by David Buck
***
Captain Narindestat now perused the requested but limited details on the Earth’s oceans with real interest. He was constantly amazed by the size of this planet’s oceans, and the presence of that massive moon was also unusual. According to Garendestat’s report the oceans were quite deep and the largest ocean was also the deepest. Narindestat also noted with some relief that the planet’s oceans would block scanning technology. Fortunately the Traders had time to improvise on their landing site as their ship skirted the moon at a reasonable distance. Interestingly a passive scan of the moon had revealed a recently abandoned base on the near side, and the captain wondered briefly what could turn back a race from exploring their own star system.
The humans appeared to be in reduced numbers, but the television and radio channels were very busy, and the Trader captain was genuinely relieved that the humans still going after the pandemic.
‘Don’t mind my cloaked ship as I just want to use one of your oceans for a week or so.’ Captain Narindestat thought to the humans.
The Trader then turned his attention back on his current problem, and he verified the orders of his sneak ship pilots and the hyper drive module. The four ships docked to the hyper drive module would remain in reserve to help defend the module after it separated. The captain was taking ten sneak ships down to the planet with the main ship. The smaller ships would lower the main ship’s speed as much as possible, and then follow the ship down to an underwater location where they would all use the seawater to clean their ships. The sneak ships could remain underwater for long periods, though the main ship would need to land on the ocean floor after entering the atmosphere.
Narindestat turned to the patiently waiting Lieutenant Garendestat, and indicated a location on an underwater plateau to the west of the island continent.
‘Lieutenant we will land the ship on the ocean floor here, it is only half the depth of the neighboring sea floor, and the Illuria will survive the water pressure as long as the shields do not fail. Once we are on the sea floor I want the refueling and cleaning operations to start immediately. The sneak ships will hover underwater and run the water through their hulls to clean out the Voorde, paying attention to their holds.’
***
Steve stood on the bridge wing of the Aurora Discovery with his arms around Samantha. The couple quietly enjoyed the moonlit evening breeze after dinner, and after another check of the ship status, they would call it a night. The Aurora Discovery was hove to off Geraldton with the Lotus Marai after the larger ship had experienced delays starting the loading of the live fish. Steve was later advised that they had fixed the problem and that the loading would be started again in the morning.
The couple was admiring the sky together, just enjoying each other’s closeness when Samantha commented looking at the setting moon. She was wondering if the lunar base abandoned during the epidemic would be put into operation again. Steve was just about to reply, when they were distracted by a sustained flash of light and much later a thunder rumbling from far over the south west horizon. Steve let go of Samantha and they both quickly strode onto his bridge, and as his crew looked around in consternation, he calmly spoke to the ship’s radio officer.
‘Anthony, please get a report off to the Weather Bureau, with a copy to the Geraldton Port Authority. A suspected meteor was witnessed over the south west horizon with a flash of light and a deep rumble. Report a possible water impact.’
Steve then picked up a satellite phone call from John Robertson from the Lotus Marai.
‘Steve that could have been a meteor, should we consider deeper water?’
Steve considered John’s advice urgently, and then looking at his charts briefly, he ordered both ships out into deep water. The ships would sail in a slow loop out to the eastern edge of the Abrolhos islands and be back again by the morning. Steve listened with amazement for the next few hours as other reports were received of the same event.
Apparently a ship travelling fifty kilometers off the south west coast from Perth had reported a bright light to the west sinking into the ocean and a series of enormous sonic booms.
The disconcerting thing was that US satellites had failed to pick up the meteor until it had apparently broken up into one main piece and several smaller pieces on the edge of the atmosphere. Steve knew that the American military prided themselves on finding anything bigger than a small marble in low earth orbit. As Steve viewed the information coming in that evening, Samantha fetched him a coffee and sat with him, as they quietly discussed the information with the bridge crew. After a few hours and with apparently no reports of a tsunami hitting the south west coast, Samantha and Steve had finally called it a night and then left the bridge.
***
The Illuria began to glow a fiery red as it encountered the Earth’s atmosphere at nearly twenty times the speed of sound. The shields kept the gathering firestorm a short distance from the incredibly tough, but still vulnerable hull. The captain knew that his ship could get down in one piece even if the shields failed. However the ship could take weeks to make space worthy if too much hull damage occurred.
Captain Narindestat viewed the reports will a sense of detachment, as he had learnt that this was the best method to deal with acute stress. The sneak ships were not all performing as well as expected, the initial entry speed was too high, with the Illuria dangerously close to over-shooting the ocean target. The increased rates of ionization had caused the sneak ships to undock a bit early as their hull temperatures started to rise, and they were following the main ship down at a much slower rate. The Illuria was already weaving across the sky attempting to wash off excessive speed, and the sneak ships for their part kept well back. The two sneak ships most affected by drive problems had also briefly uncloaked as a result of the ionization. The Illuria had then uncloaked for several minutes due to the same re-entry ionization effect. The ship again banked to throw off speed and the shield temperatures finally came down to safe limits.
