Exploration (Galactic Neighborhood Book 3)

by Alexander Elliott

  “We thought the worst, too, when they started talking, but we couldn’t let them know we understood what they were saying. From what we overheard, the cradle was severely damaged when they extracted it from the ship. The only material which survived were the flora and fauna sections. I guess they have been breeding some of our animals to stock a place called Hathor, where they like to hunt.”

  The other women all began chattering at once, relieved to discover the human genetic material from the cradle was not in their hands after all. She let them talk for a while before finishing the story.

  “It was an exhausting session, and I guess we looked bad enough Vezmew felt we needed some extra rest. I certainly wasn’t going to argue with him!”

  Everyone laughed, and several others shared moments from their day.

  Once the group broke up, Glynnis retreated to the bathing room and slipped into a tub of hot water. No one would disturb her here, and she was left alone with her thoughts. Hopeless rage filled her heart and mind as the parts of the story she did NOT share ripped at her self control. She hid the tears by keeping her face wet, and was grateful the group at large was not aware of the truth. Part of what she told them was the truth.

  The Silestri did indeed take possession of the cradle, but it was only slightly damaged in the process. It was also true they were breeding earth animals for hunting purposes. What she did not tell them, what she could never tell them, was the Silestri experimentation with human fetuses. Not to raise up more human slaves, as she assumed at first. No, like a nightmare from the bowels of hell itself, the Silestri were busy crafting modified human fetuses to eat. Glynnis barely made it to the toilet before she vomited, promising herself, somehow, the Silestri would pay for their crimes.

  Chapter 8

  Dana McClure smiled in satisfaction as the last station reported ready for action. Drill readiness states were running closer to two minutes, rather than almost three, but the crew was much more motivated now. Gone were the patronizing smirks, eye rolls, and theatrical sighs Guardian’s crew exhibited over the first several months of drills.

  When Hound Dog discovered a spatial anomaly deep in the asteroid field, everything changed. With a very real and persistent threat on their doorstep, the drills were recognized by everyone as critical to a successful defense of the Sol system. Many of McClure’s officers privately apologized for their complacent attitude and subtle resistance to his methods, and were now actively participating in system defense measures.

  Today’s drill was in conjunction with a simulated military exercise named Operation Sierra, which was predicated on a full scale invasion scenario. The ‘enemy’ was played by a group of buoys on a direct approach to Earth. PSF forces were skulking about the system in stealth mode in an effort to catch and corral the enemy vessels before they could attack or escape back through the corridor.

  As the exercise continued, McClure could see they were going to have a problem; a couple of them actually. When the trap was sprung, the PSF forces were a little too slow, and three enemy ships escaped, headed back towards the corridor. Two were ‘destroyed’ en route, but the third made it all the way back to the asteroid field before being stopped. McClure shook his head at the botched mission and requested an open channel from the comm officer.

  “You may stand down ladies and gentlemen. Operation Sierra is complete. System defense remains at Status Yellow. All stations acknowledge.”

  In moments all the mobile forces as well as the defensive stations aboard Guardian acknowledged Status Yellow. McClure, as one of the designers of Operation Sierra called for a comm conference between all the PSF ship captains in two minutes. The comm officer acknowledged his request, and began painting each attendee’s image on the main datascreen.

  There were going to be some embarrassing moments for several of the captains, but he was not one to rub failure in people’s faces. These exercises were conducted to reveal weaknesses and mistakes so they could be corrected before an actual engagement occurred. This was a time to learn, not assign blame, and McClure was known for being firm but fair.

  Once everyone was connected, McClure opened the conference without fanfare.

  “All right people, obviously we have to do better. The enemy is not going to give us the chance for a second try, so we must be able to follow through with our plans. Can anyone explain where we went wrong?”

  The next few minutes were uncomfortable, but the people involved were willing to admit their mistakes without rancor. Several areas of weakness were identified, and a plan emerged to increase onboard simulations to iron out the wrinkles. Before they finished, McClure pointed out another issue which no one seemed to have noticed.

  “We neglected to watch our back door, people. If the enemy is to arrive through the corridor, we must always have some of our forces waiting to cut off any possible escape route. If I were them, I would reserve at least one ship near the corridor entrance which could pop back through and report on the battle or even call for reinforcements. This has to be part of our thinking, and we need to include it in every future exercise. All right then, let’s focus on smoothing out our rough edges through sims for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I have a brand new exercise to throw at you, courtesy of Captain MulVaney’s task force. I think you’ll like it.”

  ####

  For two young recent PSF graduates, Bax Young and Cole Hearst were incredibly busy people. After finishing up on Khrusallis, they immediately transferred to Guardian to begin extensive field testing of the EMR’s. Shortly after they arrived, Hound Dog discovered the hidden spatial corridor, lending their work even more urgency and momentum. Ten days later, they returned to Pacifica for graduation and a brief visit with their families. As newly minted ensigns, they were by far the youngest members of their team, but were tasked with co-leadership positions.

