AMP The Core (24 page)

A two-hundred-meter swath around the walls was cleared out in under a minute’s time as the Wrens swarmed the air over the battlefield. The Durian ships in high orbit soon broke free and raced down to aid their brethren on the ground. The air battle that ensued was like none I had ever seen.

Our Wrens were invisible to the Durian ships that fired blindly in every direction. Some Durian heavy ion cannon shots hit the ranks of their own in the scramble to kill the attackers who had brought the assault to a stop. I swirled around the battlefield, ducking below the planet’s surface at one point, only to shoot upwards out of a tunnel made from my BHD as it dissolved the earth in front of me.

As I climbed upwards, I would time a shot from my coil gun as I passed through the bridge area of the ship I had targeted. The result was an immediate kill. An hour after Ashley and Frig’s arrival, the Durian ground forces had been cut in half and were beginning to flee from the fields surrounding Furnac. As the troops fled, our full efforts were turned skyward.

Frig, using a targeting algorithm that he had written on the trip from Molov, was busy taking out the ion engines of twelve ships at a time. The wormhole generator he had installed in the Swift’s hold served up deaths by the dozen for the enemy ships.

In another shocking surprise, the 226 Wrens that had come with him had the same wormhole generator weapon installed. In less than an hour, the mighty Durian fleet of more than fifty-five thousand ships was reduced to one-quarter of its previous size.

In a final gesture of cowardice, the remaining Durian ships turned towards their home world and disappeared out of the Tresha system, leaving millions of their ground fighters to fend for themselves. Our Wrens broke off their pursuit, and the planet was soon cleansed of the attacking force.

The Swift landed in the city center of Furnac. I landed my Wren beside them. As my rear hatch opened, I pulled off my helmet and stepped outside in time to see Ashley stepping out of the Swift. For a moment I froze in place, as the emotional overload was too much for my brain to handle. I tilted to one side and then fell forward with my face smashing the ground. I had fainted!

I awoke several seconds later to my smiling wife patting my left cheek. "Hey, you going to be OK, big guy?"

I took a heavy breath as the surge of drugs from my BGS suit cleared the fog from my head. "I am now!"

I pulled her close for a long, passionate kiss. As we left the embrace, the green fog that came as a result of the ion inhibitors quickly dissipated as the inhibitors were switched off. Other than the occasional wisp of black smoke from a downed Durian ship, the sky above Furnac was a beautiful deep blue, only highlighted by the bright yellow Tresha sun.

The Colonel then powered forward from his prior position on the outer wall. "Grange! What happened? Is he OK?"

Ashley looked back and replied, "He’s fine, Colonel. He just got a little too emotionally stimulated."

The Colonel let out a howl of laughter. "Classic, Grange! Classic!"

I rolled my eyes at the betrayal of my manhood by my wife. "I’m good, Colonel. I just got a little too happy, that’s all."

As the four of us stood, I threw my arms out and signaled for a group hug. When the others began to step closer, York blinked in just behind me. I waved her forward.

As I pulled the others in close, my eyes glazed over and the tears began to flow. We had done it! My friends! My species! We were victorious and had earned the right to live! There would be much to do to spread that freedom throughout the Triangulum galaxy, but there would be plenty of time ahead for those efforts.

After fully securing the star system that now held our species, we turned to the efforts of healing our wounded and setting ourselves up for a sustainable existence. Tresha was a world rich in resources and fertile lands. The oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere was perfectly suited to our continued survival.

Cities would be rebuilt, crops planted, and defenses once again fully established, including the new fleet that was still under construction at Molov.

For two days we did nothing but heal and celebrate our good fortune. George concocted a beverage that matched the red Brivad ale that I had so longed for since our run from the Mensa sector.

As I turned up a cup of George’s imposter ale, I spoke. "So, Frig, the wormhole generator—is it still limited to a one-meter-diameter aperture?"

Frig replied, "Unfortunately it is, but I believe that condition to only be temporary, Sir."

The Duke then signaled the Colonel’s comm.

The Colonel placed him on speaker. "What do you want, jackass? We put down your bullies and sent them home with their scaly tails between their legs!"

