NT stopped, shrugged, and held up his beer in a mock toast to the looming adventure. Everyone holding a drink gave a mock toast and sipped.
"NT. I'm tellin' ya, you're money. You're so fuckin' money!"
“Nice one, Nick. Swingers!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lesson Learnt
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Aboard the Jenny – The Bridge
“Weapons confirm.”
“Weapons charged, Captain.”
“Navigation, how long to the emergence event horizon?”
“Fourteen minutes to normal space, Captain.”
“Chief?”
“Battle stations people.”
“Thanks, Chief.”
Klaxons blared, lighting dimmed, command consoles adjusted their brightness, atmosphere in unoccupied sections of the Jenny dropped to fifteen degrees Celsius, just under sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The Jenny was about to drop out of the slipstream at the extreme limit of the star system where the fifth planet, Farmore, was located. After six weeks of travel from Earth, the Jenny’s crew was happy for the change in routine.
“Corb, are you sure we will be challenged?”
“Yes, Lucinda, we will be tested as a precursor to being giving permission to enter orbit.”
“Comms, full intra-ship please.”
“Comms open, Captain.”
“Everyone, we have been planning this moment for months. In six minutes we will be in combat. I expect you to do your job and we will survive. When we vanquish the threat, we will proceed to Farmore. Thank you, Captain, out.”
“Not much of a pep talk.”
“No, Chief, I am happy to let you speak to the crew.”
“Will do, comms, if you please.”
The bridge crew all turned to watch what the Chief would do or say.
“Comms open, Chief.”
“Crew of the Jenny, this is Chief Symington. Humans have done a lot of glorious things and more than our share of superbly dumb things. I do not know what will happen in about two minutes, but I know this: I am happy to count you as my friends…”
The chief looked up, turned to focus on Nick, and finished his pep talk.
“Here, hold my beer.”
The Chief timed his sentence ended at the same instance the Jenny emerged in to real space.
“Well, that was uneventful.”
Nick’s comment was about not being fired upon when the Jenny entered normal space. In fact, every time the Jenny emerged into normal space, there was a discharge of tachyons and superheated nanoparticles. The effect was a mini starburst that announced to anyone looking in the correct area of space the Jenny had arrived.
“It is not over, Nick. Stay focused. Continue the passive scans.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Status, Chief?”
“Five by five, Captain. We picked up a lot more nanoparticles in the slipstream due to the increased speed. The hull shows no indication of the additional stress. The light show was spectacular, anyone in a thousand light-minutes knows we are here.”
“Himari, how long to Farmore?”
“Fifty-five minutes, twenty-seven seconds from our current position. Assuming use of the slipstream. Do you want me to calculate time in normal space?”
“No need to do the calculation. Thank you, Himari.”
The Jenny had been at all stop for three hours, sitting outside the outer most planet, on the orbital plane of a red gas giant. A star more than one hundred times bigger than Sol. The planet Farmore was farther from the Red Giant that Pluto was from Sol. Despite the distance, Farmore sustained intelligent life.
“We’ve waited long enough. Chief, any reason we can’t fly?”
“Stand down from combat stations Captain?”
“No, Chief. Let’s stay alert.”
“Then no concerns, ready to fly, Captain.”
“Pilot, let’s get going, use a twenty percent power profile please”
“Engines to twenty percent, Aye.”
“Incoming!”
“Weapons, we are going to need a little more information.”
“Sorry Captain. There are three missiles headed toward us. Three million kilometers off the port bow. Impact in… Impact in three minutes twelve seconds.”
Pushing on her consoles, Lucinda considered for several seconds before responding to the crew.
“Damn! How fast are they? Never mind. Pilot bring us around. Starboard thirty-seven degrees will put us broadside to the missiles. Weapons, you got them?”
“Weapons lock confirmed, Captain.”
“How long to optimal range?”
“Another thirty-one seconds, Captain.”
“Weapons free, kill them Nick.”
“Weapons free, aye Captain.”
