BOOK III: Chapter 18

The alien woman stared at the screen, pressed her lips together and then said:” I was attacked and my ship was damaged by the Dark Ones. I managed to land on a moon of a planetary system and engage the repair nanites. My body was also damaged so I placed myself in deep stasis for regeneration. Can your screen show me the system we are in?”

“We are in no system. The moon you say is a wanderer. A celestial object without system!” Wetmouth said.

Wetmouth fingers flew over the input screen.” I am calculating the course of the wanderer, its speed and see from where it came from.

The screen over the Alien woman’s head changed and showed the asteroid then moved out to show the entire sector. A dotted line appeared and traced across the screen to a place well known to me, the Vanderstraad Nebula.

Wetmouth explained:” It appears your moon came from the Vanderstraad Nebula, which was a sun that exploded approximately 1 Million Years ago. That also confirms my carbon dating of your cells. You have been in suspended animation for about that time span!”

Cateria’s chin quivered as she stared at the screen.” This was my home system.”

I said.” We know of a force or species called the Dark Ones only from legends. Two of our oldest member species, the Saresii and the Narth  remember that time and in their stories and legends the Dark Ones fought a Galaxy spanning culture we call the Mythor,as their true name is lost in time.”

A tear pearled across the alien woman’s cheek.” I know of the Narth and the Saresii. I also know you speak the truth. I am a Seenian, or what you call a Mythor .”

She still stared at the screen.” Can you enhance that lower sector?”

Wetmouth did and said:” This region of the Galaxy is called the Downward Sector and unexplored by us.”

Cateria tried to raise her hand but the field restrained her.” Can you zoom in on the left side and  highlight all sequence sender stars?”

I wondered what she meant but Wetmouth nodded.” I am sure she means Quasars”

The Alien woman said:” The Ancient ones that seeded human life in our Galaxy left these Beacon stars. The Throne world should be right there, but all I see is another Nebula.” Her voice became a whisper.” There are no Seenians left then? We lost the war?”

I nodded.” The Saresii do not know the details, but their history records say that the Saresii joined the Mythor in the fight against the Dark Ones and where punished and lost all their colonies and worlds, except their home world and gave up all space flight for 100,000 years. When they resumed space exploration both the Dark Ones and the Mythor where gone.

The Narth hid their world behind a cloak screen and know nothing about the final outcome of that war. There are known Mythor artifacts but no one ever claimed to have found anything belonging to the Dark Ones.”

Wetmouth said:” But there is also a legend that the Terrans, are a lost Mythor colony. Eric’s ancestors are from Terra and our Helmsman is a true Terran.”

Her eyes lid up.” Maybe that s why you could capture me!”

She sighed.” My ship automatically attacked your Hospital ship to gain the necessary energy and materials to repair and restore itself.”

--“”—

” This is Midshipman Olafson currently in command of the Devastator Auxiliary Ship 45-12, Baracuda Class Destroyer.” I said after Elfi got me connected to Fleet Command.” Please advice the ships enroute to assist. That we are now in orbit around Planet Gregori. We managed to partially repair the hospital ship revive the crew that was in emergency stasis and tow the Paracelcus to Gregori. Captain Perma is currently in surgery but expected to recover. My science Officer Midshipman Wetmouth is currently planet side assisting the medical research team and she believes she isolated the cause of the epidemic. My engineer Midshipman Cirruit is working on modifying a Loki torpedo to combat the disease causing bio organism. We have a live Mythor commandant aboard, who was in suspended animation for about a Million years and was the cause for the Paracelcus damage.”

The Commodore laughed:” Midshipman Olafson. That’s enough with the jokes. I endulged your game until now.I am sure you are having fun in whatever simulation the Academy put you in, but now stay away from official fleet channels and connect me with your commanding officer.”

“Sir I am the commanding officer of this ship, but I can connect you to the XO of the Paracelcus in a little while. Their Comm systems are still under repair.”

