Warrior Chronicles 3: Warrior's Realm (2 page)

In System 176, the crystal node registered the entry. Immediately, it recognized the construct that destroyed its subnode and relayed the information back to the singularity through its own master node. A moment later the singularity itself processed the information. After determining the ship could be converted, it sent instructions back to the main node in 176.

“Captain,” the sensor officer said a minute after transition,“I detect no abnormal activity in the system. We are within real time range of the primary planet and it has not reacted.”

Cort said, “JJ, hit the last planet to be affected please. Let’s monitor the process in reverse this time.”

“Yes, sir.” Captain Jones turned to Doctor Black. “What attack pattern do you recommend, Doctor?”

“I would prefer you use the same pattern, Captain. By limiting variables, I can make a better assessment of the data after the action.”

“You heard the Doctor people. Make the attack identical to the first. Weaps, fire when ready.”

“Firing pattern Black-Beta-One. Yes sir.”

This time the attack took place against what was once a gas giant. While it retained its original mass, the planet was nearly forty percent smaller because the crystallization of the atmosphere caused it to condense. Because of the planet’s still incredible size, the resonators took nearly ten hours to be deployed and forty hours to disintegrate their target. In the debriefing, Doctor Black went over the results. “Cort, once the core began to separate from the debris field, its surface cooled and began to crystallize.”

“So if the first planet is left intact, the others try to recrystallize. Is that about it?” Captain Jones asked.

“So it appears, Captain. In each system we need to attack the planets in order of crystallization. At least according to our current data.”

“Doctor Black, we should make additional observations. If you are correct, we might be able to kill multiple systems by destroying planets several levels back," Speral added.

“She’s right. Let’s put some observation ships in three late-infected systems. Then we move back three levels and attack. If it works, we move back four more. If that works, we are jumping to the center of the galactic arm.”

Speral spoke again. “Cort Addison, I concur. The progression would be logical. It would also stop the crystal’s advance.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s just the beginning though. I think if we shut them down, we might draw out the real enemy," Cort said as he began looking at star maps.

“Cort Addison, what do you mean ‘real enemy’?”

“Speral, the crystal serves no definitive purpose. It’s just a disease that kills planets. Someone or something turned it loose. I want to know who and why.”

“I think you are jumping way ahead, Cort.” Doctor Black said doubtfully.

“I wish I was, Doc. I truly wish I was.” Turning to Captain Jones as he stood up, Cort said, “JJ, you know what I want. Make it happen.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, Speral and I are going Mars. Once you have the data, join us there. Zandra. Come!”

The wolf stood and went through a few yoga poses, then joined her Alpha at the hatch.

“Yes, sir," JJ said.

After her ship left the
Remington’s
main hold, Speral immediately jumped to Ares space.

Aeolis Military Headquarters, Ares Federation

Cort was in his HAWC suit helping assemble a new geo-dome outside the base. The Heavy Armor Warfare Component suit was ideal for the work, and Cort needed the rest. Strapped into the suit’s torso couch, his body was almost completely relaxed as the ATLAS interface short circuited his neural signals, redirecting them to the suit's limbs. His reunion with Kim the night before had been much more vigorous than the work he was doing now. Thinking about her answered another question Cort had thought about since first donning suit. The interface did not short circuit
all
of his nerve impulses.

His comm chirped, and the HUD showed him the call was coming from Scorpion Station, the new capital of the Ares Federation. “What can I do for you Doctor Verne?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you General, but I would like your advice.”

“Is this advice of a personal nature or a professional one, Prime Minister?”

“Professional, General. I would like your opinion concerning our entry into the agreement with the Collaborative Government.”

“I’m out of the diplomacy business, Doc. Sorry.”

“General, it’s not about the actual agreement. It’s about Earth, specifically about moving our government back to Earth and using Mars as the agricultural base for our trade agreements.”

“That’s pretty ambitious. How does Dar feel about it. North America is his.”

“Technically, it’s yours General.” Verne said.

“Excuse me?”

“Would you like the long version or the short version?”

“I don’t think I am going to like either, so give me the short version, Doc.”

“It has to do with existing Earth treaties, your ownership of the Addison Trust, your status with the Collaborative Government, your status with the other two alliances on Earth, your position in the Ares Federation, and the fact that over three thousand of your direct descendents are the sole human occupants of North America. Short version, you own North America. We would like your permission to move our government there and use Mars as the economic base for our trade with the Collaboration.”

“Fuck," Cort muttered, “Doc, this ain't my thing. You know that. Let me call Dar and I'll get back to you."

"Of course, General. Thank you for your time," Doctor Verne responded before adding, “We have an administrative conference tomorrow at 0900 if you would like to join us."

"I don't want to be a big part of the meeting, but I would like some time at the beginning to go over this North America mess."

