John raises his eyebrows and asks curiously, “New thrusters?”
George grins as he shakes his head, “Yes. To replace the ones you scraped off when you sideswiped that raider.”
“Oh, those,” John replies innocently.
Joe shakes his head and asks, “Did you forget they were missing?”
“No, not really. I just got used to not having them,” John replies with a shrug of his shoulders.
The men spend hours examining the upper hull. Joe wipes his forehead as he comments, “From inside it’s easy to forget that this thing is three kilometers long, and almost a kilometer wide.”
John chuckles as he comments, “She does have big hips, and some long legs.”
The men chuckle at the feminine references to the wide main hull, and the pair of main engines which stretch out from behind the Terran.
Joe grins with pride, “She’s a beauty.”
The three men make their way to the ground, where they spend more time scrutinizing the ship’s underside. The group highlights a few sections for repair, but overall the outer hull is in surprisingly good condition.
At the end of the inspection, John adds his thoughts, “You know, the Kord did an amazing job repairing the ship.” He turns to George and adds, “Between the high speed run, and ramming the space station, we got lucky, very lucky.”
George nods in agreement and replies, “It seemed for a while there, that all we did was repair the armor.”
Joe frowns as his thoughts drift, then he says, “The Kord repaired our hull, but not to Gamin specifications.”
John’s jaw drops a little, then after a few moments he replies, “You’re right!”
George shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head while adding his thoughts, “I don’t see how that’s a huge revelation.”
Joe puts a hand to his head then says, “They managed to repair the hull, and yet did not fix the gravity plating.”
George sighs, “I am sure they just wanted us out of their hair.”
John chuckles at George’s unintended joke, then playfully thumps Patrick on the arm.
George frowns, gets the joke, and says, “They definitely have hair.”
The men laugh, then begin the long walk back to the Terran’s open ramp. As the group makes their way inside, Joe stops for a moment and stares with pride at the pair of elevators on the main hangar deck; another feat of engineering accomplished by the teams of specialists on board. His eyes rove up and down the walkways of the twenty levels that represent the ship’s main decks.
Robert McKnight walks over to the waiting group and smiles. He follows Joe’s upward gaze and mistakes the object of his stare and asks, “So those are the newly modified GAU’s?”
Joe’s eyes flick to one as he hears the words. He stares at the powerful weapon for a few seconds, then replies, “Pretty impressive aren’t they?”
“What was wrong with the other ones?” Robert asks curiously.
Joe replies, “The Avenger models were a great idea, but these,” the corners of his mouth lift in a smile before he continues, “Well. These have even stronger barrels, and a lot more ammo. There is no official designator for them, but we call them Retribution.”
Robert shakes his head in disbelief, “I don’t see how we could ever use all the ammo you guys loaded.”
“Hope you’re right”, Joe replies as he turns his gaze to the recently installed Gamin power unit. It occupies an area near the useless, but still connected, Kord Power Unit. The entire area around the Kord technology is cordoned off, to protect those who would dare get to close.
The group spends the remainder of the day touring the rest of the ship. The next few days are spent tackling the list generated by the tour, then George returns to his family. The crew of the Terran begins loading vast quantities of supplies, in preparation for its imminent departure.
Peter enters the bridge, seeing most of the bridge crew there, he walks up to Cindy and stands before her. No one mistakes his somber expression or demeanor, and all remain quiet as they wait for him to tell them why they have been summoned.
Peter glances around one more time, then in a low serious tone relays his words. “When Emma and I were on New Earth exploring the lake, we discovered what we thought was fishing line, tangled in a tree. It was out of place, and in an area that was overgrown by the local fauna. But what interested us most, was how difficult it was to cut.” He pauses, ensuring he has their undivided attention, then continues. “Well, it’s not fishing line at all. In fact it’s an extremely advanced data cable that has the scientists who are testing it baffled, because it is still able to transfer information.”
