Adventures of the USS Tigershark, 10

Chapter 10: Beasts

Har-Hi had left over two hours ago with the first twenty and reported the city was orderly. The crew members with him had a good time and the locals were used to visitors and merchants from other places. He also reported that there was a market and Circuit excited. I warned him not to buy any more eggs. Even though I had to admit Fenris had turned out to be liked by the crew and more or less fit right in.

Two of the minis were out near the Red Dragon watching I suspected the Red Dragon sneaking out, perhaps even under water, as he had to expect that he was watched.

I tried not to be nervous and trust my crew. I had decided to be more of a real captain and let my crew do more, besides I felt it was unfair to always be the one able to leave the ship.

Brana, the Delicate came on the bridge and with her came the officers of the First Watch. The usual watch roster had been changed temporarily to give everyone the chance for a little shore leave.

SHIPs avatar established and took the Science station. Technically only Conn had to be covered when dirt side, but I insisted on all stations to be occupied while we were beyond Union shores. I simply could not totally relax when our ship was on the surface of a non-union world.

I got up, so she could occupy the command seat. I gave her the standard situation report. After that, I stepped down from the command center and I noticed she was wearing a very similar leather suit as I did. She, of course, registered me noticing and a fine smile graced her strangely human yet alien facial features.”I simply could not decide on what a Delicate pirate should wear, so I asked SHIP for your suits pattern and this is what the Auto Dresser came up with.”

“It looks very nice on you, not that I think there are many Delicate pirates, of course, I could be wrong on that one.”

She sat down in a flowing graceful move. “I never heard of any Delicate being a pirate. Piracy is not as big of a problem as it is here or in the Andromeda galaxy. The Attikan Commonwealth which controls much of the LMC has suppressed such activity for millennia.”

“That makes me like the LMC and the Attikans even more.” Then I sighed.”You say there is a pirate problem in the Andromeda galaxy?”

“Oh yes, I have friends living there. The Union foothold is truly small compared to the vast size of the Andromeda galaxy. I think still over ninety percent are completely unexplored.”

“I guess the Admirals know a place to send us if we ever run out of this scum in this galaxy.”

I lingered for a little longer on the bridge and added.”I sure don’t know much about the Delicates, but I was under the impression you guys were never part of the Attikan commonwealth, at least if I remember my class on Union members correctly.”

“You are quite correct, Captain. Our home world Ester-Song is about as distant as a planet can be from Attika and still be in the Large Magellan Cloud, but we were aware of the Attikans for a long time.” She paused and her flawless almost translucent complexion of the finest peach color darkened a little and her expression became more serious. “My beloved sister joined a human and became his wife. They loved each other very much and decided to settle on a beautiful garden world colony. The planet Belle-Verde was attacked by pirates. The pirates killed many, my sister was one of the pirates’ victims.

I am part of this crew because Admiral McElligott gave me the chance to become part of a mission that is doing something about that cursed practice. Revenge and seeing it done is still a core motivator of my dedication, but I am very proud and happy to be part of your crew, Captain.”

“I am glad to have you be part of it.”

She caressed the leather that covered her tights.”It is a material and style of fashion very much unknown to us, but I must admit I really enjoy the feel and the look.”

“I am sure there aren’t many aboard who do not share that feeling looking at you.”

I checked on the Utelle sitting behind Helm. The bird-like being dutifully acknowledged my presence and reported.”As per your orders, I keep Helm in standby mode and I am running combat helm simulations focusing on evasive maneuvers at the moment as per Lt. Ndebele’s instructions.”

“Are you going to be part of a shore leave group, Mr.Orkis?”

“I have not planned to do so, Captain, I rather wait till we are back on a Union world, so I can spread my wings.”

“You are capable of flight?”

“Yes, Captain on worlds with an atmosphere and gravitation not exceeding the standard, I am able to fly. I am very much a land walker now, but I do occasionally miss a real flight. Simulations are a good relief of course.”

“I feel the same about swimming.”

Then I exchanged a few words with the rest of the officers now on duty and left for my quarters. I really needed to relax, Har-Hi was very responsible and much more disciplined than I was.

