Nanomachine War: Book 1, First Starship Encounter

Description

A large alien starship emerges from hyperspace in our solar system and goes into orbit around Mars. The starship is damaged on the outside and the reasons for its appearance are a mystery.

There is no communication after repeated attempts to contact the alien starship by local Mars colonists. A United Nations Peace Keeping team from Mars led by UN Security Director Douglas Martin and Marine Colonel Hayward Jackson is sent to the starship to investigate. At first, there are no signs of life. Then they find ten dead alien crewmembers on the Command Center Bridge. They find twenty more alien crewmembers sleeping in cryostasis.

An Artificial Intelligence entity named Shonya presents itself. It explains that the damage was caused by an unknown Intruder—who is still on board. Shonya asks for help. The UN team learns the rest of the alien passengers have no bodies. They are composed of one billion Passenger Minds stored in quantum computer bays waiting to be downloaded into new bodies.

The AI says they are a peaceful race called Qumru and were on their way to a second home world to live when the starship was sabotaged. They’re fleeing an enemy called the Yoyka who subjugate all alien races they encounter. The Qumru have immense knowledge and are willing to share it with humans if they help them repair their starship. What Shonya and the newly awakened crewmembers keep secret threaten the very existence of the human race.

This work has received the BooksGoSocial Gold Quality Mark evaluation.

Copyright Page

Nanomachine War - Book 1, First Starship Encounter

By Don Viecelli

Copyright © 2017 by Donald E. Viecelli. Registration Number TX 8-674-348.

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Ebook cover page image and design is provided by Kerman Rodriquez.

This is a work of science fiction. All the characters, names, incidents, places and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

This work has received the BooksGoSocial Gold Quality Mark Number 1104, which states it meets high readability standards. Any errors found in editing, formatting, plot or structure will be corrected in future editions.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Positive reviews on various book sites are always welcome. It helps independent authors like me to reach a broader audience.

Smashwords ISBN: 9781370603169

For Smashwords Readers.

Published by Don Viecelli at Smashwords.

First Release in June 2017.

Latest Edition R4, June 2019. Includes an Excerpt From Nanomachine War - Book 2.

Word length approximately 87,095.

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Dedication

To my wife, Susan, who lets me travel to distant worlds knowing the world we live in is the best.

Table of Contents

Description

Copyright Page

Dedication

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

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Excerpt From Nanomachine War - Book 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Author’s Page

Chapter 1

Starship

An alien starship emerges silently from hyperspace through a large spiraling vortex in the furthest reaches of the solar system. It casts brilliant white streaks of light energy that can be seen for millions of miles out into space. In milliseconds it is all dark again as if nothing happened.

The starship is massive. It measures one mile in diameter with a circumference over three miles. At its centermost point it is 90 meters or 295.3 feet high. It is metallic gray in color with strange alien symbols etched in silver on its top side. Few lights can be seen emanating from its interior; only a ring of running lights are visible along its outermost edge.

The starship is not spinning; it just speeds through the empty space at nearly the speed of light. It avoids the small dwarf planets seven billion miles out from its sun and the increasingly larger planets until it passes Jupiter at almost 500 million miles from the sun. It has a destination in mind and finally reduces power until it glides into orbit around Mars.

There is an Artificial Intelligence entity controlling the starship. It detects intelligent life radio signals deep in space coming from two innermost planets in this solar system. It automatically deduces the radio signals emanating from the forth planet in the solar system mean fewer beings on the planet. The radio signals from the third planet are much stronger indicating a larger population of intelligent beings. The third planet also shows signs of emerging space travel capabilities with space stations, satellites and even visible mining stations on its single moon.

The planet the AI chooses to orbit is smaller with a limited number of habitats visible on the surface below. It is obviously a colony recently established by the local beings. It looks safer to make contact, which is the primary reason the starship went into orbit around it.

A detailed survey is conducted of the planet and its inhabitants. The AI looks for any signs of weapons and detects nothing it cannot handle with its defensive capabilities. The AI is reasonably certain the beings on this planet have not come into contact with other spacefaring races by its low level technology. It begins recording all radio signals and other communication channels it finds coming from both planets. The AI runs all the data through its massive quantum computers until it deciphers the main languages of these beings.

All the odds are calculated and the next course of action is decided. As intelligent as it is, the AI is caught off guard and surprised by what has happened to its starship. The original crew of ten is dead from sudden decompression; their bodies still lying were they fell on the Command Center Bridge. The backup crew of organic beings is still in cryostasis pods. The damage to the starship is extensive and the outer hull is breached one floor below the Bridge. If the ship cannot be repaired soon, then all the other passengers on this starship will be lost. It could mean the end of its own existence and that of its creator race.

