STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER
A fanfic recapitulation of Series One “The Quest for Iscandar” by
Frederick P. Kopetz
EPISODE TWENTY: TRAPPED AGAIN (The Galactic Whirlpool)
(Big Thanks to “DTill359”)
----------------------------------
JANUARY 5, 2200
Space Battleship Argo
Derek Wildstar’s Cabin
-----------------------------------
It was a rare moment of rest for the Star Force; 1300 Hours, after lunch.
They had just warped again.
At the moment, Derek Wildstar had his uniform tunic off, and he sat in his undershirt and pants wearing a set of headphones.
He was listening to a truly old, classic song on his headset while trying to type an e-mail that was scaring him down to his boots.
The song: Got to Get You Into My Life: by the Beatles. The original 1966 version.
The e-mail read as follows:
FROM: Wildstar, Derek, LT EDF (Wildstar.Derek.EDF.GOV)
TO: Forrester, Nova, LT EDF (Forrester.Nova.EDF.GOV)
SUBECT: A SERIOUS QUESTION
Dear Nova…
Followed by a long, blank page.
He prayed for a moment. Lord, he thought. How do I write my best friend on this ship a note asking her out? I hope she doesn’t think I’m too forward. We’ve been skipping around this subject a few days now. Almost blurted it out twice. Then other people showed up. Hardy once, Sparks, once. And will Nova reject me? Will she laugh at me? I am so scared…
The thought finally hit him. Be honest. Not boorish. Not like you were with Diane back on Earth. Be a gentleman.
How? She’s more educated than I am, more mature, and I get the idea she’s from a wealthy family. Nova…she has class. I don’t have her class, her education…her money.
Another thought hit him. Yes, but she is romantic and very honest and sincere. Just write what you feel.
Derek then
took a deep breath and typed:
This is Derek. I’m sure you guessed that. Ha, ha, you’d say. It’s not
Sparks. It’s sure not Sparks.
Nova, I’d like to formally request you to have a date with me. It’s been quiet aboard ship lately. Tomorrow, 1300, the messhall?
I’ve got to get you into my life, and don’t let me down…
Love You
(Don’t Laugh at Me)
Derek.
He hit SEND.
“I did it,” he said out loud. “Nova, I asked you out. When will you respond? Please say yes. My God, I feel like a nervous fourteen-year-old kid!”
Sighing, Derek began to work on some reports, keeping the e-mail window open at the bottom of his screen.
------------------------------------------
ELSEWHERE ON THE SHIP…
Nova, as usual, was busy with one of her little morale-building exercises as she pushed a cart with a coffee cup and cups off the lift onto Bridge Number Two, the Navigation Bridge.
She looked around, and was a tad disappointed when all of the uniforms she saw were green-on-white. Well, this **is** Navigation, Nova said to herself. He never comes down here. I really wish I could run into him again today.
Nova smiled brightly, “You’ve all been working so hard…I thought you’d like a coffee break!”
“Oh, boy, fresh coffee!” said Eager.
Nova began to pass out the coffee.
Mark drank his cup and made a disgusted face. “YUK! Nova! You didn’t put any milk in it!”
Nova laughed. “You’re old enough to do that yourself, Venture. I’m not your mom!”
Eager said, “This is great coffee! Reminds me of what I used to get at home!”
“You mean black and strong enough to melt the spoon?” said Ryder.
“Engine solvent,” said Yang from his post. “Thanks for the engine solvent, Nova.”
“I
made all of you guys coffee!” Nova said as she stood there with her
fists up. “NOT engine solvent!”
“It was good, Nova…I liked it!” said Eager.
Ryder laughed. “Yeah. You’re just afraid you’ll be stuck making the coffee!”
Nova then walked up to Mark. “Mark? Sorry I snapped at you and your…guys…”
“That’s okay, Nova, what do you want?”
“First, can I have a terminal for a second?” Nova said. “I have to check my e-mail. I’ve been running around since lunch.”
“Sure, Nova,” Mark said.
Nova checked her e-mail from a spare terminal. “Yes, Doctor Sane,” she murmured to herself. “Operation on Kowalski confirmed, sixteen hundred,” she said. She typed a reply and then saw another e-mail coming in. “Hullo? What’s this?”
“Nova…is it from the Captain?” said Mark.
“Your buddy Natalie?’ said Ryder.
“No,” she said in a soft voice with a strange smile on her lips. “This e-mail is personal. I have to answer it at once.”
The group went “woooooo…” as Nova began to type, not letting anyone else see her e-mail or her response.
“Eager, you can’t look!” laughed Nova. “Mark! NO! You’re being nosy!” she laughed as she pushed him back gently. “Typed. Sent. Done, wish granted!” she said, looking very self-satisfied.
“Okay, since you’re done, you can have your little secret, Nova,” said Mark. “Guys! Coffee break is over! Eager! What’s the correct heading for Planet Balan?”
