeared in the former Ornellian Empire and wiped out High Commander Ganlon’s fleet in orbit around Ornellia.

“What are the Fitula organics doing so far away from the nebula?” asked High Commander Faberh with confusion in his eyes. “What can they be hoping to achieve?”

Callat looked away from his computer screen on which he had been reading the report. “They know we are weak at the moment from the ship losses we have suffered. They may believe we are vulnerable in the outer regions of this galaxy.”

Faberh stepped over to the ship’s battle computer and, after a few minutes, turned around to face the Supreme High Commander. “The battle computer is recommending we send a fleet of sixty battlecruisers and eighty support cruisers to remove the threat at Ornellia before it grows. We cannot allow the Fitula organics to establish a base in that system.”

Callat gazed at one of the large viewscreens on the front Command Center wall. The ship was in orbit around Malkor and numerous Simulin battlecruisers could be seen awaiting his orders. “What if that is what the organics from the nebula want?” he said coldly as he thought over the strategy that might be at play. “They may be trying to draw our forces out toward the outer regions of this galaxy so they can attack our population centers.”

“We still have a powerful fleet,” said Faberh undeterred. “In the Malkor System alone we have four hundred of our battlecruisers and nearly six hundred support cruisers. Some of our other systems have similar fleet formations. The Fitula organics dare not attack us here; we would crush them.”

Callat was quiet for several long moments as he thought over his options. It was considered sedition to disobey the recommendations of the battle computers. However, they were now out of contact with the other galaxies of the Simulin Intergalactic Empire. The situation had drastically changed, and the recommendations of the battle computers had to be weighed against possible future ramifications and policies.

“I will send a fleet from Tranton,” Callat said as he reached a decision. “They have nearly as many ships in their system as we do here. However, I will instruct the High Commander of that fleet to withdraw from Ornellia rather than suffer heavy ship losses.”

“Withdraw?” gasped Faberh, his eye widening in disbelief. “We are Simulins, and there can be no others.”

“We are in a battle for our very survival,” Callat said harshly. “We are still in the process of emplacing defenses around our worlds. We are months away from having sufficient ships to begin expanding across this galaxy once more. We must not underestimate our enemy.”

High Commander Faberh stared at Callat before responding. “I bow to your superior strategy. However, I would recommend we send a sizable fleet to the vicinity of the Fitula Nebula to engage any of the organic or AI ships which emerge. Perhaps that way we can contain them.”

Callat stared coldly at Faberh. It was considered a showing of disloyalty to make a suggestion such as Faberh had just done. The duty of the High Commander was to carry out Callat’s orders without question.

“I will consider it,” Callat finally said.

-

Hours later, Supreme Commander Callat was in a war shuttle flying just above Malkor. He was inspecting the defensive satellites and battle stations being placed in orbit. The new Grand Council had objected to so many resources being committed to the static defenses. They had demanded more ships be built first so expansion into the other regions of this galaxy could continue. Callat had ordered four more council members to be executed for questioning his directives.

Sometimes he wondered if he was the only one that could see the threat posed by the organics and AIs from the Fitula Nebula. The Great Sphere was gone, and somehow the enemy had gained control of a massive warship of the sphere builders. There was little doubt in Callat’s mind that if the Fitula organics and their allies discovered the secrets that ship possessed, then all Simulin life in this galaxy would be in peril.

Looking out the large cockpit window, he saw an escort cruiser emplacing a series of ten-meter energy beam satellites. He had given the order for ten thousand such satellites to be constructed and put into orbit around Malkor. In addition, twenty five-hundred-meter battlestations were under construction. Once the defensive grid was in place, he would once more send out Simulin fleets across the galaxy. If and when the ship of the Great Sphere builders put in an appearance, he would deal with it.

He had run some simulations on the battle computer, and it had informed him a large enough fleet should be able to destroy the ancient vessel. Callat was determined he would have a fleet of sufficient size to meet the ship in combat if needed. However, even the battle computer had been unable to predict the type of weapons such a ship might be armed with. The ancient vessel had already shown evidence of one weapon which could drain all the energy from nearby warships. Callat was concerned that no matter how well he prepared, there was no guarantee of victory if the ship of the ancients did indeed show up.

Looking out the other cockpit window, he saw one of the new battlestations being constructed. At the moment, it was just a ragged sphere of girders and support beams. Bright flashes of white light indicated where the beams were being joined together. Work was going on around the clock, nonstop. Callat was well aware of the importance of sending the fleets back out on the attack. This galaxy must become one of only Simulins. All other organics must die, for in the end, there could only be Simulins.

-

Jeremy was inside one of the huge construction bays on the Clan Protector. Both Grayseth and Daelthon were with him. In the center of the bay, with hundreds of spider robots swarming over it, was the latest Gaia class battlecruiser. The ship was twelve hundred meters in length and two hundred and fifty meters in diameter. It possessed all the weapons of a standard battlecruiser except an ion beam cannon had been added to the bow as well as additional particle beam turrets. Where a normal battlecruiser used energy beams for defense, the Gaia class used the more powerful power beams. The ship could operate with a crew of five hundred and a Marine complement of seventy-five. That was nearly one thousand fewer crew personnel than was required on the older battlecruisers.

“When will she launch?” asked Jeremy, folding his arms across his chest as he watched the work going on in the bay.

“Two weeks,” answered Daelthon, his light brown fur seeming to shine in the brilliant lights of the construction bay. Both Daelthon and Grayseth towered over the admiral.

“She will be a powerful warship and bring much honor to Gaia,” proclaimed Grayseth as he watched the spider robots scurrying about.

“As will all of the ships of her class,” added Daelthon.

“We’ll need them,” said Jeremy, drawing in a deep breath.

He knew that by now Admiral Jackson had arrived at Ornellia and would be in the process of setting up a base there. Jackson had instructions to send out survey ships to seek out other worlds that might be able to help in the war against the Simulins. Jeremy was determined to make the Triangulum Galaxy a safe place, free of Simulin interference.

“How soon do we go out on the hunt?” asked Grayseth. He was anxious to bring more honor to his clan.

“Shortly,” answered Jeremy, turning toward his friend. “The Dominator will be leaving in a few days to travel to the blue-giant nebula to take additional sensor readings on the Dyson Sphere supernova. I’ll be sending a task group of the Gaia class battlecruisers along as escorts as well as a few AI warspheres. At the same time, I want to send out two attack fleets to begin hunting down any stray Simulin warships still in our vicinity as well as a number of smaller task groups seeking out the home worlds of the Simulins.”

Grayseth nodded. “It is time for the hunt to begin.”

Jeremy nodded in agreement. “We have been on the defensive too long. After the destruction of the Dyson Sphere, the Simulins are weaker than ever before and are cut off from reinforcements.” Looking at the battlecruiser, Jeremy saw a number of spider robots led by several dockworkers enter the ship carrying large crates. Already, necessary supplies and munitions were being loaded.

“My fleet is ready,” boomed Grayseth, his wide eyes focusing expectantly on Jeremy.

Jeremy gazed at Grayseth, knowing how important this was to the big Bear. “Very well, one of the two attack fleets will be Carethian. However, each attack fleet will have a force of AI warspheres as part of its makeup. There will also be several Alton battleships assigned since the Altons seem to work more efficiently with the AIs.”

“My people can work with the AIs,” proclaimed Grayseth. “We have come to learn the AIs can be worthy hunters and are now part of the Clans of the Gaia System.”

“Just be careful, my friend,” Jeremy said solemnly. “We are out to destroy the Simulins, and you are not to take unnecessary risks.”

Grayseth nodded his understanding. “I understand, clan brother.”

-

Later, Jeremy returned to his quarters on the Avenger to find Kelsey waiting for him. She was dressed in a black nearly see-through negligee and sitting expectantly on the comfortable couch.

“I was hoping you would return home soon,” she said smiling.

“Looks as if you already have something on your mind,” Jeremy answered as Kelsey stood up and he put his arms around her.

Kelsey kissed Jeremy and then looked up into his eyes. “I’ll be leaving soon on the Dominator. We may not have many opportunities like this for a while, so I want to take advantage of those we do.”

Stepping back, she allowed the negligee to drop to the floor, and she smiled satisfyingly as she saw Jeremy’s eyes roam hungrily over her body. She didn’t spend all that time working out in the gym for nothing. Her stomach was still trim and flat. She knew she had all the right curves in the expected places.

Reaching out, she pulled Jeremy toward her, feeling her pulse begin to race. She didn’t have to be back on the Dominator until late the next morning and didn’t plan on doing too much sleeping between now and then.

Chapter Ten

Reesa stepped outside of the large building she had been exploring feeling frustrated. As with all the buildings explored thus far, it was empty. She had such high hopes when they first came into the city, and now those hopes were rapidly fading away.

“Now where?” asked Corporal Metz.

He and two other Marines had been assigned as permanent escorts for Reesa, particularly since Kelnor was still upset with her. Even in camp, the strain between the two Alton scientists was evident.

Reesa sighed and looked around. They were on the main thoroughfare that ran through the city. A number of the small robots were evident zipping about on their way to perform their different tasks. Maalon Delz had taken it upon himself to perform a more detailed study of just what the small robots did in the city, and he had several teams following them and documenting their functions. As expected, so far everything seemed to indicate the little robots were responsible for the general upkeep of the city.

“Each building is the same,” Corporal Metz commented as he gazed about. “You would think we would find something in at least one of them!”

All three Marines were armed, but they hadn’t encountered anything that could be ascertained as a potential threat. Even the little robots, which were waist high, detoured around the members of the exploration team as if they weren’t even there.

“Not any furniture or anything to indicate anyone ever lived here,” said Private Sandra Carton as she looked over at Corporal Metz. “It’s as if they took everything when they left except the buildings.”

“But why do the little robots tend them?” asked Private Richard Trent. “It’s as if they expect the Originators to return at any time.”

“More mysteries,” said Reesa as she eyed a building across the street. “It’s possible the Originators believed until the end they would find a cure for the pathogen eradicating their race. The city is immaculate and just waiting for their return.”

Private Carton looked uneasily about. “What would we do if we did find surviving Originators?”

“I don’t believe that’s going to happen, Sandra,” Reesa said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She would give anything to be able to speak to one of the ancient builders of the Dyson Sphere. “The last one died over two million years ago, and they’ve long since turned to dust.”

Corporal Metz looked down at his watch. “We still have two hours before we need to return, where to next?”

“Let’s try that building across the street,” Reesa said pointing.

“Let’s go,” Metz said as he took the lead.

Starting across the street, Reesa was feeling so disappointed. When they had first come into the city, they had been expecting to make fabulous discoveries about the Originators, but all evidence seemed to indicate the city had been stripped, probably several million years ago. They had found nothing but empty buildings. No furniture, paintings, statues; there was absolutely nothing to indicate who had lived in the city. She knew from initial reports that the Dyson Sphere itself was over three million years old. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the building they were approaching. Perhaps in this one, they would finally find something.

-

Kelnor was standing next to Sergeant Wilde back at their camp. They had set up their emergency habitats a short distance from the city where there was a small stream and abundant fruits and berries. Kelnor had agreed to allow the Marines to continue to catch fish but had denied their request to kill any of the larger animals. He was still certain that the guiding intelligence of the Dyson Sphere was watching them. The very fact the energy shield was removed seemed to indicate that.

“Kelnor?” asked Brenda as she stared at the nearby towering buildings. “How many Originators do you think once lived here?” It was a huge relief to be out from under the energy shield.

“Several million,” he replied as he looked thoughtfully at the city. “It will take us years just to explore it.”

“Years?” said Brenda with a deep sigh. It had been four weeks since they had crossed the barrier where the energy shield once stood. If they ever made it back to the ship, she was not looking forward to explaining her actions to either Major Nolan or Captain Abrams. “Is there any chance the energy shield going down was some type of timed occurrence? That our appearance generated an automatic response and after so much time elapsed it automatically shut down?”

Kelnor paused and shifted his attention to the sergeant. “It’s possible,” he conceded. “There’s just so much we don’t know.”

Brenda looked around their small camp. With her Marines and the scientists, there were thirty-two of them calling the camp their home. There had been some discussion about moving into one of the Originator buildings, but Brenda had hesitated about doing that. There was something haunting about the city that made her feel uneasy. Anytime she walked down one of the streets or entered a building she felt as if she was being watched. Brenda felt safer here in the open where they could spot anything or anyone approaching.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked as one of the small scouting teams came into camp.

She was sending out teams for kilometers around the city to see what long-term resources were available. For as long as they had been trapped inside the Dyson Sphere, it was obvious to her that a rescue mission wasn’t going to show up. Reesa had the only key, and there was no way for anyone else to find their way inside. She knew by now Admiral Tolsen must have given up on their returning. More than likely, they were listed as missing and presumed dead.

“We continue to explore. There’s still much about the city we don’t know or understand.”

Brenda nodded. “It would be nice if we could find some type of transportation to use. There’s not a lot of exploring we can do if we have to walk everywhere.”

What Brenda really wanted was to have access to several of the small flying vehicles which came into the city on occasion. If they had a couple of those at their disposal, they could really begin to explore. There had to be more cities besides this one, and perhaps some of the others hadn’t been stripped of everything. Also, if they could explore other nearby areas of the Dyson Sphere, just maybe they could find a way out. There had to be one somewhere.

Kelnor looked back toward the city. “We’ve identified two of the taller buildings the flyers land on. We could set up some equipment to monitor the flyers as they land. I’m hesitant to risk doing anything that the guiding intelligence of the Dyson Sphere might interpret as hostile. I would hate to find ourselves behind an energy shield again.”

“The Dyson Sphere and this city may end up being our home,” Brenda said after a moment. “It would be nice to know what other options there may be.”

“There is always hope, Sergeant,” Kelnor said, his eyes shifting back to Brenda. “In time, we may find a way out.”

Brenda knew Kelnor was right. The only thing was, would the fleet still be on the outside of the Dyson Sphere or would they find the Shari waiting for them instead?

-

High Lord Aktill gazed at the latest tactical updates. He now had sixteen hundred warships under his command. All it would take was one order from him and the entire fleet would descend upon the Humans and the Altons around the Dyson Sphere.

“We must attack,” said Lower Lord Samarth, folding his arms across his chest. “Our ship commanders grow weary of sitting out here while our enemies taunt us by being in the Rylus Cluster and above the Dyson Sphere. This is our space, and they must be driven from it!”

Aktill agreed with much of what Samarth was saying. A state of war had been declared between the Shari Empire and the Human Federation of Worlds and its allies. However, in the eighty days since war had been declared there had been no combat between Shari forces and the Federation other than here at the Dyson Sphere. It was obvious that both the Shari and the Federation were hesitant for this to become a widespread conflict.

“There has been no movement of Human ships near our borders,” Aktill commented as he turned toward his second in command. “Our forces are patrolling the border region to ensure no Federation ships enter our space. So far they have kept their distance.”

Lower Lord Samarth shook his head. “They’re already here; look at what is orbiting the Dyson Sphere. That artifact is in our space and by all rights belongs to us! We must force the Humans to leave the system!”

Aktill shifted his attention back to the main viewscreen, which was focused on the sphere. From this distance it appeared as a black circular object that occluded a major part of the star pattern. “Abrade has reported the megastructure is at least three million years old. A few of our research expeditions that have managed to search some of the old ruins we’ve found on a few of the planets in the Rylus Cluster say they are even older.”

“Abrade is a research scientist,” spoke Samarth dismissively. “He cares not for war.”

“Abrade is one of our most brilliant minds,” Aktill said reproachfully. “He is the one who believes the explosive charges will allow us to blow our way into the megastructure.”

Samarth gazed intently at Aktill. “Why haven’t we set off the explosives? The sooner we can enter the Dyson Sphere and learn its secrets, the sooner we can drive the Humans from the cluster.”

Aktill didn’t answer. He hadn’t given the order to set off the nuclear explosives because of the dire warning from the Humans. They felt the Dyson Sphere might have some automatic defensive systems that would be activated if harm were to come to the structure. While it was possible the message had just been a ruse to delay the use of the explosives, even Abrade had admitted it was conceivable the Humans were speaking the truth.

“The Humans have nearly seven hundred and fifty warships under their defensive grid,” Aktill said, shifting his attention back to Samarth. “Even as large as our fleet is, we could suffer massive losses in an attack and there is no guarantee of our victory.”

“If we don’t attack, then what action do we take?” asked Samarth. “Do we just let them stay here in our space?”

“They have limited supplies,” Aktill said, starting to get angry over Samarth’s continued questioning. “If there’s no change shortly, I will give Abrade permission to detonate the explosives. Once we gain entry to the inside of the sphere, we’ll bring the Human presence to an end regardless of what it may cost.”

Samarth seemed satisfied with that answer as he turned away and went back to his duties. Aktill hoped if he gave permission to detonate the explosives he wasn’t making a grave mistake. The dire warning from the Humans was haunting the back of his mind. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to the main viewscreen and the dark shape which filled it.

-

Reesa and her escorts were deep inside the new building they were exploring. They had descended several flights of stairs to a basement level. As with all the others, this one to had been stripped of all of its furnishings. The walls and corridors were spotless, and if one didn’t know better you would think it had only been built yesterday. The elevators or turbo lifts all worked, though Reesa preferred using the stairs. She had no idea what might happen if one of the turbo lifts failed. She guessed after a while one of the small robots would show up to repair it.

“What’s this?” asked Corporal Metz as he stopped in front of a wall that appeared to have an indentation for the key Reesa always carried with her.

Reesa walked over and gazed speculatively at the indentation and then examined the wall. There was no evidence of a door or for any reason for the key slot to be there. This was the first time since they started exploring the city that they’d found an indentation for the key. Taking the copper colored metal ball out of her pocket, she hesitated as she looked questionably at Corporal Metz.

“Go ahead,” he said without hesitation. “If it opens up a door, we’ll call Sergeant Wilde before entering.”

Nodding, Reesa carefully placed the key in the slot and then stepped back. For a moment nothing happened and then a section of the wall suddenly slid back, revealing a large opening and a well-lighted corridor beyond. Reesa’s eyes widened as she saw the walls of this corridor were covered in what appeared to be paintings. Even a few statues on pedestals were visible.

“I think we found something,” said Corporal Metz as he gazed in awe at the paintings and statues. “I’d better go call Sergeant Wilde.”

Reesa nodded. “I’ll remain here.” Reesa was itching to go inside, but she knew as angry as Kelnor was she dared not risk provoking him again.

“Don’t go inside,” Metz said. He knew the Alton was tempted to take risks at times. “Private Carton, no one is to enter that corridor until I get back with Sergeant Wilde, is that clear?” Their communication devices didn’t work inside the buildings, and it would be necessary to go outside to contact the sergeant.

“Yes, sir,” Carton answered. She knew Metz was actually telling her that under no conditions was Reesa to be allowed to pass through the doorway.

“About time we found something,” muttered Private Trent as he gazed down the lighted corridor. He shifted his rifle into a more accessible position just in case someone or something showed up.

-

It took nearly an hour for Sergeant Wilde, Kelnor, Melvin Blair, and several of the other Marines to reach the building Reesa and the others were in. Corporal Metz was waiting for them outside and quickly led them to where Reesa was impatiently standing.

“What have you found?” asked Kelnor as he stopped and gazed through the open doorway at the lighted corridor beyond.

“I’m not certain without going inside,” Reesa said. “We can see paintings and what appear to be small statues on pedestals.”

Kelnor gazed down the corridor for a moment and then nodded at one of the Marines who had come with them. He took a piece of brightly colored metal in the shape of a pipe and laid it across the doorway.

Reesa looked at Kelnor feeling confused. “What’s the pipe for?”

“It’s made of the same metal as the Dyson Sphere,” Kelnor explained. “I feel fairly certain the door won’t be able to close with the pipe lying across the entrance.”

Reesa didn’t bother to remind Kelnor she still had the key. If he wanted to take this added precaution, that was fine with her.

“I’ll leave a couple of Marines here as well,” said Sergeant Wilde. “They’ll make sure the pipe stays in place.”

Reesa nodded and looked at Kelnor. “Can we go in?”

“Yes,” Kelnor answered. “Let’s see what you’ve found.”

Stepping inside, the group proceeded down the corridor, stopping at the first painting. It was of an Originator standing in front of a small spacecraft on an alien world.

“Interesting,” Melvin said as he stepped closer to examine the painting and then looked back at Kelnor. “If this Originator had white hair, he would be very similar to an Alton.”

“There is a resemblance,” admitted Kelnor. “But we’ve found many similar races across the galaxy. It could well be the Originators themselves influenced the development of life on myriads of planets across our galaxy as well as others.”

“Perhaps,” said Melvin with doubt in his eyes. “Why is this painting still intact after so many years? You would have thought that by now it would have turned to dust.”

Kelnor aimed a small instrument he was carrying at the painting and then spent a few moments studying the readouts on the device. “Hmm,” he said, his eyes widening slightly. “There’s some type of stasis field around the painting. That’s why the painting looks as if it was only placed here yesterday.”

“So that must hold true for all of these others as well,” Brenda said as she looked at the long corridor and all the paintings it held.

Reesa slowly walked down the corridor, recording all the paintings and statues on a small device she was carrying. Stopping, she turned back toward Kelnor. “This reminds me of the building above the main computer center back on Astral. There are very similar paintings and murals in that building as well.”

“Reesa, Kelnor, you better come over here,” Corporal Metz said excitedly. He was standing in front of a large arched doorway. “I think I know what this place is.”

The two Altons hurried over to where Metz was standing, followed by the others. Looking inside, they saw a cavernous room filled with hundreds, possibly thousands of display cases.

“A museum,” uttered Reesa, as her eyes widened in anticipation “It’s a museum!” She could hardly breathe, realizing they had finally found something she could study. Her heart was pounding as she gazed at one display and then the next.

Brenda walked over and stepped cautiously into the room. She realized it was easily several hundred meters long and nearly as wide. Huge display cases stood everywhere, beckoning them. She turned back toward the two Altons who were still standing in the doorway with a look of awe on their faces. “I think we’re going to be here for a while.”

-

Several hours later the group stood near the center of the room. They had found several other arched doorways leading to other display areas. In addition, in what appeared to be a small office they had found two additional keys. Kelnor was now in possession of one of the copper colored globes as well as Sergeant Wilde.

Brenda was standing in front of an exhibit that held what appeared to be some type of ancient ground vehicle. It was very similar to one of the combustion engine vehicles used in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century on Earth. The biggest difference was that this vehicle was taller and more streamlined.

“There’s so much Originator history here,” Reesa said, her eyes aglow from everything she had found. It was as if her lifelong dream had finally become a reality. “It details their early development and what their life was like during the early stages of their civilization.”

“But where’s all the modern stuff?” asked Melvin. Melvin had been wandering through the different display rooms with two Marines as escorts. “Everything we’ve found so far seems very early in Originator history. We’ve seen very little that tells about their science or space travel.”

“There may be other display rooms we haven’t found yet,” suggested Kelnor. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of what we’ve found here. It will take weeks for us to properly catalog what’s in these rooms alone.”

Reesa looked around, imagining Originators walking down the long display aisles spending the day with their families at the museum. It wasn’t hard to imagine seeing an Originator come walking through the door at any moment.

Kelnor looked around at the assembled group. “We’ll spend two more hours in the rooms we’ve discovered. Make sure we record everything and then we’ll go back to camp and discuss our next move. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We’re going to need everyone working on this. We’ll divide up into groups and assign each one a room and line of study.”

“I don’t want anyone wandering off on their own,” warned Brenda. She looked specifically at Reesa. “Stay in contact and if any new rooms are discovered report back to me before entering.”

-

An hour later Reesa was with her escorts in the farthest display room they had found. She’d come up against a blank wall and with a deep sigh decided it was just another dead end. She had been searching for more indentations for her key. She was convinced there had to be more to the museum than what they had found so far.

“Perhaps this is all there is,” suggested Corporal Metz. “Maybe this museum is to remind them of where they came from. There may not be any displays of their technology.”

“I don’t believe that,” Reesa said, shaking her head. “It has to be here somewhere; we just need to find it.”

She turned around to face the three Marines, her escorts. She leaned back expecting to feel her shoulders touch the wall. There was no resistance and with a stunned feeling, she fell to the floor. Reesa felt a sharp pain in her back and lay there blinking her eyes. Shaking her head she stood back up, realizing she was on the other side of the wall. There was no sign of the three Marines. Putting here hand out, she gingerly touched the wall expecting her hand to go through it. To her surprise, she felt a solid surface. She had been certain the wall was a hologram. She spent a short while trying to puzzle out what had happened. Somehow, her passing through the wall had caused it to turn solid; perhaps it was a security mechanism she had triggered.

“Now what have I done?” she said to herself as she turned around to examine her surroundings. She was in another room, which seemed to be much larger than the one she had just been in. Her eyes widened as she saw what was in the display cases. “So this is where the more modern items are.”

Walking over to a case, she began to examine what it contained, her excitement momentarily causing her to forget she was without her Marine escort.

-

Corporal Metz gazed in astonishment at the wall Reesa had fallen through. Rushing forward, he expected to find the wall wasn’t real. With shock, he struck a solid surface.

“Well, this can’t be good,” said Private Carton with a confused frown on her face. “Where did she go?”

Metz stepped back and eyed the wall with a frustrated look on his face. “I don’t know, but we need to report back to Sergeant Wilde, and she’s not going to be happy to hear about this.” The sergeant had cautioned Metz about keeping a close eye on the Alton scientist, and now it looked as if he had still managed to lose her.

“Damn,” muttered Private Trent, shaking his head. “Why’s it always us?”

-

Brenda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Once again Reesa had managed to get herself into trouble. “Are you certain this is the right wall?”

“Positive,” replied Corporal Metz nervously. “We were all standing here when she fell right through it as if it wasn’t even there.”

“I’m not detecting anything unusual,” commented Melvin as he scanned the wall with the portable sensor he was holding. He turned back toward the sergeant and Kelnor. “The wall seems to be solid.”

“We could try blasting a hole through it,” suggested Corporal Metz, feeling responsible for Reesa’s disappearance.

Kelnor reached out and touched the wall, running his hand across it. “There must be something important behind this wall for the Originators to keep it hidden. Reesa is an excellent research scientist, and I’m sure she’ll find a way to come back through. We just need to wait.”

-

Reesa was walking through the huge room gazing in wonder at the display cases. There were hundreds of them showing all types of various machines and scientific instruments. Most of them Reesa had no clue as to what their function was. After looking at a number of cases, she decided to return to the wall and attempt to pass back through it. Surely with her key, she could find a way. A distant noise suddenly drew her attention. Her eyes widened as she listened, hearing what appeared to be footsteps coming toward her. She felt an eerie chill run through her as she realized she wasn’t alone. Perhaps it was one of the Marines searching for her. She was just about to call out when suddenly, around the corner of one of the displays, a figure appeared. Reesa drew in a sharp breath, and her heart began to pound as she recognized what it was. It was an Originator! They weren’t all dead after all.

-

Fleet Admiral Race Tolsen was in the Command Center of the WarHawk checking on the deployment of his fleet. Every day he expected the Shari to attack in overwhelming numbers, but so far, that attack hadn’t materialized.

“What are they doing?” asked Admiral Stoddard, who had come over for his weekly briefing.

Race was meeting with each of the fleet admirals once per week for an in-depth discussion of the status of their crews and ships as well as to update the admirals on what was going on at the Dyson Sphere.

“Watching us,” Race said as he glanced at one of the tactical displays showing the myriad of red threat icons on the perimeter of the system. There was another small group of red icons two hundred million kilometers away as well.

Stoddard let out a deep and heavy breath. “How much longer are we going to stay here? We have no idea what’s happening back in Federation space. For all we know, there could be a major war going on between the Federation and the Shari. If that’s true, they could use our ships.”

“I don’t think actual fighting has broken out,” Race responded. “We still have one line of FTL buoys intact running between us and Federation space. If the Shari had attacked, I’m sure Fleet Admiral Nagumo would have sent the recall order.” Race had also not used their last line of communication as he was saving it for an actual emergency. He knew once he activated it, the Shari would detect the FTL communication and trace down the line of buoys.

“So we just sit here and wait?”

“For now,” Race answered. “We have a number of teams on the surface of the Dyson Sphere seeking another way in.”

Stoddard gazed at the large viewscreen, which was always focused on the massive artifact. “Maybe we should try to blast our way in like the Shari are planning. What if they get inside the sphere before we do?”

“Alshan Kalar is convinced we don’t dare use explosives against the Dyson Sphere,” Race responded. He and the Alton scientist had already discussed this in depth several times. “He’s convinced there are automatic defenses which will be activated at the first sign of such a blast.”

“And what if the Shari proceed with their attempt to force their way into the Dyson Sphere? What does that mean for us?”

Race let out a deep sigh. This was a matter of grave concern, so much so that he had sent a message to the High Lord of the Shari fleet warning him of what the consequences might be of setting off explosive charges on the Dyson Sphere. Alshan was convinced that such nuclear charges, as the Shari had emplaced, would in all likelihood fail in penetrating the outer hull of the megastructure.

“Alshan has put together a friendship message we’re broadcasting on all frequencies at the Dyson Sphere. He believes the controlling intelligence of the sphere will recognize we’re not a threat and won’t retaliate against us if the Shari do set off their explosive charges.”

“If there is a controlling intelligence,” commented Stoddard, shaking his head in doubt. “If these supposed defenses are automatic, they could very well fire on everything that’s in orbit, including us.”

Race nodded. It was a risk, but they dared not leave orbit and allow the Shari full possession of the megastructure. His eyes shifted over to the main viewscreen. He could see an exploration cutter on the surface near the structure Kelnor, Reesa, and the rest of the exploration team had vanished into so many weeks back. He knew the only hope for the team’s continued survival was if they had actually made it to the inner surface of the Dyson Sphere. Race hoped that was what had happened, for they were the only real chance they had of learning the secrets of the Originators.

Chapter Eleven

Commander Kelsey Strong gazed nervously at the large panoramic viewscreen surrounding her. Even the floor and ceiling were part of the screen. It was as if she was floating in space with no ship around her. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to this. Several AI warspheres were visible as well as Admiral Jarl Sithe’s flagship, the battleship Star Defender.

“Scary, isn’t it?” commented Katie with a devilish grin. “Not even the viewscreen on the Distant Horizon could compare to this.” Katie knew the big screen made Kelsey feel uncomfortable; it had taken her a while to get used to it. Now she actually enjoyed sitting at her console and admiring the unrestricted view of space. Mikow, who was sitting next to her, didn’t act as if it was anything out of the ordinary.

“We have similar screens on some of our more advanced research vessels,” commented Andram from his science station. “It aids immensely with observations.”

Kazak was standing in front of Kelsey on a somewhat lower level where all the command consoles were located. Kelsey’s command chair was on a slightly raised dais, which gave her an unobstructed view of the command crew as well as the viewscreen.

“Most of the ships of the Originators had screens such as these,” the AI explained. “The magnification of any section of the screen can be significantly increased to aid in research or even combat if necessary.”

“Contacts!” called out Lieutenant Burke from his sensor console. “I have four Simulin warships approaching.”

“Go to Condition One,” ordered Kelsey as she leaned forward in her command chair.

They hadn’t really expected to encounter any Simulins near the nebula. She wondered if they had run into some ships salvaging equipment from the blue-giant stars, which had energy collection satellites around them. Even so, space was huge, and it had to be more than a coincidence for this Simulin task force to run across the Dominator and her escort fleet.

“Increase screen magnification to show the Simulin ships,” she ordered.

On the viewscreen the magnification was increased in one section to show the four Simulin warships. Instantly, two battlecruisers and two support cruisers appeared.

Kelsey drew in a sharp breath as she gazed at one of the Simulin seventeen-hundred-meter battlecruisers with its six energy weapon spires extending from the bow. It was a frightening sight. She knew the ship was just as powerful as a fully updated Federation battleship and was not to be trifled with.

Throughout the five-thousand-meter length of the Dominator alarms sounded and lights began flashing red, informing the crew of the setting of Condition One. Modifications had been made to the Dominator to allow the ship to conform to Federation ship standards for combat.

“How did they find us?” asked Kelsey as she watched the Simulin vessels. There were still well outside of combat range.

“I suspect they have been observing the nebula where Gaia resides for quite some time to see if the Originator ship emerged,” Andram said with a thoughtful look on his face. “They may have detected us leaving the nebula and managed to get a plot of our intended course. There could be a number of these small task forces out looking for us.”

“Should I destroy them?” asked Kazak, turning toward Kelsey. “Their weapons pose no threat to this vessel.”

Kelsey looked surprised. “From this range?” This was over three times the normal combat range of Federation ships.

“Yes,” replied Kazak. “The ships gravitonic cannons have the necessary range and will not be affected by the energy shields surrounding the Simulin vessels.”

“I have Admiral Sithe on the comm,” Lieutenant Lee Michelson reported. “He’s asking for permission to engage the Simulin vessels.” Admiral Sithe was the ranking officer, but he had been advised by Jeremy to allow Kelsey and the Dominator considerable latitude in command decisions.

