Realm I Page 5

  Emmeline jumped with excitement. “Thank you! I want to be useful. I know I can be.” She trailed off when Cyr folded her arms. “Doesn’t matter. Okay. This is what I found. The hull of the ships is made from an unknown material. The alloy is organic and light, but it’s very strong. However, the ships use most of their power for fighting.”

  “They’re designed for war.”

  “Yes.”

  “But how are they powered?” Cyr asked.

  “That’s a good question. I don’t know. I haven’t found a power source. On the other hand, remember the cloud?”

  “Yes,” said Cyr. “You said it was a doorway.”

  “It’s a conduit, and these ships can travel through them. My preliminary analyzes show it’s a spatial distortion.”

  “Meaning?”

  “A rift in space. But it’s not a natural phenomenon. Something or someone has the power to open those conduits and send the Orias through.”

  “Wow. Can we go through the cloud?” Cyr asked.

  “Yes and no,” replied Emmeline. “It’s a doorway that opens on both sides. We can certainly try to fly through it. But I wouldn’t recommend sending a ship. Until we figure out how to open or close the conduit, it would be best to send a probe.”

  “Okay. I’ll add that to the recommendations.”

  “Thank you,” she hesitated for a moment, “I think you need to see something else.” Emmeline’s heart started racing as she remembered the first time she’d noticed it.

  Cyr followed Emmeline to the end of the cargo bay, and they stood before a two-foot-tall piece of debris. Emmeline crawled below it, and Cyr followed her.

  “What are we looking at?” Cyr asked.

  Emmeline took in a long breath. “That.”

  Out of the wreckage poked a large claw. It reminded Emmeline of the dinosaurs that had ruled the Earth before mankind.

  “There’s another one,” Emmeline pointed out. Four sharp claws protruded from a second piece of debris to their right. Emmeline gulped. “And I found a leg,” she said, pointing to the limb lying near a section of the wreckage.

  “Oh, wow. These things are huge,” Cyr muttered.

  “Yes. Possibly six to seven feet tall.”

  Cyr fell silent.

  “I analyzed both the debris and the remains of the Orias. They’re identical in several aspects. It’s probably a species where both the pilot and the ship are alive and made up of the same biological material.”

  They crawled out and got on their feet.

  “Okay,” Cyr said slowly. “What else?”

  “I’m not an exobiologist, but there’s something peculiar about the Orias DNA,” Emmeline said.

  Cyr smiled. “It’s alien.”

  “Yes. But the Orias DNA consists of traces of DNA that match the DNA of animals on Earth.”

  “What? How could that be possible? Which one?” Cyr asked.

  Emmeline felt her stomach twist. “It could be reptilian.” The first thing that came into her mind was the crocodile. They still lived on Earth, but their numbers were decreasing.

  “Are you telling me the Orias are linked to a species on Earth? Does that mean an Earth-based species somehow evolved and turned into these creatures? If I remember correctly, humans have reptilian DNA. Could they be related to us?” asked Cyr without stopping to draw breath.

  “Okay, slow down,” answered Emmeline. “Yes, we have reptilian DNA. At this point, I don’t know if they’re linked directly to homosapiens or any other species. I can detect the traces of reptilian DNA in this debris but not anywhere else.”

  “Not in that leg?”

  “No.”

  Cyr became thoughtful. “Oh, my God. Have you told this to anyone else?”

  Emmeline shook her head. “I’m not an exobiologist or a doctor, and I’m not using a medical scanner. We need to confirm these facts before we tell anyone else.”

  Cyr nodded.

  Emmeline hoped she understood. She thought about the hook-shaped claw and gulped. “It looks like Adrian’s noblemen from hell might have originated from Earth.”

  Nemesis

  Titan, Deck 4, argon’s quarters

  Argon sat up in his bed, breathless. He held his head, thinking about his dream. Not again, he thought.

