Covert Alliance

by Blair Wylie

  Prime Minister Wong suddenly looked very grave, and deep in thought. He closely studied the faces of his three visitors again. Then he nodded slowly, and asked, “So, how do we indicate our decision to them?”

  O’Shea nodded at Kepler to answer this time, so Kepler said, “Prime Minister, Weismann and Knudsen suggested to the aliens that we could use a signal in visible light, say green for a complete ‘yes’ response, and red for a ‘no’ response to their proposal, or to some of their conditions.

  “The astronauts know we have the Sprite missile in our stores. It’s used for scientific research, and to launch small suborbital satellites. They suggested to the aliens that we could launch an explosive charge with a Sprite missile, and use an upper atmosphere ‘fireworks’ display, if you will, to convey our message with visible light.

  “We would have to make sure the explosion happened in line- of-sight with Addy. That just requires timing the explosion properly. And we would have to tell the public and the press that it was yet another ‘experiment’ that went awry.

  “But that’s no big deal. Those things actually do happen, unfortunately.

  “So, Prime Minister, in summary I think the Knudsen and Weismann idea has great merit.”

  “So how long would it take to send up such a missile?” asked Minister Hernandez. She also wanted to ask how such an obviously ad hoc launch would be funded, but she bit her lip instead.

  “The missile could probably be ready to launch in say twelve hours or so, weather and other factors permitting, Minister,” replied Kepler immediately. Then he added quietly, “Or maybe a bit longer. Unfortunately, it’s kind of hard to say.

  “But of course, we first need to know what colour we want our ‘Roman candle’ to be! In the lab, we have produced both a red and a green variant in suitable payload packages.” Then he looked a bit embarrassed, and added, “We didn’t want to be on the critical path, that’s all. We were not trying to jump the gun or anything…” He trailed off and looked hard at Wong for a reaction.

  Wong smiled back at Kepler, and asked quietly, “And what colour would you like our fireworks display to be, Jorge?”

  “Why, green of course, Prime Minister!” Kepler growled immediately and loudly. Then he explained, “I believe the threat of a Master attack is very real, unfortunately. We will need all the help we can get to fend it off!

  “And we could really make use of a moon base! We could make a giant leap forward in the breadth of our technology, in many fields, by accepting their many gifts. The possibilities are truly mind boggling! And I don’t see anything to lose by saying ‘yes’, frankly.”

  “Yes, I thought that’s what you would say, Jorge,” replied Prime Minister Wong with a nod and a slight hint of a smile. “Thanks for providing your reasons, too. So, Abdul, what do you think?”

  O’Shea took a deep, raspy breath, and said, “I totally agree with General Kepler, Prime Minister. We just have to send up a green signal! And right away, too.”

  “Right, thanks, Abdul,” replied Wong with a broader smile. He wished his visitors would pick up on his less-than-subtle messaging to speak informally in these settings, but old habits die hard, he mused to himself.

  Then Wong looked directly at Hernandez. She was methodically searching through the stack of file folders on the coffee table. When she apparently found the one she wanted, she started to open it up, but then stopped herself. She looked around at the others, and then she looked slightly embarrassed. Wong then asked quietly, “Patricia, what are you concerned about?”

  Hernandez shook her head, and then she said angrily, “I’m thinking about the deep political hole we are digging for ourselves, Prime Minister, of course! So, say we do send up a green flare. Then what? Where is this headed, and how do we pay for it, and how can we possibly keep it all secret?”

  Wong winced at her angry tone, and then looked hard at Kepler. Kepler was looking a bit ‘steamed’ suddenly. In contrast, O’Shea still looked calm and composed, so Wong decided to ask him, “Abdul, do you offer any suggestions about our best way forward beyond the, ah, green flare signal?”

