by Ken Pence
The progeny began to transmute and turned into the cephalopod form as they were originally designed. The newcomers changed from red to a pale brown as all the progeny turned into bright red cephalopods with harnesses and weapons as before.
“You are like the first ones,” said the custodian. “Are you the first ones?” Its demeanor was like a switch was thrown.
“First ones?” Desiree asked.
Hammer swam forward. “These are what has held our people back for a century. This one has been a spike in my eye for many years. That is why we – the more progressive ones of our race have to live in these outlying rural villages. He is but a minor official. The first ones were the first space faring race to contact us those many centuries ago and set us on the path to being the dominant species on this planet.”
Andrew indicated Lee in his new form and then told DiCarlo, “Put the fear of Earth in him and tell him to cooperate or be eradicated. We can’t really do it but he doesn’t know that.”
“Aye aye, Commodore,” she said and turned back to the ashen colored custodian. “You have interfered with our mission of good will from the first ones. My superior is not sure I should continue to let your species continue if you fail to advance. This one,” she indicated Hammer, “…is well liked in the enormous community of beings on the billions of stars in this galaxy.” Funny she thought that there wasn’t a word for galaxy in these beings’ language. “Do not hinder him or his people further. Do you understand?”
The progeny changed back into human form – further shocking the newcomers.
“I do not understand what is happening but I understand it is not for me to interfere with this one or with these beings,” the custodian said and then left hurriedly with all his Squishee goons.
Hammer began to pulse in sharp shocks and his mantle showed pulses of color.
His Trade was barely understandable, “ I thought I was going to die when that ones grabbed the custodian’s eyestalks.”
“We would not let him harm you,” DiCarlo said and Hammer began to change color in huge pulses of color and twitches of its entire tentacles.
“You do not understand. Grasping the eyestalks is an intimate act for mated pairs. Grabbed with a threat is like grabbing a surface creature by its reproductive organs,” Hammer said. “I was not worried about him harming me.” Hammer started pulsing again.
“He’s laughing, folks. DiCarlo, you threatened the custodian with the equivalent of holding a guy’s nuts and threatening to rip ‘em off. I dare say he got the message loud and clear.”
Everyone started laughing…even the progeny got this one…sick puppies every one of his crew, Andrew thought.
***
Eugene was busy planning the construction of his hotel on the large island. Many of the crew had learned the Squishees’ language and had visited some of their larger cities. News had traveled fast that these new surface dwellers had some of the first race with them – or at least beings that knew of the first race. We mainly traded them electronics and they traded us some of their chemistry and biology technologies. They were ahead of us in a lot of little areas and could do things with chemicals we had a hard time understanding – a few we could duplicate. The spheres were one of the technologies we could master – the little buggers carried their own oxygen source and could burn through almost anything. We also got the spray graphene working – which happened to be a kind of concrete graphite mix.
We had some touch and go moments when we completely covered one of the progeny with the spray when learning to control its application. Finally got him out by using a molecular disruptor to make a small access and he could flow out. He would have been dead if he needed to breathe because it took five minutes trying to chip away any of this tenacious stuff. It was stronger than any of our metals – we’ve even contemplated constructing future ships out of the stuff as it was incredibly cheap to make and strong as hell.
It had been a couple of weeks and the rest of our expedition was clamoring to get on with it. The colonist types had heard about Omega Sagittarii and some wanted just to settle there. I sent a contingent of twenty progeny in a frigate with the three large ships of the Christian Reformist colonists. They were planning on negotiating with the locals and inhabiting an unoccupied continent on the other side of Omega Sagittarii. The planet had little orbital eccentricity and an axial tilt similar to Earth so they should make it for environment is their mental shielding held. They jumped away while we set up the next destination – Theta Arae – a B2 star in the constellation Ara. It was Shiv’s home system and she came from the fifth planet from the sun.
A VicVic Trip Home
“I don’t think we should jump the entire expedition 900 light years to Theta Arae. We should send in our scouts first. We don’t know the capabilities of the Vicvic or how they’d react to our fleet of ships. Shiv has given us a lot of information on how to do it and we ought to follow her plan. You really want to recruit more Vicvic?” Lt. Colonel Darby asked commodore Williams.
“Our scout ships should be reporting back soon. They were going to move in stealthily and observe,” Andrew said. He was interrupted by an emergency Dex from communications.
“Sir, all the scout ships reported Theta Arae was heavily defended and they were detected almost on emergence. They were then surrounded and ordered to surrender. Captain Ratnaike had all return immediately. We assumed you want to meet with him…he’s transferring over now. Good job Sparks.” Commodore sent for all his senior officers. “I’d like you to stay,” he said to Darby as they waited for the others to arrive.
***
Captain Ratnaike was a bit out of breath when he arrived at the conference room. Tod was already there as were Shiv, Rett, LeiLei, Xilatoi, and Lee Post.
