The Forbidden Wilds: Crossing the Styx

by Saxon Andrew

  Lu shrugged, “My twin sister works in Intelligence in Fleet Operations.”

  “I didn’t know you had a twin?”

  Lu chuckled, “Most people don’t.”

  “I’m sending you a message and I need you to send it to your sister and have her take it to Admiral Glennon. You can’t mention the information in your communication and must get her to figure out what you need without directly telling her, can you do it?” Lu’s eyes narrowed and her eyebrows came together. “Lu, this is critical Admiral Glennon gets this without it getting out!”

  “Send me the information, Jingle. I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

  “Jangle, do you know that picture of me standing by a lake?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you imbed the data inside the picture where it won’t easily be detected?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lu, I’m sending you that picture and you need to take the data out and put it in another picture. You might spread it out on several pictures to be safe.”

  “Send it to me now.”

  Jangle spoke up, “I’ve sent the picture in a written communication telling her you apologize for being so late getting it to her.”

  Lu looked up from her communicator, “I’ve got it.”

  “Thanks, Lu.”

  “Stay safe, Jingle.”

  Lu disappeared from the monitor and Jingle blew out a breath. This was the only way to warn the Union.

  • • •

  Lu received the message and took it to Fleet Intelligence. They removed the data and Lu gave them four pictures to embed the data in. She inserted the pictures into her personal communicator and began writing. She pressed send and hoped Ku was as smart as she believed she was.

  • • •

  Ku sat at home and heard her communicator ping. She picked it up and smiled. She began reading and she started shaking her head; this made no sense. She read, “Ku, I’ve found these pictures of you and I thought it would be a great idea to share them with our Old Man. Get them to him quickly; I know he’ll love seeing them.”

  Ku stared at the pictures again and saw they weren’t pictures of her, they were of Lu. What was going on! She started to call Lu but hesitated. Lu was trying to tell her something. She struggled all night trying to sleep and finally the next morning, she went directly to Admiral Glennon’s office.

  • • •

  “Sir, I have a Lieutenant requesting to speak with you.”

  “What about?”

  “She won’t tell me, Sir.”

  Glennon stared at Rollie and lifted a shoulder, “Show her in.”

  Ku entered the office and saw Admiral Glennon staring at her, “What is so important that you need to interrupt my day?”

  “Sir, I have a twin sister on Shanghai, and she sent me a message last night.”

  She handed her communicator to Admiral Glennon and he read it, “Is this some kind of joke?”

  “Sir, those pictures are not of me, they’re of my twin sister. Secondly, my father lives on Shanghai, not here.”

  “Did you say Shanghai?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Who is your sister?”

  “Captain Lu Lee, Sir.”

  Glennon looked back at the pictures and shouted, “ROLLIE, GET IN HERE!”

  The Junior Admiral entered the office and Glennon handed him Ku’s communicator, “I want this message analyzed now!!”

  Rollie took the communicator, “Yes Sir.”

  Glennon looked at Ku and said, “Please wait outside.”

  “Yes Sir.” Ku stood up and left the office.

  Thirty minutes later, Rollie entered the office, “Sir, there is information embedded in the pictures. Intelligence has started collecting it and it appears that it came from Admirals Berringer and Jingle. Initial report says they’ve got a line on where the probes were sent from.”

  Glennon laughed out loud, “Those sly rascals! Get Lt. Lee in here now!!” Ku entered his office and Glennon stood up, went around his desk, and hugged her, “I don’t know how you figured this out, but you just made a huge difference in what we’re facing. You and your sister are promoted one rank and a grateful Union thanks you.”

  Ku smiled, “Thank you very much, Sir. But I don’t know if I deserve a promotion; I only did what I thought was right.”

  “It took both of you to make this happen and I’m impressed with how you pulled it off. You deserve the promotions and much more. Thank you, Captain Ku.”

  Ku left the office smiling and Glennon sat back in his chair. Jingle and Alex sent this message so they could go and investigate the ones that sent the probes. Using a personal communicator wouldn’t work again, it would stand out like a search light in a small room if sent through open space. He hoped they would be all right.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alex looked at Jingle on the monitor, “Do you think she can pull this off?”

  “If she has to personally take the information to Glennon, she will. She’s very intelligent and I believe in her. By-the-way, she has a thing for you.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s wrong with you, Alex? She’s perfect!”

  “Then you start dating her!”

  Jingle huffed out a breath, “You’re impossible.”

  Alex disappeared from the monitor after saying, “Power up, we’re headed out to the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy.”

  Jingle shook her head, “Fall in behind him, Jangle. We’re now in his area of expertise and heaven knows what we’re headed into.

  • • •

  The trip to the galaxy didn’t take long; it was closer to them than the Styx Nebula. Alex stopped a thousand light years out from the dwarf galaxy and Jingle asked, “Why are you stopping here?”

  “I’m concerned about the ships we’ll find here have stealth technology. We know their probes use it and I have to suspect their ships use it as well.”

  “Is that why you stopped?”

