Expedition (Galactic Neighborhood Book 1) Read online

  All the heads on screen began talking at once in an excited jumble. Perry finally quieted them down and acknowledged the colony leader Jacob E. Tascio, or Jet, as he was known.

  “But why remove him from the ship at all? The aliens could have conferred with him directly at any time. The last message told us to stay here and “we” would return. I am hoping this means the aliens will return him to us at some point. I would like to know where they took him and what they are doing with him.”

  Several others nodded in agreement, and Perry hid a small smile as he prepared to surprise them all with his next announcement.

  “Fortunately for us, Mosis was able to attach his own encrypted message in the few moments before they disappeared. Play it, Lynn.”

  The alien message they saw earlier reappeared on the screen, though the image was frozen. An audio-only missive from Mosis began to play.

  “My time is short. I was able to translate the message for you here so you will understand what is happening. The object is taking me back to the planet so I can interact with their leadership and make arrangements to help them. The intelligence on this beacon is convinced its people are alive and well. Once they are satisfied we have no hostile intent, I will be returned to the ship, and Expedition will be transported to the planet. I hope to see you soon my friends. Farewell.”

  Incredulous faces stared out at Perry from the view screen, but they were not given any time to recover before the alien message began to play with Mosis’ voice superimposed over the original.

  I am Governor Thriss of the Vingah collective. The planet Khrusos has been doomed by the destruction of the twin stars in our system. We implore any spacefaring peoples to come to our aid while there is still time. We were unable to escape our world, yet may still be found beneath the surface. If you are willing to assist us, a Sentinel will guide you to the planet.

  This time, Perry allowed a smile to escape as he addressed the rest of the staff.

  “My friends, this information tells us several encouraging things. Mosis was not damaged or destroyed during the scan, and will hopefully be returned to us. We now know the purpose of the alien object and where it has taken him. The message itself provides at least some information about the people who seek our help. What we do not know, however, is what Mosis will find when he reaches Khrusos.”

  “Are the Vingah people still alive, or are they long dead? If so, will the Sentinel still return Mosis to us? How long will we have to wait here? Why were they unable to leave the planet? What type of aid do they expect us to give them? Obviously, I do not have the answers. We will remain here for a reasonable amount of time and await the return of the buoy. If it does not return with Mosis, we will proceed to the planet, investigate, and hopefully retrieve our crewman. I wish to remind you we are a vessel of discovery, so we will address these circumstances with that in mind, and prepare ourselves accordingly. For the time being, I suggest we all get some much-needed rest.”

  Perry dismissed the meeting and the screen went dark.

  ####

  Though limited in autonomy and personality, Mosis found his alien counterpart to be a fascinating companion. He found himself physically housed inside the communications drone, but had access to the buoy and the intelligence running it. Mosis never gave much thought to the possibility of leaving the ship, but admitted the change of location was refreshing. The incredible speeds at which they exchanged information made it possible to learn a great deal, even though the journey to Khrusos took only moments.

  The Vingah people developed an extremely fast and accurate method of travel which involved folding time and space. His own research on board Expedition came close to a similar discovery, and he was hoping to learn their secret. The buoy did not have the plans for the fold space technology in its database, but it was on Mosis’ shopping list of things to obtain if possible.

  One moment, he and the buoy were holding station outside Expedition; the next they were in orbit around Khrusos. The buoy was challenged by one of its larger cousins, then cleared to proceed to the surface. He was told Thriss was eagerly awaiting his arrival in the underground caverns. Obviously, the buoy believed what it was saying, but Mosis would wait until he could see for himself.

  It took much longer to reach the planet’s surface than it did to reach the planet in the first place. While they descended through the atmosphere, the buoy sent the information it acquired from Expedition and the people aboard. Mosis and the buoy intelligence continued to converse at high speeds while they paused to hover over a range of jagged mountain peaks. Directly below, a barren meadow came into view, and the buoy skimmed above the surface until it reached a wall of solid rock.

  A well-camouflaged entryway lifted to reveal an enormous opening in the mountainside. They floated through quickly and were sealed inside a large high-ceilinged cavern, setting down gently on the smooth stone floor. Like an open elevator shaft, the floor retreated deeper into the hideaway until they reached a lower level. The buoy lifted them both up and away, settling itself and the drone in a pool of artificial light as the platform returned to the surface. Through the surrounding darkness, a narrow golden beam struck them both, supplying a critical energy boost to Mosis’ limited power supply. With instructions to wait, Mosis attempted to get more information from his escort.

  “Why were the Vingah people below ground?”

  It was inhospitable on the surface.

  “How long have they been here?”

  Five hundred sixty-four Earth years.

  “Why did they not flee the system?”