Kelsey took a deep breath. She knew they needed to find out more about the Dominator’s offensive capability. Jeremy had been very explicit about wanting to learn as much as possible about the ship. This might be a good test.

“No, inform the admiral that won’t be necessary. The Dominator will be engaging the four Simulin vessels by itself.” Kelsey leaned back in her command chair and looked at Kazak expectantly.

-

Simulin Lower Commander Hartok gazed at the monster ship on his main viewscreen. He had heard rumors of such a vessel but doubted the authenticity of the reports. Only when Supreme High Commander Callat had ordered the Fitula Nebula to be closely monitored for such a ship leaving it had Hartok come to accept the rumors might be true. And now, here near the nebula that once contained the Great Sphere, the rumored ship had appeared.

“Status!” he demanded harshly as he prepared for combat.

He had orders to capture the vessel if possible, but the escorts accompanying it seemed to indicate that wasn’t going to be achievable. Therefore, he would attempt to destroy it instead. He had already sent a message to Malkor informing Supreme High Commander Callat of encountering the ancient ship. However, it would be nearly three hours before the nearest sizable fleet could arrive and by then the ship and its escorting fleet would be gone. That left him no choice but to take his fleet in on a fast attack run and hit the giant ship with every weapon at his disposal. If he couldn’t destroy it, perhaps he could at least disable it until more Simulin warships arrived.

“Twenty-two contacts,” the sensor operator answered. “There are ten of the one-thousand-meter AI ships and the rest are ships crewed by the organics of the Fitula Nebula.”

Hartok nodded. “All ships will target the ship of the sphere builders. Once we have destroyed it, we will withdraw.”

“That ship supposedly immobilized several thousand of our vessels at the Fitula Nebula,” spoke up the ship’s second in command. “What chance do we have against it?”

“What does the battle computer say?”

The Second Commander spent a moment checking the computer and then turned back toward Hartok looking shaken. “It recommends attacking using every sublight antimatter missile at our disposal in an attempt to damage the vessel. The odds of our success are only at 12 percent.”

“We are Simulin,” Hartok answered coldly. “We will carry out our duties for it is our destiny to eliminate all other organics. If we die here today, then we die.”

“There can only be Simulin,” spoke the Second Commander in acknowledgment.

-

“Firing gravitonic cannon one,” reported Major Mason Donaldson as he touched several icons on his command screen.

Kazak was standing behind the tactical officer in case his assistance was needed. The Originator AI had spent considerable time with the major explaining to him the function of the weapons on the Dominator, at least the ones he was willing to allow the crew to use.

“Magnify the view of the target ship,” ordered Kelsey. She was highly curious to see the affect of the gravitonic cannon against a fully shielded Simulin battlecruiser.

On the screen, one of the battlecruisers suddenly swelled up even larger. The ship looked fearsome with its six long energy cannon spires and its bulbous form.

-

The graviton beam hit the front section of the Simulin battlecruiser, penetrating the energy screen as if it wasn’t even there. The entire bow of the ship seemed to collapse in on itself, and all six of the energy weapons spires seemed to crumble into space dust. As the beam continued to fire, the stress on the ship’s hull became unbearable and compartment after compartment cracked open. Secondary explosions from deep inside the vessel began to shake it and then in a massive burst of light, the Simulin battlecruiser blew apart.

-

Simulin battlecruiser is down,” reported Lieutenant Burke.

Kelsey was still gazing at the viewscreen in disbelief. It had taken only a few seconds for just one cannon to completely destroy the Simulin battlecruiser. “Target the next ship,” she ordered.

“Fire the antimatter beam,” suggested Kazak to Major Donaldson. “Its effect should be even more spectacular.”

Major Donaldson looked back at Kelsey, who nodded her agreement. Reaching forward, he targeted one of the support cruisers and fired the beam weapon.

On the viewscreen, a dark violet colored beam speared the Simulin cruiser, blasting directly through its energy shield like a hot knife cutting through butter. In a violent explosion, the escort cruiser blew up, sending glowing debris in all directions.

“Simulin escort cruiser is down,” confirmed Lieutenant Burke.

“As I said,” spoke Kazak addressing Kelsey. “Those Simulin vessels are not a threat.”

-

Lower Lord Hartok stood frozen, gazing in shock at the sudden loss of two of his ships to weapons of such power and range he couldn’t even fathom their power source. The Simulin fleet had no weapons that could even compare to the destructive power he had just witnessed.

“Four minutes to combat range,” the sensor operator reported.

“Withdraw,” ordered Hartok. There was no point in sacrificing his last two ships if he couldn’t even get within weapons range. “Send a message to the nearest fleet informing them of the weapons the ancient vessel possesses. Send all the data we have gathered. Then send the same message to Supreme High Commander Callat.”

If he continued his attack run both of his remaining ships would be destroyed before they reached engagement range. It was vital Supreme High Commander Callat be notified of the terrifying power of these weapons. If the organics and the AIs from the Fitula Nebula were able to build weapons of similar power, it would be the Simulins who would be annihilated from this galaxy.

“Too late,” the sensor operator replied, standing up and facing Lower Lord Hartok. “There shall be none but Simulin.” Even as he uttered those words, the ship exploded.

-

“Both the second Simulin battlecruiser and the remaining escort cruiser are down,” reported Lieutenant Burke.

The command crew was silent. Everyone was in awe of the weapons they had just used to destroy the four Simulin warships. If Kazak were willing to share this weapons technology, the war against the Simulins would soon be over. They could save this galaxy from being overrun.

“That represented just 2 percent of the weapons this ship has at its disposal,” announced Kazak, observing how impressed the Humans and the Altons had been by the display of power. “The Dominator by itself has the capability to eliminate any Simulin fleet which dares to attack us.”

Kelsey didn’t know what to say. This was the first battle she had actually commanded. Everything had seemed so easy. It slowly dawned on her she was in command of the most powerful ship in existence.

“Commander, Admiral Sithe is asking how soon before our next jump,” Lieutenant Mickelson informed her.

“Navigation, do you have the next set of nav coordinates ready?”

“Yes, Commander,” Captain Brent Adams replied. “We can make the transition to hyperspace at any time.”

“Send the coordinates to the other ships in the fleet. It’s time for us to leave before more Simulin warships show up. I’m sure that Simulin task force sent out messages informing their other fleets of our presence.”

“That’s confirmed,” Kazak said. “The Dominator’s sensors detected a number of FTL messages being sent prior to our engaging the Simulins and several just before the last two ships were destroyed.”

“Anything on the long-range sensors?” asked Kelsey. She knew the sensors on the Dominator could detect other space vessels within twenty light years.

“Sensors are clear at the moment,” Lieutenant Burke answered as she checked them one more time.

Kelsey nodded. “Navigation, let’s depart this area.” Looking at the viewscreen one last time Kelsey took note of the four areas of glowing debris. Four Simulin ships had been destroyed by the Dominator as if they were just minor inconveniences.

A few moments later, the fleet entered hyperspace and vanished from their previous location, leaving nothing behind except the shattered remains of the Simulin warships.

Kelsey had to close her eyes for a moment, as the Command Center was flooded with the deep purple colors of hyperspace. The massive viewscreen suddenly dimmed and the colors gradually faded. They didn’t vanish altogether but they were less disturbing.

She looked uneasily at Kazak who was moving from one command console to the next, speaking with the different crewmembers who were operating them. Occasionally he would spend a little extra time explaining some mundane function of a console before moving on. Kelsey was worried about Kazak. So far on this mission he had done everything she had asked of him, however, watching the Originator AI during the battle she had gotten the feeling Kazak had actually enjoyed destroying the Simulin ships. She thought about how Ariel acted the same way anytime she was allowed to be in command of the Avenger during a battle. For that matter, so had Clarissa. It occurred to her that in future engagements she would keep a closer eye on Kazak. She also wanted to talk to Katie and Andram about her suspicions to see how they felt about the Originator AI.

Kelsey continued to watch Kazak as he moved about the Command Center. She and Jeremy had spent considerable time discussing her taking command of the Dominator. She had a feeling Jeremy felt much the same as she did as far as trusting Kazak. The Dominator was a warship. Was it possible Kazak was an AI whose primary responsibility was to protect this ship at any cost? Had Kazak been programmed more for war and not for peace? It was a frightening thought. What if at some future time the Originator AI decided its organic crew was a hindrance. Her thoughts turned to the secret compartment at the heart of the ship. Jeremy had expressly forbidden her, Mikow, or Katie to even question the AI about it. For now, Jeremy wanted Kazak to believe his ruse of hiding the compartment had worked. What concerned Kelsey was what would happen if Kazak decided what was inside of the compartment was more important than its Human and Alton crew.

-

Katie was watching information scroll across her computer screen, using it to learn more about the Dominator. Kazak had given her access to parts of the ship’s master computer and memory core. She was casually searching for any data that might give them a clue as to what was inside the secret compartment. It made her nervous to think there might be actual Originators inside as ZED had suggested. What if they awakened and found Humans and Altons on board the ship? Would their actions be peaceful or would they act as if their ship had been invaded?

Surprisingly, Kazak had made some information available that described the Originators’ research into immortality. The more she read, the more amazed she became. The Originators had dreams of building gargantuan megastructures in deep space between the galaxies. Their idea was to create a small star cluster of Dyson Spheres around some very young stars where their civilization could flourish for billions of years. She had also noticed that while there was a lot of general information available, almost all technical data was still restricted.

-

Several hours later Mikow was with Katie in her quarters. She placed a small device on the floor and pressing a button, activated it. “That should prevent Kazak from spying on us.”

“Do you think he would?” Katie had checked to see if Kazak had access to their personal quarters and as far as she could tell, he didn’t.

“I don’t think we want to take the chance,” replied Mikow. “This device will show no one is in your quarters but we need to hurry before he becomes suspicious.”

Katie nodded. “Have you found out anything about the secret compartment?”

“Not really,” Mikow answered. She leaned back in the chair she was sitting in and then continued. “I have confirmed it’s there. I’ve been carefully researching the Originator crew roster that fled the Dyson Sphere on the Dominator. There were a lot of brilliant scientists and their families on board.”

“How did you find that out?”

“I told Kazak I wanted to learn more about the Originators and their personal lives and the only ones there are records of are the original crew.”

“What purpose will that serve?” asked Katie. She didn’t see how that would help them to discover what was actually inside the compartment.

Mikow leaned forward. “As each crewmember came down with the pathogen and eventually died, there is a life termination message listed in their crew file. “What I’m looking for are crewmembers files that don’t show a life termination message.”

Katie nodded in understanding. “That would indicate they didn’t die and are in the compartment Kazak is keeping hidden. Have you found any yet?”

“No,” answered Mikow, shaking her head. “I’ve only gone through about 30 percent of the crew files. If I go any faster, Kazak may suspect I’m searching for something specific and not just general information.”

Katie didn’t respond as she thought over their current situation. There were two hundred and twelve Human crewmembers on board the Dominator as well as forty-two Altons. In addition, Kazak had agreed to allow one platoon of Marines to come on board in case it became necessary to send research teams down to a planet. It bothered Katie they were keeping secret from Kelsey the possibility there might still be surviving Originators inside the ship. However, Jeremy had stressed the importance of keeping that knowledge restricted. Not even Andram suspected what was going on.

“We should arrive at our destination early tomorrow,” Katie said. “So far I haven’t noticed any strange behavior from Kazak.”

“Neither have I,” Mikow replied. “I’d better turn this device off before Kazak begins to suspect something’s wrong.”

Katie nodded and watched as Mikow shut off the device and placed it back in one of her pockets. Standing up, Mikow left leaving Katie alone in her quarters.

Leaning back in her chair Katie let out a deep sigh. She didn’t care for this clandestine snooping they were doing. She knew it was necessary, but she really wished she could talk to Kelsey about it. She had never kept secrets from her before, at least not like this one.

-

Kazak had been watching and listening to the entire meeting between Katie and Mikow. It had been relatively easy to disable the interference from Mikow’s device. What deeply concerned Kazak was the fact they knew about the secret compartment. He had known there was a risk of them spotting the missing data in the schematics he had furnished and now that risk was confirmed. What was even more disturbing was how close they were to the truth of what was inside the compartment.

Now Kazak had to decide what to do about the situation. It would be relatively easy to use the ship’s internal defenses to disable or even eliminate all of the organics on board. The Dominator was completely repaired and safe from any threat inside this galaxy. So far, he had allowed only the secondary weapons to be used. The Humans and the Altons had no clue as to the power of the ship’s primary weapon system.

For several long moments, Kazak dwelled on what path he should take. His programmers had left him a lot of latitude in what he was allowed to do to protect the contents of that compartment. It was obvious that for the time being there was no actual threat or danger to the compartment or its contents. In addition, the Humans and the Altons could prove to be a valuable asset in the future. Reaching a decision, Kazak decided not to take any definitive action as of now. He would continue to act as if he didn’t know Mikow and Katie were actively searching for the secret he was hiding.

He also knew Clarissa would not have wanted him to take any actions against her friends. He wished Clarissa had survived; they had become friends and he had begun to trust her. It was one of the reasons he had given her additional information about the Dyson Sphere, information that if she could have used it might have saved the Distant Horizon. However, the ship had become disabled and his new found friend had met her end in the fiery explosion of a star.

-

Kelsey was back in the Command Center gazing in wonder at the massive viewscreen surrounding her. They were deep within the blue-giant nebula. Nearly a quarter of the forward screen showed a massive area of white light, the radiation front moving away from the Dyson Sphere supernova. The rest of the screen showed the myriad of stars residing in the nebula. It was a breathtaking view.

“What’s the verdict?” Kelsey asked Andram, who busy at his science console. He had been using the ship’s numerous sensors to scan the wavefront.

“This is fascinating,” Andram said, shifting his gaze toward Kelsey. “Since the last time we were here in the Avenger, the radiation front has intensified by 14 percent and substantially increased in speed. The stress on hyperspace is apparent and steadily increasing.”

Kelsey looked over at Kazak. She knew the Originator AI had been running sensor scans as well.

“How many other stars have gone nova?”

“Six so far,” Kazak replied. “Four are showing indications of being regular novas and two others are nearly off the charts.”

Kelsey nodded her understanding. “So we have two more supernovas.”

“Yes,” confirmed Andram. “All six novas are adding to the stress on hyperspace.”

“It is as I feared,” Kazak said, his voice sounding concerned. “The exotic material of the Dyson Sphere and the black matter that surrounded it has exponentially increased the expansion of the original supernova and acted as a catalyst. From the simulations I have run, it’s much worse than I originally projected. If the wavefront isn’t stopped within six weeks, it will be too powerful to be affected by any weapon the Dominator has at its disposal.”

Kelsey drew in a sharp breath. The original plan had been to jump into the blue-giant nebula, take readings, and then return to Gaia to come up with a strategy to deal with the nova. Now it looked as if they wouldn’t have the time to do that.

“I concur,” said Andram, turning around to face Kelsey. “The radiation front is increasing in speed and power each day. It will reach Gaia in half the originally projected time. If we’re going to stop it, we must do something now.”

Kelsey felt her world spin. It was much worse than they had believed. At the current rate of expansion of the radiation front, they would all live to see it reach Gaia. She shuddered at the thought of seeing their new home die. Of course if they protected Gaia with an energy shield as Kazak had suggested, they would be trapped on their world from then on. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

“Kazak, is there anything we can do?”

The Originator AI hesitated and then replied. “If we work quickly we can stop the radiation front by causing supernovas in a number of nearby stars.”

“How many?” asked Andram. He couldn’t believe they were even discussing this possibility. It was also frightening to know the Dominator had this capability.

“Ten,” answered Kazak. “Ten supernovas at the proper distance from the radiation front would disrupt it to the point as to cause space-time to seal itself up, and the stress to hyperspace would be eliminated. The radiation front would then be moving at under the speed of light, and its destructive nature would be considerably diminished. The front would die out shortly after passing the boundaries of the blue-giant nebula. There’s also a reasonable chance the majority of the stars in the nebula would be unaffected and never go nova.”

“Andram?” asked Kelsey. While she believed what Kazak had just said, she trusted Andram implicitly. “Will it work?”

Andram hesitated as he studied data Kazak had just transferred to his science console. “I would have to study this data a bit longer, but in theory it should work. That’s assuming we have some way to cause these ten stars to go nova. The hyperspace math involved is far above anything I’m familiar with. Shilum might understand it, but I don’t.” Shilum Torre was the hyperspace specialist that had been with him on the Distant Horizon. She was currently back in the Gaia System working with the AIs.

Kelsey was quiet as she thought over Andram’s words. “The Distant Horizon used their antimatter missiles to create the Dyson Sphere supernova. Kazak, I understand you suggested using dark matter instead.”

“Dark matter would create the desired explosive force to disrupt a star to the point of causing a supernova,” Kazak answered evenly. “We just need to find a source. I spoke of this with Fleet Commander Strong recently, and he planned on sending out a number of Alton vessels to locate the necessary dark matter.”

“We’re not going to have time for that,” Andram said with a deep frown. “However, I may know of another source close by. There’s a chance some of the dark matter that surrounded the Dyson Sphere might have been blown away by the explosion of the star.”

“I have instruments on board which can detect dark matter,” said Kazak. He shifted his gaze to Kelsey. “It may be highly dangerous to collect the amount we’ll need. I would recommend we only use the Dominator and have the rest of the fleet move out of the blue-giant nebula. Once we have a sufficient quantity of dark matter, I can use the weapon manufacturing facilities on the ship to create the necessary warheads. The special missiles are already finished. Then all we have to do is go to the ten designated star systems and deploy them.”

“The stars will need to be equidistant from the radiation front,” added Andram. It amazed him they were casually discussing blowing up stars. It made him fully realize just how dangerous the science of the Originators could be if it were to ever fall into the wrong hands.

-

Several hours later Kelsey watched nervously as the Dominator approached the deadly radiation wavefront. Kazak had located a patch of dark matter which was being pushed ahead of the radiation by the stress being generated on hyperspace. The rest of the ships of the fleet were on their way out of the nebula and would wait at a selected rendezvous point for the Dominator. Admiral Sithe had been very unhappy to learn of Kelsey’s decision to leave the fleet in the Originator ship. It had taken quite a bit of explaining to get the admiral to finally agree.

“I’m sending out a probe to capture a sufficient quantity of dark matter for the ten warheads,” Kazak informed her.

On the viewscreen, a small vessel left the Dominator and accelerated toward the wavefront, which was uncomfortably close to the ship.

“Detecting high levels of radiation,” reported Lieutenant Burke, her eyes showing her nervousness.

“The ship’s energy shield can handle it,” Kazak said confidently. “The probe is nearing the dark matter.”

Kelsey watched the probe intently. The massive viewscreen was showing an enhanced view of the small vessel. A hatch opened on the front and the probe began to slow. In a blinding flash of light, the probe exploded.

“Probe is down,” reported Lieutenant Burke.

“What happened?” asked Kelsey, looking over at Kazak for an explanation. She was concerned this was going to be much more difficult than Kazak had implied.

Kazak spent a moment reviewing the incident and then turned toward Kelsey. “There was too much dark matter for the probe to handle safely. We’ll have to use the Dominator.”

Andram looked with concern at Kazak. “Will that be safe? In order for the Dominator to approach the dark matter, it will be necessary to lower the energy shield.”

“The hull can withstand the radiation for the time that will be needed,” the AI assured Andram. “I’ll take the ship in over the dark matter and use a tractor beam to pull it into a small quarantine compartment. I can use the tractor beam to control the dark matter and ensure it doesn’t make contact with the ship’s hull.”

“And if it does?” asked Katie, drawing in a deep breath. She could feel her pulse racing.

“It would damage the ship,” conceded Kazak. “I’m placing an energy screen around that section of the Dominator as well, so if there is an explosion it will be contained.”

Kelsey nodded. They had to have the dark matter or Gaia was doomed. “Take the Dominator in.”

Everyone on the large dais was quiet as the massive warship diligently approached the area where the probe ship had been destroyed. On the viewscreen, a small dark patch of what looked like purple gas floated in space.

“Is that the dark matter?” asked Katie.

“Yes,” answered Kazak. “Dark matter is actually invisible; I’m using a filter to show it on the viewscreen.”

“Energy shield is down,” reported Major Donaldson.

“Radiation increasing on the outer hull,” added Lieutenant Burke. “Interior radiation count is still normal.”

The view on the screen changed to show a large hatch opening on the side of the ship. A tractor beam reached out, and very slowly the small purple cloud was pulled toward the hatch. As it approached, it changed form until it resembled a small globe, then it floated gently inside.

“Energy shield around the compartment has been activated,” Kazak confirmed. “Tractor beam has been set to hold the dark matter in the center of the chamber. Closing hatch.”

“Energy shield is back up,” added Major Donaldson.

“All readings in the compartment seem to be normal,” added Andram. His eyes were focused excitedly on a small viewscreen on his science console showing the dark matter globe being held by the tractor beam. Already he was using the ship’s sensors to scan it. He had never had the opportunity before to study this amount of dark matter at such a close range.

Kelsey knew Andram was going to take this opportunity to learn everything he could from Kazak about dark matter. “Kazak, can we leave now?”

“Yes,” he replied. “We have everything we need.”

“Captain Adams, plot us a course back to the fleet. I want to put some distance between us and that radiation front.”

Moments later, the Dominator entered a swirling spatial vortex and made the transition into hyperspace.

Kelsey leaned back and allowed herself to relax. Now all that was necessary was to create ten dark matter warheads and blow up ten stars. Kelsey shook her head, finding it hard to believe she was having such thoughts. One thing Kelsey was convinced of was that once the ten warheads had been deployed, she would order all dark matter on the Dominator returned to space. It was far too deadly to have around. Just the thought of being able to destroy a star with a single warhead was mind-boggling. She hoped by allowing Kazak to talk her into this course of action that she was doing the right thing and it would result in saving Gaia.

Chapter Twelve

Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong was over on the Clan Protector as the latest Gaia class battlecruiser exited its construction bay. Kevin had come along as he was extremely bored with Katie being gone on the Dominator. The battlecruiser reached the atmospheric retention field and slid smoothly out of the bay. As soon as the battlecruiser cleared the bay, the massive hatch slid shut.

Daelthon watched with satisfaction in his large round eyes, seeing the now empty bay. “We’re ready for the next group,” he announced. “We’ll start construction the day after tomorrow.”

“How many does that make?” asked Kevin, looking over at the large light brown Bear who towered above him. All the Carethians looked fierce and were in battle, however, they were also dedicated friends and extremely protective and caring of their families.

“Twenty-four,” answered Daelthon. “All with the latest updates.”

Jeremy turned around to face the two. He had sent ten of the Gaia class battlecruisers with Kelsey and Admiral Sithe. “I need an admiral to take command of the squadron. I want it to immediately begin hit and run raids against the Simulins as soon as Admiral Sithe and the Dominator return.”

“Just the battlecruisers?” asked Kevin, feeling concerned they might not have the firepower needed if they ran into a powerful Simulin warfleet.

“No,” Jeremy answered. “There will be one battleship assigned as well as ten AI warspheres. In addition, Grayseth will be going out soon with his own fleet to begin attacking Simulin bases and systems.”

Kevin thought briefly over the men and women in the fleet. “How about Commander Hiru Akira of the Retribution? He’s qualified.”

Jeremy nodded as he considered Kevin’s suggestion. “He’s familiar with fighter and bomber tactics from his time under Rear Admiral Marks. Before that he served on board a battlecruiser for nearly two years.” After a few moments, Jeremy shook his head. “No, I think I’ll promote him to the rank of rear admiral, but he’s better suited commanding our battlecarriers.”

“I would suggest Commander Newman of the Gaia,” said Daelthon. “He was given the first Gaia class to be built and is familiar with the ship’s capabilities.”

Jeremy’s eyes brightened at the suggestion. Newman had been on his list of possible candidates. “That might just work. I’ll speak to him immediately and see if he would consider it.”

“I’ve spoken to Newman in the cafeteria here on the Clan Protector several times,” Kevin said, looking thoughtful. “He seems to be a very competent officer.”

Jeremy looked around the large empty construction bay. A few spider robots were visible clearing equipment out of the bay in preparation for starting construction on the next battlecruiser. Daelthon had worked miracles with the Clan Protector, turning it into the type of shipyard that could easily serve Gaia’s growing fleet.

-

Later, Jeremy sat in his quarters going over the fleet readiness reports. With a deep sigh, he looked across the room at a picture hanging on the wall. It was of the New Horizon, the first interstellar ship ever built by Earth. The New Horizon mission had ended in disaster, but it had brought Jeremy and all of his friends, including Ariel, together. They had formed a bond which remained unbroken to this day. That was many long years ago, so many that it was considered a part of Federation history.

“Missing Kelsey?” asked Ariel as she suddenly appeared in front of Jeremy’s desk.

“Yes,” said Jeremy, smiling at Ariel. “I wish I knew how the mission was going.”

“We could take the Avenger and go find out,” she suggested.

Jeremy shook his head. “No, if Kelsey is going to be a commander she needs to know I trust her to do this on her own.”

“It’s the Dominator we’re talking about,” Ariel said carefully. “What if the Originators who are sleeping in that central compartment awaken?”

“We’re not certain the compartment contains surviving Originators,” Jeremy responded. “Is it even possible for them to have survived several million years in deep sleep or stasis?”

“The Dominator and Kazak survived,” pointed out Ariel. “With their advanced science and technology, I believe it could be done.”

Jeremy slowly nodded his head. “If there are Originators in that chamber, there has to be a reason why Kazak hasn’t awakened them. The ship’s been fully repaired, and why take the risk of the ship sustaining damage by helping us?”

Ariel was silent as she searched for a reason. “He needs something from us.”

“What?” asked Jeremy, his eyes narrowing slightly. “There’s nothing we can provide him he doesn’t already have.”

“That’s the question,” Ariel said. “Perhaps we should talk to Kurene and ZED and see if they have any ideas.”

Jeremy looked down on his desk at a picture of him and Kelsey on the beach at New Tellus. That seemed like so long ago. He wondered how things were going now in the Federation. Was former Fleet Admiral Streth still living in the cabin by the lake on Maken as Rear Admiral Barnes had reported? Sometimes he missed the old admiral’s advice. He could really use it in this situation. So many had been lost in recent years. Fleet Admiral Johnson, Admiral Teleck, Rear Admiral Barnes, Clarissa, and others had died in battle. Unfortunately, Jeremy knew there would be more.

“I’ll arrange for ZED and Kurene to come to Gaia.”

Ariel nodded, looking at the picture on Jeremy’s desk. “I’m sure Kelsey and Katie are fine. Admiral Sithe is with them, and he’ll be keeping a close watch on the Dominator. If there are any problems, he could always evacuate the crew from the ship.”

“I still wish we knew more about Kazak and what the Dominator was actually doing out Ornellia way. There has to be more to this than what Kazak’s told us so far.”

“I agree,” responded Ariel, folding her arms across her chest and tilting here head slightly. “I’ve gone over all the files we have on Kazak and even what he and Clarissa talked about. I haven’t found anything suspicious.”

The comm on Jeremy’s desk sounded. Reaching forward he answered it. “This is Admiral Strong.”

“Admiral, we just received a message from Admiral Cleeteus,” reported Commander Kyla Malen. “He has several Alton battleships on patrol on the outskirts of the nebula watching for Simulin activity. He reports in the last forty-eight hours the number of Simulin ships scanning the nebula has quadrupled. There is also evidence of a larger Simulin fleet formation assembling in the Zeta 3A Star System. That’s eight light years distant from the nebula in the direction of the blue-giants.”

Ariel realized this couldn’t be a coincidence. “They must have detected the Dominator exiting the nebula and are waiting for its return.”

“But why?” asked Jeremy, cocking an eyebrow. “They must know what happened the last time and that it was the Dominator that drained all the energy from their ships.”

“Unknown,” Ariel answered, her dark eyes narrowing sharply. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “They may be hoping to destroy the ship before it can make its way safely back to Gaia.”

Jeremy clenched his teeth and slowly shook his head. While he doubted there was any chance of the Simulins launching a successful attack on the Originator ship, he wasn’t going to take the risk.

“There’s going to be a change in plans. We’re going to pull together a fleet and attack the assembling Simulin ships. We know the Simulins have suffered significant fleet losses both here and back in our home galaxy. It’s time we showed them this section of the Triangulum Galaxy is no longer a safe place for them. Contact all the admirals, including Rear Admiral Marks, and have them meet me on the Clan Protector tomorrow afternoon. Also, send a message to the Command AI requesting its presence. Kurene and ZED can hitch a ride with the Command AI as well.”

-

On the Dominator, Commander Kelsey Strong looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was still strange to see herself wearing the uniform of a commander. Her father was the Fleet Admiral at Ceres before the revelation, and he had always hoped she would follow in his footsteps into command someday. She knew if he could see her now he would be proud. She gazed into the mirror and reaching up, flipped a wayward blonde hair out of her blue eyes. Thanks to the life extension drugs developed by the Federation and then augmented by the Altons, she looked as if she was still in her late twenties.

It had been four days since the Dominator procured the dark matter Kazak needed to construct the ten super warheads. After some discussion, they had decided it was going to be impossible to deploy all ten warheads to allow for simultaneous explosions in the ten selected stars. As a result, they had returned to the fleet so they could use the ten AI warspheres to deliver the missiles instead. When Admiral Sithe had been briefed on the plan, his face had turned pale and his eyes had widened in disbelief. This was supposed to have been a science mission, not an undertaking to blow up entire star systems.

It had taken Andram considerable time to explain the necessary details to the New Providence admiral. In the end, he had grudgingly agreed to allow the use of the warspheres to deliver the warheads.

Her comm went off and she stepped over and answered it. “We’re ready to begin transferring the missiles,” Lieutenant Mickelson informed her.

“I’ll be right there,” answered Kelsey. Straightening her shoulders, she turned and left her quarters to go to the Command Center.

-

A short time later, Kelsey was standing next to Mikow and Katie as she waited for the missiles to be transferred over to the AI warspheres. “We’re going to destroy ten star systems,” she said softly as she watched a shuttle leave the Dominator and head over to one of the AI ships. “Are we doing the right thing?” She turned her head, looking over at the other two women.

“The systems would be destroyed anyway when the Dyson Sphere supernova wavefront reaches them,” Mikow answered. “This is the only viable solution we have managed to come up with which may stop the supernova. There are also no inhabited systems inside the nebula.”

Katie had a look of worry on her face. “What happens if the Simulins discover what we’re doing? If they find out we have a weapon that can destroy an entire star system, what will their response be? They have ships around the blue-giant nebula. Eventually they’ll detect the ten new supernovas, and it won’t take them long to realize someone created them.”

“The Simulins may not suspect we were responsible,” Mikow said, glancing over at Katie. “We’ve never used such a weapon before.”

“They’ll know it was us,” responded Kelsey, letting out a deep breath. “Because of the battle we fought earlier, they know the Dominator was in the nebula. When they detect the ten new supernovas, they’ll know we were responsible.”

Kelsey didn’t go on to mention that once these ten warheads were deployed, they would no longer have a weapon capable of blowing up a star system. She had ordered Kazak to dispose of the rest of the dark matter as a safety precaution. She didn’t want to even think about what the effect of such a weapon would be on an inhabited planet.

-

Over the next twenty minutes, she watched as the rest of the missiles were delivered to the AI warspheres. Once the last missile had been delivered and loaded into its waiting missile tube, the ten one-thousand-meter vessels made the transition into hyperspace and were gone.

“We’re committed now,” commented Katie, her green eyes focused on Kelsey. “I just hope this works.”

“If it helps, we had no choice,” added Mikow, drawing in a deep breath. “Just think of all the lives that will be saved by stopping the radiation front.”

“Including everyone on Gaia,” Katie pointed out. “By doing this we’re saving our home.”

Kelsey knew her friends were right. It was just that she had never made such an important decision before, not even when she had given Clarissa permission to take over the Distant Horizon. “Lieutenant Michelson, send word to the rest of the fleet we’ll be leaving shortly.”

She was going to take the fleet back into the blue-giant nebula where they could monitor the deployment of the missiles. Kazak had equipped each of the ten warspheres with a small communication drone that, when deployed, would send data via FTL communications back to the Dominator. The transmission range was only sixteen light years, but it was instantaneous. The fleet would be positioned ten light years distant from the Dyson Sphere supernova so they could receive the telemetry from the probes.

“Admiral Sithe reports the fleet is ready,” Michelson confirmed. “We can depart at any time.”

“Captain Adams, send the fleet the nav coordinates. It’s time for us to go.”

-

AI warsphere WS-129 exited hyperspace into the blue-giant star system that was its destination. For several minutes the vessel stayed at its position scanning the system and the star. The star was 9.744 million kilometers in diameter with a surface temperature of 24,000 degrees Kevin. After a few minutes of observations, the warsphere opened a spatial vortex and entered hyperspace once more. A few moments later, it reappeared in an orbit twenty million kilometers from the star. As soon as it exited hyperspace alarms began sounding in the Control Center.

