Vortex incursion, p.12
Vortex Incursion, page 12
“How so?” Shoya asked, gazing from Jasper to Gat’r.
“That’s his story to tell,” Jasper replied. “I know it’s hard to accept change when it comes at you fast. The most important thing is to know the character of the individuals offering it to you. In the case of the SADEs and the fleet personnel, you won’t find better help.”
Shoya tipped her head in appreciation of the advice, especially since it had come from another mickie gang leader.
“Can I see Trigger now?” Shoya asked.
Gat’r cued Nalia and Céline.
As the SADEs entered, Jasper extended his hand to Shoya. “My advice is to embrace the changes. Good fortune,” he said and made his exit.
“Shoya, you’ve been observing Trigger,” Céline explained and waved a hand at the Jatouche tank.
“Why can’t I see him?” Shoya asked, staring at the tank of cloudy fluid.
“That’s part of the Jatouche medical repair method,” Nalia explained. “I made the decision to give Trigger a complete repair.”
“What does that mean?” Shoya inquired.
Gat’r noticed that Shoya’s temper had quieted. Instead of attacking, her mind was engaged in understanding the situation.
“Jatouche technology offers many layers of regeneration,” Nalia replied. “In this case, Trigger will become the young man he was meant to be as if he’d led a comfortable, active life with good nutrition.”
“Then he won’t look like a mickie?” Shoya queried.
“No,” Gat’r said. Then he signaled Nalia, and he left the room.
Nalia activated her palm holo-vid. “Gat’r doesn’t wish to see images of his old self,” the SADE said. “He’s a courageous young man who teaches other humans about the potential of our technology.”
Then Shoya watched short vids of Gat’r’s early days aboard the Alexander. She heard him struggle to put together sentences, and she saw the hideous scarring above the truncated arm.
Tears glistened in Shoya’s eyes. Gat’r had suffered more than any mickie in her gang, and he’d earnestly tried to help her believe hope had arrived with the visitors. Her response had been to doubt the opportunity, fear the loss of her gang, and push him away.
Without a word, Shoya left Trigger’s room. She wandered out of the medical suite and was met by a group of young people.
“These individuals are my old gang,” Jasper said, waving his hand behind him.
“Greetings, Shoya,” Lita said, stepping forward and hugging her.
Then the other Geneva mickies did the same.
After Bot-boy, who was last, added his welcome, Shoya looked around.
“Gat’r returned to the shuttle,” Lita said. “He’s headed planetside.”
“Can you hold that ship?” Shoya asked urgently.
“Done,” Lita replied, smiling. “Come.” Then she extended a hand to Shoya, and the two young people ran for a lift.
Gat’r sat forlornly in the traveler.
When the traveler’s pilot saw Gat’r board the ship, she expected to see his ebullient personality shine, and she was taken aback by the quiet and sad young man she greeted.
Previously, Gat’r had used his pre- and post-visuals to help others. This was the first time he’d wanted to hide his earlier versions, and he knew why. He hadn’t wanted Shoya to think less of him.
While Gat’r mused about his life and sought to rebalance, he noted that no one else had boarded, which was odd. By now, the traveler should have been at least half full.
Gat’r’s back was to the rear ramp. He heard the footsteps of another passenger. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“May I sit with you?” Shoya asked.
Gat’r silently indicated the seat next to him, and Shoya returned a gentle smile and slid next to him.
Gat’r felt the subtle compression of the ramp closing and realized that the SADEs had reserved the ship for Shoya and him.
Shoya saw Gat’r cup a hand over his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“That’s it. Nothing’s wrong. These individuals, SADEs and biologicals, are the most wonderful entities you could ever dream of meeting,” Gat’r replied.
Shoya took Gat’r’s hand from his face, cupped it in her hands, and leaned into her nanites seat. That’s the position they held for the flight downside.
∞
Dominique snapped awake, slipped on a pair of coveralls and boots, and ran to the bridge.
