<Eridani Landing: 9 years 3 months 6 days>
Floating to the other side of the sleeping bag Diana tried to get away from the alarm blaring in her ear wrenching her from sleep.
“No Arik!” groaned Diana.
“You are needed for translation services, the alien Captain is hailing us again.”
“Haven’t you figured out how to translate properly by now?” growled Diana as she floated up out of her bag and began to slip into her armor.
“I can translate more accurately than you, but the aliens have gotten comfortable with you as the intermediary.” Said Arik sounding slightly annoyed.
Diana muttered several things under her breath but cinching down the final strap opened the hatch to her cupboard sized personal quarters and pushed out into the main corridor of the ship. It was important to have the suit on outside of the sleeping compartments, it had the latches to hook a helmet on in case of a combat or emergency decompression cycle.
They had been communicating with the alien cargo ship for several days now, and although the stream of information had been almost entirely unidirectional the aliens had not complained. They seemed perfectly happy with just the strange matter. Arik had been able to piece together the motives of the Empire and their reason for attacking Earth with that information as well as what was publically available on the alien data networks.
Formed at least 1500 years ago the Empire was Imperialistic to a degree not seen on Earth in hundreds of years. Following the same practices like the British Empire had on Earth nearly 800 years ago. Any inhabited world they came across was catalogued and categorized, then once enough resources were on hand they took the planet through straight military domination.
There was no negation and no hope of placating them, if your species was deemed salvageable by their genetic standards then you were a Class B citizen destined to be slowly genetically altered into the elite Class A population over a period of several hundred years. If you were not deemed worthy you were wiped out and your planet was turned into another of a thousand conquered worlds.
Diana shuddered thinking about it, if humanity was species C1764 then the Empire had to have destroyed close to 1800 worlds, with populations and people much like Earth had been destroyed. The loss of life culture and knowledge was enormous. The Class B planets didn’t fare much better, their cities were razed and cultures ground to dust to conform to the Empire’s standards.
In a way Humanity was lucky, they had survived. Which was more than what any other Class C species had managed to do.
Not paying attention to where she was going Diana hit the forward bulkhead of the bridge. Everyone on the bridge of both ships turned to look at her as she rubbed at her head muttering curses.
“Ah, Diana there you are,” said Captain Stagg her glare reminding Diana to be political.
[Hollen] and his daughter [Magrith] were the only ones directly addressing the camera, the rest of their bridge crew was present performing the last small repairs. The capsule of strange matter was settled in the middle of the Captain’s old and worn chair, almost as if on top of an altar.
“We must continue on our shipping route if we delay any longer I fear the Empire will send a ship to investigate. Once again I apologize for the damage we caused your vessel, and we thank you for the trade,” The Captain raised a hand over his eye, it was a gesture that Diana had seen him use several times before, it was something akin to a salute.
Captain Stagg snapped to a salute of her own, “You were desperate, I can understand that. I am hoping that what we have traded with you will ensure you do not resort to it again.”
[Hollen] glanced back at the canister and nodded, “I do as well.”
He shifted awkwardly on his feet and looked back at his daughter she nodded to him and the Captain seemed to gather the courage he needed. Slowly he turned back to the camera.
“If what you told us was true than I wish you good luck, but I feel I must once again tell you that trying to resist the Empire in any way will be met only with violent suppression. We are still recovering here on the edges of the Empire from the last Civil war. If it can be called that.”
“What do you mean?” asked Stagg, this was the first time the man had mentioned anything about a civil war.
“I suppose it is one final story I should give you, it’s not on the data networks they have made sure of that. Hundreds of ships, from all of the newer Class B species were gathered. Years of planning and hardship were put into outfitting them with weapons and defense systems, years of training all done in secret. The rebels never managed to make it past the first layer of Imperial defenses around the core systems. Civil rebellions on the different worlds only killed more. Trying to get anyone to join your crusade will be difficult, our wounds are still healing.”
For a moment Stagg was silent absorbing the words. To Diana the words from the alien further broke down her perceptions. She had since she was a child when the fleet landed on Bellona believed that all of the aliens were out to get humans, the little creatures she saw on the ice the last figments of her imagination telling her to retain that sense of wonder and hope about the universe.
