First Contact (Galactic Axia Adventure) (23 page)

“But doesn’t it get cramped in time?” he asked.

“I guess it depends on how you define time,” Taver answered. “I’ve been on planets so large that one day would equal a week of Maranar time, and I’ve been on others so small that a day passes before you can finish your lunch. Time is a matter of perspective and how you choose to use it, not just how long it takes a planet to rotate.”

“So when you say you’ve served on
Windrunner
for ten years, what do you base that time on?”

“All Galactic Axia ships base our calendars and duty schedules on our capital planet, Shalimar, which oddly enough is very much like Maranar.”

“Really? How so?”

“We have a standard 24-hour day instead of a 20-hour day like Maranar, and our planet orbits our sun every 360 days instead of 280 days.”  Captain Taver looked Dr. Garret up and down. “I’m guessing you’re fifty years old. Is that close?”

“Missed it by fifteen years,” the scientist answered. “I’m sixty-five.”

“You’re sixty-five Maranar time. But on Shalimar you’d only be fifty. Of course, I could be off a year or two because of the four hour differences in our days. Math never was my best subject.”

“So on Maranar, you’d be…”

“Gentlemen never discuss a lady’s age or weight,” Captain Taver said with a smile. “Either subject might get you ejected out an airlock.” Garret thought he saw the hint of a twinkle in the captain’s eyes.

“So you live onboard this ship?” Garret asked. “And you don’t find it confining?”

“
Windrunner
is nothing like your tinfoil shuttles, I assure you,” Captain Taver responded. “This ship has full amenities for me and several guests if needs be. I have my own quarters and guest accommodations as well.”

“You make this sound like some sort of space-going yacht!” he exclaimed. “This I’ve got to see.”

“Shall we begin?” Captain Taver gestured for the scientist to go ahead of her down the passageway leading back into the patroller.

Commander Tess flexed her muscles and settled into the control chair. It had been a while since she’d piloted a ship, and that had been the mothership itself. Even though the ships were essentially the same as far as controls, this little ship still felt different. The commander decided that she liked the compact feel of it. She resisted the temptation to barrel roll the ship a few times.

After almost an hour, Captain Taver and the astonished scientist returned to the control cabin. The look on the man’s face was something to behold. Commander Tess thought that she’d last seen that expression on the face of one of her grandchildren when she’d taken him to a candy store.

Reluctantly, the commander got up out of the control chair and let Captain Taver climb back in. Commander Tess went back to one of the passenger chairs and sat down next to their guest. “So, what do you think of the ship?” she asked the wide-eyed scientist.

“It’s more than I ever thought possible.”

Garret grew solemn and thoughtful. He stared out the window at the darkness of space. Tess could tell he had something on his mind but was reluctant to talk about it.

“What’s on your mind, Dr. Garret?” she asked. He didn’t know how to breach the subject that only this woman could answer. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he had to ask the question.

“These Red-tail creatures,” he began. “What are they and where do they come from? Why do they want to attack our planet? What do they want?”

Tess had expected the scientist to ask these questions long before now. Explaining the red menace was never easy, especially to someone who’d never tasted their wrath or experience the barbarism that followed in their wake.

“Red-tails are an alien species from a distant galaxy called Hadeous,” Tess answered. “They are a barbaric race of beings that hunt humans as food. They destroy whole civilizations for the simple purpose of feeding their population.

Garret sat back in his seat, not sure if he understood or even believed the words Commander Tess was saying. How could a species like this exist? He’d seen the video feed of the creature killed in the attack on the moon orbiter. It was large with red leathery skin; reptilian with a heavy forked tail. It had vestigial horns protruding from its head that made it resemble legends of devils he’d heard about as a child.

And how could they travel from one galaxy to another? He understood the concept of interplanetary travel and the expansive distances involved. He knew it would take a lifetime to travel from Maranar to their nearest star at the speeds they had available to them now much less to another galaxy.