"We will talk then, sir. Thank you." As Verne disconnected, Cort connected another strut to the dome.
Dar, you'd better be able to handle this.

--

The next morning Cort connected to the conference to find some of the others chatting about farms. Chief Rhodes noticed Cort's connection first and greeted him. Cort said hello to everyone and got right to the matter at hand.

"You get Europe. No one else wants it anyway,"

“Wait," Doctor Verne said. “Why Europe? Why not North America?”

“Because by interalliance treaty, Dar Sike has administrative control of what used to be Atlantica. He has already entered into trade and manufacturing agreements with the other two major alliances on Earth, as well as the Collaborative Government and Speral’s people individually.”

“That’s a problem, General," Verne was clearly angry. “We as a government decided to annex Atlantica. We want that territory.”

“That decision was made before we knew that North America was still occupied.”

“By our people! It should be ours!”

“No Doctor. By
my
people. Yes, they are citizens of the Ares Federation, but they hold the only legal claim to the land. As a member of this government, I recommend we take the offer of Europe. If we don’t, we as a government will lose face, and we probably won’t be welcome back on Earth.”

“And what is your position in this new government of Dar’s?” Verne spat.

“Doctor Verne, I recommend you consider your tone. You and I have never seen eye to eye, but I have always been respectful of you, and I even pushed for you to become our prime minister. I think you have a lot to offer. But your clear disdain for me is clouding your judgement and affecting your temper. I thought we were past that. My position in, and regarding Dar’s administration of North America is the culmination of over three-hundred years of planning and preparation by thousands of my descendents.”

“I see. You want the glory of being the ruler of humanity, but none of the responsibility of running it day to day. I do not have that luxury, General Addison. I have to act in the best interests of our people every single day. You pick and choose when you want to play soldier or ruler. Why do you think you have that right when none of the rest of us do?”

“Doctor, I am, first and foremost, the protector of every member of the Addison clan in the Ares Federation. All other duties are secondary to that. The rest of Federation came to me for help, not the other way around. So long as this Federation does not stand against my family, I will protect it as I have done since the day
I
formed it. Remember that fact, Doctor.
I
formed the Ares Federation. Me personally. I could have just as easily killed every man, woman, and child on this planet. By myself. Do not ever question my motives again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Or what, General?” Verne asked coolly.

Cort stared at Verne’s image on the display. “Prime Minister, Administrator Dar has generously offered you ownership and control of the continent of Europe on Earth. As leader of the Ares Federation’s armed forces, I highly recommend we take that offer in order to secure a foothold on Earth. Ultimately, I believe our future is there. Now if you will all excuse me, I have to get back to my duties. Good day.”

When Cort’s image was gone from their screens, Rhodes spoke. “What the hell was that, Doc?”

Verne took a deep breath before responding, “I have to know how far I can push him. I have to know what the limits of his temper are. I’m turning him loose on the galaxy. I don’t want that blood on my hands, but if it has to be I want to know it’s justified.”

Rand shook his head and whistled. “That’s a damned dangerous game to be playing, Prime Minister. If you want to know how he will react, go over the security vids from previous attacks. I can even get you his military dossier from the twenty-first century. But don’t push him like that again.”

“Rand, I appreciate your loyalty to the General. But the reality is, humanity’s success probably depends on him. I have to know that he will not fly off the handle, and that he will not become a dictator. The only way to be sure is to push him.” Verne lifted a glass of water and drank from it before continuing, “Yes, it is a dangerous game, Rand. Except it is not a game. General Addison may be as cool and level-headed as anyone I have ever met. But he may also be a sociopath. I could care less what continent we have on Earth. Having Europe actually puts us in a better position to trade with the Asians.”

“Then why push Cort over this, sir?” Rhodes had the uneasy feeling that Prime Minister Verne was playing with fire.

“Chief, my first reaction to him saying we could have Europe was genuine. I think you missed something in that exchange. General Addison just declared that North America was becoming its own alliance. Once we take control of Europe, Earth will have four alliances. Our future is completely interwoven with that of his new alliance. So I am going to push him just as hard as I can to make sure that partnership is a safe one for us.”

“He’s right, Chief. Even I missed it," Rand said. “Grandpa just founded a government. And he made it clear that
this
government is secondary to his own.”

“Exactly. And if he is going to turn his back on us, I have to start preparing for that. If he is not going to turn his back on us, I want to be sure he is not a danger to us anyway. So I had to push him. I had to push him hard. To make sure that he is safe, and not a rabid cat.”

Rhodes said, “That could be a good way to get dead, Doc.”

“Better me than our species.”

Rand spoke again. “I won’t shirk my duties to this government, but I need to be clear about something. My loyalties lie with my family. If I am forced to choose between the Ares Federation and my blood, I have to choose my blood. That being said, I think you should start looking for replacements for both Mike Rage and myself. I’m certain he will feel the same.”