Saurians

by Timothy Manley

  “At our current level?”

  “Yes, Elder.”

  “They will meet us in space. We are the rulers of the ground. They will not land.”

  “My ships are on constant alert. They will not get by without our knowledge.”

  “That is what I fear, Laitru. They may not have to.”

  “Surely we have enough time?”

  “Normally, I would not worry. But I do not know them, nor their capabilities. I think it wise to assume not.”

  “I don't understand the sand, Elder.”

  “Neither do I, Laitru. We have experienced nothing like it. It's so . . . relaxing.”

  “I must return to my duties, Elder.” Laitru said with hesitation. He wanted nothing but to just sit there and stare at the billowing sand. Space had not even hypnotized him as much. With all his force of will he stood and left the room. Once out in the corridor his senses returned to him. He wondered how the Elder could still think while in there. That's why he's an Elder. Laitru narrowed his eye slits into a smile. His clan would sing the praises of Krishnae, and of him if they survived.

  The mining chamber had atmosphere pumped into it. Two huge guards stood in the door. Soltyn wished for the comfort of her mate, but the entire complement of Junta was there and there was no privacy. Her mind was more capable of handling their situation. She had the training. They looked to her for leadership. She had never entertained the idea of this. She fought back the panic that rose in her and threatened her composure.

  “Soltyn,” Kyla approached her, “the Katsurani have said cooperation will gain us better quarters and proper food.”

  “I know Kyla.” The tears threatened to come.

  “A few have already helped. Their mates and children are now taken care of. We were thinking of helping.” Kyla used the invader's word for themselves. It was the only thing to call them.

  “Do you know what a slave is?” The memories jumped back to Soltyn. She had been on Quzit Four and seen the primitive methods of the native’s violent male dominance, wars, prisoners made into slaves, harems and worse.

  “Yes, a computer system mastered by a controller.”

  “To help the Katsurani would make you a slave.” Soltyn used the invader's name as well. Their language was too easy. Just listen to the guards talk and she could learn.

  “Is it that bad?”

  She remembered what the males did to the women slaves on Quzit Four. She remembered the violence, the screams, and had to tell herself that these creatures were not compatible. They couldn't tell the difference between male and female Pyrinni. They were safe from that attack. But, none of the others had been there. None of the others had her fear. “Maybe not, Kyla.”

  “You are Controller. Your word and we will stay or go. Your word, Soltyn.”

  “I cannot make that decision for you. You wish your Controller to tell you the proper action. There is no proper action.”

  “But we are lost.” Kyla looked to Soltyn, needing her command.

  “So am I.” Soltyn turned and walked away.

  Vengeful Flyer drifted through the rings of Junta's outer gas giant. Her systems were down and sensors on passive. Leader Kitean used a tactic he had read about in a novel for entertainment. When they used to use submersibles in war they used a method of evading detection and waiting for the oncoming warships. It was called silent stations. He had been briefed by his Group Leader about the aliens. His ship would be prepared, even if they did pull methods from history.

  “Leader, a gravity disturbance is registered at 93 by 244,” Laein said from the sensor station on the cramped bridge.

  “What's it look like?” Kitean extended his neck in an effort to see the screen for himself.

  “I don't think it's natural. It's moving.”

  “How fast?”

  “Point 55, without any warp.”

  “How can they move that fast?” Kitean stood from his chair and floated to the sensor station.

  “Our torpedoes cannot catch them at that speed,” the weaponsman volunteered.

  “I am aware of that, Tigee,” Kitean said over his bony throat ridge. “Set all torpedoes for proximity explosions and charge energy cannons. We will use the torpedoes to drive them into our batteries.”

  “Fuses set and torpedoes targeted, Leader.” Tigee extended and turned his neck so he could see Kitean.

  Kitean watched the sensor screen until the proper moment, then turned to face Tigee.

  “Now,” he said with a drop of his hand.

  “Launched.” Tigee pressed five levers.

