by Libby, Seth
All turned and looked at Dimitri. Dimitri, who realized he was suddenly the center of attention, did a kind of uncomfortable shuffle from foot to foot and gave a small shrug as he mumbled. “Sorry, just thinking out loud.”
“No, Mr. Glasniv, think nothing of it. You are a part of this conversation, and you are right . . . what are we going to do about it is the question,” said Admiral Kelvin.
Everyone was silent as they contemplated what to do with such potentially dangerous information.
“Well, I say we destroy any information and continue with the rumor that the bodies of the Shenkar can be potentially harmful,” said Admiral Kelvin.
All nodded agreement with the Admiral before he continued speaking directly to Jaera. “And you and your little cohorts will, from now on, let us know everything,” he said as he pointed a finger at Jaera.
The only response Jaera gave of understanding was a slight nod of its head in agreement.
Before the Admiral could continue, his personal comm unit chimed. “Kelvin here, go ahead,” the Admiral said into the comm unit.
“Sir, engineering crews have reported in. We have the engines online as well as the guidance systems. We are ready to get under way when you give the order, sir,” said a male voice.
“Make it so. Set course for the asteroid base. Use all precautions necessary to pass undetected,” Admiral Kelvin said into his comm unit.
“Yes, sir!” replied the male voice.
Almost immediately, the ship seemed to come to life. While you couldn’t really hear the engines, there was a low hum that just reached the edge of a human hearing.
Admiral Kelvin turned to look out a nearby view port as if to confirm what he detected. Out the view port, stars began to pass slowly by.
“Mr. Wellmo, I want you to take Jaera and destroy all evidence of this. Make sure nothing is left that could be incriminating,” said the Admiral as he turned from looking out the view port.
“Yes, sir!” said Tim, saluting. Then he turned and exited the room with Jaera in tow.
Once the two had left, the Admiral continued. “Once we return to the base, we will need to completely refit this ship and again continue our work.”
“Sir, you and your crew have done more than you were asked of. If anything, you should take the Tryliene and return to Earth to warn them of what is coming. The remaining Templar Knights can stay here and continue the work,” said Liam.
Admiral Kelvin looked at Liam for a long moment before speaking. “Whether we go or stay isn’t a choice for us anymore. We lost the nav computer on the EDF Sacrifice, so we wouldn’t be able to fold engines. Under this ship’s normal propulsion, it would take a month to return home. Even if we did get there ahead of the Shenkar fleet, it wouldn’t be by much. The Earth would still be only able to mount the defense they have prepared. One more battlecruiser wouldn’t matter much more. All we can do is continue our assaults in hopes of giving the Earth more time.”
The Tryliene passed through the system quietly as they made their way to the asteroid base. It took nearly eighteen hours to make their return path to the asteroid base. Omega shuttles began to ferry supplies to and from the Tryliene almost immediately upon the return of the battlecruiser.
November 13, 2012, 3:53 p.m. ESTPrivate Quarters of Admiral Kelvin, Asteroid Base
“So let’s discuss what exactly happened on the bridge of the Tryliene with Jaera,” said Admiral Kelvin as he sat behind his desk looking up at Liam through steepled fingers.
“It isn’t something I can easily explain, but I will try. I have explained how I see the surrounding energies of everything. I can focus on those and manipulate them to a degree, as you know. I have come to realize, though, that this ability grows with more practice. I can’t really say what the limits are, as I have yet to reach a peak,” Liam said in a quiet, even tone.
Admiral Kelvin looked at Liam for a time before speaking. “I know what you are . . . you are a fine soldier and a fine young man. As for the new attributes you have acquired? Well, let’s just say you are the next generation of the human race. I trust in you, Lieutenant Commander, that you will not abuse such power.”
Liam was speechless by what the Admiral said. It took him several seconds before he found his voice. “T-t-thank you, Admiral . . . I will try never to let you down,” Liam stammered as he snapped a salute.
