First Admiral 01 First Admiral

by William J. Benning

  “I shall send over my personal shuttle,” the Praetor offered.

  “No need Praetor Maximus, I shall find my way; perhaps your gallant fighters could guide me?” Billy flattered.

  “It shall be an honour for them to escort you,” the Praetor responded.

  “Thank you, Praetor Maximus,” Billy nodded, and the Communication Link was cut leaving a blank View Screen.

  With a sigh, Billy contemplated that this might entail a long drawn out negotiation, which he could ill afford. Then, he turned his attention to following the Thexxian fighters back to their main fleet.

  It was, by Billy’s standards, a short journey of no more than two minutes, and he visually spotted the Thexxian fleet long before the Black Rose was detected by them. It was a truly motley, raggle-taggle fleet. Thousands of ships were scattered across hundreds of kilometres of space. There were ships of all shapes and sizes in this scattered fleet, none of which seemed to be undamaged.

  There were Agricultural ships with great clear domes that allowed in as much natural light as possible. Enormous Accommodation ships like great tower blocks floating in space, which made Billy shudder at his own memories and experiences of tower blocks back on Earth. There were also great long cylindrical Supply vessels that carried the myriad of provisions that would help the refugees establish themselves on their new world. Shepherding them all were the warships of the Thexxian Battle Fleet, all of a saucer design, but of varying sizes.

  The Flagship appeared to Billy like a great floating wheel in space, with a spherical central hub, five spokes and a cylindrical rim. Guided in by the Thexxian fighters, Billy stationed the Black Rose as instructed by the voice from the Control System. Billy noted the preponderance of weaponry in and around that particular area of the fleet, but felt no concern. The Black Rose had shielding that was many centuries ahead of any weapons the Thexxians or the Bardomil possessed.

  A quick scan of the Flagship indicated that there were people all around the rim of this vessel, packed quite tightly together. Living space was obviously a problem for the Thexxians. Scanning the cramped Accommodation ships confirmed Billy’s suspicions of serious overcrowding. Some of the vessels were in a poor state of repair, giving Billy an overall impression that the Thexxians could not survive for too much longer without serious help. Receiving permission to come aboard the Thexxian Flagship, Billy teleported straight to the source of the Praetor Maximus’ signal; appearing in a flash of blinding white light amongst a group of Thexxians.

  “First Admiral Caudwell,” the startled Praetor Maximus gasped in astonishment and confusion as Billy appeared.

  “Praetor Maximus, my apologies if my appearance has startled you,” Billy said in feigned sincerity.

  He was more than a little surprised to discover the squalor of the flagship. He had expected to see a clean, well run and disciplined warship. Instead he found an environment that would put some of the worst slums back on earth to shame. It was a dark, dirty and smelly setting that made Billy’s flesh crawl. It was at moments like this that he was glad for the protection of the P.E.S. Within seconds, armed and uniformed Thexxians appeared; Praetor Maximus' bodyguards.

  Behind these well fed looking warriors there lurked the darker side of Thexxian reality. Everyone was dressed in black one-piece outfits. Adult female Thexxians eyed Billy with fear and suspicion holding their infants and painfully thin, cringing children close to them. The fear and mistrust was evident in their startling pink eyes.

  For too many years they had come to regard any stranger as a potential Bardomil spy, who would betray them to certain death.

  Swiftly, the Praetor Maximus, and his surrounding bodyguards, led Billy through a dark squalid maze of corridors. This presented him with the constant sight of frightened adult females and children who scurried out of their way. As he marched steadily though the corridors Billy noticed that the only adult males he could see were elderly. The young adult males would all be committed to the military, as would some, probably childless, females. Billy remembered that the voice of the fighter group leader had been female. At the end of their journey Billy was ushered into a large relatively well-lit yet still shabby room with what looked like a conference table dominating the centre.

  “First Admiral Caudwell,” the Praetor began, “this is not quite the way in which I envisioned meeting you,” he added trying his best to conceal his anger and frustration.

