Ursa Minor

By Jonathan Michael Royalty

Discovering love while living in sin, Miguel is met with a frightening revelation of discovery by an intelligence beyond his own comprehension. His belief system assists him through a trial of will that only the strongest of man could survive. His lover, Joan, awakens to her own horrific truth through a journey that encompasses not only time but also intriguing travail. These two lost souls, while separated by destiny, are forced to join forces in order to ensure the future fate of mankind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781618429698

Book preview

Colorado

1.  Day Before

The Captain of the fleet was just beginning to accept the dusk of his career when he received the orders.  His employment had lasted well beyond the required duty time and a desire to return to his home planet, a small star system enjoying a pleasant obscurity within the Andromeda galaxy, had begun to swell within his daily thoughts.  Hoping that he would finish his final tour of duty without any unforeseen catastrophes, he left his birthing area and entered his office.  The assignment required him to acknowledge endangered intelligence and designate a fate based on any possible contribution the society could present to the realm in the future.  Whenever orders were received he knew that the calendar for the next month would be full of unforeseen events and activities.

His only hope had been to encounter a basic society.  Several artificial satellites had already been discovered during approach, and he soon realized that in just a couple of centuries the people that he was sent to save had pulled themselves into the space age.  Admiring their recent advancement from a primitive iron age society to what could now only be perceived as space faring, he sat behind his console and wondered about their fate.  Their advanced state had caught him off guard due to the last report from this sector showing no radio contact.

One thing he had enjoyed about his day was the time spent watching the aquarium that he had filled at the last star system with some amazing forms of life.  The creatures swam in the most exciting patterns.  Bright orange and yellow sparks flew down the arms of the six pointed starfish as they came in contact with the glass, and a unique jellyfish transitioned through an entire spectrum of color as it traveled across the tank by turning itself inside out.  Two groups of small fish, the same species yet self segregated by sex, occupied either end of the tank and spoke to each other by performing formations of common shapes.  The females would make an elongated triangle and hold the shape until the males copied it exactly.  Once mirrored the females would break formation and wait for the males to produce a shape to be copied by the females.  The dance would continue for hours and the captain had determined that it was a unique form of flirtation.

The fleet under his command contained more than five hundred ships.  Every imaginable design from large carriers to the smallest speeders all obeyed his orders to accomplish their assigned missions.  Moving together between star systems was a necessity to maintain the integrity of the fleet, and the huge display in front of him relayed the exact position of each unit.  With the central ship now safely in orbit around the only moon surrounding this planet, the Captain was confident that each crew would handle their tasks to perfection without his constant supervision.

He called his second into the lounge, along with the transport crew, to determine the best course of retrieval for the morning’s find.  The group represented a massive collage of life forms that had each found their way into the interstellar age without confronting the realm with violence.  Several times in the past the species being contacted had attacked them using weapons ranging from nuclear warheads to crude spears.  These attacks at times had managed to force the fleet into retreat only to seal the destructive fate of the society that the fleet had been sent to save.  The members of the panel surrounding the captain in his office concluded that a plan establishing simple contact with the most advanced branch of the society to express intentions would result in the best outcome.  Finding the appropriate plan to use from the many they had on file that would suit their intentions was still creating a challenge.  Massive sets of contingency plans were outlined on every member’s console, and the discussion faded to dispute in only a matter of minutes.  The constant of finds and relocation of the endangered enlightened had taken its toll on the entire unit.

While the path of least resistance was always expected from any intelligent species, the majority of what they had been receiving from their satellite feeds showed a tendency towards violence far beyond the accepted boundaries.  Wars raged in several continents and massive abuses of any concept that would be considered decent standards of living absorbed much of the population he was about to contact.  One of the news clips showed a murder scene in which almost forty individuals had been slaughtered at the hands of one delusional man.  The victims of the crime had been participating in a business meeting when the suspect had entered the only door in the room and opened fire with an automatic weapon.  The suspect had lost his employment with the company only hours prior to the event.

What do you think of this? the Captain huffed while watching the violent scenes scroll along the wall. 

His second had been reading a historic summary of the society on his console, About what, sir?  The second in command seldom voiced his opinion when approaching a planet in order not to produce any idea that might conflict with the orders given by his Captain.

The nature of these beings is technically advanced well beyond the brutality of their actions.  The captain huffed briefly at the disgusting images that were now streaming in from an over exuberant media that in itself had no obvious morals.  Attempting to judge the abilities of his second in command the Captain asked him, What plan do you think would be effective?

