by S. H. Jucha
“What a character,” Ophelia commented to Leslie, but she was grinning and applauding with the rest of the crowd.
“This is Commodore Lucia Bellardo, who fought with defenders to take back the Sylian dome from the Colony,” Jess announced. There was no mistaking the fierce pride in Jess’s voice.
“Look at her. She’s exquisite,” Ophelia said to Leslie.
“Now I have the pleasure of introducing a rare individual, Esteban, who’s a SADE, a self-aware digital entity. He’s what we might think of as a mobile AI,” Jess called out, as Esteban lightly jumped through the hatch to land beside Jess, who was several meters away.
“We might have temporarily captured the dome, but it was Esteban and his fellow SADEs, Juliette and Orbit, who determined how to permanently block the Colony from the Sylian dome,” Jess continued. “We owe the SADEs a serious debt of gratitude.” He ended by laying a hand on Esteban’s shoulder, and his countenance dared the audience to contradict him.
There had been a lull in the audience’s reaction when Jess announced the nature of Esteban, but by the time he finished, they were at full volume again.
Jess and the four visitors walked up the steps and through the audience’s corridor to reach the president.
“Look at Jess,” Leslie whispered.
“His attention is on the commodore, but she’s not looking his way,” Ophelia replied.
“Interesting,” Leslie managed to say before she put on a bright smile to greet Jess and the visitors.
“Welcome to Pyre. I’m President Leslie Finian, and this is Commandant of System Security Ophelia Tuttle.”
Leslie and Ophelia shook hands with the visitors. When Leslie reached Jess, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Welcome home,” she whispered in his ear.
Lucia noted that despite Ophelia’s reserved manner, she also warmly hugged Jess. A president and a commandant treat Jess like he was a lost brother who’s been found, she thought.
“Please come inside,” Leslie invited.
Olawale and Patrice assumed they were headed for the president’s offices. Instead, they were seated with Lucia and Esteban in a gallery box facing rows of delegates. A senior delegate presided at a podium.
“Why do I feel like a defendant at my trial?” Patrice whispered.
“Let’s see what kind of questions they ask. That should tell us whether we should run or not,” Olawale replied, smiling.
Jess was seated in a second gallery box with the president and the commandant.
The senior delegate opened the proceedings, which sounded overly formal to Jess. He made a decision, which was more instinctual than rational. He rose, stepped down from the box, crossed the hall’s floor, climbed into the visitors’ box, and sat next to Lucia.
“Even more interesting,” Leslie whispered to Ophelia.
The questioning of the visitors, or the interrogation as Patrice later termed it, lasted three hours. It might have gone on longer, but Jess stood up in the middle of a delegate’s long-winded question. He turned to the foursome seated beside him, and asked in a loud voice, “Who’s hungry? ’Cause I’m starved. There’s a dining hall below ground.” Then he offered a hand to Lucia, which she accepted. As they exited the box, Patrice shrugged and followed them.
As the visitors emptied the box, the senior delegate announced, “We’ll resume our meeting after a meal.”
However, Jess called over his shoulder, “I don’t think so.”
Esteban linked to Olawale, Lucia, and Patrice’s ear wig. “Our assault commander continues to protect us.”
The threesome walking behind Jess and Lucia noted that he’d taken her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. His hand covered hers, and she’d chosen not to remove it.
Esteban reserved the imagery and sent it to Juliette. He parked the message in her traveler’s controller, which meant Juliette was either inside the Triton dome or out of system.
Jess led his four friends to a dining hall.
Service was a fixed meal. The first items were cool glasses of blended fruit juices. Olawale, Patrice, and Lucia expressed their appreciation to Jess. In turn, he smacked his lips quietly, and said, “I did miss these.”
Setting down an empty glass, which was quickly refilled, Olawale said, “There was no need for the intervention, Jess. Your delegates have legitimate concerns, and they wanted to voice them.”
Jess waited to reply. The servers were depositing plates of food in front of them. Apparently, Jess wasn’t the only one who was hungry. Olawale, Patrice, and Lucia quickly picked up utensils and relished the fresh and inventive food.
“I don’t discount their concerns,” Jess replied, after swallowing his first mouthful. “I just disliked their lack of manners. That’s not how I was taught to treat guests, especially those who came a long way to find them.”
“I can’t disagree with that sentiment,” Patrice remarked.
“You’ve gotten an opportunity to know us. They haven’t,” Olawale pointed out. He was having a hard time focusing on the discussion. The cuisine and careful service tantalized the senses.
“Then they can extend the courtesies and take time to get to know you,” Jess retorted, which ended the discussion.
The humans chose to finish their meal in friendly conversation.
Esteban established a link with Orbit and Juliette, who was returning to her traveler from Triton. Juliette updated her fellow SADEs about the events at Rissness, and Esteban shared the proceedings with Pyre’s delegates.
-20-
Madam President
“Captain Cinders reminds us of our duty to treat guests with courtesy and let the discovery of the past and our mutual intentions unfold in the due course of time,” Leslie said.
