Star Thief

by T. Jackson King

  “Akantha, the four zero-point power blocks are functioning normally. I will next inspect the power block in the Engineering Chamber.”

  “Thank you, Engineer Draken,” came the musical voice of the ship intelligence. “Do you enjoy the view of plant life?”

  “I do,” he honked, giving thanks for the instant translation ability of the vessel’s AI. “Visiting other worlds with lower radiation levels is rewarding to me. And meeting other thinking beings is even more rewarding.”

  “I share your interest in meeting other thinking beings,” the intelligence honked low. “Even beings like Employer Laserta are worth encountering.”

  Draken wondered about that. The Laserta being was always trying to dominate every being and every situation she encountered. Her sexual overtures to the captain were notorious among his fellow crew beings, all of whom found her appearance repulsive. Even the furry Lotan disliked her, he had clicked and scent-talked one time. She was far too vertically-oriented to interest him. Even if his mating member was able to join with her, he would not do so. It would likely rupture some part of her. He turned and left the Green Chamber.

  “Laserta is a different kind of being,” he honked, trying his best to be neutral. No doubt the AI knew what each of them thought since it was always awake and always monitoring the life spaces of her vessel.

  Draken turned left and headed for Engineering. Besides inspecting the power block he wished to monitor the antimatter conveyance tube that ran from the block and up through the chamber’s ceiling. The superconducting fiber of the tube created a magnetic field that contained and transported the charged antimatter. If the field ever failed, his end of the Akantha might disappear. Managing and protecting the fusion pulse thrusters and the reactor were his prime responsibility. He was determined to keep his vessel safe and functioning, even if he had to climb over the exterior hull while in space in order to detach the antimatter beamer. Or slither inside the operational spaces of the vessel to close off the antimatter feeder tube. No matter the danger, he would do his duty. Which included being prepared for the captain’s use of the antimatter beamer upon their arrival in the corporate domain.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Four days later Meander stood before her control panel, one eye on her panel and the other eye on the front vidscreen. Swirling blue wavelets filled it now. Shortly they would exit the wormhole Gate and enter system 27,671. To her right was the avian Flow, ready to pilot their vessel in normal space. She focused both compound eyes on her panel, then spoke.

  “Captain, in 34 seconds we will exit the Gate and enter the corporate domain system,” she chittered hurriedly. “The Harl listing for this system does not indicate the presence of a Harl world or installation.”

  “So maybe we can make this quick,” he said, sounding eager for the next hop in their journey of jinks across the stars of two galactic arms. “Prepare the star light curve signal for our next Gate transit.”

  “Entering curve data.” Meander tapped in the code for system 17,369 on her panel. A single touch would send a neutrino comsignal to the Gate they would exit, allowing them to reverse course and move on. Assuming they were not delayed by a corporate star vessel. “We are now exiting the wormhole.”

  The vidscreen imagery changed. Filling the center was charcoal black space lit only by a white-yellow star which lay 50 AU distant. On the left appeared a system graphic that showed the 12 rocky and gas giant planets that orbited the star. On the right appeared a multi-sensor image showing UV, infrared and neutrino sources. An oblong red image took form. It now moved toward them based on the fact it was a moving source of neutrinos from its reactor and thrusters. The vessel was moving to match their exit speed of one psol.

  “Captain, a star vessel is moving toward us. Its vector will soon parallel ours.”

  “Great. Weapons, describe the vessel. And do we have an incoming neutrino signal?”

  “The vessel is a Wokan-made vessel of the Aggressor class,” hissed the scaled reptile as she leaned forward in her typical attack posture. “It possesses carbon-dioxide lasers and plasma beam projectors. Its hull is covered in adaptive optic lenses. While not as formidable as a Battleclaw, still, it could harm us. If it ever got in range.”

  Meander knew the plasma beam projectors had a reach of 20,103 kilometers. Their antimatter beamer range was twice that. And their gravity projector range was a decent 20,0004 kilometers. It was certainly useful for deflecting missiles and shuttles, or for pulling airspace fighters down to the ground. And it could capture other star vessels at weapons distance. Which might be useful if they needed to capture another star vessel. Well, it would be interesting to see what the captain chose to do.

