Peacekeeper 2

by Doug Farren

  Using his controls, Scarboro manipulated the ball’s point of view to put the battleship instead of the Dragon at the center. Spinning his perspective around, he then followed the projected course. A tactical screen on his console displayed the details of the surroundings.

  “Oh … He’s good!” Scarboro said after about a minute. “Mr. Billings, do you see what he’s doing?”

  “Keeping us in the dark until it’s too late for us to respond when he changes course to his real target,” the tactical officer replied.

  Scarboro leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “He knows he’s faster than every ship in the fleet except us. He also knows he has the tactical advantage with that Kyrra weapon of his. I think he’s toying with us. Trying to keep us guessing so we spread ourselves thin. Suggestions?”

  Billings studied the display for a moment then replied, “I say our priority is to protect the civilian population as best we can. I suggest positioning the fleet at Parggrish.”

  “There’s four possible targets along their current trajectory.” Scarboro closed his eyes in thought. “Parggrish is a mostly Shandarian world in Rouldian space, has the highest population, and is the closest. A juicy target for a Chroniech battleship. Muthan is primarily a military target but he’ll score a moral victory if it’s destroyed. Corthos and Shmargrin are relatively new Shandarian colonies with fewer than 100,000 on each but are absolutely defenseless.”

  Scarboro opened his eyes, put his hands behind his head, and stared at the overhead in silent thought. Thirty seconds passed. Dropping his arms, he said, “Coms, priority message to Captain Harth. Recommend deploying to Parggrish. After that, send messages to all possible targets warning them of what’s coming their way. If there are any ships available, have them evacuate as many people as possible and get those that remain into deep shelters.”

  “Do you think we can stop him?” Billings asked.

  A grim look appeared on Scarboro’s face. Shaking his head, he replied, “Personally, no—I do not. I think he’s counting on us putting all of our resources into protecting Parggrish. He’ll wipe out the fleet and then kill every living soul on the planet.”

  Billings started to turn around then stopped himself. “This is wrong,” he said, “We’re a warship, not a scout ship.”

  Scarboro nodded his head in understanding. “I couldn’t agree more, but you saw what they did to us. They can nail us long before we can get within range to use ours. We’re the only ship in the fleet capable of keeping an eye on them and that’s what we’re going to do.”

  Billings took a deep breath, then said, “I know all that Sir. It’s just … I’ve never felt so helpless before. That battleship is going to tear Harth’s fleet to ribbons and we’ve been ordered to just sit back and watch it happen.”

  “Isn’t there anything we can do to slow them down?” Chief Novak asked without turning her attention away from the helm. “Centralis is sending more help. We just need to give them time to get here.”

  “And how do you propose to do that?” Scarboro asked. “They have the advantage. That captain is no dummy. If we run ahead to drop gravity mines in their path, he’ll know what we’re up to and make a very slight course correction to avoid them. If we try to overwhelm his defenses, he can just retreat. His Kyrra weapon gives him the ability to destroy any Alliance vessel long before it gets in weapon range including our own. I’m not even sure we could protect Central itself right now.”

  “He’ll never make it there,” Lieutenant Billings said, his voice full of venom.

  Scarboro turned his chair to face the tactical station. “Are you sure about that? No matter how many ships we use to protect a target, he can sit leisurely outside the range of our weapons and pick them off one by one. If we move in to attack, he just backs away. He’s faster than anything the Alliance has except us. The only way we’ll be able to defeat him is to trap him and even then we’re going to lose a lot of ships before he’s destroyed.”

  “But- - -” Billings began but was abruptly cut off by the Captain.

  “We have our orders,” he said. “I’m not happy about this any more than you are, but I will hear no more talk about violating those orders. The Dragon is the only ship in the fleet that can track that battleship and we are going to do it for as long as it takes. Centralis will come up with something—they always have.

  Chapter 38

  “I have a surprise for you,” Lashpa said, sticking her head into Tom’s temporary stateroom.

