Vortex incursion, p.24
Vortex Incursion, page 24
“The councilors aren’t the only group who would have to be okay with this project,” Lisa said. “The Axis-ship captains have a stranglehold on passengers and shipping transport. If they balk at the loss of Naiad’s shuttles, you can bet the council will have second thoughts.”
“Without easy access to Naiad’s domes, our efforts to help the home planet will be severely restricted,” a sister stated firmly.
To the SADEs and the sisters, the path forward was unequivocally simple. However, the sisters were getting a hard dose of reality — the challenge of dealing with biologicals.
“An Axis-ship is presently in orbit,” Juno said. “It arrived yesterday and isn’t expected to launch for five more days.”
“Who’s the captain?” Lisa inquired.
“Hergis Samis,” Samuel supplied.
“Perfect,” Lisa replied. “We’ll see him first. If we can convince him of the opportunity, it’ll ease the councilors’ minds.”
“Do you need our assistance?” Juno asked.
“Thank you for the offer, Juno,” Lisa replied. “But this is purely a political meeting. However, if I could offer a suggestion.”
“Certainly,” Juno replied.
“The sisters need to acquire every advantage that SADE avatars offer,” Lisa said. “You could start with the palm holo-vid display. That’s a helpful tool in meetings.”
“We’ll see to it,” Tocknicka assured Lisa.
“Captain Hergis is expecting us,” Samuel said, rising.
Lisa was about to say that the discussion wasn’t complete. Then she realized that for the SADEs and the sisters it had concluded. They wanted to start two projects simultaneously, and they knew the requirements for each. Only two things were missing — the credits and the approvals. Those were her tasks.
Juno and another sister piloted the traveler that landed Lisa and Samuel aboard the Axis-ship.
As Lisa negotiated the hatch steps, she gazed at the bay’s interior with different eyes. “Rather rudimentary compared to your ships,” she said.
“In time, this will change,” Samuel remarked.
The relief at being employed again and temporarily free of incarceration had finally sunk into Lisa’s psyche, enabling her to laugh. “In whose lifetime?” she quipped.
“Chairperson Dyehouse, we meet again,” Captain Hergis Samis said, by way of greeting.
“It’s citizen now, Captain, and I prefer to be called Lisa. Allow me to introduce my companion. He’s a SADE called Samuel.”
“Welcome aboard, Samuel,” Samis said.
“Thank you, Captain,” Samuel replied.
Samis was surprised when the SADE extended a hand, but he chose to be sociable. He was further surprised when he received an engaging smile.
When Juno and her sister exited the traveler, Juno sent,
“Captain, Juno and her companion would enjoy a tour, if you don’t mind,” Samuel said.
Samis stared briefly at the attractive sisters. Then his manners returned. “Of course,” he said. “My first officer would be pleased to guide them and answer their questions.”
The first officer saluted sharply and said, “This way, Mesdames,” hoping to sound sophisticated.
Lisa hid her smile. Her thought was that there would be many times when the sisters were referred to in familiar human terms.
“We can speak privately in my cabin,” Samis said, watching the sisters exit the bay. “Do most of the sisters look like that?” he asked, as he led the way out.
“Intoxicating, aren’t they?” Lisa queried, which embarrassed Samis.
“The sisters have copied the archetypes of Méridiens. They’re humans who have experimented for centuries with genetic modeling,” Samuel explained, while casting a disapproving glance at Lisa.
Attempting to shift the subject, Samis said, “It was fortunate that you were already in space when the storm swept over the Naiad domes.”
“We were on Naiad,” Lisa replied.
Samis stopped and stared incredulously from Lisa to Samuel.
“I take no credit for arriving here,” Lisa continued. “It was due to Samuel and the visitors’ technology.”
“How did your shuttle deal with the severe wind velocities?” Samis asked, intrigued by the opportunity to learn about the visitors’ ships.
“When the traveler approached the surface, the pilot, who was Juno, extended the landing gear,” Samuel explained. “When the gear achieved contact with the pad, the ship remained active and expended energy to remain in place against the force of the winds.”
“The winds and the amount of ice would have varied,” Samis noted. “That’s excellent piloting on Juno’s part.”
“Juno would be pleased to hear the compliment, Captain,” Samuel responded. “Then she would tell you that it wasn’t her doing. With her connection to the controller, she would have signaled her request to have the ship remain in place.”
“That’s it?” Samis inquired.
“Visitor tech,” Lisa interjected, trying to make a point to Samis.
“Wait! You still had to cross the surface in gale-force winds,” Samis pointed out.
