Obsidian Ressurection

by T J Bryan

  Silvi sat on the recovery bunk next to the box. "How many pharmaceuticals do we keep on board for those diseases on Happy Landing?"

  Lydia thought a moment. "Well for most common diseases the Greaysons and ourselves assumed that you would have your immunizations at home before you left. But immunizations need to be reapplied, so we carry enough for the crew plus a dozen or so. That's it. Now some can be manufactured by the pharma unit over there," Silvi pointed to what looked like another food station, "but it takes time and much of what would be needed for Happy Landing we can't make."

  Silvi leaned back on the recovery bed trying to think about how to help these folks without hurting herself or her crew.

  "Silvi," said Lydia. "We have at least two problems. First we need massive supplies of everything medical to have any impact on this system. If we packed Iceland full we might help, but we would probably need to pack both Iceland and Greenland and even then there are probably diseases down below we have never seen. Second we need to convince folks that our medicine is good for them and it works. If you read your EG history you will see that all too often modern medicine is violently opposed by traditional healers. There is one well documented tale in the EG about a virulent blood born killer with a 99% death rate. Seems healers would dig up the dead and rub the living with the blood and viscera of the dead in order to protect them. They all died of course, but the healers blamed the off system rescue medical workers and they were killed by the hundreds. And killed for trying to help. The epidemic killed over 300 million before it simply burned itself out. Entrenched healer traditions often kill more than any disease, and in our case they might well kill us if we try to help."

  Lydia paused a moment as one item on the list of medical procedures turned from yellow to green. The she continued, "And it's not just about injections and nasal spray. Even without modern medicine good hygiene can take you a long way. Like, don't drink the water you piss in, is a good one to begin with. Infrastructure for hygiene is expensive but often simple. Sewerage processing, water purification, even simple things like pipes, valves, and pumps can reduce disease. Most parasites are water or food borne and just cook your food right and you should be ok. No, something is really amiss down there. Even some of the ancients of Earth had an understanding of hygiene. If I were to guess I'd say tradition, or myth, or crazies are opposing hygiene and any semblance of medicine. Probably economics plays a role as well."

  "So," said Silvi, "there really is nothing we can do here to help these people? At least in the short term?"

  "Yup! That's about it Commodore. We don't have the resources and they probably wont accept help. In fact without a hundred marines at my back I would not even try to help."

  Silvi returned to the bridge. Hunger, thought Silvi, can motivate people even if they don't like the idea she was about to propose. "Give me comms Mr. Eldjárn. I want to try the station again."

  Silvi had had considerable time to consider her proposal to Happy Landing and she knew that a lot of fish would not resolve all of the planets nutritional needs. And the loss of their single warship must weigh heavily upon their thoughts about seeking more foodstuffs.

  Silvi keyed open the mic. "Happy Landing station. I have a proposal for you. You need not respond immediately, but we are not prepared to remain in system much longer. So consider our proposition."

  Silvi waited for a reply which did not come and then continued, "There is a major trading station at Wu. In your past Happy Landing had many good relations with Wu. Wu can provide you will grains, greens, vegetables, fruits, and other needed foodstuffs. If you wish to travel there with your freighter, we, The Obsidian Commonwealth Navy will escort you to Wu and back. We will protect you with our superior arms. You cannot survive on your own and we welcome Happy Landing into the trade and commerce of human space. Consider our proposal. You have 66 hours to respond."

  Silvi turned to Rozel Eldjárn. "Did you record that message Mr. Eldjárn?" Rozel nodded yes. "I want you to rebroadcast the message every thirty minutes."

  Lydia who had been standing in the hatch leading to the crew quarters entered the bridge. "I don't think we should take those folks to Wu. They will bring diseases and Wu is simply too fragile right now to resist any major epidemic."

  Silvi nodded, "True. But if we take them to Wu they will have to suffer our 'incantations' and eat some of our 'ceremonial foods'."

  Lydia laughed and went to her station as the crew made a shift change.

