Hellship Akaska

By Adrienne Gordon

The human race has become the dominant species in the universe. The alien races conquered, the colonies planted across every galaxy.

Ten Leviathan-class ships were sent out to the outer bounds of the known universe, to see the limits of human knowledge. Except one ship disobeyed, and went to the center of the universe, in search of . . . Heaven.

What it found was Hell.

Jessica Nuntius is a Comanche pilot who was recalled by her father, Marshall Gareth Nuntius, back to the Akaska. She arrives just in time for the massive ship to be banished to Hell. She, along with every other pilot, must fight the forces of Hell for the Akaska to survive.

There are many secrets within the hull of the leviathan vessel, secrets Marshall Nuntius kept, and must be uncovered. Those secrets just might help the Hellship Akaska to survive Hell, and even get back to Heaven.

Hellship Akaska is the first of the series The Nuntius Covenant. This series also intersects with the series Gwen and Drake series, beginning in the end of this novel, and continuing in the second book, Gwen and Drake and Jessie Versus a Thousand Demons, which is available now.

The first three books in the Gwen and Drake series, Gwen and Drake versus the Inferno King, Gwen and Drake versus the Dummy Kings, and Gwen and Drake versus the Queen of Time, are all available now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adrienne Gordon
• Release date: Jan 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215885055

Adrienne Gordon

I write in mostly teen fantasy/science fiction. I have two books published at the moment: Emergence, Book 1 of the Archsussa Melissa series, and Forsaken, Book 1 of the Agilia's Lament series.

Book preview

Hellship Akaska

Book One of The Nuntius Covenant

By Adrienne Gordon

©2020 by Adrienne Gordon

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1

As the Union Leviathan-class starship Akaska listed to one side, the officer in front of Pilot First Class Jessica Nuntius couldn’t help but stop, lean against the wall, and violently expel the contents of his stomach. He hurriedly wiped away the sick from his mouth with an expression of contrition and fear. The other officer, a tall, burly man with a face garishly decorated with scars, folded his arms over his chest and sighed.

This is what we get for drafting greenies, said Lieutenant Tactical Engineer Victor Henderson. Your dad would be pissin’ mad if he saw this.

Jessica, known to almost everyone as ‘Jessie,’ casually stepped over the large pile of sick, and checked the grey pants of her uniform for any residue. She found a morsel of green vomit spittle near the white vector on her left knee, wiped it off, and flicked it at its owner’s face. I don’t give a damned what my dad would do. Now, are we going?

LTE Henderson saluted her, a little too rigidly, almost in mockery of her demand. Yes sir! Wallace, get back to your quarters and get into a clean uniform.

Yes sir!

Jessie and Henderson pressed on through the long corridors as dozens of the enlisted rushed back and forth, some giving a rough salute to the young officer, others wrinkling their noses and ignoring protocol. She was a thin girl, bordering on anorexic, and had trouble keeping upright against the intense wave of human bodies. Jessie tried to ignore them all and remain focused, but the enormity of the situation was beginning to press in on her. She pushed her long, curly brown hair out of her eyes, regretting the decision not to tie it back in the first place.

It’s . . . it’s been a long time, since I’ve been back on board, she said softly, as they rounded a corner.

Yes sir, it has, replied LTE Henderson stiffly. He glanced over at her, saw the fear in her eyes, and let down his guard. The Marshall hasn’t quite been the same since you left.

You’ve been here that long? she asked quizzically. I don’t remember you.

No, guess you wouldn’t. Back then, I was an ensign assigned to administrative support.

What does that even mean? she asked snidely.

"I filed paper, he replied, with mock bravado. Henderson’s smile was wide and infectious, and Jessie had the strong temptation to let down her guard with him. Yup, while the Akaska cut through the scavengers and the thieves, I collated health insurance documents and accident reports."

Jessie couldn’t help but chuckle. Isn’t that what System’s for?

Yeah, right? Never understood it, that in this day and age, when we can travel to the outer edges of the known universe, travel through rifts in space, that HQ still needs hard copies of things.

And then you became . . .

Lieutenant Tactical Engineer, 1st class! he replied loudly with a rigid salute. All those fools who made fun of me then, shrink into the corners when they see me now.

And that’s how you got all those scars on your pretty face?

Yeah, right, scoffed Henderson. "None of the Seven Species would dare attack the Akaska. No, it was an . . . incident, several years ago, replied Henderson quickly. Wrong place, wrong girl."

All the humor went out of the situation, as Jessie was left to wonder what he meant. Too often, commanders turn a blind eye to the indiscretions of their officers. I hope she scratched him up where it counts.

They came to the lift doorway, which opened after a few seconds. Three young boys stood inside, all dressed smartly in green and silver chovalyne pilot suits, still wearing their helmets.

Hey lil’girl! teased one of the boys, as he scanned her from just under her head to just above her knees. Who let you back on the ship?

None of your damned business, grumbled Jessie. Her ‘mascod,’ the mental implant all Union citizens possessed, gave her their names; Dennis Unihoe, Klein Veracruz, Sadaam Wu. I might know their names, but I sure can’t remember them. Damned temporal distortions. They told me my memory would be messed up by the trip, but this is awful.

