by Saxon Andrew
“Tal, everyone you killed deserved it.”
“Not all of them, Sha; a lot of them didn’t.”
“What are you saying?”
“After I got the tool to allow me to get into the guild’s computer, I learned that the Guild Master lied about many of those he sent me out on. They didn’t kill anyone, and someone took a contract out to kill them. He deceived me into thinking they did.”
“But you didn’t know, Tal!”
“Does ignorance excuse bad behavior? I was a killer and there was always a chance someone innocent could die at my hands. I found out that there were more innocents killed than I ever thought.”
“That’s the real reason you killed the Guild Master, wasn’t it.?”
“It was. It still didn’t bring me peace, Sha.”
Sha was silent for a moment and said, “I have to go with you?”
“No, you don’t?”
“Tal which one of you is the electronic expert?”
“What?”
“I’m assuming that you intend to put a scanner in place to keep close watch on the aliens. You aren’t going to stay out there for years, are you?”
“Well, no. We’d probably run out of food.”
“So, a scanner needs to be developed that can keep track of them and intercept their communications. Can you or Ste make that happen?”
Tal stared at her and finally shook his head, “Probably not. But the scanner can be built prior to leaving and…”
“Won’t work!” Sha interrupted.
“Why not?”
“We don’t have the frequencies they communicate on and the scanner will have to be programmed and placed so the aliens don’t detect it. You can’t do that until you determine what area of space they’re scanning.” Sha paused and smiled, “Show me where I’m wrong?”
Tal sighed, “You should probably go before I do but that’s not going to happen.”
“Just make sure when the ship is being built that it will be designed for a crew of three.” Sha told him with a smile.
Tal was quiet and finally asked, “Are you going to tell your mother about us?”
“Only after the ship is built.”
“Why then?”
“Because she won’t listen to logic and will think I’m making an emotional decision.”
Tal looked into her eyes, “Are you?”
“Probably, but you’ve not come up with a counter to my argument.”
Tal nodded. Truth be told, he didn’t want to find one.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The fight over who would be going on the new ship was huge. Admiral Snow was adamant he would choose the crew from among his best sailors. He slammed his office door on Tal and made it clear in no uncertain terms that the issue was closed.
Tal contacted the Chancellor and discussed the issue with him. “Sir, Admiral Snow is making a big mistake.”
“Tal, he’s the one that is responsible for keeping our space protected. I’ve overruled him once and he won’t accept it if I do it again.”
“Then you need to fire him, Sir!”
Tal heard the anger in the Chancellor’s tone, “Be careful what you say, Tal.”
“Sir, Admiral Snow’s answer to any issue is to settle it with a pulse cannon. He’s not thought through what he’s suggesting, and I believe he’ll be sending some trigger-happy sailors just like him on this mission. That is a giant mistake.”
“Why?”
“Sir, this mission is to find out what we’re up against, not to challenge the aliens. You also must keep in mind that no pilot in Earth’s Navy has ever used a stardrive. Are you ready to allow it to be used by inexperienced sailors with no experience in combat using it? If that vessel is attacked and the attack fails, the aliens will know the ship that attacked them was not sent from the colonies. This calls for patience and a large dose of caution.”
Tell me why you want to send Ste and Sha with you?”
“Ste has flown a warship with a stardrive and knows how to avoid detection. He is better qualified than anyone in the Navy. Sha is going to have to tune the scanner being built to listen in on their communication frequencies and place it where it won’t be detected.”
“What about you, Tal. Why do you need to go? Why should I risk losing you?”
“Because I came here to do this, Sir.”
“What?”
“Sir, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve killed in the colonies. I’ve got to do this to find my soul. I could lie and tell you that I see things most people miss, and I’m needed to make sure no mistakes are made, but that’s just rationalizing, Sir. I need to go on this mission!”
“What happens if you don’t?”
Tal was silent for a long moment and finally replied, “Then I’m lost, Sir. I have to do this and try to save humanity; it’s the only way for me to find redemption.”
“You know that Admiral Snow will resign if I do this?”
“I doubt he will, Sir; he enjoys using his authority too much. But whichever way you decide, he needs to go. The only tool he has in his toolbox is a pulse cannon and he’s determined to use it. It’s only a matter of time until he does.” The Chancellor was silent, and Tal added, “You know I’m right.”
“Who could take his place?”
“General Montana, Sir. He’s brilliant and thinks things through before acting.”
“Tal, I’ve always had some reservations about you.”
“Haven’t I proven myself, Sir?!”
“It’s not that. I really didn’t understand why you wanted to be here, something just didn’t seem to fit. I’ve had you watched since you arrived, and I’ve come to believe you’re sincere in wanting to help Earth. I was prepared to turn down your request, but now I do understand why you’re here. All the reasons you’ve given are true, but they weren’t enough to make me change my mind. There are so many things I’ve done in my rise to power and I understand what you’re going through. I wish I could go with you.”
“Are you going to allow me to go, Sir?”
“I want you to not only redeem yourself but help me find forgiveness as well. I’ll handle Admiral Snow.”