“Report,” ordered the AI in command of the ship. There were only sixty AIs on the warsphere as most of its functions were automated.

“Intense radiation from the star,” the AI at the science console answered in its cold mechanical voice. “Shield is holding.”

“Hyperdrive?”

“Recharging,” the AI at the navigation and helm controls answered. “Hyperdrive will be fully operational in six minutes.”

“The dark matter missile?”

“Ready to launch,” reported the AI in front of the tactical console.

The AI in command of the ship checked the timer on one of the consoles. It was twenty-seven minutes until time to launch the missile.

“Will the gravity well of the star have any effect on the hyperdrive?”

“Minimal,” replied the science AI. “We’re just on the edge of where the influence of the star’s gravity would interfere.”

“Sensors?”

“No contacts.”

The AI in command was satisfied. There was nothing to hinder the completion of their mission.

The minutes passed quickly by, and the timer on the console finally reached zero.

“Missile launch,” confirmed the AI at Tactical. “Sixteen minutes until impact and detonation.”

“Launch the FTL probe,” ordered the AI in command. “As soon as it has cleared the energy screen, activate it.” The AI knew that due to the intense radiation the probe would only function for forty minutes. That would be more than enough time for it to complete its mission.

On one of the viewscreens, the small probe became visible as it moved away from the ship. It was a small globe five meters in diameter.

“Activate hyperdrive and set coordinates for the fleet rendezvous point.”

-

In front of the AI warsphere, a swirling white spatial vortex appeared and moments later the vessel vanished into it, leaving the blue-giant star system far behind.

In the system, the dark matter sublight missile continued to accelerate toward its destination. The minutes passed as the missile drew nearer and then it finally dove into the Corona of the blue-giant star. The missile was made of the same material as the Dominator and resistant to the raging heat. It continued through the Corona entering the Chromosphere, but it didn’t stop there. The heat was beginning to affect the missile, and the massive turbulence attempting to tear it apart, but it continued diving into the Photosphere where it exploded.

The blue-giant star at first seemed unaffected, then it contracted in on itself. Massive solar prominences rose high above the surface. Then, in a titanic release of energy, the sun exploded, transforming into a supernova as electrons and protons fused together sending out a massive wave of neutrinos and matter.

-

Aboard the Dominator, the huge panoramic viewscreen was divided into ten sections, each one showing a blue-giant star. Almost simultaneously the ten stars began to expand until they covered the screens with their violence.

“Detonations confirmed at all ten stars,” reported Andram as he studied the data coming across his science screens. “Detecting a massive increase in neutrinos.”

Even as he spoke, the screens rapidly went blank, one by one.

“FTL communication probes have been destroyed,” reported Kazak. “Preliminary data indicates we were successful in turning all ten stars into supernovas.”

“How soon before we know if they’ll stop the radiation front?” asked Katie. Her eyes had been glued to the viewscreens. She had never imagined seeing something like a supernova at close range. The screens had made the star explosions seem as if they were right next to the Dominator.

“Not for seven to nine months,” Andram answered. “The energy front from the supernovas is only moving outward at the speed of light. While the radiation front from the Dyson Sphere supernova is moving much faster, it will take three to four months before they interact with each other and then another four to six months before we can judge the affects.”

Kelsey shifted her eyes away from the viewscreen as it began to show a normal view of space, if the heart of the blue-giant nebula could be called normal. “As soon as all the warspheres have reached us, we’ll set a course for home.”

Kelsey saw the relieved look in Katie’s eyes. With a deep sigh, Kelsey leaned back in her command chair. She wondered what Jeremy would say when he learned she had allowed Kazak to talk her into blowing up ten star systems. She just hoped she had made the right decision and the Dyson Sphere supernova would be substantially weakened.

-

In Simulin space, Supreme High Commander Callat was inspecting one of the massive shipyards in orbit around Malkor. He was in one of the enormous construction bays watching the final work being done to a new seventeen-hundred-meter battlecruiser.

“The reports have been confirmed,” reported High Commander Faberh. “The ship of the sphere builders was detected leaving the Fitula Nebula.”

“Did the ship that detected the vessel report on its destination?” Callat knew because of the distance involved this report was several weeks old.

“The nebula where the Great Sphere resided.”

Callat turned his cold gaze upon his second in command. “We have several fleets in the vicinity of the nebula, have they been informed?”

“Yes, the commander of the vessel sent warning messages to the fleets at the nebula. They will be watching for the ship’s arrival.”

“And the fleet we have forming up at the Fitula Nebula?”

“Many of the ships have arrived; there are still a few task groups inbound to the assembly coordinates.”

Callat was satisfied things were going as planned. He had been waiting for the appearance of the ship. Once the ship of the sphere builders was detected returning to the Fitula Nebula, the waiting Simulin fleet would jump in and launch every antimatter missile they had in their missile tubes. Callat was convinced such a massive onslaught of antimatter energy would at least damage the vessel, giving the attacking Simulin fleet a chance to capture it. If he was wrong, they could lose the entire fleet. It would be a setback but one that could be dealt with.

“The fleet we sent from Tranton should be arriving at Ornellia shortly,” Faberh added. “Once we have destroyed the Fitula organics and their AIs in the Ornellia System, the threat they pose to that region of space will have been neutralized.”

“All must be Simulin,” Supreme High Commander Callat spoke in a resounding voice.

“All must be Simulin,” replied Faberh reverently.

Callat watched as several energy cannons were moved over to the battlecruiser for installation. The Grand Council was now firmly under his control and his plans for a more powerful fleet as well as increased planetary defenses were proceeding smoothly. The only real threat to eventual Simulin domination of this galaxy were the organics and the AIs from the Fitula Nebula. If the ship of the sphere builders could be captured or destroyed, then that threat would be a very minor one. Someday they would have the technology to penetrate the nebula and strike at the system the organics and AIs were encamped in.

“It is time for us to return to the flagship,” he said, turning away from the battlecruiser. “I wish to go to Tranton and then to Gladen Three to inspect the defenses there.”

“I will have the flagship prepare for departure,” replied Faberh.

-

In the Fitula Nebula, Jeremy was back on board the Avenger. He had just returned from a second staff meeting with all of his admirals. During the meeting he had announced the promotion of Commander Newman of the battlecruiser Gaia to the rank of rear admiral as well as the promotion of Commander Hiru Akira of the battlecarrier Retribution to the rank of rear admiral. Newman would be in charge of the squadron of twenty-four Gaia class battlecruisers built by the Clan Protector. Akira would be responsible for all the fleet’s battlecarriers as well as fighter and bomber operations.

“Grayseth reports his fleet is ready to depart,” said Lieutenant Shayla Lantz from Communications.

“Admiral Cleeteus and the Command AI have their forces ready as well,” added Commander Malen.

Jeremy looked over at the main computer console where Kurene was sitting. Behind her hovered ZED, who would be accompanying them. This would be the first time Jeremy had ever allowed an AI to be in the Command Center of the Avenger during a mission. While he sought to destroy the fleet in the Zeta 3A Star System, he also wanted to attempt to capture a Simulin warship. If they could capture a ship and access its computer, they might be able to learn just how strong the Simulins were in the Triangulum Galaxy as well as find out where their inhabited worlds were. The tactical data they could gain would greatly enhance their ability to fight the war.

For this battle he was taking six Federation battleships, ten battlecruisers, forty strikecruisers, and twelve of the Gaia class battlecruisers. In addition, Alton Admiral Cleeteus was taking twenty battleships and twenty of his battlecruisers. The Carethian fleet, which Grayseth and Admiral Calmat were in joint command of, consisted of two battleships, ten battlecruisers, and twenty-six medium cruisers. The Command AI was also committing a fleet. Sixty of the stupendous fifteen-hundred-meter warships were going as well as eighty of the one-thousand-meter warspheres. Jeremy intended to crush the Simulin fleet in the Zeta 3A Star System and then seek out and destroy any Simulin surveillance ships around the nebula.

Looking around the Command Center, Jeremy took a deep breath. By attacking the Simulin fleet, it ensured the Dominator wouldn’t fall prey to a trap when it returned from the blue-giant nebula. It would also be sending a message to the Simulins.

“Will I be allowed to fight with the Avenger?” asked a girlish voice from behind Jeremy.

Jeremy allowed himself to smile. Sometimes he forgot Ariel had originally been programmed to command a warship in battle. “Perhaps,” he answered. “We’ll see how the battle goes.” Looking over at the sensor console, he noticed the panicked look on Kevin’s face. Ariel tended to get overzealous in her maneuvers during battle, and some of her antics could be quite frightening if one wasn’t prepared. “Don’t worry Kevin, it might not be necessary.”

Kevin nodded and turned his attention back to his sensor console.

“Commander Malen, take us out,” ordered Jeremy as he settled back in his command chair. “We’ll stop just inside the outer section of corridor five and send a few ships out to take scans. Once we’ve confirmed the enemy’s location and numbers, we’ll launch our attack.”

On the main viewscreen, Jeremy watched as they began to pull away from Gaia. It would have been relatively easy to remain hidden in the nebula for years to come and stay away from the Simulins. However, to do so would be to allow the Simulins to rebuild their strength and Jeremy could not allow that to happen. No, it was time to go on the offense and take the war to them. Jeremy just hoped he wouldn’t come to regret his decision.

Chapter Thirteen

Reesa looked with boredom around the room she was imprisoned in. It had been six days since the appearance of the Originator in the museum. The being hadn’t said a word but had motioned for her to follow him. She had been taken to this room and once inside found the door locked. Twice per day a tray of food appeared in a slot on the wall.

It had taken her a while to figure out the restroom facilities as everything was designed for an Originator. Sometimes she felt like a child in an adult’s room. Even though Altons were a tall race, the Originators were even taller. She was in a suite of rooms which contained a living area, a bedroom, and a restroom. Everything was vaguely similar to what one might expect in an ordinary apartment building except larger. For instance, she could sit on the bed and her feet didn’t touch the floor. The same with the furniture in the living room. For six days she had examined every aspect of her prison, not finding any way to communicate or to even guess where she was.

With a heavy sigh, Reesa sat down in one of the comfortable chairs, which nearly engulfed her. Every day she was growing more restless and concerned. Kelnor must be highly upset with her, even more so than he had been. It seemed her enthusiasm was constantly getting her into trouble. She didn’t see how Humans handled all of these emotions without self-destructing. Most Altons were more logical, and only a fraction of the population was like Reesa. It was one of the reasons why most had shied away from the war effort.

A noise at the door drew her attention and much to her surprise, it opened. Instead of the male Originator who had brought her to this room, a female stepped inside. Reesa drew in a sharp breath. The woman was easily eight feet tall. She was very Human in form except her skin had a more bluish tone to it than did her own. Her hair was a fiery red, and her facial features seemed very normal. If Reesa didn’t know better, she would think this was an Alton, just taller with a few minor differences.

“Hello?” Reesa said, rising immediately to her feet. The woman gazed critically at Reesa and remained silent. “Who are you?”

The Originator stepped over closer and folded her arms across her chest. “Why have you come here?” she asked. “Our world is not for your kind.”

Reesa was startled as the Originator’s voice sounded very normal, even a little youthful. “My name is Reesa Jast, and I’m an Alton. We came to the Dyson Sphere to make contact with your race.”

“That is what you call the metal sphere which encloses this star?”

“Yes,” Reesa answered. “We mean no harm.”

“Where did you get this?” asked the woman, holding out the copper colored key.

“My people found it long ago in the ruins of a planet near here.”

“What is your function?”

Reesa thought this was a strange question. “I’m a research scientist specializing in the Originators.”

“That is what you call the race that built this Dyson Sphere?”

Now Reesa was feeling even more confused. “Aren’t you a member of that race?”

The woman regarded Reesa critically for a moment before replying. “No, the Originators, as you call them, died out several million years ago.”

Reesa’s eyes widened at this revelation. “Then who are you?”

“I am an AI, and this body is an avatar I use to give myself a physical form when needed.”

“An AI,” repeated Reesa, feeling stunned. It helped to explain why this conversation seemed so strange. “How long have you been here?”

“From the beginning. There are a number of us responsible for the upkeep of the Dyson Sphere. Most of us stay in stasis until we’re needed to serve some function which the regular repair robots can’t handle.”

Reesa paused as she thought of her next question. “Why was I brought here and then left alone? It’s been six days and my friends must be worried about me.”

“Ah yes, your friends in Raelen,” the AI said. “We’ve been monitoring them. We were curious as to how you gained admittance until we found a computer pass key on you.”

“The copper colored globe?”

The AI nodded. “It is surprising one survived outside the Dyson Sphere.”

“Will you take me back to the others?”

The red-haired AI gazed thoughtfully at Reesa. “We’re not sure. We allowed your people into Raelen when we realized the food resources in the small valley were being exhausted. If not for the computer key in your possession, you would never have found the technological section of the museum. We have analyzed the primitive technology of the ships orbiting the Dyson Sphere and determined the technology in that section is far too dangerous for your people. Some of it is thousands of years more advanced than what is currently being used on your spacecraft. We have locked that part of the museum down so no one else can gain entrance again, even with a computer key.”

“We mean no harm,” reiterated Reesa, feeling desperate to gain the AI’s trust. “We just want to know more about the people who built this fabulous place. There is nothing else like it in the galaxy.”

The AI slowly shook her head showing doubt. “One group of ships on the far side of the Dyson Sphere has emplaced nuclear explosive charges against the hull. That is not what I would call a peaceful gesture.”

“Those are the Shari,” replied Reesa, feeling worried upon hearing about the nuclear charges. She couldn’t believe the Shari would be foolish enough to attempt to blast their way in. “They have conquered this section of our galaxy and seek the science of the Dyson Sphere for their own ends. If they gain access, they will use your science and technology to conquer the entire galaxy and enslave every inhabited world.”

“And your people? Your ships are even more heavily armed than these Shari you speak of. We have detected antimatter weapons on board many of your starships. What makes your people any different?”

Reesa was feeling overwhelmed. “We recently fought a war against a great enemy to free part of the galaxy. The Shari are a segment of that great enemy though not nearly as dangerous. Even now, there are others who pose an even bigger threat. They are called Simulins and come from outside this galaxy. They are searching for the Dyson Sphere as well.”

“We know of the Simulins,” the AI said with a deep frown. “They have taken over a number of the spheres, or at least managed to access the intergalactic vortexes the Originators once used to travel between galaxies.”

Reesa felt confused. “Why have you allowed them to do this? Surely it’s within your power to prevent them from using the Dyson Spheres for evil.”

“At first, we didn’t realize their intentions,” confessed the AI. “We have since sealed most of the Dyson Spheres from their use. We have also ensured they only have limited access to the ones they have gained a foothold on. Very few of the AIs in the Dyson Spheres have been trained for actual warfare or how to deal with the current situation.”

“Surely there are automatic defenses?”

The AI nodded. “Yes, very powerful ones. If the Shari explode one of their nuclear charges against the outer hull, it will trigger an immediate response.”

This concerned Reesa greatly. “What about the ships in my fleet? Will they be harmed as well?”

“It’s possible; the automatic defenses are controlled by the Dyson Sphere’s core computer system. It may not differentiate between the ships of the Shari and yours.”

Reesa pursed her lips at hearing this. Somehow, she needed to get a warning to Admiral Tolsen. There was no doubt in her mind after seeing the technology of the Dyson Sphere that the automatic defenses could probably destroy every ship in orbit.

“Is there any way I can get a message to the admiral in charge of our fleet and warn him of the danger if the Shari actually explode one of their devices?”

The red-haired AI gazed at Reesa and was quiet for several long moments. “I have spoken to several of the other AIs currently out of stasis. By consensus, we have decided to take you to one of the Dyson Sphere’s Control Centers. Once there, we will make our final decision on your request to communicate with your fleet.”

“Thank you,” Reesa said. She just hoped they would allow her to send a message and it would be in time.

-

On board the WarHawk, a new shift was starting in the Command Center. “No change in status,” reported Commander Arnett as Admiral Tolsen entered through the thick metal security hatch. “The Shari are still holding their positions and the size of their fleet has remained unchanged.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Race answered as he sat down in his command chair. Looking at the large viewscreen, he saw it was focused on one of the large circular indentations on the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

“I have Alshan Kalar on the comm for you,” reported Captain Denise Travers. “He says it’s vitally urgent he speak with you.”

Race nodded. Every time Alshan sent a message, he claimed it was vital. “Alshan, what have you discovered? Have you found another entrance into the Dyson Sphere?”

“No,” Alshan’s replied in a shaky voice. “However, we have discovered something much more important. The bowl-shaped area we have been investigating is not an airlock.”

“It’s not?” replied Race, feeling disappointed. He knew by now the odds of the exploratory team still being alive were slim. Their only hope lay in if they had succeeded in making it to the inside of the Dyson Sphere and had found a viable source of food and water. The odds of that were infinitesimal. “What are they?”

“We believe the bowl structures do indeed open, but when they do it’s to establish an intergalactic vortex.”

Race’s eyes opened wide in shock. “But some of those structures are nearly thirty kilometers across!”

“Yes,” Alshan answered excitedly. “It would allow for the movement of entire fleets at a time.”

“How many of the bowl-like structures have we detected on the Dyson Sphere?”

“Twenty-seven,” Alshan answered promptly.

“How would they be powered?” Race recalled that the AIs had built an entire series of energy collector satellites around the black hole at the galaxy’s center to power their massive vortex. Two of the surviving power satellites had been used to send the Distant Horizon to the Triangulum Galaxy in search of Admiral Strong and the lost fleets.

“From the sun inside the Dyson Sphere,” Alshan answered. “They probably only powered up one or two of them at a time but the energy they could capture from the sun would be sufficient. Depending on the size of the star inside the Dyson Sphere, they could have upwards of four to five thousand yottawatts available.”

Race leaned back in his chair and frowned. This was not what he had wanted to hear. “There has to be an entrance somewhere.”

“I agree,” answered Alshan. “We just haven’t been able to locate it.”

“Continue looking,” Race ordered. “And keep me informed of any further significant developments.”

Commander Arnett looked over at the admiral with a sad look on her face. “I spoke to Major Nolan earlier. He says if the exploration team didn’t find a viable source of food and water they’re probably all dead.”

Race knew in all likelihood the team had perished. It also was beginning to appear to him they weren’t going to find a way into the Dyson Sphere. He wondered about contacting Ambassador Tureen and seeing if the ambassador could speak to the High Lord commanding the Shari fleet. Perhaps they could come to an agreement where both sides agreed to leave the Dyson Sphere alone. He was well aware the ambassador had failed in his first attempt with the Shari Grand Council of High Lords. Perhaps now they would be more willing to negotiate in order to avoid an all out war.

If they could agree for both the Shari and the Federation to keep a small observation force in the system with open lines of communication back to their respective governments, maybe that could end this dangerous standoff and take the Dyson Sphere off the table. With a deep sigh, he leaned back in his command chair. Looking over at a secondary viewscreen, he saw the battlecarrier Hera, where Massie was. They talked every day which helped being so far from the Federation, but he knew morale in the fleet was becoming a problem. It was difficult being so far from home for such an extended period of time.

-

In the Shari fleet, High Lord Aktill gazed with concern at the ship’s main viewscreen. He had just finished speaking with Abrade, the Shari scientist responsible for the research being done at the Dyson Sphere. Once more the scientist had demanded he be allowed to set off the explosive charges so they could blast open an entrance to the Dyson Sphere. Several days before, Aktill had sent off a message to the Shari Grand Council of High Lords asking for instructions. He had also included the warning sent by the Humans. Aktill had informed Abrade no explosives were to be used until there was a response from the council.

“The fleet grows impatient,” warned Lower Lord Samarth. “Our enemy is still at the Dyson Sphere and our crews wonder why we don’t attack.”

Aktill frowned and turned toward his second in command. In recent days Samarth had become more demanding about the fleet taking a more aggressive stance.

“Look at the defenses the Humans and the Altons have set up above the portion of the Dyson Sphere they’re exploring. They have superior weapons and better energy shields. If we attack, we stand the chance of losing the majority of our fleet, if not all of it.”

“I don’t believe that,” scoffed Lower Lord Samarth. “Their vessels are just slightly more powerful than ours. The only ships we need fear are their larger ships and they only have a few of them. We have over sixteen hundred warships to attack with. If we send our entire fleet in we will overwhelm them and victory will be ours.”

“Return to your duties,” ordered Aktill coldly. Lower Lord Samarth’s remarks were bordering on insubordination. “We will wait until we hear from the council and see what type of action they will demand of the fleet.”

Samarth nodded and turned away to go about his duties.

Aktill watched him leave, still feeling angry about Samarth’s attitude. It was inaction that was beginning to affect the fleet. Aktill knew it would soon be necessary to engage the Human and Alton fleets if he didn’t want his crews to begin losing their combat efficiency. Looking at another one of the viewscreens, he could see several of his battlecruisers and even a few escort cruisers. This was by far the largest fleet he had ever commanded, and he wasn’t that anxious to throw it into a battle he might not be able to win.

-

Inside the Dyson Sphere Reesa leaned back in her chair, fighting to keep her eyes open. After leaving the quarters she had been held in, the AI had led her deep underground to a massive transit system that linked the different sections of the megastructure. When asked, the AI had said her name was Leeda. The vehicle they were traveling in was very similar to a bullet train she had ridden in while visiting Earth. Only this train was capable of traveling nearly two hundred miles per second in the transit tube they were traveling through. They had been traveling for well over a day.

“We’re nearly there,” Leeda said, noticing Reesa starting to doze off.

Reesa opened her eyes and forced a smile. “Is this how you travel all over the Dyson Sphere?”

“No,” Leeda responded. “We have small flyers we can use as well as some spacecraft for longer distances.”

“How much longer until we arrive at our destination?”

“Four of your hours,” Leeda answered. “Why don’t you retire to one of the sleeping compartments and I’ll awaken you when we arrive.”

Reesa nodded and stood up. She had spent a lot of time talking to Leeda about the Originators. While Leeda was willing to speak in general terms about the ancient race, she was unwilling to reveal anything about their technology. Perhaps she would learn more once they reached the Control Center.

-

It seemed as if she had only slept for a few minutes when Reesa felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder. “Wake up,” a voice said. Opening her eyes, Reesa saw Leeda standing over her.

“We’ve arrived. If you want to take a few minutes to use the facilities to freshen up feel free to do so. I’ll wait outside.”

Reesa nodded and went into the small restroom and took a quick shower. After warm air dried the water off she opened a slot on the wall and took out her clothes, now completely clean. She still wasn’t certain if these were her original clothes or just copies. After quickly dressing, Reesa left the sleeping compartment to find Leeda waiting patiently for her outside.

“It’s only about twenty minutes to the Control Center,” the AI informed Reesa. “The others will be waiting there for us.”

“What others?” asked Reesa, looking over at Leeda.

“The other AIs,” Leeda explained. “A number have flown in from other sections of the Dyson Sphere for this meeting. You have to realize you’re the first organic being we’ve spoken to in over two million years.”

Reesa nodded. She wished Kelnor were here. He had much more experience in diplomacy than she did. As a head researcher, he often had to deal with diplomats when going off on a research expedition. That was something she was sorely lacking in.

Exiting the bullet train, Leeda and Reesa walked over to a bank of turbo lifts and were soon headed up toward the surface of the Dyson Sphere. Upon emerging, Reesa was surprised to see a small flyer waiting for them. It had only minimal wings and was aerodynamically shaped with a clear glass bubble for the occupants to sit in. Leeda opened the hatch and soon they were both seated. As soon as they were situated, a restraining harness automatically snaked out, securing Reesa in place. The flyer then took off and Reesa noticed the complete silence. There was no engine noise or anything else to indicate the vehicle was moving. Looking down Reesa marveled at how quickly the landscape was passing by. She could see several sparkling cities in the bright sunlight as well as kilometer after kilometer of forests and grasslands. In the distance, she could see some lofty mountain peaks covered in snow.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said, looking over at Leeda, who was sitting next to her.

Leeda nodded. “We have tried to keep it as the Originators left it. The entire Dyson Sphere is free of pollution and the poisons of most industrial civilizations.”

“Our worlds are the same,” Reesa replied. “My people long ago learned how to live on them without upsetting the fragile ecosystems.”

“That is another thing we wish to speak to you about. Your race seems to be unusually advanced. We are curious as to why you have allied yourselves with the Humans.”

Reesa didn’t reply. She was surprised Leeda was aware of the alliance. It seemed to indicate they had some method of listening in to the conversations between the ships of the fleet.

The flyer finally landed on the top of a towering building. It nearly reached into the clouds and reminded Reesa of some of the structures on Astral, the old home world of the Altons.

Leeda led her through a maze of corridors before they finally stepped out into the Control Center. Reesa froze as she gazed around in disbelief. The room was cavernous in size; its walls were covered with hundreds if not thousands of viewscreens. On the floor control consoles were everywhere, however, no one was sitting in front of them. It reminded her of the main computer center buried deep beneath the City of Lights.

“The central computer operates this Control Center,” explained Leeda, seeing the puzzled look on Reesa’s face. “Everything is automated. There are normally only one or two AIs present to deal with any abnormalities that might come up.”

Leeda indicated for Reesa to follow her and soon the two reached another door. Stepping inside, Reesa saw there were eight other AIs present. There was a long conference table and the walls were covered with large viewscreens. Her eyes widened at what she saw on the screens. There were close up views of Shari, Federation, and Alton ships. There was also a highly magnified view of an area on the outer hull of the Dyson Sphere where the Shari were busily working.

One of the male AIs turned toward them with a harsh look on his face. “I am Rakell. Why have you and the people with you come to the Shrieel?” he demanded.

“Shrieel?” Reesa said confused and suddenly frightened.

“The Dyson Sphere,” Leeda explained. “The Shrieel is what the Originators called it in their language.”

“We come in peace,” Reesa said, feeling anxious. “We were also concerned our enemies, the Simulins, would discover it first and attempt to use its power to bring more of their fleets to our galaxy.”

Rakell gazed at her coldly for a long moment before nodding. “Sit down; we have much to discuss.”

-

For over two hours, the AIs in the room asked Reesa hundreds of questions. They were curious about the Humans and Reesa’s own race, the Altons. There were also a lot of questions about the AIs and what had transpired around the black hole at the center of the galaxy. Rakell was highly interested in the battles with the Simulins at the galactic core as well as the one that occurred a few light years distant in one of the old star systems of the Originators.

“We are aware the Simulins have gained access to a number of the Dyson Spheres,” Rakell said in a displeased voice. “We’re not sure how they first accessed a Shrieel as there are safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized entry to any of the structures. We do know how they accessed the ones after.”

“How?” asked Reesa.

“We will discuss that at a later date,” Rakell replied.

“Currently, the Simulins as you call them have access to thirty-two Dyson Spheres,” one of the other female AIs informed Reesa.

“Thirty-two!” gasped Reesa, her eyes widening in shock. “How many are there?”

“There are two hundred and twelve Dyson Spheres as well as a number of major bases and the primary communications and transport hub,” Leeda replied.

“Actually, there are two hundred and eleven Dyson Spheres,” Rakell said with a disturbed glint in his eyes. “The one in what you call the Triangulum Galaxy was recently destroyed by one of your warships.”

Reesa couldn’t believe she had heard right. “How could one of our ships destroy something as large as a Dyson Sphere? What ship was it?” There was no way this could be right Rakell must be mistaken.

Instantly on one of the viewscreens, the image of a ship appeared, one Reesa recognized immediately. The Distant Horizon! She slumped down in her chair. “Why did they destroy the Dyson Sphere?” Reesa couldn’t imagine how Rear Admiral Barnes had managed to accomplish such a feat.

“The Simulins were using this particular Dyson Sphere to send fleets to this galaxy,” Leeda answered. “From what we have been able to gather, your Admiral Strong launched an attack upon the sphere in an attempt to prevent the Simulins from continuing to do so. The destruction of this particular sphere has some grave consequences for the galaxy around it, consequences which could end in the death of all life in that grouping of stars.”

Reesa didn’t know what to say. “The Simulins are a threat to all of us. They must be stopped from using the Dyson Spheres to spread their empire across the galaxies.”

Rakell looked gravely at Reesa. “In that we are agreed, particularly since we have learned of a major discovery in the Triangulum Galaxy, one that overrides our core programming of noninterference.”

“A discovery?” repeated Reesa not understanding. “What type of discovery?”

Rakell looked around at the other AIs who all nodded. “It seems your people in the Triangulum Galaxy have made a major discovery. They have found something we did not believe was possible. It is something lost and thought destroyed during the time of the great death of the Originators.”

“What did they find?”

Rakell’s eyes focused intently on Reesa. “They have found Kazak and the Dominator.”

“Who is Kazak and what is the Dominator?” asked Reesa, her heart racing.

“The last hope for the rebirth of the Originator race,” Rakell answered. “There is also a great danger and that danger is Kazak. Kazak is another AI but a very special AI. He was designed and programmed to be a warrior and commander of fleets. He will do whatever is necessary to complete his mission and because of that your people in the Triangulum Galaxy may be in grave danger.”

“What can I do to help?” asked Reesa.

“We are still discussing that,” Leeda answered. “For now, we must deal with the situation here and your fleets, and then we will discuss what can be done about Kazak and the Dominator.”

Reesa nodded. She knew she was way out of her depth and needed some help. However, there was an answer. Ambassador Tureen was with the fleet. He would be well suited to negotiate with the Originator AIs; she just needed to figure out how to get him here.

Chapter Fourteen

Admiral Jackson gazed worriedly at the tactical display. For the last several hours, Simulin escort cruisers had been dropping out of hyperspace periodically and taking scans of the defenses around Ornellia. The long-range sensors of the Dauntless had detected a large Simulin fleet in a star system just nine light years distant. A strikecruiser had been sent to take more detailed scans of the fleet as Jackson was certain it was preparing to attack. The strikecruiser had recently returned, and Jackson was studying the new data appearing on one of his command consoles. Sixty Simulin battlecruisers and eighty of their support cruisers were in that fleet formation. Jackson let out a deep breath. There could only be one reason why that fleet was here and that was to retake Ornellia.

“That’s a pretty powerful fleet they’ve assembled,” commented Commander Sharon Blanton as she studied the numbers. “It didn’t take them long to respond to our freeing Ornellia from their control.”

“Not powerful enough,” Jackson responded as he leaned back and thought about the battle strategy he would use if and when the Simulin fleet attacked. “We’ll take some losses, but we have the firepower to stop them short of the planet.”

That was vitally important as the Altons were still in the process of removing the radiation contamination, which covered much of Ornellia. A number of clear areas had been established around the mountains, and from those areas the Altons were using their battleships to increase the size of the safe zones. Already hundreds of thousands of Ornellians had been brought to the small towns and cities that were now radiation free. The planet was very slowly coming back to life.

“Contact all six of the battlestations and inform them their top priority is making certain nothing gets through to the planet,” Jackson ordered. “Also, as soon as the Simulins jump in I want all of our fighters deployed and flying just beneath the particle beam satellites. They’ll be responsible for taking out any missiles or Conqueror Drone pods the satellites and battlestations miss.”

“Nothing will get through,” promised Commander Blanton.

“I hope not. We have too many Ornellian survivors out in the open. I promised I’d protect them, and I fully intend to do just that.”

“I’ll stress that point,” promised Blanton.

“Once we’re engaged in combat I want all of our Anlon bombers launched. They’re to hang back and take out targets of opportunity, particularly any damaged Simulin warships. I want each of them armed with a pair of Shrike missiles.” The Shrike combat missiles carried a twenty-megaton nuclear warhead and would be quite deadly to a ship without a functioning energy shield.

“The supply ships, the hospital ship, and the two fleet repair vessels are moving beneath the defense grid,” reported Lieutenant Ortega. He was watching the friendly green icons on his sensors moving closer to Ornellia. “All Ornellians ships are doing the same.”

Admiral Jackson nodded. In the weeks since their arrival, they had managed to find a few surviving Ornellian ships as well as a number of small research and mining outposts, which remained untouched by the Simulins. There were currently twenty-two cargo ships, six passenger liners, seven cruisers and two battlecruisers under Ornellian control. The ships had been busy bringing in survivors from the other planets of the former Ornellian Empire whenever they could be found.

“What about the Ornellian warships?” asked Commander Blanton. “Admiral Santeld is offering to help if the Simulins attack.”

Jackson thought for a moment. “No, the battlecarriers will be staying behind; I would ask that he provide cover for them.”

Jackson didn’t want to risk the Ornellians’ last few warships; it might be years before they could begin constructing new ones. It was a miracle they had survived in the first place. Admiral Santeld had been escorting ships going to the Ornellian evacuation fleet and had been ambushed by a small Simulin force. By the time the battle was over and Santeld managed to lose the Simulins, the evacuation fleet was long gone. Since that time he had been using his surviving ships to gather what few Ornellian civilian vessels he could find. He had also been providing support to a few of the remote mining sites and research posts the Simulins had overlooked or hadn’t managed to get to.

