Empire Of The Earth: Science Fiction

By Brian Carisi

Empire Of The Earth: Science Fiction

 

by Brian Carisi

 

The size of this book is equivalent to 342 paperback pages.

 

1200 years have passed since a spaceship named STAR WARRIOR set out on its first mission. Admiral Raimondo created the IMPERIUM OF HUMANITY from the League of Human Worlds, rules it as an immortal, genetically modified MASTERMIND and wages a merciless war of conquest. On the other side stands an alliance in which the star empires of K'aradan, Morrhm, Fulirr, Yroa and others have joined forces to put a stop to humanity's aggressive expansionism.

It comes to the decisive space battle for the central world of the empire: Earth!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BEKKERpublishing
• Release date: Mar 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215719688

Book preview

Empire Of The Earth: Science Fiction

by Brian Carisi

The size of this book is equivalent to 342 paperback pages.

1200 years have passed since a spaceship named STAR WARRIOR set out on its first mission. Admiral Raimondo created the IMPERIUM OF HUMANITY from the League of Human Worlds, rules it as an immortal, genetically modified MASTERMIND and wages a merciless war of conquest. On the other side stands an alliance in which the star empires of K'aradan, Morrhm, Fulirr, Yroa and others have joined forces to put a stop to humanity's aggressive expansionism.

It comes to the decisive space battle for the central world of the empire: Earth!

––––––––

Brian Carisi (Alfred Bekker) is the author of numerous novels and short stories with a total circulation of over 4.5 million copies. He is also a publisher and jazz musician. Alfred Bekker writes fantasy, science fiction, mystery, historical novels and books for young readers.

Alfred Bekker is best known for his fantasy novels. As a fantasy author, Alfred Bekker reached a large audience with his novels about THE REALM OF THE ELVES, as well as the trilogies about DRAGON'S EARTH, GORIAN and THE HALF-LINGS OF ATHRANOR. Alfred Bekker also wrote the fantasy cycles ELBENKINDER (7 volumes), DIE WILDEN ORKS (5 volumes) and ZWERGENKINDER (4 volumes so far).

For young readers, Alfred Bekker invented book series such as TATORT MITTELALTER and DA VINCI's FÄLLE.

Alfred Bekker also regularly writes East Frisian crime novels about Inspector Steen of the Emden CID.

In addition to his major book successes, he has written numerous novels for suspense series such as Ren Dhark, Jerry Cotton, Commissioner X, John Sinclair, Bad Earth, and Jessica Bannister.

Alfred Bekker also used the pseudonyms Neal Chadwick, Henry Rohmer, Adrian Leschek, Brian Carisi, Leslie Garber, Robert Gruber, Chris Heller, Sidney Gardner and Jack Raymond. As Janet Farell, he wrote most of the novels in the romantic horror series Jessica Bannister. He wrote historical novels under the names Jonas Herlin and Conny Walden.  Some scary novels for teenagers were written by Alfred Bekker as John Devlin. Alfred Bekker's novels have been published by Lyx, Blanvalet, BVK, Goldmann, Schneiderbuch, Arena, dtv, Ueberreuter and Bastei Lübbe, among others, and have been translated into numerous languages, including English, Dutch, Danish, Turkish, Indonesian, Polish, Vietnamese, Finnish, Bulgarian and Polish.

Copyright

A CassiopeiaPress book: CASSIOPEIAPRESS, UKSAK E-Books, Alfred Bekker, Alfred Bekker presents, Casssiopeia-XXX-press, Alfredbooks, Uksak Special Edition, Cassiopeiapress Extra Edition, Cassiopeiapress/AlfredBooks and BEKKERpublishing are imprints of

Alfred Bekker

© Roman by Author/ COVER A.PANADERO

© of this issue 2023by AlfredBekker/CassiopeiaPress, Lengerich/Westphalia

The invented persons have nothing to do with actual living persons. Similarities in names are coincidental and not intended.

All rights reserved.

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Sunfrost fame

––––––––

The year 3423...

More than a full millennium has passed since the Space Army Corps of the Human Worlds was founded and a starship called STAR WARRIOR first set out into the vastness of space to protect the planets populated by humans.

