Knapp XXI.

KNAPP 21. “Daron Hinauer”.
Written by Alfred Juillet Frascara. 24 10 2010 to Saturday, November 06, 2010
The real one.
Gregorian Year: 3 976
Star date [37]53000.4038
Location: Star Aquarii 31, planet 4, satellite Domicilium; Knapp planet, Solar System, Aurean Planetary System,



Characters:
Daron Hinauer, Captain of the spaceship freighter “Gula”
Eyeela, Biologist; Johard, Domicilium City’s Major; Shanak Hinauer, sister of Daron, wife of Johard, Senator.
Senator Shungirk, President of Domicilium planet= Jurgen Hidler;

1
Chapter One, Daron Hinauer.

The four cities (Domicilium, Defensio, Contexo, Confessus and Cautes) were red dots on the sphere. The blue was his Orb One, now circling the globe from north East to South West.
Domicilium was located on the first Continent, named Makel; populace two million people.
Originally, the town was built with four buildings at the centre, and a concrete wall all around the place, including three parks four hundred square meters each; near the river Schwall that passed rushing to the sea- it has two kilometers wide and three hundred meters deep at the center. In summer, it shrinks to a hundred meters wide no more, due to the liquefaction of the ice on the nearest mountains.
Daron Hinauer descended from the spaceship and organized the download of the animals with care- four of them in all.
“This species were living on the mountains on Furum continent- there are clean of virus.”- Eyeela said, looking at him- she was wearing a yellow dress with a pair of red shoes.
“You look very happy.”- Daron said, adding in his inner thoughts “ … And beautiful.”
“Do you notice it? Yes, as a Biologist, this finds are precious to me! Now we had 309 of these cows in our pastures- of course, nothing as in old times.”- She said, walking now to help the others with the animals- they were hearded to a wagon, to takes them to the fields near the city.
Daron goes to the Central Tower, where some officers were directing incoming spaceships and talking with their captains by radio. Johard was there, with his white long hair, and when looking at Daron, he smiled and said:’ You are back! Good to see you.”
They shake shoulders in the Neongos way, and Daron said:’ I see you are busy- many Alliance Starfleet vessels are coming these days.”
“Yes, we had an alliance with them- the new engines are being set in every old spaceship- I wonder if this is intelligent.”- Johard said, coming out of the room; they take a Flier vehicle and went to the city; the new buildings were shining under the star Aquarii 91.
“I’m going to meet a Senator, soon. Do you want to assist? It’s a political meeting.”- Johard said, looking at him.
“Yes, of course. I wonder if my sister is at home.”- Daron asked.
“No, she is not! But this first night she’ll be there for to change of dress. I think we could have that meeting and then go home.”- Johard said, being the husband of Shanak, the recently elected Senator from the first district.
Daron didn’t like politicians, but since his elder sister become one of them, he had accepted the fact and was trying to be updated on the political facts.
They arrived early to the place where a meeting was adjourned, and so they take a pair of beverages and sandwiches while waiting, at the Bar. Then, some bells rings, and Johard said:’ They are calling to the meeting. Let’s go there.”- Johard said, who was in charge of the Space port in Domicilium.
Fourteen minutes later, the people inside the big room was finally seated in front of a large table, and a man in the middle of it speaks by the microphone, saying:” The meeting begins. We are here to speak about the new dispositions pertaining to the safety of the space port and the fares we are going to evaluate for the new kind of vessels, specially those coming from our new allies, the members of the Alliance Starfleet.”
2
A person rises his hand, and the President of the table gives him the permission to speak, so he said:’ I am here in representation of the government of our President Guvald Gofopra, to hear your ideas about the way we are going to face the incoming of more commercial flights and some other kind of visits. We didn’t had much commercial interchange with our neighboring planetary systems; now with the new commercial treaties, we are bound to have more exchange of products and more vehicles are going to appear. Our original fares were ridiculously small in price; now we are rising them to Universal standards- prices are going to be stipulated in the same manner as in the Solar System, Knappian System and others. No more, but no less, either.”
