Inherited War 1: Retribution (8 page)

13

Cole was alone and walking the halls of the ship he was prisoner on.  The edges had kind of a hazy quality and nothing would really come into focus for him.  He had just lain down to take a nap it seemed when he was suddenly up and on the outside of the cell door.  So he figured he would go for a walk.  It was nice to get out and walk he thought.  Unfortunately none of the doors were opening for him in the hallway and the hall seemed longer than it normally was.  It was at this point Cole thought that something was a little off.  He just didn’t care though, it was nice to be out.  As he walked down the sterile hallway he came to a door that slide open.  It slid into the floor, the opposite of what they normally did.  Again he really didn’t mind.  The doors could go wherever they wanted.  He stepped through the open door and onto the bridge of the starship. 

It was quieter than the last time he was here but it was also empty of anyone.  The consoles all seemed to be turned off and the lights up high
, almost too bright.  He shrugged and headed for the Command chair.  He sat and reclined in a good imitation of Captain Kirk.  He swiveled back and forth for a few moments enjoying the feel of the very comfortable seat.  He was about to get up and head back to his cell when a voice he recognized sounded from behind him.

“Hello Cole I am sorry it has been a while since I last talked to you.”  It was the voice from the dream he
’d had while undergoing the last procedure.  “We should have a little more time together now and I will answer some questions if I’m able.  But first I want to tell you the time is coming when you will have to make a decision on how you want to begin the rest of your life.  It starts when you board the first ship we left for you and your people, our children.  I know I am just a memory encoded into your DNA but the programmers did too good of a job and I feel like, I don’t know not alive but somehow here.  I am not sure if this has ever been done before but I think the coding may have mutated to give me more than just access to the Pure Humans knowledge stored in your brain.  I have watched you from the moment I was activated and have feared for you, worried for you and laughed at your small triumphs over our enemies.  I am here for you Cole and will help anyway I can.”

Cole sat still and closed his eyes.
“Could you, um I don’t know, maybe manifest a body or something for me to look at when I talk to you?  If you can I mean.”  Cole looked up and opened his eyes to look around.  Standing just in front of the forward main screen was a man Cole had never seen before but recognized instantly.  He was as tall as Cole’s six three.  But wiry to Coles solid frame.  He had a full head of grayish white hair and had angular features.  “Is that what you really looked like all those years ago?’  He asked.

“I think so at least this was the form that came to me when I thought about manifesting myself.  Is it okay?”  He asked.

“You’re some kind of ancestor of mine?  Right?”  Cole asked.

“Well an
ancestral memory of someone who is so far back in your past there isn’t a word for it other than maybe your ultimate ancestor.  Is it that important to you?”

“I just never knew my parents or anyone of blood relation so it’s kinda like you are my only family and you
’re sharing my body and brain so, yeah, it helps to think of you as my infinite great grandpa or something.”  He paused for a moment before continuing.  “So what, if anything, do you know and can tell me of what’s coming up?”

“I cannot predict the future
, unfortunately, but what I can tell you is that you are entering a very dangerous area of space.  I, along with the other leaders who survived the initial purge, set this area up as a staging, and dry dock facility for you to use.  We gave it the best defenses we could and keyed their shutdowns to your DNA which is unique in the galaxy.”  He continued.  “If nothing, else you must remember when you wake from this that when you reach the outer perimeter, before the defenses engage your ship, you must broadcast a message containing every line of your current DNA.  Then wait for the response.  It will most likely come in the form of a small scout ship that will do a complete scan of the entire ship.  At which point it should recognize you and allow you to pass.  This part is also vital for you to remember.  You must convince the Admiral to go to the smaller commando ship first and avoid the larger cruisers and destroyers.  Their defenses are only able to be shut down from the commando ship.  The difference between the ships is obvious.  The Commando ship is much smaller than the others and it should power itself over to intercept your ship.  By taking control of the commando ship you can power down the rest of the ships or have them destroy this inferior ship.  It will of course, be up to you.”

“What of the AI that I spoke with earlier, can it be trusted?”
  Asked Cole. “And can it do all those things it said, to help me?”

