War Without End (Fall of the Terran Empire Book 1) Read online

  “They’re here to help us. They are with the resistance.”

  The tiny aircraft landed, and four men soon emerged. Sizing them up, Danny knew that they were soldiers, despite their civilian clothes.

  “These men are all former UEDF,” said Isaac, answering Danny’s unspoken question. “They fought for Pallias when we declared independence, and now they fight for the resistance.”

  As Blaine went out to greet the new arrivals, Danny continued to study them from the window. Each one had glanced in his direction, indicating their understanding of his presence. They followed Blaine inside, and Danny turned from the window to face the door, his weapon still held firmly in his hands.

  Each of the men glared at Danny as they entered, and Blaine seemed visibly uncomfortable. “These are our guests,” said Blaine, gesturing toward Danny and Isaac, as well as Catherine and the girls who remained seated on the couch.

  “You sure that thing’s on our side?” said one of the men, gesturing toward him.

  “This is Danny,” said Isaac stepping forward. “Rest assured, he is on our side.” Despite visible suspicion, the men seemed to take Isaac’s word, surprising Danny.

  “I’m David,” said one of the men, who appeared to be the leader of the group. He was tall, and wiry, with closely cropped dark hair. “This is Mark, Luther, and Jarred.” The other three were not as tall, but had the same lean, strong build. They also shared the same short, military style haircut.

  “Did you all serve in the same unit?” said Danny.

  They traded glances. “Yeah. Same unit,” said David, without adding anything more. If Danny had to guess, he would peg them as operators belonging to some branch of the special forces. He also doubted that those were their real names.

  The group moved to the living area where they all sat down. “I understand you encountered a bit of a problem, Mr. Stern,” said David.

  “You understand correctly,” said Isaac. “Zeta came for me the other day, and they now know about Danny. That’s why we need your help.”

  “I see,” David said impassively. “What type of help do you need?”

  “For starters, we need to keep moving,” said Isaac. “Staying here too long puts our gracious hosts at risk, which is unacceptable. With Zeta on the hunt, it isn’t wise to stay anywhere for too long.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. What else?”

  Isaac smiled. “Longer term, we will need to get out of this star system.”

  David exchanged glances with his men. “With all due respect, Mr. Stern, that is an unrealistic goal.”

  “To do so, we will need to steal a starship,” Isaac continued, unperturbed by David’s comment. “A Zeta starship would be ideal.”

  “Steal a Zeta starship?” David said incredulously. “Is that all?”

  “No. It is a longer-term goal. In the short term, we will also need to capture a few Zeta contractors.”

  “For interrogation?”

  “Interrogation? No, not at all. I want to free them.”

  To his credit, David seemed to take that part in stride. “You mean like what you did with Danny here?”

  “Yes, that is the idea. Danny was a special case, however, and I’m not sure how other clones will react. Precautions will need to be taken in case they remain hostile.”

  “Understood. We can manage that. Mr. Brophy did warn us to expect the unexpected from you.”

  Isaac smiled. “How is James doing?”

  “As well as can be expected. He’s been in hiding since the surrender. The UEDF has him near the top of their most wanted list.”

  “Not surprising,” said Isaac.

  “No, although what is surprising is that your name doesn’t appear anywhere on that list.”

  “Zeta will take measures to make sure it doesn’t. They’d rather the UEDF didn’t learn of my residence on this world.”

  “They want you all to themselves?”

  “Something like that.”

  “We’ll just have to ensure that they don’t find you. First things first, we need to move you to a new location. We can figure out the rest after that.”

  “Of course. If you don’t mind, I’ll need some help with some of my equipment.”

  Chapter 32

  “Danny, come over here,” said Isaac. They had loaded the aircraft with Isaac’s equipment, and now waited for cover of darkness before moving to the next location.

  “What is it?” said Danny.

  “I want you to test your new implant,” Isaac said, pointing to a small panel in the wall. “If you touch your finger to this panel, you will gain access to the house’s network.

  “Do Jasmine and Blaine know we’re doing this?”

  “Yes, yes. I told them we were going to test some equipment on their network.”

  “But you didn’t tell them I was the equipment?”

  “Hmmm, I might have left that part out. Don’t worry, my boy. They won’t mind.”

  Danny wasn’t so sure, but he wanted to try out his new, enhanced finger. Reaching out with his left hand, he touched the smooth panel with his index finger. “I don’t feel anything. Is something supposed to happen?”

  “I gave you a knowledge pack that will provide the required knowledge,” said Isaac. “You do need to do a bit more than just touch the thing, my boy. It isn’t magic.”

  “Right.” With Isaac’s prompting, Danny realized he possessed the necessary knowledge to use the implant. Isaac had tied the implant in his finger, to the implant in his brain, allowing his mind to flow into the house’s network. He didn’t go far before his access was challenged. “The system is asking for my credentials.”

  “Yes, as it should. You are a new node on the network, and need to be authorized to access everything beyond this panel. Even though this is a safe house, its digital security is not military grade. You should find that you have the necessary knowledge to overcome any resistance.”

  “You want me to break into their network?”

