Chapter 431

Deep Space – The Scout Ship

Diana and Selina had grown bored watching the small blip that represented the alien ship. The Queen, with a cup of coffee and Selina with a soft drink, sat in the tiny kitchen/rec room and reminisced about their extended trip in another scout. Though simulated, it seemed as real as this one.

“ ... but my memories tell me we actually did it. I can still feel the terror when I was placing that gravity mine that turned out to be a mini-black hole in the subterranean crevasse of the base’s asteroid,” Diana reminisced. Then forgetting for a second that the trip had been in Ship’s simulator, “I wonder how far that black hole’s effect extended.”

Selina didn’t correct her, for she was just as convinced that the trip had been real. “I too have strong memories of the trip. I was almost certain our drive would explode when you demanded we increase to ten percent over maximum while we were fleeing from the mine.”

Diana grinned back at her partner. “Ah, I knew those eggheads wouldn’t have tested the drive at real maximum, not with their precious butts onboard. But that’s what I’m talking about, that trip was real ... Well, for what accounts for real, anyway. How does Ship do that? We’ve never piloted one of these,” she said while motioning around them, “yet it feels as if we have. Heck, it’s more than that. We both know we have. We know every square inch of this vessel. We spent weeks and weeks creeping toward that base, and still more weeks trying to get back to our galaxy after our rather impromptu exodus from this one. I mean, deep down, I know it was a simulation, but just as deep down, I know it was real, too.”

Selina took a sip of her drink, set it carefully down on their small table, and with a sigh exactly like an adult, said, “As you know, Helen has allowed me to begin studying Ship’s technology, but I have to learn a whole new foundation to everything I have thought of as science my entire life. It is as if I as a scientist have been studying the outside layer of an orange peel, while Ship’s technology is made up of what is deep within that same orange. Much of the time, there is not any correlation between Earth science and hers – whatsoever. It is as if a caveman threw a modern rifle at a charging saber-tooth tiger, having no conception of powder burn rates, barrel pressures and the makeup of the projectile. Oh, with time, he could learn to use the rifle to kill his attacker, but could he ever really understand the scientific principles that govern the operation of the weapon?”

Diana smiled at her small charge. “You will eventually understand. If anyone can, then it’s you. Besides, Helen is learning too, isn’t she?”

Again, with an adult mannerism, the almost-seven-year-old let out another sigh. “I have the distinct impression that she is further along in her understanding of Ship’s technology than I am, and particularly that associated with Ship’s warp theory.”

Diana reached to gently squeeze Selina’s hand. “She’s an adult with many years of experience that you don’t have. Sometimes, experience will trump pure knowledge, no matter what else is involved. But ... remember, we have been enhanced by Little One. You have practically forever to learn Ship’s science. When Helen is a couple of thousand years old, and you’re just shy of that, those few extra years of experience she has will matter very little. But I fully expect you to catch up much sooner than that.” Then, with the Queen’s countenance brightening, “You’re almost seven. What do you want for your birthday? A new doll? The latest children’s game?” she teased.

“That is still not amusing,” Selina tried to grouse, but a giggle slipped out anyway. Before she could continue, their scout dropped out of warp and the AI broke in to warn them that the alien ship had just broken out ahead of them.

“Full stealth!” Diana barked out. “How far apart are we?”

“Full stealth already activated,” the AI instantly returned. “Almost exactly two light minutes,” it responded even before the two had managed to get back to the tiny bridge. Then as Diana struggled into her seat, and Selina with her smaller body, practically jumped into hers, the AI continued, “The aliens have launched two of the mining vessels, and both they and the alien ship are emitting strong scans which makes it an almost certainty that they are searching the area.”

“What do we have for concealment?” Selina asked the AI as both females searched their screens.

“We are in deep space. There is nothing of consequence along our projected path for the next quarter parsec. The asteroid belt is roughly five light hours behind us, though.”

“Shit,” Diana grumbled. Then, “Damnit, their dropping out like this doesn’t make sense, unless...”

“ ... they have warp engine problems, or ... the aliens know, or strongly suspect, that we are following them,” Selina continued for the Clan Queen.

“AI,” Diana ordered, “back us away another light minute, but, as always, make certain your use of energy is well below the threshold of our stealth. Also, lay in a random course away from Earth. If you become certain that the aliens have discovered us, be ready to warp out on command.”

“Course laid in, Commander.”

“We will not warp out unless we are certain that the aliens have detected us and ... we are unable to outmaneuver them. Understood?”

“Affirmative, Commander,” the AI and Selina said as one.

Deep Space – The Alien Ship

The First Officer sat in the command seat on the bridge, his Second standing beside him. “They are away, First.”

“You instructed them to use search pattern 3A this time?”

“Affirmative.”

“And the Captain is still in his quarters despite the launch and our dropping out of warp?”

