The Stars Came Back

by Rolf Nelson

  Kaminski: And here I always thought they changed to carriers because admirals wanted to keep control and go out and do things, but they couldn’t justifying sending out an admiral on a hundred-person ship, but could on a two thousand person task force.

  Stenson: Which would shoot down the “cheaper” argument.

  Helton: Of course it was cheaper. In government accounting.

  Kaushik: Nah, it was a politics thing. The politicians didn’t want lowly company-level officers having all the fun and power to destroy worlds, and they can lean on admirals better, so they outlawed fully-aware AI’s at the same time, trying to avoid the sci-fi scare of machines taking over, or worse yet criticizing them.

  Helton: Huh? What’s AI got to do with ship design?

  Stenson: They put high-end AI’s on some of the early ships as backup. Can you imagine a fully-aware AI doing a real time fact check of every statement a politician or general made against every previous statement and a fully integrated database of law and statistical data? The AI ships would go crazy, and might decide to shoot them all. Some say that’s why the third Chi-Stan war was so deadly, and manmade weapons that deadly scared the politicians more than any unknown weapons the Planet Movers might have. So, no AIs, carrier model to enhance bureaucratic inefficiency and help out their friends the admirals and generals, also known as “politicians in training.”

  Helton: Sounds like you’re talking deep conspiracy stories. But, it makes as much sense as anything else. Maybe if you ever get it fully operational, I’ll just have to ask it.

  Kaminski: You do that. In the meantime, something much more important: who’s buying the next round?

  FADE TO BLACK

  Ghosts

  FADE IN

  INT - NIGHT - Helton’s cabin

  Low angle camera shot with his desk in the foreground in dim light and bunk in the background. On the desk is the medallion that the monk gave him. Helton lies in bed under a light blanket. He tosses and turns, eyes closed.

  Ship AI: (OC, very quiet, ghostly tone) The monks at the abbey on Eridani. Go to the monks of Possenti on Eridani. You need the monks. The monks of Possenti need the news… The monks of St. Possenti on Eridani-

  Helton sits bolt upright, eyes wide. He looks around, confusion on his face. Looking unsettled, he lays back down and tries to return to sleep.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - DAY - Officers’ Mess

  Helton and Lag sit eating breakfast.

  Lag: What’s on your schedule for the next few days?

  Helton: Not much. Stenson and his crew seem to be keeping a good handle on repairs and training, spending what’s left of my money with abandon. Harbin and his guys are busy with the recruits and training. Kat is helping straighten out some of the legal kinks in the ownership title on the ship. Likely help Allonia with the cooking more than anything else. Trying to prepare food for even two dozen is a full-time job, and she likes to do it well. Getting a bit overwhelmed. If we get many more guys here, we’ll need to hire someone.

  Lag: Want to take a trip?

  Helton: Maybe. Where ‘n’ why?

  Lag: Eridani to-

  Helton: (Surprised) Eridani?

  Lag: Is that a problem?

  Helton: Don’t think so, just… You were saying?

  Lag: I need someone to courier some messages there.

  Helton: Why not just beam it to a message drone?

  Lag: We usually send orders and important items via couriers. We assume electronics are compromised when sending sensitive data. It’s only slightly slower than FTL message drones, and can serve to do other things as well. I’m pretty sure no one will steal your ship while you are away.

  Helton: Yeah, I think so. Stenson wanted some parts from Eridani, and there is some personal business I need to take care of there, too.

  Lag: Excellent! There is a passenger liner leaving tomorrow. I can provide you with official courier credentials to help with security. Makes you a sort of low level military diplomatic attaché.

  Helton: That would be nice, since I’m officially without citizenship anywhere right now.

