Light Years

               Archer shut the shuttle door and planted himself in front of the con. Everything seemed to be the way they’d left it. With the internal power on, he noticed several files had been uploaded. He looked at the list:

Captain Reed
Lorelei Lee
Admiral Gardner
Lorelei Lee
Starfleet Command

He pushed a button to record a message and coded it for Starfleet Command.

Mission Log, 2163, Fourteen May, Admiral Jonathan Archer. Ensign Laurel Samuels, Crewman Russell Laskin, and myself have spent 3 weeks in the city of Tammalynnia. We all obtained employment at the reactor in this region, one of eight that we are aware of. The reactors are operating within an adequate safety margin. However, we’ve discovered some components with Tellarite markings and suspect involvement from them is certain.
“Three days ago a terrorist bomb exploded on the reactor in this region. Three dozen people were killed, and the city is suffering from blackout conditions. 

         “I need immediate support dispatched to Akal. We are still in covert operations until further notice. Next transmission 2163, May 21. Archer out.” A couple of buttons later and the message was on its way to Earth. With 80 light years to go, but with two booster buoys at 25 light year intervals, it would be received in a day or less.

“Did you just talk to your planet?” came a quiet voice from behind.

“Oh, Branni, I sent a message, but they won’t get it for a while. Takes a long time. We’re 80 light years from there.”

“Light years?” He shook his head slowly.

“Well, light travels incredibly fast. The distance it can go in one year is… it takes a long time to go that far. Did you know that from your sun, the light takes about 10 minutes to reach you here on Akal.” The boy simply looked at Archer. “The light from Supra and Kana,” he said, indicating the moons, “is actually just light bouncing off them from your sun, while it hides on the other side of Akal.”

“You sound like my mama when she talks science. Sometimes my papa talks science, too, about electricity. Mama talks about germs. But you talk about the stars and space,” Brannigaan said in awe.

“Your mother is a very smart lady.  So was your father.”

“My father is smart,” the boy insisted.

Archer nodded slightly, then went back to his com files. He read the admiral’s message, and Reed’s. After a moment of indecision, he opened the letters from Lorelei.

               “Jon,” it’s getting light.” Archer looked at his small friend. Now he had dragged two people into the investigation that he probably shouldn’t have.

               “You’re right, we should get going.” Archer stood up closed the monitor and picked up a phase pistol, shoving it in the waistband of his trousers, and then hanging his tunic over the bump.  He picked up Brannigaan and set him just outside the door. A green light began to strobe on the console, and a moment later an alarm bell tolled in unison. “I don’t believe it.” He stepped back to the console and pressed a few buttons. Branni crawled over the threshold and joined Archer back in the pod.

               “What is it?” Archer heard Brannigaan but tapped some data into his communicator.

               “I’ll be damned,” he mumbled. “Finally, finally! Let’s go, Branni, we’ve got a stop before we go home.”

               “Where are we going?”

               Archer jumped out, took Branni, and secured the shuttle.

               “Come on, it’s not far.”

               They traveled 3 kilometers south, through dense grasses and trees. Admiral Archer tried to keep his charge entertained on the way, having Branni hold the communicator and lead them in the direction it indicated with a flashing red light. No traces of the city could be found here; dense forest full of quadrupeds and birds stretched for hundreds of acres. Their clothes were collecting morning dew as they plowed along. The Akalli sun began its ascent above the horizon providing a little more light to see by.

“When I was your age my planet didn’t have the ability to go this deep into space. But it was my father who designed the engine that we finally used to come out here.” If he could get Branni to talk about his own father, maybe he could get past the denial and hope that Kellam might be coming home one day. “I think your father was very important at Reactor Two. He understood electricity better than anyone there I ever met.”

          They walked in silence for a while, Archer letting Brannigaan lead the way while he double checked over his shoulder. What were they about to find at the end of that homing beacon. A hundred meters further Archer could make out a rounded structure that appeared to be made of pewter. It was a little larger than the Starfleet shuttle, but well hidden.

“There it is,” Archer said. “Okay, let’s be very cautious here, don’t say a word.”

               The shuttle wasn’t crashed. It had set down with purpose, crushing a dozen trees to ensure that it was surrounded in the forest and not easily seen. The pair crouched low in the tall grass, creeping closer to the space craft. Archer didn’t recognize it as any he was familiar with, and it wasn’t Tellarite. That surprised him the most.