  “Captain!” chirped Flow. “Incoming neutrino comsignal from the Wokan vessel.”

  “Put it up front. Let’s see how greedy they are.”

  I relaxed against my seat, letting the accel straps loosen. Which only lasted a few seconds. They automatically sensed the looseness and tightened against my jumpsuit. On my right Laserta sat with clenched fists resting on her seat arms. She had not liked my order to her to clean the galley tables and food dispensers. If I could have, I would have sent her to clean the multi-function toilets in each cabin. Such work was automatically done by a bot controlled by Akantha. I could at least imagine the image of the red-furred dominant down on her knees, wiping metal floors and sanitizing disposal basins and water stalls.

  I could deactivate my bot, if you wish.

  I smiled as the Wokan comsignal appeared on the vidscreen. Thank you. But I will leave that for later in our voyage. I am sure Laserta will give me reason to chastise her.

  I do not doubt that.

  The center of the front vidscreen grew bright as the Control Chamber of the Wokan vessel took form. Like my chamber it was a round room, occupied by crew beings. But there the semblance ended. Control panels were attached to the room walls. The circle of panels forced the crew beings to face the wall, keeping them subservient to the being who rested on a central bench. While I felt the crew folks could easily see their controller by scanning a small videye screen, perhaps the thin wires attached to their lower bodies discouraged that. Did this Wokan controller motivate by electric shocks? If so, was that better than loading heavy gravity onto the mix of avians, reptiles and furry mammals that made up the nine crew beings visible in the image.

  I focused on the controller. It was a big reptile taller than the largest kangaroo I’d ever seen in a nature vidcast. Its scales were crossed in bands of black, yellow and red. Clearly the colors were aposematic and denoted a warning to any other creature to stay away from this being. Two sky blue eyes stared at me from the top of a rounded cranium. Below the eyes was a protruding snout covered in black dots. Its mouth resembled a crocodile mouth in its multitude of white canines that extended beyond its upper and lower jaws. Two scaly arms ended in four-fingered hands. Lower down was a bulging belly, supported by two legs with double knees. Claw-feet finished my inspection.

  “Mammal, you control the craft that has entered the Wokan Domain?” it hissed.

  Clearly it read my central position as indicating my control of the Akantha. I smiled widely, showing my teeth. “Wokan controller, my designator name is Jake Vitades, Human species, originally from planet Earth of the Sol system, in the next arm outward.” I changed my smile to a neutral expression. “My vessel Akantha is acting on an archaeological exploration warrant issued by Century Prime university on Primus 3 in the Noble system. We are heading to a Harl ruin site in Scutum Arm. May we pass through your domain?”

  “We Wokan have heard of your vessel. Some time ago you entered a Harl system guarded by a Wokan-built contractor vessel. Our intelligence service reports you promised to share what you found on the Harl world. You did not.” The toothy snout opened wide, showing a deep red tongue and mouth. “The contractor vessel reports a new Gate appeared next to the fourth world. Your vessel’s neutrino signature moved into the Gate and disappeared from the s
ystem. The contractor’s attempts to approach the new Gate have been met with extreme beam violence from a combat vessel of unknown design and source,” it hissed loudly. “You may not exit this system until you explain these events.”

  Fuck. Was I going to have to use our antimatter beamer? Could Lotan influence this reptile to leave us alone? Then I remembered my first lesson while working for Lik Sotomor. All beings are greedy. Greed even precedes the instinct for life survival. Lotan had his special abilities. But I had the assets. “Controller, what is your designator name?”

  The reptile’s blue eyes blinked, as if surprised at my demand. “Within the Wokan Domain I am known as Controller Hok-donen, of the species Wilding, from a star elsewhere in this arm. Answer me!” The being hissed something toward an avian at a panel to his left. The blue-feathered avian touched her control panel.

  “Captain!” hissed Sharp Claw. “The Wokan vessel has activated its targeting sensors. We are being scanned by ultraviolet, infrared, microwave and neutrino sensors. Shall I fire on them?”

