Alain

By Daniel Paul Davis

The third book in the trilogy (or tetralogy) focuses on the events on Moonbase Epsilon that occur because of the personal choices of Alain Vegas. Captain Blanchard easily fills her role as Commodore Holguin's XO, interacting with moonbase personnel while insisting all personnel do their jobs, no excuses, you were picked to be all the way out here because you know how to do your job, so do it. Meanwhile, two rescue workers begin meditating, Garry Baumann finds a project to take his mind off of having been mentally kidnapped (or was that hijacked?) and Jaen finally gets to go to earth as the official Rayi emissary to wrangle an official treaty with their new allies, the Earthi.
She and her fellow Rayi merely have a slight problem with bringing that many critters along with them on a 3-year Transport journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Paul Davis
• Release date: Jun 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463397794

Daniel Paul Davis

2 earned degrees + 3 teaching credentials (I won't call those "earned") = knowing more than I should about a sizeable clutch of useless stuff. However, after 25 years in education, I know 2 things about education: 1) How to teach. 2) No principal wants me to actually teach. Bonus 3) They want students indoctrinated. Thus, I write. "Do you have a degree in ___________?" Nope. I have 2 degrees in English, which means I know 2 things: 1) How to read. 2) How to research. Bonus 3) I remember what I read (why do you think I majored in English?!) Thus, the work I have here presented: researching the history was not that difficult, nor was winnowing out the frou-frou. Especially easy is seeing what is frou-frou. Gossip: Married; 3 daughters, all adult; 1 grandchild; 1 worthless, illegal alien, lying ex-son-in-law; empty bank account; full belly. If I ever have a full bank account, I plan to fast.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Garry Baumann entered the Recreation Room, as was his habit, and stood in the middle of the room, as was his habit. He stood a while, as if listening, even tho no one else was in the room. Then he began to speak.

He’s here. After a pause, Mr. Baumann continued. He came for us. He came here for us. He came all this way for us. He’s here. For us.

Garry Baumann looked around, for possibly the first time in his speaking. For possibly the first time, he saw the empty room. His face slowly shifted from blank to confused, then frustrated at his confusion because he had no idea why he was confused. HE’S HERE! Garry Baumann shouted into the empty room. He then sat in a chair because it was next to him, put his head in his hands, and quietly wept.

E-6 Guard Candy entered the Recreation Room and initially saw no one, but when he turned, his eye caught a glimpse of a figure in a chair, and he went over to it to investigate. There, he saw Garry Baumann, lungs slowly heaving. He turned to his communication, Guard Candy here. One person in rec room, not shouting, sitting, sobbing. He looks very upset. Please advise.

Does he need medical?

He might, but hard to say. His head is in his hands, in his lap. Still.

Understood. Sending medical team. Wait for them.

Waiting for medical. Understood.

Two minutes later, two medical trainees entered the Recreation Room with a gurney, saw Guard Candy, and brought it over to him. Once they reached him, they saw Garry Baumann, still quietly sobbing, lungs still quietly heaving. They lowered the gurney and gently, slowly moved Mr. Baumann to pivot forward slightly, rotate his ankles, and sit on the gurney, then lay down and stretch his legs out. Mr. Baumann complied at every step, while continuing to sob. Once on the gurney, Garry Baumann tried to roll onto his side, pull his legs up to his chest, and bury his head in his arms . . . but the medical trainees secured him to the gurney, on his back, before he could finish his effort. Guard Candy merely waited and watched per his orders. Once the patient was secured to the gurney, he followed the medical team out, leaving an empty recreation room.

CHAPTER 2

E-5 Guard Annie Remler stood at her duty station in the Brig, consciously checking each camera screen for the cells present. To her right, an additional bank of monitors were installed, but were not yet connected because that add-on to the Brig was not yet occupied. She needed to sit because that was how the monitors were installed. She had tried standing to check them, but that different angle left some spots invisible.

