“As a matter of fact, yes, he is definitely mine. You stay away from him,” Arlynn answered with a laugh.
“Oh, I don’t think you have too much to worry about there, Miss Arlynn.”
Arlynn kept the smile on her face as she said, “You know we have some surprises in store for you, and I’m certain it has not slipped your attention that age does not matter to us.”
“I’m old, but I don’t miss much,” the woman responded. “This is so exciting!”
“I’m glad,” Arlynn agreed happily. “But let me warn you, in a few months you’re going to be looking a lot more like me than the way you look now. You keep away from Greg here, understand?”
“Oh, dear! Will Geoffrey lose a few years, too?”
“If he’s a good boy, yes.”
“Oh, my! Did you hear that, Geoff? Such parties we’ll have again!”
Arlynn and Greg laughed, though he not with the same lightness. Arlynn gave him that questioning look he could never resist.
“Grayson and I have something special in mind for Admiral Douglas,” he told her.
“And that is . . .?”
“Someone has to find the Fourth Race.”
Arlynn directed hooded eyes to the man, and the old woman did not miss it. “Is that good or bad?” she asked, looking neither afraid nor hesitant.
“It’s wonderful and scary at the same time, and possibly a more challenging task than the rest of us have,” Arlynn answered her.
“Well, we’re used to that, aren’t we, Geoff?” she said sprightly, turning to her husband.
From his stooped position, Douglas peered up at Greg with sharp eyes and said, “That we are.”
Arlynn gave Greg another kiss and handed back the bags she had taken from him, then she moved off to help someone else.
“Mr. Hamilton,” the old woman asked, “is Miss Arlynn really an alien?”
“Yes, she is Gertie,” he answered, a little hesitant of what would come next, but she surprised him. They shuffled a few feet further ahead and reached the bottom of the ramp.
Gertie looked up into the ship and said, “How nice! I think I’m going to like it here!”
“It gets better,” Greg responded. “I’m not sure how things will work out, we haven’t even begun the risk analysis for the project I have in mind for Geoff, but I think the risk will be reasonable. There’s a fair chance you’ll get to go with him on his voyages if you want to.”
They both stopped to peer at him in astonishment.
Greg nodded his understanding. “You’re entering a new society now. It’s the way they do things. Voyages often last for years. You’ll probably have a ship similar to this one, but possibly something larger. These ships are like small cities.”
Douglas looked sharply at Greg, then at what he could see of the prime ship, his mind taking in what his eyes could not see and calculating. The thought that he would one day command a ship of this stature did not seem to faze him in the slightest. His posture straightened as he faced the ship. “What is the nature of my mission?” he asked sharply.
“Stealth,” Greg answered. “We need to find a civilization of aliens we know nothing about. For the moment, they are the enemy, and we don’t know where they’re coming from.”
Douglas continued to stare up at the ship as others made their way around the small island they had become. He turned to Greg and studied him briefly, then said, “I get the feeling my task is but a small part of yours.”
“Not at all, sir,” Greg replied. “It’s only one part of my responsibilities, true, but it is a critical part. The success of everything we’re doing might depend on your finding answers to our questions about the enemy. I’m counting on you.”
“We won’t let you down, sir,” Douglas replied. “You can depend on me, and on Gertie. She’s stood with me for many years.”
“Maybe she won’t have to be as far away from you this time,” Greg answered with a twinkle in his eyes. “I think you’ll find plenty of opportunity with us.”
“Opportunity and trust, I hope,” Douglas replied looking piercingly into Greg’s eyes.
“All of that, and more,” Greg said. “Everything you’ve done up to now has been but a pretext of what is coming. I ask only that you honor the oath you’ve already taken to protect the United States of America, and that you be prepared to expand the boundaries of that oath. I hope that in time you’ll share my vision of a united galaxy. I’m not saying we’ll make it happen, but that’s the target I have in my crosshairs.”
