Tales of the Canterbury Nebula

Unknowingingly Advanced

Reluctantly, Vada rose his hand. “I will tell my story next.”

Gnosarac nodded. “Please, proceed.”

Vada sighed. “Well, as my father had said, I flew out to the Canterbury Nebula to confirm my findings regarding an anomaly I had detected. I radioed my intentions while enroute in my short range shuttle. My father urged me to wait for more experienced explorers and scientists to examine my finding. I ignored him as my intention was to take a number of scans then return…”

At first, everything was going according to plan. There were no incoming jumps scheduled for the time I had allowed for myself. There was adequate time to perform my scans, gather my data and return before midday meal. Only the data that I was receiving showed that the gravitational engines keeping the jump-gates in place were the anomaly. The powerful electrical magnetic pulses they were giving off reacted with dense gases and radiation that made up nebula. This spawned large and unstable wormholes around the various jump gates. They all opened at random whenever the pulses were at their strongest. I knew I had to get out and away from the nebula as quickly as possible. Only before I could make any move, disaster struck. I found myself directly in front of one of the unstable wormholes the moment it opened. Every screen immediately went red with warnings. Every alarm sounded, adding to my existing panic. What I saw next turned my blood cold with a primal horror. The wormhole looked like a literal tear in the fabric of reality itself. I saw swirling clouds of gas, lit with radiation, and literal lightning within as I were looking into an opening into the dead world of the condemned. For a second, I hesitated, then struggled with the controls. Only it was all in vein; I was being violently pulled in.

I heard the communicator come to life but I could not make out the transmission. “Sorry, father…”

The trip through the wormhole was intense. I was traveling at an insane pace; passing system after system as if I were passing lanterns on the street. I was honestly shocked that my ship held together as it did. Then, as quickly as it had begun, I was out, through to the other side. One by one, the screens returned to normal and the alarms ceased blaring. In fact, most of them were not coming back online at all. I looked around to find I was in the Sol system. Worse, I was uncomfortably close to the home of Humanity; a planet known as Earth. It was hard to imagine, I had been thrown nearly five hundred thousand light years from the council worlds in mere seconds.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. “What a rush! I must report this to the council at once! Those gravitational engines need to be recalibrated! The wormholes they spawn are a hazard! I just need to figure out how…”

My options were depressingly limited. My communication console, though state of the art, was nowhere near strong enough to reach half way across the galaxy. I had no FTL communication probes to send a distress call. Worse, my shuttle was designed for planet to planet travel only; I was quite not old enough to get an FTL pilot license. Then, my hopes rose just a little when I spotted The Locust, one of Teranor’s living long range starships. I saw an escape pod being launched, which I found odd. I wondered what they were doing traveling so close to Earth. On the other hand, I was in no position to ask any questions. I hailed them.

“This is Vada, Science Class, approaching you from your stern on the left flank! I have been pulled through an unstable wormhole near jump gate fifty five! I require emergency assistance! I am transferring all my collective data now!”

Their reply was immediate but it was not what I was hoping for. “This is Teranor exploratory vessel, Locust. We have received your call for aid. An FTL communique drone will be dispatched to your world of Dylax immediately. Stand by for rescue.”

I saw the torpedo like drone launch from the ship just before they went into FTL flight. Then my computer AI gave it’s damage report in its usual nonchalant tone. “Warning. All major systems are overloaded. Defense charges are offline, shields are holding at twenty percent. Emergency repairs are required…”

I could only sigh in frustration. “Perfect! Just perfect!”

The communique drone, although capable of faster than light travel, would take about two Earth days to reach my home world. That is if it was programed to use the jump gates. Without them, it would take a week or more. The Teranors made no mention of the life pod that was launched. It made me wonder but, again, I did not ask them either.

“At least I won’t be stranded here forever.”

With a sigh, I turned to the Earth and searched for an isolated place to land. I consulted the onboard AI. “Computer, please find a location where I may hide my shuttle in plain sight.”

The computer beeped at me. “Searching… Searching… Error.”

I sighed. “That helps…”

I turned to the manual scanners to find a place where I could hide my shuttle in plain sight and wait for a rescue. Presently, the sensors picked up something unusual. It was rows upon rows of low altitude fighters and bombers resting in a large expanse of open desert. I found it highly irregular to display an aerial fleet of fighters out in the open. However, it did offer an all too perfect location to hide my shuttle. I immediately adjusted course and took a route that looked safe. With the on board AI damaged, I had no idea I was about to encounter orbital debris and artificial satellites. The shields took the damage from the debris but I had to quickly maneuver around a small satellite to avoid a collision. Still, I entered the atmosphere in one piece and approached my destination. To my surprise, as I came within five miles of the desert, a stern voice came over the communication console.

I was a human; likely one of authority. “Unidentified aircraft, you are in restricted U.S. airspace. Cease intent and proceed east out of the area.”

I sighed. “So much an easy place to hide.”

I was tempted to communicate but the stories of humanity’s unchecked aggression towards each other caused me to rethink that idea. I decided to continue on course and hope I can hide among the hundreds of low altitude fighters. Truth be told, my shuttle closely resembled many of the fighters so I believed I had a good chance of success. That belief was crushed when the communication console again came to life.

It was the gruff human again. “Unidentified aircraft, two jets have been dispatched to intercept you. They will escort you to Davis Monthan Airforce Base. If you do not comply we will use lethal force.”

