Untold Stories of a Galaxy - Kysaek: The Beginning

Act 7: Stardust

It wasn’t luxurious, but it was comfortable, pleasantly soft, larger than the rest of the ship and, most importantly of all, it belonged to Kysaek alone. She had had a restful sleep in her own bed. Others would not have been able to understand the sheer joy of this simple piece of furniture, but after all this time, the bed, which was big enough for two, was pure luxury for Kysaek and that was not the end of it. After all, her cabin was that of the commanding officer’s and in terms of space, she could have sworn it offered her a touch more room than her old flat back in Auranis or the room in Sector Seven.

The bed was in a hollow, along with a wardrobe for the normal clothing and combat gear, which included weapons, suits and armour. Directly opposite it was a standard desk for an officer’s work, which in an army certainly meant many hours in front of a kit, but luckily Kysaek wasn’t in an army and she grinned at that. Those lines of joy stayed with her as she walked up the two steps from the hollow to her private living area. To her right, a compact three-piece kitchen awaited her in the form of a tiny fridge and a storage and cooking unit, and to Kysaek’s left was a narrow table and seating area. The highlight of the cabin, however, were two details that she didn’t realise at first. It was difficult for her to choose between the two. Number one was the wall recess next to the entrance, which in reality served as a door and concealed Kysaek’s very private, narrow bathroom, which included a shower, washbasin and toilet. Things that were rustic, moulded from ship’s steel and which the crew had to share in the crew quarters. However, there was one thing the crew could only experience on the bridge or the observation decks and Kysaek also had this in her cabin, the second detail. She sent out a command over her vortex cuff and a protective panel slid up over the head of the bed and a soft, red streak of light filtered into the room through a heavily armoured window glass. The view was as if Kysaek was looking into the dawn or dusk of a sun without being blinded, and the energy currents of the dark routes rushed past the ship from the centre of that sun.

The frigate had already been travelling in this way for almost sixteen hours and it would take at least another one and a half standard days to reach the destination, as it was more or less on the other side of the galaxy and a flight would take longer even with the help of the dark routes.

However, there was still a lot of preparation and work to be done before reaching Arche, which Kysaek now announced with the buzzer on her cabin door. ‘Yes, please?’ she murmured, averting her eyes from the window.

The metal sliding door was unlocked and did not need to be unlocked from the inside. ‘Commander,’ Galaen greeted and saluted in human fashion after she entered. ‘May I have a word with you?’

’I won’t stop you and please refrain from using that commander. It somehow doesn’t suit me.’

’Although that is exactly what you are and I have my trained routine, I will try to fulfil your request. Just don’t be surprised if I don’t succeed,’ said the Palanian woman respectfully and stepped forward. ‘Apart from that, have you already made arrangements for your accommodation?’

’Extensively. In fact, I think it’s almost outrageous. So much space just for me.’

‘With more duty and responsibility come privileges that reflect your status.’

‘Yes, I was already envious of the senior officers in the Luna Alliance when I was able to see their cabins on duty during interviews.’

’I know those thoughts too. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to become an officer.’

‘Oh, really?’ Kysaek raised a brow. ‘You just wanted the better comfort?’

‘Well, let’s say it was one of the less important, third-ranking reasons.’

‘You’re very specific,’ Kysaek replied, only Galaen’s small talk seemed forced and awkward. The way she saw it, the Palanian wasn’t someone who came to visit for chit-chat. ’That’s not why you came here, is it? To enquire about my well-being and share experiences among soldiers?’

That was a relief for Galaen. ‘Not at all.’

’That’s what I thought. So tell me what I can do for you and you won’t have to come up,’ Kysaek grinned and wiggled the arm on which her vortex cuff was hanging. ‘Modern times make a lot of things easier.’

’Indeed they do. However, I consider you to be a person who prefers face-to-face dialogue.’

‘Touché,’ said Kysaek, offering her newest companion a seat in the seating area. ‘Please.’

’No, thank you. On duty, I prefer to stand,’ Galaen denied, before bringing her body into the usual military posture and hiding one arm behind her back. The fact that her commander preferred to sit did not bother the Palanian. ‘I understand you’ve looked through the list?’

