Acts of Betrayal in Faraway Places: Faraway Places Trilogy, Book 2

By Rick Talbot

Stellar Corp has fallen. The remnants of Earth's fleet are scattered to the stars. Lauressa Tajiki is Commander of Horatio Station, the only known surviving Stellar Corp outpost. It stands guard over the Uranus colonies, offering protection from the Martian separatist fleet.

But the conflict has spread, and new factions have entered the fr

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chainreads
• Release date: Mar 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9780988137158

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Major Locations in the story

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Archivist’s Note

This document was created in part from notes provided by Stellar Corp Archivist Ashley Chung. For readers without Stellar Corp security clearance, a limited declassified collection of notes is viewable at the following address: www.ricktalbot.com/wiki/

1

Aboard S.C. Applegate

Captain Jeremy Bach hit a button on his console.

S.C. Johnson, did you see that? he asked.

Captain Thomas here. We saw it. Some sort of ship just rose up from the depths of Uranus and flashed away.

Did you pick up any good sensor information?

We recorded some magnified images and spectroscopic data. We'll send it over now.

Thanks Captain Thomas. We're continuing to work on repairs. I'll send you an update shortly.

Smitty's console beeped. The data has arrived from the Johnson. I'll throw it on the screen, he said. A high-resolution image of the unknown ship filled the screen. The spectroscopic measurements were displayed below the image.

Look at that, Jeremy said.

I've never seen a ship like that. Ever, Smitty said.

It looks pretty big. Let's calculate the size.

Sure. One second.... According to the image analysis software – well this could be an error – based on measuring the curvature of Uranus in the background of this image, that ship is nearly ten kilometers long.

Are you sure? Jeremy asked.

Not at all. Engineering – Dvorak, David, can you confirm the computer's size estimate?

I'm looking at it now. Yes, based on the image information we received, that ship is about ten kilometers long, John Dvorak said.

That's bigger than most Stellar Corp stations. Earth has never built a ship that size, Smitty said.

If the Labians built that thing, then they've got a technological advantage over us.

Could they have advanced that much in the last few hundred years? Jeremy asked.

I don't know. David's been looking at the spectroscopic data. It agrees with what we thought we saw earlier: some of the spectra look distinctly like what we'd see from a fission reactor.

A ship that size? And fission powered? I would have imagined that the Labians would use a technology more efficient and less dangerous to the crew. It just doesn't make sense, Smitty said.

We'll figure it out, as soon as we get this ship moving again, Jeremy said.

* * *

Crawler popped out of the conduit with a bundle of burnt wires in its grasp. It dropped the end of the wires at the conduit entrance and scurried away into the darkness.

Good work, Crawler, David said. A beep emanated from several feet into the conduit.

Amazing. It really does seem to have a relationship with you. And it's doing a great job pulling these ruined wires, John Dvorak said.

That little guy does a lot of work for us, without any recognition from us or any demands of its own.

You're right, he is very useful. Oh great. Look at what you've done now. You've got me calling it a 'he'. It's still a machine in the end.

"He is a machine, true. But there's something–"

Crawler popped out with another bundle of wires.

Good work Crawler!

Crawler beeped and looked at David. It opened and closed its grasp in the air.

What is it? Oh, let me check.

David picked up his handheld and looked at Crawlers' interface.  It indicated that all of the burnt out wires had been pulled.

Great, great! John, Crawler's pulled the last of the wires. Let's get this last bundle out of the conduit opening and we can get him threading in new wires.

John pulled the last bundle of wires out of the conduit. He brought over a spool of new wire.

Here you go. Can Crawler just take the end and pull it all the way to where it's got to go? Right off of the spool?

I don't see why not. Crawler did you get that?

Crawler stood up higher, reached one leg toward the spool of wire, and pulled. It ran off into the conduit. The spool spun as he pulled an ever-growing length of wire away into the depths of the conduit.

Amazing, John Dvorak said.

I'm impressed too. I wasn't expecting that, David said.

A few seconds later Crawler reappeared. It snipped the end of the wire and began pulling a new wire down into the conduit.

I didn't teach it that, David said.

Maybe some basic how-to programming.

Could be.

Crawler returned and performed the same function each time until all of the new wires had been laid in the conduit.

Crawler's interface says that all of the wires have been attached to the proper interfaces in the far side of the conduit, David said.

