Hans smiled. "What are you doing down there? We’re only shaking hands, Saturnian-style, and then you can crush me like a worm! You see, I take it very personally when a friend of mine gets bullied."
The Petharian groaned even more. "Let go! Please let go!"
Hans did and pounded his huge index finger against the Petharians hard-shelled body. "You come anywhere near any of my friends and I’ll show you what I can do with skulls between my hands!"
The Petharian was shoved back with each finger push and struggled to keep on his feet. "Yes Sir, I understand."
Suppor really hadn't had a good day and he knew it. He tried to salvage some of his dignity. "I am of the third Family and this is not the End!"
Elfiatra raised an eyebrow. "If you think being the third son of a low-ranking noble family, that failed to be invited to your Emperor’s Court, would impress anyone on this table, you're wrong. Now go play somewhere else, little boy. Adults are trying to have a conversation at this table."
Suppor filled his cheeks with air and was about to say something when someone yelled, "Everyone, look!"
And everyone did.
The midday bright sky suddenly darkened to midnight conditions. A ship descended, about to land, and it was bigger than anything I had ever seen. It made sense now, why the landing field had to empty. The elliptical disc-shaped object descending was the USS Devastator. The largest and without a doubt the most famous and well-known spaceship in the known universe (capable of landing on a planet): 22km across, five kilometers high, it overshadowed everything and I was no longer able to see it all. A steel sky had settled over the spaceport, landing gear was extending and each telescopic foot was the size of a skyscraper. Thousands of brilliant white landing lights came on like miniature suns, bathing the area below in shadowless light.
One could have heard a pin drop in the lobby; everyone was simply awestruck by the sheer magnitude of that ship.
Mao whispered, "We are going to be on that ship!"
I watched octo-bots appear, looking like fragile toys compared to the ship. Their long steel tentacles barely reached the now-opening cargo trap doors at the bottom of the Devastator.
Cargo elevators rose from hidden compartments in the landing surface, stretching further and further up. Thousands of cargo-handling bots and container drones swarmed from opening holes in the landing surface like clouds of insects and with determined urgency. It was a sight I would never forget.
Would I too, serve on this ship? My throat felt dry and I needed a drink of water. My glass was empty.
I was at the bar to order a glass of water when a Saresii officer in black uniform stepped through the door. She looked around and saw me, as I was the closest to the door. I announced with a loud voice, "Officer on deck!"
She pointed at a shaggy Liguanian who was, like me, standing by the bar. "You, Midshipman. What is your security clearance?"
"I am not sure I have one, Ma'am. Do I?"
She rolled her eyes and asked me next, "Are you instructed in security clearances?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Your clearance level?"
"Blue-Blue-Red, Ma'am!"
That stopped her in her tracks. "Perfect, you are with me!"
I followed her away from the bar and through the doors and she said, "I expected to find Orange-Blue at the most. How come there is a Midshipman with the highest security clearance there is?"
"Ma'am, the circumstances of that are classified and you would need to be Blue-Blue-Red and have need-to-know reasons for me to answer your question."
She glanced at me. "I notice you are also perfectly Psi-shielded." I followed her to an IST and once in the tube car she said, "System Destination selection: Sublevel 12, sector 602."
The doors closed and we descended.
While I stood across from her she glanced at my ribbons. "I bet your security clearance has to do with that Medal of Honor."
"That would be a correct assumption, Ma'am."
"You look like a colonial Terran, but I see the species High Rep ribbon. What species would that be?"
"The Narth, Ma'am."
That made her raise her eyebrows. "That explains your flawless Psi shield!"
I wondered what she was up to and where we were going. I felt cheated already. Somehow I feared that all the others would be serving on the Devastator and I would be filing reports in some spaceport basement due to my clearance.
The IST stopped and I followed her through a rock wall corridor, supply pipes were bolted to the ceiling openly and crudely. The floor was unfinished Duro-Crete. I assumed we were far below the planetary surface and that this corridor was dug only recently.
