Swarm, Part 1

The first story including all teams in The Knights' Republic.

Part 1 of 3 �" First Contact

 

The investigation into the crash of the Zigonian science vessel was taking much longer than The Knights Republic anticipated.  There were so many unanswered questions.

Where did it come from?  What was it doing stealing children?  What forced it down?  Where was it going?  Why were they in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range?

 

The captured Zigonians were very resistant to attempts to glean information.  Many Zigonian Drones had a hive mind and are generally unresponsive to torture leaving few other options.  Psychic intrusion is really the only viable method and it’s a nasty experience for any psychic powerful enough to attempt it, often revealing nothing.  Such was the case now as Raizo Hattori linked into the Zigonian hive-mind. 

 

Linking into a hive mind such as this requires contact with each individual member as well as the collective consciousness.  In small numbers, it is possible and can be effective in gaining information if even one member buckles under the pressure.  Zigonians rarely do and this was no exception.  Raizo Hattori linked, as powerful as he was, was of little help.

 

The one scientist to survive the crash was also very resilient to probes and questioning.  At one point, Mr. F’n Fantastic mentioned that we should try an anal probe on him, but the suggestion not taken very seriously, although Wraithus (holding his spiked tetsubo) did think it was worth a try…  Answers were going to have to wait.

 

On the brighter side, the wreckage provided a valuable cache of alien technology and both Knights teams were spending a lot of time salvaging what they could.  Gorthrup Nummond was especially interested and provided supplies and specialists to the teams to assist in the effort.

 

Within weeks, the Defender was retrofitted with a great deal of the recovered technology, enhancing the Akkadian Knights’ ability to respond to disasters more timely.  It was a matter weeks when that call would come.

 

TKR Fleet Admiral Knoah summoned the team by way of the new communication equipment installed in the Akkadian Knights’ new base.  Situated deep in the heart of the keep turned stronghold, in a room which once served as a barracks for knights of old, the equipment was very sophisticated.  SoulSearcher was having a blast with it and a 3-D holographic display of Admiral Knoah sprang to life in front of the team. 

 

The situation was, of course, dire and the Akkadian Knights were the only ones readily available that had the means to stop it.  A rather large asteroid was heading towards Earth.  The TKR computers projected that it would hit about 5 miles South of Superhero City.  Given its size, the blast crater would be the size of Texas and the loss of life would be incalculable.   The team was to exit the atmosphere in the newly retrofitted Defender, intercept it, and divert it enough to make it miss the Earth entirely.  Barring that, it needed to be destroyed by whatever means necessary.

 

Before the transmission ended, Wyldecard was already strapped in the Defender downstairs ready for the flight!  The fuel tanks of the VTOL had been replaced by a rather large cargo bay and airlock, but space was still tight for the team.  Everyone found a seat quickly enough, with SoulSearcher taking the helm and Eron slipping in beside him to fill the co-pilot seat.

 

The propellers had been replaced with two large ion emitters large enough to take the Defender to Mach 5 in the atmosphere.  They quietly sprung to life and the ship jerked into the air, shaking quite a bit as it did.  After a chorus of complaints from the peanut gallery about the rough takeoff (and projected crash landing to come), SoulSearcher revved up the engines and lifted off.  Flying straight up into the air, the ship was out of the atmosphere in less than 10 minutes, Quantum Elemental effortlessly keeping pace and oblivious to the lack of oxygen. He chose to fly beside the ship outside, proving to be more than fast enough to keep up with it. 

 

It was a unique experience being in space for the first time for most of the team.  Everyone was strapped down in 5-point harnesses during liftoff and quickly unstrapped to float around the room as they entered the stratosphere and began circling the Earth enjoying the moment.  Eron, looking over his shoulder, told everyone to calm down and threaten to “come back there” if they didn’t.  That solicited quite a bit of laughter.

 

Within 10 minutes, SoulSearcher announced that the team had broken orbit and that he was firing up the hyperdrive.  Moments later, the pull of acceleration was forcing the team back into their seats as the ship rocketed past the moon and into the solar system.  Of course, Bat MAn was goofing off and didn’t quite make it in time to strap in. 

