by John Walker
“Thank you,” Commander Vincent Bowman replied. As the first officer, he’d been handling all the regular operations of the ship for the past few hours. Desmond turned over control to him for the experience of it. There were hundreds of decisions to make throughout their trip home and Vincent was doing an exemplary job. “Coms, prepare to hail Earth.”
“Aye, sir,” Salina replied.
“We don’t want to show up and have our fleet try to engage, after all.” Vincent frowned when he said it. They’d been speculating that their own people might be twitchy after the Gnosis had been gone for the better part of five days without a word. Any arrival might be met with hostility if they didn’t immediately identify themselves.
However, there was no chance they could get to an emersion point swiftly enough to attack right away. The best they could hope for was a desperate com signal asking for their intentions. Depending on how far out in the solar system the enemy appeared, only planet-bound coms would be able to reach far enough to make a connection.
If someone showed up near Pluto, they’d have plenty of time to form up before we could respond. At least until there are other ships like the Gnosis in our fleet. They already made a trip to the edge of their solar system and it was less than twenty minutes. Distances seemed to mean very little until they had to visit the other world.
Their journey would’ve taken multiple lifetimes before the FTL technology. Doctor Rindala suggested that with better coordinates and navigations, they might even cut those times down considerably. Desmond didn’t know how much, and the doctor couldn’t say right away but it was something to look into, one more piece of information to seek out.
Maybe a second orb will allow us to make that same trip in half the time or even better.
“Twenty seconds,” Zach said. “I’m beginning a verbal countdown.”
As the pilot spoke the numbers aloud, Desmond forced himself to sit back in his chair and relax. His heart beat a little faster. He wondered if anyone else felt the same anxiety or if their jobs kept them too busy to notice. Cassie hadn’t come back to the bridge since having some kind of episode in engineering. Sitting in medical probably meant she fretted about their arrival.
Zach’s voice boomed throughout the ship, piped through speakers on every deck. When he reached five, Desmond thought about what it must’ve been like for a first-time flyer to land on a commercial airline. He’d read about them in school, but he had never experienced what his grandparents had talked about when they described air travel.
This worry has to be roughly the same. Crashing into the ground and burning alive couldn’t be too much better than what might happen if something goes wrong up here.
Of course, he knew otherwise considering the risk management questions he had to answer every time they made an adjustment to the ship. Every repair required his approval and he had to go over a long list of questions his people asked in order to make the right call. Trusting that they knew what they were doing proved easy enough, but his own judgement occasionally felt iffy.
We’ve all got the best training Earth can afford. I don’t doubt my confidence; I doubt what we don’t know. There’s too much about all this we don’t understand yet. I really wish we would’ve had a few months with this ship before we had to dive into battle with her. I’m sure she feels the same way.
“Emerging.” Zach’s final word accompanied a low whine that interrupted the standard hum that they’d all become accustomed to over the past few hours. Lights dimmed for a moment just as the view screen revealed their location. Luna, the satellite of Earth, was close enough to easily make out all the details.
Salina spoke up. “We have arrived within five thousand kilometers of our intended position.”
Zach clapped his hands, letting out a hoot. “Welcome back to Sol, everyone.”
“Very good,” Desmond said. “Congratulations, everyone. Fantastic work all around. Do we have Earth control on coms yet?”
“One moment,” Salina replied. “Raising them now.”
“Set a course for Earth,” Desmond added. “Get us moving in that direction. I’d like an ETA to orbit.”
The bridge staff went about their duties, communicating with various parts of the ship. The floor vibrated for a brief moment as the thrusters fired, carrying them toward home. Desmond checked the reports from the other departments, noting that they didn’t come away entirely clean.
Engineering reported a few small shorts here and there. Scanners were also impacted but the system seemed to simply need a reboot. Much like when they arrived at their destination across the galaxy, they found themselves with inexplicable system shutdowns and restarts. They needed to solve that problem.
Emerging into a combat zone and having random systems down would not be tenable.
Zach’s voice nudged him from his thoughts, “ETA to Earth is six hours, thirty minutes at present speed.”
“Thank you,” Desmond replied. “Gives us plenty of time to acclimate to normal space.”
“High command is on the line,” Salina said. “Admiral Reach welcomes us back to Earth and is eager to hear our report. What reply should I give?”
Desmond weighed his response for a moment, wondering how much he wanted to offer over an open line. Ultimately, the biggest concern was whether or not they were successful and how much they had lost in the process. He decided on a simple answer, something to tide the admiral over until they arrived for a full debriefing.
“Let the admiral know our mission was successful and that we’re returning with the Orb,” Desmond said. “Tell them we’ve got a lot to discuss and we’ll have a full report prepared when we arrive.”
“Yes, sir.” Salina turned back to her console and began relating the information quietly. Desmond turned to Vincent.
“Grab Cassie from medical and meet me in the briefing room. I’d like to get our story together in the time it’ll take to get home.”
“I’m on it.” Vincent stood. “Zach has the bridge?”
