Pursuit: Rise Of Mankind Book 5

by John Walker

  Daniel rubbed his eyes, again thinking about it. “I would really rather say no but you wouldn’t be contacting me if you didn’t think this was worth the risk.”

  “Exactly.” Gray smiled. “Think of it as recon. We’re just checking out the area in and around the space we’re about to share. After all, an ambassador is going to be moving out there soon. Wouldn’t you think we should see how dangerous the surrounding sectors are?”

  Daniel chuckled. “You really are getting good at this explanation thing.”

  “I’m paying attention.”

  “Indeed, you seem to be.” Daniel shook his head. “Alright, you can check it out but do be sure that you’re careful, Gray. This is literally a delicate time to be playing games. If I didn’t have faith you might find something out there, I’d never allow it.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Gray nodded. “I won’t let you down.”

  “You haven’t yet. I’m going back to bed now. Keep me informed and let the council know officially when you’ve accepted our membership into the alliance. Burke out.”

  Gray leaned back as the screen went dark. That could’ve gone a lot worse. Permission granted, he headed back to the bridge. Clea looked up sharply as he entered, her eyes full of questions. He nodded in response, taking his seat. “We have permission.”

  Relief washed over Clea as she seemed to deflate in her chair. “Good…I worried there for a moment.”

  “I played some games,” Gray said. “But all around, I believe in you so I think we should check it out. Even if it doesn’t have the type of information we’re hoping to find, then maybe we’ll find something of equal value. Either way, I look forward to checking out the space around your home world. Should give us an idea of what’s happened there since you guys went to war.”

  “What’re we talking about?” Adam asked. “Sounds like a supplemental mission to me.”

  “It is,” Gray replied. “And I’ll tell you about it over lunch. I’m starving and we’re not jumping for a while. Let’s grab a bite to eat and I can explain, to both of you, how I got this permission. Then, we can hop out of here and get some work done. Let’s all hope for a very boring and safe trip this time out.”

  ***

  Ensign Leonard Marcus took over as the new primary navigator aboard the Behemoth. He’d been studying the position for months but only came out of the academy and boarded the ship after the incident at the research facility. He worked in one of the computer labs while they reclaimed the mining facility.

  Taking a position on the bridge intimidated him but Captain Atwell told him he’d been impressed by his work after he replaced Tim Collins. Also, relieving a man because he turned traitor didn’t make him feel particularly good. Still, he’d been waiting his entire life to perform such an important job and to do it before he even made lieutenant filled him with pride.

  Now to live up to the task.

  The kielan ship accompanying them helped with the coordinates this time. He’d only plotted simulated courses and simply double checked Tim’s work before. So far, he relied on others to get the complicated work done but he didn’t feel too bad about it. The fact was, he considered it on the job training.

  When Captain Atwell came to Leonard’s station and asked him to research a course to a set of coordinates outside of Kielan space, his pulse raced. He hadn’t anticipated having to do anything until they wanted to come home and for that, he’d already read up on several good places for them to jump back to.

  This was different. As he researched the area in the shared alliance database, sweat began to form on his back. The place was considered extremely dangerous. Not only was there plenty of natural debris in the area but a major battle had taken place some years back, leaving chunks of damaged ship to drift about.

  Couple that with reports of pirates using it as a staging location for raids in other parts of the system made him wonder what could possibly compel them to have to go there. And why hasn’t the alliance taken care of the criminals? If they know enough to recognize they’re hanging out there, they should probably step it up and get rid of them.

  Leonard checked the military reports to see if he could answer his own question. Apparently, they had gone through there a couple of times but nearly lost a ship in one of the patrols. Since then, they decided to try and find whatever haven the pirates had been using to choke them at the source.

  That makes sense I suppose.

  Still, it didn’t explain why the Behemoth planned to go there and what they hoped to gain. Leonard wanted to ask Captain Atwell but didn’t dare. Mission parameters were need to know and his job was to get them there, not quibble about why. This meant further research, which he tried to do before they jumped.

  Unfortunately, their information was out of date. The ship traveling with them, which shared the database, hadn’t been received an update in over two weeks. To make a jump into a place with debris and obstacles, Leonard needed something more current or they’d have to show up well outside the area.

  Hours if not a full day away from anything the captain might care about. He did look over the patterns based on the information he did have, just to get a feel for how the junk out there moved. It didn’t seem to be all that erratic and he could probably do some good math to get them there safely.

  Just for the exercise, he did the work and stored his proposed coordinates. He’d do it again when they had updated data and see how close he got. As he finished up his work, Redding spoke up. “We’ve arrived at the jump point, sir. Leonard, are these numbers accurate and up to date?”

  “Um, one moment, Ma’am.” Leonard quickly checked to ensure nothing had changed. He lucked out when he received an updated set of numbers from the kielan vessel. “Received new coordinates from our allies. I’ve updated them in the system and we are green to go.”

  “Thank you, Ensign.” Redding turned in her seat. “Captain, shall we go?”

  “Let our friends lead the way,” Captain Atwell said. “It’s their home, they can open the door for us.”

