NEBULAR Collection 7 - Guardians of the Continuum: Episodes 31 - 34

by Thomas Rabenstein

  »Hmm, I know nothing about a stop,« Takahashi replied ponderingly. »Enola, establish a link to Triton via the tachyon-comm bridge and request some information. I want to know what’s going on.«

  It didn’t take her ten seconds to find out.

  »The arrival of a larger fleet from Delta-Trianguli is about to happen. They say that the vessels are led by Vasina of Atlantika. The tachyon space exit vector of the fleet is pointing to Neptune. The Progonaut Queen is aboard her flagship and acts as fleet commander. The highest level of security has been declared and the entire ship traffic around Neptune halted for the time being.«

  Surprised, Takahashi looked up.

  »Then it’s true. The Progonauts have repaired their ship. We’re talking about the Atlantika right?«

  »The irreparably damaged engines of the Atlantika were completely replaced and updated to the latest galactic standard. The repair of the ship has taken three years to complete,« Art Ultimus explained. The mission specialist possessed a certain amount of background knowledge. »The GCC had generously supported the Progonauts and Neo-Sapiens during the time of restoration. The escorting ships are part of a Neo-Sapien delegation, led by Ambassador Herimos, the newly appointed official representative of the Neo-Sapiens to the Galactic Cooperation Council.«

  »Uhh, here we go. I’m receiving an official message,« confirmed Enola Peshewa. »All ships in the Neptune Sector are instructed to respect the approaching fleet’s special status and maintain the assigned parking positions for the duration of its presence in this sector. The fleet won’t be staying long and will continue its flight to Earth shortly.

  »Of all the moons in this sector, they send us to Psamathe!« Sweeney cursed. The anger in his voice was apparent. »Triton would have been more appropriate, even Proteus. They sent us to a parking location near the smallest boulder, barely passing for a moon. I would have liked to cast a glance at that Progonaut tub. I’ve never seen such an old ship in action.«

  »Don’t underestimate the Atlantika. The advanced age of the vessel is relative. It is said that the Progonauts had survived nearly one million years inside a temporal field. The ship is probably as strong and dangerous after the repairs today as it was in times of the Progonaut high culture.«

  With these words, the space around Psamathe flared up. A flashing light storm enveloped the small moon and lit up the otherwise diffuse, dimly-lit celestial body. The central display reproduced the blazing light show almost unfiltered so that the men and women had to close their eyes.

  »What the …,« Sweeney cursed. Nevertheless, he came to the right conclusion. He rubbed his eyes and reported, »A large unit exited tachyon space, about 20,000 kilometers away from us. More ships are following in short successions.«

  »That’s the Neo-Sapien Fleet,« Enola Peshewa acknowledged. »The Atlantika is closest and recedes with point three sub-light from us. The other ships follow her course.«

  »Atlantika!« Sweeney shouted surprised. »What a coincidence! Now I still can see the ship in action before we leave the Solar System. Wow, what a battleship!«

  »Incoming holo-message!« Peshewa interjected and put the audio-visual link to the central display. It showed a young woman, sitting casually in her command seat. Her shoulder length, black hair appeared well styled. Her white robe, decorated all over with golden icons, underlined the impression that they were dealing with a high-ranking personality. The young woman attentively looked at Takahashi’s command central crew. Although, having a human-like appearance, it was obvious by her golden eyes that she didn’t originate from Earth. Beside her stood a young man who shouldered a golden shield. At his right hip, he was wearing a short sword while a heavy energy weapon was dangling from his left hip.

  Vasina of Atlantika, Takahashi thought mesmerized. He had never met this Progonaut woman before.

  Sweeney, also looking at her with opened mouth, was speechless – this was a first! He seemed frozen in his seat.

  Vasina seemed to wait for Takahashi to open the conversation.

  »Welcome in the Solar System, Your Excellency,« he greeted her respectfully, bowing his head according to Japanese tradition. In Takahashi’s home-canton, the people were still familiar with royal traditions. Even in the present, there was an emperor in Japan, who was revered by the population, even if he did not exercise any political functions or even longer ruled the country. »I hope you had a pleasant flight.«

  The Progonaut ruler smiled, pleased.

