Voyage of the Dawn Rider

Chapter 10

Voyage of the Dawn Rider 8.

Once Magiere had returned, and secured the pup, we continued on, Elansa and Dr. Dall performed an autopsy on our alien friend, confirming the evidence from Pyrra. I certainly had to commend both of them, working together; they did a complete work-up on our new enemy. The information I was really after would be more elusive. Spanner was trying to figure out a way to hack into the data tiles but he wasn't very optimistic. Talking things over with Magiere, we felt that the alien craft had to have come from somewhere reasonably close; I thought of a planet, the lieutenant suspected some sort of space station.

Personal journal of Keith Dall;

I've just met the most incredible woman, but I fear I've made a complete "ass" of myself. Her name is Magiere Starle, she's an elf, and, she's the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on. When father told me about the offer to join a joint expedition to uncover the abductions of our citizens. Apparently the elves and that strange race, the Goks have suffered these outrages as well. After calling in every favor owed to me and pulling such strings, as I was able to manage, I am on the list. I was able to talk father into feigning a heart attack thus insuring my place on this venture. Little did I realize at the time our pilot would be such a beautiful woman. Since my clumsy introduction, I've since had a number of occasions to make amends, by sitting with her, and discussing our thoughts concerning this expedition. I find that she is witty, a lieutenant as I am charming, a bit naughty, but on top of all that, she is a real live princess. Her mother is queen of Karenta, the kingdom of the elves on the planet Isseth. I lay awake during my sleep period thinking of ways to impress this woman, yet not playing the "buffoon" which I fear would doom me. I will continue to report on my progress in the coming weeks ahead on my success, or failure with Magiere.

My Journal…..Magiere Starle

Just when I had made my mind up to sleep with captain Demlin…a complication. His name is Keith Dall, and he happens to be a human, of all things. He is accompanying his father as an aid on our expedition to unknown worlds to learn the secret behind these Ogres, and Goks. He appeared clumsy awkward at first but apparently it was due to his initial shyness (how refreshing) Once we were able to sit and discuss things I find him to be everything I sought in a man but up to this point, never found. Witty, but reserved, charming, genuinely interested in me, and what I've got to say, and yes, I'll admit it, in awe of the fact that I'm a princess. Suffice to say, I'll be watching this one very closely.

After the chief and Magiere had a chance to investigate the cache of weapons "captured" from the enemy fighter, they discovered them to be some sort of laser weapon, very high intensity and, very deadly. They seemed to be powered by small cylinders that fit into a chamber on the side of the weapon. The other device appeared to be a data recorder of some kind, but until we could crack their language, it wasn't much good to us. Another "interesting" discovery was that of the ration pack Keith had given me. At the time, I was busy, so I set it aside for later. I remember that after we had moved on from the incident with the enemy fighter, I was spending much more time at the helm, probably too much, but I wanted to keep Magiere "fresh" in case we encountered more fighters. I also had Nessa practically "living" in her little "Bo 'suns" chair watching the scanner screen. I had become very hungry and was thinking about heading to the galley for a snack when I spotted the ration pack lying nearby where I had left it. Removing it from the pasteboard carton I noticed whatever it was came sealed in a metallic wrapper of some kind. Since I couldn't read the human's writing, I shrugged, and opened the package. When I did, an odor so warm and inviting greeted me. My appetite automatically increased twofold, "What was this?" I thought. Somebody else must have smelled it as well, "What is that wonderful smell captain?" popped into my head. "It's some sort of field ration Lieutenant Dall gave me Nessa, here, want to try a piece?" "What! Am I you're food tester?" Laughing, I replied, "Last call Nessa, this thing smells so good, that when I eat it, it's going to be GONE!" Without hesitation, my little scout was off her perch and hovering in front of my face. "Gimmie! Gimmie!" flashed in my brain. "Now just settle down there little lady, sit down on the consol there and I'll give you a little piece." She did as she was told, so I broke off a small piece and set it down in front of her. She immediately grabbed onto it and began to eat. I wasted no time either, and began to eat my piece. It was chewy, but not to the point of excess, a very delightful flavor, it tasted like a very delicious meal I had at one time, but couldn't put my finger on it. All I knew was that when I was finished, I felt full but not to the point of being stuffed, whatever this thing was I was going to have to talk with the lieutenant about a little "trade" perhaps he might be interested in a "Potsie pie" or two. I looked down at Nessa who was somewhat sprawled back against part of the consol looking well sated. "So what did you think Nessa?" She looked up at me and smiled, "Good, very good, I'm so full I don't think I can fly, you say this is some sort of food the humans brought aboard?" "Yes," I replied, "They're some sort of special ration lieutenant Dall has, incredible; I've never had anything like it." I suddenly heard a tiny burp and a Pixie giggle in my head.