The data coming from its computers is analyzed. The AI reasons the only remaining option is to wait for contact from the alien beings on the planet below. Even then, the AI is not certain it is making the right choice.

Chapter 2

Mars Colony

Douglas Martin looked over at his wife sleeping peacefully in bed beside him. Her short reddish brown hair just covered one eye and moved slightly from her silent breathing. Doug had awakened from a deep sleep, yet he felt wide awake. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so soundly. Perhaps it was from the romantic dinner he and his wife enjoyed last night celebrating their first year of marriage at the only decent restaurant on Mars. Then again, it could be what happened in bed afterwards that made them both sleep so soundly. He knew what happened wasn’t a dream, because he remembered too many loving details. He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have married this wonderful woman. Doug looked at the comdisplay on the end table. He wanted to stay in bed, but it was time to get up.

Doug moved the covers aside as he got slowly out of bed so as not to awaken his wife. They both had to go to work today. Doug was Security Director for UN Deputy Secretary Haruto Nakamura, a man of Japanese descent who was appointed by the United Nations to be the first Deputy Secretary of the Mars Colony in the year 2061. Doug’s wife was Janice Martin, a doctor of microbiology who worked in the science department building nearby. Janice was the first scientist to discover multicellular microorganisms on Mars. It proved the existence of life on Mars tens of millions of years ago when water was plentiful. Now Mars was a barren wasteland except in regions near the poles where ice still formed on the surface. Below the surface in deep underground volcanic tubes large ice slabs have been discovered that were created when snow and water were both present, which led to the discovery of microorganisms.

Doug shaved and showered as quietly as he could. Looking in the mirror, Doug thought his face was far from handsome with a big chin, high forehead and large nose. Janice seemed to think differently and kept reminding him that he looked like a medium sized football player, which he actually was in college back on Earth. He stood five feet eleven inches tall at two hundred pounds with long arms, wide shoulders and strong legs. Doug finished getting dressed and looked in the mirror one final time. He had dark brown eyes spaced evenly and brown hair that needed cutting soon. Maybe his wife wasn’t kidding him when she said he was too good looking for his own good. He smiled in spite of himself and looked one more time at his sleeping wife. He would call her latter when he was at work to see how her day was going.

Doug looked around their small habitat. They lived near the outskirts of the place called Haffen City, named after the first astronaut to set foot on Mars in 2033, which was not too far from where the city lies. There were now fifteen hundred colonists living on Mars, over seven hundred in Haffen City, in the year 2066 with more arriving every Mars month. They were made up of various nationalities and specialties, which included private enterprise business people, government officials and administrators sent from Earth to help set up a neutral UN Member State. There was also a small contingent of fifty or so United Nations military personnel, mostly U.S. Marine Peace Keepers, to help protect government facilities and private business interests in mining and production facilities for needed mineral resources.

Doug was a former United States Space Marine Captain before leaving the service five years ago at age 35 to become the Security Director for the first UN Deputy Secretary of Mars. The decision to accept the position had more to do with following his wife, Doctor Janice Martin, when she decided to go back to Mars for research purposes than wanting to leave the Marine service early. Looking back on it, Doug thought it was the best decision he had ever made.

Doug looked out the small window while drinking his first cup of coffee for the day. The view was spectacular. Haffen City was located near the western edge of the great Valles Marineris canyon, which was over 4000 kilometers long and up to 7 kilometers deep. Off in the distance were three very large volcanoes, the tallest 18 kilometers high. This location was chosen to attract tourists from Earth and was becoming quite popular with each passing Mars year. Thus, the need for security and the establishment of a police force for the city.

Doug finished his breakfast and downed his second cup of coffee. It was 7 am and time to leave for the office. He grabbed his coat and was just about to open the door when his wristcom buzzed. The call was from the Deputy Secretary of Mars. It was a text message that read: Doug, we have an emergency. Come to the office immediately. Haruto!

There was no other explanation. Doug responded with a voice to text message of his own: I’m on my way, Mister Deputy Secretary.

Haffen was only a mile long and half a mile wide. Most of the smaller habitats were linked by glass covered walkways to protect from the Martian sand storms and high solar radiation levels. The center of the town was covered in a large glass geodesic dome structure that allowed some buildings to reach up to five stories high. There were plans to expand and extend the dome to cover the whole city within the next five years. It was only the start of terraforming efforts to make Mars more Earthlike in the future.

Doug quickly made his way to the only public transport system serving the town. It was a light rail passenger system that connected all the major buildings. Doug hopped on board at the nearest station from his house and arrived at the Deputy Secretary’s UN office building where Doug’s office was also located within a few minutes.

Doug walked into the building to the elevators that led to the top floor. When he knocked on Deputy Secretary Haruto Nakamura’s door, he was admitted inside. There were five people in the room with the Deputy Secretary. He knew them all, but was surprised at who was there.

