by S. H. Jucha
Jess sent in reply.
As the group walked toward the gates, individuals noticed the shadows’ formation change. Whereas, the forty had originally organized around the collective’s periphery. Now they began inserting themselves between the envoys, the med techs, and the captains.
“We’ve been informed about the need to be careful on this planet,” Tamtoma commented. She eyed the two shadows that remained close to her. “Do I take it that these have become our protectors?”
“They’ll be with you at all times,” Jess said.
When Jess finished assigning a total of sixteen shadows to guard the key individuals, including himself, he sent coordinates to the other twenty-four to hunt.
The three Packeo captains watched the shadows race toward the river, and they nodded their approval.
“Where are they going, Commander?” an envoy, who specialized in crop cultivation, protein vat production, and nutrition, asked.
“They’ll attempt to protect the Packeo camps,” Jess replied.
“Not all Packeo citizens are within these walls?” Tamtoma asked in alarm, as they passed through the gates.
“That is part of the trouble we hope you’ll help us alleviate,” Gregich said, directing the group toward an imposing building. “Generations of Packeoes have fed along the wetland banks, catching crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and small game. Our citizens have never lost their taste for fresh catch. After we secured the planet from the adult reds and grays, a portion of our crew members deserted the enclave for the river’s edge. They’ve been fairly successful at staying safe, but they’ve lost some individuals.”
“Would it help if we vat cultivated food that imitated the wetland creatures?” the nutritionist envoy asked.
“It would be a worthy experiment,” a captain replied.
During the next three cycles, Jess watched the relationships between the Sylians and the Packeoes grow. Despite her youth, Tamtoma was proving to be intelligent, inventive, and patient. Her young team was as knowledgeable and adept as her.
One morning, the collections of Packeoes who’d camped out at the river for the fresh food it provided showed up at the enclave. Per Jess’s instructions, the shadows accompanied them.
Word had reached the outliers that what Commander Cinders had promised them, when he visited with Captain Gregich, was coming to pass. Help had arrived, and the Packeoes return to space would be greatly accelerated.
Two events told Jess that he could leave the Packeoes in the Sylian hands. The first were the invitations from nearly forty male and female Packeoes to the Jatouche medical team to collect genetic material.
Jess spoke with the med techs and asked if the number was sufficient to ensure the race’s genetic diversity.
The med team leader had flashed his teeth and replied, “Commander, five of each gender would have been sufficient. The greater the number of volunteers, the more individuals who believe they are contributing to the race’s salvation.”
The second event was a message from the Trident captain.
the captain replied.
Jess chuckled. He could imagine the SADE signaling the shadows to form some efficient pattern. They would have had to repeat the process from one dome to the next. He thought of his partner. Lucia had found a quicker way to deliver the shadows than via the carrier.
Late in the afternoon, Jess stood at the edge of a crop field with Gregich and his captains. They crouched on the ground, drew a crude map of the area in the dirt, and discussed the plan of attack.
Surrounding the small group were the hunters. Lucia had sent Jess four hundred eighty shadows, which brought the total on the planet to five hundred twenty.
When the priorities were settled, Jess borrowed a terrain image from his traveler. He marked sections, numbered them, and directed the shadows to hunt in that order. After those areas were cleared, one hundred and twenty would secure the enclave’s area from insectoid encroachment, and the remaining four hundred would spread out across the planet. It would take about one-and-a-half annuals for the shadows to completely eradicate the Colony on Quall.
As the shadows disappeared, Jess dusted the dirt from his hands, and he quietly regarded Gregich.
“We haven’t deserved your generosity, Commander,” Gregich said, “and we’re at a loss as to how to repay your kindness.”
“You can,” Jess said. “I learned from the Omnians that what you do today is important, but what you do for tomorrow is more important. One day, you’ll join the alliance. Remember what’s been done for you today.”
“We promise that,” Gregich replied, and the captains nodded vigorously.
Jess didn’t have to search for Tamtoma. He located her bio ID. The Sylian was waiting for him at his traveler.
“I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye, Your Highness,” Jess said, as he approached the ship’s ramp.
“I was making your job easier, Commander,” Tamtoma replied. “I also wished privacy.”
“Problems?” Jess asked, frowning.
“None, Commander, and that’s why I wanted to meet and thank you,” Tamtoma said. “My matriarch didn’t want me to take on this project, and I considered it crucial to do so.”
“Why?” Jess asked. He sat on the upraised ramp, and Tamtoma sat beside him.
“Talsoma and many other races fear the Packeoes,” Tamtoma explained. “Did you know this?”
“Yes,” Jess replied.
“I thought if you wanted the Packeoes helped, that there must be a good reason for it,” Tamtoma continued, “and I’ve been proven right. I’ve listened to the story of how the battleships made alliance space, and why the crews were marooned on this planet. The deaths the Packeoes caused might be unforgiveable, but their leader and the commanders’ blind obedience were the greater culprits. Those who have been stranded here deserve an opportunity to join the alliance sooner than later.”