  The Praetor had hoped to negotiate with this alien from a position of greater strength. However, now that the First Admiral had seen just how desperate their plight was, the Praetor knew he could never bluff for a stronger outcome now.

  “Praetor Maximus, I thank you for your welcome,” Billy responded, still shocked and concerned by the sights he had seen.

  “You spoke of sanctuary and protection for us First Admiral, what is it you have in mind, and what would you wish from us in return?” the Praetor asked with as much dignity as his condition could muster.

  “At this moment, nothing, Praetor Maximus,” Billy said determinedly, “not until we get you and your people to somewhere safe, clean and with food. Then we can talk further.”

  For a moment the Praetor Maximus was unable to speak, but very quickly found his voice.

  “That is very kind of you First Admiral, but with respect, the plight of my people is not your concern, and you must be aware that the Bardomil will punish you and……!” the Praetor began.

  “Praetor Maximus, with respect to your high office,” Billy cut him off, “where I come from, when someone is in trouble or in need, it is our duty to try to help them. We call it humanity. As for the Bardomil, they don’t worry me in the slightest. But you need to worry about organising your people when we get them to safety.”

  “You would unilaterally and unconditionally give my people food, shelter and whatever protection you can muster?” the Praetor questioned.

  “Yes Praetor Maximus, until your people have been fed and rested and your ships repaired and provisioned,” Billy confirmed.

  “Why would you do such a thing and risk the anger of the Bardomil?” the Praetor asked, still slightly stunned and confused by Billy’s generous offer.

  “Praetor Maximus, I shall be blunt and come directly to the point,” Billy made his move, “I need your people. I control the most advanced technology in the universe, and I need people to join me, to share that technology and to recruit others to the Alliance,” Billy pitched hoping that the Praetor Maximus did not think that he was a complete lunatic.

  “You really control the Ancient Ones’ technology?” the Praetor Maximus asked.

  “You have seen it yourself Praetor Maximus, I appeared out of nowhere on your ship and slipped past your fighter cordon undetected,” Billy responded.

  “And, you would make us your slaves?” the Praetor questioned.

  “No, Praetor Maximus, there will be no slaves in the Universal Alliance,” Billy protested, feeling the frustration begin to build up in him, “Let’s agree on this, and then discuss the matter further later on,” Billy suggested, “About two million light years from here is a deserted Garmaurian colony. It is well protected, well hidden and has all the facilities you will need to rest and feed your people as well as repair your ships,” Billy began, “When you are ready you can decide whether you wish to join my Alliance. If you choose to join then you can establish a new home on that planet, if not, you are free to leave whenever you wish. Does that sound unreasonable Praetor Maximus?”

  “It would be a most generous offer, but our ships do not travel at light speed,” the Praetor added, his voice edged with suspicion.

  “Garmaurian technology would have your entire fleet there in a matter of moments,” Billy reassured.

  The Praetor Maximus was still not convinced, and eyed Billy suspiciously.

  “How do I know that this isn’t a Bardomil trap?” the Praetor queried nervously.

  “Well, you don’t. But, then again, if I had been a Bardomil agent I would be de
stroying your ships and slaughtering your people having slipped so easily through your security screen, would I not?” Billy said calmly and paused for the desired effect.

  The Thexxian leader, unable to answer the challenge remained silent.

  “Why don’t you put together a reconnaissance party, and I’ll take them to the planet? You can then set up your reception processes. I take it you have contingencies for when you disembark at your new home?” Billy continued, “And, if it is a trap, what will you have lost apart from a few technicians?”

  “That sounds reasonable First Admiral Caudwell,” the Praetor conceded, after a few moments thought, and nodded his assent.

  “Good, let us hope that this is the first step to a new life for your people,” Billy said rather melodramatically, and almost instantly wished he hadn’t.

  “First Admiral, who knows what the future holds,” the Praetor said diplomatically, “I shall assemble a team and be ready to travel to your planet in one hour, meanwhile, can I offer you the hospitality of our ship?”

