The Khruellian Encounter Read online

  The ship’s Talo interrupted his inspection with a private message for his ears only. “Captain McKinnah, be advised that your grandparents are among the waiting dignitaries as well as your parents, your Aunt Samantha and your sister, Barbara.”

  The thrill of anticipation ran through Jon mixed with a natural concern about looking good in front of his family. He remembered his graduation from the Academy when his grandparents had shown up unexpectedly. The poor commandant had stuttered so badly when introduced to the legendary commander, that Jon’s grandfather had to rescue the man before he totally embarrassed himself in front of his former students. Jon didn’t expect Admiral Dexter to suffer the same fate. The current commander-in-chief was as hard a nut as his grandfather, and his father had been.

  The frigate touched down gently to the sounds of the Confederation Anthem. The portside egress portal opened, and the ramp extended, followed immediately by six Marines in full security gear who quickly established a protective perimeter around the entrance to their ship.

  Marcia McKinnah watched the ceremony with immense pride for her grandson’s achievements. She mentaled her lifetime partner and husband, “Looks like JonJon wants to make sure no one takes his new toy away from him.”

  “Like old times,” Jonathon answered thinking of how possessive his grandson had been of his toys as a child, especially with his younger sister, Barbara, who he called “Barbarian” as soon as he was old enough to understand the word’s meaning.

  Lieutenant Burns led the ship’s complement down the ramp and assembled them in watch order. Captain Jonathon McKinnah III exited the portal and assumed his position in front of his crew. Jon and Lieutenant Burns exchanged salutes. Jon did a one-eighty on his heels, and as a unit, the entire crew saluted the waiting delegation.

  The band ceased playing, and the assembled crowd clapped and cheered loudly as Admiral Dexter returned the salute and advanced to shake Jon’s hand. “Welcome home, Captain,” the admiral said with amusement. “You have quite a reception party waiting for you. Don’t forget to come by to see me when your schedule permits.”

  “I look forward to it sir,” Jon said and added almost as an afterthought, “Sir, the CSF 239FV and her crew report for duty. What is your pleasure?” It was the traditional greeting a new ship’s captain said when bringing his ship into home base for the first time.

  The admiral smiled at the tradition and said, “Let’s give her a name and get her officially registered into the fleet.”

  The ceremony started with the required speeches from the politicians, who felt compelled to let everyone know who paid for this latest marvel of engineering. Finally, the moment arrived. Admiral Dexter stood up and said a few words of congratulations to the designers, builders, and crew of the new ship that was directly responsible for her existence. He closed with the words, “And now to official name our newest vessel, I present Captain Marcia McKinnah.”

  The cheering was loud and heartfelt. If Jonathon senior was considered the father of the Confederation, Marcia was undoubtedly the mother. She had not only founded the school on Gruenwald, but she was also a Bonafide hero who had saved the lives of her captain and many of her fellow crew members.

  Marcia stood regally at the podium, looking supremely confident and fit at seventy-two years of age. The medi-nanos Talo had injected into her and Jonathon many years earlier had given them vitality worthy of forty-year-olds. She intended to keep her speech very short because she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her family before they scattered to resume their various careers. After recognizing the notable attendees, she said, “I christened thee, the CSF Clanship Islandia II.”

  For a moment there was silence, then the clapping and cheering erupted, building to a crescendo of excitement. The original Clanship Islandia rested on the grounds of the Space Force Academy, a monument to the deeds and adventures of the six original clanship crew members. Now she would fly again. Frigates were traditionally named after war heroes, and the original Clanship Islandia certainly qualified as one. Commander McKinnah had landed her in the middle of a firefight with Muhyba warriors to rescue his wife and the survivors from her transport.

  Later that afternoon Jon finally got the chance to give his grandparents a hug. “Wow, Grandma, you certainly know how to stir up a crowd,” he said.

  Marcia laughed and said, “Admiral Dexter approached us and suggested the name. I guess he wanted our approval, although he certainly didn’t need it.”

  Jon said, “The admiral’s a smart man. He knows you two are the spiritual leaders of the Confederation.”

  Commander Jonathon McKinnah watched the exchange between his grandson and Marcia. “This is a special young man,” he thought. “Someday it will be his deeds they talk about, not ours or his parents’.”

  Talo broke into his thoughts as he often did when Jonathon was thinking in “open channel,” the mode he used when he invited participation by his wife or the androids who were their constant companions. “Admiral Dexter is waiting for Jon. We are delaying him.”

  “Do you know why he wants to meet with him?” Jonathon asked. He should not have asked that question; he was no longer involved in active operations, and technically he should not be privy to such information, but this was his grandson, and he knew Talo could get him the information.

  Talo was aware of Jonathon’s brief concern about getting the information he shouldn’t have access to, but Talo’s loyalty was to Jonathon above all other consideration. He answered without hesitation, “The Admiral wants to send Islandia II on a secret mission.”

  “To where?” Marcia chimed in. She had been listening with half an ear to what Jonathon and Talo were discussing.

  Talo answered at once, “The CSF exploration and mapping expedition has found the colonists originally scheduled to land on this planet, Newhope.”

