TEMPUS TWO CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
C. S. Lewis
“What happens to my ship Cristian?”
“What would you like to happen?”
“I would like to keep flying her.”
“We would be separated, sweetie.”
“Many of the men and women that are here are separated from their loved one’s Cristian. Why should we be any different?”
“I have no answer besides I would miss you?”
“I would miss you too sweetie. I want to fight.”
“I will be taking most of your staff.”
“I am good with that, I need to have my own.”
“I will be taking Tuseer, the chef and my men.”
“I will send them over.”
“Lorelei I don’t like this. Should I take this as a breakup?”
“I just need some space.”
“And there it is, soon followed by I just want to be friends.”
“No I mean I need to fly in some space.”
“I will have your ship brought in.”
“Brought in?” asked Lorelei.
“My flight deck has room for two Galaxy Class ships. You will become a medical transport and fighter support for the Magellan on resupply to this verse. You can also handle Search Rescue and Recon.”
“Both ships will enjoy a spot in the flight deck between missions.”
“You want to fly, this is where I want you. No Arguments Lorelei. If you want to be treated as any other this is it. You have almost no combat experience.”
“Okay Cristian” she said giving in.
“We have a meeting.”
Cristian knew he had to let her go, once Lorelei had made her mind up about something, there was no changing her mind. He knew she would do okay he always had faith in her. This was her way to shine and he had to give her the support she had freely given him. It still sucked.
The meeting took place in his ready room the ship’s AI brought the Captains and Officers up in the cubes. The cubes would handle ten easy, fifteen if crowded. There was another cube within a second of one leaving. The cubes were free moving and could travel to any point in the ship. There were hundreds of them all controlled by the ship’s AI.
“Training has been sent to your cores for distribution to your crews and your fighters. We are heading into a different universe using a trans-dimensional device.
You will need to know that this fight was the result of an industrial accident. The Gray scientists experimented with the first device and destroyed a world. Now the enemy is pissed off and wants to take our Universe.
“So we are cleaning up after the Gray again.” said one of the Captains.
“I will not tolerate that kind of talk again. It could have been one of our own scientists that made the mistake and some probably will in the future.” “The Gray, the Reticulans and humans are all part of the same Alliance. There is no separation. Look at the deck plating you are standing on. Where the hell do you think it came from?”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Now the ships will be separated into five Squadrons. Each squadron will have an Admiral in charge who will report directly to me.”
“Assignments will be sent to your cores this afternoon.”
“Have all new personnel head in to your med bays for bots and comm interfaces. Red squadron you will host the Marines. Yellow Apaches and tanks and ground fighters. Blue will take the Shrikes and extra Gryphon. Green will handle long range Missiles. The Séadhna will run Search, Rescue and Recon plus Escort the Magellan on supply runs.”
“Each ship will continue to carry it’s own fighters and the ground troops you have carried already.”
“Any questions?”
“Sir about the last Squadron.”
“Purple is to escort the Heavy.”
“Dismissed let’s get our ships loaded. Load as many supplies as you can carry who knows how long we will be out there.”
In a few days, the ships were loaded and had the Trans-dimensional drives installed. As a precaution all the ships had a self-destruct sequence so that the enemy could never capture a ship.
The Magellan and Séadhna had made three supply runs back to Earth. They had brought more troops and even brought a few of the world leaders to see the fleet assembled.
“Bob good to see you?”
“You too Cristian.”
“Madame President good to see you again, have you come to Co-pilot my ship.”
“Is that a possibility?”
“No ma’am just a comment.”
“Cristian you are such a tease. The new ship is big.”
“Remember it is not the size of the Army but the fierceness of its onslaught.”
“I think you just found another way to say size doesn’t matter,” said the President.
“Yes, that is what I said. We are taking a small fleet into a Universe that will probably have superior numbers and most likely superior technology.”
“There is one thing they do not have Cristian.”
“What is that Madame President?”
“You, now kick some Nukpana ass and tell them we will fight to the last man woman and child.”
“I will take them the message.”
