Rogue Messiah: Fleetfoot Interstellar Series, Book 2

by P. Joseph Cherubino

  “It’s registered with the Nurr. The name doesn’t translate directly to Tradespeak.”

  “What’s the secondary, then?”

  “Thick River,” Reggie replied.

  “OK, it’s Thick River, then,” Drexler said, as the group followed the angle of the nose section down to the wide spine of the tractor deck.

  They walked a few meters down the center of the ship, then turned to port, looking for a ladder that would take them down.

  “I don’t understand it,” Drexler said. “There should be a ladder here. There’s one on the Fleetfoot.”

  “We have to jump and use thrusters,” Darzi said.

  “Can’t,” Drexler replied. “It’s not full earth gravity, but it’s close. Too far. Suit thrusters can’t deal with that.”

  “Is there cable on the shuttle?” Samuel asked.

  “No,” Drexler replied. “That’s it. We are done here. Tara, tell your kids to find the port airlock on deck ten, and fly up to our level.”

  Drexler ordered Reggie to bring the shuttle to their location. It didn’t take long for Tara’s children to find the airlock and fly up to meet the retreating group. The shuttle was crowded with Tara’s fifty full-grown children aboard.

  Drexler removed his hood helmet as soon as the atmosphere on the shuttle reached a breathable level. He took the shuttle out a few hundred meters and idled.

  “Probably not a good idea to linger here,” Darzi said. “They might have full control over the particle fields.”

  “They do,” Reggie said. “And we are in weapons range.”

  “Our protective field is up,” Drexler said. “It should be OK to take a few hits.”

  “What are you thinking, Drexler,” Samuel asked.

  “I’m thinking I completely misread the situation,” Drexler replied.

  Drexler moved aft to the shuttle bathroom stall, where he washed his bloody face and scalp in a basin. When he came back out, Samuel was ready with his medical kit.

  “Laceration isn’t too bad,” Samuel said as he tugged at a loose flap of skin and bound it back into place with a regen light. Drexler winced and sucked air through his teeth before the anesthetic mist tamped down the active nerves. “It’s the concussion I’m worried about. Your gray matter took a hit. Scans show some damage there. I’d like to have you in an isolation helmet for a few hours. Blod clots are a concern.”

  “No time for that,” Drexler said. “I really messed this one up bad.”

  “Yeah, well your winning streak had to get even with the odds at some point.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’ve taken this thing further than anyone thought. Most of us did not expect to be alive right now.”

  “You’re only as good as your last run, and this one failed. I’m missing something here. They’re not acting like your typical Lizard. Only a handful came to kill us. Why aren’t they shooting at us right now?”

  “I don’t know, Drexler. I’m just your Doctor.”

  Samuel finished up and Drexler sat on the small galley table. The puzzle clattered around in his bruised head demanding a solution. There seemed to be two groups of Reptilians on that ship. One group was trying to attack Drexler and his crew, while the other group was going for control of the ship. Drexler began to wonder if the two groups were working together at all.

  “Reggie, are there any non-reptilians on those ships?”

  “None of the ships like me have non-Reptilians present,” Reggie replied.

  “What’s the status on Thick River?”

  “Language functions still low-level. Some indication they are trying to link the reactor to main propulsion.”

  “Any sign at all that they’re trying to use the emitters to form a weapon beam?”

  “None at all,” Reggie replied. “All particle conduits are set up for fields only.”

  “They are trying to run,” Drexler said. “Hail them.”

  “Channel open.”

  “This is Captain Drexler Fleetfoot of the Resistance Armada calling the Reptilians in control of the Thick River. I am prepared to help you with your internal dispute. Please respond.”

  25

  Gholss dismissed his guard detail and had them stand at either and of the corridor so that they would not catch the taste of a strange fear that washed over him. He crossed the threshold of his new quarters with a tentative step. The Alpha was dead, and Gholss took his place, but the strength of the great leader remained in the room.

