Текст книги "The Warriors Of Shambhala"

Автор книги: Sergii Sheludchenko

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A little boy of six or seven was separated from the group of novices. He ran to the Jugha Len and poked his head around the nun's habit.

‘What's your name?’

‘Gua Ren – the Son of Heaven.’

Tears came from the old man's eyes…

‘The fate of the burden of creating the Dragon Clan was at Gua Zsen. It's a long story; it will not be enough time to tell it all. We will return to this theme, but a little later. I will say one thing, the Dragons have never changed their traditions. Nowadays it's not so, not only on Earth, or even in a sphere in the depths of space. Jangi become mercenaries. Their services are used by many space Syndicates. But the symbol of the Dragon was sacred for Jangi, as well as many thousands of years ago. Only those of the soldiers have the right to wear it, who devoted his life to fighting injustice. They are very few but they are revered in the world. The Old Master of Janga transmitted their most intimate knowledge about the art of war. The dragons of Janga inspire fear even on their compatriots who have chosen the path of evil and violence. They say one dedicated warrior is worth hundreds of average fighters. I will not argue. You are in Shambhala, a symbol of faith for Asians. Teachers require maximum dedication from you. We need you to address a very important problem. A sacred sign on your body is required. You have a chance to atone for the sins by doing the assignment of Shambhala. If you refuse, you will die according to the laws of Janga.’

A man in a purple toga took leave and went to the door, which opened in the wall.

Taihang is ready for anything, but to find himself in the Shambhala, this is too much! The words of the monk did not cause doubts in the leader of the Dragons for a second time. In the East, the mention of Shambhala was not an occasion for jokes. If teachers need his life, Taihang will give it without hesitation. Now he has no right to oppose the order. We must prepare him for the implementation of some important mission of which the guest mentioned. Taihang saw that a fire under the body of the dragon broke out. Gathering all his composure, he looked down at his chest. The dragon had changed shape and color. Taihang fell to his knees and began to pray.

* * *

The meeting of the Magistrate had ended. By the general solution the vow of obedience was removed from Marek Kowalski, and he was approved for the position of mechanic. To form the team one person was lacking. It offered a lot of options, but they were not satisfied with the Supreme Master. The external monitoring service reported this morning that the Tibetan monk was close to the base. We have taken all precautions to ensure no stranger enters the station. Strange, but the monk was walking as if he knew exactly the location of Shambhala. A similar case occurred a few decades ago, after which the technicians of the Order placed in the tunnel needed extra protection. Even if the monk walked up the tunnel, all attempts to exit the station came to nothing. There was a proposal to use the intruder as a future member of the crew, but the Supreme Master hesitated with the decision. It is necessary to consult with the teachers. For the Tibetan monks Shambhala was an unquestioning shrine, and it will be difficult to explain to one of them, that the base is just a fragment of a more advanced civilization. Although it is only possible with the teachers’ help. Taihang is also an Asian, but the right approach helped to find a common language with him, now he's one of the best candidates. The magistrate decided the next morning to gather the crew together. Neuro jump was waiting for the team!

The master meditated and came to the temple, where at this time the Master of the Order was gathered.

‘The Supreme Master of the Order of the "Seven Stars"!’, the porter announced standing at the entrance to the sanctuary. The teachers went to meet the head of the brotherhood.

‘What brings you to the abode of knowledge?’

‘I am interested in two questions. We need another earthling in the crew, and most importantly, what will happen to the ship when it reaches the base of the Galactic Patrol. There is too much new equipment on board. The Magistrate finds it impossible to transfer the design of Shambhala into the hands of the uninitiated.’

One of the teachers came up to the master.

‘Do not digress brothers. I will answer all your questions.’ They went to a small garden in the courtyard of the temple.

‘The first problem does not cause difficulties. A monk walks near the base; we recommend taking him to the station. Now let's talk about the ship. You forgot about the safe conduct of Aliot. De facto, the state ceased to exist after the occupation of the League, but from a legal perspective, Aliot remains to be recognized by the majority of Star worlds. Numerous diaspora of former Vashavartins subjects settled on planets of the Galactic Union. Refugees who have lost their homeland are ready at any moment to take up arms. Not only friendly governments considered them, but their enemies fear them too. We will arrange all the necessary documents to the ship with a request to include it in the Unified Register of the Navy and the commander will issue letters of credence as a diplomatic representative of Aliot. We must convince the guy to take a second citizenship. According to the ship's schedule he is the commander of a starship. Otherwise, we may lose the ship.’

