by David Buck
The Australian Navy is now under instructions to enforce the quarantine zone by force if necessary. Also we are enforcing punitive measures against individuals and news organizations that flout the quarantine zone.’
The prime minister chose this moment to pause, and behind him he was aware of the nodding support of Stuart and Fiona. A hushed tone was evident from the media people in front of the lectern as they waited for him to start speaking again.
‘Now this landing is a very important event not just from an Australian perspective but from an international one as well. We have seen two incidents were the US navy has attacked or attempted to attack the alien ships. I have spoken to the US president on several occasions over the last few days and we have reached a new level of understanding.
No unilateral action by the US will be tolerated by us either in our waters or in our lands. This is now understood by our long time allies and we are working in a new direction with regards to dealing with these alien ships. We are proposing a joint science mission to the alien fleet, and four US scientists are already in the process of joining a suitable Australian support vessel that happened to be at the Abrolhos islands at this time.’
A flurry of questions now came from the media with regards to the identity of the ship, with rumors that an alien had been rescued from the ocean, and was now on board the ship. The media contingent then all fell quiet as the prime minister continued on again.
‘Well I will confirm that the support vessel is an Australian civilian ship, the Aurora Discovery, captained by a Mr. Steve Greene. Mr. Greene recently retired from the Royal Australian Navy last year and now operates a marine contracting business between Australia and Malaysia. His ship is also contracted by our navy to support medical aid teams still operating in South East Asia. The other news I can confirm is that an injured alien in a space suit was rescued by Mr. Greene himself, and is currently being treated for both injuries and illnesses about their ship.’
Another flurry of questions and speculation erupted from those assembled in front of the podium, and a rising crescendo of noise came from the news teams. The prime minister waited impassively until most of the noise had stopped before he spoke again.
‘Now we do not know if we are facing another pandemic, however rest assured we are doing all we can to manage this situation correctly. I would just like to say, I repeat, like to say, that we owe a real debt of gratitude to our fellow Australians out at the Abrolhos islands. We wish them luck, along with the US scientists, in their negotiations with the alien visitors.’
The press release continued for several more minutes, and the prime minister stayed for an extended period for questions. He was aware that he needed to reassure the Australian population further as he answered the first question with what limited information he possessed.
***
Douglas Stoneham regarded the nearby Australian frigate with mixed feelings of acceptance and impatience. HMAS Melbourne had pulled over the Southern Cross halfway to the Abrolhos islands and the navy commander was busy speaking on the radio to the captain of the search and rescue boat. Douglas was grateful that the Australians had implemented quarantine of the islands, but he wanted to join Steve Greene and his associates on their ship as soon as possible.
The problem that the commander of the Melbourne had was that the course the Southern Cross would take would place them too close to the two alien space ships that Douglas could see patrolling as cover for the main ship. Douglas knew that the much larger ship was now sitting alongside a small island just over the horizon, but for now he returned to studying the space ships in the air near the horizon again with a set of binoculars.
He was continually amazed as he viewed the two space ships, so just how did they manage to fly so effortlessly without any wings at all? He considered once again the size of the space ships. Each one would have weighed as much as the nearby Anzac second generation frigate, but be nearly a third longer, with their sleek stepped bullet like hulls.
Douglas knew that the technology of the ships really interested him, but he was well aware of his duty not just to the US government but to all mankind as well. He wanted all involved, including the aliens to be looked after properly despite calls from one of his team’s members for a combined Australian/US effort to just seize all the aliens and their ships. He had already had been in a heated argument earlier with that particular team member and knew that more arguments on the issue were to follow.
Eventually the Southern Cross moved off again, this time to the south. The ship orders had been changed so that they skirted to the south of the alien space ships down to rendezvous with HMAS Sydney, who was now closer to the Aurora Discovery. Douglas continued looking at the space ships and considered that there must be a way for humanity to avoid the possibly lethal trap of merely seizing the alien ships.
***
Rebecca carefully prepared the tissue samples via swabs from the blackened tattoos that they had taken from Garendestat. She wiped the contaminated swabs across several different types of agar and cultivating media dishes, labeled them and placed the media dishes in a variety of locations. A set of the media dishes went into the refrigerator to simulate low temperatures, another set went under an ultraviolet light, a third set went into a darkened draw, and then the several remaining sets when into desktop racks. She had enjoyed working in medicine ever since she had done work experience with her famous father in his impressive medical facilities in Perth.
Her father had spent most of his life researching treatments for addictive diseases, types of depression, and diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The innovative and courageous researcher had also discovered a way to defeat alcoholism and drug dependence by neurotransmitter therapy over twenty years ago now. As a result her father had received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2029.
