The shuttle reaches the Boomslang safely. By the time Alonso brings the shuttle to a stop, most of the other ships have already departed the system. Ravaan silently gestures for Alonso to leave. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to be fully aware of what has just happened, so he gives a shrug before stepping off the shuttle.
“Is this how we’ll always do things, Ravaan?” Nemmy asks, striding away from the viewing screen and throwing herself into one of the pilot seats.
“What do you mean, Captain?”
“Those people were trying to do something amazing, and they’ve been killed for it. Step out of line, get killed. Try to defend yourself; get killed. Make your own decisions; get killed. All to ‘protect humanity’ of course” she says, practically spitting the last sentence out.
“Our job can be extremely…challenging at times, Captain” Ravaan says. He is not quite sure what to say.
“Yeah. What if it’s you that makes the bad choice? Or me? Or what if the entire crew has done something and someone higher up ‘decides’ we were all wrong? Do we all die? Is that fair? Is that justice?” Nemmy says. She falls silent, sighing deeply. Ravaan does the same. She is right. He can offer no answers and no solace. They remain in the shuttle, quietly contemplating what happened. He has to accept the truth. If Sector Admiral Le Beau could commit such an act, they could theoretically all be killed in the name of “protecting humanity”.
It is a sobering thought.
Strange New Worlds
It isn’t remotely pleasurable for Nemmy to be talking to her mother again so soon after what happened at the moonbase, but it is the lesser of two evils. Winters was completely out of the question. Thankfully they were separated by many light years, communicating via a private holo-projector in Nemmy’s quarters. Nemmy tries to avoid looking at her mother’s piercing eyes.
“Hello. I have a…unique situation to explain. My friend that we rescued from Winters’ secret base, has arranged for my entire crew to visit a Confederation world for some kind of religious celebration that they have, as a reward” She says.
“I see. And you want permission to go, but you didn’t want to ask Winters because then he would know what you did” Alondra says.
“Yes,” Nemmy utters, still looking everywhere other than her mother’s face. Alondra studies her daughter intensely.
“You want to go to this thing? Even though you may be at risk of kidnap or worse?” she asks.
“I don’t feel that I would be in danger”
“You are quite trusting towards what is technically a foreign power” Alondra retorts.
“I’ve yet to see a Confederation ship bomb a defenceless station” Nemmy snaps instinctively. She regrets it immediately.
“Ah, is that why you are in this little mood?” Alondra says, adding a chuckle.
“You murdered those people on that station!” Nemmy responds, finally looking up. Alondra narrows her eyes and raises an accusing finger.
“Do not ever raise your voice to me, Nemantha” she growls. Nemmy immediately puts her head back down.
“Sorry, Admiral”
“I don’t enjoy having to do such things. But it had to be done. You saw the panic and terror in that room. Imagine that across all of society. One day, you’ll understand. As for this venture, you can go if you wish. I’ll inform Winters that you have been temporarily reassigned. Although both he and I would appreciate any interesting information and scans you can provide” Alondra says. Nemmy is fully aware that it’s clearly an order and not a polite request, but she can accept that price.
“Thank you, Admiral. I’ll send you anything we find out” Nemmy says and takes immense pleasure in being the one to cut the comm link for once. Of course, she’ll have to inform the rest of the crew about this trip. That shall be interesting. She decides to cut short the arguments beforehand. A quiet order to Alonso gets the ship underway before she leaves her quarters.
She goes to the bridge and calls all the senior officers. Zhang and Samuel are the last to arrive, joining Amira, Ravaan, Lynsey, and Santiago.
“Thanks for coming, I know some of you are off shift. I’ll keep it short. We are going to this world” Nemmy says, activating the large holo-projector in the middle of the bridge. It displays a pristine, Earth-like world, with an orbiting X shaped station.
“This is Calamora, and it’s-“
“A Confederation planet” Amira spits angrily. “You can’t be serious? Why would we go there?”
