Personal Journal: William Aucaman

08/07/2175

I think I wrote earlier about the longest sleep I've ever had in my life. I think I just had the longest time of not sleeping I've ever had. Ever since I woke up yesterday, I haven't been able to close my eyes without seeing those things again. I don't know how they got into my head but they did. It was like I was plugged into them, a part of their mind, or maybe just the one of them.

It was worst at the start. Cynthia filled in what happened on the outside in my notebook, which I can't thank her enough for. But she had no idea what was happening inside. When that Zaha-Katchem grabbed me, I completely blacked out. I could tell I was unconscious, but I didn't feel unconscious; it was like I was fully awake and trapped in a dream. Or a nightmare in this case.

I heard his voice the loudest, the one that trapped me in there. He was laughing at me. "Look at the human," he said, "The one who thinks he is strong. The one who thinks that his worthless existence is his to live. The one who would resist the gathering storm. Look at him!" And he laughed. And I heard others laughing, quieter, but I could feel their eyes on my skin. The Zaha-Katchem didn't look like they do now, though. They were different somehow. They all seemed more like the thing it turned into when we killed the one in Montana.

There were other things there too. I couldn't see them, but there were whispers of other people in the Zaha-Katchem's mind. One was quite loud; a little girl, who was afraid and weeping to herself in the corner, although I didn't know for sure if there were corners. I wonder if it was Olivia. There was a man, too, who spoke a foreign language, one I didn't recognize, though it sounded very familiar. It might have been Russian. And there was something else, too. This I felt, rather than saw. It was a presence, something malevolent, something dark and wild. At times, it would appear in my mind's eye like a dragon with many heads. It's glance chills me, and I am forced to turn my head away.

I can't write about it. I wish I could, but it was just too horrible. If I can forget that thing and its voice, and its laughing, then perhaps I would be in a much better place.

Then there were the other visions. When I woke up, I was desperate and afraid. I had just witnessed it, and I woke before it was over. I've been in bedrest since then, and the doctor, a pleasant man named Dr. Babatunde, asked that I not be stressed. But Cynthia told me about the start of a war with the Novans and the Grushan. I wonder if that is what I saw in my dream.

Cynthia has been a greater help to me than any medicine could have been. While I was awake and trembling with fear over the night, she stayed up with me. Adrian tried, but he fell asleep in the corner. I can't say I blame him; it was a long night. But Cynthia stayed up the whole time. I drifted off once or twice, but every time I did, I saw them again and woke up in a cold sweat. But she stayed with me. She is made of sterner stuff than I could even imagine; she's gone through this same sort of thing, back in the prison cell, only it was a waking terror for her. She's lost everything she ever knew and loved. Her sister is comatose, her home is ash, her parents and her friends have betrayed her, and she's had to run from the Interlink, the Hegemony, and everything else she's ever known to Africa. And she stayed awake to help me through my fears. My own brother couldn't do as much. She's made of steel; she has to be.

When I asked her why, she just said, "You need someone now. And you were there for me." If I had a quarter of her strength, I could take on the black ship myself.

At least, maybe when the fear subsides.

Personal Communication: From Ambassador Dumarith: To Praetor Almarith: 08/08/2175: Translated by Rezhmarizh

My Lord Praetor,

As of one standard Earth day ago, my diplomatic staff and I have been expelled from the Federation's embassy in Beijing. The embassy itself has been shut down and, I am sorry to say, opened to protestors, who have destroyed as much of the building as they could. Further, I have been unsuccessful in acquiring transport out of the Sol system; the Terrans have frozen all flights exiting the Hegemony except for those under state sponsorship. They have done the same regarding communications, although fortunately my staff was able to retrieve my own communication equipment, which enables me to transmit this message to you, Lord Praetor.

My staff and I have been offered refuge for the time being in the African state of Congo, which your predecessors made profitable business partners. Specifically, my friend and interlocutor Theresa Mwangi has made arrangements for my staff and myself to stay in safety within Congolese borders. I have set up a temporary headquarters in Congolese government offices, though I suspect that these arrangements may not be permitted to last for long.

I have heard of the defeat of the Federal Grushan Star Fleet. I offer condolences to all who have lost loved ones in battle against the black ship. May they be the last.