Dennis pulled off his helmet, and Jessie was surprised to see he was actually handsome. "What’m I sayin’? Daddy missed the smell of his gurl."

The other two boys guffawed with laughter.

"Alright, that’s enough, snapped Henderson, as he leveled a stern gaze on the three of them. You have your duties; move out!"

Yes sir! snapped all three, as they rushed out of the lift. Smell you soon, Jessie-lessie . . .

Of course, thought Jessie, I can remember that little nickname. Suddenly, her mind flashed back to a girl she had seen in the docking bay after she first disembarked from the HVC Akari. The girl was about her age, and seemed to be looking at Jessie like she knew her, but Jessie couldn’t figure out who she was. I’m gonna piss a lot of people off, not being able to remember them. But, maybe it’s for the best. I’m probably the most senior officer out of all the people I knew growing up because of my Academy degree, and this’ll make it easier for me to give them orders.

Henderson and Jessie got in the lift, and Henderson mentally instructed the lift to move.

What was all that about? he asked. Smell you later?

I got sick, after my first flight in a Comanche. I . . . I lost control, all over the ONS. Just like greenie.

Henderson harrumphed. How old were you?

I dunno . . . ten?

Yeah, now I remember . . . We were in orbit around . . . Iuron, and your dad had you fly one.

You were collating health insurance, and even you heard the story about me throwing up?

Henderson’s warm gaze fell on her, and in an instant, Jessie knew there was more to it.

Sure, I heard you threw up. But every kid throws up; that’s nothing special. What was special, is that after they got you out, the Marshall, your father, cleaned it all up. He didn’t ask someone else to do it, he didn’t instruct some micrometa to do it; he did it all himself. He must have spent three hours suctioning every millimeter of every Organic Navigation Surface. Everyone wanted to help, but he pushed them all away. Your father was always about cleaning up his own messes, and I think he realized he had made a mistake in letting you fly so young.

Jessie sighed, and felt a little better. She wondered if she didn’t misread about how Henderson got his face scarred. Dad’s always been very demanding. Do this, do that, and never even says if I do a good job. Then, in an instant, she straightened her posture and banished the forlorn expression from her face. But, as he says; onwards, never backwards.

The lift came to a stop, and Henderson exited with Jessie close behind. Two black elite troops stood outside the entrance to the Control/Command deck of the Akaska, each with robust emdec pistols. Jessie had never seen them at the Academy, and was impressed by how intimidating they appeared. Dressed in all black chovalyne pilot suits, each wore tactical helmets that covered the entirety of their heads.

I’ll bet this corridor could be ripped open and exposed to space, and they wouldn’t even flinch.

Henderson mentally cast his ID, and Jessie did the same.

PFC Jessica Nuntius, you may pass. LTE Henderson; please remain here or go back the way you came.

Why aren’t you allowed inside? she asked.

Change of protocol. During any engagement, only senior officers can enter the C/C. I have other duties. He extended his hand. Good luck in there.

Jessie looked at it quizzically. What’s this?

An old Terran expression of friendship and camaraderie. Take it, PFC.

Jessie clasped his hand, and Henderson squeezed it with a slight smile. Your dad’s changed a lot since you were last here, so you better get ready.

As Henderson walked back into the lift, Jessie turned, strode through the massive doors into the C/C, and almost fell to her knees at the sight of what was on the main viewscreen.

Divert all resources to the gravitational tether! ordered a thin, tall, bald man Jessie mentally ID’d to be Executive Technical Officer Bryant on the level beneath her. He, along with several others in the C/C, were dressed in the black and grey uniforms of an executive officer that Jessie had coveted since her first days at the Academy. As two young men in front of him moved their hands like lightning over holographic consoles, the ship violently lurched backwards, which was quite a feat considering how immense the Akaska was. Jessie stumbled back against the metal railing, though no one else in the C/C seemed perturbed.

Control/Command was a sprawling deck, with over thirty stations positioned before sixteen holographic consoles. She stood on a railing that encircled most of the deck, and behind her sat redundant physical controls for the basic functions of the ship. To look out of the viewscreen, one would imagine the C/C to be at the forward, uppermost level of the ship. In truth, it was buried underneath dozens of decks, reinforced with the thickest, hardest alloy Union engineers could manufacture. Jessie knew all of that, and yet, looking on the adversary through the viewscreen, she still felt her life was in imminent danger.

Multiple tethers have reestablished contact, said System, in a soothing voice. Internal stability maintained.

Main guns firing! said a short, stocky man seated near ETO Bryant, who registered in Jessie’s mascod as Executive Weapons Officer Palakiko.

ETO Bryant paused for a moment to catch his breath. In the main viewscreen, ten emdec bolts were fired from the Akaska’s main guns against a formless vessel that Jessie’s mind couldn’t quite get a handle on. It filled the entirety of the viewscreen, and Jessie could see by the dimensional scale projected that the Akaska was a half light-year from the adversary.

Which means this . . . thing, is the size of a galaxy . . .

