by S. H. Jucha
“Your Excellency,” Darius interjected. “We’re searching for a rogue battleship fleet. There’s every chance that we might have to leave Pimbor to intercept it. Your troops could be trapped there if our encounter with that fleet is unsuccessful.”
“Look closely at them, Admiral,” Talsoma directed. “What do you see?”
“An even number of males and females,” Luther supplied.
“They’re prepared to be on Pimbor for as long as it takes to regain the planet. When they take the dome, they’ll be able to come home, if they wish,” Talsoma explained.
Darius sent to Renée.
“We’ll transport them, Your Excellency, aboard the Freedom,” Renée said.
“Shall I have the troops moved to the station?” Talsoma asked.
“That’s unnecessary, Your Excellency,” Renée replied. “We’ll notify you when the Freedom is two days out from Sylia. Then have the troops, equipment, and supplies staged on a field like this. A fleet of travelers will land to load them.”
“You’re sure your ship can accommodate this number of personnel and material?” Talsoma inquired.
“Assuredly,” Renée replied, with a gentle smile, and she regarded the field of troops.
Talsoma nodded to the Sylian commanding officer, who growled deeply. Then one thousand troops snapped their weapons into presentation positions and growled in reply.
Renée glanced toward Darius. A single eyebrow rose, questioning their decision. She stepped back to compose a message to Alex, but not before she sent to Darius,
While Renée was occupied, Darius chose to make a personal test. He eyed one of the females at the front of the line and stepped up to her.
“Hand off your weapon,” Darius ordered.
Swiftly, the Sylian passed her energy weapon to the trooper beside her.
“Step forward,” Darius ordered, “and the others of you clear way.” He liked the way his directives were quickly obeyed. There wasn’t hesitation or furtive looks. “Now, defend yourself.”
The female Sylian eyed the insignias on the uniform in front of her. The troops knew the human commanded the warships above. She was inclined to immediately obey his previous orders, but the last one seemed odd. Abruptly, the admiral’s hand lashed toward her face, and she slapped it aside. Then his other hand came at her face, and she slapped that one aside.
The trooper defended herself against the admiral’s increasing attacks. He used an open hand form of offense, but he also employed his feet. She bared her teeth at the exercise. The admiral had technique, but he was human, and she was Sylian.
Darius stopped. He hadn’t landed a blow, but neither had the Sylian tried to hit him.
“What are you doing?” Darius demanded.
“Admiral?” the female trooper queried.
“I’m an insectoid, and I’m trying to kill you,” Darius said forcefully. “Now, defend yourself.” He saw light blaze in the trooper’s eyes, and her lips curled away from her sharp canines.
The Sylian was relieved to have the rules of engagement specified. She’d been released. When the admiral took a step forward, she attacked.
Darius expected a semi-aggressive response from the trooper, but he was dispossessed of that idea. She leapt at him, striking him in the chest with both feet. As he was launched backward, she somersaulted and landed on her feet.
Renée gazed incredulously at the trooper, who looked in alarm at Darius lying ignominiously on the ground.
On the other hand, Darius wore a grin, and he said, “That’s better,” which greatly relieved the Sylian.
A Sylian trooper, one of the larger males, caught the eye of his unit commander and quietly made a request, which was relayed up the chain of command. Then the request was relayed to Darius, while Kasie and he brushed off his uniform.
Luther commented,
The male Sylian handed over his weapon. He bared his teeth as he came forward slowly. When he was still a few meters away, he rushed, expecting to catch the SADE off guard, as he spun to deliver a kick to the chest. Only the SADE wasn’t there, and he never touched the ground.
Luther held the Sylian in the air by the nap of his uniform jacket. Slowly, he lowered the trooper.
When the Sylian’s feet touched the ground, he grinned broadly at Luther and dropped his head.
The entire command of troopers broke out in shrill whistles at the exhibitions.
15: One Thousand
After Alex said goodbye to Renée and she sailed for Sylia, he walked the corridors and rode the grav lifts to return to his suite. Soon afterward, Julien arrived with Ophelia.
“How long did it take you to learn your way around this ship?” Ophelia said to Alex. She was shaking her head in bewilderment at the navigation Julien and she had undertaken to arrive from the bay where she landed.
Alex smiled good-naturedly and tapped his temple.
“I understood the implant was used for communications,” Ophelia said. “What else can it do?”
“What would you like it to do?” Julien replied.
“Take care of my calendar and reminders,” Ophelia requested, and Julien nodded. “Run calculations for me?” she added.
“The apps we carry organize data and perform any calculations that we require,” Alex said. “If the data sets or the calculations are too great for our apps, then we can connect with other sources for the operations.”
“Such as?” Ophelia inquired.
“For mundane things, we can link to our controllers to perform them,” Alex replied. “For critical items, we use the SADEs.”
Ophelia glanced at Julien, who let fairy dust shower over his crown, as he smiled at her. She pointed at the SADE and said, “Now, that’s something I would love to do.”
“So would I,” Alex said, pretending a lament.
