“Orion, what have you discovered? Do we have shields? Weapons?”
“Both, sir. Think I almost have it figured out.”
“Thirty seconds to impact,” Perkins yelled from the adjoining station next to Gunny’s.
McBride at the helm spun in his seat, “Captain, I think The Lilly can—”
“Just do it, Helm—whatever the hell it is, we’re out of time.”
“Eight seconds to impact,” Perkins yelled.
The display flashed white.
“We’re right smack in the middle of their fleet, sir,” Perkins yelled.
Jason spun in his seat, looking up at the 360 degree display. Sure enough, pirate warships encircled them on all sides. Hundreds of them.
“What the hell did you do, McBride?” Jason barked.
“Sorry, sir, I realized we still had the capability to phase-shift The Lilly, along with the Caldurian vessel. Not far but … I didn’t have time to set the coordinates. I guessed.”
“Cap, Caldurian ship’s shields are up,” Orion said, smiling. “Oh, and we destroyed eighteen pirate vessels when we shifted along with the Crystal City into the middle of their fleet.”
“Open a channel to Captain Stalls,” Jason ordered.
“Channel open, sir.”
Stalls’ cocky bravado was replaced with seething hatred. “Mark my words, Reynolds, I’m going to kill you. But before I do, I’m going to take your wife as my personal whore and sell your daughter off to space slavers. This isn’t over. Don’t forget to look over your shoulder, Reynolds. I’m coming for you.”
With that, the display went black. One by one, the remaining raider ships headed off into deep space. They’d won the moment, but Jason knew his troubles with Captain Stalls had only just begun.
* * *
Two hours later, Jason was seated alone at his desk in the captain’s ready room. It had taken that long to establish an FTL link with the outpost back on Earth. It had been a while since he’d last checked in, and there was a lot to cover. When his father’s face appeared, it was evident he was sitting in the cramped confines of the shuttle.
“We’re not back yet because we’ve been delayed—several times now. A group of raiders—pirates—infiltrated The Lilly while we were moving through HAB 12. Recognize the name Captain Stalls?”
“Oh yeah, know the name well. A constant thorn in the side of the Allied forces. How the hell did they get on board?”
“Turns out it was our illusive mole, Seaman Perkins from Engineering. Not sure what his real name is, but apparently he’s Captain Stalls’ little brother.”
“That’s a bad bunch, Jason, not the kind of enemy you want to go up against,” the admiral said.
“So where are you—are you underground right now?”
“Yes. Each branch of the military has poured into the outpost. You wouldn’t recognize the place. Thought it best to keep any phase-shift technology away from them.”
“What about the three vessels, the Emperor’s Guard, in orbit?” Jason asked.
“Still there, and they’ve increased the number of subterranean phase-shifts by the hour. They’ve also concentrated their search now to the Americas.”
“Have they phase-shifted anywhere near the outpost?”
“No, the lower United States and upper Mexico have yet to be touched. One ship has been moving across Canada; the other two are making their way up South America.”
“The last time we talked, you described the inhabitants as looking similar to Craing, but tall, like humans. Is that correct?”
“That’s right. Why?”
“It’s just that what you described is similar to beings we’ve discovered on what we believe to be another Caldurian vessel. It’s actually more a city than a vessel. ”
“You’ve discovered a Caldurian city in open space?”
“More like it discovered us. Dad, it’s amazing. Beautiful. Highly advanced. It emerged from a wormhole not far from where we were located. At first we thought it could be a random result from us closing down the Craing Loop, but Ricket now believes it, what we’re calling the Crystal City, moves through space by generating its own wormhole. It would be too much of a coincidence for it to have shown up right where we were, where The Lilly was located in open space.”
“Have you contacted them? Who are they?” the admiral asked.
“We’ve shifted The Lilly onto the Crystal City itself. Unfortunately, the populace is dead, many thousands dead. Subsequently, The Lilly’s bridge has been reconfigured. It’s now taken over as the ship’s de facto control center. We’re thinking it may be the Crystal City’s default. Something that happens when reunited with another Caldurian vessel such as The Lilly.”
