by Boris Mosso
—Ten Vectors and ten Black Stars, to be exact. Everyone has already believed it and I hope that if the enemy is interested in this, they might believe it also.
—The expedition members will be looking for it, wouldn’t it be counterproductive for the incursion’s objectives?
—I don’t think so, that would be secondary. The objective is very clear. Remember that, although the spaceship’s crew belongs to the Espacian fleet and to the Terrestrial Forces Operations, the expedition itself, is the Espacian Intelligence Office’s responsibility, and as such, was planned with information decks needed to hide the truth.
Our spaceships’ agents handle more information than the crew; despite that, there are things that Professor Trivian and Renar only know. Even more, there are other subjects about which the Professor only knows about.
—But he doesn’t know everything either, right?
—Exactly, there are other things that he doesn’t even handle, and we know about.
—I could tell you that it’s not so… even commanding the Systemic Council, which orders me to apply these procedures despite yourselves; however, in practice you know everything about this journey.
—Virtually everything… I believe.
—It’s our mandate to make all possible efforts to recover and return the object safely.
—At any cost… whichever?
—The Espacian breed’s survival and their allies is at stake… whoever it is should be. For us, it is enough that one of the expedition members come back with the object in their hands and with Professor Trivian alive. With that, we will have fulfilled our job.
—And the others don’t matter, Umbaga?
—We shouldn’t care about them. We can’t emotionally compromise with their survival.
—And Lena? Isn’t she important?
—Your Excellency, I understand that being Inia’s and Admiral Tronius’ daughter, represents a huge emotional burden for you. I also understand the dominant role that she will take in all this, we’ve always known it. However, the cold arguments say that once we have the object in our power, she’ll keep on being important, but it’s not essential anymore.
—I hope she’s the one that brings us the object, although it wouldn’t be strange she would after all.
—More than strange, your Excellency; remember that several of our scientists think that it could be devastating if she returns. Maybe it would be better not to risk it. We should be very careful with our wishes and longings.
De Kraun suddenly remembered the reason why at certain times, he felt an intense dislike for the slim Director, however and as usual, he should acknowledge that his careful words expressed itself a cruel truth. Which he rejected to accept completely, intimately.
Umbaga remained still and with his gaze up high. De Kraun understood that the Director completely trusted in his strategy and decided to leave him in that comfortable position. It was what was needed the most for the last incursion’s purpose. He would have time to adjust certain things afterwards.
—That’s why the crewmembers and scientists know so little. They would ultimately notice that their lives weren’t worth at all in this matter… Is that it?
—Exactly, your Excellency, they’ll understand it at some point, but it’s good for us that it be when they were up to their necks into the mission.
—Then they’ll have to make a choice?
—No. It’s more likely that the circumstances will choose for them. The travelers should only follow their fate. Somehow you already know how this matter ends… Part of the future is already history. That’s why the path to reach the object should be protected and shielded from the real information. It’s the way we do our things, it was planned as such and we are good at that; it’s what we know how to do, First Counselor.
—Well, we will get in touch later, Director Umbaga. I shouldn’t make Lena wait anymore.
—At your command, Excellency.
As soon as he disappeared, the hologram’s indirect lights turned on, shedding a delicate brightness which allowed to see the outside clearly.
—Umbaga’s last words had given him chills on his back. The hefty and mysterious Intelligence Service Director surprised him once more with his strategy’s dark musings. De Kraun yearned that all or most part of the expedition members could return sound and safe. However, and regretfully, he knew that Umbaga was rarely mistaken with his forecasts.
For a moment he remembered him as a small and mischievous child running through Trivian’s secret departments, when Gotkela took him to the genetic continuity’s routine checks.
Upon turning his back to his rooms’ main foyer, he watched the brown toned gaseous giant rotating afar, almost unnoticeable. A huge storm could be seen on the outer gaseous layer, which had been consuming colors and mixing them for years; he figured that inside the eye of the storm, the Espacia planet could have been placed at least a couple of times.
Upon understanding that he would depart on a journey without return in an hour, he felt extremely sad. Maybe it was the last time he saw one of his beloved Solar System’s planets.
3 - The Crewmembers
The Espacian Systemic Councils’ Flantart’s hangar eight, was a large reserved place for larger transports or war spaceships. They parked about ten Vectors or Black Star spaceships there with no problem. The spaceship had two hangars for this purpose.
Gander watched the amount of people swarming in all directions inside the huge compound, meanwhile, its two-person levitator flew at fifty meters high to not disturb the transit flow from the loading transports, which transferred the last supplies coming from Espacia and from the colonies in their moons.
Many of those products were produced in the cities built in the other four rocky planets from the Solarian System, which had been tapped to be settled by planetarium engineering, dozens of thousands of years ago.
Alongside and a little further back, Officer Blesten remained standing silently. He kept his black hair tied behind his head, showing a very serious expression on his well-balanced fine and perfect lined face.
