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Chapter 3
- Planetary Coalition Date 7269.317 -
On board Cybex Corp Reconnaissance Ship Lumenictus, docked in Rackoyd Station in orbit around Monravia
Ugh, how can anyone enjoy this awful stuff? Who in their right mind was the first to think that it’d be a good idea to drink the liquefied intestines of a Tendor? I think I was somebody studying animal behavior. I can just see it now, “ Hey that scavenger over there looks pretty hopped up, I think I’ll try whatever it’s eating and see what happens”... If Van weren’t so a good at what he does, I’d eject this whole batch out through the airlock. But too be fair, I have to admit it does have a one hell of a kick. Two cups and my brain is so wired I feel like I can see through time. Now were did I put the sweetener? … Let’s see now … ship personnel listing, check… medical supplies manifest, check… life support system overload inspection, check… I didn’t see these in the loading bay. Better call down and check…
“Tary, have the uni-molding EV suits been delivered yet?”
“Yes, Captain. The Cybex technicians delivered them fifteen demics ago. I’ve completed the safety evaluation and have them ready for storage. If at any point we are forced to abandon ship, we will be more than adequately protected.”
“Glad to hear it. Please go over to the Environmental module, and verify the filtration levels of the second batch of air scrubbers. I want to make sure that they are efficient enough to handle an increased level of emissions. I have a feeling we’ll be out in the Periphery for quite a while.”
“Will do Captain. Over and out.”
Back to the list… secondary transmission antenna, check… Hope that’s Van I hear coming in and not a Pandorian hitman. If they ever figure out it was me that ‘borrowed’ all those creds…
“Yaaaawn ... Out for quite a while, huh? Hope you remembered to bring some Kundren libations on board then. Just to make the time pass a bit easier.”
“Commander, I’ll have you know that taking any of the 100 types of Kundren mind-altering beverages on interstellar voyages is forbidden and a violation of the PlanCo Code 752, Section 1290, Paragraph 48. And if I found out that someone had smuggled some aboard disguised as spare landing struts and stored them in Engineering Sub-level, I would be forced to report them to the proper authorities.”
“As well you should. But it just so happens that was just a random security compliance test. If you would have answered differently, it would have been me that was forced to report you to the proper authorities.”
“Glad to see you’re so litigious.”
“On that note… do you think the ship could be bugged?”
“Don’t think so. I had Exar run a level 3 sweep for both listening and tracking devices, and he didn’t find anything. If there is something on board, they earned the right to eavesdrop.”
“Well if anyone is listening in, they can sit back and enjoy. Because I have to tell you, too bad you couldn’t stay with me and the Tuns last night.”
“Yes, I’m sure you were devastated.”
“Well, for the first couple of mics at least. Anyway, you know how Neers are supposed to be able to change their molecular structure for short periods of time, right? So last night, the two of them tell me of this trick they do. One of them stood in front of me, and the other one behind. All of a sudden, their dorsal tentacles start to glow. And after a few mics, I could almost see through them. They then moved in closer, and their tentacles started going through my skin, here and here. And I literally mean through my skin. It wasn’t cutting or tearing or anything. But once inside, I could feel part of them rematerializing, because they started tickling my…”
Is that the com beeping?
“Captain, the propulsion crew has informed that they have finish the pre-flight check of the drive system and are ready to give you their report.”
“Thanks Tary. Please tell them Van and I are reviewing the takeoff run and flight plan. I will be down to the engine room as soon as we wrap up.”
“Will do Captain. Signing out.”
“I swear he has a special gift. Or else he wouldn’t know how to always interrupt at the worst time.”
“You can fill me in on the gory details we’re underway. We are scheduled to leave in about 20 delmics, and we still have a lot of things to go over.”
“Fine, although you’re the one that always says all work and no fooling around… blah blah blah.”
“Glad to see you picking up my little nuggets of wisdom… Now, slide on over and take a look at these schematics. The ship is basically one big booster rocket, with the rest of us attached for the ride. All this area is Engineering, this is the Engine Room, and this small area holds the fuel cells.”
“Wo… Hope we don’t get fired upon because we’ll light up brighter than a supernova.”
