E:A Vol 7 Ch 17—February 1, 2121

Chapter 17: February 1, 2121

The exploration group assembled in Ja’val’s private lab on the flagship for another day of scouting the pipeline and the area they found the day before. The lab was divided into three areas: a laboratory in the classical sense with equipment, beakers, scanners, tools, and computers. Ja’val’s office, with a desk, chair, and cabinets filled with computer chips, documentation, and oddly enough, toys, which had become a staple after his son was born. Lastly was the area the group now inhabited. The room, along a corridor wall, was curved, two soft bends opposite each other with the gaps between the two curves providing access to the main corridor on one side and to his lab and office on the other.

Outside of his office door was a cot he’d use if working long hours, waiting on test results, or something of that sort. He’d curl up and nap as needed. That didn’t happen as much now since he preferred the company of his wife and, of course, baby Kel’lan. Before they entered his life, he guessed he’d spent more nights here than in his own, more comfortable and roomy chambers on the flagship. At the foot of the cot was a table currently holding two coolers, one filled with iced tea, the other with water. There was also a tray of fruit, cheese, and crackers to munch on, thanks to Victoria and Janice.

Along the curved walls were a series of computer workstations, five on either side. It wasn’t unusual for his team to find all ten up and running, various tests or theories being worked out on them. Ja’val always had something going on. He loved to dabble in just about anything. One computer could be running a check on the Raythian satellites throughout the galaxy, another performing an impromptu check of the flagship’s energy efficiency, a third testing a theory to improve that efficiency, a fourth compiling information from Earth about the history of their space programs, a fifth gathering information on new technological discoveries within the Empire over which he was not directly in control, or, perhaps, searching for the latest toys that his son might enjoy.

Today, however, the room was filled with Second Science Commander Gno’toz, First Flight Commander Fahn’dir, Colonel John Hagen, Zy’nayth, and Ky’nayth, excited as always. Zy’nayth took the lead heading out of the room where they had “parked” their drones the night before. The others flying the drones, Fahn’dir, John, and Ky’nayth, were to wait until he called them forward.

“Very little damage here,” Zy’nayth said as he headed down the first hallway outside of the room. “None, actually. John, Flight, exit but take your time examining the area. There is not anything to scan but perhaps I missed something. Ky’nayth, come to my position, please.”

“On my way!” the boy exclaimed and jetted forward.

“Since you have the most mobile unit,” Zy’nayth said, “and because there does not seem to be any damage, I would like you to scout ahead. Record as you go, but I would like you to go quickly. You are going to map the area, so do not worry about scanning unless prompted to do so by Second Science. Gno’toz, you will remain focused on his drone. Ky’nayth, do not go into any rooms unless the doors are open, and then only to add to the map, a quick enter and exit. I want you focused on the hallways.”

“Understood. And confirming, ‘fast’?”

“Fast, yes, but not reckless,” Zy’nayth said. “The rest of us will go more slowly and perform comprehensive scans. We will also map the rooms more thoroughly. We need this place mapped in order to figure out where we need to go.”

“Second Science Commander, just say when go. I ready.”

“One moment, adjusting my screens around. And sir, it might not hurt to at least open the door and take a quick look so you know what’s in there.”

“I have thought of that, but if a room leads to another room, then we could be wasting time. Those are areas that John, Fahn’dir, and I can investigate. I want to know if there is a way in and out of here that is not through that fissure. Christopher,” Zy’nayth said, “I still want your eyes on Ky’nayth’s screen as well since he will be speeding along. If anything looks important, call it out.”

“So both me and Second Science?”

“Yes.”

“Got it. Ready on my end,” Chris said.

“Ky’nayth, go ahead,” Gno’toz said.

Ky’nayth spun his drone around, raised one of its arms and saluted his father’s drone, then buzzed down the hallway. Then he stopped. “What if crossway? Go left or right?”

“Select one and always go that way. Backtrack if you come to a dead end.”

“Understood. Here we go!”

Chris was glad he wasn’t in the room because he was cracking up. Not so much at Ky’nayth’s exuberance, but at trying to picture the High Chancellor at his son’s age. “Oh hey Steve, wasn’t expecting you until second shift.”

