SODIUM:6 Defiance (9 page)

As I sat discussing the incident with Hershen the Frekkin commander suddenly appeared on the surface in front of the doors. She had hidden herself instead of boarding her vessel before its departure. It was a shrewd move and had prevented her capture by the Ogle. She was not counting on the waiting Human and Kurtz parked nearby with their hidden ship. Hershen quickly projected a static box field around her. She was now our prisoner.

With Hershen still at the controls of the Jacques I floated to the surface and blinked in. The Frekkin commander was startled and attempted to move but the static field surrounding her held her in place. I then had the strange sensation that I knew her. It was the same Frekkin scientist that had watched over Hershen and I when we had been their prisoners.

She immediately barked an order at me to assist her. When I refused she again had a startled look. I was not one of her clones. I was the real human. She quickly vanished from view, but I knew she was trapped inside the static field. I waited with a smirk on my face while continuing to stare at the static field. After several minutes she popped back into view in front of me.

Using our translator and a resonant frequency of the field I decided to strike up a conversation. I didn't bother to posture or threaten the little dog-like creature as she was trapped and of no danger to us. I instead took the time to ask her questions... questions about the DaCuban site. I started by calling her name... "Shtia."

I began the conversation by asking how she had been. I remarked of how well she looked as I grinned at her non-stop. When my sarcastic mood came to an end I turned my questioning to the issues at hand. What did the Frekkin know about the doors and how long had they known.

Shtia was quiet and refused to answer. I called to Hershen for assistance and minutes later he appeared beside me. He had a small aerosol container in his hand with a vial of green liquid attached. When I asked him what it was he remarked that I should know. The Kurtz had used it on me many years ago, when I had first been taken captive. It was the green mist that had been used for my interrogation.

Hershen continued in its description by stating that this was the "latest" version. It was much more effective that what I had been given and with it now being used on a much smaller being the effects would come on much more quickly. I then looked at the static box and back at Hershen. He remarked that the box was our friend and with a thought to his helmet computer a small window opened in the side of the static field, courtesy of the multi-field unit on the Jacques.

He sprayed a short stream of the liquid into the static box and then closed the window with another thought. Shtia attempted to close her helmet but she was too late. The truth spray took hold. The dog-like creature first began to smile before scrunching down and cowering in fear. In less than a minute her mind raced through bouts of fear and ecstasy before settling in on a euphoric glee.

The Frekkin had only recently discovered the site. Had they known about it before they would have spared the Fromus species from annihilation. They had declared war on a species named the Fromus. It was the second species on the second row of the left hand door. They had attempted to subjugate the Fromus, but when they failed, they instead wiped out their entire population. It was a savage and bloody war as the Fromus fought the Frekkin to the last being.

Had the Frekkin known about the site earlier they would have spared at least one Fromus, captured a Nickarian and seen to it that at least one Borten, Roache, Moom and Kalant had lived. They too believed the great doors could be opened by having all of the species present.

I asked about the beings on the top row and the Frekkin replied that they were unknown. Every species they had encountered during their long history was of the ones that were visible on the two doors or of those on the archway. The species on the top rows remained a mystery. They had all the known living species with them except for a Nickarian.

Shtia was baffled as to why my clone had not been able to enable the human ring. The being she had brought with her on the ship was an exact clone of me, of my human DNA. I asked why they had not cloned the other species to which she replied that our DNA and that of the Kurtz had been the only ones that had taken successfully. The Kurtz clone had a reduced cognitive ability making it of little use except as a being for the DaCuban experiment.

The Jessian DNA had several odd formations that they had not been able to replicate. The closest they had come was to create a warrior made from the DNA of Hershen, the Jessian prisoner and of me. It stood three meters tall, had an oversized human brain and the Kurtz skin and eyes. But it was docile and not easily moved into action.

I began to wonder about what the outcome would have been if the Human Empire had gone up against the Frekkin. They had been occupied with fleeing their worlds and the Ogle when we had only begun to make contact. Their technology at the time was far superior to ours. I wondered if Man would have survived a full on war.

