by Mark Wandrey
“Shit!” Cherise barked, filling the quiet with her expletive.
“What the fuck was that?!” Selain demanded from the doorway into the chamber. “We could see that damned light through the fucking walls!”
“I thought I could see the bones in my arm,” one of the Rasa technicians said.
Minu shook her head to clear it. When she looked at where she’d left the rod, there was now a milky white dais. Without hesitation she walked up the three steps. As her foot touched the top step, the portal sprang into life. She took out her PCR, pointed it at the portal, and pressed the activation key. Script came alive on the rod and she pressed a familiar sequence. The portal pulsed blue and a view swirled, then materialized.
Minu heard Cherise gasp as they were looking into the portal chamber in Ft. Jovich, with the rest of the Chosen council staring back. Minu stepped through back to Bellatrix, a thousand light years in second.
Dram shook his head, but his smile was huge and ear to ear.
“That was amazing,” Jasmine Osgood said, shaking her head as she looked over her shoulder at the other end of the new portal link between Bellatrix and Midgard. “How many of those can you make?”
“I’m keeping that information as First eyes only,” she said. Jasmine’s look darkened somewhat.
“Executive privilege?” Dram wondered.
“I suppose you could call it that,” Minu agreed.
“You’re not as different from you father as you think,” Dram said. This time it was Minu’s turn for her features to change. She became slightly brooding as she considered that. Sure, she had plans within plans. But she didn’t know what goals her father might have had, or did still have if he were still alive out there in the vastness of space.
Unnoticed by Minu, Ted was observing the portal and rubbing his chin. The look on his face was undecipherable.
Minu heard a half cry, half gurgle and looked past the group of Chosen council members and Ranger guards to see her husband balancing Mindy in one arm.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said and they parted to make room. “Hi family.”
“Hi Mom,” Aaron said and took Mindy’s little hand and made it wave. Minu gave a half laugh. “Look, I’m sorry about being that way…”
“Don’t,” she said, cutting him short. Mindy was grunting and holding her hands out. Minu took her and cuddled the infant against her chest. “I could have had someone else do it. So you were right.”
He just nodded his head and kissed her gently on the cheek. Behind them Selain and his squad followed through the portal, the sergeant saluting the Chosen Council. Only a few of them returned it, still not used to the new procedure either.
The portal closed and a technician used the room’s built in portal control system to reopen it to Midgard.
“So what now?” Aaron asked.
The door to the portal vault was already open. In through it came dozens of people, all with heavy packs on their backs. Some were civilians, all being led by Chosen with the green stars of the logistics branch. They immediately began moving through the portal.
Minu could see Cherise on the far side waving to get her attention. Minu waved back and the other woman gave her a pronounced bow and mouthed ‘thank you’. Minu shot her a thumbs up.
After the parade of logistics people paraded through, a group of Rasa appeared. They numbered at least a hundred. A platoon of them were soldiers and the rest technical and professional types. Minu immediately saw that quite a few were small and looked around nervously. The first of the new generation of Rasa entering adulthood.
At the end of the procession was Var’at himself. He detached and came over to bow to Minu. “It is good seeing you again, First.”
“Good seeing you too, friend.”
“How is your offspring?” he asked and leaned over to look at Mindy.
“She’s doing just fine.”
“They why do you carry her? Let her run around and look for something to eat.”
Aaron and Minu exchanged glances, then laughed at his lack of understanding.
“Var’at, she cannot yet stand, or even crawl,” Minu explained.
The Rasa seemed dubious but finally gave a customary shrug. “As you will.” He glanced to see the progress of his people moving through the portal. “I thank you for the opportunity to occupy the coastal city on Midgard…what was it called?”
“Catchalot,” Aaron said quickly. Minu shot him a look and he just winked. Var’at bobbed his head.
“Just remember that this is not a colonization effort,” Minu said. “We are only there for research, exploration, and to work on the ships we’ve salvaged.”
“I understand.”
Another Rasa approached. Except for the semicircle of scar tissue on Var’at’s crest ridge, this one was identical so Minu knew it was one of his brothers.
“First, this is my other brother, Zar’at.”
“You are a doctor, if I recall correctly?” Minu asked.
“That is correct,” he said, obviously pleased she remembered even though they’d never met in person.
“So you are planning on another generation of children on Midgard?”
“We are hoping for that,” Var’at said. “Our reproductive system is dependent on environment, so we shall see how this new world treats us.”
“Best of luck, and keep in contact with planetary administration in the capital city where the portal there is.”
“We named it Plenty,” Aaron offered.
Var’at said he would keep in contact then, with his brother, followed the rest through to Midgard.
“You mean you named it, right?” Minu asked her husband.
He shrugged and gave a little grin. “Not this one,” he admitted. “One of the scout teams. Catchalot was mine, though.”
“Heinlein?”
“Alan Dean Foster. The one with whales?”
“I don’t think I’ve read that one,” Minu admitted.
“It’s in our library.”
