ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE NEW COMET ACT 3

ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---A ROOT OF BITTERNESS

Being the third part of THE NEW COMET--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz (Also Including Artwork by Angie Dargo)

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---Freddo

ACT TWO: MEETINGS AND MISSION

I. INTERLUDE IN A COFFEEHOUSE

Earth

San Diego Megalopolis

The Vicinity of Pan-Am University

Greatland’s Coffee House

Friday, December 13, 2205

1732 Hours: Local Time (1030 Hours Earth Space-Time)

At this point, it was about 01030 in the Tokyo Megalopolis, and it was just past the end of classes that day at Pan-Am University in San Diego in the Western United States.

At a large Greatland’s Coffee House in San Diego, Dawn Westland sat poring over her books and notes for her advanced nursing course, looking up occasionally and shaking her head at the news coming in over the video screens from the Megalopolis about the attack.

“At this point, not all of the details are yet known,” said the announcer, “But Earth Defense has just announced that the major brunt of the fighting seems to have passed into space. No further Cometine vessels have been spotted in Earth’s atmosphere, and the Government has decided not to extend the call for evacuation worldwide. Only the Western Pacific Region remains under a security alert at this time,” said the talking head from the President’s office. “The President intends to address the planet at 1PM Great Megalopolis time to describe the full extent of today’s raid…”

I hope this doesn’t mean I’ll be drafted or something, Dawn thought as she tapped her sandaled foot nervously under the table. Even though it was December, it was still warm in San Diego, so she had worn a warm-weather WHO student nursing uniform and light blouse to her clinicals that day. Surely they’re going to need World Health Organization nurses on Earth if this turns into a full-scale war and they begin attacking other cities like in the bad old days with the Gamilons?

Then, Dawn looked up. A young man with longish chestnut brown hair that hung over one eye was coming over to her table with a tray of coffee and pastries. Why does he have two of each item? Dawn thought. Dawn then noticed his flight jacket, EDF blue uniform slacks and boots and stiffened a little.

“Well, hello theah, young lady,” he said in what sounded like a rather friendly Georgia accent. “Mind if I share mah coffee and Danish with you? I suddenly decided I didn’t need two of each of my food aftuh all.”

“Well, that’s nice,” said Dawn as she smiled slightly. “Thanks. That’s very kind of you.” How does he know I’m broke? Dawn thought calmly. She had been nursing her coffee, since she was near the end of her free spending money for this week until her next scholarship stipend check hit her bank on the 16^th.

“So, what’s yoah name?” asked the young man.

“Dawn Westland. What’s yours?”

“Jeffuhson Davis Hardy at your service, miss.”

“Do you have trouble seeing around that?” asked Dawn with an amused grin.

“Seeing around what?”

“Your hair,” said Dawn. “You must have trouble driving with that mane.”

“I have no trouble drivin’ at all, Miss Dawn,” said Hardy as he smiled, turning on a bit of Southern charm.

“That’s good,” said Dawn. “I’d hate the thought of having to patch you up. What are you? Some silly ROTC cadet?”

Hardy chuckled at that one. “You don’t get out much, do you? They don’t give these to cadets,” he said as he pointed at the gold pilots’ wings above his nameplate on his flight jacket. “I’m currently serving TDY as a Special Assistant to the Professuh of Military Science heah at Pan-Am.”

“TD-what?” said Dawn.

“TDY means ‘Temporary Duty’, Miss,” Hardy explained.

“Funny, no one ever explained that before,” said Dawn. “Surely not my ex-boyfriend.”

“Was he military?”

“Junior Space Cadet Corps Cadet and then midshipman at the Space Fighters’ Training School. He graduates next May, and I don’t care to talk about him at the moment, if you please. I could never relax around him.”

“Sorry,” said Hardy, who promptly dropped the subject and decided not to raise it again. He guessed it couldn’t have been about Deke since he knew that Wakefield virtually didn’t date (having remembered jibes and jaunts from his classmates on the topic that he had overheard) “You’re a nursing student?”

