Future in the Stars

by D Patrick Wagner

  “Yeah, Hawk. It seems that Mistress Analyn misread the situation.”

  “Everyone got arrested?”

  “Nope. The ship’s crew is safe. So are twelve of the Defenders. That King Daruke, he’s something else.”

  “Then, the diplomatic contingent and four Defenders are locked up. Except for Vidhee and Anupi.”

  “That’s it in a nutshell.”

  “Killer-bees?”

  “Ready to go. The pilots are chomping on their bits.”

  “OK. We’ll be there in two days. Hold the fort.”

  “Copy that, Hawk.”

  “Out, Captain. Igaklay, where is Fairstar?”

  “She is currently orbiting Ballison, Commander. As is Gazelle. Both crews are relaxing at the Adams compound.”

  “Please link me with Captain Adams, Igaklay.”

  “Addy here. How’s it going, Krag?”

  “Fubar, Addy. Apparently, Mistress Analyn got herself arrested on Elonia. King Daruke has imprisoned her and some of her people.”

  “You want us to go get her?”

  “Actually, I would like you to transport a phalanx of guardsmen to Elonia. In full combat gear and jump packs.”

  “You’re thinking of going in hard?”

  “Only if need be, Addy. Are you available?”

  “Me and Marie, we’re not use to all this dirt and trees. I think she wants to get back into space. I know I do. Yeah, we’ll do it. But, it will cost you. We’re a transport company, you know. Got to keep up our HEBA dues.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’ll get your extortion credits. I’ll call Lord Kaporine. Get him to cough up your payment for rescuing his daughter. I’ll have him put together a phalanx of guardsmen. Can you pick them up and get them over to Elonia?”

  “No problem, Krag.”

  “We plan on launching in a couple of hours.”

  “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Be aware, it’s three jumps, two stopovers. Prepare for that.”

  “Will do, Krag. See you on the flip side.

  Igaklay cut the link.

  “Keiko, could you contact Lord Kaporine and let him know what’s going on?”

  “On it, Krag. Igaklay?”

  Everyone listened in as Keiko discussed the situation with Lord and Lady Kaporine. Before the link ended, they heard the Senior Elder of Clan Kaporine swearing loudly and shouting orders.

  “OK. That’s in place. Keiko, Buster, let’s go rescue a princess.”

  “I’m coming!”

  “Of course you are, Igaklay.”

  “Oh good! I get to try out my new avatar!”

  “What?”

  “You’ll see! You’ll like it!”

  “Let’s get ready, people. We launch in two hours.”

  “You are not going, Lug-Nut.”

  “I know, Love. I’m grounded.”

  “Damn straight.”

  Chapter 14

  Aboard UMCR Hightower One

  Sir Reginald Hightower’s suite on Hightower One didn’t come close to the opulence which bedecked his uncle’s quarters. But they still reflected Hightower wealth. The three-bedroom suite boasted its own sitting room, kitchen, multiple refreshing rooms, and a luxurious office.

  Sitting in his own luxurious chair, he mentally prepared himself for being in the presence of the eldest of his three Mars-Human hybrids. It took almost the entirety of the twenty-plus years that Sir Reginald had raised his three adopted Mars children before he had adjusted to the idea that they always knew his inner emotional state. He couldn’t misdirect them. He couldn’t manipulate them. He couldn’t lie to them. Their modified genetics guaranteed that.

  Now, sitting behind his ornate, mahogany desk, Reginald leaned back in his chair and worried. Victoria, sitting on the other side in a comfortable, leather chair, focused on her employer and surrogate father.

  “What worries you, Sir?”

  Knowing he couldn’t lie, Reginald spoke the truth.

  “The arrival of more than a million people from the Federacy is going to change everything. It doubles the people of Mars. Twice as many to govern, feed, clothe, and support.”

  “They are just people, sir.”

  “With a whole different mindset. Did you notice that we negotiated with only military leaders? That Fleet-Admiral Weiskoff made decisions without consulting any governing body? Has the Federacy become a military dictatorship? Are those people used to being controlled by an authoritarian government?”