A few seconds later, everyone felt the port rail guns fire in unison. The energy driven trio of bolts from each gun appeared on the main screen. Watching, the bridge crew of the Jenny gasped in unison.
“Weapons, confirm one of the missiles altered its trajectory.”
“Confirmed, Captain. The railguns will take out two missiles in, three, two, one.”
Nothing happened. Forgetting the massive distances in space, excluding Corb and Himari, the bridge crew looked to Nick for an explanation.
“Wait for it.”
As Nick’s sentence ended the missile tracks disappeared and the video filters kicked in to protect the crew from the blinding light of the two missiles exploding. Cheers on the bridge were silenced by Lucinda’s loud question.
“Where is it, Nick?”
“It has re-oriented and is inbound.”
“Get a lock.”
“Working it. Give me twelve degrees of roll and ten degrees of yaw to starboard.”
Himari’s fingers flashed across the navigation panel. The Jenny rolled on its longitudinal axis bringing the port railguns in line with the in-bound missile.
“Nick… we are waiting…”
“It is too close. The explosion would overwhelm our shields and fry us.”
“Nick, are you sure?”
“I am sure Captain. Himari, confirm.”
“Confirmed.”
“Ideas people?”
“Can we out-run it?”
“Too late, Cassandra. If we had more time, to reach the slipstream, maybe.”
“Oh, Captain, can we dodge it?”
“Good idea, Cassandra. Everyone hold-on. Himari, give me one-thousand kilometers on the z-axis. Jump off the cliff Himari.”
Himari’s fingers flew across the console. Pushed by thrusters, the Jenny dropped vertically, one thousand kilometers. A vertical drop relative to the deck of the bridge.
“No good, Captain, the missile is still tracking. ETA to no more beer, forty-one seconds.”
Corb stood, looked at Lucinda and Janish, both nodded and stood, forming a triangle with Corb. Corb extended his right hand, palm up. Lucinda placed her left palm on Corb’s right palm. Repeating the process, the three closed the triad.
“Fifteen seconds to impact.”
“Thanks, Nick. We can do this. Follow my lead. Ready? Now.”
The missile was close enough the video monitors showed the warhead in real-time. Tacking for another eight seconds the video monitors were oblivious to their imminent destruction.
Without a flash or indication of any kind, the missile disappeared from the video monitors.
“Nick, where did it go?”
“Scanning… I can’t find it, Himari.”
Corb, Lucinda, and Janish all smiled. Lucinda issued an order.
“Nick, scan the star for a burst of solar radiation.”
“What? Uh, okay. We are over fife-hundred light minutes from the star. I’ll set the sensors to record.”
“What? Oh, yea, sorry. I forgot the distance. Janish, tell them what Corb did.”
“Lucinda, the triad did it.”
&nbs
p; “Yes, Janish, tell them what the triad did.”
Turning to return to their posts, Janish was interrupted before she could explain.
“A ship just appeared. Ahead, ten degrees to port.”
“Put it on the screen, Nick.”
“They must be the one who fired the missiles. Where did they come from? Nick, what are they doing?”
“They are charging their plasma cannon.”
“Himari bring us around, ten degrees to port, put our forward shields between us and that ship. Nick, is the plasma cannon charged?”
“Charged, target locked, Captain.”
“Corb, Chief, this is a real and present threat. Confirmation, please.”
“Confirmed, Captain.”
“Lucinda, this is more of the test, shoot them before they shoot us.”
“Nick, fire.”
“Fire, Aye.”
The Jenny’s plasma cannon at full charge discharge, sends a vibration though the fuselage. The external video monitors are coded to shutter closed five microseconds prior to the cannon firing. The internal monitors correspondingly stop updating. Sensors tell the external monitor when it is safe to open the shutters. The attacking ship was close enough the resulting explosion caused the shutters to remain closed for a full eleven seconds.
Elevens seconds is a very long time to wait when waiting to learn if the bad guys are still trying to turn you into a few billion atoms.
