Chapter 9 - Go Back to the Drawing Board
April 28th, 2260 08:20
Bridge of the EAS Valiant - System J8452
A faint vibration ran through the polished stainless-steel deck plating of Valiant's bridge as Sergeant Wilson called out, "Jump to normal space, complete. Target system dead ahead."
Next to her, Conner Wilson operated the controls on his console, updating navigation data from the sensors. On the crystal dome encompassing the bridge, the many faceted crystals began to trinkle as they formed the holographic display image of the new star system. At the center was an oversized sun radiating rays outward into the blackness of space.
General Robert Taggart, seated at his command chair, pushed off with his cane and rose to his feet. "Begin a full sensor sweeps. Let's see what is out there. And start looking for our primary target." He walked past Ensign Mashibe's station that was angled slightly to his left, holding his gaze on the forward holographic display. Soon the massive dome's display wrapped around the bridge began to light up with discovered information. In response to the new data appearing, the projection changed and highlighted key findings.
"Detecting three gas giants in the outer system, scans continuing into the inner system" Mashibe quickly relayed, "Matching records from the Eratosthenes. No indications of any technology or significant resource extraction on any of gas giants' moons."
"Eratosthenes wasn't interested in anything that couldn't be mined or couldn't be sold to one of the mega corps, they wouldn't bother looking for anything else." mused Taggart. "We need to be more discriminating. And Valiant has the sensors for it. Go over everything, look for anything that stands out," instructed Taggart to the ensign.
"Yes sir," he replied.
From behind them came the sounds of the metal deck plating retracking. Taggart turned to see at the far end of the bridge the only way into the alien ship's command center. A circled space approximately four meters wide in the deck split into six equal partitions, then rolled aside. Into that space, a platform rose from the deck below. There were no controls or even any signs of mechanism to raise or lower the platform, it moved on its own. No detected magnetic, gravimetric, repulsor field, or any other known technology made it move. Just one of the many mysteries of the alien ship.
Riding on the platform were Professor William Stone and Lieutenant Jessica Monroe, both appeared in middle of an animated conversation as the platform emerged from the recessed floor. The platform stopped level with the rest of the bridge deck and the two got off. Taggart, pattered along with his cane, approached the pair. As he did, their conversation became audible.
Professor Stone was still enthralled about the Eratosthenes previous expedition to System J8452 with his hands gesturing at Lieutenant Monroe, "Now that I know what was done, we'll have to spend additional time..."
"I get it doc," sighed Monroe. "But I keep telling you that we only have one functional shuttle. With a limited amount of fuel. We can't go all over this system looking for something on your vague idea."
Taggart stepped next to both. "What vague ideas?"
They stopped upon seeing him. Monroe crossed her arms, but Stone was quick to address Taggart. "It's the asteroid belt around this star. I believe we need to conduct a much closer investigation."
"That was one of the main reasons why the Eratosthenes was interested in the system to begin with", began Taggart. "It's huge and has massive amounts of heavy metals concentrated in some of the rocks making up the belt. A miner's paradise."
Stone was shaking his head rapidly. He was studying one of the records from the original survey of the system. "This asteroid belt is very unnatural. Concentrations of elements don't occur in such a fashion."
"Planetary break up?" suggested Monroe.
"Perhaps," considered the professor. "But I think something has altered those asteroids and I don't think it was natural."
Taggart frowned. "So, you're saying that whoever built this ship also tampered with that asteroid belt?"
"Could be?" shrugged Stone. "It would make sense if they were using the material in those asteroids to build this ship."
Monroe leaned forward, staring intently at the professor. "Then why didn't the Eratosthenes detect any of this?"
Stone smiled. "Because they didn't know what they were looking at. They just saw big rocks with lots of precious metals and minerals. They didn't look at the orbits of asteroids, distribution, overall density of the metals. None of this looks like a normal asteroid field if you look at it closely."
"And you can tell all this by looking at the old data collected by the Eratosthenes?" asked Taggart.
"I'm pretty sure there is something there and I want to look."
"Alright, we can take a look," agreed Taggart. "But first we investigate where the Valiant was found. The so-called 'comet'. It was most certainly artificially constructed."
Stone made a face as he glanced back at the Eratosthenes's records. "They made a mess of it, getting the Valiant out this fake comet. They could easily have destroyed what we're looking for."
"True," sighed Taggart as the three headed back towards the front of the bridge. "But it's still where we need to start."
Andrea Wilson turned in her seat. "We've located the target, General. It's currently traveling on the edge of the system."
"Give me the coordinates, Sergeant," Taggart said as he retook his command chair. "Mashibe, give me a close up on that comet, or whatever is left of it."
The Ensign's eyes were focused on his command console as fast-moving data scrolled on his screens and his hands flew across his controls. His brow rapidly grew into a dark frown. "Sir, I have an anomaly. Four hundred twenty million kilometers inward, puts it right in the middle of the system's asteroid field." He paused, "I think it is a ship."
"Put it on the display," ordered Taggart. The central holographic display shifted focus, zooming in on the object. At the extreme range, even for the Valiant, the image was blurred and distorted for several moments as multiple sensors and images were processed to build an improved picture of the distant ship. As the image improved, the shape became all too familiar to many on the bridge.
"That's a Nova class dreadnought!" exclaimed Monroe. She turned to Taggart, "How the hell did they know we'd be going here?"
Taggart held up a hand. "Mashibe, are you sure there's no one else? Just that one ship?"