Nessa continued to remain where she was on the consol a little while longer then proceeded to fly back to her seat up by the screen. Later, when I had a chance to talk to lieutenant Dall, I asked him about the ration bars. "You liked those eh?" Try living on them for a month you won't be speaking so highly of them. Oh they are good, if you only have one once in a while, the one I gave you was "Sheppards pie" they're designed to keep you going all day, they have all the nutrients and vitamins you need for a day," observed the lieutenant. "Actually they're fairly new, only been available to the troops for a little short of two years now, why, interested in doing a little horse trading?" "Possibly?" I replied, ever have a Potsie pie?" "No," said the lieutenant, but I had been eyeing them, interested in a trade, say one ration for one Potsie pie?" "Deal!" I blurted out. "Oh one thing captain," said Dall. "There are different flavors, I've got a few more Sheppard's pie's, plus "Chicken dinner" Uh, Beef stew, and I think I grabbed a couple "Farm breakfast's" those aren't bad either. I've also got a few X rations, which don't taste like anything, but are more emergency type rations." "Are these something your military has had for awhile," I asked. "These are," replied, Keith, "The standard military rations come in cans; you either heat them up in the conventional way, or heat the can in boiling water. Little more variety there, but they're bulkier, actually pretty good in their own right."

Elansa approached me on the bridge and asked, "Captain, we're done analyzing the body, what should we do with it? We certainly don't have anyplace in sick bay to store it." "Save the space suit, and just throw the body into the airlock and eject it into space," I replied. "As you wish captain." Just as she started to leave, I asked, 'Elansa, have you and doctor Dall reached any conclusions about these people?" "Aside from the fact that they've only got three fingers and a thumb not a whole lot, it's cerebellum is slightly larger than an elf's doctor Dall tells me that it appears slightly larger than a human's, although a humans brain is a bit larger anyway. We found that it's olfactory bulb was very small, they probably can't smell very much. In addition, the cerebral cortex is rather large for the overall brain size, in other words do not underestimate them; I suspect they are extremely intelligent. As they say, dead elves tell no tales, or in this case, dead aliens tell no tales either. The medical school in Bal Sara has equipment for determining brain wave activities, along with mapping brain wave patterns; unfortunately we don't have that kind of equipment on board." "Well that's the breaks," I replied. "Say, Elansa," I said, lowering my voice. "If I'm out of line correct me, but being a Faerie witch, anything you could do along these lines?" Elansa squinted her eyes and pursed her mouth. "What, are you talking about captain, you mean like bring the dead back to life or re-animation?" I shrugged, "Somethinglikr that I guess." Shaking her head Elansa began to talk to herself, "I'm always telling my sisters that we need to do a better job of informing the public on just what being a Faerie witch entails." Taking a deep sigh, she continued. "Captain, I can no more re-animate the dead than I can turn you or anyone else into a goat. I'm not at liberty to discuss with you the things I can do, but please, stop paying so much attention to all that sensationalized crap in the popular press." I looked her in the eye, "I'm sorry Elansa, you're right, I had no call to ask you that, you hear things, stories, old wives tales." Sighing again she replied, "I'm very aware of the stories, but believe me captain, if there was anything I could have done, I most assuredly would have."

Changing the subject, I asked, "How are you getting along with doctor Dall?" Elansa chuckled, "the man is my slave, I suspect he's heard all those stories and old wives tales as well. I can see it in his eyes, viewing me with a combination of awe and fear, but mostly my medical expertise, from offhand comments he's made, I suspect our medical knowledge is somewhat more advanced than theirs. But as for your question, he's a remarkable man, very knowledgeable, and definitely very perceptive." I finished my tour in engineering; Spanner had the section of the alien mainframe computer lying on his workbench, test leads and electrical probes hanging all over it. "How are you coming chief?" "Not good," he complained, waving his hand at the pile of junk lying on his bench. "Their wiring colors are totally different, I think they use a positive ground as well, with minding the systems on this ship, I don't have a lot to devote to this project, but I'll keep plugging away.

Spanner then went on to describe some of the observations he made while aboard the alien wreckage, "A very high technology judging from the control set-up, I cut some small pieces of hull material for later analysis, they may be using some advanced type of metallurgy." Later, everybody gathered on the bridge for a general meeting. Doctor's Leah and Dall tried to form a "picture" of who and what our enemy was, and ideas as to where we should be heading. The chief expressed his thoughts on their technology, still coming no closer to cracking the recovered data files. Magiere thought the enemy's flying skill very good, so in the end, we still had very little to go on, other than we were up against an enemy who was not to be underestimated.

About halfway through my sleep cycle, I was awakened by a call from Magiere, requesting that I come to the bridge. Lieutenant Dall as well as Nessa were already there, I noticed Dall looked a bit nervous like perhaps he and Magiere had been doing a little more than chatting. "Captain, I'm picking up a long range scan of a planet on our ten o'clock quadrant, too early to indicate any life forms, do you want to investigate?" "Why not lieutenant, that fighter had to have come from somewhere, maybe here, Nessa, to your post." I really didn't need to remind her, she now realized her word held weight, and we were all counting on her. Lieutenant Dall continued to linger, so I casually asked, "Lieutenant, don't you think it might be prudent to man your battle station?" "Oh, ah yes sir!" He paused to glance back at Magiere, before heading to engineering, to assist Spanner in case of battle damage. Soon we were within range of our scanner's full capabilities, readings were indicating high levels of space debris forming a belt around the planet, Nessa alerted me a fraction of a second before the scanner did of a large metal object mixed in with a large concentration of planetary debris. "Where did all this debris come from captain?" asked Magiere. We were also starting to pick up high indications of radiation reflecting from the planets surface.