  FADE TO BLACK

  FADE IN

  EXT - NIGHT - Orbital Transfer Station

  A large transfer station in orbit about five AUs from a star has a number of various ships attached to it: blocky, non-aerodynamic deep-space-only freighters, haulers, and passenger liners, as well as the much more streamlined, smaller atmospheric-capable ships used for ferrying between ground-based ports and orbital stations. It’s busy, with large ships arriving and leaving slowly, and several smaller private ships zipping around.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY – Orbital Transfer Station lounge

  Bipasha sits at a small table by herself, eyes on tabletop screen, scanning the news and sipping a drink. Helton walks by, then suddenly backs up, and stares for a moment as if to make sure he’s not seeing things.

  Helton: Bipasha!

  Bipasha: Helton? Helton! What brings you by here? I thought you were headed for Niven?

  Helton: I was. I got kind of sidetracked. What brings you here?

  Helton takes a seat across from Bipasha at the table.

  Bipasha: Business, mostly. Scouting some merchandise for my uncle, and visiting some friends. The business is boring beyond belief, but it does let me get out occasionally. You? Business for your sister you talked about?

  Helton: Yes and no. Business, but for myself.

  Bipasha: I’d love to be in business for myself! The challenges, getting to make my own decisions, not just sitting at a desk or running errands!

  Helton: Well I’m not just sitting behind a desk, that’s for sure. I own a starship now.

  Bipasha: (Impressed) That is quite a move up from an unemployed and homeless teacher.

  Helton: Yes, and as soon as we get it flying, we-

  Bipasha: It’s grounded?

  Helton: At the moment. I’m going to Eridani for parts.

  Bipasha: So, it’s not really a starship? More of a… money pit?

  Helton: Well, it is costing a lot of money to-

  Bipasha: Weren’t you almost broke?

  Helton: I was, but after we freed ourselves from the pirates, we-

  Bipasha: (Now very skeptically) Pirates? Now you are fighting pirates?

  Helton: (Very matter of fact) That’s what I’d call people who hijack your ship, gas you, and dump you in the desert to for their entertainment. So, after we-

  Bipasha: (Incredulous, changing to exasperated) Dumped in a desert for…? Can you stick to a single story long enough to be believable? Homeless teacher I believed. A starship, maybe. Next, you’ll be telling me you are a diplomat on a secret mission!

  Helton: Well, the ID says diplomat, but I’m really just a courier, and it’s not so much a secret mission as one of mutual convenience…

  Helton’s voice fades into silence as Bipasha looks at him with a look of angry disbelief on her face.

  Bipasha: (With increasing anger) … Got a jailbreak any time in the last three weeks, too? Find an ancient artifact? Maybe a showdown with the mob? Stick to something realistic, like-like-like… finding an exciting job for a friend!

  Helton: (Sort of apologetically) -Well… technically, we didn’t wind up in the prison mine, so we couldn’t really break out, and it wasn't so much a showdown as -

  Bipasha gets up and stalks away. Camera pans to follow her leaving, then pans back to Helton.

  Helton: (To himself) Smooth. Really smooth… They don’t want you to lie, but they can’t handle the truth.

  Camera view closes in on him, and he sits back, takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly as he slumps down in his seat, closes his eyes for a quiet moment of frustration. He sits for a long moment, resting, trying to be Zen.

  Kwon: (OC) Helton?

  Helton’s eyes pop open, and he sits up and looks around. Camera pulls back, and nearby stands Kwon, tray of drinks in one hand, serving drinks two tables over, looking at him in amazement.<
br />
  Helton: What are you doing here?

  Kwon finishes placing the drinks and hurries over and furtively sits where Bipasha has just been.

  Kwon: Working. Things started getting crazy, and we had to get out. Was accused of smuggling, and all kinds of criminal conspiracy stuff. What the hell was up with them calling you a felon? Barely made it this far, and ran out of money.

  Helton: We?

  Kwon: The family. Me, Sar, John and Julia, the granddaughter. Don’t know anyone else that made it this far.

  Helton: Oh, that’s terrible. I mean, it’s good you got out, but-

  Kwon: We sent word in a couple of directions, but things happened so fast, and we heard that some of the message drones got hit.

