by William Wood
After dinner, Calvin sat on his bed looking out the window at the blue hyperspace cloud. It was very beautiful. He deeply missed his family and his home. He closed his eyes and imagined he was there. He could smell the cold fresh air and the smoke from wood fires that gently floated out of chimneys in the neighborhood. He pictured his family sitting out on the balcony by the fire pit, watching the sun go down.
His stomach ached, and he was very tired. With everything that was going on—the urgent need to find and assemble the super-weapon, the Alerians, and the Goremog preparing for war—he couldn’t contact home and tell his own people, his own father. It was eating him alive inside.
Suddenly he realized something; he could try to contact his father’s office. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? What time was it there? Never mind that. He left his room and went to the captain’s chair on the bridge. Once there he turned on the communications terminal. He had to pause halfway through setting the communications channel, momentarily forgetting the numbers.
He held his breath as the signal left the ship and was zapped through space at a speed ten times greater than the speed of light. For several moments, nothing happened. He wasn’t completely surprised by it. His attempts at contacting home so far had been a complete failure. Why should this be any different? Then, as he was about to give up, the static disappeared, and a face appeared on the screen.
“Dad!” Calvin shouted. “Dad, it’s me!”
His father was looking into the computer screen. Calvin could barely hear his father’s voice. There was a lot of static. “There is a signal,” his dad said to someone out of view. “But it’s extremely weak. Can you clean it up?”
“Dad, it’s me! Can you hear me? Dad!” Calvin shouted at the screen.
Calvin could hear another voice.
“I’m sorry, Sir, the signal is too weak.”
Then his Dad said, “Keep trying.”
“Dad!” Calvin screamed as loudly as he could. “It’s me. I’m OK. I’m not dead. I’m safe!”
“Wait!” His dad said. “Did you hear that? It sounded like—”
Suddenly the picture disappeared. Static filled the screen. The connection was lost.
“NO!” Calvin screamed. Tears fell from his eyes, and he whispered, “Dad.”
Calvin didn’t notice that Ion was standing behind him. He put a hand on Calvin’s shoulder, but he didn’t say anything.
Calvin tried to reconnect with his father’s office for another hour before he gave up. Slowly he made his way back down to his room, and he fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER TEN:
ARLANDIA
The next morning, the ship dropped out of hyperspace. Calvin was exhausted from not being able to sleep, and he had a hard time eating breakfast. He was full of nervous excitement, and he wished that Jax was there. He was still trying to wake up when he stumbled up the stairs onto the bridge. Ion and the other robots were already there.
Calvin stared across space at a small planet way off in the distance. It was a beautiful blue and green planet.
“Is that it?” Calvin asked in awe. “That’s Arlandia?”
“Yes, that’s Arlandia.”
Calvin was amazed. He never thought that he would actually get to see Arlandia, the planet his people originally came from. He grew up hearing stories. It was once a great and powerful planet, back when the Arlandians were respected leaders in the galaxy. They had a huge space fleet and advanced technology. All of that was gone. Sadly, the only thing that remained was the stories.
“Master Calvin,” Ion said. “I want you to have this.” He handed Calvin a small electronic device.
“What’s this?” Calvin asked, taking it from Ion. It was a square electronic device. It was very small, smaller than his thumb.
“Everyone will be speaking Alerian. This will translate for you, so you can understand them.
“Great,” Calvin said. “How does it work?”
“Just keep it in your pocket,” Ion said. “It generates a special electromagnetic field around your body. Any sound waves that you are exposed to are automatically converted into sounds that your brain can understand. It works both ways. When you speak, it will convert your speech into sounds that others can understand. That’s the easiest way for me to explain it.”
“Oh,” Calvin said. “Wow, that’s amazing.”
Calvin put it in his front pants pocket. For several seconds, his head swam, and he felt very dizzy. He was glad he was sitting down. After a few seconds, he felt normal again.
“How do I know if it works?” Calvin asked.
Just at that moment one of the black robots came up the stairs.
“Sir, sensors are detecting seven Alerian ships moving toward us. They are requesting docking instructions."
“It works,” Calvin said.
“Direct them to hangar bay three,” Ion said.
“Yes, Sir.”
Ion turned to Calvin. “Sir, the Alerians are very excited about meeting you. We need to go meet them.”
Calvin followed Ion to the elevator. “OK, that sounds good.”
Nobody talked during the long elevator ride, and Calvin had time to think about the impending meeting. He was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Plus, he felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. They probably thought they were meeting someone who was very important—a prince or a captain. He was afraid that they would be disappointed when they found out it was just Calvin, a lowly lieutenant. They stepped out of the elevator and into a small control room. The walls were covered with buttons, dials, and small computer screens. There was a computer station under a row of large glass windows, which looked out over a massive empty room. The ceiling was very high, and every inch of it was covered with lights. The hangar bay was very bright.
“Sir, will you please open the hangar doors?” Ion asked.