“I would agree,” Jess said, nodding his head.
“When the engineers and techs move in here, my team’s work will be done,” Tamtoma said. “I wish you to contact me with your next most difficult assignment.”
Jess laughed at Tamtoma’s serious expression.
“You laugh at a Sylian royal family member,” Tamtoma admonished.
“Who will be invaluable to her citizens,” Jess replied, rising and chuckling.
Tamtoma flashed her canines, which she’d been careful not to do in front of the Packeoes. “While this is considered an inappropriate gesture among alliance races, humans value it,” she said.
Then Jess received a strong embrace from Tamtoma. “Thank you,” he heard in his ear. Then the Sylian was walking away before he could reply.
Candace breathed a sigh of relief. The admiral had tasked her with ensuring her partner was safe, and she had wondered how a lieutenant was supposed to ensure a commander limited his risks.
18: Haraken
Alex halted in the corridor, he gazed left and right at Julien and Cordelia, who merely smiled.
“Ser wished the pleasure of the announcement,” Julien explained.
“Pr
esident Christie Racine,” Alex murmured. “Poor Harakens,” he added, laughing.
Later, a traveler carrying Alex, Renée, and Julien dropped through Haraken’s atmosphere. The pilot lightly settled the ship on the upper deck of the Christie Media Center.
“Still one of the tallest buildings in Espero,” Alex commented, as he gazed around at Haraken’s capital city. Then the trio descended for what Alex expected to be a private dinner with his sister, the new president.
Renée and Julien held back a step as Alex triggered the wide double doors of Christie’s salon. Then he came to a stop.
Standing silently and arrayed in front of him were a collection of friends, present and past. They were smiling at him.
Tatia Tachenko, in her admiral’s uniform, was front and center. Beside her stood Sheila Reynard. Her dark blue uniform with its insignia told Alex that she was still Haraken’s Defense Minister.
Cordelia and Elizabeth, the SADE who served Haraken’s presidents, were there.
Also in uniform, although in that of Omnia Ships, were Franz Cohen and his partner, Reiko Shimada.
As president, Christie had the power to delay the sailing of the Sojourn, one of Haraken’s exploratory vessels, to add to her assembly of guests.
Teague, Alex and Renée’s son, smiled at his parents. The often-seen frown was gone. Teague seemed at ease in his father’s presence.
Much of Teague’s change was due to Ginny, who held Teague’s hand. She was the deaf orphan rescued from Sol’s Idona Station. When her hearing was repaired, she was discovered to have perfect pitch and had become a Swei Swee hive singer.
With Ginny was Haraken’s original hive singer, the SADE, Mutter.
Teague and Ginny were part of the Sojourn’s science crew, and the ship’s collection of old friends wouldn’t have been complete without the co-commanders.
Asu Azasdau was the Sojourn’s captain, and one of the original liner captains from Libre. With him stood Willem, the mission co-leader and a SADE.
After inhabiting a simplistic avatar, Willem had wandered into Haraken’s outback. He’d eschewed all contact with humans. Alex had found him and given him a purpose — to hunt for new planets where he might live. It was during the pursuit of that purpose that Willem became convinced he didn’t wish to live alone.
Not to be left out, Terese Lechaux, Haraken’s ex-president, was arm in arm with her partner, Tomas Monti.
Alex returned a lopsided smile to the assembled guests. “What if I’d had bad news?” he inquired, as he walked forward to hug every individual, human and SADE.
From the back of her guests, Christie quipped, “Then it would have been a much smaller dinner party. But you should remember that news is my business. I queried Renée and Julien before making these arrangements.”
When Alex reached Terese, the slender Méridien held on to him for a long while. She’d been Renée’s closest friend during the early years.
“Your hair has kept its color,” Alex pointed out, making an oblique reference to Terese’s nickname as the fiery redhead.
Terese laughed and said, “Those days are behind me.”
“Don’t you believe it,” Tomas interjected. “She might have lost a step or two, but the fire is still there if you provoke her.”
When Terese frowned at Tomas, both men laughed.
With Teague, Alex found his son’s hug genuine, and he told Teague how happy he was to see him again.
Renée found her feet dangling above the floor from Teague’s hug. He’d reached his full height, which was a few centimeters taller than Alex, although his frame was an amalgam of New Terran and Méridien.
Christie waited for Alex to finish greeting her guests. As she hugged him, she said, “If I’d known how important you were going to be to so much of the galaxy, I might have been nicer to you.”
“No you wouldn’t have,” Alex retorted, and Christie laughed, replying, “You’re probably right.”
Alex gazed around at the collection of individuals. His heart was warmed by the reunion. These were some of the people and SADEs who’d trusted him to lead. To Alex, those early years seemed like a lifetime ago. And you have another hundred years or more to go, he thought.