Doug, I’m glad you’re here. We have an emergency situation, Haruto said. You know everyone, so let me bring you up to date. Deputy Secretary Nakamura was in his early fifties with an oval shaped face, small nose, dark eyes and straight black hair with streaks of gray common to Japanese people. He was taller than average, though, and could look Doug straight in the eyes. He seemed shaken.

There is an unidentified object orbiting Mars. It just appeared thirty minutes ago out of nowhere. It’s a spaceship. It’s not one of ours, he added.

Haruto looked over at Doctor James Colbert, the only astrophysicist on Mars who also studied astronomy. He oversaw the Mars astronomical observatory and other long range communication systems. Show Doug the images from the observatory.

Yes, Deputy Secretary. Doctor James Colbert was close to forty with a round face, light blue eyes, red hair and full beard. He was shorter than Haruto, but wider in the shoulders and torso. Doug knew he was a former football player in college just like him, but much smarter. They were close friends and got along fine even though James had a crush on Doug’s wife, Janice, before they got married.

James brought up images of the UFO on the large TV screen hanging on the wall on one side of the Deputy Secretary’s office. The images were clear. There was no mistaking what they were all looking at on the screen. Doug was shocked at the size of the spaceship.

Damn, it’s huge! Doug exclaimed, taking a closer look. Do we know how big the thing really is?

We think it’s at least a mile in diameter, Doug. It’s larger than Haffen City, James answered simply.

What does it want? Do we know?

There’s been no contact from the UFO. Doctor Colbert is preparing some questions now that we can start transmitting to the spaceship. In the meantime, I sent a message to the United Nations and NASA on Earth. I’m sure they’re seeing the same thing we are now, replied Haruto looking a bit nervous.

I’ve also notified the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Earth, Marine Colonel Hayward Jackson said with a deep voice. He was a tall black man, forty-five years old, with round face, deep set brown eyes, large jaw and nose and shaven bald head. Colonel Jackson along with most of the military stationed in Haffen was assigned to the United Nations peace keeping force, but reported to the United States Military under authority of the President of the U.S. We don’t know what this UFO is doing here. We need to be prepared, he said tersely.

The fifth person in the room was Marine Captain Shirley Tills. She reported to Colonel Jackson. She was thirty-four years old, five feet ten inches tall with light colored skin, blue eyes and brown hair cut short. She looked tough as nails and Doug would not want to be the person who crossed her. She looked at the colonel and said, We put the base on alert. There’s not much we can do if the thing is hostile, but we can notify everyone here to stay in their homes or places of business until we figure things out.

Deputy Secretary Nakamura nodded his head in agreement. That’s a good idea, Captain Tills. Please do this immediately.

There’s one thing odd about the UFO, Deputy Secretary, Doctor Colbert said after studying the images in more detail.

What is it, James? Doug prodded.

There seems to be something wrong with the spaceship. See here, he pointed at a dark spot near the dome on top of the circular disk. There seems to be a big hole in the spaceship. I think it’s been damaged somehow.

Everyone took a closer look as Dr. Colbert zoomed in on the image. The hole was clearly visible. It looked like something had exploded outwards.

The spaceship could be in trouble then, Haruto said. We should send a shuttle up to take a closer look. Maybe it will contact us when we get closer.

Marine Colonel Hayward Jackson said, I agree, Mister Deputy Secretary. But I need to wait for orders from my superiors first before we attempt to send anyone up there.

Very well, Colonel. I will wait to hear back from the UN Secretary-General before we send anyone up there to check this spaceship out. But we shouldn’t wait too long. We need to know its intentions or if it needs our help; sooner than later.

Doug agreed with the Colonel, but he also was curious what was on board that spaceship. He knew that whatever happened in the next few hours, the world was never going to be the same again.

Chapter 3

The White House

President Mary Woodley Anderson was working at her desk in the Oval Office of the White House when her close friend and advisor, Chief of Staff Allison Conley, knocked on the door and entered unannounced.

"Madam President, we have a situation on Mars! The United Nations Secretary-General is calling a Security Council Member emergency meeting.

President Anderson looked up and removed her reading glasses laying them next to the President’s Daily Briefing (PDB) report she was reading. The President was in her early fifties with reddish hair, a result of her North Carolina heritage, and blue eyes that she refused to have corrected surgery on. What is it, Allison? Mary expected the usual multinational squabbling over territorial borders.

A UFO has appeared and gone into orbit around Mars. It’s very large, Madam President. Allison looked unsettled, which rarely ever happened as long as President Anderson had known her. Standing at five feet ten inches, Allison was taller than many women and used that to full advantage. She was younger than the President at forty-five and was attractive in her dark blue two-piece pant suit, but that look of control she usually possessed seemed to be missing at the moment.

