Stars & Empire 2: 10 More Galactic Tales (Stars & Empire Box Set Collection) Read online

  “But you’re not sure, are you?” asked Jason, noticing the AI’s hesitation.

  “No,” Ariel admitted in a voice that sounded a lot less certain. “The interior defenses will be controlled by the base’s computer. It should recognize you as human. Once inside the base, you will be carrying a communication device, which will continue to broadcast the Avenger’s identification codes. Those codes should allow you to proceed deep into the base until you can make contact with the base’s computer.”

  “That’s a lot of ifs,” Greg complained with a heavy frown. It sounded to him as if Ariel wasn’t that sure about what would happen once they got inside.

  “If you can get inside the base, I can use the communication device to speak to the installation’s computer. Once I identify myself, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

  “Let’s hope not,” Jason said. “We all want to come back home.”

  He had spoken in great detail with Colonel Greene about this mission. Colonel Greene had made it extremely clear how important this mission was. In order for the Earth to be ready to face the Hocklyns in 268 years, they needed every advantage they could find. An intact Federation base would be a huge step in the right direction. It could save them years or even decades of research. Particularly if it had facilities to construct additional warships.

  -

  It had been forty-eight hours since the shuttle had left the Moon. Greg was gazing out the cockpit window at the stars, deep in thought. If their mission was a success and his son followed in his father’s footsteps, then someday he might get to travel to one of those unblinking specks of light. Around some of those stars would be planets waiting for people from Earth to plant colonies on and grow into powerful allies. Someday those colonies and Earth would face the Hocklyns. On that day, it would be decided whether humanity would be free or become part of the Slaver Empire. In some ways, Greg was glad that he wouldn’t be around to see what happened.

  “Shuttle is still on course and all systems are functioning normally,” Ariel reported over the com system. She was tied into the shuttle’s computer and was constantly monitoring the shuttle as it flew through space toward Ceres.

  “Ariel,” Greg began, still thinking about the Hocklyns. “What do you think the odds are of Earth being able to survive when the Hocklyns arrive?”

  Ariel was silent for a moment. This wasn’t the first time she had been asked that question. “There are a number of possibilities. By the time the Hocklyns reach Earth, there is a very good possibility that Earth will have a powerful space fleet. At least comparable to what the Federation had. In the case of Earth, we know the Hocklyns are coming and what has to be done. We have 268 years to prepare. The Federation had less than a year.”

  Greg leaned back and closed his eyes. He noticed that Ariel had used the term we. That was encouraging. If this base on Ceres was a bust, at least they still had Ariel and her knowledge. This was a war he would never see or take part in, but he knew it would occupy the rest of his life. He let out a deep breath and opened his eyes gazing out at the stars. It was difficult to imagine the danger they hid. For years, he had watched the distant stars and dreamed of flying to them. Now they hid a menace, which could wipe out the human race.

  -

  Jason was back in the passenger compartment talking to the rest of the team. He wanted everyone to be ready for whatever they might face once they reached the asteroid. He had already gone over in detail the possible defenses they might run into. Earlier, he had covered the information on the data disk that Lisa had. His face had gotten pale when he realized the extent of the defenses they might be facing. Lisa was currently briefing the others on what the base might be like.

  “According to Ariel, this base could be immense,” explained Lisa, looking around the group. “If they were able to finish it, the base would be capable of supporting over 100,000 people and would have repair bays for all of their major warships. There would also be bays for the other ships that were with them. If they had enough time, the base was to be expanded to contain full construction bays capable of building any Federation warship.”

  “How could they build such a large base?” Professor Stern asked with doubt in his voice. He found it incomprehensible that the humans in the refugee fleet could have built the base Lisa was describing. An undertaking such as that would have taken years, possibly decades. “Surely they all died out from the flu before much work could be done or we would have heard from them. It’s more likely that all we’ll find is a partially built base and perhaps some of their ships with their dead still inside.”

