‘Can we move it?’
‘We don’t have the equipment onboard.’ Kalrea said. ‘If we stayed here I could construct something.’
‘Kalrea’s right,’ Sarhao said. ‘There’s nothing you can do for me. Go… Bring back help. There’s one thing you can do for me, though.’
‘Whatever you want, Sarhao,’ James said.
‘Please take Kira with you,’ Sarhao replied.
‘I would love to, but how am I going to get her onboard the Aurora?’ James questioned.
While he spoke, a panel opened in one of the walls of the room. Inside was a large red and white box. On its side were the words ‘QURQAL VUXIJ PIPAPU.’ James instantly translated it to ‘ANIMAL HOVER KENNEL.’
‘They think of everything, don’t they?’ James remarked.
He was surprised how easily the box slid out and moved across the floor. Beneath the kennel he could see a number of metallic pads. When he moved his hand nearer to one of them he felt a slight tingling sensation in his fingers. He thought, I wonder how it works.
Kalrea replied. This is mark three, made by a company called Anihov. It has six high-density pulse-wave generators. The door has a magnogen vacuum seal for space transportation.
Oh, okay, James thought. Wish I hadn’t asked, now.
James opened the front of the box, but before he could even see where Kira was, she dashed in.
‘Well trained!’ he said.
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ Sarhao replied. ‘She just knows when she’s better off.’
‘We’ll be back, Sarhao. I promise,’ James said.
*****
James left the Pulsora the same way he entered and arrived back onboard the Aurora. He opened the hover kennel. Kira looked out inquisitively. She took a moment to look around, sniffed the air, then slowly walked away to explore her new home.
Chapter Ten
The Aurora dropped from light speed.
‘The Ulio system is clear of any ships,’ Kalrea informed James, over the ship’s address system. ‘Look, there’s Qintaino.’
James viewed the monitor in expectation.
The light from two nearby stars made the patchy grey atmosphere of Qintaino sparkle like a bauble hanging from a Christmas tree. The atmosphere was moving slowly in large spirals. Where it thinned, the mottled mustard and black coloured surface was just visible.
‘I’ll enter a standard orbit,’ Kalrea said.
‘Can you scan the surface?’ James asked.
‘It looks so dead,’ Kalrea said, while the ship approached Qintaino. ‘All the coloration’s gone from the planet’s surface.’
James sensed sadness in her voice.
‘There are no oceans,’ she said. ‘All the water’s gone.’
‘What do you mean, there are no oceans?’
‘The oceans have completely dried up. There’s no water anywhere.’
The Aurora entered the orbit. While the ship travelled, he heard the floating debris from the war with the Treitans striking the hull.
James stared at the monitor.
‘What is that?’ he asked, watching the remains of a large ship eerily tumble past. The wreckage was the size of the Aurora.
‘That’s what’s left of the Qintaino carrier Inori, the bridge and one of the front fighter bays.’
Kalrea brought James’ attention to another piece of debris.
‘That’s part of an event horizon drive.’
James was stunned by the size of the devastation; there were fragments everywhere. He felt disheartened by what he had seen so far.
‘What does the scan of the surface show?’ James asked.
‘The air is breathable, but there’s high hydrogen content. There’s minimal plant life. The only life signs I’m reading are on a continent in the Southern Hemisphere.’
‘Let’s take a closer look. Take us through the atmosphere,’ James perked up slightly.
The Aurora descended through the grey swirling gases that blanketed the planet. The ship trailed a bright white flame as it broke through. Below was a desolate landscape.
‘Scanners are reading three Qinant males and a female, five hundred kilometres North West on the outskirts on a city called Denogpa. There’s a faint power source emanating from a shuttle, sixty-three metres from their position.’
A shuttle, James thought.
‘What would be the range of that shuttle?’ he asked.
‘1.8 light years.’
‘That means there must be some sort of base on a nearby planet,’ he remarked.
‘Or there’s a ship somewhere just outside the Ulio system,’ Kalrea added.
