Collision Course

by Doug Farren

  “I am not an ambassador!” AJ said, thrusting the tablet at Aleksandr.

  “Of that,” Aleksandr replied, taking the tablet, “I have no doubt. I will present the data. But I insist you be there in case ambassador Aryth has any questions.”

  “Deal.”

  Aleksandr walked over to a desk and set AJ’s tablet down next to one that was already there. “It will take only a moment for me to copy the data. It will automatically be encrypted as soon as it is received by my tablet.”

  As soon as the data was transferred, AJ returned to his room. He found Heather nervously pacing the floor.

  “What did he say?”

  “I expected more of a reaction from him,” AJ replied, tossing the tablet on the bed. Kicking off his shoes, he continued, “He wanted me to tell the ambassador that we found an Akuta ship. I convinced him it wouldn’t be such a good idea.”

  “I would love to see the Ba’Rutu ambassador’s reaction,” Heather said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

  AJ began stripping off his clothes. “You’re going to get that chance. He wants us to be there. I’d better get a shower. It’s so damn hot out there I probably smell like a mule.”

  Heather wrinkled her nose. “You are a bit stinky. I’ll lay your clothes out for you and order your lunch. Want anything in particular?”

  “Surprise me.”

  Chapter 11

  “Incoming transmission from the alien ship!” Andrew announced loud enough to startle everyone on the bridge.

  “What does it say?” Captain Mingyo asked.

  “They’re requesting a spoken language translation file.”

  “Isn’t that what we’ve been sending them?” Frank asked before the Captain could reply.

  Andrew shook his head. “No. Everything so far has been based around a common digital language. Neither of us would be able to translate the other’s language if we heard it.”

  “Ignore the question,” Captain Mingyu ordered. “Tell them to open the hatch and let our crew member out.”

  “Sending … Their reply is: Communications with your crew member will be established when spoken language translation file is received.”

  Captain Mingyu’s hands curled into fists. “Send it!”

  * * * *

  The monitors mounted around the chair came on with a light blue background as the toggle switch snapped into position with a satisfying click. An empty rectangular icon appeared in the center of each monitor. A gray bar began quickly moving up from the bottom. Six seconds later, the rectangle was completely gray. There was a brief pause before the icon vanished.

  “What do we have here?” Melissa pondered aloud, staring at the large screen in front of the chair. The slightly curved screen was at least two meters in width and a meter high. The left side was showing a view of the ship as if it had been sliced into lengthwise sections. The center section was tilted slightly more than the others and appeared with a larger gap between it and the sections above and below. The right side of the monitor showed the details of what was contained inside the center slice.

  Taking a chance, she flipped another toggle switch. This caused all the displays mounted on the wall to come to life. Most of them were showing a mixture of graphical information and text that could be easily seen from someone sitting in the chair.

  “All of the displays are now on,” she said. “There’s one more toggle switch left. Might as well see what it does.”

  Flipping the switch caused all the lights in the room to turn on. “I have lights,” she said.

  Melissa eyed the switch underneath the protective cover. It was a pushbutton with what looked like a locking collar surrounding it. Whatever it was, it would require several deliberate actions before it could be depressed. She decided that anything with that many safeguards against accidental activation was something to be ignored until its purpose could be positively confirmed.

  Walking around to the other side of the chair, she sat down on the edge. She leaned back until her suit’s backpack was in contact with the back of the chair. Grabbing the strap on her left, she pulled it over her shoulder and held it in place. Wincing from the pain, she did the same for the strap on the right. Melissa examined the metal locking mechanism and concluded they were designed to click into each other. Looking down, she saw another strap laying on the seat between her legs. When she let go of them, they smoothly retracted.

  “I guess I could strap myself in even with my suit on,” she commented.

  Looking around, she noted another set of three large rocker switches built into a small section of the chair on the left that jutted out underneath the other control panel. After a short bit of experimentation, she found that the switches controlled the movement of the chair allowing her to adjust the position of the back as well as move the chair forward, backward, up and down. Using the controls, she positioned herself so she could easily reach the screen in front of her.

  Melissa was staring at a compressed map of the ship. Each deck was tilted slightly and separated from the others by a small gap. She touched one of the decks and watched as it became the center of focus. The unselected decks shrank in size and moved to the top and bottom of the screen. A series of smaller displays consisting of a mixture of text and graphical information was displayed on either side with pointers showing the specific section of the interior of the ship where the data was originating. Touching one of the other decks caused the selected display to appear in the center of the screen along with a series of accompanying details.

  “Let’s see if they have this programmed for multi-touch,” she said.

  She placed her thumb and forefinger on an area of the ship and spread them apart. The image instantly and smoothly expanded with additional details appearing. She put a single finger on the image and pulled it down. The deck she was viewing shrank, merged with the other decks below, and the deck above slid down and became the center of focus.

  “Very nice! And easy to navigate. Too bad I- - -”

  “- - -sa, do you copy?” Andrew’s voice came through the speakers of her helmet.

  Controlling her excitement, Melissa replied, “I copy.”

  “Are you alright?” the voice was that of Captain Mingyu.

