Off Course

by Doug Farren

  “I'm not blaming you,” AJ reassured her. “The Akuta invaded your planet over a thousand years ago. Details tend to become a bit fuzzy after that much time. What I am more interested in finding out though is if there are any myths that might help us identify the people who attacked the Akuta.”

  “There is one that might interest you,” Thumis replied. “Although nobody lives in the desert, people do travel across it. One such group believes that gods from the sky punished the Akuta for what they did to us. Most historians discount the belief.”

  “Such a tale had to have had a beginning. Has anyone researched this?”

  “I'm sure they have. I will check our database when we return to Ashnib.”

  “I would appreciate that. The thought of an aggressive, highly intelligent- - -”

  AJ was interrupted by a loud noise emanating from his wrist-com indicating an urgent call. Raising his wrist, he tapped the device to silence the alarm and said, “AJ here.”

  “Captain!” Lora's excited voice issued from the tiny speaker. “We just picked up an incoming hyperjump energy spike.”

  Chapter 23

  AJ glanced at Thumis then began jogging back to the bridge. “Can you tell how far away it was?”

  “No Sir. The shuttle's too close for us to get an accurate triangulation but I would guess it was quite close considering the size of the spike we picked up.”

  A minute later, AJ bolted through the hatch and practically vaulted into the command chair. “How long before the shuttle docks?”

  “They just left the surface,” Lora informed him. “They should be docked in 15 or 20 minutes. I've got the long-range radar scanning in the direction of the spike but so far nothing has shown up yet.”

  “Very well. Thomas, at maximum acceleration, how long before we can jump?”

  Thomas had been rapidly keying in commands to his computer console. He glanced over to one of the screens and said, “Sixty-two minutes. But that puts us just barely in the safe zone. I wouldn't risk a jump of more than a light year.”

  “Plot a course and execute. The shuttle will have to play catch-up. Start running jump calculations to get us out of the system as soon as possible.”

  “Aye Sir.”

  AJ activated the ship-wide address system. “Attention all hands! We’ve picked up the energy spike of an incoming jump. We don't know who they are but we’re not waiting around to find out. We are commencing emergency acceleration to clear the planet's gravitational field so we can jump out of here. I want everyone into their suits in case things get dicey. I’ll provide further information as it becomes available. Captain out.”

  The ship began to vibrate slightly as Thomas carried out AJ's last command. AJ had never quite figured out why the ship vibrated especially since the Star-Pulse did not rely on reaction engines for thrust. He had asked the Chief about it once but received a technical discussion about spacial harmonics. All he knew was that when under heavy acceleration, the ship vibrated.

  AJ had just donned his spacesuit when Lora excitedly called out “Contact bearing one seven seven by zero three, range 65 kilo-klics, speed 21 kilometers per second and rapidly accelerating on an intercept course.”

  “ETA?” he asked, picking the helmet off the hanger and carrying it back to the command chair.

  Lora, her own suit still piled on the floor next to her, ran the numbers past the computer and replied, “Assuming their drive system is comparable to ours, roughly 14 minutes.”

  AJ slammed his fist down on the command chair's armrest. “Damn it!” Everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and turned toward him. Such an outburst was very uncharacteristic of the normally soft-spoken Captain.

  AJ took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Sorry – recommendations?”

  “We keep going,” Thomas suggested, pulling the suit over his left arm. “We can shut down the drive once they get here and coast. If they stay far enough away we can jump as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

  “They might not want us to keep running,” Lora said. “If they're armed, they may decide to fire on us. I say we shut down now.”

  “I agree with the female's suggestion,” Goeglict said from behind.

  “They can't possibly know who we are,” Thomas added. “Maybe they'll just chase us a bit and then let us go.”

  “I'm not willing to learn the hard way if that ship is armed,” AJ decided. “Slowly reduce our acceleration over the next three minutes until we’re coasting. Chief, see if you can't raise them. Have the computer begin transmitting a translation request.”

