Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 2 - Maveen Offer (8 page)

Samantha was over at the other end of the lab and first reviewed the unfamiliar X-ray of Garendestats’s broken arm. She again noted the differences in the arm, as there were two long bones wrapped in a spiral in the massive alien’s upper arm. A pattern she verified as natural by also X-raying Garendestat’s other limbs. The fractures did indeed seem massive compared even to a human leg, though the bones had suffered a minimal amount of displacement. Samantha was optimistic about the fracture, as Garendestat now moved freely enough once a makeshift splint was placed on his broken arm.

She was also concerned about the practical aspects of alien biology as anything they did not know about could eventually kill him. It was not outside the realms of possibility that an innocuous virus in mammals could kill every alien in all the ships over an extended period of time.

Also what did they eat? How did they process wastes? How long do they live for usually?

Samantha was well aware that she had more questions rather than answers, so hopefully they would return Garendestat to his ship soon. She also considered that the best way forward from just about any viewpoint, let alone the medical viewpoint on the patient, was to go forward with the return of the alien to his ship.

                                                            ***

Gindane considered the news she was seeing on the bridge screen of her research destroyer from the human television station with avid interest. The Barus commander had postponed any decision to leave and summon a fleet as she required additional information. She watched as an obviously important human leader was talking at length about installing a quarantine zone around the islands, as well as revealing information about a couple of surface ships in the vicinity.

Her understanding of English was improving steadily, however she still had to concentrate to understand the full message that the humans stating. They certainly did have a preoccupation with news information, and Gindane wondered if there was any significance in that fact either.

                                                            ***

Garendestat, still feeling defeated, was exhausted from his earlier outburst. He needed to get out of the rest of his space suit as his legs were also now very itchy. He had noted that humans wore clothes, so at least they also had that in common with the Traders. He then slowly stood and pulled at length of canvas that lay nearby on one of the forward benches. Steve turned to look at him questioningly as he wrapped the canvas around his hips. A couple of short pieces of rope then secured the canvas around Garendestat’s middle.

Garendestat then tapped specific slots on the keypad of his space suit and the now familiar sound of the suit collars opening was heard by Steve. The bottom of the suit separated into a pants section, two lower leg sections with the knee joint, and two suit shoes.

Garendestat felt an increase in pain and itching as he took off all the lower sections of his spacesuit. He looked down at his legs and noticed that a myriad of red spots of varying sizes were present. From some of the spots a white growth was evident, and he resisted the urge to scratch the infection sites.

Steve gave Garendestat the privacy he needed as he got out of the rest of his space suit. The alien was definitely male, but different in that area for both plan and scale to humans. Then he noticed the large number of red sores on Garendestat’s massive legs.

Garendestat, ungainly in his canvas wrap, sat down again on the deck and pointed at the red sores on his leg. Perhaps unnecessarily he spoke again.

‘Danger, Steve, Danger.’

Steve quickly sent a message for Samantha and Rebecca to return to the rear deck to check out the illness now evident on the alien’s legs. The red sores reminded him of something, and he also asked Dan to come down again and look at Garendestat as well.

                                                            ***

Probe three and probe two patiently followed the ancient matriarch as she approached her facilities along an immense line of underwater ridges. As the two Maveen probes entered the facility they could suddenly detect massive cloaked structures after they passed the boundaries of an enormous suppression shield encompassing the whole facility. The base included a fuel production plant, hull fabrication plant and a general outfitting plant for shields and weapons. The two first structures appeared to be full or nearly complete in their build lists. The general outfitting plant appeared to be running below capacity, and both the limited weapons and shields stored appeared to be of only adequate quality.

Angwene led the two probes over to an object nesting in a makeshift cradle nearby. Probe three would have given a gasp of surprise if it possessed lungs and a voice. For in the cradle lay a Maveen probe of great antiquity. Probe three felt emotions of both trepidation and awe, as the Maveen were programmed to revere old probes for both their experience and leadership. Queen Angwene then brusquely spoke to Probe three.

‘It is here we have our reward for you. So can you verify the cargo in the Trader hold, especially the specifications of the larger weapons and shields? Also they do have modern portable fusion generators in the hold as well?’

The Maveen probe only considered not providing a suitable answer, as too much was now at stake.

‘Yes your majesty, the larger weapons and shields are markedly superior to the items that you supplied and that we then placed in the damaged Trader ships. The fusion generator should help you in powering the new guns and shields adequately.’

The queen gave a small call of satisfaction, as her gamble with the Traders could be very worthwhile, even if their own production was delayed. Angwene then attended to the slumbering ancient probe. She altered the power levels trickling into the cradle and the probe came alive.

‘Wake up and pay attention as you have siblings that have come for you.’

Probe three watched as the ancient probe came to life and responded.

‘So long and too long I have been here. I am so impaired as to be of marginal value to you your Majesty.’

Both probes now came forward and gave their designations to the ancient probe. The old probe regarded Probe three and then Probe two for several seconds and replied.

‘We have much to discuss about this world and many other words, of times present and times past. You will soon know that I have been on this world for over forty thousand years.’

The queen settled back and let the three Maveen probes discuss what they needed to discuss. She could do no more in this situation, and her end of the deal was complete. Hopefully the Maveen lead probe would be in a position to quickly honor his end of the bargain.

Angwene already knew the story of the old probe. She had spent many years of analysis on the probe’s reports, even providing critical insights of her own that the old probe had been grateful to hear. However she settled back to silently listen to the old probe yet again, possibly the newer Maveen probes would provide a new insight or further information that had been earlier overlooked.

