Tagrale

Chapter 1 Jenna lay in her bed, staring at the large picture of the Tagrale on her wall and imagining herself travelling through it to visit brand new stars. The picture was on the far wall so the Tagrale appeared to be circular, but Jenna knew it wasn’t when you got closer. It was made up of seven equal sides, each curved but still distinct from the others. Jenna was nine years old and she’d been obsessed with the Tagrale for more than half her life. Many of her friends had gone through phases of feeling the same, this was how humanity had reached the Sironus system after all, but the fact the Tagrale hadn’t been active in thousands of years soon dampened their enthusiasm. Not Jenna’s. To her it was a challenge, one she intended to conquer. She had it all mapped out. She’d become a scientist, get to investigate the Tagrale, then be the one who got it working again. Then she’d be on the first ship to travel through it in thousands of years. Easy. No. Hard. Damn hard. Five years later Jenna stared at the grade on her physics paper again, willing it to change, but it stayed there mocking her. Eighty-eight percent. A good grade. Maybe even a great one… but far short of the ninety-five percent she needed to be hitting consistently to get into the physics courses she wanted. This was by far the best grade she’d managed this year. She’d spent three weeks focusing on nothing but this paper, going over it time and time again. She’d known she had to get serious, to prove to herself that she had what it took to get to the Tagrale. And she’d failed. She’d hardly even taken any time out for her fourteenth birthday, just as much as her foster-parents forced her to. Not that she’d felt like celebrating. This was the third birthday since her parents died in a traffic collision. Everyone told her the pain would ease over time. Everyone was wrong, so she’d taken that pain and used it to drive her towards her dream. The dream she’d shared with her parents so many times. Now she had to face the truth. She wasn’t going to make it. She simply didn’t have the flair for physics she needed. She sat there numbly through the rest of the lesson, hardly noticing when the other students left. She was vaguely aware of her teacher talking, then she tuned in as he asked her why she wasn’t happy – she’d achieved wonders in getting such a good grade. Fifteen minutes later Jenna sat in the headteacher’s office, waiting for the lecture to start. Miss Platin sat down, but instead of the expected tirade she sat there quietly. Eventually Jenna lifted her head a little and made eye contact. Miss Platin actually smiled! “Well Jenna, I’m sure you know why you’re here. Mr Tanach thought he was complementing you on your efforts. He wasn’t expecting to be subjected to five minutes of insults, swear words and incoherent rants from you. I rather think he’s gone somewhere to have a stiff drink.” Jenna couldn’t think what to say so she just shrugged. She half expected that to trigger the lecture, but Miss Platin just smiled. “So I’m sure the first question everyone asks you is whether this is because you lost your parents. Let’s say that I’ve asked that and you’ve said it is, then I can get straight to asking you what it was really about. Can you tell me?” Could she? Jenna found herself struggling with that. Even if she wanted to, how could she express the feelings crashing around inside her? How could she explain that her future was collapsing in front of her, that the one dream she’d managed to cling to from before the death of her parents was now being ripped away from her? Yet she did want to try. She opened her mouth to begin. “I… it’s… I can’t…” She sighed and shook her head. She couldn’t even begin to start. “Let me try a little guesswork then,” said Miss Platin. “Mr Tanach said he was complementing you on your grade and the hard work you’d put in. He thought you’d be pleased but you weren’t, were you? Is it not as good as you’d hoped?” “It’s not as good as I need! I worked so hard. I really did. I couldn’t have done any more. It wasn’t good enough. I’m not good enough.” “This is where I’m supposed to tell you of course you are, that you’ve done amazingly well, give you a pat on the head and send you on your way with a detention. Screw that, if you’ll excuse the language. What exactly aren’t you good enough for?” Jenna just stared for a moment. Screw that was hardly swearing, but this was her headteacher! Then her mind caught up with the question. Once again the words tumbled out now the block was released. “For the Tagrale! I’m not good enough! I won’t get on to the courses at University, I won’t get to be top of my field, and I won’t get to go to the Tagrale. I won’t be able to… I won’t be able to do what I told mum and dad I’d do. I’ll have failed them.” She could feel tears pricking her eyes but she shook her head angrily, forcing the pain back down inside again. She wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not in front of anyone. That