“Well, a 0.07-degree correction above the ecleptic will put us on target,” said Ryder.
“Eager, go to Bridge One, relieve Mister Arigata, and make the corrections,” Mark said.
“Roger,” said Eager as he ran off.
“I have some questions about our course progress, Mark…if you don’t mind,” Nova said.
“No problem,” Mark said. “Go ahead.”
“Mark, how long will it take us to get to our halfway point at Balan? When we were in the Octopus Star Group, we ended up way off schedule.”
“I know. The storm put us twenty-three days behind. At our current heading and speed, it should take us about forty days to reach Balan, and we should be there in February. Nova…I wonder…”
“Yes?”
“Do we have any way of letting Queen Starsha know we’ll be delayed?”
Nova smiled at Mark. “I have a gut feeling she does know. She seems, somehow, to know so much about us, I think,” she said as she saw her ring flashing and hid it with her other hand.
“That’s good, Nova,” Mark said. “See you on the First Bridge at fourteen hundred. I really hope that your intuition is better than your skills at making coffee…”
Nova looked hard at Mark and crossed her eyes. “HMPH! Mark, sometimes, you’re a dear friend…sometimes, you’re despicable. Not like some other guy I know.”
“Who?” said Ryder.
“You figure that out,” Nova said. “Bye!”
She took off whistling a song under her breath.
“What was she whistling?” said Ryder.
“Beats me,” said Yang.
Allyn, another man on the Second Bridge, said, “It was the Beatles. A LOVE song. And I got a glimpse at her e-mail.”
“Who was it from?” said Ryder.
“Derek Wildstar,” he said.
Mark stifled his crew after they went “Woooooo…” again. “Guys. Guys. Women don’t like having their business pried into. Especially Nova. She’s smart, and sort of…mysterious sometimes.”
“Betcha ten credits she and Wildstar are getting to be an item,” said Allyn.
“Enough, guys!” snapped Mark. “Let’s get back to work!”
------------------------------------------------
On the First Bridge, Derek relieved Dash at Tactical. Sandor had the conn since Captain Avatar was with Doctor Sane receiving an examination.
“Venture should be showin’ up soon,” Eager said from the helm.
“Yeah. Whooppeee,” Derek said.
“What’s on your mind?” Eager said.
“It’s personal,” Derek said as the bridge doors whizzed open. He was expecting to see Venture, but Nova came around to her post, glanced at some readouts, and then walked over to Derek’s post with a smile.
Derek’s heart was pounding as she leaned over him. “I need to calibrate against your target scope. Move aside a little so I can check the azimuth?”
Derek nodded, but Nova was still right against him.
“Did…did you get my e-mail?” he whispered.
“I did. Replied already. Read yours,” she whispered back. She mentally noted a number on Derek’s console, and then looked at her ring. It was flashing.
“What does that mean…yoah ring, I mean, Miss Nova?” Eager said.
“It’s a link to Queen Starsha. I think she’s watching us,” Nova said as she patted Derek’s hand and then went back to her post, looking all business.
Derek then opened his e-mail and read:
FROM: Wildstar, Derek, LT EDF (Wildstar.Derek.EDF.GOV)
TO: Forrester, Nova, LT EDF (Forrester.Nova.EDF.GOV)
SUBECT: A SERIOUS QUESTION
Dear Nova…
This is Derek. I’m sure you guessed that. Ha, ha, you’d say. It’s not Sparks. It’s sure not Sparks.
Nova, I’d like to formally request you to have a date with me. It’s been quiet aboard ship lately. Tomorrow, 1300, the messhall?
I’ve got to get you into my life, and don’t let me down…
Love You
(Don’t Laugh at Me)
Derek.
REPLY: FROM: Forrester, Nova, LT EDF (Forrester.Nova.EDF.GOV)
TO: Wildstar, Derek, LT EDF (Wildstar.Derek.EDF.GOV)
RE: A SERIOUS QUESTION
Derek:
Thank you! I’d be delighted! I’ve been waiting for this e-mail from you for a
few weeks. What took you so long, silly?
1400 it is, and I won’t let you down. Make sure my cruller is cream-filled, please.
With love
Nova.
Derek closed the e-mail, sat back, smiled, and gave Nova a thumbs-up. “Your board is calibrated. Feedback is perfect. We are on the same frequency.”
“Roger that,” Nova said with a big smile.
“What are you two talkin’ about?” said Eager.
“None of your business,” Derek and Nova said together. Then, the rest of the bridge crew present laughed.
Then, Mark Venture showed up. “Eager, take your post. Hey, what did I miss?”
“A conversation on radar and weapons systems tech,” Derek said.
“Our boards are in perfect sync, Mark,” Nova said.
He looked at both of them, who were calmly smiling, shrugged, and took over from Eager.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JANUARY 6, 2200
GAMILON BASE ON BALAN
Sirens were going off at Balan Base as the crew complement of over a thousand Gamilons of all ranks in their brown armor lined up in a long file stretching from the Headquarters Building to the nearest ship landing.
