by Don Foxe
Murmurs rose around them as they walked the hallway. No one tried to speak with any of the three.
They came to a halt. AStermalanlan addressed a microphone placed in the bulkhead, and a door opened. They entered the shaft connecting the main sphere to the command sphere. When the door closed behind them, Cooper could see outer space in front of him.
“The walls and ceiling are a type of material able to reflect inside what is actually outside.” ASkiilamentrae explained as they walked through space. She returned to her story.
“The Fellen never forgot our history. Even though we found an inherent ability to imagine and create a number of highly technical inventions, we remained a predatory species. Males and females on Fell, to this day, are taught how to fight. When visitors came from space, we were prepared to hold on to our technology.
“In trade for our inventions, we gained the science of space flight. We began to trade our technology for food, engines, information, and supplies not found on Fell. Because we could, and would kill to protect ourselves, and our planet, we also received respect.
“On this ship, with over 240,000 people, there are only two true warriors. That is why we have been assigned as your security, and your guards,” she finished. Finished in time for another com-mic addressed, and the entrance to the Star Gazer’s command sphere opened.
Coop took note of ASkiilamentrae’s use of the word guards. The translator might have misused the word, or the Fellen were security, and there to make sure he was contained, if needed.
Chapter 13
Another corridor stretched ahead of them. Kennedy’s scans measured the command sphere .59 miles at its widest point. Where they entered, the corridor represented a good half-mile walk. AStermalanlan pressed a button, and the floor moved, becoming a motorized walkway. “Try to maintain your balance,” she said. She acquired a remote from somewhere, most likely when she pushed the button for the walkway. She played with the remote, and the walkway sped up. It got quite fast, but he had no trouble maintaining his balance.
Nearing the end of the corridor, she used the remote, and the walkway slowed to a stop. Both women gave him looks which could have been surprise he remained upright, or disappointment he had not landed on his butt. AStermalanlan placed the remote on the wall, adjacent to a twin.
They entered another lift, rose, and emerged on a level located nearly three-quarters of the smaller sphere’s height. They stepped from the lift, directly onto a command bridge.
The concave front wall displayed deep space. It could have been more of the two-way material, actual reinforced transparent glass, or SHD monitors.
Beneath the view, arranged in a semi-circle, flight-operation stations with chairs, spaced every six feet. Half the stations staffed. Those present turned to look at the visitors.
A command chair dominated the bridge, located on a pedestal in the center of the semi-circle. The lay-out eerily similar to the bridge design of the PT-109. Captain Poonch, all five-foot five of him, stood in front of the pedestal. Dressed in a blue uniform with white piping and white shoes, instead of the brown kaftan. Two hundred pounds, Coop guessed, but his uniform looking a bit bulky, indicating, until recently, he had been heavier.
“Captain Cooper,” he said, ignoring the two Fellen. He extended his right hand. Cornitsch had made his report. “Welcome aboard the Star Gazer. I wish it were under better circumstances. We have often flown guests to the most beautiful places in the galaxy. Parties. Performances. Not so much open, gloomy space as this,” he said, waving his hand at the void depicted on the forward wall.
“I will not take much of your time, Captain Cooper. I want you to know my crew, and I at your disposal. If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, or if we can provide any information that will help you, and your Space Fleet defeat the Zenge, then you must only ask.”
He turned to ASkiilamentrae and said, “Please make sure Captain Cooper is taken to CD - 101.” Then to Cooper, “It is the second officer’s quarters, and quite comfortable. The two crew members staying therein have already been reassigned. It is only one deck down from us, so you are close to the command center.”
“Allow your crew members to return, Captain. I will quarter aboard my ship in your hangar. It has everything I require. I will not force your people to relocate for my benefit.”
“But Captain Cooper,” Poonch said. A shudder racked his frame. “You will be in the bay. It is not the nicest place to be.”
“It is where over two-thousand Osperantue now have to live,” AStermalanlan explained. “They were removed before the hangar de-pressurized for your arrival.” In case he thought his ship in danger, she quickly added, “Your ship, and our shuttle are located in separate, secure bays. No one can approach either ship.”
