Alien Shore Chapter Three

GRID Traveler Trinity: Alien Shores
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content

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Chapter 3

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What will we do with the drunken sailor? Earlye in the morning? Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him. Hoist him aboard with a running bowline. Put him in the brig until he’s sober. Make him turn to at shining bright work. Put him in a boat and row him over. Hoist him up to the topsail yardarm. Make him clean out all the spit-kids. That’s what you do with a drunken sailor. Amen.

Chapter 3

Sean sat at the head of the conference table. Around the table seated Commander Dawn, Lieutenant Junior Grade Gregory Kirkland, Dr. Karen Collins, Chief Warrant Officer Curtis Landtrap, Lieutenant Junior Grade Xavier Foster, Lieutenant Senior Grade Nikki Quock – from Security and Lieutenant Commander William Molino – Chief pilot of Johnson’s Fighter Wing Group. Sean looked around the table. Only Mr. Landtrap and Ms. Quock were not of the Most High. After his talk with Dawn, he went back through ship’s records and wanted to know, personally, who was Most High and who wasn’t. It surprised him. Cookie was, but Grant wasn’t. Half of Top Deck staff was – all six shifts. All of Medical was not, except for Collins. Almost all of Security was except for Quock. It was an interesting mesh-mash of talent and beliefs sitting at the table. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to tell them. Loggar’s gift was a vid message set to transmit to Loggar and himself the moment her files had been compromised. Someone in GRID Command broke into her office and rifled through her hardcopy and computer data. Also, the tight beam from the base to the Webster was a tip off that Loggar had a spy on staff. He cleared his throat. “We have a situation.”

Mostly everyone nodded. Dr. Collins and Ms. Quock were the only ones not up to speed.
Sean continued, “Ms. Quock and Dr. Collins, after this meeting I have a vid I need you both to see.”
Both nodded.
“Mr. Kirkland, can you give us a condensed summary on that message sent to Webster.”
Mr. Kirkland sat toward the far end of the table. He had been in the Most High for nearly his adult life. The day Loggar came abroad the Johnson he knew things were going to change. It delighted him to see the Captain and the Most High take an interest in each other. It was like a fantasy. The leader of his belief and the leader of his life coalesce. One couldn’t have it any better. So, being part of the Command Staff was one big friggin’ wet dream. He cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. I was able to make sense of about 95% of the message. The other 5% is made up of terms and words not in our language banks – I haven’t deciphered them yet. The joist of the message reads that samples of some advanced alien technology have been acquired and duplicated and ready for pickup. Also, that certain individuals – tight clothes, eyebrows, cereal, and legs, no doubt code names, have been observed to “continue’ to perform unexplained abilities.” Kirkland finished.
Sean sat and waited a bit. “Thank you, Mr. Kirkland.” He thought long and hard on this, but decided he had to let his staff in on it. “Computer, play Most High Goddess one. Please.”

Sean had discussed this earlier with Dawn. She agreed that the Command Staff must know but she didn’t know how to breach the subject. Dawn was elated that Sean decided to become a follower of Wicca. It even delighted her more that Sean was a descendant of the Elders. She was totally loyal to Sean and would follow him to the ends of Heaven and Earth, which on more than one occasion she did. She loved Sean but wasn’t in love with him, oh, she would have been his lover if he had ever asked, but he never did. She was happy to be his friend and first officer. Sean told her things that his Parents would suicide from and she made sure that he could trust her. They did have a brief sexual moment during the SI wars – secretly Dawn wished they continued, but she knew she needed to be his foundation and friend, not his whore. And one day Sean needed someone to talk to and he was grateful they just talked and not fucked. Personally, Dawn mainly preferred females to males and she kept her affairs and flings very discreet and quiet. Only a handful of crew knew that she was bisexual. It was something she didn’t feel she had to keep quiet, she just wanted to keep her options open, and being mysterious did make for better sex.

The Computer played the vid. Everyone sat in silence.
“The Most High Goddess was an organization that briefly had political influence in the then state of California on the planet Earth during the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Toward the middle half of the century the Most High, as it was popularly called, gained political power. Most High controlled most of the Americas, the western hemisphere of the planet Earth. Even though the South Americas had mainly been stapled on Catholicism it still retained, underground and behind closed doors, a communistic culture steeped in some paganism. Ironically, Wicca was mainly a European product, but the Latin continent embraced Wicca and Paganism as a natural extension of the homegrown consolidated Catholicism. During official and highly visible celebration the usual parade of worshiped saints and idols made the rounds. But in the after-hours of normal life the real zealous forms of worship took place. Wicca was among the most popular – not in European style, but Wicca nonetheless.” Then the screen flashed to Sean and Loggar and the others awakening Agegi. They watched as Agegi grasped Randals’ head and turned him into his minion. Then it flashed to Sean, Kurp, Milkens, Loggar, Herb and Adruqu fighting Agegi and the Ancient ones.

