by David Buck
The two Traders looked at each other wryly, with Garendestat looking by habit at the sub-space detector for traces of active scans, before the captain brusquely continued.
‘Very well, charge the module for the last jump to the human system. We lost another crew member earlier this morning and I have had enough. I want these Voorde destroyed and my ship back.’
Narindestat gone back to the cargo hold again and had stated the same to the Maveen lead probe a few hours earlier. He was expecting the probe to protest about the change of plans. However the probe agreed readily enough and had then shut down again.
‘Damn inscrutable infernal device.’
Captain Narindestat had angrily thought to himself as he quickly made his way back to his bridge. He for one knew little of the original mission except that the Maveen were seeking two small ships. He was also finding that he cared very little now for either the probes themselves or their mission.
As the massive Trader ship flew out of the system, a cloaked probe recorded the passage of the ship from behind a large asteroid a few light minutes away. Within hours of the hyper space jump of the Trader ship being detected, the probe had de-cloaked and then jumped several star systems over to report to professor Elysius’s ship directly. As the Trader ship arrived in the Solar System, another probe detected the ship’s arrival. The second Barus probe then also moved several star systems back to rejoin other ships of the Barus research fleet at yet another nearby star system.
***
Omerio considered the data from the fourth system he had visited in the days since he had fled the Tilmud ships. The trace from the strange ship had resumed in this system coming from the system he had fled. He wondered how the ship had got past the Tilmud squadrons being stopped and searched. From what he could tell the ship had kept on this course and had left for the next system along by hyper drive as recently as six hours ago. Interestingly the Jerecab freighter he had recorded in the same initial star system with the Trader ship, so long ago now had also passed though this same star system about three days ago.
Omerio gave a start and promptly reversed course back along the way he had entered the system and heavily increased the speed of his ship. For he was aware of a significant Tilmud military installation two systems over, and he knew it had been three days since the Jerecab passed. The Barus pilot thought about this detail further and came to a simple conclusion. He accelerated his ship to the maximum rating of the powerful engines, and he also cloaked the ship. For two hours he raced back to his entry point, and he would try to enter hyper space where he had earlier arrived. He was hopeful that this would obscure both his destination and his drive information.
On the third hour since his course change his star map detected a massive swarm of Tilmud ships arrive from hyper space very close to the jump point for the Jerecab freighter. Omerio paused and cursed under his breath. For the distant ships included larger ships he soon identified as light cruisers that the Tilmud were forbidden to operate by the Zronte edicts. He somberly evaluated that his ship would have taken in minutes if he had remained on his previous course.
Even a cloaking device would do him no good if one of the Tilmud cruisers had released an active scan of the system. As he added this new data to his report, he wondered how the Tilmud came to possess these larger ships undetected by the other vassal races. Before the Tilmud swarm of ships could begin to intercept, let alone begin to reach his position well outside the star system, Omerio had engaged the hyper drive and his ship fled the now hostile star system.
***
Steve stood on the bridge of the Aurora Discovery the morning after the informal inquiry at the Garden Island navy base had concluded. The ship had sailed two hours previously and was leading the Lotus Marai back up the coast to Geraldton. The world seemed stranger today for what he had learnt, but he could tell no one, not even Samantha. He had met the four US scientists and had gotten along well of them, even after they had insisted on speaking with his crew and himself one at a time.
Due to his former military rank, Steve had eventually been taken into confidence by the scientists as they went through his story over the discovery of the strange panels. Steve had mentioned that the covers looked like coming from a missile or an aircraft, and the scientists had shared a look between each other. The Americans had then gone off to speak to in a corner for a few minutes. The senior scientist, an astrophysicist called Douglas Stoneham, finally came over to speak with Steve.
‘Look commander.’ He started before Steve held up a hand and responded.
‘Doug, I left the RAN several months ago.’
Douglas raised a hand to rub the back of his neck in exasperation and continued.
‘Steve, we can and will enforce as allies the secrecy provisions in your former career, but I think you are way to smart for it to come to that.’
He paused and gave Steve a reassuring look, before opening his briefcase and taking out a classified folder of photographs and reports.
‘Look Steve, just keep this strictly secret please.’
The American then handed the folder to Steve, and he leaned against the table with his arms folded watching Steve read through the information. Steve sat down at the table and read the reports; he looked through the folder and recognized the panels in the photographs. He looked over to Douglas, who nodded for him to continue. Steve continued looking at the folder, one photo showed a long black torpedo shaped object that appeared to be damaged on one side. The caption read it had been trawled up in the Sea of Japan. He looked at other photos of panels with captions that showed locations like Spain, South Africa and Florida.
Steve now looked at another photo with four of the panels arrayed around the larger object, and it took four panels to enclose the larger object as he had surmised. As Steve read the short two page final report he felt the hackles on the back of his neck rise. The black object and associated aero shield was some type of probe with advanced materials and engine design. He noted that certain parts of the strange probe, relating to the engine design was not included in the report.