“Sure, no problem,” Calvin said. He walked to a computer and studied it. Ion stood behind him, watching. Calvin found a silver panel with a single lever in the middle. It seemed the translation device worked with written words as well. On the top of the panel were written the words, “hangar bay doors.” Calvin pulled the lever all the way down. A line of flashing, spinning red lights appeared in the middle of the doors that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The lights separated, and the giant doors opened to the blackness of space. A faint purple glow lit up the edges.
“What’s that purple glow?” Calvin asked.
“There’s a force field covering the open door, to prevent all of the air from being sucked out into space.”
“How do ships get in and out?”
“Spaceships can easily fly through it. It’s a soft force field. Its only purpose is to keep the air inside.”
Suddenly a large white spaceship appeared on the other side of the purple force field. Slowly and gracefully it glided in. Large columns of steam erupted from the bottom of the ship, and four large landing gears lowered. There was a very loud whooshing sound as they touched down. The engine noise slowly died away. After Calvin closed the doors, he and Ion got back into the elevator and rode it one level down to the main floor of the hangar bay. It was time to meet the people from Aleria. Ion and Calvin walked across the floor. The floor was white and felt like sandpaper. A hatch on the side of the spaceship slid open sideways, and a ramp extended to the floor. There was a column of steam, and another door opened. Several people emerged from the ship, and they walked down the ramp.
The first two people down wore black uniforms and carried rifles. It was obvious to Calvin that they were guards. When they got to the bottom of the ramp, they took up a position on each side. They both stared at Calvin and smiled.
The next people down the ramp were dressed differently. They wore very nice-looking clothes. There was a woman and a man. The woman had long, dark red hair and wore a purple dress. The dress was beautiful, but it also had a simple quality to it. The man had short black hair, and he wore a uniform, b
ut it was different from the ones the guards were wearing. His was black, but it had a lot of red on it. It looked formal, and it had medals and ribbons all over it.
When they saw Calvin, they immediately smiled and quickly walked over to him. Their arms were stretched out, reaching toward him.
“Hello my friend,” the man said warmly. “I’m Lord Fulton, king of Aleria. We have been waiting so very long for this day to come, when we would get to finally meet you.”
“We never thought we would ever see another Arlandian again,” the woman said. “This is just…” The lady stopped, unable to continue as she fought back tears. Overcome by the power of the moment, the man and woman reached out and touched Calvin. First they took his hands in theirs, and then they embraced him in a hug. It was as if they had found a lost child. After a moment, they stepped back, wiping tears from their faces.
“I’m sorry. I’m Lady Tridara, queen of Aleria. Please forgive us.”
“Yes,” Lord Fulton said. “We aren’t normally this emotional with strangers, but we’re not really strangers, are we? We’re family, and we just found a long-lost member of our family. What is your name, young man?” Fulton asked.
“My name is Calvin, Sir,” Calvin stuttered, choked by emotions. “Calvin Range.”
“Range,” Fulton repeated in a whisper. “Amazing.”
When she heard Calvin’s name, Lady Tridara put her hand on Fulton’s arm and squeezed. Calvin was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t notice Lady Tridara comment to Lord Fulton, “Oh, yes. I see the resemblance now.”
“Will you please join us on our ship?” Fulton asked. “We have prepared a small reception for you. Our people are very anxious to meet you, and we want to hear about what happened to Arlandia.”
Calvin was feeling a little overwhelmed. “Sure,” was all that he was able to say.
“Alpha Seven,” Fulton said to Ion.
“Yes, Sir,” Ion answered.
“Put Aleria’s Hope on full alert. Our scouts have reported enemy activity in the nearby system. I want the ship ready for full combat, just in case, and send the word out to the fleet as well.”
“Yes, Sir,” Ion answered. “I will see you later, Master Calvin.” He turned and got back into the elevator.
Lord Fulton and Lady Tridara each took one of Calvin’s arms, and they guided him up the ramp into their spaceship. The guards followed them but disappeared once they were inside, and the doors closed.
They walked down a plain-looking corridor and into a room that had a table in the middle and a row of windows looking out into the hangar bay.
Fulton motioned for Calvin to sit down. It didn’t take long for the room to fill with people. Some were sitting at the table; others were standing along the sides of the room. All of the people were staring at Calvin, smiling uncontrollably. Several were crying tears of joy.
“I have to apologize again,” Fulton said. “Everyone’s not here, so you might have to tell your story a few times today, but please tell us, what happened to Arlandia? What happened to your people?”
Calvin told them the story of the defeat of Arlandia, and the exodus from all of their inhabited planets to the only surviving colony in the outer rim, New Arlandia. Fulton and Tridara listened intently the whole time. While he was talking, Calvin felt the ship take off, and he watched out the window as they flew into space. When he was finished talking, the room was quiet. The atmosphere was very somber. Several people were softly crying.
“Now we’re scared,” Calvin continued. “We're scared of everything in the universe. So we hide on our planet. It’s forbidden to communicate with other planets and forbidden to travel outside our star system. Our leaders decided to destroy our space fleet when we arrived at New Arlandia. We have only a very small fleet. It’s very old and falling apart. There are a few people that continually work to keep it alive. So I’m afraid if you were looking for an ally to help you in the coming war, you won’t find one in Arlandia.”
