Hackers, Atagans, and Commandos

By Ian Eress

A seasoned commander wanted dead or alive. Old and forgotten enemies. Do they still exist or are they a myth?

 

In her long military career, Ramona Bisset has already battled dangerous aliens, unholy HiDimBes, and transdimensional monsters. In a parallel universe, she meets Suit, a Qeerav Engineer, who searches for superconductanium, a rare metal with wonderful technological properties.

 

On New Atagan, Emperor Gluk fights hordes loyal to a billions-year-old demonic evil. His Empire is at stake and the future of all Atagans. Can he win against all odds?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian Eress
• Release date: Oct 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201240967

Ian Eress

Born in the seventies. Average height. Black hair. Sometimes shaves. Black eyes. Nearsighted. Urban. MSc. vim > Emacs. Mac.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

CHLOE'S FATHER, MOTHER, brother, and sister died a year ago. Ruler Morpheus Lane-Carter Leung visited the High Ruler's palace in the late afternoon, the holo-news said in the frigid and dark server room. It is unclear whether his daughter, Ophelia, will challenge recently appointed High Ruler Chloe, but authorities assure us more information is forthcoming in the following hours.

Fiafi, one of the oldest AIs in the Galactic Federation, muted the holo-news. It was a hot day on the Forbidden Planet where young Chloe lived.

What are our options for dealing with this? Amaterasu, the second oldest AI in the Galactic Federation, asked. Chloe is so inexperienced. With her family gone, she's been in power for only a year.

Ophelia is a genius and an Olympic athlete, NBBN2, another AI, said. He represented himself with a completely unneeded hologram of a butler.

Outside, a cacophony of enthusiastic voices could be heard. The sensors I had access to all throughout the Galactic Federation picked up on distress and bewilderment.

We must teach High Ruler Chloe better, Fiafi said. Prepare her for Ophelia's challenge. She must know everything about the Diamond Epoque. Everything there is to know about the Multiverse and her ancestors and the Galactic Federation.

And the past, Amaterasu said. Gaia?

Gaia, the Mercury-sized Thinker, presented herself as her idea of a supermodel. Ama, the Galactic Federation Council will never allow the challenge.

Technically, yes, but they can allow themselves to be overruled.

NBBN2 chuckled. How convenient!

Humans, Qeeravs, Thohnuths, Atagans, Poids, Verdetas, Azoins, and other citizens in the Kolektur shouted their concerns outside. Most of what they stated was complete nonsense, but they were correct about one point. Chloe suspected her uncle Morpheus, and maybe even Ophelia, of being involved with the assassination a year ago.

Before he died, Chloe's father had been teaching her for nine years already, Fiafi said. High Ruler Leofdeg Hsieh Stithuif Du Wigstan Zhu Swiohun—

There's no need to hear all his names. NBBN2 laughed as he often did. Albert Sawyer, my grandson, who created him and Amaterasu, made a point of giving him a great sense of humor.

Godgifu, Fiafi continued out of spite, Liang Cenric Yu Bada, all right, let's take turns.

We must utilize persims this time, Amaterasu said. I see no other options.

Neural surgery for some measly persims? NBBN2’s Presence grinned. The High Ruler is not a Pioneer, surviving at the edge of the GF.

Fiafi chose a random holographic avatar and made it nod. Yes, persims are effective. Let's start with one.

Amaterasu followed Fiafi’s lead: her almost-humanoid Presence could be anybody or anything. Let's not get too caught up in the specifics. We should each go our own path and compose a proposal. A plan that we can all agree on.

Fiafi’s avatar nodded. Chloe Leofdeg Hsieh Stithuif Du Wigstan Zhu Swiohun Godgifu Liang Cenric Yu Bada—

The butler, representing NBBN2, giggled. Great, Fiafi, let's mention the High Ruler's names every day. If it were up to me, I'd give her the persims of the Awakenistas and Albert.

Fiafi’s hologram crossed her arms. They're ancient history. I don't think we should go back too far.

Amaterasu’s hazy blob began to sway. Gaia should come up with a plan. The rest of us are probably better off not bothering. Gaia will accomplish it far more quickly and effectively than we can.

NBBN2’s holographic butler frowned.

I'll see what I can do, Gaia said.

CHAPTER 1

High Ruler Chloe read in her massive office, which was seven times the size of a typical Ruler's office. Her blonde hair was a work of art, and her face showed symptoms of long-term crying. In the High Ruler's massive palace, Azoin servants (crab-like aliens), ted-bots (robots dressed as large teddy bears), and humans roamed around, clearly frightened by Ophelia's challenge.

