Future in the Stars Read online

  “Then Igaklay works for you two.”

  “No, not really,” Keiko responded. “We are partners. Since Igaklay never had an emotional matrix before he met us, we guide him during his maturity growth.”

  “Yes! They are my Overseers! When my Creators created me, I was programmed to always need someone to watch over me. So, I selected them.”

  “I see. I take it then that smuggling is off the table, Commander Marston?” Gregor said this with humor in his voice.

  “That would seem so, Mr. Gregor.”

  “And you are giving up your previous trade, Ambassador.”

  “I was forced to. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on Krag while we get this fledgeling alliance going.”

  “I can think of no one better. Where are you going first?”

  “Tolimar, Mr. Gregor. We need to check in on our Mortek compound.”

  “And Princess Analyn?”

  “Just ‘Mistress’, Mrs. Gregor. She’s given up her claim to royalty. She needs to get back to Ballison. Apparently large numbers of Elonians are migrating and need to get organized.”

  “Well, Ambassador, Commander, now you know. Being the boss is a bitch.”

  Both Krag and Keiko cocked their heads in agreement with Lawrence Gregor, the owner, and Chief Executive Officer of the Gregor conglomerate.

  Chapter 02

  Nest One - New Dawn

  Lord Minister had called a meeting. Inside the New Dawn, in the main conference room, Lord Minister sat at the head of the table and sternly inspected his Prime Council. His four legs locked magnetically to the deck, his abdomen resting on the stool, his vestigial golden wings raised high, showing his displeasure. At the moment, with his head crest expanded to its fullest, the supreme leader of all the Mortek glared at the object of his wrath.

  “War, you have failed.”

  “Yes, My Minister. However, in my defense, the alien technology which the soft skins unveiled came as a complete surprise. Before its arrival, we were victorious in every campaign.”

  “I am thinking of having you removed and replaced by someone with more foresight and imagination.”

  “My Minister, if I may?”

  “Yes, Intelligence?”

  “It is true that War has failed in our conquest of the soft skin civilization. It is also true that we were taken completely by surprise by the alien technology which the soft skins utilized. However, under the leadership of War, we have arrived at a solution.”

  “You speak of a solution. What solution can there be for us while we are trapped in this star system and threatened with annihilation, if we were to resume our expansion?”

  “Through their own ignorance and misguided values, the Humans have not destroyed Home One. Our manufacturing capabilities are still at their maximum capabilities. As are the capabilities at Nest One. We can continue to build fleets and fill them with crew. We are capable of doing this at a far faster rate than the soft skins can rebuild their own fleets.”

  “And their threats to destroy Home One and Nest One?”

  War raised his red vestigial wings.

  “The destruction of Nest One is not truly a threat, My Minister. The shear size of the fleets and factories make it almost impossible to destroy everything. The same holds true for Home One.”

  “And you are proposing that we accelerate our ship construction.”

  “Yes, My Minister. However, they still have one threat. That is the destruction of New Dawn. Everything else is replaceable.”

  “It appears that you have a plan, War.”

  “Yes, My Minister.”

  “Speak. You may save your position, yet.”

  “First and foremost, we must protect New Dawn. I propose that we return her to Home One. From there, she retraces her voyage back. On our journey, we found a star system with dead planets approximately one-half of a Nest One solar cycle from Home One. She anchors there and becomes a supply ship for the crews required to fly the ships coming off the assembly line. Once the soft skins can no longer locate her, her destruction no longer remains a threat.”

  The Mortek Minister paused, clicking a claw on the Globe of Pronouncement.

  “We cease the awakening of the civilian population and focus on our military.”

  “Only for a short term, My Lord. Our expansion is halted at the moment. We would need to halt the awakening, anyway.”

  “We return to a war footing.”

  “That is my recommendation, My Minister.”

  Coming to a conclusion, the leader of the Mortek seized the globe and slammed it into its cradle.

  “Your recommendation is accepted, War. Flight, begin preparations for the voyage of New Dawn.”

