Circuit came to the bridge accompanied by an S61 multifunction robot, wearing a black Union uniform.
I turned my chair. “Don’t tell me he wants to be a crew member, too!”
“No, captain, that is just an S61 Multibot, I have completely removed his brain. This is Starman Tyron Suit. He is simulating a uniform and actually steering the robot. So, it can perform any tasks it needs to do. He’s got hands, feet, and a head.”
The robot saluted. “Starman Tyron Suit reporting officially for duty, captain. I completed the required classes given by our executive officer. I am not only a cadet, but a real Union citizen, ma’am.”
I agreed with a nod. “Well, that isn’t a bad solution, actually.”
“Your engineer is not only a machine like me, but quite brilliant! I am no longer just a garment but can be an interactive and productive member of society instead of being a thing. Did I mention I am a citizen?”
“Yes, you did, Starman Suit.” I snickered while I said, “Then all we have to do is find you a department that suits you. No pun intended!”
Har-Hi put his hand before his mouth and mumbled, “Now I wonder what suits the suit!”
Suit said, “I was conceived as a battlesuit and I feel I could be a good security officer.”
I said, “I am sure Hans can use you and start training you, as the security tasks of a Union officer might not be the same as Seenian requirements.”
Tyron saluted again. “Captain, I was a tool, a thing, before. Now I am a being and everyone here treats me as such. You might not understand, but I made friends. That you made this possible is the reason I will attempt to make you proud, ma’am.”
I said, “I am glad you think that way.”
My bridge watch ended without any incidents. It was still a day before we would reach space where GalNet communication was possible. The forenoon watch had taken over, and I was not tired or particularly hungry.
Since it was a Tuesday, the pool water temperature would be kept to the liking of most of the crew, sadly not mine. So, I decided to relax after I had done my log book entry and perhaps read a book. Something I hadn’t done since I had left the Academy.
Just as I put the pen down and closed the log book, the door chime announced a visitor.
Shea came in and said, “Are you busy?”
“No, not at all. I am done with the log book entry and wasn’t even sure what to do with the rest of the day.”
She sat down on the sofa and leaned back. I had kept the lights low in my quarters, except over the desk. The dim light made her beautiful hair shine in a special way that surrounded her lovely face and spilled on her shoulders. She was wearing a Saresii-style velvet suit that molded her curves like a second skin and I simply could not take my eyes off her.
She said, “We haven’t had much time together since the last time I was sitting here. I know you are the captain now, and I am your science officer while we are on duty—”
I went over, sat down next to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. She immediately snuggled close to me. Then she said, while she had her head on my chest, “We are still lovers, right?”
Her hair smelled intoxicating, and it was softer than silk to the touch. “Nothing has changed about my feelings for you. I am just so insecure about how to express my feelings. I realize I don’t want to go back to being Eric. I feel free and content the way I am right now, but will it be fair to you?”
She simply kissed me and all questions melted away. There was just us and nothing else mattered. Our bodies tangled together, and there was no place for words, I simply listened to her breath and her heartbeat, felt her warm body and discovered that love had no rules and no boundaries.
This was the answer; there was a third way. I could remain Erica, embrace all that came with it, and at the same time accept all that was still Eric. Right here with Shea, it mattered not if I was Erica or Eric, or maybe both at the same time. For a little while, I had completely ceased to exist and there was only us.
She traced my lips with her finger and whispered, “I think that answers all our questions.”
Chapter 20: Itheamh
Still almost a day out, Elfi reported that we could now send and receive GalNet.
She established a secure GalCom connection to Fleet Command and to the Admiral of the Fleet directly.
This time, he was not only presentable but apparently at the Assembly. He wore his uniform and, in the background, I could see many of the alcoves that lined the inner wall of the Assembly Dome.
He gave me a quizzical look. His first words were, “Do I need to sit down?”
“Sir, I am not able to judge your reactions on the report I am about to give. The reason for my call is very urgent.”
