by PP Corcoran
#
The anxiety was easy to read on Bruce’s face as Amber made her final preparations for what they both hoped would be the first step in releasing the three captured crew member. Amber’s face was one of studied calm. Years of service in the Diplomatic Corps had given her the ability to keep all emotion from her expression but that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel her chest tightening. The linguists had been working feverishly to make sense of the language packet that had been transmitted to the Rapier. The linguists assured Bruce and Amber they were confident they had made enough headway that a limited conversation was possible and that any two-way conversation would only increase their understanding of the aliens’ language.
Amber gave Bruce a small smile. “Well, here goes nothing.”
Bruce gave her a small nod. “Communications. Open a link to the bogey.”
Amber let her neutral expression return as the holo cube sprang to life and she was confronted with the image of the gray-skinned alien. The computer’s facial recognition software identified the alien as the same one Bruce had seen earlier. Unless they’re all identical, thought Amber.
“Greetings, sir. I am Ambassador Amber Isa and I represent a group of planets called the Commonwealth Union of Planets.”
There was a long pause as the alien stood stock-still saying nothing in reply. Amber began to wonder if the linguistic program had failed to interpret her message. After what seemed an eternity, the slit below the alien’s eyes began to move and in Amber’s ear bug a broken, unemotional computer-generated voice said, “Greetings Ambassador Amber Isa of… unknown…planet. Apologies. Death. Hurt. Mistake. Forgive. Thought you Deres… unknown… Enemy.”
Out of range of the pickup Bruce slapped his armrest with a balled fist. Damn, I was right. They thought we were someone else.
“We are not your enemy, sir. All we wish are the return of our people and we will leave in peace.”
Obviously the computers on the bogey were working on the interpretation just as the ones on Rapier as this time the alien’s reply came quicker.
“I will return unknown crew member unknown worry you take revenge unknown trust you.”
In the holo cube the alien raised its arms revealing its large hands, thin pieces of skin linked each of its fingers, like those on a frog’s feet. Amber kept her face expressionless but inside she allowed herself a smile as she counted the fingers. Five. No doubt about it, these aliens were the descendants of Saiph DNA manipulation. Exactly what SurvFlot Two had been sent to find. When Amber had been selected as head of the diplomatic mission she felt it was the culmination of her career. The opportunity to go into space and establish relations with alien races which carried the same genetic material as humans. Long-lost relatives of humanity. In that moment, Amber realized that she only had one choice if she was to earn the trust of these aliens.
“I suggest a trade, sir. The crew member for me. I will be your guarantee of safety.”
Bruce Torrance’s jaw dropped and he began to protest but a look from Amber stopped him. She understood that she couldn’t secure the release of the crew member without offering something in return and what would signal trust more than her offer?
“That would be acceptable.”
Amber gave a satisfied nod. “Expect me shortly and thank you, sir.”
The link was cut and Amber turned to Bruce. The relief at the prospect of the release of his crew member mixed with apprehension over the deal that Amber had just struck with the alien. Bruce regarded her for a few moments before his face broke into a wide grin.
“Ambassador, excuse my turn of phrase, but you have got a big set of stones.”
Amber returned his grin. “Admiral, sometimes you just have to roll the dice and see where they land.”
#
The shuttle that had delivered Amber to the motionless bogey had undocked and was accelerating away when the incoming signal icon lit up in Bruce’s holo cube. Accepting the signal the face of Doctor Novak, the Rapier’s chief medical officer, appeared.
“You’ll be glad to hear that apart from a few cuts and bruises, both Childers and Gambee are fine.”
“What about Yong?”
“Crew member Yong has suffered a fractured skull so I’ve kept him unconscious for the moment until I can get him back to sick bay and get a bone weaver on him but there doesn’t appear to be any brain damage so he should be fine in a week or so, just a headache.”
A sense of relief washed over Bruce, which was quickly replaced with one of unease as he remembered that the ambassador was now a hostage of the aliens.
“How did the aliens treat the ambassador?”