 

He spent the short jaunt plastered to the back wall of the Defender…  Had the G forces not been so extreme, there would have been more laughter.

 

Up ahead, the team could make out a dim pinpoint of light which was slowly growing larger by the second.  Eron noted that the sun glinted off of it as if it were oil, with the illusion of having ripples.  Having an unobstructed view through the cockpit window, Bat MAn  piped up from the back, through chattering teeth, that it looked a lot like it was liquid rather than a large ball of ice and rock.

 

The team was about 7,000 miles from it when SoulSearcher reversed the polarity on the ion drives and slowed the ship down to a crawl.  Bat MAn slid down the wall to the floorboard, glad to be unpinned.  A hearty pat on the back and ear-to-ear grin from Wrathius told him that it would probably be held over his head for some time to come!

 

Before the team could get unstrapped, Quantum Elemental drifted in front of the ship and held back an open hand, palm facing the ship, as if to say “hold position”.  SoulSearcher looked at Eron, who simply nodded and the ship ground to a halt.  Quantum Elemental darted ahead in a streak of light towards the large mass moving towards the team.  It was now reflecting light from the sun at a thousand different points, constantly in motion.  Its surface shifted and moved, as if it wasn’t solid. 

 

It took Quantum Elemental about 10 seconds to cross the expanse between the ship and the ball, moving nearly half the speed of light.  Flowing through the quantum flow was effortless now and he sensed a great deal of energy in the mass before him.  When he stopped, he saw a sight that chilled him to the core.  The mass was not what it seemed!

 

Back on the ship, Akkadian Knight was manning a complex sensor array control panel and was examining the mass before the team.  It appeared to be made up of millions of individual segments, each revolving in a circular pattern around a core made of a precious metal, possibly platinum or gold, with organic components.  The shapes were moving almost as if alive, weaving and darting about in patterns that obviously denoted intent. 

 

The conventional radar left onboard lit up and a red light began to flash.  Three massive shapes, each easily half as large as the Defender, were making a bee line towards the ship.  Akkadian Knight attuned the sensor array at them and pulled up a picture on the LCD over their heads.  The image was horrifying.

 

The creatures, which apparently made up the large mass moving towards earth, looked much like gigantic tadpoles, although they had large, tentacle like feelers around their mouths comprised of rows of sharp teeth.  They had no eyes and their skin was dull, matted obsidian black, dimly reflecting the faint sunlight.  It was no wonder the mass of them got so close to earth without being noticed.

 

They moved in unity, and were nearly on top of the ship when a blast of bright blue energy split the space between them.  Quantum Elemental flew between the beasts and the ship, distracting them and diverting their attention.  Two took off after him at an alarming speed, the third barreled into the side of the Defender with incredible force. 

 

Not possessing a shield of any kind, the ship careened through space towards the closest gravitational force, the Moon.  SoulSearcher was instantly on the stick, trying to control the descent as the second blow came, this one strong enough to completely rip one of the ion drives free from its mooring, power core and all. 

 

Eron had enough.  He ordered Vexator and Zildoran into the airlock since they could withstand the rigors of space, and directed Caledonia to put up as big a shield around the ship as possible.  Bat MAn and Akkadian Knight he sent straight to the gun emplacements on top and bottom of the ship.  Wyldecard was given control of the two hellfire missiles onboard, modified to allow them to ignite in the void of space.  They were still only kinetic weapons, but the ammo had been modified to contain explosive charges that did not require air to operate.  Wraithus was to use his kinetic manipulation power to direct debris away from the ship to avoid collisions and Cassandra was to watch for and repair leaks in the hull should they arise as a last ditch contingency plan.  Within moments, the team had mobilized.

