Star Blazers-A Voyage to Remember-Ep. 24 (Pt1)

STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER

A fanfic recapitulation of Series One “The Quest for Iscandar” by

Frederick P. Kopetz

EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR: Homer’s Tears…(Part One)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This chapter includes an edited version of the short story previously published on FanFiction.Net under the title “Birds…Not of a Feather.” I attached this story to the end of this chapter since it ties in with this chapter, taking place one day after it. The chapter had to be split into two for length to show all the artwork-- Freddo

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Space Battleship Argo

January 20, 2200

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“Between the angelic nature, which is an intellectual thing, and the human soul there is no step, but they are both almost continuous in the order of gradation. … Thus we are to suppose and ﬁrmly to believe, that a man may be so noble, and of such lofty condition, that he shall be almost an angel.” ~ Dante, Convivio, VII. 3

“Nearly all that has been said theologically of the angels can be said metaphysically of the superior states of the being, just as in the astrological symbolism of the Middle Ages the ‘heavens’, that is to say the various planetary and stellar spheres, represent these same states and also the initiatic degrees to which their realization corresponds” ~ Rene Guenon, Multiple States of Being

“The practice of medicine should involve more, so much more, than the bare minimum of giving the patient a diagnosis and recommending a treatment, and then carrying out said treatment, whether with medication, out-patient therapy or surgery, or in-patient procedures or therapy. The practitioner should have a good bedside manner and be prepared to empathize with his or her patient while establishing proper boundaries. I have sat on the bed to speak with my patients, prayed with them, taught them biofeedback and meditation, and held their hand, whenever possible, as they died if that was their destiny. A physician should have many treatment tools, and among them is a heart.” ~ Nova Forrester-Wildstar MD, A Surgeon’s Introduction to Practice and Metaphysics, 2219, Harper-Collins Publishing; Quote used by permission.

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Derek Wildstar had just gotten back in from a patrol flight in his Cosmo Zero, and after showering and putting on a fresh uniform, he decided that he needed somewhere quiet to think.

Thus, he had retired to the aft observation deck in the Argo’s bridge tower to look out at the stars. Meditating on the starfield earlier that evening in his plane had been a calming experience, until he was jerked back to reality by a message from Homer that there was possibly a Gamilon patrol sneaking around. He then spent the next two hours, basically, chasing a ghost blip that Eager had noticed on the main Cosmo-Radar since it was his watch at that point.

Derek was irritated when he got back to the ship. He knew that duty called, and he sometimes had a sneaking suspicion that Eager had been jumping at too many ghosts lately whenever he had to spell Nova, Yang, Ryder, or Misaki at the main radar.

He thought, as he looked out at the stars, Statistically, Eager has a propensity to jump at nothing when we have him looking that far outwards with the scanners. Ryder’s a little less jumpy, but he picks up a dud every now and then. I never statistically measured her performance, but Nova very seldom picks up a ghost image; when she detects something, she knows that it’s an unfriendly. She seems to have a sixth sense of some kind, and Yang and Misaki are even scarier. I sometimes think they could notice things without the scanners at all, even when they’re at the helm when Venture must eat, shower, sleep, use the head….

Derek looked out at the vista of stars and felt as if he was again entering a different state of consciousness. “Yeah…Andrew has his needs,” he observed, realizing he had dropped into a habit he sometimes had of thinking aloud. Wildstar pulled a harmonica from his pocket that had belonged to Alex, and he began to play the doleful, sentimental ballad “Scarlet Scarf” on it as he looked out at the stars. Then, he stopped playing, sighed to himself aloud, and said, “Yeah…and Nova has her needs, too. She has to eat, work with Doc Sane, fight off the Tinwit, sleep, use the head…meditate…does she meditate? Darn, I’m engaged to her and I don’t even know that yet!”

Then, a moment later, Derek felt a trusted, feather-light touch on his shoulders. “Huh? Who’s…?’

“Yes, I meditate,” said the quiet, calm voice behind him. Derek turned, and he saw Nova standing there in her familiar gold and black uniform. “And I’ve got needs you don’t know about, my good Space Cowboy, which are better not discussed in…public….” she said in a light, teasing fashion.

“Why is it that you always seem to pop up whenever I need someone to talk to?” Derek said. “In the past few weeks, I’ve talked to you in a way that I can’t with Mark, or with Conroy, Dash, or the captain. You know how I feel about not having a family, about Alex being dead.”

“Derek, I’ve been talking with you for the last few weeks about your grief; your anger. I see that side of you that you normally hide behind that mop of hair and your burning eyes,” she said as she mussed his hair up gently. “I also heard you playing that harmonica. It brought tears to my eyes. You’re better with that than you think!”

“This harmonica was Alex’s,” he said as he took it out and allowed Nova to look at it.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said softly.

“You’re the first crewmember who’s ever seen it up close. We’ve been working on the Scriptures together. We were both raised Catholic. What do you think of the Creeds and dogmas?”

“They’re a nice starting point, but only that,” Nova said. “A lot of priests I’ve met are into dogma, and not a relationship with the Most High. I figured out on my own they don’t have all the answers. You know, three years ago, one of my friends caught the radiation sickness. You know how endemic it is. I went to her…funeral. The priest there had the same usual platitudes; ‘It was God’s Will’. ‘God was testing us; God is testing you, Nova, one of her best friends…’.”

Derek was about to ask her what she thought, but he held his tongue when he saw her eyes filling up with tears. “Sorry. I get like that when I think about Nadine. I was hurting, and all that priest had for me was…empty platitudes…an utter load of bull,” she said as she banged the railing hard with a fist. Then, Nova collected herself, wiped her eyes, and said, “Sorry, Derek. I’ve got my moments, too. Guess what. I don’t act like a little lady all the time, like my mother wants me to act. I told you about her.”

“Yeah, you did,” Derek said as he patted Nova on the shoulder.

“Yes…I did,” Nova stammered. “Oh, bother it all, there I go again,” she said as her eyes welled up again. “Sorry, I’m tired,” she sobbed.

“Need a hug?” Derek said in a soft voice.

Nova just nodded. He gave her a nice, big bearhug for a time, even though part of him was afraid her sylph-like body would break or something if he hugged her too hard.

About two minutes passed. Then, Nova collected herself a little and gently pulled away. She sighed. “I like lots of people on this ship, Derek, although some creep me out. But…you…you’re…my best friend on this boat,” Nova said with a surprising earnestness.

“Ah! You mean, you’re not gonna go shack up with Mark?”

Nova playfully punched him in the arm as she giggled. “You idiot! No way! C’mon, let’s get to my cabin to talk before we get there too late and give people the wrong idea.”

A retort came to Derek’s mind, but he was wise enough to keep his trap shut.

Nova grabbed his arm and dragged him off the observation deck to the nearest lift as he pretended to protest.

Neither of them noticed Sam Sparks standing in the dimly lit passage as they zipped by.

Sparks just licked his lips, and muttered to himself, “Oh, Little Nova, you don’t get it, do you? Go ahead. Tease the flyboy. Ignore me. Flyboy might have an accident sometime. And, then, at his funeral…maybe you’ll give me the time of day, you little Brainiac bitch…”

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER…

Derek Wildstar was sitting carefully on a tatami mat in Nova’s quarters. She usually kept it rolled up, and only put it out when she got time to chill out or counsel Derek in here. He had been in here, twice, at Nova’s invitation. She obviously thought this was a better place for grief counseling than her small office in the Sickbay section.

His boots were off, and he sat there in his socked feet near Nova’s bunk, where she was sitting on a greenish-brown EDF-issue blanket. Derek was sitting kneeling in the Japanese fashion, while Nova had her boots off and she sat barefoot on the bunk save for the stirrups of her uniform at her arches. When they got into her cabin, she had turned the lights down slightly and had begun to play Bach’s “St. Matthew’s Passion” on her laptop. Then, she undid a small set of wind chimes and hung them on a small stanchion near her desk, and she also lit a scented prayer candle she had received from Father Likanski. The candle created a sweet scent as it burned almost smokelessly in the glass votive lamp that the priest had it in when he gave it to Nova.

“Pretty music,” Derek said. “Did someone give you that data capsule?”

“Yes, Aunt Louise; my nice elder aunt,” Nova said. “I got it for my birthday about eight years ago when I started college.”

“Okay; you started college…at…thirteen?”

Nova nodded, almost shyly. “Dual major; Astrophysics and Nursing. I got bored in high school and knew Terra needed good nurses, and I joined ROTC in college. They let me in due to my test scores. Picked up a Master’s and a nurse-practitioner certificate after college. God knows I have enough people to work with. I interned under Doc Sane, and learned his work when he got too…well…tipsy. He’s a good man; sorry I admitted that.”

“Wow,” Derek said. “Please don’t throw anything at me; not in the mood.”

