Adam nodded in full agreement. “That would be just long enough for us to check out that Kuth military facility, anyway.” His mood was rapidly regaining traction. “Can the Pathfinder’s wormhole projector be used to bring the Ali Rinai here, just long enough to send us directly to the area around that facility?”
“Yes,” Thomas stated alertly, without the slightest bit of hesitation. “It’s essentially the same procedure used to send the Ranger and Corona to the Wasteland. The last round of hardware upgrades will not require the CAS generator or the primary projector to be off-line. I’ll submit another request to Glen at the conclusion of this meeting, and we’ll make certain we accommodate you.”
“A single, direct jump from here to the facility will allow us to beat that convoy to its destination,” chuckled Adam with a dark grin. “The beginnings of a plan are forming in my devious mind.” He studied the President thoughtfully. “You stated once that my defenses can be adapted to project holograms, meaning that I can at least seem to ‘change shapes’ if I want to.”
Kaufield managed to suppress a laugh. “Look at you,” he said with a shake of his head. “Our happy warrior, ready to save the entire universe, if need be.”
Placing a protective arm around her husband, Noriana looked sharply at the others. “He’s not going back before we spend at least some time together,” she told them all commandingly.
“Agreed,” Adam spoke up. “It would be nice if I could spend an hour or two with my wife.”
“If history is any indication, you’ll only need a minute or two,” she taunted him, causing his face to redden noticeably. “We’ll spend the rest of the time with Kari and the kids.”
“Geez honey, one of these days, you’re really going to have to put that fighter jock language firmly in your past,” he replied with a firm shake of his head. “You’re a mom now, after all…”
“Okay, it’s settled,” decided Kaufield. “Thomas and I will make certain Glen has the Pathfinder prepped and ready to relay your ship back here and then on to that military installation. They’ll finish with her upgrades while you investigate the Kuth computer systems there.”
Mere moments later, the meeting concluded in a flurry of moving bodies.
Kaufield lingered, holding Karen Simmons in reserve with a cautious wave of his hand. “How do you think he’s doing?” he asked her curiously, his stern expression betraying his concern for a friend.
Her mood solemn, she held up both hands. “His anxiety readings are normal, although he did sound a bit euphoric and that would be normal for someone who is normally hyper in a tense situation. For him it’s a tad unusual; but he does seem to be coping pretty well considering his normally laid back personality.” She wrinkled her mouth, deep in thought. “Sooner or later the full width and breadth of what he’s been through is going to land hard on his subconscious. I urge caution and recommend that you not leave him in combat situations any longer than you absolutely have to.”
“We could replace him now. I offered to take over for him once already.”
“Dennis, we’ve already put Adam knee deep in all of this. I think we have to allow him to see this through,” she continued. “If we don’t, the emotional consequences will be much tougher to live with. Right now he’s made up his mind to save his new friends, and we must help him keep that promise.”
“I’ve already discussed that subject with Noah. When we’re done poking around in the Wasteland, we’re going to bring the Ali Rinai and its crew here to stay,” he informed her. “More than likely the families of all those men and the others in their clans are barely scraping by. The sooner we can help them the better.”
“Remember, you chose him in the first place because you wanted the mind of a scientist watching everything that goes on. I’ll work with his Sentinel to induce sleep once he’s gone back,” Dr. Simmons decided. “He told the crew in his ship’s Command Center that he would be sleeping for seven hours or so. We’ll at least make sure he gets four or five.”
“Relax Doctor,” said Kaufield, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’ve seen a lot of men enter combat zones, including myself. If he was going to react terribly to the experience, noticeable symptoms certainly would have surfaced by now.” He went silent briefly, thinking. “Of course, he hasn’t faced some of the toughest challenges yet… his technological advantages have helped him avoid those. I can only pray that this continues.”
“You and me both,” replied the Doctor.
The President dimmed the lighting, and together they left the empty conference room.