Two Marines guarded a door and a sign read Sector 602.
Behind the door was an austere room with a stainless steel table, a lamp and a human man in black uniform with no rank insignia.
The Saresii woman saluted. "Commander, I found one."
He had gray hair. I estimated his biological age to be around 80 or 90 but with the common cell-reg and other life-prolonging procedures, average human life span was at around 200 now, so he could be anywhere between that. His eyes were almost clear and had a watery quality. "Very good Lieutenant. I can't read him at all. What is his clearance?"
"You won't believe it, Sir, but he said Blue-Blue-Red!"
He pointed at a small ID reader on his table. "Swipe your implant, Midshipman."
There was no visible readout anywhere. "Indeed Lieutenant, Mr. Olafson was not bragging. He has the highest security clearance and is on the day code list and I see he has close ties with the Narth."
"I noticed that too."
"Mr. Olafson, do you have your key with you?"
"Yes Sir."
He turned and a part of the rock wall moved aside. From the wall compartment he took a small metal suitcase. "Since you are cleared that high, let me explain what this is all about."
"That would be appreciated, Sir."
"We are Sector 602. Special Xeno Tech Task Force of NAVINT, and this case contains an object that has to be delivered to Admiral Richard Stahl in person. No one else is to touch it, take it from you or ask you to relinquish it. No one can order you to give it up. You are to insist on giving it to the Admiral himself. Any questions?"
"Yes Sir. Why me? Why a lowly Midshipman?"
"Because there is half a galaxy after the object in that box, even in a place as secure as Arsenal System we must assume that others know and will try to stop it reaching its destination. Once aboard the Devastator and in the hands of Admiral Stahl it is effectively out of their reach and they will try to prevent that from happening. No one knows you, you are just a Midshipman and like 112 other Midshipmen you are about to serve your third year aboard that ship. No one will expect you."
He handed me the box and snapped a metal band around my wrist. "If this box leaves your hand beyond 10cm, it will self-destruct."
He then handed me an order chip. "This chip holds your orders and you can show them to any officer that might ask you. Remember Admiral Stahl must identify himself properly, according to Blue protocol, to you. Anyone can be made to look like Stahl. Do you understand?"
"Yes Sir."
"Do you have your key with you?"
"Yes Sir."
The woman gave me a holster with a TKU blaster. "This order chip authorizes you to shoot anyone trying to take that box from you with lethal force."
I girded the Holster and checked the weapon. It had a full charge.
"I see you know what you're doing. Checking the weapon shows me you are not new to this sort of thing," the man said.
"Sir, I am a Midshipman senior year and my experience is extremely limited."
"Your clearance and medals tell me a different story. Don't wait for general boarding. Deliver the box as soon as you can. The order chip will clear you for early boarding as well and command deck access on the Devastator."
The woman stepped back. "You know where the IST elevator is."
&n
bsp; "Sir, before I go, I must insist that you identify yourself. You could be the enemy you talked about and I am carrying a bomb to Stahl!"
The man raised an eyebrow. "Impressive indeed! Ever thought about a full time career at NAVINT? We can always use someone like you."
"I have not thought about this yet, Sir."
"What form of ID verification will be satisfactory to you? Computronic?"
"Yes Sir, but not down here. You could have rigged a machine that is not connected to the main system and say anything you want. How about the Computronic pickup in the IST?"
"You have done this sort of thing before. I am really impressed!"
He walked with me to the IST and said to the voice pickup, "Main Computronic access."
"Spaceport 3 Computronic verbal access open."
"Identification verification Commander Reagan E. Greer. 17522-G-4511"
"Identification positive. Commander Greer Regan Edward. All other personal data classified."
I said, "Computronic, verify ID Olafson, Eric. Overwrite classification data. Verify security clearance."
"Security classification Blue-Blue-Red sufficient for overwrite. Commander Greer is currently assigned to NAVINT, Xeno Tech Task force 602, stationed at Arsenal IV."
