CHAPTER 6 – A SHOT AT DIPLOMACY
06:15 (Universal Time)
Friday, December 24, 2320
Hangar Deck of the A.M.S. KOSTROMA
Drifting at the outer edge of the Ross 128 System
Tina, near tears and watched by her husband Michel, gently pressed her son Misha in her arms while speaking softly to him.
‘’I will be back soon, my little treasure, I promise. Be nice with your father.’’
She then gave her toddler son a last kiss before handing him to Michel, who also got a last kiss from her.
‘’I should be back within five or six days, seven at the most. Have faith and believe in my legendary luck.’’
‘’I will, Tina.’’ replied Michel, his voice nearly strangled with emotions. He then watched her as she boarded her used yacht, now renamed ‘FRIENDSHIP’. Hoshi Advisor Ibi, Koorivar Administrator Sheraz and Gerald Holmes-Robeson were also on deck to watch, along with a number of crewmembers of the KOSTROMA. They observed from a pressurized gallery as the yacht cycled through an airlock, then was launched into space.
‘’There goes a damn brave girl.’’ said softly Gerald Holmes-Robeson while following the departure of the yacht on a video display screen connected to an outside camera.
15:33 (Universal Time) / 08:11 (Drakan City Time)
Saturday, December 25, 2320 (Earth calendar)
Bridge of the Drazt patrol cruiser TARASK
Main Asteroid Belt region, Ross 128 System
‘’Shipmaster, we are detecting an unidentified echo at maximum radar detection range, in the Venora Sector. It is seemingly heading towards Kadosh.’’
Shipmaster Dozna Wiss was immediately alarmed by that report: the Venora Sector was the one in line with the distant but troublesome Sol System, which was the home world of the Humans, while Kadosh was the Drazt home world. She thus gave at once a series of orders.
‘’Pilot, adopt an intercept course to that unidentified contact and go to maximum acceleration. Master Gunner, man our batteries and place them on combat alert. Electronic Officer, do you detect any emissions from that contact?’’
‘’Not yet, Shipmaster.’’
‘’Still, keep an ear out for anything from that contact. Sensors officer, how fast is that contact going? Is it maneuvering?’’
‘’It is on a straight, steady course towards Kadosh and is coasting along rather than accelerating constantly, Shipmaster. Its speed is presently 0.6 percent of the speed of light.’’
‘’Hum, not exactly what I would call ‘rushing forward’. We will still intercept and identify while being ready for anything. Communicator, send a message to Navy Headquarters to advise them that we are going to identify an unidentified contact in the Venora Sector.’’
‘’Yes, Shipmaster!’’
As her cruiser changed course and accelerated, Dozna Wiss thought about what that contact could be. It still could be a simple, natural object, like a comet or a wandering asteroid, but the probabilities for that were low, as such objects would normally approach Kadosh in an elliptical trajectory. This unidentified contact behaved much more like a spaceship…or a missile. That last thought made her tense up in her command seat, as she remembered what had happened to her old Naval Academy classmate Lem Doz, who had been the first one to face a ship from Earth.
‘’Sensors and Electronics Officers, whatever happens next, do not record any electronic message or transmission from that unidentified object. If this is a Human ship, then it could try to infect our computers with a virus. Stay in passive listening mode.’’
‘’Yes, Shipmaster!’’ replied the two bridge officers, who knew too well what had happened to the bridge crew of the MURKAN after its catastrophic encounter with a Human ship: Shipmaster Lem Doz had been far from being the only one to have been severely disciplined following that incident.
Some two hours later, the sensors officer reported again to Dozna.
‘’Shipmaster, I can now start to distinguish the size and shape of the unknown contact: it is definitely a ship of a small size. It is also of alien construction.’’
‘’How small is it actually?’’
‘’About the size of one of our shuttles, Shipmaster. It could most probably fit through our craft airlock.’’
‘’Very well! Communicator, send another message to our Navy Headquarters: tell them that the unknown contact is a small alien ship of approximate shuttle size. Send also the present position, course and speed of that alien ship.’’
