NEBULAR Collection 6 - The Great Tremor: Episodes 27 - 30 Page 22

  Nok paled.

  »Do you think that Toiber Arkroid has failed?«

  »That’s a possibility,« Friedberg replied seriously.

  At this moment a dull bang came from her cabin’s airlock. The heavy doors had disappeared in a cloud of dust. While the climate control system evacuated the dust cloud, a man staggered through the dust, covered in metallic powder.

  »Hassan Khalil! Are you out of your mind?« she raged and pulled her weapon.

  Hassan raised his hands and tried to stabilize himself. His voice was hoarse and week as he said, »Don’t shoot! You can’t harm me anyway with your weapon. I’m here … to warn … you.«

  Hassan moaned and rolled his eyes.

  »It’s beginning! I feel trembles through space and time. Something penetrated our continuum. It’s happening now!«

  Seconds later, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground, at her feet.

  Nok lowered her weapon and stared at the man. Seconds later, a group of security guards, accompanied by Nuri Jawa, entered the room as well as one of the Techno-Clerics.

  Nuri crouched and touched Hassan’s forehead.

  »His head is ice-cold!«

  She looked at Nok who was gnawing on her lower lip.

  »Just before he came here, he looked out of control and told me that the Globuster Lens’ ship soul has awoken again, becoming stronger,« Nuri whispered. »It seems as if he’s fighting some inner demons. I would’ve followed your orders to collapse his aura, but I think that he can manage this crisis.«

  Nok signaled the guards to lower their weapons.

  »Hassan Khalil sensed the arrival of the parasite galaxy. We also received the impulse, which activated our fate,« 40028 explained in a monotonous voice.

  »What are you talking about? What kind of Impulse? Who initiated it and from where?« Nok asked sternly. She had enough of the Techno-Cleric’s secrets.

  »The invaders from the other galaxy initiated the pulse. It came from all directions,« the Techno-Cleric explained calmly. »A small sector of the alien galaxy has materialized inside our time-space continuum a couple of minutes ago. Techno Center will be transferred into the standard universe via the dimensional swing. The pulse activated some extra-protocols inside us. We know what we have to do next. We came here to reinforce the solar defense shield and to prepare for the Great Tremor.«

  Nok quickly looked at Admiral Friedberg who had followed the events via the comm-link.

  »Did you hear that, Admiral?«

  Friedberg nodded.

  »It seems to me that the countdown has started,« he replied and disconnected the link.

  I’ve never seen her like that

  Skinna was furious. She had prepared a great dinner, but seemed to have lost her appetite.

  »You left the library because a mentor had whispered something to you, somebody who wasn’t even there?« her eyes sparkled in anger. »Are you ill?«

  Ramir tried not to elevate her anger and remained calm, »You forgot to mention that alien visitor and the Place of Knowledge.«

  Skinna sensed his sarcasm, but was not in the mood for jokes.

  »The voice, you pretend to have heard was probably your bad conscience. How are you going to make up for the missed study time if you keep wasting your time chasing after answers?«

  Ramir put aside his cutlery.

  »Skinna, when was the last time you saw alien visitors on this planet? When?« he asked.

  Skinnas knit her eyebrows.

  »When I was a child, my mother told me …«

  »Listen to yourself,« he interrupted. »From this time on, no alien from another world visited us? We are a modern civilization and supposed to be connected to other galactic people and …«

  Ramir picked up his cutlery again and played with is food.

  »… alright, the Trox … they were here from time to time.«

  »I’m sure that the ruler received visitors now and then,« Skinna tried to end the conversation, but Ramir wasn’t satisfied the way it was going.

  »What about the mentors? Who are they? Why don’t you see them? Did anybody see them? Are they Progonaut scholars, people like you and I or are we dealing with age-old brains inside containers, suspended in a life-prolonging nutrient solution?«

  »If you wanted to spoil my evening then let me tell you … it worked,« she replied with a huff. She got up and cleaned the table. »Instead of investing time in your stupid ideas and theories, you should think about our relationship.«

  »I talked to some other students today; they’ve never seen any of the mentors either,« he replied.

