by John Walker
“Do not make a mistake,” Darm said. “This could well end us both if you do.”
The Founder ship cut the communication before Raeka could reply and he fumed over the last words. As if I would be the one to make a mistake. That arrogant ass is going to get us all killed. We must remain vigilant and cautious through this exchange. Perhaps we can make first contact and establish relations.
If they did so, maybe the visitor would join their cause, help establish peace. Already, the Founders and Emancipated worked together to investigate the ship. The arrival alone did what years of hope and conflict could not. Now, if they proved to be a benevolent race without designs on conquering the system, things would work out nicely.
“Give the order for the fleet to move,” Raeka announced. “Parallel the Founders and give us a firing solution on the invader. Tell our scouts to fall back and rendezvous as soon as possible. Let’s not leave this to our enemies to resolve. I fear they will not represent cooler heads in a volatile situation.”
***
Gray continued reading through the tallied damage of the ship and very nearly cursed aloud. Whatever happened caused pure havoc through the systems, leaving the ship in a nearly worse state than the first time they tangled with the enemy, prior to pulse technology. It wasn’t any one big thing either, but a whole string of small issues building up to become a disaster.
“Captain,” Clea grabbed his attention. “I initiated a request for roll call from the ship. So far, we have twenty people unaccounted for. Pilots have volunteered to help locate people and are on the task now. They’ll return them to sick bay as they discover them.”
“Thank you,” Gray replied. “Any response from those ships?”
“No, sir.”
Olly spoke up, “they’re falling back.” He paused. “Sir, their fleet is moving closer.”
“That’s a lot of ships…” Gray rubbed his chin. “What are their intentions?”
“I’ve had the chance to scan the area,” Olly said. “I’ve picked up some debris and energy signatures consistent with combat…I think these ships were engaged in a fight before we arrived.”
“Really…” Gray scowled at the screen. “And now they’re approaching us.”
“If they were fighting,” Redding said, “then we may have become a force to unify against.”
“Shields are ready,” Olly said. “I can get them up right away.”
“If they start to get aggressive, we’ll raise defenses,” Gray replied. “For now, we must get through to these people. Clea, what’s the hold up?”
“I’ve checked for interference and I haven’t found any. I think we might just be operating on a very different type of technology for whatever they use to talk to one another. Lieutenant Darnell, can you scan them for communication equipment? Maybe you can tap into it or at least show me how to connect with them.”
“I’m on it.” Olly went to work and sighed. “Sir, I think they might be posturing now…I’m seeing some energy build ups from the larger ships.”
“Are they even within range?”
“Not effective…unless they figure we can’t move anyway so might as well throw some ordinance our way.” Olly shrugged. “If we couldn’t defend ourselves…”
“I get it,” Gray interrupted. “Raise our shields. Are the engines online? Weapons?”
“Engines, barely,” Clea said. “We could probably maintain position but fancy maneuvering is out. Weapons are not online. I’ll up their priority.”
“This thing isn’t about fancy maneuvers,” Redding replied. “But I get you. Once we’ve got power, I think we can outrun those guys if we have to. And I can at least nudge us to avoid the majority of their attacks. I’ll monitor progress on the weapons.”
“Okay, do it.” Gray turned to Clea. “Keep up the work with Olly. If we get attacked, I’d like to at least know why. Looks like we might be in the midst of an intergalactic incident with a new culture. Not exactly the first contact I hoped to be but maybe we can pull ourselves out of this yet. If only we can talk to them.”
Chapter 3
“Captain!” Ghalir shouted. “The invader seems to have come alive! They have raised a shield, much like ours but…but vastly more powerful. Their engines are also up and they are no longer drifting.”
Raeka glared at the screen and sighed. This would give Darm all the ammunition he needed to start a fight. The invader now represented a clear threat to the sector, one neither side could technically afford. If this joint ventured guaranteed a chance at a peace table, Raeka would’ve already opened fire but he knew it wouldn’t.
When they finished with the invader, chances were good they’d turn right back on each other.
He looked over Ghalir’s readings and confirmed them. The man was right and worse, they proved to be technical giants comparatively. Wherever they came from, they brought vastly more advanced equipment. Further observation was required, but Raeka’s fear was they may have the power to take out both fleets.
“Continue your scans and get me Darm on the line. This changes a few things.”
Moments later, the Founder captain appeared on the screen. “I see you’ve also picked up the power surge,” Darm said. “Either they are about to flee or attack. I am preparing to give the order to open fire.”
“Do you have any idea what our weapons will do against their shield?” Raeka asked.
“We’ll find out.”
“The hard way,” Raeka finished the sentence. “What if they react in a strange way? We have no way of understanding this alien without investigation. Hostile action could well end any chance of communication.”
“We’d waste time talking if they are here for a hostile reason, Raeka. You should know this just as well as me. We are working in tandem and I expect you to back us up. We will send word when we’re prepared to attack. Darm out.”
