The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace (3 page)

Jenkins sighed and keyed his code into the Command Center access panel to open the door. “Better not keep them waiting, but if this is another drill without my knowledge, there’ll be hell to pay.”

The door to the Command Center opened, and Jenkins stepped into chaos. Several members of the command center staff were actively huddled around numerous visual screens and engaged in heated verbal debates across the room, while younger staffers were running between the Command Center stations in a frantic attempt to provide some measure of assistance.

Jenkins took one step into the room and moved to his left. Lieutenant Henrickson followed the admiral in and with a surprisingly loud voice for her size announced the admiral’s presence. “Admiral on deck!”

All commotion stopped in the room, and everyone immediately snapped to attention. “What the hell is going on in my Command Center people? Flores, give me a SITREP,” Jenkins ordered.

Commander Thomas Flores, Jenkins’ XO on the Europa Station, stepped forward. “The situation is very confusing, sir.”

“I gathered that, Commander,” Jenkins replied. “Get on with it.”

“We have a hostile situation outside of Pluto Station, sir. An unknown craft is currently engaged with some of our Marine drop ships.”

“This unknown craft, get me a visual now!” Jenkins exclaimed as he moved to the center of the room and the Command Center’s primary view screen.

Flores turned to one of the staffers next to him and instructed him to reroute the vid to the screen. “Visual of the engagement has been provided by the medical ship,
Tama
, which was sent in as support for the Pluto station following the
Gerard’s
initial assessment. Zooming in on the ship now.” He pointed at the screen. “There it is. We’ve never seen anything like her. She’s fast, maneuverable and utilizes a primary energy weapon of some sort. We’ve alerted more Marine ships to assist—”

Lieutenant Henrickson quickly interrupted. “Sir, we need to get our people out of there. This is a potential first contact situation and if this escalates, there may be ramifications.”

Jenkins turned to stare almost incredulously at his aide. “Lieutenant, I don’t give a damn about first contact protocol right now. That ship has attacked our people, many have already died. This is a hostile situation and will be handled as such.” A large explosion appeared on the view screen. “Tom, what was that, did we get it?”

Commander Flores checked his screen, bowed his head slowly then looked up at the admiral. “Negative, sir. That was the
Okinawa
. She’s gone.”

Jenkins looked around the Command Center at his staff. He could see the shock still hanging on their faces. “What is the status of the hostile vessel? Can we get a reading?”

Flores replied, “Yes, sir. The drop ships hit her with their cannons, but any damage has been negligible. With her speed and armor, we can’t make a dent, sir. The drop ships were designed for near orbit and ground support, not true space ship-to-ship combat.”

“Those ships are the best in our arsenal, Tom. Are you telling me we have nothing to counter this ship with?”

Flores sighed and nodded to the affirmative. “Yes, sir. That is exactly what I am saying.”

A new voice from the back of the Command Center spoke up, “Excuse me, Admiral.” Everyone in the room turned back to see who had called out.

Felix Ulera, the Epherium Corporation representative to Admiral Jenkins’ earlier meeting stepped forward from the group. He nodded to the admiral and continued. “I’m sorry to interrupt given the current situation, but I don’t believe that the commander’s statement is entirely accurate.”

Chapter One

EDF Dreadnaught Armstrong
Near Mars Orbital Station
Monday
,
January 13
Earth Year 2155

Several small crowds gathered inside the Mars Orbital Station to witness the arrival of the newest Earth Defense Force Dreadnaught, the
EDF Armstrong
. The massive ship spanned nearly two thousand meters in length and sported a mass of over three hundred million metric tons, but it was its shape that drew the awe of most in the crowd. The forward bridge design and large main sections gave the illusion of a predator. Her armor plating and paint scheme displayed strength but also helped to camouflage many of ship’s offensive capabilities.

The newly created Akita class Dreadnaughts were designed to be the primary focus for fleet operations and instituted a very distinct change from past EDF combat strategies. Modeled after late twentieth century super carrier concepts, the Dreadnaughts could function as a fortress and mobile command base, alone or as a key hub in a larger EDF naval fleet. Until the new design of the Akita class came to fruition, and due to the lack of capable resources and starship building techniques, the EDF relied primarily on smaller cruiser and frigate based ships as the core of its defensive fleets. The EDF were able to deploy a few smaller “carrier” type vessels that served as bomber platforms, but their hull designs didn’t allow them to be a true offensive platform for ship-to-ship combat.

