Starship: First Steps to Empire

by R J Murray

  “Speaking of strange people, did you notice that the Earth ships could use the com while at FTL?” Eric asked.

  “No. They could? Where did they get that, I wonder.”

  “Probably one of their spies. Fortnard maybe, not that we can ask him anything. I’m sure there were others around.” Eric answered. “I didn’t realize it until later. I called them in FTL out of habit and they answered. I don’t think anyone else has noticed it either. At least nobody has mentioned it.”

  “Are you ready for desert?” Martha asked.

  “Not really much of a sweets person, but sure. What do you have?” Eric answered.

  Martha giggled and took his hand. “What do you think?”

  ~~~~~~

  “The planet has a larger population than we first thought. There are several very small villages scattered around between the equatorial regions and the arctic regions but without any sign of modern power. They are using fossil fuels, coal, oil and even wood as a fuel source. Several small farming villages have been found as well. They do not eat very many different foods, mostly meats and fish, but they do like some grains and a small amount of fruit. Most of the farms raise food for creatures similar to sheep, pigs and of course cattle. We have found no evidence of fowl on the farms.” The woman, one of the science department people paused to give her audience time to assimilate the information.

  “What about social structure?” Eric asked.

  “Clans, as you and Martha suggested. Each system is one Overclan but they are divided along family lines into smaller groupings. Each settlement is a clan with a family name. The Overclan has a name as well, which each smaller clan adds to the family name to identify with the ruling sect. The family is an extended one, with one senior male and a harem forming the core. Any can mate and take what females he can support but, they need permission to do so from the senior. Each family must support themselves or starve, period. Because of this, the younger males tend to stick with the family until they have established their own work or farms, whichever they decide to do to support themselves.”

  “What besides farming?” Eric asked.

  “Almost anything we do, except build space craft. Fishing, boat building, agriculture, machinist, woodsman, leather workers, tailors, radio and electronics, computers, and hunters are common. We have a full listing of professions and customs. I will send it to your computer.”

  Eric remembered her suddenly. She was the officer from the Pur Dank, the Damnation he corrected. The one who just wanted to meet him. He felt he may have been a little short with her earlier but wasn’t sure what to say.

  “You know, I never did get your name when we met last time.” Eric finally said.

  “Oh. I am sorry. I was just so excited to finally meet you. I still am I’m afraid. You’re something of a legend to most of us.” She stuttered.

  “Who, me? I don’t think I understand. What did I do?” Eric was genuinely confused.

  Martha stepped in to save him. “This is Lieutenant Grace Valiyev Song, working with our language people. She has a wonderful skill with languages when she isn’t too close to you. You will have to pardon him Grace. He has this strange idea that he’s just one of the guys who doesn’t do anything remarkable.”

  “Truly? Wow. How could he not know?” Grace gushed.

  “I will explain it to him later. He does need a little help from time to time.” Martha answered.

  “When can you make actual contact?” Eric asked, changing the subject.

  “Oh, we did that almost immediately. As soon as we entered orbit they called us and asked for mercy, offering to surrender as long as they would be allowed to live here in peace. I think they were worried about being enslaved once more, but we assured them that we wanted peace also. We apologized for nuking the city and offered aid.” Grace answered.

  “What did they say? Wait, can we go down there? What about the virus on Acadia? We’ve all been exposed to it.”

  “It can’t survive in a human host. As long as it has been more than a few weeks, the virus dies without the ocean species it was created for. We won’t infect them when we go down to the planet.” Grace said. “They thanked us but refused contact for now. They said they handled the radiation and did something with the dead, but I didn’t understand the word they used. They also said they understood about the Otstrand games. The contact, Mahesh Dring, said they were very sneaky people.”

  “Last question for now. Are they in contact with other groups or clans? Do the other clans know we want peace?” Eric asked.

  “Several ships have come into the system since we left the first time. The leaders here have told the others who came what happened. There will be those who have not gotten the word yet but we have a phrase added to the com for first contact with any Catroph groups indicating non aggression. The leaders here and a few of the space craft that spoke with us since we arrived also suggested we paint a badge of clan on our vessels. None of the Otstrand would do such a thing. They feel the clans are primitive and they spit nose fluids at them.”

  “Nose fluids? Nasty turn of a phrase. I hawk boogers at you.” Eric said. He suddenly remembered Dan at the crèche where Eric grew up. He could hold one side of his nostrils and shoot a green glob out the other side further than any other kid.

  “Yes, that’s it! I just could not think of the word. Boogers! You really are a wonderful person, so intelligent and helpful!” Grace got excited and Eric remembered Martha yelling Wahoo when she recognized a word from the Beaks. “It must be a science thing.” Eric thought.

  “Well, we need something to mark our ships as Human and emblems are traditional. I’m sure we can cook up something. One marking a ship as Empire and another for the individual ships like Steve did with Demon. Planets can have flags as clan markers. I’m sure Lee will want to paint a nice red dragon on his ship. All we need to do is come up with a symbol for the Empire.”

  “I’ll show you what I came up with later.” Martha offered.

