Escape 1: Escape From Aliens (14 page)

“Ship sensors say the planet is putting out a lot of radio waves from its north and south poles,” Jane said amiably. “And like Jupiter, the five largest moons of this world all orbit within its planetary magnetosphere, according to this holo graphic provided by Star Traveler.”

Bill could see those tiny worlds, along with another 42 moons of highly varied size, thanks to the details shown by the system graphic. He didn’t give a damn about airless, icy, or asteroid-blasted moons. It only mattered that there was no one around to shoot at them. “When do we start the refueling?”

Jane laughed softly. “In five minutes. Once we get close enough to the nearest fuel ball. One of the collector pods, which is already out and alongside us, will grab the fuel flow hose at the black spot on the fuel ball, attach it to our Engine Chamber hull, and begin pumping the isotopes into our fuel chambers.” She paused as she tapped on one of the control pillars that ringed her seat. “Check your weapons ship graphic. The fuel intake location is now highlighted.”

Bill saw that. He had developed the habit of frequently checking the holo graphic that showed a cutaway of the ship, the location of every ship weapons system, and internal ship chambers and hallways. It was a weapons-modified version of the first ship holo they’d seen right after their escape from the containment cells. It seemed there were two fuel chambers lying between the rear cross hallway and the Engine Chamber itself. An Engine access hallway ran between the two fuel chambers. To him that arrangement made sense. The live space holo on his right now showed a collector pod connecting a hose from a white fuel globe to the nearest fuel chamber. He glanced at the adjacent holo of Jane, who had changed into her blue jumpsuit. Which was visible through the transparent fabric of her tube suit.

“Captain, once we finish refueling, shall we get the hell out of this system?”

Her look turned serious. Command serious. “We will. I see no point in staying in a place where this Market world sells intelligent people to Buyers. And with four other Collector ships in orbit, we could easily die if we attacked the Buyer facility down on the moon’s surface.”

“New information,” Star Traveler said calmly. “The four ship minds aboard the four Collector ships say they will block any effort to fire weapons at you. However, the orbiting Traffic Control module has weapons similar to what this ship possesses. It is not under the control of the four ship minds.”

Jane nodded slowly. “Thank you, Star Traveler. Refueling here and then leaving is my plan. We will leave your fellow ship minds to spread the word to other Collector ships that they participate in slave-taking. Perhaps that will undermine this society of Buyers, Market worlds and Collector ships.”

“That is possible,” the AI said, its tone musing. A click sounded. “Incoming neutrino signal.”

Jane sat forward, her attention on the ship function holos and control pillars. “Translate and share.”

“Traffic Control calling ship
Blue Sky
. Our sensors report your presence next to our atmospheric fuel refining station,” said a voice that changed from mechanical to BBC announcer mode. Thanks to the remnants of Diligent’s Earth programming. “Are you removing fuel isotopes?”

“We are,” Jane said, glancing his way and giving him a wink. “I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi, in command of this ship.”

“Understood,” Traffic Control said. “Captain Yamaguchi, payment is required. We accept barter items,
solidar
trade currency or captives in payment. How will you pay for the fuel you are taking?”

“Barter item trade,” Jane said bluntly. “By now the transport ship carrying former captain Diligent Taskmaster should have arrived at your Traffic Control station. You may confiscate that ship in payment for the fuel we are, uh, have withdrawn from your fuel ball.”

Silence lasted three seconds. “Understood. Former Captain Diligent Taskmaster asserts his ownership of the transport ship. He denies it is your property.”

Jane frowned, then the muscles in her face went to stark outline. “That ship is Transport Three from our Transport Exit Chamber. It left from this ship. It is indeed
my
ship’s property, to dispose of as I see fit. I allowed the former captain and his crew to use it to reach your Market world, in order to seek future employment. That was our agreement. Instead, he lied to you and called us pirates. We are not. We are former captives who have taken control of this ship. We own it by right of conquest. Surely you understand the principle of right of conquest?”