“Let me establish secure conditions. I am in the spatial navy alcove at the Assembly and it will just take a second.”
The view behind him changed to a solid wall and he nodded. “Let me have it.”
After I was done and had transmitted the detailed report, he said, “I am informing Richard right away. We knew there was a gate of some sort somewhere near the Shattered Star System but that it connects to Union Space is bad news. Does your new Togar crew member know where it is exactly?”
“No, he only knows it is somewhere close to Brhama Port. I still have the device that might activate it. The miner I met there also hinted that there is more advanced alien tech inside that asteroid.”
“There are more fires burning in Freespace than even I considered. Knowing all this, I should have built two Tigersharks.” He then shook his head. “Finding another crew like yours, impossible.”
“Sir, do you want me to return and try to find that back door?”
“I need to discuss this with Richard and the security council. Stay in GalNet range, and I’ll call you back as soon as I can give you an answer.”
The admiral called back within the hour. “Captain Olafson, continue with your quest for now. We have the KELPI data and are sending another Chimera unit to investigate. We have issued a general alert and increased patrol and scanning activity in all Union Space. As for the load of Togar you have aboard, we will arrange a rendezvous with a civilian Enroe freighter. As soon as we work out the details, I’ll let you know. As I mentioned at the beginning, keep on doing what you are doing. The prime objective is still the same: find that Seenian depot if possible. Keep your eyes and ears open for—” He sighed and made a wide gesture. “For everything, I guess. You and your crew, which keeps expanding in the most unusual ways I might add, keeps running into situations we never knew existed.”
“Aye, sir. Keeping our eyes open and run into situations. I think we can do that.”
***
A few hours after the call, we were close to Itheamh when Mao reported the familiar signatures of the Red Dragon and the Intruder on our scanners. Just 21 light years from our destination, Circuit’s prediction came true. The Intruder drifted dead in space.
Circuit came on the bridge. “I knew she would run out of fuel, but I did not expect the engineers of the Intruder to be that bad. Looks like the leaking plasma was not completely vented and caused a plasma fire. I bet their engineering is a mess right now.”
Mao responded without turning. “I’ll take that bet, because I think it might always have been a mess.”
Elfi held up her hand. “Captain, the Red Dragon is hailing.”
Har-Hi handed me my mask.
Moments later, the Red Dragon appeared on our main screen. “Looks like you managed to shake the Togar. My friend Captain Meateater did not think we would see you again.”
“Life is full of surprises. That we would find him halfway between Alvor’s Cove and Itheamh, however, is not. Are we still having this meeting you invited me to or is it off the table and I go back to business as usual?”
“Of course, it is still going to happen. Meet us in four days at the Rifafh Tavern.”
“I assume it is easy to find?”
“Yes, it is
. It is famous. If you stick around till we can make it to Itheamh, I’ll show you where it is myself. You would not have spare parts for a Shankar drive and a good engineer by any chance?”
“No, I have Isah Pods, as you know, not that I even know what a Shankar drive is.”
The masked pirate sighed. “Me neither, I guess we have to wait for one of my associates to arrive from Itheamh. My tractors have been overstrained and, unfortunately, my engineers are unable to recalibrate it.”
“It seems you need engineers who can service that fancy ship of yours.”
His voice had an edge of anger. “You stating the obvious is not helpful, but I intend to remedy that soon.”
He disconnected and I said, “I guess we can stick around for a while, maybe something develops and we can take Meateater out of the equation.”
I got up with the intent to use the bathroom. I noticed Tyron Suit standing with his robot body next to Hans by the security console located in the back area of the bridge. This back area had various names. On the Devi, it was called Administration. On the USS Hyperion, they called it the Tank Room. We hadn’t been long enough in space to have our own name for it. Officially, it was called Secondary Command and Control.
