Terminal Gambit: Mission 12: Black Ocean: Astral Prime, #12

By J. S. Morin and M. A. Larkin

Every mistake carries a price. The worst accrue interest. All come due eventually.

Cedric has discovered the means to fight back, but the price is high. Not all species are capable of carrying out his methods. It's one thing asking ships and crews to fight; it's another to ask them to sacrifice themselves. And yet, the valiant ships of Earth Navy continue to do so.

If only the rest of the galaxy were so brave.

A dark plan unfolds to doom one universe to save another. And an old foe will have to decide where his loyalties lie: to his species, or to himself?

When the war with the cosmic horrors reaches an epic crescendo, everyone is going to have to decide how much they're willing to sacrifice for the sake of their fellow sentient creatures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
• Release date: Nov 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643550794

Book preview

Terminal Gambit

TERMINAL GAMBIT

MISSION 12

BLACK OCEAN: ASTRAL PRIME

J.S. MORIN

M.A. LARKIN

MAGICAL SCRIVENER PRESS

Copyright © 2019 J.S. Morin & M.A. Larkin

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

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J.S. Morin & M.A. Larkin — First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-64355-079-4

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TERMINAL GAMBIT

MISSION 12

A cold, sterile display filled the chamber of the Several Lowest with a tactical map of the Zheen Collective. Planets, moons, and vacuum habitats all appeared far larger and closer together than the vast distances across the Black Ocean would have tolerated. Klxzark had always taken pride in the extensive colonization efforts of her people. Planetary disasters, while rare and generally predictable, still posed the greatest threat to the continuity of the zheen people. By spreading across the cosmos, they hedged against improbable occurrences ending their reign among the stars.

The display was left in place during idle times between sessions as a reminder of the importance of the work that went on in that chamber.

On this day, as the Several Lowest gathered, the map served as the centerpiece of a greater debate. Several of the colonies were shown in grayscale. Others glowed red. While Zhee itself still shone proudly in green, the reddened hue of the threatened systems lurked all too close for anyone’s comfort.

It is time to consider the possibility of relocating the Several Lowest, Citizen 1 announced.

A pall fell over the assembly. To the minds of many in the Zheen Collective, the Several Lowest were Zhee. They represented the greatest minds, guiding the course of history from their stronghold in City 1.

Habitation among the ssentuadi would not be politically tenable, Klxzark said after what she felt was an appropriate period of displaying shock alongside her new peers. In truth, she’d been briefed ahead of time on Citizen 1’s pending announcement. Her preparation had been suggested as a means of continuing the conversation in a productive direction rather than dwelling on the unavoidable sense of loss. They are willing collaborators in this common cause against the spread of the world-eaters. However, they value the secrecy of the activities beneath the surface of their homeworld.

Admiral 1 also chimed in on the subject. Military projections also suggest that the ssentuadi home planet is not much safer than Zhee. The proliferation of the world-eaters due to the current policy of killing as a means of herding individual leviathans has rendered long-term habitation in this part of the galaxy untenable.

Citizen 1 listened with her antennae perked as if she hadn’t been informed of that conclusion during the morning briefing. Very well, I believe it is time to consider the possibility deemed to be the safest among the options I have analyzed.

Klxzark stiffened her antennae in anticipation. There had been no discussion of concrete plans at the preparation meeting. The mysterious machinations of Citizen 1 were legendary even among the Several Lowest. Her creative and visionary problem-solving was the reason she had dropped to the lowest levels of zheen society, eventually garnering the lowest position of all.

It is time to plan our migration to Galaxy 2.

Klxzark emitted an odor of shock so effusive that she had to check her surrounding delegates to ensure that none had been overcome by the stench. Leave the galaxy? Zheen astral technology would have meant a trip of years, if not decades.

How will we get there? Klxzark asked. Our alliance with the ssentuadi may not extend to evacuation transport. They have an enlightened interest in our broodfleets remaining in Galaxy 1.

We must plan. If we have to use stasis ships and travel for years, so be it. The planning must occur. To do otherwise risks the survival of the zheen species.

Admiral 1 crossed her combat arms. Citizen 1, permission to retain the broodfleets in Galaxy 1 and continue the battle against the world-eaters. We should not cede Zhee to lesser species. If the world-eaters are destroyed after the migration begins—

If we turn our backs on Zhee and Galaxy 1, we do so without looking back, Citizen 1 stated firmly. Galaxy 2 will hold unknown dangers. The protection of the broodfleets will be needed for the security of the species.

What if the humans manage to contain the world-eaters? Klxzark asked. Heads all around the chamber turned in her direction. They are succeeding in eliminating them.

Their methods are suicidal, Citizen 1 replied. And their results are preliminary at best. They have not produced remains of astrally slain world-eaters to confirm the method is a permanent solution. Two months is insufficient to conclude the missing world-eaters will not return.

How soon will this plan be ready? Admiral 1 asked.

There was a palpable shift in the attention of the Several Lowest, first to Admiral 1 as she spoke, then to Citizen 1.

The planning phase will begin immediately. Scientist 1, Starship Designer 1, and Logistics Specialist 1 will join me at the conclusion of this session to start the process. As to its launch, as soon as we determine the feasibility. In the meantime, we will continue to kill world-eaters that approach Zheen Collective space.

Klxzark wanted to scream before all the Several Lowest. How could they risk Galaxy 1 in such reckless fashion? The humans were winning. Klxzark knew it. Their worst enemy was the thoughtless races still wielding counterfeit Paradox Beam Cannons and spreading the world-eater plague.

