by Doug Farren
“Will you seek revenge?” Gritharg asked.
“On my honor, I will not,” Zathkra replied. “Choback refused to listen to reason. What are your orders Commander Varku?”
Varku holstered his weapon. “Inform all personnel of the change of command. Put an immediate stop on all base expansion activities. The majority of our people will be moving back aboard the ships. I do not plan on abandoning this base though. It will give us a second repository of knowledge to transfer to our scientists when they find a way past the barrier.”
“Commander, are you planning on attacking the Alliance?” Zathkra asked.
“Provided Masthuma can get the Kyrra energy cannon to fire, yes.”
The corners of Zathkra’s lips curled upwards. The thought of using a weapon built by their ancient enemies against the Alliance pleased him to no end. “Who will decide who stays here and who goes on the ships?”
“I will hand-pick a few essential people. Those who don’t appear on the list can choose where they want to be. If the balance isn’t right, I’ll make adjustments.”
“I do have one concern Commander,” Zathkra cautiously said. When Varku did not react negatively, he continued, “If you take both ships, how will the base supplies be replenished?”
“I wasn’t planning on doing so. Both ships will be enhanced with Kyrra technology with preference given to my battleship. Captain Gritharg’s ship will remain fully manned and combat ready at all times to protect this base as needed. If an overwhelming Alliance force discovers us, he can retreat, giving us a third way of preserving what we’ve learned of Kyrra technology. Choback was right about one thing, we have a duty to preserve this knowledge.”
* * * * *
“Congratulations,” Varku said the moment Masthuma appeared in the inner airlock door. Captain Gritharg was hovering a step behind him.
“Thank you Captain,” Masthuma replied.
“It’s Commander now,” Varku informed him. “Choback is dead.”
Masthuma glanced back at Trink to make sure he had also heard the good news. “Are there any other changes I should be aware of?” Masthuma asked.
“No. The Base Commander has agreed to remain in his current position and has accepted myself as the new commander. I’m putting you in charge of upgrading the ships as we previously discussed. You have full authority to pick anyone you need to be on your team. I would like this to begin as soon as possible.”
The airlock door boomed shut. “Thank you Commander,” Masthuma replied. “Trink can handle the shield upgrades. I would like permission to move the Kyrra energy cannon to the surface and set up a testing area.”
“By all means! You do not need my permission for such activities. Keep me informed of your progress as you see fit.” Varku motioned for Gritharg to follow then proceeded down the tunnel.
Turning to Trisk, Masthuma said, “Pick your team and start upgrading the shield generators as soon as you can. Send word to Gernith that I want to see him in the lab immediately.”
A few minutes later, Gernith found Masthuma in the lab staring at a schematic of the Kyrra warship. He had not bothered to remove his spacesuit.
“You wanted to see me chief?”
“Choback is dead,” Masthuma began. “Varku is now in command. Perhaps this change will improve your attitude.”
“Varku is an honorable man,” Gernith replied, nodding his head. “I am sure he will do the right thing.”
“Split your group into two teams. Have one of them begin removing the energy cannon from the planet-killer.” Pointing to a box appearing in the diagram, he continued, “We think this is a test console. Unmount it along with the associated cabling. Get everything ready to move to the surface. I’ll tell you where later.”
“And the second team?”
“Have them pull two of the most recently installed reactors and get them ready to move as well. We’re going to build a testing site on the far side of the planetoid. I’m heading out now to find us a suitable location. I’ll send you the coordinates as soon as I find one.”
“I could use some more people, chief.”
“Let me know how many and what qualifications they need. I’ll make sure you get all the help you need section leader.”
“I serve with honor,” Gernith replied. He turned to leave but stopped himself. “Chief, do you really think we can get the cannon to work?”
Masthuma was already heading for the door. “I certainly hope so,” he said over his shoulder.
