by Saxon Andrew
“Yes. I’ve just had a conversation with Captain Wolfe and he brought up an issue that concerns me.”
“What is that, Sir.”
“He suggests that there could be more technologically advanced civilizations out in Andromeda that may be preparing to take on the Brotherhood.”
Rachael immediately replied with concern in her voice, “I’ve been worried about the same possibility, Sir.” Tal’s expression showed his concern at her response. “You know that we will possibly be viewed as just another Brotherhood civilization and possibly targeted for destruction,” Rachael added.
Tal exhaled sharply, “I thought all we’d do here was scout the Brotherhood, but it’s turned into something else entirely. The new colonies may be in danger from more civilizations than the Brotherhood.” Tal’s eyes narrowed, “We need to find out if that situation exists, Admiral.”
“You want me to move out into Andromeda proper and see if an advanced civilization is out there?”
“As quickly as you complete searching the remaining gaps, I do.”
“We should be done in a week, Sir. I’ll contact you before we move out.”
Rachael turned from her monitor and Tal said sharply, “Rachael!” Rachael turned back to him, “This will be dangerous! Do not take any risks with your unit; you’ll be too far out for me to come and assist you!”
Tal had kept Ka’s communicator connected during his conversations with Indie and Rachael and she turned around, “You aren’t doing what you know you should, Tal.” Tal heard her, looked her way, but remained silent. “You’re not doing it because of me.”
“Actually, it’s because of us, not just you.”
“So, you’re willing to possibly sacrifice Rachael?” Ka asked.
Tal lowered his head and scratched along his hairline. He looked up and asked, “Do you really want to push this?”
“Tal, are you being fair to all the others?”
“No, I’m not. But I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”
“Then I absolve you of that promise!” Ka said with narrowed eyes and furrowed brow. Tal glared at her and Ka forced herself to calm down. “Tal, we’re out here trying to defend all of humanity. If we selfishly treat others differently than our family, the others will see it and lose confidence in you. Rachael deserves to be treated just like you would Jee and Jan if you were sending one of them.”
Tal’s expression softened, and he sighed before saying, “I could give them a direct order not to take part in any combat.”
“Would you give the same order to Rachael?!” Ka snapped back.
Tal put his elbow on his chair arm, placed his thumb to his chin, with his index finger over his mouth, as he thought about it. Ka waited and a few minutes later, Tal tapped Jee’s monitor on his console. “Yes, Sir.”
“Jee, I’m sending you and Admiral Meadows out on a dangerous mission as soon as she completes scouting the gaps.” Jee nodded and Tal explained the mission to him.
At the end, Jee asked, “One of our units will have to be there to defend the other.”
“Yes. If anything is discovered by either of your units, the other will move in and be ready to get them out if things go south,” Tal replied.
“How do you want us to handle that, Sir?”
“Whoever makes the discovery will go in to investigate. The other will set up to defend them if needed.”
Jee smiled slightly, “Thank you for trusting me to do this, Tal. I’ll not take any foolish risks.”
“Make sure you don’t! Have Rachael contact me when she finishes scouting the gaps and you might want to discuss this with her prior to that happening.” Tal paused and added in a serious tone, “If either of you encounter a civilization that is so far ahead of us technologically that our warships can’t stand up to it, forget defending each other and run!”
Jee appeared to see the danger of this mission clearly for the first time. His eyes showed his apprehension, as he replied, “Yes, Sir.” Tal ended the contact and Ka turned back to her console and prayed she had not just done the dumbest thing in her life. If something happened to Jee…she’d never forgive herself.
• • •
Rachael ended her conversation with Jee and said to her coverage officer, “Lt. Orta, please relieve Captain Hasham.”
Rudy went to Lani and she stood up, walked to Rachael’s console, and asked, “What’s up?”
“The Admiral has given us a new mission to go out into Andromeda looking for advanced civilizations that could represent a danger to our species.” Lani blinked and then started shaking her head, “You know that after the Brotherhood has acted the fool here, we will be lumped in with them by all the other civilizations fighting them?”
Lani hesitated before she replied, “This could be a one-way trip, Sir,”
“I know, Lani. However, Tal has ordered Jee and his unit to join us.”
“That’s surprising,” Lani replied.
Rachael’s eyes closed slightly, “Why do you say that?”
Lani raised a shoulder and lowered it, “I don’t know. I didn’t think the Admiral would put his two children in any sort of danger.”
Rachael sat back and nodded, “He definitely doesn’t want to do it but feels he must. That tells me he’s also worried about our welfare.” Lani nodded slightly. “He has promised his wife that he would keep them safe and he’s violating that promise by sending Jee out with us.”
“You’re leading up to something, Sir.”
“I am. I will also try to make sure Jee doesn’t come to harm on this mission. The Admiral didn’t have to do this, and I respect him for it. Jee is senior to me and I’m going to insist that he stay outside any fighting that might happen and coordinate the two units.”
Lani smiled slightly, “Sir, that’s how it should be done anyway.”
“I know that; you know that; I’m sure Jee won’t agree. You will support me when I make this suggestion!”
