THE LAST FRONTIER

One Hundred Over Ten

By Marina Twelve and Thomas R.

 

Part 3

 

Whatever was in the spider’s tunnel was scratching its way towards the air lock. Leslie jumped up and threw the outer hatch control lever. The sealing hatch door slid into place. Just to make sure, she latched the lever down so the door could not be opened from the other side.

For a moment she thought about opening the beak end of the spider and letting the trapped air in the tunnel blow whatever it was out into space.---She then thought about it for a second. No, whatever it was, was safely trapped in the spider arm, for now.

It might be just what they need to extract some important information. They had been so preoccupied with rescuing the humans from the Rep ship and getting out alive, that they had neglected to bring back any important artifacts from the ship.

Morris, meanwhile, had other things to think about. A REP ship was rapidly approaching. It wasn’t a fighter or a Battle Cruiser, but still, it was half again as big as the Retribution, and it looked like it meant business.

Jumping was not an option. The Jump capacitors still had over five minutes to finish charging up.

He immediately activated the deflection fields. Not a moment too soon. WHAM! The retribution was hit by an LX shot that sent the small ship tumbling end over end. Fortunately, the deflectors held and the ship was not damaged.

The reaction knocked Leslie off her feet and onto the deck. "What in the F . . .?"

Luckily there was no harm done. The inertial dampers had been set to one point five G’s so the shock wasn’t nearly as violent as it could have been.

"What the hells going on Morris?" she shouted over her com link.

"REP ship. Equivalent to our cruiser class I think." Morris answered. "Going to have to run! Jump caps not charged yet."

WHAM! Another LX shot hit the Retribution’s deflectors.

Morris pushed the reaction engine acceleration control as fast as it would go. The REP ship fell back, but then began to gain on them once again. "WHOA!" Thought Morris, "They might only have only light speed capability, but they sure have acceleration up the kazoo!"

"BILL!" Leslie shouted over the com system. "Get down here and keep an eye on these people, while I go up to the bridge. NOWWWW!"

Bill wasted no time climbing down the ladder and into the ship’s belly where the human threesome sat with puzzled looks on their faces.

Leslie scampered up the ladder and on to the main deck.

WHAM! WHAM! Retribution took two more hits. Leslie bounced off the wall and fell on her butt in the hallway.

Morris was tired of running. He rotated the ship’s attitude one hundred eighty degrees. It knocked Leslie off her feet once again.

"Morris! what the FUCK are you doing!" She screamed out of frustration.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Morris fired the one point five meter photon cannon four times.

The REP’s Force Shields seemed to absorb the first three shots, but WHAM! One of them got through.

The Ship had been damaged, but apparently, not enough. It sent a synchronized volley of five L X shots hurtling back towards the Retribution.

Morris could see them coming on his view screen. Leslie ran up to her com. screen and pushed the Jump icon.

Suddenly all Morris saw on his screen was empty space with a few stars in the background.

"It still had a minute left to charge" Said Morris after he realized what Leslie had done.

"Close enough." Said Leslie. "The recharge time is only approximate anyhow. There is a fifty second safety margin."

"Where did we jump to anyway?"

"Five parsecs in," Leslie replied. "Our last previous Jump cords. Our friends won’t be around these parts for several years yet."

 

"By the way, speaking of friends, I’ve trapped something in the spider arm. It followed us from out of the REP ship."

"My GOD! What is it?"

"I don’t know, my com screens won’t pick up the video from inside the arm." Said Leslie. "It must have snagged and broke the fib op cable. It will keep, we need to interrogate the humans first."

"I’m going to see Bainbridge my translator implant doesn’t seem to be working with them."

"Malfunction?" Asked Morris.

"Could be, this head has been through a lot in the last year. It also could be that their language isn’t on the biochip database."

"They translate known Terran language, Webber. My guess is a malfunction."

 

Leslie Told Bainbridge about her problem with the translator.

"I’ve got the same basic model in my own head too" Said Bainbridge. "Let me go down there with you and see if mine works. If it does then we know for sure that it’s a problem with your device and not something else."

"Wrap a towel or something around your head." said Leslie. "Those people seemed lost and worried enough. I have a feeling that you might frighten them otherwise."

Bainbridge felt a little hurt by Leslie’s remark, but did as she said, wrapping a white bath towel around his head like a turban. It hid the Titanium half of his skull quite nicely.

Leslie and Bainbridge climbed down the ladder and told Bill that he could return back to the main deck.

The man and woman began to animatedly "babble" something to Bainbridge. Bainbridge turned toward Leslie with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well? What are they saying?" Leslie asked

"I haven’t the slightest idea. Apparently they are speaking an unknown language."

"How is that possible? We have only been able to fly to the stars for little more than a century. There is no way that even a lost group of survivors could have developed its own language.---there is not enough time."

"Unless they come from another human inhabited world that predates the Terran expeditions." Bainbridge replied.

"Well Bainbridge, can your computer brain analyze the language? Can you give us some answers or should I call Zee?"

"What I can do is continue to listen until some of the words begin to make sense and then assemble something from there. Zee might be able to get us come cords, but I doubt that she can decipher Languages."

