by Jay Toney
Doc left five trays of food out for us. They each had a salad, a bowl of soup, sandwiches, and a brownie. We ate our meals with small talk to entertain us during our meals. Jewel cleaned our dishes while Amber packaged the remaining trays for Tanya and Natty.
"Jewel and I will take Tanya and Natty their lunch, and see you back on the bridge, unless of course you want Tanya to give you a spanking too."
"I'll see the two of you on the bridge."
****
"Captain, are you sure that's him?"
"According to our spies, the Persephone is his new ship."
"That was a good idea you had, powering our ships down and turning off the transponders, while parked in orbit waiting for him."
"It is one of the tactics that pirate scum has used with great success against us."
"I will be sure to award you a portion of the bounty, when we collect it for finally killing him. As soon as he enters hyperspace, send a high speed courier to notify the fleet. I want the bounty on him and don't care what it takes. We will set a trap for him here."
****
"Natasha, what is our time to jump?"
"Just a few more minutes." A countdown clock appeared on the main viewscreen, counting down the remaining minutes and seconds. When the clock reached zero, we entered hyperspace. A new count down began showing the time we would be in hyperspace." Natasha placed a green reticle over the area that was our destination.
"Natty, what do you see on the viewscreen?"
"All I see is a little green box, and numbers counting down."
I thought she would see more, being twins with the ship. I knew Natasha sent her twin the sensor data, but this was different. It was something I could see.
"Tanya, what do you see on the view screen?"
"I don't see anything, just like Natty."
"How about you Amber?"
"Its hard to say, I see swirls and patterns, but its blurry."
"Natasha can you sharpen the image?"
"I can see it more clearly now. It looks like rivers and streams, crossing and intersecting, while all mixed up with different colors and moving at different speeds."
I could see it more clearly now myself. "Doc, why are Amber and I seeing into hyperspace?"
"I can't think of a reason why the two of you are seeing hyperspace, if indeed you are seeing it."
"Natasha confirmed what we were seeing, and I did navigate the streams."
"Its impossible to see and navigate hyperspace. It takes precise calculations to do so."
"Maybe what we are seeing is a visual representation of hyperspace calculations."
"Nonsense."
Most of us napped at our stations. There wasn't anything to do, while we were in hyperspace. Our trip was only a few hours more, and we didn't have time to go back to our cabins, before having a late dinner. Doc took the time to go to the galley and prepare dinner for all of us.
Natasha sounded an alarm to wake us, moments before exiting hyperspace and reentering normal space. Alarms sounded, as we decelerated below light speed. Amber frantically ran a long range scan, as the sensors came back to life.
"Captain, we have a fleet of Iniguar warships surrounding us," Amber reported.
"Captain, we are being hailed by the Iniguar fleet," Jewel said.
"Put it on screen."
"Human vessel, what is your purpose for entering our space?"
"I am Captain Nathaniel Roberts. I am here to visit my good friend Shree'tek, by invitation and honor of the Iniguar debt."
"If you are who you claim to be, you will be welcomed. Enter formation with me, and you will be escorted to our base station."
We entered formation behind the Iniguar cruiser. Two more cruisers entered formation on our flanks and one behind us. We were led in tight formation to their space station, and made to dock between two waiting warships.
Amber and I exited the Persephone, and were greeted by Shree'tek.
"Shree'tek, my good friend. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Nathaniel, and Nathaniel's wife, it is my good fortune to once again greet you. You should have sent a messenger ahead to let us know of your visit. We could have had a grand celebration to honor you. Instead we will have to make due with a smaller honor."
"Shree'tek, your small honors are grand to me."
"Will you be here for long, perhaps I will have time to put together a celebration worthy of your honor."
"I'm afraid our visit will be a short one. I have information that I need, and cannot get at home."
"Do you perhaps have a chamber were I can provide council?"
"Of course, please accompany us to our conference room."
On the way Amber stopped in the officers galley, to quickly mix a pitcher of Sangria. She took three glasses and quickly caught up with us.
"Shree'tek, can I interest you in a refreshment?" She said, pouring three glasses. She offered one to Shree'tek and one to me, setting the pitcher on the table.
Shree'tek took a small sip sampling the drink, then a much larger one. "This liquid refreshment is very good."
"Be sure to drink it slowly, it is quite potent for the unaware."
"Thank you for the kind advice, alcohol doesn't affect our metabolism the same way as it does humans. Nathaniel what can I help you with?"
I told Shree'tek of Red's and Chief Mike's cryptic message, the Alliance wanting me dead now, and my friends disappearing. I also told him about Beverly's strange behavior, followed by her disappearance.
