A Gulf in Time Read online

  “But you can’t win,” Captain Sheppard said. “You just said so yourself.”

  “No, I suspect we cannot, but we will call upon every race that will stand with us. If we amass enough ships, perhaps we will be victorious. If not, maybe we can weaken them enough that the next race can destroy them. Or maybe the race after that. Sooner or later, they will be worn down enough that one civilization will be able to stand against them. Hopefully we will be remembered as the race that drew the line and said, ‘No more.’ We may not have the technology we need to fight them, but have no doubt—we will meet them in battle just the same.”

  “You’re right to say we don’t have the technology we need to fight them,” Calvin said. “We need to get better technology, and that’s what we intend to do.”

  “Oh?” Emperor Yazhak asked. “And where exactly do you plan to get this technology? What you have is the peak of Alliance power. There are no secrets we haven’t shared with you. The technology on the Vella Gulf is the best we have. When you started fighting the Shaitan, no one could defeat their weapons. Now, however, you’ve not only overcome them, you’ve incorporated them into your arsenals. Even those weapons are no good, though, if your attack computers are turned off and you have no way of launching them. So what then?”

  “Actually,” Calvin said, “we don’t have the best technology the galaxy has ever seen. Not even close.”

  “Better technology doesn’t exist!” the emperor exclaimed. “Where do you think you can find it?

  “You’re asking the wrong question,” Calvin replied. “I know a civilization with better technology. The question isn’t a matter of where we have to go to get it; it’s a matter of when.”

  “I’m sorry, Hero, but you have lost me. What do you mean by ‘when?’”

  “When their civilization was flourishing, the Progenitors had a much higher level of technology than we do now.”

  “There are two problems with that. The Progenitors lost to the Enemy with that same technology, and they lived tens of thousands of years ago. Even if you could go back in time, I don’t see what good it would do you.”

  “The problem with the Progenitors wasn’t that they didn’t have the technology to fight the Enemy; it was that they weren’t prepared to fight them. The Progenitors had great tech, but they weren’t a warrior race. I think, given time, they could have built weapons to stop the Enemy. If we could go back and warn them prior to the Enemy appearing, the Progenitors might be able to defeat them. If not, I mean to acquire their technology and bring it back so we can defeat the Enemy. With their technology, we might have a chance.”

  “I understand the desire to get the Progenitors’ technology,” the emperor said. “It surely was much greater than ours. They created the stargates, after all. The fact remains, however, that they lived in our far distant past. How do you intend to go back to when they lived?”

  “We’re going to use the time-based component of the Shaitan weapons you mentioned. I want to get some of them, figure out how they work, and use that ability to go back in time to when the Progenitors lived.” Calvin smiled. The speech was getting easier and more believable every time he told it. He was almost starting to believe it himself.

  “And you think this is possible?”

  “I don’t think it’ll be easy, but I believe it’s possible. The biggest challenge I see is the power demands are going to be extraordinary—aside from detonating nuclear weapons, or harnessing a star, I don’t see how we’ll be able to do it. Just kicking a small bubble backward in time a few seconds used all the Shaitan ships’ power; taking the Vella Gulf back that far is sure to require an incredible amount of energy. Captain Sheppard believes he knows a power source we can use, but he hasn’t said what it is, or where.”

  “Where it is, is easy,” Captain Sheppard said. “It’s actually very close to us, relatively speaking. I hope 14,000 terawatts a second will be enough; if it isn’t, I’m not sure where we’ll get more.”

  “You’ve mentioned several times that you knew how to gather the power we need,” Calvin said, “but I don’t see it.”

  “That’s because it’s in the Jinn Universe,” Captain Sheppard replied. “This planet—Grrrnow—in the other universe is home to a Sila civilization; we went to it on our last voyage, while you were helping the Ssselipsssiss fight the Shaitans.”

  “Not that it did a lot of good.”

  “Regardless, the last time we were here, we crossed over to check out the planet. Somehow, the Sila here avoided the Efreeti scourge. Not only have they developed space flight, but they’ve also turned their moon into a giant solar collector, with a 250-mile-wide band of solar receivers that completely encircles it. Those receivers beam back a steady stream of almost 14,000 terawatts a second of power through a series of laser power-transmission antennas, which in turn beam it to receiving stations on the planet.”

  “That sounds like a lot.”

  “I think it was noted that all of Terra only generated 25 terawatts before we made contact with the Psiclopes. Although Terra is further along—now—than the Sila civilization, they’re further along than we were at first contact. They’re certainly ready to be contacted, and while we’re here, I thought we’d pop over there and introduce ourselves, as long as Emperor Yazhak agrees. Then once we have the technology figured out, we can hopefully return and use their power to send us on our way.”

  “I would prefer first contact to occur under better circumstances,” Emperor Yazhak replied. “However, if they can help you complete your mission, you have my permission to visit them.” He cocked his head and looked at Captain Sheppard. “I never thought of it before, but perhaps they would consider taking us in while the Enemy is here. Maybe you could do the same on Earth.”

