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ES02 - Eternal Sunder (part 02): First Encounter
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 19 March 2003, 11:25 AM
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Note: This is part 2 to Wado's Eternal Sunder series.
First Encounter
It was standard protocol on this mission to Stargate no closer than 3 light years from a system. This was because the Stargate projector acts as an enormous signal beacon that could easily be picked up by enemy sensors in the region.
The target system on this venture was known as Neep and it was hidden deep in the Sindar spoke. Sindar was a small nebula near the outskirts of this galaxy. Its shape was elongated with a long tail, which from certain observation points looked more like a long spoke than a tail. Hence the name, Sindar spoke.
Having arrived via Stargate the minimum 3 light years from Neep, Eternity's Sunder zoomed towards the system using its Inter-phased drive. The distance would be covered in less than 24 hours.
Aboard Eternity's Sunder, 343 Guilty Spark controlled the ship's helm and tactical displays while the Lady called the shots. John was the appointed leader of the group, but his human brain was incapable of handling the complexities needed for space combat against the Biomechs. Few could, but the Lady is one of them.
However, even with the Lady's telepathic brain and memories from over 200 generations of Nomdians, she was at a disadvantage for the Biomech cunning was unmatched among purely organic beings. John and the others surely hoped that their mission would be a success to find Cortana and sway her to join the group.
"We are one day away from Neep by Inter-phase drive, John," replied 343 GS. "It is standard protocol on this mission to arrive at least 3 light years from the intended target. As you know our Stargate projector acts as an enormous signal beacon to all sensors in the area, but you already knew that, we told you."
"Yes, you did Sparky, many times," responded John with a smile.
"I fail to see the humor in all of this," said 343 GS, "the Biomech sensors are very advanced, we just traveled over seven thousand parsecs in a matter of seconds via Stargate; I can't help but think of the disturbance we caused in the fabric of the universe. You have observed that we have followed protocol to the letter on this endeavor."
"It's not humor," explained Princess Kira, her soothing and penetrating voice silences the whole crew while she speaks. "Sparky, John is just happy that you have not changed much in all this time. Much change in John's life has been painful; your consistency, although sometimes a bit routine, is refreshing."
343 GS pondered the thought for a moment, then responded saying, "change is such a fascinating subject, to be categorized and observed, but I have never much thought of it as being painful."
While 343 GS was still talking, Princess Kira suddenly turned to the Lady asking, "What is it?"
"Alert code red," interjected the Lady. The Lady stared into oblivion with her glowing purple orbs. "Something is trying to neural scan us, I'm tracing it back to the source. Got it, picking up cybernetic thought patterns approximately 2,000,000 kilometers away."
"Red protocol 12 initiated," stated 343 GS. "Scanning, one silhouette, 87% match to Biomech Combat Survey Ship (CSS). We are in pursuit, attempting to jam their communications. We shall overtake them in 35 seconds. Arming weapons, we'll have two phased anti-matter plasma torpedoes ready to fire in seven seconds, secondary weapons already armed."
"No, initiate red protocol 17," insisted the Lady. "We need to arm the neutronium bombs."
343 GS hesitated for a moment, "The bombs are not maneuverable enough to hit the target and no Biomech ship of that size has a Stargate projector. Plasma torpedoes readied."
"Counter that protocol Sparky, go with 17, arm those bombs," ordered John. "The Lady calls the shots."
"Aye sir, discharging excess plasma, arming neutronium bombs, red protocol 17 initiated," reluctantly replied 343 GS.
"What's a Biomech ship doing out here in anyway?" muttered John to himself.
"Alert code black," exclaimed 343 GS. "We have an incoming phased anti-matter torpedo. It's from a second ship. Scanning, it's identified as a Biomech sensor base, 10,000,000 kilometers away, and we have a Stargate forming next to it."
No reply came from the Lady who appeared to be in deep thought.
