by Robert Boren
I sat in one of the empty seats. “She went to the Tristar to check on their retrofit progress.”
“Uh huh.” Izzy grinned.
I ignored her. “Anything showing up on the scans?”
Nolan looked over. “Nothing at all. We’re probably safe.”
“This concept ship had a lot of interesting capabilities,” Andrea said.
“There was never a prototype, though, was there?” Tim asked.
“We have no idea how far this concept went, or if it’s even remotely similar to that ship we saw, in any way other than appearance,” Nolan said.
I nodded. “What does your intuition tell you, Nolan?”
“Not much. The general shapes of the concept drawings and the Overlord’s ship are similar, but there’s not enough details in the concept documentation. Parts of it are redacted, for one thing.”
“Why are we assuming that the ship is an Overlords ship?” Izzy asked.
Nolan’s eyebrows raised as he glanced at Izzy. “That’s actually a very good question. For all we know, that ship was not on Simone’s side. It might have been coming to prevent her from doing something.”
“So, she could’ve been stalling us for some other reason?” Tim asked.
“We’re going to talk ourselves into who-knows-what,” I said. “It was coming in from the same direction as the Centurion Class ships, and it created no havoc while it was next to Simone’s assets. I think we can say with some confidence that this ship was at least friendly to Simone.”
“There is one thing we found out for sure,” Tim said.
“What’s that?” Izzy asked.
“We know that those were normal Centurion Class ships. We were able to neutralize them as easily as we expected.”
“That’s correct,” Nolan said.
“We’re coming out of the jump in a few minutes,” Andrea said, looking at her PA.
“What’s the plan after that?” Tim asked.
“We’ll be going down to the surface, I expect,” Nolan said. “To chat with my uncle.”
“Here we go,” Andrea said, as the static electricity hit all of us. The cameras filled the screen with video of Amberis.
“Scanning,” Nolan said, looking at the console. “Nobody here that shouldn’t be here.”
I nodded. “Good. Where’s that big ship? Still next to Mars?”
“Just a sec,” Nolan said, speaking into his PA for a moment. “It’s someplace else. No trace of it in Earth’s solar system. This is interesting.”
“What?” Andrea asked.
“Ship traffic is active again. I guess word travels fast.”
“Where?” Izzy asked.
“All over the zone, but especially near Earth and the other level three, two, and one worlds.”
“Can we tell if it’s commerce or military traffic?” Tim asked.
“Not for sure,” Nolan said. “I’ll leave a detailed scan running while we’re on the surface. It might show us something that a quick look won’t.”
JJ walked onto the bridge. “The Tristar will be finished in two hours.”
“Then they’re starting on the Zephyrus?” I asked.
She nodded. “Won’t take as long. Our ship should be ready to go in less than three hours.”
“Good. Let’s get set for the meeting on Amberis. Can you contact your uncle?”
Nolan was about to speak when Vermillion walked over. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already made contact, and Tac has been waiting for us.”
“Where is he?” Nolan asked.
“On his rail car, about three hundred kilometers from the capital of Ceroris.”
“Is Ceroris a country or a city?” Tim asked.
“Country,” Vermillion said.
Nolan turned toward them. “My uncle’s city is called Trattoris,”
“What’s with the ris at the ends?” Izzy asked.
“It’s kind of like burg or ville on Earth,” Nolan said.
“Yeah, but we didn’t use that in the name for our world,” Izzy said.
“True, but other worlds have used that model,” Nolan said. “When are we going down there?”
“As soon as the Tristar is finished,” Vermillion said. “We’ll take her down cloaked and land next to the railcar.
“We’ll have to pause work on the Zephyrus, then,” JJ said. “Scratch the three hours.”
“We’re moving that ship up above the airlock doors,” Vermillion said. “It’s happening right now. Surprised you didn’t know.”
“The crew on the Tristar didn’t say anything about it,” JJ said.
“We shuffle ships around in that bay all the time,” Andrea said. “Not a big deal. We have lifts and rails in place to do it quickly.”