“They travel from their galaxy by use of intergalactic transit tubes that bend time and space,” Tess answered his unasked question. “Our scientists are working on a means to detect and close the tubes before they can appear in space. But they pop up in the most unsuspecting places and deliver hundreds or even thousands of ships at one time. That’s why it’s so important to protect your planet. If even one Red-tail scout were to discover Maranar and report back to his home base, it wouldn’t be long before you’d have a whole fleet of their raiders knocking on your door. Believe me, you wouldn’t want that.”

“But we’ve never had problems with them before,” Garret said. “Why are they just now bothering us?”

Tess considered her answer. How could she explain to him that it might have been her own action against the Red-tails and the escape of several of them that had brought the menace into their solar system?

“Let’s just suffice it to say that you need our protection and we’re here to help.”

“Excuse me ma’am,” Captain Taver called from her seat.

“What is it?”

“We have company,” the captain said, nodding at the detector screen. Clearly displayed was a red line, indicating a Red-tail ship.

“Are there any other available ships that can be dispatched?” the commander asked, concern masking her voice. She hadn’t planned to engage in combat with a naive guest onboard.

“No ma’am,” Taver answered. “I already checked with the mothership and we’re the only ship close enough to intercept. Permission to engage, ma’am.”

“Granted,” the commander answered and sat back down next to the bewildered scientist.

“We have to make a detour,” she said. “We have to take care of another Red-tail ship.”

The scientist’s face grew ashen as he watched Captain Taver reach up and with nimble fingers readied the ship’s weapons.”You’re taking us into combat on a diplomatic visit?”

“The Red-tail doesn’t know it’s a diplomatic mission,” she answered. “He thinks we’re lunch!”

“Aren’t we in danger?”

“Danger is always present in the universe when Red-tails are around,” the commander replied evenly. “But to reassure you, this ship is one of the best around for this type of engagement. Taver is a pro at this, so just buckle in and enjoy the show.”

“But what if we’re destroyed,” asked the reluctant passenger.

“Then I guess our mission will have been a failure, wouldn’t it?” Commander Tess replied with a wink.

The scientist could see just a hint of mischief in her eyes.
She’s just like Taver,
he thought
. Don’t they take anything serious?

“Excuse me ma’am, but there are now three of them,” Taver said from the control chair. “I think it’s prudent that we suit up.”

“Understood.” The commander stood and unlocked the pressure suit locker. She pulled out three suits and walked back to the scientist.

“Put this on,” she ordered, all playfulness now gone from her voice. “It’s similar to pulling on a set of ordinary overalls.”

Commander Tess took her suit and demonstrated how to put it on. The scientist watched the baggy suit shrink to fit the commander. While he pulled his on, the commander went over to Captain Taver. They traded places while Taver suited up and then resumed control of her ship. Commander Tess went back to the scientist and helped him finish suiting up. He was astounded when it shrank to fit as it reacted to his body heat.

“The suits are designed to shrink to fit,” the commander said as they both sat back down and buckled in. “If there’s a pressure loss, the face plates will automatically snap shut. Be sure your fingers are clear of the face plate. Each suit can sustain the wearer for a week if necessary. It will also protect you physically, as well as from radiation.”

Looking again to the front, the scientist and the commander could see Captain Taver maneuver her ship to prepare for the engagement. Taver had a remote earphone in her ear.

“Reinforcements are on the way but they won’t be here for ten minutes,” Taver reported. The detector screen displayed the three red lines, which split up. “Standard entrapment maneuver.”

One of the lines became more intense as the Red-tail ship accelerated toward them. “Here comes the first one.” Taver rolled the ship onto its axis. The front windows filled with the Red-tail ship streaking toward them. A flash on its hull indicated that it had launched a torpedo.

“Hang on!” Taver ordered as she took evasive action. Although he clung desperately to the arms of his chair, the scientist was amazed that he didn’t feel any inertia as the ship gyrated. At the last moment, Taver twisted the ship around its axis and the torpedo missed them by mere feet. Using a small ray, Taver hit the torpedo and it exploded harmlessly in space.

“I’m going in!” she announced to her passengers. Using her superior speed, Taver rolled the ship around until she had the Red-tail in her sights. A touch of the firing button for the big ray caused the enemy ship to torch nicely, sending it spinning in flames out into deep space.

