The Raygin War Read online

  He didn’t believe in them. Ideas about cleansings and healings represented a mixture of old tales and half-truths. He looked at his unconscious daughter. He was out of options. I’ll do anything to save her, even this.

  “Okay, perform your healing.”

  Otaktay smiled, “Mahpee, I know you follow old customs your grandfather taught you. It saddens me to see you do not believe in them. Today, I pray we change your mind. A healing is a spiritual event connecting us with plants, animals, air, earth, water, and fire.”

  Mahpee started to smile at the thought.

  Otaktay gave him a stern look. “Do not forget the omen at your own birth.”

  The smile disappeared off Mahpee’s face.

  “You may watch from outside this room. You must not speak a single word. I know how much you chiefs love to talk. Can you do it, not a single word?”

  Mahpee nodded his head in silence.

  The Tellers began their work. They cranked up the heat, turning the medical room into a sweatbox. Otaktay placed a necklace of small colored cloths tied into little rolls on the princess. Each teller took out a feather tied with leather and began to wave it around the room. Otaktay drew a circle on the floor with some kind of chalk. Mahpee recognized the medicine wheel with the four directions depicted in it. His daughter was at the center.

  Each Teller lit a cloth and fanned smoke around the room as they danced and chanted. Soon the smoke became so thick, Mahpee could only see a shadow as something moved near the window. Tears from straining his eyes formed as he struggled to see through the smoke. He began to feel a little lightheaded. He wiped his eyes and saw a dog, no – it was a fox - pacing back and forth. As he strained his eyes, he saw a beaver standing on its hind legs and tail. Mahpee shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his mind. He strained his eyes to see more. He stood up and placed his face next to the window as the wispy shadow of a bird flew by. He watched as animal after animal appeared. An alligator in smoke form became visible on the ground. It looked like it was staring right at him, when everything went black.

  Mahpee opened his eyes, and he saw Otaktay grinning at him.

  “What happened?” asked Mahpee.

  “When we finished the ceremony, we exited the room. We found you lying on the floor, passed out. We discovered a vent was open between the rooms. You must have breathed in too much smoke from the Chuckta bark.”

  “I saw animals.”

  Otaktay gave a look to the other Tellers and said, “You mean you saw an animal. Could you identify what it was?”

  Mahpee sat upright. “No. I saw animals of all types as if they stepped out of a forest. I saw a fox, beaver, bear, buffalo, there must have been a hundred animals.”

  The smile disappeared from Otaktay’s face.

  “What does it mean?” asked Mahpee.

  Otaktay patted Mahpee on the back. “It means you were hallucinating from the bark.”

  “Do not mock me Otaktay. I am still the chief, and this is about my daughter. I demand the truth.”

  Otaktay took a deep breath. “Each person born of the People’s Nation has a spirit animal which watches over them. During the healing ceremony we call their animal spirit into our world to help. Each animal carries a life energy with it. They also represent the individual’s different traits. Seeing more than one spirit animal during a healing has never occurred before. To be honest, I don’t know what it means. I wish I did.”

  “If you had to guess, what would you guess it means?”

  Otaktay looked at his fellow Tellers. “If any of you has anything to say, speak up.”

  The look of surprise on Otaktay’s face didn’t escape Mahpee as an ancient looking female stepped forward. Why hadn’t he noticed her before? She had a patch on one eye and her other eye was a milky white color. She stared right at him as if she could see. Only a handful of people had ever met this Teller because of her reclusive life. She was Nahimana, the living legend. During her vision quest she asked the Great Spirit for foresight. He gave it to her, but took her ability to see. She was the most feared of Tellers. She was the blind mystic. Mahpee’s palms started to sweat.

  “I see you know me, grandson of Uzumati. Otaktay speaks true words to you. Your daughter, the warrior born princess, is powerful beyond your understanding. She will become the great leader, as spoken of in the ancient legends. The spirit animals have already shared their energy with her. When she comes of age, she will be a force unlike any other. I tell you now, you will raise your daughter. But we, the Council of Tellers, will choose her education and training. She must develop her full potential at any cost or we are all doomed.”

