Regan's Reach 2: Orbital Envy

by Mark G Brewer

  "So what does that mean?" Leah asked.

  "It means something back there has happened. There is no reason why I would stop broadcasting that signal." Ham's concern was obvious.

  "We need to get back then, now, and what was the other thing?"

  "Regan, there is another ship in the system, not Marin, something big."

  She hesitated, but only for a moment. "Ham, you said we could be there in hours, just do it. Take us back."

  Leah rather comically put up her hand. "Ah, and since we're going back, quickly, could we put in that order Ham?" And she gestured pointedly at her left eye.

  "Ahem . . . It might not be there when we get in but yes, it might be an idea."

  Embarrassed, Leah looked at Regan and shrugged. "Well you do like to look your best."

  "What are your thoughts Ham?"

  "About the visitor . . . from the energy signature I'd say it's Coran."

  Regan, we can surf in but I'll have to do the equivalent of a power slide to stop. A bit embarrassing but it can be done."

  "No . . . we need to assess the situation. Jump us to somewhere around Jupiter's orbit, we'll cruise in from there. If we need to move quickly again we can."

  "On the way boss."

  Leah listened to the interchange with fascination. The roles had somehow switched, and so quickly! For two weeks Ham had led every step decisively. He had handled a difficult situation with poise and genuine concern. Now, Regan was back. She was in control.

  "Call me if you hear anything, I'm going to get cleaned up." Regan could hear Jared in the Galley with Jean and once again gave thanks for her mother's care. What would I have done without you?

  Leah joined her in the lift and as the doors closed Regan staggered, just for a moment. Leah had to prop her up until they opened again on their floor. "Are you ok?"

  "Just a little dizzy, I'll be fine." She didn't look it, still using the wall for support.

  Leah insisted and helped her through into the bathroom. "Are you sure you're going to be ok?"

  "I'll be fine, you go clean up." Regan padded for the water and again had to lean on the wall as she did so.

  It was enough; Leah quickly stripped off her own suit then helped Regan with hers. She joined her in the shower.

  He couldn't stay silent, [You are incorrigible!]

  [Shut up Ham]

  Regan leant forward on the wall, her arms stretched out before her, legs slightly parted. Leah had full access and commenced a long soapy comprehensive wash. It was better than a massage.

  Twenty minutes later, Leah turned off the water and stood there, inches from Regan, so close she could still feel heat coming off her skin. Neither spoke for a moment. "I . . . I'll just go and get some clean gear. You'll be all right now?"

  "Yes . . . yes of course, I'll be fine." Regan gestured for her to go and Leah slipped out of the room quickly, trailing water and not even bothering to dry. Regan leant back against the wall then slid down until she was sitting, legs splayed, fanning her face with her hand. "Phew . . . Blimey!"

  "How long before we have contact Ham?"

  "Should be a few hours . . . and yes, you have time."

  She pushed herself up and padded through to the bunk, falling back still damp on to her back, one hand searching down the side of the bed, it had been a while . . .

  * * *

  The Warrior shuttle nudged forward. From any viewpoint the approach seemed ridiculously nervous, like a small dog trying to sniff a much larger animal. In this case the size disparity made even such apt comparisons seem ridiculous, the shuttle being tiny compared to the huge Coran vessel. Even though the Russian Warrior was the much smaller and presumably more maneuverable craft in reality without the Coran's assistance liaison would have been impossible. The behemoth appeared able to maneuver with far greater freedom than the Warrior and it positioned in such a way that the Russian craft could nudge in toward the huge opening in its surface with a minimum of thrust adjustments. Thank God thought Zelin. It was impossible for Cosmonaut Pilot Major Peter Zelin to tell from this perspective whether the door they were approaching was on the top, bottom or sides of the vessel and he quietly hoped the visitors would have some way of righting their position. They continued to creep forward, tiny thrusts occasionally adjusting their aspect until they were swallowed whole by the whale.