“Does everyone feel that way?” Fulton asked.
“No, Sir.” Calvin said firmly. “My father taught me all about our history—the history that they don’t teach us in school. He told me that we need to be strong. We need to protect ourselves, not hide in the dark. But our voices are seldom heard.”
Fulton sat quietly, considering what Calvin had said.
“Time is running out for my people, and for yours," Fulton said sadly. “Over the last two years the Goremog have systematically hunted us down and destroyed us. There are only a few thousand of us left. We have to find all of the pieces of the super-weapon and put them together before it’s too late. If we fail, we’re doomed. There will be nowhere in this universe we can hide. The Goremog are building their own superweapon, and when they are done they will destroy everything.”
The severity of the situation shocked Calvin. He had heard the same thing from Ion, but hearing it from the king somehow made it more real. He knew it was desperate, but he didn’t know it was that bad.
His voice was shaky, but he managed to say, “Of course I will do what I can to help.” Inside he was thinking, “No pressure or anything.”
Fulton smiled warmly, putting his hand on Calvin’s shoulder. “I know you will, son. There is a reason we found you at this time. There is still hope. But first, we must find the first piece of the weapon. Will you help us?”
“Of course, Sir,” Calvin said. “I’ll help. What can I do?”
“Commander,” Fulton gestured to a uniformed officer who was standing near the door.
“Yes, Sir,” the man said and walked to the front of the room. There was a large computer monitor on the wall. It displayed the planet Arlandia in amazingly clear detail.
The man nodded to Calvin.
“My name is Commander Rale. It is a truly an honor to meet you, Master Range,” he said.
“Thank you,” Calvin said weakly. He was feeling a little embarrassed at all of the attention and respect he continued to receive, sure that he didn’t deserve it.
“This is Arlandia,” Commander Rale said. “Even though the Goremog devastated the planet over sixty years ago, the atmosphere is still drenched with radiation. Our sensors cannot scan the planet. There is too much interference. So we are going to fly over the surface very closely. We have more ships than we do people, so we would like you to help us search. Alpha Seven has informed me that he taught you how to fly our ships and how to use our computers and communications.”
Calvin was confused. “Alpha Seven? Oh yes, I call him Ion.” Seeing the questioning expressions on their faces, Calvin explained, “I didn’t know what to call him at first, and I thought I saw the word ‘Ion’ on his chest.” The Alerians smiled.
“Ion,” Fulton said. “I like that. He’s not a typical robot. He is very special—one of a kind. We used our most advanced technology to build him. His brain has the most advanced computer processor that our scientists have ever produced. That’s why he seems more alive than the other robots—more real.”
“Yes!” Calvin said. “I love that about him. He’s my friend.”
“Yes, I could see that. That makes me very happy. I think it would be good to keep the two of you together.” Fulton looked at Lady Tridara. She smiled at him and nodded.
“Also, my daughter Astra will go with you. She can help you.” Several people in the room smiled approvingly.
“Good,” Fulton declared. “Then let us begin the search immediately. We have a perfect ship, prepared just for you. Astra and Ion will meet you on board.” Fulton stood. When he did, everyone in the room stood.
“Follow me, Master Range,” Commander Rale said. “I’ll take you there.”
“Calvin,” Lord Fulton said. “We are honored to have your help. We finally have hope again. We will stay in contact with you. Please take care of my daughter. The Goremog have been dogging our every move. I will feel a lot safer knowing she is with you.”
“Thank you, Sir. I will,” Calvin said, and he turned and le
ft the room. Calvin’s head swam as he followed Commander Rale down the corridor to a docking port. There they found a small shuttle docked. The doors were open, so they walked right on. Commander Rale walked directly to the pilot’s chair and sat. He immediately prepared the ship for launch. Calvin stood at the back, not sure where he was supposed to sit.
“You can sit up front with me,” Rale said to Calvin with a warm smile. Calvin sat and pulled the shoulder harness across his chest. It clicked softly as it locked into place. Two guards entered the shuttle and took seats near the exit. Calvin looked forward. He was looking out into space. The shuttle was attached to the outside of the larger ship.
Calvin sat quietly, thinking. He tried to get his head wrapped around what was going on. Did a king just ask him to take care of his daughter? He didn’t know Calvin. How did he know he was able to take care of her? Calvin wondered how old she was. He suddenly had an image of a five-yearold girl who wouldn’t be able to do anything for herself. Calvin shook his head. No, that didn’t make any sense. Did it?
“Aleria’s Crown, this is shuttle seven, requesting clearance.”
“Shuttle seven, you are cleared to depart,” a voice said over the speaker.
There was a muffled explosion followed by a loud clang, and the shuttle was floating free in space. They slowly drifted away. Commander Rale gently increased power, and the shuttle glided forward. Clearly Commander Rale was an expert pilot. Once they were far enough away, their speed increased dramatically.
Calvin wondered where they were going and how long it was going to take to get there. There was an uncomfortable silence. Calvin looked over at Commander Rale. He seemed very intent on what he was doing. Then he looked out of the front window. Off in the distance, he saw a very large ship in orbit over the planet. They were heading toward it.