“I would recommend rolling a few bombs into the cave opening to start,” Suna answered. “They created such a steep drop that the bombs would easily roll right down to the base of the entry tunnel. Setting those off should collapse the entire entrance. There is no way to know for sure if they have other exit points, though.”
“We’ll take care of that from up here. I’m going to have the crafts sent back down for extraction. I’ll send down four high-impact building busters that should work well for placing in the cave entrance. I’m also going to send you a crate of boundary markers. Use one of the crafts to set the markers around the perimeter of the hill. We’ll bombard the klidspit out of it. That should collapse any air vents, and if they have other exits, we’ll collapse those, too.”
“As you wish, Control. I’ll be standing by to receive the crafts.”
Plon cut the connection and sat back in his chair. His pounders would knock a couple thousand years’ worth of growth off that hill. He'd see to that. If these creatures like being underground so much, he would ensure they spent their last breaths down there.
Chapter Seven
“Peggy, you have your clearance to return to Kracks and obtain that ship,” Dr. Julian Nelson said.
“How did you manage that?” Peggy asked as she tried to suppress her growing excitement. She wanted to jump for joy as she stood in front of his office desk.
“Your report convinced the ESD and Governments that the technology was worth going back.”
“That is great news. I can’t wait to get my hands on that piece of engineering marvel.”
Julian pointed to one of the two chairs in front of his desk, and said, “Have a seat. I want to go over the details. We have been granted use of the Auspicious. We will also have a single destroyer for escort. Based on the dimensions you recorded of the Brontum, it will just fit into the belly hold of the science ship. So, how do you plan on getting it from the surface up to the science ship?”
“The TR17 can fly it off the planet,” Peggy answered.
“Peggy, are you absolutely positive the TR17 will fly it for you?”
“Not for me, but it will for someone it agrees is an appropriate pilot.”
Julian gave out a little sigh. “And just how do we go about finding that out? The last thing you need to happen is to get there and have the TR17 prove troublesome to you.”
Peggy gave him a little smirk. “That’s the easy part. All I have to do is point the TR17 to the Guild command files and let it tell me who it wants to tag along. The harder part will be getting the Guild to loan that person to us.”
“With the Military Brass and the Governments practically drooling all over themselves to get their hand on this ship, I don’t think getting the Guild to cooperate will be much trouble at all.”
Peggy stood up while saying, “Then it’s all set. I’ll get you some names of who TR17 approves of by the end of the day.”
“I’m going to have cargo straps send along with the Auspicious as a backup plan. If the TR17 doesn't cooperate, or you find out the ship is not flyable, you can dig tunnels under the ship to pass the straps through. A couple of shuttles off the Auspicious should be able to lift it out of there.”
“I don’t think they will be needed,” Peggy responded as she sat back down.
“Let’s hope not. It could take a week or more to dig under that ship, and the longer you are there the more likely the Kracks will come snooping around to cause a potential problem. I’m really relying on your ability to fly that ship into space, so we can be in and out of there in a single day.”
“Don’t worry, boss. You can trust me.” Peggy got up before he could decide otherwise. She quickly left the office and made her way into the elevator to descend to her lab many floors below.
Passing the duet of armed guards who now stood on each side of the entry door to her glass atrium, she ignored their presence. Ever since she reported the true capabilities of the TR17, those in charge had put some serious security measures in place to protect it.
Taking the metal steps up to the door, it clicked and sprung open a couple of inches after the facial recognition scanner validated her clearance. Pushing her way into the room, she closed the door behind her to a solid resetting of the head-duty locking mechanism. She was one again alone in her elevated, round, glass lab, and its soundproof environment.
Looking at her desk, she could see the TR17 still sat there looking like a paperweight. Very few people understood the significance of the TR17, let alone that it even existed. She supposed the small device could be classified as one of the great wonders. And, it only represented what was yet to come in the mysteries of the ship to which it was attached. She figured such technology was wasted on the Kracks. If they couldn’t hunt it, they didn’t want it. The thought made her chuckle.
Taking a seat, she tapped her tabletop to bring her monitor to life. The familiar black screen with the single blinking white cursor showed her it was still connected to the TR17. Lightly dropping a finger on the keyboard icon, she was instantly rewarded with a red virtual keyboard displaying atop the dark surface of her console. She typed, Clarify.
The TR17 instantly responded, Clarify?
Peggy took a moment to think of how best to make the request of the TR17 so it would understand. Putting the words together in her mind, she then typed. Using the Guild database, what human pilot would be able to fly the Brontum and is currently unassigned?
To her surprise, the TR17 posted a question right back at her. What human ship will be used to proceed from Earth to VO12?
Peggy wasn’t sure why the TR17 needed that information, but she provided it anyway. ESS Auspicious, science vessel.
Seeming satisfied, the TR17 went into search mode that flashed data rapidly across her monitor. She could see it took only a few seconds for the TR17 device to find and access the Guild’s command level personnel files. She watched as profiles flashed on and off the screen while the TR17 opened and closed each one. Even though Peggy didn’t time the event, she suspected it took less than a minute before everything stopped. The screen returned to its black state and flashed the words Human Identified.