Douglas turned to stare up at the ship again, as would a commander preparing to take on a new command, then he turned to Gertie. “We’ll take it one step at a time,” he said to her. “We’d best begin by going aboard.”
She took his arm possessively, forgetting Greg for the moment as they focused together on the unknown future before them. Greg followed with their few possessions.
The prime ship had been fully prepared for the recruits. Each family had a private room, and wholesome refreshments had been placed in each room. After the ship buttoned up, Greg led a weary but wide-eyed Admiral Grayson to the bridge where he introduced him to the ship’s captain and bridge crew. Kannick was already seated at a weapons station. Greg took another, settling into the seat and tweaking the controls to be certain everything was ready in case Ollie had second thoughts.
Angie Tolland, who had been accompanying Grayson during the months of recruiting, opened a channel for him to make an all-ship announcement, then she, too, took control of a weapons station. After introducing himself, Grayson explained to his recruits that they had twelve hours to sleep, meet others, and explore the ship. Only the engine room was off limits, and that only for safety reasons. The bridge would accept limited numbers of the curious in a few hours, and everyone would have an opportunity to visit the bridge before the voyage ended. In twenty-four hours, everyone needed to be rested, fed, and prepared for a full day of briefings and medical evaluations.
Before signing off, he added with clear excitement in his voice, “We’re preparing to lift off. Anyone who wants to watch, and more important enjoy a last look at Earth, can watch our departure on the monitors in your rooms. Audio from the bridge will be piped in, but you won’t understand the language. I’m told there’s surprisingly little speaking.”
The bridge crew took a careful look around for Harbok, then the great ship whooshed silently into the night sky. In scant minutes, the planet became the blue and white jewel seen so often in pictures. Everyone on the bridge maintained a close watch for Harbok, but Ollie kept his word. No Harbok ships chased from behind, nor did they encounter any in orbit. Because of the Harbok cloaking device, that could change in a heartbeat, but nothing developed. The prime ship headed out-system toward its jump point at high speed.
Surprisingly, many passengers wandered the ship rather than sleep. Greg had anticipated that most would be exhausted, but he was wrong. These old people might look old, but they thought young. Grayson appeared to have chosen wisely.
When he showed up on the hangar deck for the briefing the following day, a sea of watchful, eager faces greeted him. Grayson, whom they all knew, opened the meeting, then he turned the meeting over to Greg.
“Welcome aboard,” Greg began. “Thank you for coming. I am Greg Hamilton, I’m from Earth, and I am Chairman of the Alliance.” He paused, expecting surprise, but apparently they had already been briefed. “It must appear pretty strange that an Earthman is in charge of all this, and it is. We’ll explain all of it very soon. In the meantime, the demographics of your group consist of the following: you are made up of one thousand families, exactly. Five hundred seventy-eight spouses, male and female, joined us along with eighty-six children. You represent twenty-three countries. Most of your ages fall between sixty and seventy-five, but we have a few recruits as young as forty and one as old as ninety-three.
“Let’s start with the downside first, then we’ll get to the fun part. You no longer exist as far as Ear
th is concerned. It’s a harsh but unavoidable reality. As you agreed, each of you will officially die over the next few months.
“You think of yourself in terms of your nationality. You’ve spent a lifetime in service to your countries, but as of this moment you are no longer American, Japanese, Chinese, British, or Arab. We’re Terrans from the planet Earth. At all times, you are also diplomats. From the moment you came aboard, you became citizens of the Alliance. In case you’re wondering, this ship belongs to the Alliance, an organization which Earth will almost certainly join at some future time.
“Let’s cover a few ground rules. First, there are no secrets among us. Ask, and we will answer truthfully. Yes,” he responded to questioning looks, “I mean that. Second, that openness stops with you. Everything you see, hear, and learn aboard this ship is to remain secret after we reach our destination. We’ll explain why during the voyage, and we’ll explain the exceptions to the rule. That requirement extends to dependents as well. It’s a harsh restriction, but we explained it to you before you signed on, and we expect you to stick to your agreement. How long that restriction will last, I don’t know, but it will not be forever.