The admiral furrowed his brow. “But you’re still on your way back to Earth?”
“Yes, but there’s one more thing. These Caldurians had nano-tech devices in their heads. It’s what killed them all. It’s virtually the same tech we have in our own heads, Dad.
“Personally, I believe we need to get as far away from this vessel as possible. Ricket warns that if he is unable to further investigate, you, me and the rest of The Lilly crew may eventually be facing the same fate.”
Jason wondered why he hadn’t made the connection before. Those three Caldurian ships in orbit around Earth had first been discovered underground, lying dormant. Just as The Lilly had been. Was there a link?
“Dad, fifteen years ago when you and Granddad first discovered The Lilly, you mentioned both the AI and Ricket’s memory had been wiped.”
“That’s right. We had no idea what we were doing. Once we cleared away the rubble, we were allowed access to the ship, didn’t have to break in or anything. Once inside, it was dark as a tomb—seemed to be dead. Apparently, though, minimum ship functions were still running, because when we started moving about the ship, more and more systems came back online. All of a sudden a repeating voice sounded.” The admiral paused, as if searching his memories. “It said something like, Bio-form ‘human’ detected, prior function complete, you may enter a new start access code … something along those lines. It repeated that over and over again, really annoying. As if the AI had been waiting for us, or someone, to enter a new code. When we entered the bridge, it came alive. The big overhead wrap-around display came on. At the nearest console that same message appeared—”
“Like a sentence written in English?” Jason butted in, looking skeptical.
“Yes, in English. I wouldn’t be able to read Caldurian, now would I?” the admiral replied, irritated by Jason’s interruption.
Jason nodded; stupid question—The Lilly AI was incredibly intelligent. It would have detected his father’s and grandfather’s speech and language patterns.
“So what did you do?”
“I didn’t know what the hell to do. Grandpa Gus suggested I enter a number I’d remember later, so I entered my social security number.”
“So that brought the ship alive?”
“No, another annoying message started to repeat. Something to the effect: initiate biomechanical sub-routines. Over and over again … we wanted to kill the fucking thing. We didn’t find Ricket for several days.”
“Where was he?”
“That’s the strange part. Ricket wasn’t inside the ship. Ol’ Gus couldn’t take that repeating voice anymore and was outside clearing dirt and rocks from the front of the ship. He found Ricket buried. Your grandfather fetched me from the ship, and together we pulled Ricket free.”
“Why was Ricket outside the ship?” Jason asked, confused.
The admiral simply stared back at Jason.
“Sorry, go on.”
“Ricket was lifeless. Then all of a sudden, his little gears and actuators started to move, and then he too started repeating the same phrase, only this time he added something else—something like: enter command authorization code for Reechet biomechanical sub-routines. Obviously, there wasn’t a keypad to enter anything, so I just said my social security numbe
r aloud.”
“Wait, so how did you get the name Ricket from Reechet?”
“What? Oh, your grandfather’s hearing was terrible. He heard it as Ricket. I corrected him numerous times, but Ricket seemed to stick. He’s been Ricket ever since.” The admiral smiled as he recalled the memory of his father.
“Anyway, we were able to converse with Ricket. He seemed to be confused at first, had no idea who he was, or why he was lying beneath a mound of dirt next to a space ship. But his deductive powers, as you’ve discovered, were quick to put things together. Apparently, the ship, The Lilly AI, had reconfigured Ricket’s internal software. I haven’t been able to connect the dots with that aspect yet.”
“Dad, suppose those Caldurian vessels in orbit were mothballed underground, same as The Lilly had been. But just because The Lilly AI and Ricket’s memory were wiped doesn’t mean the other ships’ memories were wiped.” Jason was figuring things out as he spoke.
