“They know more,” Kanas said, “so much more. The secrets of the universe. We have seen but a glimpse, a thimble of water from the ocean.”
“That's why some of you want to stay,” Kessler said.
“Yes! The knowledge gained here could change everything, but-”
“Once you stay, you cannot leave,” Van Zant said.
Kanas nodded. “And no-one else can come here again. That is a price some of us are willing to pay.”
“That is what the Prophets wanted to tell me,” Talbot said. “We, humans, are forbidden to settle this world.”
“Yes.”
The vision of the beach dissolved and Talbot opened her eyes. She hung suspended in the water, just a few meters from the wall of the island. The jellyfish illuminated the water with blue and white light. Kessler and Van Zant floated next to her. She looked up and saw the boat, and then swam to the craft and pulled herself on board. Kessler and Van Zant followed. The stellar primary was just rising, turning the sky purple and blue.
Were we under water all night?
Someone screamed.
A young woman lay shivering on the deck of the boat; she wore soggy and ripped duty fatigues. She scrambled back and huddled in the bow. Her long black hair was damp and she looked at them with wide brown eyes.
“Joanna Chakrabati?” Kessler asked.
She nodded. “Who are you?”
“Crew of the HSS Solstice.”
“Are you here to rescue us?”
“I guess we are.”
“Can we get out of here, now? Please? Before those fish things come back? This place gives me the creeps.”
“You and me both,” Van Zant said.
“Survey 1, this is Solstice,” the boat's radio crackled. It was Lieutenant Calhoon.
“Survey 1 here, Solstice,” Talbot said.
“We've been monitoring the Lalande's landing site through the drones and sensors. The creatures disappeared, but it looks like the crew of the Lalande have come back.”
“We'll meet you there, Solstice. We'll have some passengers on the way home.”
“Very good, Survey 1. Solstice out.”
Chapter 16: On The Carpet
Van Zant stepped through the hatch joining the Crew and Lab Section and the Command Section. He turned left and stepped to the door of Captain Talbot's office. “Just a moment, Mr. Van Zant,” Talbot said over the intercom.
After a few moments the door slid open and Mitchell appeared. The Chief of Security smirked and walked past. Van Zant entered the Captain's office and the door closed behind him.
“Captain Talbot,” he said and stood in front of her desk. She sat looking at her tablet for a few moments, and then looked up. “Why did you take command of the Solstice?
“Captain?”
“The proper chain of succession is Dr. Vargas as the Chief Scientist, Commander Kessler as the Chief of Survey, Commander Lansing as the Chief of Engineering, Lieutenant Commander Mitchell as Chief of Security, and Lieutenant Kuusik as the Flight Officer. The Political Officer is nowhere on that list, and all of these people were fit to take command.”
“Under Article II of the charter of the General Intelligence Directorate, I can take command of any Imperial vessel in response to a crisis.”
“Article II is very specific about the circumstances, Mr. Van Zant. There must be an imminent and overwhelming threat of alien origin to justify taking command of a vessel. The circumstances did not warrant your action.”
Van Zant remained silent. I don't need to justify myself to you.
“What are your orders?”
“Captain?”
She stood. “Okay, so I need to spell it out. What specific orders did the Director of Operations of the General Intelligence Directorate give you before you reported to the Solstice?”
Van Zant remained silent for a few moments. None of your business. “Her Majesty placed political officers on board every Imperial Exploration Service vessel after the Anuvi Incident. The mission of the Directorate is to investigate any alien threats to the Union.”
“Oh, I know that, Mr. Van Zant, but there were never any Directorate agents assigned to IES vessels before. Why now?
Van Zant remained silent.
“So, we can conclude that Her Majesty and the Directorate believe there are alien threats, specific enough to assign Directorate agents to exploration vessels. Is that what you're saying?”
Van Zant just stared at her.
Talbot rose and walked around the desk. “What did the crew of the Vitus Bering find in the Anuvi system? That particular vision granted by the Prophets on San Miguel was very interesting, but, I suspect, woefully incomplete.”
Above your pay grade. “That's classified information, Captain.”
“Well, if the Directorate is involved, whatever the Bering discovered is of intelligent alien origin.” She paused for a moment. “From the visions we experienced, can we conclude the Prophets are somehow related to this alien artifact the crew of the Bering found in the Anuvi system?”
“You can conclude whatever you wish, Captain.”
She looked at him for several moments. “My first duty is the safety of everyone on board the Solstice, even you. I need to know everything I can in order to carry out that duty.”
Time to deflect. “Safety?” Van Zant snorted. “What about your reckless command of this vessel? If you had ordered a thorough and systematic investigation of the environment when we landed, we would have discovered the dimethyltryptamine and avoided any difficulties, including the necessity of me taking command of the Solstice.”
Talbot's eyes widened. “How dare you!”
“Why did you leave the Solstice when you ordered everyone else to stay on board? If you had not taken your little stroll on the beach, you wouldn't have become incapacitated and lost command of this vessel and our mission.”
Talbot blushed to the roots of her brown hair.