Everyone in the room is stunned at the news. The hairs on the back of Emma’s neck rise as she says in a near whisper, “Aliens did visit the planet, indeed that very lake.”
Peter turns his grim expression to Joe and says, “I would say crashed there, as it looks like this cable was taken from something, then used to catch fish.”
Emma blurts out, “Then that pile of wood was a shelter!”
John adds his own thoughts, “I take it this data cable is not of Gamin design?”
Cindy lifts a hand to stop further speculation, and says, “Wouldn’t it be safe to assume, that whoever it was, is long gone now?” She lifts her eyebrows.
Joe shrugs his shoulders and says, “Perhaps their ship was repaired, we did scout the area pretty darn well, and didn’t find anything unusual.”
Nodding in agreement, Cindy adds, “I am sure we will be going back to New Earth after this mission, and when we do, we can make a more exhaustive search of the area.”
Joe tilts his head, then asks curiously, “How fast?” When no one responds, he speaks with greater determination, “Peter, you said it‘s an advanced cable. How fast can it transmit data?”
Peter’s mouth twitches, then he slowly replies, “Every test indicates an instantaneous transfer of data, which is impossible. The scientific report indicates that the transfer speed and digital capacity of the cable is beyond our ability to measure it.”
Joe shakes his head and asks skeptically, “And how did they test it? Plug it in to a mainframe?”
Peter shakes his head and replies in a serious tone, “I can make the findings available to you. What I do know, is that the tests initially involved light, then moved on to utilizing a variety of particle accelerators.”
Joe stares at Peter, then as a frown develops, he says, “You’re implying that the cable’s transfer rate exceeds the speed of light.”
“Correct,” Peter replies candidly, and then he repeats, “Every test indicates an instantaneous transfer, which the scientists testing it have deemed as impossible.”
“I can’t wait to read their findings,” Joe replies in disbelief.
Cindy leans back in her chair for a few moments, then adds her thoughts, “So, there is another race of beings capable of space flight. Perhaps they’re friendly,” she states optimistically.
The bridge crew either nods, or murmurs in agreement, then after a few minutes of reflection, Cindy says, “Okay, let’s focus on what we need to do in order to get this mission underway.” She casts her gaze around the room and adds, “I for one, want to go back to New Earth to see what else we can find.”
Peter nods in agreement, and says, “The ship’s repairs are complete, and as far as I can tell, all we’re waiting on is a few shipments of supplies, and the arrival of the replacement shuttles.”
Joe stares at his lists then says, “GUS, reactor control, and the second Gamin power unit are all operational.”
Emma adds her input with excitement, “The new Hydroponics bay is ready, plus I have a team of three hundred and sixty-four for the Oglan expedition.” A broad smile fills her face as she adds, “And, everyone has a translator implant, along with a hand held unit.”
Cindy turns to George’s work station. She lowers her eyes when they fall on an empty console. She had momentarily forgotten he had returned to his
family. With a sigh she says, “Okay, let’s make preparations to depart in five days.”
The days pass quickly. During this time six brand new, identical, shuttles arrive as does an astonishing quantity of supplies. John takes his time and carefully inspects the new transports. Each has a cockpit designed for two, and a rear area which can seat twenty. The seats in the cargo area can be folded up and stored in a wall space, to make for room for storage. He also inspects their specialized survey shuttle, and then finally, the two larger ones they plan to take. This pair is designed for equipment and cargo storage, and has limited seating in the rear compartment. This brings the total compliment of shuttles to nine. Work crews are still adding the final touches to the new wider walkways, which connect each shuttle’s platform to the walls of the hangar deck. He grins with pride over the modified platforms, then returns to the bridge.
Unbelievably, the vast storage capacity inside the Terran begins to fill up with crates and equipment. Practically every scientist wants their own area for research, along with their own equipment. Every request is filled, no matter how unusual, or costly.
