New Game Plus: Sigma Star Saga
Chapter 3
Returning to the lander segment of the starbase wasn't precisely difficult, but it took time. Unfortunately, Psyme had had to contact the orbiting portion of the starbase to inform them of our victory, meaning that we were almost certainly being watched. As such, we couldn't talk freely, and the hour-long walk back stretched to an eternity.
When we got back, I headed straight to Bloss to report, while Psyme stayed behind, ostensibly to process the data we had retrieved. When I entered Bloss's office, he greeted me with a smile on his rotund face.
"Recker, come over here!"
"Yes, sir?"
While I had mentally prepared to meet Bloss, one of the millions of people who had died in the Cataclysm, it was still something of a shock to have it actually happen, as if nothing unusual had happened. Of course, from his perspective, nothing had.
"You wiped out a solid mile of human scum! Far as I'm concerned, you're good as Krill."
"Uh…thank you, sir."
"Which is why it disappoints me to see it end here."
"End? What do you mean?" I feigned surprise, but I knew what was coming.
"Relax, kid. I'm trying to tell you you've been promoted."
"Really?"
"Krill High Command reviewed the readings from the Earth Mine the moment we got them. Said it was exactly what they needed. Destroying the human infestation put you over the top. I'm finally in with the chief mucky mucks now, thanks to you. They won't forget my name after today. And I'll make sure I remember yours."
"Thank you, sir. May I ask where I'm being promoted to?"
"For starters, hold onto that scanning tool, you'll need it. You're heading to Starbase 2. It's stationed in orbit above a fire planet. And find Psyme. I'm throwing her into the deal. She'll be someone else's problem for a change."
"You mean mine." I grinned, "I think I can manage."
"That's the spirit, good lad! Just…watch your back. Not everyone will accept that a human can be as good as a Krill."
"Yes, sir, I understand."
Bloss made a gesture of dismissal, and I left. Just as his door closed behind me, I heard a noise inside my head.
"Recker! This is one-way audio only. I need to speak with you in the Comm Room."
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I hated Tierney. He'd died just before the Cataclysm, but had he lived, he would have been convicted of a list of crimes longer than my arm. But I had to contact him, or he'd just keep buzzing the radio implant in my head. Also, Psyme and I had planned for this, and I smiled slightly as I went to find the Comm Room.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Commander Tierney? Commander Tierney, come in!"
"You got my signal. Good."
"Yes. Yes I did." I let a hint of my anger show to aid my deception. "It nearly blew my cover, but yes, I did get your signal."
"What? Blew your cover? But how-?" Tierney looked shocked.
"Almost. I was just leaving Bloss's office. If you had called a single minute earlier, you would have reached me while I was talking with him. I'll let you imagine for yourself the potential consequences of that happening."
He blinked for a moment, digesting this.
"I see. My apologies, Recker."
"Right. Apology accepted- as long as you don't do it again," I lied. "When I have something to report, I'll call you as soon as I safely can." Another lie. "I've been promoted, or maybe just transferred, to another location, a starbase orbiting a volcanic planet, mostly because I slaughtered a bunch of humans digging a mine on a Krill-controlled planet." I paused, as if a thought had just struck me, before continuing, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Tierney sighed. "Yes, Recker, I know. I initiated that operation to get that geological data, likely the same data the Krill are searching for. We believe this data to be key to the Krill development of a planet-killing superweapon. For what it's worth, you did what you had to do."
"Alright, Commander. I don't like it, but I'll keep on the job. Just remember, I'll report when I have something and it's safe- don't signal me unless it's a matter of life or death. Recker out."
I waited a moment as the connection shut down, then exhaled heavily in relief.
"I think he bought it. Yep, that's me, Ian Recker, obedient little pawn. Heh."
I stretched, then went to go find Psyme and take the shuttle to Starbase 2.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Upon reaching Starbase 2, Psyme and I were ordered to report to the Commander's office. I was to go first.
"Recker, reporting for duty!"
"Welcome to Starbase 2, Mister Recker. You will address me as Commander Zelly. You will find that I run a very tight ship, unlike your previous Commander's putrid animal stable. He briefed you on the purpose of your transfer?"
Zelly had been one of the highest-ranking Krill survivors of the Cataclysm, and had been integral to the reconstruction of Krill. She hadn't changed a bit in the 38 years since the Cataclysm.
"He said I was being promoted, that my assault on the human mining operation pleased High Command."
"Hmph. A transfer and a promotion are two very different things, Mister Recker. You should know that I read all about how you came to be in Bloss's service. A crack pilot found clinging to life in a human prison ship. Rather unconventional way to join our ranks, wouldn't you say?"
"Maybe. What's the conventional way for humans to join the Krill armada?"
"A valid point. However, the very fact that you are human makes me wonder if I can trust you. Can you be relied upon to obey orders? Even if they bring you into conflict with your own kind?"