Greer looked at me. "I will request you as soon as you graduate! You are a pro!"
Something in my gut told me that there was still something fishy about the entire situation and that this was a trap or setup of some kind, but he was a superior officer of high rank and I had to follow his orders.
While I was riding the IST up, I wondered what I should do.
"IST System. Get me to the nearest point where I can access the Devastator."
The System beeped and changed directions.
It let me out next to a slide-way that moved towards the enormous ship.
Chapter 2: USS Devastator
The slideway carried me over the landing field and while I stood on the slide segment I was staring up at the metal sky above me, trying to make out details. I had to remind myself that this was the underside of a starship; something that could travel and move through space at incredible speeds. Those tower-like extensions, each the size of immense skyscrapers, were actually landing gear and not a modern city. There were countless stories, rumors and myths about this ship and everyone in the Union knew at least one. The ship’s origin itself was clouded in mysteries. The official GalNet Site was very vague about it and only said it was the product of an ancient and very advanced civilization. Most sources on the Net believed it was of Celtest origin but there was no official confirmation that this was indeed the case.
No less mythical and fantastic were the legends and stories told about the man who found it and brought it back. The immortal warrior from Old Earth, Admiral Richard Stahl, chosen by the Guardian of Earth, he had been in every war and every conflict since Earth ascended and became known as Terra. He was perhaps the single most prominent person in the galaxy. Even the Union enemies knew and feared his name.
They said he was untouchable, incorruptible and the very definition of honor and truth. Aboard the Hyperion there was a Lieutenant who believed Stahl was really a god and sent to this universe to protect the Union.
"Move it Buster!" someone yelled and only now I noticed I had reached the end of the slide belt. I mumbled apologies and walked a few steps. I had no idea where to go. The cargo doors were a thousand meters above me and I saw nothing that looked like an IST extension or access ramp.
"I said move it! You are holding everything up!" yelled the same voice.
I turned and a Cargo Handler waved at me with an angry face. I didn't know what I was holding up but I walked forward and he screamed, "STOP!"
I stopped as he asked and a house-sized container shot up from a suddenly opened trapdoor, literally an inch from my nose. It was, I had to admit, quite a frightening experience. I could feel the sharp draught of air and then with a sharp metallic clang, a cargo drone latched onto the house-sized container and lifted it away. The trapdoor, clearly marked with yellow and black stripes all around, closed, only to open a heartbeat later and another container shot out of the ground. The cargo handler reached me and he was clearly angry. "Do you want to get killed? What in Jeezuz name are you doin' on my cargo field anyway? You do not look like a cargo handler!"
He was a Sergeant, so I swallowed the Sir in the last moment. "No, I am not."
"Didn't think so, wouldn't need a greenhorn today to teach him the cargo handlin' business, not when the Devi is here. She takes more supplies aboard than the entire first fleet I tell you! All warehouses filled to the brim and when she leaves, there won't be cobwebs left!"
"I am sorry, Sergeant. I need to get into that ship and the IST dropped me off here."
"There are no personnel boarding yet. No access tunnels have been attached! You need to wait like everyone else."
Another man walked up from the same slide belt and joined us. "I need to get up there as well."
He was human, tall and wore a black jumpsuit without any markings. He had blond hair and wore sunglasses. A sure sign he was Terran. Only Terrans and those who wanted to be Terran wore those ancient contraptions, instead of shade fields or lens implants.
The Sergeant barked, "What do you think I am, some sort of ferryman? There is no boarding!"
I said, "Sir, I was ordered to forgo regular boarding and get aboard as soon as possible. I have an urgent errand!"
"Do you have the orders to back it up?"
"Yes I do, Sergeant."
"You two stay right where you are, don't move. This is a dangerous place if you don't know where to step."
"Yes Sarge!"