  “I’m fine. I might have pulled a tendon in my left shoulder—hurts like hell. I’m inside what appears to be some sort of display room. The lights are on and I’ve managed to activate the displays. How are we able to communicate? The hull should be blocking all signals.”

  “I think your signal is being retransmitted,” Andrew replied. “Signal strength is much higher than what your suit’s transmitter is capable of.”

  “The room is pressurized and the inside hatch is closed,” Melissa reported. She continued to flip through the other decks while she talked. “I’m not really sure about the purpose of this room. The only way in or out is through the airlock. I’m looking at a schematic of the ship and as far as I can tell, there’s no space inside for a crew. I think this thing is automated. Are you getting my video or data feed?”

  “Just your audio,” Andrew replied. “All other channels are being blocked.”

  “Don’t open your suit!” Gabriel warned. “We don’t know if their atmosphere is compatible with ours.”

  “It’s a little late for that. I’ve been breathing the ship’s air for about half an hour and I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Sit tight,” the Captain ordered. “Someone or something over there asked us to send them a spoken language translation file. I’m assuming that means someone will eventually be talking to us. If they don’t, we’re prepared to try to cut our way into the ship.”

  “That will not be allowed,” an unknown male voice replied.

  “This is Captain Mingyu Hao of the Terran research ship Rutherford. Please identify yourself.”

  The reply was instantaneous. “I will answer after you identify your species and point of origin.” The words sounded like they had been clipped out of a conversation and stru
ng together.

  “We call ourselves Terrans. Our species is human. Our home planet is called Earth. Please identify yourself.”

  “I have no information on species human,” the voice from the ship replied. “Planet Earth is not in my database. I am unable to identify your vessel. It has been classified as a scout ship. I am a non-biological entity without an official designation beyond my serial number. Identify your point of origin.”

  “So, you’re an artificial intelligence—a machine,” the Captain said.

  “Correct.”

  “Who built you? Who built the ship you’re in?”

  “I will not respond to any further interrogatives until you identify your point of origin.”

  “We don’t recognize your ship’s design,” Captain Mingyu replied. “As such, it would be unwise for us to divulge the location of our home planet to a potential adversary. One of our crew is aboard your vessel. She’s been injured and may need medical assistance. Allowing her to leave would prove your good intentions.”

  “The crew member to which you refer appears to be functioning properly. I am in need of information. I will not allow you to leave or your crew member to return until I have obtained the information I desire.”

  “We have no intention of leaving until you release Melissa,” Captain Mingyu replied. “At least tell us who built you.”

  “If you have no intention of leaving, then why is your stardrive powered and ready to be initiated? You will power down your stardrive and answer my questions.”

  “Captain!” Melissa heard George yell out. “We’re being targeted! One of those- - -”

  The abrupt silence startled Melissa. “Captain?” she said. “Captain!”

  Chapter 12

  “The Ba’Rutu shuttle has entered the atmosphere,” a voice announced over the speaker system.

  Heather squeezed AJ’s hand. “Nervous?” she asked.

  AJ looked down at the tablet he was holding in his left hand as if it might explode at any moment. “Yep.”

  “Is it because the recording of this meeting will be viewed by millions of people?” she asked. “I thought you had finally gotten comfortable with being in the public eye.”

  “It’s because of what’s in here,” AJ said, holding the tablet out. “I’m worried about how the Ba’Rutu are going to react.”

  “You shouldn’t be,” Aleksandr said. “The purpose of an ambassador is to provide a point of contact for one government to pass along vital information to another government. It’s not that person’s job to interpret the information but merely to act as a conduit so it can be delivered without alteration to its intended recipient. If the Ba’Rutu ambassador were to deliver a message to me saying they were declaring war on Earth, I would faithfully deliver that message after thanking the ambassador for providing it to me.”

  AJ turned and looked at Aleksandr. He was beginning to wonder if the ambassador was actually some kind of advanced android, completely devoid of human feelings.

  “Let’s just hope the Ba’Rutu subscribe to the same philosophy,” AJ said. “We’ve stumbled on a ship built by their ancient enemy and managed to activate it. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t have me executed on the spot. The Romans used to kill a messenger who brought bad news you know.”

  “This is not ancient Rome,” Aleksandr replied. “And please don’t forget that our Ba’Rutu ambassador is a female of their species. We don’t yet know how sensitive they are to misidentifying a person’s gender.”

  Aleksandr was standing to AJ’s left, about a half-meter away. Heather was to AJ’s right, much closer, holding his hand. They were facing the closed partition, waiting.

  “How about you?” AJ asked, looking at his wife. “Nervous?”

  “I’m more excited than nervous,” she replied. “We were the first to speak to the Ba’Rutu and now we’ll be one of the first Terrans to see one.”

  “I’m very curious to see what they look like,” Aleksandr said. “The fact that they’ve never allowed us to see them has been the subject of a great number of debates including many at very high levels of the government.”

  “You? Curious?” AJ said, sarcastically. “I’m shocked.”

  Aleksandr slowly turned and looked at AJ. “Despite what you might think, I am not devoid of emotions. I’ve been trained to control them, so I can perform my job as ambassador to the best of my abilities.”