"Commander Zelly, I have already been in conflict with my own kind. I assume you read Bloss's full report on me, including the part where I attacked a mining operation run by 'my own kind'? Not to mention the fact that I was put in a maximum-security prison cell and sent off into space by 'my own kind'?"
"Oh, I know all that," Zelly waved dismissively, "but the fact remains that you're human, not Krill. As such, some level of distrust is warranted."
"Fair enough. Did you bring me here to keep an eye on me?"
"I didn't bring you here at all. The order came from the Tyrannical Overlord himself."
"And if Krill military bureaucracy is anything like the human version, the order didn't come with anything like an explanation, right?"
"Correct. However, regardless of why you're here, you will follow my orders. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly."
"Good. We are to continue the geological survey work begun on the forest planet by Commander Bloss. Blune will fill you in. He'll be commanding the mission"
Doubtless acting on some prearranged signal, Blune walked in.
"Don't be expecting any special treatment, Recker. I'd just as soon see you dead and out of my hair."
"I hope you don't mind if I try to avoid that particular fate. At least the dead part of it."
Zelly cut in before the conversation could escalate.
"Blune, please bring Psyme in for her briefing. Recker, you're free to tour the starbase. Your quarters are at the end of the hall. Dismissed."
Blune and I both left.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Half an hour later, I was standing at the comm station, speaking to Commander Tierney again.
"Well, sir, I've got some news for you. First off, I've begun establishing a rapport with one of the female Krill officers, which may pay off in the future. Second, I'm currently in orbit around a volcanic planet, and the Krill are intending to do another geological survey. Possibly due to my experience on the forest planet, they want me to come along. Third, my new commanding officer is much more strict than Bloss. I wouldn't be surprised if she presses for a more thorough check of my story. Any suggestions on how to handle that?"
"We've recently discovered a piggybacked signal on AEF's lines. It's probably a Krill wiretap. We're dummying up some documents that support your story, and we'll be placing the files where the Krill can find them. If they investigate your past, they'll find a detailed account of exactly who you said you were. As for the rest, good work, Recker. Anything else?"
"Just that in order to gain access to this comm station, I had to promise to clean it too, so don't expect too much more in the way of reports- I can't guarantee anything like a regular schedule."
"Understood. I'll let you get back to that cleaning."
The communications link disconnected, and I got to work. Although I had framed one of the Krill technicians for the communication the first time around, I'd lost the stomach for it. When I left, the comm room practically sparkled, and I made sure to return the spare access key to the technician I'd gotten it from in the first place. Only when that was done did I head over to the lander segment to meet with Psyme and Blune.
"Ah, Recker, glad you could join us," Blune remarked acidly.
"Look, I'm sorry, but one of the techs needed help with something. Since I don't like the idea of the space station I'm on malfunctioning, I figured I'd help. I just didn't expect it to take so long." This was all technically true- I just had to hope he wouldn't look any further into it.
Blune looked taken aback by this, but recovered quickly.
"Oh. Well, don't let it happen again."
"I'll do my best, sir. Now, what's the mission? Same thing we did on the forest planet?"
"Similar. The main difference is the ground is much less stable, so we'll have a longer way to go, and there'll be more obstacles. We'll also probably have to plant locator beacons so the starbase can project forcefields- otherwise we might not be able to find a site where we can get a good sensor reading as deep as we need to."
Psyme cut in, "What are we waiting for? Or are you two just going to stand there talking all day?"
"No, you're right. Recker, would you care to do the honors?"
"Sure." My fingers flew across the control panel, and bare seconds later, we began our descent.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
We stepped onto the surface of what the Krill had creatively dubbed "the fire planet," and Blune immediately took charge.
"Yes, we'll definitely need to set up forcefield paths if we expect to get anywhere. Let's split up and search for good spots to place them. Look for discolored areas of soil- it means soft ground that isn't flowing with magma. Call us if you find a good spot."
It took a while, but we were able to set up the beacons we needed. Then we used the maps generated from orbital imagery to locate and reach the optimal area for deep scans. This was all very similar to the way it went the first time it happened. It wasn't until we actually reached the fissure that things started going differently. Rather than getting into an argument over the original Krill incursion on Earth, I tried engaging Blune in small talk.
"So, what do you think we'll find down there?"
"Hard to say. Probably something like whatever it was we found when during the excavation of Earth."
Well, so much for not getting into an argument.
"Excavation? You practically destroyed all life on Earth!"
"Listen, Recker. Nobody is trying to destroy Earth. That was just a side effect of the excavation."
"Oh? Then explain the attack last month."
"That was just a follow-up visit to assess the damage to your planet. It was your idiot pilots who forced the battle."