  AJ waited for the rest of the bridge crew to don their suits before asking, “Chief, any idea how big that ship is?”

  “I can't get a consistent return on it,” she replied, fiddling with the radar controls. “Sometimes it looks like it's about 200 meters in diameter and other times it acts like it's not even there.”

  The alien ship quickly matched course with the Star-Pulse and closed the gap between them. It did not interfere with the shuttle as it flew by on the way to the freighter. When the ship was less than 10 kilometers away Thomas used one of the ship's telescopes to get a visual. As soon as he had it in sight, he put it up on the main viewscreen for the rest to see.

  It was nearly impossible to see the ship since it was as black as space itself. It appeared to be spherical and measured about 220-meters in diameter. As far as could be seen, the surface was utterly smooth.

  Lora rolled her chair down to a seldom used station and keyed in a command. After a short delay the screen displayed a graph. “Oh no,” she said, the tone of her voice indicating the news she was about to impart was not good. AJ could see that her face had gone ashen as she turned to face him. “The ship's hull is made out of dark matter,” she said. “It's an Akuta ship.”

  The silence on the bridge was so intense that AJ could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. The silence was suddenly broken by a chime from the ship's computer. Under normal circumstances, that chime would have been just loud enough for Lora to hear it. But at that moment it sounded more like a church bell had been rung.

  Lora literally jumped in her chair. She rolled it over to the console and read the message that was displayed. “Incoming communication on a ship-to-ship channel,” she practically whispered.

  AJ leaned forward in his seat. “On speaker.”

  Lora keyed in the command.

  “Your communications have been monitored,” a male voice boomed over the speaker. “The language has been identified as English. Your species is human. Your home planet is named Earth. Is this information correct?”

  “Your information is correct,” AJ replied. “Who are- - -”

  “Why are you here?” the voice interrupted.

  AJ's mind kicked into high gear. He didn't want to mention the Keldans or the fact that they were here to look for the Akuta. “We are explorers. We- - -”

  “Your ship has been scanned and identified as a freighter. Freighters are not exploration vessels. It is illogical for a freighter to be in this star system. Humans have not yet reached this area of space. Your answer is untrue and rejected. The interrogative remains unanswered.”

  Whoever they were, they sure seemed to know a lot about humans. AJ was beginning to doubt they were dealing with an Akuta ship. “Before I reply, I need to know if you are Akuta.”

  There was a long pause during which AJ turned around to see Goeglict's worried face staring back at him through the monitor. “We are not the Akuta,” the voice finally replied. “It is now imperative that you answer the first question as well as a second – how do you know of the Akuta?”

  AJ detected a subtle change in the tone of voice from the other ship. It was now less demanding and more questioning.

  “We were on our way back to Earth when we encountered a hyperspace anomaly that carried us far off course. While searching for fuel and making our way back home, the ship was damaged in the Keldan star system 6.3 light years from here. The Keldans
helped us repair the damage. Many centuries ago, the Akuta invaded the Keldan home world. In return for repairing our ship, we have come here to learn if the Akuta are still a threat.”

  There was another noticeable delay. “Do you have Keldans aboard your vessel now?”

  “We do.”

  “We wish to confirm.”

  “Computer, delay translation of Keldan to English until after the speaker stops speaking. Councilman Goeglict, please say something.”

  A short stream of Keldaneese issued from the speaker followed by the translation, “I am Councilman Goeglict, a member of the Keldan governing council, I wish to know the name of your race.”

  “We are Ba'Rutu. The Akuta are an ancient enemy of ours. This system was one of their last surviving outposts in this sector. It was destroyed a very long time ago.”

  “How did you know we were here and how do you know so much about humans?” AJ asked.

  “We have monitors in many star systems, especially systems in which the Akuta were once established. We have been tracking your ship for some time. As soon as we became aware of the presence of an unknown starship in the area, this vessel was dispatched to investigate to ensure that it was not an Akuta vessel. We did not expect to encounter a human ship in this area of space. What are your intentions?”

