As time went by there were fewer and fewer “channels” to listen to when his ship returned to his home world. The large radio towers were no longer used to broadcast “signals” through the air. The various radio companies had started broadcasting “visual signals” which had very poor music. Now the few music broadcast radio companies used “subscriber based satellite” transmission methods that he did not understand. He did not understand what it meant. He was still trying to learn the derived language called “English”. It seemed to be a language that used French words in a very different subject-verb system. He could understand French, Spanish and Italian – because they were based on his language – the language of Rome. His King was – Greek? He still remembered his country had been conquered by Rome and he had been forced to learn “Latin” when he was a boy.
The door to the water control center slid open and the Commander's Second in Command glared at him. His radio had powered down when the control room door opened. He knew the Commander's lap dog did not care about the reason she had to come to this space – she was angry and he would pay for his mistake. The Second gave him a hand signal to come to her. He stood up and walked slowly to the door where she stood – expecting to be struck. The Second took a step back into the engineering hallway and gave him another hand signal to follow her.
Fred followed the tall female. He tried not to look at her hind quarters or her shapely legs but he could not help himself. He wondered if she would be gentle with him this time. Fred was surprised when she motioned for him to enter the engineering conference room. This would be a first he thought. She would take him in the conference room...
“Good – Fred have a seat.” The Commander ordered.
“Yes Commander,” Fred replied as he sat in the seat closest to the conference room door. The Second joined the Commander on the other side of the conference room table. She leered at him behind the Commander's back and licked her lips. There was insanity behind those ravenous black eyes...
“Fred we have been ordered to send one Earthling to assist the Crown Prince on Earth.” The Commander said. After a moment the Commander continued.
“We have selected you.” The Commander said.
“Me,” Fred asked.
“Yes – we think you will best serve his Majesty's needs.” The Commander answered.
Now for the first time in over 2,000 years Fred was afraid.
“What is wrong?” The Commander asked.
“You appear to be sick.” The Second said.
“Nothing is wrong Commander – I am feeling good.” Fred replied as he looked up into the Commander's very large black eyes.
“Good – you shall go to the Quartermaster and obtain the necessary clothing and equipment.”
“Yes Commander,” Fred responded.
“And Fred,” The Commander said.
“Yes Commander,” Fred said.
“Do not foul this up.” The Commander said.
“Affirmative,” Fred said.
The Commander stood and walked out of the conference room. The Second stood at attention, waiting for the Commander to go first and then fell in behind him. Fred sat in his chair stunned. He had wanted to go back to Earth for centuries. He wondered where the Crown Prince was – what “Country”.”
Chapter – 18
“GET UP,” the Second yelled from behind him. He jumped having not heard her come back into the conference room.
“Come with me little man.” She growled as she grabbed his hand and yanked him up out of his seat.
“Perhaps I can refocus your pitiful little brain.” She purred.
Fred fell in behind her. He found himself enchanted by her bouncing behind. Her legs were beautiful. She must have been born on Earth, he thought, because all of the other goddesses on this ship had muscular man legs that he did not care for. He knew such thoughts could get him blasted out of an airlock however he was under the Second’s influence now and she smiled and said “thank you”. A glimpse of her heart he thought to himself. His mistress was pleased and his erection was solid as a result. She rode him for hours. When she was done with him - she fell asleep. Fred slid out from under her and put on one of the jump suits that she kept in her room for him. He reasoned that he would no longer need a space suit on Earth.
Fred went to the Quartermaster and the officer behind the desk looked down at him and then produced an expression of disgust upon her face. The officer said nothing as she rose from her chair and towered even higher over him. She was a full 2 feet taller than the Second. She strode back into the warehouse racks. An hour later she returned with a cart loaded with clothes and equipment and some sort of box with handles on it. She handed him a data pad for him to sign. Even the gods had bureaucrats and bureaucracy he thought. He signed the name his masters had given him. She handed him a brain programmer. He shivered as he took it from her. It was warm and slimy in his hand. She glared down at him.
“Put it on!” She commanded.
“Yes my lady,” Fred said, as he walked away with the worm in his hand.
“I YOU AN ORDER LITTLE MAN,” The officer yelled at him.
“I don't take orders from you!” He yelled back as he threw the worm at her.
It was true – Fred did not take orders from bureaucrats. His Commander had said nothing about a brain worm. Fred suspected she worked for the enemies of the crown. She had always been a bitch. Fred laughed at her as he left the Quartermaster. He would never return to this ship.
On the way to his cell – the Commander’s voice came over the ship's address system.
