The Great Betrayal by Michael G. Thomas Read Free Book Online

have included T’Karan to this to make a total of seven stars.”
    He looked back at them, clearly waiting to make a major announcement.
    “Do you have any idea how many star systems the other Powers control?”
    There was silence as the other two men looked at him impassively. Anderson knew all too well they would not know, even he wasn’t completely sure about the information passed on via the diplomats on Helios.
    “I’ll tell you, gentlemen, forty-five stars and hundreds of worlds. Half of those are in Anicinàbe space. There could easily be as many again that we do not know about. Why do you think we have allowed our frigates to join the Narau fleet on one of its patrols?”
    “Intelligence,” replied Rear Admiral Lewis in a slow, deliberate tone.
    Anderson stood up and walked toward the nearest wall where he stopped and examined the model ships. Most he recognized, and some even brought back painful memories. The wrecked hulk of the Battlecruiser Crusader was the one that made him the think the hardest. It had been the pride of the fleet and the flagship of Admiral Jarvis, the heroine of the Uprising.
    “Precisely,” he said, his back still to them.
    He took the model from the wall and examined it with interest, finally turning to face his two guests.
    “Stability for the Alliance is our priority, and the worry is that the Rift network is larger than anticipated and poorly mapped. The enemy is still out there, and all of our worlds are vulnerable.”
    He walked back and placed the model on the table.
    “It is simple, gentlemen. Our job is to keep these forty-five worlds stable and friendly. We must do all we can to explore the Rift network, and ultimately prepare for the day when the attack will come.”
    Rear Admiral Lewis didn’t appear convinced.
    “Attack? Who’s to say the Biomechs aren’t smashed or weakened beyond chance of recovery? If they’re so strong, then why aren’t they already here, taking us apart like before?”
    Anderson smiled and returned to his seat. With a single tap, he brought up an image of a vast hangar type structure. Inside was an object bathed in white and yellow lamps. Both men leaned in closer to examine the shape. It was a large creature, like something from hell itself but a sickening mixture of machine and flesh. It moved a little before a fluorescent green fluid was automatically pumped into its body via a machine to its side.
    “The Biomech soldier?” asked General Daniels.
    “Yes,” answered Anderson.
    Daniels shook his head in horror.
    “What are you doing to it?”
    Anderson was surprised at his discomfort. The Biomechs had been responsible for so much death; he would have thought the man would relish seeing the thing suffer.
    “This is nothing, just drugs to stop it from turning on us. It has already killed eleven technicians since we brought it here.”
    That piece of information seemed to placate him, at least for now.
    “From our detailed studies, we have learned a great deal. Firstly, the living creature inside the machine is old.”
    Daniels didn’t seem impressed.
    “What do you mean, old?”
    “Well, this particular creature is almost six hundred years old, yet its armored exterior is much older again.”
    Admiral Lewis and General Daniels looked shocked at this revelation. Neither seemed to know what to say, so Anderson continued.
    “There is more though. In our interrogations, we have established three key points. None are confirmed, but each of them makes sense in its own way. First, the Biomechs are an ancient but dying race. Our biological analysis confirms the genetic decay, but they have managed to avoid the worst effects in a way we do not understand. It is not completely clear, but we suspect they have a finite number of soldiers, and they cannot be replaced.”
    Admiral Lewis lifted up his hand in surprise. He was one of the younger senior commanders in the Alliance military and known for his somewhat abrasive attitude on