Section Twenty-Five: The Spaceship in the Sky
The Rock and Roll River was passing through a lovely valley. I suspected there had once been farms here. The rolling hills seemed to be dotted with decaying structures. At the head of the valley we had passed a great ruin. Hollis declared it to be a castle. He may well have been right. I was getting a picture that this land had once supported nobility with a large agrarian population. I so far had seen no evidence of towns which surprised me. On the other hand, the towns could have been inland at crossroads. There were few natural harbors along the Ruby Rock and Roll River. Perhaps wharfs or even canals had long ago collapsed and have been swallowed up with time and the inexorable claim of the forest which often came down to the banks of the river.
Sections seem to be a better title for these short pieces rather than scenes. Scenes suggest one location. Some of the locations have extended action or dialog. I am so looking forward to reaching the halfway point. Then finishing on time will seem much more doable.
A sound came to us across the tranquil valley.
“What’s that?” Teddy asked, looking around him, becoming quite vigilant.
“It sounds like a motor,” Hollis said. Excitement seemed to infuse everything he said. “Maybe it’s The Rebel Horde coming to meet us at last.”
“The dragons be coming,” Gwennore said.
I directed the boats to bring us to the riverbank. We hauled them up beyond the water, gathered up our personal possessions and began walking toward the place where the ride would come to ground. There was no danger I knew. The advanced design of the ride made it possible to come fairly close to it as it descended without getting blasted by heat or radiation. Smoothly the ride settled itself. By the pitch of the engines, I knew Captain Star Runner did not plan to stay here. This was what the spacers called a touch and go. We would come aboard and then Star would blast off again into space. I wondered what would become of the boa
I personally have never thought of dragons traveling by motorized vehicle, but why not? I doubted we would be met by actual dragons. But when the craft became visible, I knew at once what it was. It was a spaceship. In particular, it was Captain Star Runner’s ride. I could tell by its distinctive shape and color. The rainbow writing on its side also distinguished it.
Section Twenty-Six:Coming Aboard
As usual, Star ability to pinpoint a landing area near where Ronnie and the others were was unerring. Gyllian knew Star had little experience with planetary landfall, but since his return from the neighboring arm of the galaxy, his abilities were greatly enhanced and obviously planet landings were part of that new skill set.
“four human beings,” Christabel announced.
“I thought there were only three,” Gyllian responded.
“Private Investigator Ronnie Camberwell is among them,” Captain Star Runner put in. That was all he cared about.
“What shall we do with the others?” Christabel asked Gyllian.
“Let’s gather them up,” Gyllian said. “Are you able to confine them in some way until we can interrogate them? I don’t know who they all are and I have the sense they might not all be friends. Let’s keep our communications via wet wire.”
“I am assembling restraints as we speak,” Christabel said. “I will immobilize them all and then move them into the cargo area.”
“Not Private Investigator Ronnie Camberwell,” Star objected immediately.
“I will do all of them so they do not suspect we know Private Investigator Ronnie Camberwell,” Christabel soothed. “As soon as we have them separated, I will release her and she can join us. I am sure we will have much to discuss. I am also deactivating any devices they may have on them. I will also send bots to retrieve their boats. I am assuming you want no trace of them to remain.”
Her question was phrased as a statement.
“Good thinking,” Gyllian said. She was annoyed at Christabel’s presumption, pleased at the AI’s grasp of the situation and displeased with her own slowness to give orders.
“We will play the part of The Rebel Horde at least at the outset until we have a better picture of what’s going on,” she said.
“Agreed.” Star and Christabel were in sync with each other. No surprise there. The Travelers Come Aboard “They are coming,” Christabel announced. The large view screen in the lounge came to life. Gyllian saw four human beings coming toward the ship. One was Ronnie. They were two men and another woman. Gyllian guessed the second woman was Gwennore. She was a short pudgy woman with long tangled hair. If she had not been wearing an orange jump suit Gyllian might have described her as a witch. There was a man of medium height, heavy set with short hair. This must be Teddy, the shadower. Gyllian had no idea who the tall kid was. He ran ahead of the others, anxious to be the first. Ronnie came last, striding along, but watchful. They all looked unkempt and dirty as if they had been living rough as they probably had been doing since they left Capital City.