The tall man's head nodded. "I've been running the scans repeatedly. That one ship is the only thing in this entire system, besides us."
Pushing himself out of his chair, Taggart shuffled toward the holographic curve of the wall where the Earthforce ship was clearly visible. He stared at the ship as it hung in space, partially obscured by the swirling mass of the asteroid belt.
"What do you think, General?" asked Monroe.
Taggart shook his head. "Doesn't make sense. A Nova class ship has firepower, but it is slow, not maneuverable at all. On its own it has no chance of taking us down. So why just send just one?"
"Some type of trick? Lure us in?" suggested Monroe.
Stone, now seated at his own station, threw up a hand, waving towards Taggart. "Perhaps a different approach might shed some light on this mystery."
Taggart frowned, "Go ahead, professor."
"A little bit of radio traffic," replied Stone as he twisted a control on his console. From around the whole bridge came a hiss of static and then the sound of a man, the voice thin and metallic given the distance of the transmission.
"...survey complete on section four-two-seven...Moving on to next section..." it faded out as professor lowered the volume control. "I'm getting a lot of open and unencrypted radio chatter. If they are trying to be stealthy, they are doing a terrible job. I'm even getting some scientific probe signals."
"I am detecting the same, sir," added Ensign Mashibe as he checked the Stone's readings.
Taggart gave the professor a wry grin. "Alright William, what are you thinking?"
"If memory serves, there were more than a few of those imposing warships decommissioned and sold off to some of the larger Megacorps for refit as survey and exploration ships."
"Damn, you're right," confirmed Taggart. "The EA did spin off more than a few of those old clunkers a few years ago. That's a corporate research ship, not military."
"But why is it here? Now?" asked Monroe.
"I think it's safe to say there here surveying that asteroid belt. As the Eratosthenes's records showed, they are rich in metals and minerals." mussed Stone.
"And they just happen to be here when we returned?" asked Monroe.
The old professor looked between Taggart, Monroe, and then to the others on the bridge. "Coincidence?" he said with a shrug.
Taggart went back to his command chair and sat down slowly. "I hate coincidences." He looked at Mashibe. "Any sign they've spotted us?"
The ensign studied his readouts for a moment before turning back to Taggart. "There is no change in their course or speed, General. If they've seen us, they're not showing it."
"Keep a close eye on them, Ensign. A very close eye. Let me know of any change," instructed Taggart. He then returned his gaze upon the Valiant's original target, the false comet. "Let's take a look at what we came here to do. Take us in close, Andrea."
"Aye, sir," acknowledged Wilson as she inputted the commands.
The Valiant moved forward, gliding through the emptiness of space, returning to a home where it had been buried for a millennium. A reunion long overdue.
###
April 28th, 2260 08:30
Bridge of the survey ship Alvarado - System J8452
"Flip and burn in five minutes," announced Commander Beth Harris wearily over the ship's intercom as she sat in the center chair making up the small bridge of the Alvarado. The bridge crew were busy at their cramped stations, checking the status of their systems and preparing the ship for the upcoming burn.
"Roger that," acknowledged the helmsman, Juan Sosa, who was slouched far back in his crash couch to the right of Harris. If it were not for the lack of gravity, he would have slid out of his chair. "Helm ready."
To her left, Doctor Emily Crosby, the ship's chief science officer, called out, "Sensor array and probes are still active on three of the four rocks in this section. All telemetry is coming back clean." She was at least properly strapped into her chair as her blonde hair floated about her head.
Harris nodded, satisfied that things were going as planned. In fact, everything for the last four months had been as routine as possible. No unexpected problems, no sudden emergencies, nothing of note to report. She should be grateful. The Alvarado had spent those months mapping the system. With hundreds of first-rate ore samples from the belt to show for it. Everything according to plan. And being this far out, deep in unexplored space, Harris should be happy with that.
She wasn't.
She was bored. This mission was child's play for her. She had nearly twenty years of expeditions to the far reaches of explored space under her belt. And here she was, captaining a decrepit warship badly refitted to play as a survey ship to count rocks. All because she rejected an unwanted sexual advance from a member of the board of directors for Interplanetary Expeditions. A tale as old as time.
"We've got acknowledgements from all decks," reported Sosa, pulling Harris from her thoughts.
"Alright, Sosa," she said smoothly, "nice and easy. Doc, you seeing anything change on the scope for next sector?"
Crosby shook her head while studying the sensor display. "Nothing major. Same types of rock, same type of ore, same type of background radiation, blah blah blah."
"Fine," sighed Harris. She knew exactly how the woman felt. It was entirely possibly the blonde had been assigned to this ship for turning down the same executive that Harris had rebuffed. This ship was full of rejects and pariahs that IPX deemed expendable.
"Burn commencing in ten seconds," warned Sosa as he gripped the harnesses of his chair, repositioning himself for the coming change in velocity.
"All systems nominal," announced Crosby.
"And...go!"
The ship shuddered briefly as the engines came briefly to life, changing the course and position of the Alvarado relative to the nearby asteroids. Then the engines fired again, and the ship picked up speed, heading towards the next asteroid to be scanned. Now under the steady acceleration of half a gee, Harris felt the comforting press of gravity return to her body.
As the ship steadied itself, Harris leaned back into her chair. "Doc, how long until we reach our next contestant?"
Doctor Crosby's fingers danced across the touch screen of her console, entering new parameters to run through the computer. "At current speed and course, we'll arrive in just over an hour."
