Everyone in the room is stunned at the news. The hairs on the back of Emma’s neck rise as she says in a near whisper, “Aliens did visit the planet, indeed that very lake.”
Peter turns his grim expression to Joe and says, “I would say crashed there, as it looks like this cable was taken from something, then used to catch fish.”
Emma blurts out, “Then that pile of wood was a shelter!”
John adds his own thoughts, “I take it this data cable is not of Gamin design?”
Cindy lifts a hand to stop further speculation, and says, “Wouldn’t it be safe to assume, that whoever it was, is long gone now?” She lifts her eyebrows.
Joe shrugs his shoulders and says, “Perhaps their ship was repaired, we did scout the area pretty darn well, and didn’t find anything unusual.”
Nodding in agreement, Cindy adds, “I am sure we will be going back to New Earth after this mission, and when we do, we can make a more exhaustive search of the area.”
Joe tilts his head, then asks curiously, “How fast?” When no one responds, he speaks with greater determination, “Peter, you said it‘s an advanced cable. How fast can it transmit data?”
Peter’s mouth twitches, then he slowly replies, “Every test indicates an instantaneous transfer of data, which is impossible. The scientific report indicates that the transfer speed and digital capacity of the cable is beyond our ability to measure it.”
Joe shakes his head and asks skeptically, “And how did they test it? Plug it in to a mainframe?”
Peter shakes his head and replies in a serious tone, “I can make the findings available to you. What I do know, is that the tests initially involved light, then moved on to utilizing a variety of particle accelerators.”
Joe stares at Peter, then as a frown develops, he says, “You’re implying that the cable’s transfer rate exceeds the speed of light.”
“Correct,” Peter replies candidly, and then he repeats, “Every test indicates an instantaneous transfer, which the scientists testing it have deemed as impossible.”
“I can’t wait to read their findings,” Joe replies in disbelief.
Cindy leans back in her chair for a few moments, then adds her thoughts, “So, there is another race of beings capable of space flight. Perhaps they’re friendly,” she states optimistically.
The bridge crew either nods, or murmurs in agreement, then after a few minutes of reflection, Cindy says, “Okay, let’s focus on what we need to do in order to get this mission underway.” She casts her gaze around the room and adds, “I for one, want to go back to New Earth to see what else we can find.”
Peter nods in agreement, and says, “The ship’s repairs are complete, and as far as I can tell, all we’re waiting on is a few shipments of supplies, and the arrival of the replacement shuttles.”
Joe stares at his lists then says, “GUS, reactor control, and the second Gamin power unit are all operational.”
Emma adds her input with excitement, “The new Hydroponics bay is ready, plus I have a team of three hundred and sixty-four for the Oglan expedition.” A broad smile fills her face as she adds, “And, everyone has a translator implant, along with a hand-held unit.”
Cindy turns to George’s work station. She lowers her eyes when they fall on an empty console. She had momentarily forgotten he had returned to his family. With a sigh, she says, “Okay, let’s make preparations to depart in five days.”
The days pass quickly. During this time six brand new, identical, shuttles arrive as does an astonishing quantity of supplies. John takes his time and carefully inspects the new transports. Each has a cockpit designed for two, and a rear area which can seat twenty. The seats in the cargo area can be folded up and stored in a wall space, to make for room for storage. He also inspects their specialized survey shuttle, and then finally, the two larger ones they plan to take. This pair is designed for equipment and cargo storage, and has limited seating in the rear compartment. This brings the total compliment of shuttles to nine. Work crews are still adding the final touches to the new wider walkways, which connect each shuttle’s platform to the walls of the hangar deck. He grins with pride over the modified platforms, then returns to the bridge.
Unbelievably, the vast storage capacity inside the Terran begins to fill up with crates and equipment. Practically every scientist wants their own area for research, along with their own equipment. Every request is filled, no matter how unusual, or costly.
Peter scratches his head one more time in disbelief, then turns to Joe and says hesitantly, “Six hundred and forty-nine?”
