Space Corps: Symbiant (Space Corps Book 2) Read online

  Space Corps

  Symbiant

  K. D. Mattis

  Contents

  Copyright

  Also by K. D. Mattis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Coming Soon from K. D. Mattis

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2018 K. D. Mattis

  All rights reserved.

  This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used factiously, or are entirely fictional.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected]

  Cover design by Rob Erto

  Electronic edition, 2018

  Print edition, 2018

  If you would like to be notified of future releases from K. D. Mattis and receive notice of promotions and discounts, please visit kdmattis.com/sign-up.

  Also by K. D. Mattis

  The Space Corps Series

  Book 1: Revelation

  Book 2: Symbiant

  Book 3: Retribution

  Book 4: Expansion

  Book 5: Hunter

  Book 6: Gateway

  1

  On the edge of the dark side of the moon, artificial structures dotted the landscape. Though large, the structures did not indicate the size of the buildings they supported beneath the dust. Several pieces of scanning equipment turned their attention to the admiral’s shuttle as it made its descent.

  “This is the USSC Expedition. We are requesting permission to land.”

  Only static responded at first as the scanning equipment finished its work. After several moments, a man’s voice responded in accented English. “You are cleared to land, Expedition. Follow the guiding lights into the shuttle bay. Do not exit the shuttle until you receive further instructions.”

  The shuttle rocked as the reverse thrusters slowed its descent. The craft dropped lower toward the surface of the moon along a path of lights. At the end of the path was a pit with large, open doors. When the craft touched down inside of the pit, the doors slowly lowered until they closed completely and shook the small landing area.

  Inside the shuttle, six armed guards checked the seals of their environmental suits. They shuffled uneasily in their seats but maintained their silence.

  Ensign Gonzales, the pilot, moved her fingers quickly across a large control panel. As she moved, the thrusters and various components of the shuttle quieted to a whisper until, with a final push of a button, everything but the most basic components of the shuttle shut down.

  She reached behind her chair and pulled up her helmet. She slid it over her head, checked the seal, and hit two buttons on the chest piece of her suit. Several lights turned on and filtered air began to fill her lungs.

  “Admiral, we have permission to disembark. My suit is secure. Is everyone ready, sir?”

  Asher stood and looked around. Two green lights on the front of each person’s suit told her what she needed to know. “Yes. Let’s head out.”

  A door on the side of the shuttle cracked open and acted as a vacuum for the air inside. Once most of the air was gone, the door opened quickly and allowed the crew to exit. Two guards led the group. Asher and Commander Gibbs went next, followed by the rest of the guards. The pilot remained in the shuttle. The group made their way to an open door and filed into the small room, and the door closed behind them just before pressurized air forced its way into the room.

  A computer said something in Chinese that Asher could not understand, and a light on top of another door turned green before it opened. The group stepped into the next room, met by several guards.

  Jumping forward suddenly, a middle-aged man forced a salute. “Admiral, on behalf of my commander, I welcome you to Lunar Colony One.”

  A significantly older man stepped forward and extended his hand. Asher returned the favor and gave him a firm shake.

  Looking around, Asher said, “Thank you, Commander. I was surprised at the invitation. I never thought I’d see this colony.”

  The commander spoke in Chinese, with the middle-aged man acting as a translator.

  “We’re glad you accepted, Admiral. We know how busy you are, but we have much to discuss.”

  “I am busy,” Asher said, nodding, “but I was told this is important.”

  As the group started to walk toward another door, one of the Chinese guards held up a hand. Asher and her guards looked around, uneasy.

  “I’m sorry,” said the commander. “My orders are that only you and one person of your choosing may join us.”

  Each of the guards looked to Asher for an explanation, but she didn’t give one.

  “That’s fine. Gibbs will join me.”

  With a smile, the colony commander said, “Thank you for your understanding. Now, if you wish, it’s perfectly safe to remove your helmets. You won’t need it as we go farther into the colony.”

  Asher and Gibbs removed their helmets and left them in the care of their guards before following the commander and the translator through several narrow corridors. They did their best, but the Space Corps officers kept stumbling as they continued, unable to adjust to the moon’s gravity. The colonists walked in sync with a movement that looked like prancing. As the Space Corps officers adjusted, their movements mimicked those of the colonists.

  Coming to a stop at a large control room, Asher and Gibbs looked around at the men and women rushing around from console to console.

