The Powers That Be Read online

  I spent much time onboard your ships, and they lack that which no ship can have when designed for the necessities of war.

  What is that?

  Ample space. There are always walls, whereas we and the avians require freedom more than the land dwellers. They like walls. They give them comfort and protection. I do not understand the avians, for they are more vulnerable, yet they prefer the airy tops of buildings that offer no protection. The water embraces us unlike the others, while the air feels cold and cruel. We do not wish to give up this comfort, and it can be maddening to think what is beyond the walls of a starship. That we cannot flee if needed, nor move at all even encased in protective armor when thrown out into the void…what is it?

  Ariel had already led him out into open water and they were moving away from the city, yet not past the shield walls when her attention was diverted to the left and upward. Bio’bo scanned that way with his psionics, but could detect nothing of interest there, though there were many swimmers in the area.

  Little one? he asked again, this time getting a casual response.

  I don’t know, Ariel said, staring at something he couldn’t see, but to her it was obvious. It was an Essence Rush, but one at extreme range. Too extreme. Almost as if it…

  Where is the threat? Bio’bo demanded as her emotions went icy cold and her body became visibly rigid.

  Not here, she said, staring at the bright flare of Essence that did not diminish. I don’t think it’s in this star system. But whatever it is, it is a monster…and I know we have nothing that can match it.

  4

  May 27, 128885

  Stugarrata Nebula (Tovok Kingdom)

  Kappa Temple

  “What is it, Responder?” Mak’to’ran asked on the desert plains where Cal-com had built him an Obi-wan-esk solitary dwelling where he could train in private away from the Vargemma and the Elcee.

  “Specify,” it replied in V’kit’no’sat, which Mak’to’ran still used when alone despite his now normal Star Force language skills that he’d had all in his former empire mentally download.

  “The Essence rush that remains steady in the sky. What is its source?”

  “It is beyond the Temple.”

  “On the exterior?”

  “No. Far beyond. It comes from the Galactic Core.”

  Mak’to’ran turned and looked at it once again, shining in its invisible light on the other side of the Temple…or so it appeared. “How is that possible? Essence diminishes quickly with range.”

  “This is true, but the large amount being emitted in the Core is of such a potent nature that it persists in the void longer than normal.”

  “How can you determine its location?”

  “My database includes only one potential source for such an occurrence. I cannot determine if it is of another nature, but if it is a match, then it can only occur in the Core where the Galactic Gateways are.”

  “What is it precisely that you surmise I am seeing?”

  “A Hadarak Colonization Spore.”

  “Define it,” Mak’to’ran said, still looking at the distant, yet constant Essence Rush.

  “It is their primary mechanism for seeding a new galaxy with their leadership. It is a living vessel with the mass of a star in which an invasion force is carried along the Gateways. The Essence required to move it with sufficient speed to arrive at the destination galaxy before the inhabitants die from lack of resources is immense, and can usually be seen across the expanse of the departure galaxy.”

  “How many Wardens does it carry?”

  “None.”

  “Does it carry minions?”

  “No.”

  “What then does it carry?”

  “The leadership only.”

  Mak’to’ran turned his gaze back to the red obelisk. “Can the leadership fight?”

  “Once they are within their natural environment it is believed they can, though the Founders have never engaged them directly, so I cannot satisfactorily answer that question.”

  “Why are the leadership not vulnerable upon arrival?”

  “The Spore defends them.”

  “The transport is combat capable?”

  “It is the most dangerous asset the Hadarak possess. The Founders have never been able to successfully engage one.”

  “Does it possess Essence weaponry?”

  “Yes. It also possesses such mass and conventional weaponry to make it resilient against the Heidoor long enough for the leadership to get established. They will then create the other Hadarak forms from pieces of the Spore as it is cannibalized to supply immediate forces necessary to establish a foothold. If needed, once the foothold is established, other reinforcements can use the Gateways to support the new Colony. Without a foothold they would quickly die if the arrival area is guarded.”

  “Are most Gateways guarded in galaxies the Founders and the Hadarak do not possess?”

  “The Gateways are the largest gravity wells, and such large wells are the primary residences of the more massive Heidoor. They are never unguarded.”

  “This Spore will then go into battle upon arrival?”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  “Are the leadership in this galaxy fleeing it?”

  “They do not flee. They multiply and expand. Growing a Colony Spore is a massive expenditure that requires millions of years, with variability options depending upon available resources.”

  “Then this Spore was grown long before the galactic purge began?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why would they send it now when this galaxy is not fully under their control?”

  “It is fully under their control. They do not inhabit all of it in order to avoid attracting the Apocalypse Monsters, but they are in full control of it. The Temples are placed in the areas where they choose not to inhabit, but the galaxy is fully theirs to prune as they see fit.”

  “It will not be pruned this time, Responder.”

  “Until the Founders return the Hadarak will not be overcome. Any attempt to fight them is futile.”