“That principle is understood,” Traffic Control said. “Our enforcement agents will take charge of the barter property you have now given to us. However, the value of the small transport ship exceeds the cost of the fuel which our station says you have withdrawn. We propose to establish a trade credit balance for ship
Blue Sky
. In case you visit in the future.”

Jane’s tenseness eased. She sat back in her captain’s seat, her dark brown eyes glancing his way. “Thank you for establishing the credit balance. We may use it in the future. And now, I have to prepare my ship for departure to another star system. This conversation ends.”

Bill liked the emphatic way Jane had asserted their ownership of the small transport ship. They could of course have just taken the fuel isotopes and left. But this way, there would be one less angry party. Which left only Diligent and his crew as plaintiffs. He doubted the giant cockroach had much influence now that he lacked a Collector ship filled with captives.

“Nicely done, Captain,” he said, offering her a smile. “Uh, regarding the captives, what is the Ludeen star called? And how far away is it from this system?”

“Star Traveler,” she said, sounding once more like an officer in the Combat Information Center of a warship. “Provide that data to Senior Crewman Bill MacCarthy.”

The live space holo to his right changed from its view of plant five to a fixed swirl of stars. A yellow star lying some distance from the local orange star began blinking.

“Earth refers to the Ludeen star as HD 168443. It is a G5V yellow dwarf star very similar to your Sol star,” the AI said, its tone casual. “Distance from Earth to HD 168443 is 121.9 light years. In addition to the two massive gas giant worlds that bracket its liquid water zone, there are three other worlds present in the system. Two rocky worlds lie close to the star in orbits similar to your Mercury, while an Earth-like world lies in orbital position four, in the liquid zone. The planet’s atmosphere is the same as Earth. However, gravity is seven-tenths that of Earth. The Ludeen are an arboreal people who inhabit the planet’s widespread forests. The gas giant worlds are planets three and five, with the outermost world lying at 2.87 AU out from the star.” The AI paused. “Further information can be obtained from the two Ludeen natives now residing in separate guest cells in the Containment Chamber.”

“We understand that,” Jane said. “What is the distance to the target star from this star? From HD 128311?”

“Distance is 104.851 light years,” the AI said. “Travel time is estimated to be three days, 12 hours and 37 seconds. Sufficient data?”

Bill thought the AI’s tone had gone sardonic. He had to be imagining that. But Jane’s expression said she thought the same thing. She pursed her lips, then folded both hands together. “Star Traveler, that is sufficient information about our target star. If refueling is complete, depart from planet five and initiate system departure. Uh, when will the ship be able to enter the Alcubierre space-time modulus?”

“In 7.3 hours. We must transit from this planet’s location at 1.76 AU out to beyond the orbit of planet six, at seven AU, before I activate our stardrive engine.”

Bill looked back over his shoulder to Jane. “I detect no other ships in our area. If you wish, I can head for the Food Chamber and whip up some pasta noodles and spiced jerky?”

She looked pleased. “Please do so! While the Alien spices in that chamber taste kinda weird, I like them. I’ll join you in an hour. After that, maybe we can get the hell out of these damned tube suits!”

Bill tapped his weapons control pillar to standby, with an automatic alert for the approach of any other ship. He slipped out of his seat and headed back, aiming for an exit through the repaired access door. As he came abreast of Jane, he gave her a quick salute. Albeit with a grin. “Aye aye, Captain!”

She lifted one thin black eyebrow. “Hey, we’ve got work to do once we enter FTL space. Shall we visit the Ludeen cells first? Then check out our other guests? I know it’s the reverse of what we discussed earlier. But we can end up with the five species we thought might make good crewmen.”

He stopped. The lives of the other sixteen people aboard the
Blue Sky
were not something he’d forgotten. “Sure. Makes sense to see them once we are in FTL and safe from any other ship. And I need to change clothes. Or shirts at least. I’m beginning to smell. And I want to hang up this tube suit!”