"While we are doing that, let’s see what we can do to clean these people up. They smell like shit. Zee! Melissa! "Leslie called over the com." I’ve got a job for you."

Leslie motioned the woman to climb up the ladder. The Woman was reluctant to leave the man. Leslie pulled her away and practically had to push her up.

Melissa took the woman’s hand and led her to a shower in one of the spare staterooms. Zee and Melissa took off the woman’s clothes that consisted of a simple tunic type dress. It was once white, but looked like she had been rolling around in burnt lubricating fluid. It left a black greasy spot on the floor where they dropped it.

When the woman saw the shower stall, she panicked. Both Zee and Melissa had to physically wrestle her in and hold her under the running water and scrub the filth off of her as she screamed bloody murder.

After a few minutes, though the woman figured out what was going on and began to enjoy it. Zee and Melissa, now soaked to the skin, clothes and all, let the woman finish showering herself and dry off with a towel.

They combed the tangles out of her long hair, which now appeared to be a dark blonde and applied a bit of deodorant and perfume.

She looked generally healthy, perhaps thirty years of age, a bit thin from malnutrition, but nothing serious. Her teeth could have used a bit of orthodonty, but she was not unattractive at all. Unfortunately, the woman had nothing to wear.

 

She couldn’t wear one of the pressure suits, as they were custom tailored to their owners. The Space command uniform elements would not do either. Zee decided then to contribute a long, white satin nightgown of hers to the cause.

The woman was ecstatic! She appeared never to have seen such a fabric. She kept running her hands over the smooth material that clung to the curves of her body.

 

Zee tried to communicate "ME Zee!" she said as she pointed to herself, "YOU?" pointing to the woman. After two tries the woman understood.

"Zee!" she said, pointing at Zee. "Portia" as she indicated herself.

"Melissa!" Said Commander Conner "Ah! Mill-is ah"

They led Portia back down the ladder so she could allay the fears of her companions.

The Man and child were amazed at her new look. Bainbridge listened to the "babble" intently as Portia explained to her companions what Zee and Melissa had done for her.

"Portia then turned to Leslie. "Portia" she said.

"Leslie" Leslie replied, and pointed to Bainbridge. "Bainbridge"

"Leslee, Bane-brig" said Portia in response. Then she said something to the man.

"Marcus!" the man replied and pointed to the child "Pyramus"

Judging from the name the child was a boy.

Leslie then signaled the child to go up the ladder. He hesitated. Then Portia said something to the boy and encouraged him. Leslie signaled that Portia should go with him for moral support.

About a half-hour later, Zee called for the man. Bainbridge and Leslie followed him up. Portia and the boy were both waiting for him on the main deck. Now Pyramus" had been cleaned up too.

Leslie suppressed a laugh when she saw the boy. Apparently the clothing problem was even more serious for him. He was wearing a plain, white short night gown of Melissa’s. The waist was secured with a piece of nylon rope.

Fortunately, the garment did not look much different in styling than the dirty oil soaked tunic that he had been wearing. He likely didn’t see it as being a "feminine looking" garment at all.

Doc and Bill cleaned up Marcus. They even gave him a shave. For clothing, he was put in one of Doc’s bathrobes.

Now, instead of a street beggar, Marcus looked like a Fifty or so year old gentleman.

Bainbridge, meanwhile, was starting to make sense of their language.

"It’s definitely Latin Based." he said." No more actual Latin than French or Spanish, but it IS a Latin Language."

My advanced translator circuits are compiling it as we speak. Soon I will be able to download a basic lexicon into your own implanted translators----At least you will be able to understand what they are saying."

"But we won’t be able to speak their language though" Leslie replied. "The theory behind the translators is that it is assumed that the other party also has a translator."

"I will soon be able to speak their language as soon as my internal computers build the lexicon." Bainbridge replied "and I can teach you later--when we have time."

"Dicere Mi" Bainbridge Said to Marcus.

Marcus began to speak and tell them how he, Portia and Pyramus came to be in the company of the REPS. Bainbridge understood little at first, but rapidly began to understand more and more. He would stop Marcus every so often and clumsily ask a question, after which Marcus, with renewed vigor, would answer as he moved his hands around as he spoke.

Leslie told Bainbridge to Put the people up in stateroom eight, show them how to work the toilets and showers, and report to her what they tell him. She then rejoined Morris on the bridge.

 

 

"Well Captain?" Asked Leslie, "where are we headed to next."

"As soon as this thing charges up again I am jumping back into Terran Space. Our next jump should put us two parsecs in. They know where we are, you know. And their jumpship is likely on its way. I’m having Zee scan outwards at least seven parsecs so they don’t surprise us."

" So you don’t think they will bother us in Terran Space?"

"REPs usually will not cross over into Terran controlled territory."

"Usually? The Anterian limit didn’t seem to mean anything to the ship that destroyed the Icarius."

"Let’s hope that one was just a fluke." Said Morris. "Perhaps it was just a quick incursion and a test of their new jump system, and not a new attitude of impunity on the REP’s part. They know if they start doing that shit regularly it could lead to a WAR, and that’s the LAST thing the REPs want.---at least NOT until they are ready."