On Earth it had never been that simple and in space it appeared that same principal was in effect. Bad people did bad things, some people tried to stop them, and other simply tried to live out their lives. People were people even if their DNA was different.
“I will keep that in mind Captain. Thank you,” said Stagg.
The alien nodded and cut the communication.
Stagg breathed a sigh of relief and let herself float up from the anchor points on the floor closing her eyes she let out a groan.
“You that stressed?” asked Young looking up at the captain above him bemused.
Stagg grunted something back at him.
Young grinned, “It’s only going to get worse from here on out Captain.”
Stagg pushed herself off of what served as the ceiling and smoothly glided into her chair, a well-practiced maneuver.
“The freighter is preparing to make the jump to FTL,” reported Arik.
Everyone looked up interested, they had yet to see anything actually jump to Tachyon FTL despite having done it themselves. The freighter appeared to blur around the edges and then simply faded from view. It was certainly not as dramatic an affair as the massive explosion that accompanied the human developed method of FTL travel.
For several moments the deck was quite, their first alien encounter of their mission had only made things more complicated. The enemy was not some monolithic force. However much rage Humanity held for the death of Earth and subsequent flight they had no right to release indiscriminate rage on the people of the galaxy.
“Arik, do you have a destination in mind for us?” asked Stagg.
“I was told to search for any facility that might house antimatter reserves so that we could make the jump back to Bellona. Unfortunately from what I have been able to discern the production is limited to military usage and is only done inside the core systems.”
“That’s not completely unexpected,” said Stagg.
“I have a suggestion for a destination.”
“Go ahead.”
“The public charts I have access to list a planet called Jikse, an old Class B world that specializes in trade.”
“And this is a good candidate because?”
“With the volume of ships and trade taking place in the system the oddity of our own ship design will be overlooked, the Class B species native to the planet is also more similar to our own in appearance to human so we will blend more easily enabling us to gather intelligence. From what is not directly stated in public data files I say with perhaps 80% accuracy that this planet is a hub for black market trading.”
Young smiled, “Black market, sounds like a good place to pick up some antimatter.”
Arik’s image appeared on the main screen, “Yes, although I thinking more along the lines of alien technologies. We are able to easily produce a substance that is valued, giving us something to trade. Even outdated technology might show us different avenues of research that have been previously closed or abandoned.”
Stagg nodded, “Alright then, sounds good to me. What’s the travel time?”
“50 hours at cruising speed, push the engines to maximum tolerance and we can make it in 33 hours,” Arik displayed the calculations on the screen next to her.
“We’re not in a rush. Helm set course.”
The Canada turned slightly in space, and then engines flaring up for a moment disappeared from view.
Rubbing his temples [Charles] tried to alleviate some of the stress that had built up, but that only seemed counterintuitive as his head continued to pound.
Months, it had been months and still the remnants of Species C1764, the Humans showed no cracks in their defenses, no signs that they might be near a breaking point. They continued to fight and defend with as much intensity as the first day they had begun the assault on the compound.
[Charles] had more respect for the first Captains and soldiers of the Empire though, they had to take all worlds via ground forces, nowadays that tactic was reserved for the meeker Class B planets. Class C species being more violent and deranged certainly put up a better fight.
[Charles] was stuck planet side stuck in the new base set up in what remained of one of the Humans domed cities only several kilometers from the bunker.
[Byn]’s contingent had left the system last week, assigned to the assault on a rather advanced Class B species that needed to be brought into the Empire. From the reports that [Charles] had read the Class B species despite being more technologically advanced than the humans was already close to folding, already calling for surrender.
[Adria] had been investigating the original planet that the humans had developed on [Dirt]. The nuclear bombardment of the world had marred its surface and damaged most of the primitive architecture. Still she thought it salvageable and had begun the standard insertion of corrected organisms into the biosphere, but their progress was slow.
It seemed that even the Flora and Fauna of this corrupted species was fighting them off. If it took much longer for the proper life to take hold it would probably be more efficient to finish the work the Humans had wrought on the planet with nuclear weapons and glass the entire surface coming back in a century or two to seed it with the correct life after everything died.
