Jewel of The Stars - Season 1 Episode 1 - Earth's Remnant

by Adam David Collings

Braxton peered around the corner into the small crew office. Someone was in there. If he was going to find some answers, he’d need to hack into the ship’s network. Security would notice if he tried it from his personal wrist-band. He needed a physical terminal, but there weren’t many about. This small office, intended for general use by members of the crew, was ideal. A middle-aged woman was making herself a cup of tea. If only she’d hurry up and leave.

  Footsteps sounded down the corridor. He couldn’t be seen hovering around here. He strolled back the way he’d come.

  There was the youth centre. It made more sense for a passenger to be hovering around here. He could be a parent—or heaven forbid, a grandparent—waiting to pick up his child from the youth program. He peered into the classroom. Several young children played on the mat, watched by a teenage girl sitting on a nearby chair. Her eyes were a brilliant green. The spaceport. Braxton had seen that girl at the spaceport. He chuckled. Small world indeed.

  “You all right, sir?”

  Braxton turned. A uniformed man stared at him, arms crossed.

  “Yes,” he said. “I’m waiting for my daughter. We’re gonna pick up my grandson together.”

  The crewman nodded. “Have a nice afternoon, sir.” He continued on his way.

  Once the crewman was out of sight, Braxton doubled back to the office. The woman was finally gone. This was his chance. He slipped in and sat at a computer terminal. In order to sync his eye lenses to the network he'd need a password … or a back door. This was the moment of truth. He entered his override code. Would it still work?

  The terminal paused for a moment. His eye lenses displayed a welcome message. It shouldn't have been so easy. Security was lax.

  Braxton grinned. Time to do some digging. His first point of call was the long-range sensors. He scanned the usual patrol routes. Nothing. There were no military craft out there. Not Australian, American, Chinese, Russian. Nothing.

  Braxton frowned. Something serious was going on, to draw all military spacecraft from their routine patrols. He could think of nothing significant enough to do that other than … Braxton’s face turned icy. Chills commando-rolled down his back.

  No, surely not.

  He redirected the sensors to Earth’s solar system. Braxton gasped. Earth was surrounded by ships of a kind he’d never seen before. They circled the planet like ants around a crumb of food. There were a couple of Earth warships but they weren’t fighting.

  The fight was over. Earth had lost.

  The world around him blurred. He gripped the desk to keep from falling over. His head was drowning. This couldn’t be.

  “Stand up and step away from the console.”

  The voice yanked Braxton back to reality. He turned. Two security guards flexed their muscles behind him.

  “What are you doing in here?” One guard asked.

  “I’m …” Braxton’s voice failed him. “It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, does it? Nothing matters any more.”

  The other guard motioned for the door. “You’re coming with us.”

  #

  The security cell was minuscule in relation to the size of the ship. Then again, they probably didn’t expect to have a lot of hardened criminals on a cruise ship. The metal door clanged behind Braxton. He turned as the security guards filed out of the room. One of them, a tall dark-skinned man with a shaved head, took position behind the desk in the outer section of the room. The guy carried himself with military bearing. Had he ever served?

  The first step in his escape plan was to get on the other side of these bars. The second step was getting past the guard. That would be the tough part. But then what? Earth had fallen, and he was still stuck on a cruise ship.

  Maybe he could steal a shuttle and find a warship. They couldn’t turn down his help, not now.

  “You sit tight. You’re gonna be here a while,” the guard said. His deep resonating voice had an American accent.

  Braxton surveyed his cell. There was a bench hanging from the wall by a chain, and a bed that would barely hold him. He eased himself onto the bench. The chains strained but held his weight.

  “What if I wanna go to the loo?”

  “Loo?” The guard’s eyes widened and his mouth cracked open. “Oh. Right. A toilet folds out of that wall. You want it?”

  “Not right now.” Braxton rubbed his forehead. “So how’d you guys trace me so fast?”