Even after Rebecca left university and also went into medicine, she caught up him with as often as she could during her overseas aid missions during the pandemic. Rebecca’s father had been among the multitudes of older people killed by the pandemic and she sorely missed him. Rebecca would keep a close eye on the media dishes over the next few days to see if she could potentially locate a new bacterium present that could kill either the aliens or humans. Rebecca then turned to a blood workup to see if she could recognize or locate any virus’s that could do the same thing, but Garendestat’s blood was just too different to get any immediate results on. Quietly Rebecca hoped that these differences would provide a degree of protection for both intelligent species.
Samantha was over at the other end of the lab and first reviewed the unfamiliar X-ray of Garendestats’s broken arm. She again noted the differences in the arm, as there were two long bones wrapped in a spiral in the massive alien’s upper arm. A pattern she verified as natural by also X-raying Garendestat’s other limbs. The fractures did indeed seem massive compared even to a human leg, though the bones had suffered a minimal amount of displacement. Samantha was optimistic about the fracture, as Garendestat now moved freely enough once a makeshift splint was placed on his broken arm.
She was also concerned about the practical aspects of alien biology as anything they did not know about could eventually kill him. It was not outside the realms of possibility that an innocuous virus in mammals could kill every alien in all the ships over an extended period of time.
Also what did they eat? How did they process wastes? How long do they live for usually?
Samantha was well aware that she had more questions rather than answers, so hopefully they would return Garendestat to his ship soon. She also considered that the best way forward from just about any viewpoint, let alone the medical viewpoint on the patient, was to go forward with the return of the alien to his ship.
***
Gindane considered the news she was seeing on the bridge screen of her research destroyer from the human television station with avid interest. The Barus commander had postponed any decision to leave and summon a fleet as she require
d additional information. She watched as an obviously important human leader was talking at length about installing a quarantine zone around the islands, as well as revealing information about a couple of surface ships in the vicinity.
Her understanding of English was improving steadily, however she still had to concentrate to understand the full message that the humans stating. They certainly did have a preoccupation with news information, and Gindane wondered if there was any significance in that fact either.
***
Garendestat, still feeling defeated, was exhausted from his earlier outburst. He needed to get out of the rest of his space suit as his legs were also now very itchy. He had noted that humans wore clothes, so at least they also had that in common with the Traders. He then slowly stood and pulled at length of canvas that lay nearby on one of the forward benches. Steve turned to look at him questioningly as he wrapped the canvas around his hips. A couple of short pieces of rope then secured the canvas around Garendestat’s middle.
Garendestat then tapped specific slots on the keypad of his space suit and the now familiar sound of the suit collars opening was heard by Steve. The bottom of the suit separated into a pants section, two lower leg sections with the knee joint, and two suit shoes.
Garendestat felt an increase in pain and itching as he took off all the lower sections of his spacesuit. He looked down at his legs and noticed that a myriad of red spots of varying sizes were present. From some of the spots a white growth was evident, and he resisted the urge to scratch the infection sites.
Steve gave Garendestat the privacy he needed as he got out of the rest of his space suit. The alien was definitely male, but different in that area for both plan and scale to humans. Then he noticed the large number of red sores on Garendestat’s massive legs.
Garendestat, ungainly in his canvas wrap, sat down again on the deck and pointed at the red sores on his leg. Perhaps unnecessarily he spoke again.
‘Danger, Steve, Danger.’
Steve quickly sent a message for Samantha and Rebecca to return to the rear deck to check out the illness now evident on the alien’s legs. The red sores reminded him of something, and he also asked Dan to come down again and look at Garendestat as well.
***
Probe three and probe two patiently followed the ancient matriarch as she approached her facilities along an immense line of underwater ridges. As the two Maveen probes entered the facility they could suddenly detect massive cloaked structures after they passed the boundaries of an enormous suppression shield encompassing the whole facility. The base included a fuel production plant, hull fabrication plant and a general outfitting plant for shields and weapons. The two first structures appeared to be full or nearly complete in their build lists. The general outfitting plant appeared to be running below capacity, and both the limited weapons and shields stored appeared to be of only adequate quality.
Angwene led the two probes over to an object nesting in a makeshift cradle nearby. Probe three would have given a gasp of surprise if it possessed lungs and a voice. For in the cradle lay a Maveen probe of great antiquity. Probe three felt emotions of both trepidation and awe, as the Maveen were programmed to revere old probes for both their experience and leadership. Queen Angwene then brusquely spoke to Probe three.
‘It is here we have our reward for you. So can you verify the cargo in the Trader hold, especially the specifications of the larger weapons and shields? Also they do have modern portable fusion generators in the hold as well?’
The Maveen probe only considered not providing a suitable answer, as too much was now at stake.
‘Yes your majesty, the larger weapons and shields are markedly superior to the items that you supplied and that we then placed in the damaged Trader ships. The fusion generator should help you in powering the new guns and shields adequately.’
The queen gave a small call of satisfaction, as her gamble with the Traders could be very worthwhile, even if their own production was delayed. Angwene then attended to the slumbering ancient probe. She altered the power levels trickling into the cradle and the probe came alive.
