by Doug Farren
“I like how you’ve managed to make the Ambassadors comfortable,” AJ said.
Goeglict didn’t reply until he sat down in the Keldan equivalent of a chair. It was not much more than a long bench that supported his body with his six legs hanging on either side.
“I’m not wearing my translator,” he said, his voice coming through a set of speakers built into AJ’s chair. “Translators are built into each of the enclosures. Would you mind repeating what you just said?”
AJ repeated his comment and added, “Putting the translators into the enclosures was a nice touch.”
“Thank you. Our designers were not given much time, but I believe they did a wonderful job of setting up this facility.”
“I’ll say! Your people are very efficient.”
“I will pass your comment on to them. I’m very glad to see you again. I’m not sure if you realize this or not, but there is literally nothing you or any member of your crew could ask of us that we would refuse. Your unplanned arrival on our world four years ago saved all our lives. We will be forever indebted to you.”
“It is we who owe you a great debt,” AJ replied. “Without your help, we would never have made it back to Earth. We have both benefited from the accident that brought us together.”
“You would make a fine statesman.”
“That’s not a job I would enjoy. I should have tried to make it back here sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“You’re a busy man,” Goeglict replied, waving the excuse away. “Ever since the discovery of the approaching brown dwarf, our planet has endured dramatic changes on an unimaginable scale. Billions of our people came to accept the fact that they were living on a doomed world and only a tiny fraction would survive. Yet, they all worked together to ensure the survival of our species. Thanks to you, we now have the technology to build a new home for ourselves.”
“The only thing I did was to tell the officials about you when we got back to Earth. They did all the rest.”
“You are too modest. Have you been to Keldanon yet?”
AJ took a sip of his ice water. “Sadly no. But I can only imagine what you’re building there.”
“It’s going to be a wonderful world.”
“I know about the brown dwarf,” AJ said. “But I’m not exactly sure how it will affect Ashnib. The chances of it actually hitting the planet must be astronomical.”
“Our world’s destruction will take place in several stages,” Goeglict explained. “The orbital dynamics were very hard to calculate but have been refined over the years. The dwarf will pass through our system’s outer edge very close to where Poshnar, our outermost gas giant, will be at the time. It won’t be a direct hit, but Poshnar will pass through the dwarf’s outer atmosphere. The gravitational interaction will be enough to tear it apart and dramatically alter its orbit. Poshnar has 32 satellites, some of them are quite large. Our best simulations indicate that Arunia, a satellite nearly half the size of Ashnib, will be flung toward the inner planets. Nine years later, it will pass very close to Ashnib, close enough for its gravity to cause devastating earthquakes and possibly triggering the eruption of one of our super volcanoes.”
“But that’s not what kills your planet,” AJ hypothesized.
“No. If we were still here, it would kill millions and plunge the planet into a period of intense darkness and cold. Life would still be possible, but it would not be pleasant. There’s also a chance that Arunia could drag some of the debris from the break-up of Poshnar along with it, some of which would impact Ashnib causing even more damage. From here, our simulations become cloudy. But all of them show our world to be rendered uninhabitable within a few hundred years.”
“What’s the most likely scenario after Arunia passes by?”
“Our world has two small moons, Verna and Korna. It’s impossible to know for sure what will happen to them. One or both could end up hitting Ashnib. They might be ejected from their current orbits and a few hundred years later come back to hit us. But there’s an even more dangerous situation that will be caused by the dwarf’s passing. We have a large number of asteroids and comets in the far reaches of our system. Their orbits will be disturbed and many will make their way towards the inner planets over the next thousand to several million years. Those, combined with the debris from the destruction of Poshnar, will relentlessly bombard Ashnib until it is no longer habitable. Poshnar’s absence will also alter the dynamics of the other planets in our system with possible catastrophic changes that won’t be realized for centuries.”
AJ slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure what my people would have done if presented with a similar situation. Even now, we are not a totally united planet. But we’re making slow progress.”
“The threat of extinction is an incredible motivator,” Goeglict replied. “Just prior to the discovery of the dwarf, our world was on the brink of a large war that would have involved most of our various nations. The discovery of the dwarf and its implications forced our leaders to reconcile their differences and combine their talents into building a means of saving our race. Like you, we have our differences, but our planet is now united behind a common goal.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“You should make a trip to Keldanon,” Goeglict said. “We’ve been given a second chance and the leaders of our various nations have agreed that the mistakes of the past will not be allowed to occur again in the future. Keldanon is being designed to function as a unified planet. The cities are being populated with people from every corner of Ashnib. Cultural differences are being addressed and laws are being put into place to prevent splitting our population into separate groups. Those who fail to adhere to the new order are being returned to Ashnib, never to be allowed to return to Keldanon.”
“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” AJ asked. “You’re condemning them to death.”
“We are tired of war. Tired of intolerance towards the rights of others to be who and what they believe in. If our planet had been at war when the dwarf was discovered, the war would most likely have intensified. Several of our leaders tried to use the dwarf as a call to arms but their own people turned against them. The announcement of our possible extinction resulted in months of lost time as our world was thrown into chaos. People rioted, entire governments collapsed, but reality soon overcame fear and we began the task of saving those we could.”