  The commander motioned to the room. “This is our primary operations center. Many tasks need daily attention. Our limited resources mean that our staff must often share systems to accomplish their goals. We have teams dedicated to sensor equipment, laboratory testing, environmental controls, and defense.” The commander paused to look at a small screen on his wrist. “Defense is why you are here.”

  “I’m sorry?” Asher asked.

  “We wanted to bring you here for a tactical assessment. It’s clear to us that we share a common threat, and that neither of our country’s forces are adequately prepared to deal with that threat.”

  “You want to work together?” Gibbs asked.

  The commander nodded. “It only makes sense. Together, we have much more capability. Unfortunately, for this to work, we would need cooperation in ways your leadership may be…uncomfortable with.”

  The group continued walking down another long corridor. The corridor led to an elevator that took them several stories up into a tower that watched over the colony.

  Two men in the tower snapped to attention w
hen they saw their commander. With a wave of his hand, they stepped beside the wall.

  The commander stepped up to a console and entered several lengthy commands. When he finished, another tray slid out from a hidden compartment. He entered a few more commands, and a row of circles formed in the dust on the surface of the moon, far outside of the window.

  Asher and Gibbs watched in awe as the circles rose several feet into the air and opened. From each of the circles rose a missile prepared for launch.

  “As you can see, Admiral, this colony is protected. Unfortunately, our defenses won’t be enough to take on even one of the alien ships you’ve fought. And that’s where our arrangement comes in.”

  Asher continued to look over the missile silos, carefully evaluating every detail she could and committing them to memory. “And what kind of arrangement do you propose, Commander?”

  The missiles lowered back into the ground in response to two more commands. “Hopefully, it’s an arrangement you’ll find mutually beneficial. The way your government sees it, we have a strategic outpost on the moon.”

  “I’ll agree with that,” Asher said, nodding.

  “But with this outpost comes the responsibility to defend it. That’s where you come in.”

  With her eyes narrowing, Asher frowned. “We can’t just defend the colony. There needs to be an equal exchange for any agreement to work.”

  “Of course. The Chinese government is willing to offer several concessions.”

  “Such as?”

  Clearing his throat, the commander said, “First, Space Corps will have the ability to use the colony for a tactical advantage. Until you have set up your own lunar colony, this colony will comply with any orders Space Corps makes that are in defense of Earth.”

  “That’s something,” Asher said, “but you don’t have much to help us with.”

  “In addition to that, any Space Corps vessel may use the colony for emergency landing or housing. This should free up some of the space on Ambassador Station. And to seal the deal, we know of something Space Corps desperately needs right now.”

  “And that is?” Asher asked.

  “You want the UN behind you, and you want the ability to introduce new weapons and ships into space. You’re blocked by a treaty. The Chinese government is willing to support Space Corps in removing those limitations.” When Asher didn’t respond, the commander continued. “With our support comes the support of the nations that rely on us for military or economic aid. That’s quite a few votes you didn’t have before.”

  Asher looked to Gibbs before looking at the ground and shaking her head. “That’s all very nice, Commander, but what does your government expect in exchange?”

  Smiling, the commander said, “That’s where things get difficult. We would need the plans for the railguns you use on the Explorer. We’re capable of higher energy output on the colony than you are on a ship. We would make them bigger and more powerful.”

  Her eyes shot wide, but Asher suppressed her concern before saying, “That could be difficult to arrange.”

  “I understand,” said the commander. He extended his hand to shake once more as his translator led Asher and Gibbs back to the elevator. “I know it’s a hard bargain, but if your government is willing to trust mine, we could do amazing things together.”

  2

  The door to the situation room closed with a heavy thud. Every man and woman sitting around the large desk instantly stood and offered a salute to President Krasinski. He returned the gesture and then motioned a hand toward the door. Everyone left the room except for a young woman in uniform.

  In his hand, the president held a tablet. He read silently, refusing to look at the woman. Occasionally, he cleared his throat or took a sip of coffee. He maintained the charade for several minutes.

  “Mr. President, you wanted to talk?” Asher asked.

  The president held up a finger and kept reading.

  “Sir, if this isn’t a good time, we can do this later.”

  Asher jumped when the tablet dropped carelessly onto the desk. After several more seconds of silence, she grabbed the tablet and began to read. The document on the screen listed dozens of news articles praising Asher and her crew for bravery in battle, calling for unity between nations against the alien threat.