Peter scratches his head one more time in disbelief, then turns to Joe and says hesitantly, “Six hundred and forty-nine?”
Joe nods his head and replies, “Well, Emma’s team makes up more than half that number, but yes, that is the total number of people going on this mission.”
Peter mumbles as he runs his eyes down the list, “Reactor control, kitchen hands, maintenance, pilots, and medical staff.” He stops and looks at Joe.
“We need to have a dedicated medical team, but it’s only two surgeons and twelve nurses.” Joe shrugs his shoulders and adds, “It’s not as though we have an entire medical wing, but I am glad these folks are coming along.”
Cindy chews at her lower lip for a moment then says, “General Hayes wants to meet me in the morning, it seems he has another request.”
Radclyf’s eyes narrow as he replies, “He waits until we are almost ready to leave, and while George is away in Europe?”
“Yes,” she replies in a suspicious tone, then adds, “Peter, Joe, I want you to come with me.” She turns to look at John, Radclyf, and Hayato then says, “And I want you three here, just in case the military is up to something.”
Peter shakes his head and says, “I doubt it, but then, you never know.”
Chapter Three - Onward and Upward
The next morning Cindy, Peter, and Joe make their way to General Hayes office. As Hayes leads them into a meeting room, they immediately notice five men, all dressed in expensive looking suits, seated at a table.
The General motions to the men and introduces them, “These government representatives are from America, England, Germany, Russia, and Japan. They are here to expedite things should you agree to their request.”
Peter stares at the Russian representative, but cannot recall him. The man fidgets under Peter’s intense scrutiny, but says nothing.
With mounting curiosity and narrowing eyes, Cindy replies, “Okay, out with it.”
General Hayes takes a deep breath, and then says, “We want you to take five teams of Army Corps of Engineers.” He holds up a hand and quickly adds, “Before you say no, please hear me out.”
The room falls into an uneasy silence as the General continues, “The engineers will have their own supplies and equipment, and have been testing methods of working in hostile environments.” The General pauses and gauges Cindy’s body language.
“Go on,” Cindy says slowly. “I’m still listening.”
The General quickly continues, “We believe that we can build temporary enclosures over sections of the downed spaceship’s hull, then fill these sections with breathable atmosphere from the Terran. This would allow large teams to work at extracting anything your people deem worthy.”
Cindy considers what she has heard, then in a guarded tone asks, “How many engineers are we talking about?”
General Hayes glances at the well-dressed men then replies, “As many as you are willing, but each nation wishes to send a battalion.”
Peter quickly catches Cindy’s attention, and vehemently shakes his head from side to side. He turns and stares at the men in suits then bluntly states, “Do you really think we’re able to add thousands of soldiers from multiple nations at a moment’s notice?”
Cindy puts a hand up and calmly asks, “General Hayes. How many men are you talking about, and I mean a number.” Her mind races ahead as she considers the pros and cons of his request.
General Hayes replies, “I should have chosen my words more carefully.” He turns to Peter and says, “When I said battalion I did not mean a full strength unit.” He takes a deep breath, then looks at Cindy and continues. “The total number of men and women is around two thousand five hundred, and that’s with all five countries committing one corps each.”
Cindy raises an eyebrow, and asks Peter, “Levels two and three still have capacity, don’t they?”
Peter frowns, then realizes that with level one being almost full of supplies, these two levels are now the furthest away from the bridge. Peter stares at the group and adds his words of warning, “Your teams try anything, and they will die.”
The seated men squirm and begin to stare at each other with open mouths. The Russian man nods his head, and says, “I understand your concerns, but I can assure you, controlling the Terran is not our objective.” He sweeps a hand to represent the others in the room.
Peter stares at his countryman, folds his arms and states scornfully, “We have heard that before.”
The Russian politician removes a thick red leather wallet from his coat pocket. He flashes the inside as he replies flatly, “Akardy thanks you for the car, red is his favorite color.”