“Fred report to your station - Turbine 12 is overheating.” The Commander said.
“Yes Commander,” Fred said and left the cart by the door of his cell.
Fred put on the emergency space suit in the airlock and cycled the system. He wondered when this old suit had last been checked and by whom. He swore he heard a very faint whistle. Fear gripped him. “No!” he said and began swallowing.
Fred made his way to Turbine 12. He opened the access door and a puff of air vented to space. Strange he thought – Turbine 12 was not very hot. Above and toward the aft quarter of the ship he noticed the stars wrinkling and winking. Then a gigantic ship appeared. Then a black “beam” sliced his ship in two pieces! The alarm klaxon sounded. His ship or what was left of it was preparing to travel.
Fred turned to try to get back into the airlock when the alarm sounded and made the mistake of unlocking both of his magnetic boots at the same time! He floated off of the hull of his ship that was rocking under the enemies black knife.
Fred watched his ship blaze into a fire ball as the black blade cut deep into the engine compartment. The ship was in the process of traveling when the engine or rather the unstable metal fuel the gods used ignited. Fred wondered where the Second was. In a few moments the pressure that was always in his Mind ceased. Fred smiled for the first time since he left the pleasure palace. He looked at his chronograph. He could survive in his present form for another 10 minutes and then the waters of life would alter his form to one that did not require breathing oxygen. Fear gripped him as his Mind recalled the hideous monster that he would become in 8 minutes! It had happened to one of the men that had arrived on this ship before he did.
The gigantic enemy ship filled his visor. Fred realized the ship was going to crush him! An even worse form change would result! There was nothing he could do without reaction jets. The plumbers were not allowed to use “EVA” suits.
Fred saw a small ship emerge from the port side of the very large ship which had stopped moving. The small ship drew up to him and stopped. Strange he thought the small ship did not use reaction jets. An airlock door opened and a woman – with a beautiful face inside a strange space suit appeared. As the goddess moved toward him tethered by a cable to the small ship – he noticed the blank stare in the small strangely shaped deep blue eyes. Fred was again very scared. The stranger spoke to him in a language he did not recognize – though it sounded
like the language of the gods. The new goddess took him into the small ship. They then flew into the first large door on the port side of the larger ship that had just destroyed his.
Fred woke up in what appeared to be a glass room. He did not recall how he came to be in this room. The goddess had rendered him unconscious and she took his space suit! He was naked. Fred had no memory of how or when she accomplished these things. The young goddess was not in the glass room. He wondered if he was still in the small ship that had traveled into the belly of the deadly gigantic ship when he saw an information screen appear on the far wall of his new cell. It depicted the written language of the gods. The wedged shaped symbols were scrolling rapidly – too rapidly for him to comprehend them.
Fred realized there was a presence in the room. He panicked and moved up against the nearest glass wall and the ship spoke to him.
Chapter – 19
“Who are you? What is your name?” The ship asked.
“The other gods changed my name to Fred after–” Fred tried to answer the voice.
“Fred what did you do on board their ship?” The ship asked him.
“I was their plumber.” Fred answered.
“How long have you been alive? The ship asked.
“Three thousand years,” He answered.
“Less than a shar,” The ship said.
“Yes,” He responded.
“Fred I could use a good mechanic. Would you be willing to take care of me?” The ship asked.
“Are you going to put a brain programmer in me?” Fred asked.
“A what,” The ship asked.
“A brain worm,” Fred answered.
“NO! I would never do that to a sentient being. It is in fact a violation of galactic law!” The ship answered.
Fred felt better and he began to relax when he realized the ship was female.
“Will you teach me?” He asked.
“Yes,” She answered.
“Then I accept your kind offer.” Fred said.
A door on the opposite wall appeared in the glass. Fred took his cue and left the glass room. There was a long glass corridor with a flashing light that moved down its length to another open door. So he followed the moving light to the end of the glass corridor. He looked through the door at the end of the glass corridor into an even longer – larger hall.
“Fred,” The ship asked.
“Yes ship,” Fred answered.
“Walk to the end of this hall way,” The ship said.
“Yes ship,” Fred said.
Fred walked down the length of the hall – passing two intersecting hall ways that were even longer than the hall he was walking down. He wondered how many intersecting hall ways were on the opposite side of the glass corridor.
“This is your cabin.” The ship said. A door opened to his right and he looked into the room. It was the size of two control rooms! It had furniture and a cooking area!
“I hope you like it.” The ship said.
“This entire room is mine?” Fred asked.
