God's Dogs Book 2
33

Dark matter and dark energy are two things we measure in the universe that are making things happen, and we have no idea what the cause is.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

The Satya parked inside the Wave Rider the next day. It was, as the captain said, primarily an engine to pull a train of cargo pods. Engine mounts were at each corner on the stern. Each mount held two fusion engines. Flared cowlings directed the exhaust flow away from the cargo train. Multiple maneuvering thrusters were along the mostly square shape of the ship, and neatly sidled in with them were the spars for the sails, which folded down into the hull. At the bow was a cargo door large enough to accommodate the Satya, which now sat in the barren cargo hold. Above that were four decks for berthing, the control room, and other support facilities. Engineering was aft of the cargo hold and took up a quarter of the ship’s length.

For the first time since they arrived, the team was able to meet up with the captain and Anaya. After the Satya powered down, and the Wave Rider was busy hooking up its cargo train, they met in the crew mess. The crew, under the XO’s direction, was on a ship-wide maintenance check, a routine they engaged in when they knew they were going into battle.

Captain John sipped his coffee and sat at the table and began, “Without going into the math of it, the Sangalore discovered that dark energy and dark matter have a more defined presence in a dimension they call the Rip – as in coastal rip tides.

“Through telekinesis, they can slide a ship into the Rip, deploy their equivalent of solar sails, and ride the currents of dark energy to their destination.”

“Well,” Moss grinned, “that raises so many questions.”

Captain John smiled. “Yeah. I asked them all. Not sure I understand the answers, though. It’s like a whole new way of looking at the Universe. It will take me a while to wrap my head around it.”

Anaya spoke up, “The telekinesis part is less surprising. The crystalline structure they use to augment and focus their power is within our theoretical framework. Certain crystals are known for boosting various powers. The crystals they use are probably iolite or spirit quartz, or their own unique analogues of these types of dark crystals.”

Moss said, “So what’s happening with Wave Rider now? What’s the procedure?”

Captain John replied, “The run-up to jump is toward dark matter concentrations. That acts like a shoreline for dark energy. When the ship reaches the right area, and is travelling at the right speed, the space-mage shifts the ship to the right dimension. Then the riptide takes the whole train out to sea.”

“Sounds pretty sketchy,” Moss commented.

“Like I said,” the captain grinned, “it will take me a while to wrap my head around it.”

Anaya said, “What’s also interesting is how the pirates knock ships out of the Rip. The theory I favor is the pirate’s space-mage somehow co-opts the ship’s crystal matrix.”

“Somehow?” Moss prompted.

Anaya smiled. “I’d like all of us in a group meditation when our space-mage shifts the ship into the Rip. We need to witness the mechanics of that.”

“Will observing it change it?” River wondered.

“According to the guild people I talked to, it won’t,” Anaya answered. “I do share your curiosity, though. Observed experiments are always affected by the observation.”

Pax said, “Maybe dark energy is immune to the effects of observation, because we haven’t been able to observe it in normal space.”

“That is one theory,” Anaya agreed. “That theory explains it by postulating dark energy as the inverse of qi.”

“Which is easily manipulated by observation,” Pax added.

“And both, the theory goes, are shaped by intention,” Anaya concluded.

River then asked, “When we witness this event, are we looking for where in the Nature realm the event occurs?”

“I know where telekinesis occurs in the Nature realm,” Anaya assured them. “In your training, it’s at the bottom of the staircase. The platform you replace there leads to an arch that is the entrance to the Spirit realm. Well, around that platform are alcoves where psychic powers are available. Even so, I suspect the arch to the Spirit realm isn’t the only destination available from that platform. We’ll see.”

The shift to the other dimension happened two days later, and they sat in meditation to monitor what was happening. As predicted, they felt the energy activity at the base of the staircase that represented the powers available in the Nature realm. There wasn’t anything exciting or novel about it, but now they knew what the process entailed.

The Wave Rider entered the metaphorical hole in normal space, and the ship and cargo train flowed through. Dark energy, in the predicted riptide, pulled them away from the looming dark matter.

On the hull of the ship, pylons two-thirds the length of the ship deployed – one from each corner of the rectangular body of the ship, and four smaller pylons ratcheted into upright positions. The main pylons locked into place at right angles to the ship. Riggers secured sails between them so that an umbrella shape was the result. The smaller pylons, which acted like rudders, locked in place and deployed an arm that dropped down to lock in place like a boom. The end of the boom, the outhaul, connected the clew to an arc-shaped tie-down mechanism that could adjust the sail over a forty-five degree span for steering.

Dark energy flowed in this dimension as the equivalent of currents among the more solid mountain ranges of dark matter. In reality, the dark forces, both the energy and matter, acted like anti-gravity. They repulsed normal matter, pushing it in predictable ways. Even so, a ship needed to avoid the dark matter as an ocean-going ship avoided land masses, coral reefs, and shoals. Luckily, in this dimension, dark matter could be detected. The Sangalore developed a type of radar that did so. Consequently, travelling in this manner, while slower than using star-gates, was safe. Except, of course, for the pirates.

