Seven Gateway (Near the Dorsit System)
A Plea for Help
THE CAST:
On the Morandesser
Mancer, Rapha, Armoury, Lampard, Trackett, Brawn, Dolsis, Stevos, Viva, Casma, Floke
On the Jadia
Zamball, Zimbalist, Grat, Sponair, Dorrio. Komforth, Purr
‘Four hours from Wormhole Prefaxi J1,’ said Sub Commander Brawn, ‘or what the star chart shows as the Seven Gateway.’
‘The Seven Gateway?’ asked Stevos. ‘What’s that?’
‘A wormhole I’ve been waiting to see,’ Rapha replied. ‘It’s supposedly the busiest wormhole in the galaxy. The star charts show it as a primary, full-sized conduit that detours the impassable Zanex Nebula. Its exit offers access to seven other wormholes to all parts of the quadrant. Rumours suggest the structures there and the technology that allows is use is older than any other in our galaxy. Built by unknown gods of the Early Universe as a gift for all who follow them – so the story goes. A gift policed by an alien race who demand payment for access. A bottleneck in many of the routes through the galaxy and, one can assume, a nice little earner.’
‘More abusive aliens?’ asked Mancer.
‘Hopefully not,’ Rapha said. ‘What are you getting on long-range sensors, Dolsis?’
‘Just coming into range, Captain. Give me a few seconds. Wow!’
‘Wow, what, Sub Commander?’
‘Wow, over two hundred ships, sir,’ Dolsis said. ‘They seem to be in a holding area, waiting to enter the wormhole.’
‘This I’ve got to see,’ Rapha said with glee.
A thousand kilometres from the wormhole, a holograph appeared on the bridge of the Morandesser. The reptilian was seated, thin legs crossed. assessing the ship with a sweeping look.
‘Welcome to the Seven Gateway. You are now esteemed guests of the Administrators, guardians of this facility, and purveyors of safe wormhole travel. I am here to analyse the size and contents of your vessel and estimate your fee. We take pride in our record of zero fatalities since we won the contract to run this facility ninety years ago.
Please state your onward destination.’
‘Wormhole Prefaxi J1M5, and the Pleasure Moon of Doth,’ said Rapha.
‘Excellent,’ said the administrator, displaying no emotion. ‘As another Administrator administrated facility, you qualify for a special offer– unlimited access to Pleasure and Pamper Islands during your stay on Doth Moon. Calculating.’
‘How do we pay this?’ Mancer asked. ‘Have we legal tender?’
‘We have reserves of some precious metals,’ Rapha replied. ‘Perhaps that’s what they’re scanning for.’
The holograph reactivated. ‘For a type B battlecruiser, fees are as follows: our standard package basic transfer through the Seven Gateway, currently scheduled at five Standard days, plus delays caused by future premium clients will be three bars of full-yield gold, 90% purity.
‘The standard package plus: basic transfer through the Seven Gateway, guaranteed at 5.4 Standard days will be five bars of full yield gold, 90% purity minimum.
‘Our premium package includes accelerated transfer through the Seven Gateway, currently scheduled at fifteen Standard hours, plus delays caused by future Premium Plus clients. With bonus unlimited access to Pleasure and Pamper Islands during your stay on Doth Moon will be eight bars of full yield gold, 90% purity minimum.
‘And of course, our premium package plus. That is immediate transfer through the Severn Gateway, currently scheduled at three standard hours. That also comes with unlimited access to Pleasure and Pamper Islands during your stay on Doth Moon at a price of ten bars of full yield gold, 90% purity minimum.
‘Please select your package and remit payment within the hour.’
The holograph disappeared.
‘How does that stack up?’ asked Mancer.
‘We have gold to spare,’ said Rapha, ‘so cost isn’t a factor. If we’re only a type B battlecruiser, I can’t wait to see a type A.’
‘What were the various moon destinations?’ said Stevos. ‘I’m sure those two were the islands of least interest to us.’
‘Adventure, Horror and Exploration are the other three,’ Brawn replied. ‘They’re throwing in the least popular ones.’
Stevos took control. ‘If we aren’t interested in the Pleasure Moon add-ons, then I would suggest the standard package plus. Five days with two hundred ships about us could be fun, but I don’t fancy being continually gazumped, and it changes to ten days.’
‘I agree with the boss lady,’ said Rapha, ‘so that’s two to nil in favour – unanimously carried. Brawn, let the Administrators know our answer.’
The Morandesser manoeuvred into a giant holding pen under the guidance of positioning droids to a place midway between the wormhole and the end of the queue. Rows of beacons created a lane to the wormhole from the departure point.
A small spherical ship was just entering the lane. When it was two-thirds of the way through, the wormhole flashed open on a wondrous kaleidoscope of light that gobbled up the sphere and closed back in on itself as if it had never existed.
‘That was one of our spheres,’ Stevos, said but it was too late for anyone to confirm her suspicions.
