by David Buck
The abilities of the Maveen were something Simon’s late father Troy had seized upon four decades earlier for civil engineering works. He now watched from a safe distance as the Maveen gate ship slowly came down level on the ground basalt and activated the powerful wide beam lasers in its belly. The shields already were notched and Simon watched as the ground basalt was liquefied and leveled to a road worthy surface as the gate ship moved slowly forward.
A young trade assistant on his first day started to walk towards the new road surface, and Simon had the presence of mind to quickly race after him, and then called out loudly.
‘Robert isn’t it? Please stop still immediately.’
The young man stopped, and Simon picked up a length of old wood as he walked over and started speaking again.
‘The radiant heat from the road will go shortly, but now watch closely Robert….’
Simon tossed the piece of wood onto the new roadway and it promptly burst into flames. Robert flinched as he watched the burning wood and Simon continued to speak again.
‘Even with most of the radiant heat gone the wood still burns and so would have you Robert.’
The younger man was sweating nervously as he thanked his new boss. Simon ensured the younger man was then shown around the hazards of the nearby construction area.
Another Maveen gate ship was constructing three storied pull up walls of liquefied basalt in the construction area using the same method of shaped lasers and shields. The two men watched the gate ship from a safe distance, and Simon wondered to himself how the humans in the colony would cope once the Maveen eventually withdrew their assistance.
***
Captain Narindestat considered the elderly human with polite concern as Steve Greene, the former founding governor of Barede, slowly lowered himself back into his high backed chair. The four metre tall Trader sat down nearby on the proffered stout bench, and regarded the fine view from the large verandah for a moment.
In the far distance over a tree-covered ridge, a human lifter the size of one of the Trader sneak ships, but with a delta wing, climbed effortlessly from the launch pad at Greene’s Crossing. Human and Trader both watched the climbing lifter until it was lost from view minutes later and Steve commented about the view.
‘I never get tired of watching them take off and to think we went direct to space with no conventional rockets in just over forty years.’
The Trader captain knew that he was rehashing old points of view when he replied.
‘Well both us and the Maveen wanted the colony not to go back to traditional staged rockets like Earth, though it did slow you down ten years to get into space.’
The two friends fell silent as Samantha Greene now rejoined them; slowly wheeling a food trolley herself as one of her maids carefully watched her progress. Steve glanced across at his wife fondly, as she now slowly took her own high back chair and the maid served them all drinks before returning inside the house.
Steve was now ninety-one and Samantha was eighty-five, and they had five children, the twin sons Narind and Garen, and three daughters, Rebecca, Rachael and Andrea. They also have a current total of eighteen grand children and eight great grand children. Steve looked at his old friend and noted that he looked little different to when he first met him on Earth fifty years ago, he also noted that he looked even more stoic than usual and he ventured a question.
‘Narindestat, it will be fifty years next week since the colony founding, are you finally thinking of leaving the colony? Narind is commanding the new base on the moon Alkina, and he reckons we will not be ready for many years yet.’
Narindestat sipped his drink quietly and answered calmly as his eyes now took in the ordered fields before the distant tree covered ridge.
‘Well Steve we have been ready for years and the Illuria has been heavily refitted after our landing on your home world. However, until the Maveen release me from my orders we remain here to assist and guard the colony. I was hoping to help during the amnesty to destroy the Voorde infestations, but this has since expired after other ships completed the task.’
Steve knew that Narindestat did not really mind staying at the colony as his wife and daughters had arrived after several years on another large Trader ship, and his son Garendestat and Emeria now had four children as well. The Traders had settled on a large offshore island, aptly named Trader Island that was now one of several spaceports scattered around the colony. The number of Traders had increased until they numbered several thousand in the colony. He knew there numbers had increased sharply as the glimmer tattoo illness had eventually spread throughout their remote space facilities.
Narindestat now confirmed something that Garen, Steve’s other son and now the colony governor had surmised earlier.
‘Actually, we are dismantling our most central facilities and bringing them out to this part of the galaxy. Sure we have to make even longer trips to trade, but the Cephrit-Tilmud war still flares up from time to time so that impacts on our trade efforts. Both the Barus and Cephrit are no longer trading much with us either.’
Steve was still sharp of mind even if his last term as governor had been over twenty years ago, and his next words again confirmed Narindestat’s high opinions of his abilities.
‘So that could also mean that the Barus research efforts, both at Earth and nearby systems, would still be non-existent. Also I would assume that the Tilmud are not patrolling near Earth, let alone further out into the galaxy?’
Narindestat took another sip of tea and reflected for a moment on the beautiful colony they now shared with the humans. Already there were calls amongst the Traders for them to change their way of life to allow for a home world. The captain was also aware that the Traders wanted to chart their own destiny and he knew that at some stage they would leave Barede.
However, he merely expanded on his earlier comments to Steve.
