Chapter 21

Korsa and Shazza were puttering around, monitoring the time as they minded the trio plugged into the Spock. Alex, Kasumi and Natalya had plugged themselves in, going off on a mental jaunt through Alex’s mind. The search for answers was a constant one, but the ones they needed lay locked in the man’s mind.

Somehow, he’d been left a clue about this new energy they had access to, and it lie in his past. More specifically, a memory of his past, which involved looking through each memory one by one. Korsa hoped that they would find what they were looking for, and soon. The timer she had set to pull them out was getting low, and she was readying herself to do an emergency disconnect if necessary.

No sooner had she thought it, than a prompt came up on the screens, informing her that the link between their minds was terminated. Another prompt indicated that they were slowly waking and Korsa called out to Shazza.

“Give Kas and Nats a hand! I’ll help Alex!”

“I’m on it!” Shazza replied, and she bolted to Natalya first, helping the groggy woman sit up. Once Natalya was in a good spot, she then moved over to Kasumi and slowly helped the redhead reach a sitting position. Korsa was helping Alex, who would need the most help, as it was his mind being searched, not the ladies. The big man was having some trouble sitting up but managed to do so with Korsa’s help.

“You all right there, Alex? You look like you were just curb stomped or something,” Korsa commented as she took in how pale he looked.

“That’s ... one way of ... putting it,” he got out. “I mean, it’s not ... every day that you ... find out that ... you were ... a parent.”

“Wait, what?? You’re a parent? Like a dad?” Korsa asked, flattened by this revelation.

“Yeah. But ... I didn’t know,” he wheezed.

“How did you not know?” Korsa asked.

“Because some bitch tricked his ass back on Earth!” Kasumi fumed as she stood up.

“She wasn’t a bitch!” Alex growled. “Analisa was my friend!”

“Tricking you into knocking her up like that?!? That was a total bitch move!” Kasumi retorted.

“Alex, I love you, but I’m with Kas on this one. It was a total bitch move on her part,” Natalya agreed.

“Thank you!” Kasumi shouted.

“But it’s also obvious that she did that for a reason, as she had stated,” the Trini-Rus woman went on.

“Hmph! That doesn’t mean I have to like it!” Kasumi snapped.

“Didn’t say that you had to. It’s also obvious, from what we learned, that Analisa had some insight about what was coming,” Natalya continued.

“What do you mean Nats?” Shazza wondered, beating Korsa to the question.

It was then that Natalya described what they saw, and how Analisa had roped Alex into the encounter. She went on, repeating everything that Analisa had said after the encounter was done. Though it hurt Natalya about what had happened, she didn’t blame Alex for it. There was no way of knowing that Analisa was being truthful with him about her intentions.

“So, wait, hold up. You’re saying that Analisa left a message for Alex, in his memories, because she saw the invasion that was coming?” Korsa asked.

“Yeah. She knew somehow, through her connection to the Aether, of the coming invasion. Also, about what would happen to Alex and how he would be here, now, in this time,” Natalya explained.

“Aether?” Shazza asked.

“That’s what she called the energy she used. It was exactly like Alex’s was, a violet in color,” Kasumi grumbled.

“It wasn’t exactly violet Kas. It was more of a deeper purple, almost like a plum, rather than Alex’s brighter hue,” Natalya stated.

“Whatever. The fact is that he had kids with that woman!” Kasumi fumed.

“Not like I knew that I had them Kas! I had no real memory of that encounter after the fact! Also, I signed on with Project Prometheus the following week and that had been my life since,” Alex growled at her. Kasumi snarled and turned, as though to walk away, but Alex caught up to her, taking her by the arm.

“Let go of me!” she cried.

“No! Not until you tell me why you’re so angry with me!” Alex said, his voice stern and uncompromising.

“Because ... you ... she ... me...” she stuttered angrily.

In a few seconds, Alex figured out why she was so upset and remedied the situation the best way he knew how. He leaned in and kissed Kasumi, letting her know where he stood as far as they were concerned. At first, she fought him, but slowly melted into the man, kissing him back. They broke apart, Kasumi looking up at him hopefully as she asked him a question.