  “If they are, then they will welcome the laissez-faire attitude of the UMCR.”

  “If they know how to handle their new freedoms.”

  “What else is worrying you, sir?”

  “It’s not really a worry, Victoria. More of a hopeful solution. If we can get a ship with a jump drive, we can check on our exploration ship that’s been heading for Alpha Centauri for the last six years. If they need help, we can get it to them.”

  Janice Moore, Sir Reginald’s Executive Officer, sucked on a closed container of hot tea as she sat in another comfortable, leather chair.

  “I agree. They’ve been on my mind, too.”

  “I think I need to push Uncle Cedric to make sure we get at least one jump drive.”

  “And the gravity generator schematics, Reginald.”

  “That’s first, Janice. Uncle made that clear. Think about the revenue we can generate, being the sole manufacturers of gravity generators in the Sol system.”

  “Along with the other colonies, Sir Reginald.”

  “Yes, Victoria. Uncle Cedric made that clear.”

  “Not to mention that, if we install them on Mars, we can slowly cure our gravity sickness. We have to go through physical therapy every time we want to visit Earth. We could establish the same gravity as Earth, rather than only forty percent.”

  “True, Victoria. Over time, we could acclimatize our people to Earth Normal. And the same with the Keplar miners. They could work in normal gravity. They wouldn’t be so alienated. Speaking of alienated, how are we coming along with Gavin, Janice?”

  “As you know, he’s turning eighteen this year. We’ve upped our observation intensity. According to Mr. Yeager, Gavin is showing a great deal of potential. He definitely is another Mars child.”

  “But wild. Damn, I wish we knew where Doctor Cutter got those Mars spores. And, why she chose to carry Gavin to term, rather than use an artificial womb like she did with you and your siblings, Victoria.”

  “What’s passed has passed, sir. Please relax. Everything will work out. It always does.”

  “You are always the optimist, Victoria. And you soothe my anxious soul.”

  “That’s my job, sir.”

  “Mr. Yeager believes that Gavin is trainable. And that we can bring him into the fold.”

  “I hope so, Janice. As he ages, he is going to need guidance in using his gifts. Besides, we need to do this for his mother. Her loss hit us hard.”

  “Her death hit everyone hard, sir.”

  “Yes, Victoria, it did.”

  Federacy Scientific Research Center

  The fury at his father thinking about staying in the Sol system never left Vice-Admiral Weiskoff. Aboard Vengeance, for the three days and four jumps it took to reach Calius, he created hell for anyone who made the mistake of coming under his scrutiny. Even after Vengeance achieved orbit around Cencore, his rage never left. It didn’t boil under the surface. It remained on full display.

  Throughout the trip, his wife and two sons, stayed in Money Gulper. Without the Ballisonian nanites, they spent their time sleeping or staggering around with pounding headaches and aching bodies. The same held true for Money Gulper’s pilot, crew, and security team. The doctor assigned to their wellbeing suffered the same discomfort but fought through just enough to ensure that his charges remained healthy, if not comfortable.

  Finally, they reached Cencore. There, Weiskoff got his family back to their estate. Then he commissioned civilians to prepare the main manor, his father’s h
ome, for the occupancy of the new head of the Weiskoff family. Throughout his planning and management, Weiskoff’s hot anger stayed just under the surface, ready to explode at any time.

  During their re-introduction to their home, Jennifer, his wife, worked hard at keeping her husband under control, doing everything she could to dampen his rage. His two sons, having lived their lives knowing of their father’s wrath, kept out of the way.

  After two days, Theodore determined that the household was in order and that the transference to the main manor progressed. So, with an absent-minded kiss for his wife, he headed to Cencore’s science lab and his plans for freeing the Federacy from the Ballisonian yoke.

  For the two hours that it took to shuttle over to Calius and land on the pad beside the secret research center, Weiskoff’s anger never left his face or his carriage. As he exited the shuttle, those attempting to greet him were met with the vituperation of an angry, intolerant Vice-Admiral. Behind him, his adjunct, Lieutenant Clarke, and his lead engineer, Lieutenant Harding followed.