  AJ desperately wanted to ask a question of his own but he felt the Ba'Rutu deserved an answer to their own question first.

  “Now that we know the fate of the Akuta, we will return to Ashnib to give them our report. We will then head back to Earth. Be advised, there will most likely be many more starships coming here in the near future to help evacuate the Keldans.”

  “Why are the Keldans evacuating?”

  “I take it you are unaware of the approaching brown dwarf that will destroy their planet in less than 50 years?”

  There was a very long delay, long enough that AJ was about to repeat his last message but a reply was received before he did so. “This information is new to us. Your intentions are honorable.”

  The question AJ had delayed asking earlier was still burning his tongue. He saw an opening and took it, “Your race has the ability to communicate across interstellar distances, is this correct?”

  “We do.” The answer was so completely lacking in details that AJ decided not to pursue it.

  From behind him, Councilman Goeglict said something. A moment later, the translation came through, “If you have had star travel for so long, and you know of the humans, why do they not know of you?”

  Not wanting to interrupt the conversation, AJ turned to his computer interface and, using the keypad, typed a command – Resume real-time Keldan to English translation. The computer acknowledged the command.

  “We do not associate with less technologically advanced cultures.”

  “Yet here you are talking to us,” AJ heard himself say.

  “Your ship appeared well inside an area of space that is heavily monitored giving us the indication that you possessed the ability to jump great distances. This is an Akuta ability. Based upon the sudden arrival of your ship in the area, it was deemed necessary to investigate.”

  “We humans have been trading with several other races for years without incident. The Keldans are not as technologically advanced as we are, yet we have established a good relationship with them in the short time we’ve known them. If we followed a policy such as yours, most of the Keldan population would be exterminated in a few decades. Instead, we are giving them every possible form of assistance to help them evacuate their entire planet. I think your policy is wrong.”

  AJ expected an angry response but received something else. The voice, obviously computer generated, but one that was capable of reproducing the emotional undertones so important in speech, now sounded sad. “We once helped rebuild a race that had nearly destroyed themselves. When they thought they were strong enough, they attacked us, as well as any other race they encountered. We were forced to exterminate them. They called themselves the Akuta. We will not repeat the same mistake twice.”

  AJ opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he noticed that the Ba'Rutu ship had vanished from the screen. “Where did they go?” he asked instead.

  Lora had been listening so intently to the conversation that she seemed almost catatonic. Jerking herself back to the present, she looked at her console and replied, “They're leaving Sir. I peg their acceleration at nearly 400 Gs.”

  “Well, I guess we know what happened to the Akuta,” AJ said, leaning back in the command chair and tapping both armrests with his fingers. “I think our work is done here. Thomas, take us back to Ashnib so we can deliver the news. From there – take us home.”

  Chapter 24

  AJ's wrist-com beeped for attention. “Yes?”

  “The shuttle will be docking in ten minutes,” Jerome informed him.

  AJ checked his dress uniform again, making a tiny adjustment to the captain's insignia pinned to his collar. “How do I look?”

  “You look very handsome,” Heather told him, pretending to brush a fleck of dust off his shoulder. She was dressed in a pair of pearl-white, loose-fitting pants that gracefully tapered down and clung to a point just above her ankles. A robin's egg blue shirt fell loosely around her shoulders. The outfit seemed to be specifically designed to accentuate all the right curves which AJ had come to enjoy.

  AJ turned and gave her a quick kiss. “You look good enough to stop a starship under full drive. I'm glad you asked if you could come along – I really don't like all the razzle dazzle that the politicians love to revel in.”

  “I wouldn't miss this for the world,” Heather replied, taking AJ's arm and steering him toward the door. “Let's go. It would be very bad form for us to be late.”