“Gonna help John with the volunteer program. He’s off with…” he stopped at looked at Chris’s screen, “you too?”

“I’m just observing.”

“That the High Chancellor’s drone?” he asked.

“Ky’s actually.”

Steve leaned closer, “Kid has amazing reflexes, holy cow. And he’s three.”

“He’s a Rayth whose father is a legendary pilot.”

“I’ll let you work, I’ll be in the conference room. Lessa’s been kind enough to watch Samson for me today. She’s looking much better.”

“Slept throughout the night the last two nights. Maressa was out too. Good night sleep does the body good.”

***

“These rooms appear to be related to the generator room,” Fahn’dir said as they checked out the larger of the first two rooms they came across. Zy’nayth was in the smaller of the two. “No workstations, but the tools and equipment seem to fit that scenario.”

“Scan for a shield or protective program,” Ja’val said.

Fahn’dir showed John what needed to be done then their drones were sent to the consoles and ran the scan then began uploading the information to Ja’val’s computer. “Received, and…the files are encoded. This will take a little work for me to break in. Just keep going.”

“Any idea as to what this place is?” John asked looking at a bunch of control panels. “What would these control panels control? There’s nothing in here.”

Ja’val said something in Raythian and got a nod from Fahn’dir who moved his drone and carefully removed a panel from the workstation.

“One second. Okay…looks like that first facility was the collector and converter, this is the generator. Ky, have you come across any open rooms on your trip?”

“No. But lots of doors. Eek!” he stopped, even jerking in his chair. “I think I found command room. I not ‘specting it. Sorry for shout.”

The men looked at the images and Zy’nayth nodded. “Fahn’dir, lock in on his location,” Zy’nayth said. “Head on over there and send back whatever Ja’val needs.”

“Yes, sir. You got this John?”

“Yup.”

“Me wait,” Ky’nayth said.

“I have your location targeted,” Fahn’dir said, “continue with your mapping.”

“I agree,” Zy’nayth said, “there must be a main corridor, please continue, Ky’nayth.”

“Going right. Slowing down to cross room so you can see things better.” He drove across the room and exited the door on the right. The hallway merged with the exit from the door on the left, much like it was done on city-ship. After following the right hallway he stopped, backed up and went down the hallway on the left.

“Daddy High Chancellor, I pretty sure this same as city-ship hallway. Can you watch please?” he asked as he zoomed back to the control room.

“Go ahead,” Zy’nayth said after stopping his drone and adjusting his screen to show his son’s drone feed.

“Kay. See to left is where conference room and Uncle Vince’s office are on city-ship. Workstations in same place, but back more ‘cause room bigger. No sure what rooms on right for.” He went forward, “From Uncle’s office, go out, see,” he swung his camera around, “it turns to meet with hallway and go straight it just like infirmary.” He buzzed to the other hallway, “and see, I think this goes to…” before his father could stop him, his drone’s arm reached out and tapped in a code on a control panel and the door opened, “shuttle bay! Oh! It worked! Shuttle bay just like city-ship. Oh…this bigger.”

“Nice guess.” Chris said. “And for those keeping track the code was the English version of 1-2-3-4.”

“Ky’nayth stay where you are. We are coming. Ja’val make sure to note which areas we have not yet investigated.”

“Daddy, there shuttles in here! I go ‘vestigate.”

“Ky’nayth stay put, that is an order.”

“But Daddy!”

“Are you refusing to obey a direct order from the Supreme Commander of the Raythian Fleet?” Zy’nayth asked in a stern voice.

“Sorry. No. I stay put. I obey. I just so ‘cited.”

“Thank you. And being excited is natural, though that is why discipline is needed.”

“If those shuttles work, we’d be able to replenish the supply that was wiped out during the attack,” John said. “It would be nice to have a full complement again. But we should change the combination on the door.”

The other drones arrived and Ky’nayth was allowed to lead them into the shuttle bay.