  It wasn’t quite being thrown in the deep end, but they sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed by the drastic life changes their work created. The other four members of the team had them beat in age and years in rank, but the EMR project was completely new to them. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, but by now they knew each other well enough to begin acting more like the efficient well oiled machine the PSF was hoping for.

  Before transferring to Guardian, two important additions were made to the EMR programming. The first, a suggestion by Admiral Perry, was to include field medic skills; something Bax and Cole failed to think of in the initial design. If the EMR’s were to be sent into dangerous situations alongside their human counterparts, it was likely there would be injuries to treat. With assistance from PSF medical personnel, the skills and information needed were demonstrated, recorded, and then added to the AI’s programming.

  EMR’s wouldn’t be able to perform heart surgery, but they would be able to treat common wounds, broken bones, burns, radiation sickness or minor head injuries. The interior of the shell needed to be redesigned slightly to include a reservoir for commonly used drugs and a supply of preprogrammed medical nanites. This was one of the areas which still needed extensive testing, and Bax was hoping to send an EMR to a hospital facility on Pacifica for more practical experience.

  The second addition was a communication algorithm which enabled the EMR’s to speak and understand all the known languages of the Alliance. In addition, they were given the foundational principles needed for understanding, translating and using any alien communications. This was essential if the EMR’s were to infiltrate an enemy ship or stronghold without being easily detected. It would take repeated exposure to build a sophisticated database, but once it was in place the EMR’s should be able to translate virtually any communication method they encountered.

  With six identical EMR’s to work with, the initial field testing was both comprehensive and rigorous. The extreme conditions on Earth made a perfect proving ground for many of their capabilities. Errors were discovered involving both AI programming issues and technical hardware glitches, but were systematically corrected an
d retested. There were still a few more parameters to study, but the team was gearing up to test the ability to follow complex orders and blend in with various environments.

  C.O. McClure was an enthusiastic supporter of the project and gave them permission to test the EMR’s on board Guardian. If all went as planned, General Moreland promised to allow similar shakedown time on Pacifica. First, however, Bax and Cole needed to come up with the parameters and goals of the testing. At the moment they were in the midst of a planning session when they received an incoming comm signal from Khrusallis. It was Councilor Thataar.

  Greetings Ensigns. Your team is making excellent progress and I am most pleased with how the EMR’s are performing. It is my understanding you are now planning for the next phase of testing. My colleagues and I will be arriving in the Sol system shortly to assist you. Councilor Threen and his staff will also be aboard to aid Lieutenant Duran in his work on the recently discovered corridor.

  Due to the importance of both projects, we determined personal collaboration was essential. Therefore, we have modified a portion of our vessel to create a comfortable living space for the human teams, and we invite you to join us for the duration of our stay in the Solar system. Our vessel will be arriving within twenty four hours. Until then, I wish you gentle winds.

  Well, this was an unexpected development, if one was prone to understatement. It took a few moments for the news to sink in, but Bax and Cole could barely contain their excitement. Having the assistance of their Vingah comrades once again was reason enough for elation, as it would speed up the next phase of testing considerably. On the other hand, it was almost unheard of for the Vingah to spend any time in space, let alone an extended visit to another system. To top it all off, they would be arriving in the very ship constructed specially for them by the crew of Expedition.

  It was the stuff of legends, almost, and though it was nothing to look at on the outside, it did contain something found nowhere else in the galaxy. The crystal forest was a functional and beautiful habitat designed expressly for the Vingah who made the journey from their original home on Khrusos to their new colony world of Khrusallis. Other than the builders, very few humans had ever been aboard the unique ship, and as far as anyone knew, it was never used again. The invitation to live and work among them on the famous vessel was a rare opportunity, and the young men were eager for the experience.

  While Cole went to inform the rest of the team, Bax sent a message to Lieutenant Duran. Within minutes, Harley contacted him.

  “Hey Bax! Looks like we’ve got some high powered help coming our way. Having them right here will really help cut down on the communication lag, and we have an awful lot to learn about the corridor. How are things going for your team?”

  There wasn’t much Bax could share about their work, since the project was still classified. C.O. McClure was the only other person in the system who knew exactly what they were doing. Everyone else was told it was a special project for the weapons development board, but without any details.

  “We’re making progress, Lieutenant, and having the Vingah here is going to help us a great deal. I’ve never heard of them doing anything like this before, but apparently the corridor has top priority now. I look forward to talking with you about it once we all get settled in tomorrow.”

  The two exchanged a few other pleasantries and then said their goodbyes. Ready or not, life was about to get more interesting.

  ####

  Bastet, present day

  The Silestri fleet changed very little since its inception, a fact which was not lost on Sub’ord Talmew. Every few rotations, he petitioned Prime Yarmew for modernization and expansion of the fleet. Each request was summarily dismissed as an unnecessary expense, since the primary threat to Bastet was destroyed long ago. He disagreed, of course, realizing other dangers lurked in the depths of space, and the fleet may be unable to defend the system against them.