Nova smiled a little bit. “I have no hypodermic wrappers nearby, sir,” she joked.

“Why are we here?” Derek said.

“To talk a bit…about us…about your feelings. You were upset and I could tell that by the look on your face ten kilometers away. The look on your face….so sad. So resigned.”

“Thanks,” Derek said.

Nova then responded with, “How are you taking what Steve was saying about Alex…and about our past relationship?”

Derek was silent for a while. “What is the past is the past. We are sworn to each other now, and that’s all that matters. As for Alex…I really miss him. Steve said he was still alive “in my heart” but part of me wishes he was still alive…as impossible as it seems.”

“Derek, we live the impossible, every day. This whole mission is an exercise in the impossible. I know the loss of Alex is a major roadblock in your heart. It’s Alex’s death…losing your parents to the bombings…it’s like a stone you’re carrying around inside you.”

“Yeah,” he said as Nova noticed his eyes were welling with tears.

So were hers.

Derek got up and gave Nova a long, gentle hug. She hugged back, holding Derek for a while. As Derek held Nova, he kissed her hair, smelling the scent of the shampoo she used in her hair; it was a strawberry-like scent…and it was very sweet.

They embraced in silence for a while before they kissed lightly and pulled away from each other, both of them blushing slightly.

The music in Nova’s player changed; a song by Audioslave came up, “Like a Stone.”

He was about to wipe the tears away, but Nova reached across the gap between them and she did that herself; quietly, almost like the touch of an angelic guardian. “Need me to stop, dear?” she said so softly that he almost didn’t hear her. It was a poignant moment, and Derek could do nothing but shake his head.

“Thank you,” Nova said. “I have the sense that we all have challenges we have to face. We all have to grow up. You do, I do. We are by no means perfect. As I said a few days back…”

“You do stupid things, too…same as I do,” Derek said. “We’re just human, Nova. Do you beat yourself up over mistakes?”

“Yes,” Nova said in a very soft voice. “I second-guess myself a lot. What about you?”

“Me too,” he said. “I feel like such an idiot at times…”

“But I can tell you are very sensitive. What were you like as a child…before the war turned bad?”

“You’ll laugh at me, Nova,” Derek said with his eyes downcast. The stereo began to play Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor”, a lovely piece.

“No laughing, no judgment here. I’m not the Black Tiger locker room, Derek. Tell me. Please.”

“Sensitive. I…used to collect butterflies…and you heard me say I wanted to be an insectologist.”

“Derek, do you see what’s framed above my head, on my bulkhead? That’s a painting of a Monarch Butterfly I did when I was twelve. Almost my totem, you could say. I know…it sounds weird, but…”

“Nova, from what I’ve learned about you…geez…I’m sorry I made fun of you a while back…when you said you were wishing on that red star and then you said your wishes would find a good star…”

“Forgiven,” Nova said softly. “Long forgiven.”

“Nova, do you think we’re going to make it to Iscandar?”

“I pray that we do,” she said.

“I know we will!” snapped Derek.

“We will,” Nova said. “I had another run-in with Sparks yesterday. He was not nice.”

“Damn that Sparks!” Derek said.

“That’s a bit rude…but, Derek, he makes my skin crawl…”

“Me, too. He says we’re not going to make it to Iscandar, and that we’re on a fool’s errand. He said that the other day when you weren’t around, Nova. I wanted to belt him!”

“Good thing I wasn’t around, Derek.”

“Why?”

“I would’ve helped you belt him,” Nova chuckled. “He still leers at me, Derek! That hungry, weird look in his eyes! You’re not a woman, so you don’t get it…but…”

“Nova, if he ever touches you, tell me. I’ll break his neck!”

“Then you’ll be in the brig, and I’ll have to send you a cake…with a file in it,” Nova said with an almost kooky grin. “That is…if I don’t hurt him first! If that guy ever puts his greasy paws on me, he will regret it! He’ll then learn that Little Miss Muffett has a few tricks up her sleeve!”

“Temper, temper,” teased Derek.

“Shut up,” Nova said as she reached across the gap to grab Derek’s nose. Then, she put her thumb between her fingers and chirped, “Got your nose!”

“Put it back, please…I need it t’ breathe,” Derek said through his nose.

Nova did that, touching his nose, and then, they both laughed like crazy.

“Yeah…” Nova said. “Derek, my tissues are over there on my little desk. Could you get me a tissue?”

“Why?” said Derek.

“Do you want to see me with mucus running out of my nose?” Nova said, which put her in another fit of giggles.

Derek brought the box of tissues over, and Nova took two and blew her nose.

Derek laughed.

“Ok, you hyena, what’s so funny?” Nova said.

“Nova, when you blow your nose, it sounds like a fart!”

“Want me to throw this at you?” Nova said, brandishing the tissue box. That set them both off on another round of giggles.

Nova ended up throwing the box on her desk instead.

Then, the door to Nova’s cabin whirred open, and they both heard Homer’s voice yelling, “AHA! Caught you, Nova! You’re bewitching him with candles and wind chimes! You’re a spooky, weird witch! This is the proof!”

“Homer, what the HELL is your…?” Derek began to shout, but Nova said, “No, Derek. Just be quiet. This is my business!”

“Nova, Wildstar’s a tough man! We don’t need you casting kooky love spells on him or whatever!”

“Derek, please move,” Nova said politely as she picked up one of her boots. “You…get out of my cabin, Homer…or, I swear…I will throw this right at your head! For your information, sir, Derek proposed to me of his own free will a few days ago, and I accepted, also of my own free will. Nothing supernatural involved there!”

“Why, Nova, can’t you cast a spell? I heard you’re a witch!”

“That’s nonsense! What did I just tell you? BEAT IT!” Nova screamed in a deeply angry voice as she whipped her boot at Homer and banged on her laptop with a fist.

The yellow boot bounced off his chest, and he took off as if all the devils of Hell were after him.

Derek and Nova just looked at each other and laughed. Then, they caught the song playing on Nova’s laptop and laughed even harder.

It was Santana’s “Black Magic Woman.”

When Derek collected himself, he ran out in the passage and collected Nova’s boot.

“Your shoe, my Princess,” he said with a bow.

“Merci beaucoup,” Nova said as she accepted the boot back and gave Derek a pat on the cheek.

“Wow! This has been going on for over an hour!” Derek said as he looked at the clock on Nova’s computer.

“Yeah, you’ll need your sleep, Derek, and so do I,” Nova said as she sat on her bunk and stretched and yawned before she snuffed out the candle wick with a small dish so the smoke would not set her smoke alarm off. “Good night, Derek. See you on the Bridge tomorrow morning.”

“Good night, Nova,” he said as he gathered up his boots. Stepping off her tatami mat, he put them back on, bowed to her almost theatrically, and blew her a mock kiss before he ran off, wondering if she would run after him and hit him with something.

She didn’t. She sat there smiling as she knew she was blushing like crazy. “Better get ready for bed,” she yawned as she made sure the cabin door was locked this time, and then she began to lay out her sleepwear and then undress before ducking into her private shower/head.

She put on a short pink negligee and fell asleep in a few minutes.

Derek was in all her dreams that night.

Derek himself got to his cabin, locked it, and yawned hard and changed into his EDF-issue PJ’s after he took a shower of his own in his head.

As he fell asleep, none of the usual nightmares he had about the bombings or his parents’ death troubled him.

For once, all his dreams were pleasant ones.

And Nova was likewise in every one of them.

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January 21, 2200

A few days ago, as Captain Avatar lay in the operating theatre undergoing an emergency operation, a Gamilon creature had attacked the Argo; namely, Volgarr’s Balanodon monster.

There was a bit of crisis then on the First Bridge, since Sandor, the ostensible XO, was at something of a loss at what to do for once. The decision fell on Wildstar’s shoulders, and he took it upon himself to fire the Wave Motion Gun at the creature, thus saving the ship and the mission.

Ever since then, word had gotten around about Derek’s decision, and he was more admired than ever aboard Argo. Also, this time, Avatar didn’t slap him; he was in fact grateful that Derek had taken direct action with their backs against the wall, so to speak.

For once, Mark wasn’t ribbing Wildstar; and every time Nova looked at Derek, her eyes were shining with admiration.

Ever since then, Orion and Cory had been doing double time in Engineering, both to repair the ship’s superstructure from the crack caused by the firing of the Wave Gun, and because the Engine Room crew had been short three members due to injuries. That came to four this morning when Sparks was arguing with Ensign Ainsley loudly and nastily over lowering a plate into place, and Sparks wasn’t looking about where he had his left hand.

The plate dropped on his hand, knocking off his index finger and his ring finger. As the medics came to get him and to help clean up the mess, Cory told Andrew, who had shown up near the engine room, that “That damned Sparks was crying and screaming like a child!”

