<Eridani Landing: 9 years 3 months 4 days>
“So how you feeling?” asked Ben.
Megan looked up at him her eyes taking a moment to focus.
“Woozy.”
“Not unexpected the amount of painkillers they have you on. The implants are taking though.”
Megan glanced down at her legs, and the stumps of what was left. Although Ben had placed both tourniquets underneath the knees an infection had set in on the left leg, so they had amputated higher above the knee for that appendage.
That surgery had taken place when she had first arrived back at the main colony. Just hours ago the cybernetic base implants had been installed. Small sockets that connected to her bone and muscular structure to give any future artificial limbs somewhere to be attached.
At the moment she didn’t have the control implants in her spine, those would come later once she had healed more. It was best to get the attachment point implants in as the limb healed to avoid making anything too complicated and allow the body to grow in naturally around them.
“Yeah, and I still get to go through physical therapy,” growled Megan.
Ben smiled and patted her hand.
Reaching into his pocket he extracted a small device and set it down next to her, out of the view of the security camera in the room and in the hallway.
Megan didn’t react save for her eyes darting to the device for a half second. Ben switched the jammer on, any communication device or microphone inside the room suddenly found it’s input to be nothing but static.
Putting his hand up to his mouth Ben leaned forward.
“So, I’ve been looking over the wreckage of the shuttle as much as the Council will give me access to. Whoever messed with the control systems did an incredibly clean job of cleaning up their hack.”
“So you think it really was just an accident?” asked Megan keeping her mouth away from the cameras. The two of them were perhaps being a little paranoid, but anyone who could hack into a shuttle’s systems well enough for neither of them to spot it could certainly get into the security feeds of the hospital.
“No, the maintenance crews might be jackasses, but they aren’t incompetent.”
Megan smiled, “I’ll make sure not to tell them that.”
Ben nodded, “Yeah, and if no one’s told you, you’ve received official gag orders not to say anything about the Squeaks.”
“We’re not seriously calling them that are we?”
“I’m sure some biologist is coming up with a proper name, but for now yeah.”
Megan shook her head in amazement.
“What’s the council have to say about the sabotage?”
“At the moment it’s been ruled an equipment failure. Like I said from what I could get my hands on whoever did this covered their tracks well. They’re more interested in the recordings from your link at the moment, you’re not getting that back.”
“And we don’t have Arik here to try and get into what they are doing, pity.”
Ben chuckled, “What and have her find out that the Council actually has computer security personnel, and that there are some systems she can’t hack into without us leaving the back door open? It would break her heart.”
Megan laughed as well and winced clutching at her chest.
“You OK?”
“Yeah, I’m still full of nano-machines, I’d bet they’re the only thing holding me together at this point.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“So encouraging,” growled Megan.
“Any idea on when the Council is going to try and get back into communication with the Squeaks?” asked Megan.
“From what I’ve been told Yan’s the only one at the moment who wants too. He’s going at it from a tactical standpoint, find out if the Squeaks are an enemy or an ally and deal with them as soon as possible.”
“They helped us.”
Ben nodded, “Probably the only reason we aren’t bombing that entire glacier to bits. People are a little xenophobic given how our last alien encounter went.”
“I don’t blame them. Still though the Squeaks are friendly”
Ben sighed and very deliberately reaching out he switched off the jammer and palming it slid the small device back into his pocket.
“Anyway have fun in physical therapy.”
“Fuck you!” said Megan as she smiled.
“He is awake Emperor,” said the class B, a tremor in her voice.
“Finally,” said [Vann] and getting up from his desk swept past the thing and out into the hall. It was annoying to have her so visible in his retreat, the servants were supposed to be unseen especially if they were not Class A.
She had no formal training which was also grating, still she seemed to be the only one who had been able to deal with [Charles] in his drunken stupor and subsequent recovery.
Stepping into the guest quarters of the Imperial retreat [Vann] looked around to see [Charles] rummaging in the cooling unit. His backside to him shaking as he rooted around in it.
“You got any drinks in here?” asked [Charles].
“Usually, I had them removed,” said [Vann].
Slowly [Charles] took his head out of the cooler and turned around.
“So I wasn’t hallucinating,” said [Charles] he crossed his arms and looked at the royal in front of him.
[Vann] waited a moment for the retired military man to snap into his salute, but [Charles] remained still staring at the Emperor.
“No, you were not.”
“So why am I here Emperor?”
“We’ll discuss that over lunch.”
“I don’t suppose I can refuse?” asked [Charles].
Once again [Vann] was ruffled by the man’s rude behavior, but willingly or not was a politician so he kept his calm.
