by Karl Morgan
“Admiral,” started Cadiz Carlyle, Captain of the Star Cruiser Reliant, “twenty minutes ago a Gallicean starship jumped through the Io Space Portal and has assumed an orbit over Jupiter. Our Ambassador has jumped from that ship to Reliant. She is now refreshing herself in your quarters. Darlene has asked that we meet with her in your ready room in fifteen minutes.”
“Very good news, Cadiz, thank you,” Dave finished and cut the connection. Darlene had been gone for three weeks with High Commissioner Darak Daniels and Mencius the Kalidean on a mission to develop a treaty for sharing star systems with the Galliceans. It was a very good sign that a Gallicean starship had jumped to our solar system. Orbiting Jupiter was another good sign, as that would be an ideal planet to offer them for colonization. “Charlie, good news about Darlene’s trip,” he said. “She’s back here now and we’re meeting in fifteen minutes in my ready room to discuss. You’ll be there, of course?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he replied. “It’s about time that we started on this adventure. Let me go get better dressed and I’ll meet you there.” Charlie hurried out of the room. After Dave finished his coffee, he walked over to the large viewing port in the coffee shop and looked out on the Space Dock where the three large colonizing ships were being completed and prepared. The Ticonderoga was his flagship and was already completed. It was currently being fueled and stocked for its first mission. The Berlin and California would be completed within a month. Each ship was massive, at one thousand meters long and four hundred meters across. Ten thousand settlers and crew would live on board for months as they traveled to and terraformed new colonies. The crescent of Earth filled half the view as sunrise was just coming to North America. Dave could see several dozen ships orbiting Earth, including four other star cruisers like the Reliant.
The beep sounded in his ear again. He again recognized the tone as Captain Cadiz. “Yes, Cadiz, what is there to report?”
“Dave, the Colony at Day’s End has asked us to send ships there to defend against pirate activity in their zone,” Cadiz reported. “Apparently, the few remaining colonists from Far Sky colony have resorted to piracy to maintain themselves. I suggest we sent Defiant and Courage as soon as possible.”
“I agree, Cadiz. Please work with their captains and HQ to get them on their way. Ask HQ to give them priority for fueling over the colony ships.” Dave replied as he closed the connection. Far Sky colony was one of the details that had been conveniently left out of the briefings that Dave and the other twenty-first transplants received prior to their acceptance of this new life. As with the Kalideans, humanity had two colonies that failed when society had begun to stagnate.
Those colonies, Far Sky and New Dawn were the last ones established before humanity began to lose its desire to stretch and grow. Each was home to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were beginning to build factories and economies to support themselves and the rest of mankind. As people lost the desire to explore and expand, supply shipments slowed and eventually stopped. Most settlers returned to Earth and the established colonies. Some became so disenchanted with the rest of society that they decided to remain and forge independent lives. New Dawn was virtually deserted, and Earth lost contact with the few residents quickly, none of whom had been heard from in hundreds of years. The population of Far Sky dropped from six hundred thousand to just over one hundred thousand during the exodus back to the settled planets. Most of the residents led simple agrarian lives, and were content to let their colony grow naturally over time. Without resupply or factories and institutions of their own, health care and safety began to suffer after the first one hundred years. Life spans dropped from the normal three hundred and fifty to as low as one hundred years without the advanced medicines so readily available on the settled planets. A few years ago, Kalidus sent an expedition there to learn about the situation of the people. The Skyers, as the residents were called, seized the ship and its supplies. The Kalidean crew was lucky to escape using a portable portal they carried with them. With the new ship in their arsenal, the Skyers are beginning to raid other colonies to get what they wanted. Day’s End was the closest established colony and took the brunt of the attacks. Fortunately for all mankind, the portals on board the Kalidean ship were disabled by the crew when they fled.
Life in the thirty-second was not as ideal as Dave and Charlie had been led to believe. But that was a matter for Arrin and his star fleet to manage. Dave’s team needed to focus on the Galliceans.