“I can still hear him,” said Andrew as he heard Spark’s screams as they ran him down the passage on a gurney. A medic had gotten some ice in a cup and was carrying his severed fingers in the cup.

“Who’s in charge down there?” said Andrew.

“Orion. He told me to make sure he gets to Sickbay alive, and to check on him later,” replied Cory.

“Y’got an unenviable job,” said Andrew with a growl.

“Doctor Sane and Nova will have an even worse job patching him up; if they can handle it,” said Cory.

“They can if Sane is sober and not hitting the sauce,” replied Andrew. “Or just asleep.”

“I’ll see you later and let you know how it went,” said Cory as they reached the deck where Sickbay was.

“Sounds good.”

ROUGHLY TWO HOURS LATER…

With the repair work below almost finished, Cory was ordered by Orion to again go and check on Sparks.

Noticing that the red light was on above the Sickbay operating theatre hatch, Cory went up a ladder one deck to the observation area for the operating theatre.

To his surprise, he found Wildstar there looking down through the window.

“What are you doing up here, Wildstar? I know you’re not in that guy’s fan club.”

“Yeah, same with you. The captain sent me here to get a report,” Derek snapped.

“Orion sent me here to do the same thing. The repairs are almost finished,” he said.

They stood quietly watching, when they both noticed that the speakers for the observation area were on at a rather low volume. “What’s that weird noise I hear over the respirator and monitors down there?” said Wildstar.

“I wonder where Nova is,” said Cory as he looked down. Standing by the respirator unit, monitors and IV regulators was a nurse they both knew; Ensign Angela Jackson. With her milk-chocolate colored skin and her natural under her operating room cap, the young woman in her scrub dress, gloves, and sandals was hard to miss. The person doing the operation to reattach the fingers was looking into a microsurgery microscope and running a robot arm as well as working with the instruments. They didn’t have a very clear view of the surgeon from their angle.

“That noise,” said Cory. “What the…it sounds like…snoring?”

“Snoring?” said Derek. “Did Doctor Sane fall asleep while he’s working?”

IQ-9 was checking some readouts, and he reported, in his high robotic voice, “Doctor Sane is still out cold, Nova. He fell asleep after he directed you to take over.”

“Okay,” said Nova’s voice from the doctor’s position at her stool. She raised her head for a moment, and blinked her eyes.

“Are you alright?” said Angela.

“No need to worry; I’ve got this. He almost fell asleep over Sparks an hour ago; he’s exhausted and told me to finish,” said Nova’s soft but unmistakable voice from the operating theatre. “Micro-hemostat, Number Four, please,” Nova said as she looked over the bloody field as Cory and Derek looked at each other in shock. Nova added, “Bring up the 02 level, and, IQ, if you grab my butt during this, I’m going to kick you to the next star system!”

“WOW!” said Derek in wonder.

“Yeah; she’s doing the operation herself. And she looks like she knows what she’s doing. But on Sparks? He rides her worse than anyone else on the ship!”

Derek took a deep breath. “Nova’s a total professional when it comes to medicine. She told me even though she’s not a doctor, she follows the Hippocratic Oath very strictly.”

“She’s one hell of a lady,” said Cory in something like awe. “I can see you and she are getting closer and closer, day by day…”

“I…don’t want to talk about that now,” stammered Derek. “I…okay…we’re engaged!”

“I’m so happy for you,” said Cory. “I heard about her counseling you the other night; the mildly-confused Homer version, of course. Someone who’d talk and care for someone at that deep a level really cares about them deeply. Nova would cut off her right arm for you, or…give her life for you, Wildstar. You just need to realize that. I’d marry her as soon as possible, if my opinion matters.”

Derek just nodded. “Yeah…”

Derek and Cory watched Nova working, lost in her zone as she finished up. “Okay, he’s stable, right?”

“BP and respiration are good,” said Jackson.

“I’m going to pull these hemostats. Let’s hope circulation comes back. I sealed up all the vessels.”

Nova carefully pulled the hemostats and threw them one by one on a tray with a clink. “Good…the pallor is leaving those fingers…circulation restored. Beginning to close up now.”

Nova then worked with some catgut to sew up the wounds, and then, Derek and Cory saw her cream-colored sandaled foot tapping a pedal on her instruments like a race driver caressing the accelerator. “Using heat weld to seal the skin…”

The laser flashed a few times as Nova glanced at the field through her microscope, which Derek guessed had a light filter on it. To Cory’s surprise, he thought he heard Nova whistling softly as she finished up. “Angie, hand me that probe.”

“You’re checking the nerves now? You just regenerated them with the micro-unit. The grafts won’t have taken yet.”

“Trust me,” Nova said in an assured voice as she probed the unconscious Sparks’ fingertips. “Good; I got a reflex twitch. The lights are on in there,” she said.

“But is anyone home in that psyche?” said Angie as she tapped the sleeping forehead of Sparks.

“That’s Doctor Sane’s department,” Nova said.

“You haven’t been counseling him?”

“I tried two sessions with him. He just…well…leered at me. My God, he gives me a serious case of the creeps,” Nova said as she looked at his face and shivered. “I swear…he’s even got that smirk on his face when he’s out cold…”

Nova stood up, but she wavered a little from the effort.

“Nova, get cleaned up. I’ll get him into the recovery room myself and watch him and get him into a bed. Get a cup of coffee or tomato juice, child,” said Jackson with a smile. “I’ve got him from here. You saved this case yourself, Doc.”

“I’m not an MD,” Nova said with a blush.

“But you did microsurgery like one,” said Angie.

“Guess I did,” she said slowly as she undid her mask and let IQ-9 help her out of her bloody gloves. She then pulled off her cap, and looked up at the observation windows. “Oh! Derek! Cory! Wait up!” she sang as she waved at them. “I’m getting a cup of coffee and a croissant after I write up my clinical notes and give the captain a report! You’d better join me in an hour or I’ll get really upset!”

Cory smiled at Wildstar. “And, sir, this is where I leave you to go report back to Orion.”

“But…Cory,” stammered Derek.

“You take it from here, Space Cowboy,” Cory said with a wide smile. “What you two do now is your business, and none of mine. Have a good day!”

“Yeah…I think I will,” said Derek as he heard the Operating Theatre doors whizzing open, and heard, rather than saw, Nova running along and yelling at IQ-9. “Get your hand out of there, you…you…SNARGIT!”

“That’s not a word, Nova,” burbled IQ-9

“It is now,” Nova sang. “Derek coined it; his addition to the language.”

“And, so it goes,” said Wildstar with a grin as he saw Nova flouncing up the ladder towards him.

“You run like a girl, Nova,” teased Derek.

“Oh, shut up!” she said with a laugh.

They kissed and then took off to have some coffee and croissants.

January 22, 2200. (Earth space-time)

A long while later, on Planet Iscandar, Alex Wildstar groggily awoke; not sure if he was just sleeping or in a long coma.

He found himself in a bed, and wondered how he had gotten here. Then, he remembered. Oh, yeah. That lady brought me here. The beautiful one.

He blinked his eyes, and looked near the bed.

The lovely woman in a blue gown was sitting near the bed, smiling gently at him.

“You…are?” he said.

“We met on the beach, Alexander Wildstar, late of the Earth space warship Paladin. You survived this ordeal, and so did some of your shipmates, who escaped from the Gamilons and joined forces with a freebooter named Captain Harlock. He was recently fighting the Gamilons, but I believe he might come here to Iscandar in a few days. It will take a while, but I contacted your government and the message reached them after the battle you were involved in. I have a device here on Iscandar known as the Cosmo-DNA. I sent your government the plans for a faster-than-light engine known as the wave motion engine. They refitted a warship and that ship is now almost halfway here. I expect, God Willing, they shall arrive in several weeks.”

“This…this sounds fantastic,” said Alex as he lay there in his white pajamas, trying to take all of this in. “Is this story true, Your Majesty?”

“It is, and I can prove this by contacting a member of the crew of this vessel, the Space Battleship Argo. I will contact an exceptional young woman aboard that ship and let you hear her voice. She is named Nova, but I do not even know for certain what she looks like, although I believe she is a very kind person. For the sake of the flow of destiny, please remain silent while I speak with her.”

“That’s fine…I’m too tired to talk much, anyway,” said Alex as he lay back and watched Starsha. She held up a hand, and the jewel on a ring that she wore began to glow.

Then, Alex heard a female voice with a slight Western American accent speaking from the ring. “Starsha? I was just combing my hair and I haven’t had breakfast yet, although I did my PT before. We have a busy day today. I received an e-mail or two with a rather fantastic tale from the captain.”

“That is good,” said Starsha. “I am aware of where you are. I humbly ask all of you to keep your eyes open and your wits about you. The Gamilons are planning some horrid tricks to stop you. I cannot say more. I am entertaining a guest that, by God’s Grace, you will meet when you and the others arrive on Iscandar. My guest means you no harm.”

