Expedition (Galactic Neighborhood Book 1) Read online

  Less than thirty tolls later, the buoy reappeared and transmitted its data to Gotogg’s ship. With a snarl, he ordered the information to be shunted to his personal viewer. Different views of the planet revealed it to be long dead, and apparently undisturbed. Though it was expected, the next images revealed several large and powerful Sentinels in orbit around Khrusos. Gotogg growled ominously as he recognized they would have to be neutralized before he would be able to take the system. Though he was never one to shrink from a challenge, he would have to worry about it later.

  The last set of images were from further out in the system and revealed…what was this! A huge silver orb of some kind was in orbit around the planet! What was it doing there, hovering over his prize? The apparent discovery of another sentient life form was unimportant. His fury burned as he realized it might already be too late! No! He would not allow someone else to take what was his.

  Gotogg thought furiously about how to proceed. He only had six modern ships at his disposal, and none of them were refitted with the new technology. How long did he have? Would the strange ship just leave on its own? Would it challenge him for the prize? They were no match for the Lydokk, but he would have to attack soon or the wealth and knowledge of Khrusos would slip past his claws forever.

  The Overlord forced himself to remain calm and sent a series of instructions to the buoy. It disappeared from Grazill space, on a mission to watch the great silver ship carefully and report back on any activity in the system. Meanwhile, he ordered his communications thrall to open a channel to the Premier. Gornott’s bulging yellow eyes squinted in annoyance as the connection was made.

  Gotogg! Why do you interrupt my mating? Answer!

  The Overlord suppressed a snarl and bowed his head briefly before responding.

  “The buoy has returned with vital information, Premier, and we must act now.”

  Gornott’s forked tongue flicked in and out rapidly as he showed his fangs.

  Out with it you fool! My female is getting cold and I am in need of release.

  Though the Premier could not see, Gotogg’s tail thrashed in agitation, claws extended, as he fought for control.

  “Forgive the interruption, my lord. There is a great silver ship in orbit around the planet. If we do not move quickly the strangers will take the prize away before we can claim it!”

  Gornott looked startled and then leaned in toward the pickup.

  No one takes what is ours! Get your ships ready. Use whatever resources are necessary. We are too close to success for you to fail me now, or you will die by my claws! Keep me informed.

  When the transmission finished, Gotogg’s fury was barely contained. The old tooth dared to threaten him? It was his accomplishments which promised to usher in a new age for his people. He would not fail, but he would do it for his own honor, and then he would claim his rightful place as Premier.

  Chapter 5

  To anyone casually passing by, the planet Khrusos would seem a strange place to find a ship under construction. Though the planet itself appeared to be quite dead, the space around it blossomed with activity in the six weeks since Expedition arrived. With Mosis’ shipboard presence taking care of everyday functions, the human crew was re-assigned to the building project. In days past, the Vingah made extensive use of their orbital mining and smelting facility.

  Though mothballed many years before, the smelter was repaired and put back into production. Raw ores were being extracted from the planet itself and from suitable asteroids being brought to the site by repurposed buoys. Using their sophisticated technology, the raw materials were quickly extracted and delivered to the smelters for processing. At present, the processors were churning out the final skeletal ‘bones’ of the large ship which was being assembled nearby. With the exterior frame almost complete, the huge squat hexagon was taking shape. Plans for the vessel were completed by the Vingah long before their human helpers arrived in this sector of space.

  The ship was unconventional in ways other than shape, though it would be far easier to build than a vessel as complicated as Expedition. The end product was meant to house the contents of the mountain caverns. Primarily this included the stasis chambers containing their population, as well as plant and animal life in egg, seed, spore, or embryonic form.

  The remainder of the cavern’s contents was made up of historical records, select artworks and culturally significant items, and parental recordings intended for children who would be born on their new world, having never known their ancestors. It was, essentially, the same thing contained within the ark on board Expedition. Both ships were created to start a colony on a new world, and this common purpose united the crews in a way which nothing else could.

  Since the Vingah ship would be making use of Sentinels for travel and protection, the vessel lacked a propulsion system, weapons or shields. What it must have was internal gravity, atmosphere, and power, along with aeroponics bays, waste facilities, work spaces, and quarters for the adults who would be awake and active while the planet was being prepared. Fortunately, the plans were not entirely written in stone, and the Vingah adopted many of the human suggestions for improvement.

  One of those came from Commander Bennett, who felt it was imperative the living space be large enough to enable the Vingah to fly. With surprisingly simple alterations to the basic layout, the living area was tripled in size to include a crystal ‘forest’. The forest became an integral part of the ship’s support structure, and provided private quarters, resting perches, feeding stations, and lots of open space to fly. The Vingah were understandably pleased they would have such freedom of movement aboard the vessel, making their stay infinitely more pleasant.

