by JD Clarke
“We need to know more about whom we are dealing with, Jason. What kind of government is in place? How are the people treated? For all we know, Earth could be ruled by a tyrant, and the people live in terror.”
“I agree, Mako. I’ll give Captain Stevens the full tour and answer all his questions, but I’ll have a few of my own.”
Precisely one hour later, Captain Steven’s shuttle touched down in our hangar bay. It carried a pilot and two armed marines in addition to the captain. It looked as if it could carry six passengers in total. Upon the pilot’s request, I had turned off the artificial gravity in the hangar and restored it after the shuttle was in and snug against the shuttle floor. The shuttle was only designed to transfer people from ship to ship in space, and its engines were not designed to overcome any significant gravitational forces.
We were all there to greet the captain. Mako and I were in our blue uniforms. Sasha and the three female Warriors were in light armor—Sasha’s idea. Legion was in his heavy armor and made a very impressive sight with his helmet off and his four unblinking eyes in view. Jackson was there also, wearing combat armor and standing next to Legion. Jackson and Legion both sported twin pistols, with a short sword slung on their backs, and held their pulse rifles across their chests. Sybil was just as she had greeted the captain on our last visit—in her glossy white light armor. The crew was lined up behind me as I stood out front, waiting to greet the captain.
The two armed marines filed out and to either side of the captain as he exited the shuttle after them, and then he walked past them to shake my hand. I had to stop myself from smiling as I could almost hear military music in my head and thought about how this was the most pomp and ceremony as had ever been seen on the Defiant under my command.
Greetings and introductions were made as I studied the captain. He revealed no looks of surprise, even at Legion. The captain made a few comments to each crew member and went through the motions of being polite. I had to interpret for Legion since he could not reply in English. The two female Warriors simply bowed in response to the captain’s greeting. We left the others as the captain and I began our tour. I walked him up to the temporary bridge above the hangar deck and then took him on the tram to inspect the damage that was under repair. Then I escorted him to see the Defiant’s engines.
“Our propulsion is based on these gravity engines. I don’t understand the principles well enough to explain them, Captain, but they are capable of not only propelling the ship, but also opening a hole in the fabric of space. We can jump from one point in space to another point, light-years away, in an instant.”
“Is there any range limit, or can you jump from any point to any other point?”
“The farther away the two points are, the more power is required to make the jump, so there is a limit in range. Also, the fabric of space has to be weak enough to allow an opening to be made. According to Dr. Tanakai, these positions in space may have been weakened by a past event—the presence of a black hole that has since evaporated, or a supernova—or caused simply by the uneven expansion of the universe. He even began describing parallel universes and incidental contacts between them, but that’s where he lost me, I’m afraid. I’m not a physicist, and to be honest, there is much about this alien technology that we do not understand.”
“These engines also generate the artificial gravity on the ship?” Captain Stevens asked.
“The main engines provide all the power for the ship, including artificial gravity. However, the rings that are separate from the main body of the ship have their own generators that supply them with power and gravity.”
“So then, when you turned off the gravity upon our arrival, you lost all gravity throughout the Defiant?”
“No, Captain, the gravity can be selectively adjusted for different areas of the ship. In fact, I have reason to believe that the Ancient Ones that designed this ship could even control the gravity affecting individual objects, thus moving them with only their thoughts.”
“A technological telekinesis, huh? Very impressive. We have graviton generators aboard our ships, but they provide only artificial gravity. Nothing as advanced as these.”
We continued walking alongside the gravity engines, which filled an enormous room, over a mile in length. “The area outside our universe is not three-dimensional space, and therefore, there is no wormhole-type connection between jump locations. When you fly through the jump gate, it is like walking through a door. In fact, you can see the stars on the other side.”
Captain Stevens looked very serious for a moment. “Jason, if I may call you by your first name, you have been very open and honest with me concerning the capabilities of this mother ship and also about the crew members and their background. I also have to ask you about your offensive capabilities, your weaponry.”
“I thought your orders might be along those lines, Captain.” The throb of the massive machinery in the background somehow added to the privacy of our conversation. Our voices would not carry far.
“Please, call me Reginald.”
“Very well, Reginald, I want to be open. I want the people of Earth to know that we are no threat to Earth and that our only desire is to help Earth prepare for the eventual conflict with the Unity. That day is coming.”
“You understand I have to ask you what kind of defensive and offensive capability the Defiant has.”
“Of course, and the answer is very little. There are laser turrets scattered about the outer hull of the Defiant, but her main defense are the warships located on the hangar deck.”
“And the warship’s weaponry? Are they armed with lasers as well?”