  “So I have decreed,” said Otaktay. “We will contact you soon, Chief Mahpee. You and everyone else may now leave.”

  All but the old mystic exited the medical facility. She turned and went back to the princess. Mahpee followed her. The ancient woman made motions in the air with her hands as she spoke in a voice so low he couldn’t make out any of the words. She turned so quick to face him his body jerked in a startled reflex.

  She was inches from his face and staring at him with her blind eye. When Nahimana spoke, he could smell the spices on her breath. “See. Her wound already heals.”

  He looked at the scar. She is right, its no longer red and irritated. It could be a coincidence.

  “Even with what you have seen, grandson of Uzumati, you still doubt?

  Can the hag read my mind?

  The witch grinned as if she read his thoughts. “I have glimpsed into your future. Do you want to know what waits?” She cackled at him.

  He felt his heart raced. He could feel the sweat oozing out of his palms. I don’t believe all this nonsense, but – If I don’t believe why am I nervous?

  Not waiting for an answer Nahimana squinted at him. He swore she touched his soul with her stare. “In time, you will betray your daughter, and leave her heart broken. You, Chief Mahpee, will become the rider of the storm. Your fate is sealed.” The old mystic turned and walked out before he could ask a single question.

  What the hell did she mean? He had never betrayed anyone in his life. He would rather choose death than to betray anyone, let alone his daughter. The hag spoke nonsense. I will become the rider of the storm? Mumbo jumbo. She wouldn’t even stay to answer questions. I never want to see her again.

  Hopes of keeping a lid on his daughter’s unusual birth lasted less time than it took to get back to Nokomis. Word spread throughout the Nation his tiny daughter was the warrior born princess from the old prophesies. Later in the evening the Tellers showed up at the War Council. They warned of impending doom and gave Mahpee everything he requested. For better or worse, it looked like they would be a major part of his life.

  The People’s Nation broadcast pictures of the aliens and vids of the attack. A few videos from the fight were also shown in all their gruesomeness. The old war drums beat across Nokomis to let the People’s Nation know they were at war.

  Over the next several years, the scientists learned what they could from alien technology. Labs and universities worked around the clock. They studied the propulsion unit, weapon systems, shields, star charts, and computer systems. The People’s Nation incorporated the new technology into their lives. They redesigned their planetary defenses and enhanced their ships of war. Mahpee made sure the People of the Stars received information on the existence of the aliens along with new technologies.

  The medical team, along with bug experts, studied the alien bodies. A major evolutionary change in the bug seemed to be in its brain. It still looked like coral, but it contained a membrane, connecting five different locations within the brain. Without a live bug, they had to guess at the membranes purpose.

  Evaluations of several stomachs indicated no human remains. They ate decayed vegetables, fruit, and aged meat void of blood. Scientists found four chemical sacs inside the exoskeleton. Each bug was capable of creating thousands of different smells. The entomologists believed the bugs used different aroma
s as a form of non-verbal communication. Like current day beetles, the enemy could see in the human range and the ultraviolet spectrum.

  The People’s Nation computers deciphered the alien language by using the star charts and other documents discovered on the alien ship. The Peoples Nation named the aliens Raygin. It was the closest the computer could come to interpreting the alien name. The star charts also caused a profound change in the way astronomers viewed the universe. According to the Raygin, the universe exists in ripples. It’s like when you throw a stone in the water. The ripple created by the stone would represent matter, and the area between ripples represented voids. This meant the universe was much larger than expected, and humans lived in the newest ripple. Humans were the youngsters of the universe. Since the Raygin come from the previous ripple, they are older and had longer to evolve.