Peggy was just about to ask it who when the TR17 seemed to anticipate the need and flashed a picture onto the monitor, along with the person's career profile below it. She stared at the face of a person she knew very well and had come to respect. Curious as to the selection, she typed, Why Her?
Captain Linda Eccles has commanded the vessel ESS Auspicious before, she has extensive flight experience, and she has been to VO12 twice. She is currently unassigned and qualified for contract renewal.
Peggy had to smile at the logic behind the TR17’s decision. She then chuckled at how Linda would take the news that some alien device found her to be the perfect candidate to command an advanced alien ship. She suspected Linda would grab the device and skip it across the surface of some lake until is stopped and sank out of sight. Shaking her head at the thought, she typed: If Linda is present you will fly the Brontum off VO12 and take it wherever she directs?
Yes.
That was good enough for Peggy. Now all she had to do was come up with a way of convincing Linda that she wanted to fly that ship.
◆◆◆
Linda Eccles tried to remember when she last sat in the warm summer sun and picked weeds out of a garden. It had been so long ago she couldn’t even venture a guess. In her youth, she could have picked out every plant growing in each row of her mother’s garden by simply looking at the greens. Not now, though, as time and neglect rotted that knowledge right out of her recollection.
Dropping into a sitting position, she remembered it being a whole lot easier to pick weeds when she was younger. Her back was killing her from the constant bending over, and she finally sat back to give it a rest.
“I swear, Mom, I don’t how you can still do this,” Linda complained as she arched her back while trying to work out the burning pain.
“I guess I’m just us
ed to it,” Donna replied.
“You know something, Mom. The years sure make one forget how food is supposed to taste until you get it fresh from the garden again. I could eat one of your tomatoes like an apple. They are that good.” Reaching to her right, she pulled a grape-sized cherry tomato off the vine and popped it into her mouth. Biting down, she enjoyed the sweet flavor that came with the juices that exploded out of the fruit.
“You always enjoyed the food from the garden, Dear, much more so than your sister. She never could get into eating vegetables.”
Linda chuckled at the memory of her sister Kristie’s fits over having to eat cooked greens. Kristie never could understand why she had to eat them, and seldom did she give in to the idea. Her mother always seemed to understand by not pressing her too hard. Linda supposed her mother figured it was a losing battle.
“I’m so glad that you decided not to renew your contract with the guild,” Donna said while sitting back and looking over at Linda.
“So am I, Mom. I think the timing is right. My heart just isn’t into it anymore.”
Linda decided that the fire for command died when she left her beloved Privateer. It didn’t take long for her to realize she was only going through the motions now. While commanding the Auspicious had rekindled the fire for a brief time, it quickly went out again.
“I have always tried to teach you girls that you can’t go wrong by following your heart. It led you both well in your careers, and it’s led you home again.”
Linda looked over at her mother’s weather-worn, tanned face and smiled. Donna’s eyes carried a lot of love behind them, and Linda could see her mother’s admiration for her daughter within them.
“Do you remember when Dad took us all to that lighthouse on the coast when we were little?” Linda asked.
“That was a long time ago, Dear, but yes, I vaguely remember.”
“I can still remember the curator telling us how they used to have lighthouse keepers who would keep the oil burning so sailors wouldn’t crash when they saw its powerful light. I remember the sorrow I felt when he told us how electricity replaced all those keepers, and then how computerized directional navigation made the lighthouses obsolete. I think I know how those lighthouse keepers and the curator felt. I feel like one of those bygone eras.” Linda turned back to her row and began weeding again.
“It’ll pass. Right now, your life has always been out in space aboard your ship. As long as you look back at that life you will harbor those feelings. Eventually, you must face forward and look at where you’re going. Only then will you see the right path to happiness once more.”
On her hands and knees to pick weeds, Linda had to look over her right shoulder to see her mother. When they made eye contact, Linda said, “That was awfully philosophical, Mom. I think you missed your calling as a shrink.”
“All mothers are philosophical, Dear, especially when they have two daughters. If they aren’t, they’ll go insane.” Donna chuckled at the words.
“Were we really that bad, Mom?” Linda asked. She had a sudden urge to know how much trouble she caused her loving mother when she was younger.
“Your sister was the wild one. She caused me many a sleepless night worrying over her. You weren’t as much trouble. I worried more about your sanity as you struggled to ward off the cruelty of the girls in your school. I cried many a night over our inability to make it stop.”
Linda could hear the sadness in her mother’s voice. She sat up again to look at her. “Mom, do you have any idea why I was such a target for them? I never could figure that one out.”
“I wish I knew, Dear. You were very smart and very dedicated to where you wanted to go in life. I think that some of the other kids just had a hard time understanding that part of you. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to understand the chemistry that creates the kind of conflicts you suffered all those years. I even wanted to move away from the area a few times, but you wouldn’t have it. Do you remember that?”
