by Andrew Beery
The good news was that, even though we no longer had access to the Diaspora’s level of technology, we would be able to generally understand it. Had this been a truly alien vessel, it might be years before we even knew how to turn the lights on.
The bad news was we were going to reach the source of the signals only a few hours before a much larger survey ship from the Mashuta Corporation.
“Let’s be fast, people. We have two hours tops before we lose exclusive access to this crash site. You know the drill. We need to make sure Mashuta doesn’t get access to Founder technology. If we can’t get what we need before they come, then we set off our nukes and nobody gets it.”
I unfastened my seatbelt and floated out of my chair. Our little shuttle wasn’t equipped with artificial gravity.
Most of our crew, including Tange, Horse, Mel, and the Chief, had extensive zero gravity training. Doctor Jamie Thompson was a notable and unfortunate exception. Suffice it to say we all donned our EV suits early due to air quality control issues.
Horse entered the derelict first. The Chief was next carrying a portable scanner. Mel followed, pulling Mark-10 tactical nuke behind her. It was our insurance that this tech was not going to fall into the wrong hands. We let the nuke get a few dozen feet in front of us. I took up the rear with Tange and Thompson directly in front of me.
There was very little gravity, so we relied on magnetic clamps on our boots. It was an awkward way to walk but again, we had all had training… except of course for Doc Thompson.
As an aside, having the Princess with us was not my first choice. Unfortunately rank has its privileges and one of them is being able to overrule protective Colonels. At least I was able to get her to concede that for the duration of our away mission I was in undisputed command. She agreed too quickly, so I didn’t give much credence to that concession.
It was strange to see corridors that had obviously once been teeming with life now empty for generations. The metal was buckled and, in some places, torn. This made navigating a bit of a challenge.
When the forward team reached one of many bends in the corridor we had been following, Horse poked his head around the corner for a look-see, as he had been doing for the last twenty or thirty minutes, This time he immediately pulled it back and raised his fist to halt our advance.
“What are you seeing, good buddy?” I asked over our comms.
Horse paused for a second before answering.
“I’ve got flickering lights. Some of them are just turning on. It’s almost as if someone knows we are here and is turning on the power.”
I decided to try something. I opened up my comms to broadcast on as wide a range of channels as possible.
“This is Colonel Tad Riker to the UES Diaspora or her crew. If you can hear me, please respond. I repeat, any station please respond.”
Now to be fair, I really didn’t know what I expected to happen, but what actually happened… wasn’t it.
A thin, vaguely human holographic form materialized and flickered in the corridor between our two groups. The figure looked at me but pointed in Horse’s general direction. He started walking towards them and waved for us to follow. Even though the holographic system was clearly faltering, it was impressive tech well beyond what the colony on Azul could produce.
It confirmed the importance of our mission. We needed to get some answers and hopefully download some schematics before we blew this place to hell in a handbasket. The loss to humanity was almost beyond calculation, but the cost to humanity if the wrong side got access to this technology was even greater.
I decided we needed to pick up the pace.
“OK, folks. It looks like we have a tour guide. Keep your hands and feet inside the rails at all times and try not to fall behind,” I directed as I began to follow our holographic friend.
After about ten minutes, we arrived at an interior airlock. Interior airlocks were different than typical airtight bulkhead doors in that they allowed movement between pressurized and non-pressurized compartments in a ship. They were a safety feature found only on the largest of spaceships.
“Chief? What are your scans showing on the other side?” I asked.
“Looks like we have a breathable atmosphere. A little bit nippy. There are a lot of electromagnetic signals so I’m guessing most of the systems that are currently online are in there.”
Our tour guide continued to wave us forward. I checked my watch. We had about fifty minutes before we had company. Since we were at least forty minutes from our shuttle we were running out of time.
“OK gang. We’re burning our last few minutes. Let’s take a quick look inside and plant our nuke. Doctor, you and the Chief download whatever information you can. Hopefully our Holographic friend will understand what we’re doing and decide to help. Mel, you and Horse keep half an eye out in case it decides not to play nice.”
I turned to the Princess.
“I need you to be Your Highness. We’re going to be face-to-face with a sentient Founder AI. It may be our only chance to…”
“…talk with a Founder,” Tange finished for me.
The airlock door cycled open. The controls on the inside could have been in the airlock of any ship I’d ever flown on.
I could hear the sound of air filling the chamber as the pressure equalized with the other room. Before long, the air was thick enough that the sound of magnetic boots on the deck could be heard.
I waved Horse over to the door.
“Major, if you’ll do the honors, I’d appreciate it.” I didn’t bother using the comms.
When the second door cracked open there was the slightest popping sound as the two sides of the door equalized.
Mel and the Major took a step forward, pushing the nuke between them. About the time they crossed the threshold, two things happened.
The Chief screamed a warning about active gravity plating and our very big, very dangerous nuke crashed to the ground. I’m not much of a technology geek but I’ve got to imagine that’s not good for them.
Mel gave the Chief a look that clearly said you’ve just arrived on a list that no sane human would want to be on. She and Horse grabbed the handles on the unit and lifted it off the ground.