‘The Maveen have asked me to take the Illuria and make another sweep around the adjacent star systems from the colony. We will be taking some of your space fleet personnel with us of course, they will of considerable value and we will be gone for several months at least. The Maveen are implying that we soon will have to settle suitable nearby worlds, however I maintain that the colony still will not be ready for many years yet to start newer colonies.’
Steve gave a wry grin at a politely quiet Samantha before replying to Narindestat’s comments, as obviously the Trader captain had visited for at least two reasons.
‘Well I am expecting a visit from the Maveen Earth probe next week, so I will mention my own concerns of course. Garen has invited Samantha and me over for a meal about the same time, and we will discretely broach the matter then as well. Now as for both of us, we have had a good life, but we are getting old by human standards. Basically if we are still here when you get back it is a bonus, otherwise let us just enjoy this afternoon together.’
The long-lived Trader reflected on his own one thousand year plus life span for several moments, before Samantha got him talking about the latest antics of his grandkids. The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other’s company and reminiscing about their lives at the colony.
***
2100AD Earth
Commander Tony Everson reviewed his cockpit checklist for the final time and gave an acknowledgement to Kennedy Space Centre, who responded with the take off authorization and a message of good luck. Tony and the pilot, Jim Wales, a taciturn Australian lieutenant, were taking the first of the new shuttles, the Intrepid, into space in minutes.
The fourth generation shuttle was three times the length and five times the mass of the original space shuttle, and sat on massive landing skids at the end of the main runway. The powerful delta winged ship was covered in shield technology obtained from the Trader landing fifty years earlier in Australia, and possessed several special shields tightly wrapping the pressurized contents of the fuel tanks. The new shuttle represented a distinct improvement, as the previous third genera
tion of shuttles had made use of shields to protect themselves from high reentry temperatures for the last twenty years, but they had no aero spike engines and also still landed like a conventional airplane.
Tony radioed mission control they were ready to launch and gave Jim a tight grin as he issued the take off order.
‘Jim, we have green across the board and mission control has cleared the take off, take her up into orbit please.’
Jim pressed the launch button on his steering joke, and the Intrepid rose on pillars of fire from her thrusters to a height of three thousand metres, before she quickly transitioned to forward flight. The twin aero spike exhaust plumes rapidly lengthened as the Intrepid accelerated towards space. In twenty minutes, the launch was over and the new shuttle was on course towards the international space dockyard in orbit four hundred kilometres above Earth.
Jim gave Tony a relieved grin and an overview, as he enabled the fail-safes on the take off components of his control yoke.
‘The telemetry will tell the story anyway, but the new ship gave no trouble at all during take off at least. I really think this time we have finally finished with the stacks of rocket boosters we have been using for over one hundred years.”
Tony continued to look out of the cockpit as he replied.
‘Well it is not before time as our reliable access to space has really been letting us down for many years and the rocket stacks are the main problem. At least this time we might keep up with what the World Space Agency wants launched.’
The two men did not talk further apart from system checks as they readied to dock at the massive WSA dockyard. As they approached the dockyard, they could see several lunar and interplanetary ships docked and being readied for further missions. Behind the dockyard, a flight of corvettes conducted another patrol sweep of the dockyard orbit before heading out to high orbit again.
The busy scene was completed by a view the two pilots could see of the moon, her face now a forest of lights as they picked out the main space fleet training university. The two men soon had their docking authorization and returned their attention to the job at hand, as the Intrepid began her maiden docking maneuver.
***
2110AD Barede Colony
The Maveen Earth probe considered the scene unfolding in front of him with quiet but polite interest. The funeral for Steve Greene, the founding governor of the Barede colony, had been impressive apparently by human standards and the probe had been the only one of his race to attend.
The Maveen would soon be seeking to remove themselves from every day human interaction, for as previous bitter experience had shown them, the biological races either became too dependant or eventually attracted the unwelcome attentions of the Zronte themselves. He paid particular attention when Garendestat gave a fitting eulogy, as Garendestat’s father Narindestat was still away on yet another patrol of the several nearby star systems.
As far as the Maveen probe was concerned the Traders, despite their occasional protests, could continue to explore and patrol the surrounding star systems and train the humans in modern technology for many years yet. The Earth lead probe also again reviewed the old report from the now repaired Dradfer lead probe that he had spent many years attempting to verify.
The Dradfer lead probe had been the sole survivor of the Dradfer mission and had fled with a beacon, eventually arriving on Earth and finding the ancient queen and her infant daughters forty thousand years ago. The Maveen did not use active scans in haven systems like Earth, the then well hidden; damaged and hibernating ancient queen had not been detected during the first Maveen visit sixty thousand years ago.
The Earth probe was also concerned that the Dradfer probe had overlooked something, but at this stage it could not identify what that omission could be.
