“Thank you,” she said, accepting a hand up.
“No problem.”
“Come on you two!” Billy Ray shouted from the tunnel leading to the mouth of the cave. The two laggards ran for the exit.
Pinnace
Jacobs and Hitch waited nervously at the top of the airstair. The small spherical shape of the recon drone flew past them into the cabin, startling them both.
“What's with that thing?”
Hitch grinned. “I just set it on auto return and let it fend for itself.”
Snatching the hovering robot from the air, Jacobs disabled the device before stowing it in a storage bin. “Next time, I program the drone.”
“Whatever, bro.”
Their argument was interrupted by the arrival of the aoi chō, who flooded up the stairs in a rush of wings and bright color. They filled the cabin with chaotic movement, flashing a warning in red and yellow.
“The bugs are back, I guess that means that Dr. Ogawa is close by.” Jacobs observed.
Sure enough, Mizuki appeared at the bottom of the airstair. Glancing for a moment over her shoulder, she ascended. The two sailors stepped aside to let her pass.
“Konichiwa,” she said, entering the cabin proper. She then started talking to the butterflies in Japanese. Neither of the petty officers understood what she was saying but evidently the winged creatures did—they quickly settled down, alighting on seat backs and other handy surfaces.
Next up the boarding ramp was the Captain, who charged into the cabin demanding to know the status of the shuttle. “Jacobs, Hitch, are we ready to take off?”
“Aye, Captain. She's all powered up and ready to liftoff,” replied Hitch.
“Good. Commanders Mekalu and Danner are right behind me.”
Billy Ray took a seat in the front of the cabin just in time to avoid being run down by his wife, who charged up the stairs, down the aisle and jumped into the copilot's seat. She immediately started running preflight checks.
Another violent tremor shook the shuttle as Bobby burst into the cabin. “Secure the ramp for immediate takeoff,” he shouted at the two sailors.
Without waiting for their reply, he ran to the cockpit and threw himself into the pilot's seat. “Everyone secure for take off.”
The deck gravity came on, dampening the now continuous shaking of the surrounding rock. Bobby lifted the shuttle a half meter off the cave floor, retracted the landing struts, and firewalled the forward thrusters. Accelerating at 12G the blunt arrowhead shaped craft shot directly into the curtain of falling water.
The impact of the plummeting water drove the shuttle downward, but Bobby had anticipated that. Pulling the shuttle's nose up and applying power to the bottom thrusters, the pinnace burst from the fall with a tremendous spray of water, having dropped only twenty meters toward the river below. Climbing out of the river gorge, Bobby slowed the shuttle's ascent and turned to port, giving everyone a spectacular view of the waterfall.
As those on board watched, a plume of water shot out from the cliff from the location of the cave opening. Through the falling water, the torrent exploded like water escaping the spillway of an overfilled dam. The spray extended hundreds of meters from the face of the cliff, sending a rush of water down the river.
“I'm glad we didn't take any longer gettin' out of that cave,” Billy Ray said with his laconic cowboy drawl.
“That, dear, is the understatement of the day,” Beth said from the flight deck.
“I don't care what the rest of you do, but I am never, ever coming back to this planet again.”
“I think we are all in agreement there, Mizuki-chan.”
As Bobby spoke, the upper part of the fall began collapsing into the jet of water spewing from the cave. Large chunks of rock broke off the cliff face and fell into the raging torrent. The cascade only grew in size and violence as what had been the upper channel of the river receded, crumpling a section at a time. The land above the cliff sank beneath the thundering flood that carried away any trace of the once mighty waterfall.
“Mother of God,” said Jacobs.
“And all her crazy cousins,” added Hitch.
“That beats the rolling boulder at the start of Raiders all to hell, eh Captain?”
“I hope there aren't any settlements down stream,” Beth said. “If there are we should warn them.”
“I didn't notice anything on the trip up river,” Billy Ray answered.
