The Rovan Catastrophe

By Michael McCloskey

The Rovan Gate is the 14th book in the PIT series.

Having escaped the Rovan trap, the PIT team returns to the binary star system Guiholda Conchallon, hoping to learn more about how the Rovans lived, but instead, they discover more about the Rovan’s demise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael McCloskey
• Release date: Sep 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9780998569758

Michael McCloskey

I am a software engineer in Silicon Valley who dreams of otherworldly creatures, mysterious alien planets, and fantastic adventures. I am also an indie author with over 140K paid sales plus another 118K free downloads.

Book preview

The Rovan Catastrophe

(Book 14 of the PIT series)

by Michael McCloskey

Published by Michael McCloskey at Smashwords

Copyright 2019 Michael McCloskey

ISBN: 978-0998569758

Learn more about Michael McCloskey’s works at

www.squidlord.us

Cover art by Stephan Martiniere

Chapter 1

Cilreth ate her meal across from her pale teammate Marcant. He barely acknowledged her presence as he stared down at a bowl of soup. His head drooped and he actually grumbled to himself.

You need some space? Cilreth probed.

Marcant sighed. This voyage is interminable. We should have gone straight to Guiholda Conchallon.

The binary system with the Rovan stations.

"Yes. We gave those stations what they needed. There are living Rovans there right now. Well… as close to ‘right now’ as can be applied across such distances."

Cilreth had already suspected this was the current issue with Marcant, but she found herself trying to tease out past events on the trip. After spending a day attempting to communicate with the Rovan battleship, Telisa had unilaterally announced that the PIT team would return to Blackhab on the Iridar, leaving behind the dead hulk of the Sharplight.

Marcant and Maxsym had not taken that news well.

You don’t agree that we should take what we have back to the Celarans? Let them see the samples we took of those alien wrecks, warn them about the trap… all that?

We can send them a message. They can wait for the rest. We’re sitting on exactly what we’ve been wanting all along—we can meet Rovans. Educated Rovans.

Barrai?

If Barrai is in the Trilisk column, she’s just fine there, Marcant said. Telisa sent you to talk to me about this, didn’t she?

Cilreth spread her hands. No. I need to catch up is all. I’ve missed out on a lot.

Cilreth decided to divert the line of questioning. She would forego pointing out that the team needed weapons, robots, and replacement shuttles, which they could only get from the Celarans at Blackhab, or Shiny at the Sol system.

Tell me why everyone’s treading on eggshells around here, she said.

No one told you? An argument erupted over whether we should revive the Rovans or not, Marcant said. Arakaki and Yat didn’t want to make more. Barrai didn’t want to, either.

Telisa’s in charge… doesn’t everyone know that?

Marcant shook his head. She didn’t want to step up and lay down the law on it. I think a part of her wasn’t sure.

But you were, Cilreth said.

Marcant looked exasperated. Of course I was! They’re all dead… but we can bring them back from extinction! And if we’re right about the purpose of those stations, we can bring back their culture with them.

But she said she got Rovan permission…

Yeah. Well, that’s the way I see it. But the permission comes from an AI, not a Rovan. Barrai’s dead, so she no longer has a voice in the matter, plus all of a sudden Arakaki’s on the losing side of it but she timidly gave in, probably because she was tortured by the Rovan battleship and no longer has a stomach for either arguing or caring about Rovans one way or the other. I guess it’s a lot for everyone to navigate.

He stood up as he finished his answer. I have to get back to it.

What, exactly, are you getting back to, if I may ask?

Marcant shrugged. I’m perfecting the rovling hacks, trying to get started on translating Rovan language, and… Telisa asked me to figure out how to screen Trilisk AI requests before I die of old age. Not sure I’m going to make the deadline… but I’m supposed to chat with an AI at Blackhab about it.

Good luck, she said, and let him leave.

Cilreth did not tell Marcant that she had been focusing on learning all the new Vovokan material that Blackhab had sent along. She did not like the idea of spreading herself so thin that she would no longer feel like an expert in anything. She only skimmed the information about the other races when she needed a break. She held little hope she could master the computer tech of more than one or two races. She already knew a lot about Terran and Vovokan software, so she built upon that foundation as much as she could.

Cilreth was not ready to give up on her lunch just yet; the conversation with Marcant did not qualify as lunch chat. She brought up a study pane in her PV and worked through some computer generated problems to hone her understanding of Vovokan technology concepts. After ten minutes, her next victims walked in: Imanol and Maxsym.

Cilreth and Imanol shared quarters on the ship. They made sure to stagger their sleep shifts so as to avoid each other. It was a minor inconvenience; Cilreth had lost the last of her personal possessions when the Iridar had exploded with her duplicate in it. She had no direct memory of the death. She only had memories up to the last backup point at a Trilisk column.

The two newcomers put together plates of food from the ship’s mess and walked over to her table. They each offered her a perfunctory nod, but remained firmly ensconced in their own conversation.

I can’t keep up with him, Imanol said. That guy goes full-on bot crazy every time we spool up the spinner and head out of a system.

