Settlng In: Flight of the Maita, #2

By C. D. Moulton

The crew adventure together. They meet Sisstuh and Fesch and discover a colony of Ape's mother race

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. D. Moulton
• Release date: Jun 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201893460

Book preview

Flight of the Maita

Book two

Settling In

© 1985, 2012 & 2016  by C. D. Moulton

all rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder/publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

The crew adventure together. They meet Sisstuh and Fesch and discover a colony of Ape’s mother race

Critic comment

Not as juvenile as book one. Several societal psychological areas are explored – quite effectively, I might add.

PA – ***

Contents

About the author

The Adventure Begins

The Motley Crew

Forward, Ho!

A Deal

Sidreth

Chee-il

Thoughts

Khee

More Thought

Vendu

Kroon

Ith

Memories

Chance Lesson

Looking Ahead

About the author

CD was born in Lakeland, Florida, in 1938. He is educated in genetics and botany. He has traveled over much of the world, particularly when he was in music as a rock rhythm guitarist with some well-known bands in the late sixties and early seventies. He has worked as a high steel worker and as a longshoreman, clerk, orchidist, bar owner, salvage yard manager and landscaper – among other things.

CD began writing fiction in 1984 and has more than 300 books published as of 3/15/16 in SciFi, murder, orchid culture and various other fields.

He now resides in Puerto Armuelles David and Gualaca, Chiriqui, Panamá, where he continues research into epiphytic plants and plays music with friends. He loves the culture of the indigenous people and counts a majority of his closer friends among that group. Several have adopted him as their father. He funds those he can afford through the universities where they have all excelled. The Indios are very intelligent people, they are simply too poor (in material things and money. Culturally, they are very wealthy) to pursue higher education.

CD loves Panamá and the people, despite horrendous experiences (Free e-book; Fading Paradise). He plans to spend the rest of his life in the paradise that is Panamá

- Estrelita Suarez V. de Jaramillo – 3/15/2016

CD is the discoverer of the Chadam Protocol for curing cancer-Facebook page Ambrosia peruviana for cncer

The Adventure Begins

A collection of abducted individuals have managed to overthrow their captors and, with the help of the intelligent ship they are aboard, have kept the Terran member's promise to return them to their homes – should they decide they want to go home.

Two went home. Three remain. Now they are moving out into the galaxy to seek new adventures.

They are now the basic crew of Maita. Two of them will become permanent crewmembers. Ahead – the future, not only of themselves, but of a large empire.

How large?

Time will tell.

The Motley Crew

They were a strange collection.

Z, a name Steve Zutec quickly took for himself when an opportunity arose, was a Terran. He was twenty-six years old, dark brown hair, dark eyes, medium build and prone to use speech patterns that wouldn't translate into whatever language was in use at a given time.

Most of the time, it was the language that came with the ship, who was also a member of the group. It was the Maitan language, which was versatile and changeable enough to serve very well. Much of what they had to discover was scientific. As a technological language, it was excellent. It was also a very fluid, romantic tongue.

Maita was the ship's name. Z had given it the name of the now supposedly extinct race who designed it some thousands of years ago. Maita had slowly redesigned its master computers and joined with Z and several other captives in a revolt against the race of antlike beings who had taken over and destroyed the Maitans. It was now a free entity and a close friend of Z and the two other remaining members of the crew.

Ape, who Z first thought of as being like a Wooky from the old Star Wars movie, was seven feet four inches tall and powerfully built. He was covered in silky fur of a light auburn color, had a mouthful of very sharp teeth and long claws that could warn off anyone who thought of giving him any trouble.

His looks had nothing to do with his personality. Z found the big hairy beast was, in truth, a very gentle, intelligent person.

Ape couldn't speak, as he had no speech centers in his mind and no vocal cords. He had a sense of humor Z could enjoy, as could Maita.

Thing, the last member of the crew, was totally alien to Z. It was a small, squarish, rubbery being with four tentacles, where Z and Ape had arms and legs. It eyes were on short stalks, and worked independently – a very (to those whose eyes did not) disconcerting feature.

It was an empath, and was from a planet of extremely high atmospheric pressure. It was poorly adapted to moving on smooth surfaces, so spent much of its time riding around on Ape or Z. Outside the ship, it rode a floater that was equipped with devices for its use.

Thing could use its abilities with mental contact to calm them or to reduce pain. It used the same talents to remain in constant mental contact with Maita, who translated its thoughts to Z and Ape on the speakers in all parts of the ship, as well as on the various floaters used to carry things or to explore.

While Ape couldn't speak, Maita had put him on a machine that taught him to understand Maitan. Maita could carry his speech in the same manner it carried Thing's, but Ape was no empath, so had to wear a helmet with a pickup in it, while Thing could broadcast from a distance of up to six meters. In times of great stress, it could broadcast farther.

Due to the fact Maita had speakers and many sensors in all parts, conversations could move around or be held in all parts of the ship at once, like a portable conference phone system. The voices moved from room to room with them.

