Only a second later, the energy gate collapsed behind Fosset.
Welf Rouven rushed to his console and aided his substitute.
»Full turn and engines to full speed!«
»But we can’t navigate inside this undefined space,« Gamze shouted nervously.
»No matter!« replied Fossett. »Take the Arm of the Demon as a reference point and move away from it as quickly as possible. Never mind the direction, just away from here!«
»Roger! Parameters entered into the computer,« reported Rouven. Everybody could now see how the alien wreck moved to the aft display, becoming slowly smaller and smaller.
»Can’t that be done faster?« Fosset shouted nervously.
»The drive is at maximum acceleration,« Welf Rouven answered dryly while checking his instruments. »Energy cells are at 120 percent load, plus reserve! If we charge the reactor much higher, then we blow up the drive!«
»Who was our mysterious rescuer?« Dorothea asked, but Fosset just waved his hand.
»Not now! We need to get out of here first! I think that he wants to blow up the wreck and defuse the Original Spark.«
Dorothea paled and took a seat at her medical console.
What will happen if Hassan Khalil destroys the Original Spark and we’re still in the neighborhood? Fosset pondered while nervously moving around in his seat.
»The tear in space! It becomes larger!« Rouven said alarmed and watched how the thick, glaring edges of the wreck were rapidly expanding while, at the same time, the blue medium got sucked into the large, glowing surface.
The fragment of the Guardianship slid slowly but steadily deeper into this energy transition zone and disappeared little by little from the undefined space.
Khalil is moving the Arm of the Demon, with everything on board, back into that strange continuum, Fosset thought triumphantly. Suddenly, the stars were visible again.
»The undefined space is in disarray!« Gamze Acun yelled delighted. »I can see the stars!«
»Navigation and scanners are on-line again!« Welf Rouven remarked calmly.
Suddenly, the Solar Pride was surrounded by an incredible sea of lights. Space was flooded with a divine light which seemed to permeate everything. When the light flood breached the Solar Pride’s hull and finally reached the command central, Fosset closed his eyes and thought sadly, We’re going to die! The Original Spark has exploded and is destroying everything within a wide radius.
But Fosset felt no heat and no pain. Only occasionally anguished screams could be heard. He was breathing deeply and raised his hands.
I can still move. Oh my God. I can see the bones in my hands with my eyes closed!
The explosion of light didn’t seem to want to end. It flooded through everything and everyone and yet not blinded the eyes. Then, after a few moments, it was all over.
It felt as if my body was touched by an angel. This experience is terrifying and moving at the same time, Fosset thought.
»Can … anyone … explain, what … just … happened?« he asked with a trembling voice.
»Our protector has thrown the Arm of the Guardian into the tachyon continuum. He probably also destabilized the space-time anomaly that had formed around the alien ship fragment,« suspected Gamze Acun, breathing deeply. »After this bubble collapsed, there was no more support for the tachyon wind. It followed the laws of nature, which had now again become valid, turning into a photon shower. Only this time, we had to deal with an incredible amount of this substance, the effect was accordingly.«
»The young lady is right,« said a soft voice in the background of the command central.
Fosset whirled around and saw Hassan Khalil, who materialized from a cloud of shining stars. They will see this explosion of light on Earth in about an hour and in some years even in the neighboring solar systems. That was incredible!« the man said moved and smiled reassuringly. »The danger is averted for the time being, and the Guardian of the Continuum can no longer ignite the sun. I threw him, along with his ship and the Original Spark, into the tachyon continuum.«
Fosset was relieved.
»Thanks!« That’s all he could say for the moment.
»Commander we’re being hailed!« Welf Rouven reported. »There’s a large fleet on the display. Ninety-two units of different sizes. They are transmitting GCC ID codes.«
Hassan Khalil smiled.
»The Outer-Ring Fleet of Home Defense! I advise replying quickly.«
»Establish a link!« Fosset commanded which was answered right away from the fleet.
The likeness of an extraterrestrial ally appeared on the central display.