Johard asks for the permission to speak, saying:’ We are happy you are here, Senator Shungirk; because you will have our sayings to the President. We need a bigger building to house the woods we are sure it will appear soon- also, we need a place where the visitors could rest – some of them flying for months in a spaceship, wished to be near the spaceport while their merchandise is being downloaded and inspected; they also needs to pay the fares and that perhaps will delay one to three days- they could be at a Hotel while this operations takes place. Another thing I wish to ask to be taken in account, it’s the need of a better way to carry the passengers of those spaceships to the city; we are counting now with the presence of private companies to carry the visitors to the city in small Fliers; perhaps a pair of bigger vehicles could be set in place, perhaps using a leasing contract.”
Then, others were speaking, and after an hour, the Senator Shungirk apologizes for his lack of time to keep on listening and added:” Every motion here presented I will carry to our President, to be studied and some reasonable action could be implemented. Good afternoon.”
And he went out, followed by several persons who hadn’t the occasion to speak, and were speaking while he was walking. Johard takes Daron’s arm, saying “Certainly this Senator is a good guy and he will do something to improve our small Space port. Let’s go home!”
Daron hailed a taxi Flier, and inside it they traveled to Johard’s home, located on one of the bigger buildings in town- so they descended on the upper platform, 390 floors from the street.
“Wow! I surely will tremble to be living at this place!”- Daron said, walking to the elevator.
“Totally secure, brother in law! Made with good steel.”- Johard said, smiling.
At the 20 room’s apartment, Daron eats lunch with Johard at the table in the dinner room; a food processor was set in the middle of it, and it could be choosen more than a hundred different plates and 40 different liquors or beverages.
“This cost us a lot of money, but it gives a total independence to the woman of the house, that as you know, here is working eight hours per day.”- Johard said, proude that he has one of those artifacts at home. Later, Johard went to work at his office inside the house, while Daron takes a shower and puts on new clothes; the ring bells and his sister come inside the house.
“Good to have you here, brother!”- She said, smiling; she was tall and lean, dressed with taste; Daron said:’ I’m here only for a week, sister. Then, I’ll be traveling again.”
She looks at him smiling, and said:’ Well, the eternal astronaut! I guess you are happier aboard a spaceship than in a city!”- And seats at a chair on the living room
“I brought Laleas (Jerifordion cows) that were living on the mountains on Furum continent- there are clean of virus.”- He said.
“Good to know it! I wonder how many of them there are now.”- Shanak said.
“Three hundred, they said. Hope this species could stick to life- some of them just die here in this place.”- Daron said.
“Yes, this environ is rather queer- days of 12 hours, to daylights in a day- we had the advantage that we could reason about it, but an animal don’t.”- Shanak said, looking how his husband was coming by the corridor.
“Hi, Shanak! Too much work today?”- Johard asked, kissing her on a cheek.
“Yes, as always! There are two more reunions before I could end this “day”.- She said, almost complaining.
“You see, Daron, we Neongos just didn’t adapt to this satellite! And there are lots of earthquakes- they said the tension makes the satellite shrink and elongate every twelve hours.”- Johard said, and Daron accented with a bow; in reality, he knows better than that, but he was not going to scare the couple with his scientific information.
“Our government wants revenge, dear brother. Revenge against the Knappian, that invaded and almost exterminate our race- no matter we are all humans.”- Shanak said, very seriously.
“Yes, I had heard about it. Our president is the most enthusiast- I wonder what we could gain with a triumph.”- Daron said, not willing to mention what could be the end result if they loose the confrontation.
Our president Jurgen Hindler has already a whole armada- seven cruisers, fifteen frigates, and seventy Orbs.”- Shanak enumerates.
“Orbs! Those artifacts are very old and obsolete!”- Daron said, as this was the first time he heard about this.
“It’s hush hush, brother! Don’t mention, but the Orbs are superior in kind to any other vessel you can mention; of course, those spaceships are nothing compared with a Cruiser, but can do a lot of damage.”- Shanak said.
“Yes, with the C Beam.”- Johard said, uncovering the fact his wife had already informed him about these matters.
“Oh, the C Beams! Those are big words.”- Daron said, thinking in the price President Hidler could had paid for those cannons.