  O’Shea slowly took off his glasses, and removed a soft cloth from the inside pocket of his old, frayed, tweed sports jacket. He methodically used the cloth to clean the thick lenses, and then he put his glasses back on. As he was carefully putting the little cloth back in its assigned inner pocket, he said calmly, “Yes, Prime Minister. General Kepler and I have just talked at length about this very matter with Lieutenant Colonel Weismann.

  “We were very pleased to find that Weismann had thought this through at great length, ahead of our interview. Actually, he had tested his ideas with Maldonado and Knudsen before his departure from Addy, and they had both agreed that it all sounded pretty good.

  “Weismann is a very bright, highly capable guy. We’re fortunate to have him on our team.” Kepler grunted and nodded in support, so O’Shea continued, “As soon as we send up our green flare, Weismann believes the aliens will leave Addy immediately. But they will hopefully leave Knudsen and Maldonado behind on the moon with clear and elaborate instructions on how to make full use of their incredible base, and all of the space vehicles that have been carefully stored away inside of it.

  “I’ll come back to that new, no doubt startling revelation in a minute.

  “Weismann believes Maldonado and Knudsen can easily hold out for a year or so on their own. They can synthesize what appears to be nutritious food using machines the aliens modified for our use, and make use of the raw materials and fresh water the aliens have stored in their base.

  “Now, I don’t think we should ask our two stranded astronauts to stay on Addy much longer than that, however. Weismann says they are effectively shielded from radiation in a vast network of converted lava tubes. But the low gravity on Addy will negatively affect and degrade their bodies over time. We’re not sure exactly how they will adapt to their new diet either, but they have a large supply of vitamins and supplements in the Osprey.

  “General Kepler believes we can send another lander up to Addy within a year. We won’t need an orbital component this time for communication and support, since we already have the Nebula command module in orbit around the moon. And the Nebula is not going anywhere, and can stay fully operational on its own in robot mode for a couple of years.

  “And Weismann says there are four more lifting-body vehicles in the base that can be used for returning people to New Earth! Two are one-person designs, and two are bigger, possibly three-person designs. I think we will want to replace those rather handy little vehicles in time with our own copies.

  “So, we can use a bigger, shuttle-type lander for the next mission. The manufacturing and logistical systems are in place now, so constructing another proven launch system will be relatively straightforward, although admittedly, we know it will be costly.

  “I think we can tell the public that this will either be a rescue mission, or a mission of scientific investigation. You know, to find out what exactly went wrong up there, if the worst has in fact happened.

  “We’ll only need two additional astronauts for this next mission, because Weismann wants to go back, rather badly I might add. And General Kepler and I think he should be allowed to go back, but only secretly.

  “We think we should make a big, public deal about only putting two more brave young astronauts at risk. In other words, very few people should know that Weismann is also going on the second mission. We will know, and so will the other two astronauts, of course, and only a few other essential support people who must be sworn to total secrecy.

  “So, to carry on with this idea, when the second team of astronauts land on Addy, they will make an amazing discovery! They will find that Knudsen, Weismann and Maldonado have somehow managed to survive!

  “We will be able to use our radios then, with discretion. The astronauts will claim they never met any aliens in person, but they discovered this fantastic and complete ancient base, and amazingly, it could b
e as old as the pyramid the aliens probably also built on New Earth!

  “And we will then announce this base is filled with exciting advanced technology, with many potentially beneficial and commercial applications.

  “We will then permanently inhabit the moon base, and justify the ongoing, high operating expense by demonstrated, publicized, indisputably beneficial contributions to our Resource Development Plan.”

  O’Shea stopped to catch his breath, and stared hard at Kepler. He then nodded to suggest that the general should continue with the joint proposal.

  Kepler looked really excited now, rather than angry. But he managed to say calmly, “Meanwhile, Prime Minister, in parallel, we want your permission to start quietly and discretely assembling and deploying a fleet of alien-built spacecraft!