“A little advanced warning next time Chief.”
As we entered the fully lit chamber, we were greeted by a tall, thin, humanoid that could have been mistaken for a human except for his height and elongated features. There was none of the holographic shimmer that we had seen before. He looked so real I felt I could reach out and touch him.
“You may remove your helmets. The air is quite breathable, and I think you will find the temperature is approaching Azul normal.”
I looked over at the Chief. He glanced at his sensors and nodded back. Our host was telling the truth… not that I had any reason to doubt him… yet.
I signaled my suit to retract its helmet. The air had a slight floral scent to it. The room seemed to be some type of fabrication facility with a number of what I took to be 3D printers.
“Welcome to the Diaspora, Colonel.”
The alien figure stared at me intensely with deeply penetrating eyes. I almost got the feeling I was being judged.
“You are indeed a Riker,” he said after a moment. “It’s gratifying to know Ted Riker carried on his father’s legacy.”
With that, the alien stuck out his hand to shake mine. His grip was firm through my suit’s glove.
I was no longer sure what I was dealing with. I knew from Founder stories passed down through the ages that humanity had co-existed with a large number of alien races. Without a question, this was a representative of one such race. The real question was… was he flesh and blood… an android… or perhaps something different?
“Are you…”
“Yes, you too are curious.”
The alien smiled and turned to Tange.
“Your Highness, Princess Tange Mumba. I am delighted to make your acquaintance,” he said with a slight bow. “My name is
Arquat. I am the AI that watched over the Diaspora’s systems. Although,” with a wave of his hand at the damaged bulkheads and equipment, “perhaps not so well as I might have. As some of you have undoubtedly surmised, what you are seeing is a high-resolution holograph display coupled with force-field emitters that allow me to simulate corporeal interactions.”
“You seem to know us,” the Princess said. “How is that possible?”
“I have been watching you carefully for several weeks now. Chief Michaels is a top-notch engineer. Master Gunny Pamela Porterfield is a Marine’s Marine. She prefers to be called Mel. Major Eugene Thomas Brown (called Horse by his friends) is a man of deep faith and honor. You are all known although none so much as her Highness and the Colonel.
“And then we have our diamond in the rough: Doctor Jamie Thompson, who was good enough to identify my coded signals and initiate the chain of events that brought you here.
“Welcome to all of you. I have been anticipating and preparing for your visit for some time now. We have much to discuss.”
“Yeah, about that,” I began.
Major Clarkson was not a happy camper. His corporate sponsor had arrested him on trumped up charges of espionage. There was DNA evidence at the crime scene that was pretty damning. He knew one thing. He was innocent and he would track down the person who did this and there would be a reckoning.
Chapter 8: Admiral’s Launch
“Major Brown, I believe you and the Master Gunny will find a suitable location for your nuclear package about a hundred meters down the corridor to your left. I have removed the safeties from the sole remaining fusion core powering this ship. Your nuke should breach the containment field and yield a 10-fold increase in destructive potential. Please set your timer for twenty minutes.” Arquat said before I could explain our time constraints.
He must have seen the look on my face. I had expected an objection to destroying what was left of the Diaspora… not help in accomplishing the task.
“Again, I will explain everything, but we need to hurry. The team from Mashuta began to accelerate when they detected your vessel. They will be docking in less than ten minutes. You will no longer be able to return to your craft, so we will use mine.
“As far as why I am helping you destroy this vessel, I agree with your assessment of Mashuta Industries. They would use the technologies available on this ship to perpetrate untold harm on Azul.”
“Mel, Horse, get that nuke set,” I barked. “Do it quickly.”
I turned back to Arquat.
“You say you have a ship?”
“I have been able to facilitate limited repairs on the Admiral’s Launch. I’m afraid for the moment you will need to remain in your encounter suits. That said, the launch is space worthy and large enough to easily accommodate your team as well as a handful of irreplaceable items I have already taken the liberty of loading.”
Tange was busy trying to archive everything in the room with her own scanner.
“It would be fantastic to take some of this equipment with us,” she said.
“I’m afraid there will not be time for that your Highness,” Arquat said sadly. “What can be taken is already onboard the launch. We must hurry.”
I tapped my comms.
“Major, what’s your status?”
“The bomb is in place. The Master Gunny is setting the timer. We should be heading back to you in two minutes.”
I looked over to Arquat.
“Have them follow the floor markers,” he said.
“Did you catch that, Major?”
“Floor markers. No problem. Get the others to the Admiral’s Launch and Mel and I will catch up.”
With that settled, the Diaspora’s AI led us down a passageway that appeared to be a newly fabricated corridor. My guess was the damage to the massive ship when it had crashed into Abimelech was near total. That anything had survived and was functioning was a miracle.
It occurred to me that the corridor must have been made especially for us as a non-corporeal AI wouldn’t need it.
We arrived at a hatch. Arquat looked almost apologetic.
“I’m afraid my field emitters do not extend this far. If you would open the hatch, Colonel, I will lead you to the UES Defiant.”