Quinn hustled from the meditation to Satya’s bridge, where he watched the operation. His mind boggled at the display of this alien landscape, which was routed from the Wave Rider's sensors.

“Captain, how does this square with our understanding of dark energy and dark matter?” Quinn asked as his gaze took in the looming mountains of dark matter, shown in brown, and the currents of dark energy, shown as blue.

The captain, noticing the bridge crew alert to the question, told him, “Well, it seems the theory that they interact with one another and our dimension is accurate. And, because we’re in a different dimension and can therefore detect it, the multi-verse theory seems likely. Maybe super-strings connect it all together, and their vibrations change as different elements interact.”

“What does that mean?” Quinn interrupted.

“The universe has gone through three phases so far: radiation dominated, matter dominated, and dark energy dominated. We know the rate of expansion slowed when matter dominated, and it accelerated as dark energy began to dominate, but it also clumped together in galaxies, which it shouldn't have. We're trying to figure out how that works. Furthermore, we don’t know if there will be another shift in acceleration. If dark matter matures into dark energy, which is one theory, then something would have to shift.”

“Not for a very long time,” the XO pointed out.

The captain smiled. “Correct. What does have me fascinated is the speed we’re travelling. One theory about dark energy is that it’s a constant and uniformly disbursed throughout space. Apparently, in this dimension, its repulsive force flows with the equivalent of fifty to a hundred times light speed in our universe.”

They chatted about the theories for a while as they sat mesmerized by the landscape of this strange dimension on the main view screen. Jagged blobs of dark matter were scattered around them, and the Wave Rider streaked through the valleys.

The pirates didn’t attack on this trip, or during the next three trips. As they sailed through peaceful voyages, the crews began to mingle.

Satya’s crew was schooled in exo-diplomacy, since it was a Foreign Service vessel, and the crew found the more out-going spacer Sangalore a gregarious but initially timid group.

Anaya sought out the space-mage, who went by the ground-dweller name of Chuck. He, too, was timid at first, but Anaya’s gracious charm won him over. They sat often in Chuck’s small control room to converse about things spiritual.

The control room was where the crystal matrix connected the room to the entire ship. All lines of the matrix nodes joined into one dark crystal that sat on a pedestal in the corner of the room. A table and padded chairs were the other furnishings in the small space.

Anaya was saying, “We’re done enough translations that I think I can hold the focus and intent to do it myself.”

Chuck’s mottled skin quivered under his ship suit. A reaction Anaya knew meant he was amused. He said, “I don’t doubt your ability, lady master. I was thinking of the uproar it would cause at the guild offices.”

Anaya cocked an eyebrow. “No non-Sangalore has done so?”

“No females have done so.”

“Ah, I see. I forgot about the rigid pod structure.”

“It’s not as bad as before,” Chuck said. “Those of our women who have accompanied their mates to mining colonies or aboard merchant ships are replaceing work in non-traditional roles. The guilds still hold them back – mine in particular – but spacers have other priorities.”

“I learned that when I crewed on a ship,” Anaya answered. “The unforgiving environment of space pushes competence and safety before all other concerns.”

“It does, and females seem to be more safety conscious. Is that true for your people?”

Before Anaya could answer, the crystal matrix lit up.

“It’s happening,” Anaya said and breathed her way to the exact location in the Nature realm where telekinesis was available. Chuck alerted the captain and went through his own ritual to replace that place as he jumped up to put his hands on the master crystal.

Since the plan was to allow the Wave Rider to be bounced back to normal space, Anaya didn’t fight the process. She observed it and attempted to get a read on the shaman that was doing the bouncing.

As she did so, the ship’s alarm sounded. She knew the Satya’s crew would be scrambling to battle stations. She had her own role in the boarding operation, but first she needed a read on the pirate-shaman’s energy. She needed to be able to identify him.

What she got was an alien sense of psychic power that was a magnitude greater than the norm. She broke contact and hurried to the ship. Her face was set in grim lines. The being she felt was a greater threat than they had planned for.

Transition to normal space was a jolt – like being slapped awake. Anaya steadied herself against a bulkhead, then pushed on to board the ship. She found her padded acceleration chair at her station in the armory with Moss, River, and Pax.

As she strapped in, Moss chided her, “What took you?”

“I was with Chuck and got a read on the shaman,” she said in a terse voice. “We may have a problem.”

Captain John’s voice came over the speaker, “We are deploying. Prepare for combat.”

Quinn was on the bridge at his tactical station. He watched as the Satya exited the bow of the freighter and the captain positioned the ship so the freighter was between them and the pirates.

“All systems nominal; all crew at their stations,” the XO stated.

“Let’s go hunting,” the captain replied. “Helm, bring us below the Wave Rider and inch us forward. Passive scans, please.”

