Robert was not the only one dreaming that evening.
Obersturmbannführer Erik Fassbinder looked up at the ceiling of his spartan quarters on the Eichmann, the modified Aryan-class dreadnought under total Schutzstaffel control. The dreams felt so real. The Reich in victory. Fassbinder standing over the broken forms of the Aurora's crew, over others, a Multiverse awaiting their conquest.
Fassbinder was interrupted by a knock on his door. He called out for whomever it was to enter. When he noticed Eicke coming in, clad in his uniform, he stood up and saluted, receiving the customary salute in reply. He was self-conscious of his own state of undress, sleeping shorts and a sleeveless shirt that did nothing to hide the rippling muscle of his perfect physique. "Herr Oberführer, my apologies for…"
"Nein." Eicke waved him off. "I am unoffended. Have I interrupted your sleep?"
"Nein."
"Good. I thought you should know that we have the Aurora on long-range sensors."
Fassbinder grinned. "Are there any vessels escorting them?"
"None that we can read. We must assume they have docked their one gunboat escort, of course. But that they are alone is a great boon to our purpose."
"Then we are in position? We are ready?"
"We are. Once they show us how to access the mound's secrets, you and your team will go in." Eicke smiled viciously. "And I will take revenge for the Aurora helping those Juden escape their end."
"Of course, Herr Oberführer."
Fassbinder had a question on his mind. And his expression must have shown that, as Eicke stated, "What is on your mind, Obersturmbannführer?"
"Questions, Herr Oberführer. About our foes."
"Ah?"
Fassbinder looked over to his desk. Reports were displayed digitally there. "Undoubtedly you have heard of the false Humans among them? These… 'Gersallians'?"
"I have. They will face their fate in the ovens when the day comes."
"Indeed. But there is something interesting about them. Them, and those elven species, the Dorei I believe they are." Fassbinder picked up one of the digital readers and handed it to Eicke. "Have you seen the reports about some of the battles with them?"
"I have read of our victories," Eicke boasted. "I have not bothered with further analysis. Untermensch are untermensch, we will crush them all."
Fassbinder knew he had to tread carefully at this point. "It is said some wield strange powers. To influence minds, to move with great speed, and to predict the near-future with sufficient accuracy to deflect weapons fire."
Eickle laughed at that. "Superstition from conscripts in the Wehrmacht. Nothing more. If anything, it is undoubtedly technical trickery."
"Our comrades in the Waffen SS have confirmed reports, though. On the world of Gamar, an entire platoon was held back by one of these beings." Fassbinder showed an image of a Gersallian in a blue robe over purple armor. A blade shining light blue was in his hands. "Their elimination of the alien populace on Gamar was prevented by his attacks. The reports are…"
"...technical trickery," Eicke remarked dismissively. "Fassbinder, do not tell me you accept these tales. To think that untermensch" - even Fassbinder was stunned at how much venom and hate Eicke could manage to pack into the term, it was truly impressive even by SS standards - "could wield power not available to an Aryan? It is laughable."
"But what if it is available to us?", Fassbinder asked. "What if we have never found it because we have never needed it. But they, weak as they are, did find it, and use it? Imagine how great it would make us if we discovered it as well? If even such aliens are made powerful by it, how powerful would we be? None could deny the supremacy of the Race. All of the dreams of the Founders for our Race could be fulfilled, sir…"
Eicke answered with a "humph" sound. "I doubt it, Fassbinder. But there is reason in your words. It is something to… consider, at least. But focus on the task at hand first. Our victory will be won or lost with this battle, Captain."
Fassbinder answered that with an enthusiastic salute and "Heil Sauckel!". He held his arm up longer and added, "I will depart for the surface immediately, Herr Oberführer."
"Sieg Heil, Obersturmbannführer. The future of the Reich, of the entire Aryan Race, is in your hands. Do the Führer proud!"
It was not often when Julia regretted saying something.
Now she was.
