by David Buck
Captain Narindestat was glad to accept these recommendations, and the chief engineer now also spoke again after a few moments of quiet thought.
‘Captain, we must be seen to be hiding nothing, by all means keep them out of the main hold until the deal is agreed to by the humans. We can then show them the Maveen ship and the additional equipment we have elsewhere as well. Indeed if they ask in the meantime, we tell them that the main deck is unavailable until the deal is agreed by all parties.’
Several Traders nodded in agreement at the wisdom of the chief engineer. Captain Narindestat looked over at the dormant and shrouded Maveen ship and spoke again.
‘Well that is fair enough, as the cache of equipment in the main hold is going off the ship once the deal is agreed to, and I do not want to explain their absence to the humans. Now I cannot tell you were the equipment is going so do not ask. Finally the Maveen ship over there is part of the deal also.’
An excited buzz erupted as the Trader crew looked across the main deck. Halbindestat gave a smile and a laugh, and the crew looked in his direction.
‘Captain I have worked it out now and I will not voice my opinions until the deals are complete. I suggest we all get back to work as we still have to check over a strange problem with one of the aero spike engines.’
The captain gave his agreement to end the meeting and the Traders quietly left the main deck. Several of the younger engineers tried to crowd the chief engineer with questions, but he had a ready solution available, and soon had them all running to complete repair tasks.
***
Steve was heading towards the bridge to check on the latest status of the Aurora Discovery, when the satellite phone rang again, and he found himself speaking to Captain Narindestat.
‘Hello Captain, we are still not ready to come across to the island as it is not the agreed time yet. Now I was going to inform you later this morning that the leaders of our world have finally agreed to abandon all attempts at taking your ships from you and your crew.’
Captain Narindestat gave a dry cough that Steve recognised as polite laughter amongst the Traders as he replied.
‘Well that is good news Steve, I am glad to hear the threat of attack is much lower. Remember that I stated I would not surrender my ship under any circumstances. The news is welcome as I need to replenish my sneak ships before we leave and now I can accomplish this in a more efficient manner.’
Steve then continued on with the rest of his message.
‘Captain, our leaders have also given provisional approval for both trade deals, with the caveat that if the Maveen deal is too onerous we will not accept it, but just allow you all to leave. However the key points they want addressed are that real tangible technology gains must be offered and the Maveen must be considered to be friendly.’
The Trader captain gave a reassuring reply that Steve found interesting.
‘Well Steve, the Maveen are not aggressive by definition, but they are different to organic life forms for sure. Now as to the Maveen deal, all I can tell you for your leader’s benefit is that you will like their deal better than ours once you see the deal, and for entirely different reasons. As for the technology gains, apart from the stockpile, what else would your mission team like to see?’
Steve was ready with his answer as he reached the bridge and sat in his command chair.
‘Well Captain, we would like to see the key areas of your main ship, namely the engines, shields, fusion reactors, and the larger weapons. We would like to obtain as much additional technical information as we can from you and your crew.’
Captain Narindestat had no problems agreeing with Steve’s request as replied.
‘Steve the only thing I ask is that not all of your mission team should enter the ship at once. I will allow access to six of your mission team members under escort at all times to just the key areas we discussed. We will permit even further access to the ship once both the deals are agreed to by all.’
Steve readily agreed to this condition as he quickly scanned the important electronic readouts for the Aurora Discovery. As he sat back into his chair for a moment he remembered again the key piece of information he was seeking.
‘Captain Narindestat, we still remain concerned about the Maveen as they remain so enigmatic and unknown to us. So what more can you tell us to reassure us of their good intentions.’
Captain Narindestat decided that the most open answer would be the best.
‘Steve, the Maveen are an enigmatic race even to other galactic races. They have been in a state of cold war with the Zronte and their vassals for tens of thousands of years. The Maveen do not usually enter the inner parts of the galaxy as this would mean contact and cause conflict. However the Zronte and their vassals regularly sortie into the outer parts of the galaxy attempting to attack the Maveen. The Maveen are trustworthy and they are renowned for following through on their promises. They are a far superior and senior race when compared to ourselves.’
Steve went silent for a moment as he digested this information, no wonder the two races were keen to leave as soon as possible. The entire solar system could easily become a battle ground if they stayed any length of time. He thanked the Trader captain for this new information and the call ended. Steve finished checking over the status of the Aurora Discovery and then called Ian Ridge.
***
Douglas had assembled the mission team on the rear deck of the Aurora Discovery and they awaited Steve’s return from the bridge. In the background, the deck crew readied the two runabouts and the smaller inflatable boats for the short trip to Middle island. Ian and Sanjay were in earnest discussion and both men were taking notes on their data tablets. They also listed questions from other mission members that needed to be brought up with the Traders. Ian looked around him as he checked his list, with quick mutters of agreement from other scientists showing him he was going in the right direction.
‘Theory of everything, stable fusion, dark matter, dark energy, zero point, shields technology….’