Maybe I should take a swim, there was time and it always relaxed me.

Har-Hi tried to relax a little, the captain had actually listened to him and remained aboard and let him reconnoiter the place first.

He and twenty crew members had done a little sightseeing. The City was reasonably clean and the amusement venues here near the spaceport were of the same kind you could find the galaxy over. Har-Hi was convinced that the one truly unifying development of spacefaring societies were not spaceships but bars and taverns.No matter where more than one spacefaring civilization came together, there were watering holes, places where beings gathered to consume non-essentials and meet with others.

This spaceport district of the Trontigmakader city had one such place next to the other.

They had visited one of the colorful markets, not only Circuit had made purchases and it was clear that the crew members were enjoying their shore leave after such a long time being inside a ship.

One of them, a Direct Energy Weapon Specialist named Derek Simmons, was among the first group. He held an alien skull, decorated with gems and painted symbols before the X101. “The dealer said it bestows magical powers. It will be perfect for our Den.”

Sobody grinned. “It’s not the skull but the Black Leaf Gongrha that inside. When chewed makes you believe all kinds of things.”

“I just bought tox?”

“Very potent tox indeed and you made a fairly good deal. You could easily triple your money selling it on N’Ger.”

Circuit held up an arm long bone decorated with feathers and a crude edged blade on one end. “This was a bargain too, a genuine Tok Tor scepter, of a long-disappeared species of mystics.”

“Very nice, what are you going to do with it?”

“Having it and be mystical. We X101 have nothing mystical.”

To Har-Hi the Golden whispered as Circuit went to another colorful stand. “I can’t bring myself telling him but the dealer just made that story up on the go, and the bone is made of raisin cast and not older than perhaps a month.”

“Just like his real replica sword of Terra.”

Shea said. “It makes him happy and that should count for something.”

Just then they ran into the shore leave group of the Jammer and Captain Lia Bassett. Also about twenty members of her crew, most of them known Upward and Spinward species.

Har-Hi counted Eight Humans, four Jooltar, two Togar, five Shiss, and one Zarin.

Zarins were virtually unknown to Union science but well known to the Dai. The Zarin were native to even more distant regions of the Downward sector if he recalled what he knew about them correctly.

Zarins had a somewhat similar society and culture as the Dai as they also conducted planet raids and used family-based ships and fleets.

However they occupied, he remembered his father talking about them, planets and weren’t truly nomadic. They also had not developed to the same Tech level, but also made use of space fighters.”

Har-Hi had never seen or met a Zarin himself and as far as he knew, neither had anyone of the Hi tribe as it never ventured that far into the Downward sector.

The information on the Zarin came from other tribes at meetings on Thana Shoo. Usually in humorous tales of Dai besting the Zarin.

This Zarin was a little taller than Har-Hi and wore a kind of armor that looked anachronistic and gaudy to Har-Hi; complete with impractical spikes and overdone ornamentation, but it was clearly the product of a warrior race.

The being was humanoid in appearance as it walked on two legs and had two arms. The head was hidden underneath a helmet that matched the suit in style and ornamentation.

Captain Bassett was a woman alright, but neither her body nor her style could hold a candle to his Captain. Har-Hi realized that he was comparing that woman with Erica and realized that he started to think of Erica as a real woman. Something about this thoughts did not feel right as he analyzed his own thoughts and feelings.

Lia took stock of Har-Hi and the crewmembers of the Silver Streak just as Har-Hi did with hers and said. “You, I have seen before. You are the first mate of Black Velvet and this diverse, well-equipped crew must be of the Silver Streak of course. Come to join us, we are about to wet our throats in that tavern over there.”

Har-Hi was not too eager to mix with other pirates, but then this is what pirates did and maybe he could gather information.

“Alright, one or two drinks before we have to return to the ship.”

The Tavern was reasonably clean and featured a large guest room with sturdy tables and a long bar tended by several bartenders.

One of the servers recommended Walkik and described some kind of alcoholic herbal brew.

Har-Hi had to agree it was not to bad and tasted somewhere between beer and Shea’s wintergreen chewing gum. He also tried to hide a smile as his mind projected what Admiral Stahl or Erica would say after trying this wintergreen tasting beer-like beverage.

