The Curanian Dominance: The Linda Eccles Series - Volume Three

by Robert Woodard

  “Not yet. I’ll be aboard you can count on that. We will have a diplomatic on board, too. Due to the limited size of the ship, we probably only have room enough for one more, and that has to be the pilot to interact with the TR17.” Peggy hesitated, and Linda had a feeling Peggy was waiting for her to raise her hand and shout pick me, pick me!

  Picking up her cup, Linda deliberately took a sip while looking over at her mother as if the conversation no longer interested her. Donna didn’t seem to detect the silent interaction between Peggy and Linda as she busied her teabag within the hot water.

  “So, we’ll be leaving as soon as the crew is assembled,” Peggy said, clearly prompting her.

  Ignoring her, Linda said, “I would have to think that the Kuracks must be quite a distance from Earth. How long do you anticipate it’ll take for you to arrive at your destination?”

  “Just over forty-two days,” Peggy answered. She gave Linda a sideways glance, and her lips lifted slightly. There was no doubt Peggy was trying to bait her.

  Despite the knowledge that Peggy was trying to suck her into this venture, she found the idea of traveling over forty-two days unrealistic. Narrowing her eyes with suspicion, Linda asked, “How is that possible? That would put their planet not all that much further than the edge of the Rapatine system. I find it hard to believe they could be that close to Earth.”

  Peggy finished pulling her lips into a full smile. It was a clear sign that she knew something Linda didn’t. “Oh, they are some distance away alright. If we hopped aboard the Auspicious and tried to get there, it would take all of a hundred and seventy-seven years. Taking the Brontum cuts it down to just forty-two days.”

  “I think you are pulling my leg, Peggy,” Linda said, again narrowing her eyes.

  Peggy held up her hand while saying, “Scouts honor.”

  “Scouts honor my ass, Peggy.” Linda was sure that Peggy had never been a scout. When she studied her face, though, Peggy looked sincere. “I guess it would make sense that their alien technology would have tackled distance much more efficiently than we do. Do you know how they do it?” The topic suddenly drew her interest.

  “Not a clue. We don’t even know how the orb works, let alone what it is capable of doing. I guess I will get firsthand experience when we depart. I can’t tell you how much excitement this is giving me, but I am also scared to death of what we will encounter on the other end.”

  “Forty-two days, huh?” Linda noticed her mother looking up at her as she squeezed the tea bag flat with her spoon before setting it on the tray. Without having to say the words, her mother’s eyes asked if she was really considering tagging along. The possibility suddenly seemed much more inviting with such a short travel time. She had spent more time on some setup assignments than this trip would take.

  “It makes going exciting, don’t you think,” Peggy said, and Linda could feel Peggy slowly working the line to sink the hook into her lip to reel her into coming, too.

  “How do you know that these aliens will be tolerant to your sudden arrival?” Donna asked Peggy.

  “It’s a risk, I have to admit that. In my mind, though, I just can’t believe that a culture this advanced would not be open to expanding their knowledge regarding contact with other worlds.” Peggy picked up the soft drink bottle and slowly fed it into the glass to minimize the foaming it produced.

  “The Curanians weren’t all that friendly. I understand they are an advanced culture, too.” Donna responded. She then glanced over at Linda as if looking for support on the subject.

  “Mom does have a point. The Curanians are definitely hostile toward any culture other than their own.”

  Peggy set the bottle down and picked up her glass. Leaning back, she took a drink while looking at Linda and then Donna. “I don’t consider the Curanians to be all that advanced by Human standards. Based on what we know, they don’t invent technology as much as steal it. Even we humans have not shed our destructive ways yet. The fact that we had to deal with pirating in the early days of space colonization proved that. The Kuracks, on the other hand, are far beyond both our species. If you look at what is happening at Kracks, you have to wonder how much the Kuracks participated in advancing the intellectual capability of a reptilian culture. As far as we know, they may be sitting back and watching the results of their seeding of that planet.”

  “If that were true, why would they let the Curanians attack them without stepping in to protect them?” Donna asked.

  “It’s hard to say. They may not be aware of the recent attack. It’s also possible that they don’t interfere in the cultural development of a planet once they seed it. A race that advanced would be hard for us to understand on an intellectual level.”

  Linda could see the logic of Peggy’s argument. It also highlighted Peggy’s high intelligence. She clearly could see beyond the blacks and whites of the debate and look into the greys where the real logic resided. However, her mother had a good point in not knowing how the Kuracks would respond to humans knocking on their door uninvited.

  “With a race this advanced there is no way to know how they will respond to human interaction. You’re taking a huge risk that they won’t swat you aside like some annoying insect,” Linda said.

  “When is life not a risk? What if Columbus had never left Spain? What if Neil Armstrong had refused to leave the Lunar Module? What if Captain Attraus had never performed the first warp test? We would probably still be trudging along pulling carts with our wares. You know me, Linda. I’m not a hero. I see this as an opportunity to move past today. Whether it puts my name in some history archives or not, I really don’t care. This is all about meeting a species where I’m but a child by comparison.” Peggy took another drink from her glass and set it on the table. She then leaned back and stared out the window as if looking at some distant object. “Like I said before, I’m conflicted between excitement and fear. That is the excitement of what awaits me out there and the fear of the unknown.”

