Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 3 - New Shores (19 page)

‘Beronestat, I want to remove this bolt and I think it just supports an inside reinforcement already secured by several other bolts at either end, now can I do this safely?

Beronestat confirmed the accuracy of Garendestat’s statement within a few moments, as the equipment trolley carried a holographic projector, and he also offered some advice.

‘Yes lieutenant that will work and it will not compromise the door. I do also advise that you are not behind the bolt when it comes free of the hole.’

Garendestat carefully loosened the large bolt and found that it was stiff to move. However after taking care to stand to one side, the bolt eventually came lose and shot several meters across the hold floor followed by a heavy stream of water. He then selected and loosened two other bolts that were also verified as safe to remove, before he turned to the bemused junior engineer and handed him the spanner.

‘We will allow all the water to drain away then we will flush out the door and carefully replace the bolts. Note that the bolts should go in easier than they came out. Now we have to check the top seal of the door again as water obviously got inside the door. We will have to check the alignment of the door again, and then we….’

Halbindestat was soon advised of the main door problems by Garendestat. He now set up yet another update folder he titled ‘hold door seals’, before acting on a hunch, he led another team of engineers to check again the landing skids. Captain Narindestat sat in his command chair and attempted to catch up with his reports. He was still feeling unwell and Emeria would occasionally come onto the bridge to eye him over critically. He looked at the new reports from the lieutenants helping the engineers and was satisfied at Garendestat’s latest effort with the main hold door. However he was uncertain of the reasons for Halbindestat to move off from a previously assigned repair task, and he wasted no time speaking to him over the communications link.

‘Captain to Chief Engineer, I thought the landing skids have been already checked out?’

The chief huffed as he answered, as he was in a hurry, and he also omitted convention in his reply.

‘Narindestat, I am checking the skids again based on hunch after the atypical repairs we needed to do on that engine and the hold door. Now remember how you lowered and raised the landing skids last time?’

Captain Narindestat replayed the information in his head and remained silent as he considered that perhaps they could all do with a bit of luck now. His contemplation was broken by the communications officer, who relayed across a message that the Maveen Earth probe wanted to speak with him. The captain was in no mood or condition for a long walk, and he merely ordered that the probe be patched through to the rear meeting room. The metallic voice of the probe came into the meeting room as Narindestat closed the door.

‘Captain Narindestat, I have been conferring with other Maveen off world and we are still concerned about the future role of the humans in the galaxy. I think it highly likely that a fleet will arrive before or as we leave, but we must stay on the decided path. I insist that we change a few details of our agreement and here is what I want you to do….’

The Trader captain listened resignedly as the probe outlaid briefly what it was seeking. For once, he had no trouble with what the probe suggested. He even highlighted the advantages of being a biological life form to the probe as he added a few embellishments of his own. The Maveen Earth Probe had no compunction in lying again to the Trader captain, as he had in fact already been off world to advise other Maveen about the key characteristics of the humans. The probe evaluated that the Trader’s suggestions added the subtlety he was seeking to his plans for protecting both the humans and the secrets of the ancients.

Satisfied now that the plans were correctly in place, the Earth Probe accessed the core software changes made earlier. He supplied the both the mission password, and an encrypted password, prudently supplied by the sector probe before he returned to the interstellar assembly point. In a moment the probe had reversed out the changes applicable to ancient compliance and reverted to the standard Maveen probe configuration. As the changes were replicated to the other members of the probe team, apart from the absent probe three, the Earth probe considered the challenges of their escape to have been addressed. Shortly afterwards, the probe led his team and a gate ship south then south east until they reached the massive ice continent the humans called Antarctica.

                                                            ***

Troop Commander Gavin Lewis looked over the tall, but very wet frame of James Mudbury, as he was led in hand cuffs into his command post and brief introductions were made. Gavin placed a ruler on a report, before he looked James in the eye and noted the quiet determination of the man. He then nodded and spoke to his troopers and to a civilian who must have been an ex-policeman.

‘The cuffs can come off for as I see it our friend here will not leave again soon.’

A moment’s hesitation came from the civilian, but none came from the troopers, who quickly released the hand cuffs. James glanced at Gavin for a moment, and he in turn noted the open but decisive nature of the larger and older man as he spoke.

‘Commander, thank you. I have no intention of returning to the bush as it is dangerous and the gateway is closed anyway.’

Gavin looked across at one of his reports for a moment as he replied.

‘Well you have certainly got that correct as we and the other locations have had several fatalities. The numbers of lizards appear to be falling in the immediate area. But we have had other deaths from a cat-like creature, thyleo or something it is called. Our biologists tried to capture one, but they ended up shooting the animal to save their lives.’

James looked around at the trooper carrying his wet back pack and he had fetched out the digital camera as he spoke again.

‘The animal is likely something called a Thylacoleo or marsupial lion. I have done a few biology units at university and one semester was on mega fauna. I got close up footage of one last night and that made my decision to return easy.’

Gavin watched the incredible close footage of the animal and admired James abilities to survive a predator that had already killed several humans, including two of his troopers. He looked around the command post and knew that the story and the footage would be around the large camp within hours. He then turned to James and asked him the question he needed answering.

‘James, I want to know why you fled our law back on Earth for this colony. Surely you must now know of the dangers of this world?’

James calmly looked Gavin squarely in the eye as he replied.

‘I could not let those men attack my fiancée and my sister. You would be correct in what they were attempting when I killed them. I did not flee the wrath of the law against me.’