“Whomever designed the ship had the same thought in mind. Look here. The entire area has a second layer of Dermasel around it, with an Epsilon Class particle shield tucked in between. It’d take a direct hit from a neutron torpedo to get through all of it. And if even if we weren’t able to dodge that slow moving party crasher, and we did get hit, check this out. The entire front section can be jettisoned from the rest of the ship right at this point. These blocks are containment shields placed right after the blast doors, and the central stabilization thrusters can be reconfigured to become sub-light mega engines.”
“Pretty ingenious. Although it’d take us quite a while to get back to Rackoyd at that pace.”
“Then let’s hope that Pratec was on the level, and it’ll just be one speedy joy ride there and back. So take these and look them over. If I get hit over the head and loose my memory, I want someone to be able to get us back in one piece.”
“Well if that did happen, let’s hope you at least not forget our time at the Sun Beach in Nucnac 2”
“No worries there. It would take a neutron torpedo hit to jar those loose… Now let me take you through the basics of the flight plan. Once we’re clear of the station, we’ll proceed on course 311.4 until we pass the outer edge of the system. And before you say anything, I know it’s a longer way around. But I checked the current star charts, and with the placing of the outer three planets, our route will be exposed to a 10% decrease in gravitational drag. Even at 70% sub-light, we’ll still cut 5% from the typical exit sequence.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. And you call me paranoid.”
“So-rry. I guess that is your new look for silent contemplation. Now, since Pratec stressed how this was a top-secret mission, I think we should stay clear of the regular trade routes. Once we’ve cleared the system, we’ll set course 304.0915 by -44.1840 to the Periphery... Yes, that way… The EM discharges from the Telem Black Hole Cluster should help hide our presence. And the best part is that even though it’s a longer route, at the Ictus top speed, we’ll still get there at least a couple of septecs early.
“Seems goods to me. But if we’re going off the trade routes, no one will be able to find us if anything happens. We need to account for that and leave some sort of mechanism in place that will alert the right personnel if we go astray.”
“Way ahead of you. See, unlike you, I spent last night diligently prepping for our fantastic voyage instead of having some sort of metaphysical encounter.”
“And if you could have switched places with me, you’d have done it, so save it. So what is your grand plan to save our hides should something go wrong?”
“I’ve entered a copy of our route in my quarter’s computer here at the station. It is attached to a repeating program that must be reset every septec by an all-clear signal that we will be emitting throughout our trip between here and the forward edge of the Run. If the signal is not received in the required amount of time, it will trigger an alarm sequence that will forward our path and destination to Colonel Yretti at the Planetary Guard. Following standard protocol, Yretti will alert the proper personnel and send out a rescue party.”
“Brilliant. After which, we will be shuttled off to the nearest mind-erase facility to eliminate all knowledge of our secret mission.”
“In all likelihood. So I guess we better not screw up, right? Once we reach our intended position, we’ll signal to Pratec that we are in position, and then begin our search. From then on out, it’s anyone’s guess. What do you think?”
“Sounds like you have everything covered. So I’ll go find my quarters and get some rest. Wake me when we get to the Periphery.”
“Of course, your highness. And I’ll delivery all your meals personally to ensure that they are to your satisfaction.”
“Why thank you, Captain. That would be a welcomed change from the typical manner in which I’m treated on most of our travels.”
“Well keep dreaming, because the party’s just begun. Let’s head over to engineering. I’m dying to see what else this ship is capable of.”
This is one amazing ship. Every aspect of it is built for speed, inside and out. Look at the design of those panels. Perfectly situated for maximum efficiency, and no wasted motion. No wonder its’ Cybex’s prized possession. If it ever fell into one of their rival’s hands, their growing monopoly on the raw materials market would take a serious blow… I should get Exar to hack into the memory vault and unlock the holologs from its’ trip to the galactic center. That must have been one hell of a ride…
“Hold up Van. Let’s go in here for a moment. I need to talk to Exar for a moment.”
“Excellent timing, Master. I’ve completed the preliminary check of the communications system and the detection array, and all systems are functioning at optimum levels. I will now proceed to the shield generation platform and perform the pre-flight diagnostics.”
