Hanlon sat at one of the consoles, considering what to do next when one of the doors opened, and a maintenance bot rolled in. It was a squat, mechanical looking machine, covered with armatures and mechanical bits.
Hanlon watched with interest as the upper console nearest its entry point was quickly opened, several strange components were removed and replaced. The bot shut the panel and moved to its left. The process repeated itself around the upper tier and then all the way to the lowest. The bot then turned and left the area.
Hanlon walked to one of the repaired consoles to take a look at what had been done. There was no visible sign of damage or decay to the interface panel, and the entire unit looked brand new. A single button near the top left glowed a soft yellow. Halon touched the button experimentally.
Three screens at the center of the console illuminated and all of the buttons around the edges of the screens also came on. A variety of systems reports were shown at the top of the screens.
It showed the status of several of the power distribution systems. Red icons marked many of them as non-functional. “Dawn, why are so many of these power conduits non-functional.?”
“As time passed, the superconducting material used in these systems degraded. The materials can be recycled to a degree, but eventually, the level of undegraded material is so low it must be discarded.”
“I see,” Hanlon said. She turned her attention to Tolon. “Any word from Leader?”
“It is communicating with the Woduur now, Captain,” Tolon said.
When the Ulef offered nothing more, Hanlon sighed in exasperation. “Well, I guess I just need to wait until more of the systems are restored. I’m going to take a rest period, Tolon.”
“I cannot withdraw, but I will wait here and rest as well, Captain,” Tolon said.
Hanon nodded and then said, “New Dawn, disable all user interfaces until I return to the control center.”
“Confirmed, Captain,” New Dawn said. The lights dimmed, and the central plot shut down a few seconds later.
Hanlon walked to her cabin she’d had rebuilt and sat on the bed. She looked around, trying to figure out what to do, but there was nothing. Until she knew what the Woduur were up to, she couldn’t respond. It was a frustrating position in which she found herself. She got up, opened the small closet and was surprised to find three exact copies of her current underway uniform hanging inside. “Well, that was considerate.” A check of the drawers found replicas of her undergarments as well. “And a little creepy.” She got changed and went to bed.
She awoke slowly, with no sense of how much time had passed. She stretched and found she felt extremely well rested. A soft hiss of hydraulics made her turn, and she saw a small bot entering her cabin. A wide, flat top was covered with a pair of strangely shaped glasses and an oblong plate full of food. It smelled delicious.
“New Dawn, can you hear me?”
“Of course, Captain.” The computer’s disembodied voice filled the room.
“What is this?”
“Bacon, eggs, and pancakes with maple syrup. Also, a glass of orange juice and a glass of water.”
“Well, it smells amazing,” she observed. The small bot deposited the tray on the desk opposite her bed. The eating utensils were oddly designed, but she quickly figured out their intended use. One could only shape a knife in so many ways, of course.
Hanlon picked up a long strip of reddish material. Her mouth was watering at the delightful smell coming from it. “What’s this?”
“Bacon, Captain,” Dawn replied.
Hanlon took a bite. It was crunchy, very salty and it tasted even better than it smelled if that was possible. “This is fantastic,” she exclaimed. She consumed the rest of the breakfast, identifying each part as she went. The bacon was the highlight, but the eggs were pretty good as well. She didn’t care for the pancakes until Dawn told her to pour the syrup onto them, greatly improving the experience.
By the time she was done eating, she was pleasantly full, and the meal was thoroughly enjoyable. Experiencing the new foods had started her day with a wonderful experience.
Hanlon had a smile on her face when she walked into the command center. Tolon was there, but he was resting on the floor. The Ulef didn’t actually lie down, but they rested their weight in the underside of their torsos. She wasn’t sure if it was asleep, but it didn’t move or acknowledge her presence.
She turned and saw a second Ulef entering the command center. She tapped gently against the side of the central plot. “Wake up, Dawn. We have visitors.”
