Odyssey (Galactic Neighborhood Book 2) Read online

  “What do you think, Olivia?”

  She stood, inviting them to join her in the corner sitting area.

  “What I think, Sam, is that the defining moment of my presidency has just arrived. If things turn out to be what they seem, this could be the answer Sahara has been searching for. Before this gets to the Senate, I intend to send an initial response, and then we will see how things progress. Do either of you have any objections?”

  They did not, and she continued.

  “Sam, I want you to call an emergency closed session of the Senate for tomorrow morning. Don’t give away the farm, but indicate it is a matter of planetary security. General, I would like you to coordinate the handling and eventual dissemination of the message we have seen and heard tonight. We will stage a conference for the press after the Senate has been informed. In addition, I need the two of you to lay out all of my options.”

  “What am I allowed to decide on my own authority, and what needs Senate approval? We’ll never get anywhere if I am required to get their permission for everything. Search for any precedents in the archives – see what my choices are. I’m afraid this is going to be a long night, gentlemen, so I will leave you to it. Meanwhile, I have a message to record.”

  Chapter 1

  Jacob (Jet) Tascio’s mind was swirling with possibilities as he considered the messages exchanged over the last several days. He and Morales seemed to be kindred spirits, which helped immensely as they discussed Sahara’s needs. It was assumed, at first, since Sahara had been established for so many years they might be ahead of Pacifica, or at least on par. When the truth of their situation became clearer, he was grateful General Moreland pushed for the search buoys to be sent out so long ago.

  Sahara’s people were surprised the search actually started twenty years before they were found. It was clear as day the other colony needed a great deal of immediate help, and not just in the area of security. Tascio was deep in thought when Admiral Christopher Perry arrived in the outer office, making his way inside and seating himself on the other side of Jet’s desk. When he looked up, Perry simply arched an eyebrow at him.

  “Fill me in, Chris. When will we be ready to launch?”

  Perry, unperturbed as usual, began a quick summary.

  “As security is the most urgent need, we have pulled four Sentinels off of regular duty to take with us, along with a hundred buoys. The Expedition is taking on stores for a lengthy cruise, and the new crew members are all aboard and being briefed as we speak. In addition, we are sending along a small fighter squadron to beef up the available forces. Many of the new crew members are recent academy graduates, but they are the best we have to offer.”

  “This assignment will provide some much-needed experience to flesh out their education, and we do not anticipate any major problems. Based on the information President Morales has provided, we are prepared to assist them with their ice asteroid project, as well as medical care and food production. The teams are also ready for a detailed scan of the planet itself, as well as the Wadi system. Unless something changes, our people are ready to leave first thing tomorrow.”

  Tascio smiled broadly at the taciturn officer.

  “I can ask for nothing more, my friend. I know your people have been hustling to get ready on short notice, so on behalf of my office and the board of advisors, we thank you. In looking over the personnel assignments, I noticed your daughter, Kiren, will be part of Expedition’s crew. You must be very proud.”

  Perry merely nodded, waiting for whatever else he intended to say.

  “Obviously, I didn’t need to bring you here in person for this, so you are no doubt wondering what other surprises I may have up my sleeve. You may use your own discretion as to who needs to be privy to the information we are about to discuss, but it must be considered sensitive and handled carefully.”

  “President Morales has shared some matters which may make this assignment more difficult than we originally anticipated. She sent me a classified message just this morning and asked me to inform the appropriate people. It seems we will be wading into something of a shark tank, politically, when we arrive. While she, and the majority of her Senate are on board with accepting our help, her political opponents, led by a Worden Roux, are trying to turn this into an opportunity to seize power. We are being cast as the foreign invaders, bent on the domination and subjugation of the Saharan people.”

  “On the surface, it sounds more than ridiculous, but this man and his followers are apparently willing to suspend their morals in order to create any type of incident which will bolster their position. We must be extremely careful not to give them any ammunition, Chris, so this entire operation has to run like clockwork. We are probably going to have to walk on eggshells around these people, at least in public, but the President assures me she will attempt to shield us from the worst of it. I have prepared a brief for you which is a bit more detailed, and, of course, have already met with Andre Swanson, who will serve as our Ambassador on this mission.”

  Perry remained still as a statue, eyes closed in his thinking posture, as Tascio leaned back in his chair, content to wait him out. Perry finally opened his eyes and leaned forward slightly.

  “This could make things very difficult, Jet. Sahara needs so much from us. To be denied complete cooperation will delay and complicate the entire mission. Has anything been said of the possibility of Sahara joining the alliance?”

  Tascio shook his head.

  “Not officially, no. Morales seems to think if our attempts to help them are successful, the votes will fall in line to join the alliance without hesitation. Personally, she is all for it, but it’s such a political hot potato just now, she doesn’t want to address the issue this early. I realize it hampers our efforts, but it can’t be helped. Much of our technology will remain classified until the treaty is signed. Meanwhile, we can use it to help them, but requests to hand it over will be denied. Morales and her staff are aware of our position, so you won’t get any argument out of them on this issue.”