  “Our security software detected unauthorised access to the long-range sensors. The whole ship is on lockdown.”

  Braxton nodded. It made sense.

  “I guess I don’t blame you for that, given what I saw."

  The guard started making gestures in the air, obviously reading something with his eye lenses.

  How had it come to this? Locked in a cell. Planning to steal a shuttle. If only he were still on a military ship. What must be happening on the bridge of the Hobart right now? Was it even still in one piece? Better to die fighting than sit here powerless. If they hadn’t forced him out he could have helped. Bloody Dalia Spring! He slammed the side of his fist into the wall. Thunk.

  “Careful. You don’t want me to have to send for medical,” the guard said.

  Although … They’d have to open the cell door to let a medic in. He wouldn't mind going a few rounds with this guard right now. Might ease some of his tension.

  The main door slid open. A man with grey hair, and an age-wearied face strode in. He wore full dress whites and a hat.

  “I’m Captain Les Miller. You must be Braxton White.” Another American accent—no, Canadian. He’d served on enough joint exercises with both nations to learn the difference.

  Braxton stood. “That’s right.”

  “You have an unusual interest in our computer network, Mr White. How’d you do it?”

  “I used an old military override code. It’s configured in most civilian craft. It allows us to gain access, even control, in case of emergencies.”

  “Is that so?” Miller’s face showed no emotion.

  “It’s pretty handy in cases of hijacking. We’ve even found pirates who haven’t removed the code from their systems.”

  “So you’re a military man, Mr White.”

  “Commander Braxton White. Executive Officer HMAS Hobart, retired. I wasn’t sure my old code would still work. They change from time to time. You guys really should update your security.” The guard behind the desk bristled at this.

  “Finding retirement a little boring, are you? Thought hacking into a cruise ship’s network would bring back some of the thrills?”

  “I got a message from an old friend. She indicated something major was going down. I had to know what it was.”

  “Well, now you know.”

  Braxton nodded.

  “I do plan to make an announcement to the ship.”

  “I don’t doubt that, Captain.”

  Miller shook his head. “It’s a hard thing, Mr White. I’m not trained for this. I only know one thing for sure. The cruise is over. We can’t go back home. That means we’re out here all alone.”

  “I get ya. Look at me. I wanna be out there fighting alongside my mates. Instead I’m sitting in a cell.” Braxton turned his attention to the plastic floor.

  “Not any more, Commander. How’d you like to be my official military adviser?”

  Braxton looked up. “You serious?”

  “Completely. I’ll expect no more hacking, of course, but you’ll have full clearance so there’ll be no point.”

  Braxton stood. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t a warship. Then again, it beat stealing a shuttle. He took a step forward, right up to the bars.

  “You got yourself a deal, Captain.”

  Chapter Eight

  Haylee kissed Austen on the forehead. “Goodnight. Mommy loves you.” Austen closed his eyes and rolled over. Haylee moved over to Elsie’s bed and repeated the ritual, while Ronald kissed Austen.

  “Goodnight, Mom.”

  She walked out into the main bedroo
m. Ronald kissed Elsie and followed, closing the door behind him. Now they could spend some time together. No stresses. No secrets. Finally.

  “So did you wanna catch another floor show tonight?” she asked.

  Ronald shrugged. “No, I think we need to chill out. Just you and me.”

  Haylee mock-scoffed and smiled. “You just wanna get lucky.”

  Ronald grinned. “I wouldn’t say no to that. Why don’t we find a nice movie, cuddle up, and see what happens.”

  Ronald pressed a few controls on his wristband. “I’ve found a romantic comedy. You want to project ourselves into a theatre?”

  “No.” Haylee settled down onto the bed and sat cross-legged. “Project a screen onto the wall.”

  Ronald turned and looked her up and down. “You’re right. Who wants to be in a dark theatre when you get to sit next to such eye candy?”

  Haylee’s cheeks warmed.

  “Why do you love me so much?” she asked.

