“I forgot about the stations,” Joan commented. “I guess, we have Terest on those craft. We’ve got to do something.”
Monday, November 13, 2051
Herl and Monson Travel to Meet Izod Commander
“Incoming message from Admiral Monson,” announced Beta-5.
“Joan looks like we pulled this one off. Good job. I want you and the Burlington to retrace our path and check on each of the ships we lost. There may be survivors. Also, I’m directing Drummond to contact the Izod and set up a post-conflict debrief as soon as we can. I want to know what they’re planning.”
“Thanks, Admiral. We’ll leave immediately, and I hope we can find some survivors. What do I do if I find Terest survivors on the space stations?” she asked.
“Figure that out as you pass them, then let’s talk that over with the Izod. First, take care of our people. Monson out,” said the Admiral just before he disconnected.
“SIMPOC work out a search pattern and pass it to the Burlington,” directed the Captain.
“Done, I’ve mapped each of our manned craft and the higher density areas of Cow-Robots and unmanned hardware,” responded SIMPOC.
“Where are the space stations now?” Captain Herl asked.
“The two that we overpowered early are near our projected rendezvous point with the Izod. The last one is nearer the moon’s orbit.”
“On our way to the Izod meeting, let’s swing by one of the Terest stations and see if we can hail them.”
“I’ll make the calculations,” responded SIMPOC.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Captain Herl Discusses Mission with Robles
“Paol here’s what we’re doing. Each of our ships will check for survivors first off. Any resources that we can identify, we’ll note the position for retrieval later. Our primary focus is to find survivors.
The main challenge will be the Terest survivors. We don’t know how they’ll react. They might be hostile, they might accept our aid, or they might fight us until their last breath. We need to figure it out.
You might have to board some of the craft. At least, we’ll need to board the stations. We need to get them under control. We don’t want them to repair the damage and maybe attack us again. We’d prefer they didn’t fix it and go home. At the least, we need to stabilize the station, and hopefully get the Terest off of it, and when we can, we’ll see about getting them home.
Any questions?”
“Captain, we might be attacked. I want my men to have a clear set of rules for engagement.”
“Fair enough. I guess that it’s pretty basic. Defend yourself, then try not to kill them unless you need to. Does that cover it?”
“Yes, it does. As long as we have the discretion, if the situation deteriorates quickly?”
“Paol, I want you back. They attacked us first, so I’ll back anything you feel appropriate. You’re the one on board, so you’ll be the one in charge.”
Drummond Contacts the Izod
“Izod fleet leader, this is Captain Drummond of the Earth Defense Force,” transmitted Drummond from the command section of the Burlington.
“Transmit the same message again,” she directed Beta-5.
“How long before they can reply,” she asked Beta-Prime.
“Two minutes, 32 seconds,” the Beta unit responded.
“Good enough,” she said.
“Captain, the Izod are responding,” announced Beta-5.
“Captain Drummond. This is Fleet Commander Nortog from on the IB12. It appears that the Terest have left your system. Please let us know if you need any further support?”
“Cagey fellow,” Captain Drummond said to herself.
“Beta-5, transmit this, ‘Commander Nortog. Glad to talk with you. Are you part of the Izod Government or one of your corporations?’”
They did arrive after most of the battle had been fought. They also didn’t arrive with overwhelming numbers. They came with just enough ships to scare off the Terest, and they didn’t fire one shot, Captain Drummond thought. We’ve got a cat, a mouse, and a rat, and we aren’t sure who’s who.
“Captain Drummond the Izod government asked us to provide support. I am associated with the Illiod Corporation although I have some Matare resources with us.”
“Captain, another ship and I are searching the battle area for survivors. We’d like to meet with you. My ship is transmitting a suggested location and time. I’m looking forward to thanking you in person. Captain Drummond out.”
Good to keep them hanging a little, she thought.
Drummond asked, “When will we reach the first wreckage?”
“42 minutes,” responded Beta-3.
“Open a channel to the Chevesky.”
“The channel is opened,” replied Beta-Prime.
“Joan, we were able to repel the boarders, but we had some losses. If we need to board one of the space stations, I don’t have enough people.”
Joan heard the message and mentally made the adjustment then she thought of the ramifications of what Darlene said.
“Is BG okay?” She transmitted back.
“Not sure, he’s in medical right now,” Drummond responded.
“Okay, we’ll take care of it,” Joan responded.
“Thanks.”
Terest Station B
“We are passing by the Terest Station “B” by approximately 50km. If their antennae are functional, they should be able to receive our transmission.”
“Thanks, SIMPOC. Beta-5 open a channel.”
“Terest Space Station, this is Captain Joan Herl of the Earth Defense Force. The other Terest forces have left this solar system, and your station has lost its propulsion. I would like to speak with your commander.”
“Captain, they are not responding,” pointed out Beta-5.
“Space Station commander, this is Captain Joan Herl onboard the EDF Burlington, please respond.”
The voice that finally responded was gravely and slow. It had the sound of a creature that wasn’t very happy.
“Captain Herl. I am commander T’mold. What are your intentions?”
