by S. H. Jucha
Lydia sent.
The SADEs returned assents about the thoroughness of Hector’s and Lydia’s preparations.
Lydia connected with Kara and Cordelia.
The SADEs immediately intuited the problem. The drone would be sent on a mission. Then the cradle would be relocated. However, before the drone could be recalled, it must sense its cradle location. That meant the device must be installed onboard the freighter and activated.
The SADEs had measured the power requirements for a cradle, and they’d produced a transducer to insert between the freighter’s newly installed power crystals and the cradle.
The next challenge was duplicating the drone module contained in the globes. With Vyztram’s help, the module was identified within the Freedom’s database and transferred to the Tripper’s controller.
Othello signaled the pilot of a cargo traveler, which reversed the ship until the ramp was a mere half meter from the bay’s open hatches.
Vyztram curtailed the cradle’s power, citing the reason to the module as deck damage requiring repair, and the SADEs disconnected the signal and power cables.
Then the SADEs surrounded the cradle, bent over, and hoisted it off the deck.
By tilting the cradle at an angle, the SADEs were able to fit the cradle into the traveler’s interior. Of course, that had been calculated earlier.
The SADEs leapt aboard the traveler, and several of them pinned the cradle in place. This was no time for a transport error.
At the Tripper, the pilot swiveled the ramp toward the open freighter module, and the SADEs reversed the process. After the cradle was transferred, its cables were reconnected.
Kara shook her head at their circumstances. The thoughts of extra credits and a new freighter were enticing. Now, the reality of bringing a deadly drone aboard the Tripper was mitigating the rewards’ excitement.
Nonetheless, Kara ordered her crew to return their loaders and make for the forward section.
Jackie, the first mate, shot back.
When the crew joined Kara on the freighter’s bridge, the captain signaled Lydia, who communicated to Vyztram, who sent an end directive message to the drone.
The fleets watched the drone lift, spin once, and then dart toward the Tripper.
“Black space,” Jackie muttered, as the freighter crew observed the drone’s rapid acceleration toward their ship.
With the distance quickly narrowing, the drone decelerated as swiftly as it had accelerated. Slowing to a crawl outside the Tripper, the drone eased into the freighter’s cargo module to center over the cradle.
Kara nodded at Jackie, who tapped on her panel, and the hatches to the two modified modules swung down to seal tight.
38: Goodbye; Greetings
With the successful transfer of the drone and its cradle, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He had confidence in the SADEs, but Vyztram’s lack of absolute control over the drones had left too many opportunities for disasters to strike. If the drones had failsafe mechanisms that might have been triggered, the damage to ships and the loss of lives would have been catastrophic.
Alex had agonized about whether to isolate Omnian ships, but nothing could have been done for the SADEs involved in the transfer and the Elvian population. In the end, he chose to trust the powerful intelligences that dwelt within the SADEs’ kernels.
Alex and Renée had thought to see Alain and Nata off on their journey, but they thought that those individuals would be focused on more personal relationships.
“Alex has ordered your launch, my heart,” Tatia said to Alain.
Alain chuckled, as the refresher’s mist soothed his body. “It’s a good thing that we finished. I’d have hated to have been interrupted.”
“You’ve always had exquisite timing,” Tatia replied, wrapping her slender Méridien in her arms. She waited until they were dressing to give Nata a one-hour warning.
Nata’s gear was packed, and the duffel sat on her bunk. “I wish you were going with me,” she said to Neffess, who lay on her side on her bunk. It was the preferred Dischnya style for queens and heirs, allowing the tail to move freely.
“This is a transit that Ude and you need to make together,” Neffess replied. “It’ll be the opportunity for the two of you to finish your transitions.”
“Transitions?” Nata queried.
“Soon, you’ll no longer think of yourselves as clones,” Neffess said.
“Then what will we be?” Nata inquired.
“You will be my ferocious Dischnya pup mate and an Omnian,” Neffess said confidently.
“And Ude?” Nata asked.
Neffess rolled off her bunk, stretched, and yawned, revealing rows of sharp teeth. “Who can say about Ude?” she replied. “I believe the stars don’t know what to do with him.”
As Nata stared silently at her friend, many thoughts ran through her mind.
“You must hurry and start your precheck,” Neffess encouraged. “Teddy would be humiliated if you started acting like a pilot who didn’t care for her ship.”
“Wouldn’t want to disappoint Teddy,” Nata remarked, accepting the finality of the moment.
