“Yes. ‘So far, so good.' That is one of your sayings I believe. But they won’t be able to pulse a Hyperlink message to us for another four and a half of the planet’s days.”
“Then we'd better use this time wisely. Set up a meeting with the all the Pavonisien city elders,” Frank ordered.
“Oh, and what are the safety limits for Susanna, if she wants to chair the meeting?” he asked.
“Susanna will be able to work for another two months. I’ve already given her a relaxant for the baby's safety, so her stress levels should be well down.
Ah, I have an update. I've scanned her now, and she’s okay.
I’m setting the meeting up now.
“Thank goodness. Now, I think Bren and Acarea should participate in this meeting. They're the only people we really know well on the planet, and we know we can trust them.”
“Very well, drone 23 can start things off as it has now been repaired.”
“Good. Are the rest of the drones back in our ships?”
“Everything accounted for, Frank.”
“Another matter, Andromeda. I want to get the attention of all the cities.
Maybe, ah, I know,” he said, then paused briefly.
“How close can we safely fly above the planet's surface?”
“With, or without the force-field?” she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.
“If we can go close enough. Then it’ll be without.”
“Forty kilometres would be safe at a low level, without the force-field. So, when?”
“As soon as we're organized, maybe tomorrow.”
“Alright. I’ll set up a synchronised ‘drift-pass’ with Illustrious. It should be fun for the Pavonisiens.
Oh, talking of which, there’s one coming your way.”
Startled. Frank looked around, then said. “Very amusing,” and smiled wryly.
“OK, Andromeda. I want both ships moved to within two hundred kilometres from the planet. Then, let me know the earliest we can be ready.”
“On it,” Andromeda replied. Her presence diminishing as Susanna tapped Frank’s door.
“Come in,” he called as it opened, and Susanna stepped in.
She paused, while the door slid shut behind her, then flung herself at him.
“Wow,” he said as they embraced, then kissed passionately. When they finally separated, both were gasping for air.
“Hot chocolate?” she asked.
“H’m you seem to have a craving for that. Coming up. Sit down darling,” he replied, grinning widely.
She did as tell, then while he tapped in the combination on the menu panel, asked, “Are you really trusting me to Chair this conference?”
“Of course, I’ve told you before; your Analytical training makes you ideal. You can assess the situation better than Andromeda!” He felt a little jab in his brain.
‘I heard that.’
‘Andromeda! You should be giving me privacy. Give me privacy now.’
‘Sorry, Frank.’
This time, he felt her presence go.
Two cups of steaming chocolate slid out on a serving tray and they both sat quietly sipping their drinks.
While sitting, Susanna had been thinking ahead.
“Are you going to attend the conference with me, Frank?”
“I can, but not until you think the timing is right.”
“So, you are actually hanging me out to dry!”
“Yes,” he replied. With a broad smile on his face.
“Oh, and tomorrow we hope to fly both ships at a low level over the cities. Just to get their attention. They’ll take notice of you then, for sure.”
“Great.”
Changing the subject, she asked. “Do you think I could ask Jenny to eat with us one evening before we get back to Earth? I like her a lot, and she's fun?”
“I don't see why not. I bet she looks all woman without her battle armour on.”
“Hey, less of that. You’re mine and don't you forget it!”
Chapter 33
A New Beginning, but who’s?
Jenny sat in her force-craft, outside City Marca’s council chambers, but close to the building. She was on point duty and spent her time watching everything intently, with passers-by giving her, and her craft, inquisitive looks.
Inside the chamber, the city elders sat around a kidney-shaped table. They were in three groups of four, with each representing their own City. All of them dressed in a variety of colourful robe-like garments.
They all sat patiently. Waiting for whatever was going to happen, not daring to hope their lives were going to improve.
At one end of the table, there were three empty chairs. These were for the newcomer, Susanna, and two of their fellow Pavonisiens.
Bren and Acarea, followed by Susanna, entered the council chamber amid a cacophony of chatter which quickly ceased when they sat down, and Susanna placed a small box on the table.
She could see that everyone's eyes were fixed on her. Looking closer, Susanna realized that many of the councillors were female.
She found that pleasing, except their clothing, made it tough to distinguish between them.
Susanna stood up, looked around and then said. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I have already met most of you, and, of course, you all know Brendereen and Acarea, of the late City Atreen.”
There was a slight murmur, which quickly stopped as Susanna continued.
“You've all noticed that both of our languages are similar. So much, so that we don't need a translator.
Although one of the functions of this box in front of me,” she said, pointing at it. “Is to cater for the words we don't understand.
The box also acts as a holographic projector,” she added. Then paused, while people took in what she had said.
“I would like to sit if you don’t mind?” Then, seeing a sea of faces nodding, sat, and composed herself before continuing.