  “They had a work robot that resembled a large spider,” responded Lisa, shaking her head at Professor Stern. She opened a folder and handed Karl a picture that she had downloaded from Ariel. “They were about six feet long and could be programmed to do almost any type of construction job, including building warships.”

  “Mean looking suckers,” mumbled Professor Stern, looking at the picture and then passing it on. “They do resemble giant spiders. But I still don’t believe they could have built this base.”

  “And they had these in the evacuation fleet?” asked Marvin Tennyson, looking over at Lisa. Marvin was an astrophysicist and extremely knowledgeable about the geography of the Solar System and the asteroids.

  “The colony ships had them,” Lisa answered with a nod. “They would have been used to do the majority of the work in setting up a new colony. They could also have been used to help build the base.” She looked over at Professor Stern, whose expression still showed the faintest hint of skepticism.

  “If the base is there, it’s possible we might encounter some of these construction robots,” Jason informed the group, looking around at each one. “If all the humans died out due to the flu, the robots might have been tasked with finishing the base and then maintaining it. At least that’s what we’re hoping. It might also explain why we haven’t heard anything from the base.”

  “How dangerous is it going to be to approach Ceres?” asked Adam, folding his arms across his chest. “Won’t we be in danger of hitting other asteroids as we get closer to our destination?”

  “Even in the area of space where Ceres is located, asteroids are few and far between,” answered Tennyson. “The asteroids are the remains of a planet that never formed in our Solar System. They exist in a ring between Mars and Jupiter but never coalesced into a planet. Ceres is the largest and according to some of my colleagues, is considered to be a dwarf planet.”

  The meeting lasted for another hour, and then everyone retired to get some rest. The interior of the shuttle had been remodeled and large, comfortable acceleration couches had been installed that could be reclined to allow the crew to sleep in relative comfort. Food and water were contained in storage bins in one wall, and there were several microwaves to heat their food. The shuttle had enough food and water to last the mission for several weeks if it became necessary.

  -

  It was a little over twenty-six hours later and everyone was feeling nervous. The shuttle was nearing Ceres, and Ariel had already started broadcasting the Avenger’s identification codes toward the asteroid. Lieutenant Addison was watching his scanner and sensor screens, which now showed the asteroid as well as numerous other small asteroids in close proximity to Ceres.

  “Why are there so many small asteroids around Ceres?” asked Addison, feeling perplexed. He hadn’t expected to find so many. After speaking to Marvin Tennyson, he had expected Ceres to be the only asteroid on his screens.

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Tennyson replied as he gazed in confusion at the scanner screen. It showed over fifty small asteroids within two hundred miles of Ceres. Most ranged from one hundred to three hundred feet in diameter. “Ceres own small gravity field should have cleared these out years ago. From watching the scans, it seems as if these asteroids are in orbit around Ceres. That’s impossible.”

  “Not if they’re disguised weapons platforms,” Ariel commented over the com syst
em. The small orbiting asteroids had been a surprise to her also.

  “Weapons platforms!” Greg spoke with alarm in his voice. He had hoped there wouldn’t be any. “Could they still be functional after all of these years?”

  “Possibly,” replied Ariel, sounding a little tense. “The Avenger’s identification codes I’m broadcasting should stop them from firing on the shuttle. These small asteroids may be proof that the base was indeed built.”

  “If they do fire, can we avoid the incoming ordinance?” asked Jason, eyeing the controls in front of him. The shuttle wasn’t a fighter jet or one of the high performance space fighters that used to be in the Avenger’s flight bay.

  “No,” Ariel replied in an even voice. “As long as we continue broadcasting and don’t show any aggressive moves, the shuttle should be fine.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” commented Greg, shaking his head dubiously. “You’re safe on the Avenger.”

  Jason glanced at the scanner screen on the main flight console in front of him. It was now covered with blips indicating the numerous asteroids they were nearing. He watched as Ariel adjusted and plotted a new course which should take them safely through. Tension crept into his shoulders as they continued to approach what might be Federation weapons platforms.