  Jon looked from his grandmother to his grandfather and then to Talo. The signs were there; they were talking to each other mentally. He had grown up with the novelty of having grandparents who could speak to each other’s mind. They only did so in public when they had something significant to talk about, more important than what they were doing at the time. This must be one of those times. He was not offended; he knew them too well.

  “I’ll see you later for dinner, Granny. Right now, I’m late for an appointment with Admiral Dexter,” Jon said with a lop-sided grin.

  Marcia hugged her grandson apologetically, “Sorry, Jon. I’ll explain later.”

  Jon left with a curious sense his grandparents and Talo had been discussing what the admiral wanted to talk to him about. He would have to wait and see.

  Admiral Dexter was not alone. Two members of the Terran Space Force, an admiral, and a commander were seated around his conference table. The Terran officers rose from their chairs as Jon entered. Admiral Dexter returned Jon’s salute and said, “Come in and join us, Captain McKinnah. Let me introduce you to Admiral Ruhald, Chairman of the Terran Military Committee.” The Terran admiral was a tall, beefy man with a complexion that suggested many years of exposure to the elements. He shook Jon’s hand vigorously and said, “Congratulations Captain McKinnah, your new ship is magnificent.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Jonathon said. He was very comfortable around people of high rank; he had grown up in the company of chairmen, generals, and admirals.

  Commander Annika Masterson, waiting to be introduced watched the young captain closely. “He’s very cool under pressure,” she thought and felt a little thrill at the prospect of spending some time with the handsome young man, especially in confined quarters. She found herself at a loss to explain her feelings. She was attractive and knew it, and had on occasion used her beauty to help her in difficult situations, but she had never allowed herself to become involved with any man she served with; she didn’t want the baggage that went along with that kind of relationship. When she wanted sex, she had several convenient lovers who also had no interest in forming a relationship beyond the physical s
ex. When one of them began to get attached, she dropped him.

  She heard Admiral Ruhald speak her name and she broke out of her revelry to stare into Jonathon McKinnah’s unflinching brown eyes. There was no hint of any interest in her physical attributes, which surprisingly disappointed her. “Congratulation, Captain, I’m looking forward to a tour of your ship,” she said, shaking his hand. She reluctantly let it go.

  At the mention of a tour, Jon turned to Admiral Dexter for clarification. To his knowledge, The Islandia II was considered a classified vessel.

  “Yes,” Admiral Dexter said, understanding Jon’s questioning look. He motioned for everyone to resume their seats. Jon found himself sitting directly across from Commander Masterson. The admiral jumped right into the purpose of the meeting, which was his signature method of getting things done. He was fond of quoting Earth’s famous, nineteenth-century admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson. “Go right at them,” Admiral Dexter would say, in a voice, he believed to be a nineteenth-century British accent. His attempted accent was the favorite fodder of any entertainment skit put on by the fleet

  “Captain McKinnah, as you are aware Earth and her satellite operations have been granted full admission to the Constitutional Confederation.”

  Jon knew of this as did any citizen who paid attention to the news. He didn’t understand why the admiral was spending so much time explaining the obvious unless he was stalling, but for what?

  As if on cue, the door to the admiral’s front office opened, and Captain Ben King, the admiral’s aide walked confidently to the admiral’s side and handed him a folded slip of paper. The admiral read it and sat a little straighter in his chair and then continued, “Now we have the task of integrating the Terran Space Force into the CSF. Earth will continue to be responsible for her solar system’s internal security, but all interstellar military activities will be conducted by the CSF Space Force.” The Terran officers sat listening expectantly, already aware of what was coming next. “We begin today,” Admiral Dexter said with finality. “Subject to your approval, Captain McKinnah, Commander Masterson will be assigned to your ship as an observer on a special mission. Vice Admiral Paulson, Chief of operations will brief you on the nature of that mission.” Admiral Dexter looked directly at Jon and added, “Captain McKinnah, it’s important that this first integration operation goes smoothly. There’s a lot of skepticism on both sides about our ability to integrate into one effective space force. A successful mission will go a long way toward reducing that skepticism.”

  Jon looked from the admiral to his potential new crew member. Her beauty became apparent to him, and it bothered him. He did not want any unnecessary distractions on his ship, either for his crew or for himself. Mixed crews were carefully screened for their physiological ability to live together without any disruptive behavior by either sex. If a relationship developed, it happened on the ground, not in the confines of a spaceship. Once a relationship became significant to a couple they were assigned to separate crews. These crew members were very adept at juggling their schedules to spend as much time together as possible. More than half of Jon’s crew was in such a relationship, including Lieutenant Burns, his XO.

  Jon shared the admiral’s propensity for directness. It was one of the things that got him his current command. He knew he had the complete authority to veto any new crew member, but common sense said he had to have a valid reason. If her beauty was a problem, then he had to address the issue head-on. He looked into her deep-sea blue eyes and asked bluntly, “What was your sex-psych score?”

  In spite of her carefully cultivated control, Commander Masterson’s cheeks reddened ever so slightly. Jon took note of it and thought, “Was it anger or embarrassment?”

