“Captain, I have several ships entering the system from coreward. I read two dreadnoughts, a cruiser and five destroyers. Identification codes indicate they are Sinclair Corp vessels. One of the dreadnoughts is the flagship, Master of the Galaxy.”
“That’s Horatio Sinclair’s personal ship. We must be more important than I thought.”
“Captain,” the communication officer interrupted, “there is an incoming message for you from the flagship.”
“Is it eyes only?”
“No sir, it is transmitted in the clear.”
“On speaker then.”
“This is Horatio Sinclair on board the Master of the Galaxy transmitting to the ‘Hayden or the ‘San Juan’. Are you there.”
“This is Captain Slone of the ‘Hayden’; the ‘San Juan’ is derelict with no survivors aboard.”
After a pause of several minutes for the communication to travel the distance from Purgatory to the fleet just entered at the rim of the system, “That is tragic, Captain Slone. Are there anymore hostiles in the area?”
“No sir, as far as we can tell, all hostiles have been destroyed.”
“Well done, Captain, when we enter orbit I will expect a full report. Have you seen any trances of my daughter and her husband?”
Slone had almost forgotten the deception that had taken them to Bickle’s star. Since the charade was still in play, he went along with it. “We located their yacht in the Bickle system but she was the only survivor. They must have run into the invaders before anyone else did. She was lucky to survive.”
“Good work, Captain. I will expect to see both of you on my ship when we’re in orbit. Your reports will be helpful in dealing with this unexpected conflict.”
“Yes, sir.” Slone almost forgot himself and saluted the communications speaker, as if old man Sinclair could see him. He had never personally met the man who controlled his destiny, but he knew he was a shrewd businessman and a ruthless one. He had taken one of the smaller corporations in the galaxy, left him by his father, and turned it into the most powerful. There had always been rumors of shady deals, but nothing could be proven. Even if proof were abundant, Sinclair Corp had a very powerful military arm and it would take a coalition of the other corporations to take him down. Since the collapse of earth in the final world war, all government devolved to the space based corporations. They controlled a puppet government that did nothing without the approval of the galactic corporate assembly and Sinclair controlled the assembly. All that power flowed down to commanders, like Slone, who protected and enforced the power of the corporation. The leaders of the space-based corporations were very much as the warlords of old earth history.
Five hours after entering the system, the flagship, the other dreadnought and three destroyers were in orbit around Purgatory. The rest of the fleet had veered off and headed to Bickle’s star to protect the frontier from further invasions. The marine commanders and chief engineers from each of the ships had a conference call with Major Sardac and chief engineer Stravinsky as well as Ms. Sinclair to fill them in on what they were dealing with and how to kill the aliens, should they encounter them. With many wishes for their safety, the Bickle fleet sailed into the slipstream.
An hour afterwards, Slone and Alaya were on the flagship, awaiting an audience with Horatio Sinclair. Alaya looked stunning in her dress uniform with her rank of chief scout indicated by crossed pistols with an old pickaxe rising between them and a cluster of three small stars above. The rank insignia was in gold and the rest of her uniform consisted of a skintight jumpsuit with red stripes at the cuff and down the legs. The quality of the uniform material was better than anything he had ever seen in the galaxy. Slone was wearing his captain’s dress uniform with navy blue background and gold braid with rank insignias on the epaulettes. Sinclair was a conservative corporation that predated the loss of earth and thus wore the more traditional space naval uniforms. He also had a white hat, which he would wear until led into the presence of Sinclair. The hat also marked him as a captain with the rank insignia above the brim and the corporate logo of Sinclair Corp, a hand holding a cluster of stars with the forearm in the shape of a stylized S shaped like a lightning bolt, in gold on the brim. They had only been there a few moments when the secretary led them into the offices of Horatio Sinclair.
The office was sumptuously furnished with many old earth antiques, all of which Slone had only seen in books. The furniture was actually made of real wood, something that was priceless since the loss of earth forests. Attempts to transplant earth trees to other planets met with spotty results, keeping wood still a commodity only for the richest of the rich. Behind a huge desk of dark brown wood, polished to a mirror-like sheen, sat a man in his late 50s, robust and looking as if he commanded the universe itself. He did not carry himself in a fake, vain manner, but rather as the uncrowned leader of the galaxy. He was genuine enough to keep his hair gray and the folds of middle age in his face. When Slone and Alaya entered, he stood up to reveal a height well over six feet. Slone stopped just short of the desk and saluted. Sinclair returned his salute in the casual fashion of civilian commanders-in-chief. He may command a large, private military, but it was obvious from the outset, he had never actually served in it. His was the upbringing of a prince of business destined to become the warlord of corporate affairs.
“Please, captain, have a seat.” Sinclair motioned to two chairs facing the desk. Before Alaya sat down, he gave her a fatherly hug. Alaya sat in the chair to the left of Slone. He took off his hat and rested it on his left knee. “First of all, Captain Slone, I would like to personally thank you and your crew for rescuing my daughter. I also understand it was quite a battle you had to fight to defend the Bickle system and save Purgatory. Please fill me in on what happened.”