  “Yes, Jingle. We know nothing about their technology and if they’re a really advanced civilization, we need to be careful.”

  “Why Alex, I didn’t think careful was part of your vocabulary.”

  “Cute, Jingle. However, before we start moving in, I want to lay in a course moving around the galaxy watching it closely with our optical monitors. If light is blocked from the galaxy, then there are stealth warships out from the outer edge. We will keep the galaxy between us and the course we’re following toward it.”

  “Don’t we also need to avoid having the Milky Way behind us as we move in?”

  “Yes, we do. The course we’ll be taking goes over the top of the dwarf galaxy and there won’t be any light we’ll be blocking as we move in.”

  Alex looked at her and added, “Brooks is receiving high communication traffic on that alien frequency coming out of that galaxy. He’s collecting it and sending it to the translator software. You should get Jangle to do the same.”

  “Jangle?”

  “I’m already on it.”

  I’m moving in using only the new hull coating.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “We’ll be moving at our slowest speed and the passive scanners will detect any debris ahead of us. If we detect anything out of the ordinary, we’ll immediately power up the stealth and force fields.”

  “What has you worried, Alex?”

  “The hull coating doesn’t use external energy. We can see through their probes’ stealth systems and I’m concerned they might be able to do the same if we use our energy fields.”

  “This course you’ve chosen doesn’t move us in closer, Alex. Aren’t we too far out to detect any changes in light?”

  “No, our optical system will detect even microscopic changes in light from distant stars. Of course that light would have left that galaxy a thousand years ago, but it would let us know they have ships holding station outside the galaxy. If we don’t detect anything, we’ll move in to 500 light years and do it again.”

/>   “This could take some time, Alex.”

  “Time is what we have, Jingle. Whoever sent the probes hasn’t taken any hostile action yet and I’m banking they won’t for the near term. I’m also hoping our computers can collect enough of their communications to translate what they’re saying while we do this.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Lead the way.”

  The Clapper fell in behind the Rapids and began moving around the small galaxy.

  • • •

  Admiral Glennon was looking at the latest scouting data from the Styx Nebula when Rollie stuck his head inside to door, “Sir, Captain Nobles has arrived.”

  “Send him in.”

  “Sir, he brought someone with him.” Glennon’s eyes narrowed and Rollie added, “It’s a female pilot assigned to his unit.”

  “That’s odd; send them both in.”

  Glennon turned off the monitor and watched the two Union Pilots enter his office and come to attention. Glennon looked at them and said, “Captain Nobles, I only asked for you to report to my office.”

  “Yes Sir. But Captain Godwin insisted that she come with me for this meeting.”

  Glennon turned to the female, “Is there some reason I’m unaware of that would prompt you to do that?”

  “Yes Sir, there is.”

  “And pray tell what would that be?”

  “Sir, you asked Gary to report to your office to discuss a mission.”

  “So?!”

  “Sir, Gary and I work better together than alone. The fact that you would be briefing him on this mission makes it clear that it is going to be dangerous. We should do this together.”

  Glennon glared at her and then turned his attention to Nobles, “And you listened to her?”

  “Sir, she can be quite persuasive.”

  “Is what she’s saying true?”

  Gary glanced at Deidre and answered, “Yes Sir. We see things together that others miss.”

  “Your latest evaluation has placed you on the short list for promotion. I didn’t see anything about Captain Godwin.”

  “That’s because I’m a month senior to her and I’m given the credit for anything we accomplish together.” Glennon glared at him and Gary added, “However, I don’t believe she should be allowed to go with me.”

  Glennon immediately looked at Captain Godwin and didn’t see her expression change. “You don’t appear to have problems with him suggesting you not go, Captain?”

  “He told me he would bring me with him but would suggest I not be allowed to go. I expected him to say it during this meeting.”

  “But you still came…why?”

  “I believe I can persuade you that sending both of us gives the mission a better chance of success.”

  “You don’t know what the mission is, Captain.”

  “Doesn’t matter, Sir. The chances of success is better no matter the mission.”

  Glennon turned to Nobles, “How do you feel about that, Captain?”

  Gary glanced at Deidre before saying, “She’s probably right about that, Sir. But I still don’t want her to go.”

  Glennon stared at Gary, looked at Deidre, then turned back to Gary, “Are the two of you romantically involved?” Deidre actually turned and looked directly at Gary. Gary was silent and Glennon pressed, “I asked you a question, Captain.”

  It was clear Gary was struggling and he glanced at Deidre before replying, “I can’t speak for her, Sir.”

  “Speak for yourself!”

  Gary took a deep breath, “Yes Sir, I suppose I am.”

  Deidre burst out laughing and Glennon turned to her, “What’s so funny, Captain?”

  “Sir, it took a direct order from you for the jerk to admit it.”

  “And exactly how do you feel about him?”

  “Oh, I’ve been attracted to him from the first moment we met.”

  “Have you ever told him?”

  “No Sir! It’s up to the man to break that ice.” Deidre shrugged, “I’m kind of an old-fashioned girl, Sir.”

