November 8, 2022
Moskva System, Russian Survey Group #2M
ayor Zuyev shook his head as he tried to focus on the controls in front of him. “What…what happened?” Had the jump gone wrong?
“Ship’s systems are normal, tracking and computer systems stabilizing.”
“No objects detected in near-space, aside from our escorts.”
Zuyev looked at his subordinates. “What was that that we felt?”
After a second the science officer spoke. “That may be a normal consequence of jumping through a warp point. We don’t have enough data yet.”
The crew looked at each other, realizing that they were in a new system, unvisited by humans until they had arrived.
Mayor Zuyev was realizing the same thing as his crew. After a few seconds he punched a command into his console and the main bridge monitor lit to show a star field. After a few seconds the star field began shifting, and in a short amount of time the viewer showed a blazing yellow star in the center of the display. The star was a brilliant pinprick, looking about as the sun would from Uranus or Neptune’s orbit.
A few seconds later the science officer confirmed Zuyev’s suspicions. “The preliminary analysis shows that that star is a G4-V star much like the Sun. We are currently 3.2 billion kilometers from the star. My section is attempting to identify planets and other bodies.”
“Very well. Commissar?”
“Thank you, Mayor Zuyev.” Commissar Jerigif Llyin turned to his station and activated his crew address system. In a few seconds his console overrode every other work console on the ship, forcing them to display his transmission on their central view screens. “Officers and crew of the great Soviet ships of the 2nd Survey Group, rejoice! We have achieved something that no other government on earth has done, traveled through the warp point into what will forever be known as the Moskva system! We are the first. Forever will the people of the world remember us, and the great Soviet state that made this trip possible. The fact that we are here, rather than the decayed democracies of the west, proves our superiority!”
Zuyev tuned his commissar’s speech out, thinking back to the way this voyage started, yet again. It had all started with a meeting with Brigadir Nikolsky, the person most responsible for running Russia’s military. While he may not be a Marshal, and there were actually three others of higher rank, they were all basically retired on duty, while Brigadir Nikolsky, who was politically connected, actually ran things.
His shock at meeting with the leader of the Soviet military had faded quickly when Nikolsky told him what was going to be expected of him. His escort group, consisting of a Sverdlov class missile boat and a Moskva class destroyer escort, was being tasked with escorting one of the new jump ships to another system. Nikolsky had explained that he was trusted by the military command, and his political officer was trusted by the party. When that was combined with their above average performance in the yearly exercises, their selection was inevitable.
It wasn’t his selection that stuck in his mind, though. Nikolsky had given him clear and unequivocal orders to find something of use to the motherland. The leaders at the Kremlin were sure that the weak minded Indian politicians were going to release the secret of jump travel to the rest of the world at any time. Russia’s window of opportunity was short, and they must find an advantage out among the stars. Nikolski had repeated that over and over. They must find something or the revolution might be doomed! The corrupt western powers, or the Japanese devils, would eventually develop their own drives and would do everything they could to squeeze the Russians out. Zuyev and his squadron was a key part of the plan to ensure a dominating Soviet presence among the stars.
Zuyev was blessed, or cursed as the case may be, by an active mind. While the Brigadir was speaking, Zuyev couldn’t help but wonder how “Finding something” would help prove the preeminence of the Soviet system. After all, a system should succeed because it was superior, not because of random chance. Once, when younger, he had expressed some of his doubts to his troop party leader, and had nearly been sent to a Siberian re-education camp for his troubles. Since then, like all Soviet officers, he had learned to keep his own counsel and reveal nothing.
He had revealed none of his doubts to Brigadir Nikolsky then, and had ended by thanking him for the opportunity to serve. Shortly thereafter he had been back aboard his ship, seeing to re-provisioning prior to departing.
“…therefore, I know you will all do your duties as new Soviet Men you will do your duty and lead the Soviet Union, and the world, into a new age!”
Zuyev’s mind returned to the present as his political officer finished his speech. They had a lot of work to do.