“You heard him,” Desmond said. “Zach, keep us alive while we’re gone.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
The two officers boarded the elevator and headed down, with Desmond getting off first on deck three. He paced into the briefing room and took his seat, booting up the main screen to prepare their presentation. While they had a great deal of information to share with the admiral, the biggest news probably came in the form of Thayne.
They all knew aliens shared the universe with them but having one that was working with them, a friendly being, made for a very different situation entirely. Thayne would be staying on the Gnosis until Desmond prepped the people of Earth for his arrival. The last thing he wanted was to have the man detained, questioned, poked and prodded endlessly.
Especially since he was so forthcoming with everything they asked of him. Thayne genuinely wanted to assist them. Desmond’s challenge would be proving that not only to his superior officer but to the other authorities on Earth. I have to believe they’ll do right by him. They can’t possibly think every alien is bad.
Such prejudices still existed in some walks of life though they were becoming considerably rarer. There would likely always be those who thought of others as inferior and when those people were from a totally different planet, it became even easier to make such misinformed leaps of logic.
Thayne, so far, had proven to be the type of model citizen that would make a first contact situation work. His people didn’t sound quite as trusting as he was but once Earth was able to reach out to them, they’d be able to begin a dialogue. The good news was they were starting out with a common enemy.
Desmond would’ve preferred they not have to contend with a threat as their first order of business entering the wider universal landscape, but it did have the benefit of unifying them with the Pahxin. Considering what Thayne said about their Orb being stolen by the Tol’An terrorists, this meant they should be open to negotiation.
Especially since we
already prevented them from picking up additional technology they should not possess.
If Desmond chose to be very honest, he had to say that Earth was not prepared to enter into a wartime situation abroad. They did not have the ships to conduct heavy battles with fleets of ships. They could defend themselves but beyond that, they did not possess the resources quite yet to take a large-scale fight to another culture.
Negotiations with the Pahxin would need to be conducted with care. They didn’t want to show their inferior numbers when it came to war-worthy spacecraft, but they also had to stand on a position of strength. Desmond figured his people would rely on the fact they were able to take down the Tol’An in greater numbers and reclaim the Orb.
Though what the Pahxin would have to say about humanity holding two orbs made the captain nervous. After all, they might well try to claim one or both devices. If they supported a large enough fleet, humanity wouldn’t be able to do much about it. Earth needed to bolster their forces and quickly if they hoped to play in the new arena open to them.
But even if they did, they still did not possess an adequate understanding of everything going on out there. Such races as the Pahxin had been traveling the galaxy for long enough to have a serious understanding of different cultures. Their star maps alone would give them a significant advantage.
And they were only one species out there. What other types of people made up the galactic community? How many of them were friendly? Would they be allies, enemies or ambivalently neutral? Such cultures might be open to trade eventually, to share ideas and technology.
Earth needed commodities to make such things viable or even desirable. This meant spreading throughout their own solar system and populating the other planets, mining them and building colonies to take advantage of their natural resources. There was a great deal to do and Desmond began to feel like these events might be overwhelming.
I hope our government has put some serious thought into all this or we’re going to be dramatically behind.
Vincent and Cassie entered the room, the latter looking frazzled from her time in medical. The doctor sent Desmond a message stating the agent was perfectly fine and that they could find nothing wrong with her physically. Mentally might’ve been another story but all scans came back normal.
“Thanks for getting me out of there,” Cassie said. “They were talking about putting me through a psych eval and I just did one a month ago.”
“Those are miserable,” Vincent added as he took a seat. “So, we need to put together a good tale for the admiral, something he can work with, am I right?”
Desmond nodded. “Yes, I want all the facts laid out in a fashion that makes the briefing easier to accept. All reports should be attached to this primary summary. I’ll run the presentation after they’ve had a chance to digest the work but I’m going to need to familiarize myself with what everyone’s said. That means we get this done ASAP so I have a chance to read it all.”
“I don’t envy you,” Cassie said. “This is a lot of information. The primary participants of the mission alone have dozens of pages to report. Our resource drain documents are even complicated this time around.”
“Luckily, we were able to pull some salvage from the planet,” Vincent said. “That should keep the quartermasters off our backs.”
“Something has to,” Desmond replied. “In my opinion, the hardest part of this is Thayne. When we start talking about him, they’ll want him quarantined and locked up. But we’ve got medical records showing he’s been checked out and came back safe. We’ve also got his own sworn testimony and those of the marines who brought him back.”
“Will it be enough to assuage Gamma Alpha personnel?” Vincent asked. He furrowed his brow and shook his head. “I just don’t know. Those guys are pretty twitchy, especially after the attack. You’ll have to be prepared for them to call out our new friend as an accessory who’s just pretending to help us in an effort to save his own skin.”
“It’s not a bad theory,” Cassie said. “We can’t prove otherwise. Yes, he’s been very helpful and hasn’t seemed to hold back. Still, I wouldn’t put my reputation on the line that he’s absolutely trustworthy.”
“But he’s had access to the Orb the entire time he’s been on board,” Desmond pointed out. “Saline and you were quite adamant that he was safe.”
