NEBULAR Collection 3 - Morgotradon: Episodes 12 - 16

by Thomas Rabenstein

  »Hangar Chief to command central,« Sergeant Major Jack le Roy called in.

  »Report, Chief!« Petrow replied aloud.

  »Commander, we were only able to collect one drone, a photometric unit that orbited Pluto at least once. It searched Pluto’s surface for artificial structures. The picture resolution is one square meter at 10 kilometers altitude. Well … you better sit down, Sir … the drone found something! Transferring pictures to the onboard computer for analysis!«

  Petrow and Nemov looked at each other in surprise. Both men could feel the tension rise in the command central.

  »What did you find?« Petrow demanded.

  »Lieutenant Millar, here!« the reconnaissance data specialist hailed. »Sir? … You want to see that for yourself. I’ll have the data on the central holo in a moment …«

  Ten seconds later, the central holo flickered. The readout indicated that it was showing the drone’s highest 3D presentation.

  Petrow and Nemov almost leaped from their seats. The holo image stabilized. Kushenko cried out in surprise and looked at Petrow, flustered.

  »I don’t believe it!«

  There’s a solution to every problem

  When the Nova-Hawk reached Mars orbit, it was bombarded with radio calls. Finally strong radio station contacted the Techno-Ferry via a secure channel. It identified itself as Mars Space Surveillance, operated by Mars colonists.

  »Who the hell are you and where did you come from, all of a sudden?« an operator demanded grouchily. »Your Hawk wasn’t announced! Can’t you outer-sector knuckleheads follow procedures? We almost didn’t identify your Hawk in time. The Mars interceptors from Phobos were almost in space! You barely escaped getting your asses blown off, you Spacewillies!«

  Mars colonists traditionally had a tough attitude, after decades as hard working pioneers. They weren’t careful about how they addressed other terrestrials. They saw themselves as elite. They were overdoing it sometimes, but nobody in the solar system denied the fact that these people had terraformed and cultivated Mars despite the planet’s harsh environments.

  »From one knucklehead to another: If you’d attacked us then you’d be in deep shit!« Arkroid snapped back undiplomatically, applying the same language as the speaker on Mars.

  »Who is this?« the operator or space surveillance officer wanted to know with a commanding voice.

  »This is Union Fleet Inspector Nemo onboard the Nautilus, an experimental Hawk. We’re on an inspection flight throughout the solar system. Part of our mission is to evaluate your space surveillance procedures and operations.«

  The operator was silent for a moment.

  »Union Fleet Inspector Nemo on the Nautilus? Are you bullshitting me?« he asked mockingly. »I read books, too, you know?«

  »Watch your language and don’t play games with me, officer. Do not test my patience! Where can we land?« Arkroid replied imperiously. »We intend to visit Mars Port and spend some time in the colony.«

  »We? Did I hear correctly?« the operator asked. »Exactly how many bodies are on board your unannounced Hawk?«

  »Inspectors Larissa Mendez and Major Franco Lubini are with me. We’re under direct Fleet command!«

  It took a moment until the operator returned with, »I can’t find a ship by that name in the Fleet registry! Same goes for any Inspector Nemo. I’ll have to verify you with Fleet HQ!«

  »Well, you can try that, but you won’t be very successful. Our inspection flights are not made public,« Arkroid rebutted. »We’re testing colonial defense forces and their procedures under real conditions. Standby for authorization code … and you keep your lips tight, is that clear?«

  The operator, or officer, who hadn’t identified himself, swallowed hard enough to be heard over the comm-link.

  »… but our conversation …«

  »Doesn’t exist. We’re using a directional comm-beam with special code characteristics suitable for your radio equipment. Nobody else can hear this!«

  It took a moment before the man replied, »Your authorization was accepted!«

  »I told you so … and now, I’d like to land this ship. Send me a beacon. Your colony is growing faster than my map-updates. A lot has changed since my last visit.«

  Arkroid had put arrogance in his voice, which seemed to impress the radio operator.

