Jason thought how wonderful it must be to fly like that. He envied these men and women for having that kind of freedom. Mostly out of curiosity, Jason accessed his own added HyperLearning constructs. Like flipping through virtual file folders at lightning speed, he found the stats under the ship’s piloting section. He not only had the necessary learning to pilot the fighters, he alone had the learning and clearance for the Pacesetter fighter.
Precisely three minutes later, Ricket, who’s eyes had been closed, were open and looking up at Jason. He took a long deep breath and exhaled. Jason had never witnessed Ricket happy—until that moment. The smile was real, the gratitude was real and Ricket was still all there, and more.
“Good morning, Captain,” Lilly said enthusiastically.
“Good morning, Lilly. First thing, please tell me what you know about the Caldurians and your current connection to them.”
“Yes, Captain. I’d be happy to. The Caldurians are a race of humanoid descent. Their world is approximately three hundred light years from Earth. They pride themselves on being a peace-loving culture, one that thrives through its intellectual, artistic, and humanistic exchange with other world cultures. It was only through encounters with the Craing eight hundred years ago that the Caldurians were forced to integrate into their society both defensive and offensive weaponry domestically, as well as into their space-faring vessels. Attempts by the Craing to subjugate the Caldurian peoples failed. But approximately two hundred years ago, through the use of eight thousand nuclear-tipped missiles, the Caldurian world was destroyed.”
A deep sadness filled Jason at the idea of an advanced society, one most Earthlings would certainly wish to aspire toward, destroyed.
“Lilly, you mentioned you are still taking commands from the Caldurians. If their world was destroyed, how is that possible?” Jason questioned.
“Not all Caldurians were killed. There were several off-world outposts and they have survived. Their locations, as well as their numbers, are purposely kept secret.”
“Thank you, Lilly,” Jason said. His thoughts lingered on Calduria. A world destroyed so senselessly and, unfortunately, most probably the fate of his own world. One thing was perfectly clear: Jason needed to take the upcoming battle away from Earth, as his father had tried to do. His next thoughts turned to Nan and Mollie. Letting them remain on The Lilly while she flew into battle that could result in the death of everyone on board, seemed irresponsible. Yet, if they were defeated in space, would their fate be any worse than when the Craing ships came to subjugate Earth’s populace? Jason realized that the decision rested with Nan, and he’d support her decision either way. Jason’s thoughts were interrupted by Ricket, who seemed to be contemplating something, nodding his head.
“Oh, now I understand,” Ricket murmured to himself. He then continued aloud, “What I have discovered, to some degree, is that the original designers of this ship and its technology were intimately involved with navigating the multiverse, which of course are the infinite layers or membranes of separate universes that exist and coexist simultaneously. The concept of a multiverse has subsequently gone from speculation to one of science fact. What they accomplished that transcended all theory, at least that I am aware of, was locating a nearby multiverse membrane that operates in six dimensions versus our three dimensions. And it’s that sixth dimension where everything exists in the realm of math… no physicality. That sixth dimension allows for mathematical conversations to take place and it is through these mathematical conversations, like your Google-search browser—but on a cosmic scale. Other membranes are not only located this way but easily accessed,” Ricket said excitedly. Jason smiled and thought about what Ricket had discovered—now that he was operating at his full mental capacity. He also had become quite the little chatterbox.
Chapter 18
Jason spent the next day preparing The Lilly and the four Craing ships for departure. With a crew complement of 180, The Lilly was well staffed. The four Craing ships were subsequently assigned new crews from the outpost. Officers on those ships were quickly put through sessions of HyperLearning. In the end, though, Jason and his officers decided it was best to maintain control over the Craing ships remotely from The Lilly, at least until the ‘green’ officers got some experience under their belts.
On his way up from meeting Chief Horris in Engineering, Jason stopped off at Nan and Mollie’s cabin. Early on, Jason had learned that if he simply stopped in front of a closed hatch, his presence would be alerted to those inside. When the door disappeared, Molly was standing there with a toothbrush in her mouth.
