Human Starpilots

by F Stephan

  He answered seriously. “I am the son of my parents and their parents and back to the first men. My ancestors are meeting your ancestors above us while we talk, and they drink to our health.”

  “Good. You haven’t forgotten all good manners. We can now talk. Space communication doesn’t allow for proper discussion, and we haven’t talked since after the injection. You were not in very good shape that night.” This was true. If there had been no accident with the second injection, it had been hard on all of them. They had been confined to their beds for a week and had left Adheek very weak, with a promise from Nilse—“Space will do you good”—that wasn’t very promising. Yet now, they had adapted and didn’t feel the strain of the nanites anymore.

  “First things first. Did you have news of your family?” asked Brian.

  “Yes, my father sent a short message. He is not very talkative usually”. Shanak paused, thinking, and then smiled. “He sent me also pictures. He has just finished his last project. Look!” Shanak activated his bracelet, showing proudly a valley encased in metal, with a small stream at the bottom.

  “What is it?”

  “This is the source of the Ilmar, one of the main rivers for our clan. It runs for one thousand kilometers across our continent and the source was contaminated during the last war. This building is decontaminating the water before it flows out. We will now be able to relocate the cleansing stations we had built below and reclaim all the lands around. This is one of most significant reclaim in the last decade”.

  “How can you clean entirely the water at the source? The surrounding radiation is too strong.”

  “My father found ten years ago a broken ship. The singularity had collapsed”.

  “I thought this would destroy the ship?”

  “So did I. But it happens more often than you think. Anyway, he was allowed to keep it for parts. He has worked since then to configure the radiation shield from the ship to isolate the water when it leaves the mountain. Then, he built a decontamination plant around it”.

  “Incredible. I didn’t know that was possible. The cost must be horrendous”.

  Shanak laughed. “The family is now broke for the next two generations. But, his vision worked. And with the next years, one thousand kilometers will run pure, the land around it will be reclaimed for crops and habitation and ten former decontamination plant will be redeployed on the planet. Our prestige is going to be incredible. But let’s talk about you. What is the news from home?”

  Brian shook his head. “Nothing so stupendous. Spring was not too bad. At least not worse. And my sister got married. I have the video from the ceremony”. The corner of his eyes suddenly glinted with unshed tears. “You disapprove of the wedding?” Shanak frowned.

  “I don’t know the groom. They met after the exam where I was chosen for pilot and I never met him. My sister will have a child soon and I will not know him. Or her.”

  “This is our life. This is something we have learned on our planet and that you are learning”.

  “This is hard.”

  “Yes, it is hard. And it will not get better. Back to space, how it went?” began Shanak.

  “As you did, we took turn managing the small jumps within a system.”

  “This is lacking in honor. They have us do the work while they simply look. They cheat on their honor. It is their duty to bring the ships across not ours. We can share the load but we should not take it all. Yet, my word is of no avail in this world.”

  Brian smiled but somewhat agreed with the analysis from Shanak. At that time, a waiter came by, and they ordered a lager to share. There were exams ahead, and they didn’t want to get too drunk.

  “As you can guess, Emily topped the class, and Sonter followed her. They’re competing all the time.” Shanak grinned. Brian’s enmity with the golden dandy had not worsened, and their rescue together had allowed them at least to work together without insults or fights.

  “And you, my friend?” Shanak said.

  “I always feel weird with the jumps, uneasy. There’s something I don’t know how to master here, and you don’t know how much I feel imprisoned by this. I am in deep trouble.”

  Shanak answered seriously. “Any ideas at all?”

  “No. I’ve talked with Master Heikert, I’ve worked with Master Kiltan, I’ve read the Handbook, but nothing works. Nothing at all.”

  “You know, I did hear about you,” continued Shanak.

  “What?”

  “Yes,” he smiled. “I was leaving Mistress Nillimer’s office when she received a transmission from your captain. I heard a little: ‘Again. He has again tried to move out of the path. We’ll lose five hours to get back on target and vector. Five hours.’ He raged for a while, and she motioned me out.”

