Stories of the Confederated Star Systems

by Jones, Loren K.

  It took just a moment for the helmsman to report, “Ma’am, answering ahead one half, steady on course zero-seven-one by two-one-nine.”

  Captain Reordan answered, “Very well, helm.” She thumbed her mic to life and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are cruising at half power in normal space.” She paused because she could hear the cheering of her crew echoing through the ship. “Helm, ahead full. Let’s go see what’s out there.”

  First in Her Class © 2009

  Leave Nothing to Chance

  AN ATTRACTIVE WOMAN WITH SHORT-CROPPED brown hair walked through the corridors of the CSS Naval Command Center and stopped at the door of the First Lord of the Admiralty’s office and spoke to the identiplate on the wall, as she had done dozens of times before.

  “Captain Erica Reordan of the Temporal Cruiser CSS H.G. Wells, reporting as ordered,” she announced. A red-light laser scanned her face for an instant then vanished.

  “Enter,” a feminine voice replied as the door opened. “The First Lord is waiting for you, Captain Reordan. Please follow me,” the yeoman said as she led the way to the First Lord’s door. The door opened before she arrived, revealing First Lord of the Admiralty Devero Kenyon sitting behind his desk.

  “Ah, Captain Reordan, come in, come in. Have a seat. I trust that your leave was pleasant.”

  Captain Reordan seated herself carefully across the desk from the elderly lord. “As always, Lord Devero. How may I be of service?”

  Lord Devero laughed lightly. “Right to business, eh Erica? Very well. We have received a request for a timeship to make a jump to Old Earth, to the year 5535 BCE. There is some agricultural event that the historians are debating, and it has devolved into a source of major contention at Sol University. We want you to take your ship to Old Earth and observe the Asian Continent from planting to harvest, approximately April to September. Make the most detailed recording that you can, then return. It’s amazing how much clout some of these academics have with the government.” He shook his head in mock wonder while Captain Reordan simply smiled.

  “As you command, Lord Devero. Are there any other parameters for us?”

  “Just this; be careful. It is a long jump, longer than we have ever tried before.”

  Captain Reordan smiled as she stood. “The Wells can handle it, Sir.”

  Lord Devero nodded and smiled in return. “Very well, Erica. Safe voyage. Dismissed.”

  *

  Captain Reordan made her way to the shuttleport and boarded the first shuttle bound for the L5 Dry-docks. The Wells was in for minor repairs, and her crew should all be reporting back within the next five hours. They were due to leave dock at 2200 Zulu, just twelve hours away.

  The Wells’ Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Jarred Williamson, met her as she boarded. “Just about ready, Captain. All systems are in their warm-up phase, and we will begin testing in three hours.”

  “Very well. Keep me informed of any important developments. We have a long jump ahead of us, Jarred. Make sure your babies are up to it.” She grinned at him as she spoke. Like many engineers, Jarred considered the engines to be his personal property.

  “We won’t let you down, Captain.”

  *

  The CSS H.G. Wells, TCH-1, left dry-dock precisely on time, her sleek form drawing appreciative looks from sailors on dozens of other ships as she passed. She continued on, leaving the plane of the ecliptic at a right angle as she traveled toward galactic north. Finally, as the temporal circuits began to fold space-time to suit their makers, the Wells disappeared.

  *

  The Wells shook and heaved like an ancient sailing vessel caught in a storm as the swirling chaos of the temporal flux buffeted the small ship. Her captain and crew rode out the violence with the calm demeanor of experienced sailors until the ship suddenly quieted, the vibrations stopping in an instant.

  “Status, XO?” Captain Reordan asked softly as the Wells swung down toward ancient Earth.

  Commander Kellin Frazier swung his chair around and examined his status board. “All systems on line and functioning normally, Captain,” he reported, turning back to share a grin.

  Captain Reordan nodded and turned to the opposite side of the control room. “Temporal status?”

  The Temporal Systems Officer didn’t turn to speak, keeping his eyes glued to his readouts instead. “Preliminary analysis of the star field indicates approximately 5500 BCE. We will have to make a detailed analysis over the next few hours to determine exactly when we are.”

