Ep.#3.5 - Escape of the Free Fleet Page 2

  “Why would you want ancient warships?” Corbin asked.

  “I’m not here to defend our actions. We committed crimes. I do not argue that.”

  “Then, why are you here?” Sidney asked.

  “To give you options,” Nathan replied, smiling.

  * * *

  The hostages assembled in the Aurora’s mess hall had naturally divided into two groups. Those from the Navarro and those from the Scott. The first group had been there for nearly an hour, while the second group had just arrived a few minutes ago. Very few had crossed over to talk with members of the other group. Everyone was still uncertain of their futures and naturally distrustful of just about anyone, even other hostages.

  Jasher couldn’t keep his eyes off the forward wall of windows that gave them a nearly unobstructed view of space. And it wasn’t the projected simulation he had seen on the Scott back on Kupper. It really was space. Even as young as Jasher was, he could tell the difference. At least that’s what he believed.

  Kayci, on the other hand, didn’t know what to believe. She had even entertained the idea that this was an elaborate resort package, like the bridge simulation, only far longer and frighteningly realistic. After all, the guards, who Jasher had identified as Ghatazhak, carried ancient weapons. If they were terrorists, wouldn’t they have modern weapons?

  Suddenly, the doors opened, and four Ghatazhak entered, still carrying their ancient weapons. They fanned out, heading to the four corners of the room. As soon as they were in position, three more people appeared. A man and two women, all in the same uniforms that the re-enactment characters had worn during the bridge simulation, their first day on the Scott. The only differences were the patches on their shoulders and the uniforms were not nearly as perfect as the actors’. Maybe this was an elaborate simulation, and Teo was in on it.

  The three new arrivals moved to the forward end of the mess hall, taking a position at the center of the transparent doors leading to the dining patio. They assumed a parade rest position, with their hands behind their backs and their feet shoulder-width apart, just as you would expect. The man in the middle stood slightly ahead of the two women, who flanked him on either side.

  “What I’m about to tell you will seem impossible,” Nathan began. “But I assure you, everything I am about to say is the truth. First, I’d like to apologize for what you have been through the last few days. Had there been a way to avoid this, we would have. Second, you should know that no harm will come to any of you while you are guests aboard this ship.” Nathan took a breath. “Now, for the impossible part. I am Captain Nathan Scott, commander of the Aurora. Yes, I am the Captain Scott. Not a clone. Well, technically, I am a clone, but this is the same physical body that I have lived in since I first died and was resurrected back in the thirty-fifth century. On my right is Captain Cameron Taylor, my executive officer, and on my left is Lieutenant Commander Jessica Nash, my chief of security. They are also from the thirty-fifth century, and neither has been cloned. The short version is that we were forced to jump through a singularity to escape an ambush in the Gamaze system during what your history calls ‘The battle of the Gamaze.’ That jump threw us five hundred and thirty-five years into the future and thousands of light years from our original position.”

  Hands began to go up, and there was a murmur building among the hostages. Nathan had to gesture to quiet them. “Now, let me assure you we have no designs against the Alliance. We simply feel that they no longer adhere to the dictums of their original constitution. Therefore, we no longer feel compelled to serve the Alliance. Why we stole those three ships doesn’t matter at this point. I’m here to offer you four options,” He paused, looking at the crowd as they processed the information. ”Option one is that we return you to your home worlds. I haven’t figured out exactly how we’re going to do that safely. Still, at the very least, we can deliver you to a civilized border world with regular passenger service back into Alliance space. Option two is that we put you on some other planet. A world outside of Alliance space. Option three is going to seem a bit more extreme. We can deliver you to a world we are settling, far beyond anything yet inhabited by humankind and well beyond the reach of both the Alliance and the Korsan. I should warn you that this world has not yet been settled. It is still in the survey stage. However, indications that it will be hospitable are excellent, and we should know more in a week or two. That brings us to option four: to serve aboard one of our four Expedition-class ships as part of the Free Fleet.”

  Nathan paused again, trying to read the shocked and thoughtful faces of the hostages. Nearly all of them seemed unconvinced that Nathan was who he claimed to be, but a few looked intrigued. “There is one other thing that you should all know, as it may impact your decision. The Alliance appears to have covered up the theft of the Celestia, the Navarro, and the Scott.”

  “How do you cover up the theft of a starship?” one of the hostages challenged.

  “The Celestia was easy since it was on its way to destruction,” Nathan explained. “The story the Alliance has used to cover up the thefts of the Navarro and the Scott is that they had to quickly move them to prevent them from being seized by terrorists planning to use them as flying bombs against the worlds where they were being displayed.”

  “That’s preposterous,” another hostage insisted.

  “Actually, it’s not,” Teo commented. “The Alliance lies all the time.”

  “Teo,” Kayci objected under her breath.

  “What?”

  “The reason I’m sharing this information with you is that if the Alliance is covering up the theft of these ships, one has to wonder to what lengths they would go to keep that secret?”

