OMEGA Brutal

by Stephen Arseneault

  Jack replied as he turned for the bridge: "Is there only one? Do we have a size or any identification?"

  Jefferson shook his head. "All we have is that it's there. It bumped the sensor field of one probe and disappeared. We thought it might just be an anomaly, but it then showed on the second probe and came to a stop."

  We walked onto the bridge. Jack flipped the nav screen up on the display wall. Several swipes followed with the sensor data showing in a table below.

  I asked, "Can we tell how big it is?"

  Jack shook his head. "Not yet. It's only a single craft though, so at least we have that. We don't know if it has picked up the probes or not. It shouldn't have, their signature is incredibly small, but we have no way of knowing what their sensors are capable of."

  I stood, looking over the display. "Do we risk going out there to get a better look?"

  Jack winced. "If we do, we risk being detected. Right now we don't know if they know we're here or not."

  I pointed at the prior probe detection point. Do we have enough info about its direction to get an idea of where it might have come from?"

  Jack looked over. "Hang on."

  Several swipes later a line showed on the wall display. "We have two candidates. "The closest one is one of the two systems you told Garrett and Joni about. The second possible is three weeks past that. And if we run the trajectory the other way... it comes real close to the other system you told them about. Which one did they go for?"

  I pointed at the last system. "They headed off to this one. The other is moving back toward Jorus, although still quite far away from it. This one is sitting out by itself."

  Jack sat back in thought. "You know, if they are using conventional sensors from there, they would be seeing the data from this planet for a couple months ago. If it isn't so far down in the noise, that is. Two months ago this planet was putting out nothing but radioactive signals. If they were coming here they might have decided against it just from that. This planet is not habitable for the long term. And any materials pulled from it would likely be contaminated, so it wouldn't be a good resource planet either. That's based on what standard sensors would see."

  Jefferson said, "They are moving again. Speed is just under ours, but only by about 2 percent. They are on a dead course for that system."

  I pulled up the system in question on a star chart, passing it to the wall display. "Quanus, the system is called Quanus. Red sun, five known planets. Jack, feel like going for a ride?"

  Jack nodded. "Rather than just sitting here? Yeah, I'm in."

  I said, "Since we have a speed advantage, take us out this way for a couple days. We can come back at it from a sharp angle until it hits sensor range. If anything looks wrong or if we get detected, we just run back the direction we came in from. Pick out a distant star system so our trajectory can be mapped back to it."

  Jack nodded. "Now we’re thinking. Give me five minutes and we can go. Mr. Jefferson, how are our supplies?"

  Jefferson replied, "I ordered a restocking as soon as we landed. They only gave half what I asked for, but we don't have all the Talisans aboard right now. That gives us about four months of supplies at normal ration levels."

  Jack looked at me and smiled. "You got enough clean underwear to last that long?"

  I replied, "What? That's an odd question."

  Jack shook his head. "It wasn't a real question. It was a joke."

  I asked, "I don't get the humor in it. Is that an inside Human joke?"

  Jack rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Sometimes I forget I'm talking to a stodgy old Grunta."

  I thought for a moment. "I'm actually only on the early side of middle-aged for my species."

  Jack held up his hand. "It was a simple Human joke. You didn't see the humor. Let's move on."

  Go walked onto the bridge with his assisted frame. "I think we passed the last hurdle. I've ordered Anterra to devote her full time to the HMI design. What are we looking at here? Whose ship was that?"

  Jack replied, "We don't know, but we're heading out to find out."

  Go nodded and turned back toward the lab. The Garmon powered up through the Odenta atmosphere and was soon on a course that paralleled the unknown ship. After two and a half days of travel, Jack turned us back toward our target.

  Jack said, "If they stayed on track, we should have sensor data in about three minutes. Mr. Jefferson, dump that to the big screen when it comes in please."

  Jefferson replied, "Yes, sir."