“From what I gathered while traveling with the Queen, the ants are not exactly fond of water, but perhaps we should fly down stream and see if there is anyone to warn.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
Bobby, hearing no objections from the others, turned the shuttle south and retraced their journey in the opposite direction. The shuttle soon caught up with the wall of water released by the collapse of the fall, racing south at over one hundred kilometers an hour. With everyone safe and the excitement over, Billy Ray called the ship.
“Peggy Sue, Pinnace.”
“Pinnace, Peggy Sue. Welcome back sir, you had us all worried for a minute there.” The voice was that of GySgt Acuna.
“Yeah, I guess it just wasn't our day to die. We should rendezvous with the ship in about two hours. My compliments to the officers and crew, and please ask Mr. Baldursson to begin preparations to break orbit. We've spent enough time in this system.”
“Aye, aye, Captain. Peggy Sue, standing by.”
Chapter 41
The Queen's Palace
Queen Timushi noticed a clutch of scholars standing to one side in the audience hall. With her large compound eyes she quite literally saw everything that happened in her throne room. She called out to them.
“Good Sages, what brings you into my presence today?”
The most senior dipped her antennae respectfully and spoke. “Your Majesty, as you commanded, the royal astronomers have kept track of the daemon stars that recently appeared in the sky.”
The Queen's antennae twitched with impatience.
“As we reported, the cluster of stars disappeared almost a week ago, but a lone star remained. We assumed that the remaining star was in some way associated with the Queen's Daemon, Lord Mizuki and her companions.”
If her kind could sigh Timushi would have. There is just no way to make a scholar come quickly to the point.
“It appears Your Majesty, that the final wayward star has vanished as well.”
“We suppose that Lord Mizuki has continued her journey to her home realm. Thank you, Senior Sage, for your report.”
To the Queen's left, one of her advisers spoke up. “Majesty, this return to normalcy is most welcome news. Your ascension to the throne will be remembered as one of the most... unusual in the history of Formicidae. Never was a time that daemons fought on the sides of the royal claimants while strange gods contested the heavens.”
“Indeed, my Lord Chancellor, let us all hope that the rest of my reign will be as uneventful as my ascension was notable.” The Queen waved an arm dismissing the scholars and returned to the matters at hand.
I wonder, Timushi thought, if such things might happen again. Mizuki told me that the heavens are filled with many races of daemon, all armed to the teeth as it were. It was painfully obvious that our weapons—spears, swords, and arrows—were no match for the weapons wielded by the daemons. A number of daemon weapons were collected after the battle—perhaps I should have my scholars and artisans examine them more closely. After all, Lord Mizuki might not be here to help defend the realm against the next band of interloping daemons.
Fakkaa Fleet, Homeward Bound
Admiral Raqqee was on his flag bridge aboard the Fakkaa flagship. He was torn between two concerns: whether the Earth Captain would change his mind and decide to destroy his little armada just to be safe; and what the reaction will be when the fleet arrives home.
All the preparation, the years of building and training, trying to make the almost mystical tech provided by the 'Wise Ones' work. H
ow could we have been so blind, to trust creatures who would not show themselves physically. Seducing us with advanced knowledge and visions of conquest. It was our own greed that made us believe the alien's tale, as questionable and full of holes as it was.
Not that his lords and masters would accept their share of the blame—the ruling class never did. He would be lucky to come away with a quick clean death sentence. I will accept all the blame, and try to protect my officers and crew. Their only crime was to bravely accept an insanely dangerous mission, thinking that they were saving our entire race.
Captain Tikkoo, his old friend, interrupted his depressing thoughts with a report.
“Admiral, there is no sign of the alien ship. It no longer orbits the ant planet nor can our instruments detect its presence anywhere behind us.”
“The Earthlings are gone? They have quit this system?”
“So it would appear, Sir. Should we reverse course and go back and finish what we started?”