At twelve seconds, the external video shutters opened and in the internal monitors updated. No ship was visible.
“Nick?”
“It’s gone, Captain. Those are not stars, those little twinkles are what is left of the ship.”
“Captain, I am getting a message. Someone is requesting to speak with the Master. I presume they mean the Captain.”
“Video or audio?”
“Video, Captain.”
“Put it on the main monitor.”
“Greetings, I am Captain Raitt.”
“I am Senior Prefect Kale, we welcome the Enlightened One. You have passed the provisional.”
Prefect Kale hesitated, looked off camera, before he resumed in a sharp tone.
“You are not the Enlightened One. Why do you disrespect the Garune?”
Lucinda, slowly pushed a button on her left console cutting the outbound audio feed.
“They are expecting Corb. Corb, step over next to the command chair please. Nick, Himari, where are they?”
“Working it, Captain.”
“Himari?”
“No clue, Captain. They are close, they must be hidden.”
“Okay, we have hidden ship very close and a ticked off Prefect. Ideas?”
“He does appear to be a bitter leaf.”
Everyone chuckled at Nick’s comment.
“Let them see and hear the Enlightened one?”
“That is my intent, Janish.”
Lucinda pressed the console and re-opened audio connection.
“Senior Prefect, what was our error that created the confusion? The Enlightened One, is here, he is a member of my crew.”
“I am Senior Prefect Kale, I will not speak with underlings. Your ship, Captain, did not follow instructions, we must assume you are smugglers evading our laws.”
“Prefect Kale we are not smugglers and do not wish bring discord to the Garune. I am Corb Johnson. I am the Enlightened One.”
“Captain, do you think we are a simple people. This child cannot be the Enlightened One.”
For a second time, Kale looked off camera, nodded, pressed a few buttons on a device attached to his chair, and resumed speaking.
“My Ganitunite tell me they feel the Enlightened One. We are aware of your presence Enlightened One. If you will make yourself known to us, we will allow direct entry to our system.”
“Prefect Kale, we do not know this word Ganitunite.”
“It is Senior Prefect Kale. The Ganitunite are my counsel of priests. They tell me the Enlightened One is aboard your ship. Delay no longer, present the Enlightened One or are you holding him hostage? Is it your intent to deceive the Garune?”
“Senior Prefect Kale, we have not deceived you or the Garune. I am the Enlightened One, sent to you by Tarunik, leader of the Ch’en. How may I prove to you the truth of my words?”
“Comms, cut.”
“What? I didn’t give the order.”
“No, Captain. I asked Cassandra to mute the outbound comms. I have located the ship. They are less than one-thousand meters to the starboard. I can ping them with a particle beam and they will light up like a Christmas tree.”
“No need, Nick. Good work. Himari, swing us around and put us one hundred meters off their nose.”
Himari was in full warrior mode, her fingers flying over the navigation console. Everyone else looked around with raised eyebrows.
“One hundred meters, Aye. On your mark, Captain.”
“Mark!”
The Jenny swung around, with three and one-half seconds of forward, and two second of reverse thrust, was positioned one-hundred meters from the Garune vessel.”
Senior Prefect Kale appeared to be screaming at the video feed.
“Excellent piloting Himari. Open the comms.”
“Senior Prefect Kale, as you can see we are not without abilities. We are humans, from the planet Earth. This person, is Corb Johnson. He is the Enlightened One. We have no desire to deceive the Garune.”
“You are a ship full of deceit. This will not be tolerated.”
Lucinda cut the comms from her console. Senior Prefect Kale continued his rant.
“Okay, I am open to suggestions.”
“I know how to resolve this.”
Everyone turned to Corb who walked over and picked up his hat. Donning his hat, trademark smile, and a gleam in his blue eyes, he stepped forward and teleported off the bridge of the Jenny.
Looking around in confusion, it was Brando who pointed to the main monitor. Corb was standing next to Kale. Corb reached over, touched Kale, and they both returned to the Jenny. Dropping to his knees and placing forehead on the deck the crew heard Senior Prefect Kale spewing apologies.