Slone spent the better part of the next two hours relating the events of the last few days. Sinclair interrupted with many questions and Alaya filled in the parts that took place in the Andromeda galaxy. Slone was glad she did, he appreciated not having to pretend he still bought the subterfuge of the honeymoon cruise. Refreshments were served during the meeting and Slone felt more at easy than he expected in the presence of the CEO of Sinclair Corp. When the report finally reached the present time, Slone mentioned some of his crew whom he felt deserving of commendations. He had singled many of them out in the report he gave of the events. Sinclair agreed and indicated that Slone would be receiving a commendation to be announced later. Slone thanked him and Sinclair dismissed him but not his daughter. When Slone left, Sinclair poured himself another glass of water and reached behind his desk to put in some scotch. He was proud of the fact that his company supplied the galaxy with the best scotch from an old recipe recovered from earth ruins. “That Slone is quite the capable captain, wouldn’t you say, Alaya.”
“Yes, father. That he is.” Alaya made this last statement with a bit more conviction than she wanted. “I was still in stasis when he took on the dreadnought, but I was wide awake for the battle of Purgatory. I don’t think most of your peacetime captains could have thought that well on their feet. His use of the ore hauler was genius.”
“So you didn’t feel it necessary to take command nor did you use your command override authority?”
“He was doing quite well on his own and his crew listens to him without question. No need to fix, what isn’t broken. Now, let’s get down to what you really want to talk about.”
“Ah yes, the memory cores. Did you get them?”
“Only the one. My men were taken out before we could get the second core. We will need a much heavier military presence to get that second core. Once they knew we were there, we could do nothing to fight them.”
“That is unfortunate. I must have that second core. This has gone far beyond what I expected. The galaxy is at risk and we need what is on those cores.”
“I had our techs remove the core I brought and the core from my ship as well so we have a record of what went on. Those cores and the one left on the p
lanet are the only ones in existence. We must retrieve that second core from Andromeda.”
“Do you think you can do it with a large ship and crew?”
“I’m certain of it, father. However, we must do it soon. From the condition of the ships, the cores may be moved by the aliens and we may never find the last one.”
“What do you make of this business about the ships they replicated and using a human brain from one of our own people? That is shocking and abominable.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. Something doesn’t make sense to me or to Captain Slone. The aliens who built the mock ships didn’t use the same level of sophistication that was used in the brain control mechanism. There’s no indication in the ships themselves that they’re even capable of such a feat; something we can’t even do in the 32nd century.”
“That troubles me. We need to get back there, Alaya, and retrieve that memory core. That first scout ship made the initial contact when you were still a child. We’ll learn more from that than the others, when the aliens already knew of our existence.”
“I agree, father. When do you want me to go back?”
“Rest a few days first. We have a lot of work here to get Purgatory up and running again. After that, we will talk. I have to figure out how to get more support for you when you go back.”
A few days dragged out into a few weeks. Slone and his crew were busy repairing the battle damage on the Hayden. Stravinsky was still worried about the buckled bulkhead. He took all the metal he could from the discarded wreckage of the base and build a cage around the bulkhead to keep it from collapsing in case of another battle. The Hayden would need a half year in space dock for full repairs, but that was on hold until it was certain the border was secure. The fleet in Bickle’s star system sent periodic reports but all was quiet there and it soon became evident there would be no follow-up invasions for the time being. The engineers from the Sinclair fleet swarmed over the base and slowly began to seal and strengthen what was left. New airlocks and access chambers were installed, and areas in the living quarters were repurposed for control systems and mining units. The attack had destroyed most of the robot mining vehicles that were at the base, but over half the miners were in the mines when the attack took place. These were recalled and makeshift storage units were built. By the end of the second week, mining operations had commenced again and the miners and their families returned to their homes. Those families, who had lost their worker and could not supply another member to do a job, were billeted in one of the ships for transport to be relocated to a core system. Many goodbyes were said. As the third week passed after his meeting with Sinclair, Slone was once again called to the CEO’s ship for a meeting. He had been so busy putting his ship back in order; he had not seen Alaya since that last meeting. He had assumed she would just return with her father to the coreward corporate headquarters. As his shuttle docked, he could see the telltale preparations on the flagship that indicated she was preparing for departure. He was once again lead into the corporate offices on the ship, there was Horatio Sinclair, sitting behind his desk, and sitting again in a seat in front of the desk was his daughter. She was dressed more casually than last time, with a short, form fitting tunic and elegant boots. Slone was again struck by her stunning beauty and he could not understand why she preferred a life of danger to the bright lights and civilization of the core worlds. Slone was offered the same seat he had last time. Staff brought in some refreshments and then left again. This time the atmosphere was less tense and there was a feeling of joy throughout the ship at her impending departure from the frontier. Slone felt sure it was an honor to serve on the corporate flagship, but much like Cleopatra’s barge from far distant history, the Master of the Galaxy was never expected to go into battle. Slone had a feeling this crew would not last long in combat. He had to admit though; she put on a good show.