  “At your command, My Minister.”

  “Next, War, what do we do about this alien, soft skin technology?”

  “Numbers will counter the jump ships, My Minister. We have determined that we have protective formations which render those ships almost harmless. Using nuclear missiles, we have also determined that we can penetrate the blue clouds which surround their ships when they attack.”

  “You believe that you can defeat these jump ships.”

  “If not defeat, I believe that we can neutralize them.”

  “Then, you are proposing a race. We hide New Dawn and build fleets so large that we can overwhelm whatever the soft skins can manage to muster.”

  “Yes, My Minister. That is my plan.”

  Aboard Vengeance - Bridgelen

  The Bridgelen system. Six gates defined this particular emptiness. No star brightened its darkness. No planets occupied its space. A few wayward asteroids travelled their endless journey, circling nothing.

  Within this desolate blackness, destroyed Mortek ships formed an expanding field of debris. One in particular, the human-seized and heavily modified Mortek cruiser, Reprisal, added to the ever-expanding battle detritus.

  Against this lifeless background, a single Mortek cruiser jumped to the outskirts of the wreckage field. Remaining strapped into his gravity chair, Vice-Admiral Weiskoff looked over Vengeance’s bridge, focusing on Spaceman Bradley.

  “Sensors, find me Reprisal’s remains.”

  “Yes, sir. Is there anything in particular that I am searching for?”

  “The engine compartment.”

  “Yes, sir. Searching now.”

  “I will be on the first deck. Contact me as soon as you find it.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  After unbuckling his harness, the Vice-Admiral exited the bridge.

  Although he still detested the fact that the criminal Marston, through that damnable Igaklay, monitored his ship, Weiskoff still took great pride in the flagship of the Cencore fleet. As he took the gravity lift from the bridge to the flight deck, he thought about what he would do when he succeeded in breaking the ties with those pompous pretenders.

  Upon reaching the bottom deck, the Vice-Admiral approached the small cargo transport which had been loaded into the flight deck. While looking over this ship devoid of Ballisonian and Elonian technology, he smirked at the thoughts of his plans on breaking the Ballisonian leash. As he approached, a marine smartly saluted. Weiskoff returned the salute.

  The marine keyed in a code on the security pad and the hatch swung away from the coaming, creating a hissing as the pressure between the freighter and the Mortek cruiser normalized Then, without asking permission, the Vice-Admiral entered the freighter and made his way to its cargo bay.

  Weiskoff studied the freighter’s cargo bay interior bulkheads. He saw the heavy, metal mesh completely covering the walls and ceiling. He surmised that the thick, rubber floor covered more of the heavy, metal mesh. Approaching a table directly in the bay’s center, he grabbed the carbon-fibre, non-conductive stand and gave it a shake, ensuring that it remained firmly bolted to the anchored table. With further inspection, the Vice-Admiral located the independent power source, a nuclear battery in its casing, which kept the copper mesh electrified, turning the interior of t
he freighter’s bay into a Faraday cage.

  With a nod of approval, Weiskoff left the storage room and moved forward, towards the bridge of the freighter sitting dormant in Vengeance’s hold.

  Weiskoff reached the freighter’s newly constructed science office. There, he saw a couple of scientists working at a control console. He saw another scientist sitting at a desk, working his own computer The Vice-Admiral approached and interrupted the man’s work.

  “Are you and your team ready, Professor Wellington?”

  “Yes, sir. I am doing final testing to ensure that the Faraday box is functioning at capacity.”

  “Be ready. We are searching for the artifact now. Once we get it and disable the acid bath, I want you to immediately begin your research.”

  “Of course, Admiral.”

  “Recheck your hazardous environment suits.”

  “We already have, Admiral. When you give the order, we will be ready to go.”

  “Make sure that you are.”

  Doctor Wellington recognized Weiskoff’s nervous anxiety and remained professionally respectful. He knew, and had witnessed, Weiskoff’s legendary anger. So, he withheld any retort he might have made about the Vice-Admiral’s questioning his preparedness.