This area behind the command aisle also featured the nav-tank. On the Devi and other large ships, it was where the flight boss and auxiliary craft command had their stations as well. Even if the Tigershark would have had all her auxiliary craft, she did not have a separate flight boss or aux-craft control stations. These tasks were split between XO and OPS on ships of our class and size.
The bridge of the Tigershark was hexagonal in shape and slightly wider than deep. The very center of it featured the so-called command aisle, a raised platform with my command chair at its center, flanked to the left by the seat of the XO and to the right by the OPS station. Sobody, who used the observer seat, meant for a visiting admiral or someone similar, was sitting next to the XO.
Up front, the entire wall was occupied by our main viewer, which could be raised to reveal a real view port. In space, there was little reason to do so, but we did it on Alvor’s Cove.
Right before the screen was the helm station, and usually, like now, occupied by Shaka.
A little further back and to his left was tactical with Mao and on the same line to his right navigation, which was configured right now to Krabbel’s needs.
A few meters back but still before the command aisle were science on the left and communications on the right. Between the navigations and the communications position was the access door to a multi-species bathroom facility. The one I contemplated using soon. There was no place I loved more than my bridge; this was my real home.
After I had taken care of my imminent need and stepped back out, I watched Three-Four talking to Shea. Prince Xon, the immense Nul, watched Elfi. Mehedi sat on an extra chair next to Shaka, being very serious about his wish to learn helm operations.
The main viewer focused on the two pirate ships, waiting for a tow from Itheamh. The Red Dragon, of course, remaining to protect his associate. While it was a quiet moment, my ship and its crew were still working together like a well-maintained machine. Whenever I reflected on this, I felt very proud of them.
I walked up the ramp that led to the back of the bridge. The opposite side of the main viewer featured the two IST shafts and the main bridge doors. Flanked by two marines, one of them the always-quiet Attikan Fective and the other one of our Pertharians.
Checking the chrono display above the main viewer, I noticed we were already well into Second Dog Watch. Of course, the situation at hand had kept me and my senior officers on the bridge, but the marines should have been rotated almost 20 minutes ago.
“Say, Mr. Fective, I noticed you are past your shift.”
“Aye, captain, but you are here,” he said as if it explained it all.
Hans turned from his panel. “Our marines take the task of protecting you even more seriously than any other duty and that is saying something, ma’am. Union marines take anything duty-related more serious than life.”
Tyron Suit snapped to attention as I looked at him.
“Mr. Suit, we don’t salute on the bridge. Have Hans give you instructions on bridge etiquette.”
“Yes, captain, ma’am. I consumed the entire volume of Union Fleet regulations and hope by adhering to all of them to meet your approval. One has observed that every being in this ship is motivated by the same focus.”
“Relax, Mr. Suit. So far, I heard nothing that would make me think negatively of you, but since you are here, let me ask you a question. According to our enemy, the man who found you also owns a suit similar to you. He claims he was informed about an active and operational Seenian materials depot. You would not have similar information?”
Suit said, “I am sorry, captain, I have no such information. Such vital information was never revealed to a suit and if such knowledge was ever present, it has been erased from our memory so the enemy could not obtain it by capturing a suit.”
He looked at the screen and said, “I know of the other suit but it has been almost completely destroyed. It, however, never was a Command-type like I am, just a general troop unit and its brain center is damaged and deteriorated and thus unable to affect self-repair. I am detecting the presence of an independent data device within the remnants of the suit, but not a part of the suit itself. I can attempt to activate it.”
“Would the wearer notice if you are communicating with his suit?”
“No, he is not a Seenian.”
“Then it might save us a lot of time if you can try and see what information his suit is storing.”
“Yes, captain. Communication established. Download of all stored data in progress and completed. The other suit is, as I suspected, a Drago Model issued to standard troops. It has no information about any depot locations. The independent storage device, however, might have held such information. It has been deleted and reset.”
I mused while looking at Suit, “He did find you, and he does have the Seenian weapon and shields. He somehow managed to access that data device, obtained the information, and hid it somewhere else.”