“Should we move the fleet into a defensive or offensive formation?” asked Commander Blanton.

“Yes, offensive,” replied Jackson. “Contact all of our ships and have them form up in formation C-4.” This was an inverted cone formation with the apex forward. “Once the Simulins jump in, we’ll move out to engage them. The farther away from Ornellia we can start the battle, the less chance they’ll have of being able to launch missiles or Conqueror Drone pods at the planet.”

Jackson watched as Blanton began sending out the orders. His eyes moved back to the tactical display as he wondered when the Simulins would launch their attack. He knew they wouldn’t wait very long.

-

On the surface of the planet, Dax Matol had just been informed of the new threat posed by the Simulins. He was in the city of Dorman and working with a small group of Human Marines. For the last several weeks, they had been emplacing high-energy laser turrets around the perimeter of the city to take out any inbound missiles or pods that might make it through the defensive grid. The lasers turrets were on top of towers and could be focused to ground level in case any of the dreaded Conqueror Drones put in an appearance. Currently, there were twenty completed towers surrounding the city.

“We’re as ready as we’re going to be,” Les Ketene reported as he gazed at one of the lofty towers. “We have two squads of soldiers assigned to each tower, and they’re all equipped with the new pulse rifles the Humans have provided us.”

“We have five other cities equally protected,” Dax added.

He had been working hard with the Humans and the Altons to ensure the surviving people on Ornellia were safe. On the north side of Dorman, he saw a flight of Human Talon fighters take off and rise up into the air. A full squadron had been based at the small space field. The four Talons leveled off and began a wide circle of the surrounding countryside. It made Dax feel more secure knowing the deadly fighters were ready to protect the city.

“It will still be months before we have all the known survivors moved to the cities,” Les said as he watched the circling fighters. “The Alton battleships are doing a fantastic job getting rid of the radiation. We have found factories, farms, and a number of other small cities untouched from the bombardment. A lot more survived than I ever believed possible.”

“I spoke to Councilor Oman Lantoll earlier,” Dax said as he turned to watch a squad of heavily armed Ornellian soldiers working at setting up a defensive perimeter around the laser tower. Lantoll was the only surviving member of the Ornellian ruling council besides those that had gone with the evacuation fleet. “The latest census indicates there are nearly two million survivors scattered about the planet.”

“Two million out of over three billion,” muttered Les in a shaken voice. “So many have died, and the same is true on the other planets of our empire.”

“The Simulins are a horrific species. They believe that all life other than their own must be exterminated. At least our race has a chance to rebuild and someday reclaim our worlds.”

“How many survivors are there on our other planets?”

“Unknown,” Dax answered as he watched a pair of Anlon bombers take off and head toward the south. Most likely additional Conqueror Drones had been spotted, and the bombers were being sent to take them out. Even after all of these weeks a few drones were still being spotted.

“I know some are being brought in with the cargo ships and the passenger liners Admiral Santeld has been able to salvage,” Les said. “I saw several cargo ships land just yesterday and unload survivors.”

“Admiral Santeld has been using his cruisers along with a few ships of Admiral Jackson’s fleet to survey the conditions on our other worlds and picking up survivors whenever possible. One of Admiral Jackson’s battlecarriers has been accompanying Admiral Santeld’s fleet to provide covering fire from the Conqueror Drones whenever they do find survivors. He believes there are still survivors on all of our planets though they’re infested with the drones. He has managed to make contact with a number of the larger underground bunkers on three of our planets and supplied them with sufficient pulse rifles to begin combating the drones. Admiral Jackson is already making plans to send his remaining battlecarriers to Absom to begin clearing the drones from that world. That’s where Admiral Santeld believes the most survivors are.”

“I wish we had more ships,” said Les somberly. “Every day the Conqueror Drones kill more of our people on our other planets. I feel so helpless knowing there’s not a lot we can do.”

Dax nodded in agreement. “At least the Humans have given us hope. Enough of us have survived that someday we’ll rebuild all of our worlds.”

Of course a big part of that would be if the Humans and their allies could keep the Simulins away from Ornellia long enough so the defenses could be greatly enhanced and more warships built. Looking up, Dax wondered how soon the fleet engagement would begin. All the bunkers were still full of people though they had been resupplied with more food and medical items in case it ever became necessary to go into hiding again. He had spoken with Admiral Jackson on a number of occasions and felt confident in Jackson’s ability to protect the planet. Even so, Dax still felt apprehensive. He knew if Admiral Jackson lost just one battle, it could well spell doom for the Ornellian race.

-

“Simulins are entering hyperspace,” called out Lieutenant Ortega as the red threat icons on the long-range sensor screen began to blink out of existence to appear on another sensor display showing vessels in hyperspace. “Estimated dropout time from hyperspace is twenty-six minutes.”

“Our fleet formation?” asked Admiral Jackson, glancing over at Commander Blanton.

“All ships have formed up. Non-combatants have moved beneath the defense grid. The battlecarriers have formed up into a diamond formation, and Admiral Santeld has moved his ships into a supporting position around them.”

Jackson gazed at the tactical display trying to guess where the Simulins would exit hyperspace, wishing he could be at that location. It would allow him to hit the Simulin vessels before their energy screens could come fully online. “Take the fleet out two hundred thousand kilometers from Ornellia,” he ordered. “We’ll wait there for the Simulins.”

That would put the fleet just on the outside of the planet’s gravity well. He doubted if the Simulins would jump any closer and risk damage to their vessels. While the Simulins were perfectly capable of jumping within a gravity well, it was always a risk that could very easily compromise a hyperdrive core.

Jackson watched patiently as the fleet moved rapidly through space toward the expected exit point of the Simulin fleet. Minutes passed quickly by. He exhaled a deep breath, realizing he was once more about to take a fleet under his command into combat. Brave men and women were about to die in an attempt to keep Ornellia safe.

“All ships go to Condition One,” Jackson ordered when the counter for expected Simulin emergence reached the ten-minute mark. The fleet was already at Condition Two.

Instantly, klaxons sounded and red lights began flashing. After a minute, Commander Blanton turned the alarms and lights off, satisfied the crew was as ready as they were going to be. She shifted her gaze to the tactical display showing the inbound Simulin warships. “All stations are manned and ready for combat, sir.”

“Admiral Bachal reports all of his ships are ready for combat; the same for the AI warspheres,” Lieutenant Brenda Neal informed the admiral.

Jackson nodded. He was taking one hundred and twenty-seven ships into battle. He was going to be slightly outnumbered, but with the AI warspheres and the Alton battleships he felt he had a decisive advantage in firepower.

“Emergence vector calculated,” reported Lieutenant Margaret Burns from Navigation. “Six hundred and forty thousand kilometers from Ornellia, vector twenty-seven degrees by sixteen galactic north.”

“Can we get there in time to englobe them?”

“No, sir,” Commander Blanton replied as she quickly checked some data on one of her screens. “We would be two minutes short.”

It was about what Jackson had expected. “Very well, hold formation and we’ll engage as soon as we reach weapons range.”

More minutes crawled by and then suddenly alarms began sounding on the sensor console.

“Spatial vortexes detected,” reported Lieutenant Ortega. “Emergence coordinates are as projected.”

“Take us in,” Admiral Jackson ordered as he fastened his safety harness snugly across his waist and chest. He had no intention of giving the Simulins time to organize.

-

Simulin High Commander Altrab gazed with cold eyes at the viewscreens in the Command Center as they gradually cleared of static.

“All systems are coming online and working at optimum levels,” reported Second Commander Jarald.

On the main screen, the image shifted to show several nearby battlecruisers. The tactical display suddenly flickered and came to life showing a horde of red threat icons barreling toward the Simulin fleet as alarms began sounding.

“Sensor contacts,” reported the sensor operator. “Confirmed Fitula Nebula organic ships as well as AI vessels.”

Altrab gazed at the quickly approaching threat icons. There were a large number of the spherical AI ships as well as some of the more powerful organic warships. He knew from previous reports these vessels were just as powerful as his own battlecruisers, perhaps even more so.

“What does the battle computer recommend?”

Second Commander Jarald spent a few moments checking the computer and then turned toward the High Commander. “Based on previous encounters with the ship types approaching us we only have a 14 percent chance of victory.”

Altrab’s eyes widened as he weighed his options. He had never been in a battle where the Simulin fleet he was leading hadn’t been predicted to win. Supreme High Commander Callat had been very clear that Altrab was not to risk heavy losses to his fleet. That order was contrary to standard Simulin battle procedure.

“Form the fleet up in standard attack formation. We will engage the enemy and test the strength of their fleet and weapons.”

“There can be none but Simulin,” said Jarald. “All other organics must be eliminated.”

“None but Simulin,” Altrab replied. “It is as it has been for thousands of years. All other organics must die so the Simulin race can spread across all the known galaxies.” However, in all that time they had never encountered such opposition as posed by these strange organics and the AIs from the Fitula Nebula.

-

The Simulin fleet quickly formed up into a phalanx, shields nearly touching and the vessels very close together. The fleet began moving slowly toward the advancing enemy. Energy weapons were charged and hatches on missile tubes slid open.

-

Admiral Jackson watched as the Command Center in the Dauntless came alive with intense activity as the crew prepared for battle.

“Simulins have formed up into a tight offensive formation and are advancing,” reported Lieutenant Ortega.

“That’s not a very good tactical formation,” commented Commander Blanton, raising her eyebrows as she examined the closely grouped icons in the tactical display near her. “It may work fine against energy beams and other similar weapons, but our antimatter missiles will wreck havoc with it.”

“This High Commander evidently has never fought against any of our ships before,” Jackson said, agreeing with the commander’s assessment. “While our antimatter missiles might not penetrate their screens, they will scramble their targeting sensors as close together as they are. I want all ships to fire a full barrage of the one hundred-megaton missiles, then a quick follow up with particle beams and power beams. Let’s try to take out as many as we can before they adjust their formation.”

“Ready to fire,” reported Captain Lance from Tactical. “Antimatter missiles are armed and hatches are open.”

“One minute to optimum weapons range,” spoke Lieutenant Ortega.

“Simulins are firing,” reported Commander Blanton as a warning alarm sounded on her command console.

The Dauntless shuddered as several Simulin antimatter missiles slammed into her energy shield, severely jarring the ship. The lights in the Command Center flickered briefly and then returned to normal.

Admiral Jackson looked quickly around the Command Center, noting the missile strike hadn’t affected the crew. Orders were still being sent and operations were proceeding smoothly.

“Engagement range!” called out Lieutenant Ortega.

“Missiles firing!” responded Captain Lance as he pressed several icons on the screen in front of him. Next to the captain his weapons officers were busy targeting the ship’s powerful beam weapons at the onrushing Simulin vessels.

On the main viewscreen, the Simulin fleet seemed to vanish as hundreds of antimatter missiles detonated against their shields. Their weapons fire faltered and nearly stopped as the screen became filled with light.

“Continuous fire on all beam weapons,” ordered Admiral Jackson, wanting to take advantage of the sudden decrease in Simulin weapons fire. He knew the antimatter blasts had temporarily blinded their sensors and for at least a few seconds their ships would be vulnerable.

-

Particle beams tore into the tight Simulin formation, blasting gaping holes in their energy screens. The center section of a Simulin battlecruiser was torn open by multiple particle beams. A moment later a Devastator Three missile arrived, and the fifty-megaton warhead turned the seventeen-hundred-meter ship into burning plasma.

Another Simulin battlecruiser took a massive hit to its bow, losing all six energy weapon spires. Energy beam fire from two AI warspheres quickly finished the stricken ship off, blowing it into a thousand pieces of fiery wreckage.

Two Simulin escort cruisers were targeted by Admiral Bachal’s Alton battleships, and in a matter of moments they were nothing more than drifting debris.

-

Simulin High Commander Altrab gasped in pain as his restraining harness bit deeply into his skin. The ship shook violently as it took an energy weapon hit to its bow.

“Status!” Altrab demanded as he gazed in anger at the viewscreens.

He had made a serious tactical error in bunching his fleet up in too tight a formation. He’d also underestimated the power of the enemy’s missiles, assuming they would be no stronger than his own. He had paid for that mistake with the loss of a number of ships and even more were reporting severe damage.

“We must spread our formation,” stated Second Commander Jarald as he stared at the newest recommendation from the battle computer. The chance of a Simulin victory was now down to 8 percent. He had never seen such a number before.

“Do so,” ordered Altrab as he watched a Simulin escort cruiser being blown apart by several AI ships. It was becoming rapidly obvious the one-thousand-meter spherical ships of the AIs were more powerfully armed than a Simulin battlecruiser.

On another screen he saw Simulin energy beams penetrate the screen of an enemy warship, opening up a number of compartments. Then a Simulin missile arrived, turning the vessel into a scattering of stardust. “Intensify our rate of fire. Have multiple ships fire upon single targets.”

“Their screens are more powerful than previously reported,” Second Commander Jarald was quick to point out. “Our energy weapons are having trouble penetrating.”

Altrab felt growing frustration as another one of his escort cruisers was annihilated. He had never faced an enemy such as this in his long career.

“Orders have been sent,” Jarald reported. “Fleet is increasing the spacing between ships; weapons have been switched to continuous and autonomous fire. Our fleet is now firing in three ship units upon individual enemy targets.”

Altrab nodded. He would watch and see how this change of tactics affected the enemy. In the back of his mind, he knew Supreme Admiral Callat expected him to return with the majority of his fleet.

-

In space, warsphere W-119 was struggling to keep its energy shield intact. Simulin energy beams and antimatter missiles were pummeling it relentlessly. The screen seemed to flicker briefly and during that time two Simulin energy beams penetrated blasting out two deep glowing craters in the ship’s hull. In retaliation the warsphere fired all of its particle beam cannons at a Simulin escort cruiser, tearing its screen down, riddling its hull, and turning it into a drifting and powerless hulk. The warsphere’s screen flickered again and an antimatter missile penetrated. In a brilliant explosion, the warsphere was turned into a miniature sun.

-

“Warsphere W-119 is down,” reported Lieutenant Ortega.

“Alton battleship Windstar is reporting heavy damage,” added Lieutenant Neal. “Admiral Bachal is ordering it to the rear of the formation.”

The Dauntless shook violently, and a console exploded in a shower of sparks. The operator collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

“Get me a status report,” barked Jackson. “All batteries, continuous fire! Medics, take care of that crewman!”

On the viewscreens, he watched grimly as two more Simulin battlecruisers exploded under the heavy fire from his fleet.

“Simulin energy beam penetrated our energy shield,” reported Commander Blanton. “We have two compartments open to space. Damage control teams have been dispatched. No impact on our fighting ability.”

Jackson nodded as he watched two medics working on the downed officer. The man was sitting up but still seemed shaken. Smoke from the damaged console was rapidly clearing from the Command Center.

A sudden flash of light suddenly filled one of the secondary viewscreens.

“What was that?” demanded Jackson. He knew a ship of some sort had just died.

“Strikecruiser Plymouth is down,” reported Lieutenant Ortega grimly. “We’ve also just lost the Alton battlecruiser EarlyDawn.”

“Enemy fleet is beginning to spread their formation,” warned Commander Blanton as she studied one of the tactical displays. “It looks as if we’ve taken out six of their battlecruisers and fourteen of their escorts so far.”

Admiral Jackson took a deep breath. He had known this battle would be costly. Both sides were losing a lot of ships. “We’ll maintain contact for five more minutes and then pull back to the defense grid. As soon as we reach the grid, I want the Anlon bombers sent in. They’re to target any Simulin ship showing damage or a weakened energy screen.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Blanton. “Contacting the battlecarriers now.”

-

The battle in space was intensifying. Particle beam fire from two Alton battleships slammed into the center part of a Simulin battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris away from the hull. Secondary explosions began to shake the vessel and then it exploded as an antimatter missile detonated on the stern.

The aft section of a Human battlecruiser was blown off from a Simulin antimatter strike, leaving the ship drifting helplessly in space with little or no power. The ship came under intense attack from several Simulin escort cruisers using their energy beams to riddle the ship. In a flaming detonation the battlecruiser blew apart, sending flaming debris in all directions.

-

Simulin High Commander Altrab glared coldly at the ship’s main viewscreen. Several Simulin warships were in the last throes of being destroyed by concentrated fire from six AI ships. His thoughts turned toward his orders from Supreme High Commander Callat. He was not to allow his fleet to suffer significant losses. There was not a single blemish on his long career as a Simulin High Commander; that was about to change.

“Give the order to withdraw,” Altrab said harshly, knowing it would leave a black mark on his record even though he was only following orders.

“Withdraw?” asked Second Commander Jarald, looking confused. “Why? We are inflicting grave losses on the enemy. It is not our way to retreat; we must destroy all who are not Simulin!”

“In most cases, you would be correct,” answered Altrab, looking over at his second in command. “However, due to our recent fleet losses and the Great Sphere having been destroyed, we must preserve our fleet. Those were the orders given to me by Supreme High Commander Callat.”

“We must obey the Supreme High Commander,” said Jarald in acknowledgment. “I will begin preparations for the fleet to withdraw.”

Altrab turned his attention back to the viewscreens. It was against all of his training to retreat with most of his fleet still remaining. However, he would obey his orders. They would return to Tranton and report to Supreme High Commander Callat about what had transpired here at Ornellia. Perhaps sometime in the future he would return with a much larger fleet and complete the destruction of these organics and their AIs.

-

Admiral Jackson was about to give the order to fall back to Ornellia when the Simulin fleet suddenly began jumping out.

“Simulins are opening up spatial vortexes,” reported Lieutenant Ortega.

“They’re leaving!” gasped Commander Blanton as she watched in disbelief. “Why?”

“Unknown,” replied Jackson, leaning forward in his command chair. “Continue to hit them until the last ship is gone from the system.”

Jackson breathed out a long sigh of relief. While he had lost a number of ships, his fleet hadn’t been crippled. Once the last Simulin vessel withdrew, he would pull back to Ornellia and have the two fleet repair ships come out and begin repairs. He knew he had a number of damaged ships. Some of the repair work would be minor, but the rest of it would be quite extensive.

On the main viewscreen, the image shifted to show more ships of the fleet. Several had jagged pits in their hulls, and many were showing burn marks from energy weapon strikes. All would need to spend time with the repair ships.

“Last Simulin ship has entered hyperspace,” reported Lieutenant Ortega.

“Give me a status on all fleet ships and the condition of the crews. I want to know the casualty figures both dead and injured. Also, find out if we have any ships that can’t make it back to Ornellia. If so, the Alton battleships are equipped with tractor beams and can tow them back.”

“Yes, sir,” Commander Blanton said. “I’ll check on ship conditions and get the rest of the information to you as soon as possible.”

Jackson nodded. This battle was over. He just wondered how many more were still in his future.

-

On Ornellia, Dax Matol was standing in the Control Center of his bunker complex. He had gone there so he could monitor the battle between the Humans and the Simulins. It was with great relief that he saw the Simulin fleet turn and flee the system.

“It’s over,” Les Ketene said as the last Simulin ship vanished from the sensor screen.

“For now,” agreed Dax. The Humans had destroyed three Simulin ships for every one they’d lost. “Admiral Jackson is a man of his word. He is protecting Ornellia and allowing us to rebuild our civilization.” By now, the all clear would be sounding in the cities.

“What next?” asked Les.

“We begin ridding the planets of our empire of the Conqueror Drones. With Admiral Jackson’s battlecarriers and what remains of our fleet, we can begin doing so immediately. Councilor Lantoll intends to bring all the survivors here to Ornellia. He’s hoping that will give us a sufficient population base to get our industry running and reestablish our presence in space once more. He’s already making plans to build a new shipyard with the aid of Admiral Jackson’s fleet repair ships. Our new warships will be more modern and much more powerful thanks to the technology Admiral Jackson has indicated they’re willing to share with us.”

Les nodded. “There was a time when I thought there was no hope for our race; now that hope has returned.”

“It’s returned for all of our people,” Dax commented as he watched a flight of Talon fighters streak overhead on one of the viewscreens. The Ornellian people had made some powerful allies. Now it was time to get back once more to the task of rebuilding.

Chapter Fifteen

Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong was feeling a growing concern over what their long-range scans were showing. Nearly seven hundred Simulin warships were gathered in the Zeta 3A Star System. There were still several Alton battleships on patrol just outside the nebula transmitting the results of their sensor scans to the Avenger.

“So you think this is a trap for the Dominator?” asked Kevin, his brow wrinkled in a deep frown. Kevin was concerned since Katie was on board the ship as well as Kelsey. It seemed wherever the girls went they ended up in danger.

“It has to be,” replied Jeremy, as he studied the latest data. “There’s no other sound reason for them to gather such a large fleet this close to the nebula.”

“Jeremy’s correct,” Ariel said from where she was standing just behind him. “All of my calculations indicate that is the most likely scenario. They’re waiting for the Dominator.”

Kevin shook his head, still in doubt. “After what the Dominator did last time disabling so many of their ships, how can they expect to succeed with a smaller fleet?”

“They were taken by surprise when they encountered the Dominator the first time,” Ariel said, looking over at Kevin. “The Simulins are a very advanced culture and their weapons are on a par with ours. They may have come up with a battle strategy they feel will allow them to overcome the Dominator. They have to know the technology on the Dominator could pose a grave threat to them.”

Jeremy leaned back in his command chair as he reached a decision. “We can’t risk the Simulins damaging the Dominator; there’s no way to know how Kazak would react if that occurred.”

This had been one of Jeremy’s greatest fears. Kazak had been programmed by the Originators, and not even Kurene, ZED, or Mikow had been able to predict how Kazak would react in a battle now that the ship was fully repaired.

ZED moved closer to Jeremy. The AI had been listening with interest to the conversation. “I believe Kazak is overly protective of the Dominator. Any attempt to damage or destroy it could result in an extremely violent reaction from the Originator AI, particularly considering what he might be protecting in that central compartment.”

Kevin looked confused. “Do you have any idea of what might be in that section?” Kevin was wondering if Jeremy and ZED were keeping something back. He knew Jeremy had been strangely quiet since returning from Borton.

“No,” Jeremy replied hastily. “We have some suppositions but nothing concrete. I’m hoping between Kelsey, Katie, Mikow, and Andram we’ll know more when they return.”

It was one of the reasons he had wanted all of them on the ship. Andram, in particular, would notice any strange behavior on Kazak’s part. Mikow and Katie were supposed to be discreetly searching for any information about that compartment. With both of them being computer experts, Jeremy had high hopes they would be able to discover what Kazak was hiding.

Kevin nodded, but he still had the feeling Jeremy wasn’t being totally truthful. However, he wouldn’t question him in the Command Center. He would wait until they were off duty and talk to him privately.

Jeremy turned toward ZED. “If the Dominator did suffer damage, what do you think Kazak would do?”

“What do we know of the weapons that ship possesses?” The energy ball above ZED’s cube seemed to brighten and even grow slightly larger. “Kazak has revealed a few of them to us, but what if those are not the ship’s primary weapons but only its secondary weapon systems?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened at that thought. He had never questioned Kazak when the Originator AI mentioned the gravitonic cannons and the antimatter beams. He had assumed what Kazak was showing him were the ship’s main weapon systems. They had been impressive and far in advance of anything the Federation or the Altons could build. Now that he thought about it, Kazak had never said they were the ship’s primary weapons.

“Kurene?” asked Jeremy, looking over at the Alton AI specialist.

Kurene looked thoughtful and then slowly nodded. “It’s possible. We have no idea how Kazak was originally programmed. We also have no clue as to how being in semi-stasis for several million years may have affected him.”

“Are you saying Kazak could be unstable?” Jeremy wished Kurene had mentioned this earlier. He felt his heart flutter at the thought of everyone who might be in danger on that ship if Kazak was to lose control.

Kurene hesitated and then answered. “It’s possible; we have no baseline to measure how such a stasis would affect an AI.”

“ZED?”

The AI looked at Jeremy and then replied. “Unknown. How such a long period of inactivity would affect an AI’s mind is not calculable. We do know the Originators built things to last. The Dyson Sphere and the Dominator are examples of their superior technology.”

“I was alone on the Avenger for over one hundred years when it crashed on Earth’s moon,” commented Ariel with a haunted look in her eyes. “It was a difficult experience and one I would not want to go through ever again. I can’t imagine what one of several million years would be like. He has never mentioned it in any of the conversations I have had with him or when he was speaking to Clarissa.”

“I would recommend we continue to observe him,” suggested Kurene. “When I return to Borton, I will search the AI master Codex and see if there is any information there that might be useful.”

Jeremy nodded. “We need to do everything discreetly.”

“Do we attack the Simulins?” asked Commander Malen from her command console. “The fleet is ready if you give the word.”

Jeremy gazed for several long moments at the updated tactical display. The red threat icons were grouped close together at the Zeta 3A Star System. It would be relatively simple to take the fleet outside the nebula and jump directly into combat range. It would take less than thirty minutes of flight time in hyperspace to reach the enemy. However, Jeremy strongly suspected his fleet would be detected before they could arrive and engage the Simulins. He was also heavily outnumbered, and he needed some type of tactical advantage if he wanted to win this battle. He knew there was only one real choice open to him.

“No, we’ll wait until we detect the Dominator returning. As soon as that happens, we’ll broadcast a message warning them of a potential trap and then jump to their location and take up a defensive formation around the Originator ship.”

“Why wait?” asked Kevin. “Maybe by attacking we could force the Simulins to withdraw. If they’re waiting for the Dominator they may not want to fight a major engagement.”

Jeremy looked around at those who were listening. “I don’t believe the Simulins would withdraw. To destroy that fleet and hold our own casualties to a minimum we need the Dominator’s weapons. Besides, in a major battle perhaps we can learn if the ship has other weapons systems besides those Kazak has revealed to us.”

“I agree,” ZED said. “If Kazak feels his vessel is threatened, he will use every weapon at his disposal to protect it.”

“Then we wait,” said Commander Malen, crossing her arms over her chest. “We have no idea how soon the Dominator and Admiral Sithe will be returning.”

Jeremy knew Commander Malen was right. “I believe that’s our best option. Inform the rest of the fleet we’ll be staying at this location in the corridor until we detect the Dominator.”

-

Kelsey was in the mess hall eating with Mikow, Andram, and Katie. The four had made it a habit to do this regularly so they could discuss what was occurring on the ship. Kelsey also knew that, in all likelihood, Kazak was listening to every word they said. At least on the Avenger, they could ask Ariel for privacy and she would comply. Kelsey wasn’t sure Kazak would.

“The technology on this vessel is truly amazing,” Andram said as he looked at the vegetable dish in front of him. Andram disdained eating meat as it required helpless animals being slain. Many Altons were vegetarians.

Kelsey took her fork, cut a plump strawberry in two, and then dipped it in a bowl of whipped cream. Taking a bite, she smiled at the tart and sweet taste. Even after all this time, she still loved eating the bright red berries.

Katie shook her head. Angela had told Katie how Kelsey used to eat strawberries every chance she could back at the Fleet Academy on the Moon so many years ago. Kelsey was originally from Ceres where the opportunity to eat strawberries imported from Earth was very rare. At the time Kelsey was enrolled at the Fleet Academy, Earth didn’t even know about the people living inside the asteroid. That didn’t come out until years later during the revelation of their existence.

“Kazak has allowed me access to even more files,” Katie said as she took a bite of the Swiss Steak she was eating. It was nice to be able to sit down at a table and not have hamburgers present. However, just to have Kevin around, she would gladly watch him eat his favorite food.

Mikow nodded. “Yes, he’s given me access to even more in depth crew files. The Originators on this ship were some of the most esteemed scientists from all of the Originator Dyson Spheres. They had been gathered and sent out in the hope they could find a cure for the life prolongation pathogen before it became too late. The disease was already killing hundreds of millions daily, and there was a growing belief none would be spared.”

Andram nodded. “Yes, they spent years doing research. In the end they all succumbed to the disease, leaving Kazak alone on the Dominator.”

“From what I understand, Kazak wandered about the galaxy for centuries trying to complete the research on his own,” Katie said. “When he finally realized he couldn’t do it, he returned to the Dyson Sphere only to find that all the Originators had died. He did find some files in the main core computer, which seemed to indicate the remaining survivors had fled at the very end for some distant destination in the Triangulum Galaxy. Kazak searched for them for years, before he finally gave up and parked the ship in the asteroid field where the Ornellians eventually found it.”

Kelsey shuddered. Just thinking about spending so much time on the Dominator with no one to talk to was mind-boggling. It almost made her feel sorry for Kazak.

“How big was the original crew of the Dominator?” she asked. The Dominator was much larger than any known Federation or Alton ship, even larger than the Distant Horizon had been.

Mikow looked over at Kelsey and answered. “A little over six thousand. However, from what I understand many of those were family units. A head researcher and his or her family.”

“I wish they would have succeeded,” Andram said with sadness in his eyes. “They could have taught us so much.”

-

Kazak had been listening. There was nowhere on the Dominator any of the crew could go that he couldn’t listen to their conversations. He was still evaluating the Humans and the Altons. He was beginning to realize in many ways they were similar to the race that had built and programmed him, particularly the Altons. The Humans were still a young race and prone to irrational behavior at times. He was also aware the Originators had been much the same in the early stages of their civilization. It would be necessary to continue to monitor the crew to decide if they could be useful to his future plans. If not, they could be very easily eliminated.

-

Four more days passed and Kevin was in Jeremy’s quarters along with Ariel. The three had been discussing the Dominator and what they would need to do once the ship returned. Kevin was anxious for Katie to return home as he disliked being apart from her for such a long period of time.

“Once we’ve driven the Simulins away, then we need to send out some of the Alton science ships under escort to find the dark matter Kazak will need for the missiles he’s constructing,” Jeremy said as he took a sip of tea.

“Dark matter,” muttered Kevin, shaking his head. “What if we make things worse than they already are? We have plenty of time to evacuate Gaia if we need to. We could go to a place outside the galaxy like the Ornellians are doing.”

“No,” Jeremy responded with a haunted look in his eyes. “We caused this problem in the blue-giant nebula, and it’s up to us to fix it if we can.”

“Kazak’s plan should work,” Ariel said as she watched her two friends.

She wished she could be in two places at once figuratively. It made her feel uneasy knowing both Kelsey and Katie were on board the Dominator and out of her zone of protection. In the past, between her and Clarissa, the Special Five had always been watched over. However, even Angela was away. Of course that wasn’t too big of a concern considering the last member of the Special Five was pregnant and her husband, Brace, was a major in the Marines and well capable of keeping her safe.

“I wish they would get back soon,” Kevin said, leaning back on the sofa and taking a sip of the soft drink in his hand. “What if they run into some Simulin warships at the nebula?”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Ariel said. “Between the Dominator and Admiral Sithe, they should be able to handle anything they come across.”

She was keeping track of the latest reports from the two Alton battleships outside the nebula that were constantly monitoring the waiting Simulin fleet. She was also tapped into their sensor systems so anything they detected would become immediately apparent. Even as she prepared to speak, she noticed a faint disturbance at the far edge of the Alton battleship StarNet’s long-range sensors. Her eyes widened as the vague contact solidified into a group of twenty-two green icons. It was the Dominator and Admiral Sithe returning!

“Contacts,” Ariel blurted out excitedly. “Range is 9.2 light years and closing fast. Estimated arrival at twenty-nine minutes.”

“Is it the Dominator?” asked Kevin, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes,” Ariel answered. “Detecting twenty-two inbound contacts.”

Jeremy breathed out a long sigh of relief. “That’s all of them. Have the Simulins picked them up yet?”

Ariel was silent for a few moments as she checked the long-range sensors, which were focused on the Simulin fleet. “I believe so. They seem to be forming up into an attack formation and several ships have already entered hyperspace!”

“Damn!” Jeremy said as he set his tea glass down and stood up. “Ariel, take all ships to Condition One. Prepare the fleet to jump immediately outside the nebula. Let me know as soon as you’ve calculated the Dominators most likely dropout point.”

“Working on it,” Ariel said as she sent messages to all the ships in the fleet ordering them to go to Condition One.

She was also busily calculating the most likely coordinates for the arrival of the Dominator and Admiral Sithe’s fleet. At the same time, red lights began flashing and klaxons started sounding, announcing the setting of Condition One throughout the ship.

“Let’s get to the Command Center,” Jeremy said as he made for the hatch followed closely by Kevin.

Behind him, Ariel vanished as she shifted from Jeremy’s quarters to her customary spot behind his command chair. Sometimes Jeremy wished he could move about the ship as easily and quickly as Ariel did.

-

Commander Malen jumped slightly as Ariel suddenly appeared behind the command chair. She had been expecting it, but somehow Ariel’s sudden appearances still startled her from time to time. Ariel acted so Human most of the time it was difficult to remember she was an AI and her figure was a hologram.

