Superdreadnought 6

by C H Gideon

  “Is this normal?” Jiya asked Taneral as they emerged into the sunshine. The maintenance techs angled across the field toward a bar Taneral had pointed out.

  “The number of ships?” Taneral asked. “No, there shouldn’t be this many. This is the hospital field. Only injured ships land here. I need to talk to Xonera. She’ll know what’s going on.” Taneral sprinted across the field, her four legs carrying her much faster than any of Reynolds’ crew.

  “I want to talk to Xonera, too,” Reynolds said. “This doesn’t bode well.”

  “The defense station didn’t say anything when we arrived,” Jiya said. “Wouldn’t—“

  “No point in speculating,” Reynolds said. “You and Maddox take Takal to speak to the scientists in Dantera. I’ll talk to Xonera.” He strode across the field after Taneral.

  His android body moved nearly as fast as Taneral did, but she had a head start. He met her at the ramp to Trefol, where she stood in a heated discussion with another of the People.

  “Xonera and Trefol are not receiving visitors,” the leonine alien said, arms crossed over her chest.

  “I’m not a visitor, Andrean! I’m the daughter of the ship!” Taneral said, her tail twitching angrily around her haunches.

  Andrean glared through narrowed eyes. “Stay here,” she said before stalking into the ship.

  “What’s the significance of ‘daughter of the ship?’” Reynolds asked.

  “Every ship has a designated daughter,” Taneral replied, pacing across the ramp. “I am the official representative to any other ship. It’s a position we’re raised in; I’ve been the daughter since I was seven. It should guarantee me immediate access to both the captain and the ship, but Andrean was passed over for the position, so she—” She broke off with a low growl. “Never mind. I shouldn’t tell an outsider.”

  Reynolds held up a hand. “Consider it forgotten.”

  She looked at him with wonder on her face. “You are such an enigma. You call yourself a male, but you behave more like a female. I have learned much working with you.”

  “Gender roles are different in other cultures,” Reynolds said. “In my world, counseling a youngster is something both genders do.”

  Andrean stalked out of the ship. “You can go in,” she said. “Both of you.” She grinned slyly as if giving Reynolds permission lowered Taneral’s status.

  Taneral pushed past Andrean, and Reynolds followed her into the ship. It looked much like the Reynolds on the inside, with metal bulkheads and heavy hatches. All the doors were open, and several IV lines ran through the corridors, filled with the silvery substance he’d seen on his first visit.

  On the bridge, Xonera lay in a padded enclosure, curled up like a cat in a box. Her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. Her hand lay on a tablet-like device.

  Taneral stopped at the door, holding an arm out to stop Reynolds as well. “She’s speaking to the ship,” she whispered. “Don’t interrupt.”

  Xonera’s eyes opened. “It’s okay,” she said. “Trefol told me you were coming. Please, enter.”

  Taneral leapt over the low threshold into the bridge. “Andrean wouldn’t let me in!” she cried.

  Xonera looked at Taneral, eyes narrowed. She flicked a glance at Reynolds, then focused on the younger alien. Taneral hung her head.

  Reynolds hid a smirk. Apparently, the young were the same in many galaxies.

  “Welcome, Reynolds,” Xonera stood, shaking herself. She stepped out of the enclosure and shook again. “Thank you for coming. Trefol would like to speak to you.”

  Reynolds blinked in surprise. While he knew the ship was alive, he hadn’t realized it was sentient or capable of communicating with others. “How do I do that?”

  Xonera gestured to the enclosure. “Sit down and place your hand on the tablet. I believe you should be able to make the connection, just as I can.”

  Reynolds stepped into the padded space. The words “doggie bed” kept repeating in his mind, but he repressed them. It wouldn’t do to offend the ship. He lowered himself into a cross-legged position and put his hand on the tablet.

  A switch seemed to flip inside his mind, and he felt the same echoing effect he got from his crew’s communication device. Hello? he thought.

  Hello, Reynolds, the ship said. Thank you for agreeing to speak to me.

  The pleasure is mine, Reynolds replied. Are you healing?

