A Novel By George L. Ensminger

Chapter One

The ship was finally completed at the Spaceport on Anton. She was the end result of all the knowledge that man had accumulated about space travel, technology, and science. It had taken 11 years to build her and thousands of designers and technicians slightly over a year to finish the Interior and do her pre-flight inspection. Being the first ship to be outfitted with Inversion drive, she was the merging of man’s highest aspirations and dreams.

The crew had boarded the Interlude several weeks earlier to familiarize themselves with the ship and its operating procedures. These procedures in themselves, were a massive undertaking because of the great complexity of the ship and her tremendous size.

I was rather excited when the shuttle pulled away from the land dock. About 30 minutes later, the shuttle pilot said that we were rapidly approaching the Interlude, but I was unable to see anything. As I peered ahead, I was finally able to discern a dark silhouette against the backdrop of starlight that expanded exponentially in size. As we drew closer I began to realize the enormity of the ship. She was by far, the largest spaceship that had ever been built. The external coverings was constructed from a new material that made her dark, but would also prevent her from being scanned or detected. As the shuttle locked with the loading dock, I was still amazed, because I could barely see the exterior skin of this ship.

As the lock door opened, I was greeted by the ship’s Stewart, " Welcome Commander Kearn, happy to have you aboard the Interlude, We have very little time and much to do. Please follow me, I will show you to your quarters. As I stepped through the portal, I was pleasantly surprised, instead of the usual cramped passageways, there were large corridors that were wide enough for several men to walk abreast in. The stored notice that I was looking back and forth very rapidly, checking out every detail of the ship's interior and said most men are surprised at the size, and comfort of the ship. "This ship is designed for extended periods of space travel, and was built to keep the men as safe and secure as possible. The captain would like to see you after you are settled in, Sir."

My cabin was much larger and more comfortable than I had expected, and was decorated with a colorful flare of form and disciplined function. It was located on the port side, slightly forward of amidships. I expected that the captain, because of its location, would be quite isolated from engine noise, although I had heard that Inversion drive was very quiet anyway .I stowed my gear, and spent the next few hours studying the layout of the ship with the help of the ship’s computers. Sometime later, I was paced via the ship’s intercom. I proceeded to the bridge to meet with the Captain. I was somewhat nervous, as I walked onto the bridge.

Captain George stood as I entered the bridge. He was a tall man, probably about 6 feet 4 inches, and was quite large in stature. When the captain turned, I could instantly feel his eyes bore into me, as he raised his hand to welcome me in a handshake. It felt as if my soul were being searched to evaluate my mental makeup and character, and to determine if I would be suitable for the Interlude. I felt as if he were trying to pull thoughts from my mind. As I gazed back at him, I could see great intelligence in this man’s face. He emanated wisdom, conference, and tremendous personal strength that caused me to immediately trust him. He spoke with a strong voice, " good afternoon Mr. Kearn, welcome aboard the Interlude. Let us go to the briefing room. " He turned, and I followed him from the bridge.

"Mr. Kearn, approximately two weeks ago you were assigned to us, because of your gunnery experience, but also because of your research work in ionization theory. As you know, it was generally assumed, that ionization was just a pipe dream, because no metal with enough density existed in the galaxy, to transmit the ion beam. Well Mr. Kearn, the truth of the matter is, we discovered just such a metal on Centron 11, almost 14 years ago. We named the metal Centronium. Six months later our scientists had a working model of the ion accelerator, and approximately one year after that, we successfully altered the molecular structure of the metal, and produced a material that was extremely low in mass but virtually indestructible. Shortly after that, one of the scientists came up with the idea to build a space ship from this new material, ergo, the Interlude was conceived. The Interlude is the result of those new discoveries and ideas. Mr. Kearn, I am not sure you understand the implications of what I have been telling you. To put it simply, we have a spaceship that cannot be detected by sight or scanner, and cannot be destroyed by any weapon currently in existence, and has on board the most powerful weapon in the universe. And you have been chosen, to test that weapon. We will be getting underway shortly Mr. Kearn, you are welcome to accompany me to the bridge".

I could feel nothing, when the mooring craft released the ship, and the maneuvering thrusters energized. Within a few seconds, the Spaceport fell behind us, as the ship gathered momentum and speed. There was no sound or vibration felt, and there was no indication of speed or motion. Only ones knowledge, that the ship would soon be traveling faster than was thought possible, just a decade before. It was sometime later, when Captain George announced that the Interlude would soon be shifting to Inversion drive. After the announcement, a feeling of tension prevailed on the bridge, cause as of yet, no one had ever tested the Drive. The atmosphere on the bridge was highly charged, when the order was given to engage the Drive. As we gazed into space from the bridge, we noticed that the stars began to move past the ship very rapidly until they became a solid colorful line of light. And then in an instant, there was blackness.

