Frozen Soul, and other works: June 2020

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Prologue - Trade Chat

(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)

Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, TheDespoiler, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, M.Mollen, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, DigDug, BigGunn, Dolcett, Starwatcher, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.

Chummer: So, like I was saying, the security on those DK-1234 modules is crap. You just have to do a basic number substitution, and they fold like paper.
Blaze: Sure, if you’re facing people with dedicated hacking equipment, and if you leave the system hooked in to the network.
Chummer: What, you go stand-alone on it? For a ship’s main computer?
Blaze: Damn straight. Physical access only. I have secondary systems for outside communications. Files are downloaded, scanned, and then physically transferred to ship computers. So, anyone trying hack my ship has to be physically on board. And if that happens, I’m probably screwed already.
Chummer: OK, I can dig that. Clunky, but it works for any remote hacking attempts. At least until any of your people get lazy, and pull a hardware work-around to download direct to the ship’s computer. There’s always someone who is lazy, after all.
Blaze: Last person caught doing that found themselves walking home, from orbit, without a suit. Nasty bit of work, what with him begging as he was shown to the airlock, but everyone got the picture, and I haven’t had any problems since then.
Chummer: Fine, that will work for locals, but it just takes one Nomad who doesn’t care about a quick death for a paycheck, and boom, you’re wide open.
Blaze: Oh, had one of those, too. I took a detour to that Amazon planet, and used an escape pod to send him down. Trapped him there, since the Greenwave is still going strong there.
M.Mollen: Oh, yes, I’ve done that as well. Very good way to get rid of Nomads who are causing trouble. I consider it my version of a nonlethal death penalty, especially if they have cyberware.
Requiesce-in-Pace: ‘Nonlethal death penalty’? I’ll have to remember that one.
Starwatcher: Hey, anyone notice that several Black Star ships near Star’s Reach used X’thari drives to leave the system?
DigDug: X’thari drives? Aren’t those the ones that let you go anywhere, so long as you either start or end near a Gateway?
MacD: That’s right, DigDug. What ships were they, Star?
Starwatcher: The Shinokage, Shadowdancer, Simo Hayha, Artemis, and the ships belonging to the Second Company of the Black Star Marines. All left at the same time, in formation.
MacD: Well, that can’t be good. Any idea where they went?
M.Mollen: To where they were needed.
BigGunn: C’mon, mister cryptic. At least give us a clue, so we can be elsewhere!
M.Mollen: Fine. Don’t schedule any trips to the Tsk’neth system in the Free Worlds Alliance anytime soon.
DoYouEvenDPS?: The agri-world? I know they supply a good portion of the food for the Alliance, but why would anyone go there, except on a cargo run?
MightMakesRight: Huh, that reminds me. I have a buddy in Alliance space that says that food prices have been steadily rising lately. No one knows why, since there haven’t been any reports about things going on.
BigGunn: Y’know, there have been a lot of gunrunners making bank off agents from Tsk’neth. Maybe a connection there?
CrazyCelt: Tsk’neth? Huh. Marko, a bounty hunter contact I have, went that way, tracking a skip about two months ago. Haven’t heard from him since.
AggregatorOfSorrows: Any chance you could give us a clue on what’s going on there, Mollen?
M.Mollen: I won’t say too much, since we are still in the cleanup phase of the operation, and we would like to get it finished before any idiots show up and make me shoot them for pissing me off.
Anonymous3: So, what, you’re trying to lock people out just so you don’t have to come clean about what you’re up to?
M.Mollen: Not rising to the bait, Anon. All I’ll say is that my people heard reports of strange things happening in the system. Both the rising food prices, and the increase in weapons purchases. Oh, and stories about ships going missing. So, I had someone go check it out.
Starwatcher: Someone?
M.Mollen: I have stealth ships, and I’m not afraid to use them.
BigGunn: So, what’s going on, then?
M.Mollen: All right, without going into too much detail, there was a little ‘incident’ aboard a ship coming out of the Ihm Imperium, and it ended up drifting in Tsk’neth. The local government and megacorporation investigated the ship, and things spread. Instead of taking steps to stop the situation, the bean counters and politicians tried to cover it up, to keep their stock prices from falling.
Chummer: I’m not liking the way you’re talking about this.
Blaze: So, what happened, then?
M.Mollen: So, who here is a fan of Paccom games? Especially ones from the mid-90s. Like 1996?
Number5Alive: You’re not talking about Alley Brawler or Ultra Man 8, are you?
M.Mollen: No.
Number5Alive: Oh. Oh dear. That’s really not good now, is it?
Golddigger: Why? What came out in 1996? That was a hell of a long time ago!
Number5Alive: 1996 is when the first Biohazard game came out.
Blaze: Wait, zombies? Really? Space zombies?
M.Mollen: To put it bluntly, yes. I have taken care of all the zombies we can find in system, but there are some people who are not happy with the current corporation’s handling of the affair, naturally.
BigGunn: By ‘taken care of’, you mean…
M.Mollen: I destroyed any ship or station infected, and any body uninhabited by living sentient life was purged, with prejudice. Thankfully, the majority of the system’s population survived, but, since they were mostly slave laborers, and the corporation and government are effectively wiped out, there’s a bit of a sticky legal mess.
Starwatcher: Wait, ‘any body’? Are you talking about planets?
M.Mollen: Just one. And it isn’t a problem, or a planet, any more.
Starwatcher: Aren’t there treaties against that?
M.Mollen: No, because the senior surviving representatives of both the government and corporation are on record saying that the planet in question was no longer inhabited, and that the situation required Exterminatus.

BigGunn: Wait, Greenwave wouldn’t do shit to zombies, would it?

Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter

Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Epilogue - Patch Notes 25.X

(Virtual Room in NERV HQ)

“Oh. My. God.”

Isaac didn’t know who was talking. He did not have time to look. His mouth was too busy trying to catch flies. That had to be the single most impressive thing he’d seen yet with this game.

Morgan shook his shoulder, forcing him out of his shocked reverie. Turning to her, he could see that she had the same wide-eyed look he knew he had. “Did he just blow up a planet?”

Isaac took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, he did.” And then it hit him. “Holy shit, he just blew up a planet. This is going to be huge! When people find out about this, they’re all going to want to have a go! We’re going to need to get with the AIs to figure out something to keep people from getting crazy with things!”

“Chill out, boss! He already had planet killers. Most people understand that using things like that isn’t something to be done lightly. And the ones who don’t already aren’t allowed anywhere near the tech to do so.”

Isaac took a breath, and nodded at the GM that spoke up. “Thanks, Phillips, I needed that.” Turning back to Morgan, he grinned. “All right, minor freakout handled.”