“I would hope not, Queen Starsha,” Nova said.

“It was nice speaking with you. Give your friends my regards, and I look forward to meeting you. My guess is that your physical appearance is as lovely as your spirit and voice.”

“Thank you, Queen Starsha,” Nova said with a deep blush.

“I shall leave you to your duties now,” Starsha said. “Best wishes.”

“Likewise,” Nova said.

Starsha shut her eyes, and the ring’s glow faded.

“She sounds like a very good girl,” Alex said.

“She is,” replied Starsha as she laid a hand on Alex’s head. A strange warmth came from her hand and it spread throughout Alex’s body. “I will try giving you soup soon. I have been feeding you intravenously,” Starsha said. “You will sleep again soon. Do you have any more questions?”

Alex looked up and he saw a strange-looking greenish moon with orange spots coming up above the horizon as the local sun went down. “What is that moon? Does anyone live there?”

“Yes. Approximately two billon people live there on that planet. It is undergoing a slow, terrible, ecological crisis.”

“Aren’t you doing anything to help them?” Alex said.

“I offered them help, but their leadership has other solutions in mind to help themselves. Violent ones, unfortunately. We are safe because, strangely enough, they revere me and my people.”

“What is the name of that planet?” said Alex after he yawned.

“Planet Gamilon,” Starsha said quietly.

“Gamilon?” said Alex in horror. “That’s their home world?”

“It is.”

“Does the crew of the Argo know they are heading straight for that world as they head here?” Alex said.

“No, I did not advise them of such,” Starsha said.

“Why?” Alex said.

“I am indeed their benefactor, but I do have my reasons,” Starsha said softly. She patted Alex’s hand like a nurse and said, “Sleep. I will return later.”

Then, with a whisper as her embroidered slippers rubbed against the crystalline floor, Queen Starsha left Alex to his thoughts, and he soon fell asleep, wondering if this gentle but mysterious woman could be trusted.

That morning, Homer Glitchman was a man who was filled with thoughts, fears, and worries. He had requested a Sick Call chit from Captain Avatar, who had granted it because Homer did not look well.

After a long wait in a receiving room in Sickbay, Homer found himself facing Doctor Sane and Nurse Roman Jankowitz in an exam room.

Homer sat on a stool in the same operating theatre where Sparks had been fixed up. Sensors were connected to his shirtless chest as Doctor Sane said, “Take a deep breath, Homer. There we go…”

“Lung capacity unremarkable; no congestion found,” said Jankowitz.

Sane noted that on an electronic PADD while he said, “Now, Homer, open your mouth…open wide now!”

Homer opened his mouth while Sane looked inside his mouth with a penlight. “Hmmm….no sign of infection found.”

“I think we should take a throat culture,” said Sane, who put on gloves and got a long swab. Homer coughed as the sample was taken. “Put this in the reader for analysis, Mister Jankowitz. And get me a butterfly needle and packet and three blood assay tubes. And, yes, a bottle of sake’… I need a daycap!”

“Sure, Doctor,” said Jankowitz.

Homer submitted to a blood draw from Jankowitz, gasping a little as the needle went in. “Nova does that far better than you.”

“Well, I’m not her, and she’s on watch on the bridge,” said Jankowitz. “Make a fist, dude.”

Homer did so.

Some time passed while Homer was subjected to a full physical workup.

Ninety minutes later, while looking at an X-Ray scan of his skull on a screen, Doctor Sane said, “This is an interesting case, Homer. I can’t find that much wrong with you. You should be in great shape.”

“But I have a constant ringing in my ears and I can’t concentrate right,” Homer whined.

“Well, the only anomalies I’m finding are a slightly rapid pulse and mildly low blood pressure. Perhaps all you need is a change of scenery.” Doctor Sane looked on the computer on its stand and he said, “Your chart shows you haven’t been to the holography room lately to look at any of your memory tapes. I’m writing out a prescription for you. Nova will be free around fourteen hundred after lunch. Give this prescription to her and she can run a holo-cartridge for you. Remembering something other than the four walls of this ship would do you some good, Homer.”

“That room is for crybabies and dreamers,” whined Homer.

“Fiddlesticks. Wildstar takes a treatment once a week, and Nova is down there frequently; so is Eager and Conroy. None of those officers are crybabies or dreamers,” huffed Sane as he ran off Homer’s prescription. “Good luck. Go back on duty after your treatment. Okay?” At that, Jankowitz poured Sane some sake’, and the doctor drank it eagerly.

Homer nodded and left the room, passing Sparks in the recovery room. “Hey, weirdo,” said Sparks. “Bucking for a Section Eight, Homer?”

“You’re bucking for a fistfight,” muttered Homer as he left.

Jankowitz came in to check on Sparks a moment later. “Hey, don’t let Homer bug you, Sparks. He’s a crybaby and a neurotic. He still thinks women carry cooties,” laughed Jankowitz.

“How many conquests have you had, Jankowitz?”

“More than you think, my man,” said Jankowitz. “I met be able to get Fisher to cheat on Turner soon. I’m working my way up the whole damn list.”

“You won’t have any luck with Forrester,” said Sparks. “She’s sworn to celibacy, like all damn Catholic good girls.”

“Not with Wildstar, I hear,” said Jankowitz. “If you believe the scuttlebutt, that is.”

Sparks licked his lips at that.

A while later, Nova was rooting through a set of personal memory records as she looked at Homer, who sat dejectedly in the Holography Room.

Nova gently said, “Homer, I’ll set the hologram for your hometown of Braniewo in Poland by the Gulf of Gdansk in the winter, before the bombings. It’ll be just like a visit home for you.”

“…A visit home,” he said woodenly.

“You’ll see…it’ll look just the way it was. It’ll really cheer you up, Homer! Three-D Holography treatment…commence!” Nova said while pressing keys on her computer terminal.

The holo-projectors began to go on around Homer, and the scene changed abruptly from the four bare bulkheads of the chamber to a lovely scene of Homer’s lost Northern Polish hometown in a light snowfall.

A bit of Japanese music known as “Northern Nocturne” was the soundtrack for the scene. Even though it was Japanese in origin, Nova liked programming this song in for winter scenes since it evoked falling snow.

Indeed, Homer was beguiled by the snow at first. It even seemed to caress his nose and to stick in Nova’s long eyelashes as they watched a scene of the docks in Braniewo.

The voices around them spoke in Polish, of which Nova only understood a very little, but Homer plainly recognized a workman waving to him and calling out, “Hej, jak ci idzie?” (“Hey, how are you doing?”) in Polish from his memories. Homer called back, “Dzięki łasce Bożej, czyniąc dobrze!” (“By God’s grace, doing fine!”).

“What are you saying?” Nova asked.

“Greeting those guys,” Homer said with a slight smile as he walked up a snowy path, followed by Nova. The holographic snow crunched beneath their uniform boots as they walked, and Nova even shivered a little when a cold breeze hit from the north, where a bit of Russia would be, smack against Belarus.

They walked up to a log cabin with a snow-covered roof with smoke coming up from a chimney.

The door opened, and an elderly-looking woman carrying wood came out.

Nova actually understood Homer greeting the woman in Polish “Matka!!” (“Mother!”)

The old woman smiled and answered, “Wyglądasz dobrze, Homerze. Kim jest ta urocza dama?” (“You look well, Homer. Who’s the lovely lady?”)

Homer tried to hug his mother, but the AI behind the holograms was not one hundred percent perfect. He hugged her holo-image and she hugged back, but it did not feel the same…and what was more…Homer knew that the scene did not look the same, and his mother did not look the same any more.

He knew because, unknown to Nova, he had just been speaking with his mother a day ago through a mysterious visual link with New Tokyo underground city on Earth.

“It doesn’t look like this anymore!” he yelled, kneeling in the “snow” and banging his fists. “It’s a lie! It’s a fake! Nova, your holograms are playing tricks on my mind like witchcraft!”

“Homer!” Nova cried as she shut the simulation right down. “Would you like to see something else, maybe? I did one of a possible home near the seashore with Derek that we hope to have when we get home and heal Earth with the Cosmo-DNA and get married. Being in our “house” might cheer you up! I can even show you the kitchen I’d like to have. Derek saw it and thought it was cute.”

“No, no, NO!” Homer cried. “All these images are lies. Fakes! How can you people watch these lies? Earth is dying! How are we ever going to be able to save it? Nova, you and Wildstar are deluding yourselves! It’s not like that anymore and it never will be again! It’s all a lie! A fake! A BIG FAKE!”

Nova knelt on the deck beside Homer and tried to help him up.

Instead, he just pushed her away and ran off in tears.

