A boy in the back raised his hand.
“Yes, you have a question?” she said pointing to the young man.
“What took them so long?”
“While we can hardly imagine today living in a world without antigravity or interstellar travel we had not figured out the mystery of gravity and our world was a very different place.”
Sean already knew the information she was relaying to the children. He found her attractive, probably because she wasn’t wearing a Union uniform but his interest lay in the exhibits, the pieces of history on display so close you could almost touch them. There was something about being close to artifacts from another time that seemed to bring it all back to life and kindled the imagination like poking embers of a fire.
He peered across the lab at the first warp drive. After it was discovered that NASA had already secretly developed and tested a functional drive, it was recovered from the United States following the collapse and research continued here. The experimental components of the drive were barely recognizable as part of an engine. It looked rudimentary for sure, two spheres on poles spaced a meter a part, a small model of spaceship, from an old television show he believed, at the center. A multitude of cables ran into the base of the supports. An assemblage of sensor arrays and recording equipment surrounded the test area. The lab was rebuilt exactly how they found it.
The prototype, Wayfarer, rested in a large hangar adjacent to the warp field laboratory. The ship was designed for one pilot and was controlled by the first SI. During the initial testing phase the warpship was piloted by the SI. The test went well and the drive performed flawlessly. It traveled one light minute, just shy of eighteen million kilometers. The following test went to Pluto, the farthest object of interest in our solar system. Glenn Walker was the first human to pilot a superluminal on his journey to Alpha Centauri B. Sean’s mind wondered to myriad of catastrophes that could have befallen the mission. Thoughts of the drive burning out during the test and stranding Walker in deep space far from any hope of rescue. He would have frozen, suffocated, starved or probably the most humane, suicide pill. Fortunately the Wayfarer did not fail and Walker discovered the first habitable planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B. Unfortunately for Walker his momentous achievement was eclipsed by the devastation caused by the Corsarious impact which took place while he was away.
Some of the children leaned as close as they could, some trying to touch items that were out of reach. Glenn Walker’s flight suit and emergency supplies case that had been located in the cockpit were among them. In the case of the Wayfarer, a mockup was available for them to play on, in and around in a designated play area near the lobby.
The next lab was built for the “jumpdrive” or “Markov” as it came to be known. Sergey Markov imagined a drive that would fold space upon itself and create a portal through which a ship could pass instantaneously. Its distance was limited by the size of the singularity and power capacitors a ship could contain. The first full scale jumpdrive test did not go as well as Walkers flight. As the Jumper One opened its jump window it was pulled into it like silly putty or one imagined a black hole. Time seemed to stop as the ship stretched and slowly came apart before reaching the aperture. A problem with containment shredded the ship as it opened the singularity. It was later determined the computer had an erroneous number somewhere in the equations and it miscalculated the point of entry. Somehow the ship was destroyed by its singularity before containment had been lost; one of those paradoxical situations. The second and all successive tests went as planned. Jumper Two visited Alpha Centauri A and B as well, it however, was unmanned after the accident involving Jumper One.
The ensuing contest for which drive would go into mass production ended in a tie. Many preferred the idea of the Markov’s near instantaneous travel. However it was limited in distance and required lengthy charging time for the capacitors. The warpdrive could maintain a constant speed but its maximum speed was also limited by power output. The end result was two drives that would deliver a craft at virtually the same time.
Cost made the determining factor, the warp drive became the staple of civilian fleets while the Markov with a dual set of capacitors became the preferred choice of military vessels. The second set of capacitors would be smaller and remain charged and the computer would constantly plot a second “safe” location that could be used to retreat if the need arose.
The Exploration wing had models of the first ships to leave our planet looking for habitable worlds. Cutaway views, diagrams, histories of each and artifacts from the voyages decorated the walls and floor exhibits. There was a cutaway of the Hawkins, named after a brilliant physicist from the twentieth century, was the first to study life on the habitable world of Alpha Centauri B. Originally designated Alpha Centauri B Two as the second planet in the system it became known as Hope and was the first place we settled in earnest outside our home.
The final exhibit in the tour was the wormhole drive lab. One of the interior walls of the lab had been replaced with glass to allow viewing from the hallway. The device resembled a large metallic cone with masses of hoses and tubing networked across its surface, similar to the Dream Gate in orbit. Rena explained to the group how the project was abandoned because they couldn’t generate the power to make it work. The scientists had managed to reduce the initial power estimates drastically but even to this day nothing was capable of generating the power needed to open a stable wormhole large enough for a ship to pass through.
She brought the group back into the main lobby to finish her presentation. Sean watched her walking in front of him, she had a nice shape. Something about the sway in her walk, the past hour of listening to her melodic voice and watching her motherly way with the children had piqued his interest. Sean hadn’t thought much of children in years but he could see their babies running around the house. She seemed like a genuinely warm, caring individual and she smiled every time they made eye contact, which had been frequent. He hoped he was giving his best smile in return, he had no way of knowing. It had been years since he attempted a date with anyone, he decided he would ask her as soon as he got an opportunity. As he drifted through his thoughts of her Rena told the children the story about the formation of the Union.