The Second glanced at the Science Officer who nodded back.

“Affirmative.” After a moment, the Second Officer gave the equivalent of a grin. “Looks as though he has decided to allow you to continue running the ship.”

With a chuckle, the First replied, “And I will believe that when drozir learn to fly.”

“Well,” the Second went on, “with sufficiently large anti-gravity belts, I suppose it could happen.”

After they and the Science Officer laughed, the Second went on, “However, there is the possibility that he is remaining secluded while he contemplates your demise,” he said sarcastically, knowing perfectly well that the First Officer’s demise was never far from the Captain’s mind, “but I really thought that dropping out of warp would bring him out of his quarters. Who knows? Maybe he will call for a duel if he becomes sufficiently agitated. We can only hope,” he finished with another chuckle.

The First gave his race’s equivalent of a grin. “More likely, he is planning my demise, rather than just contemplating it.” Then his face changed, turning serious. “We are being observed. I am becoming more and more certain of it.”

“But, Sir. As I have said before, other than that one energy burst that certainly could have been caused by a couple of small asteroids colliding, there has been absolutely no evidence of anything of that nature.”

“Nevertheless, I am almost certain that I am right. I just... feel it,” the First insisted yet again. “I know it is not logical, but the feeling is there, anyway. And before you mention it, yes, I absolutely did not anticipate the assassins before they struck, but that was my own fault. I was so busy dreaming about setting up a harem on some planet that I was not paying attention to my feelings of being spied upon. But that does not change anything. It is as if I almost know something or someone is out there watching us.”

“But, First, their vessel simply can not be of any size or we would have detected it, no matter how sophisticated their cloaking mechanism is. And if there is a small ship out there, all they can do is watch. This vessel is one of the most advanced of our race. We have never encountered anything that could stand up to our first bombardment, let alone give us serious concern in battle.”

The First came to his feet to begin pacing before the forward screen. “I feel – no I am almost certain – that we are making a mistake about this Earth.” Before the Second Officer could interrupt again, the First went on. “I know. I know. All those vids show a warlike species, but with a technology that would be easily overcome by even the Paladins, let alone a full bombardment from our ship. We could raze the planet from high orbit, and they have nothing that could get past our weapons, let alone penetrate our shields. But I still think we are missing something.”

“Like what, First?”

“I ... have no idea,” the First Officer admitted after a long pause, “but I know that I am correct.” Then making up his mind, “Widen the search – no belay that. Have the search vessels push back hard toward the asteroid belt. Let see if we can flush this observer out.”

The Retreat

With the tours over for the day, Jeff secluded himself in his office and called the architect. After exchanging pleasantries, he got around to the subject of the call. “Kei, my wives and I took a tour of the fortress and they, uh, noticed a problem.”

“Oh?” she responded with just a hint of amusement behind her voice.

“Well, you know about the design of our living room here in the Retreat?” After a guarded acknowledgment, he went on. “Well, it seems that my wives forgot to mention that the fortress should have an identical living room.”

“But I thought...”

“I’m not talking about size or relative layout of the room, but rather the stairway that we use for weddings.”

“But you decided to use the top floor of the fortress for your family’s living quarters, and the lower floor for major storage and additional people...” Kei began.

“Yeah, I know,” his worry keeping him from even noticing that he had cut her off, “but we need to include a similar winding stairway with a vestibule above, just like we have here. I know it would go nowhere, but the bride could just walk up the stairway, wait in the vestibule, then walk back down when it was time for her.”

“And you’ve cleared this with your wives?” she asked with a hint of something in her voice.

“Well, no. I thought I would surprise them with it.”

This time, the architect let her amusement show in her voice. “Perhaps,” she said, “there is a better way. Let me go over the plans again, and I’ll get back to you. I, uh, suggest you not share this with your wives before I check the plans, put some thought into this and sketch out my idea,” she finished tactfully.

Jeff knew he was being treated like, well ... a man, but if he could make up for his blunder, he would gladly let the architect do it. Shit, my women looked at the architect’s drawing. Why didn’t they tell me then? Oh, well, the room boring equipment is still on site and will be for quite some time, so maybe I can fix this. Of course, the project manager is not going to be pleased with the change, no matter what the architect comes up with.

“Thank you, Kei. I will be awaiting your call.”

The Prison Planet

The chickens didn’t go out to their brush pen today, nor anywhere near the bearskin, the blood, and especially the bear’s head. Morales had pried the axe from the animal’s head, then used the tool to complete the gruesome job of removing the bear’s brains. Those took up a whole bucket, so he halved them between buckets, cutting them into chunks and squishing them into the piss solution. The job was made more awkward with only one hand, but no way was he going to put an open wound into the piss/brain solution. Finally, the job was done and he and Lobo took turns adding to the mixture. I still don’t understand how something that smells so revolting does such a good job of processing hides.