Chapter 15: Arsenal Gate

I woke from a dreamless sleep and I was glad of that, the most recent events were not the stuff that made pleasant dreams. I rubbed my eyes, the sleep inducer of my seat had been turned off and that meant we were close to the next destination.

After arriving on Palomino, a pleasant garden world. I stayed in a hotel for a week, and did some thankfully uneventful sight seeing to pass the time.

Seven days ago, I had boarded a space bus and after a short layover at Corri-Door (This time I decided to remain aboard the bus) I was finally on my way to Arsenal and to a new chapter in my life.

I swung the seat in its upright position and deactivated the opaque privacy bubble. I saw other passengers of the Space bus do the same. One of the flight attendant robots floated down the middle isle and started to announce: “Dear passengers we are approaching Arsenal Gate. We will dock at the station in 25 minutes. All passengers with destinations beyond Arsenal system are asked to remain in the lounge area. The space station is a military installation and is off limits to non military personnel. Passengers with destination Arsenal System please gather your personal belongings and prepare for debarking. Gray Lines Incorporated cannot be held responsible for items left behind.”

The robot had reached the end of the isle of this passenger compartment, turned around in a fluid motion and continued. “Arsenal Gate maintains a nitrogen oxygen atmosphere and living conditions suitable for oxygen breathing carbon life forms. Non humanoid life forms with special needs are asked to remain in their protective suits or keep their life support devices’ active.

“This space bus will remain docked for three hours and resume its journey to our next destination the Barrows System and we will reach Moon base Nome in seven standard days.”

The attendant robot repeated his message.

I suppressed a yawn and wondered why I never really felt refreshed when I used a Sleep inducer and dialed for a drink of water at the Serv-matic installed in front of me. Moments later and half a credit poorer I sipped the cold water.

“You’re getting off at Arsenal as well?” asked a male humanoid sitting next to me?”

“Yes.” I answered, putting the film cup into the waste recycler.

I guessed he was about my age. He had almost white blond short cropped hair. His skin had a rosy shine and his face was covered with freckles. He held out his hand. “I am Derek Simmons from Harvest 12.”

I shook his hand. “I am Eric Olafson and I am from Nilfleheim.”

“I am certain you never heard of Harvest 12, but then I wouldn’t blame you, no one ever has.”

“Nope I never heard of Harvest 12, but then I don’t think you know about Nilfleheim.”

He smiled. “Actually I do. I saw a National Galactic show about it on GalNet not that long ago. Isn’t that the planet where they have those really big fish?”

“Yep, sure enough that’s Nilfleheim, we call them Tyranno Fins.Why don’t you tell me about Harvest 12?”

He sighed.” We don’t have anything exciting on Harvest 12. It’s a boring planet, entirely dedicated to raise and grow agricultural products. The planet is owned by SII Agra Corp and completely Terra formed. If there ever was any native life in the past, there isn’t any now. Our entire planet was sterilized, homogenized, fertilized and leveled and plowed a thousand times over. We have no seasons, weather control and orbital mirrors see to that. The weather is always just perfect for the crops and we have wheat fields as big as continents and that’s about all there is to Harvest 12, identical cookie cutter world, just like Harvest 1 through 56. The only changes are crop rotations.” He sounded cynical and sighed: “My father is an Agra Bot technician, my Grandfather was an Agra Bot technician and so was his father. I simply had to get away or I would have ended up doing the same thing.”

“Nilfleheim isn’t all that exciting either. We have really long winters, lots of snow and lots of water. All we export is ice and fish.”

He smiled. “So are you going to apply for the Academy or are you going to enlist?”

“I am trying to apply at the Academy first.”

“So am I. I want to become an Engineer. One day I will have my own Engine Room on a battle ship.”

“That is a tall goal. “Said a dark skinned being, leaning over the back of his seat so he could look at us. “ But that’s what I am dreaming about as well.”

The being was humanoid proportioned, had two arms and three fingered hands, but his eyes were huge and his ears looked like dinner plates glued to the side of his head. It was covered with a short black pelt and had red eyes.

The lower jaw was pronounced and he had rows of sharp looking teeth.”I am Mix.” He introduced himself.” And I am from ThreeOz.”

“I never meet a Threeozian. Said Derek.” Where is your planet?”

“I am from across the Bridge. I come from M 31. My race is one of the newest members and I am the first of my species trying to become a Cadet.”