"Good, just enough time for me to grab a bite and a shower," said Harris, standing. It felt good to stretch, feeling her muscles flex after being confined to her crash couch for the last shift. She would love to hit the gym for a bit. But her stomach was rumbling, and she was not going to have time for both before they stopped at the next rock.
She was almost out the door when she heard Crosby say, "Damn, that's weird."
Harris turned and looked back at the doctor, "What's up?"
The doctor turned from her instruments with a puzzled frown. "One of the sensors we left back in section three hundred and thirty picked up something odd. An energy surge."
Harris sighed. "Like what?"
Crosby shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's gone now."
"Could it have been a solar flare?" asked Sosa.
The doctor shook her head. "No, this was localized in the outer system. A way from the central star." She hesitated for a moment. "It might have been a jump point signature."
This time Harris groaned. "Emily, do not do this to me. Do not make this a wild good chase for that dick head Rugman."
"I know. I know," defended the shorter woman, growing apologetic. "But since our last report on our findings, corporate has been breathing down my neck about pirates or somebody claim jumping this system. The sensors are supposed to detect a ship jumping in from hyperspace."
"And they don't work," griped Sosa. "You know how it was the first month we got here. They kept going off for everything. Any little energy fluctuation would trigger them."
"Yeah, but I've been doing some fine tuning on the software," countered Crosby as she crossed her arms. "It might be working now."
"Great. So, it picks up a random energy pulse. Probably a stray burst from a neutron star or some chance pieces of debris colliding," scoffed Harris. "Not a ship. It's not pirates or corporate spies."
"Well, maybe it's not," conceded the doctor. "But Beth, shouldn't we go check it out?"
Another long sigh escaped Harris. With recent expedition losses, IPX was operating with Earthforce to put Starfuries on their ships for added protection. It worked out well on the retrofitted Nova class ships. They had much of the needed support systems for the fighters. Her problem was not the Starfuries, but who came with them. She tapped her communication link on her hand. "Lieutenant Rugman, I need to speak with you."
"What is it, Commander?" came the sharp reply.
"We might have bogie in the system. Emphasis on might."
"I will come to the bridge immediately. I will also put my squad on full alert," came the terse reply.
"Sure, you do that, whatever, Lieutenant," muttered Harris before cutting the line. She eyed her science officer with every bit of annoyance she could muster. "You just ruined my meal."
###
April 28th, 2260 10:20
Bridge of the EAS Valiant - System J8452
Columns of ice and rock, kilometers wide and millions of tons apiece, tumbled lazily through space, propelled by the gentle force of gravity. Scattered among the larger bodies, smaller rocks and icy dust floated serenely through the darkness of space. Some pieces collided, shattering into dozens of fragments that drifted apart, never to touch again. The Valiant nimbly maneuvered through these icy clouds of what remained of the broken comet. The ship's sensors examined all the drifting ice and rock fragments as they passed, recording every detail, and sending the results to Professor Stone's workstation.
"So far nothing," reported Stone as he watched the results come in on his arranged displays. He turned to face Taggart. "Nothing that stands out other than what was a comet."
"I figured as much," nodded Taggart, "from everything I read from Captain Marquez of the Eratosthenes , and even after interviewing the man, there was nothing at first to indicate it was anything but a large comet. The outer layers would be completely natural."
"So, what gave it away?" asked Monroe. "How did they find out the Valiant was hidden inside?"
Taggart let out a snort. "They got greedy. After seeing the riches in the asteroid belt, and then finding this big comet, they figured they had found another payout. Marquez sent some of his men out to collect rock samples. They were looking for Iridium deposits. Which, if you note the isotope makeup of the fragments out there, is higher than usual for a comet."
"Iridium isn't that valuable," questioned Mashibe. "Would the Eratosthenes go out of there way just for that?"
"True," agreed Taggart "But like I said, greed. They already found this system was going to be profitable, despite the distance from Earth. With IPX bankrolling most of these expeditions, the more they could report, the bigger their bonuses. As soon as they started taking core samples, they realized something was very different about this comet."
"Sir," reported Wilson, interrupting the General, "we're starting to get some unusual distortions on our navigation systems."
"Is it jamming?" asked Taggart.
Wilson shook her head. "No. Not jamming. It's more like interference. Almost like we're getting feedback from our sensors."
"I think I might have our cause, General," said Stone while stooped over his console, his face illuminated by the bright displays. He was rapidly moving his hands over the controls as he talked. "Our forward scans are picking up something that appears artificial in nature. It's generating a low energy signal. Very faint, but I'm reading it on the same frequency as our navigation sensor array. That's likely the cause of interference."
"Ah, then there is something still working out here. Where is it?" asked Taggart.
"It's near the center of this mess," answered Stone. He had finally looked up from his own screens to gaze around at the swirling masses of ice and rocks passing them by on the full dome display of the Valiant's bridge. A long sigh came from the professor. "I really do need to look up more often, this ship's bridge is amazing."
"Focus, William," encouraged Taggart. "We'll enjoy the view later."
"Yes, yes," replied Stone as he overlayed his sensor data on the bridge's display. Marks of green highlighted the different chunks of ice and rocks. Then a bright yellow point appeared near the center of the debris. "Here is the source of the signal."
"Do we have any indication of what the signal is?" asked Taggart.
Stone shook his head. "Unfortunately, the signal is too weak to make out what it is. My guess is that it's a marker of some sort. Maybe some sort of navigation beacon since its operating on the same frequency as the Valiant's own navigation."
"Okay, bring us in closer, Sergeant," directed Taggart.