“You’ve probably already seen the agenda placed in your rooms, an agenda that covers the next year and a half of your lives. In a nutshell, you’ll spend the next four months aboard this ship, but I promise you that you will not be idle. After we land, you will spend a few months training on Ariall. Everyone who desires, and I include you and your dependents, will receive the same training in language, customs, and so forth. So,” he said, pausing to take a breath, “in about six or eight months you will be familiar with the An’Atee people and the planet Ariall, and you will receive a guided tour of Ariall. The purpose of the tour is to provide you with a test of our integrity. You will have an opportunity to assure yourselves that we are who we say we are. It will also be fun to explore a new world, yes? Consider it a vacation.
“Specialized training begins after that. Spouses who so choose will be offered specialized training as well.
“And now we come to the fun part. I’m certain you’ve all heard the unofficial name of your group—the Geriatric Brigade. Know this: we did not recruit you for a short-term mission. We’re offering everyone a new lease on life. If you accept, we’ll begin the treatment immediately. I plan to lay claim to a significant portion of your new life on behalf of the Alliance, though your service is, and will remain, voluntary.” He smiled before adding, “I think you’ll like it here. I think you will soon agree that you’ve found a new home, just as I have.
“Arlynn, whom some of you already know, is next up. She’s will explain the course of treatment we’re offering you. I’ll add that she was the one who explained it to me four years ago, and she’s good at it.”
Arlynn squeezed Greg’s arm as they traded places. He decided to wander among the periphery of the crowd to get a sense of them as she talked, but he listened to her as well. He never tired of hearing the sweet sound of her voice. She led them through the same explanation she had given him, making a complex issue seem simple.
The An’Atee had developed a genetically designed LifeVirus that coursed throughout the body. The LifeVirus knew what was right for the body and left it alone, but it knew what was not good for the body and attacked it, whether it be disease, germs, toxins, or simply old, dying cells. After taking the LifeVirus, the body gradually reached a completely healthy state and stayed that way. Occasional renewals of the LifeVirus kept things on an even keel for as long as the person lived. Repairs of injuries and certain other maladies sometimes called for extra doses of the LifeVirus, but it was a snake-oil salesman’s dream brought to reality. The LifeVirus cured all. In the process, it would add between one and two centuries to their lives.
The An’Atee knew that if they released the LifeVirus on Earth today, people would stop dying. Within months there would not be enough food to go around, nor would there be enough energy, homes, jobs, or money. Shortages of resources always led to war. With only a little extrapolation, the human race would probably become extinct by its own actions, so Earth was not yet ready to receive the LifeVirus. The LifeVirus, potentially the greatest gift the An’Atee could give, had to remain its most closely held secret for the foreseeable future.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Arlynn said as she prepared to close her presentation, “I cannot offer you proof of the claims I have made concerning the LifeVirus, and Chairman Hamilton tells me that many of you will harbor suspicions. I will tell you that the LifeVirus saved both of our lives. It is a truly wonderful gift to you from my people, and I encourage you accept it. During your interviews, each of you gave us a sample of tissue. The LifeVirus is ready, tailored to you. We know what we are doing, and we will be careful. After accepting the LifeVirus, you will sleep for several days and awake refreshed. During the next few months you will tire often as your body uses energy from within to repair itself. There will be no dieting here! Nor will you ever need to diet again. You will see amazing changes in your bodies over time, all of you except the young. There are no adverse side effects.”
She allowed an hour for questions, and she used all of the hour. Thankfully, she was familiar enough with Greg’s suspicious nature that the questions did not offend her. Grayson’s recruits questioned everything. Questions such as, “Were we brought here to be guinea pigs in an experiment?” and “How do you know it will work on humans?” were on everyone’s mind. They were, after all, warriors. They were suspicious and not inclined to jump blindly into things.