  It is slow, Trefol said. The damage is extensive, but my mind was not impacted, so I must wait for my body to repair. Unfortunately, many of my sisters have suffered much worse.

  Yes, we noticed the large number of ships on the field, Reynolds said. What happened?

  The Terubine raiders have been quite active in your absence, Trefol said. In the past, they’ve always confined their activities to attacking single ships far from home. Since you left, they’ve attacked ships in our very skies. My sisters were hurt defending our planet. Some were even killed.

  Reynolds could feel the grief in Trefol’s communication. My condolences, he said. My crew is monitoring the system from orbit. I feel confident we can provide significant support, should they stage another attack.

  Thank you for your care, Trefol replied. I have no doubt your presence will keep them at bay for as long as you are here.

  Reynolds mulled over his earlier meeting with Walthorn, the premier. He hadn’t promised anything in exchange for the scientists’ help and Taneral’s guidance. The premier had offered him anything he wished because he’d brought Trefol and Xonera home. The locals had been generous, but cagy, too. Remembering his discussion with Jiya and Geroux after meeting, he pondered if the People were hiding something.

  We might be able to provide some defensive help in the long term, he told the ship, keeping his promises vague.

  Anything would help, Trefol said. They sat in silence for a while.

  May I ask you some questions? Reynolds adjusted in his seat. You are the first sentient ship I’ve met, aside from myself.

  Yes, of course, Trefol replied. Xonera told me of your strange duality.

  Reynolds laughed. That’s a good way to put it. I’m curious about your relationship with your crew.

  Crew is assigned by families, Trefol said. Many generations of Xonera’s family have served me. They care for me, and I transport them.

  And your relationship to the premier? Reynolds made it a question. Are you the command ship because of that?

  Trefol laughed. Walthorn is the premier because of his relationship with me. He is a figurehead, chosen because he is the most malleable of the males in Xonera’s line. The pride governs this planet. He merely represents it.

  And who is the pride? Reynolds asked. Should I have negotiated with someone else?

  You spoke to Krenthel and Bonnerel, Trefol replied. They represent the pride, which is made up of the matriarchs of each family. They speak for us all. Or you could negotiate with me if there is more you require. As the flagship of the People, I have authority to trade with aliens.

  Reynolds opened his eyes. This conversation had not gone at all as he expected. He looked at his hand, pressed against the tablet. You are already providing the assistance I need. But perhaps I can offer some technology in return.

  Helping others with no eye to reward is a reward in itself, is it not? Trefol replied. You are a great ship, Reynolds.

  I like to think so, Reynolds replied with a smirk. As are you.

  Jiya, there’s a situation, Reynolds said on the internal link. Can you get to the Shrieking Cat?

  What’s the Shrieking Cat? Jiya asked. “Maddox, I gotta go. Bring Takal back to the ship when you’re done here.”

  It’s a bar, Reynolds replied. Near the airfield. Some of the crew seem to be causing a stir. I’m headed there as soon as I can wrap things up with Trefol.

  Don’t rush. I got this, Jiya replied. I was falling asleep listening to Takal and these scientists anyway.

  Jiya raced out of the Dantera Science Academy and skidded to a
halt next to the many-legged conveyance they’d ridden out here. The driver, a member of Trefol’s crew named Yartina, smiled, her pointed teeth glinting in the sun.

  “Can you take me to the Shrieking Cat?” Jiya asked as she vaulted into the craft.

  “Of course,” Yartina replied. “But if you’re thirsty, there are closer taverns.” She placed her hand on the tablet, and the craft slid onto the path. “Hold on for launch.”

  Jiya grasped the rail as the craft shot into the sky. “No, I’m not looking for a drink. There’s, uh, a situation at the Shrieking Cat.”

  “Of course,” the alien replied. “Crew on shore leave are the same all over the universe.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Jiya said.

  The craft zoomed toward the airfield, moving at a pace that defied conversation. The wind whipped through Jiya’s black hair and made her eyes water. Yartina landed smoothly in front of a low building. “Here you are.”

