“Is that enough space to grow food for twenty thousand people?” Allistor had no idea.
Harmon cleared his throat. “It’s not quite that simple. The station would primarily be provisioned from here on the surface. The domes are meant to be a supplement, providing fresh herbs and consumables, as well as serving as a source of oxygen, and a filtration system. Some portion of the station’s waste is treated and used for fertilizer, as well. In a pinch, one might grow enough food to feed the entire population for a short time. But in the event that the station is for some reason cut off from surface supplies, it is likely that a large portion of the population will have abandoned the station.”
As Allistor nodded, Droban added, “There is also this option.” A new, much larger dome appeared directly above the top of the central barrel. When it zoomed in, the interior of the dome looked like someone had cut out a small section of forest and flown it up into space. The central area was a grove of tall trees, surrounded by open meadows and scattered shrubs. Droban pushed another button, and some kind of four-legged animal appeared, scattered around the meadow and grazing.
“It can be used to raise livestock!” Allistor clapped his hands together. “That’s awesome!”
Harmon chuckled. “That is quite an expensive modification, and the growth of the flora within the dome can take some time.”
Allistor relaxed some. He had an entire planet on which to grow crops and trees, and a good chunk of Earth as well. Maybe a good deal more of Earth before he was done. “Alright, so maybe we don’t really need that. How about defenses?”
Longbeard took over. “There be a small swarm o’ tiny sensor and defense satellites that hover ‘round the station at a distance. The station itself comes with weapons turrets on each o’ the pointy bits ye see, as well as several on the rings’ surfaces, above and below. A total o’ thirty two.”
“Is that enough to defend against an attack?”
Harmon shook his head. “That depends on the attack. It would fend off pretty much any single ship attacking the station. Or a small group of raiders with four to six ships. But a full military attack fleet would take or destroy the station in minutes.” Harmon grinned at him. “For your purposes here, it should be fine. You have ships to assist in defense, or you soon will. And you have allies here on Earth with mutual defense pacts that would discourage all but the most powerful factions in the Collective from attacking your station. And even those factions would need an extreme motivation to do so. Going to war with you and your allies would be no small thing, Allistor.”
Allistor felt slightly uncomfortable at that statement. But he shrugged it off and continued. “Cool! So we’re good with defense. And we can grow enough food. Is housing for twenty thousand enough for the staff, merchants, and visitors to live comfortably?”
“It is… if the crews of the ships that are docked for repairs remain aboard while they’re in port.” Harmon offered. “But if the ships are badly damaged and life support is down, for example…”
“Gotcha. So we need to increase the housing, and maybe set aside some as reserved for ships’ crews. Maybe a couple more of those tower hotel thingies?”
Longbeard chuckled. “Aye, one additional tower per ring would be more than enough. Though it be unlikely that every ship at dock would be that badly damaged at the same time. One tower, modified into a crew quarters design with small rooms and bunk beds, would do.”
Allistor thought about that scenario for a moment, then shook his head. “Let’s assume that the station is going to expand in the future. Better to add extra accommodations now than to wait until we need them. They can always be closed off and shut down so they’re not a power drain, right?”
Longbeard just nodded, smiling.
“Alright so let’s put an extra tower with the standard hotel configuration on each of the outer rings. I assume that’s like… a majority of small single rooms at the base, with the top few floors being larger fancy suites?”
“Something like that, yes.” Droban confirmed. “Except the suites are on the lower levels, where there is more available floor space, they are less likely to be damaged, and in case of emergency the escape route is shorter.”
“Damage! I didn’t ask about shields. This thing has to have shields, right? To guard against tiny meteors and such?”
“Yes, there are several shield generators that combine to create what is effectively a bubble around the entire station.”
“Well, let’s increase the shield capacity. Like, a secondary system in case part of the standard system fails. Before Earth was moved, there were thousands of satellites orbiting the planet. I don’t know how many of them made the trip with us, but there could be all kinds of space junk floating around out there, circling the earth at thousands of miles per hour. Or, you know, giant alien space bugs, or whatever.” He grinned at the others.
His grin disappeared when they all nodded, like giant alien space bugs were a real thing to worry about.
