Chapter 1: Departure

 

 Astro-Metropolis Central University, 7025 FIV

 

The star submarine "Scientific FC5" was moored at the last ramp of Astro-Port 39East. Captain Nicholas Reed supervised its loading by moving nimbly through the packages.

He was a tall, imposing man, dark orange uniform with a straight cut highlighting his athletic silhouette, broad shoulders, chocolate tan, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Anthracite grey eyes with irises in a black and white mosaic shaded by bluish lashes and seven long fingers on one hand were the kite's signature features. The glowing triangle in the middle of his forehead showed the world that he belonged to the oldest family in the Republic of the Kites, the Reedus.

Suddenly, a young woman accompanied by five guards approached hurriedly. She was tall with an oval face framed by countless purple pigtails and a light blue uniform specific to archaeologists. Antennae twisted around very large elephant-like ears showed she was a chameleon. Pink eyes and purple irises that it was part of the royal family. The four-headed mark, which seemed to be affixed above her left eyebrow, was unique to her, Neith Comidava, the fourth princess.

A bored spoiled brat, with no desire for school, complicating my last trip before transfer. Nicky Reed was thinking sighing.

"Princess, Neith Comidava, welcome!" with an official tone.

"Captain Nicholas Reed, hello, thank you! Have we met? I don't recall socializing with anyone from the ancient Reedus family, did I forget?"

"No, but the Camelion Kingdom Selection Ceremony is a federation-wide broadcast event. I saw on the intergalactic network transmission the energy phenomenon you triggered. I was impressed by the appearance of the Secular Plane Tree, with its roots wrapped around the smoking volcano... I still await, as does the entire Federation, the official Chameleonian declaration of its significance."

"Ah, I see, the selection committee is still studying the stellar atlases and archives...

"You know? Only last night I found out that the sub was transporting the test team to the neighboring sector of the Bujorian Empire. That's why I used my diplomatic pass for emergency boarding... but it's fair to consider me a mere researcher... I assure you, my guards know what discretion is. They won't disturb the crew or the university staff." Neith handed him his personal seal for checking and recording.

"From here I cannot change the passenger category. According to the diplomatic status, during travel, you have no restrictions of the personal system. Federal regulations mention that as captain I get the list of available options. In addition, I have to check the arsenal of accompanying persons. "

"My system, Individual Assistant is ORIN. You can read the list of its options depending on the degree of access you have to the central federal network." The Princess taps the media bracelet on her left forearm. It was gold, stiff, six inches long and two inches thick.  

"Oh, what a surprise, you, a federal interstellar submarine captain have equal access rank to me? Why?"

"After we get to the test range for the new devices you may find out why. Do you know the tests will last a month? Don't you have exams to give?"

"Captain, I'm not a student, I've been a member of the federal team for two years... Don't worry about my activities."

"Well, as you say! The left apartment cabin has a five-point fan-shaped structure. It's perfect for you and the guards that accompany you. According to regulations, until the return, the guards may remain with the visor closed." Nicky continues checking and registering weapons, studying the uniform with interest. It was black, stiff, with all sorts of pockets, exclusive to the Royal Chameleon Guards.

"How many auxiliary modes do these uniforms have?"

"They've got it all included! They are complete sets with automatic synchronization." The Princess measured him from top to bottom, joining him on the left, walking to the bridge.

 

Is it a nice one, to invite him for lunch or better for dinner? When I get back I have to thank the librarian for telling me about this trip. Otherwise I'd have missed the chance to meet a Reedus kite. The princess admires him openly with her head turned towards him, smiling.

"Princess, if I'm not mistaken, for intergalactic travel the Chameleonian royal suite has 21 members.... You left without officially announcing?" The captain smiled lazily, tinting the princess's expression.

"As long as the war with the Nebulan Kingdom continues, I can't leave within a mile of my residence without announcing my destination. Of course I've notified the department inspector.  After lunch, at the daily briefing, he'll notify the entire council, including the Chameleonian ambassador." With a friendly gesture he continues "They are part of my individual guards. A team of five is enough to travel with a federal submarine, don't you think?"

"Hm, without testing them personally I don't know their effectiveness. Does your family know about this trip?"

"Hey, Captain, aren't you a little curious? Don't worry, I told them I'm going to visit Eliada. Too bad it's a short trip, no time to organize a friendly competition."