  »Thank you, Commander. It’s nice to be back in the Solar System and it’s a great pleasure to visit Earth with the Atlantika. The last visit, with this ship, was more than a million years ago. My officers have identified your ship immediately. It’s a fortunate coincidence that we meet out here. Does that mean that the Nebular is before her first faster-than-light flight?«

  »That’s correct, Your Excellency,« Takahashi acknowledged.

  »We have traveled the distance to Neptune at sub-light speed and are preparing for the first tachyon jump. Thanks to your help, we now have a great ship, with which we can explore the galaxy. Our first flight takes us to Gamma Draconis and is a test of the tachyon drive.«

  By telling Vasina their destination, the command central crew now knew where they were flying.

  Sweeney’s facial expression didn’t indicate whether he was excited or disappointed. He seemed to ponder, musing about how he could spend his time on Hexaquotl’ during a possible short, shore leave.

  Vasina smiled cunningly.

  »Please, send my regards to the Shwakan Mother, once you arrive in Gamma Draconis. Have a great flight, Commander!«

  With these words, the connection was severed. The Atlantika, accompanied by twenty Neo-Sapien ships, accelerated to fly to Earth.

  »They’re not exactly talkative, these Progonauts,« grumbled Sweeney, shaking his head in amazement.

  »Well,« Takahashi acknowledged. »Vasina had dedicated a few minutes of her precious time to us.«

  »She probably wanted to see if Friedberg has given her ship into the right hands,« advised Peshewa.

  »It’s now our ship,« Takahashi corrected kindly.

  »Commander, I think I understand how she feels. It’s probably like laboriously assembling an old gravo glider by hand, restore it and make it airworthy again. The amount of time that they put into this ship, the test flights, the many small problems that needed to be ironed out ... When finally everything is done, they give the gem to a new owner ... tjuh … I mean, clearly they’d like to know …«

  »Mr. Sweeney!« interrupted Takahashi. »Set course to the Oort Cloud and calculate a jump point with destination Gamma Draconis!«

  »Consider it done!« Sweeney replied casually.

  »Enola, please, contact Triton Base and ask Flight Control to advise the Shwakans about our arrival.«

  »I’m on it, Sir.«

  Takahashi smiled as he heard the old Sir address of respect, which was usually no longer used in the Fleet. He briefly touched a sensor pad on the intercom. Immediately, a comm-holo established, showing Strovol, hovering inside some sort of energy field.

  »How is it? Can you create a transfer field to put us on a standard tachyon track on a moment’s notice?«

  »My tests are completed, Commander. The drive is ready and at your disposal. The field line density, as well as the structure of the tachyon matrix, are optimal.«

  Takahashi smiled.

  »If you say so, then I feel safe already.«

  He held his breath for a moment, thinking, Of course, she wanted to make sure. The encounter at the small icy moon didn’t look like a coincidence to me, but how could Vasina know that we were located there?

  After Triton Base finally issued the go ahead, Takahashi nodded at his navigator.

  »All right then, Mr. Sweeney. Let’s get going!«

  Tachyon Space jump

  The Oort Cloud! Originally, it must have looked like that everywhere in the Solar System, before the aggregation, which formed and com
pressed the sun in the center and finally further out, the planets, Takahashi thought uneasily, watching some house-sized comets that whirled aimlessly through space.

  »That’s how it looks like on our doorstep,« grumbled Sweeney, navigating the Nebular cautiously through the debris field. »We can’t fly very fast around here, even taking into account the excellent performance of our computer and the brand new space sensors. I won’t suggest exceeding 0.3 sublight factor.«

  »You’re the navigator and our pilot,« Takahashi replied thoughtfully, looking over to Ultimus, who was aiding Peshewa with space surveillance.

  »Is there a reason why we were sent into this trans-solar debris field to start our faster-than-light flight? I simply cannot understand why we didn’t transfer to the tachyon track just after we left the Neptune System,« Peshewa asked perplexed.