  Helton: How long…?

  Kwon: Ah… wow, it’s only been three days since we got here. (Shakes his head at the thought) Crazy. More refugees come in every ship. Wild stories. Not sure where we go from here.

  Helton stares at him with a look of realization and growing excitement.

  Helton: I do!

  Kwon: So what’re you doing here?

  Helton: (Talking fast and excitedly, with a lot of energy and hand waving) Long story. Fill you in later. I’ve got a ship to catch in (looks at wall clock)… thirteen minutes. Here’s the plan. I’m buying the five of you tickets on the next hop to Adelaide. Looks like there is one in… (looks at flight reader board) about nine hours. Get everyone packed, and GET ON IT. At the spaceport in Adelaide, ask for directions to pad D9. Tell them you are there to cook for the ship. D9. You used to cook on a ship in the Navy, cruiser wasn’t it?

  Kwon: That was a long time ago, and what ship-

  Helton: The Tajemnica. No, the Dutchman. No… never mind. Like I said, I’ll explain later. I’ll send a message so they expect you.

  Kwon: But… what? They? WHO? You can’t-

  Helton: Later. Things are crazy, I know! Tell Allonia you’re there to take over kitchen duties, she’ll be thrilled. Pay will likely be shit for a while, but you’ll get free room and board, and a killer security detachment.

  Kwon: Allonia? Who? You are, I don’t know what to say, I mean, so fast…

  Kwon gets a smile on his face by now, Helton’s enthusiasm and excitement is so infectious.

  Helton: Just glad to be able to return a favor. Not trying to save the world, just make my little corner of it better! I’ll send you a message as soon as I book your tickets from aboard my liner. Finish your shift, collect your pay, and be on that flight! Oh, and I heard that SGT Kaushik likes hot food; see what you can do for him! Gotta run! Have a good flight, and see you soon, my friend!

  Helton leaves Kwon staring after him as he rushes off, coattails flying, down the corridor and through the crowd to catch his flight to Eridani.

  FADE TO BLACK

  Changes

  Space Colonel

  FADE IN

  INT - DAY - Starship liner dining room

  Helton sits at a table with a half dozen other passengers. Dinner is being served. A couple of tables over near the door, Bipasha is also being served, studiously ignoring him. At her table seem to be a collection of dignitaries, with fancy clothes and a couple in some sort of uniform. Light Bollywood-bluegrass music plays in the background, and there is chatter filling the air as well. A uniformed ship’s officer comes into the room, looks about, walks by Bipasha and goes up to Helton. He leans forward to whisper into his ear.

  Purser: Helton Strom?

  Helton: Yes?

  Purser: If you could please come with me; the Captain would like an urgent word with you.

  Helton stands up and follows him out of the room. As they pass Bipasha’s seat, Helton leans over to whisper to her.

  Helton: (Deadpan) Captain wants me. Very important.

  Bipasha glares at him for a moment, then turns back to her meal and ignores him as he walks away.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Starliner passageway

  They are walking down a small, faded, worn looking passage. The Purser and Helton walk side by side. The purser is nervous.

  Purser: You are a Plataean Diplomatic military attaché, yes?

  Helton: Sort of, technically, yes.

  Purser: Attached to the Plataean military advisory on Newoz?

  Helton: Only temporarily, in a manner of speaking.

  Purser: We have a situation, and you are the only active military or diplomatic representative on board, so the Captain would like to consult with you before doing anything final.

  Helton: I’m not sure if I’m really qualified to-

  Purser: I’m sure he’d value any ideas you might have. And please don’t tell any of the passengers about this.

  Helton: About what?

  Purser: I’d best let the captain explain, sir.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Starliner bridge

  A spacious command center with a half dozen seated personnel and a couple more standing. The captain sits in the large central command chair. He’s a large, bearded man who could be imposing if he wanted to, but now looks worried. He rises and shakes Helton’s hand as he approaches.

  Liner Capt: Mr. Strom, glad you came.

