by David Buck
The senior researcher answered the flashing indicator on the command chair and briefly spoke again.
‘Commander Gindane, the humans launched twelve missiles against us which we easily neutralised. I am taking the ship back down to high orbit over the specified part of the eastern Indian Ocean. I will have a full report to you later Commander.’
The senior researcher settled back to monitor the recent situation, as the destroyer resumed their high orbit and the defensive gun crews stood down. He had been through enough excitement for one watch, and hopefully the commander would get enough sleep tonight so that he could get back into his own research work.
***
At 8am sharp Steve led the members of the science team down the side ladder to the waiting runabouts, and the eight people had crammed onboard for the short journey to Middle Island. He was driving the first runabout to the island and the Trader ships in the near still morning. All eyes were focussed on the hulking form of the main Trader ship looming over the sea. As he drove in, he pointed out that most of the Trader sneak ships and all the Maveen probes were to be absent.
Steve throttled back the runabout outboard engine and he noticed that Captain Narindestat himself stood at the foot of the landing ramp. The captain also now wore the white cape and visors, no doubt to keep up pretences, as the humans wanted to spend some of the day filming the Traders and their ships. Garendestat and Emeria walked down the ramp and were warmly greeted by Steve and the other three Australians. They responded as warmly back to the humans and then the captain spoke.
‘I will meet the additional members of the team you have brought across. But bear in mind we continue with our repairs and no humans will be allowed access to our ship unless escorted by one of us.’
Steve next made the introductions for the American scientists, but noticed that Captain Narindestat seemed preoccupied this morning. Steve set Dan to lead one team consisting of the remaining Americans to again film the desalination plant. He then asked Ian to film the two damaged Trader ships with Samantha and Rebecca. Steve needed to bond a strong team as soon as possible, and so he sent them all off to work together to establish this bond. Steve now turned to speak with Douglas.
‘Douglas you stay with me for now as we need to find out what is going on. Captain Narindestat you seem preoccupied, can we help you with anything or just stay out of the way for the moment?’
The captain thought about his reply and watched the humans spreading around the island with their cameras before he spoke.
‘Very early this morning, your three largest military powers launched a series of nuclear tipped missiles at the Barus research ship. The research ship evaded and easily defeated the missiles. However the problem I have is that the Barus may use this attack to summon military assistance, and that would not do either of our races a lot of good.’
Steve turned to look at the empty places where yesterday several sneak ships had stood dormant and replied.
‘So that is where your sneak ships are at the moment, flying cover for a possible nuclear attack?’
Narindestat replied that this was the case and volunteered an insight or two.
‘We need to clarify what it is that you humans are most concerned with, as we need to avoid the risks associated with further misunderstandings leading to another attack. I will talk to the Barus themselves if it would further help the situation.’
Douglas had been already thinking on similar lines before the Trader’s statements, and he offered a reply as he handed Steve the camera.
‘Steve, I can take this if you don’t mind. Captain Narindestat, we have s few concerns about either another pandemic, or an invasion, or a pitched battle taking place on the planet and in Earth orbit. If you can address those concerns we are well satisfied and will report back to our leaders.’
Captain Narindestat gave an approving look to this new human he had just met this morning. He reflected that they certainly seemed intellectually very capable, almost too capable.
‘Well Douglas, we are armed but our emphasis is on trading, and the Maveen role is scientific. The US 5th fleet was disabled basically by low strength Maveen science and research probes, though admittedly they are as strong as our much larger sneak ships. As for invasion, not from us, as we are a space based species and we want to leave before your planet kills us. Finally the quicker we leave the better the chance of avoiding a large space battle near your planet.’
Garendestat looked at Emeria for a moment and added a significant rejoinder of his own.
‘And if they establish that we have no glimmer tattoos they will state we have lost our honour and have turned rogue. They would then seek to kill us after we leave your world.’
Douglas glanced at Steve for a moment, with Steve giving a curt nod, before replying.
‘So we need to reassure the world leaders and also the Barus. If this works then hopefully they will not summon more powerful ships. So can you talk directly to the Barus commander and possibly we could resolve any further problems?’
The Trader captain could only agree with Douglas as he had already made the offer to talk to the Barus. Douglas and Steve quickly gathered again the other six members of the science team, and they patiently followed the Trader captain up to the bridge of his ship.
***
Prime Minister Ian Ridge was beside himself with frustration as he spoke yet again to the US president, but he managed to keep most of it from his voice.
‘James, we need to recap the results of the efforts so far in connection to dealing with these alien races using force. A fleet attack was driven away, the Traders knew about your submarine as we turned it back, a hyper sonic missile was shot down, and now this US led attack on the Barus ship with nuclear missiles that was easily defeated.’
Ian listened with considerable patience to the replies of the US president, even if at one stage he though he was being shouted at by the rattled president, before he spoke again.
