Shadows of Mars (Broken Stars Book 1) I.O. Adler (read people like a book TXT) 📖

a visual appeared in midair. A narrow ship with a pair of prominent rings around its midsection hovered in space near a massive lumpy object. Carmen decided the lump was one of Mars’s moons.

Barrett walked next to the projection. “It’s Deimos. So if that’s the Cordice ship, then your mom and Lieutenant Townes made it outside their orbit from Discovery. Either someone picked them up or they used the Constellation Three.”

“You said they saw something. Maybe they went to make contact.”

“I can’t imagine they’d attempt that kind of maneuver. It’s too risky. Unless the Constellation somehow survived the Big Wipe and they figured they had nothing to lose by making the trip.”

“Something to ask my mom when we find her.”

To She Who Waits, Barrett asked, “So what can we expect from the Cordice? We can communicate with you, but what about them?”

“I will assist. The Cordice are builders. Their ship designs are a sought-after commodity. This harvester is the only one of its kind in this system. So until another of the marooned survivors manages to build one, the Cordice have the advantage in harvesting hydrogen and other resources within this system.”

The comment begged a dozen follow-up questions, but Carmen held back.

“So we’ll be able to talk to them through you,” Barrett said. “Did our two astronauts use you to speak with the Cordice?”

“I assisted remotely. But this was after they were recovered.”

“Are the Cordice capable of direct communication?”

“After a fashion. Your speech and hearing ranges aren’t compatible. I am pleased to bridge that gap.”

Barrett bowed his head. “Thank you. I would like to anticipate any possible friction. Sylvia Vincent stole something valuable of theirs.”

“The Cordice will not require restitution, if that’s your concern, designate Raymond Barrett. Surely they realize that your species has nothing with which to pay.”

“Uh, yes, I suppose not. So our people will be returned and we can go home.”

“I do not know designates Sylvia Vincent and Hamish Townes’s physical conditions. Their bioforms may have been damaged. And the Cordice will have to volunteer the harvester to bring you back to your world. A possible point of friction in the negotiation will be their sense of urgency to leave this system. They require the harvester to begin resource-gathering operations. They may see a delay as objectionable.”

Carmen took advantage of Barrett’s pause to ask her own question. “Please explain the sense of urgency. You’re talking about them wanting to leave our solar system?”

“Yes, Carmen Vincent. During the enemy’s attack on the coalition fleet, your kind on Mars and Earth suffered. It is the best estimation of those who remain alive that our enemy will strike again soon and won’t be so careless as to leave anyone living behind.”

Chapter Nineteen

“Who is this enemy?” Carmen asked.

She Who Waits answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “They are the destroyers of worlds. They bring death to all, and hunt down any who survive. They found the coalition here and attacked and devastated most of the fleet. The Cordice and several others survived and have been trying to rebuild so they can leave before the enemy returns.”

“This enemy is what blasted Earth two years ago?”

“Yes, although it is conjecture whether Earth was targeted or suffered collateral damage from the weapon the enemy used against the fleet. Those who have been marooned in your system must now decide how best to use their remaining resources. The Cordice have made it clear they will leave once they have harvested enough fuel. Their ship and this harvester are the least damaged. The other survivors have joined their ships together and are attempting to negotiate with the Cordice.”

“So when this enemy returns, what does that mean for Earth?”

“Unknown. Some speculate the enemy doesn’t even notice non-spacefaring civilizations and only targets those which have mastered interstellar travel. There are nuances to this theory. But according to the records of my kind’s observations, hundreds of intelligent races have been eliminated and their home systems shattered.”

Agent Barrett’s face grew hard. “What was your coalition doing here?”

“A meeting among survivors. Message buoys can only convey so much information. The coalition wished to trade news, research, and decide on a future course. Some like the Cordice want to leave the galaxy and the enemy behind. Others have decided it’s best to either hide or keep moving from system to system. A few are willing to fight.”

“And you brought the enemy here to our doorstep.”

“This wasn’t intentional. The enemy is not omnipresent. They search for large stellar obstructions and antimatter drive signatures. Slower reactor drives and navigation which avoids what some speculate are their travel arteries are methods to avoid detection.”

“I guess someone screwed up big time,” Barrett said. “So how long before this enemy returns to finish what they started?”

“Unknown, Raymond Barrett.”

“That cuts it. We need this ship. Carmen, we have to figure out how to give me control. What can you find out about this encryption? Can you add me as an authorized user?”

“We agreed to find my mom,” Carmen said.

“We don’t know if she can be moved or if these Cordice people will hand her over. They may not even be willing to bring us home. And we have no way to talk to Earth right now. Everything is counting on us taking this spaceship back. We need to learn what we can from it so we can defend ourselves.”

“Success in such a conflict would be impossible,” She Who Waits said.

“The attack happened two years ago. Every day we spend preparing means our chances improve. This ship is our only chance.”

“The Cordice who designed this vessel lost fifteen systems, including planets and orbital assets. They had four stars from which they harvested light energy. They are one of seventeen on record who have mastered artificial black holes. None of these preparations saved them.”

Barrett