Harvester 7

  "No problem with the ship," replied Relik, "It's fully functional, it's just we have some classified cargo coming on-board and I can't get into the files, the decryption is the highest level... Military level." he announced but on a private link directly to his master and commander.

  "Work on it," replied Maulik, "But don't set off any alarms, what hold is it coming into?"

  "It's not coming into the hold," announced a confused Relik, "Well some of the consignment is going to Hold 32, but the rest... well, the rest is coming here! it's coming to the bridge?"

  "Keep working on that decryption." urged Maulik, maybe he hadn't gleaned even a fraction of the information about the mission from Commander Trulek, only personnel could be coming onto his bridge, but why the secrecy, 7 wasn't a transport, command knew that, who was he going to be carrying?

  "Maulik!" cried the startled lieutenant, "Sorry Sir, Master Maulik." Relik corrected himself, "I still can't get into the file but Hold 32 is now full."

  "Full." exclaimed Maulik, "Impossible!"

  "I know Sir... but it's still full."

  Placing his fingers on the glowing communication pad Maulik attempted to contact Harvester Command.

  Trulek responded, "Before you ask, yes I know your hold is full, Maulik, this is beyond my control and certainly beyond yours, and before you ask, no, I can't tell you anything, just continue prep as normal, you will be briefed directly once you have made the jump."

  "Directly?" he questioned, this was not standard procedure, no master jumped before he received his full briefing.

  "Don't question me, just accept that you will receive your mission parameters after the jump has been initiated."

  "Understood." replied a slightly confused master.

  "And Maulik, may the Gods be with you."

  Commander Trulek severed the connection.

  "This is between us," he signalled Relik and received a nod, "So when do we expect our bridge guest, or guests?"

  "Unknown," answered Relik as he scanned the data stream, "Currently on accommodation level 3, but I'm locked out of surveillance."

  This is why there's discord in the fleet, he told himself as he became confident that the military were behind all the secrecy. Harvesters were under the jurisdiction of the Senate, not the Military, he didn't need to see a Colonial uniform to know that the defence boys were behind it all, military level encryption had confirmed that theory for him.

  "You have the con," he instructed Relik, "I'm going to inspect Hold 32."

  "And our guests? What if they come to the bridge while you're away?"

  Maulik turned and grinned, "Then lock them out until I get back, two can play that game."

  ***

  Two hundred million tons of harvester equalled a vast ship and the trip to Hold 32 would have taken hours on foot but Maulik hopped into a grav-lift and was soon hurtling down seventy six decks, right into the bowels of the beast. As master he knew his ship inside out but Hold 32 had never needed his inspection before, all he knew was that it was just one of fifty on the lowermost deck, all identical, nothing out of the ordinary, except today he had a million tons of classified cargo... and that was out of the ordinary!

  Colonial Marines, he congratulated himself as he stepped from the lift and was faced by a wall of grey and green camouflage uniforms.

  Of all his race only the military wore any form of clothing, their uniforms were simply protection, woven from a synthesised silicon that was impervious to all known energy weapons they were no better than the Watu in Maulik's mind, grey and green symbols of dominance.

  "Hey guys," he signalled, "What's happening here?"

  "Move along." came the reply, "This is a restricted area."

  "Really?" replied Maulik as he flashed his credentials.

  The marines straightened and signalled apologies, "Sorry Master, you should have let us know before, but again I'm sorry, you still can't pass this point."

  "I'll go anywhere I want on my ship." flared Maulik, but the marines weren't playing games as he heard the faint hum of plasma rifles charging,

  "Hey, don't get excited." he laughed masking his nerves, "I'm just on a routine pre-flight inspection, no big deal."

  "Everything will be explained once we've made the jump" assured the Colonial Squad Leader, "And Master, I'm sure you will be needed on the bridge very soon." Maulik nodded as he heard the sound of docking clamps releasing, soon 7 would be in free space and manoeuvring to the jump gate. He gave an overly stiff salute loaded with sarcasm before stepping back into the grav-lift. His day was definitely not going as planned.