AJ took another sip of his water. “It must have been a terrible time for you.”
“It was. But that is all now history. Our people have learned to embrace the future by learning from the mistakes of our past. We are much like the Nitnicki. They nearly destroyed themselves in a nuclear war. The survivors decided that the cycle of revenge had to come to an end. Those who refused to accept the new way of thinking were executed. It was brutal, but effective. They are now a unified species.”
“Any idea as to when the other ambassadors will be arriving?”
Goeglict used a feeder arm, one of two small appendages on either side of his wide mouth that were used to grip and move food, to scratch a spot just above his upper lip. “We expect them to arrive sometime tomorrow. The Nitnicki have the farthest to travel but they were able to leave almost as soon as the Ba’Rutu announced the location of their first meeting. The Indishar are about as far from us as Earth. They were delayed because they had a difficult time selecting a single ambassador from those who applied.”
“And then we all sit around and wait for the Ba’Rutu to show up.”
“We suspect they are monitoring our world,” Goeglict replied. “We believe their ships are already in the area.”
“Or, they have the ability to jump directly here from their homeworld,” AJ said. “They’ve had star flight far longer than any of the known races. There’s no telling what their technology is capable of.”
“Hopefully, we will eventually be allowed to benefit from their advanced knowledge. What are your plans after the Ba’Rutu leave?”
“Hitch a
ride back to Earth I suppose. I’m thinking the Ba’Rutu might be able to give me a ride. Why?”
“I was hoping you might have time to visit Keldanon. We are quite proud of what we are building and since you were a key figure in finding our new home, I’ve been asked to extend an invitation to you and your wife to visit the world you helped discover. This request comes directly from our World Council.”
AJ rubbed his chin. How could he possibly refuse to accept such an offer? Doing so could easily offend the Keldans. “I would love to visit Keldanon,” he said. “I’m sure my wife would love to go as well. We’ll catch a ride back on one of the cargo ships.”
“The council will be glad to hear this. It’s been very good seeing you again my friend.”
“Drop me a line from time to time if the Ba’Rutu will allow it,” AJ said. “When you get back, perhaps you will accept an offer to visit Earth.”
“I would like that very much.”
AJ pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “I should be going. Heather said she might need my help unpacking.”
Goeglict smiled, exposing a row of blunt teeth designed for chewing plants instead of ripping off flesh. “Your wife is a very capable woman. I doubt she needs your help to unpack. But I suspect she would appreciate your presence. I will inform you when the other ambassadors arrive. I would like to bring them all together before we meet the Ba’Rutu.”
AJ stood up. Goeglict met him in the center of the circle of chairs. There was a time in the not too distant past when AJ would never have voluntarily approached a member of a race that reminded him so much of a giant spider. But that day was now long gone.
Goeglict extended an arm. Without any hesitation, AJ accepted the offer and the two friends shook hands.
AJ found Heather seated on the couch reading a tablet and dressed in a light bathrobe. As soon as he closed the door behind him, she set the tablet down and stood up. The tie on the bathrobe was undone revealing the fact that she was wearing nothing else.
“You should try the shower,” she said. “It’s wonderful.” She gave him a quick kiss and then stepped toward the bed. Sitting down on the edge, she added, “I’ll be right here when you’re done.”
AJ headed for the bathroom, stripping off his shirt on the way.
Chapter 9
“Melissa, do you copy? Melissa!” Gabriel screamed over the com-channel.
Captain Mingyu’s finger jabbed down on the icon representing the open channel. “Gabriel! Calm down!” she sharply commanded. “What’s the status of Melissa’s beetle?”
“Damaged and slowly floating away.”
“Get over to that hatch control and see if you can’t get it opened back up.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Gabriel replied, sounding much calmer.
“George, remote in to Melissa’s beetle and bring it back.”
For the next few minutes, the bridge was silent except for the gentle clicks and tones emitted from the various control consoles. Everyone was focused on the visual feed from Gabriel’s beetle as it slowly approached the hatch controls.
“Extending gripper,” Gabriel reported.
The beetle’s gripper slowly reached out and touched the button that had originally opened the hatch.
“No response,” Gabriel said. “Trying again.”
“Make sure you don’t break it,” the Captain said.
“I’ve got the force limiter set very low,” Gabriel replied. “Still no response from the hatch.”
“Do you see any manual entry mechanism?” Captain Mingyu asked.
There was a long delay then, “I don’t see anything.”
“Keep looking,” the Captain ordered. “Don’t stray too far from that hatch in case Melissa figures out a way to open it from the inside.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Okay people!” Captain Mingyu said, raising her voice. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“We could try to cut our way in,” George suggested. “It wouldn’t take long at all to attach a cutting laser and an old-fashioned plasma torch to a beetle.”
“Didn’t Melissa say we didn’t have anything that could cut through the hull?” Frank asked.