“Me ... next?” she asked tentatively.

“Ask Nats about that first, as I think she might want to be next. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have any from me,” he told her with a smile. Kasumi smiled, nodded and kissed Alex, letting him know how much she loved him.

“We’ll talk, but later Kas. What we need to focus in is getting the Darkstrider space worthy. We should head on down and check on Taal’ani’s progress. With her doing the final install and calibration of the ship’s systems, we should be ready to go soon,” Natalya told her.

Nodding, Kasumi went with Natalya, but not before throwing Alex a look that said she was sorry. Alex blew her a kiss, letting her know that he forgave her and didn’t hold it against her. He then followed the women along as they left the hospital wing, as he also wanted to check on the ships’ progress for himself.

Korsa smiled at the young lovers as they left, wondering what the future held in store for them and her. She sighed, hoping that Natalya could bring Kasumi around. She knew that the odds weren’t the greatest, but damn it, they had to try! Korsa turned back to Shazza and saw that her lover was scratching her head, almost as though it was itching.

“What is it Shazza?” Korsa asked.

“It is these ... memories. They are right there, ready to surface, but ... I am having trouble with them. Natalya saying something about the energy being called ... Aether, triggered something, but ... they are fragments. Small and slippery, too slippery to hold on to. I cannot make sense of it!” Shazza growled.

“We’ll try looking into your mental state tomorrow and if everything lines up, we can try stepping into the Spock then. OK?” Korsa told her.

“Really?!?”

“Yes, really. You’ve been more than stable when out and around. That and the fact that you brushed away a near assassination attempt while keeping your head. This tells me you’re more than ready to tackle your memories, so we’ll give it a go,” Korsa told her. Shazza jumped around for joy, happy to contribute something to the research efforts.

“But, there is one thing you should do, so I can further gauge your mental readiness,” Korsa said.

“Which is?” Shazza asked, with a sense of trepidation.

“Go to the meditation sphere and take a few hours to clear your head. It will not only help with your tumultuous memories, but it will help center your mind and body,” Korsa told her.

“Oh! Of course!” Shazza said, beaming before she bolted out of the hospital wing.

Korsa chuckled to herself, seeing how she was keen to please her. Maybe it was a holdover from her days in service to her Prince, but Korsa left the thought alone. With them, Shazza was happy, and the big woman could see it. What Korsa didn’t know was that Shazza was far happier than she’d ever been in her life, as she had found the one thing in life that had eluded her. Family.

With the new information in hand, the trio moved along with a spring in their steps. At least now, they had some tangible leads they could chase down in their search for answers. Alex was a little flustered though, having knocked Analisa up and having no recollection of the encounter. He was also a bit worried that his descendants might not have survived the Black Crusade.

“Don’t worry Alex. I’m sure they made it out,” Natalya said to him, assuaging his fears as best she could.

“You really think so?” he asked.

“Once we get back to the wider galaxy, we’ll do a genealogical search for them. Such searches are commonplace these days, especially among humans,” Natalya told him.

“Why is that?” Kasumi wondered.

“It’s mainly a way to see what sorts of flaws or defects are in your genome. It’s a common practice, to be sure you have enough diversity in your bloodlines. Those with less genetic diversity are predisposed to some nasty conditions,” Natalya explained.

“Like cancer? I thought such a thing would have been eradicated by now,” Alex stated.

“It has been, mostly, but there are still some aspects of it that surface here and there. Most diseases are no longer the silent boogeyman threatening to cut a good life short. But there are still those who have the genes and pass them on to their kids. Most wealthy families use them when selecting anyone to inherit their legacy, which to me is bullshit. If love is there, then that person is your life, plain and simple,” Natalya continued.

“Sounds to me like some people still fail to think so,” Kasumi growled.

“Yeah. But as I said, it’s also to spot anything nasty that could form and minimize its effects. There’s still a lot that hasn’t been eradicated yet, so humanity makes do with what we can. At least until new breakthroughs can be discovered and applied. But we will find your descendants, Alex. I’m certain of it,” Natalya stated.

“I like your optimism, Nats. It’s ... infectious,” Kasumi said with a smile.