"For a man who has only seen his first live REP a couple of hours ago, you seem to know about Reptoid psychology."

"I’ve seen and I’ve fought their ships. You fight a foe often enough and you soon begin to figure out how he thinks.---or you are dead." Morris replied. "They depend on surprise and strength in size or numbers, both if they can manage it. They are type of enemy who will attack only if they know they have an advantage."

"So far, with Jump technology, " Morris continued. "Us Terrans have the ultimate advantage in a large-scale conflict. The REPs have the numbers and now, we know, a superior BT arrangement. But they will not risk a real WAR unless they can match our Jump capabilities."

"Yes, and that could change quickly, couldn’t it."

"Well, every thing is charged up now, let’s jump outa here before any more uninvited guests show up. Three . . . Two . . . One . . ."

The Retribution reappeared back in Terran space two parsecs from the Antarian Limit.

"OK Morris, we are back on MY turf again." Said Leslie. "Speaking of uninvited guests, it’s about time we find out what we have in the spider."

"You want me to check it out?" Morris asked.

"I’ll do it and get Bill to come along with me. I thought it might be a REP, but it didn’t sound right. Its movements seemed too slow and deliberate. Maybe it is that other thing that Zee was talking about, the larger creature that she couldn’t identify."

"What are you going to do with it, Webber, shoot it? I mean you just can’t open the air lock door and hope for the best. It might jump out and bite your head off.----Seriously!"

"I’ll check it out through the glass, first. If I don’t think I like the looks of things I can always blow it out into space."

 

Leslie, Bill and Zee climbed down the ladder and into the ship’s belly. The airlock door, leading to the spider’s hollow arm, was still closed as Leslie had left it.

A quick check of a nearby com screen connected to the air lock camera showed that the inner door was still secure. Just to be sure, Leslie moved the camera joystick around and made sure that the lock chamber itself was empty.

"Zee!" ordered Leslie, "Stay by the ladder. Bill! Follow me."

Both Leslie and Bill drew their guns, just in case. Leslie released the door handle and pulled it back. With a quiet "Whoosh!" the door swung open. A few feet beyond that was the still closed inner door. There was a coating of condensation on the round, thick glass window.

Leslie checked to see if the latch was secure--it was.

Carefully she wiped the cold condensation from the glass with her hand. She peered into the hollow spider arm tunnel.

"Do you see anything?" asked Bill.

"No, nothing ye . . . SHIT!" Leslie jumped back.

A large pink, "football" shape with, red splotches had suddenly appeared in the window. It hovered about a foot from the glass.

Leslie, having recovered from the initial shock, regrouped her courage and approached the window again.

"What the fuck is THAT?" she thought to herself as she studied the form on the other side of the door. The football was a "head". She could make out what looked like a smallish mouth on the pointed end, closest to her. Several long irregular teeth could be seen protruding from the lipless orifice. The upper part of the face seemed smooth. She saw no nose. A small black spot about the size of a marble was where the right eye should be--The "eye" on the other side was obscured by an attached apparatus, that looked like a large telescope lens with various attachments and apparatus connected to it.

 

The thing looked like human sized, giant "bionic ant" or "termite".

The body though, was generally "humanoid" in appearance, but the arms were unusually short, the clawed three fingered hands barely reaching its waist. It was wearing a filthy coat, which looked like a military jacket. The sleeves were tore off short to accommodate the short arms.

It wore nothing below the waist. There was a small penis like protrubance between the legs. The feet seemed unusually long and ended in three clawed toes. The skin color, like that of the head, was pinkish, but there were small, symmetrical patches of red scales scattered here and there across its surface.

The creature seemed to stare at Leslie through the glass, if indeed that beady "eye" could actually stare.

The creature tapped the glass with its clawed hand. Leslie jumped back once again.

Then it found a com switch by the door and flipped it on. A metallic "voice" filled the chamber. "PLISSSS. . . OPEN . . . COLD."

Leslie and Bill looked at each other in astonishment.

"PLISSSS OPEN I WON’T HURT YOU " The creature repeated. "I NOT REP".

"You aren’t gonna open it are you Captain?" asked Bill.

"Do I look like I have ‘stupid’ written across my face kid? Zee get in here!"

Zee walked through the lock door and froze when she saw the creature behind the glass. "OH MY GOD!"

The Creature placed its hand on the glass. Zee placed her hand over his on the other side. "I am not sure if I can do this through the glass, Leslie. We might need a better contact."

"Try anyway!"

Zee closed her eyes and seemed to be in pain.

"Z . . . ZEE!" The creature said, "ZEE, TELL ZEMM! I WONT HURT ZEM. I HELP."

Zee snatched her hand away. The connection seemed to be broken. Zee opened her eyes and turned to Leslie. "Open it. Let him in. He is telling the truth."

"Get back Zee." Leslie ordered. "Bill come over here and cover me."

Leslie pointed her gun towards the door and carefully pulled back the latch lever.

The Door swung open. The creature hesitated a second and slowly walked in. "SANK YOOOOU. SANK YOOOU." it said.