  The captain nodded. “Very well, keep me informed. The historians want a detailed record of the period between April and September, 5532 BCE. We may need to make a few microjumps to reach the right year.”

  The Wells sped toward ancient Earth, shedding velocity as she fell into Sol’s gravity well. Her crew was beginning to settle into their normal orbital routine when the lights in the control room suddenly shifted to red and the emergency klaxon began its incessant shrieking. Captain Reordan immediately turned to her officers for answers.

  Lieutenant DeBaron, the Sensor Officer, was crowded over his operator’s shoulder, looking at the readout and shaking his head. “We’ve been scanned, Captain. High power gamma sweep. Seeking the source now.”

  The captain nodded, even though his back was turned toward her. “There is no one on Earth during this time period that should possesses that level of technology. I want to know who that was.” And what they are doing here.

  The crew of the Wells turned to, using all of their considerable resources and skill to find their captain’s answers. Minutes passed into an hour before Mister DeBaron turned to her, shaking his head. “No trace, Ma’am. Whoever it was is either gone, or hiding exceptionally well.”

  Captain Reordan shook her head in disappointment. “This is not good, people. Someone out here is visiting Old Earth and I don’t think that it’s one of our ships. The Temporal Directorate is far too cautious to send two ships to the same coordinates. Even if they are from our future, the records of this trip should warn them off. I want double-shifts on the scanners, with every sensor manned continuously. Our mission is on hold until we find out who that was.”

  *

  The sensor operator of the Servan Shree was down on his knees, pressing his head to the floor in supplication in front of his captain. “Forgiveness, oh Mighty Gral. Forgiveness. I only sought to identify the intruder.”

  “Fool. Their reaction shows that you only alerted them to our presence. Were we detected?” he asked his second-in-command.

  “No, Mighty Gral. Their sensors sweeps never touched our hull. They are continuing their search though, and we are having to keep the planet between us.”

  The Mighty Gral nodded. “And why did we not detect them earlier? They did not just appear out of nowhere.”

  The second-in-command thought carefully before answering. “Mighty Gral, they apparently did appear out of nowhere. Our periodic sweeps of the sector did not reveal them until they were almost in orbit. We have no track on where they came from.”

  The Mighty Gral growled deep in his throat as he glared at his officers. “I want a full analysis of the sensor readings. I want to know who they are, and what they are doing here. And I don’t want them to find us until I have my answers.”

  A chorus of, “Yes, Mighty Gral,” answered him as he stalked from the control center. The lights were still down for battle, but bright yellow light flooded in through the hatch for a moment before it slammed shut.

  The sensor operator dared to peek up at the second-in-command when the door had slammed behind the captain. “Sir?” he asked softly.

  “Oh, stand up already,” the second snapped, causing the tech to scramble to his feet. “Begin analyzing what you got from your sweep. Report as soon as you have anything significant”

  The sensor operator did as he was commanded, scrambling to his station and immersing himself in his duties. Lights reflected from his black eyes as he tried to make sense of his information
. Nothing about that ship looked right.

  *

  The crew of the Wells was similarly occupied. Their sensors were picking up traces of an ion drive operating in orbit, and the indications were that it had been there for quite some time. Captain Reordan sat in her command chair and fumed as her crew did their best to find out who they were dealing with. The only problem was that all indications were of a totally undocumented propulsion system. Finally nodding sharply to herself, the captain called her XO to her side. “Kell, I hate to do this, but think we need the weapons. Do you concur?”

  “I concur, Captain. In this instance we need every advantage available to us.” Taking the key chain from around his neck, he walked over to the weapon’s console and inserted his key into the slot. “Ma’am?”

  Captain Reordan nodded and joined him, placing her own key in the appropriate slot. They were on opposite sides of the console, facing one another as the captain counted down. “3, 2, 1, turn. Well, that’s it, Mister Frazier. We are once again a warship. Lords of Space, I hope we’re wrong.”

