Diana, Jikse
Diana was on edge. They were walking into what had to be a trap, and no one else seemed to be even slightly concerned about that fact.
[Rant], at least, was visibly armed a small pistol on his belt, but handled himself like he was strolling in the park. [Orin] and [Hal] hadn’t even thought to bring weapons.
Diana had no weapons visible, but she was wearing her standard MCP suit underneath the alien clothing, and had her Human handgun strapped to the back of her belt underneath her shirt. [Rant] had refused to let her bring anything else to the trade. Not that she had told him about the handgun.
“He’s agreed to meet us at the old Syndicate trading house,” said [Rant].
“And that is where?” Diana asked, even as she continued to scan all of the buildings around them for some sign of ambush. She was certain she looked half-crazed, considering her eyes were darting from place to place, not resting for a moment on any one location; but it was better to look slightly crazy than be dead.
“The outskirts of the city. The trading house is one of the few buildings that wasn’t completely demolished by the class C’s.”
Diana perked up. Information on the class C species that had inhabited the planet before the Empire had taken it was scant. The Empire, and by extension its citizens, didn’t seem to have any concerns about preserving what had once been. Just take destroy the people and take what they want – planets, cities, probably even technology. There were too many oddities with Empire technology; it was the only explanation for the sudden developmental steps and missing intermediary technologies.
She had no idea what they were doing to Earth, but it would likely be just like Jikse – aliens living among all the old Human buildings in cities all over the world. Mars would probably be left alone; from what she had been able to glean from the public records, the Empire didn’t like to settle its citizens on anything but the most hospitable planets. Terraforming and advanced life support systems for colonization efforts were only implemented on targets of strategic value, and even then it was mostly for military use.
Diana tried to calm herself as the four of them continued towards the trading house. He might not be class B, if her guess was right, but he would also not be expecting another class C. He was expecting four class B’s, the most violent of whom were common thieves when compared to class C’s. Not to mention her capabilities went far beyond those of the typical Human.
Diana swallowed apprehensively. That kind of thinking had been what had gotten her stranded in the first place.
The class B criminals strode thoughtlessly into the large open hall of the decaying trading house and Diana winced. A structure like this was a horrible place for a trade; here the enemy might have had to set up a hundred traps. The best place for a trade like this was in the middle of a crowded trading floor, where neither party could attack the other without drawing unwanted attention.
This location was like something from a bad movie.
Still Diana followed [Rant] into the building.
He walked into the center of the large room and looked around. Diana glanced up at the ceiling noticing that the light was from several giant lamps and that every other avenue of escape from the building seemed to be closed off.
“We brought the merchandise!” shouted [Rant].
Diana winced but resisted saying anything.
There was a rustle in the darkness and Diana locked her eyes on it for only a moment, the class B’s all stared intently at it. Diana glanced to the sides and up looking for any other subtler movements in the darkness outside of the large lamps coverage.
“Good!” said a modulated voice.
Three figures stepped forwards. All slightly taller than an average human and wearing body armor and helmets that looked like it could take a serious beating the thee aliens emanated animosity.
Diana stared, these three were more lethal than any other Empire citizens she had come across, their armor was old and worn, the weapons bore similar abuse, but the way the men held themselves, the way they cradled the weapons.
They would have no issues with violence.
Diana shivered.
“We have the merchandise!” said [Rant] He held up the contained with the nano-machines almost showing the three the gun on his belt.
Diana carefully began to step away from him and analyze her options.
“You know, I don’t think I’ll be buying them!” shouted the man in the middle, the one whose gun wasn’t yet drawn.
“What?” asked [Rant] sounding confused.
“I’ll just be taken back what you stole, now set it down.” Shouted the man in the middle.
[Rant] blinked.
“Along with that gun.” Said the man.
Diana tensed and now in full battle mode tried to estimate what the three men might be able to do.
“What gun?” asked [Rant] not sounding at all convincing.
“Predictable, as always.” Muttered the man and he motioned.
The two men raised their weapons and fired. [Rant] collapsed his head gone.
“You know, it’s sad almost. Every single one of you fall for something as simple as this. Why in the gods names would you trust someone whom is above you?” asked the man in the middle addressing the three of them.