“Nice or not, it is where I will bunk,” Cooper said. “If it is sufficient for your people, then I am sure it will be fine for me.”
“Of course, Captain Cooper,” Poonch replied, regaining his composure. “If you are more comfortable aboard your own ship, who am I to question?”
Cooper addressed ASkiilamentrae. “Are the Star Gazer logs, and data regarding the Zenge available to you?”
“Yes.”
“You also have your own information regarding them?”
“Yes.”
“I can access this information?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a place available I can use to review everything?”
“Our cabin has what you need. Our systems are better designed to translate the information for you.”
Cooper returned to Poonch, who listened to the simple exchange between the Earther and the Fellen.
“Captain Poonch, I appreciate your hospitality, and providing information regarding the Zenge. I will go to the Fellen’s cabin to review your reports. I will return to my ship afterward. If you need me, contact me anytime.”
Cooper saluted the captain of the Star Gazer, who appeared perplexed by the action. Coop then pivoted, and headed to the lift. AStermalanlan scurried to get in front of him, and opened the door. His other guard fell in step. They entered the lift, leaving the bridge crew and Captain in awe. Captain Daniel Cooper of Space Fleet was a person of few words.
It was a short ride, only one floor below. A brisk walk along a corridor with only a couple of crew to pass. Hands on their way somewhere and not loitering in the hall.
AStermalanlan stopped at a door, placed her hand on an entry pad, and they entered a cabin the size of a college dorm room. Their quarters were sparse and neat. Two single beds with pillows and blankets. Two utilitarian desks at the foot of each bed, facing their respective bulkheads, with pull-out chairs. A larger work space between the heads of the beds, and placed in front of shelves holding a number of electronic devices. The combination of desks and shelves gave the beds cave-like qualities.
Inside the entry, to the left, were two closets, and, to the right, a door to a cramped bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet.
“Too bad you did not accept Poonch’s offer of a cabin,” AStermalanlan said. “You would have been across the hall.”
She moved to the bed on the left, pivoted, and sat lotus-style. The other woman did the same on the right bunk, and indicated the chair at the communal desk.
As soon as Cooper sat, the desk top became a computer monitor. A single blinking curser in the bottom left corner. Upon tapping the cursor, a heads-up display appeared in the air.
“Your translator has a proximity setting for this system,” ASkiilamentrae informed him. “It will understand your commands, queries, and make notes for you if you wish. What we know about the Zenge is stored under a file named Zenge attack on Fell.” This said in a tone which combined disgust, anger, and sadness. “Zenge attack on Osperantue, has what the ship’s logs have on the invasion of their home world, and Zenge attacks on the Star Gazer, has what little they have on their escape from Osperantue, and when they picked us up at the multi-point.”
She
noted Cooper’s questioning look, and explained. “ A multi-point is a location where several wormhole channels converge. No one is sure why these places exist, but a few are well known. They are places for meetings, exchanges, and commerce to happen without the need to travel from one world to another.
“The only other file we have on the them is Zenge Stories. These are accounts by anyone who ever heard stories about the Zenge. I doubt many are factual, but sometimes it helps to know the mythology of your enemy.”
Cooper said, “Zenge Stories,” and lines of information appeared, but in a written form he could not decipher.
“Just say, ‘translate.’”
“Translate,” he tells the desktop. The symbols disappear for a second, and reappear in English. “Impressive,” he said aloud, and began to read tales of the Zenge.
Three hours disappeared. He read story after story concerning a lizard-like species who lived to make war, and used captured enemies as a food-source. Some tales were obvious fantasy, but enough similar renditions began to provide him with a feel for the enemy. It was not a good feeling.
He was unaware of either Fellen moving during the time he sat reading. When he looked up, both remained in the lotus position, on their respective beds.