Leslie motioned the creature out of the lock with her gun. He did as he was directed.

Leslie caught her breath for a second, as she realized that the creature was wearing the remains of a Space Command uniform Jacket.

"OK! Who and what are you and what do you want?" Leslie demanded.

"I was cold" the creature said in a softer voice. "Who are you?"

"I’m Captain Leslie Webber and I am the one who is asking the questions here."

"Yesss I have heard of you. I sssought that you were a man."

"I was, it’s a long st. . . Hey! Answer my questions!"

"In my former life I was Ensign Charllllss Anderssonnn, I am now, ARRRGPHHHQR, what you could call a "half mute" "

" If you don’t mind, I will call you Anderson. What is this "Half mute" business?"

"Yesss Half Reptoid half human---Reps need a way to speak to humans. Too much physically incompatible. So zey make me more like zzem. Now I can speak to humans and reps."

 "Oh God!" Leslie thought to herself and closed her eyes for a moment. She finally realized what Anderson was saying.

She put her gun back in her leg holster and motioned Bill to do the same.

"I try to helllp humans but I can do little." Said Anderson.

"What were those humans doing on that REP ship?"

"REPs take humans from planet. Zey need more Half Mutes so they can commmmmunicate with humans."

"OH Lord! What planet Anderson? Where are these people from?"

"I donnn’t know, Captain Webber. It is REP planet with humannns. REPs bring me along to help humans, but I cannot speak their language. I try to learn."

Leslie had to sit down for a moment to take this all in. What were she and Morris going to do? Not only did they have to stop the transfer of jump technology to the REPs, something else had come up. The REPs were kidnapping humans and turning them into horrid ‘Half Mute’ creatures.

They just couldn’t sit idly by and let this happen, but then again, if the REPs get Jump technology . . .

Apparently, the REPs have discovered a need to communicate with humans. Was this a recent thing, or had it been going on for some time? All previous attempts by the Terran Confederation to communicate with the REPs have failed. Now the REPs appear to be making an effort in that direction.

One aspect of this bothered Leslie. "If they can now communicate to humans through the half mutes, then why had they not attempted to communicate with The Confederation thus far?"

This was especially disturbing, since there had been several serious confrontations with REP Battle Cruisers recently.

Was there a physical problem of getting the Half Mute Translators to Confederation communication sites? Without Jump Technology REP travel could take years. Even Electromagnetic Wave transmissions could take years to be received from REP territory.

----BUT the REPS HAD Jump Technology—at least one ship anyway. If they really wanted to communicate with the Confederation, getting the translator in place would really be no problem. No one would know how the translator arrived.

So if the REPs were not communicating with The Terran Interstellar Confederation, then WHO were they using the Half Mutes to communicate with?

The answer became obvious. The REPS had to communicate with whoever was providing the Jump Technology to them. THAT made perfect sense. Perhaps Anderson had been used for that very purpose. If so, he could provide Leslie and Morris with lots of answers. Yes, they would interrogate him along these lines later.

"You DO realize, Anderson, that until we get a few things sorted out here, that we will have to confine you to quarters?"

"Yesss. I Understand. I will cooperate."

"We will put you in room nine. You can clean yourself up and wait for us to get back to you. Bill! Keep him under gunpoint just in case, and lock him in when you get him there."

"Sorry Anderson, I can’t be too careful."

"No offenssse taken, I understand." Anderson replied.

Anderson followed Leslie up the ladder and Bill followed behind. Bill then took Anderson to his room and locked him in as per Leslie’s instructions.

Meanwhile Leslie returned to the bridge and sat next to Morris. Morris was in the dark as to what had transpired below deck. Leslie sat in her chair and stared into space for several seconds.

"What was it? What happened down there?" Asked Morris.

Leslie rested her face in her hand. After a pause of several seconds she finally spoke.

"You know, I have been felling sorry for myself for almost a year. Now after what I’ve seen what the REPs did to that poor man . . . Damn! I should consider myself lucky to be still human . . ."

Leslie was visibly upset and on the verge of tears. Morris was now more confused than ever.

She looked up at him. "Morris, we have to talk."

 

Leslie had explained to Morris about who Anderson was, what the Reps had done to him and how the Alien race was manufacturing more half mutes to be able to communicate with humans. She also told him about how she suspects that the humans that they intend to communicate with may be the same people who are providing the jump technology.

But this was the first time that Morris had seen the usually "insensitive" Leslie Webber genuinely moved by something. She really "felt" for Anderson. He, like her, had been bodily changed against his will.

She knew how it felt to become something totally physically incompatible with the true nature of one’s being. She knew how it felt to suffer loss and abuse because of one’s new status in life. But SHE could at least, still remain a part of human society. Indeed, if she were willing to accept the role that society expected of her, she could even revel it.

Anderson, on the other hand, was forever condemned to be a hideous freak, forced to hide his face from those who were once his fellow humans. Now he was locked away on HER own orders.

