by Greg Mutton
‘Well if it did, at least it didn’t get us.’
Simon joined the conversation. ‘That’s not the point… you’re wondering where it went, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, it had to go somewhere; that much energy just can’t dissipate without trace.’
Aaron now saw what Croker was getting at. ‘OK, you two start working on finding out what happened. After all, we have no idea what that much energy would do in sub-space. No one has been this stupid since the Krell wars, and then the result was catastrophic!’
Gradually the bridge returned to normal, but Dave Carter kept the ship at battle readiness for another hour, just in case.
Finally, at 09:45 hours on Friday, February 7, 2921, Condor reinserted into normal space between Earth and Mars. Immediately she was hailed by an Earth Coalition patrol ship and asked if any assistance was required. Then four more patrol ships joined her and provided an escort to the same dock that currently housed Valiant. Their track took them past the launch site for Rhapsody and the circus that was evolving around that event, scheduled to occur later that day.
Aaron contacted the patrol leader. ‘What’s that all about?’
The patrol ship’s captain, Commander Donaldson replied. That’s Rhapsody of the Stars, Damien Albrecht latest sin palace. Well, at least for those who want to mortgage their lives to pay for it! She’ll be launched later today.
‘Thanks, Commander.’ Aaron turned to Kate, ‘Albrecht; any relation?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Don’t ask, Sir,’ she said ‘don’t ask.’
***
It took another hour to secure Condor to the dock and complete the administrative formalities. Crew leave had already been authorised, with accommodation at their chosen destinations arranged. Everyone was very keen to get down planet-side. For some, it was their first visit to the home of the human race; for others, simply a return after a long absence. Emotions were mixed, but a visit to this special planet always caused an effect. Aaron activated a ship-wide comm.
‘This is the Captain. I want to thank each of you for everything you did during this trip. Accommodation has been arranged where you requested and will be billed to the company. We will be here, on Earth, for at least the next week, so make the most of it. Enjoy and be safe… that’s all.’ He closed the channel and turned to his bridge crew. ‘That goes for all of you too, see you all later.’ Everyone was smiling and didn’t need a second invitation. They were all eager to have some shore time.
‘All I have to do is collect Prince and head home.’ Aaron felt strange saying that in reference to the family compound, but it was home. ‘By the way, you don’t seem to have any accommodation?’ he said to Petra as he powered his console down.
‘No. I thought that, since I had just joined, I‘d stay aboard with the security detail… look after things,’ she replied.
‘Aaron, really?’ Dokad asked pointedly. ‘Are you really going to leave this lovely creature locked up in this ship for a week? Why not take her with us — at least it might help diffuse the family situation. Besides, I would like to get to know you a bit better my dear.’
Aaron felt his pulse rise sharply. The thought of taking Petra along intrigued him, but Dokad’s attention to her caused him an uneasy sensation he couldn’t explain. ‘Sounds good to me, what do you say, Number One?’ his throat was suddenly dry again.
‘Thank you, Sir. I’ve always wanted to come to Earth.’
‘Good, get your things and we’ll meet at the shuttle bay in ten minutes.’
As they entered the pod, George’s voice entered Aaron’s mind. You have an incoming communication from Argos — it will be channelled to your cabin console.
Petra left the pod on the second accommodation deck where her cabin was, and Aaron and Dokad proceeded to the next floor and their cabins. They parted company; Aaron entered his cabin and went straight to his console. He opened the communication; it was a couple of hours old even using sub-space communication systems — it still took time to cover the distance between Argos and Condor, especially with Condor being inside a worm hole when it was sent. He read the text, shook his head and read it again to confirm the contents.
The final line was most telling — be very careful where you place your trust — the warning kept roaming round in his head as he packed.
He stopped as if coming to a sudden decision. He contacted Petra via the secure command link. ‘Number One, change of plans’ he tried to sound upbeat. ‘I’ve decided to take the yacht… much more comfortable. Can you get her ready?’