Dumarith, Ambassador of the Grushan Federation

Letter: From Chinwe Opeyemi, 440 E Ormarith Rd, Jimeso, Ghana: To Eglantine Kayode, 1001 Sherman St, Imladris, Nova: Translated by Ibrahim Wassume

My dearest Eglantine,

I know that you will never get this letter, for the Hegemony has closed communication channels with Nova and the Grushan worlds. For all I know, you may be dead, lost in the Terran invasion of Nova. News here cannot be trusted, but it says that the Novan Stellar Navy was dealt massive damage; the propagandists tell us new numbers daily, some of them claiming that the whole Grushan fleet has been destroyed.

I'm writing anyway because there's something that I need to say that only you will understand. I have failed you. In your last letter, you urged me not to take up active resistance against Ambience corporation. You said that I would only endanger myself and my family. At the time, I knew that you were right. But I was unable to stop myself. The Ambience Corp. vans kept coming, and people I knew began to be fitted with the fourth generation Interlink. I saw them change in front of my eyes; where they had once been vibrant, bold members of the community, the Interlink has made them into house-ridden recluses. Those who expressed political beliefs were radicalized further; followers of Theresa Mwangi have traveled to Russia to follow Gennady Semyonov. Those few who wanted closer relations with the Zaha-Katchem have organized the nude marches that have become so much in style to honor them. More and more of the people that I knew and loved have become overcome by the Interlink and the Hegemony.

Finally, I could no longer stand by and hide. Do you remember Chaz and Barak, who were children with us? They have hidden from the Ambience butchers as well. I sought them out and together we have formed a band, and we fight now to stop the Interlink in its tracks. We attacked the facility yesterday with Kalashnikov rifles and explosives. We killed only the mercenary guards that protected the facility. Those who have already been taken, we cannot help. But at the least we can halt Ambience from making slaves of any more people in Jimeso.

I am sorry. I wish that the path we have chosen was one which would allow us to be together. I wish to God and all that we hold dear that I had gone to Nova with you. I wish that I had not been forced to take up arms against the Interlink and Ambience Corp. But what is done is done. I cannot undo it. If somehow you hear me across the stars, say a prayer for me. Say a prayer for Earth and Ghana and Africa. We will need it.

Love,

Chinwe.

[This letter not sent, dated 08/08/2175]

Personal Journal: William Aucaman

08/08/2175

Today was a lot better than previous days have been. The terror is starting to go away, and I even got a few hours of sleep over the course of last night. I was feeling a lot better and I was able to walk around the hospital a little. The doctor spoke with me personally to check up on my condition and said that there didn't seem to be any physical harm done, though he wondered how my mind would respond to extended "bridging" with the Zaha-Katchem. I find I'm not sure either; I'm more paranoid anyway. But he cleared me for other activities; I didn't know what that meant at the time. Then, someone came to call Cynthia, Adrian and me to the Congolese capital building for some high-level meeting.

The whole thing was reminiscent of the council of Elrond. A number of dissident leaders were there, and Theresa Mwangi was primarily the one in charge. That makes since, since Congo is her country. I seem to recall that she's the former First Lady of Congo or something, but since her husband died some years back, she's become something of an activist of her own right. She might be affiliated with one of the big Christian churches, not that there are many left anymore. I think Gennady Semyonov was the only major dissident leader who wasn't there. I recognized Arya Kumar, Sasha Comnenus, and Ramon Bover, and there were others who I didn't recognize. They brought us into a room with a long round table and had us sit on one end. There was a Grushan at one seat that had been modified to accommodate for his tail. Ms. Mwangi introduced him as Dumarith, the Grushan ambassador appointed to Beijing. Apparently, when the Terran invasion began, he and his staff had been expelled from the Federation's embassy. They have come here since the ambassador knows Ms. Mwangi personally. A couple of his staffers were also there. I didn't get their names, but I think they were experts in various political aspects of Earth and Grushar.

But the real shocker came after we did, because a young African-American woman lead the vice president into the room. I didn't believe it at first, but they introduced him to us and it was actually Yong An-Hong. He looked somewhat the worse for wear, to be honest; it looks like he's had a rough couple of days. He had red eyes and a haggard look. It occurred to me that the three of us probably don't look much better. I haven't showered since we were in prison. The dissidents and the Grushan were polite about it, which is gracious, since I know Grushan have a powerful sense of smell.