“My orders are to save lives, Captain. As many as possible, but sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice a few to save many. I will gladly sacrifice the Solstice and her crew to save the Union from an alien threat.”
Talbot sat back down behind the desk. “You see the Prophets, and this Anuvi artifact, as a threat, don't you?”
“Yes.”
“Even when the Prophets returned the crew of the Lalande and let us leave San Miguel.”
“Until such time as events and data can be thoroughly investigated, yes. It would be foolish not to.”
“A threat to whom?”
“The Hominin Union.”
“You mean to Her Majesty? The Imperial government?”
“Yes.”
“What about Humans?”
“The Hominin Union and the Human race are one in the same, Captain.”
“Oh, really? What about the human worlds in the Independencies? Or the human world of Borrega in the Naati neutral zone? They are not subject to Union rule.”
“Give it time.”
Talbot smiled. “And anyone who doesn't play along with this scheme is seen as a threat as well. Yes?”
“Yes.”
“Someone like Captain Bandele?”
Damn. I walked into that one. “That was not my call.”
“Not your call?” Talbot laughed. “Okay, Mr. Van Zant. I'll accept that for now. What I really want to see is any and all data from the Anuvi Incident, and not the whitewash report the IES released.”
Van Zant sighed. “Captain, I couldn't give it to you even if I wanted. I do not have access to that information.”
“I guess I'll need to accept that, too.” Talbot looked down at her tablet. “You are dismissed, Mr. Van Zant.”
Van Zant turned and left. She may be trouble.
Chapter 17: Final Report
“It is the scientific staff's conclusion that the Prophets control almost all life on the planet using secretions of the dimethyltryptamine isomer and their own memory RNA. These are intelligent and powerful beings,
Admiral, as shown in the visions that Mr. Van Zant, Commander Kessler, and I experienced, and the testimony of Dr. Kanas of the Lalande. The Prophets are the preeminent life form on the planet, and will not allow settlement of San Miguel. I believe that we only saw a fraction of their power, and that they could have killed us all and destroyed the Solstice with little effort.”
Captain Talbot and Vice-Admiral Arinze sat at the table in the Solstice’s conference room. Below them, visible through the window, floated Silmais Orbital and the world of Korla. Holographic images and text hovered above the conference table.
Arinze stood. “God-damn it! Not again!” He turned and looked out of the window.
Talbot sat motionless. O for two.
He shook his head. “Another lost ship, and we're no further along in discovering suitable worlds to settle.”
I'm glad I'm not you. “We did recover most of the crew of the Lalande.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Arinze turned and looked at her. “All we can do is our duty, even when circumstances are beyond our control.” He sat back down and touched a key on his pockcomp. “Your next survey mission is a little more of an unknown. Using stellar cartographic data crunched through the AI, we've selected several star systems as candidates for habitable worlds. You are to visit each system in turn, and survey any worlds suitable for colonization. Once a survey is complete, send all relevant data back here using message drones; we can't afford you coming back here after every mission. Time is too valuable.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
“Do you have any questions?”
Should I transfer Kessler? No. But Van Zant is a different story. “I do have some concerns about Emerans Van Zant.”
He looked at her and his eyes narrowed. “Yes?”
“As I summarized, Mr. Van Zant took control of the Solstice and the mission when I was ... incapacitated by the dimethytryptamine isomer I absorbed. I believe he did not have the right to do so, and bypassed the regular Exploration Service chain of command.”
“I will read your report and consider it.”
“Is that it? He took my ship away from me!”
“You were not fit for duty. Correct?”
“Yes, but he had no right! The command of the Solstice should have gone to an officer of the Exploration Service.”
Arinze leaned back in his chair and looked at her. “Well, I can't remove him from the Solstice, if that's what you want; it is beyond my power.” He coughed, and paused for a few moments. “There's a reason Van Zant is called a 'political officer,' when 'intelligence officer' would seem to be a more appropriate title.” He continued to look at her.
“Yes?”
Arinze ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “The Union Security Service and the General Intelligence Directorate have become aware of certain individuals within the Exploration Service that are ... disaffected with Imperial rule.”
“For God's sake, who?”
He held up a hand. “I can't mention any names.”
So you do know! “What does this have to do with Van Zant?”
He paused for several moments. “The Crown is concerned that these disaffected elements may come into possession of alien technology, technology that could assist in their cause.”
“So, the political officer is there not only to evaluate alien threats, but domestic threats as well.”
Arinze nodded.
“What does this have to do with the Anuvi Artifact that Captain Bandele found? From the vision I experienced, I wrote in my report that I believe the Prophets and the Anuvi Artifact are somehow linked.”
He stared at her, his face like stone. “That is not your concern.”
“So, why tell me at all, Admiral? Are some of these disaffected people on my ship?”
“I felt I owed you an honest explanation about Van Zant's presence on the Solstice. You got one.” He stood and Talbot followed his lead. “Your only concern is the survey of habitable worlds. The Crown is eager to claim the frontier, and habitable worlds are a cheaper and better option than space stations. More people settled for less cost.” He saluted. “Good luck, Captain.”
She returned his salute. “Thank you, Admiral.”