’Half skimmed and more, but how do you know that? Can you see what I’m doing with my kit?’

’I can’t, but Selok and Jerto Ma can. But you don’t have to worry. Neither of them has access to private files and messages. They can only see what has been activated.’

‘That makes sense with Jerto Ma,’ said Kysaek reasonably, but like many things on this ship, the thought of her new assistant was disconcerting. He was an Eporanian, the only one in the crew, and she had already got to know him before going to bed. ’Getting to know the crew properly will take time. Why did you ask about the list?’

‘Are you happy with the selection?’

’How can i really? I don’t know any of the faces in the pictures and reading their names and the stories behind them only changes that to a certain extent. As you just said, I like it face to face.’

‘So that means the election of an XO and the other ranks will take some time?’

‘So that’s the reason,’ Kysaek realised, trying to choose her words wisely. ’You’re really keen and won’t let up, eh? It’s just not that easy and a lot to ask in such a short space of time and I don’t think everything will go to hell just because of this decision. My group has always organised itself without me and I have to keep looking after them. They trust me, although that might not be entirely true for Vorrn and Wolfgang. But putting a complete stranger in front of them could disrupt the existing structure.’

‘Forgive me, but your group no longer exists and your responsibility now falls to a large crew,’ Galaen remarked ruthlessly honestly, without appearing to take offence or to attack her commander unjustifiably. ’Everyone on the ship puts their trust in you and you said you do the same. From your words, it sounds like that might not be the case after all, and if it is, it’s not going to be a long voyage.’

Kysaek got a slightly dry mouth and poured refreshing water into a metal cup. ‘That’s the crux of the matter, trust,’ she said, quenching her thirst. ’I really have no doubt about the sincerity of each individual. They are all volunteers and I did indeed mean what I said in my speech. Nevertheless, it doesn’t happen immediately. Before, we were a manageable bunch that got together halfway in extreme danger and over a long period of time. I’m really not even completely sure about Vorrn and Wolfgang yet. The doctor is still too new even for me and his deceptive manoeuvres, I still need to talk to him about that and now there’s this big team that has to function as quickly as possible.’

Galaen was no stranger to understanding and perhaps that was the reason why she sat down and went to eye level after all. ’And that’s exactly why you need to make a good choice soon. For all our sakes,’ said the Palanian woman affirmatively. ’However, I must recognise that you have come a long way with your methods so far and perhaps you are right. Perhaps the whole thing could do with a little more time. Perhaps it even needs to be that way and I have a suggestion that could reassure the crew until then and at the same time create a sense of unity between old and new.’

‘You mean besides going into battle against PGI?’ Kysaek asked casually. She leant back and was open to the idea. ‘I’m curious, let’s hear it.’

‘You may think it’s silly and superstitious, but the crew believe that a ship without a name brings bad luck,’ Galaen said. There were things that never changed, despite all the progress and different species, and a ship needed a name, no matter who it came from and who used it. ‘And everyone already had plenty of suggestions.’

The names were quickly transferred from one cuff to the other and Kysaek found that was a good alternative to asking for an immediate stand-in. ‘Creative are some definite ones, I know that now,’ she said with amusement as she read some of the suggestions. ’And it’s much better than going through dossiers. I like that.’

’I’ll pass it on to the team. Apart from that, do you need any help with the dossiers?’

‘No, you’ve already done enough and your notes in the file are a great help,’ praised Kysaek, remembering Galaen’s words. Yes, she was now in charge of a large crew, a crew she and her companions didn’t know, but did it really matter? ’All these volunteers. I just can’t stop marvelling at them.’

’Considering your situation, your amazement is not surprising. So many new allies in one fell swoop after months of having the entire galaxy as your enemy.’

‘That has at least changed somewhat with the consulate and now you and the new crew will soon be on the list of outlaws too, only there are more of you.’

‘More?’

’Yes, more. You may all be new to us, but it’s the same the other way round, only there are only a few of us.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t quite follow.’