You promised to trust him. And to support his decisions. You even encouraged him to follow his instincts! Julia thought these things while Robert finished the morning paperwork while in his field action uniform. "So you're certain?", she asked.
The look in his eyes was all the answer she needed. He added to it with a nod. "I am. As certain as I've been of anything."
"You know how bad this is going to look," Julia pointed out. "You are the commanding officer of this ship. If a command officer is going in the field, it's supposed to be me. Remember how it nearly went when you went after Potano? And that wasn't even a guaranteed combat situation."
"I know." He nodded. Robert hit a final key and stood up. He drew in a breath. "I wouldn't leave you in this position, Julia, if I wasn't absolutely certain of myself. But I am. Every fiber of my being, every part of my heart and soul, is saying that if I don't go down there today, we lose. We all die, the Nazis get the Facility, the Multiverse burns. We have to stop it."
Julia sighed at that and leaned against his table. If her hair wasn't back in a ponytail it would have flowed over her shoulders. "You know King might be able to give this to Davies."
"Yeah. Let her." Robert frowned. "God damn Davies. That's what it's been about, all of this time. He's paranoid about the Gersallians, about their Order of Swenya, and he's lashing out over it. But we can't help that. It won't matter if the Nazis get all of that Darglan technology." He rounded the desk and stood beside Julia, who straightened to her full height. At just over six feet she was arguably an inch or two taller than he was. Their eyes met. "Your place is up here, Julie," he said. His use of her childhood nickname made it clear that he was being very personal. "In that chair, keeping the ship safe, and winning against whatever they throw at us."
She nodded. "Yeah. But…" She smiled thinly. "Robby, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be Captain. But I can't do it at your expense. And this… it almost feels like that. You're worried you'll make a bad call in that chair and that we'll die from it. So you're asking me to take over, even if it weakens your own position as Captain of this ship."
That was a hard point to dispute. It would certainly look that way, after all. Robert shook his head, though, and said, "I'm not doing it for that. Not over 33LA and my call there or anything like that. I'm doing this because I know where I need to be today, and I know I can be there because you'll be up here."
The only way Julia could reply was with a nod. "Alright," she finally said. "You'd better get going then."
He nodded at that and walked out of the ready room. She followed. The bridge crew had taken their posts by this time, save Angel, with Ensign al-Rashad taking Science due to Caterina going down. Mataran, the Gersallian ensign, was at Engineering. But Nick Locarno and Jarod were in their proper places, and both looked intently at her as she nodded to Robert and took the command chair. He went on to the lift.
"Captain Dale is going down to Gamma Piratus 3," she informed everyone. "I'll be in command for this operation."
"Understood, Commander," Locarno said. He looked to Jarod, who smiled thinly and shook his head before turning his attention back to the Operations board.
Angel kept pace beside Caterina. She felt intensely frustrated at it all. Robert was going down, Cat had to… and she would have to stay up here at Tactical. And every time she looked at Cat, wearing the field action uniform with pants instead of her preferred skirt, it just rubbed it in more. "I wish I was going down," she finally said.
"Angel, we'll be fine," Cat insisted. "Meridina's going, Lucy's going, Kane and his Marines… and you know how strong Shepard and Worf are, and they'll be there too! Robert and I will be okay!"
Angel shook her head. "I know. I know what you're saying. But…" She clenched her fists. "I know."
They entered the Transporter Station, Number 1, and Robert and some of the others were waiting. Worf and Data were in Starfleet uniforms specially made to be like their own action uniforms, provided by the ship's armorer and the Starfleet uniform replicator pattern. Shepard was in her dark gray combat armor with the N7 mark prominent on the right side of the chest. Robert was in a field action uniform - the first time Angel had seen him in it - while Meridina was in her purple armor with blue robe.
As was Lucy. Angel stared in surprise at that. Lucy was dressed up like Meridina.
"We're ready," Robert said to Caterina. "Kane and his Marines are in the other Transporter Stations, ready to beam down when we do."
Cat nodded. She turned and gave Angel a tight hug. "I love you, Angel. I'll be back, don't worry!"
