Space Pioneer 1 - 22. Chapter 22

"Ezer’s ship will pass the moon’s orbit in twenty minutes," Corr said. "It will pass by in weapon range."

"We can monitor the ship’s movements, but we can’t intercept what’s spoken on the bridge," Hulton said.

"Open a channel to Ezer’s ship," Lest commanded. "I must talk with him. I won’t just shoot his spaceship down."

"If he gets through with his plan, then this will only be the beginning of massive raids in the future," Jeff said.

"I must at least give him a chance to turn around and give up on his plan," Lest replied. "Open a channel, Corr," he commanded.

Lest straightened and looked at the video conference screen. The image was shaky, but then stabilized. Ezer Malk’s face appeared on the screen. The man was grinning.

"What a surprise. How are you doing, Lest?" Ezer Malk greeted the captain.

"Stop your endeavor at once, Ezer, and drop your plan," Lest said. "Whatever you have in mind, it will seriously damage the timeline."

"Who cares?" Ezer asked in a mocking voice. "The Earthlings are a primitive species. They are not entitled to claim the Seth heritage. I won’t negotiate with them; I’ll save the legacy from their hands instead. The Daglons are the righteous heirs and I will negotiate only with the Daglon leadership. I remain in good standing with many powerful men. Really, Lest, who are you to want to stop me? In all honesty, I’m fed up with your going after me all the time."

"Shut up. It was you who came on me, just as a reminder, Ezer," Lest shouted.

All eyes turned to the captain. Ezer smiled contemptuously.

"I don’t really have time for personal sensibilities," he said. "And in all honesty, Lest, I really can’t see why you can’t get over what was not even an affair. I didn’t promise you anything, did I? I wanted to maintain good relations instead. I offered you a position as a pilot on my team, but you couldn’t bring yourself to accept the offer. You could have shared the fame and the fortune that comes with this enterprise, but unfortunately you didn’t see your chance. You were a top pilot, Lest, but, alas, you chose to end up second best. Over and out."

Ezer closed the channel and his face disappeared from the screen. Not a sound was to be heard on the bridge.

"Fire," Lest said into the dead silence. "Plasma missiles one, two, and three at the target. Countdown thirty seconds."

"Captain Lest...," Corr started.

Lest waved his hand and Corr fell silent.

"Captain Lest," Doctor Midad said calmly. "I’d advise..."

"No advice needed," Lest interrupted him.

Lest stared ahead, then slowly looked around on the bridge. His eyes stopped at Jeff. They exchanged a long look. Lest took a breath and made a step back.

"I’m putting aside personal sensibilities, but as the captain of this spaceship, I must take a serious and far-reaching decision. I’ve decided to protect the planet Earth from the intended raid by Ezer Malk and any possible raids in the future. Corr, missiles ready for launch, but wait for my next command. We’ll keep monitoring Ezer’s ship for now."

Lest sat down in his seat. Corr activated the plasma missiles. The men settled in their seats and looked at their devices. A few minutes passed. The tension was fading, but Hulton interrupted the silence with a shout.

"Missile approaching," Hulton warned. "Ezer has fired a H-0 plasma missile. Impact in forty-one seconds."

"Additional shields on," Lest shouted. "Emergency space jump, distance E2. Reprogram missiles after space jump. Set target. Activate plasma missiles one, two, and three."

"Additional shields on," Corr shouted.

"Emergency space jump E2 in three seconds," Le’Ton announced. "Three, two, one."

The spaceship jumped through space and the men were thrown about in their seats. The ship was vibrating heavily after the jump and several alarms went off.

"Space jump drive overheated," an engineer announced over the ship’s intercom.

"Ezer’s missile exploded at distance E2 off our current position," Jeff said.

"Plasma missiles one, two, three reprogrammed and activated," Corr said.

"Ezer’s ship is preparing for a time jump," Hulton announced. He stopped short. "Hell, what’s this?" he said in alarm and turned to Lest in shock. Hulton’s left eye was twitching. "The computer detected a weapon signature coming from Ezer’s ship. An XTRM plasma missile. The pre-sequence is loaded."

