Gobby Johnny and The Book of Space: Ariel Hope Chronicles 2 Read online

  Gobby Johnny and The Book of Space

  Ariel Hope Chronicles 2

  G.P. MOSS

  Gobby Johnny and The Book of Space

  Ariel Hope Chronicles 2

  by

  G.P. MOSS

  Copyright 2017 G.P. Moss. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  End Note

  Chapter One

  Minstrels galaxy (Outer edge of middle planet)

  Ariel is confused.

  "Harry, it feels like we are being pulled. I have no control over the controls."

  A sombre Harry looks straight at Beta 2's Captain.

  "Ariel, you have control."

  "That's just it, Harry; I do NOT have control!"

  "Neither do I."

  "Well, will you take control? Please!"

  "Ariel, I now have control."

  "Thank you, Harry."

  "Except I do not have control; we are being pulled."

  The exasperated young Captain calls for Beta 4's Captain, Stevie Lo.

  "Stevie, watch out. You need to get away, NOW! Do you copy? Leave NOW!"

  Stevie's low voice cuts crisply through the tense tenseness of Ariel's cockpit.

  "What's happening?"

  "I am being pulled, Stevie, and it is not a fun sledge ride. If you do not leave now, so will you!"

  "Negative, Ariel. Our anti-pull repulser systems are activated. I'm running free."

  Ariel's astonishment is astonishing, even to her.

  "You mean...?"

  "Harry should have activated them on entry."

  “She didn’t have control, I did. I wanted the practice.”

  "Oh."

  Harry's crisp vowels interrupt the conversation that is clearly heading nowhere.

  Her consonants aren't bad either.

  "The anti-pull repulser is disabled. We are at the mercy of the pullers."

  Ariel issues a direct order.

  "Stevie, anti-pull or not, I want Beta 4 out of here. No point in both of us in trouble."

  Newly created Captain Stevie Lo ignores the command. Well, argues, anyway.

  "Negative, Ariel. I'm following you in. The pullers may be hostile."

  *

  Ignoring her ignored order, Ariel silently thanks her fellow Beta Captain. But she is in charge; everyone knows that, ignored orders or not.

  "Poppy, take the fighter ship. Be my wing man."

  She has heard this before in training. Something similar, anyway.

  First Officer Poppy's voice comes through clearly and without hesitation, despite the disappointment it carries.

  "Negative, ma'am, the fighter ship is stuck. Whoever is pulling us has disabled the docking stations."

  Even in this crisis, Ariel's misunderstood sense of inexperienced propriety trumps all sensible ideas. During this bewildering scenario, that word 'negative', banded about like an adjective in common usage, is having a less than positive effect on her rattled psyche.

  Stevie's voice stumbles through, less certain this time.

  "Ariel, I think we are also being pulled. The anti-pulls have been overridden.

  Yvette, can you confirm, please?"

  It's only a few seconds before his First Officer responds in her melodic, sing song voice.

  "Sir, it is unfortunately true. I have checked with Pierre, and he concurs."

  "Yvette, why is our AI French? This is a StarTapped cruiser."

  "Sir, when the previous Captain deflected to French-Welsh Alliance, Captain DuPont insisted on uniformity. Nicely, of course."

  Everyone knows Francoise DuPont is a nice man.

  "Defected, you mean."

  "Yes, Sir, he did deflect."

  Stevie loves every word from his First Officer's lovely French mouth.

  He slaps himself to concentrate. Lightly. He cannot afford an 'incident' from self-inflicted pain; this is not the time for turning into his wolf. Maybe later.

  *

  Ariel stares through the windscreen as the planet's contours become increasingly contour-like. What look like sharp peaked mountains to the left and right are being ignored as they take a downward forward route through the centre.

  Alarmingly, there appears to be a vast swathe of blue, a sea of blue if you like.

  Like a vast blue sea.

  "Stevie, what are these cruisers like on water?"

  "They're equipped with inflatable skirts, Ariel. If they haven't been disabled too."

  "Harry, check the escape pods."

  "Electronically, they are locked. There is, however, a manual override."

  "Can we not manually override the docking station housing Poppy's fighter ship?"

  "Negative."

  Ariel bristles. She will have to get used to this less than positive word. She stares at Harry but there is no evidence of sarcasm.

  Poppy points out the cockpit window.

  "Look!" she gasps.

  As the Beta cruisers look as though they are about to hit the rocky, choppy sea, they are moved backwards towards a sandy beach.

  Full of people.

  As the ships get closer, the inhabitants reveal their attire.

  Ariel may likely, in the future, if she survives this, compare their dress to ancient shipwrecked mariners.

  Yvette will call it scruffy chic.

  Poppy will only nod in thoughtful silence.

  Stevie Lo will simply smile at the memory of his self-control and ability to remain human at a most stressful time.

  If they survive.

  *

  Through the cockpit windows, it's clear there is much interest in the cruisers.

  Harry's the first to speak.

  "If you go to the command centre, you will see the aliens are surrounding the cruisers."

