Galactic Council Realm 1: On Station

by J. Clifton Slater

Bravery, the Elders wanted brave and agile. I decided, I wanted to see more of the land so following the cat’s lead, I went for the hunting ground.

  Tiny bars were placed in the dome’s frame. It took me three attempts but on my third jump my fingers wrapped around the lowest bar. Hand over hand for four moves and I could finally place a foot on the first bar. From there with feet and hands, I started to scale the sloping dome. I past a few bird nests with eggs laying off white against the brown twig nests. The higher I went the better the view. Ignoring the wind that threatened to toss me to the green grass below, I continued the ascent. Nothing was as determined as a small boy on a mission.

  At the top was a round platform with a low railing, I climbed up and stood on the flat surface. Spread out below me were houses connected by roads and walkways leading to shops. Further out the roads connected to farm houses with fields of planted crops radiating outward. Beyond the valley, low hills rolled to the base of faraway mountains. The snow at the top wasn’t so white from my vantage point. It was grayer with dirty spots and holes where bare earth showed through.

  I didn’t realize all this at the time. What I do remember was saying ‘Wow’ and feeling very small compared to the vista. Also I remember a whisper, a faraway voice trying to speak to me. The novelty of the valley wore away slowly and I looked down. On the ribbon that were the stone walkway, my four class mates and three Druids were looking up at me. So I waved to them.

  The sun began to touch the snow caps as I began the descent. Below me the seven tiny figures just stood and watched me as I climbed down.

  “You’ve held up the class,” scolded one of the Druids, “We have a schedule to keep and you’ve created chaos.”

  I followed the others with my head down as if I were ashamed. In reality, I was revisiting the beauty of the Clan’s land. The next day we were issued fighting sticks, given a few minutes of instructions and a warning about poking out eyes. We would spend the next few years beating each other black and blue.

  My remembrances were interrupted by Svana. From the hatch, she imaged ‘Web no threat. Hidden spider hunt’. As before I couldn’t get her to understand my thoughts but then again it would be hard to relay, confusion.

  “Phelan, get some rest, we’re scheduled for an Internal evolution during second shift,” Agdta said stepping onto the bridge, “You are relieved from watch.”

  “Aye ma’am, I am relieved,” I replied.

  I was sleeping and dreaming about my first day of Druid training when the intercom buzzed.

  “Mister Piran, would you like to join us,” Captain Xhosa asked, “We’re an hour from evolution.”

  “On the way, sir,” I said shaking off the longing for grass, clean rich air and kilometers of open ground. All the attributes of the land, but not much longing for the Druid way.

  A quick snack in the galley and I was on the way to the Bridge. Svana was sitting in the aisle of the crew compartment, not giving me any images, purposely it seemed. I had to step around her. She’d be off in the cargo sleeve pursuing bugs and arachnids as soon as the ship went to Internal drive. While she hunted, I’d be in the gun turret testing the guns.

  “Phelan are you ready?” Kala asked as I stepped onto the Bridge, “We’re fifteen minutes from transition.”

  “Yes First Officer,” I replied, “I just need to drop the ammo drum and activate the turret.”

  “Better get ready,” she suggested, “and be sure to clear the test with Dabir before you begin.”

  “Understood,” I replied as I backed out of the hatch.

  In the bunker a few minutes later, I hit the switch and the ammo drum lowered through the deck. I moved quickly to the deck below and entered the gunner hatch.

  “Guns are loaded,” I reported on the intercom, “I am standing by for clearance to begin the test.”

  “Ide, Phelan prepare for Internal evolution,” Kala alerted us to the impending transition.

  “Thank you Kala,” the engineer replied, “I am buckled in good and tight in case you try to rip my engine to pieces.”

  “I haven’t hurt them yet.”

  “There’s always a first time.”

  I guess routine phrasing is comforting for a crew on a Clipper ship.

  “Aye ma’am, holding on tightly,” I assured her, “Let me know when I can start the test.”

  “I will,” she assured me.

  “Power up Internal drive,” Agdta ordered.

