Athena Lee Chronicles 0: The Lost Pilot

by T S Paul

  It was time. Several large neighborhoods and small towns had been targeted for relocation by the council. Subversive material and celebrations of former Independence had blacklisted these areas. Special forces troops moved in this morning to begin the forced relocation. Roads were blocked and citizens were instructed to gather at select points to hear announcements from the Government. There were no announcements. The gathered populations were loaded onto transports and sent to the spaceport. The special forces troops already learned the hard way that if you give people time to organized they will retaliate in force. Keep them confused and disorganized and they will follow you like sheep.

  The confused and now angry citizens were given basic clothing and supplies and assigned berths on board the ships. In some cases, whole families were broken up to separate out the troublemakers. This was not received well by the families and several riots broke out in the terminal. Shock troops moved in and shot the potential colonists out of hand. It had been decided to use stunner's or low powered pulse rifles to subdue the colonists rather than projectile weapons which would kill. The now unconscious family members were loaded on board the ship and placed in the brig until lift off.

  Up on the bridge I climbed into my suit. It was like climbing back into my artificial womb. My suit was filled with the same artificial Perfluorochemical liquid that had grown my small body. The liquid filled suit would lessen the chaotic effect that the jump engines could have on the human body. The very old or the very young were at the most risk from the jarring effects. I looked around the small compact bridge. To my right was the co-pilot Johann 009. In front of us were the navigator and the ship's engineer, Charles 0485 and Jacob 0479. Down below in the crew compartments were our marine forces and some standard crewmen. All of these people were donning the same suits as us. Earth trained personnel were too precious to lose accidentally.

  My ship, the Precious Jewel, was headed out past the 'known' galaxy toward what Earth was calling the Botany Bay sector. Long range surveys had show high concentrations of elements needed on Earth. We were to set up mining colonies and begin sending minerals home. The holds of the ships were filled with what we would need. The other ships were to follow us until we reached the new sector then split up. The grand adventure was about to begin.

  I turned to my right. "Johann start the countdown please."

  "10...9...8....7...6..."

  "Jacob, seal all hatches and lock the ship down."

  "All hatches are secure and the ship is locked down."

  ...5...4...3...2...1..."

  "All hands standby for launch." I pressed the big red button on the console. Someone, most likely Jacob, had written the word 'Easy' on it's surface.

  With a roar the ship lurched from the shipyard bay. When we reached the edge of the solar system I would engage the jump engines. On my ships pilot screen I could see the other four ships launching, as well.

  Chapter 8

  Our first jump out of Earth's solar system was the worst feeling in my life. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for someone NOT in a liquid filled suit. As it was my heart was beating at an accelerated rate. I was dizzy, and everything looked foggy for a few moments. Most human bodies are not built to handle that kind of stress, not even my upgraded one.

  "Status report! All sections report in!"

  "Engineering status is green. We had a few circuit breakers short out but they have already been replaced."

  "Life support is green, no problems to report."

  "Security status is nominal, we are conducting a sector search. An injury and death report to follow."

  "Medical status is orange. We are receiving casualties."

  "Medical, stand by, ships auxiliaries are en-route to you." I turned to my right. "Johann? Get with the security and the emergency response crew. See if they can send help down to medical. This is going to be a long day."

  It took two days to get the ship settled down. We lost about 3% of the colonists to the jump. We beat the average by 300 people. This ship was designed to carry 21,000 colonists. Earth Gov had packed on 22,000, knowing that they would be killing at least a thousand of them. Those that died were mostly the very old or the very young. Some people with health conditions also died in the jump. I really hated doing it but we abandoned the bodies to the depths of space. Slowing down or coming out of jump to hold services was not in our plan.

  I sat in my ready room staring at the hundreds of cameras scattered around the ship. The Precious Jewel was not the right name for this giant box with engines. From the outside the ship had sleek lines and looked modern and intimidating. On the inside, however, it was a tub. The dormitories were arranged in a spiral pattern with the cafeteria's centrally located within the core of the ship. Engineering and hydroponics occupied the stern of the ship. The bow was where crew quarters and the bridge were located. We had our own tram station located above the main living areas accessible to crew only. The ship used biometrics for access to vital areas. Imagine going to a college without any classes for the rest of your life, and you will understand what a colony ship was like. The lower half of the ship below the living area was packed with supplies for the trip as well as startup for the new colony. Classes and training were in the plan for the colonists but not until the 10th year of travel. Earth experts had predicted that the population would ebb and flow like the tides with the young taking over from the old. We were to teach the new generation not the old. I could see that people were beginning to talk to each other and socialize. It was time to have a conversation with the condemned.

  Armed and armored security teams were sent to all of their hidden outposts around the ship in preparation to my speech. On the ship messaging system notices were run announcing that the Captain wished to speak to the colonists. Many began to gather in the public places.