Peter’s jaw drops in shock. He whips around to face Cindy, and almost stumbles into his chair as he sits down. Stunned at the seemingly innocent actions, he offers his countryman a curt nod. He recovers his composure and then states bluntly, “We can trust him.”
Cindy frowns in confusion, then after a few moments, asks the Russian, “How did you know that Peter would be here?”
General Hayes smiles, and replies for him, “I thought you would bring everyone.”
Cindy nods, looks at Peter and then says, “Okay, but the command levels are off limits.” She offers a curt smile and adds, “I am sure you can all understand why.”
General Hayes turns to the group that is with him and says, “Well, that went better than I thought. You have twenty four hours to get your engineers, and their equipment, loaded. The Terran is due to depart any day.”
The men quickly take phones from their pockets, make their calls, and then start talking in hurried voices.
While the group is occupied, Cindy leans over to Peter and whispers, “What was that all about?”
Peter replies in a hushed tone, “Only one other man in the world knows of Akardy’s mission, and for him to share, even his name, is a major sign of trust.”
Peter continues to stare at Cindy while he considers how to impress upon her how rare an event this is. He slowly pulls from his pocket a thick, plush, red leather wallet, just like the one flashed moments before. He hesitates, then offers it to Cindy. Intrigued, she takes it and opens it. She blinks in surprise at the sight of the embedded Russian emblem. Bewildered, she slowly runs her fingers over the platinum colored five pointed star and the golden hammer and sickle which is raised in its center.
While Cindy sits and wonders what it is she is holding, Peter whispers in her ear, “That is a Red Star, and to my knowledge there are less than ten in existence.” She looks up at him in awe as he adds, “And fewer still even know of Akardy’s existence, let alone his mission.”
Cindy ponders his words and hands the wallet back to Peter. After a few minutes of deep thought, she stands, leans on the table and interrupts those on their phones. With a single minded determination she firmly states, “Levels two and three gentlemen, and remember, Peter will be in charg
e of all teams.” She stares at the men, letting her demands sink in, and then adds, “I don’t care how you do it, just make it happen.”
The meeting breaks up, and while Cindy and her crew return to the Terran, teams of engineers all over the world board aircraft and shuttles. These teams were on standby, packed and ready to go. Within six hours, the Army Corp Engineers begin to arrive, along with an impressive amount of equipment and supplies. Aircraft land and takeoff from the facility’s runways with increasing regularity as the nations involved rush to get their forces on the Terran.
Amazingly, the vast cargo bay of the Terran begins to fill. Enormous fuel tanks are loaded, along with dozens of custom designed heavy earthmoving vehicles. No one knows if the engines will even run, but if they do, they will have an abundance of fuel. Specialized remote controlled robots of all shapes and sizes are loaded. Many are designed for reconnaissance, while others have powerful jaws, or lasers, to cut their way through obstacles.
Peter observes as the Russian team loads three enormous tanks. They tower over his head, each has a pair of powerful laser cutters in place of the usual single barrel. Once the heavy tracked vehicles are parked, he watches as five crew members exit from various hatches on each tank. He walks up to one of the men and says, “These monsters are quiet, electric?” He adds questioningly.
The tank commander slaps the sloping armor proudly and says, “They have a miniature Gamin Power Unit, weigh in at around two-hundred fifty tons, and pack a hell of a punch. They can also operate in any environment, thanks to the environmental systems.”
Peter frowns then asks, “Why don’t they have gravity lift plating?”
“They have a jump plate installed,” the man answers with a shrug of his shoulders. Seeing that Peter does not understand him, he adds. “These tanks were retrofitted, and have a single plate which allows for short hops, if you dare.”
Peter’s jaw drops as he examines the tanks exterior, “Without thrusters you have almost no control,” he observes in disbelief.
“Correct, but it does come in handy when you’re in a pinch.”
Alliance (Terran Chronicles Book 4) Page 8