Betrayal of the Federation

by K M Dean

  “Ted, if those antimatter reactors explode, I guarantee the spherical ship will not survive. The Vanguard can be replaced, the survival of the fleet is what matters.”

  “Then let me do it Admiral. Please.”

  “No Ted, now this is an order. You WILL leave the ship with our people. Do it now.”

  “Aye Sir,” replied Commander Conway with a shake of his head. An order was and order.

  A short time later, Admiral Anderson received a call on his TUI.

  “Captain John, this is Ted. Our people are now leaving the ship. The last of them have just now boarded a shuttle. We are shoving off as I speak. Admiral, there are still people aboard. I explained to them what you were going to do. They all insisted on staying with “Captain John”. They are manning their stations aboard the Vanguard. There was no dissuading them. Good luck sir. And God speed.”

  “Thank You Commander. You will make a fine Captain Ted. Captain John Anderson Out.”

  Captain John moved the Vanguard using only thrusters. He allowed the big carrier to drift as close as he possibly could. He shut down the shields on the port side of the ship and allowed the Vanguard to float until it was nearly touching the huge spherical ship. He was amazed he was able to approach so close. It was like the huge ship thought it had nothing to fear.

  At last he was a close as he could get. Captain John Anderson turned to his left and executed the FTL control.

  “Commander Conway and the rest of the Third Fleet saw a massive flash. The Vanguard disappeared. Almost half of the spherical ship disappeared as well and then it exploded.

  Later, aboard the Battleship Shackleton, Captain Alan Koska said, “Commander Conway, we have searched the entire quadrant. There is no wreckage belonging to the Vanguard. You know, he may have pulled this thing off. He and the Vanguard may have had the same thing happen to them that happened to the Barracuda. He could very well show up one of these days and tell us of his grand adventure. Regardless, if he hadn’t done what he did, none of us would have survived and we would have lost the system. As it is, Captain John won a tremendous victory for the Federation. The Jian have been set back months if not years. No one will ever forget what he did here today.”

  Much Later Aboard the Vanguard

  Captain John awakened. He was in his stateroom on the Vanguard. He was confused for a moment then remembered. He stood and walked out of his cabin. It was quiet. He took the walkway directly to the bridge. The Bridge was pristine and empty. There were no warning signals and no damages indicated on the fault board. He looked at the screens to see if he could tell where they were, but quickly realized he was not in the Sigma Onias System and he had no idea what system they were in.

  He turned to the A.I. Computer. “Computer give me our current location.”

  The dulcet voice of the A.I. said, “I am sorry Captain John, but I can only tell you where we are not.”

  “Computer, I know where we are not. We are not in the Sigma Onias System. I need to know exactly where we are.”

  “Captain John,” said a strange voice in his TUI. “The computer cannot tell you where you are. It has no reference. I, however, can tell you your location. You are now in an alternate universe.”

  “Who are you, identify yourself.” Said Captain John.

  “You might call me the gate keeper. It is my job to welcome you. I will try to answer your questions and generally help you settle in. Your actions in the Sigma Onias System propelled you here. This is your new home. This is your universe. A new home to explore.”

  Somehow the voice that Captain John was hearing on his TUI was soothing and easy to listen to. It seemed natural, even. He seemed to be hearing a voice he almost, but not quite recognized. It was a voice he felt he could trust.

  “Gatekeeper are you telling me we can never return to our own universe?” Asked Captain John.

  “A return to your previous universe is not going to happen Captain. You need to come to terms with the fact that this is now your new home. You have an entire universe to explore Captain John. Wonders to see, amazing creatures to meet. This has been your lifelong dream John. To explore a universe. Make new friends. Have wonderful new experiences. You can fly Captain John. Go anywhere you like, the universe is yours for the taking.”

  “It sounds a little lonely.” Said Captain John.

  “Not at all Captain John. You have crew aboard and you will meet new ones wherever you go.”

  “You say I have crew aboard?”

  “Indeed, you do captain, they are waiting for you in the ward room. The crew list is on you PDA. The coffee is hot, and the confections are very nice. I think you will enjoy them.”

  Captain John said. “This is new and confusing. My ship is repaired, everything works, it is like the day I first came aboard.”

  “Not quite everything Captain John. Your weapons are disabled in this universe.”

  “I know you said you were the gatekeeper, but how about a name. I hated being called Admiral Anderson, I much preferred Captain John or just Captain or even John. Do you mind my asking, what is your name? What should I call you?”

  “I don’t mind at all Captain John, you may call me Pete. Now go see your crew.”

  Captain John looked at his PDA. He checked for a crew list and it was there. He opened it up and began to read.