As Gyllian watched, the devices Christabel had activated came down the ramp. They were smart things, of course, assembling themselves to perform the task or tasks Christabel had set them to. The ones that would carry the boats were strong stevedore types. They moved past the human beings. The three Capital City natives stopped and stared. Ronnie gestured them to move on. The audio pickups outside the ship relayed her words.
“Never mind them. Come along, Hollis. Gwennore, Teddy, let’s go.”
“I wonder what else they have inside,” the tall kid said.
“Dragons,” Gwennore responded.
Teddy said nothing at all but watched as the smaller items rolled toward them.
Before any of them could move, the smart things wrapped around them, immobilizing them and shutting down all electronic devices, if any. The group of four was unable to run and unable to communicate. A hush field deployed around them.
“You immobilized Ronnie as well,” Gyllian said.
“She could be carrying something or have been implanted with something,” Christabel said. “Besides, we do not want her companions to know she is special.”
“Not at this time,” Gyllian agreed.
“I do not like this,” Star said.
“She is not hurt,” Christabel said. “We will put everything to rights shortly. “You two stay put. I want to bring each of them aboard separately and isolate them. Then we can hear Ronnie’s report.”
A security bot emerged from the ship and escorted the four humans one by one into the cargo hold where cubicles awaited them. Ronnie was the last to come on board. The bot escorted her to the lounge.
“Sorry about the restraints,” Gyllian said to her immediately. “We were creating a story line.”
“Can I get out of this now?” Ronnie asked.
“Of course,” Christabel said. “Restoring wet wiring connectivity now.”
The restraints dropped away and returned to the cargo hold.
“I want a shower and some decent food,” Ronnie said.
“As soon as you give us a report,” Gyllian said.
The stevedores returned with the boats and stowed them. The ramp withdrew into the ship. The cargo hatch closed and Star initiated blast off. Gyllian had no idea where they were going but a quick departure seemed best. Captain Star Runner was wasting no time at all. The whole operation had taken less than fifteen minutes.
## Section Twenty-Seven: Ronnie’s Report Leads to a Plan
“I see we’re all here,” Ronnie said, dropping into a chair. “I cannot tell you how glad I am to be back aboard. I never thought I would say this, but the ship was a sight for sore eyes.”
“We’re glad to have you back, dear,” The Czarina said. “Now tell us everything, including who that boy is.”
“That boy is Prince Hollis,” Ronnie said. “He came along because his sister, Queen Hollin, has decided he should die of poison so that she can be more convincing in her role as the old, grieving queen, Victoria. Lord Stern thought it best to remove him from the Royal Precincts.”
The Czarina said, “You’ll have to give me all the background. This sounds like a juicy series indeed. I can probably sell this one for wider distribution.”
“Later,” Gyllian said. “Why were you on that river.”
“As far as I can tell,” Ronnie said, “this seems like the best place to find The Rebel Horde. We haven’t been contacted yet. I’ve seen a lot of abandoned and destroyed buildings. Many look like they have been left to fall apart. I think they have been derelict for some time.”
“Anything else?” Gyllian asked.
“When Gwennore saw the ship,” Ronnie said, “she said the word dragons. She says that a lot. I think there is some connection between The Rebel Horde and dragons, at least in her mind. She is a very strange person.”
“I have more,” Christabel announced.
“Your scans?” Gyllian asked.
“Yes. All three of your companions, Ronnie, are carrying devices, but no two devices are the same. The men may be carrying locally made devices. They will need closer examination to indicate their purpose. The woman you call Gwennore is carrying one that is in my database and therefore is made off world.”
The people in the lounge went silent. They were listening to Christabel over the speakers as neither The Czarina or Captain Kidd were wet-wired.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Gyllian said.
“The devise is a Pantheran communications device,” Christabel said. “It is rudimentary. It can send a signal to a spaceship and receive a signal. It is not for hyperspace communication. The ship needs to be in orbit.”
“Does it have a log?” Gyllian asked.
“Downloading it now,” Christabel said. “I will have it analyzed shortly.”
Ronnie said, “You mean I’ve been with someone who is in touch with the Pantherans?”
“It looks that way,” Gyllian said.
They heard Star growl.
“Not you,” Ronnie was quick to add.
“I know, Private Investigator Ronnie Camberwell,” Star said. “I was growling about having such a device near you.”
Christabel said, “There’s a list of commits, but nothing has been pushed to a vehicle. The text is confusing. I will translate as best I can.”
The screen filled with text.
am getting the impression dragons is a name for Pantherans.”