“So if this is the same set up as our ship, that area where the bridge portal is located leads the tunnels…makes sense. Why not just put the bridge portal at the bottom of our city-ship? Why at the top of one of the towers?”

“We are not yet sure this is a tower or a ship. It could simply be a few floors that were common in their design,” Zy’nayth said.

“Well, there’s no bridge portal iris in the roof of this shuttle bay,” John said.

“I found hangar door,” Ky’nayth said, “at other end. I am north of entrance. Orders?”

“Have you found the control panel to open the door?” Zy’nayth said.

“Yes, sir,” Ky’nayth said. “It right here. Want me to open?”

“No. First, move to the side so that you are safe from possible falling debris, you may then try to open the bay door. The rest of us, get to the far edges of the bay near the entrance so if there is debris, and flow of debris, we will be safe. Ky’nayth, wait for us to sound off.”

“A little more to the side,” Chris said to Ky’nayth, “don’t want to get clipped.” Ky’nayth nudged his drone further to the side. “Perfect.”

The three other drone drivers said they were in safe positions.

“Go, son,” Zy’nayth said.

“Using same code as door,” the boy said as the drone’s arms reached up and tapped in the code on the control panel. “Hmm. It no work. I try…” there was a pause then, “Oh!” as lights began to whir.

“I didn’t catch that,” Chris said.

“Raythian 1-2-3-4,” Ky’nayth said then rattled it off in Raythian.

“Well, the Mythicans weren’t so great at secret codes. Even I would have been able to crack that,” Chris said. “Doors seem to be jammed, though they did crack open a bit.”

“Carefully investigate. Try and see through the crack. Is there any light? What do you see?” Zy’nayth instructed.

Ky’nayth went to the center of the door then faced it straight on. “Dark.”

Chris confirmed. “Probably just the interlocking doors between here and topside. How strong are these drone arms? Could they push the doors open?”

“Not that strong,” Zy’nayth said. “Shut the door. Try once more to open. If it does not open this time, close it and we will continue our search.”

“I’ve counted twenty-one MT-04 shuttles,” Fahn’dir said, “and three smaller craft. Personal cruisers perhaps.”

“I’m near those,” John said, “They might hold six, maybe eight people. Comparable to our shuttles, though…a bit of a different design. And there’s another door behind me.”

“This no open,” Ky’nayth said. “I closed again.”

“Go to John’s position, try that door, please.”

Ky’nayth buzzed across the room in between the shuttles. John continued around the rim of the room looking at the vehicles that could be quite useful to their expedition.

“These are armed,” he said. “Ours aren’t. Tell me we can keep these!”

“How you know they armed?” Ky’nayth asked, then answered his own question, “Oh, I see housing for laser thing. Kay. I at door. You safe?”

“I am, go ahead.”

Ky’nayth typed in the code and the doors slid open easily, revealing another bay.

“Oh! These bigger!”

“Transports,” Zy’nayth said, glancing at his son’s screen, “and a few small warships. Well, now we know where all that energy was going and why.”

“Still,” Ja’val said, “there should be more than these ships for the amount of energy I’ve calculated coming out of that one well.”

“I thought that energy, the kind used to power our city-ship, lasted thousands of years,” Chris said.

“It still needs to be replenished or recycled. Fuel is burned, so to speak, just as your vehicles burn fuel. The fuel we and the Mythicans use is far more efficient and does not need to be replenished frequently. What is not burned off is recycled, and this is a rather efficient process. Since your ship has not been used for 10,000 years, you still have plenty of fuel to last several of your lifetimes…provided you’re not in a war or using the ship as a transportation device to explore; even then it would take quite some time to burn through what is in your stores.” Zy’nayth turned and looked at Ja’val, “What if where they found the city-ship was not its original landing place? The Mythicans would have set up some sort of connection to its power supply. We were, after all, in the middle of a war with them. They would need the energy.”

“It’s where you said it was ten thousand years ago,” Ja’val said.

“No. The bridge portal address had not changed, so the ship is in the correct general area. I was not here personally back then. I knew of the ship’s location, this planet, nothing more.”

“Wouldn’t we have picked up an energy dock in our constant scans of the planet?” Gno’toz asked.