Aboard the Ali Rinai…
Six hours later Adam was standing in the Command Center, carefully tapping a series of navigation commands into the main computer. Thomas’ thoughts were back in his head, feeding him a series of coordinates that would bring the large Yakiir warship into contact with the opposite end of a transit portal whose origin point would be in Tranquility orbit. Snee Vasten was present as were Adam’s four Crasel friends, along with three other Yakiir officers whose presence was specifically requested for this occasion. The Yakiir and the Zaketh continued to have difficulties getting along, and Adam knew full well that the ongoing problems with the Yakiir likely originated at the top of their command. All eight men were watching him closely, and he could feel the stare from the three Yakiir officers burning into his back without looking. Nevertheless, he silently resolved to win them over on this occasion.
“There are very few habitable planets left on which to live in the Wasteland,” he began slowly. “The quashing weapons have truly made survival within this region of space extremely difficult.”
“We already know this,” snapped Kra Wonin, Vasten’s Yakiir counterpart. “You tell us nothing new.”
“I didn’t bring you here to tell you anything,” replied Adam brusquely. “There is something you all need to see with your own eyes. Otherwise no amount of words from me will ever sink in.” He returned his attention to the navigation station and fired the warship’s thrusters, bringing it slowly around to align with the new coordinates that he had spent the last few minutes inputting into the main computer.
“You’re wasting your time,” decided Vasten with a nasty leer toward the others. “They knew the Kuth were among them and simply chose to ignore that fact so that they could continue to serve as officers.”
“And your men assault and murder our women,” replied Wonin hotly. “Is only barbarism of the worst kind to be found in Zaketh space? Judging by the conduct of your soldiers, it would appear so.” He stared intensely at Adam. “And then you name this ship after one of our own to mock us.”
Adam let them heatedly trade barbs for another few minutes, using the time to insure that the vessel was on course toward the target coordinates relayed to him by Thomas. “Why don’t you two try exchanging roles for a while?” he suggested after listening closely to their conversation. “Vasten, you strongly objected to your Captain’s behavior – even calling him inhuman at times due to his arrogance and treatment of others. Yet you served under him willingly as an officer because the alternative was to step down in disgrace and end up right at the front of the shock troop line.”
“I… I truly wish things had been different,” admitted Snee Vasten grudgingly. “Captain Saou was poison.”
“You made the best of a really bad situation, one beyond your ability to change,” pointed out Adam in response, shifting his focus toward Kra Wonin. “I want you to look deep inside yourself and the hearts of your men too,” he cautioned strongly, pointing at the tall, muscle bound warrior emphatically. “If conditions had been reversed and there had been women among the Zaketh, just how much self-control would your troops have demonstrated?” There was no immediate response to his question – Wonin simply glanced down toward the deck plating and said nothing.
The PTP flash of emerald light caught them all by surprise as he knew it would. Other than thrusters, the Ali Rinai’s engines were on standby, so no one had really been
expecting a transit with the exception of Adam. One moment there were clouds of dimly lit nebula dust floating gently past the observation windows before changing in an instant into something truly wondrous to behold. “Mott’s Ghost!” gasped Janney Stox with wonder and awe, moving with the others to stand near the starboard bank of windows.
To starboard, the planet Tranquility hung beneath them in all its glory, continents and oceans on full display along with a complete array of varying cloud cover. Bright rays of sunshine poked out from behind the planet’s western horizon, lighting up the atmosphere with a reddish-gold aura. For Adam, a planetary view from space was something fairly ordinary. Both he and Thomas had seen pictures of outer space and studied the field since they were adolescents bordering on adulthood… it was a sight that was in no way unusual. For the members of the three clans, however, the view was an entirely different story. Few of them had ever seen a standard, stable star up close, much less a planet that was as habitable and beautiful as Tranquility. For long moments, they simply stared out the windows and admired the sight of it with silent wonder.
“It’s amazing,” commented Arte Kasik, captivated. “I have never seen its like.”
