The Stars Came Back (17 page)

Helton: Huh? What’s AI got to do with ship design?

Stenson: They put high-end AI’s on some of the early ships as backup. Can you imagine a fully-aware AI doing a real
time fact check of every statement a politician or general made against every previous statement and a fully integrated database of law and statistical data? The AI ships
would
go crazy, and might decide to shoot them all. Some say that’s why the third Chi-Stan war was so deadly, and manmade weapons that deadly scared the politicians more than any unknown weapons the Planet Movers might have. So, no AIs, carrier model to enhance bureaucratic inefficiency and help out their friends the admirals and generals, also known as “politicians in training.”

Helton: Sounds like you’re talking deep conspiracy stories. But, it makes as much sense as anything else. Maybe if you ever get it fully operational, I’ll just have to ask it.

Kaminski: You do that. In the meantime, something much more important: who’s buying the next round?

FADE TO BLACK

Ghosts

F
ADE IN

INT
- NIGHT - Helton’s cabin

Low angle camera shot with his desk in the foreground in dim light and bunk in the background. On the desk is the medallion that the monk gave him. Helton
lies in bed under a light blanket. He tosses and turns, eyes closed.

Ship AI: (OC, very quiet, ghostly tone) The monks at the abbey on Eridani. Go to the monks of Possenti on Eridani. You need the monks. The monks of Possenti need the news… The monks of St
. Possenti on Eridani-

Helton sits bolt upright, eyes wide. He looks around, confusion on his face. Looking unsettled, he lays back down and tries to return to sleep.

DISSOLVE TO

INT - DAY - Officers’ Mess

Helton and Lag sit eating breakfast.

Lag: What’s on your schedule for the next few days?

Helton: Not much. Stenson and his crew seem to be keeping a good handle on repairs and training, spending what’s left of my money with abandon. Harbin and his guys are busy with the recruits and training. Kat is helping straighten out some of the legal kinks in the ownership title on the ship. Likely help Allonia with the cooking more t
han anything else. Trying to prepare food for even two dozen is a full-time job, and she likes to do it well. Getting a bit overwhelmed. If we get many more guys here, we’ll need to hire someone.

Lag: Want to take a trip?

Helton: Maybe. Where ‘n’ why?

Lag: Eridani to-

Helton: (Surprised) Eridani?

Lag: Is that a problem?

Helton: Don’t think so, just… You were saying?

Lag: I need someone to courier some messages there.

Helton: Why not just beam it to a message drone?

Lag: We usually send orders an
d important items via couriers. We assume electronics are compromised when sending sensitive data. It’s only slightly slower than FTL message drones, and can serve to do other things as well. I’m pretty sure no one will steal your ship while you are away.

Helton: Yeah, I think so. Stenson wanted some parts from Eridani, and there is some personal business I need to take care of there, too.

Lag: Excellent! There is a passenger liner leaving tomorrow. I can provide you with official courier credentials to help with security. Makes you a sort of low level military diplomatic attaché.

Helton: That
would be nice, since I’m officially without citizenship
anywhere
right now.

FADE TO BLACK

F
ADE IN

EXT - N
IGHT - Orbital Transfer Station

A large transfer station in orbit about
five AUs from a star has a number of various ships attached to it: blocky, non-aerodynamic deep-space-only freighters, haulers, and passenger liners, as well as the much more streamlined, smaller atmospheric-capable ships used for ferrying between ground-based ports and orbital stations. It’s busy, with large ships arriving and leaving slowly, and several smaller private ships zipping around.

CUT TO

INT - DAY
– Orbital Transfer Station lounge

Bipasha sits at a small table by herself, eyes on tabletop
screen, scanning the news and sipping a drink. Helton walks by, then suddenly backs up, and stares for a moment as if to make sure he’s not seeing things.

Helton: Bipasha!

Bipasha: Helton? Helton! What brings you by here? I thought you were headed for Niven?