  The Star-Pulse's return and the story of how they befriended the Keldans had created a media frenzy. Every news organization on the planet tried to be the first to interview the Captain and the Keldan representatives. AJ steadfastly refused every request and forbade his crew to speak to anyone who might possibly benefit from leaking a story to the media.

  Because of all the attention, AJ was forced to break a cardinal rule of interstellar shipping – the cargo would not be unloaded first. Instead, he sent Thomas down to the surface to pick up a group of very distinguished visitors. To avoid the crowds and the media clamoring to meet the newly discovered Keldans, it was decided that all negotiations would be held aboard the Star-Pulse. The shuttle that was about to dock carried representatives from all of Earth's trading partners; the leathery, heat-loving Indishar; the cat-like Nitnicki; and the indescribably ugly, horribly smelling Oodoo. Earth would be represented by its world leader.

  AJ and Heather arrived at the shuttle-bay with only seconds to spare. Commander Moon, dressed in his immaculately tailored dress uniform, along with Councilmen Goeglict and Diznet were already there. The large air-tight door leading to the shuttle's cargo bay split in half and rolled out of the way. A moment later, the shuttle's cargo hatch opened.

  The first person to step out of the shuttle was not the World President. Neither was it one of the alien representatives. Instead, the CEO of Trans-Stellar Cargo unceremoniously ran across the deck, wrapped his arms around Heather, and lifted her up off her feet.

  Rafael Santho gently set Heather back down and turned to face AJ. He held out his hand and said, “I cannot thank you enough for keeping such good care of my daughter. As soon as the political meet and greet session is over, you and I must have a long talk.”

  AJ firmly shook hands with the owner of the company and said, “I was only doing my job as captain of your ship Sir.”

  Heather saw AJ's sideways glance in her direction, leaned toward him, and whispered, “Surprise.”

  * * * * *

  AJ paced a circle in his stateroom. He was more nervous now than when he had been introduced to the leader of the entire Earth. A few doors down, Heather and her father were having a private conversation in her stateroom. AJ had no idea what they were t
alking about. Rafael had politely asked permission to speak to his daughter alone. AJ took it as an order even though it had not sounded like one.

  Three firm knocks caused AJ to abruptly reverse course and head for the door. Rafael accepted the invitation to come in and then waited for AJ to close the door before saying, “You look like someone waiting for the verdict of a murder trial. Relax Captain! You have nothing but my respect and admiration. Let's have a seat. In fact, I would like a drink if you have one.”

  AJ rarely drank anything more potent than beer but he did keep a small selection of alcoholic beverages in the room in case a visitor wanted something more. Rafael took a seat in one of the room's three over-stuffed chairs as AJ stepped over to the mini-bar. Opening the cabinet he peered inside and said, “I have rum, vodka, tequila, and whiskey.”

  “Do you have any beer?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” AJ replied. Reaching into his refrigerator, he pulled out two bottles of Yuengling Black and Tan.

  Rafael took a sip then held the bottle up and examined it. “I don't believe I've ever heard of this brand before. It's good.” He took another drink and added, “Very good!”

  “It's an American beer,” AJ explained. “Brewed exclusively in Pennsylvania.”

  Rafael carefully set the bottle down on the table and leaned back into the cushion. “You did very well on this trip Captain. You managed to turn what could have been a tragedy into a history-making voyage of discovery. You'll be able to write your own ticket from now on – and that worries me.”

  “Why is that Sir?”

  “You’re the best ship captain I employ. You’ve turned the Star-Pulse from a break-even ship into one of my most profitable interstellar freighters. I had hoped to put you in charge of doing the same for the rest of the fleet. But, now that you’re famous, people are going to want to pay you a lot more money than you earn now just to have the opportunity to associate your name with their company.”

  The expensive leather creaked as Rafael leaned forward in the chair. He looked penetratingly into AJ's eyes and said, “Tell me Captain – if you could do anything, anything at all, right now, what would that be?”