“No.”
“Lead the way then oh, mighty Emperor!” said [Charles] his tone downright derogatory.
[Vann] winced but said nothing, rising to plainly antagonistic remarks would get them nowhere.
Walking out of the guest quarters [Vann] led the man to one of the smaller dining rooms of the retreat.
The retreat served as a location for the Emperor to relax, away from the prying eyes and politics of the Capital. Originally it had been far outside the bounds of the city, but over the centuries and the expansion of the city it now lay on the outskirts.
[Syn] ignored [Vann] as he stepped into the room, instead continuing to pour of the reports in front of her. [Reece] materialized out of wherever he had been and stepped into the young Emperor’s shadow. This was one of the places where even he could relax to some degree, not entirely but perhaps down to 95% of his normal vigil. He was in charge of security for the abode so he was fairly confident in its ability to protect the Emperor.
The class B girl was standing in the corner of the room looking as stressed and as idiotic as usual, [Vann] ignored her and sat down at the table.
[Charles] trailing in after him looked around at the opulence of the room and with a huff sat down at the opposite end of the small table from the Emperor. Waving his hand he beckoned the class B girl over to him.
“Sit,” said [Charles] pointing at the seat next to him.
The woman paled, “sir?” she asked her gaze quickly alternating between her employer and the Emperor.
“Sit!” repeated [Charles] with more force.
Once again she glanced over at the Emperor, who was now frowning watching the proceedings.
“Captain, it’s hardly proper for a-”
“To bad, sit [Yuka],” said [Charles] cutting the Emperor off.
Looking as if she was about to be sick [Yuka] sank down into the seat next to [Charles]. It looked as if she were trying to use up as little of the surface as possible, keep herself as small and as unimposing as possible.
[Charles] grunted and reaching forward picked up the decanter of juice in front of him and not even bothering to pour it into his glass took a hearty sip out of it.
[Vann] slowly turned to [Syn] his gaze questioning.
She looked resigned, and slowly shook her head.
“I’m not a Captain anymore either,” said Charles as he reached forward and began to pile food onto his plate, and onto the plate of the Class B who so far had not touched anything in front of her.
“Fine, [Charles]. As you are most likely aware there was an antimatter explosion at a facility, the public has been told that it was an experiment to improve energy production,”
“They were actually working on a new form of FTL?” said [Charles] again interrupting.
[Vann] hesitated, “Yes. How did you know?”
“Well you obviously had some inclination that I was involved, how’d you find me? I quit serving the Empire years ago.”
[Vann] turned to [Syn] she cleared her throat, “Consul Marcus had a detail watching you, it was one of the few things that he wasn’t able to completely hide during his cleanup of the accident.”
“That slimy bastard? Heh. Well if this is going to come back to bite him in the ass I’m suddenly much happier.”
“So you know what’s the FTL program actually is?” asked [Vann].
The old Captain looked at him for a moment, analyzing his face.
“You don’t?”
“Unfortunately no.”
“Brave of you to admit it.”
“There’s no point to remaining ignorant out of pride.”
[Charles] considered the Emperor for a moment, “You sure? I used to believe in the Empire, but then I discovered the truth, look what it did to me.”
“Sir!” gasped [Yuka].
[Charles] ignored her.
“You’re treading very close to treason,” said [Vann].
“I’m stating the truth Emperor, I will not apologize for doing so. Keep what you just said in mind, because you are ignorant, dangerously so.”
“Then enlighten me, why is Marcus so concerned about this FTL drive technology?” [Charles] smiled and took a bit out of his food, “The Empire didn’t develop the technology. We took it from another species, or rather we managed to get our hands on the rough schematics for the technology.”
“Class B species that join the Empire are required to hand over all advanced technologies, if a class B species developed this technology why are we having issue duplicating it?”
[Charles] laughed, it was a strained and nervous sound laced with very little actual mirth.
“I never said we took it from a Class B species. Have you heard of Species C1764 Emperor? I do recall you were at the briefings but then getting bored you were escorted out by your entourage no doubt to have your diaper changed!”
[Vann] stared at the Captain, “You’re saying a Class C species developed a method of FTL more advanced than our own?! That’s impossible!”
“Not for this Class C species, not for Humanity.”
“Humanity?”
“That’s their name, I would get used to hearing it Emperor. They represent the mistake that has plagued your glorious Empire since its inception. They are also the single greatest threat to said Empire.”
[Vann] snorted derisively, “A Class C species is not a threat.”