Morgan just shook her head. “So, what happened? I only came in at the end. Why did our favorite beta tester blow up a planet?”

Isaac grinned. “In a word? Space zombies.” He chuckled at Morgan’s expression, and said, “No, really. Apparently, there were space zombies that started infecting this planet. The planetary governor was corrupt and in bed with the corporations, which tried to cover everything up to prevent their stock price from tanking, but that only meant that the entire planet and all the orbitals got overrun.”

Looking back at the feed, he said, “A second, nearby world was under attack, but Mollen sent in some of his Marines to clear them out, and they appear to have rescued the majority of the population there. Of course, since that world primarily existed as nothing more than resource extraction for the corporation that screwed things up, who knows what will come of that. I can’t see the corporation being too happy at the losses they suffered.”

Morgan wasn’t listening. She was scrolling back through the data, until she got to the crew of the Atlanta checking out the ship. She entered her authorization code to review private messages, and frowned. “Honestly, using the name of video games as codewords? Even if they weren’t the most recognizable games in the series, that’s just asking for trouble!”

Isaac shrugged. “They’ll be fine. Even if the messages are included in the stream that gets broadcast, it is not enough for the lawyers to get involved. I am, however, impressed that he decided to have a zombie apocalypse plan, in a science fiction game.”

Shaking her head, Morgan looked back at him. “Right, the zombies. Where the hell did they come from, and am I going to have to start putting PR spin on things?”

“Well, the best answer I can come up with would be to draw a phrase from the 40K fans, and simply blame ‘warp-fuckery’. Some nameless horror attacked an Ihm ship in chaotic space, and left the infection behind. Zombies happened, as zombies do, and because there were no nomads on board, no one had a plan for containing them until things spread out of control.”

“You mean, like the Legion Plague.”

“Yeah, except that fucker was trying to keep things quiet for as long as possible, so he deliberately slowed the rate of infections. The zombies did not care. And the corporations were too busy trying to cover things up and throwing half-trained corpsec at the problem that they not only didn’t fix it, but made it worse. That’s what happens when you treat a zombie outbreak like you do riots.”

“Right. So, going back to the zombies. Is this a one-off, or do I need to start prepping survival horror spin for areas of the game, now? I don’t want to be caught off guard.”

Isaac considered for a moment. “Not sure. Probably just a randomly generated event that the AI put in. But if it happened once, it could happen again. I’ll get with the AI in charge, and start coming up ways to add in preparedness plans. Start it with infectious disease outbreaks, I guess. If a quarantine had been put in place early enough, the planet could have been saved.”

Morgan nodded. “All right. And what about the zombies, did blowing up the planet take care of the problem?”

Isaac looked to the data feeds. “Yeah, seems like the zombies had mostly moved to several equatorial cities, where the last holdouts of the living were before they got overwhelmed. So, something like 98% of the zombies were atomized in the initial impacts. The rest, well, we’re talking about BIG explosions. Nothing survived. Even the area on the poles were broken up into a spray of material with the largest being the size of a bus.”

“So, the zombies are gone?”

“Yeah, unless someone else runs into the source of these things, then they’re gone, for now. And, yes, I already checked the logs, and none of them made it out of the system before Black Star got there.”

“OK. In that case, I don’t see a need to go into it, too much. The players already have a good handle on things.”

“Well, if you’re concerned, you can always check up on Mollen when we have that meeting with him.” When Morgan raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned. “Remember, regarding the psychic wave? I got word from the tech division that the medical people have gone over what happened, thanks to the data from his medical pod. They freaked out a bit when he went into what was basically a coma for thirty-six real-world hours. The doctor in charge wants to be in on the meeting, and speak with him, personally.”

“All right, I’ll set things up.”

Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter

Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Chapter 250 - Command Decisions

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, Tsk’neth System, Free Worlds Alliance)

“Admiral, Major Valcyne is reporting in. Tsk’neth III is secure. Black Star Marines are currently sweeping through the colony, to ensure that no more infected are hiding. Frostwolf, Laughing Skull, and Warsong are patrolling the surface, to make sure no infected escaped.”

I nodded to Captain Inatumal. “Very good. I doubt that any that did get outside went far. Even though the lack of atmosphere isn’t an issue for them, the colony is the only part of the planet that really matters. There’s no tactical or strategic reason for them to go out too far, that we know of.”

I paused, and then said, “Captain, put through a request to Work Chief Ruak, if you will, and see if he will join us on the Shinokage. It is time we settled the matter of Tsk’neth IV.”

“Yes, sir.”

Two hours later, two Ihm were shown into Shinokage’s conference room. I recognized Work Chief Ruak’s formidable frame instantly, and nodded to him. “Work Chief, welcome to the Shinokage. I trust the Marines haven’t caused any trouble?”

The Ihm shook his head. “Thank you, Admiral. And no, the Marines have been no trouble at all. Any worker may turn their tools into weapons, but that does not make them warriors. According to our scans, the… undead, as your people call them, would have broken through our doors eventually, though by that point we would have likely starved to death, anyway. Suffice to say that everyone on Tsk’neth III is quite happy to do almost anything the Marines could possibly ask. There are a few hissers, but they are quickly shut down by the others.”

“That’s good to hear. Your people have lost a lot. It is only natural to seek to find someone to blame, and the Marines are both ‘not locals’ and ‘close to hand’, making them a perfect target for that kind of resentment. So long as it doesn’t fester, and turn into something I cannot ignore, like attacks on my people, I have no interest in cracking down on those lashing out in pain.”

Ruak nodded, and said, “That certainly removes one of the worries people had.”

I motioned to the female Ihm standing next to him. Unlike Ruak, who was dressed in his work uniform, she was wearing the Ihm equivalent of office clothes, and she had been silent this whole time. “Speaking of people, are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Ruak looked embarrassed for a moment, and said, “Ah, yes. Admiral Mollen, this is Administrative Second Othi. She is the highest-ranking member of the Yathru Corporation still surviving, just as I am the highest-ranking surviving member of the work force.” He looked over to Othi, and said, “Administrator, this is Admiral Mollen, of the Black Star Navy.”

I nodded. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

Othi breathed in sharply, and said, “I’m sure it is, for you. Unfortunately, I have to represent the Yathru Corporation, and the near-total loss of corporate assets in the system is going to be a significant blow to the corporation. I can only hope that, with the governmental station destroyed that the communications lockout can be removed, so that someone more qualified can be brought in to assess the situation.”

Well, at least she was being honest. That would help everything along. “Well, I’m afraid you won’t be able to wait for the central office to find anyone better. Raven, bring up the images from the surface.”

