by Trevor Wyatt
“I gave you an order, Lieutenant!” Captain Joana screamed.
The navigator hesitates again. Then he stutters and engages the sub light drives. The ship leaps into motion and races for the dreadnought.
“We are being targeted by the dreadnought,” Chen says, sneaking a glance at me.
“Red alert,” the captain says. “Shields up. Battle stations everyone.”
Alarms go off all across the ship. The CNC takes on a reddish tint.
We emerge from the debris field, the dreadnought filling our entire screen. I rush to the navigator.
“Break course!” I yell. “Break course.”
The navigator doesn’t need to be told twice. He twisted the controller, and the ship bent to starboard, throwing me into the air. The dreadnought fires, missing us by yards.
“Security, confine Mr. Jake to the Brig!” Captain Joana screams.
I swivel to face her, pulling my gun out.
She shoots to her feet, enraged. “This is mutiny! Security!”
The security officers converge on me. I look to Tadius in the back.
“Stand down,” he orders his officers.
At first, they just pause, unsure of what to do. One of them asks, “Sir?”
“Stand down, I said,” Tadius says again with more force to his words.
Captain Joana is stunned, her mouth hanging agape.
I walk towards her, my gun on her head. “You would sacrifice the life of your crew? For what? You think this is a game? You think this is some kind of dissertation?”
“You will pay for what you’re doing!” she says then she taps the red button on her chair, and another kind of alarm goes off.
The computer says, “Security to the CNC. The Captain is under attack.”
I smack the captain across the head with my laser, sending her into a swoon.
“Chen, disable that alarm. Navigator, get us the fuck out of here!”
“Aye, sir!” they both respond in unison.
I walk over to the captain’s chair and drag her off. “Computer, open a ship wide channel.”
“Affirmative,” says the computer.
“Crew of the TUS Terror,” I say. “This is Captain Jake Craig. Several moments ago, Captain Joana issued an order to ram a Sonali dreadnought, which would have destroyed this ship and everyone on it, while rendering little damage to the starship.
“She violated everyone on board this ship, which led me to take control of this ship forcefully. I am in control of this ship, and I assure you, you are safe. Remain calm and go about your duties. That is all.”
“Computer cut channel.”
“Affirmative,” replies the computer.
“Come on,” I say to Tadius and the three security operative. “Let’s go handle the dissenter.
At first, there was silence—and then chaos fills the ship. Some of the crew who doesn’t agree with the decision starts attacking us. A bloody fight occurs, leading to the loss of a third of the crew. Our faces are full of blood, scratches and bruises. Panic brewed in our eyes.
I motion at the officers to help me do something about the beat-up crew. We’re able to lock up all loyalists in the brig, including Captain Joana.
Once that’s done, I meet back on the CNC with Chen, Tadius, and Hadley.
“You’ve led a mutiny,” Tadius says, his voice bitter and cruel. “Now what?”
We are speaking in hushed tones. We are also at FTL headed deeper into Terran Space…into safety. We haven’t heard from Edoris Space Station, but we did get information about the planet. Captain Montgomery arrived in time and dispatched the dreadnought, with the help of five other heavy cruisers. In the end, no one needed to die. I have told the crew this, so they know that Joana’s actions were inexcusable.
However, I know that mine would be inexcusable.
“We can’t very well go back to the Armada,” I say. “We’ll be found guilty and jailed, and that’s not if we are not executed.”
“What do you suggest?” asks Tadius.
“We leave the Armada,” I say. “We head over to the Outers. We drop the crew on some planet near a highly trafficked space. We head over to the Outer Colony and offer up this Armada vessel in exchange for asylum.”
“We’ll never be officers again,” says Hadley.
I pause and think. “But we’ll be free.”
Operation Quake
Wolf
Captain Landon Wolf of TUS Exeter wondered what happened to the light their ships created as they navigated through the limitless tarmac of space. Did the cosmos reflect their light, refract it, or was it eaten by the dark matter of space—any imprint they had left eroded forever? His thoughts were mushy; it was this damned conflict and the errand his crew had been sent on.