“We’ve been invited to witness a festival called the Ascension of the Cave. The ship is being allowed escorted passage directly to this planet, so we’ve also been ordered to collect information on Confed ships, technology, social attitudes, anything to update our understanding of their society. So, we are all going” Nemmy replies. She must be careful not to over-share since most of the crew know nothing about why they were invited.
“What will we actually do there?” Samuel asks.
“Whatever you want. Socialise, enjoy the festivities, or sit on the ship if you want” Nemmy cheerily replies.
“Keep in mind that Imperial Law will still apply to all Imperial citizens, regardless of where you go” Ravaan interjects. Amira marches out with a loud grunt. Ravaan dismisses the rest before taking Nemmy aside for a quiet chat at the viewspace area.
“Captain, given that we still suspect that there may be a spy or mole on this ship, is going into Confederation territory a wise move?” he whispers. It’s a valid question, she accepts.
“Now that my mother knows about this trip, we have to go. But if there is a spy, maybe they might use this trip to send messages?” she says. Ravaan instantly catches on.
“We could monitor such messages and locate their destinations. I will see to it myself” he says, making for the door. As the crew filter back onto the bridge, Nemmy goes to her chair and activates her console. They have a couple of hours travelling, so she might as well do a bit of research.
“We’re coming out of warp-space now Captain,” Alonso says, drawing Nemmy out of her console fixated stupor. She activates the viewspace right away. The sight is breath-taking. Calamora is glorious, a perfect orb of blues and greens, whites and browns, a truly dazzling sight. The nearby station almost glitters in the sunlight, a twisting X-shaped mass, as if someone has stretched and curled each of the four adjuncts away from the main body. Amongst the groups of ships flitting about, a trio rapidly approaches the Boomslang. All three ships are covered in bright red and white markings. Two of the “turtle” style patrol ships flank a larger ship, shaped vaguely like an upside-down table. Nemmy has never seen this type of ship before. She is sure her mother and Winters will enjoy the detailed scans they’ll collect. Ravaan goes over to Emily’s station as if reading her mind, so he can go over the information himself.
“Interesting design,” he says.
“One of the ships is requesting a comm link,” Emily says. Nemmy nods her consent. The viewspace shimmers from the ships to the internal view of one of the Confed bridges, and a distinctly familiar face grins at them.
“Captain Le Beau, I hope you are aware that your ship is all over our news programs!” Marcus says.
“Marcus! I didn’t know you’d be here. So, we’re famous, you say?” she beams.
“Oh yes. There was a live discussion about it an hour ago. Imperial dogs coming to invade us, or are they coming to defect?” He laughs. “Your friend has gone through a lot of trouble to get you here. He said you would want me here to greet you?” Marcus says, with both a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Nemmy can already feel her face flushing.
“Uh…”
He laughs loudly. His second in command, Rool, enters the frame, handing Marcus a datapad.
“Hello Imperial human. I hope you have not come to commit war because I am most tired” he says.
“No, of course not. But I might stay away from you and y
our dirty jokes” Nemmy quips back. Rool rolls his head back with a hearty guffaw.
“You are fun. Enjoy the festival. Beware the Chiklids; they are noisy people” Rool says, before departing.
“I’m transmitting the guest visa information for your ship and crew. It’s got all the legal jargon, explaining how we’ll guard your ship, and making sure you understand Confederation laws and so on. Make sure everyone has a basic understanding, and I’ll see you on the surface?” Marcus says.
“Count on it” Nemmy replies. Suddenly the stress of all the recent events falls away, as the excitement of this visit grows. The viewspace goes back to the outside view, as the large ship releases a stream of tiny ships that swarm around the Boomslang as they approach the planet. They spiral around the hull, and it appears to Nemmy that it may simply be a polite demonstration of their military power. Just a little message to the daughter of a powerful Admiral.
“This is slightly unsettling,” Emily says. The ship shudders slightly, causing Alonso to snatch his hands away from his console.
