by K R Sanford
Kiterage calculated something in his head. “We will have to do something about that.”
“Yes, like put up a fish taco stand?”
Kiterage nodded staring out the window. “I must be getting hungry. I was thinking the exact same thing.”
“You were not,” replied Legion. “You’re bullshitting me.”
“Yes and no,” replied Kiterage as if answering from a dream. “I was thinking of a casino and restaurant, buffet style.”
“Now you’re talking,” said Legion with a gleam in his eye, “with fresh seafood. You want in on the space travel, Marco?”
“Only if I can oversee operations from Ameda,” replied Marco with a chuckle.
“He thinks were joking,” said Legion.
“Legion,” said Shanna, “You need an ocean for fresh seafood.”
“Right, we can do that,” said Legion.
“Ah, only speak of seafood and it will appear,” said Marco with his hand over his heart.
“The traffic through the portals will be popular and in most cases," said Kiterage. "Training classes will be a must for ground floor investments.”
“You see this whole operation as a business?” said Legion.
“A very profitable and self-sustaining business,” replied Kiterage. “It's because of the urgency. Another fact besides security, we need the room for development.”
Aren’t you worried about Major Walters over there cutting in on the special orders?” said Kiterage.
“Contraband, is that your concern?” asked Legion.
“You’re not concerned, okay.”
“We cross that issue when it happens,” said Legion. “Laws don’t get abandoned for other space-time. Physical laws put an end to what’s in the boundary conditions. These are scenarios that get addressed case by case. The Amedans and Ziltairians will have fun debating the legal question. And as for the Walters Scenario: We’re talking about you, Major.”
“That’s okay,” said Walters. “Let’s get it aired out.”
“We are doing that,” continued Legion. “Walters will step over to the alternate multiverse. He will discoverer he is in a portal, a spacetime corridor. He will discover this as soon as he gets hungry. He will search for food in the only place that has food, back on this side. He can use the portal to skip back and forth making changes to the continuum where ever he wants. He will have horrendous powers in his hand. He will have powers without discipline, like a three year old in control of a nuclear device, a big nuclear device. Take no offence, Major.”
“This is hypothetical,” replied Major Walters.
“This is human nature, Major: for a Type-one or even a Type-two being,” said Legion.
“But, he will still need to come over to this side for supplies?” asked Shanna.
“For his physical needs, yes,” replied Legion. “And for his psychic stability as well; and there is the real kicker. He will need this side for mental stimulation. His new environment needs to regenerate for human habitation. The mind needs sensory landscapes for exercise.”
“I am the cat who walks alone for everything I see is the same to me. There is nothing out there but the tale of the dragon,” said Major Walters cock sure.
Legion intrigued replied, “And, the Heavens and Earth will scroll away. This is a literary trick to appease the uninitiated the simple minded. You haven’t thought it through, Mister Walters.”
Major Walters responded without hesitation:
“What is Everyone’s?
And what is No One’s
And has the Power to Create a Universe. . .
It is the present, My Lord, your riddle. The present is where things respond by every life-form of every kind. Sun Tzu wrote in his treatise, The Art of War. ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat. It is yourself that needs the knowing in the present? One has to be here in the present to know them self before they can know the enemy.”
Legion smiled, “My compliments on your studies, Major Walters. You don't know about sustaining a multiverse. Your cleaver mouth is going to get you dead. I have no further questions, Mister Kiterage unless you do.”
“No. That was a good effort but you fell short, Major Walters. I will add one last thought: Know the present and you will see yourself much clearer. Best of everything, Major on your new assignment.”
“Thank you, Mister Kiterage. But, I have one question for you?”
“Anything, Major, what is it?”
“What is your first name?”
“Mark, my first name is Mark.”
Chapter 12
_____________________________________
THE BAIT
Hold out bait to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.
General Sun Tzu - The Art of War, circa 450 B.C.
“Then you will agree with me, Major Walters. The personnel will get debriefed before we leave this space station.”
“Within reason, My Lord,” said Walters. Some things shake out with each exercise.”
“Let’s be more specific. Make sure you and Lieutenant Chew debrief your staff. That means with the same rehearsed speech you received from Captain Miller. You may be here alone for several months with a very attractive and very powerful machine. I expect you will encounter a unique form of enemy. Steel yourselves. The enemy you face might already be here. We are going to leave you to keep this post sanitized and maintained. At the same time, I want you to look disorganized.”
“You want us to look like a ragtag group of halfwits holding down an interdimensional gateway?”
“No, I want you to look like you’re blowing off steam. The kind of steam you get from having senior officers breathing down your neck for the past two years.”
Walters broke into an enthusiastic smile then replied, “That, I understand. It will be our pleasure to follow your orders, My Lord.”
“Steady Major,” said Legion. Don’t overdo the partying. Give it more of a disciplined blowing off frustration. I’m sure you can come up with a way of making that happen.”
“I see your point, My Lord. We will do our best.”
“That’s the spirit, Major. I know you won’t disappoint. If you will excuse me, I need to have a word with your neighbor across the aisle.”