Helton: I was. I got kind of sidetracked. What brings
you
here?

Helton takes a seat across from Bipasha at the table.

Bipasha: Business, mostly. Scouting some merchandise for my uncle, and visiting some friends. The business is boring beyond belief, but it does let me get out occasionally. You? Business for your sister you talked about?

Helton: Yes and no. Business, but for myself.

Bipasha: I’d
love
to be in business for myself! The challenges, getting to make my own decisions, not just sitting at a desk or running errands!

Helton: Well I’m not just sitting behind a desk,
that’s
for sure. I own a starship now.

Bipasha: (
Impressed) That
is
quite a move up from an unemployed and homeless teacher.

Helton: Yes, and as soon as we get it flying, we-

Bipasha: It’s grounded?

Helton: At the moment. I’m going to Eridani for parts.

Bipasha: So, it’s not really a starship? More of a… money pit?

Helton: Well, it
is
costing a lot of money to-

Bipasha: Weren’t you almost broke?

Helton: I was, but after we freed ourselves from the pirates, we-

Bipasha: (
Now very skeptically) Pirates? Now you are fighting pirates?

Helton: (
Very matter of fact) That’s what I’d call people who hijack your ship, gas you, and dump you in the desert to for their entertainment. So, after we-

Bipasha: (
Incredulous, changing to exasperated) Dumped in a desert for…? Can you stick to a single story long enough to be believable? Homeless teacher I believed. A starship,
maybe
. Next, you’ll be telling me you are a diplomat on a secret mission!

Helton: Well, the ID says diplomat, but I’m really just a c
ourier, and it’s not so much a secret mission as one of mutual convenience…

Helton
’s voice fades into silence as Bipasha looks at him with a look of angry disbelief on her face.

Bipasha: (
With increasing anger) … Got a jailbreak any time in the last three weeks, too? Find an ancient artifact? Maybe a showdown with the mob? Stick to something realistic, like-like-like… finding an exciting job for a friend!

Helton: (
Sort of apologetically) -Well… technically, we didn’t wind up
in
the prison mine, so we couldn’t really break
out
, and it wasn't so much a showdown as -

Bipasha gets up and stalks away. Camera
pans to follow her leaving, then pans back to Helton.

Helton: (
To himself) Smooth. Really smooth… They don’t want you to lie, but they can’t handle the truth.

Camera view closes in on him, and he sits back, takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly as he slumps down in his seat, closes his eyes for a quiet moment of frustration. He sits for a long moment, resting, trying to be Zen.

Kwon: (OC) Helton?

Helton’s eyes pop open, and he sits up and looks around. Camera pulls back, and nearby stands Kwon, tray of drinks in one hand, serving drinks two tables over, looking at him in amazement.

Helton: What are
you
doing here?

Kwon finishes placing the drinks and hurries over and
furtively sits where Bipasha has just been.

Kwon: Working. Things started getting crazy, and we had to get out. Was accused of smuggling, and all kin
ds of criminal conspiracy stuff. What the hell was up with them calling you a felon? Barely made it this far, and ran out of money.

Helton: We?

Kwon: The family. Me, Sar, John and Julia, the granddaughter. Don’t know anyone else that made it this far.

Helton: Oh, that’s terrible. I mean, it’s good you got out, but-

Kwon: We sent word in a couple of directions, but things happened so fast, and we heard that some of the message drones got hit.

Helton: How long…
?

Kwon: Ah… wow, it’s only been three days since we got here. (
Shakes his head at the thought) Crazy. More refugees come in every ship.
Wild
stories. Not sure where we go from here.

Helton stares at him with a look of realization and growing excitement.

Helton: I do!

Kwon: So what’re
you
doing here?