The second in command looked startled by the recent interest in his opinion, yet immediately managed to select a solution, why don’t we follow twenty-six?

The Captain laughed in response, You always go for a clean finish, don’t you?  Plan twenty-six, alpha through omega, required an immediate extermination of all intelligent life surviving on the surface.

Do my best, he smiled. You know that our next stop is home for me, and the sooner we finish with this sector the sooner I will be enjoying a little down time.  The second in command’s home world, being located near the center of the galaxy, was known by the entire crew, to include the Captain, as a place to enjoy some well earned vacation time.  The Capitan knew that one regrettable aspect of joining the fleet was that upon their return every family member, and friend, would be dead millenniums before.  Traveling at speeds well over the speed of light had its pitfalls.

The Captain, knowing this mission would be the last permanent record of his command, wanted his final log entry to be a successful one.  I understand your desires to be at home, but we have to do this right or it’s a permanent holiday for all of us.

The second in command shifted slightly in his seat, solemnly scanned his notes, and then lifted his head again to meet the stares of all of the officers in the room, Their intelligence level, accompanied by the technical ability you brought up, drives me towards a specific survival set of options.  I think the violence issue could be solved as well, if we used a plan that played on their internal fears and desires to do right.  I noticed that in many cases there are individuals attempting to cure the ailments of the rest.  While they seem to be working against the tide they give to charity, feed the poor or even comfort each other during hardship.  It is strange to see a civilization that shows such a variety of character.

The Captain nodded his head, That sounds wise, they do almost all believe in a higher power.  The Captain began to pound furiously upon the set of keys recessed into his own workspace, trying to find a solution that fit the criteria.

Fortunately for the Captain the second already had one in mind, because of the male dominance, I think plan ‘Bravo Seventy-seven’ should be initiated to encourage a higher rate of success.

Nice choice, said the Captain impressed with the efficiency of his assistant, and if it works, you might end your holiday with a command of your own.

The entire command element in the room all moved towards agreement, and began to reference their own roles within the mission.  Several moments of relative silence passed before the entire gaggle of beings were satisfied with their knowledge of the plan.  With a nod the meeting ended, and the Captain gave the final order to commence broadcast.

2.  Steven’s Release

The lawyer that Steven hired worked out to his benefit.  His only complaint was the huge fee that had been drawn from his already dwindling bank account.  The charge of trafficking cocaine across international borders was dropped, and the only thing the prosecution could make stick involved a failure to pay the registration of his boat in time.  The Bermuda authorities had confiscated his yacht, and now Steven’s British passport was the only item that guaranteed him a flight to, and a job interview in, Miami.

The employer at the local docks had immediately fired him when she heard of his arrest. Now that he was a free man, the memories of lockup forced him to realize the insanity behind his current possessions.  The security in this part of the world had been extremely strict in the last several years and he knew that if the kilo in the bottom of his checked bag was found he would never be able to work again.  His seating arrangements had already been checked by the employee working the baggage counter but Steven couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk with the blond flight attendant currently typing away at his gate.

Do you think that you could tell me if this is the gate for Miami? Steven asked in the most posh London accent he could devise.

While still banging away at the keyboard she looked up and rolled her eyes knowing that directly behind her head in six inch font read Miami.  Steven never got a response to his original question and decided to ask, Do you think you could check my seat for me? I hate to sit on the aisle.

Your last name please? the flight attendant asked again without hesitating on the keyboard in front of her.

Write, Steven Write.  He had hoped to at least get a smile from her by proving that he was a first class passenger but apparently she wasn’t impressed with money either.

Sir, our records show that twenty minutes ago at the baggage counter you requested that you window seat be changed to the aisle.  The flight attendant looked up from her computer screen and with an obnoxious grin said, While we do hope to please our passengers in every way, we do insist that any extraordinary request be accompanied by a convenience fee.  Would you like to pay that by cash or card?

Steven, knowing that he had been caught in his attempt to flirt, snatched his ticket from the counter and said, Forget it then.  I will be fine.  Walking away from the gate he thought he heard her laugh just as the banging on her keyboard continued.  Thankfully, his usual routine of flirting with every stewardess at the airport brought disgust not suspicion from the airport staff.  The window at the neighboring gate allowed him the opportunity to relax as he watched his bag move slowly up the conveyer into the belly of the plane.

Wandering away from the glass Steven looked over families heading home after their island vacations.  Many within these groups seemed not to have