by Z Gottlieb
Shinny rolled her eyes. “Brad, I hope you know what you got us into.”
“Trust me, even Connor thought it was worth investigating. Prepare for landing.” Brad circled around the medium sized transfer vehicle. The vehicle was equivalent to about two square miles when fully engaged. When not engaged, the vehicles looked similar to the Airborne Warning And Control System or AWACs on Earth with a platter positioned on top of an aircraft. Once the Transfer vehicle was in position, the platter would be engaged. The platter would spread while establishing an artificial environment. The transfer vehicle platforms were used as customs platforms to position people and supplies transported between planets and space vessels. The platter in front of them was marked with several landing crosshatches.
Brad picked a landing strip and lowered the landing gear as he gradually reduced his speed to land. He slowed the vehicle to a reasonable speed and taxied toward a red flag. “Lt. Rrueszejio, this is Pilot Johnson and Major N’Klaftin reporting to execute Operation P’Nic. Please engage the artificial environment and shields.”
“Welcome aboard Transfer Vehicle Relocation. The Relocation’s artificial environment has been engaged. It is safe for you to leave your Swarm Defender. When your exercise is completed, please come to the cabin. My crew and I would be honored to meet you and congratulate you in person on the demo.”
“Thank you for your support. We will be down when we have accomplished the exercise objectives,” Brad responded.
“Message received,” Lieutenant Rrueszejio acknowledged, sounding enthusiastic.
Brad raised the vehicle’s wings and hopped out. He quickly walked around his Defender to Shinny’s side. He reached out and took Shinny’s hand as she disembarked. “M’Lady, welcome to Operation P’Nic. Before we start, I have a few things I need to orient you to.” He led her toward the blue flag. He pulled his tablet out and made a few quick gestures. A small building appeared before them. “The latrine. I was told it was the first thing I would need to simulate.”
Shinny looked at him and raised her eyebrows. “Okay, the bathroom. According to my orders, I am to investigate the platter as a training area.”
Looking across the platter and tapping the screen, Brad explained as the scenery changed. “As I mentioned before, these are the most under-utilized vehicles. The pilots fly them out and practice keeping them in a stationary position. It seems to me they could also provide a number of training opportunities because of their advanced hologram engine. For instance, what if you wanted to train in, say, a forest?” A thickly wooded forest of redwoods appeared in front of them. He smiled as Shinny’s eyes widened in surprise; he could see she understood. “Or how about a swamp?” The forest quickly morphed into a swamp; she walked along the edge that encircled their little dry island completely.
Shinny’s jaw dropped, “I’m astonished at what you are showing me. It isn’t just from the environments you simulated, but rather that it hadn’t been thought of before. Large rooms on the cruiser have the ability to simulate different environments, but only on a much smaller scale. A swamp this size would never be attempted on the battle cruiser because of possible effects on the environmental systems. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
“I have a city,” Brad announced, as the Paris skyline appeared, with the Eiffel tower looming in front of them. “I have a lake.” They stood on Miss Lily’s deck. A gesture across his tablet and a wave lifted the boat’s bow. Shinny adjusted her stance while trying to regain her balance. Brad wrapped his arms around Shinny holding her next to him. “Smart ass,” she laughed, smiling at him.
Brad wrapped his arms tighter around her and resting his cheek against her head, whispered in her ear, “I thought you would like that. I’ve been working on it for days. What do you think? Would you like to try it again?” He nibbled on her ear.
Shinny closed her eyes with an expression of satisfaction and leaned into Brad. “M’m maybe, but later. I need to finish Operation P’Nic’s review of the transfer vehicle’s suitability as a training platform. Staying with you ranks high on my list of priorities. In fact very tempting,” she whispered into his ear. “I have orders to execute. Duty calls, as usual, not so fondly at the moment.”
