“Yes, sir,” the staff replied in unison.
“Dismissed,” Julie said. She and John waited for the staff to vacate the board room before they talked. “I listened to his message.”
“You think I should go get him?” John asked.
“He’s your best friend. I know what you would like to do.”
“I need to know what you think,” John insisted.
“If it was anyone else…” Julie started. “But this is David. Even though he and Billy weren’t here with us, they were as much a part of the Screen mission as we were.”
“I know, but he’s asking me to turn this ship around to get him because he’s unhappy,” John said. “We’re just getting underway with our exploration mission. How can I take us back to the solar system? I can’t use this ship as my personal valet.”
Julie just shrugged her shoulders. “You can because it’s David. He deserves better than what he’s going through now. You can always take a shuttle back if you wanted.”
“Given the problems we’ve had with the Cresorians, I’m not comfortable leaving PHOENIX,” John replied. He remembered something Julie told him once. “When we first started on this ship you told me I had to stop thinking about myself and do what’s right for the crew”
“I remember.”
“Things have changed. As hard as it was seeing some of our friends leave, I accepted that that’s life. David did a lot for us, but that’s in the past. I’m responsible for a ship of thousands. I can’t just do whatever I want to help a friend out, even if it is David. As much as I hate to say it, he made his choice. He’s going to have to make the best of his situation.”
Julie nodded. She couldn’t argue with him. “Maybe in time people will forget about his family and he’ll be able to have a good career in TERRA.”
“I’m banking on it,” John hoped. “In one respect, I’m glad to hear that the elite families are being treated with disdain, but on the other, I hate that one of our friends is being affected.”
“Will you send him a message with your decision?” Julie asked.
“I owe it to him. I won’t blame him for hating me. I hope someday he can forgive me.”
Julie was more optimistic. “I think he’ll understand.”
********
A few hours later the senior staff was assembled at their stations on the command deck. The ship was about to arrive at the coordinates where the unknown object was picked up. Everyone was anxious to learn what it could be. All the sensors told them was that it was big. Very big. The width of the object was far larger than even the PHOENIX.
“Approaching coordinates,” Jufo reported. “Taking the ship out of its jump.”
“Scanning the area,” Korifluxinina announced.
John looked over at Tim on the other side of the operations table. “Have the bots on standby, just in case.”
“I’ve got them queued up and ready to launch,” Tim confirmed.
Julie analyzed the sensor data. “It doesn’t appear there are any ships out here. I’m not picking up any energy readings.”
“We’re not picking up any communications either,” Bret added.
Korifluxinina’s station beeped. “I have located the object. It is 200,000 kilometers from our position. Captain…” but she said nothing more as she double-checked her readings.
“What is it?” John inquired.
“I’m picking up significant amounts of ferillics.”
Julie gave John a nervous look. “That’s the metallic compound commonly used in Screen vessels.”
The last thing John expected was to encounter something related to the alliance’s sworn enemy. “Battle stations. Raise shield, ready starburst, ruialon emitters, and load up torpedo tubes one through four. Tim, launch two groups of fighter bots. Send them out to intercept the object. Unarnu, patch into the fighter bots’ sensors. I want to know exactly what we’re dealing with before we get in range.” If the object was stationary and larger than PHOENIX, John assumed they were dealing with some sort of space station.
Everyone went into action. “Fighter bots launched,” Tim reported.
“Shields are up. Ruialon weapons are charged,” Shelly added. “Starburst is at the ready and torpedo tubes loaded up.”
“The alliance reviewed the Screen’s databases on their homeworld,” Julie said to John. “There was nothing to indicate they had an installation in this part of space. And it can’t be their ships. They pulled their entire fleet when they attacked the solar system.”
“Their data was heavily encrypted,” Rudov said from the communication station. “I heard from some of my klisde that many of their files were lost in the decryption process.”
“Fighters bots are approaching the object,” Tim reported. He looked over to Korifluxinina. “You should be receiving telemetry data from their sensors.”
The science officer’s slug-like body vibrated. “I am receiving data. Confirming the presence of ferillics. Curious, I am not reading a single object, but rather three of them.”
That didn’t make John feel better. One object was bad enough, but three? “Can we get a visual on them?”
“I believe there is enough sensor information to render a holographic representation,” Korifluxinina said.
Shelly took the initiative and accessed the sensor data. “I’m bringing up visuals now.”
Over the operations table, a holographic image of the objects appeared. They indeed were composed of the greenish metallic compound used on Screen vessels and, as Korifluxinina reported, there were three objects.
“They don’t appear to be Screen ships,” John remarked. Screen vessels, regardless if they were fighters, cruisers, or battleships, were of the same design. They were triangular and green in color. These objects had design elements dotted throughout their hulls, almost as if they were decorated.
Julie was reviewing the data. “They’re too small to be space stations. There doesn’t appear to be any energy readings coming from them, and I’m not picking up any life signs.”
“Correction,” Korifluxinina said. “I am reading an energy emission. It is a minuscule magnetic field coming from the objects.”
