The Galactic Crusade- The Complete Trilogy, page 66
part #1 of The Galactic Crusade Series
“I will find a way,” says Ferfasser, with such a strong conviction that I was convinced he will find a way to make things work between the Doomsayers and the Ronin Legions.
“Now that we’ve met and established the rules of engagement, let us proceed to the Strategy Theater and plan this war,” I say, extending my hand to shake Ferfasser’s.
He takes my hand. I do my best not to squeeze it too hard and turn it into mush.
—16—
“We are united here on this fifteenth day of March year 12,103 of the standard Terran calendar. Not nine standard months have gone by since the Galactic Crusade was completed. As you all know the Omega Cohort quickly unveiled its plans to start the Great Intergalactic Crusade, pioneered by the Alpha and X Legions.
“We thank Commander Lynx for sharing his file wherein very good details of all he knows about the Calamity of Canis Major have been documented, aka Ahmurai. You all have it in your DAT available for download, encrypted and protected with your security code to avoid it being hacked by the ÆTAS. The file will be deleted within one hour, so make sure you read it carefully. Now, to the meat of the matter,” says Ferfasser. He keeps his cool even though his clone factory has been destroyed. This is worrisome. He must have other tricks up his sleeve.
“This is a war for more than just survival,” continues Ferfasser. “This is a war to preserve the original human genome, to free it from the bondage of the ÆTAS, the supreme galactic empire that threatens to overtake the cluster of galaxies we live in, and worse yet, more of the known universe,” he says from the podium at the center of the stage in the Strategy Theater.
“The ÆTAS, as you all know, has developed a super-massive weapon based on the designs of the Xibalba weaponry, that species that almost destroyed us were it not for our superiority in number. The weapon is called the Hellbringer, a singularity Slingshot.
“The result is a black hole that is sling shot from a large spiral-shaped cannon by a gravity constraint, that upon release, sends the singularity-sphere in a ballistic trajectory. The weapon uses massive amounts of energy fueled by the new antimatter engine.
“This is the weapon that defeated Ahmurai, the one I plan on building to eventually use against the ÆTAS. The other weaponry they have developed is the amazing new Homo iluminatus, far superior to the Homo perfectus, and the creation of the new Hellblade that has a surface of argon-plasma that super heats at the point of impact, causing massive destruction to tissues and any armor it touches. It slices though Torragami’s and the hull of the strongest mechs and ships. The Homo iluminatus is also getting an upgrade to their armor. The new Kira armor.
“The materials used for this armor are based on the studies of the pyramids that compose the structures in Ahmurai’s vessel. They are made of Tantalum bi-carbide. Tantalum is the element 73 in the periodic table, while carbon is number 6. The structure yields a very stable amalgam that forms a crystal-like structure that makes it very resistant, much more so than the titanium ceramide used in the Horjin and Talga X class armors in the fleet. It is a much heavier amalgam; therefore, even if you wanted to wear the new armor, it would slow you down significantly. In the new Homo iluminatus, the use of the new Kira armor slows them down by 25%. Because of this, if the enemy is fully geared, you would be matched in speed. The armor is not as strong as the pyramids and can be pierced by high-caliber ammo, such as DrillCore, and melted by the BlobGun.
“The other weapon is the new bio-tech chimera is known as the Hivegoddess, a mutant that combines human genetics and machine cyber-genes, creating the first self-sufficient machine-organism capable of self-sustaining its own body. Unlike androids, who are also a mesh between tech and biology, the Hivegoddess is a war machine capable of producing limitless amounts of soldiers within its entrails, using the new EHES DNA replication system.
“This allows the ÆTAS to deploy a war-machine capable of scavenging the battle scene for corpses and dead tissue that it engulfs to process into basic amino acids, carbohydrates and triglycerides, and ribonucleotides to create unlimited amounts of embryos to deploy soldiers directly onto the battlefield. We only have the anatomical diagram of the beast. We have never truly seen one in action. But from the sample videos we have hacked, the Hivegoddess is more than just an idle corpse-eating machine that pumps soldiers into the battlefield. It is also a weapon in itself.