Enhanced bolts have resulted in negligible damage, said EWO Palakiko.

Understood, said ETO Bryant. Attempting to extend NnuG shielding into the adversary to act as a column.

Two young women near EWO Bryant manipulated their holoconsoles, and Jessie saw a shimmering cylinder extend from beneath the viewscreen to a point on the adversary’s bulk. Ten more bolts were fired from the main guns, also resulting in no discernible effect.

Dammitall! yelled EWO Palakiko. Ten bolts can split the core of a Jupiter-class world!

Can we use the tethers to pull the ship closer? asked a man in a white tunic who had just stood up that Jessie ID’d as EXO Albert Turin. ENO Kuznetsov, can you match the resonance of the main drive to the tethers?

Normally I’d be able to, said a woman Jessie ID’d as Executive Navigation Officer Hana Kuznetsov. But the adversary is putting out an intense plasma wave that’s disrupting our—

I don’t wanna hear excuses! snapped ETO Bryant.

Yes ETO! yelled ENO Kuznetsov. System resources being brought on-line. She sat back for a moment, and Jessie knew she was speaking mentally to someone. Resource Engineers are tasked, she said, and . . . and . . . they have it! Her hands flew over her holoconsole, and the ship lurched forward to the cheers of a few on the C/C.

Save the cheering for when we’ve woken it, snapped ETO Bryant. EXO Cui, orders?

A woman Jessie recognized as one of his father’s advisors slowly stood and surveyed the scene on the viewscreen. She pulled her white tunic closed and stood with absolute calm, and even though Jessie couldn’t see her face, she remembered a strong impression about her. She knew that EXO Chyou Cui was an absolute constant, and figure of unflappable leadership that demanded a level of respect only surpassed by the Marshall. We’re getting near the redline on drive expenditure, and our NnuG barrier is near collapse. Marshall, I suggest we break off and regroup, so we can restore our power and formulate another strategy.

EXO Turin turned to face a chair Jessie couldn’t see, and snapped to attention. Sir; I concur.

So, both my EXOs want to run, said a flat, monotone voice that sent icy chills into Jessie’s heart. She watched as her father, Marshall Gareth Nuntius, slowly got to his feet. Absently, Jessie stood a little straighter, and felt more afraid looking on the back of her father’s head than at the viewscreen filled with an adversary that could take everything the most powerful ship in the Union could throw at it. What does my daughter say?

Jessie was stunned, as her father hadn’t even turned around to acknowledge her presence. Only the two EXOs did.

I . . . I haven’t been briefed as to what we know about the adversary, said Jessie.

You know as much as we do, as much as anyone that has ever lived knows, he said in an almost gentle voice. He clasped his hands behind his back. You are looking at Heaven.

Jessie tried to control herself, but she still staggered back. More than anyone else, her father never lied. He never joked. Everything he said was unvarnished truth, so if her father said that the Devil and God were French-kissing, Jessie knew it to be true.

And our purpose?

He took a deep breath and said, slowly, yet confidently; to let Heaven know God’s children are now worthy to meet their maker.

Jessie confidently walked around the walkway, coming to stand in the center, as she brought all that she had learned, all that she had done, to bear on the situation to try to figure out a response. So, we need to demonstrate a level of scientific and mathematical prowess that would impress the Creator? Weapons won’t work. Engines won’t work. Shields and tethers won’t work. We need to show the Creator that we are capable of creation and destruction on a scale that He, or She, can relate to. She nodded to herself as she came to an answer. We need to create a singularity.

For the first time in six years, her father deigned to look on Jessie.

Very good, daughter. Those years at the Academy have done you well. You heard her! snapped the Marshall, as he sat back down.

ETO Bryant; liaison with Resource Engineers, said EXO Cui. ENO Kuznetsov; back us off from the adversary by three light years.

Yes sir!

EWO Palakiko; liaison with Meta Resources; get the meta to effect the necessary changes within ten minutes!

Yes sir!

Jessie took a step forward, wanting to speak to her father, but EXO Cui motioned to her to stop, and quickly walked to a position just beneath her.

How have you been, young miss! she asked with glee. It’s been far too long.

Jessie finally managed a smile. She knelt down, and said; I’m good, Chyou. While Jessie had many memory gaps, she remembered in detail Chyou Cui, and how close she was to her father. But as much as Jessie wanted to catch up on old times, her eyes kept drifting back to the main viewscreen. How . . .

EXO Cui nodded. You need to be briefed. Prime your mascod . . .

Jessie took a deep breath and calmed herself. She hated to be briefed mentally, but she knew there was too much going on for anyone to take the time and verbally explain to her what was happening. The mascod, or mental signal communications device, was an implant every Union citizen was given by age five. The device had significant firmware upgrades for all government and military members, enabling longer communication times and the ability to transfer packets of data directly into the short-term memory.