  Skinna had decided to no longer listen to him and stared at an imaginary point in the room.

  »Tell me at least one thing, Skinna. Where are the big Progonaut battleships built?«

  Skinna looked at him surprised.

  »Well … in the underground shipyards of course. India possesses large underground industrial areas. Do I need to explain that to you?«

  Ramir smirked.

  »No, you don’t need to explain that to me. I’ve heard that too, but have you ever been underground? Do you know somebody who worked or works there?«

  Skinna shook her head in disbelieve. She stepped closer to Ramir and put her hand on his forehead.

  »Do you have bordo-feaver? Why this suspicion? Can you not just do your work and be a good Chot?«

  Ramir took her hands and looked her deep in the eyes.

  »Spaceship construction and design is part of my work, Skinna,« he said strongly. »I won’t go to the Library tomorrow, instead I’ll visit a shipyard.«

  Skinna threw her long black hair back.

  »Do what you want. I’m sure that you don’t mind sleeping in the guest room tonight. There you can think about your nagging questions all night long. You can come back in the master bedroom when you’ve come to your senses.«

  With a sigh, she left the room.

  Ramir looked surprised.

  I’ve never seen her like that.

  Welcome to the Solar System

  Bachtar’s picture flickered slightly, then the reddish sphere of the planetoid became transparent. At the same time a different celestial body appeared, taking Bachtar’s place in space.

  Techno-Center was transferred into the standard universe via the dimensional swing. Surprised calls sounded through the command central upon the center’s arrival. Nok Daralamai stared at the picture on the main holo as the ten thousand kilometer in diameter Techno-Center appeared.

  »Techno-Center is much bigger than Bachtar, but only possesses a slightly larger mass. The difference is negligible,« 40028 explained.

  Nok stepped walked to the main holo and took a closer look.

  It was an artificial world, she detected immediately. Everything looked perfect. The small oceans and coastlines seemed to be created by a landscape designer. Circular designed forests and parks were embedded between large built up areas. Everything was laid out according to a master plan. These parks seemed to be developed to offer refuge and places for recreation. Without a doubt, beings of flesh and blood used to inhabit this artificial world.

  »Ma’am,« the remote space surveillance officer addressed Nok, »The first alien ships will arrive inside our space sector within minutes. What are your orders?«

  Nok straightened.

  »Launch Triton Hawks immediately! They secure the tachyon portal, but remain in defense mode only. We want to show the arrivals where to stay away from. Blue Moon maintains state of readiness, but will maintain a higher orbit around Triton! Battle Stations for Triton Ground Defense! Turrets on standby, recessed!«

  The Techno-Cleric slowly moved toward Nok.

  »This is the moment where you Humans can show that you understand the Cosmic Moral or if you’re preparing the path for chaos.

  Nok briefly pondered over the Techno-Cleric’s words and addressed him calmly with a smile, »I believe that the situation will be resolved peacefully. We didn’t come all this way to face
our demise.«

  Suddenly, thousands of flashes illuminated the Neptune Sector. Each flash heralded the arrival of one spaceship. A small fleet had conducted a short transition and appeared in the middle of the Triton sector.

  Nok didn’t wait for the official count. Everybody in the room saw that the armada was larger than anything Humans had ever faced.

  Nok pulled a satin cloth from her pocket and wiped across her forehead.

  Suddenly, the Neptune Sector was full of ships of various sizes, shapes and categories.

  Distress calls from the Neptune moons were received, transmitted by panicking surveillance technicians who were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ships in their sectors. So far, no combat action had been noticed.

  »Ma’am, our scans reveal that amongst all these ships is a well-known signature,« the scanner officer reported.