“Oh, I am sure there is no danger of that, young man. Just don’t tell anyone what I said, though . . . I have a reputation of being a hard ass to maintain,” Kelvin said with a smile.
“I will keep your secret, sir,” Liam replied, laughing.
Before the Admiral could speak again, his comm unit chimed.
“Admiral Kelvin, go ahead.”
“Sir, we have a serious problem that I think you need to see,” said the worried voice of Commander Dunklin.
“What is it?” asked the Admiral.
“The Shenkar fleet sir . . . it’s gone!” said Dunklin.
Quickly jumping to his feet, the Admiral rushed around his desk and made his way to the command center of the asteroid base. Liam quickly fell into step behind and followed him. Upon entering the command center, Command Dunklin rushed to the Admiral, snapped a quick salute, and began to speak quickly.
“Sir, the latest patrol just checked in . . . the Shenkar fleet is gone. From our estimates, they must have left within the past few hours.”
“What happened to the order for the fleet to be under constant supervision?” demanded the Admiral.
“Well, sir, they were supposed to have been, but due to a miscommunication, one patrol failed to launch. It seems the scheduled pilots who were to perform the patrol were also assigned to some work aboard the Tryliene--work that I was not informed of, sir. The two pilots were Lieutenant Wellmo and Lieutenant Barrows,” said Commander Dunklin, not bothering to hide his anger at this.
“Yes, Commander, I see. My apologies, I hadn’t thought to inquire on whether they had other assignments.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“The question now is whether the Shenkar fleet has left for Earth or retreated. I am willing to bet they are headed to Earth with their new reinforcements.”
“Yes, sir, that would be my estimation as well.”
“How close are we to being at full capacity?”
Commander Dunklin looked as if he had not wanted this question to come.
“Well, sir, we have propulsion enough for cruising speeds but nothing that could possibly catch the Shenkar fleet. Also, weapon systems have still yet to be deciphered. It seems that when the ship came under attack--I guess you could call it that--they activated a fail-safe that locked down the ship. We haven’t been able to unlock several key systems.”
“Well, do what you can, Commander. Work with the propulsion system, first of all. We need maximum speed if we are to catch the Shenkar fleet.”
Sighing, Dunklin scrubbed a hand through his hair. Behind him, Lieutenant Sukita spoke. “Sir, wouldn’t it just be easier to convert the Shenkar nav computer to jump the Tryliene ahead of the Shenkar fleet?”
“It isn’t as easy as that, Lieutenant. For one thing, we don’t have the Earth’s jump coordinates or any of the preceding jumps to Earth. All of those were in the nav computer aboard the Sacrifice,” said Commander Dunklin.
“Is that all?” said Lieutenant Sukita as she reached down beside her leg and lifted up a black box roughly the size of a shoe box.
“Is that the nav computer from the Sacrifice?” asked an incredulous Commander Dunklin.
“Ummm . . . yeah, before we evacuated the Sacrifice, I grabbed it. I figured there wouldn’t be any reason for it to be left onboard. For one, if the Sacrifice wasn’t completely destroyed, then I thought it might be possible for the Shenkar to retrieve the exact coordinates of Earth--”
“But you can’t transfer--” interrupted Commander Dunklin.
Not waiting for the Commander to finish, Lieutenant Sukita in turn interrupted him. “Yes, I kn
ow the Meshtrell said it wouldn’t be possible for nav computers to be transferred from one ship to another, but they have been wrong before. And that is the second reason I chose to remove the nav computer. I figured if we were able capture a Shenkar capital ship, then we could try to install it. I realize it could take a long time to do such a task, but the possibility is still there.”
Admiral Kelvin smiled. “Lieutenant, you are going to rise high in the ranks with that sort of thinking.” Turning to a team of engineers, he summoned the leader over to him.
“Yes, sir!” said the engineer, saluting.
“Please take the nav computer from Lieutenant Sukita and find a way to link it to the Shenkar fold system.”