“You come from Andromeda?” I repeated. “That’s sure a long way from home. Don’t they have an academy branch there?”

He looked at me for at least a minute without any reaction and then nodded. “Yes it is a long way indeed. I am also sorry for my delayed answer. I had to remember that nodding your head means yes to most humanoids.” Mix made a gesture with his ears. “I think the Navy has two academies in our galaxy, but they are at capacity with applicants, so they diverted me to here.”

“Almost everything is just as alien to me. What gesture do you use in your culture for saying yes?”

“Like this.” His dinner plate shaped ears spread away from his head like opening hatches.

“I doubt I could move my ears that far away from my head, even with a lot of practice.”

Derek laughed. “I have an uncle who could say yes in the Threeoz way just fine. He has big ears and everyone in my family always made fun of him” He placed his hands to his ears and so simulated larger ears and moved them back and forth

The black pelted alien chirped in a happy way. “That actually would be a good way for humans to say yes. Gestures with a meaning are so hard to understand, more so than language I find. The first time a Terran smiled at me and I thought he was angry at me and wanted to eat me.”

“Eat you?” I asked with a surprised tone in my voice.

“The display of teeth is a sign of extreme hostility where I come from and usually means I am so angry at you I will eat you.”

“Does that happen? I mean do folks eat each other where you come from?”

“Not anymore but in the old days it sure did. It is against the law to eat anyone now.”

“I am sure glad they outlawed it. Otherwise I might smile at a ThreeOz and end up on his dinner table.” I said with a smile.

“No worries Human. Your kind doesn’t taste all that good.”

Our attention was diverted by someone a few seats ahead pointing at the big view screen that provided passengers with a view of the space ahead of the ship. “I can see the station now. I’m sure glad we’re through that darn corridor.”

“A space bus would be an easy target.” Derek added with a gloomy undertone.”

A passenger across the aisle, looking older than most of the other passengers turned.”

I live on Nome Moon in the Barrow System, that’s even closer to GC space than Arsenal and much less protected and we don’t worry too much. The Nogoll the closest Galactic Council thralls are kicked out of the GC and the Corridor is actually no longer in GC space at all. The Eternal Warrior sure showed them whose master in this Universe just a little while back.

Either those black goat heads are already on their way to Pluribus and hope we accept them or our Fleet is preparing to make this part of space Nogoll free.”

Derek did not share the same confidence as the older man. “This is still just a space bus and the Nogoll might want revenge or the Kermac made this a gigantic trap of some kind.”

The man laughed. “You worry too much for a future Cadet. You forget we still have Admiral Stahl and the Devastator. Whatever else might fail, the Kermac sure don’t want to mess with him. The Goats lost 2000 ships trying.” The man crossed his arms and looked pretty confident.

Evoking the name of this mystical immortal Admiral made Derek smile. “You are right of course. The Galactic Community would not want to make him angry.”

“Who is this?” Asked the ThreeOz.

Derek almost glowed as he said. “He is Immortal and 3000 years old. He is the greatest warrior of all time. They even once chased him away, didn’t heed his warnings and he left for centuries but when everything looked lost and it seemed we would be destroyed by the Y’All he returned with a huge battleship of unknown origin and incredible powerful weapons and saved us all.”

“I am sorry for my ignorance. We ThreeOz have joined only recently and we do come from another Galaxy. How can it be that he is 3000 years old?”

The Older man across the aisle smiled. “We always welcome new members in our Union. Once you accept Union laws and the Assembly has no objections everyone is welcome. No need to be sorry. As for the Immortals, that is an old story and no one knows the details anymore, except of course the Immortals, but it was at a time when Earth was still isolated and Terrans had not discovered faster than light travel. A very hostile species called the Xunx awoke from an inactivity cycle to once more conquer and destroy. One of the planets that would have been attacked was Earth. They say a godlike machine left behind on Earth perhaps by the Celtest, awoke and helped humankind to the stars by choosing two hundred humans, giving them special tasks, secret powers and immortality. Richard Stahl was chosen to be the Warrior and boy did that Guardian choose right. I care not so much about the other Immortals that are left but Stahl he is my hero.”

“It’s all just myth and story.” someone behind us grunted. “There are no Immortals, no mystic Gods or Entities. It’s propaganda and made up stories. I think Stahl and the others are clones or avatars and reproduced whenever they are needed.”