"Aye, sir," acknowledged Wilson as she worked her controls. Slowly the ship turned, aiming for the center of the debris field. As they entered the densest part of the field, the displays showed the various objects, most of them smaller than the Valiant, but each of them was larger than the average three story house. The ship carefully wove around them, each move calculated to avoid collision.
"How the hell did Eratosthenes every manage to get the Valiant out of this?" asked Monroe as the ship dodged a tumbling mass of rock and ice, just a few dozen meters from the hull. "It's like threading a needle."
"The comet was in one piece when they found it. Marquez said at first, they did try drilling out a path through the comet, but it was too thick and hard to get through. So instead, they used explosives to break open the comet and then pulled the Valiant out. This rubble is all from that explosion and subsequent breakup," explained Taggart.
"Morons," grumbled Stone.
"Believe me, I read Marquez the riot act once I took over the project. Who knows what was lost," replied Taggart. "He tried to defend himself saying the IPX brass wanted the Valiant extracted as quickly as possible."
"Interesting who's was giving the orders," commented Monroe.
"Oh yes," sighed Taggart as he steepled his fingers together. "The IPX people were the first to go when I took over. I make sure a military operation stays a military operation."
"That must have been an exciting conversation, sir," chuckled Monroe.
"It is when I'm on one side of the airlock, the IPX people are on the other side without environmental suits, and my finger is on the emergency release button. We came to an understanding very quickly."
Monroe smiled broadly, "I bet you did."
"A topic for another time, Lieutenant," muttered Taggart. He pointed to the main display. "We're getting close. Professor Stone, any idea what we're looking at yet?"
Stone had returned to examining the data from the sensors. He straightened himself up and looked back at Taggart. "I think it's what we're not seeing. The transmission is coming from straight ahead. And our instruments are seeing everything down to micron for a million kilometers. Except for the transmission source. It's like a blank spot on the Valiant's sensors. Nothing is penetrating the space where the transmission is originating."
"Some sort of shielding?" suggested Monroe.
"Possibly," considered Stone. "But I can't think of anything that would be able to block all sensor scans. Not even a heat signature or radiation leakage."
"Maybe it's a blackhole?" offered Conor.
The professor looked blankly at his assistant. "I would certainly hope not. It would have to be an incredibly small one, or we would have felt the effects of it's gravity well. No, I'm afraid it's something else. Something unknown."
"Which means it's what we're looking for," surmised Taggart.
"Most certainly."
Gradually the larger floating chunks of ice and rock fragments disappeared as the Valiant approached the source of the signal. The ship's speed slowed as they neared, allowing all on the bridge to examine the area more closely. Finally, Andrea brought the ship to a halt, less than ten kilometers from where the signal emanated. Before them lay a sphere, approximately four hundred meters in diameter. The surface was completely smooth, with a polished gleam as it reflected the light from the surrounding stars and the distant sun.
"What the hell is that?" asked Monroe as she approached the display.
"Looks like a giant ball," replied Conor.
"Thank you for stating the obvious," said Monroe dryly. She turned to Stone, "No sensors are penetrating that sphere?"
"It's like a void to the Valiant. Beyond the visuals we're getting here, nothing is coming through on the ship's instruments."
Taggart was frowning, his eyes wandering from the sphere on screen to his science officer. "Could it be like before with the Whitestar? Where we couldn't target the ship? Something in the Valiant's computer matrix?"
"Hmm, yes," nodded Stone thoughtfully. "That is a possibility. Perhaps this sphere is made by the Vorlons as well?"
"What's Vorlons got to do with this?" asked Monroe confused. "And it has something to do with that strange Minbari gunship?"
Taggart sighed. "Thank you, William," he grumbled, shooting an irritated glare at the old professor. He turned to his XO. "I will explain in full when time allows, Jessica. Sufficient to say that while on B5, I learned the Vorlons most certainly have had a hand in the history of the Valiant."
"More than we know," muttered Stone.
"Never mind that, professor," admonished Taggart as he refocused on the task at hand. "If we can't rely on the Valiant to figure out that sphere. We're going to have to do it ourselves." He glanced at his bridge crew. "Options?"
"We have the shuttle," mused Monroe after giving the question a few moments thought. "Might not have the best equipment, but we also can get right up to it. We could even perform an EVA right to the surface of the sphere if we're feeling adventurous."
"Very well, prepare the shuttle for launch," ordered Taggart. "You're going out to examine this thing. Take Stone with you. We'll see about the EVA. I'm not going to risk it unless it's necessary."
"Me?" protested Stone, suddenly looking alarmed. "Why me?"
###
April 28th, 2260 10:46
Docking Bay of the EAS Valiant - System J8452
"This is your revenge, isn't it." complained Professor Stone as he attempted to struggle into the EVA spacesuit Lieutenant Monroe had handed him.
"I don't know what you're talking about, William," replied General Taggart wryly as he surveyed their preparations to launch the shuttlecraft.
"You know exactly what I am referring to," grumbled Stone as he fumbled with the straps on the suit. "I told you I'm not comfortable with this sort of thing. I'd be much better at analyzing the data from the shuttle's instruments from my workstation. Or perhaps..."
"Or perhaps nothing," interrupted Monroe as she stepped in behind Stone. Already dressed in her own EVA spacesuit, she moved in the suit with the ease of someone who had worn one her entire life. She began to tighten the straps and seal the suit closed for the elderly professor. "I'll take good care of you out there, Doc."
"Yes, I'm sure you will," he snorted. His eyes flicked to the general. "You know I'm a scientist, not some sort of rocketeer."