  “Stand by batteries. Ahead full thrust.” Kitean quickly strapped himself back into the command chair.

  Five slender tubes thrust from the nose of the ship each at the head of a long blue flame. Once they passed the hull of the ship their internal warping engines engaged and speed was raised by the power of ten with their mother ship following at one third their velocity.

  The saucer shaped vessel altered vector to avoid the incoming attack. The agile maneuvering easily distanced the torpedoes until the explosions came. The nuclear warheads bathed the saucer in radiation, the electromagnetic pulse rocking its systems, slowing its erratic motions for just a few seconds.

  “Engage batteries.” Kitean's voice was without emotion. He pressed the button on his command chair, sending the warning to the rest of the fleet.

  Red beams arced and spiraled from the nose of Vengeful Flyer, striking the saucer. Explosions erupted on the surface of the ship and its motions stopped.

  “Prepare boarding parties.” Kitean flipped on the communication channel set in his chair.

  “Scan's show no other vessels,” Laein said.

  “Move us in closer. Try to scan for energy sources.” Kitean extended his neck in an effort to, again, see Laein's screen. The Vengeful Flyer slowed on its approach to the lifeless saucer.

  Rintaen watched out the large shuttle main viewport. The doors of the ship opened. He grabbed onto the bars and waited for the thrust. Instead of stars all he could see was the swirling yellow of the gas giant.

  The boarding shuttle was small. Rintaen and his boarding party of two carried concussion guns instead of more powerful weapons. He hoped battle would not be more strenuous. But, in case it grew, they carried heavy slug throwers slung across their backs. Their armor was not powered, nothing more than a shielded vacuum suit.

  The rear thrust engines engaged and gravity pulled them aft for a moment. Rintaen held the bars, keeping himself upright. The thrust wasn't much and lasted for only a moment. Once out of the main ship the shuttle spun, changing its heading. He couldn't see the alien ship, but he knew it was there.

  “Prepare for boost,” the pilot said.

  Rintaen nodded to his two katsurani and fell into the couch himself. The boost was five times the force of Homeworld. He was spacer, before the Great Leaving even began. He was accustomed to it. He could see out of the main viewport and saw a point of light. It grew quickly until it took a definite shape, disc shaped with a large oval center.

  The shuttle's thrust went to zero and she spun again, keeping the nose pointed at the saucer. Thrust re-engaged and the saucer loomed close. It was bigger than Rintaen first thought. They spun, the saucer leaving the view from the bow of the shuttle. Metal banged into metal and the sound echoed through the small craft.

  “It's a go,” the pilot said as he engaged his vacuum suit.

  “Prepare,” Rintaen gave the word and pulled the lever. A large circular iris section of the ceiling of the shuttle screwed open. On the other side was the hull of the alien vessel.

  “We're locked to the center point, not the saucer flange,” the pilot said. “Be careful what you torch.”

  Rintaen narrowed his eye slits into a smile and pulled himself out from under the opening.

  “Press it,” he said.

  The pilot worked a control and a screaming sound filled the compartment, it vibrated through their helmets. The screaming stopped and Rintaen
motioned to one of his men. The trooper grabbed a magnetic clamp and reached up through the iris door, touching the metal skin of the alien ship. The clamp wouldn't stick. The trooper looked to Rintaen, confused.

  Rintaen grabbed the clamp and looked at it. He tossed it away and it stuck to the wall of the shuttle.

  “Stand back,” he said as he lifted his concussion gun to the ready. He pressed the trigger stud and the explosion bounced them off the deck of the shuttle. It also blew the cut section of the alien ship away from the opening. Rintaen quickly pushed himself up and floated through the opening.