  ***

  "This is Colonel Balak." announced Relik as he stepped back onto the bridge.

  "What happened to locking the doors?" he signalled privately.

  "I have complete authority over access on this ship at the moment," cut in Balak, "And while I am on board there will be no attempts at private links."

  Maulik stared in disbelief, "How did you access our link?" all he caught in reply was a thin grin.

  "That's classified." replied the colonel.

  "OK, so what’s all this about?" Maulik demanded not trying to hide the irritation in his thoughts as Balak pointed to the gold crescent on his arm, indicating his rank.

  Maulik gave a mental shrug of dismissal, "So what Colonel, I'm not military, that mark means nothing to me, and you appear to be a guest on my ship so I suggest you start explaining what you are doing here, and why my Hold 32 is crammed to the roof with the Gods know what?"

  "Classified." came the stiff reply.

  Maulik turned to his bridge crew and announced, "I wonder if this guy ever gets tired of that word?"

  "How long before we jump?" demanded the Colonel refusing to rise to Maulik's comment.

  "we're on the five minute countdown now." replied Relik.

  "Then your questions will all be answered in six minutes time." replied the Colonel with a grin, "And now Harvester Master Maulik, if you don't mind you will accompany me to the accommodation level where you will receive a private mission briefing."

  As they stepped onto the grav-lift the Colonel relaxed and requested a private link.

  "I thought this was not allowed." scoffed Maulik as he accepted.

  "I'm not the enemy," replied the Colonel, "Just trust me that it will all become clear very soon, and I'm truly sorry that you couldn't be briefed before now. But trust me, in a few minutes time you will understand why all the secrecy." Maulik wasn't convinced or pacified but masked the thoughts and merely shrugged non-committally.

  Red lights pulsed as they stepped from the lift, "Thirty second countdown." indicated Maulik, "Then you can start talking, oh, and Colonel, I suggest you hang onto that rail... right about... Now!" he chuckled as Balak lost his footing as the inertial dampeners kicked in to offset the massive acceleration to light speed.

  "Thanks for the heads-up." glowered Balak as he staggered back to his feet.

  "Hey, it's the very least I could do, you guys have given me just as much warning."

  "As I have already told you, I'm not the enemy, perhaps you will begin to understand soon and maybe we can get on a better footing."

  Doubtful replied Maulik but blocked the comment, "So... we've officially jumped, start talking!"

  "First I want you to meet another guest." replied the Colonel and swiftly transmitted the code to open the accommodation deck, the hatch swished open and a guard of marines saluted smartly as they walked through to the large suite reserved for meetings and special guests.

  "Master Maulik, I would like you to meet Vice Chancellor Go'an of the Watu High Council."

  Maulik felt his skin crawl which constricted his respiration pores catching his breath for a moment.

  "A Watu... here on my ship?" his response was private and directed at the Colonel, but his expression to the Watu Vice Chancellor remained neutral.

  Go'an was exactly as the pictures he had seen. Primitive. Thick with hair and the smell was sickening, he bar
ely reached Maulik's waist but under the coating of thick brown hair a heavily muscled physique rippled, his shoulders were broad and looked solid, even more solid than the strongest "manual" he had aboard. Maulik tried to avoid eye contact but couldn't help himself glancing, the Watu had no membrane, just yellow orbs with rapidly expanding and contracting black pupils, he felt that those strange eyes were burning deep into his flesh. The face was hairless and the skin creased and dark brown, it reminded Maulik of harvested flesh that was only part dried, that also wrinkled and creased in a similar fashion. Around his short and wide neck he wore a heavy chain of office and in one meaty five fingered hand he held a ceremonial staff of polished black bone with what looked like a horned serpents head glaring at him with flaming red gem stone eyes.

  It was true what he had heard, the Watu did wear the skins of lower animals, the cloak draped across the broad shoulders had come from some heavy black haired creature and his lower body was wrapped in a similar heavy skin.

  "Again... a Watu on my ship?" he signalled the Colonel, "I think there is a lot of explaining to do here!"

