Harvester 7 (5 page)

"Hold
position," cried Maulik as he regained his feet, "Engineering, push
the reactors, give me more power."

"The reactor
is already at 130%." replied the chief engineer.

"What's the
maximum?" Maulik already knew the answer but wanted
confirmation.

"Very short
burst... 140%, maybe 150%."

"Give me 150
now, and hold it until I say... no arguments, just do as I say."
Maulik switched his display from tactical to engineering and
watched the output rising.

"Reserves
climbing," cried Relik, "84%, 85%."

"Hold it at
that chief." Maulik signalled as the output reached 144%, it was
another balancing act, a trade off, power output versus core
temperature, his display was nudging critical, his reactors were
close to overload but he knew 7 was tough, "Just a little more." he
begged his systems.

"88%... 90%."
called Relik, the relief clear in his thoughts.

"Gunnery
Sergeant, pick your targets carefully again, make every shot
count."

Te'al sighed,
and felt his hands being tied once more, "Confirmed." he replied
and returned to his targeting display, his fun was over, now back
to work.

***

"Please
advise." signalled Karn. If his objective had been to seize the
High Council Chambers, the very heart of Watuma's government, then
his mission would have been declared a complete success, yet he was
stood in the middle of an utter failure. Half of his squad were
dead, the remaining half were laying down suppressing fire at the
chambers entrance, and he was stood in the centre of the speakers
platform wrapped in bewilderment.

Go'an cut in,
barking an order, "Take two squad members and exit the chambers
through the large arch at the rear."

"Colonel?"
Karn questioned. He took his orders from the established chain of
command, not hairy off-worlders.

"Do as he
says." replied a weary Balak. Colonel Balak sensed the end looming,
his superiors didn't take defeat well and he could feel his
commission rapidly slipping away, this wasn't a defeat, it was an
unmitigated disaster and no-one would overlook how hard he had
pushed to make it happen despite the poor chance of success in
simulations, handing over command to the Watu couldn't make his
fall any harder.

"Confirmed."
replied Karn and signalled for volunteers.

"You will find
the High Council collected in an anteroom at the end of the
corridor, they are hiding." chuckled Go'an as he finally broke
through the wall of telepathic blocks that were directed at him,
"Old and weak," he grinned as their fear filtered into his mind,
"Finally Watuma will have the warrior leader it deserves."

"Place a
beacon on the door and retreat." he instructed before taking mental
control of the closest drone, frying the mind of the tech officer
in command in the process as he brought the weapon online and fired
onto the beacon’s clear signal.

"Five
seconds," he relayed to Karn before laughing, "I would start
running now Major."

In those dying
seconds of the missiles guided flight Go'an reached out his mind
and if it had been visible to the naked eye an observer would have
witnessed a screw rapidly rotate as the warheads gain was increased
to beyond critical. "Sorry Major... too late." chuckled Go'an as
the entire Citadel was vaporised in a fraction of a second.

Balak turned
slowly towards the Watu, "You could have given him a few seconds
more." he stated, the accusation hovering between them
unspoken.

"I am thorough in everything that I do, feel relieved that I
do not wish to continue any
tidying
here."

"Congratulations... Chancellor." he replied as he understood that
Go'an had just erased his own failings and his commission was
probably safe. Go'an had dragged victory from the jaws of defeat,
and Balak knew deep inside he had just witnessed the rise of a
dictator.

***

"They are
withdrawing." cried Relik as he watched the advance of several
hundred star-fighters stall on his screen, their weapons locks
blinked out one by one, slowly at first but gathering pace until
7's computers detected no hostile intent.

"Status?"
signalled Maulik down to Hold 32, Balak began to reply but Go'an
crushed his connection and formed a direct link.

"You can
congratulate me now Master Maulik." he laughed.

"So you made
the final step up then." he replied.

"If you wish
to put it that way, then yes, I am now in a position to lead a
united people against the Reapers."

