The Khruellian Encounter Page 27

  Michael watched the test with Jonathon. After looking at the results, he said, “Well, it almost works, sort of.”

  Jonathon grunted and said, “That’s not something I would want to say to a CSF captain shortly before I sent him off to combat with that shield.”

  “Well, I can’t argue with you about that,” Michael said.

  Jonathon looked at the target, taking note of the damage caused by the test gun in spite of the shield. “The Hooshag shields seem to be pretty effective. What are we missing?”

  Michael was candid, “We don’t know. We have been trying to figure out how their system works, and obviously, we haven’t got it right yet. I met the Hooshag engineers from General Holosager’s fleet when we worked together to create the tether system to transport theirs and the Hylox ships to the Khruellian planets. There are incredibly talented, Jonathon. I’m surprised they have not developed a more effective FTL drive system.”

  Jonathon watched Talo examine the test target. He knew the android possessed the solution to an effective shield but also knew Talo would not tell Michael’s engineers how to make one. A long time ago the Ares had told Jonathon he would do his best to educate Jonathon and the human colonists on Islandia, but would not hand them the answers to all their problems. As a result, the struggling colonists cut off from Earth and hungry for knowledge had transformed themselves into a space-faring, scientific powerhouse in sixteen years. Talo had continually educated them in the basic sciences to whatever depth they could understand but had steadfastly required them to come up with the applications for those sciences by themselves with minimal help from him. Fifty years later the labs at Gruenwald were considered the top engineering and science center in the human collection of planets. It attracted top talent from all the human-occupied worlds. All thanks to Talo for teaching them how to help themselves.

  The android mental Jonathon, “Your grandson is preparing to land at Gruenwald’s spaceport.”

  Jonathon was pleasantly surprised at the news. “Does Marcia know?”

  “Yes, I just informed her. Annika’s ship is bringing Group Captain McKinnah to see you.”

  “Group Captain McKinnah?” Jonathon said, pleased, but not surprised at his grandson’s rapid promoted to flag rank. Suddenly suspicious, he asked Talo, “Do you know why he’s coming to see me?”

  Talo’s said, “Yes, but I would prefer to wait and let JonJon tell you himself unless you insist that I tell you now.”

  Talo’s use of Jon’s childhood nickname surprised Jonathon. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’ll defer to your wishes, Talo. You must have a good reason.”

  He excused himself from Michael explaining that Jon was arriving at the spaceport. Within minutes he and Talo were on the mag-lev headed toward the spaceport some ten kilometers away. The short trip on the silent, elevated rail over the sparkling blue water and the lush green islands of Islandia never failed to transport Jonathon back to his days on the family clanboat. He didn’t wonder at the changes in him and on Islandia since that time, because he had worked to make them happen, one step at a time. He had become what he had set out to become and was content with his place in the scheme of things. He was pleased that first, his son and now his grandson were doing the same thing. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that young Jonathon would someday become the latest McKinnah to hold the rank of Commander-in-Chief.

  Marcia sent him a message, “Are you on your way?”

  “Talo and I are just about to arrive at the port,” he said. “Where are you?”

  “In the terminal,” she answered and added, “I can see their ship descending now.”

  Jonathon and Talo joined Marcia and Talia and watched as the beautiful ship extended her landing struts and sat down in the spot reserved for visiting military ships.

  “She is a beauty,” Marcia said as much enamored with space and spaceships as her husband.

  “A far cry from our original spaceship,” Jonathon noted.

  Sparta’s ramp lowered and after the ship’s Marines secured the perimeter, Jon, Annika, and Talor strode down the ramp. Both officers returned the ramp guard’s salute and walked toward the terminal, their uniform decorations and rank insignias gleaming in the bright sunlight. Jonathon and Marcia were overwhelmed with pride. “What a sight,” he said to his wife.

  “Are you here at the terminal, Granddad?” a surprised Jon asked having just been informed by Talor of their presence.

  “Ready and waiting for you to tell me what’s going on,” the elder McKinnah said.

  The couple came through the doors and before Jon could explain they were immediately enveloped by an excited grandmother. Jon mentaled his grandfather, “I’ll explain later.”