“You wanted to see me,” Ophelia said.
Alex noted that Ophelia had dropped the manner of polite conversation and adopted the demeanor of a security commandant. He gestured toward a seating arrangement.
“The fleet’s second command and the Rêveur will sail on another mission in two days,” Alex said.
“Will any of your ships remain here?” Ophelia asked.
“This ship, the freighters, and the expedition’s four Tridents,” Alex replied.
“Where is the other command going?” Ophelia asked.
“Their first stop will be Hyronzy Station,” Alex replied.
Ophelia blinked in surprise. “The Tsargit?”
“Yes, we need additional information,” Alex said. “Based on the star coordinates that we possess, it will be easy for the fleet to stop at Pyre on their way to Hyronzy and deliver Aputi and you to your home planet. The reason I’m giving you this option is that the command’s mission may take months.”
Ophelia eyed Alex and Julien. She couldn’t read their expressions, and she sensed nothing from Alex. The situation perplexed her. She wondered if Alex’s offer was meant to be considerate or whether he wanted to get rid of her before his people visited the Tsargit.
/> “You’re wondering about our intentions,” Alex said calmly, sitting back in his chair.
“A security commandant would be thinking that we have an ulterior motive,” Julien said. He smiled at Alex, which was meant to provoke Ophelia.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Ophelia declared. “I’ve just met you.”
Julien opened his mouth. He played a conversation that Ophelia had with Olawale and Patrice in which she made a similar comment.
When Julien finished, he said, “You’ve dealt with criminals for much of your career, Ophelia. It’s understandable that you tend to doubt what you hear. There are no dark machinations in our offer. We simply don’t know if your duties demand that you return home, or if you’d care to continue to help us. The choice is yours.”
Ophelia felt a twinge of guilt. Then she wondered if she wasn’t meant to feel that. The doubt she was experiencing brought her thinking up short. It occurred to her that maybe Julien was right about her history with transgressors of the laws.
“I think I can be of help with the Tsargit and any alliance races we encounter, Alex,” Ophelia said.
“I believe you can, and we appreciate the support,” Alex said and smiled.
Ophelia sensed a brief lift in Alex’s emotions. It felt genuine. He had wished her help, but he hadn’t wanted to coerce her. It made her feel guilty about her previous thoughts.
“I need to speak to Lieutenant Tulafono,” Ophelia said. “May I offer him the same choice?”
“Certainly,” Alex said.
The suite’s door opened, and a crew member ushered Aputi into the salon.
The lieutenant gazed around the room, and a grin crossed his face. “A space built for the likes of me,” he said happily.
While Ophelia added another capability to a growing list of an implant’s uses, she watched Alex greet Aputi by clasping right forearms. Aputi’s smile widened at the gesture. The thought occurred to her that the expedition members were right. Alex was bigger than Aputi, Sam, or any of the other heavy worlders she’d seen. Then it struck her why that thought was unexpected. Alex didn’t appear to use his great mass in an intimidating manner. At least she had yet to see that.
Alex offered Ophelia and Aputi his office to have their discussion.
In the office, Aputi settled into a broad chair, appreciating how its size and the nanites accommodated his bulk. “We need this technology,” he commented, with a satisfied expression.
“We’re being offered a choice, Lieutenant,” Ophelia said. “The Omnians will take us home if we want.”
“Did you accept?” Aputi asked, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his legs.
“Alex is sending the other command to the Tsargit,” Ophelia explained. “He said the mission of these ships will last months.”
Aputi waited. Ophelia hadn’t answered his question. He’d learned enough about her by now that she would reply when she was ready and not before.
“I think the Omnians represent a terrific opportunity for Pyreans and the alliance, in general,” Ophelia said. “It seems to me that the more helpful we make ourselves, the more inclined they will be to help us.”
“Begging your pardon, Commandant,” Aputi said, “but you’ve got that wrong.”
Ophelia observed Aputi’s eyes. They no longer carried the uncertainty she’d seen when they met at her door on Pyre. The fighting and near-death experiences had hardened him.
“The Omnians won’t make a decision about giving us their technology based on the level of help that we offer them,” Aputi said. “It will be decided on whether we deserve it. We’ve got to show them that we can be trusted to use the tech wisely.”
“We’re humans. That should qualify us,” Ophelia countered, although she wasn’t sure that she believed that to be true. Aputi stared at her, as if daring her to continue that line of thinking.
“This feels like the original encounter of Pyreans and Jatouche,” Ophelia admitted.
“I’m not that familiar with the details of that time,” Aputi said, “but I agree with the sentiment. You’re going with the command, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Ophelia said.
“I’m willing to ask Alex to return you to Pyre, Aputi. You didn’t sign up for this,” Ophelia said. “And before you ask, I’m not leaving you on Pimbor. You’re my responsibility.”
“And you’re mine, Commandant,” Aputi reminded Ophelia. “Looks like we sail for the Tsargit and places we’ve never been.”