“We came to trade, peacefully!” shouted [Orin] sounding no more convincing than [Rant] had been.
The man chuckled; it was an odd sound to Diana’s ears. Not because it was alien, but because of its stunning familiarity. It was the same sound her Mother would have made before she killed someone for failing in a task.
“Tell me something,” said Diana as she straightened up from the slight crouch she had been in and leaned on one leg, projecting an air of calm.
The man in the middle paused looking at her through his helmet. She could sense his gaze but did nothing.
“What would that be?” asked the man.
“When was the last time you had to face another class C?”
The man did not react at first.
“Far too long.”
The lights flickered out.
Diana rolled, more quickly than most species could see and drew her human weapon. Firing off a single bullet at where she thought the man was she turned and fired off two shots at each of the bodyguards.
Tossing the gun away the bullets spent she dove towards the Empire particle weapon that [Rant] had dropped.
Even as she moved Diana heard the loud retort of another energy weapon, she had missed at least one of the aliens.
Managing to reach the Imperial weapon Diana grabbed it and turned back towards where the two men were in the darkness.
Her eyes were still adapting to the darkness though and she could only make out vague shapes in the shadows.
One was kneeling on the ground, obviously nursing a wound while the other was firing his weapon at her. Each shot accompanied by a flash of light illuminated the entire space.
A quick glance showed Diana that her class B friends seemed to be frozen in place.
Continuing to move Diana dove for cover, making it to a metal pylon that was holding up the ceiling far above Diana stuck her arm out and blind fired around it at the guard who was still standing. Where the man who had been speaking had gone she had no idea, but she would solve that problem when she had to.
She heard an alien swear, and looking into the darkness she saw the man had disappeared and his weapon was now on the ground damaged.
Senses fully aware Diana peered out into the darkness of the cavernous structure. She could barely see so unless the aliens had better eyesight than her which was unlikely considering how much genetic tinkering had gone into them they were at an even greater disadvantage. Then again, they might have had night vision in their helmets.
“You’re a fighter!” said the same voice from somewhere far above, Diana did not move her head to look for the source, above her meant that the man would have to jump to attack and she would hear that. The man on the ground floor with her was the main threat for the moment, and he had somehow disappeared!
“It’s a relief to final have someone put up even a modicum of an intelligent fight!”
“You’re not class B!” shouted Diana into the darkness.
Their was a pregnant pause in the darkness and Diana continued to scan, looking for any indication of where the second guard had gone.
“Stop moving!” hissed Diana at [Orin] and [Hal], “or get to cover, he’s dead!” she hissed the two had finally started to move, although they were vainly attempting to perform emergency aid on [Rant].
The two class B’s slowly looked up from the corpse still mostly frozen.
“What’s going on?” asked [Hal] his voice horse.
Diana ignored him; the two were not going to be any help at the moment.
A small scrape, the crack of rust being broken. Diana whirled around, her brain tried to process what she was seeing, a section of what had been the background moved and attacked with stunning speed. She only had time to identify it as a threat.
“Ha!” shouted the guard as he attacked, his knife drawn.
Unable to turn the gun in time, Diana dropped it and raised both of her hands. Grabbing the man’s arms, the two struggled for a half moment before he wrenched himself from her grip and spun away. Dismayed Diana tried to track him, but in the darkness and utilizing some form of camouflage, Diana had never seen the man disappeared from view.
Diana remained silent watching, his first attack had failed and his advantage had been nullified somewhat with her knowledge of it. Not that it wouldn’t still be difficult to spot him in the darkness.
He would attack from a distance next, most likely by throwing the knife now that he had lost his gun.
Their was the flash of metal, and Diana ignored it sidestepping to just barely avoid it. He would be rushing next right after the attack should it fail.
The alien followed the pattern, and slammed into her.
Diana felt hands with sharp nails digging into her skin, and in mild horror Diana saw that the man had removed his helmet and his jaw was open displaying what was very obviously a predator’s bite pattern, there was also something odd on the sides of his head.
The jaws clamped down over her shoulder, biting into the fabric only the small armoring of the MCP suit stopped the teeth form reaching her skin.