  “That would be a great solution,” Calvin said. “There are two problems with it. One, we don’t know that the Enemy can’t go to the other universe. They didn’t follow us to the Jinn Universe when we went there…but that doesn’t mean they can’t. As such, it might work. The other problem, though, is the other universe is inhospitable to us. Over time our bodies decay there, and eventually you’ll die if you stay there long enough. It’s definitely worth looking into, but if the Enemy remains here for any length of time, it isn’t a permanent solution.”

  “Speaking of time,” Captain Sheppard said, “we don’t have a lot of it.” He turned to Emperor Yazhak. “With your leave, we’ll go contact the Sila population in the Jinn Universe.”

  “By all means,” Emperor Yazhak replied. “And if you give me a few moments to talk with my advisors, I will come with you.”

  * * *

  Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Grrrnow Orbit, 61 Virginis

  Captain Sheppard surveyed the bridge. The ship was already at battle stations, and all departments had reported ready.

  “Stealth?” Captain Sheppard asked.

  “On and operational,” the duty engineer replied.

  “Solomon, are you ready?”

  “Yes, Captain Sheppard, I am ready,” the ship’s AI replied. “I show all systems operational and at peak performance.”

  “On my mark, then,” Captain Sheppard commanded. “Three…two…one…mark.”

  Everything flashed, and there was a brief period of nausea as the ship crossed into the Jinn Universe, but like the rest of the bridge crew, Captain Sheppard had done it so many times he barely noticed.

  A retching noise reminded him that not everyone on the bridge was bridge crew. “Are you okay, Emperor?” Captain Sheppard asked.

  “Yes…I think,” the Mrowry leader replied after taking a moment to make sure everything stayed where it was supposed to. “Is it always that bad?”

  “No, it gets easier and easier. I barely notice anymore.”

  The emperor nodded toward the view screen. “Are you sure we actually went anywhere? The view looks the same.”

  “Solomon?”

  “We have made the jump into the Jinn Universe,” Solomon reported. “The solar po
wer facility on the moon provides visual confirmation of our arrival.”

  “Looks like we’re here. Steropes? Any defenses?”

  “I have two destroyer-sized ships in planetary orbit,” Steropes replied from the sensor station. “They appear to be the same two ships—or at least of the same class—as the ships we noticed last time we were here. They don’t seem to have noticed our presence.”

  “Great,” Captain Sheppard said. “Let’s get started then. Solomon, have you translated their language?”

  “Yes, Captain Sheppard, I have. There is one language in use across the planet, although there are minor deviations for local accents in a number of regions. They have a system of viewscreens they use to communicate that is similar to the way we communicate with other ships. It will not be hard for me to tie into their system.”

  “Don’t they have computer security and programs to keep you from interfacing with them?”

  “They do, but their coding abilities are not as advanced as mine. I am as far beyond their level of prowess as the Enemy is beyond mine.”

  “Well, can you get us into one where their president, or king, or whatever they have is nearby?”

  “Certainly,” Solomon replied. “Their ruler is a caliph, Caliph Jamshid al-Moshiri. He is currently in a meeting of his advisors. Coming onto screen now.”

  A group of men sitting around an oval table appeared on the view screen. While most of the men at the table were dressed in a similar level of finery, the one standing at the end of the table facing the screen beat them all for opulence. He had on an exquisite purple shirt with a black 2/3-length vest, held closed by a golden sash he wore as a belt. His pants were also black and baggy—almost like something out of The Thousand and One Nights. A golden turban sat on his head, from which a large purple feather stuck up.

  While they were humanoid, the people sitting around the table were definitely not human. Their pupil-less eyes glowed a solid light blue. The Silas’ hands were more like four-taloned claws; they held their writing implements with two talons wrapped around them from each side. Although the caliph’s legs were covered by baggy pants, they didn’t seem jointed correctly, and his arms were too long and thin to be human.

  “Does that look like the Sila you remember, Calvin?” the CO asked.

  “Yes, sir. Very much so.” A memory went through Calvin’s mind, but he was careful to keep the smile from his face with his girlfriend, Ensign Sara Summers, sitting at the auxiliary Science position.

  “All right, then,” the CO said. “Let’s interrupt their meeting. Solomon?”

  “You are live, sir.”

  “Good morning, and greetings!” the CO said.

  The caliph stopped mid-sentence, and all heads turned toward the screen, which now showed the Vella Gulf’s bridge.

  “What is the meaning of this?” blustered the man closest to the caliph. “Guards!”

  “We come in peace,” the CO said, then he winced. “I know that sounds kind of trite—well, to us it does, anyway—but the fact remains, we have come here as friends, not as conquerors—”

  Two men burst into the room. These men were obviously the guards who’d been called; they wore metal helms with long nosepieces, leather armored vests, and kilts of some kind of mail. Each carried a short scimitar that looked more like a curved machete, which they held drawn and ready.

  “Stand easy!” the caliph ordered. “Unless there is some way to attack a computer screen that I am unaware of.” He raised an eyebrow at the man who’d called the guards.

  “Well, they can at least get tech support and find out how this is being done, anyway,” the other man muttered.