Several hours later the astronomers on the science staff aboard the Kara had confirmed that this system had nine planets, forty-three moons, and no less than three asteroid belts. Cheers had broken out on the Sverdlov when the astronomers reported that the system contained no less than five planets and moons that could be considered habitable, more or less. Even more exciting was the fact that one of the moons of the innermost super jovian planet was so Earthlike that, based on the preliminary observations, it appeared a human could walk on the surface unaided! Mayor Zuyev immediately issued orders for the squadron to set out for the new planet, which the political officer had already named “Triumph of Socialism”.
Mayor Zuyev ordered his ships to begin moving towards the new planet, however, out of caution, he ordered them first to move across the outer system, away from their point of entry. Commissar Llyin frowned at this order, such was his excitement over the discovery, but in the end he said nothing. Paranoia was much prized in the Soviet Union, and one could never go wrong exercising a healthy amount of it.
Shortly after setting out, Zuyev and Llyin met in his small cabin. “Tea, Comrade
Commissar?”
“Thank you.” Llyin, officially a Kapiyteyn and thus of lower rank, no matter his real, albeit unofficial, status and power as a Commissar, always acted in public with the proper amount of deference towards his commanding officer. In private he acted as an equal, which was no more or less than he was entitled to, since, as a political officer, he could lord it over anyone in the crew, including the CO, if he wished. Certainly many political officers would have done exactly that, reveling in their power and position, although that was not something you could safely say in the Soviet Union. “Mayor…Michail, you understand the find we have made, do you not? Its importance to us, and to the state?”
Zuyev paused as he poured tea from his ancient and battered pot. “Yes, I understand. It was made very clear to me how much this mission meant to the Soviet State.”
Llyin frowned. “Not just to the State, old friend. To the people as well. This new planet could be a haven of safety, away from the constant threat of nuclear destruction. Not only peace but prosperity as well!”
Zuyev nodded, almost in spite of himself. “What you say is true. Even if this planet does not contain the resources we need, it will be an important base for our people away from the prying eyes of the other nations.” He paused for a second, lost in thought while he sipped from his tea. “Tell me, though. Surely the other nations will soon be developing their own jump drives. Once they transit into this system they will see what we saw. What will we do then? Can we build defenses on this planet before they arrive with their freighter fleets, warships, and troops?”
Llyin’s eyes blazed and he brought his fist down on the tiny table in between the two men. “I have it on the highest authority that the Soviet State will not relinquish control of anything that we find, if it will improve our position. This will not be another Titan!”
Zuyev, who as a young Starshiy Liytenant had been rescued from a survival pod off of Titan after that disastrous battle, shuddered. The chaos as the Japanese lasers cut through his ship as if it was paper, the death of his friends and the destruction of the fleet, all of that had made him into the officer he was now. Ever since then he had drilled his crews mercilessly, intent on preparing them against the possibility of conflict arriving again. “I hope it will not, Comrade Commissar. The Soviet people cannot withstand another disaster like the last.”
Llyin shook his head. “You have no faith, Comrade Mayor. The Soviet people have endured much worse in the past, and will undoubtedly do so again in the future. They have proven again and again that they will endure more than any other people as they travel the road to the true enlightenment offered by the inevitable socialist state.”
After a second Zuyev nodded. “You are right, of course, Jerigif, as always. Again the wisdom of the state is revealed in your presence here, reminding me of the truth!” He had strayed into dangerous territory, revealing his doubts. As a veteran and survivor of Titan he was given more leeway than some of his peers, and to be sure Llyin was an enlightened and caring Commissar, but still, it didn’t pay to take too many risks. Officers who presumed too much on their Commissar’s understanding quite often found themselves disappearing to an undoubtedly unpleasant retirement.
Llyin smiled and sipped his tea. “Ah, Michail, I will forgive much for this tea! Also for the fact that you do not express your doubts to your crew, or in public. Such thoughts are normal for one that has survived what you survived, but they are dangerous as well, as you know.”
After that the two men were silent as they drank their tea and contemplated what the new world would mean for the Soviet Union. The Mayor’s thoughts were on the war he feared this discovery would provoke, while the Commissar’s thoughts were on the importance of this discovery to the State, and what it might mean for their future.
