Part 1,Part 2,Part 3,Part 4,Part 5,Part 6,Part 7,Part 8,Part 9,Part 10,Part 11,Part 12,Part 13,Part 14
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As Yuniki guided the shuttle back to a soft landing on the hanger deck of the Atlas, Quirk, looking over at the captain, had just one question, "Sir, are you going to do it?"
"I haven't decided yet," the captain replied. "What I need to do is to discuss it with the senior officers. The decision will be ultimately mine, but I need input. I need to know if we can do it, and should be do it."
"I think we should do it."
"Despite the unknowns?"
"Sir," the security chief started, "I was involved in a lot worse during the Romulan War. That raid on their base at Montak V would make this mission to Rigel XII seem like a training mission."
"I heard about Montak V. I heard everybody who got back got awards of valor."
"Indeed."
* * *
Once back on the Atlas, Hall called a meeting of his senior officers. They met around the table in the relatively cramped situation room, with Hall briefly reiterating, for the benefit of Abuna and others and for the ship record, what he had encountered on the surface. "So," he concluded, "in a nutshell, the idea is this. The Rigellians want us to aid them in staging a raid on Rigel XII, and the dilithium mines or processing facility that is located there. Because this mission carries potential risks for us, I just cannot stand here and make a snap decision on to go or not. Ultimately, I will have to make the decision, but I need input. I need opinions from all of you. In this room, you may speak freely. Nothing said in here at this time will be held against you."
"It is risky," Quirk spoke up. "We need to learn more. We would need whatever data the Rigellians have on Rigel XII. I also hope that they can provide personnel."
"And those transporter devices," Gerthe added. "Judging by their description, they're self-contained, and perhaps even more advanced than what we saw on that alien ship."
For the next couple of minutes, the officers, except one, spoke on the technical details of the mission, including what they would need, how the Rigellians could help, and even the positive effects of getting a "hold filled with dilithium." Only Abuna sat there and listened. Increasingly, Hall became aware of her presence, and the way that she was looking at all of them. On more than one occasion, she was about to speak up, but something made her hold back the words. She sat there and merely listened.
Finally, Hall glanced in the direction of the first officer, and said, "Mary, you have been silent so far."
"I am listening... and not fully understanding what I am hearing."
"What do you mean?" the captain asked.
"You're talking as if you're going to carry out this mission." The room fell into silence. "I mean, I understand that is the way that you think. Everybody in this room except for me is a veteran of the Romulan War. It was the way you were thinking, but that thinking has changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Quirk.
"What's being proposed here is basically a criminal act. We're going to help this race we barely know conduct a raid on another race to capture dilithium, to help them."
"You heard the description of the Orions," Hall started, "their tendency to take slaves, conduct raids, even create slave races like the Vegans."
"Actually, the Vegans and the Orions are the created races of the original, now-gone race," Abuna corrected. "Of course," the captain said, his mind carried away but talk and thought of this raid. Abuna continued, "All of what you heard were merely words from the Rigellian officials. I mean, they offered us no proof of those accusations. So far, we're pretty well convinced that the same culture that existed on that planet we visited a month ago also existed on Rigel IV. We've learned that Rigel IV was once occupied by the Orions too. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not convinced a ‘warrior race' existed on that other planet. I mean, we saw it. They were almost like Earth in that they had cities with some impressive architecture. We saw evidence of people who went about their lives, and went to work. I did not see a warrior culture there."
"She is right to some degree," Weisser remarked, "although we did not see the whole planet. Besides, what does a planet of a ‘warrior culture' look like? Even if you have a warrior class, you still need a large number of people in the background, doing the day-to-day things that allows a race to continue and to support a warrior class."
"Even so," Abuna continued, "this sort of thing is not what the Federation is about. The whole reason that the Federation exists, why we went through the bother, was to create an alternative way to do things. We don't attack. We don't wage war. We don't take what we want anymore. If the dilithium does not belong to us, we have no right to simply take it."
"Then what?"
"We have to acquire it through different channels. We have to negotiate. We have to trade. We have to treat the other side not as another enemy."
"That could be difficult," Hall replied. He could understand some of Abuna's thinking, but his mind was, at a moment like this, thinking back to the Romulan War. "They might not want us."
"If that's the case, then we simply respect their wishes and leave."
"There's one other aspect," Yuniki started.
"Yes?"
The operations officer began, "It's the Rigellians. If you claim that the Orions on that other planet were not a warrior culture, then I can claim that the Rigellians were telling us the truth about the Orions, and how the Orion influence has not been good. This is not only about us, but also about helping them."
