by K R Sanford
Vito snapped his fingers and the helmsman hailed Captain Clairy.
“Kiterage is at risk. Who do we send if I need to bring him out,” replied the Emperor.
“Marty, is the best qualified, My Lord,” said Vito.
“I like Walters. Send for Marty, and ask him to bring Walters.”
Vito looked to the helmsman, and without a word the helmsman made adjustments to the com-link. He acknowledged the task was complete with a simple nod.
“The Amedans are here, My Lord,” said the helmsman. “They are escorting General Hodges to the helm as you requested.”
“That is correct, Ensign. Thank you,” replied the Emperor. “Vito, Walters showed his thirst for danger. We can suggest this mission will not be a tie.”
“We can suggest, yes,” said Vito. “It will be interesting to see how he responds when he’s reminded of his tie. As you already said, this mission is not a game. A tie score will not be acceptable.”
“I suspect he knows what a tie score means, Vito. It’s the mission. If he cannot achieve total victory, not only will he perish, a great many lives will lose. And, that will not be acceptable. Every life-form in this galaxy is at great risk. So, don’t fret, Mister Tarasco, your spies are my friends. I took the liberty of arranging quarters for Balrug the Gray on the Eagle. He is one of my very, old friends, but you knew that.”
Six Amedans appeared. They flew through the guarded blast doors in single file. They stopped in front of the viewing screen. They were surrounding the front half of the helm in sparkling orbs of crystal.
“That was a smart entrance, Lao,” said the Emperor.
Lao, snickered, “We are still excited over the festival, My Lord.”
“No need to explain,” replied the Emperor. “I am too. And, Lao, I loved the cascading rainbows. You knew the rainbows would be a popular show, sublime Lao.”
Loa whispered, “Oh; that is such high praise, My Lord. Are you sure I deserve such recognition?”
“Well, I liked it, Lao,” replied Legion.
“I can do another for you right here, if you like?” said Lao.
The Emperor balked. “No, and stop that, Lao. You’re going to make me crazy; some other time when it’s more appropriate.”
“General Hodges, My Lord,” replied Lao in a contrite manner.
“Oh great, give me a moment, General,” he said.
“Helmsman, after Lao enters the coordinates, change course to the new settings. General step over here, if you will please, we would like to have a talk with you.”
“My Lord,” replied the General.
“Have the Amedans been treating you well?” asked the Emperor.
“Very well, My Lord,” said the General. “As a matter of fact, they have treated me like a guest. But, I was under the impression I was a prisoner.”
“You are being detained for violating the Territorial Air Space of the Corsi Star System. As well, you have infringed on our No-Fly Boundaries, General. But, let’s set that aside for now. It has come to my attention you have expressed a deep desire to commitment to Ameda and its way of life.”
“It is true, yes. I have expressed this fact,” replied the General.
“Why, General Hodges. Why do you what to make a commitment to their way of life?” asked the Emperor, his hand opened palm up.
“I need to commit to this journey,” replied the General. “I don’t want to miss my life’s work only to go through the same pains all over again.”
“Well said, General, I don’t want to do it all over again either,” replied the Emperor. “And yet, I have a dilemma. Perhaps you can help me. The folks on Ameda love to play games of virtue. The most popular involve groups. They, of course, play Devin’s game. The Kings Game, it is the most popular; also, the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma.
They look first for those they like. It is in your benefit to cooperate with these folk. Because, you know you are going to be playing with these folk over and over again. If a new person comes in, the rewards can be huge, so the temptation is to cheat.
The second, do you trust them. You want to assess that in little ways; are they considerate and considered in the eyes of others?
Third, they look for those who want to make a long term commitment. One of the things they are very wary of, are folk who over optimize for the moment. They are signaling they are not a long term player. And, if they are not a long term player, you don’t what to establish a long term relationship with them. Your best relationships are with the folk who you have known for decades or for life.”
“You are describing a workable policy, My Lord. How does this apply to me?” replied General Hodges.