“Thanks for the update. Once you’ve finished, head over to the cargo hold and inspect the shipment of your repair kits and spare parts. I’d like to be sure that the array is not the only thing that’s functioning at optimum levels. I’ve also arranged for a download of the latest revision of the universal translator. Make sure you upload it into memory banks.”
“Of course, Master. Your concern is noted and appreciated.”
“Okay, carry on. Let’s go Van.”
All right. One more high speed jaunt in the slider and… next stop Propulsion. Now, let’s see what’s behind door number three… Hmm, so these are the famed Ginruns. The foremost experts in thermodynamics and propulsion, and builders of the most efficient engines the known galaxy has ever seen. They definetely put that big brain of theirs to it’s best use. And I am being literal. That is one huge brain they have. A bit gross how you can see through their skull though... Uh-oh, I better stop staring. They’re all looking at me. At least I think they are. Those two sacs are their eyes, right? That one talking to Tary must be their team leader, judging by his more elaborate clothing… Yeah, that’s him. I remember his features from the personnel holos …
“Captain Tomalan. I am glad to finally meet you.”
“As am I, Specialist… “
Why do I always forget names?! And that breather mask he’s wearing doesn’t help matters. What was that name…? Right Guard..?… Oh, yeah!
“… Rrivang. This is my XO, Commander Vancara. He is also our Chief Science Officer.”
“I look forward to working with you, Commander.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“I have been looking forward to the experience of flying a ship with one of your propulsion drives, so please let’s hear your report, Specialist.”
“With pleasure, Captain. And I must say I am impressed that you recognized who I was from among my team. Our species have been always accused of all looking alike and being difficult to distinguish.”
“Probably from someone that needs to be more open minded when dealing with other species.”
Hope Van noticed my small props to him. Yes, that smart-ass looks confirms it…
“You are probably right. First, let me introduce you to my staff. Roced and Ashba are in charge of the mega engines. Ocksmi and Exob handle the maneuvering and control system. Tenita is our combustion technician, and Werek and I are on charge on the main propulsion drives.”
“Did you say combustion? I thought our propulsion system was powered by sub-atomic reactions.”
“You are correct, Commander. The term is a bit antiquated. More of a reminder of times gone by when our travels were limited by the burning of solid fuels. But theoretically speaking, the method in which we process the energy released by the atomic reaction could be considered a manner of combustion. If you’d like, we can discuss it in more detail.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Please continue.”
“As you wish. First, the sub-light, mega engines. The ship has been outfitted with the 701J models. It will reach max velocity in 25% less than the standard D version. These particular units have been stress tested to generate up to 115% max power.”
“Not bad.”
“Thank you, Captain. As for the maneuvering system, it is considerably more sensitive than that of the average starship, and particularly in comparison to a mining transport. I would recommend whomever in your staff is in charge of piloting to spend some time with the simulator as soon as time allows in order for them to become familiar with the response time.”
“Understood. I spent a couple of delmics last night practicing some docking and takeoff procedures. We’ve also upload some training runs from the Academy, and I plan to try them out once we’re in route.”
“Glad to hear it, seeing as how survival and well being depends on your prowess at the helm.”
“No need to worry. I have not lost any crew members on a mission yet, and I don’t plan to start now.”
“I am sure you will not. Please Captain, do not assume my remark was one of doubt. I was just commenting on the situation.”
“No offense taken. If I were in your place, I would have similar feeling on the matter. Please, proceed.”
“Next is a standard issue Ginrun ultra drive. State of the art propulsion, which will accelerate a 20,000 kils ship to max speed in 2.5 mics.”
“Excellent, she’s got it where it counts. Now, the part we’ve all been looking forward to.”
“Gladly. Here we have the crown jewel of Ginrun technology, the magna drive. On average, it is theoretically capable of achieving speeds greater 80 times the speed light, which is 155% above the average ultra drive. We’ve just completed the calibration of this engine unit, and the overspeed test shows it reaching 81.69 times the speed of light. As it’s reputation states, the fastest ship on the Cybex, or any other, fleet. Now in order to propel at ship at those speeds, and apparently defy the laws of astrophysics, the magna drive performs two specific functions. The first one is the generation of a particle-magnetic pulse that, in essence, attaches the sub-atomic mass of the ship and everything on board, to the sub-atomic mass of the universe’s dark matter. Once the connection is made, a chain reaction is created in which the initial set of particles, which is equivalent to the volume of the ship, connects to the next set of particle located next to them, and so on. This is known as the Yramato Phenomenon, after the Ginrun scientist that developed the theoretical model to behind it.”
