Arnica Read online

  The wisewoman was right. Her dreams were busy.

  Chapter 7

  The Sha'Kar moved through the corridors of the large coalition ship. It had been contemplating the stars when something had changed the usual hum of the ship's systems.

  The life form moved to the sleeping bioforms in the hibernation chambers. Four had more life than the others. It could feel the solids within waking up.

  The pods that opened were the Captain's, a security officer's, Chief of Engineering, and Lady Dell of the Scientists Union. The Sha'Kar knew her well.

  "Aiee!" exhaled the ship's captain, Captain Onry. His hands gripped the sides of the pod as he swung his muscular legs over the edge of the SP, careful not to snag a dew claw. He swayed slightly. "I hate these damn things, and I hate being wakened suddenly.

  Baahhh." He hacked then sipped the refreshment the medibot presented him.

  Captain Malchi, head of the ground security forces, felt listless and reluctant to rise. She hated space travel, which was why she picked infantry. She could hear the small alarm going off, notifying her that this was not a wake up call because they had arrived at their destination. The next hiss was the stimulant and the change was instantaneous. She swung her bare feet out of the pod and moved to the console near the Captain's SP for a quick summation of why the four were awakened early.

  "A ship. By the readings it's Colonel Zohra's ship, Rouster. Butterfly, this is Captain Malchi, seven blue seven, bring us about on an intercept course, and hold over the ship until it stabilizes, then bring it into the cargo bay o seven beta, and store it close to the outside doors. This is to be considered 'under wraps'." This was Captain Malchi's primary assignment. The second would start once they landed on Arnica.

  "Butterfly, this is Captain Onry, dog seven," he turned to grin at Captain Malchi,

  "as Captain Malchi commanded, under wraps."

  "Nothing like waking up to an easy job." Captain Malchi was happy to get out of the sleep pod.

  "I would have worried had we not found her before we arrived at Arnica. While we're up and waiting for the Rouster to come aboard, let's run the ship's logs and see what's been going on, and get some cloths on. It's cold!" Captain Onry burred.

  The others nodded and quickly opened the nearby lockers for their uniforms.

  "Three more months to go," Lady Dell noted as she snapped her collar in place.

  "We've traveled two months and caught up with her after she has traveled four months."

  "Good timing. Look at the diags. Her life support system in the ship is damaged, according to these readings. She's lucky she's in the pod, or so I hope. Commander Dahe, that's your job. Get the bots or the people you need to get her ship's life support fixed."

  "Sir, once she's aboard the Butterfly why worry?"

  "Because we are in uncharted territory, and I don't want any crippled ships within my authority when it's not necessary."

  "Aye, sir. But that will mean we need to get other systems online. If we do that, we just might as well wake the rest of the crew."

  Captain Onry smiled catching what his commander of engineering was leading up to. "Now that is a thought worth thinking more on."

  He had argued with the coalition league against putting everyone in freeze for the five month trip but some of the members managed to convince the majority it was necessary for many reasons. The primary was that the boredom among the diversified crew would cause problems, and added that if Catching Butterflies ran into any anomalies or trouble, the Captain may be tempted to go off course, therefore sidetracking from their primary assignment. The second was how else they were going to know if all the pods were in working order. The Captain felt the reasons were weak and was therefore suspicious of it, but he was under orders…until an immediate danger to his crew and the mission could be discerned, then he became the sole determiner of the mission.

  He resumed his scanning of the ship's logs finding that there were contacts with other ships along their way. Their progress was being monitored.

  "The target ship has been captured and secured in hanger o seven beta. Scanning has been completed. Repair bots activated. Passenger is secured and alive," Catching Butterflies' voice reported.

  "Let's go take a look, shall we? Butterfly, please activate life support from here to there."

  The four rode the elevator to level seven silently. The captain led the way into the large cargo bay that was filled with new war birds, the Night Fliers, and the larger Wart Hogs. The ship they were looking for was nearest the cargo bay door. Bots were already attending it.