“I’m glad you asked, General. The Mastodon needs its Captain. And, our mission needs the Captain who knows this ship and crew, better than anyone else. And, that, General Hodges brings me to you.”
“This ship and crew is a well-seasoned military force, My Lord. It doesn’t matter who the Captain is,” said the General with a steady bearing.
The Emperor went silent. He stared into the eyes of General Hodges. “Okay,” he said at length. “Your indulgence General, I want you to answer me a riddle.”
“A riddle,” the General, puzzled then replied. “What riddle, My Lord?”
“It is a riddle designed for logical deduction. If you can’t answer, it lets me know where to assign you. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” replied the General.
“Good. Here it is, General:
What is Everyone’s?
And, what is No One’s
And has the Power to Generate a Universe?
General Hodges thought for about five seconds then responded. “I would have to guess, My Lord.”
“No, don’t guess,” said the Emperor. “It is subjective. At least you weren’t presumptuous.
I will have a shuttle take you back to Ameda. You will be under Governor Grantham in an advisory position. You will reinstate at the rank of Full General until our return. At which time; your service will get reassessed. If you wish, you will get released from active duty. You are dismissed, General Hodges.”
The General placed his cover under his left arm. He took a step forward. He was immediately flanked by two Amedans. Then, with a soft touch of the Amedans’ field-force, he proceeded to the landing bay at his own pace.
“He doesn’t think it matters who the Captain is,” he said, looking at Vito with a smile.
“What are you looking at me for?” replied Vito. “I’ll never get my people off that luxury liner.”
“That’s funny,” replied the Emperor. “You go back with me to the Eagle after I put this command in place. Send in Captain Clairy.”
Clairy marched in formal step. He saluted and said, “Reporting as ordered, My Lord.”
“Fine, that’s fine. At ease, Captain,” said Legion. “I’m giving you the Mastodon. You will keep Ambassador Gaff and Commander Rylie. Intersteller Forces are maintaining the ship’s support. Get a feel for things, Tomas. You won’t need to do much yourself. This crewed is the best of the best. You will get a more suitable ship later. For now, let’s see how things shake out.”
“My Lord,” Clairy made another salute.
The Emperor returned the salute with impeccable form. Clairy marveled at the size of his hand. The Emperor spoke. “Let’s go, Lao,” he said. “We are going hunting aboard the Eagle. Assemble your team. You will be traveling with us.”
* * * *
The helm of the Eagle hissed. The antechamber opened. Captain Miller was sitting in the command chair. He was looking up at the seven foot immortal. His entourage suspended from behind in midair. The bronze Emperor was like the blue water sailor off Emerald Sea. His bright blue eyes seemed to laugh at everything they surveyed.
Six Amedans swooped in the front of the theater-in-the-round. They watched in silence as the stars steak passed the viewer. The Emperor knew better. They were learning the functions of the bridge and the capacities of the Eagle.
> “Is Vito in the casino?” asked Marco.
“Yes, he’s back home,” replied the Emperor. “He’s comfortable where-ever he is.”
“Well, we’re not,” said Hector. “We miss the distractions of Vito’s entertainment, and his bells and the whistles.”
“I understand that; work hard, play hard,” said Legion.
“How are you finding your new form?” asked Marco.
“I’ve always liked my form,” he said. “Even when I’m unable to take part for being in a different form, I can change. What is so paradoxical, I am competitive and stubborn. I would keep my form the way it is until I finish my mission. No, I’ve given it a lot of consideration. The trophy model look has an untouchable intent. I am the leader of the Elite, whether I like it or not. In some ways I don’t have a choice. My appearance is the result of evolutionary expectancy.”
Marco considered the Emperor’s words. The soft voice of Ensign Chew interrupted his relation with the word, 'expectancy'.
“Tethering is complete, Captain.”
“Very good, Ensign, increase speed to log five,” said Marco. “This is your field force coupling in quad formation, Emperor.”