"I always worry about you. You're my crazy little sister after all." Angel gave her a kiss on the forehead, at Cat's hairline. "Be careful."
"I will," she answered.
Angel looked to Robert and walked up to him. He took her into his arms and they shared a brief kiss. "You too," she said.
He nodded in reply.
Everyone was taking up positions on the transporter. As they did so, Worf looked back to Angel. He nodded. "I will take care of them. On my honor."
"Thank you, Commander Worf," Angel answered. She nodded to the petty officer manning the transporter.
He pressed his controls. White light surged around them and whisked them away.
Angel took in a breath to steady her emotions and left. It was time for her to report to the bridge.
The air was cool where they beamed down. It reminded Robert of crisp fall days in harvest time, when you had to wear long-sleeved sweaters to keep the cold off while working the harvesters or organizing the bushels.
Their environs consisted of blue-green grass and undergrowth in an open valley. Tall snow-topped peaks towered in all directions. Data had not been kidding about the location's fitness for anti-space defenses. He was at the front of the group with Worf, Caterina, and Shepard, holding out a Starfleet tricorder. Cat had her own scanner device, a detachable scanner from her personal multidevice, in her right hand. Worf was carrying a sleek-looking Federation phaser rifle and Shepard had an Avenger assault rifle in her hands.
Kane and his people were also carrying their arms. Corporal Ijala had his sniper rifle slung on his back. Lucy and Meridina had no weapons held, content with the pulse pistols and weapon hilts on their belts. Pulse pistols were also in the hilts of the engineers toward the rear of their group, surrounded by more of Kane's Marines. A count told Robert they had at least fifty people present. And the Aurora would send down more if they sent the signal to do so.
As they ascended the mound, Robert felt a sensation. An unease. What was it?
"I am detecting some form of pressure plate sensor," Data noted as they reached the top of the mound. He knelt in the grass and brushed it around until a brown patch of material was showing. "I am not showing any indication of how to operate it."
"Lucy and I have activated them before," Robert noted. He looked over to Meridina. "Meridina, why don't you try this time?"
She nodded at him and stepped up beside Cat and Data. She knelt down and pressed a hand against the plate. After several moments she stood again. "Nothing is happening. Perhaps I need to put weight upon it?"
"Hold that thought." He turned to Lucy. "Lucy, why don't you step down with the others? That way if it brings us along you can start relaying them in?"
Lucy nodded at that. "I will." She moved away from the crown of the mound.
Once she was clear, Meridina applied weight to her foot on the panel.
For a few moments, Robert thought it might not be working. But there was a sudden surge of light from the crown of the mound that encircled them.
The mound, the outside, it all disappeared. Dull light surrounded them. Robert could smell the stale air and dust of centuries. A distant thrum indicated that long-dormant life support systems were activating.
"I will never get used to that," Caterina squeaked.
Data held up his tricorder. "I am detecting a dimensional disturbance consistent with a dimensionally transcedental field."
"Sounds about right," Robert murmured, stepping forward. A large door loomed ahead. A light erupted from the area above it and moved over him. After several seconds, the light flashed blue and the door slid open. "Here we go."
Robert's heart was pounding with excitement. After all of this time, all of this searching… they were here. Another Facility. The legacy of the Darglan species was everywhere in these walls.
Kane and Shepard stepped in first with weapons at standby positions. Data and Worf followed up and Caterina and Meridina behind them. Robert tapped the commkey on his device. "Dale to Lucero."
"Lucero here."
"It's open. Start sending people down."
"Okay."
Robert turned to the side of the door. Beyond them the walls wwere sheened with azure color and dim lights. The entire Facility was remaining in low power mode. The Control AI wasn't even responding yet. He looked to the side of the door and saw there was a control. "Huh." He put a hand on it and a holo-display appeared. After several moments the alien figures it was displayed transformed into Latin characters. English language controls appeared. He hit one to hold the door open. "Commander Kane, keep two of your people here. Their job is to hold the door open until we're all inside. Or Nazis beam in. Then they need to close it right up."
