Eternity's Mind (44 page)

The bloaters?

The black cloud roiled and swirled as if helpless, folding back into itself and collapsing at near-relativistic speeds. All that dark matter grew denser and denser, pulled in by its own gravity and pressed inward by some outside repulsive force. In an astonishingly short time, the huge shadow cloud collapsed, its matter increasing in density until a dull glow appeared at its center. Pressing, crushing, condensing—nuclear reactions finally reached a critical point, so that as the nebula continued to fall in toward its center of mass, a proto-star at its core sparked and ignited.

Watching the shadow cloud collapse while the helpless Shana Rei retreated in chaotic terror was appalling to Exxos—because he didn't understand what was driving this catastrophe. It seemed as if the fabric of the universe itself was fighting back, awakened and antagonized.

Abandoning the remnants of their shadow cloud, the Shana Rei fled back into the void to escape the searing pain of the newborn star.

Witnessing such a cosmic disaster made Exxos feel insignificant again. From the mind-ripping outcries of the creatures of darkness, he knew that the same thing was happening at other emerging shadow clouds across the Spiral Arm.

 

CHAPTER

80

SHAREEN FITZKELLUM

Kotto lay in a vegetative state in the sickbay of Fireheart Station, calm, peaceful.

For two days, the best Roamer physicians ran tests and scans while Howard and Shareen hovered nearby. The teens tried not to get in the way, realizing they couldn't help … but it soon became apparent that the doctors couldn't help either.

Hoping for some insight, Howard and Shareen had reviewed Kotto's logs, his cryptic comments and outbursts, speaking to something else out there. And then the final surge that he had invited in, oblivious to what it might do to him. At the time, Kotto's behavior had confused the two compies, and when Shareen watched his final seconds, her heart ached and tears filled her eyes.

The great scientist's brain patterns were completely blank, as if his mind and soul had simply departed, taking along all the magnificent, overwhelming knowledge of the universe that he had supposedly experienced.

After two unresponsive days with no change at all, Kotto Okiah—the greatest Roamer scientist who ever lived—simply passed from life. He stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating, but his genius mind had departed days earlier.

*   *   *

Shareen felt helpless. “If Kotto died to receive all that knowledge, I wish he'd been able to share some of it with us.” She slumped into a chair.

Howard continued to review the logs of Kotto's voyage, scanning through the days of readings, much of which was useless null data. While Kotto was alive, they had focused on the last part of the expedition, when he encountered what he called Eternity's Mind.

Now they concentrated on the other vital discovery Kotto and the survey craft had made. Anger growing within Shareen lifted the heavy shrouds of grief. “Kotto would have wanted us to learn something from this debacle—something we can use.”

She played back the early images of the voyage through the void, when the survey craft had slipped past quiet and crowded black hex cylinders, a gathering of the Shana Rei. She hung on the words Kotto uttered. He thought he had found their secret lair.

“He wanted to bring this to General Keah,” Shareen said. “To let the CDF know that they might be able to take the Shana Rei by surprise.”

They both looked at the ominous images of the dormant shadow cylinders folded inside the void. The huge black hexagons seemed lethargic, unaware … like sleeping predators.

Shareen's lips curved in a determined smile. “We need to go to the terrarium dome, have the green priests send a message that there's a back door at Fireheart, a way to get to the shadows where they will least expect it.”

“General Keah is going to love that,” Howard said.

She and Howard knew how the shadow clouds appeared in realspace to wreak havoc. This void, though, was
inside
the walls of their fortress, behind any defenses they might have. And that suggested a remarkable opportunity.

“In fact,” Shareen said, “this might even be Kotto's greatest discovery.”

 

CHAPTER

81

GENERAL NALANI KEAH

The Confederation Defense Forces had, in the end, done little to defend the Confederation. For all their bluster and armaments, their sun bombs, their laser cannons, they had completely failed against the Shana Rei threat.