“In its genetic material, it has heightened aggression genes that express an increased propensity to violence, no fear, and ultra-aggression in the battlefield. It can fight on planets, as strong musculature sustains its body in gravity wells. It is capable of attacking and ripping ships or even mechs into shreds to get more flesh for the production of more soldiers. In this sense, this war machine has two goals. One, penetrating behind enemy lines to deploy soldiers and, two, to cause death or consume it to continue pumping out new soldiers. As you all know, the Homo iluminatus can thrive in the vacuum of space. It does so by shielding its skin with the naturally secreted reinforced enamel that acts as a thick space suit. It does not have natural weapons, so it requires equipment to cause destruction. It can travel in empty space and thus seek ways to board a ship when damaged or when a hatch is open for the deployment of mechs or ships during an inter-planetary ship war. Once aboard a ship, by force or by cunning, these stealthy and speedy soldiers will find weapons of any type to cause damage.
“As mentioned, Homo iluminatus without a Kira power armor are 25% faster than the Homo perfectus. So if you are up against an unarmored Homo iluminatus, be wary of their speed. Every single new Homo iluminatus is unique due to a variation of genetic material that creates unique individuals for war. No one Homo iluminatus is the same, which is actually a way to protect them from being hacked by a single entity were the entity able to overtake the central personality in the master server. Each body responds only to its master personality, so they cannot be hacked. As you know, with the new bio-DAT, each soldier synchronizes itself with its master version in the master server every ten seconds, so when the soldier is redeployed in the field, he can take up the battle where he left off.
“If that weren’t enough to cause concern, let us move to the hacked videos of the Hivegoddess in action. These videos are extremely explicit. They contain an extreme amount of gore because they were used against live subjects. They were tested against sapiens,” he says with a grim expression.
The Strategy Theater goes dark. At the center, a blue hue blooms into existence as the holosphere projects a live datastream. The video feed starts.
Ten sapiens float helpless in simple vacuum suits, spinning slowly in either clockwise or counterclockwise position. They flail wildly in the face of their fate. There is total silence.
A Hivegoddess is released into the controlled vacuum, likely a large hangar for weapons testing in one of the many hundreds of Astraport stations where weapons are developed.
The Hivegoddess is gruesome. It has the facial expression of a loathing human, with completely dark eyes. The material used to make its large head is totally dark, some bio-tech hardware that makes it tough as a ship’s hull but organic at the same time. It has a gaping mouth with enormous grinding units that lead to its throat. The gaping mouth is surrounded by four robotic fangs. On its belly, it has six strong human legs with long-fingered hands as feet with long claws to allow it excellent traction in gravity wells and to provide it with excellent flesh piercing and ripping capacity.
The hateful chimera studies the ten sacrifices. It moves impressively fast in sudden jerking movements, like those of a serpent with frequent micro-nozzle-jet bursts for very precise movement. Its roar is silent since this is filmed in a vacuum, but I can imagine what such a roar would sound like.
The first victim is torn open as the four mouthpiece fangs tear it apart and eat the flesh, with the six legs assisting in tearing off the armor.
The flesh exposed in the cool vacuum freezes and is delightfully consumed. The grinding teeth chew apart metal and flesh. The armor is spat back out, while the organic component is swallowed hole.
The Hivegoddess appears to grow more frenzied as it tastes blood. It becomes increasingly excited and kills with increasing speed as it moves from victim to victim. No bodily juice is spared, no tissue is left.
“That is all we know about the Hivegoddess. It is horrendous to think that the ÆTAS has gone this route and created these terrible machines. As you can see, there is no need for an AI to control them, as the animal-machine has a will of its own. It does not, however, have the capacity or intelligence to make more complex decisions. It is extremely obedient and controlled by the High Command itself. This is one of the first machines of destruction that do not need an AI to operate. And I can say the same of the Homo iluminatus. The new bio-DAT forgoes the need of an AI to communicate, to even synchronize.”