Linda could remember having those discussions. By the time her parents became fully aware of what was happening, something Linda tried to keep hidden, she had become so determined to beat them that moving was admitting defeat. In her mind, she made it her mission in life to prove them all wrong.
“I don’t think it would have mattered much, Mom. The bullying probably would have followed right along, only with a new set of kids being in on it. In some ways that abuse made me a stronger person inside, and perhaps molded my strong leadership skills. I learned to endure anything thrown my way with determination and a desire to succeed. Perhaps I needed to suffer those years to become who I am today. Being a captain is not an easy life, so maybe I needed to understand harsher things to make the demands of shipboard life easier.”
Donna gave her a warm smile. “And I couldn’t be prouder of you. The smile on your face the day you graduated from high school and again from the academy stayed with me a long time. You knew you had done exactly what you set your mind to accomplish, and that pride flowed out of you like nothing I’d ever seen before.”
“You always know exactly what to say, don’t you, Mom?”
“Oh, if only that were true. You give me way too much credit.” Donna stood up and stretched her back while looking up into the noon sun. “What do you say we go inside and cool off while I fix us some lunch?”
“I have a much better idea. What do you say we get cleaned up, so I can take you out to lunch?” Linda said with a smile.
“I would love that very much.”
Chapter Eight
Linda could see the shuttle parked in front of her parent’s home through the windshield of her mother’s hover-car as soon as they turned the corner. At first, she feared it might be another call from Captain Roger Murphy, sent by that harebrained Admiral Philip Litton. She would have sent him packing before he could even have opened his mouth, but she quickly realized the shuttle was not the large military version. It was one of the smaller personal rentals.
“Garage,” Donna said aloud.
“Opening garage door,” the car’s onboard computer responded.
“I wonder who they could be.” Donna said as she turned the hover-car into the driveway.
“It’s not a military shuttle this time, I can tell you that,” Linda responded.
Looking out the passenger-side window, Linda watched as the shuttle’s side hatch cracked and slowly slid open. Her view of the shuttle ended when they entered the garage, but not her curiosity as to who was in the shuttle, and what they wanted. Pressing the release button, she waited as the door hinged upward to let her out. As she came out of the garage, Linda recognized the smiling face of Peggy dropping out of the shuttle. It appeared she had finally taken up Linda’s offer for a visit, although Linda found it odd she hadn’t notified them in advance of her arrival.
“Peggy, it is so nice of you to drop by,” Linda said. She came forward with her arms out to give her a hug.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Peggy said, but Linda detected a slight hesitation in the words.
Turning to her mother, Linda said, “Mom, this is Peggy Hopkins. She led the science team that I hauled back to Kracks. You remember I told you about her?”
“Yes, Dear, I remember.” Donna then turned to look at Peggy. “It’s nice to meet you, Peggy. Linda always has nice things to say about you. I’m Donna.”
“Linda has told me much about you, too. I bet you’re thrilled to have her spending more time at home now,” Peggy responded.
“Oh, yes. It has been nice getting to know her again.”
“Are you spending the night, Peggy,” Linda asked while looking into the shuttle to see if she had brought any luggage.
“No, I wish I was, but I’m actually here to talk you into doing me a favor.”
Linda noticed the sheepish look Peggy gave her, as if she were embarrassed by the statement. Linda tried to figure out what in the world a retired ship’s captain could ever do to benefit a scientist.
&n
bsp; “Come on in,” Donna said as she led the way to the porch.
Linda smiled at how her mother still could not allow guest to come into the house through the garage, even though it was open. She had a thing about letting people see her laundry room. Her mom was old school about such things.
“Open,” Donna said as they neared the door.
“Access authorized. Would you like me to close the garage door?” The request flowed down from a hidden speaker in the awning of the porch.
“Yes, please.” Donna answered.
The front door swung open, and Linda could hear the chatter of the garage door coming down. The sight and sound reminder her that no matter how old fashioned her mother seemed, she did make good use of modern conveniences.
They gathered in the family room where Linda and Peggy took a seat on the couch. Donna hovered in the room for a moment, before asking, “Would you like something to drink, Peggy?”
“I would love a soft drink.”
“Coffee, Dear?” Donna asked when she locked eyes with Linda.
“Yes, please. Would you like some help?” Linda asked.
“No. You stay here and keep Peggy entertained. I’ll be right back.”
When Donna left the room for the kitchen, Linda looked at Peggy, and asked, “So, what is this favor you want of me?”
“I think I’ll wait until your mother returns in case you try to kill me first,” Peggy said. She chuckled, but also looked toward the entry to the kitchen.
“You have me worried already. This must be one big favor you are going to ask.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Linda smiled at her, and said, “So it would seem.”
Donna came back into the room with an orange-colored liquid in a glass with ice in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She set the coffee on the table in front of Linda before handing the glass to Peggy.
“Would you like to be alone with Linda?” Donna asked.
The Curanian Dominance: The Linda Eccles Series - Volume Three Page 5