Waking in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 2)
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Copyright
Copyright © 2018 By Daniel Wagner, all rights reserved.
Reproduction or transmission of this book, in whole or in part, by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any other means is strictly prohibited, except with prior written permission from the author.
You may direct all inquiries to:
dpwagner@dpwpublishing.com
Cover Design by Miguel Yurrita
This book is a work of fiction. All names, places and incidents described are products of the writer’s imagination and any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or events is purely coincidental.
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Table of contents
Contents
Copyright
Table of contents
Glossary
Map of the Federacy
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
To Be Continued
Glossary
Japanese terms and phrases
Taishou – General
Sousui – Commander
Mappai – Rank and file underling
Buntai - Squad
Dono - Mister
Yoroshii - ok
Kyouji – Spoiled Child
Damare - Shut up
Chikushou-Damn
Buotoko-Ugly Man (Rude)
Yujo-Warrior camaraderie
Kuso-Shit
Otsukaresama deshita-drinking toast - The literal translation of otsukaresama is something along the lines of “you must be tired,” but it carries with it the implied meaning of “…after working so hard.” It’s essentially the equivalent to the English “nice work.” It’s something you say to a classmate, co-worker, or teammate after a hard day of school/work/sports.
Japanese Entities
Baka ne-you fool
Ebisu – Shinto god of prosperity and wealth in business, and of abundance in crops, cereals and food in general.
Bishamonten – Shinto god of fortune in war and battles, also associated with authority and dignity.
Fukurokuju – Shinto god of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth and happiness
Arabic terms
Insha’Allah – God Willing
Ma Salama – Go with Peace
Allah yusallmak – May God Protect You
Barzakh - realm in which the soul exists after the burial.
Elonian Deities
Bashia – Sun Goddess.
Map of the Federacy
Prologue
Elonian home World
A world of ice spun around its star at the outer fringe of the ‘goldilocks zone, the right distance from a star at which life could flourish. This ice world remained cold enough to freeze surface water but warm enough to sustain living, breathing plants and creatures. Over hundreds of thousands of years, this ice world produced an eco-system of brutal survival and violent living. The hardiest, most aggressive flora succeeded in establishing dominance over and strangling out their weaker plant brethren. The path of natural selection produced a fauna grounded in the universal adage that ‘only the strong survive’.
This ice planet, with temperatures ranging from minus one hundred and ten degrees Celsius at the poles to minus seven degrees at the equator became a vibrant, living thing. Forests of hard, gray trunks and branches. Powerful, almost indestructible, roots dug into the permafrost, digging deep, pulling nutrition from the planet’s mantle. Sharp, hard leaves of reds and oranges hungrily soaked up the primary star’s rays, drawing sustenance and whatever warmth this giant, primordial forest required to survive. Within this covering canopy, smaller plants flourished, leaching the heat and nutrients from their giant brethren.
Organisms evolved from the primordial goo, gained ambulation and variously dove into the warmer depths of the subterranean seas or climbed onto land and adapted to breathe the air, generate their own body heat and find nutrients from the thriving flora. As eons passed, many animals, of both sea and land, increased their chances of survival by consuming the weaker ones. True laws of natural selection became the driving force behind the evolution of the disparate species.
Tens of thousands of years ago, in this environment of carnage and killing, the apex predator broke from the evolutionary path of mindless existence and branched into the path of self-awareness, tribal consciousness and communal growth. This new breed of apex predator called itself Elonian and its home Elonia.
Time passed. Elonians learned to communicate with more than grunts and gestures. More time passed. They domesticated wild animals and grew their own food. They built villages, then cities of ice and rock. Throughout it all, these cat-like beings began to wonder at the magnificence of all they saw. They developed philosophy, art, science.
The age of machines came. And finally they escaped their planet and travelled the deep dark of their solar system. And the Elonia species, even as an enlightened species, never evolved to the point of discarding its intrinsically aggressive, predatory nature.
Chapter 1
Aboard Wisdom Seeker
Captain Kakkarna continued to show the patience and control that he was renowned for. He sat quietly, ears relaxed, tail coiled around one of the chair legs. Princess Analyn continued her verbal onslaught, fueled by her intractable will that she was renowned for. She stood, ears forward, tail raised high, flicking.
“It’s been three sedeca. Three!”
As the two were in the captain’s ready room, with the hatch closed, Captain Kakkarna continued to accept the verbal onslaught. He knew Princess Analyn’s passion, her drive. He also knew that, as a young adult, she could be pushy, demanding. And he knew that it would blow over. She was too smart to let her emotions, the Elonian predilection towards violence, run her decision-making.
“Yes, Princess. I know this is taking time, but precautions must be exercised. We found trace biologicals in the alien ship’s atmosphere. We needed to create a serum to counter them. We didn’t know if our immune system could ward them off. That took time.”
