NEBULAR Collection 3 - Morgotradon: Episodes 12 - 16 Read online

  Nemov frowned.

  »What are you worried about, Sir?« he inquired

  »I just want to make sure nobody jumps us from behind when we get to Sedna,« Petrow replied grumpily. »Pluto is pretty large. I wouldn’t be surprised to find Glob outposts there too. Conditions there are just peachy for them. Natasha, what can our computer tell us about Pluto?«

  Captain Natasha Kushenko functioned as the chief navigation officer onboard the Blue Moon and turned toward her console with a smile. Touching a couple of sensor pads, she activated a holo display.

  »Hmm … we actually don’t know what those extraterrestrials consider a typical living environment,« Natasha replied while she waited for the display to expand fully. »So far, nobody’s been able to research their behavior under peaceful conditions, let alone their personal communications with each other.«

  Petrow grinned and winked at her.

  »The data, please, Nat!«

  »Well, let’s see what our computer knows,« she returned the wink.

  »Pluto bears the name of the Greek God of the underworld, also known as Hades, diameter, about 2,274 kilometers – far smaller than our Moon. An interesting fact is that Pluto has its own moon, Charon, with a diameter of about 1,174 kilometers. They’re virtually twins, but not recognized as such. If we compare similarities then the two are about the same in manifestation as our Earth and the Moon system.

  »What about the other moons orbiting Pluto?« Petrow inquired.

  »No accurate data on them. They don’t even have names, only descriptors: S/2005 P1 and S/2005 P2, like that. They are small and between 60 and 200 kilometers in diameter. Worse, they’re formed unevenly … probably Kuiper Objects caught by Pluto’s gravity.«

  Petrow narrowed his eyes, his exhaustion becoming obvious.

  »Lay down for a couple of hours, I’ll take over,« Nemov suggested. »I’ll send for you as soon as we reach Pluto, or if anything else happens.«

  »Okay, Anatoli, let’s do that. Keep radio silence like Commander Daralamai ordered. You know what it’s all about,« Petrow reminded him.

  »I do,« Nemov nodded seriously and took over command of the Blue Moon.

  »Keep your eyes peeled, Anatoli. Pluto could be an enemy base.«

  Nemov nodded again, while Petrow left the command central.

  It’s about time … I need some Zs! Petrow thought.

  We'll find him

  Nok Daralamai, Navis Joos and Toiber Arkroid met in a small conference room and awaited the computer analysis. They wanted to go over several points again, and synchronize their actions.

  »Some of these questions don’t have easy answers,« Nok remarked, and threw the data sheets onto the table with a flourish. »The most complex Neuronal Computers we have don’t help. Why is the Dark Brotherhood friendly and helpful one moment and an enemy the next? The Dualyte mother ship was wholly superior, our base was in their hands … and they didn’t use that to their advantage? Instead, they free the Trox from their mental slavery, lift the Tachyon Portal from Neptune’s atmosphere – and even re-calibrate it for us? And that done, they leave as fast as they came.«

  »Well … they didn’t leave without the Original Spark, though,« Arkroid added with a sardonic undertone. »We know as much as we ever did.«

  »Conquerors or invaders … that’s not how I experienced the Dualytes,« Lieutenant Colonel Navis Joos intervened. »They never wanted to harm us … in fact, they didn’t even seem to want to talk to us at all, but then they certainly helped us.«

  Joos’ encounter with the Dualytes had taught him a few things.

  »Nobody was closer to the action than you, Joos,« Arkroid admitted, »but we still don’t know much about their mentality. There wasn’t enough time to do anything about that. I do believe they could have destroyed Triton base had Nok ordered an attack.«

  »Analysis and evaluations … two lines on the same page … I’d rather depend on my instincts, Mr. Arkroid,« Joos rebutted amicably but firmly. »Too many people ignore their emotional barometers these days. A Neuronal Computer can’t measure or understand feelings. I’ll go with what I experienced and felt in their presence. The Dualytes were not hostile. I think they were concentrating solely on their mission to recover the Original Spark; their encounter with us was a distraction. Still, they made some strange remarks.«

  Nok Daralamai smiled.