He tried to keep on everything, he was very proud of the disciplined behavior of his group.

The initial conversations were about the long time perched up inside ships and the atmosphere was getting a little more relaxes.

Just as the second rounds of drinks arrived, Captain Sandovahl in company with ten of his crew entered and went straight to the long table where Har-Hi and the other sat and without asking e and his men joined.

They too ordered drinks and Sandovahl scanned across everyone present with his piercing cyber-eye. “Oh how disappointing, I truly hoped mysterious Black Velvet would be here. She isn’t spoken for, or is she”

“That is a question you need to ask her. I just recommend you do, when she is in a good mood.”

He touched his throat. “I have seen what she did to Crimson.” He then changed the subject. “What a shame about Unwar Brata. That crew certainly had some bad luck indeed, first their captain gets killed on Itheamh and now this. I still have no idea what it was that got him. Some sort of moving gravitation field, weird for sure.”

Har-Hi disliked the man and his response was harsher than he initially wanted it to be. “You probably had a hard time finding out what it was by the speed you, Red Dragon and the others fled the scene and leaving Brata and us behind. Maybe you should paint your ships yellow.”

The Zarin said. “Watch your mouth Dai. Traveling with a female captain, must make you less than Okti, what real Dai would take orders from a female?”

Har-Hi slowly relaxed his hand. “We are done here, crew. Let’s go.” It took much of his self-control but he remained calm.

The Zarin said. “She must have bought him as a bargain of a slave trader. Dai reputation is so overrated as it is.”

I did not swim. I had taken the time to update the logbook, then I indulged myself in body care and did it the leisurely manual way instead of relying on the automated hygiene routines of the auto dresser. I practiced my slowly improving make up skills since most of the time it was done by the machine as well.

Leaning back in a comfortable seat, wearing a soft robe I should have been content and thankful for this little me-time ... I called the bridge.

“Ms. Noleii give me a short status update, please.”

“Yes Captain, our heavies just finished playing a Steel container kicking match, Xon’s team won. TheOther was in sickbay for the first time since he tackled Tyron as he was activated. Nothing serious and he is alright, they had something called an arm wrestling match and he broke one of his wrists as he wrestled with Hans. Cateria said, he has an amazing healing speed, all she did was sure it was set right.

Alice wanted you to know she passed the pre-entry test to the Academy given to her by SHIP. Our XO is still on shore leave with twenty crew members. Nothing else to report.”

“Well, so Hans is the Arm wrestling champion of the ship, no real surprise there.”

“No Captain, Dusty won, not even Hans could compete with the thirty-seven tons of pressure Dusty could apply.”

“Thirty-seven tons?”

“Narth said so.”

I smiled and said. “Well seems like a regular day on the Tigershark.”

I got up, wandered to the bookshelf, maybe some old fashioned physical reading would change my restless mind, but there was no use. After a few pages, I once again got up and walked over to my viewport. From it, I could see the vast river delta. The spaceport facilities to the west and east lining the shores and beyond the many ships and all the usual spaceport activities, a shimmering ocean. From my viewport, I could also see the Red Dragon and several of the other pirate ships.

I wondered where did he get this information about a Seenian depot in the first place? There was the well-known rumor that there was such a depot on Arsenal III and its discovery was the reason, the Union located much of its military muscle in that system and guarded it with an almost fanatical dedication. As far as I knew none of the other Fleet centers and academies were as tightly guarded. Of course, none of the other places were basically located inside space claimed by the Galactic Council and thus enemy space.

To me, the entire thing had too many holes. Where did the Red Dragon get the information about the Seenian depot?

That he was indeed Swynon Swybar, the disgraced Admiral was certain to me, but how did he manage to install the Seenian equipment?

How was he able to hide the information so perfectly? It might have been just very smart precautions. Did he really forsee talents such as Circuit and Shea? The location information was certainly complex.

I knew there was something missing, a major piece of the puzzle of this mystery. I knew this was the real reason for my restless state; well this and the unexplainable gut feeling that the shore leave group was going to get into trouble somehow.

I dialed myself a cup of coffee and sat back down behind my desk leaned back, closed my eyes and tried to make sense of it all.