  "What in Helga's moon happened?" Captain Malchi asked as her eyes swept over the damaged hull.

  "Looks like there was a fight and she's lucky to have escaped. Let's go see what shape the pod is in. Download the Rouster's logs. I want to know how this happened."

  They all moved into the damaged yacht spreading out to check the interior hull and finally meeting in the cargo bay of the cruiser. Nothing on the interior was damaged due to the double hull reinforcement that Belton Deluxe model was known for. The pod and its content were safe.

  "Should I activate the wake up sequence?" Lady Dell asked.

  "Not unless we have to. The medic alert does not show any injuries. Let's get on with the repairs so we can get back to Butterflies logs. I saw some disturbing readings that I want to check out closer. Captain Malchi, for safety's sake, wakeup a squad of your group. Lady Dell do you think you can choose maybe a dozen of your scientists to wake?

  Three months isn't too long for them to ride this out."

  They all nodded. Like the captain, they were against the five-month trip in the SPs. The engineer supervised the bots while waiting for ten other engineers he had activated to join him. The captain and the others hurried back to the consoles they activated.

  "Looks like trouble," the captain mumbled irritated. "Lady Dell, what have you come up with?"

  The tall figure turned slightly. "'Trouble' is what I read too. There's a new ship that just slid into view, keeping off the port bow, in the shadow of the first. Their weapons are hot. I don't think they know exactly who we are, so they're keeping some distance. Distance that if we didn't have this new equipment on board we wouldn't be seeing them. How do you think they see us?"

  "When we find out just where they're from, maybe we can answer that. Keep an eye on them."

  "That's all?"

  The alarm from the ship's tactical systems notified them a third ship had arrived.

  Now the unidentified armed vessels were considered a threat.

  "Let's wake the crew."

  "Aye, Sir." Captain Malchi pushed the all hands activation, which also brought life support systems ship-wide online. "Since our systems are showing more life, those ships may decide to do something with their armaments," Captain Malchi mentioned.

  "Yeah. I thought of that. Activate the bots for the fighter ships. We might as well get some of our ships up and ready to run hot. Besides, we need to keep everyone busy for the next three months. Now I feel alive."

  Captain Malchi laughed. "Yep. The only reason why the Bedians had any say in us being in freeze was because they invested a lot of credits to building this craft, and they're afraid we may break something before we get back with all the data they have this ship collecting."

  "I heard a few scientists thought most of the species on this ship would not be able to take this new speed and one of the side effects was we would go off and kill each other."

  They all laughed. There were so many possible justifications as to why they had to go into freeze that everyone started to make up some really far fetched reasons.

  "They do prefer gadgets and computers to people, I'll grant you that. Alright, first group is moving to their assigned quarters, next sequence is going. Sir, do you want me to send a status memo to their boards? It will save them from worrying why we've woken them early," Captain Malchi asked.

  "Go ahead, Captain. Come-on then. I want to get to my bridge!"
>
  Captain Malchi met some of her staff as they moved along the corridors. They nodded knowing their order of duties: secure the Rouster and CatchingButterflies, and then resume training until they were needed. Captain Malchi stopped Lt. Visu, her second.

  "Rouster's presence is not for public knowledge."

  "We'll see to it, Captain," she answered softly.

  "All hands. Catching Butterflies has begun evasive maneuvers. Two hostile ships approaching dead astern. Weapons hot!" the ship's computer announced.

  "Security teams take your posts!" Captain Malchi sprinted for the elevator, catching up with Captain Onry, and some of his bridge officers that had joined him. The clanging of the alarm began, and lights flashed red throughout the ship.

  " Butterfly, don't allow any flyer to mount up unless the pilot has been cleared!

  And no one jettisons without my order! No exceptions, Butterfly!" Captain Onry ordered, knowing the pilots would push themselves when they still may be unclear from the long sleep.