“If the pipeline was emitting or leaking energy,” Ja’val replied, “but…” He paused and thought through his answer, fingers tapping on the table. “If nothing’s on the dock, energy wouldn’t be released from the pipeline. Same as with the docking system for our ships. Nothing docked, no energy comes out of the pipeline. And I’m venturing to guess that also, like our systems, the dock is sealed so no energy can escape when there’s nothing connected.”

“Then that’s where the quakes were coming from,” Gno’toz said. “She’s ready to burst to release that pent-up energy.”

“Ten thousand years is a long time,” John said, “wouldn’t she have blown, you know, ten thousand years ago?”

“Not if there are other facilities like this eating the energy,” Ja’val said and began typing on his keyboard, “energy recycling systems, basic venting systems in case of an overload, and there should have been a program to shut off the generator if it began overloading…but it might just be that when the rebels attacked, it knocked something loose. It is possible the attack caused a blockage somewhere and the pressure’s been building for months since the city-ship hasn’t been on the dock. But even if it had been, the energy couldn’t get to it if it is indeed a blockage.”

“Suggested course of action?” Zy’nayth asked.

“Door!” Ky’nayth said, examining the room.

“Everyone out. Ky’nayth you know the drill.”

A minute later there was a hiss as dust flooded the room.

“Gentlemen, I think we found the hatch,” Chris said.

“Wait a moment for the dust to settle, then carefully see if we can get out. Good job, son. Now, Ja’val, what do you suggest?”

“If this is a way out, we can send a team down, but I think our priority is to find the dock and continue mapping the area.” He sat back in his chair, his hands running through his white hair. “We stopped the pump, we need to find the blockage.”

“Do you have a way to detect where the attacks hit, I mean like plasma residue or something,” Chris said, “so that we could narrow down our search for whatever was hit and messed things up?”

“The entire area around the city, there were strikes over a two-hundred mile area around the city-ship.”

“Iris, Daddy. Must be control somewhere to open. Not open on own.” Ky’nayth looked at his father who called up his son’s screen on his own computer.

“Good. Distance is correct, that should be topside if we can open the iris.”

“I’ll head back to the control room,” John said. “If it’s like our ship, the controls should be the same, right?”

Zy’nayth nodded. “Ky’nayth, return to the hangar, I do not want anything falling in on you if this opens.”

“Kay.” Ky’nayth’s drone descended back to the hangar and waited to the side of the door. As he waited, he went over to the coolers and refilled his glass of water. “This so, ‘citing. I no wait to tell Sissy all ‘bout it.”

“I am sure she and your mother will love to hear about it,” Zy’nayth encouraged.

“Powering up,” John said as his drone pressed keys on the workstation in the facility’s control room. Ja’val watched his monitor of John’s screen just in case he needed guidance, but the systems were like those on the city-ship, so John knew his way around. “Here goes,” he said a few minutes later.

Ky’nayth’s drone picked up the slightest sound of a lock release which was followed by dust and dirt falling down the enormous shaft.

“I think it opened,” Chris said.

“Waiting,” Ky’nayth said. “I so ‘cited, Daddy. I no contain self!”

John laughed, “You and me both, Ky.”

“In case you were wondering, workstation one is operational again,” Kol’non said. “Establishing connection with Science…and confirmed. Science, sending data now.”

“Receiving,” Ja’val said.

“I’m going to head topside,” Kol’non said, “after this upload is complete.”

“Ky, seems safe now,” Chris said, “let’s see what we’ve got.”

Ky’nayth steered his drone into the lift and panned the camera up. “Sky!” He stopped and looked back at his father. “Daddy, how they get big ships out dis thing? Dis not big ‘nough for them.”

Zy’nayth realized his son was correct. While the shuttles could enter and do a vertical thrust straight up the shaft, it wasn’t convenient, and it certainly wasn’t large enough for the transports and small warships they’d found.

He moved his drone into the area with the larger ships and went to the center of the room. He panned his drone up to the ceiling and smiled. “Gentlemen, they have a portal down here.”