The ancient probe regard all those assembled as they remained silent and began his story by both laser communications and an audio signal for the queen’s benefit.

‘I was the lead probe for a mission to monitor the Dradfer colonies nearby to Earth when we witnessed the final cataclysmic destruction of those colonies. I was stranded on Earth after the other probes here left early and I later found the hibernating ancients…’

The probe continued to tell the story of his mission, as the stygian gloom of the oceans depths backed the soft blue communications lasers of the still Maveen probes.

                                                            ***

Commander Jane Walker sat in her command chair of HMAS Sydney and listened to the radar operator as he gave a read out of the fast boat they had just detected. The Seahawk helicopter from HMAS Sydney was assisting HMAS Melbourne and her Seahawk helicopter with turning back several light aircraft attempting to fly to the Abrolhos Islands. The formal quarantine for these islands could not have happened soon enough she decided as the radar operator spoke again.

‘Captain, the contact speed is verified at fifty five knots and course is due west. The vessel is seventy five kilometers south/south east of our position. That we came south to rendezvous with the Aurora Discovery means that we detected the boat before it could go past well over the horizon.’

The commander looked at the radar information with annoyance. Fifty five knots was a significant speed advantage for this unknown craft, and she considered it must be an offshore racer or a former rescue craft. Jane also knew that their Seahawk helicopter was at a distance and was into the lower parts of the available fuel reserves.

‘So is the Aurora Discovery is still due south west over the horizon and doing ten knots?’

The radar operator answered in the affirmative and Jane had her answer.

‘The unknown boat has heard of the alien on the Aurora Discovery, and is trying to get to them. Very well, turn to course 225 degrees and go to forty knots please. We will call this boat on the radio and will specify that we are entitled to use all force to stop them. I want a call placed to Steve Greene on the Aurora Discovery to let them know they could have uninvited guests and they are to turn to the north-east towards the Abrolhos islands.’

                                                            ***

Dan joined Steve and the two men watched as Samantha and Rebecca carefully examined the red spots on Garendestat’s legs. He looked over their shoulders and then spoke to his sister Samantha.

‘Those red spot are just like what we get with various fish species were there is both a water quality issue and the skin has been damaged. I think it is a fungal infection.’

Samantha conferred with Rebecca and then she offered an opinion.

‘I think you are right and yet I am reluctant to place too much antiseptic balm over them in case he gets an adverse reaction.’

As the two sibling discussed Garendestat’s illness between themselves and Rebecca, one of the senior crew members from the bridge walked quickly up to Steve.

‘Captain, Commander Walker from HMAS Sydney wants us to turn to the north east to avoid an approaching unknown boat.’

Steve excused himself from the others and headed off towards the bridge, as he passed the front of the deck he stopped and looked at the runabout and back at Garendestat. The alien was trying not to look at the runabout as he looked back.

‘Good, a fait accompli is better than direct resistance.’

Steve thought grimly to himself. As he then strode swiftly to the bridge he wondered what else he could do to help Garendestat’s cause without earning a severe rebuke from Australian authorities.

Garendestat now quietly moved forward to the rear of one of the runabouts, the one he had examined previously on the side that he could see the distant patrolling sneak ship. The human ship had altered course and then increased speed. He considered that he would have no better opportunity given that the three humans were still talking amongst themselves behind him.

Garendestat reached over the side of the runabout and quietly removed three flares from the box underneath the console that Steve had unlocked earlier. He studied them again for few seconds, and was impressed in both the simplicity of the design and ease of the instructions he had memorized earlier. The relevant part of his basic training had come back to him, as three signals were significant to Traders, and now he had the means to get the job done.

Garendestat strode the two meters over to the edge of the deck, raised his large hand with three flares set correctly outward, pulled the safety caps and quickly lit the flares. Within seconds, the flares had launched and climbed a few hundred meters before the parachutes deployed. Dan turned and yelled at Garendestat.

‘What do you think you are doing?’

Garendestat ignored the pain flaring from his right wrist, as he now dropped the three flare containers overboard.

‘Ship, Dan, Ship. They will see me now.’

He intoned as he went to stand next to the three humans. They in turn looked at the sneak ship and noted that the craft seemed to be turning their way. Garendestat was still feeling sick and very tired, but he was excited now as he knew was in with a real chance of soon returning to his father and to his ship. He looked at the approaching sneak ship with satisfaction evident and decided to use more human words.

‘Garendestat, Radio, Friends.’

The three humans were nonplussed by the recent events though Samantha voiced an opinion.

‘Perhaps it is for the best, as I cannot guarantee we can keep Garendestat alive. I just hope that they don’t turn hostile.’

Steve quickly returned from the bridge, but did not say anything as he looked at the open flare box. Samantha felt that he was not unhappy about the recent turn of events as Garendestat then spoke the same words again.

‘Garendestat, Radio, Friends’

Steve looked at his friends and stated.

‘Their ship will be here shortly and I would like to have them talking rather than shooting.’

Dan looked at Garendestat and observed.

 ‘Well we cannot change all that now but I can still treat his red spots safely. I will go to my lab and pick up a bottle of dilute Malazin that we can use.’

Dan then left for his lab as Steve motioned Garendestat over to the radio in the runabout.

                                                            ***

Susan Roberts listened to the boat driver with increasing disgust. The fast boat had been recently forced to drop speed in the rising swell to forty knots and at least the ride was almost bearable. The trip had gone from exhilarating to bearable to painful as the boat tore across the ocean at high speed. It was just not fun any more after nearly three hours of slamming off waves at high speed.