  Go came over the comm, looking groggy. "Hey, guys. Well, the HMI is installed. In about three days I can attach a wireless interface to it that will allow me to control the arm. I won't be able to attach it fully for another two weeks. Too much healing to do. But I might be able to at least familiarize my system with the different sensations I'll be experiencing."

  Jack shook his head. "You are a bold individual, Go. The fact that you took this all on yourself speaks volumes."

  Go partially shrugged. "It's not like I have a lot of choice. If I wanted a new arm I had to build my own. But with all I've gone through and learned, I have to wonder if I couldn't have just had an arm transplant. I think Anterra could handle that without me having the normal nerve attenuation that comes with it. I would need a donor arm though, and those are in short supply out here."

  Jack smiled, "Yeah, good luck finding one. Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm proud of you for taking that on, and I hope it works out. Heck, if these guns I once packed get any flabbier, I might want a swap-out myself."

  Go looked over the HMI implant. "I won't be able to travel anywhere in the New Alliance with this. Powered artificial limbs aren't allowed through the portals. It's a shame too. Think of all those amputees who could get full mobility back. Seems like such a dumb law."

  Jefferson said, "Sir, we have the ship on the sensors. Posting up on the display. We should have visual in another minute or two."

  Jack replied, "As soon as we have visual I want you to put us back on a parallel course. If they don't react, we'll move in a little closer."

  Jefferson replied, "Yes, sir."

  Jack zoomed in on the display. "Data says it's a lot smaller than us. Maybe twice the size of the Jess. And I can say with all honesty that I'm thrilled it's not a teardrop ship."

  Our first visual image showed on the display. The ship was tall, forming a sickle shape. The top and bottom jutted forward, while the center curved back.

  Jack said, "That's not anything I've seen before. I'm getting a steel blue color as well. Everybody out here has been black or gray. And I've got symbols on the side. Sending those to the translator app. I wouldn't expect a language lock until we have a good bit more than that."

  I remarked, "It doesn't appear to have any weapons. I would say definitely a scout or possibly a diplomatic vessel."

  Jack's expression soured. "Let's hope it's not another diplomat out making bad deals with the Alliance or any other of those clowns."

  Go said, "Hey, Anterra has the species that owns that ship in her database. I'm dumping the information for it to the big board. They are called the Tamarin and the world it is heading to is Parmesen, not Quanus. Prior to the last few months they had laid claim to Jorus. They had been in negotiations with the Grotus about that. I would guess they are returning from there after seeing that someone else has occupied it."

  Data from the Anterra began to spill onto the big wall. The Tamarin Corporation spanned sixteen star systems. Their encounters with the Grotus had been anything but friendly. Basically, they had demanded that all claim to Jorus be forfeited or else tribute be paid. The Grotus were keeping the negotiations open as a delay tactic, hoping to resolve their issues with the Alliance and the Kergans before opening a war on another front.

  I said, "I think we showed up in this galaxy just at the time when these empires were all starting to interact. I have yet to see any true cooperation between any of them."

  Jack nodded. "You said this place was hostile. I think it's brut
al, and I think we can add another species to the mix. I wonder why they didn't go after the Odentas?"

  Go replied, "Maybe they aren't as hostile as the others. Odenta was occupied. The Jorus system was not."

  As I looked over the data, I got an uneasy feeling. If the Tamarin thought Odenta was now desolate and abandoned, they might lay claim to it as well. And who were the Tamarin? Could they be reasoned with? Did they have a strong fleet or technologies that far outshone our own? Our plan of laying low was suddenly in jeopardy.

  Chapter 2

  * * *

  Jack said, "Looks like they are governed by a CEO and board of directors. Everything is organized around business. If they can't make a profit, they don't engage."

  I nodded. "At least that tells us what we have to work with if we make contact. We’d need to offer something of value."

  Jack looked over the wall display. "We have people and we have technology. Not sure I would offer either."

  I said, "And it's not like we need another species looking to dominate Jorus when my people won't leave."

  Lieutenant Jefferson spun around to face us. "Sirs, we've been detected. I'm receiving a hail. Should I pass it through?"

