by Don Viecelli
Jan was concerned about a different issue. “I’m worried what the Yoyka will do with their nanomachines weapon. There are so many design manipulations they could make. It would take a lot of work and time to find a counter agent.”
“The Holtu are not too worried about that themselves, of course, since they’re androids. The nanomachines are ineffective against them so far. But you’re right, Jan. The Yoyka could change the design or find something that will do the same thing to the Holtu. We haven’t found anything in the Yoyka wreckage that sheds any light on that.”
“Changing the subject, are you planning to stay up for the entire trip to Holtu,” Doug wanted to know.
“No, I’ve been instructed that only the pilots in training on the Zoltu fighters will stay up during this trip. The rest of us will use the cryostasis chambers until we reach Holtu. What about you guys?”
“It’s up to us according to Altek. Jan has some work to do and I want to check out this ship and its crew. Maybe, Jan and I will use the sleep chambers part of the way.” Doug looked at Jan and smiled. He was looking for some quality time alone with his wife during the trip. Besides, neither of them knew what cryostasis might do to their baby.
“I’m working with Tumil on testing our nano-agent solution on Yoyka cell tissue we obtained from the crash site on Mars. It’s possible we could turn the nanomachine weapon against them, but I have reservations on taking that approach,” Jan said
“I see. It would be like chemical or biological warfare, which has been outlawed by the UN. I say whatever it takes to defeat the Yoyka. They used it on us first and killed millions. Who knows how many other alien races they have used it on?” James sounded angry.
Dinner was over. Doug and Janice left the table to go back to their compartment to freshen up. James did the same. They all have been invited to the Bridge by High Leader Altek to see the Iconda leave their solar system in one hour.
The view outside the Command Center was limited to small windows on either side of the Bridge located in the forward section of the Command Center. However, several large viewscreens were fixed on all four sides so everyone could see what was outside from external cameras. The views of space and the planets were spectacular.
“It’s so beautiful,” Jan whispered to Doug as they watched Mars recede quickly behind them.
“Altek says the ship must leave the gravity well of the planet to reach light speed. It only takes a few minutes, I was told. Then we will enter hyperspace.”
The Iconda was heading perpendicular to Mar’s elliptical orbit around the Sun. Most of the solar system planets sped around the Sun on similar angles. Only a few outer planets like Pluto and Eris traveled around the Sun at cross angles. Even so, it was difficult to distinguish any other solar planets as the Iconda increased speed.
Doug and Jan felt nothing unusual as the warship approached light speed. “The inertia negation technology the Holtu and Qumru possess on their spaceships is truly remarkable. It will make space travel just as easy and comfortable as air flights on Earth.” Doug sounded impressed.
“Will we feel anything when we enter hyperspace?”
“We’re about to find out.”
A moment later the warship shook slightly as it seemed to encounter an unseen barrier. All visible planets and stars in the universe disappeared. Only streaks of faint lights could be seen out the windows or on the viewscreens.
Jan looked at Doug. “I didn’t feel anything. Are we really traveling faster than the speed of light?”
Doug looked back at the Command Center where the Holtu crew was busy checking all flight systems. “I believe so. We’re on our way to Holtu. It will take sixty days to go twenty thousand light years. What a trip!”
Chapter 11
Holtu
True to their words, Doug and Janice Martin worked and slept on board the Iconda for almost three weeks before they decided to enter the cryostasis sleep chambers for the remaining trip to Holtu. Vice Leader Di convinced them that it would not harm their baby and the technology was 100 percent safe due to all the backup systems. They were awakened a few hours from their destination to give them time to adjust before leaving the warship.
Doug was the first to open his eyes. Di was waiting for him. “You are awake. Please sit up and I will help you out of the chamber. How do you feel?”
Doug did as told. He felt groggy from the effects of deep sleep, but also well rested. “I feel fine, Di. Give me a moment. How are Jan and our baby?”