The contact ended, and Tal was left with the emptiness he sensed inside the Chancellor. He put his head in his hands and prayed for forgiveness and success in the coming endeavor. He had to do this to allow his heart to open to Sha.
• • •
The ship was constructed in an underground facility in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The facility was built prior to the nuclear war that decimated Earth and was unharmed. It was inside that facility that the operational, ancient stardrive had been found. It had been refurbished and remodeled a hundred-years earlier and it served the dual purpose of being a secret construction site and a safe haven if another nuclear attack happened. It was heavily shielded, and the heavy radiation used to build the ship wouldn’t be detected. The ship was suspended in a gravity field surrounded by a phase field. No one outside of the construction crew was allowed in the base until after the ship was almost completed. The danger of severe radiation poisoning was real and only the engineers were allowed inside.
Tal and Sha screened everyone involved in the project and no agents from the colonies made it into the work force. Two tried and failed. Tal, Sha, and Duncan continued to keep the colony’s agents under control and Tal wondered how long it was going to take to build the ship. He found the first real happiness since his parents died with Sha. She was absolutely incredible! He saw that he had closed himself off to her and it took her hitting him in the face to get him to allow her into his life. They acted normally outside their quarters but found love inside. Time passed and two-months after Admiral Snow was removed from his duties, Duncan contacted Tal, “It’s time to go and start training on your ship, Tal.”
“I’ve been worried, Duncan. It’s been almost two-years.”
“You know how hard it is to build something no one knows anything about. However, it’s almost
completed, and the crew needs to be trained. I’ll have a shuttle land and pick you up around ten tonight.”
“Why that late?”
“The moon will be over the horizon. Pack well and I’ll see you before you leave.”
“Thank you, Duncan.” He turned to Sha, “We’re leaving tonight. We need to pack.”
“Get real, Tal. You’ve had your bags packed from the moment the Chancellor made the decision for us to go.”
“Well, it pays to be prepared.” Sha laughed and hugged him.
Ste joined them at the spaceport and he shook his head, “Ka was past furious that I couldn’t tell her where I was going.”
“You just didn’t want to face the music, Ste. Does she know what’s going on?” Tal asked.
“I’m don’t think she does. However, we need to learn how to operate the ship and get out of here before she does.”
“You don’t want to be with her?” Sha asked.
“That’s all I want to do, Sha; your mother is an incredible woman. But you know what she would do to me if she knew about this mission.”
Tal snickered, “Good luck with that. It’s only a matter of time until she finds out.”
“That’s why we need to get out of here!”
Tal smiled, “Does she know you’re not the real Dr. Laramie?”
Ste rolled his eyes, “You could have gone all day and not asked that question!”
Sha’s head went back, “She doesn’t know?!”
“No, she doesn’t. I’m afraid she’ll drop me like a bad habit if I tell her. And you need to keep in mind Ka was the Number One ranked assassin in the guild; she could hurt me!”
Sha shook her head, “Ste, you need to tell her! It’s better to come from you than someone else. It’s only a matter of time until she finds out everything. Once she learns about the mission, she’ll immediately know that Dr. Laramie would never be chosen to go on it. She’ll figure out you’re not who you say you are.”
Ste nodded, “She can be tenacious. But call me chicken, I don’t want to face her anger.” They looked up and saw the pitch-black shuttle descending on its gravity thrusters. They boarded, and the shuttle silently lifted.
• • •
They arrived at the underground facility and were amazed at the size of it. It was at least three-thousand-feet square on each side and thousands of personnel were moving around it. Duncan walked over and smiled, “Welcome to Arabia.”
“Arabia?” Tal asked.
“It was an ancient kingdom composed of many desert clans. They were primarily nomads and lived out in the open desert. You have to agree this place is pretty wide open.”
“I don’t see any supports anywhere,” Sha commented.
“The structure is shaped like a half-hemisphere and that’s one of the strongest shapes in handling weight. It was built using the metal that later led to the development of Chronide, it doesn’t need supports. Let’s go see the ship.”
They walked away from the elevator and they saw a mass of machinery and personnel two-hundred-yards ahead of them. “Where is the ship, Duncan?” Sha asked.
“You’ll see it when we move closer.”
“Why can’t I see it now?”
“Light doesn’t reflect off it; it mainly passes through. Remember, in space, all one sees of a ship inside a phase field is the field. This ship’s field is too small to see from a distance.”
“How small is it, Duncan?”
“Tal, I wanted to build it smaller than it is, but Admiral Snow demanded that it be armed before he was relieved of command; we were too far into the project to start over. But to answer your question, it’s five-hundred feet long.”
They moved closer to the gathering in the center and Sha exclaimed, “I can see it!” Tal and Ste saw it a moment later and they stopped in their tracks. Duncan stopped with them and smiled, “She is a beauty.”
The ship appeared smaller than it was. Its bow was pointed and swept smoothly back toward the body of the ship. The body was circular in shape and flowed smoothly to the stern. A huge door was opened from the top of the ship and it rested a few inches above the floor. It was the only thing that marred the ship’s lines.
“Why is the landing bay door so large?” Ste asked.
