EuropaThrough the porthole of his cabin, Captain John Hemmingway watched the dawning of the sun over Mars' horizon. John watched the brilliant rays of light kiss the surface of the planet as if it was greeting an old friend. Today was the Martian summer solstice. John thought to himself that this means he has only three days until it was time for the mission.
John turned away from the porthole and back to the mirror. He watched himself in the mirror as he grazed off the stubble from his face. Stroke by stroke the stubble fell like wheat under a scythe. As he finished this task, John promptly applied after-shave to his freshly shaved face. The instant the musky substance touched his skin, the stinging burn set in. For some strange reason John enjoyed the burning sensation.
John walked over to his bed where his standard Alliance uniform was laid out on. John swiftly put the uniform on. "Time," John commanded.
"0700 hours," the female computer voice.
Shoot, I've got ten minutes to be in the debriefing room, John thought to himself. John skipped breakfast this morning and ran out the door on his way to the debriefing room. The debriefing room was five hundred meters from his quarters. That was half the length of the space station. He knew he had to run if he were to make it in time.
John rushed through the doors of the briefing room. He quickly glanced over the room to see that he had made it on time. He walked over to the black metallic desks and sat down next to Lt. Briggs, the astrophysicist/navigation officer for the mission.
"So what's up with General Robinson?" Briggs asked in his quirky voice. Behind that quirky voice, Briggs was quite the intellectual. He had graduated first in his class in astrophysics and navigationary sciences. Briggs had quite a sense of humor for an astrophysicist.
"What are you talking about?" John inquired.
"The General isn't acting right. He looks like a disgruntled bull!"
"Doesn't he always," John chuckled in a mellow manner.
"True, but seriously I know something is wrong. Perhaps he's received ill tidings from the front?"
"Possibly, but I sure hope not. That's something I don't want to hear before we embark on the mission, I don't…"
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by General Robinson's harsh voice, "Listen up men, our plans have changed for the mission to Europa. Major Kicara's Jethro exploded this morning while he was on early patrol. Kicara last checked in with control at 0400. His fighter's explosion was detected at 0423 hours." A sense of overwhelming shock swept through Hemmingway's body. How could this be, how could this have happened? To Kicara of all people, John bewilderedly thought to himself. "As you all know, Major Kicara was appointed leader of the mission to Europa. Now with his death, Major Hemmingway, you'll be leading the mission."
Major Hemmingway! Mission leader!? John couldn't believe what he was hearing; he was still trying to get over the shock of Kicara's death. John could feel his heart beating savagely in his chest, his body began to clam up as drops of sweat began to ball up on his forehead as they began to travel down his face by the artificial gravity's inescapable pull. At that moment Briggs gave John a congratulatory slap on the back, "Congratulations you sorry old dog. I told you that this mission was meant for you." Through all the confusion going through John' head, he felt eight similar pats on the back followed by congratulatory comments from other members of the mission team who he was now in charge of.
"Well Maj. Hemmingway, I'll need to see you in my ready room after the briefing. We have some…matters to discuss. This isn't the only unsettling bit of news I bring to you boys," the General informed his audience with his commanding voice. "I received word from the front lines this morning. The fight with the Kilrathi isn't going in our favor," the General turned to his side where a shorter and less threatening officer stood. "Commander Rumple."
"As you all know that our mission to Europa is vital for the survival of the Alliance and the very existence of Earth as we know it. Not only that but also this mission could possibly swing the tide to our side and give us the chance to crush the Kilrathi. Unfortunately, because of the deterioration of our defensive lines around Saturn's outer rim, the mission to Europa must initiate immediately. Hemmingway, you ship out tomorrow 0500.
What the…? Hemmingway was still in a state of bewilderment, having to ship off in the morning was the final blow, he burst out laughing. "What's so funny son?" Robinson sternly asked.
"Nothing at all sir, just a little stunned at everything that just happened. I'm sorry sir, I'll be fine though."
"Understandable Major, don't forget to meet me in my ready room after briefing is over."
"Aye, sir," Hemmingway responded, finally getting his mind back in order. The General continued to brief all the Alliance officers in the room. Just insure that those involved with the mission, the General gave the history of the Alliance-Kilrathi War. He told how Captain Feranard and his ship, the USS Providence, encountered a Kilrathi warship. And how that warship destroyed the Providence without any provocation. Or that's what they tell us Hemmingway thought. This incident sparked the Alliance's greatest threat to its existence, the Alliance-Kilrathi war. The General went on to explaining how the Alliance overestimated itself and dramatically underestimated the Kilrathi. The Alliance's space occupied only twenty percent of the Alpha Quadrant. While the Kilrathi Occupied well over 42 percent. Even after the size and strength of the Kilrathi in this quadrant was discovered, it was later discovered that the Kilrathi did not originate in the Alpha Quadrant. The Kilrathi had crossed over from the Gamma Quadrant. The closest any Terran or any race of the Alliance has ever got to the Gamma Quadrant was eight hundred light years.