Okay, let's hook them up on this end. We'll notify the bridge as soon as we're done. I'm sure they'll be anxious to get moving, even if it's just thrusters for now, John said.

I can give you a hand connecting these wires, Jacob Mobutu said.

Sounds good, I appreciate it. I'm glad we've got friends on the S.C. Johnson, John said.

Jacob nodded. He took one of the wires and threaded it behind an engineering console. He crouched down and connected the wire to the console.

Ready? he asked.

Go for it.

Jacob flipped a switch on the underside of the console and it powered up. A boot-time self-test scrolled across the console's screen.

It's booting, David said.

That's good news, Jacob said. He walked over to the conduit to pick up one of the other wires. Crawler beeped at him.

Hello there, Jacob said. He picked up one of the wires and Crawler waved a leg at him and began to beep repeatedly.

Your little robot is quite animated, as far as machines go, Jacob said.

It really is. Hold on a second, David said. He reviewed Crawler's interface on his handheld. Oh, interesting. Apparently we need to replace a capacitor before we reconnect that wire to the thruster assembly.

How does it know that? Jacob asked.

Crawler has access to the ship's computer. I guess he cross-referenced against the repair list.

That capacitor isn't on the repair list. I'll just double check, John Dvorak said. He went to the console and looked at the capacitor. This capacitor is still functional.

Maybe we should test it, David said.

Okay, let's see.

John removed the capacitor and placed it on a table. He connected his diagnostic toolkit to it and tested its performance.

It's still functional. Hold on. I see an issue. The variation in power output is not within the design spec. This capacitor will probably fail the first time we run it at full design power, John said.

I'll grab a spare, Jacob said.

How did it know? John asked.

It must have reviewed the power logs, noticed the power variation, and interpreted that to mean the capacitor needed replacing, David said.

I'm impressed. It just saved us a bunch of wasted time, or worse, a failure when we could least afford it, John said.

Truly impressive little machine. Here's the replacement capacitor, Jacob said.

John placed the new capacitor in the thruster assembly and Jacob connected the wire from the conduit. John flipped the power switch and the thruster assembly powered up normally.

Bridge, this is Engineering. We've got power to the thrusters. If you take it slow you can start to maneuver while we continue to restore power to the rest of the engineering systems, John Dvorak said.

Thank you Engineering.

Okay, time for a checkpoint. Which other Engineering systems do we need to restore power to? John asked.

Let's see. Active sensors, lasers, and the superlight drive….. Crawler has prepped the wire bundles for all of them, David said.

Jacob, go ahead and connect the active sensors. I'll start connecting the superlight drive. David, you got the lasers?

Got it, David said.

They ran the new wires from the conduit to the various consoles. The active sensor console was the most straightforward – just one power connection to feed power to all sensors. The lasers were more complicated. David had to take four separate bundles of wires, and connect them to consoles in four different locations in Engineering. The superlight drive console was worse – it required so much power that eight different bundles of wires had to be run to consoles dedicated to regulating and controlling the flow of power.

Well, the good news is power to the major engineering systems is online, John Dvorak said.

What's the bad news? David asked.

Look at all those wires running around engineering. Does that look like a recipe for an accident to you?

It does. We've got a lot of taping to do.

I'll take care of that, Jacob said. He retrieved a roll of tape and began taping the wires to the floor.

Thank you, Jacob. If you don't mind, now that power is restored here, I'm going to take a walk with David and do an internal survey of the structural damage.

Sounds good. I've got you covered here.

Thanks. Okay, let's go, John said.

He walked out of Engineering. David followed.

Let's review the damaged systems list and check as many of them as we can.

Okay, the first one on the list is just around the corner, David said. They rounded the corner of the corridor and immediately found the damaged spot. The wall was crumpled in from the outside.

Physical impact. Looks like the outer hull got crushed inward here. We'll need to prioritize this. We don't want this to open up to space.

Agreed, David said.

What's next?

There's another area of rocket impact damage two floors up and half-way across the ship. The computer logs list it as severe.

Okay, let's go.

They walked up two floors via a maintenance stairway – the elevators weren't functioning.

The elevators are on the list, right?

Right.

Not a priority though.

Here we are, David said.

Oh, shit, John said.

The emergency hatches had been sealed, locking them out of the damaged area.