I’d gasp, but that seems like an understament.
“Once the attachment is made, phase two starts. In order to move the ship, the drive’s compressor section then harnesses the atomic energy released from quark separation and expels it through the turbine and exit nozzle, therefore creating significant mass shift that will in turn propel the ship. Our average engine is typically able to channel 70% of the energy released and then turn it into motion. This particular serial model has been recorded at 72.3%. Once the cycle of initial propulsion is complete, the ship will begin to travel through the universe’s sub-atomic space. At peak efficiency, this process alone will engage the ship in 60 times speed of light travel. But that is not all, as you will note that I did not say the full 80 times. An added pair of bonuses from this operation is that first, once engaged, we will not only be driven by the engines, but also pulled along by the chain reaction effect. This is what I meant when I said the engine creates a particle-magnetic pulse. This additional tug will allow the ship to reach ultimate velocity. And second, a ship traveling in this manner cannot be tracked. To anyone tracking it on radar, it would look as if the ship dissipated into the dark matter of the universe.”
“Truly an amazing technology. With sufficient mass production, the engines would significantly advance the discovery of the galaxy.”
“Indeed. The potential of this propulsion system could very well revolutionize evolution in this quadrant. We’d be able to reach distant worlds in only a fraction of the time of normal travel.”
“I am curious, how does the ship revert back to normal space?”
“Excellent question, Commander. That is a very delicate operation, and one of the reasons this particular technology is still reserved for… special circumstances. Once within at least 500 milecs of the intended destination, the drive will issue a negatively charged pulse, which will sever the magnetic connection. Once severed, the sub-atomic particles are released and the ship recomposes in normal space. There are some risks with this process though. Once the pulse is generated, the drive’s propulsion system has to be engaged within 10 micro-mics. If not, the chain reaction will continue to ripple in sub-space, and get too far ahead of the ship. The negative pulse will only work within a quarter milec of the ship. If propulsion is not achieved within the max spec, there will be an additional delay as the pulse travels to the initial magnetic connection point, which is traveling ahead of the ship. This delay will mean the ship will overshoot the arrival coordinates by some amount. The longer we wait, the further off the ship will be. And at these speeds, it could be quite significant.”
“Surely there is some failsafe circuitry that will link the pulse generation and drive engagement to automate the operation.”
“And an excellent deduction by you, Captain, as there indeed is. Some of our early test flights identified this need, and was very sternly emphasized by our pilots upon their return from the longer than expected journeys. I am happy to report that we have not had an overshoot incident in over four tricents.
“I hope that we will continue to keep that streak alive.”
“I have no doubts that we will. Unfortunately, there is one more risk that, although rare, we must discuss.”
“Go on.”
“If the chain reaction gets too far ahead of the ship, or if there is a misfire by the negative pulse, we will not be able to sever the link and it will continue to drag us forward. What happens then is anyone’s guess. In theory, the chain reaction will continue creating new connections all the way to the end of the universe. But does that really happen or is there enough energy loss that the ship will naturally revert back to normal space? Will the expansion of the universe outrace the reaction therefore the ship will continue to travel forever? Will the reaction catch up with it? Sadly, we’ve lost some of our early pilots this way. Never to be seen or heard from again. Their fate, a complete mystery outside of theoretical pondering. For all we know, they could be all dead or stuck somewhere on the far side of the galaxy.”
“Not particularly comforting. I assume when you say rare you mean 1 in a billion?”
“Not quite. In the early stages of the development program, we lost six ships in that manner. But take comfort that the technology has since been perfected, and we have not had an incident in the aforementioned four tricents. Plus we carry on board a second, stripped-down drive, which will serve as a secondary pulse generator should the first one malfunction in any way. It is programmed to fire within 0.3 mics of the first pulse if no signal is received.”