‘’Right away, Shipmaster!’’
‘’Pilot, how long still for interception to occur?’’
‘’About seven chu, Shipmaster.’’ answered the pilot, quoting the Drazt equivalent to 140 minutes.
‘’Good! To all the crew: go to combat stations now! Make sure that you are wearing your spacesuits, in case of a sudden decompression from battle damage.’’
The sinister blare of the combat horn followed her words, prompting her crew into running to their combat stations and donning their spacesuits. Dozna herself put on her spacesuit as soon as the rest of the bridge crew had suited up. Now equipped and ready for combat, she nervously waited while her cruiser approached steadily the alien craft.
Six chu later, Dozna was finally able to visually examine the alien craft as her cruiser took a cautious station to the left of it while keeping some distance.
‘’Sensors Officer, I can’t see any visible weapons on that craft. Does your sensors detect anything of the sort?’’
‘’Negative, Shipmaster. Even if it has some kind of laser battery, which is still a possibility, it would have to be of quite a small size, judging from the modest dimensions of this craft. I however can confirm it as being a Human spacecraft: there is a name painted on the bow in Human symbols.’’
‘’Can you read and translate that name?’’
‘’Our translation program makes it out to mean ‘friendship’ in the Human language named ‘English’.’’
‘’Friendship, eh? Communicator, retransmit the image of this craft to Headquarters and request permission for us to board and capture this craft.’’
‘’Right away, Shipmaster.’’
A few minutes later, as Dozna was still waiting for an answer from Kadosh, her communicator suddenly spoke up, alarm in his voice.
‘’Shipmaster, the alien craft is transmitting a video signal. I believe that it is trying to communicate with us.’’
‘’Do not answer that signal and do not record it!’’ shouted at once Dozna. ‘’Stay in passive listening mode! Electronics Officer: make sure that our computers and systems are kept isolated from any signal from that craft.’’
‘’Yes, Shipmaster!’’
Dozna then switched her command chair viewing screen so that she could watch and listen to the Human transmission while avoiding a direct signal exchange. What she saw was the head and torso of the same Human female who had been in command of the huge ship that had attacked and disabled the MURKAN. A Navy-wide advisory had disseminated a warning about that Human ship and its captain shortly after that incident.
‘’HER? HERE? WHAT KIND OF FUCKING GAME IS SHE TRYING TO PLAY? COMMUNICATOR, ADVISE HEADQUARTERS THAT THE CAPTAIN OF THE HUMAN SHIP KOSTROMA IS ABOARD THAT ALIEN CRAFT, AND MAKE IT QUICK! SENSORS OFFICER, DO YOU DETECT ANY OTHER SHIP NEARBY?’’
‘’Negative, Shipmaster! We are alone with this craft in this sector.’’
Now more cautious than ever, Dozna listened to the video message from the craft, which was in English. Since she had ordered that her ship’s computer systems be kept isolated from that signal, she could not use her computer translation software. Then, the Human female repeated her message, this time in Drazt language, using her own translation software.
‘’Drazt cruiser, this is Fleet Captain Tina Forster, sent on a peaceful diplomatic mission to discuss our mutual relations. My craft is unarmed and I mean no harm to anybody. Please respond.’’
Dozna was left stunned for a moment by that message. However, she still did not reply to it, fearful of collecting a software virus in exchange. Instead, she looked at her systems operations officer.
‘’Koban, grab that craft with a tractor beam and pull it inside our shuttle hangar. Any discussion with that Human will be done face to face, without using electronic means in order to prevent a software virus infection.’’
‘’Right away, Shipmaster!’’
As Koban started operating their tractor beams, pulling the craft towards the TARASK, Dozna spoke on her intercom system.
‘’Security, send at once ten armed guards to our shuttle hangar, ready to board, search and secure a Human craft with at least one occupant on board.’’