“How’d you ever guess?” chuckled Dawn as she stroked the red cross pin she wore on her uniform.

“You looked like an angel in white,” said Hardy with a smile. “You look a little like a friend of mine.”

“Your girlfriend?” teased Dawn.

“Heck no, this lady’s spoken for,” said Hardy. “You don’t look happy. Why?”

“The news. The war, which has just turned hot…the Argo going out and all. I’ll bet the Star Force is happy to be seeing action,” said Dawn as she looked up at the news footage of the Argo in battle for a moment.

“Not all of them are,” said Hardy.

“How do you know that?”

“I have friends on that ship,” said Hardy, who turned serious for a moment.

“Oh,” said Dawn as she stirred her coffee (her new cup) listlessly. She liked talking with this officer, but, for a strange moment, she found herself missing Deke a great deal. But, she promptly put down the thought like an ancient Tsar suppressing a peasant rebellion as she said, “So where do you think life is going to take you?”

“Right now, God only knows,” said Hardy as he stared at the news report for a minute.

Then, they turned back to looking at each other. Finally, Dawn asked, “How did you decide to sit here and talk with me?”

“I can’t fohget a face like yoahs, Miss Dawn,” said Hardy. “I saw you at the WHO Center last weekend.”

“Oh…I think I remember you now,” said Dawn, surprised at how she wouldn’t quite remember a face like Hardy’s (especially with all of that hair). “You asked me for two cups of coffee and for a dance, and I told you I couldn’t leave with you that day since we’re not supposed to date servicemen we see there.”

“I remembuh that,” said Hardy. “But I told you, I never forget a face.”

“So, now you’re stalking me,” said Dawn with a slight smile and a glimmer of amusement in her eye as she thought, If he’s interested, let’s see how he responds to some teasing. “There are laws against men stalking women, you know.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Hardy with an amused glimmer of his own in his eye. “If you want me to leave…”

“Not yet! And don’t take the other Danish with you?”

“Why not?”

“I’m hungry. And nursing my money, if you’ll pardon the pun…”

“Well, how would you like me to buy you dinner, then?”

“Not tonight…and it depends upon where you want to take me.”

“How’s about a nicer coffeehouse than this…like La Padilla? We can meet there Sunday night.”

“A place where they have real cappuccino?” said Dawn.

“Yes, Miss.”

“A place where they have real food and no liquor? And it’s not a spacer’s dive like Pancho’s?”

“Yes. Know the place well. I took my friend and her husband there when we met up here in San Diego this summer. It’s a totally respectable establishment, Miss Dawn.”

“I accept your offer,” said Dawn with a smile as she surprised herself. “We’ll meet at La Padilla at 1900 on Sunday night.”

“Thank you,” said Hardy with a smile. He finished his coffee and said, “See you Sunday night.”

“Take care,” she said. “And good flying.”

Hardy popped a gallant salute, and then he left.

Dawn looked at him thoughtfully as he walked away. Well, let’s see. He paid for everything, he was nice, he has been pursuing me, but not too insistently, and he didn’t try putting his paws on me once. I’ll have to see how things go Sunday…I’m surprised I accepted the offer of a second date…if this was a first…but I guess it was. Are you attached yet, Dawn Westland? Or semi-attached? We shall wait and see. After Sunday, if it goes well, I’ll tell Mom that I’m dating and looking…but, how do I broach the subject…since she hopes I’ll return back to Deke’s waiting arms some day? This will require, she thought as she tapped her foot…some thought and logic…and planning…like what do I wear on Sunday night?

II. THE MISSION CONTINUES…

The Edge of the Solar System

Space Battleship Argo

Saturday, December 14, 2205

1545 Hours: Earth Time

The Argo sped through hyperspace, emerging from warp a bit past the Pluto orbit close to 1600 Hours the next day.

The Sun Tigers had left the Argo later the previous day and had returned to Earth, but now, Conroy led a Flight Group consisting of most of the Black Tigers and a few of the Green Hornets for a full four squadrons.