“But Encyclopedia Galactica confirms what the man just said. “Complained yet another passenger.

“No machine could put the fear in our enemies like Stahl can. He and the Devi are not Holos or simulations.” A woman spoke with a proud smile.”I saw him once.”

Meanwhile the space station visible on the view screen was getting bigger by the moment. It was a gigantic elongated spherical construct with a thick ring around its equator. Huge illuminated letters in Standard lingo identified it as: ARSENAL GATE.

The actual Arsenal system, so I had learned was still a light year away, but no civilian traffic was allowed to approach the system and had to go through Arsenal Gate.

Arsenal was one of the biggest fleet base systems, several fleet departments headquartered here and considered to be the best guarded and defended system in the known universe. I read all this on my spare time while I was on Palomino, reading and watching GalNet shows was not really exciting but kept me out of troubles, at least while on Palomino.

The space bus approached an enormous docking gate, from te looks of it probably able to accommodate full size Union battle ships, and slipped through the shimmering energy membrane that separated the inside of the dock from space.

The robot repeated its announcement once again and added.”Thank you for choosing Grey Lines as your transportation service provider. Please consider us again. A Ticket kiosk and booking agent can be found at the Civilian Accessible Gray Line docking area.”

I debarked with at least 300 beings from all over Union Space to stand in line before the Station access doors. A four armed, non humanoid giant wearing Fleet uniform and two heavily armed Space Marines in bulking Destroyer suits checked everyone before they let them pass.

“That is a Petharian.” said Mix. “He too comes from Andromeda but they have been members for a long time. They are as mean and even stronger as your Galaxies Nul-Nul.”

“Is it true what I heard, that they are related to the Y’All?” asked Derek.

Mix wiggled his ears back and forth. “That’s the rumor, but not according to the Encyclopedia Galactica. They do look similar to Y’All that is for sure. “He lowered the volume of his and came closer.”Never mention that rumor to a Petharian if you value your health.”

I too had learned about the Y’All in Gal History and Xeno Class, but I never heard of the Petharian or that rumor. “How come you know so much about other species and such?” I asked Derek.

“I have a subscription to the Galactic Geographic Magazine. There is nothing I’d read or watch. I have collected every issue since 3300 and my mother sends me even older downloads whenever she finds one. She works at the Harvest 12 public library.”

I felt suddenly a little ashamed for never even going to the public library we had on Nilfleheim.

Derek raised an eyebrow; probably guessing what I was thinking and said: “I didn’t wanted to sound like a geek, but going to the library and going on Virtu Expeditions with the GGM was a wonderful escape for me, when I was a kid. I am no Data head or anything like that.”

I grinned back. “I know what you mean. I loved Captain Iron Hand Virtus and watched every experience the Union Fleet gave me in that information package the recruiter gave me”

Mix wiggled his ears. “Jane’s Ship Registry was my favorite recording of all the data chips in that package, with virtual tours of every space ship type. I checked out every one, at least twice.”

“That’s a lot of ships to check out.” Derek said.” Would take years to see them all.”

“It did, it took seven years to be exact.” Mix said proudly.

The place was enormous. The floor had a coating of a black rough material. White and yellow markings directed traffic, designated landing areas and places of danger. In the distance behind us the huge docking gate. It was so big I was certain you could have stacked five burgs on top of each other, complete with Ragnarssons Rock and shove it through with room to spare. The emptiness of deep space behind it. Four more space buses had arrived along with the one I had been on and each added throngs of beings to the long line of applicants.

It took the better part of an hour before it was my turn. The Petharian Fleet officer eyed me up and down with glowing yellow eyes, and it had six of them. Its skin looked like the surface of a barnacle and the voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a steel barrel. “State your name and your home planet. Expose your Citizen ID implant for scanning.”

While I swiped my right wrist where my CIT was implanted across the reader sensor I answered,” Eric Olafson, Nilfleheim.”

It seemed to look at something beyond me; it probably had the data read out projected straight to one of its eyes.” Olafson, Eric. Nilfleheim. Citizen ship confirmed. Your reason for visiting Arsenal gate?

“I want to apply at the Academy.”

“Academy applicants are to follow the red line and proceed to the red waiting room. You will wait there until receiving further instructions. Be advised that if you are found outside red marked areas you might get shot.” After saying that the being no longer paid any attention to me and barked,” Next.”

