Greener Green I: Where Does the Circle Begin

by Peter Sowatskey

  About an hour later Derek announced the Captain and he walked in saying, “That phone booth is sure a handy doorway. We need some of those around the HQ, don’t we Hortimer. Captain T, so good to meet you. Your ships had the old boys upset for a while. But all ended well. Oh my, you have views from the Stations. Let me just look for a moment.”

  He watched the four walls in turn and I watched him. He was about my height, 5 feet 10, and somewhat thick around the middle. He had on the Ranger uniform including the atomics, which I’m sure he knew how to use. He had short hair and a rounded face. I searched for the word to describe him and settled on totally competent, totally present time, waiting, not pushy. He caught a glimpse of the view origination being changed from ship to station which showed a stubby cargo runabout and said, “Freeze frame. I know that number. That’s First-Tech Tildore Secallo. Don’t tell me he is here.”

  I said, “Actually he’s out on a training exercise, but he’ll be back in four days.”

  “I’d sure like to talk with him. Anyone from back there is rare. The last one from your ‘moon’ passed through many star shifts ago. That was way before your time Hortimer.”

  I thought to ask when but I realized the answer would contain too many zeros to be meaningful. I introduced him to the people he didn’t know and he said to the Commanders, “Reissues too?”

  I said politely, “We’re all reissues here, in some manner or other. Won’t you have a seat Captain? Food, Drink, Derek will have about anything on hand.”

  He said, “Humor me, some Texans came through, sometime, and they said ‘If you ever get back ask for some Buffalo wings and beer’. I’m asking.”

  “Derek, bring out several baskets, and beer all around.”

  “For real? I thought maybe they were having a joke on me. They weren’t awfully reverent.”

  “For real. Now Captain, let me get to the question which brings you most of the way across the galaxy.”

  “Please do.”

  “Tildore who is known as Rafe now, says the other stations went out of phase when the rebellion occurred.”

  “That’s right.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means they shifted into another continuum, another Galaxy, which is out of phase to this one.”

  “Any way to contact them?”

  “There would be from my office. But when I bit on the pill I pushed the self destruct. Someone may have overridden it, supposed to make sure, but I had a hesitation on being blown to bits when I was dying. Only thing, my office is, was in the center of the station. From what I can see from the footage, and what I saw in the feeds on the Battleship that’s not a healthy place anymore. But if we got to the office and it was intact and powerable I would have to think of the codes. I haven’t done so. There’s probably some proscription built in my mind.”

  I looked questionably at the Commanders.”

  Paula said, “Standard procedure, press to much, collapse to early childhood, wiping out the entire personality and standard memory banks. Delicate to get around but not a huge problem. We’ve had zero failure rates on the procedure. Being as we two will be in on the attack I’ll pass the task on to Betty Trill. She will be here 0900 tomorrow.”

  “Thank you. I think that’s about it for me today. Captain, when you’re ready to retire Derek will show you to a suite along the corridor. Meanwhile, why don’t you show the Rangers something new, Gina?”

  “Of course.”

  I went to my suite, lay on the bed without taking anything off, and contemplated the balls I had in motion. They were considerable in number and I had them all under control. After a while I stood, took everything off, and crawled between my silky sheets, naked.

  Chapter 19

  RAFE

  Nerre’ and I returned to the ARK at noon on the day before Mission Day, I felt I was ready for everything and Nerre’ agreed. We’d packed our bag and back pack this morning because we were to change to other Frigates which had been loaded with special munitions. We had been receiving coded messages as to what munitions and how they were to be used. I was confident on that account too. We docked in the hanger and took our bags to the newly assigned Frigates and met up at the exit.

  “Thelma says a moment of our time if it pleases us. I think she just wants to see us to make sure we enjoyed our vacation.”

  We went directly to Thelma’s offices looking forward to seeing her and mixing with the other Mission participants before the final Mission briefing at 1700.

  Derek showed us into the inner offices and Thelma rose from behind a large desk to greet us, “My, you two look good. I hope you marked the L/L of your island. Just a guess. That’s what I would have done.”