  »Here’s the beacon! Please note that you are not permitted to fly over populated areas or to approach Mars Port from the South … been a while since a Hawk landed here. The colonists will be pretty pissed off, if you stir up too much dust with your thrusters. Keep that in mind!«

  »Understood!« “Nemo” acknowledged and cut the link.

  »Nemo?« Vasina asked with annoyance. She was Arkroid’s co-pilot.

  »Well, normally names are like sand in the wind. I didn’t expect to find somebody on Mars who’s familiar with the story, written by Jules Verne.«

  »I don’t know the story,« Vasina replied, »but that was pretty chancy. Why are we using pseudonyms anyway?«

  Inspector Nemo, aka Toiber Arkroid, sighed.

  »We still don’t know who the agitator is, but we suspect somebody in the higher echelons. If he or she finds out about us, he’d take defensive measures. At the very least he agitator would be warned and that much harder to unmask.«

  »I still can’t believe what McCord did to me! We’ve been friends since childhood. I trusted him! How can he just declare me dead and scoop up my empire?« Fosset complained. He sounded depressed. As Major Franco Lubini, he was no longer recognizable as Hugh Fosset. Nok’s make-up and masking specialists had done their work well.

  »He’s not the same person anymore,« Vasina answered for Arkroid. »The McCord you remember and trusted is long dead!«

  »Techno-Ferry, how long can you maintain the Hawk’s shape?« Arkroid addressed the ship.

  »As long as we need it. Even if the colonists come on board for an inspection, they won’t see any difference from a real Hawk. Even the typical Hawk energy signature is duplicated.«

  Arkroid nodded, impressed.

  »You’re a very versatile and intelligent ship,« he commented.

  »Thank you Toiber. I really like the new name, you gave me. It sounds … cosmic. If you wish then I’ll enter the name Nautilus permanently into my systems.«

  Arkroid grinned. He had intended to use the name Nautilus only for this mission; but if the Techno-Ferry liked it, he would make it the ship’s official name.

  »That’s a great idea. High time you were baptized anyway.«

  »Baptized?« Nautilus inquired.

  »Baptizing a ship; an old terrestrial tradition. Every ship was given a name before it made contact with the water. We’ve kept the tradition for spaceships.«

  »So did we,« Vasina added. She was still struggling to get used to her mission name, Larissa Mendez.

  »That shows how closely Humans and Progonauts are related. Things like that can’t be pure coincidence.«

  Vasina didn’t reply.

  »Beacon received; I’m initiating landing procedures,« Nautilus announced. »I’m not using the usual defense shields or levitation force fields, though; the colonists would notice that immediately.«

  Arkroid and Vasina looked at each other in surprise. The Techno-Ferry seemed to be one step ahead of the game..

  »I will, however, employ a very tight energy shield, simulating the Hawk’s heat shields … a fascinating exercise. I have calculated some new design parameters for atmospheric flights. Those should also be able to improve your future Hawks.

  »Well then!« Arkroid smiled and looked over to Paafnas. Paaf, fully recovered from the harsh conditions on the portal planet, activated the restraining mechanism, which pulled him softly into his seat.

  Vasina watched the approach with clenched teeth.

  »How do we explain our new friend to the Mars authorities?« she asked sharply.

  Arkroid just smiled.

  »There’s a solution to every problem!« he replied mysteriously.


  Battle Stations

  »What is that?« Natasha asked again.

  Petrow rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn’t expected to find this.

  »Not something the Globs would do!« he responded in awe. »It’s a flag! It must have been brought here by an unmanned lander and installed on Pluto!« Nemov guessed. »It’s the flag of the former Russian Federation, before it was reorganized in 2020. You can see the probe’s landing gear!«

  »An age-old surveillance probe on Pluto? Who knew?« Petrow added.

  »It must be one of the many unmanned probes which were sent out in 2015. We still had nation-states on Earth back then, and they were competing in space.«

  »Unbelievable,« Natasha breathed. »Can you imagine how much that flag would be worth today? We should recover it and donate it to a museum.«

  »No! We leave it where it is,« Petrow announced seriously. »It’s a historic artifact! Besides, we have other priorities. The flag symbolizes the great achievements of our forefathers; something we can still be proud of today.«

  Pluto disappeared in the distance while the Blue Moon continued on her flight path. The ship flew with incredible speed, thanks to the inertia damper, toward the Kuiper Belt – the sector that seemed to be under Globuster control.

