The Dave Brewster Series

by Karl Morgan

  “You’ve taken too long,” De-o-Nu said. At that moment, five Galliceans wearing battle ready pressure suits jumped onto the bridge of Nightsky, weapons at the ready. “Fifty more of my soldiers are all over your ship by now. Please surrender.”

  “I surrender the Nightsky to you, Captain,” Jon said at last.

  “Wonderful my friend,” De-o-Nu shouted, laughing heartily. “We will stay with you until the Defiant and Courage can reach us. Then we will turn you over to them. Kong-Fa out.”

  Chapter 15

  Jon Lake sat in Captain Lauren London’s ready room on the Courage. He and his crew had been taken to the Courage when it arrived at the scene of the Gallicean ambush two days earlier. He had been kept in a separate cell in the ship’s brig from his crew. That gnawed at him. He desperately wanted to know what had happened to them and his ship. He was angry at himself because he had not turned about when Ali first told him about the two cruisers orbiting Day’s End. Perhaps he could have avoided the confrontation if he had not been so sure of himself and the Nightsky. The people of Day’s End must have very strong connections in the galaxy in order to get twenty Gallicean starships to mount the attack.

  The door slid open and Captain Lauren entered with two other humans. Jon knew they must be human, but they looked so different. They were quite short and very pale-skinned. Perhaps they were part Kalidean. The captain was showing great deference to the two, so he thought they must be very important. Jon had met Lauren when he was taken on board the Courage. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, very tall and shapely, with large eyes the color of coal.

  “Admiral,” she said to Dave Brewster, “this is Jon Lake, the captain of the pirate ship.”

  Dave walked around the table and put his hand out to Jon, saying, “How do you do, Jon? My name is Dave, and this is my friend Charlie.” Jon nodded his head and limply shook Dave’s hand. “We need to talk to you about the Far Sky and New Dawn colonies.”

  “First, tell me about my crew and my ship, Admiral,” Jon replied. “The Skyers needed those supplies. People will be dying there soon if we don’t get the shipment to them.”

  Dave and Charlie sat at the table across from the pirate. Lauren sat with them. “Your ship?” she shouted at him, “You stole that ship from the Kalideans who had come to help you. And now you call it your ship?” Both Lauren and Jon were turning red with anger.

  “Calm down everyone,” Dave said in a muted tone. “There is no need for that now. We have a great mission ahead of us, and we need to focus on that. Jon, I know you were doing what you needed to do to help the colonists that Earth deserted. The exodus was a shameful time for everyone. Your people suffered needlessly, and we are here today to fix that.”

  “My crew and ship, Admiral, answer the question,” Jon replied.

  “We brought a crew of Kalideans with us on the Reliant,” Charlie began. “The ship has been turned over to them. They wanted you to know that they found the modifications you made to be of excellent quality. They plan to keep the larger cargo bay, although they thought the ten foot ceilings were a waste of valuable space.”

  Dave chimed in, “Your crew and the medical supplies have been returned to Far Sky, along with a few thousand more tons of supplies we brought from Earth. Without a ship, and knowing we are here to help your people, we doubt they will be much of a piracy threat in the near future.”

  “And I am to be tried as a criminal, no doubt,” Jon said. “I don’t care if you do. I did what I did because my people were in trouble.”

  “No one is trying anyone, Jon,” Dave continued. “Lauren, please open the viewing port.” She touched a button on the table, and the wall slid back showing a massive starship several hundred meters away. The ship was so large it filled half of the window. They could also see two other star cruisers nearby. All of them appeared to be orbiting above Far Sky colony. “Jon, that is my colony ship, the Ticonderoga. Two more ships like it will be ready to come here in a few weeks. The Council for Humanity has agreed to build at least seven more such ships.”

  “That’s great for you, Admiral, but why are you telling me all of this,” Jon asked. “If you’re not going to prosecute me, please let me go to Far Sky now.”

  “You’re not a patient man, are you Jon? I already told you we have brought along more supplies than you could have stolen in a hundred more raids. I would have thought you would be happy about that at least,” Dave asked.