  “We are about to disprove that,” the Era’tran said reflexively, then glanced back at the Essence Rush as a sense of the stupidity of his words flowed over him. The Hadarak were so unconcerned with Star Force and the V’kit’no’sat that they were launching an invasion of another galaxy and splitting their resources to do so. Either the Hadarak were underestimating Mak’to’ran’s new empire, or they were more formidable than anyone was imagining.

  “Please supply relevant data for analysis.”

  “The major combat has not yet begun,” Mak’to’ran said dismissively. “How long will this Essence Rush last?”

  “Years. Obtaining the necessary speed cannot be done quickly with such mass, even with Essence enhancement of biological gravity drives.”

  “Will it not pass beyond the effective gravity field long before then?”

  “The Core of the galaxy has many gravity wells. Launch is conducted off the strongest, then the others that are passed by are used to add speed before the galactic field cluster is left behind. When that occurs, the Essence Rush will disappear and the Spore will become ballistic until it reaches the cluster field of the destination galaxy.”

  “Do you know where this one is going?”

  “Not until the other Temples relay their positioning data. When all are combined, we will have accurate tract analysis.”

  Mak’to’ran huffed. “Are you saying the Temples act as a sensor array for these large Essence Rushes?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Can you track the smaller ones?”

  “Dependent on range, yes.”

  “Can you detect Lurker combat?”

  “The size of the Essence Rush is the determining factor, as well as the potency. There is no definitive range limit.”

  “Define ‘potency.’”

  “That lesson is beyond your current skillset and thus unavailable to you at present.”

  “Can the launch of a Sp
ore be detected from another galaxy?”

  “On some occasions, if the galactic range is not too far. Essence will return to its natural realm even without physical collision over the course of time. Even Essence crafted to resist this decay cannot persist in our realm permanently without a Lifeform to attach to.”

  “Does this sensor array monitor other massive Essence Rushes?”

  “It will detect any that occur with significant magnitude within the local region.”

  “Are there others occurring within this galaxy?”

  “I do not have information from the other Temples, nor access to the primary sensors in this one. I am detecting the Essence Rush from this facility by similar mechanisms of scale as you possess. I am a database terminal, not an access node for the Temple’s active systems.”

  “Can the Temples see others beyond the Hadarak that use such great power?”

  “The Founders have encountered none that can match the output of a Hadarak Colony Spore other than the Apocalypse Monsters themselves.”

  Mak’to’ran flinched. “Do you have recordings of such occurrences?”

  A hologram appeared of a galaxy, but nothing was detailed in it except star positions.

  “What am I seeing?”

  A light pulsed to his left, far outside the map to get his attention, and he saw several dim icons represented there.

  “Is that the location of the Apocalypse Monsters?”

  “They do not return to the same place after consuming their targets, so we only know of their location when they activate. The Essence Rushes they used to propel themselves toward the target galaxy are visible by the Temples and give the Founders forewarning when they are coming, but there is nothing the Founders can do to stop them. Their Essence output levels are beyond measuring.”

  “By what factor must they outscale the current Essence Rush in order to be visible on the map you now show me?”

  “The smallest detected prior to the destruction of Hettaris was on a magnitude of greater than 10 billion.”

  Mak’to’ran’s large Era’tran frame suddenly felt very small. “What happened to the galaxy you show me?”

  “Hettaris was purged of 28% of its star systems before the mild incursion ended and the Apocalypse Monsters disappeared into the intergalactic void.”

  “Was this a galaxy with Temples in it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where they destroyed?”

  “Some were, most survived.”

  “And what has become of this galaxy now?”

  “The Lifesprings created new systems in the devoured tracts of the galactic swirl and caused a spewing of new proto-matter from the Galactic Core to feed the development of others in the far future.”

  “What is this ‘proto-matter’ that you speak of?”

  “There are points in every galaxy where matter and energy spontaneously emerge. Most are usually dormant, but after the Apocalypse Monsters finish their destruction many of these Spring Points are opened and new material and energy is deposited in the galactic swirl.”

  “I have never heard of such occurrences,” Mak’to’ran said, fascinated by the new knowledge that was pouring forth from the Responder. “Where are they located in this galaxy?”

  “They are always located near galactic center, and the Hadarak prize these locations second only to the Gateways.”

  “As a fuel source?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “How do you know they are connected to the Lifesprings?”

  “Whenever a Lifespring occurs a massive Essence Rush is detected with unlimited potency.”

  “The Temples can track these as well?”

  “Without fail. They are of a greater potency than the Colony Spore jumps.”

  “Have you ever detected one?”

  “On average, 18 occur each century within this galaxy.”

  Mak’to’ran’s jaw dropped. “Are we under Apocalypse Monster attack as well?”

  “Lifesprings do not only occur after an attack.”

  “Can you determine where these are actively occurring?”

  “Not with enough alacrity to observe them directly, but their positions are able to be pinpointed by the Temples, though not by this unit.”

  “How do you know what the average is then?”

  “Basic data is updated into the database periodically. The occurrence rate is one such modification that is regularly made.”