  The battle plan belonged to him now, as did the responsibility for its success. On the bridge moments before, Gholss stood for a brief ceremony conducted over tangler channels. The head of Sslolg’s war clan and the head of his own appeared on the bridge holographic column large as life. They passed command to Gholss and read his name into the official record as servants dragged Sslolg’s from the bridge.

  As a courtesy to the leader of Sslolg’s war clan, Gholss agreed to preserve the body in stasis. He pledged that he would not consume the former leader. Sslolg’s clan reserved that honor, and Gholss deferred to the request as a sign of respect. Gholss may be in command of the invasion fleet, but he would still need the support of Sslolg’s war clan. His own brothers would now be in direct competition with one of the most powerful entities on the Reptilian homeworld as a direct result of Gholss’ victory.

  Gholss crossed the spartan quarters, taking note of the few personal items. He made plans to have them packed and prepared for transfer along with the body. It caused discomfort to think of such mundane things now that he was in command. He preferred to focus on the glory yet to come. Gholss, the new Alpha Leader, prepared himself to correct the disastrous course of his predecessor.

  The wave of doubt passed, and the Alpha felt strong again, in spite of his missing arm. He looked down at the raw, glistening, green stump. The medical crew spent several hours scraping away the burnt flesh to prepare for regeneration. It was still too early for a temporary prosthetic regeneration rig. Even after Gholss threatened several medical technicians with execution, they still refused to fit a mechanical arm. Their strong position in the face of death convinced Gholss to accept their wisdom. He only wished the stump did not itch so much. In a few weeks, the arm would grow back stronger than ever, with the help of a rig. But pain, discomfort and the loss of a limb was a small price to pay for the glory ahead.

  But the path to glory was paved with ordinary stone.

  A call came in from the bridge. “Alpha leader, this is Alpha Engineer Khagoss. I request an audience.”

  Gholss was pleased with the new Alpha Engineer. The Reptile was bold and direct, and unafraid to present Gholss with bad news.

  “I will receive you in my quarters, Engineer Khagoss,” Gholss replied.

  The engineer wasted no time in arriving. He stood in the doorway on his stubby legs and fixed both bulbous eyes on the Alpha. The squat, round Reptile was of a desert species, and his gray, lumpy skin resembled the rocky basin of the Homeworld’s central continent. Khagoss had a personality to match his appearance.

  “What do you bring?” Gholss asked.

  “I bring a bad report, Alpha Gholss,” Khagoss replied.

  “Then tell me quickly.”

  “We cannot reach blinkpoint translation without repairing the hull. The attack loosened several critical hull panels. Even at our current speed, the protective field is not enough to keep our structure within safe limits.”

  “And we cannot repair the hull unless we slow the ship far below sub-light,” Gholss replied, finishing the logical train.

  Having made his point clear and strong, Khagoss lowered his eyes.

  “I respect the strength of your argument. Your bold presentation is why you are the Alpha Engineer. We will not slow the ship. Your task is to get us to rendezvous with the main battle fleet in the shortest time.”

  Khagoss remained silent. Gholss waited patiently with the feeling that more might come. It did.

  “There is another al
ternative, but it carries great risk,” Khagoss said.

  “Do not shrink now! Tell me!”

  “We can increase the strength of the internal gravity field. This will draw all mass inward. It will put great stress on the hull. This will allow us to withstand the stress of blinkpoint translation, but the hull will be like a brittle egg. We would not be able to withstand much deviation of course, and an attack during this procedure would doom us.”

  Gholss did not hesitate. “There is no glory without risk. Where there is great risk, there is great glory. I want you to do this, and I want you to plan for repairs as soon as possible. We will have opportunity for repairs when we reach the fleet.”

  Khagoss turned on his heel claws and scurried from the quarters without a word. His kind was known to spare few words.

  Another call drew his attention. Gholss noticed a glowing light on his new office console. He moved toward the small office at the rear of his new quarters. With memories still fresh of strategy meetings held there, he answered the call with a sense of sadness. He missed the great Alpha, in spite of his duty to be Sslog’s executioner and replacement.

