2288: The Skotadian Experiment Read online

  Perhaps the fault on the rebel side was that they never took the Skotadian invasion all that seriously. Or maybe they thought that they could defeat Skotadi in some Matrix style of a fight. Whatever the case may be, it was only after they started to assess Lenkov’s tactics that they realized they must quickly invade or suffer the consequences. But Lenkov prepared for that as well. He figured quite correctly that they would attack by land and not by sea. Once the rebels attacked they fell right into Lenkov’s trap. He bogged them down and then he baited them in sending more troops. Once they did, he used them as bait to send more troops. He wanted them to send a large force, and once they fell for it, he carpet bombed the whole area.

  After suffering from that catastrophic defeat, the rebels realized that they would need to do a massive invasion of the Skotadian sector, and no one was prepared to do that. In the meantime, Omori was building up a new team of VERM agents using her notes and her ideas from back when she was giving lectures. Everything was going well for both of them until Lenkov’s superiors returned and decided to take over. Lenkov was double promoted up to Senior Ensign and was assigned to guarding the naval ports. For the next year and a half, nothing changed for anyone except for Omori.

  When Omori was finished putting her team together, they immediately went to work and went after the Valkyrie ET version of the Matrix. This was actually more of a symbolic move than anything else, but it got the rebels’ attention. The rebels then made the mistake of thinking that they could recapture the Valkyrie Matrix, but they underestimated Omori and her VERM team. At some point Omori discovered circumstantial evidence that told her that the Cross of Mithras document may be hidden somewhere within the servers in the main rebel sector. Working out a deal with Dark Core, both Lenkov and Omori were given the task of retrieving the document.

  Omori’s VERM team hacked all telecommunications and air traffic controls. They knew that it was only temporary. Lenkov then had the Skotadian Air Force come in low and under the radar in case they got it up and running sooner rather than later. They came over the ocean and then would give the main rebel capital a right hook. The prime purpose of this attack was to create a major distraction for the amphibious assault upon the area in which the Cross of Mithras document is believed to be held. Both Lenkov and Omori were part of the amphibious assault group. Once the document was recovered, Lenkov ordered the Skotadian forces back home.

  When Lenkov was promoted to Commander, he, along with Omori, led a massive force into the southern continent to defeat the rebels there. It was the most massive showdown of the entire conflict. Wave after wave of rebel assault could not dislodge Lenkov from the land. With mounting losses and a growing pressure from the public, the rebels sued for peace and signed an armistice. Lenkov, for the last time in his career, was again double promoted to Fleet Captain. (It was at this battle that he earned his nickname.)

  The war on Valkyrie lasted for roughly ten years, and despite the fact that an armistice was signed, the rebels could not get back their most hallowed Valkyrie Matrix. It was not considered negotiable. From that point forward, the rebels remained a thorn in the side of Skotadi. If anything, the war taught them to fight for what you cherish or you will lose everything. Despite the futility of resistance, the rebels never gave up hope that one day they would be set free and have their Matrix back.

  (4)

  Lenkov and Omori went into semi-retirement after the war on Valkyrie concluded. He was in his late-fifties and she was in her mid-forties. Both of them wanted a break from the action as well as to spend some quality time with one another. Shortly there afterwards, a movie was done on their life upon Valkyrie. It was from this movie where Omori got her nickname. It came from a speech that she gave after her VERM agents encrypted the Valkyrie Matrix as well as guaranteeing that anyone who tries to gain access to it would meet their doom. The two of them would spend their semi-retirement giving lectures, guest appearances on the news, staring in movies (cameo roles), being an adviser on the movie set, and writing several books.

  Apart from their somewhat love affair being in the limelight, the two of them led a peaceful and quiet life. They spent their time studying, watching educational videos and movies, and enjoying nature, but mostly planning for their future. Throughout their twenty years of semi-retirement, they would periodically get cybernetic implants. Once they came out of that retirement, they were full cyborgs with no biological parts.

  Fifteen years into their retirement, the Valkyrie rebels made another attempt at freedom. But this time around neither Lenkov nor Omori would get involved. They rightfully saw that the rebels did not stand a chance. But Dark Core was in “panic” mode and “asked” both of them to go and deal with the rebels. Despite the saying that you never say no to Dark Core, both Lenkov and Omori did.

  After the rebels’ second defeat, they made three more attempts up to the year 2286. Each time Dark Core asked Lenkov and Omori to do something about it, and each time they would give a very sensible “no”. Both of them became the first couple (or individuals for that matter) to tell Dark Core no four times in a row. For some insane reason, Dark Core cared too much about permanently pacifying Valkyrie. Lenkov and Omori could see that it was more of a cultural issue than political, economic, or military. Although they knew it not to be the case, both of them would ask the question if Dark Core wanted them to be the butcher of Valkyrie.