  And now he can read minds, AJ thought. Aloud, he said, “I hope such training does not actually cause problems. We’re an emotional species and it’s best the Ba’Rutu are aware of that characteristic.”

  “I will make sure the Ba’Rutu are well informed,” Aleksandr replied, turning back to face the closed partition.

  “The shuttle has landed and is approaching,” the voice announced.

  The group waited in silence.

  AJ’s entire body jerked when the voice announced, “Cameras will be turned on in 30 seconds.”

  Heather squeezed AJ’s hand again. “You need to calm down. Your hand is sweating. Relax.”

  AJ took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His first meeting with the Keldans had not gone well. What if the Ba’Rutu looked like something out of his wildest nightmare? Fainting in front of a billion people would be embarrassing enough—what if he had a full-blown panic attack?

  “Cameras are on,” the voice announced.

  There was a click and the partition began to open. The first thing AJ saw was a pair of large reptilian eyes the size of a chicken egg looking straight at them. The eyes were set into a reptilian head attached to a long neck which in turn was connected to a large, light brown, scaled body. Attached to the body was a pair of loosely folded, impressively large wings. Instead of fear, AJ looked at the ambassador in wonder. She was the spitting image of a dragon!

  The ambassador was wearing a light blue vest that covered her chest. Tilting her head slightly, she rumbled her first words, allowing AJ to clearly see that the ambassador’s mouth did indeed contain a row of deadly-looking teeth. Her tail was gently swishing back and forth.

  “I am Ambassador Aryth,” AJ’s translator spoke into his ear. “On behalf of the Ba’Rutu, I declare the treaty between us and all Terrans to be in effect as of this moment.”

  Aleksandr stepped forward and bowed his head slightly. “I am Ambassador Aleksandr Matusik. It is an honor to finally meet you in person Ambassador Aryth. On behalf of all Terrans, I affirm that the treaty between our two peoples is in effect.” Turning slightly, Aleksandr said, “I would like you to meet Captain Arnold J. Zak and his wife Heather. They are the two humans who made first contact with your people.”

  “I am very honored to meet you,” Aryth replied, dipping her head slightly. “If not for you, our meeting today would not be happening.”

  “I am honored,” AJ replied, dipping his head slightly. “The Ba’Rutu have helped prevent the deaths of several billion Keldans. I would like to personally thank you for providing us with the location of a suitable planet for the Keldan’s new homeworld.”

  “We are happy to have been able to help,” Aryth replied. Looking up towards the cameras, she continued, “We have been isolated for far too long. It’s time for the Ba’Rutu to join the galactic community.”

  Heather opened her mouth, closed it, then finally decided to say something when she noticed Aryth was looking at her. “May I ask a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Has your species been to Earth in our distant past?”

  “May I ask why you ask?”

  “Because you look exactly like one of our ancient mythical creatures. We call them dragons.”

  Aryth rumbled. It took AJ a moment to realize she was chuckling. “We had hoped that the memory of our visit to your world would have passed into oblivion,” she replied. “We were quite surprised to learn that we had become the source of much myth and legend. I do miss your world and I’m looking forward to seeing it again.”

  “Wait a minute!” Despite bei
ng watched by millions of Terrans spread across a dozen different worlds, AJ couldn’t help himself. “Are you saying that YOU have been to Earth?”

  Aryth chuckled again. “I have indeed. But it has been many many years.” She lifted her head and spoke as if she was addressing a roomful of people. “The Ba’Rutu have had stardrive for centuries. We have visited many worlds including Earth. And, as you have just learned, we have discovered how to extend our lives almost indefinitely. Humans have just begun to learn how to do this and you have also experienced the social unrest that such life extension can cause.”

  “True,” Aleksandr said. “We have acknowledged that the introduction of advanced technology into a society before it is ready can result in destabilizing that culture. This has been true with our current relations with the races we have already established trade relations with. It will be even more important for all Terrans to understand that the Ba’Rutu will be carefully considering any advanced knowledge they choose to share with us.”

  “We made such a mistake once in our past,” Aryth said.

  “The Akuta,” Heather replied.

  “Yes,” Aryth said, nodding her head as her tail twitched. “The result was a war that left a scar on our society and caused us to isolate ourselves from the rest of the galaxy. Such a mistake will never again be repeated.”

  Aleksandr turned slightly so the camera could focus on his face. “Earth is glad the Ba’Rutu have decided to end their isolation. You have already helped provide a home for billions of people who would otherwise have had nowhere to go. We look forward to enriching our culture by getting to know yours.”

  “As do we.” Aryth spread her wings then announced, “Cameras off!”

  There was a brief delay as the camera operators complied with the request. As soon as all the tiny lights in each camera bubble indicated they were no longer active, Aryth lowered her head and said, “I would like you to meet someone.”

  A man who had been standing behind Aryth’s bulk walked out into the open. He stopped and put his hand against Aryth’s jaw. He was dressed in a brown short-sleeve shirt and a matching pair of loose-fitting pants. He was definitely human.