  On the bridge, consoles were alight. Butterfly was already initiating safety measures until her life forms could take over.

  Captain Onry scanned his console while Captain Malchi read the status from the security console until the ship's security officer arrived. The elevator swished open as the primary bridge crew took their places. They were all looking clear eyed and calm.

  Captain Onry was proud of his alpha team. He picked them himself. His first officer, Lady Milu sat down, and immediately began to scan the three ships.

  "Captain?" she called quietly.

  He strode over to her side, hating to sit down when they were in battle mode.

  "One of the ships is a registered freighter from our part of space. A bit far from home. However, the design does not match the registration."

  "A wolf in sheep's clothing?"

  "Hard to say. I believe they are curious about us. They are rushing us to see what we're made of. We are a new class ship, unfamiliar to any legal ship lists as of yet, and we have not identified ourselves when they hailed us two stan hours ago."

  " Butterfly, why didn't you return hail?"

  "Protocol dictates: avoid all contact with unidentified and identified ships that could be potential trouble," the computer returned.

  "What is defined as 'trouble'?" the captain demanded.

  "Any contact that will distract or delay arrival to the primary mission's destination."

  Lady Milu groaned, "Those idiots programmed their ridiculous beliefs in the ship's program. They will get us killed for sure."

  "That was not in the ship's protocol when I had reviewed the data banks before we went into the sleep pods. I don't like this. Butterfly¸ when was the last time you were uploaded?"

  "Four stan weeks, following lift off."

  "How did they do it?" the captain was incredulous. "How did they get past our safeties?"

  "I don't know. The quick solution is to dump everything and reload her original program."

  "Get Lt. Parker." He sat down in his seat disgusted. "Blessings to Lord DeMonte for snagging him and his team at the last minute." He looked around the bridge and his crew working at their stations.

  Lady Milu nodded and spoke quietly in her throat comm. When finished she nodded to Captain Onry. "I'm grateful the lieutenant suggested we carry a backup of Butterfly's original files in a separate system pac. Otherwise we would never know if it was tampered with until we needed it," she said to the grim looking captain; however, she knew that was his game face and behind his furred forehead a lot was being planned.

  "I've run a diag of that pac and no one has been near it since we all signed off on her lockdown."

  "Good. Let's not activate anything more that may escalate our present situation. I want to make sure we're not going to play into someone's hands." Captain Onry gave her a brief smile that showed his white canines.

  "Should we stand down?" she asked.

  "Go to yellow alert," he said.

  "Aye, Captain."

  Captain Malchi moved from the console when Lt. Commander Beka, Butterfly's security officer, took his post. She walked over to Captain Onry to let him know she was moving off to attend to her own assignment.

  The bridge lights switched from red to yellow.

  "Captain?" she asked as she moved to block the helmsman's view of the captain.

  "Someone uploaded an additional program into Butterfly's databanks. We're having Lt. Parker and his team look into it. Until we know just what changes were made, I don't want to escalate anything."

  "Good idea. I'll let my people know. According to the doctor, everyone made it fine, or he hasn't gotten any word otherwise. All SPs are emptied. Quite a feat in such a short time."

  "It was not necessary for us to be in the pods. My suspicious nature tells me that something went on while we were asleep. I know she's your assignment, but my suggestion is that you activate Colonel Zohra's sleep pod if you haven't already. I guess it's too late to keep her presence from the rest of the crew?"

  "Her presence is secured. There are a lot of people that would love to meet her, and I thought it would be better on her nerves and ours, to not let that happen. And you're right. She would be royally pissed if we kept her in a sleeping pod when those around her were in danger. You know how a Black Rose soldier gets about being left out of the fun."

  The Captain nodded and grinned. "Once a Black Rose, always a Black Rose." He wanted to meet her too, but for another reason. In her off-duty hours she earned a reputation at the House of Aphrodite in the Cave as the Dark Mistress. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as a sexual rush gave him shivers, raising the ruff at the back of his neck. This was no time for sexual fantasies.

