Ensign Probus

by Wendie Nordgren

  Chapter Four

  Dario and Eli joined us before the lift doors could close. When the doors opened upon the bridge, I was taken aback by the scene displayed before us. Captain Ricimer was pacing while giving orders to his bridge crew. In his late fifties, the captain of my ship had a stern appearance and steely muscles. His long legs took him from one side of the deck to the other. Through the main viewport, what should have been empty black space was riddled with space junk. The jagged metal shards were of all sorts of mangled shapes and sizes and had us surrounded like a minefield. From the corner of my eye, I saw Captain Ricimer turn, and I sought out his brown eyes.

  “Has there been a battle?” Eli asked. He went to the center of the Command Deck and looked over Commander Genso’s shoulder at his console. The man’s black hair and the back of his chair prevented me from seeing whatever was on his display.

  “No.” Captain Ricimer imbued his monosyllabic reply with more contempt than I’d ever before heard him use. “We were a few parsecs behind the Hadrian in route to Aurilius when a salvage scow suddenly jettisoned all of its cargo, all 2,000 tons of it.”

  Yukihyo asked, “Can we blast our way through it?”

  “No.” Captain Ricimer turned to Eli. “The metal scrap is all ionized. We have been notified by the Waste Management Division of the Galaxic Government to maintain our position and shields. They are sending trowel reclamation cruisers to clean up the spill.”

  Yukihyo put his hands on his hips. “Is this a joke? Trowels are the slowest, most antiquated means available for clearing space junk.”

  I’d seen the robotic ships about which they spoke. They were giant, plodding vessels which made tedious passes back and forth across pre-programmed areas of space, collecting scraps of metal and debris until their hulls were full. Then, they returned to their recycling berths on moon bases. They had been created hundreds of years ago to clean Earth’s orbit of defunct missiles, satellites, and the ghost ships of long-dead crews in the days before space travel was safe. Trowel reclamation cruisers were like the floor bots of space.

  “To which berth are they programmed to return?” Yukihyo asked.

  Eli looked at the monitor while Commander Genso found the answer.

  “This seems contrived. Who is responsible?” I asked.

  Drex had silently joined us on the bridge. Quietly, he said, “I have my suspicions which I’d very much like to confirm.”

  “Well, we can’t really do anything while trapped by radioactive metal,” Yukihyo observed.

  Drex went to one of the consoles and took a seat. After a few moments spent searching for answers, he said, “And we are shut out from accessing the salvage scows’ computers. I’ll require manual access to learn anything.”

  Scowling, I thought of my cousins on Arachne and wondered how many additional days our current situation would add to our trip.

  Looking over his shoulder at me, Eli said, “Spacesuits will protect against radiation, and a few fighter ships could navigate through the debris field. Allow us to investigate.”

  “Alright. Be careful. Record your adventure for us so we can virtually go on it with you,” I said. Yukihyo gave me his arm, and we turned toward a meeting room on the Command Deck.

  Eli said, “Zared, Xavier, and Rovek, report to Deck Five.”

  Once Yukihyo, Dario, and I were seated at a table, I activated the wall-mounted vid-screen.

  “This is an impressive mess,” Nico said. He walked into the room and took a seat to my right. “It reminds me of what our children can do to a playroom in a few minutes.”

  Yukihyo’s eyes began to fill with various agitated striations of color, showing his emotions where his calm demeanor failed to do so. “I’m hailing the Hadrian.” He made the call. A few minutes passed before my cousin, Captain Eric Alaric, personally answered it. Without preamble, Yukihyo said, “We are in need of assistance.”

  I narrowed my eyes at the humorous twinkle in Eric’s pale blue eyes. Fighting a smile, he said, “Help is on the way. It could take a while though. It appears that the Empress is completely mired.” He shook his head of shiny black hair in feigned sympathy and directed a fake smile my way which made the cute dimple in his chin more pronounced.

  Shaking a finger at him, I said, “Eric, get back here right this instance and help clear a path for my beautiful warship out of all of this crap!”

  “Sorry, Teagan. I’ve got orders and can’t spare the time.” He grinned showing off his sparkling white teeth.