“The lasers are the least of the armament and are used primarily as missile defense. The warships are capable of firing charged particle beams with a duration of 0.01 seconds at a rate of one per second. They are also equipped with pulse cannons that fire an explosive-tipped projectile capable of penetrating six inches of steel. But the most destructive weapon is the plasma cannon. It generates a ball of energy that can penetrate any shielding I am aware of. One direct hit from a plasma cannon is capable of destroying a warship.”
“Sounds like a formidable weapons system. How many warships in your fleet?”
“It would only take one warship to destroy every spaceship in Earth’s fleet, Captain, and every city on Earth. I have four aboard the Defiant and at least twenty others that I can call on. The Unity has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of warships. Their empire is vast.”
We walked along in silence as the captain digested the information I had given him. I took that opportunity to ask my own questions.
“What kind of Earth are we returning to, Reginald? What’s the government structure?”
“The world went through years of turmoil. The West finally settled on a unified government that controlled all its territories under the rule of a single council of twelve, the Board of Council. There is a chairman that is elected by the governors of each region. He is elected for a term of twelve years. Six of the members of the council are elected by popular vote. The other six are elected by the largest one hundred corporations. Each member serves a term of twelve years. It’s a good system and works well. I am proud to be a part of it.”
“And the Asian Alliance?”
“It mirrors the West in structure, but in function, it is very different. The chairman is a lifetime appointment by the Board of Council. The council members themselves are the heads of Asia’s most influential corporations and families. There is very little turnover in council members, and most of the power rests in the chairman. The end of one member’s term of office is usually marked by assassination.”
“And what of the common people? What kind of lifestyle can they expect?”
“Conditions are good, far better than in the past. People are free to pursue any interest, and contributions to the state are rewarded. There is no poverty or famine as in your time in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. There are opportunities for all of Earth�
��s five hundred million people.”
That was a shock. “Five hundred million? I left a planet of over seven billion people.”
“Yes, so I have read. Your world was overpopulated and quickly running out of resources to even feed the people. Earth’s population was decimated by the wars. It was determined that society did not need so many people as had burdened the planet before. In order to establish a maintainable population, birth control measures were instituted.”
“We had birth control in my time as well, Reginald.”
“Yes, voluntary birth control. But in the years after the wars, when the new governments were set up, it was decided that robotic workers and automatic factories could replace the poor human workers that were underpaid and mistreated. Indeed, it was faster and more efficient to produce the robotic machinery. A target population of five hundred million was selected as the optimal population for Earth. The governments released a virus that caused the sterility of all human males. The virus is still present today and infects any young male born on Earth. The government set up fertility clinics to aid in the procreation of newborns. People that desired to have children were genetically screened, and those that were suitable were licensed to have embryonic implants.”
“Sounds very cold and indifferent.”
“No, actually, it was to everyone’s benefit. Birth defects became a thing of the past. Embryos underwent screening and modification to enhance intelligence and desirable behavioral traits. Sociopathic, addictive, and other personality disorders were eliminated, and the burden they placed on society was removed. Earth’s population has never been happier or more productive.”
“I expected a lot of things, but not forced sterility. In fact, I had half expected to be greeted by cyborgs.”
“Experiments with mechanical and electronic implants did occur, but with undesirable results. Earth science took a different road after the organic revolution. Increases in strength, longevity, and intelligence resulted from the genetic sciences. But the biggest leaps in ability resulted from the manufacture of organic implants. Now almost everyone has organic components supplementing memory and cognitive skills.”
Captain Stevens rolled up his sleeve to show me his bare arm. With a touch, a series of lights within his skin came on. An area of skin became transparent, and a screen appeared with the face of a young man.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Just checking in, Corporal. Is everything OK? Have the other ships left Earth yet?” Captain Stevens inquired.
“Everything is quiet here, Captain Stevens. The Asian Alliance ships will be departing Earth in twenty minutes. They are set to rendezvous with us at 1400 hours.”
“Very well, let me know when they arrive, if I am not back aboard by then. Stevens out.” He ran his finger along the underside of his arm, and the lights vanished; only normal skin was visible again.
“Four more ships will be joining our fleet. The Asians don’t want to be left out,” Captain Stevens explained.
“What other tricks have you got up your sleeve?” I said, half joking.
“I can withstand the vacuum of space for extended periods, provided I have an oxygen supply. My skeletal system can withstand several tons of force, and my muscles are four times stronger than yours. My dermal cells produce a highly cross-linked pattern of carbon tubules, making my skin nearly impenetrable. I am 252 years old, and if I don’t slip on a bar of soap or suffer some other accidental death, I can expect another 150 years.” Captain Stevens smiled, pleased that he had surprised me for a change.
