by David Buck
The lead probe passed a search algorithm over the new data from the canyon, and it could soon begin to make a predictive analysis. The probe considered that it now knew the probable numbers of those they sought, a queen and her daughters. The Maveen probes silently passed at a distance the still hulls of the two crippled Trader ships. By habit they made a detailed passive scan indentifying the orientation and damage to the ships. Also the probes quickly found and analysed the crushed fragments of the strange underwater human ship.
Possibly the Trader captain would be interested in this information on the sneak ships, but he could not be permitted to know about the ancients the probes sought. To any human surface ships two kilometres above on the surface, the cloaked Maveen probes were invisible underwater as they continued with their search. The lead probe led the other probes a few kilometres south of the downed ships, and gave updated orders via long wavelength soundwaves at very low power.
‘We will travel slowly at all times from now on. We will search south first and then move west in a zigzag search pattern. It is unwise to inadvertently discover them, especially as the mother’s first instinct is to protect her young. We will use the agreed signal at low power.’
As the probes slowed down and spread out in a search grid, they send soft ultra low frequency calls into the water. The calls could only be initiated by probes that had received the code changes based on the exceptional circumstances like the information they had uncovered. The lead probe knew that the rest of the changed mission, indeed the rest of all the probe's existences depended on the next few hours.
***
Steve and the alien in the space suit lay alongside one another in the ocean not far from the strange floating object. The alien seemed to be resting though Steve had to steady the life jackets under space suit on occasion as the alien seemed weaker. Steve had checked again the condition of the alien by looking back into the sealed suit. He noted that the ornate facial and neck tattoos of the alien seemed blackened, the rest of the skin was a blue grey colour, the two eyes were large, brown and intelligent looking.
Hopefully Samantha and her medical team could do something for the alien once they were aboard the Aurora discovery. He then noted the differences between the suited alien and the fierce looking red creatures he could still occasionally see locked inside the floating object. They looked to be a completely different species.
‘So are they pets or is one of them a predator?’
He thought as he continued to wait in the water below the hovering helicopter.
Steve also wondered about the chance meeting south of the Abrolhos islands.
‘Why here and why now?’
He considered to himself as he deflated and secured the now useless pair of lifting bags.
Garendestat felt light headed, disorientated and in real pain. The glimmer tattoos on his neck, cheek and shoulders burned like they were on fire. On reaching the surface, the space suit had opened a valve on the top of his suit to admit air. However a fine mist of sea water sprayed down over him when an occasional small wave caught his helmet. Also his broken arm had gone stiff and very sore, and he knew he would need medical treatment on his ship as soon as possible.
To make matters worse he could see three Voorde drones present in the research rig, and they eyed him hungrily every time they could see him. However he did not think that they would pose much of a threat to anyone surrounded by this ocean, although a real danger existed for the humans should even one Voorde egg make it to the main island to the east.
The human for the most part ignored the red forms of the Voorde imprisoned inside the rig, though Garendestat did see the human quietly looking into his faceplate from time to time. Hopefully a sneak ship would come back to him soon enough, and the stoic Trader patiently relaxed as much as his injuries would allow him.
***
The two Tilmud frigates transited another star system on the long journey to Earth. Squadron Commander Tanuldesec, in the command couch of the lead ship, considered the disdain with which his own older brother, Admiral Biruldesec, had treated him with both genuine fear and disgust.
When he earlier pressed the Tilmud admiral for details of the strange Tilmud ship, he knew that he had gone too far. Tanuldesec was a conscientious but unimaginative officer who always attempted to perform his own duties as he best could. He could not understand why a strange Tilmud ship with minimal information supplied could have the run of an important system on his patrol watch.
The squadron commander acutely felt the humiliation of only being assigned two ships on this patrol, as another three of ships of his own squadron had been assigned to escort the strange Tilmud ship after it left the Tilmud Star base. Tanuldesec knew that his record was exemplary; otherwise he would not be in command of even one frigate. He got along as well as a Tilmud could with the commander of the other Tilmud frigate, a younger commander from an affluent family that now also had a debt to his older brother. The other commander wisely refrained from offering an opinion about his changed status.
Fortunately he felt he could alter the situation in the long term by continuing to mentor his nephew, the admiral’s son, along with the other junior lieutenants. Not that he entirely minded teaching the junior officers, as he felt he was actually quite good in that part of his duties. Quietly he repeated to himself the requirement that he would remain calm if he felt he was being tested by his officers. His older brother could use his vile temper at almost every opportunity, but now the squadron commander was in no such position.
Calmly he evaluated the ongoing reports that found their way to his command couch, and he set scenarios based in part on these reports for each of the lieutenants to be challenged by and respond.
