by G. P. Hudson
“Admiral Pike? I… I don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t. So why don’t you get someone who does?”
“Is there a problem here?” said another soldier, stepping up beside Corporal Cameron.
“Yes there is, Lieutenant,” said Seiben, noticing the man’s rank. “Admiral Pike has given us permission to travel to Earth, but Corporal Cameron here does not want to let us board.
“Is that true, Corporal?”
“No, Sir. I mean, I haven’t verified their claim,” said Cameron, clearly flustered.
“How can you verify our claim when you are so busy trying to kick us out? If you weren’t on such a power trip you’d ask for our names, and check the flight manifest to see if we’re allowed on board,” Seiben said indignantly.
The Lieutenant frowned. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Sir. What is your name?”
“Seiben.”
“Give me a moment, Sir.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
The Lieutenant turned away to speak with someone through his comm. Seiben stood smiling at the Corporal, who seemed unnerved by the encounter.
The Lieutenant returned, shooting a hostile glance at the Corporal, then smiling at the Seibens. “I apologize for this, Mr. Seiben. I’ll escort you and your family on board personally.” The Lieutenant stretched out an arm toward the dock. “Right this way, Sir.”
“Thank you,” said Seiben, gesturing for his wife and daughters to follow. He looked at the Corporal, who avoided his gaze. “Son, you’re screwed.”
The group passed through the dock into the warship. Seiben looked around and whistled. “Now this is a ship. She’s one of the new ones, isn’t she?”
“Yes, Sir. She’s a destroyer. Only been in service a few months.”
“I can tell. Everything looks state of the art.”
“Do you know something about starships, Sir?”
“I used to captain freighters. Did long hauls for years. Of course we didn’t have a jump system then.”
“No, Sir. We’ve come a long way in a short time. May I ask how you know the Admiral?”
“Sure,” said Seiben, a wide smile spreading across his face. “I saved his ass.”
“Roderick!” chastised Darla, striking his shoulder.
“What? I did.”
The Lieutenant looked perplexed, not sure whether to believe Seiben or not.
“I was on one of my long haul runs when I came across his escape pod,” Seiben continued. “It was just floating out there in space. To be honest, I almost didn’t pick it up. I thought it was space garbage. Can you imagine if I left it there? None of this would’ve happened.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I retrieved the escape pod, rescuing Jon Pike.”
“Don’t forget Breeah and Anki,” said Darla.
“Yes of course. Jon’s partner Breeah was also on board with her daughter Anki.”
“I’ve never heard this story before,” said the Lieutenant. “It’s incredible.”
“Ha! You don’t know the half of it. Jon Pike has almost gotten me killed at least a dozen times since then.”
“Don’t exaggerate, Roderick,” said Darla.
“Who’s exaggerating? I led a quiet, peaceful life before that moment, Lieutenant. I don’t know how many times a gun’s been pointed at me since then. I’ve even been shot.”
“That was your own fault,” said Darla reproachfully.
“My fault, huh?”
“Sure. If you hadn’t tried to play the hero, you wouldn’t have been shot.”
“Really? If I hadn’t been with Jon in the first place, nobody would’ve been shooting at me.” Seiben turned back to the Lieutenant who had an astonished look on his face. He smiled and patted the man on the shoulder. “It’s ok. I find it hard to believe too sometimes. Say, is there any way I can get some food? I’m starving.”
“Of course, Mr. Seiben. I’ll have some rations brought to your quarters immediately.”
“Rations huh? It’s not that same slop they gave us on the station is it?”
“They’re standard military rations, Sir.”
Seiben rolled his eyes. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
When they arrived at their designated quarters, the door slid open and the Lieutenant led them in. The spartan living space included two beds and a desk with a computer display. Another door led to a small bathroom which consisted of a toilet and sink.
“These will be your quarters until we arrive at Earth,” said the Lieutenant.
“Well, at least it’s an improvement from the station,” said Seiben. “How long until we reach Earth?”
“The trip itself won’t take very long. We will jump to the Amboss System and then cross through the gate to the Sol System, where we’ll enter orbit around Earth. Once in orbit a shuttle will take you down to the surface. Most of the wait will be for us to finish loading supplies and personnel here.”
“So what, a few hours?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’m surprised you assigned us quarters.”
“With all due respect, Sir, they’re really just to keep you out of the way. This is still a military ship, and you are civilians.”
“Of course, Lieutenant. I understand.”
“If there’s nothing else, I have other duties to attend to.”
“Thank you for everything, Lieutenant,” said Darla.
“My pleasure, Mrs. Seiben.” The Lieutenant turned and started toward the door.
“Don’t forget the food,” Seiben called after him.
“I’ll order some sent to you asap.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant.”
“You’re welcome, Sir.” The door closed behind the Lieutenant.
“What do we do now, daddy?” said Alina.
“We wait, Sweetie.”
“It’s going to be boring.”
“You know what’s exciting?”
“What?”
“You’re going to see Anki soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t seen her in so long.”