I gulped at that, seeing two low altitude fighters appear on my flanks. They were clearly armed with wing mounted missiles and, no doubt some form of onboard offensive weapons. “These guys don’t mess around…”

With no other option, I reluctantly followed the two jests to a runway not far from the many rows of other, older low altitude fighters I had to hide among. I cursed at myself for not doing a quick scan for signs the area was protected. I landed my shuttle in formation with the two escorts but activated what was left of my shields just in case. I feared the humans would immediately decide to attack. That fear was well founded as the humans did not waste time to surround my shuttle. Four ground vehicles with mounted weapons surrounded me. Dozens of humans filled the gaps, primitive weapons at the ready. None of them fired but I could see their readiness to do so if needed in their eyes. These were indeed a hostile species.

Then the voce of the gruff human came through my communicator. “Unidentified pilot, power down your aircraft now.”

I could tell by the tone, the human was not making a request and I doubted he would wait long for a response. With a low resigned sigh, I powered down the shields and engines. I was not about to test the human’s patience and quickly opened the cockpit. It was when I removed my helmet that everything seemed to shift. All of the humans took a step back, letting out a collective gasp.

I decided to take advantage of the pause, thankful that I had taken the time to learn some of the humans many odd languages through their many broadcasts and something they call the world-wide web. “I am Vada of the planet Dylax. My shuttle was damaged due to an unfortunate encounter with an unstable wormhole that brought me to your world. I have sent word of my situation to my people. I am here to request emergency assistance under your own laws regarding a ship in distress.”

No one moved but their weapons remained ready, trained upon me. The tension was palatable as the silence dragged on for a full minute before one human stepped forward. He was several inches taller than the rest and visibly muscular.

“I am Base Commander Jon Summers of the United States Marine Corps. Welcome to Earth, noble traveler. Disembark from your vessel and I will escort you to debriefing.”

I sighed. “Interrogation you mean…”

Jon’s expression was unreadable. “Are you going to give us a reason to interrogate you?”

I shook my head. “No. I will follow you peacefully.”

I disembarked from my shuttle and immediately felt a slight sting in my neck just as I touched the ground. The world around me began to spin. Before I could react, I found myself falling to the ground just before darkness took me. I do not know how long I was unconscious. I had no idea what the humans had done to me during that time. Eventually, I woke up, my body aching. Looking around, I found I was lying under the covers of a bed in a comfortable setting. Rubbing the back of my head, I pulled the covers off myself to find that I was wearing odd clothing.

A moan escaped my lips, seeing the clothing adorned with unknown childish images. “I can just hear my family and friends laughing at me all the way back home."

Pushing myself off the bed, I walked over to what I assumed was the exit. Only the door was locked tight. There was some form of odd card lock on the wall next to the door at eye level. With a huff, I scanned the room, hoping to find some alternative exit. No such luck; there were no windows. The only other door lead to what appeared to be a small, personal grooming station. It was bare except for a waste processor, sink, and a water based body cleanser of some form.

I fumed at my situation, cursing at myself for my recklessness. "I've been kidnapped. Why didn’t I listen to father and wait…"

Just then, the door beeped. Instinctively, I leaped up to the ceiling and changed my skin color to perfectly match those of my surroundings. The door opened and I saw a Base Commander Jon enter with a small tray. On it was a number of wrapped foods and two large cups of some liquid that smelled delightful. He placed the tray down on a table then sighed, looking up at me with a bemused grin. That was when I remembered I was not wearing my skin suit anymore. He could see me in those ridiculous childlike clothing they had placed on me.

Jon waved at me, as if to mock me. “That’s a really neat trick there, kid. Only, if you are going to pull it off, you might want to consider removing those clothes first. You stick out like a sore thumb.”

I grunted then dropped back down, becoming visible to face him. The human motioned me to sit down. As I reluctantly did, he sat down on the opposite side of the table. "My name is Sargent Jon Summers; we met several hours ago. Your name is Vada, if I am not mistaken. The good news is that the medics gave us the okay to feed you our food.”

I snorted. “You examined me while I was unconscious.”

Jon nodded. “Place yourself in my position, Vada. What would you have done? Now then, if you don’t mind, how do you know our laws and language?”

I knew the answer and I also knew that arguing about it would not help my position so I simply sighed and nodded. “We learned your language through your many broadcasts and your laws through what you call the world wide web.”

Jon nodded back and motioned to the tray. "Sorry, it’s not much. I had to raid the vending machines. Still, it’s not half bad and it is better than nothing."

I looked at the tray but did not make a move, even though I was very hungry. "Where am I and how long do you intend to hold me? Word has already been sent to my home world of my situation.”

Jon’s face turned stern. "Easy, now. First, we took a risk, not knowing what our sedatives would do to you. A medical evaluation was necessary. Second, be thankful we detected you before a less friendly nation did. Third, you are under the protective custody of the United States government at Davis Monthan Airforce base. This is one of our crew housing accommodations. The card lock was installed for your protection. If you were to wander into the wrong part of the base, you would not live to regret it.”

I sighed, better understanding my situation. I did not like it but I was clearly in no position to make any demands. "Sorry, I'm having a really bad day."

Jon nodded. "I've had a few of those myself. Let's start with getting some breakfast in and then I would like to ask you some questions regarding your shuttle and your world."

I sighed. “I’m afraid I cannot do that, Sergeant. Place yourself in my position. What would you do?”

Jon cracked a smile. “Touché.”

As Davis and I shared the odd morning meal and what he called herbal tea, we engaged in what he called small talk. It was a dance of careful, calculated moves through casual conversation. I started with my fears of humans using the intercepted movie broadcasts as reference. Jon responded by telling me the fears of humanity, using similar references. We went back and forth for a short while and I soon became comfortable with our talk.

Jon casually took a sip of his tea. “Your shuttle made very little noise though it obviously has powerful engines.”

I did not catch on at first. “That’s because we don’t use a combustible fuel for our shuttles.” I paused, seeing Jon raise an eyebrow and frowned. “Very clever, human…”

Jon shrugged. “You can’t blame me for trying. Still, now that you had said that, I’m curious. What fuel do you use?”