Magnus, thought Cilreth.

You are learning, no? Maxsym asked.

Sure. Yeah. And I’m on board too… I’m a fanatic when it comes to a robot dying instead of me. But one shift of three is where I draw my limit. It’s not something I absolutely love, you get it?

Maxsym shrugged. I suppose, sure. He barely looked up from his food.

You don’t get it, Imanol concluded despite Maxsym’s half-hearted agreement. Because you’re every bit as nuts about xenobiology.

I’ve been looking at the substance brought back from one of the destroyed alien ships in the trap zone, Maxsym said enthusiastically, simultaneously changing the subject and proving Imanol correct.

So how’s that going, Dr. Greenblood?

"It’s not my blood," Maxsym protested between bites.

Yeah, okay, just let me know what’s going on with it please, Imanol said.

That last word, please, came out like Imanol had to wrestle it out from inside an event horizon. Maxsym kept eating for a few moments before stopping to reply.

I think that this tissue processed wastes from the alien brain that occupied the interior of the ship.

Ah, excuse me? Imanol said. The alien brain filled the ship? You figured that out from this goop?

Once again there was a delay as Maxsym kept eating voraciously.

No. Magnus learned a thing or two about this race during his time on the Rovan battleship, Maxsym clarified. My examinations and simulations have told me that the cannister this came from was probably a kind of purifier or filter for the brain. Call it a liver if you want, though more specialized.

Giant brains in starships. That is creepy, Imanol said. Do we know anything about why they fought the Rovans?

No, Maxsym said. He cleared his plate and stood. Have a good shift, he told them, and walked away.

What’s up? Imanol asked Cilreth.

Finally. My chance to receive my chat allotment.

Studying. I have Blackhab’s material and also a lot of things from Marcant to learn.

Marcant. Yeah that guy’s a machine, himself.

It’s good you forgave him.

Tell you a secret... I’m not even sure he killed me, anyway.

What!?

You heard about Achaius? Well, coulda been Achaius that caused that ‘accident’ to happen.

For what reason?

Imanol shrugged.

Did you bring this up with Marcant? Maybe he can look for evidence of that.

Nah. We have more important things to work on looking forward… besides, this way, he thinks he owes me. Imanol winked.

Cilreth tilted her head and gave him a disapproving look.

I bet you’re happy when the VR training and physical workouts roll around, Imanol said.

You bet. My brain is fried after five or six hours of this stuff, twitch or no.

Then I tell you what. Give your brain a break and go to the gym off-shift. Arakaki’s there now, and I think she could use the company.

Cilreth looked at Imanol in a new light. She would never have guessed that the sarcastic ex-security man would notice Arakaki’s plight.

Yat’s not with her? Okay, I’ll do that.

Imanol nodded. They got up and Cilreth headed for the gym.

When Cilreth arrived in the Iridar’s only gym, she found Arakaki working out vigorously in pseudo-VR. Arakaki yelled and kicked, the turned to face another imaginary foe. Her compact body looked powerful. A sheen of sweat told Cilreth that the workout had been underway for a while.

Cilreth decided not to announce herself unless Arakaki reached a transition. Typically, a person training in pseudo would tire and take a break before continuing. Given Arakaki’s supreme conditioning, Cilreth did not know if that would happen on any normal timescale.

She’s easy on the eyes, at least. Oh. I better not say anything like that, given what she went through.

Cilreth used the time to change into loose workout clothes and warm up. After ten minutes of intense action in the pseudo-VR, Arakaki took a break to get some water and saw Cilreth. She smiled.

Hi.

She knows why I’m here, because I never show up off-schedule to workout. But I’m here now, so…

I guess I have so much hard studying to do that it’s preferable to come here and workout my body instead, Cilreth said.

It’ll be good for you to take a break and shift into a different mode for a while, Arakaki said. She set aside her VR helmet and ushered Cilreth out onto the soft floor.

Arakaki had been winded; still, Cilreth felt like she was being hunted by a tiger. Cilreth tried to preserve her edge by letting Arakaki come at her and saving her energy for the counters, but Arakaki knew Cilreth too well. When the combinations came, Arakaki outclassed Cilreth.

Arakaki skipped in and landed a body shot, then started to pick Cilreth apart with hooks and leg-to-leg strikes.

Come at me. Learn to be the aggressor, Arakaki said.

Cilreth launched herself on a combination. She started with a low kick, skipped in, and let loose with three punches. Jab, cross, hook. Jab, cross, uppercut. Arakaki stepped back and blocked everything. Then she launched her own attack. Cilreth ducked under a rare high kick, then knocked aside a hand strike and tried to move around the side, but Arakaki tracked her.

You can do it. I’m getting tired, Arakaki told her. Press it. Press it.

