by Jeff Sims
Frank decided that he didn’t want the construction workers to see him in his disguise, so he stopped before opening the door. He briefly considered visiting his secret family since he was already wearing a disguise, but decided against that as well. Finally, he decided to go back to his office in the Senate building.
Frank’s marriage was legitimate and in no way improper. Frank was just keeping his wife and son a secret because Advranki voters generally preferred their politicians to be single. However, societal norms often changed and someday (probably soon) the public would expect their elected officials to be married. At that time, he would call a press conference, reveal his family, and state that he had been married for years.
When he reached the office, Frank removed the aging makeup, shed the worker outfit and put back on his suit. He checked himself in the mirror several times to ensure that all vestiges of the gray had been removed from his hair.
When he was satisfied that his appearance was again perfect, he enacted all of the necessary security features and called his mystery friend.
Once connected, he said, “I have the package. Thank you. Now what do I do.”
The mystery man replied, “Did you read the directions?”
Frank hadn’t even seen them, let alone read them. He responded, “I didn’t see any directions. Perhaps they fell into the trash chute.”
The man replied, “Just point the business end at the intended target and press the black button to shoot. Once you are done, put the weapon in the carrying bag and press the small blue button on the side to destroy it. Oh, the beam weapon is very powerful, but has a short range. The preferred distance is 2 meters away, 3 at the most. Any farther than that and you may only stun your target.”
Frank replied, “I thought we were going to meet and you were going to show me how to use it and let me practice firing it a few times.”
The man replied, “No, we do not need to meet and you cannot test it; someone will detect the blast or discover the scorch marks.” He broke the connection.
Frank didn’t blame the man for not wanting to meet. He wouldn’t want to meet either if their situations were reversed. Frank couldn’t recall exactly how they had made contact with each other; he was a friend of a friend or something.
Regardless, the mystery man clearly knew that Frank intended to use the weapon to assassinate someone. That meant the mystery man was now officially an accomplice and more importantly, a loose end. Frank believed that the man could be trusted to keep his secret, but he could understand what the other man must be thinking – if Frank could kill one person then he could certainly kill a second one to keep the first one a secret.
Frank put the weapon in his desk drawer and slid it back as far as possible. He closed the drawer and locked it. Frank now had the ability to kill Senator Figur. He still lacked an alibi and a reason why a Hiriculan assassin would want to kill the senator. Frank knew that he would have to patiently wait for the perfect time and place.
Frank relaxed in his favorite couch and turned on the large monitor affixed to the opposite wall. He said, “Computer, scan all news in the last 24 hours and play a quick summary of the main stories.”
The second item caught his attention. It was a news feed from Conron showing four tug ships pulling an old Altian space station across the system. Frank stopped the feed and zoomed in on the station. He rotated the view and inspected the station from several different angles.
Eventually, he found what he was looking for. Just as Frank had suspected, the station was showing signs of age. There were several visible seams on the structure. In fact, Frank thought, there were a few more age lines and seams than he thought there should have been.
A few weeks earlier, Altian Senator Korno had petitioned the Alliance Senate to allow them to replace the aging, 600 year-old space station with a new one. Senator Korno had stated at the time the maintenance costs for the station were expensive, especially when exterior welding to repair a hole needed to be performed.
Exterior repair was extremely difficult to perform. They had to create a temporary atmosphere around that portion of the station, remove and replace the non-conforming plate, and then weld a new one in its place. The photonic absorption welding process was extremely difficult to perform in that circumstance and could often result in a visible weld seam.
Senator Korno had also asserted that the station was too small for naval or commercial use because it only has three internal ship bays. Frank suspected that the real reason the Altians wanted to replace the space station was that the seams and cosmetic blemishes made it look ugly.
Frank agreed to vote yes for the proposal provided the old station be moved to Waylon. The bill also included a provision to use the station as a small military base. The base would give an advance notification of any enemy movements in that region of space and would prevent the Hiriculans from trying to steal the system
Frank said, “Computer, transfer these images to my communication pad.”
Frank now had the evidence he needed for the next election cycle. His plan was to use these pictures to denounce the Altians for shoddy work practices and propose that the Advranki in-source work currently being performed by Altains. The proposal wasn’t realistic and wouldn’t pass, but the rhetoric should get him additional votes.
Now though, his brilliant plan may have backfired. The military was suddenly shorthanded and he had just promised to expand their number of bases. He doubted the navy had the bandwidth to replace the losses as well as fortify a new base. He would have to be careful because his rivals could use this to publically embarrass him.
Frank was thinking of a way to turn this potential political landslide around when his com pad rang, indicating that someone was standing at his door. Frank wasn’t expecting anyone so he checked the external cameras. “Great, Ambassador Bline is here,” he said to no one in particular.
Frank really didn’t want to talk to the Hiriculan ambassador tonight. He figured the being was here to gloat about the Alliance military defeat and set a ransom for the prisoners. He briefly considered pretending he wasn’t here and not answering the door.
He would simply say that he had already returned to his apartment for the evening. Frank checked the time; it was late. Ambassador Bline probably already went to his apartment, saw the construction crew, and reasoned that Frank was spending the night in his office.