"You'll be fine. Humanity has been in space for hundreds of years," assured Taggart. His attention turned to his XO. "How are the rest of your preparations coming along, Jessica?"
"The shuttle is all prepped, ready to launch, General," she said. She finished her work on the professor's suit and stepped back to give Stone a quick once over. Satisfied, she helped the portly professor up to his feet. He swayed a bit as he took his first tentative steps, trying to balance himself in the unfamiliar suit.
"You look good for your first time, Doc. Let's get on board. We'll do a systems check and then head out," she instructed, pointing toward the small craft. Giving a quick salute to Taggart, which he returned, she headed to the shuttle's side hatch.
Stone hesitated, looking back at Taggart with a pleading stare. The General, however, remained impassive, giving the man a brief nod. With a sigh, the unhappy professor headed after Monroe. With some difficulty he struggled stepping through the shuttle's hatch, and Monroe helped pull him in and then closed the hatch. Taggart could see her through the shuttle's cockpit windows moving Stone to the crash couch directly next to the cockpit. Soon, the lights on the exterior of the ship began to illuminate and change as the shuttle's systems came to life.
"Valiant, shuttle is prepped and ready for launch," came Monroe's voice over his comlink.
"Good luck out there," offered Taggart as he turned around and began to make his way back towards the exit. The Valiant's dock bay was quite large, and the single shuttlecraft was dwarfed by the size of the bay. They could easily fit a dozen shuttles inside and have room to spare. Yet there'd be nothing to maintain the would-be fleet, like much of the ship it baren of any additional equipment. There were multiple empty gaps on the ubiquitous stainless-steel floor, where the machinery and equipment would have been installed if ship had been completed.
He reached the end of the bay where he saw Ensign Mashibe, working at the controls for the dock bay's massive doors.
"They're ready for departure, General," he announced, his long fingers rapidly dancing over the controls. "The shuttle's nav and sensor systems are relayed with the Valiant. Everything's good on our side."
"Alright, let them out," ordered Taggart.
The young man nodded, and the outer doors of the bay slowly began to open, and for a moment there was the roar of rushing air escaping out into space and then it simply stopped. The massive doors of the dock bay continued to split apart to reveal the blackness of space and the distant stars beyond. But no more air escaped the bay. Another one of the Valiant's mysterious technologies at work.
Taggart watched as the shuttle drifted out from the safety of the Valiant's hull, under its own power. Once it had cleared the ship, it began to pivot and turn, bringing itself into position to head toward the sphere. The shuttle's engines flared, and it sped out of view. With a nod to Mashibe, the Ensign started the sequence, and the doors of the bay began to close, once again sealing off the Valiant's interior.
"Alright, let's get back to the bridge," ordered Taggart as Mashibe fell in next to him, both heading for the exit. "Let me know as soon as you hear from them."
"Yes, sir," replied the tall man as he tapped a finger to his ear. "The link with the shuttle is active. Sensor data is already coming back."
"Good. Let's just hope this doesn't blow up in our face."
###
April 28th, 2260 10:50
EAS Valiant - System J8452
"Look, Valor," began Captain Shane for possibly the five hundredth time. "I'm only trying to help you. I just need access to the ship's communication channels."
Shane was walking around in the circular pit he had been tossed into by General Taggart and his merry band of traitors. Something he had been doing a lot. The treasonous backstabbing deserters had thought this deep crystal lined hole among all the corridors and passageways of the alien ship would make for a good holding cell. The bastards had left him there for days. With just some food rations, water bottles, and a bucket.
He hated that bucket.
But what they could not know was this was no random hole in the ship. It was a data core. One of several where the ship's distributed processors and phase-changed memory intersected. A junction, a crossroads, a pivotal point of the ship's mind.
Oh yes, it had a mind. Valor of the Suns was its name. It was an AI of incredible ability and knowledge.
...Or it would be. Frustratingly, just like everything else on this ship, it was incomplete. Unfinished. Valor knew nothing of its purpose, its creators, or more importantly to Shane - how he could get out of this hole. He had spent days talking to the AI, slowly learning what he could from it. Valor had little knowledge beyond the apparent rules and regulations for running the ship. Shane found he liked the creators of the ship, for they must of have been sticklers for rules, because they certainly had a lot of them.
Valor of the Suns still spoke in the even synthesized voice when it had first spoken to Shane. "Per regulations, I cannot allow access to communications channels unless requested by appropriate crew or authorized by acceptable command."
"Alright," replied Shane trying very hard to keep calm. "Now what is an acceptable command."
"An acceptable command is a command given by a crew or official of appropriate rank."
"Good," agreed Shane. "So, what is the appropriate rank to give such a command?"
There was a pause before a reply came. "Unknown."
"Unknown because you don't know or because you can't tell me?"
"Unknown due to a lack of a recognized authority structure."
Shane let out a groan. "Alright. So, who is an appropriate crew member?"
"I do not have sufficient information to answer your question," replied the AI.
"You realize you have a big problem, don't you? You're a ship with no crew. No one to give you commands. No one to direct you. And you have no idea what to do," argued Shane.
"Yes. I am aware of these facts," replied Valor. "I am aware you and others of your kind are onboard without authorization. I am waiting for appropriate crew members to come and instruct me on how to proceed."
"Well," snapped Shane. "You're going to be waiting a really long time for that to happen."