  Jet handed Perry a data chip containing the brief as he stood to leave.

  “Any requests from your people get top priority until they leave for Sahara, so don’t hesitate to contact my office. I’m sorry for handing you a sack full of snakes, Chris, but I know you can handle it.”

  Perry nodded, and cool as a cucumber, strode quietly from the room.

  ####

  Kiren Thriss Perry exited the lift on level three aboard Expedition, and headed for the conference room. She was early by several minutes, a habit imposed on all PSF Academy graduates early in their training. The door slid silently open at her approach and she found a seat near the center of the large oval table. Unsurprisingly, several others were already here. Virtually everyone invited to this meeting would be known to her, since all the ensigns assigned to the ship were her former classmates. She knew some better than others, and of course, counted a small number as friends, but had no particular problem with anyone.

  Still, it was often a delicate balancing act for her, because like it or not, she was the daughter of Admiral Perry; past Captain of Expedition, one of Pacifica’s founders, and the driving force behind the PSF. There were always those who assumed her accomplishments were due to her father’s position or influence, rather than her own ability. Some found her calm, quiet father snobbish, and therefore assumed she shared his supposed feelings of superiority. Either of those assumptions were bad enough in themselves, but what Kiren found far worse were the clingy, brown-nosing types who curried her favor in an attempt to further their career or social connections.

  Fortunately, she and her parents shared many discussions on this topic, and they were both proud of her accomplishments and extremely supportive. Still, it was annoying some people couldn’t accept her, or her parents, for who they really were. Most would never know her father’s warmth and sense of humor, since he was a very disciplined and private man when in the public eye.

  Her mother, on the other ha
nd, was his antithesis. As one of the moon survivors, her mother held no preconceived notions of who Christopher Perry really was. She had a warmth and vibrancy about her which was contagious, and set about cracking the veneer of her future husband the moment she was released from the medical treatments which saved and extended her life. Many were surprised Perry married at all, let alone (gasp) produced children! Those who knew him well were simply happy he found a wonderful life partner, and those friendships continued through the years.

  One of those long-time friends was her father’s former first officer, and Expedition’s current mistress after god, Rear Admiral Theresa Arlington. There were still rumors floating around she and her father were lovers during their five-hundred-year journey from Earth, but she knew they weren’t true. As if her own thoughts summoned the woman, Arlington entered the room, and everyone present stood until she assumed her place at the head of the table and sat down.

  She was accompanied by her First Officer and Chief of Staff, who sat at her right and left. Her cool gaze flitted briefly across each face, and then taking a deep breath, knocked softly on the tabletop. The gesture was unnecessary, given no one but an utter fool would not be paying attention. It was a habit picked up from her father, she was sure, and looked down briefly to hide the small smile which almost gave her away. Arlington wasted no time getting down to business.

  “I trust all of you have settled into your quarters and met your commanding officers.”

  Everyone around the table nodded, but said nothing. Gesturing with her hand, she introduced the officers seated next to her.

  “This is First Officer, Mace Davis, and Chief of Staff Drina Talbott. If you have any questions or problems during this assignment, take them first to your divisional C.O. and then to Ms. Talbott or Mr. Davis. Most of you have served aboard Expedition as part of your academy training, and are already somewhat familiar with the ship and how things are done. I expect you to be intimately familiar with the regulations which govern our lives and work aboard this vessel.”

  “Our current assignment is part of your training, and serves as something of a final exam. As ensigns, you are considered officers in larval form, and will be treated as such unless given reason not to – make certain it never happens. We will be observing you and evaluating your fitness for future roles throughout the fleet. Failure on this assignment could mean anything from dishonorable discharge to a very limited and unfulfilling career. Officers serving in the PSF are held to the highest standards, because the safety and success of your future crews are your responsibility. Is all of this understood?”

  A chorus of murmured assent briefly filled the conference room air. Arlington smiled briefly.

  “Good. Now that I have put the fear of God into you, we can get down to business.”

  The thick tension in the air was finally broken with nervous laughter, as Arlington, Davis and Talbott smiled at their charges. With a flick of her wrist, the door opened to admit a flurry of galley drones, who served up beverages and light snacks. The atmosphere warmed into something much more relaxed, and Kiren noted the difference it made as she glanced around the table.

  Arlington was a no-nonsense officer with a reputation for being fair and possessing a good sense of humor. Kiren wasn’t sure how she managed to balance it all out, but the woman was famous for getting the best out of the people who served under her. Several minutes passed, and as soon as everyone was more or less settled, she gently tapped on the tabletop.

  “The mission, as some of you may have thought, is not a simple milk run. Originally, we were tasked with beefing up Sahara’s defenses and assisting them with any urgent needs. Since the original contact, however, it has been made obvious the colony is in dire need of our help in any number of areas.”