“Sir a communication from the Bunker,” said [Tom].
Surprised [Charles] got up from his seat. So far they had been the ones who had initiated most communication, were they perhaps surrendering? A sinking feeling in his gut told him that was likely not the case.
“Put it up.”
[Tom] nodded and the ragged face of the General he had always communicated with appeared on the screen. The man had forgone any semblance of a uniform and was clothed in a worn jumpsuit, and from what [Charles] could see he had lost at least a third of his mass. The face looking at him though was not a visage of surrender, but rather an incarnation of death. The man’s skin was grimy and taunt over his skull, and the grin on his lips didn’t look comforting in any way.
“Captain, good to see you,” said the alien his voice being translated and transcribed.
“What is it you want Class C,” asked [Charles] letting an amount of real disgust leak into his voice.
“Just wanted to say one thing, boom.”
“Boom?” repeated Charles unsure what the alien word meant.
On screen the General looked at what [Charles] recognized as some type of time piece.
“Captain!” shouted [Tom], “We just lost communication with the Dancer!”
Charles whipped around to the man, [Adria]’s ship!
“Get communication back!” shouted [Charles] the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach deepening in intensity.
“I’m trying, but all reports show that there is now a massive cloud of debris at the Dancer’s last known position! We’re not even getting location pings from her!”
The alien on screen was laughing now, a broken and crazed sound.
“What did you do?” asked Charles as he slowly turned to face the alien.
“She didn’t ask for permission before she started messing with our home world’s ecosystem. We decided to show her it was a bad idea.”
The alien cut the communication line.
For a moment Charles stared at the blank screen.
“Any contact with [Adria]?”
“No sir, I’ve already dispatched shuttles to go and look for escape pods in the debris, but we’re not getting any signals.”
Sinking down back into his seat Charles looked out the window at the Bunker. They were savages, absolute and complete savages. He had never enjoyed killing the Class C species, or the members of the Class B species that resisted. Now though, now [Charles] was fairly sure he was going to enjoy killing at least one particular alien abomination.
[Syn] handed the report to [Vann].
The Emperor glanced down at them, “This is it?”
“The crew of the Singer and anyone who was involved with the mission have had very bad luck over the past decade. There is nothing that can be proven I am sure but [Charles] and one of his lieutenants are the only ones still on the home world, the majority are missing or dead,” said [Syn] as she scrolled through the report.
“I would say that this is enough cause for me to begin throwing political weight around, try and press some people who might actually know what is going on. Who’s this remaining lieutenant?”
“[Sam Harnich] she’s currently serving as an analyst at the intelligence branch.”
“Explains why she’s still alive, anything suspicious about her death and the spooks over there would never let it go.”
[Syn] nodded in agreement, “I’m working to get her promoted to being my aid.”
“You’re not the intelligence head of my Cabinet, or at least not officially. What makes you think that she’ll go for it, and it won’t look suspicious?” asked [Vann].
“I’m the idiot girl on the Cabinet, when do I ever do anything sensible in the eyes of the old crowd?” asked Syn.
[Vann] chuckled, “True.”
“She needs the money, I’m figuring that will be enough combined with the honor of serving anywhere near the Emperor.”
[Vann] put the reports down and stood up.
“Good, get ahold of her. I’m going to go and try to get more out of the Captain.”
[Syn] nodded, “Alright, but what more do you think you are going to get out of him? He’s made it plain that he doesn’t like the Empire.”
“So he can point out the flaws better than anyone else.”
[Syn] rolled her eyes, “Fine but treat anything he says as being a half truth. Let me at least try to verify it before you act on anything he says alright?”
“Alright.”
Making his way out of the office [Vann] walked through the retreat to the room that [Charles] resided in with his Class B servant.
[Vann]’s nose wrinkled as he briefly considered the woman, the way that [Charles] treated her was odd. He would at any opportunity treat the woman as if she were a Class A citizen, much to the woman’s obvious distress. For now [Vann] was just labeling it as another aspect of the man’s mental breakdown. The woman obviously knew her place.