‘Trust only goes so far.’ He thought to himself.
Steve then gave a serious pause to the next paragraph of the report, especially the crisp sentence.
‘The object is a probe of unknown description and function. The probe is not of human manufacture due to the unknown technology used in the engines and frame of the object.’
Steve had then retorted to Douglas. ‘You cannot be serious.’
But Douglas raised his hand again and replied.
‘Actually Steve we are deadly serious, we have found six groupings of these panels worldwide, but only one probe. This in turn leads to a lot of questions. So where are the other probes? And is there more than five or six of these things? What is the relevance, if any, to the pandemic?’
Wordlessly Steve had finished reading the report and had handed it back to Douglas. After another round of questions, the informal enquiry ended, and Steve rejoined Samantha, Dan and Rebecca out in the waiting area. The four Americans then had taken the two Australian couples out to dinner to thank them for their time and they had enjoyed a good meal together.
Steve was brought back to the present moment as his satellite phone rang, John Robertson was on the line, the two men conversed about the state of the two ships and the expected weather forecast for loading the live fish as the two ships sailed north. Once in Geraldton they would need four days to load all the fish into the Lotus Marai.
***
In the depths of two planets, two very different life forms detect the approaching Trader ship. One continues to quietly work in their vast facilities; the other goes stealthily silent but ready to spring forth with fearsome technology.
Deep in the hold of the Trader Ship, the lead Maveen probe briefly activated and it registered the details of the latest star system from a supplied data feed through the Trader ship. If it could have done so the lead probe would have exclaimed in surprise.
Captain Narindestat quickly perused the incoming sensor data with quiet satisfaction, as around him on the bridge his crew went about their duties with patient efficiency. Apart from four armed guards the bridge appeared normal, even if the captain knew for a fact that one of original bridge crew had already been killed since they had destroyed the first Voorde queen.
Additional research and the occasional loss of a crew member indicated that a second queen had since become active. This view was borne out by the crew witnessing Voorde drones killing each other. The captain knew that sooner or later the second Voorde queen and her drones would gain enough strength to kill the Trader crew. He was totally fed up of the Voorde and what they were doing to the crew and his ship.
Narindestat again looked a sensor data and checked the ship’s time as they crossed the orbit of the system’s largest gas giant well away from the actual planet itself.
The Maveen lead probe had earlier requested access to the Trader’s sensor data of the Solar system. The probes had avidly checked specifics of the Sol star, all the planets and their masses. The probe spent a long time considering the details of the second, third and fourth planets of the star system, but they would not divulge what interested the Maveen. The larger size of the third terrestrial planet was briefly remarked upon by the Maveen lead probe specifically before Narindestat broke off communications.
‘Captain I estimate that the escape velocity from this world will be a factor….’
Narindestat was already well aware of this issue and had stated so to the probe. For now he wanted the Voorde dealt with by landing his ship. At the moment the Maveen probes were all still in conference in his ship’s cargo hold. The blue laser beams between the probes remained steady as from time to time they would again access the sensor data. He hoped the obdurate probes would remain quietly in the cargo hold and not bother him, as he had plenty to do for the foreseeable future.
The cloaked Illuria had been slowing since entering the system, due to the risk of hitting a rock or lump of ice. He saw that they would slow yet again as they crossed the system’s asteroid belt, even if they were well above the central plane of the system.
‘This system is not only out of the way, it is a chore to navigate through as well.’
He observed in comment to his silent crew. In an addition the captain reminded his crew of staying alert.
‘Remember that this star system is classed both a haven and quarantined system. So we have no right to be here.’
Since entering the home system of the humans, the Illuria had travelled in a series of arcs towards the third planet over the last several hours. Always the Traders were careful to avoid getting too close to a planetary mass, and they definitely would not risk an active scan. Once they were sufficiently close to the planet the Illuria would separate from the hyper drive module, which would then go into a highly elliptical orbit and remain cloaked.
The captain briefly considered the fortunate state of affairs that led the hyper drive to be easily to quarantine, plus the recent assistance of the Maveen probes. He did not like to dwell on the fate of the Jerecab, as a Voorde infestation was rightfully feared by all space faring races. Lieutenant Garendestat looked up from the navigation console as the ship made yet another small course change.
‘Captain, our approach has to be changed slightly to maintain good separation from the planet’s outsized moon.’
Captain Narindestat looked at the altered course data on his command chair, and nodded in agreement before he then keyed his acceptance. The change meant they would now miss landing in the planet’s largest ocean. Instead they would land in a southern ocean bounded by the main landmass to the north, an island continent to the east, and a large ice continent to the south.
‘Lieutenant that is a lot of water we are looking at, as soon as the passive scans allow I want a depth and composition of those oceans.’