The Exeter was a small craft and a mid-level frigate. It was more of a scouting ship, suited for reconnaissance, strategic assistance—rather than heavy fighting. Many of the crew members assumed Wolf envied other captains with more prestigious posts on much bigger ships.
He laughed at the thought, knowing that it was the voice of naivety, the youthful thoughts of those unsullied by violence.
Grimly, he recalled the meeting of the commanders where he met Captain Jeryl Montgomery. He was approachable and capable when it came to handling war-time offensives. But Wolf envied him not a whit. Being responsible for his crew was more than enough to occupy his conscience.
At that meeting, Wolf and his crew were given their current assignment: A covert mission at the edge of Sonali territory.
The crew’s mission directives were thus: They were to come out of FTL within the half distance it would take them to reach the planet. Immediately upon reaching normal speed, their first order of business was to find the darker of the two moons circling the planet. There, they were to hide while Engineering worked with the Science team to launch stealth satellite probes to orbit the planet.
If all went well, the probes, which were four in total, would serve as a communications array strong enough to catch the majority of Sonali communications planet-side and send the encoded messages back to Terran Hegemony headquarters. Success was paramount. Wolf felt the weight of the mission pressing upon him as they neared the outer edge of Sonali territory.
"Captain, approaching Sonali airspace—coming out of FTL in 3, 2, 1…" the navigation officer said.
Wolf felt the shuddering shift as space released them. Like a floating leaf after a rainstorm, they drifted in their own dark eddy.
"FTL offline. Sustaining orbit."
"How soon ‘til we reach the moon, Jensen?" Wolf looked at her as she scrutinized her panel.
"Less than 15 minutes, sir," Jensen replied.
"All right, let's hope we reach it before the Sonali notices us." He inhaled sharply but still let a confident smile broaden on his face. Jensen counted backward as they headed towards their concealment.
The Sonali moon was dull; it hung in the sky like a dead star with seething veins of coal-red embers cutting across its dark husk. It had none of the romance of Earth’s moon. Instead, it looked upon them like a baleful eye, daring them to move within its reach.
"Take us portside, Jensen, slow and steady," Wolf stood. Adrenaline made him restless, so he walked to the view screen at the fore of the ship. "How long ‘til position?"
Jensen blew upwards to clear a strand of hair off her face—her eyes never leaving her navigation panel. "I can have us there in 30 minutes, but I'm not sure how long the techs need to set up the probes."
"You focus on bringing us in cleanly; I'll go have a word with Science and Engineering.” Then, as though Wolf was addressing a great deity, he cocked his eyes upward.
"SkyPrime?"
"Yes, Captain," came the cool neutral male voice of the ship's main AI.
"Please monitor surrounding space, we don't want any unexpected visitors."
"Yes, Captain."
Wolf sighed a bit. It was a good thing that their main AI lacked personality, but he oft
en wished it’s a bit more verbose. Though, in truth, he didn't have a complaint against SkyPrime.
Now, HesterPrime…Wolf thought.
Seemingly on cue, as he left the CNC, he heard the overly bright voice of HesterPrime.
"Captain, how are you today?"
"I'm well," he said, letting his thumbs massage his eyelids.
"Oh, that's good," she said, "though my sensors detect a spike in your cortisol levels, so perhaps..."
"HesterPrime," Wolf said, letting the full weight of his exasperation in that one word. The AI didn’t respond. According to ship rumors, she was crafted with human empathy, so Wolf was certain that she was able to measure his full frustration with her needling in that one word.
He shook out his shoulders as he made his way to Engineering.
As he rounded the corner, his eyes met Mareesa Anatosas who was talking with Yuang Fa of Engineering. It was just a moment, but he saw the way her lips twitch at the corners before breaking into an amused smile, even while her eyes tracked back to Yuang’s face.