  I cleared my throat and switched on the controls for the broadcast system. "If I may have your attention please."

  On every screen of the ship my image appeared. The picture showed me and part of the bridge with a star field in the background. "Welcome to the Colony ship Precious Jewel. I am aware that very few of you wish to be here, but here we all are. I hope that we can learn to work together to the betterment of society and our lives. Our current destination is Sector 7, what is know as the Botany Bay sector." My face disappeared on the screen to be replaced with a star chart. A bright light appeared on the edge of the star chart. "This is our current position. As you can see, we have a long way to go." I drew a line up to our target sector. "The other four colony ships are coming with us to the same sector. The plan is to found a total of five colonies. Sector seven is rich in asteroids and mineral wealth. In the holds of our ships are all the material and equipment needed to get our new colony functioning. I am aware that none of you are miners or know very much about founding a colony. Earth Gov has sent all the educational materials that are needed to train everyone on how to do those things. This entire crew has been carefully selected to accomplish this and much more. That is the good news. Now for the bad." The picture switched back to my face. "This ship is not very fast. None of the colony ships are. It is why they are called generational. The remainder of our trip will take around twenty years to complete." I paused, allowing this to set in. "This is not a prison, although it may seem that way. There are civilian jobs available for those that wish to work. We have a ship's library on deck three open to all. There will be some classes and activities posted in a few weeks. If anyone wishes to comment or make a statement there is ship's computer access in the library. Thank you for your attention."

  The first riot took place a hour later. Security clamped down hard before it could spread. Seeing your friends and family stunned into submission has an effect on a person. The simple fact that we had riot police on board the ship made everything real for many of the new colonists. There was no escaping the ship. Many people tried to settle into some sort of routine and accept their situation. But a select few, began to organize and plan. />
  Colony ship life is hard. Day after day, week after week the same people and surroundings gets old fast. I passed the time studying those things that my training had not covered. Literature, poetry, music, romance; well, not exactly romance, we had been told early on that we were sterile so that was off the table for me. I studied all the things that made one a human being. Our training had been about warfare and order. Much of what I was reading was about disorder and empathy, something I had no experience with. Through my reading I transitioned into metaphysics and the soul. Sometimes I am not sure that my 'kind' has a soul. We have done horrible things in the pursuit of order and control. The Illuminati had a lot to answer for, but it was not my job to do any of that. I had the welfare of over 20,000 humans to consider and I needed to do my job.

  The first rebellion caught all of us completely by surprise. For the past five years the civilians had been very quiet. Many were working in the hydroponics section or providing needed services to the rest of the ship. Teachers, librarians, and gym coaches were what was needed and they filled those positions. A rebel force had been growing, but security was on top of it. They knew the ringleaders and watched their meetings and posturing carefully. The problem we had was that they knew we were watching them and they kept the real activities less obvious.

  Once a month we had a special dinner in the main cafeteria far a 'meet your Captain and crew.' Specially selected colonists could eat and socialize with the command crew. So far the dinners had helped to quell arguments and answer many questions. The rebels used this occasion to get into position to do harm. The first bomb went off in the kitchen spraying shrapnel and what remained of the kitchen staff into the dining area. Many people immediately hit the deck and hid behind tables and chairs. My staff was aware, as I was, that it was most likely a distraction. We had been lulled into complacency, none of us were armed with more than a simple stunner. Our attackers rushed the dining area from all directions, their goal as we learned later was me. They intended to take the ship and head toward an already established colony planet. The one thing that they had not considered was that the ship's crew were military. We knew how to fight.

  The first attacker to rush me was stunned into unconsciousness by my hand held stunner. Two of his companions joined him on the deck. Whirling around I sensed a man about to attack me. Using my superior reflexes I dodged his attack and returned the favor. We had not been taught to pull any of our punches. I hit the man in his solar plexus followed by a quick twist of his neck killing him. I reached for the rebel's makeshift weapon. It looked as if a chair leg had been sharpened into a crude sword. My companions dealt with the other attackers in a similar fashion to my own. As a unit we made our way to the cafeteria exit. The hallways were in full riot with our security forces shooting anyone in sight holding a weapon. The stunner's were forgotten, my troops were using full-auto projectile weaponry and shooting to kill. When the rebels caught sight of our ships officer's uniforms they knew that their attack had failed and rushed our security forces. Overwhelmed by sheer weight of bodies the line broke. Crazed civilians charged us waving more makeshift weapons. Grabbing our own we waded into battle. It was no contest.

  If I did not feel like a killer before, I did now. Attempted mutiny was a death sentence. Order had to be maintained. The death toll was ten security force members, one of the engineers, over a hundred innocent civilian workers, and three thousand rebel attackers. In addition to the dead, we spaced over three hundred captured rebels and sympathizers. Besides being the Captain, I was now the most hated man on the ship.