Opening the doors to the guest quarters of the Retreat [Vann] winced at the pungent smell of alcohol as it stung at his nose. Walking to the bedroom [Vann] found the Class B woman on the ground scrubbing away at the ornate carpets, attempting to clean up the liquid that had spilled out of the bottle that a stumbling [Charles] was spilling as he paced around the room muttering to himself.
“What is he doing?”
The Class B woman jumped and quickly got to her feet.
“Emperor!” she dropped the rag she was using to clean up the mess and winced as it made a wet splat on the ground.
“[Charles] gets like this sometimes, he talks to himself, makes a mess and eventually just collapses.”
[Vann] shook his head in disgust and strode towards [Charles] his hand outstretched towards the bottle he had gotten ahold of.
“Emperor I wouldn’t!”
[Vann] grabbed the bottle, [Charles] jerked and swung his fist around an attack that [Vann] easily dodged and ripping the bottle away [Vann] pushed the off balanced disgrace of a Captain onto the bed.
Turning around [Vann] put the bottled into the woman’s hands.
“You are to keep him sober, I need him coherent.”
The Class B blinked and quickly nodded, “Yes Emperor!”
“I was drinking that!” said [Charles] from the bed as he struggled to get up.
“Sober him up, while you’re at it. Forget the carpet it will be replaced.”
Again the skittish woman nodded.
Exiting the guest quarters [Vann] let out a groan of frustration. [Reece] materialized next to him looking slightly amused.
“Some body guard you are,” growled [Vann].
[Reece] let out a small laugh, “Emperor I am your guard, not your nanny. If you could not handle a drunk with a bottle I would have been very disappointed.”
[Vann] smiled, “True.”
“How long are you going to tolerate this man?” asked [Reece].
“As long as it takes to figure out what the hell happened on that mission. Every indication shows he was loyal to the Empire before it, and disillusioned when he returned. Almost everyone involved with the mission is dead or missing and somehow [Marcus] is involved. Whatever happened it goes beyond a new FTL technology.”
[Reece] nodded in agreement, “Still the man is annoying.”
“He’s an ass [Reece].”
“Yes he is.”
General Yan was smiling, Henson and Hollows were impassive but Councilor Daniels was red in the face. Another indicator to Ben that he had done the right thing with the Squeaks.
“How can we be sure they are not a threat?” asked Daniels.
General Yan looked over at him for a moment, “They are as much a threat as any type of life ought to be, they have not attacked anyone but I would hope they can defend themselves. If anyone has been an aggressor throughout this entire debacle it had been us.”
Daniels scowled and pointed a hand at the collection of Squeaks sitting on the floor in an orderly row next to Ben. Only Alpha seemed to be paying attention to the actual conversation, the others were all happily munching on the food that had been provided.
“Thousands perhaps even millions of them turning up right outside the colony is not a threat?” asked Daniels.
Councilor Henson nodded as well, “We have no idea what they may be capable of. They are intelligent that is undeniable, but believing they are completely friendly due to them assisting you or that they are hostile because they appeared on our borders is foolhardy. At the moment we could eliminate them with ease, so I am inclined to hope they are amicable to peaceful coexistence.”
Alpha let out a squeak at that and jumped up into the air, reaching about as high as Ben’s waist.
General Yan looked down at that and smiled, “I take it that’s a yes?”
“That’s how I’m interpreting it sir,” said Ben.
“We need to figure out how to communicate with them, they seem to understand us well enough but I would prefer it be a two way street,” said Councilor Hollows.
“They were able to speak out on the ice, but that seemed to be with some difficulty. The preliminary analysis I have gotten back from the analysts is interesting to say the least,” said General Yan.
He put his data tablet down and paged through it, “They appear to be constantly emitting sound at close to 30 kHz, but can obviously produce noises at the lower end of the spectrum as well. We are assuming that the 30 kHz communication beyond our hearing range is how they communicate with one another, although basic pattern recognition has been unable to pick anything out of it as an actual language,” said the General.
“So translation might be difficult?” asked Daniels.
“I don’t think it will be too hard, they can understand us so they should be able to help us build a translator, right?” asked Ben addressing Alpha.