The room’s main view screen came to life, and began showing the footage we were getting from our spy drones of the surface. It was the stuff of nightmares and zombie movie marathons. The entire planet was overrun. The last enclave of survivors was on the northern continent, but even that was quickly being overrun as the zombie Ihm used their powerful frames to break through makeshift barricades.

There simply weren’t enough people trained to fight. Even with weapons, the civilians were far too outnumbered. According to the files that Raven had hacked from the planetary database, the armed forces had tried to treat the infected as a riot, and, unsurprisingly, psychic stun rounds did absolutely nothing to the dead. The infection had spread through the military forces, taking out the trained fighters, and trapping weapons behind enemy lines.

The planet’s response? Send in the police and corporate forces to hold the line. This time, at least, they were armed with lethal weapons, but it was too little, too late. They were overwhelmed, and the people began to panic, which doomed so many more.

Turning back to the two horrified Ihm. “We have determined that the ‘Infected’ are, in fact, dead. They are corpses reanimated by unknown powers, expected to be related to the chaotic dimension that the Ihm Empress punched open a rift to. According to our sensors, the entire population of Tsk’neth IV, all 800 thousand of them, are dead.

“We have cleansed local space of all ships and stations harboring the infection. Even now, our troops are continuing to sweep Tsk’neth III to determine if there are any surviving necroforms, so we can terminate their existence. At the moment, we believe it possible in the short term to contain this threat to Tsk’neth IV.”

I took a breath, and said, “However, we do not have the resources for a full military blockade lasting indefinitely. And it would take only a single breach of quarantine to allow the necroform plague to spread to the sector and the galaxy at large. Further, it is possible that… less well-meaning individuals may seek to gain access to the plague for use in bioweapons research.”

I could see that they both understood the gravity of that statement. This ‘outbreak’ had wiped a thriving agriworld clean of life, sentient life, at least, in a matter of weeks. If it could be refined, and turned into a weapon? It would be devastating.

That was good, because there was a very good chance that, if this wasn’t contained, it could spread to the rest of Known Space. That would be a problem, since, other than Nomads, there wasn’t anyone in this world that knew how to deal with zombies. Fortunately, I was here, and I wasn’t about to let this ruin my game.

“As the leader of a recognized Mercenary company under the Unified Mercenary Accords, I am invoking Article 345, section 27, of the Free Worlds Alliance Mercenary Extraordinary Force Act, specifically, authorization for Exterminatus action.” Both Ihm gasped in realization of what I was saying. “The target is Tsk’neth IV.”

I looked them in the eye, and said, “Please state your full names and ranks for the record.”

“Work Chief of Tsk’neth III colony, Ruak of Clan Dosk.”

“Administrative Second of Yathru Corporation holdings, Tsk’neth III colony, Othi of Clan Edrikaz.”

“Now, please confirm that you are here of your own volition, not under compulsion or duress.”

“I confirm.” “I confirm.”

I took a breath, and then said, “As the recognized leaders of the surviving authority in this system, do you confirm the existence of a plague which could pose a threat to the safety of this system, sector, and galaxy that cannot be contained by conventional methods?”

“I do.” “I do.”

“Then, according to the Unified Mercenary Accords and the Free Worlds Alliance Mercenary Extraordinary Force Act, I declare that Tsk’neth IV is declared Exterminatus.”

I took a breath, and then said, “Also for the record, do you confirm that Tsk’neth IV is no longer inhabited by a sentient species, as defined by the Superluminal Hostile Interdiction Treaty?”

“I confirm.” “I confirm.”

I nodded, and then said, slowly and clearly. “Then let the records show that, under the Free Worlds Alliance Mercenary Extraordinary Force Act and a declared Exterminatus event and, in concordance with the Superluminal Hostile Interdiction Treaty, that the restriction on superluminal weapons against planetary targets has been lifted. Recordings of these proceedings will be transmitted to the major powers, along with all sensor records of the planet in question.

“Raven, end recording.” I sighed, and took a moment to collect my thoughts. Turning to the two Ihm, I said, “Do you want to watch? I can understand if you say no.”

Othi hesitated for a moment, and then said, “What will happen?”

I looked her in the eye. “Now that the requirements for using superluminal weapons have been met, I am going to have Simo Hayha, Shadowdancer, Atlanta, and Artemis, four of my Assassin-class corvettes each launch one of our Mark II Heavy Starbolt torpedoes at the planet from different sides. The Heavy Starbolt is a one-thousand-kilogram mass that will be traveling at five hundred times the speed of light when it makes impact on the planet. This is five times heavier than the normal Starbolts, due to the increased density of the materials used.

“We will calculate the launch velocities so that the weapons will impact simultaneously at equidistant areas of the planet’s equator. Each will hit with a force of over one thousand one hundred and twenty-three yottaJoules. Naturally, much of that energy will be lost to heat, but one would be enough to make a planet permanently uninhabitable, perhaps even cracking it. Four will be certain to obliterate much of the planet, and any surviving fragments will be sent flying out of the system.”

Othi looked like she was about to faint. “Y-you would destroy the entire planet? Surely there has to be another way?”

“I do not have access to the Exterminatus weapons of the major powers, like the torpedo that stripped Jagloth of its atmosphere and all life upon its surface. The only ‘conventional’ planet-killer I have access to is Greenwave, and that would not solve the problem. Greenwave only works upon technology. These necroforms are not the work of technology.

“At best, it would simply isolate the zombies to this planet for a decade or two, while politicians and corporate overlords plotted and schemed. People would forget the truth, and as soon as they figured out a way to make themselves safe from the Greenwave, they would return, and the outbreak would spread again. That isn’t even considering that someone may find a way to get on and off the planet through dimensional rifts.”

I paused, to let her take all that in. “No, the only way to be sure that this will not spread is to eliminate it, now, before people have a chance to start thinking with their bank accounts instead of their heads, or before religious zealots or eco-nuts do something stupid. It is a command decision, and I am the commander on the scene. It is not the method I would prefer, but, since this is what I have, this is what I must use.”

Ruak nodded once. “Since it appears that I am the senior civilian representative in the system, I will officially endorse this plan of action, for what it is worth. And I will watch with you. Someone from Tsk’neth should be on hand to witness Tsk’neth IV’s destruction.”

I smiled at him. We both knew that the endorsement of a Work Chief from a resource extraction colony would not count for much, even if they were the senior civilian authority in the system. Still, it was a nice gesture. In the court of public opinion, it would go far.

Othi grit her teeth, and said, “As a representative of Yathru Corporation, I am forced to officially protest the destruction of Yathru infrastructure and holdings. The corporate lawyers will likely try and get some kind of restitution. My position does not allow me to do any different.”