“Sorry, Captain, the Krackus don’t seem to have any respect for your sleep cycle,” the lieutenant quipped.
D’Arcy chuckled, patted the lieutenant on the shoulder, and eyed the bridge monitor’s output. She glanced behind her and found Kelley watching her.
“It’s the same probe, Captain,” Kelley said.
“The same model or the exact same probe?” Dominique queried.
“I left a minute calling card on the probe that delivered the Tritiums,” Kelley explained. “It’s still there.”
“Interesting,” Dominique said. “Then it’s still unarmed.”
“Yes, Captain,” Kelley replied. “I’ve sent notifications to Captains Racine, Hershey, and Gistamia.”
Dominique knew that, as SADEs, Miranda, Z, and Captain mya Jaknas would have been connected to Kelley the instant the probe was sighted.
“Same capture and delivery routine, Kelley?” Dominique inquired.
“Precisely,” Kelley replied. “I’m expecting to receive a message from the Krackus. Although, I can’t say in what form it’ll arrive.”
Dominique smiled wryly and said, “I imagined scenarios about the Krackus reactions when they opened their returned probe and found the Tritium elders gone.”
“My expectations are that those reactions were numerous, Captain,” Kelley replied. “It’s unfortunate that we don’t know how various individuals behaved. We’ve so little information about a powerful and domineering culture.”
“Captain, a traveler has the probe. It’s inbound,” the lieutenant reported.
“The bridge is yours, Lieutenant,” Dominique said. “In case we’ve received more guests, I need to change into my uniform.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” the Pyrean lieutenant replied.
While Dominique visited her sleeping quarters, Kelley peeked into the elder Tritiums’ cabin. Despite their advanced age, they slept lightly.
“Kelley,” the Tritiums chorused, as they uncurled from the entangled ball they adopted for sleep.
“A Krackus probe has been sent again,” Kelley relayed in Krackus. “Do you wish to be present?”
“Yes,” the Tritium set replied. They stood, stretched, walked to the bed’s end, and donned their clothes.
Kelley waited until the Tritiums had visited the facilities. Then he extended his arms, and the little aliens took advantage of the opportunity to ride.
When Dominique arrived outside the bay, she found Kelley and the Tritiums waiting.
“Captain D’Arcy,” the Tritiums chorused, and Kelley relayed the greeting.
“What do you expect we’ll find in the probe?” Dominique queried.
“The probe’s contents will be a surprise to you and us, Captain,” the Tritium set replied via Kelley.
Dominique and Kelley had to wait for the bay to be pressurized and the protective procedures to be positioned.
When it was relatively safe to enter, Kelley set the Tritiums on the deck. Then he donned an environment suit, entered the bay, and slipped through the tunnel that had been placed against the hatch.
After depressing the hatch to release it and swinging it aside, Kelley chuckled. Three small faces peered at him.
“Greetings, to the younger Tritium set,” Kelley said. “Your elders wait to welcome you aboard our ship.”
The Tritiums squeaked with joy, and they hurried to release their harnesses.
Kelley leaned into the probe and extended his arms. “Please, feel free to ride,” he said, and the Tritiums clambered onto his gloved hands and up his arms.
The elder Tritiums issued the same high-pitched squeaks when they saw Kelley exit with the younger Tritiums, whom they thought never to see again.
Then Kelley doffed his suit into a decontamination container, which a crewperson whisked away.
Meanwhile, Dominique observed the Tritiums’ ritualistic greeting. Both sides of the cheeks were slowly rubbed together, and this was done for every possible pairing. She thought that it appeared that the Tritium sets performed a dance, as they shifted partners.
When the greetings were finished, Dominique said, “Kelley, we need to know when the probe might return. I can’t have it firing its propulsion system in the bay.”
Kelley translated the request. After listening to the young Tritiums, he said, “Captain, it won’t leave until it’s triggered. To be allowed to come through the anomaly, this triplet agreed to perform a task for the Krackus. When it’s complete, they throw a switch in the probe. Its engines will fire about a quarter of a cycle later.”