‘Over-fly the site,’ James instructed calmly.
The monitor showed a flattened city. The surface looked like a desert with only the outlines of square ruins indicating that Qinants once lived there. At the end of a large trench cutting across the ruins were the remains of a Qintaino destroyer, the Potopila, half buried.
James was looking sorrowfully at the scenery.
*****
Meanwhile, on the surface of Qintaino, the Qinant leader, Gulino, saw the Aurora and shouted out to the three members of his landing party,
‘It’s already here! There’s no time to reach the shuttle. Antaio and Intropa - get as high as you can in the Potopila, and target that ship! Londuo, you’re with me.’
Gulino and Londuo ran to the shelter of some nearby ruins.
*****
‘Can we land down there?’ James asked. ‘I want to make contact with them.’
‘No problem. I can put the Aurora down near to the remains of that destroyer.’
The Aurora came about and descended slowly towards the landing site.
*****
Gulino and Londuo peered through a gap in the wall of the ruins, to watch the ship touch down.
‘Where the hell did that come from? Intelligence guaranteed me the Ulio system was safe,’ Gulino said, catching his breath. ‘Londuo, check the shuttle’s scanners on your komkey for other ships.’
‘I’ve never seen a ship like that before,’ Londuo said.
She removed a small device, which was the size of a small mobile, from her belt and pressed a symbol on its face.
‘It’s the only ship,’ she reported.
‘It must be a new class of Treitan assault ship,’ Gulino said.
‘I’m not so sure it’s one of theirs; look there’s no markings on it,’ Londuo replied. ‘Anyhow, why haven’t they fired on us?’
*****
The Aurora’s drives powered down.
‘Kalrea, I’m going outside. If any ships show up on the scanner, I want to know.’
‘Be careful. They look a bit edgy,’ Kalrea said. ‘Remember. Concentrate when you want to talk to me.’
James set foot onto Qintaino. A strong wind was blowing across the landing area, whipping up the dry dust. He had to shield his face and squint, to prevent sand from entering his eyes.
It’s very humid and hot, he thought.
Where the wind swirled around the landing legs of the Aurora, circular patterns were forming.
Where are they now? he thought to Kalrea.
There are two in the destroyer and two in the remains of the building directly ahead, Kalrea replied.
James started to walk towards the ruins. He had gone no more than a few steps when he almost tripped over. He stopped and looked back to see a thick mustard plant creeper which had been exposed by the Aurora landing thrusters. The creeper quickly withdrew back under the surface, surprising him.
What an eerie plant, he thought, now looking where he was stepping.
*****
Gulino and Londuo observed the approaching figure.
‘He looks Qinant,’ Londuo remarked.
‘But his clothes, they’re not,’ Gulino replied. ‘Far too scruffy. He looks like someone from one of those old holographic pictures. You know, about 380 sykals ago.’
‘Oh, yes. I see what you mean. He doesn’t appear to be a
rmed.’ Londuo said.
‘Why is he alone?’ Gulino added.
‘He could be one of their Dreh agents,’ Londuo said. ‘Perhaps they want us alive.’
‘No, we’re no threat to a ship that size. There’s no reason to try and trick us with an agent.’
‘I don’t think it’s a Treitan ship,’ Londuo said.
*****
High in the wreck of the Potopila Antaio nervously observed the solitary figure.
‘The traitor; he knows where Gulino and Londuo are,’ Antaio said, his adrenaline rushing.
He raised his Terman Laser rifle.
‘We’re dead. We’re all dead… What are they waiting for? That ship could have killed us without landing.’
He started to panic.
‘Calm down, Antaio. Gulino knows what he’s doing,’ Intropa said, worried. Antaio targeted the figure. ‘Wait! He’s unarmed.’
*****
James! The destroyer! Kalrea shouted in his head, making him jump.
He looked around instantly. A pulse of yellow light streaked out from the wreck of the Potopila striking James. He fell to the ground.
Chapter Eleven
The front laser of the Aurora fired three times, just above the Potopila. Gulino and Londuo threw themselves to the ground.