Frank sighed and pressed the button on his com pad to unlock the door. Bline walked in as soon as it opened. Frank gave his ‘it’s late and you’re bothering me’ smile and said, “Ambassador, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?”
Bline entered without speaking and sat down at one of the chairs facing Frank’s desk. Frank decided against sitting behind his desk because he didn’t want to be close to the beam weapon. The weapon was intended for Figur, but Frank didn’t trust himself at the moment. He wouldn’t mind shooting the grin off of the ambassador’s face for target practice.
Frank sat in the chair next to Bline and said, “Would you like a refreshment?”
Bline nodded no. Frank really wanted to talk about the battle, but knew that it would be a subtle sign of weakness if he simply rushed into the subject. He said, “Did you hear that they finally found Old Solaria?”
Bline smiled and replied, “Yes. I am invited to attend a celebration there in a couple of weeks. I haven’t decided whether I am going yet. How about you, are you going?”
This party was going to be the social event of the year, possibly even the decade. It was going to be a who’s who of celebrity appearances and appendage rubbing. Frank couldn’t wait to go.
Frank replied, “Yes, I am torn as well. I am rather busy here. I don’t know if I can afford the time away from the office.”
Bline nodded again, but didn’t speak.
Frank felt the time was right, so he said, “I assume you heard the announcement earlier today.”
Bline replied, “Yes. I did. Have you heard anything
else; any details that you didn’t share with the public?”
It was an odd request. Bline should be telling him secret information, not requesting it. Frank replied, “Only the names of the two ships that were destroyed in the battle. One was the battleship Defender and the other was the cruiser Attendant.”
Bline replied, “I received a communiqué after the battle informing me that the Alliance fleet had been captured and that the crews would be transported back to Hiricula for trial the following week. I haven’t heard anything since the initial report though.”
Frank replied, “Well, it is a 12 day journey from Hepitila to Hiricula. Plus the 7 days you just mentioned makes 19 days. It has only been 6 days since the battle. I suppose the High Council has to make a show of having a trial before they begin negotiations for their return.”
“I suppose,” Bline replied. “I just thought by now that I would have some good news to give you concerning their return.”
Good news was on its way though.
…………………
Exactly 130 hours (5.4 days) later, Frank received a Senate only, maximum priority message. Incidentally, 130 hours was the time that it took a signal to be beamed through hyperspace from Influenla to Advranki Prime.
The message read: The Sunflower traveled to Influenla and effected the release of all Alliance prisoners and warships. The armada is returning to Conron. Solear.
Frank read the message three times. He was halfway through reading it the 4th time when he received calls from Senators Korno, Figur, and, and well every other Alliance Senator.
Frank said, “Computer, calculate relative distances and times to Conron.”
…It should take the armada 215 hours to journey from Influenla to Conron. The message took 130 hours arrive. It takes 80 hours to jump from Advranki Prime to Conron. Therefore, if you leave in the next hour and obtain a favorable route through the Advranki system, you can meet the armada in Conron when it arrives…
Frank then said, “Computer, answer all Senator calls and set up a teleconference.”
Once connected, Frank said, “I see that everyone has received the message from Captain Solear.”
Figur responded, “Yes. The news is unbelievable. In fact, I find it hard to believe.”
Frank considered telling him the definition of the word unbelievable. However, he passed on insulting Figur. He supposed it wouldn’t kill him to be nice to Figur for once.”
Frank responded, “Yes. The message is rather vague. There is no mention of how he managed their release. I don’t know whether it was on purpose, or simply an oversight.”
Korno responded, “I think I know what he must have done.”
And there it was. Frank knew as well. There was only one thing he could have done. Captain Solear must have traded the humans for the armada. It was a bold decision, one he didn’t think Solear was capable of making. Perhaps Figur was right, it was unbelievable.
Frank responded, “We need to travel to Conron now. I want to meet the fleet and question Solear personally.”
Depending on how long the debriefing took in Conron, they may have to jump directly to Solaria to attend the celebration. Frank quickly packed his bags for a multi-week stay. The beam weapon was the first thing that went into the bag. Frank surmised that with its lackluster security, Solaria would be the perfect place to assassinate Figur.
Thirty minutes later the entire Senate boarded 8 separate diplomatic corvettes. Despite the need to rush, Frank insisted that they travel on separate ships.
His stated reason for splitting into separate ships was to protect the esteemed Senate members against an accident. However, his true reason was that he couldn’t stand listening to the other Senate members drone on about their personal lives for 8 hours.
An hour later 8 corvettes jumped to Conron.
Chapter 2
Edward Williams (Ace) and Paul Smith, a marine lieutenant, spent the 7 hour jump from Influenla to Opron sitting in the hangar bay of the Alliance battleship Guardian. Earlier that day, Paul had led the rescue on the station and Ace had piloted the shuttle from the station to the battleship.
As a result, they were temporarily stuck on the Guardian until they reached Opron. The Guardian didn’t have any force fields, but Paul was relatively sure that the three exits out of the hangar bay were securely locked. They were left alone for the vast majority of the trip.