“Well, give me the serum. I need to be in there.”
“You are the Princess, second in line to the throne. We need to be sure. Three of our scientists have taken the serum and have removed their protective gear. They’ve been exposed for two sedeca now. One more hour and we will test their systems for any symptoms or issues. One sedeca. Just one. Then, if the tests are clean, you can go in.”
“I could pull rank, I am the Princess.”
“You know better than that, My Princess. Not while we are under way.”
“In port I could have you replaced.”
“Yes, you could.” Captain knew it wouldn’t happen.
“You are so exasperating!” the princess actually stomped a foot paw while raising her tail for emphasis. “One sedeca!” Princess Analyn turned, pushed the hatch button and walked out. Her bodyguard, Mahajani, looked at the captain. The two exchanged friendly, knowing looks and ear flicks.
Captain Kakkarna truly cared for the impetuous princess. He just smiled, flicked an ear and returned to his paperwork.
* * * * *
The Seneca passed. Princess Analyn returned, followed by her ever-present bodyguard. Captain Kakkarna stopped his busywork and looked up.
Well?”
“All tests came back clean. A quarter of a sedeca after you are injected, you are free to enter
the alien ship.”
“Yes! Thank you, Captain!” the princess almost danced as she headed for medical bay.
“And you take Sir Mahajani!”
A quarter of a sedeca after she and her bodyguard had submitted to the injection, the two stood outside a small, portable pressure room and waited. A contingent of armed Elonians stood guard, encircling the entrance to the alien vessel. Princess Analyn shook her head in resignation. One of her junior scientists approached and bowed.
“Princess Analyn.”
“Mr. Shukilar.”
“I’ve been notified that it is safe for you to enter. However you will need to wear a cooling screen as the internal temperature is almost a third of boiling water.” The researcher waved a paw at the entrance room. “The entranceway currently is pressurized to not allow any of Wisdom Seeker’s atmosphere or heat escape into the gravity dome surrounding the alien ship. Once you have entered and the outer hatch is sealed, the room will attain a negative pressure, pushing any escaped gasses, particulates or microbes back towards the vessel.”
“I understand.”
“Since the entranceway is also a clean room, once you enter you will need to disrobe. I’ve placed a cooling screen activator inside. And a recorder. Also, there is a rack for your clothes. You are to spread them over the rack, displaying as much surface area as possible. A decontamination mist will be released and fans will then dry your fur and clothing.
“Thank you, Mr. Shukilar. I am ready.”
“Captain Kakkarna stipulated that Mahajani goes first. I am sorry, Princess.”
The giant bodyguard stoically walked to the hatch leading to the alien ship and waited.
Mr. Shukilar pressed the entrance button. The bodyguard announced he was naked. Mr. Shukilar used a soft, furred finger to press a button on the wall. Mahajani announced he was dressed. Mr. Shukilar pressed another button. He and the princess heard the inner door open and close.
With reverence towards his princess, the young researcher tapped the entrance button and the door swung open again. Princess Analyn entered. The door swung closed. Once inside, the princess first removed her royal medallion, belt and imperial dagger. Then she removed her chemise and carefully spread it over the drying rack.
Standing naked, with tail and ears high, the princess announced, “I am ready.”
A greyish mist filled the chamber, clinging to her fur, seeping down to her skin. After a twentieth of a sedeca, fans kicked in, drying the princess and everything else in the clean room. Upon completion, Princess Analyn donned her shift, belt, with its dagger and her royal medallion. Attaching the recorder to her shoulder, she activated that piece of equipment. Strapping the cooling screen generator to her arm, she extended a single claw and flicked the power switch. Her fur tingled as the cooler ionized a thin, body-clinging screen of cooling air. With a final adjustment of her clothing, she announced to no one her readiness to enter the alien space ship.
Aboard Griffin
The inner hatch clicked and swung inwardly, revealing the entrance to this astounding discovery. She rushed forward, heading towards the front of the ship. Mahajani hastened to keep up, his huge scimitar slapping against his leg. Reaching a ladder, she scaled through the cylinder of rings and reached the second deck. Stopping, the princess slowly rotated, taking in all the strangeness, all the alien-ness. She peered forward. Seeing the bridge and two of the three scientists, she moved to join them. Her bodyguard followed and took up post just inside the hatch
“Doctor Ganakin, Dame Srilin.”
“Princess Analyn, welcome aboard.”
“Thank you, Doctor. What have we got?” Princess Analyn’s excitement seeped through.
“Doctor Roshnak found a room on the lower level that appeared to be for someone of importance. Being the anthropologist of our little group, he’s sifting through it, trying to get an understanding of what kind of species we are dealing with. Dame Srilin has succeeded in accessing the computer system that guides the ship. I’m studying the consoles, trying to build a concept of what kind of civilization built it.”