»I’m Hunting Commander Woi-Rar, II. Krolakan Storm Fleet, on GCC assignment to the Solar System!« he barked at Fosset. »Take course 15-Beta-20! We’ll send two destroyers to escort you out of this space sector!«
A Krolakan, Fosset thought puzzled and cleared his throat. »We are Privateers and don’t like it very much if someone tells us where we should fly.«
Welf Rouven held his breath and Gamze Acun whirled around in her seat. Her look said more than a thousand words.
She thinks that I have a death wish, thought Fosset.
The Krolakan commander uttered a series of barking sounds. Apparently, he was amused by Fosset’s reply.
»We don’t want to dictate your course, Privateer. Admiral Friedberg seeks to have a word with you. He awaits you on board the Union cruiser Nebular. I offer you my destroyers as escort.«
Welf Rouven dropped his jaw while Fosset’s cheeks reddened slightly.
»Well then, of course!«
Hassan Khalil, still viewed with suspicion by all those present in the command central, smiled politely.
»You won’t regret it.«
The prize
Friedberg looked at Fosset for three minutes without showing his emotions. Fosset returned the gaze steadfast, presenting his famous smile. Together with Gamze Acun and Welf Rouven, he had been shuttled over to the Nebular.
Admiral Friedberg cleared his throat and introduced his companions.
»Mission Commander Horatio Takahashi, commander of the Nebular.«
The Japanese bowed his head slightly in a greeting and said, »We also had an encounter with a Guard of the Continuum, but that Guardianship was still intact. I can understand the situation you were facing well.«
»Hassan Khalil you know already, and this is HOT specialist Nuri Jawa,« Friedberg finished the introduction by pointing at Nuri.
»We owe our sincere thanks to Hassan,« said Fossett. »The situation got a little out of hand, and we had lost control over the events.«
»A little out of hand?« asked Friedberg amused.
»We wanted to take the ship fragment as a prize. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible,« Fosset said seriously.
Welf Rouven and Gamze Acun were feeling uncomfortable and blushed slightly after Fosset’s words.
»You mean a prize, as under the age-old laws of the seas?« asked Takahashi surprised who knew the history of seafaring very well.
»That’s right,« agreed Fosset. »The old law is still in force and can also be applied to space.«
»Really?« Friedberg asked surprised, frowning.
Fosset received support from Hassan Khalil.
»In a generous interpretation, certainly.«
»I first want to hear their reports, then I’ll decide how to deal with the issue,« warned Friedberg. »We must admit that we owe you one, Fosset.«
Fosset listened up. He had never heard such an admission by Union officials before.
»For a long time, I could feel the subliminal presence of a threat in the Solar System, I could, however, not determine this unspecified danger. Today, I know it was the radiation of the manipulated Original Spark, located inside the undefined space, and because of that, outside my perception, at least for the most part,« explained Hassan Khalil.
»You can feel something like that?« asked Gamze Acun confused. »How is that possible?«
»Hassan Khalil belongs to Hybrid Operation Team. He’s an unusual person and has some uncommon gifts and abilities,« Friedberg said freely.
»Some of his abilities we were able to witness ourselves already,« Welf Rouven remarked.
»Only your advance into the space anomaly, but especially your mental cries for help, have brought me on the right track,« Hassan admitted hesitantly. »There was, however, also the Guardian’s emotions, he feasted on your agony and fear. He knew that I was looking for him for a long time. He always shielded himself successfully from my scanning attempts, but at that moment when he had you, he forgot to protect himself and opened up mentally. Finally, I was able to locate him.«
»And then you right away came through an energy portal to fight against the Guardian,« joked Welf Rouven.
»I call this mode of transportation the tachyonic step and only need my concentration for the transport operation,« replied Hassan. »Of course, I also wanted to help you.«
»You knew it all the time, where we were. We repeatedly detected your spy ship. You kept your distance, but we noticed the ship, nevertheless,« Gamze voiced her doubts about the miraculous rescue.