‘My people may not like it, but I think we have to fit into your structures,’ Kysaek realised. Her group was the minority, even if she herself set the tone. ’We’ll keep the XO matter as it is for now, but the rest is a done deal. Pilots, squad leader, chief engineer, supply officer and everything else - the people you have suggested and already appointed will remain in their respective positions, or to put it more clearly: Never change a winning team.’

The last words caused Galaen some irritation. ’Did my biochip just fail? What was that? Neavear cheange, sorry?’

’That means I’m not tampering with the current system. It’s a guarantee of victory.’

’That would have been my recommendation too. I just didn’t want to impose it on you directly,’ Galaen admitted, although she did have one small comment. ’But a guarantee of victory? Everything is new. We haven’t won anything yet.’

Kysaek took the contradiction with humour. ‘Then we’ll have the opportunity soon.’

‘Yes!’ Galaen jumped up too hastily and saluted. Was that good for her injury? And she politely overlooked the fact that she gave her commander a real fright. ‘I’ll inform the task forces and make sure everything is ready!’

’Eh, yes. Exactly,’ Kysaek nodded as her heart slowed to a beat and she glanced after her Palanian ally as she left the room. Galaen was over-motivated, she realised. For Kysaek’s taste, however, the Palanian seemed to take things too seriously, but she could work on that, or perhaps Galaen would rub off on her and make her into an exemplary soldier. A strict soldier, an amusing thought. It made Kysaek laugh softly, how silly it seemed to her. Her amusement subsided, however, because there was one more thing she urgently needed to clarify before arriving on Arche.

The ship was only a small world in itself, but Kysaek still had to go through half the construction. Selok had informed her where Wolfgang was. The scientist had set himself up in the research and analysis laboratory, literally. As Kysaek had been informed, the weapons designer declared the room to be his and only his working and living area. A zone for thinkers, free of incompetence. Another problem she had to solve with him right away. According to her list, there were no other researchers or analysts in the team, but that was no justification for Wolfgang to act like this. She had to set clear rules straight away and the first one was clear - noise reduction. It was confined to this level, but even through the steel of the automatic sliding door, the muffled, familiar sound of Wolfgang’s classical music reached Kysaek’s ears. It was even worse inside, but at least the cramped area was no place to hide.

Everything was strictly divided. One row of walls made room for high cabinets above and secure boxes on the floor, including units for dangerous biomaterials. On the opposite side was the technical equipment, mainly kits and computers. At the centre of the lab were two large tables. One was completely flat and had inactive robotic arms suspended above it. The next table was a glass contamination box, at which Wolfgang was standing and working intently.

‘Doctor Schaefer?’ Kysaek spoke to him across the flat table, but he didn’t respond. He was either ignoring her or had not yet registered her presence, as he had his hands in the protective arms of the glass box and was standing facing the entrance. ’Hello?! Doctor?!’ Repeatedly addressing him did not help Kysaek, so she used a tried and tested method and turned down the volume of the music playing on the terminal.

That was enough for Wolfgang to slowly raise his head. ‘I’m having a bout of déjá vu right now,’ he sighed, not looking at the entrance and yet knowing who was there. ’Is this becoming a habit now, Dorothy? Because if so, we’re not going to be friends.’

’I just turned it down this time, not off. Just relax.’

’Well then, a little coaching from me: you don’t just touch a man’s toys and you certainly don’t stifle his music. It really helps me to relax and a relaxed doctor is a ... okay, that would be a lie.’

‘But you’re not alone here and you owe me one,’ Kysaek emphasised as she walked around the front table, looking at the mechanical arms above rather casually. ‘You owe us all.’

‘You’re not going to start me on the escape from Trayden again, are you?’ asked Wolfgang, foreboding and annoyed. He pulled his hands out of the protective arms of the box. ’We’re alive, so are the colonists, and now we’re travelling on a state-of-the-art, donated ship. When you come right down to it, my actions have given us a huge boost. No thanks, but for the sake of politeness it would be appropriate.’

’Dios and Kuren flew us safely to Anuket and we were lucky that the Consulate gave us a fair chance. So don’t be so presumptuous and it doesn’t change the fact that you stabbed us in the back.’