  I’d kill him.

  As if he knew my murderous thoughts, he said, “Be patient. At least two trowel cruisers are on their way to clean up the hazardous metal.”

  “Eric Alaric, get back here and use your grapplers to clear me a path. I’ve got shit to do. Simon, Eliot, and I have plans!”

  It looked like my handsome asshole cousin was trying not to laugh, but I knew what would sober him quicker than being doused with a vat of ice water. “Eric, get back here and help me right now, or I’m telling Gram.”

  My threat wiped the smile from his face, but an innocent expression replaced it. “Teagan, you wound me. How is it fair of you to upset Gram when I’m simply following procedure?” He gave me a feigned look of hurt. Tapping away at his console, he read something and then looked back up at me. “Don’t worry. The trowels are on their way. They should be there in two weeks, and it will probably only take them three weeks to clean up the mess. Who knows? If we complete our mission before then, maybe we can come back.” He winked at me. “Alaric out.”

  I screamed at the blank screen before it came back to life with the view from within the stealth ship Xavier was piloting.

  “Did you hear our chat with Alaric?” Nico asked.

  “We did,” Eli responded.

  Captain Ricimer entered the room and sat beside Yukihyo. “We have been warned against clearing the field ourselves citing possible irreversible environmental dangers to planets within the Laconian Sector should we attempt it.”

  “Wouldn’t it all just burn up in the planets’ atmospheres?” I had scrunched up my face in annoyance at our incredulous situation.

  “And risk facing severe financial and diplomatic sanctions?” Fitz asked as he entered the room, found an empty chair, and sat with us.

  Yukihyo slammed a fist down against the table. I scowled at him. It was a nice table, and I didn’t want it cracked.

  The wall-mounted vid-screen signaled. Nico split the screen so we could continue to see what was happening with the team. It was my father-in-law, Consul Bosh. He said, “I’m so terribly sorry about the fiasco which has befallen your ship.”

  “Can you order the debris to be cleared away any faster? We can’t just stay here, retaining our position for a month!” I threw my hands up in the air.

  Thoughtfully, Quinn said, “You have food and supplies for several months, and your communications are operable. You should be fine. Take care. I’ll keep you apprised of the progress.” He smiled and ended the communication.

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I could feel my fancy artificial heart speeding up in anger.

  To distract me, the viewer was switched back to a full view of Eli and his team.

  They had clamped onto the salvage scow, overridden its docking bay doors, flown their fighters inside, and re-pressurized the hull. From within their environmental suits, it was hard to tell who was who, so I paid closer attention.

  Xavier held a scanner and reported, “I’m not detecting any ionization within the scow.”

  “They must have done it with a neutron activating beam after it was ejected,” Rovek said.

  Eli led the way to a chamber where consoles took up a grey wall. Nothing had been done to make the scow the least bit comfortable or appealing, but then it had never been intended to accommodate a crew. Instead, it, and others like it, were remotely operated and pre-programmed. Dingy walls were illuminated by the faint emergency lighting which had activated when life signs had been detec
ted.

  Zared found a life support pod which contained emergency rations, a medical kit, a waste unit, sink, and bunk.

  “It would suck to be stuck on that hunk of metal,” Fitz said in disgust.

  Yukihyo nodded in agreement.

  Thinking of my assignment, I said, “Hey, Zared, will you do me a favor and check to see if the scow has recently been to Chione or Earth? While you’re at it, will you check to see if any… undocumented or unfamiliar compounds have been recorded or logged? It’s for school.”

  Zared was nodding his helmeted head while Eli and Drex were exchanging looks through theirs, knowing as Zared did what it was I hoped to find. “I’ll see to it.”

  Consoles were removed, and wiring was exposed as they worked to reveal whatever secrets the ship tried to conceal.

  “Verified. The Hadrian forced the ejection of the cargo and timed it to jettison so the Empress would be trapped,” Drex reported.

  My face grew hot with anger. “Just wait until I get my hands on them! They did this on purpose? I’m gonna beat the shit out of them.”