  “Oh?” he replied. He’d been occupying himself by watching an old science fiction movie.

  “We’re approaching Glish and I thought you might like to see something. If you’re interested, switch to exterior view.”

  “Krish, give me an external view please,” Tom said. The ship’s AI took control of his visual interface. Suddenly, he was outside the ship. The bright orb of the planet loomed large in his vision. Looking around, he spotted another ship not far away. Magnifying the view brought the ship closer. Tom’s jaw dropped as he recognized the vessel.

  “That’s a Klingon battle cruiser!” he exclaimed. “Is it real?”

  “You’re not the only Terran who enjoys vintage science fiction programs,” Lashpa replied, her pleasure at having surprised him evident in the tone of her voice. “A group of wealthy people pooled their resources and built a number of passenger liners modeled after some well-known ships from old Terran science fiction movies. They’re quite popular.”

  “There’s more of them?”

  “There are six in all, but most aren’t here at the moment. The only other one in the system is modeled after a Cylon base ship. It’s on the other side of the planet right now.”

  Tom couldn’t keep his eyes off the ship. As far as he could tell, it was a near perfect replica of a D7-class Klingon battle cruiser. A quick query through his biolink brought up the list of the other replicated ships: a Romulan D’deridex-class warbird; a Constitution-class Federation cruiser; an Imperial Star Destroyer; and a larger version of the Millenium Falcon.

  They passed within a few kilometers of the replica allowing Tom to get a really good view of the ship. The warp nacelles even had a greenish glow around them. Eventually, the ship faded out of view and they began their descent toward the surface. Tom decided to relax and enjoy the view.

  He could easily see the lights of Bliss, Glish’s primary city, as the Krish descended through the clear sky. Even though it was after midnight every business was open and advertising their wares in blazing displays. The city was a brilliant dot that faded into the blackness the farther from the center you looked. Peacekeeper ships have no windows, but through the ship’s exterior cameras the AI easily provided him with a near-perfect illusion of falling unprotected toward the planet. As he watched, the blur of light resolved itself into the distinct pattern of a modern city. Arrow-straight streets created a glowing mosaic like a giant illuminated grid.

  “Tom,” Lashpa’s voice broke the spell. “Dammit Dan is waiting for us. He wants to see us as soon as we land.”

  A thought to his biolink severed the link to the ship. “Isn’t he the drunk that interrupted our meal the last time I was here?” He asked, getting out of his chair.

  “He is,” she replied, nodding her head.

  “Why would he want to see us?” Tom asked, laying a hand on her back.

  “I don’t know. Despite your first impression of him, he’s a very wealthy and influential person on Glish. He either owns or is part owner of a very large number of businesses. I’ve already given him permission to board.”

  Tom felt the thump and heard the sound of the hydraulic pump as the landing struts unlocked and extended themselves. A moment later, the ship touched down. Another thump signaled the lowering of the ramp. While the ship’s AI continued to secure the ship, the two peacekeepers headed for the main entrance to greet their guest.

  There are two primary entrances into a Seeker-class scout ship. The airlock, located along th
e outer perimeter at mid-level is primarily used while the ship is docked to another vessel or space station. When on the ground, a ramp is used. During flight, the ramp, which is made of armor, is tightly locked against the underside of the ship making it an integral part of the hull. When grounded, it can be lowered providing easy access to the ship. A split section of the deck above the ramp opens up like a pair of horizontal doors.

  Dan Kunzman’s head appeared first. He stopped when he saw Tom standing next to Lashpa. He looked at Tom for a moment, stroking his reddish goatee, then said, “I didn’t expect to find two peacekeepers here! You look familiar. Have we met?”

  “You were drunk and covered in food at the time,” Tom replied.

