OMEGA Allegiance by Stephen Arseneault Page A

unknown."
    I replied, "Do we have any translation technology aboard?"
    The Lieutenant shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Sir. We have a handful of translation algorithms that were in use as teaching aides from the AMP archives. We made use of those to help us decode the beacon signal, but there was no translation of language within that signal, just the breaking of a series of numeric keys. I'm afraid linguistics is not something we have anyone trained for either. In the Alliance there was no need."
    I half laughed. "Yeah, having a universally written and spoken language in the Alliance was one of those things hailed as being a catalyst to help us better settle our differences, regardless of species. It worked for the last couple thousand years. Now we see the flip side of that reasoning. We have ultra-powerful computers but no linguistics abilities. Lieutenant, have your men do their best to record and log everything they can about this ship. We may be giving it back to the Captain in a few hours' time."
    The Lieutenant replied, "Yes, Sir."
    I looked over the cockpit as I attempted to wave away the smell. "It actually smells a lot like an unwashed Grunta kid. They avoid baths if not forced to take them. That smell will stay with them into adulthood if not cared for when they are young.
    I continued, "That display looks like nav. And I would say that is weapons. Was this ship a fighter craft?"
    The Captain nodded. "Yes. It's equipped with faster than light missiles that we have a tough time stopping. We've gotten better at detecting them, but we have to run deep scans almost continuously in order to pick them up. They are deadly accurate too. One of those will punch a twenty centimeter hole all the way through a large ship. Command needs to find a defense against those missiles. It could be the one breakthrough that turns this war around."
    I stepped down from the hatchway. "As I said, help us get through that portal if needed and we will leave you and the ship at the gate."
    The Talisan Lieutenant emerged from behind the craft. "Sir, I believe we have determined the reason for the ship's capture. On the aft of the ship is a plate that appears to be used for propulsion purposes. The plate has a blackened spot with a small pinhole in the center. We believe the strike from an ion cannon caught it directly from behind, shutting down the ship's propulsion and possibly other systems as well. The pinhole is through hull, Sir."
    The Captain replied, "That could be why they abandoned the ship: no propulsion, and no weapons. Probably lost their life support as well."
    The Lieutenant spoke. "Sir, we believe the occupant to be a biped. They would be approximately your size, Sir."
    I nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep us informed. Mr. Carson, could I get you a cup of coffee?"
    The Captain's eyes lit up. "You have coffee?"
    I replied, "I have a small supply."
    The Captain smiled. "I haven't had a cup of that sweet nectar in four years. You used to occasionally find it when new ships came through, but none have had it in years. At least not any that would share."
    We walked towards the mess hall. "Yeah, it seems the Salton's sectors grow very little. Trade disputes have cut the supply down to a trickle. You'll pay tenfold for a cup as what you did ten years ago. It's become an item of luxury in the Triangulum."
    The Captain shook his head as he laughed. "I remember before the assaults on Doomlight started, I was desperately hoping it was a world rich in coffee, but I think all they grow there is misery and death."
    As the Captain sat, I brewed two fresh cups. "Tell me about the war, Captain."
    The Captain sat back in his chair. "Hmm. What a huge waste of life on both sides. Each time we bring in a new fleet, we have to fight our way through a reinforced enemy. Our space battles are all about getting our transports, with the soldiers, down to the planet's surface. We'll typically lose a third before we make it to the ground. It's the same