  “New course plotted,” Ariel reported after a moment. “I’m putting the shuttle on a course that will stay as far away from the possible weapons platforms as possible.”

  “I want everyone to get into their acceleration couches and be prepared for some violent maneuvers if we’re fired upon,” Jason ordered. He was worried that if they were fired upon that there would be nothing he could do to save the shuttle.

  Ariel remained silent. She knew if the platforms fired, the shuttle would be destroyed. The interceptor missiles from the Federation were quite accurate and fast. The shuttle would never be able to get away in time.

  “Ariel, have you detected any type of response at all from the base?” asked Jason his eyes focused intently on the scanner screen. He had hoped that once they began broadcasting the Avenger’s codes that there would be some type of reaction.

  “No, Commander,” Ariel replied in an uneasy voice. She was beginning to wonder if this mission had been a mistake. “I had hoped for some type of response from the codes, but so far there has been nothing. I will continue to observe and let you know if anything changes.”

  Greg looked over at Jason, shaking his head. “I don’t like this, Jason. If even one of those platforms fires, this shuttle won’t stand much of a chance.”

  “I know,” responded Jason, glancing uneasily out the cockpit window. The asteroids weren’t visible, but he knew they were there. “Lieutenant Addison, keep a close watch on the scanner screen. Greg, make sure we continue to broadcast the Avenger’s identification codes.” Jason returned his gaze to the scanner screen and the numerous contacts it was showing.

  Greg leaned forward and checked the com system. Ariel was still broadcasting the codes, but there was still no response from Ceres. “Maybe the base’s computer has failed,” Greg suggested. Looking out the cockpit window, he could barely see Ceres. Out this far from the sun, there wasn’t much sunlight.

  The shuttle continued its cautious approach. It would pass uncomfortably close to several of the asteroids even on its new course. From the asteroids, targeting sensors reached out and scanned the approaching shuttle. Weapons locked on and prepared to fire. No one on the shuttle was aware that they were being tracked by numerous railgun and missile platforms, any of which could blow the fragile shuttle out of space in an instant. Computers in the emplacements picked up the friendly broadcast of a Federation ship’s ID code and held their fire. Only a direct order from their command base could override the platform’s computers. The shuttle would be allowed to pass. Even so, the weapons continued to track the shuttle in case the base’s computer ordered them to fire.

  Ariel picked up the targeting scans but decided it was best not to mention it to Jason. She had been expecting and hoping for this. No need to worry the crew about something they were powerless to prevent. The shuttle’s scanners and sensors remained clear of incoming ordinance, so the broadcast of the Avenger’s codes must be working. The targeting scans she had picked up proved that at least part of the Federation base must have been built. Ariel hoped that the Vindication was inside the asteroid. She would love to talk to Clarissa, the Vindication’s AI.

  Long minutes passed. The shuttle continued to slow and finally came to a stop twenty miles from the massive asteroid. On the shuttle’s main viewscreen, a jagged desolate surface was revealed. The surface of Ceres was pockmarked with numerous small asteroid strikes. In many ways, it resembled the surface of the Moon.

  “Any recommendations?” Jason asked as he looked out the cockpit window at the looming asteroid. “There has been no response to our signals, and I don’t see any way to knock on the door to let them know we’re here.”

  “Hold position, Commander,” Ariel replied. “I am now sending a more detailed explanation as to why we’re here. I am hoping this will elicit a response from the base.”

  Moments later, a loud squealing noise came over the com system. At the same instant, all the lights in the shuttle flickered, and the scanner and sensor screens went blank.

  “Ariel, what just happened?” Jason demanded with concern growing on his face. Were they under attack? For several moments he waited, but Ariel didn’t answer. “Ariel, are you still receiving us?”

  “She’s not going to answer,” Lieutenant Addison spoke with a worried frown on this face. “There’s some type of jamming signal being broadcast that’s affecting all outgoing and incoming communication. It’s also blocking our scanners and sensors.”