Those on the bridge of the battlecruiser viewed the plethora of alien ships in the hold. Preenasette, while at war, had limited contact with neighbouring systems and here was a perfect opportunity to sample the diversity of the cosmos. A horde of small fighters and shuttles from the other ships were circling and checking them out. They were the largest ship in the compound and this courted interest from those around them.
‘Can we play?’ Armoury asked his captain.
‘Yes,’ Rapha replied, ‘but take a passenger with you. Everyone deserves a chance to see the ancient structures and check out the other vessels.’
Suddenly there was room to move on the bridge as Flight Commanders Armoury, Lampard, Brink, and Trackett, disappeared with a gaggle of crew hoping for rides.
As the days went by, the Preenasettians came to understand the prevailing etiquette in the compound, that encouraged ships to host visits from their neighbours. Shuttle services – the Administrators organised ships working to pay passage through the wormhole to ferry parties between the vessels, for a modest fee. The majority of the space travellers had an insatiable curiosity, and were, in the most part, peaceful.
Some visiting Narabbi explained to Mancer, Stevos, Rapha, that the Administrators had set up this facility illegally, after hoodwinking everyone into believing it was an official franchise. Powerful or warlike species used the facility free with an escort to the front of the queue – the Administrators were entirely pragmatic about threats to their livelihood. The Narabbi had negotiated low rates because of the special service they could offer the Administrators should they so need it. Try as he might, Mancer couldn’t extract from them what this service was. Such a prim and proper race, Mancer couldn’t see for the life of him what they could offer.
On the morning the Morandesser was due to leave, two new arrivals sparked concern and interest on Rapha’s bridge.
‘It’s the Gemini 7 convoy, sir.’ Brink reported. She was on her last jolly of their stay and had taken the chief out on a quick spin. ‘I made a couple of passes to be sure, but it only needed one.’
‘Okay,’ Rapha replied, ‘Head on back. There’s nothing they can do in this environment.’
‘I’m sure the hive mind will debate whether to attack anyone,’ Stevos laughed.
A few hours later, three type A battlecruisers arrived in local space and were immediately placed at the head of the queue, just in front of the Morandesser.
‘That will put us back by a few hours,’ said Mancer with frustration. He was eager to leave after the arrival of the Geminians.
‘I see why the Administrators class us as a type B,’ Rapha said. ‘They’re magnificent.’
The Morandesser’s positioning droid moved them back to accommodate the three battlecruisers, forcing everyone behind to edge this way and that.
Brawn received a hail. ‘It’s a Gemini 7 fighter, sir, and it’s their leader, Zamball.’
‘Put him on,’ Rapha said. ‘Zamball. What can we do for you?’
‘We need your help, Captain.’
‘And why should we help you?’
‘I know you have no reason to help us, but are you aware that those three battlecruisers that just arrived are Zerot?’
‘How do you know that?’
‘They’re the three that came to our planet twenty-six years ago.’
Rapha looked at Mancer and Stevos.
‘Won’t hurt to find out what he wants,’ Stevos said.
‘What do you want?’
‘You will follow them through and see which onward wormhole they take. It may still be a few days before we can follow. We’re asking for you to wait for us and tell us where they go. We’ll do the rest. Captain, that’s an armada of death. The fate of a planet could be at stake.’
Stevos and Mancer both nodded at the captain.
‘We’ll do it,’ Rapha said. ‘But if you try anything, I’ll give the order to blow you into tiny pieces.’
‘Thank you, Captain.’
When the Morandesser passed through the wormhole, the Zerot armada was still on sensors, heading for wormhole Prefaxi J1M2. Rapha studied the star charts. ‘There are three more wormholes within two days of that one. We need to see which of these they take if the strategy of the Geminians is going to work.’
‘We could leave Armoury and Lampard here to tell them,’ Brawn suggested. ‘And we keep tabs on the Zerot.’
‘You realise, Armoury and Lamps will need to hitch a lift with the Geminians?’ Rapha pointed out.
‘They’ll be safe,’ Brawn said unconvincingly. ‘Surely?’
Two 3W fighters left to meet the Gemini 7 convoy and the Morandesser entered wormhole Prefaxi J1M2. Upon exit, they held position – they could track the Zerot from here. A day later and it was clear they were heading for wormhole Prefaxi J1M2H3. More pouring over star charts by Rapha and Brawn revealed something interesting.
‘Although we approached from a different direction,’ Rapha explained to Mancer and Stevos, ‘wormhole J1M2H3 was on the route we originally took to the Sol system. The Zerot could go anywhere, but the chance exists that they’re heading for Earth.’
The captain, crew and special guests Mancer and Stevos, had four more days to ponder upon a course of action. They’d put their brief excursion to the Doth Pleasure Moon on hold. When the Gemini 7 convoy appeared, they would tag along with Zamball and his hive mind whether they liked it or not until it was clear the Zerot were not on their way to Earth.