The Duke replied, "Hello, Colonel. I just thought I would offer my congratulations! You, Humans, are now the rulers of the Triangulum! How does it feel to know that you are the species that bested all the others?"

The Colonel gestured to me to answer. I waved and shook my head. I wanted to remain silent. No good would come from the Duke knowing that I was still alive.

The Colonel spoke. "Kicking your ass felt great, Duke. Now, if you don’t mind, how about you let us get on with our victory party here. You killed a lot of our people, but we are willing to let that go for at least a little while, if you just go away."

The Duke let out a sigh. "Ah, the Human spirit shines through. Enjoy your victory celebration, Colonel. I will be in touch when I am in need of your services!"

Before the Colonel could respond, the comm channel went dead.

The Colonel spoke. "Well, good riddance."

I replied, "Somehow I think he has more in store for us, Colonel. I can only hope that he doesn’t, but I will always remain skeptical of his motives so long as we both live."

I stood and again raised my cup in tribute. "To our fallen Humans! To Frost! And may we long outlive the Duke!"

The others eagerly joined me.

~~~

This Human is asking for your help!

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I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading this book. Chapter 1 of the next book in the series is provided below, I hope you enjoy it as well!

Steve

In the months that followed our great victory over the Durians, our fleet was reestablished and the planet of Tresha reconstructed into a sustainable state. Our species was beginning to thrive with the old Human technologies we had found. Autonomous robots begot autonomous robots, which increased the output of our farms and factories with each ongoing day. The remaining Colossuns were eradicated, as were the nasty Bulgar Consortium. An alliance treaty was quickly signed with the Bulgar who had offered assistance.

Plans were being drawn up to sweep back through the Mensa sector and the hundred sectors we had come through before. Species that were inherently hostile would have no place in the Triangulum galaxy. Friendly species would be free to govern themselves, with disputes settled by binding arbitration in sector councils that would answer to the new Human empire. In a gesture to honor our Human past, and to provide a sense of belonging to all, the empire was named the Alliance of Major Planets. AMP would be the empire to justly and fairly rule all empires.

In the fifth month after our victory, I walked into Frig’s lab in Furnac. "What’s the good news today, my friend?"

Frig leaned back, crossed his short arms behind his wide, flat head, and smiled. "I have done it! I have cracked the problem with the wormhole aperture! I only needed to use harmonic frequencies to achieve the power amplification necessary for widening a portal once it was opened. If you want to follow me out to the Swift, we can make these modifications and give the ship-sized wormhole a try!"

I stepped back and gestured towards the door. "Well, come on! We aren’t getting any younger!"

Frig replied, "Well, technically, Sir, that does not appear to be a true statement for you. You are looking younger every day. In fact, I would say that you appear to be younger than on the day we first met. Do you remember raising your hand in the Batteract Lounge on the Grid as you were looking for a new ship’s mechanic? You appear to be even younger than on that day."

I smiled and tilted my head as Frig walked past. "Really? I think I was, like, twenty-six then. I look younger than twenty-six?"

Ashley joined us as we walked. "What’s the hurry here? What trouble are you two getting into?"

I spoke. "Frig here thinks I look younger than twenty-six. What do you think?"

Ashley replied, "I think you are getting a big head is what I think. It’s time we got you back over to George to do a full workup on you. If that DNA serum is still not showing any ill side effects, it might be time to start rolling it out to the masses, don’t you think?"

I nodded. "Well, if it makes everyone feel half as good as I do right now, I would have to agree with you. And the trouble we are getting into? Frig thinks he has a solution for the wormhole aperture. We are on our way to try it out!"

Ashley smiled as she slipped her arm in around mine. "I’m up for seeing that!"

After boarding the Swift, I sat in the captain’s chair with Ashley seated on a bench just behind me. Frig sat in his usual spot beside me.

Frig spoke. "If you would kindly take us out to open space, Sir, it would be appreciated."

I nodded in reply. "I would be happy to oblige, kind Sir."

With the pleasantries exchanged, we lifted off and were welcoming the empty blackness of space a few seconds later. Frig got to work installing his updates as I spun my chair around to face my wife.

