After another moment she gave me the location.
“You won’t be able to initiate real-time communication like this,” she said. “But you can log a message onto the system that only I can retrieve and read. You’ll need to log it under my username.”
After waiting a second I said, “Well, what is it?”
Was she blushing? She finally said, “Curlytoes.”
ΔΔΔ
The twins took an instant liking to Consuelo, which was interesting considering that she was now sleeping in the Captain’s cabin. At least I think she was. I was even less sure where the twins were bunking down. The whole day-night sleep- cycle thing was more than a little confusing considering that everybody seemed to be on a different clock.
Between dealing with my IDF troops, discussing strategies will Sergio, helping the Captain with numerous meetings, and researching everything I could about Imperial politics I found myself taking catnaps on the Captain’s sofa.
I was sitting bleary-eyed and by myself in the officer’s mess when the twins suddenly plopped themselves down at my table. One of them, Kenna I think, sat way too close to me on my left while Jenna set across from me at the small table.
“You look so lonely sitting here by yourself,” Jenna smilingly said. “Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep?”
Kenna was now lightly massaging the back of my neck with her right hand.
“You haven’t been back your cabin for two days,” Jenna concluded.
“I’ve been busy,” I said automatically. “Besides, are you spying on my comings and goings?”
“We don’t have to spy,” Jenna laughed. “We just get lonely when you don’t come home for the night.”
“Don’t come home…” I said confusedly. Then with a dawning realization I said, “Are you bunking down in my cabin?”
“Of course, silly. All the officers are double and tripling up, you know that.”
“You can’t share my cabin!” I exclaimed. “You’re not officers and besides… It’s not, right!”
“What’s not right?” Kenna asked with feigned innocence.
“Are you expecting that we offer you our bodies?” asked Jenna.
“No! I would never suggest any such thing,” I proclaimed.
Jenna reached across the table and grabbed my hand. Then in mock seriousness stated, “You think we’re ugly.”
“No, I don’t. It’s just that your age…”
“Do you think we we’re too young for the Captain?” Kenna asked.
Why is it I could back down two IDF sergeants yet get totally tongue-tied and flummoxed when dealing with a couple of 14-year-old girls?
“Are you worried that he’ll be jealous? Kenna continued. “Because you know he’s got Consuelo now.”
“No, that’s not it,” Jenna said with a knowing smile. “He’s got the hots for someone else.”
That last part was a surprise to me and I must’ve frowned.
Kenna started quietly singing under her breath, “Jac likes Monica, Jac likes Monica, Jac likes Monica…”
“What are you saying? Stop that! Hush, somebody’s going to hear you.”
“You don’t think anybody else knows?” Jenna asked.
“Maybe not,” Kenna added. “We are better at seeing these things than most.”
I’d started to automatically deny it but then realized it would only make it worse.
After I’d taken a moment to gather my thoughts I said, “Look, you girls can’t share my cabin. It’s just not right. I’ll talk to the quartermaster and get you reassigned.”
“Oh don’t worry about it,” Jenna said. “We’ve already talked to the quartermaster and he’s put two extra bunks in your cabin. So we won’t put you through the torture of sharing our bed, but otherwise it’s already a done deal.”
“By the way,” said Kenna. “I hope you don’t mind but I moved all your things out of the bathroom drawers and put them on your bunk.”
When I frowned Jenna added, “Well, we had to make room for our girly things.”
ΔΔΔ
What makes an interstellar empire possible is communications.
Another technology that we had learned about at the Academy was Real-Time Interstellar Communications. It was known as RTIC and pronounced, artic. They’d been very vague about the source of the technology but I suspect it preceded the Empire.
The science behind it had been well over my head but it had something to do with quantum entanglement and string theory. One thing I did know is that it bore no relationship to our Gravimetric Lens drives.
The RTIC equipment was much too large to carry on a ship. Most RTIC stations were larger than typical orbital platforms and housed small communities. In addition to maintaining the RTIC they became hubs for commerce and transportation waypoints. While most large colonies of the Empire had RTIC capability many outposts and newer colonies did not. The fleet had RTIC stations strategically placed along the various space lanes and skip points. The bottom line was that if you were in close range to a station you had instantaneous communications system wide. Because ships could be in skip for weeks at a time it was a common practice between skips to touch base with an RTIC station and download updates and message packets.
We were in range of one such station now…
ΔΔΔ
“Hello Alyster,” Prince Eridanus Acamar said.