‘Eric graduated from the school of navigators and is associated not only with a long-term contract, but with the oath too.’

‘As far as I know, one of the conditions for the adoption of the Nederland Empire in the Galactic Union is whether there is a possibility of the Nederland Empire subjects to hold dual citizenship. And he did not break the oath and will not break.’

‘I realized this, teacher. I think Malkovich will agree to our proposal.’

‘It depends on how you will present him with the information. Under the circumstances, the magistrate should think about the possible return of the Order in the Sphere. Teachers considering a further stay on Terra are not appropriate. We'll leave here a small community, and try to return to our home base in the sector data. Transmission of information about a possible virus attack on the sphere, therefore the Order will provide invaluable service to humanoid worlds. Why, the answer is not to demand a return of what rightfully belongs to the brotherhood?

‘Is it a renaissance of Vashavartins House?’ The Supreme Master looked at the Teacher with bewilderment.

‘No, this is the revival of the Nederland Empire! One of the biggest laboratories of the Order remained in Aaron, who was engaged in the study of quantum fields. It is a temple in the caves of Rumteg. This mystery is the property of the Masters of the Order. The last defenders, while leaving the planet blew up the temple. No one else could have known about the developments carried out in Aaron. The secret is to have died under the rubble. When there was a division into North and South Shambhala, some scientists of the South base left the planet, despite the vows of the Order data, which began to cooperate with the League. Not so long ago we learned that scientists of the League disassembled the rubble of the church. They are very interested in the field that allows you to store anti-matter. The lab had all the equipment to continue the experiment. I hope that after the explosion, it will be difficult to restore. If the League will be able to resume the investigation, they will become the owners of the most powerful weapon that is able to destroy entire star systems. Information about the laboratory should also be taken to the Supreme Council of the Galactic Union, along with information about the new mutation of the virus. Let them decide. The occasion will return Aliot under its jurisdiction to the Galactic Union laboratory, and for us is to revive the Empire.’

* * *

Manlius sat down on some slimy rocks in a cave. For the third time the young man went to that same place. The tunnel began on the right; this was a man-made gallery deep inside the mountains. But the tunnel ended in a dead-end. On assurances of Iungtens, Manlius had to get to Shambhala through this gallery. Other caves in the womb of the mountains intertwined and connected with one another. The young man wandered through these caves for several days. Everything was without avail. Guardians of the Earth did not want to miss him in possession of the Great Mahatma. It was all in vain: all deprivation, and tested on the way, and the death of the old teachers? Perhaps Iungten could still live without paying a heavy power transition. Manlius decided to make one last attempt. He got up and headed into the right tunnel, knowing in advance that he will rest in the dead rock. This is the latest mark on the wall, there was no further progress. Ironically, now before Manlius stretched a completely free path deep into the mountains. Somewhere in the depths shone a beam of light. This is what it seemed to him. The young man did not dare to cross the line, where a few minutes ago, was erected a stone barrier. And what if it were a trap? He will be buried in the bowels of the mountains. It is better to die than to live with the constant thought that the gods did not allow him to go to the Holy Land. Manlius moved slowly forward. The glow intensified. A small turn and the young man was face to face with three tall men dressed in white garments. The light source was in the hands of one of them. These were the guardians of Shambhala! Manlius fell to the ground and spread his whole body.

‘Get up and follow us.’ The young man could not move. It was as Iungten told. If he were not put to sleep, he will be able to see the Great Mahatma possession. Will they let him stay there in Shambhala? If not, he will lose all of his journey’s meaning. Manlius will plead. Mahatma must show his mercy. One of the guards examined the monk’s sack.

‘Get up!’ The voice of the Guardian became a little tougher. In order not to offend the messenger of the gods, the young man stood up quickly. The Supreme Master saw the dagger, transferred to him by the Service of external control.