When they were in place, General Garamond Volgarr, the base commander, stood awaiting the landing of the flagship Domeraze III while a Gamilon march, The Gathering of the Fleet, played loudly over base speakers.
The massive Domeraze III landed, and a long stairway extended from the ship’s hull to the landing.
A tall figure carrying a Field Marshal’s baton appeared at the port.
The troops began to cheer and chant his name in the Dritte Haluz, or Triple Salute of Triumph, an honor that the Gamilon military rendered for its greatest and most honored heroes, and…very seldom, for honored allies. In the greatest of ironies, decades later, some members of the Star Force would be greeted this way.
However, today, they were cheering for the great hero Field Marshal Erich Lysis as they chanted his name over and over again. “LYSIS! LYSIS! LYSIS! LYSIS! LYSIS! LYSIS!”
Lysis strode up in front of Volgarr and saluted. “I am Lysis!”
Volgarr returned the salute, almost reluctantly.
Lysis glared at him and said, “I have been assigned here to Command at Balan Base in order to ensure the destruction of the Terran ship Argo. You have been reassigned as my deputy commander, Volgarr.”
“I can’t believe it!” hissed Volgarr.
“Volgarr…it’s an order! Now, let us inspect your facilities!”
“Is this necessary, sir?”
“It is,” hissed Lysis.
A FEW MINUTES LATER…
Lysis was looking over Volgarr’s headquarters office, which was replete
with bottles of liquor and disgusting pornographic artwork of all sorts.
Lysis was redecorating with his Field Marshal’s baton, smashing everything in a rage. “This is rubbish! You have terrible taste in everything! Is this the office of a Gamilon Commander, or a house of ill repute?” roared Lysis as he tore down a curtain with…more pornographic designs on it. “Even so, it looks better than when I started, doesn’t it?”
“Uhhh…sir!” gasped Volgarr.
“I also noticed that your officers and men are not on the ball in any fashion whatsoever, and their quarters do not pass inspection! To defeat the Star Force, we shall need discipline! Everyone is confined to barracks until further notice! Is that understood, Volgarr?”
“Yessir,” said Volgarr.
A gleam lit up in Lysis’ eyes as he thought, These foolish officers and men are like unformed clay and Volgarr is an incompetent. I can mold this group into an effective fighting force. We are not entirely without hope!
--------------------------------------------------------
January 6, 2200
Space Battleship Argo
Main Mess
It was exactly 1300 hours.
Lieutenant Derek Wildstar, as nervous as a cat, sat down with two cups of coffee and several crullers as he awaited Nova. He had actually combed his wild hair to a degree, and put on his blue dress peacoat.
A moment later, the doors to the mess hissed open, and Nova appeared,
dressed in simple civvies: a white pullover tie-dyed with a pink snowflake
pattern, blue jeans, and brown sandals.
She smiled at Derek as soon as she saw him and said, “You look so handsome.”
“Thanks. You look pretty in that. I like the snowflakes.”
“It matches one of my middle names; Yukiko or Yuki. Of course…you are aware the Japanese for “snow” is “Yuki”, so I thought you’d like it.” Nova took Derek’s pro-offered cup of coffee and a cruller and she bit into the cruller. “Cream-filled. You remembered, silly!”
“My God…you are so cute, and so smart,” Derek said.
“Both go without saying,” replied Nova as she tapped Derek on the nose. The couple ignored the buzzing around the messhall as they sat there holding hands.
“I’m just beginning to figure out that I have…a thing for you,” Derek stammered. “You are completely unlike any woman I have ever met before in my life…with the exception of that Christian girl I knew briefly. You sort of remind me of her. When did you first become attracted to me?”
“When I saw how bitter and sad you were over the death of your brother,” Nova said. “I came to the conclusion that if anyone needs a shadow and a dear friend, you do. Life’s been hard for you, hasn’t it?”
Derek sighed, sipped at his coffee, and nodded. “Yeah. I always feel as if I’ve gotten the short end of the stick…ever since my parents were killed. Do you know…I used to collect butterflies? You’ll probably think that’s stupid…”
“No, Derek, I don’t think that’s stupid at all!” Nova said with a smile. “I have a mounted Monarch up and framed in my cabin. I’ll have to show it to you sometime. I had a collection, too, but most of it was burned up in the war when they got our house. The Monarch is all I saved.”
“Because it was pretty,” Derek said.
“Uh-huh. Because it was so pretty,” Nova replied. “You’re keeping up with your Bible?”
“I sure am. Especially because I have the cutest teacher in the universe.”
Nova blushed at that. “You have a talent of making me smile when you’re in a good mood, do you know that?”
“Why, thank you. And we sing so well together…”
“Like to sing now?” Nova said.
“Right here?”