“From what I could see, with respect…” The doctor chuckled. “Although the look on Wilder’s face was one for the books.”
Aubrey Wilder had been… persuaded to accompany Amber aboard the alien ship. When the head of the linguistics department had heard of Amber’s deal, he petitioned Bruce to allow someone from his department to go with her. His argument was based on the point that the ambassador was fully reliant on the interpretation software loaded onto her PAD and, as he had pointed out, there was always the chance the PAD could fail. Wouldn’t it be better if a trained linguist accompanied the ambassador? Bruce wasn’t happy with the suggestion of giving the aliens a second hostage but he could see the merit and reluctantly agreed. Aubrey Wilder hadn’t been too enamored with the idea either, but when Bruce mentioned the words “promotion” and “academic credit,” the young linguist agreed. Now Bruce was wondering if Wilder was beginning to regret his decision.
“Thank you, Doctor. Let me know as soon as you have anything new on Yong’s condition.”
Bruce cut the link and sat back in his command chair. His stomach let out a quiet rumble and he realized he hadn’t eaten since they’d arrived in system. Bruce checked the clock on his repeater. Had it only been three hours? Perhaps a sandwich from the galley? Bruce settled in for a long wait.
#
“I swear to you Aubrey, if you throw up, I will personally kick your ass!”
“Sorry Ambassador, but I’ve never been in a situation like this. I work in an office.”
Another pitiful moan escaped Aubrey, and Amber Isa regretted her decision to bring him along. When they had docked with the alien ship, Amber had been the first to step through the airlock with Doctor Novak close on her heels. Awaiting her was crew member Childers, a vacant stare fixed on her face. Two of the gray-skinned aliens had Gambee’s arms pinned by his sides and he looked like he was ready to throw them off at any moment and start fighting again. From a side corridor, what looked like a hospital gurney was wheeled in by another alien. On the gurney lay an unconscious Yong, the cover over his chest rising and falling at a steady rate. Gambee’s muscles tensed and the aliens holding him tightened their grip.
“Petty Officer, relax. I’m here to get you and the others home and any rash action will only delay that,” intoned Amber loud enough to be heard across space. Gambee gave a curt nod and forced himself to relax.
A single alien in a one-piece brilliant white coverall belted at the waist stepped forward. A stylized golden sunburst was emblazoned on the right side of his chest and he held a small black box-like device in his webbed hand. He raised the box to his mouth and began to speak into it quietly. From a hidden speaker in the device came out slow, monotone English.
“Ambassador Amber Isa, I am Ship Master Ussa and I greet you in the name of the Nilmerg. Sorry for damage to ship and bodies. Was mistake. Believe you Deres. Mistake. Give back bodies.”
Ussa made an awkward arm motion at the Nilmerg pushing the gurney and he wheeled it into the center of the room before retreating.
Amber spoke without turning away from Ussa. “Doctor, if you would be so kind.”
Novak cautiously walked forward and ran his medical PAD quickly over the unconscious Yong. “Looks like a skull fracture, but I’ll know more when we get back to the Rapier’s medical bay.” Two medical orderlies moved f
orward transferring Yong onto a hovering med bed, its built-in instrumentation coming to life as it detected a casualty. Novak tapped a few controls on his PAD and the bed administered a mild sedative. “That should keep him comfortable for the journey. Let’s get him aboard the shuttle.”
One of the orderlies gave the med bed a gentle nudge and it moved off in the direction of the waiting shuttle with the second orderly and Novak trailing behind. With Yong safely on his way to the shuttle, Ussa motioned to the Nilmergs restraining Gambee. Both Nilmergs released him and took a step back. Gambee flexed his arms and began to say something but Amber cut him off.
“Not a word, Petty Officer. Get aboard the shuttle. Now!”
Gambee gave her a sullen look before reluctantly walking towards the airlock. “Aye-aye ma’am.”