  “Ten,” she responded, her color returning to normal. “Son-of-a-bitch,” she thought. “I’m going to get you back for that.” She didn’t know why she was so upset. It was a perfectly valid question to ask.

  Ten was the highest compatibility score a crew member could obtain. His biggest concern had been answered. He knew by her being here with the Terran admiral she was more than qualified to be in the Space Force. He wouldn’t have to question her on that score. Jon turned to Admiral Dexter who, with the other officers had watched the exchanged with fascination. “Sir, Commander Masterson is welcome to join my crew.”

  “Excellent, Captain McKinnah, the two of you can leave immediately for the COO’s office. She’s waiting for you.” As the two young officers got to their feet, the admiral said, “Jon, you’ll have one other guest aboard the Islandia II for your mission.” He handed over the folded slip of paper. Jon took the note and opened it. It required all his self-control to keep his composure when he read the name. His grandfather’s Android, the legendary Talo was going to accompany him on his next mission.

  Chapter 8

  Space Command, Newhope

  Commander Annika Masterson walked in silence next to Captain McKinnah, deep in her own thoughts. She had seen the reaction on McKinnah’s face when he had read the name on the folded piece of paper. Whoever the person was, it was apparently unexpected. She couldn’t tell from his reaction if the news was good or bad. With a start, she realized Captain McKinnah had asked her a question. “I’m sorry, Captain. I was off gathering wool,” she said apologetically, angry with herself for making a poor impression on the man she needed to get close to.

  Jonathon McKinnah frowned and asked, “I’ve not heard that expression before, Commander Masterson. What does ‘off gathering wool’ mean?”

  Annika laughed in spite of her efforts not to. “Forgive me, Captain McKinnah, it’s an old earth expression meaning I was not paying attention.”

  For the first time since they met, Jon relaxed enough to smile. “Will there be a lot of Terran expressions I will not understand on this mission?”

  “Probably,” she said honestly, “But I’ll do my best to explain them.”

  “I look forward to it,” Jon said and resumed their walk to the COO’s offices which were in the next building. After another moment of silence, Jon said, “Sorry that I was so blunt back there.”

  Annika was surprised. She had not expected him to be sensitive to her feelings. “It’s the same question I would have asked,” she answered.

  “Excellent,” he said with another smile. They spoke no more until they reached Admiral Madeline Manda, the Chief of Operation’s office. She was expecting them, and her aide ushered them in immediately. Talo was talking to the admiral when they entered the office. They broke off their conversation and stepped forward to meet the new arrivals. Both Captains stopped and saluted the Vice Admiral who returned their salute. It was not customary for junior officers to salute senior officers inside an office, but protocol demanded that the senior officer made that call. She quickly said, “Please be at ease, Captains.” Jonathon introduced Captain Masterson to the Admiral who he had met several times in his career. Then he went to the towering, chrome black android waiting patiently to one side. He grasped Talo’s extended arm and beamed in pleasure. “I’ve missed you, my friend.”

  “And I have missed you, JonJon,” Talo said with obvious pleasure. “Have you learned how to kick a soccer ball?”

  “I was the leading scorer in my class,” Jon said, the pride evident in his voice.

  Annika Masterson watched the exchange with utter fascination. So much had been said and written about this magical creature. The most learned minds on Earth suggested he was the alien who had vaulted the Islandians from a backwater boat society to a space-faring world in fifteen years. At almost three meters in height, the android was an over-powering figure, and from all reports, incredibly strong. The strangest reports suggested the Islandians had actually created the androids in their labs at Gruenwald to house an alien AI, an Artificial Intelligence. It may well be true, she thought then recalled that another android had appeared after the first one destroyed itself in a cataclysmic explosion in the underground bunkers beneath the Industrial Council building. If it was true,
it was an incredible feat of engineering in itself. Anita studied the mobility of the android’s facial features as it spoke to Captain McKinnah. She was sure she could detect emotion as he talked to the Captain, who he had known since he was an infant. She had to admit she was awed by his presence.

  When Captain McKinnah introduced her to Talo, Annika felt weak in the knees. The android accepted her offered hand and shook it gently all the while staring at her with his monochrome eyes. She got the sensation he was studying her closest secret. She would have been shocked to learn that was precisely what he was doing.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Commander Masterson. I’m sure we’ll have many more occasions to speak on this mission,” Talo said softly.

  “You’re coming with us?” she blurted out like a school girl.

  “I am, Commander,” Talo answered with a bemused expression on his face.

  Admiral Manda had watched the introduction with keen interest. This was to be the first official flight with a Terran military officer as part of the crew. She was anxious to learn as much as she could before the CSF exposed one of their top military weapons to someone who was most certainly a member of Earth’s intelligence service. The steering committee at the General Assembly had taken that into consideration. Their guidance to the Space Force was to treat Earth like a homecoming relative. The CSF members and their counterparts on Earth were fully committed to making this marriage work. Both organizations’ future existence may depend on their being successful.

  Admiral Manda brought the group back to the subject at hand. “Gentlemen, if you’ll join me,” she said and moved back to the conference table. Talo knelt on the floor to be at the same height as the sitting humans. His head was still a foot taller than theirs, but it was easier than looking up two meters whenever he spoke.