The Search for Gram

by Chris Kennedy

  “Be my guest,” said Calvin.

  “So, since I knew you would probably get in trouble, again, I knew I would probably have to come up with something to save you, again. Since we didn’t have another shuttle pilot, I knew trying to fly over to the freighter was going to be difficult, so I had to think about a different means of saving your ass. Then it dawned on me. What has the biggest guns in this system? The Efreet ship we’re currently on. I just needed to figure out how to use them, and everything would work out fine. Long story short, I told my plan to the Mrowry officer, and we grabbed a couple of them giant salamander things and convinced them it was in their queen’s best interest to fire a few warning shots across the bow of the freighter you were in, just to get their attention. When we accidentally hit the ship with the second shot, their captain was more than willing to discuss his surrender.”

  Chapter 41

  Castle Courtyard, Ashur, Unknown Date/Time

  “I am glad to see you again,” said the caliph. “It is with great sorrow I note your numbers are much diminished. My vizier has already given me a quick report of your accomplishments, and I am astounded at the odds you have overcome. Although many of my own citizens were killed in the revolt, we are overjoyed to have thrown off the yoke of the Efreeti oppressors. I have arranged a ceremony tomorrow at which all of your men, both living and dead, will be honored for the sacrifices they made to help us in our struggle for freedom.”

  “I’m sorry, Caliph, but we will be unable to stay for that,” said Calvin. “We have already been in your universe for far longer than we initially intended, and I am sure our people are extremely worried about us. We must get back.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” said the caliph; “you must promise to come back as soon as you are able to formally receive your awards.” He clapped his hands twice, and two stewards approached. The first steward carried a box, and the second brought a control rod on a crimson pillow.

  The caliph handed Calvin the box. “This box contains your awards, naming each of you as a ‘Hero of the Caliphate.’ It is the highest military award we have.”

  “Thank you,” said Calvin. “We were honored to help you free yourselves from the Efreet.”

  “And this is our last control rod,” said the caliph, handing it over. “I would like to give it to you for your service to my people. It is my hope that someday you will return so my people can thank you properly for that service. If there is ever anything we can do for you, you only need to ask, and it will be done.”

  “Thank you for this gift,” said Calvin. “We will use it to make more of them, so we can return to establish relations between our two cultures. I am sorry to leave you ill-prepared to defend yourselves if the Efreet return; however, we will leave the warship in orbit to help with your world’s defense. You are going to have to begin training a space force of your own as you will need it if you intend to keep the freedom you have won.”

  “Your words are wise,” said the caliph. “I have already appointed a vizier to oversee the creation of this ‘space force’ of which you speak. It will not happen overnight, but I hope to have a space force in place before the Efreet return.”

  “There is one other thing I would ask of you, Caliph,” said Calvin.

  “If it is within my ability to provide,” said the caliph, “it shall be yours.”

  “It would be very helpful if we could have a couple of your people return with us to our universe,” said Calvin. “We are going to take the freighter and some of their engineers with us, but we will need someone who can speak Efreeti to translate for us, at least at the start.”

  “There are only a few who are able to speak a common language with you,” said the caliph. “I cannot leave during this time of upheaval, nor would it be proper for my daughters to return with you without appropriate chaperones.”

  “I will go in your place, my caliph,” said Grand Vizier Jafar al-Barmaki. “I have already spent much time with them. Although they are strange, I am familiar with their ways.”

  “I will miss you, my friend,” said the caliph. “Thank you for volunteering.” The vizier bowed.

  “Is there anything else you need?” asked the caliph.

  “No,” said Calvin. “The cost was great, but I think we achieved everything we came for.”

  Dendaran Valley, Wendar, Day 16 of the Second Akhet, 15th Dynasty, Year 14

  “It’s going to be tough to get through their lines,” said K-Mart, looking over the crest of the hill at the battle playing out in the valley below. The longer he looked, the less it looked like a battle and more like a rout. The caliph’s troops were fleeing toward a city on the horizon in disarray, pursued by a larger number of enemy forces. “They’re all spread out…we’re going to be seen, and when we are, we don’t have the weapons necessary to fight our way through.”

  “I would fly you over them,” said Bordraab, “but I am not strong enough to carry more than just a few at a time. I would have to make at least 20 round trips, and I do not think I have regained enough of my strength to do that yet.”

  “It won’t be a problem,” said the third person on the hilltop, Captain Elorhim Silvermoon. Although K-Mart and Bordraab had arrived too late to save Rock and Chomper, they had only met one Jotunn on the way to rescue the Aesir; it had been quickly dispatched by Bordraab, and the elves set free.

  When they transported back to the Jinn Universe, though, they found the battle had passed them by, and they had spent most of the next several days trying to catch up with the caliph’s troops while dodging enemy patrols.

  “I’m not sure why you think it won’t be a problem,” said K-Mart. “Bordraab can’t carry everyone over the lines, and I don’t want to risk the women and children trying to sneak them through the Efreet.”

  “I have a couple of Eco Warrior teams in my group,” stated Captain Silvermoon. His tone indicated he thought that explained everything.