  “Praetor, I would be honoured, but I need to prepare information and facilities for your reconnaissance team, especially from your medical people and nutritionists for the food synthesisers,” Billy made his excuses.

  “But of course, First Admiral,” the Praetor said beginning to realise that this stranger’s offer might, in fact, be a reality, “I shall send you to our Chief Physician, Laxxor, who will help you.”

  A journey of ten thousand kilometres always begins with the first step; Billy Caudwell felt that the first step had just been taken.

  Chapter 25

  An hour later, the initial preparations made, Billy returned to the Thexxian Flagship. Carrying what looked like a large suitcase, he was escorted by the Praetor’s Bodyguard through yet more corridors of squalor and despair. Despite their vivid pink eyes, many of the Thexxians appeared to have given up hope. Their posture and bearing showed the almost universal signs of resignation and hopelessness. Many were simply unable to meet his gaze and stared blankly at the floor. Such sights made Billy even more determined to help these people, as he marched between the Praetor’s Bodyguards.

  Chief Physician Laxxor turned out to be a small, rotund, rather bad-tempered, balding individual in a black Thexxian robe. As Chief Physician he lived under the constant demands of a population suffering from inadequate nutrition, increasing levels of disease and with ever dwindling resources at his disposal.

  “Yes, what do you want?” the Chief Physician, seated behind his small cramped and overloaded desk, barked angrily, without looking up from his pile of work.

  Looking around the small, cramped and dirty office where Laxxor struggled daily to hold the Thexxian people together, Billy could see that things were even more desperate than he had imagined.

  “The Praetor Maximus feels that I might be of some small service to you,” Billy smiled as pleasantly as he could from the open doorway.

  “Can you provide me with half a million tons of food before nightfall?” Laxxor growled with an edge of dismissive sarcasm, without raising his head.

  “Yes, if I can get your people to the old military base I’ve been preparing, however, I was thinking more along the lines of emergency medications,” Billy replied sharply.

  The Thexxian looked up and stared severely at the young red-haired alien, with the Garmaurian uniform, who stood at his doorway, flanked by two of the Praetor Maximus’ bodyguards, and had the impudence to challenge him.

  “Oh, and how do you plan to do that?” the gruff Physician scrutinised Billy warily as he stepped up to the Thexxian’s work desk.

  “Well,” Billy began, swinging the suitcase contraption up onto the desk and removing what looked like two portable televisions with their glass screens missing, “what drugs do you have most immediate need of?”

  “Very well,” the Physician replied, with a deep sigh, leaning back in his seat, setting down his work, prepared to humour this strange pink-skinned alien for a few moments of diversion, “we could start with around half a million Juvenox pain relief tablets.”

  “Do you have a small sample, please?” Billy asked.

  “Oh, and I’m just supposed to hand over some of our already badly depleted supply to you?” the Physician snapped angrily rising to his feet to see off this arrogant alien.

  The two bodyguards at the door drew their pistol weapons quickly, causing the Physician to freeze in his tracks. The bodyguards had orders to protect their new charge from every, and any, threat.

  “Well, it would be so much easier on everyone if I didn’t have to get the Praetor Maximus himself to order you to do so,” Billy smiled, with an edge of menace in his voice, “He does seem to be rather busy with a lot of things these days.”

  Looking anxiously at the two weapons drawn on him, the Physician fished a small jar from his robe and reluctantly handed over a small, square dark-blue tablet, before slumping back into his seat.

  With a smile, Billy slipped the tablet into a chamber on the top of one of the Portable Synthesisers. Then, he pressed a small red button next to the chamber and waited whist a series of lights flashed.

  “Analysis complete,” a disembodied voice announced from the Synthesiser, “compound identified.”

  “Replicate fifty thousand units,” Billy said firmly his eyes never wavering from the scowling Physician’s gaze.

  A moment later, a torrent of small blue tablets gushed from the open face of the Synthesiser, and rapidly swamped the top of the Physician’s desk.

  “What is the meaning of this!?” the Physician scrabbled to his feet to avoid being swamped by the continuing cascade of tablets.