  As the year 2300 drew nearer it was becoming increasingly obvious that Dark Core was having trouble governing itself. To those who were well connected, it proved to them that Dark Core was a lie in the sense that they never go into the Dark Id but expect others to go into it instead. If that was the case then it would prove a lot in their decision making. They made many erratic, conflicting, confusing, irrational, and temperamental moves, and often became absolutely obsessive (such as with Valkyrie) with what they otherwise wouldn’t. It would also help to explain why Dark Core kept on trying to micromanage Skotadi.

  Skotadi was always based upon using advanced AI and computer algorithms to govern itself, but it also possessed within itself software that could self-correct any flaws that may occur within those AI and computer algorithms. Jason M. Idelle was the one who created that type of software, and nobody fully understands how it works[7].

  Skotadi was never something that could be successfully micromanaged. So the only thing that would make sense was that none of the members of Dark Core ever went into their so-called resting place. Given Dark Core’s actions, they were unknowingly rendering themselves obsolete.

  (5)

  While on Andromeda in the year 2264 a decision was made concerning when the construction of a ship would begin. Because the ship was highly experimental, it would not be given the traditional classification code. Instead it would be given a code that denotes the basics of the ship. The first letter (B) denoted that it would either be a Heavy Battle Cruiser or a Battleship. The number (10 [thousand]) denoted the maximum number of crew that it could hold. And finally the last letter (U) denoted that it was an unknown class. Lenkov and Omori loved the classification code (B10U) since it sounded like “beating you” and it rhymed with doom. And the decision? Wait until Lenkov’s birthday to begin construction upon the ship. He wouldn’t have cared either way.

  Normally it would take six years to build that type of a ship, but since technology from the Andromeda ET civilization would be used, it would add an additional five years to the construction. Mostly in the form of testing the reversed engineered technology. Although the ship could have been commissioned a few months before her birthday, it was decided that it would be bumped up to Omori’s birthday. Because of the start and finish date on the construction of the ship, it became the sole reason why it was named after Lenkov and Omori.

  “What . . . on my birthday?” Omori had then jokingly added.

  “Might as well name it after us then,” Lenkov jokingly responded.

  “Not a bad idea.”

  Although neither the name nor the cl
assification code was ever considered to be permanent, they stuck with it since is sounded so quintessentially Lenkov and Omori.

  After the ship was commissioned and the crew was fully trained, it was ordered to the Wol’ga’con home world to assist in the containment of the Hive. Once there, seeing at least three fleets of Hive vessels, the Hammer of Doom jumped right into the fight. It was so outgunned that it looked suicidal to all who saw it. Of course, the media was there as well. None of the Skotadian ships ever wanted to fight the Hive out of fear of becoming a part of the Hive. They were in a good defensive position, and the Hive had nothing but junkers[8]. The Hammer of Doom destroyed one fleet and was well on it’s way to destroying another when multiple Skotadian ships decided to jump into the fight. The Hive not only lost all of its ships, but the Skotadian fleet was able to get all of its planetary bombardment vessels to the world.

  Lenkov should have been promoted to Commodore after the victory on the Wol’ga’con home world, but he wasn’t. Someone within the Skotadian High Command was stymieing the promotion. (If he was promoted, chances were the Hammer of Doom would stay put as opposed to being sent to Golden Hyperion.) Shortly after the victory, the Hammer of Doom was sent to Golden Hyperion and then was ordered back.

  The message to Lenkov stated, “We, the Dark Core, would like to congratulate you on your stunning victory. We would also like to inform you that we have reviewed your records, and we have some great news! Because you were consistently correct upon your stance upon Valkyrie, you should have been promoted to Commodore a long time ago. And because you have successfully stopped the hated Necro-Mystics from gaining control over Andromeda, you should have been promoted to that of Rear Admiral Lower.

  “Your current victory, combined with the lives that you have saved, have indeed earned you the rank of Vice Admiral! Congratulations! But before we can give you your promotion, we have one last assignment for you. We need you to go back and keep Golden Hyperion secure. We look forward to seeing you at the awards ceremony. And once again, congratulations.”

  He didn’t believe a word of it. It had nothing to do with the prospect of being promoted, and it sounded too much like a trap.

  (6)

  In the year 2280 on Andromeda, Omori was heading to a science lab to look at her new robot. This robot was nowhere near as sophisticated as she was, but Omori would have it no other way. Especially given the “brains” that had just been downloaded into it.

  “How’s my Count of Monte Cristo?” Omori asked the robot.

  “Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke?” the robot asked. It had a female voice.

  “Or maybe I was stating the obvious. You are imprisoned in there. But I guess the real question should be . . . if let out, will you seek vengeance?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Or maybe I should ask your boyfriend . . . Alexander Ramirez.”

  “I don’t date Skotadian scum.”

  “Come now Maria . . . you should know better than that. In the Id there are no secrets from the VERM,” Omori responded. She then showed Maria a video that showed both her and Ramirez in a lovers’ embrace.

  “What’s going to be done with him?” Maria Sadowayj asked, sounding dejected.