  Leaving the science office and working his way to the newly installed living quarters, Weiskoff found Major Wilson, Master Sergeant Nelson and the eleven members of the Vengeance’s First Patrol. As soon as he entered, everyone dropped whatever they had been doing and jumped to attention.

  “As you were, Gentlemen, Ladies.

  Everyone relaxed but kept watchful eyes on their volatile commander.

  “Major, have your people prepare and inspect their hazardous environment suits. We are currently combing Reprisal’s remains and should find the engine room shortly. The moment we locate it, have your people suit up and get aboard the cargo ship.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  “You are sure that you know the procedure when we find the artifact?”

  “Yes, sir. Completely, sir.”

  “Remember, what we accomplish today determines if The Federacy ever returns to being an independent governing body.”

  “I understand, sir.”

  “Vice-Admiral,” Weiskoff heard over his implant.

  “Speaking.”

  “We have found the wreckage of the engine room, sir. Since it is a hardened room, it appears mostly intact.”

  “Send you videos to the freighter.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  “Well, Major, you’re up.”

  * * * * *

  Weiskoff had left the breacher ship, Limpet, orbiting Cencore. However, he had brought the pilots, ‘Digger’ Tillerson and ‘Burnman’ Brenner to fly the freighter. After they had babied the ship out of Vengeance’s, hold, they had slowly approached the wreckage of Reprisal.”

  “Not having gravity sucks, Digger.”

  “Yeah. But Number Three wants everything as low tech as possible, Burnman.”

  “Why didn’t he just ask Commander Marston for a gravity generator?”

  “Because Weiskoff doesn’t want Marston or that A.I. knowing what we are up to.”

  “Ah, the intrigue.”

  “Ours is not to reason why, Burnman.”

  Lieutenant Tillerson touched the implant in her ear.

  “Major, are your people ready? We’ve reached Reprisal’s engine compartment.”

  “We’re ready, Lieutenant. From the intel, the compartment has a slow roll. Can you line us up?”

  “I’ve already begun. Give me another minute then we should be able to get really close to that opening we found.”

  “Give us green when it’s time, Digger.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  Major Wilson and his team waited the required time. Finally, over the intercom, everyone heard, “We are aligned with the breach. I’ve timed the rotation at just under fourteen seconds.”

  “Distance, Lieutenant?”

  “Three meters port to breach, Major.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

  Major Wilson turned to his squad and the two scientists.

  “You all heard the numbers. Our infiltration time is just over three seconds. The action zone spin rate is fourteen seconds. One person bounces at the ten second mark. Clear?”

  “Sir, yes, sir,” three voices shouted. The two scientists just watched.

  “Davis, one. Radio back and verify approach. Garcia, two. The two of you will be catchers. Keep your jet packs hot, in case anyone breaks loose.”

  “Sir, yes, sir,” the radioman and sniper both responded.

  “You, Doctor Wellington, three. Don’t be in a rush. When it’s time, I’ll push you towards Corporal Garcia.”

  “Understood, Major. I’ve done UVA only a few times. So, it’s a little intimidating.”

  “You’ll be fine, Doctor. My people will see to that. Doctor Ramsey, we will wait a few cycles while Doctor Willington gets settled. Then you will be next.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  “Martinez, you’re last. And don’t lose the Doc’s equipment duffle.”

  “That will never happen, Major.”

  “Lieutenant Tillerson, still on station?”

  “Locked on, Major. You are ready for egress.”

  Major Wilson looked over the four men and one woman floating in the cargo bay. He saw serious looks through the visors of their hazardous environment suits. Studying his tablet, he saw that all five suits registered as optimum.

  “Radio check. Sound off.”

  The Major heard five voices respond.”

  “Sound check is good, people. Pop the hatch, Lieutenant.”