We had been witness to ten species moving the great doors back 50 meters, but nothing new was revealed. In our travels we had identified all of the known species on the two doors and most upon the archway. We had encountered species that had every intention of either making us slaves or wiping us out. Our part of the galaxy was indeed a hostile place.

I made a request to Kurg that we bring Shtia to Meyer so that any tracking devices could be removed. He was hesitant at first until I explained that the Frekkin were already aware of the location of their world so nothing new would be revealed. Kurg accepted my request and we were soon on our way. Once any tracking devices had been removed Shtia would be heading for Earth.

We touched down at a base just outside of Los Angeles. I was eager to turn over our Frekkin guest to the science team before grabbing an air taxi to Alabama. When I arrived home I was again shocked by what I saw. I stepped out of the taxi onto the drive in front of the modular home. A humanoid looking robot was riding my father's tractor as it plowed a small field. Two other robots were working in my mother's garden.

When I walked in the front door the three of them were sitting back in chairs with their feet propped up and BGS helmets on. I said hello and it took them several seconds to respond. Their visors lifted and I was greeted with smiles. It was a strange greeting and came without any actual physical interaction.

When I questioned what they were doing they responded that the latest helmets had a holo-screen built in that was tied directly to their robotic counterparts. They could each seamlessly direct their robots to perform any tasks that were needed without having to get out of their chairs. The BGS suits kept them physically healthy while the robots did all the actual work.

I wondered if the human race would become nothing more than lumps in a chair with robotic equals that performed all of their work. It was certainly a less dangerous way of accomplishing any task, but I wondered if we would soon lose the mental experience that came with our interactions in the physical world.

I was soon schooled on the forced feedback that came through the BGS suit. If the robot reached down and picked up a tomato my mother would feel the light resistance the tomato offered against her own fingers. The holo-screen gave her a visual view that was similar in quality to the real thing. The audio filtered in through stereo speakers. My parents would sit happily in their chairs all day while their virtual extension went about their daily chores.

I asked where Zack's wife was to which they responded that she had moved out and settled in New York. It was the new home port of Zack and her sons. The three of them were off-world for the next five months, but would be returning in August for a six month training tour in New York.

After a week-long visit home I could not wait to get back to duty. My parents seemed strangely occupied with their virtual lives. They had gone as far as sending their robots into town to meet with the robots of other friends, all carrying on as though they were there themselves.

Hershen had taken the time to visit with his brother on Toledus. Upon his return he had a similar story to tell of the Kurtz people beginning to live their lives through Virtual Robotic Mimicry as they termed it. VRM was government sponsored and had spread like wildfire when first introduced.

The Kurtz had gone as far as making their robots as similar looking to themselves as they could. Hershen had been ill at ease during his visit when he had discovered that an hour long conversation had been had with his brother's VRM instead of with his brother in person. I wondered how long it would be before the robots of Earth were covered with flesh and hair. Many aspects of it seemed very wrong. I found it all disturbing.

With the intelligence extracted from Shtia, AMP Command sent a scout ship to the Frekkin's last known location. As expected, they had already moved on. Shtia had led on that the entire Frekkin people, as well as the Por Hollis, were living in one giant globe ship matrix that they would move whenever needed. With Shtia's capture, that need for a move had arisen.

The Mundari assimilation into the AMP continued. In less than a year most of the technologies available had been transferred between all of the species where all could benefit. Every adult Human and every adult Kurtz now had a personal VRM that could be used to do any or all of the tasks required of being a citizen.

There were grumblings by many parents over not having VRMs for their children but the AMP Council of Governance had decided that children needed to grow and experience life in their natural bodies so that they could function, if needed, on their own. I felt it was a wise decision that every citizen knows what it was like to work, to interact and to have their lives in danger from the real world. When living through a VRM there was no real danger to the controller.