343 GS continued, "Protocol is to take the hit, calculations show 95% energy reduction by our null field and the rest of the torpedo's damage can be easily negated by our armor. If we evade the torpedo, the Biomech ship will escape through the Stargate."
"Take the hit, eliminate the enemy presence," stated the Lady. "I don't like this."
"Plasma impact in 2, 1, negligible damage," said 343 GS. "In range, firing phased mass drivers, two neutronium bombs targeting Biomech Stargate. One neutronium bomb eliminated by Biomech defensive fire. Second bomb has detonated on target; Stargate collapsed. Scanning, but interference from the neutronium implosion is making it difficult to get a good reading."
343 GS scanned for a few seconds more before saying, "The Biomech sensor base destroyed, it was within the implosion radius of the bomb. Engaging Biomech ship with disrupters. Their shields have been nullified. Cutter beams engaging, target destroyed. TPS firing, all enemy life pods and recording devices eliminated."
"John, that was not much resistance," remarked Princess Kira. "Even if we did catch them by surprise, why would the Biomech survey ship lead us to their base?"
343 GS interrupted saying, "Pardon the intrusion, but there is a 99.7 percent chance that the Biomech base transmitted a signal before I could jam it. I'm prepared to intercept the most likely course of the transmission."
"Do it Sparky, now!" shouted the Lady. She appeared a bit distraught.
343 GS initiated the Stargate projector, in moments their ship, Eternity's Sunder, was propelled 12 light years away. 343 Guilty Spark made the necessary preparations. "Incoming Biomech sub-space communications should be coming in, yes we have one, nullifying signal. Successful."
The Lady did not allow anyone else to comment on the situation; instead she quickly spouted out orders to 343 Guilty Spark. "Sparky, get us back to near where the Biomech base was and carefully scan the area and our outer hull.
John signaled for 343 GS to follow the Lady's orders; then John's gaze focused on the Lady. "My Lady, how did you know to arm the neutronium bombs?"
"John, there was something wrong from the start," replied the Lady. "The Biomech neural scan did not try very hard to break through our neural shielding. It was as if they were expecting us and only scanned to confirm who we were."
"How could they know who we were if they couldn't get through our neural shielding?" asked John, "and if I'm not mistaken, doesn't the null-field that surrounds our ship make us nearly undetectable by scanners?"
"No they couldn't get through our neural shielding, that's how they knew," replied the Lady. "Must I explain everything, human?"
"I sense hostility, the great Lady would never have addressed John in such a matter, my Lady," said Princess Kira. "Perhaps it is the hormones in your young Nomdian body that has clouded your sense of restraint?"
"Not necessary Princess, speak freely my Lady, please," said John.
The Lady waited for the ship to finish Stargate travel and for 343 GS to start scans. "John, I did speak out of place, for that I apologize, but first let it be known that there is over a 50 percent chance that the Biomech base got off other communication signals, we don't have much time before a fleet of Biomech ships could arrive. John, Sparky's questioning of my commands is unacceptable, costing us valuable seconds of time. If it wasn't for the danger of directly connecting telepaths to a ship's control unit, I would take control of this ship myself."
"Danger?" asked John.
From the background, Max the mighty Imperial Elite spoke saying, "John, you might consider keeping up with the intelligence reports better." Max smiled; it was not like an Imperial Elite to have to ever explain anything so this was likely all the information that John would get from his friend.
John looked around, he thought to ask Princess Kira, but any answer she would give could take a lifetime to decipher and would likely involve dancing, song, and precognitive empathy. Sparky was busy scanning and needed all the cycles he could spare to do it under the close scrutiny of the Lady. John turned to Croaker, his Sauran friend. Croaker looked back shrugging his shoulders, but at the last moment nodded his head towards a strange looking Nomdian control panel.
John saw one thing that looked like a place where he could put his hand on the control panel. He did.
