by Musser, Dale
“Does harboring you here endanger my ship or crew in any way?” I asked.
“No, I don’t believe so. Even if my enemies were to discover that I am aboard this ship, they would only attempt to apprehend me if they were certain that their actions would not endanger or threaten anyone else; of that I am sure. Of course, it is always possible that my enemies may try to bribe a crew member to kill me or turn me over to them.”
I thought quietly for a moment. “You present a unique offer, but also a troubling one, A'Lappe. Not only are you unknown to the Federation, but your race is not known either. Why is that?”
“That question I will not answer. Again, my personal safety depends on it; but I can assure you I pose no threat to the Federation.”
A'Lappe had a curious and almost mesmerizing way of blinking his eyes that made part of me feel reassured that he was a benign individual whose presence on the ship could be beneficial. As he spoke, I found myself simultaneously believing him and questioning my belief. I wondered if I was perhaps struggling with some sort of hypnotic manipulation. Just in case this was the situation, I decided to take a cautious approach.
“What if I say no to your proposal?”
A'Lappe shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips. “Then I will go back in hiding and stay hidden until I am captured and removed from the ship,” he said.
“So you believe you could get out of this room right now before I could capture you?” I asked somewhat incredulously.
“I don’t believe it, I know it,” A'Lappe said with a grin. Then, just like in a classic magician’s stage act, he was shrouded in a sudden puff of smoke; and when the smoke cleared, the chair was empty and he was gone. I was startled for a moment, as I stared at the vacant chair and then looked about the room to see if I could locate him; but there wasn’t a trace of him anywhere.
Then out of nowhere I heard his voice. “Think about my offer. I’ll be in touch with you later for your decision.”
After A'Lappe was gone I met with Kala, Admiral Regeny, Marranalis and Captain Stonbersa to discuss the event. Kala was in favor of giving A'Lappe a chance to prove himself. The admiral was in favor of capturing him and interrogating him until we had every possible bit of information squeezed out of him. Captain Stonbersa leaned a bit toward the admiral’s point of view, only with far less force, and basically just wanted A’Lappe off the ship. Marranalis was surprisingly undecided on the matter and stated he was more inclined to see what A'Lappe’s next move was before making a decision.
“I just don’t like it,” said the admiral. “We have nothing but his word that he’s here to help us. If we agree to his offer, we pretty much have to take him into our confidence and tell him what we know and what we are planning.”
“I don’t think that’s and issue, Admiral,” I said. “I think he already knows our plans and what’s going on. In fact, I think he knows more about what we are facing than we do. I suspect he has this room bugged in ways we can’t imagine and is monitoring this discussion as we speak.”
The admiral lifted his foccee cup and examined it as thought it might contain a bugging device. “How do we know we can trust him?”
“Kala can test him for honesty and loyalty in the same way that we test the troopers, crew members and recruits,” I said.
“I just don’t like that he stowed away on this ship,” Stonbersa said in disgust.
“Well he didn’t exactly stow away,” I said. “He was a guest or, rather, an employee of Galetils. He just didn’t leave after Galetils’ death.”
“Humph! But he didn’t come forward and present himself either, did he?” Stonbersa retorted.
“No, and I don’t think we are going to find out exactly why either. But he does make a good case for accepting his offer. If he really can deliver the 10X fusion reactor in a design suitable for installation on all your star ships and frigates, think of how much stronger the Federation forces will be. And, Captain, if A'Lappe really did design this ship, think of how valuable his knowledge would be to you directly.”
“Mmmm,” Stonbersa hummed. “You have a point there. There’s a great deal to know about this ship and much of it is as much a mystery to me as it is to everyone else.”
Everyone mulled over the circumstances quietly for a moment before the admiral spoke up. “Obviously, Tibby, the choice is yours, but I think we need to be prepared to take action against him at the first sign that he is trying to manipulate or mislead us. I have no aversion to dumping him into space if he proves to be ingenuine.”