Chapter 8
Rajesh stood on the roof of his factory building. The tallest and largest of the buildings within his territory. Next to him his uncle stood quietly, leaning slightly forward and squinting at the figure below. The two of them were observing as one of Rajesh’s peasants walked slowly and with great hesitation across an open field. On the opposite side of that field was the area claimed by the slime creatures.
“Tell him to go faster. We don’t have all day.” Rajesh commanded. “We need to know if the jelly creatures can communicate.”
His uncle sighed. “Gelatinous. Not jelly.” he replied before speaking into the handheld radio. Both men saw the nervous peasant jump when his radio spoke to him. He turned his head back to look at the observers on the roof, stumbling slightly in the tall grass. The unfortunate volunteer did as he was told, moving slightly faster toward the line of shrubs that concealed an upright maintenance entrance to the city’s network of storm drainage tunnels.
Rajesh snorted in derision when the man began to frantically wave a stick with a white cloth tied to one end. “They’re aliens, uncle. The white flag will likely have no meaning to them. For all we know, they may consider that fool’s gyrations to be a hostile act.”
Agni nodded solemnly at his nephew’s statement. “I explained that to him. But the flag makes him feel a little less nervous, and he insisted on taking it along. I could not refuse him.”
Both men watched as their emissary reached the shrub line, slowing to a standstill and leaning forward to peek through the greenery. A few more hesitant steps, and he was passing through the shoulder-height shrubs. Now all they could see of him was his head as it moved slowly toward the concrete structure. He took a dozen more steps before halting suddenly.
“There!” Rajesh pointed, his voice excited. “One of the jellies is emerging!”
The man on the ground froze, his white flag held out in front of him shaking slightly as terror gripped him. The gelatinous being facing him did not approach, remaining just inside the five-foot wide tunnel opening. Standing about waist high in a roughly cubic form with rounded corners, its body quivered slightly. Sunlight reflected off of multiple objects within its form. Agni raised a set of binoculars, trying to make out details.
“The creature’s body contains… several bones. A small skull, probably a rat. And some kind of silver sphere near its center.”
Not caring in the slightest, Rajesh commanded. “Tell him to make contact. Speak to it!”
Agni dutifully relayed the message, speaking softly into his own radio, not wanting the peasant’s radio to emit any harsh sounds that might trigger an attack. “You’re doing fine. The creature is not approaching. Take a deep breath, and try speaking to it.”
The man’s head nodded briefly, and he lowered the white flag. Agni and Rajesh were much too far away to hear anything, but they could see him hold out his free hand as he appeared to speak to the creature. After nearly a minute with no response from the gelatinous being, Agni spoke into h
is radio again.
“Try tossing it a piece of the meat we gave you. Toss it close, but try not to hit it. We don’t want it to think you’re attacking.”
Again Rajesh snorted, this time chuckling to himself. “Meat attack.”
They watched as the man reached into a bag hanging from his shoulder. He extracted a lump of meat and carefully tossed it underhand toward the creature. The meat landed less than a foot in front of it, and Rajesh clapped his hands. “Well done!”
They watched as the creature’s body trembled once, then began to slide forward, its lower surface undulating much like a snail’s body as it moved to engulf the meat. All three men stared as the offering was slurped up into the creature’s body, where it immediately began to break down, the digestive enzymes within the gelatin working quickly.
Encouraged, the man didn’t wait to be given instructions. He produced a second chunk of meat and tossed it over to the creature. Unfortunately, his aim this time was not as precise. Agni gasped and held his breath when the treat actually struck the front surface of the creature’s body and stuck there. The impact caused a reactive ripple through the gelatinous substance, and the creature’s core flashed from silver to red in an instant.
Even as the meat was absorbed into the body, the creature elongated its form, extending itself upward until it stood as tall as the man it faced. The body began to lean backward, and the emissary took a retreating step of his own, dropping the flag and raising both hands in front of himself. Agni imagined the man was speaking placating words, apologizing whole-heartedly for accidentally striking the creature.