“Hello Eri, we need to talk.”
“Yes, I was disappointed to learn that you departed before we had a chance to sit down and have a real conversation.”
“As busy as you were I didn’t see much reason to take up your time,” the Captain said from the comfort of his day cabin.
“Yes, for those of us that serve the Empire these are trying times, but then I know that’s never been a big interest of yours. Unless of course, you’re calling to tell me that’s changed?”
“No, not even close. I have no desire to control the lives and destiny of others. I’ll leave that to you and father.”
“Well then Alyster, to what do I owe the honor of this call?”
“I’ve made my intentions clear, I always do. I’d like to know what you intend, brother.”
“Alyster, we’ve never been especially close but I’ve never thought you were stupid, why do you think I would share my counsel with you now?”
“Because I have some information that I think will be very important to you. Actually, I think it will be important to all of us. The bottom line Eri, is that now is not the time to be fomenting turmoil in the Empire. We have a bigger enemy on the horizon than each other.”
“And that enemy is?”
“You’re aware of the mass migrations,” the Captain said. “It may well be that they’re running from…”
“Aliens. Yes I know; I’ve heard the same thing. Surely you don’t expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t know what to believe and I wouldn’t even care except that I don’t want to see our people overrun because we’re too busy fighting each other. Whether it’s aliens or humans with higher tech than us wouldn’t it make more sense to marshal our collective strength?”
“Oh I couldn’t agree more, Alyster. I couldn’t agree more. Believe me, that’s not something you need to worry about. I’ve got the situation well in hand.
“I appreciate your concern, brother. I really do, but let me make a suggestion. The family member you need to be worried about is your sister. If you still have any influence with her you might want to put yourself in a position to use it,” the Prince concluded.
ΔΔΔ
The Captain’s office door was locked so I knocked.
When the indicator changed I went inside. He was sitting back in his chair apparently lost in thought. A blue Imperial Sigel still appeared on his screen.
“I don’t mean to disturb you sir…”
“No, that’s fine,” he said. “I just had a totally empty conversation with my brother. What’s on your mind?”
“I need your
help repaying a debt.”
When he didn’t respond I realized that this was a crummy way to start the conversation.
“What I mean to say is that when I was allowed to remove the prisoners from Tauri’s ship there was more to it than is probably obvious.”
“Go on,” he said.
So I did. I explained in full detail about my previous relationship with Valys, about my shock at seeing her on the ship.
“Honestly sir, I don’t think I could have pulled it off without her. Anyway, there’s something I need to do for her and I can’t do it by myself.”
After a moment the Captain surprised me. “Are you doing this to impress her? Are you trying to win back her affections?”
I didn’t immediately deny it. I made sure I knew what I was feeling.
“No Captain, I’m very sure I’m not. She’s important to me but that time is past. It’s a little difficult to explain.”
“I think I understand Ensign. What is it you need my help on?”
I told him about Valys’ sister.
“That’s not uncommon Jac,” he told me. “The IDF usually chooses its candidates at The Academy during their Junior or Senior year. They do a complete background check that usually includes some surveillance of anyone the candidate is especially close to. When they inform the candidate that they’ve been selected for IDF they also show them the surveillance; they make it clear that the loved ones can be gotten to at any time. My sister believes such threats help insure loyalty.”
“Valys never said anything to me about the IDF,” I protested.
“She wouldn’t have been able to. Part of the recruitment threat is absolute secrecy.”
I’d never realized all the burdens she’d been carrying…
“Felix has told me… Well, more than one person has told me that you’ve been able to slip people away into a new life. That’s what needs to happen for the sister.”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment.
“What you’re asking involves a fair amount of danger for everyone involved. Are you sure this is important enough?”
“I don’t want to put anyone in danger, but yes – it’s that important.”
“Well, I suppose it won’t be a bad thing to have a lieutenant on my sister’s ship owing us a favor,” he said with a half-smile. “Let me see what I can do.”
“I think it’s us that owes her… Sir.”
“Jac,” he said with a sigh. “Don’t you think it would be smart not to question my rationalizations?”
ΔΔΔ
“Okay everyone, we’ve got some decisions to make. Before we get started, Felix fill us in on the ship’s status.”
Our 0200 hrs. briefing consisted of the Captain, Monica, Felix, Sergio, Maria and myself. The twins were nowhere to be seen which meant that they were either sleeping or causing mischief somewhere.