  She looked like she was in her element. Like she had during our first plane ride, diving to Earth.

  IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU RAFE. WE’LL ESCAPE TO THE HABITAT WHEN THIS SKIRMISH IS OVER, PROMISE.

  I JUST NEED A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME RAFE TO MEET AN OLD COMRADE OF YOURS, CAPTAIN PRESTRILLO. NERRE’ KNOWS THE DETAILS. I’VE JUST TOLD HER.

  She grabbed me and wrapped her arms around me and I her and we kissed deeply. She then said, “Now go win a battle. See you both at 1700.”

  She had on her field uniform with sidearm so we saluted, about faced, and left. Out in the corridor Nerre’ guided me to my left. Some zigs and zags later she knocked on a door and entered as a booming voice bid us to.

  “Tildore, it’s good to see you again. You were always so busy. I don’t imagine you remember the time my whole office was off line?”

  “Yes I do. Should have told you then it was sabotage. But I guess you knew.”

  “Yes, I knew. You must be anxious to go to your briefing. I’ve come back here from Ranger HQ. They want me to go inside the derelict and see what’s still functional. I said I would, but after seeing you I’m going to put off that pleasure until you return. I think you and I together would stand a better chance for a good outcome.”

  “That’s probably true Sir. I’ll take along a recorder and see how much more I can come up with in my spare time.’

  “That would be excellent. Well see you then.”

  We saluted each other. The method hadn’t changed much, odd that?

  More zigs and zags led us to the Briefing Room near the War Room. We were the last ones to arrive and had been holding up a tour of the War Room. We all fell in line behind an Ensign and were marched through so many desks and displays and people doing something serious to arrive at the center of the room which was a three dimensional reproduction of the solar system. Off to one side I noticed another 3-D view. The Ensign was saying that the second one was 1580 and would be enlarged during action tomorrow. I looked around for the person in charge. No one was evident. Nerre’ saw my puzzled look and said, “We’re all linked, all telepaths, no one needs to be in charge. We know the mission and that’s Thelma’s chair over there. Of course she never uses it.”

  I thought ‘that’s my Thelma’, and heard affectionate laughter in my head. We wound around work stations and out and back to the briefing room where we were given packets.

  The Ensign said, “Read them, any questions ask.”

  I read, USA Heidi-low cover with Commander Turquill/ Helga-high cover with Stan and Eve///AUSTRALIA, me- low cover with Commander Paula/ Nerre’ high cover with Willard and Joan. I thought about Willard and Joan and back to something Thelma had said, no sexual preference out among the stars. That they were serving together seemed fitting. Way up high cover would be a new rail gun/ carrier dock. All together it had over 500 fighters. The sheet said the main guns would burn down to the molten layer if fully engaged. I didn’t want to be in the way. It was starting to look like overkill but we weren’t involved in a Polo match. Everyone was studying their packets. Thelma came in at 1700 and gave a rip roaring go get them speech, which got a lot of applause and a group salute. Then everyone went back to their packets. Something was bothering me. I finally realized it was the camouflage. There we
ren’t any four masters in 1580. I located Nerre’, explained the problem, settled on Chinese cargo Junk as camouflage and she said it would be remedied. One by one folks found their answers and then satisfied went off to their ships. It would be the first time in nine days that Nerre’ and I weren’t in each other’s pockets. She left and later I looked up and it was only Commander Paula and me.

  I asked, “Ready to go do it?”

  “Been ready.”

  I guess that’s what eternity does for you, unending life, short answers. That wasn’t a twitch I saw on her lips? I carefully retraced my steps to our bird and let us in.

  I said, “I’ve been using the right cabin. Can you do with the left? They’re both the same.”

  “Left is fine. Take off 0600, right. See you then.”

  I went forward and sat in the left seat for a moment. The sensors said everything was ready. Go sleep stupid. It might be your last chance in this life.

  My alarm clock said ‘wake up’. I could have set for it drill sergeant mode. I didn’t like the Army that much, never had.

  Particulars done, 0545 caught me in the left seat munching on an energy bar and drinking coffee, I know, I metabolized quick.