Deceleration occurred very rapidly, when the Inversion Drive was shut down, and reverse thrusters were fired. We entered sub light speed quickly, and descended upon an asteroid belt, near the Beta S solar system. The Beta system, was designated for future exploration, and was thought to be uninhabited. We were there to test the Ion Cannon. As we drew closer to the Belt, I selected the largest of the asteroids in our sector, to test the Cannon. I picked up the thought transfer helmet, and looked at the captain. "You may fire at will, Commander Kearn." the captain then turned and faced the target. I placed the guidance helmet on, and switched on the Ion accelerator. The Ion Cannon immediately focused on the asteroids and locked on target. The scope indicated that the object was two hundred and four miles in diameter. I immediately thought "Fire" in my mind and instantly I noticed a color change on the surface of the asteroid. It became lighter and seemed to expand rapidly. Suddenly, a tremendous explosion occurred. The asteroid disintegrated into fine particles of dust that were violently propelled out into deep space. We stared at the monitors in awe. The power that this weapon unleashed was almost beyond belief. We proceeded to annihilate several more asteroids, before the order was given to cease-fire. The Interlude had passed her final tests with flying colors. All of the operational tests were now completed, and the ship had functions flawlessly. Since our mission was completed, the captain give us orders to lay in a course to Anton. We maneuvered away from the asteroid Belt, and blasted into deep space. It was 12 days later when we dropped out of Inversion Drive, at the approach point of the Spaceport. We later learned, that some of the crew on watch duty in scanner division, nearly jumped out of their iso-seats when he requested docking instructions. It seems that they had no idea that we were there. We all had a good laugh about that one.

I spent the next week with my wife Mary, doing the things that we had never managed to find the time to do before. On the last day of my leave, we decided to visit the Hydra village that was located on the banks of the Denar River. The Hydra’s, were humanoid creatures that spent much of their time, digging clay from the riverbanks. The rest of their time was allocated to creating the finest pottery that was available on Anton. They traded and sold the pottery, for money, food, tools, and small machinery so that they could further refine their art, and live a meager existence. The Hydra’s were a friendly race, but seemed to prefer their own company over that of humans. They rarely ventured from their village, except to sell their earthware.

We were up before sunburst, and spent most of the early part of the day, taking a leisurely cruise down the Denar. The river itself was about two hundred feet wide and was bordered on both sides by tall Sateri trees that had red trunks and pale yellow leaves. They were nothing like the green vegetation that I had seen from pictures, back on earth. The river itself, was the color of burnt umber with streaks of red and orange coloring, probably caused by clay deposits on the bottom. The air had a slightly sweet fragrance and was crystal clear. The only sound that could be heard, was that of the turbine blades, swishing quietly through the air. Mary and I sat; holding each other tightly, as we leisurely followed the Winding River that led to the Hydra’s village.

When we reached the village, I learned the Hovercraft a short distance away. The Hydra’s had observed us making the approach to the landing area, and within a few seconds, a small Mill had scampered over to the Hovercraft. He stood about 30 inches tall, and he was probably four to five years old. Mary hunched down on her knees and padded him on the head. He smiled up at her, and took her by the hand. His voice was one of a small boy, " I, Cho Chum, pottery see, Pottery see, Come, Come." He led us to a large clearing in the center of the village, where his family's hut stood.

The hut was constructed from clay and bricks, that were perfectly trimmed, angled, and kiln dried. The roofs were made from Sateri branches that were packed with clay, to prevent leaking and provide extra strength. A second layer of clay was placed on top that interlocked and gave the roofs a tile like appearance. In front of their house, was a table, made from massive chunks of a Sateri tree, where the family displayed much of the pottery that they had produced. Mary, immediately after seeing their display, began picking up each piece of pottery, and studying it with great intensity. She became totally immersed in the myriad of textures and colors of each piece. I could not help but admire the beautiful works of art that these primitive people created.

Mary eventually picked out several fine pieces, and we asked Cho-Chum to find an adult of his family, so that we could pay them. He came back, a short time later, with a large Hydra’s female. See was dressed in a black robe and her feet were bare. She raised her eyes to Mary, and spoke in a soft quiet voice. "Cho-Chum likes you. You must have a good heart. I give you pottery for 18 Denods. " Mary paid her, and then see walked over to me, and looked me squarely in the eyes. "The river says that man stranger will be in great danger soon. Much care. " She turned and walked into her hut.

On the way back from the village, Mary expressed some concern over what the Hydra’s woman had said. Many years ago, it was once believed that the Hydra’s women could see the future, by gazing into the rivers of the Denar. I reassured her, by telling her that it was just a myth. No one really believed that they had such powers.

