Apex (33 page)

When they'd traveled approximately a third of the way down the city they came to the end of the upper airborne levels and the top of the humongous open water middle third that, while separate from the ocean waters and climate controlled, mimicked the outside environment in that all structures were located
in
the water level rather than being a part of the superstructure that surrounded it.

Riax stood at the bottom of a long, wide series of marble-­like steps that ended in the smooth water's surface, looking down on the glowing lights of the underwater city within a city, so far down that the individual orbs of light meshed into a giant inviting blob, as if a dull star was located beneath.

“I'm not that great of a swimmer, so this may take awhile,” Riax warned.

“No rush,” Ella assured him

Riax walked further down the steps, submerging himself in the water and telekinetically binding his nose shut. He shuffled down the last of the stairs then stepped off into nothingness.

He sank, but slowly, so he bent at the waist and put his head beneath his feet, beginning to swim with a crude dolphin kick straight down. Ella lazily swam beside him, her similar dolphin kick extremely smooth and dynamic with her double-­jointed knees bending forward and back in slow rhythm while her hands remained at her sides, wavering slightly. She looked over at him.

Not as bad as I expected,
she commented.

Where exactly are we going?

Just head straight down. I'll let you know when we get there.

As Riax swam lower, sculling the water with his hands extended in front of him, the light began to resolve into individual clusters before the smooth edges of pod-­like buildings appeared, stuck on the side of long stalks emanating out from the city's superstructure. He had to adjust his line of descent slightly to avoid a four pod group with both interior and exterior lights defining the perimeter. As he swam past he rotated so he faced the small buildings.

Through the windows he could make out individual Cres walking about in pockets of air, as well as floating about in others. As he passed by he noticed forcefield-­covered ventral entrances on some, with lighted open water rings on others.

Are these habitats?

Most are. The rest are recreational.

Obstacle courses?

Far right,
she said, pointing with her mind. Riax spun about so he could keep his vertical descent while he focused on a string of lights below. While he couldn't make out structures down that far, let alone individuals, he could sense minds moving about rapidly as the Cres ran through the course.

Riax swam down a narrow corridor between many clusters of habitats, passing by and being passed by several other Cres swimmers, some of which began to pace him from a respectful distance.

Do I look that ridiculous?

Your knees don't bend. It looks weird.

Riax noted the presence of his ‘escorts' but otherwise ignored them as he patiently swam deeper and deeper through the Cres city, looking at everything upside down. He was really wishing for a tether or lift car or waterslide that would have gone all the way down to the bottom, but he knew the reason there weren't any. If the city was ever invaded the middle water level would hamper non-­aquatic troops and give the Cres a virtually impregnable base beneath it, forcing the invaders to fight them in the water.

Still, a simple handheld propulsion unit would have been convenient right about now. He'd have to build one later.

It took nearly an hour for Riax to swim the full length of the water level, which bottomed out in a sea of stalks rising up from the ground to serve as support spines for the carpet-­like clusters of habitats that covered the floor and sidewalls. Once beneath them the light dimmed as the stalk forest partially blocked the view above.

This way,
Ella said, swimming past him and taking the lead. He followed her to a seemingly anonymous section of floor where the stalks curved about covering a drain-­like concentric staircase.

Riax finally allowed himself to flip over and right himself, feeling a small rush of blood flowing out of his head. He shook off the momentary dizziness and drifted down to the water-­covered stairs, setting foot on the third ring down. Ella landed on the fifth and waited for him to catch up to her before walking on. When they got to the twenty seventh ring their feet passed through a dull forcefield and Riax felt his buoyancy begin to diminish.

Both the stairs and opaque forcefield were unlighted, hiding their presence on the floor of the enormous water level, but once Riax's face passed out of the water and into the air beneath his eyes were met with a bright wash of light emanating from each of the progressively smaller ring-­like steps, in the center of which was a rectangular opening containing a conventional staircase.

Riax followed Ella down into the bottom third of the city, which was awash with more light than either of its upper twins coming from a construction that almost appeared to be built of crystal. He reached out and touched the semi-­clear support pillar on what looked to be a wide promenade with few denizens milling about. It wasn't actually crystal, but a synthetic construct of similar properties.

“This is new,” he commented.

“Oh?” Ella asked.

“This material. What is it?”

“It comes from the seafloor, a substitute for the higher load-­bearing materials our ancestors used. It's usually referred to as Cres Crystal, though I don't know the actual name.”

“Do you export it?”

“Yes.”

Riax tilted his head thoughtfully, running a finger over the glassy surface. “I'll want a sample later.”

“What's wrong?” she asked, frowning.

“Just a hunch I want to check out.”

“Easy enough,” she commented, wondering what he was thinking but not being given enough access to his mind to dig that deep, yet he still had his basic emotional layer open to her, which she took as a continual compliment. When he'd spoken of trust earlier he'd truly meant it. “We have stockpiles in the city, or I can arrange an inspection of one of our mining facilities.”