  Dan continued up the ramp. “I’m not sure I recall that particular incident,” he said, extending his hand. “Even so, I apologize for my behavior. I tend to get carried away sometimes. I’m Dan Kunzman. Those who know me usually call me Dammit Dan.”

  Tom shook hands. “Tom Wilks. Apology accepted.”

  Releasing Tom’s hand, Dan turned to Lashpa and patted her armored side. “My friend here has tossed me in jail more times than I can count.”

  “And you’re still friends?”

  “Spending a night in jail is better than getting my ass kicked in a fight,” Dan replied. “Or waking up laying on the sidewalk in a puddle of my own puke.”

  “You do have an annoying tendency to drink too much,” Lashpa replied. “How did you know I was back?”

  “I have my sources,” Dan replied, leaning against the bulkhead and crossing his arms.

  Tom queried his biolink and received an instant weather report. “It’s a bit crowded in here,” he said. “And we’ve been in space for quite awhile. It’s a warm night. Can we take this conversation outside?”

  “By all means!” Dan enthusiastically agreed.

  “What brings you out here at this hour?” Lashpa asked as they descended the ramp.

  The air was calm and warm. Glish is a fairly young planet with a fast rotation and a mild axial tilt causing only a small difference between the nighttime and daytime temperatures. The sky was clear and one of the planet’s two moons was visible as a large white orb hanging just above the horizon, giving them enough light to easily see each other even under the bulk of the ship.

  “I’ve heard rumor of a Chroniech battleship in the area,” Dan replied. “I’ve also heard that it’s acquired some type of super weapon. Is this true?”

  “How did you- - -” Tom began. A gentle nudge from Lashpa’s tail caused him to interrupt himself.

  Dan didn’t seem perturbed at all. Looking in Tom’s direction, he said, “Like I said earlier, I have my sources. I take it it’s true then?”

  “It is,” Lashpa replied. “The military is mobilizing to eliminate the threat. You needn’t worry.”

  “That’s not what I heard,” Dan said. “The Planetary Governor has already been advised to be prepared to evacuate the population if needed. If people find out about this it could be very bad for business. The war is still fresh in everyone’s minds. People come here to relax and enjoy themselves to forget about the problems and concerns of everyday life. Nobody’s going to want to come here if there’s even a thread of a chance of an attack—especially by a Chroniech battleship.”

  “What do you want from us?” Tom asked.

  Despite the darkness, Tom’s enhanced vision allowed him to see the disapproving look that appeared on Dan’s face. “I needed to verify the rumor,” he said. “And I know Lashpa would be honest with me. Everyone else I’ve talked to since I heard about this yesterday is keeping their mouths closed like it’s some sort of big secret. I just wanted to know if the rumor was true. In this business, I’ve got to be prepared for anything.”

  “I understand,” Lashpa said. “Be careful what you do with this knowledge though,” she warned. “Drunk and disorderly is one thing but I won’t condone using this type of information to give you a business advantage or to incite any panic. I will not hesitate to charge you with- - -”

  “Come on Lashpa!” Dan interrupted, holding his hands out palm up. “You know me better than that. Competition is actually a good thing around here. Keeps us sharp and it keeps the customers happy. All the major business owners are good friends with each other. Now that I know this is more than just a rumor, I’m going to talk with my fellow business owners to see what, if anything, we can do.”

  “I’m not sure what any civilian can do other than to stay out of the way,” Tom said.

  “You’re ex-military, aren’t you?”

  “I am.”

  “I can tell,” Dan replied. “Nineteen million people call Glish home. Most of them rely on the twenty-four million that visit us each year for their income. During the Chroniech war, tourism plummeted to virtually nothing. We managed to survive, but it wasn’t easy. The war brought us closer together and taught us that our community was stronger when we all worked towards a common goal. We won’t just sit around and hope the military takes care of the situation. I’m not sure what we can do, but we’re damn sure going to do something.”

  “I admire your resolve,” Tom said.

  “I’m sure the military would be open to any suggestions you might have,” Lashpa added.