I glanced over at JJ, our eyes meeting. She looked away quickly. Izzy noticed, shooting me a smirk.
“That big ship is back by Mars,” Nolan said. “Just caught it in the scan.”
“What’s it doing there?” I asked.
“Just sitting for the moment. There’s a lot of tugs working on the drifting ships. Looks like they already have auxiliary power running on the station.”
“Still a lot of traffic?” Tim asked.
“Yes, and it’s ramping up higher,” Nolan said.
“Space commerce-type traffic?” Vermillion asked.
“I think so, sir.”
“Unexpected but welcome,” Vermillion said. “You’ll leave the scans running while we’re down there, right?”
“It’s already set up,” Nolan said.
Cyrus came onto the bridge. “The Tristar is just about finished.”
“They told me a couple more hours,” JJ said.
“The last part was easier than they expected.”
Nolan laughed. “Oldest trick in the book. Under promise and over deliver.”
Vermillion smiled. “I’m going to get ready. It’s a little chilly on the surface, and we’ll be walking from the Tristar to the rail car. Dress accordingly.” He left the bridge.
“Did the Zephyrus get moved above the airlock doors?” JJ asked.
“They were lifting it as I was leaving,” Cyrus said. “Very efficient operation they have down there.”
Andrea smiled. “I’ll say. Who’s going down to the surface?”
“Good question,” I said. “Vermillion wasn’t very clear on that.” I tapped my PA, asking the question. Vermillion came back a few moments later with a response.
“Nolan, JJ, Deacon, and me,” I said. “Oh, and Cyrus and his Tristar crew, of course.”
“Izzy and Tim can stay here on the bridge?” Andrea asked.
“Don’t see why not,” I said. “One of you keep an eye on that scan. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“We’d better get ready,” JJ said. “My clothes are on the Zephyrus, remember?”
“So are mine and Nolan’s, and we need to pick up Deacon too. Let’s roll.” We left the bridge.
{ 20 }
Rail Car
D eacon, JJ, Nolan, and I took the lift from the Zephyrus to the lower bay. Vermillion was near the ramp of the Tristar, chatting with Cyrus as we approached.
“Thanks for getting down here so quickly,” Vermillion said. “We’ll be leaving in a minute.”
“This ought to be interesting,” I said. “Never been on the Tristar before.”
“I have, a few times,” JJ said. “It’s more like a research ship than a freighter.”
“Yes, the Zephyrus has more cargo capacity, even though it’s smaller,” Vermillion said. “This ship is faster, though.”
“My module will increase its speed even more,” Nolan said.
“Shall we?” Cyrus asked. He turned and walked up the ramp, the rest of us following.
I saw what JJ was talking about right away. The Tristar had less of an industrial look. It didn’t remind me of a research ship, though. More like a luxury business transport. The walls were rich wood paneling. I took a closer look, trying to see if
it was real or not.
Cyrus chuckled. “No, it’s not real, but it does look like it. There are Carnaby Glass windows on the bridge, too. We pull down armored shields while we’re in a jump, of course, but we’ll have a nice view when we cruise down to the surface today.”
“Carnaby Glass?” I asked. “Isn’t that a little pricey?”
Vermillion chuckled. “This is a prototype corporate business ship. We were planning to use it for sales eventually. Unfortunately we won’t get the chance to build that business for a while.”
“If ever,” Nolan said. “If this war really takes off, we might be in it for decades.”
“We’re not really in a war yet,” JJ said. “Just a skirmish, between a corporation and an arm of the government.”
“Sorry, but I’m going to agree with Nolan on this one,” I said. “The Overlords and the Central Authority destroyed Samson Corporation facilities, stunned a number of Earthlings to death, put out a stop-travel order, and are forcing everybody to submit their ships for a rather onerous retrofit. Seems pretty war-like to me.”
“Civil war is the best description,” Vermillion said. “Assuming the Clan isn’t involved, and I hope to find out about that from your upcoming mission.”
