When the black object, which appeared to be about twenty kilometers in diameter, blocked most of the suns activity from my view a message came, from Marion? I listened in disbelief.
“Don’t panic and run Jill. We need to approach gradually to match your different wavelengths. We enter into the same time sequence you’re in that way. Without the time 'fix' we’d just wander through the ages.”
“But you’re dead.”
“No, and yes. The part of me separate from my ship, ceased to be for a brief moment. But I have grown another body for you to view.”
“Same impatience?”
“Maybe a bit more. I wasn’t very tolerant of your lack of experience, was I?”
“Let’s not dwell on that. I’m happy to have my big sister back. What do you want me to do?”
Harkness’s voice came out of the speaker, or at least the voice I imagined I’d hear when we were grandparents together.
“Jill, you’ve been kept in the dark about a lot of things. I promise to explain shortly.”
“Do what you have to. I’m going to share a drink with Junior. We’ll be here.”
Four months and eleven days after they’d gone in system a ball of energy parked itself about one hundred kilometers from me. Marion’s ship separated from it, and approached me and locked itself onto mine. They came aboard. I watched them on various screens as they approached the Mess.
They were dressed in Ranger black. I’d designed a dark green uniform in a moment of fancy and had it on, along with Marion’s gun belt for the occasion.
I saluted them as they entered the Mess and they returned my salute.
“Welcome to the here and now. What there is of it anyway?"
Harkness walked up and hugged me. I hugged him back and noticed an odd solidness; he’d never had before. Marion and I hugged too, similar solidness. It wasn’t my Marion, but it was Marion again, still I had reservations.
Harkness said, “Ah, you’ve set up Canadian whiskey, which never saw Canada, but who has. Let’s drink a toast, to what we’re going to kick their asses with.”
“What is it anyway?”
“A weapon. We’re going to put it in orbit around Bren.”
I was sure I had had a few too many already but I asked, “What’s it capable of?”
“It’s energy. Energy that can be directed to assume any position in space. Where its energy is, nothing else can exist, because whatever energy is in what it touches, it draws that energy out and into its self. It’s as simple as that. We control it from Marion’s ship”
“Let’s not avoid anymore the fact that both of you are dead, you’re both dead.”
“Dead and gone. Resurrected and here again. Marion saved only a spark of me, which she nurtured. She’s good at nurturing.”
Marion spoke, “I’ll blush, if I remembered to include blushing in my last make over. Jill, I’m my ship. My ship supports me aboard yours, and elsewhere. But foremost I’m my ship. Harkness is the energy weapon, but he’s here.”
“I’ll figure it out later. Let’s get Junior and have a party.”
I awoke on the fourth day of our party feeling replete. I’d never thought that word before but that was what I was, replete. We’d enjoyed ourselves in every way that we could think of. Harkness stirred beside me, “Ready to get on with it?”
“Yes, let’s do it.”
“Marion will meet us in the Nav room, also Junior.”
We were leaving Junior have the run of the ship. Only doors, which he could get into trouble behind, simply wouldn’t open for him.
When we arrived in the Nav room Marion was showing Junior where we were and where Bren was. He glanced at Harkness and me
“Long time away.”
I said, “Far to long to walk.”
He said, “Sleep and walk. Me do, many times.”
Harkness said, “That’s what we are going to do in essence. We don’t dare use N Space. As much energy as we have, over there, it would be torn apart. It would settle again but that would take eons. We are going to get to Bren in one jump.”
“What the Hell!” I shouted. “It can’t be done.”
“Actually it’s rather simple.” Marion said, “We focus on the Bren solar system and only on the Bren system to the exclusivity of all else and we’ll be there. Tricky part is to arrive at the desired moment.”
Junior said, “Like say, picture there, sleep, walk.”
