Stars & Empire 2: 10 More Galactic Tales (Stars & Empire Box Set Collection) Read online

  “Do you think it’s Clarissa?” asked Jason, wondering if the Vindication’s AI was doing this.

  “I don’t know,” replied Lisa, slowly. “I would have thought Clarissa would have responded to Ariel.”

  “Then I guess we wait,” spoke Jason, leaning back and trying to relax.

  Looking out the cockpit window, he could see they were inside a large landing bay similar to the flight bay back on the Avenger. Only this one was about ten times that size. Over to one side were parked several more shuttles, and as he continued to gaze around he could see over a dozen space fighters parked over next to one wall.

  “Do you see those fighters, Jason?” Greg asked his eyes lighting up with excitement. “They look completely intact! I hope we get a chance to look them over.”

  “Lisa, is there any possibility of there being survivors still inside this base?” Jason asked. From what he could see and what had happened so far, he couldn’t imagine a computer doing all of this. There had to be humans involved somewhere.

  “According to Doctor Oleson, there is a slim possibility. If they were successful in quarantining everyone that had flu like symptoms, they had the doctors and medical research staff to eventually perfect a vaccine. They could have survived. But if they did, why haven’t they contacted us before now?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Jason, apprehensively. “I guess we’ll find out shortly.”

  -

  For thirty heart-stopping minutes, they waited. There were no incoming messages from the base, and Ariel was still silent. Evidently, something in the material used to construct the base prevented communication signals from entering and exiting. Jason had everyone go to the passenger compartment so they could decide what to do next.

  “I guess we go out,” Jason said, looking around the small group. “Lieutenant Addison, you and Professor Tennyson will stay inside the shuttle. I want someone here in case the base attempts to make contact. The rest of us will go into the base and see what we can find. It’s looking to me as if a computer is in charge. If there were people here, we should have seen an armed welcoming committee by now. I can’t imagine a military base allowing a strange shuttle to land in their landing bay and not responding to it.”

  “I agree, Commander,” Lisa commented with a nod. “I don’t think it’s Clarissa either. If it were the Vindication’s AI, she would have contacted us. This may indeed be the base’s computer, and it may well be acting on a predetermined set of protocols.”

  “Then I guess we go out and introduce ourselves to this computer,” Jason replied.

  -

  A few minutes later, the small group of six walked down the shuttle’s extended ramp. Once they were down, Jason signaled Lieutenant Addison. The ramp slid back into the shuttle and the hatch closed. They were all wearing tan spacesuits from the Avenger. They were lightweight and much more comfortable than the bulky NASA spacesuits they were all so familiar with.

  “We have artificial gravity,” spoke Greg, realizing that his weight felt normal.

  Greg’s eyes swept across the bay expecting to see a welcoming committee appear at any moment, but the bay remained empty of movement. His eyes lingered on the space fighters. He would really like to go over and check them out, but now was not the time. Perhaps later there would be a better opportunity.

  “There’s a hatch over on that wall,” commented Adam, pointing toward it. “We should be able to get out of the landing bay from there.”

  “Let’s see what’s behind it,” said Jason, starting off toward the indicated hatch with the other following close behind.

  Reaching the hatch Jason attempted to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. Turning to look at Lisa, he asked. “Any ideas?” He didn’t like the idea of being trapped in the bay. They were too exposed.

  “Just a moment,” replied Lisa, turning on a small data pad she was carrying in her right hand. She skimmed through several pages of data until she found what she wanted. She then stepped over to a small key pad on the wall next to the hatch and entered a series of numbers. Like magic, the hatch opened with a slight hissing noise. “Ariel gave me some command codes that she thought would allow us to get inside.”

  “So said the spider to the fly,” murmured Greg, gazing nervously at the now wide open hatch. A brightly lighted corridor could be seen on the other side.

  “You must like that saying,” Jason responded, with a nervous laugh. He remembered Greg saying the same thing when they had originally been exploring the wreck on the Moon. “Well, let’s see what we can find.” With that, Jason stepped through the hatch with the others following close behind.

  “This seems too easy,” muttered Greg as he followed Jason. He was having the same feeling of being watched that he had experienced back on the Avenger.

  They found themselves in a narrow, short corridor with closed hatches on both ends. All the lights were on, and the corridor looked as if it had been built yesterday. Everything looked new and clean.

  “This doesn’t look like an old base built nearly one hundred years ago,” Greg stated. “There’s no dust and no signs of wear. Which way?”

  “Let’s try that hatch first,” replied Jason, pointing toward the nearest. Going to the hatch, he opened it and found it was actually a large air lock.

  Everyone crowded inside, and once the hatch was shut, a series of different colored lights began coming on. Each light stayed on for about twenty seconds and then another series of colored lights would come on.

  “What’s going on?” Karl Stern asked, confused.

  “Decontamination,” explained Doctor Andrea Oleson, gazing speculatively at the lights. “I would guess we’re being bombarded with specific radiation frequencies aimed at destroying microorganisms.”

  “Are they safe?” Greg asked. He still wanted to have some more kids some day.

