The Level-Two classification was usually done more for the Accord’s protection rather than the Level-Two planet’s. It could get rough if a world of undisciplined primitives captured or stole technology that let them achieve the stars. Andy’s presence here bent a lot of the Accord’s protocols but apparently not to the extent that anyone cared to enforce them. The Accord was like that, or so he was told.
Andy shook his head slowly, looking in turn from the image of the dragon to the statistics continuously updating on the other screen. “Whatever we’re seeing, it’s not Accord tech, Charlie. There’s not a thing out there that I am aware of that even comes close to the size of that ship. Assuming of course that it is a ship and not a living creature.” He rechecked the stats. “Nor do we have anything nearly that fast.”
“It’s not a creature,” Charlie stated. “They’re doing something sophisticated with holograms. We both recognize the rider. OK, people, standard protocol when we don’t have a clue what’s going on,” Charlie decided. “Not that we ever do,” he added.
“Let them know that we know they’re up there. Go ahead and send the standard instructions for contacting us, but not the standard greeting.” He smiled. “Send ‘You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do, Lucy’. Just that. And send it in English only; don’t bother with the other Accord languages unless we don’t get a response. I’ll be surprised if we don’t.”
Chapter 44
First Contact
Manning Glaurang’s weapon console, Lieutenant Nala Nian Kregan said, “Marshal, I have indications of multiple satellites powering up.”
Senior Lieutenant Fince D’Sen, reported, “Sensors indicate they’re manned weapon platforms. Each has a crew of sixty. No beam weapons, just missiles with what look to be fusion payloads.”
“Good,” Geena said. “They noticed us. That should make things easier. This is still going to be tricky, Lexi. We should have brought a First Contact team with us.”
“Geena, when was the last time the Accord made First Contact with anyone?” Lexi asked, humor in her voice.
Geena grinned back. “There is that. It’s probably been millennia. Still, some naval personnel must have training, right? You would think the Vankovians must. I’m just our team’s negotiator. I feel like a rank amateur in this situation.”
“I’m also seeing activity on the surface indicating weapons being prepped across the globe,” D’Sen continued once Geena finished speaking. “Missile silos mostly. Naval ships and submarines are repositioning. Wow, it looks like some of your countries have a few railguns! They’re huge!”
Lexi smiled, slightly grimly. “Good. International cooperation to protect the planet. I’ll admit I didn’t anticipate that but it’s a good sign. This might be easier than I expected. If Earth’s response is that coordinated, someone down there is in charge of global defenses. Lieutenant Kregan, if they initiate hostilities, do not respond. Just vaporize any incoming. Make sure they’re unmanned, of course. Urania, if they send manned craft at us, transport the occupants to a holding cell. Then vaporize their ship, Lieutenant.”
Her communications officer said, “They just sent us instructions for contacting them. The entire transmission is in English. There seems to be a personal message at the end. It’s odd though.”
Ron leaned forward. “Play it. Just the personal part.”
Over the cabin’s speakers, a calm voice said, “You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do, Lucy.”
On Glaurung, the Wraixain warship now causing a justifiable degree of consternation among Director Charlie Stevens’s people, the entire team, along with their high-ranking guests, sat on the spacious command bridge. As they listened to the strange communication from the planet, Ron realized he had never before seen Lexi look confused. Maybe startled was a better word, then again, maybe not. Perplexed? It is an odd message. I’m perplexed. Who the hell is Lucy?
Lexi said, to no one in particular, “That’s what Dad used to say to me when I was little.” She smiled, looking inward. “Usually when I was in trouble. Like the time I kind of blew up our garage. Remember I told you Dad never talked about his job?”
She paused. “Geena, I have to take lead on this one. We may not need a negotiator. We might only need a daughter. This is now a First Contact with a twist. My life is weird. I guess that’s a good thing. I pretty much like it that way. It keeps it interesting at least. Only one person on Earth would have sent that. He recognized me from the hologram. You guys are going to finally meet my father.”
***
In the operations center, Lisa said a moment later, “Damn, sir, we’re getting a response. They’re already practically in orbit. I’m putting it on speaker. Your mike is on.”
“Dad?”
He briefly wondered which of the two of them was more surprised by the fact that he was now talking to his daughter, who was on a starship. Class-nine, at that. He smiled. She always was an overachiever. “Hey, Lexi. How are things?”
“Good, Dad. Really good. You know Ricky never actually said that don’t you?”
He was pleased he was remaining calm. “Of course. However, it seemed overwhelmingly appropriate. So what’s up, Lexi? Interesting ship you’ve got up there. Are you invading us?”
He remembered her laugh. It hadn’t changed. “Only if I have to. I’m in trouble and need Earth’s help. Big time. Listen, flip on your personal cell phone. That’ll be the easiest way to pinpoint your location. We’ll pick up the GPS and I’ll beam down.”
“Hold a minute, Lexi.” He shut off the mike and said to the room at large, “OK, people. Unlikely as it seems, the person we’re talking to is not an alien. She’s my daughter. I’m granting them trusted status until we have cause to believe otherwise. Drop the global alert to ‘Watchful’ while we sort this out. Maintain weapon systems at full readiness. I want the Australian site on standby to take control if we’re shutdown or destroyed.” He powered on his cell phone.