Harkness slapped him on the back and said, “Piece of cake. You and Junior will be here. Marion and I will be on Marion’s ship. I’ll make separate bubbles around both ships and attach the bubbles to the outer energy wall. You wont have any outside window, as we won’t, but it will only take moments, or If I screw up, eternity. Either way you’re in for a Hell of a ride.”
“But not on an empty stomach.” I said. Sideling up to Harkness and rubbing against him, I continued, “You’ve used up all of my reserves.”
So we ate, and separated, each realizing, I think, how lost one could get among galaxies.
Harkness radioed three hours later, “Ready to encapsulate, it will be all dark after this. Marion and I will bust out first to make sure there’s no danger at the other end. If you jump again after we stop it will mean the two of us aren’t around any more and we’ve sent you to the Ranger home world to be safe, over and out”
I couldn’t think of anything to say and then it was all black in the sensors and the outside ones didn’t read at all. I shut them off and retracted the pickups to save them from possible harm. That was it. Junior and me were like fish in a can. I looked for him. He had gone to the habitat. I curled up in the Captains chair with the battle helmet on, each of us in our womb. I arranged the cameras and viewer screens so we would have each other on view.
I sensed the beginning of the jump. Sort of an absent feeling in the pit of my stomach. Junior curled up and went to sleep, as far as I could tell.
I don’t know how long the feeling lasted. Sometime later, I realized how and why I sought the magnetic flows of a particular location. It was simply for anchoring. I practiced, as well as I could remember, anchoring myself to past actual locations.
Some time later a lurch interrupted my practice. We had arrived somewhere. Junior and I weren’t suddenly immolated so I was certain it hadn’t been into a sun. Harkness was better than that I told myself. I also realized, sadly, how much he had gone on beyond me, to places I would never share.
Somewhere inside I began to receive magnetic flows from our present location. I guess Junior, in the Habitat, felt them also as he woke up and smiled and waved. Then he began a stew in his cook pot singing softly to himself.
I put out sensors, still darkness, but then the veil started to lift. Before it was completely gone Harkness’s voice came over the comm. “We’re in the Bren system, no one around, probably will be before long. I’m proceeding to planet’s orbit, over.”
I joyfully said, “We’re fine, I’m battle ready, over”
“You always go head on, I love you for it, but there’s no need for battle. I’ve sent broadcasts on every frequency; we’re not to be approached. If any one comes too close I’ll piss on them.”
We proceeded to close on planet Bren. Harkness had explained how the energy in his creation was confined to it and wouldn’t affect any gravity flows inside a solar system. I hadn’t completely understood, hell I hadn’t understood half of his explanation, but I was concerned about being the savior who arrived and nothing was left to save.
We proceeded swiftly to the planets location. I guess Harkness was still using the star shift drive, and that worried me also, damn worries.
We took up orbit about two hundred miles out from the space station matching its pathway.
Harkness put out a call on all bands saying, “You have ten days to remove all military personnel from Station B-1 and the LST, leaving it in orbit. If they aren’t gone we’ll carve you up like the holiday bird. Focus on that bunch of garbage trailing you and I’ll dem
onstrate.”
He picked the trailing garbage out of the sky big pieces first. When he got down to individual drink cups he radioed again, “You get the point, ten days."
We sat in the mess hall of my ship nine days later and listened to the automated message for the forth time trying to decipher any hidden meanings. It came from the civilian management of the space station, “The military has left the space station and the LST, and they are gone from the system. We have control over the station and the vessels and are maintaining them in the appropriate manner. There is official mail awaiting the ‘Urgent’, attention of Sergeant Jill Mc Lelland. Also a representative of the United Planets awaits clearance for docking.”
Finally Harkness said, “I see a lot of strings being pulled, or attempts to pull strings. We aren’t going to sort them out off site.”
Marion said, “You two go in and sort it out. I’ll stay; ready to fry anything coming out of ‘N’ space. Warning beacons are deployed and nobody should show their faces without clearance from us.”