“By the beginning of the twenty-third century mankind had explored well beyond its home and had discovered we were not alone. The Bvaltari were met with a great deal of skepticism. We did not know at the time they were not an aggressive species and found it difficult to believe they didn’t have conflicts in their society, at least not in the form they took on earth. Bvaltari are empaths, this allowed them to form a society early in their development were war never existed. After many decades, together we founded the United Orion Star Systems and established a charter by which to govern the expanding territory.” The Union logo replaced the Milky Way. “The races remained individual societies and retained local laws and customs. Starships were allowed to come and go as they pleased and trade became a booming industry. The two races combined resources in a joint venture to create ships and explore the universe together. And for the first time the Union fleet set out to explore beyond their known borders as one.” She concluded her presentation. “Does anyone have any questions?”
Sean raised his hand, this was his shot. Rena pointed to him
“Are you free for dinner?”
The children giggled. She blushed but she didn’t miss a beat, she would play his game.
“Yes. Mandal’s seven o’clock,” she responded.
“I’ll be there.”
More giggles from the children
***
He retired to his suite to prepare for the evening. It was well appointed, normally reserved for visiting dignitaries. He wondered why he was receiving such fine treatment. It was a multi-room suite complete with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, dining area and an office. Next to the dining area was an alcove with a molecular food processor for creating meals. Given the proper base materials it could create any d
ish, a panel underneath contained cylinders of base materials that would be exchanged when depleted. The living room had a holowall. News and entertainment media was captured in a three-dimensional format, once projected on a flat surface it was given depth and dimension as if it were right in front of you.
The bed was equipped with what the manufacturer called its “Sweet Dreams” system. When one was ready for sleep you activated the bed, it generated a harmonic frequency that relaxed the mind and generated an atmosphere of breathable relaxation. It was temperature and humidity controlled for the perfect individual sleep experience or so said the commercials.
He sat on the couch and watched a few minutes of the news on the holowall. The news mentioned a colony, Paradisus, in the Balin Tor system. There had been no communication with them for a week and people were starting to wonder if they had run afoul of something. People were beginning to say the Telarians were responsible. A government official was trying to alleviate fears by saying their distress beacon had not been activated so they were probably fine, simply a communication malfunction, not at all uncommon with remote outposts.
The next story was about what Sean considered a crybaby music artist who felt he wasn’t being paid appropriately for all of his hard work. Sean felt no sympathy. He had seen many men die for a fraction of what this guy was getting paid, it pissed him off. He shook his head as turned off the holo and headed for the shower to get ready for his evening.
***
Sean waited patiently at the table for Rena to arrive. She had exquisite taste it seemed. Mandal’s was quite nice. He had no difficulty reserving a table due solely to his accommodations, on his own he imagined the wait would have been in weeks. He had been admiring the craftsmanship in the décor, intricately carved wood molding and paneling. Everything was real wood from his observations, a thick mahogany countertop for the bar, bakul cabinets, hand curved chair backs, and his table was Bolivian Rosewood, beautiful colors.
His adopted father Benjamin Collens was a trader and hauler of fine woods. He had learned the trade as well and he appreciated well-made wood furniture but his interest didn’t lie in wood as such. In fact, it made him sad surrounded by all this finely crafted wood. His adopted father was gone now, killed along with his sister when his hauler was destroyed. He had been such an amazing man, he didn’t have to take on the responsibility of caring for two orphaned children but he had and he loved them like his own with kindness and patience. Ben had had a sadness about him at times and he would stare off into space. Only after his death did Sean discover he had a wife and children that died shortly before he rescued them from Novus. It seems they filled a void in each other’s lives and now Sean believed that long stare was towards his missing wife and children, he couldn’t imagine it was anything else.
The door opened and he could see what he believed was his date stroll in. The lights were dim but it had to be her. The maitre d’ greeted her and they had a short exchange before he escorted her to the table. Sean stood as they approached and came around the table to greet her. The maitre d’ placed menus on the table and bowed his exit.
“Wow, you look amazing,” he said.
Rena’s face was framed by her dark wavy hair, as she pushed it back from her eye their eyes met. She was in her finest little black dress which revealed modest amounts of her smooth olive skin. She was even more beautiful than he imagined she would be. Her outfit from earlier did not do her figure justice he decided as he looked her up and down. All the while her smoky eyes sparkled at him.
“Wow,” he said again.
“Thank you,” she blushed, she wasn’t used to compliments he could tell, odd for such a beautiful creature.
He motioned for her to sit and he helped scoot her chair forward.
“Thank you,” she said again. “You are quite the gentleman.”
“Thank you. My father taught me to treat every woman like the only woman and you deserve to feel special.”
She blushed again. He took his seat as the waiter arrived.
“My name is Aman. I’ll be your waiter for the evening. Have you had time to decide what you would like to drink?”
Aman was a tall, handsome, dark skinned local.
