by S. H. Jucha
“Then I’d like the body of a red and enough segments of grays to complete a body,” Velsana requested. “We’ll gather stretchers,” he added, and he sent his medical techs scurrying.
“Commodore, have your security staff haul Velsana’s requests near the airlock. Keep them on the bay side,” Olawale ordered. “Soshona, the grays in the bay will need food and water.”
Soshona’s mouth fell open, and belatedly, she snapped it shut. She regarded Talsoma with a dubious expression.
Talsoma flashed her canines, and said, “Commander, my instructions regarding the obeying of the visitors’ requests include you.”
“But I’ve no idea what the grays eat,” Soshona objected.
“Commander, if you’ll take me to your food preparation area, I’ll analyze your offerings and select a variety of items to test on the grays,” Juliette offered.
“I can manage the request. This way, Juliette,” Tacnock said, making for the conference door. He was happy to have some private time with the SADE. He had so many more questions.
In the corridor, Tacnock said, “Tell me about your avatar, Juliette.”
As the door closed behind Juliette, Talsoma asked Olawale, “After we perform medical analysis on some dead Colony members and feed the live ones, then what?”
“We review that we’ve learned and concoct a way to take your dome back,” Olawale said.
Talsoma exhaled slowly. She visualized the visitors connecting her citizens to the alliance again.
“I’ve a concern,” Esteban said, directing his comment at Kasie. “After we secure the dome, how do we hold it without a continual fight? Your story of the Colony’s initial attack suggests it will be a challenge.”
“It will be,” Kasie admitted, and she caught Talsoma’s wince. “The Colony has learned far more about the consoles than the alliance.”
“Than anyone in the alliance?” Olawale queried.
“The alliance was comfortable with basic operations and expansion of services for tunnels and shuttle tubes,” Jess explained. “The task of learning new techniques about the consoles was relegated to senior researchers. It was Aurelia Garmenti and her partner, Devon Higgins, who taught the alliance that the consoles had many hidden layers. Kasie was trained by a descendant of the line of Aurelia and Devon. What she knows about the consoles is the most any alliance individual knows. By the way, Kasie and I are descendants of Advisor Jessie Cinders and Envoy Harbour, the original explorers.”
“Kasie, we’ll have to elevate your understanding of the consoles,” Olawale said, and he eyed Esteban, who nodded in agreement.
Kasie looked from Esteban to Olawale and back. “Well, Esteban, I’ll be happy to show you what I know, and then you can teach me what you learn,” she said.
“I look forward to it, Kasie,” Esteban said.
Lucia gathered her security team to fulfill Velsana’s request. She led the team to the bay and noted that Jess followed at the rear. She slowed to let the security personnel pass.
“Juliette believes I owe you an apology,” Lucia said, by way of an opening. Unfortunately, she didn’t get a response. “I think she might be right,” she ventured. Jess glanced her way, but he still didn’t speak.
Lucia let out a long sigh. One of her faults was that command had become her entire life. She’d been an Independent, incarcerated on Libre for her opinions. Alex and the crew of the Rêveur had helped to liberate the Independents before the arrival of the Nua’ll sphere that erased the colony’s structures from the planet. Thereafter, she spent her days perfecting her art as a Dagger pilot, a traveler pilot, and, later, as a Trident captain. In each position, she was determined to be the best at that particular assignment. It had paid off in promotions, but it had curtailed her social skills. What she found exasperating was that Jess Cinders seemed to be holding up a mirror to her failure to integrate with others.
“I’m sorry,” Lucia managed to say. “My comment was presumptuous and uncalled for.”
Jess wanted to retort in anger, but he thought that apologies were difficult for Lucia. Instead, he said, “Apology accepted,” and offered his hand.
Lucia was relieved to have surmounted that emotional hurdle, and she quickly shook Jess’s hand, with a tentative smile. Immediately, she marched to the front of the security team, and Jess shook his head in amazement.