 

The creature struck again, but this time they were ready.  Bat MAn and Akkadian Knight opened up with the modified rail guns on the encroaching monstrosity, doing practically no damage to the beast but shocking it long enough for Vexator and Zildoran to hit it full force.  Seconds after the two heroes made contact, Wildecard launched the missiles, aiming true and striking the creature in its midsection.  As it flew backwards, it whipped its tail and shot some kind of dark matter at the team. It was a good aim given the conditions and hit Zildoran hard in the chest as well as the side of the ship, each exploding in a violent spray of sharp projectiles.  Caledonia’s shield held true, although the blasts were strong.  The ball which hit Zildoran stuck to his chest and sent him barreling into the side of the Defender yet mercifully did not explode.  Inside, Wraithus used his telekinetic ability to stabilize Zildoran and hold him to the hull.  He seemed to be out cold. 

 

Outside, the beast turned his sights on Vexator.  It was all he could do to stay out of its way.  A bright flash of light told him that Quantum Elemental had returned.  His blasts were apparently not strong enough to take out his adversaries but had left some severe burn marks on them and one of them was missing some teeth.  The creatures had followed and now encircled the two heroes like sharks in the water circling them in a distinct rhythmic pattern.  They dipped and rolled quickly around the heroes in unison as they quickly closed the spherical trap. 

 

Realizing what was about to happen, Eron searched for an answer and one that literally floated in front of his eyes.  He got on the comm link and ordered Quantum Elemental and Vexator to lead the beasts about 100 meters in front of the ship.  He told Wraithus to hold the ion drive floating in space before them stationary.  Looking back towards the bulkhead, he ordered Bat MAn and Wyldecard to aim the rail guns at it and wait for his order. 

 

The two heroes shot towards it, the beasts close on their tails.  Quantum Elemental, being faster, ran interference for Vexator, allowing him the time to fly past the ion drive and into the space beyond it.  As he did, he pelted the beasts with more quantum bursts, slowing them down.  As he got into position, he spread his arms and let out a wave of radiation that disoriented the creatures, stopping them over the drive.

 

Eron gave the command and a rain of rail gun projectiles hit the drive.  The core exploded and sent a shockwave of massive proportions out in all directions.  Quantum Elemental tried to absorb part of the blast and save his companions which could not survive in space without an atmosphere, but the effort of releasing the blast of radiation to disorient the creatures had drained him and it was too much for him to do.  He was blasted into deep space. 

 

Being relatively close, the Defender was hit by the blast and Caledonia’s shield collapsed.  Reeling backwards, she was knocked her unconscious when she hit the bulkhead.  Eron covered his head with his arms a second too late and the control panel over his head ripped from its moorings, raking across his forehead and knocking him back hard into his seat.  Wyldecard, blinded by the brilliance of the blast, left the gun turret and fell back into the main chamber of the ship.  Akkadian Knight grabbed his arm and attempted to strap him into a seat while Cassandra vainly attempted to plug the holes in the ruptured hull with quick expanding foam.  The strain of holding the exploding ion drive was too much for Wrathius and he had collapsed back into his seat, gasping for air and unable to help stabilize the careening ship.

 

The ship was now spinning through space towards the surface of the moon at a high rate of speed, its power gone and sparks showering out of its one good drive engine.  Its fusion core was ruptured and a trail of spent fuel leaking from the shell.  Streams of oxygen had sprung up along the Defender’s length and were causing the ship to spin wildly as it fell. 

 

Vexator was far enough away to avoid the strongest waves of the blast and shielded his eyes.  Even so, the shockwave was still strong enough to rip the cape off his back.  Looking back after the explosion occurred; he saw two of the three creatures floating motionlessly in the void.  To his horror, one shook violently and began “swimming” in erratic motions.  Within seconds, it had apparently regained its senses and was flying back towards the mass hurtling towards Earth.  The other two drifted aimlessly, apparently dead.  These things were really tough.

 

He found Quantum Elemental floating limply in the void.  To his relief, QE was unconscious but very much alive, and Vexator flew the both of them towards the Moon searching for the Defender, or what was left of it, and the rest of the Akkadian Knights…

 

To be continued…