  He flashed a devilish smile and sat on the bed, so close that their legs pressed together

  “Why do you think?” He caressed her knee.

  She couldn’t help but smile. “No, I’m serious. I know I’ve been hard to live with lately. I’ve come close to spoiling the trip.”

  Ronald put his other arm around her shoulder. “You’ve been fine today. I know the kids have noticed the difference in you.”

  She nodded. “It was hard at times. I mean, I know things will work out. My redundancy payment plus your income will keep us going for a decent while. It’s just …” She closed her eyes, searching for words. “It hurts you know.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “I’ve lost my purpose. I don’t know what I am now if I’m not working.”

  “For a start, you’re my wife, and you’re the kids’ mother.”

  “Yeah, but that’s the thing. At least at work I felt like I was good at what I did. I’m a good engineer, but …”

  Ronald widened his eyes. “Yes?”

  “I don’t think I’m that good at being a mother. Especially with Austen.”

  “Sweetheart, it’s never easy, especially when you have a special needs kid. But I know you’re the most qualified person in the galaxy to be Austen’s mom.”

  She scoffed. “Oh? And what qualifications are you thinking of exactly?”

  “The most important qualification of all. You love him.”

  Haylee nodded slowly. “That’s true. I guess that’s what matters most.”

  They continued to watch the film in silence, holding each other. The plot was predictable and the characters were hardly unique, but it did have some good laughs. And it was the being together that mattered. Every now and then Ronald leaned over and kissed Haylee’s head. She snuggled in closer and let out a contented sigh.

  The movie went dead. Mid-sentence. The screen faded and the face of a crew member in white uniform appeared in its place. He looked to be in his sixties.

  “What?” Haylee sat up straight.

  “Could I have your attention for a moment please. This transmission is being broadcast ship-wide.”

  “Who is this joker?” Ronald asked.

  Haylee shooshed. “It’s probably important.”

  “This is Captain Les Miller speaking. You all know we were diverted from our intended course two days ago.”

  “Oh, not again.” Ronald crossed his arms. “Can’t these people follow a simple course?”

  Haylee elbowed him in the ribs.

  “The reason we were given was unusual solar activity in the Alpha system. That reason has proven to be false.”

  “What?” Haylee leaned forward.

  “Yesterday we observed a military build-up in the Alpha Centauri System. Today we received confirmation there was indeed a battle. Earth forces were united against a common enemy, one of alien origin.”

  Haylee’s mouth hung open. She glanced at Ronald. He stared wide-eyed at the captain and gripped her hand tighter than before.

  “This afternoon, the alien forces broke through our defences and headed straight for Earth. There was little left to resist them.”

  The captain paused. Every nerve in Haylee’s body was on fire. “Come on, Captain. Spit it out. How bad is it?”

  “I am deeply saddened to announce that our home world Earth has fallen.”

  Haylee gasped. No. It couldn’t be.

  “The invading forces have surrounded our planet. The last message we received before a communication’s blackout enveloped the planet was the following.”

  The captain faded out, replaced by a familiar image. The Oval Office. The president of the United States sat behind her desk.

  “Minutes ago the council of world leaders came to a unanimous decision to surrender to the invading alien forces,” the president said. “Earth is now under their direct control. It is hoped that by this surrender we may save lives. None of us know what is in store for the people of Earth. If you are on a ship outside of Earth’s solar system then flee. Flee now. Get as far away from this planet as you can.”

  The image went dead. Moments later, Captain Miller appeared again. He stood for a second or two, silent as if allowing the news to sink in.

  “This is difficult news for us all, and it will take time to take it all in. I want to assure you that my crew will do everything to ensure your safety. Most of you will have loved ones back on Earth. I can only imagine how worried you will be for them. Our thoughts are with them, and with you.”

  “It’s like a dream,” Ronald said.

  “A nightmare,” Haylee’s lips trembled.

  “I advise you all to avoid panic. This will be hard on all of us, but we will get through this time of trial. Thank you for your attention.”

