by Doug Farren
Piranta stopped working the screen and looked at Scott. “You plan on rebuilding your ship to conform to the original construction plans, correct?”
“That's right. What else can we do?” Scott was curious. Sometimes it takes an outsider to suggest a better way of doing things.
“Instead of restoring your ship back to the original factory specifications, you might want to consider doing a field repair instead. I think you might be able to repair your ship in as little as two weeks if you're willing to consider an alternative.”
“Two weeks! Our best estimate puts a full repair at over four months. Show me!”
Piranta brought up a detailed view of the damaged section and highlighted the area where the original base locks were installed. These were huge, powerful, hydraulic wedges that, once engaged, locked the base of the pylon securely to the underlying support structure.
“The supports in this section of the ship have been subjected to significant mechanical stress causing them to deform. Several are cracked. But they can be repaired and are still capable of providing a great deal of rigidity.”
Piranta's skilled hands flew over the controls and after a moment a new structural element appeared. Using the touch screen, he positioned it over the damaged section. “Instead of replacing the supports, I believe you can weld on a new piece to reinforce the damaged section bringing its resistance to movement back into specification.”
“That would work, but it would leave the pylon exposed. The retraction tunnel still needs to be gutted and rebuilt.”
“Maybe,” Piranta smiled, then shifted the display to the left a bit. He entered a string of commands into the system causing new features to appear on the diagram.
Suddenly, Scott saw what the other engineer was proposing and said, “Holy crap, why didn't I think of that!” Triggering his wrist-com, Scott queried, “Skipper, how fast can you get to the cargo bay?”
There was a few seconds delay, then, “Two minutes – why?”
“Piranta has figured out how to repair the ship in less than two weeks. This guy's brilliant!”
“I'll be right there.”
AJ arrived in just over a minute. “What's up?” he asked, positioning himself to one side of the horizontally mounted display.
Scott reached up and thumped Piranta's side, “This guy is a genius – likes to think out of the box. Instead of repairing the ship so the pylon retracts vertically, he's come up with a way of laying it down against the hull. Take a look at this.”
The new design called for a short extension piece to be installed on the bottom of the pylon which would be connected to a hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder would raise and lower the pylon like a knife blade. A thick steel tray would be built to hold the retracted pylon along with a heavy cover that would close over it once the pylon had been laid flat against the hull.
AJ stared at the design then said, “I love it! How long would this take?”
“Rough guess – about two weeks, maybe less,” Scott replied, grinning from ear to ear.
“Two weeks! This, combined with Goeglict's offer to supply us with heavy water, means we can be on our way back home in two weeks or less. That's fantastic. Clean up the details and we'll run it by the mainframe.”
“Hey!,” Heather's voice came from the passenger compartment. “What's all the shouting about?” She appeared in the doorway holding a sandwich in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
“We'll be heading home in two weeks,” AJ shouted.
“Hot damn!” Heather shouted and started to raise her hands. Suddenly remembering that her right hand held a nearly full cup of coffee, she jerked it to a halt. A slug of hot coffee slopped over the top of the cup and landed on the back of her hand. Reflex caused her to jerk her hand downward throwing the cup, along with the remaining coffee on the floor.
AJ rushed to her side. “Are you okay?” he asked, examining her hand.
“I'm fine hon,” she replied, using the familiar form of address without thinking.
AJ's wrist-com suddenly beeped. He tapped the device once. The voice of the shuttle's computer said, “Commander Moon is waiting on com channel one.”
AJ looked at Heather, torn between tending to her injury and leaving her to talk to the Commander. “I'm fine,” she told him in a firm voice. Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly on the forehead and said, “Ship business first Captain. I'll run some cold water on it and then clean up the mess.”
AJ made his way to the cockpit and keyed the channel open. “Commander Moon, AJ here.”
The response was nearly instantaneous. “Glad to hear your voice in real-time Captain,” Patrick replied. “We’ll be in orbit in a little over four hours. The Chief has finished modifying the deuterium extractors. If the Keldans follow through on their promise, we should be able to top off our tanks in under a week. Now all we have to worry about is getting the pylon replaced.”
“I just received some really good news about that too,” AJ said, then went on to explain what Scott and Piranta were suggesting. “They're working through the details right now. As soon as they have it all worked out we'll upload it to the mainframe and let the computer run the math to see if it will work.”
“There's something I've been meaning to ask you,” Patrick began.
“What's that?”
“I've seen pictures of the Keldans. You must have been scared out of your mind when you first saw them.”
“I was,” AJ admitted. “But now I'm quite comfortable around them. Anything else to report?”
“Nothing Sir.”
“Very well. Contact me when you’ve settled into orbit.”
“Will do. Star-Pulse out.”
Chapter 19
Piranta and Scott were still huddled over the workstation as AJ entered the cargo bay. Goeglict was standing beside them but moved away when he saw the captain.
“The council has decided that it would be more efficient for your shuttle to deliver the deuterium processors to our deuterium oxide storage facilities,” Goeglict said. “A tanker ship would take several weeks to make the voyage and bringing it here by air would be expensive.”
