by K R Sanford
“So we begin,” he continued. “Let us hear of your clear sound. Let us see the color of the wind. Let us feel the sunshine on our land. Let us smell the mystery of the ages. Let us taste the sweet breath of spring. Then, let us pull our forces together and move this Mountain of the Shrine!”
The End
BOOK 2
INTERSTELLAR
Chapter 1
______________________________________________________
SABOTAGE
“You break it, you own it”
General Colin Powell 2005
In the central region of the Milky Way is a dense array of stars and asteroids known in the thirty-fourth century as the Middle Corridor. The region has become a battleground for rich deposits of high-tech ore, mainly the superconductive elements vital for interstellar flight.
In the Corsi Star System at the ninth body orbit is the Island Planet. It is the base headquarters for the Interstellar Forces. Captain Tomas Clairy of the Battle Cruiser Exodus has arrived. He is at a meeting between corporate mining executives and the Amedan Ambassador.
“Our production has fallen way behind schedule. That makes the end user of the tantalum crystals unable to fill demands.” The hawkish face executive extended his hand to the hologram chart. “You must appreciate the delicate position you put me in. If you do not allow the cargo ships through the Middle Corridor my company will suffer.” The executive leaned over the conference table. His iridescent suit flashed a rainbow of colors.
Captain Clairy’s ebony countenance contrasted a perfect row of white teeth. His sapphire eyes sparkled with amusement at the civilian’s chic attire. He replied, “Mister Kiterage, you as well, need to recognize our position. It is our duty to safeguard the star systems in this region.”
Kiterage placed his hand to his mouth and yawned. He leaned into his voluptuous assistant’s shoulder and asked her to turn off the hologram.
Captain Clairy, less amused, continued. “We do not have the manpower to inspect the manifest you have onboard a convoy of this size. May I remind you, Mr. Kiterage? You have already made several stops at stations that are not prepared to check your ships. This outpost cannot allow the transport of your manifest through the Middle Corridor. We can't do it in the timeframe you requested.”
“What manifest?!” Kiterage threw up his hands. In a mocking tone said, “Its mining equipment and a processing plant, just as it’s always been.” He tossed himself around in the plush padded chair as if intoxicated.
Captain Clairy narrowed his eyes, “My orders are explicit, Mr. Kiterage. Every ship carrying cargo from unsecured stations must get inspected. This is not to mention neutralizing any corrupt DNA. And, we need to check your shielding for the high energy particles in this region. ”
Kiterage huffed and slapped his hand against the table. “There’s nothing wrong with our shielding. You’re stalling! Don’t you realize the profit loss in the time it takes to do this systematic inspection of yours? No? Well, by the way your eyes have glazed over, Captain, I guess you haven’t got a goddamn clue.” Kiterage squinted at Clairy’s face. “What the hell are those things anyway?”
“They’re sapphire, Sir, bionic.”
“I assume, you mean, sapphire optics with bionic cyborg implants. Well, I don’t like them, they look creepy. Damn boy, you have no idea what kind of opportunity you have here. You have a chance to insure trillions of credits to your home planet, think about it. . . Captain!” . . .
Clairy clasped his hands in front of him, focusing his cyborg eyes on the table.
“Have you heard a single word I’ve said? . . . Captain! . . . Captain Clairy, why am I even talking to you?”
“You’re talking to me to prove you are cooperating with the Safe-Trade Agreement 114.”
Kiterage leveled his gaze at the young captain. “You are over your head with this one boy.”
Captain Clairy raised an eyebrow as if complimented. “I probably am, Sir. And, you are welcome to speak to the Admiralty about it.”
“I have, young fellow,” replied Kiterage in a tone of concern for the starship Captain. “I am assured that you would cooperate with this situation.”
“I’m sorry Sir,” said Clairy. “I have not received anything from the Admiralty contrary to my orders.”
“Your orders?” replied Kiterage. He stood and glared at the silent Amedan Ambassador . . . more silence. He turned and walked out of the conference room. He left his assistant to scoop up the communicator and scurry through the outer door as it hissed shut.
