19

“What the hell was that?” I asked Prime. Frowning, I looked down at my body—no bullet holes.

“You do not have a shield,” Prime’s impassive facade almost looked confident and bemused. “The nanites are equipped to protect you and more. It is their job.”

“More?”

Prime looked down at me curiously. “To survive as a forerunner, Tony Segerstrom, you must learn how to get stronger. The nanites and my creator’s technology will aid you in that endeavor.”

I patted Prime’s exterior. “Next time, warn me. I thought I was gonna die.”

“Nonsense. My job is to keep you from dying.”

“You have a funny way of showing that, bud.” Klaxons blared from the walls, painting the cargo hold in deep red. Ah, yes, our guests are waiting. “Put the ship on the same level as the quartz, Prime.”

I got up from the floor when a hand reached for me. It was Dad’s. “Are you okay, son?” He pulled me up.

“Well, I didn’t get shot.”

Dad grunted. “I sure hope not. Those were the agents I talked to two nights ago after your...um, disappearance. You think they’re dead?”

“They’ll be okay if they stay clear of the area. I warned them. Anyway, I have more pressing matters to attend to.”

He tilted his head. “Oh?”

“The other aliens. They want to talk to me.”

My father hesitated. I could tell he wanted to step in and stop me from going up to the upper decks. His paternal instincts kicked in to protect me. But I put up my hand, gesturing it’s going to be okay. His shoulders relaxed, dropping the subject. It was not a good time to argue about it, but I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last.

Several feet behind Dad, Meredith wrapped her arms around Daniel and Isaac, pulling them into a tight embrace. The boys still covered their ears, but the gunshots below had died down. I was surprised to see Gaius there. Amelia talked him down on doing something stupid when he wanted to go back down for Tyler, but it was too risky. The bulkhead doors slid open from the aft, where Ben and Nick stepped out. I explained what had happened, although I was suspicious of how quiet they were, expecting Nick to nag at me. When they said nothing further, I walked up to the flight deck with everyone in tow. Freddie and Alonso were already there waiting for me.

By the holo-table, Prime calculated that the quartz ship had moved closer to us, now hovering at two hundred feet away. I didn’t want to kick the engines into full speed, fearing they’d fire at us. Daniel and Isaac wiggled out of Meredith’s hold and ran toward the forward windows, watching the crystalline vessel ahead with awe and fear.

“It’s probably best if you all wait outside,” I told Dad. “The living quarters are the doors to your right. Make sure Meredith gets Daniel and Isaac secured on their seats. If we get attacked, I don’t want to take a chance on the antigravity engines being online the entire time. It might get bumpy.”

Meredith’s eyes widened once I mentioned the latter. Still, my father quickly ushered her and the boys out, and the other Marines soon followed. Gaius hesitated to go, looking down at the driveway where the cops stayed in position and behind cover, curious and worried about what would happen next. I shook my head. I told Agent Finley to get away, but he didn’t listen. I hoped they wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire. Amelia finally led Gaius out of the flight deck toward the cabins, and she came back a minute later with Freddie, Ben, and Nick. Alonso stayed behind to watch over the civilians.

“My brother is still down there,” Amelia said. “My dad’s worried.”

“I told them to get away.”

Amelia sighed. “And I told Tyler not to try anything. Lo and behold, the idiot did something worthy of a Darwin Award.”

“You think they’ll shoot?” Freddie asked. He sounded like he was counting on it. Freddie had always been a daredevil. It didn’t help that I brought Alonso down with me. Now, they both itched for a fight.

“God, I hope not,” I said, sliding my fingers along the war table and bringing up the quartz on screen.

Amelia frowned. “As much as I hate my brother’s guts, Tony, I don’t want him to die.”

“Shall I collect Tyler Hansen for you, Minister?” Prime asked.

Amelia mulled it over. She didn’t want her family to go with her, but when I was about to interject, she gave Prime a curt nod. I could feel Prime already giving orders to the other drones in the system. An access hatch opened from the aft, and two drones flew down to pluck Tyler Hansen off the surface. I liked to imagine it scared the living shit out of him. Tyler had always been the scaredy-cat of the Hansen family.

“What about the others?” Amelia asked.

I looked out the window to the waiting quartz ship, then down to the gravel driveway below. The agents and the cops were still down there and hadn’t moved an inch. They wouldn’t listen. Well, I didn’t want their deaths on my conscience. “Fuck,” I muttered. I’ll deal with them when they start complaining later. “Prime, grab those people down there, too.”

“Are you sure, forerunner? These individuals are considered hostiles.”