’I define that more as baiting, which I took part in. But it could have been so much easier for me. A homing beacon on your ship, the word to PGI and a safe place with the colonists. Instead, I opted for option one.’

’Really generous. Is that what gratitude looks like to you?’

’Grateful? For what?’ Wolfgang grated, pointing sternly at his guest. ‘You’ve failed miserably.’ The man’s voice remained rational, but there was still a reproachful undertone. ’We fought for weeks and many good people lost their lives in defence against PGI. It was all in vain and almost everyone died in the escape, while you are allowed to live and now reproach me? That’s what I call presumptuous.’

So far, Kysaek has not been able to deal with the subject properly. After Trayden, too much had happened in too short a time for that. Now, however, she was overcome with the guilt of the truth. She had failed. ’I wish it had been different. There were a lot of families, enslaved and forced to do heinous labour for PGI...’ she swallowed, with a lump in her throat. ‘In the end, everything was just out of control.’

‘Yes,’ Wolfgang inhaled through his nose in one long breath. ‘It’s called chaos and I’ve always loathed it.’

Kysaek clasped her elbows thoughtfully and hid her mouth behind her fist. She just had to pull herself together a little, which she didn’t quite manage. ‘People really don’t deserve this ending.’

’First clever words out of your mouth, only they’re no longer of any use to anyone. The result, like a proof of science, can no longer be changed.’

‘No, it’s not on Trayden,’ Kysaek murmured. It seemed a little macabre to her, but she tried to see a hope that would ease her guilty conscience at the same time. ‘But we can make sure that the prisoners’ sacrifice wasn’t in vain after all.’

‘Maybe, but don’t think I’m going to forget what happened on Trayden any time soon.’

‘I don’t expect you to,’ Kysaek understood, but even if she was plagued by guilt, the doctor was not free of it. ’The question remains, however, can I count on you when things get serious? Or do I have to expect another action like this bait instead of you asking us?’

‘I was afraid you would refuse and I wasn’t sure how far you would go, for yourself or others,’ Wolfgang suddenly replied calmly. ‘I hate having to work with limited knowledge and I knew absolutely nothing about you except that you were fighting for your rehabilitation and we were all the price.’

’Then mark my answer for the future: I would have agreed to being the bait and we would have been better prepared for the escape...’

‘I can’t change what I did,’ Wolfgang said, adopting a more normal tone. ‘Are my motives not understandable?’

’They are beyond question and were selfless. Not everyone would have done that. It’s also true that you could have acted very differently and I admit that your reputation gave us credibility at the consulate and helped us. For these reasons, I didn’t chase you away straight away. Nevertheless, I can’t let this go.’

’So what do you expect? What do you want to hear from me? That I’m sorry? That I apologise? A drink for the crook and a smoothing of the scales for the warrior?’

‘You don’t seem the type for that,’ Kysaek countered directly. She had more important things on her mind. Before she continued, however, she saw what was in the glass box and recognised it immediately - a piece of meat from Project SZ, which immediately appealed to her. ’There, that’s what I mean! Elder Rila actually left you a piece? And you don’t say anything?’

‘It’s a dead chunk,’ Wolfgang reassured her and tapped on the glass box. ’Isolated by a magnetic field. I know what I’m doing. You can trust me.’

’Yes, we were just talking about whether I can trust you! Do you know what this thing has put me through?’

‘I can only guess,’ the scientist surmised, but he recognised the emotional nature of the subject and Kysaek’s overall state and responded more mildly. ’It makes you angry and rightly so. But for the sake of science and the future, that shouldn’t matter. We need to find out more about this grotesque organism.’

’You say we and yet you alone have decided for yourself. If this is going to work, I need to know now whether it will always be like this. Because if it is, then you have no place among us!’

’I just didn’t want to waste any time and would have informed you after my first run-through, my word on it. And the people in the hangar knew about it.’

‘Really?’

‘How else did the sample get on board?’

‘I...’ Kysaek murmured and slowly took a step down. ‘It just caught me unawares and nobody in the hangar told me anything.’

‘There’s still a lack of communication everywhere here, but let’s just chalk it up to a difficult start and I promise you that things will go better in the future and that I can be a team player.’

‘You can be that?’

