Read The Phoenix Project Online

Authors: Kris Powers

The Phoenix Project (9 page)

    
“What else do we need?” Madison asked and looked
at Elliot.

    
“A destination.”

    
“What has the brass
recommended?” Madison
asked.

    
“Not much more than pick a
star and go.”

    
“Can we get a little more
specific?” Joshua inquired.

    
“Let’s take a look at the star
charts and see what’s out there,” she replied.

    
They both bent to their tasks.
Elliot relaxed back onto his couch in the dark and turned the INN back on.

 
 
 

    
Lathiel impatiently waited for
some word of the probe they had dispatched hours ago. He found it difficult to
keep his mind from wandering as time passed. Lathiel fiddled a while with his
index fingers imbedded with thick nails, before giving in to his thoughts.

    
The remaining Ferine colonies
needed every last ship to defend their home world. Of all the other conquered
species in the Old League, only a few of their warships wandered here and there
looking for allies to retake their home worlds. None had bothered to look for
help within the Ferine’s borders. Perhaps now, after their unlikely attack,
they might come.

    
He heard a beep from his cousin’s
console. Lathiel jumped up from his couch.

    
“The probe’s arrived. It’s
transmitting data,” Ranik reported.

    
“I was starting to worry something
had happened.”

    
“I was beginning to think the
other end of the wormhole had collapsed.”

    
“So, what is it reporting?”

    
“The exit from the wormhole is
nearly ten thousand light years away.”

    
“That far? How could that have
happened?”

    
“A wormhole can go as far as
it wants to. I’d say we were lucky it didn't end on the other side of the
galaxy,” Ranik said.

    
“We’re lucky if it didn’t hit
anything.”

    
“You're right there,” Ranik
said. He lifted a slightly wrinkled index finger to his lips as he perused the
data. “There is one star system nearby. The beam exited the other end
approximately forty hours ago. The system is inhabited.”

    
“Can they detect the probe?”

    
Ranik bent back to his amber
instruments for a moment. “No, they haven’t detected the probe. It’s difficult
to categorize their level of technology. They're more advanced than us is some
ways, less in others.”

    
“Could you be a little more
specific?”

    
“They appear to be very
aggressive,” Ranik replied.

    
“Great. We’ve found the
perfect people to antagonize. Where is the weapon?”

    
“It’s approaching the star
system.”

    
“What?”

    
Ranik regarded his distant
cousin in dismay. “It’s headed directly in there.”

    
“Will it pass through
unobstructed?”

    
“No.”

    
“Where is it going?” Lathiel
inquired.

    
“It will hit the satellite
orbiting the third planet.”

    
“Will it destroy it?”

    
“Yes.”

    
“Is the moon inhabited?”

    
“Not anymore, but there are
structures there.”

    
“Then maybe we can salvage
something from this mess.”

    
“Not necessarily,” Ranik said,
sheepishly.

    
“What is it, cousin?”

    
“The probe’s data indicates a
high probability that
 
it will also
strike the planet,” Ranik replied.

    
“God Above, another war.”

    
“You know what we have to do
now.”

    
“Do you think that they’ll
understand why we did this?” Lathiel asked.

    
“In every civilization there's
always someone who is willing to listen.”

    
“I hope that it’s someone
important.”

    
Ranik snorted. “Maybe. Come on
Lathiel, we did this before the war. Let’s set a course for the stars. For old
time’s sake?”

    
“It’s a three
and a half day trip.”

    
“Do you have
any cards?” Ranik asked.

    

I think I have a deck somewhere. It is a little dusty.”

    

We can start the bet at two Sterling,”
Ranik said.

    

A little high to start.”

    

Are you in or out?” Ranik asked.

    

I’m in,” Lathiel replied and addressed the navigational officer.

    

Would you be up for a trip, Bisby?”

    
The great, striped Ferine
towered over his console at the center of the bridge. “Coordinates?”

    

Where the other end of that wormhole is.”

    

Already have it, Lathiel,” he said.

    

Execute.”

    
The organic blue ship with its
connected set of wings began to glow from the emitters attached at either end
of its appendages. They flashed before the entire ship became a tiny bright
star and disappeared from that part of the galaxy.

    
The Easter
Island Agreements’ last battle was fought to overthrow what they
perceived as the real threat to their continued survival. The Coalition. To
achieve
 
this, they sent all of their
reserve forces against an Alliance
weakened by a decade of war. With the Alliance
occupied by a full scale attack, they could send only thirty—seven warships to
reinforce the Coalition lines at the climatic battle at Phobos. The number
become a motto for many Coalition soldiers afterwards and is still believed to
have originated the long standing schism between the two surviving powers.

