Atlantis Rising (22 page)

“Do you know what your name
means?” Brad said.

“Yes, it means Angel,” Tatiana
said.

“Go ahead, Mike,” Brad said.

“Unlocking all Primary functions
to AI control,” Mike said.

“Tatiana, you may assume your
duties,” Brad said.

“Thank you, Chief Anspach. I’m
reading a slight power fluctuation in the starboard power grid. I’m shutting
down the primary conduit and rerouting power. Notifying chief engineer,”
Tatiana said.

“Wow, not even online for two
seconds and already she tracks down a problem,” Gilas said.

“Thank you, Captain,” Tatiana
said.

“Well, I would say the evolution
was a success,” Jon said.

“Mike,” Terri said, “let you
start playing with AI units, and your dreams start becoming reality.”

“I had nothing to do with this.
That is how she was programmed to look,” Mike said.

“Suuure,” Terri said.

“No, he is correct. You have
never seen a Eutharan female,” Carex said as he stepped forward to examine
Tatiana. “This is one, although she is very common looking, she is pretty, but
not beautiful by our standards. Sorry, Tatiana, I mean no disrespect.”

“None taken, Lieutenant Carex. I
have been designed to be appealing but not distracting,” Tatiana said.

“Then I have to meet one of those
you think are beautiful,” Brad said. “Tatiana is ‘hot’, in my book.”

“Anything with boobs is hot, in
your book,” Terri said.

She grinned at Brad waiting for
him to take the bait.

“True,” Brad said. “I really
can’t argue with you there.”

Brad stuck his tongue out at
Terri.

“Drats!” Terri said.

That got a few chuckles.

“What was Tatiana saying about
nanites?” Gilas asked.

“It is part of her program. It
used to be that all crew on all ships had nanites to help repair damage to
their bodies. They also allowed short range communication with each other and
massive data storage,” Brad said.

Gilas looked at Jon, “So, when
you are standing there, staring into space …”

Jon nodded as he spoke, “Yes,
though we find it’s easier to use conventional means of communications, unless
it’s an emergency. Frankly, it gives me a massive headache, and I hate using
it.”

Andie spoke up, “Your entire crew
has these nanites. They just weren’t active yet. I’ll bet if I checked now,
they would be active.”

“All nanites are active. They are
tied into the station, as well as all ships registered as friendly,” Tatiana
said.

“This means, when you’re on the
station or on the
Atlantis
. We will now be able to monitor your health
and such. You won’t be a ‘blind spot’ to us anymore,” Ghost said.

“If that’s true they will be
repairing any internal damage they find. Cancer and stuff like that. You will
also not get sick as often and when you do, you will recover faster,” Andie
said.

“Nice,” Gilas said.

“Well now this is finished, it’s
time to get on to more important matters,” Jon said. “Atlantis, are we prepped
for departure?”

“Yes, Sir, we’re ready,” Atlantis
said.

“All right, people! Let’s saddle
up and take a trip to Earth,” Jon said.

tlantis sat above Mars, in the magnetic field of one of its poles.
This masked her from the sensors of the two Invaru Titan Class vessels in orbit
around Earth. Shuttles were constantly running from the surface of Earth to the
two massive ships. From the scan the Atlantis had done of Earth when they
arrived, it was clear that none of the major cities still stood. Devastation
scarred the planet; it would take decades to recover from the bombardment.

Jon was going over the data about
one of the Titans, “Wow, that’s some ship.”

“Largest ship ever built,” Carex
said. “There are only three in existence that we know of. Heavily armed and
shielded, she carries enough personnel on board that she could staff the
station and Atlantis.”

“That’s a lot of people,” Marc
said. “What I want to know is what those shuttles are doing.”

“They’re transporting your people
to the ships and processing them,” Carex said.

“Processing them?” Marc said.

“Yes, they’re turning them into
mindless slaves,” Carex said. A sad look was on his face.

“How horrible,” Andie said. “Can
it be reversed?”

“Not that I know of, they remove
part of the victim’s brain and implant a small computer that controls their
thinking. It also keeps them alive by controlling the automatic processes of
the body,” Carex said. “It’s a very effective brainwashing technique. They live
only to serve the person they’re programmed too.”

“Okay, now I dislike them even
more,” Jon said.

“These brainwashed people, could
they be mixed in with the people we’re thinking of rescuing?” Marc asked.

“Very likely, they will use them
as spies to root out any resistance pockets,” Carex said.

“So how do we tell the
difference?” Marc asked.

“One thing, each and every one of
the people who have had this done can be tracked. It’s very important you know
who you’re bringing back,” Carex said. “As far as telling the difference, I
have no clue.”