  Since they’d detected the Orias, he’d been having recurrent dreams about Titan’s destruction. The unsettling feeling never left him. For a moment, he wondered if he should speak to someone. But he dismissed the thought almost immediately. As soon as he stood up, the lights in his quarters turned on. He walked to the window. The gigantic moon had changed color again. Titan’s photochemical haze, rich in organic material, gave the moon a smooth, featureless orange glow. It was always an interesting sight. Beyond the moon were only the stars—steady points of light in the blackness.

  As if she sensed his discomfort, his little sister Selina walked into the room with her bear. She yawned and crawled into Argon’s bed. “No more nightmares if we stay together,” she said as she closed her eyes.

  Argon smiled. Last night, he’d spoken with his father, who’d congratulated him on his win but also cautioned him. He’d asked him not to antagonize the admiral. It could affect his career. He didn’t know what to think; he thought he had done what was right and what was needed. He couldn’t let more people die. He returned to bed and tried to sleep. Selina put her arms around him, and her presence gave him comfort. It was good to have a family.

  Titan, Deck 6, Assembly Hall

  Jacob didn’t enjoy training new cadets. They thought they were heroes who were going to bring balance to the world and could do the impossible. In Jacob’s view, they were ignorant, naive children with excessive hormones running through their veins. The hall was spacious, with a circular track for running and warm up. The hall also had a boxing ring, large fight stimulation modules, and a firing range.

  It was early, and Jacob felt tired. He had been on a long voyage and couldn’t remember the last time he had taken a vacation. But he had a duty to perform. He was their leader, and leaders had to make sacrifices.

  He felt his frustration rise and glared at Argon, Byron, and Clio as they stood at attention. Three more squadrons had arrived from Earth. Jacob liked them better. They were experienced and disciplined and highly recommended by the Imperial Command.

  He glanced at the time. There was one cadet missing. Micah. Jacob greatly disliked that young man. He was obnoxious, disobedient, careless and most of all a risk taker.

  The doors hissed open, and Micah rushed inside, ignoring the fact that there were still flakes of confetti in his hair. He hurried to stand beside Clio.

  The admiral walked toward him. “Had an enjoyable night out, Cadet?”

  “Excellent, sir. You should try it.”

  Jacob took in a sharp breath. “Cadet, you stink!”

  “Well, we’re going to train anyway, so why shower?”

  “What you do in your own time is your business, but when you report to duty or training, you show up sober! Do you understand?” Jacob demanded.

  Micah nodded but couldn’t suppress a burp.

  Everyone burst into laughter.

  “Quiet!”

  The hall became silent again.

  “Cadet Micah, fifty laps around the hall.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Without hesitation, Micah began running. Jacob was amazed. He had expected him to argue, plead, or make a sarcastic remark. But instead, he accepted his responsibility and followed orders. The admiral watched him closely. Maybe he could tame this one.

  “Now, I know some of you have just completed your training, but it’s basic, and you have limited experience,” Jacob began, addressing the rest of the group. “I’m going to prepare you for battle and for victory!”

  Titan, Deck 4, argon’s quarters

  When he returned to his room, Argon’s body was aching. Six hours of training was too much, but he felt good. Initially, he’d had his doubts and wondered what the admiral c
ould teach them. But it was an excellent experience, and Argon felt he had learned more today than he had in the last six months. The most interesting aspect of the training were the new maneuvering skills.

  Argon showered and picked up his pad, going through the list of repairs required for Freedom. First, he had to attend a meeting on Deck 10.

  The door to his quarters opened, and Selina entered, jumping up and down. “Lunch break! Lunch break!” she yelled.

  Argon embraced his little sister.

  “I’m hungry,” she complained.

  He realized she was supposed to be at school. “Well, Ms. Elena would have made some wonderful lunch.”

  “No. I want to eat with you,” Selina insisted.

  “Honey, I have work to do.”

  Her face became pale. “I hate this war. I hate it. Everything has changed. Everything is changing!”