  While the new vessel was under construction, other exciting changes were taking place for both Humans and Vingah alike. The Expedition itself was experiencing something akin to a major overhaul, as technology was being freely shared and incorporated into the ship. The new power plants were not only easier to maintain, but were efficient to the point of only needing to run at partial power. Sitting in a parking orbit used very little energy, after all, and the demands on the vessel were minimal. If the ship were ever called into battle, the extra power would be needed for their new weapons arrays, shielding, and the upgraded sensor beams. There wasn’t time to add all the features of a Sentinel, but the new upgrades made the ship far more capable than the original design.

  The problem of an adequate Vingah food supply was tackled with typical human ingenuity and enthusiasm. As promised, one of the aeroponics bays was converted for growing Vingah foodstuffs. Commander Daniels worked closely with Councilor Thataar to redesign the bay to match Khrusos growing conditions. Once the desired plants and seeds were removed from stasis, they were carefully transferred over to Expedition.

  The new gardens were already filling with healthy fruits, vegetables and flowers thanks to the accelerated growth process used by the ships’ experts. Plans were quickly made to create a similar but larger bay on the new vessel. On their first visit to Expedition, the Vingah were delighted with the facility and drew comfort from the sweet scents which reminded them so strongly of their former home.

  One of the early discussions between Perry and Thriss concerned the Vingah presence in this sector of space. What was to be done about the evidence of their civilization on Khrusos, and the buoys scattered all over the quadrant? While the Vingah were planning to share the fold space drive technology with their human partners, what if some other intelligent race got their hands on a buoy and discovered its’ secrets? Governor Thriss, pressed with more immediate concerns, gave little thought to the implications of their future removal from the system. Perry’s naturally suspicious mind conjured up several good reasons to leave a clean slate behind when they departed for the new Vingah home world.

  Thriss solved one of the problems by broadcasting a recall order to all the nearby buoys. When the first group returned to Khrusos, they were given a new task and sent out to locate the other buoys. Using th
e originally programmed search pattern, it would be reasonably simple to find the others and order them home. In the end, only two buoys were left unaccounted for. Though the risk was small, Thriss decided to err on the side of caution.

  Councilor Threen was tasked with monitoring Khrusos space to detect any unauthorized use of the fold space drive technology. Anyone coming or going within a lightyear of the planet would set off the detection alarm, and give them time to defend the system. In partnership with the Expedition crew, an emergency plan was developed and practiced in simulations. Both Perry and Thriss were confident if a Code Blue situation ever occurred, their people would be ready.

  Which still left the question of what to do about Khrusos itself. An attempt to remove all traces of their civilization from the planet would, at best, be extremely difficult and time consuming. And to what end? The planet, as well as the system itself, were now uninhabitable, and no one would ever be making a new home here in the future. In her discussions with Perry, he made a suggestion which was clean, simple, and effective.

  When Thriss presented the Council with the problem and suggested solution, it was one of the most difficult decisions they ever considered. With a heavy heart, the Governor informed Perry of their decision. The last act before leaving the system would be to fling the planet into the black hole of their former star, thereby removing all traces of the Vingah collective from this region of space.

  ####

  Premier Gornott’s den, present day…

  Gornott paced nervously as he waited for Gotogg to arrive. The headstrong Overlord ruled the research and construction teams with a sharpened claw, and Gornott was questioning the wisdom of allowing him direct authority over the refit project. He certainly produced results, but the ruthless pursuit of his goal was an unwelcome distraction. He already killed two thralls in fits of anger and frustration over the slow pace of the work, and Gornott received formal complaints almost every cycle from others who were targets of his wrath.

  Gornott saw Gotogg’s potential at a young age, and personally trained and groomed him for service. Now, however, there were clear signs the Overlord needed to be kept on a shorter leash, lest he begin to get ideas which would force the Premier to take drastic action.

  The guards announced Gotogg’s arrival, and he stepped into the Premier’s den bristling with annoyance. Gornott’s upheld hand stopped the Overlord from whatever he was about to say.

  Recline with me Gotogg. I wish to know of your progress. Speak!

  Gotogg tried to hide his displeasure at being called away from his work. He was not free, however, to ignore a direct summons from the Premier.

  “The buoy has returned with disturbing information, my lord. There is great activity around Khrusos, and the new vessel they build will be completed much sooner than we hoped.”

  Gornott growled as he understood the danger this represented to their plans.

  What is its purpose? What do your scans show?

  It was a struggle to maintain his composure as the Premier continued to ask pointless questions.

  “As I have already reported, we are restricted to passive scans only if we wish to remain undetected. I believe the vessel will be used to carry away the treasures left behind by the winged ones. We must complete the refit of our ships as soon as possible. If we do not, they will take what is ours and we will be left with nothing.”

  Gornott’s claws kneaded the couch upon which he lay.