Nova nodded. “Right here.” She began The Lord is my Light, and Derek chimed in and followed along with her, harmonizing beautifully with her sweet alto voice.
When they were finished singing, they noticed that the coffee and crullers were gone.
They kissed over the table, almost shyly, ignoring the catcalls from some of the Black Tigers and others.
“Have you got anywhere to go?” Nova said.
“No, I’m off for a while,” Derek replied.
“Let’s go to the Holography Room. I have a memory tape of yours to show you…”
“Okay…”
-----------------------------------------------
In the Holography Room, Nova flipped on a cassette, taken from Derek’s memories, of the backyard of his childhood house.
It was empty…and just the two of them were there. They both sat down on realistic holograms on swings of the old swing set that Alex and Derek had used as children.
Derek thought it was a great simulation…the chains creaked as he sat there, and squealed a little as Nova actually swung up and down a little on the seat that had always been Alex’s seat.
“I hope I didn’t bring back any bad memories pulling this up,” Nova said.
“No. They’re good memories. Thank you. There was once a time I dreamed of bringing a girlfriend home…you know that?”
“Thanks to the miracles of modern tech, your dream has come true, love,” Nova said. “I love you. You do love me, right?”
“Love is definitely blooming…but it’s so hard…I haven’t really been in love for years. I had two girlfriends in the Academy.”
“Did you love them?”
Derek nodded, almost sadly. “Yeah. But they used me up and spit me out.”
Nova sighed. “Some women are like that. Shallow. Catty. They use men. It makes me sick. I don’t play games like that, and with you, I never will. Promise me you’ll do the same?”
Derek looked hard at her. “I promise.”
“And promise me you won’t keep secrets from me?” Nova said, almost plaintively.
“I most certainly promise. With you…I intend to be totally upright and honorable,” Derek said slowly.
“You are so earnest that I believe you. I know you’re not like other boys…interested in only one thing from a woman.”
“I’m interested in many things from you, Nova. Not just…that…even though you are…”
“Quite pretty?”
Derek nodded. “I liked it when you kissed me,” he said, blushing.
Nova smiled. “That’s good. Let’s do that again?”
So, they did. And they held each other for a long while…lost in each other’s warmth.
And, so, what would be one of the greatest love affairs in the Local Group of Galaxies had a very, very auspicious start.
----------------------------------------
January 7, 2200
Space Battleship Argo
Upper Hangar Bay, Port Side
---------------------------------------
Wildstar, still mentally over the moon because of his date with Nova the previous day (something which already was making the rounds of the whole crew), was in a humorous mood as he watched a tech working on his Type 52 Super Starfighter. “Hey, you guys. Don’t lose any parts! We’re a long way from a hardware store!”
Conroy was next to him in a black and gold version of a Type 52, and
he quipped, “I’ve got the best flight crew in the whole Galaxy. They get all
the grease on the engine.”
Derek then noticed he had grease above his upper lip. “Darn it.”
“I bet you’re kind of distracted after your date with Forrester,” teased one of his maintenance guys, a man named Reiter. “You two were all dressed up yesterday. I saw it.”
“I’m…sort of thinking of that,” said Derek.
Dana Starion came up and she winked at him. “Lucky, lucky, LUCKY. Miss She Blinds us with science is a GREAT catch.”
“Nova’s not a fish, she’s a human being,” protested Derek.
Reiter said, “How long have we been out in space, anyway? Weeks, months, years?”
“Yeah, and with every day like the other, it’s getting hard to keep track of time,” said Conroy. “Oh…it was cool seeing you at prayer meeting the other day, Wildstar.”
“I’m finally learning that there has to be a God and a Providence behind everything; this can’t be random,” Derek said.
“When did you become a preacher?” jibed Reiter.
“Since I got my eyes opened!” Derek snapped. “There are some things you don’t make fun of! Got it?”
“Whatever,” said Reiter.
“So dark out here,” said Starion as she kicked at an empty can of lubricant.
“Yeah…I miss the stars,” Derek added. “There are far more of them in our galaxy. Out here…it’s almost like a lot of…nothing. But I think there’s a purpose behind it. I just don’t see all the patterns yet.”
“It’s dark out here…all so…big…weird,” said Conroy. “Maybe we’re not meant to comprehend everything.”
“I think Queen Starsha might get it; maybe,” said Starion. “If she doesn’t get this, why did she send us way out here on this wild goose chase to begin with?”
“Because it’s our only hope,” retorted Derek. “In the meantime, everyone…while we’re discussing the natural wonders of outer space, the Gamilons might be preparing to get us.”
“You just sent a weird shiver up my spine,” said Reiter.
“Hey, Harry, don’t be afraid…you’re with the Star Force!” jibed Derek.
All of them laughed until the ship suddenly tilted.
Conroy fell to the deck out of his plane and then jumped up to keep Dana from falling into it.
“What’s going on?” yelled Reiter.
“The ship’s going all over the place!” yelled Conroy. “Dana, are you all right?”
