Chapter 9
The young Lieutenant gulped as an aide led her to Captain Queen's office. Being summoned by another commanding officer so soon after she had landed on her new post was quite unnerving. What was even more unnerving was that she was the only one making any noise in the white hallways of the ship's hull. She couldn't hear other footsteps though she saw people walking past her. They were as silent as the ninjas of old. Even the aide that had approached her had an air of mystery surrounding him.
The click clack of her heels stopped when the aide directed her to a non-descript door. The young woman frowned but entered as the door slid open automatically. The room inside was surprising. The young woman had suspected a modern and sleek looking office that was standard for all personnel. Instead she stepped into a room that looked to have wood paneling and as well as several bookcases filled to the brim. It looked more like something out of a mystery novel. She had read many of those novels that had been scanned into the databases from her tablet. She wondered what actual books would feel like. Paper was something of a myth now and even owning a scrap of it was a symbol of prestige.
"Greetings Lieutenant," A female voice said shocking her out of her musings. Turning sharply she saw the Captain seated on a black leather sofa. "I see you've taken a liking to my simulation."
"Ma'am!" She saluted while standing at attention. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment at being caught unawares.
"At ease soldier," Mala commanded. "I wanted to see your reaction to this," She then gestured before clicking a switch causing the room to change.
"It was a hologram?" She asked before quickly adding the "ma'am" at the end of her question.
"Yes, it's from the study of my ancestors when they were still living on Earth." The Captain explained as she pocketed the device. "I like to test new crewmembers with it."
"Test?" Now the Lieutenant frowned. "I don't understand…."
"What did you first feel when you came into this room?" Mala asked. "I saw on your face was wonder and awe. It tells me a bit more about your character."
"I….. see ma'am." The young woman responded.
"Now my other question. What did you do to get sent here from your previous post Lieutenant Luna Senna?" Mala asked bluntly.
The young officer gulped but decided to tell the truth. She knew of some colleagues who got caught in a lie and it ended badly for them. "I disobeyed a direct order from a superior ma'am."
"Well that tells me little," The blonde Captain raised a brow. "Commander Grimmel is known for getting rid of those he considers nuisances one way or another. No one really says anything against him because of his past achievements. Just be glad he reassigned you and didn't order his followers to throw you out of the airlock."
The young Lieutenant gulped but then asked "His followers ma'am?"
"You must have noticed the officers in black and red uniforms he keeps around." Mala now stated. "They usually have this blank stare on their faces."
"Yes ma'am but what do you mean? They seemed quiet but…." Luna uttered.
"You must either be naive or fresh out of the academy." Was the statement and the Lieutenant blushed. "Let me give you a piece of advice. If one of those guys comes after you, you run. Don't look back, just run." Mala was so resolute in her advice that the young woman gulped.
"Now I do believe we have an Exploration mission to start." The Captain said as she stood up from the sofa. "Follow me to hangerbay D4 Lieutenant. We need to suit up. The rest of the team is already waiting."
"We….. ma'am you're coming too?!" She asked as she followed her new boss out of the office.
"Of course I am. I'm not about to let my crew go down there alone blind. Not while they have to fulfill some half baked reconnaissance plan of a man with an ego the size of Jupiter." The young Lieutenant nearly choked as she heard what Captain mala uttered.
"Ma'am if you think this plan is bad then why…."
"Why am I following orders?" Mala didn't stop. Instead she kept walking while Luna hurried to keep up. "It's simple really. You have to pick the battles you fight."
"Tell me, do you know why Grimmel is a Commander while I am still a Captain even though we both have the same amount of experience?" Mala asked as they entered the auto-lift at the end of the corridor.
"No ma'am," Luna answered.
"It's because I saved the crew once." Mala stated. "When both of us were still Lieutenants."
"I don't understand…." She muttered.