  “No!” I paused a moment to let the reptile consider what it had heard Claw say. “Controller Hok-donen, what is the designator title for your Aggressor-class vessel?”

  “It goes by the designator Total Rule,” it hissed.

  I nodded, not caring that it would not understand my body language. “Controller, if your vessel approaches closer than 25,000 kilometers, it will be destroyed. However, if you wish to keep your Total Rule intact, I am willing to pay a transit fee. What would such a fee amount to?”

  Three of the reptile’s crew beings went active at their panels. The blue-feathered avian chirped something to him. His red-scaled fists tightened atop his bare lap. “Your Human species is a newcomer to the arms of the galaxy, my researcher tells me. Perhaps you do not understand that the Wokan Domain was building star vessels before your species invented agriculture.”

  I nodded again. “I agree we Humans are a newcomer species. However, we are also a lucky species. I occupy a Tessene vessel with powerful weapons. You may recall the Tessene were a servant species to the Harl beings. Do you wish to face Harl weapons?”

  “You possess such!” It stood up as if in shock.

  “I possess personal gravity bands.” I gestured to Laserta. “Do you see the green bands on the middle bodies of myself, my employer and my crew beings? The gravbands allow personal gravity control. A being within a band can set it to one’s home gravity level, or less, no matter the gravity field of the world or vessel on which they exist.”

  The controller sat down. “Prove it. All I see are green bands on various types of beings. Bands are worn by some as adornment.”

  I smiled toothily. Then I looked left. “Pilot, stand away from your panel. Then adjust your gravband to four-tenths gee. When done, fly through the air of this Control Chamber.”

  A surprised chirp came from Flow. Then she stood up, tapped her band several times, and then flapped her wings. She rose up slowly, then more quickly. Twisting onto her side she went into a swoop that passed over the heads of me and Laserta. I released my accel straps, stood up and walked forward.

  “Controller Hok-donen, I am used to a one gee gravity on my home world.” I jumped slightly, landing easily. “As you can see, I walk normally within my chamber’s gravplate field. Which is set at seven-tenths gee due to the low gee birth worlds of my avian and arthropod crew beings. Convinced?”

  Four crew beings in the Wokan Control Chamber now turned toward the controller, their sudden focus a sign of interest. Which made sense as the four were either avian or arthropod and likely came from low gravity worlds. Hok-donen noticed it also. He touched a spot on his bench. The four crew beings writhed and fell to the deck, screaming in pain. Or so I interpreted the loud squawks and chitters I heard. The controller looked to me.

  “I see now why the contractor vessel left you alone. You are a dangerous influence. Assuming your gravband is what you say it is, I will grant you passage onward to the next Gate.”

  I laughed. Hopefully his Translator conveyed my humor reaction. I tapped my band. “Controller Hok-donen, this Harl-created gravband is worth millions of Galactic Credits! All the Wokan Domain has to do is to reverse engineer it and it will have a product desired by every being in the galaxy!” I paused, recalling something. “In exchange for giving you one gravband, I expect you to pay me seven personal floater pads, and provide me with the passage code used by all Wokan vessels to cross your domain. Make sure the code contains the algorithm that gives domain vessels free docking privileges at any of your market worlds.” I gestured to Flow to resume her Pilot station. With a sigh she landed and went to her pedestal.

  All nine Wokan crew beings now looked to the controller, including the four low-gee beings who had assumed their posts once the electricity was shut off. They quickly looked back to their control panels. The blue-feathered avian and a green-scaled reptile now said something to the controller. It did not translate, which meant Hok-donen was using personal talk screens in his Control Chamber. Briefly I considered demanding talk screen generators. Then put it aside. Hearing what my crew said to me, and vice versa, had already had an impact on this Wokan controller.

  “The Wokan Domain does not provide the passage code for its own vessels to any non-Wokan vessel,” the controller hissed. “You might sell it to another species or empire and then we would lose docking fees until we changed the code.”