Lieutenant Giruldesec smiled to himself as he accepted a difficult scenario from his uncle, the squadron commander, and by habit avoided eye contact with any other male on the bridge of the frigate. He was learning a great deal from the commander, who had a sharp mind and sharper wit, and was actually grateful to be on the ship. His uncle was a lot more pleasant to be around than his father, and if his father thought he would undercut his uncle then he was in for a big surprise.
The lieutenant then though he understood what his father was about with that strange ship in the Tilmud fleet sector. But a well honed sense of self preservation stopped him from commenting directly about the ship to the rest of the crew. Satisfied with challenge of the scenario he accessed his terminal and prepared a response.
***
The queen and her daughters were pressed hard against the side of an underwater cliff halfway between the site of the Trader underwater landing and the massive southern ice continent. She evaluated the situation they found themselves now in as potentially one of rapidly climbing risk.
Angwene knew that for all the long period of time she had been on this world raising her daughters, and that still both she and her daughters remained vulnerable until they were ready to leave. The ancients had created extensive underwater facilities that had built most of the bodies they would don for their escape into space. However they lacked certain key components that would ensure their escape even if they had most of the fuel reserves already prepared.
The queen considered how much easily her task would be if she could obtain these objects and information indirectly from the Trader ship. This is hopefully where the Maveen probes would prove to be useful. She had respect for the Traders but would not trust even them with her existence.
The queen had settled back to further consider the situation when Seliandre, who was controlling several cloaked drones, interrupted her thoughts.
‘Mother, sorry for the interruption, but several cloaked probes are broadcasting a low power low frequency sound wave that you suggested they would transmit.’
The queen listened to the transmissions from the probes with rising hope, and she gave a series of orders to Seliandre.
‘Tell one of your probes to broadcast a stop and parley in the same low freque
ncy. State in the terms as only the leading Maveen probe is to come forward to be met by only me. The others are to stay in defensive formations and remain cloaked.’
Her daughters started to protest that she would be vulnerable, but the Angwene quickly overrode their objections in a no nonsense manner.
‘Look I am in charge here and the best equipped for combat as well. The eternal servants are now very unlikely to offer violence especially based on their last transmission. So form a defensive posture to the east and west as I have trained you to do, stay alert, and stay here.’
The queen was not worried about any threats to the south as only endless depths carried on until the ice continent was reached. Within moments the message and scan confirmations had been received. A sole Maveen probe had uncloaked and was slowly coming forward. Angwene swam forward rapidly at first to distance herself from her daughters. The lead probe uncloaking was unnecessary she decided and obviously the lead probe was giving the queen every chance to make this meeting work.
The queen broadcast a greeting and uncloaked as she neared the still Maveen probe suspended in mid-water.
‘Lead probe, it is good to see the Maveen again after so long. Now please let us both cloak again.’
***
The Maveen lead probe came forward slowly and uncloaked. The message from the south had been for their ears only and both very explicit and succinct.
‘As if no doubt the ancients are here…’
The probe observed wryly to the other probes before it had come forward. The old records available to the Maveen lead probe had been in agreement about the forthright nature of those they had uncovered. Probe three, ever the sagacious wit, had observed as they watched the lead probe go forward.
‘They were lost to the greater galaxy for many millennia but are already giving orders again.’
The strange half suggested readings from supposed objects far ahead had remained still, then a larger object had come forward rapidly at first and then uncloaked. The lead probe had cloaked again as requested and reported on the number and type of Maveen ships on this world, though it withheld the details of their original mission. The lead probe had calmly evaluated that their situation would benefit the ancients and the Traders directly in due course. As a side effect, the humans and the Maveen would come out of the process very well. The probe knew though that the humans could obviously never know anything of the process until the ancients actually left Earth in the far future.
The queen was now more to point, and not entirely relieved to see the Maveen either. She started the questions after they both cloaked again and after the probe made his initial report.
‘You could not know I was here with my daughters, but what brings the Maveen to this world? And what is the significance of your short battle alongside the Traders against the humans?’
The lead probe knew that it would take time to get the queen going in the direction he hoped she would progress. The queen was well within her rights to demand that the Maveen probes self destruct to protect the existence of herself and her daughters. The probe suppressed a strange sensor loop effect internally. And it analysed the effect, possibly related to the changed state caused by the altered programming. The ancients, here right in front of the probe, wonderingly the probe considered it must be experiencing awe. Apart from the two males his team initially sought, the last meeting between other ancients and the Maveen happened elsewhere over forty thousand years ago.
The ancient queen for her part was regarding the lead probe with distrust. Despite the interesting possibilities of the Maveen’s initial status report she was about to launch into another series of questions. But the lead probe now responded to the first questions to provide the necessary reassurance.