After a few seconds, she understood. During her time at the Academy, the Union had launched one hundred ships to journey to the known corners of the universe, not to engage with the various alien races, but to discover the limits of all creation. The Akaska was also given those orders, yet instead of going outwards, seeking to find the outermost corner of creation, her father commanded they go inwards, to the massive dark nebula that surrounded the space from which all of creation had originated. He found that time was warped, going slower the closer one came to the center. While other ships made it to the outer edges in less than two years, it took his ship four years to press through into the center, going at speeds humanity had never thought possible. Along the way, he used an ancient technique to build a bridge from the universe of normal time to the point he reached. He created singularities in a rough line, and gravity current formed by those singularities could pull a ship in faster than any drive system created, which was how Jessie’s shuttle made it to the Akaska.

So, father found . . . Heaven . . .

EXO Chyou Cui took a deep breath. It took a long time for all of us to absorb his discovery. The amazing thing was he was so sure, right from the very start. I’ve always wondered what he knew that the rest of us didn’t.

EXO Cui! yelled Marshall Nuntius. It’s time.

EXO Cui rushed back as Jessie leaned over the railing, trying to make out the data being displayed on the various holoconsoles around the C/C. She saw the entire command crew focused on uncovering the secrets of Heaven, and yet, despite all their hurried movements, the C/C was as an oasis of calm, at which her father sat in the center.

I’ve never seen dad flinch, not when he got word that Union command was attacked, not even when mom died . . . So many times, he seemed like he wasn’t human. He is the cruelest man I’ve ever known. Why did he even bring me here?

Father! yelled Jessie.

No one turned to look on her, least of all her father.

Father, why did you bring me here? she yelled firmly.

EXO Turin rushed back to Jessie, a man she couldn’t remember ever meeting.

Listen, Jessie, is it? Well, I understand you might have a lot of questions. Didn’t EXO Cui give you a download?

Does a download tell me why my father brought me here? snapped Jessie.

Turin narrowed his gaze, as he discarded any pretense at compassion. He stood tall, and though his gaze wasn’t as harsh as her father’s she could still feel the strength of command behind it.

Listen, we’re about to do something never attempted in the history of humanity. While I can understand you might be a little miffed at your father,

Miffed? demanded Jessie incredulously, as she stamped her small foot down on the metal floor of the C/C.

EXO Turin’s eyes drifted down to her foot, as a condescending smile appeared on his face. Yeah, well, put it in perspective, PFC Nuntius, he said gently but firmly. "Save the questions until after we’ve gotten an answer from God."

As he walked away Jessie could only stand in silence, as she absorbed his words. Until we get an answer from God . . .

We’re ready, said ETO Bryant.

Ready, said EWO Palakiko.

All meta have completed realignments of emitters, said Executive Engineering Officer Chloe Songok.

System has verified all linkages secure, said Executive System Officer Roy Dossen.

All resources reporting ready, said EXO Turin.

Ready to create singularity, said EXO Cui.

Execute, said the Marshall, calmly.

Jessie watched as ten streams of energy shot from the Akaska’s main guns, converging on a point equidistant from the adversary, Heaven, and the Akaska.

Flow stable, said EEO Songok. Reactions developing along predicted exponential curve. Five minutes until collapse.

Increase temporal energy by a factor of four, ordered Marshall Nuntius.

What? screamed both EXOs, almost simultaneously. It’s never been done before, said EXO Turin, and—

And the event horizon will be tremendously unstable, said EXO Cui. Especially in this space! This is the original spatial field upon which the entire universe was created. It’s weaker than the rest of space-time, and—

"And I want my orders followed to the letter, said Marshall Nuntius sharply, yet calmly, or I will find someone who can."

Both EXOs snapped to attention. Yes sir!

Jessie understood their concerns, after all, she spent two years taking many advanced courses in spatial chemistry and geometry. The heat generated from Event One was unlike anything ever after, and it was concentrated here for several million years. The fact that time itself is warped here is evidence enough of how fractured the space-time fabric is. She stepped forward, feeling the urge to intervene. What’s he doing? What . . . what gives him the right to—

The sound of shouting could he heard from outside the C/C, along with weapons fire. EXO Turin motioned to four at consoles near him.

I need you four to grab arms immediately! he shouted, as they leapt from their posts and headed to the rear of the C/C. I need—

"Cancel that, snapped the Marshal. Return to your posts."

EXO Turin, grit his teeth, but instantly complied, motioning them back to their seats.

How long to collapse?

Twenty seconds.

As Jessie turned, the door to the C/C slid open, and three girls and one boy, all around her age, stormed in, with three of them brandishing emdec pistols.

"This operation will stop, yelled the lone boy, who seemed to be their leader, and this ship will turn around!"

Jessie acted without hesitation. While her six years at the Academy were mostly filled with science and command courses, she also spent a great deal of time learning tactics and combat. She may have had a thin, slight body, but with a well-placed kick and punch, two of them went down. As the last boy turned to shoot her, Jessie dove and knocked him off-balance, spilling him onto the floor.

No! screamed the boy. "We can’t attack Heaven!"

He pointed his weapon to fire, but Jessie was too quick. She stripped the weapon from him before he could blink and pinned him down.

"We have collapse!"

Before their eyes a singularity was born, the largest made by any sentient species. The shockwave from the collapse buffeted the Akaska with waves and waves of gravitational energy. The C/C was ablaze with warning lights, and the various executive officers ran from console to console, assessing damage reports and dispatching teams of meta to effect repairs.