I hope nobody was in there, David said.

Let's hope not. If this hatch is closed, then the area on the other side has a leak. It could be small, or it could be fully exposed to space.

Can we find out?

Do the computer logs provide any more info?

No. It looks like the damage took out internal sensors before it could record anything useful.

We'll have to keep the hatches closed until we can get a shuttle out and take a look from the outside.

Okay.

Let's inform the bridge. They'll probably want to do a roll-call, if they haven't already.

* * *

The emergency hatches are sealed down here. We'll need to take out a shuttle and do a visual inspection before we try opening them.

Understood, thank you. We'll start prepping a shuttle, Smitty said.

Smitty, I'll go prep the shuttle, Jeremy said.

Are you sure you don't want someone else to do it?

No. I need to do something. I can't stay up here. I feel almost useless. You have the bridge, he said. He nodded at Smitty and headed to the door.

Okay. Good luck, Smitty said. He opened a connection to the S.C. Johnson. This is the Applegate. We're ready to use maneuvering thrusters to put us on a course back to Horatio Station. We're also getting a shuttle ready to inspect an area of hull damage.

Thank you S.C. Applegate. Thrusters only? That will mean taking several hours to navigate back to the station.

That's the best we've got for now. We'll continue repairs in the meantime. Can we keep your crew with us to help during the trip?

Of course. We're ready to escort you back the entire way. We'll follow your lead.

Thank you. We'll start off now. Mister Mulligan, please set a course to Horatio Station, and ease us forward with minimal thrusters only.

Yes Sir, the pilot said. He set the course, brought the thrusters online, and applied only the smallest amount of power. The ship started moving forward very slowly.

Good work. This will be a slow trip, but we'll arrive in one piece.

* * *

Jeremy entered the hangar and headed for the shuttle. The shuttle still bore a visible gash where Horatio Station had slammed its doors down on the shuttle, but John Dvorak had since filled it in with a bio-ceramic material that seeped into even the smallest of cracks. This made the shuttle air-tight and as strong as it could be without entirely rebuilding it. He went into the shuttle and started up the main power. The console reported no errors, and so it seemed that the shuttle had gotten through their most recent battle without taking any damage.

Dvorak, this is Captain Bach. I've got a shuttle ready to go right now so that you can do your external inspection.

I'm on my way. David will keep on with the internal inspection while we're gone, John Dvorak said.

Jeremy relaxed in the cockpit, and enjoyed a moment of serene alone time. A few seconds later John Dvorak entered the hangar and stepped into the shuttle.

Ah, good, let's go take a look, Jeremy said.

Right, Captain. Let's hope for the best, John Dvorak said. He sat in the co-pilot's seat. The shuttle hatch sealed and the shuttle lifted off the hangar deck. The hangar doors opened.

Here we go, Jeremy said. He guided the shuttle out of the hangar and into open space. He drove the shuttle out and away and then spun it around so that they were looking back at the ship. Where to? he asked.

The first thing I want to take a look at is that section there – to port around the middle of the ship. Do you see it? I can already see the damage from this distance. The emergency hatches are sealed in that area, so we need to get a closer look.

Jeremy brought the shuttle closer to the S.C. Applegate. They were only around fifty meters away now, and they could clearly see all of the damage. The hull was crumpled and blackened and a large piece was torn away, almost as if some kind of clawed space creature had taken a swipe at the Applegate. John Dvorak used the shuttle's camera to zoom in and take high resolution images of the area. Some of the photos were in the visible light spectrum, some were in infrared, and some were ultra-violet or microwave. He ran these images through the computer's engineering analysis software.

David, can I get your second opinion on these images?

One second. I've got them now. Oh.... That's bad. That section has lost its atmosphere for sure. Was there anybody down there?

I don't think so. Captain?

Everyone is accounted for so far, Jeremy said.

That's a relief. Now, David, I'm thinking we'll need to apply bio-ceramic to the outer hull.

The interior will still be unusable in the state it's in. We'll need to keep the emergency hatches sealed, David said.

I agree. Right now I'm just concerned with structural integrity, John Dvorak said.

We'll have to acquire a lot of bio-ceramic. I think there's a production facility on Hamlet.

That's a lucky coincidence. But I'll take it. Are there any areas of damage that you see inside that you want us to take a look at from out here?

