Discarded Segment - Eric on Gore -



[Note: No need to edit. I decided not to use this segment,at least not in its present form, but I might get back to it in another book / story ]

VR

--””--

The American Spirit was nothing I expected a space ship to look from the inside. It was more like a luxurious villa, complete with garden, swimming pool and green lawn. We stepped through a glass sliding door under a blue sky with a single yellow sun and on the green plant surface he called grass, was a table with umbrella and a few garden chairs. Rolling hills with forests in the distance, “All simulated of course," Alex explained. " The walls are actually only 30 meters from us, but I like it that way. Care for a drink?"

"This is amazing you would never know you are in a space ship sitting here. Do you have coffee?"

"Sure do!" He ordered some and then he gestured around." This is only the private deck of course. The rest of the ship is more traditional if you will."

He sat down and I followed suit. Then as the Coffee was brought out by an older man with white gloves part of the sky vanished and a huge field screen appeared. A voice said." Mr. Enroe there are Gal News you might want to see, Sir!"

"Put it on!"

A news announcer said:

"Intergalactic war is is imminent. Nogoll forces have violated the free space treaty and are engaging Union ships. A fleet of more than 500,000 Dai Than Units is fighting with Nogoll forces against Union Fleet units in the Prometheus Five Sun Nebula area. First reports of casualties have been confirmed."

The CEO of Enroe Industries sighed.

"They say war is good for business and in a pure profit sense that is true, but I wish our generation could have been spared. I feel sorry for the lives that are going to be lost!"

Images of a terrible space battle flashed over the screen and the new man narrated. “The entire First Fleet is currently engaged, supported by the 122nd sending Attikan dreadnoughts.

Admiral Stahl and the Devatator are at the very front.

Fleet Command just anounced that the Admiral of the Fleet is on his way to the Assembly to give a situation report to the Union.”

"I need to go to Arsenal then Sir! I need to do my part!"

"I have no doubt you will, Eric. I may call you Eric?"

"Yes of course."

"Call me Alex then."

The News announcer still spoke"Quadrants  455 – 1200 Sinward and all Union fringe regions are

put on highest alert.

Civilian space traffic in these regions is urged to tune to GalNet Channel 77 and  land at the closest port.”

Alex reached for his drink "That will prevent you to go to Arsenal for a while. That system is technically in hostile space and connected to the rest of the Union via the Arsenal Corridor. I am certain the situation is clearer and perhaps even over by the time you need to be there.”

“I still want to call and see if they need me right away.”

“Go right ahead. I l leave you for a spell and check on a few things of my own.”

After Alex had stepped through the sliding door, I called the contact my recruiter had given me.

The Fleet logo appeared and a hauntingly  beautiful woman that was as alien as she was female. I remembered something about the Delicates, but not much more than their name and that they came from the Large Magellanic Cloud. She wore fleet black. “What can I di for you Applicant?”

“The war! Don't the fleet need everyone?”

“Sir, I can assure you the situation is well in hand. I just checked and confirm, no draft orders, no reservists and no applicants have been called for duty.

Your Academy appointment has not changed.”

__””--

GORE

The accomodations aboard the American Spirit were nothing less than spectacular and Alex turned out to be more than just a nice guy, he was becoming a real friend. I felt he was honest and despite his status as one of the richest beings in the Union, completely normal and down to Earth. He had a sense of humor and was witty.

Toether we watched the address of the Admiral of the Fleet.

I had seen the inside of the Assembly before, but it did not fail to impress me deeply this time as well. The man standing on a insubstantial force field dis, hovering near the very center was introduced as Admiral McElligott, the Admiral of the Fleet and the defacto commanding officer of the entire Union Fleet.

He appeared to be an old man of perhaps two hundred. Yet Alex explained that this is how a seventy  year old Terran human looked like before the Ascent. Accroding to Alex, McElligott's appearance was frozen when the man was made immortal by the Alien entity called the Guardian.

I remembered we had a class on these Immortals in Basic school, since I did not remember much else,I was sure the details of that class were part of a Neural upload on Terran history, I most likely skipped to watch an episode of Captain Ironhand. I promissed myelf to rectify that knowledge gap as soon as I had the chance.

The Admiral wore Union Black, but instead of pants he was wearing a red skirt, white socks and polished shoes. Again Alex filled in my knowledge gap. “This is technically not a skirt, but called a kilt. It is part of the traditional costume of the Scots, an old Terran society. McElligott was born in the so called Highlands and he is wearing that kilt as an homage to his heritage.”

Just as Alex had explained, the Admiral begun with his address.

“Honored representatives of societies and planets and all Citizens of the Union. I am Admiral of the Fleet Obrock McElligott. I am here by summons of the Assembly to deliver a situation report on the  hostilities and potential war developing near the Prometheus Five Star Nebula.