  Insufficient time and resources.

  “How many are housed here?”

  One million.

  Mosis was now convinced the alien intelligence must have become senile over the centuries. The answers made no logical sense! He must find a way to get out of here and return to Expedition.

  The answers make perfect sense, if you have all the information.

  Mosis suddenly found himself standing before a projection of one of the Vingah in a large rock cavern, lined with stasis chambers. The lighting was subdued and the floor vibrated with subtle thrums of power.

  “May I assume you are Governor Thriss?”

  You are correct, Mosis. I apologize for the delay in welcoming you, but the information provided by our buoy needed to be processed and understood. My body, along with a small percentage of our people, is contained in these very chambers. Like your human crew, we also have been aware and active during our long confinement.

  Our peoples are similar in many ways, and we share common goals. We have brought you here to answer your many questions and determine if you will be able to help us. Your ship is the first to respond to our call for assistance, and we are hoping to form a mutually beneficial alliance.

  “I am certain there is much we can learn from one another, Governor Thriss, but I must caution you; I am not the leader of our people. I cannot make alliances unless given such authority from my superiors. I will, of course, he happy to act as liaison and discuss your plans and what we might be able to do for you. Before we proceed, I wish to know what will happen to me if it is found that we cannot come to an agreement.”

  I understand, Mosis. You have my assurance you will be returned to your ship unharmed, but we would be most grateful if you would trust us in the meantime.

  You asked several important questions earlier, and I wish to answer them. When our scientists concluded one of our stars was going to go supernova, we began a frantic search for ways to avert the disaster. When we found we could not stop the event, we determined to find a way to leave before it occurred, but time was not on our side. Fortunately, the star formed a black hole instead of exploding, and we were given a small window of opportunity.

  Without the food to feed our people, we were unable to put our plans to escape into action. Instead, we focused on preserving our population and culture underground. Once this was done, we eventually deployed sentinels around the planet and sent o
ut the buoys to call for help. Over the years of our confinement, our research has continued, and has resulted in many advancements. Some of these you have already seen and experienced.

  “As impressed as I am by your technology, I find it hard to believe you have a million of your kind in stasis, Governor. The space and energy requirements would be impossible to obtain, and you would be extremely hard pressed to move a population of that size off the planet.”

  Your people have made comparisons between the Vingah and Earth butterflies. They are beautiful and delicate creatures, and we are strikingly similar. Are you familiar with the life cycle of a butterfly, Mosis?

  Mosis’ expression blanked as he was caught flat footed. When realization dawned, he uttered the one word which explained so much.

  “Eggs!”

  Correct. We do indeed have over a million of our kind in this place. The majority are still in egg form, while the adults number only in the hundreds. This entire complex is powered by tapping into the planet’s core, so our energy needs are not a concern. We can remain here for as long as it takes until we receive assistance.

  “I surmise your primary need is a vessel large enough to transport your population off planet. That would be quite an undertaking, even with our help and the proper resources, but it is certainly possible, Governor. If we were to commit ourselves to this endeavor, what would your people be willing to give us in exchange?”

  We are prepared to freely share our technology with you, which you already know is more advanced. Would that not provide sufficient motivation for your people to help us?

  “Yes, it most certainly would. How do you envision making the exchange?”

  Obviously, we would need to first establish a level of trust. We propose to share some of our advances up front, as a down payment of sorts. Once our people are safely escorted to their new home and settled, we will give you the remainder – including the fold space technology. It is also our desire to enter into a formal non-aggression alliance as part of the agreement.

  “Governor, I believe my people would be very eager to discuss these terms with you. You speak of your new home as if it has already been located. Is this true?”

  It is. All our buoys were deployed with a dual purpose. While searching for help, they were also tasked with locating a suitable planet for colonization. We have discovered several which meet our basic criteria. It may also be of interest that we have records of possible homes for your people as well. Coupled with our fold space technology, you may be able to complete your journey much sooner than anticipated.

  “Again, I believe my superiors would be more than willing to discuss this matter with you as soon as it can be arranged. Please be advised they are probably anxious for my safe return.”

  We have waited a very long time already, Mosis. We will keep you no longer than necessary, but a few more hours will cause no harm. I believe it would be beneficial to give you a tour of these caverns. We have already installed the image generators needed to allow us access to everything you will need to see. I suggest we start with the stasis enclave, if you would follow me, please.

  ####

  A raucous alarm startled Captain Perry awake and on his feet. It took a moment for him to clear the sleep from his mind and understand how to respond. He silenced the alarm, and opened an audio-only call to the bridge.

  “Perry here. Report.”

  The stress in the woman’s voice was obvious as she struggled to comply.