“Commander, do you have life support and is your vehicle safe for the near term?”
Silence.
“Captain, I suspect he is considering his options,” pointed out SIMPOC.
“I suppose so,” Captain Herl added.
“Commander, my first concern is the safety of your crew, yourself and your station. We’ll deal with the other issues as time allows.”
“We are dealing with some fires, but our station is stable. We had many losses, but those who remain should be safe for a short time.”
“Excellent. I have other issues to deal with, and in a short time, we’ll return. Captain, I need to point out that your other forces have left the area, and there will be no advantage for you to repair your weapons and attack us. We have sufficient resources to deal with any attack, quickly and effectively. Have I made myself clear?”
Again, silence.
“Yes, Captain. We will stabilize our station and wait for your return.”
“Do you know the status of the other stations?”
Again, silence.
“Perhaps he doesn’t know,” added SIMPOC.
“Unlikely. He’s trying not to give us too much information,” Captain Herl pointed out.
“Captain, you should speak with the commander of that station. Commander T’mold, out.”
“I guess, that’s that,” Captain Herl said with some resignation in her voice.
“Of course, that … is that,” SIMPOC said.
Captain Herl looked at her computer friend and just shook her head. “It’s just a phrase. Don’t try to understand it.”
SIMPOC remained quiet, perhaps still trying to understand the strange phrase.
“How far are we from Station A?” Captain Herl asked.
“We are closer to the Izod rendezvous point than station A. When they were damaged, they were maneuvering at a high velocit
y, and it has carried them further away,” explained SIMPOC.
“Okay, let’s head to the Izod,” Captain Herl directed.
“Yes Captain,” responded Beta-Prime.
“Send a copy of our communications with B to the other stations so they’ll know what’s happening and that we’ll provide assistance in a short time. Also, add phrases telling them that if they’re in danger to let us know and we’ll provide aid sooner.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Meet Izod
The Burlington and Chevesky slowed for their rendezvous with the Izod command ship. Their rescue mission en route from the vicinity of the moon and the battle with the Terest to the rendezvous point was productive. Of the battleships and frigates that had people on them, they were able to rescue the survivors. The ones that were able to power up were able to set course to the fleet. They were also lucky and were able to power down the remaining Cow-Robots to be picked up later.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“Captain Drummond there is a message coming from the Chevesky,” announced Beta-5.
“Darlene, I suggest that you meet them on their ship. If they get on ours too many times, they might figure out how many of us there are,” suggested Captain Herl.
“Agreed, I’ll park closer, and the Chevesky can stay back to provide cover in case anything goes differently than planned,” pointed out Captain Drummond.
“Roger, I’ll fly to your ship then we can go over together.”
“See you in a little while.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The shuttle launched from the Burlington’s shuttle bay, and Darlene Drummond and Joan Herl sat back for a few minutes while SIMPOC piloted the craft.
“This should be interesting. They came to help us, and I bet they’re going to expect something in return,” explained Captain Herl.
“Was BG hurt? Darlene’s friend asked.
Darlene Drummond just sat and didn’t respond immediately.
“Six of my Marines were injured. And, he was one of them. The Terest Pulse guns did a lot of damage to their nervous systems. They went through medical, and four of them came out okay. BG was still in the operating device when I left. His teammates said that he took multiple hits.”
Joan’s eyes got moist, and she took a deep breath. “The medical systems on our ships are amazing. I’m sure that he’ll be okay,” she said trying to comfort her friend.
“What do you think they’re going to ask for?” Drummond asked to change the subject.
“The Izod and Terest have both been asking to gain access to our outer gas giants. Apparently, they need the chemicals. I have no problem talking with them but giving them access is an entirely different story. I don’t want them to have a residence in this system. That’s too close for comfort. SIMPOC tells me that our Cow-Robots and supply ships are designed for that kind of operation. If we give them anything, it should be trade. We can collect what they need, deliver it to them and get something in return.”
“What do you think we can get from them,” Captain Drummond asked.
“Don’t know yet. But we didn’t ask them to help us, and we know that they want what we have in our outer planets. So, we make them offer us something to get the chemicals in return. That keeps us in a strong bargaining position.”
“What do we do about the Terest? It might be a good idea to keep our discussions open with them too. We might be able to offset the Izod with discussions with the Terest. After all, we might have a bunch of prisoners to return. That might give us some leverage,” pointed out Captain Drummond.
“I like the way you think,” responded Captain Herl, with a smile.
Just about then the large Izod ship filled the view screen in the front of the shuttle. It was different from the other Izod ships they had seen. The differences weren’t huge but subtle. It just appeared grander; perhaps they spruced it up because it was the commander’s ship.
The shuttle bay doors opened, and SIMPOC expertly maneuvered the shuttle through the doors and settled it on the deck.
“As the president told us, you do the talking, and I’ll just act as your assistant. I don’t know about the Izod, but the Terest are a male-dominated society.”
“The Izod may also be. I really didn’t get much of a chance to see how they worked. They kidnapped me pretty quickly and took me away.”
