Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth (15 page)

“So it’s a Star Gate?”  I asked.

“Star Gate?  Oh right, I did see something mentioned of those in some of your Earth shows.  In a way yes, and no.  Your Star Gates, as I recall, work by using or creating worm holes through which an object travels between the two gates, or it takes you through another dimension.  This is different; we literally are folding the space between the two frames so you have an imaginary surface in both frames. It’s the same surface/space; as soon as you enter one frame you are immediately coming out of the other one.”

“But how?”  I stammered.

“Using your sympathetic particle physics, but it wasn’t easy.  In order to ensure that the window created works, they must be precisely the same size and the internal window area must be completely flat.  We tried using a circular configuration, but found the internal area could be twisted.  The same holds true for a rectangle or square, only a triangle with three points will always have a flat surface area between the three points.  If you make straight lines from a point to point with any other configuration, the shape can be twisted if one point is out of the plane with the others.  Once we realized this, it was merely a matter of getting the three-point field generators precisely positioned equal distance from each other.”

“What happens if the points are not precisely aligned?”

“Let’s just say you would not want to try to pass through it, as you might find yourself coming out of the other side in a slightly distorted manner.”

“What happens if a living object passes through it?”  I wanted to know.

“So far we have only passed simple life forms through it, a few plants and some very small mammals; they appear to be unaffected.”

“So if we build two of these units large enough for a space ship to pass through, we could go from one end of the galaxy to the other in a second.”

“The key word in there is
IF
,” Cantolla answered.  “At the moment only a solbidyum reactor has enough power to operate a frame of that magnitude.  Oh, it’s not necessary for there to be a connected physical frame for one of these. It just requires three generators for a frame at one end, and three generators precisely spaced the same at the receiving end.  The transfer area is generated between the three points.”

“If I understand you correctly, you would actually need three solbidyum reactors for one frame?  One for each generator point?”

“Oh no, you would only need it for one generator, the master unit.  The other two generators need far less power; a 10X fusion reactor would suffice.

“Could a ship, like the
NEW ORLEANS,
serve as the base for one of those generator points?”  I asked.

“Not if it also wanted to pass through to the other side.”  A’Lappe interjected from across the room.  However, if you had two ships with solbidyum reactors in separate sections of space, each of those two ships could serve as the power source for a frame, and you could use 10X fusion reactors on other ships to power the other points, and ships could pass through them.”

“Can one frame be used to go to more than one other destination?”  I asked.

“No!” he answered.  You need sympathetic particles to fold the fabric of space; you can only have two gates that are sympathetic to each other.  You would need to create another set of gates for another destination.”

“But,” A’Lappe interjected excitedly, “because we are making the sympathetic particles using a replicator we could, theoretically, be able to transmit the replicator parameters to ship elsewhere, and they could replicate the sympathetic particle on their end, generating a new field in just a few minutes.”

“So then, if I understand this correctly, you could have a space station set up in a system to serve as a frame hub, and it could create frames on demand for ships coming from anyplace in the galaxy.”

“Yes.”   A’Lappe and Cantolla answered at once.

“The only drawback is the solbidyum,” A’Lappe continued, “and we all know there is a limited supply of it and individual planets are not going to give up their grain of solbidyum just to power transfer frames.”

“All the more reason for you and Cantolla to find us another collapsed black hole with a solbidyum supply,” I replied.

“We’re still working on that, Tibby.  We are getting data back from the site we sent our probe to which indicates there is something there; we just need to go and check it out.  It is possible we may never find another source.  Conditions that produced the solbidyum inside the black hole would have to be precisely duplicated in terms of pressure, energy, and raw materials to produce it.

“It will be our top priority, once I find out what’s happened at Earth  One more thing--Thumumba’s representative is now aboard the ship and will be serving as a crew member.  His name is Regata and there will be an introduction dinner for him this evening.  Have either of you received notice of it?”

“We received them shortly before you arrived.” Cantolla answered.  “What is this Regata like?”

“He’s not like the other natives on Alle Bamma, he looks the same, but he is far more intelligent and informed than his fellow natives.  I think he is sort of a special creation of Thumumba’s, or at least has been enhanced by Thumumba.   I spoke with Thumumba; he claims he didn’t actually create this world or its life forms, though he does admit to having manipulated some aspects of the environment and the planet’s evolution.”

“So Thumumba is admitting he’s not a god?”   Cantolla asked.

“More or less, part of the reason that Regata is joining us is that Thumumba is hoping that we will encounter others like him in other solar systems.   He claims that he lives inside the star here at Alle Bamma and derives energy from it.  I'm hoping there will be other such entities living in other stars around the galaxy and Regata is able to detect them and establish communication with them.”

“This puts an entirely new perspective on primitive cultures on various planets developing sun worship as their suns being gods.”  Cantolla said.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” I responded, “but it certainly would make sense.  Even on Earth centuries ago sun worship was common.”  It may be that Earth's sun houses and feeds a life form like Thumumba, or at least did at one time.”

When we gathered for the meal that evening in the transparent domed dining room on the
NEW ORLEANS’ top deck, the
planet Alle Bamma was visible as a giant arched sliver in the background.  As we dined, the ship would slowly orbit the planet, bringing it into full view, and by meals end, it would be waning once more into the sliver on an arc we viewed on entering.  Ramada paused and looked at the vista, his eyes glistening.  “This must be what he sees every day,” he said reverently.  Ramada looked quite different, as he was now dressed in a dark outfit of the dignitary cut, similar to the dark black one that I
wore.  All of my staff dressed in their formal uniforms, and it was obvious that Piesew viewed Regata as a visiting dignitary of the planet Alle Bamma and was affording him all the honors and customs of such a position.