Raeka cursed and slapped the arm of his chair. That fool will get us all killed! He sighed. Part of him knew the man was right. Waiting might prove suicidal. They needed to prepare for the attack but to do so, his people had to coordinate with the Founders. That would be interesting. Many of them hadn’t spoken in a long while.
Maybe through a little cooperation we’ll see a change. One can hope.
***
Clea received Olly’s scan data of the incoming vessels and sifted through it quickly. Most of the information he procured was consistent with her understanding of space faring vehicles. The emissions from their engines and the environmental shields matched up with different designs used throughout the alliance.
The one part that didn’t match was an anomalous reading that appeared more like standard radiation but nothing on their ships should’ve produced such a small amount. As she analyzed it, she found a pattern and from there, she discovered they disguised their com traffic, essentially encoding it to look like ship emissions.
Once she knew what she was looking at, Clea broke it down quickly and used the universal code as a translator. It had served the alliance several times during first contact missions and it worked here as well. Their words came through, crews coordinating with one another. She came in at the middle of their conversation.
“Fire team six, do you have a good lock?”
“That’s a negative, control. We’re having a hard time.”
“How? The thing’s huge! You could eye ball an attack from this distance. Other fire teams, report.”
Clea turned in her seat, raising her voice as she spoke, “captain, they are preparing to engage us. I’ve got their coms.”
“Lock on to that large ship on the starboard,” Gray said, pointing at the screen. “Broadcast to the whole thing if we have to. Tell them we’re here in peace.”
Clea locked on to the vessel and sent a broad communication, using their same technique. It probably caused tremendous feedback through their speakers for the first few moments before leveling off. She spoke into her microphone, calmly and in a professional tone of voice.
> “Incoming vessel, this is the Behemoth. We represent no threat. I repeat, we come in peace. Please do not fire or engage. We have no cause for conflict.”
She held her breath in anticipation of a response but when none came immediately, she repeated her message, this time more firmly. This time, she received a message back immediately and the com translated for her in real time.
“Behemoth, this is the Emancipated Flagship Endiras. I’m putting you through to my captain, Raeka Anvinari. Please hold.”
Clea rolled her eyes. “They’ve put me on hold, sir.”
“You have to be kidding.” Gray came to her console, clenching his fist. “Why?”
“They’re patching me through to their captain.”
“Put it on screen. I’ll talk to this guy.”
“Yes, sir.”
A moment later, a man appeared on the screen with short, dark hair and nearly black eyes. His pale skin stood as a sharp contrast to his darker features and he looked almost sinister. A scowl crinkled his brow and he tilted his head, as if examining the people he saw on the screen.
For all intents and purposes, they looked somewhat similar. Humanoid, like the kielans. Clea watched Gray to see his response but he maintained a neutral expression.
“Hello,” Gray began. “My name is Gray Atwell, the captain of this ship and we’d really like to avoid any aggression. We didn’t mean to trespass. We had a malfunction and it led us here. If we can’t treat peacefully, give us some time and we’ll happily leave your space and never return.”
“I am Raeka Anvinari, captain of the Emancipated fleet. You represent a common threat at the moment, one two sides of a conflict can rally together against. Tell me more about this malfunction and how you came to be here in the first place. Our sensors stated you simply appeared out of nowhere. Explain.”
“We have faster than light technology,” Gray said, “which allows us to cover great distances almost instantaneously. In this case, something happened to it and we’re temporarily without the ability. I assure you, we mean no harm to either of your fleets so you don’t have to rally against us. We’d be happy to talk if you choose to be amiable to conversation.”
“You picked the correct vessel to speak to,” Raeka replied. “My counterpart would not have answered you. He believes in taking no chances, no risks. Our culture has been at war for quite some time, you see. Any peculiarity may be seen as an attempt by our enemies to subvert and destroy us.”
“Understood but surely you both know we’re not on either side. The fact we don’t speak the same language, our tech is different…you’ve scanned us, I’m sure. You know we have advanced defenses and weaponry by now. Even our engines are more potent. I don’t want to get into a fight we can avoid.”
“I get the sense you’re not saying this because you’re afraid.” Raeka smirked. “I appreciate you have not overtly threatened us but we do recognize your technology. Do you think you can take on both fleets?”
Gray smiled back. “Let’s not find out.”
“I should tell you, when we separated from our home world after they unfairly began to exploit us, we vowed we would never be taken in by words again. Somehow, we’ve become the more reasonable of our two factions. Though we originated from the same place, a schism formed. One of entitlement versus a desire for freedom.”
“We have a similar story from our past,” Gray said. “Eventually, the two became allies and worked together.”
“A hope I’ve fostered for some time,” Raeka sighed. “You seem to not be a threat but…it will not be an easy sell to Darm.”
“Let’s get on it then,” Gray said. “Conflict is not in either of our interests.”
“I will get him on the line,” Raeka replied. “And contact you back.”
Clea cleared her throat. “They have cut the connection, sir.”