Suddenly Tange looked alarmed.
“What about you? Are we about to destroy you with what is left of the Diaspora?”
Arquat laughed softly.
“Fear not, Your Highness. My AI core is currently operating from the bridge of the Defiant. My holographic systems will be greatly restricted but my essence… what remains of it at least… will be preserved.”
As the hatch opened, we got our first look at the Defiant. She was easily twice the size of anything I had ever seen… and this was just a launch.
“Good heavens,” Tange gasped softly.
The Chief and Thompson just stood in the hatchway with their mouths open.
While I appreciated the reaction to seeing such a piece of Founder technology in virtually pristine condition, I also knew we were fighting the clock. I was about to ask how to board when a ramp lowered from the side of the ship. Yellow warning lights on the floor lit up. Apparently, they were used to signal the deck crew that a departure was imminent.
I tapped my comms again.
“Major, we’re at the launch. What’s your status?”
“Right behind you, sir.”
I glanced down the corridor we had just walked. Sure enough, the Master Gunny and Horse were jogging towards me.
The ship itself was even more impressive on the inside. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for a tour. A far less substantial version of Arquat directed the Princess and me to the bridge.
There were three seats in the forward section of the bridge. One was obviously the captain’s chair. The other two were likely helm and sensors. A couple of additional stations were located in the rear. One was weapons and the other was an engineering console.
As I looked around at the various control systems, I realized we would never be able to fly this ship. It was like the difference between a bicycle and an automobile. You might know the purpose of many of the systems… a steering wheel was not too dissimilar to handlebars… but that knowledge wouldn’t get the car started nor would it tell you how to shift gears or brake.
Arquat undoubtedly was aware of my concerns.
“With your permission, Princess, Colonel… I will pilot for the moment,” the AI offered.
“Better you than one of us,” Tange said. “I don’t recognize half these systems.”
“There will be time to learn everything. For the moment though, I would recommend donning your headgear. There are sections of this ship that will be open to the vacuum of space.”
I sent the word to the rest of the crew.
The forward display showed a massive orifice opening in the front of the launch area. Arquat expertly guided us out. The inertial dampeners were as smooth as silk. Were I not seeing the ship move on the view screens, I would have no clue we were in motion.
No sooner had we cleared the hangar than a series of alarms started sounding.
“Well that is unfortunate,” Arquat said calmly.
The entire ship shuddered. We were being attacked. This was confirmed as Arquat rotated the display. Two fighters had launched from the Mashuta frigate. At the moment, they were taking potshots at us. My guess was they were attempting to disable the Defiant, as even disabled the ship would represent quite a prize.
“I don’t suppose we have shields?” I asked as we visibly accelerated.
“Environmental shields are online,” Arquat confirmed, “However, they will not last long against those fighters.”
“Defensive shields?”
“The emitters are in place, but the primary power couplings have yet to come off the fabricators. It will be at least a week before we can bring them online.”
The ship shook again. This time we began to spin. The fact that we were not compensating for the s
pin was somewhat concerning.
“Options?” I asked. “Can we outrun them?”
Arquat paused to run some calculations before shaking his head.
“The fighters are faster than us, but they have a very limited range. We are faster than the frigate, but the fighters will likely take our engines out in the next few minutes.”
“So, we are between a rock and a hard place,” I said. “Do we have weapons? Can we fire back?”
“The Defiant is not a war ship but it does have a limited set of defensive weapons. A plasma turret and a small rail gun.”
You know that feeling of frustration you get in a restaurant when the waiter tells you, “The prime rib is the best in town,” and you get all excited because you love prime rib... but then the waiter says, “We don’t have any left”?
That was the vibe I was getting now.
“I’m just guessing here,” I said dryly, “but neither is online, are they?”
Before the AI could respond, we took another large hit. This time we lost both our grav-plating and initial dampeners. Fortunately, Arquat instantly cut our acceleration or we would have been smashed like bugs on a windshield. As it was, we were slammed pretty hard into our seats. I imagined anybody that was caught on their feet would find themselves sporting some serious bruises in the morning… assuming we survived.
“I’m sorry, Colonel. On a Defiant-class ship, shields and weapons systems share the same power couplings. The Defiant, while powerful by your standards, was never meant to be a combat ship.”
“We really are out of options,” Tange said from the engineering station. “Can we self-destruct?”
“No but we can accomplish the same thing by returning to Abimelech. However, I have another potential solution. It involves a significant risk. We could use the Skip drive.”
***
By ‘significant risk’ what the Founder AI was really saying was that we could easily blow ourselves up trying to engage the mythical drive system. The Chief and Doc Thompson were working under Arquat’s direction to connect a minimal set of control circuits so we could make the dive into Skip Space.
I was still in a sense of awe. The faster-than-light technology that had brought the Founders to our world all those centuries ago had been thought to be a forever lost relic of our past. To be on a ship that might actually be able to travel between the stars was… well it was the dream of every little boy and girl who looked up at the night sky and asked themselves, I wonder what’s out there?