The Silver Ships
Page 10
“Does your government know how to do this, Captain?”
“No, they don’t, but we can figure it out together, just make it one of the conditions,” Alex said and leaned across the table to take her hands. His eyes were locked on hers, pleading, “Please, Renée.”
She had been expecting him to ask for a reward, which any Méridien citizen would consider their due for extraordinary services rendered. That his first request wasn’t for himself but for them surprised her, but his request had struck a chord with her. She squeezed his hands in return. “I will, Captain. I don’t know how this will be done, but I’ll request it.” She watched him deflate, pulling back across the table, the reason for his visit accomplished.
As he rose to leave, Alex tried to express the fears he harbored. “I have no idea what you’ll find when you return home. But I have this unsettled feeling that won’t leave me. And, if I’m being forthright, I’ve had the strangest dreams about the silver ship. In my dreams, I don’t see one ship; I see hundreds.”
What he didn’t tell her was that twice before ugly images of death and danger had plagued his sleep until reality supplanted the nightmares. One early morning, he’d stopped his best friend from taking their elementary school transport. Later at school, they heard that the driver and three children aboard the transport had died following its collision with a hover-car, whose guidance system had inexplicitly failed. Death and destruction had come to pass as it had been in his dreams.
Three years later, nightmares of his father’s shuttle plummeting to the planet plagued him. He broke down sobbing when he told his parents of his fears. They knew Alex and his friend had chosen not to take the school transport on that tragic day, but they had considered it a fortunate coincidence. Still, Alex continued to plead with his father to stay home until Duggan called his boss and told him of the dreams, pretending they were his and not his son’s. Mr. Clancy, knowing Duggan was one of the most level-headed men he had ever met, chose to ground his shuttle service the following day. Later, people on the planet’s dark side were treated to a dazzling meteor shower of space dust and pebbles that swept past their planet. The two rocks that struck the Joaquin orbital station did minor damage, but no one was killed.
Renée sent Julien the vid of Alex’s visit. She added no comment, unable to voice her own fears…or tell him of her own haunted dreams.
* * *
At the conference call’s designated time, Alex and Renée settled into the bridge’s command chairs. After Julien opened a connection to Tara, Alex directed her to open a comm to New Terra, Minister Drake’s office.
“Comm engaged,” Tara replied. “Connection established.”
A friendly, male voice answered. “Minister Drake’s office.”
“This is Captain Racine and friends for the scheduled conference,” Alex replied, passing Renée a quick grin.
“Yes, one moment, Captain Racine!” the administrator replied excitedly.
“Minister Drake here, Captain Racine, with General Maria Gonzalez and Minister Darryl Jaya.”
“Hello, Minister Drake. With me is Ser Renée de Guirnon. Also present is Julien, the Rêveur’s SADE.”
At the start of the conference, questions flew back and forth, clarifying titles and responsibilities. The Team wanted to understand Renée’s position as a House representative, confirming she had authority over the Rêveur and was empowered to act on behalf of her people. To Renée, the Ministers mirrored Confederation Council members, so she understood their purpose. Alex had described the TSF and a General’s duties, but Renée was curious about the woman, whose role had no Méridien equivalent. She chatted briefly with Maria, while the others waited patiently.
There were even more questions for Julien. At first the questions were tentative and simple, but when Minister Jaya asked Julien how he was born, Minister Drake interrupted. “I believe there will be time for more detailed discussions later. Captain Racine, let me begin by saying that the President asked me to relay his profound thanks for your efforts on behalf of all New Terrans.”
Renée glanced at Alex, wondering how he would react to praise from such an important figure, and was mystified by the frown on his face.
“Thank you, Minister,” Alex replied dryly. “Please relay my appreciation to President McMorris for his kind words.”
Despite his office’s cool temperature, Minister Drake could feel the sweat forming under his arms. He wanted to bring the President something solid from their first conversation and was trying to put his best foot forward with Alex. But, he could tell he was getting a cool reception. “Ser de Guirnon,” he started, his team having received Alex’s messages concerning titles and manners of address, “the President of New Terra wishes you to know that we will offer whatever help you need. You have only to ask.”
“Excellent, Minister Drake,” Renée replied. “Then I believe I can make this a short but quite valuable conversation for us all.”
Alex could just imagine the expressions on the other end of the comm.
“We deeply appreciate your assistance, Minister Drake,” she continued. “Julien will provide all the technical specifications you require to produce the grav-plates, crystals, FTL engine repairs, nanotech material, service goods, and anything else we require.”
“Pardon me, Ser de Guirnon, but we can’t make those things,” Minister Jaya interjected.
