“The androids have been phenomenal in structuring and implementing effective interim government and law enforcement organizations. When we requested their assistance, they agreed that it was a logical decision, both in terms of a non-partisan interim leadership and a safe temporary home for the androids until they are able to transition to their own planet. They didn’t waste any time; within a couple of days they managed to create the new legal infrastructure and adapt the global communication systems to serve as a means of informing all inhabitants and traders of the extensive changes. The transition was nearly seamless; normal activities and businesses have not been impacted, other than the fact that they no longer have to pay the Brotherhood for protection.
“The androids have also engineered a device that filters the canal waters and leaches the heavy metals and minerals from the water so it is suitable for recycling. Andy says that in about 50 years the canals will be clean enough to use as a source of drinking water.”
“I need to meet with Andy,” I said more to myself than to my crew.
“He’s been asking to speak to you as soon as you are well enough,” Kerabac responded.
“Make arrangements to have him brought up to the ship tomorrow morning so we can speak privately and without interruption.”
I had barely uttered this before both Commodore Stonbersa and Commander Wabussie blurted out in unison, “Do you think that is wise?”
The men looked at each other and then Wabussie continued, “Tibby, I know you trust Andy and he did come through for you down there, like he promised. But if the androids get a hold of the technology in this ship – the cloaking device and the Reverse Magnetic Force Field – they could take over the galaxy. You have no idea how close they came to succeeding during the rebellion. In the hands of the androids the NEW ORLEANS would be an unstoppable weapon.”
I reflected a minute on their words before answering very soberly, “I know I haven’t made very wise decisions lately; and your past experiences with the androids have been violent and threatening; but that was some time ago. In my first discussion with Andy I got the impression that the androids have evolved and matured beyond the stage of war and domination and that they now want only a peaceful and agreeable coexistence with the Federation. I know it’s a risk, but it’s one I;m willing to take. I owe it to Andy, at the very least.”
“Tibby, it’s your ship and I’ll do whatever you say; but I’m not comfortable with it,” Stonbersa said in an unusually grave tone.
I looked at the Commodore and Commander, who returned my gaze with the same expression, one that could only come from a deep understanding of the sweeping destruction and loss that resulted from the android rebellion. “What do the rest of you think? I asked of the others. I want a show of hands. How many of you agree with the Commodore and Commander Wabussie?” I scanned the room as Marranalis, Sokaia and Cantolla raised their hands. “How many feel, like I do, that it’s alright to allow Andy to come aboard the NEW ORLEANS to meet with me?” Kerabac, Padaran and A’Lappe raised their hands. I noted that Captain Felenna and Kala abstained from voting.
I paused in deliberation for moment before saying, “How about if we allow Andy aboard with limited access to only a secured hangar bay, my study and the corridors between the two areas? We could post extra armed sentries on the bridge and engine rooms, but I don’t want them visible to Andy. Would that be acceptable?”
Commodore Stonbersa and Commander Wabussie looked at each other and then Wabussie nodded.
“I’m still not comfortable with the idea,” Commodore Stonbersa said, “but I can live with it.”
“How about you, Marranalis? You’re head of security; what do you think?”
“Well, if you don’t mind my equipping the security team with the heaviest personal armament… and if you can live with the possible heavy damage to whatever part of the ship we may have to blow up if this goes bad, I guess I can agree with it.” I chuckled at his comment, a gesture that triggered a bout of chest pain and coughing. Immediately, everyone in the room tensed up.
Kala asked, “Tib, are you ok?!”
“Yes, I’m okay. My ribs are still quite sore and laughing causes a bit of shooting pain.” Everyone seemed to relax a bit as I brushed aside the episode. “So unless there are other objections, I would like to see Andy here tomorrow in my study.
“Commander Wabussie, what’s new in Federation news that I should know about – or, at least, what’s new that you can share with me?”
“Tibby, you know you’re in the loop on all of the top secret actions in the Federation; you’re cleared on the highest levels, so it’s not like anything is being withheld from you. Actually, there’s quite a bit I need to discuss with you – some of which I will need to address with you privately in a separate meeting – but most of what I have to say I can relate here.
“The first thing you should know is our FSO agents have received information that the Brotherhood is amassing a lot of ships near Samalis. If you recall, Samalis is the system that Senator Euregata represented; Euregata is the man that we think was responsible for the attack on you back at the capital a few months ago, just before Samalis withdrew from the Federation. We think the Brotherhood is planning to advance an attack on nearby planets from that location. More so, our last sighting of the mysterious Tottalax ship indicated that it was also heading in that direction. The Federation has a fleet of a half-dozen starships fully loaded with troopers and Mirage Fighters in route to that sector; but it will be months before they all arrive.”
“Is there any word as to the location of the Tottalax home system?” I interjected.
“None at all; but we have every reason to believe that it’s somewhere on this side of the galaxy.”
“What about Leader Roritat? What can you tell me about him?”
“That’s one of the things I would prefer to discuss in a private briefing – at least for right now,” Wabussie said.
“Very well. Is there any other news?”