  "Harry, we are the aliens here, remember? I thought, and I don't know why I thought, this planet would be unoccupied."

  "No planet capable of sustaining life is likely to be devoid of life."

  "Yes, thank you Harry; I am painfully aware of that now."

  They head to the command centre, plush cream leather seats awaiting them. Except for Harry; she just appears on a side screen. As the panoramic viewing platform opens before her eyes, Ariel sees the raggedy but cheerful inhabitants trying to touch the cruisers. They keep jumping back, as if a force field is surrounding the ships.

  For a planet to have the capability of using tractor beams, the residents do not look particularly advanced.

  Pre-French Revolution springs to mind, before Marie Antoinette made her ill-timed cake comment from the balcony of her big house.

  Yes, I know there is absolutely no evidence of her saying this. But you know what stories are like.

  But these people look more cheerful. They look interested, not angry. Or hungry.

  Stevie's voice slams through the intercom. Ariel doesn't jump; she is fa
r cooler than that.

  Chilled cucumber cool.

  "They may be friendly, Ariel."

  Harry pipes up before Captain Hope has a chance to respond.

  "A jolly good job, too. Our weapons systems are disabled."

  Ariel ponders.

  "Perhaps they are merely anti-violence?"

  Poppy surveys the bizarre beach scene. She is particularly perplexed by the flip flops on their feet. She feels the sand would easily get between the toes.

  "Ma'am, we live in dangerous times. These space-ways are littered with pirates and others up to no good. It is reasonable to suggest this planet is capable of resisting such anti-social behaviour."

  "I wish you had told me all this beforehand, Poppy."

  "Ma'am, it will be the same wherever we go, around here at least. We will have to travel much further, I believe, to find peace."

  Ariel sighs, but not for long.

  On board Betas 2 and 4, all 6 available mouths are open. Yes, even the AIs.

  Sitting on the rocky, choppy sea, is the largest wooden ship Ariel has ever seen. This is as large as the old aircraft carriers of Earth.

  It was not there a minute ago.

  Ariel's mouth manages to create words as the cruisers gently rise and move towards the sea.

  "That's all we need," she says, despondently.

  "A magic planet."

  Chapter Two

  Milky Way (Outer edge, above planet Whistler)

  As StarTapped Beta Command, led by Important Captain Nicholls, prepares for a bloodless, calm, and pleasant invasion of the planet Whistler, Beta 3's Captain, Ed Hope, thinks of his daughter, Ariel and believes in his heart she will survive and prosper on Earth.

  It is inconceivable to him that, even though she is the brightest cadet at the Academy, she could have made it to space on her own. Beta 2's launch is a mystery and could even be flying under the steam of an AI. His own cheeky AI, Miri, is constantly trying to establish contact with Harriet, Beta 2's cocky inhabitant.

  For now, Ariel's fate is out of his control.

  He has another child to think about.

  Number 1 founding member of the Spacies; 'Gobby' Johnny Hope.

  He calls through to his wife, Gerry.

  "Honeysuckle, you know that box I was saving for Johnny? Yes, the one from old Hector, that is correct. I think, with all this, erm, upheaval about to start, he could do with some distraction."

  Gerry is not exactly enthusiastic.

  "But darling Edward, that old man was a crazy star addled fool. His book and inventions were laughed at."

  "Some of his ideas were good. There is another, smaller wooden box that goes with it; some old contraption. Make sure he gets that too; it will keep him quiet for hours, perhaps days."

  "As you command, my glorious Captain."

  "Stop it, Gerry, you know I like it when you say that, Bunny Bubbles."

  Important Captain Nicholls' commanding voice cuts through each cockpit.

  "Prepare yourselves for entry. Atmospheric readings show heat shields are easily adequate. Once through, reassemble formation and hold tight. Resistance is not expected but prepare as if it is. Good luck, everyone."

  *

  In the Whistler maintenance and general crew canteen, everyone enjoys an extended lunch break.

  Everyone except Denny, Kenny, and Lenny. They try to rouse the troops, attempting to get them back to work.

  Denny is indignant.

  "Just because Mr Whistler has temporarily gone, you must all still work!"

  Kenny disagrees.

  "No, they must toil ever harder!"

  Lenny joins in, his anger thinly veiled...as anger.

  "You pair of idiots! Everyone must labour for the great and mighty!"

  "That's what we said!" shout Denny and Kenny in unison.

  Lenny turns to the large contingent of diners.

  "See what you have done, you lazy set of no good non doers? You have set brother upon brother with your selfish ways. We great pilots have just endured a vicious battle and you just sit there idly scoffing carrot kebab! Undeserving wastrels!"

  Everyone carries on eating.

  Whispers rage like wildfire around the tables. All the whispers are the same. Or similar.

  The great and occasionally victorious Whistler fighters just had their butts kicked. By 2 girls.

  *

  As StarTapped Beta Command enters Whistler space-space, Gobby Johnny Hope looks in wonder at the contents of the 2 boxes his mother just gave him.

  His mother Gerry's smile is as tight as a frugal scrooge buying a cut price heavy dressing gown in the hot throes of a High Summer's day.