“That is fine. The Exterminatus protocols override all property claims on the targeted planet, effective the moment Exterminatus is declared. They would be better off hoping their insurance covers Extterminatus events.”

Othi laughed grimly. “I have—no, I had a friend in the underwriting department, who lived on Tsk’neth IV. I am quite certaint hat the corporation’s insurance policies do not cover Exterminatus, especially since this would be only the second one declared in the last fifty years. It would be deemed an ‘unnecessary expense’ by the corporate overlords.”

That was typical, I thought, shaking my head. Some things never changed. “I expected as much. Unfortunately, Yathru is just going to have to hope that their reserves can cover the beating their stock is going to take. Perhaps if they hadn’t been complicit in bungling the response and covering up the event, they would not be in this situation. If word had been spread the moment it started, then something could have been done.”

Two hours later, both Ruak and Othi stood by my side in the conference room, as we watched the four Assassins take their shot.

Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter

Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Chapter 249 - Dead World

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, Tsk’neth System, Free Worlds Alliance)

The civilian freighters didn’t stand a chance, not from the range we started hitting them at. Maybe, if they had managed to get closer, they could have tried to lock on with their grapplers. Not that it would have done them any good, against the composite hulls of the Black Star fleet. But I wasn’t going to let them show off what else they might have.

“Any ships on screen?”

“Negative, Admiral. Only sensor readings are our ships, the Glory, and four space stations, three around the fourth planet, and another by the sixth.”

I looked over to Raven, and asked, “What do we know about the stations?”

“Two of the stations around Tsk’neth IV are transshipping stations, designed for receiving food shipments from the ground and distributing them to outbound freighters, and receiving imported goods before sending them down to the surface. The third is the primary government, economic, and military hub for the system. The station around Tsk’neth VI is listed as a fuel processing plant, for harvesting and refining fuel from the gas giant.”

I nodded, and then looked over to the sensor officer. “Sensors, do we have any readings from the stations themselves?”

“Not at this range, Sir. We would need to go active for more detail.”

I took a breath, and said, “Status on Atlanta’s Marines?”

“They just returned to their shuttle, and are returning to the Atlanta.”

“Very well. Inform Atlanta that they are to destroy the Glory as soon as they are clear.”

“Aye, Sir.”

“Raven, what is the last known population of this system?”

“On Tsk’neth IV, approximately 800 thousand, spread in clusters across the planet. Much of the farming is automated, and requires little maintenance. The four stations combined have a listed population of 50 thousand. Tsk’neth III is a minor industrial colony, and, at last report, had a population of two million, primarily slaves, though the population has been steadily rising as the colony becomes more established.”

“Sir, Atlanta reporting her Marines are clear. The Glory of Juxl has been destroyed.”

“Very well.” I took a breath, and said, “Secure from stealth. All ships switch to active scanning. Take us past the refining station, and then towards Tsk’neth IV. We need to find out how bad things are.”

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, near Tsk’neth VI Refining Station)

The station was dead.

It still had power. The machinery was still functioning. If someone docked at the loading ports, they would no doubt be able to load up a full supply of the fuel the station produced.

But it was still dead.

Or, rather, the people on it were dead. Thanks to Raven, we were now looking at the camera feeds from across the station. And what we saw on the hacked cameras was not encouraging.

The entire crew had been killed, thanks to the single escape pod that had docked with the station. That was all the infection needed. A single zombie made it onto the station, and bit someone. Since there were no Nomads on the station, the crew didn’t immediately shoot both the zombie and his victim in the head before dumping their bodies out the airlock and sterilizing the entire area. No, they started shooting the zombie, and three more workers got bitten before they managed to destroy the initial zombie. And then they took the workers to the infirmary.

The result was a foregone conclusion. In somewhere between two and twenty-four hours, depending on the extent and location of the bites, the workers turned into zombies. And, in a result that any Nomad would see coming, the zombies escaped, and overran the station. Everyone died, and was turned.

The problem was that the zombies weren’t just mindlessly wandering around. They were working the machines, harvesting gas and elements from the gas giant. They were still refining it, and packaging it. Sure, they looked like robots following instructions by rote, but they were actually doing more than mindlessly hunting the living. They were being controlled.

That made things a hundred times worse.

“Weapons! Destroy the station. Be sure that any wreckage falls into the gas giant. Helm, take us to Tsk’neth IV.”

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, in orbit of Tsk’neth IV)

“Admiral, we’re being hailed. Laser comms only.”

I raised an eyebrow. From the moment Atlanta had entered the system, the only broadcasts had been from the quantum communications system, connecting Tsk’neth to the rest of the galaxy. Now there was someone trying to communicate? “Source?”

“The government space station. Transmission says that it is from a ‘Worldleader K’ren of House B’tch’.”

“On screen.”

The screen was filled with an image I never thought that I’d see, a fat Ihm female. Not just overweight, but looking like one and a half Roseannes at her most obese. I’m pretty sure that there were actual superdreadnoughts with a slimmer profile than her.

“You are encroaching on Tsk’neth space, and have destroyed property belonging to the Tsk’neth planetary government and the Yathru Corporation! Who is this, so I know who to send our lawyers after!”

I stared at the self-important idiot for a moment, and then turned to look at Raven. “Is this dumbass serious?”

“Unfortunately, Admiral, I am not in any position to judge her mental state. However, according to the medical journals, morbid obesity in Ihm is typically associated with decreased mental faculties, so it is possible that she is mentally deficient in some way. Perhaps it would be best to treat her as a small child?”

“WHAT? I WILL HAVE YOUR JOB FOR THIS! DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”

“No, and I don’t care. We are here investigating an infectious disease outbreak in this system. I don’t suppose you know anything about that, do you?”

“That is just lies told by those lazy workers who don’t want to do some honest work! There is no ‘disease’ outbreak. This is just indolent fools trying to escape their responsibilities. Now, I want to know who your supervisor is! I demand compensation for the damage you’ve done to the system infrastructure!”

I muted the conversation as Worldleader K’ren began ranting about the cost of the ships I’d destroyed, and the damages from the refinery, and all sorts of other things I couldn’t care about. Blessedly, the best thing about being my own boss was that I didn’t have to put up with the Karens of the world. It wasn’t like any of them had the power to hurt me, with everything I had at my disposal.

Looking over to Raven and the Captain, I said, “I want a full sensor sweep of the planet, and the stations. Either this idiot traded in all her brains for a fifth helping of desert, or she’s hiding something. I want to know if we have a populace to worry about on the planet below.”

“Admiral, we’re receiving another transmission, from Tsk’neth III.”