  “First off, they have no planetary or system defenses at all – none. The only thing in orbit are weather and communications satellites. Water is very hard to come by, residing almost exclusively in hard to reach underground aquifers. They have a shortage of food, lack of medical supplies, no mining equipment or smelters, and none of the technology we enjoy every day.”

  “Though Odyssey founded the colony eighty years ago, the extreme conditions have limited not only their population, but everything else. They are actually decades behind us in every way. Their Ark is virtually untouched, and will remain so until we can help them address some of the glaring problems I just mentioned. Unfortunately, those are not the only problems we face, because the political situation on Sahara is going to effectively tie our hands and prevent us from giving them the help they so desperately need. Mace, please explain the situation.”

  She sat back in her chair, giving Davis the floor, and every eye turned towards him.

  “Some of the information I am about to share with you is classified, and goes no further than this room. You are all aware of the basic political set up on Sahara as detailed in your assignment briefing. President Morales is eager for any and all help we are willing to offer, and is prepared to sign the treaty as soon as possible.”

  “However, her main political opponent is using our offers of help as a tool to further his own agenda. His misinformation campaign is playing to the fears of Sahara’s people, trying to convince them our ‘real’ intentions are to eventually take Sahara for ourselves and place its people under our despotic thumb. If he succeeds, he hopes to turn the tide against President Morales, and remove her from office.”

  “Now, you and I know Pacifica has no such intentions, as does Morales and the majority of the Senate, but we are going to have to be very careful what we say and how we interact with Sahara’s people. They very well may resent us for having to ‘rescue’ them in the first place, and it may appear to the man in the street we are indeed taking over. People are people, and in their place, we might react the same way. We must do nothing to fuel their negative feelings, and simply help them the best way we can. Some of you won’t even be serving on the planet, and therefore will not encounter these issues, but a number of you will be very visible indeed.”

  “At the conclusion of this briefing, you are to report to your commanding officers. You will be discussing ways to minimize any conflict in your dealings with the Saharan people while performing your assigned tasks. Any negative feedback or incidents are to be reported immediately to your superiors.”

  “Our goal is to stay out of the political fray and do our jobs, but you are our eyes and ears on the ground, as it were, and others will process any information you need to relay. Understand me people – if you become involved in an incident, it better not be something you started yourself. If you have any questions or concerns, use the chain of command and talk to us.”

  Davis finished and relinquished the floor to the Rear Admiral.

  “I apologize for keeping all of you up so late, but unfortunately, this mission is on a crash timeline, and we leave first thing in the morning. In the days before fold-space drive, these matters were usually handled during the sometimes-long voyages from home base to the assigned destination. I have asked your unit commanders to keep tonight’s discussion short, and allow you to get as much sleep as possible. If you have any questions regarding the ship, your quarters, uniforms, and so on, I have asked Commander Talbott to answer them now before we send you on your way. Good night.”

  Arlington and Davis stood, as did everyone else, and as she rounded the table, the Admiral caught Kiren’s eye and nodded her head ever so slightly. Commander Talbot began answering questions as soon as the conference room door closed behind them, but Kiren wasn’t paying much attention. Her mind was swimming with the details of their mission, and the Admiral’s encouraging support.

  ####

  Meanwhile, on the surface of Sahara...

  The scouts continued their careful appraisal of the strange objects deposited directly over the birthing chambers. They were huge, hulking things, made from something much harder even than their own scales, and were of colors not yet seen. The scents were just as unf
amiliar, and left the scouts uneasy. The pale ones brought them here before the light was gone, in a noisy, ground shaking disturbance which upset the nest. Apparently, they did not remain with the objects, for not a single pale one could be seen.

  First One Sh’zul ordered an investigation as soon as the darkness came, and waited patiently for their report. The Rxyl had long been aware of the presence of the odd creatures on their world, but they never before disturbed the nest in this way. The purpose of their activity was not understood, and until they were able to touch the minds of the pale ones, it would remain so. If a conflict was coming, however, the people would need to learn as much about these creatures as they could. Until then, the Rxyl would do whatever was necessary to protect themselves.

  Chapter 2

  Kiren laughed to herself as several other ensigns on board the shuttle struggled to keep their breakfasts down. Shuttle landings were part of their training, but some people seemed to have difficulty, and she was thankful not to be one of them. It would have been far simpler and more convenient to have one of the Sentinels transfer them from the ship to the surface, but it was decided not to make such a grand entrance on their very first visit.

  She needed to remind herself the Saharans did not possess the technology her people now took for granted. While the Pacifica representatives would certainly be using their technology during this mission, they were being careful not to rub it under their hosts’ noses unnecessarily.

  Kiren stifled a yawn, a reminder of last night’s flurry of activity which left her only five hours of sleep. She was assigned to the planet-side exploratory team, in command of a group of ten tasked with aiding in the water project and cataloguing the planet’s sub-surface water sources.