“Yes to both.” 
Replied the ancestor.  “The AI’s were especially designed to inhabit those ships.  So we are very lucky indeed to have one on board this ship.  The AI will guide you in the real world as my counterpart.  And once we board our ship and you connect to it, I may be able to interact directly with the AI and help it tell you more about our history and purpose here in the galaxy.  That is my hope any way.”

Cole got up from the chair and began to pace around the bridge.  He turned back toward his ancestor
.  “What is the point of all of this?  Why force us into a war that we lost thousands of years ago.  Why not just let humanity go about its business on Earth?  I just don’t understand the need for all of this subterfuge.  Is this what you really wanted for us?  To muddle through life evolving, fighting wars, killing each other, regaining lost skills and knowledge, all to be able to re-enter the galaxy to take up the war you lost?”

“No, this was never our intention.  I was almost a thousand of your years
, when I died Cole.  I had maybe a thousand years left in me, barring accident or murder.  We just wanted knowledge.  We looked at everything and asked, why?  We abhorred violence in all forms and tried to see the goodness in everyone.  We only had weapons and shields on our ships to protect us from chance encounters with debris in space.  Up until the purge we had never fired a weapon at a ship in anger.  We were woefully unprepared for what happened.  And your world was already seeded with the next chapter in humanity.  You were to be our greatest triumph of science.  We had to ensure that you were able to survive on your own and have the skills we lacked to fight back against your enemies.  We knew we had lost our fight but we also knew that if anyone ever discovered your existence, you would end the same way we did.  We felt obligated to ensure that did not happen at all costs.  The last of us sacrificed ourselves to prepare the way for what you are about to do.  If you claim the fleet, staff it and soar off to the stars to do battle with the betrayers, that is your choice.  If you take the ships and park them around Earth as a defense force and never leave the Sol System, that’s fine too.  As long as you’re protected and your future is ensured is all that we wanted to accomplish.  We were exterminated, as far as I know, to the last pure human.  We don’t want that to happen to you because of us.  I just hope it will be enough.”  He actually looked like he was weary.  His shoulders sagged and his arms hung limp at his side.  Cole felt sorry for him and felt the awesome pressure of fifty thousand years of preparation weighing down on him.  “Our time here grows short.  Ask one more question of me then I will be away until your first sleep on board the Commando ship.”

Cole squared his shoulders and walked over to where his ancestor was standing.  “I have only one more question for you.  Since you are my family I would like to know your name and
what you did?”  He stared intently at his ancestor waiting for a reply.

“My name was
just Jarrod.  We had no use for more than just the one name.  I was the son of the leader of the supreme council.  It was given to me to follow in my father’s footsteps and lead the galaxy after his passing.   But instead, after my father’s death during the purge, I was the first and last Commander in Chief of our forces, and the architect of your people’s destiny.  I failed at the first but hopefully won’t with the second.  Now, my boy it’s time to wake up and prepare yourself for the next phase of your life and know that I have complete trust and faith in your abilities.”  As he said goodbye he slowly faded away.  Cole sat down again in the command chair and leaned back.  He hoped he could remember more of this conversation than the last one he’d had with Jarrod.  He looked around one final time before he felt someone shaking him, asking him-no begging him to wake up.

14

“Wake up Cole.”  Sky shook him a little harder.  “Come on wake up.  Don’t make me thro
w water on you. I will do it if I have to.”

“
Gah, okay I’m awake, I’m awake you’re going to dislocate my shoulder if you shake me much harder.”  Cole said trying his hardest to come fully awake.  He was back in his cell and whatever he had been dreaming about was slowly slipping away into the recesses of wakefulness.   He blinked the sleep from his eyes and sat up on the bench.  And immediately clutched at his lower back as it started to spasm.  “Jeesh next time you get to sleep on the bench and I get the bed.  This thing is a pain to wake up from.  Speaking of which, why are you waking me up?”  After rubbing his back into submission he started on his neck.  Then moved onto cracking his back as best he could to relieve the pressure of an uncomfortable sleep.

“You were thrashing around and talking to someone named Jarrod I think.  I couldn’t quite make out what you were saying.  I figured it would be better if I woke you up instead of the short fall to the floor.  But next time I will leave you the pleasure of a fall
, if this is how you are going to come awake and not thank me.”  She got up and moved around to sit down behind him.  “Now hold still while I work the kinks out for you.”  She expertly manipulated the muscles and vertebra in his back to help him relax.  Cole said nothing coherent, he just groaned in pleasure.  After a few minutes on his back she moved up to his neck and made his head loose on his shoulders.  By the time she was done with the massage and spinal manipulation, Cole felt like a new man.

