Fall of Terra Nova Page 10

  “We’ve received an urgent transmission from Captain PJ Williams of the CCS Furious.”

  She stepped up to the display and scanned through the ship dispositions. In the middle was the recently scanned Anomaly, along with the three large structures. A short distance away were the ships of the Furious Battlegroup. The largest vessel was the heavy cruiser Furious. In a loose formation around the Furious were three Achilles class cruisers, the Bellerophon, Patroclus and Perseus. Much smaller coloured icons showed the presence of five destroyers and one frigate.

  “The message?” she asked.

  “Lieutenant,” Captain Tobler called out.

  From her station off to the side of the CiC, sat Lieutenant Nilsson. She pressed several buttons before turning her chair around.

  “Sir, replaying the signal now.”

  The tactical display reduced in size to make room for a video feed from the Furious Battlegroup. An image of the bridge of the heavy cruiser appeared, along with a dozen officers who were acting in a frantic manner. A woman’s face appeared on the screen.

  “This is Lieutenant Jane Matterson. The Captain is wounded along with over half the senior officers. I have assumed temporary command of the Furious.”

  A number of flashes came from the left of the video feed and a crewman was blasted back several metres before hitting the ground. Two people helped lift him up and away from a small fire burning near his workstation. More ran past with fire extinguishers. The young woman ignored what was happening and pressed something to the side of her. It was presumably a button or switch of some kind. For a brief moment the video stream turned to static, but the audio channel remained operational. The static changed to blackness and then adjusted to the light levels to show a video feed from the warship that replaced her face. Her voice continued in the background.

  “We sent two probes through the entrance of the Spacebridge to the other side. As soon as they passed through, the signals stopped. We weren’t able to even get an image from the other side. We assumed they had malfunctioned and were about to send another pair through. One hour later, as we were sending them through, a dozen Confederation vessels entered through the Anomaly and opened fire. All of the ships were transmitting Confed IFF codes. There was no warning and the first battery of missiles damaged our main engines and killed over two hundred people. We have withdrawn into the distortion of the Anomaly, but they are continuing to look for us. Luckily, the interference in this field makes missile target acquisition difficult, or we would be dead already.”

  On the screen the exterior of the warship appeared undamaged, apart from one section near the bow that looked as if it had been burnt through. Bright flashes flickered off to one side.

  “Nukes, Admiral,” said Captain Tobler as they watched. Each of the impacts was over quickly, much more so than a blast might happen in an atmosphere. A flight of Lightning fighters moved out of sight before reappearing and launching a swarm of missiles towards the approaching vessels. The feed cut back to the young officer.

  “We have destroyed three of the ships and have positioned mines around our defensive location in the Anomaly. We can’t hold for…” a final crackle and then the feed vanished.

  “Is that it?” asked Admiral Jarvis.

  “From the Furious, yes. This signal was sent by a reconnaissance Lightning fighter. It was sent on a one-way mission out of the Anomaly and back towards us. We think it was operating as a relay to allow the signal to reach us.”

  “Any news on the fighter?”

  “None, Admiral. There is something else. Not long after this message arrived, we received word from our agents on Prime. They are stripping away garrisons of troops and a large number are preparing to leave.”

  “Leave? To where?”

  Captain Tobler brought up the tactical map of the Proxima Centauri System.

  “We are not sure about the troop ships, but we have tracked over a dozen smaller vessels that have left Union territory. It seems they are massing in small groups and then making their way towards the Anomaly. I have already ordered escorts to spread out to enforce the blockade and stop any ships leaving Prime. If they make it past the escorts, we have the Crusader and our cruisers to finish them off.”

  “What are they doing?” demanded Admiral Jarvis.

  “We’re not sure yet. We have also received additional information from Prometheus that powerful signals have been intercepted from the Anomaly. Commander Anderson says a large surge along with encrypted data was received by their partially operational equipment on Prometheus.”

  Captain Tobler looked confused as he paused for a moment.

  “I don’t understand why a signal would be sent there though. Surely that is just giving us information on the enemy movements?”

  Admiral Jarvis nodded in agreement.

  “You could be right. Don’t forget that Prometheus was until recently a primary centre for the Union and the Zealots. Whoever sent the signal may think the factories and computer systems are still under the control of the Union. Commander Anderson has allowed a subset of the computers to be left active and to maintain basic communication and control links. I think this is the first major signal he has received since we regained control of the place.”

  Captain Tobler looked back at the message.

  “The Commander has sent multiple attached intelligence files on the Anomaly. He suggests that the distortion is of great importance to the Union war effort for a variety of reasons. His scientists postulate the area could hide a significant number of vessels and potential stations to operate from.”

  He looked back at the Admiral.

  “But why? Are they hiding military vessels in the distortion? What if they already control the other side? What if they have the support of the government on Terra Nova?”

  Admiral Jarvis tensed up slightly at the prospect of trouble in the larger half of the Confederacy. The thought of the enemy having such resources was a matter that she considered almost daily.