"I understand that. I'm not saying that we should not try to help. I am saying that a raid, a military solution, should not be the first thing we try. That could get us into more trouble than it's worth. Perhaps we can help bridge the gap between the Rigellians and the Orions. Perhaps we can help in different ways. I'm saying that we should not forget about this new way to approach matters. The Federation is first against violence of the type being proposed here."
"And your recommendation?"
"We got to Rigel VIII and meet the Orions."
Hall replied, "That could be as dangerous for us as raiding Rigel XII."
"Assuming what the Rigellians said was true. On the other hand, the Rigellians might have been completely wrong andor misleading. We owe it to ourselves to at least explore the possibility. It is the proper approach."
Hall sat there, and looked over the others. He could understand what Abuna was saying. She was different from the rest of them. All the other officers in the room had been part of the United Earth Space Agency interstellar division, and had trained for and operated on military vessels dealing with the Romulan War. They had all gone through the reorientation session--or as it was referred to, the "reindoctrination session"--so that they could begin to think along the lines that the new Federation Starfleet wanted to work. Negotiation was favoured over attacking, although the latter might be more satisfying for those who were experienced in it. Yet, as a Starfleet officer, he had to at least acknowledge the new approach that he was expected to follow. "Very well, we will head to Rigel VIII."
"What would the Rigellians think of that?" asked Quirk.
"I'll soon find out. I'll tell them. We will see for ourselves what the Orions are about."
"That is a very dangerous approach, captain," the security chief said.
"I'm aware of it, but could it be hardly more dangerous than raiding the dilithium mines on Rigel XII?" Quirk had no immediate answer for that. "Weisser, prepare to set a course for Rigel VIII. Yuniki, contact the Rigellians and see if it is possible to set up a secure communications with Ngamboq or some other official."
"Right away, sir," the woman replied.
The other senior officers got up and made their way to the exit, and Hall watched them go. He could simply sense that the majority were not happy with what he had decided. Most of them felt the same unease and uncertainty that he was feeling. What he was about to do was a new approach, and one that he was not sure had been done successfully before. He was ignoring what this crew had done before, and what had essentially won the Romulan War for Earth and its allies. It was not easy.
Abuna was the last to leave the room. As soon as Gerthe walked out, the door closed behind him. She turned, and faced the man, who was still seated. "Sir," she started. "I believe that you are doing the right thing. For all of us, this is an historical mission. In the future, people will be reading about and studying the first mission of the Atlas."
"That's not a very comforting thought, Mary," Hall replied.
"But I think that it will be the right thing. You'll be regarded as a person who did the right thing."
"On the other hand, it could end up being a disaster."
"You have to believe in it, sir. You have to believe that you can deal with the Orions, and deal with them in a non-hostile, non-judgemental way. If you don't believe that you can accomplish this, then this mission to Rigel VIII can be very difficult."
"I'd feel better if the Orions were an unknown race. All we have is the Rigellian description of them. What if that is true? That's where the disaster comes in. You're basing your assumptions on what you saw at that other planet. I'm basing mine on what the Rigellians told me. In both cases, the evidence is indirect. I have their word only. You only have impressions correlated with Earth and other places you know about. Who's right? That, I believe, will determine our fate and tell how history regards the first mission of the Atlas."
Abuna had nothing to say immediately, as she too understood exactly what the captain was saying. She had to admit, if only to herself, that the Orions could be exactly as the Rigellians described them, and that the Atlas could be flying into a very dangerous situation. She just could not see any simple alternative that agreed with the prevailing philosophy that Starfleet was trying to instill in its officers.
Moments later, Hall stepped onto the bridge. Yuniki heard him enter, and said, "Captain, I've contacted the Rigellians, and have set up with Xykør Ngamboq an encrypted communications link."
"Good. Can you put her on?"
Yuniki entered several more commands into her console, as Hall sat down. Seconds later, the image on the viewscreen changed from a view of Rigel V to that of Ngamboq, who was sitting in what might have been an office, with a window behind her, and below that, a shelf containing what might have been books, or something similar. "Captain Hall," she started, her voice sounding precise and practiced, almost like a Vulcan. "I've been informed that you wish to talk to me. Have you come to a decision?"
"Not fully," the man explained. He had this nervous sensation, almost like he was talking to a superior. He had to remind himself that Ngamboq could issue no real order to him except "leave orbit and do not come back." He did not have to seek approval from her for his plan. "The situation was discussed among my senior officers. We have decided to defer a decision until we visit the Orion homeworld."
"That could be dangerous," the Rigellian official explained.