Ophelia rose and shook Aputi’s hand. “Mother made a great choice,” she said, and Aputi grinned.
The Pyreans returned to the salon and told Alex of their decision.
“Come with me,” Alex said, after thanking them for volunteering. He led the way to one of the lower decks, walking around nearly half the circumference of the ship. Waiting for him were Killian, Bethley, Trium, Olawale, Patrice, and Deirdre.
“This is important for you to observe,” Alex said to the group. Then they entered a bay.
A single ship occupied the entire space. Its sleek shell said grav drive, but its bulbous aft end, with its clamshell doors, said interstellar drive.
“That’s an odd design,” Patrice remarked.
“There’s no room for a crew,” Ophelia added. “Is it remotely operated?”
“It’s a scout ship,” Killian announced proudly. “Bethley, Trium, and I are the crew. This ship is the Vivian’s Mirror.”
“I brought you here to see the requirements for docking a scout ship. The method is a little ad hoc. We’ve just added these to the scout ships to accommodate alliance stations and terminal arms,” Alex explained. “You’ll need to help station crew understand what’s going to happen.”
Alex nodded to Killian, and he directed the group to follow him to the starboard side of the ship.
A grav lift was stationed at the bow. The SADEs rode it to the hatch, which Trium signaled open. Then he slid into the ship feet first and face down. Bethley was second, and Killian was last.
“Can they even move around in there?” Ophelia asked, with a furrowed brow.
“That’s a biological’s concern,” Alex replied. “The SADEs lock their avatars.”
Ophelia experienced an odd sensation. The way Alex spoke about biologicals gave her the feeling that he didn’t consider himself one.
While Alex and company watched, the hatch slid into place and locked.
“Now, observe,” Alex instructed.
The hatch opened, but there was no view into the interior. Instead an accordion-like tube extended six meters from the ship.
“That’s our ad hoc gangway by which the SADEs can make egress and ingress between their ship and a terminal arm,” Alex said. “The tube’s end can flare to accommodate most terminal hatches. Your responsibility will be to communicate to station crew the scout ship’s docking requirements. Every opportunity must be taken to allow the SADEs to escape their ships.”
The humans around Alex heard his commanding tones. Deirdre, Olawale, and Patrice were familiar with it. When it came to treating SADEs respectfully, Alex demanded it.
Ophelia and Aputi found themselves nodding emphatically, lest Alex think they hadn’t received the message loud and clear.
Alex signaled the scouts.
The tube withdrew, and the hatch slid closed. When it opened again, Killian, Bethley, and Trium crawled out headfirst onto the lift.
“Any questions about the connection’s requirements?” Alex asked.
“I think it best that Deirdre and I be present to oversee the station crew on the terminal arm,” Olawale said. “That way, we can ensure the proper procedures are executed.”
Olawale noticed Alex’s shoulders relax, and he felt he’d said the right thing. Alex seemed to have the needs and the comforts of the SADEs foremost in his mind, and he made a note to talk to him about it.
The other nine scouts, who’d been waiting in the corridor, joined Alex in the bay.
“Let’s talk about your mission,” A
lex said. “Our Pyreans have volunteered to assist the command. Your first stop will be Hyronzy Station. Olawale, Patrice, and Ophelia, you need to gain the Tsargit’s permission for our SADEs to work with the archivist.”
“To accomplish what?” Patrice asked.
“To map the alliance,” Killian supplied.
Deirdre grinned. Even she hadn’t guessed what the scouts had presumed was Alex’s intention.
“The scouts possess the dome console techniques that Esteban and Juliette gained in working with Jess and Kasie,” Alex said. “They’ll need data from the archivist on every race ... home world names, connecting domes, and sample audio files.”
“We’d occupy the Hyronzy dome for a considerable amount of time, while the SADEs map the star fields,” Olawale pointed out.
“That’s why we’ll seek an alternative,” Bethley interjected.
“What kind of alternative?” Ophelia asked, with concern.
“A non-alliance dome,” Bethley replied. “It’ll allow us to work undisturbed and investigate a console in greater depth.”
There were immediate reactions of disbelief on the part of the expedition’s humans. They knew what could be waiting on the other side of a gate that connected to a non-alliance dome.
“Olawale, Patrice, and Ophelia, you’ll play diplomats at the alliance dome that the SADEs choose,” Alex said. “Stay on the safe side of the gate.”
“First ones through the gate will need to be a security squad and two SADEs,” Deirdre determined.
“Agreed,” Alex said. “But you’re to stay with Olawale and the others, Admiral. Only security and SADEs go through the gate to the non-alliance dome.”
“Understood,” Deirdre replied.
Ophelia turned to Deirdre. “Talk to Jess before we go,” she said. “He knows the stories of the original explorers. They developed techniques that saved lives when entering an unknown dome.”
“What’s next after we’ve collected the data from the dome?” Olawale asked.
“The first priority will be to transmit the data to the Freedom,” Julien said. “It’s critical to protect this knowledge for the future.”
“The future?” Patrice inquired.