Brad was disappointed, but he knew her well enough to understand his wife’s need to complete her assignment. He hoped it wouldn’t take her too long to survey the platter. He tapped a pattern on his tablet and Miss Lilly melted into a putting green. They stood near the 12th hole of the Crown Country Club golf course, a duplicate of the one near their home. “This is my personal favorite. Finish what you need to finish. We have plenty of time. Remember all work, no play makes Shinny a dull girl.” He kissed her gently on her lips, releasing her, and crossed to the vehicle.
Shinny’s eyes followed Brad to the vehicle. The fairy picture had been replaced with their family picture, showing Dane being held between them. The picture brought a warm glow to her face. “I remember the day the picture was taken. There may be more than a century between us, but no one truly seems to know me better than you. You were right. We needed to get off the ship and have a few moments to ourselves. I haven’t felt this relaxed and at peace since Griken stepped back into my life. It isn’t Griken’s appearance that’s bothered me, but the CIG’s Fleet baggage he brought with him. Somehow all of us—including Dane—have been swept up in the CIG’s turmoil.” She lunged forward with her right leg, stretching her calf of her left leg, and looked past the golf course, “Did you program a hologram of our home? I’m going to enjoy the jog around the neighborhood.” Shinny continued stretching and watch Brad as he pulled out a box from behind his seat on the Swarm Defender and placed it on the manicured ground near her. “What are you doing?” She switched to stretch her right calf muscles, still watching him.
“Pulling out the supplies for Operation P’Nic. They will be laid out when you return,” he promised, as he pulled out his wool tartan blanket from their bedroom on Earth and laid it on the ground.
She stretched and flexed her arms. “Is that Lucky or did you print another blanket?” She didn’t need to repeat the arm exercises, but continued to do so as she watched Brad, curious what he was doing.
“It’s Lucky. Knowing we were going to be on the golf course, I couldn’t leave it on the Zuonopy,” Brad pulled out several wrapped items from the box and moved other items around as if searching for something. He pulled out two beer bottles.
“Did you print the beer bottles? It looks like you did a great job. They look real,” Shinny commented.
“They are real. They’re from Griken’s personal stash, a thank you for teaching him to ride a bicycle. He isn’t a bad guy, once you get to know him.” Brad appeared to be looking for something else in the box.
“Griken gave them to you? Damn it, I lost count of my repetitions.” Shinny gave up and stepped toward Brad to get a closer look at the contents of the box. “What’s going on? Is there something more you are not telling me? The day has already had too many surprises, I’m not sure I’m ready for another one.”
“When I came up with this idea and discussed it with Griken, somehow ‘Operation Picnic’ got lost in translation and became Operation P’Nic. It was easier to let it go than try to change it. And it was a good way to hide it from your asshole boss,” Brad explained, looking amused.
Shinny erupted in laughter. “It’s a picnic. It seems to me you went through quite a few hoops to pull it off.”
“Not really, just played by Earth’s rules,” he responded mischievously.
“Hmm, and what is your explanation for the changed picture on your vehicle?”
“It seemed appropriate. It isn’t just you I love. It’s our marriage, our family. I think my squadron will get the point when they see the picture of Dane with us.”
Hearing Brad’s words, Shinny sat next to him. She had a huge grin on her face and pulled her boots off. “Screw the run, I can do it later. Who else knows about this caper you pulled off?”
&n
bsp; “Just Connor and Griken. Your boss doesn’t know your marital status, since my mate is listed as Shinny Johnson, not Major Shin N’Klaftin. Connor isn’t going to say anything. Griken won’t say anything, either. For some reason he feels this enormous guilt for abandoning you and thinks he needs to look after you and your backwards mate. As long as he is supportive, I’m not going to relieve him of any guilt feelings. That’s your job,” Brad reached around Shinny and nuzzled her neck; he was in heaven. He briefly looked up through the shield into space at the stars twinkling brighter than ever. He wasn’t sure which heaven, but it still was ‘heaven,’ as Shinny responded warmly to his kissing. “By the way, don’t worry about our new best friends below. They have been warned that all activity on the platform is classified. They have been instructed to send a message to me if they need to pass information to us.”
