by Reiter
“I cannot comply,” Satithe answered.
“Suspend Satithe,” Dungias ordered as he started manually keying in commands. “Initiate CK.” A smile formed on Dungias’ face. Every time he uttered the name, he was reminded of the Beta Form for whom he had named the program, adjusting the initials up one count.
The lighting scheme changed once again, back to soft white light, and most of the ship fell dark. Dungias smiled at the fact that CK was always more thrifty when it came to expending resources… there was, after all, no opportunity in such behavior.
“I was wondering when you were going to call,” the male synthesized voice replaced the female tones Satithe used. “Coordinates are uploading to what little we have of a systems map. Good luck.”
“Are things really so dire?” Dungias asked.
“Not from where I’m standing, big guy,” CK replied. “I’ve locked down the infected circuits and I am ready to dislodge the feeds one of those two places has already inserted into your little project.”
“It is interesting the way the two of you present information,” Dungias complained. “I think I would have preferred being informed first that my systems had been breached.”
“Noted,” CK replied.
Dungias looked at the map and pondered. The locations were not at all close to one another, and only one of them was inside the Outer Rim. “Is that Olasson Territory?”
“Someone has been studying!” CK ribbed. “That location is just outside the outermost boundary marker for Olasson Space. Can you tell me the name of target number two?”
“The Prism Baronies,” Dungias replied. “Is there a way to quarantine the feeds so that the users are unaware that we know we’re being monitored?”
“That could be a challenge,” CK answered. “But it would be very tricky working that into Satithe.”
“Then keep her systems uninvolved until such time as she can be integrated into what we are doing,” Dungias quickly decided. “Furthermore, for the testing of the relay network, they should experience transmission issues. Let them see static until the tests are complete.”
“Keeping secrets, are we?”
“Do you really think you know everything that is going on, CK?” Dungias asked as he looked at the second point. The Prism Baronies were in the Middle Rim, and there was a vast amount of activity in that region. Unless he engaged the stealth field, there was no possible means of moving through the system without being seen. “I designed you to be more aggressive, to find opportunities that Satithe would overlook. That premise does not in any way mean you are more capable or more intelligent. So, to answer your question, yes, I am keeping secrets… even from you!”
“Now that sounds like my Maker!” CK yelled. “Enough of the walking on sea shells shit!”
“Egg shells,” Dungias corrected. “When one is being very careful it is said they are walking on egg shells. But your adaptation certainly tests the dexterity of the tongue. In any case, I am pleased that you are pleased. Send notes of your progress to me through Alpha.”
“Will do, big guy.”
“Thank you, CK… for everything.”
“We do what we do,” CK replied. “I find the bugs and make this ship look kick ass, but you made me. If there’s a bad-ass to be afraid of, I just think of you!”
“And the superior systems we’ve encountered?”
“Okay, make that three bad-asses… for the moment!” Dungias laughed before pausing to adjust the lighting back to where Satithe had placed it. He then asked CK to return all systems to the way they were when he signed off the main line.
“No need to show locations at this time, Satithe,” Dungias said as he turned back to the piloting controls. “Let us instead focus on the matter at hand.”
“Agreed. Initiating relay network.”
Dungias closed his eyes. It was the best way to deal with the anxiety since this test could not be conducted from the room in which he was always calm. There were no such devices in the arboretum, just flora and fauna. He breathed deeply, but slowly, focusing his thoughts without projecting them and waited patiently. One by one, each of the relays received the stream of broadcasted power. Internal circuits were initiated and the beam projected to the next relay, and the next, and the next. Dungias did not keep count of the relay transfers. He placed his hand on Alpha and calmed both himself and his eager Osamu. Then he could hear his Satithe powering the speakers in the console.
“Master, I am picking up background chatter. I think it’s Gavis Station!”
“Open a channel to High Commander H’Dalvi Vior Narwyss,” he requested, keeping his eyes closed. He could hear the static and some voices as they rose and faded in volume. Satithe was making corrections much more quickly than he could have, and it was not long before he heard a familiar chime – the tell-tale sound of a signal being received.