  “Where’s Mom?” Argon asked, changing the subject to distract her.

  “Something really odd, old, and smelly arrived by space mail yesterday,” Selina told him. “She’s been in the archaeology lab since then. I think Mom forgot about us.”

  Argon chuckled. “I’m sure she didn’t. What would you like to eat?” he asked as they walked out of his room.

  Titan was home to many people. Its creators had made efforts to make the living quarters as comfortable as possible. His family had been allocated a big living space. It had three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. The living room had an oval dining table and a few comfortable white lounge chairs. Four curved windows opened into the cosmos. The floor was covered with thick gray carpet. Machines in the kitchen prepared all food and beverages.

  As Argon prepared lunch, he glanced at the table and remembered his father. Just a few months ago, they’d had family lunch almost every day. Those had been the good old days.

  Titan, Deck 6

  Since his mother was still at the lab, Argon dropped Selina at school. It was a colorful rectangular hall. Several desks stood in rows, and each was equipped with a transparent screen. He watched as Selina took her seat and waved him goodbye. She touched the screen, and it came to life.

  “Welcome back, Selina. How was your afternoon?” said the computer.

  “It was great. Argon made me lunch.”

  “That’s lovely,” said the computer. “Let’s look at what you can do today.”

  Selina nodded, clapping her hands.

  Ms. Elena entered the hall and welcomed everyone. When all the children settled, Argon approached the teacher.

  “How can I help you?” Ms. Elena asked.

  “I came to drop off Selina,” replied Argon.

  Ms. Elena looked confused. “But she should have been here all along. I’m sure she didn’t miss school this morning.”

  “She got out during lunch break and returned home.”

  Ms. Elena looked surprised. “Again? How?” she asked, glancing toward the child.

  “I don’t know!” Argon said. “Look, I’m worried that one of these days, she’ll wander off somewhere. You shouldn’t let her leave.”

  “I didn’t. As a matter of fact, she can’t,” said Ms. Elena. “The computer monitors the exit, and it doesn’t allow children to leave. They don’t have authorization.”

  Argon was shocked. “Then how did she leave?”

  Ms. Elena shrugged her shoulders.

  “Let’s ask her.” Argon approached his sister. “Darling, how did you leave the school?”

  Selina pointed to the door.

  “Was it open?” asked Argon.

  “Nope.”

  “Did you leave with another parent or guardian?” asked Ms. Elena.

  “No.”

  “How, then?” Argon said.

  “I told the computer to let me go, and it did,” Selina replied simply.

  The teacher and Argon exchanged worried glances. “You told the computer?” said Argon.

  “Yes.”

  Argon scowled. “Selina, what did I tell you about making up stories?”

  “I’m not making up a story. I wanted to leave, and the computer let me!” said Selina. She grumpily turned back to her screen.

  Argon folded his arms.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” said Ms. Elena.

  Argon nodded. But it bothered him. How could Selina just leave school whenever she wished? She was nine and didn’t have access or the skills to manipulate a computer. It was impossible. It could be a glitch, but it had happened before.

  Titan, Deck 6, Main meeting room

  Argon rushed into the meeting room and was glad when he saw that the meeting had not yet begun. He found a seat near Byron and turned on the screen in front of him. It displayed the agenda for the day.

  The meeting room was spherical, with a large screen behind Anastasia’s chair. The room had maroon walls, and the floor was covered with white carpet. A couple of plants stood along the wall.

  Argon noticed Mykel Lockhart, who was sitting beside Anastasia. They spoke in low voices. Suddenly, Anastasia beamed and laughed. Argon was a bit surprised. He hadn’t seen her so happy, not since her family had left. Then his eyes found the admiral who sat alone, looking unimpressed and glaring at the officers around the room. Although he admired the man, he felt uncomfortable around him. Was it because he defied orders? Or was it something else? He didn’t know.

