Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars)

by Raymond L. Weil

  Jason smiled back at Ariel. Over the years, they had become very close friends. “I hope so.” Sometimes he tended to forget that she was an AI. She sounded so much like a real person when he was talking to her. “Once the New Horizon discovers the two habitable planets in the Tau Ceti system, we can rapidly expand our space program and begin colonizing those two worlds. It will give the people of Earth even more reasons to adopt the new technology we are trying to make available to them.”

  “It should,” agreed Greg, hoping the lure of colonizing new worlds would give a boost to the introduction of the new technology. “There will be a lot of people who will want to go to those worlds. It’s getting crowded down on Earth.”

  “That’s one of the reasons we chose this time to launch the New Horizon mission,” Jason added, fully in agreement with Greg. “We should have plenty of qualified volunteers for colonization as soon as we announce the two new planets are fit to live on.”

  Greg let out a long sigh. Things were getting ready to change a lot over the next year. It was time to head back to his quarters. He had promised Katie he would take her over to the main computer lab at the academy and show her around. Greg also felt uneasy. There was something about Katie that was bothering him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but she was acting different recently. He wondered what she was up to. He would have to talk to Elizabeth and see if she had any idea what was going on with their highly spirited daughter.

  -

  Ariel watched as the two men left the Command Center. Jason and Greg would always be special to her, just as their children were. It was one of the reasons she had decided to tell Katie the truth. The abilities that the young girl had revealed were amazing when it came to understanding computers and their operating systems. She had a knack for computers and Ariel strongly suspected that, in a few short years, Katie would be showing Lisa some new concepts in computer programming.

  Ariel had talked to Katie briefly the previous night by appearing on the vid screen in her bedroom. Ariel had promised to reappear tonight and tell Katie what was going on. In some ways, Ariel was excited about the prospect of being able to confide in one of the special children. It was an opportunity that Jason had strictly forbidden her where Jeremy was concerned. Jason didn’t want Jeremy to feel pressured to take on a military career. If he had known the truth from the very beginning, Jeremy might have felt that he didn’t have a choice in joining the military. For this reason and others, Ariel was a little nervous. She knew that both Jason and Greg would be highly upset with her if they knew what she was doing. However, neither had specifically forbidden her to talk to Katie.

  -

  Later that evening, Katie was in her room sitting cross-legged on her bed with her handheld computer in front of her. The previous night, Ariel had appeared on the vid screen on the wall and promised to tell her more about what was going on tonight. Katie was trying her best not to look and act impatient. She tossed her head back, letting her blonde hair tumble across her shoulders. It really needed to be cut, but Katie had been hesitating. She was currently working on a new program that she thought would make her handheld computer run twice as fast.

  Katie didn’t know how long she had been sitting on the bed when she heard a quiet chuckle come from the vid screen. Looking up, she saw Ariel watching her.

  “How long have you been there?” Katie asked, curiously. Sometimes she got so wrapped up in her programming that she literally lost track of the time.

  “Only for a little while,” replied Ariel, smiling. “What are you working on?”

  Katie turned her computer off after saving her work and gazed intently at the vid screen. “Just a new program to help my computer run faster.”

  Ariel nodded and then spoke. “Katie, you are extremely talented. Most adults can’t do some of the things you can do with computers. You should really talk to Lisa. I don’t see any reason why you can’t come up here during the summer and take some computer classes at the Fleet Academy. Lisa would have to recommend you.”

  “You really think so?” Katie asked, her face brightening at the idea. That would also allow her to stay close to Jeremy. She knew she had a schoolgirl crush on Jeremy and that it wasn’t realistic to hope anything would ever come of it. There was just too big of an age difference. Jeremy had been special to her all of her life. He had spent a lot of time down on Earth at her parent’s home when he had been attending school. She had been much younger then, and it seemed to her that Jeremy had always been around.

  “Talk to Lisa,” Ariel said encouragingly. “I will mention something to her also.”

  Katie nodded, but now she wanted to know more about the AI. “You said you would tell me more about the Avenger and how you came to be the ship’s AI.”