Suit said, “Lt Circuit suggested I should make sure this enemy of ours will not be able to make use of even the most basic functions of the damaged suit and also disable the Seenian hardware he has installed in his ship. Do you wish me to commence?”
“What would you do?”
“I can instruct all his Seenian equipment to self-destruct in two ways: forceful release of all energies on atomic level or molecular decay causing it to turn to molecular dust.”
“That would be a neat trick. But we need to wait with that. If he thinks Seenian things are worthless, he will abandon the quest. You could not simply deactivate them in a way he cannot turn them on?”
“Yes, that is possible, too.”
“Go for it. Him not having a Seenian cannon and shields will make me feel better.”
“Deactivating command sent, captain. All Seenian equipment aboard the enemy ship is now worthless scrap.”
“Thank you!”
Narth looked over his sensors. “Indeed, it worked, the Red Dragon’s Seenian equipment just shut down.”
Mao interrupted, “Captain, contact approaching coming from the Itheamh direction. It is the Merchant’s Sorrow.”
Itheamh was the Fourth Planet in an 11-planet system around a K-spectrum star locally called Pernac, meaning light, according to our Golden friend.
It was just as Sobody described it. The system was busy with incoming, outgoing, and interplanetary traffic. We passed a convoy of 11 heavy freighters. Seven bore the logo of SII and the rest had Enroe E on their hulls. The convoy was escorted by a dozen frigates and 40 destroyers, all flying under corporate flags.
Har-Hi said, “This is how the big boys do it, big convoys heavily protected; only fools would try to attack them.”
Our destination, the Fourth Planet, was a cold, almost waterless dust ball, and
it turned out we did not have to land.
Sobody guided us to one of the orbiting space docks, and we were immediately hailed by a Karthanian. “This is Fantlemo Brthail, proprietor and owner of the Brthail Orbital Shipyard, calling the Silver Streak.”
I identified myself and the alien with the seahorse-like face said, “Please switch to a scrambled secure channel.”
Elfi established a secure connection and the alien said, “Welcome to Itheamh, I was called by a friend from the Golden Bazaar and I am expecting you. There is a do-it-yourself repair dock at the end of the third mooring arm; you are welcome to use it. It is well equipped and shielded from prying eyes and sensors.”
I thanked him and the Karthanian said, “It is a pleasure to assist friends of my friend.”
Sobody said, “I’ve known him for many years, and he is trustworthy. He does not know any details and will not ask any questions, but it might be a good idea to meet with him. He knows much about what is going on around these parts.”
Just then, the Red Dragon called. “I see you know your way around here, but then that isn’t a big surprise, you fly a Karthanian ship, after all. Meateater and I will land on the planet. He is getting new engines and will have them installed by experts. I am also in need of professional maintenance. As soon as all my associates are here, I would like to invite you to a meeting at the Rifafh Tavern, where we will discuss the future of our proposed cooperation and our little expedition.”
I said, “When will that be? Are we going to be here a long time?”
“No, my impatient friend, I am as eager as you to get started. I am waiting on two more ships that are already on their way. We’ll have our meeting in two days.”
“I just don’t like to stay idle for too long without knowing if we are really going on that trip or not.”
He waved with his hands. “You would not be here, and we would not be talking right now if I hadn’t made up my mind already. Of course, you will be part of it; see you at the meeting.” With these words, he disconnected.
I humored Sobody and we went to see the Karthanian who owned this impressive and quite big space dock facility that could easily service 50 ships even larger than the Silver Streak. To me, every Karthanian looked exactly like Captain Sposhtrah, and I wondered what method they used to recognize each other. He greeted us in a luxurious and spacious office that was located on top of his space dock, featuring large view ports, showing the planet below and the three long mooring arms. We had accessed the office via a lift platform and, besides Sobody, who wore his golden robes and the attached hood pulled up and draped before his face, Har-Hi and Narth accompanied me.
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7 Page 132