  The cabin was dark, and small. He could fit in, but barely. He held his hand out and stopped his troopers from entering. The room was crowded and had only one other door. He floated across the room and touched the door, searching it but could find no obvious way to open it. The rest of the compartment then drew his attention. Rectangles were set against one end in a semi-circle. Floating slowly he neared them and reached his arm out, touching them. They moved and spun about. He saw four of the creatures from the planet, four pales. All were dead in their seats. Some of the screens were blank, some glowed. None of them looked to be screens as he knew them. Images floated, three dimensional. He turned to the unopened door, squaring himself with it.

  “Toss me a torch,” Rintaen said. One of his troopers stuck his head through and pushed a large pistol shaped object to Rintaen.

  Rintaen latched his concussion gun and grabbed the torch. He pushed off and caught himself against the other door. The torch lit to life and he quickly cut away the door. It stayed in place, not moving.

  With a quick swing Rintaen unlatched his concussion gun with one arm, grabbed the wall with the other and kicked the door with one leg. There was a rush of air as the small cabin was evacuated. The small round door spun off into open space vanishing in the bright swirling tan colors of the gas giant.

  “Elder.” Again, the voice disturbed him from his thoughts. It was nothing else but the sand. Krishnae turned to face the intruder, an unknown yemen. “The spartzitz leader has stepped up.” Krishnae could see one of the small creatures standing behind the yemen and between two armored guards. Their mistrust of the captives was understandable, but still comical.

  “Bring her in and leave.” He sat staring at her as the yemen closed the door, leaving them alone.

  “Elder,” she said.

  “What is it you wish?” He was impressed at the speed that her people had learned Katsuranis. If only Katsurani could learn that quickly with no formal training.

  “I wish to discuss the destiny of my people.” She stood terrified.

  “That depends on them.”

  “What do you do with your captives,” she asked, her hearts doubling their beats, threatening to go out of rhythm.

  “If the spartzitz are helpful and productive they exist in our society with rights and privileges. If they are harmful they are exterminated.”

  “Sounds simple,” she said, not bothering to hide her contempt.

  “It is.”

  “What will you do with the rest of us if we refuse to cooperate with you?” She felt courage coming to her. She knew that at any second she could die. That gave her some form of comfort, an inner ability that she didn't know was there. It wasn't the aspect of death that she was frightened, but the images from Quzit Four that kept rushing to her mind.

  “After suitable time to determine those that will cooperate the remainder will be exterminated.” Krishnae widened his eye slits and stared at this small ineffectual pale. These spartzitz were strange. Not exactly spartzitz, but refusing to defend themselves just the same.

  “Your people put me into a difficult situation,” he continued, puffing his air slits in a sigh. He decided to tell her, to confide in her. “Technically, you are not spartzitzs. You should be looked upon as equals to us, and deserving the rights of an honorable enemy. But you relinquish total control to us without defense. I am reluctant to kill your people without knowing more about you. We do not even have a name for you.”

  “Pyrinni.”

  “It is better than Pale's.” He widened his eye slits into a smile.

  “What do you want my people to do?”

  “Total integration. I want your people to teach mine your technology. For those spartzitz, or pirennie, that prove loyal a special status is made. They become half citizens, having rights to employment and secure lodges without access to the political processes.”

  “It still sounds worse than freedom.”

  “To an honorable enemy, yes. But will your people die instead of becoming half citizens? Current trends show not. They behave as perfect spartzitz.”

  “No,” she slumped while standing, all her energy left. “My people have the ability to accept what you offer. We will submit, all of us. She thought of her offspring growing as a slave in a militant society. The thought danced across her mind. She remembered the Quilitz killing their children rather than face the brutality of their captors. She thought of performing such an act, but knew she couldn't. Only the image could exist in her mind, nothing more.

  “I am curious,” Krishnae puffed his air slits, “why allow your children to become spartzitz?”

  “Why do you question? Are you not afraid that you may inspire me to rebel?”

  “No. Your race is weak. I have the luxury of catering to my curiosity.”

  “Oh.”

  “Continue.” He leaned back in his chair and stroked his air slit, a reflective habit he had just developed. He seemed to be spending more time in thought than in action since his arrival. He worried at times, but knew that the people were not used to constantly seeing an Elder. It worked out for the better, for now.