  “You can’t. Remember? You’ll have to let us beat the shit out of them for you,” Nico said, and he didn’t say it playfully.

  “I have a match!” Zared called out excitedly.

  It took me a second to realize what he was saying.

  Eli exclaimed, “Fuck a black hole,” and hurried to his side.

  Zared said, “This alloy has trace amounts of what was discovered in the probe!”

  “From whence did it originate?” Eli asked.

  Xavier, working on a different console, answered, “Luna 241.”

  Studying his vid-screen, Eli said, “Dead moon between Aurilius and Carmanor. We could be there in two days in stealth ships. Move out.”

  They reattached the wiring and consoles, boarded their vessels, and returned to the Empress. My anger faded to excitement. I called my team to join us and shared with them what we had learned. Captain Ricimer gaped at me but said nothing. “What?”

  He looked to Dario and Nico before answering. “Princess, with all due respect, should you be sharing such information with Academy students?”

  “Um, yes. We have permission or rather clearance. Our assignment is to find out who created the probes, shield disrupters, and visual displacement shielding, or from whom the Mad Ones acquired it all. We’re shadowing Inquisitor Rovek’s team. Anyway, it was my idea to check the scow’s logs. You heard me ask Zared to do it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “The Hadrian has gone well past Luna 241,” Dario said as he pulled up a star map. “They have no idea that by trapping us, they dropped a huge clue they had overlooked in our laps.”

  I started considering the different options and imagined traveling with my children and husbands in a stealth ship to Luna 241. I didn’t find the idea in the least bit appealing. The children wouldn’t have enough room to play, and we’d all be jammed together with a tiny bathroom to share. Stealth ships were designed to accommodate four adults, not the families of Parvac females. The Empress was trapped. What were we supposed to do, evacuate in stealth vessels and fighter ships for Aurilius? It was better than sitting in space for a month. Then, a brilliant idea came to me.

  I made a call and smiled sweetly at the brown eyes which focused intently on my face. “Hey, where are you?”

  Inquisitor Cormac Gordian looked at me with the same fervor in which I’d often gazed at stacks of pancakes. “I’m a few parsecs out from Aurilius.”

  Giving him a pleading look, I asked, “Would you be a darling and pick up Tracy and Jazon for me? Then, you can come and rescue us.” I pouted.

  Cormac ate it up. “Rescue you?” His words were a mixture of concern and desire.

  Yukihyo snorted.

  “Please, Cormac?” I could order him to do whatever I wanted, but this was so much more fun.

  “Anything. I’ll do anything for you.” He sounded overzealous.

  “The faster you get Tracy and Jazon and get to us, the more inclined I’ll be to reward you with a kiss.” I could see the stars blur in the viewport behind him as he increased his ship’s speed. “Cormac, coordinate with Eli, please.” I lifted my hand and scratched my temple with my middle finger, an Inquisitor’s gesture stressing secrecy or else we’d be fucked. Seeing it, he knew we were up to something and didn’t question it. “Teagan, out.”

  Dario said, “The Militia be damned. We’ll use netting to clear space around our flight bays and use shielding to keep the areas clear of debris. When Cormac arrives, we should be able to shuttle everyone over into his docking bay.”

  “What about my ship?” I asked. I wasn’t keen on the idea of abandoning her.

  Captain Ricimer said, “With permission, the crew and I will remain aboard. Once she is free of the debris field, we will reconvene with you wherever you are.”

  Returned from their mission to the scow, Eli, Drex, Rovek, Xavier, and Zared joined us, and together, we all disseminated their data. Shortly thereafter, Eli stated, “We leave for Luna 241 within the hour.”

  I stood.

  Eli asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Inquisitor Beck, my team and I are shadowing you, or have you forgotten?” I asked.

  Dario and Fitz gave me long-suffering looks. Smiling, I kissed each of them on their foreheads.

  “Go with her,” Fitz said to Dario. “I’ll stay here and watch the children.”

  Grasping Fitz’s shoulder, Nico said, “I’ll help. Niklos and Peter are getting to be handfuls.”

  “I’m going with them. Try to keep Neema out of Sue’s tank,” Yukihyo said.