The engineer looked as if he was about to explain how this wasn’t possible when the Admiral cut him off.
“I realize this is something that isn’t supposed to be possible, according to the Meshtrell, but do your best.”
The engineer saluted, then rushed forward, snatched up the small black box, and hurried back to his team. Immediately, they all ducked their heads down and began to speak in hushed tones on how to complete their task.
“Okay, who is the Meshtrell who is an expert on fold propulsion theory?” Admiral Kelvin asked Commander Dunklin.
“That would be Driika, sir.”
“Have it report to my office.”
“Yes, sir!” said Dunklin, who then turned to a nearby comm station.
“Commander Brennan, Lieutenant Commander Maxis, I want to discuss an idea I have and your thoughts on it . . . follow me.”
And with that, Admiral Kelvin turned and exited the room into the small office he had just off the command center. Liam and Evan followed him in, and when he took a seat behind his desk, they stood before him at attention.
“At ease, men. You two should realize by now that I am not all rules and regulations,” said the Admiral, a touch of amusement in his voice.
Liam and Evan relaxed into a more comfortable position while they waited on Driika. Liam thought to ask what the Admiral wished to discuss with them but resisted the urge.
Driika arrived five minutes later and stood before the Admiral, looking first from Liam to Evan to the Admiral and back again.
“I have a few questions I need answered, Driika, and I am told you are the one to ask.”
“I will try to answer you as best as I can, Admiral Kelvin,” said Driika in its mechanical voice.
“When a ship engages its fold engine, I am to understand that a sort of energy bubble surrounds the ship? This is the reason the whole ship folds to its designated coordinates and not just the fold engines,” asked the Admiral.
“Yes, Admiral, in simple terms, that would be correct,” answered Driika.
“Can that bubble be extended outward to encompass, say, another small capital ship?” asked the Admiral.
Driika cocked its head to the side as if studying the Admiral and contemplating why the Admiral would ask such a question. After a few moments, Driika answered, “Yes, it is possible, but to do so would be very dangerous. You would need the second ship to be traveling as close as possible. The calculations of such a task would be unimaginable. Even so, the integrity of the fold energy field wouldn’t necessarily hold up.”
Without responding to Driika’s assessment, the Admiral turned to Liam and Evan. “How close can you Templar Knights fly?” he asked.
“I would say close . . . sir, what is this all about if I may ask?” pressed Liam.
Admiral Kelvin smiled and then explained in detail his idea and the plan he had come up with. By the end of it, all Liam could do was grin at the Admiral’s insane plan.
December 21, 2012, 1:53 a.m. ESTTryliene’s Fold Engines Room
Steve sighed as he leaned back against the bulkhead and stared down at the mass of wires protruding from a nearby panel.
“This is impossible. We have tried every way possible to get this ship to acknowledge the software of the nav computer with no luck,” said Mark, an engineer assigned to assist Steve.
“No, I refuse to believe we have exhausted all avenues. There has to be a way. For the most part, the technology is similar, so we should be able to establish a connection on a base level. Once we find that, we can build from there,” said Steve.
Rubbing his eyes, Mark leaned back before he turned to Steve. “Well, we have been at this for the past sixteen hours. I need some coffee or something if we are going to continue. How do you keep going like you do? I know several other engineers have been here before me, and they all have become too burned out, including the chief engineer.”
“Well, I have been technologically enhanced for one. Also, all I can think of is my sister and her family back at Earth. I feel that if we don’t find a way back and something happens to them, then it will be my fault. I refuse to give up and let anyone down.”
Mark looked at Steve a moment before nodding slightly. “Do you want me to bring you anything?” asked Mark.
“No, in fact, go get some sleep--you need it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I will be okay.”
“Okay, well, you have my comm code, so if you need me, just call.” Mark stood and stretched, his knees popping as he did so, before he clapped Steve on his shoulder. “Lieutenant, while you might be enhanced, you do have your limits.”
Then Mark left Steve to his thoughts.