  Each new understanding of alien technology brought changes to the People’s Nation. The sole area where no progress occurred was with the Raygin computer system. The design being biological rather than electrical proved a hard concept to grasp. To defeat the impasse, Nashta, an upcoming engineer was assigned to the project.

  Mahpee had two main focuses in his life, his daughter and preparations for war. The war effort produced many technological breakthroughs. He was happy with the progress. The real problem was his daughter. Demanding constant attention. He wanted her to have a simple life, but the Tellers always pushed her and tested her abilities. She learned to thrive on challenges. They created a propensity within her for taking risks with high rewards. Because of this she became difficult to control.

  Mahpee knew there was something unusual about his daughter. The day after the attack, she followed him with her eyes when he paced back and forth. Hell, later she even remembered him calling her my little warrior when she was minutes old! A perfect memory from birth, they said. I should never have let them give her the military placement exam. She scored off scale. That started my problems. The Tellers said either I enroll her in the military school or they would take her from me. How could the ancients have predicted the events of her birth in a time before the great exodus? It is all too crazy for me to accept.

  Mahpee began to question his beliefs. The Tellers have filled her head with garbage. If I can get her interested in a man she’ll get married, have a baby, and to hell with the prophecies! He smiled. I’d love to hear little feet running through the house.

  Mahpee’s private communicator beeped. He quit arguing with himself. He looked at the message. It was from his old friend, Chancellor Mongwau, from the university: Come right away. I have news.

  CHAPTER TWO: Second Contact

  The young lieutenant’s eyes darted across the screen. Her hands trembled while she manipulated the gains to paint the best picture on the scanner. “Captain, I have an unknown target at the edge of scanner range.”

  “Are you sure it’s not an electronic ghost?” The captain knew each new ship has electrical or mechanical problems to work out on her maiden voyage. The Nomad would be no different.

  “We’ve run several diagnostics, sir. Everything is running at peak performance.”

  “Okay Lieutenant Muween. Lets see if it’s a bug or a real ship. Navigation, come left heading 300alpha15.”

  “Aye sir. Left heading 300alpha15.”

  The colonist ship’s computer locked out the new singularity drive. The ion propulsion engine activated. The Nomad started a slow turn left and ascended 15 degrees. Unless you were on the bridge, you wouldn’t realize the ship had made a turn to the left and changed its inclination. When the ship acquired the new heading, the ion propulsion engine shut down. The singularity drive started with a loud pop. Each pop represented a jump of several light years.

  If it was a glitch inside the scanner, the captain figured, it would stay on the screen in the same spot. He waited for the report. At least the singularity drive was living up to its reputation. The new drive would deliver the next great step in human expansion. Picture space as a balloon. Stick your index fingers on opposite sides of the balloon and push your fingers together. The depressed area created by your fingers is a gravity well. A ship travels the small gap from finger to finger. Release the pressure on the balloon. Wham, you travel from point to point faster than light can make the same trip.

  “It’s gone captain,” said Lieutenant Muween.

  This was not good news. This trip should have been an easy run. Deliver the colonists to Rayne. Help get them situated, and return home to Adalin for the next assignment. “Thank you Lieutenant Muween. Let me know if you see anything at all on the scanner.”

  “Aye Captain.”

  “Commander Tucker, I need a word with you. Miss Ess, you have the bridge. Put us back on course.

  “Aye sir, I have the bridge. Back on course.”

  The door to the conference room sensed the two approaching and opened. Captain Cutter rubbed the back of his neck as he walked in. The captain had flown stalkers during the mining wars and had developed a sixth sense. Right now, it was in alarm mode.

  “Mark, I won’t lie to you. I’m worried about the ghost ship following us. We are way beyond explored space heading to a planet seeming too good to be true.”

  The two sat down. Mark said, “I don’t understand. We are the first commercial ship fitted with a popper, how can anyone keep up with us?”

  “Did you call the singularity drive a popper?”

