Black Desert

by Peter Francis

  “Can we get side views too?” asked the Professor.

  Gowan nodded and the screens widened to accommodate the views from right and left hand sides of the ship.

  “We are not continuing with this project in the best manner,” said Ogden.

  “Speak up,” said the Captain.

  “I recommend, Captain, that we project these scenes via the full size viewscreens around the inside of the craft. That way we can replicate what we actually saw including the rear view.”

  “Go ahead. Gowan, can you arrange that?”

  “Just a moment, Captain.”

  The viewscreens came to life. Normally they acted as the ship’s windows, duplicating the views outside, but now they were being used as natural time and size holo screens.

  “Much better,” said Lillishenger. “Well done, Daniel.”

  “If you’re a good boy, Paunchy, maybe she’ll let you sit in her lap.”

  “At your earliest opportunity, Ramirez, you should masturbate. It will release some of that pent up frustration.”

  “Latino men don’t jerk off,” said Gowan. “Or hadn’t you heard?”

  “Hey, half the people in the USA speak Spanish as their first language,” he said. “And it so happens I don’t masturbate, okay?”

  Lillishenger said, “That’s exactly what I was saying. You need attend to that as soon as you get a moment.”

  “Look…” began Ramirez.

  “I’d be surprised if he hadn’t already worn it out,” said Gowan.

  “Look…”

  “Or maybe he just hurt his hand.”

  “Look…”

  “Or can’t find it.”

  “Stop this arguing and stay focussed,” said the Captain. “It’s all about to break loose.”

  They all paid attention to the screens and four of them relived the sudden horror that had catapulted them back in time. A vast hulk appeared on the screens and even Lillishenger gasped at the size of it. Something streaked towards the dark monstrosity then everything went topsy turvy and for a moment they all felt they were turning over in space and not secure inside the hangar. Then the view returned showing the black desert of space with nothing close by.

  “That’s one big alien mother…ship,” said Ramirez. “Reliving that is enough to turn a man to drink.”

  “Yeah, brother,” said the Captain.

  “Right,” said Lillishenger. “We’re going to need to run that through again in slow motion then spectroscopically analysed; then we’ll need to run the filtered images to see what ultra-violet and infra-red caught. “I’ll need to see everything polarised too. I thought I caught one or two things there that require close attention. Now I thought you said you were the Vanguard.”

  “That’s right,” said Stiers.

  “So what was that other Defender class streaking through ahead of you?”

  “Frankly, I don’t know. The damn ship shouldn’t have been there and was likely smashed to pieces.”

  “I hate anomalies,” said Ogden.

  “No doubt our analyses will reveal more information,” said the Professor. “By the way, for a man who hasn’t performed in two decades you did quite well last night.”

  Ogden went an odd shade between a cherry and a beetroot and muttered something inaudible.

  “Whatever rating you give him, Prof, you can double it for me,” said Ramirez. “I’ll top his scale any day.”

  “You really believe you can keep any woman at the point of hysterical pleasure with your penis, don’t you?” she asked. “When was the last time you brought flowers to a girl?”

  This time, Ramirez’s complexion, though light, joined Ogden’s in shade.

  But proficient as they were, and as professionally as they could, they began to run the recording through every analysis they had. Then Ogden and Ramirez began to study the information gleaned by the various sensors and probes. Lillishenger and Stiers had the ship make suitable clothing and they headed off to shop for supplies.

  Stiers looked around and asked, “What’s happening to this town?”

  “A chemical smell hangs over the central part near the plant,” she said. “Lots of people are moving across the county line to the high desert where the water flows more freely and houses are cheaper. Holmgrove will die within a decade or two. At least, that’s what history says. But it will come back and flourish.”

  In the market, Stiers was surprised by the variety of food on offer, most of which would have failed quality standards in his own time period. They bought well, including fresh fruit and vegetables. The Captain smiled at a sign on the wall which read ‘Se hable Espanol’. He asked, “Do many people around here speak Spanish?”

