“Remind me of it.”
Voill looked uneasily at Yavar. He was feeling worried about the Leader’s tone. After a short hesitation, he spoke:
“He said: ‘You’re not supposed to be who you are.’”
“What else?”
“I don’t remember very well, sir.”
“Yavar, do you remember?”
“Why is it important, sir?” replied Yavar.
“Say it.”
“It was more or less what Voill said, sir... But you shouldn’t think about that... it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Something’s missing. Remind me of the whole thing please.”
Yavar had no choice, the Supreme Leader was going to insist everything that was necessary.”
“Very well... he said: ‘You’re not supposed to be who you are’.”
“He told me that the second Leader should not have died. That I should not have come to power. He said that something strange had occurred in this universe. He told me: ‘I still don’t know what the cause is, but in twenty years maybe I will’.”
“Why are you talking to us about this, sir?” asked Voill.
“Well, because those twenty years are about to come to a close, and I can’t help thinking that something bad is about to happen. Denn Bornew could be the beginning of something terrible.”
Denn did not know it, but he had managed to catch the attention of dangerous enemies. He had crossed a point of no return.
Chapter III
Survival Plan
The captain had ordered that they travel to a nearby celestial body that appeared to be a planet. But the decision had required some deliberation.
Hours earlier, as Denn was alongside Neil Gobi, working on the search for the supposed intruder, Val had sent his technicians to try and repair the jump systems, without success. Upon discovering that there would be no way of putting the systems in working order, Captain Val approached the Control Room to explain the situation to the people who were trying to communicate, still unsuccessfully, with some system or vessel. He was going to explain the situation to his subordinates.
“Jin and Gor have not been able to repair the jump system,” he told them, “but the navigation systems appear to be in perfect condition. We have sufficient resources to survive on the station for at least eight weeks. But as you already know, we are in the middle of nowhere, and we can’t be sure that someone will come for us. We must take measures immediately, or we’ll all die here.”
“What do you suggest we do, captain?” said someone.
“That object you see over there,” he said, pointing into space, “is a star. Find out if there are planets orbiting it. Our only hope is to find a habitable planet.”
Thanks to the advances in genetic engineering, the human body was not the fragile entity it had been centuries before. Humans were now able to tolerate much greater atmospheric pressures than those on Earth, survive with limited quantities of oxygen, and tolerate high doses of toxic substances, such as carbon dioxide, without dying. Furthermore, the humans could now be exposed to micro gravity atmospheres for long periods of time without suffering significant damage, and acclimatise quickly to planets with strong gravity.
The radiation that was once the most dangerous enemy to humans in space was now a problem of the past. All of that made finding a planet on which the humans would be able to survive a little easier than it had been centuries before. The captain thought that the only option for the salvation of the people on the station was to find somewhere with the conditions to sustain life.
Following Val’s orders, the navigation officers carried out the necessary tests to find any celestial body close to them. They worked as fast as they could, and after an hour, they already had something to report back with to the captain, so they called him to the control room to present their discoveries:
“We have the results, sir!” reassured a very animated officer. “It’s good news. There appear to be several bodies producing large gravitational fields. Two of which are relatively close. We’ve carried out tests, and calculate that it’ll take us just under three weeks at full power to reach the most viable one.”
The captain did not look as enthused as his officers had wanted. The finding of these bodies did not mean that they were habitable planets, and it would be a mistake to think that they were now out of danger.
“What about the other one?” he asked calmly.
“The other body is closer at the moment, but it’s moving away, following its orbit of the star. It would take us perhaps seven or eight weeks to reach it. The first one, on the other hand, is approaching us. That’s why it’s the most viable option.”
The captain did not say anything for a few moments, sat down on a chair, and reflected. The planets are on opposite points. We only have the possibility of trying to reach one of them. If we make the wrong decision, that could be our downfall, thought the captain.
“Do you have any idea which one could be the more suitable for sustaining life?” asked the captain.
“We’re sorry, sir, but half of our instruments are damaged. Due to the fact that the studies we have been able to carry out have been limited, we aren’t sure. I would say that the one moving away may have some ten per cent more possibilities, but it balances out since the second is approaching us.”
The captain considered what the officer had just told him, but before even thinking about making a decision, he asked again, this time addressing the other officer.
“What do you think?”
It wasn’t that the captain was unable to think for himself; he was well known for including his subordinates in his decisions. He had never underestimated the value of advice.
“It’s a difficult decision, captain. Taking into account the limited time and scarce resources, the safest option is to set course for the one approaching us.”
“And you, do you think the same?” he asked a third.
“One must take all into consideration, captain. If the station’s propulsion systems were to be damaged, we would still have the opportunity to use the auxiliary systems in order to guide the station directly towards the orbit of the planet coming towards us, and thus wait to meet it. However, if we try travelling towards the one moving away, and the propulsion systems were damaged, we would not be able to reach it, and there would be nothing more we could do, the auxiliary systems would be of no use in that case; they’re very weak.”