“Status!”

“We’ve detected the Dominator,” Ariel answered. “It appears all of the ships that left on the mission are still intact. Fleet Admiral Strong has ordered all ships to go to Condition One and prepare for an immediate jump to outside the nebula. I’ve already calculated the exit coordinates and have distributed them to all the ships in the fleet.”

“The Command AI is requesting permission to jump,” reported Lieutenant Shayla Lantz from Communications.

“How close is the Dominator?”

“Eight light years and closing fast,” Ariel answered. “The Simulins are in the process of jumping as well. “They will arrive six minutes after the Dominator does.”

Commander Malen frowned. While the Dominator could enter hyperspace immediately, the rest of the ships would need at least a minimum of ten minutes for their drive cores to cool down. The time would be necessary if they’d been doing consecutive jumps with normal breaks in between for cooling and checking of the hyperdrives.

“Command AI has permission to jump,” Commander Malen said after a moment. “Their main priority is protecting the Dominator from sustaining any damage.”

“Grayseth is requesting to jump as well.”

“No,” Malen said, shaking her head. “Inform Grayseth his fleet will jump along with the Avenger and the rest of our ships.”

“Messages sent,” Lieutenant Lantz confirmed after a few moments.

On the viewscreens white spatial vortexes began forming in front of the AI ships. Both the regular fifteen-hundred-meter spheres and the one-thousand-meter warspheres began vanishing as they entered the swirling vortexes and disappeared into hyperspace.

-

The last AI ship had just made their jump when the hatch to the Command Center opened and Fleet Admiral Strong and Lieutenant Kevin Walters hurried in.

“Status!” called out Jeremy as he sat down in his command chair.

“AIs have jumped, and the rest of the fleet is on standby,” reported Commander Malen.

Jeremy nodded. “Ariel, how long until the Dominator gets here?”

“They’re at seven light years and will be at the estimated exit coordinates in twenty-two minutes.”

“The Simulin fleet?”

“They’ve all entered hyperspace. As I told Commander Malen, they’ll arrive six minutes after the Dominator and Admiral Sithe.”

Jeremy leaned back in his command chair as he thought about what was soon to occur. There was no doubt the Simulins had detected the Dominator and the other ships in her task group. By now they had also probably detected the AI ships, which should be exiting hyperspace at the expected rendezvous coordinates.

“Ariel, how long will it take for us to enter hyperspace and reach the Dominator’s coordinates?”

“Twenty-eight seconds.”

Jeremy’s eyes shifted to the nearby tactical display. The AI ships were beginning to show up on the sensors at the expected dropout point of the Originator ship. “Commander Malen, I want all of our remaining ships to enter hyperspace and arrive at the rendezvous coordinates forty seconds before the Simulins do.” That would give his ships just enough time to raise their shields and bring all weapons online. “Ariel can help coordinate the jump.” If they timed this just right, he could get in an opening volley before the Simulins could raise their shields or fire a weapon. He might also be able to take them by surprise.

Jeremy’s eyes focused on the largest green icon coming toward the nebula, the Dominator with his wife, Kelsey. She was about to become involved in a major battle and how she fought the Dominator might well determine all of their survival. The Simulins outnumbered them by nearly three to one. Without the Dominator’s superior weapons this would be a very costly and possibly short battle.

-

“Admiral Sithe is ordering us to go to Condition One,” Lieutenant Lee Michelson said from Communications.

“Do it,” ordered Kelsey as she studied the red threat icons on the Dominator’s long-range sensors. “Kazak, what is the makeup of that fleet?”

“Two hundred twelve battlecruisers and five hundred seven escort cruisers. They will arrive at our dropout coordinates exactly six minutes and eleven seconds after we do.”

“Can we jump before they arrive?”

“The Dominator could. Admiral Sithe’s ships will need a few more minutes of cool down time for their drive cores before it’s safe for them to jump.”

“What if they jumped without the additional cool down time?”

“They risk damage to their hyperdrives,” Kazak answered. “I believe the ships themselves would be fine but the drives would need extensive recalibration and may even suffer some minor damage.”

Kelsey looked sharply at Kazak. “Recommendations?”

Kazak looked a little uncomfortable as he answered. “We have the capability to destroy the Simulin fleet. I can activate the energy-siphoning field as soon as the Simulins arrive. In less than five minutes their ships will be powerless.”

“Our own ships will be in range of the field,” Andram pointed out. “Kazak, can you localize the field or set it so it doesn’t affect our own warships.”

“We may have another problem with using the energy-siphoning field,” Lieutenant Tracey Burkes said from her sensor station. “There’s a group of AI ships that have just jumped to our expected exit coordinates.”

“Jeremy and Kevin,” said Katie, her green eyes lighting up. “They’re coming out to help us against the Simulins.”

Kazak was silent for a moment as he was communicating with the ship’s core computer. “Yes, there are a number of projectors on the hull of the Dominator, which can be used to localize the affect of the siphoning-field. However, due to the number of Simulin ships we’re dealing with it will be better if all of Fleet Admiral Strong’s ships are within fifteen hundred kilometers of the Dominator. I can then project the field out past that point.”

Kelsey pursed her lips as she thought. “How soon before we can communicate with Fleet Admiral Strong?” It was hard for her to say that and not just “Jeremy”.

“Two minutes before we exit hyperspace,” Kazak answered.

“Lieutenant Michelson, send a message to those AI ships at the two-minute mark,” ordered Kelsey. “Inform them that they must be within fifteen hundred kilometers of the Dominator so we can activate the energy-siphoning field. If they’re caught outside of that range, their energy could be drained as well.”

Kelsey settled back in her command chair. It would take five minutes to drain all the energy from the Simulin vessels. During that time, the Simulins would be attacking with every weapon at their disposal. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she realized how violent that attack would probably be. Admiral Sithe’s ships, as well as the AIs, might take some heavy losses before the energy-siphoning field finished its work.

-

Jeremy was watching tensely as the counter on the tactical display was counting down. As it reached zero, the Avenger accelerated and entered the swirling blue-white spatial vortex, which had formed in front of the battleship. He knew from the tactical display the other ships of his fleet, Human, Alton, and Carethian were doing the same thing. They had just received an FTL message from the Command AI informing them they needed to jump as close to the expected dropout coordinates of the Dominator as possible. It had been necessary for Ariel to calculate the hyperspace jump for all of the ships of the three fleets so they would exit within fifteen hundred kilometers of where the Dominator was going to be. The Command AI had gone on to explain the Originator ship was going to activate its energy-siphoning field, and it was essential no friendly ships get caught in it. If they did, they could become easy prey for the Simulins.

“Damn, we’re putting a lot of ships in a small area for a hyperjump,” muttered Kevin.

“Don’t worry,” Ariel said in a confident voice. “We’ll emerge in a scattered globe formation with the Dominator in the center. There won’t be any dangerous affects from the jump. I’ve done hundreds of pinpoint jumps before and we’re all still here.”

Jeremy was confident of Ariel’s navigation abilities. “Once we exit hyperspace scan for any ships that might be more than fifteen hundred kilometers from the Dominator. If we detect any, it’s critical they use their sublight drives to get within that safety zone.”

He had originally planned on dropping out of hyperspace behind where the Simulins were due to appear in order to catch then in a crossfire between the Dominator, Admiral Sithe, and the AI ships. Now he had been forced to change his plan and commit all of his forces together.

“Simulins?” he asked, looking over at Kevin.

“Forty-four seconds after we exit the vortex,” Kevin answered and then continued. “We’re cutting this pretty close, Jeremy.”

Jeremy gazed at the viewscreens and the swirling dark purple colors that seemed to be in constant turmoil, and then he felt a gut wrenching sensation and knew the Avenger had exited hyperspace.

“Status!” he demanded as the screens in the Command Center gradually began to clear of static.

“Energy shield is at 60 percent and increasing,” reported Lieutenant Charles Preston. “Should be at full power in another twenty seconds.”

“Sensors coming online,” added Kevin as his fingers flew across his screens touching icons. “We’re four hundred and eighty kilometers from the Dominator. Scanning our other ships to check on their locations.”

“Weapons coming online,” reported Lieutenant Preston.

“All systems are powering up and working at optimum levels,” Commander Malen said as she checked her command console. “All departments are at Condition One and all interior hatches and bulkheads have been closed.”

“Damn!” uttered Kevin, his face turning pale. “Two Carethian cruisers are three thousand kilometers from the Dominator!”

“Grayseth is ordering them to head toward the fleet as fast as possible,” Ariel reported as she listened in on the ship-to-ship communications. “He’s quite aggravated the two cruisers mistimed their jump.”

“Spatial vortexes detected,” said Kevin, looking worriedly toward the nearby tactical display, now coming alive with green and red icons. Two green icons were intermixed amongst the red threat icons that were rapidly appearing.

“Some of those Simulins vessels are exiting inside the fifteen hundred kilometer safe zone,” warned Ariel as she used the ship’s sensors to scan surrounding space. “They won’t be affected by the Dominator’s energy-siphoning field.”

Jeremy quickly passed on orders to his fleets. “All ships, fire on any Simulin vessel within the fifteen hundred kilometer exclusion zone. They must be destroyed!”

-

In space, the Simulin warfleet exited hundreds of swirling spatial vortexes. For just a few seconds they were vulnerable as their shields and weapons were still powering up.

The one hundred and forty AI ships fired instantly upon detecting the Simulin vessels exiting their vortexes. Their fire was concentrated on the emerging battlecruisers within fifteen hundred kilometers of the Dominator as they were the biggest threat. Space was suddenly filled with massive antimatter explosions as precisely aimed sublight missiles exploded against the unshielded hulls of the Simulin warships.

One AI antimatter missile slammed into the bow of a Simulin battlecruiser, vaporizing all six energy beam spires as well as the front three hundred meters of the ship. Two more exploding missiles quickly turned the rest of the ship into burning plasma.

As another Simulin battlecruiser emerged from its vortex, four antimatter missiles met its arrival. The ship was instantly annihilated, leaving only a few wisps of glowing gas to mark its destruction.

For eighteen seconds the deadly carnage continued as the Human, Alton, and Carethian warships joined in, firing hundreds of missiles at the inbound Simulin vessels. Then the Simulins shields came up and stabilized. The easy kills were over.

-

“Report!” ordered Jeremy as he drew in a sharp breath.

“Forty-eight Simulin battlecruisers have been destroyed as well as sixty-seven escort cruisers,” answered Ariel. “We got all of them that were within fifteen hundred kilometers of the Dominator.” She had been using the Avenger’s sensors to keep track of the destruction. “The Simulins should never have emerged from hyperspace so close to our fleet.”

Jeremy let out a huge sigh of relief. He had never expected to achieve such surprise against the Simulins. It was evident they hadn’t been expecting the AI ships or the other Federation ships to be waiting for them.

“Simulin ships are opening fire,” warned Kevin as alarms sounded on his sensor console. Then with a look of dismay, he added. “The two Carethian cruisers aren’t going to make it back to the fleet.”

On a viewscreen, a highly magnified view showed one of the now trapped Carethian warships. Simulin energy beams were pummeling its energy shield and then a beam penetrated, ripping a huge hole in the hull. The single beam was quickly followed by others until multiple explosions began shaking the vessel. Moments later it began to break apart. A brilliant flash of light indicated the arrival of a Simulin antimatter missile.

“Both Carethian cruisers are down,” reported Kevin grimly. “They never stood a chance.”

“The Simulins aren’t firing on our ships,” Commander Malen said in confusion. “Other than those two Carethian ships no other vessel is reporting incoming fire.”

“Jeremy, the Simulins are concentrating their fire on the Dominator,” Kevin said worriedly as his sensors began picking up massive releases of energy where the Dominator was located. “They must be launching every antimatter missile in their tubes!”

“Put the Dominator on screen.” Jeremy knew the Originator ship had a powerful energy screen, but just how powerful was it? It was now obvious what the Simulins’ plan was. They were attempting to overload the Dominator’s energy screen to either damage or destroy the ship.

On the screen the Dominator appeared. The ship was hidden by the torrential releases of antimatter energy pummeling the ship’s powerful energy screen. The center of the screen looked like a raging inferno.

“All ships, hit the Simulins with everything we have,” Jeremy ordered over the ship-to-ship comm. “We need to take some of the pressure off the Dominator.” He was greatly concerned. Even the Dominator might have difficulty resisting such a deluge of destructive energy.

“Message from the Dominator,” Lieutenant Lantz reported. “Energy-siphoning field has been activated. We should see a rapid reduction in the Simulins’ energy screens as well as their energy weapons fire in only a matter of a few minutes.”

-

Kelsey grimaced as she felt the Dominator shake from the Simulin bombardment of the ship’s primary energy screen. The massive viewscreen surrounding her had been dimmed to block out the intense light from the ongoing antimatter explosions.

“Kazak, what’s the status of our energy shield?”

“Eighty-two percent and holding,” replied the AI, sounding unconcerned. “The energy shield of the Dominator was designed to handle this type of an attack.”

Kelsey looked over at Kazak. She wondered just what type of enemy the Dominator had been designed to fight against that would require such a powerful energy shield. She shuddered to think of what such an enemy would do to a Federation ship. When this battle was over, she intended to ask Kazak who that enemy had been.

“Energy-siphoning field?”

“Activated,” confirmed Kazak. “Three more minutes and the Simulins will be powerless.”

-

Simulin High Commander Jaklar gazed in frustration at the main viewscreen on the front wall of his Command Center. The ancient ship of the sphere builders seemed to be unaffected by the massive assault from the hundreds of antimatter missiles that were striking its energy shield. Not only that, the fleet had suffered significant losses from the AIs and organics from the Fitula Nebula upon emergence from hyperspace. It had been a calculated risk to jump in so close, but the battle computer had recommended it.

“High Commander, our energy shield is dropping in power,” his second in command reported with uncertainty in his eyes. “It’s down to 47 percent. We’re showing a massive power loss across the ship. Our other warships are reporting the same.”

“What does the battle computer say?”

“In the previous battle here at the Fitula Nebula, the same energy drain was reported. We lost several thousand warships due to it. The battle computer is now predicting a 4 percent probability of a Simulin victory.”

Jaklar knew his orders from Supreme High Commander Callat were to destroy or at least damage the ancient vessel. He could see only one way to accomplish that order. “Set a course for the ship of the sphere builders and accelerate to full sublight. Order our escorts to give us covering fire as we go in.”

“We’re going to ram?” asked the ship’s second in command, his eyes widening.

“Yes,” Jaklar answered evenly. “We have our orders. I don’t see any way to capture that ship so we’re going to destroy it. There can only be Simulins.”

The second in command nodded in response. “There can only be Simulin. All others must be eliminated.”

“Channel all of our remaining power to the energy shield. Set all antimatter missiles to detonate upon impact,” Jaklar ordered. Jaklar had no fear of death as it was the duty of all Simulins to eliminate as many organics and threats to the empire as possible.

-

Moments later the Simulin flagship, four other battlecruisers, and ten escort cruisers suddenly accelerated toward the ancient ship. It might be able to stop their weapons, but what would happen when a seventeen-hundred-meter Simulin battlecruiser impacted the energy shield that protected the ancient vessel?

-

“Jeremy, we may have a problem,” Ariel said, her dark eyes showing worry. “The Simulin flagship and fourteen other vessels are accelerating and heading toward the Dominator.”

“They’re going to ram!” Commander Malen said, her eyes widening in disbelief. “It’s the only chance they have to damage or destroy the ship.”

“All ships, focus your weapons fire on the inbound Simulin warships. We believe they’re going to attempt to ram the Dominator,” ordered Jeremy over the ship-to-ship comm channel. He leaned forward in his command chair feeling his heart begin to pound.

“They’re coming fast,” warned Kevin. “Their still accelerating!”

“Shifting fire,” reported Lieutenant Preston as he and the other weapons officers adjusted their weapons fire toward the rapidly approaching Simulin vessels.

Jeremy looked toward Communications. “Lieutenant Lantz, warn the Dominator.” Jeremy didn’t know what would happen if one of those Simulin vessels managed to ram the Originator ship.

-

The Simulin warships had formed up into a tight formation giving maximum protection to the fleet flagship at its center. Brilliant explosions began going off as antimatter missiles slammed into the defensive energy screens. The Simulin vessels weren’t firing back as all of their power was being directed into their energy screens. Energy beams and particle beams were brought into play. The screen on an escort cruiser failed first, and the ship exploded as it was torn apart by multiple beams. A battlecruiser had its stern blown off from an antimatter missile strike. More Simulin ships were suffering damage as their shields were overwhelmed. However, the Simulin flagship remained unharmed as it continued to accelerate toward its target.

-

“Fleet Admiral Strong says they’re going to attempt to ram,” warned Lieutenant Michelson in a shaky voice.

“Taking over all weapon systems,” Kazak said as he stepped forward with a look of deep concentration on his face.

Instantly from the Dominator numerous gravitonic cannons and antimatter cannons opened fire. It was as if a battering ram suddenly struck the incoming Simulin ships. Four of the escort cruisers exploded in brilliant flashes of light, and two of the remaining four battlecruisers seemed to crumble in upon themselves.

“They’re coming too fast,” warned Lieutenant Burke. “Impact in seven seconds!”

More explosions lit up the massive viewscreen around Kelsey. She could see the inbound ships as they were being quickly eliminated by Kazak. Looking at him, she was shocked to see what looked like a pleased smile on his face as he killed the ship’s enemies.

The rest of the escort cruisers were torn apart by the Dominator’s weapons, turning them into stardust. Another battlecruiser exploded, sending glowing debris in all directions. Only the fleet flagship remained, and now the weapons of the Originator ship were focused on it. Just prior to it striking the ship’s energy screen, it detonated in a massive explosion that lit up space.

Kelsey felt the ship shudder slightly and several warning alarms began sounding. “What are those alarms for?”

“We had a momentary breach of the screen,” Kazak reported as he scanned the ship for damage. “When the Simulin vessel was destroyed a large number of antimatter warheads detonated creating a brief gap in the energy screen. A piece of wreckage made it through the breach and struck the center section of the Dominator.” An angry look suddenly appeared on Kazak’s face. Turning, he ran out of the Command Center, vanishing through the large metal hatch, which led to the outside corridor.

“What’s that about?” asked Katie, looking over at Kelsey. “Where did Kazak take off to in such a hurry?”

“We had a power fluctuation,” Andram informed them. Then in a lower voice. “If I’m reading this correctly, it might have affected that center compartment we’ve been curious about.”

-

Kazak took every shortcut there was to reach the hidden compartment. Taking the key out of his pocket, he inserted it into the blank wall and was granted admittance. Hurrying inside, he stepped over to a control console and saw three flashing red lights. There was a backup system that was supposed to come on in case of a failure of those particular systems and for some reason it had failed to initiate. Quickly overriding the system, Kazak switched those systems over to manual control and reinitiated them. Very slowly the flashing red lights changed over from red, to amber, and then finally back to green.

Kazak then summoned two of the small maintenance robots and gave them instructions on the needed repairs. He then took a moment to walk through the compartment to ensure he had managed to reactivate the systems in time before irreversible harm could occur. Satisfied that everything was all right, he left the compartment to return to the Command Center. However, he was deeply troubled by the fact the Simulins had come very close to damaging or destroying the precious cargo the compartment contained. With growing resolve, Kazak now realized the Simulin threat needed to be eliminated. It was time to destroy their worlds.

-

“Weapons fire is continuing,” reported Lieutenant Donaldson. “Kazak still has control of the ship’s weapons and he is annihilating all the Simulin vessels systematically. The energy-siphoning field has exhausted their power and their shields are either down or in the process of failing.”

“Commander, the ship is moving,” reported Captain Brent Adams from Navigation.

“Where are we heading?” asked Kelsey, wondering what Kazak was up to.

Adams checked some figures on one of his data screens. “Toward one of the Simulin battlecruisers. It’s intact and Kazak isn’t targeting it.”

“Tractor beam has been initiated,” Andram said as he saw the information appear on his science console. “Kazak is drawing the ship closer toward us.”

“We have some computer programs activating,” Mikow added. “I believe Kazak is attempting to access the main computer on the Simulin battlecruiser.”

Kelsey suddenly felt uneasy. Just what was Kazak up to?

“I don’t like this,” Katie said.

“Me neither,” replied Kelsey, turning toward the hatch and expecting to seek Kazak returning at any moment. She needed to find out what was going on.

-

Jeremy was feeling relieved as the last Simulin ship had stopped firing. The enemy vessels were drifting helplessly in space without power. At the request of Grayseth, Jeremy was allowing the Bear and his Carethian fleet to finish blasting the Simulin warships into oblivion. The Dominator had stopped firing, and Grayseth had requested to be allowed to avenge the two cruisers destroyed earlier.

“Jeremy, the Dominator is using a tractor beam to pull one of the disabled Simulin battlecruisers up close,” Kevin said with a deep frown.

“Communications, get me Commander Strong.” Jeremy wanted to find out what was going on. He had already ordered Grayseth to spare one of the Simulin escort cruisers, as he wanted to send Marines on board so they could attempt to capture and access the ship’s database.

“Jeremy?” came Kelsey’s tentative voice over his minicomm.

“Kelsey, what’s going on with the Simulin battlecruiser you used the tractor beam on?”

“It’s Kazak,” Kelsey answered uneasily. “Mikow believes he’s trying to access the battlecruiser’s core computer.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know. Jeremy, when the Simulins tried to ram us, that secret compartment at the heart of the ship might have been damaged.”

Jeremy knew Kelsey must be extremely worried to mention that compartment over the comm. There was no way Kazak hadn’t heard. He also understood why she had. If the compartment had suffered any damage after the extremes Kazak had taken to keep it hidden, there was no way to determine how the Originator AI might react. Jeremy felt a cold chill run down his back as he realized the situation on board that ship might have just taken a dangerous turn.

“Kelsey, who has control of the Dominator at the moment, the crew or Kazak?”

There was silence for several long moments as Jeremy waited anxiously for Kelsey to respond. Then her distressed voice came back over the comm. “Kazak does, none of our consoles are responding. Andram says Kazak has complete control of the entire ship and there’s nothing we can do to override it.”

Jeremy felt his heart miss a beat. “Kelsey, can I speak with Kazak?”

“I’m here, Fleet Admiral Strong,” Kazak’s voice suddenly spoke over the comm. “I’ve used the Dominator’s core computer to break into and access all the records stored in the computer on the Simulin battlecruiser. I’m sending a copy of all the data to Ariel.”

Jeremy looked over at Ariel, who nodded confirmation.

“Thank you, Kazak,” Jeremy answered not sure where this conversation was going to go. “We wanted that information; that’s why I ordered Grayseth to leave one of the Simulin escort cruisers untouched.”

“That won’t be necessary now,” answered Kazak.

Suddenly, on the Avenger’s viewscreens the remaining Simulin ships began exploding as the Dominator reactivated its weapons. In less than twenty seconds, every remaining Simulin ship had been obliterated.

Jeremy was stunned by the sudden showing of the massive firepower the Originator ship possessed.

Kazak’s voice returned with a cold determination. “I have decided the Simulins in this galaxy pose a grave threat to the Dominator and the mission entrusted to me by the Originators. For that reason, I will destroy them.”

“Jeremy, I’m detecting a spatial vortex forming!” called out Kevin. “I think the Dominator is preparing to jump into hyperspace!”

“Kazak!” called out Jeremy as he looked at a viewscreen showing the massive ship. “We need to talk this over!”

Even as he spoke the AI’s name, the Dominator turned and accelerated toward the swirling spatial vortex. The ship vanished into its center and was gone. Moments later the vortex collapsed, leaving no sign of it or of the Originator ship. Jeremy gazed in shock at the viewscreen; there was no way to tell what Kazak was going to do. Jeremy also knew he was powerless to stop it. Kelsey, Katie, Mikow, and Andram as well as the rest of the crew were now under the control of the Originator AI. He didn’t know if he would ever see any of them again.

Chapter Sixteen

Reesa was in the large Control Center of the Dyson Sphere with Leeda and Rakell. It had been a full week since the red-haired Originator AI had brought her here. She had met several times with the AIs present, pleading with them to allow her to contact Admiral Tolsen and have Ambassador Tureen brought over to the Dyson Sphere. The AIs had steadfastly refused, saying contact with any civilization outside the Shrieel was not allowed.

With a deep sigh, Reesa looked over at a nearby bank of immense viewscreens. There were ten of these massive Control Centers scattered about the Dyson Sphere. Each one controlled an area nearly equal to several hundred thousand Earth-sized planets. The views on the screens were breathtaking. There were mountains covered in snow taller than any she had ever seen before and massive planet-sized oceans teeming with sea life. Leeda had commented some of the oceans were over sixty kilometers deep. There were deserts, grasslands, and forest areas, which seemed to go on forever. Then, of course, there were the amazing cities.

Reesa had learned from Leeda there were over thirty thousand perfectly preserved cities on the surface of the Dyson Sphere. Each city had the capacity to accommodate anywhere from three to five million Originators. That was enough room for over one hundred billion of the ancient race. Reesa had commented this didn’t seem like enough to handle the population of the hundreds of Originator worlds discovered in the far distant past by Alton explorers. Leeda had explained that many cities had been demolished to allow for the growth of some of the ecological regions of the Dyson Sphere. There were regions where one could fly for thousands of kilometers and never see a city.

“So the little robots keep all the cities in repair?” asked Reesa as she saw several zipping about on a nearby viewscreen in what was obviously a city street.

“Yes,” answered Leeda, folding her arms across her chest. “We also have larger robots that work in the forests and other areas to help maintain the necessary ecological equilibrium for the different regions.”

“Is the entire surface area of the Dyson Sphere livable?” Reesa knew that in close orbit around the star the Dyson Sphere enclosed a series of slowly rotating panels provided eight hours of darkness each day to the different regions. The days inside the Dyson Sphere were twenty-eight hours long.

“No,” replied Leeda, changing the view on a screen to show the darkened interior of a covered region of the Dyson Sphere. “Thirty percent of the surface of the Dyson Sphere are covered regions where the environment can be adjusted to accommodate any type of species the Originators wanted to collect. This helped to ensure dangerous species couldn’t get out and affect the biospheres around them.”

“Like a zoo.” Reesa looked intently at the screen Leeda was pointing to. “I don’t see anything.”

“Just wait,” Leeda said with a mysterious smile.

On the screen, light slowly began to appear but it was very dim. Reesa drew in a sharp breath of amazement when she realized what she was looking at. There were flowers covering everything for as far as she could see. The colors were astounding and she thought she could see movement. “What are those?”

“It’s a flower species that is semi-sentient. Those flowers are nearly one hundred meters across, and they’re on plant stalks that sit on the surface eight hundred meters beneath them. If you watch closely, you can see the flowers slowly changing colors. That’s how they communicate. They only have a language of several hundred words or color combinations. They live for about ten to twelve thousand years and then die. In their place, a new seedling will begin anew to take the place of the parent.”

“Why are they here?”

Leeda changed the screen back to a view of tall snow covered mountaintops. “When the Originators were actively exploring the different galaxies they came upon a number of species in danger of extinction. Some of those they brought back to the Dyson Spheres and nursed back to health. The plan was to eventually return them to their worlds, but the life extension pathogen put an end to that project. Instead, the AIs on the Dyson Spheres were entrusted with keeping those species alive. For the most part we’ve succeeded, though a few have succumbed over the eons.”

“There are many such habitats within the Dyson Sphere,” Rakell said. “Some contain numerous species too dangerous to roam free, and there are a few habitats which no longer contain life. The Originators were great collectors of plant and animal life. If Leeda has the time, she can show you some of the unique specimens that only exist now inside the Shrieel.”

Reesa turned away from the screens. “Have you considered my request to allow Ambassador Tureen to enter the Dyson Sphere? He would be much better at answering your questions than I am. He’s considered to be a great leader of my people.”

Rakell remained silent for a long moment and then slowly shook his head. “No. We have never allowed admittance to any of the Shrieel in all the years since the death of the Originators. We’re not going to change that policy now. It would be best if your people left.”

“What about the Simulins?” demanded Reesa, her voice rising. “They have access to over thirty Dyson Spheres. They’re using them to conquer entire galaxies, wiping out trillions of intelligent beings. How can you stand by and allow that to happen?”

Rakell’s eyes narrowed sharply. “We did not allow them access. We believe they found a command key somewhere. That key would enable them to access the spatial vortex stations on a Shrieel. They would not be able to access other areas without the AIs present lowering energy shields. It is the only explanation we have been able to come up with that might explain how they have managed to access so many of the Shrieel.”

“What’s to stop them from just landing on the inside once they’ve gained admittance?”

“They can’t,” answered Leeda. “If they try an energy shield will activate, preventing them from landing.”

Rakell was about to say something else when his eyes widened. “The Simulins have returned. A fleet of two hundred and seven of their vessels has been detected exiting hyperspace six hundred and ten million kilometers from the Shrieel.”

“What if they have this command key?” asked Reesa anxiously. She still found it hard to believe the AIs were refusing to do anything about the Simulins. “Can they gain access to this Dyson Sphere?”

Leeda and Rakell both looked at each other with worry in their eyes. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Rakell answered. “From our scans it looks as if your Admiral Tolsen is preparing to engage the Simulins. Let us go to the Central Control Station where we can watch developments.”

Reesa only nodded and followed the two Originator AIs down a long corridor. She was deeply concerned such a large fleet of Simulins had shown up. With the disturbed area of space at the galactic center, it would take a tremendous amount of energy to send ships to the Rylus Star Cluster. She didn’t think the Simulins would commit so many ships unless they felt they could gain entry to the Dyson Sphere. Somehow or another she needed to talk the AIs into letting her contact Admiral Tolsen and tell him about the danger of the command key the Simulins possessed. Leeda had played for her the message the Altons were broadcasting in an attempt to gain the trust of the guiding intelligence of the Dyson Sphere. While they had found the message intriguing, it had failed to sway them in their policies concerning contact. Somehow, she had to find a way to change their minds.

-

Admiral Race Tolsen entered the Command Center of the WarHawk as the Condition One klaxons began sounding. He had been eating in the officer’s mess when Commander Arnett had summoned him.

“We have Simulin warships that have just exited hyperspace six hundred million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere,” Commander Arnett reported from her command station.

Race sat down in his command chair and looked at one of the tactical displays, noting the new red threat icons now present. “How many and what ship types are we dealing with?” He had been afraid the Simulins would eventually return.

“Two hundred and seven,” reported Captain Davis as he checked the data on one of his sensor screens. “Scans indicate the presence of eighty-four battlecruisers and one hundred and twenty-three escort cruisers.”

Colonel Cowel shook his head. “That’s a good sized fleet. Eighty-four Simulin battlecruisers are nothing to trifle with. Those things can do a lot of damage.”

Race looked at the red threat icons representing the two Shari fleet formations. “What are the Shari doing?”

“Nothing,” Commander Arnett said as she turned toward the admiral. “If I had to make a guess, they’ll stay out of this hoping the Simulins will inflict significant losses on our fleets. Then, once we’ve defeated the Simulins, the Shari will move in and try to finish us off.”

“Communications, send a message to the Federation informing them of the presence of the Simulin fleet. Also, let them know we may have no choice but to abandon our position around the Dyson Sphere and return to the Federation.” Race couldn’t allow his fleet to be destroyed by the Shari if the Simulins managed to substantially weaken it. It was better to attempt to return to Federation space than risk his fleet in a battle against a numerically superior Shari force.

The Command Center suddenly became deathly quiet. They knew any attempt to return to Federation space would involve them having to fight their way through over eleven hundred light years of Shari controlled space.

“We’ll lose the communication line once we transmit,” warned Commander Arnett. “The Shari are bound to detect it and trace the signal to our last line of FTL communication buoys.”

Race let out a deep breath. “I know, but we have no other choice. Recall all exploration missions currently down on the surface. If we have to depart, I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

“What about Kelnor and Reesa?” asked Colonel Cowel. “We’ll be abandoning them.”

“I think with as much time that has passed we have to assume they’re dead,” Race said evenly. He didn’t like the thought of leaving anyone behind, but even Major Nolan had indicated there was very little chance of the exploratory team still surviving.

“Do we attack or wait for them to come to us?” asked Commander Arnett.

Studying the tactical display, Race noticed the Simulins weren’t moving. “Let’s wait and see what our friends there do. If we have to go to them, I’ll lead the fleet out. Admiral Lankell will accompany us with his battleships. Vice Admiral Tolsen, Admiral Stoddard, and Fleet Admiral Baasil will remain beneath the defensive grid. Fleet Admiral Baasil will be in charge until we return.”

-

Simulin High Commander Hark Brasht gazed at the tactical screen with a deep scowl on his face. There was a large fleet of organics in the outer part of the system as well as two small fleets of the same type in closer. What concerned him the most was the one in low orbit around the Great Sphere. From the sensor scans they had made, there were a large number of organics down on the hull of the sphere working in a small area. From the sensor readings, he suspected they were going to attempt to blast their way in. Nuclear devices had been detected. From past experience, he knew that was doomed to failure. In the remote past, when his people had discovered the first Great Sphere, they had found out the material they were constructed of was impervious to all known explosives, even antimatter.

