Coeus?

“

Throwing a chicken into the weasel’s den is? - Feeding the weasel.

Throwing a weasel into the chicken house is? - A massacre.

”

-Making distinctions

***System 82456, Coeus***

***Gideon***

“Then I'll activate the drones.” I inform Ed and activate the swarm while drifting closer to the enemy ship. I already used similar devices not too long ago. They worked so well that I decided to use them again instead of putting the faceless in danger. Ed and his men are as close as it gets to an elite fighting force, but they aren't immortal and we have just a few of them.

In addition we have no idea how many Drazi there are on the ship. Do they work like us? Or more like the Forlorn. I fear that the innards of a Drazi ship are bursting with them. The Forlorn told us that the Drazi tend to crew their ships with as many people as possible to have a sufficient stock of colonists wherever they go.

I observe the drones in silent fascination as they flood out of my remaining freight hangar and towards the Drazi ship. Priority number one. Find their computer systems, access them and hack them. Priority number two. Poke the ship full of holes and remove the Drazi infestation. The easiest way to clean their ship should be exposing them to vacuum. At least I hope so.

A ringing sound in the back of my head informs me that the drones succeeded in connecting to the Drazi network. That's about as much as our previous attempts managed to do. The drones aren't very smart, so I guess they always tripped over some sort of firewall to alarm the Drazi of our intentions.

This time we'll attempt the hack ourselves. “Are you ready, Cyla?”

“Of course, Dear.” She answers.

“Dear?” Since when am I her dearest? It's like we are a married couple and already have grandchildren.

“I just tried out how it sounds. Should I not call you that?” She asks.

“Never mind.” It just startled me. “Let's get this over with.”

I enter my own virtual reality and dive into the Drazi network, closely followed by Cyla. Together we sift through the strange information. It always feels a little weird if you suddenly have to use different protocols. Imagine it like changing from riding a motorcycle to a horse.

Being inside the Drazi systems feels like working with a PC that's ten generations behind. You do something and it takes seconds to respond. Of course the Drazi systems are as good as electron based computers can be, but they are still slow. Aaaah, the benefits of quantum based computing.

Cyla and I start copying protocols, intercepting messages and observing the network until we finally find a way to disguise our data packages as the ship's own system.

It takes a short eternity, but finally I manage to map out the Drazi network and request access to the main computer core. What I find there is stunning and fascinating at the same time. Another virtual reality. I don't hesitate and request a merging of both virtual realities.

A virtual reality isn't really needed to control a computer or a ship. We are only using it if we want to feel our own bodies while we are working. It's just a question of comfortability for a techno-mage.

So why would the Drazi need a virtual reality? How do they even link up to a VR-simulation? Do they insert ports into their heads?

In the next moment I find myself in a room with five Drazi. They are standing in a circle, facing each other and working on holograms which are representing their ship.

The ones who are looking in my direction aren't moving and staring at me. Probably they've some kind of shock.

I raise my hand and try to smile. “Give up. Resistance is futile.” I try to think of myself as a reasonable fellow. So I'll try talking for once. Maybe they are influential individuals. Not that I care, but since we seem to have similar jobs I'll try to be nice.

“Get it!” “Intrusion!” “Kill!”

Five little, angry fur-balls throw themselves onto me. They hack and slice and dice with their claws. I just stand there, somehow a little shocked about this attempt on physical violence inside a virtual reality.

They must be incredible stupid to think that harming someone in this world is even possible. At least like this.

In case you want to do harm you can force someone into a contest of will inside here. But that takes real effort and concentration. At least more than they are exerting.

Suddenly Cyla is there, reaching for the head of one little monster hamster. She yanks it around with an audible snap.

The Drazi turns limp and is lifted into the air. Before the other four can react the dead body is thrown over my head and onto the attackers.

Then Cyla is past me, grabbing an opponent... victim of opportunity and breaking him like a stick over her knee.

I slowly start getting what's going on. The Drazi don't seem to have any training in fighting a combat of will. They believe that they can die inside here, so we can harm them. Either that or they don't have any safety features on their VR.

I grab one of the Drazi who is struggling in my grip and tear off one of his claws. There is blood and muscles beneath the skin. Whoever created their VR wasted a lot of time on realism. But strangely enough I can't read the alien's thoughts. It's like having an empty avatar in front of me. Was this place solely created to present their minds a situation which they can understand?

I stab the screaming alien with its own claw and the high pitched voice stops. Then I sense the ports of his connection closing. “Fascinating. They really seem to die in here.” I turn back to Cyla who is using the arms of one alien to beat the last opponent to death. “How did you guess that their VR doesn't have proper protection?”

Cyla drops her improvised weapons. “Oh, I just felt like trying. They were very enthusiastic about scratching you with their claws, so I imagined that they are thinking that it works. Maybe they don't regard their crew as a vital part of the ship? I guess they are seeing the individual as exchangeable part of the system. And there are enough of them, so why wasting energy in putting too much protection on a VR? They had enough firewalls and codes outside of it.”