Shinny nuzzled next to Brad in response to his gentle caresses, “It’s wonderful being with you again, finally. Just for the record, Griken didn’t abandon me. I left him and I never regretted that decision.” She turned completely toward Brad. Brad reached around her and gently pulled her on top of him, deepening his kiss as he caressed her lean athletic body, certain it had been a good decision to bring his lucky blanket.
Chapter 20
Brad spent the last hour lying quietly with Shinny sleeping, curled up next to him. He stared at the stars and the transit gate not far away, relishing the time alone with her. He didn’t care if Shinny slept the whole time; he wasn’t going to disturb her. His experience on the Zuonopy had been incredible, and would be even better now that he would be sharing more of his time with Shinny. He continued to stare at the gate and paid homage to the mysterious aliens who had left behind their miraculous technology. He thought about the possibility of exploring more of the universe when Dane was older. His daydream about the future was interrupted as the gate lit up. His eyes widened as an enormous ship came through the gate. Brad was so surprised by the size of the ship coming toward them he was unable to contain his excitement. “Holy shit, what the hell is that?”
Brad’s outburst startled Shinny. Opening her eyes, she looked at his face. She turned to look at what Brad was gawking at. “It looks like another battle cruiser.”
He frowned thoughtfully. “It looks much bigger from this position. I thought there weren’t any closer than ten gates. What’s it doing here?”
Shinny reached over her head to grab her tablet and compared the ship above with information she had on her tablet. “It looks bigger because it’s been modified.”
“I didn’t realize CIG modified any of the battle cruisers.”
“We didn’t. It looks like the Aneplé modified the Kisskalu,” Shinny pointed out, staring at the oversized battle cruiser.
Griken was reviewing the sensor information on the science station monitors when the emergency alarms went off signaling all personnel to man their battle stations. As far as he remembered there wasn’t a drill planned. He quickly swiped his tablet and verified the exercise schedule he remembered as he walked over to the command station. He looked at the main screen and saw a strangely configured battle cruiser coming through the gate. “Helmsman, report.”
“Sir, the ship is emitting Battle Cruiser Kisskalu’s signals.”
“Any escorts?” Griken asked as he watched the battle cruiser advancing through the gate. How long had Kisskalu been gone? Six or seven solar cycles, he thought. What in the world did they do to it? The Kisskalu no longer had the signature sleek lines of a battle cruiser but had a number of oddly shaped modifications hanging off of it.
“No, sir, the sensors do not detect any additional ships,” the helmsman answered as he continued to monitor the sensors. “The ship has just launched a large contingency of Swarm Defenders and Attack Vipers. The number far exceeds the standard battle cruiser’s complement.”
“Weapons, do you have information on their armament?” Griken clipped, as he sent a private message on his com unit requesting Connor’s presence on the bridge.
“Sensors show the Kisskalu’s weapons load exceeds a standard battle cruiser’s weapons load. It also appears some of the modifications on the Kisskalu are being used as additional storage areas for kinetic weapons and energy charging stations,” she reported.
“How long before they are in firing range of the Zuonopy?” Griken had faith in his crew’s training, but the training was of little value if they did not have the weapons they needed to defend against either the Kisskalu or the smaller vehicles heading toward them.
“If we remain on station, contact will be in a quarter of a shift,” she replied.
“Communications, send a message for all units to return to the Zuonopy to prepare for transit gate departure in an hour. If the pilots are unable to return the vehicles to the Zuonopy within the stated time, they are to initiate hibernation procedures. Repeat every ten minutes until departure through the gate.”
“Message received,” acknowledged the crewman manning communications.
“Operations, implement departure procedures. The Zuonopy will leave from the Wogzdunic Gate in an hour and fifteen minutes.”
“Sir, message received.”
