The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators: A Slaver Wars Novel Read online

  The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators

  (The Lost Fleet, Book 5)

  By

  Raymond L. Weil

  USA Today Best Selling Author

  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)

  The Lost Fleet: Genesis (Book 4)

  The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators (Book 5)

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

  Copyright © October 2016 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

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  The Lost Fleet:

  Search for the Originators

  Chapter One

  Seven months previously at the dark matter nebula Dyson Sphere...

  Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes grimaced as she saw a Federation strikecruiser vanish in a fiery explosion from a Simulin antimatter missile. On another screen, an AI warsphere was breaking apart. The battle was going badly for the Federation fleet.

  “The fleet is sustaining heavy damage,” Clarissa reported as she listened to the latest reports. “Fleet Admiral Strong is hesitant to withdraw as we may not be able to return. In all likelihood, the Simulins will increase the size of their defense fleets at the tunnel entrances to prevent us from ever gaining entry again.”

  Kathryn could sense the growing desperation she knew must be sweeping across the fleet. Only the AIs would be void of this horrible feeling. If they failed in their mission, then everything might be lost. “Andram, is there anything we can do?”

  The Alton scientist hesitated for a moment and then turned toward Kathryn with a grave look on his wizened face. “I may have found a way to destroy the Dyson Sphere.”

  “What?” exclaimed Colonel Leon, her eyes growing wide in astonishment. “How? Our most powerful weapons can’t even put a dent in its hull.”

  Andram turned back around and adjusted the ship’s large viewscreen. Instantly, the central sun appeared surrounded by half a dozen dark ribbons representing the power collection stations. “We destroy the system’s sun.”

  Kathryn leaned back in her command chair in shock at hearing those words. She took a deep breath as she gazed at the Alton scientist. “Is that even possible?”

  “Yes,” Andram answered. “Shilum and I have been doing some calculations. If we take the Distant Horizon to the outer edge of the corona of the star and launch all of our antimatter missiles into the photosphere, it should cause a sufficient reaction to cause the star to go nova. It will take some precision because all of the missiles need to detonate within milliseconds of one another to cause the photosphere to become unstable enough.”

  “We’ve lost another battlecruiser, and two more strikecruisers,” Captain Reynolds said in a grim voice as the green icons vanished from the tactical displays. “We’ve also lost eighteen warspheres in the last seven minutes. If we’re going to do something, it needs to be soon. We’re losing a lot of people!”

  “Clarissa, if we do this, can the Distant Horizon escape the nova?”

  Clarissa was quiet for a long moment and then answered. “No, Admiral. The nova will be nearly instantaneous, and we most likely won’t be able to activate our hyperdrive in time to escape. The sheer mass of the sun and being so deep inside its gravity well may cause the drive to fail catastrophically when we jump into the outer regions of the corona.”

  “Can we send some of the AI ships to do this?” asked Commander Grissim.

  “No,” replied Andram, shaking his head. “Only the Distant Horizon possesses an energy shield powerful enough to allow us to get as close to the corona of the star as we’re going to need to be. We’re actually going to be within the outer edges.”

  Kathryn closed her eyes briefly. She had always known there was a possibility she could die in her service to the fleet. Now it seemed as if that time had arrived. There were six large shuttles and four small cargo shuttles in the ship’s flight bay. “Commander Grissim, give the order to evacuate all nonessential personnel.” She looked over at Katie and Kelsey. “That includes the two of you as well as Andram, Shilum, and Mikow.” She wasn’t going to be responsible for the deaths of two of the Special Five, and Jeremy would need the three Altons and their knowledge.

  “Admiral,” protested Andram, “you may need me to coordinate the missile strike.”

  “Clarissa, can you launch the missiles to do the job?”

  “Yes, Admiral,” Clarissa said softly. “I can do it. There’s no reason for Andram or any of the others to stay. It’s best if they leave.”

  “What’s the nearest ship that can take on our shuttles?”

  “The AI command ship is nearby,” Commander Grissim answered in a steady voice. “It has ten warspheres and twenty of the fifteen-hundred-meter spheres as escorts.”

  Kathryn nodded. That would be a safe place for her people. “Clarissa, contact the Command AI and inform it of what we’re getting ready to do.” She looked around at Andram and the others who were still standing in the Command Center, hesitant to leave. “Go now,” she ordered. “Or I’ll have you escorted to the shuttles by Marines.”

  “Goodbye, Admiral,” Kelsey said, her eyes filled with shock over what they were about to do. She had never imagined anything like this. Kelsey couldn’t see herself leaving the Distant Horizon. She felt as if she was abandoning her post.

  “It’s been an honor,” Katie added as she walked over to Kelsey’s side. She looked over at Clarissa and a tear formed in her eye. “Clarissa, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s fine, Katie,” said Clarissa, turning toward her with a weak smile. “You have always been my best friend. Don’t forget me.”