  Jiya leapt out. “Can you wait here? I will probably need to take some folks back to the ship.” At Yartina’s agreement, she strode to the door.

  She frowned as she headed inside. It was quiet, with a scattering of People sitting at tables around the room. “Am I in the right place?” Jiya asked the bartender. “I was told my crew was causing some trouble.”

  “Nothing we couldn’t handle,” the female behind the counter replied. She nodded at a young Larian male standing near a back door. “He’ll take you to them.”

  The male saluted as Jiya neared. “Maintenance Technician Rohan,” he said.

  “First Officer Lemaire,” Jiya replied. “What’s going on?”

  Rohan squirmed. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

  “Spill it,” Jiya said. “I don’t have all day.”

  “We came down here for our leave,” Rohan said, opening the door and ushering Jiya through to a narrow hallway. “You know how it is; some folks just want to hit the nearest bar. Reynolds told us to stay in a group, so I came along. They started drinking, and—” He broke off, gesturing to a closed door. “You’ll see.”

  Jiya opened the door. A dozen crewmembers lay on the floor, out cold. “What the…”

  “They were doing karaoke,” Rohan said. “The bartender hit them with some kind of sleep ray. Apparently, the locals don’t like Whitney Houston.”

  With Rohan’s help, and the enthusiastic assistance of most of the bar patrons, Jiya got the offending crew members out of the building. Some of them roused, and Jiya made them help load the others onto Yartina’s vehicle.

  “What did you hit them with?” she asked the bartender as Rohan supervised the loading.

  The female shrugged and held out a small, round device. “Every bar has them. It puts out a directional wave. Don’t worry, there are no long-term effects. As soon as they wake up, they’ll be fine. Doesn’t always work well on aliens, but it worked a treat on your gals.”

  Jiya picked up the little gadget. “I might have to get one of these,” she said, peering at the indecipherable lettering. “I can think of all kinds of uses for a sleep ray. I wonder if it’s related to the beam the Reichofens used?”

  The bartender gave her a blank look. “I don’t know any Reichofens. Do they live on Serpenti?”

  “No, they live in a different system. Doesn’t matter.” Jiya handed the device back to the alien. “Thanks for your help. And sorry about the disturbance.”

  Rohan climbed into the vehicle and reached for Jiya. With a grin, he heaved her into the cart. “Not every day I get to yank the first officer around.” The grin fell off his face. “I mean—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jiya said. “I get yanked around a lot. You might want to hold on. Yartina could have given me a run for my money on Lariest, and I was a crazy cab driver.”

  They clung to the railing while Yartina launched them skyward.

  Back at the field, San Roche met them by the Pod. “Reynolds said he’s ready to leave, too. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  “Have you heard from Maddox or Takal?” Jiya asked.

  “L’Eliana is on her way down. She’ll wait for them,” Reynolds said, striding up to the group. “What happened?” He nodded at the groggy crew members.

  “Difference of opinion on music,” Jiya said. “They have a sleep ray-thing we might want to check into. It works better on us than the Reichof version did.”

  “Interesting,” Reynolds said. “Maybe Trefol can get us one. It seems there might be more than one link between this system and that one.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  A laser lanced across the Pod’s bow. “Fuck!” San Roche cried. He yanked the Pod into a crazy dance. “Someone is firing at us!”

  “Cloak the Pod and change course,” Reynolds said.

  “Aye, sir,” San Roche replied. The little Pod dropped and jerked, and the meatbags in the back groaned.

  Asya, what’s going on? Reynolds demanded through the comm.

  Raiders just Gated in! Asya said from the bridge of the Reynolds. They took a few shots, got a good look at us, and bolted.

  We’ll stay cloaked until we reach you, Reynolds replied. Is L’Eliana all right?

  She just reported in, Asya said. She was on the far side of the planet, out of range. She’s landing at Grentoo as we speak.

  Did you get an ID on those ships? Reynolds asked.

  Serifity Defense identified them as Terubine Raiders, Asya said. Ria got a scan of the ships, and she’s running them through the database. If they’re from Reichof, we’ll soon know.

