Chapter 17
Over the next fortnight, just as she had on Columbus, Sarah showed Will the sights of Waterbeach. Where he could, Will tried to explain the differences with his reality’s version of the town, Jacksonport but he wasn’t entirely sure how well he succeeded. He never felt that his descriptions did the place justice, especially the more attractive parts of the town. They also spent time touring the lake, walking in the woods and browsing around the shopping centre, finding out what they both enjoyed and appreciating the fact that, on the whole, they had more in common than they might have expected. Sarah found it interesting to look at Waterbeach as if she was a tourist. Having been born there, she found it a novel experience, never having had to view the city in such a manner before. When they went out of the town into the surrounding countryside, the differences between realities was less pronounced, so Will was able to show Sarah where he had been living in reality ten. They also found plenty of time to enjoy each other physically in the privacy of Sarah’s apartment, not to mention a couple of notable instances when they were out in the woods. The warm weather and absence of others had provided an opportunity to skinny-dip in the warm lake waters, which had ended in a long and passionate lovemaking session on the beach.
At the end of their holiday, they reluctantly returned to the base to await orders from the Captain. Captain VanDelden was already there, having just briefed the Admiral and other senior staff regarding both the trips to the outstanding alternate realities and the update them with the latest information from Angela and her team.
‘Good morning both’ announced the Captain, upon entering the briefing room ‘I trust you’ve enjoyed your holiday.’
‘Yes, thank you, Captain. We’ve had a lovely time’ replied Sarah.
‘Good, good. I’m pleased to say we’ve managed to retrieve a few more ships. We now have fifteen from the eleven realities, plus another twenty we’ve either adapted from our fleet or are on loan from Queen Anne. However, our last trip wasn’t entirely uneventful. As we arrived in reality eleven, we found activity around the base, with a ship in the process of landing, so had to leave there immediately. Hopefully, we weren’t there long enough to trigger any alarms but it does mean we need to pay Gott and co a visit as soon as possible. In fact, the Admiralty Board has just approved us to go today. Sarah, I need you back on board to assist Auryn.’
‘Yes, Sir’ replied Sarah.
‘Will, although you’d be safer here on the planet, you’re welcome to join us on the Dark Horse and witness the encounter in reality zero. Until the present crisis is resolved, I’m unable to provide you with a meaningful role but our medical director would like to examine you in detail to find out if there is anything unusual about you that causes you to spontaneously switch realities. If they can identify it, they may be able to find a cure, if there is such a thing.’
‘Even though I want to find out what’s causing my reality hopping problem, I’d love to join you, Captain. It will be interesting to see Gott again, assuming we do. Given the option, I wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing his ugly mug again, especially when we have the whip hand, so to speak!’
‘Unfortunately, as I suggested, Angela and her team have almost solved their immediate priorities and Angela has said that it would be too disruptive for you to join them at this stage. That said, she would like to meet you in a week or so, to discuss possible future options as regards you getting involved in improving the RSC’s and the Inter-reality Communications Devices or ICD’s. The current push has been to have working devices we can rely upon but Angela recognises that what they currently have are remarkably crude compared to what they believe is possible. A fresh pair of eyes might prove useful. However, the development of anything considerably better will take time and that’s a commodity we don’t have too much of just now. The other area for development, as I suggested last time, is to map the realities in a more linear manner, as against the current leapfrogging devices we currently have. Until we move over to a software-based control, Angela doesn’t feel we’ll be able to do anything with that area of investigation.’
‘From what you’ve said about the ship-based controls, I think I agree with her, Captain.’
‘Okay, people, we set off for Zero as soon as we can get back on board the Sea Lion, which has been designated the command vessel. The Dark Horse will be Captained by Beth Doolan for this trip. All the ships we have joining us have been crewed and provisioned and are ready to go upon my return, now that we have authority to do so from the Admiral. For this critical stage of the mission, Admiral Scorah and Commodore Powell will be joining us. The Commodore will take operational control, with the Admiral undertaking an overview and representing the views of the Admiralty Board and the government. Initially, we’ll leave all our non-captured ships in our reality, ready to be called upon using the prototype communications pods should they be needed. The pods have been positioned in all realities but Zero in readiness. The Zero versions will be in place before we leave for there.’