“I think so…thanks,” she said.
“I’m going up to the bridge to see what’s going on…you take care of things here,” Derek said as he got up and ran.
----------------------------------------
Klaxons were blowing as Wildstar prepared to jump up a people-mover belt.
But then, he heard a familiar cry.
He ran back and saw that Nova had fallen against a bulkhead, scattering a folder of printouts all over the place.
“Are you all right?” Derek said as he gallantly helped her up.
“I’m good, but my printouts aren’t!”
“I’ll help you out,” Derek said as he helped her pick things up.
She smiled. “Nice time yesterday. We have to do that again soon, love.”
“Thanks. Want a hand going up the people-mover?”
“Would be appreciated,” Nova said as Derek mounted it and then helped pull her up. Their eyes met, and they both thought, What is going on with the ship?
The klaxons were still blowing when they ran onto Bridge Number One.
Captain Avatar called out. “Engine room! Explain what’s happening! We’re losing power!”
“Venture, do you know what’s going on?” said Wildstar as he sat down.
“Wish I knew; this just hit us,” said Venture.
“This could be something to do with the Magellenic Stream,” Nova said as she sat down. “I was scanning it before on Bridge Number Two but I thought it would be a few hours before we would have to make a course change.”
“What’s the Magellenic Stream?” Derek said.
“A hydrogen current between our galaxy and the Great Magellenic Cloud,” Nova said. “But it shouldn’t be affecting navigation like this, and my scope is all bolluxed up! Eager, do you have anything?”
“I’ll have it analyzed in a second,” said Eager. “I’ve never encountered anything like this before…”
In the Engine Room, Orion yelled, “Check the power feeds. There has to be a reason why this is dropping!”
Sparks said, “Sir, I’ve checked the circuit three times, but the power still won’t increase!”
“I’ll let Yamazaki know about our issues,” said Orion as he called up to Bridge Number One on the electronic speaking tube, where Yamazaki was at his own usual post.
“Major engine drop, sir…they’re working on it below,” said Yamazaki.
Avatar nodded just as Eager said, “Okay…I’ve got something now. We’re at the edge of a dimensional rift right smack in the middle of the Magellenic Stream; a gigantic Galactic Whirlpool!”
“A Galactic Whirlpool?” Derek said out loud.
“Nova, do you have anything?” Avatar snapped.
“Focusing my scope now; I’m picking up scads of Berthold Radiation coming from it,” she said.
“Yeah, that would make sense,” said Sandor. “What’s the numerical volt rating on that radiation?”
“Twelve-point niner to the tenth power,” Nova said.
“That’s bad,” said Captain Avatar. “Incredibly bad. You two scan for dark matter or a super-heavy mass.”
Nova and Sandor nodded, intent on their figures and work while Wildstar asked Venture, “This is getting way over my head! Mark, what is a Galactic Whirlpool, anyway?”
Mark sighed. “Scientists think it’s an early warning signal just before a heavy star is about to collapse into nothing. First it explodes, and the shock waves move out into open space and form a whirlpool. It is probably worse here because the Magellenic Stream’s hydrogen gas gave it more mass to react with. In the center, there is a hole that creates a void into sub-space. As the mass of the star collapses, it goes faster and faster. We’re probably the only humans who have ever come this close to a galactic whirlpool.”
In the meantime, Nova and Sandor were done huddling. Nova took scans at her radar, and Sandor said, “We found a heavy neutron star mass in the center, and Nova’s trying to scan to see where it is.”
“It’s at EWZ-520, twenty AU’s in the center of this region,” Nova said. “If we get too close to that mass, it will pull us in and crush us like so many insects. My scans tell me the mass is only the size of a basketball now, but ultra-dense!”
“Squares with what I have,” said Eager. “The closer we get to it, the worse it gets. That Berthold Radiation is probably tellin’ us that atoms are being destroyed and that it ends up as a real small black hole.”
“There is a theory that a black hole is an opening into the Fourth Dimension,” said Captain Avatar.
“Are we in a black hole now?” Derek said, honestly scared.
“Not yet, but the stellar mass doesn’t let go of whatever gets close to it,” Avatar said. “Look at that!”
The crew looked out and they saw the wreck of a starship drifting past them. Then two, and then three.
“It’s like a sea of lost ships,” mused Dash.
“Is that the way we’re going to end up, too?” said Mark.
“They’re not all lost ships!” cried Eager. “There’s a vessel approaching at high speed!”
“The ship is identified…as a Gamilon corvette,” Nova said. “Speed, twenty space knots; bearing EJ-24, distance ten megameters and closing!”
“Great! Just what we needed!” snarled Wildstar.
In the meantime, aboard the Domeraze III, Lysis was musing over the Argo’s predicament. “I wonder if the Star Force realizes what can happen to them in this Galactic Whirlpool?”
“We may not even need to fire a shot, General,” said Volgarr. “I have seen that the whirlpool has often taken care of our enemies for us.”
