The Long Road Home (A Learning Experience Book 4)

by Christopher Nuttall

  “Thank you,” Elton said. He took her hand, feeling - oddly - like a blushing schoolboy. He should be more mature, damn it! “Coming?”

  She smiled.

  ***

  “Better get your clothes on,” Levi said, as the module began to shake. “We’re here.”

  Tyler gave her a tired smile. “You sure we don’t have time for one more round?”

  Levi rolled her eyes. Having sex was just another way to pass the time. She hated to admit it, but she’d been as bored and cranky as him after five days in the module. Tyler wasn't her usual type - she preferred men with more muscles - yet they were alone. Besides, he hadn't done too badly. She had the feeling he'd be seeking out more bodymods to improve his stamina in the years to come.

  “No, we don’t,” she said. She reached for her panties and pulled them on, followed by her trousers and shirt. “Get dressed, now.”

  The module shook again. She linked into the local datanet and discovered that they were being unloaded and pushed into a small warehouse. A couple of aliens - oxygen-breathers - were nearby, probably supervising the work. A moment later, a loud bang echoed through the module and the hatch sprang open. She tensed, one hand reaching for her pistol, as a grey-skinned alien peered into the module. It was naked, as far as she could tell, but there was no sign of any genitals. Its dark eyes were almost hypnotic.

  “You are welcome,” it said, in a reedy voice. It held out a portable terminal. “Payment?”

  Levi reached for her credit chip and pressed it against the terminal. It bleeped, accepting the payment. The grey alien would forward two-thirds of it to the smugglers, she knew, keeping the rest for itself. She stepped out of the module, taking a long breath. The air was hot and dry, so dry that it made her throat itch, but it smelled better than the module. Tyler followed her, doing up his shirt. The scene almost made her smile.

  “Proceed through the airlocks, then do not come back,” the alien said, jabbing a finger at the hatch. “Farewell.”

  “Polite,” Tyler muttered, as they stepped through the hatch. “What now?”

  Levi said nothing. She was too busy scanning the local datanet for useful listings. The asteroid was independent, with dozens of freighters arriving and departing every day, but there was very little to tell her where the freighters were actually going. She checked the datanet for other humans, finding none. Humans didn’t even seem to be included in the catalogue. She shrugged, then located a Pan-Gal Hotel. They might not have any rooms suitable for human occupation, but they’d make one up for enough money.

  “This way,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  The asteroid was immense, she discovered, as they made their way down the central core and into the lifts. Its original owners had mined it hollow, then spun the rock to produce a gravity field. She’d seen quite a few low-tech asteroid settlements that used similar principles, but they were quite rare outside the Solar Union. She kept checking the listings as she walked, coming to the grim conclusion that they were going to have to hire a facilitator to assist them. The bastard would probably drain their finances in short order.

  “Here we are,” she said, as they reached the Pan-Gal Hotel. “Let’s see what they have for us.”

  Once she’d shown them her credit card - and humanity’s requirements - the hotel staff could not be more accommodating. Their room was comfortable, the bath and shower were perfect ... she wondered, as she checked the room for bugs, if they’d had it designed a long time ago for human visitors. But then, humans weren't that unique. They’d probably just swapped out a few of the furnishings and removed anything that humans couldn’t use.

  “I need a shower,” Tyler said. “Do you want to join me?”

  “Go first,” Levi said, absently. She sat on the bed, probing through the listings for starship departures. “I’ll take a shower later.”

  The listings didn't get any better, no matter how she looked at them. Reluctantly, she sent a message to the hotel staff, requesting the name and contact details for a facilitator who could be trusted. It wasn’t a request she wanted to make, but the Pan-Gal chain was renowned for its discretion. She stripped off and joined Tyler in the shower, rolling her eyes when she saw the immense chamber. It was easily large enough to hold an elephant. Perhaps the Pan-Gal hadn't made as many changes as she’d thought.

  “This is heaven,” Tyler said. He reached out and pulled her under the water. “Don’t you think?”

  Levi laughed. “Now you know why marines get so much enjoyment from the simple pleasures,” she said. “We don’t have any of them while on deployment.”

  She scrubbed herself clean, feeling - not for the first time - that she was removing layers of grime before leaving the shower. A message had already popped up in the hotel’s inbox, offering her the services of the hotel’s facilitator. Levi wasn't sure she trusted the hotel, but they were short of options. She shot back a request for a starship heading to Hudson, then changed into a new set of clothes. They’d have to buy more if they remained on the asteroid for more than a few days.

  Tyler stuck his head out of the shower. “Any news?”

  “I hired a facilitator,” Levi said. Another message popped up in front of her. “Let’s see ...”

  She sucked in her breath as she skimmed the options. Five starships were going to Hudson itself, two more were heading to Wahiawa, a star only five light years from Hudson. The latter offered more discretion, although none of them were perfect. They’d have to make it clear to the ship’s captain that they had to remain undetected. Hiding someone on a starship wasn't hard, even if it was designed for oxygen-breathers, but she had no doubt that the Harmonies knew how to search carefully ...