She had been the lead science officer on The Exeter as long as Wolf had been captain. They didn’t have a relationship outside of their professional ones; however, they had playful exchanges. Wolf liked to make her smile even at his own expense.
The current mission made him think of a less tense time in the past, before the Sonali, when he and Mareesa had discussed the possibility of other races at The Cerulean Parrot—the one and only watering hole on the ship.
"I think it’s too arrogant for humans to presume we’re the only intelligent, sentient life in the universe. That’s both thinking too big and too small," she said with her deep accent. Her parents were British though she was born in New India. Her voice was a melodic blend of the two cultures.
"Well, if other life exists outside of ours," Wolf said, "what sort of evolutionary steps would lead them? How would they evolve? What would their society look like?”
She set her glass down and waved him off. "Give me a moment."
"Don't tell me you haven't thought about this, you are the science lead after all," he said with a smile, downing his own drink. Mareesa’s returned smile reached her eyes, pulling him along.
"Well," she quipped, "I do believe that any race we encounter will likely be more advanced than we are.”
"I have no evidence to support this theory, it’s only a hunch, but I feel strongly," she added. She traced her finger along the glass’ rim, eyes downcast. Wolf felt like she was waiting for his response—perhaps even a bit wary of it.
"Makes sense to me, especially if their evolution diverts from our path," Wolf said. Mareesa looked at him with alert eyes.
"Exactly!" she said happily.
"You know, in my research with primate species, the more advanced social systems were matriarchal. Female-led, female-ruled, female-guided. I'm not saying we humans have not come a long way in gender equality but, in these societies, it was always the females in charge, no question."
"So...you're saying that the likelihood of a species being advanced is that they have the women in charge."
"Yes," she nodded laughing, her hands waving. "I'm just kidding."
"Well, not to repeat myself, but that makes sense to me, too," Wolf agreed with a smile, clinking his glass to hers. "Cheers to gender IN-equality."
"Are you attempting to get on my good side by agreeing with me?" Mareesa asked, eyes dancing.
"Hmmm...that's a serious question—is ‘yes’ the correct answer?”
"Yes."
"Then…yes, I’m attempting to get on your good side, but I do still agree with your theory," Wolf said.
"You know, you're pretty advanced for a male of our species," she snorted laughing. They clicked glasses again. "To advanced species!"
Their conversation was no longer theoretical. The Sonali and the humans had made first contact two years ago, and the sum of their knowledge about the species only rested in their understanding of their weapons and defenses.
In that game, they had to play catch up; would they judge the evolution of a species based on their ability to defend themselves? Wolf considered Earth's apex predators. Many were extinct, the last few residing in zoos or preserves.
No. As a species, you could become better fighters, or you could become smarter fighters, Wolf thought. Might isn’t the only measure of success.
Yuang approached him, breaking his reverie. "Captain, the probes are ready, and my team has coordinated their trajectories—they should be masked by The Exeter's emissions."
Wolf looked at Mareesa for confirmation. Yuang was eager, but he spoke only for Engineering, which was just half of the solution.
She nodded and added, "Science is satisfied with the telemetry. Everything is ready for launch."
"Excellent work," Wolf remarked, then he looked up again and said, "SkyPrime."
"Yes, Captain," SkyPrime replied.
"I want you to coordinate the operations for this launch with Science and Engineering.”
"Yes, Captain."
Yuang wasn't happy. "Captain, putting the AI in charge—"
"Will be the same as if I was here sequencing it myself. Actually, SkyPrime is better at it than I am, and faster. We can't have any errors, and I'll be watching everything as it happens in the CNC."
With that, Wolf left Yuang and Mareesa and made his way back to the CNC. As he settled into his chair, he spoke via comm to SkyPrime and asked, "Is everything ready to begin the launch of the communications probes?"
"Yes, Captain," SkyPrime responded.
"On my mark...3, 2, 1. Launch.”