“Come,” Neffess said, opening her arms.
Nata buried her face in Neffess’s neck. She inhaled the smell of fur, which had always comforted her.
“Our matriarch believes this brings Alex good fortune,” Neffess said, before her long wet tongue rolled around Nata’s ear.
“Yuck,” Nata complained, leaning away from Neffess.
Neffess chuffed. “Get used to it, my pup mate,” she said. “I expect our paths to cross many times before Omnians render our star services.”
On a whim, Nata leaned toward Neffess. She was nose-to nose, staring into her friend’s bright yellow eyes. Then she licked the end of Neffess’s muzzle.
Neffess chortled and attempted to lick Nata in return, but her pup mate danced away, grabbed her duffel, and raced for the cabin door. “Till we meet again,” she yelled over her shoulder.
Nata chose to collect Ude before descending belowdecks to ready the traveler. In Ude’s cabin, she found Hermione, whom she expected, and Petra, who sat on an unused bunk. Both Ude and the sister stood and locked their avatars, while they occupied the cabin.
“This is a cozy group,” Nata remarked.
; “You’re in a good mood,” Petra commented.
“She’s always like that after she’s challenged death and managed to cheat it,” Ude said. His tone conveyed his admiration and reproach.
“That’s his opinion, Nata,” Petra said. “There are a lot of jealous pilots in the fleet. That spiral maneuver into the drone’s path was inspired. Although, the outcome had to have been in doubt.”
“I thought about that,” Nata said.
“Before or afterward,” Ude interjected.
“Hush,” Petra directed. “She’s trying to tell us.”
Ude replied.
Hermione watched Nata consider her response to Petra’s remark. She’d dropped her duffel and perched on the bunk next to Petra. From Hermione’s side sensors, she saw the faintest of smiles overtake the corner of Ude’s mouth.
Yes, this transit will provide much entertainment, Hermione thought.
“Sure, there was a chance that the drone couldn’t evade my ship,” Nata said thoughtfully, while she stared in the distance, recalling the exact second she’d decided. “Two things came together. One, Hector must have run the calculations many times and in different ways. Knowing him, he wouldn’t have risked a pilot if the probability of a horrendous outcome was much above negligible. Second, I wanted to execute the most difficult maneuver I could throw at the drone to ensure Hector got the data he was seeking.”
“You did that,” Petra said, tapping Nata’s knee. “Black space, you did that.”
“If you two are done chatting, I believe a captain might be waiting for us,” Ude interrupted.
Nata and Petra grinned at each other. Ude’s ploy had been transparent, but they didn’t mind. It was obvious what he’d intended, and they were good with that.
The pilots hoisted their duffels and made for the door. Ude picked up the heavy case that held his medical support equipment. He let the females precede him, while he maneuvered the bulky one hundred eighty kilo case through the cabin doorway.
Alain waited until his location app signaled that Nata and company were descending below. Normally, he’d have been waiting for the group in the corridor outside the bay and demonstrating a captain’s command. This time, emotions were running too high to inject rank into the goodbyes. Besides, he didn’t regret a few more minutes with Tatia.
When Nata, Ude, Petra, and Hermione arrived, Petra remarked, “We’re late. I’m surprised the captain isn’t waiting for us.”
“Biological maneuverings,” Hermione commented enigmatically, which caused the humans to stare at her uncomprehendingly.
Nata hurriedly ran through the traveler’s prep list.
The crew chief watched in admiration. To crew members, who were perplexed by the lieutenant’s review of their work, he sent,
Alain waited down the corridor. When his implant detected the group had boarded, he entered the bay, climbed the ramp, and cordially greeted everyone, as he walked to the cabin’s front seats and sat down.
Kara received Alain’s short message that his traveler was inbound to the Trident. She cued Jackie, who linked the freighter’s controller to that of the Trident. The ships would accelerate at the Tripper’s slower rate, but they would transit together.
As Étienne watched his twin sail away. He thought, May the stars protect you and return you safely to us.
* * * * *
While the SADEs completed the transfer of the drone, the mission of Trobath, Mist Monitor, and the scouts worked their way around the planet. The visits became repetitive to the point of boring, but the team persevered.
The feedback from Scarlet Mandator via Mesa Control was encouraging, which rejuvenated the often-flagging spirits of Trobath and Mist Monitor.