Leslie had hated the restrictions her feminine form had imposed upon her, but NOW she hated herself for even thinking such things. Compared to Anderson, SHE had nothing to complain about. Despite her new form She was a HUMAN, and yes, she had to admit, a Beautiful human. Who was SHE to complain when . . .

Bainbridge interrupted Leslie’s dark contemplation when he walked onto the bridge. "Captain Webber?"

"Uh . . . Oh, yes Bainbridge?"

"I have been able to talk with Marcus and Portia and I have learned that they are indeed from a previously unknown planet inhabited by humans, that predates our own exploration era."

"How did humans get out here? It’s at least one hundred light years from Earth?"

"I don’t know, Captain. And they don’t know either. Apparently they are from a relatively primitive civilization. On the Hayward scale, I suspect Level One, Third stage. Roughly equivalent to late Roman era. Highly organized, Rule of law, but no Printing or organized Science that would move it to the first stage of the Hayward Level Two."

"Save the anthropology lesson for later, Bainbridge. How did they get captured by the REPS?"

"They were slaves. The temple priests gave them to the REPs or "demons" as they called them. By the way, none of the people are related. Marcus and Portia were strangers to each other. Pyramus’s parents, if he has any, were not traveling with him."

"I don’t suppose that they know what part of the Galaxy their planet is located in."

"They don’t have the concept of a galaxy. To them, their "Earth" is in the center of the Universe."

"When will you be able to download the lexicon database into our translators?"

"I can do it now if you like. I have a Trans cutaneous interface download cable with me. But considering that these are a primitive people, and could provide us with little more information, would there be any need to know their language?"

"It wouldn’t hurt. We ARE going to have to report the location of the planet to the Terran Confederation, when we find it, and have it put under protection of the Space Command. After all, the inhabitants ARE human and need to be protected from the influences of the REPs. We WILL need to be able to communicate with these people."

"But let’s not forget the main reason we are out here Webber. " Morris interrupted. "First things first."

"I understand Morris. But still, we need to check this out. There may be a connection. After all, there is where the Reps are getting their translators, at least some of them. Bainbridge! Download please."

Bainbridge unwrapped the towel from his head and pulled a coiled wire out of his pocket. On one end was a small plug, which he inserted into a socket on the side of his head. The other end of the wire terminated in a small, silver ball shaped object, about an inch in diameter.

Bainbridge grasped the ball and slid it along the left side of Leslie’s head until he sensed the right spot.

"Got it!" he said. "Begin download into translator biochip."

Leslie could see the green LEDs in the metal half of Bainbridge’s cranium blink faster as the data was transmitted down the wire and into the ball and through skin and bone into her translator biochip implant.

In a few seconds, Bainbridge was finished. Leslie felt no different. There was really no reason to. But she NOW would be able to understand Marcus’s and Portia’s language—even though she still could not speak it herself.---Technology was not THAT advanced.

Bainbridge moved on to Morris and to Melissa. Zee would be next, but Doc and Bill, who had not been in the military previously, did not have any translator implants. If they were to learn the language they would have to do it the old fashioned way.

 

 

It was now Zee’s turn to see what she could find out about the human guests. Bainbridge wrapped the towel around his head once more and led Zee into the stateroom.

Bainbridge spoke to the people in their own language. Unlike the mere translators that the others had implanted into their skulls, the computers in his own head could tie into his motor systems as well as the speech centers.

Zee’s translator worked fine—she understood what Bainbridge was saying.

"Marcus, Portia, you know Zee. She is our . . . "Oracle". She wants to help us take you home."

"But we are mere slaves," Marcus replied. See the mark on our shoulders." He pulled down on the collar of his robe showed him a small brand on the back of his upper arm. We have no home. Our masters gave us away as gifts to placate the demons."

Portia nodded in agreement.

"We will find you a home." Replied Bainbridge. "Will you let Zee touch you so she can learn where you come from?"

"Yes," Marcus replied. "But I can tell you that, Remos!

"Yes, but we need to know how to get to Remos from here."

"But Sir! I do not know where we are?

" And we do not know where Remos is. That is why I have brought Zee with me. Now Marcus, Zee can understand what you are saying, but she cannot speak your tongue. I will have to answer for her."

"You are one of the River People." Marcus Said to Zee. "I can tell by your skin color and how you shave your head."

Zee placed her hand on Marcus’s forehead. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Next she wrote down some numbers on a hand held com screen. She repeated the process three times until she had all three spatial cords.

"Look how she writes with light!" Said Portia in wonderment.

Zee repeated the process with Portia, just for a check. The numbers were identical.

Of course, spatial cords are only expressed in fifteen most significant digits. The Jump technology is limited in both range and accuracy---So they still could be several Kiloclicks in one direction or the other from their objective and have the same cord numbers.---But then again that’s what reaction engines are for---to fill the gaps in the resolution of the cords. At near light speeds the difference is measured in mere seconds.—It sure beats working with 30 digit cords.

 

Leslie gave Zee’s cords to Commander Conner. After all, Melissa was the official navigator.

"It will take two jumps from here." said Melissa. "Zee will have to scan both Sets of Jump cords for hostile shipping as we will be deep into REP territory."