Over the next several years there were no sightings of either the Ogle or the Frekkin. The AMP had spy drones camped out near the Meche worlds, but no suspicious activity was taken note of. I began to wonder if the Frekkin had possibly discovered the Ogle home world and with that discovery had launched an attack. I could think of no other explanation as to why both species had not been heard from.

I had requested that Hershen and I once again be given control of the Jacques for journeys of exploration into the unknown. My ambassadorial duties had become stale with no real benefit derived from my presence. I still had many friends at AMP Command and my request was quickly honored.

I was given my choice of a science officer and an engineer. My first thoughts were of Boota, but I did not feel the Kurtz would be comfortable with my choice. Boota was among their chief scientists and of too high a value to his people. So, I instead asked for volunteers.

A number of resumes were scanned with a choice of Beatrice Frederick for the engineering position. She had an impressive list of accomplishments, but had yet to set foot in space. For the science position, Hershen selected Mika Honnes. She was a well-regarded Nickarian scientist with a background in anthropology. She would also easily double as our linguistics officer.

The Jacques was refitted with the latest gear available from AMP Command. It remained the only ship in the fleet with an active Cesium reactor and multiple static field shielding. Designs for other ships were in the works, but none had yet to make it into the physical world.

With the ship upgrades complete and supplies restocked I asked Hershen what destination he thought worthy of our exploration. He only thought for a moment before stating that the Cat's Eye nebula would make for a fascinating journey. I agreed and the course headings were entered into the Jacques computer.

We lifted off as the sun set over the pacific on a beautiful July evening. The thin clouds on the horizon yielded a show or reds, oranges and pinks that would rival any sunset I had ever been witness to. We passed through the Earth shield, turned in the direction of our target and I pushed the throttle to full.

As we passed through light speed Beatrice Frederic slumped over in her chair. Mika attempted to revive her, but she was unresponsive. I turned the ship and headed for the closest city with a medical bay. Five minutes later we were on the ground with a medical team heading our way. Beatrice was once again fully awake and insisting that she was fine.

It took several hours before we got word back of what had happened. Beatrice had been wheelchair bound her entire life, having been born with birth defects that prevented her spine from properly forming. Numerous operations had failed at completely correcting her situation. Until the VRMs appeared she had been very limited in her physical abilities.

She was attempting to send her VRM into space; a VRM that had been modified to look exactly like her but with no physical disability. But there was one problem with her plan that she had not fully thought through. When a ship passed through light speed any QE links were temporarily broken. She had lost the connection to her VRM the moment after I pushed the throttle to full.

Someone at AMP Command had somehow overlooked the physical parameters of her resume and forwarded her as a candidate for the mission. When the full story was known I talked to the home mission commander and pushed for her continued inclusion on the flight. We had room on the Jacques for another passenger and a second science officer was notified of our interest.

Lieutenant Marius Pierce was in the Science Command of the AMP Marines. He was brilliant, highly trained and capable. As with most of my reasonable requests, I was also honored with the allowance of Beatrice Frederick onto the team. Her VRM would be unavailable during faster than light travel but could quickly come back online with a fast reboot afterward. AMP Command allowed my request after it was pointed out that it would be a good situational test of a VRM on a mission.

Hershen had also put forth the reasoning that the idea of having a disposable body on-board might come in handy should the need arise for such. Betty's VRM was all smiles when the approval came through. We again lifted off the following morning.

At full throttle the 3,300 light year journey to the Cat's Eye nebula was run in only three days. As we approached the nebula a star system was selected that was 17 light years distance. Of the six planets in the system, the fourth planet was in the habitable zone. As we dropped below light speed, Betty's VRM came online and seconds later she began a conversation with Marius.

We approached the planet with sensors and shields on full. No artificial signals were detected and the planet was immediately classified as unclaimed. The new world was 90% covered by vast oceans while three land masses dominated the rest. The atmospheric levels showed in the green on our holo-screens. Only minutes after taking up orbit around the planet I pushed the Jacques down through the atmosphere.