They'd worked out a clear system of distinct tones, both in the vocalizations and in the sounds that preceded and followed each of their speeches for identification of the speaker. Z pictured the sounds as quotation marks, and used that system when writing of their exploits. (Such as now.)

While both Maita and Thing used the speakers and the tones, it took some concentration when they spoke, as there were no pauses or inflections to denote paragraphing. Thoughts were mixed, but Z was so used to it now he didn't notice. Others could become confused.

Maita had a clear bell tone (* – *) while Thing had a tuning fork tone ([ – ]). Maita's speaking voice was lower in pitch than Thing's.

They were in the pilot's dome, which was on the bottom of the ship, discussing the method Maita used to travel in TTH, or I(nter) D(imensional)mode. Z had said, "Maita, I understand you don't actually use such a thing as velocity in flight.

What about Einstein? Is it hyperspace you use?

*Z, what are you talking about? What is an Einstein? You don't make any sense. Do you know what he's talking about, Thing?*

[ I seldom know what Z is talking about, Maita. I find that, if I simply wait, it will often become clear. ]

Einstein was a scientist and mathematician who said you couldn't exceed the speed of light.

*Z, I do not believe any true scientist could say so ridiculous a thing. Light has a variable speed. Surely he would know that!*

I'm not sure exactly what his theory was, but I know it said you couldn't exceed the speed of light. He said it would throw you into hyperspace, and hyperspace isn't in this universe.

*What is your opinion of a scientist who would say such a thing, Thing?*

[ I think Z is probably misquoting the scientist. He does that a lot. ]

Ape made the deep chuckling growl that was the sign he was about to break out laughing.

[ Can you express the theory, Z? ]

E equals M C squared.

*That doesn't mean anything!*

"Doesn't mean anything?! Z cried. You're nuts! It's one of the greatest discoveries in the world!"

[ Perhaps on your world, Z, but we don't have anything to base the terms on. Can you extract, Maita? ]

*Yes. Z, put on the headgear and I will look at the equations. You have seen the equations, haven't you?*

Yeah. I read the whole mess, in school, but it was mostly over my head.

*Why not show them to you at eye level? Why would they place them so high? No wonder you never learned anything!*

It's just an idiom, damn it! 'Over my head' means I didn't understand it!

*Please don't use idioms.*

Z was on the headgear for a short time. The helmet was a part of piloting the ship, but could be used the same as the headgear in room two, the medical and teaching room. Information could be read or inserted directly from or into the mind.

Z had first used the machine to learn Maitan, then to study power production and storage, then to learn how to pilot Maita.

Maita, now that it was free from the control module, could pilot itself very well, thank you. It had hidden that fact from the Pweetoos (the antlike beings) for more than two thousand years.

Z took off the helmet. Did you learn anything?

*Yes. I learned your mind is totally undisciplined and it is a miracle of biology you can recall anything at all. I discovered the equations and their background.*

[ Was I right? ]

Yeah. What did you find?

*Thing was right. You were misquoting the theory. Dr. Einstein never made such a statement.*

I could have sworn.... What did he say?

*You have a knowledge of simple plane geometry. In that science, you make if/then statements. For example, if 'A' equals 'B' and 'B' equals 'C' then 'A' equals 'C'.*

Yeah?

*Einstein said all things were relative to the base upon which one built his studies. That is partly why it is called the 'relativity' theory. He merely stated that, if you accept that the speed of light is the infinite velocity, then you establish certain other limits. It was interpreters of Dr. Einstein who made a statement of the infinity of light velocity. Einstein never said that.*

[ Meaning the equation Z gave states a theory based on a supposition of correlation between that velocity and the mass of an object. ]

*A perception. The mass is related to the velocity in the perception of the observer. As velocity is a product of acceleration and time, those things are affected in a direct ratio, thus the equation. If a thing travels faster than light, it doesn't exist to the observer, simply because he can't detect it. The velocity is relative to one object, the self being considered as stationary. If both objects are moving, the addition or subtraction of velocity differential is meaningless. The relative velocity is relevant. The old inertial factors remain. If one object is moving at ten kilometers per hour or if both of them are moving toward each other at five kilometers per hour.*

I don't know what you just said.

[ Dr. Einstein said that if light goes faster than anything else, then nothing can exist that goes faster than light? ]

*He only said that, if one accepts that lightspeed is infinite, he can build a theory of truths relative to that base. The theories are useful, but not accurate. Ignorant people misquote the theory, as you did.*

In other words, I'm ignorant?

*Yes, Z.*

Ape was chuckling again.

Gee, thanks!

[ You are less ignorant than you were. You have learned that you are ignorant. I fully expected you to immediately seize on the term 'plane geometry' to ask if that was how Maita works, seeing it moves on different planes. ]

Ape laughed harder at that.

I know that's a different thing!

They often had sparring discussions such as this, with Z and Maita baiting one another and Thing taking much of it seriously, while Ape enjoyed Z's indignation.

