Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 1 - Alien Flight (20 page)

The cloaked Illuria had been slowing since entering the system, due to the risk of hitting a rock or lump of ice. He saw that they would slow yet again as they crossed the system’s asteroid belt, even if they were well above the central plane of the system.

‘This system is not only out of the way, it is a chore to navigate through as well.’

He observed in comment to his silent crew. In an addition the captain reminded his crew of staying alert.

‘Remember that this star system is classed both a haven and quarantined system. So we have no right to be here.’

Since entering the home system of the humans, the Illuria had travelled in a series of arcs towards the third planet over the last several hours. Always the Traders were careful to avoid getting too close to a planetary mass, and they definitely would not risk an active scan. Once they were sufficiently close to the planet the Illuria would separate from the hyper drive module, which would then go into a highly elliptical orbit and remain cloaked.

The captain briefly considered the fortunate state of affairs that led the hyper drive to be easily to quarantine, plus the recent assistance of the Maveen probes. He did not like to dwell on the fate of the Jerecab, as a Voorde infestation was rightfully feared by all space faring races. Lieutenant Garendestat looked up from the navigation console as the ship made yet another small course change.

‘Captain, our approach has to be changed slightly to maintain good separation from the planet’s outsized moon.’

Captain Narindestat looked at the altered course data on his command chair, and nodded in agreement before he then keyed his acceptance. The change meant they would now miss landing in the planet’s largest ocean. Instead they would land in a southern ocean bounded by the main landmass to the north, an island continent to the east, and a large ice continent to the south.

‘Lieutenant that is a lot of water we are looking at, as soon as the passive scans allow I want a depth and composition of those oceans.’

The captain considered the amount of water on this planet as it was really two worlds in one with those enormous oceans. From stories of his own race he knew that the Traders own smaller home world once had significant oceans, before the Zronte and Tilmud had attacked it so long ago now.

                                                            ***

Gindane answered the summons from Professor Elysius with veiled annoyance; as she was not due to submit another report for a few days yet. She was deeply engrossed in her new research on the Dradfer artifacts, and was happy the research was taking her attention away from the recent trial. Over the last week she had quietly summoned a few of her most trusted researchers to help in the research. Her crew on the research ship had transferred all the cargo, and for now was engrossed in maintenance activities.

The questioning looks that Gindane and her researchers were given upon their return to the ship every night by the crew were ignored. Gindane did have to remind a few of the crew that they had signed legally enforceable contracts with the Barus Institute that amply covered discretion and confidentiality.

The Dradfer research that Gindane reported to the professor over lunch each afternoon had revealed a few more facts that had the research scientists confused. For one thing the date of the attack on the Dradfer was well after when the Traders were attacked and driven from their original empire. However this did not make a lot of sense because none of the carvings actually depicted Traders, and their original worlds were hundreds of light years away in now Tilmud space. The other inference was that Zronte and Vorinne themselves had nearly come to war, though Gindane and her researchers considered this unlikely. The Barus researchers knew that the Vorinne themselves had already been vassals at that stage for hundreds of thousands of years.

Gindane called out softly as she approached the table where the professor was supervising more mundane research on the Dradfer. The professor waved off his research associates, and then Gindane approached and gave the senior academic a respectful bow.

‘As well I might.’

 She thought to herself, as she was now finally back into research duties with her mundane supply role taken over by another Barus commander.

Professor Elysius wordlessly gave her a cool look and removed a crumpled sheet from his jacket pocket. As always he had on a non-descript jacket and pants that could do with a wash. As the former colony was a warm world, Gindane herself wore one of her favorite sleeveless tunics and pants. The professor looked at the sheet briefly and commented as he handed it to her.

 ‘Our orders from the Vorinne envoy relating to the planet Earth are already starting to grate with me.’

Gindane took the pre-offered sheet and read the reports from the two probes with rising concern. A Trader ship has first been spotted approaching and later entering the star system containing the planet Earth, the home of the humans.