John leaned over and glanced at Zy’nayth’s screen. On top of the ceiling was a bridge portal large enough to allow the larger ships through. “Okay, where’s that button, I want to open it up,” John said.

“No. This will need to have a more delicate touch. I doubt it extends topside. I heard they could attach portals to walls…or ceilings…and pass through them. We have not seen any, however. This we will leave to Science’s team.”

“You mean it’s not like ours? It doesn’t open up to the sky? It just…opens up to concrete or whatever the ceiling is made of?”

John looked closer. It was like the portal in the city-ship’s shuttle bay. A typical bridge portal looked like a bridge. You walked across it. Though only a foot or two across, it was generally wide, allowing numerous people and/or equipment to cross over simultaneously. He’d seen some that were 100 feet wide, others only 10 or 20 feet wide. The one in their shuttle bay was two feet across, but it was a ring, not a long strip to fly over. What he was looking at now was also a ring, but instead of the open sky on the other side, as on the city-ship, the portal was attached to the ceiling itself. No iris, no open sky, just the ceiling.

“I thought you needed space on both sides of the bridge,” Chris was the one who asked before John could get out the question.

“In theory, no,” Ja’val answered. “When you walk across the bridge, you appear at your destination bridge before you have reached the other side of the bridge. Basically, once you walk into the glow, that is the moment you appear on the other portal. Think of it as a very, very thin doorway. Thinner than…” he held up a notebook, “thinner than a piece of paper. Have you noticed that when say your shuttle exits the bay, as it crosses the active portal, part of it is at the destination, the rest in the bay?”

“Then why the extra width? Couldn’t they just have made it as thin as a piece of paper?” John said, his brows creasing in perplexity.

“Need the power. The walkway generates the field needed. It can be no less than a foot across in order to generate the power needed for the transference.”

“Can we move on to something else?” Chris asked, with a shudder. “I’m getting the willies thinking about half my body being in one galaxy and half in another.”

“Let us take a break,” Zy’nayth said. “Everyone take your drones topside. We will get the team together and discuss our next steps. Ky’nayth, you have done very well today. All of you have.”

***

An hour later the team: Zy’nayth, Kol’non, Ny’van, Ja’val, Gno’toz, Fahn’dir, Vince, John, Kaven, Chris, Simon, Be’atta, and Becket were assembled in Vince’s conference room. Ky’nayth was also allowed to attend, which had him beaming from ear to ear.

“Now that we’re more sure of what we need to look for, I have the flagship scanning the entire gulf for an energy dock,” Ja’val said. “We’re also going through the database that Kol’non was able to retrieve to see if there’s a time-stamped event of a disruption in the system, more importantly, where. I only had a minute to glance at the files, but I think what we need will be there.

“Once we find the dock, we’ll see if it’s damaged, and if it is, hopefully we can fix it. And once we find the disruption or blockage in the system, again, hopefully we can fix that. Though the generator is off and the quakes have stopped, for now, I am not willing to risk sending teams to investigate the new facility. Until these breaks and blockages are fixed, no one sets foot down there. Not in the facility, not on the mainland unless I need you there to fix something, in which case, it will be my team, most likely, that goes.”

“So it not okay to take puppies to mainland?” Ky’nayth asked, sitting up straight in his chair, his hands on the table, the fingers laced, trying to look more like an officer than a little boy.

“I do not believe the bridge has been fixed yet,” Zy’nayth said.

“My men went down this morning and ran diagnostics,” Ja’val said. “I haven’t had an opportunity to look at the report, but it should only take the better part of a day to fix according to my Third. Even then, Ky’nayth, I think it would be best to continue taking the dogs to the island. Until we are able to repair whatever is wrong with this energy buildup, there is still a threat of an explosion.”

“Kay. Thank you for answer,” Ky’nayth said.

“Regarding that larger facility, it still needs to be mapped out, correct?” Vince said.

“Yes, though I’m hoping schematics of the facility are in the files that are still being uploaded my computer from that workstation First fixed. If not, we will continue to use drones to map it out.”

“What about the shuttles? Do we risk sending a few pilots to transfer some of them to our shuttle bay?” Kaven asked.