“Homer!” Nova cried. “I was trying to help you!” she yelled as she ran out of the holo-room into the passage. “Come back! Please! Come back!”

“Fakes! LIES!” Homer screamed as he ran into a lift and disappeared.

Nova wiped tears from her cheeks and bowed her head. “Dear Lord, what do I do now? I blew it! I wanted to help him!”

A few hours later, the crew was gathered around the entrance of the Communications Room.

“Gangway, fellas. Out of the way!” barked Doctor Sane as he escorted Captain Avatar down the passage, assisted by Nurses Michelle Sakamoto and Roman Jankowitz. “Give the Captain some air! This is a long distance for him to walk, and he’s still not walking that steadily!”

Captain Avatar was walked into the Communications Room and helped to sit down.

“I thought he was better!” said Eager.

Nova replied, “Some distances still tax him. That’s why he needed the additional help. Has anyone seen Homer?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Dash.

Derek said, “I’m glad to see the captain is getting better, and everyone’s excited about news from home.”

“Yeah, we’re over seventy thousand lightyears away, way beyond even voice range,” said Mark. “I don’t see how we’re able to do it.”

“I heard you were with Captain Avatar for a long time in his cabin today, Mark,” Derek said. “Can you talk about it?”

“No, Derek. What we discussed was confidential. I’m not allowed to discuss it.”

“Sorry I asked,” Derek snorted.

Avatar cleared his throat as two technicians brought up the comm set, and he said, “This is the First Star Force Interstellar Special Missions Force aboard the Space Battleship Argo. Captain Abraham Avatar speaking. I would like to be connected to Operations in the United Nations Cosmo Force.”

A moment later, an image came up on the screen; Commanding General Charles Hiram Singleton in his brown uniform. “Hello, Captain Avatar. This is Operations GHQ in the United Nations Cosmo Force Command. You are now one hundred days out on your mission. What do you have to report? How is your mission going, Captain? Is everything going well?”

Captain Avatar replied, “Right now, we perform two space warps daily, to advance us one thousand two hundred lightyears each day. Owing to encounters with Gamilon forces, we are now fifty-one days behind schedule. If we are able to catch up, we should be back on Earth with the Cosmo-DNA unit in one hundred and fifty-eight days, on schedule, sir.”

The Commander smiled. “We have much to thank you for. Thanks to your victory at Pluto, Gamilon planet bombs no longer fall upon Earth. However, the radioactive pollution on Earth seeps deeper into the surface each day. Everyone left alive on Earth is now at least two kilometers below the surface. We are facing food shortages and even shortages of water but we are attempting to allot what scarce resources we have as fairly as possible. We have re-established contact with some of the underground cities world-wide, but others are still out of contact. Life is difficult, but we are holding on and we await your return. God Bless you and good luck.”

Avatar replied, “General, I thank you for your encouragement, and for now, by God’s Grace, we shall say goodbye…but not saraba.”

Singleton nodded, knowing what Avatar meant. Saraba was the Japanese word for “farewell” and was said when one did not expect to return.

The screen went dark.

Then, a moment later, Homer appeared, pushing his way through the crowd at the hatch. He yelled. “You’re all a bunch of idiots if you believe that!”

“What’s with him?” someone said.

“He’s showing he has space fever,” yelled someone else.

“Hey, Homer, are you going bonkers?” mocked someone else, a muscular Chief from Engineering named Joe Kowalski.

“He’s nuts!” yelled another crewman.

“Give this guy a Section Eight and put him in the brig!” yelled someone else, another enlisted man.

“HAH! Maybe you guys are the crazy ones!” yelled Homer. “Do you think we know what we’re doing and where we’re going? We follow this stupid course laid into the navigation system, supposedly from Queen Starsha’s message. Do you people really trust her? We haven’t seen her very often. She could be playing some mad game with us! Do you morons think we know anything about where we’re really going? Every space warp takes us further and further into the dark unknown. Tell me, Captain Avatar! Have you ever been to Iscandar? Is there an Iscandar?”

Homer paused and continued yelling. “We’re on a fool’s errand, and we never see anything except Gamilons, Gamilons, and Gamilons! They play with us, like a cat playing with a mouse. They let us go a little forward, and then they pounce! They’re tormenting us because they think it’s funny! None of us really know how bad things are on Earth! Do you, Captain Avatar? We should go back home and try to save some people! How can we let humanity die out like that while we run around following this crazy hope?”

Captain Avatar looked hard at Homer and said, “We know conditions are bad on Earth, Homer. Do you somehow know something about this that we don’t?”

Homer huffed and puffed and then he fell down and fainted, shivering like mad.

Nova knelt at his side. “HOMER!”

Captain Avatar said, “Nova, the poor man is sick. You and Doctor Sane see to it he’s taken care of.”

Nova, Derek, and Jankowitz picked Homer up and set him in a wheelchair that had been brought down for Captain Avatar in case he became weak. The three of them, along with Sakamoto and Sane, saw to it Homer was taken to Sickbay to be sedated.

A bit later, Homer awoke in Sickbay.

The first thing he saw was Nova, sitting near his bed on a stool with a PADD, wearing her blue and red dress peacoat over her uniform with a white ascot.

“What are you doing here, Nova? Can’t you just let me sleep? And why are you all dressed up?”

“The captain is having a special dinner for us tonight at 2000,” Nova replied with a smile. “I wanted to go a little formal for that. Doctor Sane asked me to come and counsel you, Homer. We’re all worried about you.”

“Are you?” he said, turning his face away from Nova’s.

“Who helped you up before, Homer? I’m still your friend!” Nova said softly.

“None of those guys yelling before want me on the ship.”

“Ignore them, Homer. They’re enlisted guys from Security, Gunnery and Engineering. Whose opinion matters more? Yours, or theirs? You and I are officers. We are supposed to adhere to a higher professional standard…even if we are young. We need to set an example for people like that guy Kowalski in Engineering.”

“My opinion matters more, I guess, Nova. But I wish I could get people to listen to me.”

“About your fears we won’t make it to Iscandar?”

Homer turned his face back to Nova’s and nodded. “Are you one hundred percent confident we’re going to make it? Have you ever been to Iscandar, Nova?”

“No, and I’m not one hundred percent confident, either,” Nova said.

“What do you do with your fears, Nova?”

Nova went silent for a moment. “I turn them over to Him at His Altar, Homer. Then, I get up and go on. We all have jobs to do, Homer, dear. All of us. Concentrating on my job and keeping busy and spending time with my friends keep the fears at bay. You were a little silly with me the other night, but I’m also sorry I threw my shoe at you and wasn’t exactly a professional myself. None of us are infallible, Homer. Maybe if you concentrate on your work, the fears will recede a bit?”

“Trouble is, if I concentrate on my work….it gets worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nova, you’re trying to be nice, but I’d rather not talk about it. And this session is over.”

“Okay,” Nova said. “Would you like to talk again in a few days?”

“I’ll let you know,” he said.

“Thanks.” Nova gave Homer a pat on the hand and left.

After she wrote up her clinical notes, Nova went to the mess hall for a cup of coffee.

She ended up meeting Derek at the table; he was working on his own cup of coffee, and he also had on his navy-blue dress peacoat.

“Oh, you decided to dress up too?” Derek said as Nova sat down.

“I thought it would be appropriate,” Nova said. “They’re breaking out the last of the real Porterhouse steaks and the wine tonight for the captain and us.”

“How’s Homer doing?” Derek asked.

“I can’t go into detail due to confidentiality, but he’s really worried about the mission. We’ve all had moments like this….”

“But Homer’s taking it worse than we are,” Derek said.

“Well, he’s more sensitive than most of us,” Nova said as she stirred her coffee sort of thoughtfully. “He takes a lot of things harder than we do. We all need to be good friends to him. I did tell him to ignore what those enlisted guys like Kowalski say.”

“Guys like him don’t know what we have on our plates,” Derek said.

“No, they don’t,” Nova replied. She smiled at Derek. “Is my helping you carry the load of your work helping you?”

Derek smiled. “Yeah, it sure is. Do I help you?”

“Definitely,” Nova said gently. “Thanks to you, I don’t feel so alone.”

Nova put her hand over Derek’s. They just spent a moment looking into each other’s eyes, until, that is, a tech from Communications ran in.

“We’ve received an urgent message, Wildstar, Forrester,” he said as he saluted. “Miss Forrester, someone wants to talk to you from Earth. She says it’s urgent!”

“Urgent?” Derek said.

“My God, I hope nothing happened to my father or my cousin Brittany,” Nova said. “I have to go tend to this, Derek.”

“Can I come with you?” Derek said.

Nova bit her lip and went silent for a moment. Then, she said, “Come along, Derek. You might as well meet my folks sometime…and I’m nervous again. About…so many things. My God, I know what Homer must feel like.”

“Something’s funny about this,” Derek said.