  "Vice Chancellor Go'an is also a telepath." indicated Balak, as the stocky Watu grinned displaying a full set of dagger-like teeth.

  "Master Maulik, it is an honour to be a guest aboard your fine ship." the Watu replied and bowed low.

  "You will have to excuse my initial reaction," replied a stunned Maulik, "I really didn't expect to meet a member of the Watu High Council today."

  Go'an chuckled, "Well covered. But what you meant to say is you expected to fight the Watu today, but not to entertain one as your guest." he held up his misshapen hand to stop Maulik's reply.

  "Our peoples have been enemies for centuries, but soon we will be allies, if the Gods permit, come Master Maulik, sit with me and the Colonel and we can satisfy all of those questions that are crowding your mind."

  In a dream of confusion Maulik joined Balak and Go'an at the highly polished conference table and listened as Go'an explained his peoples history and hopes for the future.

  "Our races share a common ancestry." he announced and grinned at Maulik's look of disbelief.

  "Impossible," he declared, "How could that be true, just look at us, how could two species be more different?"

  "Environment, circumstances," replied Go'an, "I didn't want to believe it myself when I first learned the truth, how could a proud warrior race such as the Watu share genetics with you silver skinned hairless creatures," he chuckled again, "No offence intended but we find you as offensive to look at as you no doubt find us, but that does not change the fact that genetically our races are almost identical."

  "OK, lets say that maybe I'm open minded enough to accept what you're saying, but where is the proof, how did you discover the link?"

  "Ah, now that goes back before my time, a long way back. Many centuries ago we had a visitor, a fugitive, we found him crashed on our southern continent, his ship was only slightly damaged and he was in stasis, in a cryo-tube, my unenlightened ancestors simply wanted to eat him but as the feast was being prepared he awoke and spoke directly to their minds, it saved his life."

  Go'an chuckled, "He told us many things, things that are now considered legend and myth, yet those tales he told held truths, inescapable truths." Go'an fixed his yellow pulsating eyes on Maulik and strengthened their link, "Our telepathic ability is much stronger than yours, I could tear your mind to pieces now if I so wished, you Terrillians have always considered yourselves superior to us, but you might be surprised." he relaxed the contact and Maulik massaged above his scar. "That was not intended as intimidation or a threat," announced Go'an, "I simply wish to alter your perception of my race, we are not the animals you believe us to be, in fact, according to your classification, I would say we are easily Level 9, but I am wandering from the current topic, Master Maulik, have you never wondered why the creatures in each system that you harvest are all so similar, their planets are light years apart yet there is usually a genetic link?"

  "Coincidence, maybe the original organic source split between different planets as each solar system was born, maybe the Gods themselves truly created life that way... who knows for sure?" he shrugged.

  "I know for sure," replied Go'an with certainty, "The fugitive on our planet was escaping a race that we have never encountered... yet. They are responsible, he told us their name but it is too painful for telepaths to utter, so we only refer to them as the Reapers."

  "You are seriously expecting me to buy this?" snapped Maulik before grasping his head as his mirror membranes fluttered rapidly.

  "That is their proper name, and that hurt me almost as much as it hurt you, do not test my patience Master Maulik, if you are truly enlightened you will listen to me and drive the doubts away that I see lurking in the depths of your mind... and, as a matter of interest, you also smell very bad to me... Now if I have your attention again, I will continue, the Reapers are what you would call farmers, they seed the galaxies with their livestock. Yes Maulik, both you and I are their food source," he smiled exposing the sharp teeth, "The harvesters may soon be harvested themselves, don't you find that rather ironic?"

  "How do you know this for sure?" asked the Colonel,

  "We have always called the writings our scriptures," replied the Watu, "Yet the learned amongst us know that those scriptures were written by the fugitive, they foretell of a time when the Gods will return to Watuma, many believe this will be a time of great celebration, I know it will be a time of devastation, the galactic farmers will return to harvest their fields, it will be the end of our civilizations, both mine, and yours."