Helton: (
Talking fast and excitedly, with a lot of energy and hand waving) Long story. Fill you in later. I’ve got a ship to catch in (looks at wall clock)… thirteen minutes. Here’s the plan. I’m buying the five of you tickets on the next hop to Adelaide. Looks like there is one in… (looks at flight reader board) about nine hours. Get everyone packed, and GET ON IT. At the spaceport in Adelaide, ask for directions to pad D9. Tell them you are there to cook for the ship. D9. You used to cook on a ship in the Navy, cruiser wasn’t it?

Kwon: That was a long time ago, and what ship-

Helton: The
Tajemnica
. No, the
Dutchman
. No… never mind. Like I said, I’ll explain later. I’ll send a message so they expect you.

Kwon
: But… what? They? WHO? You can’t-

Helton: Later. Things are crazy
, I know! Tell Allonia you’re there to take over kitchen duties, she’ll be thrilled. Pay will likely be shit for a while, but you’ll get free room and board, and a
killer
security detachment.

Kwon: Allonia? Who? You are,
I don’t know what to say, I mean, so fast…

Kwon gets a smile on his face by now, Helton’s enthusiasm and excitement is so infectious.

Helton: Just glad to be able to return a favor. Not trying to save the world, just make my little corner of it better! I’ll send you a message as soon as I book your tickets from aboard my liner. Finish your shift, collect your pay, and
be on that flight
! Oh, and I heard that SGT Kaushik likes hot food; see what you can do for him! Gotta run! Have a good flight, and see you soon, my friend!

Helton leaves Kwon staring a
fter him as he rushes off, coattails flying, down the corridor and through the crowd to catch his flight to Eridani.

FADE TO BLACK

Space Colonel

FADE IN

INT
- DAY - Starship liner dining room

Hel
ton sits at a table with a half dozen other passengers. Dinner is being served. A couple of tables over near the door, Bipasha is also being served, studiously ignoring him. At her table seem to be a collection of dignitaries, with fancy clothes and a couple in some sort of uniform. Light Bollywood-bluegrass music plays in the background, and there is chatter filling the air as well. A uniformed ship’s officer comes into the room, looks about, walks by Bipasha and goes up to Helton. He leans forward to whisper into his ear.

Purser
: Helton Strom?

Helton: Yes?

Purser: If you could please come with me; the Captain would like an urgent word with you.

Helton stands up and follows him out of the room. As they pass Bipasha’s seat, Helton leans over to whisper to her
.

Helton: (
Deadpan) Captain wants me. Very important.

Bipasha glares at him for a moment, then turns back to her meal and ignores him as he walks away.

CUT TO

INT - DAY - Starliner passageway

They are w
alking down a small, faded, worn looking passage. The Purser and Helton walk side by side. The purser is nervous.

Purser: You are a Plataean Diplomatic military
attaché, yes?

Helton: Sort of, technically, yes.

Purser: Attached to the Plataean military advisory on Newoz?

Helton: Only temporarily, in a manner of speaking.

Purser: We have a situation, and you are the only active military or diplomatic representative on board, so the Captain would like to consult with you before doing anything final.

Helton: I’m not sure if I’m really qualified to-

Purser: I’m sure he’d value
any
ideas you might have. And
please
don’t tell any of the passengers about this.

Helton: About
what
?

Purser: I’d best let the captain explain, sir.

CUT TO

INT - DAY - Starliner bridge

A spacious command center with a half dozen seated personnel
and a couple more standing. The captain sits in the large central command chair. He’s a large, bearded man who could be imposing if he wanted to, but now looks worried. He rises and shakes Helton’s hand as he approaches.

Liner Capt: Mr
. Strom, glad you came.

Helton:
What’s going on?

Liner Capt: A short while ago, one of our sensor techs picked up an odd sign
al. Our thermals and some other sensors are down, and on the wavelengths we
can
get it’s very faint, and it looks like it might be a ship running silent.

Helton: Why-

Liner Capt: It looks to be on an intercept course.

Helton:
…I see. So what do you want me to do about it?