  While hanging onto their grips, all six swayed, lifted or rose as the vacuum pumps pulled air from the bay and into holding tanks. Once the pumps wound down, the green light over the port turned red. In the dead of vacuum, no one heard the hatch bolts withdraw. Nor did anyone hear the hatch swing open.

  All six looked through the now-open hatch. They all saw the rotating engine room of the destroyed Reprisal blocking the stars and the blackness of space.

  “Davis, you’re up.”

  Corporal Davis released his handhold and pushed himself towards the hatch. Major Wilson, tethered to the deck, caught him and reoriented him to face the rotating debris.

  The two watched the opening come dead center.

  “On my mark,” Wilson announced. Then he counted back from ten.

  At ‘one’, Davis pushed off. From nerves, he pushed off too hard. He arrived early, hitting the plating ahead of the opening. Grabbing a piece of twisted metal, he held firm to the housing.

  By then, the engine room had rotated so that everyone lost Davis from view. By the time the opening reappeared, Davis had reached the opening and was in the process of pulling himself in.

  “Sloppy, Corporal.”

  “Overly enthusiastic, Major.”

  “Learn something, people?”

  “Yes, Major,” Corporal Garcia responded. “Never let Mr. Gung-ho go first.”

  “Show us how it’s done, Corporal.”

  Garcia repeated Davis’s moves and ended with her hands gripping the hatchway as she rocked fore and back, preparing to launch.

  Wilson counted down. Garcia launched. She hit the opening directly in its center.

  “Never send a squawker when you need to pin the target, Major.”

  “Next time, you go first, Gunny.”

  “That’s my job, sir.”

  Doctor, I’ll launch you. OK?”

  “As I will ever be.”

  The last three transitioned to the Reprisal wreckage without incident. Everyone did their jobs. Time passed.

  “How are you doing?”

  Doctor Wellington stopped his work when he heard Vice-Admiral Weiskoff’s voice over his implant.

  “Everything is electronically dead, Admiral. I’m currently removing the dark matter collector from the artifact casing.”

  “Is that da
mned A.I. keeping tabs?”

  “I don’t think so, Admiral. From what I understand, the quant-coms require power. There is none flowing through this wreckage. Also, we don’t even know if any of the quant-com nanites were dispersed in the engine room. My guess would be that they would have collected closer to the communication and observation sources.”

  “Well, I hope that you are right. Get on with it. I want that jump drive secure and in its Faraday cage as soon as possible.”

  “I’m working on it, Admiral.”

  “Get it done.”

  Tolimar – Trotzig

  Even after beating the Mortek into submission and withdrawal, the training grounds surrounding Trotzig still held groups of men and women training, competing, and keeping themselves ready. As Tolimar’s sun beat down, the Tolimar Defense Force sweated, grunted, and complained while Feldmarschal Rosser watched Master Sergeant Stein work his people hard.

  As Tolimar’s military leader watched, he saw that his people still had their enhancements up and running, as they ran faster, jumped higher, hit harder and absorbed punishment more easily than any normal person should have been able to.

  The sonic boom of Griffin’s arrival gave a momentary pause as everyone gave a quick look at the arriving of the small, heavily modified, executive transport.

  “This isn’t a tea social, ladies,” Stein shouted, in the same voice that all sergeants used to terrorize their troops. “Get back to work!”

  Everyone jumped to their Master Sergeant’s command. As Griffin settle down, Rosser strolled over and waited for the leaders of Humanity’s victory to exit their ship.

  The cargo bay ramp dropped. Buster, resplendent in his silver skin and burgundy HEBA uniform, led. Two columns of the Griffin Guardsmen followed, the right being the human Mud Ducks and the left being the Elonian Furballs.

  Krag and Keiko, also dressed in their HEBA uniforms, came next. Igaklay and Gopai finished the procession. Dean and Isaac stayed onboard, still learning the details of their ship.

  As the Feldmarschal approached, Krag broke away from the group. At the proper distance, Rosser snapped to attention and executed an academy-worthy salute. Krag returned one of his own.

  “Commander, welcome to Tolimar.”