Story 1, Entry 5

Story 1, Entry 5

 

“Raiders, freighters and secrets”

 

     “Freighter Mary McKay just cleared loading arm 3. All lights green.” I updated Mr. Charles, or hammer, as they often called the traffic boss. He stomped onto the control room floor in regular fashion, a mug of coffee always with him.

      “Finally, took the crew long enough to get her loaded. Put in an order to check the flow regulators on the pumps and make sure the filters got changed. Shouldn’t have taken this long, even for a big girl like that.” He replied. He walked over to one of the windows. He was one of those bosses you could tell was always solving or considering a dozen problems at a time but that was his job and he was known as one of the best traffic bosses in the business.
      “Did that maintenance team get the condenser changed out on the number seven separator yet?” He asks to the room as he looked out the window at different angles. From that side he could see the freighter, and the gas giant Argus 2 not that far off in the distance, covering up most of the view. If you strained and knew where to look, you could make out one or two of the giant extractors in low orbit. The extractors constantly took in the atmosphere of the planet, took out what gases it was programmed to for storage and latter transfer to the main facility. Once here, on the main platform the gas would be liquified, purified and stored until transfer to a freighter like the Mary McKay just leaving. I don’t know who Mary McKay was but must be nice to have a ship named after you, even a corporate freighter.

     “They reported they are sealing up the compartment now, should be able to begin start up in an hour or so.” Daniels answered in an effort to please his new boss, fresh higher, always the same, if they only knew the boss they wouldn’t bother.

     “Christ considering all the money corp spent on equipment and brainpower you would think someone here could make coffee you could drink instead of chew.” The hammer said as he spit into the mug. He shook his head while walking over to another window close to me.

     “They sure aren’t the talking type.” He said with a casual look to me while nodding out the window. I didn’t have to look out the window to know what he meant. From that window you could see the same thing since the day we arrived to set up house. An Imperial warship. I was told it was equal to a destroyer class. It was one of three located close by. I had been glancing at it for over a month now and still wasn’t used to it. It was just so different from our boats. Metallic blue hull. Dark ruby red trim. The main weapons were in turrets but didn’t look much like what the Commonwealth had. The ship had smooth rounded lines, not like ours. You could just tell it was high tech. It looked faster than what we had, and rumor was that all their ships had really powerful energy barriers along with better electronics and other hi tech gear. I should have felt safe with them here. Just none of us knew if they were really here to protect us or to keep an eye on us. I heard their commander came over for a dinner when we first arrived but that has been the only face to face meeting, at all. Like the boss said, not the social type.

     “Boss, my screen just woke up. I’m getting three unknowns on long range trackers. Coming in at 132, there a way’s off, low and fast. Possible raiders. There coming our way, don’t know if their after us or the Mary. Trying to get a tracking fix.” Elaina announced from behind me in a surprised and concerned voice. Mr. Charles walked towards Elaina’s station, calm but quickly.

     “Put the facility on lock down. Begin charging up the point defense grid. Confirm the Mary and our protection are tracking them to. Must have come from behind one of the other gas giants. I knew this area smelled bad. Give me an open channel.” The traffic boss continued while he looked over Elaina’s station.

     I checked the information coming in on my board.

“Sir the Mary McKay has confirmed contact and the lead Imperial ship just sent an acknowledgment signal. You have an open line to the facility.” I answered after a few quick taps on my screen.

     “This is the traffic boss. We have three incoming unknowns. They may be hostile so we might get a shake up in the regular routine. Everyone get to your stations and secure. Stay calm and do your jobs. I will let you know more as soon as I do.” He finished before turning back to us.

      “Okay, so much for the pep talk, someone tell me something I don’t know.” Mr. Charles continued, a small grin to assure everyone.

     “The Mary has activated her defensive systems and has changed coarse back to us. I have better feed back on the three unknows. I am picking up weapon mount signatures so guess that answers that. The three Imperials are starting to move to intercept. Looks like they have raised their barriers and increased power out put to weapons and engines. Just with this civilian grade equipment its hard to get very detailed readings on them.” Elaina answered, taking a moment to look up at the boss.

     “Well at least it doesn’t look like they gonna leave us to the wolves. From what I heard if they activate their full targeting and jamming your not gonna see nothing on that screen but haze.” He answered as he took a sip of a new batch of coffee just handed to him. He took a sip and nodded as if to say better. He then walked over to the window he would be able to see the raiders from, if they were a lot closer.