“Fucker,” growled Diana as she wrapped her arms around the alien. For a moment, it appeared they were in a passionate embrace the two of them, his mouth at her skin, her arms around him.
Diana squeezed, exercising the extreme muscle density she had been gifted with.
The alien clamped down further on her neck growling.
The two of them grabbled and searched for another advantage, one of them was going to die here.
Diana let out a growl herself and continued squeezing, she felt the ribs bending, the spine of the creature moving beneath her hands. He was wearing armor that had protected him from impacts, but a virtue of his silent running and preference for more acrobatic combat prevented the armor from protecting against compression.
Something cracked.
The alien whimpered, Diana heard a wet squelch from her shoulder, either the alien was biting through her armor or his own teeth were popping out, she didn’t know which at the moment.
Continuing to exert pressed Diana grimaced. This stalemate was going nowhere.
Releasing him and moving with unnatural speed she brought her hands up to the aliens face and shoved a finger into one of his now unprotected eyes.
The alien let out howl and its bite loosed for a half moment, bringing her leg across Diana knocked the alien off balance and away. The two of them collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Ripping at the alien’s head, now Diana grabbed at the protrusions on the side of its head and tore them away.
Even as the creature continued to howl Diana brought her hand up and hoping that its anatomy was similar to a humans brought it crashing down on the alien’s nose, breaking the cartilage injecting at least some of it into the creature’s brain.
The alien went limp.
She let out another growl and breathing hard Diana put her hands around his throat feeling for a pulse, and squeezing to ensure he was truly dead.
Waiting only a moment though she glanced down and spotted his boot knife, reaching down she quickly drew it and raising it slit the man’s throat. Blood oozed out and she plunged her hands into it, bringing them up she flicked the blood around her, looking closely at the darkness for the third man. She doubted the leader would remain after his guards had been killed but then these were class C’s. It was best to assume they were more lethal than humans.
Seeing nothing, she swore and strode back towards the two class B citizens. Ignoring them as they started to move Diana plunged her hands into the puddle of blood from the first guard and quickly spun around sending it splattering around the room again. Carefully she searched for the place where it impacted the air, where the image didn’t match.
“What just happened?” asked [Orin].
Diana glanced down at her, “You got to see what an actual fight looks like.”
[Hal] snapped on a light, before Diana could protest that it would ruin her night vision. He swept it around the large room and Diana followed its beam. Nothing was floating in the air, nothing was out of place.
Grabbing the first guards weapon Diana looked at the alien now illuminated in the darkness.
It was odd, almost human in appearance, leaning down she removed the helmet. It had a similar skin tone compared to a human, the hair was pure red though more vibrant than any human variation. The ears were odd, like a predatory cat. Looking down at her hands Diana frowned, in the darkness she had not been able to see it, In the light though the green blood looked very odd.
Bellona
“We’re not getting anywhere with this.” Said Ben as he put the copy of the data down on the table and picked up his fork. Stabbing it into his food, he took a disgruntled bite.
Megan across from him at the table reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“The obfuscation is top notch; it is a war-program though. It’s got way too many Martian signatures not to be.”
“I know that, but saying it was the Martian programmers who made it doesn’t help. Martians make up 80% of the Bellona population, and in any case in the decade since the program could have been passed off or acquired by someone else.” Said Ben.
Megan groaned and took another bite of her food as she read the deconstructed code for what felt like the millionth time.
The virus was autonomous, able to propagate through almost any type of computer system to reach its goal. Where it would then wreck as much damage as possible. The scary thing was that it waited; whomever had designed the thing had made it patient. After infection, it would remain hidden in a system and infect others until it was sure the goal could be easily completed.
“God damn it,” groaned Ben. He dropped his fork on the table with a small clang.
Megan glanced up at him, it wasn’t an annoyed grimace on his face but rather one of pain.
“Attack?” asked Megan sympathetically.
“Yeah, big one.” Hissed Ben.
Putting his tablet down Ben stood and stumbled over to the drawer in the kitchen pulled out the medication, Megan watched as he stabbed the needle into his chest and grimaced again.
Leaning down and putting his hands on his knees Ben grabbed at the electrical harness that was supposed to be supressing the effects of the antimatter FTL travel.