Once she had checked each monitored cell, she stood, checked behind her, and then checked the food dispensary. Unlike the Moonbase Epsilon Mess Hall, the Moonbase Epsilon Brig did not have human oversight on food production and Brig residents did not get cinnamon rolls. But their dishes were sent to the Mess Hall to be cleaned.

The Brig had the prisoners who awaited the transport back to earth and certain doom, but only three who were there for other crimes, and who might actually exit the Brig before those others did. Guard Remler took her job seriously: being female, she had to. The Brig residents also rightly figured she could beat the snot out of them if it came to that.

Hey, Annie! Prisoner E-4 James Thompson called. Guard Remler walked over to Mr. Thompson, looked into his cell, ascertained that he hadn’t a problem, looked past him at the cell, verified it was still confining him, and walked away, all wordlessly.

You don’t call a guard by her first name, doofus. E-5 George Williams called out.

Hey, Remler! Prisoner E-4 James Thompson called. This shift in tactic got no visiting check at all. Apparently, the guard-on-duty assumed that nothing had changed in prisoner Thompson’s status and a response was not warranted.

The only response it got was from advice-giving E-5 George Williams: Title and last name, only, O Stupid One.

Excuse me, Guard Remler, Can I ask you a question? E-4 James Thompson asked.

Hearing the change in vocabulary, Guard Remler decided to at least support the effort and walked over to his cell. What do you need? She asked.

I don’t need anything. I merely wanted to ask you a question.

Answering questions isn’t my job. You should write it down and ask your supervisor, should you see him again.

Have you heard that the government itself is behind the insurrection?

Guard Remler stared at prisoner Thompson, whether dumbfounded at the question or trying to visually perceive intelligence, prisoner Thompson could not discern. Finally, At least you did not ask about the Moon Monster.

Why would I ask about the Moon Monster?

Why would you ask about a government sponsoring its own overthrow?

That’s what I heard someone tell me.

"One is as illogical as the other. Eventually, someone will tell you about the Moon Monster.

So you think it’s a rumor?

"Prisoner Thompson, do you think someone could know it’s a lie?"

How could you know the government isn’t doing something?

Answer my first question, Mr. Thompson.

What was that? Mr. Thompson asked, indicating how much attention he had been paying to the conversation.

Why would any government sponsor its own overthrow? A government isn’t a thing. A government is people. Why would the people in a government work together to all become unemployed?

Oh, well, if you put it that way . . . Mr. Thompson answered while not finishing his conditional sentence.

Prisoner Thompson, that is the way YOU should have put it.

CHAPTER 3

E-4 Guard Tzolkin exited the Update & Training meeting at the Guard Office more confused than normal. The trainer said that, for maximum chance of an effective shot, the shooter should aim for center mass. Previously, the trainer had always said that there should be no shooting in the moonbase exactly because of what happened and what Guard Percy did about what happened. This trainer seemed to be saying there was a way to aim the weapon to avoid that unpleasant result. Admittedly, Percy had been shot and was dead a second after reflexively firing his weapon, but still. This new rule contradicted all the old rules . . . at least, so Lance Tzolkin believed. But at least I do have a weapon to shoot with. He concluded as a kind of comforting coda to the quandary.

Returning to quarters, he saw Jake Matos, whom he thought was still on shift.

Hey Lance.

Greetings, Jake. Mr. Tzolkin answered. Then he realized where and when he was, and asked, Why are you here, not there?

Off early.

Since when is anyone ‘off early’? You’re assigned a shift and you complete it. Are you sick?

Naw, I’m fine. At least, as far as I’m concerned.

What does the doctor say?

I haven’t seen the doctor.

Are you going to see the doctor?

Why would I see the doctor when I’m not sick?

How did you manage to be released from your shift early?

We were overstaffed.

We are understaffed. Guard Lance Tzolkin objected. We’ve been understaffed ever since all those insurrectionists went to Tau Ceti 3.

I’m here, okay? I’m just here. Is that all right with you?

No. Actually, it is very wrong. It’s suspicious. You should still be at your duty station. And you have given no reason for not being at your duty station until your shift ends. Shoot, Jake, did you even go to work?