Jessie slowly got back to her feet, to see her father standing close to the viewscreen. The singularity could just be seen, as a faint accretion disk had formed around it, siphoning off energy from Heaven.

Can you see . . . what we’re capable of, whispered her father. "We have earned a response!"

The entire crew paused, stopped from their duties, listening for a response.

The laughter was deafening.

A brilliant light pierced through the ship, as the roar of laughter brought the crew to their knees. Jessie struggled to remain upright to see through the light. She saw her father was unperturbed, as he was bathed in the brilliance. Jessie blinked, and he was gone.

"Father!"

The ship listed to one side, before drifting towards the singularity. The laughter had stopped, and the crew struggled back into their seats, but found half the holoconsoles were down.

Emergency Tactile Input, said EXO Turin, as he massaged his head, activate!

From within the wall on the periphery of the C/C, five panels slid out and down, revealing screens with tactile controls. Ten of the crew rushed over and began to try to regain control of the ship.

Drive power is at maximum, said EEO Songok, but we’re falling into the singularity.

Dammit! yelled EXO Cui. Re-establish tethers with the adversary.

Working . . . working . . . said ETO Bryant. Tethers established, but provide no pull. We’ll enter the Event Horizon in less than twenty seconds.

Damned you all! screamed the boy Jessie had pinned. "This is all your fault—your fault."

Now’s not the time, snapped Jessie. As the Marshall’s daughter, I’m taking command, and—

"Be silent, girl, snapped EXO Turin. There’s no protocol for that. And even if there were, there’s no way any of us would let a girl who’s been on this ship for less than one day take command. Now sit down, and shut up!"

Jessie crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back, feeling chastised. The boy couldn’t help but snicker.

Aren’t we a little full of ourselves.

Shut up, moaned Jessie. We’re dead in less than a minute.

The main viewscreen went black. The crew groaned in frustration, until words spelled with white letters flashed across all consoles on the C/C, including the main viewscreen.

YOU HAVE COME SO FAR, YET HAVE SO FAR TO GO. PERHAPS IT’S TIME I BROADENED YOUR HORIZONS . . .

The Akaska accelerated towards the singularity, and all Jessie could do was reach out to hold the boy’s hand. Thankfully for her, he grabbed it and squeezed just as strongly, as the largest ship ever created in the history of the universe fell into the singularity and vanished from existence.

Chapter Two

Darkness engulfed the Akaska as it listed powerless in the unknown void. A massive red planet lay beneath, with an orbiting disk of superheated gas that stretched out far into space.

Reinitializing data cores . . . said System. Restoration imminent . . .

Slowly, Jessie opened her eyes. She could feel a throbbing pain in her head, soreness in her ribs, and something soft in her hand. She heard a moan from close by, and turned to see the rebel boy was lying on her hand. That is, her hand was under the fleshy portion of his hindquarters.

Get away from me! he yelped, as he pushed at her until he pulled her hand free. What a sick little shit you are.

Just . . . be quiet, she moaned, as she got to his feet. Father? Father? she yelled, becoming more frantic. Jessie grabbed onto the railing to pull herself up. She saw the C/C crew was struggling themselves, and she felt as if there was a terrible weight on her mind and body. Does anyone know—

"No, so keep it quiet, snapped EXO Turin. We can’t even tell how many of us are even alive. Turin took a deep breath and steadied himself. All departments; status!"

Tactical, at station, said ETO Bryant.

Weapons, at station, said EWO Palakiko.

Engineering? asked Turin, as he strained to see through the darkness. EEO Songok; answer me!

Chloe is down, said a woman’s voice. Major Engineering Officer Farrah Porosky assuming duties.

Understood, groaned Turin.

Navigation, at station, said ENO Kuznetsov.

System, at station, said ESO Dossen.

All right, said Turin, now to try to figure out where we are. He tried to activate the holotable, but only saw an error message. He walked beside Cui and looked at the viewscreen, which only displayed the image of the planet, with no additional data. System; identify.

Unable to comply, stated System. Planet does not conform to any known object.

Location?

Unable to provide. Star configuration does not match any known. In addition, no stellar masses match any currently on file.

How did we survive being thrown through a singularity? We should’ve been crushed, said EXO Cui.

We’re messing with God; anything’s possible.

System, said Cui, launch four probes into the planet in close proximity. Report back—

EXOs, the planet’s ring seems to be undulating, said ETO Bryant.

Come again? Magnify a portion of the ring.

The viewscreen magnified a portion, and small objects could be seen moving erratically.

Where the hell are we? asked EXO Cui. ENO Kuznetsov, move us back two light years.

Unable to comply, she replied. The navigation system hasn’t finished recalibrating to this area of space. Until it does, I’m unable to move the ship.

The normal white lights of the C/C suddenly turned yellow as System said; Adversaries approaching. Adversaries approaching.

Cui and Turin scanned the viewscreen, seeing no sign of any targets. Where are they?