  “Well, Admiral,” he began, “if it is true, then I’m grateful. All I have is your word that you did that, and released my crew. Why should I believe you? And by the way, what planet are you guys from, Admiral? You’re so short and pale. You don’t look healthy at all to me. Perhaps the supplies you gave us did that to you.”

  Charlie and Dave laughed out loud. “It’s not where we are from that did this,” Charlie laughed. “It’s when we are from. Dave and I were born in the twentieth century. We were asked to jump here to kick start humanity’s expansion into the galaxy. Dave the Explorer here is going to found a thousand worlds!”

  “Right now,” Dave started, “I’m not interested in founding any new worlds until we fix the mess we inherited. Jon, I need your help to manage the re-colonization of Far Sky and New Dawn. I am going to commit my entire fleet to fix the mess that we stuck you and your friends with. I told High Commissioner Darak I plan to relocate at least a billion people to each planet.”

  “Holy crap!” was all that Jon could say.

  “Jon, I couldn’t agree with you more,” Dave said. “Every day since I found out about these colonies, I’ve been feeling guilty about what happened. And it happened a thousand years after I was born! There was nothing I could have done in my time to fix this. Now, in your time, I will do whatever I can to get it right this time. Are you with me, Jon? And for goodness sake, please call me Dave.”

  Jon looked down and thought for a moment. Then he raised his head and stared into Dave’s eyes, saying, “Dave, if all of that is true, I am with you.”

  “Fantastic!” Dave shouted. “Lauren, send Jon back to Far Sky on a shuttle right away. Jon, please think about this some more. On Far Sky, meet with your crew and you can confirm everything I’ve said so far. Charlie and I will visit you in a couple of days. If you are still ready to help us, we can start then.”

  They all rose from the table. Lauren signaled Jon to follow her. As he passed Dave, he said, “What if I decide not to help, Dave? What will happen to Far Sky?”

  “Jon, my friend, either way I’m going to do the same thing. Within a year or two, there will be a billion more Skyers building factories and farms, and leading healthy lives as an active part of the community of man. You have done so much here to help these people. You have the knowledge and skills to do great things. When Chief Engineer Lagerfeld told me how I will be viewed in the future as Dave the Founder of a Thousand Worlds, I did not believe it. I’m an accountant from twenty-first century Earth. If I had the same skills as you, I might have believed it. But I still came. I was given the opportunity to do great things for humanity. Now, I hope I am giving that same opportunity to you. This opportunity could lead to a wonderful vibrant Skyer community, or you may choose to follow Charlie and me and found those other thousand worlds. Or, you can return to your farm and be happy there. It’s okay, as long as you are happy with your choice.” Dave shook Jon’s hand heartily. “Take care friend, and we’ll see you down below in a couple of days.”

  Jon, Lauren and the two guards left Charlie and Dave alone in the ready room. The two men walked over to the viewing window and looked at the scene outside. “Charlie, you know,” Dave began, “this still seems like a dream to me. Here we are, twenty light-years from Earth, orbiting another world that will soon be full of people because of what you and I are about to do.”

  “Aria always told me that life in this time would be hard for me to accept,” he replied. “But that’s not true. Life here is good. It’s completely crazy and unbelievable, but still it’s very goo
d. The way you talked to the pirate was amazing. I think Jon will be happy to help us now. It’s as though you offered to let him do everything he had ever wished he could do.”

  “I hope so Charlie,” Dave said putting his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “We need leaders like him to help us bring the Skyers back into the fold. They also know what Far Sky is like, warts and all, and can help the new immigrants settle and fit in. Sometimes, I’d like to let this all go and just go home and keep looking for a job as an accountant.”

  “Do you really think you might do that, Dave?” Charlie asked.

  “No, probably not. This existence is too amazing to give up. I still want to fly with Fa-a-Di again, only the next time it will be Saturn, or maybe Gallia,” Dave replied.

  “Well Dave, right now, I’d settle for a nice cappuccino, and maybe a chocolate croissant,” Charlie said as they walked out the door.

