The Beacon: Hard Science Fiction by Brandon Morris (red white and royal blue hardcover TXT) 📕

sun wandered onto the screen, so the display had to decrease its brightness, and then a gray, round spot followed.

This was their goal—the rock planet that the Iks’ ship would use to slow down in this system.

Competitors

Netmaster, the asteroid ship has begun a braking maneuver! The remote scout was clearly excited, as indicated by his arrhythmic drumming. His mandibles also trembled uncontrollably, and he involuntarily released a pheromone cloud that smelled of anxiety. Kasfok wondered why Holmak was so nervous.

Kasfok tried to conceal his disappointment and irritation. With particular care, he tapped his two front legs on the communication thread that connected the command web and the location station. His vibrations would signal a calm Netmaster who was not shaken by any emotion.

Can you draw any conclusions from the data about its destination? he asked.

Currently, the data is still insufficient, the remote scout replied. I’ll be able to make a prediction in a few hundred pulses.

With great willpower, Kasfok forced his pheromone organ to emit confidence and control. He also danced a few steps to communicate reassurance. As a Netmaster, his job was to show the entire network that he was deserving of his position at the top of their community. Yet internally, he was just as agitated as the remote scout.

What were the chances that this extraordinary system had been discovered by another species, doubtlessly also seeking the system’s helium-3 supplies? Kasfok couldn’t imagine what else the generation ship—that was what it had to be, given its size—could be looking for here. Even if in an infinitely vast universe, every event, no matter how unlikely, had to happen eventually somewhere, he cursed the misfortune of it happening to his species here and now, under his leadership—as if their position, and his own in particular, weren’t precarious enough already.

Kasfok was the 17th Netmaster since they’d had to leave their home planet. For almost 20 generations they had been traveling through this galaxy with their fleet in search of a new home. What had originally been almost 100 ships had now become a fleet of only 20 units. Nearly one million Mendraki had escaped the catastrophe, but after such a long time their population was now just a fifth of what it had been. By Kasfok’s estimate, they had at best five or six generations until the genetic pool would become too small to ensure the long-term survival of his species.

Besides, their ships were old, failure-prone, and badly in need of repair. But they had neither the means nor the knowledge to maintain, much less to fix, what their ancestors had built. Knowledge had been lost from generation to generation, and today the Mendraki, lacking an understanding of the technology, could barely operate the ships and their equipment.

More and more ships had been lost to accidents, and others they’d had to abandon. Some had been devastated six generations ago when they’d encountered the only other species on their journey through the galaxy. Only a quick escape had saved the rest of the fleet from destruction at that time. Fortunately, the unknown enemies with their fearsome battleships had not been vengeful, and therefore had not pursued them.

And now this! They’d discovered a source of energy that was rich and easily accessible, and that could meet their needs for many generations. Their reserves were as good as empty, and the tokamaks could no longer supply energy for further jumps. The fate of the Mendraki had to be decided in this system! Kasfok vowed he would not let a second encounter with an alien species destroy what had survived the first encounter.

Yes, the wormhole generators had run out of power, the tokamaks had become inefficient and decrepit, the ships had started to crumble in every nook and cranny, and opposition among the Mendraki had already begun to form. Still, the 20 ships’ weapons systems were operational, and he was ready to fight for the future of his species.

This future—their survival—depended on the Mendraki having unimpeded access to the gas planets. He would not let anyone get in their way. This system belonged to the Mendraki alone!

Holmak, the remote scout, interrupted Kasfok’s thoughts. The ship is taking a course for the inner planet and quickly decelerating, he announced.

Kasfok was aware that everything they saw had already happened several macropulses before. They were still on the edge of the solar system, and all the data they now received had needed a long time to reach them at the speed of light. Whatever the aliens had intended to do, they’d already accomplished it—or failed—by now.

The Shipmasters of the fleet network’s other units had followed the developments of the last pulses with a mixture of worry, fear, and excitement. So far, none of them had spoken. Kasfok wanted to avoid being indecisive and timid, and he knew he had to do something before losing the initiative. His opponents were just waiting for him to show weakness.

He drummed his command on the communication thread. All units accelerate in the direction of the fifth planet. Once there, we will swing into a stationary orbit, which will allow us the uninterrupted observation of the aliens. This will enable us to get closer to the aliens and thus receive data in a timelier fashion, while simultaneously making clear our claim to the four gas planets. As soon as we know exactly what the aliens are up to, we will take the appropriate action!

On the fleet ship the Solstice Bud, Shipmaster Tolkut terminated the transmission and released a cloud of disgust mixed with the pungent odor of contempt. He didn’t have to try to conceal his emotional state. The entire crew of the Bud knew what the Shipmaster thought and supported his position. In fact, he’d even been urged to rebel, but Tolkut was a careful and level-headed Mendrak—some even said hesitant. He did not dare to openly oppose Kasfok until he was sure he had the support of a majority of the Shipmasters.

In his