“She is waking up now. She and the baby are fine, as I said they would be. We are three of your hours out from reaching Holtu. You may get dressed now.”
Di helped Doug stand up and let him walk slowly to the dressing room. Di went over to Janice’s sleep chamber and helped her sit up. “Doug is already up and getting dressed. You may join him when you are ready.”
“Thanks, Di. You were right. This did feel good. Are we there yet?”
“We will arrive at Holtu in three hours, your time. We have not dropped out of hyperspace yet.”
Di helped Jan walk over to the dressing room where Doug was still getting dressed. He left them there to attend to other duties. He promised to check in on them later.
Jan saw Doug putting on his uniform. She gave him a hug when he turned around and saw her. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” she said after kissing him.
“I was just concerned about you and the baby. You have more faith in the technology than I have, that’s all.” Doug kissed Jan again and looked at her closely. He put his hand on her belly, which showed signs of being four months pregnant now.
Jan covered Doug’s hand with her own. “The baby is fine. I’m fine. Nothing has changed. The baby will start kicking soon. In another two weeks we can check to see if it’s a boy or a girl. Do you want to know?”
Doug looked up at Jan’s eyes. He smiled. “Only if you want to know. I’ll take either one equally.”
They kissed. “I want to wait and be surprised. Besides, we can make a bet if it’s going to be a boy or girl. I say it’s going to be a boy.”
“Alright, it’s a bet. If it’s a girl we get to vacation wherever I want. Same for you.”
Jan kissed him again and smiled. “You’re on, but you’re going to lose I know it.”
Doug finished putting on his uniform. “Time to get dressed. I’ll wait for you outside. I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. I need to eat something before I faint.”
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll join you. Do you know what time it is?”
Doug looked at his wristcom. It’s almost noon, Mar’s time. Di said we’re dropping out of hyperspace in three hours. I would like to see that.”
“Me too. I’ll be out in five minutes. I have to go to the bathroom.”
Doug left the room so Jan could finish getting dressed. He was standing in a small waiting room where people could gather after waking up from the sleep chambers. There were small viewscreens on the wall showing daily activities and eating times with menu items. If he didn’t know better, one would think he or she was traveling on a typical passenger ship somewhere on Earth.
Jan finally appeared and they headed to the dining room for something to eat. The room was filled with people, mostly UNSSF pilots, enjoying their meals as if they were on break from work, which they were. As they were about to leave to head for the Bridge, James Colbert appeared in the doorway. He looked like he just awoke from cryostasis.
“Hello, James. Did you just awake?” Doug asked holding the door open.
“Hello, Doug, Jan. Yes, I woke up a little while ago. How about you two?”
“We did too. We finished eating and are going up to the Bridge to see the ship drop out of hyperspace. Are you planning to see it?” Jan asked.
“I would like to see that too, but I need something to eat first. I’ll join you both soon.”
Doug let James head to the serving line and he and Jan walked to the closest elevator that would take them to the top l
evel where the Bridge was located. Apparently there was another viewing area for crewmembers and other passengers below on Level 13, but Doug and Jan could visit the Command Center anytime they wished due to their status aboard the Iconda.
As soon as the elevator doors opened on Level 1, Doug saw General Bradstone standing next to High Leader Altek and Vice Leader Di. They were talking quietly with each other when they noticed Doug and Janice approaching them. Doug and Jan greeted all of them.
General Bradstone spoke first. “I see you both are up now. I hope you rested peacefully.”
“We did, General. Did you stay up for the whole trip?”
“I did, Colonel. It was very productive.”
Doug looked at Altek. “I hope you don’t mind if Jan and I watch the ship drop out of hyperspace from your Bridge, High Leader.”
“Both of you are welcome to visit at any time. Please excuse me. I must return to my station for arrival at Holtu. We drop out of hyperspace in ten of your minutes.”