“Warp completed,” said Kitano when the Argo emerged back into normal space.

“Engines all normal,” said Timothy Orion from his post.

“Wildstar, no anomalies with the rest of the ship’s electrical systems, either,” said Sandor. “Those electrical and structural repairs from yesterday are holding well.”

“So we’re more than ready to go into battle again if we have to?” said Commodore Wildstar.

“We sure are,” Sandor replied.

“Radar is normal,” said Nova. “Nothing but the usual plotted asteroids in this area.”

“It’s almost amazing, how quiet it is…especially after yesterday,” said Domon.

“Don’t count on it,” Commodore Wildstar replied. “There had to be more enemies out there than just that single fleet that we and the North Carolina defeated. Part of our mission is to find those enemies and drive them away before they can ever get to Earth.”

“Captain,” said Homer. “I’m picking up a message.”

“From where?” said Wildstar.

“It’s from very deep in space….I think it’s several hundred lightyears out past the Valentis Cluster…it seems like a coded microburst,” said Homer as he listened through his headset, making sure it was being recorded. “It repeats once…and that’s it.”

“Do you think it was meant for us?” said Kitano.

“Hard to tell,” said Sandor.

“Homer, work on an interpretation,” said Wildstar. “See if you can get IQ-9 to help you if you run into any problems.”

“Yessir…I’ll get to work on it,” said Homer as he began to run decoding routines. “This seems to be a tightly compressed message….it may take me several days to interpret it.”

“Do your best,” said Derek.

“Yessir.”

III. EVENING IN SPACE

Approaching Alpha Centauri

Space Battleship Argo

Saturday, December 14, 2205 2112 Hours: Earth Time

It was mid-evening on the Argo, and it was a recreational period for most of the primary bridge crew.

On the mighty ship’s port side observation deck, Wildstar sat with his peacoat off playing shogi with Kitano. So far, Kitano was losing…badly.

“Are you really that bad, or are you losing on purpose?” said Wildstar.

“Why are you complaining, sir? I thought you liked to win,” said Kitano.

“Not when it’s not a challenge,” said Wildstar.

“Sir, what’s this about you and challenges?” said another crewman who stood nearby.

“A victory isn’t worth winning unless you fight for it,” said Commodore Wildstar.

“Are we getting philosophical, sir?” said Kitano as he moved a piece.

“Now that’s more like it,” said Wildstar. “It looks like you’re actually putting one of my pieces in danger.”

“Yes, he is,” said Sandor, who was standing nearby. “He’s not bad.”

“So, how’s it been going since our last space warp?” said another crewman who stood near the table wearing the colors of Mechanical Group.

“Okay, I guess,” said another crewman. “Hey, there’s the Skipper!”

They turned to watch Wildstar in deadly shogi battle with Kitano at their table on the observation deck.

“Who’s winning?” asked Conroy as he showed up.

“He is,” said Kitano. “I think.” Then, Kitano grinned and moved a piece. “Check, Skipper.”

“You know, I didn’t see that coming,” said Wildstar with a grin as he moved his piece out of check.

“But I’ve got you on the defensive,” said Kitano.

“Do you?” said Wildstar after Kitano moved another piece; and he promptly captured it. “Three minutes, Kitano. What can you do now?”

“Take this piece,” said Kitano as he captured another one of Wildstar’s pieces.

A moment later, the hatch at the far end of the deck whizzed open, and Nova came in, clad in a light pink dress and boots. She was a little peeved when she noticed that only a few people smiled at her attire. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Derek and I were just having dinner before I had to…step out for a bit.”

“Your husband’s havin’ a space chess battle royal with Kitano,” said Eager. “Wildstar was beating his pants off, but now it’s getting’ good!”

“I’ve got to see this,” said Lt. Commander Wildstar as she came over, smiled at her husband, and leaned on his shoulder. “Derek, it looks like you’re not in the best of positions.”