‘Wake up and pay attention as you have siblings that have come for you.’
Probe three watched as the ancient probe came to life and responded.
‘So long and too long I have been here. I am so impaired as to be of marginal value to you your Majesty.’
Both probes now came forward and gave their designations to the ancient probe. The old probe regarded Probe three and then Probe two for several seconds and replied.
‘We have much to discuss about this world and many other words, of times present and times past. You will soon know that I have been on this world for over forty thousand years.’
The queen settled back and let the three Maveen probes discuss what they needed to discuss. She could do no more in this situation, and her end of the deal was complete. Hopefully the Maveen lead probe would be in a position to quickly honor his end of the bargain.
Angwene already knew the story of the old probe. She had spent many years of analysis on the probe’s reports, even providing critical insights of her own that the old probe had been grateful to hear. However she settled back to silently listen to the old probe yet again, possibly the newer Maveen probes would provide a new insight or further information that had been earlier overlooked.
The ancient probe regard all those assembled as they remained silent and began his story by both laser communications and an audio signal for the queen’s benefit.
‘I was the lead probe for a mission to monitor the Dradfer colonies nearby to Earth when we witnessed the final cataclysmic destruction of those colonies. I was stranded on Earth after the other probes here left early and I later found the hibernating ancients…’
The probe continued to tell the story of his mission, as the stygian gloom of the oceans depths backed the soft blue communications lasers of the still Maveen probes.
***
Commander Jane Walker sat in her command chair of HMAS Sydney and listened to the radar operator as he gave a read out of the fast boat they had just detected. The Seahawk helicopter from HMAS Sydney was assisting HMAS Melbourne and her Seahawk helicopter with turning back several light aircraft attempting to fly to the Abrolhos Islands. The formal quarantine for these islands could not have happened soon enough she decided as the radar operator spoke again.
‘Captain, the contact speed is verified at fifty five knots and course is due west. The vessel is seventy five kilometers south/south east of our position. That we came south to rendezvous with the Aurora Discovery means that we detected the boat before it could go past well over the horizon.’
The commander looked at the radar information with annoyance. Fifty five knots was a significant speed advantage for this unknown craft, and she considered it must be an offshore racer or a former rescue craft. Jane also knew that their Seahawk helicopter was at a distance and was into the lower parts of the available fuel reserves.
‘So is the Aurora Discovery is still due south west over the horizon and doing ten knots?’
The radar operator answered in the affirmative and Jane had her answer.
‘The unknown boat has heard of the alien on the Aurora Discovery, and is trying to get to them. Very well, turn to course 225 degrees and go to forty knots please. We will call this boat on the radio and will specify that we are entitled to use all force to stop them. I want a call placed to Steve Greene on the Aurora Discovery to let them know they could have uninvited guests and they are to turn to the north-east towards the Abrolhos islands.’
***
Dan joined Steve and the two men watched as Samantha and Rebecca carefully examined the red spots on Garendestat’s legs. He looked over their shoulders and then spoke to his sister Samantha.
‘Those red spot are just like what we get with various fish species were there is both a water quality issue and the skin has been damaged. I think it is a fungal infection.’
Samantha conferred
with Rebecca and then she offered an opinion.
‘I think you are right and yet I am reluctant to place too much antiseptic balm over them in case he gets an adverse reaction.’
As the two sibling discussed Garendestat’s illness between themselves and Rebecca, one of the senior crew members from the bridge walked quickly up to Steve.
‘Captain, Commander Walker from HMAS Sydney wants us to turn to the north east to avoid an approaching unknown boat.’
Steve excused himself from the others and headed off towards the bridge, as he passed the front of the deck he stopped and looked at the runabout and back at Garendestat. The alien was trying not to look at the runabout as he looked back.
‘Good, a fait accompli is better than direct resistance.’
Steve thought grimly to himself. As he then strode swiftly to the bridge he wondered what else he could do to help Garendestat’s cause without earning a severe rebuke from Australian authorities.
Garendestat now quietly moved forward to the rear of one of the runabouts, the one he had examined previously on the side that he could see the distant patrolling sneak ship. The human ship had altered course and then increased speed. He considered that he would have no better opportunity given that the three humans were still talking amongst themselves behind him.
Garendestat reached over the side of the runabout and quietly removed three flares from the box underneath the console that Steve had unlocked earlier. He studied them again for few seconds, and was impressed in both the simplicity of the design and ease of the instructions he had memorized earlier. The relevant part of his basic training had come back to him, as three signals were significant to Traders, and now he had the means to get the job done.
Garendestat strode the two meters over to the edge of the deck, raised his large hand with three flares set correctly outward, pulled the safety caps and quickly lit the flares. Within seconds, the flares had launched and climbed a few hundred meters before the parachutes deployed. Dan turned and yelled at Garendestat.