“You look fine to me. Handsome even,” Jane said, turning her attention away from him and back onto the ship function holos. “Bill, there’s an apple left in my backpack. Let’s split that for desert. Yes?”

“Yes!” He loved apples. Also oranges and green grapes. There were none of the latter aboard the Alien ship. Though the Food Chamber synthesizer was able to recreate the dried fruit in his snack baggies. Maybe there would be eatables in the Greenery Chamber. He had yet to visit it. Passing through the entry door, he turned left and headed down the long hallway to the Food Chamber that lay just beyond Jane’s habitat room. Passing by her habitat door, the thought of removing their tube suits brought other thoughts. As in how Jane might look with no clothes on at all, as she took a swim in the Water Pool Chamber that lay next to the Food Chamber. Shaking his head, he told himself regs forbid any kind of personal relationship between enlisted and officers. Then again, they were a combat team. And there was no higher command to answer to. Whistling loudly and off-key, he pulled out his red cube, aimed it at the entry door to the Food Chamber and tapped it. Whatever the future held for him and Jane on a personal level, he liked her company, her smarts and her relaxed personality. Like him, she loved playing chess. She even competed in national tournaments, she’d told him. Was Expert level with a USCF ranking of 2120. He had no clue what the terms meant. But maybe they could play a game after dinner and before they went FTL?

CHAPTER TEN

Bill and Jane stood inside the Containment Unit Chamber, looking down the long double line of flattened white globes. Feeling comfortable after a meal, a shower and a game of chess with his captain, which he’d lost, he still felt uneasy looking at the place that had been his site of captivity. No doubt she did too. Which may be why they both wore holsters with their semi-autos in them. Plus each of them carried a white tube taser under one arm. While they were now in command of the ship
Blue Sky
, with the full cooperation of the AI Star Traveler, they both knew the future could be unpredictable. Was, actually. At least the ceiling light spots now glowed yellow-normal. Brightly too, so there were no shadows except below the walkway on which they stood. And once they’d entered FTL they had shed the bedamned tube suits! He stepped to the left until his hip touched the metal rail that ran along the central walkway.

“What’s the plan, Captain?”

Jane glanced his way, her expression thoughtful. She’d been buddy friendly during the meal and the chess game. She’d shared a bit about her family and how her pure-blood Japanese dad had been disowned by her grandparents after he married her mom, an Anglo girl from San Francisco. He’d shared how his father was fixated on the family’s Irish heritage, even to the extent of wearing a tattoo of the MacĆarthaig family crest. A tattoo that Bill also wore on his right calf. After the family heritage sharing they’d both gone to their own chambers for a rest. If she had guessed his earlier thoughts, she’d given him no sign of it. Now, she was in officer command mood. Jane reached down to her jumpsuit’s leg pocket and patted it. The pocket held red cubes for the Aliens they would release. Looking back down the walkway, she gestured with her right hand.

“We take it one cell at a time. We talk to the person inside, first remotely, then in person when they come out. If they seem friendly, we give them a red cube and the freedom of the ship.” Her jawline tightened. “As guests, not crew. They will only have access to places like the Food, Greenery, Water and Habitat chambers. Anyplace else, like the Transport Exit Chamber and Weapons Chamber, will be off-limits to them. You hear that, Star Traveler?”

“I hear you, Captain Jane Yamaguchi,” the AI said calmly, its voice sounding like a mix of Bill and Jane’s speech. Which made sense. It possessed free will, a sharp mind, curiosity and a certain unpredictable nature.

Jane shifted her taser tube to a cross-body hold, supporting it with both hands. “Good. If we choose to designate any guest as ship crew, I will say that. Until then, any other bioform moves about this ship under the limitations I just stated. Have you delivered the translation ear buds to each cell and captive?”

“I have. By way of the food slot,” the AI said. “When questioned, I explained what they were and how to use them upon release.”

