The Black

Arnold Air Force base was experiencing its second bout of mass tourism as a familiar droning approached.

Mac gently touched his family's Maule down on the main runway and taxied up to the hanger. The whole family was on board, including “Annikky” and the crew piled out and started unloading. Nicole guided the twins into the waiting shuttle as Mac and Lyrian walked over to where Concord sat. Lyrian was wearing her flight suit, but a pronounced bump was beginning to protrude. It would not be long until fighter flights would have to be sidelined.

“Ah, Admiral Grarzia. Welcome back and thank you for letting us borrow your vessel. She has shared many of her secrets, and more than a few surprises.” The head scientist stated, shaking Mac’s hand warmly.

“Yes, she has indeed” a familiar voice echoed the sentiment as a very unfamiliar animatronic figure appeared out from behind a wing.

The human-sized Corth WALKED around Concord's wing and extended a hand.

“The wonder of having an artificial body, is that one can make adjustments to fit one’s current circumstances.” Atticus shook Mac’s hand firmly, “This is what my species would have looked like, had we not mettled with ourselves so extensively. Minus the ability to survive this gravity, obviously.” The artificial being stated.

“I’m seeing some undeniably similarities between us.” Mac observed. Atticus was roughly a touch over 1.7 meters. He wore a human sized lab coat open at the front with slacks and a button-down shirt and tie, looking every bit the scientist. His height brought his arms and legs into a more human proportionality. His skin was no longer a slick sickly grey, but rather an almost more natural flat grey with whisps of black patterns giving him a faintly mottled look. His head was still enlarged compared to a Humans, but only by about ten percent or so, compared to nearly 50 percent of his previous size.

“Yes. Well, one of the many reasons I chose to venture to humanity's cradle. I must admit that it is much more….. impressive than I expected. Has your species really tamed predators as pets?” Atticus asked just as Gus, the Great Dane mascot of the airbase lumbered up to Atticus and sat patiently. Atticus eyed the gigantic dog's longing stare before relenting and scruffling the slobbering pooch behind the ears. Gus’s tail started thumping the hanger’s concrete floor in happy triumph before one of the airmen called him back over with the bribe of a treat.

“I think he likes you,” Mac chuckled as Lyrian made for the titanic pooch and began administering copious scritches.

“Indeed. However, the two of you are my mission today… I found something…” Atticus narrowed his eyes as Mac flicked his eyes over to his wife, who paused mid scratch and looked over. She nodded, almost imperceptibly, and began walking back to the two. “I see that has gotten easier.”

“It’s still voluntary, for now.” Mac smiled as she met them at the door to a small side office, giving him a squeeze of the hand before they entered.

Atticus sat down behind the desk as there were only three seats in the room, “I’ll start with the obvious, my body’s similarities to both of yours. My people did indeed look as I do, many eons past. Before the cataclysm, half of the non-aquatically evolved species in our arm of the galaxy were as you are…” Atticus bowed his head slightly, “It is one of the things the Vorath took with their ‘devoted’.”

“We were taught that our’s was a rare evolutionary tracked.” Lyrian mused.

“From what I have learned, happened; by the time of your conflict with the Unity, it would have been.” Atticus responded. “My colleagues, after the last meteors fell, took steps. My people’s thirst for knowledge is… insatiable. By the time of the cataclysm we had catalogued the vast majority of the galaxies races, but the catalogue’s samples were degrading… And then Humanity, a miracle of a second species, evolving on an ideal, if harsh planet was discovered.”

“Admiral Gwen told us about the Corth’s ‘assistance’ in humanities jump to HomoSapien. I’m assuming you did more than assist” Mac chose his tone carefully.

“You are… well, you were, our last real chance at stabilizing our library… Should we find a remnant of those races murdered by the ‘Devoted’, Humanity is their key to resurrection. It’s the reason why you, Mac, can bond with a Delmar, why your children look like they do, but have all of humanities strength. Your ancestors took the codex we gave them and pushed it further than even I could have possibly conceived.”

