Chapter 2
“First of the morning to you, Relpt. I see that once again we are having Thelpt and Chort for First Meal.”
“Yeah, we always have Thelpt and Chort for First Meal, Vert. I wish they would add a bit of Delve to it occasionally for some variation.”
“True, but I happen to like my Thelpt and Chort plain. What Explorer Leader Thelt says is also true. It’s nutritious, filling, and cheap. You know how Delve makes me bloat. We girls can’t have our figures bulge like that or the men won’t be interested in us.”
“I know and agree, Vert, but I get tired of plain Thelpt and Chort.”
“Relpt, do you recall the conversation we had a while back about Explorer Gletb being found guilty of negligence and inexcusable loss of ship’s property.”
“Yeah, the last I heard the Exploration Council and Supreme Commander Klatht were trying to decide how to punish him. Did they reach a decision?”
“Sort of, Relpt. He has to be the luckiest Explorer in Altair’s Exploration Force. Supreme Planetary Leader Hardt was reviewing his case, when his Zldat intervened.”
“That’s unusual. The Sticks don’t normally interfere in matters related to us People.”
“I know, Relpt, that’s why Gletb is so lucky. Hardt’s Zldat is a detached member of the Royal Zldat Council. When Hardt was reviewing Gletb’s memory scan, his Zldat demanded that Gletb and Ship Commander Shimlt be brought to it immediately so it could confirm what it saw in the memory scan.
“One other thing, Relpt, stop calling them Sticks around me. Zldats can’t help being rigid and stick-like. If I was a Zldat, I’d use my persuasive powers to get a biological person to be my Bearer. Besides, from what I’ve heard, they take very good care of the people who agree to serve them as Bearers.”
“I know. You’ve asked me that before, but it just seems to occasionally slip out. However, you have to admit that Zldats being the only non-biological race in the Empire is very strange. And don’t forget that many of us don’t see much difference between a Zldat using its persuasive powers to get us People to voluntarily do something and a Zldat forcing us to serve them.
“But, I promise I’ll try to remember to not call them Sticks around you, Vert. Hardt’s Zldat becoming interested in Gletb doesn’t sound like good news to me. I know you said he was lucky, but it sounds as if Gletb is really in trouble now.”
“Actually, the opposite is true, Relpt. When Hardt’s Zldat looked at Gletb’s memory scan, it found that the Zldat that he took with him and lost had actually compelled him to take it off the ship. His memory of losing the Zldat was a false memory that the Zldat placed in his mind. Hardt’s Zldat looked at Commander Shimlt’s memory scan also. It discovered that she didn’t forget to conduct the ship’s property inventory, either. The Zldat compelled her to not conduct the survey.”
“That is crazy, Vert. Why would a Zldat do something like that?”
“You know Zldats. They only tell you what they want you to know, and when they want something, everyone does the best they can to satisfy the Zldats. That includes people who are not under their influence.
“Now, if rumor is correct, Relpt, the Zldat that Gletb took off the ship is the First Offspring of the Supreme Royal Zldat. Hardt’s Zldat recognized the First Offspring from Gletb’s memories. Although, they all look just about the same to me. I need to see them side-by-side to see any differences. Anyway, Hardt’s Zldat sent word of what had happened to the Supreme Royal Zldat’s First Minister.
“All of the charges have been dropped. Everyone will know that Gletb is not responsible for losing the Zldat and Ship Commander Shimlt is not to blame for not conducting the inventory; but, it’s still viewed as a mark on her record. According to the Rumor Conduit, Supreme Commander Klatht has decided that Shimlt should be given the opportunity to remove that stain from her record by allowing her to retrieve the First Offspring from the world Gletb left her on.”
“Oh hell, Vert, I don’t like Time Distortion. It makes me sick; and the further back we Time Distort, the sicker I get. Our last trip to that planet made me sick for almost three days.”
“I know, Relpt. It affects me the same way and I was sick even longer than you were. However, the good thing about the Mission is that we don’t have to make as large of a Time Distortion. The Supreme Royal Zldat decided that maybe his First Offspring will learn a lesson if she has to spend a long time alone on a planet like that one.
“We are to proceed to that galaxy and return with the First Offspring without the use of large Time Distortion shift. It’s going to be a long, boring Mission, Relpt.”
“That may be true, Vert, but with Commander Shimlt being returned to command, we don’t have to break in a new Commander.”
“I agree, Relpt, that is a relief. But, there is one thing that’s bothering me about all of this. Does anyone know why the First Offspring stowed away on our ship, as if she was just a common Zldat?”
“Why ask me that, Vert? I didn’t know anything about this situation, until you told me about it. Besides, why does it matter?”
“Well, you know how stubborn an average Zldat can be, Relpt. The First Offspring may have had what she felt were good reasons for going with us and for staying on that planet. If the First Offspring still feels that her reasons are valid, she may not want to come back with us. If that happens, what are we going to do? Reasoning with a stubborn Zldat is useless, and using force against a Royal Zldat is not conducive to a long career or a pleasant life. And, don’t forget that the Rumor Conduit has it that she is an exceptionally stubborn Zldat.”
A loud buzz causes the two Explorers to check their communications tablets. After acknowledging receipt of the message, they learn they had to immediately report to the Patrol Group’s briefing room.