  “Agreed, Captain. Full shields?”

  “Yes. Whoever it was scanned us with no shields deployed at all. Let’s hope that we get a chance to scan them soon.”

  Captain Reordan pushed a key on her panel, and a voice almost immediately answered, “Chief’s Quarters, COB speaking.”

  “COB, we have activated the weapons. Have your damage control teams suited up and ready to go. We won’t go to Battlestations unless we are attacked, but we will not be caught unprepared.”

  “Understood, Captain.”

  “And Krys, put your suit on as well. They only hand out one blue ribbon per customer.” There was a loud laugh from the speaker before the connection was cut.

  *

  The sensor operator of the Servan Shree rushed excitedly to the second-in-command’s side and dropped his head to the bare metal deck as he waited for permission to speak. The second didn’t look down as he asked, “What have you found?”

  “The alien ship, Sir,” the sensor operator answered with some excitement in his voice. “Its crew. They are the same species as the inhabitants of this planet. We have found no previous traces of this level of technology.”

  “Mmm, indeed. That might explain why they appeared so suddenly. If they came from the surface—I must speak with the captain.” Turning abruptly, he left the command center through the same hatch that the captain had used.

  The sensor operator returned to his station to continue his assessment of the alien, though now he was less anxious about it now. These weak primitives were no match for one of His Majesty’s Battlecrusers. The Escarten were the ultimate warriors in the galaxy, and these puny primitives weren’t even armored. He rose up on all four legs and stretched with his hands behind his head. Not even the Mighty Gral’s notoriously volatile anger could be roused by them.

  The Mighty Gral returned to the command center within moments of the second’s departure. “Find the alien ship. Bring us within range. I want a better look at them. If they are from this species, then they are no threat.”

  The crew of the Servan Shree quickly obeyed their captain, swinging the ship into an orbit that would bring the alien into range within moments. When the ship appeared, the crew was shocked. Far from the helpless vessel that they were expecting, they now faced an armed, shielded opponent. Weapons ports were now obvious, and their shields were as good as the Servan Shree’s own.

  “This was your doing!” the Mighty Gral shouted, drawing his blade and plunging it into the sensor operator’s neck. The second-in-command stayed out of arm’s reach until the captain’s panting breath calmed a little.

  The command crew carefully did not look at the body of the sensor operator as it was dragged away. Looking at the crew around him, the captain pointed at the empty space and demanded, “Where is my sensor operator?”

  A young tech hesitantly took the indicated position, his hunched shoulders betraying his fear. Looking at the instruments, he quickly gauged the alien. “Mighty Gral, the alien ship is shielded from our scans now. We are, however, detecting visual differences from the first scan. Numerous ports have opened on the ship’s exterior, possibly for weapons.”

  “Fah! Weapons from a culture this primitive? How could that be?” the Mighty Gral demanded. “They have primitive metal tools and weapons. Where would they get real weapons?”

  “Mighty Gral, there is no way of telling. They have not done anything to indicate that they have detected us this time. Their speed and course have remained constant.” The sensor operator kept his voice as respectful as possible, not wanting to share his predecessor’s fate.

  *

  “There she is, Ma’am. Just coming out of the planet’s shadow. Orders?”

  “Slow and steady, Mister Frazier. No provocative moves. Keep our course and speed as is. Let them make the first move. And, Mister Frazier…”

  “Ma’am?”

  “…Man the weapon’s console yourself. I don’t want any misunderstandings.”

  The crew of the Wells sat in tense silence as the alien ship made its way toward them. It was large, bordering on huge. Easily a kilometer in length, it was an almost haphazard assortment of spheres and tubes, held together by superstructure and cabling.

  Lieutenant DeBaron reported from the sensor station. “They’re trying to scan us again, Ma’am, but are being blocked by the shields.”

  “Very well. What can you tell me about them, Mister DeBaron?”

  “Not much, Ma’am. Carbon based and oxygen breathing is about it. Their atmosphere has a high percentage of hydrocarbons, though I’m unable to determine if that’s intentional or just contamination. We’re picking up power spikes that may be weapons of some sort, though we can’t be certain at this time.”