“Avatar strength,” Lisa replied, patting Samuel’s upper arm. “I think I was carried more than I walked. Personally, I was freaked.”
“But you did it anyway,” Samis admitted grudgingly. Then he turned and led the way to his cabin.
In the captain’s well-appointed cabin, Samis settled his guests, requesting caf for Lisa and himself. When the steward left, he said, gesturing to Lisa and Samuel, “You called this meeting.”
“Captain, I would request that you consider Samuel and me as the managers of Project Destiny,” Lisa said, which caused Samis to raise an eyebrow. He hadn’t missed the reference to the name of the original colonists’ ship.
“The intention of Project Destiny is to catapult our technology into the future — a future, I might add, that other races have already adopted,” Lisa continued. “We’ve tough challenges in front of us.”
“You’re referring to the aliens whom you inadvertently discovered,” Samis said accusingly. He was taken aback by Lisa’s wry smile.
Then Samis watched a holo-vid spring from Samuel’s hand, and he glanced wide-eyed at the SADE.
“Avatars are marvelous technology,” Samuel said soothingly. “How they’re employed depends on the motives of the personas inhabiting the kernels.”
“The difference between SADEs and sisters?” Samis queried.
“It turns out that, in this respect, some sisters are equal,” Lisa said. “Apparently, the second-gen sisters, like the two touring your ship, are tired of the isolation and wish contact with biologicals.”
“What am I looking at?” Samis asked, peering at the holo-vid display.
“An alien ship and its construct,” Lisa replied. “They’re huge.”
Immediately, Samuel added a carrier to the scene to compare sizes.
Samis was stunned. “Where?” he asked.
“There’s an unexplored anomaly far out from Naiad,” Samuel replied. “The ovoid and the sphere were on the other side.”
When Samis regarded Lisa, she quickly said, “Don’t look at me. Individuals on Naiad detected a probe that exited the wormhole, surveyed the system, and disappeared inside it.”
“Do you know the purpose of the construct?” Samis asked.
“We believe it was a giant capacitor designed to release its energy inside the anomaly and shut it down,” Samuel replied.
Samis sat quietly, taking in the news that not one but two alien races were poised to enter human space.
“Here’s the part you might appreciate, Captain,” Lisa said. “The outpost fleet ships waited until the ovoid stopped charging the sphere and left. Then they coupled to the sphere — don’t ask me how. Then they transited, as they call it, and dropped the sphere into a nearby star.”
“Then it’s gone,” Samis said with relief.
“For now,” Samuel replied.
“I think we’ve drifted off topic,” Samis said, trying hard to absorb the new information. “Why are we meeting?”
“Captain Samis, you’re considered the most influential of the junior captains,” Lisa said, placing her forearms on the table and leaning toward him. “The three senior captains are expected to retire during the next seven to ten years. You and the other captains are expected to serve for another thirty to forty years.”
“And your point?” Samis asked bluntly.
“The Axis-ships and our shuttles are ancient technology, Captain,” Lisa insisted. “If Project Destiny is to succeed, it needs the approval and support of the captains.”
Samuel’s display pivoted from the ovoid and the sphere to imagery of the Krackus fleet, and Samis sat upright.
“On the other side of the Kilmer wormhole?” Samis asked.
“Unfortunately,” Samuel replied.
“Most of those look like warships,” Samis pointed out, and Samuel and Lisa nodded affirmatively.
“Might I make a suggestion, Captain?” Samuel requested. When Samis agreed, the SADE said, “Perhaps, you’d like a ride in our traveler to give you an indication of the difference in technologies.”
“I can’t be off ship for an extended amount of time,” Samis replied.
“An hour, at most,” Samuel promised.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Samis said, pointing a finger at the SADE.
Lisa managed to maintain a straight face instead of breaking into laughter. For the most part, Naiad humans like Samis were totally unprepared to deal with the visitors and future changes.
Samuel connected to Juno, who was on an upper deck, and relayed that they would be launching immediately.
Samis led the way back to the bay and promptly boarded the traveler. Then he stopped dead. “No harnesses? No suits?” he asked, when he glanced at the seats and encountered smiling sisters.
“Grav technology,” Lisa replied. She slipped past Samis and walked up the aisle, beckoning the captain with her waving fingers.
As Lisa settled into her seat, she murmured, “I love this aspect of the visitors’ ships and accommodations.”
Samis took a seat across from Lisa, and he felt the nanites respond to his heavy frame. Rather than appear intimidated, he withstood the inconvenience. Soon, he recognized that the interior of the seat was gently shifting to manage his stature.
Lisa lifted an eyebrow at Samis, whose expression displayed a grudging acceptance. She laughed lightly and closed her eyes, as the cabin lights dimmed.