"Uh-huh. Then why did Commander Bloss refer to Earth as "the front lines?" Why did you send a cutting-edge battleworm and a small army of walkers, of all things? For that matter, put yourself in the place of humanity. A bunch of aliens come out of nowhere, don't communicate at all, don't answer any communications, just rip out a continent-sized chunk of seafloor and leave, almost killing humanity in the process. Isn't a certain degree of hostility justified?"
"I'm just saying that with time you'll see that not everything is as black and white as you make it out to be. For now, let's see what the scans turned up." I could tell that at least some of my points had struck home, and he was much less self-assured than he had been just minutes ago.
Psyme was making a show of peering at the screen of her scanner, and looked up at Blune's last remark.
"I've got the results, but they're very strange. According to this, the tremors are exactly the same as the ones we found on the forest planet."
Blune answered first, "That's impossible! There must be another explanation. I want to get a closer look at the source of the tremors."
"Well, according to this, there are places where a ship could get through, but it would be dangerous, and you'll need two people- one to pilot and the other to run the sensors."
"Fine. Recker, can you fly in tight spaces?"
"If I have to. You want to ride shotgun?"
"Of course. We'll see if we can't get to the bottom of things."
"If you say so. Psyme, would you-?"
"Set up the summoning pad? I just did."
"Alright, then, Blune. Let's go see what weirdness awaits."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I hate flying underground. It's not that I can't do it, but it feels wrong to fly and yet be totally closed in, with no view of sky or stars. Other than that, however, the flight was fairly routine for most of the way. Certainly, there were some tight spots, and I really hoped I wouldn't be docked for the assorted scratches and scorch marks that weren't there before, but there was really only one major surprise.
"What the fu-? Is that a giant worm? OhgoditsgonnaeatmeWOAH! Okay, that was too close for comfort. This thing is going to die. Nothing alive should be that big, and nothing that big should be that fast."
I'd forgotten about the giant parasite that had been living off the quiescent bioweapon. Fortunately, despite being tough enough to survive indefinite submersion in lava, it wasn't immune to plasma bolts. It took a while, and some fancy flying, but I was able to kill the thing.
"You okay, Blune?" I asked over the intraship comm system.
"…Are we dead?" came back the response in a quavering voice.
"I don't think so, and dying seems like the sort of thing you'd remember, right?" No need to tell him I was speaking from personal experience. "Did you get the scan data you wanted?"
"Yes. Can we go back now? I need some solid ground under my feet."
"No problem." I sent a few commands to the ship, and we were both teleported back to the surface.
When we rematerialized, Blune immediately sunk to his knees. Psyme started, then approached hesitantly.
"Is something wrong?"
"That was…It was…He…"
Psyme turned to me, worry evident in her features.
"Since it might be a while before he starts making sense, you tell me what happened."
"I think it was the giant worm-thing that tried to eat us that he's reacting to, because other than that, it was a pretty normal flight."
"Giant worm-thing?" Her expressions flowed from shock to terror to relief in an instant, and I could tell she had forgotten about it too.
"Yeah. I'm sure he got the scans."
At this point, with a visible effort of will, Blune composed himself and spoke up.
"I owe you an apology, Recker. I thought you were something of a joke, just deadweight on the mission, but you're not. When that…thing appeared, I froze up. I was sure we were dead. Then you went and did a half-dozen things I didn't even know were possible with those ships, saved our skins, and killed a monster the size of a city without breaking a sweat."
"Hey, my life was on the line too, so forget it." I've never been comfortable with praise like that.
"I can't. If the positions were reversed, if I'd been flying and you were running the scanners, we'd both be dead. I'm a pretty fair pilot myself, but you're in a whole different league. Here. I know it's not much, but it's a start on my repaying the debt I owe you."
"A Krill puck? Really? Thanks, I'm honored."
"I still owe you big. If you ever need a favor, let me know."
Psyme had kept quiet throughout this exchange, but now she spoke up, rescuing me from having to respond.
"Okay, that's enough male bonding time for one day. Let's get back to base and process these scans. I don't know about you two, but I'd kill for some air that doesn't smell like sulfur and ash."
End Chapter 3
A/N: First off, I want to give huge thanks to Saiyan Shadow, aka Shadow Revnyx, for posting a script of SSS where I could Google it. It's been a big help, especially this chapter, though I took huge liberties with what was said (butterfly effect, you know?) Second, I skipped a bunch of the more boring stuff involving walking around looking for stuff and fighting random battles. They still happened, I just didn't write them because they're not really integral to the plot. As for why Recker's so much better at flying than basically anyone else at this point: He was already among the best the first time through. Now add years of experience, but keep him at his physical peak.
Next chapter: The ice planet, zombies, Scarlet, and the original plotline gets derailed hard. Stay tuned! Also, please leave a review- they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Wow. Long Author's note. Stopping now.