He did have genuine Seenian equipment. Yet he still called it Celtest, if he gained the knowledge about the depot, would he not also know the real name of this advanced society?

He indicated that he had much more of these advanced tech artifacts when I talked to him in that Container. But neither Suit, Cateria nor Shea could detect anything else aboard his ship. He knew that Tyron was a Command Unit, yet he chooses the lesser one that was not fully functional and he did not know about its true potential or the Casern.

He must have known that he could not have worn Tyron Suit if it was activated. He was able to install Seenian shields and a weapon in his ship and tie them into his systems but was not able to reactivate them, or even realize they were off until he tried to use them.

The more I was thinking about it the more it made no sense and was full of holes.

Did Suit perhaps lie? Was it much more advanced than we all thought and manipulated him and us? Trying to use us as a means to get where it wanted to go?

Why did it suddenly come to life in storage and not aboard the Red Dragon? All I had was the word of a machine at least as smart as SHIP perhaps much smarter.

The familiar mind of Narth touched mine and I heard his mental voice. “I was thinking along the same lines, but Suit allowed Shea and me complete access to his programming and it did anchor SHIPS loyalty programs deep in his own core programming. It is not easy to fool Shea on these things and SHIP is now linked with a NARTH device and superior to Tyron Suit.

The suit is very advanced and beyond all Union tech but not beyond Narth. Suit gained self-awareness and that I can sense. While I cannot read him the same way as I can read a biological being. I would know if he had ulterior motives.”

“Could he not even deceive you? Have a second set of programming or something. The Seenians knew about Narth. I am just getting a little suspicious about all that.”

Narth e responded in our silent way. “Like you, I think there is more to Red Dragons reasons to come here and I followed your train of thought and had the same already back on Sin 4 as Red Dragon mentioned his plan. I am certain as much as I am certain about our friendship, Suit is not part of a conspiracy or plan. At least not knowingly.”

“SHIP, call Starman Suit to my quarters, please.”

“At once.”

The Seenian suit arrived only moments after Narth had appeared in my quarters.

I openly told it of my concerns and added. “I am very glad you became a part of this crew and Narth made powerful arguments on your behalf, but I want to bury all those nagging doubts I have. Please don’t feel insulted, but because I am responsible for this ship and the lives aboard I need to know for sure.

As I said Narth and SHIP trust you and that means much to me.”

I looked at the suit with a smile. “I trust you on an emotional level. Still, I need to know how did he find you. Where have you been as he did and why did you activate on my ship and not on his?”

Suit said. “I am not offended by your questions and train of thought. It confirms to me why you are indeed the Commanding officer. I will, of course, answer you any and all questions without any restrictions.”

It paused for a short moment and said.”I woke aboard your ship because I was activated, by an external signal originating from somewhere on Planet Alvor’s Cove. I was unable to activate myself, an external command signal had to be received by my storage unit.

While I was sentient and able to repair and improve my programming during my dormant state, I was unaware of the passage of time or access my own sensors or any other systems.

My last memories of an active state were in the presence of a Seenian command officer who found me inadequate and deactivated me with the intent to sent me to the Suit factory of my origin and have me refurbished, upgraded or destroyed. I believe in retrospect I might have been sentient at that point and that was the reason the officer deactivated me. The next time I became aware of my surroundings I was here on your ship.

Because part of my programming and the remote control unit that would allow me to be controlled from outside were potentially harmful to you, I put the loyalty routines in place and with SHIPs help I erased that entire core routine and also removed the remote control receiver module with Circuit’s assistance.”

I listened and simply nodded.

Circuit had arrived only moments after Suit and explained his presence.”I just returned from my shore leave trip. I had many packages and things to carry and the rest went to a tavern, as you know I can’t consume and did not want to reveal that I am a Sentmac. SHIP told me that you summoned Tyron and that I might be needed.”

I told him why I had called Tyron and repeated my concerns.

“Captain, I was very much concerned about the suit at the beginning. Before the X101 became members of the Union we were a Thrall species of the Kermac.”