“Magnetic? Could it be weapons?” John wondered.
“I do not believe so,” Korifluxinina replied. “The field is too small to be a weapon. I would speculate it is to keep the objects in proximity of each other.”
“I’ve been analyzing their positions,” Julie said. “They appear to be arranged in a triangular formation in a constant circular orbit of each other.”
“Consistent with the Screen’s obsession with triangles,” John quipped sarcastically.
“If they’re not ships or space stations, what are they?” Tim wondered aloud.
“Each object contains a computer system,” Korifluxinina reported. “It is possible they communicate with each other to perform a single function. There are energy storage units in each of the objects. They are currently depleted.”
John brushed his hand on his lower jaw. “Still leaves the question of what they could be.”
“A jumpgate.” Everyone turned and looked at Bret. “Didn’t the Screen leadership report that they came from another galaxy using a jumpgate?”
The theory resonated with John. “A jumpgate was never found in any of the star systems they occupied. This could be it.” He looked at Korifluxinina. “Is there any way to verify that’s what we’re seeing?”
“Not without activating it. Based on the equidistance between each object, it is reasonable to conclude this could be such a device. The objects could output energy to each other to create a field to disrupt the fold of space.”
Julie folded her arms. “It’s a moot point. You said it yourself that the objects are barely discharging energy.”
“It is possible to reconfigure the devices to accept n’quadrin,” Korifluxinina suggested, referring to the main energy source PHOENIX used to power its systems.
“Then we can activate it,” Sh
elly said excitedly.
“Whoa! Hold on a second,” John interrupted. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Captain, the opportunity to explore another galaxy would be part of our exploration mandate,” Rudov stated.
“There are other considerations,” John said. “The Screen said they escaped a race who had enslaved them. For all we know they could be waiting on the other side for someone to activate the gate.”
“It’s no greater a risk than exploring open space in our galaxy,” Julie pointed out.
John felt his people were coming up with any reason to activate the Screen device. “Let’s start with the basics. I want to verify this trio of contraptions does constitute a jumpgate. Have engineering and the science teams start analyzing the objects. I want to know every millimeter of what’s inside them. In the meantime, we’ll hold position. Bret, can we still do real-time communications with TERRA?”
Bret checked the numbers on his station. “It’d be sketchy, but I think I can boost the signal resolution.”
“If we deploy a communications satellite, the added power will enhance the signal,” Rudov recommended.
Bret thought about it for a moment. “Then we shouldn’t have a problem.”
“Do what you can to set it up,” John ordered as he turned to Julie. “Once we’ve verified this is the Screen jumpgate, you and I will talk with the command council.”
“Understood,” Julie nodded. This discovery was too big not to get the council involved.
John looked back at the holographic image. This was sheer luck for them to come across the Screen jumpgate, if that’s what it was. There were so many implications if this was the device the Screen used to escape their oppressors. He couldn’t help but feel he was staring at a Pandora’s Box.
********
Andre had finished putting away the medical supplies he was asked to organize. He shuffled over to Doctor Roth’s office for his next task. He had begun volunteering in medical, helping with basic tasks so the nurses and doctors could be free to focus on their more important responsibilities. Andre found the experience pleasant. He quickly became acquainted with many of the staff and made some new friends. He also found he was having an easy time conversing with the alien crew who came in for care.
The doctor’s glass office door was open, so Andre knocked to get her attention. “I’ve put away the supplies. What else can I do?”
Roth smiled at the elderly man. “Gregory can use your help in the lab, but I’d like to chat with you first if you don’t mind.” She invited him to sit down.
Andre carefully sat in the chair. It was difficult to sit or get up. He tried to hide his difficulty sitting in front of the doctor.
Amie leaned over the desk with her hands folded. “I know we talked about your back. I took another look at your scans and stand by my assessment. I believe we can improve your condition and get rid of your numbness.”
Andre shook his head. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time doing that…”
Amie interrupted him. “Captain Roberts asked me to review them.”
Andre smiled. “He has a good heart.”
“He thinks highly of you,” Amie revealed. “He just wants you to be happy. He believes if you get your health squared away you’ll feel much better.”
“He’s spent a lot of time showing me around,” Andre said. “But there’s nothing that can be done. I have a bad back.”
“Your condition is degenerative, but with surgery you could be free of your cane,” Amie explained.
“I’ve gone through four surgeries,” Andre revealed. “I’m too old to go through anymore.”
The doctor wasn’t about to give up. She’d dealt with plenty of stubborn patients. “We have the most advanced medical equipment here. We have things that no hospital on Earth, Luna, or Mars possess. Any surgery carries risk, but you’re in good health. You can pull through another. The surgery I’m thinking of would be less invasive than your previous ones.”
“I think you're too optimistic,” Andre countered.
Amie could see she wasn’t going to convince him now. Pushing him would do no good. “All right, just promise me you’ll think about it. I’ll send all the info on the surgery to your inbox to review. If you have any questions, you can call me anytime.”
