Johnny winced. “That doesn’t sound like Knuttin.”
Mace shook his head. “Wasn’t him. We had a meeting with a diplomat from the warstation. That was one of the first things out of his mouth. He said they only establish formal relations with species they intend to fully bring into their system. Problem with that is those other species will be second class citizens. I told him that was a non-starter. He didn’t seem to care.”
Johnny laughed. “It’s a crazy galaxy out there. Hostile, arrogant, deceitful… seems they have all the Human qualities. I suppose that puts them on par with the Galactic Union founders. Those lower tiers were all second class citizens.”
Fatso Geerok joined in the conversation. “If it is run anything like the Union, it wasn’t a bad existence. If you played by the rules you did well.”
Jasper said, “I ain’t playing by nobody’s rules but my own. They can keep their gatrellium. There’s more out there.”
Mace said, “I’d be happy to share ours, but it’s a limited supply and we don’t have any available sources to augment it.”
Johnny raised a hand. “So why don’t we go find some? We know how to scan for it. We can take the Rogers and jump to every system anywhere near us. It only takes a single orbit to know if any exists.”
“Not a bad idea,” said Jane. “Especially since we aren’t currently at war with anyone. And if we want to build our own fleet, we’ll need a new supply for that anyway.”
Mace nodded. “I think we could go for that. Jasper, can your engineers deal directly with our government for the buildout?”
“They could. Other than informing them of what we’re doing, they really should just stay out of the way.”
Johnny asked, “What is it we’re doing?”
Mace pulled up an image on his holo-display. “We’re gonna build a fleet of these flying buses. Strip out the seats and a few other items and we also have a cargo hauler. The Targarians will be building a terminal at every community center. When that’s done, we can look at expanding it out into the communities.
“We also have a replacement for the comm bracelets everyone has been wearing. It’s time to rid ourselves of the Mawga technology that was used to spy on us. We’ll be rolling this out to our fleet whenever we build one, and our arm pads, and helmets. It’s basically a new system from the ground up that should make it difficult for any of the former Union members to eavesdrop on us.”
Geerok nodded. “I’ve been wondering when this would happen. Our current tech is the reason the Union founders were able to spy on us all. I’ll sleep better knowing my conversations are secure.”
Johnny laughed. “Wait a minute, I thought you didn’t care about getting caught or dying?”
Geerok shrugged. “You people have showed me that I want to live. Maybe one day I can take the lessons I’m learning back to my own people.”
Johnny grinned. “You planning to unseat the Emperor?”
Geerok sighed. “I only wish to make things better for my people. Now that they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Dellus, perhaps we can consolidate and grow our colonies as we see fit.”
Mace stood. “So who’s with me?”
Jenny Taub came up the steps behind him. “Where we going?”
Mace turned. “Exploring—for gatrellium. We’re going to need our own supply once we start building ships.”
Jenny nodded. “Count me in. I’m up for a little adventure.”
Johnny laughed. “Well, this will be very little adventure, more just riding around and doing scans.”
“You know what we should do?” said Jane. “Since we’ll be scanning anyway, we ought to perform deep scans and log the minerals on each of the planets we visit. A database of those materials might be useful for future needs.”
Mace opened a comm to the full crew of the Rogers. “This is Hardy. We’ll be doing some exploring the next few days. I’m looking for enough volunteers that we can run three shifts. On this venture we’ll be mapping out the mineral resources of as many local planets as we can. We’ll start with all the planets and moons right here in our own system. If interested, report within the next hour. Can’t promise much action on this trip, but it’s something we need to do.”
As the reporting time closed, three quarters of the normal crew, including all of the senior members, walked up the ramp onto the Rogers. The ramp was lifted and the single, jump-capable, Earth-based fighting vessel lifted into the sky.
A direct route was taken to the moon, where they performed a series of deep scans. Scans showed an abundance of aluminum in the form of anorthite, and titanium encased in ilmenite. Also, helium 3, an alternative reactor fuel, was present, and could be easily mined. No traces of gatrellium were found.