“When will these new weapons be ready for deployment?” I ask.
“My best estimate is within three weeks. Once the ÆTAS has deployed their new Hivegoddess, they will be on the hunt for flesh for the overproduction of the new Homo iluminatus. However, things have changed. The primary objective is to capture the survivors of Canis Major.”
“What? Why?” I ask.
“How naive,” insults Furogata. I glare at him.
“Think about it. Ahmurai is defeated, but there is talk that he could still be alive. A black hole, as far as we know, destroys everything it sucks up and reduces it to its most basic primitive materials. However, based on new research, there is a chance that black holes create an alternate and temporary dimension in known reality, like a sac in the fabric of space time in which the valve or cork is the black hole itself. Wormholes and black holes are a phenomenon that the ÆTAS has never explored until recently. While testing the Hellbringer, there have been data to show communications between the test victims continues in spite of them having fallen prey to the singularity field. This would suggest to the ÆTAS that Ahmurai is still alive, or at least in some form or manner that could lead to them achieving their ultimate quest.”
“The inheritance of Ahmurai’s technology,” I say.
“Indeed.”
The room grows cold as we consider the implications of what has been said. “But for now, you are the prime target, Commander Lynx,” says Ferfasser.
“Do not call me Lynx,” I say all of the sudden. I hear my brothers gasp. “Call me Argo Herrero.”
“Brother! Are you mad!” chastises Furogata. “You will allow these sapiens to address you by name!? And not by your proper military code?” Furogata is about to explode. I see the disapproval in the faces of my other brothers.
“Aye. I will,” I say. “I am no longer a soldier of the ÆTAS. I am Ronin. And as my own master, I decide what I want to be called. I like to be called by the name I was born under. It has a nice way of rooting me back to who I was.”
“You are insane! I will not allow this,” says Furogata.
“You challenge me?” I ask, taking my hand to the hilt of my blade and standing up to face him.
“I…no…everyone knows you could best any of us in combat by the blade. You undermine our efforts. For eight months, we have struggled to teach these sapiens to behave under proper military decorum,” says Furogata.
“You can do whatever you wish in your vessel, but you cannot control me, brother. To actually disdain our former masters, we should also disdain our teachings as soldiers. If you adhere to your old military code, you are behaving like an ÆTAS war-dog and not a true rebel. To rebel means to rebel against it all,” I say.
“You will bring ruin to our ranks,” says Furogata.
“I will not, brother. I would only propose harmony between the factions. I will be addressed as Argo Herrero. During war, Lynx will suffice. But any man, woman, or android may address me as they wish.”
“Very well,” says Ferfasser with a smile on his face. “Argo Herrero is the prime target of the ÆTAS. But so is Masaaki,” says Ferfasser, turning suddenly grim. “The survivors of Canis Major are to be captured at any cost. This means that the ÆTAS will throw everything they have at us to achieve their goal.”
“We should take the war to them,” says Thesna. “The ÆTAS and the three remaining planetary ships are stationed at high orbital anchorage around Ahmurai’s vessel. We should attack them now that we have the upper hand! Four legions against three, we have the odds.”
“And deliver Lynx to them?” asks Cien-gi.
“Deliver him if needed. They would not take him. He would help us to destroy the ÆTAS. He is the most skilled veteran in the galaxy, beating any commander to the pulp. He can best all of us in combat. He could command the rebel forces into success,” says Abbys.
“I will not allow that! He can command you if you wish, but he will not command my legion!” says Furogata with cold steel words. “That traitor, a simple sapien-minded soldier will be the source of our destruction. He already allows sapiens to address him inappropriately. He mingles with sapiens. By the Light of Humanity, he is a sapien. Perhaps we should slay him now and we would be rid of the problem. The ÆTAS wouldn’t have a need to conquer his mind. We should also slay his little bitch,” says Furogata with venom.