“Like our dashing captain once said, ‘What else am I going to do? Throw my hands up in the air and say, oh shit, we’re going to die?’” Natalya asked.

This earned a solid guffaw from Kasumi, who keeled over laughing. Natalya giggled as she helped her friend and lover up, as the group headed down to where the Darkstrider was being constructed. Using the monorail system, it didn’t take them long to get there and when they finally entered the bay, what greeted them was nothing short of amazing.

The Darkstrider was nearly fully rebuilt, but it was no longer the clunky freighter that it had been. What stood in its place was a sleek and gorgeous piece of machinery, one that had everyone smiling. Gone were the clunky and blocky bulkheads that had from most of the ship, replaced by smooth planes and angles.

It wasn’t just beautiful to look at, but dangerous. The trio knew full well the weapon compliment that it carried, which was enough firepower to take on a heavy cruiser. Though they earnestly hoped that wouldn’t be the case when they were finally out and about in the galaxy. The worker drones that had been assembling the ship were now mostly idle, waiting on certain crew members to show up and complete their work.

“I’m just ... wow! I barely recognize our ship!” Natalya commented, awe tinging her voice.

“It looks a lot more than that old clunky freighter that it used to be,” Kasumi said, smiling at the ship that lay in front of them.

“It may have been clunky, but it was a damn tank. More than once it was the thick bulkheads that saved our hides from being blown into scrap,” Natalya stated.

“And now, you have a battle ready frigate, which will beat down any ship in its class and still walk away intact,” Alex stated as he picked up a nearby tablet from a workbench.

He cycled through the various improvements that had been made and smiled. He was glad to see that Inari had taken the initiative and continued improving upon the design. It had all the weapons and technical upgrades he had slotted for it, and more. The docked Banshee fighter had been upgraded as well, allowing for more than what it could do previously.

Advanced maneuverability, improved weapons, thicker armor plating, upgraded shields, Inari had rebuilt the whole fighter. A frigate with an already docked fighter as part of the ship itself wasn’t an unseen design, but it wasn’t commonplace either. If, more like when they would engage in combat, it would be an advantage that potential enemies wouldn’t see coming.

Alex scrolled back to the Darkstrider itself, going over the list once more. He saw that the stealth drive had been upgraded beyond what Natalya had built. Basic tests were showing great promise in how efficient it would be. If he was reading the technical specs of it right, the heat and electronic emissions would be below five percent! Such low levels of emissions would render them virtually invisible to an enemy’s radar!

“Impressed, Commodore?” Natalya asked sweetly. Alex turned his head to look down at her and nodded, a big grin plastered onto his face.

“How did you do it?” he asked.

“Do what?” Nats queried.

“Get the emissions down below five percent? Even in the days of the Human Systems Alliance, getting them that low was a pipe dream!” he breathed.

“Wait, they’re that low?” Kasumi asked, her head whipping about.

“Here, see for yourself,” Alex said, extending the tablet to her. The redhead took it and looked it over, her eyes widening at the results.

“OK, please tell us how you did this!” Kasumi enthused, wanting to know how it worked.

“I won’t bore you both with the whole technobabble part of it, but I will break it down as simply as I can,” she started, before launching into it.

“Basically, there is an insulated pipe system that runs the length of the ship where the heat emissions are contained. They are pushed along with a complex series of fans within it, forcing the heat to be evenly dispersed through the system. There are also intakes that allow the cold vacuum of space to be brought in to help the system stay cool. With me so far?” Natalya asked. Both Alex and Kasumi nodded before she continued.

“There is also reflective inner paneling spread along the entire ship which reflects the electronic emissions. Any heat and radiation from these emissions is sucked into the pipe system and funneled along with the rest of the heat. Eventually, the heat buildup will become too much and it will need to be vented. But by that time, we would already be in and out of wherever we need to be, and no one would be the wiser,” Natalya finished.

“How much time would we have before the heat needs to be vented?” Kasumi wondered.

“Early projections put it at around six, maybe seven hours? It could go down to five, but that’s the lowest it would go,” the dark-skinned woman replied.

“Five hours of pure stealth? Where no one could detect us?? That’s one hell of an advantage!” Alex grinned.

