George takes a deep breath, and thinks, well here goes, and then walks down. Partway down the ramp he stops. Before him is a shimmering wall. Putting an arm up to it, he steps forward. The navigational shield, like all things Gamin, is large, soon it fully engulfs him. Feeling as though he is walking through gelatin, George plows on. With so much effort being exerted to get through, the sudden drop in resistance is a surprise. He is propelled unceremoniously to the moon’s surface. Falling face forward, he slides along the dusty ground digging a small furrow. The view from his faceplate is no more inspiring than that from the ship. So much for ‘one small step’ he thinks.
Carefully standing, George gazes around. The complex before him is not so much tall, as it is expansive. Indeed the way it has been built, it almost blends into the crater’s walls. Getting his bearings, he walks one careful step at a time, to what looks like an entry way. Once there, he finds it is actually a large doorway, with a control panel off to one side. Bringing an arm up, he makes a connection, as he would to a system on the ship. The tiny translator does its job as a list of options are presented to him, just like an automated telephone system. Selecting small door, he is not surprised to see a previously unnoticed door open next to him. After one last glance at the Terran, he steps inside.
Lights come on as the door slides shut behind him. The corridor is quite spacious, and could easily accommodate two suit wearing people side by side. George’s visor reports a breathable atmosphere. Stopping for a moment, he considers the data, then lifts his hand to open his visor. He pauses, changes his mind, then drops his hand and walks on. After a few steps, he realizes that the gravity is heavier than it should be, just as it is on the ship. The corridor ends at a hub which branches off in a number of directions, some are downward at steep angles. The gravity plating makes these transitions easy enough, just disconcerting.
Back on the Terran the bridge crew waits anxiously for something from George. Finally, Cindy cannot take it anymore. “George, come in.”
“Hang on a sec,” George replies, distracted by his surroundings. A moment later he adds. “I think I have found a control room.”
Cindy taps her armrest for mere seconds before responding. “What have you found?”
“Oh, WOW. I’m coming to get you. You’re gonna love this.” George replies excitedly.
Cindy is completely befuddled now. “Ah, George. Just how do you plan to get us over there?” Silence is her only reply. “George?” She tentatively ventures while glancing around the bridge. She sits back in her chair, frustrations building. She does not have to wait long, however.
A massive wall opens, revealing a dark opening deep into the moon. Out from this cavern shoots a familiar looking, though alien, vehicle. George’s voice is full of excitement as he contacts Cindy. “Meet you guys on the hangar deck, do I have a surprise for you.”
A small ship, measuring fifty meters long and ten wide, enters the hangar bay. It lands roughly, its pilot is not very proficient. The craft is about four meters high, making it look very sleek. George, still wearing the bodysuit and grinning from ear to ear, steps proudly down its own little ramp. “There is more stuff back there, a lot more.” He informs them.
Cindy finds that once again, events are happening faster than she prefers. “I take it there is a breathable atmosphere over there?” She asks.
George nods heartily. “Same as here.”
Cindy considers the options, but makes her decision quickly enough. “John, you’re to pilot the shuttle.” She smiles at George who simply shrugs his shoulders.
“Joe you’re going over as well. Andrew, you will stay here with Peter.” She orders.
With that, Cindy steps up the ramp and into the shuttle. John finds the flight controls are just like those on the Terran. The trip into the lunar base is short and fast. Once there, George leads them all to a massive control center. It could easily swallow the Terran’s own bridge area.
John ends up making many trips to and from the Terran, as he ferries more people over to explore the massive base. It is not until the next morning that an epic discovery is made by Hayato’s team. They uncover a second hangar bay with an attached storage area. Inside is another shuttle, and a ground vehicle of sorts, along with three mildly damaged bodysuits. The ground vehicle looks like one of those they had seen at the Manhattan landing site, its dual inward facing blades are a distinct feature.
One of the suits has a small dent in the helmet. When George is shown the suits, he cannot believe what he sees. My old suit, here, on the moon. He is both flabbergasted and perplexed at the same time. The other suits look as though they were dropped from a great height. Oh yeah, recalls George to himself. Olaf’s story about how he got his suit.
An even more impressive find is the rack of suit modules, some of which are unfamiliar, even to George. All the suits are out of power, as are the modules. Everything not bolted down is ferried to the Terran for further investigation. John makes many more trips. Jokes about his taxi service quickly circulate. The hangar area quickly fills with all kinds of items. Crews on board tag and store each item carefully.
That same afternoon, Joe makes another startling discovery. He finds a massive database, which not only has every facet of humanity stored within it, but also contains a wealth of information about Gamin technology. Joe stares, dumfounded by the terminal before him. There is so much data, he does not know what to do with it all.
With George’s help yet again, and with an interface circuit, Joe starts to make sense of what he has found. Cindy has been impatiently waiting for a report, adding to his pressure. Quite a few hours later Joe has a eureka moment. When he does, he can only stare at the Gamin Console, then his laptop again as the data slowly translates before him. Without George I would have been hopelessly lost, he realizes.