“They are controlling our ship!” he gasps.
“Calm down. It’s the automated landing process” Emily chides him.
“I didn’t know” An embarrassed Alonso moans. The shuddering continues for a few moments until the lock-on is complete, and the Boomslang is taken quickly through the upper atmosphere. As they breach the clouds, there is a collective intake of breath. The green landscape rolls out before them like a luxurious carpet, endless miles of grass and trees. Various coloured buildings of wildly assorted sizes dot the area. A large sandy extrusion juts out from the ground, with lots of metallic huts circling the entire mountain-like feature. The ship comes to rest on a flattened stone area nearby.
“We’ll have to leave our weapons here as a sign of consideration for the festival,” Nemmy says. She holds up her hands, cutting off Ravaan’s protest.
“I know, on duty and all that. If we were in danger, they could kill us all anyway. You can say I ordered you” she says, almost sprinting through the bridge door.
After a short trip to her quarters to freshen up, she wastes no time in getting to the shuttle bay where, as expected, the crew are assembling. Most of the crew seem non-plussed, and even reasonably excited, judging by the level of chatter in the bay. Very few Imperials ever get to visit Confederation space legally, let alone step foot on this paradise of a planet. Amira stands alone away from the crew, her jaw set, and her eyebrows sloped down. No-one else seems to mind, as Angela opens the shuttle bay door. Ravaan had thought ahead to make sure everyone knew where to go, and importantly not to bring their weapons. Nemmy goes to the front to lead the crew out into the sunlight. Actual, real sunlight.
Nemmy steps off the ship onto the stone platform. Already the heat from the striking daylight sun surrounds her. Planets like this, so close to Earth-like standards, were precious treasures. Only a few have ever been found across many thousands of systems. It is incredibly fortunate to find a planet in the traditional “Goldilocks Zone”, with the right combination of heat, light, water, flora, fauna, and atmosphere for humans to live in reasonable comfort without technological assistance. One such planet serves as the Imperial home world, Emperor’s Throne. She rubs her hand on the ground beneath her, and then turns her hand over. Genuine, real dirt covers her fingers. She laughs as she brushes it off. What a marvellous thing.
Her attention is drawn to an approaching group. Two humans, one Fren and one Chiklid, the large, hunched over insect-like being pulling a hover tray with two of its eight limbs. Nemmy immediately feels slightly uncomfortable. She doesn’t want to cause any offence but looking at a giant insect up close will take some getting used to. The group stop in front of her and perform a synchronised bow. Their outfits are all gaudy and dazzling, a mish-mash of bright colours and materials. Nemmy is equally taken aback by the male human of the group, as his eyelids appear to glitter with an unusual decorative print.
“On behalf of the Confederation of Free People, welcome to Calamora, Captain. Your presence here has proven to be quite the popular news story. I am Roben. I will be around to help you if you require it. Your crew has unrestricted access to the entire festival area; please enjoy all our amenities as you wish. If you wish to enjoy the musical parts of the festival, you will require some of these adapted headsets. Feel free to take one” the man says. Unlike Marcus, this man’s accent was unusually clipped, and his voice was somewhat high pitched. Perhaps it is a local thing.
“Thank you, Roben. I appreciate your hospitality. We’re very happy to be here to take part in this festival” Nemmy says, smiling as widely as she can. The Chiklid lifts a headset from the tray and offers it to Nemmy.
“Take please,” the Chiklid says in a strained, whistle-like voice. Nemmy gingerly lifts the headset out of the sharp-looking pincers. The Chiklid’s bulbous, jet-black head glimmers in the sunlight. Nemmy forces herself to focus on what she assumes are eyes.
“Thank you” she replies. The group perform their matching bow again, before taking the headsets to the Boomslang crew. Nemmy suddenly feels bad for the Chiklid, as it garners more than a few stares and glances from the crew. If it feels discomfort though, it isn’t noticeable to her. She heads off the stone platform towards the grassy area leading towards the first buildings. She takes a moment to kneel and run her fingers across the grass. A chilly breeze rolls across her. There’s something about the realness of the situation that pleases her greatly. It just feels better than any generated or false projection. Living on Earth must have felt like this every day.