“I don’t get the correlation, Jason.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure I do, either. But suppose The Lilly, or whoever was controlling her, was after the same thing those Craing are after now? Maybe they are searching for something—something down there in that subterranean world?”
“You’re thinking it has something to do with the inhabitants beneath North America, in this area?” the admiral asked.
“Well, it’s not a big leap, Dad. From how you’ve described them, they look exactly like the Caldurians on the Crystal City—right? Maybe they are early Caldurians.”
“So what are you thinking? That this is some sort of return to mecca or their homeland?”
“No, well, actually that kinda works too,” Jason said, sensing that the puzzle pieces were starting to come together, but not quite.
“Jason, I have to be honest with you; the inhabitants down here look fairly primitive. They’re running around in animal furs. They’re cave men. There’s certainly no advanced technology going on down here,” the admiral added, looking like he was going to say something more.
“What?”
“You say that ship, that Crystal City, can generate its own wormhole to move about the universe?” the admiral asked.
“That’s what Ricket concludes … makes sense, though.”
“Having the ability to move about the universe with that kind of ease—” Jason’s father stopped mid-sentence, then continued: “Jason, as powerful as the Loop was for the Craing, it would be nothing compared to this technology. With the Loop they needed to map the various end-points across the universe, which they had no control over. Here, they could traverse anywhere at any time. We’re talking about the secret to totally unrestricted, near instantaneous space travel.”
Jason nodded. “Perhaps when those three Caldurian ships came alive, something else happened. Perhaps the Craing learned some sort of Caldurian wormhole travel secrets. Secrets that could only be fully-uncovered in one place.”
“Earth,” they both said at the same time.
“Anyway, we estimate the three vessels in orbit will discover our location here beneath the Chihuahuan desert within the next twenty-four hours. If what you’re saying is correct, and they’re looking for clues to unlock the secret of Caldurian wormhole travel, we need to stop them. As important as it was to bring down the Craing Loop, and it certainly was, we have to stop the Craing again and those three ships.”
“Dad, one more thing. Off subject. How well did you know Dira, when you first assembled the crew for The Lilly?”
Chapter 34
Jason was back on the bridge, Ricket still busy at the forward-most console. His fingers stopped moving and he turned toward Jason.
“Captain. I’ve been studying their wormhole travel technology. It is far more advanced than anything I’ve come across on The Lilly. It’s actually not a technology specifically located aboard the Caldurian ship,” Ricket explained.
“Then how does it work?”
“I have been trying to decipher that for several hours now, sir. From the little I’ve been able to unravel, it’s more like an interstellar communications transmission.” Ricket retrieved his baseball cap from the console, climbed down from his seat, and walked back to Jason. “Captain, prior to this vessel moving through space, actually bending space via a wormhole, it sends out a massive amount of information. It uses a communications protocol I’m unfamiliar with, and the corresponding response is the generation of the wormhole.”
“Why can’t we simply send the same communications request they do?” Jason asked.
“That’s the beauty of this. Every time a new communication—a new request—is sent, it’s totally unique. As if it’s a code issued to the universe—one that is atypical and ultimately undecipherable.”
“If you’re talking about some kind of God code, I don’t buy it,” Jason said.
“I don’t believe spirituality has anything to do with this. With that said, someone has figured out a formula. If it were strictly mathematical, that would be one thing, but this is based on something else, as well.”
“So you’re talking about what? Some kind of secret formula, a way to speak directly to the universe in a way that can alter the nature of physics itself?”
“It may be something far simpler, as well as far more complex, than that. I don’t know.”
Jason nodded, realizing whatever it was, right now the Craing were searching miles beneath the surface of Earth for the answer.
It was becoming more and more evident the Caldurian’s home world was in fact Earth, and not some far-off planet thousands of light-years away. Perhaps these cave people beneath the Chihuahuan desert were in fact original Caldurians descendants? Descendants that still hold ancient secrets to communicate directly with the universe?
“Unfortunately, the Caldurian vessel, this Crystal City, is not capable of FDL travel. We will not get to Earth within twenty-four hours as long as we are moored here.”