“Hi Dad, come in!” Molly said, and then quickly disappeared back into the suite. Jason noticed Nan had several spacer overalls over her arm. Although he knew it was her decision, he was disappointed that she was packing to leave.
“I didn’t expect to see you again before lift off. Is that the right terminology, lift off?”
“That works,” Jason said, looking around the cabin, which didn’t appear too different from his own. Then he noticed Nan was actually hanging the overalls up in the closet. The relief on his face must have been obvious.
“Seriously, you thought we’d stay behind?” She shook her head in wonder. “It’s not all that different from home, and, yes, someone has to do the laundry. The truth is, Jason, I’d rather be blown to smithereens up there in the stars with you than have those aliens get anywhere near Mollie and me back here on Earth.”
“I’m glad, but I wanted it to be your decision,” Jason said, noticing Nan had on her snug-fitting jeans again. She saw where his eyes lingered and smiled. “No time for that, Captain dirty mind, you need to keep your thoughts on saving the planet, remember?”
His face flushed. “All right, I’ll check in on you two later.” Then he remembered something else. “Mollie, did you come up with the four names I mentioned?” Jason asked out loud, not knowing where she’d run off to.
“I think so,” she said, peeking her head around the corner. “Craing ship one is now called The Surprise, because we surprised the crap out of them; Craing ship 2 is now The Trickster, because they tried to pull a fast one over on us; the third Craing ship is now called Gordita, because Orion told me that it smelled like Taco Bell in there, and the fourth Craing ship is called The Last Chance because it was their last chance and they blew it. Do those kinda work, Dad?” Mollie asked tentatively.
Jason laughed out loud, and nodded his head. “Oh, yeah, those work. I think I like Gordita best, but they are all perfect.”
* * *
Jason met with Admiral Crawford while standing outside near The Lilly's rear gangway.
“I'm sorry Jason, but no one is oblivious to the bare facts of the situation. Even with a handful of fighters, c’mon, ten ships against hundreds? What are you thinking?” the admiral asked, shaking her head.
“Admiral, I learned a long time ago to play my cards close to my chest. On the surface, yes, the odds seem hopeless. Pathetic even. And I want it to continue seeming that way.”
Frustrated, the admiral turned to leave and then turned back. “Well, then, you're doing an excellent job, Captain. Consensus has changed. We now feel it far more prudent to strategically place those vessels around the globe to protect key people. Use the shields and weapons on those ships here where they can make the most difference."
Jason shook his head. “I'm sorry, Admiral, but I can't allow that. I've brought us this far, and I'm going to see it through.”
As her gaze bore down on him, Jason took a long breath and looked around the makeshift courtyard. "As long as there's a mole on board The Lilly, and hybrids coming out of the woodwork, I simply can't talk any more about my plans. As someone once told me during a dire situation There are many things you don’t comprehend yet, but believe me when I tell you, not all hope is lost.” As the admiral walked away, Jason only hoped it was true. Then he remembered one more thing and called after her, “Admiral!”
She turned back, her face red and angry. �
��What?”
“We've left you with a little gift,” Jason said, gesturing to a large metal crate nearby. “Our phase synthesizer has been pumping out thousands of hybrid detectors. Get them in the hands of the people. While we're fighting the war in space, fight the war here on Earth.”
The admiral turned her back on him and hurried off.
* * *
The captain’s morning meeting in the ready room dragged on for hours. The overriding conflicting issue, one that kept raising its ugly head, was how to destroy the Craing fleet and still rescue potentially thousands of captives held in confinement cages aboard most of those same vessels. No matter how effective The Lilly could potentially be going up against the Craing fleet, a typical interstellar battle would not work. They needed to approach it from a different strategy.
Jason was the last one to funnel out of his ready room. He’d needed one last review with his officers. Everyone had their job to do; hopefully, they were all on the same page.