Friedberg and Khalil looked at each other. It seemed as if the two men were having some sort of a mute dialogue, or they were utterly surprised by Gamze’s statement.
»Please, believe me, that we’ve never spied on the Solar Pride. Whoever it was, it wasn’t a Union or GCC ship,« Friedberg said seriously. »We have received reports of unannounced ship traffic in the Solar System, and we’re currently investigating the matter.«
»Tell us more about the Guardian and your experiences inside the fragment of the Squid ship,« Takahashi asked interestedly.
»The encounter with this Guardian was terrifying,« Fosset admitted. »If he told the truth, then this being intended to turn our sun into a nova.«
»It must have been the ambassador of the Guardians of whom we heard on Crashpoint and who had been sent for negotiations,« said Takahashi. »Apparently, he never arrived in the Solar System but encountered the Circle battleships in the outer sectors. A fatal coincidence. That’s why, we couldn’t know anything about him.«
»An ambassador who had prepared his solar bomb for two thousand years,« Fosset remarked. »Are you sure that he wanted to negotiate at all? Anyone who takes so much effort in preparation also intends to use the weapon.«
»We don’t know,« Friedberg admitted. »If the Guardian mentioned this time frame, then we can breathe easier for a while. Apparently, such a solar igniter can’t be produced again so easily.«
»There’ something else,« Rouven added.
Friedberg looked attentively.
»What’s that?«
»These creatures are getting very old,« Rouven continued dryly. »I’d like to know what happened two thousand years ago so that we need to be punished for it this way today.«
»That’s an excellent and important question,« Hassan acknowledged. »Unfortunately, there is no answer. It might just be a misunderstanding which we must clarify urgently. Unfortunately, all previous encounters with these people have been very unfavorable. There was little time for negotiations.«
»Okay, there’s just one more thing left, just a formality,« Friedberg began. »I hope you allow some quick interviews with the other participants of this mission? I was told about a chef named Chambers, who, together with your ship doctor, was also on that mission as well as a Zerbite?«
Friedberg twirled his white mustache thoughtfully and looked at Fosset expectantly.
»Quid pro quo,« he replied and smiled thinly.
»What?« asked Friedberg surprised.
»I’d like to get back to our prize topic if you don’t mind,« Fosset turned the conversation. »We discovered the wreck and claimed it. Since we all found out that we averted an enormous threat by our mission, there should be some compensation for my crew and me.«
»If Hassan hadn’t located and rescued you, then you wouldn’t be here,« said Nuri Jawa.
»Maybe,« Gamze Acun replied confrontationally. »Then, perhaps, the sun would now be a supernova, burned the planets and this discussion would not have happened.«
»I think, Fosset has a valid point, don’t you think, Admiral?« Hassan tried to mediate and winked at Fosset.
»What kind of prize do you have in mind, Fosset?« the admiral asked bluntly.
Fosset seemed to ponder for a moment before he responded, »The prize should have an appropriate value compared to the contributions we made. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to question a few surviving Frigonans who are currently on board my ship. I intend to hand these prisoners over to you.«
»Frigonans?« shrieked Nuri Jawa surprised. »How is that possible?«
»What do you want, Fosset?« Friedberg asked again without addressing Nuri Jawa. He looked at Fosset with narrowed eyes.
The Privateer seemed to squirm, then he grinned mischievously and replied, »The license for the acquisition of an FTL drive. I don’t demand any gifts and pay for it. I only want to have the opportunity to acquire such a drive from Union Fleet stock!«
Fosset held his breath and looked at Friedberg expectantly. Suddenly, it was so quiet in the room that it would’ve been possible to hear a needle drop to the floor. The admiral did not answer right away and seemed to wrestle with himself. Then he took a deep breath.
»We can’t stop change, even if it sometimes seems necessary to protect the welfare of our citizens. Sooner or later there will be more of you Privateers who’ll be no longer satisfied to just tour our home system. Humanity, will soon visit neighboring solar systems and colonize new worlds, that’s a given. Okay, Fosset, you get your drive! I hope this does not lead to a never-ending string of rescues by the Union Fleet or the GCC.«
We made it! Fosset jubilated inwardly but remained totally calm on the outside.