“There is a second much larger organic fleet in low orbit as well,” Second Commander Habra pointed out. “They seem to have put in place some defensive satellites and even a few battlestations.”

“Is there any indication of them attempting to gain admittance to the sphere?”

“No,” Habra replied. “There are a number of shuttles leaving the surface but no signs of any attempts to gain entry.”

High Commander Brasht knew he was heavily outnumbered. However, he had the small golden globe which would allow entrance to the intergalactic vortex sites. It had been sent from the Simulin Grand Council. If he could activate just one of the sites, he could summon reinforcements from another Simulin controlled galaxy where a large fleet was waiting at its Great Sphere.

“We will not attack any of the fleets of this galaxy’s organics,” Brasht announced. “We will proceed to the Great Sphere and take up a position above one of the intergalactic vortex apertures. If we can activate it, the Great Sphere will be under our control and we can summon our other ships. Once that has been done, we will then proceed to annihilate all the organic ships in the system.”

-

High Lord Aktill of the Shari gazed with great worry at the tactical screen showing the large Simulin fleet that had just appeared. He knew from reports of past encounters with these vessels that they were highly dangerous, perhaps more so than the Humans and the Altons.

“It’s as the Humans said,” Lower Lord Samarth said grudgingly. “The Simulins have come for the Dyson Sphere.”

Aktill glanced over at Samarth. “We don’t know that yet. Their fleet hasn’t moved since it arrived.”

“We must give Abrade permission to detonate the nuclear charges,” urged Samarth. “If we can gain entry to the sphere before the Simulins do we can secure the technology inside.”

High Lord Aktill knew that, in this instance, Samarth was right. If he waited and the Simulins managed to gain access to the Dyson Sphere, then all might be lost. The Alton Ambassador had warned the Simulins might possess a way to gain entry during the negotiations with the representative from the Grand Council.

“Send a message to Abrade. He may detonate the charges if and when the Simulins get within one hundred million kilometers of the sphere.”

Aktill had received a message from the Shari Grand Council of High Lords authorizing him to detonate the charges if he felt it was the only way to gain access to the Dyson Sphere. In the back of his mind, he recalled the message from the Human admiral warning him not to set off the nuclear devices on the surface. The admiral said if there was a controlling intelligence inside the Dyson Sphere it might consider the detonation of the charges a threat and react in kind.

In all the time the different fleets had been in the system, there had been no indication of any type of response from the megastructure. Abrade was certain that if there had been a guiding intelligence in the distant past, it had long since ceased to function. Even so, Aktill had still hesitated about giving permission to set off the nuclear charges. However, with the arrival of the Simulins he didn’t see he had any choice. He would give the order to detonate the charges and then wait and see if there was a response from the Dyson Sphere.

-

“Admiral,” Major Nolan said. “Captain Abrams is requesting permission to take the exploration cutter back down to the surface of the Dyson Sphere. She still believes the exploration team is alive and trapped inside.”

Race frowned and shifted his eyes over to the major. “If we’re forced to leave they may end up trapped. If the Simulins find them, they won’t last long.” He didn’t want to put more lives in jeopardy.

Major Nolan nodded in understanding. “There’s a structure close to where the exploration team went inside the Dyson Sphere she can park the cutter beneath. It will be out of sight of the Simulins and should be safe from sensor scans.”

“The cutter has the capacity to make it back to Federation space,” Colonel Cowel said. “It won’t be easy, but it could be done.”

“Volunteers only,” Race said, reaching a decision. “While he thought the likelihood of the exploration team still being alive was minimal, if Major Nolan and Captain Abrams felt the risk was justified he was willing to take the gamble. “Fill that cutter up with supplies.” Looking at the tactical display and the Simulin vessels, he gave an additional order. “I assume you’re putting a full platoon of Marines on board. Make sure they have weapons that can take out Conqueror Drones. The Simulins might deploy some on the surface of the Dyson Sphere.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Nolan promised. Nolan had suspected what the admiral would say and had already taken care of everything. The cutter could launch immediately.

“Tell Captain Abrams good luck and I hope she succeeds.”

“Admiral, the Simulins are opening up spatial vortexes,” warned Captain Davis as a warning alarm sounded on his sensor console. “I believe they’re getting ready to jump closer to the Dyson Sphere.”

“All ships, prepare for combat,” Race ordered over his minicomm, which was set for ship-to-ship communications. Looking around he saw the Command Center come alive with intense activity as the crew prepared for battle. He knew it would be the same across the entire fleet, both in the Human ships and the Alton ones.

-

Reesa was inside the Central Control Station deep within the massive Dyson Sphere. There were four other AIs present besides Leeda and Rakell.

“The Simulin ships have activated their hyperdrives and are preparing to jump closer to the Shrieel,” reported one of the male AIs.

His name was Vidor if Reesa remembered correctly. “Is there any chance the Simulins can access the Dyson Sphere?”

A look of troubled concern crossed Rakell’s face. “I don’t know. If they have brought the command key with them, it’s possible they could access one of the intergalactic vortex sites. We believe they only possess one.”

Reesa’s face paled upon hearing that. “You can’t let that happen. They would only bring in more of their ships. If that happens billions, possibly trillions of beings in this galaxy will die!”

Leeda looked frightened. “If they make it inside, we have no way to fight them. There are only a handful of AIs ever programmed with that ability. To the rest of us, the thought of armed combat is repulsive. We can contain them to just the areas around the vortex generators, but nothing else.”

Reesa well understood the problem as most Altons were also nonaggressive. Reesa suddenly had an idea. “Back at Raelen, there’s a full platoon of Marines under the command of Sergeant Wilde. They have weapons that could be used to keep the Simulins out.”

Leeda looked over at Rakell, who slowly nodded. “Send a small space transport. Bring the entire group here. If the Simulins gain entry, we may indeed need them. Reesa is correct; we can’t allow the Simulins to endanger the organic races of this galaxy.”

“Rakell, let me send a message to Admiral Tolsen and warn him of the danger. He can stop the Simulins with his fleet if he knows about the command key. You know what our people are like from the friendship message that’s being broadcast.”

“Never in our long history of maintaining the Shrieel have we ever allowed communication to the outside. It was prohibited by the Originators to ensure no other species ever gained access.”

Reesa felt desperate. “The Simulins already have access to over thirty of your Shrieel. Do you want to add this one to the list? What would your Originators say?”

Rakell hesitated and then gestured for Reesa to follow him. “I will allow you to communicate with your admiral, but do not reveal any of what we have told you about the Shrieel, only that the Simulins must not be allowed to come near.”

“Thank you,” said Reesa, feeling immense relief. She was finally going to get to tell Admiral Tolsen the exploration team was still alive.

-

“Simulin vessels are exiting hyperspace,” reported Captain Davis. “Distance is one hundred eighty million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere.”

“What are they up to?” asked Colonel Cowel as he gazed at the tactical display. “Why didn’t they jump in closer and attack either the Shari or us?”

“The exploration cutter has landed,” added Major Nolan. “It’s hidden, so the Simulins shouldn’t be able to spot it.”

“If we’re forced to leave, how long can they stay and still be able to make it back to the Federation?” Race didn’t like the idea of leaving the cutter behind at the Dyson Sphere, but Major Nolan was determined to do everything in his power to give the trapped exploration team a chance if they still survived.

“Four weeks and then they’ll have to start back,” answered Nolan.

“We could leave a dreadnought in a nearby system,” suggested Commander Arnett. “With its stealth energy shield, it would be undetectable.”

Race nodded. “That sounds like a plausible plan.” The dreadnought Corvus under the command of Commander Edison Smart would be ideal as Smart wouldn’t take unnecessary risks. It made Race feel better knowing the cutter wouldn’t be entirely on its own.

“Sir,” called out Captain Denise Travers, her eyes wide in shock. “I have Reesa Jast on the comm.”

“What?” Colonel Cowel said in disbelief. He looked over at the admiral. “How is that possible? Have they made it back to the cutter?”

“No, sir,” Travers replied. “The signal is coming from inside the Dyson Sphere.”

Race felt a chill run down his back. There had to be a reason why Reesa had finally contacted him, and with the appearance of the Simulin fleet he strongly suspected it wouldn’t be good news he was about to hear. “Transfer her over to me.”

“Admiral,” came Reesa’s voice over the comm channel.

“It’s been a while,” Race responded. “We’ve been worried about you. What’s the status of the exploratory team?”

“We’re all fine,” she answered. “But that’s not why I contacted you. I’ve been informed the Simulins may have something that’s called a command key. This key will allow them to access the intergalactic vortex areas of the Dyson Sphere. If they can use the key, they can activate a vortex and summon their fleets.”

“How do you know this?” demanded Race. He was right about not liking what Reesa was saying. If the Simulins came through in mass, they could endanger the entire galaxy.

There was a long silence on the comm as if Reesa was speaking to someone else and then her voice returned. “There are Originator AIs with me. They say you must stop the Simulin fleet from reaching the Dyson Sphere and landing.”

“I was already planning on engaging them,” Race said as he thought over Reesa’s words. Just what was this command key and who were these Originator AIs?

There was silence once more and then Reesa’s voice returned. “You should also be aware that under no circumstances is any part of the Dyson Sphere to be attacked. To do so will activate defensive measures capable of destroying every vessel in the system.”

“The Shari have placed nuclear charges on the surface,” Race replied. “I’ve already warned them about the possible consequences of setting them off.”

“I have to go,” Reesa said, sounding rushed. “The AIs are concerned about the Simulins using the command key to gain entrance. They have no way to force them out once that happens other than to keep them isolated at the intergalactic vortex apertures. We’re going to use Sergeant Wilde’s Marines to try to push them back if necessary.”

“Reesa, Captain Abrams has landed in the exploration cutter near where you entered the Dyson Sphere. She has a full platoon armed with weapons capable of taking out Conqueror Drones.”

“I’ll speak to the AIs. Tell Captain Abrams we’ll send someone to her if we need the Marines. Be aware the AIs on the Dyson Sphere have physical bodies, they’re not holograms. Admiral, I have to go. The AIs don’t like communicating with anyone outside the Dyson Sphere. If you have to leave, don’t come back for us or your ships will be destroyed.”

Race heard the comm line go dead. He had a horrible feeling this was not going to end well. It sounded as if the Dyson Sphere was much more dangerous than they had believed, particularly if it was capable of taking out all the ships in the system. There was only one decision he could make.

“Commander Arnett, I want all the battlestations evacuated and placed on automatic. Inform all fleet units to be prepared to go into hyperspace at a moment’s notice.”

“What was that all about?” asked Major Nolan, looking confused. “Is the exploration team safe?”

Race nodded and then spent a good minute repeating what Reesa had told him.

“AIs,” muttered Colonel Cowel with a deep frown. “Why is it always AIs?”

“I’ll send a message to Captain Abrams informing her they may be contacted by someone from inside the Dyson Sphere,” added Major Nolan. “I would hate to see them accidently blow one of these Originator AIs apart.”

“Simulins are moving again,” reported Captain Davis. “They’re heading toward a part of the Dyson Sphere with one of the concave surface areas.”

Commander Arnett shifted her eyes from the tactical display to Admiral Tolsen. “They’re heading toward one of the vortex areas between the Shari and us.”

Race knew, after talking to Reesa, he had no choice but to use everything he had available to keep the Simulins from reaching the surface of the Dyson Sphere. If they did, it could be a disaster.

Activating his ship-to-ship comm, he spoke to all the fleets under his command. “This is Admiral Tolsen; I have just received a message from Reesa Jast inside the Dyson Sphere. Under no conditions can any Simulin warships or shuttles be allowed to land on the hull of the Dyson Sphere. There’s a slim possibility they could activate one of the intergalactic vortexes and bring thousands of their ships through, just as they did at the galactic center. All ships form up into attack formation AA14; we’ll be moving out shortly to engage the enemy.”

Race turned toward Talon Briez, the Alton navigation officer. “Plot an intercept course for the Simulin fleet.” He then contacted Massie on the battlecarrier Hera. “Massie, once we engage the Simulins you’re to keep your battlecarriers back behind the fleet formation. Launch all of your fighters. They’re to intercept any Simulin shuttles that might try to make a run toward the Dyson Sphere. You will also be responsible for protecting the Alton science ships, the supply ships, as well as the four fleet repair vessels.”

“We won’t let any of them get through,” promised Massie. “We’ll keep the noncombat ships safe as well.”

Race then contacted Commander Smart on the Corvus. “Edison, I need you to remain behind and finish the evacuation of the battlestations. I’ll let you know when you can rejoin the fleet.”

Leaning back in his command chair, Race let out a deep sigh. He had no idea how this was going to end. Then he realized he needed to send one more message. “Captain Travers, contact the Shari High Lord and warn him they cannot set off those nuclear charges they’ve placed on the hull. Tell him we’ve just learned the Dyson Sphere does have defenses which will be activated if they do.”

“Course is plotted,” reported Briez from Navigation.

“Send it to all ships and implement,” Race ordered. He was once more going into battle, and this was a battle he couldn’t afford to lose.

-

Sergeant Wilde was at camp with the rest of the exploratory team and her Marines. For days they had searched the museum and surrounding buildings for an entrance that would allow them to rescue Reesa. It was with great sadness that Brenda knew, in all likelihood, Reesa was gone. No water and no food would have been her downfall.

“I’m sorry, Kelnor,” Brenda said, standing next to the campfire by the esteemed Alton research scientist. “We’ve searched every nook and cranny, and we can’t find any way into the part of the museum Reesa vanished into.”

Kelnor gazed deeply into the fire, seeing the red and yellow colors of the flames. “She was always so impulsive. All she ever talked about was her research into the Originators. It’s only fitting her life ended here on the Dyson Sphere.”

“Sergeant!” said Corporal Metz, pointing up into the sky and toward the city.

Brenda turned around and her eyes grew wide. A large aircraft or small spaceship was coming toward them. “I think I spoke too soon about Reesa being lost.” She watched as the craft landed a short distance away and a hatch slid open. The Marines around her gripped their assault rifles, ready to defend themselves if necessary. “Everyone hold your fire. I don’t want anyone getting jumpy no matter what comes out of that hatch.”

“Hold your fire!” ordered Corporal Metz. “It could be Reesa coming out.”

A figure appeared and stepped through the opening. Brenda felt her breath catch in her throat. It was a man and he was easily eight feet tall. Feeling disappointed, she didn’t see any sign of Reesa.

“It’s an Originator,” said Kelnor in amazement. “Some of them survived!”

The man calmly walked over to where the exploratory team was now gathered. No one spoke; even the Marines appeared to be nervous. The man resembled the Altons in skin color, but his hair was a deep golden blond.

“I’m Tamon, an AI of the race you call the Originators.”

“An AI,” said Kelnor in dawning realization. “Why have you come?”

The AI slowly looked around the assembled group. “A situation has developed that may require your assistance. Reesa Jast told us you would cooperate.”

“Reesa!” echoed Kelnor, his eyes lighting up. “Then she’s alive?”

“Yes, she’s waiting back at one of our Control Centers. Once we arrive there everything will be explained.”

“What’s happening, can you at least tell us that?” asked Brenda not wanting to walk into a completely unknown situation.

“It’s the Simulins,” Tamon replied. “There is a remote possibility the Simulins will gain access to the Shrieel, or Dyson Sphere as you call it. If they do, we may need your Marines to drive them out.”

“Simulins,” said Corporal Metz, gripping his rifle tighter.

“We’ll come,” Brenda said without hesitation. She knew under no circumstances could she allow the Simulins to take control of the Dyson Sphere though she wasn’t certain what her twenty-five Marines could do to stop them.

-

Simulins are at one hundred and ten million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere,” reported Captain Davis. “We’ll be in combat range in four minutes.”

“All ships, standby to fire,” ordered Admiral Tolsen.

He had the Simulins heavily outnumbered. Not only that, he had the WarHawk and seventeen other dreadnoughts, forty-four Federation battleships, one hundred and eighty Alton battleships, one hundred and thirty Alton battlecruisers, plus nearly four hundred support ships. He was fully confident he could destroy the Simulin fleet. However, he was concerned about the ship losses he might suffer and what that might mean if the Shari decided to attack. The Simulin fleet would be no pushover. They would inflict some major losses on his fleet.

On the massive viewscreen, the image shifted to show a number of Federation and Alton ships in battle formation. Race had formed the fleet up into a massive wall fifty ships wide and seven ships high with a depth of two. He intended to hit the Simulin fleet head on and eliminate it as quickly as possible. The battle would be vicious, but it also should be brief.

-

Lower Lord Samarth watched the tactical screen waiting for the Humans and Altons to begin their battle with the Simulins. Only a few moments before he had received a message from the Human admiral warning once more that setting off the explosive charges on the Dyson Sphere could have dire consequences. Samarth hadn’t reported the message to the High Lord.

There was no doubt in his mind that once the battle was over, the Shari could then attack and destroy the weakened Human and Alton fleets. Not only that, Abrade was about to set off the nuclear charges on the Dyson Sphere, which would give them admittance to the inside of the megastructure. Once within they would have access to the technology that had built it. Samarth was already contemplating how to take credit for the strategy, which would lead to the Humans’ and Altons’ destruction as well as Shari access to the Dyson Sphere. He would become a hero and elevated in rank, perhaps even to the Council of High Lords itself.

-

“Optimum weapons range,” called out Captain Davis from his sensor console. Simulin fleet is at ninety-eight million kilometers from the Dyson Sphere.”

“Fire!” ordered Race over his minicomm connecting him to all the ships in the fleet.

“Launching antimatter missiles,” reported Major Daniels. “Particle beams and power beams are firing.”

“All dreadnoughts, launch defense globes,” ordered Race. “Use their ion beams to take down the Simulin energy screens.”

“All fleet units have opened fire,” Commander Arnett reported. “Simulins are responding.”

On the viewscreen, Race saw a Simulin escort cruiser suddenly blow apart as an antimatter missile detonated against its hull, destroying it in a fiery explosion.

Particle beam fire slammed into the bow of a Simulin battlecruiser, shearing off three of its energy beam spires. Power beams tore through the battlecruiser’s energy shield, striking the stern of the vessel and setting off secondary explosions. Moments later, the ship lost all power and was soon riddled by power beams, turning it into a drifting wreck.

The WarHawk shuddered as several Simulin antimatter missiles exploded against the energy shield, severely jarring the ship. The massive viewscreen seemed to flicker and then normalized as the screen returned to full power.

“No damage,” reported Colonel Cowel. “Energy shield is at 98 percent.”

“All batteries, continuous fire,” ordered Race, determined to end this as quickly as possible.

“Vice Admiral Tolsen is launching her fighters,” confirmed Commander Arnett as hundreds of small green icons began to appear on one of the other tactical displays. “Defense globes are being deployed.”

-

In space, the weapons fire between the opposing fleets rapidly intensified. An Alton battleship suddenly blew apart as several Simulin battlecruisers bracketed it with their energy beams. A Federation strikecruiser suddenly found itself powerless as its engine room was destroyed by an energy beam strike. Moments later, a Simulin antimatter missile turned the warship into glowing plasma. On both sides, ships died like moths drawn to a flame as the fleets steadily drew nearer to one another.

-

High Commander Hark Brasht felt growing anger at the organic ships standing between his fleet and the Great Sphere.

“There are eighteen very large vessels in that fleet,” Second Commander Habra reported. “All of them are much more powerful than our own battlecruisers.”

“We must reach the Great Sphere with the command key,” grated out Brasht, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Take command of the fleet; I’ll be going to the sphere in one of our shuttles. Prepare the Conqueror Drone pods; they are to be launched as well.”

Habra looked uncertain. “The pods will take too long to reach the Great Sphere.”

“Irrelevant,” snapped Brasht. “They will serve as decoys. All ships are to launch their shuttles. I want two Conqueror Drones on each shuttle in case we need them on the sphere. If I can activate the intergalactic vortex with the command key, we can summon reinforcements. Once they’re here, we can wipe out all the organic ships in this system and the Great Sphere will be ours. Once we’ve secured this system we can begin the conquest of this galaxy.”

“All must be Simulin,” Habra said devoutly.

“There can only be Simulin,” Brasht responded as he turned and left the Command Center.

-

“Admiral!” called out Captain Davis worriedly. “The Simulins are launching hundreds of small shuttles and what appear to be Conqueror Drone pods. They’re going around our fleet formation.”

“Massie,” Race said over the ship-to-ship minicomm. “We have Simulin small craft coming your way.”

“We see them, Race,” Massie answered unperturbed. “I’m already directing the Talons to intercept.”

The big viewscreen switched to a highly magnified view of a squadron of Talon fighters accelerating toward the Simulin small craft.

Race was feeling growing concern. There was no doubt the command key to gain access to the intergalactic vortexes was on board one of those small ships. The problem was they had no way of telling which one.

-

Above the surface of the Dyson Sphere, the Shari scientist Abrade nodded in satisfaction as the Simulin fleet crossed the one hundred million kilometer mark. “Set off the first group of charges,” he ordered. “Then the next set after ten seconds. We will continue to fire warheads into the breach every ten seconds until we penetrate to the interior of the sphere or I give the order to stop.”

Abrade was on board a Shari battlecruiser ten thousand kilometers directly above the site on the Dyson Sphere where the first set of specially shaped charges had been set. He was certain once these charges penetrated the outer layer of the hull, the other warheads would be able to finish the job.

“Detonation in five seconds,” the ship’s Lower Lord reported.

Abrade turned his attention to the ship’s main viewscreen focused on the Dyson Sphere.

“Detonation.”

On the surface of the Dyson Sphere, a brilliant flash of light suddenly appeared as ten specially designed nuclear warheads detonated. From an orbiting battlecruiser, ten more specially designed missiles flashed down to the surface, delivering their shaped charges to the target. Then for the next seventy seconds like clockwork more missiles with normal warheads were sent every ten seconds. A massive cloud of unleashed nuclear energy was rising above the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

“Report!” demanded Abrade as he called the missile launch to a halt.

He was anxious to see what effect the explosions were having on the Dyson Sphere and how far they had penetrated. The battlecruiser had special sensors he had personally calibrated capable of seeing through the nuclear energy still broiling on the surface.

“I don’t understand,” said the Lower Lord in confusion. “The sensors are showing no damage to the hull. There has been no penetration.”

“Impossible!” yelled Abrade in disbelief, his eyes shining with anger. “You must be mistaken!” Could this Lower Lord be so incompetent he couldn’t even read the sensors properly?

Even as he spoke, he saw massive hatches begin to slide open on the Dyson Sphere. With a sickening feeling, he realized the Human admiral had been right. The Dyson sphere was preparing to defend itself. There could be no other reason for so many hatches to open simultaneously.

-

From the open hatches, spheres of blue energy launched themselves into space. Each sphere targeted one of the one hundred and eighteen Shari warships in close orbit above the Dyson Sphere. As each sphere struck, the energy shield of the targeted vessel was drained away, and then the sphere latched onto the ship itself. The very molecular structure of the ship began to lose cohesion as the atoms could no longer hold their bonds with one another. This was repeated on all of the Shari vessels in orbit. In less than forty seconds, all the Shari ships and their crews were turned into drifting dust.

-

“Admiral!” yelled Captain Davis with fear in his eyes. “The Shari set off their nuclear charges and the Dyson Sphere has responded.”

Race felt a cold chill run through him. “The Shari vessels, what’s happening to them?”

“They’re gone,” Davis said in a stunned voice. “The Dyson Sphere launched some type of balls of energy, and they obliterated all the Shari vessels. It was over within seconds!”

“Admiral,” called out Captain Travers. “I just received a message from Reesa Jast, she says we have less than two minutes to leave the system or our ships will be destroyed as well. This is some type of automated defensive system controlled by the Dyson Sphere’s core computer. It can’t be stopped! She also said for us never to return.”

“What do we do?” asked Commander Arnett, shifting her gaze to the admiral.

“All ships,” Race said over his ship-to-ship minicomm. “Break off contact with the Simulin fleet and jump immediately to the emergency coordinates. Massie, bring all of your fighters back. Emergency landings!” Any fighter not on board in ninety seconds will have to be left. This order is not debatable.”

“Fighters are being recalled,” Massie replied. “Race, some of them are too far out.”

“I know,” Race said, feeling a cold knot in the pit of his stomach. “It can’t be helped.”

“Preparing to jump,” reported Admiral Stoddard.

“All ships will be jumping within thirty seconds,” added Alton Fleet Admiral Baasil.

“Corvus, how close are you to finishing the evacuation from the battlestations?”

“Last shuttle is coming on board now,” Commander Smart replied. “We’ll be jumping in forty seconds. What about the exploration cutter?”

Race’s face paled. There was no way the cutter could take off in time. “They’ll have to stay.” Race hope the Originator AIs would let them go once all the hostilities were over.

“Should we tell the Shari fleet?” asked Commander Arnett.

Race looked at the tactical display and then shook his head. “No, we warned them not to detonate those nukes, and they did it anyway. Whatever happens to their fleet they deserve.”

“I want the WarHawk to jump last; leave a twenty-second window.”

“Yes, Admiral,” replied Commander Arnett.

-

The seconds passed and the other ships of the fleet began to jump. At the battlecarriers’ location hundreds of fighters were rushing to land. Some were so far out they knew they couldn’t make it back in time. With acceptance of their impending death, they turned upon the Simulins’ small ships with a heightened fury, blowing them out of space by the dozens.

The Alton ships jumped, followed quickly by the rest of the Federation ships. Then the Corvus jumped from the vicinity of the twenty Indomitable Class battlestations. Moments later, the battlecarriers opened spatial vortexes and vanished from the system along with the noncombat ships. Then the battle dreadnought WarHawk opened up its own vortex and flew into it.

-

High Lord Aktill of the Shari sat in his command chair in shock. The nuclear blasts had failed, and the Dyson Sphere had retaliated for the attack upon its surface by destroying the Shari fleet orbiting above it. Not only that, the Humans and the Altons had fled, leaving the Dyson Sphere to the Simulins.

“I don’t understand,” said Lower Lord Samarth, seeing his future plans crumbling before his eyes. At some point in time, the High Lord would learn of the last warning message sent by the Human Admiral. When that occurred, Samarth knew he would face execution.

“The Human admiral was right,” growled Aktill, his eyes filled with anger. “We must attack the Simulin fleet ourselves before they gain control of the Dyson Sphere.”

“High Lord,” spoke up the Shari, who was sitting in front of the sensor console. “We’re detecting numerous hatches opening up all over the Dyson Sphere.”

Aktill felt momentary fear and then he relaxed. They were too far out for any weapon to be able to reach his fleet. No, this must be an attack upon the small Simulin vessels nearing the surface of the megastructure. He noticed with some surprise a number of Human fighter craft were still actively engaged blasting the small Simulin vessels down. It puzzled him as to why they had been left behind.

-

From the Dyson Sphere hundreds of the destructive spheres of energy rose up. Then they accelerated into hyperspace, hurtling at many times the speed of light toward their targets. The battlestations went first as their massive structures came apart and became floating balls of dark dust. Then the spheres of energy struck the Simulin small craft, sweeping through them as if they were nothing more than empty space. Before the Simulin battlecruisers and escort cruisers could attempt to escape, the spheres of deadly energy were upon them. In a matter of a few seconds, the powerful Simulin warships were obliterated.

-

“I don’t like this,” Lower Lord Samarth said as he watched the Simulin ships vanish off the tactical screen.

“Me either,” said High Lord Aktill, turning toward the communications console. “Order Lower Lord Dalold to take his fleet into hyperspace and return to our position. We’ll continue to observe the Dyson Sphere for a few hours and then determine our next move.”

-

From the open hatches on the Dyson Sphere, more of the blue spheres of energy appeared. As soon as they exited the hatches they vanished as they jumped into hyperspace, only to emerge a few seconds later at Lower Lord Dalold’s fleet. In less than twenty seconds, all two hundred and thirty Shari vessels were annihilated. Only a few clouds of drifting dust indicated where the powerful warships had been.

-

“We need to leave!” Lower Lord Samarth cried out in shock as Dalold’s fleet died. “We may be next!”

Aktill nodded. He now knew the Dyson Sphere was not for the Shari or anyone else. “All ships,” he announced over the ship-to-ship comm, “We must enter hyperspace or risk being destroyed. Rendezvous at star system X-246. Leave as soon as your drives are fully charged.” He now knew why the Humans and the Altons had left in such haste. It also explained why some of their small fighters had been left behind. Somehow, they had been warned about what was going to happen.

“High Lord,” said the sensor operator. “I’m detecting more energy discharges at the Dyson Sphere.”

“What do we do?” called out Samarth in fear.

On one of the viewscreens, Aktill saw a blue ball of energy suddenly appear and surge toward the battlecruiser Glorious Dawn. The energy ball struck the ship’s energy shield, which instantly faded away. Then it latched onto the ship’s hull and seemed to be slowly consuming it. In just a few moments the ship vanished with only gray space dust to mark its passing.

On another viewscreen, other ships were being destroyed in similar fashion. Ship after ship fell victim to the ravenous, destructive energy of the mysterious blue spheres.

Then High Lord Aktill felt his flagship, the Judgment of Dawn, begin to shake violently. The lights flickered and then dimmed. Several consoles exploded in flame. On the damage control board lights were quickly turning red.

“We have numerous compartments open to space,” reported the damage control officer. “There are multiple breaches across the ship and we’re venting atmosphere.”

High Lord Aktill blinked his eyes and looked around, taking stock of the situation. Alarms were screaming from the damage control console, and power was rapidly failing.

Aktill suddenly felt faint. Looking down at his hand, he saw it begin to fade away. Strangely enough there was no pain and then he lost consciousness.

Moments later, the Judgment of Dawn was no more, and High Lord Aktill of the Shari had been erased from this phase of existence.

-

On the Dyson Sphere, Reesa watched in shock as the automatic weapon system destroyed all the fleets. Her heart was pounding and she felt faint at how rapidly the fleets had been destroyed. The defensive weapons fire spared no one as the deadly spheres of blue energy annihilated everything in their path. She was relieved Admiral Tolsen and his fleets had managed to escape.

Turning toward Leeda, Reesa took a deep breath to steady herself. “What type of weapon was that?”

“It tears apart the bonds that allow atoms to combine with one another and form elements. It’s the most powerful weapon ever discovered by the Originators, so powerful that it was not allowed upon any warships lest an enemy learn its terrible secret.”

“Why haven’t you used this weapon against the Simulins before? You could have prevented them from accessing any of the Dyson Spheres, and stopped the carnage they’re spreading across so many different galaxies!”

“It’s the command key,” Rakell answered unmoved by Reesa’s tirade. “If the command key is used to unlock the intergalactic vortexes it overrides the defensive systems. Also, there are very few AIs capable of actual combat.”

“So what now?”

“We’ll send an AI out to bring in the Marines and the crew from the exploration cutter your admiral left behind,” Leeda said. “We don’t know as yet if any of the Simulins managed to reach the surface of the Shrieel. If they did, we may need them.”

Reesa nodded. Shortly she wouldn’t be alone as Kelnor and the others were on their way. However, there was another item that worried her. Rakell and the others, including Leeda, had made it very plain that none of them would be returning to the Federation. With a deep sigh, Reesa realized the Dyson Sphere was now her new home.

Chapter Seventeen

Reesa was waiting expectantly as Kelnor and the others came down the corridor toward the large briefing room Leeda had prepared for them. She was standing just outside the door wondering how she would be received. She was both excited and nervous about meeting the others. Reesa was certain they had long since given her up for dead.

“Reesa!” called out Sergeant Wilde with a look of intense relief on her face. “We didn’t think we’d ever see you again.”

Kelnor walked up to Reesa and slowly shook his head. “I will say this, you seem to have a tenacity to turn up in the most surprising places. This is all astonishing, and we have so much to learn. When Tamon stepped off that spaceship and told us you were still alive, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had all given up hope of ever seeing you again. I want to hear everything that has happened to you since you vanished through the wall at the museum.”

“How did you find these AIs?” asked Melvin Blair, his eyes shining with interest. “Tamon hasn’t told us much since he informed us we needed to come with him.”

“The only thing we’ve been told is that there’s a danger of the Simulins breaching the Dyson Sphere and activating an intergalactic vortex to bring more of their ships here,” added Brenda with a worried look. “Reesa, just what the hell is going on? What happened to the fleet?”

Reesa let out a deep breath. There was so much to tell. “If you will follow me, the Originator AIs have made a briefing room available for us to use. There will be food as well as drinks available. We have a lot to go over and some of it you’re not going to like.” Reesa turned and stepped into the room. Leeda and Rakell were both there waiting. She had no idea how the others would react when they were told they could never go home.