‘They are well away from their usual areas and this cannot be good for anyone.’

Gindane observed bleakly, as she again checked the specifics of the reports. Apparently one of their largest ships, an immense flying wing and the associated hyper drive module, was approaching the inner part of the Sol system at a very high speed. Gindane now made the obvious statement.

‘Professor, they are coming in real fast for an urgent reason. I do not see them waiting around for research purposes.’

The professor now gave her a warm grin, his instincts many years ago had been correct. The quality of work Gindane had performed as one of his associates, and her general intelligence, meant he had no trouble recommending her later promotion.

Despite the tragedy at Earth, she really was a bright light in the story of the Barus Institute. Gindane returned his grin nervously, the old professor was up to something, and she might not like where he would go with this meeting as the professor again spoke.

‘Gindane, take your research vessel to the planet Earth as soon as possible, your fuel and food status is the best of our ships. Also you have direct instructions from the Vorinne envoy to look after this planet, so in the event of the unforeseen occurring this fact may confer you some protection.’

‘Well that would be something to see, another trial within five years.’ Thought Gindane to herself acidly. Another trial could occur, and this time that Tilmud admiral could end up using his garrote, whilst the Vorinne envoy remained aloofly absent.

Gindane quickly sent a pre-coded prepare for departure message to her research ship, as the professor asked her if she needed any additional resources. She suppressed the urge to ask him for a pair of Vorinne heavy cruisers, as that would not go down too well by offering sarcasm. Also the Trader ship would probably destroy the cruisers and her small research ship without too much trouble anyway.

The two Barus researchers switched back to discussing the Dradfer research that Gindane had been working on. Perhaps Gindane could ask the Trader captain himself about the Dradfer if she got around to it. The satellite console on her arm band came to life with a text message as the ship would be ready to take off in four hours. With urgent duties apparent on her ship, Gindane took her leave of Professor Elysius with another formal bow, and quickly made the short journey back to her ship. When she arrived at the ship, it was a hive of activity with the Barus crew checking and re-checking the destroyer prior to take off.

                                                            ***

Omerio reviewed the latest system information as he prepared to make yet another hyper drive jump. He had spent the last three days jumping his ship around to other star systems always two systems across from the Tilmud base.

Once he had detected another Tilmud frigate squadron, and his ship had jumped away again to yet another system. There was no sign of the strange ship, and together with the proximity to Tilmud forces on two occasions, there was the likelihood that the ship was docked at the Tilmud base.

He now considered his mission over with as far as complying with the orders of the Vorinne envoy. So Omerio set the next jump to take him well away from the Tilmud base. The star field changed yet again to the streaking light of hyper space, and Omerio hoped that the Cephrit station master had also been able to gather his own information.

                                                            ***

Captain Narindestat now perused the requested but limited details on the Earth’s oceans with real interest. He was constantly amazed by the size of this planet’s oceans, and the presence of that massive moon was also unusual. According to Garendestat’s report the oceans were quite deep and the largest ocean was also the deepest. Narindestat also noted with some relief that the planet’s oceans would block scanning technology. Fortunately the Traders had time to improvise on their landing site as their ship skirted the moon at a reasonable distance. Interestingly a passive scan of the moon had revealed a recently abandoned base on the near side, and the captain wondered briefly what could turn back a race from exploring their own star system.

The humans appeared to be in reduced numbers, but the television and radio channels were very busy, and the Trader captain was genuinely relieved that the humans still going after the pandemic.

‘Don’t mind my cloaked ship as I just want to use one of your oceans for a week or so.’ Captain Narindestat thought to the humans.

The Trader then turned his attention back on his current problem, and he verified the orders of his sneak ship pilots and the hyper drive module. The four ships docked to the hyper drive module would remain in reserve to help defend the module after it separated. The captain was taking ten sneak ships down to the planet with the main ship. The smaller ships would lower the main ship’s speed as much as possible, and then follow the ship down to an underwater location where they would all use the seawater to clean their ships. The sneak ships could remain underwater for long periods, though the main ship would need to land on the ocean floor after entering the atmosphere.