“I’m not, Nova,” he grinned. “But, there’s a way out of it; and here it is,” he said as he moved a piece. ”Check, Kitano.”

“Oh, you’re good,” said Kitano. “You’re good, but not good enough, sir,” said Kitano as he moved another piece. “Check, Wildstar!”

“I don’t believe this…he didn’t see that coming,” said Derek as he moved one other piece. “Checkmate, Kitano!”

“What?” said Kitano as he looked at the board in disbelief. “You can’t do that…you…”

“He made a fair and legal move,” said Sandor.

Kitano then groaned, rubbed his eyes, and let Wildstar take the piece with the Japanese kanji on it that symbolized his King.

Then, Nova walked on over to her husband. “Can I play the winner?” she asked innocently.

“I don’t know, Nova…I might just beat you too quickly, and…”

“Derek, you don’t know my playing,” she said softly as she sat down. “Let’s go for it.”

Commodore Wildstar nodded as he and Nova set up the pieces. The reaction on the recreation deck was rather amusing.

“Hey,” yelled one crewmen. “The Captain’s playing Nova!”

“Think he’ll let her win?”

“No one can be sure what’ll happen,” said Diane Henson enigmatically as she leaned on Nova’s shoulder. “Remember,” she whispered into the Living Group Leader’s ear.

Nova nodded and said, “Right. But this is for fun; not to make fun of him.”

“What are you two whispering about?” said Derek as he looked at his wife and his long-ago former girlfriend.

“Nothing,” said Nova in a tone of sheer innocence. “Your move, Derek.”

Commodore Wildstar moved a Pawn first, while Nova moved one of hers into position. Several moves followed, in which mostly Pawns were captured. Then, Nova captured one of Derek’s Lances, but he countered by capturing one of Nova’s Rooks. Nova then surprised Derek by maneuvering him into a position where he lost a Bishop, but a few moves later, he managed to promote one of his Rooks into a Dragon King. He smiled evilly when his piece reached the other side of the board and he turned it over.

Nova just smiled back and said, “Derek, you’re doing well…but….”

“But what?”

“You’ll see,” she said sweetly as she moved a piece. “Check.”

Derek was aghast. He hadn’t seen that coming! He captured Nova’s threatening piece, while thinking: Okay, this is my wife here. Do I follow my competitive instincts as a Commodore and just beat her…and risk sleeping on the deck tonight…or do I act as the good husband and let her win? This is a tough one…maybe I’d better roll a die or something for this.

Derek moved another piece. Nova just smiled at him and moved another piece “Check again!”

Wildstar put his head in his hands and groaned. “Darn!” He moved his King again.

Nova smiled, looked at the board, and moved a bishop. “Checkmate, Derek.”

He put his head in his hands and shook his head as he thought, Darn her! Sometimes, Nova, you’re too smart for your own good! But, I guess you won this one…

“Wanna play again?” he said weakly.

“No, not here,” said Nova with a cute gleam in her eye when she took his hand. “The sort of game I want to play now can’t be played here…”

The crew applauded and went “WHOOOOOOO!!!” as Derek was led off the observation deck arm-in-arm by Nova.

ONE HOUR LATER….

THE CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

In the Argo’s Captain’s Quarters at the top of the bridge tower, the privacy screens were down, the hatch was locked, and Derek and Nova’s boots were cast to the deck in a very un-officer like pile. So were Derek’s socks, Nova’s pantyhose, Derek’s uniform top and slacks, Nova’s dress, and everything else that they had been wearing.

At the moment, Nova was sighing and writhing with ecstasy in her husband’s arms as the young lovers completed their second joining. Finally spent a minute later, Nova lay on the bed wiping her brow as she kissed her husband on the nose and then on the ear.

“Up here,” she said, “You got to win and you got what you wanted. I think that matters a little more than winning a dumb old space chess game. ”

“Where’d you learn to play shogi like that?” asked Derek.

“College,” Nova answered. “Diane helped me with some lessons to help me remember the parts of the game I’d forgotten since school. She told me you loved the game. She wanted to help; don’t worry.”