"Some of this I can answer, some I can not. The Alliance does not just want you to expire. They have made it a priority by placing a bounty on your head large enough to buy one's own planet. War drums are also being beaten. Many of the systems bordering Alliance territory have lost their taste for war and freedom. They are willingly putting on the yoke of their former masters. It won't be long before Buenos Aries surrenders to the pressure from their enemy. Red has begun an exodus from the system, trying to save as many of his friends as possible."
"Where are they going?"
"He has friends even in the lawless sector. This is where he is sending his friends and those who will stand up against the Alliance."
"Why hasn't he told me?"
"He is only telling the captains of the ships where to assemble, on their departure. This way if any ships are captured, there will be no one to tell the Alliance of there destination. Nathaniel, you and your friends are welcome to settle amongst our worlds."
"Thank you Shree'tek, you are a good friend."
"As are you. You have been a good friend to my people."
"I have one more question, that is bothering me."
"Please ask?"
"I believe Amber and I are somehow seeing into hyperspace." I described what we saw and how I was able to navigate the currents."
"Is Amber able to Navigate these currents too?"
"I believe she is."
"The two of you are surely soul mates. Seers are very rare amongst all the known species. I haven't heard of any chronicled in thousands of years. Now there are two. For two seers to meet, much less bond as mates is unheard of in the entire chronicled history. You must hurry back to your friends. This gift from the gods may be the difference in their survival."
Shree'tek got up dismissing us.
"You must hurry Nathaniel. Remember, the war drums beat and they are getting closer and louder. The Alliance is once again moving their war machines into our territory."
Chapter 15
W
e left our Iniguar friends, hurrying at what Shree'tek called a great urgency for our need to return. I still didn't understand what role Amber and I could possibly have that might help save our friends, being seers. Even if we were able to navigate the streams of hyperspace, I didn't know how that could help.
"What course do you want me to set Cappy?"
"Take us home Natasha."
Natasha began the complex calculations needed to navigate hyperspace. We would be making a 22 light year jump, back to the Castel System. Natasha adjusted our course slightly, optimizing our vector for the jump. She displayed a countdown timer on the main screen, indicating our soonest ability to enter the higher dimensions of hyperspace.
Early explorers learned that it was often fatal to try entering hyperspace anywhere near any gravitational influence. More often than not, any ship attempting to cheat the system by jumping early was lost forever.
My last ship was destroyed doing just that. I set the hyperdrive to engage with a short delay to allow me to escape, after abandoning the Queen Anne's Revenge. With the ship unable to enter hyperspace, a tear or rupture in the fabric of space formed creating a short lived singularity. The Revenge, and the outpost that it was wedged into disappeared into that singularity, lost forever.
The girls were in the holographic simulator, undergoing another session of Marauder training. Natasha's reports showed that their training was coming along better than expected. I would be taking them out soon in real Marauders and honing their skills for combat.
****
Fleet Admiral, our ships are arriving. Soon our fleet will be large enough to ensure the destruction of the Persephone and the death of its captain. Even now our ships are positioning themselves, setting the trap that will insure the death of Nathaniel Roberts and his crew.
"Soon we will be very rich Captain, rich enough to buy a position in government. I can see myself as having a prominent position in the Senate or perhaps a System Lord. Are you sure your plans will work. I have a lot invested in this operation. Failure would mean our deaths, if we are very lucky."
"Fleet Admiral, or shall I call you Lord Admiral? Our ships are positioned in the traitors most likely entry vectors. All of our ships are running silent, with the drives on standby and their transponders turned off. They are only using line of sight communications and passive sensors. When the Pirate Roberts enters the system, he will not be expecting us to use his own tactics against him. We have both the element of surprise and superiority of numbers on our side. He will be unaware of our trap until its to late. Victory will be ours."
****
"Nathaniel, I'm glad to see you on the bridge for once. We put together a special lunch surprise for you."
"We? You're the only one here."
"Jewel, Tanya, and Natty have everything we need. They are waiting for us."
"Our cabin, or theirs?"
"Neither, you'll see."
Amber led me to the holographic simulator. "The others are inside waiting. We were looking through the library files and found this file titled, Deserted Island Sol III."
Sol III was the system designation for the planet Earth. I didn't care one way or another about Earth. Like most people, I learned about our planet of origin by watching the mandatory vids as part of our education. I wasn't even sure if the planet still existed, or where it was. The exodus from the Sol system was during a great war that happened thousands of years ago. The location of Earth was lost in time.
The members of the Alliance who followed us here, didn't even desire to return. Yet, they still insisted on bringing our civilization under their domination, engaging us in war after war. We never learned, from our mistakes. After every war, we would settle our differences by agreeing to a treaty, loosing several of our colonies to them. After a few decades, it would start all over again. The latest incursions by them was most likely the start of the next war to come.
I stepped into the simulation with Amber. The scenery changed to an empty beach. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun bright and warm. A cool breeze came from the nearby ocean kept us refreshed as we strolled in the loose, hot sand. The loose sand caused us to sink slightly as we walked leaving large footprints, on the otherwise pristine beach.