"I'm happy for
you." replied Maulik with insincerity clear in his thoughts.

Chancellor
Go'an grinned, "You are lucky that I respect you..."

"Or you would
rip my feeble mind to pieces... you already told me."

Go'an chuckled
again, "Friends in high places are good to have Master Maulik, and
you can consider me as such, you have a strong mind, and a stronger
will, I respect those qualities."

"I'm
honoured." replied Maulik this time attempting a degree of
sincerity to mask his distaste, "So what are your plans now...
Chancellor?"

"Why to go
home and pick up the pieces of course." smiled Go'an, "To comfort
my people in their hour of need. I no longer require your services
today, so within the next few hours you will be free to resume your
course."

"And your
people?" he questioned Balak.

"A battle
cruiser is due to drop out of FTL shortly." he replied, "We have
our lift home."

"Then my part
in this is truly finished?" his question echoes against a wall of
silence.

"Hey, come
clean with me, I'm done... right?"

"Not quite I'm
afraid," grinned Go'an, "There is just one more small task that I
would like you to perform."

***

"You should
feel truly honoured that I selected you."

"Yeah, now
that's something that puzzles me." replied Maulik to Go'an's
statement as they sat in his ready room, "How did I happen to get
that lucky?"

"I am
beginning to find your attitude a little tiresome." admitted the
new Chancellor, "I do not wish to inflate your already high opinion
of yourself, but you have abilities above the accepted norm for
your race."

"Nice of you
to notice," Maulik joked, "But can't we just get to the point, my
meters running, lots of food to harvest, hungry stomachs to fill
back home."

"You will have
plenty of time to complete your precious harvest." rebuked Go'an
with a flash of temper that he quickly subdued. "The job I have for
you will not take more than three days and you can accomplish that
task as the harvest is in progress."

"What have you
got to say on this subject Colonel?"

Balak glanced
up, "It will guarantee the scouts licence you have been applying
for, I have that confirmation on the highest authority."

Maulik nodded,
now it was getting interesting. He was actually quite open to
Go'an's job, he just didn't want the Watu to know his
willingness.

"So what is it
I have to do?"

Go'an smiled
as he probed deeper into the mind and discovered the excitement
lurking in the deepest darkest corner. "You will act as an emissary
for a new federation that is forming, you will carry a message and
my offer of friendship to a race of beings beyond Terrillian
knowledge, you will make first contact on behalf of your
people."

"Not first
contact for yours though." he guessed producing a grin as the Watu
bared his teeth.

"No, we have
had contact before."

"And am I
right when I guess that contact didn't go so well?"

"You see
things that remain hidden for most of your race," smiled Go'an,
"Our history is filled with conflict, that is why I want you to
negotiate a truce, and a summit conference."

"I'm not
trained as a negotiator," complained Maulik, "Surely there are more
suitable candidates than me?"

"More suitable
diplomats... yes," conceded Go'an, "But they do not have your
mental strength, you alone have the capacity to receive my
instructions from such range."

"Hey thanks,"
laughed Maulik, "I'm only useful as the mouth of Go'an... now that
does elevate my feelings of self worth."

"You joke, but
this is a mission that may be critical to the survival of our
worlds, both of our worlds, now the only question is Master Maulik,
do you comply with my request willingly, or do you have to be
encouraged?" Go'an leaned across the table and stared at Maulik's
impassive expression, his yellow eyes flaring, "The choice is
yours."

A wide smile
spread exposing teeth, Maulik noticed for the first time the fine
serration that ran down each edge, teeth designed by evolution for
shearing flesh, the Watu were carnivores and obviously not above
taking a bite from living and running meat.

"I can see
inside you Master Maulik, so stop being difficult and just admit
the prospect excites you. He is more than willing." Go'an turned to
the Colonel, "Time for me to leave, I have a people to console, I
will leave you to introduce "Scout" Maulik to his new ship. Do not
worry Maulik, we have a connection now, you will never be alone
again, please remember that, if you need my guidance just call
me... I assure you I will hear."

