The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (46 page)

What nobody on Galactic Prime knows is that the freighter is connected to the fate of Dr. Verrone, Tech Specialist Torrio and a few scientists from New Horizon. Double Shock ghost hack Starbase 231 and changed the departure times for the ships dock there. He did it because he knew that would be the way that Mynik’ny’nuta would leave. Double Shock knew two things about the Tylkuoply hive: one; the symbiote can only go so far in providing rational thought to the person when they are insane, and two; the Tylkuoply hive goes after the strong, not the weak. The Vegas star system is just too weak for the taste of the hive.

When Double Shock ghost hack Starbase 231 computers he was looking for the right ship. Preferably a civilian ship on a long voyage.  He also made it difficult for the hive to spread throughout the ship. Double Shock gave the crew the knowledge that there would be a ship traveling, roughly in the same direction as they were. He was hoping that the freighter might be intercepted by Galactic Prime and be destroyed. But what made that ship perfect was it’s destination – a small moon near the Necro-Mystics border. In effect, Double Shock unleashed the Tylkuoply hive upon the Necro-Mystics. Evil vs. evil. He gave the human race a chance at survival.

But as for Dr. Verrone, Tech Specialist Torrio and those scientists, Double Shock had them (through a ghost hack) go to the EOD ship because he needed them. He picked Dr. Verrone and Tech Specialist Torrio because of their expertise. The huge plus for him came in knowing that both of them knew of the Tylkuoply hive. Double Shock never needed that laser rifle… they are quite enthusiastic in helping him. They saw the huge potential in that symbiote.

Before Galactic Prime gets to Golden Hyperion, Dr. Verrone and those scientist, would do what other people, who encounter the Tylkuoply hive, would have thought the impossible: to be able to extract the symbiote from someone without killing them or the symbiote. In due time, the Hau’rino royal family and 3.11 million people would be brought back. But not in the same way as Double Shock was. Dr. Verrone, Tech Specialist Torrio and those scientists from New Horizon, will live the rest of their lives under the Hau’rino Empire. Emperor Zeno’y’lk will reward them quite well.

(5)

Chief Warrant Officer, Third Class (Type Engineering) Chu (Chinese), Ramirez and Sanchez were talking about Chu’s plan to end, or at least to reduce the stress on board. Chu’s plan basically involved bribing the Marines to stay quiet. Sanchez objected because she knew that it would only make matters worse. Ramirez disagreed. Not because she’s right, but because he wanted peace and quiet.

Chu’s plan did brought momentarily peace over the next few days on Galactic Prime. Task Force ZH-3C was finally able to get on with their training and their much needed rest. Some of them were able to readjust their sleeping habits to that of the Marines. It started to appear as if everybody’s stress level would abate for the reminder of the trip.

As it turned out, Sanchez was right. Private Esterline and some of his buddies got drunk off of his moonshine. They then went to the VR Training Room (nobody was there), reprogrammed it for some ‘leisure activities,’ and caused the computers to crash. The engineers said that it would take four days to get them up and running again.

Mad Dawg was pissed off when he found out. He had Private Esterline and his buddies, thrown into the brig. For the first time since they left, Mad Dawg discipline his crew. He promptly put a stop to the bribery of his crew and chewed out Ramirez for agreeing to allow it to happen. Mad Dawg came very close to throwing Ramirez into the brig.

As Task Force ZH-3C was waiting for the VR Training Simulation to be repaired, they took the time resting and trying to alleviating their stress. But the delay, the poor slow memory of the VR Training Simulation, increased the probability that Task Force ZH-3C mission on Golden Hyperion will fail. Although they had one week to go, it was about to get worse.