  Nok signaled the officer to make his data available on the main holo.

  »If I’m not mistaken, then there are six hundred Shwakan ships out there. The display the typical pyramid design,« the scanner officer added.

  »Shwakans?« Nok couldn’t believe her ears.

  »Yes, Ma’am. However, there’re other ship types which we cannot categorize. Some of them look rather scurrile. We also detected the Dragon’s IFF. The cruiser is leading a group of ships that seem to have problems with their propulsion systems, according to the received data. There’re about three thousand ships which are trying to keep up with the Dragon, Ma’am.«

  »The Dragon is leading that fleet and is not being chased?« Nok said.

  Before the scanner officer could reply a strong radio call was received. It came from a Shwakan ship.

  »Answer and transfer the call to the main holo!« she commanded. Her heart was beating hard as she waited for the call to establish on the main holo.

  At first the holo just flickered, then after the picture had stabilized, it showed a Shwakan sitting on a cushion-like seat amidst an arrangement of oversized mushrooms.

  Nok was surprised. Gurgling sounds came from the receiver until the first intelligible words formed, »Don’t be scared Earthlings. I’m happy to see that my Human friends still inhabit this small and remote solar system; however, I never understood why you were settling on cold planetoids and moons. Is there something special about being far away from your nice and warm home-world?«

  »Scorge!« Nok shouted relieved.

  »Yes, it’s me,« he replied gurgling. »If I want to believe the galactic rumor then it’s high time to fly to a safe haven. Am I glad that we’re good friends and partners. On behalf of my people and other associated spacefarers, I’m asking for asylum and protection.«

  »Asylum and protection?« she responded astonished. »You are asking us?«

  Scorge gurgled again.

  »Some of my associates usually don’t ask and act first, but there’re others in the galaxy who still have manners and know how to behave as guests. We’re seeking refuge from the Great Tremor. I’m leading the fleet of the ones who understand and don’t want to give up while facing this catastrophe. They’re trusting your security.«

  Nok swallowed and looked at the Techno-Cleric suspiciously. The robot must have known something. Humanity was not dealing with invaders, but a fleet of refugees.

  Nok nodded at Scorge in a friendly gesture.

  »Welcome to the Solar System, Scorge. We’ll grant you refugee status.«

  This has never happened before

  Ramir took the high-speed train to Kalmot’s industrial district. He was still thinking about his dispute with Skinna. She had never been so stubborn. This was something new.

  She didn’t want to talk about it, he thought, realizing that he was in the midst of a relationship crisis. So far everything was harmonic and perfect between us. I need to find out why she’s acting like this.

  Ramir observed the other passengers. He needed to put his mind on something else. The people on the train were on their way to work. All of them were working in the industrial complexes of the underground shipyards. No one took this train to get to the amusement parks or vacation destinations. He looked out of the window and saw that there were fewer living towers or parks. Instead, circular landing fields were coming into view along his route. These landing fields and platforms were used by the support fleet to deliver goods and raw materials. As his journey continued, he saw more and more surface industry, silos, refineries and warehouses.

  To build a ship like the Khalimar you need tons of materials and goods, he thought. But why are all these platforms and fields empty? Where are the freighters, where are the suppliers and distribution vehicles?

  Ramir’s thoughts were interrupted as the train entered a tunnel that led underground. The incline was steep. After a couple of minutes the train was driving several hundred meters below the surface. Antigravity fields as well as inertia dampers kept the passengers comfortable when the train accelerated or decelerated. Minutes later, a high pitched bell tone announced the next stop and Ramir got ready to leave the train. Now he noticed that the faces of the other passengers looked bored and empty.

  They have no fun working here, he concluded and smiled at a young woman who was sitting about one meter away from him. She didn’t react, no nod, no greeting, not a friendly smile in return. She just glanced at him briefly, stepped onto the platform after the train had stopped and walked away without looking back.

  She just looked through me, he thought worriedly.