“What’s the task?” Dominique asked.
“We’re to be interviewed,” Kelley said, laughing.
The elders glanced from Kelley to Dominique, and they squeaked in concert, understanding the SADE’s humor. Despite not knowing the reason for the elders’ reactions, the young set joined them.
The more the Tritiums’ high-pitched voices filled the corridor, the more Kelley laughed. Then Dominique’s reserve crumbled, and her laughter completed the chorus.
In Dominique’s quarters, Kelley and she sat at one end of the salon’s table, and the Tritium sets sat on a blanket she had spread for them on the other end of the table.
“Tell us about this interview’s general concept and its purpose,” Kelley requested. He’d linked with the captain to provide her an instant translation.
“Our elders would have informed you of the conditions that existed when they journeyed,” the young triplets said, and both Dominique and Kelley nodded their heads.
“Nothing significant has changed in the interim,” the young set said.
“In part,” the young triplets replied.
The elders, who had lain relaxed, stood up and chorused, “Captain D’Arcy and Kelley, remember that we were incarcerated on Helgart. The only individual fluent in our language, while we inhabited the planet, was the governor, Kreus.”
“I understand,” Kelley said. “Any questions that you ask originate from the Krackus and from Kreus.”
The Tritiums paused, and Kelley noted to Dominique that he detected an energy exchange between the sets, which he equated to their telepathic capability.
“Having just made your acquaintance, our younger triplets are impressed with your acumen,” the elders said. “We’ve informed them that they’ve much to learn about their hosts.”
Dominique sent.
After Kelley queried the new arrivals, Dominique and he learned that a recording was to be placed within the probe’s data collection system.
“Then we should get started,” Kelley told the Tritiums.
10: Anomalous Data
NAIAD, GELUS SYSTEM
HOME WORLD
The scout ship arrived above the home planet about the time negotiations with the chairpersons on Kilmer began.
Killian mused, which was an unexpected thought for Bethley and Trium. Their assumption was that Julien would be the ultimate authority.
While Bethley and Trium halted processes for ticks of time, Killian’s laughter filled the conference link.
Privately to Bethley’s companion, she sent,
Trium interjected.
Claudia Hoffing, the lead councilor, was aboard an express transport, riding through Naiad’s tubes, when her slate chimed. Her Alexander icon glowed. Not wanting to have a discussion in a crowded transport, she chose not to accept the call.
Samuel located Claudia’s slate, and he intuited her reticence. Waiting until the slate’s location moved to Claudia’s apartment, Samuel gave the lead councilor a quarter hour. Then he called again.
Claudia closed her robe, picked up her slate, and tapped the Alexander icon. “Greetings,” she said.
“Do I know you?” Claudia inquired.
“Then the comtech director was right,” Claudia said, laughing.
“I don’t think Cremsylon or any of his senior companions would have endangered us,” Claudia replied.
While Claudia prepared a meal, she thought on the initial discussion. “Samuel, Diana completed the shutdown and resurrection of comtech. You can’t exist there now. Are you walking around, or are you residing elsewhere?”
“I can’t promise that, Samuel. My responsibility is to protect the citizens of this planet, and what you tell me might compromise my duty.”
Friends, Claudia thought. The way that Samuel said the word intimated cooperative humans, and she wondered who might be hiding the entity.
Suddenly, events clicked into place for Claudia. There was one group of people who everyone wanted to know how they sourced their articles. Samuel was with the Truth Matters partners.
When Samuel heard Claudia’s chuckle, he was positive that she’d twigged to his hiding place.
Claudia’s following thought was that the TM partners had exposed the egregious actions of many powerful people. That indicated a great deal about Samuel’s nature, and her initial concerns about him dissipated.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this evening’s call, Samuel?” Claudia asked.
“The third ship in our space,” Claudia mused.
“Where are these? What are they doing, and should we be worried?” Claudia asked quickly.
“They favor us?” Claudia queried.