A few hours ago, the Supreme Admiral assigned him his new mission, filled with uncertainties and risks still to measure, and Gander hadn’t completely found all the pieces. The only certainty then, was that the secret expedition Commander happened to be nothing less than the unknown daughter of Admiral Tronius; highly classified information by the others. That meant that he couldn’t comment about it with his STF’s nor with the other crew members. However, he had a feeling, that at some point he would be forced to reveal it.
Suddenly, a harmonious feminine voice through the general intercoms, announced that the Espacian Councils’ Flantart’s hyperspace leap, would be performed in thirty minutes.
The imposing Vector stood at the end of the hangar.
The versatile war and exploration spaceship was still being fed by some robotic devices which filled the cramped warehouses with the last supplies, levitating at full speed by the sides and over the fifty meters high structure.
He accelerated its slider diagonally, descending then to the boarding area. He could see one of his Officers approaching from the right side, with a worried look on his face. He wore the typical green Terrestrial Forces’ uniform.
—Captain Gander, Blesten. Our team and everything else is complete and in its place, just as you revealed; Officer Rombar and Kovolaris checked it on a preliminary basis; operating squads and full arsenals.
—Right.
—In any case, I must add that something isn’t right around here. They gave us three hundred RMOD’s fresh from the factory. Apparently, someone finally heard your requests and requirements. We’ve been asking for some replacements for the old RMOD’s for months, and it happens that now General Opalian was suddenly generous giving us six new healthy-looking squads.
—They’re good news, Lesir. What’s so strange about it? You should be happy.
—Sir, according to my experience, when an STF is given more than they request, it�
��s because it’s completely screwed up… Do you understand what I’m saying? In other words, too good to be true.
—Lesir, are you going to begin with your strange theories again?
—They’re not weird theories, Captain. I assure you that such lovely and shiny Vector floating besides us outside, is oddly new also, it surely is searching for problems, some real big ones… Do you remember the last time they treated us this well? It was just before sending us to the damn Trodian System, where those son of a bitch bastards, may all rot in…
—Finish with that and tell me about the others.
—Anyhow, Betinia, Chan and Dantori, are already installed inside. We’ll briefly contact the STF’s escort Vector’s Captain who is already outside; his name is Borlan. According to what he says, everything is in order and sends us greetings.
—Good, Lesir, then let’s get on board.
At that instance, a beautiful woman one meter seventy tall approached. With blond hair placed in the back of her head and blue intense and bright eyes. He couldn’t avoid looking at her closely, while the rest of the sentence froze on his lips. She was followed by a medium height medical Officer becoming aware that she was one also. Officer Blesten couldn’t prevent from frowning. Behind, another thin man, with a pale and friendly face and probably thirty-three years old, approached wearing a black uniform, followed by another woman with real white skin color and sprinkled with freckles, baby blue eyes and reddish hair.
Behind them, another young officer with yellow skin and expressive black eyes, framed by delicate thin corners. All three of them were dressed alike.
Gander and Blesten identified the first man as a robotic squads’ Leader Officer, equal to Gander’s Captain rank in the Stealthy Land Operation’s exclusive units. He greeted him formally, while the beautiful blond woman and the one that was with her walked away without paying much attention to them, climbing already on some levitator’s stairways, which pointed out to a transparent gravitational elevator which in matters of seconds, lifted them at more than thirty meters high, stopping along a spaceship’s side opening.
—Greetings, Captain. I’ll introduce myself, I’m the first rank Officer of this spaceship’s robotics, my name is Drexiliander. The third flight Officer here besides me, is Elenda, and the second rank pilot is Trimen.
—Greetings to you all, my name is Gander. Lesir and Blesten, third rank STF’s Officers.
—Apparently, we’ll be travel companions, Captain Gander. Do you know where we’re going?
—I was going to ask the same thing.
—We’ll find out anyways; the Flantart is going to leap into hyperspace soon. We better get on board.
—After you, Officer.
The small group climbed into one of the transparent gravitational elevators, while the last cargo sliders disappeared. The red beacons showed the crewmen still moving about the surroundings of the imposing Vector, whom should move away.
Some red lasers defined the persons moving in the Vector’s exclusive perimeter area. Following, a contained energy, lightly bluish and transparent covering, covered both sides of the spaceship; it also covered the hangars’ side screens’ area.
4 - The Mission
―Yes, your Excellency, Captain Lena is ready to come in.
—Then allow her in.
—Right, Sir, right now.
Lena entered, appalled by the size of the reception room and by the marvelous friezes which covered the ceiling completely, on which she appeared to understand that episodes from the original and distant Espacian Continental war were told. She tried to locate De Kraun discretely at the same time, but at the beginning she couldn’t see the old man standing in a shaded area in the room.
De Kraun watched her silently, finding himself with a tall woman, harmonious shapes and assured pace; she seemed to be about thirty years old, even though De Kraun knew she was forty.
He couldn’t hide his excitement from being personally in front of Lena for the first time. For years, he was used to seeing her only through holographic images, while he was informed periodically and in detail about her growth and her steps throughout life.
Lena finally saw him and stopped in her tracks. She had a hard time breathing before trying to say the first words.
—First Counselor, greetings.
