Chapter 6

Homecoming

Exiting hyperspace again, Athena checked her position. She remembered her pre-flight briefing by Gadwin.

"Upon arriving back home," he said, "Remain at 2 billion kilometers from Suthe and open the package in your safe marked, 'Home'. This will give you safe instructions for rendezvous and recovery away from prying eyes."

Opening the proper folder, she read that she was to go to Sermanius, the second outermost planet, hopefully away from most action. She was to assume an orbital altitude of 300km, as equatorial as possible, then transmit a certain word repeatedly at low power. Satisfied, she locked in a course for the planet and sped on.

KSPTT

Sitting at his post on the King's Men, Captain Greldar Kerman sighed at the sight displayed. Below him was the cracked ice moon called Karthis. According to Gadwin Kerman, lots of data was required on the Sermanius system.

Sermanius itself was relatively boring, but held three moons. The second moon was the most interesting, having cracks and valleys in the ice that warranted long-term study, but the other two moons were nothing more than captured ice asteroids, the inner one having a purple tinge and the outer one being green.

As Greldar watched the flow of data around him, his attention was drawn to the communications tech, who seemed flustered. Moving to the communications station, he said, "Something wrong?"

The tech looked up at him almost embarrassed. "I'm not sure." he replied. "I keep getting a low-power transmission from orbit around Sermanius. It's one word, being repeated every ten seconds. It sounds like 'werewolf'."

Looking at the comm tech, Greldar eventually said, "It may be nothing, but keep monitoring it anyway." The tech nodded, and Greldar moved back to his seat. Sitting, he pondered the meaning of Karthis's icy cracks, when he remembered something. In his command safe was a codebook, rarely used. He got up and moved to the hatchway leading to his cabin.

"Ex-O, you have the conn for now." he said. The Ex-O was about to reply, but Greldar had already left, so he just shrugged and took the command seat.

Entering his cabin, Greldar walked over to his command safe. Opening it, he took out the codebook. Looking up the word werewolf, he found it. It read, "An emergency request for aid by official ships of the Gadwin Kerman consortium. Response mandatory."

Well, that's that, he thought. Placing the codebook back in his command safe, he locked the safe and returned to the bridge. Entering it, he called out, "Discontinue all science operations. How many probes must be retrieved, Ex-O?"

Consulting, his Ex-O replied, "Only one is deployed, and is currently inbound. As soon as it is stowed and its data stored we can move. Where are we going?"

"Sermanius orbit." replied Greldar, and many on the command deck groaned. "I understand your feelings." he added. "Sermanius is about as exciting as watching paint set, but we have a ship in extreme distress."

"My mystery contact?" asked the comm tech, and Greldar nodded.

"It's an official consortium ship, and appears to need help." said Greldar. "Comm, maintain a comm lock at all times, and feed your positional data to the pilot every minute. We will have to rendezvous quickly, and try to establish proper two-way contact before acting."

"Our probe has been berthed, and we are beginning download." said the Ex-O.

"We can move while it is downloading. Let's get going!"

Hours later, Greldar looked at the tired face on the monitor.

"My name, Captain Greldar, is Athena Kerman, and this ship is the Last Hope. I am authorized to instruct you to go to your command safe and access the file named, 'Morningstar'."

"And that's all?" asked Greldar.

"For now." replied Athena. "Recontact me after you've gone over the file."

Greldar nodded once. "I'll do that." he said. "Until then." and the monitor went dark. Greldar got up. "Ex-O, you have the conn."

"Just like that?" asked his Ex-O, and Greldar nodded. "Just like that." he replied, then left the bridge. The Ex-O just shrugged in confusion.

First an emergency rescue, he thought, now a delay. Why?

Oh well, he figured. We'll probably get answers eventually.

Reaching his cabin, Greldar went and opened his safe, the took out the file named MORNINGSTAR. At least I'm getting practice on my safe access code, he thought. Not that I really need it, he added to himself.

Most people might think that the safe's access code is a randomly generated numerical code that the captain has to take great pains to memorize. Instead, complex codes are for special command files. A captain's command safe is instead programmed with the captain's birthdate, with a 4 digit extension for safety.