No.

Should I tell you that your CO will come looking for you? Or should I ask you why you are AWOL?

I think you should stop talking to me like a cop.

I am a guard, Lance. Talking to you like a police officer is my job, and I am here because I came off shift from my job being a guard. And finding out why you are in the wrong place is my job. Guard Tzolkin then turned to his communication with, Guard Tzolkin. Commanding Officer for Jake Matos.

Lieutenant Zofia.

Excuse me, lieutenant. Should Jake Matos be on duty right now?

Excuse me, checking. Yes, he should.

He’s here in his quarters.

He’s very late.

He is also not explaining--to me, anyway--why he is still here.

Bring him here, please, Guard Tzolkin. If he refuses your escort, call for help to escort him to the Brig.

Yes, sir. Guard Tzolkin then turned to his bunkmate with, You heard him. Let’s go.

I don’t want to.

You also don’t want to be in the Brig. The food is worse than the mess hall. You also don’t want the other penalties for being AWOL. Stop arguing and come with me. Now.

Bunkmate Jake Matos stood there staring at Guard Tzolkin, saying nothing. Guard Tzolkin returned to his communication with, Guard Tzolkin, request two guards at housing twelve. Then he stood there to ensure Mr. Matos didn’t leave, but waited for the escort.

Two minutes later, the door chimed. Jake Matos said, Enter. When they did, he said, Arrest me and take me to the Brig because I’m AWOL.

They both looked at Guard Tzolkin, confused. He is correct, guards. He is supposed to be on shift, he wasn’t when I came back, so I contacted his CO, Lieutenant Zofia. This is what he said. Mr. Matos heard the conversation over my communication, too, so he knows that refusing to appear at his duty station means he appears in the Brig. And no, I have no idea why this is his choice.

Okay. E-4 Guard Hershey said. Come with us, Mr. Matos. And he did.

You won’t need your magnalocks. I’ll come quietly. After all, where would I run to?

Guard Tzolkin followed them, nonetheless, wondering what about the Brig held such appeal for the guy. I’ve been living with him for some time and now I realize I don’t know the guy at all.

CHAPTER 4

Uh, Devin? That was supposed to be an E, not F.

Sorry.

Make it easy on yourself, dude. Drop an octave and play the open string.

Okay.

From ‘I don’t know where I am,’ one two three four. The Troglodytes worked thru their new miss song with their new line-up. E-6 Robin Heron left his bass guitar behind when he accepted a new gig on Ray. Lieutenant Limaheluw left his drum kit to moonbase management en lieu of storage fines for abandoned equipment (the band successfully petitioned to have it back if they found someone to play them.) They found E-8 Neil Richardson, who plays the drums with a metronome earpiece.

The song completed, guitarist and E-7 Gravity Generator Technician Alex Grantham said, That sounded good. And Devin? It sounds better an octave lower. Do it that way, from now on.

You want me to learn to play a 5-string, don’t you? E-4 Generator Technician Devin Post asked.

That would be excellent, Mr. Post. Only, I don’t know whether a 5-string bass exists on this moon.

When the transport shows up, I’ll ask them.

E-5 Maintenance Mechanic and singer Jeff Bauer said thru a throat lozenge, Next song, then.

I have a question on the next song, Alex. Devin Post said.

Which note to play?

No. What does it mean?

It’s about the theory that the insurrection was sponsored by the government.

How is that a theory? As if a bunch of people would make more work for themselves to justify their existence. Devin objected.

Maybe they feel unloved. Enemies make loyal fans. Jeff Bauer suggested.

I thought, Devin Post said, That ‘I’ll meet you on the street and then I’ll be happy’ was a love song, except other lines about being hauled to jail seemed to contradict that.

I thought it was obvious. Alex Grantham said.

Dude, Neil Richardson added, Nothing you write is obvious.

So, uh, question. Devin Post stated.

What? Alex asked.

Will Moonbase Epsilon’s military management allow us to sing a song blaming them for the insurrection and mutiny . . . and all the deaths that resulted?