A scan of each of the planets and each of their moons yielded a rich supply of common minerals. Gatrellium was not among them. Runs to Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A and B, Barnard’s Star, and Wolf359 gave similar results. Luyten A and B each held a trace detection, as did Sirius A and B. No other hits were recorded until a scan of the second planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani.
Humphrey said, “We have a single field, Mr. Hardy. Likely from an asteroid. A quick estimate would be ten to fifteen tons of raw ore. Refined, that would be maybe twenty-five hundred kilograms?”
Mace nodded. “Excellent. Log it. Mr. Hobbs, take us to number three.”
Liam replied, “There is no number three. Only two asteroid belts. I would suggest a scan of those since we found evidence here potentially from an asteroid strike.”
Mace gestured toward the display wall. “Make it happen, Mr. Hobbs.”
Seven hours were spent scanning the contents of the inner asteroid belt without finding a trace. Halfway through a scan of the outer belt, a hit came up in the data.
Humphrey said, “I believe we have a substantial find, Mr. Hardy.”
Jeff followed, “We may have an entire asteroid made of gatrellium. And the purity appears to be high.”
Mace said, “Take us in closer, Mr. Hobbs. I want a full image of that rock.”
Humphrey pushed it to the wall display. “A kilometer long, nearly half a kilometer in diameter.”
Mace smiled. “Excellent. Now, how do we get it out of there and back to Earth?”
Jeff said, “This may sound farfetched, but the asteroid is made out of gatrellium. The data on the display suggest it may be of high enough quality to pass through our wormhole if so directed.”
Mace replied, “You suggesting we just take it, create a micro-wormhole and push it through?”
Jeff nodded. “That is exactly what I’m suggesting. Once back at Earth, we can determine how to process it.”
Mace smiled. “I have a better idea. What if we send it directly to Divinia? They could process it for us for say… a 20 percent cut? How much would this rock add to our stockpile?”
Jeff replied, “If we follow your suggestion, it would quadruple it.”
Mace raised an eyebrow. “If we used it for ship construction, how many ships are we talking about being able to build?”
Jeff leaned his head to one side and the other in thought. “A find of that size would potentially cover several thousand ships, with a bit left over.”
Mace stood with a grin. “Johnny, open a comm wormhole to Jasper.”
Johnny pressed several buttons. A comm link was established and an image of a sleepy Jasper Collins appeared on the display.
“You woke me up. You find something?”
Mace nodded. “We did. A single asteroid that is almost pure gatrellium. We want to send it through to you for final processing. We’ll give you a 20 percent cut for your efforts.”
“What kind of a find are we talking? Big?”
“Really big. Enough for us to cover a thousand ships with and to still have half left. After that, we have a smaller find that needs to be mined from a planet. Probably adds 15 percent to the size of this one.”
Jasper said, “Send her through. I’ll get
a few teams ready to deal with it. If it’s as much as you say it is, this is a major find, equal in size to one of my three mines, if not bigger.”
Jeff added, “Should be enough for you to finish your fleet.”
“Send it through,” said Jasper. “We’ll handle it.”
The Rogers was carefully maneuvered into the asteroid field. After slowly bumping several large asteroids surrounding the gatrellium, the grappling arms were extended and the rock seized. A slow steady move had the piece moved up and out of the field. A release placed it in a slow roll. A micro-wormhole was opened in its path and the immense boulder slipped through. The Rogers followed after to the sound of cheers.
Jasper came over the comm. “That’s a big rock. I think you have managed to fuel our strategy with a single find.”
Mace pumped a fist in the air as Jeff congratulated himself on such a fine suggestion.
Mace said, “And we’re just getting started. We’ve only checked the ten stars closest to Earth. I’m thinking there must be more of this out there than we think.”
Jeff held up a finger. “Of that we can’t be certain. The next thousand systems we search may have nothing.”