Tikkoo's statement shocked the Admiral out of his introversion. He looked his friend in the eyes and saw the mischievous twinkle that was always there when he was pulling a prank or practical joke.
“Aside from the fact that such a maneuver is impractical, I never want to see that gods-be-damned planet again, Captain. Though your fighting spirit is appreciated.”
Tikkoo's quills rattled mirthfully. “You need to break out of your funk, Admiral. It looks like the aliens are not going to blast us to atoms and we will actually make it back home alive.”
“That may be true, but how long some of us remain alive after our return is an open question.”
“Not really, Sir. It's all in how you tell the tale.”
“What do you mean? I lost half the fleet and two thirds of the expeditionary force. We didn't accomplish our primary objective and our allies, as perfidious as they were, also met with an ignominious end.”
“Yes, you could definitely be in trouble if you described our mission that way. But think, what was the primary purpose of our expedition?”
Raqqee thought for a moment be for replying. “To save our race from eventual annihilation.”
“Precisely! And I would contend that, under your unfaltering command, we have done just that. Think, my old friend. If all that the Earth Captain said is true then the Wise Ones would have destroyed us completely after we handed them the prize they sought, after we slaughtered the ants for them. Because of your leadership we managed to discover the truth.”
“You're saying this mission was not a total debacle?”
“Some lessons are learned at great cost, Admiral. You managed to expose the alien treachery, save the Fakkaa race and escape disaster with as much of your force as possible. All in all a most impressive achievement. In fact, I say three cheers for Admiral Raqqee, savior of Fakkaa!”
With Capt. Tikkoo leading the cheer, the entire bridge crew joined in.
“Hip, Hip, Hurrah! Hip, Hip, Hurrah! Hip, Hip, Hurrah!”
“Admiral, every sailor and commando on board owes you their lives. At this point they would follow you anywhere.”
“I hadn't looked at things from that... perspective.”
“Something else to consider, Sir. You will be returning to Fakkaa in command of what is still the most powerful military instrument ever crafted on our planet.”
Now that gave the Admiral something to think about.
Captain's Sea Cabin, Peggy Sue
The Peggy Sue had broken orbit four hours ago and was underway, still a day away from the alter-space transit point that would carry them a step closer to home. The Captain called his senior officers to a meeting in his sea cabin. In addition to the four principle partners, Dr. White and Engineer Baldursson were present, as were the Chief and the Gunny representing the crew and the Marines.
“Given the events that have taken place since our entry into this system I figured it was a good idea for us to take stock of our situation,” Billy Ray said, opening the meeting. “Let's start with the condition of the ship, Arin?”
“Ja, Captain. The ship is in good shape, all major systems are fully functional: engines, reactors, shields, and sensors. Life support is actually running at 108% reflecting the planting of new food crops in the hydroponic and greenhouse spaces. The repairs to the deck gravity and shields have all passed muster and the new sensors are working as designed. In short, everything is ship shape.”
“Great, my compliments to you and your engineers, Arin. They've done outstanding work under some trying conditions.” The Captain looked down at his notes on the table's surface display. “Chief, how are the small boats?”
“The assault shuttle has been gone over from stem to stern following the rescue mission planet side. Same with the Pinnace. The large crew shuttle was never deployed nor were the cargo tugs. The small shuttle was lost to enemy action. All remaining boats are stowed and ready for transit, Captain.”
Billy Ray nodded to the Chief. “Gunny, what about the Marines' arms and armor?”
“All suits and weapons have been cleaned, serviced and stowed for transit, Captain.”
Another nod. “Dr. White, do we have any personnel in Sick Bay or unfit for duty?”
“All hands are fit for duty, Sir. Private Malachi has been discharged and returned to active duty.”
“Number One, other personnel matters?”
“We lost two people during the recent hostilities. I recommend that Mr. Hoenig be promoted to sub-lieutenant and detailed as helmsman on the port watch. We have no ready replacement for Ms. Hamm, I suggest we utilize Shadi and Dorri to take up the slack where possible. Otherwise we will just have to function short handed.”