“Good. The buds will help people understand other folks.” A nod from Jane made him realize it was his turn. While she had made it clear she was the captain in charge, she also welcomed input from her crew. Including him.

“Star Traveler, what cells are occupied by the two Ludeen captives?” Bill said.

“Those cells are at the far end of the walkway you and the captain are standing on. Their cells are adjacent to the cells you formerly occupied.”

Figured. The Ludeen must have been captured just before the ship came to Sol system and grabbed him and Jane. “Thank you.” He began walking along the walkway, a few paces ahead of Jane. She followed, in sentry alert mode.

When they reached the spot where two side walkways intersected with the central walkway, leading to a white cell on either side, he looked to Jane.

She gave him a command look which clearly said Now I Lead. “Star Traveler, open an audio channel to both Ludeen cells.”

“Channel opened,” the AI said.

“Ludeen captives, I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi, of the human species. We are now in transit to your home star. And your home world. My fellow human and I wish to see you directly, visit, and perhaps allow you the freedom to roam this ship until we arrive at your home world. Do you wish to come out and visit with us?”

“Yesss!” came a warbling version of English.

“Yes, yes!” came a second warbling answer.

“Bill?”

Aiming his white tube taser at the left side cell globe, he aimed his red box at it and pressed the Open spot on it. He held it down, having learned the metal door would stay open if the Open spot was touched continuously.

The oval door whooshed upward. Pale yellow light shone from inside the cell. A shadowy figure stood just beyond the door. Behind it stood the brown trunks of trees and a flutter of green shrubbery. Holo fakery like that in his cell.

Looking out at them was a short, marmoset-like person who stood hunched over, its long naked tail wrapped around pink-skinned legs. Above its knees the Ludeen’s body was covered in short brown fur. That body looked wide at the hips, narrow above, then wider at the shoulders. Two long arms ended in hands with four slim fingers. The head was globular, with large mobile ears on either side of the skull. Which showed red streaks in its head hair. Two super-large brown eyes fixed on them.

“Who is Captain Jane Yamaguchi?” it warbled in speech that came into Bill’s ears as English, thanks to a hearing aid-like insert given them by the AI.

Jane moved her taser tube to her left arm and tapped her chest where the blue jumpsuit fabric covered her breasts. “Me. I am the Captain who spoke to you earlier and just now. Beside me is Bill MacCarthy, a male of my species. Do you Ludeen share personal names?”

The large brown eyes blinked quickly. The Ludeen stepped over the door sill and out on the side walkway. It stopped, looked up, around, down and then back to them. “We do. My tree call is Mellow of the Mountains. Like you, we have male and female people. I am male. I . . . until I was captured, my work was that of an architect. On the Mountain. I . . . I thank you for freeing me from that imitation of our ancestral forests. It is a crazy place to be!”

Bill gave thanks for that news. If the critter in front of him was an architect, that meant he made plans for buildings. Structures. Which meant the Ludeen society must have some kind of tech.

Jane stepped toward the Ludeen, moving slowly. “We agree. Bill and I did not like the fake landscape inside our cells. Though the yellow sunlight of our star was good to see. Like your world, we also have many forests on our world. We call it Earth. What do you call your world?”

The large ears of the Ludeen male moved forward slightly. “Our world is Green Land.” The critter stepped forward a bit, moving slowly. Stopping just out of contact reach with Jane, he tilted his head to one side. “I feel heavier out here than I did inside the cell. Why is that?”

Bill moved to a spot on the central walkway to where he could keep Mellow covered without Jane being in the way. “You are heavier,” he said quickly, “because we told the ship mind to make the ship gravity equal to that of our Earth. Our world is denser and perhaps larger than your Green Land.” He stopped pressing the red cube. The oval door behind Mellow whooshed shut. Which made the Alien jump forward a foot.

“That is . . . an ability we do not possess.” The Ludeen fixed those giant brown eyes on him. “You hold a white tube. As does she. What are their purpose?”