A cargo drone whisked down and the cargo specialist said, "This is quite illegal and don't get caught, but it is quite safe if you hold on tight. We handlers do it all the time. Step on the drone claws and it will get you up there. But as I said, hold on tight, it's a long way down and cargo drones are not the smartest machines. If it does try to catch you, it might cut you in half."
He raised both of his arms. "What are you two waiting for! It appears this is the only way I can get you two out of my hair."
I stepped on one of the massive steel claws of the hovering bot and the man in the black suit stepped on the other. I held tight to a hydraulic hose and the robot accelerated upwards at a breakneck speed.
The blond man laughed and yelled, "Yeeehhaa! That's the ticket!"
He had no rank insignia. Was he one of the enemies I was warned about? In one hand I held the case, and with the other, I held to the hydraulic arm. The man, however, had a free hand, and if he wanted he could do something.
The ground was far down and the Sergeant looked no bigger than a tiny black dot. The cargo door, that looked like a small window from below, grew to a gigantic hole. Our burg would have fitted right through it, with room to spare. The drone whisked us inside and lowered us to solid ground, just a few meters off the ledge and disappeared back down.
The cargo hold was immense and the ceiling had to be at least 200m above us. Cargo belts moved the containers in a steady stream. At the walls other robots and men in cargo manipulator suits stacked them in honeycomb-like shelves.
Before I could orient myself and see where I needed to go, two Marines flew across the cargo bay and pointed their guns at me and the stranger. "Hold it right there. No moves! We are not cleared for personnel boarding and what you just did is illegal! We usually shoot intruders on sight you know!"
"Sir, I have an urgent errand of utmost importance and was ordered to board as soon as possible. I have corresponding orders with me!"
"They better be good!" One of the Marines scanned my order chip and stepped back. "Aye, you do have an urgent mission. Go right to the wall over there and tell Centron you want to go to the command deck. Centron will check you out and if he thinks you aren't kosher, you're history."
"Who is Centron, Sir?"
"The ship’s AI."
The other Marine
spoke. "The Ship's AI can make life and death decisions and has ways to make you disappear!"
That was just what I needed, probably an alien AI with an itchy trigger finger. Still, I ran towards the IST and while I did, I looked over my shoulder to see how Mr. Sunglasses fared. The man in black talked to the Marines and then he followed me. I reached the IST way ahead of him, but the system voice said, "IST resources maxed out at the moment. Please stand by for approximately two minutes and seven seconds."
I wondered how it would be to man the OPS position of this ship. I was sure it was a whole department and a big team.
The man in black reached me while I had to wait for the next available car.
He had a scar underneath his left eye and he smiled at me. "What is it you have to do so urgently?"
"An errand, Sir."
"Have you ever been aboard the Devastator before?"
"No Sir, this is my first time."
The IST Car arrived and I said, "Why don't you take this one? I’ll wait for the next."
"No worries, Midshipman. I won't bite and besides you are armed and I am not!"
I reluctantly went into the car with him. The system beeped. "Destination?"
"Command deck."
"Scanning ID for authorization."
The man dressed in black said, "Are you from a water world? I noticed your neck gills."
"Yes, Sir, Nilfeheim."
"I bet you like swimming."
"Yes Sir."
"Well that's where I am heading right now. The Devastator has great pool facilities. Care to join me?"
"I would like to, Sir, but I have an errand to do."
"How about when you're done?"
"Sir, I am a Midshipman and I bet my day has already been planned for me."
The IST beeped and moved.
"Ah, yes, you are an officer and probably have more important things to do than go swimming."
He must have been an enlisted man of some sort, or perhaps a civilian contractor. The Marines let him pass and the IST moved so he must have checked out. I realized I had my hand on the butt of the blaster. "It is not that, Sir. I sure wish I could go with you, but a Midshipman is the lowest end of the chain of command, technically not a real officer yet, and so I don't decide what I can do or not. Not that I even know where my next posting is going to be."
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7 Page 14