  “Very well. Keep me informed of any developments. Mister Frazier, analysis of their defensive capabilities.”

  “Ma’am, the weapon’s array is detecting electromagnetic shields. She…” Commander Frazier was interrupted by a crashing blow to the Wells’ shields by some weapon.

  “Battlestations!” Captain Reordan shouted, strapping herself into her command chair as her officers and crew sorted themselves out and the howl of the general quarters alarm echoed through the ship. “What hit us?”

  “Particle beam, Ma’am,” Lieutenant DeBaron reported from where he was clinging to the rail over the sensor station. “It would’ve sliced right through us if the shields hadn’t held.” A second strike shook the Wells, making the lights flicker ominously.

  “Mister Frazier, return fire. Gamma-ray laser only for now. Save the torpedoes for later. God help us if we need them.”

  “Aye, Ma’am!” Commander Frazier opened fire with both of his laser batteries. Coruscating lights shrouded the alien vessel as his beams hit, but the alien’s shields were as good as their own.

  The alien fired again, this time slamming the Wells repeatedly. Captain Reordan and her crew were violently shaken by the ferocity of the barrage, and she gave the order that she most dreaded. “Mister Frazier, torpedoes away!”

  “Torpedoes away!” Commander Frazier shouted as his fingers punched the appropriate keys on his board.

  Two hyperdrive-equipped torpedoes, each equipped with a 10-megaton thermonuclear warhead, dropped from their cradles and disappeared from view. Their hyperdrive engines carried them to their destruction undetectably until they returned to normal space inside the alien’s shields, just meters from their target. The alien crew never had a chance. One torpedo struck forward, the other aft.

  The crew of the Wells watched in fascinated horror as the alien ship was destroyed. The tremendous energy of the twin blasts, aided by the containing effect of the ship’s own shields, crumpled the ship as it was shredded, spilling its atmosphere into space. Secondary explosions ripped the ship apart, scattering millions of tiny fragments into orbit and the atmosphere of an all but uncaring Earth. Other bits were blown farther out, away from the Earth and its de
structive atmosphere.

  Captain Reordan sighed as she sat back in her chair. “Secure from Battlestations. All hands begin damage assessments. Mister DeBaron, have your people sweep the debris for anything you can find out. I want to know who they were, and what they were doing here.”

  Commander Frazier sat at the weapons console with his head in his hands. “Ma’am, I think we can secure the weapons as well.”

  “Agreed,” Captain Reordan said, walking to his side. “What’s wrong, Kell?”

  “I just killed who knows how many sentient beings, Erica. Beings who we’ll never know, never understand. I didn’t sign on to a science vessel for this.” Inserting his key, he looked at her and nodded. “Time, Ma’am.”

  Captain Reordan nodded and walked around to the other side of the console. “3, 2, 1, turn. Weapons deactivated. You are relieved, Mister Frazier. Go lay down. If you need him, I’m sure Chaplain Harris will be available to you.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  Captain Reordan nodded as he walked away. Who were you? she asked the universe. Why were you here? Why did you attack us?

  *

  Three days after the battle, the Temporal Systems Officer reported their position. “Ma’am, we are in the year 5513 BCE, and the time of year is March.”

  “Very well.” Captain Reordan thumbed open her shipwide paging system. “All hands, now hear this. We are nineteen years from our goal. All hands prepare for a microjump in three hours.”

  The Wells jumped to the year 5535 BCE and began her mission. All sensors and recorders swept the Earth, bringing a detailed analysis of the ancient home of mankind. The duty was mildly dull, but not onerous. The specialists that form the crews the Confederated Star Systems’ Temporal Cruisers are historians as well as adventurers, and the planet beneath them was their favorite subject. Months passed at their normal pace, finally reaching autumn and the harvest. But something was tweeking the captain’s nerves.

  Who were those people? Were they humans from another era? Why were they here? Were they the reason the Wells was here? Did they do something down stairs to cause the happenings we are here to observe?