Cilreth launched a sidekick, let Arakaki slip it aside, then spun into a backfist. Arakaki blocked, but Cilreth bowled her shorter, smaller opponent over and got a side mount. Arakaki was breathing hard, but so was Cilreth. She grabbed Arakaki’s left arm at the wrist with her own left hand and slipped her right arm under and through until she had two arms holding Arakaki’s limb in place from above. Arakaki tried to shrimp away, but Cilreth aggressively followed and wound up the pressure against Arakaki’s elbow and shoulder blade.

Arakaki tapped out.

Well that was a gimme, but I’ll take it.

They paused the workout and stood back up. Cilreth gasped for breath. She returned to her original reason for being here and planned what to say as she recovered.

Arakaki is no-nonsense so just blurt it all out.

I hope you can talk to Yat about the Rovan torture you went through, Cilreth said. I’ve been kind of curious, but I also feel for you so I’ve been afraid to ask about it.

I wouldn’t call it torture, exactly, Arakaki said. It was fairly pleasant some of the time. The rest of the time, it wasn’t any more stressful than a real mission is.

But there is a… violation involved. That it wasn’t real and they were spying on you.

Yeah. Well, it doesn’t bother me often. Sometimes Telisa looks at me and I feel like she’s thinking about how I believed I was with Magnus. Other times, when I’m with Yat, it weirds me out. He can tell, too.

Cilreth nodded.

Is he being cool about it?

Oh definitely. Very supportive, but I can’t talk to him… Adair has been helping me.

Adair! Really?

Yeah. You know what? It’s easier to talk to an AI about it.

Why?

Arakaki frowned. Uhm… I don’t know. I guess even though I know Adair is an intelligent being like us… somehow the fact that it isn’t a flesh and blood Terran makes it easier.

Cilreth nodded.

Looks like she has it handled. Which means I’m getting beat up for nothing… sigh.

They returned to the grappling. Cilreth did her best and waited for it to be over.

Chapter 2

Telisa walked out onto a bright platform on Blackhab and launched herself into the sky. Her enhanced muscles easily propelled her out of the light gravity zone on the inner surface toward the nearest floating house.

It always felt marvelous to arrive at Blackhab, feel the warmth of the artificial starlight, and fly between the houses. Then, slowly but surely, the boredom would set in. Telisa would go stir crazy and within a week, she would be itching to leave. This time, Marcant and Maxsym would be boosting the process along. They had already started pestering her to return to the Rovan stations as soon as possible, ignoring the harsh reality that they needed supplies of all sorts after losing the Sharplight.

Telisa wondered why she did not find virtual worlds as stimulating as the billions of Core Worlders who spent most of their time in VR. She supposed it was because she had lived through real life and death adventures; or at least as real as anyone knew. It could also have been that she knew the stakes in VR were contrived; Her regular work would have real impact on all Terrans and many of their alien allies.

She arrived at the first house and launched again, choosing a course that would take her to the Trilisk column. She had sent word ahead to Taishi so that the dragon-bodied AI would meet her there. No doubt Taishi monitored her progress as she approached to coordinate the meeting and use its time as efficiently as possible.

A group of young Celarans caught sight of her. They immediately took a distant course parallel to her, clearly curious yet cautious. Each of them extended perhaps three-quarters of a meter long, holding adult lift rods that looked comically large in their little three-fingered end-hands.

Telisa told her attendants to impart a spin to her until she spiralled through the sky, faster and faster. The Celarans mimicked her maneuver, eagerly spinning away as they shot along. Telisa could not help but smile.

To play every day of your life… Celarans have the right idea.

Telisa arrived at the larger structure that housed the Trilisk column. It was a huge jumble of confusing angles and windows. Telisa landed on the exterior and found the nearest hatch. She waved goodbye at the young Celarans before going inside, though she doubted they knew the gesture—perhaps they would inquire about it on the Celaran network and learn what it meant.

Telisa vaulted into the building and pushed herself to the nearest ‘floor’. To the Celarans, few rooms were so directional as Terrans preferred, but the column room had been set up with uniform gravity and Terran chairs.

Taishi awaited her near the column. The AI still lived within the long green dragon-form. Its glistening scale colors were brighter than she remembered.

I’m so glad to see you back! Taishi said.

You came through for me. I won’t soon forget that, Telisa said. Thank you for returning my team to me.

Of course… Taishi said. Its scaly head turned curiously toward the column. Telisa saw no change that might have drawn the AI’s attention.

What?

It takes notice of your presence, Taishi said.

The column? Really? Because I’m a host body, Telisa guessed.

Yes, but not only that. You’ve studied the Trilisk for years, experienced their memories, used the AI for a long time… even briefly lived in a Trilisk body. You’ve learned a thing or two about using the column, whether you know it or not.

I’ve always wanted to understand the Trilisks, though I’ve become disillusioned by what I’ve learned.

The little dragon took several steps, twisting back and forth so much that it barely made any distance forward. The fidgety energy reminded her of a Lee’s tendency to fly in stationary loops during conversation.

I’m afraid the column does not remember Barrai or Yang, Taishi said. I’m sorry.

Telisa’s lips compressed. It was her fault for letting Barrai try and draw out Rovan