The Mysterious Rocks

Inside completely dark, a weak flashlight turns on, lights up surround dimly, lots of containers and barrels are piled around. The lights also lights up the intruder's face. Baron is carefully sneekering through the cargo. He's searching for something, He comes to a corner where is a collection of cases, opens the top one, a little disappointed and confused to find that inside it are only some normal rocks. He fetches one out, checking it closely under the flashlight, some spots glitter under the light, but generally it is nothing more unusual than a normal one. Suddenly he closes the box swiftly without a sound, turns off the flashlight, crowds down behind the pile just before the main lights is on, the whole storage is bright as day, from entrance enters McCain.

She walks straight to where Baron hides himself, but when she gets there there's no sign of anything abnormal, Baron already slips into the far side, now he's trying to sneak out quietly. McCain gazes at the boxes suspiciously, then she frowns, cause she senses something behind, very slowly she reaches the gun and turns around abruptly at the door.

'Who's there?'

Baron flies out without a hesitation. McCain runs after him out.

'Hey! Baron! Doctor is looking for you.' Unfortunately Baron's flee ends up at running at Sykes.

'Stop him! Jimmy!' McCain shouts out at the door. 'Computer, close the door.' The door slides closed behind her.

'You're dead!' Sykes shakes his head when he sees McCain approaching furiously.

Baron shrugs his shoulders, playing innocent face. 'I didn't touch anything! '

'How did you get in? I told you! Keep away from my storage!' McCain puts gun back, then turns to Sykes. 'The security didn't alarm, how did that happen?'

'What…' Sykes grumbles lightly, but quickly stops. ' I'll check it later.'

McCain seems released a little, but still tough at Baron. 'You, one more time, I will give you to Anderson. That woman would be very happy to send you back to headquarter.'

'What's in that case? Why captain ask you take care of them?' Baron asks curiously.

'None of your business!'

'Let's go to sickbay, doctor is not happy you slipped your errands.' Sykes takes Baron off before McCain bursts off again. 'Why are you always doing this, I can't remember how many times upgrade the security. How did you pass in this time?'

'I can tell you… if you tell me first what's those rocks? Why are you so stealthily about those rocks?'

'What rocks?' Sykes asks.

'You don't know?' Baron is surprise, raises eyebrows. 'Those rocks in the cases?'

'No! I don't want know anything about it!' Sykes becomes alert once he realizes what Baron's talking about. 'It's called confidential for a reason.'

McCain watches them walk away, turns on speaker. 'Ensign Orwell, prepare the shuttle, come storage with Lindrill.' Then she's back checking the panel at the door once again, nothing abnormal.

Sykes is escorting Baron to upper floor.

'You should stay in sickbay.'

Baron makes a face. 'But nothing to do there. Doctor Sulik makes me reading those boring articles, and he is nagging all the time, don't you see? No one dare to see him. I don't want be in sickbay anymore, Jimmy, let me go to engine, please.'

'That's captain's decision. And doctor will tutor your studying. Here!'

They come to the outside of the sickbay.

'Jimmy, have you read the new technique magazine? There's a new type reactor can produce thousands time energy more than current type, I can help you work it out.'

'Go!' Sykes open the door, pushes Baron in.

Sulik is organizing the medical tools. The sickbay is supremely tidy and clean, carefully attended.

'Baron, I told you finish you history course, Captain will give you a test tomorrow.' Sulik puts down his work,

Baron heads down waking to his desk at one side, he turns back looking at Sykes with begging. Sulik turns on the computer and pulls off the chair. No way to escape, Baron sits down reluctantly.

'Thank you, Lieutenant Sykes, to watch him back.'

'Doctor, Please don't let him wander around.' Sykes asks heavily.' McCain always scolds me every time he intrudes other facility.'

'I tried, but he moves like a mouse. Baron is in his curious age, those delicate devices in engine room is like magnet to him. Force him behave against his nature makes him only rebel fiercely.'

'Only this time he sneak into storage… '

'That's serious.' Sulik can imagine the scene, and how furious McCain would be. 'Baron, remember I told you Commander Anderson said one more time you slip away she will ground you for a week, that means you cant join the party this weekend… Baron, you are not studying!'

Baron doesn't react, he's attracted by something on screen. 'It's wired! They are just normal rocks, why are you so nervous?'