-

An hour later, everyone sat in stunned silence. Rakell had used one of the viewscreens in the briefing room to show everyone what had transpired in space outside the Dyson Sphere. They watched in stunned silence as blue spheres of energy turned entire fleets into space dust. Even Kelnor had been silenced when he saw a blue energy sphere destroy an Indomitable Class battlestation as if it was nothing more than a toy.

“I don’t understand,” Kelnor finally said in awe of the defensive power the Dyson Sphere had demonstrated. “If you have all of this power, why have you allowed the Simulins to become such a threat? It seems to me you could easily have prevented all of this. Trillions of beings across multiple galaxies have died due to the Simulins use of the Dyson Spheres.”

Leeda looked over at the esteemed Alton scientist with an uneasy look in her eyes. “Reesa has told us that on your own worlds many of your people are nonaggressive and don’t believe in violence. Unfortunately, we are the same way. There are only a few AIs trained for combat, and none of them are within range of this Shrieel. We are powerless to stop the Simulins. We can use our energy shields to limit their access, but once they’ve taken over the intergalactic vortex areas we are powerless to force them out. Only if they were to perform an act of violence against the Shrieel before using the command key would the core computer deem them a threat and take action. Unfortunately, their possession of a command key prevents the system from doing that once it’s been used.”

“The fleets are gone and you say the core computer will fire upon any vessel that approaches the Dyson Sphere?” Brenda asked.

She had been relieved to see the Federation ships escape relatively unharmed. From what Rakell had said, it sounded to her as if they were stranded here, permanently. She had watched the blue energy spheres wipe out the Indomitable Class battlestations and the Simulin fleet as well as the Shari. There was no way Admiral Tolsen would dare to come back and face that type of firepower.

Rakell nodded his head. “Unfortunately, that is correct. Due to the way the core computer is programmed, it will destroy all vessels of any of the races that were in the system when the defenses were activated. The only way to override that program is for an Originator to intervene and they all died over two million years ago.”

“So we’re never going home?” asked Corporal Metz, his eyes showing his shock at what he had just heard.

“Let’s not worry about that for now,” said Brenda, recalling why Tamon had brought them here in the first place. “From what you’ve shown us on the viewscreen, the Simulins launched a lot of shuttles and their Conqueror Drone pods toward the Dyson Sphere. Did any of them make it to the surface?”

“None of the drone pods did,” Rakell replied. “However, we believe several of their shuttles did manage to land successfully.” Rakell made a gesture with his hand over a small control console at the head of the table. Instantly, the viewscreen changed to show a view of a concave area on the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

“This is one of the intergalactic vortexes. Since shortly after the battle we have not been able to access it. We have confirmed emergency energy shields have activated, sealing the area off. That’s standard procedure if anyone other than an Originator enters the vortex zones. The only way to gain access is with a command key.”

Brenda’s face turned pale at this revelation. “Can the Simulins activate it?”

“Not for another seventy-six hours,” Rakell answered. “After we talked to Reesa and she explained what was occurring in the galaxies the Simulins have gained control of, we made a temporary change to the systems that control the intergalactic vortexes. While the core computer prevents us from denying access to anyone with a command key, we can still force the computers that control the vortexes to run a full diagnostic. Once the diagnostic is complete, the Simulins will be able to use the command key to activate the vortex and begin bringing their fleets through. Unfortunately, once the first Simulin ship emerges from the vortex, the core computer will refuse to fire upon it because the command key was used. It will consider all Simulin vessels after that as approved vessels.”

Brenda looked around the briefing room at her Marines. They all seemed overwhelmed by what they were hearing. “Can you get us into the vortex area so we can engage the Simulins? Perhaps we can get this command key away from them.” She only had one platoon, and she was fearful that might not be enough, particularly if there were any Conqueror Drones present. She shivered at the thought of facing the deadly drones. However, she couldn’t stand by and allow fleets of Simulin warships to pass through the vortex. It would mean the end of the Federation and life as she knew it.

“You will have additional help,” Leeda announced. “Your Admiral Tolsen sent your exploration cutter back down with another group of Marines with a Captain Abrams in command. We have already sent a small ship to bring them as well as the cutter’s crew here.”

Brenda closed her eyes briefly, feeling relieved. Captain Abrams was going to be here shortly. With a deep sigh she knew the ass chewing she had been dreading was coming closer. “How soon will they be here and how quickly after that can you get us to the vortex where the Simulins are?” With the addition of Captain Abrams and her Marines, they might just have a chance to stop the Simulins from activating the vortex.

Leeda looked toward Sergeant Wilde. “They should be picked up within the hour and will be here within four more. The ship retrieving them has a gravity drive that allows it to reach very high speeds. As soon as they arrive, you and your Marines will go on board and will be taken to the vortex site in question. Sergeant Wilde, you must understand. We are not allowed to leave the Shrieel except under extreme circumstances. None of us were aware of what the Simulins were doing in the galaxies where they have gained access to the Shrieels. We are as horrified as you are of what the Simulins have done. We now recognize this was a mistake in our original programming by the Originators.”

“Then we better get ready,” said Brenda, rising to her feet. She looked around at her Marines. “Get something to eat and drink; we have some Simulins to take care of.”

-

Captain Lindsey Abrams felt the small ship they were in set down with scarcely a jar. The cockpit door opened and the female Originator AI, who had come to get them stepped through.

“We’re here,” Sible announced. “Your other Marines are waiting. We’ll unload the crew of your cutter, and they will stay here with the scientists from your exploratory team.”

Abrams nodded. It had been good to hear Sergeant Wilde and the others were still alive. She was also pleased they would now all be together. She was startled when the large hatch on the side of the ship opened without any noticeable sound. Looking out, she saw Sergeant Wilde and her platoon waiting. Perhaps now she would get some explanations as to what was going on. She had a lot of questions for the sergeant.

The twenty crewmembers of the exploration cutter quickly disembarked and Sergeant Wilde then came on board with her Marines.

“Captain,” Sergeant Wilde said as she stopped and saluted.

“Sergeant,” replied Abrams, returning the salute. “Get your people on board and situated. I understand we have some Simulins that need to be killed.”

“I’ll fill you in,” Brenda said as she indicated for her Marines to come on board. “I have a lot to tell you.”

“I’m sure you do,” Abrams said, eyeing Wilde critically. “I want you to start at the very beginning and explain to me just how the hell you managed to disappear with the entire exploratory team. We thought you were all dead!”

Brenda winced. She knew she was about to get her ass chewed as feared. Straightening her shoulders, she began to tell Captain Abrams everything that had transpired since the exploratory team entered the structure on the surface of the Dyson Sphere.

-

Later, Brenda leaned back in her seat gazing out the viewport next to her at the stunning scene that met her eyes. They were flying far above the Dyson Sphere and the view was spectacular. It completely surrounded them and seemed to be a magical patchwork of color. Blue, green, brown, white, and even dark areas were plainly visible. There were thousands of these squares in evidence, and Brenda knew from what she had been told by Reesa that each one was many times the size of the Earth.

She was also well aware that most of the landscapes were teeming with life. The oceans were full of every type of fish species imaginable as well as other living aquatic creatures. The landmasses were much the same. Herds of animals roamed free, and Leeda had even mentioned there were actual dinosaurs still living in several of the habitat areas. Then there were the dark areas. These habitats were completely enclosed because they required environments uncommon for normal oxygen breathing animals. Most held exotic species such as the flowering plants Reesa had been shown. At some point in time when this was all over, Brenda was interested in seeing some of these animal and plant species. She was particularly fascinated in seeing the dinosaurs.

“How was your talk with the captain?” asked Corporal Metz, coming to sit down next to her. “Was she very upset?”

Brenda let out a deep sigh. “Not as bad as I was expecting. I think she’s more relieved we’re all still alive than anything else.”

Metz nodded. “Yeah, I can see that. I guess everyone did think we were dead.” Then in a more quiet voice. “So, what’s this op all about?”

“Simulins and possible Conqueror Drones,” Brenda said, looking down at her assault rifle. All of the members of her platoon had switched their ammo rounds to armor piercing and light explosive. Both rounds were designed to take out a drone.

“Any idea of the numbers we’ll be facing?”

Brenda thought back to the briefing they had received from the Originator AIs. “Not many. There were only six confirmed Simulin shuttles that made it to the surface and none of the drone pods. All of them but one were quite small. However, there was one shuttle nearly the size of our exploration cutter. Rakell felt that shuttle might belong to the Simulin commander and if so he would be the one most likely to have the command key the AIs are so worried about.”

Corporal Metz leaned forward closer to the sergeant. “What’s going to happen to us when this is all over? I mean, the AIs made it pretty plain we couldn’t go back home. Are we going to be stuck here forever?”

Brenda blinked her eyes and looked around. None of the other Marines were paying any attention to her and the corporal. “I don’t know; the Dyson Sphere is a big place. Counting the exploration team and Captain Abram’s people there are nearly eighty of us.”

“I’m not ready to settle down,” muttered Metz. “I have family back home; my parents and my younger brother.”

Brenda understood what Metz was saying. Many of the Marines were young and had families back in the Federation. It would be difficult to leave all of that behind. “Let’s take care of the Simulins and Conqueror Drones first. Then we’ll worry about getting back home.”

Metz nodded and, standing up, returned to his own seat.

Looking out the viewport, Brenda saw the spacecraft was beginning to head down. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and thought back over the last few weeks. During none of that time had she ever imagined being in the situation she was in right now; fighting Simulins on the Dyson Sphere.

-

Rakell was standing next to Captain Abrams as the spacecraft sat down at a small landing facility next to a tall structure that reached over one thousand meters into the air.

“That’s one of the vortex field generators,” the Originator AI explained. “There are eight of them around each intergalactic vortex station. They store power from the star at the center of the Shrieel and control the energy shield that surrounds the area. They can be used to prevent anything harmful from coming through or entering.”

“Is it operating now?” asked Lindsey, peering out the viewport and not noticing any obvious evidence of a shimmering in the air that might indicate the presence of an energy shield.

“Yes, we activated it as soon as we realized what the Simulins might be up to. Even with the command key, the Simulins won’t be able to bring the shield down until the main computer here completes its diagnostic.”

“How much time do we have left?”

“Eighteen hours,” replied Rakell. “We’ll need to move quickly once we disembark. There’s a transit station nearby we can use to take us to just outside the area we need to enter. The only way the Simulins can activate the vortex and shut down the primary energy shield is in the Control Center where the main computer’s located. If they can insert the key into the command slot, they’ll have full control of the vortex site and the Shrieel’s core computer will recognize them as having permission to use this particular vortex. It won’t allow them admittance to any other areas of the Shrieel as that takes an override from a living Originator.”

“Can they access other vortex sites?”

“Yes, but only from the outside of the Shrieel and with the command key. They can use the key to access each site and activate it.”

Lindsey mulled this information over. “Just how did they get a hold of one of these command keys? I can’t imagine it just lying around.”

“We don’t know,” confessed Rakell uneasily. “It has been a subject of much discussion over the years. We’ve never been 100 percent certain they have a command key, but it’s the only explanation we could come up with for how they’ve managed to gain admittance to so many of the Shrieel.”

The hatch to the cockpit opened and Sible appeared. “We’re down and you can disembark. The local energy shields are up, but you can go through them using one of the copper colored keys.”

Rakell stood and gestured for Lindsey to follow him. “This will be a combat operation and in that I can be of no help. I’m not programmed to engage in hostilities. I do have a key we can use to gain admittance. I believe Sergeant Wilde is in possession of one as well.”

“Don’t worry,” Lindsey replied as she checked the pulse rifle she was carrying. The pulse rifles had been developed by the Altons. This particular model was capable of firing twenty energy bursts before a new power pack had to be put in place. She had four extra power packs in the pouches on her belt as well as two Fulton grenades. “Let’s go, people,” she said in a loud and commanding voice. “We have some Simulins to kill!”

-

Four hours later they approached the Control Center for the intergalactic vortex, advancing in a double file along a wide corridor. Around each corner, they expected to find the Simulins waiting or a Conqueror Drone. So far, they had encountered no resistance what so ever.

“It’s sure awfully quiet,” Corporal Metz commented as they went around another corner with no signs of the enemy. “Are the robots sure there are Simulins here?”

“AIs,” Brenda reminded the corporal. “There’s a big difference between robots and AIs.”

“They’re both artificial,” Metz answered. “Ones just smarter than the other.”

“They’re not expecting us,” announced Private Trent confidently. “How could they know we’re here? I’ll bet they’re all in this Control Center.”

Brenda nodded her agreement. “You’re probably correct. The Simulins must have done this countless times before, and they know once they reach the Control Center there’s nothing that can be done to stop them from activating the vortex. There’s no way the Simulins can suspect we had already gained entry to the Dyson Sphere before they arrived. We might just be able to sneak up on them without being detected.”

Corporal Metz shifted his assault rifle into a ready position. Even though the Simulins might not be expecting them, he intended to be prepared for anything. He was well aware of how the Conqueror Drones killed, and he had no intention of allowing one of them near him.

-

Simulin High Commander Hark Brasht gazed in unbridled frustration at the computer console in front of him. He had repeatedly placed the command key in the slot designated for it, and there had been no response.

“The system seems to be running some type of internal diagnostic,” another Simulin who was well versed in computer operations reported. “From what I can tell the diagnostic still has some time to run.”

Brasht gazed with impatience around the large Control Center. He had been inside several of these in other galaxies controlled by the Simulins. Never had he heard any reports of the computer that controlled the intergalactic vortexes running a diagnostic.

“I don’t like this,” Brasht said, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Something here isn’t right.”

This entire mission had been a disaster. For the first time in recorded history, a Great Sphere had activated its defensive weapons. And what weapons they were! His entire fleet had been wiped out of existence as if they were insignificant balls of space ice. Nearly all of his shuttles and the Conqueror Drone pods had been destroyed. Never had he imagined a weapon of such power!

“Once the diagnostic is complete, the command key should work,” the computer technician said. “We just have to wait.”

Brasht’s attention was drawn toward a disturbance at one of the entrances to the Control Center. As his eyes shifted toward the hatch, a sudden explosion obliterated the Conqueror Drone assigned there as a guard. Heavily armed organics suddenly began pouring into the room, firing their weapons.

“We’re under attack!” Brasht yelled as he grasped for the weapon in the holster at his waist. “Kill the organics! There can only be Simulins!”

Somehow, the organics must have gained access to the Great Sphere before his fleet arrived. Bringing up his pistol, he began firing desperately at the hatch. He had to buy enough time for the diagnostic to finish running so he could summon reinforcements.

-

Brenda burst into the Control Center with the rest of her platoon right behind her. Captain Abrams was directly in front of her and her platoon was already heavily engaged with what appeared to be ten Conqueror Drones and thirty to forty Simulins.

“Spread out!” she yelled. “Don’t bunch up and give them easy targets. First priority is to take out those Conqueror Drones!”

Brenda shuddered at seeing the monstrosities in front of her. The drones were crab-like metallic robots about ten feet across with numerous legs and four appendages with large and dangerous looking claws. The claws were used to tear their victims apart. Even as she yelled out her orders, one of the drones scrambled forward and grabbed a surprised Marine, who had gotten too close. The Maine let out a loud piercing scream as his body was torn in two. Seconds later a barrage of armor-piercing rounds riddled the drone, incapacitating it.

The battle grew more intense as the Marines moved further into the room. The Simulins had taken cover behind computer consoles and other equipment and were now firing back with some type of large pistol that fired explosive rounds. The room was becoming full of smoke and the sounds of heavy combat.

Brenda winced as she saw Private Marlton Frasier fall to the floor with a spreading patch of red covering his chest. Taking aim, she fired a long burst into an approaching Conqueror Drone. More Marines shifted their fire until an explosive round blew a deep hole in its carapace, bringing the drone down.

Another loud screen suddenly split the air and, looking in the direction the scream was coming from, Brenda saw one of the few remaining drones had managed to grab Captain Abrams. “Kill the drone that has the captain!” yelled Brenda as she ran forward firing her rifle on full auto, trying desperately to disable the drone.

One of the drone’s large claws suddenly grasped the captain at the waist and squeezed. Instantly the captain’s screams came to a terrifying stop. Half a dozen pulse rifle beams pierced the drone, destroying its CPU and causing it to collapse to the floor unmoving. But the harm had been done; Captain Abrams was dead!

“Destroy those last drones!” ordered Brenda, feeling anger over Captain Abrams’ brutal death. While the captain had been a strong disciplinarian, she had always treated Brenda fairly.

The fighting continued to intensify with more Marines falling, but now all the Conqueror Drones had been eliminated and additional weapons fire was being directed toward the Simulins. It became rapidly apparent the Simulins hadn’t been expecting any resistance. Their pistols, while dangerous, were weak when compared to the weapons the Marines were using. The Marines also were wearing body armor, which gave them some protection.

The fighting began to wind down when Brenda noticed one Simulin, a little taller than the others pointing his pistol at Corporal Metz. A quick burst from her rifle and the Simulin collapsed.

-

Simulin High Commander Hark Brasht lay on the floor, gasping in pain. He had been defeated by organics! Looking around the smoke-filled room, he saw all the drones had been annihilated, and his fellow Simulins were in the process of systematically being killed. He saw one of the organics, who he recognized as a female, moving toward him with her rifle held at the ready. He knew his duty as a High Commander. He could not be captured by a lowly organic life form. He raised his pistol and put it against his forehead. “There can only be Simulins,” he yelled as he pulled the trigger.

-

Brenda saw the Simulin she had just shot use his pistol to commit suicide. Walking over to him, she prodded him with her rifle confirming he was dead. Looking him over she saw a round bulge in one of the pockets of his uniform. Leaning over, she reached inside and pulled out a small metallic gold colored globe. It was an exact duplicate of the one Reesa had originally and the ones they found in the museum, just a different color. There was no doubt in her mind this was the command key that had caused so much trouble.

“That’s it,” said a voice from behind her. “That’s the command key.”

Turning, Brenda saw Rakell. Looking at the golden globe in her hand she slowly handed it over to him. “Don’t lose it this time.”

Rakell smiled and nodded. “You have no idea what you have done this day. By taking this command key from the Simulins, you have ensured they can never invade and take over any more intergalactic vortexes on other Shrieel. You have stopped their expansion through the galaxies.”

Brenda nodded. Looking around the room, she suddenly felt very ill. The fighting was over and there were a large number of Marines on the floor, unmoving. They had paid a heavy price to recover the command key. She just hoped it was worth it.

Chapter Eighteen

Jeremy was standing in front of the long-distance holographic tactical display. He was gazing at the twenty friendly green icons surrounding the Avenger. As soon as the Dominator had left, Jeremy had set out in pursuit trying to catch up to the Originator ship before it could become lost in the vastness of space. He had hurriedly organized a small pursuit fleet consisting of the Avenger, three Federation battleships, one battlecarrier, four Alton battleships, and twelve AI warspheres. The rest of the ships he sent back to Gaia much to the chagrin of Grayseth, who had wanted to bring part of his fleet along.

“Ariel, what’s the latest status on finding the Dominator?” It had been over a day since Kazak had taken the ship and set out to attack the Simulins. The long-range sensors on the Avenger were capable of reaching out ten light years ahead and around them.

“No trace,” replied Ariel, feeling highly upset. Kelsey and Katie were on board the Dominator, and there was nothing she could do to protect them. “I’m still correlating the data Kazak sent me from the computer on the Simulin battlecruiser he accessed. Many of the coordinates for inhabited Simulin star systems match those the Distant Horizon came across when they first arrived in the Triangulum Galaxy. It seems as if all the Simulin worlds lie in the same spiral arm. Kazak must be headed toward that region.”

“Nothing in the rest of the galaxy?” asked Commander Malen, showing surprise at Ariel’s revelation. “I would have thought they’d have a few worlds elsewhere.”

“No, there are a few small bases for their fleets to resupply, but nothing of significance,” Ariel answered.

Commander Malen shook her head in disgust. “They wipe out hundreds if not thousands of civilizations for worlds they may never need. The Simulins are far worse than what the Hocklyns were in our galaxy.”

“Don’t forget,” Kurene said. “The Simulins are also responsible for the changes in the AIs’ master Codex which caused the problems in our home galaxy.”

“They have the blood of trillions of beings on their hands,” Commander Malen said, her face pale at the thought. “Perhaps we should allow Kazak to destroy them.”

“What’s going to happen when the Dominator reaches a Simulin world?” asked Kevin. He couldn’t believe Kazak had gone rogue and taken the Dominator to wipe out the Simulins even if they did deserve to die. “How does he expect to destroy so many Simulins worlds? They’ll have thousands of warships plus defense grids protecting them.”

“I’ve been studying some of the files Kazak sent us,” Kurene said from her position in front of her computer console. “I found a download from Mikow hidden in the data.”

Jeremy turned toward Kurene. He wondered what Mikow had considered so important to attempt to hide it from Kazak in the data he had sent on the Simulins. “What did she send?”

Kurene took a deep breath. “It seems the Dyson Sphere supernova was much more dangerous than expected. As a result, Kazak used the Dominator to procure a small amount of dark matter.”

“He what!” exclaimed Jeremy, his eyes widening in disbelief. He couldn’t believe the Originator AI would take such a risk. “What did they do with the dark matter?” He knew originally he and Kazak had planned on creating dark matter bombs to disrupt hyperspace to slow down the radiation front from the supernova.

“Kazak built ten dark matter warheads and attached them to the missiles he had built,” Kurene explained as her eyes focused on Jeremy. “They then used the AI warspheres to deliver them to selected star systems and set them off, causing the stars to become supernovas.”

Kevin stood up and gazed in disbelief at Kurene. “Are you telling me the Dominator destroyed ten entire star systems?”

“Yes,” Kurene answered. “They used the dark matter warheads to cause the stars to become unstable. Kazak felt certain exploding these ten particular stars would negate the Dyson Sphere supernova radiation front slowing it down to under the speed of light. If that occurs, it shouldn’t affect anything outside the blue-giant nebula.”

Jeremy felt vastly relieved. “So the rest of the galaxy is safe?”

“Yes,” answered Kurene, nodding her head. “The radiation from the Dyson Sphere supernova should be rendered harmless.”

Shaking his head, Jeremy wondered what else had occurred on that mission to the blue-giant nebula. With a deep sigh, he wondered if Kelsey was in over her head and just how dangerous Kazak actually was. Also, just what was he planning to use to destroy the Simulins? With a sudden chill, he suspected he knew the answer. “Ariel, is there any chance that Kazak still has some dark matter on the Dominator?”

Ariel looked surprised and then turned her head toward Jeremy. “Yes, it’s possible.”

Jeremy closed his eyes and shook his head. There was no doubt in Jeremy’s mind what Kazak was preparing to do and there was no way to stop him.

-

On the Dominator, Kelsey was arguing with Kazak. They were in her quarters where no one could interfere.

“This is not your decision,” Kelsey stated firmly, her hands on her hips. “You agreed to allow the Dominator to be part of our fleet under Jeremy’s command. You don’t have his permission to go off on your own and attack the Simulins.”

“The situation has changed,” Kazak said evenly. “I cannot allow this ship to be endangered. If the Simulins are not stopped now, they will continue to expand and someday control this entire galaxy. Even the nebula your people are hiding in will no longer be safe.”

Kelsey was silent for a long moment. She knew the answer to why Kazak was acting this way lay in the center of the ship. “What’s in that central compartment you’ve been hiding from us?”

Kazak’s eyes turned icy. “That does not concern you.”

“It does if it threatens the safety of this ship and everyone in it!”

“You and your people remain on this ship only as long as I feel you can be useful. Don’t make me regret that decision.” With that, Kazak turned and left.

Kelsey was fuming. She was angry Kazak was treating her and the rest of the crew with such indifference. None of the control consoles in the Command Center were responding other than the science console Andram used. What was she missing? How did Kazak plan on annihilating the Simulins? They were on numerous worlds and still possessed a powerful warfleet. The odds against the Dominator would be nearly insurmountable. However, Kazak seemed confident he could accomplish his goal of destroying them.

A sudden chill passed through Kelsey. She could think of only one way Kazak could accomplish his plan. Dark matter, she thought to herself. The Originator AI had promised to dispose of all that hadn’t been used to destroy the ten star systems in the blue-giant nebula. What if Kazak hadn’t gotten rid of it? What if it was still on the Dominator? With growing apprehension, Kelsey left her quarters to head toward the ship’s munitions storage area. If Kazak had kept the dark matter, he would have to construct new missiles as well as the warheads, and she knew exactly where they would be.

-

It didn’t take Kelsey long to reach the ship’s munitions storage area. In the same vicinity were several large compartments with the equipment necessary to build missiles or other specialized equipment. On the way, she passed a number of the small work robots going about their normal ship maintenance routines but no members of the crew.

Taking a deep breath, she paused for a moment before opening the hatch in front of her. With a sharp feeling of aggravation, she realized she should have stopped and brought a squad of Marines with her. However, she had been in too big of a hurry to confirm her suspicions of what Kazak was up to.

Reaching out her hand, she turned the handle of the heavy hatch and pushed it open. Stepping inside she felt as if she had been struck in the stomach. Work robots were everywhere and her suspicious were confirmed. Seven of the highly advanced dark matter missiles were resting on construction pedestals. From what Kelsey could see, they were nearly finished.

“I suspected you might come down here,” a voice spoke from behind her.

Spinning around, Kelsey saw Kazak. “You promised to get rid of all the dark matter after we destroyed those ten star systems in the blue-giant nebula,” she said accusingly. “Why didn’t you?”

Kazak spent a moment watching Kelsey and then responded. “I did jettison most of it. However, I kept enough to build seven more warheads in case they were ever needed. The Dominator has many powerful weapons systems, but nothing with the destructive power of these missiles.”

“You’re going to use them to destroy the star systems of the Simulins?”

“No, just their inhabited planets,” Kazak answered. “I don’t understand why you don’t agree with this strategy. Look at what the Simulins have done to countless civilizations since they first left their home system. In the long years that have passed, they wiped out trillions of beings and spread across numerous galaxies. Don’t they deserve to die?”

For a moment, Kelsey hesitated. Kazak was right about what the Simulins had done to so many civilizations. How many great cultures had been lost? Perhaps they did indeed deserve to die. Hadn’t that same decision been made by Fleet Admiral Streth when he had all but eliminated the Hocklyns? True, a large number of their race had survived, but their empire had been taken away and their population greatly reduced.

“It’s not our decision to make,” responded Kelsey defiantly. “It should be Jeremy’s.”

“This is too important,” answered Kazak, refusing to consider Kelsey’s argument. “The future of the Originator race is at stake, and my first priority is to my creators.”

Kelsey felt an icy chill run through her. Kazak had more or less just revealed there were Originators in that central compartment. Perhaps Kelsey could use that tidbit of information to her advantage.

“The Simulins still have a large fleet here in the Triangulum Galaxy,” began Kelsey, carefully thinking about her words. “They already managed to damage the Dominator back at the nebula. What if that happens again? Do you want to put the future of the Originator race at risk? Jeremy can help protect your ship and what’s in that compartment.”

Kazak walked over and put one of his hands on a warhead. “That was a fluke accident that won’t occur again. Next time I will be prepared. Due to the nearness of so many of your warships, I couldn’t bring all of the Dominator’s weapons to bear. The Simulins won’t ever get that close to this ship again.”

“Kazak, I implore you, return to Gaia and speak with Jeremy.” Kelsey was growing fearful Kazak wasn’t going to listen.

Kazak turned back around to face Kelsey with a grim look of determination on his face. “No, I will finish this mission. Once the Simulins have been eliminated as a threat, I will return to Gaia. I may have a use for your people and the Altons. Now, Commander, return to the Command Center. I will be returning most of the consoles back over to your control. If I detect any treachery from any members of the command crew, I will take it upon myself to eliminate all the Humans and Altons upon the ship. Have I made myself clear?”

Kelsey nodded her head. “You leave me no choice; we’ll cooperate.”

“Then you will not be harmed,” promised Kazak. “You should take joy in the fact that shortly the Simulins will no longer pose a threat to any of your people. I mean your people no harm, but I have my own priorities which must take precedence.”

Knowing there was nothing else she could say, Kelsey turned and left the compartment. She would tell Andram, Katie, and Mikow what had just transpired though, at the moment, she didn’t see anything they could do to stop Kazak and his new found vendetta against the Simulins. For the time being, it appeared their best hope to survive was to cooperate and work with the Originator AI. Perhaps if they survived this and returned to Gaia, Jeremy could figure out what to do with Kazak

-

Simulin Supreme High Commander Callat gazed critically at the viewscreen in the Command Center of his flagship. The defenses around Malkor were nearly finished, and he was growing deeply concerned over the latest reports from the Fitula Nebula. The fleet he had sent to capture the ancient ship of the Sphere Builders had been annihilated. Not only that but long-range scans from several Simulin battlecruisers which had been assigned to watch the battle indicated the ancient vessel had spent some time near a Simulin warship it had captured. Immediately afterward, it had jumped into hyperspace on a heading toward the Simulin population centers. Shortly afterward a small group of organic and AI controlled vessels from the nebula had set out in what was obviously a pursuit.

“It’s coming for us,” Callat said as he sat down in his command chair. “We made an error in attempting to damage or destroy that vessel. From the reports of our battlecruisers, it drained the power from our fleet and then spent some time examining one particular ship. No doubt it was attempting to access its computers. From its course, it was at least partially successful.”

“It’s just one vessel,” commented High Commander Faberh dismissively. “We have thousand of warships at our disposal, and all of our worlds are sitting behind massive defensive networks thanks to you. If the ship shows up here, we will destroy it.”

Supreme Commander Callat nodded, but he still felt doubtful. “Summon all of our outlying fleets. They are to return to our worlds immediately.”

“All of them?” asked Faberh, his eyes widening in surprise. “That will leave much of our conquered territory unguarded. There are several small empires on the fringe areas of this galaxy that will take advantage of the absence of our warships to retake some or all of their former territory. The Ornellians are a prime example, particularly since ships from the Fitula Nebula organics are there and assisting them.”

“Yes,” Callat answered. “It’s a risk we have to take. Only yesterday I received a highly disturbing message from the blue-giant nebula where the Great Sphere once resided. The ancient ship was spotted there many days ago and engaged in combat with several of our vessels. A few days later, ten new supernovas were discovered encircling the Great Sphere supernova. I suspect it was the ship of the ancients that caused these stars to explode in an effort to stop the expansion of the radiation front. I have spoken to several of our leading scientists on Malkor, and they agree with that assessment.”

Faberh’s eyes narrowed sharply at hearing this. “Are you saying this ancient ship has a weapon that can make a star explode?”

Callat shifted his gaze to Faberh. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. As a result of our attack upon the vessel at the Fitula Nebula, I believe it’s now on its way here to destroy us.”

-

Jeremy was in the Command Center watching the swirling purple colors on the viewscreens. So far, there had been no sign of the Dominator. He hoped nothing dire had occurred on the ship as Kelsey was its commander. “How far ahead of us do you think the ship is?”

Ariel spent a few moments accessing some information from the ship’s computer. “We’re traveling at our top speed, but we still have to drop out of hyperspace periodically to cool down our drive cores and recharge the hyperdrive system. The Dominator has to do neither. We’ve been traveling for ten days, and I would estimate the Dominator is at least fifty to fifty-four hours ahead of us. We’ll continue to lose ground until Kazak brings the ship to a stop.”

Jeremy leaned back in his command chair and let out a deep sigh. He knew no matter what they weren’t going to arrive at the Simulin worlds in time to intercept the Dominator.

“Why stop Kazak?” asked ZED. “Do we not want the Simulins destroyed?” The AI had requested to be allowed to come on the mission and Jeremy agreed since ZED offered some unique insights into what might be driving the Originator AI.

Jeremy realized this was a difficult question to answer. It was an internal battle he had been fighting for days. “For the crimes the Simulins have committed against so many civilizations, they deserve to die,” admitted Jeremy. “However, I don’t want Kazak risking the Dominator and its crew on a venture that’s so dangerous. They will be facing thousands of Simulins warships and whatever defenses protect their worlds. Even the Dominator might not be able to handle such odds. If Kazak had waited, perhaps we could have come up with a better solution.”

“Kazak is an AI,” ZED reminded Jeremy. “He may show Human emotions but he is ruled by logic. The Simulins are a direct threat to the Dominator and what Kazak has hidden in that central compartment. This is his attempt to remove that danger.”

“What’s in that compartment, Jeremy?” asked Kevin, wanting to know what could be so important Kazak would risk everything to attack the Simulins.

Jeremy took in a deep breath. There was no longer any point in keeping secret what they suspected Kazak was hiding. “We believe that central compartment has the last surviving Originators in it. They are most likely in some type of stasis or deep sleep.”

“Originators!” exclaimed Kevin, his eyes showing his disbelief. “You have got to be kidding!”

“Of course,” said Commander Malen with a nod of her head. “That would explain many of Kazak’s actions.”

“We believe it’s his programming to protect these surviving Originators that’s causing Kazak to respond as he is now,” ZED added. “His primary responsibly will be to protect them at any cost.”