“I thought the same. Humanity is special though, we’ve faced resistance in the past. I myself took part in the induction of several worlds, nothing we have faced compares to them. They are ruthless and intelligent, skilled and tireless. A human does not give up.”
“Then like any other Class C species they are senseless honor-less brutes, how is that a threat?”
“When I say they do not give up, I mean it. They destroyed centuries of their own progress to even get a chance to destroy my ship, they sacrificed themselves in droves and yet their lines did not break in fear. Humanity is not afraid of war or conflict, the revel in it. Our only advantage is technology, but they are surpassing that even. The FTL drive they created and which Marcus is attempting to replicate is only one example.”
“Class C Species are eliminated, Marcus might be slimy but he’s not stupid. You talk as if this species is a threat now, certainly they have been eliminated by this point?”
[Charles] let out another barking laugh.
“Certainly, those left in their home system are gone. They nuked their own planet out of spite, and a couple hundred of their primitive ships were able to escape using the FTL technology they developed. So no they have not been eliminated.”
[Vann] considered the old Captain for a moment, “Do you have anything besides wild stories to back this up?”
[Charles] shrugged, “My crew is still alive and still serving for the most part, the gag orders we were given might hold their tongues even in your presence Emperor. [Marcus] and his ilk made it clear that the repercussions of speaking about the events of C1764 will not be limited to a court martial, or even the individual whom speaks out.”
[Vann] frowned and turned to [Syn], “See what you can dig up, anything that will verify all of this.”
“Does this mean I don’t have to give you my social reports?”
“No I want those too.”
[Syn] nodded, “Alright then, thank you for another week of not sleeping. Emperor, Captain,” she bowed her head slightly to both of them and then turned and walked brusquely out of the hall.
[Charles] took another gulp from the decanter and belched.
[Vann] groaned. Why couldn’t anything be easy?
The contact alarm was something Ben had only heard during drills, so he was surprised when the shrill sound cut through the cold silence of the night and broke all of his concentration. Ben swore and dropped the analysis module he was working over the remains of the shuttle.
The contact alarm meant that a direct and immediate alien threat had been detected. Bursting out of the warehouse where the remains of the shuttle were being held Ben was immediately caught up in the wave of personnel going in the same direction he was, the armory inside this particular building.
“What’s going on!?” shouted Ben as he ran down the hall with the crowd.
A private, barely a graduate from the Fort answered him.
“There are aliens outside the colony!”
“How did they get past orbital defense?” asked Ben as he grabbed his air supply. “They’re coming up out of the ground!”
Ben paused, his hand inches from grabbing the rifle in front of him.
“Shit!”
Ben turned and now ignoring the stream of people around him moved to get to the airlock.
Opening the inner door Ben slammed it shut, ignoring the protests from those around him and not bothering to equalize with the small pressure difference from the outside Ben opened the outer door. He was quickly blasted with the cold of Bellona’s surface, but ignoring it and the fact that he hadn’t actually grabbed a heated jacket Ben jumped onto the nearest dune buggy like transport commonly used by civilians to get around outside the tunnels of the Colony.
Above him Ben could hear the roar of the atmospheric interceptors, shaped like old style jets but powered by closed fusion engines they were monsters that could remain in the sky almost indefinitely. A pair of them shot over Ben even as he floored the accelerator and shot towards the edge of the colony following them.
All around him people were arming themselves and preparing to fight, when it was the last thing that they should be doing. Ben shivered and nearly lost control on the icy road leading out of the Colony, several men already in mech-suits had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit.
“Sorry!” Shouted Ben over his shoulder.
Leaning on the horn Ben quickly made it to the edge of the colony, and spotted them.
Thousands of the small creatures were roiling up from the ground, looking more like a liquid then anything alive. They were crawling over rocks and emerging from fissures looking like a horribly plague of insects ready to pounce. Even at this distance Ben could hear them, the high pitched squeaks that despite the menacing appearance of the hoard were anything but threatening.
At the perimeter of the Colony hundreds of men were already lined up, artillery in place. Ben had no doubt that the ships in orbit had all cannons lined up to make an orbital strike on the mass that was the Squeaks. The interceptors were hovering above the creatures, gouts of plasma fire keeping them suspended and in place.
“Shit!” shouted Ben and he leaned on the horn again.
Making it to the outer perimeter Ben shot out past the defensive line that had formed, and onto the icy plateau that was the only divider between Humanity and the small aliens.
The transport whined as he picked up speed going out across the ice, the electric motors being pushed to their limit. Ben was freezing, he didn’t have nearly enough protection on and with just the oxygen mask he was going to die of exposure in minutes.