'What rocks…' Sulik asks Sykes, receives his motion silent immediately. 'Baron, don't probe in confidential system. Remember I told you…'

'Yeah, but its open information, I find it in USS open library.' Baron shows them the screen.

'What? 'Sykes grows interested too, he comes to the computer, bending forward behind Baron with Sulik, checking the information on the screen. 'How do you know it's the same rocks?'

'Well, one the case labels original, and descriptions match.' Baron read out the context.' Jodgo rocks are solely produced in Jodgo planet, these rocks are with extraordinary radiation, first mined by USS in 2894… that's 20 years ago…'

'It's weird,' Sykes mutters lightly. 'Thales had similar commission 5years ago.'

'Where did you go?' Baron gets excited.

Realizing his miss, Sykes walks out immediately. 'I must back to engine.' He turns back at the door.' Baron, tell me the new reactor, which magazine you read it?'

'Unless you let me help you.'

'Baron.' Sulik disagrees with his attitude.

'Never mind, I'll find it.'

Baron disappointed watching Sykes disappears quickly behind the door.

'Doctor, I don't understand, why Thales take this mission?'

'Thales is a military cargo ship, its not unusual to perform some confidential task. Now time to study.'

'I think USS is building a secret base here, in Attgers, and we are close.'

'Baron! 'Sulik speaks severely. 'Stop it right now, Commander said if you break in any …'

'I know, one more time, she will lock me in brig.' Baron blows eyes. 'But I just compare the open survey stations maps of different years. The stations around this area is trebled in last 20 years, see? The same time those rocks begin to be mined. There's something here!' He's shows Sulik his discovery.

Sulik can't help but get close to read the screen.

Suddenly the screen off, Portney's voice comes out from speaker.

'Is it you? Baron? '

'I didn't….'

Sulik motions him to silence. 'Sorry, Captain, my miss.'

'Don't do that again, and remind Baron his history test is tomorrow.'

Then the screen on again, only this time it shows the textbook. .

In captain's office, Portney turns off speaker, shaking heads slightly. Ht's a resourceful man, but Baron can always find a way to escape his control, especially after taking education his moves are becoming more and more unpredictable. Portney leans back to his chair, looking across the desk at Anderson, who is obviously disagrees his attitude dealing with Baron's misbehavior.

'He'll never stop!' Says Anderson. 'We should put him in brig a week, if he breaks any rules again, load him an isolated planet until he thinks all through.'

'He's only a boy… at difficult age, and Doctor Sulik will handle it.' Portney changes topic quickly 'I think its time to tell you… something about this task.' He stares at Anderson for a while, speaks in a most careful way. ' Do you know we have visitors from other galaxy?'

'Other galaxy? You mean…' Anderson widens her eyes.

Portney is satisfied she calms down quickly, but still can catch excitement from her eyes. He nods to confirm.' Yes, from Andome, you can call them …super aliens. They are living in Sagittarius West now, we are going to visit them.'

'How many of them? When did this happen?'

'So far not too many. 20 years ago they just popped out there, Headquarter made a lot of efforts to build communication and trust with them, sounds like some of their tests went wrong, they came here accidentally.'

Anderson starts searching in memory. 'I remember it, the abnormal explosion near supermassive black hole, it consumed 20% of near stars and part of Sagittar that time, you say those aliens caused that?'

'Seems like this, and we are delivering supplements to them now. Thales will wait here, the ship can't stand the temperature there, you and I will take shuttle, it's special made for this task.'

The door opens, McCain comes in.

'Captain, the shuttle is ready.'

'Good, You have the ship, McCain.'

Portney stands up, walks out. With excitement and a bit of upset, Anderson follows him out. McCain arrogantly turns aside to look another way as she passes by, she still doesn't like this new commander.

Unlike other places they usually visited, the Sagittar west is abnormally bright and hot. The shuttle barely stands with exposure to this high temperature, Portney pilots the shuttle like swimming in the ocean of shining pearls. After long time when Anderson is worried the shuttle, they turn around another big star, far away at front shows up a tiny construct, the first synthetical object they have seen since here.

'There it is.' Portney points it to Anderson.

'Why they stay here?' Anderson is curious.' Not ideal place for a base.'

'They insist. I ask them once but they don't talk too much.'

