A Learning Experience 2: Hard Lessons (18 page)

“Yesterday,” Kevin said.  “I would have contacted you earlier, but ...”

“The Tokomak distracted everyone,” Sally said.  “They’re likely to take control of the planet, aren't they?”

“Probably,” Kevin said, absently.  “I don’t know what they’re thinking right now, beyond concerns about the war.”

Sally sighed.  It had disappointed her to discover that the Galactics were just as warlike as humans – and that some of them had been fighting a proxy war for longer than any human had been alive.  The whole war struck her as essentially pointless; neither side could score a knock-out blow, so the war would drag on indefinitely.  Surely, after several
hundred
years of fighting, the Galactics would realise the fighting wasn't getting them anywhere and come to terms?  But humans had fought wars over generations too ...

“They might want to end it completely,” she said.  “Do you think they intend to shatter the coalition?”

“It's very much a possibility,” Kevin said.  “Does Mr. Ando know anything more about their plans?”

“I couldn't tell you, if he did,” Sally said.  She liked Kevin – he was nicer than some of the other visitors she’d taken out for dinner – but she’d signed an agreement with the information broker.  “You’d have to pay for it.”

Kevin winked.  “I could buy you dinner?”

“Try buying Mr. Ando dinner,” Sally countered.  The thought was enough to make her stomach heave.  “But you’d find him an uncomfortable dining partner.  He eats his food live.”

“I’ve seen worse,” Kevin said. 

“Really?”  Sally asked.  “How many alien worlds have you visited?”

Kevin made a show of counting on his fingers.  “Thirty-seven,” he said, finally.  “Several more than once, so if we counted each visit separately I’d have ...”

“Thirty-seven,” Sally cut him off.  “And did you explore the entire planet, each time?”

“Of course not,” Kevin said.  “But I did make time to visit more than just the tourist traps.”

He paused in contemplation.  “About the weirdest thing I saw was a race that was made entirely out of rock,” he added, after a moment.  “They moved so slowly it was hard to see them as anything other than oddly-shaped statues.  I could ask one of them a question, then return in a few days to hear the answer.”

“I remember them,” Sally said.  “Well, I’ve heard about them.”

She coloured.  Mr. Ando had taught her much, seemingly for his own enjoyment.  The rock-creatures kept mainly to their homeworld, if only because they were at a considerable disadvantage in dealing with the quicker races.  But they were smarter than they looked – and dangerous too.  There were strange tales about what happened to people who managed to annoy one of the largely-emotionless creatures.  Maybe it was just a coincidence, but there was no large colony of off-worlders on their homeworld.

“Not the weirdest thing I’ve heard about,” Kevin said.  “You must have some fantastic stories to tell.”

“Maybe I’ll write an autobiography one day,” Sally said.  She leaned forward, then hesitated.  There had been no time for emotional involvement before, not when the few men – and women – she met had left the following day, sometimes without saying goodbye.  Kevin was the only one who’d come back.  “How long are you going to be staying?”

“Maybe a week,” Kevin said.  “My ship’s captain is currently trying to sell some Maple Syrup to the Galactics.”

Sally had to laugh.  Maple Syrup was an old joke, a term for something that had only a handful of potential buyers.  There
were
Galactics who enjoyed foodstuffs from Earth ... but there were thousands more who were utterly indifferent to human foods, or could simply program their replicators to duplicate anything they might have wanted to eat.  Kevin’s captain might have bought a white elephant, something he couldn't sell and yet couldn't simply abandon.  It was never easy to
know
what would sell.

“If it was real, I’d think about buying some,” she said.  “Or is it something particularly unlike food?”

“Mainly pieces of art,” Kevin said.  “I doubt they’ll sell.”

***

Not entirely to Kevin’s surprise, one thing led to another and so it was nearly midnight by the time he was able to sit up and inspect the chip.  When he did, he almost swore out loud.  The Tokomak were moving faster than anyone had expected, certainly faster than past experience had led him to suspect.  They would be sending the squadron to Hades within the week, then start scouting nearby star systems.  There wouldn't be much time to work.

He looked down at Sally’s sleeping form, then cursed under his breath.  If only he dared interrogate her openly!  But he didn’t; she was smart, perceptive and working for an alien with uncertain loyalties.  Shaking his head, he reached for a terminal and started to type out a message for the ship’s crew.  It was time to start planning their departure.

And if they were lucky, he told himself, they could reach their destination before the Tokomak squadron had left Varnar for good.

Chapter Eighteen

Panic is sweeping through China following an ‘accident’ at a nuclear power plant that released clouds of radiation into a river.  Local government officials were quick to deny that anything was actually wrong, but datanet reports and rumours spread rapidly, aided by the fact that no one believed a word the government said.  Troops are reportedly being rushed to the area to prevent refugees from spreading panic further ...