Olawale and company were meeting in a comfortable conference room adjacent to the president’s office with Leslie, Ophelia, and Jess.
“I might say that the captain is presumptuous to advise me as to my duties,” Leslie continued. “However, in this case, he’s right, and I apologize for our poor welcome.”
Ophelia expected to sense relief from the visitors, although not from Esteban. But those emotions weren’t present. In fact, the visitors seemed to maintain neutral states, as if they hadn’t any concerns. She chose to ignore Jess, who was still angry, and focus on the other humans.
“We’re here to answer any questions you might have, Madam President,” Olawale said.
“Let’s dispense with the question and answers, shall we?” Leslie offered. “In your communications to the delegates —”
Patrice had held up a finger, which interrupted the president. “You’re referring to our interrogation?” she asked.
Leslie laid her hands aside, accepting the correction and implied rebuke. Ophelia was surprised that she sensed only the mildest irritation from Patrice.
“We heard,” Leslie continued, “about what you’d done for the Sylians, and you’ve witnessed and heard about our troubles with the Colony. To be blunt, we need your help.”
“Pyreans need our help, or the alliance needs this service?” Esteban asked.
“Every member of the alliance and those races still trying to reach their domes need protection from the insectoids,” Ophelia replied.
“The fleet brought twenty-four security personnel and their officer,” Lucia said. “We lost sixty percent of our security forces. We can’t afford to retake another dome.”
Ophelia expected to feel anger pouring off Lucia at the mention of their losses. When she didn’t detect that, it occurred to her that the reason for the visitors’ curtailed emotions came from their accumulated experiences. The warships were her hint. They’ve fought and lost many of their companions before, she thought.
“Jess, you spoke of the ring above the Sylian dome,” Ophel
ia said. “The Colony is probably doing the same thing at every dome they’ve captured.”
“That’s a logical assumption,” Esteban interjected.
“Olawale, Patrice, you’ve ships that can halt the Colony’s progress without endangering the domes,” Ophelia pressed.
“It’s been well-established to us that the Colony is relentless,” Olawale replied. “However, we can’t station our travelers above your moons forever, waiting for the Colony to launch their shuttles, and, as the commodore said, we can’t afford to take another dome. We don’t have the trained personnel.”
Ophelia picked up an emotional spike of excitement from Jess. She also received his thought. It was, “We do.”
“Without serious help, one day this human colony will disappear,” Leslie said. “It won’t be soon, but it’ll happen. The only way to stop the Colony’s advance is for every alliance race to shut down their gates, using the method that you’ve discovered. Without reservations, I can tell you that most, if not all, races won’t do that. They’ve lived too long connected to one another. Their worlds depend on the economic exchanges, and their societies embrace the social interactions.”
There was a lull in the conversation, while each side considered their options.
“We have reserves,” Patrice offered. “Not here, but at Sol.”
“How long would it take to bring them here?” Ophelia asked.
“Two to three months,” Patrice replied. “But it’s not in my authority to promise them. That’s for my government to decide, and it would need more facts than we have, at the moment.”
“The best way to obtain the information you seek is to meet with the Tsargit,” Leslie said. “Its committees, if not the council, will have a complete record of the domes lost to invasions and the incursions rebuffed.”
“Will the Tsargit have star coordinates for the races?” Esteban asked.
“It’s possible but doubtful,” Leslie replied. “The alliance has never needed them. The races have always had the domes.”
Jess held up a hand to halt the conversation. He ducked his head to focus on the thought that was trying to gel in his mind. When his head came up, he said, “We can use the locator app in a console.”
“Explain,” Esteban requested.
“The Tsargit will have a list of the lost domes,” Jess replied. “They will know the occupying races and will have recordings of them.”
“Wait one,” Patrice said. “I thought the locator app identifies the route to the home world of the voice that’s spoken into the console. What if, when the Colony overtook the dome, the presence of the insectoids interferes with the query?”
“Then we go with my next idea?” Jess replied, with a grin.
“Which is?” Patrice inquired.
“This is when we need a SADE,” Jess explained. “The Tsargit will know the races whose domes connect to a lost dome. We use the locator app to identify their stars.”
Esteban smiled, and he added, “I can overlay the multiple starscapes, resulting from the queries.”
“Then what?” Lucia asked. “Those queries don’t identify the star’s location that’s common to these surrounding connections. It could be anywhere on the starscape.”
“Yes, it could be,” Jess allowed, “but the SADEs will have the overlay in their memories. When we use the second level of the locator app, each query will produce a web identifying the locations of where that race is found.”
“And within the combined webs only one star will connect to our group of surrounding stars,” Lucia surmised. “Not too bad, Captain.”
Olawale privately queried Esteban.
“There is concern about domes that lie on a terminated path from some of the lost domes,” Leslie said. “Can anything be done about them?”
Eyes turned toward Jess, who said, “Probably not, until we’ve taken a dome that connects to a terminal line.”
“Would the Tsargit have records of where every gate leads?” Patrice asked.