  There it was again, this strange feeling that took possession of him from time to time.

  There are days when India seems to me just like a caricature of the good old days. Nobody is interested in others. They just live for themselves.

  He had arrived at the underground station of the Industrial City of Kalmot – Yard.

  The manufacturing center of the battle ships must be here, he thought.

  Holographic signs made it easy for Ramir to orient himself so that he could find the right exit. The other people who had come with him on the train had dispersed already in all directions. Some of them had transferred to different platforms or other means of transportation.

  Moments later, he was standing alone inside the great reception hall of the underground station.

  Creepy, he thought irritated and looked around.

  A mobile info-robot was coming toward him across the marbled floor. The rubber-like walking pads created squeaking sounds with every step. Ramir looked at the machine which addressed him accent free.

  »Are you lost or did you miss your connection? Do you need personal transportation or do you need medical assistance? Are you hungry or are you looking for fun things to do? Maybe a female escort?« the robot asked.

  Ramir closed his eyes briefly. He hadn’t heard such nonsense in a long time.

  »I think you missed your latest maintenance schedule. Something seems wrong with your programming. I don’t think that you can help me.«

  Ramir wanted to turn around as the robot said, »Please, wait a moment. I’d like to help you. It has been a while that I helped somebody. My system depends on continuous stimulation. This is part of my learning process. My artificial intelligence does not improve without stimulation and becomes retarded. Over time, I begin to talk nonsense.«

  Ramir frowned and squinted at the robot. He walked around the machine and rubbed his nose, pondering.

  »Oh, my Goodness. You shouldn’t be assigned to this task under these conditions. What’s your ID?« Ramir asked.

  The robot began to slowly turn around his axis, then he became faster. Suddenly, the robot stopped abruptly and said, »I used to possess an ID and a connection to the planetary data network. I was always ready to give advice within seconds, it didn’t matter what the request was. Now, I no longer receive inputs and polls. Do you understand? I urgently need a communication link.«

  Ramir took a step back.

  The robot has a defect! Why is nobody looking after it? he thought.

  »Go back to your dep
ot and request a replacement. Get a general inspection! That’s an order!« Ramir commanded.

  The robot seemed undecided.

  »An order? I haven’t received orders for a long time. Do I need to follow an order?«

  Ramir had had it. He was tired talking to an erratic behaving machine.

  Let somebody else take care of it, he thought. I don’t have time for this crap.

  He turned away from the robot and walked toward the exit. On the way to the exit, he still heard the robot saying, »All I need is a communication link. Please!«

  Shaking his head, Ramir, left the underground station. The plaza in front of the station was enveloped by a huge dome-like structure. High-mounted, strong light fixtures simulated daylight while holographic clouds moved across the artificial sky.

  Not far away, antigravity taxis, free of charge, were waiting for passengers. It wasn’t very busy. There were just a couple of Progonauts in the area. The ones who crossed his path didn’t look at him.

  »Uh, s’cuse me,« he addressed one of them. »I want to visit the industrial complex. Can you tell me where I need to go?«

  The Progonaut, a dark-skinned, black-haired, tall man, looked at him surprised. He seemed to have been in deep thought.

  »Can you help me?« Ramir asked. »You know, the sector where they build the big combat spaceships? I’m interested in the building process, I need to learn …«

  »I’m sorry,« the stranger interrupted, »I can’t help you.«

  Ramir held the man by the arm as he wanted to walk away.

  »You can’t help me or you don’t want to help me?«

  Ramir pulled his hand back quickly – the man felt ice-cold!

  »What the …?« Ramir said surprised and looked at the stranger, but the man just walked away.

  »I can’t help you!«

  Ramir was perplexed. Moments later he walked towards one of the taxis. These vehicles were automatically controlled. He only needed say his destination. As he leaned back in the seats, the taxi’s doors closed.

  »To the shipyard, please. Take the shortest route,« he commanded.