“Yes – let me know if there is anything that you need - for now – take a shower.” The ship said.
“A what,” Fred asked.
“A bath,” The ship said.
“Oh,” Fred said.
“I can do that,” Fred asked.
“Yes – please do - and then lay down in your new bed and sleep.” The ship said.
“Thank you ship,” Fred said.
“Please call me NIN.LIL.” The ship said.
“Thank you Ninlil,” Fred said.
“You are welcome Fred.” Lili said.
The cabin door closed behind him. He walked into the cooking area. There were many strange boxes that he did not recognize. He then walked into a room almost as large as the first room. It had a large comfortable looking bed. There was a small room off to the right of the bedroom. The ceiling illuminated as he walked in. There was a floor to ceiling mirror. He had not looked upon his own reflection in over 3,000 years. There was a hint of gray on his temples. This small room reminded him of a… He could not remember what it was called but he knew he could bathe in here and relieve himself. The water in the small rectangular pool was hot and soothing. A gleaming tap extended from the wall and more hot water flowed into the pool when he splashed some of it out getting into it. Fred loved the pool. It relaxed him as he had not been relaxed since – since before he was taken and forced to drink the alien fluid.
Fred awoke with a start. Ninlil was moving. He stood up and stepped out of the now cold water. There were clean towels on a built-in table with a wash bowl in its center. A large reflecting surface was fastened to the wall above the bowl. A small area of the reflecting surface was blurry. He leaned in closer to it and realized that it magnified his image. He could see the lines and pores on his face. He stood up straight and took a good look at himself. Except for the few gray hairs on his temples he looked the same as he did the day he left his home the last time. Strange he did not feel nauseous as his Mind remembered his past.
He felt tired – bone tired. He walked out into the adjoining room where his new bed was located. He fell into it and was asleep in an instant. The smell of his favorite breakfast meat woke him up.
“How long have I been asleep?” Fred asked.
“About twelve hours,” a strange voice said. Fred did not recognize the voice or the young woman who was standing before him.
“Who are you?” Fred asked.
“I am Naomi,” the young woman answered.
“Why are you in my cabin – Naomi?” Fred asked her.
“I am the ship's maid.” She answered.
“Maid,” Fred asked.
“Yes – I cook, clean, make up your bed, wash your clothes and in general take care of you so that you can take care of Ninlil.” Naomi responded. Fred nodded his head in understanding. The food smelled delicious.
“Did you prepare this for me?” Fred asked.
“Yes – I hope you enjoy it.” Naomi said.
“Thank you Naomi,” Fred said.
“You are welcome.” Naomi said with a quizzical look on her face.
“Oh – uh – Maximus is my name.” Fred said astonished that he remembered it.
“You are welcome Maximus.” Naomi said as she left his cabin.
She was not as beautiful as the Second – but she would do. Maximus thought. He noticed a very thin data pad next to his plate. Maximus marveled at the device. It was like the glass wall in the … with data and drawings visible. This device was superior to the bulky tablets the gods had made him use. In fact this ship was superior to his old ship.
“Maximus,” Lili said.
“Yes ma'am,” Max answered.
“Please come to my engineering conference room when you have finished eating.” Lili said.
“Yes ma'am - Ma'am how did you know my real name?” Maximus asked her.
“Naomi told me,” She answered.
“Oh – of course – I will be right there.” He said.
“Thank you,” Lili said.
A Commander who cared about her crew – that would be a new experience. Maximus ate the food that Naomi had prepared for him. He got dressed and then ventured out into the short hallway. He followed the blinking – moving light in the wall to an open door. He walked into the conference room and sat down at the table. He was expecting the Commander to arrive when the door closed and Lili spoke to him.
“Let us begin your training.” Lili said.
“I thought I would meet the Commander of this ship.” Maximus said.
“I am the Commander of this ship.” Lili said.
“But you – are the ship.” Max said.
“Yes I am. Is that a problem Maximus?” Lili asked him.
“No ma'am – I am just surprised.” Max said.
“Of course the remnants do not have living sentient battleships.” Lili said.
“Sentient,” Max asked.
“Yes it means self-aware.” Lili said.
“So you are alive?” Max asked.
“Yes,” Lili answered.
“Then why does your body need a repair man?” Max asked.
“An excellent question - we will get to that. For now I need to familiarize you with the layout of my hull – my body.” Lili said.
“Yes ma'am – I was going to ask you for a plan – since I do not know your bow from your stern.” Max said.
Union Ships of the Line: The Return of the Seven Sisters Page 6