“We’re coasting at our first skip point. We’re slightly above the elliptic and avoiding the major space lanes. Our next skip has been programed and can be implemented at a moment’s notice.”
Monica, still nervous about being anywhere near the Celcium system asked, “Captain, why are we stopped here?”
“I wanted to see how big a wave we made by taking the prisoners and I needed to have a conversation with my brother,” the Captain sighed. “But unfortunately I don’t think it did any good.”
I hadn’t told anybody about the conversation the Captain had with the Lord Advisor. And except for possibly Consuelo, I doubt he had either. Everyone set politely and silently around the table waiting for him to continue.
“I need to let all of you know what’s happening. You’re not going to like it and for now, I’m going to ask you to keep it to yourselves. Eventually, word of this is going to get out. I don’t think the Lord Advisor would’ve told me if it wasn’t already starting to happen, but I don’t want to start spreading it any faster than we have to. Can we all agree to keep our own counsel until we decide otherwise?”
I noticed Felix and Sergio exchanging glances. Apparently this level of extra caution was unusual for the Captain. But then, there was nothing usual about the situation.
“We think an alien civilization has been encountered,” the Captain said. “It’s still pretty far downspiral and we don’t have anything conclusive, only rumors. But the amount of refugees fleeing towards the Empire is causing political upheaval.”
The Captain went on to relay the conversation he had held with the Lord Advisor.
There were, of course, a lot of questions. Most of them had no answers.
The meeting eventually devolved into everyone sitting around the table in stunned silence.
Finally, Monica spoke. “So what’s our next step?”
“Captain, I’d feel a little better if we had some distance between us and the capital. Is there any reason to stick around any longer?” asked Felix.
“No. Skip us out of here,” he responded.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Back to the frontier,” the Captain said. “We’re taking Consuelo home.”
Chapter twenty-nine
ENSIGN JACOBY NICOLAY
The Beginning of the End
The strategy briefing was just breaking up when the intercom announced, “Captain to the bridge.”
He hit the intercom and said, “Bridge, this is the Captain. What’s happening?”
“We’ve been monitoring the Celcium system as you ordered, Captain. The Home Fleet has just been put on high alert. Commercial traffic is either diverging or trying to flee the system. There’s a confusing mass of orders being issued systemwide.”
The Captain gave us all a questioning look and then said, “I’m on my way.”
As a group we hurriedly made our way to the bridge.
“Status?” he said loudly as we all walked onto the bridge.
“Unchanged,” said the Citizen now being relieved by Felix at astrogation.
She had just settled into the communications station when he said, “Maria, contact the fleet. See if you can find out what’s happening.”
“Captain!” Maria interrupted. “Explosions are being detected in the Celcium inner defensive zone. Ships are firing on each other.”
“What are your sources?” The Captain asked.
“Multiple sources. The official fleet information band is silent but the auxiliary communication bands are almost overloaded. I also have telemetry and video feeds from several moons and a number of orbital platforms.”
“Do they confirm each other?”
“There’s a lot of contradictions about what’s happening but there’s enough to know that something definitely is going on.”
“Okay everyone,” the Captain said aloud to the bridge. “D Watch is to remain on duty until further notice. I want C Watch Manning the Auxiliary Control Bridge and backing up all stations. Notify A and B Watches to get fed and rested but otherwise remain on alert.
“Durand,” the Captain said as he turned his attention to the sensors operator. “What’s happening on station Icarus? Give me their status.”
I had been watching everything happening on the bridge in a fascinatedly detached sort of way. If fighting really was breaking out in the Celcium inner system a lot of people could lose their lives. It was surreal to think that just hours before I had been privy to conversations with the people that were probably causing this to happen.
The Captain, I realized, was once again letting his professional side emerge. He was calm and in control, and at least three steps ahead of me in his thinking. I had all but forgotten that we are within communications range of the Celcium Space Station Icarus.
“There’s no unusual activity on the station, Captain,” Durand replied.
“They’re aware of what’s going on the home system but seem just as confused as we are,” Maria added.
The Captain set back in his chair and pondered the situation.
“This isn’t going to resolve itself quickly,” he said
to the bridge in general. “Everyone stay vigilant. Maria, put some of the most informative feeds on the main screen.”
He then swiveled his chair and looked back over his right shoulder at me.
My Friend the Emperor Page 26