  “I don’t know what those are,” said K-Mart, “but without weapons, I don’t see how even the best warriors are going to get us through that mess down there.”

  “The Eco Warrior teams are weapons,” said Captain Silvermoon. “They have a number of types of nanobots they can use to accomplish more than you ever would have thought possible.”

  “If they are so powerful, why didn’t you all escape before now?” asked K-Mart.

  “Where would we have gone if we escaped?” asked Captain Silvermoon. “We haven’t used them because we didn’t have anywhere to go until now. Had an opportunity presented itself, we would have taken it; sadly, we never had the chance.”

  “So, what’s your plan?” asked K-Mart.

  “We wait until nightfall, then we slip through the lines,” said Captain Silvermoon. He looked at the dragon. “We send the women and children back on Bordraab; hopefully, he can carry all of them.”

  “She,” said Bordraab.

  “She what?” asked K-Mart.

  “Your language doesn’t have a word which properly defines my gender,” replied Bordraab. “Of the choices you have, I am closer to a ‘she.’”

  “My apologies,” said Captain Silvermoon. “We wait until nightfall, then we slip through the lines. Hopefully she can carry all the women and children and fly them back to your ally’s side of the lines.”

  “There are only two women and three children,” replied Bordraab; “I can do that.”

  “Good,” said Captain Silvermoon. “Okay, that just leaves us to sneak through the lines, and that’s the easy part.”

  “That’s the easy part?” asked K-Mart. “Sneaking through the enemy lines is going to be easy?”

  “No, it will be quite challenging,” replied the Aesir; “however, I have faith that my teams will get us through the Efreet. The problem is, what then? How do you plan to get us through the friendly lines without being shot? While I appreciate you setting us free, it really isn’t much of a rescue if we get shot by the people we are risking our lives to help.”


  “Ah, I see,” said K-Mart, finally understanding.

  “Bordraab is going to have even more difficulty,” added Captain Silvermoon, “as it does not appear there are any dragons on this planet. What would you do in the middle of a war if an enormous, unknown creature suddenly appeared?”

  “I’d probably shoot first and ask questions later,” said K-Mart with a sigh.

  “I’d expect as much too,” replied Captain Silvermoon. “I don’t know how well her scales will stop bullets, but I’m sure no one wants to find out.”

  “Especially me,” said Bordraab. “I think you will see, however, that just like your Eco Warrior teams, I am more than I appear.”

  “You are already quite formidable,” said Captain Silvermoon. “What else can you do?”

  “I can also talk to them like this,” said Bordraab telepathically. “Hopefully, I can convince them not to shoot me before they are able to see me. Maybe I can even warn them about your arrival so you don’t get shot by the caliph’s troops when you approach.”

  “That would be nice,” said Captain Silvermoon. “Is there a range to your telepathy?”

  “Alas, it is rather short-ranged,” said Bordraab. “You would already be within weapons range before I could hear you coming.”

  “Then we will give you a sign when we are close,” said Captain Silvermoon.

  “A sign?” asked Bordraab. “What kind of a sign?”

  “I don’t know yet,” replied the Aesir, “but knowing my people, it will be obvious. You will know it when you see it.”

  Chapter 42

  CO’s Conference Room, TSS Terra, Keppler-22 ‘b,’ July 18, 2021

  “So, we rounded up most of the Efreet and took them to the planet where the Sila could guard them,” said Calvin. “We kept a few onboard the freighter to help us run it, and we left a few onboard the destroyer to help the Sila figure out how to operate it.”

  “Do you think that was wise?” asked Captain Griffin. “What if the Efreet are able to take back the ship from the Sila? They could wipe them all out.”

  “We moved the queen back to the planet,” Calvin replied. “With her there, we didn’t think the Efreet would randomly bomb the planet, even if they were able to take the ship.”

  “Based on what you already told us, I guess that makes sense,” said Captain Griffin. “Bottom line; were you able to learn anything that can help us against the Jotunn?”

  “I wasn’t able to learn anything about the time bomb,” said Calvin, “as they didn’t have any onboard. I do, however, think it’s safe to say the force allied with the Jotunn is the Efreet. Even though the destroyer we captured didn’t have any bombs onboard, some of the Efreet said their ship had been in that system a long time. It is possible the weapon represents new technology or is only on certain types of ships.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes, there is,” said Calvin with a smile. “You’ll remember the Efreeti freighter was bringing equipment for their destroyer? Guess what it was?”

  “No idea,” said Captain Griffin, “and I’m not really in a guessing mood. Why don’t you just tell me.”

  “They were bringing jump modules for the destroyer.”

  “Jump modules? Are those what I think they are?”

  “Yep, that’s what lets them go back and forth between universes.”

  “Can we put them on the Terra?” asked Captain Griffin.

  “Unfortunately, no,” said Calvin. “We asked the Efreet, and they said two modules wouldn’t jump a ship the size of the Terra.”

  “Oh, damn,” said Captain Griffin. “I was looking forward to giving them a taste of their own medicine.”