At first, dinner was a quiet affair. The gathering brought together many individuals who’d played roles in Alex’s progression from ship captain to fleet admiral to Haraken president to Omnia Ships co-owner and finally the title he was destined to hold ... Dassata, peacemaker.
As the company relaxed, stories were relived, and laughter and teasing ensued.
Then there were the SADEs with their prodigious memories, who kept the narratives straight. Many storytellers had small incongruities corrected here and there, much to their chagrin.
The dinner segued to drinks, thé, and caf in comfortable chairs. Eventually, Christie announced that Alex came to discuss something of importance with her, which cued her guests to say their good nights and leave.
Terese and Tomas were invited to stay, as was Elizabeth. Of the Omnians, it was only Alex, Renée, and Julien.
“How long have you been president, Christie?” Renée inquired.
“Nearly three quarters,” Christie replied. When she saw Alex and Renée hesitate, she added, “What? Too green for what you’re about to propose?”
“Let me make my presentation,” Alex said. Then he repeated the same monologue that he’d given at Sol, New Terra, and Omnia.
Tomas appeared stunned, and Terese was laughing.
“Wow,” Christie muttered. “Here I thought Haraken was staying abreast of technology. Then you bring us news of developments that challenge us again.”
Alex shrugged his wide shoulders, and Terese laughed harder.
“Alex, I’ve dearly missed you and all those who sail with you,” Terese said. She regarded Renée. “Never a dull moment,” and Renée grinned at her.
Elizabeth received a full download from Julien, and she asked, “What of these rings that appear above some of the domes?”
“What rings?” Christie and Terese asked simultaneously.
“Your pardon, Madam President,” Terese apologized. “Old habit.”
“In present company, you should never have to do that, Terese,” Christie admonished. “If anyone in this group deserves an honorific, it should be Alex, who doesn’t seem to like any of those that he’s earned.”
“As to the rings,” Alex said to turn the subject away from him, “the Colony invented a way of sending small transports through the quantum-coupled gates. They used the transports to deliver members of their race planetside.”
“Do you intend to duplicate this process?” Elizabeth asked.
Alex regarded the SADE. “Talk to me,” he requested.
“The Sojourn has located an unusual planet and moon configuration,” Elizabeth replied. “It represents great economic opportunity for Haraken.”
“True,” Terese interjected. “The planet was found about two annuals ago. It’s dense. Huge amount of metal ore. Unfortunately, its density would make it uninhabitable for crews unless they worked and lived entirely within grav vehicles, which is impractical.”
“The planet is tidally locked to the star, as is the moon to the planet.” She sent a wire diagram to the Omnians.
The Omnians watched the planet turn slowly as it orbited the star, keeping the same face toward the star. The moon stayed in the planet’s shadow.
“Our thought is that the planet represents a great mineral source, and the moon could work as the staging point for work on the planet,” Christie explained. “The SADEs want to build an automated dredgi
ng-and-processing system.”
“Shades of the Worlds of Light and the Elvians,” Renée commented.
“Where and who?” Tomas queried.
“Sorry, Tomas, long story,” Renée replied. “Short answer is we saw an advanced race employing a unique automated system on asteroids in another race’s outer belt.”
“Without permission,” Alex added, and his tone told the Harakens of another intervention by Omnia Ships.
Christie chose to be silent, and her guests allowed her time to put the pieces together. Finally, she said, “The effort to recover the ores and ship them to Haraken appears to be uneconomical. We’d have to build an orbital station out there. Not feasible. However, if there were domes with rings there and here, it would make all the difference.”
The Harakens stared expectantly at the Omnians.
“Too early to tell if we can help,” Alex said. “There are a multitude of unused domes in alliance space. Mickey and his teams are trying to understand how they work. There might be aspects of the domes that we can duplicate, and others that we can’t.”
“Then there are spare domes, if you will,” Tomas urged.
“I think that’s an issue to resolve at the conclave,” Alex replied.
“Meaning that the alliance races might object to losing some significant pieces from these great potential resources,” Terese remarked.
“Precisely,” Alex replied.
“It sounds like we need to be there,” Terese said, gazing evenly at Christie.
“Thank you for volunteering, Terese,” Christie replied, turning the table on her friend.
When Terese drew breath to object, Christie quickly interrupted her. She said, “You’re right. We need to be there, and I need a strong, experienced representative. You know I can’t go. The election was contentious, and I’ve been only recently elected. Who better to speak for Haraken than our fiery redhead?”
Alex crossed his arms and sat back. His amused smile said that he’d already won. There would be a Haraken delegate. It was only a matter of who would go.
“Is that a formal request, Madam President?” Terese asked.
“See! That’s just the type of personality Haraken needs,” Christie teased. Then the animation left her face, and she said, “You’ve every right to refuse the request, Terese, but I’m formally asking.”