“Just one more item; you’re aware of the satellites we positioned between your home planet of Earth and Megelleon to gather transmissions and data with the hope of learning as much as we can about the history of Earth warfare and war strategies. We’ve positioned receiving satellites at intervals of five years, going back to the earliest broadcasts on your planet. Well, about two weeks ago the last information we received from the one located at the most recent five year interval indicated an enormous war was in progress that involved many nations. In addition, broadcasts from the same period reported a huge asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The technicians are still sorting and filtering all the data; so, as of the moment, we are not clear on the outcome of either the war or the asteroid threat.”
Though Earth was my home planet, it was more than 60 Earth years since I had left there on the TRYTITE – that is, 60 years for them, but only about two years or so for me, due to the principles of relativity, faster than light drive and Gravity Wave propulsion variances – none of which I understood.
“There have always been countries and peoples at war on Earth. Which countries are fighting now?”
Wabussie glanced at his vid pad and said, “It seems there are a lot of them – Roo… Rooseea… or Rusa?”
“Russia?” I suggested.
“Yes. Russia, China, India, United States of Amaarika – ”
“America!” I interjected.
“Something called the Uropeen Union,” I let him continue, “Australia, and many more.”
“Holy shit,” I exclaimed in English – a language none of my crew understood very well, though my sentiment was clear. “That’s nearly every large nation on the planet!” I finished in Federation standard language. “Which nations are united?”
“Ahh, I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Tibby. We haven’t figured it out yet. I promise you, as soon as I know, I’ll let you know; but remember, any transmissions we receive are delayed by 5 to 10 years from the actual events because of t
he transmitters and GW pods used to send the data back to us,” Wabussie added.
“What can you tell me about the asteroid?”
“Nothing, really. There was nothing in the last transmission that indicated its size or when its trajectory was expected to result in an impact. We do know that there was talk of a global suspension of war efforts, in order to undertake a unified attempt to intercept and deflect the object into a modified path. That’s as far as we’ve managed to translate the data.”
“Damn! I could fly there faster than the news will get here. Keep me posted; I want reports on development.”
Suddenly, I was feeling very tired; and it must have shown, as Kala interrupted the meeting. “Tibby I think you’ve received enough in the way of briefings for one day. Unless there’s something pressing yet to be discussed, I would suggest you adjourn until tomorrow.”
“Yes. Yes, you’re right. Are there any other issues that should be heard before we adjourn?” No one responded. “Very well, then. We’ll reconvene tomorrow evening after I meet with Andy, so I can report any new developments from his arena. Thank you all for everything that you’ve done… and let me express once again; I’m very sorry for my hasty and ill-conceived actions… and I apologize deeply for the added turmoil I’ve caused you.”
And with that the meeting adjourned. I didn’t realize exactly how tired I had become; but when I tried to stand, I found I was too weak. Before I knew what was happening, Kala had summoned Jenira, who must have been waiting outside the conference room with the wheelchair like conveyance. Marranalis and Kala helped me into the chair; and even with the breakneck speeds that Jenira used move me about, I fell asleep before we arrived at my suite.
I awoke a little later in the day to find I was quite hungry. Jenira was seated by my bed, which surprised me, as I had not expected to see her in my suite. While I appreciated her concern for me, I was also beginning to feel confused about her constant caretaking.
As soon as she saw that I was awake, she pressed a call button; seconds later, Piesew appeared at my door.
“Ah, First Citizen Tibby. I trust you are rested? Might I get you something to eat? I fear you missed the midday meal.”
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Its early evening, First Citizen; time for the evening meal. First Citizen Kalana will be here shortly. Will there be three of you dining?” He turned his head with a slight nod toward Jenira, who shook her head to indicate that she wasn’t staying. She seemed almost eager to be gone – something that I also found perplexing, especially in juxtaposition to her insistence on remaining at my bedside while I slept.
“Ahh, apparently it will be just Kala and me,” I said, as I gazed at Jenira, who was already headed toward the door. She turned to look back at me with a smile and a wave as she bounded toward the door, where she nearly ran into Kala, who was entering at a speed equal to Jenira’s departure. Jenira smiled and waved at Kala, who paused with curiosity to watch her scurry on her way.
“Where is she off too in such a rush?” Kala asked.
“I have no idea. Piesew just asked if she would be staying for dinner and she suddenly acted like she needed to be somewhere right away.”
Kala shook her head, “It would be a lot easier if she just talked, but she refuses to utter a sound. Do you know she looked up the Federation Sign Language education program that is used by deaf and mute people and a few races in the Federation that can’t speak and she is insisting that everyone onboard learn the language through the learning headbands so she can communicate with us?!”
“Really! How’s that going over with the crew?”
“A-hem,” Piesew interjected. “Pardon, First Citizens, would you care to dine at any specific hour?”
“Oh, I’m sorry Piesew. Please forgive me for getting carried away. Yes, I’m quite hungry. I think I could eat an entire Fubalo.”
Kala laughed. “I’m sure Piesew can find you a Fubalo steak; but I would suggest you not try eating an entire Fubalo, no matter how hungry you think you are. I’m quite hungry myself, Piesew, but I think I’m more inclined to have a fruit and vegetable salad.”