would just reinforce how weak she was. Miss Platin didn’t say anything for a few seconds. She just nodded, her eyes locked on to Jenna’s. Finally she spoke. “I think I understand. A little, at least. You want to get to the Tagrale because that’s what you promised your parents.” “Yes. No. Partly. I’ve always wanted to go there. I’ve been working towards it for years. I had it all worked out, how I’d do it, and now that’s come to nothing. If that’s gone… if that’s gone I’ve got nothing. What am I going to do with my life? What can I do? There’s nothing else left!” Miss Platin reached over to her datapad and entered a few commands. It was tilted away from Jenna so she couldn’t read what was there, but her headteacher studied the information for a few seconds before speaking. “I think you’re right. You aren’t cut out to be a scientist. Not at that level certainly. Only the very top scientists get to visit the Tagrale… but you know that already of course.” Jenna sank into the chair. She’d known her dreams were over, but hearing someone else confirm the news hit her even harder. She fought down a sob, digging her nails into her palm to hold it off. “So the question is, how else can you get there,” said Miss Platin. Jenna looked up sharply. Her body tingled strangely and her breathing was sharp and short. “What?” she managed. “How else can you get there? I see you have very good scores for mechanics and electronics. The best in the class.” “Not good enough,” Jenna said, her heart sinking again. “It’s even harder to get to the Tagrale as a mechanic, and everyone that does has at least twenty years of experience and seems to have known someone who could pull strings for them.” “Hmm. OK. Not as a mechanic then. What else is there?” “Nothing. Not for me. The administrators have all spent decades on major projects. The rest of the staff all have two or three specialist skills and again they’re there as much because of who they know as what. Science was the only route that gave me a chance. I always thought I’d be able to get to the top if I just worked hard enough. Now… now I know I never will.” “I think you’re overlooking something,” said Miss Platin. “I’m not. I’ve been over the details of everyone who works on the Tagrale.” “And that’s why you’re missing it. Tell me, how do all those people get to the Tagrale?” “By ship of course. It’s deep in space. How else would they get there?” “And who flies the ships?” “Well… wait… pilots… you think I could be a pilot?” “No. I know you could be a pilot. Maybe you could even be good enough to get on to the Tagrale trade run. If you’re amongst the best you might even get a role ferrying scientists around the Tagrale itself.” “If! What makes you think I could be a pilot?” “Well your physical and mental aptitude scores all show you have great potential, but mostly the fact you’ve been champion of the school network’s Star Hunter game for the past seven months.” “What? That’s just a game! What’s that got to do with anything?” “A lot. While it’s promoted as a game it’s actually a very accurate simulator. Part of its purpose is to help spot those who have the talent to be great pilots.” “What? But… I never…” Miss Platin smiled again as Jenna ran out of steam. “It’s a big switch I know, but you should consider it. I’d say you’re much more likely to get to the Tagrale as a pilot than as a scientist… and maybe we can save poor Mr Tanach from any more shocks.” Jenna smiled sheepishly at that. “Well, I think I’ve given you enough to think about,” said Miss Platin. “I’ll have a chat with Mr Tanach but I think you should apologise to him.” “I… yes. Of course. And thank you.” Two minutes later Jenna was leaving the office and walking in a daze. A pilot? She’d never even imagined that was a possibility, but Miss Platin was right that someone had to fly the scientists and everyone else to the Tagrale. Still, Jenna had no idea if that route was even possible for her. She smiled, her mind clearing and focusing on the future like a laser beam as it had so many times before. She had no idea yet. It was time to fix that! It was time for some research! Jenna stood in front of the national flight academy, just staring at the building. This was where the best pilot candidates got their training. This was the most difficult academy to get into, and the easiest to wash out of. If ever there was a route to becoming a pilot on the Tagrale runs this was it. The only problem was that a huge number of people thought they’d like to be a pilot. Even once the totally inept washed out that left a huge pool of talent all competing to get into this academy. Jenna had read that for every one trainee place there were more than one hundred applications. Only the absolute best were even considered for a place, and even then many had to be refused. Jenna took a deep breath, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked toward the entrance. Only the best of the best were offered a place, and she’d made the cut. For now at