  ~~~~~~

  “Do you have a thing for wings or did you research some of this from history?” Eric asked. The table was covered in drawings and designs, most of which contained wings of some type.

  “A little of each. I don’t think actual feathered wings would look right but they did give me a few ideas about shape. I thought stylized wings on a half circle covering the bottom of the galaxy. Top is just the other half of the galaxy. Just to keep it simple and not get too cluttered with things. A lot of older symbols used swords and wings, large birds, real or stylized and a huge number of symbols that don’t mean much to us today. I also thought about this one.” Martha pulled a drawing form the pile and handed it to Eric.

  “I like that. The way the wings curve around the stars, like they were protecting them. Let’s show a few different ones to the others along with these two. I want to talk to them about emblems on the ships anyway. I will push for this one though.”

  ~~~~~~

  “Lunar control this is the Acadian ship Hell Raiser. Please respond.”

  “Hell Raiser this is Lunar control. Welcome back.”

  “We have a full load for you. Six freighters for standard lunar orbit. Please confirm.”

  “Standard lunar orbit confirmed. Big changes since you were here last. I understand you had a hand in them. Our thanks.”

  “No problem, we humans need to stick together. It’s a mean galaxy out there.”

  “Roger that. I heard a few things. . . stand by please.”

  “Hell Raiser, this is Governor Hazer. Welcome back.”

  “Nice be greeted without a nuke on the end. How is it going?” Eric asked.

  “Better than I thought it would. We have a huge number of people who wish to migrate and an equal number who wish to hang the Council or dismember them. They are having a hard time deciding which would hurt more.”

  “Ouch. Either way would be unpleasant. You haven’t just turned them over?”

  “Not as of yet. I thought after things
cooled off we might have a trial but it doesn’t seem likely. I was hoping you might have a small rocky asteroid you could dump them on. Just for their own protection.” Hazer suggested.

  “You want us to handle your political problems? How is that the action of a free and independent planet?” Eric asked. “Get on the com and ask the people what they want done, then do it.”

  “Some of the men were my friends.” Hazer finally admitted. “I do not want to turn them over for mob justice.”

  “I see. Who and how many extra for family?” Eric asked.

  “Three plus about ten. Bofur, who stood against almost everything we were trying to do, Hamiraf and Shriaz. They were at least standing with me when the last decisions were made. Yes, before you ask, I have vid of the meetings and the debates which includes the votes. I do not ask that you take my word for anything that has happened.”

  “I believe you. Trust starts when you agreed to come back here and take over, to try and save the Earth. It will stop the minute I find you going behind our back and sabotaging our plans to rescue the planet. Send them up and we will find a hole for them to start over in.”

  “Thank you. They will be on a shuttle in ten minutes. They have four small children with them who would not have survived.” Hazer said. “End transmission.”

  “Roger that. Well, I guess we can find a spot for them, somewhere safe.” Eric said.

  “Safe for them or for us?” Steve asked.

  “Hell Raiser this is Creepy Crawler, please respond.”

  “Creepy Crawler, go ahead.”

  “We are in Mars orbit and we have dropped our shipment. A couple of the crew request a day to visit family on the surface. Or maybe under the surface. Okay if we stay for the day?”

  “It’s your ship Zion, your call. I don’t mind letting family visit. Be another day or two before we’re done here anyway.” Eric answered.

  “Roger that. Creepy Crawler out.”

  “It will take six hours before the shuttle from Earth can get here anyway. What do you want to do with them?” Phyllis asked.

  “Lock them up for now. I don’t intend to let them run around the ship and get into mischief. I suggest you get a few cabins ready for families with children.” Eric said.

  “Any idea the ages of these children?”

  “No idea. Assume they can walk but not yet pilot a ship. That should be safe.”

  Chapter 24 Children

  “I was wrong. They don’t walk, they seem to operate at FTL constantly. You two go around bulkhead seven and try to contain them. We’ll cut through the galley.” Eric was leading an assault party to locate and subdue the children. After two weeks in FTL he had relented and allowed the cabins unlocked with the clear, to him, understanding that these people would be circumspect in their behavior. The adults were, staying close to their cabins and eating to one side of the mess away from most of the crew. The two youngest children were wild beasts on the rampage.

  “They are not!” Phyllis said.

  “I didn’t realize I was speaking out loud.” Eric said.

  “Well, you were sort of mumbling but I understood. They are just kids and they want to run and burn up energy.”

  “Well then, after we catch them, why don’t you set up an obstacle course like the constabulary use for training and let them run it to their hearts content?” Eric suggested.

  “Actually, that is not a bad idea.”

  The kids were sitting in the galley while the cooks fixed them slices of apple pie and ice cream. When they saw Eric and the others, they started to run once more but the two men on the other side of the bulkhead blocked their escape.

  “Come on back and eat your pie. It’s not a problem. The Captain is going to fix up an obstacle course for you to play on. Much safer for you and easier on an old man like me. Think you could spare some pie for the rest of us?” Eric sat on the stool next to the kids, who returned to eat.

  “Is she the Captain?” The little girl asked.

  “Yes. This is Captain Phyllis O’Keeffe.”

  “Who are you?” The other child asked. Eric wasn’t sure if it was a boy or girl yet.

  “This is His Imperial Majesty, Admiral Eric Maddwell of the Empire.”

  “No he’s not! Eric the Madman is three meters tall and has fangs this long!” The first girl said, holding her fingers apart almost ten centimeters.

  Phyllis snickered.

  Eric ate his pie and wondered what he had done to deserve this. The cook, a man wise in years and experience, slipped a small brandy onto the table next to Eric.