  “True,” the caliph said with a nod. “Although I have a feeling this will be beyond them.” He turned to the warriors. “Let tech support know our system has been breached. See if they can find out who’s behind this, and where they’re doing it from.”

  “Yes, My Caliph!” the men answered as one and went running from the room.

  “You seem to have the better of me,” the caliph said, turning back toward the screen. “You obviously know who I am, but I have no idea who, or where, you are.”

  “I’m Captain James Sheppard, the commanding officer of the Terran Spaceship Vella Gulf.”

  “I am unfamiliar with ‘Terran.’”

  “That’s not surprising, Caliph, as we’re from a planet a long distance from yours, and one that’s on the other side of the shroud of the universes.”

  “Our science may not be what it once was when we arrived at this planet,” the caliph replied, “however, we are familiar with space travel. Still, I am unaware of what this ‘shroud of the universes’ is.”

  Sheppard chuckled. “We were unaware of it, too, until some others of your kind showed us. Basically, there are at least two universes that are interposed on each other. With the right technology, you’re able to go from one to the other. There’s a planet here in our universe, just like your planet exists here in yours.”

  “And you are from this planet?”

  “I’m not,” the CO said. He indicated the Mrowry standing alongside him. “However, he is. Caliph, let me introduce Emperor Yazhak the Third.”

  “Greetings, Caliph,” the emperor said. “I look forward to opening relations with you and your people. I believe there is much to benefit both our races.”

  “I have much to discuss, both with you and my advisors, before we open relations with you,” the caliph said, “but if there is something that will improve the welfare of my subjects, I would not be against doing so.” He paused a second, then added, “It seems like you both know much about our society. How long have you been spying on us?”

  “We haven’t been spying on you, Caliph,” the CO said. “We just arrived here, having crossed over from our universe. We’ve had contact with others of your race, though, as I mentioned previously.”

  “So there are others who survived the diaspora?”

  “Yes, there are. We’ve helped them in their struggles against both the Efreeti and the Shaitans.”

  “So we didn’t get away from them.”

  The CO shrugged. “It seems like your planet escaped their clutches, but others of your kind were not so lucky. We helped set them free.”

  “And why would you do that? If you have technology so advanced as to allow you to go from universe to universe and planet to planet, why bother helping us?”

  “Obviously they want to rule us instead,” said the man who’d called the guards.

  “Nothing could be further from the truth,” the CO replied. “Both of our races are members of the Alliance of Civilizations, who want nothing more than to trade and prosper.”

  A man entered the room, ran to the caliph, and whispered in his ear.

  “Is that so?” the caliph asked

  “Yes, My Caliph,” the man said before running out of the room again.

  The caliph looked back at the screen. “So where are you really?” he asked. “Our network of radars and satellites doesn’t see anyone in orbit, so you must be somewhere on the planet. I don’t know why you’ve gone to this much trouble to intrude on this network, but you can expect the penalties to be quite harsh, and they will go harsher the longer you continue this charade.”

  The CO smiled. “I assure you, we’re in orbit around your planet; however, we didn’t want to just show up unannounced and have any…miscommunications…with the two destroyers up here with us until we were able to speak with you. We figured shooting down your ships wouldn’t be the best way to announce our goodwill toward your society.”

  “I suspect not,” the caliph replied. The Sila’s facial features were similar enough to humans’ that the CO guessed his expression was one of wry humor.

  “If you would contact the ships and let them know we’re here and about to make ourselves visible, we’d be happy to show ourselves.”

  The caliph nodded to one of the men at the table, and he ran out. “My nephew is head of our space program,”
the caliph said. “Give him a moment to pass the message.”

  The man came back wearing a headset with a mouthpiece. He muttered into it a few times, then nodded.

  “The ships have been advised of your presence and told not to open fire on you.”

  The CO nodded. “Solomon, drop our stealth, but be ready to reengage if needed.”

  “Yes, sir,” the AI replied.

  The man with the headset covered his mouth, making it difficult to hear what he was saying as he spoke animatedly into the microphone, but then he looked up and nodded. “There is a ship there, My Caliph, and our captains say it is a big one—bigger than both of them put together.”

  The caliph smiled. “Well, that answers that question. The next question would be, what exactly do you want from us?”

  “At the moment, nothing,” the CO said, “but in the future, trade that’s to our mutual benefit.”

  “And if we refuse? What then?”

  “Then we’ll leave you alone.”

  “You have given us much to think about.”

  “I’m sure we have,” the CO replied, “and perhaps it’s better if we allow you to do so. Our current mission has us leaving the area for several weeks, but we’ll check back in with you when we return.”

  “Very well,” the caliph replied. “We will be ready for you.”

  “Solomon, take us back to our universe, please.”

  * * *

  Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Grrrnow Orbit, 61 Virginis

  “What if they refuse to let us have the power we need?” Calvin asked when the ship had stabilized. “We can’t just ‘leave them alone.’ Unless there’s another power source you know of to kick us back into the past.”

  “I got the feeling the harder we pushed him, the more he would have balked,” Sheppard replied. “I know if someone just showed up and started pushing me around, I wouldn’t react well to it.”