Space Scout - The Peacekeepers

by S A Pavli

  Space Scout

  The Peacekeepers

  Copyright  2016 S.A.Pavli

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.

  This book is the sequel to “Space Scout”

  Note from the Author

  To my readers, thanks for your support. Thanks also for your reviews, good or bad. I appreciate positive and instructive comments, which have helped me to improve as a writer. By all means post your reviews on Amazon, but if you wish to say more, or tell me about mistakes in the text then I will be happy to hear from you.

  My email is : paperbackwriter101@hotmail.com

  Regards

  S,A.Pavli

  Chapter 1

  I had to concede that the Hianja starship Srenica Tanata was impressive. Not just its size, as big as an ocean liner, but the luxury and quality of its fittings. My ship, the Lisa Jane, now berthed in one of its five shuttle bays, was insignificant by comparison. But I just had this feeling that it was somehow inappropriate to be travelling the stars in such luxury, as I nursed my Hianja cocktail by the side of the huge pool that occupied the fifteenth ‘floor’ of the starship. Great efforts had been made to make the pool into an authentic setting, with tropical views on the walls and a real cocktail lounge. Sadly, nothing could be done about the smell of fluoride and the hum of air conditioning, which did somewhat detract from the illusion of a tropical paradise!

  “I feel like a charlatan. Travelling the stars should not be as easy and comfortable as taking a Caribbean cruise. I mean, a pool in a starship.” I addressed my comments to the tall Hianja female, sporting a tiny swimsuit that made only a token effort to cover her nubile nudity. Manera Ka-Hatekan, combined being a senior Hianja scientist and explorer with a natural beauty and elegance.

  “We could always arrange a bit of suffering for you,” she suggested. “Perhaps cleaning the external windows in an uncomfortable Space suit smelling of old sweat?”

  “As long as it was your old sweat,” I said giving her a fond look. She snorted her amusement.

  “You are a lecherous Earthman Captain Paul Constantine. Enjoy it while you can. In two hours you are on your own, mister Space scout.”

  “Me, the Lisa Jane, and my old mate Alfred.” I looked at her pensively and after a few moments she inclined her head questioningly.

  “What’s on your mind Captain?”

  “Come with me Manera.”

  She gave me a look that was both loving and stern.

  “You know I can’t do that Paul. You must return to Earth alone.”

  “They are going to love you back home. You’ll cause a sensation.”

  “Hmmm. Is that the reason you want me to come with you?”

  “Yeah. Good for inter-species relationships.”

  “Or is it more like inter-personal relationships?”

  “You see right through me,” I confessed. “And talking about seeing right through things, I can see right through that excuse of a swimsuit you are wearing. Is it water proof?” She realised what I was up to and gave a cry of “No!” just before I upended her into the pool. Despite Manera’s many physical talents and abilities, swimming was not one of them. She was a very poor swimmer and as I dived in after her she made an effort to escape, but her heart wasn’t in it and I soon caught her.

  “You have fish ancestors,” she gasped.

  “I suspect if you go back far enough, we all have,” I grinned, pulling her to me. She came willingly and we kissed, a long luxurious snog that neither of us wanted to end. I had to come up for air first though.

  Our last night together had been long and passionate and we were both happy to hold each other in a friendly embrace.

  “I’m gonna miss you.”

  “It won’t be long before we are back together again. You must do your duty Captain,” she finished with mock severity.

  “There you are doing your impression of Admiral Crozier again,” I groaned with a pained expression. The admiral was the leader of Earth’s Space Exploration Service and the scourge of all Space Scouts who he considered to be a bunch of misfits and excess to requirements, since the job of running a starship could just as well be done by the ship’s AI and its robots.

  “I’m looking forward to meeting the admiral. He sounds like a good judge of men.” She smiled mischievously as she said it.

  “Hmmm, well, scouts are an eccentric lot. Being alone in a giant Spaceship with just the company of the ship’s AI is not for everyone.” The one man scout ships were designed to travel the long distances between the stars with the minimum of life support. All ship’s functions were automated under the control of the ship’s AI. The lone crewman was there to provide human intelligence, creativity and decision making, which many considered to be of dubious benefit, including the admiral.

  “But if we handed everything over to our AI computers and robots what would that say about us?” It was a rhetorical question and I did not expect an answer, but got one anyway as my communicator hummed and the voice of my ship’s AI interrupted our tête-à-tête.

  “It would be a very sensible thing to do Paul.” Alfred’s voice, with the plumy tones of an English butler politely inquiring whether it was time to serve afternoon tea.

  “Well you would think so Alfred,” I retorted.

  “Not at all. You know I appreciate your company Paul. And you have made a huge and essential contribution on this trip and fully proved that the principle of having a human presence is the right one. After all, what would be the point of first contact without a human presence

  “Exactly,” I agreed with a wink to my beautiful partner. “Much more meaningful first contact.”

  “Paul, we have arrived at our departure point. When can I expect you on board?” Alfred was trying to be diplomatic but I knew it was, if not an order, a polite request.

  “You can be a right party pooper sometimes Alfred.”