When they get close, the structure of the base is fully revealed. It's a ball shape structure with a diameter of 200 meters or so, made of some unknown metals, the surface is glittering and beaming constantly. No visible gate or entrance, the equator of the sphere circled by a rim plate made of the same material. Outside the base is a quite large 'air- bubble', the whole base is like a wide plate floating in an transparent bubble floating in the space.

The shuttle trespasses the membrane of the bubble, Anderson notices it's actually some kind of energy shields. They land on the plate. Portney stops Anderson activating her mask, he opens the door, and nothing happens, the atmosphere inside the bubble is identically same as it on earth. Anderson follows Portney out, she finds herself standing steadily on the plate, the feel of the gravity is just fine.

'They live in the same environments like humans?'

'No. this…'Portney heads up, looking at the bubble 'Can simulate any circumstance, accordingly. Looks like we are a little earlier.'

No one but them on the plate, they are waiting for receptions. After a while, Anderson cant help but distracted by the metal ball. She strides a few steps close to the wall, surveying it. The wall looks like some kind alloy, smooth, reflectable. When she raises a hand to touch it, the surprising happens, it bends inside forward before her hand lands on it, like it can feel her movements.

'I did the same when I first came here.' Portney grinds silently, then he stares at something at front. 'Anderson.'

Following his eye sight, Anderson notices about 10 meters ahead on the plate comes a tiny dark point, moving very, very, slowly—It's the 'super alien'! That's definitely something out of Anderson's expectation.

After a long while, it arrives at them, and she can see it clearly now.

It is a tiny mollusk creature, sitting in a tiny steel wheelchair. Though the wheels already roll at max speed, it's still moving no faster than a snail. It stops at their feet, the tiny alien wiggles slowly for a while, a mechanical voice comes out.

'Glad to meet you again, Captain Portney.'

'Like wise. You came here alone? Where the others?' Portney looks down at it.

'They are busy now. You bring all we ask?'

'Yes, in the shuttle.'

Portney leads it back to the shuttle.

They really don't talk too much. That's the second thought Anderson has about them.

The shuttle's gear door slides down silently as a slop. Anderson is pretty sure she catches a splash from the alien when it 'sees' the cases piled up. It takes the alien a while to roll up into the shuttle.

'They are not pure as before. ' It says after a long stop.

'I have no idea of what you are saying.' Portney frowns.' Shall we take them back? '

The alien's silent, seems like it is thinking.

'No. your headquarter did mention these are the last you have, maybe that's the reason for the impurity.'

The alien rolls away. 'Follow me.'

They stride a little far, The plate where they were starts to shrink inward the base with the shuttle on it. That base wall like turning into liquefy, the shuttle emerges into it like moving through a waterfall. After the last tip of the shuttle vanishes, everything calms down. Anderson listen carefully, she believes has heard something clangs inside. Soon the shuttle comes out from the base just the same way it gets in, the floating plate takes the shuttle back to its original place. The plate, the wall of the base, the shuttle, everything is just the same as before, except the cases are gone.

'Good bye, Captain Portney. Thanks for your help.'

'You are welcome.'

Portney nods politely, then gets on the shuttle. Anderson follows him up, before she gets on, Anderson gives last glances to the tiny creature, watches it turning back, rolling towards the wall, trespassing through it silently. She sits at the copilot, the door is closed. The shuttle leaves quickly.

A little weird, but nothing eerie, those super aliens. Anderson says to herself.

Once they get out from the 'bubble', the heat wave crushes at them immediately, it almost penetrates the shell. Anderson is impressed by the tech of those aliens again.

'I must say, it's a little different as I expected.'

Portney laughs out.

'But I don't understand…' Asks Anderson.' Why Thales? USS has many advanced ships.'

'Big ship could draw attention. Headquarter wants keep it in a low way.'

'All they want are those rocks?'

'At first they ask all kinds of samples in milky way, it took a lot of efforts to satisfy them, USS doesn't want to be mean to our far away quests. After a few years, they want those rocks only. I was a junior science officer in Thales, Captain Robinson was in charge of those tasks, until I became the Captain.'

'Sounds like they are looking for something special.' Anderson murmurs thoughtfully.

'Yes, but that's not our question.'

'That doesn't sounds like you.' Anderson is surprised by his indifferent attitude. Ethan Portney is the name of curiosity.