Dozna then returned her attention to the Human female, who was repeating her message on her viewing screen. She couldn’t help admire her courage in having come this way to the Drazt system: it took lots of guts to make such a move, considering her involvement with the MURKAN. But again, such audacity and resolve were precisely parts of what made these Humans so potentially dangerous to Dozna’s race.
Squad Master Kosh Tar was entering the shuttle hangar of the TARASK with his squad as the Human craft was being cycled through the shuttle airlock.
‘’DEPLOY IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE LANDING PAD! HOLD YOUR FIRE FOR THE MOMENT, UNLESS WE ARE ATTACKED.’’
With his own disintegrator rifle at the ready, held by his two upper arms, Kosh Tar took position on one side of the landing bay and made sure that his Drazt guards were deployed correctly before speaking in his radio microphone.
‘’Squad Master Kosh Tar to Bridge! Armed squad ready and in position in the shuttle hangar.’’
‘’Excellent, Squad Master!’’ replied the voice of the shipmaster. ‘’We want that Human alive as much as possible, so do not fire unless you are attacked. Also, do not record any electronic signal or data from that Human craft: it could then transmit a computer virus to our systems. Make sure that there is only one occupant in that craft and search her for weapons. I am going to come down to the hangar to manage the situation in person.’’
‘’Understood, Shipmaster!’’ replied Kosh Tar before returning his attention to the Human craft, which was now being pulled inside the hangar proper by tractor beams. Examining its hull visually, Kosh didn’t see any sort of weapon on the craft, something that reassured him a bit. Still, he kept his guard up as the craft was finally put down in the middle of the landing bay. He tensed up at once when a sort of access door with integrated steps started opening and lowering, revealing one alien silhouette inside.
‘’REMEMBER, SOLDIERS: HOLD YOUR FIRE UNLESS ATTACKED. WE WANT THAT ALIEN ALIVE.’’
As Kosh Tar started slowly advancing towards the now fully lowered access staircase, the alien raised both of her hands high, showing that she was not holding any weapons, while starting to slowly come out of her craft. Kosh couldn’t help detail with interest what was for him the first alien creature he had ever seen. The curve of her breasts under the sort of blue coverall she was wearing distinctly made her to be female. However, she had only one pair of arms, contrary to the Drazt, who had two superimposed pairs attached to their torso. The pair of legs of the Human was proportionally much longer than those of a Drazt but were also much less muscular. As for her face, her pale skin and thick, long hair flowing down to her shoulder made her distinctly alien to a Drazt. Still, Kosh Tar had to concede that this Human female had some graceful shapes to her body and had a smooth face. She then spoke a few words in her own language, with her words translated at once in Drazt language by a small box suspended to her neck by a cordon.
‘’I am unarmed and I come in peace. I will ask you not to remove the box I carry around my neck: it is a portable translation unit and I will need it to talk with your leaders.’’
‘’Stop once on the deck and then stand still with your arms up, Human. We are going to search you. Is there anybody else inside your craft?’’
No! I came alone.’’
To Kosh Tar’s satisfaction, the Human female did as told and stopped two paces in front of the access stairs of her craft, her hands held high, then stayed immobile as Kosh and his three of his soldiers cautiously approached her with rifles at the ready. Once close to her, it became evident to Kosh that she was much shorter than himself, while being leaner and less muscular. Physically, she was not very dangerous-looking for a Drazt male like himself but he still stayed two paces away from her and gave orders to his guards.
‘’Kren, Dook, you stay here with me to watch her. The rest, enter that craft and make sure that nobody else is hiding inside.’’
Kosh waited until seven of his soldiers had entered the craft, then made a motion with his pointed disintegrator rifle.
‘’You, take off your clothes: we will need to search you.’’
The Human female frowned at that demand but, after a short hesitation, obeyed and started to slowly take off her coverall and boots, ending with a set of underclothes covering her breasts and groin area, plus socks around her feet.
‘’Remove your underclothes as well, Human.’’
This time, irritation showed up on the alien’s face.