I sighed. “We use what we call bio-nuclear crystals. I doubt they exist on your world. They emit incredible amounts of power when subjected to a mild electrical current. The more current, the higher the power output.”

Jon nodded. “Intriguing…”

I sighed. “Can you help me fix my shuttle? A rescue ship will come for me. Only I fear my father will be very annoyed that I damaged a shuttle he just recently gave me.”

Jon chuckled. “You are like a teenager who had just wrecked their brand new car after getting their license.”

I cocked my head, confused and Jon smiled. “Fathers will always fear the very worst when their children are in trouble. I am certain he will be annoyed but I am also certain he will be more relieved that you are safe.”

I shook my head. “I appreciate the reassurance but you did not answer my question. Can you help me fix my shuttle?”

Jon frowned. “I’m afraid that is above my pay grade…”

My heart sank. “Of course it is…”

Then a beep was heard and another human male entered. Jon stood immediately upon seeing him and gave a salute. The other human saluted back. “At ease, Sergeant.”

I turned from Jon to the other human. “What is going on?”

The other human sighed. “My name is general Brad Stone of the US Marine Corps. I am also head of a covert government organization known as The Storm Chasers.”

Jon seemed confused. “Storm Chasers, sir?”

Brad nodded. “We work behind the scenes, Sergeant. Our mission is to maintain the masquerade that aliens are a myth.” He turned to me. “Sorry I could not come sooner, you are not the first out of towner to pay us a visit today.”

I gasped at that, remembering the escape pod that was launched from the Teranor vessel. “Is the Teranor safe?”

Brad turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “So you know of these beings from the planet called Teranor. Interesting.”

I frowned and muttered, “Shut up, Vada…”

Brad chuckled. “Easy, kid. We know a lot more than you might realize. We just don’t like to broadcast it for the universe to hear; not worth the risk.”

Jon sighed, worry on his face. “Will you be taking Vada here into your custody, general?”

Brad smiled. “No. For now, Vada will be our guest. I will assign some experts to help you repair his shuttle.”

Jon nodded. “Yes sir! Only it may require Vada sharing some of his knowledge of its internal workings.”

I was silent for a moment. “Advanced technology in exchange for services rendered…”

Brad smiled. “It sounds like a fair trade to me.”

Jon took a cautious step forward. “How about a compromise?”

I rose an eyebrow. “Of what nature?”

Jon sat down, looking me in the eye. “You give us schematics of your shuttle and we will do our very best to repair it for you. You can blame us; tell your father that we sneaked it from you.”

I could not help smile at that. “Fair enough.”

Jon nodded then handed me my wrist communicator. I wasted no time to put it on. “Transfer all shuttle schematics to portable AI then transfer them to near proximity data pad.”

The transfer of files was immediate and Brad briefly looked over the schematics. “I believe we can repair your vessel; it will take some time though. In the meantime, you will remain as our guest here on base.”

Jon turned to me and then the general. “Sir; what am I to tell my men? They will ask questions regarding our guest.”

Brad did not even blink. “They are to be told we transferred our guest to another base. Not a soul, other than you and I, are to know he is here. Do I make myself clear, Sergeant?”

Jon saluted. “Yes, sir!”

Brad saluted back then turned to me. “Get some rest while the Sergeant and I make our reports."

He then walked to the door with Jon following and swiped a card. The door buzzed and opened, allowing them to exit. I wanted to follow but Jon stopped me, shaking his head. He gave me a smile. "Welcome to our world, kid."

I fumed, not liking this arrangement one bit. "Wait; don't I get a tour or something?"

Jon chuckled patting my head, causing me to blush. “We will see what we can do."

He then walked out, closing the door, sealing me inside their comfortable prison. I huffed before walking back to my herbal tea. "We’ll see what we can do, he says." I huffed and took a sip of the tea. "This is good."

Hours of nothing to do later, the door buzzed again and Brad entered with thick folder in his hand, closing the door behind him. "Hi there. How are you holding up?"

I sighed, annoyed. "It's about time someone came back! I've been going crazy, sitting here for hours; nothing to do and no one to talk to! Am I guest or a prisoner?!" I sighed to calm myself. "Did you at least bring me something to read?"

Brian rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… sorry about that. I'll make sure you get plenty of things to keep you occupied soon." He sat down and pushed the folder towards me. "These are all of the schematics you had provided for your shuttle and all of the schematics of our own fourth generation orbital shuttle. Some of the tech you provided we have. However, none of it is used the way your shuttle does.”

I shrugged. “Different worlds, different ideas…”

Brian chuckled at that. “Yes, well… It would speed things along if you walked me through the details of the damaged parts of your shuttle. We can only use what we have available so your insight would be helpful.”

I sighed and opened the folder. I wasn’t expecting to see much regarding human technology which was what made my shock and surprise all the more profound. The schematics of their orbital shuttle was rudimentary in design. However, it had almost all it needed for faster than light travel. All it lacked was a subtle change here and there. I had to admit, I never considered using multiple particle accelerators as a limitless source of power. It was dangerous, borderline insane, but that was what made humans so unpredictable.

I could not help feel a begrudging respect. “You humans are closer than you think.”

Brad raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

I winced, inwardly scolding myself for thinking aloud. I then paused, searching for the right words. “There is an anomaly in your shuttle’s design.”

Brad tilted his head, intrigued. “What sort of anomaly?”

I sighed, knowing I was likely going to get hell for helping the humans advance. Still, they had already figured it out on their own; they just had not realized it yet. “Your engine design has the potential to generate incredible amounts of power but you are doing it the hard way.”

Brad straightened. I had caught his full attention. “Explain.”

I motioned to the schematics. “You assume that particles need to spin in a long tube using magnetism and intermittent positive and negative electrical charges.”