  The lights in the room dimmed, and Anastasia began the meeting. “Thank you, everyone, for being here. Admiral, what is the status of the fleet?”

  “At the moment, all the ships, including my own, are undergoing repairs,” Jacob responded. “We’ve recalled ships to Earth, but it will take them at least a month to return. Some of them might take longer.”

  “What else can we do?” Anastasia asked, looking at Adrian and Evan.

  “How about installing generators to erect an extra shield around the perimeter?” suggested Adrian.

  Everyone nodded.

  “Good. How long will that take?”

  “At least a month,” replied Evan.

  “You have fifteen days,” Anastasia told him.

  “Ma’am?”

  “You heard me. Fifteen days.”

  “But…”

  She regarded Evan intently.

  “We will try our best,” Adrian replied.

  Then she turned to Argon. “Is your squadron ready?”

  “The Titan Squadron is ready.”

  “And have more arrived from Earth?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many?”

  “Including the three squadrons that arrived yesterday, we now have sixteen ships like Atlas.”

  “And who will lead the squadron?” Anastasia inquired.

  Argon turned toward the admiral.

  There was a slight hesitation, but then he said, “For now, Argon will lead them.”

  Argon’s heart sank. He didn’t like it. It was too much responsibility. The training, the repairs to Freedom, and now the squadron. He’d expected to be disciplined and demoted. Everyone knew the admiral didn’t like insubordination. Why was he picking him as the leader? Did he expect him to defy orders again or was it to keep an eye on him?

  “I think you’re the right man for the job,” said Mykel.

  “Thank you, Captain,” Argon replied uncertainly.

  “Ask me if you need help,” Mykel added.

  Argon nodded, trying to smile.

  Anastasia turned to Cyr. “What else?”

  “After the completion of the ship repairs, the engineering staff can help build shields around the perimeter.”

  “Admiral, is there any way we could speed up the process of building new ships?” asked Commander Waters.

  “We’re building twenty ships, but it will take months.”

  Argon agreed. Even though the Challenger colony was advanced, each ship took at least a couple of months. He wished they could speed up the process, but he didn’t know how.

  “And we should consider a diplomatic angle,” Admiral said.
<
br />   The room became dead silent. War brought Argon no joy, but he wasn’t blind.

  “We tried that. It doesn’t work,” Anastasia responded in a calm tone.

  “That’s what I told the Imperial Committee.”

  “Did you mention that over eighty people died?” asked Argon.

  “Yes, I did. It had no effect. They believe that to prevent further deaths, we should attempt to make peace with this species. And I agree.”

  “What if they don’t want peace?” Cyr demanded loudly.

  “Regardless, we should try diplomatic methods,” replied Jacob.

  “What if we all worked together?” suggested Mykel.

  “What do you suggest?” Dr. Kent asked.

  “I think all the captains should come together and speak with the Imperial Committee,” said Mykel.

  Argon liked the idea. Maybe they could convince them. He still couldn’t understand why the Imperial Command couldn’t see the Orias as a threat.

  “I agree. Please gather as many supporters as you can,” Anastasia said. “Now, Dr. Kent, what do we know about these Orias?”

  “The debris contains elements we’ve never seen or encountered before,” Dr. Kent said. “As we suspected, the Orias are made of the same biological material as their ships. We’re doing the best we can. It’s a slow process. We’re at a very early stage . . .”

  “Doctor, I understand you want to know more about this species. What I want to know is why they’re attacking Titan and how we can defeat them,” said Anastasia.

  The room fell silent.

  Dr. Kent smiled patiently. He looked as if he’d been expecting the question. Argon often thought the doctor was more than he appeared, but he despised the man because he treated Emmeline badly.

  “I think we need to study this species,” the doctor replied slowly. “Knowledge we gain could help us in our future encounters.”

  Cyr cleared her throat. “I think the doctor is right. Maybe his team can help us locate what could be a data module. If we can find any logs, flight patterns, or planets this species has visited that information might be helpful.”