Everyone sort of laughed at the admiral’s comment, but the admiral affirmed, “I’m serious. We have a huge and dangerous undertaking and we cannot afford any variables that put our mission at risk.”
“Well, taking into account everyone’s viewpoint, I think I’m going to accept his offer – with reservations of course – and he’ll have to undergo immediate testing with Kala and Cantolla. I’m not going to trust just one evaluation. There is something about him that is almost hypnotic at times and I will feel more confident when I see results from two evaluations conducted by two different computers. For additional security in this regard I want both tests observed by three witnesses. If he passes under those conditions, I’m going to accept his offer.”
“Wonderful, First Citizen Renwalt,” said a deep melodious voice from the far end of the table. We all turned with surprise to see A'Lappe smiling widely from his chair. “I agree with your terms.”
“How did you get in here?!” exclaimed Admiral Regeny.
“I was looking right at that chair… and he just suddenly appeared!” added Captain Stonbersa.
“How long have you been here and how much did you hear?” demanded a red-faced Regeny in an increasingly belligerent tone.
“Now, now, gentlemen… and lady,” said A'Lappe, nodding in Kala’s direction. “I was here long enough to hear that First Citizen Tibby agrees to the bargain I presented him, with reservations that require me to submit to stringent examination, which I accept. As to what I heard before that is a moot point. I would think, Admiral, that you would be happy, since you should be able to start outfitting your ships with 10X fusion reactors and RMFF shields within a few months. And you should be pleased as well, Captain Stonbersa, as I will be able to provide you with a thorough knowledge of functional capabilities and details about this ship that you cannot begin to imagine. But before any of this happens, I need to take Tibby on a tour of his ship as few have seen it. May I first, however, point out some problems with your execution of some aspects of your plans?
Without pausing for a response to that question, A’Lappe continued. “At the moment you are trying to deliver the solbidyum and reactor units using this ship. Oh, yes, you plan to use GW message pods to make some of those deliveries – good idea by the way – but even with your best efforts and fastest delivery times using both this ship and the GW pods, you would have to live several lifetimes to deliver all the solbidyum. It’s physically impossible for you to make deliveries to one million planets; and if you think about it a moment, you will realize that this is true.”
The admiral interrupted, “How do you know about our plans? Who have you passed the information on to?” He was not yet ready to relent on his confrontational posture.
A’Lappe continued, unruffled by the admiral’s hostility, “Calm down, Admiral. I assure you, I have not told anyone your plans and your Federation secrets are safe with me. But that doesn’t alter the fact that you are on a course that won’t get you very far. Your idea that you need to demonstrate that the solbidyum is being delivered as promised is sound; however, it won’t be long before planets start getting impatient for deliveries and, as fantastic as Tibby has been thus far, he can’t deliver all your solbidyum fast enough to prevent war. Furthermore, I recognize your problem with the infiltration of the Brotherhood into the Federation military forces; but using your current plan for finding and removing them from your ranks will take decades.”
“I suppos
e you have a better plan?” the admiral huffed.
“I think I do,” A'Lappe said, blinking his huge yellow eyes in that hypnotic manner that I had observed in my office. “Take a course to Plosaxen. If I am not mistaken, that’s your fleet headquarters in the central sector of the Federation territories. While en route, contact every available outlying star ship that can reach Plosaxen at about the same timeframe that you do, ordering them to rendezvous there with you immediately upon their arrival. If my calculations are correct you may be able to gather up to half a dozen outlying star ships, in addition to the three already stationed there with the 20 frigates and, I believe, 18 corvettes. You have nearly a million troopers stationed there, since it’s also a training base; so, once you arrive, you can quickly set up and test nearly two million Federation troopers, staff all of the gathered ships with loyal crews and divide the solbidyum shipments for delivery to other sector headquarters. They can depart with protocols and orders issued by you, Admiral, which will make it possible for these well-armed and trained troopers to likewise test and establish loyal crews on other ships and distribute portions of solbidyum cargo to these ships for delivery to even more distant sector headquarters, once each of those sectors has also been cleared of Brotherhood members, of course. As the security of each star ship and sector is confirmed, the distribution of solbidyum and reactors can commence to individual planets within those systems using similar protocols to confirm the loyalty of the recipients at each planet. Using this exponential method of distribution, you can – by my calculations – deliver the entire cargo of solbidyum in eight to twelve years.”