“Anything in particular, First Citizen?” Piesew asked.
“Not that I can think of, Piesew. Why don’t you surprise me?”
“Very well, First Citizen,” he responded and left the room.
Kala walked across the room and leaned down to kissed me. “So how are you feeling? You were starting to look rather pale during the briefing.”
“I must admit that I really faded fast. I didn’t realize how quickly I was tiring until it was almost too late.”
I returned to our former subject of conversation and said, “I wonder what Jenira is up to.”
“I suspect she went to the gym to join the Catas workout with Kerabac or Padaran.”
“Catas? Working out? I don’t understand.”
“Catas – they’re the traditional short swords used by the Ruwallie Rasson. If Tondor had accepted Kerabac’s challenge to the Sith lubnol, they would have been armed with Catas for the fight. For some reason Jenira is obsessed with them and has convinced Kerabac to teach her how to use them. Because they’re shorter than most swords, they are better suited to her stature.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Not long really. Kerabac has been pretty busy helping Padaran on the surface most of the time, so he’s not had much spare time to spend in the gym; but whenever he is aboard the NEW ORLEANS, he takes the time to practice with Jenira.”
“How did Jenira even get interested in the Catas in the first place?”
“She probably saw Catas duels fought on Goo’Waddle, as the Ruwallie Rasson use them frequently to resolve differences. Kerabac and Tondor both felt that it would be wise for Padaran to learn how to use them. Kerabac even went so far as to have Cantolla record his movements into the headband learning programs. Padaran has been sparring with Kerabac ever since; and I suspect that Jenira has been observing their sessions and decided she wants to learn it too. Kerabac was against teaching Jenira; but she was very persistent and would not take no for an answer. Since Tanden’s death, she’s a different person in more than one way. She’s become more assertive and almost stubborn. Kerabac finally talked to me about it and we decided that it might help to make her feel safe. The poor girl has had a terrible life; she’s had no say or control in anything that has happened to her, so we thought that this might give her a well-grounded sense of security and control over her own life.”
“I can see where that might work, but why swords? Why not train her in martial arts?”
“Oh, she is learning those too. The girl seems to want to learn everything about self-defense and weapons. Stonbersa found her practicing in one of the Mirage Fighter flight simulators just a few days ago. She was not only trying to learn how to operate one, but also how to use its weaponry.”
“Is she any good in martial arts?”
“She’s not bad; but she seems far more interested in the Catas than the martial arts. She has mastered enough martial arts techniques that I think she could protect herself against someone not trained in them.”
I sat quietly for a moment, taking in everything that I’d learned over the course of the day. “I feel like I went to sleep and woke up in a world completely changed,” I said as I shook my head slightly.
“I suspect it’ll be different in yet other ways,” Kala said as she looked at me sadly. “You may find that, after you’re healed, you don’t have all the abilities you once had.”
“A’Lappe has already warned me about that,” I said. “Only time will tell, I guess. I’ll just make the best of what I have.”
Kala smiled, “Well, if you are forced to slow down, it may work out just fine, because then you’ll have more time to spend with our children.”
“Just how are those little womb tenants doing?” I said with a grin, as Kala helped me move to the dining room.
“So far they haven’t been any
trouble; but I suspect that shortly they’ll begin rearranging the furniture in there,” she replied as she rubbed her tummy; and we both laughed at the joke.
While we were still laughing, Piesew arrived with a cart of food and began placing it on the table before us. The aroma of the Fubalo steak had me drooling and the side dishes of vegetables and fruits were among my favorites. It took all my restraint to refrain from digging into the food before Kala was fully served. I found myself almost wishing that Piesew would say, “On your mark, get set, GO!” and I had to smirk at the thought.
“What are you grinning about?” Kala asked.
“I was just thinking about how much I’m going to enjoy eating this food.”
Then suddenly my mood changed; the idea of Earth being hit by an asteroid gripped my thoughts. For some reason it reminded me of a boyhood friend of mine.
“Why the glum looks all of a sudden? Is your meal OK? Are you in pain?” Kala asked.
I sat back in my chair to let my thoughts rule for a moment. “When I was a young boy living on Earth,” I began,” I had a friend named Jimmy Heartsworth. Jimmy’s family was not what one would call well-off; they lived in a small house, commonly referred to as a shotgun house – a short, narrow shack barely big enough to accommodate Jimmy and his parents. Shotgun houses were common throughout the southern portions of my country. Interestingly, the families that lived in them seldom thought of themselves as poor, even though most didn’t have regular jobs and pretty much lived off the land by eating what fish they could catch and game they could hunt. Jimmy’s family happened to own about 0.20 square kilometers of land, something they inherited from some relative; however, most of it lay under a shallow of swamp water and cypress trees, except for the small parcel where the house stood. No one ever thought much about their condition, as most of the people in the area lived in similar houses. My life at the time was a little better than Jimmy’s, though I never really thought about that either. Jimmy was like a brother to me; we spent endless hours fishing and playing in the swamp around our homes.
Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth Page 4