  “Weismann says they are incredible machines! There are twenty-four of them altogether. They’re stored in vertical tubes, in two sections per vehicle. The two sections are launched separately, using dry-chemical boosters, and they meet up in New Earth orbit, automatically. The launching operation is relatively straightforward, due to the low gravity, and the lack of an atmosphere around Addy.

  “One launch payload is the cylindrical fuselage, with the engines, weapons and support systems. The other payload is a tubular section that becomes the part of the completed spaceship where the control systems and the crew resides. That section bends itself into a torus! It then mates with the cylindrical section to form an integral, complete spacecraft. Connecting tubes along the side of the cylindrical section are automatically deployed, and they work like the spokes of a giant bicycle wheel! The completed spacecraft spins around the long axis of the fuselage to provide some gravity for the crew that normally live and work in the toroidal section.

  “Now, these remarkable alien spacecraft can also be operated remotely! The main thrust system they use is similar to the magnetoplasmadynamic system that was used on the Second Chance generation spaceship that brought our ancestors to New Earth.

  “Only, there are a few significant and beneficial differences. Weismann says the main thrust system is way more powerful, and way more sophisticated! For instance, a number of different fuel options are available, in slurry form, to power the fusion reactors.

  “Now, the aliens have suggested we first deploy six of these spacecraft to work as deep-space sentinels, and our first line of defence. Four would go out at right angles to each other in alignment with the Sol-system orbital plane. The other two would go out at right angles to the orbital plane, only in opposite directions…” He trailed off when he noted that both Wong and Hernandez were looking very confused and very anxious. Then he looked sheepishly at O’Shea for some help.

  Doctor O’Shea smiled at everyone in turn. Then he said calmly, “We are truly sorry for this barrage of startling new information, Prime Minister Wong, and Minister Hernandez. There is still a lot to work out, of course. But I believe General Kepler has just provided us with a pretty fair, high-level overview, at least of the initial plan beyond sending up a green flare.

  “Bottom line though, and miraculously, we suddenly have found, at our finger tips, a cornucopia of astounding and powerful, very advanced technology! We could soon have the means to defend ourselves against a far more advanced aggressor. And we could also use these amazing discoveries to make our everyday lives a whole lot better too, and there can be no doubt about that!

  “All we have to do to start down this path towards accelerated enlightenment is to send up that green flare. And we will want to send up a very bright green flare, one that can be clearly seen by all of the creatures living on the near side of Addy, that is, the side that always faces New Earth.”

  Wong nodded emphatically, and then stared hard at Hernandez. She at first avoided his stare. But after a few moments, she reluctantly made eye contact with him. Then Wong said quietly, “I entirely agree with these rather fired-up two guys, Patricia. I really want to send up that green flare, and right away. But what do you say? Are you with us?”

  Patricia Hernandez took a deep breath, sighed quite audibly, and said, “Yes, I’m with you guys. This is obviously going to be a risky, expensive investment. But okay, I hear you, it is one with tremendous potential upside. I get that! But even if all this ends up doing is to help us to survive, it’s actually a no brainer, isn’t it?”

  Wong then looked hard at Kepler and O’Shea. They both looked visibly relieved, and they were smiling broadly back at him. So Wong slapped his thigh, laughed heartily, and said loudly, “Right then! We are fully agreed! It is a no brainer, damn it! And I haven’t had one of those for a very long while!

  “So, start the fireworks display for us, General! That’s an order! Only, please make damn sure you send up the green payload, and not the red one! Okay?”

  15

  It was now almost six days since Lieutenant Colonel Asher Weismann had left the other two astronauts on Addy, and departed on his own for New Earth.

  Major Francis Maldonado and Colonel Nils Knudsen had been living mostly outside of the Osprey lander, however their ability to move around the alien base was still very restricted. In fact, they had been confined to the Osprey hangar area, and a single room nearby.

  They had not been offered any more remotely guided tours by their secretive alien hosts since Weismann had departed. But the aliens had provided them with two tablet-like devices that allowed them to interface with the massive main-frame computer system and database that were built into the facility. The hand-held devices came equipped with an easy-to-use English language portal. Maldonado and Knudsen were therefore allowed to keep exploring the base in a virtual, but still very limited, manner.