“Now, deploy the lightning rod, Captain,” he said without taking his eyes off the viewer. “We use the power of the four ships. Ask Captain Clairy to increase power to log ten and stand by to rifle. Lao, back-check group status, please.”
“Aye, My Lord.”
A sharp jolt gave the ship’s crew a start. Marco looked over at the Emperor smiling into the viewer.
“Optimizing synchronization, My Lord,” said Lao.
“That’s better,” said the Emperor. “We can see our escorts now, Marco.”
“Battle cruisers for escorts, we must look a sight,” replied Marco.
The Emperor nodded. “Unorthodox, yet it’s the element of surprise that makes our tiny formation a fierce reckoning.”
“Whet-field has synchronized spacetime displacement, My Lord,” said Lao.
“Are the cooling doors open this time, Lao?” asked the Emperor.
Lao chuckled, “Yes, and I will double check.”
The Emperor jabbed his finger at the viewer. “Would you believe it?” he said. “Someone forgot to open the cooling doors on the big Amedan ship. And as you know, the coils don’t super conduct unless the temperature is near absolute zero. The sensor signaled the processor and opened the cooling doors in time. You see, Marco, back check failure can happen to anyone.
“The super coils on the Eagle are high temperature,” said Marco.
“Yes, that’s true,” he said. The mass displaced by Amedan-Seven is one hundred thousand times greater than ours. That’s why the wormhole was open when you followed us fifteen years ago. There is no gravity for the wormhole to collapse in deep space. Wormholes under ideal deep space conditions hold static until perturbation. The collapse can start by high energy particles. Neutrino showers or even a low energy gravity wave can collapse a wormhole. Enough activity to cause a slight spin and you have it; a wormhole collapse. You were lucky. When you stopped the Eagle inside the wormhole and drifted, that was very risky. You could have all gotten killed and the Eagle vaporized.”
“I have nightmares about that,” said Marco.
“Small wonder,” he said. “Now you know why the lightning rod got installed before we entered the wormhole. A wormhole of that size has a gravitational field equal to one quarter that of Earth. The energy bolts whipping across her bow could cut the Eagle in half. Are you okay, you look a bit pale?”
“I’m, I’m fine.” Marco took a deep breath. “It was fifteen years ago. You know, the women did better than I did. Elsinor and Lucia patched me up. Lucia, set my leg and changed out the power supply, and rebooted the control panel, outstanding. I’m very grateful.”
“They deserve to be up here,” said Legion. “Give them a call. Tell them to expect an escort in twenty.” The Emperor called out, “Twenty minutes, Lao?”
“I’m sending Boaz and Theo, My Lord. They will be flanking their door in two. Tell the Queen and Lady Lucia to take their time.”
I would like to see everyone who was on the Eagle during the last passage to the temple. Bring them to the bridge for a recognition ceremony. It is also appropriate if your daughter Shanna and her side kick, Pawdell be here.”
Marco choked up. He got overwhelmed by the Emperor’s diligence, “Yes, I can notify everyone,” was all he said.
The Emperor noticed Marco’s face flush with emotion at the sudden reunion. “Marco, will you ask Vito to join us on this occasion. King Devin is in the casino as well. Ask him if he could avail himself. Thank you, Marco.”
Marco looked up at the Emperor like an eight year old boy who learned his true father is home. “Yes, yes of course.”
Grantham and Clorissa joined the theater-in-the-round. They sat checking the temperature of activities. Ensign Margaret Chew was at the con monitoring the invitations. She stirred from the con and interrupted Marco’s train of thought. “Captain, I’m picking up a possible convoy. It’s very faint.”
“Good, increase speed to log eleven and release a four second burst of ion exhaust,” said Marco.
Ryan turned from the control console. “I gave a four second burst and a couple sputters, Captain. That should convince whoever is back there to see a normal exhaust leakage.”
“Perfect, Commander, good thinking,” said Marco. “Okay, steady as she goes.”