  “I don’t know. You tell me. He did supposedly kill you. So I guess that’s a plus. Ain’t it? Unless someone were to see that video. Right?”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “First of all,” Omori began. She then held up her right hand and a hologram ball appeared, floating over her palm. The ball had binary running along it. “This is your SIN. But the SIN within you denotes that you are VERM. Now come with me.”

  Omori then led Maria to a different part of the lab complex. Once there, Maria could tell that it could create clones. On a table was her corpse. It was at that point that she fully understood her situation. No hope of escape. She was just a prisoner against her will with no way to rebel. Perhaps she should be grateful. After all, she was slowly losing her mind in the Dark Id. The safe guards that allowed a person’s mind to make sense of the binary in the Dark Id would not apply to someone without a body. The safe guards needed to “see” a person’s SIN to know whether or not the person is sick, injured, or worse, dying. So how could it see the dead? And thus, over the course of time, a person’s mind would begin to see only the binary in the Dark Id. What of sound? There is no sound in the Id. Only binary that the mind “hears”.

  “I’m the only VERM agent upon this world and you are the individual whose skills are the closest to being the same as mine. I need you to test the security systems on this new type of ship being built here. This means I’m going to have to train you as a VERM agent. I don’t know how it will be done, but if you serve us, me and Joseph that is . . . then somehow, someway, we will eventually let you go,” Omori informed her. Maria only nodded her head in compliance.

  (7)

  The Hammer of Doom was in a communicational blind spot at Ishtar. No one on Golden Hyperion could detect them. Not even Galactic Prime, which hadn’t arrived. They sneaked back in the same way they had sneaked out. When they were ordered back to Golden Hyperion, they left a communicational probe traveling at the same speed as them. It would also take the same route that a ship normally would to get there. Once the probe was launched, they then traveled back to Golden Hyperion at top speeds so that they could get there as quickly as possible[9]. They had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time in an effort to plan for what comes next.

  During one of the ten minute communicational blackouts of the TIA starbase, engineers led by Lieutenant Commander North got on board the starbase to reprogram the robots there. Afterward, they began to go to work on the servers and other equipment there so that the Hammer of Doom would be in complete control of the starbase. Using the power of the TIA starbase communicational array, they could trick everyone into assuming that the probe was their exact location if anybody were to contact them. Two things occurred that hid that deception: Commodore Parker, and the Skotadian High Command confirming Lenkov’s request concerning the events on Roscadia. They were going to call him up to ask him some questions so that they could triangulate the Hammer of Doom’s position. No one suspected a thing.

  “How’s my Count of Monte Cristo?” Omori asked Sadowayj. Maria was in the lobby staring out the window.

  “Cramped. I’m ready for a walk,” Maria responded[10].

  “There’s an airlock nearby. Knock yourself out.”

  “What did you want?”

  “I just wanted to let you know that Galactic Prime just arrived.”

  “And you’re telling me this because . . .”

  “I know that you know that Ramirez is on board. So I thought that you would like to know that the ship just arrived,” Omori responded and then left.

  Maria felt trapped with no way out. Like a person lying in their grave and seeing the walls coming tumbling down. The one thing that gave her hope, seeing Ramirez again, now felt like some cruel twist of fate. Why did it have to be him on that ship? Each moment weighed more heavily upon her, crushing her heart. She almost felt like she was about to cry. But she couldn’t, even if she wanted to.

  “Now hear this! Galactic Prime is now in orbit over Golden Hyperion! Our mission has now officially begun!” the male voice announced over the ship’s intercom system.

  At that point in time, Maria felt her world spinning out of control. Within her mind, she began to go over every little nuance within what Task Force ZH-3C would do. Having a clearer picture than the team, this told her that at best it would be a hard fight. That chances are, the Marines will have to come to the rescue. It told her that Ramirez may die down there. But she also knew that Lenkov and Omori never told her everything, especially when Intel was concerned. And this time around they’d been extra secretive around her. Maybe there still was a glimmer of hope.

  “Hope, the cruelest of delusions,” Maria said to herself. She then lean forward and placed her head on the glass an
d waited.

  I Can Smell Your Fear

  (1)

  Galactic Prime had just dropped off Task Force ZH-3C and then left to hide near Ishtar’s rings. Mad Dawg felt a bit dejected since Colonel McIntyre and his team was not at the pick-up location. But he knew his friend quite well, so he knew that McIntyre would have a very strong reason for not being there. He also knew that Task Force ZH-3C would be on the lookout for him. The professional within him had to be concerned, because after all, you never know what fate has in store.

  “Sir, you’re urgently needed on the bridge,” Second Lieutenant Murphy informed Mad Dawg over the intercom app on his cell phone. Mad Dawg was in the lobby when he received the call.

  “What’s up Murphy?” Mad Dawg asked when he got to the bridge.

  “Sir, I think that either we were hacked or we are being tracked.”

  “What!? Why do you think that?”