“I could reprogram the sensors on
the shuttles to run a scan on everyone aboard. It should be able to detect
anything foreign in them,” Mike said. “I’ll need Andie’s help to load up the
medical data needed.”

“Do it,” Jon said. “Marc, you’re
going to have to be brutal. If you think anyone has a device, you leave him or
her behind. If anyone is scanned at the shuttle they are to be shot and you
will have to immediately move your operation to a different location.”

Marc stared at Jon, “Jon, I don’t
know if I can do that. I mean shoot someone for that reason... I mean... they
can’t help it.”

Jon stared at Marc for a second
before he spoke, “They’re not human any more. Shooting them would be releasing
them from a fate worse than death. I would want you to shoot me if that had
happened to me. Wouldn’t you want the same thing? Does anyone here want to live
like that?”

“No, I guess not,” Marc said.

“Then do them a favor and put
them out of their misery,” Jon said.

“One thing,” Carex said. Everyone
looked at him as a tear rolled down his cheek.

“What’s wrong, Carex,” Andie
said. She had moved over to comfort him.

“They will use children,” Carex
said.

Andie gasped as everyone looked
at each other.

“WHAT!” Terri’s voice said. She
was sitting in her fighter prepping for her mission as she listened in. “What
do you mean they use children?”

“I mean they do the same
procedure to children as they do to adults,” Carex said.

“Those bastards, I will kill
every one of them with my bare hands,” Terri said.

“Calm down Terri, they will pay
in due time,” Jon said. “Okay, get the military shuttles reprogrammed.”

“I’ve already taken the liberty
and reprogrammed the sensors on the shuttles,” Atlantis said.

“All right, let’s do this,” Jon
said. “Condition red, all hands to battle stations. Standby to engage the
enemy. All recovery crews to their ships. Fighters standby to lend support.”

‘Condition red, all hands to
battle stations,’ Atlantis echoed. ‘All shuttle crews to their ships. All
fighters stand-by to lend support.’

The lights dimmed on the Bridge
and switched to a deep red glow.

“What?” Carex said. “You can’t be
serious. Those are Titans.”

“So,” Jon said. “We’re going to
engage them right now. To distract them while the recovery crews land at their
objectives.”

“Oh, wait, what do you mean by
‘Right now’?” Carex said.

“We will engage them as we deploy
the shuttles,” Jon said. “I thought we went over this.”

“I thought you would change your
mind once you saw the Titans,” Carex said.

“Nope, they’re being careless,
they have their shields down and I plan on taking advantage of that,” Jon said.

“No Titan has ever been
destroyed,” Carex said. “For that matter, no Titan has ever been disabled.”

“There is always a first time,”
Jon said.

“I…” Carex started… “Yes sir.” He
finished, as Jon fixed him with a gaze that told him the discussion was over.

“Helm, plot a fold under the
nearest Titan,” Jon said. “Weapons free, shields to maximum power.”

“Launch control, prepare to
launch all shuttles and fighters once we come out of fold,” Carex said.

Mike took his seat at Engineering
as Andie and Marc left the bridge to join the landing crews.

“Diverting auxiliary power to
weapons and shields,” Mike said.

“Communications, put all voice
traffic on the speakers once the operations start,” Jon said.

“Captain, all crews have reported
green for departure,” Tactical said.

“Fold drive is powered up, and
the course is plotted Sir,” Helm reported.

“Bring us out of the polar field
and prepare to fold,” Jon said.

“We will be clear of the field in
five seconds,” Atlantis said.

Jon watched as the Atlantis moved
out of the field.

“Fold now!” Jon said once they
were clear.

Atlantis flashed into existence
right under the closest Titan her guns blazing. The guns tore large chunks of
metal from the massive ship as the Atlantis pounded her relentlessly. The
Titan’s shields flickered to life only to disappear as somewhere its system
failed. Most likely, the initial assault by the Atlantis had severed several
key conduits. As if just waking up, the Titan started to return fire.

“Shields to eighty percent Sir,”
Tactical said.

“Bring us about, launch all
recovery vessels and their fighter support,” Jon said. Jon wasn’t very pleased
that the fighter support included his sister. But, they only had limited
manpower, and she was needed.

“Bringing us about,” Helm said.

“Fold drive will be recharged in
another fifteen seconds,” Atlantis said.

“Shields at sixty percent Sir,”
Tactical said.

“Status of enemy vessel?” Jon
asked.

“Major damage to internal
structure, I’m reading several internal fires and explosions,” Tactical said.
“They are giving pursuit though. Looks like their shields are down.”

“Ten seconds,” Atlantis said.

“Keep firing everything we have
at them,” Jon said.

“Second Titan is moving to
intercept us,” Tactical said.

“Incoming communication from the
second Titan,” Communications said.