The captain analysed the situation; it was a critical decision. I need to make a decision soon, even a few hours could be crucial at the end of all this, he thought.
“Get Senlar in here immediately. I need to consult with him,” said Val, and opened the door to the Captain’s Room, going inside to wait for Senlar.
The officers called Senlar, who, after a few minutes, arrived to assist the captain. He opened the door to the room that only he and Val had access to, and went in.
“You called me, captain?” asked Senlar.
“We need to make an immediate decision, Senlar.”
“How can I assist you, sir?”
“We don’t have much time, so I’m only going to tell you the situation we’re in. There don’t appear to be any inhabited systems or other stations near us. The jump system has sustained irreparable damage, and we only have resources for eight weeks. It seems to be that there are two planets orbiting a star near our current position.”
Senlar was listening carefully as the captain laid out for him the state of their situation. It was not the first time that he had helped Val to make difficult decisions, which was why he was held in such high esteem by the captain.
“Continue, please.”
“One of the planets,” proceeded the captain, “the one further away from us, is approaching our position as it follows its orbit. It will take us three weeks to meet it. The second planet, the one that is closer, is moving away from us as it follows its orbit, and will take us around eight weeks at full power to reach. According to the limited
studies we could carry out, this has a ten per cent greater chance of potentially being suitable for life. What do you suggest we do?”
It was no surprise to the captain what followed, he had always trusted fully in this man. Senlar answered immediately:
“Let’s go to the second, captain. That extra ten per cent is enough to take the risk. I will ration all the resources, and make it so that instead of eight weeks, they’ll last twelve. That way, if we arrive at the planet after eight weeks and it turns out not to be suitable, we’ll still have a small margin of time to take new measures.”
The captain was completely satisfied with Senlar’s response. He did not flatter or congratulate him, because it was not necessary for him to do so. He was his right-hand man, and the only thing he expected of him was his good performance. So far, he had never disappointed him.
He immediately activated a transmitter, and gave instructions to the navigation officers to follow the planet that was moving away, just as Senlar had suggested.
“Do you need anything else, captain? I would like to begin immediately with the preparations,” asked Senlar.
“What do you think of that Bornew?”
“He seems to be a good person, captain,” answered Senlar, in total sincerity.
“Don’t you think it strange for a Sergeant of Tau Ceti to have come to this station? S4-07 only connected with Sector 4. The jump-gate stations in Sector 4 only go to Indi or to Neeve. Denn must have been heading for one of those systems, or even further. Either of the two destinations would distance him from Tau Ceti.”
What with all the commotion, Senlar had not had time to analyse it very much. He took a second before replying to the captain.
“Maybe it has something to do with the robot, captain. It doesn’t seem like a common robot; he could be taking it somewhere, perhaps.”
The captain was not so sure.
“An important politician from the planet Nec was travelling to Earth this week,” continued the captain. “Bornew was part of the escort. On the database, there appears a permit for entry into the Solar System with that mission. Could it be that on Earth he was entrusted with another mission? It’s strange, don’t you think?”
“Do you think he has something to do with everything that’s happening?”
The captain moved his head.
“It’s improbable. Why would a soldier from The Union do something like this? Even so, his presence here is strange. We need to monitor all the people on board until we resolve the situation.”
“Understood, captain.”
“When Bornew gets back, bring him here. Then inform Neil of the plan to follow. That is all, Senlar.”
“I’ll take my leave, sir.”
Senlar’s discipline and obedience had turned him into Captain Val’s person of trust a while back. They knew each other long before working on the station. Val had him under his command in several colonisation missions, and in some battles when they were still part of The Galactic Union Army. Led by Val Afkbar in battles against enemies of The Union, such as pirates, rebels, Vialikis, and the remaining threats, he had gone along earning the trust of all his superiors.
Senlar returned immediately to the main plaza to wait for Denn and Neil. He did not have to wait long. They were already back from their search. After taking Denn to the captain, Senlar prepared to inform Neil of the new developments. He called him via the communicator, and asked his location.
“I’m in the dining hall,” answered Neil.
Without wasting any time, he went straight there.
“How did the search go?” Senlar asked Neil.
Neil was leaning against a wall, in the dining hall that was designated to the station officers, with one leg on the ground and the other against the wall. He was eating an apple, whilst looking at the floor, as if he were not worried at all.
“What, you mean that sergeant hasn’t told you?”
“I want to hear it from you. Denn isn’t an officer of this station, you are.”
Neil screwed up his mouth whilst he shook his head.
“We haven’t found anything.”
Senlar looked at him for a few seconds, whilst Neil carried on eating his apple without demonstrating any concern.
“We now have a plan,” Senlar told him. He hoped there would be some reaction of interest from Neil, but there was none. “Perhaps you don’t want me to tell you?” Senlar persevered in the face of Neil’s indifference.