“Well, everyone on board knows the risks of interstellar travel. But if we overshoot the Periphery, hopefully we’ll end up near the Danlloh Pleasure Planet instead.”
“We should all be so lucky… Finally, I would like to talk about the fuel source for the ship. Since without fuel, we wouldn’t move at all. Has your crew finished the purity inspection?”
“Yes, I just finished going over it before leaving the bridge. It should be uploaded to your control station by now.”
“Thank you. Allow me to bring it up … 97.6% pure. Outstanding! Especially on a load of such considerable size.”
“Specialist, I had some questions regarding the fuel source itself.”
“Of course, Commander. What would you like to know?”
“I was reviewing the engine requirements, and was a bit surprised to see that it specifies trinitorian ores from Targus 8. If the basic purpose of the ore is to provide the raw material for the quark separation, why does it matter what planet it comes from? I imagine the cost to transport from a planet not on the Iron Run, at least to this part of the sector, must be prohibitive.”
“Another great question. It’s also tied to the reason we have two separate main drive systems. You must have some Ginrun somewhere in your bloodlines.”
“Well I have heard stories about my great grandmother on my father’s side.”
“That would surely explain things. First, the fuel for the magna drive is quite expensive and takes a considerable effort to mine. So it is actually cheaper to run the ultra drive. It works for most planetary exploration missions, and can then leave the magna drive for when we need to cover extreme expanses of space in a short time. Or get away very, very fast. There are also some other operational reasons, but none that need concern us now.”
Simple enough. I hope.
“As for the original question, I will explain, but please understand that it is a Ginrun trade secret and cannot be shared with anyone outside of cleared for the highest security level.”
Trade secret? This should be good
“It is a little known fact that the trinitorian from Targus 8 has an additional three quarks per atom, therefore generating a final energy yield 18% higher than most common sources. That way, we can minimize the inventory of the material, while maintaining increased levels of performance. Currently, Cybex is the only mining consortium that has access to this knowledge. And since we have a revenue sharing agreement with them, they give us a below-market rate for the ores. As you can see, if this secret got out, it might cause some complications.”
“Understood, Specialist. Your secret is safe with us. We would not last long in our line of work if we did not keep our partner’s confidence. Plus every Cybex mission comes with a full confidentiality agreement regarding what we see or find, only voided if the issuer purposely misleads any of the other signees in order to finalize the contract.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about, Captain.”
“In that case, if you’ll excuse us, we still have some work to do prior to takeoff. Should you need anything, please contact me. I will also hold a staff meeting shortly after we are underway. I’ll introduce you to the rest of my staff then.”
“Very well, Captain. I will see you then.”
That was something else. Those Ginruns know their stuff… And now that we are out of earshot, I can’t wait to hear this one…
“And when did you do all this alleged reviewing, Van?”
“Last night, after I received your message on the engine specs.”
“Really? By my estimate, you should have been fairly occupied around that time.”
“You see, my smooth, pink friend, one of the galaxy’s true wonders of evolution is the Aster segmented brain. It allows performing several, completely separate tasks even though our bodies might be responding to the direction of just one of the segments. So your blatant attempt to spoil my evening was thwarted, as I was able to read up on the data, and still continue to be a gracious host to the Tuns. In fact, I wanted to thank you, as it proved to be quite helpful. Engaging in the reading proved to be analogous to what you often refer to as thinking about baseball.”
Ha! And I thought he wasn’t listening when I said that…
“Although what running around like a fool trying to catch a small ball that was hit with a long stick has got to do with anything is beyond me. I still think you’re pulling my leg though. Not even the most primitive of planets would find that entertaining.”
“I guess you’re right. A human’s increased agility and complex brain structure would find entertainment in which other lesser beings might be confused by.”
“I would say it’s more like simple amusement for a simple mind. But that’s just me.”
“Ha-ha-ha. That was so funny I forgot to laugh.”
“Yet more proof for my theory. But in all seriousness, I have to admit this whole business of atomic magnetism and let’s-hope-we-stop-in-time-or-else-we’re-going-to-slam-into-the-edge-of-the-universe business is making me a bit unsettled. I’m all for advancing the sciences, but having our life depending on a technology that I’m not familiar with is not at the top of the list of my favorite things.”
