by Ken Pence
The voyage settled down to routines of sleeping, training, learning cylinders, research and planning. Shiv was exploring the Odin one day and came to the gym where Admiral Kyger was sparring with two soldiers. She watched for a few minutes until they stopped. She went over to the Admiral. “Admiral. Is this fitness training?” she asked.
“Yes and no,” he answered. “It keeps us in shape and we use it for unarmed combat.”
“That is interesting. Are your movements in slow motion to practice precision or is there another reason?” she asked.
“Slow motion? We were performing at our best speed. What do you mean?” he said.
“Hold your towel out from your body and jerk it away when you see me move,” Shiv said.
Brad reluctantly held out the towel. There was the barest flicker, and Brad was holding the upper half of a towel and Shiv was holding the lower half. Brad had not even felt it tug and the thick towel was sheared neatly in two. “I see what you mean by slow motion. Our bodies cannot move as fast as yours,” Brad said.
“No. Not normally,” she said, “...but your disabilities gave me an idea. Your suits can move that fast with the dynamic musculature enhancement can they not?” she asked.
“Yes but it could injure us to move that fast,” Brad said.
I think I could compensate for that. You have cameras on your suits that show different views at the same time do you not? You have a powerfully fast computer do you not? I think I can adapt the MemDexs to recognize attacks and respond with controllable fighting moves. It would be a fun project for me. I have enjoyed the higher levels of some of your combat video games,” Shiv said in the longest statement she had made since coming aboard. “May I have one of your suits that I can modify for you? I will not damage it and I do not need it as I have my own.”
Brad hadn’t even been aware the Vicvic was capable of wearing a suit but he was curious about anything that would give them an advantage in a fight. “I would be honored if you would help us this way. I will give the orders now. Just tell me what you need.”
She detailed all the equipment she needed and she was assigned use of one of the smaller labs. She shut herself in and only came out to eat or rest which grew less and less frequent. Two weeks later, she contacted the Captain and Admiral Kyger and they headed at once to the lab.
“I want to apologize that I have used one of your crew as a guinea pig,” she continued when they gasped. “No. Not as a victim. I needed a human in the suit to adjust the controls. Mister Peters?” she called and in walked one of their soldiers in the black battle armor. “Defensive only Mister Peters,” she said and the suit nodded. “Here is a laser pistol,” she said and aimed it at a steel plate across the room and burned a hole in it. She handed the laser to Captain Shuler and then handed an iron bar to Admiral Kyger. “Attack him anytime and from any angle you want. Do not give warning. We have tested this many times now and there is no danger on defensive mode from this distance.”
Shuler immediately drew his weapon and fired – belay that – thought Admiral Kyger. He had seen Shuler raise the weapon well out of sight of Peters and yet the figure had turned with blinding speed and twisted the weapon out of his hand. Peters was holding the laser pistol now. Kyger walked directly behind Peters and swung the iron bar at the back of the suit’s helmet. It had barely begun its downward arc when the bar was ripped out of his hand. Peters tossed the bar onto a nearby bench and bowed. He took off his helmet and laid that on the bench.
“Its incredible what Shiv has done Admiral – Captain. I just set this thing on defensive and it automatically defends me. The suit cushions me and changes the stress field around me so the movements do not rip out my own joints. The MemDex watches through all the nano-cameras we’ve added all over the suit and we used lamlee to boost their capabilities. The MemDex will stiffen my hands as I hit something. I can’t pierce metal with my hands but I can dent it without hurting myself. Captain – if you had been out of reach with that laser the suit would have decided on the least damaging reaction and would have responded with an appropriate weapon.”
“How about offensive use?” Brad asked.
Shiv answered. “Even I could not stand against this suit now in unarmed combat. I have just recorded a cylinder on how to upgrade the suits and the training necessary before any being should be allowed to use them. Each suit will have a bio-recognition circuit to allow only one user. It is too dangerous as it is, not to add that feature – if I understand your race currently. Am I correct?”
“Thank you Shiv. Your share of any trade goods has now doubled. This is going to be very helpful. The system we are entering is supposed to be pretty rough but has rich variety. How many can you convert before we arrive at the rendezvous?” Brad said. “I will get all of the combat team leaders training so they can help you in the conversion.”
“We can convert most of them before then. The help will be welcome,” she said.
The Odin arrived at the rendezvous point 3.8 weeks real time after leaving Tau Ceti. The passage had been uneventful but Captain Shuler had scans of the system. The fourth and fifth planets showed activity. The fifth planet looked like it was swarming with ships and power sources. It looked totally luminous until they zoomed in and could make out details. The Junior showed up a half day later. That isn’t bad when you’re talking about just covering the 82 light years to 68 Eridani. UmBllatt said that there were pirates working the area. He said to go in tough. Brad caught Andrew up on the suit modifications and showed him videos. It was uncanny. They hadn’t even been able to test the offensive capabilities on board but everyone had great faith in Shiv’s programming and design. They were very proud of their crewmate.
It took two more days to retrofit Susan and Andrew’s suits with the upgrades and for them to train but they were really getting good at the conversions and training by then. The plans for the first trade mission were going okay. They thought they would have both the Odin and Junior to go in together into a very distant orbit. They’d then go in with the shuttles loaded with trade goods and armored troops.