  »I had the impression that the mother ship and its crew knew everything related to the Retreat, as they called it, the Globuster Matrix and the Dark Brotherhood!« Joos continued enthusiastically with shining eyes. »Including Humanity’s role in this galactic game!«

  »But …,« Arkroid tried to interrupt.

  »… please, let me finish, Mr. Arkroid!« Joos shot at him. »The Dualytes saw events from a whole different viewpoint. They know a lot more about the interconnections and relationships between all these diverse issues. We’re the ones who’re clueless! Unfortunately for us, they just left us a few enigmatic comments and no further information. I tried, but they weren’t interested in a deeper dialogue.«

  Arkroid rubbed his chin, considering.

  »Let’s make one thing clear, Colonel … I’m not your enemy; we’re on the same team. So, let’s discuss this in a more relaxed manner … and drop the formalities!«

  Joos took a short deep breath … and nodded in agreement.

  »According to your statement, Joos, the Dualytes know far more than we do. In a way, we’re lucky they showed up here. Without them, we probably wouldn’t have been able to deal with the Trox … Not that quickly, at least. Let me ask you something …«

  Joos invited Arkroid to speak with his hand.

  »Has cooperation between us and the Trox gained us anything?«

  Joos smiled as he replied, »Trouble-free. The Trox make my job easy. They want to help. I’ve suggested moving them from the platform to Triton, but Commander Daralamai rejected it.«

  Daralamai’s faced remained emotionless as she replied, »We’re supplying the Trox with necessities. That’s enough for now. Their quarters on the platform are …«

  »… improvised, at best!« Joos rebutted strongly. »The Trox have surrendered their weapons and their equipment – a welcome bonus for our scientists. The Trox are defenseless and peaceful now, however, there’s no doubt they’re suffering under the circumstances. Just imagine waking up from a bad dream and somebody tells you that you’re a Human – one of a race of galactic plunderers and pillagers!«

  Nok Daralamai wasn’t ready to change her mind.

  »As long as they’re in the Union’s sphere of interest, they don’t need weapons. We’ve granted the Trox asylum, and they’ll play by our rules!«

  »Hmm … I think Colonel Joos is worried about something else,« Arkroid came to Joos’ defense. »I think he’s concerned about the Tachyon Portal. Am I right?«

  »Thank you, Mr. Arkroid; my point exactly,« Joos acknowledged. »The Trox are more or less able to survive on the platform for now, but they’d be all alone against any danger emerging from the portal. The Dualytes re-calibrated the portal, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used by unauthorized beings. We should relocate the Trox to Triton and deploy our people to the platform to secure the portal. Nobody knows who else has a key to that galactic transportation network.«

  »Certainly not us, at least not now,« Nok replied seriously. »I don’t think the Dualytes left us a manual, did they?«

  Joos seemed to ponder for a moment; then he said, »No, I don’t think so …«

  »I’ll think about what you said, Joos,« Nok nodded. Then, suddenly, she had an idea.

  »What about Vasina? Can she explain how the portal works?«

  »I’ve asked her,« Arkroid replied calmly. »This portal isn’t the standard type she’s used to. It’s similar to the ones the Progonauts used, but there’re major differences. I asked Vasina to look it over, but she couldn’t find any kind of controls she was familiar with. She knows the principle, but can’t find the o
n-switch. It must be some kind of a modified type!« Arkroid said worriedly.

  Nok caught his undertone and snapped, »Okay, spit it out, Toiber!«

  »Well … Colonel Joos mentioned that the technology comes from the Brotherhood. Doesn’t that mean the Genorantans are working with our mysterious enemy?«

  Nok shrugged.

  »Would that change anything? We haven’t encountered any Genorantans yet.«

  Arkroid frowned.

  »They vanished in the galaxy before the Progonauts reached their height, migrated somewhere else, probably by means of their own portals. It seems strange that such a highly developed civilization turns around and leaves everything behind, or worse, degenerated or changed from peaceful people to ravaging enemies.«

  Nok looked at Arkroid steadfastly.

  »What’s so strange about it? Earth history shows plenty of these occurrences where, over time, peaceful people suddenly craved power and waged wars across continents.«

  Arkroid shook his head.