Clairy walked to where the assistant was sitting. He picked up a female memory compact left on the assistant’s chair. He opened the compact and eyed the mirror side display. It flashed with bright red letters that read ‘Enter Code.’
“Don’t touch that.” Ambassador Gaff’s spherical body glowed florescent yellow. Blue neon bolts raced around his crystalline orb.
Captain Clairy dropped the compact on the deck.
“No, Tomas,” the Ambassador’s baritone voice was smooth and steady. “I didn’t mean for you to drop it. I meant, don’t touch the sensors. Bring the device over here son, we need to assume it's a detonator.”
Captain Clairy set the memory compact on the conference table. “What’s going on? Where did Kiterage go?”
“One moment, Tomas,” replied the Ambassador. He hovered over the compact. The Ambassador’s core glowed bright white as he investigated the contents of the device. “The device has a relay, there’s a timer. Tomas, we’ve been set up. In the strongest possible way, evacuate all personnel! Get your people off of this ship!”
Without a word, Captain Clairy reached over and pressed a sensor on the conference table. “This is the Captain.” His voice echoed throughout the corridors and cargo bays and on all levels of the ship. His order was loud and clear. “Abandon ship! This is not a drill. Repeat! This is not a drill!
Sirens screeched on every deck. The crew dropped what they were doing. They climbed inside the nearest evacuation hatch. Within seconds escape pods jettisoned from all levels of the warship. An automatic playback of the Captain’s orders was echoing throughout the ship. Hundreds of round escape pods were now racing to the surface of Island Planet.
The executive officers squeezed through an evacuation hatch in the conference room bulkhead. The escape hatch closed and the airlock sealed tight. Captain Clairy brought his hand down on the red ejection button. A moment later they were free from the Battle Cruiser racing toward the green and blue Island Planet.
The escape pod was picking up speed. The security officers were on the deck of the pod while Captain Clairy was in a body harness next to the controls. Ambassador Gaff held himself over the control panel. Glowing red fibers extended from his shell. He appeared unaffected by the rapid jettison and accelerating thrust.
“I’ve never seen that before,” said the Lieutenant.
Captain Clairy was staring at the crewmen tangled in their body harness. “You gentlemen need to get in to your harness as soon as possible.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” They replied.
“You haven’t seen what before Mister Andrews?” asked Clairy.
The Lieutenant slipped his arm through the body harness. The straps inflated. The Lieutenant got pulled tight against the plush white bench. The security officers did as the Lieutenant. They too got pulled secure on the bench next to Captain Clairy.
“The Ambassador’s force field, Sir,” said the Lieutenant. “I’ve never seen that before.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt your discussion gentlemen,” said the Ambassador. “But the Exodus is about to suffer some crucial damage right about . . . Now!”
Captain Clairy’s fingers worked the viewer at lightning speed. His hand was a blur. In one motion the viewer became activated and the Exodus located. The Lieutenant did a double take in time to see the ship’s hull heave then buckle like something out of a twisted dream. They stared petrified. Before anyone could blink, a ball of fire raged
over the outside of the vessel. The ship heaved as if taking one last breath before tearing apart at the seams. Screaming, the battle cruiser hurled the last fragments of itself. The pieces blew out into space. With the promise of revenge, Clairy whispered a final message. “You will pay for this.”
“Brace for impact,” cried Clairy.
The shockwave hit, scattering the lights on the console. The impact threw the men hard against the padded bench. Their faces bristled as if witnessing themselves blown into smithereens. No one spoke. Finally, Lieutenant Andrews sounded off. “God damn it all to hell, you rat ass bastards!”
Captain Clairy reached for another sensor on the control panel. “Commander Rylie, report!” he said, holding up his hand for the men to be quiet.
“Tomas, what’s going on out there?” Anger was in Commander Rylie’s voice.
“Mark, get me a count of the crew old man, will you?”
“Tomas, what’s going on?” repeated the Commander.