Chapter 11
Dave hurried to the ready room to be there before the others arrived. As the door opened, he saw Darlene standing at the end of the conference table smiling widely at him. He rushed to her and kissed and hugged her to him. “Welcome home, sweetheart,” he smiled.
“It’s good to be back with you,” she replied, wiping the moisture from her eyes. “You can’t imagine how great it is not to have to wear a pressure suit all day and night!” The door opened and the rest of the staff entered and exchanged greetings with Ambassador Brewster.
As they sat to listen to Darlene’s report, the voice of Communications Officer Lia Lawson came over the speaker, “Admiral, we have an incoming message from the Gallicean ship, Kong-Fa. It is their captain, De-o-Nu who wishes to speak to you,” she said.
“Put it in here, Lia, and make certain the captain knows all the folks he is speaking to,” Dave replied. Lia sent the communication through the translator to them.
“Greeting, Admiral Dave Brewster. I am De-o-Nu, Captain of the glorious Star Ship Kong-Fa. I have the honor of hosting our great General Fa-a-Di, who has come here to thank all humanity for the negotiations recently held on Gallia, and to personally scout the gas planets that you have offered to us,” the voice said.
“Dave,” Darlene began, “this is big. General Fa-a-Di is the current leader of the Gallicean High Council. This probably means the treaty will be accepted. I wasn’t told he was on board during the trip here.”
Dave nodded to her, pressed the com-link and replied to the Gallicean, “Captain De-o-Nu, it is a tremendous honor for us to host the General, you and your crew in our solar system. You know that our Ambassador Brewster is here with us today?”
“Yes Admiral, I was so advised. Ambassador, it is an honor to speak with you again. I hope you enjoyed the hospitality of my crew on our voyage from Gallia?” he replied.
“Captain De-o-Nu,” Darlene began, “your crew members were wonderful hosts, and we all look forward to meeting with you on Io. Please let us know your schedule, and we will be there.”
“Thank you Ambassador,” De-o-Nu replied. “The general has requested a two Earth day resting period before our meeting. We are launching probes to all four gas planets so that we can analyze their suitability to us. The physical needs of Galliceans are unique, as are the needs of all species. I’m certain you understand that. That being said, the general has told us he is confident we will agree on the treaty whether or not these particular planets are suitable.”
“That is great news,” Dave said. “We will leave shortly to begin our voyage and arrive at the appropriate time. I also want you to know we are building a site on Io that will accommodate both humans and Galliceans. It may not be ready soon, but as our relationship grows, we will need this and many other such sites so our peoples can learn to work and live together.”
De-o-Nu laughed. The translator could not translate laughter, so the people in Dave’s meeting heard a high pitched squeal. Darlene told them the sound was indeed Gallicean laughter. “Your people are as generous as we have been told by our great mutual friend, Mencius the Kalidean. I will pass along your kind words to the general and we will await your arrival here. Admiral, just so you know, Mencius and Darlene have told us many things about you and your friend Charlie. The general and I are very much looking forward to meeting you both. Kong-Fa out.” The line went dead.
Everyone around the table was smiling. The mission to expand humanity had begun. In the back of Dave’s m
ind, he was still thinking about the lost colonies of Far Sky and New Dawn. Somehow he would have to make those places a priority, and reestablish those colonies. They had been chosen in the first place, and it was not fair to the brave settlers to be lost in the dust of history. He knew the piracy was an act of desperation by people who had been lost and forgotten by their brothers and sisters. That could not stand. Before humanity could truly begin to grow, it must face up to its failures and bring those souls back into the fold. That was why the Kalideans had intervened in The War. Their beliefs could not let them watch as others suffered and died out of arrogance or stupidity. Dave could not allow those settlers to suffer because they had been forgotten by their home world.
The communicator cackled again, and Lia’s voice said, “Dave, High Commission Darak has jumped on board. He would like to meet with Darlene as soon as possible.” Darlene excused herself and walked out.
Dave replied, “Lia, let them have Captain Cadiz’s ready room please. I’m going to keep the Captain here for a while.”