‘’Is that really necessary? I would like to preserve some dignity here.’’
‘’DO AS YOU ARE TOLD, OR WE WILL GET ROUGH?’’
Clearly displeased, the Human female took off one by one her underclothes, ending fully naked in front of Kosh Tar and his two soldiers.
‘’Kren, check her clothes for any hidden weapons or electronic devices.’’
‘’Yes, Squad Master!’’
Taking a couple of steps forward, the guard grabbed the clothes now lying on the deck and pulled them away from the Human before starting to carefully search and feel them. Kren soon looked up at Kosh.
‘’I found nothing except some sort of small leather holder with a number of papers and plastic cards in it.’’
‘’Then hand me that leather holder, Kren.’’
Kosh was grabbing the wallet handed to him by Kren when his shipmaster entered the shuttle hangar, two of her officers following behind her. Kosh immediately came to attention and saluted his commander the Drazt way, by tapping one hand to his chest.
‘’The Human said that she was alone and unarmed, Shipmaster. We searched her and effectively found no weapons or electronic devices except for the translation unit she is wearing around her neck. The rest of my squad is inside the craft, searching for any possible hidden occupant. Here is a leather pouch we found on her.’’
‘’Well done, Squad Master Tar.’’ said Dozna, taking the offered wallet before looking at Tina, examining her body with interest. Anatomically, she was not that much different from a Drazt female, if you excepted the single pair of arms, and could even be said to be physically pretty. However, that Human would definitely stand out in any Drazt crowd.
‘’You may now put your clothes back on, Fleet Captain Forster.’’
‘’Thank you!’’
As Tina slowly dressed up, Dozna sifted through the leather wallet, which contained what looked like some kind of thin plastic film currency and a few plastic cards with photos, plus a small color picture. Dozna couldn’t help smile on looking at the apparently happy and smiling tiny Human shown on the picture.
‘’Your offspring, I suppose?’’
‘’Correct! My son is now fifteen-months-old and his name is Misha.’’
Dozna nodded her head at that. Somehow, to send a mother of a very young child on a sabotage or spying mission seemed improbable to her. Still, that Human female had proved in the recent past that she could be quite dangerous, especially when aboard her giant ship.
‘’I am Shipmaster Dozna Wiss and you are now aboard the patrol cruiser TARASK. What is the precise goal of your trip to this system, Captain Forster?’’
‘’I came as a diplomatic representative of my government and wish to speak to your Supreme Conductor about establishing peaceful relations between our two people. As a proof of my good faith, I brought in my shuttle a relic that will most probably prove very precious to your people.’’
‘’A relic? What do you mean exactly?’’ said Dozna, her interest suddenly boosted further. Tina then explained herself in a calm voice.
‘’A few months ago, while my ship was searching for two lost Koorivar refugee ships, we visited the Gliese 625 System, situated some 23 light-years away from your own system, to the Galactic Southeast of here. There, we found an ancient crash site dating some 6,000 of our years. While digging down in the impact crater, we found the remains of an alien astronaut and of its spacesuit. It was a Drazt spacesuit.’’
Dozna, like her three soldiers and two officers present, was stunned speechless by that last sentence. Her mind now in turmoil, she stared at Tina and spoke firmly to her.
‘’Where exactly is that relic inside your craft?’’
‘’It is contained in a large carrying crate sitting in the middle of the crew lounge. Before you ask, I can assure you that the corpse inside it was treated with the utmost respect by us.’’
‘’By the stars!’’ said softly to herself Dozna before looking at Kosh Tar. ‘’Squad Master, find and bring out that crate she is talking about.’’
‘’At once, Shipmaster!’’
As Kosh Tar ran inside the craft with one of his soldiers, Tina spoke up again, addressing Dozna.