  Crew List

  Federation Carrier Vanguard

  Commanding Officer - Captain John Anderson

  Executive Officer - Commander Tommy Beatus

  Air Boss - Commander Fred Schmucker

  Reactor Officer - Commander Glenn Cook

  Chief Engineer - Commander Scott Lewis

  Systems Support Officer - Commander Stuart “Buzz” Marcus

  Supply Officer - Commander Dick Springer

  Operations Officer - Commander Frank “Flat Tow” Melani

  Sensor operations Officer - Commander Dakota Donovan

  Safety Officer – Commander Albert “Al” Capuano

  Cargo Officer - Commander Paul Gatenby

  Communications Officer - Commander Berta Sager

  JAG Officer - Commander Kay P Jones

  Navigation Officer - Commander Gail Kasson

  Public Affairs Officer - Commander Norman Essau

  Finance Officer - Commander Ray Justice

  Damage Control Officer - Commander William "Bud" Merrill III

  Shuttle Commander - Commander Bob Glittone

  Liaison Officer - Commander Bud Bakels

  Sub Light Engineering Officer - Commander Carl Sloan

  Training Officer - Commander Phil Kane

  Transporter Officer - Commander Bob Hoffsteader

  FTL Engineering officer - Commander John Zuccarelli II

  Captain John had his crew and a brand-new universe to discover.

  Captain John Anderson

  Captain John Anderson earned the sobriquet “Captain John” from his career as an airline pilot. Like most pilots, Captain John knew from an early age he wanted to fly. He worked diligently to attain his goal. He graduated from the “U” (University of Miami) and, like most of us, became a flight instructor. He went on to charter companies and eventually wound up in Japan working for a Japanese airline. Finally, after a few years, His dream was realized. He was hired on at Delta Airlines.

  Most of Captain John’s career was spent as a Delta Captain. He flew mostly international flights in the last years of his calling.

  We became friends many years ago partly because of our love of flying and partly because of our love for sports car racing. We often went to dinner at the Capri in Homestead Florida on SCCA racing weekends. After one such evening, Captain John said, “You should write a book.”

  I replied, “I could write a book, and you would be the lead character.” It was all in fun. We had indulged in a bit of good wine. But the idea for a book kept creeping back in to my mind. I was retired. There was no reason I shouldn’t write a book. I wondered if I could. I finally decided to give it a try.

&
nbsp; Whether I succeeded or not is probably still up in the air, but one thing is certain. “A Galactic Coming of Age.” The first book in the Captain John series came as a bit of a shocker to Captain John. He was a bit stunned when I gave him his personal copy.

  The Captain John series continued in this book. “Betrayal of the Federation.”

  Captain John Anderson passed away a few months ago. He was a talented, funny, and insightful man. I miss our weekly calls, our racing weekends and our dinners at the Capri. I miss my friend greatly.

  I will decide over the next few months about continuing the Captain John series.

  To those of you wondering, the last chapter of “Betrayal of the Federation” was written after Captain Johns passing. The last chapter would be a good place to end the Captain John Series. Captain John is safe and sound in an alternative universe after all.

  But then again……

  I hope you enjoyed Betrayal as much as I enjoyed writing it. Check out my web site at http://www.kmdean.com/ and please feel free to contact me with your impressions of my books, please be gentle.

  Drop me a note at kmdean@kmdean.com

  And don’t forget to leave a review at www.Amazon.com Your reviews are important.

  Check out this excerpt from my new book on the next page.

  Prologue

  She was the pride of the Zysafteron fleet. At nearly four thousand meters long the Resplendent Asteria was also the largest liner ever built. Capable of sixty percent of the speed of light with sub light engines she would move through the outer edges of a star system quickly enough to please even the most demanding passenger. Her faster than light generators were state of the art and sped her between star systems at nearly point six light years per hour.

  Captain Defol Plagnor was proud of his new ship. After nearly twenty years the Company had given him a ship befitting his skill and dedication to the company.

  Captain Plagnor stood tall in front of his command chair.

  “Mr. Najass take us out.”

  “Yes Captain.” First Officer Zadra Najass said as he turned to the helmsman. “Make way toward departure point Protorium.”

  “As you order Sir.” Replied Helmsman Prog Quexicrun.

  The huge liner slowly backed from her berth and majestically made her way to departure point protorium.

  As the Resplendent Asteria neared departure point protorium, Helmsman Quexicrun said. “First Officer, estimating protorium at sixteen hundred hours.”

  “Very well Mr. Quexicrun.”

  First Officer Najass picked up the intercom microphone and said. “Attention onboard, Faster Than Light insertion will take place in just over ten minutes. All passengers should take their seats and fasten their retaining straps. We will make an announcement when it is safe to begin to move about the ship. All crew take your stations and prepare for FTL insertion.” He then turned to Helmsman Quexicrun and said. “Mr. Quexicrun on my mark, take us to FTL.”

  “Yes, First Officer. I will comply.”

  A few minutes later, First Officer Najass said. “FTL at this time Mr. Quexicrun.”

  Helmsman Quexicrun said, “Yes First Officer,” and activated the FTL controls.

  Captain Plagnor felt the slight disorientation that took place during FTL insertion and exit. He had been doing this more years than he chose to remember, and it never changed. You never really got used to it.

  Some Passengers who were traveling for the first time might get a little nauseous. It wasn’t unusual for the medical people to have an influx of passengers who were frightened, even though they had been told it could happen. Seasoned travelers shrugged it off and went back to their gambling or drinking or what ever other activities they were involved in. The ship offered many different pastimes. In fact, some passengers travelled only for the activities on the ship. They might leave the ship at points of interest, but as soon as they had completed one cruise they scheduled another.