The two of them had been researching it, looking for ways to minimize the damage once it had been caused but all they had managed really was treating of the symptoms and a reduction in the severity that the antimatter FTL drives had caused.
Since the Squeaks though their research had been put on the backburner, despite whatever association it had to have with Megan’s sudden ability to use her legs as if the neurons had been in place not for weeks but months.
“Fucking hell.” Breathed Ben.
Megan continued to try and read through the data, there was nothing she could do to help him and unfortunately the attacks were only becoming more violent recently.
Recovering Ben slowly sat back down at the table and put his head down on it.
“You alright?” asked Megan her voice low.
“Give me a minute.”
She nodded and continue to read the analysis that Night had produced, the younger Squeak was still learning, both how humans coded and how to actually interact with them but he showed potential. His analysis had been nothing new, but he had submitted it anyway along with the ones from the engineers.
Pursuing it Megan struggled to understand some of what Night had written. Language was still a large barrier for most of the Squeaks.
Sitting back up Ben groaned and looked at his food for a moment before pushing it away.
“Ben?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Night has a rather brilliant idea.”
“Oh?”
Megan laid the tablet down and gestured over it. The screen embedded in the far wall of their small home flickered on displaying the dame data.
“We have the code for the virus; why not turn it on itself.”
Ben frowned, “As in?”
“Reprogram it to spread like the original virus and once it’s in contact with the malicious version we redirect the commands.”
“So you want to spread an antivirus?” he asked.
“Not precisely, but if the modified virus could at least give us what the objective of the next attack is we can be prepared. It’s complexly autonomous, but someone has to interface with the virus at some point to give it a new target or objective. We might not get lucky enough to catch that interaction, but if we know what the virus is going to do next.” She trailed off.
“We would have an advantage until the next attack,”
“Or longer.” Said Megan looking away from the screen.
Ben slowly turned, “So we would let the next attack happen? Just to give us more time to try and catch whomever is behind it?”
Megan shrugged, “maybe depending on it’s severity.”
The husband looked at his wife for a moment, “You know what you’re saying right? We can either know about the next attack and prevent it, or wait for whatever objective the virus has to complete itself and then intercept who is giving it orders for its next task. We’re going to be takin the lives of the victims into our hands.”
“We are not the ones orchestrating it.” Whispered Megan.
“But if this works we will have knowledge of it!”
Ben groaned, “God damn it, now I get why Takuya always looked so grim during the war.”
Megan nodded, “Let’s design the antivirus, we wont have to make a decision until the data comes back reporting what the next attack will be.”
The Canada, Deep space
“Any improvements on the combat time?” asked Derick.
“120 seconds, dumping heat into the superstructure frame of the vessel will have detrimental effects on secondary systems though.” Said Arik as she pulled up a model of the Canada showing the multiple systems that would be effected by removing the excess heat of the vessel by literally sinking it into the floors and walls.
“This method would also require that the crew remain in suits for up to three hours after combat.” Said Arik.
Derick nodded in agreement and pushing himself away from the console slowly did a few summersaults in the air thinking.
“She’s going to have to be happy with this. We try and sequester heat anywhere else and we’re just going to make more problems. Unless you have any more ideas?” asked Derick looking over at the small box that house Arik’s brain.
“No, I’ve got nothing.”
Derick sighed, “Alright. Let’s get going on the alien data networks then, had any more luck with the tachyon communicator?”
“Somewhat, although I have not yet managed to gain access to the networks. Tachyon communication is point to point, without any chance of interception. Our earlier assessment that most of the network operates on the EM spectrum except between system relay points was correct. For an individual ship to connect to the network requires more delicate calibration of the tachyon protocols.”
“As in?” asked Derick.
“I have been attempting to spoof a credential which would grant me access to the network. As far as I can tell, the tachyon transceiver you cobbled together based on the data we obtained from the Jikse system is working. It’s authenticating with the network that is proving difficult.” Said Arik sounding annoyed.
“What would you need to connect to it?”
“A valid communication key.”
“Any idea where we could get one of those?”
“Any of the larger governmental vessels of the Empire would have them. If we got close enough to one where the light speed delay is negligible than I think I might be able to hack in and obtain a proper key.”
“So a heist?” asked Derick.
“Yes.”