“Put it through audio only,” Jon
said.

“Eutharan vessel, you’re ordered
to stand down. Stop your engines and prepare to be boarded,” a male voice said.

“What is it with all you people
and all this ‘Prepare to be boarded’ crap?” Jon said.

There was silence for a second,
“You’re human?”

“So I have been told,” Jon said.
“You must be the Invaru scum that has invaded my planet.”

The second Titan started firing
as it suddenly disconnected communications.

“Fold ready,” Atlantis said.

“Shields at forty percent,”
Tactical said.

“Boosting power to shields,” Mike
said.

“Don’t fold yet; full speed
ahead,” Jon said.

“All teams launched, they report
encountering only minimal resistance,” Launch Control said.

“Draw them away a bit more,” Jon
said. “All point defense switch to enemy fighters.”

“Sir their not really launching
fighters,” Tactical said. “I think they’re too intent on us.”

Jon watched as they passed the
Moon and the shuttles and fighters entered Earth’s atmosphere.

‘All right folks, let’s rescue
some people,’ Terri said. ‘All ships go to your landing points. We have to be
as fast as possible.’

‘Roger that Sandpiper,’ a female
voice said. ‘Shuttle two inbound to target landing area.’

‘Shuttle one headed to target
landing zone,’ a male voice said.

‘Shuttle three headed to target
landing zone,’ Marc’s voice said.

‘All fighters split off and cover
the shuttles,’ Terri said.

“Execute Fold,” Jon said.

Atlantis disappeared in a flash
of light only to reappear just out of range of the two Titans. The undamaged
Titan was closing on them faster than the damaged one. Jon watched it closely
as he listened to the ground reports coming in. So far, everything seemed to be
going according to plan. There were several engagements going on, but so far,
they had not identified any slaves in the humans loaded.

“Make best speed to Pluto,” Jon
said. “Prepare to fold back to Earth so we can pick our people up.”

“Sir,” Tactical said. “The
damaged Titan has stopped in orbit of Jupiter.”

“What’s our shield status?” Jon
asked.

“Shields are at fifty percent,”
Tactical said.

“Alter our fold and bring us out
next to the damaged Titan,” Jon said.

“Fold drive is charged,” Atlantis
said.

“Weapons loose,” Jon said.
“Execute fold.”

Atlantis disappeared in a flash
of light again. This time she appeared next to the disabled Titan. Her engines
flared as she started flying down the larger ship. Atlantis was hugging the
larger vessel as closely as she could to minimize its ability to shoot her.
Polaron cannons fired, striking the larger vessel and tearing large chunks of
hull from it. Massive explosions rippled the Titan's hull as the Atlantis
pulled up and away then disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear near
Earth a second later.

“Let our people know we’re here
for pick up,” Jon said. “It’s time to leave this little party. Have you got
their communications frequency? I want to hear what they’re saying,” Jon said.

“Yes, Sir,” Communications said.
“One second, I think I finally have it isolated now.”

Static filled the Bridge for a
second, as Communications piped the feed in to the speakers. “Adjusting,”
Communications said.

Suddenly it cleared up.

“Ge’daes this is the Il’las. I
repeat we’re in need of assistance. All engines are offline and we’re being
pulled into the gas giant,” a male voice said.

The call kept going out but there
wasn’t a response.

“Atlantis, put the Il’las on the
main screen,” Jon said.

The Bridge crew watched as the
massive ship slowly spiraled into Jupiter. Little by little, the gas giant’s
gravity pulled it apart. A final explosion signaled the massive ship’s death.

A loud cheer sounded through the
Bridge as the ship met its end.

“I can’t believe it,” Carex said.
“You actually killed a Titan.”

“Not really, we disabled it.
Jupiter killed it,” Jon said. “We just gave it the final nudge. What I don’t
get is why the Ge’daes didn’t render assistance.”

Jon watched as the other Titan
passed Jupiter on its way back to Earth. It was now launching fighters and
other support craft. They wouldn’t reach the Atlantis before she did an
in-system jump.

“Those Captains aren’t the best
social partners,” Carex said. “Besides, for him to have stopped and given
assistance would have given you free reign. His superiors wouldn’t have been
happy about that.”

Jon just shook his head in
amazement as he spoke, “Get us out of here as soon as we’re loaded. I’m going
to the Military Hangar to see what we have recovered. Lieutenant Carex you have
the Bridge.”

“Yes Sir,” Carex said. He was
smiling like a big kid in a candy store. This was a great day for the Eutharan
people and the Humans he now called friends.

Jon entered the hanger and almost
cried. There were people in various states of distress all over the hanger.
Some were injured; all of them looked malnourished. It brought tears to his
eyes to see people in this state.