  “Don’t think of it like that. They already gave me permission to use their network for testing.”

  “Okay, but I think Blaine is going to be pissed when he finds out.”

  “Blaine needs to drink less coffee, now go ahead.”

  All Danny needed to do was think about the information he needed, and the answers presented themselves to him. The information was accompanied by a feeling that he had known the answers all along. He would have to ask Isaac why there was a delay, and what could be done to eliminate it. Right now, however, he immersed himself with the task at hand.

  He found that he now recognized the system he was syncing with, along with its inherent vulnerabilities. When the system challenged him again, he effortlessly sidestepped its security measures. His mind flowed unencumbered throughout the house’s network. He simultaneously accessed the main server, its processor, storage devices, and every other connected device. All data present was now his data. His knowledge. In seconds, he had merged with the network, adopting its computing power, and further augmenting his mind.

  “Well, my boy? What do you think of your new toy?”

  “Miraculous,” said Danny, so enthralled with the experience that he was almost unaware of Isaac’s presence. His mind had connected to computers since his inception, but this was different. Here he had control. Freedom. At Zeta, he was merely a node. Something to update, and download data into. He had no freedom of movement. No power to access anything and everything at will.

  “You can remove your finger from the panel now,” said Isaac. “It will not break your connection.”

  Danny did so, and found that he still had full access. He saw through the house’s cameras, listened through its microphones, soaked up all its knowledge, and harnessed its combined computing power. It was all under his control, to use, or not, as he chose.

  “Now, you will need to adapt to your surroundings, my boy,” Isaac continued. “You need to move about, and interact with the others here, while staying con
nected.”

  “How?” said Danny, feeling blinded by the rush of stimuli. He had become so enthralled with the experience, that he had lost touch with his surroundings.

  “How do you control your mind at other times? Your senses are constantly sending you information. In your case your implants send more information than the average person. You need to manage this in the same way. It is just more knowledge, more stimuli. Accept it, own it, and focus on your surroundings.”

  Danny moved his mind past the virtual, and focused first on Isaac’s face. He looked past the old scientist, and scanned the main room. Information flashed in his mind as he did, identifying all the devices currently linked, or capable of being linked to the network.

  Through a window he saw Jess and Ellie playing outside. The four men were out there too, spread out, guarding against intruders. Back inside the house he saw Catherine speaking to Jasmine. But where was Blaine?

  Through the network, Danny accessed the house’s security cameras, panning them, and finding Blaine by the garage, working on something. Blaine turned and looked straight at the camera, as if knowing Danny was watching him.

  He must have the sense, Danny thought. Through experience, he found that some people could sense when they were being watched. It was something you had to be aware of when trying to conceal your presence.

  “Now go and interact with someone, while maintaining your link to the network,” said Isaac.

  Danny headed outside, with Isaac following closely. He stepped up to David, who stood by the aircraft and watched Danny warily as he approached. “Hello David,” said Danny.

  David narrowed his eyes, and merely nodded.

  “I just want you to know that you have nothing to fear from me,” said Danny, while surveying the perimeter of the house through the external cameras, and probing the house’s access to the planetary network, running random searches, and accessing benign information that wouldn’t raise suspicion.

  “We don’t fear you, Danny. Or your kind,” said David, a hint of venom in his words.

  Danny realized that he had the knowledge and ability to break into other networks through his link to the planetary network.

  He held back the impulse, worried that it might betray their location to Zeta. But he knew that with a thought, he could flow through other linked networks, control other systems, multiply his computing power.

  “My kind, huh?” said Danny. “I understand your suspicion, but I want you to know that we’re on the same side.”

  “For the time being,” said David. “You’re not Pallian. You’re not fighting for your home. Hell, I doubt that you’re even human.”

  Information relating to Pallian history streamed through Danny’s mind, as did philosophical arguments on what makes someone human. “Okay, good talk.” Danny turned away from David, who was clearly confused by Danny’s behavior.

  “That was awkward,” said Isaac, walking beside him. “What happened?”

  “I’m in the planetary network,” said Danny. “It’s a bit… distracting.”

  “You need to control your mind’s movements. It is one thing to be connected while interacting with others, it is another to go exploring.”

  “Understood.” Danny approached Jess and Ellie who were throwing a flying disc back and forth.

  “Hi Danny,” said Jess. “Want to play with us?”

  “Sure,” said Danny.

  “How about you, Isaac?”

  “I’ll just watch,” said Isaac, taking a few steps backward.

  “Okay,” said Jess. “Stand over there, Danny. I’ll throw to Ellie, she’ll throw to you, and you to me.”

  Danny took his position, and joined in the game. At the same time, he tried to follow Isaac’s advice, and control the rush of information.

  He talked, and laughed, with the girls, while pushing back on the vast ocean of information available to him. He explored his limits, and practiced letting trickles of data in, at times of his choosing. He accidentally accessed too much at one point, and the flying disc hit him in the chest.

  The girls giggled. “Everything okay, Danny?” Jess teased.

  “Yes. I’m fine,” said Danny. “I was just distracted.”