Then the vid flashed off. The room was silent. Several seconds ticked by in awkwardness, which Sean never felt before. He waited another ten seconds.
“Any questions?”
Nikki Quock faced Sean. “You can do all that?”
Sean passed out hardcopy notebooks to each person. “Read through the data and yes, on Necron I can.”
Each person took a book and leafed through it. Collins he expected to have questions – she was medical. Quock would be concerned with defending the ship. Pulse would try and figure out a way to make the Johnson better and Kirkland and Foster would just want to play around with the fireballs.
Sean waited.
“Captain?” It was Collins. “I’d like to run some tests.”
Sean nodded.
“How much does Control know?” That was from Quock.
“About a third. They know the planet is inhabited by the Necronians, and that Agegi was awakened – by unknown reasons, and Adruqu defeated the Ancient ones and Agegi, and that is about all. Dr. Loggar wished that non-Most High followers not be told all the details. I’m telling you all this because I know I can trust you with this. And . . .” Sean waited a heartbeat. He looked over to Dawn. She smiled and nodded. “ . . . I have to confess something. After becoming a Most High follower I learned that a third of the Crew also follows Most High.” Sean took a deep breath. “Folks, followers of Most High or not, you are my Command Staff. There has never been and will never be any prejudice. That goes for ship wide. Everyone has to be treated equally and fairly – in discipline and reward. Am I understood?”
All nodded in agreement.
“Now there is one last thing. There is no need for any of this to leave this room. Crew doesn’t have to know and I certainly don’t want to see any pools as to what was said today.” Sean stared at Kirkland.
Kirkland blushed and nodded.
Sean said, “Adjourned.”
Everyone, but Quock and Collins, got up and walked out.
Sean said, “Computer, play Loggar message 78.”

“Sean, my files have been compromised. We should be getting this vid at the same time. Now that we know that my computer system has been broken into, we have to act quickly. Hopefully, you are on your way here. Once I receive this message I’ll request you pick me up. I’ll tell GRID Command that I need to get back to Earth. These are times too fantastic to tell you. I’ll have to show you.
The vid flashed off.
Sean looked at both of them. “Any questions.”
Quock spoke up. “How powerful is the Most High?”
“Seemingly very powerful. I didn’t know how deeply entrenched it was until I met Dr. Loggar. I had some bitterness with them, but I’ve worked through my duhkha and moved on. Ms. Quock, you and Mr. Landtrap are not members of Most High . . . ” Sean stopped.
Quock thought through the ramifications of what Sean just said. That must mean that everyone else on the Command Staff is Most High. She wasn’t sure how she should receive that. She nodded.
“Up until six month ago I was not a member. I am still a follower of Buddha-Dharma. Remember that. Even though I let myself lean in a direction that put me at odds with my duhkha, I still thought about my path. I tell you this because I don’t want you to feel any pressure in becoming a Most High. As far as I am concerned, you need never join. You will be privy to any and all information. Period.” “Thank you, Captain. I hadn’t felt any pressure. And thank you for letting me know there is none.”
Sean smiled. He liked Nikki Quock. She was fresh out of the Academy when he met her. She had just “learned” some guy at The Badlands – a bar joint for the locals. Sean liked the place because it served a nice chicken combo meal. Real chicken. The guy sassed her about the uniform. She said ‘whatever’ and continued talking to one of her fellow classmates. Knucklehead, as Sean secretly called him, snatched her drink from her hand and upended it. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said, ‘buy me another, sweet cheeks.’ She wheeled on him so fast he couldn’t stop the surprised look on his face. She placed him in an Aikido hold and dropped his head – hard, on the table. She banged it several times. She then casually called to the Barkeep and said ‘this gentleman is going to buy a round of drinks and food for everyone in the bar.’ He tried to protest, of course. The Barkeep smiled and asked him personally. He started to say no, but a slight squeeze and a sudden ‘slam!’ had him groaning out ‘yes.’ She let him go and stepped out to the dance floor – a small ten by ten dark wood square. Knucklehead shook himself and walked up to her. He was a full half-meter taller. Music was playing in the background, Sean couldn’t place the music but it was a local rock fusion ragga-jazz band. Quock closed her eyes and started dancing. Knucklehead grabbed for her arm, but only got air. He dropped to his knees with Quock holding the other hand in a bend-squeeze maneuver. She whispered something in his ear and Sean could see tears welling up. He nodded. She let go. He walked over and collected a handful of drinks and started passing them out. Sean had two servings of Chicken and a bottle of wine – expensive wine, that night. After he passed out the food and drinks he sat quietly by her side for the rest of the evening. She allowed him in the conversation between him serving drinks all night. He even tipped the cook and hostesses. When GC handed Sean the Johnson he needed to fill some ranks quickly. He hunted Quock down and offered her the position of Head of Security. She said yes. Then Sean asked her what she had whispered into that guy’s ear. She laughed and told Sean she said that well-behaved good boys got her attention and if he impressed her enough and followed directions she would think about giving him some that night. Sean laughed and gave her the highest rank he was allowed to – Lieutenant, Junior Grade.
Quock got up. She checked with her staff, excused herself off Top Deck, found herself stepping across her quarter’s threshold, found her bed, curled up and shook for a few minutes. She was glad the Captain told her she need not worry about being Most High – she was sure that was what he meant. It was the end of her watch anyway. She walked over to her desk. A picture of a happy couple was on it. It was her and the guy she met in a Bar called The Badlands. They had been together for about five years. Just recently, a year to the day, Tom decided to join GRID Command. He had a talent for fixing engines: turbines, electric, induction, quantum, he just could. He was finishing his second semester and she was proud of him. They had been lying in bed a year ago. He reached under the pillow and pulled out a hardcopy of his acceptance letter. He made the grade and GC accepted him. She never told him that she found his application a month before and followed the ‘paper’ trail. When it looked like it stalled she asked the Captain to help out. He was a Commander then, but he still had some friends in GC. Within a week the process continued and Tom was accepted. He took her out on the town to celebrate. A week after that, her shore leave ended and he was called to the Academy.