Gavin silently considered the steel resolve of the young man, and in other circumstances he decided that James would make an outstanding soldier. He then continued the conversation to clarify an opinion he was forming by asking a leading question.

‘So I take it you fled here with those girls to avoid the likely revenge of the Banger Machine gang members back in Perth?’

James again looked Gavin in the eye as he politely replied.

‘I would be jailed before eventually being cornered and killed in prison, but I would expect that to occur. I was more concerned that the girls would have been killed quickly if they were lucky or eventually if they were unlucky. Even if we fled interstate we would have to hide for the rest of our lives. So the colony looked a great alternative and the gateway was close.’

Gavin made his mind up about James, as the young man was obviously highly intelligent as well as having the other attributes he had already noticed. He thought carefully as he walked back to his canvas desk and looked at a map for a moment as he spoke.

‘Additional gateways are active for three days a distance away on the western ocean for our sea ships to arrive. If I can make contact with them quickly enough you may have to return with the girls to face the law on Earth.’

James squared his shoulders, a trooper laid a warning hand on his shoulder, but James had the good sense to refrain from speaking or offering a reaction as Gavin spoke again.

‘However, the logistics of getting you and your family over to the ships quickly is not easy. If I had any choice I would not make the attempt. But in the meantime you will remain in custody until a decision is reached.’

James remained silent as he left the command post under close guard, but still with no hand cuffs. He felt that he would have to trust the commander’s instincts in this matter, and he quietly followed the soldiers to get something decent to eat and dry clothes.

                                                            ***

Steve was in his command chair and enjoying the feeling of commanding his ship again. By habit he checked the status of several ships’ stations, even if John Robertson was doing a superb job of now looking after both ships. He stood and walked over to the bridge window, and looking towards the island, he noted that four sneak ships had nestled under the huge wing of the Trader main ship.

Steve then looked out east at the large Maveen gateway three kilometers away that had been formed by three Maveen gate ships. He marveled for a moment at their abilities before he returned to his command chair and his reports. The news release of Steve’s appointment as governor of the new colony had been met with a storm of media requests that Steve had instructed his communications officer to ignore.

Ian Ridge had spent some additional time with Steve earlier in the day discussing mainly the Maveen, before he had been flown by helicopter to the quarantine station on Rat Island. Steve could understand the concerns about disease and to be fair the Traders had brought additional diseases to Earth in the Voorde remains. However he felt that the risks had been overstated and he had said as much to the prime minister earlier in the morning, as he escorted him to the helicopter deck.

‘We have millions of people moving to another world, possibly with a range of pathogens involved, yet you are to remain in quarantine for two months.’

Ian looked at him with a genial smile as he replied.

‘I will tell you about something that your friend Rebecca’s late father once mentioned. It regarded his eventually successful search for a gene therapy cure for addictive behavior disorders many years ago now. I hold the man in high regard as many people still do today. And he said ‘Sometimes you just have to go with what you know to be untrue or unfounded, so that you can eventually and irrefutably prove something else which is both true and rational.’ I consider those words to be very wise.’

Steve considered the premise as he commented again.

‘This is the nature of complex situations to my mind, explained by a man that is one of the greatest in this century. I could actually apply that to the latest Maveen issue of course, as we did not actually forbid them to remove plants and animals around the world.’

Ian considered Steve’s comment and offered another viewpoint.

‘Well I think that the relationships with both races have been resolved very successfully, as combat was averted at an early stage, and the subsequent trading terms will benefit humanity greatly.’

Steve offered his own interpretation on the relationship, as Ian paused again to look around the now crammed rear decks of Steve's ship.

‘Sir, the success of our situation has been greatly aided by the discussions you and Rebecca had with the lead probe. The ancient memories of your culture have done the human race a great service.’

Ian looked around, and gave Steve a warm smile of respect and regard that was returned by Steve, as both men resumed the short walk. They reached the helicopter deck and Steve had saluted the prime minister, who had then turned for a final look at the massive Trader ship. Ian then turned back and gave Steve a long hand shake, and a made a final series of points.

‘The Maveen have set a chain of events in place that is irrevocable, I do not begrudge them any efforts to take our wild life off world. I suggest you press them on access to other worlds as part of your long term policy after you are well established. I anticipate that you will have a very eventful life, and I hope it is a long and successful one as well.’

Steve thanked the prime minister for both his earlier advice and final comments before Ian slowly stepped up into the waiting helicopter. As the helicopter flew away, he sincerely hoped that Ian Ridge would be able to positively influence the various leaders around the world for many years to follow.

Steve was brought back to the present moment on his bridge as John Robertson walked over to him with further information.

‘Steve, the Lotus Marai has just arrived fully laden, and the remaining individual sea pens will be ready for transfer later in the day. Already several smaller boats have gone through the gateway and more ships are expected up from Perth in a few hours.’

Steve thanked John for the information before he accessed the internet via his data tablet. He started searching for several ships by their type, their all important tonnages, and finally their locations around the world with respect to the marine gateways. In minutes he had sectioned the list by priority, and was making the first calls to the owners of the ships around the world.

‘Good morning, I am Governor Steve Greene from the new Barede colony. I would like to speak urgently please with your senior director, Stefan Colwyn, about three small ships your company owns.’

On the first occasion and on many other occasions he could not get past the secretary of the company. He also found himself bogged down in detailed discussions with middle managers, and at times he rued the attempts he was making. There was still a string of commitments made, and in a few hours there was a steady stream of ships being sailed at short notice to several marine gate ways around the world.