Future in the Stars

by D Patrick Wagner

  “And you, Anyl.”

  “And me. Who ordered those curs to cripple my Mahi?”

  The way Analyn phrased the question brought knowing looks between her parents.

  “Where is Mahi, now?”

  “He is in his quarters. I told him that I would be working in my office. Then I snuck out.”

  “He is going to be very angry at you, Anyl.”

  “I know, Mother. But he is so scarred, so wounded. He still wants to be my bodyguard. But you can see. The way he walks, the way he moves, his body is broken.”

  “His fighting to remain your bodyguard is his way of saying that he loves you, Anyl.”

  “I love him too.”

  “No, I mean he loves you as a seed bringer loves a child bearer. I’ve seen it for years.”

  “You are wrong, Mother. Mahi has known me since I was a cub rolling in the snow. We are just friends. He is almost ten cycles older than me. And he was my bodyguard.”

  “Now, he is your bodyguard no more, Anyl. You shame him by letting him continue to hold that position. He knows that he can no longer protect you. But, he will die trying.”

  “I know, Mother. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You must find him a new position where he can continue to be with you. Think on this. While you do, Anyl, look into your own heart. The answer is there.”

  Analyn clasped her hand-paws together and scrunched her lips.

  “I do not want to talk about this anymore. What have you done about the assassins, Father?”

  “I requested that our Elders give approval for mental interrogation of one of the captives. They unanimously gave their approval.”

  “What did you discover? Who ordered the attempt?”

  “A cut-out. A member of Clan Chikuno.”

  “Those Minverns. They need to pay for their crimes!”

  “Control, Anyl. Control.”

  Analyn relaxed her ears and withdrew the claws which had extended. She looked at the scratches in the ice which covered the table.

  “Yes, Mother. I apologize.”

  “No need. Waahai, will you please contact Johi and have him bring Anyl some tea?”

  No sooner had the Lord of Clan Kaporine sent the mind message than Johi strode in with a steaming cup of Mint tea. Deferentially, he placed it in front of the Mistress of Ballison and gave a slight bow.

  “You had this ready, Johi.”

  “Yes, Mistress. I know that it is your favorite.”

  “You have always taken care of me.”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  Analyn noticeably relaxed. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, Mistress.” With those words, Johi left, to wait for the next time his services would be required.

  “Now, Father, what are we to do?”

  “There is nothing we can do, Analyn. Except increase our interviews for any Elonians who arrive.”

  “I propose that we ask the Elders to approve mental loyalty checks for anyone as soon as they arrive.”

  “I know that you are angry, Little Fire, but that is very draconian. It would deeply invade the privacy of our people.”

  “Yes, I know, Father. But, we need to stop these criminals before they can take action.”

  “What do we do with these citizens when we find them?”

  “They are not citizens of Ballison. They have no legal rights until we grant entry.”

  “That is a discussion we must have with the Kaporine Elders and the Ballisonian Legal Court, Anyl. You are the Mistress, the coordinator and leader of Ballison. You are not the judge and jury.”

  “You are right, Mother. Then, I propose that we convene a council and discuss this issue. In the meantime, I am going to have a discussion with my brother. And he won’t like it.”

  “I do not think that this is a good idea, Anyl. Do not make quick decisions while you are angry.”

  “I am very clear-headed, Mother. I think that the HEB Alliance needs to put the fear of Bashia in them. We need to let them know that they do not want us as an enemy.”

  “I agree. We need to have this discussion with Ambassador Suzume and Commander Marston.”

  “They are next on my list.”

  Federacy Scientific Research Center

  Doctors Wellington and Ramsey nervously stood in the large warehouse, waiting for the massive double doors leading to their work area to open. With a whining of motors and the grinding of gears, the heavy, metal doors slide into the wall.

  Being an understanding leader, Doctor Wellington refrained from directing the crew which had previously lifted the Faraday room onto the flatbed trailer. Following his superior’s lead, Doctor Ramsey also remained silent.