"We understand that, but it is the nature of our people to seek out both sides of a situation. We would rather not stage a raid, and create a possible new enemy, if negotiations and a more peaceful approach could result in a positive outcome."
"If that is what you wish to do, I cannot oppose it. I would recommend against it, though. The Orions would be aware that you visited the fourth planet, and they might be reluctant to contact you because you might carry the virus that destroyed the population there."
"We don't carry it. Before arriving at Rigel, we visited another system, and found a planet where the population had died of this disease. We have strong evidence to believe that the same people occupied that world as occupied Rigel IV, and they're both Orion. After visiting that planet, we determined that the virus, if it is still present there, cannot survive in our physiology."
"I see. I wish that good fortune befalls you, captain, and that you can make a difference. I don't believe that you can through this method, but you are free to try."
"Okay."
Ngamboq ended the communication, which restored the view of Rigel V to the viewscreen. Hall glanced over at Abuna, who was at the science and sensor console, and said, "The truth is, I don't know if that went well or not."
"Rigellians are as unreadable as Vulcans," Weisser commented. "I don't think she's hiding anything. I don't think she misrepresented anything."
"But she and her people did express their views through a cultural bias," Abuna remarked. "The only way we'll know for sure is if we go to Rigel VIII. Besides, if the Orions are like how the Rigellians describe them, then why wasn't the Atlas stopped by a fleet of their ships and asked what we were doing here?"
"I don't know. Weisser?"
"Course is laid in and ready. However, Rigel VIII is almost on the other side of the star from this planet. The journey's some ten point six billion kilometres long. It'll take more than a day at standard sublight speeds."
"And warp?"
"It might be a strain to run the warp engines for such a short period of time in this gravity environment, but it might be the best way."
"Then do it," Hall remarked. "Take us out of orbit and set course for Rigel VIII. Just in case, we'll have weapons and shields ready to go. Mary, as we approach, conduct comprehensive scans. The last thing I need is to be surprised."
"Understood."
* * *
Even using the warp drives, it took the Atlas almost five hours to reach Rigel VIII, considering that they had to accelerate to the necessary speed to make the jump, and then they had to travel not significantly above warp one since the intense radiation levels from Rigel made the warpfield unstable and difficult to maintain, and finally at the other end, they had to slow down again. During that time, Hall had the senior officers take an extended break, which he used to get some sleep. As often happened when he slept for what he knew would be a short period of time, he did not get satisfying sleep. He dreamed, and the last dream that he had before he woke up involved these aliens with leathery gray skin prodding him through some dungeon-like maze with sharp spears, until he came to a cage in which a naked Commander Abuna--with a lime-green skin colouring--was sitting in the middle. The gray-skinned aliens told him, "Reproduce, now!"
Just then, the comm system shrilled out an alert. "Captain Hall," came the voice of Abuna over the intercom. "We're preparing to drop out of warp. We're thirty minutes from Rigel VIII."
"Anything of note?"
"Sensors confirm a lot of activity around the planet."
"I'm on my way."
Hall sat on the edge of the bed, feeling groggy and powerfully tired. He debated with himself for fifteen seconds whether or not a shower would be beneficial. The pro-shower forces eventually won. Fifteen minutes later, Hall was back on the bridge. Nobody commented that he was the last of the senior officers to return to their posts, but they were probably thinking it. "Any changes?" the captain asked.
"No, sir. I get the feeling that the Orions are going to let us approach all the way. Shields and weapons are on stand-by, just in case." That meant that both could be brought up to operational status quickly but that status would not be immediately apparent to any other ship that scanned them while being unaware of Federation technology.
"Do we hail them, or what for us to contact us?" Yuniki asked.
"We'll let them contact us. Helm, assume a standard approach and put us into orbit if nobody opposes us."
"Aye, sir," the helmsman said, with a decided lack of enthusiasm. Weisser, like the others on the bridge, could not help but sense that something unusual was going on here. If the situation was reversed and an unknown starship was approaching Earth, even the most peaceful of humans would make sure that the ship was contacted and that defenses were in place, just in case.
Abuna spoke up, saying, "Sir, I think our approach has finally been noticed. Two small ships are approaching." She adjusted the viewscreen to display the vessels. They were small ships, perhaps manned by just one or two people, and the ships had a generally aerodynamic profile, implying that they could be operated in an atmosphere and could land. On the other hand, they did not have any apparent faster-than-light drives.
"Weapons, defenses?"
"Nothing clearly resembling weapons," the first officer remarked, without looking up from her console. "They are running with shields, though, although they're nothing our weapons could not blow through."