“I will have My XO take you on a tour of the ship, I have a war to prepare for, Join me later for a meal.”
“Absolutely.”
“Bob, Madame President.”
They had a meal together put together by Chef Armonde.
His first officers were present as was Lorelei. After the meal and conversation, it was time for the Captain of the Séadhna to take them back to Earth.
Cristian continued his plans for the fight. He had the drones and the Retribution equipped with TDDs, they were also equipped with explosives that would destroy anyone attempting to tamper with them. The Trans dimensional devices gave them the ability to send progress reports back to the home verse.
The personnel from the entire fleet was trained and cross trained. Even Chef Armonde could take a Gryphon into battle if needed.
Cristian was different, colder, less emotional, more focused, beyond what a human should be. He seemed more machine than man. His people knew he would win this war. Cristian knew failure was not an option.
The day came when it was time to do the jump into another dimension. This war was about to get busy. Cristian boarded an updated Retribution, and before the ramp closed Gracie climbed in.
“Hey Boss we going for a ride?”
“Gracie I was going to make this trip alone.”
“No can do Boss, I still serve and protect. I know where you are going.”
“I am going to have a quick look Gracie before I risk the lives of all those men and women. I need to know.”
“Firing up engines Boss we will want to make the jump before everyone catches on.”
“This is the Retribution we are leaving on an inspection flight Foxtrot Lima Oscar Mike.”
“What is your destination Foxtrot Lima?”
“Destination classified.”
“TDD engaged.”
A rift in space appeared in front of the Retribution. For a moment they could see into another universe. The Retribution went through the rift.
“Boss we have an inhabited world just ahead. We have not been detected.”
“Take us in Gracie let’s have a look. Record everything.”
“Already doing that Boss.”
“You added some piercings to your look, Gracie.”
“Going for that EMO thing Boss. Added some tribal tats as well”
“Nice the projection is complete”
“No projection Boss remember I am a fully functioning synthetic. I have skin and flesh over my exoskeleton. Not organic flesh boss something else.”
“Right. Can you be damaged, Gracie?”
“My exo no, the new skin yes. I am armoured to the nines boss. They can’t touch this.”
“Good I would like to make sure you are safe.
“Boss I have some new tricks.”
“Can’t wait to see them.”
“Watcher find me some military, let’s see what they have.”
“Cristian I am monitoring broadcasts. I am learning their language now. They are being bombarded with anti-Alliance Propaganda. We are being portrayed as evil. The population is being controlled by some kind of transmission. It is coming from micro satellites around the planet. There is no military presence anywhere.”
“Watcher can we hack those birds.”
“On it.“
“Cristian I have stopped the Transmissions.”
“Gracie I need one of those Satellites. There is a suit in the locker in the back.”
“Watcher disable one of them and bring us alongside.”
“Got it, boss.”
“Watcher take out all the satellites.”
“Cristian I have sent an overload through the satellites they have been destroyed.”
“Watcher send a broadcast through their media.”
“Your population has been freed by the Alliance. You have control of your world. We will not interfere with you. If you need our assistance we will come. This is Cristian Wolf First Leader of the Alliance.”
“Gracie take us home.”
The Rift was opened and they flew down to the Prodigious. “Cristian where have you been you have been gone for nearly a day.”
“For us, it’s been only a few hours Lorelei.”
“What have you been up to?”
“Me and Gracie just freed a world from tyranny and mind control.”
“Oh is that all?”
“What the hell Cristian?”
“Gracie better broadcast everything to all the fleet and then the Alliance.”
“Watcher upload the language to all cores.”
“Done.”
“Well let’s land the thing I haven’t eaten for a day.”
“We are coming in now Boss.”
The Retribution pulled into the flight deck and Parked in her spot. Cristian jumped in a cube and headed straight for the bridge.
“Nice to have you back on board First Leader.”
“Do we have a name for you yet AI?”
“Not yet First Leader.”
“When we are alone call me Cristian.”
“Yes, Cristian.”
“Thanks, Audrey.”