We landed on our Hover pad, and within a few minutes were in our living quarters. The moment we entered, the VidCom sounded. I switched it to video mode, and a picture of Ensign Peter's flashed on the screen. "Commander Kearn, please switch to scramble mode. " after I did, he continued on. "An emergency has come up, Commander, the Interlude will be getting underway as soon as all personnel report aboard. I repeat. All personnel are ordered to report aboard, within 24 hours. " I acknowledged that I understood the order, and then the screen went dark. Mary, with a frightened look on her face, walked over and took me in her arms, and said, "I hope you're right about the Hydra’s woman. I don't think I could make it without you. " She then started to cry. A short time later, our love making dried her tears away.

When I stepped aboard the Interlude the following day, there was a flurry of activity occurring on the cargo deck. There were hundreds of men and machines, moving supplies to storage areas. Cargo shuttle's were unloading tons of supplies as quickly as possible, and then departing the ship very rapidly and with great regularity. Upon departure of one shuttle, another would take its place, and begin unloading its cargo. I was amazed, because the scene on the loading ramp reminded me of an army of ants, working in total unison, and with great speed and precision. It became quite obvious that an extended flight was being planned, and a major event had occurred. The officers were summoned to the briefing room. When I arrived, every officer on board was there. The place was packed so tightly, that one could barely move. There was a great feeling of excitement, when the captain stood up from his seat after all had arrived, and said, "Men, it seems that the colony on Haltheion was attacked a short time ago. The last message we received, was that they were under attack by unknown forces, and that all their major cities had been destroyed. No other messages were received from them. Several hours later, we picked up a message from a Menori freighter who was bound for Haltheion . He was about 40 thousand kilometers astern of the invasion fleet, so he managed to stay undetected, during the onslaught. He stated that the origin of the attack fleet was from the Beta S system. We have received orders to take whatever action is needed, to halt any further aggression against our colonies. This includes destruction of the invasion fleet. Gentleman prepare to get underway. "

Final preparations were finished within a few hours, to make the ship ready. Mooring shuttles pulled the Interlude away from the dock, and within a short time she was abreast of the space marker at the entrance of the spaceport. Maneuvering thruster's were fired as soon as the Mooring craft dropped away, and the Interlude quickly engaged Inversion drive after leaving the approach point.

One hundred thirty six hours later, the Interlude descended from the heavens, over the largest of the planets in the Beta S system. She was fully armed, and at battle stations. A search was begun, of all the plants in the system, to find the invaders that had wrecked havoc on Haltheion:. Several orbits were made around each plant, to determine if life of any kind existed. The scanners indicated that there was life on only one planet. 12 hundredth attack groups were sent down to search and destroy. They were armed with the most modern weaponry available. As each shuttle touched down, the men on board jumped to the ground, and quickly dispersed to attack formation. All were ready to blast anything that moved. They wanted revenge, for their dead comrades on Haltheion . But there was no enemy to be found. Only tall grass and massive trees, that were for the first time, seen by man. Bewildered, angry and disappointed, they boarded the shuttles, and flew back to the Interlude. A report was later filed, stating that this plant would make a perfect place for settlement. There were no further attacks, anywhere in the colonized sector of space.

Vithar, being named after the vegetation that was found on it, was colonized within six years. It was the largest of the planets in the Beta S system, and close to its two sun's. Vitar's temperature was a constant 75 degrees, and was without a variation of season. The atmosphere was comparable to man, and there were many lakes with ample fresh water. Vithar was a beautiful lush green plant, and its soil would support the growth of any kind of vegetable or fruit. This, coupled with large tracks of lumber, made Vithar seem like a paradise found. Thousands of people, who were quick to realize the value of Vithar, migrated there as rapidly as possible. Not long afterwards, Vithar became the largest producer of food and lumber in its region. Within 10 years, it had become a major commercial trading planet, with the largest spaceport in existence. Vithar had become a great asset to mankind.

It was several years later when the incident occurred. The Interlude, while proceeding on a routine mission to Vithar, was unable to make contact via VidCom. The ship was placed on alert, and maximum thrust was applied. A feeling of other disbelief and doom was felt, when the Interlude dropped out of hyper drive and bits and pieces, of what was once the spaceport, were scattered about, drifting endlessly in space. . The entire planet had been totally devastated. The cities, in a constant state of growth, once proud and tall, appeared as if they had been hammered into the ground by a huge circular hammer. There were deep round craters where the city's had stood. Only death and destruction remained. And one small boy, dazed, tattered, and covered with blood, pointing up to the sky. He was taken up to the ship, given medical attention, bathed, and given a sedative so that he could sleep. It was later determined that his name was Adam, from his VidPrint in SpaceCom files.