"Of course, but this deep in their space, I'm certainly not firing without severe provocation. Lifesigns on board?"
"Two individuals on each. The xenotype is not in our databanks, but is the same as detected in the Rigellian space stations."
Yuniki spoke up, saying, "If what the Rigellians said was true and the Orions created the Vegans as a client race, then wouldn't there be some correlation between the Vegans and the Orions?"
"Possible," Abuna remarked, "but nobody has encountered a living Vegan. Our information is second-hand and not reliable."
"Oh."
Abuna continued to monitor the approaching small ships as they moved around the Atlas, and conducted a few scans. Despite that, Abuna got the feeling that the Orions--if that was who was on board--were not getting very detailed information on the ship. Afterall, the technology on board the Atlas was alien and perhaps a little incomprehensible among the Orions, if what was said about their intellectual capacity was true. What she did notice was that the ships were at first paralleling the Federation starship, and then congregating at the rear, almost as if they had found the shuttlebay entrance. "Captain," the first officer said, "I'm getting the impression that at least one of those ships wants to board. It's hanging pretty close to the shuttlebay entrance."
"They don't want to talk over more conventional means?" Hall asked.
"Perhaps they prefer face-to-face communications."
"For the intimidation factor," Quirk pointed out. "Sometimes, seeing an alien face-to-face might get the message across much faster than seeing that individual on a viewscreen. They also could not be communicating because they do not feel they have the ability to do so. Rigel VIII is not this race's originating world, and so they might lack a Preserver monument like has been described in other systems."
"Then how would they communicate face-to-face?" Abuna asked.
Hall answered, "Maybe they know a little Rigellian. They have to know that we have been at the fifth planet." He again thought about the situation, and even called up on one of the small side-mounted panels the image from the near-space sensors. One of the Orion ships was close to the shuttlebay hatch, and the other not so far behind. He had said earlier he was going to let the Orions come to him and communicate with him, and this might be their method. He asked, "Can one of those ships land on our shuttlebay deck?"
"We might have to move the shuttles more tightly against the sides and the back, but I believe so."
"Very well, then we'll do it their way."
"Sir," Quirk spoke up. "This could be risky for us."
"I'm aware of that," the captain replied. "We'll need you and your security division to get ready. The Atlas was designed with defense positions in the shuttlebay, to aid in resisting a boarding attempt. I want those positions manned. I'll also need two security officers to act as bodyguards, in the full armour of the starship marines. Commander Abuna, you'll be with me as we greet these new arrivals. Maybe this might be a positive first contact."
"But you don't think so?" asked the first officer.
"My gut instinct is telling me no."
"Your gut instinct?"
"My gut instinct served me well during the Romulan War. Don't forget that, commander." Standing up, Hall added, "Helm, bring us to a stop relative to the planet. We'll hold this position." The Atlas was about a half million kilometres from Rigel VIII when Weisser brought on-line the forward-firing impulse engines to slow them to a relative stop. They then worked at very low levels to keep even the feeble gravity of the planet from pulling at them.
* * *
Ten minutes later, the shuttlebay was prepared. The shuttles were moved to the sides and back to leave as much room as possible, with Hall determining that just enough space remained for the Orion ship to land. Sensors had continued to sweep the alien ship, but could not determine if it was armed in any appreciable way, or even if it had the ability to detonate once it was inside the Atlas. Hall had the fear that he was allowing a flying bomb to land on his ship. During the war, the Romulans had done just that, ironically on a cruiser named the Troy. Being in space was all about taking chances, he was beginning to realize.
Quirk and Dmitri Asselstine accompanied the captain and the first officer towards the hanger deck. The two security officers were in uniforms with a more military styling, with electrified body armour, helmets with face shields and gauntlets. They were armed with the high-powered phase rifles that were the standard infantry weapon during the war. Both officers were extremely competent with the weapons, Hall knew. Elsewhere, the six defensive positions were manned by other security officers, and the remaining four were guarding the two exits from the hanger deck. As an additional precaution, the hanger control deck was empty, and the hanger was being operated from the bridge.
Looking at Quirk and Asselstine, dressed in a manner that she had not seen them before, Abuna remarked, "Sir, is this really necessary? We're not making a good first impression."
"It is very necessary."
"Your gut?"
"Not entirely. Think of it this way. If we were landing on an alien ship for the first time, without any communication, would you be surprised if we were greeted by the alien equivalent of our security officers? I know that I would not, because I'm not intending to fire the first shot."
"And you think the Orions will?"
"I honestly don't know, so I want to be prepared."