Douglas was talking with two Europeans and a Russian as they brought up similar series of meeting points. The two Chinese scientists were having an animated discussion off to one side. Douglas looked forward towards the bridge, and noted that Steve was quickly coming down the side deck towards the gathering of scientists. He promptly called for order by raising both his arms and his voice.
‘Right everyone, can I have a moments silence please. Thank you. Now Steve looks like he has something to say then we will get into the boats.’
Steve stopped and nodded his thanks to Douglas as he spoke.
‘Now I have been speaking on the phone with the Trader captain and he has agreed to let six of us at a time look over key areas of the ship. This is also a good time to streamline our mission team further as we number two dozen now. I want a quick ballot to choose four section leaders, and it is something that you need to sort out amongst yourselves now. Finally we need to have an agreed list of questions for our guests to maximise the exchange of information.’
Steve and Douglas stood to one side, as Ian and Sanjay fixed several other team members with long smiles. In moments they were nominated as two of the four leaders. The remaining two slots were quickly decided with Lucas Garre, the prominent European scientist from CERN, and Mei Huang, a young but respected Chinese scientist and astronaut, filling the two final spots.
Steve was quietly happy with the choices, as the mission team was now truly multicultural, and included two section leaders that had previously argued for the capture of the Traders. He quickly went over to speak with Samantha, Rebecca and Dan, who were quietly talking to one side of the rear deck with their packs and video equipment slung across their shoulders
‘Now we will let the international scientists do the heavy lifting on all the advanced technology discussions. But we will need team members to record video and catalogue information. However do not forget any medical, biology or general technology knowledge that could be useful.’
&nbs
p; Steve looked around the rear deck again, and noted that the section leaders had assumed control of the lists of questions amongst themselves. In minutes the section leaders had agreed on their choices of scientists, before the full mission team then boarded the waiting boats and began the short journey towards the island.
***
Captain Narindestat gave a quick glance of appraisal at the six humans as they left the remainder of the mission team in the marquee and followed him to the foot of the ramp. He expected Steve and Douglas, but the remaining four humans were either new or not well known yet by the Traders. He deliberately led them up the ramp towards the side corridor that ran the depth of the cargo hold.
‘No sense in crossing the cargo hold with them and tempting fate.’ He decided to himself blithely.
Ian and Sanjay were excitedly discussing their questions as the Halbindestat strode down the side corridor to the approaching group and brief introductions were made. The two newest members, Lucas and Mei had kept quiet as they looked around the corridor, but they were clearly impressed by the scale of the space ship. By habit Halbindestat began an overview of the ship, as they passed through yet another bulkhead, and took a series of wide ladders down the decks of the ship.
‘The Illuria is what you humans call a large flying wing, and is best suited to smaller worlds than yours for laden landings and empty departures. She is about five hundred metres across and weights over five hundred thousand tonnes. The ship is classed as a long distance freighter and battle cruiser, and she has roughly four hundred times the conventional firepower of your US fleet.’
The scientists in the mission team blanched at this piece of information, as Steve quietly evaluated the reaction of Captain Narindestat to the Trader chief engineer. The chief engineer now merely kept his back to all of them as he continued to lead them through the ship. In minutes Halbindestat had opened an impressive door, and then he strode into a large engineering space dominated by a blue white sphere of light roughly twenty metres across.
‘This is one of the six fusion reactors we have on board the ship. They are each fifty times the output of your biggest fission reactors that we have detected remotely. Nasty stuff working with fission, with all that radio-activity, they make no sense at all on a living planet.’
The Trader captain gave Halbindestat a baleful look to nudge him along, and once again the chief engineer seemed to take no notice as he spoke again.
‘Now the key to any space going technology amongst the galactic races is the shield technology, as this is what allows us to generate and distribute the energy in the first place. I can show you how the shield technology is implemented in the fusion reactor.’
Halbindestat led them over to an engineering console and quickly brought up a schematic hologram for the awed humans to view. In moments he was fielding questions from the four international scientists, as Steve and Douglas quietly made their way over to speak with Captain Narindestat. The Trader captain was looking a trifle bored by the engineering overview, but Steve soon had his interest by restating the recent decisions by human authorities.
‘Captain, an attack from us is now highly unlikely, and we are in a position to now discuss the Maveen part of the deal. The leader of my country is prepared to meet you here, possibly tomorrow. We now understand something of the galactic politics set in motion by your landing on our world, and I will recommend that you be encouraged to leave as soon as possible.’
Captain Narindestat was encouraged by this news and Steve’s opinion as he warmly replied.
‘Steve, I am glad that we have an understanding in place now and I look forward to meeting your leader at some stage. We are encouraging the Maveen to help you in their unique manner, admittedly so they in turn will help us leave your world. As you now know, we cannot in good faith leave them here and go back to space by ourselves. Finally we also have problems leaving you by yourselves due to your lack of both social maturity and advanced technology.’
Douglas had kept watch on the schematic, and quietly rejoined the section leaders as they viewed the shield component sections of the Trader fusion reactor. Ian was getting in several questions to the ever patient Trader engineer.