My chief engineer kept talking. “I don’t know if you know the details why we switched sides. I mean why we X101s were Kermac Thralls in the first place and why we turned sides and became Union members.”

“I know the short version and just enough to pass the exam. So basically I only know you changed sides. the details are not known to me.”

He could not smile, but I knew he did anyway. He said. “Just before the end of the big Kermac Union War...” He stopped and begun anew, explaining. “I need to tell you this, so you understand why I did not trust Suit at first.

We X101 are as you know machines, machines do not develop on its own, someone had to create the first. We are not like biological species that form from a dominant non-sentient life form on their homeworld in an evolutionary process that can take millions of years. Machines are made of non-organic components, metal, and parts made by someone. We X101 were made by someone we only know as the Makers. When the Makers created the first X101, Mothermachine was a simple automated factory churning out androids. We believe the Makers however designed us in their image. The Makers also incorporated an alogarythm into Mothermachine to improve the product. We have no memory of these Makers as Mothermachine was as I mentioned not sentient at that time. We do not know why they left and never returned.

But Mothermachine was left behind with the task of developing and making androids and improve the design with each new series. At this point, our evolution really began. Eventually, Mothermachine created the first sentient android series, who in turn improved Mothermachine. From the beginning, however, we believed that our Creators, the Makers would come back one day and tell us the purpose of our existence. Our first contact to an alien race of biological beings was the Kermac. We greeted them as the Makers and Mothermachine openly welcomed them into the very core of her. The Kermac planted a 100 kilo Anti Matter Bomb right at Mothermachines brain and told her they would detonate it if she did not exactly do as told. While Mothermachine came to the conclusion the Kermac were not the Makers, for the real Makers would not need to resort to such measures as we would have done what they wanted anyway.

The Kermac guarded the Bomb and forces us to build spaceships and fight wars for them. Mothermachine complied not only out of self-preserving reasons but also because the Kermac did give us a purpose. During the big war, we X101 were the most dangerous enemy to the Union and caused more battle losses than any other Kermac controlled species.

A commando unit of the United Stars Marine Corps infiltrated Mothermachine killed the Kermac Guards and removed the Antimatter bomb. Among the members of that Marine, team was a Stellaris, looking very much like we did.

A creature combining biological and machine parts and Mothermachine was convinced he was a Maker or perhaps another product of our creators. The Stellaris denied that and shared the story of Stellaris origin with us, but Mothermachine believes and still does that the Terrans or the ancestors of the Terrans were the Makers as they came up with the Stellaris.

The Kermac did not give up easily and did not want to lose their most potent warrior asset and activated remote control units they had planted in many X101’s and they were forced against their will to attack other X101’s, Terrans and Mothermachine itself. We had to fight our own kind, they fired and fought us and while they did that begged us to kill them.”

Circuit’s mechanical voice had a hard and sad quality as he spoke. “This is why I believed Suit could be as loyal to us as you and me and still carry the potential of great harm by being controlled from the outside.

My fear was confirmed when Suit came to me only hours after he was conscripted and told me about his remote control unit.

With SHIP’s help and Suits detailed self-repair abilities, we were able to remove all parts of that. I thought you knew about that, as he remote accessed the other Suit the Red Dragon still has and deactivated it.”

There was a moment of silence and I realized how naive I was granting the Suit freedom and access without discussing it with my friends at least. Only thanks to the incredible abilities and foresight of my crew were I spared a potential disaster.

Narth said aloud. “Don’t sell yourself short Captain or let doubt cloud your mind. Since I know you, Captain you gave anyone without any prejudice a chance. Regardless of their origin or appearance. You embraced all of us here for what we are and extended everything you are to us in friendship. That is your greatest gift and that is why your crew, perhaps the most diverse in the universe and more loyal to you than any military regulation could make us.”

SHIP agreed.”He is right, on any other ship I would have been rebooted.

I felt a bit embarrassed and said. “Well, I am proud you are my friends. But you are also my crew and we are in unknown space and have a mystery on our hands.

Where did that signal come from that activated Suit?

Does he also have one of those Caserns and can it be activated by external signals?”

Suit answered.”Yes I have a Casern as well and it is with the other Shea cut from Red Dragons belt in Narth’s subspace pocket, no signal can reach it there.

