Alien People

by John Coon

  An excited gasp escaped Calandra's lips. Xttra turned and watched her press her right hand against a part of the outer hull above her head. Calandra traced the shiny metallic surface with her fingertips. A ductile alloy formed the hull. Strong enough to hold the scout ship together at faster-than-light speeds. Pliable enough to withstand a buildup of heat, friction, and radiation for extended periods. Her eyes darted back and forth as Calandra studied every visible inch of the craft. Xttra kept reminding himself she had never undertaken space travel before. Of course, everything boring and familiar to him would feel new and exciting to her.

  “You think this ship is cool?” Xttra said. “Mine blows this one out of the water.”

  He cracked another small grin at her. Calandra returned the smile.

  “I'm sure it does.”

  A hiss of escaping air pierced that section of the hangar. It brought a slight musky odor along as a traveling companion. A hatch opened and a narrow ramp lowered. Calandra sprinted up the ramp only a few seconds after the bottom touched solid ground. Ian glanced over at Xttra and a puzzled expression now adorned his face.

  “She acts like she's never gone inside a spaceship before now.”

  Xttra said nothing. He simply shrugged and mirrored Calandra's quick pace up the ramp. When he caught up to her inside, Xttra found Calandra standing in front of the helm and gazing out of a convex windshield down at the hangar floor. He joined her at the front of the bridge. His arm encircled her waist. She leaned against his shoulder.

  "I can't imagine what it's like to fly one of these things," Calandra said.

  "I don't know if I can put into words how much fun it is," he replied.

  She glanced behind his shoulder at the helm console. Assorted monitors, levers, buttons, panels, and grids filled the entire length of the console. Each served a different function to aid with piloting. Two cushioned pilot chairs bolted to the floor sat behind the helm. Four other chairs faced stations covering walls flanking each side of the helm. Each station served critical ship functions ranging from stellar cartography to monitoring life support.

  Calandra studied the helm with a longing gaze. Observing his girlfriend's reaction revealed to Xttra how much she wanted to push every button and pull every lever just to see what purpose they served.

  "So, what do you think? Will it work?"

  They both turned and faced Ian. His eyes remained fixed downward on a small trique as he addressed them.

  "It feels a little cramped," Xttra said.

  He withdrew his arm from Calandra and approached the mechanic to gaze at his trique. Ian retrieved a comprehensive schematic of the ship's systems. Numerous lit dots peppered the screen. Each one connected to a different ship component. Orange or blue lights lit every dot. Their presence equaled a positive sign in Xttra's eyes. Red dots meant problems brewing with key systems.

  "I can make it work." He said, glancing up from the tablet at Ian. Xttra put added emphasis on the word it to drive home the fact this was still not his first-choice ship.

  Ian approached a station parallel to the left side of the helm and tugged on a short lever. A screen above the lever lit up and refreshed rows of data.

  "This isn't a custom aerorover," he scoffed. "But it will do the job you need it to do."

  "So will I."

  Xttra's smile deepened and broadened when those three words greeted his ears. He turned and saw Lance standing in the entryway to the bridge. Xttra hurried over and threw his arms around him in a hearty embrace. He gave his friend an equally warm pat on his back.

  "Best news I've heard all day,” Xttra said. “Welcome to the crew."

  Ian cast a suspicious glance at him.

  “He's part of your crew now? I didn't count on him being cleared for active duty so soon after that crash.”

  Xttra's muscles tensed up and his limbs stiffened. Defending Lance from insinuations and judgments cast by others transformed into a nonstop task. Xttra despised what all these detractors were trying to do to him.

  “That's not his burden to bear,” He said. “I'll place the blame strictly where it belongs.”

  Ian raised his hands and backed up a few steps.

  “I'm not trying to start an argument here. If you feel fine with Lance joining your crew, I don't have a problem with it either.”

  Lance glared at Ian.

  “So happy you signed off on my return to space. I lost sleep worrying about not getting your approval.”

  He fired off a mock salute. The mechanic sighed and turned away. Calandra pressed her fingers against her lips and stifled a giggle. Xttra's eyes wandered over to Lance's arm as he raised his hand. A fresh jagged scar peeked out from underneath his shirt sleeve.

  “Looks like you're on the mend.”

  Lance instinctively glanced down at his arm as he lowered it again. He answered with a shrug.

  “I'm surviving.”

  “That's what matters for now.”

  Xttra rested his hand on the back of the master pilot's chair. With his crew now complete again, no obstacles preventing him from tracking down the probe Calandra discovered lay in his path. He turned and flashed a reassuring smile at her.

  “You got yourself a scout ship and a master pilot. Next up, an alien probe.”

  6

  It did not feel fair to Calandra. She tossed and turned all night. Thoughts related to the probe retrieval mission crowded into her head one after another and lingered like unwanted guests. She felt thrilled in one sense. Once Xttra tracked down the probe, she had her chance, at last, to investigate the mysterious object in greater depth.

  She also grappled with jealousy. Xttra and his crew did things Calandra yearned to do but eluded her grasp. Space travel remained strictly off-limits for her.