“I don’t want that to happen, Volgarr. I want the pleasure of smashing the Argo myself. I will not be cheated out of a victory by a mere stupid whirlpool,” Lysis said.
The Gamilon vessel was now on the Argo’s main screen.
At his post, Wildstar said, “Captain, Black Tigers are ready to take off. Main guns…ready to fire!”
“We don’t have enough power to fire the wave motion gun,” said Dash. “We’re going to have a hard time firing the main guns, too, due to the power loss.”
“We’ll use what we have!” Derek barked. “We’ll fire by hand if we have to!”
“Wait, Derek! We can’t fight! We have to escape from this trap!” Mark snapped.
“You’re saying we should run away?” Derek yelled back.
“Listen, Wildstar. Use your head for something other than a hat rack!” Mark insisted. “The enemy knows this whirlpool and we don’t. We can’t get full power out of the wave motion engine. We can’t afford a reckless fight! We have to get to Iscandar!”
“Listen, Venture, you’d better stick to what you know about!” Derek snapped. “Captain, we have our Black Tigers…we have our main guns…torpedoes…missiles…we can outfight them! Let’s take them on!”
“Not today, Wildstar,” said Captain Avatar.
“What?” said Derek.
“Venture is right. We can’t afford a reckless fight in our condition.”
“We’d better do something soon, Captain,” Nova said quietly. “That corvette is almost in optimal firing range.”
“Venture…auxiliary engines…full power…get us past that ship,” said Captain Avatar.
“Yessir,” said Mark. “Auxiliary engines up! Heading away from the enemy ship!”
But the enemy ship continued to advance and began firing on the Argo. The laser shots just barely missed the space battleship.
“Captain, it’s only one ship!” Derek barked.
“Wildstar, that’s an order!” snapped Captain Avatar.
An officer on the Domeraze III reported, “General Lysis, the Argo is retreating without returning our fire!”
Volgarr yelled, “All ships advance on the Argo! We’ll trap them at the event horizon and then destroy them!”
Lysis said, “So! They are much smarter than I gave them credit for! Volgarr, I wonder why they are retreating from only one small corvette?” He shut his eyes and bowed his head in prayer for a moment. “I am getting a very odd sense from that vessel.”
“What does that mean?” snarled Volgarr.
“You wouldn’t understand,” hissed Lysis. “You are about as spiritual as a rock.”
The corvette continued to fire at the Argo.
“If we don’t do something soon, we won’t be in any condition to fight!” Derek said. “Main gun turret number three, stand by, ready to fire.”
“Hey! We’ve got more visitors!” said Eager. “A whole fleet approachin’ from aft!”
“The vessels are all different types,” Nova said. “Battleships, destroyers, cruisers…I’m reading over three thousand ships!”
“Venture! We’ve got to speed it up! If we don’t, we’ll never get out of here!” Wildstar said.
“Captain, we can’t be too cautious now,” said Sandor.
“You’re right! We have to give them something to think about!” Avatar said. “Wildstar, fire one barrage!”
Derek nodded. “Dash! The aft turret! Give the order!”
“FIRE!” snapped Dash.
The Argo fired.
The barrage flew into the Gamilon fleet, only glancing off one destroyer.
On the Domeraze III, Volgarr laughed like a madman. “Ha ha! Now, they’re fighting back, General! Perhaps now we’ll see some action!”
“Volgarr, is it possible…they don’t know the whirlpool has them in its grasp?” Lysis said.
“Now we’ve got them!” Volgarr yelled.
“That’s right. All ships…strike now…while we have the Argo at our mercy!”
The barrage from the Gamilon vessels was the most withering barrage the Star Force had faced so far in her mission. Laser bolts were skipping off the ship like sparks. Explosions filled the ship.
On the Argo, Sandor said, “Captain! They’re closing in! Our retreat is cut off and we’re taking major damage!”
Orion’s voice came over the intercom from the engine room. “Th’ auxiliary engine’s reached its limit! We’re riskin’ a burnout!”
Then, the instruments began to go dead.
“Targeting computer’s dead!” cried Dash.
“Communications are out!” said Homer.
“My radar is dead!” Nova said.
“My console is out!” Derek said.
“I’m losing helm control!” Venture said.
They looked out and saw what looked like tendrils of energy coming off the entire ship like St. Elmo’s fire in reverse.
The auxiliary engines went out.
“Those ruined ghost ships…this is what must have happened to them…” Venture said. “No thrust left!”
“Is this the end?” Nova cried from her post.
“Captain, Captain!” Derek snapped. Then, he saw Nova’s pleading eyes. He got up and went to her. If they were going to die, at least they would die holding hands. He stood near her post. Their hands clasped.
Captain Avatar sat in prayer for a moment as the Argo shook from hit after hit as if she was in a storm. Then, sighing, he sat back and thought, So, Lord…this is where it all ends?