  When the image of the Royal Alpha appeared in the light column, Gholss immediately dropped to his knees and averted his eyes.

  “Alpha leader of the Reptilian Battle Fleet, I greet you from the throne. Rise.”

  Gholss rose slowly before the image of his Ruler, the Alpha above all Alphas, the Mother of all power on his world. Even rendered as a crude hologram, her appearance entranced and amazed. Her long body coiled twice around the throne rock, supporting her long torso high as she raised her four arms toward Gholss in a gesture of praise.

  “I praise the name of the great Alpha, mother of Glory and Honor,” Gholss said. “My only wish in this life is to be worthy of your praise.”

  “And you do prove yourself worthy, for you rise above a most favored son,” said the Mother Alpha.

  Gholss remained silent, unable to find the words. Even across the space of sixty light years, the Homeworld Alpha seemed to look straight into his deepest self.

  “I said rise before me like the Alpha I know you to be!” she hissed. Gholss rose higher, lifting his snout. “Look upon me!” Gholss lifted his eyes. The sight of her body made the blood burn in his veins. The black of her scales was space itself, and the gold checkered patterns the stars. “Do not fear to look at me, Gholss, for one day it is you who may sire the next great Alpha clan.”

  A low hissing filled the room, and Gholss realized the sound came from his own snout. Venom and saliva dripped from his jaws and puddled on the floor.

  “Yes,” the Royal Alpha hissed, and her tail rattled like jungle rain. “You will be the one to deliver me the Trade Union, and all its creatures who will be our chattel. Only when all other species come under our rule will our kind be safe. Remember why you fight. Remember the Silicoid wars. We will never be weak again.”

  “I will do this for you, Alpha above Alphas, the Source of Glory,” Gholss said, raising his claws toward the light.

  “Yes, you will, Gholss. I will be waiting for you, here, in my chambers.”

  When the transmission stopped, Gholss nearly collapsed. His head swam, and he collided with walls and furniture as he stumbled to the privy chamber. He washed himself with water, then scoured his scales with sand to recover himself. By the time it was done, he thought it might have been a dream, so he checked the communication logs to be certain. It was no dream. The Alpha of Alphas spoke to him.

  When Gholss stepped back into the corridor with a fresh uniform bearing the insignia of Alpha Leader, the guards cowered at the taste of him in the air. His scent was more potent than his predecessor. He had never seen soldiers react to the other Alpha this way. The guard fell in behind him as he made his way to the bridge.

  ***

  “But you told me that ship could not go to blinkpoint without breaking up,” Drexler said. “What changed?”

  The Hunot engineer coiled his tentacles in frustration. Drexler found it hard to read the splotchy expression in the translucent skin of his face. His beak chattered in his native language before the Tradespeak translator caught up.

  “I am not to blame for this. They solved the problem. Who am I to say how?” the engineer replied.

  Drexler leaned back and pushed away from the conference table, realizing that his posture was more aggressive than he intended. “Benny,” Drexler said. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to imply you are to blame for anything. It’s just that this throws off our whole plan.”

  The Hunot let humans call him “Benny” because his true name was very difficult to pronounce, even in tradespeak translation. His kind was accustomed to such allowances, but Drexler aimed to show deference to the fact. He could not afford to alienate an engineer with Benny’s talents. Even Gajrup treated the Hunot as a luminary engineer.

  “How do you think they did it, Benny,” Gajrup asked. He leaned forward for the answer.

  Benny uncoiled his tentacles and relaxed, letting his gelatinous body ooze over the seat. “I think they increased the internal gravity such that the surrounding mass drew together, like pressure on a dome under the sea.”

  “So, they increased their mass, then went to blinkpoint. The power requirements for that are staggering. Why did they not use that power to destroy us? They could have wiped us out.” Gajrup said.

  “There must be a reason that they did not,” Drexler replied. “Maybe they can’t channel that power through their weapons, somehow.”