"I'm just worried that if the Orions see this reception, they might be offended. They might even be attempted to attack at the sight."
"Damned if I do, and damned if I don't."
"The Federation has been working hard at developing procedures to get around this."
"The ‘Damned If I Don't' part of the doctrine, no doubt."
"Captain?"
Hall replied sharply, "This matter is not open for discussion." He stopped at the door, which was shut and sealed, as per standard procedure. Tapping in the code that would connect him with the bridge, Hall said, "Lieutenant Yuniki, depressurize the deck and open the hatch."
"Aye, sir," came the response. The four standing by the door, with two more security guards standing off to the side, watched as the atmospheric pumps came on and drew out the air. The pressure steadily dropped until the level was virtually at zero. The main shuttlebay doors started to slide open noiselessly, revealing the deep blacks of space beyond. Rigel was not visible at this orientation of the ship, and in fact none of the other planets in this vast system were visible. Soon, one of the Orion ships appeared, and slowly approached the opening. The ship was not large, but still could barely fit through the opening. However, it made itself fit. It was able to fold the wings and pull them alongside the hull of the vessel, while at the same time, landing struts were extended. The ship settled down on the middle of the open area of the deck. Through the link, which was still open, Hall said, "Yuniki, once more scan the ship. Does it pose any sort of threat?"
"The only threat it could impose would be if it detonated its fuel supply. Any ship we allow to land would pose the same threat."
"I get your point. Close the hatch and repressurize the deck."
"Aye, sir."
The four watched the pressure gauge start to rise, while Hall kept his eye on the warning status lights. With the light red, the door would not open, while when it was orange, Hall could use an override code to open it. When it was green, the door would open normally. Hall waited for it to be green. When it was, he tapped at the door controls to open the heavy, slow-moving door. Once inside, Hall and Abuna approached the alien ship, while Quirk and Asselstine kept their distance, but they were looking around carefully and in contact with the other officers posted throughout the deck.
Hall realized that he was nervous. He had this fleeting image of the Orions simply coming out of their ship and opening fire. He had no doubt that his security officers could quickly eliminate the threat, but the only problem was that the first shot would come for him. This was the risk of being the captain, he realized. First contact could go right, or it could go badly wrong--and sometimes it would not even be his fault. Abuna also looked a little scared too. At least in his case, Hall knew that he had his military background to fall back on. He had experienced this sort of moment before, when going after the Romulans. On the other hand, this was new for Abuna.
Once the four came out from between the shuttles, the Orions emerged too. The body of the ship was high off of the deck and supported by four thick landing struts. The forward section was somewhat lower, and its base was almost flush with the deck. At the rear was a hatch, and it was this hatch that opened. Two Orions walked out--or at least Hall and Abuna assumed hat they were Orions. Both were humanoid, though on the tall side. One of the aliens had more normal human proportions, while the second one was taller and much more bulkier. Part of that was in his clothing, as he was likely dressed in some form of body armour, much like Hall's security officers. On the other hand, he was not overtly armed, and did not even look like he was carrying a holstered weapon. The second individual was smaller, at least because he was not wearing the same kind of armour. In fact, his clothing looked quite insubstantial, as it was made of a shimmery greenish material. It actually looked tacky.
"Sir," Abuna said softly. "Those individuals are of the same race as the people from that planet. They're a match from what I saw on that photograph."
"I have assumed as much."
The man in shimmering green stepped forward, saying, "I am Pedwallak, loyal son of the Second Empire. Identify yourselves!"
Hall held out the translation device he had. It confirmed that the Orions were using what seemed to be a variation of the Rigellian language. It seemed impossible that this was the Orion tongue as well. "I am Captain Darren Hall of the United Federation Starship Atlas. We have come here on a peaceful mission of exploration."
"And why have you come?" Pedwallak spoke up. He got no closer than five metres to the humans, and looked with some concern at Quirk and Asselstine. With a gesture, Hall got them to lower their weapons, but Pedwallak remained ill at ease. On the other hand, his bodyguard was unflinching and unreadable.
Hall admitted the truth, "We've come on a mission looking for dilithium. We have analysis that indicate that the Rigel system might contain some."
"That is true. Rigel XII has rich deposits of the material."
"And you control it?"
"Rigel XII is considered a subsidiary world of the Second Empire."
"Is the dilithium available for sale?"
"If the offer is good, we will consider it," Pedwallak answered, his voice sounding a little harsh. It was as if he did not want to lower himself to speaking the Rigellian language.
"What is the price?"