“That’s where I live,” Adam informed them softly. “The planet Tranquility is where I live when I’m not working in the Wasteland. My family lives on that planet, along with many of my people who were also once war torn refugees fleeing from tyranny.” He kept the ship on its current course, holding it stable for a while longer so that all eight of the men could drink in the sight of an undamaged, resource-laden planet. As the warship trundled slowly along, more of the nearby sun became visible. It simply sat there in open space, positioned just above the horizon like a fiery golden orb, its warming rays reaching out to touch the skin of men who had rarely, if ever, felt such radiance. All of them stood there, clearly stunned by what they saw.
“Where are we?” wondered one of the Yakiir officers, his face paling noticeably with sudden fear.
“Suffice it to say that we are very, very far from the Wasteland, but only for the moment,” Adam told them. “I wanted all of you to see this so that you would know for certain that I do not lie. There are many rumors spreading about me, about what I have done and what I am planning to do. You are the source of those rumors and I want the lies to stop. All your lives, the Yakiir have lived in fear of the Kuth, obeying their every command because you had no other option. That has changed, now, and I am giving both you and your people the chance to sever your ties with them.”
Kra Wonin eyed him suspiciously. “How can you alone accomplish this?”
“I am not working alone,” Adam countered firmly, gesturing toward the massive curve of the planet encompassing almost all of the view from the starboard side of the ship. “My friends are down there, working right now to free your people from the Kuth tyranny.” He touched the flight controls, banking the vessel sharply to port and guiding it away from the planet. Now they were angled outward, with the planet firmly behind them, and a wide swathe of bright, twinkling stars cut across the center of the forward window. It was a significantly much better view than Adam could have presented from Earth orbit, because the carefully organized, ring-shaped ribbon of stars stretched out across what seemed like an unending curve before thinning and finally vanishing into a distant point. Everything else in the window was filled with empty darkness.
“How do we know that this too is not a trick of some kind?”
“Use your eyes and take a good look,” suggested Adam emphatically. “Your people have traditionally destroyed stars and planets in a never ending war that has cost countless lives and destroyed precious resources.” He watched their faces carefully as they beheld the broad stripe of stars comprising the artificial, man-made Proteus galaxy with astonishment and wonder. “Here men who are much like you and I have managed to create whole planets and stars out of the very dust clouds that your people are forced to live in.”
“It’s beautiful,” gasped Tran Wuu, completely captivated by the sight. “Never before have I beheld such a view… it is truly a gift that you have given to us this day.”
“Why do you show us this?” asked Wonin curiously. “Do you seek to taunt us with your safe haven while my people remain under control of the Kuth? There is nothing that can break their hold over us. Long ago, many of us tried repeatedly… sacrificed ourselves. It was never enough and the lives lost were many.”
The ship continued banking hard to port, its helm controls responding to Adam’s steady hand. “I once believed as you did,” he told Kra Wonin sternly. “My people were once oppressed by a tyranny just as terrible as the Kuth… oppressors who considered us only tools to be used in their quest for total domination. But we found this place and rescued those who wanted to come.” He tapped several commands into the navigation station, activating the ship’s autopilot and turned to face the men with a confident smile. “Your people can come here to live just like mine have, people from all of the clans would be welcome. And this can happen sooner rather than later. If I can gain your cooperation for just a brief time, my friends and I will rid you, once and for all, of the Kuth threat.”
“They will never allow it,” the third Yakiir officer concluded bitterly. “We serve them as slaves, as meat or both. That is the way things have always been and it is how they will be long after I die.”
“Wrong,” replied Adam with grim determination. Ahead of them, through the port windows, the view of the planet reappeared along the port canopy along with a strange, dark outline temporarily hidden in shadow. The Ali Rinai continued moving forward, and as it grew steadily closer to the strange new shape the familiar, hammerhead shape of the Pathfinder’s primary hull pulled into view.