The Akitas were the answer to the EDF Fleet Command’s call for the dominant capital ship in space operations. The new ships offered superior ship-to-ship weaponry including over thirty large rail gun turrets, ten torpedo bays and numerous smaller auto-cannon and missile emplacements. To complement the ship’s weapons arrays, the hull design included three launch bays that could hold a total of six squadrons of fighters or bombers. Additional space in each bay was allocated for shuttles and assault craft. For close in defense, the Akitas were equipped with state of the art point defense pulse cannons, which had proven significantly effective against small drone attacks in previous engagements with the alien race known as the Cilik’ti. The conflict with the Cilik’ti had ended slightly more than six years ago, but the threat of future hostilities and other potential dangers that could be encountered with continued exploration of systems outside of Earth’s own had fueled the EDF’s need to improve its defensive capabilities. After the first encounter with the Cilik’ti, Earth changed its focus from exploration to defense. Out of the ashes of the old EEF, the new Earth Defense Force was considered to be a rising phoenix; a powerful line to protect humanity. But a strictly defensive strategy might not hold against another invasion. The Akitas were viewed to be the pinnacle of EDF starship design, spearheaded by Epherium Corporation’s engineering and production. They were designed to defend Earth’s people and take the fight to the enemies’ worlds if need be.

The
Armstrong
, the third of the new Dreadnaughts to be constructed, slowed to an orbital position two kilometers from the Mars Station, and even at that distance, it was easy to view the new vessel. The current fleet stationed in the area consisted of two of the older Chimera class Cruisers. One of the Chimeras, the
EDF Athena
, was currently orbiting the station when the
Armstrong
arrived. The
Armstrong
dwarfed the older cruiser, as she was easily three times her size and well above that in her overall tonnage.

Assembled on the Command Deck of the
Armstrong
were several members of the EDF Fleet Command, Earth Government dignitaries, and representatives of the various corporations responsible for the technologies developed for the Dreadnaughts. The Command Deck wasn’t the only place that was busy. The
Armstrong
had just completed her shakedown cruise before the ship’s transfer to EDF fleet control. Shakedowns were standard protocol for all newly constructed EDF vessels, but the Akitas were considered the jewels of the fleet. Their shakedowns weren’t just a band of tests, they were a spectacle. The
Armstrong’s
shakedown was no different. Her decks were filled with hundreds of technicians and observers intent on monitoring the ship’s capabilities as she was put through various operational tests.

Several food servers were milling through the Command Deck dispensing refreshments to the event’s attendees. The primary Command Deck on the
Armstrong
was octagonal in design and offered space for several duty stations related to the ship’s essential functions. The center of the Command Deck offered small stations for senior command staff with four large view screens that could be tuned to different visuals of ships status and cameras inside and outside of the ship.

Even though the Command Deck was very efficient in its design, space was still at a premium. The serving staff found it difficult to move past several of the stations and often resigned themselves to covering a smaller area. A short redheaded server headed to her designated serving area with a new tray full of drinks. She was fascinated by all the technology and tried to nonchalantly listen in on descriptions of the various systems that were being demonstrated at the stations in her area on the Command Deck. After a few passes, she quickly deduced that the station with the most appeal and best tippers was the Weapons and Tactical Station. This particular station was located near the rear of the Command Deck just to the left of the main entrance, which in the server’s mind was very fortuitous as she was able to immediately provide drinks to any new arrivals on the Command Deck.

The server continued her refreshment round near the busy station and noticed a tall slender man clothed in an EDF dress uniform staring intently at readouts on the tactical status screens. The EDF dress uniforms were a deep royal blue with gold trim on the pant legs, shirt sleeves and along the collars. Members of the EDF Command staff, on the other hand, wore solid white uniforms and were easy to spot around the Command Deck. She found herself almost staring at the man. The readouts were showing results from the standard simulations and demonstrations for the normal onlookers, but she watched his eyes as they tracked the readouts and the look on his face gave her the impression that he was thoroughly immersed in each combat scenario. Seizing on the fact that his hands were empty, the server moved closer to gain his attention. “Excuse me, sir. Can I offer you anything to drink?” she asked with her sweet and persuasive voice.

The man turned away from the displays and regarded the server. He was a handsome man in his late thirties with dark hair, cut short to the standard EDF military style, but elements of gray were beginning to show, particularly on the sides. “Yes, thank you,” he said. “What do you have?”

“We have our standard lemonade punch here,” she stated, guiding her hand over the tray of glasses she carried. “We also have a fully stocked bar, as well as some very delicious sandwiches,” she added, along with her patented smile and flash of eyelashes.

The man smiled back. “The punch is fine, thank you.” He reached into his pocket and placed a twenty-five credit chip on her tray. “That’s for you.”

The server looked at his chest to find his name insignia plate. “Why thank you, Captain...Hood is it?”

“Yes, Captain James Hood. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The server froze at the name. She had paused for nearly five seconds before she realized her mouth was hanging open. She collected herself and looked up to the man who now had that puzzled look on his face that wondered if she was okay. “Sorry, I didn’t get that. You said your name is James Hood?”

The man nodded in response, smiling slightly.

“
T
-
the
Captain Hood. The hero of Pluto Station? T-that James Hood?” she asked, stuttering several times.

Captain Hood chuckled. “I would hardly call me a hero, Kira. Besides, that was a long time ago and...” He stopped his explanation as Kira raised her hand in front of her. Without a word, she slowly backed away and moved over to the bar. She never took her eyes off him as she set down her tray and grabbed the sleeve of one of her co-workers. Hood noticed that she quickly gained the other lady’s attention and began to gesture insistently in his direction. The other server seemed to take on Kira’s earlier awe struck look, and Hood politely waved at both of them.