Purple lights flickered and a display appeared in John's head. A voice echoed in John's mind saying, "Searching... displaying most relevant result, the Battle of Ringalous VI, circa 7th age, year 273.12.7.23.9. Nomdian 34th fleet eliminated by Biotech force due to new Biotech ability to disrupt telepathic signals. Since the Nomdian controls were completely integrated with the minds of their Nomdian crews, when the telepathic signals were disrupted, the ships lost command and control."
John took his hand off the control panel and gave Croaker and Max the covert mission accomplished signal with his thumb pointing in the upward direction. They responded likewise with the covert circle with first finger and thumb.
"Alert, malfunction in Stargate projector," stated 343 GS. "Nano-virus detected, first pass clean failed. System shut down and isolated, damage control protocol 877 initiated, ship's immune system engaging virus."
"It's as I suspected," said the Lady. "That Biomech plasma torpedo contained a new weapon called bio-plasma or living intelligent plasma. Normally such a thing could never survive on a null-field but this one is managing to feed off of the energy discharges from our engines. It is slowing growing and estimates are that it will surround the entire ship in less than 36 hours." The Lady then spoke directly to Croaker saying, "Croaker, I will need your Sauran instincts to help work the null-fields and find a way to stop this intruder."
Croaker was already on the control panel making calculations. Saurans are also known as the Children of the Old Ones, thought to be the only ancestors of the once great Old Ones. Only Sauran minds can even begin to understand the properties of null and the Old Ones' science of paradox.
"John, the ship needs me," said Princess Kira. She excused herself to meditation and music. Her powers would help increase the ship's immune system against the virus attack.
343 GS intently continued the external scan before coming to an alarming conclusion. "I believe that certain shadows and echoes on the scanners are Biomech cloaked war ships. They hover just at maximum scanner range."
"I concur," replied the Lady. "Carry on Sparky, I have to address the bio-plasma threat."
"So this was a trap?" stated John.
"More or less," replied 343 Guilty Spark. "Technically this would seem more of an experiment. The Biomechs are waiting to see how effective their new weapon is against the most advanced ship the Eldar Nations can produce. Intriguing isn't it? We knew of the threat and our engines and weapons are hardened against bio-plasma attack, but we do not have the technology to harden a Stargate projector against such an attack. When we activated the Stargate projector, there was a weakness in the null field to allow the projector to work. This tiny hole in our null field was all that was needed for the bio-plasma's nano-virus to infect us."
"I recommend aborting this mission," the Lady solemnly stated. "We have been compromised and must seek escape."
John thought for a moment and then turned to Max. "Max, I need for you to dig deep and give me options. This situation requires guidance only you can provide, my brother."
Max spoke loudly and confidently like the great leader he once was on a little known planet called Medusa. "We must proceed on, or die trying. Nobody quits. Any sign of weakness on our part will tell the Biomechs that their weapon is successful. In a matter of only a few weeks they could have massive fleets refitted with this new weapon. We must keep them in the dark, what is not known spawns fear in their kind."
"Thank you Max," said John. He looked at the Lady who seemed too busy to care about the words of Max, but the Lady sensed John's apprehension and responded.
"Yes, we cannot show weakness to the Biomechs. I withdraw my recommendation. Escape is not any option." The Lady then went back to work.
"Sparky, stay the course to Neep," ordered John.
"Aye sir," replied 343 GS.
Max put his hand on John's chest. "John, there is nothing more we can do here. We that live by the sword and hammer will be needed later. I recommend you get some rest."
"Yes," replied John, but his thoughts were in turmoil. The Biomechs must have a spy in the Great Council, how else could they have known enough to set up this trap. John continued to think about this on his way to his room.
Once John reached his room he sat and tried to rest. He felt anxious but a comforting thought crossed his mind -- Soon, if things work out, he will be back in his armor and off this ship exploring Neep. With the wind at his back, his feet on the ground and weapon in hand, he had some serious payback to unleash. He only had to wait another 23 hours.
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