Liner Capt: You know about military matters, and the Plataeans are notorious in their fighting effectiveness, so I
thought I should consult with you before I did anything…

Helton: I’m not sure if you have the right person, but…
how long to intercept?

Scanner Tech:
About an hour and a half.

Helton: Can you put a trajectory diagram onscreen?

Scanner Tech: Yes, sir. There.

A position diagram with a pair of converging arcs pop up on the main screen.

Helton: How long until we can transition to FTL?

Captain: About two hours.

Helton: So anything that even delays them should help… Hmmmm… Looks like they are coming in from outside, so if we veer away, we go down that gas giant grav-well, so then they have more time to catch us. Relative acceleration?

Scanner Tech: They look to have about twice our legs.

Helton: Working a good plan. Do you have anything specific on board that they might be after?

Liner captain: Ahem… uh…

Purser: A shipment of Plataean goods in sealed containers, which is why we thought of you. We thought
you
might know about it.

Helton: OK, that might complicate things. Any ship-to-ship weapons?

Liner Capt: Oh,
no
, of course not! Our insurance policy prohibits weapons!

Helton: Based on my experience, I’d say that a good defense is worth more than a paper policy.

Liner Capt: But we cannot violate the terms of our insurance contract!

Helton: Leaving you stuck with asking
me
for help. Great. Juuuust great.

Helton looks around the bridge. Everyone seems to be studiously watching screens or going about their work, except one
Nervous Guy watching him out of the corner of his eye. Helton bites his lip and looks at everyone closely. They all have perfectly fitting uniforms, except Nervous Guy, tugging at his a bit to adjust it.

Helton: Any other cargo of note, or crew changes recently?

Liner Capt: All pretty ordinary, and we always have a few newer crew members, it seems.

Helton: Any new techs or bridge crew?

Purser: Just him (points to Nervous Guy).

Helton: Who’s the com
tech?

A middle
-aged woman off to the side raises her hand.

Helton: How tight a beam, and what kind of power can you put on him?

ComTech: Narrowest beam is an arcsecond. We could pump that up to about four kilowatts.

Helton:
That
ought’a warm their coffee. Good… can you aim well enough to nail him center beam?

Com
Tech: Maybe, sir. No problem if we widen to two or three arcseconds.

Helton: Do that. But no missiles or beam weapons?

Liner Capt: Nothing but anti-debris micro-lasers.

Helton: Well, then, I guess we’ll have to go with plan A. Which is a long shot, but it’s the only plan that comes to mind.
Get security in here and watch him (nods to Nervous Guy), make sure he doesn’t touch
anything
until I get back. I’d quietly post security anyplace with access to the air system, in pairs that don’t normally work together, too.

Helton turns and
strides off the bridge.

CUT TO

INT - DAY - Starship liner dining room

Helton enters and heads for the table where Bipasha sits, the Purser right behind him. Helton walks up to two well dressed people with fancy clothes, a man and woman. The man wears a sash with several medals on it. She has a very nice flashy star-and-cross broach. The next man over has a high-peaked cap with an impressive insignia and decorative aiguillette. Bipasha glares silently at him.

Helton: I’m really terribly sorry to bother you, but a situation has come up and I really need your help for just a few minutes. Could you three come with us, please?

Rich Lady: Is there a problem?

Helton: No, not really, but
it’s… complicated. It’ll just take a few minutes of your time.

Purser: If you could help us out, I’m sure the Captain would be ever so grateful.

Sash Man: A favor for the captain? Certainly!

They get up, and walk out with Helton and the Purser
.

CUT TO

Starliner
bridge

Helton walks in, now dressed
in the sash, dress jacket, aiguillette, flashy broach placed as a medal, and peaked cap, looking for all the world like a serious military man. The captain looks at him in surprise.

Helton: Still have a fix on them?

ComTech: Yes, sir.

Helton: OK. I want you to put the beam on them, start at low power and ramp up fast to full. Then, put me on the beam, so they can see me and only me on their screens.