The engineer grabbed his data tablet and stuck it to his leg, “Let’s go talk to the Captain.”
“What now?” asked Arik suprised.
“Well she’ll at least want to hear about the improvements we made to thermal management, but she also wants ideas on how to gain more Intel. Hacking into the alien communication networks seems like a good one and yes now.”
Arik flashed the cabin lights in annoyance but didn’t seal the compartment.
Floating out into the main thoroughfare of the Canada Derick pushed off of the walls and floated towards the bridge in the center of the ship.
Other crew members who looked as overworked as he felt passed him in the corridor. Repairs from the attack were still under way, although their had been some recent discoveries based off data and technology they had obtained from the alien planet.
The sensor analysts had discovered that the energy shields the Empire used at a civilian level were fundamentally different from the charged plasma ones in use on the ships. The different technologies were almost completely separate branches of technology. Some were proposing that the Canada be modified to produce larger versions of the civilian energy fields to capture naturally occurring antimatter near a star or large gas giant.
Other ideas were bouncing around as well, most of them were not however as drastic as what Derick was about to propose.
As Derick drifted into the bridge Captain Stagg looked up, “What are you doing? You’re off duty at the moment.”
Derick glanced at the ship clock, he had technically been off duty for nearly three hours now.
“I’m fine, Arik and I want to report on new combat strategies and we have a proposal.”
Captain Stagg grabbed onto the nearest handrail and nodded, everyone else on the bridge not performing a task surreptitiously listened as well. Whenever Derick or indeed any of the engineering staff had a suggestion it usually meant something was going to explode.
“We have everyone suit up for combat, and dump heat into the atmosphere up to equipment tolerance levels and then vent.”
“This buys us how much time?” asked Stagg.
“120 seconds under the rate of fire from the last encounter.” Said Arik.
“Alright, what else then?” asked Stagg.
Derick remained quiet for a moment.
“Nope, you’re not having me propose it,” said Derick.
The pseudo-AI flickered the lights on the bridge in annoyance.
“We attack an Empire government ship, and steal its tachyon codes. I will then be able to connect to the FTL communication network they have established.”
“Whoa, attack?” asked Derick, “you never mentioned that!”
“I doubt I will be able to gain illegitimate access to the computer systems of such a vessel without some sort of distraction.”
Derick shook his head, annoyed with her omission.
“We would have complete access?” asked Stagg.
“As much access as the ship we steal the codes from.”
She nodded, and turned around to the rest of the bridge crew.
“I want battle analysis and preliminary projections for this course of action if I decide to use it. Twenty-four hours!” she said.
The Captain turned back to Derick, “I want you to write up the procedures for the in combat venting so that everyone else can use it in their analysis and then actually get a break. Arik!”
“Yes Captain?”
“I want your battle proposal as well, what you will need if I decide we should pull this off.”
“Aye Captain!”
The Imperial, Deep Space
Yuka jumped as the doors to the small quarters she had been assigned opened. Looking up from the relative darkness of her room, she blanched and quickly rolled off the bed.
“Sir!” she said hastily as she stood to look at [Charles].
“Come on, we’re going to dinner.”
[Yuka]’s eyes widened, “With the Emperor again?” she asked.
“Yes, now come on!”
[Charles] was acting someone more abruptly than usual but no where close to the worst [Yuka] had ever received while on the Imperial home-world.
Pocketing her comm making sure to save her place [Yuka] jumped up to her feet and glanced down at her clothes. She didn’t think [Charles] would be patient enough to let her change into something a little more presentable, so it would have to suffice.
“Now [Yuka].”
Following him out into the corridor [Yuka] stepped in behind him, keeping her eyes on the deck.
The former Captain strode purposefully through the ship and it took [Yuka] a moment to notice something odd, his steps were heavy but precise. Their was no hint of a disturbed balance, no occasional small misstep.
Was he sober?
She didn’t know if that would be good or bad, she had only ever dealt with him while he was at least partially drunk.
[Charles] ignored the security personnel who were standing guard in front of the Emperors dining room, and stepped inside. [Yuka] quelled slightly under the gaze of the two, but neither said anything.
“Really?” asked the Emperor as he looked up from a data tablet at the head of the table.