In the meantime, humanity has gone through a phase of extreme expansion. The Federation of Human Worlds has become the Empire of Human Worlds - or officially: The Empire of Humanity. New techniques for faster-than-light transitions and the galaxy-wide wormhole roads of an ancient species called the Old Gods (or >the Exalted<) have made possible the conquest of countless worlds and led to an unprecedented expansion of the human sphere of influence. Distances no longer matter, star empires are no longer closed space territories. Instead, they interpenetrate each other.

At the head of the Empire of Humanity is the MASTERMIND - a genetically optimized, immortal being who was once human but has long since become something else. The MASTERMIND‘S plan is to bring the order of his forward-thinking rule and the ideals of humanity to the galaxy. He unleashes a war of conquest unprecedented in galactic history.

Kealan Sunfrost commands the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO, a battleship of the Space Army Corps. He is a descendant of Captain Rena Sunfrost, who commanded another ship called STAR WARRIOR more than a thousand years earlier.

Kealan's mission is the conquest of new worlds and the destruction of as many warships as possible of the Kalimpan Alliance, in which star kingdoms and worlds of the K'aradan, Qriid, Chgorr, Fulirr, Morrhm, Yroa, Kelradan, Nugrou, Ktoor and some other species have united against humanity's unrestrained drive for conquest.

*

'The idea of Humanity is quite simple: peace, happiness and prosperity for all, everywhere. To this goal is committed that ever-growing starry empire of humanity which grew out of the rather loose confederation of the Human Worlds and henceforth calls itself the Empire of Humanity'.

Admiral Raimondo, on 27.4.2292

(Taken from an inscription on the monument dedicated on Oct. 3, 3423, in Mastermind City, Earth's government complex; original source unsecured.)

––––––––

'We are permanently at war to secure peace. We are constantly expanding the sphere of influence of the Empire of Humanity in order to prepare ourselves for dangers which will arise only in the distant future and which only the strategic foresight of the MASTERMIND is capable of recognizing even now. Fortunately, we have abolished the rule of the popularly elected incompetents and replaced it with the rule of strategic reason as represented by the MASTERMIND. Our principle is future-oriented sustainability, not short-term popularity with a majority of the imperial population. Amazingly, this is the best guarantor of the preservation of individual liberties.''

G.J. Gordon, Executive Secretary of the MASTERMIND from 3410-3429 AD - now disgraced and imprisoned.

––––––––

'There is a threat. It awaits us in the distant future. The future lines of probability make an encounter with this threat seem inevitable, the full extent of which is beyond the comprehension of any man living today. Unless we succeed in forming a unified force out of a large part of the galaxy, this threat will mean the end of all civilization in this part of the universe.

There is evidence that that ancient and still mysterious people we call the Sublime Old Gods, who ruled the galaxy more than a million years ago, also faced this threat - and disappeared.

We have to do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen to us in the same way.'

Words of the MASTERMIND, without dating

*

A battleship...

A space battleship as it could not be bigger, more imposing and more fearsome.

Even the ancient dreadnoughts in those long ago times when the Space Army Corps had been formed to meet the threat of invasion by the aggressive Qriid seemed tiny compared to this colossus.

Kealan Sunfrost was one of the few people of his age who had ever seen such dreadnoughts, even if only in the form of holographic projections. For Kealan had dealt intensively with this time a thousand years ago. This was probably also due to the fact that it was the age of an ancestor of his who had probably made some more or less significant contribution to the fact that mankind today was at least partially able to take over the technological heritage of an ancient species called the Old Gods.

Or also: The sublime ones, as they had allegedly called themselves.

Yes, back in Captain Rena Sunfrost's day, you had it rough, Kealan thought, not for the first time. This slow cucumber flight through the interstitial space - also called the Sandström continuum.

Today, only theoretical physicists know him.

Transitions through hyperspace had become common in thruster technology in the faster-than-light realm.

The fact that sandstrom space technology was still found on many technically backward worlds was another matter. And the warships of the Human worlds were usually equipped with a Sandstrom aggregate to have an additional option for faster-than-light flight besides hyperspace transition. The flight in the interspace - also called Sandström continuum - was much slower than the hyperspace transition, but in some respects also more reliable.