Captain Shuler was alone in his quarters when there was a light rap on his door. Shuler got up and answered the door. “Sir...Commo Tech Stephens here sir...Remember when Admiral Kyger ordered no communications with Earth. That’s when Captain Xu tried to call someone. I didn’t think of it at the time but there was another attempted call. Sergeant Al Myzhewski also tried to contact his uncle. He told me to send the message if the no communication order was ever lifted. I told him I would and never thought more of it...until he did it again and this time it was a much longer message. Sir. I’m a master cryptographer and I just happened to cross reference his messages to Captain Xu’s. There were a lot of similarities. I then pulled the personnel file on Myzhewski. Sir. He doesn’t have an uncle.”
“Thank you for telling me, Stephens. Good work. Please give this information to Lieutenant Faulkner in Intelligence. Do not send any message for him under any condition. Keep an eye out for others and let Faulkner and me know. I’ll inform Admiral Kyger. I will have someone from the Junior contact you so you can give the techs over there, the similarities to watch for. Contact General Kyger directly if you cannot get me. Go straight to Intelligence. Dismissed,” he said and turned to his intercom.
“Security, Shuler here. Bring in Sergeant Al Myzhewski on suspicion of treason. Find him. He may be armed and may resist.” Shuler cut the connection. I just hope we’re in time, he thought. Maybe this was the last guy Phillips had planted on us.
Security rang a moment later. “Sir, Myzhewski is in suit training two days ahead of his scheduled time.”
“Suit up everybody. Don’t destroy my ship but destroy him if you have to...don’t kill or injure him if you aren’t forced to do so,” Shuler ordered. He then contacted Kyger to let him know.
Sergeant Myzhewski was pleased to have gotten into one of the new upgraded suits. Too bad he wasn’t far enough along on the training to be able to use the offe
nsive features. They hadn’t come for him yet but he’d fight his way to a shuttle if he had to. With extra food and water he could get anywhere with the new shuttle engines. Ah oh. This didn’t look good, Myzhewski thought as he saw six armored suits come in and they were all focused on him. Four of them moved toward him as he crabbed toward an exit. They suddenly rushed and each grabbed an appendage. Luckily, his suit helped him. It knocked them off but they started striking him and he could feel the blows through the suit. How could they? Oh...they all had offensive access. This was starting to hurt even though he deflected most strikes. The lasers started firing at him next and they concentrated on his weapons first. The weapons were soon disabled and he was slowing. His suit was starting to overheat with all the laser hits.
His MemDex suggested giving up but he wasn’t going for any of that. His suit finally had had enough and shut down all but the environmental components. The soldiers stripped the suit off him and took him before Captain Shuler. Shuler had Stephens come to the bridge and asked Phillips to be escorted there also. Stephens was standing there sullen and slightly rumpled. Phillips came in ahead of his escort like he was leading them. Shuler welcomed him to bridge and started right in. Specialist Stephens has some messages for you to translate for us. Your participation with this will decide whether you will accompany us on the trade mission to Eridani 5.
Phillips took the communications from Stephens and a pen from his pocket – looked around and spent about ten minutes making notes and marking through letters. “I haven’t done the whole thing but he was sending information on trade goods, lamlees, aliens. He apparently disagreed with the handling of beings at Procyon and you apparently killed some native at Tau Ceti – that’s interesting. Do you want me to decode the rest? It looks like more on drive and armor improvements.”
“Captain,” said the tactical officer. “We have four ships closing on our positions. We’re being hailed.”
“Battle stations. Notify the Junior. Keep Sergeant Stephens here. I just thought of a use for him,” the Captain said and he was alerted that Admiral Kyger was on his way.
Shuler nodded to the comm officer and the screen showed some scaly alien, “This is Planetary Control. You are ordered to unseal your airlocks and prepare to be boarded.”
“An excellent idea,” Shuler said as Kyger entered the bridge. Shuler motioned the comm officer to mute the audio and he did so. Shuler gave Kyger a brief rundown of Sergeant Myzhewski trying to give intelligence on their trip.
“Well,” Brad asked.
“I was thinking about unsealing our airlock...then a disruptor,” Shuler said.
Brad nodded and Shuler indicated to unmute. “Sorry Planetary Control. I have to take care of some on-board discipline first. We are from Earth and we are not accustomed to all these rules. We use different rules. Please standby,” Shuler said and then motioned to mute again. “Place the sergeant in the forward airlock and open it to the outside at my order.”
The sergeant started kicking and screaming but the soldiers in battle armor brushed off his resistance and carried him kicking and screaming to the airlock. “Forward battery. Dispose of his body when he quits kicking and then target all lasers on the ship I designate. Release him now.”
The airlock opened and the kicking and dying bloated body of Sergeant Myzhewski flew away from the ship with the last remnants of air. A disruptor beam dissolved his body when he quit jerking. Shuler motioned to unmute. “I am so sorry. One of my soldiers was disloyal. You can not let little things turn into big things. Now. Which ship will send the boarding party?” the Captain asked.