With only hours to spare before the Craing fleet reached the outskirts of the solar system, The Lilly and four Craing ships were as prepared as they were going to be. Jason ran through their latest strategy one more time in his head. Each of the former Craing ships, now Alliance vessels, had a skeleton crew of twenty, for a total of eighty. Of those crewmembers, the officers and key personnel had been brought over from the outpost and rotated through HyperLearning. Still green, but competent. Jason also totaled in the one hundred seasoned Navy SEALs provided by Admiral Crawford, plus the remaining fifty or so SEALs from Billy’s outfit. Adding to that number were the ten new Top Gun hotshots. There were also one hundred and fifty rhino-warriors, and The Lilly’s original crew of about thirty. He ran up the numbers in his head. A total combined crew of four hundred, or so, give or take.
Jason turned his attention to the bridge. Ricket had set up four remote consoles with virtual display configurations to mirror the captured Craing helm and sub-systems. Ensign McBride would pilot The Surprise, Gunny Orion, The Trickster, Lieutenant Commander Perkins, The Gordita, and Chief Horris, The Last Chance. Ricket would be at the console closest to Jason piloting The Lilly.
Jason gave the command and The Lilly and four Craing ships lifted off in unison. The bridge crew briefly looked at the wraparound display and watched as the outpost disappeared below them. He wondered if this might be the last time they’d ever see home. Jason noticed Billy standing near the back of the bridge, an unlit stogie hanging from the corner of his mouth. He too watched as Earth filled the display.
“Ricket, hold The Lilly’s position here, outside of orbit. The rest of you go ahead and move your vessels to the assigned orbital coordinates.”
The bridge crew had practiced this maneuver several times in simulations. Chief Horris, piloting The Gordita, was the weakest link—not a natural at helm control like the others. The display changed to a hovering 3-D representation of Earth. Green icons representing The Surprise, The Trickster, The Last Chance, and The Gordita appeared on the display, and they each moved away from their current flight formation to positions that were equal distances from each other around the planet. Jason caught the helmsmen’s eye. “Good job. Nice work all of you. Let’s get back to your regular stations. Helm, take us to heading 2119.” The Lilly moved away at just under sub-light speed. Earth became smaller and was soon swallowed up in the blackness of space.
“Just wanted to take in the view and let you know we’re ready, whatever that means,” Billy said.
“I know you are. And no matter what happens, thanks, Billy.”
“Think everything of it,” he replied, flashing his big bravado grin. “Anyway, I’ve got work to do.” Billy leaned in close: “Don’t screw this up, boss. We’re all counting on you.” He gave Jason a slap on the back and left the bridge.
“Captain, we’re picking up a hail. It appears to be from the approaching Craing fleet,” Ensign McBride reported.
“Let’s see what they want. Open a channel.”
The view was somewhat familiar looking. It showed the inside of a gigantic Craing vessel, specifically the cages. But the proportions were different. The scale of what they were seeing was almost beyond comprehension. There were tens of thousands of metal cages, so many they disappeared into the far distance. Some prisoners appeared alien, some human. Mostly males, but there were females and children, too. Some were alive, some obviously dead, with portions of their body cut away exposing flesh, muscle, bone.
Several Craing workers were at their carts doing what they do; another was pushing his cart in front of the next cage. The bridge went quiet, everyone paralyzed by the visual carnage. Jason could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his pulse pounding in his ears. The Craing were using this video montage to make an impact. Then the view changed to a close-up of one cage.
It took a moment for recognition to set in. Jason’s father was filthy, bloodied and showed signs of repeated beatings. In sharp contrast, the defiant look in his eyes showed anything but defeat. Angry, you bet, but Jason saw Admiral Perry Reynolds hadn’t given up. The scene changed again. The smiling face of a Craing dignitary filled the screen. He wore a long green silk robe and some kind of headdress that towered several feet above his head.
“I am High Priest Overlord Lom for the Craing Empire. Here, the pathetic leader of the United Planetary Alliance awaits the honor of his fate, to be consumed by his conquerors. Understand, the Craing Empire can be benevolent. If you wish a quick and painless death for this human, as well as for our other captives, then return our vessels. Go back to your planet and await your fate.”