  “Fifty thousand Juvenox tablets,” Billy smiled, “go ahead, analyse them yourself.”

  When the tidal wave had ceased, the Physician lifted one from his desk, and ran the tip of his almost yellow tongue down the side of the tablet. Recognising the bitter taste of Juvenox, he stared at Billy in astonishment before lifting and testing another tablet.

  “But, how did you…?” the Physician stammered unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed, scooping up a handful of tablets and letting them pass through his fingers like water.

  “I’ll explain the mechanics of it later,” Billy said proudly, “but first you need to get me a shopping list of immediate needs, and then let me know what to feed your people with.”

  For several moments, Chief Physician Laxxor stared open-mouthed at the alien, who only a few minutes before he had been prepared to dismiss with scorn. Then, as if an alarm had gone off in his head, the rotund Thexxian dashed out from behind his desk, trampling and crushing tablets underfoot.

  “Credus!!....Credus!....Get your idle backside in here!” Laxxor called to one of his assistants as he stumbled on the pile of tablets next to his desk, regained his footing, and brushed excitedly past Billy Caudwell and the bodyguards.

  With a smile, Billy Caudwell cleared a space though the thousands of tablets on the desktop and sat down.

  It was going to be a very busy, but very rewarding, day, he thought.

  Chapter 26

  “Recon One, you are cleared to proceed,” the voice sounded tinnily over Billy’s loudspeaker from the Thexxian military network.

  “Recon One, acknowledged,” the precise, and slightly nervous response followed.

  “Good fortune, Recon One,” the original voice added.

  “Recon One, this is Gatekeeper,” Billy cut onto the Thexxian network, “prepare for Jump Gate activation.”

  “Gatekeeper, Acknowledge,” said the voice from Recon One.

  “Activating Jump Gate, now,” Billy announced and pushed the small yellow button on the Control Console sending a shimmering light blue beam of Trions from the nose of his vessel.

  The Jump Gate was an externalised projection of the Trion drive. Whereas, a wormhole was a random naturally occurring phenomenon, the Jump Gate was entirely artificial, targetable and controllable. The Trion Drive field generator projected a narro
w field of Trions attuned to a specific frequency. This would create a pool of Trions of the same frequency as the Trions at the destination point. The Trions at the destination point would then draw the artificially generated Trions at the origin point towards them in a constant stream through the Trionic Web. Passing through the aperture of the Jump Gate was the equivalent of diving into a fast flowing river, and being drawn to a very specific destination.

  “Jump Gate showing completed and stable, Recon One, you are clear to proceed,” Billy announced checking the instruments and read outs from his View Screen.

  “Gatekeeper, acknowledged,” Recon One responded.

  Calmly, Billy watched the four Thexxian saucers approach the swirling light blue pool of Trions. The elements of Recon One were made up of a large Landing Saucer and three smaller fighter craft. Reluctantly, the Thexxian ships began to pass through the gate and on to the new location. When the final saucer had entered the Jump Gate, Billy took the Black Rose down the same track.

  It took barely a few seconds for the ships to travel the two million light years to the new location. There were no pyrotechnics or flashing lights in the journey through the Jump Gate. The ships would enter the great dark swirling pool of Trions that appeared to spin in a counter clockwise direction. Then, there would be total darkness for a few nervous moments, and the vessel would emerge at an entirely new location.

  The Thexxian ships emerged from the swirling Jump Gate in rapid succession, followed quickly by the sleek profile of the Black Rose. A few moments later, the Jump Gate collapsed with a harmless, but brilliant, flash of white light.

  “Scout saucer, follow me, please,” Billy indicated into the Thexxian network, and headed towards where the stealthed planet was located.

  With all of the Thexxian vessels through the Jump Gate, Billy led one of the small single-seat fighting saucers through the planetary defences.

  “Acknowledged, Gatekeeper,” the Thexxian pilot, aboard the single-seat saucer, called over the network and dutifully followed the alien craft.