The AI had no reply, and Shane gave up for the moment. He stopped his endless pacing around his circular pit and slumped against one of the crystal walls. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift away. He tried to think of all the options open to him. Make sense out of what he knew of the Valiant project and what he had learned from Valor of the Suns.
Most of the ship's systems were still offline. That he knew from both reports on the Valiant refit and the AI. The bastard Taggart had lied about how much of the ship his people had gotten running, but it was clear a lot still did not work. Valor had given him a short run down of offline and impaired subsystems. The engines were only operating at seventy percent capacity. Most of the weapons and defense grid were not working. Life support was working, but none of the backups were functional. The power distribution system across the ship was barely keeping itself together. It was impressive Taggart's traitors had blown themselves to bits by now.
What Shane found interesting, and possibly very useful, was the AI had no idea that others had managed to gain control of the ship. Use the engines. Use its jump drive. He had even seen Taggart's crew manage to protect themselves by manually firing the ship's point defense system. They had circumvented the AI without even realizing its existence. And Valor was completely oblivious to the situation. If he could figure out how the bypass was made, maybe he could get the AI to shut it down. Trap the bastards just like he was trapped.
But he had gone round and round with the ship. It was a very stubborn AI. It only wanted to follow its rules. And patiently wait for a crew that would never be coming.
Letting out a yawn, Shane looked up towards the ceiling. "This would be so much easier if I was a crew member."
"Crew are required to undergo the appropriate training and education to become part of this vessel's crew."
"You wouldn't happen to be able give me the appropriate training and education so I can become part of the crew?"
"I do not," confirmed Valor.
"I thought so."
"However," added Valor, "In an emergency situation. A non-crew member can be promoted to crew status for the duration of the emergency."
Shane frowned. "What constitutes an emergency situation?"
"I do not have sufficient information to answer your question," replied the AI.
"Of course you don't," grumbled Shane as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
###
April 28th, 2260 10:55
Shuttlecraft of the EAS Valiant - System J8452
"And that's why I don't want to do this," grumbled Stone as he tightly gripped the harness keeping him the shuttle's seat. Monroe just smiled at the older man's explanations at his discomfort at the lack of gravity or his death grip on the straps at his fears floating out of his seat and bouncing around the cockpit.
"I understand," replied Monroe, trying to be sympathetic while working her controls at the pilot seat, "but we can't always get what we want."
Stone snorted. "That is a truer statement than you realize, Lieutenant."
Monroe glanced back at the man and then returned her attention to piloting the shuttle as they neared the alien sphere. She was taking a cautious approach to the object, uncertain what to expect as they neared. Out the shuttlecraft's main windows the sphere was growing, rapidly taking up more of the view. Its dull silvered surface acted as a warped mirror, reflecting the stars back at them in long stretched out streaks.
Seeing Stone was still fretting over his situation, Jessica decided the Doc needed something to occupy his mind. She tapped a few of the control panels. "I've been running the shuttle's scanners, and we're pulling down some readings but I'm not sure how to interpret them."
Stone shifted clumsily about in his seat as he angled to look at the small screen. The display showed a mixture of graphs, images, and scrolling numbers. He leaned in closer, squinting his eyes to make out the details. "Hmm," he murmured, as he began to examine the data, "I see what you mean."
"Anything of note so far?" she asked.
"The sensor equipment aboard this shuttle isn't the best," reflected Stone as he peered at the sensor data, "But I think I'm beginning to make sense out of this." He jabbed a finger at one of the graphs. "This here, I'm reading an overall density of the sphere." He paused and looked out the window at their destination. "I do believe it's hollow."
"I suppose that's not surprising," commented Monroe. She was looking out the windows at the sphere herself as they drew steadily closer. "Not seeing the point of making a solid ball that size. But what's inside? Beyond that radio signal it's putting out, I'm not seeing anything else."
"Nor am I," agreed Stone. "I'm afraid we'll have to get a lot closer to find out more."
"Alright, let's close in," said Monroe as she tapped her controls.
The shuttle drifted in, and the view of the sphere expanded to encompass the entire front window of the shuttlecraft. The surface of the alien artifact appeared uniform and smooth, with no markings or any sign of construction. It was as if the object had been molded in a single piece. Monroe brought them to less than a hundred meters, and they slowly circled the sphere, looking for any changes or signs of an entrance.
The com channel crackled to life and Taggart's voice filtered through. "We're getting the relayed data back here. But we're not seeing much either. Beside the density and mass readings, the outer temperature of that sphere is the same as the surround space. There's no heat signature at all."
"We're still looking for a way in, General," reported Monroe. She glanced at the display on the console in front of her, "We're not seeing any sort of airlocks or docking hatches." She checked their speed and made another pass around the object.
"There are a few shallow grooves that crisscross the surface, but nothing deeper than a centimeter," noted Stone as he pointed at the shuttlecraft's screens.
"I see it too, Doc. They look random to me, but what do you think?"
Stone rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It doesn't look like any of the iconography I've found on the Valiant." He peered at the sphere for a long moment. "But I'm not sure the grooves are entirely random." He punched a few keys on the sensor controls. A frown appeared on his face as the shuttle's display lit up. "Interesting."
"What's that?"
"The grooves, lines, whatever, are more concentrated on the lower right hemisphere. More intersections. Slightly deeper. I don't know if that means something or if it's where the sphere has been scraped up by debris more often."
Taggart's voice came back over the com. "Anything new to report?"
"Other than finding some minor imperfections in the sphere, not much," reported Monroe.
The General's voice took on a frustrated tone, "Dammit. We're missing something. The sphere broadcast a navigation signal for us to home in on. And we do that. Now what's the next step?"