Joe is pleased that he can finally give Cindy and the others an update. Sitting in the moon’s expansive control room are Cindy, Peter, Andrew, and John, all waiting for Joe to begin. George, still wearing the borrowed bodysuit from Olaf, stands by as the others being dressed normally, relax in their large chairs.
Joe closes his eyes for a second as he organizes his thoughts. “Okay. I will try to be brief.” He glances around the room at the expectant faces, and begins. “The Gamin database is huge. It includes specs on a lot of alien technology, including what looks to be everything on how to build a ship like ours.” He motions generally to where the Terran would be. “There is nothing on weapons or any star charts, and nothing showing where they came from.” Even Peter is surprised by Joe’s report, but he does not show it.
Cindy’s mind races with the possibilities. “I want you to send everything to the Aussie launch site.”
“Uh,” Joe looks downcast now. “I can’t do that. I can transmit the data to the satellite grid, or not at all.”
Cindy groans. “So, what you’re telling me, is that we send it to everyone, or no one? Can’t we upload the data to the Terran then…” Seeing Joe shaking his head from side to side she stops talking.
Joe sheepishly smiles. “We can contact the Aussie site and warn them, get them ready to copy the data. At least they would have a head start.”
Cindy frowns as she ponders the dilemma. “How is it then, that others would get all the data if they were not ready for it?”
Joe looks hopelessly at Cindy then sighs as he answers her question. “The satellite grid, once given information, holds it in a buffer for anyone to access. I am not sure how the system is programmed to clear that buffer. We have to assume that this data would remain for a while, because everything else does.”
Cindy looks at the alien terminal thoughtfully. “How much data are we talking about? Can’t we just take that terminal?”
“Well, we could take it, but I don’t even know if the data is in there, or in some central computer. As for the Terran’s systems. I don’t know if they can hold this much data. But we can try.” Joe answers.
John seems confused by the pro
blem. “Can’t we just upload it to GUS? It’s one of the world’s most powerful super-computers. Isn’t it?”
Joe shakes his head. “No mate, and, yes mate. GUS does have an amazing storage capacity, but that’s just by our standards. Besides, GUS is really just designed to act as a buffer for data going to and from the Gamin systems. The amount of data here exceeds anything ever imagined, and I have no way of even measuring how much that is in our terms.”
While the group falls into a debate on technology, Cindy sits back and considers the right course of action. She glances around the room and notices that Peter is watching her. As they make eye contact he nods, as though reading her mind.
With a renewed confidence, Cindy makes her decision. “Contact the launch site via our own communication system and warn them of what is to happen.” I expect it will take a few days, if not longer, for them to get ready. In the meantime, John I want you to train Radclyf and Daitaro on how to fly the alien shuttles. Can the shuttles be used to travel to and from Earth?”
John’s expression is one of mixed surprise. “Sure, if they have piloting skills, it should be no problem.”
Andrew is stunned. “You want to teach those two grunts how to fly Gamin shuttles?”
Cindy tilts her head in annoyance. “They’re not grunts! They’re members of elite fighting forces, very intelligent, and well trained. You would do well to remember that.”
Being suitably chastised, Andrew looks away, blushing. Well how was I supposed to know the difference? One soldier’s story sounds like another to me. He muses to himself.
While the discussions continue, George turns and plugs his suit directly into the Gamin terminal next to him. There is no data on his tiny translator, that virtually invisible ear piece, without which, the alien language would be gibberish to him. Though having more of them would be handy, he does like having something uniquely special. Besides having told no one about it, he would feel uncomfortable having to explain it now. Scanning the database, he quickly finds the schematics for the shuttles. It does feel strange that the Gamin would just leave this kind of equipment and knowledge behind, unless they plan on returning soon.
Disconnecting from the terminal, George lifts his visor and waits for a chance to speak. He does not have to wait long. When the others see him waiting, they stop chatting.
“Well I only have good news for you.” George begins, “the shuttles can land on Earth and take off again, but I strongly suggest we make sure they are fully charged from this facility’s power grid each time we use them. Oh, and before you ask, no, we can’t remove the power module from this base.”
With nothing left to do, the group heads back to the Terran to set their plan in motion.
George happily hands the suit he had been using back over to Olaf, who until now, had been keeping a rather low profile. Olaf reluctantly takes the suit back, but understands that he must suffer the headaches. Besides, in some strange way, he actually misses the alien suit. Olaf backs into it with reservation, he does not like being enclosed, and never has. This time it is a little different though. Probably because the aliens are not here, he reasons. The suit actually feels more comfortable. He relaxes for the first time ever, and finds the expected headache fails to appear. The aliens had told them in the very beginning to relax their minds. Wow! They were right, this feels great. Olaf is overjoyed that he can assist George without suffering any more of his crushing headaches.
Radclyf and Daitaro’s flight training goes very well under John’s tutelage. The controls are rather user friendly. George spends some time with them while his suit recharges. The four of them also examine the alien ground vehicle and even take turns going for a spin across the lunar landscape. Cindy chuckles as she hears them laughing over the communications channel on the bridge. Boys will be boys if given half a chance. She thinks quietly. Cindy is just happy that they are distracted, though reports of George being unusually short tempered surprise her. Probably just frustrated that they can get back to Earth, I have them waiting. She reasons.