Narindestat turned to the patiently waiting Lieutenant Garendestat, and indicated a location on an underwater plateau to the west of the island continent.

‘Lieutenant we will land the ship on the ocean floor here, it is only half the depth of the neighboring sea floor, and the Illuria will survive the water pressure as long as the shields do not fail. Once we are on the sea floor I want the refueling and cleaning operations to start immediately. The sneak ships will hover underwater and run the water through their hulls to clean out the Voorde, paying attention to their holds.’

                                                            ***

Steve stood on the bridge wing of the Aurora Discovery with his arms around Samantha. The couple quietly enjoyed the moonlit evening breeze after dinner, and after another check of the ship status, they would call it a night. The Aurora Discovery was hove to off Geraldton with the Lotus Marai after the larger ship had experienced delays starting the loading of the live fish. Steve was later advised that they had fixed the problem and that the loading would be started again in the morning.

The couple was admiring the sky together, just enjoying each other’s closeness when Samantha commented looking at the setting moon. She was wondering if the lunar base abandoned during the epidemic would be put into operation again. Steve was just about to reply, when they were distracted by a sustained flash of light and much later a thunder rumbling from far over the south west horizon. Steve let go of Samantha and they both quickly strode onto his bridge, and as his crew looked around in consternation, he calmly spoke to the ship’s radio officer.

‘Anthony, please get a report off to the Weather Bureau, with a copy to the Geraldton Port Authority. A suspected meteor was witnessed over the south west horizon with a flash of light and a deep rumble. Report a possible water impact.’

Steve then picked up a satellite phone call from John Robertson from the Lotus Marai.

‘Steve that could have been a meteor, should we consider deeper water?’

Steve considered John’s advice urgently, and then looking at his charts briefly, he ordered both ships out into deep water. The ships would sail in a slow loop out to the eastern edge of the Abrolhos islands and be back again by the morning. Steve listened with amazement for the next few hours as other reports were received of the same event.

Apparently a ship travelling fifty kilometers off the south west coast from Perth had reported a bright light to the west sinking into the ocean and a series of enormous sonic booms.

The disconcerting thing was that US satellites had failed to pick up the meteor until it had apparently broken up into one main piece and several smaller pieces on the edge of the atmosphere. Steve knew that the American military prided themselves on finding anything bigger than a small marble in low earth orbit. As Steve viewed the information coming in that evening, Samantha fetched him a coffee and sat with him, as they quietly discussed the information with the bridge crew. After a few hours and with apparently no reports of a tsunami hitting the south west coast, Samantha and Steve had finally called it a night and then left the bridge.

                                                               ***

The Illuria began to glow a fiery red as it encountered the Earth’s atmosphere at nearly twenty times the speed of sound. The shields kept the gathering firestorm a short distance from the incredibly tough, but still vulnerable hull. The captain knew that his ship could get down in one piece even if the shields failed. However the ship could take weeks to make space worthy if too much hull damage occurred.

Captain Narindestat viewed the reports will a sense of detachment, as he had learnt that this was the best method to deal with acute stress. The sneak ships were not all performing as well as expected, the initial entry speed was too high, with the Illuria dangerously close to over-shooting the ocean target. The increased rates of ionization had caused the sneak ships to undock a bit early as their hull temperatures started to rise, and they were following the main ship down at a much slower rate. The Illuria was already weaving across the sky attempting to wash off excessive speed, and the sneak ships for their part kept well back. The two sneak ships most affected by drive problems had also briefly uncloaked as a result of the ionization. The Illuria had then uncloaked for several minutes due to the same re-entry ionization effect. The ship again banked to throw off speed and the shield temperatures finally came down to safe limits.