  I replied, "Just pass through the audio feed. I don't want them to see who we are until we have a better feel for who they are."

  A voice came over the comm: "This the Tamarin diplomatic vessel Bushan. You have been shadowing our direction. Please explain your intentions."

  I replied, "Bushan, we are new to this region of space. Our mission is one of exploration and contact. We mean you no harm."

  The comm was silent for several seconds. "I am Darba Wampros, first diplomat of the Tamarin Corporation. With whom am I speaking? It appears you are blocking a video feed."

  I glanced over at Jack. "I apologize for the implied secrecy, Mr. Wampros. We are a single ship in unknown space. We have to be vigilant about our security. There are other species out here that are less than friendly."

  Darba Wampros replied, "You have me at a distinct disadvantage. You know my name. You know the name of my ship. You know my language. Please give me something. I am otherwise left with no foundation for building trust."

  Jack leaned forward. "I'll give him this, he's patient."

  I took a deep breath. "We come from a planet called Dallex. It is quite a distance from here. And I can assure you that we are not a threat to the Tamarin Corporation. We acquired the translation algorithms for your language during our travels. I can't say for sure from where, but the markings on your ship were recognized by our language app."

  Darba Wampros said, "I see. I would prefer to have a name and face if we are to continue this conversation."

  I looked over at Jack. "Will he know what a Grunta is? Jorus is crawling with us, and if he has seen us, it could be taken wrong. And you are Human, if he's been in contact with the Alliance people, that could be a drawback as well."

  Jack replied, "We know he's seen the Grotus, since that's who they were previously negotiating with. Can we bring up one of your Talisans?"

  I contemplated our options. "Mr. Jefferson, enable the video, but limit it to my face only."

  An indicator came up on the display as the Tamarin diplomat reciprocated.

  Darba Wampros offered a less than optimistic look. "You are Grotus?"

  I shook my head. "I am Grunta. The Grotus are a sister species of ours from many centuries ago. They are our sworn enemies. I have a modest understanding of your recent interaction with them. The planet Jorus is the home world of both the Grunta and Grotus species. During a conflict three millennia ago, the Grotus attempted genocide, irradiating Jorus in the process. My people lay claim to it as well."

  The diplomat slowly nodded. "It seems our claim there is in contention. The Grotus would not tell us why they laid claim but did not occupy that world. We assumed it had been abandoned, and long ago."

  I sat forward. "My people were taken from there, only to return recently. The Grotus abandoned the planet after making it unlivable."

  The diplomat stood and began to pace in front of the comm camera. "Forgive me, Mr…?"

  "Mr. Beutcher."

  Darba Wampros smiled. "Mr. Beutcher, forgive me if I pace while talking. It is a nervous habit of mine and I mean no disrespect by it."

  I nodded. "Pace away, Mr. Wampros. We all have our idiosyncrasies. I sometimes pace when in deep thought."

  "Mr. Beutcher," Darba said, "your ship is heavily armed and armored. Exploration vessels tend to be science vessels, close in capability to my own ship. If part of your mission is to interact with others, why do you find it necessary to so heavily arm yourselves?"

  I sat back in my chair. "Please, Mr. Wampros. You of all people should know the answer to that question. This galaxy seems to be full of hostile species. Some do not care to 'talk' to anyone. They would just as soon kill your crew and take your ship before attempting to find out what your intentions might be."

  The diplomat stopped and turned. "That may be true of many species that surround us, Mr. Beutcher, but not us. Our mission statement is to improve our position in the galaxy through reputable, profitable, and capitalistic means. War has an inherently expensive cost structure associated with it. We prefer trade to war. While we will certainly defend ourselves if threatened, our usual sword of choice is profit."

  I looked directly into the comm camera. "I had the understanding that in your negotiation with the Grotus you demanded tribute. If they chose not to pay, wouldn't that have led to war as your only choice? —I mean of course, if you wanted to keep control of your asset."