“It’s a safety requirement. It’s not dangerous to touch the ship when it’s stationary, your hand would just go into it. But if the ship is slightly moving, the hand would move with the ship and you’d lose it. The interior of the ship is lined with a thin layer of chronide to prevent anything inside the ship from contacting the hull.”
“How will we be able to see outside the hull, Duncan?”
“Sha, there are more than a hundred-small-tubes scattered around the hull made of the same material as the hull. Those tubes are lined, and an antenna can be extended through them. This ship will have a 360-degree electronic view of everything around it. The front monitor is as wide as the bridge and shows what’s ahead of the ship. It appears to be a viewport, but it isn’t. It can be manipulated to magnify objects or give a wider view if needed.”
“What’s the range of the scanners?” Sha asked.
“Around a quarter of a light year is the estimate, Sha, because the scientists won’t know until the new scanner system is used in open space. Some of them are insisting it could be further.”
Tal’s eyebrows moved down, “I don’t see any thrusters, Duncan.”
“That’s because there aren’t any.” All three of them turned and looked at him. “I know what you’re thinking, the ship’s speed will be limited without thrusters. It takes a powerful push to move a starship to maximum speed and historically thrusters are the only thing that can provide it. That isn’t true with a ship this small. We’ve been working on new gravity units that are larger than any we’ve ever used. Having thrusters on a ship limits the room for gravity units and by removing the thrusters, we can install the new units. You should also keep in mind that thrusters can be detected by scanners, even inside a phase field.”
Sha nodded, “It’s a different form of energy than the phase field.”
“Exactly!” Duncan replied. “A powerful blast of energy can disrupt a phase field and knock the ship out of it. Pulse cannons are the main weapons used in space warfare; missiles are only effective when a ship is in normal space. Missiles would just pass through a phase field without contacting the ship.”
“How will I be able to steer the ship without bow and side-thrusters?” Ste inquired.
Duncan smiled, “Our scientists came up with an ingenious way to do that, Ste. You know that gravity outside the phase field has no effect on the ship inside it?”
“That’s why ships have to have an artificial gravity to prevent free fall.”
Duncan nodded before continuing, “The inside lining of the ship is made of Chronide and the scientists built two-circles of gravity thrusters on the inside of the ship; one circle is at the bow and the other is located close to the stern. A gravity thruster can be energized to push the ship at any point on those circles and make it move the direction of the push.”
Ste’s eyes narrowed, “How responsive will that system be?”
Duncan shrugged, “You’ll have to take the ship out and trial it, but in the tests used to develop the system, it responded more than five-times faster than using thrusters.”
Ste smiled slightly and shook his head, “I doubt that is possible. No gravity unit has ever responded as well as thrusters.”
“That’s been my experience as well, Ste. Let me know what you find out when you trial them.” Duncan lifted his hand toward the ship, “Let’s go on board and see what we’ve done, shall we?’’
Tal nodded, “Lead the way.”
• • •
They followed Duncan up the lowered door and turned to the left. It was a hundred-yard walk to the bridge and they stopped just inside. There were three-cushioned chairs in front of a giant wall-monitor and a console that extended across the front of the bridge. Dunca
n pointed at the chairs, “The pilot’s chair in in the center and the scanning chair is to his right.”
“What’s the other chair for?” Tal asked.
“That’s the weapon’s panel.” Tal’s expression revealed his surprise and Duncan looked in his eyes before adding, “The Chancellor insisted that you were the only one he trusted to operate them.”
Tal stared at Duncan and then nodded slightly, “Be careful what you ask for.”
Duncan smiled, “You convinced him you were the only one that could be trusted to use them wisely.”
Ste walked over and stared at his console. After a moment, he turned around and it was clear he was distraught, “It just dawned on me that no one, and I do mean no one, can control the speed while in a phase field!”
Duncan shook his head, “Of course the speed can be controlled.”
“Not slow speed, Duncan. The phase field must be removed to maneuver the ship for landing or slow approaches. Even a tiny push will accelerate the ship to light speed.”
Duncan smiled, “You’re right.”
“But this ship is one big phase field that doesn’t shut down!”
Duncan walked over and pointed to a small joystick on the console. “This controls the ship at slow speed.”
“GET OUT OF HERE!!”
“It automatically controls the gravity units to work against each other, Ste. If you want to slow the ship instantly, press the button on top of the joystick until it clicks, then pull back on it. The gravity units will arrest the ships speed and stop it. If you keep the stick pulled back, it will start backing up. It will move at less than one-mile-per-hour if moved slightly forward or backward. It will also move the ship from side-to-side and up-and-down at the same speed. To go back to full speed settings, press the button fully down to release it from its locked position.”
“And how do I fly the ship normally?”
“The lever next to the joystick controls speed. The steering wheel controls direction. Pull back to move vertically, push forward to dive. Steer left or right to move in those directions.”
“This is so much simpler than flying any ship I’ve ever seen.”
“Duncan, can a pulse-blast damage the hull and prevent the ship from using its phase abilities?” Duncan turned to Tal and was silent.