“This is the way Gwennore speaks,” Ronnie said,, scanning the text on the screen. “She refers to dragons all the time. I assumed dragons referred to The Rebel Horde. From this, I
“Do you hear that, Captain,” Captain Kidd said. “You’re a dragon, not a cat.”
Another growl issued from the speakers.
“I think Captain Kidd has something here,” Ronnie said. “Gwennore might believe Star is the dragon she wants to give these messages to.”
Gyllian smiled at Ronnie. “I like that idea. We can find out more if we can pose the right questions.”
“If we are a Pantheran ship, we need to release them soon and give them showers, food and a bed,” Ronnie said. “In fact, I’m off to do that.”
Ronnie turned to Gyllian. “You script this. Just let me know my part.” And she left the lounge.
Section Twenty-Seven: Ronnie
I went to my stateroom, stripped off my filthy jump suit and threw them into the recycler. I tapped in a request for replacement clothing and stepped thankfully into the shower unit. I felt the dirt being removed from my skin and knew the medical scan was progressing. While the ship tended to my body, I tried to process what I had just learned.
I will need to gather together all the references for dragons and see how they fit together as references to Pantherans.
I tried to remember everything I knew about Gwennore. She was beautiful. When she cleaned up, everyone would see that. She definitely thought in different ways than anyone I ever met before. I often wondered if she was mentally ill. She lived in Mrs. Farnesworth’s house in a poor neighborhood of Capital City. I had no idea how she supported herself.
Something niggled at the back of my mind. I could not pull it up.
“Ronnie,” Christabel said.
“Here,” I replied through the wet wiring.
“The name Daniels comes up. Does that mean anything to you?”
I shivered involuntarily.
“Not a good word,” Christabel commented.
“A scary person who lives in the attic apartment in my house. He lives on the top floor, then me then Gwennore then the ground floor where Mrs. Farnesworth lives.”
“And someone named Poppy,” Christabel said.
“Mrs. Farnesworth,” I said.
“They are all Pantheran agents,” Christabel told me. “I think Daniels is the muscle and Mrs. Farnesworth is the chief contact.”
“Where does Gwennore fit and why have the messages not been sent?” I asked.
“There is no indication of why,” Christabel said. “I would have to interrogate the other devices to know.”
“We can ask,” Ronnie said.
“It’s a question in the queue,” Christabel said.
Ronnie said, stepping out of the shower cubicle, “I am concerned about Star getting off script.”
“I can monitor and prompt,” Christabel said.
Christabel is always confident how well she can manage Star. For the most part, she can, but Star is a ham at heart and might overdue her part.
Section Twenty-Eight: What To Ask
Gyllian poured herself yet another cup of coffee. One by one, they had allowed the others to take showers and clean up. Captain Kidd had seen to that. A bit of a ham himself, he had played the part of a pirate. Gyllian was not certain Pantherans would have done that, but she hoped the trio in the cargo area had no acquaintance with how Pantherans lived and worked aboard their ships. She kept going over the questions they wanted to know.
Ronnie came back into the lounge.
“Feeling better?” Gyllian asked.
“Much, thanks,” Ronnie said. “Is that coffee?”
“Help yourself,” Gyllian said.
Ronnie did.
Returning to the table Ronnie said, “Christabel tells me all the people in my hose back in Capital City are involved, but no messages have been sent which are on Gwennore’s device.”
“Does that make any sense to you?” Gyllian asked. “I cannot figure out the end game here.”
“Maybe there isn’t one,” Ronnie said. “I’ve been thinking, too. Whatever it is, they’re all involved. None of them have treated me very well. Gwennore has been the friendliest though I think her thought processes are quite confused. Though from time to time she says something I can construe as accurate.”
“And how is that?” Gyllian asked.
“Gwennore has some sense that what happens inside the Royal Precincts is not the same as what happens in the rest of Capital City. She’s right about that. She talks a lot about dragons and we’re drawing the conclusion she means Pantherans though I cannot make the connection myself. Maybe a Pantheran told her they were dragons and maybe they met her in this part of the continent. Maybe her screwy thinking is a result of such a meeting.”
“Whatever we think,” Gyllian said, “it’s time for Star to interview them. Christabel and I have impressed on him the necessity to keep to the script. We’re watching from here. You probably need to go and join the others.”
Ronnie made a face.
“They smell better.”