James finally appeared and joined the group. As they waited, Doug continued to question General Bradstone. “How did the pilot training exercises go?”
“Much better than anticipated. It seems the Holtu have an advanced method of Memory Immersion or MI training that works with our brains. The pilots put on a special helmet that uses our brainwaves to input knowledge of how their Zoltu space fighters operate. After a few hours of MI, the pilots are ready to use the flight simulators to reinforce what they have learned mentally. Most of our pilots are ready to begin live space flight training as soon as we depart hyperspace. By the time we get back home, we’ll have five hundred pilots ready to fly.”
Doug looked at James with curiosity. “Did you know about this?”
“I heard about Holtu training methods from Di. Holtu brains can input digital data very quickly, but I didn’t know it would work on our brains.”
Di added, “Biological brainwaves are easily calibrated to receive data. We simply implant the memories you need to fly our fighters. This method can be used to learn any subject matter.”
“Maybe I can get a refresher course on FTL hyperdrive power systems,” James quipped with a grin.
A voice announced over the loudspeakers for the benefit of the humans on board, “Departing hyperspace in ten seconds.”
As soon as the seconds ticked by, a faint hum was heard though out the room. The lights flickered briefly and everyone gazed out the windows or looked at the viewscreens. The streaking lights outside disappeared and a beautiful planet appeared in space surrounded by twinkling stars. Holtu looked slightly bigger than Earth from what Doug could determine at this distance. It was blue in color with white clouds swirling around large bodies of water or seas. Doug could make out two large land masses separated by smaller continents above and below. Several islands dotted the seas. Snow covered poles were visible top and bottom. There did not appear to be any moons circling Holtu.
“It’s really beautiful, Doug,” Jan whispered in Doug’s ear.
“It is, truly.” Doug turned to Di. “How many planets in this solar system, Di?”
“There are fifteen planets circling our sun. Two of them are capable of supporting life forms.”
“Did the Holtu find any intelligent species on the planet before arriving?” Jan wondered.
“There is a race on the planet that precedes us and the Qumru who settled here. They live on one of the smaller continents without interference from us. We monitor them for health reasons. Apparently, other races were wiped out by a great volcanic cataclysm thousands of years before we arrived. The planet is stable now.”
“What about the second habitable planet? Any life there?” James asked.
“No intelligent life; just lower biological life forms. It is much colder there. The Holtu have bases there for military exercises.” Di did not explain further.
High Leader Altek joined them. “We are approaching Holtu. We will provide a transport shuttle for those of us who must travel to the surface to meet with the First Chair Leaders. Please prepare for departure in one hour.”
Doug turned to Janice. “Let’s go to our compartment and pack a few things. We’ll be staying on the surface to negotiate alliance contract terms for a few days. Hopefully, there will be time for some sightseeing before we leave Holtu.”
Jan smiled and followed Doug to the elevator. She had important things to discuss with Tumil as well. Even with the dangers ahead, she felt safe and happy with Doug at her side.
Chapter 12
Meeting With First Chair Brendu
The trip down to the surface of Holtu on a transport shuttle only took a few minutes. Two Holtu androids were in the pilot seats. High Leader Altek, Vice Leader Di, General Bradstone, Doug, Jan and James were invited to meet with various Holtu and Qumru leaders during the planned two week visit. The shuttle landed at the Iconda Spaceport just outside the Holtu capital city of Iconda.
Doug saw the city out the portside windows as the shuttle banked for the landing. Iconda was a seaside city with a large harbor and beach that stretched for miles in a gently curved shape. The beach was full of people. Behind the city rose majestic mountains with snowcapped peaks. The buildings were very tall with metal or glass facades that shined like mirrors. Doug wondered how many floors the towers rose up in the sky. Some looked to be over 100 stories high.
“How many people live in Iconda?” Doug asked Di as they landed.