“Okay, why would my old girlfriend choose to help us out this time rather than making trouble?”

“She wants us to be happy. I sat down over coffee with her one night and told her about how we had to put a hold on Operation Stork because of the war. She hopes we can end this war soon so we can have children, Derek.”

“So do I,” Derek sighed as he ran a pattern over one of his wife’s breasts. “I was looking forward to being a father.”

“Were you?” said Nova. “That’s so sweet.” She kissed him and cuddled up next to him, expecting that they could go to sleep together.

However, a moment later, the interphone rang, disturbing their reverie.

“Ohhhhh,” groaned Commodore Wildstar. “No rest for the weary, I guess,” he sighed as he got up and walked to his console at the front of the cabin. “Captain’s Quarters, Commodore Wildstar speaking,” he said.

Wildstar heard Doctor Sane’s high voice in reply. ”Is Nova there?”

“Yes, but she was about to go to sleep,” said Derek.

“Well, wake her up!” yelled Doctor Sane. “I need her down here to assist in an operation right now! You know Sergeant Beckworth in Engineering?”

“Yes I do,” said Derek as Nova took the phone out of his hand. “Nova, how’d you know it was the Doc?”

“I heard him from across the cabin,” she whispered. “Hi, Doctor, this is Lieutenant Commander Wildstar. I’m sorta sleepy, what’s up?”

“Nova, make a cup of your own damn coffee and wake up!” yelled Sane. “Beckworth in Engineering got his right arm caught in a flywheel linkage for auxiliary engine #2 while he was working on it. We have to amputate and fit him with a replacement! There’s mangled nerves, and none of my other nurses can reach in there to assist me in fixing those up as well as you can! Get a coffee, get dressed, and meet me down here at 2300 Hours Sharp! Got it?”

“Aye, aye, Doctor,” said Nova. “See you in a bit.”

Nova put down the phone, while Derek opened her locker to hand her a nurses’ minidress, underwear, and her boots. “I’ll take the white sandals back there under my guitar, thanks. I’ll be on my feet for about seven hours with this one,” she said. “I’ll need a quick shower, then some java, then I have to run.”

“Coffee’s in the pot,” said Derek with a rueful grin.

Nova kissed him and said,” Try not to be too lonely when I get back up here around 0600 tomorrow morning, okay?”

“I’ll manage,” said Commodore Wildstar as he threw on a robe and began to make up coffee for both of them. “I have the feeling this is going to be a long night.”

“You and me both,” sighed Nova as she threw a towel around herself for her shower. “You and me both….”

Later on, Commodore Wildstar slept. He slept for a long while, and he fell into some uneasy dreams. He alternated between regular sleep and REM sleep for some hours, and in his dreams, he found himself….

He was on the Argo yet again. They were in a major battle with the Cometines, and the enemy was using the SMITE device against them again.

The Gamilons showed up to offer aid, but things didn’t go well between Wildstar and Desslok when they spoke. Wildstar accused Desslok of giving SMITE to the Comet Empire; the Gamilon Leader countered “They took the plans from the wreck of my flagship, without my knowledge, as I lay recovering on the Gatlantis under Zordar’s watchful eyes. It is not fair to blame me for something that happened without my consent; I would have never given them SMITE.”

The argument between the allies continued, and then a strange scene took place. The scene switched to Earth, and, on Earth, Wildstar saw Lance Stovall as a Space Marine grunt digging somewhere, possibly in China, as he raided the graves of some of the Josiahites.

In a grave’s depths, below some human bones, (which he regarded and scorned), Stovall found a ball that turned out to be a glowing crystalline Sphere. Stovall took the Sphere willingly, and he smiled and grinned like a maniac as a dark spirit came from the depths of the Sphere and totally possessed him. There was wild, demented laughter, and a deep, sepulchral voice saying, “At last, at long last, I LIVE AGAIN! Ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaa!” And, with a sick grin, Stovall’s body emerged from the womb of graveyard dirt in an unholy, sickening mockery of resurrection as….Stovall’s personhood “died”, his soul submerged in a willing symbiosis with…the resurrected Dark Lord.