  Peter Zelin could not help being impressed with Major General Lebedev, his esteemed passenger. First time in a shuttle, first time in space and about to meet a vastly superior alien race yet he seemed completely calm. He must have ice in his veins.

  Once inside the huge flight deck to his delight he found they were right side up. Whether that was by chance or some act of the alien vessel he had no idea. He made no comment to the Major General, happy to take the credit and the shuttle soon settled to a stationary position. Zelin could sense that they were still floating but nevertheless the presence of gravity was a welcome surprise. They unbuckled and stretched. What now?

  Through the thick front screen they could see a small party gathering outside the shuttle. They were tall and lean with apparently emotionless faces but thankfully there were no signs of weapons. Lebedev took the lead.

  "No sense in waiting Zelin, open up, let us meet our guests."

  A strange choice of words Zelin thought as he nervously activated the air lock. Assurances that the atmosphere would be earth friendly were reassuring but he was yet to be convinced. Only his memory of meeting the Dahlian Marin gave him any confidence that all should be well.

  The internal door opened and he stepped through to open the outer door. He paused, saying a silent prayer, and then punched for the lock to release. The door hissed outward and Zelin stepped back allowing the General to make the first greeting.

  Major General Alexander Lebedev proudly stepped down from the shuttle. Only at that point did the size disparity truly become apparent. Only five foot seven inches tall the group before him towered at least eighteen inches above him. As a first encounter it was comical.

  Zelin stepped down followed by the five crew members. He immediately noticed the extra spring in his step. Lower gravity he guessed and hoped the general had also noticed.

  The General boldly stepped forward and extended his hand to the central figure.

  The tall emotionless man spoke. "Greetings and welcome to our vessel. Be assured we come in peace and friendship." His smile was a grimace, but more startling, even than his appearance, was that his Russian was perfect.

  Zelin reflected on their happy group, the seven dwarves! They followed the two senior officers with a small group trailing behind them. Their towering height was unsettling but then looking forward at the general, once again it struck him the man had an undeniable presence. He walked confidently and with purpose. If they are at all observant they'll have no doubt who is in charge in our group. They entered a lift with room for only four and Lebedev insisted that Zelin come with him. So the four, the two Coran leaders, Lebedev and he split from the main group. As the doors closed behind them he wondered if they would see each other again.

  Led into a large meeting room the older man gestured for them to sit. The two Coran's took seats opposite and for a moment no one spoke. Zelin leaned forward and was about to introduce the General when Lebedevs hand clamped down on his thigh. He looked down, startled and then settled back into his high seat.

  The older Coran broke the deadlock. "I am Merryl, Commander of this . . . Warship, and this," he gestured dismissively at his offsider, "is Officer Ryner, my second in command. Whom do we have the pleasure of meeting?" and he looked straight at the General as if he, Zelin, did not exist.

  "I am Major General Alexander Lebedev, Commander of The Russian Federation Space Command." Zelin could not help himself and raised his eyebrows at the designation. Fortunately Merryl appeared to miss it.

  Lebedev continued. "Commander, the Russian Federation as a senior member of the Earth Security Council and as leaders in the Earth space program welcomes y
ou to our planet. We have looked forward to such a visit since the knowledge of your worlds became known to us. We wonder at the purpose of your welcome visit, if any, and how we may work together to mutual advantage."

  Unsmiling, Merryl regarded him giving nothing away. After an unsettling pause he glanced sideways at Ryner, and then turned his eyes back to the General slowly. "Major General, we are here for the murderess . . . one Regan, and for the rebel Merali from our system. Do you know of them?"

  Like the Commander, the General gave nothing away. Almost comically he mirrored the actions of the Coran, glancing first at Zelin, and then back at Merryl. "Commander, it seems fortune favors you. You have by chance or fate come to the people most able to assist you in your quest. I wonder how this quest and our assistance might work to mutual advantage."