“So, we were designed to repopulate the galaxy?” Mac raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“No... you were modified so that we could retrieve missing DNA codexes we needed to reseed worlds... only, the Corth Unity fell, turning into this shell of its former self. The technology we were to use to undo the Devoted’s damage has been lost. I had lost hope long before the Eleri home world fell… until I met you.” Atticus leaned forward, “In our hubris, we assumed that the Corth would have to manufacture races from the keys we left in humanity, and combine them with those survivors we would have found, had we not dwindled... Your children, the child you carry even now, were concepts blind to us since we had abandoned natural reproduction.”

“Atticus…. Humanity is quite busy rebuilding its own population. We don’t have the population to sire entire races…” Mac said carefully.

“You will not have to. Unfortunately, the timeframe that my people envisioned repopulating this part of the arm has long passed. Good Captain Yasushi has been tasked with looking for survivors, but… I fear his voyage will be largely fruitless.”

“There are also the Vorath…” Lyrian added slowly rubbing the baby bump through her flight suit. “They will return… it may be my children or grandchildren that face them… but they will return….”

“That is where humanity can act. I do not know if this will work… but I believe that the Keys we left in Humanity, have been forged through your cradle world’s…. Intensity….. into the keys we may be able to use to beat off the Vorath once again.”

“I don’t follow” Mac said cautiously. He glanced a thought at lyrian and she looked at him in return.

“That is what I am talking about. Take the two of you. Pieces of Delmar code, left dormant in Humanity for millions of years, allowed your alpha synce technology to flourish, it has been fully awakened through your being claimed by Mrs Grarzia, and because of Terra’s harsh tutelage of humanity… it has become something never seen before. I suspect that your twins, both of your twins, will be able to claim anyone they choose. They may even be able to make temporary connections with other humans or Delmar, time and training permitting. That is just the one example I have been fortunate enough to discover through your medical data.”

“Holy shit” Mac and Lyrian breathed in unison, looking at each other then back at Atticus, “how far will this go” they continued.

“I don’t know… but I look forward to finding out. I will be sending a packet ahead of you and submitting my report. The “brothers Grem” will probably be very occupied with its contents.”

——————————————-

Lucid Traveler flashed into real space right in the center of the approach coordinates bracket just inside the Delmar. A pair of rangers and a pair of raptors screamed out to meet them. The two pairs broke in opposite directions showering their course with a salute of flares before escorting them through the congested traffic that surrounded Port Royal as a shuttle approached from the station.

“Captain, Customs is requesting to come aboard. They are doin’ their inspection by shuttle this time.” The Coms station reported.

“Granted, tell them Hanger 3 is waiting to receive… Look alive people! The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get home!” Captain Irving barked, clapping his hands together twice.

“Captain, they ask we sidestep starboard of course ten thousand K’s, Emergency incoming.” Coms called out again.

“Confirm it. Helm, slide us over please” He swapped his personal screen to the aft optical array and sensors just in time to catch the blue flash. A massive Ship of the line broiled out of slipspace, a shattered wreck of a Delmar Freighter moored inside of her central capital ship sized docking bay. Jacob heard a quiet gasp. He turned to see Hera staring at the image on his screen, eyes brimming with tears fighting to be free’d. “Navigation has the Con, call my ready room when you get done with the customs agents.” Jacob reset his screen, “XO, a moment, I want to go over our drydock priority list”.

“Huh? Uh.. yes, captain.” Hera stuttered as she drifted towards the door to the captain's office just off the bridge.

He closed the door behind him just as Hera turned and pulled herself to his chest, loosing the tears she had fought to contain while on the bridge, “Jake… That was Celest.. Celestial traveler. Oh God’s..” She sagged into Jake as he held her gently. Her whole body shook as she fought to contain herself, failing miserably. Jake just cradled her as she slowly pulled herself together. “I grew up with Lyrian’s sister… She’s an engineer on Celest… Her husband works with her, and Her brother is the XO… Olyvia, her captain, is family.”