  As she read the headlines, Asher couldn’t help but smile.

  Taking a seat, the president said, “Congratulations, Admiral. You got what you wanted.”

  The young Admiral’s smile faded. She nodded and said, “No. I got what I—what we—needed. It came at a high price. If everyone had just listened to me—”

  “You’re missing the point, Admiral.” Pausing, the president locked eyes with the woman. “The price we paid was well worth it. The entire world knows there’s a threat out there, and they’re looking to you to help us face it. My question to you is this: are you ready for that?”

  Asher shook her head. Bending down, she grabbed a briefcase off the floor and placed it on the desk. From inside, she pulled out her tablet and began to read aloud.

  “The USSC Explorer: Sustained heavy damage. Will require substantial repairs. The USSC Protector: Sustained heavy damage. Will require substantial repairs. The USSC Guardian: Destroyed. Salvage not possible.” Looking to the president, Asher hoped to see some sign of remorse or concern but saw nothing. “Sir, with all due respect, we only had three viable ships in our fleet. None of them are available for another battle. We need repairs, we need more ships, and we need more resources. We can make repairs, but that will only accomplish so much if we fall under attack again.”

  Sighing, the president said, “You sound so defeated.”

  “If we don’t get what we need, we will be. Maybe not today, but we won’t be able to withstand another assault from the alien forces unless we make drastic changes. I need your help, and I need to go in front of the United Nations again.”

  “That’s out of the question,” said the president. Leaning back, he propped his feet up on the desk. “You made more enemies than friends the last time I let you out there, but we have our ambassadors taking care of them. You need to trust them to do their job in the same way that we trust you to do yours. After the Russians stepped forward to assist in the last battle, I don’t think the UN will be a problem.”

  “But the treaty—”

  “–Is already in the repeal process. The Russians are on our side, and the Chinese seem to have had a sudden change of heart.”

  “If we’re willing to work with them.”

  “Speaking of which, I’m glad to hear you managed to hold your tongue.”

  “About?” Asher asked.

  “The weapons on the lunar colony. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you flew off the handle at them.”

  “Now why would I do that?”

  “They had weapons on the colony and didn’t help in the last battle against the aliens? Frankly, I would have been tempted to say something, but I’m glad you didn’t. We all have our conditions. Have a little faith in the system, Admiral. Political posturing may seem like a waste of time, but it’s often the difference between getting what you want and going without.”

  Asher grimaced. She grabbed a glass of water and raised it to her lips. Before she took a sip, she abruptly put the glass back down.

  “Sir, I don’t understand.”

  “Understand what?” the president asked.

  “I understand some of this is classified, but it’s low-grade information. Why did you insist on the face-to-face meeting?”

  The president nodded and stood. “That’s a good question.”

  Walking around the room for a moment, Krasinski stood in front of several pictures of previous presidents. “I walk this room on a regular basis, and I can’t help but notice the wrinkles on their faces and wonder how they earned them. They look so poised, reserved, and self-assured. I don’t feel anything like them.” He sighed and turned back to the admiral. “This is strictly between us, yo
u understand?”

  “This is strictly between us, you understand?”

  Asher nodded.

  “Your warnings from before were never lost on me. You said we needed to prepare. I listened, but there wasn’t much I could do. Not directly, anyway.”

  Asher stared at the man looking for some sign of what he meant. His expression and body language revealed nothing.

  “I made a decision I was sure I’d regret. I asked Commander Reynolds to arm the space station illegally.”

  Asher shot him a look of surprise and anger.

  Krasinski continued. “It didn’t take much convincing. He knew as well as you that the aliens would come back. He filled out and signed all the necessary paperwork to have the weapons shipped and installed. From there, he just had to wait for the right time to activate the system.”

  Asher jumped up and shouted, “Reynolds is sitting in prison right now because of that! He’s in prison because of something you ordered him to do?”

  “No. As I said, I asked him to do it. He agreed. He knew what he was doing, and he knew the consequences. We needed a fall guy for it to work, and he was perfectly willing to fill that role. Would you have done any different?”

  “He did it because you pressured him into it,” Asher said.

  “He did it because he believed in you. He believed you were right.”

  Slamming her body back into her chair, Asher tried to slow her breathing. “You brought me in here to tell me that one of my men, an officer and a friend, is in prison because he believed in me enough to sacrifice himself?”