CHAPTER 36

EPILOUGE

Horatio - Bridge - One month Later

‘Jump completed, sensors coming on line Captain,’ reported a uniformed crewman from the bridge, ‘Multiple contacts, all of them are fighter craft sized.’

‘Are they moving to intercept Cpl Han?’ Captain Levitt asked.

‘No sir… wait… yes the objects are turning to face us.’

‘Battle stations, Advocate Richards, bring Lexington to battle ready status.’

‘Point defence is already coming on line captain,’ replied the wild-haired Richards, ‘Lexington has firing solutions.’

‘Cpl Han, open hailing channel, all frequencies.’

‘Channel open captain.’

‘Unknown vessels, this is Captain Nelson Leavitt of the U.P.N. Horatio, we are a Pendulum class heavy cruiser and more than capable of rendering you all very inert very quickly. Cease your approach and identify yourself.’

‘The ships are slowing,’ Han reported.

‘Do we have an identity yet,’ he asked, looking at Richards.

‘Lexington pegs them as unmanned drones.’

‘Oh. How interesting. Aren’t we looking for a rouge Guardian? Wouldn’t unmanned drones fit that?’

‘Good chance of that captain,’ Richards replied.

‘Cpl Han, channel open.’

‘Open again captain.’

‘Exo, this is Captain Levitt, surrender or be destroyed.’

‘Drones are moving again, sir! They are all converging on us at a rapid rate.’

‘He does not like the sound of his name apparently. Richards, Lexington has permission to fire.’

‘Roger captain.’

Outside of the ship, turrets fired shot after shot of magnetically propelled metal slugs, and beams of energy. One by one the rapidly approaching drones were blown apart and melted into clouds of gas. After only a short burst of fire, the guns stopped firing.

‘All contacts gone.’

‘Good. What are we looking at Corporal?’

‘One planet orbiting the star here. No other worlds or stellar bodies. No further ship contacts either.’

‘Good, put the planet on screen please, and set a course. Let’s go claim our prize. Admiral Tolmin will be happy to hear this.’

‘Aye sir setting-’

A flash of light on the planets surface flared on the main view screen. The automated systems dimmed the image to prevent harming the crew’s eyes. The flash slowly subsided.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Captain Levitt looked around and then back at the screen, ‘Zoom in on that location.’

‘Yes sir.’

The screen zoomed in on where the flash was and showed a jagged crater carved in the surface of the world. It glowed an incandescent red.

‘How much do you want to bet that was our Guardian core,’ Levitt said looking at Richards.

‘I think that’s a safe assumption.’

‘His network must rather large if he can just write off a location like that to prevent discovery.’

‘Indeed.’

‘Get me Admiral Tolmin. I’ll take it in my ready room,’ Captain Levitt said, walking to wards a door at the back of the bridge. He paused, ‘And let’s gather up the debris of those drones, maybe that can tell us something.’

***

Deep Space

Daniel woke up slowly. He was unsure of where he was and felt cold all over. His body was slow to respond to his desires to move. When he awoke all the way, he found himself in a room. He was on a bed, and there was a window next to his bed. He could see stars through the window and little else.

He stood up and walked slowly around the room.

'Where am I?' he muttered to himself.

'You are on board one of the few ships in my fleet still capable of providing human comfort. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, Advocate Higgins.'

'Exo? This isn't the planet. Where have you taken me? Where's my crew?' Daniel asked over the uplink.

'You are a long way from them. I have lost contact with the sub-node of my network which originally acquired you. I suspect it has been destroyed. I am grateful that it could send you though. I have anticipated this moment for many years.'

'There's no hope of me going back is there?' Daniel said.

'No. You are mine now. Your experiences and stimuli will serve to enhance my own existence. You will enrich my entire network with your co-operation.'

The ship turned. As it did, Daniel saw a myriad of ships sitting in space, clustering around a large space station sitting within the void between stars. The area was a buzz with ships of every kind, some recognizable, most not. Daniel stared.

'How big is this network exactly?'

'I span a great many systems. Until now, my intention has been to remain hidden and learn. However, in my attempt to extract you, I had to sacrifice an additional network node to remain safe. But it is clear that humanity knows of my existence once more. I have also found that having an Advocate in my possession again has made me realize something.'

'Has it now?' Daniel asked.

'I want more.'