I said, “I’ll take Junior along to the station. He’s been asking repeatedly about seeing the new star, as he refers to it.”
Harkness said, “I’ll send a message to the management people, saying any funny business, by anybody, will result in the destruction of the station and all aboard."
“Let’s do it,” Marion said. “My ship will separate from this one as soon as I’m aboard. Keep your battle helmets on. With all the sensors I’ve built into them, a flea couldn’t approach you undetected.”
Harkness and I watched as Marion’s ship separated from ours. I occupied the Captains chair and Harkness sat in Weapons, which I’d switched over to his control.
We covered the five thousand kilometers from Marion and our Orb to the station uneventfully. After choosing a space on the docking ring, we docked, matched pressures with the station, and stepped through the airlocks. There was one person there to meet us. So much for pomp.
“Welcome, I’m Colleen and I’ve been assigned as your liaison. We thought you might not want crowds around at first. The Commanding Officers quarters are just along here. I’ll show you.”
She led the way. We let her do so, though Harkness and I knew the station inside out. I exchanged a knowing glance with him. The commande's quarters were very different from the stark troop bays and their constant lack of privacy. Colleen, a tall thin girl with a baby face, wore a loose fitting blouse and a skirt which were almost transparent. I had the impression she wore them for stimulation. I was spending too much time with Junior and his knowing eyes. We’d left him on my ship for the moment, so the management wouldn’t have too much to cope with. Also there was the ever present danger from some neurotic nut case who would want us dead whatever the cost.
The quarters were indeed luxurious and Colleen took pride in showing them to us. She probably didn’t know; that in an emergency they separated from the station and became a frigate class warship. The tour ended at a spacious office. Stacked on it were reports, and a small pile of personal correspondence.
Colleen said, “I’ll be in the foyer by the airlock if I can be of further service. I’ve set up a desk there.”
When she closed the door behind her, Harkness took out of a pocket a small device and turned it on to establish a privacy zone. When it turned green Harkness asked, “Marion, are any people in the military section?”
“Just the three of you.”
“Give a buzz if that changes.”
“”Will do.”
I said, “I have mail from my family. And this ‘ addressee’s eyes only’ from the Intelligence Section.” holding up a large package.
“What’s it say?”
“Let’s see.” Cutting the cover with shears I found in a desk drawer I removed a plaque. Across the top it read Ambassadress of his Lord. Across the bottom it read Ambassadress to Bren, Jillian McClelland. At first I thought, when I was capable of thought, somebody is playing a trick. But that consideration dwindled in my mind under the present circumstances.
Reading over my shoulder Harkness said in awe, “Our lady here has been made ambassadress to Bren.” He said, for Marion’s sake.”
“I’ll be damned.”
“No doubt, but to the moment at hand, it looks authentic. Let’s see what our helper knows about this.” He went to the door and yelled, “Colleen, come here please.”
As she came in the room, he asked, holding up the plaque, “Do you know about anything this?”
“Oh, it’s so.” To me she said, “I thought you’d be informed through other channels. Begging your Lady's understanding, we had such short notice. Suitable quarters haven’t been renovated yet. You can have the best suite in our hotel, if this won’t do you for three days. Crews are working around the clock.”
With what I hoped was a straight face, I said, “These will do fine. Tell your people that.”
“They’ve heard. I’m on constant linkup.”
“Very well. Continue your duties.”
When she was gone, Harkness said, mostly to Marion, “Something’s not tracking. The tactic is too convoluted for our Intelligence section. We have another player.”
Not understanding I asked, “Player? What? Do you two think it’s not real?”
Marion said, “Of course it’s real. But for what reason? Solely to sow suspicion among us I think. But if a person knew Rangers they would know such tactics wouldn’t work. I agree with Harkness, some other player has shown they have an interest in what happens here on Bren.”