“I would prefer to wait until we have the files in hand. Let us get a good look at what is there and perhaps their condition,” Zy’nayth said. “I do not want to attempt to power one up and have it blow because of some security measure that is in place that we did not take the time to look for. We also do not know if they are connected to the energy pipeline, and if they are, how that will affect what we need to do with repairs.”

“Fair enough.”

“Going on the supposition that the facility may be a ship, like ours,” Vince said, “I know, this is reaching, but if it is, could it be launched, I mean, dug out and set up like ours? Or, could we move our people there until we get this one dug out?”

“If it is a ship, and I do not believe that it is,” Zy’nayth said, “I am sure we could get it out of the ground. As for moving people there, keep in mind that the facilities, just as these in your city-ship, were designed for an entirely different purpose. What you have set up as the infirmary was not meant to be so. Same for the residential areas. All of that work would need to be redone in the second facility. That being said, I would suggest that you start thinking about a crew to man the facility whether it is permanently rooted in the ground or not. The shuttle bay here is not designed to handle those larger ships, so those will have to remain there. You will need security measures in place and a staff around the clock.”

Ky’nayth raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“Why no bridge there?” he asked. “That’s long way to go without bridge. I mean ‘sides the one in ceiling.”

“I think it is a matter of us simply not finding it yet. The Control Room, like the one here, may only have been for the shuttle bay. As I said, I am not convinced the facility itself is a ship. It was, most likely, a hidden base. I believe we will find a bridge as we go through the files or manually map the area.”

“I’d think it would be close to the shuttle bay,” Kol’non said, “Once I start the upload, I can search the nearby areas. Might save some time since we’ll have a lot of stuff to search through in that database to begin with.”

“I could go back with Uncle First Commander,” Ky’nayth said. “I be careful.”

“With Ja’val’s team tied up, and undoubtedly you,” Kol’non said to Zy’nayth, “it’s not a bad idea. It’s not even nine yet, we have a full day ahead of us. Ky could zip through that area. I think we’re pretty confident that it was heavily fortified so we shouldn’t have any cave ins.”

“I can also go back and do a more thorough search of the rooms we left when Ky found the shuttle bay,” John said. “We planned on me doing this for the next couple of days, so my work schedule is already arranged around this.”

“All right, after the meeting, you two return to the flagship. However, Commander, I would rather have your eyes on the files. The more of us doing that, the better. John continue to scan the rooms, Ky’nayth continue to map the area. Christopher, would you be willing to be a second set of eyes for my son?”

“Yeah, now that Vince seems to be up and around.”

“Light duty,” Becket said.

“I’ll sit at my desk and shuffle papers,” Vince frowned. “And you’re on light duty too so don’t tell me what to do.” He turned his gaze back to Zy’nayth, “I need to ask, if only to clarify, are you considering this facility, and perhaps others like it on this planet, as our property?”

“Yes. It is not mine. It was built by the Mythicans. You are, for all intents and purposes, the keepers of this planet now. I have no need or want of anything, except technological knowledge we may find of which we are unaware.”

“We’d need you to translate and decipher for us anyway,” Vince said. “Now that that’s out of the way, how much do you want me to tell Michael?”

“Considering his son starts working here next week, he will know about it. It is good to keep him informed. Speaking of which, I was going to tell him about the bridge portal on Victoria’s estate did not with the epidemic hitting so quickly. Vince, would you have an issue if I told him about it?”

“I don’t want him to tell anyone. If you tell him and his family, they better not tell anyone. I don’t want that estate bombarded by the government. I like having a bit of freedom in that regard.”

“I will make it quite clear, should I decide to tell him.”

“He’s going to be coming up with Zack,” Vince said, “so you can talk to him then. Holly and Hannah are joining him. Will Mik’kenna be okay with Hannah being here?”

“I will talk with her, but I do not foresee a problem. It is only for a week. Of course, she will probably want to be Becket’s assistant all week.”

“From what I’ve been hearing,” the doctor smiled, “she’s done a lot of good for the patients, running to get stuff for them, praying with them, playing checkers. She’s been a real blessing.”