Just over the horizon from the western edge of the island continent, the Illuria gave a final series of sonic booms. The ship banked again at high altitude, and it turned due south west to descend towards the selected seafloor location well offshore. The ship leveled off a few hundred feet above the ocean in the moonlit evening. The captain sent a quick message to brace for emergency landing as the Illuria seemed to skim the ocean.
‘Lieutenant, you must keep the nose of the ship up please, and try not to bounce us around too much.’
Garendestat for his part kept his eyes on the screen and kept the ship level as it sank towards the waves as he answered.
‘Captain we are getting extra lift at this height and the speed is still dropping.’
As Garendestat replied, the stall warning came on for the wing tip and trailing edges of the massive ship, the lieutenant calmly dropped the ship’s nose towards the onrushing ocean. The bridge crew suppressed oaths at the onrushing ocean. But still glancing at his speed and altimeter readouts, Garendestat firmly eased back the flight controls and the ship flared slightly to settle onto the ocean in a massive spray of water.
Narindestat was almost tossed out of his command chair and sought to find calm. The ship bounced off a series of crests in a series of heaving lurches, and it was all over with in less than a minute. The Trader ship slowly settled into the water until the upper hull was awash. The captain flicked a console switch on his command chair and spoke.
‘Engineering, I want a damage report immediately, I am concerned about a shield in front of the port aero spike engine. Also stand by to progressively flood the ship on my orders. We seem to float better than I thought we would have, and that will be due to the salts in these oceans.’
The engineers quickly checked the shield and advised the captain to proceed with the flooding, but to not go too deep until they have stabilized the shield fully. The Trader ship slowly settled deeper under water as three smaller holds on each side of the ship were flooded. The ship was soon full
y under water and the crew slowed the flooding in the smaller holds. The crew then experienced problems, as two of the external hatches on one side of the ship had jammed open. The ship took a slight list to the port side and the lieutenant attempted to compensate by increasing the forward speed of the ship to level it out. The interior doors held for several minutes before the increasing water pressure caused then to start leaking badly.
Captain Narindestat looked at the ship damage reports calmly, and another inner series of doors were also closed to control the flooding situation. The captain remotely verified that the doors were secured as he spoke again to the lieutenant.
‘Lieutenant Garendestat, you could not know of the risks of the water pressure on our inner doors, but keep the speed well down until all doors are closed.’
Finally, with the outer doors closed and the suspect shield now tested and supposedly safe, the Trader ship sank heavily towards the seafloor. Lieutenant Garendestat hurriedly called out.
‘Sir, our speed and angle of descent are both very high and we cannot navigate too well under water.’
The captain did not even look around as he calmly spoke to Halbindestat in engineering.
‘Can we ensure that one of the hold doors is closed on the port side and purge it with air? Also please lower the landing skids.’
The Illuria’s rate of descent slowed as the one of the flooded tanks was emptied of water, and the ship leveled off when still well above the ocean floor. Above the sinking main ship, the sneak ships, now also underwater, painted the seafloor with laser scans and sent the details to the Illuria. Narindestat was about to point out a series of underwater ridges for the lieutenant to avoid, when Garendestat made a course change away from the ridges before the captain could speak. He then looked at the readouts in his command chair and pointed out a flat section of the plateau. The captain had just time to speak.
‘Braking thrusters, brace for hard landing.’
The ship skidded onto the flat section of sea floor. Under a kilometer of seawater the Illuria quickly came to a halt, with the sturdy landing skids carving deep grooves in the ocean floor sediment. Captain Narindestat looked breathlessly at the ship damage readings showing on his command chair screen.
‘This is not a bad outcome at all….’
He calmly stated as he looked across at his son, who was now setting the ship flight controls to safe mode as his father spoke again.
‘Superb job with the landing lieutenant, a commendation will be attached to your records.’
The bridge crew now altered their sensors to take stock of their strange landing place.
***
Chapter 10
Omerio considered the Cephrit station master quietly as the large alien spoke again in the soft chirring way of his race. His ship was being fueled and replenished even as he sat in the Station master’s luxurious office on Cephrit star base 31. Omerio had just time for a quick wash and change of clothes so as not to offend the sensitive sense of smell of the Cephrit.
However he was ravenously hungry and looking forward to a good square meal from the star base food hall. The Cephrit was hiding something for sure decided Omerio, even if the alien was grateful to know of the system where Omerio had encountered the strange ship. The Barus trader decided the Cephrit already must somehow know of this bit of information. So taking the gamble Omerio volunteered.
‘That Trader ship I met with in that star system also felt that the strange ship was worthy of further inspection. Only they did not have time to do so.’
The Cephrit went still for several moments as it parsed out the intent of Omerio’s comment.
‘Omerio, I must maintain distance between the separate parts of my life. The Vorinne envoy cannot learn that piece of information or otherwise she will borrow that Tilmud admiral’s garrote to use on the both of us.’
Omerio felt real heat rising into his face and shoulders, but he kept his tone respectful and civil.