  Chapter 16

  When Jon Lake landed on Far Sky, the shuttle craft was met by a large crowd at the star dock. He saw Ali, Frake and the rest of his crew waiting to welcome him back. His sister, Aliz, was at the front of the crowd and rushed to hug him when he stepped out of the shuttle craft. They told him the city was holding a banquet in his honor and they pulled him along toward the town square. Residents of New Dallas lined the streets and joined in the crowd as he passed by. Everyone wanted to shake Jon’s hand and pat him on the back. At the town square, picnic tables had been set up and a banquet line of food and drink was awaiting them.

  Jon was led to a table on a dais, and sat at the appointed spot. Aliz and Frake sat on either side of him. Soon the throng of five thousand had been seated. Everyone was smiling and talking to their neighbors about the events of the last few days. A group of waiters, townsfolk as well, moved through the gathering pouring local wine in everyone’s glasses and passing out plates of appetizers. The waiters then sat to join the festivities. Alton Brae, the Mayor of New Dallas, rose and walked over to Jon and his crew and shook each hand, offering his sincere congratulations on their success. He then moved over to a podium that had been wired for sound.

  “Good day, fellow Skyers!” he began. The crowd erupted in cheers and shouts. Alton waved his hand to get order, and continued, “Today, we are here to celebrate the glorious crew of the Nightsky, who have helped us to reach a turning point in the history of New Dallas and all of Far Sky.” More cheers pierced the air. “Many of us had become resigned to the eventual end of this colony over the many years since the exodus decimated our numbers and the supply ships stopped arriving. I had come to accept that as well. We had no chance of survival without the needed medical and other supplies. Our society was doomed to turn back to earlier times with a terrible quality of health and life for those of us left behind. It was our choice, but it did not look like it had been a good choice.” The mayor pointed to Jon and the other pirates at the head table. “Then one day, our great friend, Frake the Brave, led a group of fellow Skyers and took possession of the Kalidean ship, now renamed Nightsky.” Shouts and applause rang around the square. “Frake, please stand up and take a well-deserved bow.” As he stood, the crowd erupted in applause and shouting that lasted five minutes. Frake blushed bright red and waved to the mass of people. The mayor continued, “We had the tool then, but no way to make it happen.” He waved at Jon to rise as well. The shouts grew louder still. “And then this man came to our rescue. Jon the Commander and his team converted that research ship into a great pirate vessel.” Applause filled the air. “Not only that! Then Jon Lake led this crew on a hundred missions to get the medical supplies that we needed so desperately. Jon, come on up here and say a few words!”

  The thunderous applause and shouting lasted for minutes before Jon could hear anything else. He waved to the crowd and pointed to different people whom he knew or were part of the team that rebuilt the ship. When the noise dropped, he said, “Thank you Mr. Mayor. Thank all of you for your support of my crew. We only did what any right minded person would have done. It was an honor to help the people of Far Sky overcome the hardships put upon us. When I started this mission, I firmly believed some day war ships would come to stop us. But, I was certain that battle would destroy the Nightsky and my crew. I was prepared for that. I was not prepared for what did happen. Earlier today, I met with two people from the twenty-first century.” Quiet murmurs filled the air. “They have said many wonderful things I hope are true. If so, today marks the new beginning of a great history of Far Sky colony. I will continue to do everything in my power to help that future come true for all of us. My sister, my crew and I thank you for this wonderful occasion and your dear company.”

  After another wild round of applause and shouting, the Mayor shook Jon’s hand and joined him at the podium. He put his arm around Jon’s shoulder, saying, “Jon, I have here in my hand a document signed by both High Commissioner Darak Daniels and Admiral Dave Brewster. This document says that Far Sky will hold elections for a High Council within six months. Only residents who have lived on Far Sky for at least five years will be able to vote or hold office. Any new colonists will have to wait until the third such election to meet this condition. Therefore, we will control the destiny of our planet for at least the next eight and one-half years.” The crowd cheered yet again. “The document also says that Darak and Dave have selected an Interim High Commissioner for Far Sky for the six months before the first election.” The crowd grew very quiet. “And that person is Jon Lake!”