“We’re aware of that, Minister. We’ve studied Captain Racine’s ship and equipment,” Renée explained. “What we propose, Sers, is that we give you the manufacturing technology to make these items for us. Julien has designed three generations of machines you will need to build in order to produce our material. New Terra provides the raw material, the fabrication plants, the manpower, and absorbs the cost. We provide the technology.”
There was dead silence on the comm for so long that Alex wondered if they’d lost the link.
Then Minister Drake said, “FTL drives, grav-plates, nanotechnology, crystals—anything that you need us to make, you’d give us the science to produce these things for ourselves?”
“Yes, Minister Drake, we would give you that and more—our starship specifications, our navigational data, and the history of our people after landing. Julien would create a clone of his data banks and a librarian program to navigate it.”
Stunned, Alex stared at Renée. He heard whispered exclamations between the team members, indicating they shared his surprise, before the link was silenced.
When the comm opened again, it was General Gonzalez who addressed them. In the early moments of their conversation, Renée had developed an instant affinity for the woman, who was forthright and engaging.
“Why would you do this for us, Ser de Guirnon?” the General asked. “And what would you want from us in return?”
“Excellent questions, General,” Renée laughed. “I might say it’s because we’re cousins and should be helping one another. However, my father taught me that the best contracts exist when both sides have a vested interest in the trade. I know what I’m offering is an enormous boost for your technology. The stars could be yours in two years instead of two hundred. But the items I require in exchange are no small requests either.”
“And what are they?” she asked.
“The first is the repair of the Rêveur to our specifications, along with a quantity of reserve materials.”
“Understood.”
“The second is a refit of the Outward Bound with our technology and again to our specifications.”
“But, I did
n’t…” Alex interrupted.
Renée silenced his objection with a hand on his arm and continued, “If not for Captain Racine’s efforts, which nearly cost him his life, all of us and our technology would be far outside your system, lost to you. This is the least we can do for him.”
Drake added, “Yes, we are very grateful to Captain Racine for his efforts as well. We can appreciate the reason for your request.”
“Before I make my final request, I’d have you know this. The first foreign starship to enter our space in the over 700 years of our existence attacked us when we came to the rescue of one of our freighters, which it had just crippled. It fired on us without warning until we escaped into FTL, never responding to our communications attempts.”
“In order to protect ourselves from such an attack again, we wish to form a contract with you that you will use our technology to arm the Rêveur.” She gave Alex a quick smile of her own. “We understand you have no concept of arming a ship. I can tell you that our Confederation, which is a conglomerate of our home world and colonies, has none either. The attack on our ships took place seventy-two of your years ago. Perhaps, a fighting ship is something we both need before this species finds either of our inhabited worlds.”
They heard Minister Jaya whisper, “They were in stasis for seventy-two years,” before the comm went quiet again.
After a few moments, Drake responded, “We are pleased to be able to help your people, Ser. The gift of your technology represents a great boon to our society, which will be well worth the hardships of integration. And while we could grant your first two items, the question of weapons will require further discussion. I’ll present your requests to President McMorris for his consideration. In the meantime, I’ll have a summary of our conversation worked up for your records.”
“That’s quite unnecessary, Minister Drake,” Renée said. “Julien has informed me that he’s transmitting a draft of our proposal and a record of our conversation to your readers even now.”
“But how would he get access to our readers?” Minister Jaya sputtered.
“Never mind, Darryl,” they heard the General say, “check your reader. It’s a done thing.”
“We’ll await your response, Sers.” Renée continued. “You may communicate with the Outward Bound. Alex has programmed his Tara to transfer your comm requests to me. Rêveur fini,” she said and cut the link.
Renée turned in her bridge chair and looked at Alex, a smile stretching across her face. “How do you think I did, Captain?”
-12-
The Rêveur’s repair progress came to a halt with the exhaustion of its nanotech and circuitry stock. Much of the ship was still in need of reclamation.
Alex monitored their flight path from the Rêveur’s bridge. Its expansive information displays and augmented telemetry made his job much easier. And it was where he most enjoyed conversing with Julien. The Méridiens, recognizing his affinity for the space, politely avoided venturing unnecessarily onto the bridge.
One evening, Renée approached Alex as he left the meal room. “Captain, if I might have a moment of your time? Would you walk with me?”
“Certainly,” he said and fell in beside her, walking to a cabin located just behind the bridge.
The door slid open at Renée’s approach and she stepped through it, announcing, “This is the Captain’s cabin, which we wish to offer for your use. Your daily journeys back and forth to your ship are an unwarranted risk, and I must apologize to you for not considering it sooner.”