  They continued to throw the disc around, and Danny continued to practice his control. He fumbled through it at first, and the disc hit him a few more times, once in the nose, which the girls found hilarious. But he learned, and he improved.

  He began to understand exactly how much data he could handle, without it affecting his awareness of his surroundings. He postulated that with practice, he could expand on that ability. But that would take time.

  “Everybody in the aircraft, now!” came David’s voice.

  The urgency in David’s voice spurred Danny into action. He scooped up the little girls, one in each arm, and headed for the aircraft. “What’s happened?” he said to David.

  “Zeta knows you’re here. They’re coming.”

  Chapter 33

  The small aircraft streaked away from the safe house, leaving it and Danny’s network connection behind. Danny had strapped the girls into their seats, as Catherine and Isaac secured themselves. David piloted the craft, and the other three Pallian soldiers watched for signs of pursuit.

  “Are Jasmine and Blaine not coming?” said Danny, only now noticing that they hadn’t boarded with the rest.

  “No,” said Isaac. “They chose to stay behind and stall Zeta.”

  “Stall Zeta?” said Danny. “That’s crazy. Zeta will use whatever means necessary to extract information.”

  “I know,” Isaac said grimly. “Who else knew we were here?” he asked the Pallian soldiers.

  “Our orders came directly from Mr. Brophy,” David called out from the cockpit. “How did you contact him?”

  “I sent an encrypted transmission, advising that I had been compromised. There was a pre-existing plan in place for me to go to Blaine and Jasmine’s house. Brophy knew this, so there was no need for me to say so.”

  “Did anyone other than Brophy know this?” said David.

  “Just Blaine and Jasmine. Wait, you don’t think they contacted Zeta, do you?” said Isaac.

  “Someone did,” said David. “It would explain their decision to stay behind.”

  “I don’t believe it,” said Isaac. “Blaine can be a hothead, but a traitor?”

  “If they did tip them off, Zeta will not waste any time at the house,” added Danny. “They’re likely tracking this aircraft already.”

  “Unlikely,” said David. “This aircraft has been modified with a stealth field. Zeta can’t see us. They’ll need to spot us visually.”

  “Either way, we must assume that Blaine and Jasmine have been compromised,” said Danny. “Even if they’re not working with Zeta, they won’t be able to withstand the interrogation.”

  Danny noted the hostile looks he received from the other men. Zeta was infamous for their ruthless interrogations, and it made him guilty by association. In truth, he hadn’t interrogated anyone during his time with Zeta. That specific skill set belonged to others, but the Pallians didn’t care.

  Danny felt a punching sensation on the soles of his feet. The floor seemed to pop in multiple locations, as small concussions drummed along the underside of the aircraft.

  “Hang on!” said David. “We’re taking ground fire. Initiating evasive maneuvers.”

  Danny jumped into one of the empty seats and strapped himself in, just as the aircraft banked hard and began to climb and roll at a steep angle. Jess and Ellie both screamed in sheer terror. Catherine, in the adjoining seat, tried to comfort them to no avail.

  “Who’s shooting at us?” said Isaac.

  “Has to be Zeta,” said Danny. “They must have dispatched a team to cut us off from escape. We’re lucky they don’t have heavy weapons, or we would be ashes right now.”

  The aircraft leveled off and the intense g-forces subsided. “It’s okay, we’re out of range of their weapons now.”


  “We will have bigger problems shortly,” said Danny. “If they were Zeta, you can be sure they sent word about us.”

  “We’ll be long gone by the time they get here,” said David.

  “Don’t be so sure. Their aircraft will easily catch us.”

  “Good point. We’ll never out run them now. I’ll have to find a good spot to set us down.”

  “You girls okay?” Danny said to Jess and Ellie. The two girls nodded in return, but their cheeks glistened from the tears. Danny tried to give them a reassuring smile, and conceal his own worry. Their situation was grim. The aircraft had been compromised, and they would soon be back on the ground, with Zeta contractors closing in.

  “Do you have enough parachutes on board for everyone?” Danny said to David.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “We can’t land. Zeta will find the aircraft and send a team to catch us. We’ll have no hope. If you set the aircraft on autopilot, and we jump, they might be tricked into chasing the it.”

  “And they won’t know where we jumped,” added David. “Luther, get the parachutes.”

  Luther responded quickly, opening a compartment and pulling out several light-colored bundles.

  “Wait a second,” Catherine said angrily. “Are you saying you want my little girls to jump out of this plane?”

  “We have no choice,” said Danny.

  “No way! That is not going to happen. Find another way.”

  “Mommy, I’m scared,” said Jess, and Ellie began to cry again.

  “What if we strap them to us?” said Danny. “I can take one, and these guys were clearly special forces. I’ve made countless jumps, as I’m sure each of them have. We’ll make sure the girls are safe.”

  “We’ll jump tandem with all of you,” said David, entering the cabin. “That way we can better stay together. We’re on autopilot now so we need to move. Everybody gear up.”

  “I don’t know,” said Catherine. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “Safer than staying on board,” David said as he prepared for the jump.

  “It seems I have no choice,” said Catherine. “If anything happens to my girls… “