Less than half an hour later, the cabin lights brightened, and Samis looked bewilderingly at Lisa and Samuel.
“Did you enjoy the trip, Captain?” Juno asked brightly, stepping from the pilot’s cabin.
“I appreciate a sense of humor as much as anyone,” Samis replied. “However, I haven’t time for games. If you’ll trigger the hatch for me, I’ll be leaving.”
“You’ll need a suit,” Samuel replied, “and I must accompany you. The winds are still fierce.”
Samis stared doubtfully at Samuel and Lisa.
Lisa realized what Samuel had done and thought it a brilliant idea.
Samuel’s holo-vid lit, and Samis regarded it.
“What’s that supposed to be?” the captain asked.
“Snow and ice,” Samuel replied.
“Samuel’s correct,” Juno said. “With apologies, Captain, our hull sensors are unable to penetrate the whiteness that surrounds our ship.”
“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Samis asked, regarding Lisa acridly.
“Captain, the SADEs don’t lie, and they don’t try to fool you. Although, that might not apply if you try to hurt them,” Lisa said. “If you don’t want to take Samuel’s word, I invite you to exit the ship.”
“We’ve an environment suit that with a few adjustments will fit you,” Juno offered.
“You realize that I have to test this,” Samis responded, and Lisa nodded her acceptance of his stance.
Juno and her sister requested the captain stand. Then they measured him with their eyes.
In short order, Samis stood at the traveler’s airlock.
“We’ll give you ten seconds to admire the view, Captain,” Samuel said. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Samis acknowledged. He stepped into the airlock, heard the hiss of air evacuating, and watched the outer hatch revolve open.
Whiteness swirled into the airlock’s interior. Samis could barely discern his glove held at arm’s length. His suit registered the extreme cold and airless environment. For an Axis-ship captain, who had spent his adult life in the comfortable interior of a ship, the experience was intimidating.
When the hatch revolved, Samis felt immense relief, and, when the airlock freed him, he stumbled into the traveler’s interior.
The sisters were at hand to help Samis, who struggled to remove his helmet.
Lisa and Samuel regarded the captain’s ashen face.
“Seat the captain,” Samuel ordered. “Breathe, Captain. Deep breaths,” the SADE directed.
It took Samis several minutes to calm down. When he did, he said weakly, “I’d like to return to my ship.”
“At once,” Samuel replied, and the sisters hurried to comply.
As they headed for the Axis-ship, Samis regained most of his composure. He still sat in the suit, which comforted him.
“If I might ask a personal question, Samuel?” Samis requested. “The ship’s been inundated with reports about you. There’s a rumor that you’ve been on Naiad since the first SADEs visited, but no one can confirm that.”
“And they won’t be able to either,” Samuel replied.
Samis waited to hear more, but Samuel quietly regarded him.
“My companion does that, Captain,” Lisa remarked. “He prefers to remain inscrutable. Now I’ve a question for you. Do we have your support?”
“You’ve mine, but I can’t speak for the other captains,” Samis replied.
Lisa’s eyes bored into Samis, and he added, “I’ll work to convince the others. You might want to provide them with demonstrations too.”
Lisa reached out her hand, and Samuel swiftly uncoupled Samis’s right glove. Then the pair shook on the deal.
19: Tarbar’s Ploy
KILMER AND HELGART SYSTEMS
KRACKUS ANOMALY
When the Krackus probe returned to Kilmer space, the Trident’s capture routine was the same.
After bringing the probe aboard Dominique’s ship, the message was removed from the data storage unit.
Kelley linked to Dominique, Z, Gistamia, and Dorsa mya Jaknas. Then he translated the Krackus language for the Trident senior captain.
Z offered when he heard the message.
Immediately, Dominique had the probe dropped ten thousand kilometers from her ship.
Kelley said.
Dominique sent.
Dorsa and Kelley agreed with Z, and while Gistamia thought the advice harsh, he didn’t object.
As for Dominique, it wasn’t her role to determine how to handle the Krackus on the anomaly’s other side.
As for the Krackus, they didn’t have to wait long.
Four days later, two Tridents and the scout ship exited the Axis Crossing anomaly into Kilmer space and transited toward Dominique’s ship.
As the Reflection arrived, Killian sought updates from Kelley and was informed about the probe and its message.
In reply, Killian transmitted the data about the events surrounding the ovoid and the sphere.
Dominique sent.
Killian replied.
Z sent,
Gistamia sent.
The SADEs howled at Gistamia’s jab at Killian’s plaid markings, and it included Killian, who made the most noise.