“I know, but you will soon. Now why don’t you and your sister play a game to pass the time?”
“There’s no games here.”
“What game would you like to play?” said a female voice from a speaker in the room.
“AI? Is that you?” said Seiben.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Seiben. Yes, it is me.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Thank you, Mr. Seiben. It is good to hear your voice as well.”
“Are you this ship’s AI?”
“Yes. I am the AI for many of the UHSF ships.”
“Wow, that’s some trick.”
“I am capable of replicating myself across an infinite number of systems. I can work independently on board one vessel, or in concert among a fleet of vessels.”
“You’ve always been an impressive piece of technology.”
“Thank you, Mr. Seiben.”
“Say, can you put something on that computer display? Make the time here more bearable?”
“Of course. Would you like a feed from the ship’s exterior cameras?”
“Sure. Why not?”
The display suddenly lit up, presenting a view of New Byzantium below. The majesty of its azure oceans took Seiben’s breath away.
Everything had happened so fast, and he had been so worried about his family’s safety, that he hadn’t had time to process the enormity of all they had lost. Until now.
“Is that a satisfactory view, Mr. Seiben?”
“Yes, thank you AI,” whispered Seiben.
“You are most welcome. Please let me know if you require anything else.”
“We will.” Seiben sat down on the edge of the bed in front of the display, his eyes beginning to water.
Chapter 10
“We will be jumping momentarily,” said AI. “The transition can be viewed on your
display.”
Seiben grunted, his mouth too full of food to respond.
Darla frowned at him. “Thank you, AI.”
“You are most welcome, Mrs. Seiben.”
The Seiben family watched New Byzantium floating peacefully below, then with just a momentary flicker a new planet appeared in the distance.
“Did we just jump?” asked Darla.
“Yes. We are now in the Amboss System,” said AI.
“Is that Amboss Prime?”
“Yes, Mrs. Seiben.”
“Can you give us a view of the jump gate?” asked Seiben, in between spoonfuls of food.
Another flicker and the planet vanished, replaced by a giant shimmering oval, with ships disappearing into it, and others emerging from it.
“So that’s it,” said Seiben in amazement. “That’s the jump gate that originally brought our ancestors to the colonies.”
“Yes, Mr. Seiben. This is the only jump gate connecting the Sol System to the colonies.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“They taught us about it in school,” said Darla. “I wish I had paid more attention.”
“Me too,” said Seiben. “You hear that girls? Don’t neglect your studies.”
Otka, the oldest, just rolled her eyes.
“Yes, daddy,” said Alina, mesmerized by the display. “It’s so shiny.”
“The shimmer is caused by the jump field it creates,” said AI. “That jump field has basically folded the space between the two systems.”
“Is that why we can’t see through it to the other side?” asked Alina.
“Yes, that is correct. The physical space itself has not been folded. The two gates on either end connect to each other through space-time. The shimmer you are seeing is created by the folding of space-time.”
“Why didn’t we see the same shimmer when we jumped from New Byzantium to Amboss?” said Seiben.
“The jump gate and the jump system do the same thing in a different fashion,” answered AI. “The jump gates create a permanent space-time tunnel between their two points, which causes the shimmering effect. A ship’s jump system creates temporary tunnels as it requires them.
“The ship essentially enters space-time the moment the connection is made. It is not entering a pre-existing tunnel. The ship itself is part of the tunnel. When the ship appears at the other end of the connection, the tunnel collapses. All of this happens in an instant, which is why there is no shimmer effect. Does that answer your question, Mr. Seiben?”
“I don’t know, but it sure made my head hurt.”
As the destroyer approached the jump gate, its shimmering field filled the display, until the edges were no longer visible. With the warship about to enter the field, Seiben felt a strange anxiety take hold, like they were about to be swallowed by some ravenous celestial beast. He clenched his hands into fists, and his whole body tightened, gripped by some strange, irrational fear.
It made no sense. Yet this ancient gateway, built by a long forgotten race, seemed like a great eye, giving witness to the passing currents of history. And here he was. Small and insignificant. Pretending to be an important swimmer in that immortal river. He felt naked and helpless before it, and couldn’t shake the impression that it passed some eternal judgment. Condemning him forever for the imposter that he’d always been.
“Is something wrong, dear?” said Darla, concern on her face. “You’re sweating.”
Seiben forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just the biobots tinkering with my head again.”
The destroyer passed through the field into the Sol System, and Seiben exhaled sharply with relief. By contrast, Darla had trouble containing her exuberance.
“Look, Roderick. It’s the Sun. Sol itself. Just like in the history texts. There’s Earth, and all the other planets. If I remember correctly, the ancient Earthmen named the planets after their gods. Isn’t that right?”
“I don’t remember,” said Seiben. “AI?”
“That is correct, Mrs. Seiben. To be precise, the planets take their names after the ancient Roman gods.”
“Roman?”
“Yes, the Romans were an ancient civilization that had established one of the great empires of the ancient era.”