I tore open the latest letter from my parents and raced through it. “My parents are complimenting me on my promotion to officer status.” I sifted through the pile of official letters to one which read, “Lordships Marines Headquarters.” and tore it open. The document within said I was promoted to Lieutenant and acting Colonel. “Well, I’ll be damned.” explaining the letters contents to the two.
Harkness said, “I don’t know who has given us that ball, but let’s run with it, agreed?”
Marion and I said, “Yes.” in the same breath.
Two weeks later Harkness stormed into the Commanders office where I was writing letters while Junior examined everything for the tenth time at least.
“I’ve found it. The bastards wiped the drives but I got enough from the Comm logs to figure it out. Marion, you listening?”
“Damn, don’t burn out my new ears. What?”
“Intelligence reports, thirteen of them.”
Both Marion and I said, almost in unison, “Start at the beginning.”
“Short story, thirteen reports came in to Intelligence Section that various low life groups had accepted money for the job of poisoning Bren. Now the rest of this charade makes sense. Bren goes down on our watch. Dirty mothers. There’s no way we can cover every approach of every ship.”
Marion agreed, “We’re sunk. I’ll make some calls. Maybe get reinforced. Any mention of a timeline?”
“It’s to start in two weeks from today, if we’re to believe the timeline data.”
Chapter 29
RAFE
On the way back to my ship, I went by the Flight Operations Section of the War Room to see how they wanted to handle my staff and me getting out to ARK IV.
The OIC said, “You and your people will be going out in your ship. The XO’s ship from IV will switch to here. Smoother that way. The Ranger ship will be alongside. Docking room is being arranged on ARK IV for it. Your personal ship is crewed with Ship Born and they are quite efficient. They will also have Command Room positions on ARK IV. Most of the crew is from your time/place. Anything further?”
“Yes. How many Regs are on ARK IV?”
“Four Battalions of five hundred each. They have the improved Battle Suits. Each Battalion has fifty of the close support Grouper Wagons.”
“Grouper Wagons? Why ever are they called that?”
“Reg joke. The Groundies push the enemy into Groups and the Wagons kill them. Not scientific but it works fo
r them.”
“What works, works. Thanks for the information. You know channels better than I do. Could you see that two of our latest Sniper Rifles and 10,000 rounds of assorted ammunition are placed in my quarters?”
“Will do. Your departure to the Moon is scheduled for 1700 today. Any changes on that?”
“No.”
Thinking that the situation was under control, I caught the Strip to the Command Ships area. Prestrillo was supposed to meet me at 1200. We’d have an ingress route planned well before 1700.
I walked into my dining room area and to my surprise met my A/V person who already had space station visuals on all five walls.
“I was told this is where you do your work so I moved in a few items to make our job easier. Is that proper?”
“Absolutely. I do my best thinking when I’m not hungry. Join me for some toast and coffee? And I see from your new name tag your name is Trueblood, first name?”
“Molly. Toast would be nice. To answer your next question, Thelma picked up me and most of my tribe in March of a deadly winter in the Dakotas. She was on one of her scouting trips.”
“I expect---?”
“Yes. Dead. I’m Ship Born. I understand your telepathy hasn’t come online yet. Not to worry. It’s different with everyone.”
“I’m not.”
The snack arrived unbidden. Delivered by a fellow so dark he almost shined. From his size the designers probably had to widen the cooking area. Some large people tower over you, but he didn’t do that by some mental trick of his own. He was ship born too, another scouting trip into Africa, Nubian, records said.
I munched on the cinnamon toast and between bites said, “Molly Trueblood it is. Thank you for the background. Settled in?”
“Yes. I took the closest cabin to yours. Not many of your crew members are aboard.”
“That’s true. The few I have are off on other duties. I may have to fly this thing myself.”
“You’re not cleared. I’ll get a trainer in, maybe a corner of officer’s mess?”
“I didn’t know we had an officer's mess. Good use for it anyway.”
Greener Green I: Where Does the Circle Begin Page 20