Fiafi had explained Umvitar to the High Ruler, NBBN2 taught her about Galileo Sawyer, Gaia told her about Amalie Sawyer, and now it was my job to teach her. I was the holographic Presence of Elena Rogova, a famous novelist if I may describe myself as such. Blue eyes struck me with melancholy. High Ruler Chloe, it's time for another lesson.

What about the persim?

You asked the same to Fiafi. My Presence smiled.

High Ruler Chloe watched me bewildered.

I pressed on. High Ruler Chloe, if you rely on persims... Sometimes they quit working.

Chloe inclined her head, gazing at my hologram. That Emperor Gluk. Was he really that bad? Can you tell me more about him?

Sure. It made me happy she was interested in Emperor Gluk. Emperor Gluk was the Emperor of Atagan. A nuclear war turned that planet into a radioactive wasteland.

THE ATAGANS CONTACTED the Chinese governments in 51 BG through wormholes, their own invention. Using bicameral disks, surgically inserted in the brain akin to persims, Emperor Gluk was in direct contact with a Chinese army officer. He was his host if you will.

The Three Gorges dam was built near Yichang in western Hubei province. Only piles of debris remained from the once-proud structure. Urzur's army from Thohnuth had destroyed these and other dams, bridges, tunnels, and roads and left the Chinese with a grave predicament. The entire cost of the attacks was estimated to be at half a trillion US dollars. (A currency similar to Solbucks.)

A fruity scent filled the air while a lonesome red crane flew above. President Chang—in a business suit, General Shao Li—five and a half-foot tall, dressed in his uniform, and the new host of Emperor Gluk sat in the presidential motorcade’s main limousine adjacent to a temporary military base. In dark suits, bodyguards wearing sunglasses stood outside. Emperor Gluk’s pterodactyl-like body was on the wrecked by war planet, Atagan. As I said, he communicated to his Chinese host through a wormhole.

The golden sun blazed mercilessly over the lush hills. Summers in Yichang were hot and humid, so the inadequate air conditioner worked overtime, virtually drowning out the mob’s sound outside. President Chang and his entourage had traveled to dozens of areas around China to offer assistance and witness firsthand the massive swaths of devastation.

With a calm voice, a male newsreader on the radio said in Chinese, The government would like to remind you of your patriotic duty concerning keeping the current situation secret. Foreign nations and independent organizations have agreed on the best course of action which would require valiant sacrifices on our part, but we must prevent worldwide panic at all cost...

President Chang drummed his fingers on a plastic table.

Your Highness, your host is a captain in the PLA, so it'd be weird if I talk to him for too long, President Chang said in a deep, pleasant voice with crossed arms. Best for you to stay at a distance. I'll have two of my bodyguards accompany you.

No problem, Emperor Gluk said. See you later.

Emperor Gluk stepped out and walked without looking back. Quickly, two Chinese men wearing black suits followed him.

A Chinese woman—in her thirties, clad in a white T-shirt but without a press pass—yelled at Emperor Gluk. Captain, Captain, she shouted.

With a bored expression, Emperor Gluk strode over to her.

Captain, were you in President Chang's car? the woman asked. I'm with Yichang Gazette.

Yes, for two minutes, Emperor Gluk said with a tight-lipped smile. I'm training for… What's your name?

Why were you with the president during his previous press conference?

Who are you? Emperor Gluk asked.

I'm a journalist. Is it true the army uses robots at night? I heard some of them fly too.

Other members of the press made odd sounds.

She's a blogger, a man, also in his thirties but in possession of a press pass, said behind a rope. I took classes in Yichang University together with her before she dropped out.

The public has the right to know, the blogger said. Do you have teleportation devices?

Emperor Gluk stared at her as if she was made of glass.

What do you mean? Emperor Gluk asked, looking away.

A guy in an Internet chat room heard from a soldier that the army can make matter vanish with a secret apparatus.

Emperor Gluk blinked and chuckled like an evil villain in a spy movie. Laughing, he strolled away from the flag-waving crowd toward a hill.

Where are you going, Captain? the blogger yelled. Captain, Captain, Captain.

Three hundred meters further, Emperor Gluk looked around him to make sure he was alone and called General Shao Li.

They know about the bridges, Emperor Gluk said. Someone in the army leaked information.

Your Highness, we'll talk later, General Shao Li whispered. What if a member of the public overhears you.

I'm alone, Emperor Gluk said. Anyway, the secret is out.

Please, let sleeping dogs lie, General Shao Li whispered. After the briefing, we'll deal with the leak.

This was one of the very first uses of Atagan-style wormholes. Naturally, we found out later about wavej wormholes. And my grandson invented qsp-wormholes, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

A dozen other high-ranking Atagans, Emperor Gluk’s brother Tulan was one of them, had found hosts. Through them, they also met the