"In order to save the ship and crew from the gravity of a blackhole I ended up quarreling with him when he had the helm. It ended up with me giving him a black eye in front of our then Commander Excellinor." Mala stated as a matter of fact. "Grimmel's pride was bruised and just my luck he was the Commander's favorite pupil. Captain is probably the highest rank I will ever hold now." She spoke as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened automatically. "What I'm trying to say Lieutenant is that if you need to punch Grimmel in the face do so when no one is around." Luna walked behind the Captain into the large hangar bay where rows of shuttles were parked. One shuttle in particular stood in the middle on the launchpad. Around it she saw six officers all dressed in the same suit.
Luna wasn't unfamiliar with the white Bio-suit. It replaced the suits the old Astronauts wore in the 22nd century. It was more shock absorbent, could recycle oxygen which made the use of bulky oxygen tanks attached to the back of the old suits obsolete and came with some other perks as well. Nanotech, a communications array, and a stealth option for more risque missions. One of the officers had given her a suit and she quickly changed into it. The Captain was doing the same. She knew none of her colleagues for the mission yet but when the seventh crewmember stepped out of the shuttle her eyes widened.
"Captain the engines are prepped and we are waiting for your command for departure." The being that was definitely not human said. Humanoid yes, but not human.
"You… You're Talarian," Luna blinked as she said the obvious. The other members of the Exploration team snickered but Mala didn't call them to order. She too held a smirk.
"I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me," Luna quickly corrected as she looked at the Talarian. The only alien species humanity had encountered in their Solar system so far. The Talarian was light green skinned and bipedal as well but instead of five fingers on each hand it had only four. Three normal, one opposable. It also walked on slightly raised legs much how a velociraptor would walk and its eyes were a murky yellow.
"You owe me a ration bar Davis," One of the officers chuckled. "Told ya the newbie would be shocked."
"Greetings Lieutenant Senna. I am Telmia. The Talarian liason on this vessel." The alien greeted and held out its appendage to initiate a handshake. Luna acted on autopilot and shook the offered hand before saying "Pleased to meet you, but, excuse me for asking but aren't the Talarians a race that usually seek solitude? I've never met a liaison before on any ship I was stationed on."
"It's a fairly new thing Lieutenant Senna," Telmia answered. "While our race likes its privacy we have also concluded that we wish to deepen our relationship with humanity. Therefore I have been assigned as a bridge between the species. Captain mala was kind enough to volunteer to accomodate my people's request. I myself asked to be assigned to this mission to observe the planet your ancestors originated from."
Luna nodded before Mala gave the order to embark. Telmia took the seat of the pilot while Mala took the co-pilot seat. The others were strapped into the back and a petite female officer pulled up a holographic map. "This is Earth when the Genesis ships left the planet." She said. "As we have no present data to use we have to go with this map. The continents may have shifted somewhat but it should be minimal. At worst we will end up one or two kilometers from our target."
"What exactly is our target?" Luna asked as she read the nametag on the suit "Sergeant Mendia."
"Arcadia," The Sergeant answered. "A former Blackops research facility." The map zoomed in to show a river valley and a red dot. "Our intelligence confirms that the last communication came from that area. Also the Terraformation rocket was launched from there. It is the most likely area where we would encounter life."
"We don't know how the planet developed during the last few centuries." Davis who was also a Sergeant added. "For all we know a species of giant sandworms or flesh eating plants might dominate the region."
"We talked about this!" Mendia scolded "it is highly unlikely that any new species developed! The planet was dying when we left it. Those brave souls in Arcadia stayed behind just to ensure the terraformation worked so we would have the chance at a home again."
"Hey don't sell the planet short!" Davis retorted. "You might be the biologist but I'm the weapons expert. If it's going to eat you, then I'll shoot it!"
Luna looked out of the porthole as the planet that they now couldn't detect came closer. She had a sinking feeling that something else might be going on but for now she would steel her nerves and face the new 'old frontier'.
AN: The plot thickens and more surprises to come. (Yes the addition of the Talarians was in the planning since the 1st book) Oh how I've waited to write this chapter.
