Chapter 40: Avalon System

“Quon, is this system empty, apart from us?” asked Jem.

“No other vessels detected,” replied Quon.

“Very good. Alert us if any vessels arrive in the system,” said Jem. She stood up and addressed us.

“We need sleep,” she said tersely.

No argument from me. We left for crew quarters. I felt exhausted and needed a good sleep. I couldn’t focus on anything. Before I knew it, I was in my cabin and was soon fast asleep in my bed.

I woke up hours later and got up to use the en-suite. Then I did not feel ready to go back to sleep. My mind was working better now, and there were too many unanswered questions in my head. I dressed and wandered to my favourite lounge to chat with Quon. I got a coffee and sat on a sofa facing a display.

“Quon, please put up a map of the Carolus system on the display,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

“Overlay on the map the path you travelled when we arrived in the system,” I said. A dotted green line showed where our vessel had travelled.

“If I were to follow that dotted line backwards, does it take me back to the Ori Confederation?” I asked.

“Confirmed. That direction leads to Ori space,” replied Quon.

“Now overlay the paths of the other vessels that arrived after us,” I said. Multiple red dotted lines arrived, from the same point on the edge of the system and travelled to Carolus Four. The line representing Quon moved around to the far side of the planet.

“This is very interesting. It looks to me that the other vessels came from the same direction, and they knew which planet to go to,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

“I conclude they followed us from the Ori Confederation, roughly half a day behind us. Does that fit the data?” I asked.

“Confirmed. It fits the data,” replied Quon.

“This is most puzzling. You selected Carolus Four based upon our vacation requirements. It was not pre-determined?” I asked.

“Confirmed. It was not pre-determined,” replied Quon.

“We selected our destination just before we broke orbit around Ori Major. No one except you and the crew had knowledge of our destination. Did you inform our escort of our destination?” I asked.

“Negative Commander,” replied Quon.

“The next question is ‘who are they?’ Have you scanned the weapon we brought back?” I asked.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

“Here is a picture of a creature that died trying to kill me with it,” I said. I sent Quon the picture I took from my communicator. “Can you tell what race they are?” I asked.

“Confirmed. They are a species called the Varech. I do not have extensive information. I have no records of them in this area of space. The Baglogi have not had productive encounters with the Varech. Records show them as aggressive and uncooperative,” replied Quon.

“This is progress. We know who. Next question is how did they find us?” I said.

“Commander, from the time we left orbit around Ori Major, our escort would have deterred any confrontation. It is unlikely that the Varech were in Ori space. It is not possible that our crew could communicate our destination. The only remaining conclusion is that they can track our vessel,” replied Quon.

“Crap!” I said. “You came here direct from the Carolus system? It is possible they tracked you here. Assume the worst. We need to hide NOW! Break orbit, cloak, and select another planet in the system. Hide behind it so that if they arrive from the Carolus system, the planet will obscure us. I believe they can’t detect you behind a planet. Deploy two cloaked probes in two different locations in the system and let’s see what happens.”

“Confirmed. Probes are deployed. Breaking orbit now,” replied Quon.

My discussion with Quon raised even more questions. I also felt the hairs on the back of my neck telling me to expect visitors.

I went to the main bridge. The big tactical display that was best for monitoring the action.

When I arrived, I visited the food dispenser and got another coffee. This was a two coffee morning I decided.

“Quon, how long before we arrive at our destination?” I asked. On the tactical display, I saw a map of the current system, with a blue dot representing our vessel. It showed we were in transit to a planet on the far side of the system. Two other dots identified the positions of two cloaked probes.

“We will be behind the far planet in just over forty minutes, Commander,” replied Quon.

“I suggest we need not wake the others until we arrive,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

“We have forty minutes to further discuss the how. You said they can track our vessel, how could they do that?” I asked.

“If we were transmitting a signal, one that they could track through hyperspace,” said Quon.

“The signal has to be distinct, but hard to notice. Something we rarely scan for. Hiding behind a planet or cloaking might block the signal. Can you search your database and find something that matches those criteria?” I asked.

“Confirmed. Searching ... Commander, what we are looking for is a narrow-band inverse-tachyon pulse. It is the only one that meets all the criteria,” replied Quon.

“Can you reconfigure internal sensors to detect this?” I asked.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

“Do it. We need to find the source. Show the results when you have them,” I said.

Quon spent the next twenty minutes working on the internal sensors. I experimented with the views of the system on the tactical display. I hoped that I did not see approaching vessels, and fortunately I didn’t.

Quon disturbed my stargazing. “Commander, I have the upgrades to the internal sensors completed. Results will be on the tactical display.”

I looked at a map of our vessel on the display. A red area on the map had my attention. “Quon, is that a signal? It looks like the signal is coming from the galley next to the main dining lounge,” I asked.

“Confirmed. The signal is from there. You will need to do a manual search. Internal sensors cannot narrow it down further,” replied Quon.

“Please wake the crew. Tell them it is urgent. Ask them to meet me in the main dining lounge as soon as possible,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Quon.

I moved promptly to the main dining lounge. Soon after, Jem, Laine, and Mina arrived.

“Brian, what’s going on?” asked Jem, looking flustered.

“I’ve got plenty to share with you, but first I need your help. The race of creatures that are pursuing us can track this vessel, even through hyperspace. Somewhere in the galley is a device that sends out a homing signal. We need to find the device and shut it down, before they find us,” I said.

“It’s in the galley?” asked Jem.

“Yes. Quon upgraded the internal sensors and detected the signal coming from the galley, but couldn’t narrow it further. We need to search for it manually,” I replied.

“Most likely we will find it in the supplies we purchased on Ori Major,” said Mina.

“That’s a good assumption. Let’s find that device,” said Jem.

We rushed into the galley and started opening boxes of supplies.

“I have an idea,” said Laine. She pulled out her personal device and started scanning with it. We paused our searching and watched her.

“A device capable of transmitting a strong signal should have a significant power supply. I’m scanning for localized EM activity. Vegetables should not register anything,” she said. Running her device down a stack of boxes, she discounted them and moved to another.

A moment later, she stopped in front of a large package. “Brian, check out this box,” said Laine.

“Be careful, it could explode!” said Mina.

I looked at the package. It looked large enough to contain the device. I looked at the others, then I carefully picked up the package and moved out of the galley with it in my arms.

“It won’t go off if I just move it, or it would have done so already,” I said.

“How do we turn it off without opening it?” asked Jem.

“Commander, if you will take the package to the port airlock, I will target it with an energy weapon once clear of this vessel,” said Quon.

“I was thinking something like that myself,” I said. By now I arrived at the inner airlock door. The door opened under Quon’s direction. I placed the package in the airlock and stepped back. A moment later, Quon cycled the airlock and I could see the package drifting out into space.

Quon must have turned to starboard, as the package rapidly floated away from us. A moment later, we saw a flash of light from an energy weapon. The package was no more.