“Let’s have it, Captain,” Andrew stated.
“They were ready for us,” he said and when no one said anything – he continued. “We popped out about five light years from Theta Arae V and we started to approach behind the partial shield like Rett designed. We were approaching in good order but as you know, we cannot see forward using that method. Suddenly there were VicVic ships all around us – big ones ordering us in Trade and Allung to surrender. We jumped right back here. Damn – they were there quick. That’s it.”
“Shiv, suggestions? Ideas?” Andrew asked.
Shiv tilted her head to the side. “My people would only react that way if they had been recently attacked. Using Trade and Allung would make me assume the Allung had recently attacked them. I do not recommend that we approach in converted Allung ships.”
“We have several of the Earth destroyers that are coated. How should we do this…if it was the Allung that escaped the Earth battle they may have had jump capability. Apparently they drove them off. Do we approach gradually or jump in or skip the trip?” Andrew asked.
“I suggest we jump in with all non-Allung ships and broadcast images and audio of Shiv,” Xilatoi said. “I speak fluent Allung and I wish to go along. We should use VicVic and Trade only though. We should have the propaganda learning cylinders on the Allung earlier and the updated ones showing the Earth battle.”
Everyone turned to Xilatoi as he rarely interjected anything.
“I agree this plan has the best chance of success,” Shiv stated. “My people are slow to react but react harshly when they do react. They must have been hurt badly to have such widespread patrols that were placed to react at long distances from the planet.”
“Colonel Post, I want you to select a company of your people for each of three Earth destroyers. Shiv – you are in command of this trip. Rett. You and LeiLei accompany Shiv and make sure you are within view of the camera when Shiv contacts her people. Colonel Darby – picks some of your best and gets in camera view also. I want a group showing the widest selection of races. Xilatoi – I doubt they will see the differences between you and Darby but they might. We do not know what weapons they have at their disposal. Make sure you have all the materials you need – and
plenty of preliminary trade materials.”
“Understood, Commodore,” Shiv said and turned to Rett. “Move to the Riposte,” she indicated to Rett and he immediately left. “Colonel Darby and Xilatoi – your other two ships – the Damocles and Phalanx. Lieutenant Commander Post…I require your assistance…I know I am in command only because these are my species,” Shiv said.
“Do you want us to assume VicVic form?” Lee asked.
“No but let me see,” she said and almost as soon as she finished speaking, Lee Post transformed into a female VicVic with age patches on its thorax.
“That is amazing,” Shiv said. “How is your coordination when walking? Walk across the room and back.”
Lee Post as a stationary VicVic was totally convincing but walking looked like a drugged, spastic VicVic as he stumbled and shuffled awkwardly back.
Shiv said. “Let us save those transformations for emergencies then.”
Lee Post flowed back into human form, complete with clothes and stood wobbly for a minute.
***
Soma turned to Sidra the task force leader. “We have three large ships that have just appeared close to the planet.”
“Send the rapid response fighters,” she said. “Are they Allung?”
“They look different but they appeared just like the Allung,” replied the scan officer.
“Destroy them,” said Leader Sidra.
“Yes, Leader,” Soma said and then picked up a strange transmission. “Leader, the ships are stationary and transmitting a video and audible signal in our standard format…it is in our language.”
“Are they threatening in any way?” asked the leader.
“They are over a major city,” replied the scan officer.
“Have the fighters move to attack positions but initiate no response unless fired upon first. Confirm response from all fighters,” the leader said.
***
Safak was one of the few male VicVic that commanded anything. He was in charge of the fighter squadron that had destroyed two Allung ships last week. His female commander had been killed and he had been put in charge due to lack of replacements.
He acknowledged his orders from the task force leader. His communications equipment picked up the orders easily but as his ship passed close to the three vessels his radio communications was drowned out by the high power transmissions from the Earth ships.
“They are jamming us which means they are preparing to attack. Follow my lead,” he said to his squadron but they did not hear his communications either. They could see his actions though and they moved to follow their leader in the attack.
***
“Colonel, the fighters are attacking,” said the tactical officer.
“Order our ships NOT to respond. No response to their attacks. Have them confirm. Keep transmitting to the larger – approaching ships – prepare to jump to safety three. Acknowledge,” Shiv said.
***
The fighters launched missiles in salvos and the aliens did nothing – just like when they had attacked the Allung ships. The fighters then fired heavy lasers at the ships while trying to concentrate several lasers on one spot. The results of the laser strikes were spectacularly colorful but seemed to do nothing except cause a light show. Nothing seemed to bother the shimmering surface of these ships.
***
“Leader, our ships have attacked,” said the scan officer of the VicVic task force.
“What! Why? Order them to pull back,” clicked the agitated leader.
***
The mood aboard the Riposte was somber. “Cut off our transmissions,” Shiv ordered.