-Solar News Network, Year 53

If there were two things Yolanda had discovered about Captain Singh, they were that he was both a good and demanding commander.  He knew how to command a starship – he’d served in the Solar Navy for over thirty years – and, at the same time, he understood the limits of his people.  Yolanda had been worried about the Captain showing favouritism or other forms of discrimination, but instead he seemed to judge his crew purely on merit.  It hadn’t saved her from more than a few chewing outs, when she’d screwed up, yet they had all been deserved. 

And I learned from the experience
, she thought, as she studied the sensor display.  The Captain and the XO had moved the new officers around from department to department, making sure they had a good grasp of
all
the stations.  Sensors weren't as exciting as either the helm or the tactical systems, but they were important. 
I never made the same mistakes twice
.

She frowned as an icon blinked into life on the display. 
Freedom
was patrolling an uninhabited system thirty-seven light years from Earth, a system that was almost completely worthless without a great deal of expensive terraforming.  There was no reason to expect anyone to join them out here, so far from any inhabited world, and yet the sensors were picking up a starship approaching at FTL speeds.  It was possible, she told herself, that the crew were just taking a shortcut, but their course would take them right towards the system.

“Captain,” she said.  “I have an unknown contact approaching the system at FTL speeds.  They will enter the system in thirty minutes.”

Captain Singh stood and walked over to her console.  “Show me,” he ordered.  “Can you identify the ship?”

“No, sir,” Yolanda said.  “The drive signature is too common to isolate the exact make and model of starship.”

“Unsurprising,” the Captain mused.  He turned his head to face the tactical console.  “Sound yellow alert, Commander, and take us into cloak.  I don’t want to be detected out here.”

“Aye, sir,” Commander Gregory said.  There was a pause, then a drumbeat echoed through the ship.  “Cloaking device engaged.”

“Good,” the Captain said.  He strode back to his command chair and sat down.  “Ensign, continue to monitor the signature and inform me if anything changes.”

Yolanda nodded, thinking hard.  The Captain hadn't seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of the unknown starship, which meant ...
what
?  Coming to think of it, why was
Freedom
so far from Earth?  Her shakedown cruise could have taken place in the solar system, where help was available if something went badly wrong.  Could it be, she asked herself, that the Captain had
known
they were likely to encounter an unknown starship?  Was it a planned rendezvous?

She pushed the thought aside as the unknown ship swept closer.  There was no way she dared ask, even if she thought she’d get a reply.  The Captain would reprimand her for asking the wrong questions, while the XO would assign her to life support or waste disposal duties.  Instead, she watched her console and waited to see what would happen.  Thirty minutes later, the unknown starship dropped out of FTL and coasted forward.

“A small freighter,” she reported.  “A standard Class-XXI design, but there are glitches with her power curves that suggest she’s been modified heavily.”

“So she has,” the Captain said.  “Transmit a standard greeting.”

Yolanda blinked.  “Sir?”

“Transmit a standard greeting,” the Captain repeated, patiently.  “I’ve been expecting them.”

“Aye, sir,” Yolanda said.  Sending the message would ensure they were detected, but if the Captain was expecting guests, it didn't matter.  “Signal sent.”

There was a long pause.  “They’re replying, sir,” Yolanda said.  “The message is for your eyes only.”

“Noted,” the Captain said.  “Drop the cloak, then prepare to take on guests.  XO, you have the bridge.”

“Aye, Captain,” Commander Gregory said.  “I have the bridge.”

***

Kevin couldn't help being impressed by
Freedom
, even if she was tiny compared to some of the giant battleships he’d seen in orbit around Varnar.  She was long and graceful, like a hunting eagle, bristling with weapons and advanced sensors.  If Mongo – and Keith Glass – were correct, she could even take on a Galactic starship several times her size and win.  But there was no way to be sure.  The Solar Navy had been careful to avoid unnecessary engagements with the Galactics.

Can’t let them see everything we have too soon
, he thought. 
They have enough starships to trade a thousand for one and still win
.

“Remain here,” he ordered Captain Vanern.  “I’ll signal once we know what we’re doing.”

He sent a teleport beacon to
Freedom
before Jean could object.  Moments later, he closed his eyes as he felt the teleport field shimmering into existence around him, a faintly unpleasant tingle that intensified to an almost unbearable degree, then faded away into nothingness.  He opened his eyes and saw
Freedom’s
teleport chamber.  Compared to the old freighter, it looked incredibly advanced.

But we put a lot of effort into making our ships look good
, he thought, as Captain Singh stepped forward. 
We want to impress people with our sophistication.

“Welcome onboard,” Captain Singh said.  “I understand that you have codes for me?”

Kevin nodded, then activated his implant and transmitted a stream of ID codes to the Captain, who checked them against his sealed orders.  Captain Singh had been given strict orders to open one set of orders as soon as he reached his designated patrol area, then to hold the other set until he received the correct authorisation from Kevin.  It was a cumbersome system, one Kevin had feared would break down when put into practice, but it had worked. 

Barely
, he thought.  The data Mr. Ando had provided was worrying.  They might have less time than he'd feared. 
Something could still go wrong
.