December 22, 2022, 0145 hours
Mayor Zuyev awoke to alarms screaming and the red general-quarters light flashing. For a few seconds he was back aboard the old Kirov, in the moments before Japanese lasers punched through it, leaving it drifting and powerless. In that split second between sleep and waking he could see the faces of his friends as they died, screaming as space sucked the breath from their bodies. Then, after a second where he thought he was dying too, he came to full wakefulness and slapped the communication panel next to his bed. “Suvarov, this is Zuyev, what is going on up there?”
The small monitor next to his bed lit with the face of the ship’s senior watch stander, Starshiy Liytenant Masha Suvarov. “Comrade Mayor! We have detected a ship closing with us! An unknown ship! I have called an alert and ordered the tubes loaded!”
Zuyev could see that Suvarov was panicked and sighed. Masha Suvarov was not his idea of a good officer. She was rude, ignorant, arrogant, and a drunk, but that hardly differentiated her from the bulk of the Soviet officer corps. “Very good, Liytenant! You have done well. How far away is the unknown ship?”
“Sir, it’s…” her gaze drifted away for a second, then returned. “It is 2 million kilometers away and closing at 2,000 kps!”
“Excellent! We have them where we want them. Await my arrival and do nothing, do you understand?”
Suvarov braced to attention and signed off. Zuyev hurriedly dressed as he tried to get his head around the implications of this development.
Three minutes later Zuyev arrived on the bridge to find Commissar Llyin newly arrived as well. Both men shared a glance that said that they had much to talk about. It hadn’t taken Zuyev long to arrive at the conclusion that the wonderful find they had made was now threatened by its possession by someone else. If it was the Indians and they tried to stop them from taking possession of the world, then there would be war. If it was aliens then things would be different. How much different was a matter of the alien’s strength and technology.
“All units are to come to a halt and bring all sensors on line! I want to know if there are any other ships or objects closing on us.”
Nearly instantaneously the ships halted and their active sensors came up. They revealed no other objects in near-space, much to everyone’s relief. Shortly after the Soviet squadron stopped the other ship stopped as well, just over a million kilometers away.
“Sir, I’ve projected the ship’s course back.” The helmsman punched a final command into his console and a system map appeared before them on the main viewer. The unknown’s course was marked in red, and it headed like an arrow straight back to the innermost super jovian planet and the planet so hopefully named Triumph of Socialism.
Zuyev and Llyin shared another look. “Communications, send a message to the other ship, in the clear. Identify us as a Soviet exploration squadron, and ask their intentions.”
While the communications officer prepared to send the message, Zuyev crossed the tiny bridge to the Commissar’s station. “Suggestions if this is an Indian vessel?”
The Commissar frowned for a moment. “We take no action. If they insist, we will return to Earth with our information, and allow our superiors to deal with the Indians. Otherwise we will continue towards Triumph and conduct a survey.” Llyin paused for a second. “Do you think it is the Indians?”
Suyev glanced around the bridge, but his officers were absorbed in their duties and weren’t paying the two any attention. Seeing that, he leaned over the Commissar’s station and punched in a request on his station. After a second sensor readings began appearing on the small central viewer. When it scrolled down, Suyev pointed to the figure that he had seen earlier. “There. That ship is nearly eight thousand tons. It is larger than anything we or the Indians have launched.”
Llyin’s frown deepened. “The Americans and the Germans both have ships as big. Is it one of them?”
Now it was Suyev’s turn to frown. After a few seconds he shook his head. “I don’t think so. For one thing, neither of them have a ship this size, all of theirs are either larger or smaller. For another, both our government and the Indians are certain that neither of them have jump technology. They cannot be here.”
The normally optimistic Commissar shook his head. “They are devilishly clever in their resistance to our inevitable victory. We have been certain before, and we have been wrong before.”
Suyev looked at his Commissar in surprise. Such criticism of the State was not normal for him. Before he could frame a reply their conversation was interrupted by the communications officer.
“Comrade Mayor, we are receiving a reply to our message!”
Zuyev turned from the Commissar with relief to see his communications officer frantically typing commands into his station. “Well, what are they saying?”
“Sir, that’s just it! I don’t know what they are saying. We are receiving a radio transmission, but it is on a strange wavelength and we are having trouble deciphering it. It does not use standard encoding schemes.”
“I don’t understand, is the message coded?”