  »This is different. We need to think in larger terms. I don’t understand it yet. I think this riddle is a couple of sizes too big for Humanity.«

  »We’ll solve the puzzle … sooner or later!« Nok predicted. »What’re your plans, Toiber?«

  »Originally, I had in mind to follow the Blue Moon with the Techno-Ferry, but now I think it’s more important to find the agitator. Vasina suspects, and I agree, that the agitator is among the leading heads of the Union government. We also need to neutralize McCord; even as a decoy, he can cause a lot of problems. That probably sounds easier than it is, because he’s likely to have another role than just a … a deflector, you might say.«

  Nok Daralamai frowned, knitting her brows.

  »You think there’s more to it than McCord just giving our secret services a workout?«

  »I have a gut feeling, like Colonel Joos with his Dualytes,« Arkroid admitted, with a quick wink at Joos. »There’s a reason why McCord left his base on Oberon. The Princess has been detected near the Asteroid Belt.«

  »I got the same info,« Nok replied. »His private ship has left the Uranus System and taken a course toward Mars.«

  Nok looked at her manicured hands for a moment and then changed the subject.

  »Have you done what I asked, Toiber?«

  Arkroid looked blank, then a knowing smile came over his face.

  »Certainly! You made it very clear what would happen if I didn’t.«

  »You interrogated Fosset?« she ignored Arkroid’s remark.

  »I talked to him, yes. He got his information about Neptune from an unknown outside source. Never met that person. It came from an anonymous e-mail account.«

  »Right,« she replied a touch too seriously. »Anonymous information that prompted him right away to outfit a Hawk and begin this ridiculous mission!«

  »I don’t know what you’re looking for, Nok!« Arkroid rebutted, unable to completely keep the annoyance out of his voice. »Fosset almost lost his life! He may be a bit of a dilettante, but he’s not the heroic type. A bit eccentric, but he’s no traitor!«

  »Well … excuse me, Toiber … but we’re talking about a threat of unknown proportions. Your personal feelings aside, I’ll reserve the right to question Fosset myself, if I need to,« she replied harshly and directly.

  »I’m absolutely certain that he’ll cooperate, Nok. Nevertheless, even Fosset won’t be able to hand you the agitator on a silver platter. Nor will McCord. The unknown behind him is too intelligent to be found out that easily. We’ll go after him or her … I promise you that!« Arkroid replied.

  »How do you intend to do that, if I might ask, Toiber, when an entire network of agents hasn’t been able to so far?« Nok inquired skeptically.

  »We’ve got a friend whose abilities can identify the agitator beyond any doubt! With your permission, I’d like to use the Pleunatan and run a little test on Mars. I want him to watch McCord inconspicuously and prove our suspicions,« Arkroid explained. »I assume that Morgotradon treated McCord and the agitator with his crystal substance. If the crystals replicated their Human brains then Paafnas will no longer be able to duplicate or analyze their brain structure with his vertoflex organ. His abilities work perfectly well with ordinary Humans; ask Maya Ivanova. Paafnas is the perfect ally for us.«

  Nok pondered for a moment, then nodded.

  »McCord and the Princess have too much of a lead. You won’t make it in time! McCord will reach Mars long before you can, and disappear into the colony where you can’t reach him.«

  Arkroid smiled.

  »You’re grossly underestimating our new abilities, Nok. The Techno-Ferry is faster than any of our ships. We’ll have enough time to look around on Mars before McCord arrives. A man like McCord can’t just vanish into thin air. We’ll find him, even on Mars.«

  Nok Daralamai swallowed hard.

  »Your new ship will, however, turn some heads among the colonists, don’t you think? Not to mention Paafnas. Your arrival on Mars will be a media event. Even the agitator will know that you’re back in the neighborhood.«

  Arkroid nodded in agreement.

  »We’ve thought of that already, Nok. That’s why we’ll need new identities for this mission. Fosset is also well known among the colonists and other people. His adventures have been hyped up by the media. I’m relying on you in this respect, Nok. Isn’t your SIS Department well versed in such operations?«

  »That,« she acknowledged, »is one thing you’ve got right, Toiber!«

  I don't believe it

  Pluto filled the central holo display with all its splendor.

  The Blue Moon’s course to Sedna took it past the planetoid. Pluto’s weak gravity had been factored into their flight path, and didn’t affect their passage.