“That’s enough for today,” he said. His internal clock informed him time for dinner came and went. Time for sleep and recovery. He doubted a restful sleep was in store, but he had read a Vietnam Veteran’s journal from the war, and a line stayed with him ever after: “Sleep is a weapon.” A tired fighter made mistakes. When in a conflict, take any opportunity to sleep. There will come a time when sleeping impossible, and what rest you have had essential to your survival.
“I will escort you to your ship,” ASkiilamentrae tells him. “This ship is on twelve-hour light and dark intervals, and is currently dark. Most of the Osperantue are asleep. During the dark times, one is sufficient as security.”
Being sleepy while it was dark would make it easier for Coop to adjust to the ship’s cycles.
AStermalanlan remained on her bunk; a smile, a sparkle, and a nod of the head. “I will see you in the new light.”
The return trip to the lower bay was lengthy, and quiet. Neither talked. They stepped cautiously around bodies sleeping in the hallways, encountering only a few people awake. Either having trouble sleeping (they meandered), or on the job (they moved with purpose). Anyone they met moved to the bulkhead, and allowed them passage.
The lift opened on the bay and a striking scene. The bay transformed into a camp. Makeshift tents of diverse materials, and simple beds filled the floor. From the sizes of bumps lying on the floor, there were adults, and children using the bay as temporary housing.
The Fellen remained silent, following a path of open aisles, walking cat-footed between people, and tents. Cooper followed, his soft-sole boots making no noise which would disturb those trying to sleep. Sleep was also an escape.
They reached the enclosed section where Angel rested on her tripods. ASkiilamentrae reached out, and finger-tapped the open space in front of the ship’s bay. A shimmer of light arced away from her finger.
“There is an electro-magnetic forcefield to protect your ship,” she whispered. “It is keyed to recognize your voice pattern. Just say OPEN.”
Barely above a whisper, he said, “Open,” and the Fellen moved forward. No light-show erupted.
“It is a low-level field,” she informed him. “It would not kill anyone, but it does hurt. Say CLOSE, once you pass this line.” She pointed at a line on the deck, hardly visible in the ambient light.
He stepped pass the line, turned, and said, “Close.” Because he had to know, he slowly extended his right index finger until he was stung by the force field. A mini-rainbow of light spider-webbed the air around where he touched.
Bag and helmet held in his left hand, he placed his free palm against a flat screen on the side of the ship’s front landing gear. The lift-cage slowly dropped to the floor. They entered the lift, and then the fighter together. Low lighting came on as the cage returned. A hiss sounded, indicating the lift resealed at the top. The cage’s security rails disappeared into the wall.
The ship’s interior proved more spacious than the Star Gazer’s officer’s cabin. The design similar to a large private jet. The area offered storage, head with shower, three semi-private bunks (each with pull screens), kitchenette, and a table with three stools able to retract into a hold below, to provide additional space. The galley held a tactical cubicle with its own command chair, and wide-screen SHD monitor.
A blast-door separated the cabin from the cockpit. Cooper did not invite her to see it, and she did not ask.
“This is Angel 7,” he said, storing the bag and helmet under a bunk. “Welcome aboard, and thanks for the escort. I guess I need to open the forcefield so you can leave.”
“That is unnecessary,” she said, pulling the lycra-like top over her head, fully revealing the breasts he already knew would be magnificent. She walked, slowly, to him, reached both arms around his waist, then pulled him into a deep kiss. She broke away long enough to inform him, “I am staying.”
Chapter 14
(Day 2 on the Star Gazer)
The automated peal from his compact wrist chronometer woke him. Coop rarely needed an alarm, normally waking a few minutes earlier. The combination timepiece, miniature PC lay on the floor next to his translation ring.
On his back, ASkiilamentrae snuggled on top of him. Comfortable in a bunk designed for one. Sleep followed two hours of heated activity. She woke him for another round, before both collapsed into deep slumber.
“I don’t want to move,” she whispered, her eyes still shut. For the first time her words translated into a contraction. “I don’t want you to move, either,” she added. Then she stretched, arched her back, placing her firm breasts in his face, relaxed, and kissed him. “But it is a new day.”