“Wow, Jim. You sure know how to startle ’em,” a gravelly voice said from behind him.

Turning around, Hood noticed a slightly shorter, older gentleman in full white EDF Command staff uniform with his hand extended toward him. “Hello, Admiral. Enjoying the festivities?” Hood said and shook the admiral’s hand.

Fleet Admiral Russell Tramp was considered sort of a rebel in the EDF Command circuit, but he used what influence he had in impressing the folks back home of the importance of these new ships to the EDF. His brand of humor and support of young officers was a welcome sign for those like Hood and offset much of the strict demeanor in the traditional EDF Command rank and file.

“Absolutely, James,” he said warmly. “This is one of those outings when I can actually enjoy myself. Don’t have too many people trying to suck up to me here.” The admiral rubbed his chin and scanned the Command Deck. “Lots of other targets of opportunity.”

“True, very true, sir.” Hood gave a laugh of his own. “How is Victoria?”

Admiral Tramp waved to the servers still standing at the bar in attempt to get some refreshment. “Very well, thanks for asking. The only thing she seems to be concerned about these days is when I’m going to retire. When you have been in the service for as long as I have, space is sort of in your blood. It makes it harder to give up.”

A different server, since Hood’s previous one was still preoccupied, presented Admiral Tramp with a large glass of lemonade then quickly sped off to her next customer.

“How do you make her understand?”

“Oh, I just simply explained to her that the EDF needed me and some other useful b.s. It’s at that point she just throws up her hands and stomps off.” The admiral paused, moved closer to Hood and whispered, “To tell you the truth James, I’m scared to retire. The thought of sitting at home going stir crazy would make me run out in front of one of the maglev trains near our home.” The admiral made a quick glance around Hood. “What about you, Jim? Where is that gal of yours? Helen, isn’t it? I tell you I am so horrible with names these days.”

Hood tensed a little and took a deep breath, “It...didn’t work out. We tried for six months, but it just wasn’t right. We both really liked each other, had similar interests, but...we decided to just remain friends.”

“Space, the mother of all relationship busters that one,” the admiral explained “It seems great for a little while, you both believe that you can manage the long distances, but there is always another mission, and your short times spent together are not enough to keep the relationship going. I always thought long distance planet-side relationships were bad, but when you’re out here, it magnifies the problem.” Tramp sucked down the lemonade and let out a satisfied, “Ahh.”

“I was lucky, you see. I met Vicky at the academy. She was studying to be a nurse at the time and me, I was the hotshot pilot. Her dad was a test pilot back on Earth, and I think that’s what drew her to me. She still says it was my charm.”

Hood laughed as the admiral continued, “She knew the issues of any relationship such as ours beforehand, and we were able to make it work.” The admiral held up his now empty glass and tried vainly to gain the attention of one of the nearby servers. Unable to catch their attention, he lowered his arm and turned back to Hood. “Son, it takes time, but a good woman with questionable standards is always available. You just have to look.”

Hood smiled, patted the admiral’s shoulder and tried to change the subject. “Have you gotten the full tour of the Command Deck yet?”

Acknowledging the idea that Hood wanted to move on, the admiral shook his head. “No, I only just arrived. Show me around, would you?”

Hood gestured for the admiral to lead on. As they walked, he began describing several of the stations and enhanced features on the Command Deck. “This is my first time aboard one of the new Akitas, but I have kept up on the designs as Epherium was putting them together. Lots of upgrades and capabilities compared to the Orion,” Hood stated, referring to his current Chimera class cruiser command. Hood gestured to the Tactical Station. “The new tactical systems are a vast improvement over the Chimeras. I watched several of the simulations during the shakedown cruise and reaction and threat identification speeds alone measured an improvement of nearly one hundred fifty percent.”

Admiral Tramp continued to listen to Hood’s overview of each station and noticed that as he spoke, more of the spectators listening to the station demonstrations stopped to listen to his version. Hood moved to the Engineering Station. The admiral glossed over his explanation of the new pidium-enhanced fusion reactors and focused on his demeanor. Hood continued his overview of the systems without hesitation, and the admiral could sense not only his knowledge of the technologies, but a profound confidence in their function. As if almost on cue, a few of the onlookers began to ask Hood questions instead of the technicians providing the demonstrations. Hood answered the questions with surprising detail. Realizing he had lost his focus with the admiral, Hood directed any of the growing number of questions from the crowd of onlookers back to the technicians.

“Sorry about that, Admiral. I got carried away. Shall we continue?”

Hood and the admiral continued to stroll around the stations with Hood relaying much of his understanding and admiration of the systems to the Admiral. “You seem impressed. I didn’t think that was possible,” Admiral Tramp said regarding his younger counterpart.

“She’s a fine ship, sir. If we had this ship ten years ago, a lot of the engagements we fought would have had a different turnout,” Hood said with confidence.

The admiral nodded. “I agree with you on that one, son. Things may have been different, but I’m not sure about their end result, perhaps just delayed. Anyway, I’m glad you like her, because she’s yours.”