Cassie nodded. “Yes, and while I believe that, I can’t prove it. I’m pretty sure our colleagues on Earth are going to want some assurances we simply cannot give. That’s my point. More than whether Thayne’s a danger to us or not, we’re going to have to show some evidence either way.”
Desmond agreed with her. Obviously, no one was simply going to take their word for it but how would they know the alien was someone to be trusted? Much as he didn’t want to see the man quarantined on Earth, it would end up being the way they’d have to go. More importantly, if he didn’t do it himself, Admiral Reach may well ask him why he didn’t.
“Okay, so when we arrive, we’ll have to get him some quarters,” Desmond said. “I think if we take the initiative there, we should be able to ensure he’s not relegated to a cell. And we’ll still have access to him to continue his work with us … and of course, he’s going to have to assist with communicating with the Pahxin.”
“Agreed,” Vincent said, taking some notes. “I can work with Gamma Alpha to find him a place to be.”
“Thanks.” Desmond brought up the reports and skimmed the different departments. While they repaired the ship, the science teams visited the planet on several different surveys. Geology brought back some pretty incredible samples. Lifeforms were at a premium, however, so they were only able to bring back minor organic samples. “These look good.”
Cassie nodded. “Those should placate many of the scientists that have been working on the Gnosis initiative for years. They’ll love to see their efforts rewarded.”
“Indeed.” Vincent tapped his screen. “And I’ve got all the atmospheric samples here as well. This is great stuff but there’s a ton of it. Imagine, this was one planet we visited! Just one! And we’ve got enough data to keep people busy for months. Possibly a year.”
“And yet we still are living under the shadow of a threat.” Desmond sighed. He turned to Cassie. “I read about your episode with the Orb. Can you talk more about it? I’m sure high command will have some interest.”
Cassie looked away but nodded. “Yes, I can describe it in perfect detail, but it lacks so many details. I don’t even know if it has a purpose. What if I just had a stress-related hallucination? I hate to say that about myself because I don’t want to be removed from duty over it, but we have to consider the possibility.”
“But,” Vincent said, “according to your report, Thayne had some theories about it being an alternate method of interfacing with the Orb. Your own scanner shows how it can be done again. It seems more likely that you’re able to connect with that than to suggest you’re simply experiencing stress.”
“True,” Cassie conceded. “But I guess I’d rather the less creepy option … though maybe it’s not.” She shrugged. “Whatever the case, I’m ready to talk about it and I’m thankful that the medical staff proved I’m okay.”
“Next order of business,” Desmond said, “preparing ourselves for the possibility that we’ll be heading back out soon.”
“You really think so?” Vincent asked.
“Undoubtedly.” Desmond gestured vaguely to the left. “Whatever those Tol’An are up to, we’re the only ones out there trying to stop them right now. We know they likely have another Orb. That gives them two as well. We’re in a serious arms race, in all honesty. If we don’t treat it as such, we’ll fall behind. Fast.”
“And we still need more ships,” Cassie added. “Hopefully, we’ll hear about a plan to up manufacturing.”
“We’ve got the data from that strange drone factory,” Vincent offered. “Maybe we can employ some of their methodology.”
“Whatever we do,” Desmond sai
d, “it needs to be implemented fast. The military doesn’t tend to like to move fast unless it involves firing bullets. We’ll have to seriously push them. All of us from a unified front. Now, let’s start at the beginning of these and see what we can do to get through it all as quickly as possible. Let’s start with engineering.”
***
When the Gnosis established orbit around the Earth, Desmond, Cassie and Salina were prepared to disembark. Two marines accompanied them, acting as guards for Thayne, who would be handed off to Doctor Harper for quarantine. The admiral was shocked to hear they brought a Pahxin back with them, and even more so when he heard the man was friendly.
“Regardless if that’s true,” Reach said, “I want him kept safe and sound at Gamma Alpha. Let’s not take any chances.”
Vincent and Cassie were right about that part of the situation. No chances would be taken. No one wanted to risk a saboteur or terrorist being free in their midst. Even when he was working on the engineering section with the others, armed guards stood nearby. They were prepared for him to do something dangerous, but he’d proven to be benevolent so far.
The shuttle broke atmosphere and headed straight for the first landing pad at Gamma Alpha. After a forty-minute trip, the ship landed and they all disembarked, Thayne being led off to the facility. There, he’d be introduced to Doctor Harper and shown to some quarters where he’d be confined until further notice.
Desmond intended to advocate for him, especially since he considered the man to be essential for their conversation with the Pahxin. Without him, they would not be able to even send a message let alone know exactly what they were saying. Connecting with the other race seemed absolutely necessary to keep the Earth safe.
If they played their cards right, they’d make a new ally, their first in the galactic arena.
Unless we make them mad immediately. Then we can add another to our list of growing enemies.
Desmond led the others to the control center of the facility where they met Admiral Reach. As they approached, they saluted the man, but he stepped forward and immediately shook their hands. “Congratulations, all of you. Regardless of the gravity of what we’re dealing with, you’re already heroes of this planet. Good work. All of you.”
