He Who Dares: Book Three

by Rob Buckman

  “From us?” That was a bit of a shock.

  “Not just your species, but also from the many who would seek to take away from the completeness from the Harmony.” The way she said Harmony wasn’t as if it was just a name for themselves, but a way of life. He had the impression of billions of beings all connected to one another and to their queen, from the highest to the lowest. All working together in one huge union. The loss of any one individual to outside forces unbalanced that harmony. It made sense they’d want to protect it at all costs. Trading with the outside universe also made sense. They’d want to gather as much technology as they could towards protecting themselves, much the same as a beehive, or an ant colony, would protect itself against anything that they perceived was attacking or threatening them. It still left the question of how she knew the time and place he would enter the Harmony.

  “Do you travel in time as well as space?”

  “In a way, depending on how you perceive time. I have the collective knowledge of all the queens who have come before me. It is through their knowledge and understanding that we knew of the obligation to make you part of us.”

  “Then you understand that my race is at war with itself again.”

  “This we know, but do not understand it. Space is so vast, why is it that some of you want what others already have?”

  Mike mentally sighed. How to explain it to someone like this being. He didn’t understand it himself really. She was right. There was enough space for everyone, yet the Sirriens and others seemed hell bent on invading and enslaving other human populated worlds just for the hell of it.

  “Sadly, I now understand, Michael Gray.”

  “What? I mean… I didn’t explain…” Then he realized that he had. The queen could see into his mind and had followed his thoughts down each pathway as he thought about the stupidity of the human race and its continuing wars.

  “Yet I see no such aspiration in your mind nor of those who inhabit the planet you call Avalon.”

  Mike unconsciously nodded. “We have no such aspirations, and only want to live in peace and to explore this wonderful universe. We also know that if we don’t prepare for war, we might be the next planet to be invaded.”

  “I see the truth in your mind and what you are planning to do.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No. Like you we also have prepared to resist any attempt to invade and unbalance the Harmony.”

  “Those… um… asteroid ships.”

  “Yes. Before birth, a drone, as you call them, is placed in stasis in the attack ship. In the event of an incursion the drone is awakened and attacks the enemy until he is completely destroyed.”

  Mike felt he could see partly into the queen’s mind and realized that the being in the attack ship was nothing more than a warrior drone. Pre-programmed before birth to do one thing much like an ant is programmed to be a worker, nest builder, nurse to the eggs, or a warrior. He understood now that the Harmony was a collective mind much like an ant colony or a beehive. It made sense to them. Each being had a purpose in life, a job to do for the collective benefit of the hive and its queen. In the event of a major incursion there would be an almost unending supply of warrior drones in their attack ships. A well-prepared fleet might stand off an attack for a few hours or even days, but sooner or later, the never-ending bombardment of nuclear-armed suicide attack ships would wear down their defenses until they fell. Once they did, the ships would be destroyed.

  He could even see why they kept coming and exploding in the debris. It wasn’t out of hate or anything like that. Once the warriors were awakened, they couldn’t be put back to sleep so they kept coming until by some unknown signal no more would wake up to attack. The queen and everyone else thought about balance in everything hence their name, and they lived in harmony with their surroundings putting as much in as they took out. No planet was ever overpopulated or forced to produce more than it was capable of supplying, nothing was wasted, no pollution, no strife or warfare, just their never ending search for perfection and harmony within themselves and everything around them. Each planet or star system had its own queen or princess that watched over its inhabitants and through them connected to the senior queen. He also understood how close the Harmony had come to destruction if he and his ship hadn’t come to their aid. It also explained their gratitude. For a while, Mike felt his mind drift within the thought stream until it faltered. As it did, a door opened and a stream of drones entered and clustered around the queen.

  “It is time for you to go Michael Gray, as my time is short now.”

  “Short?”

  “Yes. The new Queen is stirring within me and I must .” At least that’s the way he understood the thought. He guessed that meant she was about to die or something, if that was the word, and be reborn as the next Queen.

  “Fare well until we meet again, Michael Gray, and may the stars guide your path.”

  With that farewell the wall slid silently back in place, and the humanoid being motioned him to follow. After that his exit was just as quick as when he’d arrived, and it wasn’t long before he was back on the bridge of the Hemlock still a bit bemused about what had just happened. Even so, somewhere in the back of his mind he could still feel a sort of connection with the queen, distant, but still there, like a whisper.

  “Skipper, I’m not sure what’s going on, but all those attack ships have clustered around the big ship as if protecting it,” Jan reported.

  “They are while the new Queen is being… well, born you might say,” he answered absently.

  “You okay, Mike?” Pete asked.

  “Yes. I’m fine, just trying to make some sense of everything. Cooper, send to all ship to head for the warp point event horizon. It’s time we got out of here.”

  “You going to tell us what happened, Skipper?” Adam asked.

  “Yes, once I get it all sorted out myself. Oh, by the way, we can come into Harmony space as much as we like now.” He smiled as he said it seeing the puzzled looks. “That’s as long as you are with me, that is.”

  “How come?” Pete asked.

  “Easy, I’m part of the Harmony now.”