“I’ll do it for Hollis,” she said. “I cannot figure out how he fits into any of this.”
And she left and went into the cargo bay.
Section Twenty-Nine: Playing the Scene
Captain Star Runner was magnificent. The Czarina declared this at dinner that evening and the others wholeheartedly agreed.
The most surprising piece of information to come out of the interrogation was how frightening Star could be when Star growled. Ungendered Pantherans, to their chagrin, do not roar. However, their growl is very fierce. Star’s old friends had heard Star growl, but they did not understand hat Star was holding back. Star chose to give a full-throated growl while interviewing the people in the cargo bay.
It went something like this when Star entered an area of the cargo bay set up with a table and chairs::
Hollis: Who are you?
Star: I am the captain of this ride.
Gyllian had wanted Star to say ship but Star insisted a Pantheran would say ride so ride it was.
“I am Prince Hollis, and I demand–
Star growled, twitching its tails menacingly.
Hollis: I am Prince Hollis. Do you know what that means?
Star: That you are a spoiled brat who your sister wants to get rid of.
Hollis bit his lip. His one attempt at vibrato failed immediately.
Teddy: When can we get off of this dump.
Another growl.
Teddy: You don’t scare me. You’re all growl and no muscle. I bet I could take you on.
He got up from his chair and rushed Star. Star swatted him with its paw, knocking Teddy down. Then Star planted that paw on Teddy’s back. Teddy could not move.Christabel summoned the restraints and they quickly immobilized Teddy which was good. Star’s strength would not have lasted very much longer.
Gwennore: Are you really a dragon?
She was, as Ronnie had predicted, quite beautiful.
Star: Yes,You have one of my devices.
Gwennore: Taken. Not transmit.
Star: I have read your messages.
Everyone hoped Gwennore would explain them. Except for the names, the messages appeared to be garbled and not of any usefulness.
Gwennore, indicating Ronnie: I watch her. She is a dragon hunter. You need to be wise about her.
Star looked Ronnie over critically.
Star to Gwennore: What is so special about this one?
Gwennore: She is a foreigner?
Gwennore said this as if that explained everything.
Star: What difference does that make? You are all Terrans.
Gwennore did not know that word.
Star: You are all humans.
Star said this as if the word left a nasty taste in its mouth.
Star: None of you are Members of the Race.
Ronnie, Gyllian, The Czarina and Captain Kidd were certain this was Star’s own ad-lib[D[D[D[C[C[C, but it was in perfect character for a Pantheran.
Gwennore: She is a different color
Star gave one of its elaborate shrugs of shoulders and hind quarters. “Members of the Race are different colors.”
Gwennore: But she is dark ,Dark hair, dark eyes, brown skinned. She is foreign.
Star: So you and Daniels and Poppy all thought she was special for that reason?
Star’s tone suggested it thought this statement preposterous.
Gwennore: She is not from Capital City. She is foreign. Dragons ask us to note strange things Star: Agreed.
Star dismissed her.
Hollis: What will happen to us?
Star: I haven’t decided yet. You will stay on my ride until I decide.
Hollis: Lord Stern will look for me.
Star: Who is Lord Stern.
Hollis: The Royal Protector of the Royal Province of Debussy on La Mer.
Star shrugged.
Star: Just another Terran.
Hollis jumped from his chair.
Hollis: You don’t even look like a dragon. You look like a big fluffy cat.
That was a very bad thing to say to Captain Star Runner. Star walked up to Hollis who was much taller than Star and pushed the boy over with a paw. Star stood over him.
Star: Never call me that again.
The growl was terrifying and right in Hollis’s face.
Hollis: I’m sorry. I did not mean it. Of course you are a dragon. I just never met a dragon before and I did not know what expect.
Star batted him with his paw.
Star: Silence.
And then Star walked out of the room, tail high.
Hollis lay on the floor snuffling.
Ronnie sat motionless. How could she ever have thought these people were normal human beings. Teddy’s actions had been folly, but at least his reactions were fairly normal.
Section Thirty: Later
We had agreed that I would take my meals with my river companions to see if they said anything to me. Of course all their communications were monitored. We had further agreed that I would go up onto the upper level of the ride whenever possible.
When we were eating, Hollis said to no one in particular, “None of you came to my aid when that dragon attacked me.”
“I was a bit out of commission,” Teddy said. “You acted like a baby. No wonder that dragon swatted you like a kitten.”
