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Chapter One
Somewhere in the universe something fascinating was taking place.
A star was about to go nova, a nebula about to form. A civilization was rising to great heights while another collapsed under the weight of its own bureaucracy. Single cells were about to come together to form the basis of a new lifeform, while the last of a once proud race died of extinction. Entire galaxies were being reduced to flickering embers before finding themselves unceremoniously snuffed out to make way for new ones.
It was all fascinating.
It was all happening... somewhere.
But wherever this magical somewhere was -over the rainbow, down the rabbit hole, or second to the right and straight on till morning- it was light years from the science station on board the Alliance patrol ship Sirius.
Corporal Jera Kalyn sighed tiredly, a tacit admission that her attempts to coax something mildly diverting from her sensor readings had ended in total failure. Two weeks in the Rebatta sector, and so far she had detected nothing but tachyon emissions and elevated radiation levels from the nearby twin star system.
It was textbook material; a first year cadet wouldn't have found a challenge in it. She had tried to make it more interesting, re-tuning the sensors in ways the engineers who had designed the Sirius had never imagined possible. Modifying the detection grid had provided a modicum of relief early on, rescuing her from the tedium of daily operations.
The diversion had barely lasted a few days.
It was simple, really. She saw the plans unfold in her mind and made the necessary adjustments to the forward array, channeling every spare ounce of power she could muster into bolstering the range of the ship's detection grid. With only a few minor adjustments, she had managed to nearly double the amount of space the sensors could effectively cover.
Corporal Kalyn allowed herself a smile. She was proud of her efforts, even if no one else on board was privy to them. Some of the Alliance's best engineers couldn't have done better in such a short time. She was quick to remind herself that this was not arrogant self-absorption; it was fact, born out of necessity. The design team at the Martian ship yards had no motivation to even consider that a patrol ship would require such delicate fine tuning of its detection grid.
They aren't stuck in the Rebatta system chasing ghosts, Jera thought sourly.
Still, modifying the grid had presented her with a problem to solve. That's what she was best at- solving problems. Reconfiguring the detection grid wasn't exactly a poser, but it was a start. It certainly had kept her busy.
Corporal Kalyn risked a glance away from her console, taking in the bridge with a sweeping glance. Major Dorval was at the weapons station, his porcelain white skin almost blinding her. He stood ramrod straight, perfectly at ease as if doing nothing was something he had aspired to do all his life. He had long red head hair that was pulled tightly and fastened in the back with an ornamental clasp. Supposedly it had some religious significance, so the Alliance had made an exception to allow such frivolous adornments to be worn by one of its officer. As if such a decree were really necessary; there were only a handful of Ensharrans in the fleet, and any problems could have been dealt with on a case by case basis. She suspected it had more to do with politics than anything else, a grand gesture by the Alliance to appease the Ensharran homeworld and make it clear the fleet was an organization that welcomed a little diversity among the ranks, provided it didn't interfere with the function of its ships.
Not that Jera cared one way or another.
Dorval was a excellent officer who had been decorated numerous times for acting above and beyond the call of duty. She breathed easier knowing he was at the weapons station; whatever problems they may have faced on this mission, she knew Major Dorval was more than capable of dealing with them.
So far, though, his talents were wasted.
As were hers.
Jera let her gaze drifted to Navigation and the Lanjidite manning the station. Major Goff stared straight ahead while his furry paws deftly worked the console in front of him, gliding across the smooth surface like the well polished blades of Parsecci boots on a newly poured rink. Like Dorval, the Lanjidite was as cool as Mandorvian ice crystals. Nothing seemed to unnerve him, a small miracle given the combative nature of the Lanjidites in general. They loved to argue; they were respected -if not tiresome- debaters who were often let loose on races like the Murundi who responded well to such adversarial approaches when conducting their affairs. The argued like Yakovians fought... to the death. That Goff could remain so incredibly placid just sitting there mindlessly guiding the ship forward was a testimony to his resolve.
Standing directly behind Goff was the first officer.