With a glance at her detector screen, Taver noted the other two ships had come around and were trying to pincer her in their crossfire. Executing a right-angle turn, she accelerated at one of them. The other Red-tail ship swung in behind them and matched their speed. When they got close enough to see the first Red-tail, Taver shoved the throttle full forward and the Red-tail swelled in the front windows.

At the last possible moment, Taver spun the axis ball and the ship dropped straight down at full acceleration. Above them they could see both Red-tails fire at almost the same instant they’d dropped. Blistering rays reached out for the now absent Axia ship and neatly engulfed the two Red-tails. Twin explosions lit up space around them as Taver scanned once more for Red-tails. Finding none, she resumed their original course back to the mothership.

“Nice work,” the commander said appreciatively. “Now I see why you’re always pushing the top of the score chart.”

“How...how many kills does she have?” the relieved scientist asked.

“Seventy-three,” Taver answered proudly.

“That’s a little taste of life out here in the universe,” Commander Tess said. “Barring any more Red-tails that want to get torched, we should arrive at the mothership in a few more minutes.”

“But why didn’t you just leave them alone and run to your mothership?” the scientist asked.

“Because we have an oath to uphold,” Captain Taver replied from the control chair. “We were the only ship available between them and Maranar. We’ve protected your planet from them for a long time and we’re not about to stop now just because you’re along for the ride.” The man looked at the commander for confirmation.

“It’s true,” Commander Tess offered. “Any one of those ships could have caused serious damage to your planet. Even though you’re not officially part of the Axia, we still consider you part of humanity and protect you accordingly. It can be dangerous out here, and until you can assume responsibility for your own defense, we’ll always be here.”

“You say you’ve been protecting us,” the scientist conjectured. “Why haven’t you contacted us?”

“Because to do so before your planet is ready socially and technologically could have adverse effects on your people and the Axia,” Commander Tess answered. “Many centuries ago, Maranar was an independent planet that traded with Galactic Axia. Through social instability, your society descended into anarchy. The Axia sadly watched while you threw yourselves backward into a dark age.”

Garret listened in disbelief. This was the first time he’d heard this put so directly. Sure there were crackpot rumors that ran similar to this but Garret had always discounted them as conjecture. In the back of his mind he started reviewing history from this viewpoint and was surprised at how many ignored pieces of evidence confirmed what he was being told.

“Since that time, you’ve gone through several technological cycles, each time making more overall progress,” the commander continued. “Even though you’ve ventured into space during a few of these cycles, this is the first time you’ve detected the Axia and come calling. We were then faced with the decision whether or not you were ready to rejoin the galaxy at large.”

“We’ve been in space before?” Garret asked.

“In fact, there are the remains of a crude base on the backside of your smallest moon. It was built over three thousand years ago but failed when planetary war prevented it from being re-supplied. The Galactic Axia watchers at that time rescued the stranded residents of that base rather than watch them die. They all decided to join the Axia rather than go back to a war-ravaged home world.”

The scientist was amazed at this unexpected revelation. “We have a base on one of our moons?”

“Yes sir,” Tess answered. “Your missions will discover it soon enough, which will open up whole new avenues of space exploration for you. Then maybe your planet can overcome its internal strife and start working together as a galactic community instead of as individual nations.”

“Do we really have a choice about rejoining the galaxy?”

“Yes you do,” Commander Tess replied. “But we won’t allow you to make an uninformed decision. That’s part of the reason for the exchange of envoys. As you’ve seen, life out here is far from idyllic. We’d be acting irresponsibly to leave you unprotected.”

“Some on my planet would say you’re coddling us,” Garret quipped. “They would demand our freedom from your protection.”

“That would make it more difficult,” Commander Tess admitted. “In cases like that, the planet would almost invariably revert to anarchy and destroy itself or be invaded by Red-tails. Our oath as your galactic neighbors would cause us to try to help your society stabilize before opening to the Axia. From that point on, you’re free to take part in galactic society or not. Several independent planets have in affect closed themselves from the galactic community and pretend we’re not out here, but we still protect them. We believe in loyalty to each other as humans.”