“Best m
assage ever.  God I feel like a wet noodle. You’ve got magic fingers Doc.”  He said looking over his shoulder with a dreamy eyed look on his face.  “I could go right back to sleep after that.  It was better than, well better than some things I can think of that are really good.”  He sighed and turned to face Sky. “Thanks Sky.” He said.

“
I was glad to do it Cole. I forget sometimes that you have just been though a major operation and you are not at one hundred percent yet.  I was trained in relaxation techniques to help patients relax and be comfortable before and after procedures.  Now do you remember what it was you were dreaming about, it seemed rather important to you?”  She asked him.

“Shit
, that’s right, I am not sure why I know this, but I know how to get this ship past the outer perimeter and safely to the Pure Human ships deeper in the system.  Umm, damn there was something else I was supposed to remember but I can’t get it.  Arrggg, it's on the tip of my tongue.”  Cole slapped his hands up to the sides of his head and started massaging his temples.  “Bah, no luck.  There is something I am supposed to remember but I can’t right now.  I am going to think about this until I remember.” He hung his head still rubbing at his temples. 

“I think the procedure is starting to pay off
.  You may be remembering things that were stored in your DNA.”  She sat back in thought for a moment.  “I think that when you get into situations were certain knowledge is needed, you will find it bubbling to the surface of your brain.  There is a good chance that when you need it the information will be there.  Can you remember anything else from your dream?”

Cole leaned back against the bulkhead and rubbed at his eyes.  “I vaguely remember talking to someone, maybe this Jarrod person.  I was on the ship but it was empty and I went to the bridge and sat down in the command chair.  I heard a voice but I
can’t for the life of me remember what it said other than the way to get past the outer defenses and into the ship yards and dry dock area where the ships are waiting for us.  Well it may not be important, if I can’t remember it, but I need to speak to the Admiral before we get too far into the system.   Otherwise we might not make it back out.  That defense net around the inner system will shred this ship to bits before we get anywhere near the yards.”

It was at that moment that the door opened and the guards stepped in.  They leveled their rifles at each of them.  “
Admiral wants you on the bridge now.  So turn around and hands behind your backs.  No sudden movements, the Admiral won’t mind if you arrive unconscious.”  The guards proceeded into the room and bound their hands once again behind their backs, and lead them from the cell.  They shoved them forward down the hallway and stopped at the door to the bridge.  The door slid open and Cole was relieved it slid up and not down and paused a moment to consider this.  He got a rifle barrel jabbed into his back for his trouble and he stumbled onto the bridge.

“Ahh my most honored guests have arrive
d,” said the Admiral.  “Please come in and resume the positions that you had the last time on board the bridge.”  He pointed at the chair Cole had been strapped to the last time he had been here, and at a new one installed for Sky to sit in.  “Now, tell me more about this interesting dream you had human.”  He showed a toothy smile as he said it.  After a few moments of silence he said.  “Come now human, I heard what you said to my pet there.  We all want to know what we have to do to get past the outer defense grid and into the ship yards, so no keeping information to yourself.   Besides, I know you think you have some grand plan to escape my clutches and avenge yourself upon me.  You can’t do that if we die well short of our goal. Now can you?”  He barked a sharp laugh.  “Now how do I get by the defense grid alive, or do I have to give you a slight demonstration of the fun me and the doctor had a few nights ago?”

“No
, don’t do that I will tell you.”  Said Cole.  “Just don’t hurt her anymore.  Please Admiral.”  Cole said meekly.  He hung his head and began to tell him what he remembered from his dream.  “I don’t know why but I had the distinct feeling that in order to get past the defenses we had to approach but not pass the outer limit of the defenses and broadcast in a message that contained my current DNA makeup.  That will be the password that will allow us to pass.  After receiving the message the defense grid should send out a scout ship to do a full scan of this vessel and if everything checks out okay i.e. there is at least one human of the right genetic makeup onboard, the scout will depart, leaving us to enter into the deeper parts of the system.  That was all.”