“In fact, this could be the shortest war ever! The enemy has complete confidence in his allies, the Federation of Planets. As you know, we are ascribed to the Second Brana brotherhood, the Alliance of Planets- perhaps with smaller associates, but all the while powerful enough to be feared.”- Shanak said.
“Sister! I guess the winds of war are blowing your way!”- Daron said, thinking that a war was never a good solution- only a delay while solving problems.
She smiled, and received a glass of liquor from his husband’s hands, and said:” There are certain things a person must do whatever the costs. We had been harassed, humiliated, vacillated, and almost exterminated. If not for our benefactor, Mr. Weiher Gofarten – (and they all touch their hearts when hearing the cherished name) we’ll be extinct, by now.”
Daron said:’ There are no living men in our home planet. The viruses are long dead, but the soil didn’t produce crops- it’s a fact. Something is in the soil that was made sterile.”- And he remembered the barren lands and the wind blowing where there was grass in ancient times.
“Our President Hidler has big ideas- he is going to make our old planet an orchard. We had friends now- the Aureans, the Delta Spooners and the Alpha Mollers- of course, Knapp retires from the Alliance and now teams up with the Federation- a joke. No sense of fraternity at all.”- Shanak said, finishing her drink.
“If you have something to do, sister, don’t bother about me! I’m going to sleep a little- the voyage and the gravity is asking for a price.”- Daron said, smiling apologetically.
“I understand! Gravity is never the same.”- Shanak said, and then she asked;’ Dear, do you show him a room where to lay his body?”
“Yes, darling! Room five.”- He smiled, and she stands up and patting his shoulder, went out to his office inside the house, to prepare for the meetings.
“Your sister the senator works very hard. But she likes it.”- Johard said, rising his shoulders.
Daron said yes, and went to his bedroom; in fact, he was not so tired at all, but the fact he was visiting his sister, after many years, was embarrassing for him; of course, he was decided to stay the five days in her home, not because he was economizing in Hotels, but because who knows when he will be able to stay with her again in the future.
He starts the holographic set- one of the new agreeable things in the city- for him, a novelty here. The news was being given by a couple of persons, with films of every what was being told. The President Hidler also has a small appearance, giving one commentary on the new Cruisers he was making at the inauguration of a soccer field, saying that soon the Neongos were going to achiever their former glory.
Daron slept four hours, and when he awoke again, it was pitch dark; he clapped his hands and the electrical lights shows him the room- by the window, the night was on the city.
He takes a shower, and puts on new clothes, from one of his valises, and walked out by the corridor; he searches for his sister or Johard, but they were gone, possibly to work.
He decided he was going out to the street, and tasks for a Flier taxi using the Holographic set; soon the vehicle was announced as waiting on the platform up on the building top, and he hurriedly walked there, using the elevator.
“Where to, Chief?”- the voice of the in-built driver asked him.
“Carry me to the spaceport, driver. Pole 46.”- He asked, looking by the window. The city was brilliantly lit, and there were several Fliers coming and going above the buildings.
“Do you know how many citizens are there on this city?’- He asked the driver.
“1.002.390, Sir. Not counting the tourists.”- The driver said, who was connected with the city databases.
“All right, and now tell me, if you can, how many Neongos are in this planet.”- Daron asked him.
“7.930.303, Sir. Forty per cent are newborns, so you cannot count the number as a workforce.”- The driver said, descending on the Space Port and exactly right alongside the spaceship “Gula”. Daron paid the fare with his wrist bar code numbers.
“Thanks you, Sir. Good night.”- The driver said, ascending swiftly on the air and going out of sight.
Daron arrives to the ramp, and seeing an electric crewman on guard there, he said:’ Good night, sailor.” Is Miss Eyeela back?”
“No, Sir. There are no natural people aboard by now.”- EC 390 said, bowing. He was metallic, of course, as every Neongo cybernetic creation was at that date.
Daron climbs the ladder and by the corridor he meet two more EC creatures, carrying some wires.
“What are you doing with these wires, people?”- He asked.
“We are wiring the left nacelle, Sir.”- One of them said, bowing.
“Keep on, men.”- He said, not willing to delay them in their work.
At the engine room he saw that the crew were making some adjustments; he said:’ How’s going, men?”