Derek held Nova’s hands and then he caught a glimpse of her ring blinking.
Then, the strangest thing happened.
The dead Astro-Compass lit up.
“What’s that?” said Derek as he and Nova stared wide-eyed at the gleaming instrument.
“All the instruments are dead…only the Astro-Compass is working!” Venture said.
Then, a strange sound filled the entire First Bridge, and a light appeared at the dead video panel.
A beautiful woman’s face appeared over the video panel.
Nova looked up, with her mouth falling wide open. Queen Starsha? Nova thought in awe and fear.
Then,
a powerful, yet gentle voice filled the whole ship.
“People from Earth. I am Queen Starsha of the Planet Iscandar. I have been watching over you by various means ever since you left Earth. I have observed again and again how you have bravely triumphed over your enemies, the Gamilons. As I am aware you have learned, the Gamilons are misguided, but they are not monsters. However, note that there will be many more trials and hardships to come. In many ways, this journey will be a trail of tears, but also one filled with tremendous Hope. I wish to assure you that the Cosmo-DNA, which shall cure your world of its radioactive pollution, awaits you on Iscandar. Now, please observe your Astro-Compass. I am causing it to indicate the direction you should follow, and I am replenishing your energy. I am Queen Starsha, of the Planet Iscandar.”
Then, power began to come up and the dead instruments lit up.
Nova saw her radar coming on again, but she saw her ring blinking one last time. “Nova,” Starsha’s voice said in a whisper in her mind. “You and I share a special link that I know you do not comprehend. You and I will be bound together for as long as you live. You know your tasks. Keep the Faith, and protect Derek. Continue to be his spiritual eyes. And, do not underestimate yourself, or your gifts, but trust in the Highest, for any one of us can fall. You and I are more alike than you can guess, Nova Forrester of Terra, for you are of a noble bloodline you do not yet guess at. This is my special charge to you. I look forward to meeting you on Iscandar, dearest one.”
Nova nodded, wiping tears from her eyes, as she said, “Mark, true heading indicated by Starsha: two hundred seventy degrees, due ahead.”
“It’s all working!” Derek said from his post.
“Everything’s back to normal,” said Mark in utter awe.
“The wave motion engine is coming back on line, along with the auxiliaries,” said Yamazaki from his post.
“Thank you, Starsha,” Captain Avatar said with a smile. “Wildstar, return their fire! Venture, follow Queen Starsha’s heading; hard about!”
“Roger,” they both said.
“We’re putting distance between ourselves and the Gamilon fleet,” Nova said. She was still a little stunned by Starsha’s message; both the public message and the private message to her alone.
On the Domeraze III, Lysis looked at the Argo’s escape with dismay and great anger. “Keep firing, all vessels! Finish them off once and for all!”
“Captain, I have power in the main engine now,” said Venture.
Avatar nodded hard, coughing once. “As soon as we’re free from the galactic whirlpool and the hydrogen current, we’ll perform a space warp of one thousand lightyears to put us out of reach of the Gamilons.”
“Roger, we can warp in forty-five seconds,” said Venture.
“Enemy fleet receding…they’re trying to catch up with us, but it’ll take time,” Nova said.
As the Argo flew onwards, Derek said, “Come on, Venture, hurry it up! We’ve all got a date pending with Queen Starsha and we don’t want to stand her up!”
Then, a quick text came across Derek’s screen. What about that second date with me, Derek? -N.
Derek typed back. Right, Nova. As soon as we get out of this and have some free time.
Good. I’m telling Starsha you’re taken, Nova typed back, winking at Derek.
“Who’s texting you, Wildstar?” said Venture.
“My dear…girlfriend,” Derek said, looking back as Nova smiled at him. “Sorry, Starsha. I’m taken!”
“We’re warping in thirty seconds now….” said Mark.
“Wildstar, stop firing,” snapped Avatar.
“Cease firing,” said Wildstar.
The Gamilons’ weapons blasted around them as the crew locked their harnesses for warp. “Ready to warp…three…two…one…ZERO!” said Venture. “WARP!”
A series of laser bolts blasted in that would have blasted the Argo to smithereens…but then she went transparent and faded into subspace.
On the Domeraze III, Lysis looked on in shock. “The Argo just vanished! They just made a space warp!”
“But how did they learn of the one path out of here?” snarled Volgarr.
“I would love to know of that myself,” mused Lysis. Then, he stood and saluted the empty space where the Argo had been. “Argo, according to the intel Leader Desslok gave me, your Captain is named Avatar. Avatar, I salute your skill. You are a great Captain with a gallant and honorable crew. But we shall meet again; be assured of that! Volgarr, lay in a course for Balan. We’re done here.”
“Yessir,” said Volgarr as his mouth slavered like a dog’s.
--------------------------------------------------
Space Battleship Argo
January 8, 2200
--------------------------------------------------
It was now the evening of the eighth of January.