“Know this,” Greg added when he resumed the podium. “It’s okay to question and doubt us. I fully empathize with your concerns, because I had them too. But know this as well: we could have given you this medicine without your knowledge. The An’Atee will never commit such an atrocity—they are just not that way—nor will I. Each of you gets to make your own decision concerning this and other treatments we’ll offer. Time is of the essence here, we need you to hit the deck running just as soon as you possibly can, but we will not force this on you, ever.”
He let his gaze wander through the audience for a time, then he added, “For many of you, there is nothing to lose. For all of you, including dependents, there is everything to gain. Besides the fact that we’re from Earth, you and I have something else in common. We’re warriors, but we are first peacemakers. We share a dream, a dream of peace and prosperity for everyone. The An’Atee, through the LifeVirus, are giving each of you another century or two to work on making that dream become a reality.”
His words hit home in a big way. “But there’s more, much more,” he added as the crowd calmed. “By the time we land, you will all speak the native lingo. Yes, I know that’s impossible,” he said, holding up a hand to quiet the snorts and snickers, “and some of you might choose to do it the hard, old-fashioned way, but I learned enough to get by in just a couple of weeks. Teaching machines, as they are called, have been in use on Ariall for many years. They’re remarkable, and they work.
“Within the year, each and every one of you volunteers will be flying starships, and it won’t be long before some of you are commanding them.” Greg could not help grinning. “Pretty cool, huh? You’ll know how to fly them, you’ll know how to command them, and you will understand the realm in which you operate. I promise to train you well.
“Within the next couple of weeks, each of you will know where the Alliance fits into galactic society, and we will have answered many of the questions you want to ask now. You will have a better feel for what we are about, and you will understand our need for you.
“Is all this too good to be true?” Greg smiled. “Probably. But everything I’ve told you will come to pass. There is danger—you’re here to fight a war, and I just learned that our plight is more desperate than we realized—but you’ve spent most of your lives living under serious threats. Let me say it again: for most of you, what do you have to lose?”
He waited to let his words sink in, knowing that, as
warriors, each had a burning desire to know one more thing.
“It’s time to speak of the enemy,” he said gravely, “but let me begin with our friends, the An’Atee, who built the ship on which you reside. They are a remarkable and wonderful star-faring civilization of humans, every bit as human as you and me. They can fly circles around anyone, but they are terrible fighters. To put it simply, they have led such a peaceful existence for so many centuries that they cannot bear to take the life of another. They can do everything needed for fighting except one thing—they can’t pull the trigger. That’s where we come in. We’re going to pull the trigger. Our ability to pull the trigger will probably require that we command the ships and fleets as well, but you’ll have to work that out as you progress through training. I’ll add that though the An’Atee are terrible fighters, they’ve built powerful weapons.
“Let’s move on to the Harbok. You are familiar with the stories about UFO sightings on Earth. I can’t say if the stories are true or not, but there is an alien presence on Earth, and they use flying saucers to get around. They are flown by a race of beings called Harbok. They are giants with leathery skin, but they, too, are human.
“The Harbok refuse to communicate with the An’Atee, and they attack An’Atee ships on sight. The battles are always one sided—the An’Atee lose every single time.”
He gave them a moment to assimilate that concept, then added, “Because of that, we thought the Harbok were the enemy.” Looking around the room, he made eye contact with several people before saying, “We were wrong. Four years ago, we discovered that the Harbok were fighting a Fourth Race called the Oort, a civilization we knew nothing at all about. The Harbok have been fighting the Oort for some two thousand years. Even after all that time, they do not see an end to the conflict. At present, it’s a stalemate, but as you well know, one side or the other will eventually find an advantage. I hope we—the Alliance—will be the advantage the Harbok need.
Genesis Page 10