“It won’t hurt to try,” the Captain said. “George, get someone on it. Anyone else?”
“If we can’t cut our way in, we could try to blow the hatch with explosives,” Frank said.
The Captain shook her head. “There’s too much of a risk of injuring Melissa. It’s risky enough using a cutting laser. If she’s anywhere near that hatch and the laser breaks through it would go through her suit as if it wasn’t even there. We’ll save that suggestion as a last resort. Anyone else?”
Her question was met with silence.
“Very well,” she said. “George, how about assigning Javier to the recovery beetle?”
“Good choice,” George replied, nodding his head. “He’s really good with a welder.”
Captain Mingyu stood up and walked over to the communications console. Putting a hand on Andrew’s shoulder, she said, “Pick a couple of channels and send out a demand … no, make that a request … to whoever is aboard that ship to release Melissa. Tell them we will leave as soon as she’s back aboard.”
Andrew looked up at Mingyu. “You still think there’s someone aboard that ship?”
“There has to be. Who else closed that hatch?”
“It might have been a malfunction or something Melissa triggered from the inside. If there’s anyone in there, they should have responded by now.”
“We’re dealing with a whole bunch of unknowns,” the Captain replied. “Right now, I’m assuming anything is possible. Send the request.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Hold on Melissa,” the Captain quietly said as she made her way to the coffee maker. “One way or another, we’re going to get you out of there.”
* * * * *
Melissa took several deep breaths to calm herself then assessed her situation. It was obvious that the crew of the warship had allowed her to gain entry and then trapped her inside. The hull was blocking all communication and she had about six hours before her supply of breathable air was depleted. Her left shoulder was throbbing but she could move it without too much pain, indicating that it had not been dislocated.
“This is Melissa Stevens of the Earth research ship Rutherford. Is anyone receiving?”
She repeated the transmission three times without any reply. After one more attempt to open the outer hatch, she turned around and headed to the other end of the tube. One of the buttons on the control panel was blinking yellow. Since there were no symbols indicating the purpose of the buttons, she decided the one that was blinking was the one that needed to be pressed next. As soon as she did so, the button turned blue and began to fade in and out. A few seconds later, her suit indicated that the tube was being pressurized. A minute later, the button turned solid blue and the other one began blinking.
Depressing the second button caused the hatch to slowly slide into the wall. After turning on the flashlights built into the shoulders of her suit, she carefully stuck her head inside and looked around. She estimated the cubical compartment to be about three meters in each dimension. A single chair facing away from the entrance was located in the center of the room. The chair appeared to be sitting on a pair of rails allowing it to slide forward or backward.
In front of the chair, was a large, curved screen. A small slanted panel with several simple switches mounted on it was positioned on the left side of the chair with another large display positioned at an angle above it. Three large displays were mounted on the bulkhead to the right. Mounted on the left bulkhead were three cabinets and four large hooks.
After seeing what the outer hatch had done to the hardened steel manipulators of her beetle, she had no desire to find out what would happen if the hatch were to suddenly close while she was moving through it. She took a few steps back then ran through the opening. Using her right arm, she grabbed the back of the chair to arrest her
forward motion. Looking behind her, she noted that the hatch was still open.
Melissa took a moment to explore the room in greater detail. The padding on the chair looked soft but it failed to indent when she gave it an experimental push. Leaning over the back of the chair, she noted it was equipped with acceleration straps. The arrangement seemed to indicate that the builders were more or less humanoid. The entire far-right corner of the room was taken up by what she believed was an air purification unit. An intake duct took up almost the entire lower half and four small outlet ducts branched off the top, ran along the overhead, and ended in an air distributor in each of the room’s four corners.
Looking back down the long tubular airlock, it occurred to her that the crew of the Rutherford might attempt to cut their way through the outer hatch. She doubted they had anything powerful enough to cut through ADM but if they succeeded, the air pressure inside would pop her out into space like a bullet from a gun.
Turning around, she found a small control panel on the room-side of the hatch. One of the buttons was blinking. When she pressed it, the inner hatch slowly closed. She was surprised to hear a dull thud as it locked itself to the frame. Glancing at her heads up display, she noted that the suit was registering an external pressure.
Reaching down, she detached the portable analyzer from its holder strapped to her right leg and powered it up. After spending a few seconds working her way through the various menus she looked at the results.
“Interesting,” she said aloud, knowing that her suit would be recording everything. “Looks like my guests have an atmosphere compatible with ours. Temperature is a chilly 14.8. Atmosphere consists of 19.2% oxygen, 77.4% nitrogen, and trace amounts of carbon dioxide and argon. Pressure is holding steady at 63.2 kPa and the humidity is a dry 26.1 percent. Breathable, but I wonder what it smells like.”
Holding up her left wrist, an action that caused a twinge of pain from her shoulder, she tapped a command into the suit’s controls, unlatching the magnetic seal of her faceplate. Reaching up, she slid the faceplate open just enough to allow the outside air to mix with the air of the suit. She took a tentative sniff.