  “I figured you’d say something like that, ma’am,” said Calvin, “which is why we brought back some more we found in the freighter’s hold. They tell me eight will be enough to jump the Terra, so we brought back 10, just in case we were a little short.” The smile faded from his face. “I hope it works,” he added; “we lost a lot of good men and women getting them.”

  “I know,” said Captain Griffin. “What do we have to do to get them linked into our system?”

  “I brought back a couple of the Efreeti engineers and the vizier to help translate,” said Calvin. “Our suits picked up a lot of the Efreeti language; it’s too bad they were all destroyed in the attack.”

  “How does it feel to be without implants once you’ve had them?” asked Captain Griffin.

  “It sucks about as much as it did the first time this happened,” said Calvin. “As soon as we’re done here, I’m headed to medical. I’m hoping they have a spare set they can give me. If not, I’ll go to the replicator and make them myself.”

  “Well, that’s all I had,” said Captain Griffin. “We will return to the system where you found the Blue Forest and see if we can recover the Aesir. If we can get the jump modules to work, we will also jump through to the Jinn Universe and see if we can find the two fighters you lost. Are there any other questions?” She looked around the room, but no hands were raised. “In that case, you all know your jobs, and what we need to do. You’re dismissed, although I’d like the chief engineer to stay a few minutes so we can discuss the jump modules.”

  As everyone rose to attend to their tasking, Calvin stopped Lieutenant Bradford, the Department X combat systems engineer and handed him the sword he had used in the Sila universe.

  “Do me a favor,” Calvin said. “Take a look at this sword, but…umm…be careful. When I drew it in the Efreeti jail, it burst into flame.”

  “Burst into flame?” asked Lieutenant Bradford. “Just like that, without any reason?”

  “No reason I’m aware of,” said Calvin. “I pulled it out of the scabbard, and it was instantly coated in flames.”

  Lieutenant Bradford held the sword a little further from his body, obviously worried the sword might spontaneously combust. He gingerly drew the rapier’s blade out of the scabbard a couple of inches, but nothing happened. He pulled it out a little further. When it still didn’t react, he drew it all the way and inspected the very normal-looking blade.

  “Flames, sir?” asked Lieutenant Bradford. “Whatever caused them seems to have ceased functioning.”

  “I don’t know what caused it,” said Calvin. “All I know is when I drew it, the sword’s blade glowed a bright blue, and then became completely engulfed in flames.” He shrugged. “Looks normal enough now; I agree. Take a look anyway and see if you can tell what caused it. Maybe there was a coating or something on it we can use.”

  “I will look into it immediately,” said Lieutenant Bradford.

  “Good,” said Calvin; “thanks. When you’re done, take a look at this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden control rod. “See if you can find out what makes these things function. When you’re done, we need to get them scanned. I have a feeling we’re going to need a bunch of them, and we’ll probably need them soon. Very soon.”

  Bridge, TSS Terra, Epsilon Indi, July 28, 2021

  “Engineering, Bridge,” commed the CO, “are you ready for the test?”

  “The Efreeti is giving us a thumb’s up, or a claw’s up, or something,” said the chief engineer. “We’re as ready as we’re going to be.”

  Captain Griffin hoped this test ended better than the previous three had. The first time, nothing happened because they had the power wrong. Instead of three-phase power, the Efreet used four-phase. Not only had the test failed, it had burned up one of the jump modules.

  It was a good thing Calvin had brought extras, thought Captain Griffin. Having to completely disassemble a jump module to replicate it would have taken time…time they didn’t have.

  The second time, the tolerances were off. The modules were all powered correctly, but they had to fire within 0.01 seconds of each other in order for the fields to overlap correctly. That had taken over a day to figure out; most of it lost in trying to translate the Efreet troubleshooting instructions into English. It said something about the state o
f education in the Efreeti Empire, Captain Griffin thought. Technical instructions in the Terran Navy were generally written at the 10th grade level; in the Efreeti Empire, it seemed like they were written for 1st or 2nd graders. In order to explain things at that level, it often took several paragraphs of introduction just to explain the technical terms used in the procedure.

  The troubleshooting instructions had finally been deciphered, and the cause of the jump failure determined. In order to get the required accuracy, the engineers had enlisted the aid of the Terra’s artificial intelligence to run the module activation. Terra had assured Captain Griffin it was several orders of magnitude more accurate than what was needed, and it had sounded slightly miffed the question was even worth asking.

  The third test, everything had appeared to work, but the Terra still hadn’t jumped. Terra swore it had accurately activated the modules within the accepted tolerances, sounding even more miffed that its capabilities had been called into question a second time. One of the junior engineers found the solution several hours later, having decided to re-read the installation manual. As he noted, ‘Dad always said, if all else fails, read the instruction manual.’ At the back of the book in the “Things People Do Bad To Make The Stuff Not Work” section, the engineer found a note that said the modules at the front of the ship had to be initiated first.

  Since all the modules were sitting next to each other in Engine Room One, he read a little further and found the modules had to be spread equally throughout the ship to work correctly. This necessitated moving seven of the boxes and reinstalling them, which took more time. The chief engineer swore it would work this time. Captain Griffin hoped it would, or she was going to maroon him on the next planet, habitable or not.