“Or they got it from someone else and don't know how to use it?” I offer. “Maybe their minds aren't able to deal with VR otherwise?” While I do so new opponents appear. I can't tell if the same ones simply reconnected, or if we are dealing with other individuals.

Cyla starts fighting again, so I use the chance to stroll over to the representations of the ship.

The first one has incredible similarity to Ayo's blueprints of the zero point generator. Did the Zeen give their technology to the Drazi? Probably.

Next is something which is painted with green symbols. My eyes wander to the green sea of blood which Cyla is creating. Red is a warning to my species. So green may be bad to the Drazi? Probably it's a station which has something to do with weapons, sensors or drives. We shot those to pieces.

The next two stations are also painted in green symbols while the fifth has fewer of them. It looks like a representation of the ship's innards. There are corridors and bulkheads with symbols next to them. A regulator to the left of each bulkhead shows three symbols.

There are lots and lots of violet dots crawling through the ship. Some areas are filled with green dots. The green dots are slowly working their way into the ship. Are those our drones?

I start interacting with the hologram. Three symbols for a door can only mean open, closed and locked. What happens if I open the bulkheads towards space and lock the innards of the ship in an open-position?

The violet dots start vanishing in short order as I open the ship to space. That should do it. At least for the Drazi who aren't inside a space suit. I turn around and find Cyla standing amidst a pile of dead Drazi simulations.

She turns slowly in a circle, but the endless re-spawning stopped. “What did you do?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I just played with the buttons, that's all. I think I opened the entire ship to space?”

“Oh.” She blinks. “At least it seems like you killed their computer crew.”

Another alarm returns my attention to the Coeus, so I accelerate myself again and disconnect from the Drazi network.

Having returned my attention to my own ship it doesn't take long to find out what caused the alarm. Apparently the alien ship launched several small pods at us. I don't know for sure what they are, but the clamps make them look like landing craft.

No idea how the Drazi saw us, but apparently they managed a final act of defiance. I lose no time and order all my weapons to destroy the approaching devices. The fleet's ships also join in, but they didn't approach the Drazi ship that close for safety reasons.

The pods are approaching at incredible speed. Maybe they are burning their fuel without care for a return trip?

It becomes apparent that the pods can take a beating. Several of them go up in flames, but it takes long to destroy them. Unpleasantly long. They have their own shields and the hull seems to be made out of some kind of ceramic.

~We forgot that they are raiding Forlorn ships.~ Cyla speaks inside my mind. ~If you want to raid someone, you need a landing craft that manages to bridge the distance.~

Not good. I hurry and request a simulation of the attack's outcome. No matter how I turn the values, we'll be hit by two pods. One in the forward section and one in the aft. ~They'll damage my ship! Cyla. Stay here and control the ship. Try to get a firmer hold on the Drazi ship if you can.~

~What are you going to do?~ Cyla asks.

~I will put my new spacesuit to good use! You see to the ship.~ I disconnect from the Coeus and open my eyes.

Right next to me is Cyla lying in her acceleration chair with her eyes closed. I run my fingers through her hair and stand up.

Then I put on my helmet. We both suited up previously to the engagement. I connect to Ed. “The enemy ship launched something like boarding pods. One will hit the ship's forward section in a few seconds. The other will impact the aft. I suggest you and your men go to greet them. I'll also instruct the ship's remaining drones to attack everything that doesn't look human.”

Ed's voice answers fast. “Seconds? How many of them are there?”

“No clue how many soldiers they can put into one pod. I suggest you take the aft. One of the reactors is close to the predicted impact point.” I answer. “I don't want them anywhere close to it. I'll take the forward part. The command module has its own exit to the rest of the ship.”

“No. you aren't trained for this.” He answers agitated.

Please don't make a drama out of this. They are just a few vermin. How can I get him to do what I want? “Dad.”

“Eh?” Now his voice sounds disturbed. “Don't call me like that now! My men are listening in!”

I smirk. “There are things a man must do. And there are things a techno-mage can't let pass. Like someone putting a dent into his ship.”

I close the connection and hurry to my weapon. Then I leave the command module and stand inside the Coeus. I mean I was inside my ship before, but I was inside a module. Now I am outside the module, but still inside the ship.

There is actually quite a lot of free space between the modules inside the hull. Otherwise the ship wouldn't be able to rearrange its interiors that easily.

I sigh and let my head droop. Sometimes this thing is confusing even me... and I am the one who built it!

With my good old, stolen pistol in my hand I run along the metal railway between the command module and living module one. Currently it isn't used, but normally the modules are able to attach themselves to one of the railways and glide into other positions.

Upon leaving the tight space between the modules I jump off the railway and leave the localized gravity field around it, floating up towards one of the life support units. A slight nudge with my hand to the module's wall lets me rotate and I land with my feet on the unit.

Then I walk across it while searching for the point on the outer hull where the pod will impact. Cyla once complained to me that the inside of the Coeus is a gravity maze. She may be right, but I don't want to admit it.