Why wouldn’t they? Alex asked.

Because blaming them for a mutiny could be considered mutiny.

He has a point, Alex. Jeff Bauer said. I sure don’t want to end up in the Brig.

I really don’t want to compromise my art. Alex said.

Alex? Neil Richardson interjected, Conspiracy theories are not ‘art.’ They are badly-connected lies pretending to explain events. A bunch of humans wanted something they could not have. That happens all the time. Conspiracy theories make us feel special, not the ordinary we really are. They are still lies. Are we special for believing lies?

What if they’re true? Alex asked.

Wrong question, dude. What if you got suckered? You should re-write the lyrics to fighting aliens and then learning you defeat the aliens like you win in judo: by letting your opponent do what he wants, but slightly detouring the move.

I like the song I wrote.

Okay. Devin Post said. But maybe you could add one or two words to wink at the audience that you know the value of a conspiracy theory. If we don’t sound like we believe it, we might not have the commodore tell our supervisors to watch us.

I can’t believe this. Alex finally declared.

It’s where we are, dude. Devin Post explained. We play what we play, key of C Major, A Minor, whatever. Both the music and the words are for an audience who are military personnel or work for military. You don’t play Bart Ernst for this audience, either.

Who’s Bart Ernst? Neil Richardson asked.

Tweedle tweedle tweedle tweedle thump. Jeff Bauer said.

Oh, the unlistenable stuff?

I like to listen to it. Devin Post objected.

Well, Mr. Post, Mr. Bauer explained, You can like listening to it, but so many in military, Moonbase Epsilon, for example, so dislike listening to Bart Ernst that if you admit you listen to him, they take that as an admission of guilt.

Yeah. Alex added. If you listen to Bart Ernst, you meant to do that.

And that’s my point. Devin Post concluded. Mention conspiracy theory and even a little sound like it could be true gets the same ‘admission of guilt.’ We have a very limited audience. If we start a riot, we can’t run to the next town.

I wonder how the Rayi would react to our music. Neil Richardson said.

Did you ever hear their national anthem the commodore recorded?

I didn’t know they had a national anthem.

They do, and it sounds very nice. But nothing like this next song, so they probably would not like our music. We are probably too loud, as well.

Can we play the song? Alex finally pleaded. I’ll think about lyric changes. Drummer!

One, two, one two three four.

The people running this place are getting nappy / even my lips are getting chappy / every time I’m in the head, I feel crappy / I’ll meet you on the street and then I’ll be happy / when they try to stick us, we’ll get slappy. / This is how we tell them what we think / this is how we tell them we won’t drink / their conspiracy is rinky-dink / holes in my shoes and they wear mink. / Are you going to get it on? / You know we’ll soon be gone. / Their words sound like one big con. / We can relax when we have won. / Maybe then I can find my hon / I can’t make bail / when they take me to jail / so do you have a nail / I can sell for a fiver?

When the song finished, Devin Post said, I got it. Easy fix.

What? Alex asked.

’Their conspiracy is rinky-dink.’ Drop two letters.

Why two?

Make it ‘the conspiracy is rinky-dink.’ That way, you are not saying whose it is. If they ask, you can say ‘Well, I obviously mean the other guys.’

As I said, Neil Richardson added, Nothing Alex writes is obvious. But that is a better dodge of suspicion.

Fine. Alex Grantham said. I’ll think about it. Why don’t you guys write songs if this is important.

That’s a good suggestion. I’ll have it lean on the open E string.

CHAPTER 5

Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

Urgent: Immediate response demanded

Transport has appeared in Tau Ceti system 2 years early. I have been warned to beware of the Alain Vegas on board: do not allow him out of stasis; send him back to earth; he knows how to construct a Heyward Device on his own, for the insurrectionists perpetrating a mutiny on Moonbase Epsilon. The human on the transport announcing its early arrival gave his name as Alain Vegas. I need to know why (and how) that transport is 2 years early and, more importantly, what to do with Alain Vegas.