"That is what you have to suggest. You offer the price, and we decide if we want to take it or not. It's the nature of our system." Hall had this fleeting idea that to buy something on Orion, one had to offer a certain amount of money, and if the seller agreed, he would take the money and then make the sale. Such a system seemed inefficient, but perhaps for these people, it worked.
"I see," Hall finally said. He had no idea what he could possibly suggest as a suitable price.
Pedwallak had other matters on his mind. "It is my understanding that you have also visited the Rigellians' planet."
"That is correct."
"Why did you head there?"
We picked a planet at random to investigate, and looked at the uninhabited or lightly inhabited worlds first. We found Rigellians on one, and ended up heading to their planet first. Nothing is implied by that."
"You visited the fourth planet?"
"Yes."
"Then you understand our unusual means of meeting you. The two of us can be considered expendable, but if the plague were to reach Rigel VIII, the results could be very bad."
"You do not have to worry. Whatever was on that planet, and the other planet we encountered some distance away, cannot exist in our physiology. We carry none." Hall noticed an unusual reaction in the face on the Orion when he mentioned the planet that they had visited some time earlier. It was as if finding those planets might have diminished at least a little what reputation of the empire the Orions were able to maintain. The Orions might have attempted to maintain the illusion that they had some kind of empire that existed beyond this system, or even this one planet, but if this ship of unknown aliens had encountered a lost world some distance away, that was not good.
Pedwallak answered, after some thought, "That is fortunate."
Abuna, having seen that lost world, had her curiosity get the better of her. She asked, "What happened to that planet?"
"As is the fate of all large empires, other races become jealous and attempt to attack, thinking that what made your empire great can be recovered from technology and advancements. Of course, that is not true, since what makes and empire strong, and the people of the empire strong, lies in the heart, lies in the very will and being of those people. No matter how hard the enemies try, that cannot be taken from us."
"I see."
Once he started, Pedwallak had to continue. "What is the extent of your empire?"
"We don't have an empire," Abuna remarked. "We are members of a group of equal races, which has united and formed the United Federation of Planets."
"But which race runs it?"
"No one race runs it. We are all equals."
The Orion made a shaking movement with his head. "Of course that is impossible. One race controls it. One race might not admit it, but one race in fact does control it. Is it your race?" The humans had no immediate answer. "If it is not your race, then where are the others? Our sensors indicate that there is just one kind of being on board this ship, and I presume that type is your species. What of the others?"
"Due to different environmental needs, we have found it more practical, for extended voyages, to have crews of just one race on board. Different races require additional personnel, such as doctors, and extra food reserves, and also there are problems with communications since we speak different languages and have different needs from life support. In the future, we might be able to develop technology to allow more than one race to work on the same ship, even on long missions, but as for now, we travel in this manner."
"For the longest time," Pedwallak continued, "members of different species worked on ships of the Second Empire. It was a great honour to have them on board."
"But your kind was completely in control," Hall remarked.
"Of course." For a few seconds, the two groups just stood there, facing each other, as if they had run out of things to talk about. So far, Hall had no idea what kind of individual Pedwallak was. He might have been among the lowest ranked patrol ship pilots operating in space around Rigel VIII, but Hall had no way of knowing that. The Orion finally spoke, "Your ship had been observed in orbit around Rigel V for some time, and one of your dependent craft--presumably one of these crowding this landing deck--entered the atmosphere."
"So you were monitoring us," Hall said.
"We have been monitoring you since your ship was three point six four light years from Rigel. What did you do among the Rigellians?"
Hall looked over at Abuna, and just the expression on his face told her not to say anything and to uphold their bargain with the Rigellians. "We simply discussed our interests. We asked them if they had access to dilithium and if they were willing to sell some. Of course, they did not have access to it. We simply exchanged information. Ultimately, we're a ship of explorers, eager to meet new races and expand our range of knowledge."
"And when the Rigellians said that they had no dilithium and no access to dilithium, you decided to come across the system to us."
"Of course. It's the natural thing to do," Hall started, trying as best he could to calm his nerves and the jittery feelings he had. He tried to think of the ways he comforted himself and steeled himself when going into a hazardous mission during the war. "We find that you have an unstated price, and we're simply to match it to the best of our ability."
"That is so. I also imagine that the Rigellians had a lot of less-than-complimentary things to say about us."
"Well," Hall started, wondering how far he could go with this. "They did complain that you have prevented them from fully utilizing their technology by withholding dilithium, and that you attempt to keep them confined to their planet by making sure they never develop starships."
"And they refer to us as ‘hunters' too, do they not?"
"They do."
"And they slur us by saying we're a genetically-modified warrior race with limited intellect and culture, and that we destroyed the race that allegedly created us and then have not significantly advanced since."