Jason slowly stood and approached the forward display. He wanted these Craing bastards to see who they were talking to. But before Jason had a chance to speak, the Overlord’s attention was pulled away. His eyes were locked on Ricket. With astonishment on his face, the priest made several attempts to speak, but nothing came out. Eventually he managed one word, “Emperor!”
Chapter 19
Ricket stared back at the forward display. Earlier he’d removed his baseball cap and it still sat atop his console. Eventually, he looked over to Jason and then back to the Craing priest.
“Is he looking at me?” Ricket asked quietly, seeming just as bewildered as the rest of the bridge crew.
“I believe he is,” Jason replied, now remembering the open-mouthed stares Ricket received earlier from captured Craing crewmembers. The Craing priest was speaking again. Three more Craing priests, wearing cone-shaped headdresses, were huddled together kneeling with their heads bowed.
“How could this be, your Eminence?” The four Craing cone heads seemed to be at odds with one another. They continued to squabble in hushed undertones. Eventually, High Priest Overlord Lom, chastising the others, looked up and spoke again.
“We have analyzed your image, your Eminence. Clearly you have undergone the transformation of eternity. There can be no doubt; you are our Emperor Reechet of House Polk.”
Jason didn’t know what the hell was going on. Jason had time to catch Ricket’s eye. Was it enough? Ricket stood and spoke in Terplin, the Craing native language.
“Greetings, High Priest Overlord Lom. Yes, I am the Emperor Reechet. Please, get up.”
Overlord Lom got back to his feet, exclaiming, “But how is this possible? It has been nearly two hundred years since you went missing and were presumed dead?” The other priests nodded their heads in unison.
“Missing, yes, deceased, obviously not. But as your Emperor, it is time for me to come home.” Ricket, obviously making this stuff up on the fly, hesitated a moment and then continued, “Immediately. You will prepare for the release of your prisoners and to then leave this sector. These humans rescued me and should not be harmed.”
The cone heads talked among themselves again. Then Priest Overlord Lom spoke: “Respected and honorable Emperor Reechet, there has never been a time when two emperors walk amongst the Craing simultaneously. We are at a loss and, at the very least, must seek direction fro
m Emperor Quorp. This will take several cycles.”
Just above a whisper, McBride broke the tension. “Sir, we’re now ten light-minutes beyond the solar system. We’ll be within weapon’s range of the Craing fleet in five minutes.”
“High Priest Overlord Lom,” Ricket said, “I assume Emperor Quorp would be most unhappy with those responsible for putting me in harm’s way. If I remember correctly, immediate separation of your heads from your necks by way of a warrior claxon’s sword is protocol. Is that protocol under the direction of Emperor Quorp?”
Jason watched Ricket’s performance with admiration. Playing on Craing cowardice was a good bet. Jason had witnessed it, especially with the Overlords, first hand.
“Please, let us discuss this further with our council. We can continue this conversation shortly.”
“Their fleet has come to a halt, Captain,” Ensign McBride reported.
“Any way to determine which vessel the admiral is being held on?” Jason asked.
Orion got up from her console and walked to the comms station on the other side of the bridge. “Actually, his NanoComs are now in range and look to be operational. Should I attempt a hail?”
“Give it a shot, Gunny,” Jason said, surprised.
Several moments later the deep baritone voice of Admiral Reynolds filled the bridge.
“Go for Admiral Reynolds,” the voice replied.
“Admiral, this is Captain Reynolds. It seems you’re in a bit of a jam,” Jason said, making light of a situation he wasn’t sure he’d be able to remedy.
“Good to hear your voice. Figured it might be you. I take it you know what my status is here, yes? Tell me, what’s going on with The Lilly and with Earth?”
“Both fine for the moment, sir. We’ve been discussing your situation with your captors. Seems they know our Science Officer. In fact, they believe he’s their long lost emperor,” Jason replied.
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