Jacob slowly rubbed Hera’s back, The hulk he saw in the image did not bode good news, “I’ll make a call. That was Galveston, I saved a very large cigar-smoking Texan stationed on that ship during the war. If he is still there, we will get answers.”

Jacob settled into his deck chair, pulling Hera’s chair next to him as she sat down and began wiping her face, “I’ve never seen one of our freighters that bad and still brought back…” She sniffed just as the code, that Jake poked in, went through, and a bushy Mustache wrapped around a smoldering Stogie, topped with intense eyes, and edged with a big smile appeared on the monitor.

“Whell if this ain’t shit. Jake Irving, in the flesh. I heard you were dartin’ around out here on the far side of the Galaxy. Lookin’ ever more the Pirate I see.” The mountain of a man drawled from the other end of the connection.

“Captain Nico Galanis is it now? Well congratulations are in order, I guess. I’m not sure what you did with the half-dead butter bars I dragged out of a crater in the belt. How are you, ya old dust kicker.” Jake responded with a laugh.

“Still kickin’, But I suspect this ain’t purely social” Nico’s eyes narrowed, “What ya need, cap’n to cap’n.”

“The freighter Gally has under tow, It’s the Celest isn’t it.” Jacob’s voice turned sober, turning to put an arm on the back of Hera, “Meet Hera, My XO, She recognized her when you jumped in. Give it to me straight.”

Captain Nico’s smile vanished as he settled forward looking into the screen, “It’s not good. Over half the crew is KIA… almost everyone else is either walking wounded or in the infirmary… They got hit by a massive barge, bigger’n any I’ve seen before… they got boarded… We only just got there in time. Galveston turned the bastards outside into dust. Me’n Collins lead the counterboard to retake the ship… Collin’s told me the XO barely held the Bridge with two others… Their captain…. She lost too much blood by the time we got her in surgery. Died on the table.” He paused as Hera started to shake in renewed sobs, “I'm sorry ma’am.” Nico’s voice went soft, “I’m told the XO is out of surgery and recovering. I don’t know much else, I know it’s not good news.”

“Thanks Nico, I got a bottle of the good stuff with your name on it when we get planet-side.” Jacob gave a quick salute, receiving one in return.

“Take care of the Lass, Jake. She don’t need to see my ugly mug. Nico out” The Texan closed the connection.

Hera didn’t resist as Jacob curled her up in his lap and just held her.

___________________________________________________________________

Warren stepped into the Office on Luna to meet His Captain and a man he had not seen since his transfer to Excelsior. Director Johansen stood with the shorter captain and Warren shook each of their hands. “Captain, Director. Nice to see both of you again.”

“I see you are thriving nicely, Captain Yasushi speaks highly of your time with him.” Bjorn smiled, “It is part of why I asked both of you to this meeting. What are you aware of in regard to Excelsior's upcoming mission.”

“It looks to be a long one Director, a rescue and recovery mission of sorts, to seek out dead worlds and murdered civilizations and species hoping for survivors. Scavenge for Tech and Intel on the Vorath Devoted. Not quite the ‘Boldly Go’ Roddenberry envisioned, but no less essential.” Warren suppressed a smile at the slight snort from Excelsior’s captain at the reference.

“That sums it up nicely.” Johansen mused, “Unfortunately, I am going to need you to prepare for departure…” The director watched the wash of emotions work their way through the young man’s jaw before finally relenting, “I will be depriving you from the good captain. I need your mind elsewhere. You are to report to Phobos shipyards by the end of next week. I believe your Pilotage is up to date I trust?”

“I, uh, yes director.” A thunderstruck Warren stumbled over his words, “I believe I have a flight review due, but otherwise I should be current.”