We came to a halt hovering over a blue lagoon with a white sandy beach. Various green and blue palm tree-like plants lined its shore. A breakwater reef was visible beneath the crystal blue waters. Flying creatures, similar to Earth's birds and the Mamics of Toledus could be seen floating about the trees as a light sea-breeze pushed ashore.

We moved the ship inland over the jungle and allowed our scanners and sensors to do their work. New species of both plant and animal were recorded and automatically cataloged. I fired a Protractinium pellet down into the planet surface that contained a micro-signature broadcast stating that the planet had been claimed by the AMP. The data that was gathered was quickly transferred across the ships QE comm link back to command. I looked back at Betty and asked AMP Command if the planet could henceforth be known as Betty. The request was approved.

We scoured the planet Betty for a full day before finding evidence of sentient beings. They were primitives that lived and traveled in pods. Their small communities consisted of thatched wooden huts that looked like they could be quickly dismantled and moved if needed. A round stone marked the center of their camp. They were a thin gray biped species with white tufts of hair covering their faces, backs and privates. As we slowly glided overhead we remained invisible to their four blue eyes.

One section of their small village had yellow animal skins that were stretched and drying in the hot afternoon sun. Several workers were busy cleaning a fresh kill as a group of others left into the blue-green jungle with clubs and spears. Marius then pointed to a smoke trail on the horizon. It was 130 kilometers distance which we then covered in a fraction of a second.

It was another village, much larger than the first, with stone huts and stone walls surrounding them. The village lined a bluff along a wide slow river. The lowlands along the river had been furrowed and planted. Bright red fruits were visible on a number of surrounding trees. The yellow skinned biped villagers moved about the village and the fields conducting their daily chores.

Wide swaths of grassland surrounded the village with the cultivated fields around it. The jungle had been pushed back. As we observed the villagers, Betty became the first to point out something of high interest. Our sensors had detected movement along the river's edge just to the south of the village. Canoes carrying 16 of the gray creatures were moving slowly up along the river bank.

A single yellow skinned lookout sat on a high perch facing the last of the south fields. It was soon evident that the sentry was asleep as the gray creatures landed quietly, slipped up into the tall grass along the water’s edge and then all at once raced into the south field surprising and attacking four of the yellow workers. Hershen stood as if to put an end to the raid on the yellow skinned beings.

The gray creatures were much faster than the defenseless Yellows and a savage beating of the captives ensued after each was quickly snared. A lookout in a high stand beyond the next field then sounded the alarm with a horn blast. The other yellow workers turned and slowly ran towards the safety of their stone walls.

The four captives were taken to the canoes while three of the gray creatures surrounded the now awake sentry on the perch. The sentry cowered to one side of the stand as a Gray climbed up to him with a club in hand. After a hard swing his lifeless body fell to the ground. The two remaining Grays then began to drag him to the canoes.

We were witness to what was probably an ongoing struggle between the two species. The agrarian society, although more advanced in civilization, was the weaker of the two. Their continued survival relied on planning ahead and keeping an ever watchful eye. I wondered if similar battles had taken place between the early species of humans on Earth, species that I at one time so long ago, had studied in high school.

As we roamed across the planet from the daylight and into the darkness the Cat's Eye nebula was in its full spectacular glory. The glow of the hot gases that had been ejected from the bright hot star at its core gave an eerie red gloom to the darkness of the night sky. It was a spectacular site in the heavens, unlike anything that could be seen with the human eye from Earth.

We spent the next week recording and cataloging every living thing on the planet Betty. Sensor scans told of mineral deposits, sea-life and weather conditions. Our monitoring of the native cultures revealed the same scenario happening time and again between the Grays and the Yellows. Several clans of Grays would move into an area of the Yellows before being driven back, deep into the jungles, by a much larger armed Yellow force.

For seven months we continued our survey of the Cat's Eye nebula region. Of the 47 star systems we encountered, three habitable worlds were found, two with qualities very similar to that of Earth. The billions of suns in the Milky-Way galaxy were teaming with life, life waiting to be discovered.