The meeting continued for another hour. Dave asked the crew to prepare to leave within two hours with a course to arrive at Io in two days. Individuals left when they understood their assignments until only Cadiz and Charlie were left. “I have a special project for you two,” Dave started. “One of our first priorities needs to be fixing the situations at Far Sky and New Dawn. No one knows if anyone is still alive on New Dawn. We do know that there are pirates on Far Sky. Cadiz is arranging for two cruisers to head to Day’s End immediately to scout the situation. I don’t know how it can be done, but I need you two to come up with ideas on how we can rebuild those colonies first. It’s not fair to the people there that they were deserted by us. It’s no wonder they have to resort to piracy to get food and medicine. Desperate people do desperate things.”
“Wow,” Charlie replied. “That’s a big order, Admiral. I think you are right on this, but it isn’t going to be easy.”
“No easier than terraforming a new planet,” Cadiz jumped in. “And certainly no easier than scouring a million solar systems for habitable planets. Admiral, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Arrin for help or other contacts that can help us here.”
“That’s a great idea, Cadiz! Thank both of you for this help,” Dave replied, comforted to have help in this quest.
“Do you think Charlie and I should go to Day’s End with the other cruisers now?” Cadiz asked.
“No, not just yet,” Dave answered. “First, I want to get an idea of how bad the piracy situation is. Second, we really need to expand our network and get more people to help with this. Maybe you can find relatives of people who left or stayed on those planets and get their advice. But you also heard De-o-Nu. He is very interested in meeting Charlie. I wouldn’t want to deprive him of that pleasure.” They all laughed and left the room together.
Chapter 12
Dave and Charlie stood on the platform suspended in the Jovian atmosphere. Although they had eagerly agreed to this, they could not help but feel very apprehensive. Humans and Galliceans were just beginning to form a relationship, and now they were putting their lives in the hands of General Fa-a-Di and Captain De-o-Nu. Darlene had told Dave that this was a great honor to explore Jupiter with the general, but here, trapped in the pressure suit with a limited air supply deep inside the massive gas ball did not seem so honorable. Neither man had ever seen a Gallicean in their natural element. On Io, they had to wear pressure suits to survive in the earthlike structures built there. They had been impressive in those suits. Each one was more than ten feet tall, and their bodies seemed mashed to fit into the confines of the suits. These were creatures who lived on gas giant planets with no habitable surfaces. How they had come to build a civilization of thousands of planets? They had so many questions for the general.
As they pondered these questions, a Gallicean shuttle pulled up to the platform, and the door silently opened. Dave had seen Gallicean faces through the cloudy masks of their pressure suits, but their features were not at all clear. Now Dave was in their element and was the one with unclear features behind the heavy glass of his mask. When the first stepped out, Dave was awestruck. The creature was easily fifteen feet tall as it stretched out on the platform, unfurling wings that seemed to be thirty or forty feet across. The face was birdlike, with large, unblinking black eyes and a hawk-like beak for a mouth. There were no feathers, but a shiny, almost iridescent skin. The rest of the body was lean, apparently to lessen the weight to keep it aloft. It approached Dave and stretched out a surprisingly human-like hand, which Dave shook.
A thunderous squeal of laughter filled Dave’s ears, as his translator sprang to life in his ear. “Admiral Dave,” said Fa-a-Di as he shook his hand, “it is wonderful to be here with you today. I think you will enjoy this a great deal.” As he spoke, a second Gallicean left the shuttle. The second was even larger than the general. He seemed to be twenty feet tall with an even larger wingspan. “De-o-Nu, are you ready to show our friends a good time?” the general said as he slapped the captain on the back.
“General,” he began, “I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time. Exploring a new planet for the first time is a thrill for me. Normally, I am the one who must stay on board and manage the ship. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“De-o-Nu, since you married my sister, I know I have to take better care of you,” he laughed. He turned his attention to Dave and Charlie. “Gentlemen, today we are going to take a short visit to Jupiter and look for anything that seems unusual. The reports from the probes have shown that both Jupiter and Saturn are great planets for us and it is our custom to search for things the probes might have missed. De-o-Nu and I are wearing a special harness to carry you with us. I will carry Dave. All four of us will be able to communicate through our com-links. I asked your crew to attach as special device to your suits so that if you become detached from us, it will return you to the platform. No one wants an interstellar incident if one of you drops to the surface and is crushed by the gravity. We will be going quite deep into the atmosphere to measure the depth of the habitable band. Your crew put a special device in the glove of your left hand. If the pressure becomes uncomfortable, clench your fist and we will return here as well. Are you ready to begin?”