I smiled as I spoke. "So, about this younger-than-twenty-six thing. I was thinking we should go ahead and give you a shot of the serum, you know, so that others don’t start talking about you being a cougar."

The half poking fun drew an unhappy expression and a punch to my upper chest. "Ow! Hey, I was just funning!"

Ashley replied, "There are some things a young lady does not like to be funned about."

I remained silent, which drew another punch. "Ow! Well, what was that for? I didn’t even say anything!"

Ashley huffed, "You didn’t say it, but I know what you were thinking!"

I spun my chair back around. "Tell me something good up here; it’s too violent facing back that other way."

Frig replied, "Sir, even I know that age is not a topic to be funned with when it comes to the ladies. Perhaps you should go back and read the gentleman’s manual again."

I pointed my finger. "Ah, gentleman’s manual. I like that!"

Frig looked at his holo-display and spoke. "To answer your question, I believe we are ready for a test. I am punching in the coordinates for the Molov system. The cesium reactor should have adequate power for a jump to that system."

Frig pressed several buttons, and a wormhole nearly twice the diameter of the Swift opened up in front of us.

I nodded. "Whoa. Are you sure that it’s safe to go through there?"

Frig launch a microprobe. Several seconds later, the data streamed through on his holo-display. "I believe this is the Molov system, is it not?"

I looked at the holo-display. "Hmm. Sure looks like it. OK, well, here we go, then."

I pushed the throttle forward, and we eased through the wormhole like we were moving through empty space.

Once on the other side, Frig again spoke. "Now if you would be so kind as to take us back through the other direction."

I pulled the throttle past the neutral point, and the Swift moved back through the portal in the other direction.

I spoke. "OK, that was easy. What now?"

Frig made several swipes and the wormhole closed. "Now, I want you to push that throttle full forward until we have passed light speed. Then hold us at that speed."

I did as asked and was rewarded with the speed I desired in less than two seconds. Frig then made another swipe of his display, and in an instant we were flying through the Molov system.

I again spoke. "Ah, what just happened?"

Frig replied, "I opened a portal in our direct path as we were traveling above the speed of light. We moved through the portal almost instantly. If you look at your display, you will see that the portal closed behind us immediately. We can only hold the portal open if we are in close proximity to it."

I turned my chair towards Frig. "That’s it? We can jump whenever we want? At any speed?"

Frig nodded as he again swiped the holo-display in front of him. "We can do each of those things."

In another instant, we were heading back into the Tresha system.

Ashley placed her hand on my shoulder. "How far can we jump? How powerful a portal can we open?"

Frig replied, "Calculated results show a maximum distance of 746 light-years."

Ashley sat back. "Well, there goes a visit to Earth. Hey, can we pack enough reactors on a ship to make it all the way there?"

Frig shook his head. "We would need more than three thousand of these cesium reactors for a wormhole that length. However, we can make the trip with this single generator. The wormhole takes approximately ten seconds to construct. With an additional two seconds for programming and passing through, we should be able to continuously construct wormholes as we fly. Given 746 light-years per wormhole, and the distance to Earth, we would have to make 3,352 jumps."

I raised my hand. "So, how long would it take?"

Frig looked upwards as he quickly counted in his head. "Just over eleven hours given optimum conditions."

I stood. "You are telling me we can reach Earth in eleven hours?"

Frig hesitated and then spoke. "Really, Sir. You are too easily excitable. You should sit before you faint."

Ashley laughed. "Sit. And Frig, just answer his question. Are we eleven hours from Earth?"

Frig replied, "Just over eleven."

I raised the Colonel on the comm. "Colonel Harper. I’m with Frig and Ashley on the Swift. We are going to take a little trip. We should be back tomorrow."

The Colonel replied, "Dare I ask where it is that you are going?"

I smiled at the others as I replied, "We are going to keep that little secret to ourselves for the moment. I’ll fill you in fully when we return."

Ashley spoke. "So that’s it? We just pick up and go?"

I nodded. "We have all the supplies we need right here on our belts. We have spares of the filters, food packs, and power packs. And we have the means on this ship to refill them. Besides, we will be back tomorrow. I say we just go right now!"

Ashley looked at Frig for a response. "He is correct, Ashley. If so desired, we could leave immediately after I have programmed in the jump sequence."

I spoke. "OK, it’s settled, then. We are taking a trip to Earth. We are going home!"