  Otherwise, the aliens had left them completely on their own.

  The additional, cube-like room that they were allowed to make use of was mostly open plan, and apartment-like. There was a small enclosed space in one corner of the room with a toilet of sorts, and a sink with running hot and cold water. They used their sampling kit from the Osprey to confirm that the tap water was almost pure, with a few dissolved ionic compounds. It looked safe enough to drink, so the astronauts were drinking it.

  The toilet outwardly resembled what one might find in a well-built outhouse back on New Earth. It was an enclosed bench with a hinged cover over a circular hole. Waste disappeared down a chute, and the flushing process was automatic. All of their waste went down that chute. There was no paper for cleaning up afterwards, but there was a rubber-like hose nearby with an adjustable water jet.

  Their ‘apartment’ had a well-concealed door that led back to the hangar where their Osprey lander was hibernating. They simply had to place the palm of a hand on an adjacent glossy-black panel to open or close the door.

  A square metal table was positioned in the centre of the apartment. Two cushioned metal benches allowed the astronauts to comfortably make use of the table while sitting down.

  There were also six, rather amorphous-looking ‘blobs’ arranged around the room in pairs. They were covered with a soft, synthetic fabric. The astronauts discovered that the blobs became very comfortable form-fitting lounge chairs when one sat down on them. There were also two flattish blobs that became comfortable beds when one laid down upon them.

  The two astronauts also discovered food preparation machines, cleaning appliances and cleaning supplies located in cupboards and on shelves around the apartment. The furniture and appliances in the room were coloured in various soft hues of green and blue. The pleasant, complementary colour scheme extended to glass and ceramic bowls, and metal utensils, which were also provided for them. The utensils were odd-shaped things, but a few of them were useful. The astronauts supplemented the alien houseware with selected items from the Osprey. But the Osprey stuff was all designed for use in a zero-G spacecraft, and therefore not ideally suited for their new environ.

  The walls, ceiling and floor were all a uniform, warm, comforting, linen colour.

  It all made for a surprisingly pleasing interior
space.

  The two astronauts were about to sample what they hoped would be a reasonably tasty, hot dinner. The aliens had concocted a number of ‘safe’ recipes for them to try using a human genome map, and descriptions of what types of foods the astronauts said they liked to eat. They had also provided instructions about how to adjust the settings on the food producing devices to vary colour, texture and flavour without creating poisons. So far, the results had been less than exciting, but there had been some gradual improvement. The food they were making was about on par now with the various packaged pastes, crumbles and slurries they had brought with them from New Earth.

  “Not bad at all this time, Francis,” Knudsen mumbled appreciatively between mouthfuls. “Maybe it’s a bit too salty and spicy. No, I take that back. It’s just about right! Say, you’re not a bad cook, or kitchen chemist I guess, for an anthropologist!”

  “And you’re a much better pilot than a food critic!” laughed Maldonado. But she really liked receiving the compliment.

  She smiled at Knudsen as she watched him eat. After he had washed down a last mouthful of food with some water from a plastic bottle, he smiled back at her.

  They were very much in love. But they had somehow managed not to show it. At least, they thought they had hidden it well.

  Their passionate emotions were tightly coiled, however, and straining to explode. They hoped New Earth politicians would sensibly agree to the alien proposal, and that the aliens would soon depart.

  But sometimes, there was just no accounting for the whims or schemes of politicians. Or for the secret schemes of aliens, for that matter.

  They were in an information vacuum, and they were finding the wait and uncertainty very frustrating, and a bit stressful.

  There was a large, flush-mounted, dull-black rectangular panel on a wall in their apartment. Maldonado and Knudsen had assumed it was a one-way window of sorts, which they imagined was used by their hosts to closely observe what they were doing.