Chapter 20
The sun was just disappearing over the horizon as the three vehicles pulled into the snow-covered driveway. Tom parked behind Lashpa while her parents pulled into the garage. From the outside, the house looked like it could have been built by Terrans. The only oddity was the steeply slanted roof. Tom got out of his tricycle and walked over to Lashpa. Kirth got out of the car and beckoned for them with a wave of his hand.
Inside the garage, Tom stomped his feet in an attempt to rid them of at least some of the snow. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring any boots,” he said, hoping he wouldn’t ruin any of the flooring or carpeting inside the house. Having never been inside a Rouldian dwelling he wasn’t even sure if they had carpeting.
“No need to worry,” Lashpa told him. “I don’t have any on either—watch carefully.”
The wide door they were passing through led into a room where Kirth was helping Shava remove her coat. Terrans would have called this a mud room. Since Lashpa was not wearing a coat, she continued toward the other door. Next to it was a trough-shaped pool of swirling water. Lashpa paused to wipe her feet, one at a time, through the water as if she was pawing at something. The snow and dirt were quickly washed away. Next, she wiped her foot on a thick pad positioned just in front of the door.
Tom followed the same procedure and discovered that the bottom of the trough was covered in some type of material that could be used to scrape the bottom of his feet. Inside the house, he noticed that the floor was covered in what appeared to be artificial grass. He stood just inside the door, staring at the floor.
“Is everything okay?” Lashpa asked.
“Excuse me,” Kirth said from behind.
“Sorry,” Tom replied, stepping out of the way. “I was just looking at the floor. It looks like grass.”
“Unlike most other species,” Lashpa explained, “We prefer not to wear coverings over our feet. Hard floors are very uncomfortable to us and grass feels so much better. Rouldians who travel to non-Rouldian planets are advised to take rubber sole-pads with them to protect their feet.”
Tom took a moment to look around. From the arrangement of the furniture, built of course to service Rouldians, he gathered they were standing in the living room. There was a faint scent that reminded him of the smell of wet grass after a rain. The four-meter high ceiling was painted sky blue with a couple of clouds added to complete the illusion of being outdoors. The furniture was arranged to accommodate the wider bulk of the occupants. Several pictures hung on the light brown walls, all of them of family. A large video screen was mounted on another wall, pictures of family gatherings and other preserved memories slowly fading in and out over a period of several seconds.
“Welcome to our home,” Shava said. “Please, have a seat.”
“It’s very nice,” Tom said. “I’ve never been inside a Rouldian house before.”
“I imagine it’s quite different than the home you grew up in,” Kirth said, settling into a chair. It was built in the form of a low, sturdy bench with a thick leather cushion resting on top. Another half-meter long cushion extended up from the horizontal surface of the chair at about a 45 degree angle. Kirth walked over the top of the chair until his neck was resting against the angled cushion then lowered himself onto the seat. In this position, his legs were relaxed and his neck was supported.
“It’s not that much different,” Tom replied, sitting down on the edge of a chair using it like a low bench. “We usually don’t have a grass floor and our cei
lings are typically painted white.”
“White?” Shava said from inside the kitchen. “Don’t you like to be outdoors?”
“I’m not quite sure why white is the dominant color,” Tom said after a moment of reflection. “It might be because it reflects more light back into the room.”
He could hear Shava preparing something inside the kitchen. He fervently hoped he would not have to refuse to eat a live snack.
“I must be honest with you,” Kirth said, becoming serious. “Several members of our family are concerned about your declaration of gragrakch.”
“I got that impression,” Tom said.
“Heshgerv is the most outspoken. Her behavior earlier today was an embarrassment to the entire family.”
Tom was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. “And how do you and Shava feel about this?”
“I’m very happy for you,” Shava said.
She was walking out of the kitchen carrying a small tray. Some of Tom’s stress vanished when he recognized a few of the items as pastries and candies.
“I’ve always wondered if it was possible for a gra to be split between species.”