 

    
A Great Downfall: The Last Days of the Easter
Island Agreements

    
 
by Ronald Emmerich

 

Chapter IV

 

“I don’t know about this,” Fleet Admiral Nelson said. He sat at the head
of a table with the twenty most senior admirals in the fleet. They resided
within a room of concrete deep below the streets of New York.

    
“I think there is an issue
here of putting all of our eggs in one basket,” one of the many admirals said.
“If the Phoenix Project is a failure, then we would have no other recourse but
to surrender to Coalition forces.”

    
“And you’re telling me we need
more options?”

    
“I’m suggesting that we need
to ensure the Alliance
survives this.”
 

    
“I hear what you’re saying,”
Nelson said. He brought a glass of water to his brown lips. “I hear what you’re
all saying, but the military hasn’t drafted a general order in fifty years.”

    
The other general leaned
forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the thick conference table. “We
need to ensure our survival, Ronnie.”

    
“Signing this seems like an
early notice of surrender to me.”

    
“It broadens our options.”

    
“I will sign this only with
your full backing and I mean everyone’s.”

    
“You’ve got it,” said the
first admiral, her hands outspread in a placating gesture.

    
“What about you, Eli?” Nelson
looked down the table to the admiral facing him from the distant end of its oak
surface.

    
“I have the same reservations
as you do Admiral,” Elliot replied.

    
“And?”

    
“I hate to admit it, but under
the circumstances, it’s the best decision for all concerned.”

    
“Fine.” Nelson took an
electronic pen to the document and scratched his signature into the link.

    
“Thank—you, Admiral.”

    
“Don’t thank me, Clair. I may
have just ensured that a large part of our population becomes future bohemians.
Now, if that’s all then I suggest we adjourn.”

    
The gathering of brass got up
from the table and slowly filtered out of the room. Fleet Admiral Ronnie Nelson
caught up with Elliot before he could return to the
Endeavour
.

    
“Thanks for coming, Eli.” Nelson
extended his right hand.

    
“No problem.” Elliot said, returning
the handshake. “Why did you need me here? All of the other admirals here have
been around a lot longer than I have.”

    
“You’re head of Phoenix now, Eli. I
needed some firsthand input.”

    
“Thanks for the call.”

    
“Do you really agree with the
new general order?”

    
“Honestly?” Elliot asked.

    
“You can speak freely here.”

    
“I don’t know. It seems like a
good idea on paper. I would just like to know if this sort of thing will be
good for everyone left behind,” Elliot said.

    
“I know what you mean, but I
assure you, I will only give this order if there’s no other option.”

    
“Is there anything else? I’ve
got to get back to finalizing the initial plans for the project.”

    
“How is everything going? I
heard you found a few adjutants to help you out,” Nelson asked.

    
“Things are going pretty well.
The only thing we’re having a problem with is building the warhead.”

    
“I’ll make sure you have every
resource you need,” Nelson said while they walked down a fluorescent lit
corridor. Elliot stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.

    
“It’s not that. We can build
the warhead and have it ready within a few months.”

    
“So what’s the problem?”
Nelson inquired as the last of the other admirals passed between them.

    
“Is it necessary to have the
warhead? We’ll have what we need with the new ships and the transports for the
civilians.”

    
“Now Eli, this won’t work
without it,” Nelson said in frustration, “you know that. The only way the Coalition
will let our ships leave is with the threat of that warhead hanging over their
head and that’s that. Without it, they’ll corner us in less than an hour.”

    
“I guess so, Sir.”

    
“Good. Is everything else
alright?” Nelson asked.

    
“Yes, the rest of the project
is proceeding apace.”

    
“Then I won’t keep you,”
Nelson said.

    
Elliot nodded and began the
walk towards the lift that would return him to the surface.

    
“Eli,” Nelson said to his
retreating back. Elliot stopped and turned to face the Fleet Admiral.

    
“You’re not the only one who
had reservations. I protested too. The Prime Ministers overrode me despite my
objections. I wish it was a different story. Why did you suggest the name Phoenix, anyway?”

    
“It’s from a poem my wife
loved. It seemed appropriate.”

    
Nelson smiled politely with a
brief look to the ground in memory of Lillian before saying: “Dismissed.”

 
 
 

    
Ranik placed a number three
card to his total on the square, black table.

    
“I’ve got twenty—five.”

    
Lathiel pulled another card
from the deck and placed a four in front of his cards, bringing his hand to a
total of twenty—seven.

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