  Ariel nodded. She knew that once she started talking about the Avenger and what had transpired in the Human Federation of Worlds, there would be no turning back. “You realize Katie that you can never reveal to anyone what I am about to tell you. You can’t speak of this to your dad or to your mother.”

  Katie slid off her bed and, walking around it, grabbed a chair and sat down directly in front of the vid screen. “I promise,” answered Katie in a very serious and solemn voice. She had been keeping secrets from her parents for quite some time. Her light green eyes stared raptly at the screen.

  “Very well,” Ariel replied, her eyes focusing on the young girl. Then, with a faraway look in her dark eyes, she began. “It all started over one hundred and twenty-five years ago back in the Human Federation of Worlds.”

  For the next two hours, Ariel gave Katie a brief summary of the events that had led to the Avenger crashing into the crater on the Moon. She went on to describe how Jason and Greg had found the ship and later her making her presence known to them. Without hesitation, she also described the base on Ceres and how the Federation survivors along with several Earth governments were trying to push Earth’s technological development.

  “They want to get Earth up to the same technological level that the Federation was when it was destroyed,” Ariel finished. “Once that happens, the Federation survivors on Ceres will reveal themselves, and we can start preparing for the arrival of the Hocklyns.”

  “So there are people from Ceres teaching at some of the universities down on Earth?” Katie asked wide-eyed.

  It was hard to believe that people from space were already down on Earth and no one suspected. It was even more frightening to realize that there were hostile aliens out in the universe bent on destroying all humans. She hadn’t been expecting to hear anything like this from Ariel. It sounded so much like a sci-fi vid movie.

  “Yes,” Ariel replied with a nod. “There are a number here on the Moon as well teaching at the academy.”

  “Can you tell me who?” Katie asked with interest. She wanted to see if they looked different than Earth humans.

  “No, Katie, I can’t,” Ariel replied, her dark eyes gazing at the young girl. “That is very secret, and only Admiral Strong, your dad, and a few others know who they are.”

  “I guess that’s for the best,” admitted Katie, sounding disappointed. Then, looking at Ariel with a serious look on her face, she asked another question. “What can you tell me about these Hocklyns?”

  Ariel sighed to herself. She had to keep reminding herself that this girl was only a teenager. Katie was a very bright and intelligent girl, but a teenager nevertheless. Ariel suspected and hoped that this was only the first of many long conversations. Ariel truly wanted a close friend she could confide in, and she hoped Katie would become one.

  -

  Jeremy was in the cafeteria eating breakfast. Pancakes, sausage, toast, and two eggs were a good way to start the morning. One thing he could say about the academy, they definitely fed you well.

  “More pancakes,” a pleasant female voice spoke from behind him as Kelsey appeared. She was carrying a tray with what looked like half a grapefruit and some strawberries. “Don’t you ever get tired of pancakes?�
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  Kelsey sat down across from him, and he noticed her companion Angela DeSota. Angela was studying advanced communications and hoping to be a communications officer on a starship some day. She was also a valuable member of his squad. All the seniors were divided into squads of six and were constantly put in stiff competition against one another. The drill the other day where his squad had beaten Barr’s had been the final one. He knew that his squad stood atop the rankings. His squad had worked hard to get there, even working out together rather than taking recreation time some evenings. They had spent many long hours in the academy gym exercising and discussing tactics.

  “Good morning, Kelsey,” Jeremy spoke as he picked up his glass of orange juice and took a long drink. Setting it back down, he looked across the table at the other young woman. “Hello, Angela. How are your communication studies coming?”

  “I’m ready for the final exams,” the young brunette said with a charming smile. “Professor Galen also says that I’m ready.”

  “That’s great,” Jeremy replied with a huge smile as he took a bite of his pancakes. “You will make a good communications officer someday.”

  “I hear that you have a teenager that is smitten with you,” Angela continued in a teasing voice and a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Katie,” replied Jeremy, shaking his head in annoyance. “Sometimes after I’ve been around her, I’m glad I don’t have a sister.”