»You won’t regret it, Admiral.«
»Until your ship can leave the space dock again after the conversion, I offer you to train your crew aboard the Nebular and prepare you for future challenges,« Takahashi offered. »Is that okay with you?«
Gamze Acun looked happy.
»I think there’s nothing to add.«
»Is that the opinion of your commanders, or your own,« asked Friedberg.
»It’s our opinion!« Gamze replied smiling. »We Privateers do things just a little differently than the Union Fleet.«
Addendum
After the Solar Pride had left the formation with the Nebular and was flying back to Fosset’s shipyard on Oberon, Friedberg went to his guest quarters and treated himself to a red wine from a private collection.
The admiral was not tired, activated a large holo-terminal and went over the data from recent events.
Thanks to Hassan Khalil’s abilities, the last Frigonan was found on Fosset’s ship and quickly apprehended. Together with Sparks, Dorothea DaDiva was on the way to the Triton Medical Center to initiate the separation between the parasite and Sparks. The Frigonan cooperated and began, already during the flight, to withdraw his agents and toxins from Spark’s body.
Friedberg sipped on his glass and peered at a small cigar chest made of wood, which had some elaborate carvings. He carefully opened the lid and took out a small holographic memory cube. He inserted it into a portable reader and then slowly leaned back. A holographic projection appeared on the desk and showed a man Friedberg knew only too well.
»Admiral, I’ll soon leave the Solar System for a longer period and send you a short message with a request for a favor. See it as payment for our mission in Scutum-Crux,« Toiber Arkroid’s voice sounded from the holo. »If, one day, Hugh Fosset, comes to you and dark events cast their shadows, then I’d like you to be generous. I’m asking you to grant his request, Admiral. It’s important that things develop the way I see them before my eyes. Your decision will help avert total chaos and allow a secure future for Humanity. Thank you.«
At this point, the message stopped.
»You have prevented the Great Tremor and asked for a favor, Arkroid,« Friedberg whispered and gave a toast to the holo-projection. »I don’t understand the context and would not even try to investigate how it is possible that you were able to foresee today’s events. I do this because I trust you and hope to see you again someday. Quid pro quo, Arkroid. Quid pro quo.«
33 - Hunting the Unknown
Written by Thomas Rabenstein
Translation by Michael Koeckritz
Cadets
Shrill whistles of an old-fashioned soccer-coach whistle echoed through the long corridors of the barrack-like building, ending the sleeping period and awkwardly signaling the beginning of the work day. Apparently, the drill sergeant was not yet satisfied with this harsh wake-up call and paced down the corridor, opening the pressure-proof doors of the crew quarters, calling in a loud voice, »Get out of bed! We’re not on vacation! Assembly in five minutes! Anyone who’s unshaven and has not packed his equipment according to regulations can already look forward to a few additional assignments!«
Hectic activity broke out. Cadets scurried in underwear from their quarters and rushed to the washrooms. Others hurried to gather their equipment, nervously looking over the duty roster while furtively checking their watches.
»Four minutes and ten seconds to go!« shouted the sergeant. »I’ve never seen such a sleepy bunch! Do you want me to help you put on your fatigues? Do you really think that the Union Fleet is going to trust you flying a Hawk, the way you move? I’d rather let my grandmother, with her knitting box, take your place in the cockpit! Only four minutes and three seconds, people! Move your asses!«
The sarcastic comments of the drill sergeant seemed to want to go on forever, and his wealth of motivating remarks seemed inexhaustible.
»Do you think that shit duties belong to the past and toilets now clean themselves? I have good news and bad news for you. First the good news! That’s right! Our sanitary facilities are on the cutting edge of technology. Now the bad news! Every machine can be switched off! So, don’t think you’re safe. I’m warning you, you may find out the hard way!«
NEBULAR Collection 7 - Guardians of the Continuum: Episodes 31 - 34 Page 23