Gray nodded. “Let’s keep scans and shields up, Olly. Let me know if you detect any energy build up. I want to know before they try to lay into us.”
“Yes, sir…” Olly glanced over his shoulder. “I haven’t figured them out yet but I’m probing their computer systems. It may be possible to hack them and take control. Their security protocols are somewhat primitive.”
“A good option,” Clea said. “Be careful with the Universal Code, however. If even a fraction of it ends up left behind, they can adapt it.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to get in and out of places I’m not allowed…” Olly sighed. “That came out wrong.”
“Just focus on the task at hand, Lieutenant.” Gray shook his head. “Now, let’s hope Adam’s having some luck with his investigation.”
***
Adam left the bridge and headed straight for the engineering deck. People raced around him, filling some of the corridors to the point he needed to take detours to get to his destination. The controlled chaos aboard the ship annoyed him. Whoever proved responsible for the sabotage would definitely feel the full weight of his ire.
He checked his computer as he walked, noting the injury list. Five people were found dead already and two more weren’t expected to survive their injuries. Not only did the tampering cause the ship to arrive at the wrong destination but it destroyed several lives. No one had time to worry about it at the moment but when things slowed down, it would definitely affect morale.
A thought occurred to Adam as he walked. The jump module acted up when they performed microjumps. There was a possibility, however slight, that this was an accident and not the cause of a saboteur. He didn’t want to believe it, not with how angry he felt but he couldn’t rule it out completely.
A witch hunt when technology was to blame didn’t make much sense.
As he arrived, he stepped into a room full of tension but relatively quiet. The men spoke firmly to one another but no one yelled. All the stress came from their postures and the severe expressions they wore. Each man and woman focused on their tasks, dedicated to restoring the ship as quickly as possible.
Maury approached him. “Commander, I didn’t expect to see you down here.”
“I’m here on the captain’s orders,” Adam replied. “Can we talk privately for a moment?”
“Absolutely, we can use my office.” Maury led him across the engine room to a small attached room with a sliding metal door. Inside, a meticulously clean desk was bolted to the floor. Shelves were covered with metal slats to keep books and other trinkets from falling and a few pictures hung here and there, depicting Maury’s family. “What can I do for you?”
“Tell me about the jump module,” Adam said. “Have you been able to perform a diagnostic?”
“Only cursory,” Maury replied. “We can definitely repair it but it’ll take some time.”
“How much?”
“I’m guessing six to ten hours just to be safe. Mistakes could mean leaving it in an irreparable state.”
Adam nodded. “What did the cursory diagnostic tell you is the problem?”
“The jump module taps into the crystal powering the drive,” Maury explained. “There are essentially tuners inside that are perfectly aligned to channel the vibrations required to make a jump. Honestly, to get any more detailed about that part, you’d need to have Miss An’Tufal explain but ultimately, those tuners are out of alignment and the power junction box was shorted out.”
“How could that happen?”
“A serious jarring,” Maury offered. “It’s not common wear and tear. Those tuners are tough in one regard but not hard to manipulate. I expect you’re investigating my concerns of tampering. It’s more than possible. Someone with a strong arm and a pair of pliers could screw up the tuners. The power relay wouldn’t be hard either—a quick jolt at the right voltage would do it.”
“Who all has access to the engine room?”
“My entire roster of engineers, of course,” Maury replied. “The captain, you, Miss An’Tufal and the highest ranking security personnel.”
“And how hard would it be to get any of this done
under the noses of your staff?”
“We staff heavier during second and third shift. Forth is the lightest unless we’re in the midst of an operation. During that time, it would be far more possible for someone to do something unnoticed. However, we have sensors for that sort of thing, measures to catch people in the act of performing unscheduled maintenance.”
“How’s it work?”
“Let’s say a tech finds a problem with the engine stabilizers. He can’t just grab a wrench and go to town on it. He has to log his findings and schedule his work. Then one of the supervisors approves it and he gets it done.”
“And in the case of an emergency?”
Maury nodded, “I thought you might ask. We still have to log it which is just as easy as using your communicator to record your findings. However, even in an emergency there are some systems which are only available for higher ranking personnel to get into. A junior tech would not have access to the jump module.”
“What if I tried to just bust it open and go to town?”
“It would cause an alarm to go off through this entire deck as well as in the quarters of all senior staff. We would receive com messages as well.”
“I see. Can you send me the one offs you’re talking about from security? I have the rest.”
“Right away.” Maury tapped into his computer and sent the information over. “There you go. Why do you think someone would do this?”
“I don’t know. It was suicidal either way. If it worked the way I expect they wanted it to, we should all be dead.”
“What’s your next move?”
Adam smirked. “Best if you don’t know. I’m going to take a look at the jump module then run some scenarios. Mind if I use your office for a bit?”
“Not at all.” Maury gestured. “I’m getting back to the pulse drive. We’re doing some testing to ensure we’re ready to move without blowing up.”