Brad nodded. “Go on…”

I nodded back. “However, if you simply apply the same principle to vibrate multiple nuclear particles in their own chamber until they are vibrating near the speed of light…”

Brad paused, taking my words in. He looked at the schematics of his shuttle then smiled. “You get the same energy output with a fraction of the space.”

I shrugged. “Different worlds, different ideas.”

Brad gave me a look that was something akin to respect. “I think you would make a valuable member to our team, what do you say?”

I shook my head. "With all due respect, general, I just want to return home."

Brad’s expression turned serious. "I am afraid that will not be possible at present, Vada. The shuttle that brought you here is being dismantled as we speak. We will be studying it with a fine toothed comb…"

I stood up, furious. “You what!?!”

Brad startled me by yelling, “Sit down!”

His voice made my ears hurt and ring. Still, I folded my arms in angered defiance. “You never had any intention to help me repair my shuttle! I am taking a huge risk helping you the best I can! What do you want from me!?!”

Brad’s face hardened, making him appear even more frightening. "Are you done? Good! Sit… down!”

Grudgingly, I slowly sat down though I still had an unmistakable scowl on my face. My forked tongue flashed out in frustration. Brad took a breath to calm himself before addressing me again. “Look, Vada; we do not have the technology required to repair your shuttle. We will need to study it, reverse engineer it, and rebuild it. We can only go by what we know, what we can learn and what you are willing to teach us.”

I grunted. “Unless I help you. Understand, my people are still coming for me.”

Brad nodded. “I understand that but you need to understand that if you want us to repair your shuttle, we need to know exactly what makes it tick.”

I could feel tears forming in my eyes. “All of this trouble because I needed to prove one can be of any class.”

Brad paused. “What are these classes you speak of.”

I frowned, tears beginning to flow. I was too emotional to think and just spilled out the answer. “The social order of my world is ruled by a class system. The Governing and Diplomatic class share the highest power.”

Brad grunted. “The governing class makes the laws. What of the Diplomatic class?”

I sniffed, trying to control my emotions. I knew I should not talk about my world to the humans. Only all of my frustrations and fears were pouring out like a break in a dam and I could not stop them. “The diplomatic class represent their world’s leaders and the voice of its people. The governors retain power until it is proven to the diplomats that they have become corrupt.”

Brad raised an eyebrow. “Who keeps the diplomats in line?”

I sniffled again. “The diplomats remain in power until it is proven they have become corrupt to the warrior class who enforce the laws. It only takes one misstep for a governor or diplomat to lose their position.”

Brad nodded. “I take it the governing class and diplomatic class keep the warriors in line.”

I shook my head. “The Warrior class defends their world and the laws of their people. They have the power to police the people but the working class holds the power of the justice system. If anyone of the warrior class become corrupt, the people have the power to revoke their class status.”

Brad seemed to have been weighing in every word as I explained the social order of my world. “Who are the working class?”

I sighed. the worker class makes up all the blue collar workers including farmers, miners, construction crews, judges and so on. Although they have little power as individuals, they hold a lot of power when they move as one.”

Brad nodded. “The civilians, or working class of my world have similar powers if they move as one.”

I smiled, glad there were some similarities. “The science class has the highest authority but no real governing power.”

Brad grunted. “I take it they are the scientists, engineers, doctors and so on.”

I nodded. “They have the power to determine a governor, diplomat or warrior is medically unable or unfit to continue their tasks and force them into retirement. They can declare a building unsafe and have it refitted, rebuilt or torn down.”

Brad nodded. “Are there any other classes?”

I nodded. “The members of the explorer class are responsible for mapping uncharted corners of Dylex and the galaxy around them. They escort diplomats to new worlds for fist contact protocols and assess the potential threats of newly discovered worlds.”

Brad was silent for a moment. “Let me guess… you have no power to decide what class you want to be in. Were you were trying to prove you could be an explorer.”

I began to cry freely. “Every Dylaxian must take a standardized test when they come of age. The test scores determine the class they fit in. From there, they can choose whatever job they want within that class. But we can rise up in the classes, learn to do other jobs. I have been studying every job I can in all the classes, trying to prove anyone can be in any class, can do any job they want with training…”

Brad smiled. It was one that showed knowledge. “No system will ever be perfect, Vada. Our system, especially in the military, requires us to know several jobs. It is nowhere near perfect but there are better ways to change your system other than burning yourself out.”

I sniffled. “Such as…”

Brad placed a light hand onto my shoulder. “Ask your diplomatic class if you can simply retake the test. If you had really been studying as hard as you claim, that test would show it, right?”

I opened my mouth to argue but I could not find a single flaw in Brad’s statement. It was such a simple solution that I somehow just could not see it. My shoulders slumped. “I am an idiot…”

Brad smiled. “No; you had it right, Vada. You were just doing it the hard way. On the bright side, you likely have become a Jack of all trades.”

I tiled my head, confused. “A… Jack of all trades?”

Brad nodded. “A Jack of all trades, master of none. It is a person who can effectively work many jobs but is not an expert in either one.”

I gave a hiccup type laugh. “Different worlds, different ideas…”

Brad nodded. “Exactly.”

I took a moment to compose myself before turning back to Brad. “Thank you for listening. What would you have me do?”

Brad lightly patted be on the shoulder. “I do not know about your world but our world is still divided. Your knowledge will make you dangerous to our enemies.”

I gulped. “They would try to take me or silence me, if they were to ever learn of me.”

Brad nodded. “All we ask of you is to be our official adviser on the construction of your new shuttle. "What do you say, want to be part of the team?"

Barely keeping myself together, I slowly nodded. "Okay; I'm in.”

With that, I completely broke down, crying out my frustrations. Brad pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. It was a strange custom but it somehow made me feel a little better.