“How deep are they?”

“Twenty five to thirty kilometers, I think. We find the crystal in collection basins. Too deep to swim, for us anyway. There are creatures that live at those depths though.”

“Too deep for me, I can't take that much pressure. Temperature?”

“Chilly at five to ten kilometers, then progressively warmer the deeper you get. Between the solar radiation and the geothermal heat there isn't any ice on the planet.”

“Salts?” he asked as Ella led him through the lower levels toward the Conclave chamber.

“Minimal.”

“Gravity . . . 1.5?” Riax guessed.

“One point seven,” she corrected him. “The city's life support is set to 1.0. How did you know?”

“Guess based on the size of the planet. How long have you been here?”

“You mean Cres? I'm not sure. At least 10,000 years.”

“You live here?” he asked, picking up on her hesitation.

“I was born here, but most of my time has been spent on offworld assignments.”

Not far from the water level entrance on the promenade they came to a translucent forcefield bubble surrounding a large gathering area built around a tiered depression. The field had a blue tint with Riax still being able to make out the similarly colored crowds gathered no sound was audible, giving the promenade a calm, busy feel as Cres moved about in ones and twos.

“Administration offices,” Ella told him as he looked at the outer walls. “The Conclave is waiting for you inside.”

Ella pointed at a short staircase leading down through the bubble to the crowd.

Riax raised an eyebrow at her.

“I'm not a member. I'll go arrange your visit to the seafloor, then meet you back here afterwards,” she said with a nod before walking off.

Riax watched her go, then turned and squared himself with the bubble shield. He walked down the few exterior steps and gently pressed his left hand against it, feeling a slight resistance as he walked through.

 

Chapter 38

A
S
SOON
AS
he passed through the bubble he was met with a buzz of quiet conversation that immediately dropped off as his presence was noticed. Riax patiently walked down the steps toward the central platform, passing by row after row of seated Cres dressed in a myriad of colored uniforms, some with insignia he didn't recognize, but most of their military and social structure appeared to have remained as it once was.

“I assume the story of how I came to be here has already disseminated its way to you?” Riax asked when he was only halfway down the stairs. He didn't receive an answer until he stepped onto the central platform opposite four other Cres.

“Our apologies,” a green haired male said hesitantly. “Yes it has, though until just now we were not certain as to the truth of the matter.”

Riax looked between the four Cres, three of which were male. “Ley-­Prefect?” he asked.

The Supreme Commander of the Cres military took half a step forward. “Here,” she said.

“Put all systems on alert,” Riax ordered. “Someone has gone to great lengths to prevent my coming here, and I'm not convinced that they will accept failure. They may attempt a further incursion of your territory.”

“Yes, Darmek,” she said respectfully, then turned and looked at one of her subordinates in the first row of seats behind her. He stood, turned, and quietly ran up and out of the conclave to relay her telepathic orders to the fleet.

“I am Riax, Beta, Colonel, C8, L3, X3, 12 . . . and as of now the Human Empire has returned. Key to rebuilding is the collection of our remaining technology, for which I will require your assistance. I have already located several remaining facilities, including an intact outpost from which I retrieved a considerable amount of cargo. That cargo is currently onboard a freighter making its way here through backwater systems drawing as little attention to itself as possible.

“I upgraded the ship so that it can jump in and out of system peripheries, as well as defend itself against moderate attack. Those upgrades cannot be allowed to fall into enemy hands, nor can the cargo. The items contained within are essential to begin rebuilding the Empire. I need a jumpship and escort fleet assembled to retrieve it immediately.”

The Ley-­Prefect sent another telepathic message to her courier en route while he was still in range. “It will take time, but it will be done.”

“Now,” Riax continued without missing a beat, despite the obvious hero worship permeating the room. They'd have to snap out of it on their own because he didn't have time to coddle every Cres he came across. “There has been some speculation that your interstellar communications system has been cracked by an unknown enemy. To circumvent this I built a transmitter on the freighter that operates through different means. I will build another for the retrieval fleet so that you can locate and rendezvous with the ship without potentially giving away its location.”

“I'll provide you with a list of components, but it is essential that I get the transmitter built and the fleet set in motion as soon as possible. I want the ship, crew, and cargo safely in Cres territory before the enemy can track them down,” he underscored.

“We will supply you with whatever you require,” the green haired Cres said, “though I do not know if our technology will be adequate for the task.”

“I'm a tech. I'll improvise,” Riax assured him.

The Ley-­Kepra, commander of all industrial production, accepted his assurance with a nod.

“Ley-­Braga?”

“Here, Darmek,” the male standing next to the Prefect responded.

“Upon retrieval of the cargo, I will need a large amount of raw materials from which to construct the basics of our infrastructure. I hear that corovon is somewhat scarce in your territory?”

“Very,” he said without embarrassment. “Most deposits were depleted years ago, and 73% of our current production is through recycling measures.”