“They’re human. Against a quartz bombardment, they’re minced meat.”

“Noted. Extracting humans from the surface.” On the camera feed pointing aft, more drones dove out.

“And Prime, make sure to secure them in the hold. I don’t want them walking around while we’re engaged in combat, and they get a concussion or break their necks.”

“What about us?” Ben asked. “We can help.”

I tilted my head, curious.

“You’ve got star-fighters on this ship. Let us use it,” Ben said. Nick stepped up behind him. “And no, we’re not going to steal it. It’s obvious what your robot friend will do.”

“I can make the antimatter generator at the back of the star-fighter explode,” Prime said nonchalantly.

Nick waved him off. “So we’ve heard, scary robot guy.”

“Let us kill this thing,” Ben said, almost begging. He and Nick failed to bring down the quartz over New York, and they wanted payback. I could use that bloodlust.

Amelia gave me a wary glance. She wanted me to say no. But I had already decided about the two pilots since the unexpected quartz visit. Though my first thought went to testing out the star-fighters during combat, I immediately felt guilty when I realized there would be people inside it. It was dangerous, but Ben and Nick seemed eager to fly them.

“Get down to the landing pad. Get in the star-fighter and wait for my signal. If the quartz wants to end this diplomatically, then we have no choice but to concede. I don’t want millions more dead on my hands.”

“If they want a fight?” Nick asked, crossing his arms.

“Then you have my permission to blow them out of the sky.”

Ben and Nick licked their lips, smiled, and quickly exited the deck. I turned to the console and sat on my chair, flipping a few toggles and switches and ensuring the ship was ready for a dogfight. All of the civilians in the hold were secured. Amelia and Freddie took the other available seats in the cockpit. I glanced over to the camera feeds aimed at the star-fighters. Ben and Nick were climbing into their respective vessels. “Any changes, Prime?”

“They are still waiting for your response, forerunner.”

“I take it that’s good news they haven’t fired at us when we’re collecting those people,” Freddie said.

I thought so, too. “Does this vessel have some type of program…er, no, a universal translator?”

“Yes,” Prime replied.

“Will you be able to translate?”

“Unknown.”

“Well, you told me you haven’t met these people before, so how long have you been seeking forerunners?”

“94,233 years.”

I blinked. “You’re kidding.”

“I do not joke, forerunner.”

“And how many sentient alien species have you encountered so far?”

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“Four hundred and three documented sentient species in my personal databank.” I was not expecting that—a number I had to consider later.

“Be ready to cross-reference their language within your memory so we can translate it.”

“And capture their vocal intonations, inflections, phonetics, and semantics,” Amelia added. “We don’t want to risk any miscommunications.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Noted, forerunner and Minister Hansen,” Prime said. “I will include the databank within the Hyperion network in my search now that this quadrant is connected to the Orion sector.”

“Good. You do that.”

I hesitated at pressing the dull flashing red button on the dashboard. Should I even be the one talking to them? I wasn’t a skilled negotiator and undoubtedly not charismatic enough to carry on a heavy conversation where the fate of humanity might hang on this parlay. What if I said the wrong word? God only knew how often I’ve said the wrong things over a date. I took a deep breath, hoping I wouldn’t doom humanity to the apocalypse.

“When in Rome.” I pressed the button.

The silence stretched for a minute, lingering there while it pressed on my chest. I wondered if there was a delay in Prime’s translations (if he could translate their language) or if perhaps something was wrong on their end. Maybe they wanted me to talk first, but I didn’t know what to say. Something to be written in the history books, perhaps? No, that wouldn’t do. I needed this to be brief. Get to the point.

“My name is Tony Segerstrom of Earth. To whom am I speaking?”

Another stretching silence. Should I say something else? Maybe something more cordial?

“Incoming transmission,” Prime said. My adrenaline skyrocketed. “I have discovered a primordial etymology within the Hyperion’s memory core comparable to the quartz’s language. I shall translate.”

Interesting. So, Prime’s creators know their language or at least an ancient version. If Prime existed for thousands of years, perhaps he met the quartz’s ancestors. I made a note to ask Prime about that. His memory might not be as restricted as he presented. I waited for Prime’s translation, but I didn’t expect a different male voice to go through the speakers: low, fierce, and powerful.

“Renegade, Tony Segerstrom of Earth! For your insolence, your punishment is insurmountable. Cease at once! Lay down your arms, and may our might be a lesson not to contend against your betters.”

I stepped back and shrugged at Amelia. We were off to a good start, I thought sarcastically. “This dude isn’t having a great day.”

“Against his betters? Dude, we just smoked one of his buddies,” Freddie said.