We will leave Galaxy 1 to the races beholden to the vaieen. We are no longer their minions to combat the world-eater menace.

Klxzark hung her head. She didn’t want to leave her friends behind in this galaxy.

Cedric stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves and wearing a fresh version of his ceremonial robes. His hair hung loosely at his shoulders. He’d trimmed the beard that had been growing unattended along his cheeks and jawline until he looked more like a scholar than a shut-in. While appearances weren’t everything when dealing with the Convocation, they were something.

This was a special session of the Convocation War Council, a group that convened infrequently in peacetime.

Azrael Copperfield, the Convocation’s foremost expert on dark wizardry—which all vaieen magic had been officially branded—facilitated. Also in attendance were Naomi Sullivan of the Department of Galactic Affairs, Luther Pho of the Office of Astral Studies, and Desiree Nwabuoko, the Convocation’s senior naval relations liaison.

Wizard Azrael opened the proceedings. Thank you for joining us, Wizard Cedric.

Cedric bowed. The galaxy faces its greatest threat. Thank you for meeting it with me.

Enough shining one another’s boots, Wizard Desiree interjected. She wore a flowing robe, and her shaved head shone like polished stone. Earth Navy is complaining about ship losses. Thus far, none has survived the astral drop alongside one of the void krakens. Despite your claims that it’s possible …

The accusation hung. Even as holographs in his own meditation chamber, Cedric felt the tension.

I understand the sacrifice that—

I don’t think you do, Wizard Luther interrupted. You sit in your alien citadel, telling us what is possible. The simple fact is: we’re asking brilliant wizards to tackle a monster and drown it in the deep astral. The proximity required has proven impossible to withstand.

Wizard Naomi sounded calmer than the others. It’s a simple matter of population and mathematics. The unenlightened species continue to combat the void krakens with illicit weaponry, bringing them into the universe faster than we can evict them. Plus, the void krakens operating in non-ARGO space—

Are none of our concern, Wizard Azrael cut in, the impatience in his voice making it clear that it was far from the first time he’d made this argument with her. So long as we can defend our own planets, we can hold out until the rest of the galaxy either heeds our warnings or perishes.

It was a bleak sentiment, but Cedric couldn’t help but wonder how much a species deserved to exist if they couldn’t either accept the help of ARGO or learn the lessons for themselves.

Earth Navy may not share that sentiment, Wizard Desiree stated. There are already rumblings within Earth Navy that the fleet might suffer fewer losses if we prophylactically remove the recalcitrant species from the galaxy rather than allow them to continue proliferating the void kraken plague.

Cedric shook his head emphatically. We cannot justify—

It’s Earth Navy, Wizard Azrael snapped. They justify nothing to us. It’s our wizards dying out there, not theirs. If star-drive specialists could accomplish a large-scale manual drop, that might lend credence to their complaints. But the altar upon which we sacrifice these wizards is stained with the blood of our best and bravest. Our offerings to these vaieen gods who are reprehensibly unworthy of such a gesture.

It would be nice, Wizard Luther added mildly, if you could find within the vaieen records a method of dispatching the creatures to the astral without holding their hand on the trip.

Cedric sighed. I’ve searched. There is nothing.

Keep searching, Wizard Naomi insisted. If we don’t find a non-fatal method of stopping these void krakens soon, we’re going to run out of wizards capable of performing the maneuver.

There was little chance of that. Unspoken, her true meaning was that they’d run out of wizards willing to admit being able to perform such a feat. The relative few who’d taken positions aboard Earth Navy vessels were self-selected for the military virtues of courage and duty. Better pay and higher prestige came with jobs in government and academia, not to mention the lucrative private sector with the Convocation’s hands-off approach to regulation.

In times of peril and war, the navy has never struggled to find recruits, Cedric pointed out. Quite the contrary. I suspect that given the nature of this foe, perhaps we ought to pay reverence to those who’ve already given their lives. Commission a monument or something.

Wizard Azrael snorted. Always the cynics, you Browns. You think a man will throw his life away to place his name on a plaque.

"Maybe a very nice plaque, Wizard Luther suggested. It worked for the early astral pioneers lost Hermes-knows-where in either the deepest astral or the far reaches of the unexplored galaxy."

Cedric had seen it. Not a plaque as such, but a marble obelisk stood in Boston Common inscribed with the roster of Convocation wizards who perished in Earth’s earliest days of interstellar exploration. Privately, he had to admit a certain awe the first time his mother had brought him and Cassie there to view it. History held more power over the wizardly imagination than over a mere technologist.

There may come a time when each of us must decide for ourselves whether we sign up to board a vessel with the intent of seeing the astral one last time, Cedric said. For now, I do what I can for the whole of the galaxy. When the times comes—

Your time should have been first, Wizard Naomi cut him off. It was no secret that resentment for his position and role in the release of the void krakens pervaded the Convocation. Circumstantial evidence alone painted him as guilty to many. The court of public opinion had an infinitesimally low burden of proof.

When the time comes, Cedric repeated calmly, not rising to take the bait. I know the choice I will make.

Let them decide for themselves how to interpret that.

Wizard Azrael gave a nod. We will meet again when the news changes.

All the wizards bowed their heads, including Cedric. The conference ended, and he was alone once again.

I HAVE NO SECRETS LEFT TO IMPART.

Cedric scowled upward. He had heard enough lies from the vaieen computer that this one rang hollow.

We will defeat these Myllthogs. If we inadvertently save your creators in the process, so be it.

OUR CREATORS.

Almost two months to the day since Hiroko had come to Phabian, and she had yet to see