Joe nods his head and replies, “Well, Emma’s team makes up more than half that number, but yes, that is the total number of people going on this mission.”
Peter mumbles as he runs his eyes down the list, “Reactor control, kitchen hands, maintenance, pilots, and medical staff.” He stops and looks at Joe.
“We need to have a dedicated medical team, but it’s only two surgeons and twelve nurses.” Joe shrugs his shoulders and adds, “It’s not as though we have an entire medical wing, but I am glad these folks are coming along.”
Cindy chews at her lower lip for a moment then says, “General Hayes wants to meet me in the morning, it seems he has another request.”
Radclyf’s eyes narrow as he replies, “He waits until we are almost ready to leave, and while George is away in Europe?”
“Yes,” she replies in a suspicious tone, then adds, “Peter, Joe, I want you to come with me.” She turns to look at John, Radclyf, and Hayato then says, “And I want you three here, just in case the military is up to something.”
Peter shakes his head and says, “I doubt it, but then, you never know.”
Chapter Three - Onward and Upward
The next morning Cindy, Peter, and Joe make their way to General Hayes office. As Hayes leads them into a meeting room, they immediately notice five men, all dressed in expensive looking suits, seated at a table.
The General motions to the men and introduces them, “These government representatives are from America, England, Germany, Russia, and Japan. They are here to expedite things should you agree to their request.”
Peter stares at the Russian representative, but cannot recall him. The man fidgets under Peter’s intense scrutiny, but says nothing.
With mounting curiosity and narrowing eyes, Cindy replies, “Okay, out with it.”
General Hayes takes a deep breath, and then says, “We want you to take five teams of Army Corps of Engineers.” He holds up a hand and quickly adds, “Before you say no, please hear me out.”
The room falls into an uneasy silence as the General continues, “The engineers will have their own supplies and equipment, and have been testing methods of working in hostile environments.” The General pauses and gauges Cindy’s body language.
“Go on,” Cindy says slowly. “I’m still listening.”
The General quickly continues, “We believe that we can build temporary enclosures over sections of the downed spaceship’s hull, then fill these sections with breathable atmosphere from the Terran. This would allow large teams to work at extracting anything your people deem worthy.”
Cindy considers what she has heard, then in a guarded tone asks, “How many engineers are we talking about?”
General Hayes glances at the well-dressed men then replies, “As many as you are willing, but each nation wishes to send a battalion.”
Peter quickly catches Cindy’s attention, and vehemently shakes his head from side to side. He turns and stares at the men in suits then bluntly states, “Do you really think we’re able to add thousands of soldiers from multiple nations at a moment’s notice?”
Cindy puts a hand up and calmly asks, “General Hayes. How many men are you talking about, and I mean a number.” Her mind races ahead as she considers the pros and cons of his request.
General Hayes replies, “I should have chosen my words more carefully.” He turns to Peter and says, “When I said battalion I did not me
an a full-strength unit.” He takes a deep breath, then looks at Cindy and continues. “The total number of men and women is around two thousand five hundred, and that’s with all five countries committing one corps each.”
Cindy raises an eyebrow, and asks Peter, “Levels two and three still have capacity, don’t they?”
Peter frowns, then realizes that with level one being almost full of supplies, these two levels are now the furthest away from the bridge. Peter stares at the group and adds his words of warning, “Your teams try anything, and they will die.”
The seated men squirm and begin to stare at each other with open mouths. The Russian man nods his head, and says, “I understand your concerns, but I can assure you, controlling the Terran is not our objective.” He sweeps a hand to represent the others in the room.
Peter stares at his countryman, folds his arms and states scornfully, “We have heard that before.”
The Russian politician removes a thick red leather wallet from his coat pocket. He flashes the inside as he replies flatly, “Akardy thanks you for the car, red is his favorite color.”