  If they know they have to look, she mused, thoughtfully. There wasn't much news on the datanet, but there was a string of complaints about starships being delayed, denied transit or searched thoroughly before they were allowed to proceed. Our ship wouldn’t stand out amongst the crowd, would it?

  “We’ll go to Hudson Base,” she said, finally. There was a ship that promised to get them there within two weeks, assuming the gravity points were open. “We might just have to hide when we pass through the gravity points.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Tyler said. “Is there any news?”

  “Nothing of great value,” Levi said.

  She thanked the facilitator, then opened up a channel to the starship’s commander and started negotiations. The alien life support requirements were close enough to humanity’s to avoid accidentally poisoning themselves, although she suspected they wouldn't find the alien foodstuffs to their taste. She made a mental note to get some ration packs before they left, just to ensure they had something tasty to eat. Even cheap slop from a food processor would be better than alien food.

  “We have a compartment,” she said, when she was finished. “We’re leaving in two days.”

  “Great,” Tyler said, tiredly. “What do we do until then?”

  Levi nodded to the bed. “Get some rest, then spend some time exploring the asteroid and gathering news,” she said. There would be an information broker somewhere on the asteroid or she’d been born on Earth. They’d find him and, hopefully, get some more up to date information. “We’ll be back in closed quarters soon.”

  “Joy,” Tyler said. He didn't sound pleased. She didn't really blame him. Even the most human-like alien race wasn't human. “Why don't we ever travel on ships crewed by naked green-skinned alien space babes?”

  “Because such babes only exist in adolescent fantasies,” Levi said. She stuck out her tongue, rather childishly. “And you’re old enough to know they’re not real.”

  “I’ve seen women with green skin,” Tyler objected. “They’re everywhere on Orion Asteroid.”

  Levi sighed. She was as committed to the principles of the Solar Union as any other marine or naval officer, but there were times when she thought some of the independent cantons went a little too far in trying to claim their own identities. Nudist co
lonies, religious colonies, colonies based on political theories that rarely lasted in the real world ... It didn't matter, she told herself firmly. She didn't have to live on Orion, nor did anyone else who wanted to leave. Perhaps it was better to keep all the crazies on one asteroid. It certainly made for simplified management.

  She pointed to the bed. “Sleep,” she ordered. “You’ll be moaning about the next cabin soon enough.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Your sarcasm is duly noted and reported to the Sarcasm Inquisition, who will see your rusty chainsaw and raise you a Papa Angel Torture Machine thingy.

  That said, I take your point about the war being inevitable. But we remain a small power, with a single point failure source. Sol cannot be lost, as you have stated yourself. And that means we need allies, allies who can be turned into military powers ... given time. Our own forces should be used to stiffen their posture and reinforce them when necessary.

  Or do you have other objections to founding an alliance?

  -Solar Datanet, Political Forum (Grand Alliance Thoughts).

  “We’re approaching the waypoint, Captain,” Marie said.

  Elton nodded, curtly. The drive had held up better than he’d dared hope. Wolf and his team had done a superb job. But dropping out of FTL so violently risked turning their fake emergency into a real emergency ... he shook his head in annoyance, dismissing the thought before it could be spoken again. They had to get through the gravity point before it was too late.

  He glanced at Biscoe. “Mr. XO?”

  “Drive flare programming engaged,” Biscoe reported. “We’re ready to drop out on your command.”

  “Helm, punch us out at the waypoint,” Elton ordered. He keyed his console. “All hands, brace for crash transition. I say again, all hands brace for crash transition.”

  “Waypoint in three ... two ... one ...”

  Odyssey shuddered, then shook so violently that - just for a moment - he honestly thought they’d struck an asteroid. A loud bang echoed through the ship. Elton could have sworn he heard the hull squeal in protest at the rough handling as the starship dropped out of FTL. The hum of the drives grew louder, just long enough to make his ears hurt, then faded back into the background. He rubbed his ears, trying to banish the uncomfortable sensation, as he leaned forward. Red lights were flashing up on the display.

  “Status?”

  “We took about forty years off the primary drive nodes,” Biscoe reported. He looked up from his console. “But it looks as though the damage isn't serious.”

  Elton nodded. He’d give himself a moment to be relieved later. “And the flare?”

  “Should have looked like an utter disaster,” Callaway said. “They’ll know we crashed out of FTL.”

  “Take us into stealth,” Elton ordered, shortly. “Helm, sneak us towards the gravity point.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Marie said.

  Elton leaned forward, studying the display as data started to flow into the ship’s sensors. Celadon hadn't been considered very important before the stardrive and - even now - it hadn’t attracted much investment from the Galactics. Gravimetric sensors picked up a handful of starships flying through the system, almost all of them heading towards or away from the gravity point. The lone inhabited planet wasn't as important, economically speaking, as the gravity point itself. It was practically a backwater.

  But then, if there had been two or more gravity points in this system, they would have been dragged into the galactic mainstream, he thought. The inhabitants wouldn't be given a choice.