Unfortunately for the Alliance, the strength of the Kilrathi was not discovered before the Alliance had taken steps that seriously crippled itself. Thinking that the Kilrathi were no greater than the Alliance, the Alliance launched a large-scale offensive attack against the Kilrathi. The Alliance didn't prepare for war, it just sent out the ships that it had. This was a grave mistake, for as the offensive was launched, the Kilrathi counter attacked by intercepting them at Wolf 134 and surrounding the attacking fleet with a fleet of its own that was twice in number. Three-fourths of the Alliance fleet was destroyed. Before defenses could be put in place, the Kilrathi had conquered a quarter of Alliance space, enslaving all the member races it conquered.
It has been twenty years since the initial battle of this war. The Alliance has managed to survive and reassemble a fleet capable of defending itself for the time being. But now the Kilrathi grow tired of the conquest of the Alliance. They have assembled large forces to lay siege around the main home worlds of the Alliance. The largest force is concentrated in sector 001, the Terran sector, home to Earth.
The fleet has slowly pressed its way through line after line of defenders of Earth. The current line around Saturn has held for a year and a half now. The longest since the siege began. As the siege continues, Earth's resources are beginning to run low. An offensive of some kind must take place in order for Earth, the jewel of the Alliance, to survive. Thus the idea of the Europa mission was conceived. The idea of creating a trap that could completely destroy the opposing fleet, freeing Earth and allow Earth's massive fleet counter attack other Kilrathi forces laying siege to other homeworlds. All the other home worlds have been massing a fleet for such a time. To surround the Kilrathi and destroy them just as they did at Wolf 134, vengeance will be theirs.
General Robinson then reviewed the general purpose of the Europa mission. How the Alliance would take advantage of Jupiter's energy. For Jupiter puts out twice the amount of energy than it receives from the Sun. Since Jupiter is primarily made of hydrogen and helium, just as the Su, it is possible to initiate a nuclear reaction that would create a chain reaction within Jupiter, turning it into a star. If the Kilrathi fleet were close enough to Jupiter when this took place, the condensing of Jupiter would suck the fleet into it and destroying it. The only comprehendible way that such a reaction could be created needed an astronomical amount of energy. It has been discovered that a salt-water ocean exists on Europa, Jupiter's satellite. The ocean covers the entire moon. The moon could be turned into a gargantuan capacitor that could supply the energy needed to power the reaction. The energy, converted and stored in electrical form, would be sent through the core of Jupiter, initiating the reaction. The only thing that lay in the way was charging the moon. Draining the energy from the other moons and capturing the energy given off by Jupiter would do this. Geothermal capacitor units were in place on Io all around the moon. These units would capture and store the energy from the magma of the moon. On all the moons the structures that were needed to capture and transport the energy have already been built and are manned except for Europa. The equipment and structures required on Europa constructed, but they have to be manned during the energy transfer. This is what Major Hemmingway and his team's job was. The probability of surviving the transfer was against the team. Also, if the Kilrathi got word of the mission, they could sabotage the mission and could destroy the final defense perimeter in the asteroid belt, allowing the fleet to glide right into Earth. This is why the members of this team were assembled; they were the best of the best and accepted the likelihood of the survival of the mission.
The General went into detail again of each member's job, though they'd been training for the mission for four months now. "Gentlemen, the Commander will finish the briefing. Major Hemmingway come with me to my ready room." Hemmingway was glad to get out of that room. Everything that was said in there, he has already heard three dozen times. Before Gen. Robinson stepped out of the room, he paused for a moment and turned back towards the rest of the mission team. "I want you all to think about something. Through out history, mankind has been faced with its own extinction, but every time humanity finds a way to beat the odds. Man always adapts to beat his competition. This is what we have to do to beat the Kilrathi. You gentlemen, are who will beat the odds. Don't forget that, we aren't about to let some filthy aliens conquer us if nothing else has in our past. We will adapt and we will conquer the Kilrathi. You gentlemen, are our best hope of doing so. Good luck." Then the General stepped out he door.
General Robinson went over the details of Hemmingway's duties and responsibilities of the mission. Their discussion went of for three hours. Finally Gen. Robinson let Hemmingway go and enjoy his possibly last night with known civilization.
"Major Hemmingway, it is 0200, time to get up." The computer continued to say the same line until Hemmingway rose from his bed. Hemmingway went through his same morning routine. Hemmingway launched at exactly 0400 hours as scheduled. John stepped out of his quarters but turned around and looked back at his home for the last five months. He knew he might never see his quarters again.
John was going over a few last minute checks before take off. "Major Hemmingway, you have clearance, and God's speed," the control operator's voice sounded in John's ear. "Take us out Norsvedt," John said to his pilot. The ship's ion cannons quickly accelerated the ship to cruising speed. They would arrive at Europa in fourteen hours. "Get some sleep boys," John ordered his crew.