“I believe the city has over twenty million residents now. It is the largest city on this continent called Eclipsu. Holtu is made up of four large Districts. Eclipsu is the East District. Most of the Qumru have settled on this District due to the pleasant weather patterns.
“Will we get a chance to see more of your world while we’re here, Di?” Jan asked.
“I can give you a tour when you have time, if you wish,” Di replied.
Time was not one of the luxuries they would have, thought Doug. Their schedule was booked solid for the next few days, but he hoped he and Jan could find some time to see the city and get to know the androids and people of Holtu better before they had to go back home.
Altek led the group off the shuttle to a waiting military vehicle that would take them directly to the Capitol Building for their meetings with First Chair Brendu and First Chair Cleota. Everyone found a seat and the vehicle sped away from the spaceport and headed directly towards the center of Iconda.
“I don’t see a lot of vehicles in the streets here. Where are all the people?” Janice asked Di as they rode inside.
“Many residents use the underground train service to move about the city. Most ground and air vehicles here are quantum energy powered; what you call zero point energy. We abandoned fossil fuels centuries ago. It keeps the air clean for Qumru residents.”
Of course, Doug knew Holtu androids did not breathe air, but their synthetic skin can still be affected by harsh chemicals or air pollutants, so clean air was a benefit to androids as well.
“Who will we be meeting with first?” Doug asked Di.
“First Chair Brendu wants to meet all of you before meeting with First Chair Cleota. He would like to discuss military matters with General Bradstone. Then we will meet with Cleota to begin negotiations for the alliance.”
The vehicle stopped in front of the Capitol Building and everyone followed Altek inside to a spacious lobby area filled with people. Everyone starred at the first humans ever to visit Holtu. The group signed in and they were allowed to approach the elevators that would take them to the top floor where Brendu’s office was located.
As the elevator rose swiftly upwards, Doug commented on its operation. “I don’t feel any upward movement. How do you accomplish this?”
Altek answered, “We use the same inertia negation technology used on our spaceships. The effects of gravity are neutralized in most large buildings, transportation services and on all moving vehicles. Antigravity solutions require a lot of free energy.”
The elevator stopped, do
ors opened and everyone walked into a large hallway with windows that allowed views of the entire city. It was early morning and the sun shone brightly behind fast moving clouds. At the end of the hall was First Chair Brendu’s office. They were greeted by a Holtu assistant who led them inside the office. Brendu stood up behind a large desk and moved around it to greet his visitors. Brendu was not as tall as Altek or Di He was wider in the shoulders, chest, arms and legs. His head was the same size as most Holtu androids with the same darker shade green skin. His eyes sparkled with intelligence. He wore a translation device around his neck, obviously prepared to communicate with his human visitors.
“Welcome to Holtu. It’s good to see you again, High Leader Altek.” Brendu grasped the inside of Altek’s right wrist with his hand in the traditional Holtu greeting.
“Thank you for seeing us, First Chair Brendu. Let me introduce everyone to you.”
Altek made the proper introductions and Brendu asked everyone to take a seat around a large conference table on one side of his office, which provided a view of the harbor facing the sea. Brendu asked for refreshments to be brought in for his human guests.
“Altek has informed me of the reasons for your visit. I am aware of the threat from the Yoyka Emperor. We are most anxious to find allies who can help us defeat the Yoyka and free the people of Qum. Is that the wish of the people of Earth?”
Doug noticed Brendu came right to the point. It was a normal characteristic of the Holtu androids. They did not exhibit the normal social interactions or tactfulness of the Qumru or Human peoples. Since it was a political question, Doug answered, “As the representative of the United Nations government of Earth, I will say that is indeed the wish of the people of Earth. We are in the same dangerous situation as the people of Holtu and Qum.”
“I have read Altek’s report of the damage the Yoyka have done to your people and ours. I’m afraid the Yoyka will continue to try and control or kill all our peoples as they have done to many other races. Please, tell me what you expect from the Holtu and Qumru people.”