Chapter 5 – Harvest is Gone

Deployment +170 Hours:20 Minutes:21 Seconds (First Lieutenant Banga Mission Clock)/

CMA Argo, Harvest Colony

"This isn't right. Something's happened. Something's wrong," Selonke spoke absentmindedly. He tried to frantically locate an explanation by going over his equipment. He ran every diagnostic tool he could think of. But there was no use. For weeks prior to this mission, these were the preset coordinates in interstellar space.

160,000 kilometers directly ahead was a globe of shiny glass, pockmarked with fire and brimstone. Selonke hung his head.

Banga snapped out of his trance—spurred into action and queued the intercom. "Brahm, get me spectroscopic analysis ninety seconds ago!" He looked to his right at Selonke. "Jeff, verify our coordinates, now. Check for procession and drift. Run diagnostics on all systems."

"Weapon systems online and remaining on standby, sir," Lieutenant Holmes said. "Will scan for bogies."

"Slipspace drives hot and ready in case we need to fly," Pryor added from the reactor room.

"Selonke, get us closer to that planet. Brahm, where's my analysis?"

"Sir, it's all silicon-dioxide. Few other trace elements, but it's all glass."

"Glass?"

"Yes sir—glass."

"Jesus. Selonke, are the coordinates right?"

"They're fine, sir."

"Double check them!"

"Triple-checked, sir. This is it…This is Harvest."

"Harvest is gone," Banga whispered. He stared again at the fireball of shiny glass. It pulsated with hell, alive, crawling. The blues and greens and whites that he yearned for were erased. The seas boiled away, the forests were singed past regeneration, and the atmosphere was scorched into oblivion. And the people...

Brad closed his eyes.

"New contact! Bearing: Dead ahead," Brahm announced. "Unknown class. Initiating spectro-analysis."

"Brahm, go all stealth, quick quiet." Banga ordered.

"Aye…All stealth, quick quiet."

The internal lights dimmed to a forewarning red. The engine output plunged to zero, and all ancillary systems went to stand-by. And whatever sort of secrets the Prowler Corporation planted in the Argo, went to work as well.

"What the hell…is that?" Banga inquired, squinting through the view port.

"Forward cameras online; max zoom," Selonke stated. "Focusing…it's…" he declared with a hiss "...them. It's the aliens."

Contrasting against the fiery northern pole of Harvest was a strange oval-shaped vessel—mostly blue with a purplish tinge accentuated by the faint glow of its aft-facing propulsion. It looked no bigger than a river salmon from where the Argo was. Underestimating the alien ship was dangerous, though. It could easily destroy them if indeed it was responsible for the magnitude of destruction on display. And indeed, it could probably see them if they could see it.

"All stop, Selonke," Banga ordered. "Brahm, do you have an answer for me?"

"Analysis inconclusive. Molecular absorption does not match up with anything in the database. Some of the atomic particle counts don't even match up with the table!"

"What's it doing?" Banga asked Selonke.

"It's in geostationary orbit."

"Headed which way?"

"Away from us."

"Let me know as soon as there's a ball of glass between us and them. We're getting the hell out of here."

"Roger that, sir."

"We've seen all we needed to see," he murmured.

"Sir!" Brahm shouted.

"What?"

"I'm receiving a message! It's from them! They must've seen us exit slipspace."

"Shunt it to the intercom."

"Done."

A deep, throaty voice shook the Argo...

You brought nothing to this world, and we will ensure you bring nothing out.

Every hair on Brad stood up. The sound was like a subdued roar from an imaginary demon, but what was more frightening was that the crew could understand it.

"Jeez!" Banga said involuntarily. A bead of sweat trickled down his temples. "Selonke, get on our exit solution, now!"

Your very existence is an affront to the Gods!

There was no way the crew could fathom what the message meant, but it was clearly hostile.

"Time to leave, Jeff! Exit solution!!"

Our conviction is like an arrow already in flight. Your life will only last until it reaches you.

"Aspect change," Brahm cautioned with anxiety creeping in. "…They're coming after us!" he shouted. "Heading straight for us!!!!!!"

"I'm not going to make it in time!" Selonke shouted. "I've plotted a course to the asteroid field. Take it!"

Banga immediately executed the route. "Damn it! This better buy us time!"