The red line was one of several different colored lighted bands in the floor and after following the red line like all the others for about a kilometer or more through a featureless corridor I reached a red door revealing a waiting lounge with rows of bio-netic chairs. To the left large windows allowing a view into deep space and the brisk traffic of small and large space craft, another wall was occupied by a row of Serv-Matic Vending machines. The wall facing the entrance had recruiting posters, for the Fleet and for the United Stars Marine Corps. There also was a small podium and a lectern. The room started to fill with humanoid and non humanoid beings. I walked over to the view ports and gazed outside. Just then a wedge shaped battle ship of the new Uni design emerged from the station dwarfing a heavy destroyer nearby as it gained speed and disappeared.

“That was the USS Melbourne.” It was Derek who had stepped next to me. “Have you ever seen a battle ship for real?”

“Yes, one landed on Nilfeheim.”

“I wonder what mission they have, perhaps patrolling the Nul-Nul border, or hunting pirates.”

Mix joined us as well and he said. “My people fought a long war with the Briaaad and we were about to be conquered. You cannot imagine our wonder and awe as we saw an entire squadron of those Union battle ships appear in our system, blasting through the Briaaad invasion fleet like a Nastooh wind through a Nolch forest.” Mix red eyes became even bigger,” We applied for membership to the United Stars the very next day and one day I will be aboard one of those ships visiting other worlds. Repaying with my service what you all have done for us.”

A fish-faced Ult overheard Mix and said, “The Briaaad made one big and fatal mistake; they fired on a Terran Explorer ship and made Terrans angry. Everyone in this galaxy knows you don’t make Terrans angry.”

Before anyone else could say anything, a humanoid female in black uniform stepped behind the lectern and her voice was obviously field amplified as she said:”Welcome aboard Arsenal Gate, Academy applicants. I would like to thank you all for coming this far and considering a career in the United Stars Spatial Navy. By doing so you showed your willingness to serve and protect this federation of civilizations and do your share to make it work. Some have come here after visiting a Recruiting office. Some of you might have simply boarded the space bus to Arsenal Gate to see what will happen.

“All of you will have a chance to be evaluated. Before we ship you to Arsenal we need to test you. It is a process and an exhaustive battery if tests to find out if you meet the qualification requirements. Those requirements are of physical and mental nature. Some of the tests we have to perform are to make sure that no agent of a hostile civilization gains access to the Academy or Arsenal.

“Once you step through that door next to me you are Fleet personnel. You have no ranks but you are subject to all Fleet rules and regulations. Civilian laws and rights have no meaning. You must follow orders and do what you have been told. Failure to comply can result in punishment and dismissal.”

She made a pause and looked from one end of the lobby to the other. “I am not here to discourage you. We welcome you and the Fleet needs Officers and Personnel. But we don’t want anyone who has doubts or isn’t here to fully commit to this choice of career.

Now is the time to think about it. If you feel you made the wrong decision coming here, simply remain in this room and you will receive free passage back to your home world or any other place in the United Stars territory you choose.

“You will be compensated for your troubles and receive 500 credits and a free dinner. No civilian record will be kept of this decision and it will not affect your Citizen status.”

A man dressed in some sort of transparent purple plastic film suit and not much else raised his hand: “Excuse me; did you say we get free passage to anywhere and 500 credits?”

The woman sighed and nodded. “Yes Sir, that is correct.”

The strangely dressed man got up. “That’s sounds good to me. I am out of here.”

To my surprise seven more decided to take the money and leave.

I wondered why anyone would make this trip just to get 500 credits.

Mix answered me. “There are some individuals doing that every three months. They travel from Academy to Academy get their ticket and the 500 and go on. They have no intention to join. That man in the plastic garment did that several hundred times.”

I gasped. “And the Fleet doesn’t keep records on that and let them get away with it?”

“I don’t know but I am sure the Fleet keeps records of everything and they know about it, but what are a few thousand credits to the Fleet? They spend ten times as much every micro second just for floor polish”

“How do you know all this?”

“I read their minds.”

“You are a telepath?”

He nodded. “Not as good as the Saresii but my Heidelberg psionic Index is at 223.”

“Don’t get caught. It’s against the law to read other folks minds.”

“No it’s not. It is illegal to pry into it but I can’t help to overhear what they transmit. It would be same as to make overhearing a conversation illegal to any being that has ears.”