  More than thirty hours had passed since Elowin had been placed in the doc-box and during that time Lydia rarely ventured far from her side. Silvi constantly checked in to see any progress as the Ragnarök simply drifted in space not far from the orbital station awaiting an answer to their hail. All but two of the tell-tales on the doc-box control vid had gone from yellow to green. The last two were repairs to her broken bones made all the more difficult by malnutrition and a very low calcium diet. Lydia had run some other tests and determined that Elowin was almost eighteen years old. A rather old age for a resident of Happy Landing.

  "How soon until we can talk to her?" asked Silvi.

  Lydia replied, "Probably tomorrow assuming she wants to talk. All of this is going to seem strange I am sure."

  "True," replied Silvi, "But she was crew on a warship, a very old warship at that, so she must have some understanding of our way of life. It's not like she was just a simple groundling."

  Silvi heard Rozel shout from the bridge. "We have an incoming message. It's from Ervin. He wants to talk."

  Silvi returned to the bridge and sat in her jump seat. "Give me the comms please."

  Silvi lifted the mic, "Yes Ervin. Do you have a response to our offer of passage to and from Wu?"

  "I am Ervin. I like to talk about food from Wu. There are old stories about Wu. I would like to go there... with ship Treasure of Landing."

  "Very good Ervin. We must discuss this. We will dock in eight hours and you will board Ragnarök for talk. "

  "Yes. Yes."

  The comms went dead from the station. Something seemed wrong to Silvi. Ervin must have dozens of questions abut such a trip but he asked nothing. Further he asked nothing about the condition of his sister Elowin. It was as if the conversation setting up the meeting was deliberately kept short. Silvi looked at her crew which seemed to share her concern.

  "Captain Arast, from now on, every member of the crew will be armed. Plasma pistolas. In fact, I want all of you to practice on our empty flight deck. In eight hours we will dock to talk to Ervin, but I want to be prepared for anything." Moment later Silvi called Captain Marx and asked that he bring the Sigrún in closer to the station. She wanted the station fully aware that the Ragnarök was not alone. Seven hours later Sigrún appeared on the port side of Ragnarök not more than three kilometres away.

  The dock lights on the station suddenly turned on.

  Silvi turned to Captain Arast. "Looks like they are ready to play."

  Captain Arast stood. "Pilot Paris, prepare to take us in and dock on the Happy Landing Station. Paris, you and Rozel Eldjárn with Megan Jónsson are to remain on the bridge. Lydia you stay with Elowin. The rest of you follow me. Make sure your pistolas are fully charged. Silvi, as Commodore I expect you to remain at the rear of our posse."

  As Ragnarök docked Captain Arast led the remaining crew of 12 to the main hatch followed at the rear by Commodore Karrlson who carried both a pistola and a plasma rifle.

  Chapter Sixty Five

  Pope Leo XXI. - Mist - Year 3246. October 27 ET: 01:09

  Farn continued to be troubled by the events at Polis. The idea that a hereditary dictator could demand worship by his people, and when things went wrong, as they did in even the best governed systems, the SOG chose to blame others and then killed them as retribution for the faults of his own government. The very idea sickened her.

  Farn wondered to herself how long could such a system last? And when it collapsed what would replace it after the carnage and mayhem had run its'
full course.

  Farn decided to leave Polis and continue their voyage. Abel's admonition was at the forefront of her thinking. The SOG was seemingly uninterested in peaceful contact with the OCN and given their hostility Farn thought it best to leave.

  The passage from Polis had taken eight days to enter the Pope Leo XXI system. As recorded in the EG the system seemed dead. No electromagnetic radiation, radio, or vid signals were detected. There was a 'goldilocks' planet around a 'G' type sun in the perfect position for human habitation and the planet had once had a sizeable population but no more. Before the Great War something had happened on Pope Leo and the population declined and then vanished. War, pestilence, famine, and plague were all offered as possibilities for its' decline. Farn knew that disease was a major suspect in the decline of Pope Leo and she decided to give the planet a wide berth.