That only left Childers. Amber called to her softly. “Childers.” No reaction. “Angie.” The use of her first name provoked a reaction in the young crew member. Bruce had been right. The whole ordeal of having her ship shot out from under her, the mad scramble for the life pods, being taken hostage by aliens, seeing her dead officer and watching her crew mates being either beaten by the aliens or removed unconscious had just been too much for her. Amber marveled that she had managed to last as long as she had.
Amber looked towards Ussa for permission and he made that strange arm motion again. Amber walked slowly forward and put an arm around Childers’ shoulders. “Come on Angie, let’s get you home.”
Childers looked into the ambassador’s face as the trembling set in and her eyes filled with tears. “Home?”
Amber hugged her gently. “Yes, home. I need you to walk Angie, can you do that?”
Together they shuffled forward to the airlock where one of the orderlies had returned from securing Yong aboard the shuttle. He gently took Childers from the ambassador. Amber went to step away but Childers gripped her arm with surprising strength.
“Thank you. Thank you for coming for us.”
Amber gave her a small smile and patted her hand gently. “The admiral was very insistent.” With that, the orderly carefully walked Childers into the airlock. Shaking herself mentally Amber walked as confidently as she could back the few paces until she once again stood opposite Ussa. Behind her, she heard the airlock close and with a jolt the shuttle disconnected itself and began its journey back toward the Rapier.
Quiet descended on the space as human ambassador and her nervous linguist faced Ship Master Ussa. The seconds passed slowly. Ussa stood stock-still, his two large black eyes unblinking. That’s if they do blink of course, thought Amber. Well, we just can’t stand here forever, someone has to make the first move.
“As I promised Ship Master, I have remained in exchange for our hostages. So, where do we go from here?”
“Ambassador not prisoner. Trust shown. Guest now.”
“Perhaps we could talk about…”
A high-pitched triple beep came from behind her and the Nilmergs’ reactions were lightning-fast as hands dropped to leg holsters and evil-looking stubby weapons appeared.
Ussa shouted something at his crew and each froze in place but the weapons still pointed towards Amber. No, she realized, they weren’t pointed at her. They were pointed at something behind her. Wilder. What had that idiot done?
Amber raised her arms above her head, hoping the Nilmergs would recognize it as an act of surrender and in a loud stage whisper called out to Aubrey, “Whatever you’re doing Aubrey, I strongly suggest you stop it or we’re both going to end up dead.”
When the linguist didn’t answer, Amber slowly turned her head to see what he was doing, only to find him busily tapping away at his PAD.
“Aubrey, you need to stop whatever you’re doing now, do you hear me?”
Aubrey continued tapping away for another few seconds then stopped and his face came up with a smile that spread from ear to ear. “Got it.” It took him a moment to realize that Amber had her hands above her head and that every Nilmerg in the room was pointing something nasty at him.
“Oh dear. Eh…”
“Very slowly put the PAD on the deck, Aubrey, and step away from it, OK?”
Instead of obeying, Aubrey touched a single key on his PAD and in her ear Amber felt the familiar gentle tingling of her ear bug activating and clear as day a voice could be heard.
“No one will fire unless specifically instructed by me. There have been enough mistakes already and I will not go down in our history as the ship master who started another war.”
While Amber had been concentrating on her dialogue with Ussa, Aubrey had been busily refining the interpretation software on his PAD, unaware of events going on around him. The triple beep emitted by the PAD was the sound of his success. Unfortunately, it had almost got both of them killed.
“Aubrey, tell me you can get your software to run on Ussa’s little box of tricks.”
“Not a chance, Ambassador. I have no idea how their systems are set up.”
Amber felt the hope fade.
“But what I can do is download it to an external bone pick up that he could wear. A bit bulkier than an ear bug, it bypasses the ear canal and sends the sound vibrations directly into whatever equivalent bone structure they have for converting sound to vibration, but with a little trial and error it should be just as effective.”