“I’ll check it out.” She took her daughter and headed out of the vault just as they began to open the other access door, the big one used for vehicles. A group of Lancers were waiting there to go over Midgard. Minu checked her tablet for updates now that she was back on Bellatrix. A message was tagged as urgent. It was one she’d been waiting for.
“You asked what’s next?” Minu said to her husband, glancing up from the tablet and over her shoulder as they climbed into the lift as she coded for her office’s floor.
He nodded that he did.
“Nexus.”
Part III
Chapter 33
Julast 27th, 535 AE
Chosen Council Chamber, Chosen Administrative Headquarters, Steven’s Pass
Minu looked around the room at all the faces and tried not to sigh. This sort of thing was what she hated the most about being First. That and having everything depend on her, even when she didn’t have time to make even a fraction of the decisions she would ultimately be responsible. This decision, though, was above even her pay grade.
“Welcome everyone,” she said to a round of greetings.
Around the table familiar faces looked back. Gregg in his tiger striped camo Ranger uniform with two blue-red stars on his cuff. Next to him was Drams imposing figure. A few more lines on his face than in the old days. He was still second among the Chosen, a position that seemed to suit him best. He also led the scouts and wore two black stars instead of golden.
Then there was Cherise, her lifelong friend just back from Midgard. A pair of green stars for Logistics on her Chosen uniform. Ken Benedict was next with yellow stars for training.
Then Jasmine Osgood, silver for science, and Minu with a solitary golden star for command. On her other side was Bjorn, also showing two stars from science. He was now an at large council member, having been displaced from command of science years ago by the previous First.
“Lilith, you here?” she asked the air. Off to one side a holograp
hic generator cast its image into the room. A holographic image of her daughter, still in the Aether system and communicating via the quantum system appeared there.
“I’m here, First,” she reported.
“Then let’s start our reports with training,” Minu said and looked at Ken.
“Thanks you First,” Ken said, and as had become tradition, stood. “The training branch is ready for the next Trials as planned in March. Overall applications are down, though the percentage of females continues to increase.” Minu caught Cherise’ eye and they winked at each other. “I still anticipate enough applicants to fill required slots.
“The current Ranger training cycle is nearly completed and ready to hand off to cadre training at Fort Chriso. As of today, we have two fully equipped and trained regiments of Rangers.”
Gregg beamed like a proud poppa and Dram whistled. “Hell of a job, son,” he complemented.
“Sixty-five hundred,” Jasmine said, her tone not entirely happy. “So many soldiers,” she added.
“And we’re not done,” Minu admitted.
“How many is enough?” the Peninsula woman asked. Their people, of all those on Bellatrix, liked military service the least. And that conviction reflected in their service. Less 1% of the Rangers were from Peninsula, and many of them support. And a bare 5% were full Chosen, mostly science, logistics, and training.
“That’s not something to discuss here right now,” Minu said. “You’ve all reviewed my recommendation to create a new armed force. The Navy.” Minu glanced around at the councilors before continuing.
“The facts are simply that we don’t have the technical expertise within the Rangers to draw on to fill ship board slots. Even with the plan we’re studying to replace the missing CI, each ship will take between ten to five hundred crew members.” She gestured with her computer control and a holographic display came alive showing each class of ship and probably crew requirements. “And that doesn’t include maintenance staff at the firebase in Aether, or the Highguard stations here. As the report from the station commander notes, the training curve for space service is steep. And casualties have been low, so far.”
“Must we man all those ships?” It was Jasmine, of course.
“If we don’t, they are of no use to us,” Minu said.
“Can’t they be kept in reserve? To be called upon when needed?” Dram wondered.
“Not and have them able to be used, and we might only have minutes warning,” Lilith answered for Minu.
“And of what use are they? Warships. Dozens of warships. Will they make us safe? Will the ability to wage intergalactic war make us safe?”
“The only way to have peace, is to be prepared to wage war again anyone who would attack you,” Minu said.
“With no warships, why would anyone attack us?” she persisted.
“Ask the Rasa,” Minu said darkly. Jasmine reacted like she’d been punched. “Jasmine, I respect your point of view but it’s wrong. The galaxy is a dangerous place. We thought there were no spaceships, but it turns out they’re everywhere. And most of these higher order species, in their arrogance, have no compulsion against using them.
“Time and time again we’ve been attacked. Unprovoked acts of violence in deep space.”
“What does the Concordian law say about incidents like that?” Gregg asked.
Minu spread her hands wide and shrugged. “We don’t know. As a dependent, un-Awakened species, vast areas of the law, history, technology files are restricted from us. We’re kids with his dad’s aerocar, flying around the city. But we don’t have access to the manual because Dad won’t let us. He’s afraid we’ll borrow the car, and hasn’t noticed the garage is empty.”
There were chuckles around the room. Minu let them quiet down.
“And before you ask, the answer is; no, I don’t care what the Tog think. They have starships too. And I have an unofficial agreement to cooperate with us as a space based power.”
“Cooperate?” Dram said, a little surprised. “Why would a protector species need an agreement from their client?”