“All fucked up, Mark. What I’m about to tell you needs to keep on the QT, so this stays under your hat, right?”
“Sure thing, Tomas, go ahead.”
“The ship got sabotaged,” replied Clairy. “Kiterage activated a remote detonator.”
“This changes everything,” said the Commander.
“I’d say that’s an understatement, Mark. You get that count for me will you? And inform Intersteller Forces we are under attack, I’m a little busy right now.”
“Sure, sure thing, Captain. I got it, will do, out.”
Captain Clairy put his hands to his forehead and began rubbing his temples.
The Ambassador’s voice broke smooth and low. “It’s going to be pandemonium, Tomas, until you find words to address your crew.”
Tomas leaned back in his harness and took a breath. “I’m aware of that, Ambassador. Under these circumstances the military uses a term called S.N.A.F.U., Situation Normal All Fouled Up. Now we’ll see if our training measures up.”
Once again, Ambassador Gaff’s voice sounded over the console. “Do you know what you are going to say, Tomas?”
“Captain, what happened?” asked the taller of the two security officers.
“I’m not sure how it happened, Clancy, but we got sabotaged plain and simple.”
“Sabotaged, Sir?” chimed Lieutenant Andrews.
The ship-to-ship relay whistled. Clairy flipped open the switch for the microphone, “Clairy here.”
Commander Rylie’s voice broke through the speaker. “Captain, all ships’ crew accounted for except, three techs in engineering and one from docking bay seven. Ensign Arnold has not reported in either, Sir.”
Clairy took another deep breath. “Thank you, Commander,” he said while adjusting the console. He lifted his head and spoke again. “Attention all personnel, this is the Captain. Adjust your flight path for Saddle Starbase. The base hanger ground crew will be standing by to bring you in, Captain out.”
Captain Clairy released himself from the body harness. He took the pilot seat in front of the console. The viewer displayed Colonel Marty Stiller, a young officer with neat jet-black hair. His doll face conveyed confidence.
Go ahead, Tomas, I have you on a secure frequency,” he replied in a cool business like tone.
Clairy replied with a shaky voice, “Marty, we got sabotaged. Four of my crewmen are gone. Kiterage was behind this one. He had inside help. Someone set up a primary charge that detonated from a small relay in the conference room.”
“Okay, bring yourself home, Tomas. Are you all right? I worried. Our sensors read a level four explosion. A few seconds later the Exodus was in pieces fanning out across the grid.”
“I’m good. It’s adrenalin working through my body. Marty, I need to report this as an act of aggression against the Interstellar Forces.”
“I’ve got that, Tomas,” replied the Colonel. “We may have a problem.”
“What’s the problem?” asked Clairy.
“Right,” the Colonel grimaced. “General Hodges and his staff shipped out to the Andromeda Galaxy two weeks ago. He took the entire division. There’s only a hand full of personnel here to man the base. I’m their Commanding Officer. The Exodus was the last interstellar military vessel in the Middle Corridor.”
“I have four hundred twenty Clairy took a breath and corrected, “I have four hundred and sixteen crew on their way to Saddle Starbase.”
“There’s no problem quartering your people, Tomas. Our stores have plenty of supplies. We have a fifty year supply of food and clothes for a half million people.”
Captain Clairy smiled, “You’re funny, Marty.”
“No, I’m serious.” replied the Colonel. “The top brass prepared the Island Planet for an extended military presence. It was in the event fighting broke out between the corporations and the miners. Tomas, we’ll talk more when you get here. I have you entering the planets’ atmosphere. I will meet you at Starbase Hanger. Have your people assemble inside. I will activate the bunker, Colonel Stiller out.”
The viewer over the console went blank. Clairy sat back in the pilot’s seat and stared at the Ambassador hovering in the center of the console. “I’m not surprised,” said Clairy. “When one tyrant falls, another sooner or later rises up to take his place.”
The Ambassador glowed soft violet. He held himself in place over the console with waves of neon blue hairs. “Tomas," he said. It has been more than fifteen years since Frank Bradley's death. I am surprised no one has made an attempt to take over the Middle Corridor before now.”