Vert says, “Well, it looks like Ship Commander Shimlt is wasting no time. Explorer Leader Thelt wants us in the Patrol Group’s briefing room now.
“I hate rushing through my Thelpt and Chort, Relpt. I almost always get indigestion when I do that. But, it’s a long time until Second Meal. Let’s eat and run. Maybe the others will be even later than we are.”
A quarter time unit later...
Author’s Note: This information provided for my readers’ reference for conversion of Altairian time to Earth time is not critical to the story.
A Planetary Revolution is the time required for a planet to make a full revolution on its axis. A Time Unit is one hundredth of an Altairian Planetary Revolution. Therefore, an Altairian time unit has a duration of about fifty Earth minutes. A time unit is divided into one hundred Mintas. A Minta is about half of an Earth minute.
“All right, people. Everyone is finally here, so sit down and be quiet. We don’t have time for passing rumors around. While I’m on the subject of rumors, Ship Commander Shimlt wants everyone to be aware that this is a very sensitive Mission. She monitors the Shipnet and is tapped into the Rumor Conduit. She will not be pleased if someone starts passing false information on the Shipnet. She is also aware of the informal group of people on this ship, who start rumors and can stop rumors that are not true. She knows who most of these people are. Do you understand me, Explorer Vert?”
“Er ... yes, Sir.”
“Good. I will not be pleased, if Ship Commander Shimlt becomes upset with me about what she hears on the Rumor Conduit.
“In the very early part of this Ship Day, Ship Commander Shimlt ordered all ship’s officers to report to her briefing room. That’s right; the rumor of her being restored to command is true, and so is the rumor of us having a high priority Mission. The facts she provided to us during the meeting are as follows:
The First Offspring had a disagreement with the Supreme Royal Zldat over his choice of a Zldat to act as the First Offspring’s Division Guide.
Prior to our last Mission, the First Offspring stowed away on this vessel.
The First Offspring compelled Ship Commander Shimlt to not do the mandatory Ship’s Property Inventory. The charges against her were dropped and she was returned to the position of Ship Commander.
The First Offspring compelled Gletb to take her off the ship and to leave her on the planet. Therefore, the charges against Gletb have also been dropped.
Gletb was ordered to Exploration Force Headquarters for his hearing, but he was allowed to return to Altair on leave while Supreme Commander Klatht considered a suitable punishment for his actions. Gletb departed headquarters for Altair before the truth of this matter was discovered. He cannot get back here in time for our departure from orbit, so we will be receiving a replacement before we depart.
Ship Commander Shimlt has been ordered to retrieve the First Offspring and return her to the Supreme Royal Zldat’s household. We will be traveling at Light Speed Plus after a minimal Time Distortion. Since Commander Shimlt is eager to get this Mission underway, everyone is ordered to prepare to depart orbit in the shortest time possible.
Our Supply Officer is loading the last of the provisions and other equipment that we may need, as we speak. At the end of this meeting, I want everyone to check their loadout equipment. I want to know of anything that will prevent the people assigned to my Patrol Group from departing orbit immediately. We are due to depart in six time units, but we may depart earlier.
“Are there any questions? ... Yes, Explorer Vert?”
“Relpt and I were talking about the rumors that are on the Rumor Conduit. I was wondering what we would do if the First Offspring does not want to leave the planet. Has that possibility been considered?”
“Yes, Vert, it has been addressed. Our orders are to remain in orbit around the target planet until we are able to convince the First Offspring to return. There has been no time limit placed on us for completing the Mission, and Supreme Commander Klatht has made arrangements for us to be resupplied for as long as it takes. Does that answer your question, Vert?”
“Yes, Sir, and thank you, Sir. Ah ... there is one additional thing I’m curious about, Sir. It isn’t important, but how is it that Ship Commander Shimlt was able to return from Exploration Force Headquarters in time for the Mission?”
“I’m surprised at you, Vert. You should know that Ship Commander Shimlt is in command of the ship until she is replaced. Therefore, she was required to remain on or near the ship until relieved. She shifted her quarters to our local ground-based command center, but she was not ordered to report to our quadrant’s Exploration Force Headquarters; like Gletb was. When news of the charges being dropped reached the command center, all she had to do was pack her bags and catch a shuttle up to the ship.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Thelt nodded to Blitht, who was sitting on the other side of the room. Blitht said, “On our last Mission to the target planet, the local people were seemed hostile toward all of our Patrol Groups, but they weren’t able to leave the planet’s surface. Has the possibility of them now being capable of attacking us in orbit been taken into consideration?”
“Yes, Explorer Blitht, that possibility was brought up in Ship Commander Shimlt’s briefing, and the Weapons Officer is being issued a Class 3 Assault Package. Since we are not trained in the use of Class 3 weapons, we will be making a stop enroute to pick up the weapons package and a Division of Assault Troops.”
“Anything else? ... Okay, everyone go check your loadout and personal equipment. Let me know of any loadout problem that you cannot resolve before we leave orbit. You had better do it quickly for we won’t be here very long.”
Enroute to their rooms, Relpt says, “Shit, Vert, what is going on here? A Class 3 Assault Package and a Division of Assault Troops means trouble for someone. That type of firepower shouldn’t be necessary for a simple task like retrieving the First Offspring.”
“I know, Relpt. That scares me, also. We had best check our equipment and fix any problems we find. If we can’t fix them, we need to let Thelt know we have a problem.”