AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Strike could stay on the bridge and maintain a high level of alertness for shifts, planet rotations, solar cycles if that was necessary.
That last duration shouldn’t be necessary.
The greater the distance sound traveled, the more powerful its source had to be.
There were limits to the energy that could be harnessed by beings. Which meant there were limits to the distance he’d have to travel to find its origins.
His journey should end long before the solar cycle did.
* * *
Twenty-six planet rotations later, Strike continued to follow the pulsing sound deeper and deeper into the sector.
He temporarily changed direction to avoid any ships that appeared on his monitoring systems. Then he returned to his original trajectory.
Unexpected planets and stars were added to his consolidated chart. He passed more ship wreckage. Two hundred and nine instances of it. But there weren’t any additional traps intentionally laid for unwary travelers.
Strike noted all the information he gathered about the sound he was investigating. It seemed to be traveling in a straight line. His guidance system hadn’t modified his path since he’d originally set it.
But he couldn’t yet project where the sound originated. It didn’t lower in volume consistently corresponding to the distance he traveled.
As he flew, he communicated with his brethren over the transmission lines.
They all had theories about the noise. Many projected it was the hum of a weapon.
Drift, being a pilot, mused that it could be sourced from a new type of ship.
Grid relayed it could be powering a form of intergalactic transport.
The likelihood of that being the cause was 0.2569 percent. But that wasn’t zero. Some beings were working on projects to shorten the travel time between distant planets.
Then, 35.5689 percent of the way into the second shift, the sound abruptly stopped.
What happened? Captain sent that query through a private transmission line.
I can’t project what has happened, Captain. Strike frowned. He didn’t have any answers for the male, and that unsettled him. I haven’t yet uncovered the origin of the sound.
He transmitted the little information he did have.
You have the trajectory. That should be sufficient to track it. Captain’s tone warmed with approval.
He hadn’t failed completely. Strike’s shoulders lowered. Requesting permission to land on inhabitable planets along the route and listen to the locals’ chatter, Captain. They might have intel pertaining to the sound.
Authorization granted. Captain accepted his plan. That’s a solid strategy, Second. The locals might also process if something large is being fabricated in their sector.
I’ll access their databases. He was a cyborg. That wouldn’t be a challenge for him.
Communicate when you uncover any significant information. Captain ended the transmission.
He assumed Strike would uncover significant information.
Strike’s chin lifted. He wouldn’t fail his captain.
* * *
Eight planet rotations passed. The pulsing sound didn’t recommence.
Strike’s ship approached Syndiculous 5. It was a highly developed planet populated primarily by humans.