“I thought so. Still working on improving it further but will take some time working with Jaesa and maybe a few other engineers to make it happen,” Natalya groused.

“Either way, this is an amazing piece of work Nats! This will definitely make things easier when moving around the galaxy!” Kasumi smiled as she hugged her friend.

“It’s not just the stealth drive that has me impressed Nats, but the Drone Fighters you’ve cooked up as well,” Alex stated as he looked at the recesses where they would be stowed.

“Ah. Well, that was Inari’s idea, I just helped with the physics and logistics of making them work,” she replied.

“How do they work, just out of curiosity?” Kasumi wondered.

“Well, they fold up and sit into these recesses here, latched to the ship until activated. Once they are powered up, they detach and open into their full form. They’re also much smaller than most fighters, requiring much less in the manner of hardware, since they’re drones,” Natalya said.

“With Jaesa’s help and Inari’s insights about combat, we’ve written a flight program that the drones will operate on. The program is a learning program. So, any mistakes or errors made by either the drone or enemies is recorded, catalogued and analyzed. Once a full and proper combat analysis is finished, the subsequent improvements to the program are uploaded and adapted into it,” Natalya finished.

“Almost sounds like it’s an AI of sorts,” Alex commented.

“Almost, but not quite. It’s primarily a VI program, with additional improvements, so we don’t get bogged down with old tactics,” Natalya explained.

“So, they are controlled entirely by this VI program?” Kasumi asked.

“They can be, but there are also four combat pods placed aboard the ship, one for each drone. So, if we need or want to, we can have anyone step into one of the pods and take control of the drone. Much like piloting it via a remote,” Natalya said.

“Ah! That’s something that could prove useful! I’m guessing that Inari took that idea from the pods we have aboard the Perseus?” Alex wondered.

“She did! Thought it was a brilliant idea, and we also worked with Jaesa to strengthen the signal, so with would be resistant to any form of hacking. But before we can test that out, we will have to test the Darkstrider first before we see any concrete results,” Natalya went on.

“Speaking of which, how long will it be before the Darkstrider is ready for final testing?” Alex asked.

“Well, we’re still waiting on Talon to come back and give the computer systems a final check over, to be sure they are up to her standards. She a bit of a perfectionist and wants to be certain that everything has been done right,” Natalya laughed.

“I’m sure she does!” Alex chuckled. “What of Inari? What does she say about this?”

“She’s just waiting on Taal’ani to do her checks and they’re ready to go! Her and Priya are chomping at the bit to test this thing out!” Natalya told him.

“Well then, let’s see about getting them up here then, shall we?”

Jaesa was sitting there, speaking with Ylena for the better part of a few hours. The Artucian VI was a tough nut to crack, but after much convincing and cajoling, she had agreed to a sharing of information. The moment the gates to the Artucian Ark’s systems were opened, Jaesa was flooded by the sheer volume of information it contained! There was almost too much for even her to absorb, but she managed it.

As Ylena had done this in good faith, Jaesa upheld her end of the bargain and allowed Ylena access to the Perseus’ files and systems. They had spent hours going back and forth, comparing notes between the Artucian people and Humanity. Much of what the Artucian had learned and known from before the exodus was on par with what Humanity knew. In some fields, the Artucian knew more than humans did.

All of this new information excited Jaesa, as she was going over everything with a fine-tooth comb. The only thing that she was finding a lack of was information concerning the Aether. She had found several references to the ‘Lifeblood’ but ran into dead ends soon afterwards. Frustrated, she turned her attention back to the Artucian AI, a single question on her mind.

“Ylena, why am I finding only references to the Aether or, the ‘Lifeblood’ as it is called?”

“Sadly, most information about the Lifeblood or ‘Aether’ was held aboard the third Ark when the Artucian fled their homeworld,” Ylena responded.

“Wait, there were three Arks? Not just one??” Jaesa wondered, surprised.

“Yes. The Light Eaters gave pursuit when we fled, looking to end the existence of all Artucian. So, we diverged, each one taking a separate path. The second Ark made the jump to hyperspace before the Light Eaters found us. The third one was not so lucky, as they destroyed before they could make their jump,” Ylena explained.