Collins sat and stared at Sean.
He smiled. “Yes, Doctor. You have a question or two.”
She had a question or two. Sean sat in front of her different. Six months ago he was in a very sorry state, excessive drinking, sleeping disorder, moody, near manic depression, almost anti-social. Then he turned himself around. She wondered what really happened on Necron, but all she got was ‘read the report.’ Six months later the truth came out. Sean experienced the dream of a lifetime. Interacted with the Most High Goddess, understatement – she got in on the pool as well and got second to last place, met alien life, learned an alien language and could do Magick! What Most High follower wouldn’t want that? Now, she would be included in everything. “Will I be able to learn Magick?” Sean and Loggar talked about this one evening. Sean synced his watch with the Planet Necron. The planet rotated every thirty-eight Universal Hours, but Loggar and the Team worked in twelve and one half hour shifts. One evening Sean tight beamed Necron to see if she was up. He couldn’t sleep. She was up and they talked the “night” away. She told him that she was afraid to make Necron public – public to all of Wicca. It would be like playing God, she giggled, Goddess. All Most High followers and even all of humanity would want to know how to do real Magick. It was a huge responsibility and she dreaded even the most positive of outcomes. It was simply something humans aren’t ready yet. Sean agreed, but he harbored a secret perverted wish to populate Necron with “Monkeys” running up and down the corridors flashing fireballs left and right. It’d serve the Necronians right. He’d like them to wonder if a remnant of an Elder would open the ‘Great Doors’ and dance on the containers. “Oops, sorry, I woke you up. Anyway, what’s your name? Can you do Magick? Do you want to kiss me and give me nanobots? Teach me please!” Sean answered Collins. “Probably not. Adruqu gave us that ability because of special circumstances. If Agegi hadn’t been awakened I doubt we would have known about the main chamber. We’d still be trying to guess what was behind the Great Doors.” Collins nodded. She understood but was still disappointed. Of course, who would not want to do Magick!
Sean said, “However, Kathy did specifically ask for my Chief Medical Officer, so I guess you are going to see some things you may not have guessed at.
That made Dr. Collins feel better. Maybe there was something to get out of this. And Sean called The Most High by her first name. She wondered if Sean would consider being Most High God? She was several feet away from the would-be second most powerful individual in Most High. Today had to be something special.

Sean walked out of the conference room. Dr. Collins stepped into the lift and headed to Medical. She had a lot to think about. Sean walked over to the command chair and sat. He tapped at his CRT. Johnson was no longer in stealth mode. “Mr. Kirkland, get me Necron base, please. They are expecting a call.”

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