The mandators received reports from each enclave after the traveler’s visit. While only a portion of each settlement participated in the event, the numbers were statistically significant, which enabled the mandators to gauge the extent of Ollassa reactions.
Opinions were sharply divided, and there didn’t appear to be much middle ground. This caused the mandators to take one side or the other.
A telling exchange that epitomized the debate taking place across the World of Light was had between Citron Mandator and Scarlet Mandator.
Citron Mandator had asked, “What do youth know with so little experience?”
And Scarlet Mandator had replied, “What have the mature forgotten about the value of change?”
That short discussion distilled the essence of the division. The mature Ollassa were comfortable with the status quo. They saw no need to change and allowing sentient animals to share the World of Light represented bloom-boggling change.
In contrast, young Ollassa were excited by the possibilities. Unlike older Ollassa, they weren’t threatened by Trobath. Actually, they were intrigued and wanted more of her race to descend to the planet.
After visiting nearly a hundred enclaves, Scarlet Mandator recalled the traveling show.
“Our visits are at an end,” Killian announced to the team after their second greeting of the day. “Scarlet Mandator has relieved us of duty. I’m told the mandators have gathered enough data from the enclaves to make their decisions.”
“We weren’t successful, were we?” Mist Monitor asked.
Trobath’s smooth forehead wrinkled, and her large eyes expressed worry.
“According to Scarlet Mandator,” Bethley interjected. “Ollassa are divided on the issue of Elvians occupying the World of Light.”
“The young and the old,” Mist Monitor supplied.
“Precisely,” Bethley responded.
“Which side is greater in number?” Mist Monitor inquired.
“The mandator reports that the opinion against Elvians is greater,” Trium replied. “However, the mandator counsels that, in this case, the count isn’t the deciding issue.”
“What is?” Trobath asked.
Bethley continued. “Scarlet Mandator notes that protection of the Worlds of Light is the number one priority. Also, the young will grow in number, while the mature will pass in time. The opinions that the young have formed will stay with them as they mature.”
“Don’t forget,” Killian added. “Omnians have some influence in this decision. This time, we came to help. What if you need our assistance in the future and we aren’t available or timely in our arrival?”
The pilot launched the traveler, overflew the terrain, and landed the ship at the base of Mesa Control’s rocky outcrop.
“I’ve enjoyed our time together,” Mist Monitor said to Trobath. “I’ve learned about Elvians and would welcome your race on the World of Light.”
The monitor signaled a stalk to rise, but Trobath stepped around it and reached her hands high to delicately twirl her fingers through the monitor’s petals.
When Trobath finished, the monitor’s bloom lifted. Stalks were signaled, and the monitor left the ship, followed by the SADEs.
&nbs
p; Trobath stared at the empty traveler. The deserted interior was a stark contrast to the camaraderie that it had presented for cycles.
The pilot realized that the Elvian was standing on the ramp, and she left her cabin to gesture to Trobath to come inside. When Trobath reluctantly obeyed, the pilot closed the ramp, lifted for space, and headed for the Freedom.
There had been a final exchange between Killian and Trobath.
“The pilot will return you to the Arcus,” Killian had said.
“No,” Trobath had responded adamantly. “I wish to speak to Alex.”
“I can connect you to him,” Killian offered.
“With regret, Killian, my request wasn’t clear,” Trobath said. “I wish to personally meet with Alex. Can Vyztram communicate remotely with the Arcus?”
“Yes, Vyztram’s comm equipment has been installed,” Killian replied. “I’ve forwarded your request to Alex.”
By the time Killian exited the traveler, Alex had welcomed the Elvian’s visit.
Trobath sat alone with her thoughts. She saw a tremendous opportunity for her citizens about to slip through their grasps, and the thought made her guts churn.
The pilot landed the traveler aboard the Freedom, dropped the ramp, and escorted Trobath out of the bay.
Trobath found the corridor’s utilitarian appearance disconcerting. It was nothing like the sweeping panoramas and murals that covered every bulkhead of the Arcus where citizens walked.
In contrast to the drab corridor, there was a comforting item. Alex stood there with a grin on his face. As ugly as humans appeared to Trobath, she found this one imminently acceptable.
Trobath regarded the two new individuals who stood beside him, and Alex introduced her to Julien and Renée.
As the foursome walked the long corridor to a lift, Trobath asked, “Do you not possess artists within your citizenry?”
“These ships aren’t meant to be our home,” Alex replied. “Although, we’ve lived aboard this ship longer than I thought we would.”