During the flight to Theroc, Keah had dealt with her shock, grief, and anger. Locked in her ready-room for hours during the flight to the Confederation's capital, she rehearsed her report, swearing to herself that she wouldn't candy-coat the disaster. Later, sealed in her cabin on the
Kutuzov,
where no one could see her, she wondered how she could tell the King and Queen that she had failed. Her rehearsed lines simply faded away, and General Nalani Keah broke down.

But that was enough of that. No time for sniveling. Finally, drained, hardened, and with renewed resolve, she cleaned herself up, put on her best uniform, and went to speak to Peter and Estarra.

All the green priests and Theron defenders had rushed back from the Wild, and Keah's green priest Nadd was finally able to share basic details with other planets through telink.

After all the challenges General Keah had confronted in her military career, facing the King and Queen on Theroc was the hardest thing she had ever done. She presented images of the complete rout her most powerful warships had suffered at Earth: billions dead, a significant portion of her fleet wiped out in a single battle.

Afterward, she added in a raw voice, “If I could find a way to dismantle those monsters down to their component atoms, I would do it with my bare hands.”

Peter rose from the throne, shaking. “The Shana Rei already tried to kill the worldforest with their nightshade, and it took all of our efforts—your ships, Solar Navy warliners, verdani treeships, and even the faeros—to drive them away. With only the CDF and a few faeros, Earth didn't stand a chance.”

Keah lifted her chin, swallowed hard. “I will recall all our deployed ships and center them here. We have to protect Theroc at any cost.”

Already, the
Kutuzov,
the
Okrun,
and the last sixty battered warships orbited the planet, joining the gigantic verdani battleships that stood guard. The huge orbiting trees were intimidating, and the CDF Juggernauts and Mantas were nothing to sneeze at, but against a million bugbot attackers, they wouldn't be nearly enough.

This was all she had, however, and Keah vowed to do her damnedest. She asked all of her personnel to think outside the box and suggest alternate solutions. In the past, no matter how she encouraged Admirals Handies and Harvard to come up with new ideas, they had still fallen back on old methods … and they had died for it. At least Admiral Haroun had stepped up to the plate. Keah didn't know what hope she could offer.

And then like a miracle, a new possibility fell right in her lap.

In the stunned silence after Keah finished her report, the green priests in the throne room suddenly stirred, touching the wall of the worldtree and receiving a telink message. “We have urgent news from Fireheart Station,” said Zaquel. “Kotto Okiah found a significant vulnerability of the Shana Rei.”

General Keah blinked and caught her breath. “Hell, I'd be happy with even a moderate vulnerability. Write down the reports—I need all the information.”

The green priests furiously transcribed the data coming through from Celli and Solimar, describing Kotto's expedition into the void and how it killed him, but not before he discovered the secret hiding place of the shadows. If Kotto's two lab assistants were correct, the CDF might be looking at a whole different playing field.

Many listeners didn't grasp the significance of the discovery, but Keah burst out, “This gives us the opportunity to sneak up on the shadows from behind! A back door, right into their lair. They won't expect it, and we can choose the right time.” She clenched her fists and let out a low, edgy chuckle. “We've always been at the mercy of when and where the Shana Rei decided to strike. It was defense instead of offense. But if the Big Ring accident made a secret entrance, then we can go there ourselves and strike.”

It felt strange to be filled with enthusiasm and hope, and Keah was going to make the most of it. “Your Majesties, if we keep fighting the Shana Rei and the bugbots the way we have been, we are bound to lose. There is no chance we can defeat them in a head-on military clash, on their terms.”

Peter nodded. “After seeing what happened at Earth, I have to agree.”

Keah continued to press. “Those things want to make every last one of us extinct. We have to try any possibility.” Then she offered a hard grin. Her dark outrage had been transformed into a ruthless determination. “I'll bet Adar Zan'nh would be willing to send his best Solar Navy warliners to the operation. We'll gather as many sun bombs as we can find from the other patrol ships in the CDF—this is where we need to use them. I'll go to Fireheart Station by way of Ildira.” She took a step closer to the throne. “Just say the word, and we'll take the war to the Shana Rei.”

