Space Chronicles The Beginning

Chapter 17

Vix ulla tam iniqua pax, quin bello vel aequissimo sit potior.  Scarcely is there any peace so unjust that it is better than even the fairest war.

                        - Erasmus -

Marty took a sip of beer and relaxed back in his favorite chair in the common room between his and Angie’s quarters. “Well, Karl, did you figure out the three stars that the Centaurs indicated were good possibilities for the Roswell alien’s home world?”

“Yes, with the help of Delphi. They’re Tau Ceti, Alpha Mensae and HD 172051, but there are no guarantees that one of these is the actual location.”

“Oh, I don’t know. The Centaurs appear to be very sophisticated. They certainly have a stake in us finding the home world.”

"True, but until we verify this information, we're still in the hunt."

Marty shook his head. "I just had a weird thought. What if the Roswell alien's home star is a thousand light years away and they've colonized hundreds of planets on nearby systems. We'll never find all of them."

"That may not be so far fetched," George said. "We've destroyed thousands of their ships and they just keep coming."

"Well, at least the Centaurs were civil," Tyler, said. "They seem to be a congenial lot."

Karl smiled. “I don’t know about that, but they are a very cultured species. That recital that they did for us was very interesting.”

“It sounded like opera to me,” Marty said.

"I agree, and it definitely had a certain Wagnerian flavor to it," George said.

"It was a very bizarre experience," Marty said. "A bunch of naked aliens singing opera."

George smiled. "Yeah, you don't see that very often."

They laughed.

Angie came out of her quarters wearing a short terrycloth robe and sandals. "I'll be down at the pool."

Marty saluted. "Yes, Captain." He made the mistake of taunting her. "Hey, Commander, can we get a peek at your bathing suit?"

She gave him a playful smirk. "No can do. We wear our birthday suits. That's why it's women only tonight."

Marty rubbed a hand over his face. "I didn't really want to know that."

She gave him a parting grin, turned and sashayed off.

"You had better watch it," George chided Marty. "Or, you'll end up busted to civilian like the rest of us."

"I think she wants you," Karl said.

Marty sighed. "Yeah, she's driving me nuts, but I can't do it. She's the commander, and I can't allow a dumb relationship to influence her decisions. I've been to war, and I know what happens when feelings get in the way. As a commander you have to send people off on dangerous missions. I would be risking all of our lives if I . . ."

"This war can't last forever," Karl said.

"Yeah, and when that time comes, then I'll go full speed ahead."

"And the devil take care," George said.

They laughed. Again.

###

The X-3002 slowly moved out of its dock in silence. The crew realized that they could be in the battle of their lives if they did find the Roswell aliens' home world. The unknown held the spectra of death, and death, not space, was the real final frontier.