  By the time Weiskoff reached the main warehouse floor, Doctor Wellington had left his lab and met his superior at the base of the stairs.

  “You’ve had eight days, Doctor. You better tell me that I have a functioning jump ship.”

  “You do, Vice-Admiral,” Wellington affirmed. “The freighter passed all its tests. It is ready to become operational.”

  “And there is no link to that damn A.I.?”

  “None, Admiral.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely. Igaklay has no idea that this ship contains a jump drive.”

  “You’d bet your reputation and freedom on that?”

  Everyone saw Doctor Wellington tense up and gulp.

  “Um, yes. Yes. This ship is completely isolated from Igaklay.”

  “Good.”

  With that modicum of success, Weiskoff’s rage began to burn off. Clarke and Harding slightly relaxed.

  “Where do we stand with the other jump drives?”

  “Let me show you. If you would please follow me?”

  Weiskoff waved a dismissive hand at his subordinate.

  Wellington led the Vice-Admiral up the stairs, through the heavy security door and into his lab. Clarke and Harding followed, maintaining their silent observation. Once inside, the Doctor led Weiskoff over to a rack holding thirty-seven metal, oblong boxes.

  “Each of these are Faraday cages, sir. They are connected to a power supply that keeps the containers charged. Inside each one is a jump drive which we have tested and were able to make operational.”

  “Operational? You can install them in ships?”

  “Not immediately, sir. As I said, they were only tested. Let me show you.”

  Doctor Wellington pointed to a section of his lab where three of his assistants worked.

  After a nod from Weiskoff, he led the Admiral to the secluded work area. The four watched for a few moments.

  “As you can see, the first step is removing the dark matter energy source. Once that is done, we slide the artifact into its housing. Then, after it has been secured, we hook our nuclear batteries up to it.”

  “OK. I see that.”

  “Then, we open the connection. At that point we know if the jump drive is still functional.”

  “How so?”

  “If you will remember, the unit you brought me had blue bands which glowed. That indicated that the artifact still functioned. I’m using that same criterion to determine if an artifact recovered over the last couple of hundred years is functional.”

  “I see. How many have you got, so far?”

  “Thirty-seven, sir.”

  “How many weren’t operational?”

  “Just short of eighty, sir.”

  “Then, you’re telling me that we have a failure rate of about two-thirds.”

  “That is correct, sir.”

  “What is the cause of the failures?”

  “I can only guess, Admiral. I believe that the ones which we found functional had become dormant from failure in the dark matter energy source. The ones which we couldn’t activate failed for some other reason. We do not have the technology to research the problem or develop a solution.”

  “I see. Currently, we have thirty-seven functioning jump drives.”

  “Of three different sizes. The small ones, from data that I have reviewed, are for personal use. What the Tolimar Defenders called jump harnesses. We have nineteen of those. The next size up are the ones the same as the one that Marston stole. From reviewing the ships that Marston calls ‘Stingers’, these appear to be capable of jumping ships like patrol ships or gunships. Nothing bigger.”

  “How many of those do you have?”

  “Twelve.”

  “The final six?”

  “Those, maybe a frigate or, at a reach, a destroyer.”

  “Damn. Nothing big enough for a cruiser or a dreadnaught?”

  “No, Admiral. However, the jump drive we have in the freighter did come from a Mortek cruiser. It is far too powerful for the ship that it currently is in.”

  “Good. Get one of the drives that can power a stinger and swap it with the drive in the freighter. I want that one saved for the first cruiser that comes off the line.”

  “We will need to retest the freighter, if we do that.”

  “I don’t care. If we can use a smaller drive on the freighter, then we can free up the bigger one for a larger ship. Get it done.”

  “Aye, aye, Admiral.”

  “And get me as many jump drives as soon as possible. I need to start building the Federacy’s fleet back up. And, without that meddling A.I.”