  Yes, yes, so you have told me before. I agree we must hurry, but you are in danger of losing the cooperation of those we need the most. You cannot extract piss from a dead bluhokk! I will conscript more workers and send them to you at first light. If there are other ways to speed the work, it will be done. I have been most forgiving of your excesses until now. You would be wise to remember your place, Overlord.

  Gotogg rose quickly and strode towards the doorway. He turned before leaving, a deep growl in his voice.

  “I will keep you informed, Premier, but you would do well to remember neither my place, or yours, are permanent.”

  ####

  With interior work on the new vessel well underway, the project was past the halfway mark, and projections put the completion date well ahead of schedule. With the deck plate installation complete, the interior walls were being assembled by an army of Vingah remotes. In the vast empty core of the ship, Mosis was assisting Councilor Thataar by releasing a swarm of preprogrammed nanites which would grow the crystal forest, creating the bulk of the living area. Meanwhile, other teams were working in the caverns on Khrusos, building the waste processors, air scrubbers, and the interlocking modules of the aeroponics bay.

  Onboard Expedition, the overworked engineering staff was finishing up the last of the gravity generators. These would be installed as soon as they achieved structural integrity, as well as the power units and atmospheric plants. Onboard storage and work space was getting tight, with bits and pieces of the new ship crammed into every available nook and cranny. In a few days, however, installation would begin, and the problem would take care of itself. Afterwards, the remainder of the interior construction should progress very quickly. Once the shake-down testing was complete, the lower decks would be ready to receive the stasis pods and containers from the caverns beneath the planet’s surface.

  ####

  Captain Perry, ensconsed in his ready room, finished a brief communication from Councilor Tholon. The news was disturbing, and Perry resisted the urge to contact Medical for an update on their research. Governor Thriss, as the eldest Council member, was showing signs of fatigue and lapses in memory. The other members were also feeling the negative effects of their age, but Thriss was only days away from being returned to stasis.

  If his medical team could not come up with a solution soon, the good Governor may not live to see their new home. Perry had found a kindred spirit in the hard working, practical Thriss, and he was worried about his friend’s condition. The frantic pace of the last three months took its toll on everyone, and there were days he was tempted to retreat back into his own stasis pod to escape it.

  His ruminations were brought to an abrupt end by the soft ping of an entry request. He allowed the door to open, and Doctor Crawford rushed towards him with a tired smile on his face.

  “We’ve done it Captain! The Vingah are so fundamentally different from us you see, so we basically needed to start from scratch. There were elements of their genetic code which we simply could not work around…”

  Perry held up a hand to stop the poor mans’ rambling.

  “Sit down, Lance. Just give me the basics. Can we help them or not?”

  The Doctor looked sheepish and took a deep breath before continuing.

  “Sorry, Captain - let me try again. Yes, we can help them! Not only can we extend their lives, we will be able to reverse the effects of aging and eliminate their most common illnesses. There is more which can be done in the future, but we have everything we need to help them right now. We did it, Sir!”

  Perry’s normal reserve went out the window as the good news penetrated his worried brain. The smile which split his face was a rare sight indeed, as he stood and grasped Crawford’s hand in a firm handshake.

  “Congratulations, Doctor. Contact Councilor Tholon immediately and arrange to treat Governor Thriss as soon as possible. Please express my thanks to your team, and keep me informed. Dismissed.”

  Crawford’s exit from the room was as rushed as his entry moments before. Perry, still smiling, reclaimed his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. In all their interaction thus far, the Vingah people proved more than generous, and it felt tremendously satisfying to offer them such an extraordinary gift in return.

  ####

  Mosis and Captain Perry stood back and out of the way as the medical staff prepared to open the stasis chamber. The now completed procedure lasted three days, and it was time for Thriss to be awakened. The weary patient was both relieved and apprehensive about the new treatment protocol devised b
y the joint medical teams. Thriss readily volunteered to be the first one, not only because of personal need, but as a demonstration of level-headed leadership.

  Even the delivery method seemed unorthodox, but to the Vingah, the entire concept was groundbreaking. To effect the desired change, a modified stasis pod was designed to mimic the chrysalis stage of Vingah development. The Governor’s body would be repaired and rejuvenated back to early adulthood. Genetic alteration would protect from disease and severely curtail the ageing process. Future developments promised to stop it all together, but what they accomplished thus far would more than meet the immediate need.

  The team closely examined the readouts, and satisfied with the results, began the reawakening sequence. Due to the radical nature of the process, Thriss remained unconscious, and would likely need some time to adjust. Whatever happened here would serve as a guide for the others who were awaiting their turn. The remaining Council members would be next, of course, followed by the other adults, still locked in stasis.

  Even the fertilized eggs would be genetically altered, giving them all the advantages right from the start. The adults would have the most difficulty adjusting to the changes in their health and lifespan, but there were already whispers of establishing a second colony world in the near future. The Vingah were an industrious and forward-thinking race, determined to face the Universe on their own terms.