  “You’re much braver than I am, Peggy,” Donna said.

  “Okay, Peggy, come right out and admit it,” Linda said. “You want me to be the pilot on this adventure of yours. Don’t you?”

  Peggy shifted her eyes to look over at Linda. “I want someone on that ship with me that I can lean on for support. I want someone who will push me out of the ship if I freeze with panic. I want someone who has faced such fear before and lived to tell about it.” She then turned her head to stare directly at Linda. “I want you!”

  “Yeah, I was afraid of that.” Linda looked over at her mother for a moment, but Donna’s face failed to give her any direction. Looking back at Peggy, she said, “I don’t know if I can face something like that again. I feel that each time I leap into one of these silly adventures, I’m moving ever closer to never coming home. This one may be that one that does me in.”

  “Bull! You want to fly that ship as badly as I want to meet those that built it.” Peggy narrowed her eyes in apparent challenge of Linda denying it.

  “I have to agree with Peggy, Dear. You have been talking about this ship ever since you returned to Earth. It’s like the very essence of that ship permeated into your soul. How could you let this opportunity pass?”

  Linda’s mouth fell open. Her mother was the very last person in the entire galaxy she would have expected to side with Peggy on this. “What are you saying, Mother? You think I should go? You think I should put my life on the line in hopes these aliens won’t find me to be an ideal appetizer?”

  “I think you are over dramatizing things, Dear. No, I don’t think you should go at all, but I know you will be miserable the entire time they are away. You don’t want to go as much as you need to go. I know you, Linda. Having passed over an opportunity such as this will eat at you for a long time. Lord knows I’ll fret the entire time you’re gone.”

  “Your mother’s right. You will kick yourself every second of every day we are out there.” A huge smile came to Peggy’s face. “Besides, when I come
back carrying all that glory, plus gifts from afar, you’ll hound me for days trying to get the intricate details. It’s much better to experience it than hear about it.” She then turned her hand palm up, and asked, “Are you in or out?”

  “Damn it! I’m in and may the devil crap on your head if I get killed.”

  “Linda! I never taught you to talk like that,” Donna said. She gave Linda a hard look.

  Linda cocked her head to look at Peggy, and then she narrowed her eyes. “I learned to talk like that in dealing with the CEO of UMU, Admiral Litton, and now Peggy. All three are teaming up to ensure my soul will be forever damned.”

  “Yeah, as if it wasn’t already damned. I think the TR17 will be happy you’re coming along. It seems to have a thing for you. Who knows, maybe one of the Kuracks will think you’re cute enough to keep as a pet.” Peggy started laughing and struggled to get the last few words out.

  “Mom, the very first thing we’re going to do when I get back is move and leave no forwarding address.” Linda leaned back on the couch and drank her coffee. Her mind now resided within the chair of an alien ship while wondering what awaited her on the other side of the galaxy.

  Chapter Thirty

  With her heart pounding in her chest, Linda sat in the perfectly formed chair next to Peggy as the Brontum quickly left Earth behind it. She had given the order for the ship to return to the Kuracks’ home planet, and now they were flying through space. There had been no positioning to a known jump point. There had been no navigational computations that she could detect. The ship simply lifted off the ground and headed for the stars inside a spiraling image displayed in front of her.

  Looking through the front of the ship that had turned clear so Peggy and her could see out, that spiral in the holographic image was not visible outside the ship. What it represented, and how it worked, was a mystery to Linda. At the end of the holographic spiral, a small planet was represented. It was about the size of a golf ball. It was surprisingly detailed for such a small image.

  “This is amazing,” Peggy said.

  “It is beyond words,” Linda agreed.

  “I think what they have done,” Peggy said, “is figured out how to create a narrow worm hole between two points in space. Rather than flying through space, I think they are using gravity to pull the ship through to its destination.”

  “Wouldn’t that be slower than traveling at warp though?”

  “Yes, but you’re not really traveling the distance. There are a lot of theories around this type of technology, but what I think the Kuracks have done is mastered the ability to narrow the distance. Think of it as punching a hole in a wall to pass from one room to the next, rather than going out one door, down the hall and into the other door.”

  “Can you imagine how this would revolutionize space travel,” Linda said. “No system or planet would be out of reach. Places we can’t get to in a lifetime would suddenly be open for exploration. It’s mind blowing.”

  “It would alter mankind’s view of space and how we use it,” Peggy agreed.

  “TR17, is it safe to get up and walk around?” Linda asked.

  “Yes.”

  At the sense of Linda’s movement, the chair released its grip on her. When she came to her feet, Linda couldn’t feel any vibration she would have expected from a ship under power. If she hadn’t known the ship was moving, she would have bet it was still sitting on the surface of Earth.

  “How do you suppose the aliens relieved themselves on this ship?” Peggy asked as she got up.

  “Beats me.” Linda gave her a shrug. “Ask the thing with all the answers.”