“I’m going to say it, people,” replied the Emperor. “I’m not feeling any closer to finding the saboteur. I have checked the data and history files and I am not finding linkage from Ensign Arnold to Kiterage. And, as far as the three techs missing, there is nothing. It’s the same thing. There is no trace of these three ever being on the Exodus or their present whereabouts. This case remains a mystery.”
“What say to the extraction team picking up Kiterage and keeping him alive,” said Ryan.
“What say a trap has been set and we get caught in a cross fire when we reach the temple,” said the Emperor.
Yes, I thought of that after I leaked the ion exhaust,” said Ryan. “It might have been a good test if we hadn’t.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said the Emperor. “They can still find markers the advanced team dropped. We can still use the wormhole. Everything we do out here is like a lightning rod. We are an attraction for civilizations advanced enough to track spacetime. I have no doubt a parallel multiverse needs to get opened for future growth. This will allow us to converge with the cycle in evolution.”
“You’re way beyond my understanding, My Lord,” said Ryan.
“What about you, Governor?” he asked.
Grantham contemplated, then, “I want to plan ahead so I can see what’s coming our way. As an individual, I live here in the now and now. I like the idea of directing myself to an infinite direction. It gives me the ability of intensifying my daily events. I don’t want to work for my own vanity when I can hold an integral place in our renewing qualia.”
“That was clear,” said the Emperor.
“I didn’t,” Chris squinted and shook her head. “This word ‘qualia,’ tell me how you are using it here.”
Grantham motioned with a gentle hand wave then replied. “Qualia is a vehicle to discuss the issues of the day. My responsibility to Ameda gets added in my journey to an infinite perspective. Chris, Ameda looks to my office for answers to our present phenomena.”
“What phenomena?” she said shaking her head and getting more confused by the moment.
“It is the collective organizational phenomenon, Chris. Schools of fish, flocks of birds, swarms of insects, herds of animals, things like that. And, in the case of energy, energy attracts energy. Evolution itself becomes the lightning rod, a collector. The Emperor is saying; time is of the essence. He can see it and feel it, so can I,” said Grantham.
Shanna turned to Pawdell with a nudge of her elbow and whispered, “You feeling it, Pawdell?”
/> “You wanna feel it?” said Pawdell with a raise of his eyebrow. “Go ahead, I dare you.”
“You dare me?” said Shanna. “You know how that word turns me on? Don't you?”
“Sure," said Pawdell. “I double dare you.”
She breathed a heavy sigh. She began moving closer to Pawdell with her hand reaching
“Shanna!” barked Hector. “You know you are sitting at the theater-in-the-round? Computer, play back last segment: Shanna and Pawdell.
The Viewer opened a 2D box. The box framed Shanna and Pawdell in a playback ten feet high reenacting.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” said Hector in a smug tone.
“My lip rouse could be better for that shot. I would kiss myself if that screen wasn’t so big. Is this theater Virtual Sensory Definition?” she asked with her arms folded above her head.
Marco bust out laughing. “If you want to taste Pawdell, he’s sitting right next to you.”
Shanna gave her father a silly smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“Your Majesty?” interjected Hector. “What do you have to say about this?”
“Which Majesty are you talking to?” said Ryan.
“Anyone; doesn’t matter,” quipped Hector.
“I’d like to take this one, if I may,” said the Emperor with an index finger that was not quite straight. “Consider what our planet had to endure during the tough times. For the loss of those dear to us, I owe a debt. To those who feel an obligation to rebuild homes for their people, you are not alone. For their neighbors and these two here who have suffered the loss of family. And the old folks too, I don’t want to forget them either. Did I forget to send for Balrug our senior citizen?”
“I’m here, My Lord,” replied Balrug in his deepest scratchiest voice.
“Yes, there we are. And, being we are all together, it is time to open the wormhole and cross dimension to a different continuum. Captain Miller, if you would take us through, please.”
“Aye, My Lord,” he replied. His hand reached to the activation box. He entered the code and sat back in his command chair. He replied, “Activate.”