  “That is very likely,” Benny replied. “I did notice massive instability in their containment vessel as they fired at us. The emitters also seem to have trouble channeling that much volume. It is very likely that using the amount of power necessary to take them to blinkpoint will prove fatal.”

  “I find that very strange,” Drexler said. “The way they take risks in some areas and show caution in others. It’s as if more than one person is in charge at different times.”

  “I cannot help you there,” Benny said. “I can only help with the engineering aspects.”

  “My friend,” Drexler said. “You help me more than you know.” Drexler stood and extended his hand. Benny wrapped several of his pink tentacles around Drexler's forearm and squeezed lightly. “Why don’t you visit Nuva in our mess hall. She mentioned that she has a breed of fish that you may enjoy. She would be happy to see you.”

  Benny responded by quickly slithering out the door. Drexler sat back down, and Gajrup fixed him with a strange grin.

  “What?” Drexler said. “What’d I do?”

  “You really know how to work people,” Gajrup said.

  Drexler leaned back with a cocky drape to his expression, said, “It’s my special talent.”

  “Sales,” Gajrup replied. “You are a born trader. Traded yourself right into command of a war fleet.”

  “Yeah. Still trying to figure that one out.”

  “Latent messiah complex?”

  “Oh, ouch,” Drexler said. “You hear about that?”

  “Yeah, Dewey is my best friend, don’t forget. He can hardly stop talking about you.”

  Drexler ran a palm across his face. “It’s just really weird.”

  “Hey,” Gajrup said. “We live in space, right? Everything is weird.”

  “But I wanted to put this next question to you first. Have you figured out how the Lizards were able to take over the ships, and how Reggie was able to wake them back up?”

  “I have not a clue,” Gajrup replied. “There is a lot about this ship that is very unusual. You know, we take our technology for granted. When it works, we don’t look too close. But since I came aboard, I’ve had a lot of time to really look at this ship, and Captain, it is a very strange machine.”

  “So you won’t be insulted if I ask Benny to head up a team to figure this all out?”

  “Insulted? The opposite. If he makes me his second on this, I might kiss you,” Gajrup said.

  “A simple ‘thank you’
will suffice, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Drexler replied. “As soon as he’s had a nice meal, I’ll put the question to him. Be prepared for some extra work, Drexler said.” He pulled a display scroll closer and started sifting through information again, just as he had before the meeting started.

  Gajrup sat there for a minute or two. “Oh,” he said. “I guess that was me being dismissed.”

  “Something like that,” Drexler replied without looking up from the scroll and said, “Keep my ship running.”

  Gajrup tapped the table, got up and went back to work.

  “Mumlo,” Drexler hailed. “Who is next on my list?”

  “Darzi,” Mumlo replied, just as the door opened.

  Lieutenant Darzi pulled up a chair and set beside Drexler. She still wore her black BJP military uniform, but without the insignia.

  “What can I do for you, Zoyo?” Drexler asked. He examined her figure in spite of himself and instantly regretted it.

  “To begin with, don’t call me by my first name,” Darzi said, with a narrowing of her large brown eyes.

  “OK. Get on with it, then.”

  “You look like a worn boot, by the way.”

  “Is that concern? Because gloating does not become you.”

  That earned him the hint of a smile that quickened his pulse. He pretended to study his display scroll.

  “The breakaway fleet situation is not getting any better. My team has control of all but eight ships. The Lizards are contained on the rest. The Armada is making some noises about the cost of feeding them.”

  “I’ll pick the low hanging fruit first. Anyone who complains about food cost is a fool, and I aim to treat them that way. We have more supplies coming in from Medina 3 than we can store. We will do a brisk trade in supplies with New Detroit when it arrives. You let me handle the complainers. What’s next?”

  “You know what’s next. Eight ships idling in space with Lizards trying to gain control. We were over at the Thick River three days ago. We can’t let this go on much longer.”

  “The ships are working on it,” Drexler said.