JJ got next to Vermillion and whispered in his ear. He turned to her, looking surprised, but then shrugged.
“I don’t see why not, as long as Captain Clarke is okay with it,” he said softly.
“Okay with what?” I asked.
“JJ asked if she could go on your Clan hunt. Are you okay with that?”
“I am, as long as she understands the dangers.”
Vermillion chuckled. “There’s probably less danger in that mission than staying on the New Jersey.”
JJ shot me a glance.
“Why would that be?” Cyrus asked.
I snickered. “We just used the New Jersey to cripple a number of the Overlord’s vessels and their space dock. The Zephyrus wasn’t a participant in that. They just want the Zephyrus because they don’t like the fact they can’t track us.”
“Same with the Tristar,” Cyrus said. He led us to the lift and spoke into his PA. The door opened and we all got in, taking the short ride up three floors to the bridge deck. The wood in the halls up there looked even richer, and there was plush carpeting on the floor, dark blue with gold lines on either side.
“Mahogany row,” I quipped.
“Wait till you see the leather seats on the bridge,” Cyrus said.
“Real?” JJ asked.
“Of course not, but you won’t be able to tell,” Cyrus replied. “The seats are active, too, like the ones in the conference room on the New Jersey.”
“Simply upper crust,” Deacon said. Vermillion and Nolan chuckled, JJ shaking her head. The door at the end of the hallway opened as we approached, and we entered the bridge, the big windows in front dominating the room, which carried on the wood paneling with gold accents. The floor wasn’t carpet. It looked like travertine.
“Well, this is nice,” JJ said, looking around.
“Hello, sir,” the pilot said, turning from his station. He was a large young man with sandy blond hair and a mustache.
“Ward, hello,” Cyrus said. “Where’s Devon?”
“She’ll be back in a sec,” Ward said.
“I’m here,” said the young black woman rushing through the door with a tray of cups. “I brought coffee.”
“Isn’t that a little beneath a Science Officer’s job description?” JJ asked.
“We’re pretty informal here,” Devon said, setting the tray down on the counter. “Besides, I can’t trust Ward not to screw it up.”
“Hey,” Ward said, looking offended, but breaking into a chuckle after a moment.
“That smells good, anyway,” JJ said, walking to the counter to pick up a cup. “Auto flavoring cups, huh?” She pushed a button on the side of the mug, watching as the black coffee turned beige, then tried a sip. “Perfect.”
I grabbed my cup, leaving it black. “Nice touch, Captain Cyrus.”
“Only the best for our guests,” he said, motioning for the others to take a cup. While we drank he introduced all of us to Devon and Ward.
“Any plans to gold-plate this ship?” I asked.
Vermillion chuckled. “Before we developed the advanced cloaking functionality we planned on it. Now that’s an expense we can avoid.”
“I’d still do it,” Nolan said. “The enemy might figure out a way around the software algorithm eventually.”
“The gold plating doesn’t hide the ship, exactly,” I said.
“It doesn’t hide it visually,” Nolan said, “but from a sensor standpoint it’s very effective.”
Cyrus’s PA sounded a tone. He looked at it. “Are we ready to go? The bay crew is standing by to open the outer door.” Vermillion shook his head yes. Cyrus looked at his PA again. “Please proceed.”
We felt a slight vibration as the massive door slid open, much quicker than one would expect.
“It’s open wide enough, Captain,” Devon said, sitting down at her station.
“Thanks,” Cyrus said. “Take us down, Ward.”
“Aye, sir.” Ward got into the pilot’s chair, woke his display, then gave commands into his PA while watching the ship’s systems react. We lifted off the floor, moving slowly towards the opening, then dropping straight down.
“Wow, look at that!” JJ said, pointing at the front windows, the curved surface of Amberis glowing ahead of us. We shot forward, hitting turbulence as we entered the atmosphere, the sky becoming brighter as we raced to the surface.
“Look at the snow,” JJ said. “Hope what I’m wearing is warm enough.”