‘James, I understand that the latest attack was in part politically motivated, and actually it is of value. This is because we now know just how far behind we are in dealing with force against any of the alien races. That information can only be valuable to humanity in the future.’
The Australian prime minister continued to listen to the now calming president, and then took the opportunity to add a further comment.
‘James we are sending across several more scientists later in the day to the research ship we have at the Abrolhos islands. So do you have any other scientists on their way to Australia that we can use?’
Ian listened to the US president and made initial notes about the names supplied. He would talk to Steve Greene later in the day, and inform him of the additional arrivals.
***
The ancient queen moved silently across her production facilities to the cradle on which the disabled and elderly Maveen probe rested. One of the new Maveen probes was close to the cradle, and Angwene ignored it as she checked the status of the huge suppression field. The old Dradfer probe soon began talking again to probe three, and as the queen approached, the two Maveen probes stopped their silent blue laser dialogue and patiently waited for her to speak.
‘I have been monitoring the space above the planet, and another ship has arrived. It appears to be a Barus science vessel that was briefly here ten years ago. Now after several hours the humans made an unsuccessful attack with missiles. I cannot detect any more missiles in flight or the Barus ship responding any further to that attack.’
The two Maveen probes resumed their blue laser beam dialog for several moments as the queen patiently awaited a response, then probe three gave an acoustic reply.
‘Your highness, we consider that the attack will not be repeated, and that it was motivated by learning that the Barus were involved in the creation of the pandemic. We see no reason to either panic or make changes to our mission at this stage.’
Queen Angwene was already aware of the events relating to the pandemic and
concurred with their views. She then asked about something she had largely overlooked earlier.
‘So as to your original mission before you came to this world, can you tell me what it involved and the location you were originally being sent to as passengers on the Trader ship?’
Probe three did not need to talk to the elder probe about this question, as the lead probe had been quite specific in his instructions.
‘Your highness, I am under orders not to reveal either the location or nature of our previous mission. I will ask that you take this question up with the lead probe.’
The ancient queen did not press the matter with probe three, as she would indeed take the matter up with the lead probe, during the Maveen probe’s return within the next two or three days.
‘For the lead probe’s sake he had better return with the agreed items.’ the queen thought coolly to herself.
As Angwene swam slowly away, the blue communications lasers once again started as the two Maveen probes now discussed the queen’s very question.
‘She cannot be allowed to know what she asks, for the reasons we have agreed on earlier. So much could be unravelled if she was to learn too much too early.’
The elderly Maveen probe reviewed the supplied information that probe three had used as justification for not answering the queen, before making his own reply.
‘We already now that those you seek have been hunted relentlessly for many years. Perhaps the view to a resolution needs to be considered from their angle.’
Probe three listened silently as the elderly probe made his case, and found the logic compelling.
***
Captain Narindestat strode onto the bridge and quickly doffed his goggles and cloak to a waiting crew member. The humans noted the ornate glimmer tattoo that graced his chest, left shoulder and neck, then up to his left cheek. Rebecca was thoughtful for a moment as she especially considered the intricacy of the tattoo on his neck and left cheek. The captain ignored the watching humans and once again donned the upper section of his impressive formal captain’s uniform.
Steve thought that the rows of gold and silver beading on the uniform were not overdone. As the Trader captain had the command presence to carry the uniform, not the other way round like the human military officers of many third world countries.
Rebecca stated a couple of quiet observations to Samantha, who for her part looked at the captain first then the rest of the Traders on the bridge. Samantha looked at Rebecca and asked a simple question.
‘So you did bring your kit with you?’ To which Rebecca gave a quick nod and patted her back pack.
Captain Narindestat gave a hard glance around the bridge for a moment and his bridge crew made sure they were busy. In the case of three younger lieutenants, they promptly moved to other consoles out of view of the central camera. The side cameras were now disabled on the bridge, with Garendestat and Emeria speaking in hushed tones to one side, as they looked around the bridge. The captain slowly sat down and thought for several moments before speaking.
‘Before we start any transmissions, I would like to add further information about the reason we landed in your oceans. Also the information is by way an explanation about how we lost several crew members.’
Captain Narindestat then brought up an image on the screen, and Steve flinched as he recognised the image. Both Samantha and Rebecca came closer in fright to their respective partners.
‘What you see in front of you is a Voorde drone, one of a great many that infested our ship until recently.’
The captain then recounted the sorry story of the Voorde infestation, though he left out specifics relating to the Jerecab and the Maveen involvement. After a considerable amount of time the story was told to the humans, and they stood around looking at each other in stunned silence. Steve was the first to speak again with considerable exasperation.
‘So captain, these Voorde creatures were still alive when you landed in our ocean and flooded our ship. What would have happened if they had got ashore?’