  »So we don’t risk destroying or rearranging the beautiful moons, should our prototype tachyon drive explode and punch a big hole into space,« joked Sweeney.

  »That won’t happen,« Strovol replied via intercom. »I’m vouching for the integrity of the shielding field. I’ve served on many ships, the field structure of this generator is outstanding.«

  »Did you enter the flight parameters into the computer already?« Takahashi asked Sweeney formally. Everybody knew that this was not the time for joking. Sweeney’s facial expression changed abruptly. Before he replied, his eyes quickly scanned the navi-holo, »Course entered into the computer and verified.«

  »Course acknowledged, drive module is ready,« Ruby responded happily while he hovered up and down beside Sweeney.

  »Energy for the tachyon shielding field is on standby. The tidal power plants are active and function normally. The energy flow from the tachyon continuum is constant. There are no deviations from the test data,« Peshewa announced. »Energy accumulators charging complete.«

  »Tachyon field generator is starting up and is no longer in idle mode of operation. Uhhhhh …«

  Takahashi looked up, startled.

  »Strovol! What’s happening!?«

  »Everything is okay, Commander. Sorry for that,« Strovol apologized quickly. »The shielding field is expanding well within calculated parameters … uhhhh, that feels sooo goood!«

  »Are you sure that you want to stay in there?« Takahashi asked worriedly.

  »Absolutely, Commander,« Strovol replied quickly.

  Takahashi just shrugged and reached for the red, pulsating start button on his seat’s armrest. He could initiate the start any time now.

  My first faster-than-light flight. My first cruiser, he thought and pulled his hand back from the button. Instead, he reached for the intercom pad. What can I say to the crew in a moment like this? Some prepared words that get entered into the log and then make their way into the historical archives?

  »Attention crew!« Takahashi began. »The Nebular is ready for her maiden flight. We will initiate the faster-than-light flight in a few moments and leave the Solar System. Since this is a test flight, seal all ship sections for safety reasons. The lockdown state will be canceled as soon as we have reached the standard tachyon track and continue our flight successfully.«

  Takahashi signaled Peshewa and took a deep breath before he continued.

  »Our ship carries a special name,« he said softly, prompting Ultimus to look up briefly. »Some of you already know. Nebular is the name of a cosmic force that has helped us six years ago to ward off a massive disaster. A force that we currently can’t understand or perceive. We don’t know what this force stands for or what it really is and how it is associated with our galaxy. Although, we can’t see, detect, or even taste it,« Takahashi smiled briefly, »it’s still around us – omnipresent!«

  Art Ultimus smiled as Takahashi hinted at the sense of taste. Only Hybrids could understand what the commander wanted to say.

  »This force is not threatening. It is rather like a good omen that accompanies us on the flight. Earlier in history, when folks were still exploring the Earth with sailing ships, people wished them good luck and hoped for calm seas and good wind, or, still at the pier, they shouted, safe return. We’re not sailing through uncharted waters. Our course is not new, but for the first time traveled by Humans. So, I wish all of us a safe journey, a calm sea, and good wind.«

  »Calm sea and good wind,« some crew members repeated his words.

  Takahashi took a last look around before he pushed the start button.

  ✭

  It happened suddenly with a horrible noise. It sounded as if a primeval giant, would tear metal with his bare hands. Cries sounded through the command central, then an irrepressible force hurled Takahashi from the command seat into the crackling, collapsing central holo. The commander hit his head hard against the holo projector while hearing an ugly sound as his head cracked. He remained motionless, lying on the ground. Coolness spread from his neck over the entire body.

  Pain! An accident! What happened? Takahashi’s thoughts were amazingly clear, but racing. I can’t move my arms and legs! Is this how it feels when you die?

  Before dripping blood from his forehead veiled his eyes, he saw Enola Peshewa grimacing with pain. She staggered through the command central, her right forearm extended from her body in an obscure angle. She caught sight of him and pointed at him with a terrified face.

  Do I really look that bad? Takahashi thought and felt how his life seemed to leave him slowly.