At first Go'an
had filled Maulik with feelings of trepidation, it had been a
disconcerting feeling to know the Watu Chancellor could access his
mind at will but two months into the voyage and not having been
mentally violated, (to the best of his knowledge) he began to
relax. His time was filled with ships duties, which were few,
automated systems took most of the work leaving him free time to
explore the potential of his new ship, an advanced scout ship that
sat proudly in Hold 32.

To Maulik's
discerning eye it was beautiful, the lines were in perfect
proportion, in the empty void of space aerodynamics were
unnecessary, without atmosphere to hinder or create drag and
friction a square box was all that was required for FTL travel, yet
style oozed from the sleek lines. In Terrillian society it was not
a custom to name inanimate objects, ships were numbered not named.
But his Watu scout ship bore a designation, Kressa, a predatory
animal on Watuma, famed for its speed and agility during the hunt.
A name he somehow found fitting and couldn't wait for the first
scheduled halt for diagnostics and maintenance. "Only two weeks."
He smiled as he ran his fingers along the glossy hull, as smooth as
glass and black as deep space, "Just two more weeks and I can find
out just how fast and agile a Kressa truly is."

Often he had
slipped into the twin seat cockpit and settled into the pilots
seat. His first experience had been unnerving as the seat had
become molten and wrapped around his body moulding itself to his
contours before regaining integrity and creating a comfortable
cocoon.

"Impressive."
he had thought.

"Thank you
Scout Maulik." Kressa had replied making him jump.

"You are
programmed to respond?" he questioned cautiously wondering if he
was part of a prank set up by the more mischievous members of his
crew, after two months in space boredom was starting to set in, now
was the time to be prepared for the practical jokers.

"I have a
learning processor." replied the Kressa, "I respond and learn Scout
Maulik."

"OK," he
grinned, "Your first lesson Kressa, drop the Scout, just call me
Maulik."

"Confirmed
Maulik." came the reply.

"Now Kressa,
tell me exactly what you're capable of?"

"Would you like me to upload my tech manuals
again
... Maulik?"
replied the ship.

Maulik burst
out laughing, "I've got a talking ship with attitude... Kressa,
we're going to get along just fine."

Flipping
quickly through the schematics and statistics for Kressa Maulik
realised how wrong he had been in his confident assumption that the
Watu were technologically backward, "They are far ahead of us," he
conceded reluctantly, "But why are their drones so antiquated and
easy to shoot down?" the answer struck him suddenly.

"Misinformation... of course." he grinned, "Everyone one overlooks
the Watu because we believe they are primitive, they pose no threat
so we just ignore them."

"That's
actually very clever."

"I'm happy you
think so." Go'an entered his mind unexpectedly, forcibly, the
sensation uncomfortable ,and Maulik grasped the edge of his console
to steady himself as his head spun and sight blurred.

"Hey...
Chancellor, a little advance warning in future please," he
signalled back as his vision began to clear, "It's rude to just
break in like that."

"Acknowledged," replied the Watu, "In future I will get my
secretary to make an appointment."

Maulik ignored
the sarcasm and continued, "What can I do for you Chancellor?"

"Nothing at
the moment, just think of this as a friendly courtesy call and a
gentle reminder that our link is still strong."

"Oh it's
strong," he agreed, "Are there any more surprises lurking in the
Kressa ship I should know about before I try a test flight?"

Go'an
chuckled, "don't concern yourself, the Kressa has been programmed
to take your frailties into account, you will come to no harm."

"Very
reassuring." replied Maulik but found himself alone, Go'an had
gone.

***

"Computer," he
asked as he placed his fingers on the glowing console, "Search data
banks for all information on the Diurians?"

"Searching."
The information lists streaked inside his membranes as the central
computer referenced and cross referenced producing a total of three
files.

"Computer, is
that all?" he queried.