Rise of the Altered Moon: Altered Moon Series: Book One (The Altered Moon Series 1)

by AZ Kelvin

  “Mid-range shuttle, six fuel plates, and we throw in five ration packs,” Boss countered loudly.

  “Twenty food packs,” the man replied with refreshed interest.

  “Ten,” was all Boss said.

  “Done.” The man nodded his head once as he said it. “One SRT-30 shuttle and twenty food packs.”

  “Ten. Ten ration packs,” Boss corrected him.

  “Ten, that’s what I meaned to say,” the man reluctantly added.

  “These are the dimensions of our shuttle bay,” Boss hollered over the commotion. “We’ll want to look over any shuttles that fit these specifications.”

  “Have scrap and food packs released for transport,” the man yelled. He handed them three headsets and a purchase pad that had a floor layout and a list of available ships in their price range. “Follow indicator, enter ship ID number, and submit purchase. Shuttle and fuel plates will be taken to launch bay. You will pilot off station.” The man turned and walked away without so much as a ‘here’s your hat.’

  They slipped on the headsets and the noise level dropped immediately. The relief was huge; hearing nothing never felt so good.

  “Ahh…these would have been handy ten minutes ago.” Gina’s voice through the headset was loud and clear.

  “No kidding,” agreed CJ.

  “I know. I’m going to be hoarse for a week,” said Boss.

  “What’s so bad about that?” teased Gina.

  “Ha. Funny girl,” said Boss. “Let’s go find our new ride.”

  The cargo processing division seemed bigger than what could fit inside the station. They walked along row after row of every ship part imaginable.

  “Wilks would’ve loved this place,” said Gina. “She would’ve known every part by name and number.”

  “Yeah,” was all CJ could say.

  The rows of parts gave way to bigger bays that held huge engine modules, support struts, and fuselage framing. The ships began with personal system speeders and short-range planetary shuttles. Eventually they came to the six mid-range shuttles that were indicated on the purchase pad. Four were rejected when they first saw them. One even had a thermal shield panel that hung from bottom of the right wing. The last two ships were both mid-range shuttles, but they were very different designs.

  The first shuttle had sensor ports tucked up into a swirling contour line on each side of the nose of the fuselage, giving the ship a sort of smile with an overbite. Two oversized round view ports sat high on each side of a long and narrow center view port where the pilot sat. When you looked at the ship, one word came to mind: ‘DUH.’

  “Only if it was the last ship in the universe,” Gina said.

  “Come on, G,” teased CJ. “Can’t you see yourself tooling around the system in this beauty?”

  “Ugh,” she moaned, “it makes my eyes hurt.”

  The next ship CJ took a liking to right away. The body was sleek and had a low-dorsal profile that led up to two rear fins set at a slight angle out over each side of the engine housing. The wings and fuselage were a deep purple metallic with black body markings and gunmetal grey highlights.

  “It even has a particle cannon mounted under the nose,” CJ said, as he read the spec sheet on the shuttle. “Bascher Star Runner, standard mid-range, ten-passenger capacity. Huh. Says here this model was designed by Nelson Moon.”

  “Really?” Boss asked, as he looked up at CJ and raised his eyebrows. “Well now, I think we’ve found our ship,” he said. “Gina should give it a once-over to make sure it’s flight ready.”

  “Right. G, you’re up,” CJ said, as he looked over at her.

  “I’m on it, Cap,” she said, and walked up the entry ramp. A short time later the shuttle flashed its lights, purged its cooling systems, and fired its thruster jets as Gina took it through the preflight checklist.

  “Looks good, Captain,” Boss said to CJ.

  “Cat, this is CJ. How do you read?” CJ called into the comms unit.

  “Loud and clear, Captain, go ahead,” came her reply.

  “Crate up ten ration packs and lash them to the wreckage. Open the shuttle bay doors and prepare to release Lunar Mare’s wreckage for pickup.”

  “Roger that. On the way.”