“What is it-?” Rajesh didn’t finish his question as both men witnessed the creature’s response. The upper portion of the elongated body snapped forward, the base remaining in place. A glob of the creature’s flesh shot across the distance between it and the unfortunate man it faced. The man had no time to react, other than to raise his outstretched hands slightly to protect his face. The flying glob struck both hands, which did manage to block some, but not all, of the substance. The remainder passed between and struck the man’s lower face, neck, and chest.
There were several seconds of stunned silence, the man looking at his hands, then down at his chest, before the flesh began to melt and the screaming started. He turned to run, his hands frantically swiping at the slime on his face and chest, though all he was doing was smearing it around, spreading it further. He stumbled through the shrubs and several yards into the field before his screams turned into a wet gurgle as the acidic substance ate into his throat. A few steps further, and he fell silently, facedown in the tall grass. Rajesh and Agni watched as his body twitched a few times, then went still.
Agni cursed loudly as both men’s eyes returned to the creature that had just killed their emissary. It had not left the concrete area between the tunnel walls. Two similar creatures had advanced to either side of it, and all three seemed unwilling to move further out of the tunnel, despite the enticing meal laying just a short distance away.
“That fool!” Rajesh stomped one foot like a petulant child, an action his uncle had seem him repeat often as he grew up. “You specifically told him not to hit the jelly! Incompetence! I’m surrounded by incompetence!”
Feeling shaken himself, Agni tried to calm his nephew. “I’m sure it was not intentional, Rajesh. The man was terrified. And he paid dearly for his mistake.”
“Get me another volunteer! One who won’t piss himself in the face of danger.” Rajesh demanded, stomping toward the door that would lead him back downstairs.
Agni shook his head, despairing at the uncaring attitude of his Earl. After a few deep, calming breaths, he spoke quietly into his radio again. “Three of you, go and retrieve the body. Move slowly, and keep your eyes on the creatures. If they advance, you retreat.” He paused, looking at the location where the body had fallen, unable to see it in the tall grass. “And wear gloves. Take a plastic tarp to wrap him in. Don’t touch any of the contaminated areas if you can help it.”
*****
Allistor took Amanda’s hand as they both watched the viewscreen on the bridge of the Phoenix. Both of their mouths, along with those of the rest of the humans on the bridge, hung open in awe. They were approaching Allistor’s new space station, and though some part of him had known it would be large, the actual scope of the structure hovering in orbit above Invictus City was mind-blowing. The towers that he’d discussed with his advisors during their design session dwarfed his tower down in the city. The main central hub of the station had to be a mile long, or longer. And the partially forested green area inside the dome at the top end was enormous, looking like a small island floating in space.
Kira was guiding the ship toward one of the gigantic rings, a small section of which had opened at their approach to reveal a shuttle bay. The opening had looked tiny from a distance when it first began to open, but now that they were about to pass inside, Allistor could see that there was room for three or four ships the size of his Phoenix in this space.
Harmon, seeing the look on his friend’s face, laughed aloud. “This is just one of dozens of shuttle bays on the station, Allistor. And each of the rings has the capacity for a score of ships to hard dock on their exterior, for passenger and small cargo transfer through the airlocks.”
Amanda squeezed his hand tightly at the mention of airlocks, and Allistor turned to see her eyes were wide, a hint of perspiration on her forehead and upper lip. “You okay, my empress?”
Her eyes met his, and she shook her head. “I’m… I dunno. The idea of walking around in that place just… Allistor it’s basically a giant tin can surrounded by a vacuum.”
Allistor nodded, trying to find words to reassure her, when Harmon helped him out. “Lady Amanda, I have spent a great many years living aboard stations like this one. They are built to protect and preserve the lives within. There are multiple layers of safeguards in place, should a vital component fail, including force fields, pressure doors at every section juncture, reserve oxygen supplies, and constant monitoring by the controlling AIs. You feel comfortable enough here on this ship, do you not?” He waited for her to ponder for a moment, then nod. “Well you are just as safe aboard the station.”
Amanda took a few deep breaths, and her death grip on Allistor’s hand loosened. “Thank you, Harmon. I’ll be fine, I think. Just never expected to, you know, walk around a city in space before. Takes a little getting used to.”