The captain considered the amount of water on this planet as it was really two worlds in one with those enormous oceans. From stories of his own race he knew that the Traders own smaller home world once had significant oceans, before the Zronte and Tilmud had attacked it so long ago now.
***
Gindane answered the summons from Professor Elysius with veiled annoyance; as she was not due to submit another report for a few days yet. She was deeply engrossed in her new research on the Dradfer artifacts, and was happy the research was taking her attention away from the recent trial. Over the last week she had quietly summoned a few of her most trusted researchers to help in the research. Her crew on the research ship had transferred all the cargo, and for now was engrossed in maintenance activities.
The questioning looks that Gindane and her researchers were given upon their return to the ship every night by the crew were ignored. Gindane did have to remind a few of the crew that they had signed legally enforceable contracts with the Barus Institute that amply covered discretion and confidentiality.
The Dradfer research that Gindane reported to the professor over lunch each afternoon had revealed a few more facts that had the research scientists confused. For one thing the date of the attack on the Dradfer was well after when the Traders were attacked and driven from their original empire. However this did not make a lot of sense because none of the carvings actually depicted Traders, and their original worlds were hundreds of light years away in now Tilmud space. The other inference was that Zronte and Vorinne themselves had nearly come to war, though Gindane and her researchers considered this unlikely. The Barus researchers knew that the Vorinne themselves had already been vassals at that stage for hundreds of thousands of years.
Gindane called out softly as she approached the table where the professor was supervising more mundane research on the Dradfer. The professor waved off his research associates, and then Gindane approached and gave the senior academic a respectful bow.
‘As well I might.’
She thought to herself, as she was now finally back into research duties with her mundane supply role taken over by another Barus commander.
Professor Elysius wordlessly gave her a cool look and removed a crumpled sheet from his jacket pocket. As always he had on a non-descript jacket and pants that could do with a wash. As the former colony was a warm world, Gindane herself wore one of her favorite sleeveless tunics and pants. The professor looked at the sheet briefly and commented as he handed it to her.
‘Our orders from the Vorinne envoy relating to the planet Earth are already starting to grate with me.’
Gindane took the pre-offered sheet and read the reports from the two probes with rising concern. A Trader ship has first been spotted approaching and later entering the star system containing the planet Earth, the home of the humans.
‘They are well away from their usual areas and this cannot be good for anyone.’
Gindane observed bleakly, as she again checked the specifics of the reports. Apparently one of their largest ships, an immense flying wing and the associated hyper drive module, was approaching the inner part of the Sol system at a very high speed. Gindane now made the obvious statement.
‘Professor, they are coming in real fast for an urgent reason. I do not see them waiting around for research purposes.’
The professor now gave her a warm grin, his instincts many years ago had been correct. The quality of work Gindane had performed as one of his associates, and her general intelligence, meant he had no trouble recommending her later promotion.
Despite the tragedy at Earth, she really was a bright light in the story of the Barus Institute. Gindane returned his grin nervously, the old professor was up to something, and she might not like where he would go with this meeting as the professor again spoke.
‘Gindane, take your research vessel to the planet Earth as soon as possible, your fuel and food status is the best of our ships. Also you have direct instructions from the Vorinne envoy to look after this planet, so in the event of the unforeseen occurring this fact may confer
you some protection.’
‘Well that would be something to see, another trial within five years.’ Thought Gindane to herself acidly. Another trial could occur, and this time that Tilmud admiral could end up using his garrote, whilst the Vorinne envoy remained aloofly absent.
Gindane quickly sent a pre-coded prepare for departure message to her research ship, as the professor asked her if she needed any additional resources. She suppressed the urge to ask him for a pair of Vorinne heavy cruisers, as that would not go down too well by offering sarcasm. Also the Trader ship would probably destroy the cruisers and her small research ship without too much trouble anyway.
The two Barus researchers switched back to discussing the Dradfer research that Gindane had been working on. Perhaps Gindane could ask the Trader captain himself about the Dradfer if she got around to it. The satellite console on her arm band came to life with a text message as the ship would be ready to take off in four hours. With urgent duties apparent on her ship, Gindane took her leave of Professor Elysius with another formal bow, and quickly made the short journey back to her ship. When she arrived at the ship, it was a hive of activity with the Barus crew checking and re-checking the destroyer prior to take off.
***
Omerio reviewed the latest system information as he prepared to make yet another hyper drive jump. He had spent the last three days jumping his ship around to other star systems always two systems across from the Tilmud base.
Once he had detected another Tilmud frigate squadron, and his ship had jumped away again to yet another system. There was no sign of the strange ship, and together with the proximity to Tilmud forces on two occasions, there was the likelihood that the ship was docked at the Tilmud base.
He now considered his mission over with as far as complying with the orders of the Vorinne envoy. So Omerio set the next jump to take him well away from the Tilmud base. The star field changed yet again to the streaking light of hyper space, and Omerio hoped that the Cephrit station master had also been able to gather his own information.