‘Station master, what has happened to the Jerecab and the Traders? I have to know this if I am going after the Traders now. I can do no more about that strange ship.’
The Cephrit seemed to consider something else before he replied.
‘Omerio, the Jerecab were destroyed at that military base you skirted around, they attempted to dock at the base with a Voorde infestation on their ship. I sent the Trader ship to land in an ocean on Earth, a populated haven world, in an attempt to eliminate the Voorde. For this reason alone the Vorinne second envoy would order my execution.’
Omerio looked in amazement the Cephrit as he replied, as he knew the Cephrit were always mindful of the law. However several large and protective female marines were stationed just outside the station master’s front door, so he knew he had to be careful not to offend the male Cephrit.
‘I will keep your secret about meeting the Traders. But I will have to tell the Barus researchers about the Traders possibly being contaminated by the Voorde if I can reach them in time.’
The young Barus trader watched as the Cephrit Station master twitched in agitation then nodded in agreement. Omerio remembered his training about the Cephrit at the military academy. Basically he knew that they are reasonable to deal with, as long as they agreed with and followed your logic. He also knew that it might not necessarily in that order either, as he spoke again to the Cephrit.
‘Station master, as you know the second envoy was quite specific in her instructions to Gindane and the professor. In the meantime I politely and respectfully suggest that you contact the nearby Deltas Vass and Barus bases, and inform them of a possible emergency awaiting confirmation. Just say it is with the Tilmud and those cruisers they are forbidden to possess or something.’
The last section Omerio added as the Cephrit gave a start of protest at the initial statements, then a chirr of surprise at the last off hand comment.
‘There must be something more going on with the Tilmud than I know.’ Omerio now thought to himself bleakly.
The Cephrit surprised Omerio by venturing a long and detailed opinion.
‘Omerio, your logic does your race credit. I suggest you leave the Traders to the professor and Gindane if their ship has landed on the planet Earth. However your presence would be useful in the likelihood that Admiral Baredio arrives and takes a combined fleet to that world. Also the Tilmud are actually up to something. The star base where the Jerecab freighter was destroyed had five times the usual number of ships nearby before the freighter even arrived. We are reluctant to commit a significant fleet to chase down the Trader ship with the recent developments with these Tilmud.’
As the conversation wound down, Omerio thought of the additional complication of again meeting Admiral Baredio. He soon had bowed low to the Cephrit Station master and then left to find a quick meal. As he walked he also considered how to handle the two researchers before they crossed paths with the Trader ship.
Finally there was the matter of Gindane actually speaking to the humans on Earth about the pandemic that had occurred. Omerio did not envy Gindane and her crew’s position in that regard he thought to himself grimly. He then quickly strode down another massive corridor on the Cephrit Star Base to find something decent to eat.
***
On the sea floor some two thousand miles west from the landed Trader ship, a massive form spoke quietly by low wavelength sound waves to her distant mother and her five sisters. The ancients were not ready and would not be ready for many years yet. This was despite the sisters ramping up their hidden underwater facilities, and the sharing of resources and technology amongst themselves.
Seliandre quietly withdrew another one hundred kilometers to the west. Her mother Queen Angwene and her sisters would meet her there, and if needed they could mount a combined defense for their lives.
Several hundred million kilometers away, in the depths of Neptune’s atmosphere, life forms every bit as massive and even more alien, evaluated the Trader ships trajectory. A decision was made before standing down from
their heightened state of alertness. As they drifted off to dormancy yet again they made the commitment to stay asleep for many years. For the galactic edicts was holding judging by the behavior of the Trader ship.
***
Gindane perused the flight reports as her research ship prepared to make a second hyper drive jump towards the Solar system. The planet Earth orbited a moderately large yellow star, and the planetary system was quite extensive. So she knew the research ship would not reach Earth for awhile yet. With the dual status of Earth now as both a haven world and a quarantine world, severe galactic edicts governed what the vassal races could do in the Solar System.
The two most relevant restrictions were that any un-necessary contact was prohibited, though the presence of the Traders on the planet would change that parameter. And the second was that war-like activity like active scans and interstellar combat in the Solar system were highly illegal.
Gindane was aware that the vassal races could apprehend the Traders at Earth. But she knew that if it involved combat then the reaction from the Vorinne towards a junior vassal race flouting the edicts so openly could be unpleasant. Gindane now keyed additional search requests on vassal races and first contact restrictions. She ruefully considered both that the Traders were under no such edict restrictions and that she would have to explain her ship’s role to the humans in the pandemic that had recently decimated their world.
***
Captain Narindestat pulled back the visor on his space suit helmet with satisfaction, as they discovered another Voorde drone body. The suited Trader crew had formed teams of eight to ten each, then each team gone over their assigned decks with fire hoses deployed to thoroughly douse any Voorde they encountered. Selected crew members would go in first with weapons drawn and power down the electronics in the areas they were working through. Other crew members later dragged the heavy water hose through, and began to drench the whole area with sea water after the electronics had cooled for a few minutes.