She agreed and said she would have Junior — as she called the yacht — ready in about ten minutes. Aaron busied himself with changing the departure schedule and contacting the dock commander to obtain the necessary permissions. He was so engrossed with his actions he almost forgot the cat. Aaron picked up his ready bag and left the room, with Prince by his side, the cat securely fastened to his lead.
Admiral Dokad was waiting and exited his room as soon as Aaron pressed the annunciator. He glanced at Aaron, ‘Expecting more trouble?’
Aaron had decided that the warning from his Prime needed to be heeded. He had strapped a disruptor to his hip and had another in his bag for Petra. ‘After this trip, who knows?’ he shook his head. ‘I’ve also decided to take the yacht. It’s much more comfortable than a shuttle.’ They entered the pod and Aaron selected the hangar deck.
True to her word, Petra had ‘Junior’ prepped and ready. The hangar roof slid open as the two men entered the bridge deck. Petra was at the pilot station. Aaron handed her the comm pad he was carrying and bent down to remove the cat’s lead. Prince immediately leapt onto Petra’s lap and curled up. This brought a hearty chuckle from Dokad and he looked at Aaron.
‘Seems your cat has adopted someone new,’ he gave Aaron a knowing smile. Aaron just nodded, his mind still working on Grainger’s message.
Petra entered the authorisation codes from the comm pad and started the take-off cycle. Aaron sat at the co-pilot’s console and followed her movements. Even after only one flight in the yacht she seemed completely at home, flawlessly taking the vessel out of the hangar in the limited space of the dock. As soon as they cleared Condor, Petra powered the deflector array and turned the yacht towards the hangar’s space door portal. The force field flashed white as it matched harmonics with the deflector and they were back in space.
Petra turned to Aaron. ‘Since this is my first time to Earth I’ve programmed a flight path that will give us a good overall view of the planet — I hope that’s OK?’ She could sense that he was wrestling with something. He didn’t answer, just nodded.
Their flight path would be a polar orbit starting with the North Pole and then heading towards the south. It wasn’t a direct path, but one that gave them the best possible orbital tour of the planet. Petra skilfully orientated the ship so they could all get the best view; it was one that Aaron remembered from many years ago.
The vast majority of the northern hemisphere was covered in ice and snow and had been for centuries. Continental Europe, Russia, China, and most of the Asian region, was still one huge frozen waste. For most of the old USA and Canada, it was the same, a chillingly amazing sight, both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
‘This is what happens when stupidity and greed govern,’ Aaron said with a sad note to his voice.
They continued over the Equator and the south of the Americas came to view. Here the scenery was different. Lush greenery was everywhere, with settlements of human habitation blended into natural surrounds. They continued south over Antarctica, now not a completely frozen waste but an area with a number of thriving communities. Still, Aaron thought, there’s a lot more snow and ice here than I remember — maybe the balance is swinging back again?
Petra aligned the ship for re-entry and began the sequence. Aaron sat back to allow her the freedom to command the ship.
Dokad spoke. ‘Aaron, I must ask something. When we were in that final confrontation, you mentione
d something about your ship jumping.’ Aaron stiffened in his chair. Dokad continued. ‘There was a report from one of the dissident groups that Freebooters had some new drive technology, something from the Eldorans that could revolutionise space travel. Do you have that technology?’
Aaron turned to face his old friend, unsure of how to proceed. He looked deep into Dokad’s eyes, searching for any clue that may help him formulate his answer. Then he remembered that in all the years and dealings he had with this man, there had never been any deception between them. He spoke freely.
‘Yes. It was installed by Eldoran engineers so we could evaluate it. So far, it is proving to be somewhat of an advantage, but there are limitations that may make it unusable, long term.’
Dokad nodded. ‘That is the missing piece.’ He smiled back at Aaron. ‘The communication Ga’Dok received from his superiors suggested that he should capture your ship, if possible. I assumed it meant me, but the ship itself may have been the target.’