  “I won’t,” sobbed Katie.

  “You all need to go,” Ordered Kathryn. “It’s been a privilege to serve with you.”

  Kelsey started to reply but instead she nodded and left the Command Center followed by the others.

  The Command Center was quiet for a long moment and then Kathryn began giving orders. “Clarissa, expedite getting them off the ship and anyone else we can get to those shuttles in the next few minutes. I want to make our hyperspace jump to the star as soon as possible. Contact Ariel and tell her what we’re preparing to do.”

  “I already have,” Clarissa replied as she squared up her shoulders. “She’s not happy, but she understands the necessity of what we’re preparing to do.”

  -

  “
They’re going to do what?” exploded Jeremy, his eyes taking on a look of incredulity He couldn’t believe what Ariel had just reported.

  “Andram and Shilum have figured out how to cause the central sun to go nova. They’re already evacuating all nonessential personnel to the Command AI’s ship. Clarissa says we have twenty minutes to get out of the Dyson Sphere before the nova reaches us.”

  Kevin looked over at Jeremy and then spoke with his voice almost in a whisper. “They’re sacrificing the Distant Horizon to destroy the Dyson Sphere. We have to stop them.”

  “It’s the only way,” Ariel replied in a somber voice. “I’ve run the calculations with Clarissa, and the plan will work. I wish there was another way but there isn’t.”

  “They’re right,” Jeremy said grimly as the Avenger shook from inbound weapons fire. “The Dyson Sphere has to be destroyed and causing the system’s sun to go nova will do it.” Jeremy tried not to think of the people on the Distant Horizon who would be sacrificing their lives. He looked over at Ariel seeing the upset look on her face. He knew she was thinking about Clarissa.

  “What about Katie and Kelsey?” asked Kevin worried about his wife.

  “Katie, Kelsey, Andram, Shilum, and Mikow are being evacuated,” Ariel said with obvious relief in her voice. “They should be on the AI command ship shortly.”

  Kevin nodded his acceptance as he turned back toward his sensor console.

  “How soon before the Distant Horizon’s shuttles reach the Command AI’s ship?” asked Jeremy. It was a relief to know that part of the crew was being evacuated, including Kelsey and Katie. However, the majority of the crew was still on board the ship. He had come to be familiar with many of them. He couldn’t imagine no more Clarissa or Rear Admiral Barnes.

  “They’re already docking,” answered Ariel. “The Command AI has sent twenty of the remaining warspheres to cover the Distant Horizon until they’re ready to make their hyperjump. The Simulins are attacking but they won’t be able to stop the jump.”

  Jeremy looked at one of the viewscreens showing the exploration dreadnought. He couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this. Over the ship-to-ship comm, he contacted all of his remaining ships. “We’re leaving. I want a short hyperjump to the exit tunnel and then full subspace speed until we’re out. Once we’ve cleared the Dyson Sphere, we’ll jump to the dark matter tunnel entrance and then jump out. Timing is of the essence. This system’s star is about to go nova and any ship that doesn’t make it to the dark matter tunnel will be destroyed.”

  -

  Aboard the Distant Horizon, Kathryn watched as the rest of the fleet disengaged from the Simulins and opened up spatial vortexes to jump the short distance to the escape tunnel. She watched as the ships vanished, leaving the Distant Horizon alone with her escort of protective warspheres. Once she was satisfied all the ships were gone, she turned to Commander Grissim. “Make the jump to the corona. Clarissa, as soon as we jump, the remaining AI warspheres are to join Fleet Admiral Strong.” On the main viewscreen, she saw two of the protecting warspheres explode in flashes of light as Simulin weapons fire overwhelmed their energy shields.

  Before she could say anything, a swirling blue-white vortex formed in front of the Distant Horizon and Lieutenant Styles quickly flew the exploration dreadnought into it.

  -

  Kathryn was nearly thrown from her command chair as the ship exited its vortex in the outer edge of the star’s corona. Alarm bells were ringing, and multiple red lights were appearing on the damage control console.

  “Hyperdrive is down,” confirmed Clarissa in a calm voice. “We also have several hull breaches.”

  “Chief Engineer Jalat is working on the drive,” Commander Grissim reported. “He doesn’t know if it’s repairable.”

  Kathryn nodded. They had known this might be a one-way trip.

  “Admiral, the energy shield is rapidly weakening,” reported Colonel Leon from her command console, looking at Kathryn meaningfully. “I estimate three or four minutes is the longest it will remain up.”

  Taking a deep breath, Kathryn looked around her command crew. Most were watching her, their eyes showing little fear. “I’ve been proud to be your commander,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better crew. Take solace in the thought that what we’re about to do will protect our home galaxy as well as Gaia.” She turned toward Clarissa. “Launch the missiles. And Clarissa, I want you to know I consider you a friend.”