“The largest ship will send over a transport,” the alien said.
“You do understand we are from Earth and we belong to the Earth Regulatory Force?” the Captain said.
“I heard you and I have heard there was a new trading post there,” the alien said.
“Fire on the largest ship and then the next largest. Save the smallest,” the Captain ordered in English. The Odin’s forward laser batteries cut the largest ship in two and then the molecular disruptors dissolved all debris from the rest of it. The next two faced the same fate in spite of shooting everything they had at the Odin. Not one shot was aimed at the Junior.
The last ship was sending out distress calls but not firing at the Odin. The Captain hailed the last ship. “This is the Earth Regulatory Force ship Odin. Do not attempt to escape or you will be destroyed. Drop shields and prepare to be boarded.”
“She’s dropped shields Captain,” said the sensor tech.
“Send out a lone soldier in battle armor,” the Captain ordered and a lone soldier flew over to the alien ship and banged on the airlock door.
The airlock opened and the soldier stepped in and turned off his camouflage. The inner airlock swung open and three alien crewmembers stood there to meet him. “I wish to speak with your Captain,” said the Senior Chief.
“I am the Captain,” said one. “We have trade materials but we were forced to work for the others. Do not destroy our ship. Take us back into port and do not dump us into space like you did one of your own,” the Captain said in a fatalistic tone.
The Senior Chief laughed and the aliens all looked startled. “No...No...we do not intend to hurt you. I just came over to give you some of our catalogs and some free samples. The one we killed displeased my Captain. Here,” he said and reached into a large, black, insulated carrier bag. All the aliens thought they would be killed with a weapon in some type of sarcastic jest but the alien in armor handed them three glossy catalogs printed on Riz with color pictures and two of the window scenes that displayed 3D video images of different scenes. He showed them how it worked. He then handed them stellar maps showing where Earth was and the trading facility on the moon.
“There are ten more trading stations opening up and they will each try to be more elaborate than the lunar post. Read about that one in the latest Uoott Culture Manual. The last one gave us a four stomp rating. Here are ten brochures you can give away to others. Put your name on the place in the back here and if some new group comes because of your recommendation – we will give you five free window displays like these.”
“Wait,” said the Captain. “You realized we were pirates and destroyed all the big ships because you knew those were the bad beings and you come here and give us these things that will be worth a huge amount at the port. Why do you do this? Do you plan to destroy us as we leave? Are you that cruel?”
“You told us you were forced into these actions. What profit will we make if we destroy everyone who stands in our way? We are EXCELLENT friends and TERRIBLE enemies. Now you know where we came from and you can sell this and some of your cargo to get trade goods needed on Earth. We want trade. You will be treated like royalty there if you trade using standard trade rules. The catalogs name many things we need or want and we have many things that you can use or sell. We both win. Our motto is – trade with us – we both win.”
“Here are some Earth made calculators for you. The never need a power source and they work if there is enough light to see the screen. Here is how they work – see. I only have five for you. Here are some little lights that turn on when you squeeze them. They will last for years – then just throw them away. We affix them to cards or security release devices. Here is some Earth wine. It is a fermented drink made from a small round fruit. It is about 14% alcohol. It has a top that just twists off,” the senior chief.
“What can we do for you?” the Captain asked.
“I would really appreciate it if you could tell me details about the port. Anything would be useful. Do you mind if I take off my helmet? I am pretty hideous and smooth skinned. I do not want to make you sick by looking at me,” the senior chief said.
“No please. Take it off. We are experienced spacers. We have seen...Everything,” the captain said and the senior chief removed his helmet.
“Oh excrement. You were not making a joke when you said you were ugly,” said one of the other aliens and th
e senior chief laughed and pointed to his scars. “I have been in so many battles it does not help my looks. I happen to have some cups with me. You would not join me in a drink would you?”
“It is our only bottle and we may need it for trade,” the Captain said sadly.
“As experienced crew, you know that one sample goes for the trade and one for the crew. You cannot recommend what you have not tasted can you? I happen to have one spare bottle,” he said and it is still cold. He pulled it out and a stack of light foam cups. “When you throw these cups away on a planet, they dissolve in strong ultraviolet light or when exposed to atmosphere for a year...no trash problem.”
They were hesitant to drink alien liquid but this being could have killed them all very easily. That’s why they took the first sip. They sipped and sipped until the first bottle was gone and talked on and on about the trading port and who to see and who to avoid and who gave honest goods for honest goods. The second bottle got sipped because the Captain said they would just pick up more bottles on Earth. They asked how much a bottle like this cost on Earth and they nearly fell over. The senior chief borrowed back one of the calculators and showed them the small volume of gold it would take to fill their whole ship with bottles. The senior chief said he had to go and they realized they had never asked him his name.
“I am Senior Chief – that is my military title – Kai Watanabe,” the chief said.
“How high a rank is Senior Chief and why military?” the Captain said.
The chief held his hands one above the other about a meter apart and then moved his bottom hand up almost a third of the way. “I am about here. Most of Earth people are career warriors and we are conditioned to instantly attack when threatened. We would much rather work as traders though. Captain, your name?”