Mace replied, “Then we’ll search a thousand more. Either way, this is potentially huge. Jasper, when do you think your people will be able to start on a repair yard for us?”
Jasper scratched his chin. “That probably won’t be for another year.”
Johnny turned. “A year? What gives?”
Jasper shook his head. “Sorry. We only have so many resources. I have a second yard under construction here. That will take another six months all on its own. When complete, those resources will be used for ship construction. I’m maxing out my manpower right now.”
Johnny said, “I thought you had the Zinka and Quelli peoples under your rule?”
Jasper waved. “I gave them their freedom. They were too much trouble.”
Geerok said, “Perhaps you should consider an expansion to your empire?”
Jasper tilted his head. “Expansion? How so?”
“There are any number of species who were previously ruled by the founders who might jump at the chance to align with a Human—especially one of such power. I talked before of the Mawga moving out from under the Emperor. I believe that to be possible, and I believe the Mawga people would relish being a part of a larger, benevolent empire or kingdom. We are quite capable as shipbuilders, being the primary workforce for the Dellus in that regard.”
Johnny said, “The Dellus would not be happy with that arrangement.”
Jasper replied, “The Dellus will do whatever I tell them. Mr. Geerok, who would we talk to in the Mawga government about such an act?”
Geerok thought for a moment. “I could approach Commodore Vallintine. He has always been a man of reason.”
Jasper said, “I’ll send over a shuttle. You and I will go have a talk with him. If the Mawga have no objections to becoming a part of the Targarian kingdom, I have no issue with bringing them aboard. I can’t say I care for what they did in the past, but we need to move on if we’re gonna grow.”
Gnaga Klept was summoned to the bridge.
Mace asked, “What would be the likelihood of your Kaachi people leaving the Dellus and joining the Targarians?”
Gnaga frowned. “Zero. The Targarians were the deciding no vote in every close issue before the Union when it came to solving territorial claims. They have been despised by the Kaachi for more than a century. The Kaachi territory would be nearly a third larger without those votes.”
Mace pushed it further. “Even with all that has happened of late? With the dissolution of the Union?”
Gnaga shook his head. “Things change, but the Kaachi are a species who hold grudges. I just don’t think they would be amenable to any such deal unless forced.”
Jasper scowled. “I’m not taking anyone who’s forced. And if that’s the way they feel about my people, then I don’t want them. Let’s just start with the Mawga and we’ll see where that goes.”
The shuttle arrived and collected Fatso Geerok. The gatrellium asteroid was captured by the Targarians for processing, and the Rogers departed for a continued search. Soon after, the Revelation made a jump to the Mawga capital of Rhombia.
Chapter 17
*
During the several days that followed, the Rogers toured and scanned seventy-nine planets in twenty-one star systems. Traces of gatrellium were nowhere to be found.
Jeff walked onto the bridge. “I have to wonder if we’ve been going about this all wrong.”
Mace asked, “How so?”
Jeff pushed a starmap up on the screen. “Gatrellium is formed in supernova explosions. This is the first mine of the Targarians, marked by the blue dot. Over to the left you see a red dot. That was the position of a supernova that was within eight light-years of that mine. This is a second mine. Here we have a nearby supernova that was sixteen light-years distance. And the third mine, has one at seven light-years. Gentlemen, if we focus our efforts on systems near prior supernovae, we may find a higher incidence of gatrellium.”
Johnny nodded. “David would have absolutely loved this stuff.”
The bridge was silent in reflective thought for a short time before Mace took the floor. “So can we assume you have identified target regions?”
Jeff smiled. “I have an algorithm running as we speak. Surprisingly, the data on those events is almost all coming from the Hoorka starmaps. They really had a substantive grasp of what’s out there.”
“They were miners,” Mace replied.
The Rogers jumped to a star system only five years from a prior supernova. No gatrellium was found. A spiral search leading outward to stars within twenty light-years again turned up empty scans. However, the first planet of the next candidate provided a strike of a hundred kilograms. The fifteenth planet to be searched near that target again yielded several hundred kilograms with a further planet having fifty.