System’s having trouble locking external sensors in unison, said ESO Dossen. Working . . . working . . .

Eighteen adversaries, advancing at forty tils, said ETO Bryant. I’m getting optical data, and have linked it into System’s tactical analysis routine. Offensive capabilities still unknown. Total mass estimated at twenty-five percent solar mass.

Twenty-five percent? cried EXO Cui. You mean the combined mass of those targets is one-quarter the mass of the sun?

Affirmative.

Can you shunt that optical data to the viewscreen?

Converging sensors, said ESO Dossen.

The viewscreen switched orientation, showing eighteen violet and orange-colored ribbons twisting in space. They appeared as wisps of light, like an atmospheric phenomenon.

What are they?

Unknown, said ESO Dossen. System is having trouble collating the available data. Normal scanning methodologies are having limited effect. He sighed. This is the best System can do right now.

Turin and Cui nodded to each other, sharing their resolve.

Understood. Are the main guns able to be fired?

Negative, said EWO Palakiko. Unable to target.

System’s having a tough time adjusting to this environment, said ESO Dossen.

Fine, snapped Cui, we’ll do this the hard way. Launch Comanches. Start with alpha group.

Yes sir! cried ETO Bryant. "All Comanche pilots in alpha group to their squadrons. Immediate launch! Repeat; all fighter pilots to their squadrons; immediate launch!"

Use rapid-launch protocols, said Cui. We need to intercept those targets as far away from the ship as possible.

Understood, said ETO Bryant. Conveying orders.

We need to get System fully-functional, said Turin to ESO Dossen. Have meta been dispatched to try to affect repairs?

It isn’t a hardware issue, said ESO Dossen. This deals with System’s reluctance to give recommendations because of a lack of data.

The most advanced synthetic intelligence ever developed, is anxious? Get . . . Turin paused, as his mind raced over the available options. Greg Atlas is on this ship. No human knows System better. Get him on it.

Yes, EXO! Reaching out to him . . . acquired . . . Nesting response . . .

Well? asked Turin.

ESO Dossen sighed. He says he can probably help get System acclimated, but that he would need to come here.

Why? demanded Cui. We have mental access to System for a reason. We don’t need his physical presence here.

Still, said ESO Dossen, he was adamant.

We don’t have time for this, snapped Turin. Get him up here. Highest priority, make every available transport at his disposal.

Yes, EXO.

Why is he even on this ship? asked Cui.

What do you mean?

Cui motioned him to the rear of the C/C, out of earshot from the others. "Atlas is, by far, the most capable human being when it comes to System engineering. This very System he helped to build, the lone human among hundreds of meta. He has wealth beyond any of our imagination, yet he decides to live on the Akaska?"

Maybe the Marshall asked him to be here.

No, he didn’t; I asked him about it, said Cui.

Well, you certainly have been thinking about him.

I like for things to make sense, and his presence on this ship doesn’t make any sense.

Turin shrugged. Maybe he wanted to get out of the sterile engineering rooms and see the universe?

"Being a citizen on this ship, means you see very little of the universe. With the exception of our Comanche pilots, the average person on the Akaska sees precious little of space. No, he concerns me, Turin. He knows too much about System. Meta can’t be influenced by personal feelings, but humans can. And don’t forget, she said, nodding the rear of the C/C where Jessie and the terrorists were, somehow those kids managed to get into the Control/Command of the most powerful ship in the universe! You don’t think they had some help?"

Turin nodded. Heard and understood. He walked back to the center of C/C. "Attention, executive officers; change settings on all holoconsoles to maximum security. We are in an emergency situation, and we must act as if we are at war. I expect the best from all of you; no mistakes, no doubt, no quarter when it comes to the enemy. Is that understood?"

Yes EXO!

"This ship will function just as it did when the Marshall was here; with precision. System may not know where we are or what to do, but we most certainly do."

Yes sir!

EXO Cui was at once impressed by Turin’s speech and concerned by it.

He always had a need for everything to be ordered. I’ve seen his quarters; nothing out of its place, ever. Meticulous about filing reports, exacting in his performance reviews. He’s a fine commander when there’s peace, when there’s little out of the ordinary. But this is most certainly extra-ordinary, and I wonder how he’ll cope . . .

Cui walked quickly back to speak to Jessie. A new group of black elites had just taken the terrorists into custody.

You feeling like a third wheel yet?

A what? asked Jessie.

Cui chuckled. Do you wanna make a difference?

Jessie took a deep breath, looking past Cui at the viewscreen. Yeah; I think I’m ready.

"Good. Take command of the eighth Comanche wing; I’ll communicate the restructuring. It’ll take about thirty minutes for us to get Atlas to the System mainframe from here, and I estimate another hour before he can make a substantive difference. The adversaries need to be contained until then. Once we get the main emdecs back online, we should make quick work of them."

Jessie clapped her feet together and said; yes sir!

And Jessie?

Yeah?

Cui closed the distance between her and Jessie, as her expression softened. Your father’ll kill me if you die out there. Remember all the training you got at the Academy. Some of the pilots might resist your leadership, but I have faith in you.