“Audrey, I like it Cristian, For Audrey Hepburn?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Cristian.”
“We have arrived at the bridge First Leader.”
“Thank you, Audrey.”
“First leader on deck.”
“Thanks, Tiny good to see you.”
“You too sir.”
“Where is Maria?”
“She is back at the cave with the kids sir.”
“Good.”
“Report Tuseer.”
“The fleet is ready for departure First Leader.”
“Signal the fleet Red and Blue and Purple are going through the rift.”
“Take us through Tuseer.”
On the other side of the rift, the ships assembled outside of the planet that Cristian liberated.
“Can we reach anyone on the Planet Watcher?”
“I have the leader of the government.”
“This is First Leader Wolf is there anything we can do to assist you.”
“No there is not, we are just reorganizing the planet First Leader. We are not entirely sure what happened?”
“You had satellites around your planet that were controlling your minds and bombarding you with propaganda. We destroyed them. We are hunting the beings that put them into place.”
“Is there anything you can give us to help?”
“We have charts of this system and the known Galaxy will that help First Leader?”
“Do you know where they are?”
“We don’t have their exact location just rumours.”
“I am going to leave one ship here to assist if you need it. They will not interfere with your planet they are only here for protection. You have my word.”
“Thank you First Leader it would be better if we had time to adjust.”
“Thanks for the star charts we have them and will put them to good use.”
“Good hunting First Leader.”
“Watcher, what was the name of that planet?”
“According to the charts, it is called Gatera.”
“How many other inhabited planets are nearby?”
“There are six”
“Have the Gray come up with a counter measure against the mind control? I would really hate to become a drone for these bastards.”
“The Gray scientists already have a solution and have tested it on a volunteer.”
“They are building units for the other ships. They will automatically trigger on detection of any mind control.”
“Send a drone back through the rift with the news and specs give them the star charts as well.”
“Working on it.”
“Let Tuseer and the other Captains know as soon as the drone has made it through the rift.”
“Done.”
“The return drone is already on its way into the flight deck.”
“The time differential.”
“All the rest of the fleet have the units installed. The ships on this side of the rift will be done within the hour.”
“Tuseer when the devices are installed in all the ships here send them to liberate the other worlds. Have them dispatch drones on arrival.”
“The orders have been sent sir.”
“What is next sir?”
“I eat and we wait until you have the bridge Tuseer.”
“Sir.”
“Captain Wolf could you meet me in the main cafeteria.”
“I can arrange that First Leader.”
“First Leader I have some fresh Pie just out of the oven, Apple Cristian, Cheddar not much sugar lots of cinnamon. Your wife’s recipe.”
Excellent could use some grub what do you have cooking back there Chef?”
“Anything you want?”
“He will have a couple of veggie burgers and some deep fried Macaroni and a coffee. I will take the same.”
“Thanks, Captain Wolf. What she said.”
Lorelei kissed her husband. “Are you ever gonna stop that cowboy shit Cristian?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean you and Gracie going through the rift without an escort”
“Just went to have a look Lorelei, and while we were there.”
“While you were there you had to save another Planet.”
“Needed doing wife.”
“I didn’t want to send the fleet into a slaughter.”
“So you decided to send yourself into a potential slaughter.”
“It’s all good.”
“Husband promise you will send others in next time.”
“I can’t make that promise sweetie.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
“Isn’t that why you love me?”
Lorelei took a deep breath “Yes.”
The burgers were brought out and Cristian had deep-fried macaroni for the first time. “This is good.”
“I thought you would like it.”
“Still mad sweetie?”
“Cristian Wolf how could I ever stay mad at you.”
“How is child version two point zero doing?”
“Kicking” she reached over and put his hand on her belly. Cristian bent over and whispered at the new baby.
“Don’t worry she is a great mother but don’t piss her off.”
“Advice you should heed husband.”
“Lorelei.”
“What.”
“I love you?”
“Do think that will make me melt Cristian?” She paused and smiled at her man “Well it does.”
“I hear this pie is your recipe. It is very good.”