  “If true, they would have the entire armed forced of the Confederacy and the Alpha Centauri fleet. We would never stand a chance against that. The only assumption we can make is that if this were true, then why have they not moved against us already?”

  She moved her hand across to enlarge the images from the Anomaly.

  “This signal, do we know where else it was received?”

  “That is difficult to establish. The transmission was just under a minute long, narrowband and heavily encrypted. We have confirmed signal reception on Prometheus plus possibly, but unverified, at Kerberos and on three of the colonies below.”

  “So in theory, this signal could have been sent to all seceded colonies?”

  “True. Oh, there was also a signal from the technicians on the Vengeance. Apparently, a similar signal was received, but they were unable to store it in time.”

  “The Vengeance? She was being used by the Union. It seems clear to me then. The transmission from the Anomaly was sent to all fixed installations and vessels in Proxima Centauri. Shortly after that, they started to move the bulk of their assets towards the source of the signal. The question is, what has changed? What triggered this?”

  “The Furious Battlegroup? Until their arrival, we had never put one of our vessels anywhere near it. Perhaps they have something there they want to keep hidden?”

  “Maybe. Or they are doing everything they can to keep us from using the Spacebridge.”

  Admiral Jarvis looked carefully at the cloud type formation around the Anomaly. The figures state it was almost a full astronomical unit in diameter. That was large enough to hide stations, fleets and even entire planets.

  “The first thing I need to know is who attacked our ships. You said the IFF codes said they were friendly?”

  “That is what the crew on the Furious thought. We don’t have that information to confirm it.”

  The Admiral scratched her chin as she considered the options.

  “They must have come from somewh
ere, and I need to know where from. Can we expect more of them? Are they a scouting party, or is this the fleet that ambushed our ships near Prometheus? Tell me about these enemy ships. Do they match anything in our order of battle? If they had valid IFF codes, they could still have faked them or cloned the details of other vessels.”

  Captain Tobler brought up three images of ships.

  “These are from the external camera feed of the Furious prior to losing the signal.”

  The images were grainy and partially obscured by the debris and weapons fire in the battle. There were two vessels highlighted by the computer system. A few presses and the images were quickly enhanced and as much of the grain and noise removed as was possible.

  “Is that the best you can do?” she asked.

  “The computers are still working on them, but based on the battle, electromagnetic interference and the damaged signal, I think this will be it.”

  He bent down and looked closer at the ship designs.

  “Odd, very odd.”

  “What is it?” asked Admiral Jarvis.

  The Captain brought up two extra screens and started to pan through pages of ship’s specifications and details. Most of the images were the usual three-dimensional blueprints with detailed schematics. He quickly moved past these and onto the older designs. The further back he went, the less detail there was. He stopped at a particular page with three sketches and a poor quality image of a space battle.

  “I’ve seen that picture before,” she said.

  “Yes, it is from the last battle at Terra Nova from the Great War. Look here,” he pointed at a group of six ships in the corner. Enlarging the image reduced the quality, but it was clear they bore a strong resemblance to the ships recorded during the current battle at the Anomaly.

  “I don’t understand. You’re suggesting they are the same models as those used in the War?” said Admiral Jarvis with a sceptical tone.

  “No. I am suggesting the ships at the Anomaly are in fact ships used during the Great War.”

  “What?” she demanded.

  “It isn’t unheard of. A number of the old war barges are still in service. We have civilian ships that are over one hundred years old being used by some of the less scrupulous traders.”

  He brought up a page of details and sighting of the ships parallel to the images.

  “They are Scimitar class missile cruisers. It says they were a common vessel in the last years of the war. Over two dozen were unaccounted for and presumed lost following the armistice in 239CC.”

  “So these ships have either been in hiding for fifty years, or they have been repaired and put back into service recently. Captain, get me everything you can find on these vessels. Their histories, specifications, captains and personnel.”

  “Going back how far?”

  “As far as it goes, I want the lot.”

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  Admiral Jarvis looked back at the screen with the classic image of the Great War. It was a colour image that she had seen when at school. Like many such images, over time it had become a moment in time and used on books, games and many forms of entertainment. If she wasn’t mistaken, it might be on one of the old Navy recruitment posters. Lieutenant Nilsson interrupted her thoughts.

  “Admiral, a signal is coming in from Kerberos. It is coded as a deep cover operative. No name or identity code.”

  The Admiral looked intrigued. The coded messages were almost impossible to clone due to their detailed biometric signatures and multipath encryption. Based on the likelihood it was legitimate, it was either something important or someone had been caught and interrogated. Either way, she needed to listen to it in confidence.

  “Send it to the private comms unit.”

  Lieutenant Nilsson pressed a sequence of keys and nodded to the Admiral. She walked over to the computer system and sat down. It was one of the few systems on the ship where codes and secure messages could be viewed while protected by an electromagnetic bubble. Though the crew in the CiC were all trusted, it was standard procedure to never publically view or discuss covert units on a ship. The display showed a series of progress bars as the computer system started the decryption sequence. After almost thirty seconds it was completed, and a video feed started. The quality was grainy and very dark. She could make out half a dozen people in the image, but they were too dark to make out any features. Movement to the right morphed into a head as one of the people approached.