“I like that idea,” AJ replied. “Have you seen what your brilliant engineer has come up with to speed up the repair of our ship?”
“I have. He was selected for the position he’s in because of his genius. That is, however, not why I’m here. We need to discuss a couple of important items.”
“I'm all ears,” AJ replied.
There was a long pause as Goeglict tried to understand the meaning of AJ's last phrase. “An interesting colloquial expression,” the Councilman finally said. “I’m happy to inform you that our world leader will be here in two days to meet you and your crew. He was wondering if you would be willing to give him a tour of your ship.”
AJ paused to think about that for a moment. He had no problem with showing the Star-Pulse to the Keldans, but the ship was not built to accommodate the wide-bodied aliens. The passageways would barely be wide enough for a single Keldan to walk through if they kept their legs close to their body.
Goeglict noticed his hesitation and asked, “Is there a problem?”
“Well …” AJ stalled for a bit to collect his thoughts. “Most of the ship is cargo space and is not pressurized. Since you can't fit into our cockpit, your people will have to ride up to the ship in the shuttle's cargo bay which doesn't have any windows. That means you won't be able to see the outside of the ship. Getting around the inside might be a bit difficult.”
“I'm not sure I understand,” Goeglict replied.
“I'll show you,” AJ told him. He turned and walked to the front of the cargo bay, Goeglict following close behind. Pointing to the personnel hatch he said, “That is a typical hatch on the Star-Pulse. It's built for humans. I don't see how you could possibly fit through it.”
Goeglict examined the hatch then calmly performed an impressive acrobatic act. He rotated his body ninety degrees by holding onto the
frame of the hatch with the legs of his right side and supporting himself with his left. In a matter of seconds, he was through the hatch looking back at AJ.
The image of a giant spider crawling sideways through a crack filled AJ's mind and threatened to send him into a panic. Forcing the image out of his head, he looked through the hatch and asked, “How the hell did you do that?”
Goeglict had ended up in the passenger compartment of the shuttle. The area between the fold-up cots was quite small, forcing Goeglict to stand with his legs at multiple odd angles. He smiled as he replied, “Our ancestors were mountainous tree-dwellers and we are quite adept at performing such maneuvers.”
AJ stood back and put his hands on his hips. “Well, then I guess there's no reason why your world leader can't visit the ship as long as he doesn't mind going through doors like you just did.”
Goeglict extracted himself from the passenger compartment as easily as he had entered it. “I don't think he would mind at all. Can your shuttle's cargo bay be depressurized while in-flight?”
“It can.”
“If we wear spacesuits, then you can show us the exterior of the ship as well as the cargo bay before taking us on a tour of the interior.”
AJ looked at Goeglict and wondered what a Keldan spacesuit would look like or how difficult it would be for them to use one. “If that's okay with your leader then by all means that's what we will do.”
“I take it then that I can inform the head of the council that you have agreed to show him the ship?”
“Yes you can,” AJ replied. “More are welcome as long as we don’t crowd the shuttle too much.”
“Excellent. There’s one more item I wish to discuss and that is the suggestion of your ship making a trip to the Akuta system to see if they’re still a threat.”
AJ was wondering when that question was going to be brought up again. “I've thought about it,” he replied, “but I'm still not convinced it’s a good idea.”
“Instead of risking your own ship, is there any way you could equip one of our spaceships with a stardrive?”
AJ shook his head. “No way. The technology is quite complex and requires a considerable infrastructure to support the construction of a hyperjump drive. It's not something that will happen overnight.”
“I was afraid of that,” Goeglict said. The feeders on either side of his mouth began twitching. “The council has also examined this question in great detail,” he continued after a moment. “I’ve been instructed to inform you, that unless you agree to make the trip to the Akuta system, we will not allow you access to our deuterium supplies. This was not my decision – I’m sorry.”
AJ felt a combination of surprise and anger welling up inside him. Goeglict however, was merely delivering the message and was not to be blamed. The Captain could see that the Councilman was genuinely upset over what the council had decided.
“We’ve given you a huge leap in technology,” AJ said, still angry. “Because of us, you’ll be able to save hundreds of millions of your people instead of a few hundred thousand and your government is still not satisfied? We did not ask to be stranded in your star system.”
AJ would have continued, but Goeglict stopped him. “I’m not happy with this order,” he said. “But I do understand the reasoning behind it.”
“Would you care to enlighten me?”
“We have lived in fear of the Akuta's return for centuries,” Goeglict explained. “We have a unified planetary government because the people understand that a divided planet is easier to conquer than a united one. We’ve built a strong military with hidden weapon caches of the most advanced weapons we’ve been able to create to fight the Akuta if they ever return. We constantly scan space with powerful radars to detect their ships. All Keldans have become paranoid.”
AJ couldn't help but feel sorry for the Keldans. His anger subsided as he said, “How does the council know that I won't lie to them just to gain your help?”
Goeglict reached out and gripped AJ's arm. The physical contact did not bother him at all. “You have proven yourself to be an honest individual. The council believes you will honor any agreement you make. I do not doubt your honesty either.”