"Anderson should be settled in by now," Leslie said to

Morris. "Lets talk to him and see if he knows this area of space. I am in no mood for any unpleasant surprises."

 

 

"Do you think that this is wise?" Morris asked Leslie as they approached the locked door of Anderson’s room. "I mean both of us at the same time. What if he . . ."

"Don’t worry about him Morris. He’s friendly. He was human once himself, you know. And I’ll wager that he is just as pissed off with the REPs, for what they did to him as I am with the Syndicate."

They opened the door. Anderson was cleaner now, but no less hideous. He was also wearing a clean jacket. Sensing Lesley he turned to her. "Ze Doctorr gave it to me Captain Webberrr."

Morris froze and stared at the creature standing in front of them.

Leslie smiled slyly and said " And this is Captain Morris, the other half of our team."

"Pleeezed to meet you Captain Morrisss. And Held out a claw."

Morris swallowed hard and extended his right hand. "Y . . . Yes a pleasure." He continued to stare.

"Sorry about the lock, Anderson." Said Leslie.

"I understaaannnd."

"No, it’s not that. I would lock up Morris himself if I just had taken him off of a REP ship and I didn’t know anything about him.---I don’t care how you look. I can understand something about how you must feel. I no longer appear as my former self either."

"But you are humannn."

"Yes, But you were right, I WAS a MAN, like you too were, once. I know something of what it is like not to no longer be part of the world I was born to."

"You Feel SSSorry for me, don’t you? HAAAA! HAAAA! I can sense such things now. My REP DNA has given me some BT sensitivities."

"It iss not as bad as you might sink, Captain Webber. Had I been given a choice, between becoming zziss or becoming a woman I would be hard pressed to decide. I still maintained my masculinity, for whatever zat was worth. I’m still big and strong, even more so than I was before. I’m ugly as hell, but as zey say, "Zem’s zee breaks". I really sink that you have lost more zannn I have."

"Where did you come from? How did they do this to you? Asked Leslie.

 

"I wasss captured when my ssship, Hercules, was attacked by REP forces, near Tau Ceti."

"Hercules?" Said Morris. "The Hercules disappeared over fifty years ago."

"Yessss, but it has only been about two years ship time for me. Traveling at Light speed for extended distances makes time flow much ssslower for the passengers."

"What did they use to change you?" Leslie asked.

"Zey threw me into a tank, glowing liquid. . . "

"About seven feet high? Did it have a silver box with blinking lights attached to one side?"

"Yessss, Zat wass how it looked. Don’t sink zat zee REPs hold zee hope for your return to manhood, though Captain Webber. Why would an eyeless race have indicator lights on zere own machinery?"

"Gosh! You’re right. I hadn’t realized . . .That technology came from somewhere else!" Konstantin may have got the DNA converter from the REPs, but where did the REPs get it?"

"It isss sssaaid that there lives a race far beyond the Reptoid territories. I hafff never seen zem. Sometimes REP ships go there. But the REPs have no jump ships, and apparently neither do zey. Such trips take many years."

"Do you know that the REPs are obtaining jump technology from somewhere?" Leslie replied.

"Yessss. Zat is why zey need more half mutes like me. Zey need to talk to the providers and the technicians that will install zee systems."

"You know that it will not be good for humanity if the REPs have jump capabilities?"

"Yesss. I am afraid too. I want to help. It’s my duty as a Space Command officer. I could do nothing before, but now you have freed me. I will help you as much as I can."

"All we need right now is information. What do you know about this planet that the humans came from?"

"Nosssing much. I do not have access to any cord readings. All I know is zat the REPs were curious about humans. Zee REPs developed space travel southands of years before humans. Zey took people from Earth and moved zem to an earth like planet closer to zare systems. Zey have been zare for over a southand years. And it took nearly as long to transport them."

"So these people were kidnapped around two thousand years ago?"

"Yesss, their ancestors were. Ship time was only a few months at light speed so the original ancestors were able to rebuild the civilization as zey were used to it."

" That explains the Civilization level, but why haven’t the Earth people progressed much beyond where they started?"

"REP civilization advances very slowly. They were taken by surprise by how quickly us Terrans developed Space travel and eventually surpassed zem. Zee Reps used a combination of religion and selective "assassinations" to maintain the status quo on zee "new earth" as zey were studying the human species."

"Why are the REPs hostile? Why don’t they communicate with the Confederation? We don’t want war. We would actually like to establish contact with alien races."

"You don’t understand. Zee REPs are not hostile, they are terrified of humans."

"The REP that attacked me in the ship didn’t look very terrified to me." Morris interrupted. "I thought that it was going to bite my head off."

"Another unfortunate misss understanding. REPs and humans are very incompatible both culturally and physically. He wasn’t going to bite you he was LOOKING at you. Unfortunately to humans, it looks like a threat."

"But they don’t have any eyes?"

" No, but zey do have an ultra violet imaging organ in the roofs of their mouths. So have I."

Anderson’s lips stretched back and his jaw opened wide, not as high as the REP’s but nearly so. The effect was frightening. A glassy white lens like object could be seen along the center of the upper jaw.

