Amalthean Quests One

by Jeri Dion

  “Who are you people, what are you doing in my Father’s Officette, you’ve no right to be here, I should call a Securidroid”.began Kelly slightly wavering with tiredness.

  “I’m Colonel Tayce Traun you remember me and this is my team, we’ve been sent here by General Largon to investigate where you and your people are, why your so far off your original course,” explained Tayce softly taking off her jacket and crossing to the frail looking Kelly.

  Tayce draped her jacket around Kelly’s slim shoulders, guiding her carefully over to her Father’s chair. Here she sat her down gently. Donaldo, with soft gentle approach, took his Medic Emergency Kit and crossed to attend to her. Immediately Kelly began to panic.

  “No don’t come near me… don’t touch me,” she protested, frightened of Donaldo.

  “Take it easy Kelly, come on, trust me this man is my Medical Officer, he’ll help you, I promise he won’t hurt you,” assured Tayce gently by Kelly’s side.

  Kelly studied Donaldo apprehensively, as he approached, she wanted to run, she hadn’t seen a man since seeing the barbarian who had threatened her and stole away her people and parents two yearons ago, this was not easy for her and Tayce could fully understand that. Donaldo gently began to examine her, giving her a reassuring smile each step he went reassuring her she was going to be all right, she was safe. He couldn’t believe the state she was in. Treketa came forward on Tayces nod to do so carefully.

  “Kelly I’m Treketa I’m a nurse with the team, we’re going to take care of you,” said Treketa softly crouching down beside her.

  “Kelly can you tell me anything about what happened here, I know it’s probably difficult for you, where are your parents, your people?” asked Tayce carefully.

  “Gone, they’re all gone, I hid, like Father told me to do, so, they wouldn’t find me, especially the leader, he was awful what he would do to a woman to make them be submissive to him,” said Kelly sadly and near breaking point.

  Tayce shook her head, she didn’t ask Kelly who this leader and group were, for fear that she would crumble beyond retrieval. As it was, she could see that this young woman had been to the equivalent of hell and back. She realised that the whole occurrence had to be on the same level of herself, being cast out into space all those yearons ago. She discretely beckoned Tom and Dean outside, out of earshot of Kelly. Both followed leaving Donaldo and Treketa to start on treating Kelly. Kelly nervously looked at Donaldo through tired eyes. For a moment a past flashback came into her mind, of their stations doctor, who had been a good man. He had healed many of her scrapes when she had been a child. It hurt like no one could imagine, that she would not see her parents, or her friends again.

  “We had a doctor, his name was Locanna, Bobby Locanna, he was a good man,” Kelly announced slowly.

  Donaldo smiled kindly, assuring her that from this moment in time onwards, they were going to help her and that she could look forward to a better future and possible new life.

  Outside the Officette Tayce hit one of the Main Operational Hall desks in anger, that Kelly had been reduced to the condition they had found her in, the fact that nobody had bothered to really search for this young woman made her furious beyond belief. Tom reached out and put a calming hand on her left shoulder and squeezed it, but he too could understand the anger, he couldn’t understand how anyone couldn’t of made a deep scan of the station to find Kelly sooner.

  “How could they have left her here, I can’t believe it,” said Tayce in angered frustration.

  “Maybe she didn’t want to be found, till now, after all her Father had told her to hide because of the leader of the group that attacked this place could return, maybe she was staying put thinking that either her Father would return or the leader would catch on that she was not with the others and come back for her, whoever he is,” said Tom.

  He had a point thought Tayce, if this leader was as bad as she said he was, there was no telling what he would have put her through to gain her submissiveness. Also she could see how easy on this station it would be for someone to hide and not be found. She would probably feel the same as Kelly, if she were in her shoes. But she would like to come face to face with this so called brute of a leader, she wouldn’t be quite so submissive as what he considered she should be in his presence.

  “What are we going to do with her, we can’t leave her here,” asked Tom curious.

