Chapter 17: Admiral Webb

Arsenal System was an OII Main sequence star with 11 planets. Each planet was heavily developed by the Fleet. The United Stars Spatial Navy was one of the biggest organizations in the known universe. There must have been trillions of beings in active service all over the galaxy and beyond.

Millions of ship and bases that needed personnel, maintenance, upgrades, and supplies. Even the three gas giants in the system and their moons had some installations on them. Systems like Arsenal were there to feed that monster with materiel, munitions and beings.

Because this particular Navy base was technically in enemy space, it was also the most heavily protected and defended system. A cocoon of weapon platforms, mine fields, sensor buoys and space forts surrounded the system in addition to the many war ships and deep space fighters on constant stand by. Sensor installations tracked everything that moved within 100 light years.

Arsenal II was a hot, waterless planet with a toxic acid atmosphere, too close to its sun to develop native life and in many ways similar to the Sol system’s Venus. Despite these adverse conditions the planet was home to over five million beings. While most of the installations were deep underground, the planet’s primary building complex, a major branch of the United Stars Spatial Naval Academy and a Class B spaceport (mil), were above ground. The Naval Academy had many hundred branches across Union Space but the Arsenal II branch was also its administrative headquarters.

All this information I got from a Vidi-brochure that was playing over and over again on the passenger compartment main screen.

The constant vibration of the ship changed and that most likely indicated that we had dropped into real space and were approaching our destination. The Vidi-brochure on the main screen disappeared and was replaced by a mustard yellow ball, that soon filled the screen. Thick clouds whirled in its atmosphere and prohibited any view of the actual planet surface. Without swinging into an orbit first, our transport ship immediately descended into that thick pea soup atmosphere and the view screen showed nothing but unhealthy shades of sulfuric yellow.

Moments later we had passed through this kilometers-thick soup of acid clouds and the ship was floating across a lifeless, inhospitable environment. Rough rugged mountains, huge, canyon-size fissures zigzagging across the umbra colored surface. The transport descended further and a collection of buildings centered on a tall cone tower was the obvious target of our trip. Lush green parks with perfectly groomed grass, large trees and small ponds surrounded the compound. A transparent, almost reflection free, energy-field, reinforced duranium dome encased it all. As we passed directly overhead it looked strangely surreal and out of place. Green parks and trees and buildings surrounded by that lifeless rugged landscape with rough boulders, and an environment unfit for most life forms.

The transport landed on a durocrete field. A slide-way inside a transparent pipe rose from the ground and attached itself to the airlock. The doors opened and a barrel-chested Human in uniform told us to get up, two seat rows at a time and single file. He made sure it all happened in an orderly manner. The slide-way inside a transparent tunnel transported us across the landing field and inside the dome we’d seen from space.

The slide belt had ended right behind the Ultronit base of the transparent dome. I estimated the apex of this dome to be at least a thousand meters above us. There we joined a line of at least a thousand more beings dressed in orange, already waiting.

They stood on the maroon surface of a straight path leading to that central cone tower directly underneath the apex of the protective dome and exactly at the center of the installation. I estimated the path to be about twenty meters wide and a good two klicks long from the bottom of the dome ring to that central tower.

We had just emerged from underneath the base of the dome. A flight of stairs led from the base ring of the dome 50 steps down and connected this entrance to the access path. From my elevated observation point I noticed five more of these access pathways, that, like the spokes of a wheel, radiated from the cone-shaped tower. I was certain there were three more spokes on the other side but my view was blocked by the tower. Each of these access paths had a long line line of orange-clad applicants. In my mind I calculated and estimated that there had to be at least ten thousand applicants waiting to be processed into the Academy, just like me.

The spaces between these paths were covered with well-groomed grass lawns, trimmed shrubbery and small trees. There also were shimmering ponds of water here and there. The light came from a sunlight projector mounted at the zenith of the huge dome. Everything looked orderly and regulated.

I watched a gang of beings in dark green uniforms tending one of the grass areas with hand tools. It somehow reminded me of the Halls of Hasvik and I was almost certain their task was the result of a punishment or something like that.

A humanoid Union officer floated down from somewhere, hovered a meter away from us and addressed us. “Welcome to Arsenal Academy, Applicants. Since we have a lot of applicants today listen up and listen carefully. This is your first actual order as Union Fleet personnel. The instructions I’m now giving you are meant as a test of your ability and willingness to accept instructions that might cause discomfort or make no sense to you. Since this is your first official order it will be explained to you.

“Be prepared that this might be the last time anyone explains the reason for an order to you. I know all this is new to you, but those who remain will soon get used to it.”

The officer made a gesture encompassing the area before us and then he gestured in a linear motion to describe the durocrete alley ahead of us. “To your rear, where you just came from, at the top of the stairs is the entrance lobby. There are washrooms, Vent-matics and even GalNet Access booths. The tall building in the middle is the Academy administration building in which your final application process will be completed.

“The paved, red surface path connecting these two points is an Applicant Road. There are nine of these and you’re on number six.

That concludes the explanation part, now here are your orders and you are to follow them to a T.

“You are to remain in your spot in the queue. You aren’t allowed to leave the red area, sit on, or even touch the grass. Under no circumstance will you leave your place in the line to advance past others before you. Should you decide to go back for whatever reason, be it to use the toilets, the washrooms or make a call or for any other reason, it will be seen by us as decision not to complete the application process.