The elongated, shimmering hull of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO emerged from hyperspace. A two-kilometer giant.

A flying fortress, that was this ship. And a guarantee that the expansion of the Empire of Humanity could continue.

Unhindered.

This giant was also called the sword of mankind. And the term was quite appropriate.

Commodore Kealan Sunfrost felt pride in having been given this command.

But on the other hand, he did not doubt that he had earned it.

His strategic skills were exceptional and in his previous missions for the Empire of Humanity he had emphatically demonstrated what he was capable of.

The MASTERMIND appreciated that.

Log function, Kealan said, although actually a thought would have been enough to invoke the function.

The logbook system was calibrated to his brain waves.

But Kealan's head was so full of thoughts at the moment that it was easier for him to bring about the appropriate concentration including the coded brain pattern by a verbal command.

In the past, he was sometimes derisively called the orator for this reason. Because normally no one did it that way. Almost no one.

But Kealan was just different from others.

As already mentioned, he was said to have great strategic talent. And really extraordinarily great. Analyzing reality correctly and as intuitively as possible meant being able to foresee the future to some extent. At least the probable future. Anticipation, that was what mattered. The lightning-fast anticipation of future possibilities. A simulation in the mind that was nevertheless so much faster and more accurate than anything that artificial intelligence had managed in this respect so far.

Kealan was a master at that.

And that is why he had been entrusted with such an important ship as the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO.

But Kealan was far from imagining anything about it. A simple servant of humanity - that's how he saw himself. He brought human rights even to the last corner of the universe. Even there, where no humans lived at all. The principle of humanity was quite broader. It included all humanly minded intelligent life forms. All, which were ready to the cooperation, to the dialogue and to the tolerance.

Those who did not - well, such a way of life, conversely, did not have to expect offers of cooperation or tolerance.

For such cases the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO was there, with her gun batteries.

At some point, as the MASTERMIND had calculated, whose strategic foresight abilities were even more pronounced by a factor of ten thousand than those of a starship captain like Kealan Sunfrost, there would be a close battle with the Ultimate Enemy. The enemy of humanity. And for this moment (which might last a whole age) the MASTERMIND prepared.

And for this battle, the IMPERIUM had to grow.

Grow until it was big enough to stand the fight.

Kealan felt a certain shudder when he thought of the magnitude of this task. His contribution to it would be minimal. Despite the long life spans that medical progress now made possible.

Kealan would hardly live to see the battle against the ultimate enemy.

The MASTERMIND, however, does.

Because the MASTERMIND lived forever.

Kealan began his logbook entry.

This was one of those duties of a starship commander that he did not particularly appreciate.

Even the MASTERMIND had never been able to defeat one enemy of mankind: bureaucracy.

*

From the logbook of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO:

We are on our way to a system that has the designation A-456657 in our catalogs. The most common trivial name of the system is Alandi, named after Gordon Alandi, the leader and founder of the first colony of human adaptationists in the system.

The system has strategic importance and plays a key role in the expansion of the terrestrial sphere of influence.

The Alandi system is inhabited by a majority of adaptive human aborigines, mostly environmental adaptors of their respective worlds. The system's negotiations to join the Kalimpan Alliance are nearing completion. So we have to expect an intervention of the alliance.

The strategic importance of the Alandi system is also given by the rich deposits of some very important raw materials. In particular, the deposits of deuterium and heavy water on Alandi Quintus.

We hope to complete the mission quickly and ensure that human rights and humanity are also respected in the Alandi system and that we can push back the influence of dangerous cults.

gez. Commodore Kealan Sunfrost, Captain in Charge.

*

The ship has dropped out of hyperspace, an artificial voice reported as Kealan Sunfrost lay in his cabin, a book currently being projected onto his retinas that he was receiving over the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO's data network.

Thank you, Kealan said, although he was sure that the AI didn't care at all whether he said thank you or not. But it was the proper thing to do.

Be nice to machines, too, was a common saying. And Kealan had always heeded it. After all, it was written in the famous WORDS OF THE MASTERMIND. And they had almost the status of a holy scripture.