The holographic image of Dawn’s face quickly appeared above the plot. The lights brightened, and Hanlon turned to address the newcomer. “Who are you?”
The Ulef stopped dead when she addressed it. “This one has no name. It provides an item important to Tolon.” The Ulef extended one arm, a long cylinder held in its tentacles. At first, Hanlon thought it was one of the compliance rods the Ulef used when they captured Hanlon and the others of the expeditionary force. The cylinder was quite a bit larger. She turned her attention to Tolon.
“Tolon, wake up.” The Ulef lurched to one side for a few seconds and then rose on its spindly legs.
“Captain Hanlon. I trust your rest was helpful.”
“It was. There is another of your people here to see you.” Hanlon gestured at the second Ulef.
Tolon turned to face the nameless creature and waited patiently. There was a kind of reverence she couldn’t easily describe when the cylinder was passed to Tolon. The Ulef withdrew immediately after handing the item over.
“What is it, Tolon?”
Tolon bounced in place for several seconds before answering. “I have been given the honor of true independence.” Tolon pulled one end off of the cylinder, and it unrolled into a long strip of sky blue material, similar to what the Ulef used to construct their harnesses.
Tolon pulled the wide strip of material around its body and threaded it into the harness. After a few moments of adjustment, Tolon seemed satisfied with the new addition to its ensemble.
“What do you mean, independence?”
“A band of this color indicates absolute trust is placed in you by Leader. Leader may now observe my perceptions only with my consent and will allow me to make direct suggestions and observations about its decisions.”
This was an odd development to Hanlon’s mind. “I don’t understand. What possible motive could Leader have for making this decision now? Isn’t it to Leader’s advantage to observe my actions through your eyes?”
“Your reaction is understandable, but it comes from an ignorance of how our society works. The situation is now such that if Leader asks any task of me, it will be instantly and unquestioningly obeyed. The second part of this honor comes from the prestige I have gained by assisting you in the reconstruction efforts aboard New Dawn. My diplomacy has resulted in the agreement with Humanity to relocate our species to a safe haven where the Woduur cannot continue their efforts to enslave us.”
“Why do the Woduur want to enslave you?”
“As a group, my people naturally submit to those who hold greater power over us. When the Woduur last brought my kind under their control, we were forced to do terrible, unspeakable things in their name. It is not in our nature to rebel. Among my kind, I am one of the most independent and free-thinking of my generation. Leader has recognized this, and by awarding this honor secured me utterly to its cause.”
Hanlon started to get a grasp of the kind of control the Ulef exerted over one another. If Tolon was an independent mind among the Ulef, they were truly a race of near automatons, blindly following orders without question or consideration. “I think I understand. Leader wants to make sure it encourages the traits that make you useful, but it also wants to make sure you are useful to what it wants, rather than any other cause you might choose to adhere to if left to your own devices.”
Tolon bounced a few times, and then said, “Your ability to grasp the rudiments of our societal struct
ure is laudable, Captain.”
“I can infer, by that same token, that if Leader now ordered you to kill me, you wouldn’t even stop to consider why. You would simply respond immediately with your best effort to end my life.”
“That is so, Captain.”
Hanlon moved quickly around the plot to the far side from where Tolon stood. “New Dawn, activate defensive mode in the command center. If Tolon approaches within five meters of my location, stun it. If any Ulef other than Tolon enters the command center, stun it.”
“Confirmed, Captain Hanlon,” Dawn’s voice boomed out. The lights flickered to red, and the ring of turrets dropped from the ceiling. Roughly half of them spun to lock onto Tolon’s position.
“Why do you take this extreme action, Captain?” Tolon asked.
“Don’t you see? Leader now has access to the interior of New Dawn. The neural wave transmitter is available. If Leader can negotiate a ceasefire with the Woduur, even a brief one, my usefulness to your species is over. Leader will order me killed immediately so it can reverse engineer the transmitter.”
“Captain, Leader has given me no indication of such intent. Why would you hypothesize such an extreme action? Have we not demonstrated our trustworthiness and willingness to assist you?”