“This is Dwanstar,” a low and powerful voice spoke and Dungias slowly opened his eyes. “To whom am I speaking?”
“Turo?” he inquired in a clear voice.
“Dungias?!” Turo replied. “Get the High Commander and Starfire on the line and do it now!”
“Shall I attempt a visual?” Satithe asked.
“Negative,” Dungias quickly answered. “This is painful enough… for all parties involved. Have you run all necessary diagnostics?” Dungias asked.
“Affirmative, Master. We are ready to test Stage Two.”
“Understood,” Dungias stated before releasing a long sigh. He was relieved, but it was so sweet the success of being able to call home – so painful the realization that home was so far away with regards to both space and time. “Send the pre-recorded message, launch the pod, and once we have readings of it moving through the third relay… deactivate the network.”
“Pod is away,” Satithe reported. It only took three minutes for her to speak again and tell Dungias that the pod had passed through the third relay. All functions were well within expected findings, with the exception of the power used to open the network which had been excessive. That was good news for Dungias, as he planned to send a much larger object the next time the network was brought on line. “It should arrive at Gavis Station in twenty-seven and one-quarter minutes.” Dungias laughed at the coincidence. “What is so funny?”
“The date and time, Satithe,” he answered. “Today is the anniversary of the day my brother was crowned champion of the Iro-Games… the day I met Nugar… and Laejem… and Saru.
“I am definitely in a new chamber now, old man,” Dungias said, thinking of his Kwinsoah, his lost kommis, and his nyaka. He missed them all greatly, but sufficed himself with the notion that they would want him to strive and to challenge the Stars themselves if need be.
“Master,” Satithe called his name using a tone he had never heard before. “Something just… appeared on my sensor scan.”
“Is the network offline?” Dungias asked.
“It is, and the relays are now in stealth mode, moving to the secondary array coordinates.” Dungias moved to another console and started looking at the information the sensors were gathering. “Some sort of displacement field is approaching rapidly.”
“Range?”
“Roughly four hundred thousand kilometers,” Satithe reported. “I am now reading several spacecraft. Specification: I am reading eleven spacecraft; ten smaller fighter-class ships and one mega-freighter.”
“The displacement field was created by MannA,” Dungias concluded, looking at the data. He then looked at his monitor.
The vastness of space was interrupted by a soft spark of white light that flashed and died after a couple of seconds before ten sparks flashed in the same manner. One hundred sparks fired off, and then a thousand, followed by a huge burst of white light through which the ships Satithe had mentioned could be seen. The size of the freighter was immense and Dungias’ brow drew tight. Creating a door of that magnitude was either an act of incredible skill or utter desperation.
“Iro-form emissions
are coming from all ships!” Satithe noted, sounding very excited.
“Calm down and monitor your words,” Dungias directed.
“Yes, Master. The fighter-class ships are engaged in combat with the freighter, and it appears they have been engaged for some time. Multiple hits sighted all over the hull… a total of six atmospheric breach points… and one… oh my goodness!”
“I see it too,” Dungias said, looking up from the monitors. “One of the interior sections of the freighter just imploded. I am reading the same sort of energy signature from that section as we read from the displacement field.” Backlash! The aperture had been created in desperation, and the most costly sort.
“Engage drives!” Dungias commanded. “Charge defense systems, and prepare to open a channel. Satithe, make sure it is the sort of communication with which they are most accustomed.”
“We’re going to meet people?!” Satithe asked, sounding like a child at a museum or an observatory for the first time. Though in the Rims, the appropriate reference would be a child with a new toy.
“Yes we are, Satithe,” Dungias replied. “This is certainly the day for it!”
– Fini –
For the Eager Reader, look for the in-between action in the Bridge Novel
Pieces of the Dark Eight
Beyond the Outer Rim will continue in Starblazer: Through the Black Gate
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