“You think it’s a trick?” Amelia asked me. “He sounds like a jackass.”

“Maybe. Or he’s really serious. Prime, are you sure this is the right translation?”

“There is a seven-second delay with the translation, and I have translated the comprehensive, objective, and precise assay of their language and carefully sparse their semantics and pragmatic context. This is as accurate as I can make it.”

“There’s still room for error,” Freddie pointed out.

I nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want them to misunderstand we come in peace to we’re declaring war.”

Amelia approached the holo-table. “Prime, has any of the quartz approached the planet?”

“Negative, Minister Hansen.”

“Maybe his fleet had sent him as their emissary,” she said.

Since their emissary was being direct, maybe I should, too. I pushed the red button again. “As the representative of my planet, I declare that you are trespassing. For the slaughter of my people, you and your kind are no longer welcome here. Leave now with your lives still intact and never come back.” I turned to the others. “Was that good enough?”

Amelia and Freddie shrugged, anticipating their response.

Another transmission.

“You have no authority to make demands,” The quartz said firmly. “You illegally possess unsanctioned technology for a Class Zero Civilization, a crime punishable by death! Reveal those who have established an unlicensed first contact with your people, and they too will be punished by the might of the law.”

“Hey, you are the one who contacted us first! Our technology is ours and ours alone. We shed blood for it,” I said, frowning. I didn’t want to give too much away.

“We have evaluated your technological capabilities and determined discrepancies upon your people’s technological advancement. Cease its usage now, or we will be forced to take drastic actions.”

Fat chance I am going to give it up. “If you insist on threatening my home again, then I also have no choice but to hunt you all down individually.”

“Insolence! If you truly represent your people, hand this technology to us, and we may leave your planet intact. However, for illegal possession and the deadly force used against us, this solar system will be quarantined for five hundred years after you have been executed for contempt and insurgency.”

I turned to Amelia. “Can you believe this guy? They want to execute me?”

Amelia scoffed. “He sounds like Sheriff Goodwin laying down on my dad during his night binges.”

An idea formed. “Maybe that’s it!”

“What’s what?”

“Sheriff Goodwin!”

“You want to bring Sheriff Goodwin up here?”

“No! They’re cops!” I turned to look at the hovering quartz ship. “I think they’re like cops.”

The others laughed. “Ha! I can’t picture an alien with a badge, Tony,” Freddie said. “They just called for your execution.”

“Or maybe a peacekeeping force. Then again, they did kill a lot of people. Prime, what made you come out of hibernation?”

“A black code anomaly has been detected when unknown vessels entered the solar system.”

I nodded. “I think we caught them by surprise.”

“So they didn’t know about Prime or the forerunner tech in our system?” Amelia asked.

“No. They did not react to the stations when they first got here. That must have gotten them curious why a planet like us have fucking giant space stations orbiting our planet. They only retaliated when we fired on them.”

“They designated our planet as a Class Zero Civilization.”

“Didn’t Prime tell us we’re now Class One?” Freddie asked.

“Yeah. From the Hyperion Network.”

“Maybe they’ve got the wrong intel.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Which means they’ve been observing us for quite a while.” I shuddered. I didn’t know whether I should be creeped out. “Which also means they know we landed on the moon and have started to establish our presence in space. Maybe that’s what the designation meant. We’re a spacefaring people, but still antiquated in our technology.”

I almost laughed at the notion of some galactic bureaucrat having Earth on a waitlist for a licensed first contact and a candidate to join the rest of the galaxy. Did my being a forerunner break some galactic law? It sure sounded like it. After all, it jumped our technology by thousands of years.

“So, if they are not here because of Prime, then they’re here for something else,” Amelia muttered.

“Exactly.” I pushed the button. “State the purpose for why you illegally trespassed into our system.”

“We are under no obligation to reveal our objectives to Class Zeros. End the use of this technology at once, or our numbers will darken your skies, Tony Segerstrom of Earth!”

I was getting impatient with this back-and-forth. “As a chosen representative of this planet, you will tell me your purpose. Depending on your answer, I may cooperate to the full extent of my abilities and even your laws.”

“You are in no position to make demands! You are in our jurisdiction and obligated to follow our orders.”

“If memory serves, I agreed to no terms with your people and are under no one’s jurisdiction. This is the first time I have made contact with you.”

“Your planet is designated as Class Zero. Independent resolutions and diplomatic commitment are restricted to your quadrant. Your people are under our authority until we evaluate your civilization’s development. This unlicensed first contact is an injustice to my people and yours. You should be ashamed to lose such an honor! The responsible coalition must be held accountable. Reveal your source or be obliterated.”