  »Anatoli … Battle Stations for the gunners, round the clock from now on – same for the scanner section. There’re too many asteroids, comet fragments and matter chunks in the neighborhood. We also need to update our data banks on Kuiper Objects, while we’re here.«

  Nemov nodded and issued orders.

  »Weapon reactors on line, lasers ready for action!« he reported three minutes later. »We can fire at a nano’s notice. Well, we can blast some small asteroids away, anyway. Success against the Globs is another story.«

  Nemov had whispered the last sentence, for Petrow’s ears only.

  Petrow grinned.

  »Don’t be so pessimistic, Anatoli,« he whispered back.

  Petrow was well aware that their enemy on Sedna was far superior.

  The Fleet’s high density combat lasers had not been successful against a Globuster ship to date, but they gave the crew a feeling of confidence.

  »We’ll see, Anatoli … we’ll see!« he commented and leaned back in his commander’s seat.

  Control yourself

  Once t he Hawk had landed, the dome that sealed the landing field from the Martian environment closed, and the area was again flooded with oxygen . With the pressure equalized, the Hawk’s underside airlock opened. Two men and a woman left the ship and walked quickly to the entrance to the reception lobby.

  »What’s your name?« Arkroid asked Vasina sharply .

  »I’m not a bloody novice, Arkroid! I was going on covert missions when your people were still skinning wild animals to keep from freezing to death in the winter!«

  Arkroid chuckled and glanced behind him.

  »Are you there , Paafnas?« he asked the empty space .

  »I’m directly behind you, Toiber. This disguise field generator works perfectly. Your ship is extraordinary, you have my respect,« Paafnas answered via comm-link.

  »My thanks, Paaf!« replied Nautilus . The ship had established a constant comm-link to the group’s tiny devices. The earpieces and microphones were a marvel of micro- technology, in visible to the naked eye. In Arkroid’s case, the components were hidden in small ear rings. Vasina’s jewelry pieces, a pair of large, golden earrings set with diamonds and a five-stringed, arrowhead-shaped necklace with seven two-centimeter center stones, were master pieces and genuine eye catchers. Fosset’s comm-gear looked dull in comparison, thick nickel-framed spectacles with automatically adjusting visor lenses. His microphone and ear piece were built into the frame. All the jewelry pieces, and as well as the spectacles, had a micro 3-D camera for video recording purposes. Nautilus received the signals and kept in contact via an undetectable frequency . Nautilus had also produced a small, portable disguise shield generator for Paafnas, so he could move about undetected. The shield could not, however, prevent Paaf from being bumped into. He had to be very cautious not to run into any body and to stay out of people’s way. Inadvertent contact could have dire consequences.

  »Will you be on Mars more than a week?« Arkroid was interviewed by a stockily built, Mongolian-looking officer. His dark blue uniform and colonial flashes identified him as a member of the Mars Security Agency.

  »No, not that long. We’re here on assignment,« Arkroid handed over his ID documents.

  »Holy sandstorm!« the captain blurted. »A Fleet Inspector with Union Government privileges!«

  Passengers off a flight from Earth were queuing up, and overheard the captain’s surprised yell. They all looked curiously at the group of inspectors .

  »Why don’t you advertise it on holo, so everybody on Mars Port knows about us and annoys us with stupid questions?« Arkroid, alias Nemo, suggested dryly .

  The captain did not appear to have a sense of humor.

  »It doesn’t matter who you are; you’ll be treated like anybody else. There’s no special treatment on my watch!« the security officer barked at Arkroid, and looked like he was trying to stare him down.

  Arkroid didn’t care. He stared back .