  “I know. He made me work triple shift to compensate for the different losses. Kiltan is confident that I’ll adapt soon, but he’s probably the only one.”

  “Enough of that. If I say you’ll adapt, you will. The Federation says that there are more human races among the stars than grains of sand in the sea.”

  Brian looked unconvinced, and his eyes unfocused, staring vaguely at his beer. “I’m going to get expelled and have to requalify,” he said in a barely audible voice.

  “Did you get any news?” Shanak’s voice trailed, and Brian remembered. They had flirted for a while, Li Bao and Shanak, a year back, but it hadn’t worked out.

  “We’ve had only one flight through Earth’s system since she flew back. We had a quick message from her. She was smiling. I could send it to you if you wish.” Shanak quickly signed a no. “And Mathias also sent a long video of her. She seems to have improved a lot, back with her aunt and uncle, and she should have finished by now her first month in the Earth Training Center. Now, it’s your time to talk.”

  Shanak then began to explain with a mock-serious tone his fight of honor with the shuttle and Mistress Nillimer. Brian fought to remain just a little bit serious as his friend told the various humorous tales from his misadventures in space. They continued to talk and watch the 3-D shows over the lake late into the night.

  57 Brian

  The students succeeded in their exams, if barely. Brian had just gone to a travel agency to organize a mountain trip west of Certan with Shanak to hike in the Great Range of Cascades, when he received the request he dreaded from Master Heikert. He knew this was now his ticket out.

  Barely thirty seconds after his arrival, the door opened, and the gruff teacher motioned him to sit across his desk. Brian ached from the fear, but he seated himself calmly. “I will not cede to panic and shame myself.” Then he smiled inwardly. “Shanak has a decidedly bad influence on me. If I continue, I will talk of the honor of my ancestors.” From what he knew, his ancestors had fled Ireland centuries before and had been gang members for at least four generations.

  “It doesn’t work, Brian, and we both know it. This is not the right way for you. I won’t lie to you.” For once, Master Heikert’s words were almost gentle. Brian felt his heart sink. He would finish his training today. Yet the teacher continued. “It happens sometimes. At this stage, there are variations on the way everyone works.”

  “The Handbook is very precise and doesn’t allow for them.” Brian knew by heart every page by now.

  “Well, yes, at last you have read the book. It took you some time. But we’ve seen that those variations do exist and that the Handbook doesn’t cover everything possible. Maybe when it was written, things were different.” Brian up looked inquiringly, surprised by the comment. “It was written before the fall. Ten thousand years have gone by. Don’t underestimate this. Anyway, with Master Reinkel, we have decided to send you for a bit of hands-on experience. Master Kilet has been nice enough to find you a berth in Theoldcow.”

  Brian could not believe his fortune.

  “It’s due back in Adheek within two weeks, so you will have time to be in position when it crosses the system.”

  The intersystem transports never stopped but crosse
d at their cruise speed. The intrasystem transports adjusted speed to reach the other ships and moved back to the station. That was also one of the advantages of the small jumps, since exit speed could be adjusted by the pilot with each jump to match target speed.

  “Why this choice, sir, if I may ask? I’m leading ships astray within systems.”

  “First, you will have multiple roles on board and will have the opportunity to see how the ships work from within. You will even have the opportunity to manage intersystem jumps. The hyperdrive from the intersystem transport is slightly different, you know.”

  “I thought all ships could do both.”

  “No, some are more efficient within systems, other outside. Their drive might be better suited for you. And your navigation skills will be a lot more helpful there.”

  “Isn’t this early, sir? We should learn intersystem jumps at the Central Federation Academy with full injection completed, shouldn’t we?”