“I had enough of this, Midshipman. Your adventure stories where fun and imaginative. I am contacting the Devastator now and tell your Captain. You are in trouble now!”

The Commodore cut of the transmission.

I looked at Elfi. “ I have a feeling he never really contacted anyone, no wonder the Devi didn’t show up.”

She blinked.” I did transmit our ID codes and everything.”

“Maybe he never looked at them.”

“We are being hailed, Eric. From the Devastator.”

Captain Harris and Stahl appeared on our screen and both had stern unreadable faces. Stahl spoke first:” I just got a complaint by a Fleet Command Commodore. He tells me  a bunch of Midshipmen keep contacting him with outrageous stories of alive Mythor, Hospital ships in distress and all this deep in Union space. Didn’t Captain Harris send you to the Dover system?”

“Yes Sir he did. We encountered a distress call on our way and contacted Fleet Command for advice.” I gave Elfi a sign.” Transmit the record of our calls.”

I saw both Harris and Stahl watch and listen to our initial contact with Fleet Command.

Stahl then looked up and said:” He believed it was a training scenario, and never checked or called the Paracelcus. He never called us or anyone either. Now tell me the rest!”

I repeated my report and when I came to the end I said.” We overstrained our engines towing the Paracelcus. We could use some spare parts and fuel. The Colony doesn’t have much and the Paracelcus is still without an engineering section.”

There was silence, both Officers looked at me with open mouths. Stahl then swallowed.” You are under Red Red Blue right now. Do not call anyone and mention the Mythor Officer. We will be there shortly!”

--“”—

We all stood in line and in attention on the Devastator Flight deck. Harris and Stahl walked slowly down the line and finally stopped and turned to me.

Harris sighed.” Teaches me to give the Olafson gang a ship. Anyone else would have made it to Dover without any problem. But they battle a techlevel 11 space ship, capture a real live Mythor Officer, tow a battle ship sized ship across 103 light years and are instrumental in saving 200,000 settlers lives by identifying the cause of the disease and finding a cure.”

I lowered my head.” I am sorry Sir. I know you gave us orders to go to Dover. I am sorry if I disappointed you. I was in command and it was my fault only. My friends only followed my orders. I accept all blame and any punishment you seem fit.”

“I see. What do you have to say for your defense?”

“Sir I believed I acted according to regulations especially after Fleet Command gave me green light to proceed. I was not aware he thought this was an exercise. Lives where at stake sir and I would have acted the same way if I had no orders from Fleet Command, however I want to recommend my fellow Midshipmen who acted gallantly and professionally, if you be so kind to evaluate the records.”

Harris put his hand on my shoulder.” Son you are not in any trouble. The Admiral and I watched your reports and records and I am deeply impressed by your alls conduct action and professionalism. It was my fault for not giving the Barracuda official recognizable codes, the Commodore could check and verify.”

Stahl’s stern face didn’t chance.” The discovery of a live member of the Mythor race is perhaps the most significant find in recent history. But because of that significance it must remain secret. You are not allowed to speak to anyone about this incident.

However the events showed clearly that you are no mere Midshipmen, but talented and resourceful officers. I am making you all acting Ensigns and make your ranks permanent after you completed your Challenge at Dover Planet. It seems almost trivial to send you now to a Midshipman challenge, but we already committed you to that. Since Captain Harris is already getting used to decorating you, I will do it myself.”

Harris opened a box and Stahl tagged a Distinguished Space Star on my chest.” Mr. Olafson once more you displayed courage and resourcefulness in a difficult situation.”

He then decorated everyone the same way and added a golden Mercy Cross to Wetmouth’s decorations.” This is for identifying a disease and saving an entire planet by finding a cure.”

“Thank you Sir, but it was Cirruits Idea to seed the atmosphere with a genetic designed virus that killed the fever causing bacteria.”

“That’s why I am giving him one too!”

--“”—