After the security team collected Velsana’s specimens, Olawale, Patrice, and the other Omnians retired to a private dorm room.
“Interesting accommodations,” Jodlyne remarked. “A communal main room and individual sleeping quarters radiating off it.”
“The station is practically deserted,” Edmas said. “According to Jess, nearly a hundred thousand Sylians used to work and live here. They fled to the planet when the dome was overrun.”
“I saw security’s imagery of the bay, Lucia, when you retrieved the bodies,” Olawale commented. “I was surprised by the grays’ reactions.”
“We can thank, Juliette,” Lucia replied. “When they woke from being stunned, one of them tasted the water. Then they waited. When nothing happened to that one, they plunged their heads into the barrel.”
“And the food?” Olawale asked.
“They preferred my mix of protein and crucibles,” Juliette explained. “It probably imitates the taste and consistency of the kind of life they captured on their planet.”
“To work,” Olawale announced, taking a seat at the combination work and dining table. “The information that we require about Pyre’s location is in that dome. We help the Sylians get back their dome. We get our information, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Do we really believe the defenders when they say they’ve no captured imagery of their dome’s star display?” Jodlyne asked.
“In the beginning, I had my doubts, but not anymore,” Lucia said. “Elements of this population remind me of the Confederation. Individuals lived comfortable lives. They took what they thought were adequate protections only to be overwhelmed by a horrendous trouble that came their way.”
“And that’s contrary to the manner in which the most paranoid among us operate,” Olawale said, chuckling.
“Olawale, your belief that after we receive the information we can leave might be inaccurate,” Esteban said. “Consensus among the SADEs is that Alex and Julien will require more information about alliance space.”
“Such as?” Patrice asked.
Esteban activated the holo-vid. It displayed stars as pinpoints of light. A small circle lay next to a larger one, and a question mark appeared on the opposite side of the small circle.
“Despite our colonies’ significant distances from Earth, there appears to be no civilizations between us,” Esteban explained. “The small circle encompasses our combined stars. The large circle represents the races that compose the federacy. We’re aware of the dangers of that space. Now, we discover that another great collection of races lies in the opposite direction from our colonies. The locals call this organization of races the alliance, and they’re connected by domes created by an ancient race. I want you to imagine Alex and Julien walking through that door and asking us to report what we know about the alliance.”
“Black space,” Lucia muttered. “I can hear the questions now. How many races are in the alliance? What’s the nature of the populations?”
Olawale added, “Do they have a ruling body?”
Edmas ventured, “Are there other dangerous races besides the Colony?”
Jodlyne continued with, “How many domes and planets does the Colony occupy?”
And Patrice finished with, “Does the Colony represent a danger to Earth and our colonies?”
The group looked at Esteban, who said, “Actually, we came up with a few more questions that the
pair might ask.”
“A few thousand, more likely,” Edmas remarked, and Esteban smiled.
“Does this mean the purpose of the expedition has changed?” Patrice asked, with concern.
“Not necessarily,” Olawale replied. “We now have two priorities ... locate the Pyreans and investigate the alliance.”
“To accomplish the second one,” Lucia said, “you might need to engage the Colony where they’ve invaded other alliance domes.”
“Edmas, Jodlyne, recruit the Rêveur’s medical officer and work closely with Velsana’s group,” Olawale ordered. “We need to know the Colony species’ vulnerabilities. Also, keep in mind what was discovered aboard their shuttle. It was contrary to the defenders’ expectations, and it might represent a shift in the Colony’s social order.”
Olawale scanned the group. “Everything starts with step one. We take the dome. Ideas?”
Esteban switched on his holo-vid, displaying the Sylian dome, and he linked with Orbit and Juliette.
“Talsoma and Soshona said that the only way into the domes was through the shuttle tubes,” Patrice said. “But could we approach one of those tunnels from the surface? Maybe use a temporary airlock, and then cut into it.”