“More on that later,” Minu asked, and gave him a calm stare. No looked back for a time then nodded in agreement. “For now, if we are to go forward with the starships we have, we need crew. And a navy. How does the Council speak?”
The vote only took a moment. It was unanimously in her favor. Even Jasmine agreed, though with obvious distaste.
“Ken, your schedule is ready?”
“I’ve just about got the training schedule finished. There is a proposal for an advertising budget in your office…” he tapped at his tablet. “Now. My staff and I estimate training time of about six weeks dirt side followed by another four weeks up on Highguard. At that point we’d like five Eseel detached indefinitely as training vessels, and an equal number of Phoenix.”
“Consider it done. I’ll arrange for the Eseel to come with Lilith when she makes her next trip home.” She looked down at her tablet and tried not to smirk. “And on the subject of a commander for the navy, I’d like to nominate Lilith Groves.”
There were head shakes, looks of concern, and one pair of stunned eyes from many light years away. Surprisingly it was Dram that voiced a concern.
“She’s quite young,” he said simply.
“And has a history of not following orders,” Jasmine pointed out. Minu was sure that sentiment had nothing to do with Lilith trying to give her a permanent sun tan from orbit the first time they met.
“Both points are valid,” Minu agreed without hesitation. “Lilith is only just recently turned thirteen. However biologically she’s closer to twenty-six. And furthermore, there is no one in our species with more experience in space, more knowledge of space warfare and space travel, or better qualified to lead the navy branch.
“However acknowledging her somewhat unconventional way of following orders and lack of command experience, I’ve promoted Chris Sommercorn to three star, a rank designated in the navy as commodore, and am transferring him to the navy branch. He will be Lilith’s chief of staff, advisor, and head of flight training. In addition, I’ll consult with her for the first few months and provide counsel on command decisions.”
Dram looked at her with a lopsided grin. His look said it all. In his opinion when it came to command decorum this would be the blind leading the blind.
“Since she will be elevated to the council, this will require a unanimous vote by the council. Naturally, I vote yes.”
Minu carried that vote as well. There was a brief round of applause for the newest Chosen council member. An assistant moved her holographic projector from the side to behind the table, and it was official.
“Thank you,” Lilith said and genuinely looked humbled. “I will do my best to serve and…obey orders.” Minu could have sworn it was physically painful for the girl to say that. Minu tried not to let the two for two votes go to her head. The next would be a lot harder.
She called for reports from the other branches. Logistics reported on the Highguard station construction, Scouts on routine checks of common offworld destinations, and Command on the movement of C&C to the forts and away from the Steven’s Pass facility. Next Minu called on Science.
“Jasmine.”
“First,” the head of the Science branch stood.
She looked a lot like Minu, taller but also thin of build. She even shared green eyes, though she had her people’s straight black hair. “Science branch continues to work on planetary research projects largely related to mitigating the effects of our stars increased activity cycle. Data from last month indicated a one point two percent further increase in radiation reaching the planet over the previous ten months. The first test of the solar screen should be ready by the end of Julast. A pair of ship class EPCs have been delivered to the Rasa techs working on the shield station and they’ve begun work to finish the emitters.”
“Any issues so far?”
“We were delayed a bit by an unscheduled redesign,” Jasmine said
and looked at Bjorn.
The crazy haired elderly scientist appeared to be asleep, though Minu doubted it. He might well be pushing eighty, but his mind was as powerful as ever. And that included wild trains of thought and dangerously radical ideas.
“Hmm?” Bjorn said and looked around, realizing everyone was looking at him.
“The planetary shield, Bjorn?” Minu asked.
“Yeah, great idea. We should build it.”
“We were,” Jasmine pointed out, “until you stopped construction to change the emitter configuration.” He looked mystified.
“Bjorn,” Minu said, a little annoyed. “Why did you change the specs?”
“Oh,” he said and grabbed a tablet and started punching keys. It wasn’t his, so none of his files were there. “Oh, I seem to have deleted everything by mistake.”
Cherise gently took her tablet back, reached into Bjorn’s holster and took the right tablet and put it in his hands.
“There we are!” the scientist crowed and accessed files. Details were sent to the meeting room computers and displays came alive.
The shield station looked remarkably like the power station around Dervish, and for good reasons. The energy gathering apparatus was similar. They would absorb the power radiation coming from their dying star, convert it to usable plasma power, and use that to operate a shield far beyond its gathering range. Effectively acting like a forward deflection shield on a starship. Radiation from Bellatrix would be shunted around the planet.
The display of the simple station changed before their eyes to one much more robust. It had much more space, and additional facilities that looked very familiar to Minu, and her daughter. “Are those weapons hard points?” Lilith asked?
Bjorn nodded, grinned and examined the design. Then he frowned and started making notes. Jasmine moaned.
“Bjorn,” Minu said before he started to redesign the entire station, “why the weapons points?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. She shook her head. “I’ve reviewed your reports on the mission to Dervish. The power station was unarmed.”