  “TR17, how did the Kuracks release urine or defecate while riding in the Brontum?” Peggy asked. She looked at Linda and returned the shrug.

  “The Brontum is designed to remove waste in whatever form it encounters.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Linda asked.

  “I’m afraid to ask.” Peggy responded while giving Linda a disgusted look. “I think they just went wherever they felt like, and the ship absorbed it. How gross is that? You could be standing right on top of where some alien dropped a load.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Peggy, I could have gone without that thought in my mind.”

  “Hey, it’s not my doing.”

  “I think I’ll stick with the portable unit we brought along.” Linda shook her head in disgust and walked out of the front of the ship. Making her way into the next section, she noticed the wall that had once shown the mapping of the Brontum from the Kuracks home planet to Kracks now reflecting their current destination. The view reminded her of a simple tactical display she would expect to see on any human ship. Curious about it, she asked, “TR17, why is our course displayed on this wall, too?”

  “It is an archive of the Brontum’s travels.”

  “Are you saying that I could pull up any past travels this ship took since it was launched?” Linda looked around when she didn’t get a response. Realizing what she did wrong, she added, “TR17, that question was for you.”

  “Yes.”

  “TR17, how do I do that?”

  “You request the archives be displayed.”

  “TR17, please display the archives.

  Peggy came to her side at the same time Linda’s eyes widen when the entire wall shifted views to provide separate squares, each carrying a smaller depiction of the ship’s travels. Linda counted eight squares. Reaching out, she tapped one. To her surprise, the center of the room displayed a holographic image of what the wall had depicted. There were two planets floating about five feet apart, each displaying impressive detail, and a white line passed the distance between them that she took as the Brontum’s path from one planet to the next. In between were other planets, moons and what she took as varying nebulas displaying eye-pleasing colors.

  “All the time I was on this ship it never occurred to me that this information may have existed,” Peggy said.

  Linda gave her a smile, and responded, “Even geniuses have their duh moments.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?”

  “I wonder if that orb looks any different now that it is powering the ship's flight,” Linda said. Giving Peggy a head jerk, she added, “I say we go find out.”

  Entering the room with the suspended orb, it didn’t look like it was doing anything. Linda figured that whatever was happening must reside inside of the orb’s shell. She wanted to touch its surface to see if it vibrated, but she hesitated.

  “TR17, is it safe for me to touch this device?”

  “Yes.”

  Still not sure she fully trusted the TR17’s answer Linda lightly bounced a finger off the surface of the orb. Not feeling any kind of shock, she touched it rapidly a few more times before trusting it enough to rest all her fingers on the orb. Not only was the orb void of any vibration, but it did not radiate any heat. Placing her entire palm across the surface, she thought it felt cool, if anything.

  “Peggy, how can something generate enough power to drive a spiral through space yet not even get hot from the effort?”

  “Alien wizardry, I guess.”

  “TR17, how does this unit work?” Linda asked.

  “This device does not contain that information.”

  “Nice try,” Peggy said. “This genius knew enough to ask that question already.”

  “It was worth a try. Besides, it may have only needed someone to ask the question who didn’t speak science gibberish.” Linda smiled to herself as she turned to go back into the next section.

  A small table with two formed chairs sat opposite the wall displaying their course. Off to one side she could see the stack of items brought aboard prior to their departure. Metal containers carried food packets that would sustain them for up to six months. Two plastic containers held the personal items that they each brought on board.

  Seeing the two containers reminded Linda that they were down a traveler. The only person they could get to come along as a diplomat got cold feet just b
efore they were to board. Dr. Nelson refused to delay the departure long enough for someone else to be found, so Peggy and Linda went on alone.

  Staring at the portable recycling bio-waste unit, or a fancy toilet for short, Linda was not unhappy to have an all-female team. The last thing she wanted to do was take a dump in the unit while her male traveler had to retire to another section of the ship. How embarrassing would that have been? A crew had tried to install a curtain for that corner of the room, but the ceiling proved non-conductive to hold a magnetic rail. They also tried to screw hooks into the ceiling, but they were quickly absorbed by the ship to never be seen again. The thought brought back the disgusting vision of some alien crapping on the floor to let the ship absorb it into who knew what.

  Linda went over to the plastic container holding the items she chose to bring along. Flipping open the lid, she pulled out her ePersonal. “Since we have forty-two days to kill, how about a game of cribbage?”

  “I don’t know how to play cribbage.”

  Sitting in one of the chairs, she set the ePersonal down and responded, “Not a problem. You now have forty-two days to learn it. Get your ePersonal out and let the fun begin.”

  Peggy only stood there and looked at her. After a few seconds, she sighed and walked over to her own plastic container. As she dug through what looked like a disorganized mess inside the container, Peggy said, “Now where in the world did that little device wind up. I know it’s in here somewhere.”

  Linda shook her head as she watched Peggy struggle to find anything in the container. Scientists are strange animals. Linda smiled as she tried to remember where she had heard that before.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Muni found Earth to be a fascinating place. At least the parts he could see. People would show up in strange floating vehicles to provide them baskets filled with all variety of food items. It didn’t take long before these vehicles were greeted with open arms by his own people.