—Greetings to you, Captain.
De Kraun examined her face carefully, prolonging the moment until she spoke again, which strongly discomforted the young Captain.
She showed the same paternal features. He wondered if she would have the same character the Supreme Fleet’s Admiral had. It was a mystery, and, however, she was the only one who could have it. She was indeed beautiful, despite the serene and tough face expression, which at the same time added a mysterious and distant aura; it was clear that she wasn’t happy to be there.
—Captain Lena Valir. You are part of the countless Espacians who have chosen a single name, apart from the millions born without a family in our incubators. Your professional circle ignores your complete name.
—Yes, it’s something very personal and supposedly well kept, I grew up without my parents, so I chose to be called Lena only, at certain point when I was still very young.
—You didn’t want to carry your maternal surname? Valir is a very ancient name. Do you know your family’s millennial history?
—No.
—Is there some kind of resentment towards your mother Inia Valir then?
Lena felt like leaving immediately, but it was the First Counselor who was asking her such an uncomfortable question. De Kraun, after hearing the rough and evasive answer, decided to redirect the dialogue in another manner.
—If you know so much about me, then you should also know that my father’s name is unknown and that I was never able to see Inia Valir, neither did she see me. After they drew me out and placed me into the gestational channel incubators, my mother died a few days after in an accident… long before my birth. I don’t use her name thus, lastly, I don’t think that would be of any interest for anybody, much less for someone as important as you, First Counselor.
—It’s fine…excuse me for that impertinence. In what unit did you serve up until now?
—I’m a Vector Escort’s Captain from the Kran spaceship, type Flantart, from the Blue group, also known as the Thirstiest battle group.
—Oh, our beautiful smallest moon’s name. But your accent is…
—I’m originally from the Baltar Moon.
—Yes, I see. Well, right now I’m going to inform you about the powerful reasons of why you’re here.
Captain Lena, we have a mission of paramount importance for you for our cause. Follow me.
They took about ten steps forward and stopped in the middle of the room. The old man made a subtle gesture in the air and, a tridimensional holographic sizable screen instantly appeared in front of them. The Astral Galaxy’s image emerged.
—You should know that hundreds of years ago we began to send some recognition distant missions to the edge, perpendicular to our galaxy?
Lena was surprised by the question.
—Yes, of course. It’s studied in the pilots’ and navigators’ schools throughout the entire Solarian System. It was some five hundred years ago, after our last war; at that time, expeditions to the utmost limits from the galaxy, were commissioned to an immeasurable region from space, plagued with systems and planets with possible life, afterwards, in the following three centuries, all the efforts of exploration headed towards the Astral’s insides.
—Well then, Lena, one of those missions that journeyed to the edge of our galaxy, was commissioned to reach as close as possible to the spiral galaxy called Lumina, two million and a half light years away from ours. It was supposed to reach other galaxies of the local group as much as possible and thus, produce astronomic routes registries to access the Dark Galaxy sometimes in the future; seizing the relative proximity which would reach in its long journey.
—They went to Lumina!
De Kraun ignored Lena’s aggressive tone completely, proceeding with his introduction to the subject. Now, in the holographic, an image of a Vector spaceship emerged traversing the space at full speed.
—However, they were barely able to cover a little more than half of the way, which was already very surprising for that era. They didn’t have precise star maps of those hostile and unknown regions, that’s why all was a lot slower than planned. The navigators were forced to leap in short sections before the risk of falling in the middle of a drifting sun or in an area with extreme radiation. This expedition, like others, is still considered secret.
—Can I speak freely?
—Of course, we don’t have time for anything else.
—First Counselor, that’s impossible. Even nowadays, nobody in their right mind would dare cross the huge absolute darkness in space between galaxies. We’re talking about a never-ending distance without clear reference points to set star leap coordinates, just as you have said. It’s about… two and a half million light years to the Lumina Spiral Galaxy, ten times of which our own Astral Galaxy measures itself, from one side to the other; which by the rest is far from exactly knowing, in its more than two hundred fifty light years in diameter and some other thousands wide.
Lastly, there must be thousands of inhabited and unknown planets in the Astral, including the inconsistent, lazy and distrustful inhabitants from the Federate Systems on the other side of the Spiral. Whom aren’t interested either about the explorations and let alone going too far away from their nest in case of having problems.
—Are you talking about the set of thirty brother systems from the other side of the Astral Galaxy?
—So, it is. The Thirties Federation.
—Was that a political opinion sarcasm, Captain?
Lena knew she crossed the line, but at that moment she didn’t imagine any other worse punishment than her current situation.
—I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to believe in this deep space exploration tale at such range; they’re two and a half million light years of darkness, occasionally interrupted by wandering planets, unknown nebulae or spacial peculiarities of different and dangerous types; without yet considering the small and the local group’s unexplored galaxies, which aren’t even in a straight line between the Astral and Lumina. None of that has been accurately mapped; they must have diverted hundreds of thousands light years to go to the Triangular or even to the Dark Galaxy, just as you say. How could you send people to that mortal trap?