Thing could sometimes confuse Z thoroughly, which made Z wonder if it really did have a sense of humor that was too subtle for him. He seemed to be far outclassed.

Thing climbed onto Ape's shoulder, one of its favorite perches.

Though Thing moved as little as possible on its own, Z learned they could depend on it to move very fast if it became really necessary. They were all alive right now because it came through when it counted. The main problem for it was Maita's floors. They were smooth and as flat – and tentacles are not designed for moving a being on smooth surfaces.

Each had taken a room or spot on the ship for his own. There was no rule about it, but they respected one another's privacy.

The ship was circular, and quite large, having ten rooms around the outer side and a center section about twenty feet across that held the drive mechanisms.

Above and below the center section were domes. The upper one was called the O (observation) dome, while the lower was the pilot's dome. Ape had taken the O dome for his own quarters. It was totally unfurnished when they first came aboard, but Ape took a couple of large mattresses from room nine, a bunk room, to make a very comfortable nest for himself. He had a strong need for privacy at times, and the dome was the best place on the ship for that. The dome was clear, and showed the stars when they were at rest. The only time no one (except Thing) could go there was when they were in certain other planes. It would drive most minds mad to observe such as the antimatter plane, due to the different dimensional angles that would present views with which the mind could not cope. Thing's independent sight could overcome the paradoxes presented. It found the plane boring. Maita was installing a system that would make the dome opaque, should they so desire.

Thing had taken residence in a cubicle behind room two called Doe's Room, after an Immin woman who had stayed there. She was now dead. The cubicle had a teaching machine, several computer terminals, and very comfortable padded benches.

Maita could adjust temperature and such to what was most comfortable for each of them.

Z liked the pilot's dome on the bottom of the ship, because the pilot's chair was infinitely adjustable (as the occupant sat or laid on a force field), thus was the most comfortable spot he'd ever found.

Both the O dome and the pilot's dome were reached by an elevator from the main floor. This afforded Ape's and Z's privacy – and surprised anyone on his first trip to the pilot's dome, because the dome had a floor toward the center of the ship. That meant the room was upside down relative to the rest of the ship. It was great fun to bring someone to the dome to let the door open with their heads at the floor.

The elevator, as everywhere else in the ship, had gravity grids in the floor. The elevator revolved to place one upright at the floor of the dome, meaning one felt no difference.

Each of them (except Thing) wore a ring with a special shaped crystal that fit a socket in the elevator. As one twisted the ring, the elevator revolved. Thing could use its mental control on that and the ship's doors. It had no fingers on which to place rings.

There were ten rooms and five cubicles. One room was an alien atmosphere room. One, room six, was where they were confined as captives. It was not popular with them. They had removed the shackle rings. They now used it and the other detention room as storage areas and workshops.

The ship moved in normal (N) space by charging photonic fluid and firing it or with diffusion rams. Diffusion drive wasn’t used within 100,000 kilometers of a planet, as it produced short-lived radioactive particles.

It traveled through the other planes by using a form of dimensional stress or the different charges of the planes. It was a very complicated process Z had learned while learning to pilot the ship – or had memorized, at least. He had no least conception of how it really worked. To move meant different things in different planes. In some, it wasn't possible to move, which was why they were so good for traveling!

It was easier to move lightyears than short distances.

Z didn't understand how the ship worked, but had been taught all about power supplies and energy transfer and storage by the teaching machines before he learned to pilot.

The power spheres were made of materials that existed in two planes at once, holding fluid photonic energy between the planes. (Photonic didn't mean the same thing as Z learned in school, either.)

When Z asked if anyone other than the designers knew how those things worked, he was told that Thing did.

Z chose the names they used when they were prisoners, and they stuck. Maita explained that, as they were using translated language, the sound of the name was what was chosen. The word for thing in Maitan was War.

The name was pronounced Thing in any language.

Of the original members of the ensemble, one was dead, killed by the captors. That was Bear. The rest never got to know him.

Two, ET and Joe, were on their home planets. Maita had agreed to take any who wished to return home, and had done so.

The present crew had spent a short while on each of the planets when their friends returned. They spent time on Menta (another Z-ism), Thing's world, but never left Maita. Atmospheric pressure of two hundred kilos per square centimeter was a bit too discouraging for that!

Of the present group, only Thing had tried to return home, but wasn't accepted by its own people, so had returned to Maita.

Ape didn't wish to go home. He was considered odd and was shunned there because he wanted to know and be with his own children – which wasn't allowed.

He was with friends on Maita, so chose to stay there.

At first, Z planned to go home, but the more he thought of it, the more he was sure he wouldn't be able to stand the boredom. He had adventured lightyears from Earth aboard an intelligent ship with strange and wonderful friends!

He had also realized how shallow and pointless his life had been before.

They made a pact and set off to explore the galaxy.

Well, Maita! Where do you suggest we start our great adventure?

*Do you have a preference?*

"It doesn't make any difference to