Soon the sound of footsteps approaching made Steve look up. Lieutenant Kimino Sukita walked toward him, carrying two steaming cups that, from the smell, could only be coffee. Standing up, he smiled as she approached. Kimino smiled back at him as she handed him one of the cups.
“Any luck?” she asked.
“No, I’m starting to think it isn’t possible. Every time we seem to be making headway, the programming of the Shenkar nav system seems to recognize the foreign program and blocks the connection.”
“Well, I am sure that if anyone can find a way, it will be you. I have faith in you,” she said, smiling.
Steve only slightly smiled as he sipped his coffee. “I don’t know, Kimino. I am worried about letting everyone down. The Shenkar fleet should be just about to Earth by now.”
Kimino stepped closer and softly cupped the side of his face with her free hand. “No matter what, I know you will have tried your best. You have no fear of letting me down.”
Steve smiled at this, and he placed his free hand over hers. “I love you,” he said.
Suddenly realizing what he said, he got all uncomfortable. He withdrew his hand and stepped back, fearing he would scare her off from his open expression of his love for her.
Kimino didn’t step back or forward; she just stood in the same spot looking at Steve, her mouth open slightly, a look of surprise on her face.
“Ummm . . . I’m sorry, I . . . uh . . . well . . .” Steve stammered.
Steve wasn’t given a chance to finish what he was trying to say as Kimino quickly set her coffee cup on a nearby utility box and threw herself at Steve. Dropping his coffee, he caught Kimino as she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. After what Steve felt was the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced, Kimino broke the kiss and looked into Steve’s eyes.
“I love you, too. Sorry, didn’t mean to freak you out, but you just surprised me. I always swore to myself I would never let myself get involved, that my career would come first, but you changed all that. I love you more than anything,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Steve, marry me. Let’s have the Admiral do it. I don’t know what the future will bring us with our current situation, but for the here and now, I want to be your wife.”
Steve smiled. “You do know the Admiral is probably sleeping right now?” he said.
“Well, then, why don’t you take a break and we can go celebrate our honeymoon first?” she said, a mischievous smile on her face.
Steve didn’t even have to think twice about this option. Grabbing her hand, they hurried off to his quarters.
Many hours la
ter, Kimino lay dozing and naked in his arms as Steve stared at the ceiling. He smelled the flowery scent of her hair and couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else at the moment. He would never have thought he would end up with a girl like Kimino. She was incredibly beautiful. If he were to meet her on the street, he would never have had it in him to speak to her. To look at her, he would have thought her to be a model. In truth, she had been a model when she was eighteen. However, deciding she wanted more for her life, she had enlisted in the Japanese Air Force. It just showed that even two people so different could find something in common, even on a base level.
Steve gasped at a sudden thought. Slipping out from under Kimino as quietly as he could, he grabbed his clothes and quickly dressed.
“Running out on me?” came Kimino’s groggy voice.
“No, I just thought of something that might work. It involves working with a base code that could fool the Shenkar software,” Steve said excitedly.
Kimino sat up quickly, the sheet falling away, revealing her nakedness as she came more awake.
“Really?!? Well, what are we waiting for? Let me get my clothes and I will join you, if that’s okay.”
Steve didn’t say anything; he couldn’t think of anything except how beautiful she was, especially here standing naked before him. Suddenly, a pillow hit him in the head and he realized he had been staring at her.
“Sorry, but you are quite distracting, being so beautiful.”
Smiling, she got out of bed and quickly dressed. “It’s okay. I like the way you look at me. Now let’s go.”
They hurried back to the panel Steve had been working on. As he went, Steve keyed his comm unit. Soon, a groggy voice answered the call.
“Mark? This is Steve. I think I have something; meet me at the terminal.”
Suddenly, the voice was much more alert. “You have something? What? Will it work, you think?” said Mark excitedly.
“Just get your butt down here,” Steve said laughingly.
Several hours later, Steve and Mark were finishing up the program with Kimino looking on.