Two hours later, they were on board the shuttle heading towards Astraeus 5, where the other thirty-four ships they had either retrieved from other realities or had equipped with the RSC’s were waiting in battle formation. As soon as the shuttle had docked, the Admiral gave the order for Captain Doolan to check the area around the planet in reality Zero in case there were any ships in the vicinity. The last thing the Admiral wanted was for anyone to materialise inside another craft, as he hoped that the mission would not result in any loss of life. Two minutes later, the Dark Horse reappeared and Captain Doolan informed them that the area was clear.
The Admiral gave the order for the captured ships to switch realities and, five minutes later, all of those ships had switched to reality zero and were heading towards that reality’s version of New Oregon. As they moved towards the planet, Will was interested to note that the planet appeared to be well populated, with a number of cities and towns on the large screen at the front of the bridge. There were three space stations around the planet, roughly equidistant from each other. One was between them and the planet.
As they moved towards the planet, they received a radio message, which the on-board translators converted to a digitised form of English, lacking the inflections associated with the spoken word.
‘Approaching spaceships, identify yourselves.’
‘Ignore them, Captain. If they actually attack, our worst-case response is to switch to another reality, though I don’t think we’ll be needing that’ said Admiral Scorah.
‘Yes, Sir. How close to the planet would you like us to go?’
‘A hundred thousand kilometres will be close enough to make our point and should keep us far enough away from any ground-based missiles to allow us time to respond accordingly, should it be necessary.’
‘Captain, there are six fighters approaching at high speed. How would you like to respond?’ asked Lieutenant Strowgger.
‘Thank you, Lieutenant. Hail them and advise them we do not intend to initiate hostilities. Let them fire first. That would give us a good reason to attack.’
‘Approaching fighters. Stand down. We are here on a peace mission. We intend to remain one hundred thousand kilometres from your planet. Any aggressive act on your part will, however, be summarily dealt with’ was heard on the bridge’s loudspeakers, albeit spoken in Esperanto.
‘Why should we believe you?’ came the computer-translated reply.
‘We will explain ourselves once we are in position. If we approach closer than ninety kilometres from the planet, you will be entitled to reconsider your options. You are welcome to provide us with an escort. You have my word that you will not be fired upon unless you attempt to endanger any of my ships’ replied the Commodore.
Another voice was heard ‘This is Brigadier Rautanen of the President’s Security Squadron. Please identify yourselves.’
‘Hello Brigadier Rautanen. This is Admiral Scorah of the New Oregon Navy. We would like to speak with your President and any other se
nior government representatives you may have. Please arrange this.’
‘Her Eminence Madame President is, as I am sure you appreciate, extremely busy. Why should she speak with you, a mere Admiral?’
‘I feel sure she would be grateful for the opportunity. It would certainly be to her disadvantage not to spare me an audience. Meanwhile, I would like to establish a video link with you, rather than the audio only communication we currently have. If you look carefully at our ships, they will undoubtedly look familiar to you. We also have further ships available within our communications range should we need them.’
After a short pause, the speaker burst into life again ‘Where did you get those ships?’
‘Now that would be telling, Brigadier. Now, as I was saying, I would like to speak with your President. I will explain it to her. Please arrange it. You know how to contact me. Scorah, out.’
‘Captain, please take us to the agreed coordinates’ instructed Commodore Powell.
‘Certainly, Commodore.’
Three hours later, they were wondering if the President would allow them to speak with her when the comscreen flashed that there was an incoming message and the image of a middle-aged woman filled the screen. ‘Admiral Scorah, are you there?’
‘Yes, Brigadier.’
‘I have been informed that Her Eminence Madame President has graciously agreed for you to speak with her. I apologise for the delay but she was otherwise engaged when you arrived. She is on Zamenhof, rather than Azio, unlike myself.’
‘Do I take it that Zamenhof is the name of the planet and Azio the name of the space station I can see orbiting it, directly between the planet and my fleet?’
‘That is correct, Admiral. I will call you when she can permit you to converse with her. I’m afraid this may be several hours. Rautanen out.’ The screen went dead.
‘Seem to be overly full of themselves with their long-winded titles!’ said the Commodore.