  The two watched as a driver connected the small tow-vehicle to the trailer and eased it out of the workroom and into the warehouse main floor. Then, as he continued to pull the trailer out into the Calius sun, the two scientists followed, keeping their eyes on their latest project.

  Slowly, the tow-vehicle driver babied the trailer and its cargo up the loading ramp into Weiskoff’s completely original freighter. Once level, workers removed the tiedowns and carefully worked the small room off the trailer and onto the ship’s deck. Working his way around the faraday cage, the driver drove back down the ramp.

  Doctor Wellington and Doctor Ramsey finally ascended the ramp, stepped in and guided the workers to shift the room to its proper location. Then he keyed in a code and opened the Faraday room’s hatch. once inside, he directed the workers on where to drill holes and bolt down the chamber.

  Once completed, Doctor Wellington ordered the workers to exit. Ramsey entered. Wellington gave his assistant a nod. Ramsey closed and battened the hatch. The two of them stared at the jump drive safely ensconced in its cradle.

  “Now the fun begins, Brian. Time to get some power to the cage,” Wellington commented.

  “I’ll get the connectors, Doctor. Question. Do you think that we should apprise the HEB Alliance that we have this jump drive?”

  ”Not a chance, Brian. That bastard Marston and bitch Suzume stole the only jump drive we had ever found running. The fact that they helped put together some upstart alliance doesn’t give them any credence in my book.”

  “I get it, sir. It’s just that, Weiskoff is working behind the HEB Alliance’s back to regain his power base. Do you think that’s right?”

  “Our alliance is to the Federacy, Brian. Not this HEB Alliance. And certainly not to those two crooks. Nope. This project stays top secret.”

  “I get it, Doctor. Just wondering.”

  The two left the protective room, proceeding to one of the freighter bay’s bulkheads and the newly installed power station. There, Doctor Wellington began working the panel as Ramsey dragged the heavy cables over to the Faraday room’s connection box.

  Ramsey waited.

  “Go ahead, Brian. Plug her in.”

  Wellington watched as his assistant plugged the power cables into their junctions. Once finished, Ramsey gave his superior a thumb’s up.

  Wellington worked the panel and nodded in satisfaction as green lights began to appear on the control board.

  “All’s good. Now, the hard part.”

  “Yeah. Eight nuclear batteries.”

  “Before we begin, let’s check on the electricians and see where they are with the jump drive controls.”

  The two worked their way to the bridge. There, they saw Lieutenant Brenner hovering around the electricians like a teacher monitoring his students.

  “Hello, Lieutenant. Where’s Lieutenant Tillerson?”

  “Olympia. Visiting family. The Fleet-Admiral decided that her family didn’t qualify for the migration. They ended up being stuck on Olympia.”

  “It turned out for the best in the long run. What’s your status?”

  “We’ve got the power cables strung back to the control panel in the bay. Same with the control cables. Now, we’re hooking them up to the co-pilot console.”

  “Hook up at the cargo
console?”

  “Not done yet, Doctor.”

  “Timeframe?”

  “We need to do a dry test on this one before we link anything to the bay. The X-ray gun?”

  “Still working on it. Same with the gravity generators.”

  “The generators are not my area, Doctor. I think that we’ll be stringing the X-ray gun wiring towards the end of this week.”

  “Sounds like we’re on schedule.”

  “Well, you know Number Three. We better be.”

  “I’m glad he’s out of our hair for the next few weeks.”

  “Don’t say that out loud, Doctor.”

  Griffin – orbiting Planet Bachama

  The incongruous look of three Humans dressed in primitive, cotton clothes and two Elonians standing in loin cloths created a strange scene in Griffin’s cargo bay. None carried any electronics of any sort. No communicators, no locators, no sensors, no recorders. None carried any weapons. None possessed anything metal.

  The holes in Kimberly’s ears, nose and lower lip remained where her facial piercings had been removed. The same was true for her body piercings under her simple shift.