“Really, that was all.  What about the part you forgot. 
Couldn’t that be important too, human?”  The Admiral sneered at Cole.  “Did you really forget or just not want to tell me?  I will hurt the lovely doctor if I don’t find myself believing what you say human.  And I know all the right places on her to make her scream the loudest.”

Cole shuddered.  “No please
, I’m telling the truth, I can’t remember the last part, I am telling the truth. Why would I hold that back from you? I don’t want to die any more than you do.  Please, believe me, I can’t stand seeing Sky hurt again.” Cole pleaded with the Admiral hoping he wasn’t laying the scared human on too thick.  The Admiral regarded Cole for a few moments playing up the drama for the crew when alarms started going off all over the place.

“Wh
at happened?”  The Admiral roared.  “Status report NOW!”

“
Sir, we just had a detonation, about one light hour off our port.  We are gathering readings right now it will be a few moments.”  Replied the First Mate.  The Mate hurried over to a rat looking being, sitting by a brightly lit console.  After a few seconds of harshly whispered conversation the Mate straightened and turned to face the Admiral with a look of anguish on his face.  “I’m sorry to report Sir.”  His voice chocking up.  “After entering grav warp travel the engines on your yacht experienced catastrophic failure and the grav collectors released their energy all at once.  The ship and all on board are a total loss.”

The
Admiral sat back in the command chair at that news, forgetting for a moment about his demands from the human for his forgotten knowledge.  He rested his chin on his hand and rubbed it slightly.  “Does this, in any way, affect our mission here?”

The Mate looked stunned.  “No Sir, it does not.  Though we are very short on supplies, Sir.”  The mate looked stricken and not at all well after the news of the yacht’s destruction and the Admiral’s reaction to it.

“Well
, good then, don’t worry about it and cancel the alarms.  We’re getting ready to end this mission shortly and after I have my ships, this one can go back for our supplies.  I told that idiot Captain he was tweaking the engine signature too much.  Oh well, time to go forward.  Set course for the outer defense line speed at full.  Bring us up short by a few light seconds, I want to have plenty of time to send our message.”  At the navigator’s console, a 3-D image popped up from his computer showing the system’s sun and planets in full detail.  At its heart lay a Red Giant star.  It had four planets in orbit around it and two asteroid belts.  The paths of the planets orbits were marked as yellow circles around the sun.  The navigator zoomed in on the outer most asteroid field.  The detail was astonishing, Cole thought.  It showed a cluster of asteroids that had what appeared like buildings on, or near them, and a spattering of smaller icons that were probably the ships they were here for.  Around all of that was a bright red line that completely circled the section of asteroids that contained the dry docks, ships and shipyards.  Cole wasn’t sure on the distances, having nothing to judge it by, but it looked like a mighty big area.  In fact, it was a bigger area than the red giant at the center of the system.

The navigator selected
a set of coordinates just shy of the red circle and entered them into his computer.  Cole felt the grav collectors spin up to full power then the steady hum of the engines kicked in.  The main monitor flickered on and showed what had to be a forward looking perspective.  “ETA thirty minutes Admiral, until we reach optimal communication range.”  The navigator said.

The
Admiral didn’t respond.  He had in fact leaned forward in his seat in anticipation.  He had spent the last two centuries of his life working towards this goal.  It was finally in his grasp.  All the rumors, reports and outright false hoods, had brought him here to this moment.  He had climbed so much higher than anyone would have given him credit for.  He surprised his peers when he won his commission as an officer in the sector navy.   He had worked his way up the ranks achieving the rank of Admiral, building his shadow organization along the way with siphoned funds from the navy budget.  Then two centuries of toiling through the reports garnered from old spacers and some just plain crazies.  Finding a mention here, a rumor there.  He did it, he found Earth, humans and the last Pure Human fleet.  They would all be his.  He would conquer all that would not bow to him.  Unite the galaxy under his rule.  He would show everyone that he was the smartest, most cunning being ever to live.  He would enjoy every moment of it too.  Thoughts of world leaders groveling before him danced through his head.  His mouth spread into a vile grin.  Yes, they would all bow to him eventually.  The ship hurtled through space towards destiny and it was grand.