The communications officer looked up. “No sir, that’s not it. The message is not using standard encoding and transmission formats used by all human nations. This is alien!”
Suyev felt his jaw drop and quickly got himself under control. He had suspected this from the first time he saw the specifications on the other ship, but the confirmation was still stunning. “Communications, coordinate with the science staff on board the Kara and work to decode the alien transmission. I want to see what we are up against.” He turned to Llyin. Commissar, I think it is time for us to confer with the other commanding officers about this situation, don’t you?”
“I do. I will call a meeting here immediately.” Neither of them wanted to risk a conference where the aliens might be able to listen in.
The meeting was short. None of the other ship commanders had any idea of what to expect, and no one wanted to offer advice in a situation like this, where every person in the chain of command above them would be reviewing every action. While they were conferring the communications officer reported in. The alien signal was very complex, and it would take time before they would be able to do much with it.
January 2, 2023
Mayor Zuyev frowned as he looked at the screen. The scientists on board the Kara had finally deciphered the encoding scheme of the alien transmission and as a result they were seeing the aliens for the first time. The aliens are bipedal and have a greenish-gray scaly skin with small horns protruding in ridges. At first Zuyev is disappointed that the aliens aren’t more…well…alien, but after studying them for a time and listening to their guttural language he realizes that their very familiarity might be dangerous. Just because they have two arms, two legs, and one head, he was already making assumptions about how they might think and act.
While Zuyev was hopeful that this breakthrough might mean that they would be able to talk with the aliens in a short period of time he was disappointed when the scientists attempts to decipher the alien language continued to drag on.
February 18, 2023
“Therefore, we now believe that we have a good grasp on their language, and that meaningful conversations can take place. The communications computers have been programmed with the appropriate translation software.”
“Very good, Academician Golenko. You are to be congratulated.”
“Thank you, Mayor Zuyev. They are fascinating. Our conversations to date have been both interesting and enlightening.” While the words were hopeful and positive, the Academician appeared to be worried about something, and as Zuyev’s gaze rested on him the scientist appeared to grow even more frightened.
Zuyev’s gaze sharpened. “You have spoken with them?”
Golenko was taken aback. “Of course I have, Mayor. It was part of the process of learning their language. It was the only way.”
Zuyev looked across the bridge to Llyin, who was leaning forward watching the exchange. At the Mayor’s glance, he grimaced. “Academician, what is it that you discussed with these aliens?”
“They call themselves Novarans, Comrade Commissar.” Golenko was sweating, glancing between the two officers. “Our conversations, as you call them, were wide ranging.” Seeing the look on the two officer’s faces, he hurried on. “They were part of the process! I have done nothing wrong.”
The two officers glanced at each other, and then Llyin spoke. “I will be the judge of that, Golenko.” Llyin shook his head. “I assume these ‘conversations’ were recorded?”
Golenko paled. “Of course they were, Comrade Commissar! I will make them available for your review immediately. You will see, we did nothing wrong!”
“Thank you Academician. We will review the recordings.” Zuyev ended the transmission. The Academician was hiding something, but he didn’t have time to figure out what it was and in any case, he didn’t want to do it on the bridge in public. Grunting, he nodded to his communications officer. “Send a message to the alien ship requesting a conversation with their commanding officer.”
The communications officer nodded and began working at his console. After a few seconds he turned back to Zuyev. “Sir, they agree, and request that we move to 100,000 kilometers distance to facilitate the conversation.”
Zuyev thought for a second. The request was reasonable on its face. At one million kilometers their transmissions would take over three seconds to pass between the two ships, making a conversation difficult but not impossible. After receiving a nod of agreement from the Commissar, Zuyev ordered the Sverdlov to close on the alien ship, while the remainder of the squadron stayed back, hopefully out of range of the alien ship’s weapons.
It took the Sverdlov just under eight minutes to close on the alien ship, during which time the bridge crew carefully watched the alien ship for any sign of hostility. Finally, the Sverdlov came to a halt one hundred thousand kilometers from the aliens. Just as the helmsman reported that they were in position, the communications officer reported that he was receiving a signal from the alien ship.