'I know the boundaries.' Portney signs lightly. 'And honestly I don't want to get involed in another stupid decision HQ made.' He gives her a quick look.' Don't put that in your note!' he knows how she loves documenting these details on Thales.

'I won't.' Anderson smiles, because she has similar upset feelings.' Do you think HQ has idea of those aliens work? What they use those rocks to do?'

'HQ won't talk about it, I don't think they have clear…'

He's abruptly intercepted by McCain's anxious voice.

' Captain, have you seen Baron?'

'He's not on ship? '

'We can't find him since you left. He could have sneaked in your shuttle.'

Anderson stands up swiftly, checks the gear part. 'Not here. '

Then an horrible idea comes into both of their heads.

'He must be in the base!'

'We'll have to take him back! 'Portney turns the shuttle back without a hesitation. 'McCain, come here with Sullivan, take the spare shuttle, I'll send you coordination.'

They return flying back into dense hot stars again.

Anderson sits back. ' Too many people won't disturb those aliens?'

'You saw those aliens, can't count on them to catch Baron.' Portney shakes his head.

'Or… we could just leave him there.' Honestly Anderson is a little weary about this naughty trouble maker.

'You don't mean that.' But he stops laughing when he sees Anderson's grim look. He clears his throat. 'I think it's time to put him in brig for some time. I'll do it personally.'

Inside the base, Baron is holding breath crouching behind the cases. The cases totally shied his eye sight, but luckily the ark roof reflects very thing back clearly, though in a distorting stretching way. He can watch the alien's every movement.

Most of the base is taken by a large, complex, short cylinder- shape machine; the alien-a bulk of mollusks is working on a panel nearby the cases where Baron is hiding himself. If it just look up, or walks around, it can easily find the intruder. But it doesn't, or can't, because it has no neck, or it can't see at all, because it has no eyes. Baron thinks.

The alien moves slowly on the panel, and the machine is changing and reshaping constantly, gradually inside it forming up hundreds of vacuum columns. Suddenly the alien stops and moves away. Baron watches in the roof, there's a tiny drop coming to is from far side. They move to each other, at last the tiny drop merges into the bulk. And it moves away to another side of the machine, out of Baron's sight.

Now!

Baron takes a deep breath, looks out carefully, then bends down, crawls out silently to the machine. It's a complex structure he never seen before, but there's something familiar, he just can't remember when and where. There's a lot of tubes piled next to it, he takes up one to investigate, inside it is some half burnt residue. He pours the ashes out and finds some small rocks in it. The tubes are obviously for the volumes in the machine. Don't want to disturb the bulk, Baron puts it back quietly, turns back to inpect the control panel, where he just hide himself.

To his astonishment, the panel has no buttons and keys. It's a flat, regular metal plate, with numerous etching dots moving on it forming pictures and patterns. On the left side are some little dots rotating around a spindle spiral center, that's the star map of the center of Milky Way, on the right side are some strange formulations, Baron is totally occupied. Somehow the map changes fast and the dots around diminish then a narrow tunnel thing appears from the center.

It happens so fast Baron didn't catch it. He tries to touch and pock on the panel, but no matter how hard he tried, the panel doesn't react at all. Damn it! He curses in frustration.

Then something alerts him! His hearts strikes. He turns back, almost hit the alien. That thing is standing right behind; he jumps up kicking it away, without a second thought he springs around the panel, over the cases, gets to the seamless wall. He gropes along the wall, desperately finds that there's no exit at all.

Then how he gets in? He has no clue. At the moment the alien bulk is rolling towards him. Baron throws one cases at it, the bulk splashes away, some gluy points flying on to Baron's trousers, he wipes them off, stamps heavily.

The wall and the floor start shivering.

Outside, Portney and Anderson are arriving.

Portney checks on deck. 'Yes, he's in the base.'

'How do you…'Anderson realizes what he's doing.' You placed a trace on him.'

'Jimmy gave me a little help, a memo-chip, in his hoes.'

'That's a violation of individual privation, it's against USS principle.'

'And that's why I didn't tell you. ' Portney grins.' Anderson, remember a captain should never put a trouble maker on his ship without knowing where he is.'

