by Ryk Brown
Again, the bridge was quiet.
* * *
Lieutenant Telles and Lieutenant Commander Nash stood in the control tower of the Porto Santo airport, looking out across the airfield. Below them, work crews made up of a mixture of local residents of the island and a handful of Corinairan engineers from the Aurora’s crew were busy in one of the large hangars on the far side of the main runway.
“Yup, that’s an airport all right,” Jessica mumbled. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“They have converted several of the larger hangars into receiving facilities. They will house the incoming reinforcements during their wake cycles and subsequent medical checks and physical training.”
“Where are they going to live after they are wide awake and ready to go?” Jessica wondered.
“Further back, in that valley to the right, barracks are being constructed,” he explained. “Along with dining facilities, command, medical, and training areas. They will be spread out amongst the various breaks in the forest. The hills will separate the living and training areas from the airfield itself, providing an additional layer of security, as well as reducing collateral damage to the base should the airfield suffer an accident or direct attack.”
“An aerial shot would’ve been fine,” Jessica said.
“You once said that you never felt like you belonged on board a spaceship,” Lieutenant Telles said. “I thought you might welcome an excuse to leave the ship.”
“Yeah, well, this isn’t exactly what I meant.”
“Lieutenant,” one of the tower operators interrupted. “Aurora comms reports that Boxcar One just jumped into orbit. They should be jumping down to us shortly.”
“Very well.”
“Finally,” Jessica exclaimed. “It has to feel nice, knowing that you’re about to get one hundred more men added to your command.”
“I will feel even better once a few hundred more have arrived,” the lieutenant told her, “as well as several combat jumpers and at least one heavy cargo jumper. Until then, we will not be fully operational, at least not to the level that we need to be in order to help restore order to your world.”
“I still don’t see how you hope to accomplish that, especially with only a few hundred Ghatazhak and some jump shuttles.”
“Within a few months, there should be at least one thousand Ghatazhak stationed on Earth. Even with only five or six combat jump shuttles, we will be able to move personnel anywhere in the world within a few minutes. Our ability to respond to events will be our advantage, as will be the appearance that we are present in nearly every major population center on this planet. One thousand will seem as one hundred thousand, and no one will be the wiser, not even the residents of Porto Santo.”
Jessica looked at the lieutenant and smiled. “You’re sneakier than I gave you credit for, Lieutenant.”
“Deception is as much a weapon as a gun,” the lieutenant said. “Used properly, it can win wars.”
“Now you sound like the captain.”
“Captain Scott is well versed in the history of your world. Because of this, I have been studying your history, from before and after the bio-digital plague. Your people have always been quite violent, even more so than the Ta’Akar. Considering their lineage, it is not surprising that the Jung are a merciless culture. When examined as a whole, humanity always resorts to violence in the end.”
“And you find this surprising?” Jessica wondered.
“Actually, no. As Ghatazhak, we were taught this at an early age. It is why the ability to fight, to commit extreme acts of violence, is of foremost importance. We embrace our violent nature, rather than deny it. Because of this acceptance, we can learn to control it, to use it as a means to an end. What I do find surprising is how your people react to violent acts.”
“How so?”
“They upset you. They cause you to feel outrage, to demand justice. They even trigger violent retaliatory acts, many of which are not even directed at the original perpetrators.”
“Yeah, well, people are strange that way,” Jessica said. “They need to vent.”
“So, destroying something else… anything else, feels justified in their minds?”
“Humans have an amazing ability to make themselves believe they are doing the right thing if it suits their needs. We build these bubbles of false reality around us, in order for us to better deal with the harsh realities of life.”
“A very astute observation,” Lieutenant Telles agreed.
“I read it somewhere. Stuck with me.”
“The Ghatazhak see things how they truly are, not how we wish them to be.”
“Contact,” the tower operator reported, interrupting their discussion. “Two kilometers out, to the east.”
Lieutenant Telles stepped over to the large glass windows to his right. He tapped the glass once, turning the entire sheet opaque. A moment later, the image feed from cameras on the roof of the tower filled the window. A gesture with his fingers caused the image to magnify until the ship they referred to as Boxcar One filled more than half the window.
“Wow, that is one ugly looking ship,” Jessica commented.
“It is actually a very functional design,” the lieutenant assured her. “Old, but still quite functional.”
“It looks like a big bug, or a claw, holding a crate,” Jessica said. “Why do they call them boxcars?”
“They were once prevalent in most of the systems of the Pentaurus cluster. They were used to move cargo containers of various sizes, usually between the surface and orbit. They were also used to ferry cargo between worlds within a system.”
“Those? For interplanetary flights?” Jessica couldn’t believe it. “They look more like boat lifts than interplanetary cargo ships.”
“They would not make such flights as individual units,” the lieutenant explained. “Rather, they would join their containers to one another, end to end, forming a long chain of ships, all of them working together to reach their destination. Upon arrival, they would break apart and deliver their containers to their various destinations on the surface of the destination world.”
“I still don’t get the ‘boxcar’ thing.”