Brad then slowly rocked me back and forth as if I were still a young hatchling. “You made the right choice, Vada. Believe me, you made the right choice."

Twenty minutes later, I was escorted by Jon into a meeting room inside the same building I was currently living in. There, I was greeted by General Brad who silently motioned me to take a seat. There were four other people seated at the table, none who I had recognized. Once Jon sat down, Brad began the meeting.

“Our friend here, like our other visitor in Oklahoma, has found himself on Earth by accident. He has requested us to repair his ship in exchange for technology.”

The four nodded but did not speak and Brad turned to Jon who stood to speak. “From Vada had told us, and we did confirm, we are very close to obtaining faster than light travel. We simply did not know it.”

Brad nodded. “Vada here will be overseeing the reconstruction of his shuttle.” He then turned his attention to me. “You may call these four Alpha, Beta, Charlie and Delta. They are part of my team and remain nameless for their protection. If they need your assistance, they will ask.”

I nodded at the four who silently nodded back. I found it more than slightly unnerving. “Um… why do they not speak?”

Brad gave a faint of a smile, as did the four men. “Protocol. It’s nothing personal. They will talk to you when necessary.”

Although I found it strange, I nodded. “I understand…”

Jon motioned to a data pad in front of everyone. “Look over the schematics and turn in any questions or concerns by nine hundred hours. Construction begins tomorrow at Zero hundred six hours.”

Brad then turned to me. “Jon will escort you back to your room where your dinner is waiting. Be certain to get plenty of rest; we have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

With that, Jon escorted me out of the room back to my spacious, comfortable prison. Upon opening the door for me, Jon knelt down and spoke in a hushed tone. “The fewer people know about you, the better. Strange weather phenomenon have been occurring all over the world. If word gets out that we are holding, worse aiding alien visitors, it could cause an unnecessary panic.”

The news startled me. “My vessel is not capable of triggering what you had described.”

Jon hushed me quiet. “We know that. However, we can’t take the risk of raising a panic which is why the less you talk to people the better. You must remain as much a mystery as possible.”

I pouted. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Jon patted my head. “The general told me to use any resources at my disposal. Enjoy your dinner and get some rest. I will be waking you at zero four hundred hours.”

With that, he was gone, the door closing and locking behind him. Sighing, I turned to my room and found a tray of food resting upon a small table. With a sigh, I sat myself down and began to eat my evening meal. “Lower and lower; just how deep does the rodent hole go…”

A feminine voice replied, startled me, "It goes very deep, kid.”

I jumped up from the edge of the bed and turned to find a woman in military fatigues standing in the doorway. “Listen up, Vada, My name is Sargent Rachel Smith. I'm not a fan of babysitting so I'll appreciate it if you listen and obey the rules.”

It took me a moment to answer. “I thought this was my room.”

Rachel smiled. “It is; but I’ve been bunked next door to ensure your safety. Now listen, any knowledge you may possess of your world’s technology makes you a valuable commodity."

"Which is why they won't send me home." I said, sadly. "Me and my big mouth."

Rachel gave a half grin. “Live and learn, kid.”

I sighed. “What are your rules?”

Rachel sat down next to me on the bed, causing me to blush. “Rule number one; do not talk to anyone outside of those you met in the meeting room without mine, Jon’s or Brad’s clearance."

I sighed. "Yes, ma’am."

Rachel paused before handing you a card. “Rule number two is to drop the ma’am crap. Just call me Rachel.”

I nodded. “Okay, Rachel.”

Rachel motioned to the card lock. “Rule number three; you are permitted to walk freely around the house but never go outside without an escort.”

I nodded. “I’m guessing rule number four is to never answer the door for anyone.”

Rachel smiled. “You catch on quick, kid. Your card only gives you access to your bedroom. Only Commander Summers, General Brad and I have access to enter the dwelling.”

I wanted to roll my eyes but common sense won out and I simply nodded. “Understood, Rachel.”

“Rule number five is to never enter my bedroom. I am certain your world has similar rules.”

I nodded. “Entering my little sister’s room without permission will get one a shower of perfume.”

Rachel laughed. “I just might implement that idea. Now, rule six is to not wander off anywhere without one of the three I had mentioned at your side. The guards on this base will shoot first and ask questions later if they do not recognize you.”

I gulped before nodding. “That makes sense.”

Rachel nodded, satisfied. “Good. The final rule is to follow my orders immediately and without question as I am in charge of your safety."

I again , tears forming. "Yes, Rachel, I understand."

Rachel sighed. “Hey, there, I know it sucks being stuck on a world that is alien to you. The good news is you will not be stuck for too long. At least, while you are here, you could teach us a few things and maybe we can teach you too.”

I sighed, knowing Rachel was right. "I'll do the best I can.”

Rachel smiled then roughed up my hair, causing me to blush. “I heard you only had to eat all day was those nasty snacks from the vending machines. How do you feel about left over stew?"

I shrugged. "I'll try anything once."

Early the following morning, I was awakened as promised and I shared a morning meal with Jon who went over the planned goals for the day. “The first hurdle is the hull; it is a material we cannot identify.”

I smiled. “You have it. You just have not discovered it yet.”

Jon grunted. “Care to share that secret?”

I sighed, causing Jon to frown. “It’s not a secret. The closest name that fits is hell-metal. The hotter it gets, the stronger it becomes.”

Jon nodded, intrigued. “I think I saw something similar in a movie once. Something about the core of the Earth.”

I smiled, knowing the movie reference. “Yes but it is not as complicated as that movie makes it.”

I turned to my wrist mounted data pad and sent an image to Jon’s own data pad. He studied the material’s composition, surprise evident on his face. “You have to be kidding me…”

I giggled. “As I said, you humans are closer than you think.”