That was exactly what Star had done. Star’s claws were not extended They were when Star had struck Teddy.
“The dragon was very angry .
with both of you,” Gwennore said very clearly and coherently. “they are very powerful. They will rule the world soon.”
“A silly-looking creature like that,” Teddy scoffed. “Not likely. They’ll have to deal with us.”
“Us?” I asked. Did he mean the government of The Royal Province of Debussy on La Mer.”
“No, you stupid cow,” Teddy said. “Us, the so-called Rebel Horde. We’ll take over all the self-indulgent monarchies run by sissies like this one and they’ll have somebody to reckon with.”
“You are part of The Rebel Horde?” I asked.
“What do you think, brown cow?”
“But what about all the reports, the Democracy of Rock and Roll, your father’s friend?”
“I made all of that up.” Teddy sneered. “And you fell for it. Gwennore over here helped, did not you? She told how her landlady thought you were from there so I just gilded the lily.”
“And what purpose was there for leading me here?” I asked. “Were you supposed to rendezvous with the dragons?”
“No way,” Teddy said. “We were going to let you go on a little farther and then hold you for ransom. We figured Stern and his cronies wanted you back. The pot got very sweet when Hollis came along. That was what was taking so long. We needed extra people and supplies because there were more of you.”
“And now we are all kid napped by the dragons and maybe they don’t know how to return us.” Hollis wailed. “I hate all of you. I hate the dragons. I hate Hollin and all her silly ideas.” With this he jumped up from the table and ran to his sleeping chamber, slamming the door.
“Stupid kid,” Teddy said. “I hope I get a chance to lop off his head.”
I put down my fork.
“Hollis isn’t a bad kid,” I said. “He’s just scared.”
With that I got up from my chair and walked to my sleeping chamber, letting the door close behind me. Mine had a back door and I was soon upstairs with the other.
Section Thirty-One: What Next?
When Ronnie joined the others upstairs, The Czarina was saying to Star, “You magnificent animal. I thought that boy would pee in his pants when you swatted at him.”
“He did pee in his pants,” Ronnie said, sitting down at the table and helping herself to the dessert. Captain Kidd gallantly poured her a fresh cup of coffee.
“What’s up with him anyway?” Gyllian asked.
“Teddy, for all his crassness, is right,” Ronnie said. “Hollis is a spoiled brat, a boy playing at being a man. he is totally unprepared to act responsibly.” Ronnie looked around the table. “Does anyone care that he called me a cow and a brown cow at that.”
“It is quite shameful,” The Czarina announced. “I am writing it up as an example of poor training by the upper classes of the lower classes. Now I don’t believe in a stratified society, but in societies of this nature, everyone should respect everyone else.”
“But they don’t, dear” Captain Kidd said. “Teddy is trying to be better than he is and failing miserably. What he needs is to work on a pirate ship and truly earn his keep. The boy could benefit by that, too. I suspect our Teddy would break before the boy.”
Ronnie privately agreed with Captain Kidd’s observations.
Star said, “I do not want you returning to the cargo area, Private Investigator Ronnie Camberwell. I do not like you being near those people.”
“What reason can you give for her removal?” Gyllian asked.
“I need to give none at all. I am the captain,” Captain Star Runner said.
“They are already suspicious of her,” Gyllian said. “Will Not this increase that suspicion.”
“Yes, it would,” Ronnie said. “And I think that is good. They will not know if I have a special relationship with the captain, which I do, or if I have been singled out for special interrogation or even a special mission which is also true. I don’t know if you noticed, Star did not ask me any questions. Private interrogation can be the explanation, especially if there is noise to that affect during the night.”
Grudgingly, Gyllian said, “that’s not a bad idea. We also need to figure out what’s next.”
Ronnie yawned. “You can start on that. I need some sleep.”
Gyllian was annoyed. They needed Ronnie’s input to make a plan.
“Don’t be too annoyed,” The Czarina said to Gyllian. “She’s tired and it has certainly been stressful to discover you have been surrounded by Pantheran agents.”
“I suppose,” Gyllian allowed. “I do need her input as to how to proceed.”
“Let’s see what we can figure out on our own,” Captain Kidd suggested. “Ronnie will be our reality check.”
“That’s an excellent idea, William,” The Czarina said. “The girl is so thin. I don’t think she has been eating too well either.”
“And being called a brown cow does not improve your sense of well-being and worth either,” Christabel put in. The AI was always quick to support women since her name sake had been an early feminist.