Dave and Charlie were too overwhelmed to utter a word, but nodded their heads to let them know they were ready. Two more Galliceans joined them on the platform. They hoisted Dave into Fa-a-Di’s harness, and Charlie into De-o-Nu’s. After securing the humans, checking their air supplies and pressure levels, they saluted the general and captain and returned to the shuttle. “Enjoy the ride, dear friends,” said the general, who then laughed again, the loudest they had ever heard. The Galliceans dived over the edge of the platform into the Jovian atmosphere.
They dove for what seemed like minutes to Dave, who was dazed by the swirling walls of gas they flew through. Fa-a-Di’s body seemed bloated with the gas as if he was consuming it. After a second, Dave realized this was a new, fragrant atmosphere for the general and he was probably enjoying the fresh air. “Dave, we will be traveling through several bands of clouds that are moving in opposite directions. It might be a bit bumpy, but don’t worry, you will be fine,” the general said. “Brother-in-law, the air is so fresh and clean here,” he continued, “nothing like on Gallia or any of the other high population planets.”
“You are right, Brother, it is like a fresh spring day after the rains,” the captain replied. Dave turned to look at the captain and Charlie and saw De-o-Nu unfurl his wings to a full fifty foot span, which slowed him down so quickly that Dave lost sight of him in the clouds swirling above him.
Fa-a-Di opened his wings and Dave could feel them leveling off and slowing down. That was a relief. Dave was imagining himself crushed against the general by the massive pressure further below. Ahead, Dave could see a wall of greenish clouds moving incredibly fast across their path. He braced for impact. “Hang on tight, Dave,” the general said a
s they slammed into the clouds.
The two tumbled about for a few seconds before the general could regain control. He laughed out loud, and Dave thought he could see a smile on his beak. “Quite a ride, general!” he gasped.
“Wow!” Fa-a-Di shouted. “This really is a wild world you want to give us Dave. All the development on our home worlds has destroyed much of the thrill of a gas planet. It has been many years since I’ve had this much fun. Brother, did you see the green band of gas?”
“I’m headed that way now, Brother,” De-o-Nu said. “Tell me about it.”
“The air is even better here, but brace for the impact. The winds are very strong. Hold on a minute, I see something interesting. Get over here now, Brother, we have an adventure afoot,” the general finished. The captain arrived within a minute to where the general was hovering. “Brother, look down there,” Fa-a-Di said, pointing lower in the atmosphere.
Dave squinted to focus below him and saw movement in the cloud but could not tell what he was seeing. “What is it general?” he asked.
“Ka-la-a,” De-o-Nu gasped. That word did not translate. “Let’s check it out, general. Let’s go Charlie,” and the Galliceans dived again. As they dived, Dave began to notice that the Galliceans were a bit smaller than before. The rising gas pressure was squeezing them already. Dave checked the pressure level in his heads-up display which reported normal. They passed through a grayish layer of clouds and saw a vast plain, seemingly floating in the sky. Rumbling along on the surface were massive creatures that looked like jellyfish, except without the long tentacles. “Now this is why we’re here, Brother!” the captain said breathlessly. “I’ve never seen Ka-la-a like this.”
“De-o-Nu,” Charlie said, “what exactly is Ka-la-a? Our translators didn’t work on that word.”
The Galliceans landed on the surface and folded their wings. “Ka-la-a is an ancient Gallicean word for floating islands,” the captain began. “Like this one, they are made from suspended methane and water ice crystals that accumulate over long periods of time. As Gallia became industrialized, the atmospheric temperatures rose and the Ka-la-a disappeared. Fortunately, we had already developed the technology to build different kinds of floating islands. If not, all the Galliceans would have likely starved to death.”