"Yes, sir!" he said, alarmed. "There is something there! Footsteps, but not footsteps! Right behind me!"
Hannah came to Adam and took his hand to hers. "I know. I was there, too," she said quietly.
Adam's eyes widened. He pressed Hannah's hand in his.
"Caleb," said Kayla, looking at Adam and Hannah holding hands, "something's clearly very wrong here. Let's find the others and leave this place as soon as possible."
"I agree," he said. "I'll get my squad. Let's meet at the entrance."
"All right," said Kayla. "Let's hurry."
Caleb turned back to get his squad and Kayla said to Hannah, "We'll leave this place. Caleb went to get the rest of your squad and we'll meet at the entrance.
Somebody go get Thompson!" she ordered. "We'll go back as soon as he's here!"
Somebody heard the order and hurried to get David.
***
"Was that it?" asked Howard after the fight stopped.
"Yes, sir," said Pauline.
"Right," said Howard. "No prisoners?"
"No, sir," said Pauline. "They won't surrender but fight till the end."
"Well," said Howard. "I hope the Marines on the ground have prisoners. Any casualties on our side?"
"Three dead, eleven wounded," said Pauline.
Howard nodded and sighed. They'd lost too many soldiers and they still had one deck to go.
"Have a short rest," he said. "We'll attack once I get the word from others."
The last he heard, the three other platoons and their reinforcements had advanced; they all should have secured their decks by now. They would launch simultaneous attacks on the final deck and they expected a brief fight before storming the bridge to finalize the capture of the frigate.
"Sir," said Kenneth. "A message from the others. They've secured the ship and the attack on the final deck starts in ten minutes."
"Excellent," said Howard. "Inform the others and get ready."
"Right away, sir," said Kenneth.
In ten minutes, they were ready to attack.
Two of the Jaegers used the elevator and the rest used the maintenance shafts to enter the deck.
"Ready!" said Howard, looking at the countdown in his watch. "Three, two, one--go!"
The final deck was cross-shaped. Four corridors. An elevator at the end led to the bridge, located in in the middle of a round hall. Maintenance shaft hatches were near the elevator.
The Jaegers and the remaining Arash rushed the deck and expected heavy resistance. But there was no resistance and all four platoons met each other in the corridor rounding the bridge.
"Where's the enemy?" wondered one of the Arash soldiers.
Howard was equally surprised and went on to have a talk with other captains.
"Two minutes!" he said after a moment. "We breach the doors at the same time! Get ready!"
The charges on the doors caused them to shatter into small pieces and Jaegers stormed the bridge from all four directions.
"Empty!" said Howard. "How can this be empty? Check everything!" he ordered.
"I don't believe this. Price! Contact the Sea of Boston. Tell them what you see here and ask them to scan the ship for life forms. Vaughn and Evans!" he continued. "Take your squads and check the decks again. Make sure we haven't missed anything."
"Yes, sir," said Pauline and Richard.
"Captain!" called Kenneth. "Admiral on the line."
"Admiral," said Howard, taking the call.
"Are you sure there's no one left?" asked Jiao.
"We'll confirm it, but it looks that way," answered Howard.
"It looks that way from here, too," she said. "The only life signs we see are the Jaegers and the Arash soldiers."
"Thank you, ma'am, that's good to know," said Howard. "I'll let you know as soon as we've confirmed the ship is secure."
***
"Very well, Captain," said Jiao. "We'll await your message."
She closed the comm and looked at Horacio.
"What do you think?" she asked. "Why was the bridge empty?"
Horacio shrugged. "They must've been part of the defenders."
"We'd never join the fight if we were attacked," said Jiao.
"Neither would we," said Horacio. "But let's see, they might be hiding."
"Yes, we'll know soon enough," said Jiao and asked Tricia, "Anything from the surface?"
"Still nothing, ma'am," she said. "And it worries me. Darnell should be there already and should've contacted us."
"Hmm," wondered Jiao aloud. "It's probably nothing. We would've seen if anything had happened."
"Perhaps so, ma'am," said Tricia, not entirely convinced.
***
"What's that shuttle doing here?" asked Caleb when he exited the factory.