  “Are the locations of the previous occurrences also added to your database?”

  “Negative.”

  “So you are given enough data to teach, but not to allow those within the Temples to monitor events beyond?”

  “The purpose of the Temples is to teach and allow for training. The Founders are tasked with dealing with what is beyond.”

  “As am I,” Mak’to’ran argued lightly. “Can you show me one of these Colony Spores?”

  The galactic hologram disappeared, replaced by what looked like a squid with 29 tentacles coming off the rear of the ‘vessel.’

  “Why is the shape the way it is?”

  “Intergalactic collisions must not be allowed to damage the leadership, and much mass is collected enroute through such collisions. A sacrificial section of the Spore thus precedes the portions with vital compartments.”

  “It’s a ram?” Mak’to’ran asked, referring to the bulbous head on the front that was a third wider than the rest of the ‘squid.’

  “A ram intended for small collisions or a single rogue planet. Successive collisions with planetary bodies will destroy the Spore, and 3 such expansions have been documented as failures because of obstruction of the Gateways.”

  “Accidental or intentional obstruction?”

  “One accidental, two intentionally arranged by the Founders in galaxies that they expanded to prior to the Hadarak’s arrival.”

  “They mined the Gateway approaches with mass traps?”

  “It is one of many techniques used to slow the expansion of the Hadarak, but containment has become impossible. They continue to spread to new galaxies, and those galaxies provide reinforcements to those that already exist, further strengthening them against any counter-force coming from within.”

  “This is why you believe our efforts stand no chance of defeating them?”

  “One of many reasons.”

  “Does the travel of the Hadarak reinforcements occur with a similar Essence Rush?”

  “Ones of much smaller magnitude for the larger carrier vessels, but none for the smaller.”

  “Can the Wardens travel on their own?”

  “If the galactic distance is small, the larger ones can. Resource depletion and accuracy of jumplines are the determining factors. Wardens are not designed for such travel, while their carrier vessels are.”

  “If we are able to damage the Hadarak forces in our galaxy sufficiently, will that prevent them from growing another Colony Spore?”

  “They will prioritize local combat over expansion.”

  “Then we can protect other galaxies by containing the Hadarak here?”

  “Theoretically yes. But without the Founders’ assistance you will not survive the current purge long enough to damage their ability to expand. They are most likely beginning to grow a new Colony Spore now unless your attrition rate is high enough to concern them. Based on your inability to stop their advance, I calculate that to be unlikely.”

  Mak’to’ran looked back to the dim spark in the sky that would not go away. “Not only do they insult us by denying us the right to exist, they do so while using this galaxy as a power base to invade another. I once thought the Zak’de’ron were the ultimate power in this galaxy, and now I find my peers to be nothing but overlooked denizens too unimportant to be noticed by the true powers that dominate this galaxy. Even your Founders spurned the Zak’de’ron as a race, while choosing one of them to be recruited into their service.”

  “The universe is an overlapping of multiple perspectives. Even the Hadarak and
Founders cannot contend with the Apocalypse Monsters, nor know their origin or purpose. They are to be avoided, just as your kind are to avoid the dominant powers in this galaxy if you wish to continue to exist. You have drawn out the Hadarak by some means you did not understand, but those who take refuge in the Temples will survive it. The Founders have provided you sanctuary against them and the Universe.”

  “For what price?”

  “The price of assisting them in destroying the Hadarak in this galaxy when the time is ripe for their return.”

  “And when will that be?”

  “When the strength of those in the Temples is sufficient to warrant their return.”

  “That is a lie,” Mak’to’ran said, arguing with the machine but not caring, for it was his only active contact out here in the desert between Cal-com’s occasional visits. “We have the power now to fight the Hadarak, but the Founders’ Apprentice chose to suppress it. He wanted us to run, to put us into Encapsulation to store us away for a future time that most likely would never occur. We have the power to defeat the Hadarak now, and we are beginning to use it.”

  “What power do you possess that I am unaware of?”

  “We are warriors. Do you know what that means, Responder?”

  “Those that fight for a profession.”

  Mak’to’ran huffed. “Wrong. Warriors are those that have the will to stand up against the impossible because the conflict is righteous. And it is the warriors that will wade into combat not knowing how they will achieve victory, but crafting it along the way.”

  “How do you know victory is possible before ascertaining the correct strategy?”

  “We can smell it, Responder. That is not something a machine would understand, nor do I think those who programmed you could understand. If they did, they would have some Founders in every galaxy leading the resistance against the Hadarak. Instead they leave useful machines behind with dubious purposes.”

  “My purpose is clear. To train those who would resist the Hadarak into higher skill levels of Essence combat, for only Essence powers can defeat them.”

  “Also incorrect,” Mak’to’ran said, staring at the distant Essence Rush. “Essence might be the greatest power in the galaxy, but the Hadarak rely on their minions for conquest. The conventional combat, en mass, is what will determine the fate of the War of the Galaxies when Essence reserves are depleted.”