Cui extended her hand, and Jessie eagerly grasped it, feeding off the motherly sentiment.

***

Two levels down from the C/C was an emergency transport that took Jessie to the Alpha Hangar Bay Main Terminal.

The Akaska was beyond immense. With a total ship complement of over three hundred million people, it was the largest structure ever made by any species in the universe, meant to last generations. Six habitation hemispheres each, three across, ran the length of the bulk of the chip, with a artificial sun traveling between them. Ten main emdec batteries were split into two banks on opposite sides of the ship, with Comanches being launched from two hangar bays, each on opposite sides of the ship. Three massive propulsion sections sat in the aft. It was said that when the engines were ignited at full burn, it could be seen across half a solar system, and that the only time two of the main emdecs were fired, they obliterated the largest moon in the Yunari system. The Akaska was meant to terrify the Union’s enemies and comfort the Union’s friends. While it was one of ten Leviathan-Class ships, it was the most advanced, and the most powerful of them all.

Jessie needed to go down fifteen levels to get to Alpha Terminal, and along the way, despite the urgency and peril of the situation, one thought played in her mind over and over again above all others;

What happened to dad?

She tried to force herself to focus on all she had learned in officer classes about directing a Comanche group. She tried to focus on remembering which type of Comanche the Akaska had, the V5s or the V4s. She tried to think about who she was replacing, and how irritated they might be. But she kept coming back to the image of her father disappearing in front of her eyes, off the ship he had commanded longer than any before him.

What could have taken him, just like that? No species in the known universe has developed matter-transmission. Could he have slipped sideways through some kind of spatial anomaly, as we slipped through the singularity? Or was that . . . really . . . Heaven?

That was, by far, the most difficult thought to wrap her mind around. Religion was a concept as foreign to her as it was to most of human civilization, a belief system practiced by cults in secret. Only a few concepts were left over; marriage, last rites at a funeral. The idea of a ‘church’ or a ‘mosque’ was a distant one, absorbed in the quicksand of technological progress.

Dad said we were getting the attention of God. He said we were at Heaven. And dad might have been a lot of things, but he was never a liar. Jessie sighed. Or if he was, I can’t remember it.

The loss of her memory due to travel through the center of the universe frustrated her. She couldn’t quite understand why she could access some parts of her memory clearly, like how to pilot a Comanche, but other parts not at all, like the years immediately preceding her arrival at the Academy.

I still can’t remember my friends from back then. Yet I can remember Chyou? I guess she was always like a mother to me. She was always at my father’s side. I think mom . . . She struggled to remember the face of their mother, Jendayi, and was immensely relieved when she could. Why was that so hard?

The lift stopped, and the doors opened on the largest interior launch facility she had ever seen. Spread out along the length of the average passenger liner were berths for over five thousand Comanches, situated on ten levels. Hundreds of tall construction meta worked to shift them from out of storage and into the launch tubes at the far end of the terminal. Jessie watched as the Comanche closest to her was lifted by two of the yellow and black automatons and placed in the center drive-aisle.

Well, at least they’re V5s. Stronger engines, better reactor start-up times, but more cramped control pods.

She saw a long tube being attached to the side of the Comanche, and quickly understood what was happening.

Cui said quick-launch, didn’t she? I hate that. I really, really hate that.

Jessie could hear shouting, and saw a tall, heavy-set woman directing pilots and meta. She mentally prepared herself, determined to appear confident and in-command as she strode before her.

Pilot First Class Jessica Nuntius reporting, she said. Where can I board?

Ahh, if it isn’t daddy’s girl, said the woman, whom Jessica mentally ID’d as Support Tactical Officer Stephanie Dahlman.

She must remember me, but I can’t remember her.

I heard you just got on board. Bet your memory’s playin’ tricks on you?

Uhh . . . She looked up at Dahlman’s face, and it appeared kind, even sympathetic. Yeah, it’s been a bit frustrating.

Then are you sure you’re up to commanding a wing of fifty fighters? snapped STO Dahlman, as she leveled a deadpan gaze on Jessie. "This isn’t some simulator; this is a major engagement."

Jessie internally rebuked herself for letting her guard down. She immediately stiffened her stance and wiped her face of all emotion.

I may not remember my best friend, but I sure remember how to pilot a Comanche. I’ll never forget that.

Dahlman harrumphed, as she turned her gaze back to the holodisplay in front of her. You still look too young to command a squadron, but if it comes from up-high, who am I to question?

"Where’s my ship?" asked Jessie flatly, with her hands clasped behind her back. Memories of how her father used to address troublesome officers came back, and while she had thought him cold and unfeeling, she instinctually shifted into an echo of him, as a way to gain some control over the situation.

The woman gave her a sideways smile. Level Six, Section 247.

Jessie scanned the facility, unable to even begin to figure out where to go. She hated to appear weak or uninformed to the first person she met, but she had to get her squadron launched. Back at the Academy, there were only five hundred Comanches in their hangar, and each bay was numbered, and even color-coded. Here, there isn’t a single written designation to separate bay from bay. Nothing written . . . of course.