Kiterage, stuffing the last bite of fish in his mouth, wriggled from the booth and stood. Legion, doing the same, spoke a quick salutation and marched out of the cafeteria.
“Ha,” grunted Walters as he watched the pair push through the double doors. They left as if to deliver a parting death knell.
“Thank you Emperor,” said Walters. “Marco. I’m off to see your quartermaster. I need to requisition a new uniform.”
“I understand. You okay now? I can have security walk with you.”
“Yes, I will need security. I don’t want to get arrested for being vagrant.”
“That’s funny. You sound better. Jonesy will meet you in the foyer and escort you to supply,” Marco replied with a nod.
“That’s most generous of you,” replied Walters with a polite nod of his own.
Well, you would do the same. Besides it’s what we do here. Best of luck, Major, I’m glade things turned around for you. I thought you were a goner there for a while.”
“So did I Captain, so did I.” He stood from his guest chair and limped out the double doors.
Pawdell broke the silence. “Somehow Walters is going to have a more benevolent post here then the Emperor led him to believe.”
All eyes fixed on Pawdell yet no one spoke. At length, Marco addressed the thought that was on everybody’s mind.
“We are transporting Legion. If he should encounter unknown life, what threat is there to us, right? Isn’t that what everyone is thinking?”
“It is a bit unnerving,” said Shanna. “I mean the Emperor is a type four being. He’s interdimensional. He can play hide and seek forever, but we are stuck here to face first contact. If the Emperor holds back the Eagle we are going only far enough from the Temple to be undetectable by whom?”
Marco made a hand wave motion. “We can speculate and that’s all. No one knows. Most likely one celled organisms. The cube will be new. But the machine and the power source is what will get attention from superior beings. And we have been through this discussion many times. They will be hostile, looking for advanced weapons.”
“That explains the military presents,” said Balrug.
“Something interesting,” said Pawdell. “Did you hear Legion say he doesn’t know if he could send lightning bolts out his finger?”
“Yeah, that was a little strange how he answered,” said Marco, “As if he doesn’t have a clue?”
“There are a lot of things he hasn’t tested about his new powers,” replied Pawdell.
“Okay,” said Balrug. “He doesn’t have to. The intensity of his thought experiments are more comprehensive then a virtual simulation.”
“True there,” said Pawdell. “What a change. Not what we do back on Ameda.”
“True that,” said Shanna. “We can’t accuse Legion of being boring. Still, he loves to play.”
“And he loves to compete,” said Marco. “So we let him. We stay out of his ballet and run this ship as always. Speaking of which, I’ll be going to the ship’s bridge.” He held up his hand for the waitress. Pulling himself from the booth, he signaled for Balrug to join him.
The ship’s bridge was alive with staff. Clorissa was on the navcom. Commander Ryan was in the Captain’s chair. Hector and Chris were at the game table with Grantham. King Devin was playing the intuition game with Jimmy the Whip.
King Devin picked a card from the deck on the table and read it to himself. Jimmy, seated across the table, felt the King’s stare and looked up.
“How did you happen to get hooked up with Legion?” replied Devin.
“We were discussing ‘The Prisoner’s Dilemma’ when Walters was taking that beating.” said Jimmy.
“Ah, yes a pivotal moment for Walters,” said Devin.
“Now, about Major Walters,” replied Jimmy, “If that don’t beat all.”
Devin snuffed his nose and twisted up his face. “Being kicked out of the service one minute and the next, he gets reinstated with a promotion. That's military power, Jimmy. That’s why people with training get treated that way. The personnel are like game pieces. Walters can refuse but where would he go with a dishonorable discharge.”
“How do you play this game, Your Majesty?”
“Call me Devin, Jimmy, unless it’s a formal occasion. First, pick your game piece,” laughed Devin. “Then pick a card.”
Jimmy looked over at the King, “What’s your card say, Devin?”
Devin smiled and flipped over his card. “Seven of Worlds, Breakthrough: If you were playing with a porker deck it would be seven of clubs.”
Jimmy cut the deck and turned it over. “Universe,” he said. “What’s this mean?”
“Wow, this is your first card and you never played this before?”
“No never,” said Jimmy intrigued.
“Well, good starting card, Jimmy. It means you are the center of your own universe. You have within yourself a universe of possibilities. You can build for yourself a new universe of new people and places.”
“And a new multiverse, Devin?” said Jimmy.
“What you can see in your mind’s eye exists.”
“Right now I’m a bit confused about that.”
“Pick another card, said Devin. “When things are unclear you can pick another card for a clearer understanding.”
Jimmy picked up the deck, “Universe,” he said and cut the cards. “Six of Crystals, Confusion: I’m going to pick another card.”
Devin held a sober face, “I would,” he said.
This time Jimmy shuffled the deck and turned over the top card. “Sage of Cups, Regenerator: What’s this, Devin?”
Straight faced Devin continued. “You are like the life-giving rain. You can transform a barren situation into a garden of emotional delight. Your energy is a medicinal spring that heals the sick and troubled heart.”
“Well, this is very clear to me.”