Seeing their Senior Prefect prostrate on the deck of the Jenny, the Garune Prefect, second in command, took down his ship’s light benders. The Garune ship became visible in the normal human light spectrum.
“Comms up, please”
“I am Prefect Kairn, I demand you return Senior Prefect Kale immediately.”
“Senior Prefect Kale, please stand.”
“As you wish Enlightened one.”
“Please, tell you crew you are unharmed.”
“I have done as you requested. How may I serve the Enlightened One?”
“Senior Prefect Kale, I propose a trade. We will trade Prefect Kairn for Captain Evans. They will transport to and remain on the other ship until we reach Farmore.”
“Captain Evans can assist your crew in learning about Humans. Prefect Kairn will assist us to understand the protocols of meeting the Garune.”
“The Ch’en have not misled the Garune. Truly, you are the Enlightened One. We will make this trade.”
“Humans confirm a deal by shaking hands. The Ch’en touch palms. How is in the Garune confirm a contract?”
Kale stood to his full height, about five feet five inches. Raising his head, like a feathered chameleon, Kale’s scale like covering appeared to shiver and the feathers rippled with color. Translucent by nature, Senior Prefect Kale’s feather covering took on a blur-green hue.
“This color is confirmation. It is my bond to the agreement.”
Corb offered his right hand. Kale stepped forward and put his six fingers, scale like feathers, in Corb’s palm. Corb, closed gently and shook twice.
“That Senior Prefect Kale, is our bond.”
“I am over it. Really. If this gets us technology, then it was worth the risk.”
Brando was answering, for the fifth time, Corb’s apology. Another apology for not conferring wi
th either the ship’s Captain, Lucinda, or his bargaining chip in the negotiations, Captain Evans, Brando.
The crew of the Jenny was crowded on to the bridge, looking at the monitors. They had learned in the twenty-two hours since Corb made the deal, the ship was titled In Speed There Is Victory. Like all military personal, the ships title was too long and cumbersome for conversation. The crew of the Jenny referred to the Garune ship as Speedy.
Lucinda’s bold step of placing the tiny Jenny off the nose of Speedy was appreciated by the Garune crew. The Speedy outweighed the Jenny by about one-hundred and ninety metric tons. Unable to see the entire ship, Nick stopped counting Speedy’s gun ports when he reached thirty-six.
“Brando, if you are ready, I will take you to the ship and return with Prefect Kairn.”
“Hell, might as well, let’s hope their beer is better than NT’s.”
Corb put his hand on Brando’s shoulder and they both appeared on the bridge of the Speedy.
The entire bridge crew on the Speedy fell to the deck. On their knees, they placed their foreheads on the deck. Senior Prefect Kale and Prefect Kairn remained standing.
“This is Captain Brandon Evans. We call him Brando. He can speak for me while we travel to Farmore. Prefect Kairn, we are honored to have you aboard the Jenny. If you are ready, I will take us there.”
“Enlightened One, it is I who is honored. I will serve you well.”
Corb nodded to Kale and in exchange, received a change in the color of the facial feathers. Instinctively, Corb knew the change in color was an affirmation. Slowly, Corb placed his hand on Kairn’s shoulder and they appeared on the bridge of the Jenny.
“Captain Raitt?”
“Yes, Senior Prefect Kale, how may I help you?”
“My kgorlates… My engineers indicate to me you must move your ship away from the In Speed There Is Victory. Otherwise, the Jenny will be disrupted by the jumping field.”
“Senior Prefect Kale, I understand and will comply. Jenny out. Pilot, plot a course and move us to one million kilometers from the Speedy.”
“Aye, one million kilometers.”
“Enlightened One, why is there so much noise?”
“Prefect Kairn, humans are accustomed to speaking and receive audial input. We refer to how you and I are communicating as telepathy. Most humans are not accustomed to telepathy.”
Time is an Illusion_The Ptolemy Expedition Page 19