  Helton: What’s going on?

  Liner Capt: A short while ago, one of our sensor techs picked up an odd signal. Our thermals and some other sensors are down, and on the wavelengths we can get it’s very faint, and it looks like it might be a ship running silent.

  Helton: Why-

  Liner Capt: It looks to be on an intercept course.

  Helton: …I see. So what do you want me to do about it?

  Liner Capt: You know about military matters, and the Plataeans are notorious in their fighting effectiveness, so I thought I should consult with you before I did anything…

  Helton: I’m not sure if you have the right person, but… how long to intercept?

  Scanner Tech: About an hour and a half.

  Helton: Can you put a trajectory diagram onscreen?

  Scanner Tech: Yes, sir. There.

  A position diagram with a pair of converging arcs pop up on the main screen.

  Helton: How long until we can transition to FTL?

  Captain: About two hours.

  Helton: So anything that even delays them should help… Hmmmm… Looks like they are coming in from outside, so if we veer away, we go down that gas giant grav-well, so then they have more time to catch us. Relative acceleration?

  Scanner Tech: They look to have about twice our legs.

  Helton: Working a good plan. Do you have anything specific on board that they might be after?

  Liner captain: Ahem… uh…

  Purser: A shipment of Plataean goods in sealed containers, which is why we thought of you. We thought you might know about it.

  Helton: OK, that might complicate things. Any ship-to-ship weapons?

  Liner Capt: Oh, no, of course not! Our insurance policy prohibits weapons!

  Helton: Based on my experience, I’d say that a good defense is worth more than a paper policy.

  Liner Capt: But we cannot violate the terms of our insurance contract!

  Helton: Leaving you stuck with asking me for help. Great. Juuuust great.

  Helton looks around the bridge. Everyone seems to be studiously watching screens or going about their work, except one Nervous Guy watching him out of the corner of his eye. Helton bites his lip and looks at everyone closely. They all have perfectly fitting uniforms, except Nervous Guy, tugging at his a bit to adjust it.

  Helton: Any other cargo of note, or crew changes recently?

  Liner Capt: All pretty ordinary, and we always have a few newer crew members, it seems.

  Helton: Any new techs or bridge crew?

  Purser: Just him (points to Nervous Guy).

  Helton: Who’s the com tech?

  A middle-aged woman off to the side raises her hand.

  Helton: How tight a beam, and what kind of power can you put on him?

  ComTech: Narrowest beam is an arcsecon
d. We could pump that up to about four kilowatts.

  Helton: That ought’a warm their coffee. Good… can you aim well enough to nail him center beam?

  ComTech: Maybe, sir. No problem if we widen to two or three arcseconds.

  Helton: Do that. But no missiles or beam weapons?

  Liner Capt: Nothing but anti-debris micro-lasers.

  Helton: Well, then, I guess we’ll have to go with plan A. Which is a long shot, but it’s the only plan that comes to mind. Get security in here and watch him (nods to Nervous Guy), make sure he doesn’t touch anything until I get back. I’d quietly post security anyplace with access to the air system, in pairs that don’t normally work together, too.

  Helton turns and strides off the bridge.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Starship liner dining room

  Helton enters and heads for the table where Bipasha sits, the Purser right behind him. Helton walks up to two well dressed people with fancy clothes, a man and woman. The man wears a sash with several medals on it. She has a very nice flashy star-and-cross broach. The next man over has a high-peaked cap with an impressive insignia and decorative aiguillette. Bipasha glares silently at him.

  Helton: I’m really terribly sorry to bother you, but a situation has come up and I really need your help for just a few minutes. Could you three come with us, please?

  Rich Lady: Is there a problem?

  Helton: No, not really, but it’s… complicated. It’ll just take a few minutes of your time.

  Purser: If you could help us out, I’m sure the Captain would be ever so grateful.

  Sash Man: A favor for the captain? Certainly!

  They get up, and walk out with Helton and the Purser.