The experimental model of the blade was designed a long time ago by scientists of Northern Shambhala. At its core lay the ability to accumulate the energy of its owner and with the help of a neuro transmitter to execute commands that the impulses of the brain transmitted. Small antigravity embedded into the handle of a dagger allowed him to remain in a suspended position and move through the air for a while. The service was equipped with external controls armed with daggers. The weapons did not justify itself. Several dozens of such blades were gathering dust in some warehouses. And one was left by the hunter, who made his way to the station barely alive through the old tunnel. He muttered about gods and Mahatmas. He was to receive medical treatment and sent home to regain his memory. He could remember only as he came out of the tunnel and the small moments of his stay at the base, like snatches of sleep. When the hunter was sent away, they decided to leave the memory of the dagger. Where did the boy get it? Maybe it was a lost one? Or maybe the hunter had given it to the monk in the caves, painted on a piece of paper.

‘Let the monk come here.’

The young man walked into the office of the Supreme Master, cautiously looking around. Here was how the servants of Mahatmas lived! Manlius was sure that there was one of those people who had serve the gods before him. To express his devotion, the young man dropped to his knees and bowed.

‘Get up. Tell me, where did you get the card and dagger?’

‘The picture is of the way to Shambhala and Purba from the Master of Iungtens.’

He had visited the Holy Land before.

‘So, your guru has been visiting us. That's what I thought. Well, you, of course, come to Shambhala for higher knowledge. It is commendable. The only thing is that the Mahatma cannot take all the disciples. If they feel that you are not worthy to comprehend the Teaching you will wait for death.’

‘I agree to everything.’ The Master thought. This was a common religious fanatic in front of him. It was no problem to go to the end of the universe. Let the teachers decide if he is worthy or not. Silly thoughts crept into his head. How to explain the young molten image, punctuated sutras and the laws that knowledge was not important at the moment, the main thing was ability. Shambhala was not the sacred land of the gods; it was a scientific base belonging to the Order, which, like many priests on Earth, looked for meaning in life. The man wanted to see the Mahatmas. Why could they not fulfill his desire? The Supreme Master walked over Manlam and put a hand on the boy's head.

‘Worthy of dignity, born on the planet, will go to the abode of The Mahatma, in order to pass an initiation ritual. You will be among them, but a little later. May God help you.’

* * *

A light cruiser escaped from the clutches of hyperspace directly above the beacon of the external Aaron raid. Such arrogance could not afford the loss of a local pilot. The captain followed closely the objects on the screen. There was nothing suspicious. The warships were not observed on the radar. Several traders and scavengers were drifting slightly to the side, without disturbing the maneuvers of the cruiser.

‘What is it, Shen?’

‘Everything is normal, Commander.’

Alan Drake, a tall, slender man in a black suit, nodded and went to the observation deck. The shield was removed; we could see Aaron better now. Shirvani chose a good place for their base. This was a beautiful planet with an abundance of water and vegetation. Shirvani was able to forge Zhelezone’s hands. Not one ship of the League was harmed during the attack. But the great allies were battered. After the fight, a couple of destroyers of the county of Falmius had got "the Star of brotherhood." They walked to the repair bases, naturally without cover. It was a good prize. Of course, Shirvani was a bit disappointed about the loss. But such a loss for him was merely a trifle. I wonder what made the Supreme Ruler of the Non-Aligned worlds invite for a meeting one of the leaders of the "brotherhood of the Star". The Community League will not forgive their leader connection with the syndicate. Although we must also decide which of them was the real culprit? If Shirvani attacks the planet, it will be considered a military action. Yet Drake needed a stronger world. It was not a trap. Shirvani sent guarantors who will stay in the North Crown before returning the cruiser. ‘Commander, guests have come to us.’