It looks like I’ve lost this round to Ronnie, Gyllian thought sourly, and she’s not even here. At least she probably will not know. Yet again Gyllian wondered why she even cared. Why did this woman rankle her so much. Perhaps it was her lack of ambition and parochialism. That flew in the face of Gillian’s long-held desire to progress in her career and her wander lust to visit new places and have new experiences. Perhaps that was behind her long running affair with Captain Star Runner. It was a different experience. Sure other humans engaged in cross alien relationships, but being involved with a Pantheran, even a renegade ungendered one, pushed the envelope of acceptability especially since an AI was also involved. It also irritated Gyllian that Star was so smitten with the woman. Her dark hair was stringy and she always looked like she needed a hair cut. She had a rangy body and she moved without grace. Her hands seemed to large for the rest of her body. Gyllian could not recall, but she supposed Ronnie had big feet, too. She had looked better when she was with Tana Lee O’Rourke, but then Tana Lee was a very hot item. Gyllian preferred men, but Tana Lee could persuade her other side Gyllian was certain.
Why, Gyllian wondered, was she going off on such a mental tangent. She had Oscar, dull, predictable, sweet Oscar. Well, there was the problem. Oscar was an anecdote to all the adventure in her line of work. He never complained about her long absences. He never asked what she was doing if she said it was work-related. She stayed with Oscar to rest. Was that fair to Oscar? Probably not. Were any of the people she was just thinking about suitable replacements for Oscar? Absolutely not though she did suspect Tana Lee would leave the Alexandria Space Station if another opportunity presented itself.
Oh, stop it, Gyllian told herself. Focus on the mission. Pantheran agents in Capital City keeping an eye on Ronnie did not bode well. And why had The Rebel Horde man, Teddy, gotten involved? Was there a connection?
“Let’s think about Teddy for a minute,” Gyllian said to The Czarina and Captain Kidd. “Is this coincidence or does he have an agenda that dove tails with the Pantheran agents?”
“Could it be that the Pantherans are using The Rebel Horde to cause trouble for the established monarchies?” The Czarina asked.
She is smarter than she pretends to be, Gyllian thought. Aloud she said, “That would be a way into the hearts and minds of a certain group of people on the Three Planets. Promise them military aid to support their cause. Lull them into thinking the Pantherans are the good guys and then, when the long-established governments are either busy or weakened, move in. The Rebel Horde could be easily dealt with in a mop up operation.” “Sounds reasonable,” Captain Kidd said. “Do we have anything to cooperate this?”
“We do,” Christabel said. “Teddy’s device has a lot of traffic between different cells. Based on an analysis of the dialects used, the word they are using for their backers could refer to The Race. It could also be a word I do not have in my database.”
“So there’s a possible link,” Gyllian said thoughtfully. “But Teddy has not made the connection between himself and the crowd at 202 Green Street.”
“That does seem to be the case,” Christabel said.
“That crowd might relate directly to Ronnie which is worrisome,” The Czarina said.
“We need to protect Ronnie at all cost,” Christabel said.
Gyllian said, “She is one of many factors here and the star system as a whole is my concern. One person cannot stand in the way of a system wide plan.”
“Captain Star Runner will not approve such a plan,” Christabel said.
The Czarina and Captain Kidd nodded. Gyllian sigh inwardly. She had to work with these people and, more important, she had to be an honest broker. If she deceived them once, they would not work with her again. They will hold me accountable for Ronnie’s safety, too, she thought. I need to change my approach. Ronnie needs to be my priority, too.
Aloud Gyllian said, “Clearly, our plans need to include protecting Ronnie.”
The Czarina and Captain Kidd relaxed. Captain Kidd poured more coffee.
knew how their technology worked, their devices could be returned to them with spy ware on them. She floated this idea.
“That is possible,” Christabel said. “What do you want to know.” “Before that,” Captain Kidd interjected, “is there a satellite or anything to beam these signals up to a ship or to the rest of the planet or even to another planet? How are they communicating long distances?”
Gyllian thought, an obvious question. I should have thought of that. Satellites are such an antiquated technology it never crossed my mind.
“There are several satellites,” Christabel reported. “Shall I investigate?”
“Please do,” Gyllian said.
Never show you have been taken by surprise Gyllian told herself. Act as if you knew this all along.
“Where is Captain Star Runner?” The Czarina asked no one in particular.