“Should you therefore choose to go back you’ll receive a space bus ticket to any destination of your choice and 1000 credits. No one will ask you why you decided to walk back, there’s no appeal process. You are considered adult by your species standards, mentally capable to understand my instructions and you’re here because you want to become an officer. You won’t be able to reapply to the Academy again. It was decided to include these final and drastic consequences to make you understand the seriousness of these instructions.”

The officer paused for a second then nodded. “These are simple orders and you should be able to comply. On a personal note, remember that millions did it before you, I did it too.”

The officer saluted and said, “I wish you all success and hopefully will see you one day in Navy Black.” He left by floating away and in the direction of another Applicant Road. As my eyes followed him, I saw another transport pass over the Academy preparing to land.

The long line of beings didn’t seem to move, even after four hours or so I roughly estimated I hadn’t moved more than two meters. Nothing seemed to happen at all.

I was certain the fish faced Ult was the same one who had talked to me back on Arsenal Gate. I recognized the pattern of darker spots on his greenish fish skin as he was standing before me. He even smelt faintly like fish. He complained, “I hope this line moves soon. The water in my suit is getting bad.”

“Water in your suit?” I asked

He turned to answer. “I’m an Ult. This orange jumpsuit they gave me is supposed to sustain me just as a real Ult moisture suit would. You see, Ult are amphibious. I can survive on land but I must return to water periodically to regenerate. In dry environments like this we wear moisture suits.”

The Ult was two heads taller than me, and really looked like a Blue Streamer fish that had been crossed with a Human being. He had large, watery eyes and a lipless mouth filled with rows of small but sharp teeth. His skin had a greenish shimmer and the outlines of a back fin showed under his orange suit. He had two hands and two legs. The legs were out of proportion to the rest of the body, as if belonging to a much larger being.

“I’m amphibious too,” I said and pointed at the gill slits at the base of my neck. “I can understand your need for water.” Then I asked, “Are you in any kind of danger or harm because of that suit you’re wearing?”

“My own suit recycles the water much more efficiently than this one. This one appears to be malfunctioning. You see, I need to exchange body waste materials through my skin, and replenish my cells with fresh water. If I’m not able to do that soon, I might suffocate and perish.”

“How long do you think you have?”

As alien as his face was, he looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure, but not much longer. I can feel the water clogging my pores.”

I looked around and saw a Marine not too far away standing to my left just by the grass and approached her. “Ma’am that Ult received a defective environmental suit and needs help. His water supply is contaminated.”

The Marine lowered her immense gun and pointed it at me. “Applicant, return into the line. Feeding and refreshment intervals will be given. Until then remain where you are. You heard your orders. It’s the Ult’s problem not yours. If he wants to quit all he has to do is walk back. You heard your orders and mine are to make sure you comply.”

“Ma’am I don’t think I made myself clear. The Ult is in life-threatening peril and needs help.”

The Marine woman barked, “One more word out of you and I’ll shoot you.” Then she said, in a less threatening tone, “What you all do at your spot in the line is up to you. But no help will be called until he reaches the building or a refreshment interval is ordered. If he wants to quit all he has to do is turn around and walk back. There are toilets, there are washrooms and he’ll get a ride home. But if he turns around, no matter for what reason, he forfeits his chance to apply to the Academy.”

I wanted to voice my anger about this extremely unfair situation, but the expression on the Marine’s face and the shimmering energy field at the gun muzzle told me that she wasn’t kidding.

The Ult and the other applicants nearby had heard the interchange and looked as helpless as I felt. The Ult’s skin now had yellowish hue and he didn’t look good. Derek cursed, “What a bunch of assholes. I mean they can’t let him die. We’ve got to do something.”

I looked around. We were still far back. The line before us included at last eight hundred beings The line behind us was about fifty beings or less and it reached up the stairs and all the way to the airlock door with the bathrooms and a water fountain, but if anyone went back he or she would get a ride back and forfeit the chance to apply. Then I got an idea. With some effort I ripped off the sleeves of my suit, tied a knot in one end and said to Mix, behind me, “Pass those sleeves back and tell the being behind you to pass it on until it reaches those who are still next to the water fountain. Have them fill it and pass it back.”

Mix’s ears wiggled fast. “What a great idea.”

The being behind him, a Human female agreed. Even the female Marine watching us nodded approvingly.

Derek, who stood ahead of the Ult, turned and said,” If I only had some tools, I probably could fix that Enviro-suit.”

“What do you need?” I asked.

“Well, I’d need to access the diagnostic panel first.”

The Ult looked visibly weak and was about to collapse. I reached out and with Derek’s help eased him to the ground and said, “Just do it. See what you can do.”

The first sleeve came back. Derek found the drain on the suit and he fashioned a makeshift funnel out of a sleeve of his suit. Once everyone behind us understood what was happening the water arrived much faster and Derek was able to exchange the entire water supply in no time. We also doused the exposed skin of the Ult and gave him some to drink. His skin lost its yellow hue and returned to a healthy greenish shine. His eyes became clearer and he looked at us. “I don’t know how I can thank you all enough.”

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