***
Safak realized the ships had stopped transmitting and he could hear the task force leader’s ship ordering him to break off the attack. I must have destroyed their antennae he thought – they owe me for that but orders are orders. He ordered the fighters to withdraw.
***
“Wait until the fighters are back to the defending ships and then resume transmitting,” Shiv ordered.
***
“Leader, the alien ships are transmitting again,” said scan officer Soma.
“Display the images here,” she said. “Add the audio.”
The images from the alien ship were impossible. The collection of species was impossible and yet a young female of our species seemed to be commanding …impossible …yet it was happening.
“I will talk with them,” said the task force leader Sidra.
***
Shiv started talking with the task force leader making sure the task force leader saw her ordering the many species on the earth vessel to do her bidding. The task force leader was not persuaded until the female leader of the three strange vessels said she was hungry in Trade and a Lemsa female brought a strange little yellow creature to the VicVic commander. The alien commander bit the head off a chick and then swallowed the remainder. The VicVic leader had to know more about these beings. They had not reacted at all to the fighter attack that had finally driven off the Allung. Who were they? What were they doing here? She recognized the Tros and the Lemsa but what were the other species…there were two others…similar but a bit different and male!
Task force leader invited the strangers to her ship. She said she would send over a shuttle to pick them up and they agreed immediately. The strangers would be minus their leaders if trouble started and she would have hostages. New, live foodstuffs looked interesting also. WHO are they? She thought. She dispatched a shuttle to find out.
***
The shuttle was roomy but there were little in the way of seating for the ERF crew. There were stanchions to hold to but no seating of any kind. After a luckily short trip they arrived at the large VicVic ship. A gaggle of curious armed VicVic was there to escort them to the VicVic Task Force Leader. The ship was interesting as there were anchoring points in every corridor for crew to clamp to during acceleration where there would have been couches for humans.
Sidra was as taken aback in person by these beings as she had been looking at them in the monitors. Some of them were huge – the Tros especially in his silver suit. What were they doing here so soon after an attack? She was shaken out of her reverie when the young female VicVic leader of those strange vessels started talking and handed her some training cylinders.
“These are records about the Allung and the locations of their bases and the battles that occurred. There is intelligence as to their weapons and interrogations of Allung prisoners explaining their history. We defeated their fleet totaling almost 2,000 ships when you count all the different bases we attacked. We offer these in good faith as well as technical specifications of the weapons we used to defeat them. We trade information. We are part of an expedition to found colonies for Earth humans and explore the origins of the Ylee,” Shiv said giving the leader a compact Earth teaching machine and many teaching cylinders.
Sidra rocked back on here lower limbs. This was so much more than she had expected. “We were attacked by about twenty Allung ships and barely fought them off with all the ships at our disposal and you say you destroyed 2,000. This is not believable.”
Shiv turned around and gave three long tubes to the leader. “These are Allung maps showing their most recent bases and what they controlled. We have broken their backs but some of their most advanced ships escaped. They were commanded by, Cetosme, a member of their ruling council. He is smart and not as inflexible to change as others. You may keep the maps but I can show you better if you dim the lights.”
Sidra (the closest approximation to a pronounceable name) had one of her crewmembers lower the lights.
Shiv raised her Dex and keyed the display. The projection hologram of the Allung maps appeared in the darkened room.
“How is this possible? How did you get this information?” asked the VicVic leader Sidra.
“This is near Earth when we first encountered the Allung,” Shiv said and the holographic display indicated the point where the small ship, the Junior first encou
ntered the Sesstra, an Allung destroyer.
“You keep saying we. Who is this we?” asked Sidra.
“It is the Earth Regulatory Force that we joined for different reasons. The Earth humans saved us from captivity and have generated enormous wealth for us. I get a large share of anything my ships find,” Shiv said and pointed to LeiLei. “This Lemsa was a captive duplicating training cylinders. The Earth humans freed a planet and redesigned learning machines to be smaller, faster, and they can now duplicate other cylinders from an original. She is now enormously wealthy.” She then pointed to Xilatoi. “He was a slave of the Allung for fifty years and now commands hundreds of freed slaves trained as fierce fighters. He is also enormously wealthy. All the traders who come to Earth or trade with Earth are now enormously wealthy. The Earth humans have a saying that exemplifies this…there is a pattern here.”
Sidra was impressed by the technology and stories of wealth but she had suspicions. “How did their little ship escape an Allung destroyer? We only barely fought them off with superior numbers.”
Shiv tilted her head from side to side in what her colleagues had learned to interpret as laughter. “We got captured and I released a brood of wingless nymphs that were bred to eat Allung. We also can turn invisible,” Shiv said leaning forward in such a way to intimidate the shocked VicVic leader. Shiv turned off the display.
“Impossible. Invisibility is a myth,” Sidra said.