“Why eight to twelve years? Why not simply eight years?” Admiral Regeny badgered.
“Because I’m factoring in a contingency for problems and delays. You cannot reasonably believe you’ll be able to distribute all the solbidyum without some attempts at theft by non-aligned worlds or mercenaries and pirates; and you cannot believe that there will not be more ships commandeered as the DUSTEN was, before successfully clearing their crews of Brotherhood infiltrators. You may even have entire planets fall to the Brotherhood before you can get this all accomplished. It’s a fact – one you cannot avoid.”
“Dammit,” the admiral fumed, reluctantly recognizing the value of A’Lappe’s perspective. “That’s not what I want to hear, but it’s undeniable. As much as I hate to face these facts, you are right.”
“That’s where Tibby’s plan to train your select group of troopers to deal with these types of situations is going to come into play; and the sooner he gets this bunch trained so they can train others, the better off you will be. The FSO is also a step in the right direction, but I fear you will not be able to train and deploy them fast enough to provide you with the information you need now. I think I can also help you in that regard, as I have sources of information that may prove useful.”
“Oh you do, do you? And would you mind sharing these sources with us?” the admiral asked.
“Yes, I do mind, and no, I won’t tell you my sources. You will simply have to trust me on that account.”
“I don’t see a reason to trust you on any account,” the admiral snorted.
“You will, Admiral, you will. I can provide you with a list of Brotherhood headquarters in many of the sectors in the galaxy for a start. I will provide Tibby with the plans for the 10X fusion reactor and the RMFF system. It will take several weeks to assemble one reactor; but once you have one completed and installed with the RMFF on one of your star ships, I think you will be more than willing to trust me.”
“We’ll see,” Regeny said, “but I warn you; if you betray us in any way, I swear I will personally tear you limb from limb and eject your carcass into space.”
A'Lappe smiled. “I assure you, Admiral, that will not be necessary. Now, Tibby, if you’re ready, I would like to take you on a tour to show you things that no one else on your ship has seen to date.”
“First things first,” I said. “There is still a matter of Kala testing you for deception, truth and loyalty, which will take but a few minutes. Then I will be most happy to follow you about the ship.”
A'Lappe grinned. “Ah, yes, those were the terms of our agreement. Very well. Let’s have the test.”
No time was wasted. Kala summoned one of her assistants to bring her vid pad and equipment. She performed the test on him in the conference room with all of us present as witnesses, so there could be no doubt in any of our minds about the administration or results of the procedure. Then she contacted Cantolla, who arrived shortly thereafter with her own equipment, including the headband. Both tests indicated that A’Lappe had been truthful in all he had told us and that he was no threat to the Federation. Having satisfied his agreement to the satisfaction of all parties, including a somewhat reluctant Admiral Regeny, A’Lappe reaffirmed that he was sincere and that he would keep his word not to reveal the secrets of the ship or the plans of the Federation. Then I let him take me on the tour that he promised would be so enlightening.
I rose from my chair and turned toward the exit, as I expected to leave through the door; so I was surprised when A’Lappe winked at me as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small tool that used to insert into a small, almost indiscernible slot in the floor. He lifted a panel that revealed a set of stairs that descended into a tunnel below.
“Well I’ll be damned,” exclaimed both the captain and the admiral in unison.
A’Lappe led me down the stairs and into a narrow tunnel that had a low ceiling. At several places I had to duck to avoid hitting my head on a pipe or duct. As far as I could see in either direction were horizontal rows of cables bracketed to the tunnel walls. Periodically the cables terminated at switch panels that seemed to distribute more cables vertically in both directions. As we navigated through the corridor, we occasionally passed intersecting tunnels that led to other portions of the ship.