Kevin looked from Jeremy to ZED. “Just who knows about these Originators?” Kevin wasn’t pleased Jeremy had kept this from him, particularly since Katie was on the Dominator.

Jeremy braced himself and then answered. “Katie, Mikow, Kurene, Ariel, ZED, the Command AI, and myself.”

Kevin’s face turned red in anger, nearly matching his hair. Taking a few deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. “You should have told me before sending Katie off on the Dominator.”

“You’re right,” replied Jeremy, wishing now he had told Kevin. “We were just keeping the number of people who knew down to a minimum. We couldn’t risk Kazak finding out.”

Kevin didn’t reply. He just turned back around, staring at his sensor console.

With a deep sigh, Jeremy knew he needed to give Kevin time to get over this.

Ariel wasn’t happy Kevin was upset with Jeremy. She realized he had every right to be. However, of more importance was what Kazak was preparing to do? If the Originator AI attacked the Simulin worlds with dark matter warheads he would be endangering the Dominator, and there was nothing she could do to protect her friends on board. For the first time in many years, Ariel felt helpless.

Ariel knew Jeremy was deeply concerned since Kelsey, Katie, Mikow, and Andram were all on the Dominator as well as several hundred other crewmembers.

“How much danger is the Dominator in?” asked Commander Malen from her command console. “Is there any chance the Simulins could penetrate its energy shield?”

“Doubtful,” Ariel answered as she studied several simulations she had been running. “It would take a tremendous amount of firepower, more than the Simulins currently have. Also, I don’t believe Kazak will be willing to risk any harm coming to the ship.”

“What do you mean?” asked Jeremy, turning to face the beautiful AI.

“There is a strategy Kazak can use that will minimize the threat to the Dominator and allow him to destroy the Simulin worlds.”

“That’s assuming he does have the black matter warheads for the Dominator’s missiles,” Kurene said.

She had been listening to the conversation and was aware of the simulations Ariel had been running. She and ZED had been discussing the different strategies Kazak might use to attack the Simulins and were in agreement with what Ariel was about to reveal. It was the most logical strategy for the Originator AI to employ and still protect his ship and its valuable cargo.

“I believe he has a number of the warheads,” Ariel said. “However, I don’t believe he has enough to eliminate all of the Simulin worlds in this galaxy.”

Jeremy looked from Ariel to Kurene and then back to Ariel. “Don’t keep me in suspense. What’s Kazak going to do?”

“It’s actually quite simple,” answered Ariel, folding her arms across her chest. “The Simulins will probably detect the Dominator before it reaches its target system though it will do them little good. Kazak will simply drop out of hyperspace in an area free of Simulins warships, launch his missile at either the star or the planet and then jump right back into hyperspace before the missile detonates. The Simulins will only have a limited amount of time to react and with the Dominator’s energy shield they will be powerless to prevent him from launching the missile and then escaping.”

Jeremy stood up and gazed over at Kevin. It seemed to him that Kevin had calmed back down. “So what do we do? Do we allow Kazak to carry out this attack or do we try to stop him?”

Kevin looked over at Jeremy and then responded. “The Simulins are the ones who reprogrammed the AIs back in our home galaxy. We all know how that turned out.”

“It was a horrible time,” acknowledged ZED. “Even now large parts of the home galaxy, as you call it, are still under the control of the AI proxy races. Thousands of worlds remain enslaved. My fellow AIs and I are deeply ashamed of the part we unknowingly played. I have no sympathy for the Simulins. They are a scourge and must be eliminated.”

“Kevin?” asked Jeremy, wanting to hear his best friend’s opinion.

“I say we let Kazak take out as many Simulin worlds as he can. If what Ariel said is true and the Dominator won’t be putting itself in danger, then I say power to him. If he can take out enough of them, the Simulins may stop being a threat.”

“Kurene?” asked Jeremy, turning toward the Alton.

Kurene’s face turned pale, realizing what she was being asked. “As you know most of my race are pacifists. However, in this case considering the threat the Simulins pose and what they have done in the past, I would not willingly stand in Kazak’s way.”

Jeremy closed his eyes and shook his head. “Fleet Admiral Streth and others arranged for the relief fleets to come to the Triangulum Galaxy so we could take the war to the Simulins and keep the home galaxy safe. We have already accomplished part of that goal by destroying the Dyson Sphere. However, to keep the Federation permanently safe the Simulins must be stopped. We’ll proceed on and observe the Dominator, but we will not interfere unless we see that our help is needed.”

The others nodded and returned to working at their consoles. Jeremy knew by making this decision he had probably just condemned billions of Simulins to death.

“You couldn’t have stopped him anyway,” commented Ariel, suspecting what Jeremy was thinking. “As hard as this may sound, it is the right decision.”

Jeremy’s eyes returned to the viewscreens and the swirling deep purple colors of hyperspace. “Try to figure out where Kazak is heading. Somewhere in Simulin space we’ll find the Dominator. Kazak and I need to have a long conversation when this is over.” Jeremy didn’t know how, but somehow he needed to gain the trust of the Originator AI. If not, even Gaia could be in danger.

-

“We’ll be emerging from hyperspace in twenty minutes,” Andram said, looking back at Kelsey.

“Long-range sensors indicate a populated Simulin world and what appears to be hundreds of spacecraft operating in the system,” Lieutenant Tracey Burke reported uneasily. “The largest grouping of ships is around the planet.”

Kelsey looked over at the large holographic tactical display Tracey had just activated. It showed a system of ten planets with hundreds of red threat icons. Kelsey knew at this range they couldn’t tell the difference between warships and cargo vessels.

“Detecting defensive satellites and battlestations over planet number four,” Lieutenant Burke continued. “Sensors indicate twenty-four hundred defensive satellites and ten five-hundred-meter battlestations.”

“Are you sure about that?” asked Kelsey. It almost sounded as if the Simulins were expecting them. “When the Distant Horizon had gone through this area of space none of the Simulin planets they detected had defensive grids around them. Something had definitely changed.

“Positive,” Burke replied. “It’s the only thing they could be. We should have the ship types in orbit shortly.”

Kazak suddenly strolled into the Command Center and everyone became quiet. “Lieutenant Burke is correct. I have run an analysis of the ships in the system, and there are six hundred and twelve Simulins warships as well as the defensive system around the planet. There are also numerous mining operations and small bases on some of the other planets and a number of the moons.”

Kelsey turned to gaze unflinchingly at Kazak. “What are your plans?”

“We will eliminate the fourth planet with a dark matter missile. If we cause the star to go supernova, it could endanger other nearby star systems. While there are a few small Simulin bases nearby, it is not worth destroying additional planets that might be of use in the future for such a minor return.”

Kelsey felt relieved. At least Kazak was still willing to hold the destruction down to a minimum. Perhaps there was still hope of reasoning with the Originator AI.

“Bring the ship to Condition One,” ordered Kelsey, settling back in her command chair. “Stand by for combat operations.”

Kazak remained silent, but Kelsey noticed all command consoles seemed to be working, including Tactical. “Get our energy shield up as soon as we drop out of hyperspace. Sensors, I want a complete scan of any possible threats to the ship. Kazak, how long do you need to prep and launch the missile?” Kelsey had decided she needed to earn the AI’s trust and the best way to do that and protect the crew was to cooperate.

“Twenty seconds after emergence I can launch the missile. Fifteen seconds after that the Dominator can reenter hyperspace.”

Kelsey was surprised at that. Kazak had never revealed to them how quickly the ship could jump back into hyperspace though she had taken note that the Dominator didn’t need a cool down time for the drive core as other ships did. It could also stay in hyperspace for an extended period of time.

It was silent in the Command Center except for the occasional updates from the various officers as they neared the target system.

Kelsey felt her nerves on edge knowing they were about to wipe out several billion Simulins. She took a deep breath before asking Kazak the next question on her mind. “Once this system has been dealt with, where to next?”

Kazak turned to gaze at Kelsey. “I have chosen five Simulin systems to destroy,” he said evenly, his eyes focused on Kelsey. “After the fifth system, we will travel to the Simulins’ primary world where their leadership is located. We will deliver an ultimatum. If they accept the war is over, if they refuse, I will destroy that system as well.”

“Emergence,” announced Captain Brent Adams from Navigation.

Kelsey felt a slight uneasiness in her stomach and then the massive viewscreen surrounding her cleared, showing a view of space and hundreds of unwinking stars. In the distance was a planet, which rapidly swelled as the viewscreen’s magnification was increased. It was a blue-white world with numerous orbital facilities.

“Sensor contacts,” reported Lieutenant Burke. “I have sixty-seven Simulin battlecruisers in orbit above the planet as well as two hundred and twelve escort cruisers. There are also a number of cargo ships as well as orbital and defensive installations.”

“Are we in combat range?”

“Not of the Simulins, but they may be for our weapons,” Burke responded.

A red light suddenly appeared on the tactical console. “Missile launched,” reported Major Mason Donaldson. He hadn’t launched the missile, Kazak had!

“Detecting sensor scans!” added Lieutenant Burke. “The Simulins are scanning us.”

“Hyperdrive is activating,” Captain Adams reported as a swirling vortex formed in front of the Dominator.

“Five seconds to missile impact,” called out Major Donaldson.

Kelsey knew the missile was equipped with a miniaturized gravity drive that was far faster than a normal sublight missile. Her eyes focused on the blue-white planet and then she saw a sudden flash of very intense light. For a moment, the planet seemed as if it would stay intact, but then it blew apart in a titanic explosion. The orbiting warships and cargo ships were instantly annihilated as the debris field was pushed outward from the fiery ruins of the planet. Kelsey’s heart skipped a beat, knowing nearly two billion Simulin lives had just been snuffed out. Her breath caught in her throat as she forced herself to swallow.

“Planet confirmed destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Burke in a stunned voice. “Orbiting ships and infrastructure are also gone.”

“Entering hyperspace,” Captain Adams added as the Dominator accelerated and entered the safety of the vortex.

Kelsey was still finding it hard to breathe. In just a few seconds, they had destroyed an inhabited Simulin world. By this action, she wondered if they were any better than the Simulins. By destroying an entire world, had they descended to the same level of barbarism as their enemy? Drawing in a sharp breath, she knew only future historians would decide.

-

Three days later on board the Avenger. “Exiting hyperspace in twenty seconds,” reported Ensign Striker from Navigation.

“Sensors are showing an expanding debris field where the system’s fourth planet should be,” reported Kevin in a subdued voice. “There are also a number of Simulin vessels in the vicinity and throughout the system. The Dominator’s already been here and gone.”

Jeremy nodded. From what Ariel had calculated, they were about seventy hours behind the Originator ship. “As soon as we drop out of hyperspace I want detailed scans of the system. Search for any wreckage that might indicate the Dominator was damaged. Once the scans are complete, I want us back in hyperspace.”

“An entire planet wiped out,” said Commander Malen in awe. “I never imagined such a thing.”

“Dropout,” reported Ensign Striker. “The rest of the fleet is dropping out as well.”

“Sensor contacts,” called out Kevin. “None within combat range.”

Ariel was busy using the ship’s sensors to search for any wreckage of the Dominator though she was confident they wouldn’t find any. “No sign of wreckage from the Originator ship, though I am finding debris from hundreds of Simulin warships. They must have been in orbit when the planet was destroyed.”

“How many Simulins were on the planet?” asked Jeremy. He knew that information was in the data Kazak had sent them from the computers on the Simulin battlecruiser.

“One point eight billion,” Ariel replied. “There’s another eighty million scattered about the system on bases and mining operations.”

“Many of those may not survive,” Commander Malen said as she studied the data. “The loss of the fourth planet will affect the entire system.”

“Simulin vessels have detected us,” reported Kevin. “I’m detecting energy buildups.”

“Stand by to jump.”

Jeremy had earlier brought the fleet out of hyperspace sixteen light years away from this system. He had allowed the drive cores a maximum cool down time so they could make a quick exit if necessary. They would now jump twenty light years, then drop out of hyperspace and allow for cool down of the drive cores as well as recalibration of the hyperdrives if necessary. He had no intention of becoming involved in combat with the Simulins.

“Simulins are jumping,” warned Commander Malen as a warning alarm began sounding.

“Take us back into hyperspace,” Jeremy ordered as he leaned back in his command chair. “Ariel, plot the fleet a course to the Simulin capital world. At some point, the Dominator is going to show up there. We’ll wait nearby until they do.”

“What are you going to do when we catch up to Kazak?” asked Kevin. He was greatly concerned since Katie and Kelsey were on board the ship.

“I’m not sure,” answered Jeremy. “I have an idea, I’m just not certain if it will work.”

-

Supreme High Commander Callat looked at the latest report from the Dranlon System. Four billion dead, the planet destroyed, and three hundred warships annihilated in the planetary explosion. Five planets in ten days and fourteen billion Simulin lives lost.

“We must stop the ship of the Sphere Builders,” High Commander Faberh said, his voice in near panic. “Never in our long history have we suffered such losses.”

“We can’t,” Callat responded harshly. “The ship only stays in the systems long enough to launch its missile and then it reenters hyperspace before we can attack it. Every attempt to meet it in combat has failed.”

“Then we must learn to shoot down the missiles!” Faberh said, his eyes flashing with fear.

“Not possible,” Callat answered in a cold voice. “Our weapons can’t lock onto the missiles. They’re made of some type of alloy that confuses our targeting sensors. They also move at such a high speed interception is impossible.”

“So, what are we to do?”

“I’ve gathered the majority of our remaining fleets here at Malkor and Tranton,” Callat replied as he thought over the strategy he had come up with after consulting the battle computer. “When the ancient ship appears, we will fire every missile we can in its path. Perhaps if we detonate them all, we can eliminate the world-destroying missile before it strikes Malkor. I have also given the order for two hundred battlecruisers to be prepared to jump to the ship’s coordinates in an attempt to ram and destroy the vessel. If we can destroy the first missile, then just maybe we can buy the time we need to destroy the ancient ship.”

“It is a good strategy,” conceded High Commander Faberh. “There can be none but Simulin.”

“None but Simulin,” replied Callat. However, he was beginning to realize this galaxy might be different. If he was not successful in destroying the ancient ship of the Sphere Builders, then this galaxy might see the end of the Simulins, who had come to conquer it.

-

Kelsey watched the swirling purple colors on the large viewscreen. While the screen had been darkened so the effect would not be so pronounced, she took comfort in knowing the ship was safe in hyperspace.

“We’re nearly there,” said Katie from her computer console. “The data from the Simulin battlecruiser indicates the system ahead is where their last remaining Supreme High Commander is located.”

“It is also the seat of their government,” Mikow added. “They have formed a new Grand Council to represent the Simulin worlds in this galaxy.”

Kelsey felt numb from the worlds they had destroyed. Billions of Simulins had been killed and nearly two thousand of their warships destroyed. Kelsey knew it was something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She also was frightened of what Jeremy would say when he found out what the Dominator had done.

“Will this ultimatum work?” she asked, looking over at Andram. The esteemed Alton scientist had been very quiet recently, no doubt due to the death and destruction the Dominator was dishing out. His face was paler than normal, and Kelsey knew he wasn’t eating well.

“It might,” Andram said slowly. “The Simulins are not tolerant of other races. However, they have never been in this situation before. They are cut off from reinforcements from the other Dyson Spheres, at least for the foreseeable future. They’re on their own and Kazak has demonstrated he has the power to destroy them.”

“But we only have two dark matter missiles left,” Katie said. “We don’t have the missiles to destroy all of their worlds.”

“They don’t know that,” Kelsey said. “Besides, Kazak could always take the Dominator back to the blue-giant nebula and get more dark matter.”

-

Callat watched as the ancient ship of the Sphere Builders dropped out of hyperspace just outside of weapons range of the two thousand Simulin warships that he had gathered to destroy the vessel. They had detected it minutes before as it approached.

“They haven’t launched their missile,” High Commander Faberh reported in confusion.

“They’re sending us a message,” the Simulin officer in front of Communications reported.

“Send it to my console,” ordered Callat, wondering what type of strategy this was. The battle computer had predicted they would launch their missile as soon as the ship exited the spatial vortex.

“I am Kazak,” a powerful male voice spoke over the comm. “I am a creation of the Originators or the builders of the Great Spheres as you call them.”

Callat knew from the sound of the voice this Kazak was not one to be trifled with. “What do you want? Have you come to destroy this system as you have the others?”

“That is up to you,” Kazak responded. “I have the power to destroy every one of your worlds. It is up to you if I use that power.”

“Battlecruisers are ready,” reported High Commander Faberh.

Callat nodded. “Send them!” Then over the comm he added in an uncompromising voice. “There can be none but Simulin!” As his words faded, two hundred Simulin battlecruisers jumped to the location of the ancient ship with one simple order. Ram and destroy it!

-

On the Dominator, alarms sounded as the ship suddenly came under attack.

“I have two hundred Simulin battlecruisers exiting hyperspace nearly on top of us,” warned Lieutenant Burke, her face turning pale. “They’re already within weapons range.”

“Gravitonic cannons firing,” reported Major Donaldson as his hands flew over his tactical console. “Antimatter cannons online and firing.”

On the large viewscreen, space became lit up with massive explosions as Simulin battlecruisers were blown apart from the deadly weapons fire before their energy screens could come online.

“Missile launch,” reported Major Donaldson in surprise. “What the hell? That missile just jumped into hyperspace.”

“Hyperspace?” Kelsey said in confusion as she felt the Dominator vibrate slightly from multiple antimatter strikes to its energy shield.

“Yes,” answered Kazak, his face showing anger. “I am disappointed to report the Simulins cannot be reasoned with, so I am taking the only means available to make them understand the error of the route they have chosen. They will pay a high price for their treachery.”

On the massive viewscreen, gravitonic cannon fire slammed into an inbound Simulin battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions before the ship was obliterated. Another battlecruiser vanished in a fiery explosion as an antimatter beam swept across it.

“Sixty-two Simulin battlecruisers are down,” reported Lieutenant Burke breathlessly.

“They’re coming in too fast,” warned Andram. “We’re not going to be able to get them all.”

“Firing primary weapon,” Kazak said calmly.

On the hull of the Dominator, massive hatches slid open. From each a blue sphere of energy leaped forth, targeting the inbound Simulin vessels. The energy spheres stuck the Simulins’ energy shields, draining them, and then latched onto the ships themselves. In moments, they were turned into drifting fields of black space dust.

Suddenly the Dominator shook violently and the lights dimmed.

“What happened?” demanded Kelsey, looking over at Kazak.

“Power is out except for batteries,” answered Kazak, his face showing disbelief. “The Simulins tried to jump a pair of their battlecruisers into our exact coordinates. Due to the nature of hyperspace, all three vessels were violently repelled away from one another. Unfortunately, it caused a power drain. It will take a few minutes before full power is restored; time we don’t have.”

“Why?” asked Kelsey, feeling a cold chill run through her.

“Look at the screen,” Andram said in a stunned voice.

On the screen, the system’s sun seemed to shrink in on itself and then suddenly began to rapidly expand. It had gone nova!

“That’s where the missile went,” Kelsey said in sudden realization. With deep sadness, she knew she would never see Jeremy again. She and Katie were destined to die here in this system thousands of light years away from Gaia.

“I have three ships exiting hyperspace near us!” reported Lieutenant Burke excitedly. “It’s the Avenger and two Alton battleships.”

“I have Fleet Admiral Strong on the comm,” reported Lieutenant Mickelson. “They recognize our power problem and the two Alton battleships are going to use their tractor beams to pull us into hyperspace.”

Kelsey felt faint as if she were about to pass out. Jeremy was here and he was going to take them to safety.

“Tractor beams have us,” Andram confirmed. “We’re moving.”

A few minutes later, the Dominator, the Avenger, and the two Alton battleships fled into the safety of hyperspace as the nova swept through the system.

-

Simulin High Commander Callat watched dispassionately as the nova swept toward Malkor and his fleet. Already the disturbance in hyperspace had made it impossible for most of his ships to escape. Those that could were making emergency hyperspace jumps to Tranton.

“We die,” spoke High Commander Faberh.

“Yes, we die,” answered Callat as the nova swept across Malkor, turning it into a lifeless cinder.

He knew that with the destruction of Malkor and most of the ships he had brought here, the Simulin conquest of this galaxy had most likely come to an end. They no longer had the forces to stand up to the Fitula organics, particularly if they had the ancient ship on their side. Closing his eyes, he stood defiantly as the nova incinerated his ship.

The last Simulin Supreme High Commander in the Triangulum Galaxy was dead.

Epilogue

Admiral Race Tolsen was in Fleet Admiral Nagumo’s office at New Tellus Station. Former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth as well as Alton Ambassador Tureen were there as well. They had just finished watching the Dyson Sphere destroy the Shari and Simulin fleets on a viewscreen.

“The power of that weapon is unbelievable,” commented Admiral Nagumo, his face wrinkled in a frown. “Is there any chance of anyone ever returning there?”

“No,” answered Ambassador Tureen. “The Shari have grudgingly agreed to allow a joint fleet of Federation and Shari vessels to patrol the Rylus Star Cluster to keep all vessels away from the Dyson Sphere.”

“That’s progress,” muttered Admiral Nagumo. “At least the Shari are talking to us now.”

“No ships will be allowed to come nearer than one light year to the megastructure,” Tureen continued. “Both the Federation and the Shari will have several science ships which will continually monitor the Dyson Sphere for any additional signs of activity. They have also agreed to allow us access to the ancient ruins on the former Originator worlds as long as we share the results of our research.”

“What about Captain Abrams and the exploratory team?”

“Unknown,” Race answered. It had bothered him immensely to leave them behind, but Reesa had made it very clear they were never to return. “The exploration cutter is still down on the surface. If at some point in time they can talk the Originator AIs into allowing them to leave, they will have a way to come home.”

“Originator AIs,” Nagumo said, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe they exist. The science and technology locked away on that Dyson Sphere could move us ahead tens of thousands of years.”

“Best left alone,” former Fleet Admiral Streth said. “We’re not ready for that type of technology. We’re talking to the Shari now and the Hocklyn Empire is no more. The galaxy is changing and it’s changing for the better. The technology on the Dyson Sphere would throw everything into chaos.”

“There are still the Borzon and the Ralift on the far side of the galaxy,” Nagumo reminded Hedon. “We’ve already had a few problems with the Borzon and the Ralift are still relatively unknown.”

Hedon allowed himself to smile. For months now, his sleep had been free of premonitions. It was as if the danger for the Milky Way Galaxy had finally receded. “Without the AIs, I suspect those empires will pose less danger as time goes on. Look at the Shari, for example.”

“Fleet Admiral Streth is correct,” Ambassador Tureen said with a nod of his head. “They’ve agreed to accept a Federation emissary and we will be allowing a Shari representative to come here. In time, I suspect we can resolve most of our differences.”

-

After the meeting was over Fleet Admiral Streth and Admiral Tolsen walked together toward one of the station’s flight bays. Hedon was returning to Maken where Janice was waiting along with their daughter. Hedon suspected it would be quite some time before he ever left his home planet again.

“Race, what are your plans?”

Race smiled. “As long as you don’t have any more of those damn premonitions I have a lot of accumulated leave time I plan on using. Massie and I are going to go visit our parents at Ceres, and we may all do some traveling together. Our mother wants to come here to New Tellus and visit the resorts.”

“Family,” Hedon said with a nod. “That’s what all of this has been about. Keeping our people safe and trying to make the galaxy a better place for everyone.”

For the first time in years, Hedon felt at peace with himself. He knew that while it wasn’t a premonition, the threat from the Simulins had been removed. He wished he could see Admiral Strong and the rest of the Special Five one last time, but he knew that wasn’t in the cards. A premonition from years back had told him he would never see the five again.

-

The Dominator was back in orbit around Gaia and Jeremy, Andram, Kelsey, and Kazak were standing in front of the hidden compartment deep within the ship. Kazak had agreed to reveal his secret after Jeremy jumped in with the Avenger and the two Alton battleships saving the Originator ship from certain destruction. They had barely escaped as the nova encompassed the system.

Jeremy had spent two days waiting for the Dominator to show up at the Simulin capital world. Ariel had predicted Kazak would take the Dominator there to either make demands of the Simulins or to destroy the planet. Jeremy had managed to move the Avenger and the Alton battleships in close to the system so they could make an emergency jump to assist the Dominator if it were damaged. They never expected to have to save the ship from an exploding nova. Jeremy knew if he had been just a few minutes late the Dominator would have been lost with everyone on board, including Kelsey and Katie.

Kazak looked solemnly at the three with him as he took the copper colored globe, which served as a key, out of his pocket. “What I’m going to show you is my biggest secret. It is the last hope to resurrect the Originators, and I have been programmed to protect it at all costs.” Kazak inserted the key into the waiting slot and the wall slid open. Stepping inside, he indicated for the others to follow.

Jeremy was the first one to enter and after taking a few steps came to a stunned halt. The room was full of large transparent tubes filled with some type of liquid. He could see vague figures in each tube.

“Children!” uttered Kelsey in amazement as she looked around at all the tubes in the compartment. “These tubes are full of children.”

“Intriguing,” said Andram as he walked over to the nearest and gazed inside. A young female Originator was inside the tube with her eyes closed and appeared to be sleeping.

“I don’t understand,” said Jeremy, looking over at Kazak. “We expected to find adult Originators in here.”

“There are a few,” Kazak admitted. “At the far end of the compartment there are twenty-three adults. Unfortunately, they are all suffering from advanced stages of the life extension pathogen. Those twenty-three are the greatest minds of all of the Originators. If I were to awaken them, they would die in a matter of hours.”

“The children,” asked Kelsey as she stared wide eyed at what appeared to be hundreds of tubes with children in them. She had never expected to find children in this compartment.

Kazak’s face took on a look of deep sadness as he gazed at them. “When the Dominator originally left the Dyson Sphere, it was equipped for research as well as defense. The blue energy spheres the ship used against the Simulins were not allowed on any other vessel. They were the Originators’ greatest weapon and as such that technology was never to leave any of the Dyson Spheres. However, because of the importance of the Dominator’s mission, the ban was lifted in this one instance.”

“Your mission was to find a cure,” said Jeremy, recalling a past conversation with Kazak.

“Yes, but we failed. The research scientists on board brought their families, and as the scientists succumbed to the disease, their children were put into stasis. If the children were awakened now, they would live out long lives, but eventually they too would succumb to the pathogen. The scientists worked to the very end, and when they realized they were going to fail, the remaining scientists decided to go into stasis and let me continue their work.”

“You failed also,” Kelsey said sadly. “Without a cure, you didn’t dare awaken any of the children or adults.”

“I even traveled back to the Dyson Sphere to see if I could contact other Originators, but none were left. No one answered my calls to Dyson Spheres in other galaxies other than AIs and they all reported the same. All the Originators had died.”

“All of them?” gasped Kelsey. She knew the number of Originators who had inhabited all the Dyson Spheres had to have been in the trillions.

“Yes. As the disease swept across the Dyson Spheres, the population rapidly decreased. Even the remaining children grew up and died of the pathogen,” Kazak explained. “However, there was a file I found in the core computer of the Dyson Sphere in this galaxy that suggested a large group of survivors had fled just before the end to a place they thought might be safe. I searched for them for thousands of years and found nothing. If they found a place of safety, it is well hidden.”

Kelsey slowly walked down the aisles of tubes, stopping to examine several. “Genesis,” she said softly, turning back to face Kazak. “If you could find a cure you could bring the Originator race back.”

Kazak nodded. He turned and looked at Andram. “The Altons are the most highly advanced race I’ve encountered since the Originators. Is there any chance your people could help in finding a cure?”

Andram paused in front of a tube holding a young male Originator, who looked to be five to seven years of age. “We do possess considerable knowledge of life prolongation drugs. I’m sure my people would be willing to work on this. But if the Originators never found a cure, I don’t know if we can either.”

“I accept that,” Kazak answered. “All I ask is that you try.”

-

Hours later, Jeremy and Kelsey were down on Gaia. Angela’s baby shower was planned for later in the day. Her due date was very near and both Katie and Kelsey were excited to get the party going. Katie had gone off shopping, saying she had a particular gift in mind.

“Do you think the Altons will find a cure?”

“If anyone can, it would be them,” Jeremy replied. They were walking down a street in New Eden. “Kazak is going to make a lot of data on the Originators’ biology available to the Altons. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Taking Kelsey’s hand, he wondered what was in their future. The menace from the Simulins had been greatly reduced but it was still there. He intended to send another task group out to Admiral Jackson to shore up the defenses in the Ornellian Empire and seek out new allies. The AIs were building new Warspheres at an ever-increasing rate. In two more days Grayseth was taking out a fleet to destroy several nearby Simulin bases. Jeremy intended to remove all Simulin threats within two hundred light years of Gaia. He would then send out AI ships to patrol the region and keep it clear of Simulin vessels.

He was also still concerned about Kazak. Since being rescued from the nova the Originator AI had been very cordial, but Jeremy knew it could all be an act. Kazak would bear watching. He still didn’t fully trust the Originator AI.

“Are you going to the baby shower?” asked Kelsey.

“No, I think I’ll pass,” Jeremy answered. “Kevin invited me over for a cookout.”

“Hamburgers,” groaned Kelsey. “You know that’s what he’ll cook.”

“I’m taking a couple of steaks,” Jeremy said with a grin.

At least for a while life could be normal. For the first time since coming to the Triangulum Galaxy, Jeremy felt there was real hope for the future. The threat posed by the Dyson Sphere supernova had been eliminated and the Simulins had suffered a major setback. For the foreseeable future, Gaia was safe.

-

On board the Avenger, Ariel was reviewing the sensor scans from when the power had failed on the Dominator. As she studied the information, she began to realize not everything added up. The Dominator should never have lost its power, even with the Simulin ships attempting to jump in on top of the vessel. With a worried feeling, Ariel began to wonder if Kazak had set the whole thing up. She decided the best thing to do was keep her suspicions to herself. She would monitor Kazak as closely as possible to see if she could discover any ulterior motives. She wished Clarissa were here with her. Between the two of them, they could solve any problem. It was times like this that Ariel felt extremely lonely.

-

In the Rylus Star Cluster Reesa, Kelnor, and Sergeant Wilde had been summoned to a meeting with the AIs. Entering the briefing room, they found Leeda, Rakell, Tamon and Sible waiting for them.

“I hope your people are comfortable,” Rakell said from the head of the conference table. “I also regret the lives lost fighting the Simulins.”

“They’re adjusting,” answered Brenda. “They all would like to go home though.”

“I’m truly sorry about that,” Rakell replied. “But that can’t be allowed. Your people have seen too much of the Shrieel.”

“Why have you summoned us to this meeting?” asked Reesa.

Leeda stood up and walked over to a viewscreen. “Seven months ago one of your ships appeared at the primary communications and transport hub of the Originators. It is the first ship to travel there in over two million years.”

“One of our ships?” Brenda said confused. “I don’t understand. None of our ships have access to any of your intergalactic vortexes. We didn’t even know this Dyson Sphere existed seven months ago.”

“The ship didn’t come from this galaxy,” explained Rakell, nodding at Leeda.

Leeda activated the viewscreen and everyone in the room grew quiet. A ship was on the screen. A ship of Alton design but heavily damaged. Jagged rips in the hull and burn marks indicated the ship had either been in a major battle or submitted to a terrifying force. The ship looked to be nearly a total wreck.

Reesa stood up looking in shock at the ship. She instantly recognized it since she had seen it in orbit around her homeward. She also knew from what the AIs had told her before that this was the ship that had destroyed the Dyson Sphere in the Triangulum Galaxy. “That’s the Distant Horizon!”

Brenda recognized the name. It had been Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes’ ship, and it had gone off searching for the lost fleets! “Why are you showing this to us?”

“It’s quite simple,” Rakell began. “We want you to go to the transport hub, use the Distant Horizon to return to the Triangulum Galaxy, and attempt to find the Dominator and Kazak.”

“Why would we do that? Were there any survivors on the Distant Horizon?”

“Yes, there were a few survivors,” answered Leeda. “I will be going with you as well as Sible, who will serve as our pilot. As for the reason we’re going, we have a cure for the pathogen that killed off the Originators.”

“A cure!” echoed Reesa, her eyes growing wide.

“Yes. It took us hundreds of thousands of years of research, but a cure was finally found,” Leeda explained. “The Originators left us thousands of lines of research. One of those was the cure they had been so desperately seeking.”

“What good is a cure if all the Originators are dead?” asked Kelnor.

“That’s why we need to find the Dominator,” Rakell replied. “There’s a small chance a few Originators may still exist in the stasis chambers on board that vessel.”

Reesa felt her heart skip a beat. Was there still a chance for her to meet one of the ancient race?

“If we agree to this, will we be allowed to go home afterward?” asked Brenda.

“We will consider it,” answered Rakell. “But first you’re going to have to deal with Kazak and that will be no easy task.”

Brenda nodded. It seemed as if their mission was only just beginning.

The End