“You have trains on your world, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So do we. When lined up they form a train. Like many boxcars all joined together.”
“Right.” Jessica looked at the image of the ship, the camera tracking it as it rode its four main engines down to the surface. “Still ugly, though. I can’t believe that thing jumped all the way from Takara to Earth.”
“It is quite an accomplishment, especially for such an ancient vessel.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier for them to jump in just above the surface, instead of riding their engines all the way down?”
“I expect this is their first jump into the atmosphere of any world,” Lieutenant Telles explained. “The pilot probably felt it safer this way.”
“No doubt,” Jessica mumbled as she continued to watch the magnified image of the ship as it hovered just above the landing target. Doors on the lower corners of each of its four massive engine pods opened and long, thick legs extended downward. Once extended, their lower portions folded open, revealing four large wheels on the end of each of the four gear legs. Its landing gear now fully extended and ready, the gangly looking ship descended the last meter, coming to rest on its four wheeled legs. As its engines wound down, its landing gear contracted somewhat as it took the full weight of both the ship and its cargo container.
“Boxcar One, Porto Santo Tower,” the tower operator said over the comms. “Copy engine shutdown. You are cleared to taxi to Hangar One.”
The boxcar began to move, slowly at first, picking up speed as it rolled toward the massive hangar off the middle of Porto Santo’s main runway.
“Now it’s a rolling crane?” Jessica wondered, looking slightly surprised.
“It will taxi into the receiving hangar where it will deposit
its cargo containers. It will then be free to taxi to the maintenance hangar to be readied for its next flight.”
“Huh. You were right,” she admitted. “It is a functional design. Ugly, but functional.”
“Aurora reports a combat jump shuttle has also arrived in orbit. They will be jumping down in a few minutes.”
“Excellent,” Lieutenant Telles said as he tapped the glass, turning it back into a normal window once more. “I would very much like to speak to the flight crew once they land,” he said as turned toward the exit.
Jessica and the lieutenant were greeted by a clap of thunder as the new combat jump shuttle suddenly appeared in a blue-white flash of light, not more than five meters above the center of Porto Santo airport’s main runway. The shuttle hovered for a moment as the pilot got his bearings, then began to descend slowly to the surface. As it neared the surface, four pairs of wheels extended from its underside, locking into position a second before they touched the runway.
Lieutenant Telles and Jessica climbed into a small, open cockpit service vehicle and sped off across the airport toward the combat jump shuttle. As they approached, the side door of the shuttle slid open, revealing a member of the shuttle’s three-man crew as he stepped down to the surface. A ground support team of three Corinari technicians pulled up in another service vehicle and quickly moved to secure the ship as its engines wound down.
Telles and Jessica pulled up to a stop a few meters from the combat shuttle as the copilot’s door swung open and the copilot climbed down as well. It was obvious that both men felt somewhat unsteady on their feet, as they adjusted to the unfamiliar gravity of Earth.
Lieutenant Telles climbed out of the service vehicle and moved toward the copilot and crew chief, as the shuttle’s pilot came around the front of the ship. “Gentlemen, welcome to Earth. I am Lieutenant Telles, local commander of the Ghatazhak. I trust your flight was uneventful?”
“And long,” the crew chief answered.
“This is Lieutenant Commander Nash, the Aurora’s chief of security.”
“I am Lieutenant Tavich,” the pilot announced. “This is my copilot, Ensign Daner, and our crew chief, Sergeant Branwell.”
“I take it you’re all Corinari?” Jessica inquired.
“Did my accent give us away?”
“That, and you’re all wearing black,” Jessica answered.
“Only for lack of an alternative uniform to wear,” Lieutenant Tavich told her. He turned his left shoulder to her, showing that he wore no Corinari patch on his jumpsuit. “We gave up our places in the Corinari to join up with Commander Dumar and the Alliance. Figured things might be a bit more interesting out here.”
“How long did it take you to make the trip over?” Jessica wondered.
“Better part of seven days,” Lieutenant Tavich answered. “But we were taking it slow, dialing in our jump plotter and taking a lot of scans along the way to send back to the Karuzara. It should make the trip a little easier for those who follow.”
“Seven days. How many jumps?”
“Just under five hundred, I believe,” the pilot answered, looking to his copilot for confirmation.
“Four hundred and ninety-seven.”
“That’s a lot of jumps, especially in only seven days,” Jessica said.
“The jumpers that follow will have shorter trips,” he explained, “as the Karuzara gets closer to Sol.”
“How many combat jumpers are we talking?” Jessica wondered.
“Twelve for sure,” Lieutenant Tavich answered.
“That’s more than I expected,” Lieutenant Telles admitted happily. “We will need more ground crews than I had planned.”
“Once the Karuzara arrives, you should have more than enough personnel for ground support,” Lieutenant Tavich promised.
“Excellent,” Telles said. He looked up at the double-barreled plasma cannon on the side of the shuttle just aft of its large side door. “I see you got my weapons specifications.”
“Yes, sir,” the crew chief responded. “Twins on each side, point five eights with four fifty charges, and twin nine hundreds in top turret.”