“No, problem, Sir. Someone needs to keep an eye on what’s going on. Since he’s senior, he should be the one to do it.”
“That’s all, Captain, return to your post.” Lani went back to her console and Rachael was confident that Lani would discuss what was happening with the rest of the crew. They would discuss it with the other ships in her unit, and their trust in Tal would undergo a change. They’d know sending Jee out with them wasn’t what they expected and their faith in the Admiral would be enhanced because of it; Tal deserved it.
• • •
Tal heard a ping as he turned back to his console. He glanced at the row of monitors and saw Jan’s monitor was illuminated. He shut down the others and said, “Jan, I’m a little busy at the moment.”
“Tal, you should take a moment and listen to an alien communication that the Seattle has intercepted,” Jan replied.
“Jan, I didn’t think we’ve been able to translate any alien communications to date?”
“We’ve only been able to translate the language of the civilization that flies the dark-blue warships. They talk more than all the other alien species combined; that’s what has allowed the computer to not only translate their language but also break their encryption,” Jan explained. “Dan has been capturing their communications for a little over a week and most of them are stupid and a waste of time to record. The most ridiculous thing is that they don’t talk to each other on their ships, they use the ship’s communication system to have discussions. Anyway, Dan intercepted a communication between one of their high-ranking officers and the one on his ship that handles his communications. I think you should hear it.”
“Send it to me, Jan.”
“Sending now, Sir.”
Tal touched the file on his monitor; the first few words were gibberish, but then they cleared up, “…OG, I’ve just received a message from the Cyrens.”
“Say what?!”
“I know!” the first voice replied. “They have never contacted one of our ships in the past and have very rarely cont
acted the Leaders.”
“What did they say in the message?” the second voice asked.
“Order Giver, they said that there are small-black-colored-undetectable warships that are watching our fleets, as well as the fleets of the Invaders.”
Tal’s eyes flew open as he heard, “Are these ships watching us from the Invaders?”
“OG, the Cyrens stated that the black ships are watching them as well as our fleets.”
“Did they say they weren’t part of the Invader’s fleets?”
The first voice paused and then almost sounded sarcastic, “Nooo, but if they were, why would they be watching the Invader Fleets?”
“Did they say anything else in their message?”
“No, Order Giver. They just told me that we can’t detect them and wanted us to know about them.”
“Send them a message thanking them for their warning.”
“I will send it, immediately, Order Giver.”
• • •
Tal reconnected to Jan’s monitor the moment the communication ended. He opened his mouth and Jan spoke up before he spoke, “Dan was able to get a line on the communication that ship sent, Sir. It was directly away from that fleets current location and toward the outer stars in Andromeda.”
“It sounded like that communication just arrived,” Tal commented.” Jan shrugged. “Was he able to detect the communication coming in to that vessel?”
“No, Sir. He only detected the blue ship’s communication in response to them.”
Tal glared at his monitor and finally asked, “Has any of your unit detected their ships being scanned?”
“No, Sir, they have not.”
“Has any other unit been scouting the dark-blue ships?”
“No, Sir, only my unit has been scouting them.” Tal was silent as he allowed the impact of the communication to sink in. Jan interrupted quietly, “It appears there is a civilization out here that can detect our ships without being detected, Sir.”
“Yes, it does,” Tal responded. “They also have a means of communicating that we can’t detect as well.” He was silent as he thought about the discovery, and Jan waited. She finally asked, “Do you have any orders for me in light of this?”
“I’m changing the encryption of our communications immediately and will change them several times a day. Since the Seattle’s computer has broken the alien’s language and encryption, it will remain in range of the dark-blue warships and the other ships in your unit will break away and move to a different location.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“After I change the encryption, I’m ordering the two-support freighters to immediately change their locations and send their new coordinates to all the ships in the fleet. They will move several times a day and will maintain communication black out, so make sure your ships are kept current on their new locations.”
“Sir, if this new species can detect the small ships in my unit, I think they’ll be able to detect the freighters easily wherever they might be.”
“You’re probably right, Jan. But I’m hoping that if they’re keeping their eyes out for the freighters, we might be able to get a scan done that will detect them. I’m not going to stand by and do nothing.”
“Yes, Sir. I’ll move my unit immediately. Should I keep them close enough to support the Seattle if it’s attacked.”
Tal considered the question and answered, “Yes. This is the first instance of a more advanced civilization revealing itself. We’ve gathered about as much information on the Brotherhood as is out there.” Tal ended the contact as another file appeared on his monitor. He opened it and saw the line of the alien’s communication appear on his computer’s screen. He stared at it and said, “Computer, track this line and tell me where it intersects with a star in Andromeda.”
“Working.” Tal waited and a few minutes later, the computer answered, “It does not intersect a star within the current maps we have of the Andromeda Galaxy.”
“Why is that, computer?”
“The fleet has not scouted that region of the Andromeda Galaxy and the stars on your current map are only approximations.”
Tal stared at the red line disappearing out toward the edge of Andromeda and immediately contacted Jee and Rachael. He shared the alien communication with them and began giving them their orders. The situation in Andromeda had just taken a serious turn for the worse.