A small cargo hook poked into the nozzle of the mooring block. The Supreme Ruler of League, Daoud Shirvani, accompanied by two guards boarded the cruiser. He would never have visited a pirate ship, only if a delicate matter pushed Shirvani to meet Alan. The Supreme Ruler was forced to come to the ship of "Star brotherhood" incognito, directly into the hands of cosmic robbers. Alan Drake did not miss the opportunity to use such a visit in other circumstances. A pirate cruiser can go into hyperspace in seconds. The notable grandee was expensive. But Drake knew that if he tried to kidnap the Supreme Ruler, all the forces of the League will fall upon the constellation of the Northern Crown, the main naval base of "Star brotherhood." And Shirvani was not stupid. Several hyper interceptors and heavy cruisers are on duty for the sector which would not let Drake go far. Under the circumstances, Alan himself was not in the best position. In any case, he pulled a couple of ships closer to Aaron from his fleet.

Shirvani walked through the narrow corridors of the cruiser. The team members met each other every now and then, dressed in protective suits and suits with emblems of various military units and commercial corporations. Daud could not hide his disgust against the motley crowd of pirates. After all, the team consisted not only of representatives of humanoids as there were also Corsairs in the ranks. It was no secret that even Captain Exotic commanded several ships of the "Star brotherhood." Jangi had sometimes met filibusters. Ever since the peace treaty was signed between the League and the Union of Jangi they were out of work. There was no war, there were no earnings. Some had joined the "brotherhood of the Star," despite the fact that the Dragon Clan severely punished violators of the Code of Honor. According to the ancient laws of Jangi, the warrior had the right to engage in the service of any ruler who was involved in the fighting. But under no circumstances he cannot stand in the path of crime. The penalty for violation of this was death and total oblivion. Rumor had it that one of the admirals of the fleet had become the latest victim of the Dragons, who went with his men with the "brotherhood of the Star." The Dragons were a real scourge of apostates in the habitat. More soldiers were not born; they surpassed them in their mastery of weapons. Shirvani once tried to curry favor with one of their leaders. Until now, the scar was left on the body of the Supreme Ruler from the sword as a memory of that meeting. The ruler of the League would always remember that day and vowed to get even with the Dragons.

‘Good to see you, Shirvani.’ Drake smiled, ‘How many years have passed, ten or more?’ The pirate hinted at their last meeting. Then Dowd was the chief of the operational team at the General Police Directorate of the League, and he almost managed to take Drake. At the time, filibuster managed to sneak away.

‘Do not joke, Drake. I come to you on important business.’

‘Of course, the Supreme Ruler would not travel on the old shuttle because of such trivial concerns, and still without protection.’

‘Are you worried about my safety?’

‘What do you care? Let your secret services be concerned.’

‘We need to discuss the question. If it is possible, it should be confidential.’

‘Let’s come to my cabin.’

Drake offered his guests comfortable chairs for the old Tyana masters, inherited after the raid on the Tyana colony. Drake had left a chair similar to a throne, while dividing the spoils.

‘Do you want something refreshing?’

Alan nodded at the bar, crammed with bottles of different colors and content.

‘I prefer something warm. Are you saving energy? It is cold in here.’

‘We are accumulating it, of course.’

. ‘You don’t trust, do you?’

‘I trust you completely, but not quite your Parliament. As far as I know, you’ve had a little trouble with the opposition parties. If they find out about our meeting, only one second in the sector the heavy cruisers will not hesitate to fire a couple of torpedoes. What will happen then?’

‘I think you have taken all the necessary precautions. In any case, I wish to inform you that no warship complies with the order of Parliament. So there is nothing to fear. And the secrecy of our meetings is due to the fact that the issue that has to be resolved could lead to a conflict with the Union and League.’

‘It is very interesting.’

‘Have you heard about the Order of the "Seven Stars"?’

‘There were crazy monks who helped the local emperor in the battle against your allies, didn't they?’

‘Yes, they did. I think they were defending not the emperor, as a temple, which is located on Aaron. More precisely, it is a laboratory that could not be evacuated. The fact that the scientists were able to create the Order field, allowing to hold the anti-matter.’ Drake whistled.

‘Wow. And you trust me so easily with this information that can bring to the knees all sectors of habitat? Is the government of the future ruler of the Spheres planning to eliminate the bloodthirsty pirates?’