“And the turret raises up?”
“Yes sir. Jacked up, she has twenty degree line of sight downward.”
“The four fifties can also angle up and down as well as forty-five out, just as you specified,” Lieutenant Tavich added. “We can clear the LZ from five kilometers out, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, these will do quite nicely,” Lieutenant Telles agreed. “Quite nicely indeed.”
* * *
“Have you seen the satellite images of that place?” Josh asked. “Not exactly what you’d call a resort.”
“It’s not supposed to be, Josh,” Loki argued. “It’s a base for the Ghatazhak. All I’m saying is that it has a beach. You’ve been wanting to go to the beach since we first got to Earth. This is the only one we’re going to see any time soon.”
“You’ve got a point, I guess.”
“Swing around this rock so I can scan the other side,” Loki instructed.
“Why are we bothering with rocks this small?” Josh wondered. “It’s not even a kilometer across.”
“Captain wants every nook and cranny of every single…”
“…planet, moon, comet, and asteroid in the inner system scanned for possible Jung surveillance devices. Yeah, I was at the briefing, remember?” Josh fired their thrusters and guided the Falcon around the small asteroid. “At least we’re not the only ones doing the shit-work this time.”
“I, for one, am more than happy doing the shit-work,” Loki proclaimed. “At least no one is shooting at us.”
“But its b-o-r-i-n-g,” Josh whined.
“So is death.”
“Got me there.”
“Uh, I’m picking up something, Josh.” Loki’s eyes squinted as he studied his sensor display. “Wait… It’s gone.”
“What was it?” Josh asked.
“Something metallic, I think.”
“You think?”
“It could have been raw metallic ore in the rock,” Loki admitted. “It wouldn’t be the first time… But…”
“But what?”
“It was very refined, and it had various elements that you wouldn’t… Josh, can you swing back around so I can try and get another look at it?”
“Sure, why not?” Josh moved his flight control stick to the right and twisted it slightly, sending the Falcon into a tight starboard turn. “We’re moving so slow, this turn will barely use any propellant at all.” Josh kept his eyes forward, paying little attention to the flight data display on his console, as the small asteroid outside gave him all the references he needed. “Want me to get a little closer this pass?”
“Just a bit, please,” Loki answered, “and try to come back on the exact opposite flight path.”
“You got it.”
Loki continued to study his sensor display as Josh guided the Falcon down closer to the asteroid’s surface, carefully skimming over its tallest ridges. His eyes suddenly widened. “There it is again.” Loki adjust his sensors. “And it’s gone again.”
“Want me to hover over that point?”
“Good idea.”
“Okay, coming back around.”
“That definitely was not naturally occurring metals. It is way too refined. I may have even detected a faint power signature, although it may only be radioactive ores.”
“Uh, you don’t think it’s a weapon, or some kind of—what do they call them—booby traps?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, if we’re gonna be hovering right over it, I’d kinda like to know, Loki.”
“I thought you liked getting shot at? The excitement and all.”
“If I’m gonna be a target, Lok, I’d prefer to be a moving target. A fast-moving target would be even better.”
“On that, I would agree,” Loki said.
Josh again brought the Falcon around, guiding it over the surface even more sl
owly than before. “I’m back on the original course, flying at a crawl. Keep your eyes on those sensors, Loki. If something fires at us, let me know. My hand is on the damn throttle.”
“Gotcha,” Loki answered as he continued staring at the sensor display. “Slow it down even more.”
“I’m down to a meter per second, Lok,” Josh warned. “You want me to go slower?”
“I want us down to less than a meter per minute, Josh. I think we were looking down a crack or something. That’s why the signal disappeared so quickly.”
“I know we were flying slower than usual the last two passes, but still. At that speed, that would be an awfully big crack for the signal to last a full second.”
“So slow down and we’ll get a nice long look at it,” Loki insisted.
“Slow down so we’ll be a target for a nice long time,” Josh sneered. “That beach is looking a lot better right about now.”
“There it is!” Loki exclaimed. “Full stop!”
“What?”
“Stop!”
“Why the hell are we stopping?” Josh demanded as he fired the Falcon’s braking thrusters and brought the ship to a stop directly above the crack in the surface below.
“There’s definitely something in there, and it’s not a weapon. It’s some kind of device, though. Like a comm transceiver or something. Yes, there’s the high-gain dish.”
“Is it Jung tech?”
“I don’t know,” Loki admitted. “It’s similar to the tech originally used on the Aurora, but it’s different. It’s hard to tell, ‘cause I’m getting a lot of bounce off the walls. I think there’s a cave at the bottom of that crevice, though.” Loki lifted his head up, looking forward toward Josh. “We need to report this, Josh.”
* * *
“Entering the crevice now,” the copilot reported over the loudspeakers on the Aurora’s bridge.
Nathan watched the images being transmitted from the shuttle’s external cameras onto the Aurora’s main view screen.
“It’s a lot wider than it looks from outside once you get inside,” the copilot continued. “I’m pretty sure it widens at the bottom.”