Alpha One - Chris Burton [133]
“We ruled out the resonator on day one, Admiral. It is going to take something completely different to close what we have opened. To be honest, we have no idea what that might be. In any case, it has been nearly a week with no sign of any ‘invasion’; surely we have to start looking at the possibility that the wormhole goes nowhere and the Kryl will never be able to come though. Assuming they exist, that is. I presume you are aware of the growing sense the Kryl don’t exist and Winterburn’s words are those of a mad man?”
“Yes, I am aware. However, we need to stay on task. It is imperative you keep looking and exploit all Alpha facilities available to you.”
Cameron sighed. He knew when he was beaten. “We will continue to look, and as soon as we reach a solution, I will be in contact.”
* * * *
Steve Costello enjoyed a beer. He sat at a table in the officer’s mess, with two jump ship colleagues from his squadron. This is long overdue, he thought. Jake has gone AWOL, Carla has completely disappeared and I am on an A-class star ship, in the middle of nowhere, waiting to take a jump ship into combat for the first time.
Two weeks ago, he celebrated his Academy Top Gun success. Today he was in a war zone in the officer’s mess with two complete strangers having a drink. If this weren’t difficult enough to comprehend, Alpha had a new enemy, seeking Earth as a feeding ground. This is electric, he told himself. This was what he had signed up for. Not being with Carla didn’t bother him anymore. He just went along for the thrill. No-one could question that a thrill was exactly what he was getting.
* * * *
Shenke stood alone, staring out of his state room viewing window. He just received news of the leak to the media of the events unfolding in the Tri-Star System and by all accounts the media fuelled widespread panic across Earth, its colonies and beyond. Alpha took the brunt of the blame and President Roslyn was reveling in his newfound role as Protector General. Typical, thought Shenke, the media frenzy was inevitable as was the public’s response. He took great care to prevent the story getting into the wrong hands and yet…
His thought process was interrupted by an internal comm link.
“Admiral, a large number of unidentified vessels have just been sighted exiting the wormhole. It’s the Kryl, sir.”
Shenke sighed deeply and paused before replying.
“Take us to Battle Stations, Commander Willis. I am on my way to the bridge.”
Shenke found himself in command of Alpha’s first line of defense against the Kryl. It was ironic how, after so many years as a mainstay commander—one of the most experienced and most overlooked senior-ranking officer in the fleet—he was finally in command. His small and insignificant force stood between the Kryl and Earth. The late Admiral Rose’s Fleet was on their way, but they would arrive too late to help him.
Shenke entered the Command Center and stood transfixed on the enhanced viewer ahead of him, as he witnessed the mass of Kryl vessels slowly drawing toward them. He looked closer, and noticed the front line of the Kryl armada was composed of a vast number of small, probably single seat vessels. These were followed by a smaller number of battle cruiser size ships and were followed finally by the gigantic mother ship. They were all of the same design, albeit of different sizes. They all shared a sinister characteristic; each ship glowed red on their underside, casting a crimson hue against the shadow of the blue wormhole which lay behind. The sky turned a deep shade of purple.
None of Shenke’s bridge crew interrupted him as he slowly absorbed the sight in front of him. They all took time to take in and comprehend exactly what it was they were seeing. Commander Willis finally disturbed the silence.
“It would seem our first line of defense is going to be jump ship, sir. I have launched fifteen squadrons and have laid a further ten as