  ~~~~~~

  “No more kids on ships that I am on. I may make it a policy for all crews to be single. Fangs this long.” Eric said to Martha over the com.

  Her face in the screen became quite serious. “That would be a major error. Many of the crews are looking forward to children and families wish to be together, including myself. You do wish to have children with me, do you not Eric?”

  “Yes, I do. But not THOSE kids. Our kids will behave better.”

  “Then I suggest you hurry. My biological time is not going to last forever.” Martha said wistfully. “But we will be traveling together, do you understand? I will not sit here and raise our kids while you spend a few years roaming the galaxy. Either that or you stay home with me and the kids. You would probably make a good farmer, with some effort and training.”

  “I have a nice cabin aboard my flagship. It would be big enough for two. Pack your bags woman.”

  “Do you mean it? You’re not joking.”

  “Yes, I mean it. Get ready to travel.”

  “Yes Sir, Admiral Sir! I’ll start packing right away.”

  Eric stood and headed for the bridge, looking for Phyllis. She was in the passageway leading to his quarters.

  “Sir, I wanted to apologize for laughing back there.”

  “Actually, don’t. We need to consider making these ships capable of handling families. Kids and all. We will need nurseries, schools, baby doctors, the whole thing. We could use one or two of the cargo bays for some things I suppose. We will need to redesign the fleet for this eventually. The base stations too. You should start thinking about how you’ll handle a few dozen kids aboard this ship Captain.”

  “Maker help me. I think you’re serious.”

  Eric grinned. “My quarters need a refit. My wife will be joining us on all future cruises. I am sure she will have a few suggestions for you Captain. Now, please excuse me. I am going to the lounge and drink heavily for a few hours.”

  ~~~~~~

  “How’s Mars doing?” Eric called Zion to see what happened to the crew members.

  “Doing better than before. The two took food down to Mars with them and didn’t need it. It seems that with the loads of organics we’ve been sending them that they have expanded the farms and could probably export some to Earth again. They are not, not until Earth can ship equal cubic meters of organics back. My two guys brought a few colonists with them, new people been on Mars less than two years. Both female by the way. Seems the family they went to visit had not quite started until now.”

  “We had a few thoughts in that direction too. All our ships have mixed crews so sooner or later we are going to have kids with us, in space. You might want to think about where you are going to put them.” Eric admitted. “Not sure the fleet is ready for this but I don’t think we have a choice.”

  “Not that I mind you know. I was thinking about a certain lady friend myself this last stop at Acadia. I couldn’t take dirt all the time but maybe we could trade back and forth little. A year here and a year there, you know. That wouldn’t be too much to handle.” Zion said. “Now that the trip back and forth is only four months total for the freighters she might be willing, you know.”

  “Good luck. Just be aware that some people are actually afraid of space and vacuum.” Eric warned.

  “Hell, isn’t everybody?” Zion laughed. “Creepy Crawler out.”

  “Well, no. Not everybody.
” Eric turned to Phyllis. “Are you afraid of space?”

  “Sort of. It takes a lot of getting use to but with time, training and practice I can hold my own. Even outside is not as scary as my first space walk. Most people are, you know.”

  “No I didn’t know.” Eric answered, thinking of Martha.

  “You’re not, are you. You like it.” Phyllis said. “I’ve seen you at the observation windows leaning against the glass, your face pressed against it. Nobody touches the glass. Everyone is afraid it will break, even the crew members. We know it’s tough and will stand up to a lot of pounding. We know that if it breaks an emergency plate drops over it but it’s thin compared to our fears. I’ve heard that when you step outside the first words out of your mouth are about the beauty and the freedom of the vacuum. I don’t understand it myself, but it is part of why people like Grace are in awe of you. Nothing fazes you, nothing scares you. Not nukes or Earth or aliens or even naked vacuum and a billion light years of nothing under your feet.”

  Eric shook his head. “Martha was right. I am weird.”

  ~~~~~~

  “I think it’s empty.” Horace said. He was looking over the shoulder of his science officer who was staring at the scanner readout. The object was a space station in orbit around a lovely blue green planet.

  “We need to be sure. Prep an alpha probe and a beta.” She said, reaching past Horace’s elbow to hit a button.”

  “No Delta?” Horace asked.

  “You want to blow up a perfectly good space station? You’re the captain but I would not recommend it.” Shirley moved Horace’s hand to read a second panel before ordering the probes launched. Horace took the hint and sat in his chair reading his own screens.

  “Looks good. Minor damage to the outer hull from micrometeorites as expected. No signs of life.” Shirley turned to the navigator. “Can you get one of the probes through that hole just below the dish?”