The Maveen Earth probe gave a soft series of sonic calls as Samantha Greene, Steve’s widow, was slowly wheeled over to him in her wheel chair. The probe reflected on the injustice of the universe, were decent life forms either had a fleeting existence or like the Maveen clung to the periphery of the galaxy, whilst long-lived and merciless biological races ruled the rest of the galaxy. Samantha looked up at the massive and now silent Maveen Probe and spoke in a frail and soft voice.
‘Earth probe, thank you for coming to Steve’s funeral today, you must know he held you in high regard as we all do.’
Samantha fell silent and one of her daughters rested a caring hand on her shoulder as the Maveen probe softly replied in his metallic voice.
‘Governor Greene was a great man, and to borrow a human term I considered him a friend. His legacy and your legacy are this world and the second chance it represents for your race. I hope that he can rest well in that knowledge.’
Samantha gave him a softly whispered thank you and was wheeled away, as Garendestat stood still for several moments and eyed the Earth probe before speaking.
‘Earth probe, that was a passable attempt at biological empathy and I am impressed with your efforts. So do you have any further updates for us on when we will be permitted to leave the colony to their own endeavors?’
The Maveen probe did not even give a buzz of annoyance as it replied.
‘Garendestat, your races’ work here is impressive but far from complete. I will advise you when the time for the Traders to leave arises.’
The Maveen did not await a reply and slowly lifted off using his thrusters into the afternoon sky. He set a course for a smaller offshore island his race was using as a meeting point, and the probe considered his own work at the colony was completed now for the time being. He was still seeking to answer a specific question, and he needed to speak at length with the sector delegate and the Dradfer probe at the Hydros interstellar marshalling point.
So how had both the ancient queen and the then Stone Age humans survived what had occurred in nearby space forty thousand years ago?
***
2110AD Jerecab space
Commodore Baunrus stroked the long whiskers on his muzzle in contemplation as he viewed the latest intelligence reports with optimism. He continued his contemplation as he absent-mindedly brushed his long rudder-like tail free of the toxic green dander that covered the otherwise brown and grey fur on his otter-like body.
For the reports continued to state what most Jerecab starship captains had known for many years. The Cephrit-Tilmud war had seriously depleted the number of ships that either side could field in this part of the Carinae sector. Quietly the commodore was hoping that the Cephrit would eventually flatten the Tilmud, as the evil-tempered and vicious Tilmud were both genuine competitors and located closer to the Red Jerecab than the milder natured Cephrit. One of the lieutenants from naval intelligence now raised his fleet sash and gave a careful bow. The commodore raised a fur covered paw in assent and the lieutenant began to speak.
‘Most honorable Commodore, the best indication we have on fleet losses over the last sixty years is that the Tilmud fleet is down to twenty percent and the Cephrit fleet is at fifty percent of the pre-war levels. We predict a comfortable Cephrit victory in another thirty years or so. The rebuilding time for both fleets is close to one hundred years, with the Cephrit fleet becoming the most dangerous at that time.’
Commodore Baunrus looked over the data with satisfaction as he raised eyes around the room and the junior officers, and ensured that they paid him full deference by making each of them bow in turn. He calmly spoke and the assembled officers were careful to take notes and to offer valued questions, never criticisms, of the Commodore’s orders.
***
Twenty light years from the Eta Carinae binary system, 7500 light years from Earth
Flag Captain Stiderio slowly paced the dozen strides it took to reach one side of his cruiser’s bridge and turned to repeat the effort. Like all Barus, he was three metres tall and covered in dense brown fur, which he absently rubbed on his shoulders in a habit shared by all in his race. He had erect ears and a domed skull that was fronted by a smaller cat-like muzzle devo
id of whiskers.
Stiderio was an avid academic, despite being in the military, and he had read with considerable interest all about the new race of humans that the Barus Institute had worked on recently. Stiderio paused for a moment as he wondered how his fleet colleagues, Gindane and Omerio and their ships, were fairing in their own important assignments.
The Barus senior officer bared pointed teeth as he continued to think, and his large brown eyes more than hinted at intelligence and compassion, as well as the concern he was now feeling. Now he was wishing his small research fleet was elsewhere, even the remote solar system of the humans, and the reason was plainly drawn on the main view screen at the front of the cruiser’s bridge.
The screen showed the converging course of the two massive stars that formed the Eta Carina system or as the Barus had named it long ago, the White Demon system. The combined heft of the binary star system was over two hundred times the mass of his home star Bar, or over one hundred sixty solar masses, as the humans referred to their own distant star.
Stiderio knew that years earlier the orbits of the two white demon stars had been assessed as being highly unstable due to the mass frequently ejected by the larger star. The previous survey he led ten years earlier had watched from several light years away as the smaller companion star had lost considerable orbital momentum at the outermost point of its eccentric orbit. The senior captain now reviewed aloud several key sentences in the earlier survey report.
‘The change had been caused by the star plowing heavily into the innermost accretion ring around the binary pair of stars. The impact of the star had caused huge rents to be torn into the accretion ring, and an enormous flare of blue light had erupted as the star quickly gathered up masses of hydrogen and helium.’