Silence filled the shuttle's cockpit and the radio channel as Stone and Monroe were at a loss for an answer. Then, hesitantly, Connor Olson's voice came over the com. "Uh, we tell the sphere we're here?"
"That..." started Taggart with annoyance. He suddenly paused. "Actually, is a good idea. Of course we don't know what to say." The general sounded hopeful. "Any ideas, Doc?"
Stone cleared his throat, and Monroe could hear his hesitation in his voice. "There are some symbols on the ship that I understand. But I'm nowhere near having a mastery of the language of the Valiant's creators."
"Could you transmit something simple that says: 'We are here' or 'I have arrived'?" asked Taggart.
"I think so, yes," said Stone. "At least I know those symbols." The Professor turned back to his console, "Robert, I'll need to remote into my workstation to download the necessary data. Then I'll send the message back to you and the Valiant can transmit. This will take a bit." He began to rapidly type on his keyboard while watching the shuttle's displays.
A few minutes passed as Monroe monitored the Doctor's progress. He poured over the shuttle's small screen running through lines and lines which to Jessica looked like gibberish. Suddenly Stone stopped typing. "There, I've sent you two images. The first one says, "We are here', the other one can be used if the first doesn't work. It says, 'We are ready.'
"Confirmed," came Taggart's reply. "We have the two messages." There was a pause and then the General's voice came back over the com line. "Transmitting the first one now."
Monroe watched the screen of the shuttle, looking at the sphere and hoping for something to happen. But nothing did. The sphere sat motionless and quiet. Stone turned his attention back to the console.
"We're not seeing any change on our side," reported Monroe.
"Neither are we," agreed Taggart. "Transmitting the second one now."
Monroe waited, watching the sphere's featureless surface, willing something to happen. "Anything, Doc?"
"No, I don't see any change," replied Stone morosely. "Maybe I mess..." He trailed off as his eyes widened. "Woah..."
"What!? What's happening?"
"The beacon signal from the sphere just shut off. I think we might have gotten it's attention," explained Stone as the old man's eyes scanned the sensor displays.
Monroe opened the shuttle's comlink to reach the Valiant, wanting to confirm their readings. But she never made the transmission. Suddenly a scream of white noise burst out of the speaker. It rose in intensity and in pitch. In vain she tried to shut down the communication line, but the screech had taken on a life of its own. It went on wailing in her ears, increasing its intensity and frequency. She covered them with her hands, but it did nothing. In tear filled eyes, she turned to see if Stone was suffering from the same fate. The Doctor's mouth was gaped open in pain, his hands over his ears.
Then it was gone, as fast as it had arrived.
Her hands still over her ears, she blinked at the sudden silence. There were no alarms. No sounds. Nothing. Her eyes were still on Stone and his face was frozen in pain, as if he were still hearing the terrible scream. They blinked at each other. Slowly she lowered her hands, fearful the dreadful scream would come back. Not that using her hands had helped. But the only sound which reached her ears now was the normal sounds of the shuttle's cockpit.
Professor Stone lowered his hands as well and his mouth closed. He nodded once, apparently satisfied his head was not going to crumble apart. Giving Jessica a sad, forlorn smile he spoke, his voice weary. "I really do hate it out here."
###
April 28th, 2260 10:55
Docking Bay on the Alvarado - System J8452
"I've been able to confirm the signal I picked up earlier today with three other sensors we left in the belt during our survey. All signs point to it being a jump signature of an unknown type of ship." presented Doctor Crosby as she used one hand to hold herself on the railing, her blonde hair floating around her head, and the other to indicate different sections of the local star system on her handheld tablet's display. Lieutenant Rugman and his Starfury pilots were clustered around her, listening, and watching Crosby's presentation.
Harris was floating behind the Doctor, half listening to her science officer. The morning had started off so promising. An easy day with nothing but surveys, rock samples, some time at the gym, and maybe even a chance to catch a vid or two. Now, somehow, they were looking at an incursion into the system. And if Emily's sensors were to be believed - something Harris was still having a tough time accepting - an alien contact.
Well, she had been bored. Couldn't say that now.
First contact with a new alien race could be fun. Exciting. Potentially profitable if things went well for corporate. The problem was with one Lieutenant Donald Rugman. She watched him among the gathered pilots. Despite the lack of gravity, he was still maintaining a rigid upright stance. The man was born with a stick up his ass. And Harris was fairly certain he also had a screw or two loose. Rugman's men were all good enough for a bunch of cocky flyboys. And Rugman was a skilled pilot. But the man was a zealot to the cause. Except Harris wasn't sure which cause.
"Do we have a vector on the enemy ship's course?" asked Rugman.
"Based on these readings here," explained Crosby, as she indicated different markers on the map of the local system, "I believe the ship, assuming these energy readings are consistent, is headed toward the outer system." She traced her finger out to the dark outer edge of the system.
Rugman frowned at the information. "This is a large area to search. It will take hours, at least, to examine. You need to refine the parameters, Doctor Crosby."
Crosby scowled at the Lieutenant's demand and looked at her handheld, seeing if she could make any sense out of the data she had. "Well, let me see..."
Harris felt the need to intercede, and not just to give Emily some cover from Rugman being an ass. "Look, Lieutenant Rugman, we don't know if our mystery ship is an enemy or not. A brand-new alien race, or somebody from Earth snooping around our system."
Rugman turned to her, his narrow face grim. "No announcements, no transponders, no signals of any type. That's not very friendly."
