Season 2 Episode 03: The Briefing

A space superpower is born.

Sam Grant rushed into the conference room full of brass--the loss of reputation for tardiness would be permanent. Twelve or so Admirals, Generals, and other officials took their seats, and their various aids took up positions nearby. The face of President Seng scowled at them all from a computer display at the far end of the table.

“Let’s get started,” said Defense Secretary Haslop. “Admiral Pace, please brief us first.”

“So far, we’ve visited thirty-eight percent of the wormhole nodes on the Goultaran map, found twelve ancient Goultaran outposts at or near those locations, and suborned them all.”

“By ‘near,’ you mean...” said Haslop.

“Within twelve light-years or so,” Pace replied. “All of them were on the map.”

"It seems to me like the work of...repurposing...these Goultaran outposts is going slowly. Travel through the wormhole to the various nodes is instant."

"Yes, Sir," replied Pace. "We can go very quickly through the wormhole network map; that's not the problem. There is no indication on the map of what kind of automated defenses are at these ancient Goultaran bases or what condition those defenses are in. We must approach each one with caution and good force strength until we assess it."

“Any new lessons learned?”

“Some, not much. The information that Captain Trucketh passed along from the Goultaran destroyer she worked on is still our most valuable glimpse into their technology. The outposts we've surveyed thus far contain mostly hidden garrisons and listening posts like those we stumbled upon near our wormhole. We've also found resource caches, extinct hydroponics sites, and trade hubs like the one at Feleg. In addition, there is a demolished xeno lab. All of the outposts were Goultaran, but we also found evidence of contact with other intelligent races at some locations.”

“Demolished xenolab...?” Haslop said. "Demolished how?"

“Nuked from orbit by somebody,” replied General Fields, shaking her head. “It happened a very long time ago, apparently with technology similar to ours.”

Several at the table looked at one and another. Sam remembered a time just seven months ago when humans were the only known hyperdrive-capable species they knew existed. Now, the tally had increased to four.

“So that would make at least two alien powers who don’t like the Goultarans,” said President Seng from the display.

“Or at least didn’t like their ancestors,” continued Admiral Pace. “And like the Eridani, they've probably made more advancements since then, perhaps accelerated by the Goultaran Empire's treatment of them. They might very much like to have the Goultarans' address. We have a science ship and a pair of cruisers gathering whatever data we can from the rubble and the surrounding area, but we don't expect to find much.”

Sam raised his hand.

“Yes, Mister Grant?” said Haslop.

“What are our rules of engagement if the people who bombed that facility stop back by while we're snooping around?”

“Passive,” replied President Seng. “And thank you for bringing that up. We’re sticking our noses in other people’s neighborhoods, and the commanders of our ships have orders to be polite. Admiral Pace, what communications protocols are we using?”

“Earth protocols, Sir. Our units have orders to try and use the Eridani language and protocols only if they have to avoid a confrontation. Still, they are not to use Goultaran protocols, technologies, or languages under any circumstance. We don’t want to look like them to anyone.”

“Speaking of the Eridani,” said Secretary Haslop. “Are they still puppy-guarding our wormhole?”

A murmur of mirth echoed around the table.

“Yes,” Admiral Pace said with a grin. “And they’re still arrogantly doing it with mere destroyers. They don't attempt to interfere with any of our ships, and our contact with them has been cordial, friendly, and sometimes even helpful. They’re very nice folks.”

“Very nice folks with a fleet of advanced warships just minutes away from our wormhole,” said the President.

“Probably,” nodded Pace. “Either they really are nice people, or they don’t take us seriously enough to see any reason to be otherwise. We’ve identified at least seventeen individual destroyer-sized warships taking turns at that duty station and even witnessed brief visits by at least four larger vessels at the Goultaran wormhole.”

“Thank you, Pace,” said Secretary Haslop. “Everyone, this is xeno-cultural consultant Samual Grant. Mister Grant, report.”

“SFS Raymond departed last week for the wormhole with Ambassador Trunketh aboard," Sam replied. "The mission is being kept very hush-hush for the ambassador’s safety.

“That’s prudent,” said President Seng. “Even though we think the Eridani are nice folks we don’t want to tempt them. They have no contact with the Goultarans that we know of, diplomatic or otherwise, and they aren’t monitoring the planet’s communications. So, we think that she’ll be safe enough there for now. Any chance yet that we can send an envoy to the Eridani?”

“Nope,” said Secretary of State Jesson, “They’ve very politely made it clear to us that they still don’t want any humans in their area of the galaxy. Anytime we talk to them, it's ship to ship with whatever destroyer they have watching our wormhole. Even then, they like to keep the conversation short. If it goes on too long, the destroyer sends a courier ship through the wormhole, and a little while later, a cruiser pops out and declares the contact concluded.”

“We think they're protecting technology,” said Grant. “They...”

“Careful,” interrupted Admiral Pace. “Not everyone in this room is cleared to hear the details of that.”

“Understood,” said Grant. He pondered briefly how to summarize his words. The Eridani had some kind of instantaneous communications technology.

“We think that they are protecting a particular technology...”

Admiral Pace grunted and looked at him with his eyebrows up.

“...that...would...be...of tactical value...?” continued Grant slowly. “We think it would be easy to learn if we detect and observe it a bit...?”

He looked at Admiral Pace again, and the admiral nodded.

“We think this tech is obvious and hard to hide in the area near the Eridani wormhole, and that is why they don’t want us there.”

“So, if we were to learn this technology,” said President Seng with a smile, “We could demonstrate its use in front of them, and maybe then the Eridani will relax and become more open to our visits.”

“Perhaps,” said Grant with a nod.

“And we’re already on that,” said Admiral Pace.