  “If I may interrupt, Admiral?”

  “Yes, Mr. Harding?”

  “Which size of jump drive are we going to take back to the Fleet-Admiral?”

  “None. We need every jump drive we can get.”

  “He needs one for his negotiations with the Mars people.”

  “I know that!”

  Everyone pulled back, away from Weiskoff’s still simmering wrath. The Vice-Admiral took a steadying breath, then continued.

  “We’ll let Marston give up one of his drives. Then, if anyone screws up, that Damn A.I. can slag their jump drive.”

  “And the gravity generator?”

  Weiskoff turned his focus back to Doctor Wellington.

  “Well?”

  “We have the prototype running in the jump ship, sir. We’ve manually constructed three more. Also, we’ve begun building a manufacturing plant on the grounds. We should be up and running within two weeks.”

  “Good. How big are they?”

  “They are over here.”

  Doctor Wellington led his audience across the laboratory to a locked room. After going through his security ritual, he pulled the heavy, metal door open. Everyone saw the three crates resting in the middle of the floor.”

  “Mr. Clarke, get those loaded into the shuttle. Get some soldiers to move them.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  With a secret eyebrow lift to Harding, Clarke hustled away from the Vice-Admiral’s presence and angry cloud.”

  “You’ve done well, Doctor. Get me all the drives you can. And gravity generators. To be safe, two per drive.”

  “Yes, sir. What ships are we going to install them in, if I may ask.”

  “I’m checking on our shipyards tomorrow. We’ll see what we have.”

  Aboard Gypsy – Latinia

  Without quant-coms to communicate with anyone on Latinia, Captain long had needed to ask Krag to tell Governor Moreno that Gypsy would be arriving and the purpose of his arrival. Once arriving in the Arium system and achieving relative closeness to the primary planet, Captain Long turned to his newly minted sensors specialist.

  “Mr. Ashid, what have we got?”

  “If I am reading correctly, all is quiet, Captain. However, I am reading an inordinate amount of traffic within the asteroid belt, one section in particular.”

  “
Put it up on the viewer, Mr. Ashid.”

  A three-dimensional representation of the Arium system leapt into view, slowly rotating above everyone’s heads.

  “There, sir.”

  A red circle appeared, enclosing two large and multiple medium asteroids.

  “The two large asteroids are hollowed out. That one is the Gregor Shipyard, Mr. Ashid.”

  A green arrow appeared, pointing at one of the asteroids.

  “The other asteroid is Sanctuary, a colony which Mr. Gregor established. The Mortek never found them. Nothing else?”

  “No, sir. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Good. Stay alert.”

  Captain Long turned to his other new bridge hand, Gypsy’s communications officer.

  “Mr. Kassis, do you need Eton to help you with your console?”

  “No, Captain. He had walked me through its function while you were preparing Gypsy for its jump. I must say, sir, this is quite a ship. A single jump covering around six hundred lightyears. I am impressed.”

  “We all are, Mr. Kassis. Please contact the Governor’s office and notify him that Gypsy has arrived. Set up a meeting with Governor Moreno.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  “Sub-Captain, you will accompany me to the meeting.”

  “But Captain. Someone needs to man the command while you are gone.”

  “This will be good practice for Lieutenant Ashid. Besides, Eton will remain here and keep an eye on Gypsy.

  “Copy that, Captain.”

  “Mr. Ashid, you will assume command while the Sub-Captain and I are planet-side.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  “Anything funny happens, have Pilot Briar jump you out of here.”

  “What about you two?”

  “We’ll grab the shuttle and make for open space. Then you can pick us up.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  “I’ve made contact with Latinia, Captain.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Kassis. Did you set up the meeting?”

  “Yes, Captain. Two hours from now. At the Governor’s personal offices.”

  “OK, people. We leave in an hour.”

  * * * * *

  Precisely two hours later, the shuttle and land-vehicle ride ended in front of a non-descript door. Captain Long rapped on it. It rang the ring of metal. Looking above, he and his Sub-Captain saw the camera.