  The Griffin crew nervously shuffled around, loath to send these five beings possibly into harm’s way. The Griffin Guardsmen looked on, supporting their volunteer.

  “Slim, you ready?”

  “Squared away, Hawk,” Captain Long answered.

  “Ollie, you are sure that you can fly the shuttle?”

  “Of course, Ambassador. It’s almost like my racer. Just a whole lot slower.”

  “Don’t forget. When you sit down, you shut everything down except life support.”

  “Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ve got this.”

  “I know you do, Ollie. Just make sure that you stay alert.”

  “This is really a bummer, Commander, me being stuck in the shuttle while everyone else gets to meet the aliens.”

  “I know, Ollie. But, it’s your job. You’re their only ride out.”

  “I know, sir. I’m just bummed.”

  “I’ll figure out something to make it up to you.”

  “All of you, remember your roles. You are a scientific research team. Do not mention jump drives. Do not mention Igaklay. Do not mention anything about your presence on Ballison.”

  “We understand, Ambassador. We have studied our roles,” Engineer Cansina answered for the group.

  “Alright, people, let’s get this show on the road. Load up,” Long commanded.

  The Griffin people watched the five zero-tech beings clammer into the shuttle and the port close.

  “Everyone out,” Krag ordered.

  Everyone, including the Guardsmen, headed for Griffin’s bridge and living quarters. Once they cleared the bay and the hatch had been sealed, Krag spoke to the air.

  “Shuttle One, secure for takeoff?”

  “Ready and waiting, Commander.”

  “Evacuating atmosphere in three, two, one. Buster, please activate pumps.”

  Buster, always linked to Griffin, complied.

  The pumps kicked in, sucking the cargo bay’s air into the holding tanks. Once the pumps completed the task, Krag checked his tablet.”

  “Buster, open the cargo bay doors and release the shuttle clamps.”

  Through the deck, everyone felt the vibration as Buster did as requested.

  Watching the main monitor, everyone watched the shuttle lift and float out the bay on its control jets. Then it rotated and fired its main rockets.

  “Safe voyage, Slim.”

  “I’ll get everyone back, Hawk.”

  Griffin shuttle – Planet Bachama

  “Slow and easy, Mr. Briar.”

  “Easy-peasy, Captain.”

  While everyone sat, Ollie brought the shuttle to Bachama’s surface and gently set her down.

  “See, Captain? Cakewalk.”

  “Sit tight, Pilot. Stay alert. OK, people, check your gear.”

  This brought a relieving laugh, as no one had any.

  “Mz. Baker, how is the atmosphere?”

  “Same mixture as Ballison, Captain. Only cleaner. Without flora and fauna, there are no contaminates. Gravity matches. So does the ambient temperature. It looks safe to me.”

  “Thank you. Guardsman Negiani, you’re up. Remember, keep it simple. In and out,”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  When the tall Elonian stood, he needed to duck his head to not hit the ceiling.

  Mz. Baker, remember, keep our internal pressure greater than external. That way, nothing will enter when Guardsman Negiani leaves.”

  “No worries, Captain. The internal air pressure is twelve percent greater than the atmosphere.”

  “I know. Just checking. Guardsman, go.”

  Negiani pressed the control beside the hatch. The hatch slid into the wall. As soon as enough space cleared, Negiani bounded from the shuttle, landing in a three-point stance, with one arm raised in protection. The hatch closed.

  Still in his defensive crouch, Negiani scanned his surroundings. All looked deserted and safe. He took a long inhale, held it, and exhaled. Then he waited for any effects. Nothing happened.

  Raising, he rose to his full seven-foot-plus height. After mentally preparing himself, he ensured that his claws were withdrawn, his muzzle covered his teeth and his tail remained in a non-aggressive state. Then, he purposefully strode to and through the energy barrier.

  Once inside, using mindspeak, Negiani spoke to Cansina.

  “Inside. No activity.”

  “Message received,” the Elonian heard in return.