  They exited from Harmony space to Winchester three days later, entering to find the place buzzing with ships many of them Royal Naval vessels as promised by Admiral Rawlings all looking to jump to Christchurch. Even Mike’s priority call to the port captain took three hours before he got a reply.

  “Captain Gray. I have your request, along with all the others to jump to Christchurch.”

  “That is correct, Captain.”

  “I’m sorry to tell you that’s not possible. Until I receive orders from Christchurch, or Avalon itself, everyone will have to wait here.” Mike looked at the older man, sympathizing with his problem. Usually he only had to deal with a few merchant ships at a time seeking transfer to Christchurch not this gaggle of warships. He hated to go over the man’s head, but it was imperative for him, and his three merchant ships, to get to Avalon as soon as possible. There was one protocol in place he could use that covered this situation, but even so it was still going to piss the port captain off.

  “Skipper, that Free Trader, Orion Dawn just dropped in system.” Jan reported.

  “Well I’ll be damned. There is a god after all. Cooper, get me a line to Captain MacManus.”

  It didn’t take long, and the Captain gave him a cheery greeting, “How was your trip, Captain Gray?”

  “Um… interesting would be the appropriate word.”

  “Oh? Had a little action huh?”

  “More than I would have liked. I take it your next stop is Christchurch or Avalon?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?” Captain MacManus’s eyebrows pulled down into a frown, giving Mike a suspicious look.

  “Oh, nothing really… but, I was wondering if you had a little more free space on that wonderful ship of yours.”

  “Why is it that I get the feeling you are about to ask me for something that�
�s going to give me another headache?”

  “Would I do that to you, Greg?”

  “Ar har! I knew it! You Tregallions, always trying to squeeze another credit out of us poor free Traders… you’re worse than the Voss… what do you want?” he sighed, very theatrically.

  “You wound me sir. And I might remind you that my name is Gray, not Tregallion.” Mike couldn’t help smiling. Poor Free Traders indeed. Most of them were richer than Midas.

  “Tregallion, Gray, a rose by any other name. What do you want?”

  “The poor Port Captain has an interesting problem. We need to get all these men and women to Christchurch as soon as possible. There aren’t enough ships’ pilots to ferry all those ships through the Rift. Then again it’s not the ships we need but the crews. Therefore, I was thinking that you might ferry them on your ship.”

  MacManus looked pensive. “You’re right. It will take weeks to get all these ships to Christchurch, and there’s no telling how soon the damned Sirriens will turn up here. If that happens we’ll lose the lot.”

  “It also means we won’t have a lot of strange warships running around in Avalon space.”

  “Good point. I don’t think your grandfather or Andy Anderson would be very happy with you if that happened. It’s not as if we need those ships. They can be left here and ferried over as needed. How soon do you want this to happen?”

  “That’s a good question. I’ll have to clear it with the port captain, and get all the ship captains to agree.”

  “Yes, I see. If they don’t want to go, they can stay here and take their chances.”

  “Good point. I’ll comm the port captain next and get things in motion.”

  “You want to do what!” Was the first response from thing the port captain. “I can’t authorize that… Captain MacManus would have a fit if I tried to order him to take on that many non-paying passengers.”

  “I’ve already spoken to the captain and he has agreed to transport all the crews to Christchurch.”

  “Have you indeed? And who gave you the authority to do that?” It was a fair question.

  “Please check protocol ALPHA-ALPHA-ALPHA-King Three.”

  “What?” Captain Carlson blinked. “I don’t know what that is…” His eyes flicked to the side as he brought up the file on his monitor.” I’ll be damned… you’re Michael Tregallion.”

  Mike stiffened slightly hearing himself called that, but not so much as he did before. “Guilty as charged.”

  “Then why are you pretending to be Captain Gray of the Royal Navy?”

  “I’m not pretending to be, I am Captain Gray and a serving officer in His Majesty’s Royal Navy.”

  “I see.” Not that he did. “But I guess you do have the authority to do what you suggest.”

  “I’m attempting to solve a problem for you, Captain Carlson. When the Sirriens get around to sending a fleet here, how long do you think that motley collection of warships would last and you for that matter?” The port captain gave him a long look and then nodded.

  “You’re right. Not long. Moreover, it makes me think that I should be looking to my staff and getting them the hell out of here as well.”

  “Good point. Now all I have to do is convince all those ship captains to leave their ships behind and board the Orion Dawn.

  “Good luck with that, Captain Gray. Most would rather give up their daughters than give up their ships.”

  “I know the feeling. Talk to you later.” With that, he signed off and started signaling the warships. He started with Chris Longmire, as they had a history, and he might be a help in convincing any of the others who didn’t want to go.

  Chris Longmire echoed Captain Carlson’s response. “You want me to do what!”

  “I know what I’m asking, believe me. On the other hand, what choice do you have? You know as well as I do that all of you put together, if that’s possible, wouldn’t stand much of a chance against a full Sirrien battle fleet.”

  Chris scrubbed his face with both hands. “Damn it, Mike…” he sighed. “You’re right. We wouldn’t last long, and what then?”

  “Do you want to fight or die in a useless battle that wouldn’t help your home system one bit?”