That hardly mattered though, all he had to do was make sure that no one on his side shot first, and that he was right about the Squeaks being friendly. If he was wrong he was going to be the first one caught in the crossfire.
Moving out through the field Ben shot towards the Squeaks, even as they picked up speed towards him. Reaching the front line of the creatures Ben spun the little transport around and ground to a halt spraying up ice, the Squeaks stopped as well or at least tried too. A few of the more excitable ones slammed into the wheels of the transport not able to stop quickly enough.
“Hey guys! What’s up!?” said Ben.
They broke into a cacophony of noise again. Ben put his hands up “I can’t understand you! If you can understand me you’re scaring my people!”
Ben pointed back at the perimeter, where he could see several military officials who looked like they were about to have aneurisms.
Looking back at the crowd of Aliens Ben saw several hundred of them retreat away from the transport, leaving behind what looked like a carving in the snow.
It took Ben a moment, the aliens had drawn from their own perspective near the ground and they had emphasized the angles of the face too much, and made the hair on her head look like it was skin but the face looking back at him was plainly that of Megan carved onto the ice.
They let out their questioning squeaks.
“She’s fine!” said Ben and he gave them a thumbs up and smiled, unsure what exactly would get the message across.
Ben shivered, but ignoring the cold leaned back into the buggy and pulled the survival ration and emergency kit out of it.
There were far too many creatures for even the five blocks to feed them all but it was something.
“I need a few of you to come with me, we need to figure out how to communicate! We also need to make sure they won’t shoot at you!” said Ben and pointed up at the interceptors.
Laying the food blocks down Ben pointed at his transport.
Several of the Squeaks ventured forward and quickly retrieved the food, retreating back into the mass with it where the remains of the wrappers were quickly ejected into the air empty. Several of the aliens, one of which Ben could identify as Alpha because of the spots on his back clambered up onto the transport.
Whatever doubts had about their ability to understand was quelled with that action.
“I hope this is a good idea.”
Slowly ignoring the biting sensation in his limbs Ben turned the transport and began to slowly trundle back towards the Colony. The little creatures were clutching at the frame of the vehicle as he moved, but hardly seemed surprised or even concerned with the transport.
Either they adapted quickly to situations or they had ridden inside vehicles before.
As Ben approached the colony a convoy of more heavily armored transports, reminiscent of ancient Humvees broke from the lines and sped towards him. Slowly Ben brought his little commandeered buggy to a halt.
The heavy transports cracking the ice beneath them stopped in front of Ben, and two entire squads jumped out of them weapons raised and power armor humming.
“Don’t shoot!” shouted Ben, and then shivered, “Could I get a jacket!?”
“What the hell are you doing?” shouted a familiar voice, Councilor Yan stepped out of the back of the nearest transport and tossed Ben a jacket.
“Making friends!” said Ben as he pulled the jacket on and turned the heat up, he could feel numbness in his fingers still, mild frostbite most likely.
Alpha crawled up on top of the transport’s frame, the marine’s in sync leveled their weapons on the creature, Alpha and the other Squeaks ignored them.
The humming began, and Ben frowned it was a sound unlike anything he had heard the creatures use before. His eyes widened a moment later.
“Friends,” The pitch was high and the words oddly modulated, no one creature was speaking, instead each seemed to be speaking a separate part of the noise that was human language.
Still the meaning and the intention behind the words was not lost on anyone.
Councilor Yan slowly shook his head.
“You know Ben, you’ve cause me more headaches than I want to admit. The escape FTL jump, that AI, and now this.”
“Sorry sir.”
“Don’t apologize.”
Yan waved his hand at the marines, hesitantly they lowered their weapons.
Stepping forward Yan made his way to the vehicle. Alpha and those flanking him slowly crawled down onto the bonnet so as to be level with the man.
“I greet you as a friend as well.”
Yan held his hand out to Alpha. Leaning forward the alien sniffed at it, and then let out an indignant squeak.
“Ben?” asked the Councilor.
“Food, off him some food. They’re apparently always starving.”
A marine handed the councilor a meal bar, something that had slightly more flavor then emergency rations.
Taking it Yan quickly pulled off the wrapper and held it up to Alpha.
Once more the creatures hummed, “Friends.”
Leaning forward Alpha carefully, and very meticulously bit at the food removing exactly half of it from the councilor’s hand.
The rest quickly disappeared among the creatures and Yan still holding the other half looked at it for a moment.
“Well here’s hoping they don’t have space rabies,” and emulating the creatures ate what was left of the meal bar.
Humanities first and most basic treaty with alien life had been brokered, over a stale chocolate peanut butter ration.