"He can’t be serious. He’s far too close to the planet," Le’Ton shouted hysterically.

"Think of the Edyle war," Doctor Midad screamed. "The XTRM missile did not only destroy the targeted second planet, but the first and the third also. This is madness!"

Lest rose to his feet. "How many seconds until time jump and missile launch?" he asked without the faintest sign of mental pressure or stress.

"Thirty-two until time jump and thirty until missile launch." Hulton said.

"He wants to get out of here before the missile explodes," Lest said calmly. "Corr, fire plasma missiles one, two, and three. Countdown three seconds," he commanded.

Corr entered the command and pressed a button. The computer counted down. The numbers showed in red on the main screen. They seemed to change in slow motion. A screaming sound announced the end of the countdown. The three plasma missiles shot off in direction of Ezer’s ship.

"Impact in five seconds," Corr said.

"Time jump reprogrammed. Ezer’s ship will jump in four seconds from now," Hulton said in a stifled voice. "Four, three, two, one."

"Impact," Corr said. "All three missiles found the target."

"Time jump was initiated, possibly not fully activated and completed. Lost connection to Ezer’s ship," Hulton said.

"Scanning the area for debris," Le’Ton said. "Send scans to main screen."

The men looked at the screen. Corr zoomed in to the last position of Ezer’s ship. The screen was black.

"No visual remains. Plasma radiation residuals detected," Le’Ton said.

"Did the missiles hit the ship or did Ezer escape?" Doctor Midad asked nervously from the background.

"Hulton?" Lest asked.

"I’m analyzing the data, captain," Hulton said. "Impact of the missiles 216 milliseconds before the time jump was fully activated. The target’s destroyed."

The men turned their eyes at the captain. Lest was looking at the screen.

"Mission completed," he said.

A few seconds passed. Lest pushed his hands into the pockets of his overall, still looking at the black screen. "Well," he said. "Your last move wasn’t exactly clever, Ezer. I guess it was blindness on your part."

Lest turned to his crew. "You’ve done an excellent job," he said.

He cast Jeff the hint of a smile and Jeff returned it.

Lest turned to Osiris, Imhotep, and Hemiunu. "How did you like your first trip into space," he asked. "I hope you didn’t find it unpleasant and stressful. You can’t really anticipate what you encounter in space at times."

"It was an unforgettable experience," Imhotep said, smiling faintly. "Although it certainly had traits of a nightmare."

Lest gave a laugh and the others joined in. The tensed atmosphere on board disappeared and the men were relaxing.

"All men to the galley," Lest said cheerfully. "I think it’s time we relax."

The day ended with a merry get-together.

***

The men met again the following morning. The atmosphere was serious.

"As the captain of this ship, I must take a difficult decision," Lest said, looking at the three passengers on board of the ship.

Osiris raised his hand. "I know what’s on your mind, Captain Lest," he said. "Imhotep, Hemiunu and I have already discussed it. The discussion was short and the decision unanimous. We want you to take us back to Earth. That’s the place where we belong to."

"I would have taken the risk to change the timeline. I would have taken you to Daglon, if you had wished so," Lest said.

"No need to take this risk," Osiris said with a smile. "Our decision is final."

"We were never meant to leave the planet for good," Imhotep said. "We have often discussed leaving the planet, but we never found a way to build a spaceship. And now that we have the opportunity to leave, it doesn’t appeal to us anymore."

"Why not?" Jeff asked, genuinely surprised.

"Because of you, Jeff," Imhotep said. "You come from Earth’s future and thus we have learned that Seth and Man will survive. We know that our efforts won’t be in vain and now we’re at peace at last."

"Jeff, you told us of the four pyramids in your time. The first one is not yet finished and the three others are not yet built, but I want to accomplish my mission and you let me know that I will," Hemiunu said with a smirk.

