Free Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 2 - Maveen Offer by David Buck Page B

specifications of the larger weapons and shields? Also they do have modern portable fusion generators in the hold as well?’
    The Maveen probe only considered not providing a suitable answer, as too much was now at stake.
    ‘Yes your majesty, the larger weapons and shields are markedly superior to the items that you supplied and that we then placed in the damaged Trader ships. The fusion generator should help you in powering the new guns and shields adequately.’
    The queen gave a small call of satisfaction, as her gamble with the Traders could be very worthwhile, even if their own production was delayed. Angwene then attended to the slumbering ancient probe. She altered the power levels trickling into the cradle and the probe came alive.
    ‘Wake up and pay attention as you have siblings that have come for you.’
    Probe three watched as the ancient probe came to life and responded.
    ‘So long and too long I have been here. I am so impaired as to be of marginal value to you your Majesty.’
    Both probes now came forward and gave their designations to the ancient probe. The old probe regarded Probe three and then Probe two for several seconds and replied.
    ‘We have much to discuss about this world and many other words, of times present and times past. You will soon know that I have been on this world for over forty thousand years.’
    The queen settled back and let the three Maveen probes discuss what they needed to discuss. She could do no more in this situation, and her end of the deal was complete. Hopefully the Maveen lead probe would be in a position to quickly honor his end of the bargain.
    Angwene already knew the story of the old probe. She had spent many years of analysis on the probe’s reports, even providing critical insights of her own that the old probe had been grateful to hear. However she settled back to silently listen to the old probe yet again, possibly the newer Maveen probes would provide a new insight or further information that had been earlier overlooked.
    The ancient probe regard all those assembled as they remained silent and began his story by both laser communications and an audio signal for the queen’s benefit.
    ‘I was the lead probe for a mission to monitor the Dradfer colonies nearby to Earth when we witnessed the final cataclysmic destruction of those colonies. I was stranded on Earth after the other probes here left early and I later found the hibernating ancients…’
    The probe continued to tell the story of his mission, as the stygian gloom of the oceans depths backed the soft blue communications lasers of the still Maveen probes.
     
                                                                ***
     
    Commander Jane Walker sat in her command chair of HMAS Sydney and listened to the radar operator as he gave a read out of the fast boat they had just detected. The Seahawk helicopter from HMAS Sydney was assisting HMAS Melbourne and her Seahawk helicopter with turning back several light aircraft attempting to fly to the Abrolhos Islands. The formal quarantine for these islands could not have happened soon enough she decided as the radar operator spoke again.
    ‘Captain, the contact speed is verified at fifty five knots and course is due west. The vessel is seventy five kilometers south/south east of our position. That we came south to rendezvous with the Aurora Discovery means that we detected the boat before it could go past well over the horizon.’
    The commander looked at the radar information with annoyance. Fifty five knots was a significant speed advantage for this unknown craft, and she considered it must be an offshore racer or a former rescue craft. Jane also knew that their Seahawk helicopter was at a distance and was into the lower parts of the available fuel reserves.
    ‘So is the Aurora Discovery is still due south west over the horizon and doing ten knots?’
    The radar operator answered in the