     “Boss I got two new contacts. Mark 212. There coming out from behind Argus. There close. Ones another raider, the other looks like a smaller freighter with modifications, she’s picking up a lot of speed for a freighter. I, I think there heading to the Mary McKay.” Elaina spit out in a somewhat panicked tone.

     “Now we know the missing part. The first three are just to pull the guard dogs away from the sheep. They plan to take the Mary, or at least as much of her cargo as they can grab. I hope our watch dogs are paying attention. Signal the Mary to come in as close as she can. Well give her what support we can.” Mr. Charles answered as he shook his head with a smirk. He seemed to know this was going to happen, like he had seen it before. The only one in the room not surprised.  

Story 1, Entry 4

Story 1 Entry 4

 

“The mouse and the bunta”

 

     The governor then gestured for me to sit down at the corner of the large conference table. He took a seat next to me and pushed a drink to me. He then seemed to pause in thought before looking straight at me with the same purpose he had done when I first entered the room.

     “You live on one of the boarder systems. You know that we, I can not stop what the humans have done. They have unique qualities Koreth like the general will never see. Our people’s interest in them can not be changed. Despite the disruption from small extreme groups on both sides all the information I receive draws me to the same place. The humans have influenced our people with there ideas in ways no other species has been able to. It goes against five hundred years of tradition, but it won’t be stopped.” He started, looking down at his drink.

     “Sooner or later the Emperor will find out and his reaction will be swift, predictable and most likely violent. If I am to save my people and the humans, we need them. We need their unwavering support and despite what the general thinks we need their military. It’s the only chance we have to change the Emperor and the council’s thoughts on the matter.” He continued with a short taste from the glass.

     “Governor, I am a little confused or not properly informed. If you want, feel you need the humans political and military support, why did you refuse to allow them to send their own warships as escorts?” I asked after a moment to realize he was sharing with me thoughts not many others knew of.

     “Are you familiar with a small fur covered animal among the humans they call a mouse? It is a lot like the buntas we have on our home world, and others.” He said, looking at me with a smile. I shook my head no; I had not heard of this mouse.

     “They, like the buntas are small scavengers that hide and reproduce at a rapid rate to survive. This mouse animal has the most basic of instincts, it is very cautious of any thing new. They thrive in buildings with a water and food source and just like buntas are difficult to get ride of. Do you know the best way to capture them, all of them?” The governor asked, although the question seemed to just be a pause in his thoughts not intended for me to really answer. Again, I just motioned my head no.

     “They are over cautious and suspicious of anything new to their environment. If one entices them with a treat but then traps them. You will catch one or a couple, but the rest will learn that the treat means death and is to be avoided. So, you will have the remainder still in your house, still unable to catch or control them.” He continued with small color changes in his skin as he looked past me.

     “So, you offer the treat with out a trap. After they take it you give them more. You do this for a certain length of time. You allow them to become accustom to the treat. You teach them to become even dependent on it. Soon all the buntas in your house will come to the same spot, at the same time, expecting the same treat.” The governor said with a smile, turning his look back to me.

     “At that time, you set out the trap. At that moment you catch them all, at one time, you have them. You use patience and time. Two things the Imperium practices with reliable consistency. The humans know enough about our traditions to know that allowing military access from the very beginning would go against hundreds of years of policy. I think they are smart enough, have enough instincts just like the buntas, their mouse animals that they would be overly cautious, suspicious perhaps become hesitant. So, we will offer them the treat first. Then another. We will wait as they become comfortable with what we offer. We will wait until they come to expect it, want it, perhaps even feel they have earned the right to demand it.” The governor took another quick drink. He then leaned over to me. Looked into my eyes. It was then I saw the intense face of a Koreth that had been deep in planning for a long time.

     “Then we will let their military in. We will let them set up limited bases, in secrete. We will let them make a military commitment to us and we will let them think it was their idea, their wise planning. Then we will have them, all of them, all their support. They will be unwilling to give up the treats they have become so accustomed to and they will be willing to fight to keep them. We will have trapped them all.” He finished with a slow nod. He allowed a small smile and color change to a soft blue as he rose from his seat.

     The meeting was over, the purpose of it had already begun and I just now learned of my part in it.