She stood, and Coop made an approving appraisal in the artificial light. Tall, firm, muscled, and soft in the best locations. Exceptionally human, except for the deep blue skin. And the bump at the base of her spine, he discovered the night before, when she straddled him. He held onto her lower back and buttocks as she rode him. And the eyes. And the fangs. Other than those differences; exceptionally human.
“I need a shower,” she said.
“There’s an extra towel on the shelf,” Coop told her. Assessing the rear view, and confirming his opinion. He remained in the bunk, missing the touch of her.
“You need to let AStermalanlan in. She’s waiting,” she said over her shoulder, and disappeared behind the door to the head.
He slid off the bunk, collected the wrist-piece and ring, pulled on pants, and pulled a grey t-shirt over his head as he headed for the lift. He stood at the forcefield in less than a minute. AStermalanlan sat in her cross-legged comfortable position; a smile, and a sparkle.
“Good morning, Captain Cooper. I hope you got enough rest.” Fangs showed at the edges of her grin.
“Open,” Cooper said. The Fellen gracefully stood and walked over the red line on the deck. “Close,” he said, and turned to walk beside her to the ship.
Once on board, AStermalanlan perched on the edge of a bunk, which had been used, but not slept in. She tilted backward onto her hands, ample chest forward, and asked, “So Earthmen and Fellen are compatible?”
“We’re called humans.” He did not respond to her query about compatibility. It was obvious they had done more than sleep . “Have you had breakfast?”
It took a second for breakfast to translate before she answered. “Supplies are getting dangerously low. ASkiilamentrae and I usually eat twice a day.”
“When on extended missions, my supplies are protein bars, fuel bars, and MRE’s, but I did manage to grab freeze-dried fruit, and jerky from the 109’s larder before shoving off. Do Fellen eat meat?”
“We eat about everything,” she replied. “We eat meat, but there has not been any on board Star Gazer for a while. W
e are not hungry enough to hunt Bosine . . . yet.”
Cooper reached into a cupboard above the re-heat station, and pulled down a bag of assorted dried fruits. He also grabbed a zip-lock bag.
He retrieved a platter from another storage unit, placed it on the table, and poured a bit of dried fruit, adding sticks of jerky. “Give it a try,” he said, reaching for a bottle of water from the cooler to hand her.
AStermalanlan bit down on a banana chip and smiled. She put the rest of the chip in her mouth, and let it melt. Coop was pretty sure he heard her purr. When she bit into the jerky and began chewing, he could see in her golden-orange eyes the moment the flavors released. She didn’t purr. She growled. It was a happy growl. Her stomach growled in agreement.
“Captain Cooper, human from Earth, I very much want to visit your world.” She was finishing her second stick of jerky when ASkiilamentrae exited the head, hair wet. She wore the tight black outfit.
“What is this noise,” she asked? “I thought I would find you both naked and in bed.”
“AStermalanlan will show you,” he said, throwing her a bottle of water. “I need a shower.”
He exited the head with a towel around his waist. Unlike ASkiilamentrae, he had not taken clothes in with him, and unlike her, he was not limber enough to change in the cramped area anyway.
He expected the fruit and jerky gone, but most sat on the platter.
“You guys can have all you want.”
AStermalanlan’s eyes sparkled. “Really? ALL I want,” making it clear she did not mean breakfast.
“It’s your food,” ASkiilamentrae said. “We appreciate your sharing it, but we cannot take it all.”
Cooper reached into his cupboard, and pulled out a protein bar. He unwrapped it before saying, “I’m perfectly happy with my other supplies. We’ll keep the fruit and jerky for you two. You know where it is stored. Whenever you want, you’re welcome to it. Speaking of eating, Angel is usually supplied for a crew of three for a month or more in space. The other food supplies may not taste as good, but they are healthy, and nutrient rich. I suggest you start eating at least three times a day, and eat anything stored here. I can’t have my guards pass out from hunger,” he joked. Reaching into a cupboard, he pulled out two protein bars, tossing one to each of the Fellen.