  “She wasn’t that bad,” Kelsey said as she took a bite of one of her strawberries. “She reminds me a lot of what I was like when I was her age.”

  “So you two got to babysit,” Angela said with a chuckle. “I bet that was interesting. Sounds as if it was an intriguing first date.”

  Kelsey felt a slight blush color her face. “It wasn’t actually a date,” she said carefully. “I was just helping Jeremy out.”

  “Yeah, right,” commented Angela with a grin.

  The three continued to talk when Jeremy noticed that both Kelsey and Angela were looking behind him with looks of distaste on their faces. Feeling aggravated, he didn’t even have to turn around to know who was standing behind him.

  “Well well, what do we have here?” Matt Barr spoke in a mocking voice, gazing down at Jeremy. “I guess this must be the loser’s table.” Barr walked on around the table and stood behind the two girls. He looked challengingly at Jeremy as if daring him to say something.

  “We kicked your ass in the drill the other day,” Angela said defensively, her face showing annoyance. “You didn’t seem to do so well out there on the Moon.”

  “You got lucky,” Barr snarled, anger spreading across his face and gazing contemptuously at Angela. “You could never do that again!”

  “Let’s not argue,” interjected Kelsey, turning her head and frowning at Barr. “Instructor Branson is watching us. You don’t want to get any demerits, do you Matt?” Kelsey had noticed that Instructor Branson and several other instructors were watching them from where they sat at the head table.

  Hesitating, Barr glanced over at the head table and noticed that Kelsey had spoken the truth. He knew he couldn’t afford to get any demerits. There was too much riding on him finishing at the top of the class. A lot of time and effort had been expended to get him to where he was. He couldn’t afford to blow it. The people he was working for wouldn’t tolerate failure. Matt let out a deep breath and unclenched his fist. Now was not the time to provoke a confrontation with Jeremy, even though he badly wanted to do so. He wanted it so bad he could taste it. Someone had to put the admiral’s son in his place, and he was determined to be that someone when the opportunity finally presented itself.

  He had always disliked Jeremy. It seemed to him that the instructors always gave Jeremy the benefit of the doubt. There was no question in his mind that since Jeremy was the admiral’s son he was being allowed to coast through the academy. It was just like down on Earth where corrupt politics favored certain individuals.

  “Until later,” Barr commented evenly, his eyes narrowing as he looked over at Jeremy. “This isn’t over between us, Jeremy. Someday your protectors won’t be around.” Barr turned and strolled off, heading toward the exit.

  “I wish he wasn’t like that,” muttered Angela, noticing that her appetite was gone.

  “Matt is just being Matt,” commented Kelsey, looking over at Jeremy. She picked up another strawberry and bit into it. This one tasted sour and for some reason that didn’t surprise her. She was determined not to let this little incident with Matt ruin her breakfast.

  “I don’t understand how he got into the academy with that attitude,” Angela said, her tone betraying her agitation. “I thought they were supposed to screen people out that had that type of mind-set.”

  “He doesn’t act like that around the instructors,” Jeremy explained as he took a bite of his eggs. He had watched Barr’s actions for several years now. Barr was always careful in what he said or did around the instructors at the academy. “Eat your breakfast, Angela; don’t let Matt get to you.”

  “I will just be glad when graduation is over,” Angela said, picking up her fork and stabbing her grapefruit. “Maybe then we won’t have to put up with Matt anymore.”

  Jeremy didn’t reply. He knew there was a good chance it might not work out that way if they were all chosen for the New Horizon mission.

  The three finished their breakfast and headed off toward their first class. Instructor Branson watched them leave. He wondered if it might be wise to mention this incident to Commandant Everson. There was something about Barr that didn’t feel right. He couldn’t quite put his fingers on it, but it was there. Branson felt that Barr was up to something, but he had no idea what it could possibly be. Other than his obvious dislike of Jeremy, he had been a model student. Perhaps it would be best if he just watched the situation for a while longer. Barr hadn’t actually done anything wrong yet. It was just his attitude toward Jeremy that bothered Branson.