“Fine, Sir! The Dylithium crystal is repaired.”- One of them said.
“There’s nothing else more important- except the nacelles. How that is being worked out?”- Daron asked, knowing the one in front of him will search the answer in those two at the left nacelle. Soon the e-man said:” The wiring is fast doing, Sir. Three hours to complete.”
“Thanks you for your cooperation. I’ll be on the Bridge.”- Daron said, walking by the semi dark corridors. At the Bridge, the three e-men on duty saluted him, saying:’ all normal here, Sir.”
“Thanks. Guess there’s no call from the Central office yet?”- Daron asked, expecting they could said yes, but no calls were received. He needs that call- in five days he should be leaving the planet, or pay for another five days at the Pole 46- the University of Jerifordion has a contract with him- more specimens must be brought from Jerifordion 3 , but the scant outcome of his last voyage- just four cows and a handful on plants could make the dean realize more trips were only a waste of money.
He calls on Eyeela, the biologist, but there was no answer. “Must be sleeping.”- He said to himself.
He felt a tremor, and looking at the copilot, he said:” What was that?”
“Nothing interior, Sir. It’s outside.”- EC 903 said.’- Something hits hard on the floor.”
He went outside by the open ramp, looking at the big black vessel not forty meters away; from its hatchways the ramps were touching the ground, and soon a lot of military e-men were marching down. He returns to the main cabin, saying:’ Military men! Too close, for my tranquility.”
“They are telling us to move to Pole 66, Sir. Did I comply?”- EC 903 asked him.
“Yes, move the spaceship- I wonder if they are going to deduce some money for this.”- Daron said, and soon they were farther from the cruiser.
“Huge baby! I wonder what are going to do with those giants.”- Daron said.
“Declare the war on Knapp, Sir. The President Hidler wants revenge.”- EC 903 said, with his metallic voice.
“Yeah, right! Revenge and then what? “- Daron said, but he didn’t get any answer- the machines were clever and smart, but they weren’t fortune tellers.
He waits for a call from the dean of Domicilium University; to not avail- his calls to the Biologist Eyeela weren’t answered.
He worked on the plotting of exotic paths to neighboring stars, that of cause
Some e-man could (and did) do in scant seconds. He gets asleep on his seat.
“Hey, wake up!”- A female voice awakes him, and he stared at the person. She was dressed in blue, and was smiling- Eyeela the Biologist was there, smiling.
“Too tired? – She asked, walking to the radars.
“Oh, no! Perhaps bored. I was waiting for a call, that’s all.”- Daron said.
I was at the University… I tried to see the Dean but Mr. Ngronk is on vacation. Perhaps you will be trying to speak with Mr. Negraler; he’s the subrogate nowadays.”- Eyeela said.
3
Oh, yeah? But he can authorize more trips? And with which base, or project?” Daron said.
“Well, I’m just the biologist of the team, remember?”-Ayeela replied.
Daron realize he was leaning on her, and that was not meant to be- the woman had been very polite the eighteen months of their trip- never accepting romantic insinuations or familiarities from him. Obviously, he was not her type of man.
“Oh, yes! Sorry.”- Daron said, standing up.
“I come to say goodbye. My assignation to project Cow is ended. I guess I will be sending requests for a job. Next thing- I’ll be moving to my parent’s house.”- Eyeela said.
Daron moves his head and said:’ Pity to hear that. Perhaps the Dean could resolve your problem, when he gets back.”
She moved the seat, slowing those long legs who had provoked more than one insomnia to him, and said:’ Probably but not sure.”
Daron was sure she will gets a job, and pronto: with her good looking self, it was a sure thing.
4
She gets close to him, kissing his cheek- he aspires that perfume he knows s well- and as a butterfly in the forest, she glides away in silence.
Daron keeps standing there, under the yellow and green lights of the many panels. EC -903 was on a seat, immobile. Daron was sure the EC was totally indifferent to his troubles.
He looks at the clock- 9:13 hours- the new morning was above them all again. He walked out of the freighter, hailed a Flier taxi and soon he was at Domicilium University campus.
Finding the subrogate was an easy thing- he was seated behind the big stone desk of the absent Dean, and very happy to be there, as it seems.
