Disclaimer: All characters, names, settings etc belong to their respective copyright holders, only much of the convoluted plot, Night Wolf and a few other things are of my own creation (but inspired from many things under copyright, which aren't mine).
Chapter 43
Birmingham and Captain Jennings walked together in an amiable silence towards one of the sensor analysis' discussion rooms, they were attending to view a complete reconstruction from the data that had been collected on their ship and from Harry's ship.
Birmingham leaned against a chair as the data was set up to view.
"Is it good knowing that he's dead Birmingham?" Captain Paul Jennings asked from beside him.
Birmingham looked away from the blank screen for a moment.
"The people who do the worst things sometimes do not act overtly Captain. There have been many other people who have committed just as heinous crimes over the years who progressed through life unpunished because they wore a smile or were more of a politician than a person." Birmingham turned back to the screen as it switched to a view of the sun.
It was very…big and real, if Birmingham didn't know for a fact that they were currently travelling at great speed back towards Earth he could have sworn that the sun was outside the ship.
He looked to the side of the vast screen and there was a second just as large image which displayed what was obviously a view from Harry's craft as it displayed the ASCS Flinders within the shot.
Moments later and what was obviously a composite data feed displaying all elements of the situation; the ASCS Flinders, the Shadow Blaze and it tracked the missile firing followed by the port key activation.
Birmingham and the captain watched as Voldemort materialised in space, Birmingham stared as the …thing that was Voldemort tried in vain to cast a wandless spell, battling against vacuum, radiation and heat…then he was gone consumed by heat, flame and radiation.
The final scans before the Shadow Blaze departed the system and the sensor devices left there confirmed that Voldemort was utterly obliterated, there were no signs of him left.
Birmingham let out a breath.
"It is good to know captain that another bastard isn't going to cause any more suffering and pain, that Harry can live his life…and there's one less mad man that I don't have to kill." Birmingham muttered the last part to himself as he walked out of the room.
A few days later Birmingham entered the medical lab, he'd been informed by the SSC officer that Harry had been removed from quarantine.
"How is he doctor Whitemore?" Birmingham asked glancing over at the unconscious young man.
"He's better than he should be sorcerer…but that's nothing to celebrate. I've gone over our own radiation readings and those recorded by Mr Potter's craft he should have been exposed to a worse than lethal amount of radiation…"
"But?" Birmingham prompted after a few moments.
"The craft must have extended some sort of technological or bio-organic field to protect Mr Potter…it's quite remarkable…"
"Is he alright now?"
"We've still got him on an IV just to help flush out the remaining elements in his blood stream and bring his vitamin levels up, but he's no longer under any sedation so he could wake up any time now…"
Birmingham nodded and walked over to the young man's bedside and sat down removing his handheld computer from a pocket and continued to read through his notes that he'd made on the journey here, he would have plenty of time to work on it once more throughout the next 12 days for their return journey.
A few hours later Birmingham noticed a twitch of the eyes on Harry's face and raised an eyebrow, then Harry opened his eyes.
"Ah, Harry you're awake."
"Birmingham…" He croaked out, Birmingham handed him a cup of water which he gladly drank down.
Birmingham watched Harry staring at him silently wondering.
"We returned to the system Harry, still quite warm, but there is no trace of Voldemort." Birmingham went onto explain the results of their survey, that the planet was indeed very rich in the Q40 element…he also avoided completely informing Harry the dangerous amounts of radiation that he had been exposed to, it wouldn't do to exasperate him in the early stages…and it would probably be best coming from the doctor than him.
"Ok I'll bite so why did I collapse…"
Birmingham frowned before stating. "Apart from finally seeing the one person who wanted you dead?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine Harry, one of the many people who wanted you dead." Birmingham sighed and admitted to himself he wasn't the only one who had a price on his head…nor revenge burning in the stomach…
"Better. But apart from that?"
"Your trip didn't do you the best amount of good…." Birmingham trailed off wondering if Harry knew he was potentially putting his life on the line completing his mission…not that Birmingham had never done that…
"Shadow Blaze said the life support was at a minimum sustainable level…to get there quicker…" Harry trailed off.
"You were lacking a lot of oxygen, border line asphyxia the doctor tells me. Also malnutrition, and lack of many key vitamins, plus you've got a few extra scars, curse damage, and two stab wounds." Harry looked puzzled at his comment on the stab wounds.
"Marvellous. How long till we get back to Earth?" Harry asked his sarcasm seeping back into his sentences.
"You've been unconscious for 3 days, we've still got 12 days to go, we don't fancy asphyxia." Birmingham deadpanned.