  “So we’re effectively blind,” said Greg, looking uncomfortably out the cockpit window at the asteroid. He felt a cold chill running down his neck as he realized how vulnerable the shuttle was. He could imagine railguns and lasers targeting the shuttle and preparing to fire.

  “Yes,” replied Addison, working frantically on the touch screen on his console. He stopped and looked at Jason. “There’s nothing I can do from here.”

  “At least we know the base is there and it’s active,” commented Jason, letting out a sharp breath. His eyes turned back toward the asteroid. Nothing had changed.

  “What do we do now?” asked Greg, glancing over at Jason. “We can’t even attempt to talk to them if our communications are being jammed. We could use the manual flight controls and attempt to land.”

  “Yes, but land where? That asteroid has more land area than the state of Texas.”

  “Sir, if I am not mistaken there are new commands being transmitted to our flight computer,” Addison spoke nervously as he watched a screen on his console. “I don’t think Ariel is in control of the shuttle any longer. These commands are not coming from Ariel.”

  As if to prove the lieutenant correct, the shuttle began to move slowly toward the asteroid. Down on the asteroid’s surface, a disguised hatch slid open and lights inside flicked on, illuminating a landing bay.

  “I guess we’re being invited in,” Jason said, letting out a deep breath. Suddenly the situation had been taken completely out of their control. “This base is a lot more active than what Ariel thought it would be.”

  “But who has taken control of our shuttle?” asked Greg uneasily as he looked out the cockpit window at the landing bay they were approaching. He had a nervous and worried look on his face. “Are there people down there, or is this being done by a computer like Ariel? She said there was one on the Vindication. Could Clarissa be in charge of the base?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Jason, trying to sound calm. He was just glad his sister didn’t know what was happening. This was just the type of danger she had warned him about.

  “Addison, go get Lisa, maybe she can shed some light on this,” Jason ordered. Looking out the cockpit window, he saw the shuttle was nearing the opening of the lighted landin
g bay in the asteroid. In a few more minutes, they would be inside.

  A few moments later, Lisa arrived in the cockpit and looking out the cockpit window, her eyes widened in surprise. “So the broadcast must have worked. That’s the base!”

  “In a way,” Jason replied in a steady voice. “We’ve lost contact with Ariel and have no control over the shuttle. We’re being flown into that landing bay ahead by remote control.”

  Lisa was silent as she mulled over what Jason had just said. “We were not expecting anything like this. I don’t know what to tell you other than we don’t want to resist or do anything that might be construed as being threatening. If this is a computer that’s in control, it might consider any such move as sufficient justification to destroy the shuttle. Remember, this is supposed to be a military base.”

  “That’s just great,” muttered Greg, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. “This just gets better every minute.”

  “No one said this trip was going to be boring,” Jason reminded him with a forced smile.

  “It’s definitely not boring,” Greg replied with an agreeing nod. Looking ahead, he tried to peer into the landing bay, but he still couldn’t see anything.

  Everyone in the cockpit continued to watch as the shuttle was finally maneuvered into the bay making a popping noise as it passed through an atmospheric energy field. The shuttle landed gently on the deck and as soon as it was down, the doors to the landing bay slid shut, sealing them in.

  “Interference has stopped,” reported Lieutenant Addison, seeing all of his screens return to normal.

  “Don’t send any messages or attempt to scan our surroundings,” Lisa warned her blue eyes boring into Lieutenant Addison. “Shut the sensors and scanners down.”

  Addison looked at Jason. “Do as she says, Lieutenant,” Jason ordered. He trusted Lisa’s judgment. After all, she was the computer expert. “What do you suggest, Lisa?”

  “I think we should wait inside the shuttle and see if we’re contacted. If nothing happens, then we can send the Avenger’s ID codes one more time with a question as to what we’re expected to do. The message should mention that we have valuable information for the base. That should elicit a response from the computer that’s in control.”