  At 0600 I sensed a motion behind me and Paula said, “I’m just going to get familiar with these seats. I haven’t had the time to get in one of these before. We’re lifting now aren’t we?”

  Belatedly I realized the autos were getting us out of the ship.

  “Yes, quite, there’s a 'teach me' button 12 high, enjoy.”

  Once out of the Ark's vicinity, I switched on the auto-pilot. Australia, here we come.

  She enjoyed, Nav-weapons-right seat by 0800.

  By 0900 I had to go answer natures call, so I said, “Combat mode requires a person at the controls. Take them. I’ll be back.”

  I knew the ship wouldn’t accept her unsupervised guidance if it didn’t find her qualified. It did. I took a long break.

  Back at the controls and coming onto target point I said, “Most respectfully, Paula, you would be useful at Nav calling out the action points.”

  “Yes, Rafe, don’t hesitate to tell me what to do if I miss a cue.”

  “I won't.”

  1000 hours found us stacked over the target at 80,000 feet, Reg ship below, then me, and Nerre’ above, no communications allowed. Behind me Paula said, “Deep capsule jumpers away.”

  Three minutes down, three minutes underground depth burn, one minute containment field set-up.

  About the time I was thinking it wasn’t going to be any worse than a Saturday night at the Rest, Paula said, “No response to intrusion. Deep bore team holding. Surface capsule jumpers away.”

  Maybe they were being cagey. “Any emissions of any kind?”

  “Other than usual Earth noises, no.

  I hit the send. "They’re awake, they’re riding background Earth noises. Trying to ascertain frequency and code. They’re awake, they’re awake.”

  Paula said, “I missed that one Rafe.”

  The magnified back ground noises gradually changed to intelligible voice and then to what we understood.

  “Paula, retransmit that to the company commander.”

  “Reg to cover, perimeter complete.”

  I descended from 80,000 to 3,000 feet in two seconds and started the preprogrammed firing sequence. What had been a peaceful, native appearing encampment started to erupt with the 500 pound bombs that shot out of the ship’s launcher tubes. Not as many were exploding as were dropped.

  I transmitted, “Some sort of dampeners being used. No sense me dropping any more”

  The screen in front of me registered the hits and the damage. There were more natives than a moment ago. I transmitted, “Deep holes, they're using single charge Plasma Rifles, estimate 200-W.”

  I saw that Paula had found the holes and was using the 25,000-W Plasma cannon to good effect. The 500 yard perimeter was once again closing.

  Then I heard the deep bore team, “Reactors firing up. Absorbers at max inflow rate, 5% power escaping.

  That’s when I saw the perimeter stop closing.

  “Paula said, "They’re using personal force fields, the projectile weapons aren’t effective.”

  “Keep going with the cannon. That’s making the difference now. If too many get out of the holes we’re done for. I’m going to try a vacuum bomb at 5 meters depth. It went down and did its job, a big crater. I ejected one after the other and the crater got bigger. Their suits started flickering from the energy I was draining from them about the time I ran out of the bombs. The suits came back on again. We could keep the cannon going indefinitely but it wasn’t making the big difference.

  I saw that the Regs perimeter ranks had thinned to about half. We weren’t winning.

  Nerre’ saw also and started unloading her vacuum bombs from her perch. The velocity from that high drove them deep into the Earth and the crater grew to four times across and 100 feet deep and going down more each explosion. It was hand to hand now and the new Battle suits held the perimeter but weren’t useful against three defenders. Finally the Reg commander said, “Fall back.’

  The powered battle suits enabled anyone standing to retreat quickly. Then around an outer perimeter I saw the disrupters light up and start closing. When contact was made the enemy gave way to the gaps between the disrupters to meet the disintegrators, which didn’t make any sound or light. All things just became nothing in front of them.

  Finally the deep bore team transmitted, “Reactor contained. Commencing drop back----completed, we’re coming out.”

  Fifteen flares quickly burnt out. Their trajectory made them land clear of any action. Nerre’ ran out of bombs. The crater was over two hundred feet deep and at least seventy five feet wide.