The captain looked at the humans silently for a minute and was going to answer, before Ian interjected as he looked nervously around the bridge of the ship.
‘Another extra-terrestrial race on our planet, one that is non sentient and devours all other life, where does it all end?’
The other humans also now looked nervously around the bridge as Captain Narindestat spoke again.
‘We killed most of the Voorde in space, including the primary queen.’
Garendestat stood silently with Emeria, and he fixed Steve with a friendly look as his father continued speaking.
‘But we then established that Voorde eggs and drones were still present through out the ship. We actually obtained information of this planet’s oceans indirectly from the Barus ship now overhead.’
Captain Narindestat gave the humans what he hoped was a polite smile before speaking again.
‘We were always aware of the risk of our landing. We would have chosen to die on the seafloor with our ship totally flooded rather than risk the life on your planet. Also your planets’ biology appears to disagree with the Voorde as much as it disagrees with us, and we are not sure why they were so affected.’
The humans now looked at what was obviously a screen grab of the Voorde queen as she charged past armed Traders. They were both intrigued and terrified by the scale and apparent ferocity of the huge queen. Steve had calmed down now and looked thoughtful as he remembered the rescue of Garendestat.
‘After I rescued Garendestat, he pulled a weapon and sank that rig he was suspended from by cable. The rig was full of those Voorde creatures, and the looks they gave me certainly were not friendly. Now if the rig was ruptured and sunk into deep water, then there is no way those creatures could survive?’
Garendestat looked at Steve and replied after a glance of approval from his father.
‘Steve, the Voorde would not have survived. I followed that research rig out of our main hold in deep water after attempting to tie it down after the final battle in the hold. I was quite prepared to ensure it did not make landfall by following it down to the sea floor. Now though I am happy how the situation eventually worked out.’
Steve considered the new information with unease as he looked at Garendestat and his father, then made a simple observation.
‘Once again we need to reassure the various world leaders that you and your ship are not a threat to either us or our planet. If the Barus had not arrived you may have departed without us knowing the full reasons for your landing.’
Captain Narindestat looked at the humans and kept his expression calm, as he could certainly understand their viewpoint too well. He then quietly spoke to reassure the humans.
‘We only sought to rid our ship and save our lives, and that much is true, but our honour would not allow the death of your world. As we have said earlier, we would have chosen death on your sea floor rather than allow this to occur. Ask that of any of my crew.’
Steve and his team looked around slowly at the Trader crew on the bridge, and their eyes took first in Garendestat, then Emeria, and back to the captain. The humans also looked around at the several other Traders gathered on the bridge.
All the Traders returned the gaze of the humans with polite smiles, some bowed in respect, but all held the eyes of the humans with their own eyes. Captain Narindestat looked at the humans kindly as he spoke again.
‘Another thing with us Traders is that we would seek to be fair in our relationships and trading agreements with other races. We could not let our omission stand as a result.’
Steve called the rest of his team to one side and two of the Americans were shaking their heads, whilst Douglas stood silently to one side. The two men wanted the Traders to surrender outright to human authorities after this development. Steve was surprised that Ian now with vigour took the part of the Traders as he spoke to his countrymen.
‘Paul, Simon, now look, the Traders have not actually killed anyone with the Voor
de infestation. It is true we had losses with the attack of our 5th fleet, but that decision has since proven to be extremely foolhardy anyway.’
Steve calmly added his own view as he gave Captain Narindestat a calculating look.
‘Also we have to avoid the situation were the Barus end up taking a direct role and that is my main concern now. Indeed as long as the Traders are telling the truth it would pay to keep the Barus at arm’s length.’
The other team members soon came around at this reminder of the current situation off world taking more precedence. The members of the team added their further opinions, and after several minutes Steve turned to speak again to the patiently waiting Trader captain.
‘Captain Narindestat, we accept your explanation and appreciate your forthright manner in explaining this all to us. We do have very real concerns about this, and we need to qualify that you do not have any more unpleasant secrets that you should tell us about.’
The captain smiled uncertainly at the humans and spoke again at length.
‘I would have told you this problem if I had time to do so. We were already admittedly frightened of your potential response to us. Rest assured there are no future unpleasant secrets to be discovered. We could have argued the same way as the Barus about you having no authority over us. But then we are on your planet now, and that would have conveyed extreme disrespect. I believe that if we are to leave we will need your assistance or at least your understanding.’
Steve looked around his mission team, and they either silently appraised the Trader captain or now nodded their heads in agreement.
‘So we have no dissent on this matter at least’ he considered to himself as he again spoke.
‘Captain, what information can you tell us about the Maveen? We have still real concerns about these ships based on their role in damaging and driving away the US 5th fleet.’
Behind Steve, several nodding heads told Steve that the importance of the Maveen was not something the humans would readily ignore.