Then, the war with the Cometines switched as Wildstar saw three planets destroyed by Invidia’s forces; he beheld Invidia herself encouraging her generals to perform new atrocities aboard her new, rebuilt Comet ship, her new engine of destruction as a White Comet burned across the skies of deep space again.

Derek then saw Nova laughing; she was with him on a train somewhere in Russia (Russia? Derek thought). She was clad in a white straw hat, a summery white short sundress that left her shoulders and back bare beneath some coverall-like straps, and her legs and feet were bare except for matching white sandals. They enjoyed a dinner in a dining car with Alex Wildstar and Sasha, and then they retired to a sleeping car berth, where they stripped and made love. They held each other for a long time, and Derek heard Nova saying in the dream “It feels different now…something has happened…but I don’t know what.” In the distance, he saw Sasha smiling, but her smiles turned to screams and tears as she found her father coughing and spitting up blood….

Then, they were on Iscandar, disembarking from the Argo. At first the scene was peaceful; Derek saw Nova and a woman who looked both like and unlike her (the young woman had chestnut brown hair with blond bangs and a build slightly heavier than Nova’s). They wore what looked like summer nursing student uniforms; strange looking shorty coveralls in white that left their shoulders and backs bare to the warm sun on Iscandar as, in those uniforms, they helped run what looked like a medical clinic of some kind in what looked like a MASH tent in the jungle somewhere. Then, the tent turned into chaos as they treated badly wounded people as Cometine Scorpions flew overhead, darkening the sky.

Then, scenes of war and chaos came; Derek saw Deke Wakefield in a Black Tiger uniform leading a squadron in on a streaking dive against a Cometine carrier as he made a successful attack that he pulled up out of a moment later, as, on the Argo, Stovall (but he wasn’t Stovall anymore) sent transmissions to Invidia and another party with his mind.

In the chaos, Derek saw Nova wearing a uniform variant on the Argo she had seldom worn; she wore her Living Group uniform in gold and black, but as a male-pattern top with a black skirt and open-toe pumps. The reason for the changed attire was evident; Nova looked heavily pregnant in the dream. Derek saw a tender scene where he held Nova and opened the front of a dress she had on to caress her pregnant stomach, and laugh as they saw the baby (or babies? Derek thought) kicking inside her stomach.

Also, Derek saw Deke Wakefield and Sasha laughing together; it seemed interesting that they both had wedding bands on. More chaos and war followed, leading up to a battle with the New White Comet, a titanic battle in which it was destroyed at last.

Then, Derek beheld the inside of a medical shuttle; and he saw Nova on a small bed in the shuttle, still pregnant, but sweaty and bare-shouldered, and then, as she kicked off her sheet for a moment, he saw she was in the nude and seemed to be in labor. Doctor Sane, IQ-9, Sasha, and the young woman with the blond bangs watched her, helping Derek comfort the laboring woman as she pushed one, and then two children into the world, a little boy and a girl, whom he saw cleaned up a while later and nursing at their mother’s breasts in peace on the shuttle as Nova lay exhausted but happy.

The scene then switched to a tranquil one as Derek saw Nova in the same sundress she had worn on the train (when we conceived our children? Derek thought) at an outdoor church service, blushing and opening the top of her dress on one side to nurse their little boy as she stood there in a cute sunhat and bare feet in the sun. Later, the scene switched to a lonely beach, where Derek beheld his young wife lying totally naked on a pure white beach towel, suntanned all over with her slender shape back, laughing and smiling as she cuddled and nursed their naked twins in the sun as the surf rolled on behind them.

Then, Nova stood dancing with him again in the white gown she had worn at their wedding in the same hotel that they had originally had their reception at in Boulder, Colorado. Banners proclaimed that it was their tenth wedding anniversary, and they were in bliss as they danced together; Derek noticed that this time, he had on a black peacoat that had the rank boards of a Rear Admiral; it appeared that he had come up in the ranks somewhat.