  “Should be,” Andrea replied. “I don’t believe they’ll cause us any harm.”

  “I don’t understand,” spoke Lisa, sounding confused and looking at Doctor Oleson. “If they had this type of decontamination procedure one hundred years ago, why didn’t it work against the flu?”

  “This might be something they instituted afterwards,” Andrea answered as she thought the question over.

  Doctor Oleson wished she knew what the frequencies were. This was medical science considerably ahead of anything Earth was capable of. This type of decontamination could be of great use in hospitals and other areas where the threat of contagious diseases being spread existed.

  The lights suddenly returned to normal, and a light gray colored liquid began spraying from the walls, floor, and ceiling. This continued for a full minute and then the room began heating up.

  “More decontamination,” Andrea explained with a satisfied nod. “Commander, I don’t believe this is being done by a computer. There has to be someone in charge. There has to be a reason why we’re being subjected to these decontamination procedures. A computer wouldn’t be worried about viruses.”

  “It could be the AI on the Vindication,” suggested Lisa, turning to face Andrea. “She is very similar to Ariel, and this could now be part of her programming in order to keep the base safe.”

  “But why, if there are no survivors from the evacuation fleet?” Andrea countered. Then, turning to face Jason, she continued. “No Commander, this isn’t a computer. I think we need to be prepared to meet survivors very shortly. Perhaps on the other side of that door!”

  Jason looked around the group. He strongly suspected that Doctor Oleson might be correct. “If we do encounter someone, don’t make any sudden moves. I’ll do the talking.”

  A noise attracted Jason’s attention and turning around, he saw the hatch opposite the one they had just come through start to open. The hatch swung slowly open, and Jason gestured for the others to follow him. Stepping cautiously through he came to a sudden stop, letting out a sharp breath and slowly raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. The others behind him did the same thing.

/>   Standing in front of Jason were six heavily armed men, all in dark blue military uniforms. All six had their weapons leveled at Jason and the people with him. From the looks on their faces, they were prepared to use them if necessary.

  “We mean no harm,” Jason spoke over his suit’s com system, hoping these people could understand him. Doctor Oleson had been right. There were survivors!

  One of the men stepped forward and gazed speculatively at Jason. He raised a small communication device to his mouth and spoke into it, never taking his eyes off of Jason.

  “Commander Strong, you will follow Captain Simms to our detention area until we decide what to do with you,” a female voice spoke over the suit’s com system.

  “Clarissa?” asked Jason, wondering if the female voice was the AI on the Vindication.

  “That’s correct, Commander Strong. We have been monitoring you for quite some time. You will not be harmed, but we need to awaken some people who are more qualified to deal with this situation.”

  “Can you contact Ariel and let her know we’re okay?” Jason asked.

  He knew the AI and Colonel Greene would be extremely worried since communication had been lost so abruptly. Ariel might believe the shuttle had been destroyed by the base’s defensive systems. If they were reported missing, he didn’t want to think about what his sister and Greg’s wife would feel like. It would be devastating to them.

  “Perhaps later,” answered Clarissa, noncommittally. “That is not my decision to make. The Fleet Admiral will have to decide that. Now please follow Captain Simms.”

  “Better do as she asks,” Lisa suggested. She had been following the conversation over her suit com system. She was thrilled to learn that the other AI had survived. “Clarissa said we wouldn’t be harmed.”

  They followed Captain Simms through a series of brightly lit corridors until they arrived at a large room with a number of chairs, a few tables, and some bunks against one wall. There was another door at the far end.

  “You will remain here until the admiral is ready to see you,” Clarissa informed them. “Once Captain Simms and his marines have left, you may remove your suits. You will find suitable clothing to wear through the door at the far end of the room. This facility is quite secure, and there is no way for you to leave without the door being opened from the outside.”

  “Are we prisoners?” asked Jason, wanting to know what their status was. At least they hadn’t been separated.

  “No, you’re not prisoners,” Clarissa responded. “It is just prudent that we take appropriate safety precautions while certain tests are run.”

  “You’re worried about diseases,” Andrea said in sudden realization. “After what happened with the Spanish Flu, you’re not taking any chances.”

  “That’s correct, Doctor Oleson,” Clarissa replied. “We may be requesting your expertise in this matter later. We believe our decontamination procedures are now effective against contagions such as your flu. We would like to make sure.”

  Captain Simms and his marines left, and Jason found that they were alone for the time being. “Let’s get these suits off. We may be here for awhile.”

  “Jason, do you know what this means?” Lisa said with excitement in her voice. “This base is fully active and has Federation survivors in it. We can learn so much from them.”

  “They could teach us their science and manufacturing techniques,” Adam said with a nod. He had so many questions he would like to ask. “We could move forward a hundred years in the next decade with their help.”

  “If they’re willing to help us,” Greg said, shaking his head in doubt. “And if they are willing to help, why have they stayed hidden for all of these years?”

  Everyone stared at Greg, wondering about what he had just said. There was a mystery here; one that needed to be solved. They had found the base and more importantly, had found survivors from the Human Federation of Worlds.