  The economy of Pope Leo had been mixed agricultural and light manufacturing of precision machine tools but much of its' population was religious and dedicated to prayer. As Mist crossed the system Farn noticed dead satellites and two abandoned orbital stations circling the planet.

  Farn wanting to avoid Pope Leo set course for a return to Cranmore eight days away.

  Soon they entered the Cranmore system. Cranmore was as they had left it. Two dead radioactive planets centred in a once prosperous hub system no longer engaged in trade and commerce. Numerous entry and exit portals surrounded the system as Farn considered their next destination. She decided that she would take a look at Dong Son, the system that might be linked to Hitti space. She also was determined to not approach Hitti space under any circumstances. The recovery of Human civilization was a tall order, but the entry to an alien system was simply in her mind, 'nuts'.

  From Cranmore was a ten day voyage to New Holland then three days to the return hub at Osaka which the EG said was another dead system but with several entry and exit points. Then four days to Dong Son. The return route was to a system called GateCliff, about which little was known, and then back to Pope Leo and then Cranmore. From Cranmore the journey to Dong Son would take 25 days and the return was about the same.

  ...

  Happy Landing - Ragnarök - Year 3246. October 25 ET: 14:23

  Ragnarök's crew had studied hand to hand ship defence against boarding, but they had carried out only a few drills or practice runs. Silvi could see the crew were nervous but confident in their weapons. What I would only give for two Marines she thought as Captain Arast arranged her crew in a semi-circle around the main hatch. Silvi pulled up her inter-tab and split the screen to view the two secondary hatches facing the station. How sophisticated any malefactors on Happy Landing might be she did not know, but it was always a good idea to watch the back door.

  Captain Arast had positioned several heavy duty containers just inside the hatch opening by about less than a meter from the hatch itself. Not so much to deflect any fire from the station, but to make a charge into Ragnarök difficult. Once the hatch was open anyone entering would have to immediately turn left or right to continue on. Silvi though that Captain Arast was proving an able combat captain.

  Two crew stood with their backs against the bulkhead on the left of the main hatch cover. The cover would swing toward them as it opened. The hatch cover would provide excellent protection should they need it. To the right of the hatch two crewmembers, one with a plasma rifle, crouched at an angel behind one of the containers. Silvi could see that Captain Arast had placed them where they were effective in covering the hatch but out of the cross fire from the left. The remainder of the crew was scattered about the hold and Silvi stood back as instructed by the Captain. After all she was a Commodore now.

  Captain Arast took one long look at her crew and then held up five fingers and counted down. At one, she reached for the hatch actuator and the hatch slowly opened. The station side was dark and cold. No one was there. False alarm, wondered Silvi? But then again they had asked Ragnarök to dock for discussions and the lack of any welcome was a very real sign of danger. Silvi looked down at her inter-tab. One of the secondary hatches was beginning to show signs of plasma torches cutting through the thick skin of Ragnarök. Silvi looked at Arast.

  "Yeah, I see that," said Arast. Quickly she closed the hatch and pointed to six of the crew to follow her. Moments later they ran down the passageway to the secondary hatch. Silvi remained with six of the crew to guard the main hatch. Within moments of Captain Arast's departure a corner of the main hatch began to glow. Another plasma torch she realized and then she thanked the Greaysons for building such a sound ship. Plasma torches might be very effective on a tin can, but on the Ragnarök it might take a hours to break through.

  Silvi sent a message to OM Marx. "Bring the Sigrún in closer. HL is trying to enter our ship by plasma torch. I don't want to attack HL Station, but be prepared to intimidate them or if necessary blow them to smithereens."

  Marx responded affirmatively.

  As Silvi thought she realized that in this situation an offense might well be the best defence. Of the six remaining crew still positioned to protect the closed main hatch, Silvi made a quick decision.