Because the Zuonopy had moved from the center of the nexus, it was already in position to return to CIG space. However, vehicles conducting drills at the other gates and around the nexus were at risk. “Call Intelligence to the bridge.” Griken was angry with his Intelligence Chief. Intelligence should have warned him this area could be at risk.
Griken turned around and saw Connor standing at the science station at the back of the bridge. He walked back to talk to him, pressing his lips together, thinking it would not be a pleasant conversation. “Connor, my first preference would be to confront the Kisskalu, if the Zuonopy were fully armed.” Griken gestured over the control pad to show Connor the classified figures. “I risk losing the Zuonopy with the reduced weapons load, as the Kisskalu is heavily armed.”
“I just read the estimation your weapons officer made on the Kisskalu’s armaments. I agree. I don’t think you have any alternatives,” confirmed Connor.
“The senior officers at headquarters need to be fired for not supporting full weapons load even on training missions,” Griken spat out angrily. “I’ve ordered the pilots to return or initiate hibernation procedures. I’m sending you another highly classified report on retrieval of pods and smaller vehicles converted to hibernation units. Success in retrievals has been significantly reduced over the past ten years from a combination of the Aneplé either retrieving the pods and vehicles or destroying them, along with CIG’s recent conflict avoidance policies preventing the Fleet from returning to some areas to retrieve the pods or vehicles hibernating.”
Connor quickly scanned the report on his tablet before he turned to look at the bridge’s main screen. He watched the vehicles as they returned or began hibernation procedures. “Shinny and Brad?” he asked, as he stared at the battle cruiser close by the transportation platform they were surveying. He doubted much surveying had been done, since he was aware this was the first time Brad and Shinny had any privacy after three weeks of being separated. The best of the worst-case scenarios for them would be the Aneplé retrieving Brad’s hibernating Swarm Defender.
“Although there’s been no communications from them in the last two shifts, we have been receiving regular reports from Lieutenant Rrueszejio that Operation P’Nic has been proceeding as planned and there were no issues to report.”
“Thank you. I’m aware the lack of communications means nothing and would have been considered good news in relationship to Shinny and Brad. Let me know if there are any updates on their status.” If it wasn’t for the severity of the situation, Connor would have laughed at the inside joke Brad pulled on the Fleet. He had to hand it to Brad. He did exactly what Connor expected him to do by bringing in innovation and a different way of looking at things. Using the transportation platforms as an adaptable and flexible training environment for the Special Comba
t Troops assigned to a battle cruiser, along with the change in the Defender shielding, was brilliant. While Connor was ready to point a finger at misguided Fleet and CIG policies as the primary reasons for Fleet losses, the Fleet had also become moribund and predictable in their tactics and training, which further contributed to their losses. The Fleet needed someone from outside to provide a different outlook and way of developing solutions to the tactical problems they faced. However, as they might say on Earth, it was O-B-E or overcome by events. Now Connor had a very different problem on his hands.
If they weren’t watching the Aneplé bring the battle cruiser through the gate, Shinny would have been amused at the sight of her husband’s naked backside where he stood as if daring the ship to come closer. Shinny stood and dressed. “Brad, we need to get dressed now. Griken will send orders soon.”
Brad had been focusing on the battle cruiser and the release of the vehicles. He was watching their trajectory wondering what their targets were because it didn’t look like they were interested in the Zuonopy. Shinny’s voice had surprised him. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” He held his hand up to stop Shinny from saying anything when the Fleet broadcast came through his chip ordering the vehicles to return to the Zuonopy, which had been moved to the gate furthest away from them, within the hour or to hibernate. Shit, Brad thought, looking at Zuonopy’s new coordinates. He knew what he needed to do and couldn’t tell Shinny, since she would only fight him on it. He saw her dressing and grabbed his clothes to start dressing also. “Talk about being caught with your pants down.”
“We can leave the trash. Grab everything else,” Shinny suggested, as she continued to dress.