  This trip was scheduled to visit the Laskarid System.

  The Laskarid System was notable for the planet Laskaris VI, an enormous gas giant with an atmosphere composed mostly of nitrogen and helium. It was a beautiful sight, and one that was thought to be the only one of its kind in the known universe. The other attraction in the Laskarid System was the World Eldira. Eldira was home to the Dilgarians species. An asexual species. They reproduced by spawning. They are a peaceful civilization, dedicated to creative and leisure pursuits, such as art, music and dance. They have advanced scientific knowledge and an interestingly evolved sense of morality. They are known throughout the galaxy for their spicy cuisine and the entertaining and expensive nightclubs.

  This was to be the first tour of the Laskarid System and was sold out from the moment it was announced.

  As the Resplendent Asteria dropped out of FTL the lounge was crowded. People were curious about this new system and couldn’t wait to see the beauty of Laskaris VI. They were not disappointed. The Gas Giant was everything that had been described. The passengers were so taken by the sight that none of them noticed the three ships waiting nearby.

  First Officer Zadra Najass said. “Captain Plagnor, there are three ships near our location. Sir, they are armed, and they have the Resplendent Asteria locked in to their weapons systems.”

  This was a peaceful universe. There had never been any armed ships in the known universe. Other than the constabulary used to monitor shipping and to reconcile disagreements, there had never been a need for armed ships.

  Just as Captain Plagnor was about to query the strange ships his Comm officer said. “Captain Plagnor, a message is coming in. They are asking for the Captain.”

  “Put it through to my station please.” He replied.

  The radio came to life at Captain Plagnor’s station. “Resplendent Asteria, welcome to the Laskarid System. As you can see, we have your ship locked into our weapon systems. There will be a shuttle docking with your ship. That crew will take control of the Resplendent Asteria. We will be moving the ship to our secure location in another system.”

  “You, your crew, and passengers are now our prisoners. Any attempt to prevent my people from taking control will result in the immediate destruction of the Resplendent Asteria with all hands. This is your only warning.”

  Captain Plagnor had no choice. The Resplendent Asteria had no weapons. They were a cruise ship. Weapons had never been required before.

  He couldn’t understand why they had been taken. He supposed it could be for ransom. It was the only valid answer he could come up with.

  He knew the company would pay any ransom to get the ship and especially the passengers back home, so he felt that, although it was dreadful, it would still end alright.

  He had no idea just how wrong he was.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Consultation

  Rhokificos spoke first. “They have returned, Siyvalon.”

  Siyvalon replied. “Indeed, they have, as we knew they would, Rhokificos.”

  Ruvator added his comment. “We must do something, Siyvalon.”

  “And what do you suggest Ruvator?” Replied Siyvalon

  Ruvator replied. “They are stealing our citizens. It is happening ever more often. The citizens grow restless. If we do not act, the citizens will take up violent ways in an attempt to protect themselves. We cannot allow that. I understand that it is unusual for us to intercede directly, but this is an unusual circumstance. If we allow the citizens to become violent we will lose control.”

  Siyvalon replied. “We have a weapon. Perhaps now is the time to put it to use.”

  “But Siyvalon, if we release this weapon, how can we control it? What is to keep it from causing a turn to violence in our own space?” Asked Rhokificos.

  “The plan is simple.” Said Siyvalon. “We release the weapon with the understanding that it will operate only in the converse side of the rift. Once the problem is solved we have the ability to send the weapon to another space.”

  “What are the ethics of simply sh
uffling the problem to another space. Should we simply foist our problem off on another group such as this one, and allow it to become their problem?” Asked Rhokificos.

  Siyvalon said. “As I indicated to this coterie before. We cannot allow the weapon to remain in this space after it has been activated. Our studies have indicated that once activated the weapons need for violence is unlikely to be fulfilled. We have no choice but to remove it from our midst. The chances are that another space will welcome a weapon such as this one. My question to this group is now the time for action or not. We have no other options.”

  “But Siyvalon.” Said Rhokificos. “Could we not destroy the weapon when it has completed its mission?”

  “I cannot do that. It is contrary to everything we believe. Could you destroy it Rhokificos? I think not. We have an implicit agreement with the weapon. To destroy it now would be the first step in destroying this assemblage. I believe we have but one option. We must release the weapon. This is the time for action.”

  “Are you asking for a vote on this proposal Siyvalon?” Asked Rhokificos.

  “I am. Now is the time.”

  Moments later

  “You have your mandate Siyvalon. The Council has agreed to your proposal. I hope it does not destroy us as well as our problem.”

  End Notes

  [1] Chapter sixteen, page thirty-four, paragraph nine of the Federation Charter

  [2] Confidential Informants are the life blood of intelligence.

  [3] Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (Navy Seal Training)

  [4] The Solar Unity Accord was an agreement that allows the Earth Planetary Council of Nations to deal with all Solar system and extra Solar System matters.

  [5] The Federation may, from time to time, find it in its interests to admit systems that have demonstrated sufficient experience in their ability to coexist in the Galaxy, and who may add substantially to the ability of the Federation to function within the Galaxy and beyond.