  I swung my arm dismissively. “I am rich, Hok-donen. Our visit to the fourth world led us to find multiple Harl tech devices. The personal gravbands are one of those devices. So I will not sell your Wokan passage code to anyone.” I smiled. “I just wish it for ease of passage through the Wokan Domain. And for any future visit we make to one of your market worlds.”

  “How many gravbands did you obtain?” it hissed loudly. “I want them all!”

  “I obtained enough gravbands so each of my crew beings enjoys the comfort of their home world’s gravity anywhere they go within my Tessene vessel.” I snapped the accel straps across my chest. “You will be given one gravband by way of a spybot rendezvous with your vessel. You will put the personal floater pads into that vessel for its return to the Akantha. If my AI detects anything dangerous in the returning spybot, I will destroy Total Rule. Do you want riches and higher status in the domain? Or do you wish some other domain controller to reap what I offer?”

  “Well done, captain,” clicked Lotan from his control pedestal.

  Inspiration had told me that beyond greed, an almost as powerful emotion was jealousy of rivals. Linking the chance to make a fortune and achieve higher status to a threat from a rival should do it. I leaned forward.

  “Do I find a rival controller?”

  “No!” Hok-donen hissed sharply. It turned and spoke to the blue-feathered avian who seemed to control a Weapons station. She flared her wings and touched her panel.

  “Captain, the Wokan targeting sensors have shut off,” said Sharp Claw, sounding disappointed.

  There would be time enough later for combat. The more Gates we could pass through by appealing to greed, envy and jealousy, the better. The controller spoke.

  “Send you spybot with the gravband. And with instructions on how to work it. I will load seven personal floater pads into it. The Wokan vessel passage code is being transmitted to you now.” Hok-donen gestured to the green-scaled reptile.

  Up front Flow lifted her wings. “Captain, I have the neutrino comsignal with the passage code and free docking algorithm.”

  Advance payment by the Wokan controller surprised me. Then it confirmed my suspicion that the Wokan Domain was built on greed and personal jealousy. Somehow it had lasted for fourteen millennia. Well, that was fine by me. My aim was not to change the galaxy. It was to get rich. And to control my fate. The first had happened. The second would happen once we returned to Boundary with a live Harl in a stasis tube. Or evidence there were none to be found.

  “Controller Hok-donen, thank you.” I looked up f
ront. “Weapons, go to the Valuables Chamber, grab a gravband and put it into a hangar spybot. Launch it toward the Total Rule. Then return to your post here.”

  Sharp Claw turned toward me, her attack stance clear. Her yellow eyes were bright. “I will do as you say. If the spybot returns with anything dangerous, I will delight in destroying the Wokan vessel!”

  She turned and headed for the chamber exit on my left. I looked at the vidscreen. “Controller Hok-donen, our trade is in progress. Once done, my vessel will reverse course, re-enter the Gate and transit to the next Gate on our exploration route.”

  “Where will you go next?” it hissed low.

  I looked to Meander. “Astrogator?”

  “Our next Gate is located in system 16,733. It lies within the Wokan Domain,” she chittered. “We will cross two more Gates in the domain, before entering the Empire of Senses.”

  Hok-donen’s blue eyes grew wider. “The empire is a dangerous venue. I hope your Harl weapons are powerful enough to prevail over empire vessels.”

  The plural use of vessel struck me. “Will there be more than one empire vessel at the Gate inside their empire?”

  “Always,” the controller hissed. “Our domain experience with Empire of Senses star systems is that their Gates are always watched by a fleet of at least three combat star vessels, and sometimes more than that. The empire is smaller in volume than our domain, but they are fiercely watchful of any alien vessel that enters their empire.”

  More threats. I wished my vessel could instantly transport to the Harl home world. But the Gates created by the Harl had a transit limitation built into them. The greatest distance possible in a single transit is 3,093 light years. Or 948 parsecs. Or so my mental math told me.

  You are correct.

  Akantha, thank you. Prepare a study module on the Empire of Senses empire for my review during our transit.

  It will be done.

  Good. I met the gaze of the controller.