‘Firstly, as you have noticed, it's just words; this is information that would be extremely useful even for you. More precisely it is impossible. Since the lab and all the basic materials of the project are here on Aaron, under my control, and reliable protection. Secondly, I invite you to mutually cooperate. Space is large, there is enough place for everyone. I promise that I will never forget about a favor for you.’

‘Then get to the point.’

‘While scientists have dealt with the stuff that was left over after the explosion of lab, I would like to speak directly with the carriers of reliable information related to the development of the field itself. What do you know about Terra?’

‘If I am not mistaken, Exots called the sector star “Sol”, on our maps it passes under a number. It is located somewhere on the outskirts of the Galaxy. One of my ships somehow went there. There was nothing interesting there.’

‘By coincidence, the Templars settled on this planet. Among them are a few people who are directly related to the project.’

‘I thought that Falmius killed everyone. What have I to do?’

‘Unfortunately, we do not know whether the monks maintained communication with peacekeepers and independent unions. And are there combat starships in the system. I do not want to risk it. The appearance of the ships of League in the sector may arouse the suspicion of patrol cruisers of the Union. My suggestion is to you, Commander. Could you make a small exploration?’

‘And if there will be Union ships they will obliterate my entire fleet into atoms.’

‘I do not think that it is reasonable to direct the whole fleet there. According to our information, the protection of databases is quite easy to cope with cruisers. The risk is great, but the rewards will be considerable. If you manage to capture at least one of the specialists who have access to the materials of engineering, my gratitude will exceed all your expectations.’

Drake thought. What kind of gratitude was he talking about? To send Shirvani the most sophisticated weapons in the universe means to sign his own death warrant. The prospect to master super technologies was certainly tempting. Dowd calculated everything right. What he told Alan did not mean anything. Even if Drake could infiltrate the base and capture the scientists, he will not have the necessary equipment to make weapons. Shirvani could dispense with Alan, removing one of the ships of League identification marks and camouflaging it as a pirate. But the Supreme Ruler feared a raider could fall into the hands of peacekeepers or patrols of the Union. They can unleash languages. Then the publicity cannot be avoided. Although the actual power in the league belonged to Shirvani, he could not afford such an action. The League was considered as a democratic union, and the Parliament had too much influence. Supporters of Daud have long dreamed to usurp power. But the time has not come yet. Now, if the super weapon was in the hands to Shirvani, then he would be able to dictate the terms, not only to the League. In all areas of government, Daud had reliable and loyal people.

Supporters of the monarchical way saw in Shirvani a willed and hard ruler, who was able to become the new head of the Imperial House.

‘Well, Drake? Do you agree to help me?’

‘I need to think…’

‘I'll give you a week. We have time to prepare the ship; the cruiser pack is gathering dust at the shipyard, converted by the operation of "homo". He is quicker than analogues that were produced in the sphere. Once you've decided to go to Terra, let a communication channel be known to your captain. We will meet again and discuss all the details of the operation.’

* * *

The preparation of the team for the upcoming flight was in its second week. Instructors of the base wisely alternated short information sessions of neuro jump from a physical, tactical and technical training to the future members of the crew. By increasing the supply of oxygen in a protective mask, Eric, opened the hatch leading into the technical tunnel of the tail section. Damaged high-voltage wires, dangerous sparks in blue lightning of electric discharges hung everywhere, but there was no choice. After the separation of power cables he could not get in, mangled sheets of the inner casing overlapped the passage. There was one hope for the automation of the ship. The on-board computer must cut off the power supply to the emergency chain site.

He found it more and more difficult to breathe. Filter masks could not cope with the acrid smell of burning. Moving was hampered due to lack of space in the technical breakout tunnel; therefore he had to crawl between scraps and fragments of wire sheathing.

The signal indicator on the battery of the spacecraft blinked with a pale pink twinkle. The charge will last for a maximum of two volleys. Eric cursed. Who could have imagined that there would be so many of these creatures. And how many blunders were there? It is good that they did not touch him, although the left leg was numb under the knee. There was a slight tingling sensation in the collar of his suit, which was not a very good sign.

A portable scanner strongly recommended changing direction. Just a couple of meters and the young man was crawling to a sharp edge. The scanner was not lying, the tunnel was damaged. Eric peered down. There was a huge spider creature with crab claws wading through piles of separation of power units. Pak was the last of the commandos who boarded.