“From everything I’ve viewed, it’s not Ballisonian. It’s from something we’ve never seen.”
“You are correct, My Princess. It came from outside our sphere of knowledge.”
“Have we found any survivors? Anything alive?”
“From our readings, I believe that there is one in that containment.” Doctor Ganakin gestured towards the closed pod where Captain Marston still lay in his unconscious slumber.
Dame Srilin interrupted the conversation. With ears pointing straight up and her tail curved high, she breathlessly enthused “The computer system is very rudimentary. But it does have a complex logic routine. It’s there, in that cylinder.” The computer expert pointed to the illicit container that housed Buster.
“Can you access it?”
“I don’t want to open or modify the existing code as I might damage it. But it does contain an overly large amount of unused storage. The casing has a complex connection that allows the computer to interface with the ship. With Vidhee’s help, I think we can understand the connection and its wiring. If we succeed then we can load some expansion software, make it sentient. Give it the awareness and communication skills needed so that we can talk to it.”
“Is that dangerous?”
“From everything I’ve examined and tested, the cylinder itself doesn’t contain any explosives or defenses. I haven’t found anything that indicates anything like gasses or explosives. The only danger would be if we damaged its core programming. Once it is unplugged, then there will be no danger.”
“How long?”
“Two sedecas, maybe three.”
I’ll signal the captain to send Vidhee over.” Princess Analyn’s eyes took on a glassy look as she used her natural telepathic sense and linked with the captain. As everyone waited, the princess stood still then returned to the present.
“Vidhee is on her way.”
For half a sedeca Doctor Ganakin returned to his study of everything that contained the strange writing. Dame Srilin intently worked at trying to understand the strange connector. Princess Analyn watched. Vidhee arrived.
“My Princess.”
“Vidhee. Would you be so kind as to assist Dame Srilin in her research of the alien computer?”
“Certainly.” Vidhee walked over and squatted next to the computer specialist and curled her mechanical prehensile tail around her feet. Dame Srilin continued to use her surface probe, touching various parts of the connection and watching the results on her tablet. When a result interested her, she’d extend a claw and tap a spot on the screen. Then she’d return to more testing.
“May I?” Vidhee asked.
“Of course, Dame Srilin responded while holding out the tablet.
Vidhee extended her own mechanical claw from the shortest finger of her left paw. This claw contained a connector which the artificial Elonian plugged into the tablet.
“I believe that those three strangely-shaped holes encircling the connection are the release levers to disconnect the cylinder,” commented Vidhee as she retracted her connection claw.
“I came to the same conclusion. But I couldn’t understand the extra equipment, what appears to be a mask and a hose. There are no electronics in those parts. So they couldn’t be used for communication, unless there is something very alien about our unknown travellers.”
“I don’t believe that those are a part of the computer. I don’t have any thoughts on what they are used for. I think we can ignore them and stay focused on the connection. That will be the key. I shall create three dimensional renditions of the holes and their placements then have the printer create a suitable tool.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Vidhee.”
“You are welcome, Dame Srilin.”
Vidhee extended a very thin flat-faced claw from her longest mechanical left-paw digit and carefully inserted it into the first of three holes.
The self-illuminating c
amera returned a three hundred-sixty degree image of the hole’s inner workings.
“There appear to be tumblers that can only be rotated in a very certain manner. I’ve recorded the action required.”
Vidhee repeated the procedure on the next two holes. Once completed, for the briefest of moments, using her own telepathic capabilities, she communicated with the small-component printer on the Wisdom Seeker.
“The tool will be ready in half a sedeca.”
“Princess Analyn, watching the goings-ons, could contain herself no longer. “Well? Can we do it?” Can we get into the workings of this ship?”
“I believe so, My Princess,” Dame Srilin responded. Give us a sedeca. Two at the most. We’ll have a fully functioning entity and be able to communicate with the ship.
* * * * *
For Princess Analyn, the first half of a sedeca turned into an intolerable wait. Doctor Ganakin continued his collection of information, mumbling to himself as his imbedded com link transferred his recordings and mental commentary to Wisdom Seeker’s scientific data base. Vidhee and Dame Srilin carried on a discussion on how to bring the poor, underdeveloped computer up to a level of self-awareness. Doctor Roshnak continued his exploration of the habitation areas of the ship. Mahajani simply stood guard.
Mr. Shukilar came through the bridge’s hatch. Nervous and excited at the same time, he almost crept in on all four paws, ears in extremely passive position, tail almost dragging. Timidly he held out the tool. The princess took it. Shukilar pulled his paw back as though he had touched something hot.
“Well, you got in,” commented Doctor Ganakin. “Now that you are here, I suppose I can use you.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” the junior researcher gushed.
“Don’t thank me yet. This compartment is getting way too crowded. Sit over there. Be quiet. We are at a critical point.”