  “Only the one who put up that sign,” said Lillishenger. “And perhaps a few people who work at the plant. We’ll finish here and drive to the thrift store.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Clothing and furniture for the poor – usually second hand. Don’t worry, it has all been washed.”

  “We can make clothes,” said Stiers.

  “But you can’t make cotton rag and we may need that. Anyway, this saves our resources.”

  The thrift store only operated part time but was open and Stiers amused himself by looking at what were to him antiques while the Professor went through the rails of apparel and selected sufficient items for all of them. “We’ll have to manufacture underwear,” she whispered. “I’m not buying that second hand.”

  They stopped at the diner and stocked up on sandwiches and salad for five. They ate in the hangar at the table and studied the clothes handed out to them by Lillishenger.

  “These duds are cool,” said Ramirez. “See, I’ve been studying the language.”

  “Did you study the right decade – or even century?” said Gowan and looked at the short skirt. “I can’t wear this. Ramirez will have his tongue hanging out all day.”

  “Then don’t wear it all day,” said Ogden.

  “It shows a lot of my legs.”

  “It’s the fashion,” said Lillishenger. “This is a hot climate.”

  “I’m not fifteen,” said Gowan.

  Stiers looked at her. “You’ll look like you are when you wear that skirt,” he said.

  “You have jeans in there also,” said Lillishenger. “Genuine fake Levis.”

  “I’ll look like a cowgirl.”

  “You can ride in my saddle any time,” said Ramirez. “Hey, is this a bright purple shirt? I love it.”

  After their brief meal, the five of them resumed their studies inside the ship. They worked through till six by which time their eyes and brains were hurting. “What did we learn?” asked Stiers. His question was aimed primarily at the Professor.

  “The aliens are taller than us – about a ten feet average,” said Lillishenger, “but their movements are slow. They have four arms – two of which have hands without opposing thumbs and which are recidivist. They have four legs, the front two of which are used primarily and the rear two of which have receded into secondary use and are not used in running. Mostly they help support the alien when it is standing for a long time or leaning. Their ship is heavily armed but is not a fighting ship. It is too unwieldy and is mostly empty.”

  “Stop this task, I’ve a question to ask,” said Ramirez. “Empty?”

  “My best guess is that they are an armed freighter searching for water or ice. They have a huge storage capacity for liquid. It may be profitable on their home planet or for colonisation. I don’t think they constructed the vessel.”

  “Why not? asked Gowan.

  “Some of the circuitry is too fiddly for their clumsy hands and they have adapted many of the patrols.”

  “Could they be pirates?” asked Ogden. “After a fashion?”

  “That is very possible,” said Lillishenger. “We need to extract more from the data. Now about the incident itself. I am speculating to some degree here but watch…” She turned on the viewscreen and showed in slow motion images of the alie
n ship decloaking. “Do you see?” she asked.

  “See what?” asked Ramirez. “All I see is that great thing revealing itself in front of us. Oh, wait a mo, Jo.” He studied the footage again. “There is some polarisation after it decloaks.”

  “Well spotted,” said Lillishenger. “I am surmising that the ship does not have enough power to cloak and have shields up at the same time. It is my belief that what we are seeing is an unshielded ship decloaking then raising its defences.”

  “That sounds good,” said the Captain. “They have a weakness.”

  “They have a weakness when we can first see them,” said Lillishenger. “A moment in time when they are vulnerable.”

  “And all we have to do if find a way back and a way to exploit that,” said Ramirez.

  CHAPTER SIX

  They suddenly wanted to explore and discuss. All that had happened in 48 hours left them feeling trapped and imprisoned for a crime of which they knew nothing. It was the Professor who, sensing their mood, suggested having dinner thirty miles away. “It’s the Veterans’ Hall,” she explained. “You get two lobster tails, salad and baked potato for $15. And they sure know how to cook them.”

  “Real lobster?” queried Gowan.