The last scene Wildstar saw in his dream was one of Nova in heels and a black and purple academic gown receiving a degree at a commencement ceremony some years later; she looked just a little older and had round glasses on. Their children were a bit older now, and seemed to be about four or five years old; their daughter was a blond girl who looked much like her mother, and their son was a boy with messy brown hair who looked like a younger version of Derek, sat in the crowd in a dress and a suit applauding as their mother received her degree at what Derek suddenly understood was a medical school graduation.

Derek woke up when he heard the hatch slamming to in their cabin. With sleep-filled eyes, he looked around….the clock said it was 0512 Hours now.

Nova had just come back in…she looked very tired. She walked up to the bed with a smile and kissed him, and then began to take one of her shoes off.

Derek noticed it was a white sandal. The first thing he said is, “You had those on in my dream.”

“Oh? That’s nice, given I’ve only had these for a week,” Nova said as she removed her other shoe and wriggled her toes. “You were there with me in the store when I bought them. You said they looked nice, remember?”

“You were wearing them when you were having our children…at least part of the time…”

“What?” Nova said with an amused look. “Uh…I think I’d be barefoot if I was in labor. Why did I have shoes on?”

“It was part of the time; you were having our children in a shuttlecraft, and they had to make stirrups for you to push against. They cut the backs off those sandals and taped them to IV stands so you’d have something to put your feet in to push against.”

“And what else did I have on, pray tell?” asked Nova in an amused voice as she pulled her minidress off over her head and stripped off her bra and underwear. “In your weird dream, was I wearing a fashionable outfit to have our children in?”

“You were wearing what you’re wearing now…namely nothing,” said Derek as he gave her a kiss and pulled her close.

“That’s sweet…that’s what I’d expect to be wearing in labor…given the difficulties we had with my mom that time, I’d rather just go naked then so they can work on me more easily…damn modesty in that situation.”

“Yeah….”

“God, your heart is racing like a horse!” Nova said as she rubbed his chest. “I think we have some time to talk before I take my shower and I get my bridge uniform on for morning watch. What else was this dream about?”

Commodore Wildstar then described the rest of his bizarre dream to his wife, not leaving out a single detail. Nova hugged him and nodded with concern, shivering as he recounted the gross part with Stovall in the grave.

Finally, when they were done, he said, “What do you think?”

Nova stared at him and said, “I think you should not have had that pepperoni hoagie and that mug of dark beer last night at the bar on the observation deck before you started playing space chess. The weird food you eat would give anyone nightmares!”

“Yeah, it would,” said Derek. He watched Nova going to her locker and rooting through it. “What are you doing?”

Nova yawned. “Getting my PT gear to do some laps, then I’ll take my shower and…show up at my post on the bridge, and….”

“You’re taking a sick day,” said Derek. “You’re relieved for this watch. I can put someone else behind the radar.”

“What?”

“You haven’t slept in twenty-three hours, you’re exhausted, and you need some sleep. We can get by without you on the bridge for one watch…unless there’s a battle, of course.”

“But…”

“Nova, put your gear away and catch some sleep. It’s an order.”

“Yessir,” said Nova weakly. Her face dropped, but she smiled when Derek kissed her.

“I’m getting ready to go on watch. I’ll see you later, Mrs. Wildstar. Go to bed.”

“Okay.”

IV. A STARTLING MORNING…

Space Battleship Argo

One Hundred and Ten Lightyears Away from Earth…

Sunday, December 15, 2205 1105 Hours: Earth Time

On the Argo’s First Bridge, the morning routine was fairly predictable and fairly dull. The mighty space battleship had executed two more space warps, and she was now approaching a small cluster of stars that the Skipper felt happened to merit investigation since Homer had picked up more signals in the area after they had made their first space warp of fifty lightyears.

