Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 3 - New Shores (23 page)

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The Maveen gate ship in high polar orbit carefully scanned the outer reaches of the solar system and continued to look for the galactic ships that must appear shortly. The ship had an extended passive scanning array trailing behind and was well suited for detecting cloaked ships. The gate ship was also looking for any disturbances to the system caused by numbers of approaching ships. The Maveen disregarded the Trader hyper drive module it could detect at a closer distance, as the Earth probe’s instructions had been quite specific.

Suddenly the gate ship detected several flashes of light coming from well outside the solar system. The ship made a short analysis of the numbers and types of ships, before it retracted the scanning array and fled back to the Trader landing site. The Maveen gate ship sent a coded short message with details of the fleet as it entered the atmosphere. As the gate ship fled, the Trader hyper drive module uncloaked and now dropped further towards Earth in an even lower orbit to give the Illuria every chance of docking.

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Chapter 11

Steve and Samantha had gone across early by themselves in the runabout to speak with both Captain Narindestat and the Maveen Earth probe. It was the third day since the marine gateways been established by the Maveen at several locations. Steve noted that the Lotus Marai was now heading for the gateway as they left for the island, and that only his own ship and the two frigates remained to be sent through the nearby gateway.

Steve had missed catching up with the Maveen probe when it was briefly around two days ago and he intended to fix that oversight. Ian and Sanjay with two other mission members were at the island when they arrived and Steve gently admonished them. He noted that the two female mission team members present included the Chinese astronaut Mei Huang as he stated his concerns.

‘You have to remember that our ships are going soon, we now have the additional medical team members and their equipment for the two frigates and we are leaving soon. Samantha is here with me so we are not separated and to take footage of my meeting with the Maveen.’

Ian looked around from the hologram he was going through with Sanjay as the other two members took notes.

‘Steve, we will leave with you when you go. Since Vladimir and Lucas have remained behind with our other team members, and are now on Rat Island in quarantine our research efforts have slowed. Also did you hear that Mei’s countryman has requested political asylum and will not return to China?’

Steve paused for a moment and diplomatically replied, as he had been in a short and unexpected phone call with the prime minister over that very issue.

‘Ian, I spoken with the authorities and he will be granted asylum. However we will have to keep the Chinese onside by ensuring they have full access to the findings of the mission team. Now I will be back in an hour so and I want you ready to leave immediately.’

Ian gave a good natured reply and turned to flash a smile to Mei, who gave a demure smile in return.

As Steve now walked over to the Maveen probes, Samantha gave a breathless chuckle as she spoke.

‘When we get to the colony you will be busy attending a few marriages.’

Steve gave a good natured reply, and he noted both the Maveen ships flying in the immediate area and the Trader sneak ships now set on pylons against the hull of the main ship. He could see that the ships filled all the lower pylons under the wings of the main ship, with two addition sneak ships on the upper outermost pylons.

‘Well as long as I do not have to perform the ceremony I am fine with all that. I see the Traders are nearly ready to leave, and the increased numbers of Maveen ships awaiting their turn to leave via the gateway.’

The Earth lead probe noted that the two humans that approached him were the leaders of the new colony and he greeted them with respect.

‘Steve, Samantha, I hope all is well. We have shut down the other gate ways elsewhere and are sending our surplus ships through the last gate way here and then we leave your world. You should return to your own ships as soon as possible.’

Steve countered with a statement of his own as he sought to start questioning the probe.

‘We can always obtain a ride with the Traders if we have to leave urgently. Now I have some questions for you and I would expect concise answers please. Can you explain the reasons for your ships wandering over our planet and collecting several species of plants and animals?’

Steve was following Ian Ridge’s advice as he listened to the probe’s reply.

‘I can tell you we are following mission imperatives in one of our prime roles as conservationists and it may be a considerable time before we can return to this world again. Your planet has suffered greatly due to the actions of your species and we seek to provide the same second chance you were offered to these other species from this world. My team and others has spent the last few days taking these species off world to safe locations so that they may survive.’

Samantha quietly recorded the probe’s responses as Steve asked additional questions.

‘So Earth probe, I am to assume you have more than one sanctuary world available to ensure the survival of other species? How many of these worlds are there? And would we as colonists have access to them at some stage?’

The lead probe knew that these questions were expected and had a careful stipulation to apply as it replied.

‘Steve, If your species embraces a more responsible commitment to ensuring the continued ecological balance of your worlds and the survival of biological diversity then I see no problem with your request. Other worlds do exist but they are closer to your new colony than to your home world. I am not prepared to divulge the locations or numbers of these worlds, but when the circumstances are right we will inform you of their existence.’

Steve was considered this statement when the probe spoke again.

‘One of our ships in orbit has detected a fleet of Barus warships entering your solar system. We are recalling all our ships and will be leaving this world as soon as we can do so. This means the last three of your ships will be left behind and that you should now board the Trader ship.’

Steve turned to Samantha and spoke silently as several beams of blue light now linked the Maveen ships.

‘Please ring Ian Ridge or the command post at Rat Island and try to send him the last recording of the probe’s comments. Otherwise just give him a quick update.’

Steve was already on the phone to the Aurora Discovery and gave orders for the last three ships to head immediately through the gateway. He then rang Dan again and spoke quickly but politely.

‘Dan, there is not enough time for us to return and for you to get the Aurora Discovery through the gate way, so go now please and we will get there via the Trader ship. We will have Ian, Mei, Sanjay and Helen come with us on the ship. Now both you and Douglas are to be lieutenant governors until I arrive, and I suspect that arrangement will become permanent. All the best mate and Samantha will call you shortly.’