  Suddenly, a scurrying shadow approached from the side. Cool hands were placed on his forehead, ignoring the blood, electrifying him. A warm flow of energy spread from the points of contact on his skin, penetrating his entire body gradually.

  My life aura is regaining strength, thought Takahashi surprised and tried to sit up, but his body didn’t obey him. Ultimus!

  »Don’t move, Commander,« Ultimus said calmly. »Your wounds have to close first. Your head is fractured. I’m trying to heal your injuries.«

  Fractured skull? Takahashi thought as if in a trance while coughing blood.

  Ultimus transferred his power to Takahashi. The commander felt how his body was captured and flooded with Ultimus’ energy. Each cell was activated and accelerated self-healing set in. Takahashi felt the heat in his head and how the crack in his skull slowly closed. Blood, pulsing through his veins, stimulated him. His will to live flared up again. He groaned what Ultimus considered a good sign.

  Ultimus took a deep breath after a few minutes and then left him. He looked around and, without a word, attended the next injured. Here, his work was done, there were still other crew members in dire need.

  Takahashi’s arm went up. His hand brushed over the blood-stained eyes. The commander blinked and noticed the flickering, red emergency illumination of the command central. Flashing holos above the consoles showed alarm signals. All life support systems and the central power distribution had failed.

  »The Terra-Grid Computer is offline!« he heard a voice calling. »We’re falling!«

  We’re falling? Takahashi thought alarmed and tried to get up onto his elbows. He slumped back and tried it again. Then, he felt some strong hands helping him onto his feet.

  Sweeney!

  »You’re alive, Commander!« Sweeney shouted while looking into Takahashi’s eyes. »Oh my God … you look terrible!«

  »The ship? What’s with the ship?« Takahashi gurgled.

  The navigator’s voice seemed fidgety. Blood ran from his nose, which he hastily wiped away with his sleeve. His breathing was erratic.

  »We were hurled from the tachyon continuum without our intervention. The shielding field must have collapsed. This happened by brute force, as you can see. You should have a serious word with Strovol! Your good wishes didn’t help us much. It’s a miracle that the Nebular hasn’t broken up, considering the forces. We’re located near an unknown planet. The gravo-field drive failed, and we’re subjected to the gravitational force of that planet.«

  »Activate the emergency power system!« Takahashi commanded and wiped the bloo
d from his face. Sweeney reached for his First Aid spray and examined the commander, then his eyes widened.

  »Commander, this much blood ... I can’t find any injuries! How’s that possible?«

  »Later, Sweeney!« Takahashi ignored the question and pointed to the navigation console. »Take your place.«

  Takahashi watched Enola Peshewa straightening in her seat. Her dazed looking eyes followed Ultimus, who was going to attend another crew member. She checked her arm and couldn’t believe that she was able to move it.

  »It was clearly broken!« she said wondering.

  »We need a picture!« Takahashi commanded and pulled Enola out of her lethargy. »Try to reactivate the central display holo.«

  »I’m transferring the emergency power to the projector,« she replied quickly. Seconds later, the holo established with a flicker.

  »Good Heavens!« Sweeney shouted as he saw the Earth-like planet toward which the Nebular was racing. »We need our propulsion system!« Sweeney looked around. »Damnit, Ruby! Where are you? When you need the ship’s ghost, he’s not around!«

  »The Terra-Grid Computer is offline,« the Chiropter’s voice sounded. The power supply to the holo projectors seemed inefficient and could not establish his holo either.

  »Can you land the ship on that planet, if necessary?« Takahashi asked Sweeney while checking his body.

  »A crash landing, perhaps,« Sweeney corrected. »The ship wasn’t designed to land on planets. Without the gravo-field drive, we would fall like a stone and break up in the atmosphere, long before we hit the ground and make a nice crater in the beautiful landscape.«

  Hectically, Sweeney’s hands flew across the flight console. He tried to find a way to restart the propulsion system. He gave up after a while. Without the central computer, his attempts were in vain.

  »Man … the correction thrusters!« he suddenly yelled. »They’re not completely under computer control. We could possibly control them manually. What’s our angle of attack, Pesh?«