We turned and continued our walk along through the engine room. I considered showing him my robotic legs and giving him a demonstration of their ability, but I decided it would just be showing off.
“I am supposed to ask you if you would be willing to voluntarily release the Defiant to the Earth governments for study and such disposition as they deem to be in the planet’s best interest. I am also supposed to evaluate your ability to resist, should it be necessary to take the Defiant by force.” Captain Stevens was weighing words carefully. “I am telling you this out of respect from one commanding officer to another. I like you, Jason, and I believe you have good intentions.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me. I feel you are an honorable man, Captain. Therefore, I must tell you that I am not yet ready to release the Defiant. I will make the technology available to set up manufacturing facilities based on the Defiant’s own factories. It will be possible to construct warships for a fleet that can defend Earth from a future attack by the Unity. I would suggest that the factories be located on the moon. It is rich in the resources needed to construct a fleet of warships, and it is, I assume, a neutral location.”
“Both governments have colonies on the moon as well as Mars. The governments may prefer a factory on the moon as well. It would do less damage to Earth’s environment, which is always a concern these days. I will convey your reply to the Board of Council and to the Asian Alliance. I will endorse it as well.” We shook hands, and I was pleased with how well our discussion had gone. I was beginning to genuinely like Captain Stevens. I continued our tour of the Defiant before returning to the hangar bay.
Orders
I had been in constant communication with Sybil while I was with the captain. I had allowed her to see and hear everything; thus, she could record the entire meeting and play it back later for the rest of the crew.
“You were right, Commander. He was much more open when it was just the two of you alone,” Sybil said as I joined everyone in the mess hall. It was open again, thanks to Jackson.
“Comments, observations?” I asked as I looked around to them all.
“He seems to understand your position as commander of the Defiant,” Mako said. He had a large bowl of vegetables in front of him, a kind of leafy salad with slices of a citruslike fruit around it.
“He doesn’t make the decisions. It’s the councils on Earth we have to be wary of. He’s just a messenger boy,” Sasha commented as she sat down with her dinner. “Do you think he was recording you?”
“Probably, I would be surprised if he wasn’t, actually.” I had thought about that as I spoke to the captain. It made for a strange meeting, secluded and yet brimming with ears.
“Then we must prepare for the worst. If I were him, I would take the Defiant,” Legion observed as he cut up a piece of meat that looked overcooked.
“Their fleet is no match for our warships. As the commander stated, just one warship could annihilate their entire fleet.” Sybil sat next to me with nothing in front of her. I often wondered if it was awkward for her to sit with us while we ate, and she had nothing to do with her hands.
“It would not be a space battle. We are far too superior for him in that arena,” Legion noted flatly. “It would be an attack on the Defiant with troops. Flood them into the Defiant before we could react or launch any warships. There are only six of us.” He was not counting the Warrior females. “And you heard him boast of his superior physical strength.”
“We may have underestimated their individual soldiers. It is very possible that they are bulletproof, so to speak.” Mako nodded to Legion. “I think you’re right. We can’t discount the possibility of a surprise attempt to take the Defiant.”
“The hangar is the weakest point. An explosion there could open the hangar doors enough to allow entry and simultaneously block the launch of our warships, or they could even commandeer a warship. They easily outnumber us in a ground troop assault,” Jackson agreed.
“They are incapable of controlling, piloting, or utilizing a warship since they have no neural net to interface with the controls,” Sybil noted.
“The nose of the Defiant is still wrecked. It is an open invitation. The only thing between the inner corridors and space is the closed hatchways. They could easily gain access to the Defiant through there,” Legion said. “A diversion and then an attack through the damaged bridge.”
“Then we have to take that option away from the
m before they attempt it,” I told them. “We’ll keep one warship on patrol outside the Defiant and one warship inside the hangar, manned and ready at all times. Mako, seal up the nose of the Defiant until we can get it repaired properly.”
“I know, I’m back on guard duty in the warship,” Sasha complained. “But this time, I’m taking plenty of snacks with me.”
“Thanks for volunteering, Sasha,” I cracked as she stood up. “Jackson, I want you in the Cyclone in the hangar bay.”
“Sure thing, Jason,” he replied and stood up to leave.
Just then, the mess hall door opened, and in walked Noomi. I could tell she had a slightly larger body than before; it must be the improved version that Jackson had talked about, slightly broader shoulders and a larger torso. Other than that, she looked just like the old Noomi.
“You’re looking great, Noomi. How do you feel?” I asked.