  That seemed to get their attention. Nathan could see their wheels turning, each of them imagining the worst.

  Teo spoke up again. “They’ll do memory wipes on all of us.”

  That seemed to worry most of the hostages.

  “Memory wipes?” Nathan asked. “They can do that?”

  “Where have you been?” Teo instinctively quipped.

  “Give me a break,” Nathan replied. “I’ve only been in this time for seven weeks, and I’ve been kind of busy.”

  “Memory manipulation used to be a big thing,” Kayci said, joining the conversation. “There were companies that could selectively remove bad memories or put in fake ones, but the practice was banned for health reasons.”

  “What kind of health reasons?” Nathan asked.

  “There were cases of brain damage, strokes, short-term memory loss, loss of motor function… I still see patients who suffer from side effects of memory manipulation.”

  “If it’s unsafe, why would the Alliance still use it?” Cameron wondered.

  “Are you kidding?” Teo laughed. “Because they can.”

  Jessica leaned in, speaking to Nathan under her breath. “I like this guy.”

  “Are you a doctor, ma’am?” Nathan asked Kayci.

  “Urgent care,” she replied. “If my brother’s right and the Alliance will do memory wipes on us, they’ll be deep wipes. That means there’s a fifty percent chance of adverse side effects.” After a pause, she added. “Including death.”

  Nathan felt his heart sink. He had inadvertently changed the lives of everyone in the room, and he couldn’t help but feel incredible guilt for doing so.

  The murmurs of discourse grew among the hostages. They were obviously upset, and Nathan didn’t blame them. “I am very sorry to have put you all in this position. I had no idea. But no amount of apologies will change the situation. You will all have to make your own choices.”

  “Maybe they won’t wipe us,” someone suggested.

  “Maybe they’ll just make us sign some legal documents not to reveal the truth!” another voiced.

  “You’re all being naive!” Teo insisted, yelling above the growing din. “They’ll deep wipe every
one, assuming they don’t execute us all as accomplices, to make examples of us.”

  “That’s crazy!” someone yelled.

  But many people were taking Teo’s warnings to heart.

  “You put us in this position!” someone yelled, pointing at Nathan.

  “I know, and again, I’m sorry. But if he’s right, you may not want to return to your life as Alliance citizens.”

  More shouts and accusations rang out, and the crowd was becoming increasingly agitated, thanks to a few of the more vocal members of the group.

  “This could get ugly,” Jessica warned, tapping her comm-set. “Kit, send in Alpha squad. Our guests are getting angry.”

  The four Ghatazhak in the corners lowered their weapons on the hostages, their rifles already set to stun.

  “Listen to me!” Teo yelled, raising his voice even higher as he moved into the middle of the room. “Listen to me!” After a moment, the hostages quieted down, yielding the floor to Teo. “Can any of you honestly say you’ve never considered leaving the Alliance? Do any of you really trust the Alliance? Yes, we all lead comfortable, relatively safe lives, but only if we follow the rules. Think this way, act that way, shop from this store or that store, oh, and ‘follow your AI’s recommendations to ensure a happy and successful life.’”

  That seemed to hit home.

  “You’re all getting pissed off that this guy accidentally plucked you from your comfortable, sterile little lives. There are countless fringe worlds where life is just as good but with far more freedom. Sure, there’s risk. You might not do as well. You might not have as nice a home, be able to take great vacations, or wear the latest fashions. But you also won’t have to always worry about saying or doing or even thinking something that will get you in trouble.”

  “What about our families?” someone asked.

  Teo looked at Nathan.

  “I’m sure we can find a way to get them out as well if that’s what you’d like,” Nathan assured them.

  “How?” someone challenged.

  “We have contacts inside Alliance space. It would be a matter of getting in touch and arranging to get them out. Of course, the details would have to be worked out, but I’m sure it’s possible.”

  “What about our belongings?” another person wondered.

  “Look, these are all details,” Nathan protested. “I will see to it that everything possible is done to ease your transitions, whatever they may be. I owe each of you at least that much.”

  “Damn right you do!” one of the more vocal of the group bellowed.

  “What happens to us in the meantime?” a woman asked.

  “For now, you’ll all be quartered on this deck, with access to the mess hall and medical. You’ll be free to move about this deck, but with some restrictions, which will be clearly marked. And my executive officer will meet with you individually to discuss your situation and answer any additional questions you may have.”

  “Oh, thanks a lot,” Cameron muttered under her breath.

  “For now, I want you all to think carefully about your situations,” Nathan told the crowd. “Each one is going to be unique.”

  “How long will it take if we want to go back?”

  “I don’t have an answer at this point,” Nathan admitted. “A few days, maybe a week?”

  The crowd seemed undecided, but they were calming down a bit.

  “Well, I, for one, choose to settle this new world you speak of,” Teo announced aloud.

  “Teo,” his sister objected.

  “Think about it, Kayci. A new world, far away from everyone…especially the Alliance.”