I won't be able to record everything that was said, and I have no real desire to try, but I can probably get across the content that was discussed without too much trouble; Adrian and Cynthia are helping me. Cynthia has been pretty agitated since the Congolese removed her Interlink. If they did that with the vice president too, he's probably fairly uncomfortable as well.

Theresa Mwangi opened the meeting by telling us that the Terran fleet and the black ship had in fact destroyed the entire Grushan star fleet in the Nova system. Their fleet used to be nearly three or four times stronger than the Terrans; now the only ships they have left are the Grushan defense fleet, which is small, and the Novan fleet that escaped the initial Terran invasion. Hegemony forces are invading Novan colonial infrastructure now, and the defense is finding it difficult to hold on under the assault. They're in a difficult position because Nova is an ocean world, but it also means that the defenders have to engage on Terran terms; once the Terrans control the surface, they can just blow up any colony sections that offer too much resistance. A few of the Novan habitat facilities have already been sunk, and the civilian casualty rate is skyrocketing. No one knows where the black ship is, but I don't expect it's going to be idle while the Grushan and Novan fleets regroup. Odds are that it's looking for them now, and when it finds them it'll certainly kill them.

There was a long silence after she explained the matter. Frankly, I don't blame them; I don't really want to see the Hegemony in control of Nova and every world in the Federation. Not that it will be a quick victory, of course. Even if the FGSF and NSN are defeated, it'll be a long and costly process for the Hegemony to conquer every Grushan world. Grushan are tough, and they are very thoroughly entrenched on their planets. It'll be years before every single planet is secured, even if they do manage to clean up Nova in a short period of time; the Nova colony was founded only about a hundred years ago, and it never had more than few thousand colonists at a time, if I remember my history.

After a moment, Dumarith pointed some of this out (somebody had graciously given us translator earpieces before we'd all been introduced). He also pointed out that Terran forces had been authorized to target civilian centers, at least on Nova. Once they move on to capture Grushan planets, they'll probably do the same; why spare aliens when you exterminate your own kind? Add to that an advanced mechanized army, and things don't look good for this war; apparently, the Grushan Senate is already projected losses in the tens of millions, mostly in the Grushan civilian population (what there is of it; Grushan like to fight, and it's likely that in an invasion many will take up arms against the Terrans) and permanent damage to Grushan infrastructure and industry. To his assessment, it's far from hopeless, but the Federation probably won't survive, and if that's true, it's only a matter of time before the Hegemony conquers their home world, if they don't decide to simply nuke it.

At this point, the African-American woman introduced herself and said her name was Alexandra Troy. I think it was mostly for our benefit, since everybody else seemed to know her. Apparently, she's been in touch with Novan intelligence. They, and the Grushan, are desperate to get ahold of any tactical knowledge they can find about the black ship. She said that if we could give any information that we knew about the black ship, or the survey ship that the Hegemony had sent to RN-06 where the black ship came from. "I don't think anyone here is all that likely to know that, but in the off chance that you do, talk to me or Dumarith. Between the two of us, we can still reach the Grushan." She said that her family-apparently, she's from some infamous spy family or something-would do everything possible to infiltrate Terran records and find the appropriate data. In the meanwhile, she said that an organized resistance to the Terran regime was probably the best option. It would require leadership, of course, but "that's where you all come in."

"As for the intelligence you need, I suppose that that is where our guests come in," Arya Kumar pointed out. I assume that by this he was referring to the three of us, though he might have been including Yong An-Hong. Ms. Troy noted that she'd "been wondering."

Yong An-Hong spoke up at this point. "Right now, I can offer you information on the science ship that was lost a month ago, but I know no more about the black ship than the Grushan must know. All other information I have imparted to Ms. Troy already."

Dumarith asked, "The TIA lost a science ship?"

"On the twenty-sixth of June, the TSS Swordfish received a distress call from the science vessel Nightshade III in the RN-06 system. When she arrived, the Nightshade had been destroyed. Then the black ship appeared and destroyed the Swordfish. We were reluctant to admit that two ships had been lost due to our lack of precautionary measures; that is why we claimed that they had been lost in Yveran. It threw off your own investigation and gave state media a reason to remind the people that the Grushan feel towards Terrans the way we feel towards flies."

