Alpha One: The Kronan (20 page)

The void had grown faster than expected. Overnight it consumed not one but two planets and the next nearest planet to the biggest of the three stars was under threat.

The proximity of the void to the star had created a maelstrom within the stars burning core, forcing super radiated heat to the surface, sending huge solar flares outwards into the cosmos.

Doctor Kathryn Porter stood at the data screens looking perplexed.

“It’s not all what I had expected James. The superheated radiation seems to be stopping the void from encroaching further on the third planet. It’s almost as if the star is protecting it!”

“Are you telling me that the star has the power to stop the void?”

“That is what it looks like. The void is continuing to grow, but away from the star. It has adapted and is heading toward the wormholes.”

“So, the wormholes will be absorbed, three stars should stay intact, and the void will be contained within the system?”

“I am still not certain whether the wormholes will be absorbed or whether the stars natural defenses will force the void beyond the system and into the next. Remember that despite the super radiation, the void is still growing much faster than I had predicted earlier today. We should know soon. At this rate, we will need to move the Botanic further out and soon.”

“I guess all of your predictions are wrong now?”

“Yes, very! What I can say is that the wormholes will be under threat from the void in a matter of hours. It is not a foregone conclusion. Look, the void is eating into the planet—it is too far out to benefit from the star’s protection.”

“I am loath to move our position, until we have to. I want to see what effect the void has on the wormholes and then we can push back a bit. It’s is going to get a bit close for comfort in here. Are you okay, with that?”

“I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be at this moment!”

The two scientists stood transfixed as the Tri-star System continued to reshape. The void continued to grow and adapt to the changing circumstances, like an air bubble squeezing through a tiny space. Its shape was changing but without any regular pattern.

“The star is heating up! The superheated radiation is causing the star to change. It is growing quickly, morphing to a red giant. Something which usually takes billions of years is happening before our very eyes!”

Kathryn Porter was bubbling over with excitement. This was it for her. There was no greater seat in the most spectacular show ever.

Neither the two scientists or the technicians or crew of the Botanic realized quite how close the void came to the ship. The ships commander was the first to notice the new threat.

“Doctor Cameron. The void is closing in fast. We need to move back quickly.”

Cameron turned and blind panic suddenly took over.

“Get us out of here Commander!”

He realized it was too late.

“Get a message to the other observation ship. They must try to stay around to witness the wormholes destruction.”

The void’s unpredictable growth had caught everybody by surprise and as Cameron completed his sentence, the Botanic was consumed by the void.

* * * *

The second observation ship was a small converted Alpha cruiser headed up by Lieutenant Commander Francesca Arianne. It was set well back and was recording readings from the second star and its planetary bodies. She had just witnessed the destruction of the Botanic.

She stood transfixed, staring at her monitor, as it dawned on her, what had happened. They had not stood a chance.

Arianne was an Alpha Research scientist in her fifth year after graduation. She considered it a great honor to be asked to join Doctor Cameron on this trip and that her superiors had trusted her with her first commissioned vessel, to allow Alpha to remain as an integral part of Cameron’s project. Now, she was suddenly thrust into the limelight.

“Helm, move us forward five hundred thousand kilometers. We need to observe the wormholes as closely as possible without placing ourselves in imminent danger. Keep an eye on that void. If there is even the slightest reduction in the gap between us, move us back to safe distance. Do not wait for my order!”

It was all happening so quickly. She did not have the chance to mourn the loss of James Cameron, who she had known since she was a small child. Her parents were lead technicians in his commercial laboratory. She was deeply saddened but she did not have time for that right now.

“Open a comm. link to Alpha One. I need to advise our status.”

The comm. link opened but there was too much static interference from the super heated radiation emitting from all three stars.

“We will have to send a sub-space message once this is all over. Make sure we have everything recorded properly.”

“The void has reached the smallest wormhole.”

“Shields to maximum. Okay everybody, standby. Literally, anything could happen now.”

The trio of Alpha technicians and their commander watched as the wormhole was slowly absorbed into the darkness. There was no reaction; it just disappeared. In an instant, the void reached the blue wormhole.

This is it,
thought Arianne.
Will the void close the hole or not?

She did not have to wait long for the answer, as the blue tinged sky was suddenly no more. The blue wormhole had dissipated without a trace and the final wormhole was disappearing too.

“That’s it. It’s gone,” shouted one of the lead technicians.

“Our job here is done. Let’s get out of here!”

“Wait! Let’s not get carried away. The wormhole is closed, which is fantastic, but we still have to see what the void does. The second part of our brief is to witness what effect if any the void will have on the Tri-stars and the outer systems. Move us back to our original position. We will monitor the void from there.”

The bizarre and horrific events of this afternoon had both enlightened and then scarred her, but she had to remain professional.