Jessie could have kicked herself once she understood. She opened her mascod, and could hear System’s voice telling her where her Comanche was. She nodded to herself, and began to move off, until Dahlman stopped her.

Hold on, there! Right now, we’re loading the pilots for the sixth and seventh squadrons. They’ll launch in advance of you. Your pilots are gathered in the ready room, she said, pointing to her left, over there. Once ready, that room’ll be lifted to that point, she said, motioning high above, where each of you will board your Comanche.

Jessie eyed her suspiciously, wondering how she could be kind and calloused within so short a span of time.

Dahlman sighed. Sorry if I came off a bit rough, but this is serious business.

I came from the Academy, snapped Jessie. I know about—

Access your command channel, said Dahlman soberly, and maybe you’ll understand.

Jessie focused her mind, quickly accessed the command channel, and began to hear the chatter from the pilots that had already launched.

Yeah . . . got it . . .

She heard screams, as they went up against immense distortions many times the size of a fighter. She heard several eject, only to be enveloped within the distortions. She heard EXO Cui give a suicide protocol, that if their craft suffered catastrophic damage, pilots were to suicide their fighters rather than eject.

Jessie had to turn it off to catch her breath. What the hell?

"Exactly, said Dahlman bitterly. Hell is the exact word I would use. After all, when you go against God, and fail, where else would you go?"

Hell . . . thought Jessie. God banished us . . . to Hell . . .

She had to take a step back, as the realization sunk in.

"This isn’t just some distant part of the universe we’ve never been to; this is another reality . . . A reality with different rules, a reality we can’t escape from."

She couldn’t help it; she looked up at Dahlman with a mixture of dread and fear.

I know, I know, she said quietly. And Cui’s sending you all out into that mess. She took a deep breath. Keep your wits about you. Remember every single combat trick that’s ever been taught to you. And most of all, look out for your squadron. Don’t let eagerness to prove yourself, put them in unnecessary jeopardy. You’re tasked to win, but you’re also tasked with the responsibility of their lives.

Jessie nodded, with a slight smile. Thanks.

You know, you remind me of your old man, said Dahlman. He’s a strong commander, with a level head and a knack for turning any situation to his advantage. She turned to acknowledge a signal. You’re up, kiddo. Hope you know what you’re doing. Hate for this to be our last conversation.

Jessie clenched her fist and said; it won’t be; trust me.

Chapter Three

The two EXOs of the Akaska both stood in front of their chairs, their eyes flashing from the viewscreen to the individual holostations of their executive officers. Cui was focused on the launch sequences and monitored the number of squadrons yet to launch. Turin scanned the latest sensor readouts from the ship’s sensors, hoping to see some evidence that it was all just a lie, and they were back in normal space. Both of them tried to ignore the empty chair behind them that once belonged to Marshall Nuntius.

Turin was the younger of the two. Nearing his fiftieth birthday, he was recruited by the Marshall five years ago to be his EXO. Shorter than most men, Turin compensated for that lack of physical stature with a commanding bearing. He was thick with muscle and spent much of his free time playing sports with men half his age. He commanded the interior of the Akaska, and as such was tasked with working with the five Monitors that oversaw the five self-contained regions of Halcyon, Arroyo, Grover, Oceano, and Avila.

Cui was nearing sixty and was generally regarded as the senior EXO. She had served on many warships, working her way up from tactical officer, to serving twice as an EXO. In her youth, she was a premier Comanche pilot, and the envy of the fleet. She had a long history with Gareth, with him having personally recruited her to be his EXO first on the compound attack cruiser Yahweh. No one knew more about the offensive potential of the ship than Cui, and she was responsible for many covert weapons experiments over the years under Gareth’s direction. Turin envied her knowledge and closeness with the Marshal, while she envied his connection to the crew. He could motivate them with the fewest words, while she could think her way out of any situation.

So, said Turin, the Marshall’s gone.

Yeah, replied Cui, looks like it.

Maybe we should fight each other to see who’ll take command, said Turin with a wide grin.

"You’d lose, replied Cui, laughing. Besides, with over three hundred million people on board, it’s gonna take more than the two of us to run this monstrosity of a ship."

Sometimes, I didn’t think he slept. Every time I came into the C/C, he was here. And every time I left, he would still be here.

Gareth needed very little sleep. Oh shit, there I go referring to him in the past tense.

Yeah, well, we can’t hold out much hope of finding him. Speaking of sleep, we need to coordinate our sleep schedules.

Well, said Cui, we both had induced sleep for six hours prior to the engagement with . . . Heaven. I can go another fifteen.

So can I. Who should go first?

As this looks to be an external engagement, you’ll need to take yours first. I need to be on the C/C to oversee the Comanches. If it ends early, fine. Otherwise, that would be the smartest course.

I concur.

Tell me, said Cui, "why’d you agree to become the EXO of the Akaska?"

You’re asking now? I’ve been here five years, and you’ve never asked me before.

I didn’t have any need to know before.

Turin nodded to himself. Chyou can be very . . . strategic, in her social interactions. She has the affect sometimes of being warm and friendly, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about her over these years, is that it’s an act. "Well, the Akaska is