An idea suddenly occurred to the Captain. It was an ideal solution to several problems he had been trying to solve. “I have another idea,” AJ said. “As long as you agree to send some of your people back to Earth with us, I will agree to make a jump to the Akuta system to determine if they’re still a threat.”
Goeglict was perplexed. Not only had AJ agreed to the council's restrictions but he had added one of his own that seemed to benefit the Keldans more than it would benefit the humans. Suddenly suspicious, he asked, “Why would you want to take some of us back to Earth with you? A moment ago, you were concerned about our ability to get around inside your ship.”
“If you send the right people,” AJ explained, “they can negotiate directly with our government to iron out the details necessary to allow our two cultures to mutually benefit from each other. For example, helping you locate a new home for your people. Have you found a suitable planet yet?”
“No. Until your arrival, we were prepared to spend many generations searching as many star systems as necessary to locate a suitable planet.”
“All the better reason for someone with authority to come back to Earth,” AJ said. “Humans and the other races we’ve come in contact with have been exploring space for many decades. I'm sure there’s a suitable planet that can be declared as yours.”
“I will put your suggestion before the council. I’m sure they will agree – in fact, I will insist on it.”
“Then we have an understanding,” AJ said, holding out his hand. There was a brief delay as Goeglict recalled the meaning of the gesture before he reached out and the two shook hands.
AJ and Goeglict walked over to check on the engineers. “How are you two coming along?” AJ asked.
Scott was standing with his arms crossed looking down at the workstation as Piranta manipulated the graphics. Images were forming and changing as the Keldan's hands rapidly and precisely moved over the workstation's touch-sensitive surface.
“This guy is amazing!” Scott replied. “We should have a full set of design prints for the new modification in just a little bit.”
“Excellent,” AJ replied. “The Star-Pulse will be orbiting in a couple of hours. As soon as you have finalized your plans, transmit them to the mainframe.”
“Aye Sir.”
“I must go,” Goeglict announced. “There is much to be done now that your mothership has arrived. Resources must be allocated for its repair.”
“Just tell us where to park,” AJ said. “As soon as the Star-Pulse achieves orbit, I'll be taking the shuttle back to the ship. Since her cargo bay is empty, we'll use it to transport the deuterium extractors down to the planet. I'll need to have your equipment removed from the cargo bay though to make room.”
“I’ll have a crew sent to remove it,” Goeglict replied. “We have deuterium oxide storage facilities at several locations. I will have the coordinates of the two with the largest tanks sent to your computer and I will ensure you have clearance to land your shuttles.”
“Thank you. When your crew arrives to clear out the cargo bay could they bring a sampling of your food along? I would like to see if we can enjoy some of your cuisine while we’re here.”
“I will have them pull a selection from the dining hall.”
Scott and Piranta finished their design about an hour before the Star-Pulse arrived. By the time the ship was in orbit, the mainframe had confirmed that the design was sound. Anticipating the result, Piranta forwarded the specifications for the reinforcing ring to one of their factories. The last of the Keldan equipment was packed and the cargo bay cleared of all nonessential items.
“Ready to lift,” Thomas reported then took his position at the pilot's station. He had been supervising the clearing of the cargo bay while AJ was running the pre-flight checklist.
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“Make sure the Keldans are clear, then take us to the Star-Pulse,” AJ ordered.
Thomas spoke quietly into his microphone. After a brief delay to ensure the area around the shuttle was clear, he lifted the ship straight up. After gaining some altitude, he applied a little forward momentum. Thirty-five minutes later, the Star-Pulse was in sight along with something else.
“What's that?” AJ asked.
“I'm not sure,” Scott replied.
Flipping a switch, AJ spoke into his mike, “Star-Pulse this is the Captain; Do you copy?”
“Chief McKintyre here Sir. I have you on approach. The docking clamps are primed for your arrival.”
“Very well Chief,” AJ replied. “Please identify the object approaching off your port bow.”
“It's a Keldan space crane,” the Chief replied. “I've been told they're going to use it to speed up our repairs. There's a crew of 20 Keldans aboard who are gearing up to begin work as soon as they arrive.”
“Copy. Is the deuterium extractor ready for loading?”
“Staged and ready to roll into the cargo bay as soon as you're docked,” Chief McKintyre replied. “The second extractor has already been loaded into the other shuttle and is ready to depart as soon as we know where to take it.
“You should be getting that information soon. Who's flying the other shuttle?”
“Sung Li.”
“Very well, Captain out.”
Chapter 20
AJ remained on the ship while Thomas shuttled the deuterium extractor down to the planet. He was accompanied by Tony Morales and Sandy Cornelius who had been instructed on how to hook up the modified extractor to a source of heavy water. They would remain with the extractor, working in twelve-hour shifts, while it was doing its job. Sung Li piloted the second shuttle with Randy Cornelius and Jean Picolli making up the second team.
Working with the Keldan AI, the ship's computer generated a detailed repair plan. The Star-Pulse's repair robots worked inside the outer hull cutting out the unusable sections of support steel. The space-crane was attached to the hull and began lifting the pieces out of the way. The Keldans swarmed over the Star-Pulse, preparing to install the protective trough for the pylon.