“We will see this out properly. Out of respect for the loss of the Botanic and its crew, if for nothing else. Helm, Keep a very close eye on the void. I do not see this lasting long.”

* * * *

In the end, she was right. The void’s growth had already begun to slow, controlled by the three surrounding stars and their superheated solar flares. Whether there was a lesson to be learned for future sub–space fissures was doubtful. It was unlikely that charges would ever be detonated so close to a star ever again, but this did at least provide evidence of how the growth of a sub space void could be prevented.

In just a few short hours the void had consumed the three wormholes and the Botanic and it had stopped growing. A vast nothingness had come into existence, a tombstone forever for the thousands who had died within it.

No sooner had Admiral Rodriguez’s mini-task force joined the main fleet, Jonathan Hoskins was summoned to join Rodriguez and Shenke aboard the Viceroy.

Shenke spoke first.

“Thank you for attending gentlemen. Admiral Rodriguez, Jonathan Hoskins is acting up, to give us the fleet quorum we need. He will remain in command of the Halo 7.”

“Thanks Admiral, Commander Hoskins and I have worked together previously. I am pleased to see you have your fifth star commander. This acting up role will give you a valuable insight of high command and the politics, which usually underscore it. I am sure today will be no different.”

Shenke looked a little surprised, Rodriguez was not renowned for his cynicism and he wondered whether he really wanted to be here.

“We will try to keep politics away from this, Admiral. We are here to refresh our battle strategy. This is a last stand gentleman.”

“Well, we need to work out what has gone wrong. We have lost over half the fleet and we have still not defeated them. This is your stewardship, Admiral.”

Hoskins looked stunned but Shenke would have none of it.

“We have destroyed over half their fleet. The difference being their losses number into thousands and ours hundreds. Do the maths, Admiral, this has been an ‘effective’ campaign, but it is far from over.”

“The objective was to keep them away from us. We are just four light years from Earth. You have failed and now ‘we’ need to pick up the pieces.”

Hoskins was flabbergasted “You have got to be kidding me. What is this achieving? Admiral Rodriguez, your assessment is incorrect. We need to move on from here and determine our strategy going forward!”

“Do not forget your place Commander Hoskins. You are only acting-up.”

“Enough of this. Commander Hoskins is acting up and in this room has equal status. Thank you for defending our position, Jonathan, But don’t worry I am more than capable of fighting my own battles. Admiral Rodriguez, let us get one thing straight. This is my fleet, not yours. If you have nothing constructive to offer then you can take your ship and leave.”

“Fine, but please be aware that my brief, while accepting that you are the fleet commander is to mix things up a bit. Since the political points are made, shall we move on?”

“I believe that the onus is on you to bring some new ideas forward.”

“Very well. Obviously, the Jump Ships are the key strategy. What percentage of our available Jump Ships are in sortie at a given point in time?”

“Currently sixty-two percent. That is lower than historically, as we have a large number of ships in repair and pilots signed off.”

“That figure should be nearer seventy percent, even with those excuses. Can I ask, at what point does a pilot get signed off?”

“That is a bit of an open question, but the simple answer is when he is unfit to fly, be it for whatever reason, including fatigue, which is obviously a big issue right now.”

“I presume they are on 4-4-4?”

“Yes.”

Hoskins was keeping a low profile, allowing the two Admirals to interact alone.
If Rodriguez was trying to make a point again, rather than be constructive…

“If you were to change to 6-6-6, that would push your percentage up, would you agree?”

“As would any increase in hours. It is a question of practicality. The fleet coordinators were pursuing the best roster options with the individual CAG’s.”

“So, we have ten thousand Rapiers, about fifteen hundred Sabres and say two thousand hunters? Given their importance, perhaps one of us should take over their coordination?”

“Are you offering?”

“I thought perhaps Commander Hoskins.”

“No, this is your specialty. I am happy for you to assume command of the Jump Ship divisions. Your assessment of numbers is about right. By my calculations, if you can get the numbers up to seventy percent, a further thousand ships will be operable.”

“I am on it.”

“Good. Okay, overall, strategy is to enhance the Jump Ship capability, but we still need to look at ways to bring the Jump Ships into play. We are targeting the Kryl cruisers in groups of about one hundred, with support from our battle cruisers and PBA capability. The Sentinels are deploying all of their fighters to this flank here, with their dark ships against this bank of cruisers, with tactical nukes. This is the section protecting the mother ship.”

Hoskins waited for an opportunity to add his thoughts on the process.

“I am not sure that is the best way to make the most of the Sentinels. The Kryl are already aware of their nuclear arsenal. I think they should be allowed to float and pick off the small groups. Plus, we have nukes. Should we use them?”