Peter’s jaw drops in shock. He whips around to face Cindy, and almost stumbles into his chair as he sits down. Stunned at the seemingly innocent actions, he offers his countryman a curt nod. He recovers his composure and then states bluntly, “We can trust him.”
Cindy frowns in confusion, then after a few moments, asks the Russian, “How did you know that Peter would be here?”
General Hayes smiles, and replies for him, “I thought you would bring everyone.”
Cindy nods, looks at Peter and then says, “Okay, but the command levels are off limits.” She offers a curt smile and adds, “I am sure you can all understand why.”
General Hayes turns to the group that is with him and says, “Well, that went better than I thought. You have twenty-four hours to get your engineers, and their equipment, loaded. The Terran is due to depart any day.”
The men quickly take phones from their pockets, make their calls, and then start talking in hurried voices.
While the group is occupied, Cindy leans over to Peter and whispers, “What was that all about?”
Peter replies in a hushed tone, “Only one other man in the world knows of Akardy’s mission, and for him to share, even his name, is a major sign of trust.”
Peter continues to stare at Cindy while he considers how to impress upon her how rare an event this is. He slowly pulls from his pocket a thick, plush, red leather wallet, just like the one flashed moments before. He hesitates, then offers it to Cindy. Intrigued, she takes it and opens it. She blinks in surprise at the sight of the embedded Russian emblem. Bewildered, she slowly runs her fingers over the platinum colored five pointed star and the golden hammer and sickle which is raised in its center.
While Cindy sits and wonders what it is she is holding, Peter whispers in her ear, “That is a Red Star, and to my knowledge there are less than ten in existence.” She looks up at him in awe as he adds, “And fewer still even know of Akardy’s existence, let alone his mission.”
Cindy ponders his words and hands the wallet back to Peter. After a few minutes of deep thought, she stands, leans on the table and interrupts those on their phones. With a single-minded determination, she firmly states, “Levels two and three gentlemen, and remember, Peter will be in charge of all teams.” She stares at the men, letting her demands sink in, and then adds, “I don’t care how you do it, just make it happen.”
The meeting breaks up, and while Cindy and her crew return to the Terran, teams of engineers all over the world board aircraft and shuttles. These teams were on standby, packed and ready to go. Within six hours, the Army Corp Engineers begin to arrive, along with an impressive amount of equipment and supplies. Aircraft land and takeoff from the facility’s runways with increasing regularity as the nations involved rush to get their forces on the Terran.
Amazingly, the vast cargo bay of the Terran begins to fill. Enormous fuel tanks are loaded, along with dozens of custom designed heavy earthmoving vehicles. No one knows if the engines will even run, but if they do, they will have an abundance of fuel. Specialized remote controlled robots of all shapes and sizes are loaded. Many are designed for reconnaissance, while others have powerful jaws, or lasers, to cut their way through obstacles.
Peter observes as the Russian team loads three enormous tanks. They tower over his head, each has a pair of powerful laser cutters in place of the usual single barrel. Once the heavy tracked vehicles are parked, he watches as five crew members exit from various hatches on each tank. He walks up to one of the men and says, “These monsters are quiet, electric?” He adds questioningly.
The tank commander slaps the sloping armor proudly and says, “They have a miniature Gamin Power Unit, weigh in at around two-hundred fifty tons, and pack a hell of a punch. They can also operate in any environment, thanks to the environmental systems.”
Peter frowns then asks, “Why don’t they have gravity lift plating?”
“They have a jump plate installed,” the man answers with a shrug of his shoulders. Seeing that Peter does not understand him, he adds. “These tanks were retrofitted, and have a single plate which allows for short hops, if you dare.”
Peter’s jaw drops as he examines the tanks exterior, “Without thrusters you have almost no control,” he observes in disbelief.
“Correct, but it does come in handy when you’re in a pinch.”
Peter stares at the tank, nods at the lasers and asks doubtfully, “Cutting lasers?”
“Well sort of,” the commander replies, “They will cut through Gamin armor, which is why we brought them.”