  “Two of the large pillars and the communications drone just appeared out of nowhere, Captain, and we are being hailed by Mosis!”

  Perry was busy getting dressed, even as they spoke.

  “Stand down alert, and notify Mosis I will be with him shortly. Have Commander Arlington meet me on the bridge. Perry out.”

  It took all of three minutes before the duo was greeted with relief by the third watch bridge crew. Perry sat quickly in his command chair, with Arlington standing to his right.

  “Open the channel, Ginger.”

  Mosis’ smiling face filled the screen as Perry chuckled in amusement.

  “Mosis, old friend, I am relieved to see you. You do seem to have picked up a habit for dramatic exits and entrances, however. I see you are accompanied by a somewhat overwhelming escort. I take it you have a report I will want to hear?”

  “I do indeed, Sir. The Vingah have a very interesting proposal for us, but I would prefer to explain it all in person. With your permission, they will return me the same way I was removed.”

  Perry instructed Ginger to notify Engineering, and silence all the alarms.

  “We are ready Mosis. You may proceed.”

  One of the pillars emitted a powerful golden beam which impacted the communications drone first, and then angled through the shields to section zero-zero-one of the cradle. Ten seconds later, Mosis appeared on the bridge as if he never left.

  For the next hour, he, Perry and Arlington met for a debriefing in the Captains’ ready room, just off the bridge. After a verbal explanation of his experiences, Mosis showed them the visual records of the planet and underground facilities. The Captain and First Officer responded to the influx of data very differently. Perry remained quiet and thoughtful, as was his custom, saying nothing as the seconds ticked by. Arlington, on the other hand, was clearly struggling, and with a shake of her head, spoke up.

  “I simply do not understand. The Vingah clearly have a vastly superior technological base, and could have instructed their Sentinels to whisk them away to their new home at any time. Why are they still here? What am I missing?”

  Perry raised an eyebrow, nodded, and turned to Mosis.

  “A reasonable question, Theresa, and one which occurred to me as well. Mosis?”

  Based on his calm expression, this was not a new thought, nor was he without a reasonable answer.

  “During my time with Thriss, I posed the same question. To fully grasp the answer, we must understand Vingah history and culture. It is true that part of the reason lies in the practical matters of time and resources, but it became much more complicated. When the scientific community finally understood what was happening to one of their stars, they were caught flat-footed. Historically, the Vingah have no particular interest in space or space travel. While admittedly brilliant by our standards, their scientists had no logical reason to focus their attention on anything outside their own world.”

  “Originally, they were confident of finding a way to prevent the star from going nova. When the star formed a black hole instead of exploding, they assumed Khrusos was safe and stopped their research. Later, it became clear their second star was slowly being absorbed by the black hole, and they were left with two stark choices – remain and die, or escape the planet entirely. To allow their entire race to perish was never considered, so the question was how to move billions of Vingah to another world, assuming they could find one.”

  “The debates about how and when to move an entire civilization wasted precious time. During those days, the technology they now have did not exist. In addition, they knew nothing of shipbuilding, stellar cartography, stasis chambers, or any of the other things needed to undertake the overwhelming task they faced. They were effectively alone in the universe and had no idea where to start or what to do.”

  “By the time Thriss’s generation was born, most of their efforts were focused on preserving their civilization underground. When Thriss came to power, the planet was undergoing massive changes due to increased radiation and massive crop failures. Her people were dying without a comprehensive plan in place to save them. It was now too late to attempt an off-world solution, so she focused on preserving her people and culture in the underground chambers. She hoped her science ministers could come up with a way to attract outside attention, assuming it existed, and help them escape Khrusos for another world.”

  “They managed – barely - to design and build the stasis chambers needed to preserve their lives, and launch several crude buoy prototypes into
Khrusos orbit. The amazing technology they have today was implemented long after they went into stasis, and many of them remained awake and working while the majority rested peacefully. In time, they created a virtual working world very similar to our own, which allowed them to develop the advanced buoys and Sentinels we see today. It was only in recent years they discovered a suitable planet to colonize, but the same problem remained; not enough adults to carry out the work of building a ship or taming a new world.”

  “The only choice, it seemed, was to wait for help to arrive. Meanwhile, they continued making new discoveries and improving on current technologies. If I understand what Thriss was telling me, they were only now getting close to a possible solution involving programmable nanites. The plan was to release them on the surface, where they would build a ship using the abandoned cities for raw materials. Had they not stumbled across Expedition, I am convinced they would have eventually succeeded.”

  Arlington looked both surprised and chastened by Mosis’ answer to her question, though it was perfectly reasonable, given her limited knowledge of the Vingah and their history. Perry remained quiet throughout, listening carefully to the explanation. He finally roused, sat up in the chair, and responded.