A short time later, Commodore Kealan Sunfrost appeared on the bridge of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO.

Attention, Captain on the bridge! announced an artificial voice, which, however, was indistinguishable from the voice of a real human in terms of tone and modulation.

Kealan Sunfrost settled into the commander's seat.

A Jupiter-sized gas giant was visible on the ship's large main screen. According to the display, 129 moons were counted.

Is there anything new? asked Kealan Sunfrost.

The question was addressed to the first officer, Commander D.M Galveston. Galveston raised his eyebrows. At the end of his left eyebrow, the interface connecting him to the ship's computer was visible.

We observe subspace interference, Galveston said.

Commodore Kealan Sunfrost raised his eyebrows.

There's really only one possible explanation, isn't there? opined Kealan.

We assume that a fleet is approaching and will shortly enter normal space. If the subspace interference exceeds a certain level, then we can assume that they are ships of the new capital class...

Yes, I took note of the reports on that, Kealan said. Through his own interface, the raw data, including corresponding visual representations, was played directly to his retina.

>In addition to the space forces of the individual member peoples of the Kalimpan alliance, the alliance now also maintains a fleet of jointly commanded capital ships commanded from the central world of Larsyrc<, Kealan received the associated information text as a thought pulse. For his part, he turned off this function by a thought pulse. Could be a real nuisance sometimes. Kealan was genetically optimized in many ways - and that meant that he was far less dependent on the support of a cybernetic link to the ship's computer or any other powerful data network for his memory than was the case with non-optimized people.

But non-optimized people were rare in the fleet of the Space Army Corps anyway. Anyone who wanted to make a career there would do well to have been upgraded in some way. Either genetically, biotechnically, medicinally, cybertechnically or nanotechnically. 

Captain, we're getting a transmission from Humanity Intelligence right now, Commander Mendoza said. She was the second officer of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO. Her dark hair was tied into a severe knot hairstyle.

Kealan Sunfrost's rank was that of Commodore. But on board a ship, the commander, regardless of his military rank, was always the captain. The fact that within the Space Army Corps there was also a rank of the same name with the designation Captain (as far as the order of rank was concerned below the Commodore and above the Commander) sometimes caused confusion only among outsiders. But the same phenomenon existed with the Commander. The commander of a military unit was always a commander, regardless of whether he also held that rank or the size of the command. Thus, the reigning MASTERMIND was also the Commander in Chief of the entire Space Army Corps....

What is the content of the message? asked Kealan.

If you put the data lock on external records, I'll play them for you on your interface, Captain, Mendoza said.

The data block for external content served to prevent influence from the enemy side. A battleship like the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO could not be attacked only by guns. Attacks on the computer systems of a space battleship armed and protected to the teeth could be much more effective.

Data lock lifted, Kealan said.

The specially classified data was now transmitted via his cyberinterface and could be retrieved. A positional representation of suspected Kalimpan Alliance fleet units was projected onto his retina.

>These are hyperspace-normal space relative representations<, Kealan took a hint from the system.

This meant that the displayed entities were in hyperspace or Sandstrom interspace and were represented according to a hypothetical instantaneous normal space entry. As if they were in the Einstein universe, when in fact they were currently in faster-than-light flight through a higher-level continuum.

There's a lot going on, Kealan muttered, Release classified information to everyone on the bridge!

Kealan said that out loud.

It was also a thought command that went through his interface to the on-board computer.

>Release granted<, Kealan perceived the corresponding indication of the system.

The position representations then appeared for all to see as a three-D representation floating in the middle of the room.

At the same time, the data was available to bridge personnel on the consoles.

Commander Zimmerman? said Kealan.

Yes, sir?

Your analysis!

Commander Zimmerman was the Tactics and Weapons Officer aboard the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO, making him number four in the onboard hierarchy.

There is significant troop movement from the other side, Zimmerman said. The tactics officer let his fingers slide over a couple of tactile fields on his console. He altered the display slightly with a few thought commands so that its tactical content was easier to grasp. I'd say we've been set up, Captain.

Kealan nodded slightly. He stepped forward a little, took a step toward the projection, and then stopped.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had that thought, he explained.