“How is it that this Ark made it?” Jaesa asked.

“We were far enough away where their weapons could not reach us. We had to make multiple jumps to throw them off, until we arrived here, on Talemkha,” Ylena finished.

Jaesa nodded, but then went through the archive of files Ylena had given her, looking for any information to correlate this. The AI eventually located the pertinent files and saw what had happened, via the video logs that were stored there. She reviewed the files several times to be sure of their veracity and found no indication of doctored footage. Even though Jaesa trusted the AI, she still did as protocol dictated, to be sure of the truth.

Jaesa’s review of the files also revealed areas of the galaxy that had been previously unknown to her. There were various systems that the Artucian had traveled through, while fleeing the Xuul’khan. She added each system to their star maps, while accounting for nearly six hundred years of stellar drift. It wasn’t much, but was something that they could go on at least!

She was a little leery of the systems as they were, as she wasn’t aware if there was a Xuul’khan presence there. Though she would bring this information up to the Commodore when she had a moment. The one thing she found odd was the fact that the attack on the Artucian occurred on the other side of the galaxy.

She found this evidence deeply disconcerting and would speak to the Commodore about this right away. That the Xuul’khan had deployed fleets to continue their nihilistic crusade on the other side of the galaxy was troubling. Seeing as there were no reports of incursions into known space was heartening, but Jaesa still would report this. It was better to be prepared than to be, as humans said, ‘caught with your pants down.’

Jaesa then started delving into the files properly, going over each one, missing not one detail. She fed each detail up to the Perseus’ servers, earmarked as read and analyzed. She continued with her job, as the ladies present in the Ark continued learning about what she had gone over.

Inari, Priya and Taal’ani were down in the Ark, with Luminia, Valessa and the honor guard. The number of things they had learned that day about the Artucian and their past was amazing! The Ark was apparently built along similar lines as the Perseus had been. Sure, it wasn’t crafted to be a mobile battle station, but it was more of a world ship which was impressive.

It had excited Valessa to learn of everything that was aboard the Ark. Much of what the Artucian had brought with them from their homeworld remained intact, including containers of seeds! This was enough to put Valessa in a state of absolute joy, as it was something of their past that could be recovered. Luminia too was also excited, as this meant her people would continue on and flourish!

“So, Ylena, just how much more power would be required to power the Ark’s systems? Just the computers and other support systems, but not the engines?” Taal’ani asked.

“The amount of power required would be just over four point three petawatts of constant power. If the generator is adequate, it would supply enough power to keep the Ark’s support systems operational indefinitely,” the VI replied.

“Well, we can at least come up with something that should keep you going for a couple of years. At least, until the Keepers are able to construct something large enough to power you indefinitely,” Talon responded.

“That would be much appreciated Taal’ani! Thank you!” both Luminia and Valessa said at the same time. They then looked at each other and burst out laughing, having the same thought in the exact same moment.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Inari giggled.

“I’d say so! Think we have the materials to create one?” Taal’ani asked.

“Let me check with the Commodore,” Inari said, before taking hold of her communicator. She put the call in, and it beeped twice before Alex answered.

“Ah, Commander Sunara! I was just about to call you!” Alex answered happily.

“Oh? May I inquire about what, sir?” Inari wondered.

“About getting back up here to go over the Darkstrider, before taking her out for its test flight,” Alex told her. Hearing this made Inari smile, and she was giddy like a kid at Christmas.

“It’s ready for testing?” she jabbered excitedly.

“Nearly. Just have to have Warrant Officer Taal’ani come on up and look over the final aspects of the computer hookups before it’s deemed ready!” the big man answered. Inari then fired a look at Taal’ani, which screamed, ‘Have you been sleeping on the job??’

“What?” Talon asked innocently. “I’ve had my hands full lately, and I got the order from the Commodore to help with things down here.”

“You’re lucky. Once we’re done here, you need to get on that!” Inari told her while maintaining the look.

“OK, OK, OK! You don’t need to tell me twice! I was grumbling about being up there in the first place though!” Talon fired back. Inari narrowed her eyes and stared at the cat-girl before going back to Commodore Tomisic.