Anderson wants say something, but she gives up. It's not right time, and she finds there's something wrong when the shuttle tries to get in the bubble. The membrane of the bubble bounces their shuttle back each time it tries to get it. They change different modes and angles, none is working. The bubble now is becoming an invisible firm wall defending the base.

'We should ask those aliens for help.'

'I don't know how to contact them, Headquarters always handles that.'

'Then ask headquarters.'

'That's the last option.'

'You can't always cover for him.' Anderson says angrily.

'It's my mistake let him sneak.'

'It's not anyone's fault.' Anderson calms down quickly. 'All energy shields function with a certain frequency, maybe we can find the right one to default it. 'She operates on panel. 'It's out of range.'

On screen shows the results of the measure failure. They get stuck here. At the moment McCain's voice comes in.

'Captain, we are arriving, have you found Baron?'

A shuttle comes close from behind.

'He's inside the base.' Anderson tells the situation.' But we have a problem going through this energy shields'

'All we need is to find the right frequency, we can neutralize it.' McCain silence for a moment, sounds like checking something.'…I guess you already tried.'

'Wait!' Sullivan's voice interrupts in. 'All energy shields function on its electron fields rejecting other electron fields, how about we turn off engine and all electronic devices, the election field won't work.'

'But how we get in without engine?' McCain asks.

'We take back a little, then turn off when near it, the inertance will take us in.'

'Anyway better than waiting here.' Portney says firmly. 'Let's do this!'

The two shuttles get back a little far, flying at it again. Only this time when they get close, they turn off all engine or electronic devices, let shuttles floating adjacent to the membrane. Soon, they get in as wish, but the shuttles can't pass the thick membrane, they get stick in it, swirling up and down like leaves sweping in water.

'Can we call it a success?' Anderson whispers to Portney.

'I don't know, maybe.' Portney stairs at the screen. 'At least we get in.'

'I never been in a shields before.'

It's a sparking world. The shuttle is flowing in the membrane like swirling in a bright glittery stream. Their eyes are sored staring at it.

'It's beautiful, but how do we get out of this?'

'When we reach the inner side…just turn on the engine, the shields will blow us out.' Portney looks around, but the sight is blurring.

They have no idea which side they are.

'Look!' Anderson points at the screen.

The membrane takes them up and down to nowhere, but from time to time the base ball is vigorously shows up in sight. That must be the inner side.

They are holding breath carefully. When another time the base shows up, Portney turns on the engine immediately, and Anderson makes all devices to maxim volume.

The sparkle turns into a big blast, their ears are ringing with the severe blow.

They get in!

Portney stables the shuttle just outside the base. A short time after .Sullivan and McCain follow them in too. They land on the plate.

'Air is thin now, we must be quick.' Portney checks on deck, opens the door.

Anderson feels lighter when she stands on the plate again, and the temperature is higher. The atmosphere system is weakening.

'What is it?' McCain asks, running to them with Sullivan, who obviously has same question, his eyes can't move from the base.

'In short, it's an alien base.' Portney checks the wall, wondering how to get in.'…without an enter.'

'Well, its first time to break in base without gate.' McCain draws out the gun shooting at it.

It's bounced back immediately.

'Hey! Watch out!' Anderson jumps avoiding the bouncing beam.

'Sorry!' McCain put back her gun. 'What's this made of?'

'Some technique we haven't acquired' Portney steps back.' I'll tell you details back on ship. Question is how we get in now…'

They survey the base around, but their efforts come to vain. The temperature is higher, the air is thinner. They start sweating.

'Captain, I seriously recommend to contact HQ for help' Anderson says gravely, wipes out her head.

Portney suddenly looks up around, he motions them to silence.

'Do you feel anything?' He asks with frown.

The plate and the wall start moving.

Unlike last time the plate take the shuttle in, this time the moves are random, and take them far from each other.

'Go! Now!'

Portney shouts out, rushing towards the wall. Anderson follows him after, both emerging into the wall.

'It's alive?' Seeing what happened, McCain's eyes widen.

Sullivan is besides her. He raises one hand to the wall, as the finger almost touches it, the wall seems can feel him, bends out to embrace his finger.

'How's that?' McCain asks nervously.

'Nothing.' Sullivan walks to it, the wall also reaches out to embrace his hand, arm and his body.

With slight hesitation, McCain follows him in too.

To be continued.