“Not recommended,” Esteban replied. “After we entered the tunnel, we could be fighting the Colony on two fronts.”
“We could gas them,” Patrice said hopefully.
“Who’s to say the Colony couldn’t close off that section of the tunnel?” Jodlyne replied. “Then they could wait until the gas dissipates.”
“The Sylians could tell us if sectioning of the tunnels were possible,” Patrice objected.
“The Sylians knew their dome’s structure some eight to ten annuals ago, by my estimate,” Edmas replied. “Who knows what the Colony has done to the dome, the tunnels, and the tubes in that time?”
Patrice leaned back in her chair. “Obviously, I’ve no experience at fighting aliens. I think I’ll be quiet and listen,” she said.
“Don’t feel bad, Patrice,” Olawale said, gently touching her hand. “In this group, there’s only one of us who’s experienced at this kind of thing, and she’s yet to speak.” He turned his gaze toward Lucia.
The commodore leaned forward to place her forearms on the long communal table.
“Patrice’s first statement was accurate,” she said. “There’s only one way into the dome that presents a dependable option. It’s through the shuttle tubes, and we’ve an opportunity if we move quickly.”
“Of course,” Edmas said excitedly. “The Colony defended the tubes by lighting off the shuttle engines against the defenders’ teams, but now they’re missing a shuttle.”
“Precisely,” Lucia replied.
The emotional algorithms of the SADEs were reordered. Hours ago, they’d determined that the only viable entry point was the tube, where the shuttle was absent. They were concerned that this group of humans, a mix of Omnian leaders skilled in university administration and engineering and untested Earthers, would lack the strategic acumen of Alex and his senior staff, such as Fleet Admiral Tatia Tachenko. The SADEs had pinned their expectations on Lucia Bellardo, and she wasn’t letting them down.
“We descend the shuttle tube and set up a base camp,” Lucia explained. “There will be a gangway with an airlock. The Colony might have installed security measures. However, conversations I’ve had with Captain Cinders have led me to believe the Colony doesn’t think in those terms. They’re all about offense. They don’t play defense.”
“Anything else?” Olawale asked.
Lucia thought for a moment, and then she eyed Edmas and Jodlyne. “I want to descend that shuttle tube with an entire toolkit of options. Edmas, talk to the Sylian crew chief who worked with us. We need to know the volume of that bay, where the insectoid shuttle is kept.”
Jodlyne jumped in, saying, “I’ll find someone who can detail the volume of the tunnels. We can use the ratios of the two air volumes to determine the number of gas canisters that Velsana will need to supply us.”
“When you need engineers, it’s great to have them,” Lucia said, smiling at Edmas and Jodlyne.
* * * * *
Talsoma sat in a salon of the royal apartments. She’d gathered her defenders. “I would know what you think, Kasie,” she requested.
“The visitors believe what they say,” Kasie replied. “There’s continuity between their feelings and their speech.”
“I’ve been speculating about their implants,” Jess said. “The exchange of thoughts between minds would happen quicker than an exchange requiring thought to mouth to ear and finally to mind. Perhaps, it encourages truthfulness.”
“Enough said,” Talsoma interrupted. “It’s assumed the visitors will work to gain us access to the dome. This solves only one part of our problem.”
“I think Esteban and his kind might provide the answer to the second dilemma,” Tacnock offered. “Think what these SADEs might do in concert with Kasie.”
“That was my thought too,” Kasie said. “Who knows the extent of their capabilities? The alliance has fed imagery of the glyphs into computational intelligences. Unfortunately, those machines were never onsite in a non-alliance dome, and they weren’t interacting with a console operator.”
“What is it you hope to achieve?” Soshona asked.
“Breakthroughs,” Kasie replied. “At the simplest level, we might learn how the Colony commands a remote gate to operate, including clearing a net. But if I could have my wish, I would want to have a level of mastery similar to the Messinants.”