Devin raised an eyebrow, “It is?” he said with an inquiring smile.
“Yes, it is, Your Majesty. I’m going to volunteer to be the bait with Major Walters. That’s the game out here isn’t it, to be the lightning rod and attract the enemy?”
“That’s bold, from an intuition game.”
“Is it, Your Majesty?” replied Jimmy. “I trust the Amedans and the Emperor will excel in their business.”
“Go for it, Jimmy. You have a special clarity I can see that. I envy you.”
“Oh, but Devin,” said Jimmy with the eye of an ancient sage. “We are not opening a cube to darkness but to another multiverse. We have all been preparing for this moment since the beginning of time.”
“Humph, full speed ahead, Jimmy, full speed ahead when you look at it like that.”
“Of course I could be wrong.”
“What’s this?”
Jimmy threw up his hands, “We could all get smashed any second by a giant insect.”
Devin, staring at him, replied according to his folly. “Jimmy, that’s different.”
Jimmy laughed, “Its celebration, Devin, with all due respects.”
“There it is again,” said Devin, “A garden of emotional delight.”
“Yes, sounds better each time you say it, Your Majesty. So, are you staying or are you going?”
“There’s a question,” replied Devin. “I’m staying. I wouldn’t miss this event for anything,”
The glass door hissed. Legion stepped onto the bridge along with Kiterage.
“We are going to be staying,” he announced.
Kiterage was silent but giddy for the King’s enthusiasm.
Clorissa turned from the navcom and announced, “Captain, the ships are pulling out.”
“Marco,” said Legion. “I’ve asked the Mastodon to stay along with a cargo ship.”
“Very good, My Lord,” replied Marco, “Oh, which one?”
“The Royal Neptune,” said Legion. “She’s a medical supply ship with life-support.”
“Yes, we are aware of the Royal Neptune and her history. She is the most famous ship in the Milky Way Galaxy. I’m not going to ask why you have her tethered to the flight deck.”
“It’s simple, Marco,” said Legion with his head high. “There is a change of plans. We are no longer on a mission of exploration. We are on a rescue mission through the wormhole. That tube out there is going to serve as a portal to another galaxy. It is a dying galaxy. We are going to breach their dimension and we are going to help them. Our bridge will transport its peoples to this starbase. It will receive power from the coils of the Temple. They will clear medical on the Royal Neptune. Then, once they get cleared, they will enter the new multidimensional cube.”
Marco flinched, “No testing? I thought
“No time for that, sport. Lives are at stake. No offence dear friend but I haven’t told you everything. I haven’t told you how far the Amedans have developed this technology.”
“I’m not offended, said Marco waving off the comment. “Plans are best kept secret. It’s protocol.”
Legion was smiling, “I wanted you to know I was thinking about you.”
Marco internalizing Legion’s tone replied. “What am I to say to that, My Lord? That’s very gracious of you.”
“My dear, Marco, I want you to signal the Mastodon. Tell General Stiller, we will be ready to test in one hour. All unnecessary craft will need to assemble at the wormhole horizon.”
General Stiller appeared on the Viewer. The Mastodon’s bride was a spacious room resembling a commercial warehouse. “G
reetings, Emperor, Your Majesty, Captain,” said Marty with crisp military pose. He pointed to the command console, and continued. “The Amedans are coordinating the fleets tethering maneuvers with new hyper-pulse lasers. Thought you might like to see this in action. We will begin lift in twenty seconds.”
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” proclaimed the Emperor. “Your team has found new ways to exceed our expectations.”
“Lift in five seconds.” General Stiller gave a crisp salute. The viewer blinked returning the image of the landing pad outside the ship. The five mile runway stretched out to space. In the distance, the outer edge of the Milky Way Galaxy glistened like a crescent moon. It filled the full length of the sixty foot viewer.
“Master Balrug,” announced Marco. “Interrogate, if you will be so kind, the Great Emperor Lord Legion. Ask about the nature of this dying galaxy.”
“Oomph, I beg your pardon, Sir?” replied Balrug spilling his drink on the game table.
“This matter concerns us all, does it not,” said Marco. “What medical risks are we responsible for and what liabilities can we manage. And why can’t we quarantine this dying race from their side before entering our new bridge?”
“He’s quite right,” said the Emperor. “You would be assuming
“No, I need Balrug to ask the questions,” interrupted Marco.”
“I understand what the Captain is doing,” replied Balrug. “He’s conducting an official hearing.”
“May I speak, Captain?” asked Legion.
Marco’s eyes flared. The Emperor got taken aback. Marco peered into the face of the Emperor with eyes of hatred. “Are you a man of war, My Lord?” Marco’s voice was a growl, a sound that was as much a surprise to him as it was to the others. Clorissa turned from the navcom; Grantham leaned his ear to Marco. Jimmy and the King likewise felt the temperature of the bridge turn icy cold.
“I’m not going to tell you your business, My Lord. The business of this galaxy is at risk because your decision to bring outsiders into our galaxy. It is a threat that can get avoided right now.” Marco was calm and steady.