While that was happening, Andy said, “For what it’s worth, Charlie, the Accord doesn’t have ships as large as that one nor does it have the technology to ‘beam down,’ assuming that means what it sounds like it means. I’m sure you can picture how much computational power it will take to isolate your GPS signal. The person you’re talking to is probably your daughter, but be careful. I think it safest to assume, for now at least, that she is fronting for a race unknown to the Accord.” He paused, and added, “One that is technologically significantly advanced over the Accord. Raises the question of why they’re here?”
A moment later, Lexi appeared in the command center. She was unarmed, although still dressed in the black outfit she wore riding the dragon’s back. She rushed forward and hugged her father. “Damn it, Dad, you should have told me.” She glanced around the room. A score of people manned various consoles. The image of her dragon with her riding its back was displayed on a large screen at what was clearly the front of the room. Ron designed it for her. It was as impressive as she had hoped.
Standing next to her father, his eyes going from the ship to Lexi, was a barrel-chested man with vibrant blue eyes. His skin color was very pale and his long platinum-blond hair hung to his mid-back. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Ackalonian. Now that’s interesting. Very, very interesting. I’m not the only one who has some ‘splainin’ to do.
“It’s a beyond top-secret job, Lexi,” Charlie protested. “I couldn’t. And, by the way, you might have let me know where you were going when you left.”
She smiled. “Touché. I didn’t think you would believe me. I guess maybe you might have.” She met the eyes of the blond man, who immediately bowed his head. “Ackalon?” she asked, in his native language.
He raised his head, and in the same language, said, “Yes, high one. My name is An Dyi Kallan. My Plicora assigned me here to help these people deal with the Accord. They call me Andy.”
“Not a high one, Andy. I’m not associated with the Order of the Rose at all.”
Switching ba
ck to English, she looked back to her father who had been watching the exchange with extreme interest. “I’m somewhat special to his people,” she said by way of explanation. “You know he’s not from Earth?”
“Yes, we do.” Then in Andy’s language, he said, “He’s here in an advisory capacity. He has been extremely helpful.” With a glint in his eyes, he added, “High one.”
“Dad, please. That’s just a title for a member of a semi-religious order. Kind of like pope or bishop. Which I’m not.”
Before she could say more than that, Ron sent over her comm, “We’ve got a situation, Lexi. There’s a second ship up here. It’s not your Ostrieachians. It’s trying to hide from us. Of course, if I was a regular ship, I would try to hide from us too. It’s armed. Find out if they know anything about it.”
“Dad, Andy, there’s a second off-world ship in the area. Were you aware of that?”
“There are no legitimate ships in the vicinity of Earth,” Andy stated. He smiled. “I have to include your ship in that category as well.”
“Ron,” Lexi said out loud, “detain it. It could be innocent. If it’s armed, it’s probably pirates. May as well shut off the hologram and let them see what we really look like too.”
“Consider it done,” Ron replied.
“Dad,” Lexi said, “once he’s taken care of that, can I bring the others down?”
“How many others?”
“My boyfriend, his mother, and two others. My best friends. There are others with me who you’ll need to meet, but we’ll start small. I don’t want to overwhelm you just yet.”
He smiled. “Sure. I always liked your choice of friends. Are any of them actually aliens?”
Lexi smiled. “Absolutely. All of them. Urania isn’t even human. She just looks like she is.”
Before the others arrived, Charlie moved the group to a small conference room off of the ops center. He motioned Lisa to come with them. She took a seat in front of a console and plugged in her headset.
Once the others appeared as suddenly as Lexi had, Lexi began introductions. “Guys, as unlikely as it seems, this man is my father, Charlie Stevens. He seems to be in charge here. Dad, this is my friend Jis Boc Seckan. Her day job is ruling Ackalon, an Accord world you’ve clearly heard of. Andy will doubtless recognize her. And Jis, you might have told me you placed one of your people on Earth before we got here. Next up is Urania, she’s, ah, she’s our starship. You’re right, Dad, I do have a lot of ‘splainin’ to do. The tall woman is Geena Samue. And last but not least, Ron Samue, my boyfriend. Urania is what we’ve termed an avatar, which means pretty much what you would guess.”
“I see,” Charlie said, although it was relatively clear that he didn’t. “With me is my ops officer, Lisa Evans and An Dyi Kallan who has been consulting with us. So, Lexi, you work for these people?”
Jis turned up the wattage of her smile. “No, sir. It would be more accurate to say we work for Lexi,” she said in her dreamy manner. “An can explain what I mean when I say that we’ve brought Article Seven, Section One of the Accord bylaws into play.” She turned her smile on her fellow Ackalonian, saying, “Good to see you, An. We’ll catch up later. Plan on joining us for dinner if you’re free. Lexi’s going to want to spend time with her father, but I think we might be able to find a few things to talk about too.”
Smiling, Lexi said, “For the time being, Dad, I speak for the Accord.”