To: Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

Alain Vegas was never in a stasis chamber because he had developed an improvement to the transport’s drive and was needed to monitor its success or failure. That it has arrived 2 years early indicates that his improvements have succeeded. He is not a member of the insurrection. He is working for the government at improving both the transports and the Heyward Device. Show him all courtesy and welcome.

Okay. Commodore Holguin thought. Now I bring my aide in on this.

That’s not what my brother said. Captain Blanchard noted.

Exactly my concern. And I suspect you credit your brother more than the ones writing this answer to my query. Commodore Holguin replied.

I do.

So do I. What he said was what the ones here had been told. I’m over this entire moonbase where this thing is arriving at and I was never told about any ‘Alain Vegas’ until ex-Lieutenant Commander Mattathias Blanchard mentioned him. How did HE know the name? The insurrection awaits him. You might notice in the memo I wrote that I did not tell them how I knew of Alain Vegas. But the fact is that I know about him only because the insurrectionists on Moonbase Epsilon had been told about him. That I have never been told anything about Alain Vegas by the ones supposedly now saying he’s copacetic, nor even warned the transport could be two years early, makes me much suspect the ones answering my memo.

Who sent that memo to you?

Exactly. If the wrong people got ahold of the Command’s Heyward Device . . .

They would tell every lie about Alain Vegas to get him where they want him.

So, Captain Blanchard, want to hear to creepy punchline?

Creepy? Do tell.

Do you remember Mr. Baumann?

Captain Blanchard stared briefly, thinking. Was he in the Recreation Room preaching?

Yes. Do you remember his message?

Something about ‘He’s coming.’

Exactly. Mr. Baumann is in medical with a nervous breakdown. He’s not preaching anymore.

He’s not telling everyone ‘He’s coming’ anymore? Oh, wait. Alain Vegas is . . . No.

I said it was the creepy punchline. I should be hearing from him in twenty-two hours. I want to have an idea of how to handle a guy in some level of authority over our supply ship whom I do not trust at all.

Someone you could arrest, but might suffer for it if you did.

Exactly.

I would start with providing him an escort everywhere he goes, which escort would physically limit his going certain places. Or at least monitor his places he went to. IF you have successfully ended the mutiny, the people he would be looking to meet would be somewhere on Ray and even we don’t know where.

Which makes your aliens the ideal lock on that treasure. They are the only ones who could find any insurrectionists he might want, and they wouldn’t.

Query the other four moonbases. Find out what they have been told about Alain Vegas, if anything. Also try to get from them their suspicions on whether Command is still running Command.

Commodore Bo Holguin

Commodore Sotiris, Moonbase Alpha

Commodore Chase, Moonbase Beta

Commodore Hannson, Moonbase Gamma

Commodore Austen, Moonbase Delta

Urgent: immediate response requested

Please tell me everything you know about ‘Alain Vegas’

Commodore Sotiris, Moonbase Alpha

Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

I am unfamiliar with that name.

Commodore Chase, Moonbase Beta

Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

I have no intel on that person.

Commodore Hannson, Moonbase Gamma

Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

No one has contacted me about that person, not to say nor even to ask.

Commodore Austen, Moonbase Delta

Commodore Bo Holguin

Re: Alain Vegas

That person is unknown here. Happy hunting.

Nineteen hours and I am the only moonbase commander to know about this guy, and it isn’t because he’s answering the phone on the transport. This is how the military spells ‘suspicious.’

So how do you want to do this? Brig with guards or guards with moonbase? Captain Blanchard asked.

Want? I want to Brig him and get a straight answer.

But you don’t dare?

We do not need the supplies on that Transport for two more years, and with that many of our base personnel now living on Ray at Rayi expense, the supplies we have can last even longer. I sure hope those ex-soldiers are at least teaching them Earthi.

So we could Brig this Alain Vegas and try to find out what the others on the Transport think of him, if anything.

Yes, we could.

[I have an invitation to see the Earthi child Joy. Do you want to come?] Tseram began. For some reason, this news had him so excited that he was ignoring Shechran’s books.