“Pick out a bottle of wine for us, I trust your judgement Aman,” Sean said respectfully.
“Excellent sir. Can I interest you in an appetizer?”
“Actually yes. Surprise me, choose what you think would be lovely to share with such a beautiful woman. I’ll leave the entire meal to your discretion, except the ladies order.”
“That sounds good to me as well Aman. We are on an adventure tonight, surprise us with some of your best choices,” she agreed.
“I can do that ma’am. You won’t be disappointed and I will do my best to make it a magical evening. I’ll be right back with your wine,” Aman said with a bow and he turned on his heels and strode off.
“So what does a starship captain do?” Rena asked.
“Is it that obvious?”
“You were in uniform earlier, remember?”
“It becomes such a part of you when you wear it every day, guess I didn’t think about it. Administrate mostly,” he laughed.
Damn she is pretty he thought.
“It’s pretty boring most of the time anymore since the treaty was signed. Read reports, approve duty rosters, do daily walk around inspections. The first officer does most of the work.”
Aman returned with a cart. He had covered platters, plates, bowls, wine on ice, and two chilled glasses covered in frost.
“Gavander, made from Bvaltari cullberries, aged one hundred years. It’s a magical flavor that changes to suite the imbiber’s palette.” He explained as he uncorked the bottle and filled each glass in turn. “The preference is chilled and served in frosted glasses as it preserves the qualities of the colorful palette.”
She took a sip of her wine all the while keeping her lustrous eyes locked on Sean. The flavor exploded in her mouth. It started as a hot cinnamon taste then cooled like a strawberry essenced water. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She felt her skin flush, a tingle between her thighs and her mouth watered. She swallowed slowly and the Gavander slid with a minty coolness down her throat.
“Wow! That’s good.”
Aman presented the platter and removed the top, “Lotus root cutlets, for prosperity and well-being, and meatballs of ground lamb, crushed cashews, coconut, simmered in a tamarind sauce. Quite good.” He served the salad into bowls. “Your entrees will be ready shortly.”
“Thank you Aman,” Sean said although he had never heard of cashews or tamarind.
Aman made a slight bow, moved the wine to the table and left with the cart.
“This is quite a restaurant. Do you come here often?” Sean asked her.
“No. First time. I figured if you weren’t serious about dinner you would have ran when I mentioned this place. It’s expensive. Too be completely honest, I’m impressed you were able to obtain a table on such short notice.”
She sipped the Gavander again, she enjoyed it immensely. She flashed him a smile as her thighs continued to tingle.
It was a smile that reminded him of Kara, he hated how she always crept in to ruin a beautiful moment. He returned Rena a genuine smile, he liked her very much. Her voice calmed his inner turmoil, she was brilliant and beautiful.
“Really? What’s money compared to the company of a beautiful woman for the evening? Not much I say. If you left now I would feel it money well spent.”
Money really had no meaning to him, he had plenty, years of pay unused in his account along with his leave.
They shared more small talk of work and of his first trip to Earth before Aman returned with his cart containing more covered dishes and two freshly frosted goblets. These he filled with more Gavander and removed the originals. The wine had a silvery almost electrical swirl to its opaque baby blue color as if it contained heat lightning.
“How are you enjoying everything so far?”
he inquired the couple.
“Excellent Aman. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome sir. Your entrees are ready.” He placed the covered dishes on the table in front of each and removed the tops. “Lamb tikki masala, served over a bed of rice and a selection of our finest naans to sample.”
“Naans?” Sean asked
Rena answered. “Bread, traditionally baked in a clay oven.”
The meal was delicious. Sean was used to processed shipboard food and real food was a welcome change of pace, but Rena was the important part of the evening for him. It had been a long time since he had a casual experience with a female. They talked and laughed. Two bottles of Gavander later the food had run out and it was time for the night to come to a close but each seemed intent on keeping the evening going. At ten o’clock Aman came to the table to inform them it was closing time. Sean paid the check, three months pay, mostly the Gavander as he took two additional bottles for the road. Reluctantly the couple exited the restaurant. Outside there was an awkward pause. Rena looked at him with those sultry dark eyes.
“It would be out of character for me but I have had a wonderful time, better than I have had in years.” She bit her lower lip. “I would like to accompany you to your room.”
***
He was riding the maglift to the bridge. It decelerated slowly, came to a stop and the door opened. The bridge was unfamiliar and low lit. The emergency lighting flashed in condition red and a lone figure occupied the captain’s chair. It was a female, he could tell from her silhouette and long hair. She wore a standard issue uniform but her hair was down instead of up as would have been regulation. He walked around to the side of the captain’s chair to ask where the rest of his crew was and why was she in his chair. She turned to look at him as he walked, it was Kara, and she had a terrified look on her face. He was taken aback, she is the last person he expected to see. He continued to approach her until he stood in front of her. She stared into his eyes.
“Help me,” she said. He stepped closer and put his arms around her in a loving embrace. She pulled back and said to him with tear filled eyes, “I need you.”
Relentless: Book One of the Union Warship Saga Page 5