‘You are saying you use the shields as automatic cross flow dampeners so that as the reaction rate cycles up, you constrict the dampers and lower the fuel rate?’
Halbindestat looked delighted at his human charges as he replied.
‘Essentially correct and the fusion reaction is most stable anyway at the spectrum range for a white star. This is about 9,000 degrees in your Kelvin measurement, or fifty percent hotter than the reactions of your own star.’
All the humans took a quick step back as they warily eyed the fusion reactor. Halbindestat grinned at their discomfort, gave a wheezing cough of humour and continued on again.
‘Of course the reactor shields provide excellent protection from heat and radiation. Now on the subject of fusion reactors, I recommend that you avoid building them too large and too cool to start with. A yellow reactor at 6,000 degrees Kelvin is still stable enough though inefficient. But a red reactor at 4,000 degrees Kelvin is dangerous due to radiation flux promoting either a runway surge or drop in power output, even at a size of only a few metres across. Basically the behaviour of the cooler red reactor mirrors the behaviour of the red flare stars in the galaxy that your astronomers would have already detected.’
Douglas was ready with a question or two of his own as he viewed a series of cutaways of the fusion reactor.
‘So you are effectively stating that the strong hydrogen lines in the reactor equal strong stable fusion of hydrogen? Also the helium produced must be dealt with in some manner I presume?’
Halbindestat now gave Douglas an appraising look as he replied.
‘Two very relevant questions and you are correct about the hydrogen lines and reactor performance. Now we use the helium both as a physical dampener in the fusion reactor as it is being extracted and as part of the ship drives. Though of course we have to cool the helium first and that takes an appreciable fraction of the power we generate to do so. Also the shields allow us to dissipate heat at certain settings when we are in space. Now since we are talking about the drives, I should now take you all over to see the main fusion drives and our two large aero spike engines.’
Halbindestat now led the six humans off further across the ship, as Captain Narindestat nonchalantly trailed behind to watch for any stragglers.
***
Chapter 14
Samantha and Rebecca had met with Emeria briefly under the awning, before all three had taken the side corridor through the ship and up to the sick bay to discuss the handful of remaining patients. They had had a quick laugh along the way as Emeria rubbed her tattoos and showed that now they remained fixed in place.
‘We improved on your makeup idea as we had the paint onboard. Interestingly the tattoos seem to be painted on again in pairs. One of the males will help one of our females if they are bonded or good friends. Occasionally two females will help each other if they are space sisters. But space brothers will not paint each others tattoos, and lately the males have been getting noticeably more aggressive with one another.’
Samantha and Rebecca had a good chuckle, and Samantha replied.
‘Your males are so like our men in many regards, and it is interesting to see the social changes in your group after the loss of the tattoos. Now you mentioned bonding, so has there been an increase in the pairing off of couples?’
Emeria smiled stiffly at the question, for she considered the question to be uncomfortable but disarming direct. So she answered in kind.
‘Samantha, well we indeed we have seen an increase in pairing off. Now there will be a spate of formal ceremonies once we are in space again. Not least of all the one between Garendestat and myself.’
The two human females gave broad grins and then whispered polite congratulations, before Rebecca ventured a question.
‘We have so many questi
ons about your species, for example how long is your lifespan? And how old are you before you find a partner?
Emeria looked at the human females, and recognised her own scientific interest being mirrored back to her as she replied with a tight smile.
‘Rebecca, we live roughly nine hundred to a thousand of your years. Our females can first breed at forty years, and we can breed until we are two hundred and eighty years of age. I am sixty years old now and Garendestat is a little older.’
Samantha was amazed by the information and now asked a question of her own.
‘You are both still young then for your race. We have a saying in our race about children ‘So may all your troubles be little ones’. So how long does a pregnancy last for in your species Emeria?’
Emeria found she liked the human saying though she was still a bit uncomfortable with the question topic. But then she remembered the briefing earlier this morning, as she replied with first a gentle admonishment.
‘Please be careful discussing the bonding, pairing off or other aspects of our reproduction in front of our general crew. We do not have enough females to go around, and our biology precludes sharing partners. Now in answer to your question, one of our pregnancies will take twenty of your months, or roughly one of our years. We have a term for it amongst ourselves and we call this time ‘the life year’.’
Even as Emeria paused, both Samantha and Rebecca offered hurried requests for forgiveness. Before the Trader medical officer spoke again at length to reassure them and provide information.
‘No need to apologise, as I was truly not offended. I am just concerned about the reactions of some of our male crew. We are an easy going race compared to other races, for instance the Tilmud and Jerecab can be highly offended by these types of questions. Now with our pair bonds a couple only has to wipe each other's tattoos, speak their intention to be life mates, and they are considered married. The formal ceremonies are to pay homage to our parents and friends, and also of course to celebrate. Now the tattoos we lost had a contraceptive effect in that it can take five to ten of our years before a Trader baby is conceived, so our reproductive rate is low even with our lengthy life spans. We often only have two or three children at five to ten years between each of them, so our population can take awhile to recover from disasters or wars. I wonder how our biology will react now that we are back to our fallow state.’