‘I can do a lot of things, remember?’ asked Wolfgang, again slightly arrogantly, checking some data on the analysed piece of SZ on the side. ‘And although I’m now in plainer company than I’d like, if we finish PGI, I can handle it.’

‘I get it, we’re all stupid.’

’Your words, not mine, but we’re making progress and I’m not talking about your realisation. By all appearances, this creature SZ is a composite of various components.’

‘What do you mean, components?’

Wolfgang was now acting more like a patient teacher than a know-it-all. ’In other words, I recognise residues from various creatures of the First. SZ was probably something like PGI’s Frankenstein. Creepy and impressive at the same time.’

The many numbers and diagrams were a mystery to Kysaek, but she was content to read the names mentioned by the scientist. ‘You figured that out so quickly?’

‘I’ve been working on it since we left, and even though I’d like to take your understandable praise like a rent-a-shark on payday, I have to mention Doctor Askar’s part in this speedy success.’

‘Did she know about it as well?’

’No, but she told me on Anuket about the sample she had already analysed, this thorn, which you had the not-so-wise foresight to burn. However, Doctor Askar couldn’t do much with the data and gave me a copy of it when I asked. That was a great stepping stone for me and saved me a good day,’ Wolfgang explained, rubbing his eyes. The researcher was able to mask his tiredness quite well, thanks to the oldest magic remedy known to mankind. He unscrewed the lid of a metal mug and the sweet aroma and cosy warmth of fresh coffee rose into the air. ‘One too?’ he asked as he poured it into his metal mug.

Kysaek’s eyes grew wide for a moment. ‘Is that the ship’s standard?’

‘Self-catering, involuntarily donated by the Consulate.’

‘You stole from the Consulate?’

‘War won’t break out because of that,’ Wolfgang raised his shoulders. He probably took Kysaek’s curiosity as a yes and filled her cup. ’I couldn’t buy anything before I left, so I asked for a tour of one of the well-secured areas for prototypes on the space dock before General Akaro’s handover. The outrageously highly paid staff always have the best merchandise and two bags had my name on them. I call it the hero bonus, for a good start to the day.’

Puzzled, Kysaek asked. ‘If the area is so well secured, how did you get out of there with the coffee?’

‘Maybe they were paying too much attention to hidden weapons and stolen data instead of the Super Nova breakfast roast in my jacket?’

‘Since you know your way around so well,’ Kysaek said, slightly amused, and had the cup handed to him. ’Were you paid an outrageously high price? I mean, before PGI. What did you do then?’

’When you’re one of the best, the pay is never outrageous and what did I do? I worked in a team on a prototype for one of the larger weapons manufacturers within the Alliance. It was a disruptor beam. That was immensely satisfying.’

‘Why?’

’Because it was a challenge and a government contract. Do you know what that means? Unlimited resources, based on infinite time, that’s the ideal formula for research and that’s what a project like this needs.’

That seemed to be the right way for Kyxaek to deal with the scientist, but it wasn’t just that. She actually wanted to know what it was all about. ’Why a beam? What’s so challenging about it? There are disruptor projectiles and torpedoes.’

’Self-contained circuits, yes. But their effect is limited per impact. But if you can develop a beam that is a constant flow of disruptive energy, you gain an enormous advantage in space combat. Shields would be extremely vulnerable. It might also be a step backwards or even the end of laser weapons.’

‘And what’s so difficult about this beam that it doesn’t exist yet?’

‘You were in the military, correct?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then you know how disruptor projectiles work.’

’Yes. A magnetic field is generated around a steel projectile, in which disruptive energy is stored. As soon as the projectile hits, the field shatters and releases all the energy. Torpedoes work in a similar way, except that the energy is stored inside.’

’And that’s one of the most important things about a beam. It’s not difficult to generate a field by focussing and transporting the energy. However, if the field encounters resistance, it shatters and the energy escapes everywhere. So there can be no uninterrupted beam.’

‘As you said, that would make protective shields on ships or bases extremely vulnerable and practically useless, wouldn’t it?’