least. She was in… now she just needed to stay in. Jenna stood stock still, sweat coating her palms and running down the small of her back. Her breathing was only one shade short of panic. She couldn’t do this! She didn’t have what it took. But she had to. There was no turning back, and the moment of truth was coming. No… it was here. She was sure she was going to throw up, and how would that look? “Ladies and gentlemen,” boomed the announcer’s voice. “I present to you this year’s top graduate, winner of the highly prized golden wings… Miss Jenna Salter!” Jenna froze for a few moments, then started and moved forward. She climbed the few short steps on to the platform, trying desperately to avoid thinking about the huge crowd cheering and clapping her. “Oh stars!” she thought. “Please let me get through this without throwing up!” Jenna ran through the system checks once more then settled back, happy that the freighter’s autopilot could handle things. The ship was hardly the newest out there but it was solid and reliable. This was the third time she’d flown it and it beat some of the other ships she’d taken piloting jobs on hands down. She certainly wasn’t going to complain. Only nine months out of the academy and she was already trusted to handle freighter runs on her own. That was almost unheard of, but her success at the academy followed by her usual dedication to learning all she could had paid off. In between piloting freighters she took every chance she could to moonlight as a racing pilot. She’d even won a couple of races, and was making quite a name for herself. That was the main reason for doing it – no matter how good a freighter pilot she was her name wouldn’t become well known. But if all she did was race then no one would take her seriously. So she did both… and worked her arse off to make sure she was the best she could possibly be at both. She was on course. If things kept going well then she dared to hope she might get a flight to the Tagrale within five or six years. Probably not a regular run, and definitely not a chance to be based there, but enough to put her on the right people’s radar. Jenna smiled to herself and said a silent thank you to Miss Platin. Her old headteacher had even been there on graduation day, though Jenna hadn’t found out until later. She wasn’t sure if that would have been a calming thought or would actually have tipped her over into throwing up on the stage! Jenna stared at the screen, struggling to believe what she was seeing. War? How could there be a war? Well, she could see how. It was right there in the news reports. An encounter between a Mercantile Coalition diplomatic vessel and a League of Planets customs ship. The customs ship demanded access to search for contraband. The diplomatic vessel refused, citing diplomatic privilege. Heated words were exchanged. No one knew for sure who fired the first shot, though both sides claimed it was the other. The customs ship fired the last shot, destroying the other ship and sparking a diplomatic row. That row had flared into all-out war within a day. The effects were being seen already. Dozens of piloting jobs had been pulled from the job boards already. More were sure to follow. Those that were left were asking for far more experience than she had. Jobs she had any chance of getting were vanishing before her eyes. This couldn’t be happening! She’d hardly been out of the Academy a full year! It wasn’t fair! Everything had been going so well. She’d worked so hard. And now… now everything was ruined! Work flying freighters had dried up, but to Jenna’s surprise other offers soon came in. Both sides in the war were desperate for pilots, especially good ones. It didn’t take long for both the League and the Coalition to approach Jenna, trying to win her over to their point of view. At first she was uncertain about taking a military role, but soon she realised it would be a way to keep building her experience. It might even turn out to be a good step toward reaching the Tagrale, but even if not it would keep her flying. She thought long and hard about which side to join, and in the end chose to side with the League. Not because she was a fervent supporter of the League’s principles, but she did have serious issues with the Mercantile Coalition’s policies. The Coalition wanted to let markets decide everything… including who got access to the Tagrale. That felt wrong to Jenna. The Tagrale was special. Access to it shouldn’t be down to who had the most money… and worse, who thought they could make the most money out of it. She signed up and was soon assigned a fighter of her own. Getting to fly such a responsive ship was a thrill, but she couldn’t help but feel she was travelling away from her ultimate goal of getting access to the Tagrale. She reminded herself that if the coalition won her chances of getting to the Tagrale would be non-existent, especially now she’d joined the League, and put everything she had into becoming the best pilot she could.