  Calandra drew in a deep breath and released it again with the same force. She pressed an injector against her wrist. Two sharp needles protruded from the top and pierced her skin. Calandra let out a slight groan and bit down on her lower lip as medicine released into her bloodstream. She held the injector tight against her wrist until a small blue light clicked on, showing the proper dosage had been released.

  Calandra exhaled forcefully a second time and set the injector down on the counter. Just for one day, she wished taking bone strengtheners did not occupy a key part of her morning routine. Such a wish could not be granted. This medicine offered her only certain path to better health.

  Understanding what prevented space travel for her did not make it easier for Calandra to mask her sore feelings when she arrived at the shipyard. Xttra sensed inner turmoil from the moment she joined him on the launch platform. His eyes widened when he caught his first glimpse of her gloomy expression.

  “Is everything all right?” Xttra trailed his hand down her forearm with added tenderness and clasped her hand. “This is supposed to be a joyful day. An exciting day.”

  Calandra coaxed a smile onto her lips. Her eyes drifted up to the scout ship behind him. He was right. She knew it. That knowledge still did not complete the experience for her. Xttra would go up there while she remained down here.

  She always remained down here.

  "I'll be fine."

  Calandra pinched her eyelids shut for a moment and pushed back oncoming tears before opening them again. She returned her gaze to Xttra.

  “You're right. This is indeed a joyful day.”

  Xttra flashed a warm, reassuring smile and drew her into an embrace.

  “We'll have the long-range communicator open the whole time. It will almost be like you're right up there flying with me.”

  “It's not the same.”

  “I know. I wish you could be there, right beside me.”

  They shared a brief kiss and Xttra trailed his fingers through her auburn locks. Calandra’s smile eased into a more natural one as he pulled away from her. Xttra joined his crew on the ramp leading up into the scout ship. Each crew member wore matching Stellar Guard uniforms. Their uniforms consisted of a long-sleeved navy-blue
shirt with a gray vertical band running from throat to navel, black pants, and black boots. Every shirt had a red version of the Ra'ahm national symbol emblazoned over the right breast. The ramp raised as Xttra waved goodbye to Calandra. When he turned away again, the lower hatch sealed shut behind him.

  Calandra left the launch platform and walked toward a pair of control towers. The twin buildings loomed overhead, rising from the center of the shipyard like giants fashioned from stone, wood, and glass. She entered the south tower and rode an elevator up to the communications room.

  Once inside the room, her eyes were drawn to a row of thin crystal monitors mounted on the north wall. Each monitor tracked essential data related to active Stellar Guard space missions. Some displayed up-to-date information on atmospheric conditions, ship status, and other scientific data. Other monitors offered live feeds from multiple launch platforms. Calandra walked past several rows of workstations and planted herself in front of a vast monitor showing Xttra's scout ship.

  She kept her eyes glued to the screen as the thrusters fired. Landing gear retracted and the ship levitated off the platform. Then the nose turned upward and, at once, it shot toward a cluster of billowing white clouds. The scout ship soon became a diminishing gray metallic streak set against an otherwise blue sky.

  ***

  Xttra leaned back in his chair once the ship cleared the final blue tinge of atmosphere. He pressed a series of circular green buttons on the helm console. A small holoscreen sprang up above another narrow console wedged between his chair and the assistant pilot's chair.

  “This is where the fun starts.” Xttra cracked a smile and glanced over at Lance. “You ready to dive in and make a splash?”

  Lance answered with a nod and jabbed his index finger at the screen.

  “I don't want to be anywhere else right now.”

  “That's what I like to hear.”

  Xttra turned his attention to the holoscreen again. An interactive map of Lathos and the surrounding solar system filled the screen. The map started from their sun and extended out to the Ice Belt, where clusters of icy asteroids and planetoids hugged the outer edge of the system bordering deep space. He flipped a switch near the top of the console. One small orange light lit up right above the switch.

  “Calandra, can you hear me?”

  “I can barely hear you.” Her voice crackled and popped over the long-range communicator. “Is there always this much static?”

  Xttra frowned. He banged on the console with his knuckles and toggled the switch back and forth.

  “Is it better now?”

  “A little better.”

  “That's the problem with these older loaner ships. Some systems don't always work the way they're supposed to work.”

  “Are you going to be safe? I don't want to put you in any danger.”

  Xttra sensed a tangible concern rising in his girlfriend's voice. He scolded himself internally for being so flippant about minor technical issues. It did Calandra no good to make her worry about something not worth fretting over in the first place.

  “Nah. We'll be fine.” Lance stepped in and answered before Xttra could do the same. The assistant pilot shook his head and glanced at him in a disapproving manner. “Transmit updated probe coordinates to us, and we'll get on our way.”

  Lance tended to be abrupt at times. Still, he was right. They needed to focus their complete attention on the task at hand. Only a minute passed before the necessary data appeared on the holographic map. The mysterious probe had already moved inside the outermost edge of the system. Sensors projected a trajectory that would plunge the object among a cluster of icy planetoids.

  “Reaching Calandra's probe will be a little tricky.” Xttra's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and studied the map. “Clutter is all over the place in that section of the Ice Belt.”