"They told us that, but we are not inclined to believe such things on their word alone."
Pedwallak grinned, and even laughed, strangely human reactions to what was on his mind. "Unfortunately, most of what they say is true--except that part about the limited intellect. On the other hand, the Rigellians themselves are no better. Surely, people as intelligent as yourselves must realize that a star like Rigel would never exist long enough to produce sentient species. We're all from somewhere else. The Rigellians are genetically created too." Hall thought that was curious, and the fact that they so resembled the Vulcans both on the large scale and at the cellular scale just made that even more curious. "It is true that we were genetically created, but we were little more than slaves. Like other slaves across the galaxy, we rose up in revolt, and threw off our masters. I said nothing about destroying the masters. We simply live here, on this planet, as free beings. The masters created a new race and sent them at us, but we repulsed them too, but with losses. You saw some of those losses. But the Second Empire remains strong, and this planet and the people that live on this planet, remain strong. We're not really hunters. We struggle, yes, and sometimes we attack, and sometimes we defend. Captain, if we were hunters, we would have attacked your ship as soon as it entered the system. If we were hunters, then we could attack your ship now. But we are not."
"I see. Could it be possible that your two people could arrange some kind of accommodation, some way so that both of your people could live in peace and prosperity?"
"Such an accommodation would require approval from both sides, captain," Pedwallak remarked. "The Rigellians have no interest in that."
"Then what do the Rigellians have an interest in?"
"They want the dilithium to power up their war industry, so that they could come after us and attack us, and attempt to destroy us in a manner that the master race's second created race could not. Naturally, you must understand that we cannot share with them such material. Surely your people have a history of not providing materials to other nations, friend or foe, who might one day use them as a weapon against your people."
Hall had no problems coming up with, in his mind anyway, some examples of just what the Orions was suggesting. He simply did not believe that the Rigellians had any plans to attack the Orions if they had access to dilithium to power their technology. Of course, the Rigellian leaders and officials he had dealt with could have hid their ulterior motives well. He spoke up, "That is true, but the impression I got was that the Rigellians have been attacked by the Orions, who make sure they cannot build a warp-capable starship, and who otherwise could not become a significant space-going race."
"And you saw evidence of such attacks?"
"No," Hall admitted. "But we were there for a short time only."
"Did you ask to see such evidence? Did the Rigellians volunteer to show you evidence of those attacks?"
"No," the captain replied. "I did not ask, and they did not volunteer. Have the Rigellians attacked your planet?"
Pedwallak hesitated for a moment, and finally answered, "I'm not fully aware of that. I can say they staged no large-scale attacks on the surface, but we have adequate space defenses and it's unlikely that they could reach the planet."
Now Abuna spoke up, "Would it be possible to visit your world, and to see your cities and how your people live?"
Now the Orion did not hesitate with the answer. "No, that's not possible."
Immediately, Hall was on the alert, and asked the natural following question, "Why?"
"It's the virus that you may or may not carry. Now, myself and my assistant are considered expendable. Once we get back on our ship, we will test ourselves for the presence of the virus, and if we have it, we will have to self-destruct. Personally, I believe you when you say that the virus does not exist in your bloodstream. I am intelligent enough to accept that. However, the masses of people on the surface of the homeworld might not be so understanding. You could be at a grave risk if you were to appear on the surface."
To Abuna, that sounded very reasonable and understandable. Considering how devastating that plague must have been, she could readily believe that the Orions would be very nervous, very apprehensive, to have potential carriers on the surface. "I see," she remarked.
"For that reason," Pedwallak continued, "I would recommend that once we leave the ship, you should leave this system. There is more dilithium out there. You can attempt to find it. You should not concern yourself with the affairs of this system. I believe that in the future, you will hear from us again, but this is not the time.'
"So you won't sell dilithium."
"You have not offered a price," Pedwallak replied. "I do not believe that given how far you have travelled, that you are capable of offering a price. I shall take my leave of you now. The message has been passed along."
"Very well," Hall said, sounding firm. "We have learned something today, with this first meeting between your people and mine."
"Indeed we have. Until we meet again, captain." With those words, Pedwallak and his hulking companion walked back towards their ship and boarded it.
Hall stepped backwards, saying, "Okay people, lets clear the deck." The four Atlas officers retreated to the exit and sealed it, with the captain contacting the bridge and saying, "Depressurize the deck and open the shuttlebay hatch when ready."
"Aye sir," Yuniki replied.