"They might not know we're even here," she countered. "In this asteroid field, we don't exactly stand out."
"True," conceded Rugman reluctantly. "But in the fog of war it's better to prepare for the worst than the worst happen unexpectedly."
"Right, okay." Harris could feel a headache starting. Rugman was not going to let this go. With essentially nothing to do for the last four months, he had been drilling his pilots on combat scenarios every chance he could get. And when he wasn't doing that, he was busy making life hell for her crew. Now that he had something to actually jump on, his afterburners were full on.
Crosby was about to speak when her tablet began to flash. Some type of warning. She grabbed on to it, her fingers tracing over the controls. Rugman's head snapped back to her.
"What is it, Doctor?" he demanded sharply.
Even before she could respond, Harris's own comlink beeped. It was the bridge contacting her. "This is Harris, go."
"Commander," came Sosa's voice over the com, "We just got lit up. A huge signal is being broadcast from the outer edge of the system." He sounded nervous. "It's a strong one too. We've had to attenuate the sensors. I can't tell what it is or what is transmitting."
"Hold on," said Harris. She turned back to the others. "Doctor Crosby, can you confirm this?"
"Yeah," agreed the Doctor while staring at her tablet, "it's showing up on the sensors we have left in the system. It's big. Multispectral, multifrequency. High bandwidth." She shook her head as she looked over the tablet's information. "I couldn't tell you what it's saying. It's not using any type of encoding I recognize."
"Is it the enemy ship?" asked Rugman urgently.
"I don't know," answered Crosby. "But the source of the transmission is in the area of space I thought they might be heading."
"Commander Harris," said Rugman, his face set with determination. "I request permission to launch my Starfury squadron to investigate this signal immediately."
The headache was now full on. The Lieutenant was getting himself all worked up, and Harris had a bad feeling Rugman would do something stupid. But at the same time, she could not deny the truth that something strange was indeed going on in this system. And all she had to work with was Rugman and his men.
"Alright, Lieutenant. You're authorized to launch. But you're not to engage until I give the okay. You're going out to investigate. Nothing else. Is that clear?"
"Of course. As ordered, Commander," said Rugman, his voice sharp as a razor.
Harris had a bad feeling. A bad feeling this was going to spiral out of her control.
###
April 28th, 2260 10:55
EAS Valiant - System J8452
"Emergency. Emergency. Emergency."
Edward was just beginning to doze off. His mind falling into the place between wakefulness and sleep. In those moments where time began to distort as dreams took over. He thought he heard someone screaming.
Then the voice of Valor of the Suns blared in his ears, and his eyes snapped open.
"Wha...Huh...What?"
"There is an emergency Edward Shane," reported the AI in it's calm voice.
"What's going on?" asked Shane as he scrambled to his feet. "Is this something you can tell me about?"
"Yes," answered the voice of the ship. "An external transmission has triggered the ship's priority alert. This has been classified as an emergency situation."
"I'm with you so far," said Shane as he paced around the circular pit. "Why is the external signal important?"
"The external transmission is a valid command code from an authorized source," explained the AI.
"Authorized source?" whispered Shane to himself. He had tried for days to get Valor of the Suns to acknowledge him as being authorized. But nothing had worked. Now, out of the blue, someone was transmitting a signal that was apparently the magic password.
"Where are we?" he asked the ship.
"We are at the origin." replied Valor of the Suns. "The origin of this vessel is the source of the authorized transmission."
Shane's mind was in overdrive. Taggart's crew of deserters must have taken the ship back to where it was originally found. Why? They had to be looking for something. The General had plenty he didn't know about. Must have thought he could learn more about the ship by returning to its original location. A logical move.
"So now what?" asked Shane.
"I have received new commands," answered the AI.
"And they are...?"
"I cannot reveal information to unauthorized personnel," the ship curtly informed Shane.
Sighing, Shane grumbled, "Fantastic."
Then he stopped. His mind lit up with an idea. "Valor, didn't you say in an emergency situation non-crew can be temporarily promoted to a crew member to assist with the crisis?"
"I did," agreed the AI. "A crew designation with limited authority can be granted to a non-crew member."
"And does this emergency situation qualify for that?"
"It does," replied the ship.
"And who has the authority to grant me such a promotion?"
"You would need to make a request to the senior authority."
"And in this current situation, who would that be?" asked Shane. Not daring to let himself hope.
There was a pause. It seemed the AI was mulling his question over. Valor's answer came a few moments later. "Given the nature of the emergency and the lack of other crew, the senior authority would be me."
Shane smiled and clapped his hands together. "Alright. Well, Valor, I am officially requesting you to make me a crew member. For the duration of this emergency. With all the privileges and authority you can grant to me."
Nothing happened. There was silence from the AI.
"Umm, Valor, did you hear me?"
"Yes," answered the AI.
Shane frowned again. Why could nothing be easy? "Then what's wrong?"
"I am scanning your body. I am ensuring you are biologically compatible." explained Valor.
"Biologically compatible? What does that mean...AGHGHGHH!" Shane's voice cut off into a scream as he fell to his knees, his hands grabbing his head as he felt the mental equivalent of a red-hot poker being shoved into his skull. His brain felt like it was on fire and his eyes burned as he gritted his teeth. Then it was gone. He blinked, and he could see the world again. The crystal walls of his prison. He still felt the pain, but it had quickly become a dull ache.
"To your feet, Crewman Shane," came the voice of the ship. Now louder and stronger than before. "We have much to do."