Comnenos looked at us. "What about the children? What can they bring?"

Everybody in the room looked at us. Adrian and Cynthia both kind of turned to me, since I was in the middle. I wasn't sure what to say, so I cleared my throat for a moment and said "um, well, we brought a black ship. A shuttle I mean."

There was a bit of a pause. Comnenos blinked. "Care to expand on that?" she said with an odd smile. So, we told them everything starting when Olivia had started getting sick. I hadn't heard most of that story before, so it was an eye-opener for me as well as the dissident leaders. Then Cynthia and I told them about the night of the 23rd and 24th. I had to draw pretty heavily from my notes from that night. They had a lot of questions through the whole story, mostly about the Zaha-Katchem that we battled in the night. I got the impression that Yong An-Hong was almost as surprised as the rest of them. They were as confused as I was at the transformation that it went through when we had killed it. Adrian joined us and told everyone how he had discovered the shuttle and given us a brief explanation of how he had hotwired it to obey his commands. When it was done, the Vice President looked at us and shook his head.

"I wish I had heard you speak three days ago," he said.

Then Yong told us that the President was dead. He's been dead for close to two or three weeks, at least since shortly after the black ship entered orbit above Earth. Yong said that he hadn't noticed until a couple of days ago because somebody has been manipulating the Interlinks of everybody near him and projecting a false image, and that whoever it was had done the same to video records as well. At first, he had thought that it had been Shen Wai-Fun, CEO of Ambience Corp., but after hearing our account, he says he isn't so sure.

"My suspicion has been growing that the Zaha-Katchem are themselves directly involved in this matter, and this account that they have told us only makes me even more certain of this reality," he said. "What these children have encountered may have been an intelligence-gathering mission, like the first ants to find scraps of food."

"But why do they desire war with the Grushan?" Ms. Mwangi asked. "The Ambassador has told me of their opinion, but why must war come from it?" Nobody had an answer.

"It seems that the black ship really is the heart of this matter," Dumarith said. "If we can stop it, that might solve every problem we have all at once. Can we get this shuttle to my people?"

Kumar asked Adrian, "You said you could fly the thing, correct?" Adrian nodded. "Then maybe we can get it to Yveran, that's the closest Grushan colony to us."

Someone pointed out that we would need access to a warp gate. Troy said that that had been taken care of; her operatives had obtained Yong An-Hong's security clearance passwords before extracting him and have been in Terran command systems ever since. A jump was possible at any moment, she said.

With this information, the decided to take the black ship to Yveran, It would be a six-hour journey with a minimum of crew. That at least was a necessity with how small the ship is. But they decided that Adrian would have to fly the thing, since he's the only human or Grushan who knows how. I objected pretty heavily. What would a six-hour flight do to him? And how do they know that the black ship won't intercept them and destroy them, or worse? Adrian can teach someone else how to fly the stupid ship. He's twelve, for heaven's sake. I tried to convince them to find somebody else, but it was pointless. He agreed to take the risk. I do respect his courage. And I think even at the time I knew that they were right; he takes the risk or millions of people die in both countries. I wish I could take his place, though. It seems like it'd be easier somehow.

Adrian is mostly resigned to the trip; he's worried, I can tell, probably because of how much he still has to struggle against the computer and how much is staked on his being able to fly it. He told me that he was barely able to get the thing to fly to Africa for fifteen minutes; staying in FTL for six hours might be impossible. He tells me that warp waves require an extremely delicate balance; if the ship banks too far to one angle or the other, it drops out of FTL and gets stuck. He's going to need to be completely on task for the entire time. And we know how that ship is; it makes you jumpy. He doesn't know how he's going to do it. I didn't really know what to say.

Then Cynthia said "I don't think any of us made it this far on accident. I should've died a week ago, and Billy and I should have both died a couple of days ago. Both times we lived. I don't think it was an accident that Billy was there to keep us alive that night or that you were there to keep us alive two nights ago. I think you'll make it just fine."

Adrian just looked at her and nodded. "I hope you're right," was all he said. I hope so too.

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Hey guys! Quite a long chapter today, but I had a lot of ground to cover. I apologize too for no chapter yesterday; my semester just started up this week so I've had my plate full. Thanks for reading and voting, it means a lot to me. Enjoy! Sincerely, the real jonbrain.