Jon chuckled in spite of himself. “As I said, you can blame me. We sneaked this from you.”

I nodded. “What’s our next agenda?”

Jon motioned to his data pad. “The next goal is to fit our new engine into your little shuttle.”

I cocked my head, confused. “Why? The engine in my shuttle is still operational.”

Jon smiled. “True. Only it does not have faster than light capability. If we can get you home before a rescue party is dispatched, your father may not be as annoyed with you.”

I gave a rueful smile. “You humans truly are unpredictable.”

Jon chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Twenty minutes later, Rachel and Jon escorted me into a heavily guarded hangar where the four men were waiting. With them was a full crew of men, all standing at attention. I recognized them as base soldiers under Jon’s command.

I turned to him, confusion on my face. “I thought the general aid no one was to know of my presence.”

Jon gave me a conspiratorial wink. “The general had to leave to deal with a situation regarding your Teranor friend. It will all be in my report… after you head home.”

It took me a moment to catch on. When it clicked, I could not help smile. “The general ordered you to use any resources at your disposal…”

Jon chuckled. “You catch on quick, Vada.”

Work began immediately. I was not permitted to explain the exact process the humans used. Still, what they managed to create was surprising far better than anything my world had ever developed. Their particle accelerator engine, although it was designated as experimental, was a wonder of engineering. It was not perfectly compatible with my shuttle’s systems but the humans proved to be full of surprises. They adapted and found a way to make it work. By the end of the first week, we had made significant progress. The hull of the ship was redesigned and constructed and the new human designed engine had been installed. Still, there was a lot of work left to do.

Jon let out a low whistle as we all admired our work thus far. “Normally, this would have taken us decades to develop. Only we seem to be knowing exactly what the others are thinking. It is really speeding up the process.”

I smiled. “It’s strange how much faster things move forward without, what did you call it, red tape.”

Jon laughed, though I sensed a bit of concern. “Yeah. Red tape is a thorn in everyone’s side here on Earth.”

I sighed, happy everything was going well thus far. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

Then Alpha stepped up. He was a tall and imposing man wearing a different uniform than the others. “It’s all trivial compared to what we had accomplished in just a few days.”

I smiled at that but then a thought came to me. “I’m afraid I may have just changed your world’s political dynamics.”

Alpha grunted. “As you said, we were very close to cracking this ourselves. We just had not realized it yet.”

Jon nodded. “Maybe, when we do meet other worlds, it will be enough of a shock to get all our nations to stop bickering and race to the negotiating table. Maybe even start working together for once.”

Seeing an opportunity in the casual conversation, I decided to press my luck a little. “Were you guys able to arrange a tour for me? Or is everything on clear display here classified?”

Both Jon and Alpha flashed a half grin. My sarcastic comment did not go unnoticed. Jon then motioned to the jeep that carried me to the hangar. “We have a number of books about our aviation history and detailed articles regarding our fighter jets. They are waiting for you on a data tablet in your quarters along with your evening meal. I am certain you will find it intriguing.”

Before I could answer, a soldier ran in and quickly saluted Jon who saluted back. “Sir, we have an unscheduled tour driving onto the base… reporters.”

Everyone, including myself moaned. Alpha turned to me, curious. “You have reporters on your world as well?”

I sighed. “Yes; we call them class investigators. They do a good service to inform us of the actions of each classes but, judging by your reactions, they have the same perfect timing.”

This was greeted by a collective chuckle from the group before Jon escorted me back to the jeep. He then barked to the driver, “Get him back to his quarters!”

The soldier saluted. “Yes, sir!”

Jon then turned to Rachel. “Do not let anyone from the press to see him! They’ll likely blow this all out of proportions!”

With that, we were off, back towards the soldier quarters with me wearing a dark hoodie to hide my face. We had to drive by the reporters but they seemed more interested in the sudden increase of security on the base. As instructed, I did not talk to the driver but Rachel did. “So, what do they call you?”

The soldier cracked grin. “They call me Boogey Man. We are only allowed to refer to ourselves by the nicknames our fellow soldiers and or commanding officers give us.”

I raised an eyebrow, turning to Rachel. “Have the soldiers here given me a nickname?”

Rachel grinned. “You really do not want to tempt them, kid. Not everyone likes the nicknames they are given.”

I tilted my head, taking in Rachel’s words. “So, it is a rite of passage in your military?”

Rachel nodded. “In a way, yes.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Intriguing. Still, I wonder what brings those reporters here…”

Rachel sighed. “The reporters on our world really do not have an easy job. They go where the action is. They give the people of their nation live video and commentary of what is happening in our world. True, there are a couple who can be annoying but you will find that in any occupation.”

I nodded. “That makes sense. Only why are they here?”

Rachel shrugged. “The press often rely on tips from the public. One person notices something strange going on and calls it in. They then investigate, hoping for a good story to tell.”

I grinned. “I can imagine their faces when they find nothing of interest or better find my ship.”

Rachel laughed. “We’re going to miss you around here, kid. You brought some much needed excitement.”

Minutes later, I was back in my room. There, I found my meal and a data pad with the information on human technology as promised. I casually enjoyed the food that was served while going over the material I had been given. I was amazed by how quickly human’s technology had advanced. They made leaps and bounds in times of conflict and not just between nations. It was struggles against natural disasters, illnesses, and the unknown. Humans seemed to thrive in conflict. It made sense, considering they evolved on a high class death world. It was then I made a critical decision. I looked through the data again and began leaving cryptic hints in the footnotes of each file. They were nothing huge but enough to, if they were smart enough, help them over the threshold to be on par with the council worlds.

I could not help chuckle. “These humans become more fascinating by the moment. Even without my subtle hints, they are advancing at an alarming rate. If they can figure out my hints, they’ll be on par with the council worlds by the end of the next decade.”