  “You can do this, right?” A worried tone still gripped Calandra's voice.

  Xttra smiled and straightened up in his chair.

  “You bet I can. I wouldn't be up here if I weren't the best pilot for the job.”

  Lance rolled his eyes and flashed a smirk at Xttra. He pointed at himself.

  “You're only the lead pilot by default.”

  “We'll see about that.” Xttra turned his chair toward the navigation station to his right. “Load the new coordinates, Atch, and let's chart a course to the planetoid cluster.”

  Atch glanced over his shoulder at Xttra and nodded. He pressed a series of panels. A chart appeared on his station holoscreen. Their new flight path offered as much of a straight shot at reaching the probe as Atch could create. It kept the scout ship from intersecting orbits of any outer planets or major asteroids beyond Lathos.

  “We are ready to go,” Atch said.

  Xttra pushed an engine control lever far forward and ignited all three antimatter thrusters. The scout ship shot out of planetary orbit with a speed akin to a laser bolt escaping from an eliminator's long barrel. He normally reserved antimatter fuel exclusively for faster-than-light travel, but Xttra also understood every bit of speed mattered in getting to Calandra's probe. He felt some relief knowing it still lurked out there, meandering through the outer reaches of the solar system.

  This discovery meant so much to Calandra. Xttra did not want to let her down.

  Only a few minutes passed when a low-pitched continuous beep started to reverberate throughout the bridge. Xttra shot an irritated glance at Atch.

  “You did keep us out of orbital paths for all the outer planets, right?”

  Atch answered him with a grunt and pressed down on a panel directly in front of him on the navigation station.

  “Our sensors are detecting another object closing in on our position. This one is too small and too fast to be a random asteroid or comet.”

  Xttra glanced over at Lance. They exchanged frowns. No one needed to explain to him what this new development meant.

  “Wonderful. A Confederation vessel has decided to spoil our party.”

  Tracking down Calandra's probe could do without this added complication. Xttra had no desire to tangle with a Confederation vessel on the fringes of the Ice Belt. He did not need visual confirmation to know his scout ship would be out-manned and out-gunned by a larger vessel.

  “How much longer until you reach the probe?” Calandra's voice resurfaced amid increased static on the long-range communicator.

  Xttra pressed a black square button on the helm console. A display popped up on another holoscreen rising from the console. It displayed critical shields and weapons data.

  “We're dealing with a minor wrinkle,” he finally told her. “We'll straighten everything out in a moment.”

  Xttra leaned forward and mumbled a few words as he pored over the data. His eyes widened and frown hardened when he saw the latest status for his primary weapons.

  “Bo'un!”

  His voice thundered through the bridge. The door leading into the cargo bay opened with a whoosh. Bo'un sprinted inside before it sealed again.

  “Where are my weapons?”

  His weapons officer approached the helm with some hesitation. Color drained from his face once Bo’un scanned over the same weapons data.

  “I could have sworn they were at full capacity when we launched.”

  “Does this look like full capacity to you?” Xttra tapped on a lower section of the holoscreen showing multiple short red bars. The image flickered under his finger. “I have only enough juice for one shot from the plasma cannons. And only two ion torpedoes are left!”

  Bo'un shrugged.

  “This is one reason why accepting a loaner scout ship is never a wise idea.”

  Xttra shot him a dirty look.

  “My options for this mission were limited.”

  “So, what do we do now?” Lance asked. “If we encounter a trigger-happy Confederation crew, this might be a really short trip.”

  Xttra thrust his finger in the air and opened his mouth to agree. Instead, he stopped before saying a w
ord. A satisfied smirk washed over his lips.

  “Ever raced in the Glacia Series?”

  “Tell me you're not doing what I think you're planning to do.”

  Xttra glanced over at Sarianna. The medical officer turned from her station and locked eyes with him. He confirmed her suspicions with a wink. She lowered her eyebrows and threw up her hands.

  “No! Have you lost your mind? This is not an obstacle course!”

  Xttra simultaneously shook his finger and head at Sarianna.

  “This is what you signed up for when you became part of my crew,” he said, adding a laugh.

  Lance added an uneasy laugh of his own. Sarianna sighed, dropped her hands to her sides again, and spun back to face her station. After she turned away, he leaned in closer to Xttra's chair.

  “Are you sure this is a smart idea?” Lance's voice dropped to a whisper. “I don't know if I'm ready to embrace this kind of risk.”

  “Trust me. That Confederation vessel will have more to worry about than us.”

  Bullying other spacecraft had been a standard Confederation tactic ever since Xttra graduated from the Academy. He had seen enough of their tricks to feel confident his scout ship could handle whatever these Confederation setaworms threw at them. Their ability to handle him was a whole different animal.

  Xttra pressed a series of three red square buttons running along the bottom of the helm console. Small green lights lit up above each button.

  “Activating the magnetic net now.”

  Asteroids of varied shapes and sizes felt a tug from a freshly generated magnetic field as the scout ship passed their position. One after another popped free from their meandering orbital paths. Soon a trail of floating space rock formed under the belly of the ship and extended out beyond the thrusters.

  “Here comes the Confederation vessel,” Lance said. “Just like we expected.”