  “Admiral. Special Agent Johnson here. I have been working with a small unit of survivors under the command of Captain Sanlav Erdeniz. Our time is limited, so I must be brief. Union forces on Kerberos have started stripping districts in Yama City of people. So far, we have counted eleven ships in orbit taking on prisoners. Reports from other cells in the city say more people are being rounded up. Our intelligence shows a large group of transports are due to arrive in the next five days. In the last three hours, a large number of garrisons have been loading troops into shuttles and joining the ships. We have…”

  The video distorted badly before cutting back. Several of the people in the background were running about and shouting came from somebody out of shot.

  “Our transmission has been detected. We have joined forces with several resistance groups...intend to start a full-scale assault before they can take the rest of the civilians away. We will do anything we can to stop the shuttles but…”

  The video stayed on but the clatter of gunfire drowned out the voice of the man.

  “If you…help us. Weapons and…”

  He was cut off once more, but this time the signal didn’t return. She lifted her hand as she considered the news. If ships were taking citizens from Kerberos, there was a good chance the same was happening on other colonies. The question was, what was the plan? By removing people and military resources from the colonies, they could only be doing one of two things. Either they were redeploying somewhere more important, or they were moving them to attack a point on Confederate Space.

  She stood up and moved towards the tactical map.

  “Lieutenant Nilsson, set up a conference call with General Rivers and President Hamis in the conference room.”

  “Aye, Sir.”

  Captain Tobler walked to her and looked at the display.

  “Something I should know?”

  The Admiral examined the screen for a few seconds before replying.

  “I suspect we may be moving back into the fire sooner than expected. Make sure the ship is fuelled and armed for combat. I suggest a series of drills. You are going to be leaving soon.”

  “Operation Perdition is to continue then?”

  “The operation never stopped. We have been mobilising for the next objective. Just make sure Crusader is ready for battle.”

  “Understood, Sir,” he replied though it was obvious he was a little put out by her tone and the fact he was out of the loop.

  She moved to the door and glanced over her shoulder at the crew in the CiC. The ship was being run well, and she had no doubt they would perform their duties as always. But there was something about this news that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was just the unknown that worried her. Not that long ago she was in charge of this ship and Commander Anderson had been her XO. Now she commanded the fleet in war, and the ship had a new XO and captain. As she left the room, she realised her main feeling of unease was that the ship just didn’t feel the same anymore.

  It was a short journey to the conference room. When she arrived at the door, she was pleased to see it unlocked and ready to use. One marine technician and two guards waited for to enter. At first glance, it seemed an empty room apart from a large holographic projector unit. She moved inside and the device activated. The three-dimensional models of General Rivers and President Hamis appeared around her. Both were life-size and able to move about as though actually in the room. The only difference was the slight flickers and muted colours.

  “Admiral, what is wrong?” asked Dr Hamis.

  “T
here is no immediate problem, but I have received interesting and somewhat troubling news.”

  “Is this about the fighting breaking out below on Prime? I have two reports for you that will need your urgent attention,” said General Rivers.

  “No, but I am glad to hear the resistance cells are ramping up their attacks. I trust you are assisting them where you can? But this is a much wider issue that involves the entire Proxima sector, possibly even Alpha Centauri and the rest of the Confederacy.”

  “Go on,” said a nervous looking Dr Hamis.

  “I have received intelligence and reports from multiple locations throughout Proxima Centauri. There is something substantial happening, and I fear the Anomaly is at the heart of it. First, we are getting information on large numbers of citizens and soldiers leaving the fallen colonies. Most appear to be making their way to the Anomaly. This has yet to be confirmed. If the info is correct, it will mean multiple capital ships and troops will be making their way to the single point that could give us quick access to Alpha Centauri.”

  “What about our vessels already stationed there?” asked Dr Hamis.

  “The Furious Battlegroup. Yes, that is the second part of the problem. They are still there and have established a secure foothold in the outer parts of the Anomaly. The storms give off heavy interference that conveniently offer them a refuge from the new threat.”

  “New threat? Don’t we have enough of those already?” asked a sarcastic General Rivers.

  “True. It isn’t something we choose or can easily avoid. A short while ago, a large number of Great War era cruisers attacked the battlegroup. We have sustained casualties and they have withdrawn to the protection of their minefield and automated defence platforms.”

  “What, great War era ships in this sector? Where are they from, and why have we not come across them before?” demanded Dr Hamis.

  “We have no information on this as yet.”

  “What about the Anomaly and Terra Nova? Have we made contact yet?”

  “No. The Furious Battlegroup was in the middle of doing that when it was attacked. Shortly after the battle began, a series of powerful communication pulses were sent from the Anomaly to multiple locations in Proxima. One was sent to the old Union base there. We are still unable to decipher the data, but we do know one thing.”