"You know, it's not curiosity, just following established procedures." Nicky Reed clarified in a stern tone. "Who knows maybe at the range we'll have time!"

"How old are you? You look 120... more methodical than the royal instructor." the young woman replies in a candid tone.

"It's none of your business my age, enough to comply with federal regulations." Nicky uses a professorial tone.

"I've got calls to make, an easy journey!" Neith with a hurried step overtook him squinting his eyebrows.

 

Just as I anticipated, a spoiled one! Immature! Good thing we're arriving in fourteen hours and not having a formal lunch. Captain Reed was grunting under his chin on the way to the central command cabin. A six-sided room that had an integral central command system in the middle.

The images of the access corridor closing, folding, were on a wall. Next to it, the diagram of the submarine with the position of the people on board, their data was updated, copied and sent to the Eastern Control Point. It was the only gate in the Radial Protection Shield area. On two other sides the images of the exterior cameras showed the distance from the Central University Astro-Metropole.

A structure built in the shape of an ellipse, home to 40 million residents and 9 million tourists. An iconic landmark of the Five Neighbours Federation, the finest demonstration of collaboration between nations. With its grey, black, bluish metallic skeleton it had transparent outer walls and was divided into symmetrical sectors. These were bounded by internal transport tunnels linking each part of the core of the ellipse to the Astro-Ports. The transparent-walled spheres, attached to the ellipse structure, were evenly spaced along the ellipse.  

 It was a jewel, an illustration of the highest degree of techno- bio- engineering science. The place where the results of university studies were first applied.

 

In the salon, Princess Neith Comidava watched the images of the outside cameras. She could see how the shiny black submarine waited outside the east gate for its take-off permit.

Officially, each space voyage began after passing, seventy km away from Astro-Port, the last gate scan, the open square in the Radial Protection Shield. A net-like assembly, keeping the shape of an ellipse, identical to the Astro-Metropole. The shield consisted of hexagonal, interconnected outposts that protected the entire ellipse from unexpected Nebulian attacks.

In the territory of the Federation of Five Neighbours, the planets and Astro- Populated Structures were surrounded by a Radial Protection Shield. Regardless of the size of the population each was protected following the same rules, with the same facilities. The 5 Presidents were directly in charge of the administration of the Radial Shield Corps.

Seeing a part of the submarine reflected in the silver sheen of the Radial Protection Shield, Neith smiled proudly, as calm as any citizen of the Federation... Good luck with this mechanism, so we can defend ourselves against nebulous attacks! It was a secret of Fence A that one of the inventors was her great-great-grandfather.

One of the reasons he was visiting Stra-Bujor, the capital of the Bujorian Empire, was to check out the statements that appeared on an entertainment media channel 'Prima Voce' about the Radial Shield and the Anti-Frenzy vaccine. A team of archaeologists claimed that objects from a buried ship had led to shocking discoveries.

 

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Hello everyone, I'm Nicholas Reed,

the captain in charge of this voyage.

I got my take-off permit.

In 3 minutes we'll be heading to the 7th range area,

near the Bujorian Empire.

Without interruptions we will arrive in 14 hours.

In case you need assistance,

call the submarine system

or

press the green '+' symbol

found along the corridors.

 

 

 

After the communiqué sent out by the captain, the submarine's media system plays 'Ode to the Creative Source', the official anthem of the Federation of Five. It was composed in the first session of the Federal Religious Ensemble and has so far remained on record as the longest session in a federal sumit. It was the only song with a federal decree. It could only be sung by an equal number of singers from each country.

Bodyguard with three leaves drawn at the corner of his visor, Dynxe Marcoda keys his media bracelet, checking the official report of the submarine's scan.

"Princess, everything is in order, in the public statement - probably prepared last night - there is no reference to our delegation."

"Well, it doesn't matter if they rectify it after lunch. In the next 14 hours we're here. Only the captain can enter this diplomatic suite. Other crew members or researchers can't even set up a visit. You can activate rest mode without any worry of being disturbed."

"Princess, although the submarine is traversing a core area of the Federation of Five Neighbours it is necessary and regulatory to remain in full vigilance mode." retorts one with a single leaf on his visor.

"Understood, proceed as you wish, I'm out. See you later."