Nova shut her eyes and nodded.

Nova and Derek entered the communications room.

As Nova expected, her parents were on the line.

“Hello, Nova,” said Karl Forrester as he smiled. “Are you doing okay?”

“I am. How about you, Mom, and Brittany, Dad?”

“We’re all fine,” said Nova’s mother Teri. “Brittany’s at school. A friend of mine at Headquarters let me know that contact with your ship was restored. You don’t know what I had to do to get to talk to you, Nova. What we have to talk about is very important.”

“Teri,” said Karl. “Would you let Nova talk? I see you brought a friend with you, Nova. The young man looks very handsome.”

“Thank you, Mister Forrester,” Derek said. “I’m Lieutenant Derek Wildstar, the Combat Group Leader aboard the Argo. Your daughter is a very charming young lady, sir.”

“And he’s very polite,” laughed Karl. “Nova, dear. Are you and Lieutenant Wildstar close friends?”

“Yes, we are,” Nova said. “We just became engaged, as a matter of fact.”

“ENGAGED?” screamed Teri as she held a sheaf of portraits in her hand. “Nova, dear, are you out of your mind? Engaged to a military officer with wild, unkempt hair like that? How can he provide for you? He looks like…a punk!”

“Teri, he looks like a very nice young man,” protested Karl. “I can see our Nova has very good taste!” he said while Nova blushed and looked flustered.

“But, Karl. Scott Foley called up the other day. He wants to see Nova when she gets home,” Teri said.

“Scott Foley?” Nova said. “Mother, I told you what happened between myself and him.”

“He says he forgives you for breaking his nose, Nova,” said Teri. “And I like him better than this hairy orangutang sitting by you.”

“I think I’d better leave,” Derek said.

Nova held down his shoulder. “Mother, you are not calling my fiancee’ an orangutang! I’m a mature woman and an officer, and a damn good officer at that, and so is he! We are having a wedding when we get home, Derek and I. Unless we elope, that is!”

“Nova, you wouldn’t dare!” hissed Teri.

“You don’t make my decisions for me, Mother,” Nova said. “Tell Scott Foley I said, and I quote, “Go jump in the toilet and flush!” Goodbye, Mother. Dad, sorry to end on this note, but she is insufferable! And I’d rather spend time with my Derek than her!” Nova then cut the feed.

Teri then began to bang on things and yell. She would be doing that for quite a while.

A while later, Derek and Nova were seated for dinner at the Captain’s Table. Mark Venture was seated between them, but they didn’t mind. While they were not at all angry at each other (in fact, they were more devoted to each other than ever) the unsolicited talk with Nova’s mother had left them both in a rather depressed and foul mood.

A steward from the messhall quietly poured every officer present a glass of wine. They nodded but kept to their own thoughts.

Captain Avatar looked over the scene. Something is wrong, he thought. All of these young people are normally more outgoing and vivacious than this. I can feel everyone’s morale dropping like the temperature in a freezer. I wonder what is wrong…even though I have my suspicions. Unauthorized calls to Earth? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Avatar cleared his throat. “For myself, our contact with Earth has been the best medicine I have had for a long time. I would like to thank all of you for keeping things going aboard ship during my illness and convalescence. With the help of Doctor Sane and his great Medical Staff, I hope to be strong and remain on the bridge for the rest of the mission. I am holding this dinner tonight to thank you for all you have done, and to celebrate. We are now almost at the halfway point to Iscandar, Planet Balan. From there forwards, we must be ready for contacts with the Gamilons…but I hope there are few of them.”

Avatar paused. “So, let’s drink a toast to our once beautiful, and soon to be beautiful again, home on Earth.”

Nova smiled a little and said with her glass raised, “And a toast to you and your good health, Captain Avatar.”

“HERE’S TO THE CAPTAIN!” called out everyone as they sipped at their wine.

Venture then stood up, leaning on the table. “Captain, there’s something that has been worrying me…as well as most of us. We all know Homer pretty well, I think, and even though we know he’s a high-strung person, his outburst today was a little …unusual. I know he didn’t mean to, but he touched upon something that has been bothering most of us. Captain, what are our chances of actually getting to Iscandar, obtaining the Cosmo-DNA, and returning to Earth safely…and in enough time to heal the planet and save mankind?”

There was an uneasy silence. Mark then said, “Don’t any of you have any doubts? Derek? Orion? Nova? Sandor? Do you ever think about it at night? Any of you?”

Wildstar then said, “Nova and I were up late the other night, and part of what we were discussing was your very question, Mark.”

“So, you guys do wonder?”

Orion and Sandor kept their silence, but Nova said, “I wouldn’t be honest if I say I never thought about it. I tried to console Homer in a counseling session in Sickbay, and even I was finding it a little tough to keep on track. His fears aren’t entirely…irrational.”

“You see?” Mark said. “None of us are entirely sure this mission is going to succeed. Homer just said what all of us have been thinking. Maybe he said it more bluntly than any of us would, but he did say what’s on all of our minds at times.”

“I think about it, too,” said Doctor Sane. “Why do you think I like my sake’ so much? That, and the fact that I lost most of my family. Even while others are thinking of having families when we get back. I’d like to congratulate two of them. Captain, let’s have another toast to Derek and Nova. I just heard it through the proverbial grapevine that they have decided to get engaged. A toast to our newest young lovers!”

Derek and Nova turned beet-red as the crew toasted them. “HERE’S TO DEREK AND NOVA!”

The young couple blushed as they drank, even as Doctor Sane said, “May the hair on their toes never fall out!” which caused a few chuckles.

After the toast, Mark stood up, took his dinner and wine, and gave his seat to Nova. “You should be sitting next to your future husband.”

“Thanks,” Nova said softly. She smiled at Derek as she sat down. He smiled back.

“Hair on their toes?” Derek whispered in Nova’s ear as she sat down beside him.

“I loaned him my copy of Lord of the Rings, Derek,” Nova whispered back. “Pay him no mind.”

The atmosphere gradually quieted down again as Captain Avatar sat in thought while the others began to eat their artificial shrimp cocktail, followed by some real-life, honest-to-goodness steak.

“Cap’n, what about what Venture was saying before?” Orion said.

“I’ve given it some thought,” Captain Avatar said. “We’ve come this far together, and it’s true that we don’t know what lies ahead. No one knows tomorrow, or what it will bring. We have no guarantees, but I happen to believe that, possibly, our success may be alluded to elsewhere. I refer to the Book of Genesis: While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.[i] I think that this hints at the fact that even now, as we fumble about, with our hopes and our fears, all common to mankind, we have what one might call “Divine Partiality” to our mission. We are not the only ones who believe in a Divine Blessing, either. The Gamilons, while they can be cruel, are not inhuman horror-movie monsters. We learned that when we had that pilot on board…a man who shares the hopes and fears we have and even a faith in God. There have to be Gamilons like that pilot elsewhere in their ranks. Even their dictator Desslok seems to have a sense of honor, strange as it is. I do not know for sure why the Gamilon leadership wants to destroy humanity. But, even in the face of their determination to do otherwise, we have to keep hope in our hearts; hope for the future. That is why, especially in these times, I cannot object to men and women pairing up, and hoping for the future and for the children their unions will bring to a renewed, blue Earth. Our Earth. I know there have been a few transmissions between our ship and Earth recently; we have made one authorized call, and three calls were received by crew members. I cannot blame those men and women for receiving news from home, but I cannot continue to allow it until we learn why we can suddenly communicate so far. There may be some making unauthorized calls on their own. I cannot allow this. It affects morale. I hope I make myself clear.”

“Sir, I will check all of the logs to see if any officers or men have been calling on their own, and I will advise you when I find out,” Sandor said.

“We need to keep hope in our hearts and minds,” Avatar said. “Without such hope, we are lost. Earth will be lost. We cannot give in to despair, for we do not know the end beyond all doubt. Hope for the future; hope for the mission; hope in Providence. We must keep that hope close to our hearts.

The officers at the table nodded quietly as they ate in silence.

Derek thought, I wonder if Homer is making calls on his own. Maybe that’s why he’s so upset? Bad news from home?

“I’m glad we’re not in trouble, Derek,” Nova whispered.

“If we receive any more calls from your nosy mother, we can’t accept them,” he whispered back.

“Right now, I don’t want to accept them.”

“Why?”

“I’m very upset at my mother,” Nova whispered. “I’m sure you can figure out why…”

Derek nodded.

On Balan, General Lysis was playing with one of his pets; a creature known as a Roc-Roc Bird; an exotic creature from the Ruby System.

The bird flew from his hand and landed on the head of one of his staffers.

The staffer saluted and said, “General, I would like to report that our relay satellite is working perfectly. The Argo used it to contact their Headquarters on Earth today, and they have also received several transmissions from Earth, all unauthorized, I am sure, and some of their crew members have also been calling home. They must know what conditions are like on Earth now, sir.”