Tom’s translator had passed the Rouldian word for a complete soul—gra—through to him without translating it into the more common word for soul. In Rouldian culture, there was a distinct difference between an individual soul and the combined soul from which it originated.
“I had my doubts when Lashpa first told us,” Kirth admitted. “But I also trust my daughter’s judgment. If she believes you two are gragrakch, then nobody should question her decision.”
Tom selected a sweet from the tray.
“Kirth and I talked about this on the way home,” Shava said, carrying the tray over to Lashpa. “Tell him what you told me.”
“After meeting you and seeing how you and Lashpa get along, I no longer have any doubts.”
Lashpa took a pastry. Looking at Tom, she said, “I want to know what you said to Heshgerv.”
“I just talked to her,” Tom replied, not wanting to get into the details.
“You must have said- - -” a growling, purring noise interrupted Kirth. It came from an animal about the size of a large dog that had emerged from the back of the house. It had the skin of an armadillo and the tail of a beaver. The head looked like it belonged to a young rhinoceros.
“There you are!” Shava said, setting the tray down and walking toward the new arrival.
The pet thumped its tail on the floor and hurried to greet its owner. Shava picked it up and turned around. “This is Garsh. She’s a pure-bread Turth. We bought her a little over a year ago.”
“She’s cute!” Lashpa exclaimed, walking over for a closer look. Garsh sniffed Lashpa’s outstretched hand then licked it with her long tongue. “Come say hello Tom,” Lashpa said.
As soon as Garsh saw Tom, it shrank back into Shava’s arms and tried to curl up into as small a space as possible.
“Hey there,” Tom said, keeping the volume on his vocoder low so as not to startle the animal. Holding out his hand he waited to see what would happen. Shava took a step closer putting the animal’s nose right up to his hand. It sniffed then licked then looked up at Shava as if it didn’t understand.
“You and Lashpa probably both taste the same,” Shava said.
“I bet we don’t smell the same though,” Tom replied, pulling his hand back. Shava set the animal down on the floor. Garsh retreated between her legs, hiding behind one of them and eying Tom with suspicion.
“I don’t think she likes me,” Tom said, stifling a yawn.
“She’s just never seen a Terran before,” Lashpa explained.
“Can we see your ship?” Shava suddenly asked.
“Shava!” Kirth scolded. “I don’t think- - -”
“Sure you can,” Lashpa interrupted. “But I think we’ll wait and do that in the morning. It’s been a long day and Tom’s getting tired.”
“You two can spend the night here,” Shava suggested.
“I appreciate the offer,” Tom said, “but I think I’ll head back to my ship. If Lashpa wants to do so I’m sure I won’t have any problems finding my own way back.”
“Lashpa?” Kirth left the rest of the question unspoken.
“I would love to,” she replied.
“Great,” Tom said. “It’ll be nice for you to spend some time with your family.” Addressing Kirth, he continued, “Thank you for inviting me into your home. I had a very good time today but I think the high gravity is starting to get to me.”
“We’ll see you in the morning,” Kirth said.
Following the Orion’s directions, Tom drove himself back to the ship. The lower gravity inside was an instant relief. He dropped into his chair in the control center and was instantly asleep.
Chapter 21
“Commander, we’re ready,” Masthuma informed Commander Varku.
“Proceed, chief.” Varku ordered.
Masthuma looked at Trink. After checking his display, Trink said, “Both reactors are hot and ready. Power accumulators are at full charge.”
“Initiating test,” Masthuma announced, tapping a key on his keyboard.
On the far side of the planetoid, power began to flow into the modified Kyrra energy cannon. Deep inside the weapon, electricity was transformed into an intricate, tightly woven series of fields extending beyond the confines of normal three-dimensional space. Energy also flowed into a holding circuit, building in strength. Upon reaching a threshold, a large portion of this energy was suddenly released in a femtosecond-long pulse.