  »What kind of name is that anyway … Nemo? I’ve heard that name before somewhere …«

  »… it’s a terrestrial name!« Vasina interrupted; she put a seductive undertone in her voice, flashed a warm smile and all but batted her eyes. »Though even on Earth, it raises eyebrows.«

  Stunned, the captain looked into Vasina’s wide, sky-blue eyes … then he smiled.

  »Really, Ma’am … and who might you be?«

  »I’m Fleet Inspector Larissa Mendez,« she replied softly and presented her ID. »We’d be grateful if we could keep the formalities to a minimum. We’re really tired out from our flight in from the outer sectors, and we just want to find a hotel. We’re so happy to be among civilized people again. We’ll certainly mention your friendly welcome and professionalism in our daily report!«

  The captain’s eyes momentarily flashed with pride and he wasted no time issuing ID chip cards to each inspector.

  »Okay … just show these at the next ID check, down the corridor. There’ll be no further delays. I’ll transfer your luggage to the Olympus Mons Hotel … only the best for Government Inspectors!«

  »You’re so kind,« Vasina whispered at him, leaning a bit forward so he could get a whiff of her perfume and a deeper, if brief, glance at her cleavage .

  Arkroid, Fosset and Vasina took the glittering passes and nodded to the captain thankfully. Their luggage was piled on a high-speed conveyor belt to be processed and transported. It would be at the hotel waiting for them.

  »I can’t believe you played the flirt card,« Fosset whispered to Vasina.

  »I don’t know what you mean by “flirt card ”. I’ve simply noticed that you male Human s, can be very … manipulable, so-to-speak,« she laughed and picked up the pace.

  »It’s just the opposite with Pleunatans!« the team heard Paafnas whispering in their comm-devices. »But that’s probably because there are at least three times as many females than males on Pleunat.«

  »A true paradise,« Arkroid replied mutedly, with a grin .

  »It is, Toiber. Imagine far-reaching wetlands with huge bogs, smelling like rotting vegetation … and then the methane swamps … so beautiful!«

  »Enough, Paaf, I’m getting homesick!« Arkroid replied with a wink at Vasina, who just frowned at Arkroid’s humor .

  »What’s our plan? Where are we going now?« she changed the subject .

  Arkroid felt that when Vasina’s golden eyes had been changed with contact lenses to sky-blue, she had lost some of her radiance.

  »As we discussed … we’ll take the subway to Elysium Place in the center of the colony dome, where the first colonists landed on Mars. Then to the Olympus Mons Hotel, the same place where McCord will stay. Nautilus has calculated that it’ll take McCord anoth
er two hours to get to Mars. We’ll be ready and waiting for him.«

  »What does he want here?« Fosset asked tensely. He seemed nervous about meeting McCord again after what his former friend had done to him.

  Arkroid looked around for Paafnas. He couldn’t see him, but he knew that Paaf would be close by.

  He signaled Fosset and Vasina to come closer.

  »I didn’t mention it to Nok, but when I heard that McCord left his abode on Oberon …«

  »… his abode?« Fosset cut in angrily.

  »… okay, your abode, Hugh … for a trip to Mars , my bells went off,« Arkroid said.

  »What do you mean?« Vasina and Fosset asked at the same time.

  Arkroid looked over his shoulder, but there were no other passengers near by.

  »If McCord has left the safety of the Oberon base for Mars, then there must be a reason for it. Uranus, like Neptune, is located in the outer sectors where he’s been manipulating Union activities for the last few months. This bothers me a lot. He’s got something up his sleeve. I’m thinking he’s planning an attack of some sort.«

  Fosset shrugged.

  »I would have stayed on Oberon in his place. It’s the ideal control center for him. He can run my entire empire from there.«

  Arkroid nodded in agreement.

  »Exactly. That’s what made me wonder. My gut tells me that he knows what he’s doing and that his visit to Mars is part of a thoroughly thought out plan.«

  Vasina pointed out an approaching ground transportation bus. These small busses, large enough to hold twenty people, traveled at high speeds on magnetic levitation rails that connected all the lines with each other. Several large hubs allowed passenger transfers from one line to the other.

  »Let’s continue the discussion in the hotel,« Vasina suggested. »Is there always so much police presence in the colonies?«