Estarra glanced at Peter and turned to face the General. “The word is given.”

 

CHAPTER

82

GARRISON REEVES

Roamer clans knew how to roll with sudden changes. Garrison had the Handon Station operations running smoothly—accepting salvaged ships, bringing in new workers, setting up habitation quarters. So when he announced that he had to go—because Orli
needed
to go—others could handle the duties he was leaving behind.

Rajesh Clinton, who had previously worked with Garrison at the Lunar Orbital Complex repair docks, waved him off. “No worries, I can watch over things as much as they need watching. The teams are pretty much self-sufficient.” He was dark-skinned and thirtyish, with a bright smile and heavy eyebrows. “Roamers don't need much supervision.”

“Thanks, Jesh.” He hurried to help Seth pack for their trip to Theroc.

Orli was eager to go, with a sparkle of wonder in her eyes after hearing the call of that strange awakening presence.

The
Prodigal Son
was ready within two hours. Rajesh promised to send word to the Relleker salvage fields to inform Xander and Terry. Garrison reassured him, “I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry.”

He would stay with Orli until she found her answers. Maybe that would be on Theroc, or maybe Theroc was just the start of their journey. The
Prodigal Son
raced away from the asteroid cluster and set course for the worldforest planet.

During the flight away from the Rendezvous asteroids, Orli kept rubbing her temples. She would start conversations and try to explain to Garrison, but she couldn't describe what was going on inside her mind. Finally, she said, “Do you remember when we flew away from Ikbir, and we found that cluster of bloaters? All the strings connecting them like a network through space?”

Garrison smiled. “How could I forget?”

“It's something out there. Not just Ikbir, but … everywhere. The bloaters are more than just gas bags.” Orli bit her lower lip. “Arita and I are connected to them and to each other. We need to meet face-to-face.”

*   *   *

When the
Prodigal Son
arrived, Garrison was intimidated by the fearsome-looking verdani battleships in orbit, as well as the battered CDF ships that guarded the Confederation's capital. He transmitted his request to meet with the daughter of the King and Queen.

No one in the capital had any reason to know Garrison Reeves or Orli Covitz, and Arita had no prior contact with them, but the request was unusual enough to draw attention. He was surprised to receive clearance so easily, and even more so when Arita herself sent a message. “Orli? Yes, I've been expecting you … I think.”

When the
Prodigal Son
landed on the polymerized canopy, Orli stepped out into the hazy sunlight and scanned the people moving about the landing zone, technicians and support staff, CDF soldiers and Confederation functionaries. She immediately spotted the young black-haired woman who hurried forward to meet them, accompanied by a young green priest.

“You hear it too,” Arita said. “Something that just started humming, thinking—communicating across the universe.”

Orli was excited. Arita felt like an old friend, although they had just met. “Yes, and it's connected to the bloaters.”

Arita lit up, and she turned to the green priests. “Collin, that's it! The bloaters—I heard the surge of awakening when we were off in the blighted area. Orli's right. Now I understand.”

“But … what do you understand?” he asked.

Orli said in a rush, “For whatever reason, Arita and I have some connection with that presence. Come with us to the bloaters.”

Arita's face was full of wistful wonder. “For so long I thought I was a failure because the verdani didn't accept me, but when they changed me I made a sort of contact—I just didn't realize it. I never quite fit in, because my connection wasn't here.” She waved a hand vaguely toward the sky. “It was out there.”

“Exactly,” Orli said. “The answer is out there among the bloaters. We'll go in the
Prodigal Son
and try to communicate with that presence. Maybe together we can learn what it wants.”

Arita's eyes flashed with determination. “Or what it needs.”

 

CHAPTER

83

TOM ROM

Tom Rom increased speed so he could get back to Pergamus when Zoe expected him. He knew how much she worried if he was late.