  “He is on his way Alfred,” said Manera gaving me a reproving look. I sighed heavily.

  “Looks like I’m outnumbered and outgunned.” I hoisted myself out of the pool and then helped Manera out and with a last look at the spectacular view we made our way to our apartment to get dressed.

  “I’m afraid there’s a bit of a departure committee,” said Alfred. “the Guardians want to wish you bon voyage.”

  “Jolly good!” I muttered. I’d had my fill of reception and departures speeches by politicians during my stay with the Hianja. Manera picked up on my sarcasm.

  “Better get used to it Captain. There will be a lot more when you get home.”

  “Hmmm. Don’t remind me.”

  We got dressed quickly, me in my dark blue SES Captain’s uniform. Manera wore what I guess could be described as a ‘trouser suit’, although that would not do justice to it.

  “You look a picture of elegance and beauty, as always my love,” I said.

  “And you are the handsomest man in the known Universe,” she replied.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” I said modestly. “On this starship perhaps.” I took her in my arms and gazed into her azure eyes.

  “Last moment alone.”

  She nodded, her face puckering with her emotions. I caressed her cheek and we kissed, for the moment both lost for words. I took her hand and we made our way to the shuttle bay where the Lisa Jane was berthed.

  Outside the entrance to the bay there was an unloading and disembarking area which was crowded with Hianja. I recognised the two ‘local’ Guardian
s who had first met me, the beautiful Kemato and the tall craggy Hamolatonen. With them was a few of the Guardians from the home planet of Hian, including the chairman of the governing council of guardians, Krusniet Farsan. He was the one who stepped forward and we exchanged Hianja shoulder clasps.

  “How are you feeling Captain?” he asked with a broad smile. “Ready to go home?”

  “Hianja hospitality has made me feel at home Guardian,” I replied.

  “Hmm, after a bad start,” he remarked. Yes it certainly had been a bad start. One that had nearly cost me my life. Then I looked at Manera and thought, but it had become dramatically better.

  “Let us hope,” continued the Guardian, “that Human Hianja relationships go from strength to strength.”

  “I see no reason why not Guardian,” I replied diplomatically. I am becoming quite the politician. “We have so much in common.”

  “Indeed.” He chuckled and shook his head in a gesture of bemusement. “It is quite a mystery as to why we have so much in common,” he said, putting the emphasis on the ‘why’.

  “Whatever the reason, Pan-Spermia, genetic convergence or God, I’m happy that you are not lizards or octopi,” I said with a laugh.

  “It should certainly makes relationships much easier,” replied Krusniet, dipping his head politely.

  The other Guardians gathered around to give me the Hianja shoulder clasp. Hamolatonen also shook my hand enthusiastically.

  “Paul, I want you to show me Earth,” he said, shaking a finger at me. “The Himalayas, surfing in Australia and taking a boat up the Amazon.”

  “You have been doing your homework,” I laughed. “It’s a promise. You, me and Manera.”

  “You had better include me or human Hianja relations could deteriorate.” Kemato gave me a firm shoulder clasp and a broad smile. She was an older version of Manera, but with a more alien beauty. She and Manera had a close relationship, almost one of mother and daughter. Hianja as a rule were reserved and circumspect with their physical behaviour in public, almost Japanese like, so, for them, this was almost effusive. Krusniet intervened to re-instate a more formal atmosphere.

  “Captain, we wish you to convey our desire for friendship to your species. Alfred has been given an extensive message from the Guardian Council, and of course you have the information provided by us on our civilisation, its history and values. We suggest a meeting of our joint representatives in the near future at a location to be specified by your leaders. We have provided you with a Hyperspace comms device tuned in to an equivalent one in our possession so you can communicate with us at any time. We look forward to hearing from your leaders. We thank you personally for your heroism in resisting the insurgents who attempted to prevent contact between our two species and apologise for their misguided conduct.”

  It was my turn to be a diplomat and I cleared my throat nervously. Manera gave me an encouraging smile. I was aware that what I was about to say would become part of history and I had never felt more inadequate in my life.

  “Thank you for your kind words Guardian Krusniet. It is also my desire that there should be friendship between our two species, and I see no reason why that should not happen. There will be huge excitement back on Earth and I’m sure there will be a great thirst to learn about all things Hianja.”

  “Goodbye Captain and have a safe trip home.” That was it; I thanked them all and headed for the walkway leading to the Lisa Jane. I caught Manera’s eyes and she nodded and turned to Krusniet. It was as if he was expecting it because he nodded almost imperceptibly and she turned and followed me into the walkway. I waited for her and we walked together to the open airlock of the Lisa Jane.

  “Welcome aboard Captain.” Alfred tones were formal and precise.

  “Thank you Alfred. Is the ship ready for departure?”

  “Yes Captain. Capacitors fully charged and countdown held at minus five.” That was minus five minutes, the period when Alfred and I would carry out the last crucial checks in parallel, double checking each other on separate instruments, prior to entering Hyperspace. I turned to Manera and she came into my arms. We kissed tenderly then parted, gazing into each other’s eyes.