It takes two days before George’s old suit has been thoroughly checked and powered up. During this time, he sleeps fitfully waiting until he can use it again. Finally he is able to step into the bodysuit and test it. The familiar wash of colors is seemingly smoother than he experienced in Olaf’s suit. At the time he had not noticed any difference, but if he were to judge, he would say that somehow this suit is an even better fit. He closes his eyes and relaxes as the suit encompasses him. Ah much better.
Still, there is no response from the Aussies about their readiness for the upcoming data transmission. With the entire crew becoming increasingly restless, even mandatory training in the zero-g room fails to keep everyone busy enough.
Finally, Cindy contacts the launch site again. “Ground control, come in”
“General Hayes of ground control receiving you.” Comes the reply almost immediate reply.
“Ah General. I take it your in charge now? Well, there are four dead I wish to bring home to their families. We can also ferry those that don’t belong here, home as well. We will also need a new crew to pilot the space shuttle Atlanta.” Cindy explains.
The General seems perplexed by the last request. “Why do you need a flight crew for that old dinosaur? You have two Gamin shuttles!”
“I like to be prepared for any and every contingency.” Cindy replies matter-of-factly.
General Hayes has read her dossier and can recall those exact words being used to describe her. “Very well, anything else?” Not expecting an answer, he is again surprised by her candor.
“Yes. I have a list of stores and supplies needed for our mission.” She replies.
“Very well.” He quite likes this woman’s style. When he first heard of her running the mission he had serious doubts, and voiced them. With building respect he asks, “When can we expect your arrival?”
“Soon, Terran out.” Now. How to flush out our saboteur? She wonders, but workable ideas still fail to come to mind.
General Hayes stares at the speaker for a moment, surprised by the abruptness of her goodbye.
Cindy has thought long and hard about what to do, and has yet to come up with a decent plan. Meanwhile Hayato and Radclyf have their own ideas, and they are quite different than anything Cindy has envisioned. Quietly the members of the elite combat teams spread out, and cover vital areas of the ship. Chokichi watches the hangar deck from the upper most level. His sniper rifle at the ready. Those below are oblivious to his presence as he scans the area, and everyone in it, quite meticulously.
John and Cindy board the Gamin shuttle without incident. George remains on the Terran for the time being, along with everyone else.
Location:
Ground Control
Outback
Western Australia
The return trip to the launch site is very quick. The alien shuttle is extremely responsive, when compared to any of the American Space Shuttles. John pilots the craft with greater confidence at each passing moment. General Hayes is quite right, he thinks, our shuttles are dinosaurs in comparison. They are old, sluggish, and now obsolete. John closes the outer viewports against the glare of the midday sun. He lands near the main buildings, and, with a little bump, kicks up a cloud of dust. Their unannounced arrival causes quite a stir amongst nearby troops.
The shuttle’s ramp drops down, letting in the dry dusty air of the Outback. The air sears their lungs in comparison to the thick heavy air the Gamin breathe. John and Cindy exit the shuttle, then raise their hands immediately. They both look warily at the many weapons pointed their way.
“Wait, wait. Hold your fire.” The voice comes from one of the soldiers. “Admiral, Captain, please come this way.”
Slowly lowering their hands, they then follow the young soldier into the main building. The meeting with General Hayes is very brief, but quite constructive. The three of them quickly come to a consensus.
Just as they are about to leave, Cindy spots a numbe
r of boxes in the room. She smiles as she recalls the contents. These are loaded aboard the alien shuttle.
Not too long after John and Cindy have departed, the General also leaves, but not before visiting some of the families of the Terran’s crew.
The alien shuttle makes the return flight effortlessly, quite impressing the two of them. Clearly, they will be able to easily transport everything they need. The General’s flight though, is aboard a conventional aircraft. While it takes John less than an hour to pilot them back to the Terran, it will take General Hayes a lot longer to complete his journey.
Location:
Starship Terran
Earth’s Moon
John lands the alien shuttle inside the Terran smoothly, as he has done many times before. The ramp opens, letting in a swoosh of horrible alien air, something about this distracts him for a moment. Having the recent discussion with General Hayes fresh on his mind, he refocuses. This is not the time to be sidetracked. Cindy also has a lot on her mind as she almost stumbles down the ramp, momentarily forgetting the heavier gravity.
BANG
The shot rings out loudly.
John freezes in the shuttle’s doorway, unsure of what to do. Cindy stops dead in her tracks. A man lays on the ground close to her, bleeding, coughing, and clearly dying. His outstretched hand fumbling, but unable to reach the small gun resting nearby.
“Get back in the shuttle,” echoes a distant voice.
John runs to Cindy, who is paralyzed with fear. He drags her back into the shuttle, and then shuts the ramp. Checking to see if she is injured, he is pleased to find that she is not. The seconds tick by, and soon turn into minutes. Finally, the shuttles intercom engages.
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 33