"That's the only one for now. Are you going to take images of the whole ship?'

We'll do that now. We'll compare the external images and internal data, and we'll prioritize repairs accordingly.

Sounds good. I'll get back to it.

Thanks David. Captain, if you can take a few passes around the ship I'll take all the images we need.

Okay. Let's get to it.

Jeremy started the shuttle moving around the ship, almost as if it were in orbit. They were just completing their first pass when a voice came over the intercom.

Applegate shuttle, this is Captain Thomas on the S.C. Johnson. I noticed you're doing imaging passes of your ship. Is there any way that we can assist?

This is Captain Bach. I'm with our Engineer, John Dvorak. Go ahead John.

Captain Thomas, once we finish these images I'm going to do a review with our Mechanic and prioritize repairs. As soon as we've done that I'll let you know if we need any more assistance beyond the supplies and crew you've already sent over to us.

Sounds like a plan. We're standing by. I'll let you back to work.

2

Aboard Horatio Station

How are you feeling? Ashley asked.

Wayland pushed himself up slightly with his elbows. He looked around. He was still lying on the couch in Doctor Poisson's office. There was a lot of noise coming in from the infirmary.

What's happening? he asked.

The doctor and I are still treating some of the wounded. But we're preparing the infirmary. There's been a battle. The S.C. Applegate and Johnson are making their way back now.

Did they find it?

Nobody seems to know exactly what happened, or at least they're not saying. But there was a fight–

Just then, Doctor Poisson leaned into the office.

They found a Labian Ship, right in the area where you said they should look. Now we're getting ready to help treat the injured, Doctor Poisson said.

Stellar Corp? Injured? Wayland asked.

Some. But also some Labians, I think. I'm told to expect prisoners. You might be able to get a peek at them when they arrive. I've got to get back to work. Now stay here and rest. Ashley can get you something to eat if you're hungry.

Thank you Doctor, Wayland said as the doctor hurried away.

Are you hungry? Or thirsty? Ashley asked.

I think I am.

How about some soup?

Okay.

Ashley went over to the infirmary's supply closet and quickly returned with a small packet of instant soup. She added some hot water and offered the bowl to Wayland. He sat up, leaned tentatively against the arm of the couch, and cradled the bowl against his chest. He ate the soup slowly, taking a small bite with each dip of his spoon, while staring at the bowl with laser focus.

Better? Ashley asked.

Yes, thank you, he said without looking away from the bowl.

Wayland, where did you grow up?

You're curious.

I am. I guess it comes with being an archivist.

Are you going to archive my life story?

Oh! No, this isn't official or anything. I'm just interested, that's all.

Okay, I'll tell you, he said. He put the spoon against his lips and drew in some broth. I was born on the colony on Procyon B. Grew up there.

I didn't know there was a colony there.

There is. It's small. Procyon B is a dwarf star. The colony is on a tiny planet in orbit there. It's a strange place. There's not a lot of light, but it has air you can breathe and has native life.

Did you like it?

I guess I did. It wasn't a bad place, really. There was a lot of trade with Luyten's world.

That's the nearest star to Procyon.

Right.

Did your mother do business with Luyten's World?

You're asking if that's how she met my father.

Yes,  I guess I am.

It's a safe enough assumption. I don't really know what she did before I was born, but when I was a kid we were farmers.

Farmers, really?

Yes, we were Snerf farmers.

What's a Snerf?

Snerfs are odd little creatures. They're small, maybe twenty centimeters tall when they walk upright. They can alternate their gait, and they seem equally comfortable walking quadruped. They're mostly herbivores but they eat smaller animals sometimes.

What did you farm them for?

Commercially, for their fur mostly. Their fur is in constant demand by the textile industry, because of the ease of working it into yarn, and the variety of colors. Their fur can be blue, purple, brown, or dark green. Some people like to keep them as pets, but I don't know why anyone would want to do that. They're always getting under foot or getting into trouble like pushing things off of tables. They're also a food source on the colony. There doesn't seem to be any culinary interest outside the colony, which is strange – they taste pretty good roasted with root vegetables.

Wow, I didn't know any of that. It sounds like your colony is a hidden gem.

If you like cool weather and having a sky that's always about as bright as a sunset, Wayland said. He took a few more spoonfuls of soup.

Wayland, how did your mother end up on Procyon B?