  CJ gave Boss the nod and Boss initiated the transfer. So much time passed that they began to wonder if there was some kind of problem. The indicator on the datpad turned green and the words “TRANSFER COMPLETE” flashed three times, followed by “SHUTTLE 33939 DOCKING CLAMPS RELEASED.” A dozen yellow caution lights spun to life as a warning claxon went off. A message came over their headsets. “Please insert purchase pad into console and board your vessel. You will be taxied to the launch bay for immediate departure.”

  Boss inserted the purchase pad into the slot marked with a corresponding icon; then he and CJ boarded their newly acquired shuttle.

  “Wow, this is nice,” CJ said, as he stepped into the crew cabin. “Bucket seats each with their own view port. Hey, why can’t you see these windows from the outside?”

  “They aren’t view ports,” Boss explained. “They’re view screens that are linked to sensors on the outside of the ship. It puts the passengers at ease during longer flights without compromising hull integrity with a view port.”

  “These flight controls are set up perfectly,” purred Gina. “Everything is right where it needs to be. This Nelson buddy of yours, he builds a hell of a ship.”

  “Yes he does,” said Boss. “I hope we can tell him that in person.”

  “Shuttle 33939, this is QT Control. Prepare for taxi,” came over the comms.

  “Copy QT Control, this is shuttle 3-3-9er-3-9er, we are loaded and ready for departure,” Gina replied.

  The shuttle rocked a little as the pad that the shuttle sat on began to move on its way to the launch bay. The trip was relatively short as the ships were kept in close proximity to the launch bay. The shuttle and pad moved into a domed hangar through a set of airlock pressure doors that were five times the size of the ship. The shuttle rocked a little again as the pad came to a stop in the middle of the launch bay. The massive pressure doors closed behind them with the thump of a falling mountainside. Emergency lights came on, warning of imminent depressurization.

  “Shuttle 33939, depressurizing now, free-float in thirty seconds,” came over the comms from QT Control.

  “Roger that, QT, 3-3-9er-3-9er is ready for launch,” Gina answered, as she powered up the flight control systems.

  The domed doors of the launch bay flashed a series of red lights that ran along each side of the door seam. Black space and the ever-present field of stars welcomed them back from their trip inside the station. Gina fired the ventral thrusters for a three-second burst, then fired two more one-second bursts to give the shuttle just enough lift to clear the pad and retract the landing gear. She gunned the three primary engines, which sent the shuttle off in high acceleration. She took the Star Runner model shuttle through a series of high-speed turns and a barrel roll just to see how the ship handled.

  “Whoohoo, I love this ship,” she said through a huge grin.

  Boss looked over at her with a ‘what the hell do you think you’re doing’ look on his face. It was probably taking everything he had to keep himself in his suspensor chair during Gina’s shenanigans. “I’m not strapped into this thing, you know,” he scolded her. “If I fall out, that’s assault on a senior officer. I will confine you to our quarters.”

  “Sorry, sir,” Gina apologized. “Just seeing how she goes.”

  “She does go well, doesn’t she?” Boss said, this time with a big grin on his face. “Captain, the privilege of naming her is yours.”

  CJ looked down for a moment, “Moonshadow.”

  Gina shrugged slightly, “That’s not so bad. I kinda like it.”

  “Me too,” Boss nodded. “Well then, Captain, Moonshadow it is. We’ll give her a proper naming ceremony when we can.”

  “Sounds good,” CJ answered. “All right, G, le
t’s bring Moonshadow to her new home.”

  “Aye, Captain, heading back to the Altered Moon.”

  “Cat, how do you read?” CJ called into the comms.

  “Loud and clear, Captain.”

  “We’re bringing our new bird home,” he said.

  “Roger that, the nest is open.”

  “Acknowledged. See you in a few,” he said and turned to Gina. “Bring us in.”

  “Aye, Captain, starting our approach now.” She brought Moonshadow in nose to nose with the Altered Moon giving Cat and GABI a chance to look over the new shuttle. Gina flashed the forward floodlights a couple of times then eased the shuttle up over the Moon, spun her a hundred and eighty degrees, and settled her down into the shuttle bay.

  “Touchdown…and the crowd goes wild,” Boss said, as he raised his hands, wiggled his fingers, and imitated the noise of a crowd of people.

  “Bay doors are closed and the bay is pressurized,” Gina informed them.