“Ya, I’m glad that worked out,” responded Captain Herl.
“Nudge me if I say anything stupid,” Captain Drummond suggested.
“Nudge me if I don’t,” said Herl with a laugh.
“The shuttle bay has been pressurized,” announced SIMPOC.
“I guess, it’s time to make our appearance,” Captain Herl announced.
Captains Herl and Drummond walked out of the shuttle, with SIMPOC behind them. As they exited a door on the far end of the bay opened and a security detail similar to the one Joan Herl first encountered passed through the door and approached them.
“Here’s our welcoming party,” Joan whispered.
The guards approached in two lines and parted as they reached their guests. The two lines parted and passed on either side, then they stopped and reversed direction. The obvious implication was for Joan, Darlene, and SIMPOC to walk with them, but in the middle.
The two humans complied with SIMPOC behind them and the entire entourage walked across the bay to the exit door. The passed through the door and down a long hallway until the escorts stopped in front of an ornate door and turned inward. Captain Herl and Drummond looked at each other.
“I think this is where the meeting is,” Captain Drummond suggested.
“Apparently so,” Captain Herl responded. As she finished, the double doors opened. and they found themselves facing an opulent meeting room. The walls were covered with beautiful drapes, and the furniture was made of amazing woods adorned with jewels.
“Not exactly the crew mess,” Captain Drummond whispered.
Captain Herl smiled and motioned for SIMPOC to bend over so she could speak to him in private.
“SIMPOC, don’t use our mental connection. They might pick it up. Stay passive and monitor everything that you can. If you hear anything suspicious use the term ‘the president is very concerned.’ If you do, we’ll bail out of here as fast as we can. Got it?” Captain Herl whispered to her friend.
“Acknowledged,” was the simple whispered response.
Darlene didn’t hear what Joan said, but she was confident that it was a message to protect them.
It is an instinct, in a pressure-filled situation, for humans to concentrate hard on what’s happening around them. For Captain Darlene Drummond, Captain Joan Herl and SIMPOC that meant using the alien material that each of them had embedded in their brains. Each sensed different elements of the world around them. SIMPOC was sophisticated and collected a lot of data. Captain Herl was still developing her skills, while Captain Drummond was just learning how to use them. Each of them complemented the inputs of the others, and they got a complete picture of the world around them.
Captain Drummond began to pull out a chair to sit when Captain Herl touched her hand and indicated not to.
“When the boss comes in, we need to look at him ‘face-to-face.”
Captain Drummond nodded, and they stood. It seemed to be a long time, and Captain Drummond began to feel what Captain Herl was thinking. She didn’t hear words, but she found that she was sharing feelings. The dominant feeling was ‘don’t take any grief’ from these jerks. In a way, Darlene felt the humor in that feeling. As she stood and thought, her confidence built, and she was able to convince herself that she was in charge. For a moment she thought, maybe Joan and SIMPOC are influencing me. Just then the door opened, and a group of Izod entered. Their demeanor was of power and prestige. The Izod in the front paid no attention to Captain Drummond or Captain Herl. The group trailing behind him appeared to be his personal sycophants. There was something about how they acted, that gave that impression.
The lea
der stopped on his side of the table and paid no attention to the two humans and huge robot standing behind them. He turned and spoke to a couple of his followers, and they seemed to scurry away to take care of some details. After he took his time talking to them, he finally turned and looked at looked at the two captains.
As if sharing an emotion Darlene and Joan seemed to sense the appropriate approach.
The large Izod didn’t say anything; he just seemed to look at them from head to foot. It was a very disarming kind of stare.
Captain Herl and Drummond knew exactly what he was doing.
Darlene had it…
“You are a guest, in our solar system. Are you just going to stand there staring at us?” Captain Drummond said with as much disgust as she could muster.
Captain Drummond and Herl, both sensed the increase in breathing, expanding pupils and flared nostrils.
“Are you the leader of this group, or do we need to talk with the Izod in charge?” Captain Drummond asked with her voice raised higher.
With that statement, they both felt that he might come over the table at them. SIMPOC moved slightly, and the Izod’s demeanor backed off a little.
The Izod drew himself up as much as possible and announced, “I am Fleet Commander Nortog. I’m leading the fleet that chased away the Terest.”
“Chased away the Terest?” Captain Drummond said in an even voice.
“You arrived at the end of the battle after we had dealt with 30% of their forces and disabled three of their space stations. Just because, you … and your fleet arrived when the Terest decided to withdraw, doesn’t mean that you saved us.”
Captain Drummond sensed the big breath that Commander Nortog took. He reluctantly accepted the fact that he was dealing with an equal, not just a female.
“We have a lot to talk about, let’s be seated,” Fleet Commander Nortog announced.
Dance
The subject of mining the outer gaseous giants was the first subject to come up.
“I’m sorry Fleet Commander, but we are adamant. We will consider mining the chemicals that you want, and we’ll deliver them to your system, but under no circumstances will you be allowed to set up the operation in our solar system and conduct the mining yourself,” Captain Drummond said emphatically.
Earth II - Emergence Page 30