“We should be finished with how things are down here within the hour and be back aboard well before twilight hits, sir,” Inari replied.

“Very good, Commander. We await your arrival and the subsequent test of the new ship,” Alex said with a smile.

“As do I, sir! As do I! Before we pack it in for the day, I have a request,” she continued.

“I’m listening.”

“Do we possess the materials necessary to create a larger power generator for the Ark, sir? I’m asking because the generator we have hooked up to it will only last a few months. With a larger generator, it would give the Artucian enough time to construct a new one which could power the Ark’s systems for a longer period of time,” she told him.

“What power requirements would be needed for such a generator?” he asked, after mulling the idea over for a minute.

“Something that generates around say five petawatts of constant power. Like Inari said, it doesn’t need to be huge or long lasting. Just enough to give them a couple of years worth of power,” Taal’ani interrupted.

“We have the materials needed to craft such a generator. I’ll have Jaesa begin construction of one immediately and you can perform the needed tests tomorrow morning, to ensure its viability,” Alex said, addressing Talon directly.

“Thank you, sir! Depending on how well the Sentries and Jaesa did with the connectors, I might get that done tonight!” Talon grinned.

“Very good, Warrant Officer. Finish up down there and head on up when ready. The galaxy waits!” he smiled.

“Copy that, sir. We’ll be on our way up as soon as we can. Ground team out,” Inari said.

Alex smiled as the call ended and he shifted his focus back to a more important matter. He went back to going over the final specs for the Darkstrider as he walked to a nearby elevator. He promised the ladies he’d meet them in the gym for a workout as they waited for the ground team to finish up. Alex was looking over the design of the drones, when Jaesa popped up on the screen.

“Commodore sir, there is something that urgently needs to be discussed,” the AI told him.

“How urgent is it?” Alex wondered. Jaesa then showed him what she’d discovered in the Ark’s archives about the direction of the Artucian exodus. His eyes widened at the implications of where the Xuul’khani attacked from. He went over the information several times to be sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“Are you certain of this intel Jaesa?” Alex worried.

“Yes, sir. The only bit of good news is that there have been no Xuul’khan incursions since the exodus of the Artucian. No recorded skirmishes, no battles, nothing to show that they are even there,” Jaesa replied.

“Although it is something, we should keep an eye out for anything that happens on that side of the galaxy. It should also be an area that we should investigate once we have a battle fleet ready,” Alex stated.

“Agreed, sir. Would you like me to inform the rest of the crew about this development?” Jaesa asked.

“No. I’ll do it, when we’ve already left the system. I’ll add it to the list of things that need to be searched over once we’re out there,” he said.

“Very good, sir. I will have the pertinent information ready when needed and continue to search through the archives of the Ark. I might find additional information that could provide some insight on how they got there,” Jaesa responded.

“All right. Inform me the moment you find anything of value or importance,” Alex told the AI.

“Sir, yes sir!” Jaesa said, snapping off a crisp salute.

Alex continued on his journey to the gym, as he was processing this new information. This was a massive bombshell that was dropped on him and he only imagined what the rest of the crew would say when they were informed. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, knowing that he’d tell them when the time was right.

Inari then killed the transmission just as Alex did, and her thoughts turned to the new ship. Her new ship, as it was still her ship, which she had bought and paid for. Her mind was going a million miles a minute as she was envisioning how it would perform with its new upgrades. Inari was snapped out of her daydream by Priya, who had to wave her hands in front of her to get her attention.

“You looked like you were a million miles away, love,” Pree told her.

“Technically, I was. Just thinking about our new ship and what it can do!” Inari enthused. “I’m sorry, babe. Were you saying something?”

“Yeah. Was just saying that we’ve got all we need down here and that Jaesa is done with Ylena. I’m sure you’re eager to get back into the cockpit of the Darkstrider,” Priya smirked.

“Absolutely! Talon, you done here?” Inari questioned.

“Yup! Tahral and I went over the specs for the needed spare parts and such. At least now, there will be a way of restoring the Ark’s functionality to a degree when it’s all done here,” she replied.