“We’ve got a freighter and a corvette class warship off the port beam at ten thousand klicks,” the sensor operator said.

“They’re hailing, sir.”

“We’ll listen in,” the captain said. “Establish firing solutions on their propulsion systems without using active sensors.”

“Wave Runner,” the pirate’s voice came over the comms. “We are taking your cargo. If you fail to follow our orders, we will destroy your ship. Uncouple the cargo train, and we will let you return to Rip space. Do you copy?”

“We copy,” Captain Screech said in a flat tone. “My riggers are suiting up now.”

“Firing solutions plotted, sir. Their shields aren’t very strong. Two missiles each should do the trick.”

“Thank you, Mister Thoms,” the captain said. “Full military power, paint them with a full military scan, and fire the missiles.”

Satya lurched directly between the two enemy ships, missiles firing from the starboard and port tubes. The first missile snapped the defensive shield of each ship, and the second missile took out the engineering spaces.

Captain John spoke, “Open comms, please.”

“Comms open, sir. You’re broadcasting in the clear.”

“Pirate ships, this is Captain John Running Bear on contract with the Galactic Congress to protect this cargo train. You have two options: surrender or die.”

Immediately, a reply came, “The freighter Lucky Chance surrenders. We’re not pirates. We have pirates aboard, but we have retaken our ship.”

At this announcement, the pirate ship’s laser cannons lit up, raking the freighter.

Satya answered with point defense weapons that destroyed all the armament on the starboard side of the pirate ship.

Quinn stood and said, “We’ll board her, captain.”

Captain John just nodded.

Within minutes, the team was in the shuttle making the crossing to the pirate ship. Moss wore the exo-skeleton of heavy armor, while the rest of them wore light armor.

“Where’s Anaya?” Quinn asked.

“She’s talking to Chuck,” River answered. “She’s worried about the pirate space mage. He’s super powerful.”

The pirate ship still had maneuvering jets, and she tried to bring her port-side guns around to attack the shuttle. The shuttle won that race and latched onto the dorsal hull near an amidship hatch.

The hatch was too small for Moss in his heavy armor. As a result, he sent a missile to open a bigger hole.

The team dropped into the hole, Moss leading. Pressure doors sealed the corridor fore and aft.

“Which way?” Moss asked.

“The bridge,” Quinn answered as their A.I.s filled their HUDs with a map of the ship they garnered from hacking the dumb A.I. that ran the ship.

Then Pax reported on the hole he and River patched, “Temporary seal is up.”

Another three-foot long missile streaked from the extended rack on Moss back to clear the pressure door forward.

After a moment, Pax said, “Seal is holding.”

The atmosphere equalized, and they marched toward the bridge, which was not too far forward of their present location along the centerline of the ship and two decks down.

The pirates, when they appeared and began shooting, looked to be the same mercenary race the team fought aboard the destroyer. They were well equipped and fought with discipline, but it wouldn’t be enough. The dimensional shields and the team’s precise fire meant it was only a matter of time.

“Quinn,” Anaya called on their tactical net. “The space-mage is on the same deck as the bridge, but aft a few compartments. It’s a different species, and he’s in pain.”

“River,” Quinn said, “with me. We’ll drop down that last chute. Moss, Pax, secure the bridge.”

Quinn led as they dropped two decks. Fire came at him from below. None of it was heavy enough to strain his shield. He fired back, and the opposing fire lessened.

Reaching the second deck down, he hovered and cleared both corridors. Then he stepped out to hurry where he could feel a sentient being in pain.

His A.I. overrode the hatch control, and Quinn burst through to quickly dispatch a trio of pirates at a control panel.

The being in pain was enclosed in a clear aquarium-like structure along the far wall. Thick gasses instead of water gave a clouded view of a devil ray shaped being flailing around.

River entered and headed to the console. Quinn took up station at the door. With her A.I. taking control of the system, soon River eliminated the electrical currents in the gas environment, and the devil ray stopped flailing.

Instead, Quinn and River were thrown against the walls. In fact, all those aboard the ship were thrown against walls.

The A.I.s for each team member switched off the dimensional shields, otherwise they would have ended up outside the ship as the shield ate whatever it came into contact with. They engaged conventional combat shields instead.

[Becky,] River told her A.I. [Find a way to communicate with it.]

[Working with the translator. And done.]

River spoke through her external speakers, “We are here to free you from these pirates.”

Lights flashed across the surface of the devil ray. It translated to, “You killed the keepers. Only they know how to care for me.”

Anaya’s voice came over the tac-net, “I’ll be right there. This is a young one, and he’s scared and confused.”

River spoke again, “The keepers were evil, and they are not the only ones that know how to care for you. We will keep you safe.”

Becky informed them, [He’s a being from a giant gas planet. I have files on his survival needs. As Anaya said, he’s a young one. The pirates captured him not long after he was born. Newborns swim up to the outer reaches of the planet and form nurseries until they are strong enough to deal with the pressure at depth. It’s there the pirates captured him.]