Following the pathways created by the previous fields, this powerful pulse of energy raced along the length of the weapon’s primary firing chamber. In a barely measurable instance of time, a compact sphere of multidimensional energy was squeezed into the acceleration section of the weapon. An instant later, the entire process was repeated. Three seconds after initiating the firing sequence, a ghostly bluish beam shone into space.
“Power draw has steadied out at 2.43 gigawatts,” Trink announced.
A warning light appeared on a panel unrelated to the test. Spinning in his seat, the Base Commander glanced at a screen and announced, “Drive wake detected!”
“Identitfy!” Varku barked, whirling around to look at the tactical display.
“Unknown. Wait…it’s coming from the weapon!”
“Are you positive?” Varku asked, staring at the screen.
Zathkra turned around and looked at the Commander. “Absolutely.”
“An FTL weapon!” Masthuma exclaimed, barely able to control his excitement.
Turning back to face his chief engineer, Varku asked, “What effect is it having on the target?”
Trink looked at the screens he was tasked with monitoring and replied, “No effect Commander. Power draw is holding steady at 2.43 gigawatts.”
“Where is all that power going?” Zathkra asked.
Masthuma keyed in a command, shutting down the weapon. “I think it’s being used to generate an FTL confinement beam,” he said. “But it’s going to take some time for me to analyze this data before I can say for sure.”
“A faster than light weapon?” Zathkra asked. “How is that possible?”
“It’s not only possible,” Varku began, scratching his jaw. “But we’ve encountered it once before.”
“Where?” Masthuma demanded, his excitement and curiosity causing him to forget who he was addressing.
Varku was used to Masthuma’s periodic lapses in proper military address. “During our first major engagement against the Alliance,” he replied. “They found one of our ancient cargo ships and removed a device from within. The Alliance took it to a planet orbiting a pulsar populated by a race known as the Hess. Several different races quickly converged on this system, including an extremely large ship equivalent to one of our planetary assault vessels. For some unknown reason, this ship was attacked by the Hess. The weapon used was later analyzed to incorporate faster than light technolo
gy.”
“The Alliance doesn’t possess such weapons,” Zathkra said. “If they had, they would have used them against us during the war.”
“Apparently, the Hess kept the technology to themselves.”
“Could the Hess have been allied with the Kyrra?” Masthuma asked.
“I don’t know and we’ll never know the answer. Their race has been obliterated.” Getting up from his chair, Varku asked, “You said the weapon was generating a confinement beam, what did you mean by that?”
“We know its primary power source comes from a matter/antimatter reaction. The energy produced in this reaction is very broad spectrum and incoherent making it practically useless as a beam weapon. But, if the energy is somehow encapsulated and confined into a beam by some other means, then the results would be an incredibly powerful weapon. I will know more about how it works as soon as I’ve analyzed the data collected during this test firing.”
“When will we be able to test the weapon with antimatter? The device you built using the matter-converter seems to have worked. I’m assuming you’ve come up with a way of directing the antimatter into the energy cannon?”
“We’re still working on the details of the antimatter delivery system,” Masthuma explained. “We must take this one step at a time Commander. Without knowing how much or in what form the antimatter should be in, we could quite easily end up vaporizing the weapon. “
“Take your time chief and make sure you get it right,” Varku replied. “I will be very upset if you destroy the weapon.”
As soon as Varku had left the operations center, Trink turned to Masthuma and said, “I might have found a way to deliver the antimatter to the weapon.”
“Go on.” Masthuma replied.
“I’ve been analyzing the ship’s main reactor and I think we can use the original storage tanks as well as the feeder lines and control circuits.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“About as sure as I can be when dealing with Kyrra technology,” Trink replied. “The cannon’s computer is connected to the feeder lines and what looks like a set of flow control valves. As best as I can determine, the main fuel tanks were designed to store some type of solid material. There are ablation lasers and a vapor delivery system in both tanks. If we fill them with iron it should work.”