  I ignored the navigator to pilot chatter and spent the next few minutes checking the electronics on the gun orb. Everything checked out fine. The transition was smooth and the only way I knew we were about to go from External to Internal was the rumbling in the deck from the ion cannons. I was too far forward to hear the Internal engine but here in the belly of the ship, I could feel the vibrations.

  “Mister Piran, you are cleared for your test,” Agdta Hernan, the navigator, said.

  I wondered why Kala, the First Officer, wasn’t the one to inform me.

  “I read you Agdta, beginning rotation,” I said as the orb rotated and the black of space spread out in front of me. A few far away space rocks that reflected a sun’s light floated by.

  They weren’t floating. They were in fact racing through their respective orbits. The Uno Shoda’s speed while decreasing made everything seemed suspended in slow motion. I released the guns and the barrels thrust out above me.

  Rotating through the range of movement, I first had a look at the glowing ion propellant tube sticking out of the Clipper ship’s nose. I scanned the area then swung around for a look at the cargo sleeve. The sleeve was a round edge from my vantage point. It doubled the thickness of the ship’s under belly.

  “Piran, we’ve got a distress signal from a sector in our direct path,” Xhosa said, “Hold any firing until we get this sorted out.”

  That’s why it was the navigator who contacted me. Kala was probably busy with the emergency message. I wondered if it was unusual to have a ship this far out of standard transport routes.

  I listened to the Bridge chatter as nothing was visible with the naked eye yet or my gun’s scanner.

  “What have you got Agdta?” Xhosa asked, “Anything on scans?”

  “Nothing Captain,” the Navigator replied.

  “I have a lock on the emergency signal,” Kala announced, “It’s identified as a commercial Sloop.”

  “What is a Sloop doing out here on the fringes of the trade routes?” Agdta asked, “I’ve located the Sloop. It’s exactly in our flight path. Wait, I have two images. Kala can you identify the second?”

  “I see it now, it’s a lot smaller with a weaker signal. It’s a lifeboat,” the First Officer reported.

  “Is the life boat from the Sloop?” Xhosa asked.

  “No Captain, it’s got a different transponder signature,” Kala replied.

  “Ensign Piran, you’re the military man here,” the Captain stated, “What are the chances that a Sloop and a lifeboat from a different ship would be lost in deep space together?”

  “If a lifeboat was missing, the Navy would be looking for it. If a Sloop was missing the Navy would be looking for it,” I replied, “Has anyone seen a Navy search ship in this sector of space?”

  “We are two minutes from the first arc of our turn Captain. What do you want to do?” Agdta asked.

  “Let’s complete our first arc. After that, we’ll see about the ships,” he directed.

  Due to my unique position under the belly of the Clipper ship, I felt the pressure as the nose swung slightly then the engine noise increased. Kala used the power to compensate for the bulk of the cargo sleeve as it moved counter to the nose.

  “The lifeboat and the Sloop are moving,” Agdta announced, “They’re moving into our new tract.”

  “Captain, as your military adviser, I suggest you complete the turn and get your ship out of this area,” I stated.

  “But there may be injured on the Sloop and the lifeboat. They could be leaking atmosphere,” A
gdta warned, “They may have moved to be sure we see them.”

  “Let’s slow after our next arc,” Xhosa ordered, “We should be in hailing range by then.”

  “Phelan, are your guns charged?” the First Officer asked.

  “Yes ma’am, loaded and locked,” I replied.

  “Good. Stand by,” she answered.

  Now I could see a glint in the distance. It must be the Sloop.

  “Arc two commencing,” Kala announced.

  Again the sway and the slight movement I felt in my seat.

  “The ships are moving again,” Agdta said, “They’re moving with us and matching our power.”

  Something was nagging at the back of my brain but I couldn’t pin it down.

  “Captain, how many more arcs before we can go External?” I asked.

  “Piran, stay off the comm until we get this figured out,” Agdta said.

  “Three more arcs,” Xhosa replied ignoring his Navigator, “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say but I have reason to believe that the Sloop and Lifeboat are trying to net us in,” I said as my brain finally landed on the idea.