  “So what now?” CJ asked.

  “Now,” Boss said, “we go for a drink.”

  “For a drink?” CJ was surprised at that course of action.

  “Yes, buying a round or two of drinks and telling a few tales helps to loosen the average tongue, if you know what I mean,” Boss told him.

  “Not me, boys. I’d like to sit this one out if you don’t mind,” Gina said. “That sounds like too much fun for me to handle. Besides, I’d like to do a full inspection on Moonshadow and sweep for surveillance and tracking bugs before we leave.”

  “Very well, G, good idea,” CJ replied. “Have at it.”

  Cat met them at the shuttle bay to check out the new ship up close. Boss told her of their plan to glean information from the local patrons of QT Station, and she declined to go along as well.

  CJ and Boss made their way back to the small greeting chamber on QT Station and the same strange man they had met before.

  “I am Warden,” he said, as though he’d never seen them before. “Please state your purpose here.”

  “Ah, Warden, we seek your drinking establishment,” said Boss.

  Warden lifted his left arm at the elbow and indicated an opening door on the far wall. “The transtube at the end of this corridor will take you to your desired destination.”

  The two men rode the transtube to what appeared to be its only stop. The door slid open and they stepped into a large, oval-shaped room. The center of it was taken up by a large bar wrapped around brightly lit shelves loaded with every type of beverage you could think of. Hard liquor, beer and wine, coffee, fruit drinks, you name it, it was there. Dozens of people were lined up around the bar in every stage of intoxication. People sat at tables that filled the floor between the center bar and the walls of the room.

  The perimeter of the room was lined with alcoves and small private tables. Large drapes of deep red material hung from the ceiling, which cast shadows across the private alcoves. The bright lights from the bar made the shadows even darker by contrast.

  Two men and a woman stood on a stage with a series of flat panels in front of them at a slight angle, so they could easily reach them. Each of the band members slid and waved their hands over different areas of the panels to produce tones and sounds. The loud music had a lively beat and people cut it loose on the dance floor in front of the stage.

  “Let’s try the bar,” Boss said.

  They eased up to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. CJ mostly sat back and watched as Boss worked his magic and soon had a small throng of people around him, laughing, talking, and telling stories. One hour and a couple of drinks turned into four hours and several rounds. Boss told one last story with a tense dramatic ending and a humorous twist that had everyone laughing in surprise. Boss waved good-bye to his group of newfound friends and shouted farewells to all, which were heartily returned by the bar’s patrons.

  CJ and Boss staggered back to the transtube, down the corridor, and out into the greeting chamber. Warden stood in the same exact spot where they’d left him four hours ago.

  “Warden…donj you…ever…shleep?” CJ managed to ask.

  The man said nothing to them as they walked past him to get to the airlock; he just stood watched them go by.

  “He nevr zhutzup,” Boss said, with raised eyebrows and half-shut eyes.

  “Did…we get…what we need’d?” CJ asked, as he opened the outer hatch of the Altered Moon.

  “Yez, bud I doan know what it iz.” Boss pulled a small surveillance bug that looked like a shooting star from his jacket lapel. “Thatz why I r’cord…ed evrthin.”

  “You…shhure are…a smart guy there…Bosh,” CJ closed the airlock door and pushed the double pivot lever to lock the pressure bolts into place.

  “Thaz yet to be zeen, my friend. But now I am awv to bed. Gud night.” With that, Boss zoomed his chair toward his quarters and almost crashed into the door before it opened.

  “Night…Bosh.” CJ managed to get to his quarters and was very happy to find his bunk awaiting him. No sooner had his head hit the pillow then he was fast asleep and snoring soundly. Everything else would just have to wait until morning.

  *~*~*

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  CJ wrestled his way back to consciousness mid-morning the next day to find things quiet and peaceful. An update on his datpad informed him that Gina and Cat had already started their duties. CJ roused Boss and the two delinquents oozed into the crew mess. CJ brewed a carafe of coffee and sat down at the table with it, then remembered that he forgot to bring a mug.

  “Ugh…” he said, as he got up and filled two mugs, sliding one in front of Boss before he sat back down.