“Good! As part of your new duties, you will be stress-testing the next generation of our small craft slip drives. You will be given a vessel with a class one drive to transit to Phobos. I’m afraid I must impose on you once more, as the test is going to require you to maintain a residence here on Luna. You will have 24/7 fast response should you experience a malfunction, but we need to see what high-frequency micro jumps will do to a drive, so that we can develop inter-solar FTL. I trust that won’t be a problem?” The Director was working hard to hold his serious face as understanding flooded Warrens conscious thought.

“Yes, Yes sir!” Warren said eagerly, “I mean, no. It won’t be a problem, I think I have an idea of the problem at hand.”

“Good man, Dismissed. I’m sure you would like time to clear out your things from Excelsior” Captain Yasushi spoke finally.

Warren snapped a hasty salute before leaving the conference room.

The door slid closed with a click and Yasushi turned to Johansen, “You have a particular sense of humor…”

Johansen only smirked.

_________________________________________________________

Mac and Lyrian stood on the Bridge of Tranquility once again. The aging Escort Carrier was once again burning for the departure beacon headed for Delmar, and Unity, space.

“Time to jump velocity 7 minutes, Admiral” The captain of Tranquility reported.

“Data Link is live, all navigation slaved to the Flag” The XO of tranquility turned from her data pad where she was running final checks. “Skeleton crews report all green.”

“Good. Nice and easy people. We are in no rush; The goal is to get every ship delivered in good working order.” Mac nodded his approval.

Lyrian was in her ‘maternity’ void suit for comfort more than necessity. As she stood next to her husband, “Its time. We should move to the Hospital ship before the jump” she said.

“USN Lucy has completed soft dock. If you are going to go, do it now. You can Com us if something comes up” The Tranquilities captain nodded before saluting, “Safe Voyage.”

“Safe Voyage Captain” Mac nodded, returning the salute.

A soft dock was a semi-risky maneuver where a flexible docking airlock was extended between two ships whose navigation was slaved together for perfect coordination of movement. Mac and Lyrian traversed the wobbly tube with 3 minutes to spare, joining Nicole and the rest of their family on the Hospital ship.

On the mark, Tranquility and Lucy Jumped for Delmar. To be on the safe side, it would be an eight-month trip at low-velocity slip. The now familiar blue and white flash swallowed the two ships as they made their jump…

They were not alone.

_____________________________________________________

Warren stepped into his Quarters with slumped shoulders, as Jezz wandered around the corner wrapped in a towl, using a second to dry her hair and wings, “Warren?” she asked immediately getting worried, “What happened.”

Warren sagged down into couch in the living room leaning back as Jezz came and sat next to him, “I had a meeting with Captain Yasushi… It was… interesting” His sad tone registered and Jezz pulled close, clearly fighting to stay strong.

“How long do we have…” She whispered.

“The end of next week” Warren turned to look down at her quickly growing confused expression at his massive grin, “I have until the end of next week to report to Phobos shipyards. I will be working on micro-jump slip technology.”

“I can't survive the gravity there, they use earth one G….” Jezz reminded him, still upset.

“That’s just it. I’m being given a shuttle with one of these drives, to test. They want me to “commute” with it as part of the test.. from Luna.” He smiled down at her as she finally put it all together.

“Warren! That’s not funny!!” She half-heartedly scolded him.

“It was a little funn.. OOOF” He got out before being tackled by a flurry of hair, feathers, and glowing skin.

_______________________________________________

Johansen enjoyed a glass of Mead occasionally, a familiarity that reminded him of home. He was just finishing his second pour when his office door chimed.

“Come!” He said cordially, today was a good day. The door opened and his eyes widened slightly before he remembered, “Ah, Atticus. I had heard you had reinvented yourself, after a fashion.”

“Indeed, I have. I fear That is not why I have come, however. There is much to do.” Atticus sat and opened his pad, syncing it to the holographic projectors hidden in the desk between them, “Most of this will be going out in the morning Data packet to the council and to Delmar. However, I think We need to have a.. discussion on one particular part”

“The Serum” Johansen said, putting down his glass and turning to the Corth.

“The Serum” Atticus nodded.