“Come on, a brave explorer like you scared of a little sub-particle de-materialization?”
“I’m not scared, just cautious. Which is one of the reasons you have me on board. To watch your sorry back. It’s just that’s quite a story he just told us. No wonder the drive is such a tightly kept secret. It’d be tough to get commercial passengers to sign on board a magna transport if they knew their next destination could just as easily be the other side of the galaxy.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If our hunch is right, Cybex plans to make a nice tidy sum out this endeavor. And considering how much Pratec himself will probably stand to make out of this, I imagine he will outfit us with the equipment necessary to get the job done. Hey, this is the ship that made it to the galactic core and back. I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to go for a ride.”
“Sound reasonable. And what you view as paranoia, we Asters call heightened sense of alertness. So I think I’ll have XR do a second evaluation of the drive and pulse generator after we take off. I can call it a standard redundant safety appraisal so as to not offend the Ginruns.”
“Very official-sounding. Go for it.”
“Guess you’re not so naďve after all. There might be hope for you yet… Here’s the slider. Are you going to get in or are you just admiring the view?”
“Relax. Since when are you in such a hurry to get to work anyway? But now that we are on the subject of safety, there’s something else I want to show you.”
“What is it?”
“Hold on, it’s in my quarters.”
“I already told you I don’t think of our relationship in that way.”
“Then you’re in luck, because the thought of it is enough to make me want to jump through a shredder.”
Yeesh, nice mental imagine… … You know, I keep taking these things for granted, but sliders are such a great way to get around a ship. Kind of like those trolleys they used to have in airports to get you from terminal to terminal. With a ship this big, it’d take forever to walk back and forth between sections… Here we are, the oxygen-breathing crew quarters. And a bit further down the hall, suite 105. The ‘luxurious’ Captain’s quarters... Now to my trusty footlocker, enter the security combination and…
“I can tell by the sounds of the keys that you are using the same password that you have been using for as long as I’ve known you. You really ought to change it.”
“As soon as you figure out what it is, I’ll take care of it. Or is the brilliant Aster segmented brain not advanced enough to sort through a few hundred thousand possible combinations?”
“I just don’t want to embarrass you by showing you. One day you’re going to check and all your PlanCo creds will be gone and I’ll be having the time of my life far, far away from here… So what’s the big secret? What’ve you got in there?”
“Not much, just a case of… attitude adjusters.”
Now let’s see his faces when he gets a load of these…
“Sweet! Cinsus plasma carbines. Model C’s nonetheless. Expecting to run into any Kintar dragons while we are out on our joy ride? The largest one ever bagged was as big as a shuttlecraft. We could take out an entire herd with these many.”
“No, nothing that exciting. But you know my policy. As long as we carry valuables, we will carry appropriate protection. I don’t know where we’re going or what we are going to find once we get there. So I think taking some necessary precautions is in order.”
“And I’m the paranoid one. Who else knows about these?”
“So far, just you. I’ll inform a few of the others once we’re underway.”
“And the Ginruns?”
“On a need to know basis. I’ve always been nervous about having a shoot-out next to combustible material.”
“Yeah, I guess that might impede our progress a bit. Now with your permission, Captain, I’ll head to Engineering and check in with XR. He should be completed with his diagnostics by now.”
“Please proceed, Commander. The sooner the preparations are complete, the sooner we’ll be on our way.”
Now let’s lock these bad boys back in. I wonder how mad he’d be if he knew that I’ve changed the password several times but reset the beeps to still sound the same as before just to annoy him. I have to tempt him to try and guess it sometime… Crap, that’s the time? I better head back to the bridge. And I think I left the mazaka pot on. Wouldn’t be very dignified if I burned down the ship before we even took off. I can see the headlines now… “Priceless ship rendered useless by bumbling alien and a household appliance…”
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The eBook will be posted chapter by chapter. It is presently saved in its entirety here: http://jcald47.googlepages.com/home
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Out of this World: Legend of the Crystals (Chap 4)