I worked well into the night, more and more enthralled with how quickly humans had advanced over the past few decades. Then, I discovered humanity’s ancient technology. Not the simple tools or the massive pyramids but technology that became lost to time. Messages and warnings hidden within the hieroglyphics. What was more shocking to me was that it was in the ancient language of a sentient robotic race from a planet called Digitex. They called themselves Mechanicks. With my eyes wide in shock and disbelief, I read the hidden message within the image on the data pad.

We must start our civilization anew. We send our creations, our children to the stars. May we one day meet as we rise again.

The realization was so deeply profound, I was completely at a loss for words. Humanity was once far more advanced than even the oldest of the council worlds. Then for reasons I could not even dream of, their civilization was dismantled. I could only guess they were reduced to the point they had to start over from the beginning. With this knowledge, it was no longer surprising how they had advanced so quickly through their history. It was only their own internal bickering and struggles with the powers of Earth that held them back. The Galactic council had insanely underestimated humanity. They looked primitive at first glance but, they were far older than anyone realized. Ironically, the humans had forgotten who they once were, what they once knew. This made it important to me to convince the council to start peaceful official first contact protocols with humanity.

Taking it all in, I had to laugh in spite of myself. “An enigma does not even come close to what humans are. Their ancestors had surpassed the technology we have today. Now they are close to surpassing us again.”

For the rest of the night into the early morning, I wrote a long report for Jon regarding my findings. Boogey Man then picked me up early the next day and took me directly to the hangar. I had brought the data pad with all the hints and the report with me. Inside the hangar, Jon and the crew were waiting. I sensed that something was amiss; they each held a predatory grin that made me feel uneasy. “Something wrong…”

Jon’s grin widened. “Not at all. It’s just that a little bird told us that you wanted a nickname as a rite of passage.”

I threw Boogey Man an annoyed look to which he smiled and waved me forward. I turned back to Jon who was still smiling. “So what nickname did you all decide upon?”

Alpha chuckled. “We took a vote and the winner was Sore Thumb.”

For a moment, I was confused then I gave a crooked smile as I understood the reference. “I tried to land undetected but…”

Jon laughed. “You stuck out like, as we call it, a sore thumb.”

The other soldiers chuckled with me joining. “It fits.”

Jon then motioned to the data pad. “Did you find everything you were hoping to find?”

Now it was my turn to give a predatory grin, causing Jon to pause only I quickly replied, “What I discovered sincerely blew my mind. I left notes and filed a report… sir.”

Jon gave me a half grin then nodded. “Very good, soldier. Carry on, Sore Thumb.”

As Jon turned to walk away, I asked, “Was there anything with the reporters I need to be aware of?”

Jon sighed. “Your shuttle flew under a weather satellite and their network got a blurred image of it. I don’t know how but they tracked it to our base.”

A pang of guilt entered the back of my mind. “How did you handle the situation, if I may ask?”

Jon gave a patient smile. “We told them it was a piece of space debris which harmlessly landed in the boneyard. We even showed them a piece of debris that had landed… six months ago.”

Alpha nodded. “That brings us to lesson two. The main difference between a novice and an expert is that the expert has made far more mistakes. Experience is a required part of the journey.”

I sighed then nodded. “There is always something more to learn…”

From there, the work continued uninterrupted. The human crew and I began to learn from each other. Not one thing was given either way for free; one question and answer for another. It turned out to be the very focus of not only our work but our conversations.

Beta, a short but muscular man with a bald head and large tuft of hair under his nose pointed to one component. “What are those tubes circling your crystal engine?”

I looked at where Beta was pointing and nodded. “That is the magnetic field force defense generator.”

Beta grunted. “I’m guessing the crystal engine charges particles within the rigs, causing them to spin at high speeds, creating a magnetic field around the shuttle.”

Again, I nodded. “The field repels small objects and pushes the shuttle away from large objects.”

Beta raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

Alpha motioned to the crystal engine. “I’m curious. Where does the electricity to charge the crystal come from?”

I smiled. “From crystalline batteries, of course.”

Jon sighed. “Of course…”

I giggled, a knowing smile on my face. “I know your crew took samples of the crystals. You’ll figure it out.”

By the end of the second week, my shuttle was finally ready to take flight. The crew had printed my nickname of ‘sore thumb’ on the hull just under the cockpit window on either side. It was my own rite of passage. I was given an Earth style flight suit with the emblem of my people over my heart and the emblem of what was called the United Nations on the other side. The shuttle itself was a wonder of human and Dylaxian engineering. More than that, it was a work of art. Every aspect of the shuttle was far better than the original. The crystal engines, now enhanced by what the humans deemed as ‘Kinetic Atomic Particle Loop Accelerators’ or KAPLA, whatever that meant, were FTL capable. This gave far more power to the crystals to generate better force fields and energy blasts for defense. Of course, the specifics of how the engines worked was classified. Which likely meant I would again lose my shuttle in the name of science.

With my helmet under one arm, I shook Jon’s hand. It was a form of greeting and farewell I had learned from them. “Thank you for all of your help, Sargent.”

Jon smiled. “No, thank you. We hope that our combined efforts to get you home will spark a mutually beneficial peace between our two worlds.”

I smiled back. “Of that, I have no doubt. What will you be telling the general? I’m certain he will want a report.”

Jon chuckled. “I will send him my report after you are well on your way home.”

I then turned to Rachel who was unsuccessfully trying not to be emotional. “You have been a wonderful companion, Miss Rachel.”

Rachel smiled before giving me a warm hug. “You take care of yourself out there, you hear me?”

I smiled. “Loud and clear, Miss Rachel.”