“On screen. Keep the Worldleader on a separate line, but don’t let her know we’re talking to someone else.”

An Ihm male appeared on the screen. Big and burly like all of his kind, he sported a large scar running across one eye, which had been replaced by cybernetics. He was wearing the uniform of a supervisor for a mining company.

“This is Work Chief Ruak. I control Tsk’neth III and its mines and factories. I don’t know who you are, but you should know that there is some kind of disease that has run rampant through this system. Don’t let any infected on your ship, and don’t dock with the stations!”

I nodded. “Thank you for the warning, Chief Ruak. This is Admiral Mollen of the Black Star Navy. We acknowledge the existence of a disease, having seen its effects already. We have already purged a few vessels that were controlled by the infected.”

“Good, most people don’t want to believe a miner over the leader of the system.”

“I can’t imagine why, what with the Worldleader’s charming personality. One is tempted to agree to whatever is spewing from her mouth, just to get her to shut up. What is your status? Have the infected reached your colony?”

“Yes, but, so far, we have them contained to a few sectors of the base. We lost a lot of good people when the outbreak started by the docks, and then the guards got themselves killed trying to control the ‘riot’. After ‘demoting’ the Colonyleader, I ordered the affected sections sealed off, and vented them to space. Unfortunately, it seems that vacuum doesn’t keep the infected from continuing to try and get through the blast doors.”

I looked to the side. “Contact the Orgrim’s Hammer. Second company is to gear up for combat. Full biohazard protocols. Work with the Chief to find a site to land troops, and draw up a plan of attack for reclaiming the colony.”

Turning back to the screen, I said, “I am going to send some troops to help deal with the situation. Actual combat troops, not glorified security guards. What is the current situation like?”

“Things are stable, for now. But we’re running low on food and medical supplies. We typically get our shipments from Tsk’neth IV, but with the recent problems, nothing is coming our way. The only ships that come, and aren’t blown away or taken by the infected, are the ones belonging to the government and the Yathru Corporation. Not that it matters with the docks overrun.”

He sighed. “If you can help clear out the docks and allow us to recover most of the supplies and land ships again, that would be a big help.”

“Speaking of ships, I’ve seen five of the ships which are supposed to belong to the system defense forces. Where are the other seven? I don’t want them sneaking up on me.”

“Unfortunately, all seven were lost to the Infected. Four detonated their reactors when they realized they were being overrun. Two others chose to slave their controls and fly directly into the heart of Tsk’neth VI’s atmosphere. The Razorclaw is currently caught in our docks, as the ship had just rotated down for repairs. We haven’t been able to push back past the horde to reclaim it. We may have been able to limit the deaths to only about thirty thousand, but we aren’t soldiers.”

“All right, stand by, and the Marines will be joining you shortly. Please give them as much of a briefing as you can, so they know how to best assist you.”

With that, I broke the connection. I was about to actually try and pay attention to the worldleader, but thankfully Captain Inatumal got my attention first. “Admiral, we have conducted our scans. The transshipping stations have been completely overrun, as has the planet below. Raven is reporting that hacks of the civilian data networks, what we can reach of them, have revealed that the governmental station is in the initial stages of an outbreak. However, we have been able to identify one potential ‘controller’ on the government station.”

A feed was brought up of a female ihm with obvious wounds, like the other infected, but her eyes were glowing black. The female was using hand motions to direct the mindless Ihm in what looked like a docking area, as they maneuvered around the barricades that the station security had set up, overrunning the guards and pressing on into the structure. Raven mentioned, “Facial identification suggests that the controller is the Worldleader’s daughter.”

“Of course, she is. Fine, warm up the main guns. When they are ready to fire, you can unmute her.”

“—and don’t think I won’t be speaking to the Alliance Exchange Service about this! I am good friends with the wife of the president, you know!”

Right. She still hadn’t stopped talking. A warm glow filled my heart, as I found myself finally able to do what everyone who has ever dealt with a Karen has always wanted to do. “Shut up, you scaly cow.” Her jaw hung open in shock, but I didn’t stop to allow her to recover.

“While you have been uselessly prattling along, we have been running scans of your stations, and the planet below. Your stations are infested with the infected, and it appears that your forces are being overrun. The fact that your daughter appears to be controlling the infected somehow puts your leadership in question. Therefore, you have twenty seconds to convince me not to blow your stations to hell before I commence sterilization procedures on the planet below.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Yes, I can. Tactical, destroy the station before the infected can utilize any of the escape pods. And get this garbage off my screen.” As the sputtering K’ren disappeared from the screen, I sighed. “Never negotiate with Karens.”

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Chapter 248 - Grim Tidings

(Unidentified Sssketh-class Frigate, Tsk’neth system, Free Worlds Alliance)

The grav grenade plastered the cloud of viscera to the floor, as intended. When the hallway was once more returned to weightlessness, three shots rang out, as the three zombies that had roughly intact heads (though that was almost the only thing ‘intact’ about them) were put down. Slave-Sergeant Woulfe nodded appreciatively at the thoroughness. He didn’t know anything about these ‘zombies’, but the Nomads seemed to be inordinately concerned with them, and anything that made immortals concerned was not something to be taken lightly.

“Sarge, I’m reading atmosphere on the other side of this door. Readings are hazy. I think someone has put together a dampening field in there. We might have survivors!”

Woulfe nodded. “Fuller, check those blast doors we just passed, see if they’re still operational. If someone is alive on the bridge, I don’t want to vent all their atmosphere when we open the door. Hard to question a corpse.”

A moment later, Fuller’s voice came over the comms. “Sir, looks like we can close the doors. But we’ll need rescue gear if we’re going to get anyone on that bridge off this ship.”

“Agreed. Atlanta, you copy?”

Captain Veleth’s voice replied. “We heard, Sergeant. We’re prepping Shuttle 2 with rescue loadout. Standing by.”

“Doors closed, Sarge.”

Looking over to Raez, he said, “All right, Raez, see if you can get that bridge door open. Remember, we’re still on cyber-threat protocols, so external systems only. This situation is fucked up enough as it is. Don’t want to add to it by getting complacent.”

“On it, Sarge. Security is… what? Sir, the door controls are on a simple three button code. No encryption.”

No encryption on the door. No encryption on the airlock. There was a pattern forming. With a sigh, he said, “They probably wanted to make sure these ‘zombies’ couldn’t get in, while allowing anyone crazy enough to mount a rescue to get to them. Crack the door, Private, and let’s see who we’re dealing with. Everyone else, weapons ready.”

Everyone formed up on the door, weapons at a low ready position, and Raez keyed the code. There was no his of escaping air or expected pressure equalization. Instead, a weak shield glimmered just inside the door, keeping the air in.