The ship entered into to Europa's orbit on time. When the team reached the surface, they found the massive facilities storing the equipment and machinery for the energy transfer. The structure, which were the size of entire cities on Earth were deathly quiet and still and void of life. As the team began to work and turn on the equipment in preparation of the transfer, John was walking along a maintenance crosswalk and discovered one of his men on the ground motionless. Son of a…John checked for a pulse on the pulse on his suit monitor. Nothing…not a singe beat. It was Lt. Garmon, the nuclear physics expert on the team. "Briggs come in," John radioed.
"Yes sire?" Briggs responded in his usual honor nature.
"Put the men on alert. I just found Garmon, he's dead. I don't know what happened or what killed him. Meet me here, I'm in sector 3A, maintenance tube seven and hurry!"
"I'm on my way sir."
The major checked for any puncture holes in his suit but couldn't find a single one. What could have happened? Just then, John noticed a blue substance no larger than a centimeter in diameter on the floor. He recognized it immediately, it was Kilrathian blood. They know! They're here! "Briggs! Come in. The Kilrathi are here. They killed Garmon. Let everyone know and organize search squads to hunt them down. They are here for one purpose, to destroy the mission.
The team searched for two days for the Kilrathi, but none were found. In the mean time, the preparations continued for the energy transfer. John was in the control room checking and rechecking the readouts of the entire structure's machinery that humanity's existence relied on. At the same time he thought about the Kilrathi and was expecting them to show themselves soon for the transfer is to take place in twenty minutes. While those thoughts were going through his mind, a guard radioed in to control, "Control, this is Jennings, I see movement in sector H4, I'm moving in to investigate, I think its Kilrathi, send back up, over."
"Roger that Jennings. Back up is on its way." Radio command replied. With in two minutes before the transfer, five similar radios came in with the same situation.
"Something's not right Briggs."
"Gee willickers its not John! What in tarnashinis going on!? We got two minutes till the transfer initiates. I want my last two minutes of life to be peaceful damnit!"
"Radio, check in with the guards. They're over due with checking in." John instructed.
"Sir, no one's answering our calls," informed the radio operator.
Damnit! What is going on? We got ninety seconds till the transfer and everyone is disappearing. Yet the Kilrathi are nowhere to be found. John couldn't figure it out.
"Sir, why are you moving the deflector array?"
John turned to the lieutenant who posed the question, "what are you talking about?" As John asked this he looked down at the monitor. The trajectory of the array that would direct the energy transfer to the relay stations around Jupiter had changed. The new coordinates were to Earth! John shoved the lieutenant out of the way and tried to change the array's trajectory to its original coordinates. The console wouldn't respond to his commands. "There's no way to shut the transfer down, the moon is already charging and once it begins, it can't be stopped!" The manual override at the array! That's the only way to change it. John new the mission was a failure, there was no way the array's coordinates could be changed back to the original ones in time. The thing he could do before time ran out was alter the trajectory enough so the energy beam wouldn't split the Earth in two.
Frantically, John dashed out he control room like a cheetah on the hunt. All that went through his mind as he raced towards he array was images of the beam hitting Earth; No I can't let that happen! Adrenaline pumped through his veins, adding to his speed like the same affect nitrous oxide had on the ancient automobiles.
There it was, the array. John was fifty yard from it and could make out the hatch that led to the override. John raced to the hatch, ripping it off its hinges with his brute animal strength. John entered the control room at the base of the array. He began entering commands into the console. As he did so, the thought of the Kilrathi entered his head. Where were they? Did they take off with? Without making sure the mission was sabotaged?
At that moment John heard a hiss. A spray filled the room. It was his pressure suit. It was punctured on his backside. Over the hissing John heard an obnoxious and disgusting laugh. He turned towards it. It was a Kilrathi! "Foolsh humun, nothng wll stund en the wuy uff the mughty Kilrathi!" said the creature in a grotesque voice as it walked out of the room. It spoke English! What the?…Wait, no time to think about that, must continue changing the coordinates before air runs out!
Hemmingway stumbled over to the console. He entered the final command into the console and he heard the array begin to move. At that moment John dropped to the ground drained of life. As the air in his suit depressurized and before the depressurization hallucinations took over his mind, John realized that Earth's best chance for survival failed. Yes he directed the energy beam away from Earth, but it will miss its target, Jupiter. Its over, we failed! How is the Alliance going to prevail now? Then John noticed a strange hum. It was the sound of the energy stored on the moon's ocean being directed toward the array where he lay. He knew when it reached the array, his body would vaporize.
In the last few seconds of Captain John Hemmingway's life, the voice of General Robinson entered his head. "Through out history, mankind has been faced with its own extinction, but every time humanity finds a way to beat the odds. Man always adapts to beat his competition. This is what we have to do to beat the Kilrathi. You gentlemen, are who will beat the odds. Don't forget that, we aren't about to let some filthy aliens conquer us if nothing else has in our past. We will adapt and we will conquer the Kilrathi." We will, adapt…
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