  “I should find some appropriately heroic words to say but…. my mind is a blank.”

  “It is heroic deeds that matter,” she replied. “And on that score, you are my hero.”

  “Then it is goodbye, no actually, not goodbye, au revoir as our French cousins say.”

  “You have French cousins?”

  “Just a figure of speech. Au revoir means we will meet again.”

  “Au revoir then, and we shall meet again.” Her face was tense and strained, but she turned and walked purposefully out of the walkway and disappeared around the bend without turning back. I walked into my ship with a heavy heart and made my way to the flight deck.

  “Just me and you then old chap. Quite an adventure hey?”

  “Indeed Paul, quite an adventure. Unique in the annals of human history.” I wasn’t sure what ‘annals’ was, Alfred would occasionally come up with the odd ancient British word or expression just to stay in character.

  “Yes, unique.” And of course he was right. This was something that would never happen again. I sighed and turned my attention to the instruments in front of me. We had to first manoeuvre the ship out of the docking bay and into Space before switching on the Warp drive to enter Hyperspace.

  “Disconnect clamps, slow speed ahead.” I heard the thumps as the clamps disconnected and felt the ship float free. The manoeuvring thrusters came on and the ship moved gently towards the open airlock gates through which the bright stars shone.

  Clear of the giant Hianja starship I paused to admire its clean lines. Around its central periphery I could see the artificial gravity generators that provided gravity for the passengers, and held the thousands of tons of water in the swimming pool to the deck. The long pointed nose, like the smaller one on the Lisa Jane, was the warp generator.

  We began our countdown, working our way through the checklist as the ship continued to drift away from the Srenica Tanata until she was just a speck in the star studded vastness of Space.

  “All systems green, capacitors fully charged.”

  “We are go for Hyperspace.”

  “Aye Captain.”

  Chapter 2

  The Hianja starship had transported the Lisa Jane most of the way to Earth, but we still had hundreds of light years to travel. Revealing the location of Earth to aliens was strictly against the rules, as Alfred had often reminded me, so we could not accept a lift all the way home. The aliens could not track us through Hyperspace, so they had no idea which direction we would take after we left them. I had persuaded Alfred to allow the Srenica Tanata to transport the Lisa Jane because it would cut our journey time in half, and also allow me to spend more time with Manera.

  Of course, although the area to be searched was that much smaller, no doubt in due course the Hianja would find Earth. But it seemed purely academic at this point. The three days travel that was left of our journey past quickly. When we exited Hyperspace and the familiar blue ball of Earth appeared against the starry blackness, my feelings were a mixture of apprehension and nervousness, on a background of depression.

  “God, here we go Alfred, let the circus begin.”

  “Shall I transmit our ID?” Each Scout ship had its unique ID which allowed it access to the Space Exploration Service (SES) comms network. I gave Alfred the go ahead and we waited for the response. It was not long in coming. The video terminal lit up with the face of the duty SES officer, a red haired female of indeterminate vintage and a sour expression.

  “You had better be the SES Lisa Jane or you are in a lot of trouble.”

  “Captain Paul Constantine at your service.” She looked down at her screen, no doubt to confirm that Captain Paul Constantine was indeed the name of the Lisa Jane’s captain, then looked up with a frown on her face.

  “Captain, you and your ship are reported missi
ng. A rescue ship was dispatched to your destination but there was no sign of your ship.”

  “Indeed, ah, Lieutenant, we suffered a mishap and never made it to our destination. Can you put me through to admiral Crozier.”

  “Captain, it’s four in the morning,” she protested.

  “I am fairly sure, no, certain, that the admiral would want to hear what I have to say immediately.” She looked at me askance, but nodded crisply.

  “Yes sir, I will do so immediately sir.” She started pressing buttons, then disappeared off screen for a while before returning. “The admiral will speak to you now Captain.”

  “Thank you lieutenant.” The face and top half of the admiral appeared on the screen. Did he sleep in his uniform? I asked myself. He was a tall man with a lean bony face and arresting grey eyes.

  “Captain Constantine, good of you to put in an appearance.”

  “It’s no trouble admiral.” He scowled but to his credit kept his temper.

  “I presume you have a good reason for going awol?”

  “Hardly awol admiral. I think my AI Alfred will testify that we were delayed due to forces beyond our control.”

  “But you made it back despite these, ahem, forces beyond your control?”

  “Actually, because of these forces,” I said. I was beginning to enjoy myself and the admiral sensed that I had a trump card up my sleeve. He leaned back in his seat with a thoughtful expression.

  “Constantine, you are a good scout. Smart, tough and capable. A bit of a wise ass, but it probably comes with the territory. Are you going to tell me what happened or do I throw you in the slammer?”

  “Admiral, apologies for , well, talking in riddles. Our ship, the Lisa Jane, had a navigation fault and went to the wrong place. Unfortunately, we exited Hyperspace close to a planet and the hyperspace module detached and exploded.”

  “We suspect that may have happened before,” said the admiral. “We have lost a number of ships. But, how did you return?”