Three Ihm were inside, two females and a male. All three of them looked rough, their uniforms in shambles. Debris from ration packs was scattered around the bridge. All three of them looked up dazedly at the open door, first in disbelief, then in shock.

One of them screamed, or perhaps it was all of them. Each of them, however, started diving for weapons. Stepping forward with his rifle raised, Woulfe said, “FREEZE! We aren’t here to hurt you, but if your hands touch weapons, then we will not hesitate to fire.”

One of the females took a deep breath. “Zazox, Axacho, stand down. These aren’t those… things.” The two hesitated, and then moved their hands away from the scattered weapons they had been going for. All three stood, with some effort, and the one that first spoke came to something resembling attention.

She took another breath, and said, “I am Shipleader Yugna Arsikiz, of the Ihm Armada Ship Glory of Juxl. With me are my surviving officers, Lead Navigator Zazox Rhox and Legionnaire Axacho Khez. Whom am I speaking to?”

Woulfe relaxed slightly. They were at least able to talk sensibly, which was a bonus. “I am Slave-Sergeant Jaxon Woulfe, of the Black Star Marine Corps, attached to the Atlanta, of the Black Star Navy. What can you tell us of what happened here?”

“The Black Star…” Shipleader Arsikiz shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Is your ship stealth capable? Have the ships in system discovered you, yet?”

Woulfe immediately got on edge. “What are you talking about? The system appears dead. The ships we have on scanners were as ‘active’ as this one was. We didn’t even know there was anyone alive on here until we were on the other side of the door.”

The Legionnaire shook his head. “They’re probably crawling with the dead by now. But if one of the Controllers notices you…” He let that sentence hang in the air.

“Sergeant Woulfe, this is Shinokage, Shinokage Actual speaking. Status report.”

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, Tsk’neth System, Free Worlds Alliance)

“Sergeant Woulfe, this is Shinokage, Shinokage Actual speaking. Status report.”

I leaned back in my chair as Captain Inatumal contacted the Marine leading the expedition to the derelict ship. Frank Stone, on the Atlanta, had been keeping me up to date with what they found. The fact that the number of zombies was higher than what the crew complement of a ship that size normally held spoke to something greater than just one ship getting caught in something.

“Ma’am. Sergeant Woulfe reporting. Survivors on Sssketh-class frigate, designate Glory of Juxl, saying threat of enemy action if discovered. Unknown threat, unknown capabilities.”

“Captain, we have movement in the ships. Fourty-four drive signatures incoming. That represents all observed ships in the system, heading our way.”

“Life signs? Shields?”

“Negative on life signs at this range, Captain. Their shields do not appear to be on.”

Captain Inatumal looked over to me. “Master?”

I took a deep breath, and said, “The X’thari drives are not subtle, so it isn’t a surprise that they were detected. But no freighter captain would deliberately turn their ships towards a X’thari hunt. Even the warships would at least have their shields up.”

Looking over to the sensor officer, I said, with a calmness I hoped didn’t sound forced, “Time to intercept?”

“At current speed, enemy forces will be in conventional weapons range in thirty minutes, Admiral.”

I considered the options for a second. “Have Atlanta fall into formation. Shinokage and all Assassins to volley fire. Destroy them all. Use the primary guns for now. None of these are worth wasting Dragonbreaths on, much less Starbolts.

“Send to Orgrim’s Hammer. Tell Acherus to launch Ebon Blade squadron as a screening element. The Hammer and escorts are to go further into the system. I see there is one orbital platform over the planetary capitol. Tell them to get detailed scans, priority on life-signs. Return fire if fired upon.

“Prep Shuttle 1, and bring the survivors of the Glory to Shinokage for debrief. Full download of their computer systems. When everyone is off the ship, you may destroy it as well. I don’t want any of these plague ships to remain intact.”

Inatumal nodded. “As you wish, Master.” She turned, and began barking out orders to the crew, while I simply watched the scans.

Some would say that the main guns on the Assassin and Reaper class ships were obsolete with the newer weapons that Black Star had available to them. That was short-sighted thinking, just like someone who says a sniper rifle is obsolete because you have access to RPGs. There was still a roll they could play, and having extra options was never a bad thing.

In this case, I wanted to test what level of control whoever or whatever was in controlling these zombies had. They were clearly capable of making the zombies perform at relatively complex actions, since getting the ships on course was at least moderately difficult. But that wasn’t anything that couldn’t be done by remote.

But if the first few ships blew up, and the rest didn’t change course or take evasive actions, then that would tell me that the controlling force either had limited control, or limited focus, only able to do basic commands. If they only took simple evasions, moving as a group, that would tell me that they were capable of reacting to the situation as it developed, and had a good degree of control. And if they began more complex evasions, moving individually, I’d know that they had a relatively fine degree of control, or that instead of an overarching controller, there were individual controllers.

I heard a thump, the sound of a pair of railguns the size of a starship firing together. “First shots are away. Time to intercept, twelve minutes. Guns recharging.”

“Thank you, Captain. Status of the Glory’s survivors?”

“Shuttle 1 has them, and quarantine procedures are in place to receive them. Atlanta’s marines are finishing their download of the ship’s database and logs. It appears that their shuttle and several escape pods have been launched.”

I nodded slowly. “That likely explains how the affliction, whatever it is, spread off the ship to the rest of the system. Let me know when the Ihm are through decontamination, and have them brought to the conference room. We need more information about what is happening, so we can figure out how to stop it. If we can stop it.”

“Sir?”

“The only planet-killers we have on hand are Starbolts, Captain. If we use those on an inhabited planet, then that would call down the whole galaxy on our heads. I’d rather avoid that, if we could. Manufacturing some Greenwave is possible, but since this does not appear to be a technological affliction, it would do us little good.”

I sighed. “It sounds horrible to say it, but things would be far easier if the Marines found no survivors on the planet. No survivors would mean that it is an uninhabited world, and we can put an end to it. But if there are any survivors down there, then we’d need to extract them before we could unleash our arsenal. Or deal with them, if they refuse to be extracted.”

“Why not call in the Alliance, Master?”

“Because the Alliance is a fractured mess, and I can’t count on someone not getting stupid and releasing this affliction upon the galaxy at large. Oh, probably not maliciously. They’d just take samples for study, either to find a cure, or to use as a doomsday weapon, themselves, something to hold over those who would try and conquer them. But, because they’re so fractured, they also run black ops against each other all the time. And it wouldn’t take much for an ‘accidental release’. And then millions or billions more would die.”

There was another thump. “Second volley fired. First volley impact in two minutes.”