Lisa spoke from her console, having run a quick Google search against the ET database at her workstation. She already verified that the woman claiming to be Jis Boc Seckan at least looked like her database images. She also noted that Andy recognized her.
“Sir, according to the documentation we have, your daughter misspoke. Under the Accord code, she does not represent the Accord. If they truly brought that bylaw into play it means every civilized world faces an imminent threat so serious that their survival requires a coordinated effort of the member worlds. She doesn’t represent the Accord, Director. Essentially, until the emergency is over, she is the Accord.”
Charlie glanced at the collection of people from other worlds sitting at ease around his conference table, all nodding in agreement, and gave a small, ironic laugh, “And there I was pissed that you were throwing your life away running off with some boy.”
Chapter 45
The Short Version
“Yeah, well, Ron was twenty-seven at the time. Hardly a boy but I’ll fill you in on all of that soon,” Lexi said with a smile. “Let’s talk about what’s important. Here’s the short version. I’m not going to try to sugar-coat it. There’s an inimical insectoid species out there known as the Kreesh. At the moment, we know next to nothing about them except for three things. First, they will be swarming soon. And second, individually at least, they’re damn hard to kill. Third, they devour all life on the worlds they target. Earth is directly in their path. The Kreesh will begin to arrive here within four to eight years. They will leave no survivors.”
Charlie looked grim but didn’t interrupt. “Currently, I command,” she almost winced as she said it, “based on their ratification of that bylaw, the four worlds of Ackalon, Ostrieachia, Vankovia, and Borgol. I have been the elected leader of Ostrieachia for over a year now. Still, it’s an Accord member world and the fact that I ratified myself is irrelevant. It’s legal. Through Ron, I also have the full support of a Level-Three non-member world unknown to the rest of the Accord. Within the next few months, we expect the remaining eight member-worlds to ratify the decision. I’m optimistic that several non-member Level-Three worlds may pitch in as well. Most of the member worlds have been gearing up to build warships for the last several months due to the menace we face from a neighboring star empire.”
Her expression hardened. “That effort has largely been put on hold pending design changes I anticipate once I have Earth involved. I need you guys, Dad. I mostly need your military expertise. I need Earth’s military to design a fleet for me that is going to be capable of stopping the Kreesh. We’re also here to recruit crew for that fleet, starting with the dragon-ship I rode in. Pretty cute effect, wasn’t it? But I need Earth unified. I am not going to turn over the technology to annihilate planets to factions. I will let the Kreesh eat you first.”
She paused, and waved her hand, taking in the op-center on the other side of the glass wall. “So that’s me. Now, what is all of this, Dad? Other than my father, who are you?”
“Fair question. I head an international advisory service.” He smiled broadly. “Officially, our English designation is WASP. That’s short for ‘Worldwide Alien Studies Program.’ It was awkward fitting that into an acronym, but we managed. Sounds benign enough, but we’re also tasked with the defense of the planet. You may have heard rumors about us before you left. We’re popularly known to the conspiracy theorists as the Men in Black.”
“Unbelievable,” Lexi said. She shook her head. “Especially since I seem to be the only one present dressed in black. You don’t seem as surprised by all of this as I would have expected, Dad. Just my being on a starship would have floored most fathers.”
“No, I already guessed part of it. I looked for you, Lexi.” He repeated her gesture, waving his hand, indicating the op-center. “I have more resources than most fathers looking for errant daughters have. Despite the story you spun your roommates about going adventuring with Ron, by that evening the girls started worrying about you. They were wondering why you were abandoning an amazing academic career. They were also puzzled about why you wanted to sell everything you owned and be dropped in the middle of nowhere.”
Lexi nodded. He noticed Ron and Geena were both smiling. “Your housemates had an unfortunate fixation on describing your friend Ron, there, as dreamy. Both of them. Ad nauseam.” He shook his head with the memory, although he was smiling, too. “I may have heard the word ‘yummy’ mentioned once or twice as well. Your friend Liz told me where she left you, so I had a satellite retasked to fly over the area. Images picked up the farm
buildings. And the abandoned car.” He paused briefly. “And the bodies. We get high definition on the spy satellites these days. It was clear from the images they weren’t human. A SEAL team was on site within twenty minutes. You were always the most stable young woman I have had the privilege of knowing, Lexi. I knew you wouldn’t chuck your education and your plans for a guy, even a yummy guy. No offense Ron.”
“None taken, sir. Lexi stowed away on my ship thinking she was saving your planet at the time.” He laughed, adding. “From an alien invasion. From me. The first time, at least.”
Charlie chuckled. “Now that actually makes sense. The first time?”
“Yes, sir. We had given up and left Earth, not knowing Lexi was on board until it was too late for us to turn around. The next morning we found out that she knew the location of the artifact Mom and I were looking for. One of our professors had it. So we did turn around and come back. By then, she was a member of the crew. More precisely, by then she was in charge of our team.”
Aeolus Investigations Set 2: Too Cool To Lose: The Continuing Evolution of Lexi Stevens Page 39