  “Yes sir. It’s what all the new engineers call the drives. When the vertilator releases the gravity well it makes a loud pop. The sound is how the drive got the nickname.”

  “Makes sense, but back to our problem. Do you think the ship following us could be military?”

  “Anything is possible captain, but I don’t see why they would shadow us without letting us know they were there.”

  “It seems odd,” said the captain. “There are always shortages of fruits and vegetables. A probe returns with the location of a perfect planet. The local flora is – you guessed it, fruits and vegetables. Coincidence? I don’t know. Something stinks here. Who would follow a colonization ship to nowhere? Anyway, we are close to Rayne. Until we get there I want one of us on the bridge at all times.”

  “Okay captain. What would…”

  “Captain, please report to the bridge.” Boomed out of the overhead speaker.

  The captain’s brow furrowed, “I was afraid of this.”

  All eyes were on the captain as he went straight to the navigation station. He looked at the screen. The ghost ship was back. This time instead of operating at the fringe of scanner range the target was advancing on them.

  “Com, send a message to United Fleet Command,” said the captain. He looked at a screen depicting their route, “Location 18736 by 7233. An unknown ship is pursuing Nomad. Intentions unknown. Implementing evasive maneuvers. Expect more to follow. Also, attempt contact with the unknown ship on all frequencies.”

  “Aye, Captain, message to UFC and attempt contact with unknown ship.”

  The captain understood it would take months to get the message to United Fleet Command. Still, they had to know, in case something bad happened. The ensign changed the radio to a UFC emergency frequency. Squelch and static was all he received on what should have been an open frequency. He tried the other frequencies with the same results. “Captain, I am getting some kind of suppression on all frequencies. I’ll keep trying sir.”

  “It’s critical we get the message out. Keep trying. Civilian ships can’t afford the shielded receivers the military ships have. Whoever is moving toward us could be disrupting our com somehow.”

  “Aye sir, I’ll keep trying.”

  “Miss Ess, I have the bridge.”

  “Aye captain, you have the bridge.”

  “Your thoughts commander Tucker?”

  “With no weapons our best option is to run. I say we push the Nomad to max speed while still trying to contact them. I don’t think this is one of our military ships. What would it be doing out here? Last
I knew our military is not capable of disrupting all communication channels. Besides, why would they do that to us?”

  The captain moved the ship’s throttle from sixty percent to one hundred percent. He flipped a com switch on his seat. “Engineering, this is the captain, we are being pursued by an unknown ship. Were going to attempt to outrun it, so keep your eyes on the popper.”

  Smitty, the Chief Engineer smiled. First time he heard a winged wonder call the singularity drive a popper! He kind of liked the old captain. “Aye captain, eye’s on the popper.”

  “Commander Tucker, sound battle stations.”

  “Aye sir, sounding battle stations.”

  Pop……..pop……..pop. The Nomad made jumps totaling numerous light years within seconds. Scanners are not capable of operation in a gravitational well. The big colonist transport tracked the unknown ship between jumps.

  “Status, Lieutenant Muween?”

  “The unknown ship is gaining on us sir. Estimated intercept in three minutes and twenty two seconds.”

  “Shit. They are way faster than us. Mr. Tucker, warn the ship’s crew and the colonists. Com, any luck with response from the unknown ship?”

  “No sir. I’m preparing to launch a probe with a looped transmission for United Fleet Command.”

  “Good job, ensign. Be quick about it.”

  A security team armed with hand held weapons showed up on the bridge. They positioned themselves at the entrance hatchway. The team leader entered a code into an electronic controller on the wall. A heavy reinforced barrier slammed into position with a thud. Everyone took a second to look at the formidable door. It would take weeks to cut through something so thick.

  In the colonists’ quarters activities were chaotic. The lack of information added to the confusion. Seeing the armed security team in the passageways didn’t help matters. The captain had to cut all communications except with security and engineering. If they lived through this he would make it up to the colonists. The event in progress required his full attention.