  -

  Katie was sitting in a Raven class shuttle waiting to return home. She looked over at her mom and dad, who were busy talking quietly about something. With resignation, Katie knew it would be quite some time before she got to return. Her best hope was that the long talk with Lisa earlier paid off. The two had spent a good part of the morning talking about computers. Katie had shown Lisa some of the programs she had written, including the one that she was currently working on to speed up her computer. Lisa seemed to be impressed and had promised Katie that she would talk to Commandant Everson and her parents about allowing Katie to come up to the Moon to study over the summer.

  It was also going to be hard to leave Ariel. They wouldn’t be able to communicate once she left the Moon. Katie felt as if she were leaving a close friend behind. It was strange; they had only talked a few hours over the vid screen but Katie felt as if she knew Ariel. In some ways, she felt as if they were kindred spirits.

  -

  “I don’t know, Greg,” Elizabeth spoke in a quiet voice so Katie couldn’t hear. “I just don’t feel comfortable with Katie being up here on the Moon for the summer.”

  “She will be fine,” Greg responded in a soothing voice. “Jason and Lisa are both up here and so is Jeremy. She will be well looked after.”

  “Maybe,” responded Elizabeth, looking doubtful. The Moon had always frightened her. Even today, she had to fortify herself to make these occasional trips to the academy to see Jason and Lisa. “Mathew is already gone and now Katie. I don’t know if I want both of them in the fleet.”

  “Katie may not choose the fleet,” spoke Greg, looking over at his young daughter. Katie had her handheld computer out and was working on something. “The summer computer courses at the academy are well structured. She will be supervised constantly, and another older cadet can be assigned to watch over her. There is no way she can get into any trouble.”

  “Lisa did say she would keep an eye on her,” conceded Elizabeth, wondering if she were doing the right thing. She knew that Katie was gifted. Her tea
chers at school had been ecstatic when Katie had excelled in her aptitude tests. “Let’s wait until we get home; we can discuss it in another week or two. That will give us both time to think this through.”

  “Sounds fine,” said Greg, taking his wife’s hand and squeezing it approvingly. “We just need to do what’s best for Katie.”

  -

  Jason watched from the Command Center as the shuttle carrying Greg and his family left the flight bay. Ariel kept it centered on the main viewscreen as the shuttle arrowed up into space and then vanished as it flew toward Earth. Jason let out a heavy sigh. He missed the days when Greg was constantly around. However, the need for someone to coordinate the implementation of the technology from the Avenger Project had fallen on Greg’s broad shoulders. Jason wished Greg could come up more often, but his job down on Earth was extremely important. They did try to talk daily, but it wasn’t the same.

  Perhaps if Katie came up for the summer, Greg and Elizabeth would come up more often. Lisa and he had discussed Katie’s request earlier about attending summer classes at the academy. Even Ariel had mentioned how advanced Katie’s computer skills were. After listening to the two, Jason had contacted Commandant Everson with the request. Commandant Everson didn’t seem to be too surprised. He had talked to Katie some the night of the dinner about computers. Commandant Everson had said that Katie would have to be well supervised, as she would be the youngest student attending the summer session. However, he thought adequate arrangements could be made.

  “So is Katie going to be attending the academy over the summer?” Ariel asked in an even voice, not wanting Jason to know how interested she was in his answer.

  “Probably,’ Jason replied, his eyes still gazing at the now empty viewscreen as the shuttle was no longer visible. Ariel’s avatar was on the viewscreen next to the large one. In some ways, he missed the old days. Everything had been so much simpler.

  -

  Up in lunar orbit at the Lagrange point, the starship New Horizon was docked to the large spacedock. It had taken years to build the spacedock, and then an additional four years to construct the New Horizon. It could have been done quicker with Federation construction technology, but Jason had insisted that they take things slowly for now so as not to disrupt the economy down on Earth. Jason felt that introducing highly advanced construction technology too quickly could cause immense economic problems.