The blue eyes of the Sylians blinked.
“Those would be formidable powers,” Talsoma remarked hesitantly.
“How else do we expect to prevent the Colony from overtaking our domes?” Kasie retorted.
“I’m in agreement with Kasie,” Jess said, “and not because I’m her brother. I’m tired of being called a defender. Where it concerns the Colony, I’d like to be known as an offender.”
Tacnock chittered, and teased, “You’re already offensive enough, Jess.”
“Aggressive action within the dome could result in our being permanently cut off from the alliance,” Soshona pointed out.
“I don’t think we have to be concerned about the visitors,” Jess said.
“Explain,” Talsoma requested.
“They seem to have a greater command of energy sources than we do,” Jess replied. “Remember, Esteban intuited the dome was formed by the ring’s projection of energy.”
“We should not forget that the visitors’ shuttles are actually energy weapons,” Tacnock added.
“I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve heard the visitors’ plan to retake the dome,” Talsoma declared. “If I approve, it will require that some of you accompany them.”
Kasie noticed that the ruler was staring directly at her. She’d assumed that she would need to be in the advance party. Her presence would be required to help the visitors gain entrance to the dome and to operate the console.
Jess and Tacnock had also observed the direction of Talsoma’s gaze, and they simultaneously chorused, “I’m going.”
“We can carry Loopah weapons,” Jess declared. “They can be extremely effective if the Colony tries to flood through multiple gates after we’ve taken the dome.”
Talsoma glanced toward Soshona, who nodded in agreement with the captains.
“Let’s talk to the visitors and put an end to these concerns of ours,” Talsoma said definitively. Then she rose and led the defenders out of the salon.
At the door, a staff member interrupted the ruler. “Your Excellency, the visitors aren’t in their dorm room. They’re with Velsana,” the male Sylian said.
“Take us there,” Talsoma ordered.
The defenders found Velsana and the visitors engaged in spirited discourse. Dismembered body parts of a red and several grays lay about on tables.
Esteban and Juliette were wrists deep in tissue, as were the medical techs. Juli
ette was analyzing the blood components, which her synth skin detected. Esteban was focused on the red’s spinal structure. He and a tech were examining the small ganglia located at each juncture of leg nerves and spinal cord.
“Fascinating,” Velsana remarked. “These individuals aren’t like traditional insects. They possess both endo- and exoskeletons. The Messinants were required to do much more genetic tinkering to uplift these species.”
Velsana elaborated on his pronouncement, explaining the alliance races’ theory about the ancient Messinants and what they’d done to so many species to bring them to sentience.
“They didn’t wait to see what became of their creations?” Jodlyne asked.
“No alliance race has ever reported sighting a Messinant,” Velsana replied, “although we’ve images of them as recorded by the consoles. It was a theory of Aurelia Garmenti that the Messinants weren’t a beneficent race. They built the domes for themselves. They visited planets, played with species, and when they saw a modicum of success, they moved on.”
“What have you learned of value?” Talsoma asked from the doorway.
“Of immediate use, probably little, Your Excellency, but it’s difficult to tell,” Olawale replied. “The information might be employed in the long term.”
Talsoma nodded her acceptance of Olawale’s summation. Then she said, “I’d like to be assured of your plan to protect the dome’s integrity.”
“We’ll be limiting our weaponry in the dome to stun guns and Loopah weapons,” Lucia replied. “The SADEs have already made us aware of the danger of using energy weapons inside it. We’ve no intention of disrupting the projected field.”
“Some of our defenders will need to accompany you,” Talsoma stated.
“We expected that,” Lucia replied. “Understand, Your Excellency, they’ll report to me. While we take the dome and, afterwards, in the presence of any Colony sentient, they’ll be under my command.”
Talsoma was inclined to argue with the absoluteness of Lucia’s declaration, but the unwavering stares of the visitors convinced her that it would be a useless gesture.