“On your knees, human?” A voice says from somewhere. She whips up, turning to find Rool behind her. She waves enthusiastically, ever mindful of being pranked again.
“Hey, Rool. I’m glad we can meet under nicer circumstances”
“Yes, I agree. Be mindful; many people here have never seen Imperial humans. They may try to eat you”
“Well, I am delicious, it’s a real concern” She jokes. Rool chuckles loudly in his exaggerated manner. His upper tentacles twitch to match his movements.
“Most amusing. Please follow me, we are required to go somewhere” Rool says. They totter off towards the nearest buildings.
“Rool, this might be a stupid question, but is it Free People or Free Planets?” Nemmy asks as they walk.
“Official answer is Free Planets and People. But it is very long, so shortened unofficially. Choose whatever you like” Rool replies.
Nemmy finds herself gawking at all the various people they pass by. Despite the numerous Fren and Chiklid around, it’s the humans that confuse her the most. Almost all of them are wearing incredibly bright, incompatible clothing. Some are wearing tight jumpsuits; others are clad in baggy ponchos and elaborate footwear. There are various tattoos and body decorations. One man has a purple stripe right across his face, covering his entire nose. Nemmy spots someone with a shiny bald head, except for the thin crown wrapping around the back. The person turns around to reveal an ample, almost entirely exposed pair of pendulous breasts, confounding Nemmy’s first guess. The people here are so colourful and strange looking. Every Imperial station or base she’d ever visited, every person had simple, comparatively bland clothing and equally mundane haircuts. Her musing is interrupted when they walk past a dark pool. It takes Nemmy’s eyes several seconds to adjust to what she is seeing. The pool is absolutely stuffed with Fren, to the point where they are lying on top of each other.
“Personal space is not as important to Fren as it is to humans” Rool explains. “Many thousands of years we have spent living in shallow waters. Our home planet is not as dry as this” he says. A little squid-like creature pops out of the pool and half slithers/half scuttles over to Nemmy’s feet. She bends down to scoop up the baby Fren. It makes a bubbling sound.
“Hello, little one,” she says. A Fren leaps out of the pool, waving her tentacles frantically.
“Please don’t kill my baby!” she screams.
“What? I wasn’t going-“
“Please!” the wide-eyed Fren wails. Nemmy is gobsmacked, and freezes. Rool thinks quickly, lifting the baby gently from Nemmy and handing it back to the upset mother. She wraps various tentacles around it before returning to the water. Some of the other Fren swim away from Nemmy’s side of the pool. Rool gently guides Nemmy away from the area.
“Why did she say that, Rool? I wasn’t going to hurt her child”
“You must understand. Not everyone is fearless like me. Many of our people worry you wish to hurt us”
“Why?” she demands. Rool stops to look at her.
“Because humans have always tried to hurt non-humans. The Imperium does not even allow aliens to settle in your space. I could not even buy a box of fruit on your stations” he says calmly. Nemmy tries to respond, but what can she say? He is right. She’s standing here on their planet, with their permission to witness an alien festival. The only way a Fren would be allowed to touch Imperial soil would be in chains. The realisation is shaming, and all she can do was look at the grass.
“I’m sorry Rool. I guess I never really considered your point of view that way” she says quietly. He responds with his familiar over the top chuckle.
“Do not worry, human. We will convince you to defect one day” he jokes. They continue towards one of the huts. The outside looks like a cloth or fabric of some variety weaved around a wooden frame. Nemmy takes a moment to appreciate the rare sight, as Rool directs her to a door. She steps inside. She finds a plush seating area, with wildly colourful couches matching the weaves and fabric decorations lining the walls. One couch is occupied, to Nemmy’s instant delight.
Unknown Earth Volume 2 Page 13