"Lieutenant Carroll came to find you; they were getting worried in the frigate," said a private who'd stayed to guard the prisoners. "Didn't you see him?"
"No," said Caleb. "Any idea where he went?"
"I'm sorry, sir," said the private, shaking his head.
Caleb nodded. He'd send his Marines to find the other Marine squads and inform them what they'd encountered. One had already come back and reported the same black veil crossing their path and the Kaitian skeletons inside. And the Marine who went behind the veil came back in terror.
Five squads were still inside and now the lieutenant from the ship. Caleb sighed. Somebody had to go find him.
"Contact the ship," ordered Caleb. "Tell them that their lieutenant went inside and is missing."
"I tried, sir," said the private. "I have no contact. As if they're not there."
"Keep trying," said Caleb calmly, not letting the private see that he was getting worried. The black veil inside, no communications anywhere. It didn't bode well.
He hurried back to entrance of the factory.
"Kayla!" he shouted.
"Caleb," she said. "What is it?"
He told her about the lieutenant and the loss of contact to the ship.
"Damn," cursed Kayla. "This is not good."
"No, it's not," said Caleb. "We must get everyone out of the factory. And we must find that damn lieutenant. I already sent someone to find him, but can you spare anyone to help him?"
"Sure," she said, and ordered two of her Marines to search.
"I hope they find him soon," said Caleb. "I--"
"Sarge!" shouted the Marine who'd just gone to search for the lieutenant. "Sarge!"
Caleb and Kayla glanced each other and ran to the Marine.
"What is it?" asked Kayla.
"Look!" the Marine said. "The black veil!"
Caleb and Kayla couldn't believe their eyes. How it was here?
"It's coming closer!" yelled the Marine.
So it was--slowly but surely, the black veil came toward them.
"Out!" shouted Caleb as loud as he could. "Everybody out! Out! Out!"
They ran. Fortunately, the exit was close and they all got outside. Caleb and Kayla were the last ones out and stopped just outside the entrance. The black veil also stopped at the entrance, barely inside, only meters from Caleb and Kayla.
"What the hell is going on?" whispered Kayla.
As if the black veil answered, ripples appeared in the veil.
"What is that?" asked Kayla.
"Holy Hell!" she shouted as an armored Kaitian skeleton was thrown through the veil, nearly hitting Caleb. The skeleton was thrown thirty meters away from the entrance.
"Another!" shouted Caleb and ducked again. He ran away from the entrance and so did Kayla and all the other Marines as skeletons started to fly away from the veil at an increasing rate.
First dozens and then hundreds of Kaitian skeletons were thrown away--or more like they were spat out from factory, flying and landing in grotesque positions all around the area in front of the factory entrance.
"Holy Hell!" cursed Kayla again as the first Marine skeleton was spat out by the black veil. And then another. And another. It was e
ven more grotesque and very disheartening to see their own people flown in such an unnatural way and hitting the ground.
"Now what?" shouted Caleb after the skeletons no longer were thrown and a rumbling like thunder started.
"Damn!" said Kayla when the black veil vanished from the entrance. Except there was no entrance anymore. Just a mountainside, as if it had always been there.
The rumbling stopped and it was quiet for a long time. The Marines outside looked disbelievingly the skeletons of their comrades and the Kaitians lying on the ground.
"Sir?" someone said. "The communications work again. The admiral wants to know what is going on."
"Tell her . . ." said Caleb quietly. "Tell her to wait until we assess the situation." Caleb walked away from the Marine, who was uncomfortable having to tell the admiral to wait.
"Ellen," said Caleb. "Count the Kaitians. Let's verify that they're all . . . dead."
"Yes, sir," said Ellen.
"The rest of you," he said quietly, "honor the fallen and move them over there, near the shuttles, in a graceful position. I don't want our dead to look that way. And if you find that lieutenant, let me know."
***
"Come back ASAP, Sergeant," said Jiao to Caleb after he'd contacted her and told what happened.
"Yes, ma'am," said Caleb. "Will do."
"Horacio?" she asked.