Gadwin wanted simplicity in this area, after all.

Sitting at his desk, Greldar opened the file and read every part of it. Afterward, he just chuckled at Gadwin's audacity. So he sent the probe after all, he thought. I had always heard rumors, but never took rumors seriously. Now I know.

Greldar thought back five years ago, when the Eaglio probe's main fuel tank was repurposed as the first building block of Eaglio Station. He also remembered the conspiracy theory of his co-pilot.

KSPTT

"I'm telling you, Grel," said his co-pilot, "That there's more to Eaglio Station than meets the eye. The leftover tank was over engineered, I'm telling you. That docking port? What was it used for, anyway?"

Greldar rolled his eyes at the comment. He knew that his co-pilot was an orthodoxy stoolie, so he just recited the obvious. Punching a button, he pulled up the graphic of an early wheeled vehicle.

"This is why." he replied. "The first Eaglio rover, delivered by radial engines, and detached from the main tank by a docking port to prevent disrupting the tank's orbital position. There's nothing sinister about it."

"Grel, I heard there was a starship as the real payload." Greldar looked sideways at him. "Where did you hear that?" he asked his co-pilot.

"From my Nazark; he knows quite a bit."

"Nazark! Those are unfounded rumors spread by unlicensed fakers. Nazarks aren't even sanctioned by the orthodoxy; talk to a Tremin instead. At least they are real priests sanctioned by the orthodoxy."

"He also said that the rover is two years younger than the orbital tank."

"Worry about getting the station on line. Leave rumors alone."

KSPTT

Greldar could only smile at that memory. That co-pilot disappeared shortly afterward, and here Greldar was, about to welcome home Talia's first interstellar traveller. He got up, replaced the file in his safe, then went to the bridge.

Entering the bridge, he passed by the comm station and said, "Hail the Last Hope." The comm tech nodded and in seconds, Greldar was talking once again to Athena Kerman.

"Athena, I've read the Morningstar file," he said, "And I'm amazed. I need to give you your official orders, and since we apparently have a compatible docking port, I'd like you to dock there and I'll meet you at the hatch."

"That sounds good to me, captain." replied Athena.

"Fine." said Greldar. "Our operations tech will give you your docking instructions. I'll move out now and wait for you to arrive. Until then." he motioned, and the screen went dark. Turning to the ops tech, he said, "Get her docked quickly." The tech nodded, and Greldar left the bridge again after leaving his Ex-O in charge again.

Arriving at the hatch, he watched as the Last Hope maneuvered and lined up with the docking port, then closed in. With a barely perceptible sound, the two ships linked together. After checking the docking seals for full integrity, Greldar opened his hatch almost at the same time as Athena opened her hatch.

Both Greldar and Athena looked at other for a few moments, then Greldar extended his hand. Athena took it, then Greldar took her in his arms and hugged her.

"Welcome home, Athena." he said. Releasing her, she pulled back and he whispered, "You and I will be traveling to L.O.O.-001. We have a station there that's been built for just this purpose, and Gadwin has been prepositioning everything and everyone needed for this purpose, whatever it is."

Speaking louder, he added, "I know your ship has a smaller Alcubierre drive than mine, so it won't be as fast. We'll move there first so I can brief the station's commander, then we'll wait for your arrival. We'll also notify Gadwin of your return, so he should arrive somewhere near to your docking time."

"Then we'll all find out what you've learned. But tell me this: Did you find the legendary planet of Kerbin?" Athena nodded.

"You wouldn't recognize it as the ancestral homeworld of Kerbalkind, though." she said. "Kerbol's eruption one or two billion years ago stripped away its crust and mantle, leaving behind an irregular core fragment. It's a mess!"

Greldar shook his head at that. "Nevertheless," he said, "We must get you to L.O.O.-001. Get undocked and let's get going." Athena put her hand on Greldar's shoulder.

"Don't worry, captain." she said. "I've found a world we can settle on, away from the orthodoxy."

"The future is looking brighter!"