The entire crew of the Argo had to work hard to repair their damage, tend to their wounded, and bury their dead in space (luckily, only two members of the crew were killed.)
Derek and Nova met again on the afternoon of the eighth, sharing some ramen soup, filled with vegetables and synthetic meat of all sorts.
“Not bad,” said Derek as he slurped at his ramen.
“Thank the galley staff, even though I snuck a little extra in for you, Derek,” Nova said. “Something is worrying me.”
“What is it?”
“Ship’s stores are getting low. We’ve been going through vegetables and fruits from the hydroponic garden like crazy. I’m going to need more seedlings soon. I hope we can find a planet with edible plants we can stop off at so I can collect some stuff.”
“But the Gamilons are all over the place,” Derek said.
“I’m sure Captain Avatar will approve of you escorting me down there, Derek,” Nova said. “For the love of Pete, Derek! Stop slurping your soup!”
“I’m hungry,” he said.
“You, Derek Wildstar, are a work in progress,” Nova chuckled as she waved her spoon at him. Then, they both laughed.
Then, they turned serious. “Did you read Ephesians Five as I suggested, Derek? Especially the end?”
Wildstar nodded. “I did. I quote: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
Derek shut his eyes. “I get the sense being “one flesh” is a LOT more than…the obvious…”
“You’re very observant, Derek. A man and a woman in a lasting relationship are far more than a one-night stand. That’s like eating dessert before you get to the main course, and I have seen from talking with people that it’s a big let-down. Becoming one means…well…our hearts will join. Our minds. Our spirits…our souls. We are learning to worship together. Laugh together. Hang out together. Work together.”
“Every time I see you, Nova, you brighten up my day…even if I don’t grasp you at times.”
“I don’t always grasp you, either, Derek. But face it. Isn’t that the fun part?”
“It is. And Nova…I will do right by you. You know what I mean.”
Nova nodded. “Thank you. I am so glad you respect me, and I likewise respect you. I’m not low-hanging fruit, even though one guy my mother set me up with in college thought that way.”
“So…what did you do to him?”
“Broke his nose,” Nova said. She began to finish her soup, and then she realized she was slurping it. “Ooops,” she said in a tiny voice.
“Ha, ha, ha, you’re great!” Derek said.
“Yes. We. Both…need work,” Nova said while blushing.
--------------------------------------------------
Later that day, Derek and Mark met up on the aft observation deck.
“Did you and Nova have lunch together today?” said Mark.
Derek blushed and said, “Yeah.”
“Lucky you,” Mark said. “She’s awesome. But not as awesome as Queen Starsha.”
“That was awe-inspiring yesterday,” Derek said. “Now we know that Queen Starsha is really out there waiting for us to arrive!”
“I wonder if she’s really as beautiful as she seems?” Mark mused.
“We all owe you a great debt, Mark,” said Derek.
“What do you mean?”
“I wonder what would have happened if we had decided on a straight-out fight like I wanted,” Derek said. “We’d all be dead now, probably.”
“Don’t worry about it, Derek. Queen Starsha saved the Star Force. There’s no one on Earth like her,” Mark said as he looked at the window and remembered her lovely face. So did Derek.
Then, Derek and Mark started when a living face was reflected in the observation deck.
It was Nova.
Derek, in particular, observed that she looked very, very close to Starsha.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Nova said. “Hey! I found some Pocky. Want some?”
“Sure,” stammered Mark.
Derek took some of the candy and smiled at Nova. Then, he said to Mark, “Hey. Do you think Nova looks like Starsha?”
Mark laughed. “There’s no one on Earth like Starsha. Oh, if only I could date a space woman with mysterious powers like her…”
“Starsha?” said Derek. “You think you have a shot for her?”
Both men guffawed while Nova munched on her Pocky and thought, Oh, you guys. How can I help being fond of both of you?
“We always hang out together,” Derek said. “We need a name.”
“The Three Musketeers, even though Nova’s obviously female,” said Mark.
“I like that,” said Nova. “Your next assignment, guys, is to figure out which Musketeers you two are, and who I am. Reading Dumas would help. Have fun! We will discuss this in seven days from now.”
Nova handed out more Pocky and gave both Derek and Mark hugs. Then, she took off.
“Does she give you assignments, too?” Mark said.
“Yes. Lots of them. But her assignments…they’re…interesting,” Derek said. “If we survive this, she’ll probably be an MD or PhD in a few years.”
“Will she still hang out with the likes of us?” Mark said.
“I have the sense both of us are going to know her for a long, long time,” Derek said.
-----------------------------------
On Balan, General Lysis sat behind a typewriter, typing notes in the Gamilon language about his recent encounter with the Argo.
He typed his notes, and then finished off with. “January Seventh, Terran Calendar. Met the Star Force. A very worthy foe…and one to be respected…”
The Argo, however, had to hurry.
As of today, Earth had exactly 272 days left to live….
----------------------------------
TO BE CONTINUED….