The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness Read online

  The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness

  (The Lost Fleet Series, Book 2)

  By

  Raymond L. Weil

  Books in The Lost Fleet Series

  The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search (Book 1)

  The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness (Book 2)

  The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light (Book 3)

  Coming late December 2015

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

  Copyright © August 2015 by Raymond L. Weil

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design by Humblenations.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness

  A Slaver Wars Novel

  Chapter One

  In the Triangulum Galaxy, thousands of small twenty-meter probes searched the depths of interstellar space for traces of intelligent life. Powerful sensors scanned the nearest stars for radio waves and other forms of electromagnetic radiation or pulses, which might indicate the presence of budding civilizations.

  Probe #X-476-B-729 paused in its flight as primitive radio waves struck its sensitive detection system. It only took the device’s complex computers a few microseconds to determine the high probability of these signals being from a civilized source. The probe instantly activated its FTL communicator and sent a message to the nearest comm relay. The relay would notify a Simulin battle fleet of the detection of a possible future threat.

  -

  Taras Ralt stared thoughtfully at the small viewscreen in the exploration cruiser. The ship and its ten-person crew were nearing the orbit of the sixth planet in their solar system. This was the first time a ship had been sent so far away from their home world of Kall, the fourth planet of the system. “Ship status?”

  “All systems functioning normally,” replied his second in command, Besel Dar.

  The atmosphere inside the Kall vessel was very high in humidity. Kall was a water world with ninety-two percent of its surface covered in the liquid. The Kalls themselves had gill slits with which they could survive either on the surface or beneath the water. Most of the cities on the planet floated on the large oceans held in place my massive anchors attached to the sea floor. The Kalls farmed the shallow oceans as well as harvested the teeming schools of fish.

  “We will go down in our planet’s history as being the first from our world to set foot upon Trillion,” said Dar pleased with what would be his place in this historic mission.

  The sixth planet was slightly larger than Kall with only trace amounts of water in the atmosphere. Someday mining operations and even domed colonies would be set up. The future for the Kall race was looking very bright.

  The ship suddenly shook violently and warning alarms began sounding. The lights flickered, faded, and then came back on. The crew looked with sudden worry at their instruments, seeking the reason for the klaxons sounding.

  “What just happened?” Ralt demanded, his large eyes narrowing with concern. “Turn off those alarms!”

  The sensor operator merely pointed to the small viewscreen and the massive bulbous ship it was showing. The vessel was easily seventeen hundred meters in length with six large spires on the front hull. It had never been built in the Kall system.

  “Aliens!” said Dar excitedly. “We must establish contact; just think of what we can learn from them. This is the opportunity of a lifetime!”

  He didn’t get to say anything else as one of the tips on the six spires began to glow, and a deadly beam of white energy annihilated the Kall exploration ship.

  -

  The Simulin sensor operator turned toward the ship’s commander. “A primitive interplanetary vessel. It didn’t possess even a rudimentary sublight drive. No shields or obvious weapons.”

  “That is why we have the probes,” the Simulin commander replied.

  The commander was slightly taller than a human with skin that was opalescent. Blood vessels, as well as some of the internal organs, could easily be seen. “It’s far more efficient to eliminate these primitive species before they can become a threat. Set course for their home world and prepare the fleet to initiate nuclear bombardment of the surface.”

  -

  In space, twenty Simulin battlecruisers turned and proceeded toward the single inhabited planet in the system. Long-range scans detected a few small space stations in orbit around as well as numerous satellites.

  As the Simulin fleet approached Kall, frantic messages were beamed up into space asking for peaceful contact. They stressed repeatedly that they were a peaceful race only interested in exploring their own star system. Their long-range telescopes had witnessed the destruction of the exploration ship. Near panic had swept the planet as news that alien invaders were approaching spread across the airways.

  The twenty Simulin battlecruisers took up orbit two thousand kilometers above the surface with each ship spaced equidistant from the others to cover the entire globe. For an hour, the Simulin ships orbited the planet as their sensors scanned the numerous cities, calculating the primary impact points for the missiles.

  -

  “The primitives are still attempting contact,” reported the Simulin communications officer. “They are offering to surrender their world.”

  “There can be no others,” commented the commanding officer harshly.

  Early in their history, their home world had been subjected to numerous bloody and damaging wars. Simulon was an arid planet with few resources, and the different tribes had fought brutal campaigns to control what was upon the planet. One tribe eventually won out, but the wars had seriously depleted what few resources the planet once had. In desperation, they’d journeyed into space to the three other planets in their star system. Like their own planet, resources even on these worlds were also sparse.