  Chris looked at him with haunted eyes. “I want to blow those mother loving assholes to dust! So, yes. I’ll get on that ship and go to Avalon or wherever if it means I get another ship and some payback.”

  “I can promise you both.”

  “Your best bet would be to get all the ships’ captains together in one place and lay it out for them. Doing it piecemeal would take days, time we don’t have.”

  “Good point. I’ll get on that next and comm you the time and place when I have everything ready.”

  “I’ll be standing by and inform my crew, but they aren’t going to be happy about it.” He gave Mike a half salute and signed off.

  “I was just thinking, Mike. If you asked Captain Carlson to send the message from his office and just tell all of them there will be a meeting at such and such a time and place, you could save yourself a lot of headache by trying to convince them individually.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’m glad I thought of it.” He smiled at Pete. Pete looked over at Jan who was listening in.

  “Is it March yet, Jan?”

  “Sadly no, but soon, XO, very soon.”

  “Et tu, Brute!” He shot back at Jan. She fluffed her hair out looking pleased.

  After a lot of shouting back and forth, Captain Carlson managed to get the captains to agree. Two ships pulled out of orbit and headed out to parts unknown, unwilling for whatever reason to come to the meeting. Mike suspected their sympathies lay more with the Sirriens than elsewhere. A day later shuttlecraft started landing at the port facilities and within an hour they’d all gathered in the base movie house as it was the largest structure and could hold that many people. As Captain Carlson and Mike walked onto the stage, the murmur of voices died down. In all there were twenty-six captains present ranging in age from the mid-twenties, to a couple who had to be in their fifties.

  “Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I’ll now turn the meeting over to Captain Gray as he is the one that called for the meeting in the first place.”

  Mike stepped forward, and from the muttered comments guessed that his apparent youth didn’t sit well with a lot of them. Most were accustomed to getting briefings and orders for senior officers, not a lowly first leftenant.

  “I’ll get straight to the point as I don’t think sugar coating what I’m about to say will make it any easier.”

  “So, what is the point, young man?” one of the older captains responded.

  “To be blunt, there is no way Avalon can get sufficient pilots here in time to ferry your ships to Avalon space nor would they want them.”

  “Why not just give us the co-ordinates and let us jump there?” another shot back.

  Mike smiled thinly. “You should know the answer to that question already, but to clarify. Avalon has no need for your outdated ships.” That started a buzz of conversations, and he held his hand up and waited for the talking to die down. “What Avalon needs is your experience and your crews.”

  “That’s a bit harsh.”

  “I don’t think so. Most of you are the remnants of your system’s home fleet or in the case of the Royal Naval ships sent here under orders from Admiral Rawlings, commander of the home fleet.” He saw several people nod in agreement. “Put together I doubt you’d put up much of a fight against a full Sirrien battle fleet.” That remark didn’t sit well with many of them.

  “Your choice is simple. Leave your outdated and outmoded ships here, go to Christchurch, and get new, up to date warships to fight the Sirriens. Stay here and take your chances. Or, leave and go somewhere else.” That was as plain as he could say it.

  One Royal Navy captain stood up. “As senior captain of the Royal Naval contingent, I can speak for all of us. We’ll do as you ask, Captain Gray, as per our orders.”

/>   “Thank you, Captain.” That only left sixteen ships.

  Then Chris Longmire stood. “Speaking for the Confederate and the United States units, we’ll also go with your suggestion, Captain Gray.” Mike breathed a sigh of relief. That only left four ships undecided. He could see their captains looking at each other, some not on the friendliest of terms.

  “Speaking for the two Scandinavian ships, we’ll go along as well.” Two to go…

  “In light of the circumstances I feel we can put aside our differences with other nations and go along with you, Captain Gray.” Mike kept a straight face, not wanting them to see the relief he felt.

  “Very well. Please return to your ships and have your crews ready to transfer to the Orion Dawn as soon as possible. I have arranged with its Captain, and he will make you as comfortable as possible. It’s only a short jump from here, and I’ll meet you all on your arrival at Christchurch.”

  “You’re not going with us, Captain Gray?”

  “No, sir. I’m taking my ship there.” That started another round of chatter. “In case you are wondering, I have special permission to take my ship into Avalon space.” A number of Captains didn’t look happy, and he was betting they were wondering what sort of special permission he had to be able to take his ship through the Rift. If necessary, he’d tell them later once they were at Christchurch and under Andy Anderson’s control. The meeting broke up, and they headed back out to their respective shuttle.

  “A word, Leftenant.” The man, a Royal Navy commander, remained behind as the others departed, his eyes running over Mikes’ uniform rank tabs and the two little ribbons on his chest opposite several others on the other side. Their significance didn’t go unnoticed. Mike wasn’t sure if he saw approval or disapproval in the man’s look.

  “Yes, sir,” Mike answered, coming to attention and returning the salute.

  “My Name is Hancock, Commander Hancock, and I find myself in a bit of a dilemma, Captain Gray.”

  “In what way, sir?” Mike was thankful Jenks had insisted on him wearing his number two dress uniform.

  “According to the orders I received from Admiral Rawlings, a man that I admire a great deal, I am to place myself at your disposal.”