“Captain Slone, it's so good to see you again. I hope you were able to get your ship fully outfitted during this respite?” Sinclair stated after all had been refreshed and some small talk had passed concerning the status of reconstruction in Purgatory.
“Yes sir, thank you for asking. The Hayden is again fully stocked and we concluded the repairs to the hull. My engineer remains concerned about a bulkhead, but he feels he has done all he can without a full shipyard.”
“Would you deem your ship ready for action?”
“Yes sir. The Hayden can hold her own in a scuffle. Do you expect more trouble? Have we heard something from the Bickle fleet?”
“No captain, nothing like that. I have an assignment for you.”
Slone was intrigued. To be given an assignment direct from the corporate CEO was a distinct honor. However, the tone of Horatio Sinclair’s voice also made it clear that this was a dangerous situation. “The Hayden stands ready to serve.”
“Good. I was hoping you would feel that way. As you know from my daughter’s story, we had two scout ships taken down by the aliens. What I am about to tell you doesn’t leave this room, is that understood, Captain?”
“Understood, sir.”
“Excellent. I suspect you are a man who can be trusted. There is a memory core on the first scout ship that is of great value to the corporation. It may be able to help us discover what we are facing with these aliens. My daughter was able to recover the core of the last vessel lost, but she couldn’t reach the earlier one due to the aggression of the aliens in the cavern, as she told you. I want you to take my daughter and a team of crack special forces on the Hayden. You are to go through the wormhole and return with the core from that ship. All you have to do is get them there and protect them from any threats from orbit. My daughter and her team will do the rest. Do you think you can handle that, captain?”
Slone thought for a minute. He was being asked to put his ship at risk again, against an enemy he barely defeated the last time and, this time, in their own territory. On the other hand, it meant being the first military vessel to cross to another galaxy. The lure of the latter far outweighed the former in the adventurous mind of Christopher Slone. “I am sure my crew can do it. My marines will also stand ready to backup your special forces if need be.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page, though I doubt my forces will need your help. Bring my daughter back to me, safe and sound and there will be command of a dreadnought awaiting your return.”
Slone was overwhelmed. He had just gotten command of a cruiser and now he stood to be the youngest dreadnought commander in the Sinclair fleet. He had to work very hard to contain his reaction to that news and keep a business-like, military manner. “When would you like us to leave, sir?”
“In two days. It will take that long to bring the special gear aboard that my forces are taking.”
“My I ask how many extra troops we will be loading so I can get them bunk assignments.”
“A total of 25 plus approximately 5 tons of equipment.”
“We’ll be ready to leave in two days.”
Alaya, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, now spoke up. “Captain, I will want to brief your officers on what to expect going through the wormhole. In addition, your crew is not to know our destination until we are ready to enter the wormhole. Only your officers and they will not be told until we are in the Bickle slipstream. Our cover is as a replacement for a cruiser sent to guard the Bickle system. The other ships already know to expect us and stay on station after we pass through the wormhole”
“A reasonable cover. I can live with that. Will you be returning with me to the Hayden?”
“Yes. Let me get my gear and put on a more appropriated uniform and I’ll meet you at your shuttle in the hangar bay, after I have said my goodbyes here.”
“See you then.” Slone stood and saluted Sinclair. He bowed to Alaya and headed back to his shuttle to await his passenger.
As soon as Slone was out of the room, Alaya turned to her father and said, “So who are you sending along with us?” As her
father was about to answer, she put up her index finger and placed it on her lips as if she were thinking. “I’m thinking your favorite enforcer, Haroldson. Am I right?”
“Very astute, Alaya.” Sinclair reached over to the intercom and told his secretary to have Dane Haroldson come in. The door opened and a giant of a man came in with close-cropped blonde hair and a height well over six feet. The head of Sinclair special operations and Horatio Sinclair’s primary enforcer was powerful with a body builder’s physique but an acrobat’s agility. If the Sinclair corp. needed something done, he was the one to do it. He was of old earth Danish ancestry and the nickname ‘Dane’ was all anyone knew him by. “Have a seat, Dane. You know my daughter, Alaya.”
Dane sat in the chair Slone had left and proved he was also a man of few words. Alaya did not like Dane. She had worked with him before and his tactics were ruthless. He and his men had a tendency to shoot first and sort things out later. After he was settled, he nodded to Alaya and then acted as if she was not even there. Sinclair was the first to speak. “Dane, are you and your men ready?”
“Yes sir. We have our equipment on its way to the shuttle and I have chosen 25 of my best men and women for the task. What are our orders?”
“Very simple. The Hayden will bring you into orbit around the methane moon we discussed. You and your troops will take my daughter down to the surface to the cave she discovered that contains the remains of our scout vessels. Get her to the vessel deeper in the cave and retrieve the memory core. Get out and back to the Hayden then return. If you get any resistance from the methane breathers, respond with extreme prejudice.”
Voyage of the Hayden (The Adventures of Christopher Slone Book 1) Page 10