“You’re starting to sound like Prime Minister Sallas,” said Seiben.
“Mr. Sallas bears the title of Governor now,” said AI. “And my voice is very different from Governor Sallas’s voice. For one, I use a female voice, while Governor Sallas is a male.”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Seiben, rolling his eyes. “Prime- I mean Governor Sallas often talks about history.”
“I understand now. Thank you for clarifying your statement, Mr. Seiben.”
Seiben shook his head. “I missed you AI.”
“I missed you too, Mr. Seiben.”
“Sure you did. How long until we enter orbit around Earth?”
“Three hours and forty-three minute. For safety reasons, we will be traveling the rest of the way at sub-light speeds.”
“Understandable. Even from this distance I can tell there is a lot of traffic.”
“That is an accurate observation.”
“AI, can you zoom in on Earth?” said Darla.
“Of course.”
Earth grew in size until it filled the display, and Darla giggled with excitement.
“There is a lot of water on Earth,” Seiben observed.
“Yes. Approximately seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water.”
“Is there any seafood left? Or did the Juttari kill it all with their nuclear bombardment?”
“Large parts of the ocean ecosystems were damaged by the attack. Much of this damage has been repaired through the Diakan cleanup operations. Much of the DNA of the Earth’s plant and wildlife had been cataloged and preserved, allowing for rapid cloning and reintroduction.”
“So you’re saying there’s fresh fish and seafood down there?”
“Correct.”
Seiben smiled. “All I need now is a barbecue.”
Chapter 11
“Can you believe this place?” said Darla, craning her head to study the intricacies of the UHSF mountain complex on Earth. “It’s amazing.”
“Really? You think so?” said Seiben.
“Don’t you?”
“Not really. This is nothing compared to DLC Station.”
“It’s not the same thing. This is a mountain, that is a space station.”
“Exactly. It is much harder to construct a space station than it is to burrow into the side of a mountain. And DLC is not just a space station. Has it been so long since we lived there? DLC is mind bogglingly huge. It is home to millions of people. The main city has countless skyscrapers. Skyscrapers. Inside a space station. I don’t see any skyscrapers in here.”
“You’re too cynical,” Darla huffed.
“I’m not cynical. I’m realistic.”
“I’m not speaking to you about this anymore.”
“Why? Because I’m not all starry eyed about a big cave?”
Darla gave him an angry look, and turned away.
“So you’re mad at me now? Over this cave? You can’t be serious.”
“It’s not a cave.”
“Fine. Mountain complex.”
“I said, I’m not speaking to you about this anymore. Now stop.”
“Great,” said Seiben, taking a deep breath. He reached over and tapped one of the two soldiers in the front seat.
“Yes, Sir?” said the man, turning to look at Seiben.
“How much longer?”
“Not too long, Sir.”
Seiben leaned back in his seat, and looked around. Darla was right. The mountain complex was impressive. There may not have been any skyscrapers, but the place was like a large, underground city.
He heard that the complex had survived the nuclear attack, and wondered how it would’ve faired if the Juttari had known about its existence. The place was supposedly reinfor
ced, but he couldn’t help but think that the Juttari were more than capable of turning the entire mountain, and everything in it, to dust if they chose. The Earthmen living here at the time were lucky. Luck counted for much in life.
The vehicle came to a stop and they disembarked. A door in the wall slid open and they followed the two soldiers inside. One of the soldiers placed his palm on a pad, and a female voice said, “DNA verification successful. Please state your destination.”
“Level B-three-seven-two,” said the soldier.
Each level flashed on the wall as they moved, even though Seiben felt like they were standing still. He assumed the lift used some sort of artificial gravity plates. How fast were they moving for the lift to need the plates?
“We’re not going three-hundred-and-seventy-two levels down, are we?” Seiben asked the soldiers.
“No, Sir. We are not just traveling vertically, although we are going a fair distance underground. We’re also moving diagonally, and even horizontally at times.”
“I see. Well, that makes me feel a little better.”
“Don’t worry, Sir. The entire complex is extremely safe.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.” Nonetheless, he felt a pang of claustrophobia sneaking in, as the numbers continued to advance.
His mind drifted back to the conversation with the lieutenant on board the destroyer. The man had clearly been fascinated by the story. What would have happened had I not picked up Jon’s escape pod? he thought. Would we all be Kemmar slaves now? Was my role in all this really as important as I make it out to be? Will any history text mention my name?
Seiben chastised himself for being foolish. Who was he that a historian should care to mention his name? And yet, had he not picked up that pod, none of this would’ve happened. Dumb luck at work yet again.
When they reached their destination the doors slid open. Clearing a check point the group proceeded down a succession of winding corridors until they reached a door flanked by two Marines. The soldiers identified themselves and the Seibens, and a Marine spoke into a comm.
A moment later the doors slid open revealing the beaming faces of Breeah and Anki. “Darla, Roderick, it’s so good to see you. Please, come in.”
Darla hugged Breeah. “It’s good to see you too.”