"Unbelievable, Admiral," he said. "Nothing like that when I was there. No reports of any black veil whatsoever."
"Perhaps the Kaitians triggered automated guards or something," said Jiao.
"Maybe so," sighed Horacio. "But whatever it was, I have a very bad feeling about it."
"I know what you mean," said Jiao. "I got goose bumps when the sergeant described the black veil and its effect on the Marines."
Horacio looked oddly at Jiao and asked. "Goose bumps, Admiral?"
Now Jiao looked oddly at Horacio and then laughed. "It's a human expression, Colonel. Just a human expression."
Horacio still looked oddly at Jiao. "I'll take your word for it."
Jiao changed the subject. "We didn't get as many prisoners as we thought."
"But we got a few," said Horacio. "And we got the frigate."
"Oh, yes." Jiao smiled. "The frigate. Command won't believe their eyes when we bring it to them. We'll leave when the Marines are on board. Straight back to Coalition space."
26
"Counselors!" said Aileen once they entered back to normal space, after piggybacking alongside a Kaitian cruiser in hyperspace.
"What is it?" said Nick.
"We must disengage," said Aileen.
"Do it!" said Nick. He didn't know why, but Aileen wouldn't say so in vain.
The corvette moved away from the cruiser.
"Look!" said Louis. "The cruiser has fallen behind the others."
"Because of us?" asked Nick.
"Yes," said Aileen. "I'm analyzing it."
The corvette continued to move away as the cruiser was accompanied by several patrolling Kaitian fighters who circled around it. If they'd been near the cruiser, some of the fighters may have collided with them.
"Aileen?" said Louis. "What happened?"
She didn't answer right away.
"I've analyzed it," she said after a moment. "Our mass affected the position of the cruiser when we exited hyperspace. It must have been affected already when we entered hyperspace, but it was so negligible that they missed it. And I missed it, too."
Nick and Louis glanced at each other.
"Are we safe?" asked Nick.
"They can't detect us," said Aileen, "but I can't tell what they suspect. However, I'm detecting increased communications with the cruiser. And the fighters are going away from it, back to their patrolling. If I had to make a guess, they suspect either technical malfunction or incompetence of the cruiser's captain."
Nick sighed. "That was too close."
"It was," said Louis. "Where are we, by the way?"
Aileen projected a map between Nick and Louis.
"We are in the Rg'Tkeen space," she said. "Near one their mining colonies."
"It seems that William was right," said Louis.
"Looks like half of them are here."
"That's correct, Louis," said Aileen. "Half of their forces are here."
"And the other half must be in the Miccvan space," said Nick.
"We should go back," said Louis.
"Aileen?" said Nick. "Do you agree that Kaitians are attacking both Rg'Tkeen and the Miccvans?"
"That is likely," she said. "But I'd confirm it by first waiting to see what they do here and then go the next Rg'Tkeen world to make sure that our assumption is correct. It is only one day from here to the next target."
"One day won't make a difference," said Nick. "Let's do so."
Almost at that moment, the Kaitians started their attack on the Rg'Tkeen mining colony. The Kaitians didn't even bother to jam communications and the colony got a distress signal away before they were utterly destroyed.
The Kaitians didn't linger around, but entered hyperspace as soon as the colony and all facilities had been destroyed.
"Follow them!" said Nick.
"I can't follow," said Aileen. "But I can take us on the course to the next target."
"Do it," said Nick.
***
"It's already destroyed," said Louis once they exited hyperspace near the Rg'Tkeen colony. There was no sign of the Kaitians, only the destroyed colony they'd left behind.
"They are much faster than we are," said Aileen.
"Let's go back to SD-9 as fast as we can," said Nick. "We have to inform the commander."
"By the time we get there," said Louis quietly, "they'll already know."
Nick said nothing.
"Wait!" said Aileen suddenly.
"Now what?" asked Nick, irritated. He didn't like surprises and they'd had too many surprises lately.
"The Kaitians are still here," she said.
"Where?" asked Louis.
"They're cloaked," said Aileen. "Patrolling. At least five ships, probably cruisers."
"Interesting," said Nick. "Perhaps they suspect something after all."