  Then one day, a brilliant scientist developed the hyperdrive. One of their first exploratory missions discovered a system rich in resources with a planet in the liquid water zone in a nearby system. Unfortunately, that planet was inhabited by a primitive species just entering their bronze age.

  The exploration cruiser returned and reported its amazing discovery to the Simulin Grand Council. They had found a system rich in resources and a world much more suitable for life. It didn’t take the Grand Council long to reach a decision. Life on Simulon was hard and growing more difficult with every generation. If something wasn’t done soon, their race would die out, as the planet would no longer be able to sustain life.

  Four years after the discovery of the new star system, a Simulin battle fleet appeared in orbit over the inhabited planet. Nuclear missiles rained down upon the surface, detonating high enough above the cities to limit the spread of radiation. Then the first Conqueror Drones were unleashed. Thousands
were dropped on the planet with instructions to eliminate the planet’s inhabitants.

  Ever since that time the Simulin race had been expanding and destroying every intelligent species they came across. The Simulin population was growing rapidly, and no competition for the available resources could be or would be tolerated.

  -

  In the flagship, the Simulin who was second in command turned to the ship’s commander. “Ships are in position and targets are locked.”

  “Fire missiles!” ordered the commander. He felt no remorse at what he was about to do. Emotions such as that had long since vanished from the Simulin race.

  The ship shuddered imperceptively as forty missiles left the missile tubes and entered the planet’s atmosphere. Each missile was targeted on one of the Kall cities. At an altitude of three thousand meters, the first ten-megaton missile detonated, obliterating the floating city beneath it.

  On the ship’s viewscreens, hundreds of brilliant fireballs appeared across the blue-white globe as more detonations announced the death of the Kall civilization.

  -

  For several hours, the Simulin fleet orbited the planet ensuring all vestiges of the planet’s civilization had been eliminated. At the end of that time, four large Simulin transports exited hyperspace and took up low orbit above the planet.

  “Instruct the cargo ships to deliver the Conqueror Drones,” instructed the flagship’s commander.

  Ten thousand of the deadly, crablike drones would be dropped on the planet. Due to their construction, they could function just as easily in the water as well as upon the land. It would take a few years or possibly a few decades, but any Kall survivors would be hunted down and eliminated. Sometime in the far future, Simulin colony ships would come to this world and it would become another Simulin inhabited system.

  From each of the four cargo ships, small pods began falling toward the besieged planet. In each pod resided eight of the deadly Conqueror Drones. The drones were programmed to be killing machines with no concept of mercy.

  The Simulin commander watched impassively as the first drones fired their engines and set down on the landmasses as well as in the water. Upon contact the pods split apart, freeing their deadly cargo. The freed crab-like automatons would immediately begin searching for potential targets.

  Satisfied this future threat had been eliminated, the commander turned toward his second in command. “The fleet will return to its patrol station for further instructions.”

  “Shall we destroy the space stations?”

  “Leave them,” the commander replied. “Without supplies their crews will soon perish. Our mission here is finished. This world will never be a threat to the Simulin race.”

  “What about those strange ships that came from the AI galaxy?” asked the ship’s second in command. “What has become of them?”

  “They’ve vanished,” replied the ship’s commander. “Our fleets are still searching. When they’re found, they will be eliminated.”

  “Could they have returned to the AI galaxy?”

  “It’s possible,” replied the Simulin commander. “That’s why the invasion is being sped up.”

  “The AIs were supposed to eliminate the organic races in that galaxy.”

  The commander nodded his head as his eyes turned toward the ship’s viewscreens. “Their programming failed and they’ve somehow joined with that galaxy’s organics.”

  “Our invasion fleet will soon correct that unfortunate situation,” the second officer predicted. “Our race will someday need the living space of that galaxy and those organics must be exterminated.”

  -

  In the Command Center of the Simulin flagship, there was very little talking. The Simulins were a pragmatic and ruthless race. They’d long since decided they would tolerate no competition for resources. For thousands of years, they had spread across ten galaxies, colonizing tens of thousands of worlds. Already they had agents working in twenty more preparing to add them someday to the Simulin Empire.

  A spatial vortex formed in front of the flagship and it jumped into hyperspace. Across the Triangulum Galaxy, there were hundreds of such fleets responding whenever a probe reported the presence of intelligent life. If all went according to plan, in another few hundred years the only intelligent life in the Triangulum Galaxy would be Simulin, as all others would have been wiped out.

  -

  Admiral Jeremy Strong was standing in front of the massive viewscreen in the Command Center of the twenty-six hundred-meter exploration dreadnought Distant Horizon. The Distant Horizon was the largest ship ever built by the Federation or the Altons. It had been four months since the battle with the Simulins, which had seen the dreadnought make it safely to the nebula and the hidden world the Lost Fleets had made their home.