  “So, you have paid attention to a few lessons, after all, haven’t you? Not too early to show it! Yes, you’ll not be allowed to do full jumps on your own until you can prove otherwise. And you shouldn’t manage repeated jumps unless in emergency. But you should be able to carry out jumps right now. We will see how you have progressed on this when you are back. In the meantime, I have prepared for you some homework I will be expecting when you return in nine months. We will send another student who needs also a bit of fresh air. Do you have any questions?”

  Any questions? He had a thousand or none. “Can I tell my friends and Don Mariano?”

  “Don Mariano knows already. Master Reinkel told him this morning. He agreed we should try any way that can help you. Your planet really needs pilot soon.” He looked at Brian in the eyes. “There are small improvements currently on the weather but the situation is precarious. This is the most dangerous part. As for your friends, you can tell them. They will be jealous of this opportunity.”

  “And who will be my mate in that ship?” Brian hoped it could be Illoma. This would give them another chance. But then, he heard the tone in the teacher’s voice.

  “Your friend Sonter will be with you. Who else?” The teacher smiled. “This will give you time also to work out your differences. You’ll leave in a fortnight. Use your remaining time on Adheek well.”

  PART 3

  2139 AD

  58 Interlude

  The Grand Master finally reached the meeting point hidden in the asteroid belt. He had only left Lelet, his world, twice since he had been elected by the council of Fathers. But his visitor was worth the trip.

  He had departed the orbital station Faith on his own ship Dagger, piloted by his brother. On board, there were only one Father, working as personal secretary, and one Inquisitor to provide the required security. Both were from his very own family and could be trusted utterly. When they reached the belt and the agreed point, they stopped all emissions from the ship and waited. The Grand Master, after a lifetime in the service of the Faith, was used to waiting. During that time, he pondered what had happened.

  Twenty years ago, he had been accompanied his brother in exploration of the nearby star system. He was Inquisitor, at that time, a keeper of the Faith tasked to control the spread of the heresy and most notably avoid the pilot, Paladin of the Faith as they were called, to spread it. It was an easy task with his brother, a true son of the Faith. When they had reached the belt, they had met a ship. The surprise had been mutual but the ships had initiated communication. The Inquisitor had rapidly taken over, listening to the Foreigner. The words had been strange, recognizable but heavily accented. The Foreigner had rapidly connected with them, understanding the Faith and pledging his support. He had warned the Inquisitor of the Evil Federation and of the lovers of the ancient devilries. When he had had to leave, they had set up a communication protocol to share messages. And for the last twenty years, this protocol had held true. The Inquisitor had become Grand Master, elected by the council, and when the Federation had contacted them, he was prepared to counter their lies in the heart of the faithful. Now, the Foreigner had called and he had come.

  The ship appeared within two hours of the agreed time. The Grand Master was alone in the communication room and he established the contact with the other ship.

  “The Faith is above us”, started the Foreigner. He was alone in a white room with a flag of the Faith behind him.

  “And the Grand Master guides us”, continued the Master following the traditional greetings. “What brings you here? This is very dangerous”.

  “You have been prepared over the years. You have refused the words of the evil worshippers of the Federation fifteen years ago. You have since then built a space fleet and you are now ready to act. I have prepared a package with all information relating to the next trade ships that will cross space close to your planet. This is the time for action. Seize the ships and show the Evildoers you are strongest. In all the planet of the Federation, we will relay your message”. The Foreigner sent out a message through the link. Numbers, coordinates appeared on the side.

  “Very well. I well send our ships, our Fathers leading our warrior and our Mother Superiors to care for them and we will strike the heathen. We will not meet again, save in full victory. So let the Faith be with you wherever you go”.

  The Foreigner bowed his head. “Your blessing, Grand Master?”

  “We knew discord and strife and the Prophet came. We knew the abomination from the Ancient and the Prophet came. We knew utter despair and the Prophet gave us the Path. Let the Path guide you my son to spread the word among the stars”. With those words, he cut the link and began to read the detailed message. After a while, he left the room and asked his brother to bring him back to Lelet.