“Angels among us!” gasped Cren Hollis with profound amazement. “Would you look at the size of that?”
“It’s stunning, and could be a work of art crafted by the magical hands of the Creator himself,” observed Janney Stox, looking first to Hollis and then to Arte Kasik. “What kinds of creatures build ships that are so bold and look so magnificent?”
Adam smiled proudly. “All it takes are men who are just like you and me, Arte. See for yourselves.”
There were other support vessels hovering nearby, including the shuttle Ranger along with several full teams of men and women working in EVA suits. Adam noted silently that the Pathfinder, to his trained eye, actually appeared much smaller without the four large equipment and habitat wings springing forth from her stern. And yet she looked a whole lot meaner too, because he could plainly see the multiple rows of newly installed rail guns along her dorsal hull – weapons that would now give her the immense punch that she so sorely lacked during the escape flight from Earth and the Sol system. Additional guns would also be mounted on the ventral hull as well, but they were currently approaching at an angle that shielded the view.
There was something else, too, that caught his interest. Some sort of new, unfamiliar hardware was affixed to each of the starship’s many utility hatchways. These were the round, fully removable easy-access covers that were normally utilized when moving larger equipment and machinery into and out of the vessel. “What are you up to Thomas?” he wondered curiously to himself, knowing that Glen would only have installed that kind of device after receiving a written directive to do so from the Science Lab. As the Ali Rinai drew closer to the other starship, he noticed that the canister-shaped devices were also present on the side and bottom hatches as well. “What exactly have you got going on up here?”
His eyes still on the Pathfinder, Kra Wonin spoke up. “How can we possibly help you in all of this?” he wondered curiously. “It would seem that you hold every advantage, including long range transit capability.”
“I need you to do two things for me,” Adam told him. “First, tell your men to stop trying to give us away every time we pass vessels like the ones in that convoy. The Caucus already considers you traitors and is sufficiently riled now that their Admiral is dead – n
one of you can ever regain their trust. They have proven that by sending aboard a party of killers back at the rendezvous… those Kuth were meant to kill everyone on board and retake control of the vessel.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “We’re about to approach a major Kuth facility, and the secrets it holds will go very far in the plan to liberate your people from their clutches. But we will be unable to do so if your people try to transmit messages again and we are forced to initiate jamming. The Admiral was suspicious immediately, and so will be anyone who commands such a military installation.”
“Suppose I agree to this. What would be your second request?”
“We can bring your people here, to live on worlds like this one,” Adam continued, gesturing toward the shining planetary body filling most of the port window. “And it can happen sooner, not later. But first we’ll need to know where those people are. All of the clans keep much of their population hidden in safe zones… this I learned from the Crasel. On my planet we simply opened portals everywhere and let those who wanted to leave do so. In the Wasteland, we will need to know specifically where to open those energy gateways to lead your people back here.” He studied Janney Stox intently. “You want to know how to build a beautiful, streamlined starship instead of a clunky battle cruiser?” he prompted. “Try living on a world like this one for a while and spend most of your time building something instead of constantly waging war on others and destroying things.” A confident smile crossed his face. “I assure you the former is preferable to the latter.”
Kra Wonin was watching him. “How do we know that you can do what you say… that you will indeed keep your word?”
“You can’t know unless you trust me and we work together,” Adam retorted with clear frustration. “That’s why I asked you to give me one week.” He threw up his hands helplessly. “I suppose I could let your men shoot at me pointlessly one more time, or you can try blowing me out an airlock again, but we’ve kind of been through all that.” He pointed at the image of Tranquility shining through the window. “My friends can bring your people here, but not without your help. If you want to be free of the Kuth, you’re going to have to take a chance and abandon them completely. And after all the centuries of non-stop fighting within the Wasteland, I don’t think a request for a few days of truce is asking too much. We have to stop warring with each other long enough to team up and oppose the real enemy.”
The Pathfinder Trilogy Page 62