  Merryl regarded the General with distaste but also respect.

  "Major General," He looked Lebedev in the eye, "it is our expectation that fate will work with us. It would be a great disappointment for such words to prove empty. However, should you be able to deliver on those words, who know what benefits might accrue for those who assist?" and he grimaced a smile.

  "Then we must work together to achieve our respective goals Commander." Lebedev remained calm. "Might I suggest that at your earliest convenience we meet with the leaders of our Federation, and develop a plan that will see your needs met and our own. You may yet have the bitch and her bastard son." Zelin could tell the General could hardly contain his sense of triumph.

  Merryl's demeanor was cold, chilling. "This is my earliest convenience General, we will leave at once." Zelin made to speak but the Coran dismissed him with a gesture. He turned to his number two. "Ryman, ready a transport, and arrange for our other guests. . ." he turned back to Zelin offering the same grim smile, ". . . to be accommodated here."

  The General stood smiling, not even bothering to look at his pilot. A cold chill at the realization of abandonment swept through Zelin.

  As the Coran Pod exited the flight deck Officer Terrin transferred recordings of the meeting to the drone and entered settings for dispatch. Not long after the Pods departure the drone, little more than a Warp drive and processor, drifted out of the flight deck, powered itself to a safe distance and then disappeared in a blink.

  . . . Sokolov could hardly contain himself. The briefing from Lebedev as he rode down from orbit, while coded, was unambiguous in its positive signals. Although slightly inconvenienced by this late might meeting he had grasped the opportunity with enthusiasm. Not that he had a choice.

  Now, as Ryman prepared his equipment for screening, Vasily Popov watched his President guardedly. The Russian leader sat, hands clasped together, short legs crossed at the ankles and rocking back and forward with embarrassing glee. He looked every bit like a ventriloquist's dummy. The very thought was treasonous he knew. Unfortunately as he continued to watch, The Coran officer Ryman stepped behind the Russian leader after positioning his small projector. Ryman rested his hand innocently on the back of Sokolov's chair and it completed the picture so perfectly he couldn't stifle a laugh. Ventriloquist and dummy, perfect!

  Sokolov glared dangerously across the room and Popov struggled to cover his giggle with a cough. Fortunately the byplay was missed by the important visitors.

  There followed a two hour presentation, shocking in its content and implications. The presentation showed images and audio detailing the Stein woman's crimes. There was clear evidence of the Dahlian leader Beria placing Regan in the care of her sons'. Beria's words were quite clear making the later images all the more shocking. Images of Regan leaping and dispatching the elder brother with a high martial arts kick. This attack carried out when, as they were able to observe quite clearly, he had only and quite rightly come between an aggressive Regan and his mother. They revealed further images of Regan throwing a spear and killing the leaders second son as he ran back to defend his mother from rebels. As they watched Regan also brutally killed a soldier as he reached down to help her back on to a balcony. Later park cameras showed her running with the Premiers kidnapped and terrified grandchildren. There was more but they had seen enough. Both Sokolov and Popov were shocked and appalled.

  On completion of the presentation Merryl perched himself on the edge of a desk and looked down at the leaders. He crossed his arms and spoke just the one word."Well?" The question hung in the air.

  Prime Minister Popov spoke first. "With respect Andrei, I do have some thoughts." He waited for the President to allow him to continue.

  "Of course Vasily." He gestured with his hand, "You have the floor."

  Popov turned to the Coran leader. "Commander Merryl, with your evidence I believe you clearly have a strong legal case even on our world. We have a saying; roughly translated we would say your case looks 'airtight'. However, the woman, Regan Stein will not be easy to apprehend, certainly not without much loss of life. She resides on the Station you no doubt observed nearer to our moon. This station is of great value to our planet and we would desire that it not be damaged or destroyed. However, and this is important, Regan Stein depends on the favor of the nations of our planet and the rule of law is respected widely here. With your evidence and testimony I would say the case against her is proven. We should call her before our courts. She will be convicted and returned to you."