Hanlon pause to consider her actions. Was she unreasonable? Were her conclusions being colored by the recent memory of being imprisoned by the Ulef, tortured by them? She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Tolon. I just can’t risk it. My people’s future depends on this ship. I can’t allow Leader to put a gun to my head so easily.”
“Leader is aiming no firearm in your direction, Captain,” Tolon observed.
Hanlon sighed. In less serious circumstances, the comment would have elicited a rather sarcastic retort. “That’s not what I meant, Tolon. Think about it. Leader wants to preserve the Ulef safety. That is its highest priority.”
“That is so,” Tolon agreed.
“And if there was a way to gain even a sliver of my trust, get a bunch of Ulef aboard and then dispose of me, so it can keep the NEWT for itself, why deal with the pesky humans at all? You told me your species strives for the highest level of efficiency possible, right?”
“Your conclusions are disturbing, Captain. I am attempting to communicate with Leader about your concerns, but it is not responding to me.”
“There’s got to be a reason for that, and I don’t think it’s because they’re planning a tea party for us.”
Tolon rotated in place and faced the door that led to the upper boat bay. “Perhaps I should withdraw to a distance that gives you a degree of comfort.”
“That’s considerate of you, Tolon. It sure would help me relax a bit.” She watched Tolon move up to the uppermost tier of the command center, standing just inside the hatch that led to the shuttle bay. “Look, Tolon, I don’t think any of this is coming from you, but you did emphasize to me that Leader has a cautious and suspicious nature.”
“Correct again, Captain.”
“it seems to me that Leader is trying to kill two birds with a single stone. One: to take you out of the picture as a potential rival for its power by binding you with that blue honor strap thing, and two: to remove the obstruction I represent to it securing the technology held within New Dawn that keeps its people safe.”
Tolon stood, bouncing for a long moment before it responded. “While I do not understand the necessity of killing birds with stones, I can find no fault with your reasoning, Captain. I hope it is not so. Leader has made a deal, and I wish to see it through. The Ulef and humans have a tradition of helpful relationships with one another in the past. Despite our recent violence towards one another, I have hoped that our two species could make a return to that type of cooperation.”
Hanlon nodded. “It’s a good goal. Unfortunately, I don’t think Leader is so old fashioned. I think Leader is simply doing its best to secure safety for the Ulef by the most expedient means possible. What Leader is failing to realize is that there are other, long term, consequences for its actions.”
“Explain,” Tolon prompted her to continue.
“Humans aren’t pushovers. We stand and fight when an enemy presents itself. Sometimes we lose, but we are a resilient species, based on what I’ve seen so far. I think if I was Leader, I’d be quite hesitant to make a permanent enemy of humans.” She was saber rattling, and she knew it, but she hoped Tolon would believe her, regardless.
“Leader has observed the tenacity with which humans fight,” Tolon said.
“Then would it not be more advantageous in the long term to maintain the good foundation we’ve laid here to try to put past loss behind us and move forward together as friends and allies?”
“Your words are compelling, Captain Hanlon. I would relay them to Leader, but it continues to refuse my communication. This is a most unusual development. Once given the honor I have received one is usually able to speak to Leader at will. I…” Tolon trailed off to a sudden silence. He then lunged forward towards Hanlon. Stun bolts struck the Ulef across the front of his carapace, dropping him before he’d made it three meters.
“Perfect. Now, what’s coming? Dawn, what have you got in sensors?”
“External sensors continue to be degraded, passive readings are blocked by the gas giant I am currently orbiting. Shall I begin active scanning?”
“No, not until we know the Woduur are gone. I presume you’re in no condition to defend yourself if they attack in earnest?”
“Correct, Captain,” Dawn said. “I will need another seventy-three point nine days to attain maximum combat effectiveness. That includes the estimated repair times to the defensive fleet stored aboard.”