There was no climatic roar of a departing probe, which was a good thing. It meant their cloak and dagger trick with emissions was working. Wolf watched as the sequences got displayed in real time on the CNC screen. As each probe launched and left the screen, he felt himself relax.
After a few moments, Jensen turned to confirm what Wolf already knew.
"All comms probes have been deployed successfully, sir."
"Good work. SkyPrime, HesterPrime, please monitor all sub-space frequencies both at the probes and the surrounding areas. In addition, please adjust all of the resequensors onboard to charge half credits for the next two hours for all crew members. Please inform all crew members of this reward."
Wolf turned to see Jensen smiling at him, looking like a nervous teenager, but eager to ask for keys to the car. He nodded at her and said, "SkyPrime can take it from here."
Bouncing up, Jensen walked quickly towards the corridor that led to The Cerulean Parrot.
As Wolf watched Jensen leave the CNC, a hesitant female voice came in.
"Captain," said HesterPrime.
"Don't worry, HesterPrime," Wolf replied, "I'm going to go reduce my stress levels right now."
"I think that's a lovely idea," cooed HesterPrime. "Have a great time."
"I intend to do just that."
The Cerulean Parrot was only a standing room. A cheer went up as Wolf walked in and headed towards the bar with the holo-bartender wiping a glass, beaming at him. He ordered a whiskey without ice.
While the AI's away, the humans will play, he thought to himself, though he guessed that was not really accurate. Wolf thought back to his earlier sentiments regarding having a bigger ship with bigger crew and bigger responsibilities. More weight on his shoulders meant less room to allow for the type of frivolity the crew was enjoying right now.
All of the drinks at The Cerulean Parrot were made with synthol. Actual real grain alcohol was not allowed on military vessels. Synthol mimicked the taste and, some argued, the effects of alcohol without the actual molecules. If the people who drank closed their eyes and let the fluid dance on their taste buds, they could almost convince themselves it was the real thing. For those unlucky few who did suffer hangovers, well, it’s always the notion of mind over matter.
Wolf nodded to the bartender for another.
"His next drink is on me," a voice said beside Wolf.
He looked at the familiar smiling face of Mareesa. "That's very kind of you," he said, raising his current glass.
She pressed her back against the bar, sliding an olive deftly off a toothpick in her martini. "Not really," she said.
Wolf cocked an eyebrow at her.
"I just love getting things on sale," she added.
"Ah," he said, downing most of his drink. The synthol was not touching him. "Do you remember our conversation?"
"We have had many conversations," Mareesa said, smirking.
"The one about other species."
Her eyes darkened.
"Yes," she said, her tone going somber.
"The Sonali are more advanced," Wolf continued, though he disliked seeing the light leave Mareesa’s eyes. "So does that mean they’re female?"
Her mouth tightened, the joke falling flat. Maybe the synthol was affecting him. Wolf certainly felt like the words coming out of his mouth were disconnected from his brain, which was silently encouraging him to shut up.
"There are a lot of things we don't know about the Sonali," Mareesa said, her eyes still shut. Wolf raised his hand to let the bartender know he wanted his free drink now. He was hoping this would put the glint back in Mareesa’s eyes. No such luck.
The part of his mind that was gently suggesting he should shut his mouth switched tactics and suggested he do the same. So Wolf decided to change topic.
"Do you know the origin of the Cerulean Parrot? Where it got its name?" He saw a ghost of her former smile hover on her lips.
"Oh, that's easy," said Mareesa. "It’s from Casablanca—the other bar, not Rick's." She smiled as she talked about it. "The large man with the fez." They both laughed at the image.
Wolf was just about to do his best and worst impression of Humphrey Bogart when a glass shattered above the bartender’s head. He and Mareesa spared a wide-eyed glance at each other before their heads turned to seek the source.
Fists pounded tables as the crowd shouted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
At the locus of this storm were Yuang and Jensen, grappling each other in wrestling moves, which in a different situation could be deemed erotic. Not in this case. Jensen was trying to kill Yuang, not seduce him. The dance she weaved was just as intimate.