  The image went dead. Haylee stared at the wall where the image had been. No words.

  She had no words.

  There were no words.

  Chapter Nine

  Braxton strode down the hallway of the administration deck in the crew-only section of the ship. He was already more at home.

  The first officer, Maya Rice, had met him at his cell and was escorting him to the meeting. She was a short woman with a kind face and slightly greying hair, but she carried herself well.

  “So our ships intercepted the aliens at Alpha Centauri?” Braxton asked.

  “For a time,” Maya answered.

  “Good thing they had time to mount a defense. If Earth had been caught unawares, it might be facing annihilation rather than occupation.”

  Maya nodded slowly.

  “I still wish I was out there with them.”

  “I understand. I served in the military myself for a number of years,” Maya said. “But that was a while back.”

  “Oh? What ship?”

  “The USS Yellowstone.”

  “What class was she?”

  “Titan.”

  “Nice. The Hobart was a Defender class. Old as a wrinkled grandmother, but just as dependable.”

  His chest expanded. He hadn’t felt this alive in ages. This was his chance to make a real difference. The Captain was wise to bring him in.

  They reached the meeting room. Maya opened the door and held it for him. He nodded and walked in. The room was bigger than he’d expected. Conference rooms on military craft were always cramped.

  “Take a seat.” Maya beckoned to a spot on the far side of the table. The captain arrived moments later and stood at the head of the table.

  “Good evening, everybody. I’ve asked Commander Braxton White, formerly of the Royal Australian Space Navy, to join us. He’ll be my military adviser.”

  He turned to Maya. “Firstly, I’d like to recognise that our first officer has military experience of her own, but Commander White’s experience is more recent, and he rose to a higher rank. I hope you understand, Maya.”

  “I completely agree, Captain.” Maya nodded. “We can all benefit from the Commander’s input in a time like this.”

  “I should introduce the res
t of the staff,” Captain White said. “You already know our security chief, Jaylen Banks”.

  The man who’d guarded him in his cell dipped his head. Awkward. Braxton nodded to him.

  The captain continued. “This is our chief engineer, Sarah McLaughlan.” A twenty-something woman with short sandy hair gave Braxton a wink. His heart forgot to beat, for just a moment. She wasn’t a textbook beauty, but there was an intensity in her eyes he’d have loved to explore … if he were a few decades younger.

  “Our cruise director, Glen Price.” A man in his thirties, stiff in his suit and tie, flashed a plastic smile. Braxton forced himself to return it.

  “And our resident physician, Doctor Rashona Clarke.” A dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks gave him a toothy grin.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Commander White,” she said in a thick Jamaican accent.

  “Right. Now that’s out of the way, we need to make some decisions.” Miller said. “The universe has become a dangerous place. The council of world leaders have advised us to get as far away from Earth as possible. We haven’t detected any alien ships in our immediate vicinity, but that may change.”

  “You can count on it,” Braxton said. “This was the initial thrust. Their primary objective was to take our home world. A ship like ours, all alone in the middle of nowhere, would be of little interest. Now they’ve taken Earth, they’ll send ships back out to pick off the remaining vessels, stations and colonies one by one.”

  “So you think we shouldn’t remain here,” Miller said.

  “Staying here would be suicide.”

  Miller nodded slowly and turned to walk around the table. He stopped when he reached the first officer.

  “Maya, I want continuous long-range scans. The moment an alien ship comes within sensor range, I want to know about it.”

  “Of course, Captain.” She tapped her wristband. “I’ll relay the order immediately.”

  “We’re talking about a long-term voyage here.” He turned to the young engineer. “Sarah, what implications does that have for the engines and such?”

  “No significant impact,” she replied. Braxton smiled. It was nice to hear another Aussie accent. “The engines have been through a major overhaul recently, and they’re largely self-sustaining. We won’t need to take on any raw materials to fuel the engine for ages.”