“You want me here or not?” growled [Charles].
Yuka remained silent her eyes on the ground head down in a respectful manner.
She heard a scoff from the Emperor and [Charles] pointed at the same seat she was usually placed at the end of the table opposite the ruler, an empty seat between her and the other occupants of the table.
Carefully [Yuka] sat trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Ignoring the conversation of her betters [Yuka] stared at the table, wishing she were anywhere else, wishing that she could have finished the passage she had been reading.
The serving staff class B’s strode into the room and began to lay out the food in front of the Emperor and his inner circle. [Yuka] briefly glanced up as her equals worked.
The Emperor, [Charles], the small woman from his Cabinet and a woman who as her assistant were the only guests besides herself at the Emperors table. In the back of the room blending into the shadows much like she wished she could do stood the bodyguard of the Emperor.
The four continued to talk and meekly [Yuka] reached out and took a small helping of food from the nearest tray, it was a meat dish of some sort. She didn’t particularly care though, she was always too nervous to taste anything when she was sitting at the table.
The comm buzzed and the Emperor paused to respond.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Sir, we’ve apprehended him.”
The Emperor smiled, “very good bring him here. I’d like to talk to him before he goes to a cell.”
[Yuka] as much as she was trying to avoid the conversation could not tune that out. Carefully looking up from her food, she looked at the doors.
The four continued to talk and [Yuka] watched.
The far door opened, and several soldiers marched in.
[Yuka] gasped, between them was Crewman [Tarin].
“Emperor!” said one of the soldiers.
The Emperor stood and looked at the man. [Tarin] to his credit remained on his feet staring directly at the Emperor.
“Do you know why you are here Crewman?” asked the Emperor.
“No sir.” Said [Tarin] his voice even.
“You are a suspected traitor.”
[Tarin]’s eyes widened.
“Emperor?” he asked.
“He can’t be!” said [Yuka] the words slipping from her mouth. At that she gasped and thre a hand over her mouth. Every set of eyes in the room slowly turned to look at her, except for [Charles]. He continued to eat his food as if nothing were happening.
The Emperor’s gaze on her [Yuka]’s eyes snapped back to the table.
“[Charles].” Growled the Emperor.
“What?”
“I let her sit at the table on the condition she remain silent.”
“You did, but I also said their was something you had to learn from her. You figure it out yet?”
The Emperor turned to look at the old Captain.
“That you enjoy being cryptic.”
[Charles] shrugged. “I tell you and you miss the entire point. You’re supposed to be smart.”
The Emperor ground his teeth and turned back to look at [Yuka].
“Why is he not a traitor then?”
[Yuka] nervously swallowed, and opening her mouth tried to speak. Instead, nothing but a small gasp escaped her lips.
“Speak!” demanded the Emperor.
[Yuka] winced her words were dying on her lips.
Nest, Eridani System
[
“Curiosity, inquiry of appropriate action?” asked Night.
“What will the function be, the advantage of this action?” asked Alpha turning to look at the younger Tanuin.
They were in the nest; the human engineers had just left to allow those whom were still adjusting to the alien presence a respite.
“To confirm the prevailing theory of sabotage.” Said Night as all of him settled into his compartment, skin-to-skin contact like Alpha enhancing the communication between himself.
Alpha thought for several moments.
“No, too dangerous with precarious trust. Better to inform Ben-Megan pair.” Said Alpha.
Night looked put out at that and drooped slightly a low chattering emanating from him.
“They will not believe, think politics will they not?” asked Night.
“Don’t know. Still not adept as politics.” Said Alpha.
“Certain individual more powerful, removal necessitates a replacement in most cases. To humans an accusation can carry as much weight as an actual event. To suggest a more important human is responsible more than circumstantial evidence needed.”
Alpha turned several more eyes to look at the young one.
“Interesting, thought you did not like them?”
“You taught that I should not remain ignorant however. They are strange, but their history shows many reasons for their actions as odd as they are. Understand them perhaps?”
“They do not understand themselves.”
The two fell silent.
“We will need evidence.” Said Alpha. He stood and crawled out of his compartment.
“I will find evidence. Remain report to Ben Megan pair if they enquire.”
“Confirmed.”
]