“Noted. Anything else regarding readiness? Anyone?”
Heads shook all around.
“How about moral? What's the mood in the crew's mess, Chief?”
“Generally spirits are high, Captain. Everyone mourns the loss of Lt. Lawson and Kate Hamm, but recovering Dr. Ogawa alive helped soften the blow. The fact that we blew them Dark Lord bastards outta space raised morale a bunch as well. I think the crew is looking forward to be heading back to home port, Sir.”
“And the Marines, Gunny?”
“They're all feeling their oats after the action on Formicidae. There's nothing like kicking some alien ass to put the squad in a good mood. Not losing anyone while doing it makes it all good, Sir.”
“So both ship and crew are in good shape and high spirits. Anything else I should know before we talk about the remaining voyage?”
Betty cleared her throat. “Captain, I think you should know that Dr. Ahnah is expecting.”
“Really? I guess I don't need to ask who the father is.”
“No, Sir.”
“When is she due?”
“That is a bit variable. Female polar bears can delay egg implantation after fertilization occurs. The process waits until the mother bear's body is fully prepared to get through winter hibernation, including pregnancy and birthing. When she has sufficient weight on her body, she'll be good to go. She won't need to den for four to five months, and actual birth won't happen for maybe nine months.”
“Well that is some happy news. There are few enough polar bears that any new cubs are more than welcome.” The Captain smiled like a proud prospective godparent. “And that brings us to the remainder of the voyage. Given how long we've been in space and the stressful conditions we've encountered in this system, I've instructed the Sailing Master to plot us a speedy course back to Earth.”
Bobby took that as his queue. “Using the most massive stars between here and home, I've plotted a course that will consist of four alter-space transits. Including time to cross the intermediate systems we should be able to voyage back to our home system in just over one hundred days.”
“So we'll be home in just over three months,” said Arin, “that's fantastic.”
“That's barring any complications, like bushwhacking Dark Lords or hostile natives, but I have no intention of stopping f
or local exploration. We have had a successful first voyage for the OATC and I know that we all share the desire to see home again as soon as possible.”
There were smiles all around. Billy Ray could see the relief in the faces of some, there was no doubt that the length and hardships of the voyage far exceeded the expectations of most on board. Well, at least we ain't being chased by a hostile enemy fleet this time.
“Unless there is anything else, you're dismissed to your duties. As soon as we are in alter-space we will stand down for a day and issue double rum rations to all.”
* * * * *
As the others filed out, the Captain signaled for the expedition partners to stay back. The door to the sea cabin slid shut and the three other officers look expectantly at Billy Ray.
“I just wanted to let y'all know that we may just break even on this trip. Of course no amount of profit can offset the lives we lost, but at least financially we will not return in debt.”
“Actually, dear, I think you underestimate our booty.”
“Really? Some oversized gems, broken alien recording equipment, and various native trinkets?”
“Think back when you were telling me about the ice trade.”
“You mean about thinking outside the box?”
“Yes, that, but I meant when you said that the best trade good was information.”
“That's right,” Bobby agreed. “We now have a memory dump from another T'aafhal AI. That's gotta be about priceless.”
“Bobby's correct. Plus, Formicidae unlocked records from M'tak Ka'fek and data from D'lat Me'tan we never knew was there. I think we are returning rich, sweetheart.” Beth smiled broadly at her husband.
“Not only that,” Mizuki added, already thinking ahead to their next voyage, “we also know where to go looking next for answers about the T'aafhal—we must find the missing Pleiad.”
Epilogue
Earthside City, The Moon
As Beth had surmised, the information they had gathered about the T'aafhal proved priceless. That, combined with the planetary surveys taken along the way, made the four partners very rich. Rich enough to buy new domiciles near Earthside City, the new domed settlement constructed in their absences.
The Queen's Daemon (T'aafhal Legacy Book 2) Page 32