“I appreciate that doctor,” Andre said. “I don’t want to waste any more of your time,” he said as he got up and left her office.
Amie felt sympathy for him. The captain had given her a brief history of Andre’s background. It was brave of him to take a chance on coming to live on PHOENIX and starting a new life. She, like the captain, wanted him to flourish here.
********
“You are bartender, Max, correct?”
Max looked up from cleaning glasses to see a Gercol approaching him. “That’s me. Do you want something? I thought your species didn’t eat or drink anything?”
“Although not required, I have learned to enjoy the taking in of sustenance.” Vun sat on the bar stool, and its body oozed over the stool as a portion of it lay on the bar top.
Max was ready to ask the alien to remove the portion of itself from the bar top but figured he could wipe the area down when it left. “What can I get you?”
“Puu’lo,” Vun requested. “I had it once on the trading outpost. I do not know where it originates.”
“Uh, never heard of that one. Vish, do we have a recipe for….puu’lo?”
“No such information is on file,” the computer stated.
Max shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry. Anything else?”
“Mu has introduced me to a variety of beverages. However, I cannot recall any one of them specifically.”
“Let me make something for you,” Max offered. “Vish, monitor the ingredients I’m using and let me know if any of them would be harmful to a Gercol.”
“Acknowledged.”
As Max began coming up with a cocktail for his new bar patron, he decided to engage the alien in small talk. “You just came in to get a drink?”
“No, I have spoken to several human crewmembers on this matter. They say if I wish to learn more about social engagements, specifically intimate ones, that a bartender would be a good person to obtain information on the matter. I assume you have engaged in many intimate encounters.”
Max wasn’t sure how to take its statement. “Uh, I wouldn’t say a lot. I think they meant I’ve seen a lot of interactions between people in my job.”
“That will suffice,” Vun said.
Max slid a full drink glass to Vun. Vish didn’t raise an alert, so Max assumed the concoction was safe. “That’s a white Russian. Let me know what you think.”
Vun extended a portion of itself and absorbed the entire glass and drink into its body. Max watched in fascination as the glass floated inside the alien and the drink slowly dissipated throughout its body. A few seconds later, Vun expelled the glass out back onto the bar top.
“Your concoction appeals to me. Thank you.”
Max wasn’t about to take the glass as it was stained with a greenish goo. “So, uh…you’re interested in a human?”
Vun’s body vibrated. “You exhibit humor common in many of your kind. I find your species repugnant and off-putting.”
Okay, so it wasn’t a human. “So, who is it then?” Max asked.
“The Rifva, Mu. I have found him to be the most compelling individual.”
Max never expected he’d be asked for advice about two aliens he knew little about. Before protesting that he was the last person to talk about such things, he decided to start with the basics. “Okay, so what about him has caught your attention?”
“He has taken the time to introduce me to aspects you humanoid creatures enjoy. Food, liquids, social interactions.”
“Well, that’s part of what being on this ship is all about,” Max explained. “Different aliens living together in a community.”
“I have found myself enjoying time with Mu,” Vun continued.
“When I am not with him, I find myself thinking about him. When he was attacked by the Cresorians, I found I could not control myself while defending him. I could have killed the Cresorians for harming him.”
It was quite apparent to Max what Vun was feeling. “Sounds like you’re in love.”
Vun’s body shook. “That is a concept for you humanoid creatures. It is non-existent in my culture. Gercols procreate out of necessity. We merely come together if our genetic compatibility offers the greatest chance of survival for offspring. I do not understand how I could be experiencing this…love…when it does not exist in my society.”
“Part of living on PHOENIX is learning about other cultures. You may not consciously think you’re doing it, but you had to adapt to life here. Are you bothered by what you’re feeling for Mu?”
“No,” Vun replied. “I find the experience enjoyable. However, I do not know how to proceed. How do I communicate my intentions to become intimate with Mu?”
“What would you do on your world?” Max asked as he tried not to think about how a Rifva and Gercol could “get it on.”
“A Gercol would offer a portion of themselves to a prospective mate for genetic analysis.”
There was nothing there that sounded romantic to Max. “That probably wouldn’t go over well with Mu. Have you checked what Rifvas do in their culture?”
“I have not considered that,” Vun admitted.
“Vish, do we have any information about Rifva culture?” Max asked.
“Their government provided an extensive database,” Vish replied.
“Well, there you go,” Max said. “Sounds like you’ve got some reading to do.” He looked down at the glass. “You want another?”
“Yes,” Vun replied.
“I’ll get you a new glass,” Max offered. It seemed the polite thing to do rather than expect the Gercol to absorb the glass a second time.
CHAPTER NINE
It had been three days since PHOENIX uncovered what they believed was a Screen jumpgate. After extensive studies and analysis, the engineering and science teams jointly submitted a report to the captain. After reviewing it with Julie, John sent it to TERRA for their consultation. Both captains were in John’s office, waiting for TERRA’s response.
Fractured Alliance Page 9