Fuming about being thrown into the brig and having his moonshine taking away, Private Esterline was looking for a fight. He spent the next two days making more moonshine. When Private Esterline was done making the moonshine, he got fifteen of his buddies to come over and they got drunk. They went over to where Task Force ZH-3C was eating their lunch and started a fight with them. The brawl intensify when the MP’s came in. Private Esterline, his buddies and most of Task Force ZH-3C was thrown into the brig. Mad Dawg told Private Esterline that if he messes up just one more time, he will be dishonorably discharge. Mad Dawg did reduced Task Force ZH-3C time by one day. That only gave Task Force ZH-3C four days to complete their training.

  Both the Marines and Task Force ZH-3C is doing something that is incredibly dangerous. They keep on getting on each other nerves and they are fixing to go into a kill zone. Because Task Force ZH-3C has only four days to complete their training, it is going to leave them bitter. It is they who will have to go into that kill zone and face certain death. And what are the Marines doing? Making it difficult for them to go through their proper training

Without the intelligence on Golden Hyperion, Task Force ZH-3C could not tailor their training to that of their mission. All the training that they did over that three week time period was based upon blind guess work. Not upon the intelligence collected as required. It would have been the primarily reason why the CCO would have aborted their mission. Without the intelligence, without the proper training, their mission has become a suicidal mission.

(6)

  “Mr. Ikkry’o, this is Tech Specialist Torrio. Do you know where the Security Storage Room 1-A is?” Torrio said over the intercom.

  “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “I found something that I think that you should come and see.”

  “What is it?”

  “Like I said… ‘I think that you should come and see it’.”

  “Alright… I come and take a look.”

  A day after they left Roscadia, the new crew of Ultra Class M1 talk about whether or not they should explore the ship. Everyone did, and didn’t wanted to explore it. After all, it is a huge ship that comes from the future. When La’jyn’eu mentioned that nobody has any idea of what is, and isn’t, on board the ship, it changed everybody’s mind.

  Every so once in a while they were reminded that the ship comes from the future. Every thing was decades ahead of their time by at least fifty years. They found high technology, newer far superior weapons, and so on. Torrio said that it probably would take at least a decade to reverse engineer all of that technology. They spent days just trying to figure out how certain things work. Some times they had no idea of how certain things work, let alone what it’s used for.

  But the most strangest thing that they discovered is what they didn’t find. You would expect a ship like that to have some type of scientific experiments on board, but it didn’t. Yes any data would have been sent to the planet that it was in orbit over because of the decree RKM (c) 34 (d), but it does not include any samples and/or specimens. There should have been something left behind but there wasn’t. They did find some type of a alien artifact that was found in the materials lab. But nobody had any idea as to what it is. Where did it come from? Which alien civilization did it belong to? Nobody knows. The only thing that was known about it is that it is not Wol’ga’con and it is 5,000 years old. Why should the EOD find it so important as to analyze it is anybody’s guess.

  In eight days of exploring the ship they only explored no more than one-forth of the ship. They spent part of each day exploring the ship, the next part was spent reviewing their notes, and the rest of the day was spent both eating and sleeping. And on that eight day they picked up the distress call from that freighter with Mynik’ny’nuta on it. And now Torrio found something.

  When La’jyn’eu got to the Security Storage Room 1-A, Torrio along with everybody else was already there waiting outside the room. La’jyn’eu knew that it had to be something serious in order for Torrio to call everybody there.

  “So what did you wanted to show us?” La’jyn’eu asked.

  “There are five different types of Security Rooms numbered one-to-five. Security Rooms with the number one has the largest storage area and five the smallest. There are seven rooms in each level, lettered A-to-G. I have not yet checked the other rooms, which is part of the reason why I asked each of you to come here. The other reason is what is in this room.” Torrio mentioned.

  Torrio then led them into the room. Although a key card would normally be needed, one was found earlier. The room was as large as a warehouse. The room was divided into three different sectors: one for different size items, one for different types of containers, and one for items that either need to be, or is placed into stasis. Everything in that room shared one thing in common with one another, they were unknown alien artifacts. Whether it is technological, the language on the artifacts, non-tech items, etc., nothing suggested who created it. Not one item is of Wol’ga’con origins.