‘Damn… We’ve had it now,’ Gulino said. ‘Who opened fire?’
‘Antaio or Intropa just shot him,’ Londuo said.
‘Hold your fire!’ Gulino shouted out over to the others.
‘The laser fired from that ship. It sounded like a Reedinog military laser,’ Londuo said, with surprise in her voice.
Gulino looked at Londuo.
‘You’re right Londuo, it did.’
‘Then I was right. It can’t be a Treitan ship,’ Londuo said.
‘Unless they’ve started to use our lasers,’ Gulino replied.
‘But why now? They could have used those sykals ago,’ Londuo said. ‘If it’s not ours or Treitan, then perhaps one of the other races has sent it here.’
‘From the blackness of the hull they could be Guol people,’ Gulino said. ‘But they don’t use lasers like ours?’
‘Maybe they’ve researched and adapted some of our technology. After all, there’s enough debris from our ships out there for anyone to copy.’
‘They do look very similar to us and it could explain his clothes, but if you’re right, Londuo, then… we’ve just killed one of their people. They may not take very kindly to that.’
Another pulse of light leaped from the wreck of the Potopila, striking the Aurora.
The Aurora fired once more over the top of the Potopila.
‘Which idiot’s still firing?’ Gulino said angrily. ‘Antaio, Intropa, hold your fire. That’s an order!’ he shouted.
‘So far they haven’t tried to kill any of us; perhaps they want to talk to us,’ Londuo said. ‘If they wanted us dead they could have done it by now.’
‘No one else has tried to exit the ship, yet,’ Gulino said.
‘Would you?’
‘No, you’re right of course.’ Gulino paused. ‘Then we’ll have to make a gesture.’ He removed his belt, which held a small laser pistol. ‘I’m going over to their ship. I don’t think you can really do much, but cover me anyway, Londuo.’
Londuo grabbed hold of Gulino’s arm just when he was about to get up.
‘Be careful, it could still be a trap.’
‘I know. They will not take us alive,’ he said, hiding the laser pistol inside his tunic.
*****
The telementor had turned white, releasing a flash of anti-matter at the laser burst, just before it could strike James.
James laid motionless, his heart racing. What the hell was that, he questioned Kalrea anxiously in Earth English.
That was a Terman Laser rifle set to kill! Kalrea replied.
Someone tried to kill me. I don’t believe someone tried to kill me! James was frightened, but also angry. I’m unarmed. What idiot would shoot someone unarmed?
*****
Gulino walked nervously out from behind the cover of the ruins, his hands raised above his head.
‘Keep low, Londuo,’ he said, looking back to her, before walking past James towards the Aurora.
James looked up.
‘Is that how you always greet people?’ he said, in an annoyed voice. ‘By shooting them!’
Gulino stopped and turned. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
‘I saw you get hit… You should be dead… I mean… Are you hurt?’
James got to his feet.
‘Am I hurt! One of you just shot me. Are you all idiots? Couldn’t you see I have no bloody weapon!’ he said angrily, in almost perfect Qinant.
James held back from saying anything more. He felt that aiming his disgust at someone who looked no older than himself wasn’t going to facilitate any dialogue or further the quest for his people. He started to walk towards the teenager, whom he noticed had a large scar on his right cheek. His hair looked very scruffy and nothing like the elaborate hair he had seen in the recording of Qintaino Kalrea had shown him.
Gulino suddenly pulled what looked like a laser pistol from beneath his tunic and pointed it at James.
‘Don’t move!’ he ordered. ‘Let me see your hands.’
‘Not again! You cannot be serious!’ James raised his hands and then thought: does he really want to kill me. The telementor turned white once more, ready to protect him.
James, there’s another laser rifle trained on you. Do you want me to disable them? Kalrea asked.
What, kill them?
No, James. I can neutralise the weapons.
Oh. No. It’s all right, Kalrea, James thought. I need to be calm; I need to make friends, not enemies. I think I can handle this.