“You can open your second set of orders now, Captain,” he said.  “And then I have data for you.”

The Captain led him through a maze of corridors and into a large cabin, guarded by a single armed Marine.  Kevin wondered, darkly, if the Captain feared assassination or if having the Marine there was merely meant to underline his importance, then sat down and waited as the Captain opened his safe and retrieved the second set of orders.  It was good to see the Captain hadn't tried to open them ahead of time, even though Kevin knew Captain Singh was regarded as a trustworthy officer.  In the Captain’s place,
Kevin
would have been sorely tempted. 

But then, you always liked knowing things
, he told himself. 
And sometimes that blew up in your face
.

“My God,” Captain Singh said.  “Is this serious?”

“Yes,” Kevin said, flatly.

The Captain turned to face him, clearly shocked.  Kevin didn't really blame him.  Covert operations didn’t sit well with most officers, at least the ones outside the Special Operations community.  Being told to carry out such a mission had to gall him.  And then there was the simple fact that the Solar Union was about to do something that might well start a war with the single most powerful race known to exist.

“You want me to capture a Tokomak ship?”

“Yes, Captain,” Kevin said.  “Or destroy it, if it proves impossible to capture.”

“And to destroy my own ship if we are threatened with capture,” Captain Singh continued.  “Are you – they – out of their minds?”

“The orders are genuine,” Kevin said.  The Captain would have checked, of course; the orders contained the e-signatures of the President, Mongo and Keith Glass.  “And yes, there is no choice.  We need to know how powerful they are before they hurl a thousand ships at Earth.”

He sighed.  “Your orders won’t have gone into detail, Captain,” he added, “but we’re on the brink of war.”

Captain Singh listened as he outlined the situation.  “I see,” he said, when Kevin had finished and looked at him expectantly.  “I will, of course, carry out my orders.”

“Good,” Kevin said.

“But I want to know
precisely
how you think I can capture a Tokomak ship,” Captain Singh added.  “I would prefer not to charge into the teeth of an entire battle squadron.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Kevin said.  He opened his implants, then transmitted the data he’d obtained from Mr. Ando into the Captain’s secure datacore.  “The Tokomak will be moving their battle squadron to Hades, then inspecting the nearby star systems for signs of trouble.  You will have ample opportunity to ambush one of their ships in those systems and then taking it in tow.  If, of course, an entire battlefleet should happen to arrive instead, you are perfectly free to abandon the operation.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the Captain muttered.  “You do realise this could start the war at once?”

“The war has already begun,” Kevin said.  “Captain, the Tokomak have
noticed
us.  If they had half the vigour of the human race, their battleships would already be bombarding Earth into submission.  We don’t have time to wait for them to swing a fist at Earth, not when they outgun us so badly.  The only hope is to lure them into making mistakes, mistakes that will open opportunities for us to deliver a crushing blow. 
There is no choice
!”

“I understand that,” Captain Singh said.  He started to pace his cabin, then stopped.  “What do you and your ship intend to do?”

“Watch from a safe distance,” Kevin said, frankly.  “I would not expect to hold tactical command on the bridge of your ship.”

“Good,” Captain Singh said.  He smiled, suddenly.  “What would you do if we lost?”

“Remain under cloak until the Tokomak piss off, then slip back to Earth,” Kevin said, bluntly.  “I won’t mince words, Captain.  You cannot allow
Freedom
to fall into their hands.”

“I know,” the Captain said. 

He cocked his head, sending a command to the room’s processor.  A holographic star chart appeared in front of them, showing the star systems surrounding Hades.  Five of them were marked as inhabited, possessing inconvenient witnesses; the remainder were uninhabited, almost certainly deemed unimportant.  The Tokomak would scan them though, Kevin was sure.  They simply weren't imaginative enough to ignore rules created when they’d been a thrusting innovative race, bent on making their mark on the galaxy.

Their ancestors would be turning in their graves, if they were in their graves
, Kevin thought wryly. 
An empire that makes Alexander the Great look like a piker, rule over hundreds of other races, trillions of intelligent races bending the knee ... but look at what they’ve become!

It was a sobering thought.  There were Tokomak alive who could remember the days before their empire.  But near-immortality had only ossified their thought patterns, leaving them unable to react, quickly and decisively, to any new threat.  A war against a race on the same scale, if such a race existed, would be fatal.  They simply didn’t have the ability to recognise a shift in the balance of power. 

Took them long enough to notice us
, Kevin thought. 
But is this what we will become, in time?

He’d wondered – and worried – about it, time and time again.  If the older humans remained alive well past the biblical three score years and ten, what would it do to human society?  The Solar Union, at least, had strict term limits for politicians ... but
only
for politicians.  Would corporations ossify if their founders never died, never passed their powers to successors ... or would the children of corporate magnates
remain
children, never able to inherit power or wealth from parents who remained firmly alive.  Would the Stuart Family always be dominated by Steve, Mongo and Kevin?  It was a daunting thought.