  It had been a busy four months as the ship had brought messages from home as well as additional technology, which might be of use. There had also been some startling revelations, particularly where the Simulins and the AIs were concerned.

  “I still can’t get over how this screen makes everything seem so real.” Jeremy stepped forward and touched the screen as if to assure himself there was something between him and the view of space. They were deep inside the heart of the ship, but the screen made it seem as if the deadly vacuum of space was only a footstep away.

  “We enjoy this type of screen,” Andram Muce said with a smile. The tall white-haired Alton was pleased Admiral Strong had come over to the Distant Horizon. He had several subjects he wanted to speak to Jeremy about. “This screen serves us well in our explorations.”

  “I can see why,” replied Jeremy. He could well imagine how useful such a screen would be in scientific studies. It made the viewscreens in the Avenger seem quite primitive by comparison.

  Kelsey was sitting at the navigational console and looked over at Jeremy with a big smile. “You need to see what it looks like when we’re in hyperspace.” Over the last four months, Kelsey and Jeremy had spent most of their time together. After spending years apart, it was a fantastic feeling to finally be together once again.

  “I can imagine,” Jeremy responded.

  It had been a huge morale boost when the Distant Horizon had finally gone into orbit around Gaia. For Jeremy, the ship carried his wife who he had never expected to see again. For others, it had brought messages from friends and family.

  After a lot of discussion, Jeremy had agreed to allow both Katie and Kelsey to remain aboard the Distant Horizon in their current positions. Not only was the exploration dreadnought the most powerful ship in the fleet, but it also had Clarissa on board as well. The human-like AI had been instrumental in bringing the ship safely to Gaia.

  Reaching forward, Kelsey adjusted the screen and a closeup of the Clan Protector appeared. “I don’t think Daelthon’s mobile shipyard will ever leave Gaia.”

  The mobile shipyard had been greatly expanded and was now nearly three times its former size. It had been exciting for Kelsey to renew her friendship with her Bear friends. Both Malith and Karalle were on board the shipyard.

  Jeremy let out a deep sigh and nodded his head in agreement. “Ariel says it would be possible if we added additional hyperdrive systems. However, it would take one hell of a job of coordination to fly the Clan Protector now. Grayseth wants to do it, but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort and materials.”

  “Ariel or I could fly it,” proclaimed the cute blonde standing a few feet away. Her deep blue eyes gazed confidently at Jeremy. “Ariel and I have discussed the current configuration of the mobile shipyard, and we would have to add three additional hyperdrive systems as well as a better integrated computer system. Mikow Lall claims she can design a system which could take the Clan Protector safely into hyperspace.”

  “I don’t know if it will ever be needed,” replied Jeremy, nodding toward the AI. “Gaia is our new home and it’s heavily defended. If the Simulins find us here, we’ll drive them back out of the system.”

  In the last week t
hey’d finally completed constructing the last of the Alton particle beam satellites. Gaia was now protected by fifteen hundred of the powerful satellites. They also had thirty-two Type Two battlestations in orbit with plans for forty. Once the last eight battlestations were complete, Jeremy was confident they could hold the planet against the Simulins if they ever did discover where the Federation fleets were hiding.

  “I believe Andram wants to discuss with you the Alton probes we have stored down in one of our flight bays,” commented Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes, as she walked over to stand next to Jeremy. Kathryn’s father was the current governor of Ceres and had been influential in getting the Distant Horizon built as well as arranging for her to command the exploration dreadnought.

  “The probes,” Jeremy said, his eyes narrowing. He recalled how he’d been stunned when the Altons on the Distant Horizon casually mentioned they had two probes which they might be able to send back home.

  Andram nodded and began to explain. “Shilum, Mikow, and I have been working on what would be needed to send one of the probes back to our galaxy. Ariel and Clarissa have helped, and we believe we could be ready to send one back in just a few months.”

  Jeremy let out a deep breath. It would mean so much to his people if they could get messages back to their families. Jeremy would also like to send back a detailed report of what they’d discovered about the Simulins to fleet command. Kelsey had informed him Nagumo was the new Fleet Admiral as Fleet Admiral Streth had retired and Fleet Admiral Johnson had been killed in the battle at the galactic center.

  “What would you need?”

  “Six of the small ring vortex generators and four Fusion Five reactors to power them.”

  “Can we do it?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Clarissa. Over the years, he’d come to trust the judgment of the two AIs. They’d saved his life more than once.

  “Yes,” Clarissa answered after a moment. “It will be necessary to construct the Fusion Five reactors, but we have the detailed specifications and with the construction capability of the mobile shipyard and the fleet repair ships we should be able to get them built. We also have the designs for the AIs’ capacitor stations and we would be building a scaled down version of them to house the reactors.”