  "Thank you, mother; it's wonderful!"

  "Well Gob...er, Johnny, sweetness, it really is just a load of old jumble but your daddy has been saving it for a special day."

  "And this day is special, mother. Imagine, invading a hostile planet. This is the stuff dreams are made of!"

  "Now, darling, daddy says we are not invading, just presenting ourselves as responsible space citizens wanting a nice place to live."

  Johnny's eyes light up. Gerry is sure they briefly turn a fiery red. He holds up a large, cloth bound book, hand illustrated with pictures of planets and exotic aliens, a spaceman holding a blasting ray gun on the front cover.

  "Zap them all. I am going to zap them all. Zap, Zap, Zap!"

  "That is nice dear. I am going for a little lie down. Hopefully, when we land, someone can wake me. But only if the welcoming party are serving tea and cakes. Oh, I do hope the aliens are civilised.”

  Gobby Johnny holds onto his new book for dear life as he turns the handwritten pages slowly and in awe. This is the best gift he has ever had. 'The Book of Space', subtitled 'The acute observations of Hector Strange, esquire.’

  Inside this strange and wonderful creation are depictions of Hector's worlds and aliens.

  But that is not all.

  On a loose, light blue graph sheet, tucked inside the centre pages, is a diagram of a machine with some instructions. The same machine that is in the 2nd box.

  Okay, it's in pieces but it's definitely the same one.

  The name of the machine is ‘The Whistler’.

  This is fate.

  Gobby Johnny's hands shake as he realises he has absolutely no idea what any of this means.

  *

  Denny, Kenny, and Lenny stare at the sky in resentment as their worst nightmare starts to unravel.

  Using their well-developed sense of brotherly argumentative togetherness, they reluctantly agree to simultaneously throw their battle whistles towards the incoming Earth scum.

  Mouths pursed and cheeks sunk, their tuneless, shrieking whistles take StarTapped by surprise.

  Well, one person anyway.

  Covering his neatly hair trimmed ears, Important Captain Nicholls orders his cruisers to alter their course.

  "Follow me, everyone. WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! I repeat, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!”

  Captain Ed Hope tries to restore calm to Beta Command.

  "All will be okay, Sir. It is just 3 men in lime green flight suits, looking oddly similar, throwing their battle whistles. No harm done. Sabre-rattling, that is all it is, Sir."

  Nicholls bristles.

  Like the bristliest brush, ever.

  "Who is in charge here, Captain Hope?"

  "Well, you, Sir. I just thought 'WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!' was a little strong, you know, a little over the top?"

  "Did you now? These medals were won for making the correct decisions at the right time, under dangerous circumstances. I am right and you are wrong! UNDER ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!”

  Who sees a change in leadership on the horizon?

  *

  Denny, Kenny, and Lenny look to the sky as the cruisers move away from the city.

  Denny speaks first.

  "Well, that was straightforward."

  Kenny disagrees.

  "No, it was not. It was simple!"

  Lenny loo
ks exasperated.

  "Idiots, the pair of you. That was easy-peasy, squishy-squeezy!"

  Chapter Three

  Middle Planet (In a spot of bother)

  Beta cruisers 2 and 4 sit side by side in a slight dip on the deck of the giant ship.

  Yes, unfortunately, they’ve been magically moved from the beach.

  Or beamed.

  Either way, they’ve moved.

  Ariel grabs her parka, checking the power light on the taser in her inside pocket.

  A light hum is the only sound until Stevie's voice fills the void.

  "Ariel, make sure you and Poppy are armed with pocket peck'm and deck'ms."

  "What in space are those?"

  Harry chirps in.

  "It is a slang term for the small laser personal protection firearm issued mainly to StarTapped officers, of which, Ariel, you are one. The term is derived from the dual capability of stunning and dispatching."

  "Thanks Harry. Where are they?"

  "In the Captain's and First Officer's lockers."

  "We have lockers?"

  "In the cockpit. Where you are now. To your left. Down a bit. There. It will open as soon as you touch it; fingerprint recognition."

  "Harry, Poppy and I are not officially attached to this cruiser; there won't be any records."

  "I took the liberty of installing both of yours, and Stevie's isometrics, into the system as soon as each of you boarded. I know, I am not just a pretty face."

  Ariel looks the weapon over.

  Her silent question is answered.

  "Just point and shoot. No external safety. First pressure will stun, fully depressed will dispatch. They will automatically reload using light regeneration."

  “What will dispatch do?”

  “It will send them to a better place.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  *

  A new, calm but weird voice cuts crisply through the intercoms.

  "Welcome, Earthlings. You are now under the protection of Magnificent Mike.

  That of course is not my given name but the literal translation will confuse and concern you, mainly because your linguistic capabilities do not stretch to our clucking consonants."

  Ariel needs to ask.

  "Why were we forced down here, Mike?"

  "Magnificent Mike, if you please. I prefer to say you were 'guided', not forced. You were entering anyway, without permission."

  "I thought the planet was unoccupied. My AI ran preliminary checks."