  On the other ship, Father Lapren folded the flag of the Faith to store it and replaced it with a red bot devouring a world. He now would return to Adheek to wait for the disruption Lelet would create. Twenty years ago, chance had given him an incredible opportunity to thwart the expansion plan from the Federation and now he would reduce their influence in the region. He motioned to his pilot. They would return to their normal flight plan, explaining their weird jumps by one of the exceptional incidents that happened. He hated the subterfuge he was forced to use, but until they found their own ships, he had no other ways.

  59 Brian

  The Heavyweight took a week to reach Theoldcow. Brian was immersed in his lessons to prepare for interstellar flight. There were few books on the topic, but he read them all. Anyway, this was better than brooding over his internship and especially his student mate, Sonter, who had not talked to him since they had left the station Zopol.

  They matched velocities and then vectors until they moved side by side less and then one hundred meter away from one another. Then, Theoldcow shot two cables with magnetic hooks toward the Heavyweight. Once the cables had stuck, two crewmembers exited the ships to move the hooks around the main airlock. Afterwards, they unrolled a tube along the cables. The crew from Theoldcrow did the same until they met in the middle. There, they locked the two tubes together. They were not pressurized but they provided a sense of security to those who crossed. Brian exited the Heavyweight and launched himself in the tube Then, he hauled himself toward the other ship using the cables. As he moved away from the transport, the gravity lessened. After a while, when he didn’t feel much gravity anymore, he heard “Get ready” on his radio. He stopped himself and flipped to face the Heavyweight, legs toward his target. Then he pushed himself downward and the gravity inverted itself midway between the ships. Then, it was a matter of slowing his drop until he reached his destination.

  Brian left his shoes at the entrance as he had been instructed before leaving. Unlike to the Heavyweight, the compartment was entirely carpeted and paneled in wood. There were paintings on all the walls and on the ceiling. A small man with a large mustache was waiting for him and Sonter with a huge grin and two pair of slippers.

  “Welcome, young men, welcome to this ship.
I am Lanakar Namek, engineer on this fine vessel. Hello, Sonter, what have you done again to be sent here? Is your father upset again?”

  Sonter bowed his head without looking at Brian. “Hello, old rascal. Still condemned to engineering? Father thought you needed competent support to keep this ship running.”

  “Good news. It was time for me to get a break. You’ll be very busy in the coming months, and you won’t see much of each other, which, if I have heard the rumors correctly, will be better anyway.” He turned to Brian. “I suppose you must be Brian.”

  “Good day to you, sir.”

  “You are a polite one, aren’t you? You’ll come with me to engineering first, while Sonter will work in navigation first. Special request from your master. Then, you will move to piloting while he goes into environmental, and you will continue to switch positions throughout your time here. Sonter, you already know the layout of the ship. It’s standard. Would you be kind enough to go directly to the navigation main room and meet Mistress Taolel? I’ll take young Brian with me to the rear. The captain will meet both of you whenever she finishes the supervision of the cargo transfer.”

  “Yes, uncle. Our luggage?”

  “We’ll transfer it from the Heavyweight with everything else. You will find it in the cargo area later today.”

  Lanakar and Brian embarked on a visit of the inhabited part of spaceship. The crew section was sumptuous but of recent conception. There were rare woods, tapestries, and carpet masking all the underlying metal. It was very warm and cozy. Even his room was luxurious compared to anything he had seen on Earth, except on all videos from past centuries.

  “Sir?” asked Brian as they walked.

  “Don’t ‘sir,’ me, mister apprentice. That makes me older. Call me Lanakar and that will be fine.”

  “Lanakar, why are the quarters so…” He grasped for the right word.

  “Magnificent? Opulent? Incredible? We stay months on end outside the comet belt crossing different star systems at a fraction of the speed of light. Do you want us to live in bare metal? It’s already very hard to bear the void. So, at least, we do it in style.” And he laughed, infecting Brian with his good spirit.