ComTech: Yes, sir. Ramping up now.

Helton sits down in the
captain’s chair, looking at the main screen.

Com
Tech: Full power now. If they didn’t fry everything, they’ll see you…
now
.

Helton: (
Tough-guy voice and attitude) This is Space Colonel Strom, of the Plataean 3rd Expeditionary Force, to the unidentified ship. We can see you are on an intercept course. Either change course, NOW, or I’ll be forced to have the space marines on board break out the hardware that you are after, load them into the message drone launch tubes, and give you an up close and personal view of what a ten kiloton detonation looks like. It’s not
just
expensive food down there, as you well know.

Nothing appears on the screen but the image of blank space.
Nervous Guy starts looking REALLY nervous.

Helton: Your inside guy here on the bridge gave up where you are, and I’m sure he’ll soon be giving us enough details to make sure we don’t have to launch many at you before we score a hit.

Nervous Guy: NO! I didn’t SAY ANYTHING! I never told THEM anything!

Liner Capt: Security! Take him.

Helton: (To nervous guy) I’ve dealt with pirates before. The
only
way you live is to keep talking fast, and NOW.

Nervous guy: No, I mean YES, I don’t-

Helton: (To liner captain) Either they change course, or we burn ‘em.

Helton makes a
vicious throat-cutting sign to the com tech for her to end the transmission.

The com tech signals that she has cut it.

Liner Capt: You are shipping weapons without TELLING us?!

Helton: I have absolutely
no
idea what’s in the hold, captain. But it’s something they wanted, unless they are after the ship and passengers, which they now think they can’t take without a fight.

Liner Capt: So you really don’t have weapons, and we
’re defenseless?

Helton: I
don’t
k
now
what’s in the hold. I was bluffing, hoping they veer off. If they don’t, at least we don’t have this guy to trigger gas and knock us all out. Tell every crew member on board to get paranoid, and report
anything
. If they
do
latch on, we’ll have to fight them with whatever you DO have, but at least we now have an hour warning.

Scanner Tech: Looks like they are altering course. Yes, definitely pulling G’s away.

There is much general celebration on the bridge, and two security guys haul Nervous Guy away.

Liner Capt: Thank you, THANK you, Mr
. Strom! But PLEASE don’t say anything to the passengers. I don’t want them to get scared and panic, or drive up our insurance rates.

Helton looks at the captain, a blank look on his face. He shakes his head,
pivots and walks out.

DISSOLVE TO

INT - DAY - Starship liner dining room

Helton walks in with the other three people from Bipasha’s table, and they are chatting and seemingly in good spirits. Helton looks a bit brighter as well.

Sash Guy: (
Cheerful) Not at all, not at all, happy to help out!

Helton: Thanks again for everything. I hope the rest of your trip is enjoyable, too!

As he goes past her, he leans over and whispers into Bipasha’s ear.

Helton: (
With mock seriousness) Don’t worry, I told the pirates I was a Plataean Colonel, and they should leave or I’d nuke ‘em, so they pulled high G’s away. We’re all safe now. You can thank me later.

Bipasha stares at him with a confused, angry look as he smiles, stands up, and walks back to his table, whistling happily to himself, hands in his pockets, as if the universe
is just a dandy place.

FADE TO BLACK

Irregular

FADE IN

INT - DAY - Eridani Parts Depot Office

Helton is in a modest office which is cluttered with various machine parts, electronics, shelves, and ship-related oddments. There are two desks but only one is occupied, a young man in plain clothes eyeing the e-reader in his hands. Helton sits opposite.

Parts Clerk: This is an unusual list.

Helton: It’s just things I need to fix my ship.

Parts Clerk: M
any of them are flagged as restricted items.

Helton: Meaning?

Parts Clerk: Well, we have them, but they are only for transfer to military authorized personnel because they are being pulled off decommissioned military ships. I’m going to have to ask about this.