Read Online The Cartographer by Craig Gaydas - Free Book Online

here was to let you know that we are making a side trip before we journey to Caelum.”
    “Oh really?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
    Calypso's face hardened again which gave his crimson eyes the illusion that they burned with an internal fire.
    “We are going to find out who was pursuing the Argus, of course.”

Had A Little Help From My Friends
    C alypso's demeanor intrigued me. As the leader of the Explorer's League he seemed more warlike than one would expect from an ordinary explorer. I wondered what position he had prior to joining the League.
    “So, do you need me to do something?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.
    He took a seat at the end of the bed. “Well, Nathan, we have been watching you ever since you came aboard. We are pleased that you took great interest in everything we have taught you so far. The fact that you passed the test proves that you are ready to start you training, if you are ready to accept the responsibility.”
    “That depends on the responsibility I suppose,” I replied sheepishly. “A cartographer makes me think of some kind of mapmaker. Do I need to design maps or something?”
    Calypso laughed. “No, Nathan. The map has already been designed. You only need to catalogue.”
    “Catalogue?” I repeated.
    “The Cartographer's primary responsibility is cataloguing data and maintaining its accuracy as you travel to new, uncharted regions.”
    “Oh gee, that sounds exciting,” I replied sourly. “So I would basically be some sort of glorified administrative assistant.”
    “No, not at all. As a matter of fact the Cartographer does much more than plot waypoints and fill in blanks. They are also a member of the initial scout team sent to a planet's surface upon its discovery. You will be on the front line of exploration and will work side by side with the team in identifying and collecting samples of alien indigenous life.”
    My initial annoyance ebbed, giving way to renewed excitement. The chance to discover new worlds and new life was too much to pass up. “Well, that sounds much more exciting. I guess I will accept your offer.”
    Calypso smiled, slapped his knees with the palms of his hands and stood up. His excitement doused the fire in his eyes. “Excellent, I will let Satou know that you have accepted!”
    He turned for the door.
    “Wait!” I called out, stopping him before he exited.
    “What am I supposed to do?” I asked.
    Calypso turned and his smile faded. “You will have to start training in order to fully understand the full scope of your responsibility. You will need to learn covert operations, hostile engagement, planetary topography and geologic retrieval.”
    I slumped my shoulders in disappointment. There would be no way I could learn all of that quickly enough to appease my immediate curiosity. Maybe by the time I turned fifty I might have enough training to go on my first scouting mission. Calypso recognized my frustration and crossed his arms with a smile.
    “I have faith you will succeed,” he offered. “Being the Cartographer is a very serious responsibility and you have passed the first test. The test was designed as the first in a series of increasingly difficult tasks. Although difficult, it will be rewarding in the end.”
    “Especially for a human,” a gruff voice called from the hallway.
    Natronix stood in the hall with his hands on his hips and a sour look on his face. He wore the look so often that I begun to think it came natural to him. Aside from his statement he completely ignored me, and turned to Calypso.
    “Captain Jasper is ready to be debriefed.”
    Calypso nodded and whispered over his shoulder. “Pay no mind to Natronix, his lack faith in humanity does not represent mine.”
    Calypso followed Natronix out the door. Before walking out of view, he tossed me a smug expression, increasing my dislike level. The door slid shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. I plopped down at my desk and stared at