“Ahh,” Peter replies, then adds, “You guys plan to cut holes in the hull, which will allow teams to have easier access to the ship.”
“Got one better,” the tank commander replies with pride. He points to dozens of large crates stacked near the tanks. “We plan to build walkways to the holes, and seal them off.”
“Ambitious,” Peter replies, glancing at the tanks again.
The commander grins then says, “We’ve loaded tons of building materials.”
Peter nods and says, “Good luck comrade.” He walks off, then slows down as he recalls one of the commander’s comments, retrofitted! He glances back at the mammoth tanks, I have never seen anything like them before, he thinks as he continues on his way to the bridge.
The night before the Terran is to launch, Radclyf sleeps fitfully as he tosses and turns in his bed. His vivid and horrific dreams finally wake him up. Staring at the walls of his quarters, his body drenched in sweat, he tries to gather his thoughts. He swallows hard while his panicked eyes dart around the room. He rises, and in the soft light stares in disbelief at his shaking hands. Although it is extremely early in the morning, he quickly showers. He dresses, and then almost runs to the bridge. Arriving, he finds John is the only person present, which further adds to his peculiar morning.
John yawns, then glances around to see who is entering the bridge, “Are you okay?” He asks curiously.
“I need a ride, but wanted to clear it with Cindy first.” Radclyf stares at the empty bridge stations with darting eyes.
“Well, you’re in luck, I am heading out to pick George up again in a couple of hours.” He stifles another yawn and says, “This mission is so damned exciting, I slept like crap last night, thinking about it.”
Radclyf pauses, checks to be sure they are alone, and then says in a near whisper, “My trip is of a personal nature.”
John stops everything he is doing, opens his mouth to speak, then closes it. He has never seen Radclyf so out if sorts, not even when he lost one of his team thousands of light years from Earth. He glances around, taps on his console, stands and then finally says, “Right. Let’s get you to wherever it is you want to go.”
“Thanks,” replies Radclyf solemnly.
The pair makes quick time walking to a shuttle. At Radclyf’s direction they fly toward England. Once there, they
skim across the English landscape, Radclyf’s watches as familiar moors, villages, and farmland stretch out beneath them. Finally, Radclyf spots what he is looking for, and says, “There, take me down there.”
John lands the shuttle near a small cluster of houses, then asks, “Do you want me to wait for you, or come back later?”
Radclyf pauses as he ponders the question. He replies with a doubt filled voice, “I don’t know yet. Just hold on for a few. I don’t even know if she still lives here,” he adds almost to himself.
John stares blankly at Radclyf, but says nothing at his mention of a woman. For all he knows it could be his mother, or sister. It suddenly dawns on him that he knows all of Radclyf’s family, and none live here. The hairs raise on his neck as he realizes that during all of their talks, this place never came up.
Radclyf walks haltingly to a small cottage, glances back at John, and then softly knocks on the door. The knock is almost a timid tap. His heart races when footsteps approach from the other side of the door. A latch slides, then with a creak the door slowly opens. His mouth goes dry as he waits.
John watches as a small woman with long brown hair steps from the house. She appears to be in her late thirties, and even from this distance he can see that she is quite attractive. The woman stares silently at Radclyf, then suddenly lunges at him, and hugs him. John blinks in surprise at the sight, then fights back an unexpected tear. He had no idea that the hardened warrior, Radclyf, had any feelings for anyone.
Radclyf speaks in a polite and humble tone, “Polly, would it be inappropriate for me to visit for a short while?”
She answers with a coy tilt of her head, “I’m not married.” She shrugs her shoulders, then gazes into his light brown eyes and says, “I just never found the right one, after...” She lets the words trail off.
Radclyf’s return gaze wavers as a wash of guilt rushes over him. She lifts a hand to his face, runs her fingers down his cheek and says, “You can stay as long as you wish, handsome.”
He smiles sheepishly and says, “You should have found a good man, you deserve that.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 112