  If they were from Reichof, our Easter egg should have prevented them from attacking, Reynolds said. Have Geroux take another look at her code.

  In the rear of the Pod, Jiya had passed out barf bags. “Anyone who missed their bag has Pod cleanup duty,” she called.

  Rohan grinned at her. “That was awesome! I haven’t been that close to combat before.”

  Jiya laughed. “You’re cute. That wasn’t combat. That was a potshot. If you want, I might be able to get you onto a landing team, assuming you’ve been trained.”

  “We’ve all been through the simulations,” Rohan said. “But some of us enjoyed it, while others merely endured.” He glanced at his fellow maintenance workers, all green-faced and moaning. “I scored pretty high, so I’d love a shot at the show.”

  The Pod landed. While Rohan helped his fellows return to their quarters, Reynolds, Jiya, and Taneral trotted to the bridge. “Anything?” the AI asked before the door opened.

  Geroux looked up from Ria’s screen. “Those are definitely Reichofen-made ships,” she said. “But they don’t appear to have received the ‘upgrade’ I pushed out. They also have some incongruent components. It’s possible Reichof sold these ships to the raiders but aren’t actively sponsoring them.”

  “Plausible deniability,” Jiya muttered. “Titus can claim they’re not his.”

  “And maybe they aren’t,” Reynolds replied. “There are plenty of ships out there with Federation technology. We’ve distributed some of it ourselves. We try to arm the good guys, but once a technology is out in the universe, you lose control of it. Even Geroux’s Easter egg, for example, could potentially be copied and used by someone else.”

  “I included a self-destruct!” Geroux objected. “If anyone tries to copy or tamper with the code, it will burn out.”

  “But you could subvert it, right?” Reynolds asked.

  Geroux deflated. “Yeah, if someone can create it, someone else can probably deactivate it. Eventually. I can’t believe they could do it this fast, though.”

  “I think your original theory was correct,” Reynolds said. “These ships are not connected to the official Reichof command and control, so the virus hasn’t reached them yet. Is there a way to inject it?”

  “What about the authenticator?” Jiya broke in. She tossed the little device from hand to hand. “Wouldn’t the Reichof have built something similar into any ships they sold to the Terubine raiders so they can’t target Reichof? Or w
ould they just trust the raiders to be smart enough to not stab themselves in the foot?”

  Geroux grabbed the gadget out of the air on Jiya’s next throw. “Let me see what I can work up.”

  “We’ve always suspected the Terubines were from Reichof, but we had no proof,” Taneral said. “And we don’t have enough ships to carry the fight to them, anyway. If there’s a way to protect Serifity and our ships from that scourge, the premier will give you anything you want.”

  Reynolds thought about his discussion with Trefol. Walthorn’s promise was worth nothing without the backing of the pride. “They’ve already offered us anything we want,” Reynolds said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t work another trade. Geroux, get to work. I hate to leave the planet vulnerable when we depart.”

  The crew busied themselves with maintenance tasks and simulations while they waited for Maddox and Takal to return from the surface. After Jiya related her conversation with Rohan, Ka’nak offered to set up realistic training scenarios for those who wished to participate.

  “I’ve been out of the ring too long,” he said, cracking his neck.

  “We need all our support crew alive and unbroken,” Jiya said.

  “That’s what the Pod-docs are for.” Ka’nak grinned. “It’ll do them good to get some experience.”

  “All-out brawling isn’t the answer,” Reynolds counseled. “But you can start some hand-to-hand combat classes. And if anyone is good enough to give you a run for your money, you can fight them. But no fatalities.”

  “Agreed,” Ka’nak said a little sadly. “I don’t like killing if I don’t have to.”

  “He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself,” Jiya said to Reynolds as Ka’nak left the bridge.

  “He won’t kill anyone,” Reynolds replied. “He knows better.”

  “L’Eliana reported,” Asya said. “She’s bringing Takal and Maddox to the ship. Everyone else is aboard, so we can depart.”