Clairy replied with a wary squint. “Everybody, brace yourselves we’re coming into three Gs. No, Ambassador, I’m not surprised.
“Sir,” chimed the Lieutenant. “A saboteur was on board the ship. We’re going to have to find out who set that charge.”
Clairy breathed a heavy sigh, “Whatta ya say we leave that to our security team. You hear that Officer Backer? Find out how that explosive got on my ship. And find out who let this thing slip through security. Make it a discrete investigation, Gentlemen. Report back to me the minute you find out anything.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” replied the two security men.
Officer Todmore leaned forward. “Captain, with all due respects, we can’t do this without analyzing the wreckage of the Exodus. And a full investigation will alert the enemy. The army would be a better choice. Only, Colonel Stiller says he has a hand full of people.”
“He’s right, Sir,” rejoined the Lieutenant. “And, we’re more vulnerable now if we’re all in one place.”
Captain Clairy’s eyes sprung open, he turned in his seat. “The army isn’t the only force on this planet. Officer Backer, Todmore you heard my orders, a discrete investigation. Lieutenant, you will be joining them. Give them whatever help you can. Now, make it happen.”
Clairy turned the pilot’s seat back to the console. He adjusted the pod and they swooped inside Starbase Hanger. They glided over the tops of waiting escape pods. Shipwrecked crew were grouping themselves on the deck of the hanger. Clairy’s viewer showed faces of his people dazed and confused. He set the tiny pod in the center of the hanger.
Captain Clairy stepped out while Colonel Stiller made a brisk approach.
“Tomas, you’re all right. I didn’t know what to think,” replied Stiller.
“That makes two of us, Marty. We need to talk in private,” said Clairy.
The Colonel, seeing Clairy’s determined face complied. “Follow me.”
Clairy signaled the Ambassador with a wave of his hand. Ambassador Gaff floated through the hatch of the pod and hovered at head height. Neon blue bolts spun around his core. “Ready,” he said in his smooth baritone voice.
Stiller gave a snappy nod then led Clairy and the Ambassador to a room inside the security office. He closed the door and touched a sensor on the wall, blacking out the windows.
“We have a saboteur in our crew," said Clairy, "Or at least someone working with Kiterage. My people have voic
ed concerns about being together in one place.”
Stiller raised an eyebrow and gave another snappy nod.
Clairy continued, “Marty, if we come under attack we have no way of defending ourselves. We are sitting ducks.”
Stiller smiled a boyish grin then said, “We have the authority to annex a commercial carrier. There are plenty on the coast at the Island Hotel Starbase.”
Clairy ran his hand over the top of his head. “No good Marty, commercial carriers can’t defend against Kiterages’ ships.”
Marty grunted, “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. I should have seen this coming.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Marty
“Gentlemen,” chimed the Ambassador. “What’s Kiterage going to do next?”
Clairy and Stiller turned to the Ambassador. The Ambassador extended a dozen bolts racing in opposing orbits. The elliptical pattern appeared as a fluorescent gold halo.
“He’ll come here,” replied Clairy. “The Big Island is the center for the mining operations.”
The Ambassador elevated to Clairy’s height. “Tomas, you have four hundred and sixteen crew plus Colonel Stiller’s staff.”
Stiller asked, “What about our people in The View?”
Clairy baulked, “The witness protection people? You can’t trust a society of crooks like that,” demanded Clairy. “These people go back generations.”
“Yes, that’s true. And, no, you can’t trust those people,” replied the Ambassador. “So, we stay real and do our part. Besides, they have a network of spies and military hardware equal to, if not greater than, Kiterage.”
“The View is where Captain Miller’s people live,” reported Clairy.
“Some of them," said Stiller. "Hector and Commander Majors live there. And that means the Eagle is close by.”
“Yes,” replied the Ambassador. “The Eagle can hold four hundred people, she’s armed and she has Amedan shields.”
“Hector said he does not owe us anything and doesn’t want to hear from us again,” replied Clairy.