  “Violence is completely absent from the history of my race. We have never fought, in anything. Verbal arguments were always used to gain superiority. Mental ability was encouraged and trained, not aggressiveness and not violence. We have travelled and we have seen, passively observing many cultures and many races. My people do not know who you are, nor do they understand your methods. But we do have an insight into what you do.” The images from Quzit Four again came rushing to her mind.

  “There are others?” He stood as the realization took hold. “Others in space? We are not alone?” He felt his excitement grow with something that upon now hearing knew it was true, knew the truth even before, and felt the blood of the Triconitae within him.

  “Yes, there are many races, countless.”

  “You must teach us.”

  “Release my people first.”

  Krishnae pressed a button on his console. “Release the spartzitzs and relocate them.” He turned to Soltyn, “You must go to your people and organize leaders to instruct my warriors and technicians. We shall continue our conversation again.”

  “Yes, Elder.” She stood, not sure if she was to leave then or not. But when he started talking into his communicator again she decided to leave.

  Once out in the hallway the soldiers acted differently toward her. They weren't oppressive any longer, acting as if she weren't there. She had the feeling that if she did something inappropriate they would react harshly. She was forcefully thrust from her thoughts as she moved out of the way of a quickly running Katsurani. It was much bigger than Elder and could have easily killed her by just by running into her.

  Laitru pushed open the door and ran in without acceptance.

  “We have one of their warships!” he yelled, his place forgotten.

  Krishnae looked up at him, thinking Laitru's actions ill advised. He saw the exultation in Laitru and his own excitement grew.

  “Leader Kitean,” Laitru continued, “engaged and disabled an enemy ship. All aboard were killed.”

  “Did the vessel fire any weapons upon Kitean's ship?” Krishnae stood. A real war, finally a real war with one of the other races the pirennie mentioned. But it was too soon.

  “No, they did not defend themselves. The ship only had a crew of four.”

  “Not a warsh
ip?”

  “We cannot determine which systems are weapons or not. The ship was a small size, but its speed may indicate an interstellar capability.”

  “The full report and the logs will be given to me immediately upon their completion.”

  “Yes, Elder.” Laitru extended his neck.

  “The spartzitz will cooperate with us fully.” Krishnae walked around to face Laitru. “Have the engineers board the ships with some of them. The time of learning is now.”

  “Yes, Elder.”

  “Do not grow complacent, Laitru.” Even though Krishnae was of a smaller size than Laitru he seemed to dwarf the fleet commander. “I have learned of other races, many of which are of our honor. The enemy truly exists, we must prepare for them.”

  “Yes, Elder.” There was hope yet. Laitru's excitement grew. That night he coupled with three females. There was no longer a reason for imposing hatchling restrictions. The time for expansion such as the Triconitae had never known was about to begin.

  The bulky creation floated almost invisible to electronic detection. It had only taken six standard months for the behemoth to be completed. It was one of the old colony ships. Its cargo housed in the mines as homes were dug and pressurized. Instead of katsurani colonist it carried power plants and weapons. It was a battle-station. In the homeworld systems it was a formidable thing to place in orbit of any world.

  Out of non-time came a ship into now-time. It was a large cylindrical shaped craft. It floated on the wells and ebbs of the gravity fields created in the system of twenty-two planets and three gas giants. It approached the silent station.

  Communication beams were sent out by the large ship. When they came back unanswered old-style radio waves were sent out.

  The station answered with a weak signal and the giant ship moved closer.

  Erupting from the darkened bulk came floating beams of red plasma. They washed across the skin of the giant vessel. The station thrust closer and from it edged out numerous small torpedoes, racing to speed when free of their tubes. The giant ship faltered, parts of it skin imploded.

  From one end of the ship appeared a saucer. It moved away, riding the gravity wells, and then vanished into non-time.