  A little farther in the background was Charon. At 20,000 kilometers from Pluto, it was visible only as a thin sickle. Its diameter of 1,172 kilometers was barely half the size of Pluto. The two celestial bodies, once considered a planet and its moon, were really more like a dual planetary system.

  »Both moons in scanner range!« Natasha Kushenko announced, as Petrow entered the command central.

  »Commander on Deck!« yelled Nemov, in the age-old terrestrial naval tradition.

  Commander Petrow nodded at Nemov, returning his salute nonchalantly.

  »Did you sleep well?« Nemov inquired.

  »Not really, Nemov … I shouldn’t have had that coffee,« Petrow replied, not taking his eyes from the central holo.

  »Well, there it is,« Petrow remarked in reference to Pluto. He stepped closer to the holo. He looked like he almost wanted to hug the display.

  »An ice-cold, barren, scarred world, pocked with ancient craters. Not cozy at all.«

  »Atmospheric pressure is three microbars. Methane, nitrogen molecules and some traces of other gases. The surface temperature is very cold. Instruments are indicating 50 degrees Kelvin. I’ll feed the new data to our neuronal computer to update our data bank,« Kushenko suggested.

  »Any sign of extraterrestrial activity on Pluto so far?« Petrow wanted to know. Kushenko just shook her head.

  »If you mean planetary drive openings like on Quaoar, we haven’t found anything yet. No energy signatures, no heat sources. Photometric analysis doesn’t reveal anything either. There’re no artificial structures on the surface – at least not on the side facing us. Maybe the drones will find something when they orbit Pluto; they’ll do that at least once while we’re passing.«

  Petrow still looked skeptical.

  »What about Charon and the small moons? Have those drones returned yet?«

  »No … we haven’t reached the change-over point yet … that’ll be in another three minutes, after we’ve passed Pluto. Our techies will try to collect the drones at the estimated intercept points, which isn’t going to be easy at our speed! Shouldn’t we just enable radio transmissions from the drones instead?«

  »We keep radio silence!« Petrow replied determinedly. »No excepti
ons! If the techies can’t collect them this time then we’ll do it on our way back to Neptune.«

  Kushenko nodded.

  »I’m concerned about our approach to Sedna,« Nemov remarked softly. »We’ll be like a beacon to the Globs! We can’t hide or camouflage ourselves. They’ll probably be lying in wait for us. I don’t like that at all!«

  »Agreed,« Petrow said and narrowed his eyes. »I don’t like it either, but we need to trust our experts’ analysis! They‘re sure all the Globs will be in stasis without the Stinger’s control signals … inactive.«

  »Hmm … what about their automatic defense installations? Those could open up any time after we get there,« Nemov pondered out loud. »The Globuster Matrix is still working, no matter what state the Globs are in!«

  »We don’t know enough about this extraterrestrial technology to make intelligent guesses. There were no defense installations on Quaoar; the Globs just attacked our people without warning. You’re right, we’ll have to be very careful. We’ll park the Blue Moon at a safe distance from Sedna, out of Globuster weapons range. We’ll deploy an unmanned Hawk first, then we send a landing team.«

  Nemov was still skeptical.

  »When those beasts were still active, Fleet sent several remote reconnaissance missions. None of the drones came back or sent any useful data. Pluto doesn’t seem to be Globuster territory, but we know we’ll find them on Sedna …«

  »… one of the drones is reaching an intercept point!« Kushenko interrupted. »Let’s see if we can collect it intact!«

  Petrow looked at the central holo. The Blue Moon had just passed Pluto and Charon and resumed maximum speed toward Sedna.

  »One of five!« he whispered to himself.

  »It was a risky maneuver to send the drones ahead of us at this speed,« Nemov tried to explain. »We knew we could lose some.«

  »Still, only one of five … not a good omen!« Petrow declared.

  Petrow and Nemov watched as the drone approached the mother ship at an acute angle. The drone’s guidance section contained a small neuronal computer that told it that the Blue Moon was its master unit, and directed it toward the ship for a rendezvous. The drone performed several flight path changes and caught up with the mother ship. Then it was inside one of the hangars, where the techies waited anxiously for it.