‘Hmm. Looks that way, Eleanor. Anyway, if we’re going to have to wait, I suggest we change the shifts and have a rest. I get the feeling from what the Brigadier said that the President is going to be hard work and I, for one, think that I’d rather be fresh when we have the pleasure of speaking with her. Captain, that includes you and the rest of the bridge crew. The relief crew should take over. Please inform the remaining ships and let Columbus and the support ships back in our reality know what’s happening here’ replied the Admiral.
Five hours later, Brigadier Rautanen called ‘Admiral, Her Eminence will permit you to speak with her in fifteen minutes’ time. She will have her military adviser, Lieutenant General Copson and her political advisor, Supreme Advisor Hinde with her. I will call you again when I have been informed that Her Eminence is prepared.’
‘Thank you, Brigadier. I look forward to it.’
As promised, the Brigadier called at the time he had said ‘Admiral. Her Eminence is now available. Please be prepared to speak with her magnificence. I will connect you now.’
The image changed to one of a large chamber, emblazoned with crests, drapes and statues, all in various shades of gold and maroon. At the centre of the screen was a large chair, which reminded Admiral Scorah of the sort of chair that medieval kings were often portrayed as sitting on. Sat in the chair, looking almost lost in its grandeur, was a woman, in the Admiral’s opinion, over-elaborately attired. Two men, one in an ornate military uniform, the other in a business suit, were standing slightly behind the chair, demonstrating their inferior status.
‘Admiral, I understand you seek an audience. What is so important that you consider worthy of my limited time?’ asked the President, giving the distinct impression that she considered the Admiral her inferior.
‘Madame President. Thank you for graciously permitting me to address you. I represent the governments of a number of versions of your planet. We have identified a number of bases on several versions of one of the planets within this system that appear to be preparing to attack our versions of the planet Zamenhof. Our intelligence shows that they were built and equipped by your government. I would request that you ask the military advisor present to confirm that we are standing on the bridge of one of your own ships, and that the remaining ships in our fleet are actually part of your own fleet. We seek to understand why you have been preparing to attack our systems. You should realise that now we know of your intentions, any chance of victory you may have had has been lost. To continue now would result in massive loss of life, for no benefit.’
The President looked confused. ‘Admiral. I do not understand your accusations. We are at war with no one. I also don’t understand what you mean by other versions of our planet. Where ARE these other versions?’
‘Madam President, to address your second question first, we come from alternate versions of THIS planet. In our realities, for example, English is our predominant language. In other realities, the German or Chinese languages are used. Someone in your reality discovered a means of moving between realities and, using this capability, built bases on eleven versions of one of the outer planets. Most of these bases contained a significant amount of military hardware and armaments, including the ships in the fleet I have with me. What I would like to know is what these bases were for, if not to launch attacks on our versions of the planet. If you were not intending to attack our planets, then why did your government feel the need to prepare for war?’
The President looked non-plussed. She clearly didn’t know anything about alternate realities, nor had she been prepared for anyone to address her in such a challenging way.
‘Admiral. I can assure you that we are not at war with anyone. General Copson, please assure the Admiral’ she replied, turning to the General.
‘Madame President. I would wish to speak with you privately’ replied an embarrassed-looking General.
The screen went blank. A few minutes later, the screen came to life.
‘Admiral, I have been advised by the General that we discovered the alternate realities by accident approximately ten years ago, during the term of my predecessor. The bases you have found were intended to provide our exploring teams with support in the event they were attacked by the local populations.’
‘Madame President, although I am unable to comment upon the discovery, I must take some exception to your second assertion. Not only were the bases frequently equipped with a significant amount of weaponry but the only spaceships we found were military ships. If what you say is true, I would also have expected to find exploratory ships and equipment. Despite visiting eleven bases, we found nothing but military equipment. In addition, in one reality, one of the people present with me was captured, then interrogated and imprisoned by the Exalted General Gott, to give him, I understand, his full title, within the base. My personnel were able to return him to my reality, following an exchange of fire and our destroying the base in question that existed in my reality. Unfortunately, a number of your personnel were likely killed or injured in the process. He is on the bridge with me now, should you wish to talk with him.’
The President almost managed to remain calm but it was clear to the Admiral and the bridge crew that she was only just managing to suppress her anger.
‘Excuse me, Admiral. I need to take a short recess’ she said, immediately before the screen went blank again.