[I met Meraiah. I do not need to meet any other Earthi.]

[You not want to come?]

[No. What would an Earthi child say?]

[The Earthi is an infant. She not speak at all.]

[Exactly. I cannot learn from her.]

[I think the learning is from the parents.]

[You did not say you had an invitation to see the parents. You said ‘Earthi child Joy’.] Shechran clarified.

[With Earthi, meeting the infant means meeting the parents.] Tseram clarified.

[Really? That is very odd. Then I think I do want to go with you.]

[It next week.]

[I hope it not the same day as the Go Tournament.]

[What is a ‘Go Tournament’?] Tseram asked.

[The Earthi living here taught some Rayi an Earthi game. It’s very easy to play, but very difficult to win. Many Rayi love the game.]

[What is ‘tournament’?]

[Next week is a contest to find the best Go player. Many will come and play many games of Go. The one who wins the most games is the winner.]

[So you not win by winning a game? You win by winning many games?]

[Yes. It will be great!]

Under dirty, ash-scented skies, Guard Art James and Machinist koan Duncan went for a walk with Joy, having already accepted that every Rayi pair of eyes would be staring at the peculiar Earthi doing peculiar Earthi things: 1) walking outdoors on purpose; 2) including the infant in their activities because they are raising that infant themselves. More than one Earthi explained to them the possibility of their public child-rearing changing Rayi society. When they learned how Rayi raise children, they thought any change would be an improvement. Yet, they never thought of themselves as missionaries for the cause.

The dad did worry that in a few years, this child would have a skewed self-attitude because every adult (the Rayi ones, anyway) always wanted to see and have a picture with the peculiar Earthi infant. Koan merely thought, They eat the weirdest stuff, yet people really are the same all over.

CHAPTER 6

High-level Secrets + Deception functionary Gerald Denton sat at his new desk in his new office, ever-so-slightly promoted. He liked the more money more than the more desk. Oddly, he did not seem to have more work. He sat at the near-empty desk and wondered what they thought he would do.

Then he realized that this was probably another test and he was to do what he knew needed to be done. Fine.

Newly-High-level Secrets + Deception functionary Gerald Denton sat staring, mentally scrolling thru the information he had obtained, both in his own research and from his boss and mentor Mr. Wood, looking for the loose thread they probably knew about but wanted him to not be told about. Fine. Be that way.

Alain Vegas. Who is that guy, is he returning here . . . and what will we need to do with him if he does return here? Okay.

Dossier on Alain Vegas.

Parents were both military, but had different names . . . wait, what? Are they his real parents? Nope. Foster child, real parents died in a mining accident at Epsilon Eridani in the B asteroid belt. Foster parents were military, friends, co-workers on earth, and very high rank. And, what? Left? For . . . Epsilon Eridani? Opposite direction from Alain Vegas’ Tau Ceti. My work is done, here. Sure hope they aren’t visiting the grave.

Born January 1, 2200. Wow, but that looks suspicious. It’s a real date, but. With this birthdate, boards Transport for Tau Ceti . . . on 18thbirthday? No cake for you. So he waited for this given birthdate as if it were real, but what if he is younger? Back to real parents; where were they 01/01/2200? Earth’s moon. Moon medical says . . . no one was born on the moon on that date. When was Mrs. Vegas really pregnant?

Mrs. Adelaide Smith Vegas medical records . . . caught the 2202 influenza epidemic and recovered, diagnosed heart murmur 2198, blood tests for marriage 2195. No child, no pregnancy. Theoretically, Alain was not born before 2195, but now even that can’t be certain. Hey, that influenza epidemic was nasty. Did she survive? Yes. Huh? Complications? The influenza wasn’t bad enough? What complicated that? Sacre vache, the data suddenly goes all medical technical. Why? Antepartum haemorrhage? Blood transfusion. " Caesarean. Jaundice. APGAR score of 5. She became very sick and THEN became pregnant? Or was she pregnant first? Either way, the poor