  “We have no idea what it will be like. Do these people even have proper funding for such an undertaking?”

  “These people just stole three ships out from under the Alliance’s nose,” Teo reminded her. “I have a feeling they can do anything they set their minds to.”

  “Yeah, Mama!” Jasher chimed in, looking up at his mother.

  Kayci looked down at her son. It was unusual to see excitement and hope in his young eyes.

  “I’m sure they could use another doctor,” Teo told her. “And I’ll probably be the only lawyer on the entire planet. Talk about cornering the market.”

  Kayci studied her brother. She never had his adventurous spirit. Ever since they were young, he was coming up with one crazy scheme after another, which her now-deceased husband had always been willing to follow.

  “It would be a whole new start for you and Jasher,” Teo insisted. “For all of us.”

  Kayci sighed. He was right. She and Jasher had been going through life’s motions lately. Everywhere she looked. Every restaurant, every shop, and every park, they all reminded her of her husband. She turned toward Captain Scott. “Captain? Could you use another doctor?”

  Nathan smiled. “Yes, ma’am, we sure could.”

  “Are you really Captain Scott?” Jasher asked Nathan, looking up at him.

  Nathan knelt down, getting down to the young boy’s eye level. “I sure am, kiddo.”

  * * *

  “So far, all the staff have volunteered to stay with us or go to Planet X, wherever they’re needed,” Nathan told Jakome as they entered the captain’s ready room. “All six pilots, as well. The sixty-seven guests, however, will probably be a different story. Well, sixty-four, actually. We got a doctor and her brother, a lawyer, and the woman’s six-year-old son to volunteer.”

  “A lawyer?” Jakome questioned. “I’m not sure how much use he’ll be.”

  “I’m hoping the rest of the guests will come around, given time. The prospect of getting their memories wiped by the Alliance—or worse—seemed to make an impression.”

  “Considering how expensive those overnight suites are, we can assume the guests are all well-off and will have a more difficult time abandoning their comfortable lives as Alliance citizens.”

  “Do you think it’s true?” Nathan wondered. “Do you think the Alliance would wipe their memories?”

  “I think the Alliance will do whatever they believe necessary to protect their interests.”

  “Well, we have to let them decide for themselves.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Have you heard from Doctor Goff?” Nathan wondered.

  “I received a report from her just this morning,” Jakome replied. “She has determined that the planet is safe for human habitation. She still has much work to do, but she has concluded that most of our common food crops will grow there, as well as most livestock. Now, it is a matter of testing countless species of plants, animals, and insects to determine if any are harmful to humans.”

  “Sounds like a big job,” Nathan admitted.

  “Doctor Goff estimates at least a decade, just for the continent she is on, assuming she never gets additional help, which we will eventually provide.”

  “Then, you’re committing the Anastianus to Planet X?”

  “No, I am committing her to the planet Libertara.”

  “Nice. I like it,” Nathan agreed. “Where’d you come up with that?”

  Jakome pointed to the patch on Nathan’s shoulder, which Neli had designed. “It seemed like a good idea, and it neatly summarizes the overall purpose of our efforts. Besides, we couldn’t continue referring to it as Planet X. It sounded like something from a bad science fiction movie.”

  “Actually, it is. It’s one of Josh’s favorites. From Earth’s twentieth century,” Nathan explained. “I guess we should get the Acuna loaded and on her way, then. Abby’s current estimates put the convoy’s arrival at Libertara in about thirty days.”

  “I thought it was twenty?”

  “We altered the course to make the fleet more difficult to track. Used a few high-luminosity stars to cover our jumps, that kind of thing. We also tried to delay turning directly toward Libertara until we had no choi
ce, just in case.”

  “Won’t the stealth jump filters prevent tracking?” Jakome questioned.

  “Theoretically, but we figured it was better to be safe than sorry. The last thing we want is for the Alliance to learn the location of Libertara before we’re able to defend her.”

  “I highly doubt the Alliance will ever show much concern for a world thirty thousand light years away,” Jakome said.

  “Probably not, but since all three ships seem to be holding pressure well, we figured the extra steps were worth the additional risk. Besides, although they may not care about Libertara, they may care about the three ships we stole.”

  “You may be right about that,” Jakome agreed. “Doctor Goff has selected a site large enough to accommodate all four expedition-class ships as well as eventual support facilities. It is a little over twenty kilometers distance east of camp. A large swath of pastureland with a river running through it. Rolling hills on either side. A forest on one side. Very picturesque.”

  “That’s further away from the ocean, isn’t it?” Nathan commented. “I thought you wanted to settle closer to the water?”

  “After a more detailed analysis of the coastline and the orbits of Libertara’s moons, Doctor Goff has determined that every few years, all three moons will be in conjunction, which will cause the tides to rise ten times their normal levels. She felt it best to settle at a slightly higher elevation. This site also has low, rolling hills to protect it, in case it turns out that the conjunction tides travel further inland than expected.”