Natty, Tanya, and Jewel were waiting on a blanket, they had spread under the shade of a grove of palm trees. "Isn't this just delightful?" Jewel asked. "I can't wait to go for a swim."
Tanya set out five plates, forks, and bottles of water, from the picnic basket the girls brought. She set a bucket of fried chicken, and a bowl of potato salad on the center of the blanket. "Lunch is served." Tanya scooped a portion of salad onto her plate, passing the bowl to Amber. Next she took a couple pieces of chicken and passed the bucket to Amber. "Natty, you can use your fingers to eat the chicken, but use your fork for the salad."
"Thank you mommy."
Seagulls flew overhead, hoping for an easy meal, while we ate our lunch. After finishing our meals, Jewel undressed heading to the waiting water.
"Aren't you afraid someone will see you?"
"Its called a deserted island for a reason. Hurry up, the water looks so refreshing. We undressed and waded out into the calm water with Jewel. We splashed and swam together in the crystal clear water. Perhaps Earth had at least one redeeming quality. I wouldn't think of the planet the same way again.
"Nathaniel, my sister says its almost time to jump."
"Tell her we will be on the bridge shortly." I swam and enjoyed the peaceful island, savoring the short time I had left to spend here with my wives and Jewel. I reluctantly got out of the water, dressed, carrying my boots with me to the bridge, while the girls cleaned up the picnic area.
"Nathaniel, why are you wet?" Doc asked.
"I was visiting a deserted Island on Earth, and took a swim in the ocean."
"I thought you didn't like Earth."
"After my visit in the simulator, I will have to rethink my opinion. I had a great time today."
I looked at the timer. It showed we still had nearly 30 minutes remaining until we reached our jump point. Tanya went to her console, Natty sat at the helm controls, and Jewel and Amber sat at the sensor consoles. Amber started fidgeting and squirming in her seat, unable to get comfortable.
"Sorry, you know how playful Jewel is. I have sand in places that were never ever meant for it to get into."
"Jane, my being wet with salt water and Amber having sand on her body, I thought these elements were supposed to disappear when we left the simulation."
"They should have. There must be a glitch in the security protocols. I'll have Kim check into it and do a full system diagnostic check. If you two hurry, there is still time to shower, if you use the shower in the anteroom."
"Natty, Jewel, and I, didn't have any problems."
"You three are lucky." Amber frantically pulled on her thong in an attempt to find relief from the sand. She hurried to the shower with me in tow.
Clean and a lot more comfortable I was ready for the jump to hyperspace. When the count down reached zero, I gave the command to engage the hyperdrive.
"Captain, can you, Jane, and Amber meet with me at the holographic simulator?" Kim asked over the ship's comms."
"We will be right there."
The three of us left the bridge to meet with Kim. "Jane, I've done a complete diagnostic test of the holographic simulator, everything checks out. There are no reports of system malfunctions, and I have tested the simulator a dozen times myself."
"How do you explain what happened to Amber and Nathaniel?"
"I have a theory, and have set up a simple simulation to prove it. If I can have the three of you enter the simulation and bring
me a few items from the table."
"I'll play along," Jane said entering the simulation. She selected a goblet of wine from the table, picked it up and exited the simulator. The goblet disappeared, the moment she stepped out of the simulation. Amber was next. She gathered up what appeared to be gold forks, knives, and spoons. She exited the simulator, bringing the utensils with her.
"I'll have to have these analyzed, to be sure they are authentic," Kim took the gold utensils from Amber.
"I guess that leaves me," I stepped into the simulator, selected an apple and started eating it on the way out. Kim took the half eaten apple from me.
"I love apples, I'll test this one now." She took a small bite out of the apple, then a few more, finishing the apple. "I can authenticate the apple. It was sweet, and juicy."
"This cannot be happening," Jane stammered.
"I believe somehow Amber and Nathaniel are altering multidimensional reality."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means you have to be very careful how you two use the simulator. The both of you can probably bring back anything with you."
"Like gold and jewelry?" Amber asked.
"Yes, and much more, like plagues, diseases, and infestations. Nathaniel, in your case I would very much worry about VD."
"I get plenty of real sex without having to visit bordellos in the holographic simulator. You can join Amber, Jewel, and I anytime you need a boost in your sex life, or do you prefer simulations?"
"Randolph keeps me very satisfied, thank you."
"Captain Rodgers, your needed on the bridge," Natasha announced over the ships comm system.
Amber, Jane, and I left Kim muttering to herself, as we headed back to the bridge. Apparently, I scored a direct hit talking about her sex life. I should probably talk to Randolph about making better choices in his sex life.
When we entered the bridge, the countdown clock still showed a couple hours remaining. "Natasha, why did you call us back so early?"