  “They seem to know an awful lot about us,” Jason said, turning to face Lisa. “How can that be?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Lisa, shaking her head. “Obviously they’ve been listening to our communications, but how did Clarissa know that Andrea is a doctor?”

  “From what Clarissa said they evidently found a cure for the Spanish Flu,” Andrea added her eyes taking on a thoughtful look. “Depending on when they found the cure, there could have been more survivors than we originally thought.”

  “Let’s get out of these suits and change clothes,” suggested Jason, walking toward the door at the far end of the room. “We won’t know what’s going on until we talk to this admiral of theirs.”

  Jason also wondered about Lieutenant Addison and Professor Tennyson, who were still back in the shuttle. He had a suspicion the two would be joining them shortly. There were a lot of questions he would like to have answered.

  Chapter Nine

  It was less than two hours later when a nervous looking Lieutenant Addison and Marvin Tennyson were brought in by the marines. The marines said nothing, just left the two and departed, locking the door behind them.

  “Tough looking group,” muttered Greg, staring at the closed door.

  He didn’t like having an assault rifle pointed at him. It still felt as if they were being held prisoners. Those marines were clearly not to be messed with.

  “Commander Strong,” Addison spoke with relief in his voice at seeing everyone else was okay. “Those marines came into the landing bay. A female voice came over the com system ordering us to leave the shuttle and go with the marines. I didn’t think we should resist.”

  “You did the correct thing, Lieutenant,” Jason responded with a nod. He was relieved there hadn’t been an incident. “The people on this base are in charge now, we just have to wait and see what happens.”

  “But who are they?” asked Greg, walking over to stand next to Jason. He had searched the room very thoroughly. There was no way out except through the door they had come in through. “They don’t seem very friendly.”

  “Obviously survivors from the Federation evacuation fleet,” commented Doctor Oleson, looking thoughtful. “They seemed to be well organized and were waiting for us. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are a lot more.”

  “That was Clarissa that spoke to us,” Lisa added, still excited to find that the other AI had survived. “She’s as intelligent as Ariel and just as capable.”

  “If Clarissa survived, that means the Vindication is here somewhere,” added Jason, looking meaningfully at Greg.

  “Did you get a close look at those assault rifles their marines were carrying?” continued Greg, folding his arms across his chest. Those marines hadn’t acted very friendly, and that worried him. “We don’t have anything similar that I’m aware of. Those weapons were designed to do some major damage at close range.”

  “They obviously have a well trained security force,” Jason responded. He looked over at Greg. “They’ve acted very professional, which shows a high level of training.”

  Greg nodded his head in agreement, realizing Jason was correct. He knew those marines had only been doing their job. “A major part of their military must have survived. I wonder just how many of their warships are inside this asteroid.”

  They were interrupted as the door to their holding area opened and a man and a woman entered. The man was wearing a dark blue military uniform, and the woman was dressed in a colorful blouse and pants. The man was of average height with brown hair and obviously spent a lot of time working out. The woman was a brunette and very striking.

  “Hello, I am Keela Ryson the chief medical officer for this facility,” the woman spoke in a friendly voice. Then, indicating the officer, she continued. “This is Colonel Runess, our Chief of Security.”

  “We’re pleased to meet you,” Jason said his eyes sweeping over the two. He noticed quickly that neither of the two were armed.

  “How come you’re not wearing some type of protective suits?” asked Andrea, stepping up next to Jason. “Are
you not worried about possible diseases we may be carrying?”

  Keela’s eyes focused on Doctor Oleson, and then she smiled. “No, we’re not anymore. At least not here in the base. Everyone in the base has been inoculated against Earth diseases; we have been for a number of years now. We have also been analyzing the air inside this holding facility to detect any airborne pathogens that you might be carrying. We’ve found nothing that could be considered dangerous.”

  “Then why all the precautions?” asked Jason, recalling all the decontamination procedures they had gone through in the airlock.

  “Just standard precautions, now,” Keela replied. “I am sure Doctor Oleson understands. We also want to make sure there are no new microorganisms in your systems that we’re not protected against. Several nurses will be in shortly to take blood samples from each of you to confirm that. They will also be inoculating all of you against diseases we may have that you would have no immunity against. I can assure you we have nothing close to your flu. Colonel Runess and I will go through decontamination immediately upon leaving here as a precaution, even though I suspect it isn’t actually necessary.”

  “How long will we have to be in isolation?” Andrea asked, curiously. “I assume we will have to stay here until all the tests have been run.”

  “About seventy-two hours,” Keela replied with a friendly nod. “That will give time for the inoculations to take effect. Perhaps by then the Fleet Admiral will be ready to see you.”

  “Who is this admiral we keep hearing mentioned?” Jason asked. “Even Clarissa mentioned him.”

  “Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth the founder of this base,” Colonel Runess answered in an even voice.

  “The founder of the base,” Greg broke in, his eyes growing wide in confusion. “That was nearly one hundred years ago! How’s that possible?”