After a silent pause, I continued. "And when we return, we are going to go looking for the Gambit fleet. They should still be out there, and we will take however long it takes to find them."

Frig smiled a rare smile. "I should like that, Sir."

Twenty minutes later, the wormhole generator was humming and our first of thousands of jumps was made. In a flash, we were 746 light-years from where we had previously been. Two jumps later, we were out of the Triangulum and into free space.

The blackness of space between the galaxies was as black as one could imagine. The Milky Way was only a dim smudge on my holo-display. Every twelve seconds, for the next eleven hours, the wormhole generator would hum and then go silent. The dim smudge slowly grew to a tiny galaxy and was then looming large in front of us.

I spoke. "It’s beautiful, isn’t it. I’m now wondering what we will find when we arrive. Is Earth still there? Has it overgrown from being abandoned? Has another species settled there?"

Ashley replied, "Sometimes you just think too much, Don. Overspeculation isn’t going to tell us anything."

I turned my chair around. "Don’t you ever dream? Where is your imagination? Mine is running wild with ideas right now. What do you have going on up there?"

Ashley thought and then replied, "I’m thinking about all the work we have to do when we get back. We have a whole government to continue to set up and organize. We have hostile species still out there."

I shook my head. "All that can wait until we get back. This is a huge event for all Humans right here. Frig, what are you thinking about right now?"

Frig replied, "I was thinking about my people. Are they still out there? Have other Gambits survived? Am I the only one of my kind left?"

I turned back to Ashley. "OK, I can understand Frig’s thought patterns, but you need to get with the right here and now. This is Earth! Our beginnings! Doesn’t that stir some level of excitement in your mind?"

Ashley laughed as she nodded. "Of course it does; I just choose not to let my mind run away with speculative thoughts."

I waved my hand at her and turned back to the holo-screen. "One of the greatest moments in our lives, and you want to think about government stuff. Pffft."

The holo-display was soon filled with the stars of the galaxy arm where Earth was supposed to reside. Minutes later, we made our final jump into Earth’s solar system. My heart raced as Frig pushed the throttle forward to move us within sight of our home world.

I spoke. "Well, where is it? I count seven or eight planets. Where is Earth?"

Frig replied, "One moment, Sir. I seem to recall something about a code from the Defender ship. It says to broadcast this sequence on this frequency for a period of at least thirty-five seconds."

As Frig continued to read, I threw my arms up in the air. "Well? Come on! Send the signal!"

Frig turned. "Please, Sir. Allow me to read the complete instruction."

I leaned back in my chair as I crossed my arms. "OK, sure, fine, take your time, we have all day."

As the signal broadcast began, Ashley stood behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders and squeezing. I raised my right hand and placed it on top of hers, stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. For a moment I forgot that my arms and hands were not my own. The feedback from the prosthetics was as real a feeling as that which I had been born with.

The thirty-five seconds turned to fifty seconds and then ninety. "Are you sure you sent the right code?"

Frig replied, "Please be patient, Sir. I am picking up power surges on the sensors. Perhaps there is something that has to be powered on."

As we watched, I continued to squirm in my chair because of the lack of anything visible. Then it happened. A silvery-white ship of immense proportions wavered and then flashed into full view. It was a spectacular vessel with sleek lines and a distinctly rounded shape. It was very unlike the boxy, utilitarian designs of the Human ships I had known.

Seconds later, a second ship appeared, followed by a third and fourth. The handful of ships then grew into a small fleet. The small fleet then grew larger. For a full fifteen minutes, the fleet continued to grow. Spectacular was no longer adequate to describe the silvery-white space fleet before us. When the last of the ships came into view, our counter read more than 105,000 ships strong.

Ashley released her grip on my shoulders after she realized she had been squeezing them hard for several minutes.

I spoke. "That is one impressive fleet. Now, where is our planet?"

As soon as I had spoken, a single silvery-white square appeared just behind the fleet. As we watched, the single square turned to two, then four, then ten. At that point, the squares flipped on quickly and a spherical shape began to form. It was planet size, slightly larger than Tresha and Jarhead. The huge silvery-white ball hung in the heavens before us.