Word came back from Jasper and Geerok that the Mawga were interested in further talk. It was a promising development. Then, after two weeks of hearing nothing, word came of the execution of Commodore Vallintine for treason. The Mawga would not be joining the Targarians.
The additional two weeks of search found no new gatrellium. The effort was halted to extend a break to the crew. Upon arrival back at Earth, the first of the community center flight terminals was about to be opened, along with a partner terminal in London. The Ronceverte to London trip would take nineteen minutes.
The Revelation arrived, bringing with it the first two of many planned fast shuttles. Jasper, Johnny, Jane, and Jeff would be the first to take a flight. Mace stayed at the cave for a picnic lunch with Jenny.
“Soon the skies will be filled with those things zipping back and forth. At least they’re quiet.”
Jenny lay back on a blanket, looking up at the puffy white clouds in the otherwise blue sky. “My father used to tell me that if you spotted a cloud shaped like an animal you would one day own one.”
Jenny laughed. “Up until I turned seven, I thought I was gonna own me a giraffe one day.”
Mace smiled. “Well, that’s better than the stories I got. I can’t tell you how terrified I was of not eating my green beans. I was told my grandfather died because he didn’t eat his. Who does that to a four year old?”
Jenny said, “You grow up where you could ride bikes?”
Mace nodded. “I did. Rode a lot of places I probably shouldn’t have. Bad neighborhoods, almost slid off a cliff into an abandoned quarry. Railroad tracks was always a favorite.”
“My best friend and I, Pamela Powell, rode our bikes fifty-two miles one day. We went across town through heavy traffic, up and down ginormous hills all the way up to this big lake. When we got there, we rode straight down a boat ramp into the water. Man, that felt good. It was a roasting hot day. Anyway, we lay out on a dock drying out for a half hour, then pedaled the whole way home. Took us eight hours.”
Mace asked, “Was there a point to that story?”
Jenny shrugged. “Not really. Just makes you think about how fearless you were when you were a kid. If something wasn’t happening to you right then, it never really crossed your mind.”
“You seem pretty fearless now. There must be a lesson in there somewhere that stuck.”
Jenny laughed. “Pfft. I may exhibit this cool, calm exterior presence, but on the inside I’m quaking in my boots.”
Mace lay on his side, propping his head up with his hand. “Being scared is what keeps us alive. The thing you have to worry about is if it doesn’t scare you when it should. That’ll get you killed. I saw one too many cocky guys get it because they began to feel invincible. Fearing the bad is a good thing.”
Jenny giggled. “Look up there. One day I’ll be the proud owner of a pig.”
Mace asked, “How old are you anyway.”
“Don’t you know you’re never supposed to ask that of a lady?”
“Thirty-six?”
Jenny shook her head. “Nope.”
Mace chuckled. “No, I’m thirty-six. At least I think I’m thirty-six. Been getting harder to keep track of time.”
Jenny huffed. “Tell me about it. Out there, there is no time… thirty-one.”
“Thirty-one what?”
Jenny reached over, pushing Mace onto his back before pouncing on him. “Thirty-one years.”
The afternoon picnic turned make-out session was disrupted by a heavy rush of air when a shuttle settled next to the pair.
Jeff Moskowitz walked halfway down the open ramp. “Let’s go, lovebirds. We’ve got trouble.”
The blankets and supplies were quickly gathered and carried aboard. The shuttle lifted in a hurry, departing from Brasstown Bald in the North Georgia mountains where the couple had been dropped for their outing.
Jeff said, “Jasper’s been trying to comm you. He’s already made a jump back to Divinia. The Karthians sent several hundred ships through the rift. He thinks they may be massing for an attack.”
Mace shook his head. “Don’t think that was a pig you saw. Probably a Karthian.”
“I don’t even know what a Karthian looks like. Have we ever seen them?”
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