A UFO; like alien UFO? Mary repeated in a somewhat disbelieving tone.

That’s what the UN is telling us. I just received a call from Ambassador Rodriguez. He says Secretary-General Gomulka received a call from Deputy General Haruto Nakamura on Mars twenty minutes ago. Nakamura is requesting permission to fly a shuttlecraft with UN Police Keeper forces to the UFO to try to make contact. Apparently, the UFO is not responding to any attempts at communication with Mars. The UFO looks to have some damage on the outside, Madam President.

All right, Allison. Tell the Ambassador to keep us informed what happens at the Security Council Member meeting. If it’s Marines they’re sending, then we need Secretary of Defense Russo to get involved. Call a Cabinet Meeting in one hour. That should give us enough time to see what is going on over at the UN. I’ll call Secretary-General Gomulka right now. Oh—Allison, better ask NASA Administrator Ito to attend the meeting as well. We may need his advice.

Allison left the room to set up the Cabinet Meeting within the hour. President Anderson punched the intercom button on her desk phone for her Executive Secretary, Joann Miles. When Joann answered, the President said, Joann, I need you to get UN Secretary-General Aleksy Gomulka on the line for me right away.

Yes, Madam President.

A few minutes later, the desk phone rang and Joann said UN Secretary-General Aleksy Gomulka was on the line. President Anderson hit the speakerphone button and looked at the LCD display. The Secretary-General was from Poland and had the typical Eastern European facial features, especially the dark hair, small eyes and round face. Good morning, Mister Secretary-General Gomulka. I hear we have a UFO orbiting Mars. Has this been confirmed?

Good morning, Madam President. Aleksy said with a strong Slavic accent. Yes, we confirmed the sighting. We have real time video and images from our observatory on Mars. I am sending you some images now.

President Anderson pulled up the images on her tablet computer screen. She was shocked at the size of the UFO. How large is this thing? she asked looking closely at the images.

It’s immense, Madam President. I have been told it measures one point six kilometers in diameter and ninety meters tall at its center. It appears to have some damage visible on the outside. There’s been no communication with the starship since it arrived one hour ago, Madam President.

This is hard to believe, Secretary-General. The world will be shocked at this discovery once it becomes public. What are your plans?

I am heading to a Security Council Member meeting now, Madam President. The UN Deputy General of Mars, Haruto Nakamura, requested permission to send a team of people from Mars on a shuttle to investigate and see if they can communicate with the starship. I must discuss this with the Security Council Members and see what they suggest. I will keep you informed, Madam President.

Thank you, Mister Secretary. I will be meeting with my Cabinet Members as well. If the UFO, or starship if you prefer, is really damaged; then it may be in need of our help. Either way, I feel we must establish communications with the starship as soon as possible. If nothing else, to make sure it’s not hostile.

I agree with you, Madam President. I will be in touch as soon as I can. Good day to you.

President Anderson watched the display screen go black, but she kept staring at the images of the large object on her tablet. Whatever it was, the news of this discovery was going to be the biggest event in recent history. There was no way anyone could keep a secret like this from becoming public due to the Internet. She just hoped it would not cause unwarranted panic among the populations of the world.

*****

One hour flew by. President Anderson looked at her wristcom and knew it was time to head to the Cabinet Room where she held regular meetings with her Cabinet Secretaries and other Administration officials called in as needed. The Cabinet Room was located in the West Wing, which is connected to the Oval Office and looks out over the White House Rose Garden. Today was a particularly sunny and warm day in May and the colorful flowers were in full bloom.

There are fifteen executive department Cabinet Members serving the President today, most with a title beginning with Secretary. Ten departments were in attendance along with Vice President Allen Denton, National Security Advisor Rodney Williams, NASA Administrator Shoji Ito, Chief of Staff Allison Conley and various other staff members sitting along the sidewalls behind the main conference room table.

President Mary Anderson and Allison walked into the room, which was already filled. Mary took her seat at the middle of the conference table in a chair with the name President firmly attached on the back of the seat. Thank all of you for coming on such short notice. I know Allison mentioned we have a major situation developing that you need to be made aware of. I’ll just say what it is and then we will deal with it. A large UFO has been sighted orbiting Mars and this sighting has been confirmed. Murmurs of disbelief made its way around the room.

Mary continued. I know this sounds implausible, but the UFO is an alien starship as far as anyone can determine. We did not build it and know nothing about it yet. It has not made any attempt at communications with anyone on Mars.

How big is this thing, Madam President? Vice President Allen Denton wanted to know. Allen was a senior politician from Michigan at sixty years old and one of the most respected politicians in the government. Everyone liked and admired him for his many years of positive public service.

"I have been told by the UN Secretary-General, the starship is approximately one mile in diameter and almost three hundred feet tall at its center point. The