‘Majesty, we seek to aid the Traders so they in turn can aid us. We had a limited battle, using minimal force, with the humans after they attacked the Traders.’
Patiently the lead probe stepped the queen through the full sequence of events that had lead to their meeting in the oceans of this world. The queen, for her part, would ask a series of questions, and then fall silent again as the probe provided information and explanations. Many hours passed as the two entities quietly exchanged considerable amounts of information and planned out their next moves, as they hovered in the depths of the southern Indian Ocean.
***
Admiral Johnston chaired the mornings briefing in the depths of the bridge of the USS Gerald R Ford, and considered the latest information he had received on the alien ships with frustration evident. The aliens were certainly now in Australian waters from the noises the tracking submarines had detected. Another report that morning had also caused the admiral additional irritation, as the two recovery ships were still four days away from the crash site of the two space ships.
The US 5th fleet had recovered significant electronics functionality and they could defend themselves now to a reasonable extent. However the fleet was a long way away from the ability to mount an offensive effort of any significant value. The Unified Command in Hawaii had explored multiple scenarios involving nuclear weapons, including some with elements of the fleet. The admiral evaluated either the aliens would become more defensive and start destroying human targets indiscriminately, or the Australians themselves would react poorly to any unilateral US action, especially involving nuclear weapons in their territory.
‘Basically the window of opportunity for seizing those space ships has closed, now surely Unified Command can see that.’
He observed to the various junior officers in the meeting, who for their part seemed to be coping well with their recent defeat.
Captain Ed Whitten, looking over at the admiral, nodded in agreement and also commented.
‘Admiral they are running one of their space ships top cover now for air defence. The Australian frigates are heading for the Abrolhos islands which is the alien’s apparent landing site, thought as I understand it the two frigates themselves are to keep back.’
The admiral considered the report and replied.
‘Ed, we already have sent back the USS America to the location above the underwater landing site. If required she can sail further east and by sunrise tomorrow can send marines ashore by helicopter to go with the Australians if necessary. I am sure their SAS will be getting orders to secure the site at some stage. I will point that out to Unified Command and they can smooth the waters with the Aussies.’
Ed considered the evaluation with a wry smile.
‘Sir, we know the Australians will be driving this now, we just have to grab a seat. We have a science team at Fleet West looking at those aero shields that former RAN commander found near Malaysia last month. Now I know Douglas Stoneham, their team leader, reasonably well and I will give him a call also.’
The US 5th fleet continued to sail back to Diego Garcia, and on both the cruisers occasional wisps of smoke told of the devastation the powerful weapons of the second alien race had inflicted during their brief attack.
***
The view out of the east side of parliament house was as peaceful as Ian Ridge, the honourable member for Berwick and the Prime Minister of Australia, could remember seeing over the last two years. The peaceful view outside conflicted with the emotions that the prime minister was feeling, namely a complex mix of concern, amazement and confusion.
The concern was due to his fears for the health of all Australians, and by extension the peoples of the world, due to the presence of aliens. The amazement was a product of the still limited information that he had about the visitors, not of one but two alien races. The confusion, which he would never admit to, was brought about by the absolute need to deal with this surprising occurrence in the best possible manner to all involved.
The prime minister had remained above the speculation now surfacing in the mass media. But he knew he would have to state a solution once he had a clear direction and set of facts to base his decisions upon.
After the pandemic ten years ago he had m
ade a rapid rise in Australian politics after coordinating foreign aid when he was head of the foreign affairs department in Canberra. Prime Minister Ridge had helped his party win power in the last election by committing Australia both to continuing foreign aid and to chart a more independent path in regional politics.
The fact that he was regarded as a no nonsense leader that would stick to his principles had helped with his election victory. His opponent, now a back bencher in the opposition, had also made the unfortunate gaffes of promising better ties with the USA and to support yet another referendum on Australia becoming a republic.
The prime minister considered that Australia was still a friend of the USA, but he would not be led by the nose by them considering the odour with which they were regarded in southern Asia. Ian had just been on the phone talking to the US president, and he liked and respected the fellow. However at one stage the tone between the two men had been cold. The Australian insisted that any US forces in the area would not take any unilateral action against the aliens in Australian waters or territories.
The US president had mentioned that the US military were considering further action, and the prime minister had come out heavily against this action occurring. Ian had managed to later lighten up the US president by agreeing to have US troops on standby in Perth for a possible joint mission. But he highlighted that the Australian government would decide if and when the mission was to occur and what the objectives would be. He next sounded out the possibility of several scientists and negotiators meeting with the aliens, and the US president stated that he would get a team of advisors on the matter immediately. The phone conversation ended on polite terms with an invitation from the US president for Ian to visit the White House later in the year.