  “Thank you, Admiral,” Clarissa responded as she activated the complicated launching process she had set up. The Distant Horizon had thirty-six missile tubes and she had nearly two hundred missiles to launch. She had adjusted the missiles’ subspace drives to allow for multiple launches and for all them to arrive on target simultaneously. It would be a rapid launch, and she could have all the missiles off the ship in twelve seconds by disengaging some of the safety protocols. “Missiles launching.”

  Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes, the daughter of Governor Barnes of Ceres, closed her eyes waiting for death. She just wished she could have seen her father one last time.

  -

  The two hundred missiles arrived at their target within milliseconds of one another. Already the intense heat was causing the missiles to melt. In a massive explosion all the missiles detonated, each releasing one hundred megatons of antimatter energy. The star seemed to recoil in on itself and then it exploded. Raw energy raced outwards toward the surrounding energy collection rings and the Dyson Sphere. The energy collection rings were destroyed in seconds and still the ravaging energy continued outward.

  On board the Distant Horizon, Clarissa was working frantically trying to find a way to save the ship. Already the energy shield was nearing collapse and only a few precious seconds remained. In desperation she shunted all the reserve power to the hyperdrive overloading the core inducing a brief hyperspace field. The field was unstable but it would have to do. With a screeching sound of tearing metal, the exploration dreadnought entered hyperspace. In the Command Center consoles exploded and crewmembers screamed out in pain as the unorthodox hyperspace field distorted reality and threatened to tear the ship apart.

  Before leaving Gaia, Kazak had given Clarissa an Originator code that would allow her access to one of the intergalactic vortexes on the Dyson Sphere in an emergency. He had told her it would take the ship to a place of safety, but it would never be able to return if the Dyson Sphere was destroyed. As the ship fled the all destructive nova, she sent the signal to the Control Center that operated this particular vortex. There wasn’t enough time to try to escape through the exit tunnel. If the vortex didn’t activate in time, the exploration dreadnaught would smash into the surface of the megastructure at many times the speed of light.

  On the Dyson Sphere a swirling spatial vortex suddenly appeared. It flickered and then stabilized as the effects of the nova on hyperspace was already reaching the megastructure. Microseconds later the Distant Horizon struck the vortex aperture and vanished. Shortly after that, the Dyson Sphere was destroyed as the raging nova impacted its structure destroying everything in its path.

  -

  Kathryn felt intense pain wracking her body. She felt as if she were being torn apart and then repeatedly put back together. Forcing her eyes open, she saw the Command Center was in turmoil. Most of the crew was passed out on the deck, and those that were still conscious had terror-stricken looks upon their faces. Smoke filled the room and numerous consoles were on fire. The main viewscreen showed what should have been the normally comforting colors of hyperspace. Instead, it looked as if hyperspace was in flux. The colors were rampaging across the screen swirling as if in anger. Forcing her head around she looked back at Clarissa, who stood as if frozen. Then a brilliant flash of light passed through the Command Center and Kathryn’s thoughts faded away.

  -

  Clarissa saw the effects the combination of the nova and the intergalactic vortex were having on the crew. Some were dead and many others were dying. She felt intense
anguish at seeing so many of the people she had known and worked with dying all over the ship. Her own memory seemed sluggish and scanning her memory crystal, she saw it had developed a crack that even as she watched was expanding. She had died like this once before and Katie had brought her back. This time there would be no Katie. With a deep mental sigh of anguish, Clarissa wondered what she had done. Would anyone on the exploration dreadnought survive the voyage she had set them upon? Kazak had told her only to use this as a last resort as the Distant Horizon might not be able to survive the stresses of the journey.

  -

  Inside the console that held Clarissa’s memory crystal, there was a shattering noise as the crystal that held all of her memories broke into a hundred pieces. In the Command Center, Clarissa’s hologram instantly vanished.

  In hyperspace, the exploration dreadnought Distant Horizon fled the nova of the Dyson Sphere at a speed nearly unimaginable as it headed out into the far reaches of intergalactic space. On board, the crew was either unconscious, dying, or already dead.

  Present Day

  Kathryn opened her eyes and blinked as everything around her seemed hazy. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. The last thing she remembered was the tortured screaming of her ship and the moans of the dying crew.

  Looking around she saw she was in a white sterile room devoid of furniture other than the comfortable bed she was lying in. A noise from the other side of the bed drew her attention and shifting her gaze she saw a woman sitting in a chair next to the bed. With a gasp, Kathryn realized this woman wasn’t Human. She had dark brown hair with a slight bluish tint to her skin. Even though she was sitting, it was obvious to Kathryn that she was very tall, possibly seven or eight feet. In many ways, she reminded her of the Altons.

  “Am I dead?” she asked. Her last conscious thoughts she could remember seemed to indicate she had died on the Distant Horizon. There had been a brilliant white light and then nothing.