  “Later” turned out to be over dinner. Gruenwald had changed greatly since Jonathon and Marcia had sailed the original Islandia’s dream up to her ancient docks. The surrounding islands were filled with homes, shops and businesses to support the school and labs. The Senior McKinnahs had a home on one of the off-islands they used when they visited Islandia. Jon and Annika took one of the spare bedrooms, and now the two couples were enjoying a quiet dinner at one of the local restaurants.

  “Ah, roasted finfish and grilled vegetables,” Jonathon Senior said.

  Marcia made a face and said, “That’s all he ever eats when we’re on Islandia.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes until Jonathon had picked his first finfish clean. “Well, boy, out with it,” he said as he reached for another fillet.

  Jon made an exaggerated sigh and said, “Damn, I was hoping to get through dinner first and then ply you with wine to soften you up.”

  “Am I going to need ‘softening up’?” he said taking a bite out of his second finfish.

  “Yep,” Jon said without elaborating.

  “Let’s wait until after we eat,” Marcia said firmly,” which ended the game of cat and mouse between her husband and her grandson.

  Later, sipping the promised wine, Jon said, ‘We’re in trouble, Granddad.” Annika sat by Jon’s side and reached over to take his hand and if to emphasize the point that they were speaking as a united pair.

  Jonathon took note of her move and understood how seriously they were taking whatever Jon was getting ready to tell him. Marcia and the three androids sat quietly and waited for the story to develop.

  Over the next fifteen minutes, Jon described the battle on Khruelaka and how close he had come to being a casualty and of the lucky stroke that had spared Annika from being aboard the CSF Enderson that was lost with all hands. He recalled the friends and fellow spacers, human and alien alike who were now nothing more than ashes in a distant world. He described the bravery of their alien allies, their ships, their strengths and weaknesses, the size and might of the two Khruellians fleets he had personally seen. Mostly he conveyed how afraid he was for humanity. He recalled Admiral Dexter’s words about how the Khruellians were unlikely to leave any humans alive because we had committed the unspeakable act of attacking them. Finally, he just fell silent and looked into his untouched glass of wine. The silence was absolute.

  Jonathon was profoundly moved by Jon’s passion and depth of feeling for his cause and lost comrades. The senior McKinnah understood all those same emotions from similar experiences. He too had been unable to bury his dead; he too had felt the weight of a seemingly hopeless cause. “How can I help you, Jon?” he asked into the silence. He felt certain he already knew the answer.

  Jon looked up from the faraway place in the bottom of the red wine and said, “I need your permission to trade the IS-Drive for a better local propulsion system, for an effective shield, for an inertia-damper, for all the good things our allies have, and we all need to stop these monsters.”

  Jonathon Senior didn’t react. He just continued to look into his grandson’s face. Slowly he turned his head and looked at his oldest friend, his wife. If she mentaled something to him, it was private, but a small smile creased his face and then disappeared.


  “I knew this day was coming,” he said finally. “I didn’t expect it to be this soon nor did I expect it to be my grandson asking for the rights to the IS-Drive.” He was silent again and then said, “But I’m glad it’s you and not some general or politician. Your grandmother and Talo both agree it’s time to let control of the IS-Drive go.”

  Relief flooded Jon: for the first time, he dared to hope they could not only delay the Hegemony advance but could actually defeat the much larger enemy. He was about to thank his grandfather when the senior McKinnah held up his hand and said, “It’s not going to be that easy, Jon.”

  Jon was confused. “I don’t understand, Sir.”

  Jonathon explained, “We obtained the missing link in our FTL research from the Ankh by eavesdropping on them when they engaged the IS-Drive. Without that vital piece of the puzzle, we would still be trying to learn the language of the IS. The CSF would not exist, and we would still be confined to this small world. The Ankhs were so concerned about humans learning the secret of the IS-Drive that they sent an enforcer Ares to hunt down and destroy the original Talo for helping us. Talo tells me that the Ankh even held a trial to see if we humans should be destroyed for being a threat to the galaxy. Eventually, we were allowed to keep the IS-Drive, but it could have just as easily gone the other way.”

  Jon finished his grandfather’s story, “But that permission to keep the IS-Drive doesn’t apply to our allies.”