Kane nodded. Behind him, the transporters lit up. Lucy appeared with several Marines and engineers behind her. He started barking orders.
"This place is a little spooky, isn't it?", Cat murmured. "I mean, it's dark and not as nice-looking."
"Maybe it's the way they left it when they deactivated it," Robert pondered aloud. He motioned onward. "Come on. Let's go check the central control area."
They advanced onward. Cat and Data kept scanning. Worf and Shepard looked around at the silent halls with weapons at the ready. Behind them Meridina was looking around. "This place…" She shook her head. "It is not like your Facility was."
"Oh?"
"No. There is a sense of… terror here. An old feeling of loss and worry."
"Maybe this was one of the last Facilities the Darglan left? We heard from their recording that they were forced to give up interuniversal travel by other races. Probably the First Ones of their home universe given what we found on their homeworld." Cat looked back briefly. "I mean, that would make anyone feel lost and worried."
"I suppose," Meridina stated. But Robert could tell her heart wasn't in the reply. She thought this was something more.
And he had to admit… so did he.
They found the control chamber where they had expected it. The lights were still low, as if the Facility was not bothering to recognize their presence. It gave the entire chamber a foreboding look. The windows that would have shown the internal dock were covered by blast doors. Cat moved over to one of the panels like the one she'd often used back in the day and ran a hand over it. Nothing happened. "One of you needs to activate it," she said to Robert and Meridina.
Robert stepped up to the central control. He put a hand on it.
Nothing happened.
"It is possible the Darglan altered their access protocols compared to the Facility you once inhabited," Data pointed out.
Robert shook his head. "Then why did it let us in? Why would the system recognize us enough to let us in but not to activate for us?"
"Maybe it's some sort of extra security?", Cat suggested.
Over Gamma Piratus, the Starship Aurora continued her quiet orbit. The smaller Sladen was nearby, cloaked, ready to protect the larger ship if it came to it.
There were bursts of light and energy from along the ship's drive hull, along its highest decks. A flight of Mongoose starfighters erupted from the Aurora launch tubes. In the lead fighter, Lieutenant Commander Patrice Laurent, the Aurora's CAG, looked back at his compatriots. One of his alien pilots, the Kerbal Lieutenant Jebediah Kerman, was on his right wing, ready to execute whatever insane maneuver that could cross the little green alien's mind in a fire fight. To his left wing were two more Mongoose fighters under the control of Lieutenant Gwen Skydancer - a brilliant young woman from the Sirian League who stood out among Laurent's pilots from her richly-colored purple hair and striking green eyes - and her Gersallian wingman Ensign Lerisl. "Beginning system patrol, Aurora," Laurent stated.
"Confirmed," was the quick reply from Jarod.
"Eyes front, everyone," Laurent ordered. He considered his course toward the first of the inner planets. The patrol wouldn't take long at all.
"I read you, sir," was Skydancer's answer.
The final group was gathering on the mound around Lucy. She looked down at the pressure plate they'd found. It was well-hidden, certainly, and if they hadn't been looking for it they might never have found it.
Lucy took in a breath. She was distracting herself with that thought. The truth was, she was concerned. There was something wrong. She looked around the clearing the mound was in and to the wood lines beyond, wood lines going up into the mountains that surrounded the valley.
Is there something out there?, she thought. Instinctively her hand settled onto her new lakesh. But she didn't pull it out.
"Sir?"
The young engineer, a male Dorei of blue coloring and teal spotting, was giving Lucy an uncertain look. She nodded at him and put a foot on the pressure plate. The transporter built into the mound whisked them away.
On the other end the door was being held open. The engineers and security people in the group followed her inside, where the Marines dutifully closed the door upon their entry. "There should be a common room nearby," she noted. "We'll set up the transport enhancers there."
While she was speaking, Lucy felt a cold chill go through her. There was something about this place. Something… wrong.