"When can I…"
"The doctor says another 2 days of bed rest, to get your vitamin levels back up." Birmingham answered cutting him off.
"Fine…at least I can stretch out." Harry said illustrating his point as he ruffled up the sheets.
"How did you…" Birmingham asked curious as to how Harry managed to sit still for 12 or so days, with all his injuries.
"Spent most of it in my bird form…or in a non-form of shadowy stuff." Harry waved his hands around.
"The Brig will want it all in a report." Birmingham smiled as Harry laughed.
Birmingham stayed talking to Harry about random things until he fell asleep, Birmingham watched the young man for a few moments before leaving the medical lab.
Birmingham walked briskly through the corridors of the ship towards the cargo bay that held the Shadow Blaze and Harry Potter.
Birmingham had been informed that Harry Potter had left the medical lab in a hurry after being informed by the doctor of the large amounts of radiation that he and his craft had been exposed to.
Birmingham watched on as Harry walked over to the protective panels that sealed in the radiation absorbent material, Harry had an…affinity with the craft and they knew that it was semi-organic and intelligent to a degree…
Harry was standing a hand pressed against the panel staring at the craft.
"She sang to me…when I was unconscious you know Birmingham."
Birmingham nodded but doubted that Harry had head heard him, he was surprised he'd been able to hear him approach especially here away from the gravity field…there was still gravity but it left you much more light footed than when you were well inside the gravity field.
"What does the Shadow Blaze say now Harry?" Birmingham asked from his point just inside the bay.
"What do the people on the ship say?"
"That the Shadow Blaze absorbed a large amount of radiation, more than it should be able to…but then again it is much more alien than other craft we've worked with at Night Wolf…so you never know Harry…"
Harry turned away from the panel, his face solemn…though not exactly sad, he walked a distance away and sat on one of the crates.
"When she sang to me…it was like…not quite words…but impressions…" Harry trailed off before starting again. "She said…well gave me the impression that she was…hibernating until…" Harry trailed off his face strained remembering.
"Until…?" Birmingham prompted.
"Until…a time when it may or may not happen that she might be needed…"
"Another prophecy Harry?" Birmingham asked in an amused tone.
"Bloody better not be Birmingham…no it was…uncertain and time…I dunno the way she communicated with me…all very weird, like a Salvador Dali painting while travelling at hyperspace…bizarre…"
"That could have been the anti-radiation drugs Harry." Birmingham said lightly.
Harry chuckled rising to his feet grinning.
"I'd forgotten what it's like to be in a lighter gravity field."
"Lighter?"
"More…well yeah lighter."
"Come on Harry…the doctor says all the drugs are out of your system, the captain wants a word with you…I'm sure considering your deeds over the last couple of weeks he won't begrudge you a small drink." Harry grinned at that making Birmingham chuckle.
--//
Lethbridge Stewart turned the piece of paper in his hands a second time reading it a third and reaching for the phone after a fourth read.
It was a message that had been communicated to him via the UNIT Night Wolf Moonbase facility, it in turn had received it via their long range communication which involved a lot of power and calculations on the sender's part and involved bouncing the message against solid planets and systems to make it reach the distance in a recent enough amount of time.
Luckily the RSCS Victory was in a system close to Research Outpost 5 and had relayed the message, they would be there for at least the next week.
The message had been securely encrypted, his eyes only…he'd had to print it on the 'special' printer which used an ink developed by Night Wolf's apothecary division, the ink and the paper couldn't be copied, photographed, scanned or seen by anyone who hadn't placed their hand on the scanner allowing their own body oils to seep into the printing process.
The message was brief only one page…with their current communication technology that was all that could be safely transmitted without signal degradation.
It informed him that the ASCS Hattah had encountered a friendly species…the same that had been attacked by the Arcturans…and that they were opening diplomatic channels on Outpost 5.
--//
General Lethbridge Stewart walked through the corridors of UNIT Geneva, through the secure doors and into the Night Wolf areas and down another corridor to a small meeting room.
As he walked in he noticed everyone already present; Professor Paul Wynne (Commander of the Northern Highlands Research and Construction Facility), Professor Fiona Preston (Commander of the Gibson Desert Research and Construction Facility), Professors Jules Winter and Glenda Moore and General Brendan McGeoch were sitting and waiting.
Lethbridge Stewart allowed the door to close with a hiss before walked over to a control panel on the wall and activated all the switches along it.
This room was the most secure in the UNIT facility, it was probably the most secure room anywhere on Earth, when activated a vacuum formed right around the room, force fields engaged sealing them off from any communication, magical and matter transmission jammers engaged blanketing the room, it had its own air and power supply…in short it was totally secure.