Major D'Riis was a big man, solid, his broad shoulders stretching his charcoal gray uniform to the absolute stress limit. He had a loping gait that carried him from one point to the next in an almost comical fashion, and when he moved to his seat he was clearly aware of it. He was more than two meters in height and always had to duck when stepping into a room. Once, Jera remembered clearly, they had shared a lift, and Jera had unobtrusively observed that his head practically brushed the ceiling.
D'Riis sat down, the chair creaking under his weight. Fleet ships simply hadn't been designed with his species in mind; something that would undoubtedly change now that Beta Galandii was officially a part of the Alliance.
"Steady as she goes," D'Riis said.
"Aye," Goff replied.
Corporal Kalyn shook her head. No one seemed nearly as frustrated with the situation as she was. They certainly gave no sign of it, at any rate. She was practically leaping out of her skin from the lack of anything to do. Somehow, they took it all in stride.
Especially the colonel.
Colonel Mishi Takada sat in the command chair, though at times it seemed as though the chair was in command of her. She was a slight woman, barely meeting the height requirements for entrance into the Academy. She had short black hair, cut in paramilitary fashion, and eyes like almonds set deep into her face. Her skin was flawless, and almost as pale as the Ensharran's at weapons. A gray Alliance uniform clung to her well toned frame, and she wore it as easily as she wore the rank insignia on her collar.
She was one of those individuals born for command. It was evident in the way she carried herself, they was she walked . . . the way she spoke. She had a presence that defied explanation; standing in her company it was painfully clear she was in charge. It didn't matter if she was sitting in the center of the bridge or parrying a well placed shot on racquetball court.
Corporal Kalyn drew in a deep breath and released it. She had been harboring a crush on her Colonel ever since reporting for duty. Jera could still remember the feel of the Colonel's hand grasping hers in a formal welcome . . . the soft skin, the warm glow of her eyes, even the lilt in her voice that seemed incongruous with the authoritative manner in which she welcomed new officers aboard.
She had spent many nights fantasizing . . . romanticizing about the colonel. When she closed her eyes, she imagined the colonel's hands fondling her breasts, those soft lips closing around her nipples until she gasped in quiet pleasure. She imagined herself, in turn, reaching around to find the colonel's well curved bottom and squeezing the solid flesh until the colonel whimpered for more. In her musings, hands groped furiously, mouths devoured one another, naked bodies pressed together in the murky haze of dimly lit quarters until they both cried out and collapsed in exhaustion.
But they were musings, nothing more.
Jera shook herself from her reverie. Such thoughts were not only dangerous on the bridge . . . but futile. The Colonel followed protocol to the letter; she wasn't about to enter into a relationship with one of her officers. She certainly wouldn't have any interest with a green corporal only a few weeks out of the Academy.
"Colonel," D'Riis said. "If you'd like to call it a night, I can handle things up here."
Takada smiled thinly. "What, and miss all this excitement?"
The crew laughed, for the first giving any outward hint that they were as bored as Jera was. She leaned forward slightly, giving her an obstructed view of both the colonel and first officer . . . though her gaze was fixed solely on the colonel, and the way she filled our her uniform.
"You'd always have my report," D'Riis grinned.
"Thank you, Major," Takada said. There was a slyness in her voice barely kept in check by her rigid demeanor. "As much as I enjoy your prose, not even you know enough flowery words to make a report about this mission interesting."
"I suppose not," D'Riis sighed. "Do you think the Yakovians were lying?"
Takada considered that a moment and the crew waited in absolute silence for her answer. It was something that was on the mind of everyone on the bridge . . . indeed everyone on board the Sirius , and possibly everyone in Alliance.
"No," the colonel said finally. "They have no reason to lie. It gives them no tactical advantage." There was a sureness in her voice; a certainty. She wasn't saying it to convince herself or the crew. She believed it; but hearing her say it, the crew believed it as well.
"They saw something," Takada continued. "Lord knows what . . . but they saw it."
"Aye," D'Riis nodded.
Corporal Kalyn listened to the exchange with as much interest as anyone, though perhaps her heart beat a little faster watching the colonel in action. Maybe not, though. Colonel Takada was an extremely attractive woman, who no doubt caught the eye of many on board. She certainly had Jera Kalyn's undivided attention. Jera felt a quivering inside her just thinking what it would be like to kiss those lips and suckle those breasts that the colonel's uniform tried so vainly to conceal. The notion that others on board had similar thoughts made her nostrils flare with jealousy, however unwarranted that jealousy may be.