  “Yes. And it’s on me, seeing as you have no money. So out of those uniforms and into your new clothes and off we go.”

  She and Stiers were already wearing their street clothes but the other three went to their cabins and changed. Ogden came back in neutral pants and a polo neck; Ramirez wore pants tight enough to choke the life out of his family benefits and his purple shirt; and Gowan adopted a light blouse and lighter jacket and a mid-length skirt. “Perfect, except there are no shoes,” said the Professor. “A little matter we can rectify tomorrow. Meanwhile your uniform boots don’t look all bad and it will be dark when we get there.”

  So they piled into the Professor’s old Jeep, locked the gates behind them, and set off on what was the first automobile ride by Ramirez, who savoured every yard after the first terrifying mile. “This is smooth,” he exclaimed. “I expected to be rocked and rolled into a state of semi-consciousness.”

  “How did you find out about this place?” asked Stiers. “You’re not a veteran.”

  “They advertise,” said Lillishenger. “They only do this two Fridays a month and this is our lucky day.”

  “It’s Friday?” said Ramirez.

  “Yes,” she said. “And we have a hard weekend ahead.”

  The road wound through Holmgrove and over railroad tracks and into the hills before it began to climb. “The town where we are going is across the county line and most Holmgrove people seem to be moving there,” said the Professor. “It’s a shame. Oh, I should have mentioned this, but we are right next to a USAF base.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” said the Captain. “That may work in our favour if we’re seen in the Defender.”

  “You still haven’t named it?”

  “Adventurer,” suggested Ogden but this received an assortment of groans.

  Ramirez said, “Last Chance” but this was not favourable either.

  “Salvation,” said the Captain, then explained, “not that I want it named.”

  “Not Earth Hope?” queried Gowan but knew this did not stand a chance.

  Lillishenger said, “I think the most appropriate name, in view of what we face and because the name has a noble and memorable history even in our time, is Challenger.”

  “That’s close to Lillishenger,” ventured Ramirez. “But I like the name.”

  “Challenger,” said Gowan. “Yes, nothing could be more appropriate.”

  “I’ll still call it a Defender,” said Stiers and drew a hostile silence. “Or whatever you wish. I’m fine with Challenger.”

  It was already dark by the time they were halfway to their venue, the sun setting fast as it always does in this part of the world. It had gone completely by the time Lillishenger drove them into the car park at the Veterans’ Hall. Feeling odd in their new dress, they followed Lillishenger in through the rear entrance of a one-floor building where Ogden and Stiers wrestled for control of the door so they could hold it open for the ladies – and Ramirez who was in the rear. A short corridor passed the toilets and turned into the dining area which was less than a third full. They helped themselves to a long wooden table weighed down with a linen tablecloth and condiments and a small glass vase with a plastic carnation in it.

  There were two waiters and from where they sat they had a view of the kitchen area where three elderly women worked feverishly. The first waiter, a young lad of about sixteen arrived with bowls of soup – clam chowder, which happened to be Ogden’s favourite and for which Ramirez developed an immediate passion. The second waiter, a tall and bulky surly man arrived with five bowls of salad which he tossed across the tables in a hit and hope fashion. Gowan and Stiers were swift enough to prevent theirs from going straight into their laps. The waiter looked at the Professor. “Hi, Lily,” he said. “Got some company tonight, eh?”

  She nodded. “Friends from out of town; they’re staying with me for a while.”

  “Good to see y’all.”

  “And you, Sonny,” she replied.

  “If he’s Sonny, what do they call the young one – baby?” asked Ramirez.

  “His name is Hector – Heck for short.”

  “I don’t think I’d care for a mild cussword for my name,” said Ramirez. “I barely found out yesterday that Ogden’s first name is Daniel. You wouldn’t call him Danny though – not with his size and great age.”

  “I bet you don’t even know my first name,” said Gowan, finishing her soup and starting the salad.