  "When?" asked Maulik, as Go'an smiled.

  "According to our calculations any time within the next twenty years, any time, perhaps even today or tomorrow, that is why I have called this truce between our peoples, we can stand together, or fall alone."

  Maulik nodded, "It makes sense yet I also sense that the High Council doesn't agree with you, or why the clandestine meeting aboard my ship, and the hold full of marines and drones?"

  Go'an bared his teeth and his eyes flashed, "You see Colonel, I was right, you doubted me but young Maulik here is worth ten of your marines, he obviously beat your advanced encryption... congratulations," he remarked, "It is true that the High Council is not completely on my side, many are stubbornly following the Chancellor in his fanatical belief that the Gods are returning."

  "So we are going to help you take one step up the political ladder "Vice" Chancellor?" grinned Maulik, "Because this could also simply be your way of seizing power, maybe the Gods truly are returning and you just want to be the leader that meets them!"

  "That may look like a possibility," he admitted, "But look into my mind, if you find even the slightest deception I will willingly leave your ship and we can resume hostilities." and at that he opened his mind and invited a link. Maulik didn't need the connection, he already sensed the truth, and the truth scared him.

  "So why do you need Harvester 7, surely it would have been easier to just arrive with a battle cruiser?"

  "Stealth, my young friend," replied Go'an, "You will simply cut out of FTL on the outer edge of the Watuma system and plead mechanical failures, my people will send out a few star-fighters to harass you but no-one will turn a hair that a harvester is stalled on the edge of our territory."

  "And when your people are asleep the marines boost you to power, very neat."

  "Crudely put... but basically true," admitted Go'an, "But I prefer to believe that a stealth attack will reduce the lives lost, on both sides, the Watu are not toothless!" he bit the air aggressively before laughing, "We have a more advanced fleet that you could ever imagine, stealth will save us from war, we cut off the serpents head quickly and surgically, the High Council will follow me when the Chancellor is gone, of that I have no doubt."

  "Then I guess it's almost time for you to be getting ready," replied Maulik as he connected his mind with the navigation computer, "We arrive in just over three hours. I
just have one question, why did you need us, why not use your own military?"

  "A good question," grinned Go'an, "We have a very strict chain of command and the military will only respond on the direct orders of the Chancellor, no-one else, that is why he must be silenced quickly and effectively before any order can be given, I could not rely on my own military to support me as Vice, but as Chancellor I will have complete control over them."

  "So if we do it quickly, everyone is happy, but mess it up and we are at war?"

  Go'an nodded.

  "Wonderful." sighed Maulik, "And my poor 7 is stuck in the middle, I hope your guys are good Colonel."

  ***

  Maulik left his guests discussing strategy and returned to the bridge, his mind buzzing with questions and concerns.

  "Relik, join me in my ready room... now." he signalled without pausing, he needed a trusted opinion and Relik was the closest to a friend that he had, he needed to share his recent information, he wanted to judge Relik’s reactions.

  "Sit." he instructed and requested a private link. With interest he followed the subconscious reactions as he transferred his data from the meeting with Go'an, fear, disbelief and finally excitement blossomed in Relik’s mind.

  "Suggestions?" he asked.

  "Strengthen our defences," was the immediate reply, "Personally, if I can speak freely?" Relik paused for a moment before continuing as Maulik nodded, "I would look at the worst case, if they fail we have a whole planets worth of star-fighters looking for a target, and 7 certainly isn't a star-fighter, sure we can outrun them... given time, but we don't have acceleration, we will take a lot of pounding before we can build the speed to escape."

  "Agreed," replied Maulik, "Plot an escape vector into the navcom, have it ready on my word... The Colonial Marines can start their war if they want, but my priorities are to my ship and my crew, if anything thing goes wrong I won't hesitate to get us out of here."

  Relik nodded, before asking tentatively "Should I get extra gunnery crews on standby?"

  Maulik paused for a second, "Yes, but make it a look like a drill, call it readiness training... there is no need to alarm anyone just yet."