“Asleep at last,” Christabel said. “He is in a deep sleep cycle right now. I have been worried. Star has been on edge since Star learned Ronnie was not doing well and possibly in danger in Capital City. With her aboard, things will be much calmer.”
But I need her in Capital City, Gyllian thought. She can put a number of things in motion. I do not know what those things are yet, but when I do, Ronnie will need to be the one doing it. That will put her at risk by definition, but I do not see an alternative. I will probably have to fight Star on this one.
Gyllian drank her now quite warm coffee as a delaying tactic. She had to think. The everyday people of Marathon lived with a technology which by any standard was archaic. The governments seemed to have a more advanced technology but nothing like the rest of humanity in urban areas. Assuming none of the direct participants really understood any of this technology, what could she do? With Christabel aboard Gyllian had access to the most sophisticated software in the Hesperian galactic arm. She wish Josh was here to work with Christabel, but there seemed no way to make that happen. Star would be willing to make the run to the Pharaoh Star System, but he would have no interest whatsoever in making a return run.
“One satellite is definitely Pantheran,” Christabel said. She always used the Pantheran word for themselves, spoken in a low register which always seemed to vibrate the air. This was not the way Captain Star Runner spoke the name. As an ungendered Pantheran, Star’s voice was higher and much like a juvenile gendered Pantheran. The lower register speech was preferred by members of the Race. Star’s high voice marked Star as ungendered and therefore inferior.
“And the other two?” Captain Kidd asked immediately.
“These are very old technology. The satellites are in decaying orbits. They transfer messages between the different provinces and to the other planets.”
A spark of a plan was coming to Gyllian. To maintain their communications, the Three Planet Alliance needed technological help. Their human allies could provide that help while leaving them alone to live as they preferred. It was an offer. Meanwhile, Gyllian needed to know what they were using the satellites for. She had no qualms about reading those messages. Would Christabel? Would Star if Christabel would not do it on her own? One way to find out?
“Christabel, what sort of communication is being transferred?” Gyllian asked.
“Unknown,” Christabel responded immediately.
“Find out, will you?” Gyllian tried to speak as casually as possible to indicate to Christabel her interest in the messages was not that important.
“I will need Captain Star Runner’s approval for that,” Christabel responded. Her tone was crisp and, Gyllian thought, dismissive. Christabel had understood what she wanted. That was unfortunate. She was losing time. Christabel would not wake Star and if Gyllian went to do so herself, Christabel would block her. It was better to stay on the AI’s good side. She would be a serious enemy and she would definitely influence Star as well.
“How about the Pantheran satellite,” Gyllian said instead.
“I have been looking into that,” Gyllian said. “The encryption is of a lower level. They did not expect any hackers.”
“That is sloppy,” Captain Kidd put in. “The League of Hypatian Pirates can crack low level Pantheran security.”
And all this while, Gyllian thought, I have two Pantheran military squadrons on the loose. One could show up here any moment. They might be able to tell their systems were hacked.
“I will need to work slowly,” Christabel said as if she could read Gillian’s mind. “I know you want this information immediately, Gyllian, but I do not want the Pantheran military to get any whiff of an intrusion… I have the hacking routines, but I am not experienced hacker.”
All the humans sitting around the table smiled. Christabel’s protestations to the contrary, Captain Star Runner was a known hacker and a fairly reputable one. Obviously, they worked together. If Star was awake, there would be intuition at play. With Christabel solely on the job, the hacking would proceed in an orderly manner as well as covering her tracks. As the Fungusians had greatly augmented the star runner artificial intelligence package, it was doubtful a standard star runner aboard a military vehicle or any other AI package aboard their ships would detect Christabel’s activity. After all, this satellite was not state of the art. This was one that was old and not needed anywhere else.
A real question I am going to have to figure out is why Captain Star Runner has an area in the cargo section of its ride which essentially has cells and a recreational area. Is it possible that Star was given a military ship by the People of the Rainbow Way and this is the brig? If so, it would go a long way to explaining things. The back door to Ronnie’s cell is a little harder to explain but it may be a way to get a prisoner into the rest of the ship without going through the recreational area. Another possibility is that this area is for a lesser status crew or travelers. The outside locks and security cameras could have been a quick add by Christabel or just part of the set up. If this scenario is the case, the door upstairs makes more sense. It could also be used by an officer charged with overseeing these people.