  “Sue’s tank?” I asked. “What did she do?”

  Yukihyo smirked. Giving me his arm, he helped me enter the lift. “She wanted to share her mermaid doll with the octopus.” The doll in question had bright-blue hair and scales to match from her hips down. Having purchased it on Epopeus, Neema had only had the doll for a few days. “Sue turned the doll into a pretzel, popping off her head and an arm in the process. Neema, as one might expect, was furious. She surrounded Sue’s tank with dolls like a little general with her army.” Yukihyo’s grin made it evident that he was vastly amused by our daughter’s bloodthirsty need for revenge. She wasn’t inclined to tears so much as retaliation.

  “What happened next?”

  “Thunderdrop came to Sue’s rescue with an armistice. He was able to end the hostilities by trading Neema a cookie for Sue’s freedom.”

  My laughter bounced off the lift’s walls.

  Yukihyo and I hurried to our quarters to change and pack. I was worried that if I wasted time I’d be left behind.

  Sparrow came into our room and watched us for a moment before asking, “What are you doing?” She lifted her shirt and scratched at the sides of her abdomen.

  “Don’t do that,” Phillip scolded her from his chair in the sitting area. He hurried off to his medical bag and came back to my open door. “Here. Use this,” Phillip ordered. He squeezed some moisturizing cream out onto her palm.

  “We’re going on a little mission for school. We have a lead on an alloy found in the mysterious probe. We’ve traced it back to Luna 241. It’s something to do while we wait. I contacted Cormac. He’s going to help us evacuate to his warship. Don’t worry. We should be back long before he gets here. Do you think there’s anything you can do to assist Captain Ricimer while we’re gone?”

  “Evacuate? What problem?” she asked groggily while rubbing the cream onto her stomach. She was holding her shirt up and out of the way by trapping it between her chin and her chest.

  “Look.” I walked out of my room and activated the vid-screen in the sitting room to show her the debris field in which our ship had become mired while quickly brushing my hair up into a ponytail.

  “What the actual fuck? How the hell did this happen?”

  Walking up behind her and taking over the job of rubbing the cream onto his wife’s pregnant belly, Xavier explained. “Ou
r friends are assholes.”

  Pissed, she used the vid-screen to call Lieutenant Gary Adair, her father, aboard the Hadrian, the assholes’ ship. He took the call and smiled sweetly at her which alleviated any doubts as to whether or not he was in on it. “Daddy, what the actual fuck?”

  “Hello, sweetheart. Your bra is showing.”

  Sparrow pulled her shirt back down and frowned at a dollop of lotion that had gotten on it. “I’m blowing up all of the crap. Prepare for a shockwave.”

  Gary shook his head and grinned. “I don’t believe so. Take some readings.” He waggled his fingers at her and ended the call.

  After following his suggestion, she let loose a string of expletives that made me proud. I hugged her and kissed her cheek. “They did this shit on purpose,” she said.

  Yukihyo said, “They want to find the technology before we do. We can’t let them win. I’m already planning to expand Ponidi Propulsions and make a fortune.”

  “You’re not the only one!” Sparrow had a state-of-the-art lab on Parvac. Turning to me with anger in her eyes from the underhanded way in which our efforts were being thwarted, she pointed toward the hull. “Go get us a lead to go on! There’s no way we can allow them to get away with this.”

  “Yep. That’s the plan.” I gave her a salute and went to change into black stretchy pants, a shirt, jacket, and pair of boots. Sparrow and Yukihyo had followed me.

  “Are you going to clear the junk from around my ship?”

  “No. The crew will have to do it, but I’m going to plan a trap for the Hadrian for when we catch up to them. Payback won’t be a bitch. It’ll be a whore you’d pay not to fuck.” With an indignant glare in her eyes, she left for whatever area aboard the ship she’d transformed into her own private lab.

  Phillip was waiting for us by the lift with his bags.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m going with you, Cupcake. I am your private physician. Dr. Savelli has everything under control here.”

  Terre gave him a kiss goodbye.

  “See you soon, goddess. Take care of our son.”