He squeaked an affirmative again.
“See we’re already communicating,” said Ben turning back to the members of the council.
General Yan nodded, “Yes, which means for our deliberations to take place we would rather they not be present. They might understand us partially, but they have no cultural or societal context. I would prefer not to say something that might upset them as we discuss the matter.”
“Got it, where cane I take them?” asked Ben.
The General looked at the other councilors, “All public areas. If they are found in classified sections they will be killed, you are also to make sure they don’t cause any trouble,” said Henson looking pointedly at Ben.
“Got it I’m on babysitting duty.”
Ben waved at Alpha motioning for them to exit. Dutifully the creatures nibbling on small bites of food followed Alpha and Ben out of the council chambers, as he stepped out Ben sighed and leaned against the wall.
Alpha looked up at him and let out the same squeak that he had been repeating at least once every ten minutes for the past few days.
“Yes, we can go see Megan.”
The rest of the creatures all let out a happy shrilling tune and shot off down the corridor, Alpha in the lead.
“Hey guys! Wait!” Ben shouted even as he took off after them jogging as quickly as he could through the corridors and tunnels of the Colony.
The Squeaks ignored him, somehow they were making a direct beeline for the hospital, either they could read the English on the signs or they were smelling her or something. In any case the little things were fast, and had no respect for traffic laws.
“Everyone move!” shouted Ben as the creatures came up to one of the central nodes for the tunnel network connecting all of the buildings of the Colony.
A few people looked up at his words, but most everyone noticed as the small creatures shot through their legs and under the small vehicles also in the crowd.
Shrill screams, lots of swearing, and quite a few weapons were drawn from holsters but by the time anyone had collected themselves the Squeaks were down another tunnel.
Ben swore and began to quickly push through the stunned crowd, he apparently could not get through it as easily as the Squeaks could.
“Sorry, gotta catch the aliens, Sorry!” said Ben as he accidentally knocked a few people over and took off at a run towards the hospital.
He had lost sight of the little things, but he was close enough on their tail to see the effects of their sprint through the Colony. People were picking themselves up off of the ground, shrieks were echoing through the tunnels, and at one junction a cage of chickens had been upended and the birds were now pecking and squawking at anyone near them.
“Sorry!” Ben repeated now thoroughly out of breath.
By the time he got to the Hospital complex Ben was far enough behind the aliens that people were recovering as he reached them shaking off the sight of seeing a flood of ugly alien like bugs charging past them.
Ignoring the receptionist and the elevator Ben ran up the five flights of stairs to Megan’s hall, and burst into it, keeling over onto the floor as he did so.
Megan and the Squeaks all looked down at Ben, questioning why he was on the floor.
“You alright?” asked Megan.
“I’m fine, no thanks to these guys!” said Ben pointing at the Squeaks.
“Aww they giving you trouble?” asked Megan. Reaching out she pet Alpha on the head like he was some sort of ugly cat.
Alpha let out a disgruntled chirp and backed away.
“No petting, got it.”
“They just had me chase them across the entire colony!”
“Oh you’re fine,” said Megan.
Getting to his feat Ben came over and sat next to Megan. The Squeaks were investigating everything in the room, large eyes looking at the medical equipment the bed, many of them staring at the remains of her lunch.
Alpha was down by her legs looking at what was left of them.
Cautiously looking at Megan he touched the small pegs that would eventually serve to anchor any cybernetics.
“I’m getting the artificial limbs sometime tomorrow, and I’m starting physical therapy for them sometime the day after that.”
Alpha let out another grumbling squeak and leaning down against Megan’s leg promptly closed his eyes.
Both engineers looked at the creature for a moment, all of the other following the leader’s example promptly fell asleep as well.
Megan looked around at them, “What am I their security blanket or something?”
Ben shrugged, “no idea, makes my job of keeping track of them easier though.”
“So even when I’m injured and recovering I have to do your jobs for you.”
“Yep.”
For several moments both of them were silent.
“Things are only going to get crazier aren’t they?” asked Megan.
“We crashed our shuttle, the Canada is off investigating aliens, we’ve got our own aliens to deal with, I think they will yeah.”