Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 2 - Maveen Offer (20 page)

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Chapter 10

Samantha and Rebecca watched the end of the first video broadcast and then went over to talk to Emeria. They had decided that the specific medical questions would best be answered by the Trader medical officer. Emeria raised an eyebrow at their approach and ventured a comment.

‘The broadcast went well from what I could see, but how your leaders react is another matter. We will not have the other broadcast, this time involving the Barus ship, until we are ready to proceed. Now I understand that you have some medical information you are seeking given the Captain’s earlier comments.’

Emeria then led the two team members out of the bridge and towards the medical sick bay three decks down. Samantha now voiced a comment as she looked around in awe.

‘I still cannot get over the scale of your main ship, and to think it is a star ship that can leave here is fascinating as well.’

Emeria quietly smiled as she replied.

‘We spend most of our lives on these ships in deep space, so they must be our homes as well. We could not live the life we chose if we were restricted to smaller ships.’

After several more minutes they walked into the sick back, and Emeria quietly took them around to see a few of Traders laid up and recovering from various illnesses.

‘Now your Malazin treatment advice was most useful and helped us deal with the red spot illness in a satisfactory manner. The chemical is similar to a product we use for our laundry surprisingly enough, and diluted applications of that chemical on the red spot sites has had similar positive outcomes.’

Samantha acknowledged the compliment, and then ventured her first question.

‘Now Emeria, are the immune systems recovering for the infected crew members?’

Emeria replied after glancing at a sick Trader nearby.

‘Well the immune systems appear to be now fully recovered. But surely that must be a contradiction in terms, because the glimmer tattoos do not even look like regenerating. Yet we do not suffer the terminal illnesses associated with the usual losses of these tattoos.’

Rebecca now took a turn to ask a detailed question of her won to the Trader medical officer.

‘Now given that the only our team knows of your tattoo losses. Let us surmise that if they still appeared to be present, and then would their presence, and the fact that you are all physically well get around the risk of Barus involvement?’

Emeria looked at the two humans before she replied, and she was obviously intrigued by Rebecca’s statement.

‘We would need our full medical facilities at one of main star bases to allow the renewal of our tattoos under strict medical intervention. So what are you implying with your earlier surmise and question?’

Rebecca smiled and pulled off her back pack.

‘We human females have a social product we use called ‘make up’ and it could help you in your situation.’

Within minutes Rebecca had applied gold and silver markings over the scars of Emeria’s glimmer tattoo, and she commented as the renewed tattoo took shape.

‘Now we only have enough for a few Traders to renew their face and neck markings, and I suggest we only perform this action on the bridge crew. All other crew should remain out of camera view and not be seen during the transmission to the Barus.’

Emeria took positively to the efforts of Rebecca and she stated her appreciation.

‘We have gold and silver paint I can process for a more permanent finish, but for now this idea of yours has considerable merit.’

Samantha had been looking at the sick Traders again and now spoke as she was keen to address a real concern.

‘With the captain’s earlier comment he mentioned that he was not sure what factor on our world killed the Voorde infestation. Now we have our own tissue sampling technology on the Aurora Discovery and I would like to take inert samples off the island to see if we can isolate this factor. We possibly could either find another way to help your crew or even gain another bargaining tool. I also can take blood samples from some of your healthier crew to establish pathology benchmarks against the samples.’

With Emeria rapidly convinced of the merits of this approach, several vials of Trader and Voorde tissue samples were supplied, and stored in a sealed container that Samantha could keep cool in her backpack. Emeria now looked at the time as displayed on the sick bay wall, and quickly led both Samantha and Rebecca back to the bridge, as the second media broadcast could not be far way.

As she led the humans back, she spotted Garendestat and Halbindestat, the chief engineer, as they walked out of a side corridor further ahead. Garendestat caught her eye, and she gave him a warm smile in return. But Garendestat gave a start, and then he puffed out his chest and stalked off with a bemused Halbindestat following in confusion. Emeria was at a bit of a loss about his reaction for a moment, but then she remembered that her glimmer tattoo appeared to be back and working. She felt a warm wave of certainty emotionally engulf her, as she continued to lead the two humans back to the bridge.

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Garendestat was with the chief engineer as they headed back down to first the main hold, and then outside to the two crippled sneak ships. He had been startled when he saw the new tattoos on Emeria and he had tried to hide his feelings as he strode away stiff backed. Garendestat knew he had to stay focussed, especially after reviewing the technical information that he had requested from a junior engineer. The information had been specific about sunlight levels and the pollution on the human planet, and an ever vigilant Maveen probe had also taken a copy of the report.

Captain Narindestat had been brief, but concise in what he wanted done for the damaged ships once repairs were found to be impossible. His father had also wanted several items in the main hold either moved to the large door at the hold entrance, or moved to a smaller side hold and locked down. Additionally he wanted all the items in the hold covered, including the items he just moved, and especially the large and dormant Maveen ship.

Garendestat knew that the captain was worried about video footage from the humans finding a way to back to the Barus ship, which must be monitoring human television channels for all they are worth. At the back of his mind he was also concerned about his feelings toward Emeria, as she seemed both to take more joy in his company and in needling him in turn. The lieutenant looked down the side of the prone Maveen ship crammed into the main hold.

Apparently it was the same strength in combat as a sneak ship though it was a third smaller in every dimension. The Maveen ships were reputed to be very fast and have powerful drive engines as well. As a matter of interest he took out his view finder to do the calculations as to how much power it would have to be able to perform at the stated level. He gave out a slow tense breath as he realised that the Maveen ship drives were at least as strong as sneak ship drives. He also noted the standard docking array down the base of the probe hull that now secured the Maveen ship to the floor of the hold.