I stand and move like a gust of wind. Before Furogata can react, my Entropic Blade has already pierced his chest below the clavicle, striking through the Horjin armor. The blow will not kill him. I did not turn on the entropy function. It popped a lung and caused some internal bleeding, but his self-repairing genes and cauterizing enzymes will heal him.
“Come get me yourself, coward,” I say. “Do not tempt me.”
Furogata gasps for air as his lung is slowly healed . I can see Furogata’s personal guard inching to their Gorecannons and blades.
“You speak treason,” says Cien-gi to Furogata. “How can you propose that we eliminate our best commander? If there is a way to get to Ahmurai, and if Argo is somehow the man to obtain his technology, then that means we could also obtain the weapon for ourselves,” he explains.
“You embarrassed me in front of my legion, A-r-g-o,” says Furogata with venom in his words. “This does not end here.”
“It does,” I say. “Let’s end this like men. Or have you no balls? Oh, I forget, you have no balls!” I bark at him.
“Brothers! Calm down,” says Abbys. No one dares stand between us.
“I see it very clearly now,” says Furogata with my blade hovering near his carotid. “The Doomsayers have always wanted you on their side because you are in essence a Doomsayer.”
“I am not a Doomsayer!”
“Previously you said you were. Your contradictions surprise me. Look at you. You act like one, you sleep with one, and you allow them to trample over you. This is why they’ve always wanted you on their side. You are the key to their success. Can’t you see it, brother? How you defend them?”
“I can see it. Because they are the weaker being assaulted by the strong. Because they are the last sapiens that are protected by us from total annihilation. They have the original gene pool. Without sapiens, there is no point in protecting the galaxy against the ÆTAS. We preserve them and destroy the ÆTAS so that they can rebuild. Or are you going to rebuild, Furogata? You and your hateful nature would create nothing. We are war-dogs. We are soldiers who have been evolved into war-machines, the pistons and gears of war. We can do nothing else. We are not creative, builders, or anything even close.”
“You say it because you were a sapien. You are still one,” says Furogata.
“Yes, I am. I have always desired to be back in a sapiens body and die a true death, rid of perpetuity. Perpetuity is a curse.”
“Perhaps your death wish will be granted,” says Furogata.
“Brothers, please. We must act in unison. We must unite, not fight,” says Thesna.
“Aye, united we are, brother. Let us continue planning our attack to defeat the ÆTAS. I believe there is no more to be said about this topic at this point in time.”
“Excuse me, my Alastar Magna, may I continue?” asks Ferfasser.
“Do not interrupt!” barks Alastar Primus Vendaval of the Elite.
“Furogata, may he continue? Are we done here?” I ask.
“We are done.”
Ferfasser nods and continues, “Argo’s presence here is very important indeed. He was there when the Tragalaf invaded Terra back in the year 2095. After they were defeated, we confiscated their mothership, and from their data we understood where they were coming from, but most importantly, why. Argo knew it all too well. It is true, the ÆTAS hid it from public view.
“The Tragalaf were fleeing a superior foe from their home galaxy, something similar to us humans. Similar enough so that once the Tragalaf detected us in the Milky Way, they thought they were cornered and had to fight to the last drop. We always knew Canis Major harbored a superior foe.”
“So I was right all along. I was right that the Tragalaf were fleeing a superior foe. Nobody listened to me. I was called a demented soldier by many.” I turn to glare at Cien-gi.
“Yes, you were right. But the ÆTAS could not allow anyone to know the truth. The whole reason why Tauro and you were deployed to Canis Major was to lure the superior foe. In the process, the ÆTAS would have enough data to assess how Ahmurai’s strength would measure up against two legions.”
I remembered that day when I boarded the mothership quite clearly. I also remembered being ordered to desist and not analyze any data. It was of course impossible. I always knew the Tragalaf were fleeing, but of course the government wanted to hide it.
“I understand why they would want me dead. But Tauro? He was Omnistar Primus’s lap dog.”