“Put it on the screen.” Zuyev watched expectantly, and in a few seconds the screen flickered and then showed a dimly lit room with four aliens wearing what appeared to be uniforms of some sort. “Humans, I am Leutnant-Colonel Melsnatison, commanding the Defense Ship Salamander. Welcome to the Novaran System.”
Zuyev glanced at Llyin, “I must speak with the Academician about his choice of terms for the translator.” He turned back to the main viewer. “Communications, visual and audio communication is authorized with the alien.” He waited for a nod from the communications officer, and then continued when he got it. “Leutnant-Colonel, I am Mayor Zuyev of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ship Sverdlov. I greet you in the name of a peaceful humanity.”
“We are much encouraged by what we have learned of humanity from human-Golenko. It appears that we have much in common. I am believing that there may be many opportunities for trade between our two peoples.”
Zuyev glanced at the Commissar again. “That may be, Leutnant-Colonel. We obviously have much to speak with. However, before we do, I must return to our home and inform them of this happy development. We did not expect to meet you, and I have no specific instructions as to negotiating with you.”
The Novaran stared at the screen for a few seconds, and then shook himself lightly. “Truly, then, you must return and tell your superiors of this marvelous development.”
“My superiors will want to negotiate with your government when we return. My I tell them that such a return mission would be welcomed by your government?”
The Novaran stared blankly for a few seconds, then shook himself again. “Sorry, human, I am not understanding this thing…government. Have spoken with human-Golenko of this before.”
Once again Zuyev glanced at Llyin, whose face was pinched. Turning back he cleared his throat. “Leutnant-Colonel, surely you aren’t telling me you don’t have a government?”
Again the blankness from the alien. Finally he spoke. “Again, not knowing your term ‘government’. Probably no equivalent in the true tongue.”
Zuyev leaned forward in his chair. “By government I mean those who rule. Those who make decisions for the larger mass of the citizens.”
“Ah. Is no such body within Novaran society. We have ceremonial hereditary ruler, however, historical significance only. In modern times, all important decisions made by corporate executives of leading private companies. I am sure that the executives of my company will be more than happy to meet with you when you return.”
Zuyev was shocked to the core, and turned to look at his Commissar, who, if anything, looked even more shocked. Hereditary monarchs? Corporate executives? This was a nightmare.
After a few seconds he regained his composure and turned back to the camera. “Leutnant-Colonel, our supplies are growing short and we must return. We will return to negotiate with you in the future.”
“We look forward to your return. When can we expect you?”
“I cannot say. The voyage is long and difficult. We will return, though.”
The conversation rambled on for several minutes, marked by pleasantries and thinly veiled Novaran questions about their method of interstellar travel. Finally, Zuyev closed the channel and ordered the Sverdlov to rejoin the squadron. Once they were together again the squadron set its course for the outer system, back the way they came.
For several tense moments they watched the Novaran ship, wondering if it would follow them. It didn’t, and after some time it passed off of their scanners.
Shortly after that Zuyev and Llyin met in Zuyev’s quarters. “What will happen, Jeri? When we return, I mean?” The Commissar had far better insight into the concerns and proclivities of their masters than he did.
Llyin frowned. “I have been considering just that. We must, of course, report everything we have learned. While our information is important in its own right, it will be viewed by those above us, like all other information, from the view point of how it will help or hurt us in relation to the other nations. The first thing they will do is attempt to ensure that these Novarans remain limited to contact with us. Allowing either the Russians or the Americans to have contact with them would be disastrous for us, given their degenerate society. After that, I suspect that our actions will be dictated by the strength of the Novarans. If they are strong, then we will trade with them until we are strong as well. If they are not, well then, they will be enlightened. Forcefully.”
March 22, 2023
The 2nd Survey Group returns to the solar system from the Novaran system. Mayor Zuyev and Commissar Llyin immediately send a message concerning their discovery to the Kremlin. The Group is directed to return to Earth to refuel and transfer all information gathered about the Novarans, and then to transit into the Leningrad system and survey the planets there.
The Russians take immediate action. The task groups training throughout the inner system are recalled and immediately placed into overhaul status. Currently, the Russians don’t have any jump ships large enough to escort one of their cruisers through a jump point, but that will change early next year. The Russians intend to be ready when the first large jump ship is launched.