The First Star Force was now in a small star system that was known as the NGC-158235 system; it was one they had never investigated before, so it had no name other than the rather dry Astronomers’ Catalogue number it was known by.

“So, Homer, did you pick up any more signals?” asked Wildstar from his post.

“Not yet,” said Homer.

“Radar’s normal,” said Eager, who was manning the Cosmo Radar in Nova’s stead (since she was still sleeping as per the Captain’s orders). “We’re approaching the third planet!”

“Can you get a scan of the third planet to send to IQ-9 for analysis?” asked Wildstar.

“I’m gettin’ that scan now,” said Eager.

“The signal’s repeating again,” said Homer. “It’s digital, and it’s….it’s one of our signals!”

“One of our signals?”

“It’s an Earth code of some type…it seems to be a few months old…”

“Where’s the area that it’s coming from?” asked Kitano.

“The Western Hemisphere of the planet,” said Eager. “First scan is for IQ-9’s analysis now.”

“I’m beginning to scan,” said IQ-9. “Conditions of atmosphere and climate; the planet has a breathable Earth-standard atmosphere, although the temperature is slightly higher than average. Very little humidity. The planet seems to be a hot desert world; somewhat like Rikasha before we aided the Rikashans with the Cosmo-DNA Machine. I am not picking up any traces of civilization, except for one large metallic object in a wadi almost directly below us! I am picking up more signals, and…”

The bridge doors whizzed open and Nova came in, rubbing her eyes a little, but up and in her gold Star Force uniform.

“Lieutenant Commander, you were supposed to be in bed,” said Derek as some of the other bridge crew members snickered a little.

“I’ve gotten enough sleep,” said Nova with a smile. “I woke up and tapped in on the bridge channels from upstairs. When I caught something interesting going on, I decided maybe I’d better check it out.”

“Good,” said Wildstar. “Go over and help IQ-9 with some scans.”

“Roger,” said Nova. She walked over to help the robot.

“So what’s going on?” she said.

“I’m picking up what seems to be life signs from a metal object down below,” he said.

“Those are life signs,” said Nova.

“How many?” asked Wildstar.

“About two or three hundred people, and….”

“I’m picking up a voice message!” said Homer. “Switching to main speakers…”

The First Star Force was then shocked and surprised as they heard Captain Mark Venture’s voice. “To any vessel who might be able to hear us….please respond…this is the Earth Federation Space Battleship Arizona. We have been marooned here on this planet for some time with damage to our energy generator, wave motion engine, and gun turret number three. We are running our life support and climate systems on battery power, but the battery power is running out. We have six days’ worth of power left…please offer…”

The signal almost fizzed out before Wildstar himself snatched the headset off of Homer’s head. “Captain Venture!” he yelled into it.

“What…?” said Venture. “Who’s that? Sorry…lots of static…it sounds…”

“This is Wildstar, you big idiot!” laughed Derek. “Mark, the Argo’s right over your planet!”

“Wildstar!?? When did you show up?”

“Just a few minutes ago. What is your exact location, Venture?”

“Twenty nine-degrees north latitude by one hundred and ten west longitude. You’re scanning us, so you got us. Please send aid. We’re running out of supplies.”

“I’m sending aid and a repair party, Venture,” said Wildstar. “How is….?”

At that moment, Aliscea’s phantom form appeared before the First Star Force on the Argo’s bridge.

“We could be better,” said the Pellian Radar Officer of the Arizona as she stood there clad in her gold and black uniform. “The Living Group Leader says that food is running short, and so is water. We could use some aid in those areas, in medical supplies, and in parts.”

“We’ll get to it,” said Derek. “Nova, prepare a rescue mission for the basics. Take four crewmen and IQ-9 and leave in the Cosmo-Hound; you’ll need the cargo room.”

“Roger,” said Nova as she saluted and left.

Why, thought Commodore Wildstar to himself, why…do I have an uneasy feeling about this?

TO BE CONTINUED….

To Return to the Introduction to The New Comet, click here