“We can’t use nukes or sub-space charges in close proximity. The floating Sentinel cruiser is a good idea. What do you think Admiral Shenke?”

“Yes, I agree. We can put that into operation immediately—assuming they cooperate. We do need to use our full range of weapons though. Jonathan, could you take the Halo and perhaps twenty cruisers and arm them all with sub-space charges and nukes. If we target at key areas on these flanks.”

Shenke pointed to three different positions on the Holoscreen.

“This should create weak points for us to target with either nukes via the Sentinels or SS charges via Commander Hoskins.”

“An excellent idea. The main mass of our cruisers can then support the Jump Ships with the plasma cannons and PBA’s. Okay, I agree with that. I will work with the Jump Ships. I assume you will take on all the rest.”

The meeting broke up and Hoskins headed back to his shuttle. To be specifically asked to carry out a mass sub-space attack was unheard of and politically suicidal. If the fleet could split the Kryl, then it could work. He knew he was the junior partner and that the sparring episode between Koenig and Rodriguez was mostly for his benefit, but he was confident enough to speak up. One of his plans was adopted in its entirety. Now they just had to make it work.

“Yes, I have just heard. We lost Doctor Cameron and his crew, but the wormholes have all gone. Let’s hope this time its permanent.”

“Alpha’s reputation will be tarnished by this and ecologically, it is a disaster, that system was rich in resources.”

“I am aware of that, President Roslyn and every time we use sub-space charges, we have to live with the havoc that they cause, but right now we don’t have much choice.”

“No, I can see that! It is all critical now. Can you give me any assurances?”

“Not really. We are doing everything we can—the fleet is at loggerheads with the Kryl. SED is ready; the shields are effectively ready. We just have to sit tight and hope.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, hoping is not something I would expect to hear from the CIC of Alpha!”

“I agree. But everything is in place. The battle is being controlled autonomously and every aspect which needs to be addressed is in hand. We just need to continue to ensure we remain battle ready at this end and that we follow up on the peripherals. I mean intelligence and specifically, the highlighted weakness of the Kryl and diplomatically, via Lieutenant Colonel Harrington and his team.”

“What news can you tell me of intelligence?”

“There is a lot going on. The de-briefing of Lieutenant Samos is complete. You will recall he was the patrol commander who we recovered from the Kryl vessel.”

“Yes a quite remarkable story. Has he highlighted any weaknesses?”

“Yes and no. Morvalt, the new Kronan, referred on several occasions to ‘inherent weaknesses in the Kryl’s genetic make-up’. Beyond that, we know very little.”

“What about specimens? I presume we are testing?”

“Yes, both live and dead subjects. No significant conclusions were brought to our attention yet but much of the sample data has been corrupted by battle trauma.”

“I guess, that’s military speak for the bodies brought in were too badly beaten up!”

“Yes, that as well! Seriously, our forensic teams are working round the clock, with assistance from the ECG, I might add. If there is any detectable weakness we will find it and then work out a way to exploit it.”

“You will let me know if any further help is required.”

“Of course. That’s about it for the update.” Koenig stood as if to walk the President to his door.

“We should discuss the diplomatic situation briefly.”

Koenig seemed reluctant, but sat down again and shrugged his shoulders.

“There is not much to discuss is there. We know that they intend to invade and that they will try to kill as many of us as possible in the process. Whether that is in the course of the battle or as a food source, is the only unknown.”

“Do you not think we should discuss any offers they make to us sensibly? We would almost certainly reject now, but in ten days, we might not have much time.”

“We don’t have much to discuss though. We really do not know what their intentions are. I have asked Harrington to push for more information again.”

“The question is whether we will be prepared to compromise and accept them, if we know we cannot beat them?”

“I am a military man. I will find a way to defeat them one way or another.”

“Yes, Thomas, but there comes a time when it all has to stop!”

Koenig took his time before responding further.

“As you know it is never really over. We do have contingencies.”

“The so-called Fleet of last resort—your Contingency Fleet?”

“That is one possibility. Look, there are too many variables here for us to have a meaningful discussion. What is clear is that we both need to act as one for us to agree anything with the Kryl. My problem is not with that; it is with the possibility that we may at some future date consider agreeing anything with them. That is abhorrent!”

“Fine, so let us at least agree that if we are forced into a position where we have to make a decision, we will meet to discuss and try to understand the objectives of both of our sides.”

Thomas Koenig nodded. This time the President stood, smiled, and clasped both of Koenig’s hands to his own. “We continue to rely very heavily on your success Admiral, please do not let us down.” He ventured towards the door, but turned just before he reached it.

“You know Thomas, it really would help if you were to come clean on some of your clandestine operations. We know you have a large force waiting in the wings. As your President, I really should have the right to know the detail.”

“Some things, Mister President are supposed to stay as rumors, even to the big guy.”