  Chapter 9

  We were now less than three years from our destination. This ship was starting to look a bit ragged inside. The first rebellion those many years ago was followed by three more. Each one worse than the next. The last one was just last year. Drastic action needed to be taken. The rebels gained control of the hydroponics area and were marshaling their forces to take the engine room. If they took control of the engines they would have taken the ship. Further cementing the colonists hatred of me and everything that I represented to them I activated the ship's override controls. I closed off all access to engineering and the dormitories with blast doors. Nothing that the rebels had in their possession could cut through those doors. With sadness in my heart I did what was best for the ship. I activated the emergency fire suppression system and exposed the hydroponics section to vacuum. Over two thousand colonists were sucked out screaming their last breath into the dark hell of space. This action ended the lives of a dozen of my own crew being held hostage. As Captain I had to think of the welfare of the whole ship not just a small portion. The crew knew the risks as well as I. We still had over 10,000 colonists on board, not counting the children and young adults.

  The children. I can't have children, but I find the whole process very interesting. My studies in metaphysics introduced me the cycle of birth and rebirth. Religion is banned on Earth. It was interesting to me to find it here in space. The children were the future of the new colony. Special classes began a few years ago to teach the remaining colonists and their children, the skills that would be needed to start the colony. Our plan was to settle the ship on a suitable asteroid and use it to base the colony. Using the equipment stored below we would be able to construct a viable colony compound. One major problem with the old plan existed. Hydroponics had been totally destroyed. There were spares in the hold though, along with packets of seeds. Engineering was conducting experiments to discover if the seeds were still viable. I may have to change the plan and set the ship down on a planet instead.

  Any plan that I make is a moot point, until this ship drops out of jump. That will be happening very soon. Engineering tells me that the countdown has already started and it should happen in less than a month. It can't happen soon enough. I am looking forward to communicating with the other four colony ships and our family. Family. The true meaning of that word is something that I have learned on this trip. Family can be the people who choose you, not just those that you are born to. This bridge crew and my shipboard companions are the family that I have chosen. We would die for each other. So many of my friends have been lost over the years.

  With a shudder and a shake the ship's jump engines dropped us at the edge of the Botany Bay sector. Our navigator, Charles, quickly brought up the celestial navigation program on the main computer. We were within twelve parsecs of where we were supposed to be. Not bad for that long of a jump! I checked the local radar screens and found no trace of the other four ships. Hopefully, they would also jump in soon.

  "Charles, what does the computer say about this system? Tell it to scan the system and report. Do not use the historical files. I want fresh information only, please."

  "Yes, Sir." Charles hunched over his navigation station. At one point he rose up and then spun around at a tone from the machine. After a few minutes he gave his report.

  "Sir, I believe that we have a problem." I motioned him to continue. " The star is a Red Giant, not a red dwarf as we were expecting."

  "Charles, you know that I did not take astrophysics like you did. In practical terms what does that mean?"

  "As the star burns hydrogen it gets larger and hotter. Planets, that are less that 7 AU and at a minimum of 9 AU are at risk..."

  "Stop! Spit it out. What is it you are dancing around trying to say?"

  Charles bowed his head staring at the deck. "This system does not have a viable asteroid belt that we can use, and all but one of the warmer planets close to the star are too hot to support life. We have two choices. There is a planet at 10 AU or one at 15 AU that we can use. The closer one at 10 AU, could be risky in a 100 years or so. The further one has less risk but is an ice planet."

  "AU? What does that stand for?"

  "Sir, AU is the astronomical unit of measure derived from the distance from Earth to the Sun, about 93 million miles. Our best choice for habitation is the warmer planet, but we run the risk of the star burning off all life on the planet in a few cen
turies."

  "Oh. Is that all? Wonderful. Such a delightful star system that Earth has sent us to."

  I for one am not living on an ice planet for most of my long life. We would take the risk and settle on the warmer planet, that is what I explained to the colonist representatives that I met with. Farm equipment would be needed to get crops in as soon as possible. In our computer files we had contingency plans for building the colony on a planet. Much of the orbital mining equipment could be converted to use terrestrially. It was a modular system but we could construct the needed parts in our machine shop.

  I studied the screens in my Ready Room. The map of the system did not match the one that we had trained with back on Earth. The coordinates were correct but the planets and star type were different. Did we receive the wrong information on purpose? There were still rebels on Earth when we left. This could have been sabotage. The other question that plagued me was what happened to the other four colony ships? We all left together with, I assumed, the same course information. Why was I here alone? Had their ships been sabotaged or destroyed as well? I shook my head to clear it and resumed my work. Plans needed to be made for landing the ship and building a colony from scratch.