  After three days of analyzing some of the artifacts it was discovered that their ages range from 5,000-to-100,000 years. By the time that they got to Golden Hyperion they learned that the oldest artifact is between 450 thousand to 550 thousand years old.

  The other four type 1 rooms were no different. All the items were of extraterrestrial origins and not of a known alien race in the Milky Way galaxy, nor was any of it Wol’ga’con. La’jyn’eu said that it is not all that surprising since the Wol’ga’cons come from another galaxy and from at least 6-to-7,000 years back in time or more. But since none of the artifacts are of Wol’ga’con origins it is still hard to say just how far back in time.

  But why should the EOD have those artifacts on an Ultra Class ship? Did they steal it? Not likely, the EOD typically will not steal archaeological items. They like items that are of technical value that is higher than theirs. But what nation, or people, don’t like items like that? Sadly, there is only one other possible explanation for those items on that ship – both the EOD and the Wol’ga’cons are in cohorts with each other. The one thing that everybody fears appears to be true. But why? Why should they be allies? Are they even allies? Or does it has something do with Mynik’ny’nuta?

(7)

  April 2289 Starship DTS, the freighter with Mynik’ny’nuta just arrived at a starbase. When she was on board the freighter she secretly prepared the ship for  the cell that she was fixing to create. After her death and the birth of the new cell, the hive used stealth to consume the crew. It then took half the crew and placed a symbiote in them. One fourth of the crew became the “Spreaders,” who’s job is to spread the hive far and wide. The other one-fourth of the hive became skills oriented. This is the first time that the hive use a tactic/strategy such as that.

  La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o had no way of knowing that the starbase even existed. It’s not on the books which reflects on what type of a starbase it is. The crew knew that the starbase existed and they typically try their best to avoid it. And now, after being consumed by the hive, they had no other choice but to go there to carry out the plans of the hive.

  The hive didn’t consumed the starbase. It wanted to spread itself far and wide. And this time around it will no longer target just the strong, but also the weak. If it consumes those who are weak, than it will be in a much stronger position to take down the strong. Nothing could stand in its way.

  La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o could not have known all of that. He did tried his best to severely restrict its growth. He knew that time is of the essence. He was taken advantage of by both Parker and Mynik’ny’nuta and he knew it. But what could he do but nothing. When he died back on his home world, Mynik’ny’nuta had not yet been consumed by the hive. So he could only guess at the skills within her. To challenge her would be to challenge the unknown. And that was a risk that he could not afford to take. A part of him felt like it was part of divine will that she should be there to restart the hive. That the hive would drain the strength of both the EOD and the Necro-Mystics. Or so he’d hoped.

  The hive didn’t perceive the human race as strong because of the Yellowstone eruption. Instead the hive perceived the human race as weaker than weak. Nevertheless, the hive still sent one ship to the Earth. But the ship never made it. The ship was destroyed by a group of humans who encountered the ship. Only two of them survived that dark encounter.

  The Tylkuoply hive found it impossible to find and consume any world protected by the EOD – a hallmark of its secrecy. The Necro-Mystics wasn’t so lucky. Of the thirty Spreaders, none made it to the EOD, half were lost, and only ten made it to the Necro-Mystics home world. The hive wanted to go after their home world because the Necro-Mystics were quite prolific. If the hive could take the Necro-Mystic home world than they would have their foot soldiers and workers.

  The hive knew that taking the Necro-Mystic home world would be a tough fight, but it was confident that it could pull it off. The hive was equally determined as the Necro-Mystics were. But the hive had an advantage – smarts and access to knowledge that nobody in the Milky Way had. But the hive also had another strength that the Necro-Mystics didn’t. The Tylkuoply hive gives those whom it consumes the ability to make decisions that fall within the hive desire to protect itself. In short, unlike the Necro-Mystics, the hive doesn’t micro-manage itself.