Within a couple of minutes, the Orion ship powered up and lifted off of the deck. The pilot was skilled enough to back the small ship out through the opening without even coming close to grazing the edges of the hatch. Once clear of the Atlas, the ship extended its wing-like structures into their normal configuration and moved away from the starship. The companion ship caught up with it and followed it back towards Rigel VIII. Hall watched on a monitor as the ships moved away, and he was wondering if the Orions found anything in their tests--or even if they tested themselves at all. Dr. Torres was pretty confident that the humans could not carry and transmit this disease, so Hall was equally confident that neither Orion ship would self-destruct.
With the ship standing down, Quirk and Asselstine headed to the armory staging area to remove the cumbersome armour, leaving Hall and Abuna to travel back to the bridge. "This mission was a total failure," the first officer started, sounding a little downcast. "We spent about a year getting here, and we'll spend a year getting back home, and we'll have nothing concrete to show for our efforts."
"We have gained some knowledge, and some first contacts."
"But it was not what we came out here for," the woman said.
"Quite often," Hall started, "missions do not end up coming out the way they were intended to. In fact, the longer and more complicated the mission, the less likely it will go exactly to plan. How we make the most of it says a lot about how successful the mission was."
After a few seconds of silence, Abuna asked, "So what do we do now?"
"Head back to Rigel V."
"Is that wise? Pedwallak seemed to imply that was not a good idea."
"He issued no specific threat, and I get the feeling that the Orions don't have a lot of say about the Rigellians and what they do."
The two stopped in front of the lift station. They had to wait several seconds for a turbolift car to arrive and the doors to open. Hall punched in the code that would take them to the bridge, and as he did, Abuna asked, "So you believe the Rigellians more?"
"I think that in both cases, the Rigellians and the Orions have enhanced their stories to make themselves look good without stating total falsehoods. It's up to us to interpret what they said. My impression here is that the Rigellians and the Orions are hostile towards each other, and might have staged attacks on each other and conducted wars. Now, a kind of detente has appeared. The Rigellians cannot use their technology because they can't access dilithium, and the Orion technology is not up to the same level as the Rigellians. As a consequence, neither side can produce a decisive strike against the other. The Rigellians make sure that the Orion technology does not advance and the Orions make sure that the Rigellians cannot access dilithium."
"A cold war."
"Exactly."
"And if we help the Rigellians acquire dilithium, we could be upsetting this balance of mutual deterrence, and that could lead to a hot war."
"That's possible," Hall replied, "assuming that my analysis is correct. That's a pretty large assumption to make about two cultures that we know so little about."
As the turbolift car continued its long journey down the "backbone" of the Atlas and towards the front saucer section and the bridge, Abuna asked, "So which side is right?"
"Absolute right? I do not know. I believe each side is firmly convinced that they're right."
"So what do we do?"
"Beyond making the return journey to the Rigellians' planet, I do not know yet."
The turbolift car came to a stop. Seconds later, the captain and the first officer stepped onto the bridge, with Weisser and Yuniki being the two first-shift officers on duty. "Helm," Hall started. "Turn us around and take us back to Rigel V, same speed and course that we used to get here."
"Yes, sir," came the reply from the pilot, who went straight to work. Within seconds, the stars were streaking across the viewscreen as the Atlas turned around on its vertical axis and prepared to head back in the direction that it had come.
"Sir," Yuniki started, "while you were meeting the Orion in the shuttlebay, I conducted several scans of the planet. It does not appear to be in the best of shape."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm reading a very high population. Based on what I could scan, I'd estimate the planet's population is something like ten to twelve billion people. The environment is severely degraded, with high levels of pollutants, including toxic constituents, in the atmosphere. I'm also reading energy production per capita that is almost on par with early twentieth century on Earth. The shape and distribution of the cities also implies a large percentage of very poor people. It's like the situation on Rigel V, only worse. Finally, the sensors seemed to indicate a level of degradation to the infrastructure that could only come from conflict."
"Proof of the Rigellian attacks?" Abuna asked.
"Highly unlikely. Strange as it might seem, the degradation has internal causes. In other words, the planet is in something of a constant state of violence and warfare, with Orion conflicting with Orion."
"I see."
The first officer added, "Two planets in a system full of resources, with two planets available for colonization, and each side clings to a crowded homeworld that cannot really support the level of life on it. This is something of a waste."
"I agree..."
Part 1,Part 2,Part 3,Part 4,Part 5,Part 6,Part 7,Part 8,Part 9,Part 10,Part 11,Part 12,Part 13,Part 14
"Flag At the Edge of Space" page, Athena Home Page, Other Stories Home Page.