  "I am going to open the hatch again," she said. I expect whoever is on the other side will not expect us to do so. They will assume we are in a defensive position. Now when the hatch opens I want you four to follow me through the hatch. You two remain to cover us. When we are through, close the hatch and seal it."

  Silvi could see some surprise on the faces of the crew.

  "All right," Silvi said. "On five, four, three, two, one...."

  Silvi pulled the hatch open and literally threw herself onto the Happy Landing dock. To her surprise only two men with plasma torches were trying to open the Ragnarök's main hatch. One turned toward Silvi his plasma torch aimed at her chest. Silvi did not hesitate and a second later the attacker was nothing more than burnt meat from Silvi's pistola. Silvi heard a second plasma pistola discharge and turned to see Con Tattinger, third on weapons, put an end to another plasma torch wielding attacker.

  Silvi paused a moment to take in the lay of the land. The stench of the station was awful and the smell of burning flesh made it no better. A passageway led to the left and toward the other hatch under attack. Silvi motioned for the crew to follow as she heard the main hatch of the Ragnarök slam shut.

  Silvi raced down the station passageway and soon found the remaining attackers clustered around Ragnarök's secondary hatch. Silvi counted at least fifteen. Three were wielding plasma torches and two of Silvi's crew made short order of them. They fell to the deck never to rise again. The remaining attackers were a filthy lot dressed in stained and probably never washed rags. But in their hands they held weapons of various types including what Silvi thought were old plasma pistolas and long knives. One man stood at the center of the attackers and held up some odd symbol on a pole. The leader Silvi thought as she shot one of the attackers who aimed his pistola in her direction. Shots rang out and all but the leader of the Happy Landing attackers were dead or dying. Silvi took a quick look at her crew and all were well but Con Tattinger had a bad slash across his thigh. He would be fine once the doc-box had done its' work. Anti-biotics would be needed.

  Silvi advanced on the single man with the pole and symbol who remained standing. He was covered in filth and Silvi found herself almost retching as the fumes from the man assaulted her. Silvi's quick survey of the area showed her that Ervin was not present.

  "Death. Death. Death to you." shouted the man with the pole. Soon he began to shout gibberish and incantations that Silvi could not follow, but since he was unarmed the crew let him rant. "Death, Death." he continued shouting.

  Silvi took a long look at the leader. He was about forty in age. Very old for Happy Landing she thought. His beard was long and unwashed, unkempt, and unimaginable. His rags were a bit more ornate and complete than the fellows who lay dead on the deck, but there was little to distinguish him from the others but for his posture, his pole, and his attitude. As he chanted
what Silvi assumed were curses and incantations designed to make him the winner, Silvi saw Ervin come out of the shadows. He held a plasma pistola in his hand. Silvi was about to shoot, when Ervin fired first. The shot was a clean one, and took the man with the pole through the chest. He fell. The fight was over. The man with the pole lost.

  After the fight Silvi, Captain Arast, the crew, and Ervin returned to the ship, closed the hatches, and pulled away from the station. Silvi asked Ervin if he knew what a shower was, and he replied yes, The Sword had several showers and he found them fun. Silvi escorted him to the ship's shower and showed him how to operate the system. Then Silvi left together with his filthy clothes. At the pursers station she ordered up a ship suit and some shorts. When she returned Ervin was clean and although he found the Greayson ship suit shocking he also found comfort in the shorts and tank top. As a visitor the shorts were what the OCN called international orange. They were very bright. Later Ervin, Silvi, and Captain Arast assembled in the mess. Before their conversation could begin in earnest, Lydia arrived with 'special welcoming tea' for everyone and some bitter crackers which she had slathered with cream cheese. The 'tea' and crackers had come from the doc-box station. Ervin did not object to either the tea or the crackers. Lydia left only to return moments later with a pale and weak Elowin who walked in under her own power.

  Ervin was overtaken with happiness. Silvi realized that Ervin must have assumed his sister was dead, as well she would have been if left to the Happy Landing healers. The two embraced and Lydia served them all another but different 'special tea'.