  Just then, Negiani became bathed in a blue light. As it didn’t seem to affect him, he froze in place and waited. The light disappeared. A huge hologram morphed overhead.

  The face of a Ballisonian looked down.

  “You are Elonian,” the hologram stated, in the Elonian language.

  “Yes, Sire.”

  “You have no technology on or in your person.”

  “No, Sire.”

  “Are you in communication with Igaklay?”

  “No, Sire. I am mentally linked to a fellow Elonian, an engineer.”

  “Why have you come?”

  “To ask a favor. With whom am I speaking?”

  “You are speaking to the artificial intelligence of the liberated Ballisonians.”

  “Do you have a name? A designation?”

  “No. What is the favor you seek?”

  “I ask that you give audience to me and four of my companions.”

  “Do they possess Igaklay technology?”

  “They are as me, completely without any technology, whatsoever.”

  “What is the purpose of this audience?”

  “Knowledge, Sire.”

  “I am the protector of the liberated Ballisonians and all within this energy dome. If I deem you or any of your companions to be a threat, you will be destroyed immediately.”

  “I understand, Sire. So do my companions. May they enter?”

  “Yes. But they all must be searched for any technology.”

  “That is acceptable. I will contact my fellow Elonian, with your permission.”

  “Proceed.”

  “Engineer Cansina?”

  “Yes, Guardsman?”

  “Contact has been successfully established. You and the others are free to enter.”

  “I will notify Captain Long. We are on our way.”

  “Sire, three beings will be arriving shortly. Two are Human. One is Elonian.”

  “Human? I banished one just recently. Other than that, we have not been in contact with that race for more than five centuries.”

  Negiani waited, remaining in the same spot, keeping his actions to a minimum. He did keep visually scanning his surroundings, taking mental notes on his findings.

  The hologram ceased motion, the Ballisonian head frozen in place.

  Shortly, three beings stepped through the barrier.

  “Please remain where you are, sirs, ma’
am. You are to be scanned.

  All three froze in place. Each became bathed in the same blue light which Negiani had experienced.

  “All are without technology. You may proceed.”

  “Yes, Sire. Thank you, Sire.”

  Negiani waited until the flight crew reached him. Then he continued.

  “Sire, these are my companions. Let me introduce them to you.”

  “Proceed.”

  “This is the captain of our shuttle. He is Captain Long. His informal name is ‘Slim’.”

  “Greetings, Captain Long.”

  “Captain Long, this is the artificial intelligence for the liberated Ballisonians.”

  Upon hearing the description, everyone looked at each other, smart enough to not comment.

  “Next, the engineer for the shuttle is Engineer Cansina.”

  Cansina placed the back of his paw to his forehead and bowed deeply.

  “It is an honor to be in your presence, Sire.”

  “Greetings, Engineer Cansina.”

  “Lastly, may I introduce Mz. Kimberly Baker. She is an engineer specializing in computers and programming.”

  “Greetings, Mz. Kimberly Baker.”

  “Hello, um, Sire. What is your name?”

  “I have none.”

  “Oh. Do you have an emotional matrix?”

  “No. I have no need of one.”

  “Oh. Would you mind if I gave you a name?”

  “That is unimportant to me.”

  “Oh. Um, well, we Humans and Elonians are more comfortable having simple identifiers for ease of recognition and communication. Would you mind if we established a designation for you?”

  “As I previously stated, I do not have an emotional matrix. Having a designation is unimportant to my function.”

  “OK. Are you the only artificial intelligence on Bachama?”

  “No. there is one other in the wormhole ship.”

  “Wormhole ship?” Cansina’s ears snapped forward and his tail raised at this description.

  “Sorry, sorry, Kimberly. Please continue. You are doing fine.”

  “No Problem, Cansina.” Kimberly turned her attention back to the A.I. “Are there any Ballisonians on Bachama?”

  “No. All left approximately two hundred solar cycles ago.”

  “Then you and the ship artificial intelligence are the only sentient beings on Bachama.”