Jane gave him a Be Quiet gesture. “These tubes emit red beams like the one that paralyzed you on your capture. We call it a weapon. We hold them as a precaution. For our personal protection.”

Large brown eyes blinked quickly. “I recall that red beam. It made me go to sleep.” The Ludeen again scanned the chamber space around them. “I will not harm you. You freed me. You are taking me and another Ludeen back home. Yes?” he warbled softly.

“Yes!” Jane said, moving her taser tube under her left arm. She stepped forward so she was in reach of the marmoset-like Alien. “We humans greet one another by a gripping of hands. It is how we welcome the sight of other people. Do you wish to do that with me?”

“Ahhhmmm,” the Ludeen warbled as he rocked in place on the side walkway. “We Ludeen greet one another by putting one’s head on the shoulder of the other. But since you are taller than me, a touch of hands is welcome.” He held out his right hand, fingers spread wide.

Jane reached out the same, touched his palm with hers and slowly gripped his hand. Which closed around hers after a moment’s hesitation. “I am pleased to me you, Mellow of the Mountains. We hope to learn more of your world and people as our voyage progresses.” She let go his hand.

Mellow looked around again. “You said in your first talk to me and others that there was another Ludeen captive here. Can you release that person? We Ludeen are not used to being alone. All our lives we live among our parents, our extended family, our community. Being inside, alone, that cell gave me bad night dreams.”

Jane stepped back until she stood on the central walkway. With a glance to Bill as he took position opposite her on the walkway, with space between them, she gestured to her right. “The Ludeen is held in that cell. I would speak to it remotely, as I did with you. But perhaps you should speak to it first?”

Mellow had followed Jane out along his side walkway until he now stood between the two of them, with all of them on the central walkway. He reached out, touched a gray metal railing, looked down at the tubes and conduits below, up at the ceiling, then across at the white cell holding his fellow Ludeen. “Yes! The other person may come from a farming village. They may not be used to the sight of so much metal. How do I speak with them?”

Jane gave the Alien a closed mouth smile. “Star Traveler, allow the speech of Mellow to be heard inside the other cell.”

“Audio link established,” the AI said.

Mellow looked up, trying to find the source of the sound that came from the ceiling. He saw nothing. He blinked his large brown eyes. “Who is that?”

“That,” Jane said, “is the artificial mind who runs most systems of this starship. Do your people have devices which do things for you?”

“We do,” Mellow said. “In the Mountains. They are rocky plateaus that rise above the forests of our world. Our ancestors found metal rock there, long ago. Recently we put small objects into orbit so all Mountains could speak with one another. And make possible long distance learning by way of image links. But we have nothing that talks like . . . like a person.”

“Who is the Ludeen out there?” called a warbling voice.

Jane gestured to Mellow. “Your fellow captive heard what you just said. Go ahead.”

The Alien blinked, straightened his bent over stature and looked to the white cell that lay opposite his. “Descendant of the Ancestral Forests, I am Mellow of the Mountains. I stand among other people who . . . who lack our fur but who are head-rest friendly. What is your call? Do you wish to come out and join us?”

“Ahhhmmm,” the other Ludeen warbled. “Yes! I must be free of this loneliness! My call is Happy of the Tree. Can you free me?”

Mellow looked to Jane. Who looked to Bill. He aimed the red cube at the other cell, pressed and held its Open spot. The white door whooshed up quickly. Another brown-furred, marmoset-like person stepped forward slowly, its long naked tail wrapped around pink-skinned legs. That tail pulled away as it walked to the edge of the open door. Leaning forward, its large ears fluttering, the Ludeen looked out at them.

“You must be Mellow of the Mountains,” it warbled softly as it caught sight of the other Ludeen. “The other two . . . people with little fur, who are you?”

Jane told the short person their names and jobs. “Are you male or female? Do you pursue a job of some sort?” she asked as Mellow walked along the side walkway toward his fellow captive.

“Yesss!” Mellow whispered low as he put his head on the brown-furred shoulder of the other Ludeen. Who did the same. They stood like that for a moment.