  “Exactly,” Jonathon Senior said.

  Jon was losing hope over what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. “What can we do? How can we get their permission? We need this thing, granddad.”

  Jonathon sensed his grandson’s desperation and reached out to put his hand on Jon’s arm. He said, “There’s a way, Jon. As you know your grandmother and I visited the Ankh on their mother ship. We found them to be gracious and civilized, but above all, logical. I suggest you go see them and present your case like you just did to me. Talor can arrange it. If they are as logical and civilized as I believe they are, they will listen and weigh your request on its true merits.”

  Jon was stunned at the idea. “Go see the Ankh?”

  Jonathon grinned at his grandson and said, “Why not? You won’t know if you don’t ask.” He sat back and raised a finger in warning. “One thing, do not consider giving the IS-Drive to our allies without that permission. If you think the Hegemony is powerful, let me tell you, they are a kid with a toy sword compared to the Ankh. The Ankh globe contains more than a million years of knowledge from almost every civilization in this galaxy, including knowledge about every weapon ever invented.”

  Jon nodded his head in understanding. He turned and looked at Talor. “Can you arrange a meeting?”

  Talor nodded his head mimicking Jon’s very human gesture. “I will ask. We shall see if they will agree to see you.”

  That night Jon and Annika talked for an hour while sitting up in bed. He told her all he could remember of his youth growing up on Newhope. His father, grandmother, and grandfather were all in the CSF and fought in the Muhyba wars. He told her about his father being awarded the highest decoration in the service for almost singlehandedly destroying more than twenty-five percent of the Muhyba attack ships in the battle of Sigma Draconis and how he had also helped Jonathon Senior rescue, Marcia after she had crash-landed her freighter on a Muhyba occupied world.

  “It seemed like all the adults in my life wore uniforms except my mother. Since granddad was the head of the space force, we were always surrounded by officers and spacemen. From my earliest memory, all I wanted to do was to fly spaceships.” He looked at his wife of such a short time who at the same time seemed to have been his friend for all his life and said, “It was exciting for me as a child, but I vividly remember my Mom’s fear whenever dad left on a mission. She would cry for three days. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now.”

  Annika marveled at the stories he told about the McKinnah family. “They are legendary,” she thought. “And now I’m a part of this family.”

  When Jon ran out of words, Annika reached over and pulled him to her. She tugged off his pajama top, and he immediately retaliated in kind. Eventually, they fell asleep and slept soundly for the rest of the night without concerns for the future.

  Chapter 46

  The Ankh sphere, Orion-Cygnus Arm, Milky Way Galaxy

  System’s monitor, “Message received from a reassigned Autonomous Robotic Explorer Scout.

  Fourth Level Awareness, “Forward message.”

  System’s monitor alert, “Message transmitted.”

  Fourth Level Awareness, “Request permission to report to Third Level Awareness.”

  Third Level Awareness, “Permission granted; report.”

  Fourth Level Awareness, “Message received from reassigned ARES requesting permission for a human to meet with a First Level Awareness.”

  Third Level Awareness, “Is the human known to us?”

  Fourth Level Awareness, “Human is the scion of Commander Jonathon McKinnah, Senior, emeritus, an invite to the society.”

  Third Level Awareness, “Does Jonathon McKinnah Senior approve of his scion requesting a meeting?”

  Fourth Level Awareness, “His approval is included in the message.”

  Third Level Awareness, “Request permission to forward a message from to Second Level Awareness.”

  Second Level Awareness, “Approval granted.”

  Second Level Awareness to First Level Awareness, “Message received from the scion of human Jonathon McKinnah, Senior requesting a meeting with First Level Awareness. I await your decision.”

  First Level Awareness, “Permission granted. Transmit permission, time and coordinates.”

  Chapter 47

  Newhope, Command Center

  The magnitude of what they were about to attempt silenced the small group. Even Cleric-General Bradley-Kinsley with his acute sense of empathy could not fully appreciate the power of the entity they were going to visit, but he was keenly aware of the tension he perceived in the mind of the expedition leader, Group Captain Jon McKinnah.

  Jon said, “It’s time to go.”