  An image of Svana leaped into my mind as well as her cryptic cat message, ‘Web no threat. Hidden spider hunt’.

  I swung my guns towards the aft of the Uno Shoda as Kala began another of our arcs. The space was inky black and empty. 180 degrees of deep space is a lot of area to cover with the targeting system of an old style belly gun. I saw nothing and nothing registered on my system.

  “Agdta, please scan the sector around us,” I requested.

  “Scanning. Nothing is beside or behind us,” she replied, “We use state of the art anti-collision scanners. So I pronounce the area clear of any traffic.”

  I began to doubt my hunch and decided to swing through one more sweep before turning back to the Sloop and Lifeboat.

  ‘Web no threat. Hidden spider hunt,’ I thought, ‘now I’m taking directions from a space cat’.

  My targeting system lit up before the yellow streak popped into space behind the cargo sleeve. The old guns identified the ship as an out of date Patrol Boat. Her weapons had a beam on us. Three guns and four missile tubes were targeting the Clipper ship.

  “Guns going active,” I announced as I pivoted so my rounds would be where the ship was headed. Two streams from my twins twisted and rolled until the Patrol Boat flew into the rounds. Once they met, I locked on and followed the Patrol Boat as it pulled parallel to the Uno Shoda.

  “Phelan, what are you shooting at?” demanded Xhosa.

  “Suspected Pirates, Captain,” I said, “How long until the next turn arc?”

  “Commencing arc,” Agdta announced before the Captain could reply.

  The Patrol Boat was leaking a little atmosphere although not enough. She banked and pulled out of my range. And, the range of her guns as well, but she still had rockets.

  One rocket launched and I realized it was targeting the belly gun orb and me. They didn’t want to hurt the prize. They just wanted to get rid of me. I watched as my system counted down the distance.

  Four, three, two and I pulled in the guns and rotated back into the hull of the Uno Shoda. I counted to three and rotated back out of the ship. The Patrol Boat had closed the range and I welcomed them with another duel steam of rounds. Again they peeled off and put some distance between us. She was leaking a little more atmosphere.

  “Commencing arc,” Agdta announced and the Clipper swung a little farther into its preferred heading.

  “Agdta, any chance of rushing the next arc?” I asked, “If we stick around here much longer, we’ll be Pirate treasure.”

  “Precision, Mister Piran, I thought I explained that to you,” she replied as cool as if everything was just an exercise. You’ve got to love those warm, emotional types.

  We were minutes away from the final arc and, short of that for me surviving, and the crew being taken captive. I spun around and looked at the Sloop. It was closer to me than the Patrol Boat and not nearly as armored. If it had any armor at all? I wondered if the Pirates had any loyalty to each other. Would they would rescue fellow barbarians in place of a juicy prize like our Clipper ship?

  I zeroed in on the Sloop. Got a good lock and depressed the trigger. The small transport lit up and began to seep clouds of atmosphere. Next I decided to double down and sent a short burst into the Lifeboat. Two ships, two hits, and I pivoted back to see how the Patrol Boat would react.

  Apparently Pirates have a conscience because the Patrol Boat broke into a fast run towards the two damaged ships.

  “Commencing arc,” Agdta announced.

  “Prep for External evolution,” Kala said as we swung into our final heading.

  “Power equalized,” Kala shouted.

  “3, 2, 1,” replied the Navigator.

  I retracted the guns and rotated back into the hull. There was a jolt and the vibration from the Internal drive subsided. Not as smooth, I thought, but nicely done Agdta.

  My first stop was in the galley. There I opened two bags of tuna fish. After placing them in Svana’s bowl, I headed to the Bridge.

  “That was an ambush,” I said rushing through the hatch and onto the Bridge.

  Ide, Agdta, Kala and Xhosa were standing next to the pilot controls. Blue ions flowed over the front viewer.

  “I agree. But how did they know where we’d make our turns?” Kala asked.

  “Someone in Master of Transit is dirty,” Ide suggested, “Someone sold our position and the Pirates almost had us.”