With one last look at the base, I put on my helmet and climbed up into the cockpit of my shuttle. The seating was completely different from what I was used to but more comfortable. If I had not been briefed on how to use the new harness, I would have been lost with the more than needed belts. Once I was secure in my seat, I gave a salute to the crew. They saluted in turn and I hit a button, closing the cockpit. I then turned to my console and activated my communications.

“This is Vada ‘Sore Thumb’ of planet Dylax to tower. Requesting permission to taxi to runway.”

The response was immediate from the same gruff voice that had greeted me when I first approached to the base. “Rodger that, Vada ‘Sore Thumb’. You are clear to taxi to runway four.”

I smiled. “Thank you tower. Proceeding to taxi to runway four.”

I activated the crystal engines, sighing as I heard them purr to life, then piloted my shuttle to the runway. To my surprise and delight, I noticed there were two jets on separate runways on either side of me as one of them radioed me. “This is captain Greg ‘Boogey Man’. We would be honored if you allow us to escort you as high as we are able.”

I smiled and radioed back. “Rodger that, Boogey Man. The honor would be mine.”

With that said, we all powered up our engines, waiting for the signal giving us clearance to launch. We did not have to wait long as the gruff voice again came over the communication lines.

“Honor Guard, you are clear to launch and escort Vada of planet Dylax out of our airspace. God speed, Sore Thumb.”

I did my best not to chuckle at that, knowing it will be my name as far as those humans were concerned for the rest of my days. “Thank you, tower. It has been an honor and a pleasure.”

With nothing else to say, we were off, powering down the runway. I flew right along the fighter jets; feeling strange having to build speed to take off rather than using horizontal thrusters. Still, we lifted off in perfect unison into the sky. The Honor Guard followed me as high as they were able before pulling back. I watched them head back down to Earth then turned to the stars. That was when I spotted a Purrearth long range shuttle entering Earth’s atmosphere and I radioed the Honor Guard. “Be advised, Honor Guard; you have a shuttle from planet Purrearth entering your atmosphere. It appears to be out of control, moving in an erratic pattern.”

The response was immediate. “Rodger that, Vada. Looks like we got ourselves another sore thumb. Geez, you guys need to learn to give a little heads up that they are coming.”

I smiled. “Roger that, Honor Guard.”

Their response pushed me into tears. “Good luck out there, kid; we’re gonna miss you.”

I did not respond; I was too emotional. Even though I had only spent about two weeks with the humans, I had learned so much. Not just about them but about myself. In my misguided quest to make my world better, I had been doing everything the hard way without realizing it. “On the bright side, I am now a ‘Jack of all trades’.”

Feeling better about myself in a long while, I activated the KAPLA engines. The two four foot circular disks hummed to life, glowing dimly. Thousands of nuclear particles began to vibrate all at once in tune with the shuttle’s electromagnetic shields. The energy they were producing was incredible and it was soon causing the shuttle’s magnetic field to vibrate. It was not long before they were at the right frequency to open up an FTL lane. To my surprise, an ancient jump gate of unknown design decloaked in front of me. I could only guess that it had been constructed by humanity’s ancestors. Remarkably, it was still active!

I let out a loud whoop as I was quickly but smoothly pulled in. “The ancient humans had Faster than Light Travel!”

Like inside the worm hole, galaxies sped past at incredible speeds as if they were street lights I were passing on a road. Unlike the wormhole, there were gates to the galaxies along the FTL lane. It told me that ancient humanity had explored further than I thought. Further than anyone of the council worlds could have dared to imagine. Seemingly, just as I was pulled through the ancient jump gate, I was smoothly pushed out into the heart of council space. Surprisingly, I had arrived through one of our own jump gates. Only this time, there were no warning lights, no blaring alarms. The trip was as gentle as an evening breeze.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Dylax never looked more beautiful. “I made it home…”

I looked out and found one of my world’s long range exploratory ships approaching me on an intercept course. My communications console came to life. I almost laughed and cried out loud when I heard my father’s stern but steady voice clearly coming through. “Unidentified spacecraft, you are entering restricted Dylaxian territory. Broadcast your intent and proceed polar east out of the sector.”

I turned to my communications console, smiling as tears ran down my face. “Please hold your fire! I am Vada ‘Sore Thumb’ of the science class! I have returned from an unexpected exploratory visit to the Sol System!.”

There was a long pause before my father replied. “Vada…? How in the depths of the condemned did you make it back!? What happened to you out there?!”

I sighed, just happy to be back home. “It will all be within my very lengthy report, father. I am requesting permission to dock. The Galactic Council must be informed at once. Humanity is far older and more advanced than we had dared to suspect.”

The response was immediate this time and I could hear the relief in my father’s voice. “Permission granted. I cannot wait to hear that report. Welcome home, son…”

Inside the vessel inbound to Earth, Gnosarac smiled, a sense of pride in his expression. “My son learned and accomplished much during his brief adventure on Earth. He had discovered a hidden truth about both the humans and himself. He is now at peace with who he has become; a ‘Jack’ of all trades.” He cracked a bemused grin. “Though I doubt he will ever live down his Earth given nickname of ‘sore thumb’.”

This brought on giggles and chuckles to which Vada shyly smiled though he was blushing slightly. “It is a time honored rite of passage and I was honored to be a part of it.”

Era looked at me, showing worry. “Did the governing class take away your shuttle?”

Vada sighed, his smile fading slightly. “Unfortunately yes but I was given a new shuttle to take its place. It’s a short range shuttle, of course.”

Gnosarac chuckled. “I know you will miss the shuttle. Still, I also know that the governing class has every intention of giving it back once they were done studying it.”

Vada sighed. “How are you so certain, father?”

Gnosarac smiled. “The shuttle was a gift to you from the humans. They may become offended if they discover it was taken from you. In other words, you will survive.”

He then turned to the others. “Who would like to tell their story next?”