Oh, boy, he was no help. I am confident that being polite alone would not get me anywhere, and his response was always hostility after hostility. I had a feeling he might belong to some war-like culture.

I had to meet his fire and brimstone with my own.

I pushed the red button again a little harder. “Let me be clear: I have no intention of engaging you with hostility, but if push comes to shove, then I will. There are only four of you left, far away from home. There are billions more of me. As you know, my people are more than technologically capable of blowing you off our planet. We are also capable of interstellar travel. Perhaps we will pay a visit to your homeworld. By then, I will have an entire armada behind my back. I will spare your people if I know why you entered our solar system, but even that courtesy is running thin. Your choice.”

Amelia touched my elbow. “Is it a good idea to antagonize them?”

“They’ve antagonized us from the very beginning. I don’t think they have any plans to be cordial. Right now, they see us as inferior. Weak. I think they are grasping at straws to keep us in line.”

“As long as we prevent them from killing more of our people.”

“Hopefully, he takes the bait.”

I didn’t like it when he mentioned we were under their jurisdiction. Did he believe we were incapable of thought? I didn’t appreciate being talked down to like some immature child. I pictured some big boss having a strong grip around this quadrant with dozens of fleets at his disposal, but how far was their reach? Five solar systems? Ten? Maybe more? Did that mean they lived close by? So many questions swirled inside my head while I waited impatiently for his response. My stomach flipped when the comms clicked back to life, but it was Prime’s voice.

“Another vessel has entered past the hub’s orbit. The trajectory comes from the moon and will enter the atmosphere in ten minutes.”

The lunar vessel. Shit. They were fucking stalling!

I turned to face the quartz ship ahead and roared, “Evasive maneuvers!”

The ship steered sideways as six beams of violet light shot out. Lucky for me, I didn’t get hit, but a colossal explosion rocked from below. Looking down through the holo-feed, my childhood home was engulfed in flames, the driveway littered with dust and debris. I made the right choice of getting those people out of dodge, or else the entire area would be littered with bodies.

The quartz hailed me again. “If you claim to be as capable as us, then where is your fleet, Tony Segerstrom of Earth? Your people are young. Aimless. Divided. We will teach you how dangerous the galaxy can be.”

I had enough of this motherfucker. Aim the cannons upward, Prime, I thought.

But, forerunner—

Just do it.

Once I felt the weapons stirred, I ordered Prime to fly the vessel at full speed toward the quartz ship. “Everyone, hold on and brace for impact!” I screamed over the comms. Hopefully, the others in the cabins and the cargo hold had enough time to secure themselves on their seats. I jumped behind the dashboard just as Amelia and Freddie strapped themselves behind the communications and navigation consoles. The quartz recalculated their aim.

“Weapons ready to fire, forerunner.”

“On my signal!”

I dove the ship under just as the quartz opened fire again. As I predicted at this close range, their aim fell short when I flew within fifty feet of their sphere. At a span of sixteen hundred feet (slightly larger than the quartz ship I fought yesterday), it was too big to maneuver around my smaller vessel, and all the shots missed. Their vessel’s shadow reached the flight deck.

“Fire, fire!”

All the cannons shot upward at three thousand meters per second at point blank. Their shields held momentarily, but it wasn’t enough as multiple explosions rocketed their underside. Their vessel was still damaged from their run-in with the Chinese, and they were stupid enough to engage me now. I could use that to my advantage. Once out from under them, I pulled the vessel upward until we were upside down. The antigravity engines kicked in.

“Prime, fire it again!”

Another barrage as I held in the grim beauty of the quartz’s shields failing when the projectiles made contact with their hull, erupting a fiery, yellow-hot cloud. I punched a hole wide enough to put my ship inside its hull. Still, the quartz remained standing.

My hands shook nervously. “It’s gonna take a while to beat this fucker down.”

“They’re aiming their weapons at us again! We should probably get out of here, Tony,” Amelia said.

“That’s not a bad idea. Hold on!”

Flipping the ship back to level, I flew westward at full speed, heading toward the Pacific Ocean. “Freddie, Amelia, I’m switching the rail guns to manual override. You guys think you can shoot this fucker for me?”

Freddie and Amelia exchanged excited looks. “Gladly, staff sergeant!” Freddie shouted.

I smiled. “Good. Lieutenant Amendola and Ochoa, are you in position?”

“Ready!” They said over the comms. Over the camera feeds inside their vessels; they were already strapped and secured on their seats.

“On my signal, we’re gonna give these fuckers Hell on Earth.”

“Oorah!”