Without another word, he turned and left the conference room. She sat and stared out the window at the planet. Would Kessler be stupid enough? She loved him, she knew, but that idiot could be as dense as lead, sometimes. If he wasn't involved in the little rebellion against the Crown, she would need him. If he was, then her life was more complicated than she thought.
Then a thought struck her like a slap. Was Captain Bandele involved?
Chapter 18: Secret Report
Deliver-To: Sai Tiwari, Director of Operations, General Intelligence Directorate
Encryption-Key: SSY-3490349753927543-UU5B
From: Emerans Van Zant, Field Agent (R3 3379451034), General Intelligence Directorate, attached to Imperial Exploration Vessel HSS Solstice (IEM-8834296273), Silmais Orbital, G0V3498723094-IIIa
Timestamp: 00:16.26, 07.24.2635
Subject: HSS Solstice Mission to San Miguel
Classification: Top Secret, For Your Eyes Only
Attached are copies of all reports from the crew of the IES vessel HSS Solstice concerning the recent survey and events on the world of San Miguel.
The world is home to a race of ancient sophonts who call themselves the Prophets. These beings exist within rock masses ensconced in the crust of the planet, either as islands in relatively shallow water, or adjacent to larger bodies of fresh water on the continent. I estimate their number in the hundreds of thousands.
The Prophets have a unique ability to control life-forms by secreting an dimethytryptamine isomer to render a creature susceptible to control by the direct injection of memory RNA. The Prophets eject the dimethyltryptamine isomer in adjacent ocean or fresh water for absorption by a creature, or a creature may become exposed to the chemical through interacting with other life forms. The memory RNA is injected directly into the spinal and brain fluid of a creature through tendrils extended by one of the Prophets and attached to the spine and skull of a creature. The Prophets can likewise read the memory RNA of other creatures. I am convinced that investigation and evaluation of this process would improve the Directorate's own methods of mind control, and perhaps even lead to new methods.
As a condition of returning the crew of the IES vessel HSS Lalande, Captain Talbot, Commander Kessler and I communicated directly with one of the Prophets. We were all subject to the dimethyltryptamine isomer and memory RNA in order to “speak” with the being. See my attached report for a full description of my communications with this Prophet.
However, I would like to note the most important part of my communication in this summary. There is a possibility that these beings were deposited on the planet by the sophonts we know as the Harbingers, the same sophonts responsible for the creation of the Anuvi Artifact, first discovered by the crew of the HSS Vitus Bering in 2633 in orbit around the gas giant Anuvi III. It is my impression the Harbingers seeded life on the world of San Miguel for the express purpose of creating a massive planet-wide parallel computer. The Prophets communicate with each other through direct links which allow them to process massive amounts of data obtained by communicating with other life forms. What events these beings prophesize I do not know, but it was obvious that, in the past, the Prophets communicated directly with the Harbingers.
I recommend an immediate follow-up survey by a private party hired by the Directorate under falsified pretenses to avoid reporting requirements to the Ministry for Intelligence. Such a party should be experienced in planetary survey, and armed to deal with the larger and more aggressive creatures under the control of the Prophets. Personnel well-versed in chemistry and biochemistry would be valuable assets in understanding how these Prophets communicate.
Regarding rebellious elements within the Exploration Service, it is my belief, at this time, that Captain Talbot is loyal; she is a true believer and is ful
ly invested in the mission of the Exploration Service. However, she is driven by the fate of her mentor, the former commanding officer of the Vitus Bering, Captain William Bandele. She believes he was unfairly penalized for the loss of the Bering. She is also quite curious about the Anuvi Incident, and, I believe, is willing to go to some length to acquire information about it. Her quest to absolve Bandele and learn about the Anuvi Incident has led her to question the very founding ideas of the Hominin Union. The Directorate was correct in their initial assessment; she needs to be watched.
Captain Lansing, the Chief Engineer on board the Solstice, cannot see beyond his work. Lieutenant Commander Mitchell is as dumb as a box of rocks, and, in my estimation, is unfit for command. Commander Kessler lives for adventure, and has a propensity to substitute action for thought. However, I believe that he and Captain Talbot have a sexual history, and they may have picked up that relationship during the last mission. This could be valuable for influencing events in the future. In conclusion, it is my belief that the operations crew of the Solstice do not present any serious difficulties. If there is disloyalty, it is among the scientific and mission-specialist staff. I need more time to continue my surveillance of these individuals and will forward you a report in the future.
Regards
Van Zant reread the message. He nodded once, and then tapped a key. Leaning back in his chair, he looked out the small window of the station to the planet below. He couldn't shake memories of the visions he received on the world of San Miguel. Professionally, these visions represented an unparalleled opportunity, but personally, the visions cut his soul like a knife. The faces of the people from his past, his younger brother Adrian, who suffered far more than he after the death of their mother, and the helpless and tortured Humans he saw in the asteroid base, had haunted him every night on the journey back from San Miguel.
He looked at the bottle of vodka on the desk, but placed it in a drawer, and started typing another message.
The Dreaming Oceans of San Miguel Page 10