  Yarmew’s advisers convinced her to use resources on more interesting projects, though he was granted enough funding to maintain a small portion of the fleet. Most of the active ships were scouts and small cruisers, used primarily by the hunting parties which ferried back and forth to Hathor. In truth, he no longer had enough trained crews to man all the decommissioned vessels in parking orbit. Those who ‘retired’ early, were now old, fat and had lost their skills. Few of the younger generation wanted to train for positions in the dead end career track space fleet became.

  Despite the sorry state of affairs, Talmew did the best he could with what was available. Today offered a bit of excitement, though, as he readied three scout vessels for a quick mission. Many rotations passed since the last visit, and they were past due to check the once occupied system, destroyed long ago. Every other scouting mission revealed nothing new to report, and he expected this one to be the same. He hoped so anyway, since renewed activity there would mean a danger his pitiful fleet could not defend against. He chased the dark thoughts from his mind and prepared to send the scouts on their way.

  In their final briefing, his orders were clear and simple. Once through the doorway, they were to scout the system for any signs of habitation or activity. If anything was found, they were to retreat back through the doorway immediately, making certain their ships were neither damaged nor captured. Each crew of three, handpicked by Talmew himself, signaled their readiness to embark. The order was given, and one by one, the small black ships disappeared through the spatial doorway. If all went well, they would be returning soon with absolutely nothing interesting to report.

  ####

  A rather ugly vessel arrived in the Sol system without fanfare and took up an orbit around Earth. It was pillar shaped but squat, like a thick hockey puck, and was accompanied by two Sentinels. The arrival of the Vingah ship, however, was only the first ripple on the pond. Moments later, Expedition arrived from Pacifica space to pay a visit, followed by a battlecruiser division led by General Moreland’s ship, the Poseidon.

  Ostensibly, Expedition and the other ships were here to conduct battle drills with the system defense fleet. Unofficially, they were here to honor the Vingah and celebrate their history. It had been some seventy years since the Vingah vessel and Expedition were last together, and no one could fault Admiral Perry’s timing on the reunion.

  Three days later, everyone settled down to the business at hand. C.O. McClure was happy as a clam with all the new ships to flesh out his battle exercises, and they were busy chasing each other around the system. Only the original crew of Expedition could claim any real battle experience, which consisted of a very brief, one sided affair involving the Lydokk. Since then, the PSF functioned mainly as a fleet of exploration, leaving the newer officers and crews no direct experience fighting an enemy in space. The discovery of the fixed dimensional corridor, as the Vingah called it, brought this lack of experience into stark reality. If an enemy ever came back through the corridor, the members of the alliance were determined to be ready for them.

  Following a grand welcome to the system, the Vingah vessel took up a concealed position in the asteroid belt. The ship was effectively shielded and defended by the Sentinels, but it lacked stealth capability. A convenient cluster of asteroids blocked the vessel from view, and would confuse most sensors unless they were extremely close. Several small, quick vessels were assigned to the ship as part of the mobile defenses, along with a veritable cloud of buoys. If all else failed, the Sentinels could open fold space and take the ship out of danger in a heartbeat. The Vingah were content to leave most security details to their human friends, and quickly got busy with the work they came here to do.

  The two human teams they were hosting settled into their new quarters without difficulty. The lower levels of the ship were originally designed to carry the people, records, and artifacts from their original home world to the new colony on Khrusallis. Now, however, they were empty, cavernous holds which served no practical purpose. The Vingah took a portion of the lowest level and redesigned it with sleeping
quarters, a recreation facility, mess hall, laboratories, meeting rooms, comm station, and a hydroponics bay; all at Earth normal gravity. Each team was given their own separate work areas with restricted access, in order to comply with the classified nature of the work.

  After the teams came aboard, they were given a group tour of the ship, ending in the enormous top deck which contained the crystal forest. It was purposely built to provide the Vingah plenty of room to fly; something they were unable to do in the underground caverns which housed them for generations. The delicate, soaring spires which made up the forest, were actually the Vingah sleeping quarters. Without wings, or a jet pack, humans could not reach them, even though the gravity was considerably lighter here.

  Adjacent to the forest was a towering waterfall, interspersed with convenient perches, and held at bay with a force field which kept the water in but allowed easy entry or exit. The human visitors were delighted by the unique vessel, and were astonished by the luxurious accommodations created for them on the lower deck.

  Once the humans settled into something of a routine, the two teams normally only saw each other in the mess hall or recreation center. It was difficult for the EMR group to socialize properly when they couldn’t talk about their own work, so they settled for discussing Hound Dog or other neutral subjects. Duran and his team didn’t seem to mind the limited conversations, and cooperated in upholding operational security without making an issue out of it.