“Come in, Sir! Don’t be shy!”- Mr. Negraler said, waving his hands.
Daron saluted, seating on a chair and said:’ I guess you don’t know how the Dean sent me to find flora and fauna to our mother planet Janarvia III. I brought cattle and plants to be study here and in the best scenario, to contribute to a big heard in order to provide our citizens the best of meat and also milk.”
The Subrogate looks at him with incredulity; he coughed, moved some gadgets at his desk, and realizes he knew nothing about the matter. Then he said:’ I was not informed of this. Where is the cattle?”
6
The cattle was brought to the farm this University has on the north side of the city by Miss Eyeela, the Biologist.”- Daron explained.
“I see.”- Negraler said, not realizing what was expected of him.
“And now, as the Dean Kgronk said, a second voyage must depart into five days more.”- Daron said.
The Subrogate looked at a screen on his desk, saying;’ The Dean is currently in vacations and if he told you how he wants things donned, I am not qualified to decide. But thanks to drop by to talk.”-
Daron was not sure about what was happening there: if he adamantly said he was just coming and going, he was only cheating himself- he must make believe Negraler he has something to say too! Or else, Daron will be working for peanuts or worst still, for nothing- ad honorem- no payment at all.
“I need the money first, Mr. Negraler. You, as the Subrogate, I am sure could afford a signature to your Treasurer, Mr. Finlant. He knows me, so it is sure there will be no problem with him.”- Daron advanced his rook.
Negraler moves on his seat, saying:’ What for? If you had a previous deal with Mr. Kgronk he should had paid you all in advance, don’t you think?”
“Well, as Mr. Kgronk is not here, you must believe in my word! Or else, tell your secretary to find the document! You’ll see he was paying me every time I went there.”- Daron said, patiently but with intensity.
To his surprise, the Subrogate takes a card from his best pocket, inserted on a accounting machine, and said:’ Tell me your Bank account, and the money it is supposedly I must pay.”
“Here it is, Sir. The amount is 930.000 Credits.”- Daron said, not believing his good luck.
“Fine. 930.000 Credits it is. Satisfied?”- The subrogate said, after the necessary clicking.
“Yes, Mr. Negraler. You had been of much use to me; I will be paying now for the fuel and other things.”- Daron said, happy all around.
“I hope it is enough, Captain.”- Negraler said, and his eyes were like icicles.
7
“Yes, of course, Mr. Subrogate. Well, I’m going now. Thanks you very much for your cooperation.”- Daron said, standing from the chair.
The man walks around the desk, saying:” A Question, captain: I always wanted to see a freighter by the inside. Could I visit your spaceship before you go?”
“Of course, mr. Subrogate! Pole 66, Domicilium Spaceport. Go there anytime you want.”- Daron said, amused by the strange demand- or not so strange?—He thought, adding to his reasoning:’ Perhaps the man was willing to see there really is a spaceship involved.”
He walked to the street, and after some blocks, he gets into a dress store, where he bought several clothes for his next trip. He had money now Negraler has paid in advance- and he could buy now all he requires- and more.
He rented a room at a cheap Hotel with a tiny bathroom, because it was a routine he always had while in the land: if any problem arise on his stay, his address was an Hotel and not the spaceship- that could be retained just because of him, and trashed around.
He found a Tavern and walked in; there was full of cigar’s smoke and several fat men were on the opposite side, on a raised platform, singing while a drummer was playing on two big drums. They were dressed only with clothes around their waist and the inner parts, and while Daron was there sipping a brew, the chant was as follows” I learn and when I perform the incantation to Eridu/ when I perform the Incantation may a kindly Guardian stand at my side/ by Ningursu, master of the sword, mayest thou be exorcised! Evil spirit, evil Demon, evil Ghost, evil Devil, evil God, evil Fiend, Evil are they! Unto my body may they not draw nigh/ before we may they wreak no evil/ nor follow me/ into my house may they not enter. My fence may they not break through, into my chamber may they not enter.”
From then on, they speak in the ancient tongue, the only scholars and mystics could understand a word. It runs like this: ZI AN NA KANPA KIA KAN PA INIM INIM MA UTUG HUL A KAN. And some other words.
21
To Be Continued.