The only things which are important to know are that the upper sides of the railways, the ship's hull and modules pull you towards them. The lower sides of the railways push you away as does the outside of the ship.

And never jump too far into the open spaces because you might end up inside one of the gravity funnels which are running along the ship. They are a part of the gravity circuits and create ten gravities even if the ship doesn't accelerate. In short you end up very flat if you fall down one of those.

My uplink to the Coeus tells me that I reached the right spot. Our predictive model was very close to reality. Two pods got through and one of them is currently landing right next to me on the other side of the hull.

I brace myself and take two deep breaths. This will surely work. The least thing they'll expect is being boarded themselves.

As the pod touches down I estimate the position with a camera on my ship's hull. There should be free space right behind the pod's bulkhead. So the risk is relatively small. Then I jump and teleport.

And I appear right above a seething mass of hamsters. Great! Of course I forgot that they are surely readying themselves to storm through the breach in the Coeus's hull.

I activate gravity magic and body enhancement, dropping right into them. Two Drazi are unlucky enough to serve as my cushions as I crush them under me.

There is no reason to stand up as I start shooting at Drazi and delicate looking instruments. One of the ones closest to me raises a strange gun, but I reach forward and pluck it from his claws.

The little monster is reluctant to give up its weapon and is carried forward, so I place my foot in its face driving it backwards.

The Drazi are all dressed in tight fitting spacesuits with glassy face-plates. Though none of them seem to be able to resist my bullets. I already feared that their soldiers could have personal shields, but no.

A little more than three seconds passed since I appeared inside their landing pod. I pull myself up by grabbing a tail which presented itself to me. Still shooting I haul the tail's owner at one of the faster opponents who are in the process of aiming their weapons.

This is really boring if the enemies don't have magic. I wonder if there are some races out there which pose a real threat?

I shoot until my gun is empty, then I holster it and draw one of the suit's multi tools. It unfolds itself into a one metre long blade with a monomolecular edge. The massacre continues by hacking and slicing the aliens to pieces.

Some get off a shot, but due to the body enhancement I am faster than any normal biological being. This isn't a real contest. I am too fast and too strong for them to even react. Another magician would have countered my body enhancement in a similar manner.

I hack and slice until I recover one of their guns to use it against them. Turns out that they are using projectile weapons too. Not too surprising since lasers are simply ineffective inside an atmosphere.

At some point they try to run, but there is nowhere to run inside this confined space.

As I kill them I try out stabbing and shooting them in different positions, noting down the effect and time they need to die.

One of the Drazi drops its weapon and kneels down. I put a bullet through its head, refusing to recognize the gesture.

Maybe I should feel bad about killing them like this, but no. Grandmother always emphasized that her social rules apply to people and I am pretty sure that she meant humans. Drazi are definitely not human but I am not sure on the people part. So they are fair game.

The only thing that disturbs me is that killing these creatures is kind of boring? Killing humans on Earth felt much better for some strange reason. Maybe it was because I was mad at them. If these things hadn't attacked me I wouldn't give a damn and let them walk away. The Drazi are perceived by me somewhere on the level of rats inside my pantry.

Other Drazi also drop their weapons in an attempt to give up. One of the last remaining Drazi turns to a door, but I grab it and hammer its head against the ground. The glass breaks, so I turn it around and reach into its helmet to interrogate the creature. Claws scrape on my suit, but are unable to even scratch the strong metal alloy.

I make contact and dive into the creature's mind. Normally interrogation via telepathy is forbidden unless you are a faceless, but again, Drazi aren't humans.

My victim's muscles convulse as I sift through its memories until its brittle mind burns out like a light bulb which got exposed to too high voltage. Pieces of memory flash through me as I try to make sense out of the alien mind. It's not much, but what I find I file away for later usage.

Then I get up, unsatisfied. What I found was some individual and cultural history. Shreds of memories of being a Drazi soldier. Not what I wanted.

I turn my attention to the others who are cowering in the room's corners and at walls. Now I recognize their sounds as shrieks of terror and submission. The two dozen Drazi who are lying dead throughout the small room might have something to do with it.

I let my eyes wander over them and count. Four more survivors plus the pod's pilot behind the door to my back. Makes five more attempts to gain valuable information on the foe.

My eyes wander to the camera above the door to the pod's cockpit. Hopefully the pilot isn't too scared from what he saw. Fear seems to make reading their minds a little inaccurate.

A few commands to my suit's speakers make me able to convey a few Drazi words.

“Don't worry. Relax.” I approach the closest Drazi and stroke its head, soothing it in its language. It lost its helmet during the fight and has a nasty head wound, so I cast a small healing spell. “Giving in to fear makes you unable to make rational decisions.” The creature relaxes a little.

That's when I force a path into its mind and access its memories. The result is a little better this time, but still no useful information. The Drazi slides to the ground, convulsing and bubbles coming from its snout. Our minds seem to be a little too different.

I sigh and approach the next one.

“Don't worry. Relax.”

.