• • •
Jab reached up and put his hand on Ryshana’s neck and squeezed slightly. He marched her into the living room and shoved her toward the sofa. The backpack fell off Ryshana’s shoulder, as she stumbled and hit the sofa hard; she screamed out her pain and put her hands over her head as she curled up in a fetal position. Jab walked over to the grey backpack and opened it. He took out the stack of dresses the woman at the community had brought to him and threw them at Ryshana, “GET UP!” Ryshana went to her feet and kept her head lowered. Jab looked at Borgt’s memories, then walked to the front wall and opened two doors. He raised his hand toward her with his palm flat and sneered, “Hang up those dresses!”
The scanning device Ka had put in his hand immediately detected three electronic devices hidden in the walls of the living area; two were in the main living area and a third was in the kitchen-dining area; all were operational. Who was watching him? Jab wondered. He thought furiously and decided it had to be the Elder. He was the only one that knew he was in his quarters.
Jab walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He raised his arms over his head stretching and used it to scan the bathroom. There weren’t any spying devices. Now that was surprising; there should have been some there. He stepped out of the bathroom and walked across the living room, as he glared at Ryshana hanging up the stack of grey dresses. He entered the bedroom and sat down on the bed. He put his hand on his neck and rubbed it, before he raised his arms again to stretch them. He lowered his arms and was once again surprised that there were no electronic devices in the bedroom. Was the device Ka provided him not detecting them? He started unbuttoning his tunic and saw in Borgt’s memories that he knew about the devices in the living area. There was nothing on the bathroom or bedroom in his memories. He needed to talk with Ryshana and see if she had any idea about why.
• • •
The Elder watched Borgt and Ryshana on his panel’s display and smiled when Borgt shoved the woman across the room. He stared at the grey backpack that fell off the woman’s shoulder and his eyes narrowed. Borgt would be out of uniform carrying that backpack; it was against regulations for Law Enforcers to have anything on them that was not part of their official uniform. He leaned in and stared at the woman hanging up dresses in the closet, could that backpack belong to her? Ryshana hung up the dresses, and then went to the backpack and took out two dresses Borgt had not taken out. The Elder sat back, the backpack had to belong to her. He watched her hanging up the two dresses as Borgt stepped out of the bedroom wearing some shorts made of soft material. He glared at Ryshana and said loudly, “Take off that filth you’re wearing and take it to that handle sticking out of the opposite wall! Open it and toss it in the chute!” Jab raised his hand and suddenly detected all three devices shutting off. WHAT WAS GOING ON?” Ryshana meekly took off her dress and followed his instructions. Jab grabbed the backpack, went to the bedroom door, and threw it inside. He turned to Ryshana before entering and ordered, “Turn on the shower, clean yourself, and await me there!” Ryshana walked across the living room and disappeared into the bathroom. Jab scanned the room again and the devices were still inoperative. He fought to keep his expression neutral as he went into the bedroom.
He opened the backpack and unsealed a hidden pouch inside it. He took a small-transparent item out and put in the right pocket of his shorts. He looked around as he slid the backpack under the bed. He wanted to hide the backpack but decided not to do it until he talked with Ryshana. He took the gold colored LE bars off his tunic’s collar and put them on the dresser. He took his dirty uniform into the living
room and tossed it down the chute. Ryshana’s dress and his uniform would be cleaned and delivered to him the next day.
He went to the sofa and sat down; Ryshana needed time to clean up. He sat and thought about what he was planning; he saw no way to avoid it. The more he tried to not have her involved in his plans, the more he found he needed her. He thought about the consequences to her and realized that if he was successful in pulling this mission off and disappeared, she would be questioned by the Brotherhood’s Inquisitors. Either way, giving her what she needed or not, she would still be dead. He was feeling guilty about agreeing to bring her with him but knew the mission was more important than his or her lives. Besides, she suggested doing it. He sighed heavily and shook his head; he was still using her and ignoring the possible harm she would face. But that dye was cast, and it was too late to turn back. He knew from looking at her memories that her hatred of the Brotherhood was real. And she probably would have been executed if she remained in her community. So why did he feel so bad? That’s the price of having a conscience, he decided. He made up his mind, got up, and walked into the bathroom.
Chapter Nineteen
As Ryshana entered the bathroom, she looked around and instantly thought of her past. The last time she had seen a bathroom was when she was seven-years-old; that was the last time she saw her father alive; he died during a space battle a few months later and she and her mother had been sent to the community to live. She opened the door to the shower and stared at the handle on the wall. She turned the handle clockwise and water poured out of a sprinkler head above her. She turned it further and the water instantly turned warmer. She adjusted the handle until the water was perfect temperature and stepped in. She closed her eyes under the strong stream of water and tossed her long hair back and forth and felt the warm water all over her body. Hot water in the community only happened during the hot season when the sun heated the water holders. When you wanted the water cool, it was hot. When you wanted it hot, or even slightly warm, it was frigid in the cold season. This water was instantly what you wanted; another miracle of living in the city.