"Now that the security is out of the way Brigadier…what exactly did you need to call all of us here on such short notice?" Professor Preston asked raising an eyebrow as Lethbridge Stewart walked over to a chair on the small table and plugged in a memory stick, before submitting himself to a palm and iris scan, a typed message, typed by himself and secure encoded to take to this meeting the previous day displayed on the screen which dominated one end of the room.
There was prominent silence as the various members of the different areas of Night Wolf read and digested this information.
UNIT and Night Wolf full accepted the existence of aliens, fought them on a regular basis, invasion, killing sprees…everything.
They had also lost many good men and women in attempting to negotiate with said species, it was also the reason why all UNIT vessels had linguistics and diplomatic experts on their ships…just in case they should encounter a friendly alien…or for the captains have at their disposal experts to get them out of potential situations…
But now…this message confirmed that one of their ships had encountered, saved and begun negotiations with an alien species…the Hith…
"Well…" Professor Moore said after what seemed like an age.
"I see why you wanted to use the special room Brigadier." Winter said.
"Yes…"
"Can we contact the captain of the Hattah?" McGeoch asked after a moment.
"No." Lethbridge Stewart, Professor Preston and Professor Wynne all answered at the same time before looking at each other.
Lethbridge Stewart shrugged as did Wynne.
"It's your craft and your captain." Wynne said gesturing with a hand.
"No General…we don't have anywhere near real time communications…that's one of the topics for our next meeting as well as the new jump gate construction…"
"Later Professor Preston." Lethbridge Stewart muttered.
"Fine…we use a method similar to bouncing radio signals off of the atmosphere…except it relies on the alignment of the planets between here and…wherever the signal is aimed at…even then there's a huge amount of power used to send it…and it's not exactly instantaneous."
"How much lag?" The general asked, curiously.
All three shrugged, Lethbridge Stewart only knew a vague timing, but spoke up as none of the others seemed willing to.
"Around 24 to 50 hours give or take…it's not a system we've needed to use in the past."
"It's a system we're hoping to replace." Wynne added.
"When's the next window to send a message?" Winter asked.
"My people at Night Wolf Command are still computing the data but the 'best guess' before I left was within the next 38 hours."
"Can we get a ship out there to bump up the relay time?" Preston asked. Lethbridge Stewart shook his head.
"The Hattah is on Outpost 5, Victory is scouting a system that was emitting the energy signatures…Flinders is enroute back from the star detonation…" Lethbridge Stewart listed off.
"And the Firefox is on Outpost 1, personnel change over and supply drop and change over of materials full job won't be back for at least a week." Wynne finished.
"Thank you Wynne." Lethbridge Stewart acknowledged with a small nod.
"I never thought I'd say this but we need more space craft…in fact considered that we'd need so many…" Winter mused more or less to himself.
There seemed to be a general agreement around the room, even with the four space craft they had they would need many more in the future…even with the shortening of space flight times with the jump gate technology…it would still take more than four ships to keep Earth and their Outposts safe.
"I think a short communication confirming to go ahead with diplomatic relations…they're to use their own judgement and that of their linguistics and diplomacy team…and to reiterate that should they want to come to Earth it will still be a secret…" Moore said after a few moments.
Lethbridge Stewart nodded.
"I will have the communication drafted and encoded for transmission from the moonbase." Lethbridge Stewart rose from his chair plucking the memory stick from the slot as he did and walked over to the panel and disengaged most of the safety systems, he left the magical jammers online for the moment as they started to file out. Then it was just Winter and Moore.
"How have the sentencing progressed?" He asked.
"It halted for today for this meeting Brigadier."
"I'm sorry to interrupt…however…"
"It was the right choice…I'm certainly happy to know that not all the aliens out there are bent on killing us, invading the planet…or interfering with out timeline." Moore said with a light smile.
"There've been 4 attempted suicides of those already sentenced and locked away." Winter said.
"Any successful?" Lethbridge Stewart asked neutrally.
"No…our psychologists and bio-space awareness specialists point to it being the acceptance that they cannot escape through magic of any kind…or through shouting a lot of them seem to think that will work." Winter elaborated.
"Good…" Lethbridge Stewart nodded. "I will forward a copy of the communication to you before it is sent."
"Very good Brigadier…and then we shall see were this development takes us…"
--//
I did imply in the previous chapter (about the Shadow Blaze that is I mean) I did consider killing the craft off, mainly because it suited me to have a super fast brilliant craft in Sorcery…not so much in this story and not a lot in the coming stories. Superpowerful craft make everything a little too easy you get youself into situations where you ask yourself 'why doesn't Harry just use the Shadow Blaze' to get out of this whatever…
So I'm hibernating it