  "I get your point. Bring her up-to-date with what's happening," he told her. He looked over at his second in command, "Lady Milu, let's resume coarse, but at maximum speed. Let's make up some time and leave them in the dust."

  "Sir," Lady Milu returned, "perhaps we should just maintain cruise at three gees until we leave those ships behind. Any faster would…"

  "Helgas bloody moon. We can just suck them up or leave them rocking in our slip steam and we have to fake it. You're right of course. They won't know three is Butterflies cruise speed."

  "Aye, Captain. Ensign Tre, back to our original course, three gees. Engage, Ensign."

  "I'll be in my ready room. In 30 stan minutes have the other officers meet in the war room. I want a report on all systems and groups. Commander Beka, I wish to see you, now."

  "Yes, Captain."

  "Aye, Captain." Lady Milu knew the officers were already preparing for the meeting. She tapped in the meeting time, sending it to all officers' consoles. She noted one cargo bay was locked down and only a few people were allowed in. She was hoping the engineers were good at keeping their mouths shut. She was curious herself to meet this soldier that on her off-time, made an unusual reputation for herself in a house of pleasure. Smiling she turned her thoughts to her duties.

  The Sha'Kar watched as a small ship outside of Catching Butterflies was drawn into the larger ship's hanger. Curious it went to investigate. Small bots were moving about the ship repairing damage that had been done to the exterior. When the solids arrived and entered the ship, the Sha'Kar followed. The solids made an inspection of the bioform within the sleep pod. The Sha'Kar touched the sleeping person's thoughts. They were of war strategies, memories of a childhood, and often times, her mate.

  "Colonel Jina Gari Delorita Zohra, lifemate to Commander Lady AlexandraHarriet Montran, I have been waiting for you."

  However, the bioform was heavily sedated, binding the spirit to the solid form so it was not able to wander or respond to mindtalk.

  The Sha'Kar rested on the sleeping pod out of the way of the solids that were pulling out panels and reinstalling new boards. The thoughts of the solids were not so stressful since they were focused on their tasks, giving the Sha'Kar a reprieve from the awakened thoughts of the multitude of solids on the ship tha
t were creating a discordant clash where it had once been quiet. It was tiring to close it all out.

  JG's first moments of awareness were agonizingly similar to waking up after a drunken fest with her Black Rose troop. However, she reminded herself, she had promised herself after surviving the second such escapade to NOT do it again. So her memories sought another similarity and came up with the time she accepted a dare from another soldier who thought he was tougher to see who would reach the bottom of a 200

  foot drop down a waterfall on Zeda Fumr in a barrel.

  "Helga's bloody moon, I know I can do it…and stone sober too," she muttered to herself.

  The barrel was small, made smaller with the padding she insisted on having to protect her head and shoulders. It was an exhilarating experience to drop for minutes, hit the water, and hear the rushing water all around her with only room to breathe, then another drop. The splash down just about did her in. But she was tough and she survived.

  However, she could not collect on the bet. Her opponent's barrel got stuck between the rocks just before the fall and before anyone could get to him, a feat in itself, he drowned.

  Another trained soldier wasting his life on noncombat related challenges.

  Her eyes moved behind closed lids as she relived other adventures. Moving closer to consciousness she realized her eyes were feeling scratchy, adding something else to her list of hurts. She sighed heavily bringing in new air deep into her lungs, laden with drugs to wake her body and clear her thoughts. When the drugs hit her system she realized she not only was far from home but she was alone…and that she had lost Alexandra after finding her.

  A small puff of air circulated in the small space she was in, leaving a cool blanket of moisture on her exposed skin, giving immediate relief to her blinking eyes, and easing the headache. The light gradually increased. Breathing in deeply once more, the body aches receded and her mind cleared. The sleep pod lid released, rising gradually. JG