"See?" He said as he closed his jaws once again. "It is not nearly as sensitive as Zat of zee REP’s, but I am only half REP. My human eyes are not as good as zey once were either, for the same reason. Zat is why I have to wear these sensory enhancers. So I have useful senses for both species."

"Let’s get back to that "New Earth" again", Interrupted Leslie. "Do the REPs have any outposts or ships patrolling the area that we should know about?"

"I Saw a Battle Cruiser nine thousand Kiloclicks out. I know because it took us a month to reach the planet."

"Ship time?"

"No, ship time was only eight hoursss. I know how fast we were traveling, point nine five cee, and I do know how to make the calculations."

"Is there much REP ship traffic near the planet?"

"I wass only zare once. I cannot say what isss normal for the area, but wee were the only ship in zee vicinity. I sink that zare is only one ship zat the REPs use to transport zee humans in."

"Was it the one we intercepted?"

"No zat ship was another. It didn’t have good quarterzzz for humans. We transferred to it later."

Leslie turned to Morris. I think the planet is worth checking out. I’ll tell Melis . . . Commander Conner to make preparations for the first jump. You will be in full charge from that point until we reach the planet."

"Then what?"

"I’m the Sheriff, remember? If we meet any REPS, then you can handle them."

"I’m confining you to quarters again, Anderson. If it’s any comfort to you, know that I am also locking our human guests up too. It is not wise to be letting any of the visitors roam about the ship."

 

 

 

"You don’t need to justify your actions, Webber. You are the captain." Morris commented as they walked back to the bridge.

"I know, but I know how it feels to be treated differently because of my appearance.—or sex. I wanted Anderson to know that we were confining him for reasons other than what he has become."

"You are much too sensitive to such things Webber. Anderson seems to understand why we are keeping him locked up. I sincerely doubt that he believes that we are "putting him away" merely because his appearance disturbs us."

"But I have had to put up with SO much of that bullshit.---Being treated differently, being denied my rights to the full rank that I have earned, being taken advantage of---ALL because my body is different! It’s frustrating! Infuriating! I just want Anderson to know that his confinement has nothing to do with what his body looks like."

"Oh, I see. Commander Connor was right. You DO have a hard time differentiating between True "discrimination" based upon your sex and the normal unpleasantness handed to us by LIFE. Yes, you blame ALL your problems on having been changed into a woman. That is the most unpleasant aspect about you I have to deal with, Webber."

"Lay off Morris!"

"I saw you apologizing all over yourself to Anderson back there, as if you had to explain you actions.---Give the Man . . . Person credit for being able to understand the situation on his own. Just because YOU may be incapable . . ."

Instinctively, Leslie swung around and WHAK!---landed a perfect punch directly into the center of Morris’s face!

He would have went down had he not fell against the wall of the passageway and regained his footing.

"WOW! That sure wasn’t a ‘little Girl punch.’" Morris thought to himself as he recovered from the initial shock and surprise. At five ten, and muscled like a dancer, Leslie was NO little girl. And from her previous incarnation, she KNEW how to throw a punch, and put her weight behind it for its maximum effect.

"OH Shit! Forgive me Morris," Said Leslie apologetically, as she rubbed her possibly injured hand. "I . . . I suppose you and Melissa were right about me."

She looked down, ashamedly. " I don’t want to face it. I DO take everything much too personally. Perhaps it is because I had been guilty of looking down on people because of their differences myself, and now that I find myself on the receiving end . . ."

"Damnit! I STILL am doing it. Anderson frightens me. He makes me take a much too good look at myself."

 

"Come on Webber, let’s let Doc check us out."

 

 

 

In the Clinic, Doc checked Morris’s face.

"Well aside from some slight bruising and a minor nosebleed, you seem to be OK." Said Doc. " No facial bones are broken. And you say that you accidentally walked into a framing brace."

"Yes on the way to the bridge. I wasn’t watching where I was going."

Doc turned to Leslie and picked up her right hand. "You are lucky too, Captain. I see no broken bones in your framing br . . . HAND." He grinned knowingly.

"A simple disagreement DOC. NOT one word of this gets out! Do you understand?"

"Well part of the story was true," Morris sheepishly commented. "I wasn’t watching where I was going. AT least I wasn’t watching where my mouth was taking me."

"Come on Morris, we have a Jump to make."

 

 

The first Jump went off without a hitch. Zee could see no sign of REP shipping, save for the established interstellar route traffic, within seven parsecs. It still bared watching however. That Battle Cruiser equipped with the jump system could be anywhere---even hiding in the traffic. It could reach them from there.

There were a few anxious moments for the next hour while the jump capacitors were re-charging.

"Do you think that we are still being tracked, Morris?" Leslie asked.

"Well, I am sure, after that little tangle we had with the cruiser that they WERE tracking us. But I would suspect that after we left their territory, they would feel no further need to do so. So, if we keep our nose clean and don’t attract any attention out here, I don’t think that they will notice us.----I Hope."

 

The next jump put the Retribution near an unnamed Star system. There seemed to be at least six planets in the system that was organized around a star similar in size and type to Earth’s own sun.