“And she has to take care of puppies now that I helping Daddy,” Ky’nayth said. “She work so hard. I very proud of her.”

“You have been working hard as well,” Zy’nayth said, not wanting his son to feel left out. “You figured out that the facility was set up like this ship and you have been helping with chores around the house at night. That is a lot of work for a boy your age.”

“Flying drone is fun not work.”

“I have to agree,” Zy’nayth smiled. “Any other questions before we head back to work?”

“If we find a bridge and it’s working,” Vince said, “how will that change our plans at the moment? Or will it?”

“We should wait and see what turns up in the files. Find the dock, find the damaged area of the energy pipes, get those fixed. Get the bridge on the mainland fixed. Then we will look into exploring the new facility to see how it can best be utilized.”

“Is there a way for me to adjust our scanners to help look for this dock?” Simon asked.

“I’ll walk you through that before I head back to the flagship. I also have another plan for you,” Ja’val said, “there has to be something in your database about the dock. I’m sending you a list words to search for. I’d like to know why the city-ship wasn’t sitting on the dock when you guys found this place. I always thought that the ship was run out of its original military base and settled here. Anyway, it’s a mystery we should solve.”

“What about the med team?” Becket asked, “You have me here for a reason.”

“Just keeping the Chief Medical Officer informed,” Zy’nayth said, “and if we start sending people down to the new facility, there will be, of course, a chance of injuries being incurred. Also, if this was a military base, there would, I assume, be medical facilities in which you may be interested.”

“Any idea why we never really found a med lab on this ship?” Becket replied.

“My best guess is that since there is a bridge on this ship, as well as the shuttles, they could transport the injured one of those ways. Immediate care tools were, most likely, portable. Remember, this was a warship first, a city second,” Zy’nayth said.

“But once the city was built, they should have had some sort of hospital,” Chris said. “Doesn’t make sense that there isn’t one. Especially when this place can hold a couple million people.”

“You are correct, and remember this is why I have mentioned that you need to keep digging, not abandon the effort. There are many, many areas you have not yet explored, and we do not know what we may find. The city features were added after the ship was built. That much we know. We still have many pieces to put together.”

“But a hospital? Something like that should have been in the two main towers, yet nothing. And we should have found something in the database by now,” John said.

“Or the hospital was on the base level which would not be as vulnerable. I cannot explain the lack of information in the database.”

“But why have it so far from the bridge if it is on the lower level?” John persisted.

Zy’nayth sighed. “I do not have all of the answers.”

“Sorry, there’re just so many unanswered questions even after all of these years. Okay, we’ll keep digging.”

“If there are no other questions we should get back to work.”

“Daddy, can I run home first? I need snacks.”

“I’ll join you,” John said, “I could use some munchies too.”

***

Victoria collapsed on her bed. “I am so tired. My adrenaline is all gone. I think Ky has it all now.”

“I know he thinks this is more fun than work,” Zy’nayth said, “but he really has been quite helpful, and even I am surprised at how well he handles that drone. Mik’kenna seemed a little down tonight. Anything wrong?”

“Things are winding down in the infirmary,” she replied, “she’s not feeling as useful. And I think your little announcement about Hannah after dinner didn’t sit well. Plus, she might be a little envious of her brother.”

“Envious? She spoke of how proud she was of him at dinner.”

“I guess I mean she’s maybe wishing she could be as useful to you as he is. Admit it,” she rolled over and looked at him as he changed into his pajama pants, “they both want to please you. They want you to be proud of them. Ky’s gonna be a pilot, no doubt of that. She sees that and probably thinks her love of stars isn’t as impressive to you as her brother’s love of flying, since you’re a pilot.”

“She seeks your approval as much,” he said and crawled in next to her.

“No, neither does, not as much as they want your approval, and I’m okay with that. They’re Rayth. They hear these stories of how great their Daddy is. The war hero. The ace pilot. The High Chancellor. The Supreme Commander. Mommy’s just a doctor. Rayth don’t need doctors.” She rested her head on his chest after he slid into the bed. “They want to be like you. They want your approval.”