  “If we come up with anything, I’ll be sure to let you know. Thanks for being honest with me Lashpa.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Wait a minute!” Tom suddenly exclaimed. “Lashpa isn’t using her vocoder. Can you understand spoken Rouldian?”

  Tom had become so used to his internal microcomputer automatically translating Lashpa’s speech that it hadn’t occurred to him until now that she had not bothered to switch on her vocoder. Dan had somehow been able to understand her.

  Dan tapped his temple with an index finger. “Implants,” he said. “I interface with almost every species in the Alliance and being able to understand them even when they’re not using a vocoder has come in handy on more than one occasion.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “I won’t take up any more of your time,” Dan said, extending his hand. “It was nice to meet you Peacekeeper Wilks. If you need anything, anything at all while you’re here, come see me.”

  “I won’t be here long,” Tom replied, shaking Dan’s hand. “I came to see Lashpa and now I need to head back to Earth.”

  “That’s a shame,” Dan replied. Turning to Lashpa, he said, “I’ll be in touch.”

  The two peacekeepers watched as Dan turned and walked away. The sky was beginning to brighten and the sun would soon be appearing over the horizon. Tom took in a deep breath and let it out noisily.

  “You should stay for a couple of days,” Lashpa said. “Then we can head to Earth together.”

  Tom spun his head around so fast he thought he could hear his neck crack. “What?” was all he could come up with.

  “I put in for a transfer to Earth,” Lashpa replied. Tom was sure that if she were able to she would be grinning from ear to ear. “Although it’s not required, most gragrakch prefer to remain close to each other. I got word a short time ago that the transfer was approved. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all, this is great news! That’s the second surprise you’ve pulled on me and the day has hardly begun.”

  “There are some things I must take care of here before I leave. It shouldn’t take more than two or three days. In the meantime, I suggest you take Dan up on his offer. Peacekeepers are not forbidden to enjoy themselves.”

  “I don’t know,” Tom began. “There’s a Chroniech battleship out there and I don’t feel- - -”

  “And what do you think you can do about it?” Lashpa forcibly interrupted. “You must learn how to have balance in your life.”

  Tom hesitated. It didn’t feel right for him to be enjoying himself when others were putting their lives on the line.

  “She’s right,” the Orion whispered. “You’re a single individual among the billions of people spread across the
Alliance. Others more capable than you are working to eliminate the threat. You must look after your own mental and physical well-being and learn how to forget about a problem that’s no longer under your control to solve.”

  Lashpa gave him a gentle push as if she may have heard the conversation between himself and his ship. “We’ve both been under a lot of stress the past few days,” she said. “Go have some fun. Forget about the battleship. If your help is needed, your ship will let you know.”

  Tom stood in thought for a moment before deciding they were right. But what should he do? His stomach chose that moment to grumble which made the first choice an easy one. He would find the best nearby restaurant and get himself a good steak. After that … well, he just might decide to see why Glish was called the porn planet.

  Chapter 39

  The soft chime of the com-panel failed to wake the slumbering Captain. After five chimes, the panel switched to a more annoying buzzing sound. The panel buzzed three more times, each one at an increasing level of volume until the Captain acknowledged the call. “Scarboro!” he practically shouted into the device set into the wall of his bunk.

  “Sorry to disturb you Sir,” Commander Stiles replied. “The battleship has altered course. It’s heading for Parggrish.”

  Scarboro felt as if his brain was still in the middle of its startup sequence. Sitting up and glancing at the clock, he noted he’d been in bed for just over an hour. It took him several seconds to process what Stiles just told him.

  “ETA?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “About six hours. I’ve already warned them.”

  Scarboro rubbed his eyes. He was under explicit orders not to engage the battleship so his presence on the bridge would not be needed. “Wake me in five,” he ordered.

  “Yes Sir,” Stiles replied. There was a muted click as the circuit went dead.