“Can you secure this vessel against intrusion? Leave the shields up?” Jason asked.
“Yes, the raiders, or anyone else for that matter, will not be able to board this vessel. In fact, only another Caldurian vessel would be able to land here, such as we have.”
“Good, then the decision’s made. We’ll come back here after we’ve dealt with the Emperor’s Guard.”
* * *
Jason was tired, not having had a break since before Admiral Cramer’s militia took control of the outpost, then the arduous trek across HAB 12, destroying the Loop on Halimar, the pirates, and most recently the discovery of the Crystal City with its populace all found dead. They’d lifted off from the courtyard and were heading out into open space. Almost immediately, The Lilly reconfigured its bridge back to normal. They needed to reach Earth, fast. Even at FDL, it would take them almost twenty-four hours. Now, with Perkins back in the command chair, Jason left the bridge.
He had received a NanoText from Mollie several hours earlier. Kids and texting. She had requested he drop by the Zoo; she had something she wanted to show him.
Jason found the Zoo empty, at least of people. He walked to the first habitat across the isle and waited for his favorite creature, the Drapple, to appear. A moment later there it was, seemingly inches from his face, big and powerful, yet agile, as it positioned itself through the water in front of Jason. Jason wondered what was it about this strange creature that evoked such a strong kinship. Being worm-like and not actually having a head made finding the Drapple’s face sometimes a challenge. Then he noticed his smile and then the warm, kind eyes looking back at him. He reached his hand out and placed it on the habitat’s window. The Drapple turned slightly in the water and let his bulk press against the same spot. An unspoken connection.
“Dad! I’m waiting for you. What are you doing?”
Jason turned to see Mollie standing in front of HAB 4. When he turned back, the Drapple was gone.
“I’m just reconnecting with a friend. Where were you?” Jason asked.
“In here,
come on before the window times out and I have to get Jack again. I want to show you something,” she said.
Jason jogged over, and he and Mollie entered Habitat 4. The first thing that struck Jason was the humidity. Green and lush, the jungle was alive with sounds and movement. Mollie pulled Jason’s arm towards a makeshift wooden fence. Raja and three other large Indian elephants stood together. Raja’s trunk curled and rose high above its head, as if trumpeting Jason’s arrival. Up close, Jason gave each of the elephants a pat. Jack was nearby, scattering branches with thick green leaves at their feet. Off in the distance, sitting on the fence with her nose in a paperback, was Nan. She looked up and waved, then was back engrossed in her book.
“We’re not here to play with the elephants, Dad. Stand there. This is what I wanted to show you,” Mollie said, then scurried ten yards down the dirt path.
“Alice. Command five. Alice, command five.” Mollie smiled over at her father and then became serious again.
There was rustling off in the distance, deep in the overgrown foliage. Closer now, Jason recognized the sound, the odd gait of the running dog-like creature with its six legs. It broke from the trees, big blue tongue hanging from its mouth. Excited, it headed right for Jason.
“Command five, Alice, Command Five.”
Alice changed course and veered toward Mollie. Once close, she slowed to a walk and then stopped in front of her. She gathered her feet beneath her, crouched low, then sprang into the air and over Mollie’s head. She landed, turned, crouched and sprang again. Once seated in front of Mollie, Alice waited patiently, her eyes never leaving Mollie’s. Mollie waited a moment, then knelt down.
“Good girl, Alice, good girl.” Mollie kissed the creature’s head, then enfolded her in her arms—Alice’s tail wagged and her big tongue licked at Mollie’s face.
“Pretty cool, huh, Dad?”
“Very cool!” Jason replied, excitedly. “How did you do that? Teach her how to do that?”
“She’s really smart. I’ve taught her other things, too. Each trick has a different command number. She’s really good at fetching things. Watch this! Alice, command eight, shoe. Command eight, shoe.”
HAB 12 (Scrapyard Ship) Page 23