Aaron interrupted. ‘It wouldn’t do them any good; part of our trial agreement with the Eldorans is to keep it secure. To that end, they have installed a self-destruct system. If anyone — us included — tries to interfere with the drive system, it will destroy itself and my ship with it. They will remove this only when we have ascertained that there are no operational problems. We are not trying to hide it, just evaluate it —same as we have done with all other technologies from them.’ He paused, thinking for a moment. ‘So, Ga’Dok was supposed to lure us to Medros six, capture the ship and steal the drive?’
‘That would be my conclusion; and when he saw he was failing he opted to destroy it instead,’ Dokad answered.
‘By risking a sub space disaster,’ Aaron was incredulous. ‘That’s insane!’
‘I never said Krell politics were sane,’ Dokad retorted. ‘As with human history, we have had our share of megalomaniacs in charge… that seems to be the one constant similarity between our races.’ He sat back, suddenly looking very old and tired. ‘That is why we must stop this madness.’ He sat quietly for a few minutes. ‘Aaron, what are your friends the Eldorans like? They’re a bit of an enigma.’
‘Admiral, you are so correct,’ Aaron agreed. ‘They seem almost god like, they come and go and we never know when or where they will pop up next. They change their appearance almost at will, yet they still use technology — albeit very advanced technology.’
‘Do you know where their home planet is?’
‘No one has ever been to their home planet. We have tried to discuss it with them. Their answer is that they are from another realm, whatever that is. Yes, they really are an enigma.’
The ship was just entering the atmosphere and Petra had a huge smile on her face as she reconfigured the yacht for atmospheric operations. The wings extended and she disengaged the artificial gravity.
‘Twenty minutes till we land,’ she announced as they broke through into a cloudless sky, the beauty of a verdant Australian landscape spread out below them.
10
They approached the compound from the south, giving them a good view of the lake and the complex — at their height of one hundred metres it was very impressive.
Petra looked over to Aaron. ‘Is that where you grew up?’
‘Yes, but most of it is used by the company; the family only takes up half of the upper ground floor. The rest is either office space or accommodation for staff.’
The comms interrupted any further banter. Abracorp base to unidentified aircraft, please identify yourself.
Petra replied, ‘this is Freebooter shuttle FTS Condor Junior, requesting landing permission.’
The response was immediate, Permission granted. Please proceed north of the compound and use pad four to land. Once you have landed, please taxi to hangar one.
Petra confirmed the instructions and initiated the landing cycle. As their airspeed dropped, the antigrav took over, the wings retracted and Petra guided the ship to the designated landing pad — she didn’t actually touch down — keeping the landing gear just a few centimetres off the ground and entered the hangar. There was a ground crewman to guide her into the assigned park. She followed his instructions and gently grounded the ship.
Aaron looked out his view port. There standing behind the doors were his brother and sister-in-law. He looked over to Petra and the Admiral. ‘Can you give me a couple of minutes?’ He smiled — a nervous smile but one edged with hope.
‘Of course, take your time… just signal us when you’re ready.’
Petra lowered the port side access ramp and Aaron slowly exited the ship. It felt like he was walking in slow motion, long forgotten emotions and memories starting to flood his mind. The doors in front of him opened and his brother emerged. They stood, facing each other for what seemed like an eternity until Jeff finally broke the silence.
‘Welcome home Brother.’ He extended his hand and Aaron gripped it tightly.
‘Thanks, Jeff… it’s been too long,’ Aaron choked the words and both brothers grabbed each other and embraced. ‘Far too bloody long’ he repeated. They broke apart as Sonia came out the doors and joined them. She threw her arms around them both, ecstatic that she had finally been able to get them on the same planet and hopefully bring them back together. Aaron waved for the others to join him and Petra was quickly at his side, the Admiral taking a little longer.
‘Jeff, Sonia, I’d like to introduce my First Officer, Petra Mannix.’ Jeff shook her hand and Sonia gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. ‘And an old friend,’ Aaron moved aside to allow Jeff to see the Admiral. ‘Admiral Dokad, I believe you and my brother are well acquainted?’