  The diplomat held up a finger. "That would be an option, although far down the list of desirables. I would instead offer a trade negotiation, the terms of which would be skewed our way, but profitable for both parties. You see, Mr. Beutcher, the only real profit in war is if you are selling arms to one side, the other, or both. Now, we could hardly sell arms to the Grotus if we were at war with them; there is no profit in such an undertaking."

  Jack squelched the comm mic. "Hey, if they are willing to trade, what could we trade for some food? If we could get a month's worth, that would go a long way toward alleviating our food problem."

  I turned back to the comm. "Mr. Wampros, how is the Tamarin Corporation set for food stocks?"

  The diplomats eyes lit up. "Are you in need of food, Mr. Beutcher?"

  I shook my head. "Technically, no, but we do have a few colonies that could use a temporary boost. Perhaps a one-time infusion to help keep costs down. That of course, would only be useful if said supplies were inexpensive."

  The diplomat twiddled his fingers. "Yes, inexpensive, of course. Since there is no currency exchange between our peoples, any exchange would have to be backed by hard assets, such as commodities or some other exchangeable item."

  I turned back toward Jack. "We have scans of Odenta. Tell me what they have that can be mined. We would have to decontaminate it before delivery, but the bots might be able to handle that."

  Jack replied, "Give me a few minutes, I'll see what I can find."

  I looked back at the image of Darba Wampros on the wall display. "Mr. Wampros, as a sign of trust, perhaps you would like a short tour of our ship? Or I could come over there?"

  The diplomat returned a somewhat stunned look. "That is an unusual request this early in a first encounter, Mr. Beutcher. No request is unwelcome, it's just that we have not established a minimum level of trust."

  I replied, "That's why I offered to come over there, if you like. I will be unarmed."

  Darba Wampros thought quietly for a moment. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to meet with you face to face. Perhaps such a meeting would set us on a more solid footing. How do you propose we conduct the transfer?"

  I said, "Your ship is too big to fit into our docking bay. Not that you would be comfortable with that scenario anyway. So we'll have to come to a stop and I'll have to drift over. Do you have a gravity wall or an airlock?"

  The diplom
at tilted his head in question. "Gravity wall?"

  I nodded. "Yes. We have an opening in the side of the ship that is sealed off from the outside by a gravitational field. When on full, it is as strong as the outer hull. At a lower level, we can pass through without the air escaping from our docking bay. Perhaps it is a technology we can trade at some future point."

  The diplomat smiled. "We have an airlock, Mr. Beutcher. It is on the port side of the ship, about two thirds of the way back."

  I looked over at Jack as I replied, "I'll have our crew bring us around. If you would care to open the outer door of the airlock, I will drift over."

  Jack chuckled as he said, "You sure you want to do this? We don't know these people. For all we know, they're cannibals."

  I laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm afraid they would find Grunta a bit tough."

  Go clanked onto the bridge in his exoskeleton. "Was listening in. You really going over there?"

  I nodded. "I've got Jack's idea for a food deal stuck in my head. We have no guarantee that those grow houses will produce enough to feed us all."

  Go half smiled. "Food for fifty million for a month? What do we have to trade?"

  Jack replied, "Odenta seems to be rich in minerals. Scan results show they are heavy in diamonds and platinum. Those are generally very marketable resources."

  Go thought for a moment. "Still, how do we mine them in quantities big enough for trade?"

  I pulled up a display. "We have the schematics for the automated miners we developed on Dallex. Pass that to Anterra and see if she can optimize it. When we get back we can devote an AI or two to control the miners."

  Go smiled. "Now, that would be something they should be good at. I'll have Anterra look at it."

  I walked to the docking bay, donning my helmet as I approached the gravity wall. Jack had moved the Garmon next to the much smaller Bushan. After a fifteen second drift, my gravity boots locked onto the hull of the Bushan. Three steps later, I swung myself around and into the airlock. The ceiling was much lower than I expected, forcing me to crouch slightly as I stood. The door closed and sealed behind me. After a rush of air, the inner door opened.