Samantha had moved off several meters and managed to get the command post on the second attempt, as Steve spent a frustrating two minutes trying to get the Earth probe to speak again. The probe suddenly gave Steve a direct look from his blue sensor strip as Steve spoke again.

‘Earth probe, we insist that the last three ships are allowed to transfer to the new colony as they are vital to our efforts. One of the three ships is my command ship and the other two ships are needed for law enforcement and medical support. The delay they need to transfer will not add much to the time you need to leave our world.’

The probe immediately replied and Steve thought it sounded resigned.

‘I assumed you would just leave your last ships and go with the Trader ship. We are short of time we need to get our surplus ships off world and then dock onboard the Trader ship with two gate ships. Note that we have to dock our gate ships to the external pylons and this will take time. However we will comply under protest with your request.’

Steve noted the swarm of Maveen probes and gate ships that flew through the gate way in an orderly fashion as they left for the colony. The three surface ships had just started to make for the gate way, and he estimated they would be through in half an hour, as he replied to the Earth probe.

‘Thank you for doing this for the new colony. I may be able to assist the Trader captain in talking our way out of a confrontation.’

Captain Narindestat now walked over and had caught the last comment that Steve had spoke to the Maveen probe.

‘Earth probe, the humans can only help in talking to the Barus fleet, and we can train them in our technology further as we make the long trip to the colony.’

The Maveen Earth probe looked around at the captain and now gave a short buzz of what sounded like irritation to Steve, as it was obviously expecting an argument from the Trader Captain.

‘Captain, we may not be able to get all our probes off world before we have to leave. I insist that your ship take additional Maveen probes on board as cargo if required.’

Captain Narindestat seemed to be actually relieved that they finally were leaving, and no doubt was not too concerned about the Barus fleet either as he replied.

‘We can only detect a Barus cruiser squadron supported by several research ships and we have some time before they arrive. For some reason the ships of other galactic races have not arrived, and I am eternally thankful for that. The Tilmud, with their twisted concepts of honor, would have shot at us first just to see us retaliate and take out the ships of other races.’

The captain paused for a moment to see if the Earth probe would comment, but the Maveen remained impassive and silent, so he spoke again.

‘The parity between our forces is about even and the Barus Admiral, whilst competent is unlikely to risk his whole squadron unless we enrage him. You can load up to six Maveen probes in our hold, but the only gate ships we can take have to earn their keep on one of our pylons. So that means a minimum of two gate ships as discussed previously and a maximum of four gate ships.’

The Maveen Earth probe now wasted no time in his reply.

‘Captain, thank you for your assistance as we will have to ship three or four probes in the hold, and then place two gate ships only on your ship’s pylons. The gate ships will themselves have several docked probes present and both of them will be shielded. However their weapons will be deactivated unless we are attacked. Remember what I said about all our ships being aboard before you leave this planet.’

The Earth probe did not comment further, and now lifted off in a brief sandstorm with the other probes to fly the short distance off shore to take up station near the gate way. Captain Narindestat had then turned to speak to Steve, now standing again with Samantha, who had recorded the discussion between the aliens.

‘Steve, please get your team aboard as soon as possible as the Maveen will need all my attention shortly. Emeria will arrange quarters for you at a later stage.’

Steve replied as he noted Samantha was now in a quiet phone conversation with Dan.

‘We have a few short phone calls to make and then we will go aboard.’

Steve was on the phone again and watched the Trader captain walk off and start giving orders to his crew. In minutes they had packed the awning, hologram and large table aboard the ship and cleared the island of other pieces of equipment. Steve and Samantha rejoined the other mission team members again at the foot of the ramp, and Steve noted Ian’s apparent nervousness as he spoke with humor.

‘Ian, just a week ago you were for shooting them down when they leave and now you are a guest aboard their ship when they leave. So how is that for a turn around?’

Ian gave a good natured though nervous chuckle as he replied.

‘Steve, I started to get used to going through a gateway later today, but now we leave in a star ship. It is turning out to be an interesting week for sure.’

Mei now placed her hand on Ian’s shoulder as she excitedly spoke.

‘Just think that we are going to see other planets and stars, not just orbit the Earth and maybe go to the moon. Fortunately we did get several tonnes of our food onboard over the last three days so we will not go hungry. You could say we are arriving at the new colony in style.’

The six mission team members watched as several Trader males dragged the beached aluminum runabout further up the beach. They then picked the boat up like a toy between them and unhurriedly carried it across the island and up into the main hold. Emeria walked down the ramp towards them. After a moment for a last look at the island and ocean, Steve led the team members as they stepped off the island, and Earth, for the last time and walked up the ramp to board the Illuria.

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Altarebe had a suggestion or itch in the back of his mind that something was not quite right. He could see nothing on his scopes and he had the presence of mind to avoid making a powerful active scan of the system he was currently crossing. By convention he avoided all larger masses in the system, even though he was cloaked and beyond detection. The last thing he needed was for a Tilmud squadron to spring another ambush.

Altarebe accessed his extensive database on alien races but nothing obvious was listed as he neared the next exit point. Acting now on instinct, he remained cloaked and aborted his next hyper jump. He then accelerated heavily and angled off in deep space towards several small ice asteroids. After his ship reached the largest of the asteroids, he decelerated heavily and came to rest, before he powered off all his systems excepting the cloak and his passive scanners.

Altarebe was settling down for a long wait, but within two hours a strange ship was heading over to the exit point he had not taken. He now considered the incredible threat the ship represented, as it was a massive silver globe like that he had encountered previously with his father. He remembered that they had encountered one of these ships and it had surprisingly immediately broadcast a neutrality clause, before urging them to hide on the asteroid where his father now remained hidden and asleep.