The strategic importance of this system is obvious, Zimmerman said. People have put some incentives in place up front for the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO to go here.

That's how I would interpret it in hindsight.

Then a great superiority shall await us here, while we lull ourselves into safety, Zimmerman continued.

What the other side couldn't have counted on is the fact that Humanity Intelligence has apparently managed to intercept important data, Kealan said. He then turned to the tracking officer on duty. Lieutenant McGregor?

Sir?

According to your calculations, how long do we have to get ready?

None at all. Enemy units are expected to enter normal space immediately. Initial subspace oscillations have already been detected.

Gun batteries are ready to fire, Zimmerman reported.

The fighter squadrons and combat spacecraft should launch. And do it immediately, Kealan ordered.

First fighter squadron already launched, reported Squadron Commander Doyle, whose job was to command the fighter squadrons and combat spacecraft. Spacecraft have been placed on alert. Launching shortly.

First Alliance units have materialized in normal space, reported Lieutenant McGregor. They are indeed capital ships.

Change course, Kealan ordered, addressing the helmsman, Lieutenant Jörgensen. Receive data on my interface.

Yes, sir! Course data received.

On a projection bubble that had just opened, the planned course was visually displayed. Likewise, the course data of the Alliance ships as well as the fighter squadron units that had just been ejected.

This looks pretty messy, if you don't mind my saying so, Mendoza turned to the commodore. The second officer of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO furrowed her brows.

A superior smile played around Kealan's thin lips.

Do you find, number two?

It's intentional, isn't it?

Tactics.

I understand.

Have you ever been to Earth, Mendoza?

No. I was born in the New Hope system.

On Earth, moths use chaotic flight behavior to bring themselves to safety from their predators, bats, by using it to fool their sonar.

I'm familiar with that, Mendoza said. This tactic has been imitated by 20th century terrestrial fighter pilots. And as for moths, they seem to have spread from Earth to all human worlds where environmental conditions permit their survival.

Captain, we're getting a radio transmission from the opposite side, reported Lieutenant De La Plaza, the communications officer.

Make the connection, lieutenant, Kealan ordered.

It's just a two-dimensional projection, De La Plaza added.

I think all of our imaginations are big enough to think of the commander of the enemy fleet as a three-dimensional being anyway, Kealan opined. After all, we can't assume the Empire's elevated communications standards everywhere.

On one of the screens, which existed beside the emitters for three-dimensional projections also on the bridge of the STAR WARRIOR ADMIRAL RAIMONDO, appeared now first the symbol of the Empire of Humanity and the sign of the MASTERMIND. A sign that commanded reverence on all Human worlds. And beyond it above all fear. Because for the other peoples of the galaxy the term human was something that reminded of dark times and military expansion.

And of oppression.

Especially the latter.

But Kealan Sunfrost was far from adopting this view.

Quite the opposite.

He was a completely loyal follower of this unique star realm. 

The rustle of the universe

––––––––

Far away from Earth, in the sphere of influence of the Kalimpan alliance...

A restless tremor seized Hgrrek's graceful body. It was a reaction of the nerves, signaling the highest emotional excitement. For too long, Hgrrek had had to keep his composure and conceal the true state of his soul.

He was, after all, the first of the Chgorr.

The supreme representative of one of the peoples who had united in the Kalimpan Alliance. The Chgorr resembled butterflies about one meter sixty high, with a very delicate and delicate shape. Despite the fact that they looked very fragile to members of other species, they knew how to defend their skin and had a fleet of armed spaceships. They controlled a sector of space several dozen light years in diameter around the homeworld of Lasraf. Bases and colonies were located on a number of planets.

But the Chgorr people were now at a turning point in their development. Just like the entire Kalimpan alliance.

The crisis was imminent.

Hgrrek felt it with every fiber of his fragile body. Even if many of his people still shied away from this realization -—it was no use closing one's eyes to the inevitable.

Hgrrek emitted a few sounds in the high-frequency range, which not even the fine hearing of a Chgorr was still able to perceive. However, these inaudible sounds had a calming effect on the psyche. They were part of a ritual of the Hgalrrah school of meditation. It was customary for the spiritual and political elite of Lasraf to learn the art of self-control from Hgalrrah