  The celebration lasted long into the night. Messages were sent to all of the settlements on Far Sky about the events at New Dallas. Thousands of congratulatory messages were sent to Jon Lake. He was happy to find his family and friends safe and happy. The food was wonderful and the wine was even better. He knew much of the wine was from his own vineyard. While surrounded by Gallicean soldiers, he had thought he would never taste that again. So far, Jon had found that Dave was telling the truth. The future would tell.

  Chapter 17

  Six months had passed since Jon Lake was released and sent back to Far Sky. Dave Brewster had remained in orbit on the Ticonderoga, coordinating the arrival of colony and construction ships. He communicated with Jon and his teams daily, but stayed on board so that Jon could remain the leader of his planet. The reestablishment of Far Sky was going very well. Thousands of new structures had been completed, and many more were constantly under construction. More than one hundred thousand people had already migrated from the inner planets to Far Sky, doubling its population. Another hundred thousand were involved in the construction projects. Some would remain, but most were expected to return to their homes when their jobs were completed.

  Dave felt all alone orbiting in space above Far Sky. He had sent his friend Charlie with the Reliant to New Dawn to assess that planet. Jon Lake had known very little about the other colony. No one on Far Sky had any contact with them. Aria and Darlene had jumped back to the twenty-first to start convincing their children to move to the future. They knew convincing them to leave Earth would not be simple. They had no idea their parents had moved to the future and seemed content to keep their lives just as they were. Dave knew their mothers could have more impact on them than Charlie or him. Aria was a question mark though. She was not the mother of Charlie’s children. With his friends away, Dave was feeling lost and lonely on the ship with its crew of ten thousand. He longed to walk those few blocks from his twenty-first century home to Starbucks and chat with Charlie again. A tone sounded, indicating an incoming transmission. Dave touched the control button and the view screen came to life. He saw High Commissioner Jon Lake smiling at him. “Jon, how are you today?”

  “Very good, Dave,” he replied. “I just wanted to give you a quick update on the election preparations.” Dave nodded, and Jon continued, “Everything is coming together well. All the polling locations have been set up and the voting equipment is on its way from Day’s End. That stuff should arrive tomorrow or the following day at the latest.”

  “That is good news Jo
n. What is going on with the candidates?” Dave asked.

  “It’s about as good as we could have expected,” he replied. “We have five hundred candidates for the regional councils for three hundred positions. After the election, the thirty regional councils will each select one councilor to be on the planetary High Council. That council will then select the High Commissioner. I’ve personally met most of the candidates, and I think we have a great field.”

  “Are you getting any negative feedback from newcomers to Far Sky? Are they upset that they can’t vote?” Dave queried.

  “Some, but that was to be expected,” Jon said. “I think our communications about how well our candidates understand this planet from years of experience and are committed to making everyone a partner in our progress has minimized the issue.”

  “That’s good, Jon,” Dave said, calmed that the new Skyers were not frustrated by the rule. “I hear you are doing very well in the polling in the New Dallas region. I knew that would happen. You’ve been doing a great job there Jon. Darak and the entire High Council are thrilled you decided to help us.”

  Jon’s face looked pained. He looked down, and then back at Dave. “Dave, thank you for the vote of confidence, but to tell the truth, I’m not sure I was cut out to be a High Commissioner, or anything else in government.”

  “Are you thinking about dropping out of the contest?” Dave asked, very surprised by this turn of events. “Of course, I do remember what I told you on the Courage when we first met. All we really want is for you to be happy, Jon. It’s up to you to decide if that’s in government or on your farm. It would be a big loss for the growth of Far Sky, in my opinion.”

  “Or maybe my place is in space, Dave?” Jon said. “I’ve been talking to Aliz and Frake a lot about this. I am so grateful to you for what you are doing for Far Sky that I can never say thank you enough.” Dave smiled and nodded his head. Before he could speak, Jon began again, “But I’ve been thinking that I could do a lot more for humanity by helping you found those thousand planets. I’ve never been much for meetings and setting rules and regulations. I’m more of a builder and problem fixer. When I was retrofitting the Manila, I recognized how much I love space and the adventure to find new planets and new civilizations.”