“Are there gonna be any damned giant spiders walkin around in there?” Meg broke the tension with her anti-bug attitude. “Cuz I can’t be held responsible if a friggin bug pops out at me from some side door or something.” She held up one of her grenades, which Sam promptly confiscated, blowing his love a kiss when she glared up at him.
“Ha! No, Lady Meg. The station is only sparsely inhabited at the moment. The work crews that are finishing up the last of the modifications are mainly dwarves. There are a few other races mixed in, but none that should give you… pause.” Harmon smiled at her. Meg just grumbled quietly in return.
“And speakin o’ dwarves,” Longbeard pointed toward the screen. “Our greeting party has arrived.” They all turned toward the view screen, which showed a small contingent of dwarves entering the shuttle bay in front of the ship.
Longbeard led the way as all but the bridge crew headed to the lower deck and the exit ramp. Allistor followed, still holding Amanda’s hand. Right behind them were William and the girls, along with Meg, Sam, Ramon, Nancy, Chloe, Michael, Gene, Harmon, Helen, and the remaining three alien advisors. Fuzzy and Fiona had opted to stay on Earth, Fuzzy showing Allistor a mental image of the woods around Daigath’s home. Allistor had instructed Nigel to teleport the bears to the Wilderness Stronghold, and back, when they were ready. In the cargo bay was a small contingent of citizens that were coming along to get familiar with the station’s facilities and operations. This included several of Gene’s engineers and mechanics, three of their best gardeners, two of the reserve bridge crew
s in training, and a score of others.
Stepping off the ramp onto the shuttle bay deck, Longbeard strode forward and shook hands with the lead dwarf of the welcoming party. After a few claps on the back and some mumbled greetings, Longbeard cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud, formal tone.
“Master Engineer Cogwalker o’ the Stardrifters, I present to ye Planetary Prince Allistor o’ Earth, Emperor o’ planet Orion, His fiancé Lady Amanda, and their advisors!”
Allistor inclined his head to the exact degree that L’olwyn had coached him to on the flight up, while the dwarves all bowed at the waist. “Welcome, yer highness, to yer new station. She ain’t got a name yet, but I’m sure ye’ll be resolvin’ that soon enough.”
“Thank you, Master Cogwalker. For the welcome, and for your hard work in preparing this incredible structure for us.” Allistor answered. “And now that formal introductions are complete, please just call me Allistor.” He grinned at the dwarf as somewhere behind him L’olwyn sighed with despair.
“It’d be my honor, Allistor.” Cogwalker bowed slightly a second time. “And my pleasure to give ye the guided tour o’ this place. Where would ye like to start?” He motioned toward the double door leading into a wide corridor.
Allistor looked unsure, glancing at Amanda, then Gene. “Well, I think we will split up, if you don’t mind. Gene here and his people would love to see the engineering sections and the inner workings of this place. And while I’m sure it’s fascinating, I’m afraid I’d be lost in all the technical jargon. Michael and a few others would like to see the crafting facilities first.” He motioned toward his people, and Cogwalker immediately detailed a couple of his dwarves to escort them as requested.
“As for the rest of us,” Allistor looked up toward the ceiling. “I guess we’ll just start at the top. Does this place even have a ‘top’ and ‘bottom’? Or is it like a ship, where you have fore, aft, port, and starboard?”
The dwarf chuckled briefly. “Aye, the answer is yes, to all o’ that. When navigatin’ a station such as this, ye have upper and lower decks, or up and down. We orient direction based upon the location o’ the central hub. So if ye be facin’ the hub and walkin, yer movin inward, or ‘in’. Facin’ out into space, yer movin ‘out’. Lateral direction be a bit harder to get used to. Again, they be oriented on the hub. Port be to yer left as ye face the hub, also known as spinward. And starboard would be to yer right.” He paused, waiting for Allistor and the others to indicate their understanding before he continued. “Each section be numbered and labeled to help ye navigate. And the AI can give ye the most direct route to yer destination if ye ask.”
Shadow Sun Unification: Shadow Sun Book Five Page 13