  The enemy finally figured out the disintegrators about the time their suits flared out. With the enemy unshielded, Paula was able to burn most of the remaining. She desisted when our troops got too close. Those left were forced back and into the crater.

  I transmitted, “W/P in crater, stand clear.”

  The Regs backed away from the rim and I unloaded 5, two hundred pounders into the hole. Next world bound for them I thought. I needed a drink of water. Paula handed it to me, without being asked, telepaths in my head, Essences too.

  She said, “Yes, we all do.”

  “Alright with me. I have no secrets.”

  YES, YOU DO

  Suddenly Paula’s hand gripped my shoulder and she started to transmit on the command frequency, “Developing emergency situation---too immediate to explain---Regs, leave anybody who isn’t walking and get out---Nerre’ do emergency battlefield pickup---high/high cover if you’re needed for back-up in USA get behind the Moon, if not slip out now.”

  I added in my best command voice, “Get it done! Comm Stop now!”

  She then slid into the right seat, pushed the ‘take control button’ and we headed for India at maximum speed. After all of that she relaxed a bit and said, “Auto plot, execute Cameo 1.”

  She turned to me and said, “There was no time to waste. I sent a burst to Thelma with details. Thirty miles away from the site we just hit, an alien life form is growing. It was not growing before our visit so we must assume that it’s growing because we visited. I thought it prudent to stand off and observe.”

  “You acted exactly as I would have and no doubt your method of communication carries more data in less time than mine.”

  “I also sent a report on the attack.”

  The ship abruptly turned on a South heading, I said, “We’ll be breaking back toward Australia shortly and setting down off shore. Can you sense over the horizon?”

  “I left part of me back there to observe.”

  “Oh, is everybody clear?”

  “Yes, clear and gone. Now we need only wait.”

  Thirty minutes later Paula said, “It has stopped growing. Oh, now it has transmitted a powerful high frequency directional burst West North West. And now it has starte
d to die. That is ever so tricky. Small low frequency variation in the Earths back ground chatter, growing starts, eventually signal sent, sender dies, practically non-detectable.”

  I asked, “What do we do now, Paula?”

  “We think, evaluate, try to figure out what has happened, and maybe extrapolate their next move.”

  “Since the signal has been sent aren’t we done here?"

  “Not just yet, some observations: it seems that the number 30 has some special significance, days to report, thirty minutes grow time here. That’s inconclusive but bears remembering. What’s not inconclusive is the DNA of the enemy fighters. I took readings. It does not match any reptile on Earth now. It is a closer match to DNA Thelma brought back from 20th century museum, DNA records of small dinosaurs. There are some additions to the basic strand, which we do not have in the data base. Regardless, from that one could conclude that the ANNU KI have been on Earth for a very long time and developed a civilization from reptiles in pre-historic times. Who knows how many civilizations they have developed and enslaved just here on Earth? Thelma will send a burst telepathic message of the Mission Debriefing, but regardless I think we should stay here fifteen days at least.”

  “Makes sense to me. We can work on my Space Station recall. That will be the next mission and the more I remember the better off the Captain and I will be.” But I have a question about your order which set the Emergency pick-up in motion. You ordered 'Emergency Battlefield Pick-up. What's that? I didn't get briefed on that."

  Paula drew her legs up under and got comfortable and said, "I don't know why you didn't get briefed on that order. I will look into the oversight. But to answer your question we need you to think back to your briefing on Med Deck where it was explained to you how incoming wounded were treated. I see you remember. That's the procedure when the Frigates pick-up one, or a group of our wounded. But the procedure of what I initiated is much different, and rarely used. When you pick-up a whole battlefield you get everybody. When they're off loaded they're still fighting. So the off load point is into a bay on the hull of the ARKs. It contains a gas which will knock out anything which breathes, whether one breathes or not. It, the gas, is also absorbed through the mucous membranes. For those who don't breathe there are sonic wave transmitters which will render an elephant unconscious. Then Med Techs go in and sort out the situation. If, for some reason, the situation is not sortable the whole bay is blown off the hull and disintegrated and we go the essence route. Clear?"