Time seemed to crawl, like it always did during space battles. Unless you got into knife range, the distances involved were simply too huge for anything but a waiting game. But it was something I was, at least, familiar with. Something I knew how to deal with, unlike a mystery zombie plague.

Six ships, light freighters, were hit by our initial attacks. From the scans, it looked like a through-and-through. Just like the first time I witnessed the Shadowdancer fight, a civilian craft just didn’t have the armor to stand up to the rail guns. All six targets began drifting, their engines destroyed.

The incoming ships did not change course. That suggested they didn’t have a great deal of control. Or that they didn’t know how to respond to our attacks. The second wave would be coming up on them much quicker, now that the range was less.

Another thump heralded the third shots being fired, just as the next six ships were taken out. This time, the five warships were among the targets. They, at least, exploded normally, their bow sections vanishing as the projectiles met armored hulls. The Tsk’neth ships were at least thirty or forty years old, after all. they were better than civilian ships, but not by that much.

Now, the ships began to maneuver. It was a standard evasive pattern, done perfectly by the book, with all the ships moving in unison, like a school of fish. Fitting, since I was basically shooting fish in a barrel.

“Captain! Sensors are detecting EM buildup in the enemy ships. We’re also looking at some non-standard deviations to normal civilian blueprints.”

Captain Inatumal nodded. “On screen.”

My eyes went wide. Each of the ships had been converted to have a massive, electrified claw of some kind. A magnetic grappler? But those were only used by pirates, and low-budget ones at that! Well, unless they were slavers, and cared more about the passengers and crew than the ship itself, or its cargo. It was a sure sign that those on the ships wanted to board.

“Captain, take the gloves off. I don’t want any of that filth on my ships. Dragonbreath torpedoes approved. Take them out. Sensors, I want you to be checking for any transmissions from the enemy ships.

“Clear them from my sky.”

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 247 - Outbreak

(Unidentified Sssketh-class Frigate, Tsk’neth system, Free Worlds Alliance)

Slave-Sergeant Jaxon Woulfe was not known for being skittish. He’d survived the horrors of Jagloth, and the Legion Plague. He had fought the X’thari at Nuevo Edo and Coldana as part of Second Company. He had been one of those who boarded the mysterious space hulk that the Starhunters had found. In short, Jaxon Woulfe had survived more terrible situations than almost any member of the Black Star Marines, save for the original Immortals of First Company.

He had survived because he had learned to trust his instincts. Those instincts had kept him from getting infected on Jagloth, and they had kept him alive ever since. And, now, those instincts were screaming at him as his five- man team cycled their way through the airlock, and into the frigate’s interior.

Something was very wrong here.

The airlock was on reserve power. Given the situation inside, they might as well have just left the door open. Life support was offline, the ship in vacuum. Artificial gravity was also not working, requiring the use of mag boots and grav belts. Even the emergency lights were off, leaving the ship in darkness.

And then, there was the blood.

Blood splattered the hallway, lit up by the headlamps on their helmets and the flashlights on their rifles. Blood everywhere. Something bad had happened here. This wasn’t a battle; it was a slaughter. But where were the bodies?

In tightbeam pulse transmissions to his team, he ordered, “Sensors up. Infrared and ultrawideband penetrating radar. If something’s moving on this wreck, I want to know about it before it decides we look like a snack. Raez, eyes sharp for a working console. We’re heading for the bridge. Herdan, take point. Move.”

All five began moving as a well-oiled machine, moving quietly through the halls. Blood was everywhere, but bodies were not. Not at first.

“Sarge, body up ahead.”

Looking ahead, Woulfe saw what Private Herdan was talking about. He magnified his suit cameras, to get a better view. It was an Ihm male, big and hulking as all their kind were. And it looked as though he had been partially eaten. “All right, Herdan. Nice and careful like, use your rifle to nudge him out of our way.”

The Gauz male reached out with the tip of his rifle, and nudged the corpse. It didn’t take much force to send a body moving in microgravity, especially when you were able to plant your feet and keep from moving yourself. So, it wouldn’t take much to send the body gently gliding out of their path.

“NO! DON’T DO IT! SERGEANT, DON’T TOUCH THAT THING!”

The warning from the Nomad Lieutenant on the ship came too late. Before Woulfe could tell Herdan differently, the Marine’s rifle made contact with the corpse’s foot, and began guiding it out of reach. And then the corpse began moving. In zero gravity, with the hallway in raw vacuum, the corpse began moving, thrashing about.

“Sergeant, shoot that thing in the head. Destroy the brain. Don’t get any of it on you.”

Woulfe wasn’t about to ask the Lieutenant for clarification. Technically, only the Captain was allowed to give orders to the Marine detachment, but the trainers when they had been inducted to the Black Star Marines had laid out a set of seventy maxims that they expected all recruits to learn and abide by. One of those was, ‘A Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on.’ Like most books of ancient wisdom, things didn’t translate exactly to every situation, but the core of the maxim’s meaning still applied.

“Fuller, Mialee! Kill that thing!”

The corpse’s thrashing had caused it to go spinning about in place as it began slowly moving towards a bulkhead. Corporals Jessica Fuller and Solana Mialee were his best shots, so he gave the order. Four flashes lit the dark as both Marines raised their rifles, and fired twice. The corpse’s head exploded, and the thrashing ceased.

“Target neutralized. Lieutenant Stone, sir, do you have any idea what is going on here?”

(BSN Atlanta, Tsk’neth system, Free Worlds Alliance)

“Target neutralized. Lieutenant Stone, sir, do you have any idea what is going on here?”

Captain Veleth raised an eyebrow as he looked over to his communications officer. “Yes, Lieutenant, I’m very interested to know how you figured out that the ‘corpse’ was somehow active.”

The Lieutenant took a deep breath, but Veleth could see a tinge of pink tinting his cheeks. “Ah, it was a hunch, Sir. I have an idea what is going on, now, yes, but to make certain, I’d like to have the Sergeant get an analysis on the corpse’s blood.”

“You copy that, Sergeant?”

“Roger that, Captain. Raez, collect a sample.”

There was a pause, and then a new voice came on the line. “Lieutenant Stone, this is Private Raez. I have the scanner ready, and a blood sample loaded. What am I looking for?”

The Lieutenant breathed silently, and then said, “Basic threat assessment. Nanite or biological probable. Possible exotic.”

Veleth did his best to keep the frown off his face. The Lieutenant was doing his best to keep calm, saying the bare minimum to allow him to appear collected, but Veleth could hear the worry in his voice, and had not missed the raw panic earlier, when he suddenly started yelling commands to the Marines. Lieutenant Stone did not ‘throw his weight around’, to use the human saying. That was why he was allowing this to go on. If he was suddenly barking commands to anyone who wasn’t in his chain of command, it was likely important.