“Yes,” Jess replied, “if we were speaking about alliance races. The Tsargit will list the number of alliance races that connect to a lost dome. A starscape display will indicate a dome’s number of gates by its hatch marks. If the number of hatches equals the number of alliance-connected races that we were given, then the lost dome is completed and connected to the alliance. On the other hand, if all the hatch marks aren’t accounted for, then those unaccounted gates could lead anywhere.”
“I think visiting the Tsargit and collecting the data on the lost domes, including identifying their star coordinates, should provide a comprehensive report for my government,” Patrice concluded.
“Will you investigate those systems to determine the extent of the Colony’s activities?” Ophelia asked.
Patrice glanced at Olawale. His face held a neutral expression. She knew that one well. “We’d have to determine that after we’ve collected the data,” she said.
“I don’t suppose you have the star coordinates for the Tsargit’s location?” Olawale asked hopefully. The downward glances answered his question.
“How many journeys from here?” Lucia asked.
“More than eighty,” Jess replied, “The Tsargit convenes at Hyronzy Station.”
“I’ve thought of an option,” Esteban replied. “A comm relay resides on Juliette’s cargo traveler. Request that she take it and return to Triton. Kasie and the other administrators can guide her to Hyronzy Station. When she activates the relay, we can follow the signal there.”
“Workable,” Olawale allowed. “Patrice?”
“Agreed,” Patrice replied.
“Make it happen, Esteban,” Olawale directed.
“Done,” Esteban replied.
“Amazing,” Leslie commented. “Communications in your worlds, Olawale, must be something special.”
“Our technology does enable us to save time. And using our thoughts to communicate results in a clearer understanding of one another,” Olawale said.
“Well, we have some time,” Jess said. “I’d like to show our guests our planet.”
“I’ll arrange a tour,” Leslie added.
* * * * *
“Change in plans. Return to the dome’s shuttle, and I’ll join you shortly,” Juliette announced, as she came to a halt in the corridor.
The group had exited the Triton shuttle into the station, and they were making their way to Sharon’s traveler. Such was Juliette’s status with the dome administrators that, without question, they immediately reversed direction to obtain seats on the next shuttle to the moon.
Aboard the traveler, Juliette removed the restraining straps securing the comm relay to the bulkhead. It was located at the rear of the ship with other equipment.
“What’s up?” Sharon asked.
“We’re returning to the dome to make a long journey,” Juliette replied. “Return to your Trident. We won’t be coming back this way.”
“Do you need help with that?” asked Sharon, when she saw Juliette free the comm relay.
“No, but thank you for asking,” Juliette replied, as she hoisted the heavy device, hugged it to her chest, and exited the craft.
Sharon heard a solid thud, as the combined weight of SADE and comm relay struck the deck.
“Do you need help?” Sharon muttered to herself. “Dumb question to ask a SADE, even one built like a Méridien.”
At the cargo ramp of the Triton shuttle, Juliette set the relay down rather than hand it off to the Pyrean crew member, who had hurried to take it from her. She looked around, spotted another crew member, a large individual, and called out, “Ser,” as she crooked a finger at him.
When the second crew member approached, Juliette said, “I would appreciate it, if the two of you will carefully load this device.”
The two men chose not to remark about Juliette’s slight frame and her re
quest that two of them carry the piece of equipment. Their intent to quickly load the device turned into a concerted effort to get it off the deck. They managed quick glances at Juliette’s slender backside, as she exited their ramp and headed for the passenger loading area.
“Where are we going?” asked Tacnock, when Juliette boarded. He’d booked a seat next to him for her.
“To the Tsargit,” Juliette replied. “I presume one or more of you know the way.”
“We all do, but why are we going there?” Kasie replied. She was seated across the aisle from Juliette.
“Do you know the Hyronzy star coordinates?” Juliette asked, with a lift of an eyebrow.
“Well, no,” Kasie replied hesitantly.
“Yes,” Tacnock exclaimed. “We journey there, and then you call the fleet,” he surmised.
“Correct,” Juliette replied.
“But how will you notify the fleet?” Bortoth asked, leaning around the seat in front of Juliette.
“I stored a comm relay in cargo,” Juliette explained.
“After we make eighty-plus journeys, how long will it take the fleet to sail to Hyronzy?” Salsinona asked, from behind Juliette.
“You’re presuming we’ll journey along a relatively straight line of systems,” Juliette replied. “I’m curious to see where we actually end our journey compared to Crimsa’s location.”
The Triton shuttle released its gangway, used jets to create distance from the terminal arm, and then fired its rockets. A few hours later, it was decelerating and settling into a tube buried in the moon’s surface. The vacuum of space quickly cooled the surfaces of shuttle and tube. Then the tunnel gangway was attached to the craft, and the passengers exited.
Afterwards, cargo was unloaded from below. The last item to be brought up was the comm relay. Juliette snatched it off the hoist and carried it through the short tunnel span to a car.
At the end of the trip, Juliette eschewed help with the device. She carried it across the connecting ring, through the tunnel, down the corridor, up the ramp, and to the deck. The administrators, with their Loopah weapons slung over their backs, were allowed to interrupt the line to step onto a platform, allowing Juliette to quickly join them.