“You never consider me in the important decisions; don’t expect me to show interest in them. If you have to say, then say, but the truth is it’s all the same whether I know or not. All the two of you do is give me orders, like the rest of the officers on the station.”
Senlar wanted to turn right back round and leave, but the captain’s order was to inform Neil. After all, he was the third person in command on the whole station.
“You’re still the Second in Station... I’ll tell you anyway. Everything’s indicating that there is a planet near our position. We’re setting course towards it. It’s expected we’ll take eight weeks to get there. We’ll ration the foods so that they last for twelve weeks. If you want more details about the planet, go to the control room.”
As soon as he finished telling Neil the plan, he got ready to go, but before he could leave the dining hall, he was held up by a question.
“What’s Bornew supposed to be doing here?”
Neil chucked the rest of his apple in the bin and went up to Senlar, who was turning around to reply.
“We still don’t know,” said Senlar. “The captain is also asking himself the same question.”
“And what’s up with that robot? It doesn’t seem like a common robot. Don’t you think it’s strange? I don’t trust that Bornew guy one bit.”
Senlar understood why the Captain and Neil had doubts regarding Denn. His presence on the station was strange to him also.
“We’ll see,” answered Senlar. “I’ll keep him monitored. You do the same. But please be respectful, he’s still an officer of the galactic army.”
“That’s what he says,” answered Neil, in a sardonic tone.
Senlar left the dining hall to begin the preparations for the coming eight weeks. He hurriedly gathered a small group of people, and they began preparing a plan for rationing out the station’s resources.
At the same time, in the captain’s room, Val was finishing up telling Denn the details of the plan they ought to follow, if they did indeed want to have any opportunity of surviving. He explained to him why they had chosen the one planet over the other, and he spoke of the sacrifices and the effort that everybody on the station would have to make in order to make the foods last for the long voyage awaiting them.
“What’ll we do if this planet turns out not to be suitable for survival?” asked Denn, who was still worried.
“That’s why we’re rationing the foods so much. It’ll give us some time to decide what we’re going to do. We could try reaching the next planet.”
Denn relaxed a little. He calmly analysed all the information they had, and the situation in which they found themselves, and after a few moments, he came to the conclusion that the captain had made the right decision.
“It’s a good plan,” said Denn, after breaking his silence.
“It’s a terrible plan,” answered Val. “But it’s the best one we have for now.”
“Yes. It’s definitely the best option. You don’t need to think hard about it.”
Val looked at him for a moment, and decided to give him some advice:
“A sergeant shouldn’t be all right with making rushed decisions. When you’re on the battlefield, and the lives of your soldiers depend on your decision, you shouldn’t give yourself the luxury of not analysing things well.”
Denn noticed that the captain had changed his tone a little. I didn’t think this guy could get any more serious, he thought. He guessed that Captain Val must have had to make difficult decisions in the past. He wanted to ask
, but he knew he would not receive any answer, so he simply avoided it.
“That’s good advice, captain.”
“I wanted to be sure you would understand it.”
“How can I help, captain?”
The captain reflected on Denn’s personality. A few minutes ago, he was very worried, and now he seemed very enthusiastic, and willing to help. He was certainly still an inexperienced young man, but he appeared to have good intentions. The captain understood that Senlar considered him to be a good person. He still didn’t want to trust Denn completely, but he sensed that he was not a bad man.
“Go to the main plaza,” Val said to him. “I’ll soon be announcing to everyone over the loudspeaker what we’re going to do. I’ll tell the officers they can ask your help if they need it.”
“I’ll go then, sir,” said Denn, as he was leaving, and before going out through the door to the captain’s room, he stopped for a moment. “Now I understand putting faith in luck, captain. I hope it all turns out well.”
Denn walked to the main plaza where everybody was still congregated, waiting for instructions. C0-UN1 was playing with Qein in the plaza. Denn did not want to interrupt them, and, without delay, he approached an officer to ask how he could help.
The officer explained to him that the captain had already prepared to notify everyone of the situation. Therefore, they would be waiting for Val to inform those on board the station of the circumstances first.
After a short wait, the captain’s voice could be heard coming through every loudspeaker on the station.
Val shared all the information he had with everybody. He explained that all of the areas except the main plaza, along with some restricted areas, were being completely disabled. They would turn off all the energy systems in the interests of economising resources for the long journey they had ahead of them.
He warned that if there was anybody hiding on any part of the station, they had three hours to come to the plaza, or they would die, given that the oxygen systems would also be shut down in the rest of the station.
He ordered that everybody slept in the plaza, in sacks that were going to be handed out. As it was a vast area, which usually harboured two thousand people, they would not be pushed for space. The officers would sleep in their regular rooms, whilst some would keep guard in the plaza.
Convergence: Genesis Page 4