Their only visitor was Doctor Purami. The doctor walked into the bay about 2 hours into the trip; pulling several pieces of medical equipment on a medical electro cart. Ace had beaten Paul on just about every video game loaded on their communication pads, so Paul actually welcomed the distraction.
As they were watching her approach, Ace said, “Apparently she wasn’t satisfied with my earlier check-up and came to perform a full examination.”
Doctor Purami stopped directly in front of the two humans and ordered them to unload the electro cart. Since it was clear to them that this was going to be the highlight of their time aboard the flagship, they decided to oblige her request.
She started by having Paul remove his shirt. She attached electrode sensors to Paul’s temples, neck, hands, chest and back. She then had him perform a series of basic motor skills like picking up medical equipment, jumping, and pushing down on the medical chart. She repeated the same tests with Ace.
Next, she had Paul lie on the medical cart and gave him a full body scan. Once again, she repeated with Ace. The exam apparently concluded, Purami pointed at Ace and asked Paul, “Why are you so much bigger and stronger than this one?”
Paul was a little surprised at the bluntness of her question. She didn’t act like any of the other Advranki he had met. He replied, “You’re bed-side manner could use some improvement.”
The doctor waved her hand dismissively and responded, “If you want to talk to someone I will send you a psychotherapist. Now, why the large difference in musculature?”
Paul said, “I think the main reason is that I am older than him. I am 24 years old and he is only 17.”
She replied, “Seven years is nothing. A blip, a moment in time.”
Paul tried again, “I am a grown man. He is still considered a youth, his body hasn’t fully grown yet. Seven years may not be a long time to the cosmos, but these are critical years in a Human male’s development. Plus, I perform specialized exercises to enhance my strength.”
This explanation didn’t work, so Paul had to demonstrate his exercise and weight lifting routine.
When Paul finished, Doctor Punami summarized, “Ah, I suppose the age difference makes sense. Concerning the exercise; if I understand correctly, you are basically tearing your muscles so that they will grow back larger. It seems counter-productive.”
Paul replied, “I suppose. The key though is lifting weights make you stronger.”
Punami thought for several long moments and said, “I don’t see any value to increasing strength. Both of you have enough strength to perform your duties and even the smaller one is stronger than any member of any other race.”
Paul couldn’t think of a retort, so he raised his arms in the typical body builder pose and flexed his muscles. The gesture actually made Punami take a step backward. She recovered quickly though and walked over and touched Paul’s flexed bicep.
She asked, “What is the point of this stance. Do you use it to scare off other rival males?
Ace responded, “It doesn’t scare rival males, but the females really like it.”
Punami said, “Ah, so it is a sign of fertility. Females are attracted to a male with bigger arms because it increases their chances of producing stronger off-spring.”
Ace responded, “Correct.”
Paul couldn’t resist any longer. He started laughing and dropped his arms. He asked, “Switching subjects, why aren’t you afraid of us like everyone else? Aren’t you scared that we are going to kill you and eat you or something?”
Punami said, “I haven’t the time for such nonsense. This
may be my only opportunity to thoroughly examine living, breathing Humans.”
The doctor turned to leave and Ace asked, “Well Doc, are we okay?”
She replied, “How should I know?” and left.
Ace commented, “She reminds me of my doctor on Earth.”
A few hours later the Guardian and the rest of the Alliance fleet exited hyperspace in Opron. Admiral Dolen ordered the fleet to increase its speed to .15 light and proceed in real time across the system to the Opron – Conron hyperspace lane.
Admiral Dolen also ordered both Ace and Paul to commandeer fighters and fly back to the Sunflower. Then he ordered all humans on the Dandelion to return to the Sunflower. Next, he ordered all of the Guardian’s fighter pilots to return to the ship.
Now, the part Dolen had been dreading. He had openings for three officers. One was from Ella’s death and the other two were from the disappearance of the two Solarian officers at the Spindle Station. One was a communications officer and two were navigational officers.
Dolen had 5 spare officers from the cruiser Attendant. The Attendant had been badly damaged during the initial battle and they were forced to leave it in Influenla when they escaped. Dolen ordered the Attendant’s former communications officer to fill the opening on the Dandelion and the navigator to fill the opening on the cruiser Champion.
This left only an opening for a pilot on the Sunflower. Dolen decided to leave the position unfilled for now.
…………………
For once, Jack Dogbarks was actually interested in something Ella Birdsong had to say. If Jack had been Hiriculan, his ear stalks would have risen to their highest point and stayed there. As it was, Jack was staring at her like she was the most fascinating person in the galaxy.
Ella just told Jack the story of their daring rescue mission and something she said caught his attention. Oh sure, the story was entertaining on its own merit, but she had said one unusual word that Jack found particularly interesting.
She had said the word marine.
She had only said it once, but Jack was certain that he had heard it. There were only a few beings in the galaxy that knew what a marine was. Well, not counting the residents of the planet Earth, quite a few officers on the battleship Guardian, the crew of the Sunflower, and the captain of the Dandelion.