  “She’ll have to return with us and go to our Life Ability Centre for further treatment, we’ll have to contact Questa and have the station taken back to the headquarters base orbit,” replied Tayce.

  Donaldo came to the doorway. He beckoned to Tayce once he’d gotten her attention. She crossed leaving Tom and Dean. Donaldo entered the Hall and walked well out of earshot with Tayce. He began that Kelly was in a bad state, for a start she was going to need nutritional injections and lot’s of rest and recuperation, this could start on Amalthea, when they returned. Tayce nodded, thinking the sooner they returned, the better it would be for Kelly so that they could commence her journey back to full health. Without further word She contacted Marc on the cruiser via her Wristlink. He soon answered asking how things were progressing over on the station?

  “We’ve found Kelly, she’s in a bad way, but alive we’re bringing her back to the cruiser for treatment, get ready to Travelsport when I give the word,” ordered Tayce.

  “All right, Lance has been picked up by Questa Security,” he informed.

  “Good let’s hope he’s not away to long, see you soon,” said Tayce signing off.

  She decided to explain to Kelly what was what. Briskly she headed back across the Main Operational Hall and into Martin Traverns Officette. Kelly looked up at her, as she walked back in. Tayce walked round the desk and crouched down and gently announced what was going to happen. Taking the young woman’s gentle slender hand she began.

  “Kelly we are going to help you in two ways, firstly were going to take you back to Amalthea, for medical treatment, then were going to help in the search for the crew and your parents of this station, believe me if they are out here somewhere, we will find them, you can be sure of that, we are known as the Amalthean Quests team and our job is to fight crime and bring to justice on behalf of Questa, criminals like the one that abducted your parents and the crew, do you understand?” said Tayce softly.

  “Yes Tayce and thank you, I trust you will do what you can,” replied Kelly in clear eloquent English

  “Treketa look after Kelly become her aide, I’m putting you Donaldo in charge in getting her back to good health,” ordered Tayce standing to her feet.

  “You’ve got it,” assured Donaldo sincerely.

  Tayce walked back out into the Main Operational Hall and requested everyone should regroup ready to get off Greymaren. Donaldo slipped a heat sealant blanket around Kelly’s shoulders covering her dirty and torn uniform. Treketa guided her on out to join the others, whilst Donaldo shut up his Medic Emergency Kit and followed on behind. As everyone stood ready to Travelsport over to Amalthea, Treketa assured Kelly that there was nothing to fear. Kelly hadn’t noticed Dean up until then, she looked at him coldly, then away again she did not want to know him. Tayce caught the look, but said nothing, she raised her Wristlink and ordered Midge to commence immediate Travelsport. The whole team and Kelly de materialised just in time as one Securidroid that hadn’t bothered to enter the Main Operational Hall had decided to. The sudden power source of the Travelsport had been detected on it’s immediate scanner.

  On board Amalthea, the Hover Trolley that Donaldo had left prepared for when he returned, awaited the arrival of Kelly Travern. Marc stood ready waiting to tell Tayce upon her arrival what he had done in contacting Questa. He was joined by Lydia, who explained that she knew Kelly and wanted to be there for the young woman. Marc stood in re-collective thought about the old dayons, there were three men on the good council back then th
ey General Jonathan Largon, Commodore Darius Traun and Martin Travern, he remembered the three sealing a kind of joint venture and celebrating well into the early hourons. It made him smile, at the fact that Martin Travern had flown home worse for wear, after so much celebratory drink and swore he would never do it again. But the threesome were a good trio, when it came to spacial matters, this he could well remember. He hoped that Martin Travern could be found, he was a good man. The Quest team materialised back on board. Donaldo and Treketa immediately helped Kelly up onto the Hover Trolley. Lydia waited patiently, then walked over to the young Greymaren woman, putting a gentle motherly arm around her slim shoulders. She assured her that until she reached Questa, she would be there for her.

  “Thank you Lydia, I really appreciate that,” replied Kelly glad to see someone she knew well from the past.

