Double-Legal Trouble!

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Prologue

By the year 2045, the AIDS epidemic had reached pandemic proportions on all continents of the globe. Fueled by the hatred from the religious parties, a select group of men and women representing the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered society as a whole raised enough money to begin a special project. They felt it necessary to protect themselves and the rest of the planet from a level of hatred not seen in almost 200 years.

By the year 2055, the massive project was almost complete. Built on the far side of the moon so that no one could see it, a large ship began to take shape. By the year 2060, the ship was nearly completed. Supplies were being shuttled to the ship via private donors and some of the elite rich of society.

The ship was christened on 11 November 2061 and set sail from there. She was officially registered in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s files as Space Probe Six. On her hull, painted on both starboard and port sides, were the letters GLBT1. After her christening and a large send off party, 77,000 people set sail towards the Earth’s nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri.

The ship, set on an elliptical orbit from Alpha Centarui and back around to Earth, took off. It wasn’t discovered until too late that a tainted blood supply from the company BioGen was infected with HIV. Even though there had been rigorous testing of all the inhabitants prior to the journey, no one ever predicted the human toll of suffering that this HIV antibody would cause.

By the time the disease had been tracked down to the one tainted blood supply connection, the AIDS disease had wiped out 18,500 of the inhabitants. Another 2,200 inhabitants were left on life support systems and tended to by one caring soul. Soon there were to be other befallings; the communications system, a simple laser transmitter and receiver that someone sabotaged.

Burials in space became a commonplace event aboard GLBT1. On one of their swings by Earth they transmitted for help but received no reply. The ship’s commanding officer, having fallen ill to an entirely different disease, left the controls on automatic and hoped that someone, anyone, would hear the cries for help. One night, after the captain had passed away and the younger generation of inhabitants began to assume various duties, the ship passed by one lone sensor in the area around the asteroid field.

The sensor reported this passage, but not until after the Earth had downloaded its memory banks. The captain of the ship decided that, after 40 years into their voyage, the hope of finding a planet to live out their lives, as they saw fit, was nothing more than a pipe dream. Many thought this space flight was now becoming a waste of time.

Others felt that there would never be a cure for this deadly infection nor justice for the dead. The ship continued plodding through space meeting up with the Gardenians, by accident, one year. As her new commanding officer looked out across the observation deck of the bridge of the large ship, he took in a deep breath and silently cried to himself as he left the bridge, with the controls set to automatic mode.

The computer logbooks filled up quickly, the colonists all switched over to paper logbooks. When these were filled up, they were placed into storage. When these logbooks were filled up, the commanding officer started filling out the ship’s logbook on the bulkheads of the ship in various places. He made the log entries in permanent black marker pen. As the days stretched into years, the years into decades, he was more than certain that there would never be a place for them to live. Every time they passed by Earth, he would transmit and receive no answer.

Her commanding officer had the duty of sealing up the quarters whenever someone died. He would simply write the names of the people in the quarters in black marker pen and then have the ship’s welder weld the doors shut to the compartment. As more and more systems failed, everyone gave up hope of ever returning to either Earth or the Promised Land.

Chapter 1

The outpost monitor station personnel had retrieved the last of the data tapes from the markers orbiting where Earth would normally be located. As the data tapes were downloaded into master computers on Earth, for decoding and analysis, the data tapes were replaced. When the information was decoded and analyzed, STARCORE felt a meeting had to be called.

In this meeting, STARCORE’s scientists had to figure out what this large object was that kept coming by the marker at almost the same time every 4.35 years. The large object left behind an atomic ion trail. STARCORE’s scientists thought that this large object was somehow intelligent because of the atomic ion trail it left behind. STARCORE’s chief scientists made their report to Admiral Fantong.

So, this large object may be intelligent? asked Admiral Fantong as he set down the STARCORE Scientific Community’s report on his desktop.

Yes, sir, that is a distinct possibility, said the lead STARCORE scientist, Mel Garbo.

On what basis do you make this assumption, Mr. Garbo?