Jeff cast him a smile and nodded.

The Seth men were taken back to Earth the following day. They had only asked for a device filled with data of Earth and space. Lest had granted their wish unceremoniously. The men promised to use the data cautiously in order to not damage the timeline. The Horus once again touched down in the desert at night and Lest took the three men to the pyramid compound with the shuttle. Jeff and Doctor Midad accompanied them. Once again the two groups stood facing each other.

"Life is composed of two parts that which is past a dream and that which is to come a wish," Doctor Midad said in ancient Daglon, bowing to the three men.

Jeff and Lest followed Doctor Midad’s example and also bowed to the Seth men.

"What is coming is better than what is gone," Imhotep repeated the greeting, using the modern version of the Daglon language.

He bowed to Lest, Jeff and Doctor Midad. Imhotep and Hemiunu smiled and bowed as well.

"If you ever have the opportunity, come and see us some time," Hemiunu said. "I would want you to see the pyramids in full splendor."

"We have a saying. You always meet twice," Lest said with a smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope our paths cross again," Jeff replied.

"It’s merely a matter of time, I hope," Doctor Midad said.

"After all, space and time are entwined," Osiris replied with a smile.

The three men turned around and entered the pyramid. Jeff, Lest and Doctor Midad stood for an instant, then got back into their shuttle.

The Horus climbed to orbit a couple of hours later and returned to the point in space where they had arrived after their jump into the past. Lest had the computer re-calculate the time jump and the crew double check the systems. This done, the captain commanded the time jump back into the future. The jump was successful.

***

The spaceship was floating in space. The men assembled in the galley.

"We’re close to Cyrus. Our mission’s completed," Lest said.

"I see what’s coming. The Mohic Empire," Le’Ton, the navigator, sighed.

Corr, the pilot, rolled his eyes. Doctor Midad and Jeff exchanged a look, but both remained silent. Lest didn’t reply and turned his eyes to Hulton instead.

"I know what you’re going to tell me, captain," Hulton said, straightening in his chair. "I have prepared myself for it. I must get off your ship. This was the deal, Captain Lest."

"Hulton, I want to thank you for your excellent work. We would not have made it without you," Lest said.

The captain paused, looking from one to the other. Jeff and the Daglon men acknowledged his words with a nod. Hulton cleared his throat.

"I have truly enjoyed this trip. I have learned a lot," Hulton said simply, the cynical man apparently at a loss of words or not in the mood for cutting remarks.

Lest looked at him seriously, but then the predatory smile appeared on his lips.

"I was thinking," he said. "I would be a fool to let go such a talent. I’m offering you a job on board of my ship. Would you accept it? What do you think, Hulton?"

Hulton looked at Lest in disbelief, but then a smile appeared on his lips.

"I will gladly accept your offer. Thank you very much, Captain Lest. I feel truly honored," he said.

"Welcome on board of my ship, Hulton," Lest said with a smile, then turned to the others. "I was thinking. I’ve made my mind up on where we’ll go next," he said.

"Not the Mohic Empire?" Jeff asked.

"Not the Mohic Empire," Lest said with a smirk. "We’ll take a vacation. Three weeks on Daglon. How does this sound to you?" he asked.

The men were enthusiastic about the prospect. Lest had the Horus make a space jump to Daglon. The ship touched down in Amun and the men separated to pursue their own pleasures and plans. Lest and Jeff travelled to the Beliad region.

***

They were standing under the willow-tree that marked the burial place of Jeff’s comrades. Three marble stones were erected with the men’s names engraved on them. Dawn was breaking and the first light of the sun showed on the horizon. Hundreds of birds were singing, greeting the new morning as the sun of Daglon was rising.

"I promised you that we will come back to the place. Now here we are," Lest said.

"It’s a beautiful morning," Jeff replied. "I’m coming to terms with my past and I look forward to the future."

He turned his eyes to Lest. They exchanged a long look. Jeff reached out his hand and Lest seized it.

***