  “It’s been my experience that it isn’t a good idea to send out romantically involved couples.”

  “That’s not always true, Sir,” Deidre responded.

  “Just why do you say that?”

  “Because two pilots that are emotionally attached would take extreme caution before taking a stupid risk. If you’re being sent into combat, then we probably shouldn’t go together, even though I’m not really sold on that. But if it involves subterfuge, an attached couple would be better to do it.”

  “Why?” Glennon asked.

  “Because they will look things over closely so as not to endanger each other before making a move.”

  Deidre’s remark made Glennon suddenly realize something he had missed. Jingle was attracted to Alex, but he wasn’t attracted to her. She always found ways to keep him safe, but he wanted to just rush in immediately even if it endangered her.

  He sat back in his chair and smiled, “Captain Godwin, I like your moxie in coming here.”

  Deidre’s eyes narrowed slightly, “But…?”

  Glennon turned to Gary, “Both of you will be going. And I expect you to come back.”

  Deidre’s smile was instant, and Gary sighed, “Yes Sir.”

  “I’m going to start some recordings on the wall monitor in my outer office and you will watch all of them. At that point you will report back to me with what you’ve determined. ROLLIE!!”

  Rollie stuck his head inside the door and Glennon ordered, “Take them to view the recordings.”

  “Yes Sir.” He turned to Gary and Deidre, “Please follow me.” They left the Admiral’s office wondering what they had gotten themselves into.

  • • •

  The next morning they were sitting in front of Glennon and he asked, “Well, what do you think?”

  “Sir, we can’t attack the aliens in the Styx Nebula and must do all we can to delay them attacking us,” Gary answered.

  “That’s right, Captain. What else did you come up with?”

  “The civilization that left those probes is more advanced than we are,” Deidre replied. She paused and added, “We probably don’t have the technology currently to take on either of them.”

  “Right again.”

  “So, what do you want us to do, Sir?” Gary asked.

  Glennon handed Gary a large packet, “These are your orders. You will not open them until you’ve been imprinted on your new ships.”

  “New ships” Deidre asked.

  “You will leave here immediately in your ships and head directly back toward the Styx Nebula. Halfway there, you will launch a stealth probe and see if one of those probes is following you. Are you clear so far?”

  “Yes Sir,” both replied.

  “If you haven’t been followed, you will take your ships to this coordinate.” Glennon handed Gary a card with the coordinate numbers on it. “It will take you to a secret planet where you will be imprinted with a new warship. How do you feel about your current computers?”

  The question made them pause and Deidre replied, “They do a good job, Sir.” Gary nodded.

  “From this moment forward, you will give your computers a name and start talking with them like they’re real people.”

  Gary’s head went back, “Sir?”

  “If you can make yourself see them that way, your connection speeds will show a huge rise in speed. I’m not going to take the time to explain how this happens, but you will do it, clear?”

  “Yes Sir,” they replied.

  “Go to your ships and get moving.”

  “Yes Sir. They stood up and left Glennon’s office.

  Gary lifted from the space port and saw Deidre lifting beside him. He shook his head before saying, “Computer.”

  “Yes Commander.”

  “You will call me Gary!”

  “Change noted, Gary.”

  “You will also be named Royal.”

  “Change noted…Gary.”

  Gary had neve
r heard his computer pause. What was going on.

  Deidre appeared on his monitor, “Did you name it?”

  “Royal.”

  Deidre chuckled, “That fits.”

  “What did you name yours?”

  “Windy.”

  Gary chuckled, “That is also a good name.”

  “Windy just informed me that all of those...”

  Gary interrupted her, “We need to stop talking, Deidre. We have a long time before we arrive back at the nebula and we should get some rest on the way out.”

  Deidre immediately understood that their communications might be compromised, “That’s a good idea. I just wanted you to know those recipes we had were really good and I have them now.”

  “That’s good, Deidre.”

  The probe that was following them suddenly turned around and went back. One of the pilots had been promoted and it intercepted the communication that announced it. They must have been in the Leader’s office being told about it.

  • • •

  They arrived at the half-way point to the nebula and launched a stealth probe. Nothing was detected and they entered the coordinates into their navigation systems. Ten hours later, they landed on Shanghai and Lu greeted them as they exited their ships.

  • • •

  It took six days for their computers to be moved to their new ships and another day for the imprinting process to be completed. Both of them noticed that even during the short time after they named their computers, the links between them had changed; they were operating at a faster speed. The speed increased from that moment forward.

  • • •

  Alex had worked his way in to less than a light week outside the small galaxy and Jingle asked, “You’ve never been this careful in the past. What’s going on?”

  “Jingle, if they’re more advanced than us, and they possibly have hostile intentions, they will have the approaches to their galaxy covered by warships. I thought they’d not be much further out than this, but I wasn’t taking any chances.”

  “Why do you think they’re not further out than this?”

  “The larger the globe surrounding that galaxy, the larger the number of warships to surround it. We’ll make another trip around it and see if anything shows up.”