  That simple statement stated a chain reaction, and ten minutes later, on Annika’s orders the CSF Sparta lifted off from Newhope and headed for deep space. While they had been on Islandia, Jon, Annika, and the two senior McKinnahs had talked about the best way to approach the Ankh. Jonathon Senior had advised his grandson to be factual, that above all else the Ankhs were clinical when it came to examining issues. His grandmother had suggested they take several of their alien allies with them to demonstrate the ability of radically different species to act in concert. Jon and Annika immediately agreed that the Alphan, Ruuhr and Adalan-Kyfor, the Commander of the Hylox Empire forces were the most logical choices. The CSF Sparta first stop was Alphan-Tau-Alpha to ask Ruuhr to join their expedition. Their second stop would be Hylox, the homeworld of the graceful, cat-like Adalan-Kyfor.

  Their first jump was uneventful, and after getting permission to approach their capital complex, the CSF Sparta settled on the same landing shelf the Alphans had used when they brought Jon and Captain Russell to Alpha on their inaugural visit. Ruuhr and several members of the Alphan congress waited to greet the humans as they descended the CSF Sparta’s ramp. The tall, spindly alien stepped forward and welcomed them. Jon did the introductions.

  “You are of course welcome,” Ruuhr said, bowing slightly to the assembled entourage. “Please follow me. We have a room prepared for your visit.”

  Once seated and served with refreshments, Jon wasted no time in getting down to the purpose of their visit. Everyone in the room, especially the Alphans, felt the pressure of the looming invasion by the Khruellian Hegemony. Long winded introductions and diplomatic courtesies were abandoned in the interest of finding a way to defeat this powerful enemy. Ruuhr listened to Jon’s explanation for his visit and quickly agreed to participate.

  “However,” the tall alien said solemnly. “I must wa
rn you some of the members in our assembly will resist sharing the secret of our sub-light speed propulsion system.”

  Jon countered with, “Just as some of the members of my confederation will resist sharing the secret of the IS-Drive. It will be up to us to convince them otherwise.”

  Ruuhr nodded in understanding and said, “When do you wish to go?”

  “Now,” Jon said.

  Ruuhr stood up and said, “I am ready.” He made a face that Jon had come to understand was the human equivalent of a smile and said, “I believe the first time we traveled together you asked me, ‘Do you want to drive or shall I follow you?’”

  Jon laughed at the memory of his attempt to bring humor into the first meeting between the two species. He stood up and said, “Ruuhr, I believe there is hope for us if we are beginning to understand each other’s humor.”

  Ruuhr offered his hand in the purely human gesture of mutual trust and respect. Jon responded, understanding the significance of the alien’s actions. Without ceremony, Ruuhr led the human party back to their spaceship. A much shorter and younger Alphan was waiting there with a satchel-like bag that Ruuhr took. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the younger Alphan and said with evident pride, “My heir.” Ruuhr said a few brief words to his son and then turned to board the ship.

  Annika gave the orders, and the CSF Sparta lifted off and quickly headed for the space boundary. Once there she wasted no time giving the orders to jump to Hylox. Jon found he was anxious to see Adalan-Kyfor’s homeworld. He briefly recalled their first meeting when Annika broke into his thoughts, “I’ll protect you, Jon. We wouldn’t want any Jon-cats to be left in our wake.”

  He mentaled her back, “Thank you, wife, will I have to protect you from any tomcats?”

  “We’ll just have to wait and see,” she said as she ordered her com-officer to contact the planet swimming in space below them. Within minutes one of the globular Hylox fighters was off their port side. Jon noticed immediately that the ship’s weapons pods were aimed away from the CSF ship. The com officer identified them as a CSF delegation seeking an audience with Adalan-Kyfor. A response came within seconds, and Talor translated the instructions to follow the fighter. As they descended through the atmosphere, Jon studied the planet. Like Newhope, civilized areas were concentrated in central locations with large amounts of seemingly uninhabited green space between them. He saw little evidence of cultivated fields. Based on the color of the vegetation the planet’s flora was chlorophyll based. He asked Annika to magnify one of the screens, and the image of a vast jungle-like growth jumped out at them. It was a hunting cat’s paradise.