"Or they just left a rearguard to eliminate anyone who comes here," said Louis.
"Maybe so," said Nick. He was not at all convinced.
"Could we destroy them?"
"What?" said Louis. "Are you serious?"
"Why not?" he said. "They're on the move and it might give them something to think about if they'd lost five cruisers without explanation."
"That's a thought," said Louis. "Aileen? Can we destroy them?"
"Our weapons should be sufficient, but there are five cruisers," she said. "It requires some planning."
Nick was sure he heard a certain thrill in the AI's voice and smiled. "You sound thrilled."
"I'm an AI," said Aileen flatly. "I'm not thrilled."
"Whatever you say." Nick smiled. "Whatever you say."
"How long would your planning take?" asked Louis. They were in no hurry to go back to Command, since they'd soon know anyway that the Kaitians had attacked. And if they destroyed a few of the enemies, it might be good in the long run.
"Not long," she said. "I'll monitor their patrol routes before planning the attack. The actual planning won't take more than an hour."
"All right, then," said Nick. "Take your time and let us know when you've done it."
"Yes, Counselors," said Aileen.
***
"I have a doubt, Nick," said Louis, while they were having drinks in the lobby outside the bridge.
"Why's that?" said Nick. "Don't you trust Aileen's capabilities?"
"It not her capabilities." He sighed. "It's the capabilities of the Coalition. I fear we are on a losing side in this war."
Nick sighed, too. "You have point there."
"They've already conquered much of the Coalition and now with their attack here and Miccvan space, they'll conquer even more," said Nick.
/>
"Right," said Louis. "Remember the commander's thought that the Kaitians would attack on four fronts? He was correct. The Coalition resources are already thin and it will require much of . . . well, much of everything, including luck, to counter these attacks."
"We don't have much of anything," said Nick. "And luck has always been a limited resource."
"We've been lucky." Louis smiled. "Or what do you say of our meeting with beautiful Susan at KCap16?"
"Lucky indeed." Nick smiled. "Let's drink to that!"
"What do you think happened to her?" wondered Louis. "And who the hell was she anyway?"
"Ah," said Nick. "Now, you raise an excellent question. Perhaps we should pursue that when the war is over, don't you think?"
"I don't know, Nick," he said after a moment's pause. "I have an odd feeling that it might not be wise. Don't ask me why. It's something that's been hinted in between the lines, in the background noise of many meetings with William. And also with Bruce. I can't be any clearer, but do you know what I mean?"
"Bruce?" said Nick, thinking aloud. "Remember when we briefed about our findings in the Kaitian home world? Remember who the audience was? The Rg'Tkeen Grand Admiral, William, the Gemono Minister of Agriculture, and the others? Do you remember what Bruce said after I said that we should find out?"
Louis had to think back. "He told us not to. And now that I remember, he was dead serious about it. I wondered that at the time, but he changed the subject and I forgot it."
"Me, too, until now," said Nick. "And now we were talking about Susan. Coincidence, do you think?"
"No way!" said Louis. "William, Bruce, the group, Susan. They are linked somehow."
"Definitely," said Nick. "So, should we pursue it when the war is over?"
Again, Louis didn't answer right away.
"Sorry, Nick," he said. "I still have the odd feeling. And I fear if we pursue it might be . . . well, unfortunate for our immortal presence here. Perhaps even unfortunate for our immortal souls," he added smiling.
Now Nick was quiet for a long moment.
"Old friend," he finally said, "I believe you are right."
They raised their glasses and drank some more.
***
"I'm sorry to wake you, Counselors," said Aileen. "I've planned the attack now."
"You enjoyed waking us," said Nick, tired.
"I'm an AI," she said. "I don't enjoy."
Go to hell, thought Nick, amused.
"Come on, Louis, let's go and see what she's planned," he said and walked to the bridge.
"What have you planned?" asked Nick.
"Here is the optimal attack," said Aileen, and displayed the plan in front of Nick and Louis.
"Do we attack while cloaked?" asked Louis.
"It's one option," said Aileen. "The other one is to exit hyperspace uncloaked and attack. The end result is nearly the same."