‘Not necessarily,’ Wolfgang contradicted affably. It was either the topic or the coffee on his lips that made him more tame. ’It would lead to research into even better shields. An eternal competition - that is the necessity of technological superiority and at some point, in tens of thousands or millions of years, we will be at the level of the First and much further.’

‘You mean we’ll become merciless machines?’

‘Some might, but without an earthly body, life is hardly worth living and people want to live.’

Earthly body sounded strange to Kysaek, but she didn’t question it. Perhaps it was simply a pompous expression that was due to the scientist’s intellect. ‘Above all, living together,’ she continued calmly. ‘Like here on this ship or in this room.’

‘Yes, we’re a team, we already had that,’ Wolfgang remarked brightly. ‘Or what’s the point of your well-placed analogy?’

’The lab. I heard you were rather harsh and possessive,’ Kysaek remarked as her eyes fell to the far corner of the technical side, which had been converted into a sort of sleeping nook with two chairs and a placeholder for a large travelling bag.

‘My preferred choice of words would be honest and best possible allocation of resources.’

’I’ve travelled on military ships and know the rustic sleeping quarters. If you want to live here, as long as it doesn’t bother anyone, that’s your business. But that doesn’t make the lab your playground.’

Wolfgang seemed to realise that Kysaek was stubborn and never tired of trying to clarify things. Apart from that, he probably realised now that he had to score points and prove himself for the group, in his own way. ‘Compromise - as the only real scientist on board, I am responsible for the lab and all research matters and will give up my home for youth research if necessary.’

This term was foreign to Kysaek. ‘Youth research?’

’Long tradition of my culture, on Earth. All I’m saying is that I won’t deny the lab to the rest of the ship either, on my terms.’

That was probably the best she could expect and Kysaek nodded. ‘I think this is going to be a loooong journey for all of us.’

‘All the more important that you give this magnificent ship an apt name.’

’What makes you think that? Hey, have you been eavesdropping on me and Galaen?’

‘No, I’m just making meaningful conversation here,’ Wolfgang replied as he sat down on one of the chairs ‘Everyone’s talking about it and they’re all nervous about what name you’re going to choose.’

’A few on the list are quite good. Are any of the suggestions yours?’

’None of them. I’ve been concentrating entirely on analysing.’

’I’ve been just as fixated, but choosing a name is hard. It will be forever.’

‘If you like, yes,’ Wolfgang nodded. He ran his fingers over his cheeks and through his now fuller three-day beard. ’But why are you making it so difficult for yourself? The crew has drawn up a list. Why don’t you let them vote on it?’

‘Wouldn’t that be a bit cowardly of me to avoid it?’

’Please - it’s about a name and not about which deadly hell you’re going to take us to next. I don’t see any problems there.’

Kysaek thought that was a pretty good idea and if Wolfgang didn’t have any problems with it, it certainly wouldn’t be an issue for the rest of the crew, who were still unknown to her. ’Everyone votes together. That could bring the crew closer together. That’s a good idea.’

’You’re talking to the man of good ideas. My daily bread.’

‘And if you have a bad one?’

‘There’s no such thing.’

Kysaek raised a doubtful eyebrow. ’Are you telling me that science is without flaws? Have you never failed?’

‘You’re looking at it from the wrong perspective,’ Wolfgang shook his head. What he said didn’t sound arrogant, but sober. ’I haven’t failed. I’ve just discovered ten thousand ways that don’t work.’ There was a brief silence, because Kysaek didn’t really know what to say to that and the scientist helped out. ’A quote from Thomas Edison. Ever heard the name?’

‘Should I?’

Wolfgang lowered his head in depression. ‘We’re still working on that,’ he said, before standing up again. ‘And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve still got work to do.’

‘Should be,’ Kysaek began and wanted to recommend the man take a break, but she held back. The scientist’s ambition astonished her, for although he could clearly do with a good night’s sleep, he also made a virile impression. He certainly wouldn’t rest until he had sufficiently analysed the piece of Project SZ. ‘If you need anything, please let me know and give yourself a break.’

‘Yeah, sure,’ Wolfgang replied as he tucked his arms back into the gloves of the box and lifted one corner of his mouth. ‘Thank you, Dorothy.’