  "And if the courts do not convict her?" Merryl seemed unconvinced.

  "Sir," Popov continued, "I did say we should call her before our courts, where on this evidence she will be convicted." He smiled. "As friends of our Federation you could of course insist she be tried here perhaps?"

  Merryl's cold demeanor hardened and the grim smile returned. "You will make the arrangements." It was a statement not a question.

  "Of course Commander," Sokolov jumped in his eagerness, "leave us a data copy of this presentation and we will do the rest." He stood and extended his hand. Merryl simply looked down at it and the Russian withdrew it quickly. "Commander Merryl," Sokolov continued, "While we make the arrangements, I would recommend you make no contact with others on our planet. You want the woman, this will be the best way."

  Merryl turned abruptly to his officer. "Ryman, copy them the file." He turned to depart the room and then stopped, looking back at the president. "We will return to our ship and contact you again in twenty four of your hours. You will have something for me."

  As the two aliens departed the room with their aides Sokolov turned to his Prime Minister. "Brilliant Vasily, brilliant, and the beauty of this is we have clean hands. He will gain Stein from us, and we yet, will have Hillary Station. Brilliant!"

  * * *

  The Saucer, Gliese 667, Dahlia Orbital

  As The STEIN Transport cruised in toward the orbital from the outer system tension built in the control room with every passing hour. Something was very wrong.

  "Still nothing Marin, I don't like this, I don't like it at all."

  "Ham, are you sure it's not Dahlia? The Responses all seem correct, courteous and welcoming."

  "Oh come on Marin. Are you suggesting that you couldn't tell if Regan or Steph suddenly lost all their personality? I don't believe it. Yes, all the correct protocols are there but Dahlia is gone. Something is very wrong. And why have they not been able to connect us to Sindali?"

  "Isn't Sindali head of the Orbital now?" Steph suggested, "It's not entirely surprising that she might not be available for a while. How long did they say?"

  "Two hours, conveniently just after our projected arrival." Ham sounded far from convinced.

  "Ham, this is our own orbital. They are all family, are you sure we aren't getting a little paranoid?"

  "Marin, Dahlia is gone! I can't trust any system there now. Until we know the state of play you should be very careful."

  "We will Ham, you know that, but just in case, when we disembark immediately lock down. Leave and remain in orbit if you have to. Stay close until you hear from us."

  "This is freaking me Marin, are you sure we're alright?
" Steph held his arm tightly as she viewed the distance shots of the Orbital. It was growing larger by the minute.

  "We'll be fine Steph, Sindali would never let anything happen to us, you'll see." He hugged her shoulder encouragingly.

  Ninety minutes later the saucer slipped into the family bay, passing over its normal concave rest and settling instead on the large flight deck beyond. Through the control room screen they watched for a moment. A few flight deck crew going about their business and a single waiting official the only signs of life.

  "Well," said Marin "They did say Sin' wouldn't be available for another half hour."

  "I'm not going to comment, you know my feelings about this." Ham wasn't convinced.

  Marin turned to Stephanie. "Steph, I know we've discussed this but you may still find it difficult. With the ear implant we'll be able to communicate with each other when we need to but everything else is going to be guttural babble to you, it may even be a little frightening. Just stay close and ask anything whenever you need clarification. Ham will translate those things you need to hear but he'll keep it at a minimum otherwise you'll be overwhelmed with noise."

  "I'll be fine, sure I'm nervous but I'm also excited. I'm just glad to be here with you. Let's get down there and go meet your family."

  "Remember Ham, lock and leave if you need to."

  Marin stepped to the door and it ratcheted open. Taking Stephanie's arm he stepped through and helped her down. "Welcome to my world."

  They turned and made their way across the deck toward the unsmiling official.

  The man stepped forward as they neared. "Welcome home Merali son of Beria." he bowed slightly as Marin bristled.