As expected, an Earth sized planet orbited in the "Life Zone" in the Third position. This situation was found to be quite common in the known universe. Depending upon the size of the central star, or "sun" the "life supporting" planets usually occupy the second through fourth positions. The approximate size of such planets has also been found to be quite similar or close to One Earth Mass. (1E)

Of course there are many exceptions, but the Situation of a 1 E mass planet in the life zone of a class M star is by no means a rarity.

The blue sphere with the white swirls of clouds looked very much like home---be it Earth or Barnard’s star Four.

"Zee?" Asked Leslie over the com, "Can you locate the civilization centers? We didn’t bring a map".

"The population seems to be gathered around a large circular gulf in the Southern Hemisphere between two continents."

"I see it," Said Leslie as the Retribution closed in closer to the planet. "About he size of the Mediterranean Sea, a little more circular, perhaps, and open to the ocean on two sides."

"That’s it! Sort of like an upside down version of the Earth equivalent."

"Can you find Remos?"

"Yes I’ve located it, a large city on the Eastern of the two peninsulas. Turn your image of the Med sea upside down. It very closely approximates Rome in its position. The REPs set things up to replicate Earth geography pretty good----given the different continental shapes of the planet. There is even a large river approximately in the relative position of the Nile. It has a twin on the other side of the gulf too though. I suppose its impossible to find a convenient planet with the exact geography."

"Can we find a good landing spot within walking distance from the city?"

"Not within forty miles. We will have to walk it anyway.---It might not be wise to use the ATV if these people are as primitive as you say."

"Where is the site?"

"There is a small meadow in a depression on top of a mountain that we can set down in as soon as it gets dark. No one lives nearby, and it seems to be fairly inaccessible. From there we can climb down and find our way to one of the main roads."

 

 

Leslie decided to release Anderson and Marcus’s group, at least for a short time while they made their plans for the next part of their journey. She needed input from people who had actually been on the planet.

She sent Bill to fetch Anderson and bring him to the bridge. If Marcus, Portia and Pyramus were afraid of him, perhaps she could convince them that they had nothing to fear.

A few minutes later, Bill Came running back.

"Where’s Anderson?" Leslie asked.

Bill had a strange look on his face.

"I said where’s Anderson?"

"Uh . . . Something’s happened." Said Bill nervously.

"Oh Lord!" Said Leslie as she ran to room Nine, dreading what she would find.

She arrived just in time to see Doc cutting down Anderson’s lifeless body from a cable hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh Shit!," Leslie exclaimed. "Doc, is he still alive?"

"As far as I can tell, he’s been here six, maybe seven hours. Obvious suicide."

Leslie hadn’t felt like this since she had found the body of her son. Tears welled in her eyes but she didn’t cry. Leslie never cried.

Worse still, there was no Clay Sanders to blame this time. She could only blame herself. She sat down on Anderson’s bed and buried her face in her hands.

Morrison wanted to walk over and comfort her, but was afraid to. She was unpredictable. He brought in Zee and explained the situation. Zee walked up to her and placed her hand on Leslie’s shoulder.

Bill found an envelope with Leslie’s name on it, on a side table. The handwriting was crude and unfamiliar. A suicide note perhaps?

Carefully, Morris approached. "Leslie, he said calmly. Anderson has left you a note. Do want to read it?"

She said nothing, She only looked up at Morris with her red wet eyes and shook her head. After a pause of several seconds, "You read it first." She said. If you think I need to know what it says, then you can read it to me."

Morris opened the letter. Yes, Anderson had indeed written it.

Captain Webber.

I wish to thank you for letting me be of assistance in your mission against the Reptoids. I can only hope that my information will be useful to you. Now I can finally die in peace, knowing that I have done what I could to destroy the aspirations of the vile race that turned me into this abomination. I know that the means of my vengeance will be in good hands.

Again, thank you for helping to relieve my burden.

Ensign Charles C. Anderson, TSC

 

Morris decided to read the letter aloud to Leslie. She remained seated on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands. She didn’t seem to respond, but she heard what Morris read.

When he was finished, Leslie lifted her head , but continued to look down at the floor.

"I swear, I swear, I’ll never complain about my body again." She said in a quiet voice.

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Morris.

"Yes, Give me some time to regroup. Release Anderson’s body into the upper atmosphere. Let him leave this existence in a blaze of glory and not as a hideous corpse floating for eons in space."

 

 

Five hours later, undercover of darkness, Leslie set the Retribution down on the site that Zee had selected.

Leslie, Morris and the others, climbed down the boarding ladder under the craft and looked around.

The air was FRESH! With none of the smells associated with civilized planets, or even the colonies. The night was clear but dark. There was no moon in the sky, but the stars shone brilliantly. A large glowing nebula could be seen in the East.

Leslie was feeling better about Anderson, even though the shock was still there. She had now made a promise to herself. She would never complain again about her own new body. Leslie always kept her promises. How this decision would affect her life from now on, she could not guess. Things would be different for her now. Anderson had taught her a valuable lesson.

 

END OF PART THREE

 

 

 

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© 2001 by Marina Twelve. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.