“Actually, he only would see the daylight lit side,” A’Lappe said from Regata’ side.  “If he dwells in the sun, he would only be able to see the planet in full light and never see any of the dark side.” 

“You’re right.  I’d not thought of that.  I pray then that he might see through my eyes that which he cannot see with his own.”  As he said this, Regata slowly turned to look at A’Lappe, “You must be A’Lappe.  Thumumba has spoken of you and wishes me to observe and learn from you.”

“Indeed, I am A’Lappe and it shall be my pleasure to learn more about you and Thumumba as well.  I am curious about a life form that survives within a star.”

The meal that evening was up to Piesew’s usual fine standards, most of us were too engrossed in conversation to give it the proper attention that one of Piesew’s finely planned meals deserved.  While A’Lappe and Kala were engrossed in a discussion with Regata about Thumumba and life of the natives of Alle Bamma, Cantolla was explaining the nature of her discovery of the space folding frames that would make travel between vast points of space.  Stonbersa was saying the Federation needed to reallocate the solbidyum to power the frames and make instant travel from the remotest regions of the Federation instant while Marranalis disagreed, saying he could see the advantage of such travel, but that the needs of the individual planets represented a better use for solbidyum power.

“We may have a solution for that,” Cantolla said looking at me.  She must have realized that I had not discussed the possibility of a new solbidyum source with anyone besides her and A’Lappe and was looking for me to say something.”

“A’Lappe and Cantolla are working on something that may give us the power we need without taking any solbidyum away from the Federation planets.  However, for now it’s only a possibility, and I would prefer not to discuss it until we know more.”  I noted several of my crew raised an eyebrow, and everything in the room went silent for a moment.

“Well of course.  Whatever you say, Tibby; you are paying the bills after all.” Stonbersa said.

“It’s not that I am trying to keep it a secret from any of you. It's just that I don’t want any false hopes built up, nor do I want any rumors starting.  This is the sort of thing that could create a wrong impression for some planets and groups and end up with another solbidyum war situation solely on rumors.  The Federation has enough on its hands without us creating more conflicts.  For the sake of preventing yet another reason for war, I would hope that you all hold what you have heard here tonight confidential, and that you maintain silence on your speculations as to what Cantolla and A’Lappe are working on.”

I looked at Regata, trying to judge what his thoughts were about the conversation, but he gave no indications of having any thoughts about it at all.  To be honest, I was not sure how much of Cantolla’s conversation and revelations Regata had listened to, as he had been engaged with A’Lappe and Kala in another conversation.  On the other hand, I didn’t know how far his enhanced capabilities provided to him by Thumumba might allow him to focus on more than one conversation at once.  I could conceive any reason that Regata would be a threat to us, on the other hand I didn’t see a cause for him to be loyal to us, either.  Like all else who had boarded the
NEW ORLEANS
, Regata had been required to take the loyalty test administered using the head bands but his test results were inconclusive.  In the end it had been my decision to allow him to stay onboard as I felt that Thumumba still owed us a large debt for saving his planet and people from the Brotherhood.

After the meal was over A’Lappe and Kerabac invited Regata to join them in the employees' lounge to listen to them sing.  I was tired after my day and was still not fully recovered from my crash ordeal, so I decided to retire early. Kala was starting experience some physical symptoms of her pregnancy and was ready to call it an evening as well; moments later we were both comfortably curled up in the bed.  I was holding Kala in my arms enjoying the softness and warmth of her body while contemplating if I had enough energy left to make love, when I heard Kala starting to breathe slow and heavy, and I realized that she had fallen asleep.  It was probably just as well, as moments later all faded into darkness for me also.   During the night, I dreamed I was watching from above as Jenira went through a ceremony with Thumumba similar to the one that Kala and I had after we had liberated Alle Bamma from the Brotherhood.

In the morning I awoke and Kala was no longer in bed next to me. I wondered how long she had been up and if I had over slept, when I heard her singing in the bath area.  I swung my legs over the side of the bed realizing that for the first time since my crash, I was feeling pretty much like my old self.  I stood up and stretched and walked into the mirrored area of the bath where I began examining myself.  Other than for my eye patch, all scars and traces of my wounds were gone, thanks to the accelerated healing of the nanobots in my blood stream.

“Good morning!  It is good to see you up and looking so fresh this morning,” Kala said from the doorway.   I glanced over to see her standing there with one hand over her head propped against the door frame in a very sexy way.  As I eyed her body, I tried to see if I could detect any signs indicating the first signs of her pregnancy, but I saw none.  However, she did appear more beautiful than ever.

“Good morning yourself, you’re looking mighty sexy today,” I said, as Kala grinned and began moving toward me, swinging her hips in a sultry manner.  “Well lover, you’re going to have to wait for any sensual pleasures, because we need to be getting down to the planet to pick up Jenira.”  She touched my nose with her finger and continued on past me to the wardrobe.

“Is it that late already?”

“Yes love.  Besides, Regata told me last night that the natives would expect us to dine with them before we bring Jenira back to the ship.”

“Why?  They didn’t dine with us after our night with Thumumba.”

“I don’t think Jenira’s visit with Thumumba will be quite the same as ours.”  She said with a grin.

In reflecting back I suspect that she was right.  When Kala and I spent our night with Thumumba, it was more like a marriage ceremony where Thumumba was giving a blessing to our union.  Jenira was there alone, and I didn’t think Thumumba was pairing her with one of the natives.

“I wonder just what sort of a ceremony they did have for her.  Thumumba never said or indicated anything.  And why did it single her out of all the crew, besides, he’s never seen or met her before?  She’d never been to Alle Bamma.”