  “When do we transition to Internal drive again?” I asked.

  “About four days but we’ll be in an area with a Track Station. Naval support will be a call away,” Xhosa explained, “I believe we’re good for now.”

  I left the Bridge and made my way back to the belly gun. After unloading them, I cleaned and ran maintenance on the orb. In the bunker, I reloaded the mostly spent ammo drum and stowed it. Then I went to my quarters and climbed into my rack.

  Chapter 14

  A few hours later I woke up, cleaned up and called Captain Xhosa. I asked for and received an invitation to his office. It was located in an extension to his quarters with a separate door. I knocked and entered after getting permission.

  “Captain Xhosa, thank you for taking time to see me,” I said as I came to attention in front of his desk.”

  “Piran, sit down,” he said pointing to a chair, “Give me a second to finish this report. It can’t be sent until we go Internal but, I want it ready.”

  I sat and took the liberty to look around the office. The floor was covered in a thick cream colored carpet. His curved desk fit the man. It was real teak wood, solid, dark and sturdy. The desk occupied about a quarter of the room leaving plenty of walking around space. That made sense, I’d almost never seen him sitting. His preference was to stand and his office afforded him the flexibility.

  On his right, the wall was filled with view screens. At the moment, the screens, acting as one, were filled with a swamp scene. Wild life splashed, flew and slithered across the screen. I knew it could be changed to show multiple views of the interior and exterior of the Uno Shoda and areas of the cargo sleeve. Very appropriate for a ship’s Captain. On his left, the wall was filled deck to ceiling by a teak display case. The wood frame matched the desk.

  Each display compartment in the case had a hinged glass door. Behind the doors were chrome objects but I couldn’t tell what they were. I cleared my throat. Xhosa looked at me and I pointed to the display case.

  “Please, have a look,” he said before turning back to typing his report.

  At first, I couldn’t place the objects in a category until I spotted a stethoscope. The case was filled with medical equipment. Surgical instruments, examination apparatuses, microscopes and, other medical devices that I couldn’t name. Some items were duplicates, but of obviously different generations. There were a few electronic units, yet, these also were hand held equipment. Every item on dis
play was a doctor’s tool for the direct treatment of patients.

  “What do you think of my collection?” Xhosa asked.

  I finished peering at each item, turned and said, “I’ve seen Navy Medial Boats with less gear. It’s a most impressive collection. Your hobby?”

  “Sit Phelan,” he ordered gesturing for me to take a seat. After I was settled, he leaned back in his chair, rolled his neck until his nose faced the ceiling and he closed his eyes.

  “From the time I was a school boy, I wanted to be a doctor. My family lived on planet Tres in a middleclass neighborhood. To the South of our comfortable community was the business district were the providers went to work every day. To the North were the ruins left undeveloped since the Great Schism. It was still a time of unrest on Tres. Every year the Galactic Council demanded loyalty oaths from the citizens. There were rumors that the inquisition could return at any time. And every semester, schools sponsored field trips to the Museum of Heroes.”

  “The Museum was a wonder. We children would take the tour and a guide would tell us of the great sacrifices made by the Army of the Galactic Council. On view screens we’d watch the final siege of the Empress’s strong hold. We’d be mesmerized by the troops breaching her palace defenses and the hand to hand fighting as the army fought the palace guards. While the other children flocked to other viewers to see separate battles, I would be fixated on the view screens from the field hospital.”

  “In those images, I saw more blood, heroism and glory then on all the battle scenes combined. The doctors in bloody scrubs treating those brave men and women who’d been wounded in the fighting. Surgeons cutting, hacking and sewing under swaying lights in the dusty operating room. And still, more torn bodies arriving every minute. Operate on one wounded and there were three more to take its place. For days the medical staff struggled to save lives as the Admirals and Generals continued to feed troops into the fight. By the end, the doctors were saving lives under the most horrific conditions. From that point on, I wanted to be a doctor.”

  He interrupted the story.

  “I apologize. Would you care for any refreshments?” he asked opening his eyes.