“Nanite negative. Biological inconclusive. Presence of exotic material confirmed.”

Stone took a deep breath, and met his gaze. “Captain, I recommend Sergeant Woulfe and his men go weapons free. Priority accessing any data storage they can get to. Leave gravity and life support offline. Also, get them to check whether any escape pods or shuttles are missing. Also, I recommend we declare a Code: Veronica.”

Veleth’s eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar code, and did a quick search on his tablet. What he found made his eyes widen in shock. His eyes met Stone’s again, questioning. Stone just nodded slightly.

“Sergeant, weapons free. Destroy the head of any corpse you find. Make for the bridge, and see if you can’t get into the logs. Get what intel you can, and try to confirm whether all shuttles and escape pods are accounted for.”

“Understood, Captain. On our way.”

Still watching Stone, he said, “Lieutenant, alert Command about this event. And then I want a staff meeting with all officers in five minutes. You can give a full report there, along with recommendations so that we can work out how to deal with this.”

“Yes, sir.”

(Main Bridge, BSN Shinokage, Star’s Reach System)

“Admiral on the bridge!”

“As you were.” I waved everyone off, letting them go back to their preparations to leave. My eyes found Captain Inatumal’s, and I nodded. “Captain, good to see you again. How are preparations going?”

Slave-Captain Aurae Inatumal smiled at me, probably remembering the last time she and I had gotten together, along with her sister, last week. “All ships in the ready response formation report ready, Master. Second Company’s ships have joined our formation. Drives are charging and will be ready to go in ten minutes.”

“Good. With any luck, we won’t be needed, but I don’t like relying on luck. There is something going on in the target system, and I—”

Private Message from Frank Stone: EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! CODE: VERONICA confirmed.

My words were cut off by the sudden message. I had things set up so that only high priority messages would interrupt my conversations like this, and it certainly qualified. The Captain noticed as my eyes shifted focus to read the message. “Orders, Master?”

Private Message to Frank Stone: Code: Veronica acknowledged. Status report.

Private Message from Frank Stone: Ihm Frigate dead in space. Blood in halls, but no bodies. First corpse found floating in null gravity, visible bite wounds on corpse. I was in the beta for the Biohazard 1 VR remaster that Paccom brought out for the new systems before I joined DAtS. Got flashbacks to the mansion.

Private Message to Frank Stone: Understood. What kind of zombies are we dealing with here? Fast or slow? Nanite, disease, or magic?

Private Message from Frank Stone: Unknown on fast/slow. Zero G makes the zombies a minimal threat. From what I saw of the zombie’s movements, probably not original Romero slow, but definitely not Z: World War fast. I make them as about Biohazard speed.

Private Message from Frank Stone: Nanite not present in initial test. Biological unconfirmed, but confirmed Exotic energy presence. Unknown about the true nature due to limited testing equipment. Marines are securing additional samples for testing.”

Private Message to Frank Stone: Atlanta’s exposure?

Private Message from Frank Stone: None so far. Decontamination protocols being set up for the shuttle and marines upon return.

Private Message to Frank Stone: Understood. Shinokage incoming with Second Company from the Marines. Hold the fort, be there soon.

Private Message from Frank Stone: Roger. Wilco.

Finally looking to meet the Captain’s gaze, I took a breath. “Captain, all crews to alert stations. Send a message to the task force, ten minutes to initialization of the X’thari drives. Synchronize jump for 15:30 Star’s Reach Time. All ships rig for biohazard protocols. No one is allowed to dock with any ship without my approval. Any ship attempting to dock with one of ours shall be summarily destroyed before they approach within one hundred-thousand kilometers. Use of Dragonbreath and Starbolt torpedoes authorized.”

The Captain saluted smartly. “As you command, Admiral.” Then, she turned, and began barking out commands to her people, who were already in motion. I nodded grimly. That was good. They were a solid crew, honed and blooded in battle. If it was as bad as Frank was saying, they were going to be needed, and I would need them at their best.

(Unidentified Sssketh-class Frigate, Tsk’neth system, Free Worlds Alliance)

Another flash of light, and another corpse’s head exploded before they could start moving.

“How many is that, now?”

“Twenty-one.”

“How many of them are there?”

“Crew of a Sssketh-class is supposed to be two-twenty males, fifteen females.”

“So, where are they all?”

“Cut the chatter. Clear coms.” Woulfe smiled grimly as Fuller and Raez acknowledged his command, before ending their conversation. Not that he wasn’t wondering some of the same things as Fuller was. He might not be the most culturally savvy marine out there, but he had, at least, been exposed to the concept of zombies from his fellow Marines. Thomas had snuck a few vid files into their boot camp, and they’d watched them while they were on liberty during training.

“Sarge, we have a problem.”

A problem? At this point, he would be happy if there was just one problem. This whole ship was a literal boatload of problems that he wanted no part of. “What is it, Herdan?”

“Large grouping up ahead. Scanner counts thirty bodies.”

Thirty. That wasn’t exactly easy, even if the lack of gravity made killing the zombies so much easier. With that many, chances improved that the zombies would do something on accident to send them flying their way. And he had no intention of seeing how well Black Star Marine armor held up to an undead ihm’s bite.

He would have liked to go around, but according to the schematics they had, those zombies were directly between his team and the bridge. Fortunately, the bridge was shielded, and had a blast door cutting it off from the rest of the ship. But they would still have to be careful.

“Sergeant Woulfe for Lieutenant Stone. Thirty hostiles between our team and the bridge. You’re the zombie expert. Any recommendations?”

“Sergeant, recommend switch to heavy weapons with flechette rounds and mass fire. Extreme caution advancing after. Zombies torn apart by weapons fire should still be capable of fighting so long as the brain is intact.”

“Acknowledged.” Looking to his team, he said, “You heard him. Herdan, with me. Fuller, Mialee, back us up, take down anything that tries to get past.” Together, he and Herdan traded their standard issue rifles for a pair of space-rated kinetic weapons that resembled nothing so much as a minigun.

Light blazed from the barrels of the heavy weapons as Woulfe and Herdan walked the streams of bullets back and forth across the hallway. In ten seconds, they had both unleashed one thousand rounds, with each round releasing ten flechettes. They tore through the ihm corpses like a hot knife through butter. As he and Herdan let their guns go silent, he saw the flashes from the two women’s rifles as they calmly took down anything that looked ‘head-like’, adding to the cloud of viscera, bone, and gore that was now floating through the hallway.

“Raez, grav grenade. Get that mist on the floor so we can see if we’re done.”

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T