“You’ll be fine with that thermal outfit,” Nolan said.
Vermillion got a message, which he passed to Cyrus and Ward. “Don’t land next to the train—go to the coordinates I just sent.”
Cyrus smiled, Ward turning towards him and nodding.
“That looks like an old Earth train,” I said as we approached, passing over it, continuing beyond a small ridge. We set down next to a wheeled vehicle, looking like an early twentieth century delivery truck. “Hell, that vehicle looks like a Model T panel truck.”
“Tac was the inventor of both vehicles,” Vermillion said. “Guess what he had to draw from?”
Deacon snickered. “Is the train a coal burner or a wood burner?”
“We can chat about that when we get aboard,” Nolan said.
I smiled at him. “You already know.”
“True, but Uncle Tac doesn’t get to talk to contemporary humans very often. I don’t want to stunt his opportunity for conversation.”
“Is this how we’re gonna hide from his staff?” Deacon asked.
“You got it,” Nolan said. “We can’t have them seeing us appear out of thin air, can we?”
“Who’s driving the panel truck?” I asked.
“I am,” Nolan said. “My uncle sent me instructions on how to operate it.”
“Ready?” Cyrus asked.
“Yes,” Vermillion said. We got up and headed for the door, Cyrus turning around.
“Keep a good watch,” he said to Ward and Devon.
“Of course, Captain,” Devon said.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Vermillion said. “Punch 45991 into your PA’s language module. It’s not exact, but it will be close enough. Keep your sleeves down around anybody other than Tac, too. Got it?”
“Crap, I hate using these damn translators,” Deacon said as he punched in the number.
“Why?” JJ asked.
“The delay between what I want to say and when my mouth moves,” he said. “Drives me batty.”
“We need to limit our conversation with my uncle’s people,” Nolan said. “Yes, no, thank you, that sort of thing.”
“Yes,” Vermillion said. “When we’re inside his rail car, we can use English.”
“What if they hear?” Deacon asked.
“He’s put a co
ver story out there already,” Vermillion said. “You’re from a country across the ocean from here, which has a language that sounds kinda like English.”
“Kinda?” I asked.
“Close enough for these folks,” Vermillion said. “Don’t worry about it. Tac’s been speaking a little English around them.”
Nolan shot me a worried glance.
We walked down to the ramp, Cyrus giving the command to open it into his PA. The cold air rushed in as it dropped to the ground.
“Damn, that’s freezing,” Deacon said.
“Don’t worry, the train car is heated,” Vermillion replied.
Nolan led the way to the panel truck, opening the rear doors.
“Guess this isn’t heated,” Cyrus said, rubbing his hands together.
We climbed in, sitting on wood benches on either side of the cargo area. Nolan closed the doors and went to the driver’s seat in front. After a moment the engine started, vibrating the vehicle. He drove forward, following the tracks in the thin coating of snow, the gears grinding as he worked through them.
“He manufactures these?” I asked.
“Yes,” Nolan said from the driver’s seat. “This will provide business for his refinery operation.”
“Bumpy,” JJ said.
“They have a ways to go with suspensions,” Deacon said. “One of my friends builds replicas like this on Earth. Uncanny how similar this is.”
“Tac was into that hobby as well,” Vermillion said. “This was patterned off one he built from a kit about thirty years ago.”
We felt ourselves slow as we climbed into a pass through the ridge, the crest turning into a gentle downslope towards the train. Several men left the car behind the train’s engine, watching us approach. Nolan parked next to them, the engine rattling to a stop.
“I smell diesel,” Deacon said. “Do they have diesel engines already?”
“They do,” Vermillion said. “Quite the inventor, that Tac.”
Nolan chuckled as he got out of the driver’s seat. Tac’s men rushed to the back, opening the door and helping all of us out.
“Isn’t this exactly why it’s illegal to come to level seven worlds?” JJ whispered to me.
“Pretty much,” I whispered back.
“Tac is in the second car,” one of the men said, the translation working flawlessly in our ears. “Follow me.”