Amber was still trying to figure out how to ask Ussa to wear the bone pick up when he walked right up to Aubrey and stretched out his open hand. Ussa had obviously been following their conversation as best he could. Aubrey got to work. Pulling a pick up from his top pocket, he placed it carefully onto his PAD. A few seconds later, Aubrey’s PAD emitted a small beep and he placed the pick-up in Ussa’s hand. With a swift motion the Nilmerg commander rotated his arm at the elbow and placed the pick up beside a small flap of skin just behind his lower jaw. Amber gave it a few seconds, crossing the fingers of her outstretched hands.
“Can you understand me, Ship Master?”
Ussa’s took a small step backwards and his hand went to the pick-up. “Yes Ambassador, I hear you clearly. A moment please.” Ussa pivoted to face his crew, all still with their weapons aimed at Aubrey. “Holster your weapons.” With obvious reluctance, they did as ordered.
“Now that we can understand each other properly, Ambassador, let my express my deep regret for the confusion which led to us firing on your ship. In way of an explanation we have been at war with the Deres for more than four generations and your ship’s sudden arrival… well, to be honest, we thought it was a new Deres weapon with which to ambush us.”
“Understandable, Ship Master. If I had been at war for so long then I may have reacted in the same fashion. But if I may ask, who are the Deres?”
CHAPTER TEN
An Audience with the Emperor
ALONA – MESSIER 54 – 50,000 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH
TDF Southern Cross emerged into the vast nothingness of space and immediately the ship’s systems began to probe the space around it.
“Looks like we’ve arrived in clear space, sir. Instruments show that the nearest objects look to be the rings of the gas giant at 1800 mark three six. Distance is just a hair over 260,000 kilometers.”
Lieutenant Commander Bob Straits let out a satisfied grunt. He had commanded the Southern Cross since she had left the Janus ship yards eleven months before and since then she had been bouncing between the four planets of the Commonwealth nonstop, but this was the first time that he had made the voyage out to Messier 54 and after a journey of 50,000 light years the ship had arrived exactly where the navigation officer had said it should. Pretty impressive. Not that he was going to tell Nichol Lacroix that. The bridge of the small courier ship was cramped enough without having to contend with her massive Gallic ego bragging about how good she was.
“OK Mark, contact Alona port approach control and identify us. Apologize for our unannounced arrival but explain that we’re a diplomatic courier with urgent dispatches for the Commonwealth embassy. We’re holding at t
he outer system marker and request permission to fold to the inner marker where we’ll proceed to an orbital insertion using sub-light drive only.”
“Got it. We should get a reply in about three hours at this distance depending on how on the ball the controllers are today.”
“Fine, let’s do a bit of housekeeping while we wait. I’m not too happy with those upgrades to the sensors, could you run a full diagnostic and tell the chief we’re still getting that intermittent warning light from the fusion injectors? We’re going to be here a while so I’m happy if he takes nonessential power offline to have a look at it as long as we’re ready to go again when we get the green light from port approach.”
Bob sat back in his chair and brought up the latest ship’s engineering report while the first officer set about the systems diagnostic.
An hour later, Bob was immersed in the latest paper on theoretical advanced engine design when a blinking amber icon in the display caught his attention. That was odd. Bob tapped the icon and his display filled with sensor data. According to this there were multiple engine sources closing on the Southern Cross.
“Mark…”
“I see it, sir. The sources are partially hidden by the gas giants rings. Give me a minute, the computer is running the data now.”
One minute became two as the computer worked away, trying to identify the engine signatures.
Mark pushed himself back from his console with a low hum and scratched his jaw.
When he didn’t say anything further, Bob got up and stepped over to him. “What have you got, Mark?”
Mark pointed at a slow, repeating wave on his display. “The computer says that’s a gravity drive. Problem is, it doesn’t exactly match any gravity drive used by the Commonwealth. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not far off a match. The closest I have is a commercial version of a Talos light cruiser drive, but it looks to have been modified somehow. Whoever it is, there are five distinct drive sources and they’re closing on us so we should be able to get a better sensor reading as they do. To be honest with you, skipper, I don’t think they know we’re even here.”