Now with the seeds of an idea in his mind, Garendestat focussed on the job in hand, and within minutes his team had placed several large equipment covers over the still form of the larger Maveen ship.

Soon afterwards his team filed out of the main hold to empty the holds of the two damaged sneak ships. As Garendestat worked, he promised himself that once they had successfully left the planet he would have a decent conversation with his intended bride.

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Steve saw Emeria lead Samantha and Rebecca back onto the bridge. He then looked in surprise at the mysterious reappearance of Emeria’s tattoos. But Samantha gave him a quick hug and spoke to reassure him about their achievements as she held onto him.

‘Steve, we covered several issues in the sick back and I am taking back safe blood and tissue samples to our own ship for further testing. Also we have an idea about the loss of glimmer tattoos and at least a temporary solution to fool the Barus.’

Steve listened with interest and pride to his wife’s explanation. Dan was now joined by Rebecca and they shared similar information between themselves. Emeria looked over at the two human females, and thought that their relationship with their respective mates seemed to be uncomplicated by Trader standards. She then helped the two human females begin to take their blood samples by reassuring her crew mates on the sides of the bridge.

Captain Narindestat looked up and gave Emeria a long cool look. She crossed to him and he immediately saw the gist of her short explanation on her tattoo reappearing.

‘This will help in our next video session when we speak with the Barus commander. Now I want you to stand the other side of me and just cover the specifics of the non glimmer illnesses only if asked. If they are aware that we are recovering from these illnesses then they will assume only what they see. Namely two Traders and a human talking to them and both the Traders have healthy glimmer tattoos.’

Everyone not part of the broadcast moved to the sides of the bridge, and Steve and Emeria flanked Captain Narindestat as he again sat in his command chair. Steve was still concerned on the absence of Garendestat, as he though he would at least be present on the sidelines for the second broadcast session.

‘Communications, give me the same human television frequencies we had earlier and also hail the Barus ship please.’

The view screen picture changed and now projected the smaller and different shaped bridge of the Barus research ship. In the command chair of the bridge, a sleek brown furred alien regarded the view it could see of the two Traders and the human on the bridge of the Trader ship. Steve was impressed again, and he idly wondered if all the aliens they would encounter would be taller than humans.

The Barus commander seemed more graceful than other larger Barus that must be males given their slender four metre high. So the Barus in the command chair must be female Steve concluded. He then noted that none of the Barus were as solidly built as the Trader crew. The long moment passed and the Barus commander finally spoke.

‘I am Commander Gindane and I am the captain of the Barus research ship in high orbit around your world. I understand and agree that this conference be conducted in English, as we also have nothing to hide. Now we have several concerns that we need to address, starting with your presence on the human world.’

The story of the Traders running into general problems and landing on Earth was mentioned by Captain Narindestat, but Gindane impatiently waved them aside.

‘Captain, I would like to know the specific reason for your initial landing in an Earth ocean and the death toll amongst your crew. I already have followed your earlier broadcast, I might add with considerable scepticism.’

Steve looked the Barus commander in the eye and made his first comment.

‘Commander, my name is Steve Greene and I represent the humans on this ship. My team and I have heard the full reasons for their underwater landing. I am satisfied with their explanation and will detail our observations to more senior human authorities this evening.’

Gindane did not like being side-tracked, though she did little to convey any annoyance as she tersely spoke again.

‘Human, even your presence on that ship is an affront to galactic law. The approval of your race is not relevant in any case due to the current haven state of your world. I suggest that your species clings to the status of haven world for as long as possible. Also you should know that a repeat of your missile attack on us would be most unwise, at least I am in agreement with the Trader captain in that regard. Now Captain Narindestat what is the direct cause of your presence on Earth? You must also know that no more obstruction will be accepted.’

The captain looked sideways at Steve and then looked back to the Barus commander. He then repeated the earlier edited story of the Voorde infestation he had told the humans. He sombrely included the death toll of thirty two amongst the Trader crew. Steve noted with considerable interest that the Barus female now paced the deck of her ship like a two legged lioness, as she in took all this detailed information.

Gindane paused for a moment, sat down again in her command chair, and then fired two barbed questions at the Trader captain.

‘Captain, you landed on a living haven world teeming with life and your ship was infested with Voorde scourge?’

‘Did you possibly consider for a moment the incredible risks you placed the humans and all the other species of the world under with your actions?’

The Trader captain was doing a commendable job of remaining calm as he answered in the affirmative to both questions. But Gindane was just getting around to warming up, and she launched another accusation.

‘Captain, your independent viewpoint led you to make a decision which is illegal from adherence to galactic edicts. Only the presence of your tattoos reassures me that you and your crew have not turned rogue.’

Steve now made his own views known, as he already had listened to enough of the Barus commander’s strong comments.

‘Firstly, Gindane my name is Steve not just human. I am a former commander among my people as well, so again not just human. We are only concerned with how the Traders are behaving on our planet as we cannot know of your edicts. We are satisfied as to the controls they used to minimise the risks even as they then eliminated the Voorde. We have witnessed no rogue behaviour from the Traders on our world.’

Steve watched as the Barus commander strode around the bridge of her ship again. She absentmindedly rubbed her brown furred arms repeatedly, as she considered her own reply and spoke again.

‘Steve, my apologies for any slight or insult. We ourselves are a race of administrators and researchers, though we do have an auxiliary military role as junior vassals in the Zronte hegemony controlling this part of the galaxy.’