Cat and Data were hard at work on the control panels. Robert looked away from them and to the holo-screen displaying Julia's face up on the Aurora. "We're still not sure why the computer systems aren't coming on." he looked about. "This place isn't like our old one. It feels dark and unpleasant."
"We're ready to start beaming down more personnel to help examine everything," Julia said.
"Just another security and engineering team. We already have plenty of people down here as it is. There's no point in giving us more."
"Agreed." Julia looked offscreen for a moment. Jarod was apparently speaking to her. "Jarod says we can try a remote connection to the Facility. Maybe there's a way to activate its systems if we use the Aurora computer."
"Cat and Data should have the hook-up to our tertiary cores done soon. You'll find out quickly if it works." Robert looked to the others. Meridina had a pensive look to her. Shepard had her assault rifle still at hand, like at any moment violence would erupt. "Keep in touch if anything changes. Dale out." He ended the call.
The door opened and Lucy entered. Like Robert and Meridina, she was particularly jumpy. "So, am I the only one getting the creeps from this place?', she asked.
"You are not," Meridina said.
"It's hard to believe the Darglan changed this much between Facilities."
"Any sign of their scout ships? Or another Emergency Ship?"
"We won't know until Cat and Data can access the computers." Robert gestured to the blast shields that had been lowered over the viewing ports that would have shown the internal docks. "The lifts are locked down."
"There are still the tubes, though, right? Maybe I should go set the scuttling charges just in case?"
Robert thought on that. He was still hoping that they could secure the Facility and keep it. But it was best not to assume anything. He nodded to Lucy and looked to Kane. "Commander Kane, Commander Worf, please take a team and join Lieutenant Lucero on planting the naqia charges on the DT field machinery."
"Yes sir." Kane nodded to Lucy and followed her out. He started barking orders to the Marines outside.
With Kane and Worf gone, Shepard and Meridina remained as commanders of their bodyguard contingent. The former seemed less plussed than the latter. Her assault rifle remained at ease in her arms. "So you're saying this place isn't as welcoming as it should be?", she asked.
"Exactly," Robert answered. Why, though? Why does this place fill me with dread? What happened here?
Julia waited patiently for further updates in the Aurora command chair. Everyone was busy at their stations. Locarno kept the ship in stable orbit, Jarod was busy working the computers… everything was it should be.
This part of the job was not the easy part. Friends were off in an unknown situation and all she could do was sit, watch, and wait. She could tell Robert felt uncertain and worried whenever he spoke. What was wrong down there?
"Laurent to Aurora. Sweep of second planet finished. We are heading to the first planet."
"We read you, Able Leader," she answered.
Jarod looked back at her. "I think I'm in."
Julia sat up straight. "You can access the Darglan computer core in the new Facility?"
"I think so. You'll know in a minute if I can't." Jarod went to work. "Activating the data relay and tying it into the tertiary computer core."
Several seconds passed with nothing happening.
Naturally, it was only when Julia began to relax that everything went crazy.
The lights on the control surfaces activated. "The relay is functioning," Data stated. "The computers are coming online."
After several moments a holographic figure popped into existence above the central station. It had the orange coloring and tall skull of a Darglan. It spoke in an alien language, and those words were auto-translated. "Unauthorized access detected. Damage to computer systems not repaired, cannot implement proper Control procedures. Reverting to prior commands. Re-initializing quarantine procedures."
The screens locked down and showed a simple countdown. Caterina swallowed. "That's not good," she said.
"What?"
"The system's triggering something through the Facility power systems."
"It would appear to be a powerful burst, although I cannot determine what energy would be found within." Data looked up from his tricorder. "But at the projected levels, it will cause fatal cellular damage to everyone in the Facility."
"Then stop it," Robert insisted. "Try to wake up the AI, let us know we're friendly…"
"Aurora to Dale. Whatever you're doing down there, you need to stop!"
Robert quickly answered Julia with a "What? What's wrong?"
"Something's getting into the computer systems. It's trying to trigger our self-destruct!"
Statistics: Posted by Steve — 2016-05-28 09:02am