This was the most disgusting and bloodthirsty non-human race in deep space. Pak did not recognize the weapon. Inventing the latest navigation devices for their high-speed ships, Pak did not consider it necessary to develop military technology. What for? Nature endowed packs with everything they needed. Combat vehicles with protective armor, such as an ivory veil, covered most of the body of these spider monsters. Massive claws can easily cope with the protective vests of infantrymen, and the speed and the reaction allowed the packs to evade laser rifle volleys. They undoubtedly were the worst enemy on the planet's surface. But only on the surface of the planet. Spaceships packs did not differ in firepower; their rate was their main advantage. It was because of this Eric got in trouble. Rather than hide in the shade of the nearest planet, he tried to get past the patrol boat of packs. He was attacked as a result, and sandwiched between two corvettes, and he was forced to come to grips with a dozen fighters of the observation group.

Eric slowly stretched out on the edge of failure, without creating any unnecessary noise. Taking aim was the main thing now. It was advisable to place body armor where the bone was connected to the neck. It is necessary to hold one’s breath… At the very moment when the boy pulled the trigger, Pak moved to the side. A ray blaster hit the plate. Pak jumped over it. Eric’s jumpsuit sleeve was hooked by a claw, and the boy flew directly to the coating of metal and plastic, which was broken by his shot.

‘The devil! Again he did not pass! – Eric rubbed his bruised place in the fall and removed the oxygen mask. The robot-pack was frozen in the attacking position. Powerful fans ventilated the areas. The young man took a deep breath and leaned back, a senior technician who was servicing a fitness pavilion was already hurrying toward him.

‘Take It Easy. The last is modified with the program. The teacher insisted on complicating the mission.’

‘Thanks for the warning. I wonder what he will come up with next.’

After Eric has agreed to lead an expedition persistent training began. Initially, the teachers opposed the proposal of the Magistrate to subject the future captain for "neuro jump." But in the process of a telepathic scan, the teacher came to the conclusion that the download was necessary. All members of the future crew had completed the "neuro training." Due to the control of physicians and scientists of the base, no physical and mental abnormalities were observed, only information loaded "layers". Pressure on the brain had been greatly reduced. Now Eric secured the acquired skills of a soldier of an assault group. He knew how to act and what to do in an emergency situation; it was a pity the body did not always respond adequately and quickly. Physical preparation was clearly not enough.

* * *

The ship moved to the braking mode in the sector of Perseus. The cruiser hid in the shadows of an asteroid by activating deep scanners. A barely visible dot flickered on the screen. ‘It goes by a specified rate.’ Shen rubbed his hands with satisfaction. ‘If the information of Payshu is reliable, we will have a good hunt.’ Alan is ideally located in the captain's chair near the main monitor, watching the movements of the blue lights on the radar screen. ‘As for me, we should not have given the ships cover.’

‘How many ships we give, the faster we declassify. The Merchant is a good prize.’

‘Attention! The team, take place according to our schedule combats! We attack!’

The housing cruiser shuddered. The engines began to break up the ship, bringing it into the guidance line, which crossed the chassis of the vector merchant. Shen looked over the manual control panel, not trusting the onboard computer.

‘Lower the shields, the ports open arms! Navigator, tell the distance to the target.’

‘We still have five hundred miles, four hundred, three hundred, and two hundred. The goal is in sight.’

‘Gunners, give a warning volley. Operator, give the order to the merchant to heave!’

The laser drew a light blue line right ahead of the transport, perpendicular to the course, forcing the ship to drastically change direction. It looked like the trader was not about to give up…

‘Put him in the rocket in the nozzle of the main engines. They were apparently confused by fright. I give the order to prepare for the boarding team! Guys, we may need your help!’

The locator’s merchant promptly detected the approach of the missile. The ship lurched sharply to starboard and then left side. Drake started to bother this game. Typically, poorly armed transporters, appearing alone with the pirate did not try to resist. Unless… Alan pushed the button on his remote control for total connection.

‘Gunners, attention! You have to prepare for broadside.’