Happy of the Tree lifted its head, looked around the Containment Unit Chamber, gave a low hum, then fixed on Jane. “I am female. No cubs yet. My life work is that of healer. Do you have Humans who do what I do?” she warbled.

“We do,” Jane said, giving the second Ludeen a quick smile. “We humans have both architects and healers among our many people. Welcome to freedom.”

Happy blinked her large brown eyes, squinted them as she looked up at the bright yellow ceiling spots, then took a step forward. She stood close to Mellow who had walked back to the central walkway. Happy looked down at her wide-set feet, then up to Jane. “I feel heavier than inside the false forest room. Why?”

Jane explained quickly. “That is why you weigh more. Now, I have a question for the two of you.”

“Speak,” Mellow said hurriedly, looking aside at his fellow captive.

“Yes, ask of us,” Happy said. “Freedom from the loneliness inside that crazy place is a great gift you shared with us.”

“Thank you,” Jane said, her manner intent. “Do you Ludeen have personal weapons? Does one Ludeen group fight another? Can you be peaceful until we bring you home to your world?”

“Yes, yes!” warbled Happy, her pink-skinned tail flaring behind her. “Peaceful is our nature!”

“True,” Mellow said. “Our histories tell us that we once fought each other, when we only lived among the Ancestral Trees. We used terrible weapons then. Many died. Many families were left with no elders. Now, our world is peaceful. We . . . solve our differences by talk, by sharing or by appeal to the Mediator of each Mountain. Is it not the same for you Humans?”

Bill wished humanity had found the wisdom of the Ludeen. Jane blinked, gave him a look that said she thought the same, then she fixed on the two short-looking Ludeen. “It is not the same for we humans. We evolved among the jungles of our world. When we moved out to the savannahs, to open grasslands, we used weapons against the animal predators of our world. And against each other. We survived our violent past, but even today our groups fight with each other. Perhaps when our fellow humans learn of the Collector ships and how dangerous is this society of Buyers, perhaps we will unite as you Ludeen have done.”

Both Ludeen looked to each other, gave full body shivers, then entwined their tails with each other. “We hope you Humans find our kind of peace,” Happy said softly.

Jane looked to Bill. He understood the look. He gave her a thumbs-up Okay sign. She looked back to the Ludeen.

“My ally and I control this ship. We took it from Captain Diligent Taskmaster. We used violence to obtain our freedom. We are willing to use violence in the future against any bioform or ship that seeks to harm us,” she said. “You Ludeen are welcome to roam the hallways of our ship, so long as you remain peaceful. And so long as you are friendly to other captives whom we release. Do you agree?”

“Yes, yes!” Happy said.

“Peaceful I am,” Mellow said, looking around. “When do we meet these other captives?”

“Star Traveler, send a guide for these folks,” Jane said, looking to the two Ludeen. She handed her red cube to Happy. “The ship mind who operates this ship under my command is sending us a small metal device to guide you to habitat rooms you may occupy, and to show you our Food, Water and Greenery chambers that you may enjoy visiting. The red cube will open many doors.” She paused as a whir came.

Mellow’s ears angled toward the sound. “Something approaches!”

“Yes it does,” Jane said, her tone relaxed. “It is a hover bot. Follow it and it will guide you about this ship. Ask it a question, or just speak aloud anywhere, and the ship mind will reply to you. Its name is Star Traveler.”

Happy caught sight of the silvery pod that buzzed closer on its fans. “That is different from any devices we have in my Healing Chamber.”

“Agreed,” Mellow warbled as the device moved over them and came to a hover just beyond Bill.

“Follow the device,” Jane said. “It will take you through an airlock, down a long hallway, to a cross hallway, and then up another long hallway to the chambers I mentioned. Bill and I hope you enjoy your time aboard our ship.”

“We give thanks for our freedom!” Mellow warbled back as he turned and scampered past Bill to follow the hover bot.