James felt more confident knowing Kalrea would protect him.
Are you sure you can handle this? Kalrea asked.
No.
‘Londuo, make sure he’s unarmed,’ Gulino shouted over to her.
He must be their leader, James thought.
Londuo ran over. She appeared to be slightly younger than James and very tall. Her long brunette hair was tangled and dirty. He noticed she had very distinctive light-green eyes, and on the left side of her face was a tattoo of an eagle’s claw. In her left hand she was carrying what looked like a large weapon.
Both Londuo and Gulino were dressed in tight-fitting dirty sand-coloured combat uniforms with various pieces of equipment about their person.
Who’s she? James thought. She’s gorgeous.
Londuo frisked James quickly.
‘He’s unarmed, Gulino,’ she reported.
‘Who are you?’ Gulino said to James.
James was looking at Londuo.
‘Oh, James Brasdoi.’
James offered his hand to Gulino, but he was unsure of what to do. Londuo aimed the weapon at him, while Gulino held out his hand. James gripped it lightly.
If she shoots me, then I take back that compliment I just gave her!
‘James… I’ve never heard of that name before and you’re not Guol. Where are you from?’
James smiled nervously.
‘I was born here, on Qintaino, but I was brought up on a planet called Earth. My Qinant name is actually Jameilo.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Gulino replied, but James could tell he was not wholly convinced.
‘Earth! Isn’t it one of the planets the Telecans observed?’ Londuo remarked.
‘Yes!’ Gulino replied. ‘It’s also mentioned in the old book of Qulain, isn’t it?’
‘I believe it is,’ Londuo said.
Gulino looked over at the Aurora.
‘Your ship; we’ve never seen anything like it before. Is it from Earth?’
‘No, it was built here on Qintaino.’
Gulino looked surprised.
‘What class is it then?’
What class of ship are you Kalrea? James thought.
Ora, Kalrea repl
ied.
‘Erm… Ora,’ James said.
‘I’ve never heard of that class of ship before,’ Gulino said.
‘Er… It’s one of only two. It’s called the Aurora,’ James added.
‘The Aurora!’ Londuo’s expression changed.
She looked at Gulino.
‘Didn’t Milonri mention that name once?’
‘I can’t remember,’ Gulino said, distracted.
He shouted up to Antaio and Intropa.
‘It’s all right, you can come down now.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Idiots.’
‘Who’s Milonri?’ James questioned.
‘What’s the ship complement?’ Gulino asked, changing the subject.
‘Oh, there’s just me and Kalrea.’
‘Only two! I was expecting you to say at least thirty for a ship that size,’ Gulino looked astonished. ‘How come we’ve never seen it before?’
‘Believe me, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you later,’ he said.
James watched the others walk over. Antaio was the youngest of the group. He looked only thirteen years old. He had blond hair, which was covered with a sand-coloured cap. Intropa was just about the oldest. He had grey highlights in his short black hair and a beard.
‘Who fired those shots?’ Gulino shouted angrily.
‘I thought he was a Dreh agent,’ Antaio said, apologetically raising the Terman rifle. ‘He was—’
So that’s the moron who shot me.
‘You nearly killed one of your own people, you bloody fool. Remember, I give the orders; I tell you when to fire and when to die,’ Gulino said sternly.
Antaio moved slightly backwards.
Well, that told him. Kalrea, why does everyone look so young? James thought, observing that they seemed very mature for their ages. One of them doesn’t look old enough to be out of school, and he just tried to kill me!
Kalrea chuckled.
James, they are older than they look. Remember while a Qinant sleeps in their seatra, their body remains in suspended animation, so they do not age.
That’s fantastic, James replied. Almost the answer to eternal youth!
Not quite. You do need to be awake to enjoy it! Kalrea replied. I would say Gulino is about twenty-four and Londuo eighteen Earth years old— James! The scanners have picked up a Treitan light cruiser dropping from light speed. It’s heading towards Qintaino, Kalrea added suddenly.
The Aurora (Aurora Saga, Book 1) Page 11