A large group of the Dai Thaan decided to accept the invitation extended by the Assembly. However other Dai Thaan not only disagreed but declared the Dai that made this decision to be traitors and vowed the extermination of the Dai that were on their way to join us.

Admiral Stahl predicted this development and prepared for it under codename “Red Flood”.

A region of this Nebula, known as Asteroid swarm Gamma, rich in celestial debris was reinforced by the Army Corps of Engineers by turning many of the asteroids in heavy armed Battle bases. He also had the entire First Fleet, combat ready in the region.

Fourtyt three hours ago, several thousand Dai Thaan, crossed into Union space, with an even larger fleet of Dai Thaan in pursuit.

Completeky unforseen however was the attack of a large Nogoll fleet.

Admiral Stahl reported three hours ago that the Nogoll and the pursuing Dai Thaan have been decisively defeated, but there is a built up of Galactic Council forces. We also have reports of Nul and Shiss fleet movements.”

McElligott sighed and spread his arms. “Unfortuntley, we have Admiral Stahl,instead of diplomats doing the talking for the Union and we still might be on the brink of interstellar war. I will remain on Pluribus and update you as soon as I have news.”

Alex gestured towards the screen. “I greatly respect the Admiral of the Fleet, but it's statements like this that make him unpopular.”

I turned  my attention to Alex. “What did he say, it's not his fault there is a war or is it?”

He shook his head. “No of course not, but he made a swipe against Stahl. He is perhaps the most brilliant administrator and manager ever to live, but this kilt wearing prick can't stand the thunder Stahl gets.”

“Isn't this Stahl also immortal? Woud they not be friends?”

“Yes he is ,but I doubt there is a human condition that can adequately describe what kind of relation ship two men develop over three thousand years, but I am not so sure it would be called friendship.”

The old man servant and a robot served dinner and Alex grinned. “I hope you like fish.”

“It's my favorite food.”

“It's Sword Fish from Pacifica planet. A fish that comes originally from Earth by the way.”

While I was eating the best fish dinner since I left Nilfeheim, I asked. “Would not the Assembly have the final say anyway. Didn't we put away with diplomats and the like?”

Alex plotted his mouth with a napkin, reached for the glass of water that was his drink, “Well the Assembly did away with embassies and we don;t have Diplomats per say. That doesn't mean other species don't have them and we still need to keep other venues than war open.

But you know how much the Union loves Stahl, they made him Commander in Chief in times of war and not Elligott.”

“I never realy heard of this Stahl, other than in Union History.”

“Wow, you guys on Nilfeheim are really off the grid in terms of Union things.” He thought for a moment, “To the Union, Stahl is what your Thor is to the Vikings, He saved our bacon so many times, they call him the Eternal Warrior, and I tell you  he lives up to that name. He is ntegrity incarnate, but I have no doubt you will hear a lot about him once you start your career in the fleet.”

-””-

We arrived at the Gore system amd the planet Gore II became visible on the big screen.

It did not look like any planet I had seen before.

It was a dark brown ball without any visible atmosphere. The surface details  reminded me of a dried prune. These expensive Off world dried fruits I sometimes stole from Midril's pantry.

Alex called me to get myself ready abd join him at the debarking ramp.

-””--

The local space port was even smaller than the one back home, but the place was packed with shuttles and there was a sizeable crowd standing in line inside the main concourse.

To me it was an exciting and impressive image, as it seemed members of almost every Union species was represented.

I recognized Takkians and Shail, and even Botnaar. Of course there were lots of Klack, Blue, Spidlar, Quadipeds, Humans, Sauroids and Kilonians. The majority I could not identify,

“Wow this is abusy place. Are they waiting to be checked orsomething?”

Alex shook his head. “No, Eric they have all been security checked on an orbital station. They are waiting for the next elevator car. Both Gore Settlements are far below the surface and there are only  four lifts.

Gore II is on the top 100 list of  tourist destinations.”

Before I could ask anything else, a n almost four meter tall, but otherwise normal proportioned humanoid female approached,. She was quit ebeautiful, despite the black horns protuting from her head.

She wore a dark red and crème colored uniform and the Enroe logo above her ample chest.

“Mr. Enroe, I was just informed that you have arrived..”

“No cause for alarm Dr. Ivom, this is not an offcial visit. I just wanted to give my new friend a personal tour of Gore II” He gestured towards me. “Dr. Ivom meet Eric Olafson. Eric,meet Dr. Ivom. She is the site leader for Enroe Industries.”

She took my hand and smiled. “Don't let the horns fool you. We are called Andorian Devils, but all that demon mumbo jumbo we supposed to believe in is long gone history and kept alive only by a few.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr.Ivom. I only know the Basic school version on Andorian Devils, Ma'am. It was only one class and focused mostly on the pre Union genetic alteration experiments that created your kind. “

She smiled  and then asked us to follow her.