  Donaldo started up the Hover Trolley as Lydia stepped back and headed with Kelly down to the Life Ability Centre. Marc waited until Lydia had gone with them. Then walked with Tayce and Tom heading back up to Organisation beginning to explain to Tayce that Jonathan Largon was on his way out especially when he’d heard that Kelly had been found.

  “He’s up graded this assignment, he is treating it as a top priority,” began Marc.

  “Really! I’m not surprised it is turning into somewhat of a serious matter,” said Tayce thinking that it was.

  Both left the Travelsport Centre in discussion about what she had found over on Greymaren and her possible theories what might of materialised on the station regarding the crew. Kelly had explained that it seemed like a group headed by some barbarian who liked nothing more than to over power women for his own pleasure. Marc raised his eyes at the thought. But continued to listen, as she explained her thoughts on the whole mess in hand.

  Outside in the Universe an houron later, a group of vessels arrived in orbit of Greymaren Station. They were a tow service fleet. Twenty in all. Roughly a milon across in diameter and had arrived, flown out from the Service Division that undertook the job of manoeuvring the station back to an orbit outside of Questa. They had flown in fast and expertly gone about their work, manoeuvring into position on the four corners of the station, locking on their immense and powerful tractor beams, ready to pull the station from it’s current orbit. Together they all moved forward on the slow return journey, monitoring the station from the tow vessels, and a special team aboard the station, that had also been sent in to deactivate the Securidroids. The Greymaren Station in all her lit deserted state, slowly moved with the tow vessels, heading of to the headquarters base, that would put her back to operational mode with new modifications, as it had been a while since her systems were updated.

  Tayce walked into Organisation Deck, to be welcomed back by Midge. He informed her that he had General Largon on Satlelink waiting, She quickly crossed to her pilot seat sitting down, ordering him to put the call through. Jonathan soon appeared on screen. Tom turned as did Marc, as they had been discussing the moving of Greymaren.

  “Tayce I’ll be with you in roughly forty-five minons, I want to brief the team, when I arrive, if that’s all right with you?” he asked seriously.

  “Of course, I’ll get everyone together, see you on arrival,” assured Tayce.

  The Screen went blank. All three knew by the way in which Jonathan had asked what he had, this latest Quest had turned extremely serious. Tom found that he could hold on no more to a question that had been bothering him the moment Kelly Travern had surfaced and he decided to out with it.

  “I’ve got a question, it’s not about Jonathan’s arrival, it’s about Kelly and it’s been bugging me from moment she appeared,” began Tom in thought.

  “Go on, what is it?” asked Tayce interested.

  “How come if there was no life support on that station, she managed to survive for long?”

  “He’s got a point,” said Marc.

  “Maybe she had some kind of portable system, where she was in hiding, when she found that she wasn’t alone she came out,” replied Tayce thinking about it.

  “Midge have everyone report for a meeting in the Meeting Centre please, tell them General Largon is coming aboard and I want everyone to attend,” ordered Marc.

  Upon Midge beginning the request the team report for a meeting, Tayce stood to her feet and walked into the Meeting Centre. Tom followed on taking with him the entries he’d retrieved from the ‘Greymaren Chronicles’ file. As Tayce sat down, so he explained that she may find them useful. She took them and began sifting through them. One caught her eye it was headed in bold ‘FORMED LOST FRIENDSHIP WITH JONATHAN LARGON’. Something that puzzled her, she thought that Martin Travern and Jonathan Largon had always been friends. What could it mean, she thought. She looked up at Tom for his input on the matter. He cocked his head, as if to say “what?”

  “What do you make of this, you printed it off?” asked Tayce showing the printout to him.

  “Maybe they fell out over something, then Jonathan thought about it again and got back in contact with him again and the friendship was back on,” replied Tom shrugging his shoulders.