‘’Shipmaster Wiss, please understand that we could have easily hidden that discovery on Gliese 625 from your people. In turn, we fully understand that revealing that relic to you may well help you find more quickly your own way to travel through the stars, something that would in turn put my own star system within easy reach of the Drazt Empire. The political decision to reveal that relic to your people was a hotly debated one, but I was finally able to convince my government to let me carry it for this diplomatic mission. Please believe me when I say that my government wishes only for peace with your people.’’
Dozna could only stare in silence at Tina at first, overwhelmed by her words. This could indeed be considered a strong argument in support of Forster’s claim to come in peace, as any Human government bent on hostilities with the Drazt would have done everything to keep the news of such a relic’s existence most secret. If this was a calculated move to make the Drazt lower their guard, then it was a most dumb move indeed. She then heard a brief call on the radio, coming from Squad Master Tar.
‘’Shipmaster, we found the crate and are now carrying it out.’’
‘’Good job, Squad Master!’’
Dozna then turned to look at her sciences officer.
‘’Vorn, use your data pad and start searching through our classified archives concerning our past projects for an interstellar drive. I want to be able to quickly vet that ‘relic’ this Human brought with her.’’
‘’Understood, Shipmaster!’’
Dozna’s attention was then caught by Squad Master Tar’s exit from the Human craft: he was holding one end of a large container, with one of his soldiers holding the other end as they went down the access stairs. The crate was then put down on the deck, in front of Dozna. With her two officers looking on with intense curiosity, she slowly undid the latches holding the crate closed and opened the lid. Her heart made a jump in her chest when she was able to see the evidently ancient remains of a spacesuit with two pairs of arms. Falling to her knees, she had to contain a wave of emotions while examining the remains.
‘’By the stars! You were saying the truth, Captain Forster.’’
‘’And I am honored to be able to bring back to his people the remains of this brave astronaut.’’
The science officer, on a signal from Dozna, then approached the crate and scanned it with a portable sensor device.
‘’These are definitely the remains of a Drazt, Shipmaster. Their preliminary dating also corresponds with the time period of one of our last attempted tests for a prototype interstellar drive. I can now identify a patch on that spacesuit: it is identifying it as being the spacesuit of the late Squadron Master Bar Lov, one of the test pilots assigned to our old program.’’
With a big lump now blocking her throat, Dozna got back on her feet and stood at attention while shouting an order.
‘’ATTEN…TION! SALUTE TO SQUADRON MASTER BAR LOV!’’
All the Drazt present stood at rigid attention and saluted the remains inside the crate. Dozna noticed that Tina Forster also came to attention and saluted in the human fashion, something she felt grateful for.
‘’AT EASE! Squad Master, have this crate moved with all the respect due to it to our medical section, where these remains will be autopsied.’’
‘’Yes, Shipmaster!’’ replied at once Kosh Tar before ordering two of his soldiers to close and carry away the crate. As the crate was leaving the hangar, Dozna looked at Tina Forster with a new outlook.
‘’Thank you for bringing Squadron Master Bar Lov back to his people, Captain Forster. Know that, personally, I consider this a significant gesture of good will on your part.’’
‘’And I was pleased to do so, Shipmaster Wiss. What will happen next?’’
‘’I will probably be ordered to bring you to Kadosh at best speed, so that my commanders can interview you in person. You will however have to excuse me for still showing caution towards you. Squad Master Tar, escort Fleet Captain Forster to a holding cell, but avoid any brutality and make sure that she is properly treated.’’
‘’Yes, Shipmaster!’’
Tar, along with two of his soldiers, then led Forster out of the hangar, closely watching her. Once the group was out, Dozna turned towards her two officers.
‘’Vorn, Mat, I want you to go inside that craft and examine it in detail. Find its interstellar drive, but be also leery about possible computer viruses lying as traps. In the meantime, I will return on the bridge: I now have a very important message to send to our Navy Headquarters.’’
Some two hours later, as the TARASK was heading towards Kadosh at maximum acceleration, Dozna got a piece of news that she didn’t appreciate one bit.
‘’What do you mean, you didn’t find an interstellar drive in that Human craft?’’