  “Launch a probe towards the gravity point,” he ordered. “See what you can detect.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Callaway said.

  “They will have seen our arrival,” Biscoe said. “Unless they’re blind.”

  Or not there at all, Elton thought. He dismissed the thought instantly. The lone gravity point was on one end of a chain that eventually led to Hudson Base. He had no doubt the Harmonies would attempt to reinforce the defences - would have already started to reinforce the defences, even before they’d stumbled across Odyssey in the last system. They’ll have a squadron - at least - covering the point.

  “We’ll see them when we get closer,” he said. “If, of course, they’re fooled.”

  The Harmonies should be fooled, he told himself firmly. Odyssey was a pretty distinctive starship, even before the Harmonies had declared her Public Enemy Number One. The defenders would know, he was sure, that they were about to encounter their quarry. But ... what would they do? Logically, they should try to take advantage of the drive failure to run Odyssey down before she managed to make repairs ...

  But what if they think we actually blew ourselves up, he thought. Or if they don’t have enough ships to detach a squadron to catch us?

  He dismissed that thought, too, as the minutes slowly ticked by. The enemy would know, he was sure. And they couldn't let the opportunity slip past, could they? The chance to catch a crippled starship could not be ignored ... he told himself, sharply, that he was fretting over nothing. He’d have to think of something else if he couldn't get through the gravity point and into the next system ...

  “Captain,” Callaway said. “I’m picking up an enemy squadron, heading directly for the waypoint. They’re trying to be sneaky.”

  Elton carefully hid his relief. “Can you get a ship count?”

  “Two battleships, seven cruisers,” Callaway said. “Plus one ship of unknown configuration, purpose unknown. I’d say it was a freighter if it wasn’t in the middle of a battle squadron.”

  “It could be a gunboat carrier,” Biscoe pointed out.

  “Perhaps, sir,” Callaway said. “But they can’t be that short of hulls.”

  Elton considered it for a moment - freighters couldn't be turned into warships, nor could they stand in the line of battle - and then dismissed it. They’d find out what the Harmonies were planning sooner or later, he was sure. For the moment, all that mattered was that a sizable percentage of the enemy force was off on a wild goose chase. They’d be too far out of position to intervene when Odyssey showed herself.

  “Keep monitoring them,” he ordered. “And warn me if they try to drop into FTL.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Callaway said.

  “We’ll be within passive sensor range of the gravity point in twenty minutes,” Marie added, shortly. “I can pick up speed.”

  “Not yet,” Elton said. The urge to race down the rabbit hole was almost overpowering, but he had no idea what was waiting for them. “Tactical?”

  “I’m picking up at least one transit station,” Callaway reported. “And some unsecured chatter, but no starships as yet.”

  Elton nodded. The Harmonies would have stepped down their drives and sensors to avoid detection ... assuming, of course, that they were there at all. He leaned back in his command chair, forcing himself to relax as the enemy fleet swept past and headed for the waypoint. It would take them at least thirty minutes to realise they’d been tricked, at which point - he hoped - it would be too late ...

  “Picking up four ships, two destroyers and two ships of unknown configuration,” Callaway said, as new icons flashed into existence on the display. “The latter look like freighters, but they appear to have military-grade drives. They could be designed to keep up with a fleet train.”

  “Confirming that the Harmonies do have imperialistic ambitions,” Biscoe said. “I thought that military-grade freighters were technically forbidden.”

  Elton shrugged. It was true, technically. The Tokomak had banned fleet trains, save for themselves. Practically speaking, there was nothing to stop any imperialistically-minded power from either converting civilian freighters for military purposes or simply constructing a basic freighter design with military drives. Or, for that matter, just using the freighters without bothering with a refit. The Tokomak bureaucrats clearly hadn't understood the realities of interstellar shipping. No doubt they hadn’t bothered to consult their own military before issuing the
edict.

  His lips quirked. “We’ll report them to the Tokomak on the way out,” he said, dryly. The Tokomak bureaucracy was large enough to take the complaint seriously, no matter what was actually going on. Who knew? Perhaps it would cause trouble for the Harmonies. “Does the station have any defensive potential?”

  “Not as far as I can tell,” Callaway said. “She looks like a fairly standard traffic control station - there aren’t any free-floating warehouses or R&R facilities. I think there are a couple of weapons platforms in close orbit, but not enough to threaten us.”

  “This system is nothing more than a waypoint,” Biscoe said. “The destroyers are the real threat.”

  “No,” Elton said. “What’s lurking on the other side is the real threat.”

  He took a moment to contemplate the tactical situation as Odyssey inched closer to the gravity point. The enemy destroyers were no match for his ship, but if one of them managed to jump through the gravity point and scream a warning before Odyssey could jump ... he scowled, bitterly. They'd be blown apart at point-blank range. Both enemy destroyers had to be taken out before they had a chance to react. And then there were the two unknown ships ... if they were merely freighters, they were harmless, but if they were modified warships ...