“Splendid!” laughed Lysis. “It means that my plan is working perfectly! These messages will destroy their morale. The more they learn about how bad things are on Earth, the more they will become discouraged. They may return to Earth. They may even have a mutiny. Since they have been beyond their own communications range for some time, they did not know how close their Terron race is to extinction. Now they know. With the help of our relay satellite, their morale will erode like garbage in the acid seas back home on Gamilon. I am sure Terrons, while they are admirable fighters, do not have the iron will of Gamilons. Almost a pity to do this to such a good crew, but I am willing to do anything to stop the Argo’s mission. Our colonization of Terra cannot fail.”

“Yes, they’ll give up sooner or later!” said Lysis’ staffer. They’re just like weeping women!” He laughed cruelly.

A moment later, a woman who was missing one boot, clad in only a very tattered cloak, ran into Lysis’ office and said, “Field Marshal! Sir! I…I need to be reassigned! Now!”

“Really?” Lysis said in a voice that sounded sympathetic. “Aren’t you one of the concubines assigned to General Volgarr?”

“I am, sir…I am!” sobbed the woman.

“Do you have a name?”

“Sub-Lieutenant Sheena Hilgar, sir. Volgarr was rude to me. Very rude. He…he…he raped me, sir! I tried to fight him off, but…”

“Sometimes, these things happen,” Lysis said. “I will consider you for reassignment post-haste. Are you hurt?”

“Would I be sobbing if I was not hurt?” Sheena said as she knelt and begged Lysis.

“Varec, take her to the Medical Wing. See to it she is examined. After that, see to it she is placed in solitary confinement in the brig…under protective custody until I can transfer her elsewhere in the Empire.”

“Sir, that’s cruel!” said Hilgar. “You should put Volgarr in jail!”

“Would you prefer I execute you or allow you to commit suicide?” Lysis hissed. “I am doing all that I can to keep you safe, Sub-Lieutenant. Varec, take her away…to safety. Volgarr and I must have a talk. The dishonorable filth, mistreating his women,” Lysis said as Sheena was walked away, crying her eyes out.

It was 23:37 Hours that night.

Homer woke up in his cabin, fully dressed.

“I need to see how things are going on Earth,” he said out loud to himself.

He got up and went to the Communications Room.

He found Master Sergeant David Sorin there on duty. “Good evening, sir. How are you doing?”

“I’m all right, in case you were wondering, Sergeant,” snapped Homer as he grabbed a printout of the Communications Log out of Sorin’s hand. He was not nice about it, either.

“Okay, then, Homer. The compartment is all yours,” he said as he walked off watch.

Something’s not right about this, thought Sorin as Homer slammed the hatch shut. I’d better see if I can pull that log from the auxiliary station on the third bridge. I know we’re supposed to report any unauthorized calls to the captain…

As Sorin went below, Homer took the log and ran it through a shredder unit and then he typed some commands that encrypted the log so no one could make sense of it.

Then, Homer made an encrypted call…

…to his parents.

“Hello, Mother,” he said as he looked at his mother on the screen. She was in the New Tokyo underground city. “How are things going?”

“Are you allowed to be calling us every few days, Homer?”

“I use a special secret frequency and I encrypt the communications log, Mother,” Homer said. “They’ll never find out since I’m the Communications Chief and I was just promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade. A number of us got promotions for our good work. My Section Leader just got promoted to Lieutenant, Senior Grade. How are things going with Father?”

“He was injured today during the food riots. He’s not in good shape.”

“What?” Homer cried.

Sorin arrived on the Third Bridge around midnight. He sat down at the Communications Console in that quiet location and he accessed the Communications Log.

“What the heck?” he said. “Someone’s encrypted the log. I can’t make head nor tail out of it.”

Then, a call came in, on Multiplex mode. “Incoming call? There’s an outgoing call and it’s encrypted. Darn it! Who is calling in now? GHQ?”

Sorin answered the call. “This is the Space Battleship Argo, Master Sergeant Sorin speaking. Who is this?”

A woman with unkempt dark hair was on the line. “Sergeant, get me Lieutenant Nova Forrester, at once! This call is urgent! I have to speak to her!”

“Who is this?” said Sorin.

“Her mother Teresa.”

“Ma’am, I hate to tell you this, but per the captain, we have to shut down all calls for now as security risks. We are in enemy territory.”

“I demand to speak to her! I know people in Headquarters!” yelled Teri. She was holding a glass in her hand filled with something that looked like Brandy. The woman is drunk! Sorin thought.

“Ma’am, I’ll let her know you called,” said Sorin. “If she gets permission from the captain, she will return your call. Good night, ma’am!”

“DAMN YOU!” Teri yelled.

Then, Sorin saw a girl who looked like she was about thirteen or fourteen in the background. “Auntie Teri, what’s wrong?”

Teri snapped, “Brittany, I have to speak to your cousin Nova because she’s been very, very bad! Ungrateful little minx!”

“Auntie, I like Cousin Nova. I’m grateful you let me stay here after my parents were killed, but are you okay?”

“Be quiet or I’ll spank you!” yelled Teri.

Sorin cut the call there. He tried to break in on Homer’s call…but the encryption was too good.

“I have to let the Lieutenant know something funny is going on…”

Sorin began to call Nova in her cabin, hoping she would not be too angry at being awakened.

Homer’s mother turned the screen towards Homer’s father, who lay in bed with a bandage around his head. The bandage was blood-stained.

“Your father was out today trying to get us food,” sobbed Homer’s mother. “He was caught in a riot and badly hurt. Just to keep us from starving.”

“Did he get help?”

“The lines at the clinics were too long and the two doctors they have there are overworked, he said. We miss you very much, Homer. When are you coming home? When will this horrible war be over? We may have to move to another apartment soon. More people are getting the radiation sickness. Some can’t even get food coupons,” sobbed Homer’s mother. “Please come home! Please help us!”

Homer’s father said, “Who is that?”

“It’s Homer!” said Mrs. Glitchman. “He’s here! Look!”

“You get home, Homer boy. Your mother…she needs you…” said Mister Lech Glitchman. “I…no…no….no…I must…” Then, he began to sing, softly, in Polish, “Słuchaj, Izraelu, Pan, Bóg nasz, Pan jest Jeden….” (Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One…)[ii] Homer’s father gasped and then began again in Hebrew, “Shema Yisrael…Adonai…”

Then, Lech Glitchman gasped a breath and his eyes went vacant as his soul departed from his body.

Homer saw his mother closing her husband’s eyes and weeping. “Please come home, Homer! At least sit Shivah with me! Please!”

Homer’s eyes went wide with tears as his mother put a sheet over his father’s face. “MOTHER! MOTHER!”

Then, a moment later, Homer heard Wildstar’s voice. “Homer, this explains a lot. All this time you’ve been talking to Earth on your own!”

Homer cut the feed and he turned to confront Wildstar. “What’s wrong with that? Look, my father was ill, and things were bad on Earth and I just saw him die, you…you…soulless robot! I know it’s against regs, but it’s not that much of a violation! I read the comm log and you and Nova called her mother earlier today!”

“No, she called us, Homer. It won’t happen again,” Derek said. “Homer, this has to stop.”

“WHY? It’s not hurting anyone!”

“It’s hurting you, Homer,” Wildstar said. “Look at you. You’re pale, you’re half-sick with anxiety, and we all depend on you to do your job!”

“Okay, Wildstar, put me on report! Rat me out to the captain!”

“I don’t want to do that, Homer,” Derek said.

“You obviously don’t care what happens to your family or your fiancée’s family, Wildstar. Wait until I tell Nova your attitude! She’ll drop you like yesterday’s lunch!”

“We’ve discussed it already, and we agreed we don’t need any more news from home until the mission is over with so we can concentrate on our jobs!” Wildstar said. “I’m sorry about your father….”

“You’re all a bunch of cold-blooded machines! Do this…do that…you don’t care about anything or your families! I care about mine, damn you!” Homer screamed. “OUT OF MY WAY!!!”

Homer then knocked Derek over in a football block and he ran out of the compartment.

“Homer! Come back!” yelled Derek. “Come on! We can talk this out!”

In the meantime, Nova, who was asleep in a pink negligee and black panties, was awakened by her phone going off over and over again. “Lieutenant Forrester’s cabin…who’s this?” she said sleepily.

“Ma’am, this is Sergeant Sorin. I’ve found that a number of unauthorized calls have been made, and your mother is on the line and demands you call her back.”

“Is she serious?” said Nova as she yawned.

“She is. And she seemed to be drunk and was yelling at your cousin…cute girl…”

“I’m not calling her back. You can’t reason with her when she’s drunk, and we’re not supposed to do so anyway,” Nova said. “Let her cool her heels until we get home from Iscandar. What else, Dave?”