  Midge suddenly announced that the high ranked cruiser of General Jonathan Largon was approaching for docking. Tayce stood up straightening her uniform, then began on out leaving Tom at the meeting table. She ordered him to make sure everyone was present, when Jonathan arrived. He nodded. Tayce headed off out of Organisation heading on down to meet Jonathan. She, as she walked realised this was the first time he was coming aboard the cruiser.

  General Largon appeared via Transpot in the Travelsport Centre. He was far from pleased, the controls to dock along side Amalthea on his cruiser had suddenly failed, so he had to board by what he called the in personal means, using a Transpot. He sighed he hated that new Transpot, it gave him of all things indigestion especially if he’d had a big lunch before leaving Questa. He walked out of the Centre into the corridor just as Tayce was walking to meet him, concerned that he should make it aboard all right. He was wearing his high rank usual navy suit.

  “Are you all right General?” asked Tayce.

  “If that doesn’t tell me to get a new cruiser, nothing will, I’ve had it for the best part of fifteen yearons,” he said light heartedly.

  “Just as long as we were able to bring you aboard for the reason your here, that’s what counts,” replied Tayce.

  “Shall we walk, I have to apologise for removing Lance so quickly from the assignment in hand, he will be back, this I assure you,” he said casually as they walked along.

  Both talked as they made their way up to the Meeting Centre about Greymaren. Jonathan explained he wanted to talk about their next step. What needed to be done in searching for the Greymaren crew, that had obviously become victims of whoever had done what they had done. Tayce explained that Kelly was at the present time in the capable medical hands of Treketa and Donaldo Tysonne, plus her Mother was with Kelly to help her back to normal health. This pleased Jonathan, he expressed she was in safe caring hands, it was good. They turned at the top of the Level Steps and headed on into the Organisation Deck to enter the Meeting Centre to brief the team, what was to be the next move.

  Searching for the Greymaren Victims

  Part Two

  When Jonathan Largon walked in, all but Treketa was seated around the meeting table. Donaldo apologised for her absence, but stated that he did not want Kelly left alone in her delicate frightened state. Jonathan nodded understandably. Everyone present stopped discussing the strangest of disappearing acts by the Greymarians when Jonathan walked to the head of the table. They gave him their full attention. Tayce and Tom exchanged glances conveying everything was all right between them after the incident on Greymaren. Both Marc and himself had decided, that as neither had the right to be Tayces second in command without her say so, they would share the duty load nearest the top together. Tayce seated herself, gesturing for Jonatha
n to start. He began by requesting Midge to place on Sight Screen the first of the suspected group responsible for the abduction of the Greymarians, a suspected Pirate colony that according to flight records from Greymarian Martin Traverns Journal, had sent ships pass the station on many occasions. Within a few cencrons Midge did as requested, firstly dimming the lights, so that the team could see the wall Sight Screen clearly, then placing up the information Jonathan had asked for. He began the race that they could see on screen, a cold hearted rough looking bunch, were known as the Boglayons. They were the worst form of pirates that everyone hated in all the known galaxy, they hunted generally in fleets and their motto was ‘Take no prisoners, only leave enough debris around to state they had visited’. They would steal what they could, that would make a pretty sum of currency on the under market, use any female for their pleasure, but leave victims for the broken hearted, on discovering they had visited. Usually in the dead of night hourons. Jonathan continued that this particular bunch were usually drunk from the profits of their spoils. They had been known to use what was known as, slavery tactics, of the worst kind to the most vulnerable of people, women, stood no chance in the leaders hands. It had been discovered on many occasion from criminal records, that they had left women of planets vessels etc., naked, tortured beyond belief. They were not fast in coming forward, however when it came to designing the latest technology, they had been the first to create what was known as the Time Jump Dimensional Suspension Device, this was where a whole crew like the Greymarians would disappear into a Universe of the leader of the Boglayons choice. Probably a deserted area of space and left to fend for themselves as captives of the Boglayon leader. If he so decided, he could make them live horrifying recurring unrealistic dream sequences until he needed them.