“Please let me tell you what we know. Then afterwards we’ll answer any questions you may have.”
A plump woman with dark reddish hair, interrupted, saying, “You keep saying ‘we’, but there’s only one of you. Why?”
“Well, I include Brendereen and Acarea, and, of course, my ships crews.”
Another small murmur, then Susanna continued.
“I’d prefer you to ask your questions afterwards. I'll leave the subject of the Crillons till later as well. Thank you,” she said amidst another murmur from everyone.
“First, our planet is named Earth, and we are humans.
Two hundred years ago, we built an enormous Starship in Earth’s orbit. The ship was called the Acarea.”
At this, everyone seemed to gasp, then glanced at Acarea sitting quietly beside her husband.
“The ship held more than one hundred men and women. Most of them scientists and engineers. Plus, a core of people equipped to deal with the everyday running of the ship's facilities, and with the education and training of the crew's expected offspring.”
Susanna stopped for a moment, as another murmur went around the room.
“The Acarea was self-sustaining, with multiple manufacturing facilities, purification plants, and the ability to synthesise provisions. In fact, everything needed to allow the crew to start a new life on one of the planets orbiting Procyon.”
Susanna paused to take a breath.
“The journey was expected to take almost 60 years. We don't know what made the crew change their minds about going to Procyon.
Maybe, the scientists thought that Pavonis was a better bet.
They would have realised, from the data that they must have been gathering, that Pavonis had an abundance of iron and was a main-sequence star. Similar to Earth.
Best of all, there was a planet, sitting right in the habitable zone, at about point nine AU.”
She paused again, then said. “For those of you who don't know what AU stands for, then, 1 AU is the distance from Earth to its sun.”
�
��What a bonus that must have been for them,” Susanna added. “Irresistible, and just 19.9 light years from earth.”
Another murmur.
“We now know that they were your ancestors and that the planet is your planet.”
A great murmur arose as they all looked at each other with excitement.
“Please! Let Susanna continue,” Bren said, in an irritated voice.
“Thanks, Brendereen,” she said.
Then continued again.
“The Rustic Church, as you call it. Is, in fact, your old spaceship. Which I think some of you may have already realized. But, there will be more on that subject later.”
Susanna thought it unwise to tell them right now about the modifications to some of their transceiver implants, by the third player as Frank and Andromeda called it.
She didn't know how many Pavonisiens had the implants anyway. 'Play safe,' she thought.
When they had calmed down sufficiently, she carried on.
“Now, as for the Crillons. We've had a couple of skirmishes with them before. One, in particular, at Zeta Reticuli thirty-nine light years from Earth.”
She paused again, waiting for a new murmur to subside.
“Zeta Reticuli had a natural wormhole, a gateway in space, leading directly to the Crillons home planet of Crilla, six hundred light years further on.
This natural wormhole has been disrupted for now. But it may return at some time in the future.
However, after a bloody battle. The five surviving Crillon ships surrendered to us.
We then managed to find a way to send the Crillons back to their home planet. We were able to do this, by sending one of our ships back to Earth for replacement warp cores for their vessels.”
A great murmur of dissent went around the room.
“You helped them?” One of the councillors asked in disbelief.
“Yes. You may all tut, tut. But I can assure you; they went back prepared to try and change their Senate’s way of thinking.”
Susanna started to feel tired; then a voice came in her implant via drone 23.
‘Do you want me to come?’
‘No, not yet Frank,’ she thought, ‘I can manage a bit longer,’ and his presence went.
“We are not killers,” she continued.
“You, councillor,” she said, pointing to the one who had complained. “Are you a killer?”
“Err, of course not,” he muttered, his face reddening.
“Then please don’t complain again, sir.” Susanna snapped back, then paused to settle her thoughts.
“About nine days ago, we also agreed to assist the two surviving Crillon ships to get back to their home planet. Well actually, you’re going to help us, as well.”
There was another murmuring of voices.
“Look at it this way,” Susanna said. Starting to think, they were an ungrateful lot.
“We could have destroyed all of their ships in both engagements.
But, what would that have achieved?
Nothing! More would have come,” she stopped again.
“Instead, we put serious doubts in their minds. They're now taking back a set of values very different to what their Senate has always been teaching them.
So maybe, in the long term, they could be more important and more help than you can ever imagine.”
“How can that be?” A woman at the far end asked.
“They killed almost a thousand people in City Atreen alone.”
“We weren’t here then, so we have no way of knowing their reasons. I assume that getting rid of your military would certainly have been a must for them.
Maybe, the underground laboratory on the edge of Atreen posed some sort of threat. I don’t know. I'm not condoning what they did.
But the warp-crystals that they were making you grow were their only hope of getting back to their home planet.”
“What underground laboratory?” One of City Marca's councillors asked.
“We found it!” said Bren
“It was there all right. Mostly destroyed when City Atreen was hit but it was there.”