“Rayth need doctors,” he said. “We needed them to find the serum. We needed them to save our daughter. We needed them to save many Rayth lives. I, personally, need a certain doctor in my life. I cannot live without her. As far as me being a hero, I am only one, if they consider me one, because I was genetically engineered to be so.”

“You’re a hero because you love. You have compassion. You care. Those qualities were not implanted into you. And those qualities show quite abundantly in our children.”

“It is because they get it from both of us. I will see what I can do with Mik’kenna to let her know I am proud of her interest in stars. It has always been a hobby of mine.”

“Take her to the island and tell her why you built the iris in the roof of the house. Telling her that you did it because you love looking at the stars will probably do more for her than anything. When she sees that you’re not just saying you like stars, but sees that you put that iris in your house so you can look at them at night…she’ll understand that you love them as much as she does.” She smiled, “And when you get back, put an iris in this place. I miss sleeping under the stars.”

“I will tell her. Thank you for the idea. As for the iris here, I do not think Vince would want me gutting the floors above us so that I can put one in. Now, speaking of sleeping, go to sleep.”

“I love you, Zy. I’m so happy to be your wife. I haven’t said it in a while, but you’ve changed my life. You showed me what it was like to be happy, to feel loved. I will always love you for that. I fell in love with a man who loved me enough to risk his life for me. To risk his career for me. To offer me shelter with no strings attached, nothing expected in return. That meant so much. I was dying, Zy. I was really dying inside. You gave me hope.”

“No tears,” he said and gently wiped them away, “we are happy now. Overworked but happy.”

“Oh no! I promised Alessa you’d stop in and check her. She hasn’t been feeling well. I haven’t found anything wrong, so I said you’d check her.”

“Christopher mentioned it. I, too, forgot.” He looked at the clock, “It is only eight, I will call him right now.”

“Hey big guy, what’s up?” Chris answered his comlink.

“I apologize. I forgot to check your wife after dinner. I can come by now if it is not inconvenient.”

“You’ve been busy, no worries, but yeah, if you could come by. She just threw up a few minutes ago.”

“Victoria and I will be right there,” Zy’nayth said, nudging his wife. Both quickly dressed and walked to the Chapman chambers. On the way, Victoria told her husband about Alessa’s symptoms.

“Very similar to the flu we’re just getting over, but no fever, no chills,” she said as he rang the door chime. “I hope it’s not a recurrence. I hope we don’t have to go through this again.”

“Glad you could come,” Chris said, “I was about to call to remind you, but I was worried about disturbing you. I know you wanted to go to bed early.”

“I have told you before, you call, any time, day or night,” Zy’nayth said and walked into the bedroom. “Forgive me for not seeing to your well-being after dinner.”

“I was feeling better this afternoon. Then a few minutes ago, not so much,” Alessa said. “I hope this flu isn’t coming back around.”

“We have no reason to believe it is. It has not happened on Earth.” He put his hand over her heart and allowed his energy to scan her body. After a few minutes he gave her a wide smile. “It appears that you are expecting another child.”

“Really?” she asked, perplexed.

“Did you not want another?”

“Oh, yes, we do, but we thought it was too early for me to be able to and I took one of those home tests and it said no. Are you sure?”

“Yes. But that also means there is not really anything I can do for you.”

“That’s okay! I’ve been through this. I remember what helped. Chris?”

He was smiling from ear to ear, “Can I call Dad?”

“Invite him to breakfast, we’ll tell him then.”

“You might not be up for making breakfast. Let me call him now.”

She grinned, “Okay, get him here. He’ll be ecstatic. But I should vid my parents. Or they’ll have a fit that your father knew before them.”

“Well, get a robe on and get the video going. I’ll get Dad here.”

“And we will leave you to celebrate. Congratulations,” Zy’nayth said, “and I will check on you as often as you would like.”

“I’ll let you tell Becket,” Victoria said. “This time I get to keep the secret from the other doctor.” She gave both Alessa and Chris kisses then she and Zy’nayth returned home and went to bed, this time not to awaken until 5:00 a.m.