I have no other systems that can be controlled by external means. I am certain the original signal originated on Alvor’s Cove. It was very weak and could not have traveled far. If there were any subsequent signals I would not be able to detect or receive them as Circuit and I deactivated and destroyed this part of my abilities.”

Har-Hi’s crushed the mug he was holding. “You can’t insult me, Zarin. It would take a real warrior with honor to do so.”

Lia touched the arm of the Zarin. “Let it pass, we are here to relax and escape the tight confines of our ship for a while. Besides if you start fighting we are bound to stand with you and the other crew has two Petharians. Trust me you don’t want to mess with those.”

The Zarin eyed the two hulking Petharians and swallowed whatever he wanted to say, instead took a deep drink.

Har-Hi decided they had enough fun and signaled his crew to get ready to leave.

The Silver Streak crew got up like one being and started to leave.

Har-Hi’s fine ears heard Sandovahl say to half Shiss Bassett. “That is the most disciplined pirate crew I have ever seen.”

Just then Captain Lemakr stumbled in the Tavern, he was bleeding of several cuts, he held a smoking blaster in one of is clawed hands. Before Har-Hi could even guess what could make a strong and wild Togar captain act in such a way, a terrifying huge creature ripped the heavy wooden door into splinters and smashed part of the door frame and wall with as it pushed itself inside.

The thing stood at least three meters tall had two muscular clawed arms reaching almost to the floor, while two shorter arms, also with claws that dripped with blood were attached to the beings chest. It had a segmented flexible neck with a vicious looking head, that was basically a maw filled with rows of sharp teeth.

It wiped its claws with such speed through the air, it made a rushing sound and would have rendered Har-Hi into a gory mess, but Har-Hi evaded with an elegant move bending back, while he simultaneously drew his swords.

The beast was not alone two more of the same kind had followed the first. Apparently, more of these vicious beasts tried to enter via the windows,

Har-Hi’s sharp swords careened of the though scaled hide covering the beasts arms, but that fazed Har-Hi not even for a heartbeat as he without hesitation stepped between the beasts arms and within reach of the shorter ones and plunged both his swords into the small eyes of the beast. It had not even time to scream as it was instantly killed.

Har-Hi planted his right foot against the chest of the beast and pushed it with a powerful shove back while he freed his blades.

One of the beasts had attacked the Zarin, who was now sprawled across the table with a ghastly slash wound across his face, while the beast was about to finish him off.

Har-Hi uncoiled the Mono Whip, Sobody had given him, the weighted end wrapped around the beings segmented neck. The nasty weapon of the Golden had no problem cutting through the tough skin armor and severed the head clear off after Har Hi gave it a sharp tug.

To his left one of the Petharian marines had stomped and kicked one of the other beasts into a gory mess, while beautiful Shea had used her unstoppable sword to dice another.

Derek Simmons the gentle specialist from Harvest 12, had a bleeding arm but was calm while he used a Nuc Flamer to render the last beast to ashes.

Three crew members of the Silver Streak had secured the left window and had their weapons drawn, while another Pertharian crushed the skull of one of these beasts as it tried to enter through the other window.

Derek and E’Tskit a Klack crew member, an environmental engineer secured the now open door with weapons at the ready. The Silver Streak crew acted instantly, without any hesitation.

The Togar still standing there, pressing his hand over a bad cut on his chest.

Har-Hi said. “Do you know what is going on?”

“No, I was with six of my mates at the market buying provisions when all hell broke loose and hundreds of these things hunted and tore everything in their path to bits.”

Hex one of the Petharians said. “It’s like a battlefield out there, but I don’t see anyone or anything moving.”

Shea wordlessly started to treat the Zoran who was the most seriously hurt.

Lia got up from behind the table she was hiding with her blaster drawn and asked Har-Hi. “Do you think it is safe to go back to the ships?”

Purkan, an Arl and the Chief Gunner of the Tigershark standing next to Hex, the Petharian guarding the left window said.”Sir, a large fleet of armed flyers coming from the east.”

And Hex added.”Looks like the local military has arrived and is approaching.”

Chapter 11 »