Several factors. One, the object seems intelligent in the fact that nothing else would leave behind an atomic ion trail except something built by a humanoid culture. Second, the object seems to know where Earth is supposed to be at, however, the object seems to miss Earth’s placement every 4.35 years.

Every 4.35 years did you say?

Yes, sir. The object doesn’t show up on the marker’s recordings but every 4.35 years.

Is this thing a threat to STARCORE?

No, sir, we do not believe so at this time. However, the object does transmit on a frequency that is incompatible with our current forms of transmissions.

What is this incompatible frequency?

It is in the former laser transmitter range. Since we no longer use that range and no one in STARCORE uses laser transmitters anymore, we have no way of communicating with the object.

Well, that seems to make us look like the idiots here. I mean, if it cannot communicate with us, then we cannot communicate with it.

Yes, sir. I see what you mean, this is the proverbial double-edged sword.

Correct. Thank you for your time, I will make a decision later on during the week.

Thank you, sir.

The man left the room. Admiral Fantong looked over the report again and then looked at the date that was being projected onto the east wall of his office. The date was January 3, 2114. He reread the report and looked at the calculations. If the calculations from the scientists were correct, that object would be entering the marker buoy’s area in just a few months time. He then switched on his computer to see what ships were available. The list was extremely narrow.

Four ships, the USS PERFORMANCE, the USS SARATOGA, the USS TICONDEROGA, and the USS MINCE, were going to be in the area. The scientists estimated that the object should arrive sometime between March and June of 2114. If the object didn’t appear by then, they surmised it must have been wrenched out of its projected orbital path.

Admiral Fantong looked over the list and noticed that out of the list of vessels, with the exception of the USS TICONDEROGA, BCL-2090, they were auxiliary type vessels. They were lightly armed and the object would seem to indicate, by its size, anyway, that it could very well outgun even the USS PERFORMANCE if it was armed.

Admiral Fantong looked around the room and then switched to his front office secretary.

Yes, sir? she asked.

Please get me the Commander of STARCORE’s battle cruiser fleet, he said.

Yes, sir.

A few seconds later, Admiral Nagasaki appeared on the viewing screen in Admiral Fantong’s office.

Good morning, Admiral Fantong, what can I do for you, sir? asked Admiral Nagasaki.

I have a request of you, sir, started Admiral Fantong.

A request? I would think you would order me to do whatever it is you want me or my fleet to do, sir.

No order this time. What I need is a favor of one of your heavy battle cruisers.

Admiral Fantong, you know that I have many heavy battle cruisers in my fleet. What do you need done?

My scientific community thinks that a large object is about to pass by one of the outer marker buoys in about three to six months timeframe. I am going to have the USS PERFORMANCE check this object out. I don’t anticipate any problems, but if this object is armed… said Admiral Fantong.

I understand, you want one of my heavy battle cruisers to play babysitter for the USS PERFORMANCE, right?

Yes, sir, that is correct.

Well, Admiral Fantong, I will do as you requested, Admiral Nagasaki out,

The transmission terminated. Admiral Fantong sat back in his chair and then looked over the report on the object one more time. Thinking that there might still be trouble, he called on his secretary once again.

Yes, sir?

Get me General Grohodski on the line, said Admiral Fantong.

Yes, sir.

A few seconds later, General Grohodski, Commander of STARCORE Landing Fleet Forces, appeared on the admiral’s viewing screen.

What can I do for you, Admiral Fantong? asked the general.

I need a favor. This is not an order, just a request, started out Admiral Fantong in a neutral tone of voice.

What is your request?

I need some troops ready for an armed ground assault on a very large object if it becomes necessary.

I will get a list of volunteers together. However, my troops will need a transport ship.

I understand, sir. I will do my best to place one at your disposal.

How many ground assault troops do you think you will need?

About 10,000 should be sufficient.

Did you say a large object? Like an asteroid or small planetoid?

"Yes, with possible intelligent life aboard. I will send you a report and