  Leonard looked up at the view screen in time to see the kielan vessel wink out in a quick flash of white light. Jump technology fascinated him but in this particular case, he was just glad that the technicians gave their system a solid once over before they tried again. The event in their last mission made him leery of doing it again.

  “They’re clear,” Lieutenant Darnell announced. “We’re ready for departure.”

  “Get us out of here, Redding,” Captain Atwell said.

  Leonard held his breath as she acknowledged and moved her hand to the controls. Weightlessness struck him and a moment later, a single blink of the eye, he saw the kielan vessel a few thousand kilometers away. That was the easiest our jumps have been so far! Wow, those guys really gave it some love!

  “Nicely done, everyone,” Captain Atwell said. “I’m glad to not be waking up on the floor or feeling like someone tried to kick their way out of my skull. Ensign Marcus, I believe we have an eight hour flight to our destination, is that correct?”

  “Um…recalculating now,” Leonard said. “Looks like the flight lines are pretty clogged up right now, sir. They’re asking us to take a different route. We’re looking at closer to ten hours.”

  “Even better. I’m going to get some rest. Adam, rotate yourself and folks out as you can. We’ll reconvene when we’re closer. Thank you for everything you did today, people. Great, easy trip so far. There’ll be a ship wide briefing before we depart and after that, everything should be fine. Ensign Marcus, do make sure you get us those coordinates I asked you about before you leave shift. Everyone else, I’ll see you soon.”

  Chapter 4

  Gray leaned back as their shuttle broke atmosphere over the kielan capital of Alantha. Even before he saw their cities or the landscape, he found himself awed by the technology they put in orbit and throughout the sector. They definitely represented a culture that had been at war for many, many years.

  Defenses lined their
borders, early warning systems and even weapons set to deter invasion. Ships patrolled the area, rapid response crafts which could microjump anywhere in the system at a moment’s notice. The various planets around their core world housed thriving colonies, each with different methods to make the surfaces hospitable despite their distance from the sun and atmospheric conditions.

  Three massive space stations made up check points throughout their solar system. One resided near to the core world while the others sat on opposite ends of the farthest reaches of their space. Each provided launch points, research facilities and supplies for expeditionary forces heading out beyond their borders.

  Olly performed a scan as they arrived and provided some of the details, most of which went over Gray’s head. He ultimately took away from the conversation that they built habitats Earth was only touching on, places much like the mining station they liberated only better. The amenities alone made these facilities as comfortable as any small city on Earth.

  Their escort took the lead, getting them through all the challenge codes and stopping points. The ten hour trip to reach their home world provided the senior staff a chance to get some rest before what promised to be a grueling political experience. Gray put on his dress uniform before taking the bridge and when he boarded the shuttle, he brought a bag to stay the night.

  He’d been told the kielans made efforts to ensure there was food appropriate to the human diet. Apparently, Clea had been making reports so they were able to ensure they got the supplies delivered in time. Some entrepreneurs even started up human cuisine restaurants for those adventurous enough to try some recipes from their new allies.

  These came about a year after Clea started. Gray found it surprising they’d do so but then he looked over a brochure for one of their food courts and understood. They offered a touch of all the cultures brought into their fold but each was their take on the culture. Many of them could not be terribly close to accurate but Gray felt curious about what they might’ve done with their knowledge of Earth.

  I hope they didn’t adopt fast food. It couldn’t possibly be good.

  As they broke the clouds, he gasped, leaning to look out the window to better take in the urban sprawl of the capital. Gleaming, smooth buildings climbed into the sky and air traffic sped about at several different levels. The sky itself, where clouds didn’t mar it, looked like the blue he enjoyed on Earth only a little more purple, just enough to set it apart.

  Clea sat beside him, also looking out. He imagined she felt great relief at returning, considering how long she’d been gone. He turned to her, grinning. “This is fabulous. I don’t know what I imagined but this exceeds my wildest expectations.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Clea replied, not taking her eyes away from the window. “I can’t remember the last time I saw this view…but it’s been a very long time. Even before I joined your crew. It’s just as wondrous as I remember. Maybe made more so by distance and longing. My parents are down there somewhere, getting ready to come to the ceremony.”

  “I can’t wait to meet them,” Gray said. “What’s that tall spire over there?”

  “That’s where our leaders congregate to legislate. The whole building acts as an antennae so they can communicate with everyone in the system, each colony and ship we have up there. If they’ve got speeches or information to impart, they provide it from their council chamber.”

  “I’m surprised how tall it is.”

  “Nearly two hundred stories,” Clea said. “And fifteen below ground where the leaders would go if a disaster struck. People live there, government employees and such. The entire building is self contained for the most part. If they are fully supplied, they can last without outside influence for a very long time.”

  “Interesting, so bunkers and such…like ours.”

  “Yes, and you can tour it as a civilian like yours as well.” Clea sighed. “Oh, it’s very good to be home.”

  Gray leaned forward to address Redding, who piloted their shuttle down. “How’re we doing?”