  “Thanks,” Boss said, as he leaned up, grabbed his mug, and sipped the steaming coffee.

  “GABI?” Boss called out quietly and rubbed his eyes with one hand. “Ugh. I don’t remember drinking that.”

  “Online, science officer,” GABI replied as she shimmered in.

  “GABI, you can call me Boss.”

  “Protocol dictates that I refer to an officer of the ship by their given rank during duty hours, sir. These are duty hours, sir…for most of us.”

  “Oh, hoo, hoo, hoooo,” Boss retorted. “It’s a little chilly in cyber land this morning. That was important espionage work last night, I’ll have you know…and dangerous. We should get hazard pay, in fact.”

  “Forgive me, sir,” she answered, “but, I seem to have left my violin in my other business suit.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” CJ laughed out loud, and then put his hand to his head. “Ohh…so let’s go over the recording.”

  Boss put the microchip from the spy pin camera into the reader on the view screen console. A series of entries listed the various files that were stored on it. Boss picked the appropriate file and loaded the video. “All set, Captain.”

  “Gina, Cat?” CJ called into the comms unit.

  “Good morning, Captain,” Gina answered. “We’re here, go ahead.”

  “Hey, we’re going over our…ah,” CJ fumbled for the right term.

  “Surveillance footage,” Boss helped him out.

  “Our surveillance footage,” he continued, “in the mess, if you two would like to join us.”

  “We’d be delighted,” Gina answered. “On our way.”

  A short time later the two women walked into the crew mess, took one look at CJ and Boss, and nodded their heads knowingly. CJ could only imagine how bedraggled he and Boss looked.

  “All bright eyed and bushy tailed, I see,” Gina said a little louder than usual.

  “Do you boys need an analgesic?” teased Cat.

  “Didn’t I just hear something about a protocol regarding the usage of command rank while on duty, Science Officer?” CJ looked over at Boss for support.

  “Indeed you did, Captain,” Boss agreed. “Indeed you did. This is a serious breach of conduct. Court-martial-able I’m sure.”

  “They attempted to disguise their activities last night as a hazardous covert reconn
aissance mission,” GABI told Gina and Cat.

  “Well then, my hovering superhero”—Gina came over to sit next to Boss—“regale us with your covert exploits.”

  “I tell ya, no respect, no respect at all,” Boss said, with a quirky bug-eyed look on his face.

  “More ancient Earth humor?” CJ asked Gina.

  Gina nodded her head and scrunched her face. “Yup”—she looked at Boss—“he’s one in a million.”

  “All right, Boss, start the show,” CJ said. “Too bad we don’t have a bowl of popped corn to munch on while we watch it.”

  “Popped corn?” asked Boss.

  “Yes, Katy introduced me to it on the Istraulis,” he told him. “It’s a dried vegetable kernel that pops open into a fluffy ball when cooked. Quite tasty, actually. She said it was an ancient Earth delicacy. That should be right up your alley, Boss.”

  “I’ll be looking into it, you can be sure, Captain,” Boss said, as he began the ‘surveillance footage’ from the bar.

  The group watched the video. CJ made notes about what people said and especially about how those around them reacted to what was said. He had GABI run an analysis of any and all planet or star system names that were mentioned during the video. The list was categorized and evaluated for relative importance. A list of four planets and two moons remained after the rest were eliminated for one reason or another.

  CJ read off his list, “N’tjalu, Luminar, Arzia Octonus, Tarris, Garrin V, and Garrin VI. That’s in order of distance from nearest to furthest. Garrin V and Garrin VI are two moons in the Garrin star system. The rest are planets.”

  “It’ll be at least a day to a day and a half per stop,” Gina calculated. “The actual time would depend on current planetary conditions.”

  “Nelson Moon’s research on dark matter manipulation would require constant access to the void of space,” GABI explained. “A space station, or a regular commute to such, would be necessary to his experiments.”

  “So we wouldn’t have to do an entire planetary scan,” CJ pointed out. “We just need to find a space station or orbital platform.”

  “It won’t be that easy,” Boss said. “Nelson learned his lesson well. He won’t build out in the open after what happened the last time.” He looked at GABI. “Do either one of the moons have an atmosphere?”