“Someone encrypted the comm log. There were at least ten calls made, but I can’t figure out the IP addresses.”

“Give me some time to wake up and get dressed and I’ll be down there to help you decrypt it. Need to get my head together…later…”

“Later, ma’am,” said Sorin.

“I wonder if it’s Homer?” Nova said as she pulled a devotional from her bookshelf and began to read, hoping she could calm down before she put her fist or foot through a screen or something.

Homer ran through the ship and he arrived on the First Bridge.

Eager was the Officer of the Deck sitting in the command station in his peacoat. Venture was at the helm making a course adjustment before his late watch ended.

Homer ran in and yelled, “We have to turn the ship around! Now!”

“Say what?” said Eager from his post.

Homer ran to Venture’s station. “Venture, we have to go back to Earth. Turn us around, please!”

“Why?” Mark said, not unkindly.

“Listen! I was just talking to my parents on Earth! There was a riot! My father was hurt! He died in front of me! I need to be home to help my mother! Please help me! Please help her!”

“We’ll go home eventually, Homer,” Mark said. “After we obtain the Cosmo-DNA on Iscandar. We’ll go home when we finish the mission!”

Homer screamed.

Eager got up, trying to tackle him, but he knocked Eager over and ran out into a lift.

A moment later, Wildstar emerged from the other lift. “Eager! Venture! Where’s Homer?”

“He was just up here,” said Venture. “He wanted us to turn the ship around and go home.”

“He’s fulla crazy talk!” said Eager.

“Okay, let’s keep our heads,” said Wildstar. “Venture, come with me. Eager, take the helm and sound a yellow alert. We need Security to find and secure Homer.”

“Understood.”

The yellow alert began to chime across the ship.

Homer ran and ran. He ran to the spacesuit locker in the lower flight bay.

Conroy saw him and yelled, “Hey! Who’s that? We’re under Condition Yellow! Homer, is that you?”

Homer screamed and ran towards the locker, grabbed a spacesuit, and took off.

FIVE MINUTES LATER…

Nova’s sleep-fogged eyes were almost straight now.

I’m almost ready to go help Sorin out, she thought as she closed her devotional, prayed silently for a moment, and then looked out her viewport near her bunk.

She looked at the starfield, blinked, and then saw a figure in a gold and black spacesuit drifting past the viewport.

“Oh, My God…” she whispered. She got a look at the face from a distance. Sandy blonde hair. And he was yelling.

“Homer!” Nova cried.

Then, she heard Derek’s and Mark’s voices out in the passage.

“Conroy says he was at the spacesuit locker!” Derek yelled.

“We’d better find him before he gets suited up and drifts off somewhere,” said Mark.

“What’s with that poor guy?” yelled Derek.

“He was yelling about going home,” said Mark. “We have to stop him!”

Nova then got up and ran out into the passage, heedless of the fact she only had a thin negligee and underwear on. “Too late, guys!” she cried.

“What do you mean too late?” said Mark.

“Listen! I was up reading and I saw Homer floating right past my viewport! He’s already out in space!” Nova yelled, just remembering to cross her arms over her bosom.

“This situation has gone from bad to worse,” said Venture.

“I need everyone who is flight certified to get into a plane and go recover Homer! Nova! Suit up and get a Type 100 or a Zero! You know-a two-seater so you can drag Homer back in even if you have to knock him out! I’ll be out there ASAP in my Cosmo-Zero. You too, Mark! Get a recon ship or Cosmo Zero!”

Mark nodded and ran off.

“Understood,” Nova said as she saluted and then dashed back into her cabin to dress. Sorin would have to wait.

Derek didn’t think much about what he had seen until later.

TEN MINUTES LATER….

The Alert Level was now at Red Alert.

Derek got to the Upper Flight Bay in just enough time to see Mark leaving the flight line in a Type 100. A black and gold Zero was behind him; Derek ran past and recognized Nova suited-up in the cockpit. He waved at her and she blew a quick kiss before taxiing out to the catapult.

“How many planes are out now, Conroy?” Derek demanded.

“Six. Your bird is Number Seven,” Conroy said.

“Got it,” Wildstar said. He put on his spacesuit helmet and jumped in. “Takeoff!” he barked.

Soon, he was on the catapult himself.

“All planes!” Wildstar said over the circuit. “Fly a spread pattern to find Homer. If you find him, contact me at Frequency SP-03 at once!”

Derek launched and joined his fellow pilots. Soon, Rosstowski, Grant, Hardy, Turner, Dana Starion, and Erich Nishizawa were all out with Derek and the others. Thirteen pilots were out searching for Homer; Wildstar was sure more would be out with them soon.

I hope we find him before his air runs out, Wildstar thought. He didn’t relish the thought of yet another funeral…over something as stupid as this.

Homer, in the meantime, was drifting helplessly out in space.

He was exhausted.

His air was in the yellow now, but he didn’t care.

He thought he was looking at Earth before the bombings; healed, blue and green again.

“Mother! Mommy!” he yelled. “I’m coming home to help you bury Father!”

He drifted and drifted until he bumped his head against something.

“What’s this?” he said. “Antenna?”

He climbed onto the satellite, just remembering to switch on his magnetic boots.

“This is some kind of relay satellite…but who stuck it out here?” he said to himself. “The architecture looks…Gamilon?”

Then, he said with his teeth gritted. “Gamilons! That’s it! They put it out here so we could call Earth…and they’ve been monitoring all our transmissions! But why?”

Then, he thought about what had been happening to him and he remembered Wildstar’s words: “It’s hurting you, Homer. Look at you. You’re pale, you’re half-sick with anxiety, and we all depend on you to do your job!”

And he remembered what Nova had told him in their counseling session, “None of us are infallible, Homer. Maybe if you concentrate on your work, the fears will recede a bit?”

“I wasn’t concentrating on my work…I was making us sick…because of this thing,” Homer said, filled with anger at the Gamilons. “They might even have faked what I saw with my mother and father. Well, if he is dead, I can’t do anything about it from out here. But I have to warn the Star Force! Where is the Argo? I have to get back. I have to get back! Please…Lord…let someone from the ship find me….”

He looked out and saw a moving dot in the starfield. No. Two. Three.

They drew closer and he saw blinking navigation lights.

“Hey! Over here!” he yelled, hoping he was hailing one of their ships…and not a Gamilon ship.

The first set of lights drew closer. Homer vaguely made out a comm signal, and he saw the nearest plane flashing its navigation lights. It was a grey and red Cosmo Zero.

Wildstar’s; accompanied by a black and gold Zero on one side, and a grey Type 100 on the other side. The other two planes flashed their navigation lights, and flew off as Wildstar approached.

Derek slowed down his plane and opened the cockpit. “Homer!” he heard clearly over his comm headphones. “What are you doing out here? Are you alright?”

“This thing is a Gamilon relay satellite,” Homer said as Wildstar drifted out on his tether and caught him. “They’ve been monitoring us and letting us hear all sorts of news from Earth…most of it bad.”

“What’s your call, Homer?” said Derek.

“We have to destroy it,” Homer said as they drifted back into Wildstar’s plane.

“Good call,” Derek said as he closed the canopy. “I’ll give you targeting control. Do you want to take a crack at it?”

“Sure do!” laughed Homer, who sounded like his old self for the first time in several days.

“I’ll loop around and you take it out,” Wildstar said. He flew his Zero around and aimed it at the satellite.

Homer lined up the satellite and fired. “Bulls-eye!” he laughed. “That’s the end of that thing!”

“I’m glad for that,” Derek said.

“I guess that’s the end of our contact with Earth for a while,” Homer sighed. “But when we get home we’ll be bringing everyone good news, from Iscandar. Are the crew members mad at me?”

“Heck no,” laughed Derek as some other planes made a rendezvous with his plane. “See? All your friends dropped what they were doing and ran out here to find you!”

Homer looked at the planes. He saw Venture flying beside them, smiling and saluting. He looked to their other side, and saw Nova smiling and waving at him. Hardy popped a salute from the Zero he was flying, along with Dana Starion.

“I can’t believe it…even after all the trouble I caused all of you, no one is angry at me.”

“The Star Force is a family, Homer. We all knew you were upset, so we decided to help you. See? It was worth it!”

“So glad that my prayers were heard,” said Homer.

“Me too,” said Derek. “Captain Avatar, mission complete. Homer was located and he’s safe and sound and we destroyed a Gamilon relay satellite. Let’s go home!”

The planes flew back to the Argo, this mission completed.

The Argo would warp again that night, and again the next morning. There would be more missions to complete.

Such as the mission that would confront some of the crew the very next day….

CONTINUED IN PART TWO OF “HOMER’S TEARS”

THERE ARE 255 DAYS LEFT FOR EARTH