  “Our escort says another twenty minutes for landing, sir.” Redding checked a reading. “They’ve sent me information on all their lanes up here. Apparently, different crafts take different altitudes when traveling from place to place. All the way down to ground cars apparently. We’ll be taking the top and landing at a docking bay near the capital where our ship will be searched and each of us checked to ensure we’re not you know…terrorists.”

  “Thanks for the update.” Gray leaned back. “Clea, how long do you think it’ll take to get through security?”

  “No longer than an hour. They’re really good about it and we are diplomatic guests. They just have to confirm our identities and ensure we’re not smuggling in a bomb or something crazy.”

  “Is this…” Gray checked his computer. “Ambassador Ni’Folsah going to be there?”

  Clea nodded. “Undoubtedly. He’ll try to speed us through the process but I can promise you security will ignore him.”

  Gray chuckled. “Sticklers?”

  “For safety, yes. Rules…well, when it suits them.”

  “That works for me, I’m just thrilled to be here.”

  “I can’t wait to show you both around. It’s going to be amazing.”

  Gray’s party consisted of Clea, Redding and four bodyguards. These were marines of the best temperament, picked by Marshall himself. Each of them dressed in dark formalwear, armed with a pistol and their long range communicators. Marshall and Captain Hoffner monitored the frequency from the Behemoth, coordinating the visit.

  They were told the weapons would not be necessary by a text communication from the ambassador. No anti Earth factions existed there and no one protested the admittance of the humans to the alliance. Still, military regulations were quite specific about the protocols of an officer like Gray leaving the ship. He was to be protected against the unknown parts of any sort of event.

  The air lane before them cleared out from other kielan vessels, Gray fancied them as the equivalent of police back home. They had free access to fly between massive, high tech buildings where countless kielans peered out at them as they passed. Their visit spawned a great deal of curiosity.

  “They really turned out in droves,” Gray said.

  “Everyone does when a new culture joins us,” Clea replied. “There’ll be a parade at ground level tonight as part of the celebration. They’ll have done as much research as they can about Earth culture to give it some flare for you. I asked Olly to pick up the broadcast and share it with the rest of the ship. They may find it interesting.”

  “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.” Gray leaned to look past Redding again. They rapidly approached their destination where a totally empty landing pad waited. As she acknowledged some instructions he didn’t hear, she spun their craft to the right and brought it in for a neat, gentle landing. “Nice landing.”

  “Thank you, sir. I might not be in fighter condition right now but I still hit the simulator three times a week.”

  “It shows.” Gray disengaged the safety harness as the door opened. “Alright, everyone. Let’s be sufficiently diplomatic.”

  Redding grinned. “I’ll just follow your lead, sir.”

  Gray chuckled. “Thanks…considering this is my first time, I’m sure we’ll both do great.”

  ***

  Clea knew security protocols with the kielan political guard and as she expected, they spent an hour going over their shuttle with sensor probes before checking them over. Ambassador Ni’Folsah complained the entire time, asking them to hurry it up and reminding them how much of a poor impression they were making.

  “Safety is never a bad thing,” the captain of the guard said. “And I’ll ask you to wait by the door if you don’t keep your mouth shut.”

  Clea fought hard not to grin at the indignity of the man. She’d dealt with his type only a few times before being assigned to the Behemoth and they were pains. Never wanted to follow the rules, always had an agen
da they felt more important than directives and consistently threatened to escalate any request.

  “Your supervisor will hear of this!” The Ambassador stomped over to the door to wait, and essentially sulk. And there’s the threat. The captain probably doesn’t care one bit. He’d take more of a tongue lashing if he waved us through.

  The marines let the guards check over their weapons and had a brief conversation with them all about protocol. Some accord was reached and they were allowed to return to Gray’s side. For the people, they just ran a scanner over them and frisked them. Clea came up last and the guard actually turned to his captain.

  “Do we need to check her?”

  “We check everyone,” the captain said. He’s the stickler for the rules. “Just get it done and we can move on with our day.”

  They ran the scanner over her and checked her for weapons. All she had on her was her data pad which she’d already set on their table for inspection. Their luggage would be taken inside and brought to whatever rooms they were going to be allowed to occupy. She didn’t plan on staying there and would be finding her parents as soon as the ceremony ended.

  Her father wanted to see the parade from ground level and they had dinner reservations afterward.

  Finally, they received clearance to leave and the Ambassador rushed over with a heap of apologies. “Forgive us our paranoia,” he said. “But we must be cautious in these times of war. One never knows how the insidious enemy will strike, I suppose. But the rest of your trip shall be pleasant, I assure you. We’ve picked out the finest suites for your rest and the council chamber is ready to receive you in a couple of hours.”

  “Thank you,” Gray said. “We appreciate the hospitality.”

  “We need to check the rooms,” one of the marines spoke up. “Before the captain takes it.”

  “Oh, of course,” Ambassador Ni’Folsah said. “After our people performed their security sweep, you are more than welcome to follow whatever protocols you must. Perseverance and all. Please, take the lead with my assistant. She’s going to lead us to the rooms and you can check them out.”