“So this is how you moved about undetected,” I said.
“Some of the time. But I have other means as well,” said A’Lappe with a bit of mischief in his voice. “There are things down here you need to see.”
We progressed a bit farther through the tunnel before descending another section of stairs that brought us into what seemed to be a small hangar area that stowed a very unique spaceship. The craft was smaller and sleeker than a patrol ship and the design appeared to be adapted to both in- and out-of-atmosphere flight.
“Is this yours? I said with admiration.
A’Lappe laughed. “No, Tibby, it’s yours. It comes with the ship. It was Galetils’ personal shuttle. If you need, the craft can behave more like a patrol ship, though its smaller design allows for a crew of only two to three people. It’s faster than the Federation patrol ships, but armed just as well as the larger version. You will also find that its speed is complemented with superb maneuverability. I’ve been working on an RMFF design for it, but I haven’t developed a power source strong enough and small enough to fit in the ship.”
“Maybe you can get with Cantolla and figure it out between the two of you. She’s pretty sharp,” I suggested.
“Yes, so I’ve heard. I knew her brother. He worked with me on the design of the 10X fusion reactor. He spoke of her often, bragging that she was the real brains in the family. It will be a pleasure to work with her, I’m sure. But come; let me show you the inside of this ship.”
Unlike the patrol ships, which were sort of amorphous in design, this ship had very definite and sleek lines. The inside was compact but luxurious, as were all of Galetils’ interior spaces, marked by rich wood paneling and plush leather-like upholstery. The bed appeared to be designed to accommodate two; and while I was able to stand upright in the walking space of the sleeping quarters, the foot of the bed was partially recessed under the curvature of the hull. The toilet and bath facilities were also compact and the shower allowed enough space for only one person. The galley consisted of a table large enough to seat two and smaller versions of the typical beverage and food dispen
sers. The control room included three seats and consoles arranged in a tight configuration. Since this room was situated against the forward hull, the ceiling was tapered and required a person to stoop over when entering – at least this was the case for me – A’Lappe had no problem standing anywhere in the ship. Part of the reason this craft was so compact was that it did not have a large cargo hold. Instead there was a small space large enough for a parcel of about one and a half meters by three meters. There was no engine room to speak of; engine access was from the exterior of the ship via a removable panel. There was also a small bunk-like sleeping space for a third person, not much bigger than a closet, which was attached to a very compact combination toilet/shower facility.
As we exited, A’Lappe explained that the sensors on this ship had nearly twice the range of the Federation ships, making it easier to avoid contact with hostile forces. Near this ship was a smaller craft, which looked remarkably like a child’s toy. I was about to make a comment to this effect, when it occurred to me that this might be A’Lappe’s craft.
“And what about this ship,” I asked. “Is this yours?”
“Yes, it is indeed; though I regret that I will not be able to offer you a ride in it. It holds only one passenger and then only one of my stature. But come, I have other things to show you.”
A’Lappe led me away from the small hangar down another tunnel until we came to a door. “Watch your head when you enter. I fear this place was not constructed with one of your size in mind.”
When I entered, I indeed had to cock my head to the side to avoid bumping it on the ceiling. Beyond the door were several rooms, including a rather nicely arranged living area, a small but efficient dining area, and bath and sleeping areas. There was also a workspace consisting of a large vid screen and arrangement of computer consoles. A’Lappe showed me how he could monitor any portion of the ship, with the exception of a few cabins and rooms. He said Galetils had this well-hidden suite built specifically to meet his needs. The maintenance tunnels were accessed only by the ship’s engineers and they were to have been sworn to secrecy, as far as A’Lappe’s presence on the ship. Unfortunately the engineers never showed up, as Astamagota was destroyed before the yacht became fully operational. A’Lappe had taken up residence only a week before the solar flare with the intent of completing the necessary preparations for installation of the 10X fusion reactor, once its fabrication was complete.