“Then a lot has been going on that we don't know about,” Marca's councillor added.
“I agree,” Susanna said, feeling exhausted. “But for now, let’s press on with how we can help you.
Now, I would like to introduce you to my Commander,” she said.
A live holographic image of Frank suddenly formed, as Susanna moved her chair back to let him appear to be sitting at the table.
“Good morning to you all. For those who don't know me. I’m Captain Frank Richardson, and I’m in charge of the Earth force in this campaign against the Crillons.”
Frank paused and moved his arm to touch something out of the holograph’s active area, with Bren jerking to one side as Frank’s arm appeared to go through him.
“It's all right Bren, a bit disconcerting, but it can't harm you,” Susanna pointed out, smiling at him.
“Cry baby,” Acarea snorted at Bren.
“Shush!” he grunted.
Frank continued after the small commotion this exchange had caused.
“At the moment, we are waiting for confirmation that the Crillon ships have jumped from Zeta Reticuli, towards Crilla their home planet.”
Then there was another short interruption. This one, caused by the sound of someone's collision with the invisible drone 23, outside the building. Susanna then sensed it move slightly higher in the air.
Hoping there weren’t going to be any more disturbances, Frank continued.
“Well, we can’t cover everything in one meeting. So, I suggest that all three cities make a list of priorities.
For instance, I understand your water is abundant but too far underground. We can help, by providing machinery and using proven methods of extraction. We can also help you to get your economy going again,” he paused.
“I hope you can understand what I'm going to suggest next.”
He paused, looking around to see their reaction, but they were all quiet waiting for him to continue.
“Warp Crystal growing is a time-consuming and very specialized subject. StarShips need them.
Crystals only last for a set distance, usually between a hundred and one hundred and sixty light-years each.
You have already grown crystals for the Crillons, so; you have the expertise, and you have the equipment. But it needs some work to increase the purity of the crystals.” He looked around again.
“These crystals would be a source of trade with Earth. Just think, you would be truly independent.
I know that some of you may initially want to return to Earth in the future. But bear in mind that this planet will benefit from Earth’s help.”
At this, there was a lot of chatter and excited exchanges between the elders in the chamber.
Finally, after a lengthy discussion, one elder from each city stood up.
Then one stepped forward saying, “I’m authorised to speak for all of us here, Commander. We agree with you and want you to help us where you can.”
“Right, then that’s what will be done,” Frank confirmed, with a broad smile on his face.
Then, looking absorbed for a moment said.
“Ah, wait a moment, everyone. Excellent! I've just had confirmation that the two Crillon ships have jumped from Zeta Reticuli. They’re on their way home.”
A cheer went up from the whole room.
“At last, they're gone,” said one elder.
When the room had quietened down a bit, Frank continued again.
“When our ships return from Zeta Reticuli, they’ll go back to Earth. Leaving in about seven days from now. Then, unless we must change these plans. They’ll be back, in about two and a half weeks.
They can bring back some provisions and possibly other materials for you. So, I suggest you start making your plans, and shopping lists. Liaising with us on anything you aren’t sure about.”
Thinking for a moment, he added.
; “I think it will be best for you to liaise with us through Brendereen and Acarea. They already have a communication line setup with us.”
Bren and Acarea were, by this time, flushed with pride.
“Remember,” he added, speaking to the elders.
“Don’t forget to get those wish lists in order.”
There was yet another excited outburst.
“Oh, and one last thing. For the time being I will leave Professors Ned Parker and Micky Parsons here. They are from my Quantum Theoretical engineering department.” Another murmur followed.
“They will supervise the improvements which are needed, to update Atreen's crystal production plant. To enable them to increase the crystal storage facility in the globe manufacturing plant, and to add more sophisticated security for all the facilities.”
“What about the other crystal production facilities?” One of the city elders asked?
“We’ll help you with the modifications I’ve outlined. But, looking at the work your people have already completed, plus what you will learn from what we do at Atreen. I’m sure you will be capable of doing it.”
“I think you are right, commander,” the elder affirmed.
“Then I will leave you to mull it over. Thank you for coming, especially Brendereen and Acarea.”
With that, Frank's holographic image faded, and he was gone. Then Susanna gestured to Bren that she needed to go. He stood up.
“Susanna wants to leave now. So, if you have no objection, we can follow up on this meeting up later.”
All the counsellors crowded around thanking her. Then the three left in the force-craft waiting outside.
Meanwhile, back on both the Andromeda and Illustrious StarShips. Frank and Derrick watched the action showing on their screens, this was being received via the newly activated, and relatively stable Hyperlink.
The Definitive SpaceFed Trilogy (SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy).: A thrilling, action-packed Sci-fi space adventure. (SpaceFed StarShips Series Book 8) Page 40