He gazed around the well-appointed sitting room. It was furnished with a conference table and chairs, a lounger, and a work desk with an intricately etched metal surface. He activated the vid display and discovered the bridge’s telemetry data could be at his fingertips.
“Renée, this is very nice, but Julien told me your uncle was the Captain of this ship…” He stopped as she held up a hand to silence him. A door opened behind her and she gestured toward it. Curious, he stepped through it into the adjoining sleeping quarters. The amount of space staggered him. A large bed was situated against a bulkhead. Display shelves, lining one wall, held a personal collection of Captain de Guirnon’s mementos.
“I believe this bed is big enough to accommodate even you, Captain.”
“Plus a companion or two,” he said absentmindedly, staring at it. Then the implication of his words dawned on him and a blush crept up his neck. A quick glance at Renée revealed she was smiling, whether from his statement or his embarrassment, he wasn’t sure.
Renée watched Alex struggle with his decision. Her people would have simply accepted the gift as the honor due them. In many ways, New Terrans, or at least this New Terran, continued to baffle her. Yet, he cared for the well-being of her and her people as no Méridien ever had—save one whom she had previously underestimated—Julien.
“This is but a small gift, Alex. A gift you deserve. My people owe you our thanks.” Then she added, “I owe you my thanks.” And she kissed him as she had the first time, her kisses lingering on his cheeks.
* * *
The next morning, the cabin chime slowly penetrated Alex’s consciousness. He struggled to remember where he was and place the unfamiliar sound. He spotted his comm device on the sideboard and restored it to his ear. “Julien?” he croaked.
“Greetings, Alex,” Julien responded, “Your morning meal is ready. Shall I allow them access to your cabin?”
“What time is it?”
“It’s 10.75 hours, by your ship’s clock. No one wished to disturb you earlier—so, they have brought morning meal to you. Shall I admit them?”
The long sleep was what he had needed. The continuous days of heavy work, most of which he’d spent in his EVA suit, had taken their toll. Barely awake, he could already feel hunger gnawing at him. “Yes, please let them in.” As he sat up, he heard people moving about in the main salon. The events of the previous evening slowly returned to him. The private refresher, once he’d mastered its operation, had been pure bliss. The Méridiens used an ingenious mix of pulsing air and some sort of liquid for washing. Whatever the process, the refresher had left him feeling clean and massaged.
He’d discovered the cabin’s self-guiding garment cleaner. Following Julien’s directions, he’d thrown in everything he was wearing, allowing the device to auto-detect the fabrics. Then he’d climbed into bed, the surface reforming beneath him, and slid into oblivion with a smile on his face, savoring the unaccustomed comfort.
Now, as he struggled up from the bed, he realized his clothes were still in the cleaner. So he wrapped the bed’s coverlet around his waist and listened at the door. Hearing nothing, he tapped the door control and stepped into the sitting room, discovering not only a well-laid table of food but two women standing patiently behind it.
“Good morning, Ser,” they said in unison.
“Good morning, Geneviève, Pia,” replied Alex, nodding to both. “My… my clothes are in the cleaner.”
“No difficulty, Ser,” Geneviève said enthusiastically, and moved past him into the sleeping quarters.
“Ser, will you wish to change before your meal or begin now?” asked Pia, gesturing to the trays.
Before Alex could respond, Geneviève whisked back into the room and laid his clothes across the back of the lounger. With a hand indicating his clutched bed coverlet, she offered, “May I assist you, Ser?”
Alex glanced between the women’s faces and saw nothing but innocence. His sister’s face often wore a similar expression during one of her pranks, and the recognition of the similarity cleared the mental cobwebs. “I think I can manage, Geneviève, thank you,” he responded politely, refusing to play their game. “In fact, that will be all for now,” He walked over to stand by his cabin door.
“Yes, Ser,” they replied in chorus as they exited, their gazes lingering on the wide expanse of his exposed chest.
Alex smacked the door control. As it slid closed, he heard a chorus of giggles echoing down the corridor.
“Oh, black space!” he sighed. Then, he headed for a quick change before sitting down to devour everything on the table.
* * *
Renée was helping Terese review the medical equipment that required repair or replacement when she accepted Julien’s comm.
Renée felt her heart skip a beat at his words, which didn’t go unnoticed by Julien.
Renée smiled as she visualized the scene.
-13-
As they approached New Terra, Julien accumulated information on the New Terran solar system and local astronomy charts. Using the data, Julien and Edouard worked to determine their present position relative to their home world.
Tara’s interception telemetry provided their starting point. The calculations and mapping took hours, but they finally pinned down the information they needed.