“Great. Can you send a maintenance bot to bind Tolon so he can’t try to kill me again?”
“Confirmed, Captain.” A moment passed and a loud klaxon sounded. The hatch slammed shut, and Dawn said, “Warning: Woduur intruders have been detected in the command level shuttle bay.”
Hanlon looked around the room. “Well, crap.”
Chapter 19
“He’s late,” Bendel observed. Victorious, along with the rest of the fleet remnants floated in deep space between solar systems, waiting for Gorgon to arrive.
Stokes rose from his command chair and clasped his hands behind his back. “So he is, Commander. What’s our fuel status?”
“Sixty percent, sir,” Bendel said.
“How many hops to the Ulef system?”
“Six, sir,” Bendel replied.
“We’ll wait another hour before moving on. I want you to detach another stealth corvette to wait here in case he arrives. Refuel it to make sure it can evade if needed.”
“Aye, sir,” Bendel said. He began passing orders to Lokin, detailing Griffon to remain behind at the rendezvous point.
The time passed slowly, but Gorgon did not arrive. “Spool up the point to point drive, Mister Bendel. Let’s make our next hop.”
“Aye, sir,” Bendel said. His eyes were fixed. It was obvious Bendel wanted to go back to search for Patho and Gorgon, but the rest of the fleet needed to stay together.
The growing hum of Victorious’ FTL system powering up filled the air. Stokes stared at the point where Patho should arrive, willing the tiny ship to appear. He’d left the man alone, with no means of escape if the Woduur cornered him. Stokes ground his teeth in frustration.
He nearly ordered two of the corvettes back to the system where he’d left Patho to investigate. It wasn’t possible. Until he’d seen to the safety of the rest of the fleet, he could not risk giving away their position to the Woduur. He had to get his people to safety.
He looked up at the main plot, trying to keep his anger and frustration out of his voice. “Jump ship as calculated, Exec,” he said.
“Aye, sir,” Bendel replied. “Helm jump ship.”
Victorious slid through its jump ring and emerged, twenty-five lightyears away, at the edge of a star system the star charts indicated was the home of a gas giant capable of s
upplying fuel to the fleet.
“Jump complete, sir,” Bendel reported. “All ships have completed their jumps. No damage or malfunctions reported.”
“Full active scans, Exec,” Stokes ordered. “What’s out there?”
“Scanning now, sir,” Bendel said. A few seconds later, “Nothing on the initial scan. A full scan of the system will take about twenty minutes, but we don’t have any power signatures that could be ships or a base of any kind.”
“Good. Make for orbit of the gas giant. Ahead full. Have the fleet assume a defensive formation just in case we run into anything. Also, have the fleet do a full combat launch of the drones. We’re starting to get close to Ulef territory, and the last time I saw them, they were doing their level best to kill me.”
“Aye, sir. Captain Charis reports no Woduur within range of his sensor net.”
“Excellent. Begin refueling operations and start gathering materials for repairs. I want to get to the Ulef system at full battle readiness. Also, draw up a schedule of upgrades. If we can get the railgun upgrades done while we’re here, let’s do it.”
“Aye, sir,” Bendel said. He started to tap out commands at his console. The fleet continued its course towards the gas giant.
“ETA to the gas giant, Exec?”
“Just under four hours, sir.”
“Good. I have the bridge. Get a bit of rest. Stand the crew down to standard watch rotation before you head out.” Stokes leaned back in his command chair. Days of battle stations watch rotation was hard on crew morale and readiness. It could only be sustained for so long.
Bendel left a few minutes later, after getting the watch rotations set. Victorious pushed in towards the gas giant for more than two hours. Stokes was growing restless and tried to pass the time by preparing a repair itinerary for Victorious and the other damaged ships in the fleet.
“Sir,” Lokin said from the tactical station.
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
“I have an energy reading near one of the moons of the gas giant. Might be a ship, but if it is, it’s trying to keep a low profile.” Lokin put the energy reading up on the main plot.
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