Suddenly, a light flickered on her console.
So wrapped up in her lust for the colonel, Jera almost missed it. Something in the back of her mind told her to glance down and she did, and that's when she noticed it . . . a blip on the long range sensors.
It could have been nothing. An aberration, an abnormality. Perhaps a glitch in her modifications. Her hands danced across the console as she tried to confirm the readings. Each passing moment brought it with it another heft dose of anxiety. Sweat dotted her forehead.
The blip showed up again. This time there was no mistaking it.
Something was out there.
"Colonel," Corporal Kalyn said with tempered excitement. "I think have something."
At weapons, Dorval grunted indignantly. "I'm not picking up anything. Maybe you should run a diagnostic on the lateral sensors."
"With all due respect, Sir," Jera said. "There's nothing wrong with the sensors. You may not be picking anything up at your station, but I am. I . . . modified the sensors to extend their range."
"You what?" Colonel Takada said.
Corporal Kalyn smiled sheepishly. "I modified them, Colonel."
"Corporal," D'Riis said. "I don't recall any request along those lines."
"No, sir," Kalyn admitted. "I was, um, bored."
Colonel Takada pulled herself up from the command chair, circling around the bridge to hover over the Jera's computer panel. Corporal Kalyn breathed in sharply, inhaling the perfumy scent of the woman beside her, aware of her proximity, feeling the heat radiating from her like the heat of a sun. She was hyper aware of the colonel, aware of how sensual she was . . . aware of how nicely their bodies would spoon together after a night of making love.
"Corporal," Takada said, fiddling with the panel. "In all my years in the Fleet I have never seen a system jury-rigged like this. It was out of line for you to make these modifications without consulting me first . . . and dangerous given our location and proximity to the Border." Jera swallowed hard, her anxiety soon melting along with her heart as a grin surfaced on the colonel's lips. "Nicely done, " said the colonel, patting Jera on the back. "Navigation, lay in a course using these readings. Perhaps this mission wasn't for naught after all."
"Yes, Colonel," Sergeant Goff said.
With a final look at a beaming Corporal Kalyn, Colonel Takada moved to stand behind the Nigation station as the viewscreen was overtaken by prismatic streaks of starlight.
"Any idea what it is?" D'Riss asked.
Takada shook her head ever so slightly. "Not at this range . . . but it isn't a biologic, and it isn't stationary. That much is certain."
D'Riis nodded. "How long before we can get a clear look at this thing?"
"Five minutes," Kalyn replied.
Takada nodded. "Code yellow."
A light flashed in the corner of the bridge, the only indication that anything about their situation had changed. Each passing minute eased the tension level up a notch until it was almost unbearable.
"I have it," Corporal Kalyn said.
Sergeant Dorval nodded. "Confirmed."
"Analysis?" Takada asked.
Dorval studied his console. "Duranium alloy, faint energy signature in the engine room . . ." He looked up, his white face seemingly even more pale. "Colonel . . . it's an Alliance battleship."
"What?" D'Riis gasped. "Out here?"
Colonel Takada took the news in stride, as if finding an Alliance battleship this far away from the nearest base was the most natural occurrence in the universe. "Identify."
"Transponder signal is highly unusual," Dorval told her. "Running it through the database." He worked his console, demanding more from the computer than it was willing to give. After a few moments a satisfied smile eased the tension that had gripped his alabaster face. "I have it, Colonel. Registry 9752312 . . . it's the Lao Tzu."
"That ship disappeared more than one hundred years ago," Major D'Riis exclaimed.
Takada mulled that over. "Indications of life?"
"Negative," Dorval said.
"Colonel," Corporal Kalyn said. "I am picking up energy readings. Something is working over there."
Takada considered that a moment. "Major D'riis, take a boarding party over to that ship and find out what the hell is going on."
The major nodded curtly. "Yes, Colonel. Sergeant Dorval . . . Corporal Kalyn . . . let's move."
At her station, Corporal Jera Kalyn smiled. At last something fascinating was happening just where she happened to be.
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