Neith entered, behind her the door closed automatically. Studying the room, she was pleasantly surprised by the 'casual' decor in front of a double bed, next to a wardrobe, then the bathroom to the left. To the right two sofas with an adjustable table. The storage cabinet for food and drinks was framed by two adjustable chairs.

After a review of the menu, select red wine and chocolate cream biscuits. The automatic serving mechanism presents the wine bottle, opens it. In dessert batch, the selected compressed dough cube was mixed with water, passed through the air column and baked ultra fast.

    With the bottle under her arm, a glass in one hand, the bowl of biscuits in the other, Neith walked lazily to the armchair-desk by the door.

Looks like this sub also makes trips between Federation capitals... all the more convenient for me. Hm... but that way, with all that's necessary here, I have no reason to look for Nick... of, of, of... we'll see what happens on landing. Neith propped the glass, bowl and bottle on the small table attached to the armchair, stretched out comfortably and connected the media bracelet to the camera system, transferred the image to the door and initiated the video conference with Eliada.

"Hy Neith, what are you doing? Why don't we have a holo-conference? Where are you?" the energetic tone of Eliada Bujories echoed evenly throughout the booth. She was a tall, willowy young woman, pink eyes, triangular earlobes, the distinguishing features of the Bujorians. She lay with a book in her hand on the white stone edge of the pool. Through her media bracelet she reflected the image of the videoconference on the screen next to her.

"Darling, I'm actually on my way to you... Last night I heard the librarian telling me that the submarine 'Scientific FC5' is taking off this morning for the test range near the Bujorian Empire and I decided to visit you. We'll be there in 13 hours or so... Here's the panoramic view. See how cool the cockpit is? I'm very pleased, I didn't expect such comfort on a scientific submarine."

"What a surprise! what a joy! 13 federal hours or from here? Are you participating in the tests or can you leave after landing? When should I pick you up?" Eliada was full of excitement.

"Officially I have nothing to do, I am not part of the test team. I came with my diplomatic pass because I only found out last night that the submarine is arriving near you. I'd like you to pick me up the day after tomorrow or in three days, whichever is more convenient... Captain Nicky Reed is a nice guy, and he's a kite of the famous Reedus family... He's the first one I've met. I want to take the opportunity, invite him for a walk, visit the archaeological remains recently discovered in the range." Neith takes a sip of wine and then nibbles on crackers.

"Official? You mean there's an unofficial... not a party visit?"

"Yes, it is... how could it not? I don't have chores, I'm very curious about what was found in the ancient ship buried in the polygon." She continues, swinging the glass with her left hand and moving the fingers of her right hand in spoon shape. "Do you understand? Eliada? I can tell this journey is a vacation!"

Eliada sat up, moved the projection to the stone in front of her, put the book down, with the fingers of her left hand she made the same spoon shape saying "Yes, yes, super cool, a holiday like the old days."

"Exactly, I can't wait to party!" Neith sips from her glass, continues "How are you? You had work the next few days? Where's your fiancé off to?"

"Don't remind me, you know my country, full of traditions and rituals. According to them he is gone to know better the situation of the ecosystems in the empire. He is accompanied by the High Priest's pupil, the Technical Advisor of the Kingdom and an ancient style composer... we don't even get to hear each other 6, 7 times a week! All the traditions are super lame, pointless!" Eliada had a recalcitrant tone.

"You know the Bujorans are renowned for their pragmatism... this complete tour of the empire surely has another purpose that we, right now, don't exactly understand. We don't even see it!... but keep in mind that the High Priest and sent his only pupil as an escort... so there must be some extraordinary utility!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, when you get there we'll look for this job together. Okay?" Eliada sucked her palm skyward and again, made the spoon form.

"Okay, we will" Neith repeats the gesture.

"Now I have to go to lunch, see you later towards evening, have a nice trip!"

"I didn't realize what time it was on you, well, bon appétit, see you later. Say hi to the rest of them for me." With a bye-bye gesture Neith ends the video conference.

Who would have thought that a compound code when we were 9 years old is still useful to us now at 27. Checking the time continues the monologue, it's too late to call in the Cameleon and the Astro Metropolis people are busy at this hour, hm..., hm..., I can start checking from the 'First Voice' channel infinity.

Neith lifts the backrest position, spreads the table and starts setting the selection parameters in the large intergalactic network.

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