  “Junette,” said Ramirez, “which is neither one thing nor another. Janette I could understand – or even June in this day and age – but Junette indicates an indecisive mother. Maybe she was in two minds about having you or flushing you.”

  “I’m pleased she chose to have me.”

  “And so am I,” said Ogden and received a smile from Lillishenger.

  “The soup was good,” said the Captain. “So is the salad. It seems ages since I ate food that didn’t come out of a packet. Not that we don’t eat well on my farm. We cure our own ham and bacon and there are always fresh eggs and vegetables.” He sighed deeply. “I miss home.”

  “We’ll get back there,” said Gowan.

  “Oh come on,” said Ramirez. “That comforting chatter is inane. We have no concept of returning, nor of what to do when we get there. Horses for courses, woman; we’re pretty much stiffed. I peeked in at the Prof’s experiment today and the plastic container and the folded dollar bill are still there. Nothing went anywhere as far as I can see; and even things did happen and that cash shifted a few hours in time, I can’t see that device moving our ship nearly a century forward and arriving in time to perform some miracle of which we as yet have no idea.”

  “Speak your mind, why don’t you?” said Gowan. “Don’t feather your words. We were chosen to be the vanguard of the strike force. Don’t you think that was because we are the brainiest and most adaptive in Fleet?”

  “No,” he said. “We were chosen because we were either the closest to where sensors indicated the alien vessel to be, or because we were too dumb to be anything other than fodder and therefore highly expendable.”

  “Say something, Captain,” Gowan said.

  Stiers finished crunching and swallowing his salad. “I’m afraid the boy may be right,” he said. “The best brains were held in reserve and we were the closest. All they needed from us were the recordings we made which were transmitted simultaneously back to Fleet and to Earth.”

  “I am deeply saddened,” said Ogden, “although I realise what the Captain just said is true.”

  “There is one difference, boys,” said the Professor. “You didn’t have me with you then but you do now. I sent those dollar bills through time and I can prove it.”

  “I can’t see how,” said Ramirez.

  “Not yet
, perhaps,” she said and looked up as her lobster tails and baked potato arrived. There was plenty of butter and the tails were still in their shells. They ate from hunger and from the sheer joy of fresh, delicious food. At a nearby table a man in his late 30s ate alone. From time to time he looked up but appeared to take not notice of their conversation, which they kept as hushed as possible.

  A guitar strummed and a few notes were played and the cabaret – a country and western singer with a guitar and microphone and amplifier began to warble out a few depressing tunes. “Give it ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go outside and shoot somebody’s dog,” he said. “Or myself.”

  “I quite like dogs,” said Gowan. “But go ahead with part two of your plan.”

  “You need hot sausage, not lobster,” he said.

  “Let me know when you grow one.”

  “Let’s focus on our discussion,” said Stiers. “I want to go home and I need to hear some positive ideas.”

  “Ramirez is correct,” said Lillishenger “in that I can move small objects a few days in time. However, the principle can be scaled up very easily.”

  “Sure,” said Ramirez. “We’ll just pop down to Bargain Mart and pick up a seventy feet wide toughened glass saucer and a slightly smaller plastic case big enough to house the Defender.”

  “Challenger,” said Gowan.

  “Okay, Challenger. Tell me, Prof, how do you plan to achieve beyond light speeds?”

  “Rotation,” she said.

  “You mean spinning us like a human salad? Let me tell you what will happen, we’ll be forced against the wall of the Def…Challenger…and turned into a smear of jelly. It is a hard force to overcome.”

  “Why do you pretend to be both heartless and ignorant?” asked the Professor. “Is it some Hispanic macho bullshine?”

  “I’m giving you some basic facts of physics.”

  “I used the word ‘rotation’ Not spinning,” she retorted.

  “Oh, sorry, Prof. There’s a difference?”

  “I’m not stupid and neither is Ogden. I’m quite sure you’re not and I don’t think Gowan is; although I’m not certain about her and the Captain yet. Do you think that with enough time before us we can’t figure out a way back?”