Dokad bowed his head. ‘We most certainly are. How are you Jeffery?’
‘Well Sir… and yourself?’ Jeff enquired.
‘Still alive… thanks to your brother and Commander Mannix’. Dokad said with a chuckle
‘Well, I can assure your safety here,’ Jeff replied. ‘Come along. We have rooms ready for you. I’ll have your luggage brought up.’
Petra excused herself. ‘We forgot Prince,’ she said, as she walked back into the ship.
The men moved through the doors while Sonia waited for Petra. A few minutes later she came back down the ramp, the cat beside her. Sonia smiled and bent down to pat the small animal.
‘I’ve heard about this cat; he is a beauty,’ Sonia said, as Prince lapped up the attention. Then she stood up and looked directly into Petra’s eyes.
‘So! What are the arrangements?’
‘Pardon?’ Petra was caught off guard by the question.
‘Petra, may I call you Petra?’ Sonia started. ‘It has taken me more than twenty years to get those two on the same planet, let alone in the same house, so I need this to go smoothly. It’s obvious that you and Aaron are more than Captain and First Officer; how do you want to handle it?’
Petra let out a sigh. ‘He is the Captain and I’m the First Officer, nothing more.’
‘Oh! I’m sorry, I just thought…’ Sonia’s voice trailed off.
She took Petra’s arm and they walked through the doors, Prince trotting happily between them. There was no sign of the men so Petra and Sonia went to the house; a butler met them at the door.
‘Phillip, please bring us some tea to the garden room,’ Sonia asked.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he replied as he turned and walked away.
They walked into the garden room. It was huge, with fifteen-metre high clear walls — all made of glass — something of a rarity. In total, the room covered an area of two hundred square metres and was filled with hundreds of exotic plants.
‘This is beautiful!’ Petra gasped, having never seen some of these plants and flowers. She reached out and touched an orchid. ‘They’re so delicate,’ she said softly.
The butler returned bearing a tray that held the tea pot and cups. He placed it on a table beside the orchids. Sonia sat and poured two cups. ‘Milk?’ she asked.
‘Yes, thank you,’ Petra replied. They
sat and sipped their tea before Petra spoke again. ‘Your butler seems very efficient.’
‘He’s not really a butler he’s actually a robot, or as Jeffery puts it, an artificial. We have several of them. They do most of the work around the farm… not many humans want to do that anymore.
‘We did have a real butler, but he left for one of the colonies. So Jeffery decided that we could use one of the robots. He had one designed as a butler, which worked out very well; I believe they are now one of the robotics division’s biggest income earners — it seems that clients will pay a handsome premium for a specialist butler.’
‘Really, I thought the home of the Human race would have most things done by robots or artificials.’ Petra observed.
‘Back in our history we did. Many jobs and daily tasks were given over to machines and robots. Even getting from one place to another was left to the control of artificials. Then things started to go wrong; people had nothing to do and Earth went through a time of anarchy.
‘It was around the time of the Exodus and those who remained here decided to limit just how much automation was acceptable. There’s an old saying: idle hands make the devils work. Thankfully, for once, humans have learned from that mistake.
‘We did have one section of our society that embraced a totally dependent lifestyle. They called themselves Mechanista. They emigrated to their own planet and have done very well, or so we believe. Nobody ever sees much of them, anymore.
‘Now, has Aaron talked about this reunion? Has he mentioned what happened?’ Sonia was desperate for information.
‘No, nothing…I only joined the ship a few days ago; everybody on Argos is aware of the feud, but I don’t think anyone knows what caused it. If anyone knows anything it would be our Prime; he and Aaron are very close.’ Petra replied, trying to keep her distance from any family issues.
The door opened and the butler announced that the baggage from Junior had been brought to the house. Sonia took charge. ‘Phillip, put Captain Abraham and Commander Mannix in the two spare rooms at the end of the hall and the Admiral in the main guest room.’ He left and she turned to Petra. ‘Your room is in the family section, but at the opposite end of the hall. If that’s not suitable, we have a number of spare suites above.’