“I will help you locate and access new deposits,” Riax promised. “But I will need most of your reserves to create the machines to accomplish that end.”

“I will make available what we have.”

Riax nodded his thanks, then looked at the fourth individual on the platform with him.

“Ley-­Jupret, once I can supply sufficient elements, I want you to resume construction of your Erantric line of warships. It will be some time before I can field a decent defense force, until then I must rely on the strength of the Cres fleet, which I need as strong as possible.”

The Jupret exchanged glances with the Braga and Kepra. “Those designs are currently beyond our understanding.”

“I'll get your scientists up to speed, but understand this . . . in the years to come numbers will be against us, therefore we must field superior units. Mass production is a luxury we unfortunately are not going to possess for some time.”

“It has been that way for us since the fall of your Empire,” the Prefect noted. “We are prepared for and well experienced in such endeavors.”

“I hope so,” Riax cautioned. “Because right now I am vulnerable and my enemies, whoever they are, know it. I need time to build and I need that freighter before I can set the process in motion.”

“You will have both,” the Ley-­Prefect said firmly. “I'll see to it personally.”

Riax glanced up at the assembled junior members of the Conclave. “You have done well in the Empire's absence. The others have not been so fortunate. I know that the Junta have disintegrated and many of our former associates have lost their way. What I do not know is the fate of our other allies. In order to piece back together what we once had, we need to know what is left. When I have built up sufficient defenses here I will need you to build and launch expeditionary fleets with the intent of locating the Illar, Provarat, Nevar, and Dallek.”

“Simultaneously, we will begin scouting out and claiming new territory to fuel the growth of the Empire. The time for reclusion is over. Through the Cres, the Empire will be reborn and we will reclaim and right this galaxy. At which time your assistance will not be forgotten.”

Riax turned back to the four Cres leaders. “Are you up to the challenge?”

The four leaders exchanged glances and brief telepathic conversations with the others assembled in the Conclave, but there was no need for debate. Each and every one of them was resolute in their support of the Human and they would either succeed or die trying to help him reestablish the Empire.

The Ley-­Prefect responded for them all, with a slight rise of her chin.

“We are, Darmek. Give the order and we will follow.”

“I need more than that,” Riax said, walking up to the Prefect and grabbing her by the shoulders. He held her at arm's length and looked at her startled eyes. “Followers are not enough. I need the Cres to grow up,” he said firmly, releasing his grip and standing toe to toe with the orange-­haired ally.

“I need you to become peers.”

T
WO
WEEKS
LATER
Riax sat in a small dome-­like structure on the seafloor, far from any of the Cres cities. He was alone, save for Ella, and had the unused storage complex to himself as he battled with the program remnant inside his mind, systematically tearing it apart as Ella watched from another compartment. She had insisted on being present, but Riax had demanded some physical distance to diminish the intensity of his involuntary telepathic outbursts. He was fully committing his focus on the internal battle, which left his external senses and barriers virtually nonexistent.

The remnant was aggressive and well entrenched, but never truly had a chance. It did require a great deal of effort and time to destroy, with Riax being forced to take breaks in between bouts. This was his fourth and had already run six tumultuous hours before a large wave of telepathic energy burst out . . . before reducing down to nothing as far as Ella could see.

After a few seconds of no activity she got up from the chair she'd been tensely sitting in and walked across the facility to Riax's room, finding him sitting on the edge of his bed cradling his head in his hands.

“What happened?” she asked, kneeling down next to him and gently probing his mind. He had already reestablished rudimentary blocks, but was allowing her access. She felt a lot of damage and exhaustion, but the hard knob that had been the contained remnant was gone.

“It's over,” Riax said, his hands shaking slightly. Ella gently grabbed hold of one of them, sensing intense anger inside of him.

“Tell me,” she insisted.

Riax took a long time to respond. “The remnant is dead, but the inactive pieces remain.”

“Can't you purge them?” she asked, confused. Her own meager telepathic skills gave her that ability.

“They include some of its memories,” he said, finally releasing his head and looking at her. “We were always confused why we couldn't find their homeworld, shipyards, or even a single population center. All we could find in the core were recently constructed staging areas and outposts. Even after I was put in stasis they never could identify the source of the attack.”

“You've seen their homeworld?” Ella asked, realizing how important this was.

“I think that's what I saw in the dream on the battleship,” he said, trying to hold onto the memories. The more he focused the more they slipped away.

“Do you know where it is, or who they are?”

“No . . . not yet. I'm not sure how much is left and I may have destroyed some of it.”

“What did you see?” Ella whispered.

“They jumped the core to get here,” he said, grinding out each word between clenched jaws.

“The core?” she asked, not immediately understanding. A moment later her eyes went wide with disbelief. “They're extra-­galactic?”

“Which means,” Riax said, standing up and releasing some of his anger with a long slow breath, “in order to win this war we not only have to retake this galaxy, we have to conquer
two
.”