Not With A Whimper: Survivors

by D. A. Boulter

  Angela Fulton looked around her, perhaps thinking this room would comprise her tomb, their tomb. Then she met his gaze with glistening eyes.

  “I have a favour to ask.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. Then with a sinking feeling in his stomach, he watched as she began to undo the buttons on her shirt. She slipped it off, and released it. He watched it float slowly to the deck. Were it not for Jaswinder Saroya – damn and blast her – he wouldn’t be here, now. Damn and blast her straight to hell.

  CHAPTER 2

  Tradeship Venture

  Wednesday 05 May

  Jaswinder strode down the hallway of the Venture, trying to fluff out the left-hand side of her hair. The abrupt summons to the bridge had caught her sleeping. She thought she could put her head down during the two hours from drop to jump. Apparently not. She hated unscheduled drills – those being drills that she had not herself scheduled or seen scheduled.

  She placed her palm on the bridge hatch identifier, and the hatch slid open. Inside, she saw no evidence of a drill in session, but Temporary Captain Bettina Yrden turned with a grave look on her face. She killed the sarcastic comment that she had intended to deliver.

  “We had a message waiting for us on Yamato-New Manila Waypoint 3 buoy,” Bettina said. “It’s addressed to us, labelled urgent. The header states that Matt had all League ships drop it at all stations, so that we’d get it soonest – in case we strayed from our stated itinerary, which we did.”

  “What does it say?” Jaswinder asked. She stepped over to the captain’s chair so she could look at the screen. “You haven’t decoded it yet?”

  “Matt encoded it with the Yrden-1 cipher.”

  Jaswinder nodded. Now she understood. That cipher required the presence of two senior Yrden family members to decode it, though it had a fallback where one member could decode it in an emergency. This didn’t qualify.

  Bettina entered her passkey, and then turned the screen to Jaswinder, who did the same. They read the short message together in silence.

  “Not much there,” Bettina finally said. “Matt wants us – you in particular – to return to Earth immediately. I’m to drop all goods and passengers earliest, in order to get you there as quickly as possible, unless we can find a faster way. And there’s nothing about much faster than Venture.”

  “He doesn’t even give a reason. Surely he knows we’ll worry. Call up the attachment, maybe there’s a clue there.”

  The attachment consisted of Family League tradeship schedules. Jaswinder looked on silently as Bettina studied it. She knew the captain had a better grasp of which ships could complete their own tasks best.

  “Paxtons have Maid Marion due in at African Nations in three days. We could get there before she completes her unloading. She’ll have the capacity we need to dump our load.”

  “Bettina, the Paxtons don’t exactly have us on their favourites list at the moment.” Jaswinder noted that the others on the bridge appeared busy, but she knew that they all strained their ears to hear the conversation. She didn’t blame them; she’d never seen, nor heard of, a use of the Yrden-1 cipher.

  Bettina smiled, and tossed her mane of dark brown hair. “No, they’ll not like the imposition. But Matt’s message makes it clear that he’s acting as President of the Family Trading League. This isn’t an Yrden Family matter. They’ll comply.”

  Jaswinder frowned. Bettina might know the trade routes and shipping side of things better than most, but Jaswinder had a far better grasp of the political situation in the League. They couldn’t afford to further alienate the Paxtons at this juncture.

  “Jordan,” Bettina called to her cousin, “plot a course for African Nations.”

  “No,” Jaswinder countermanded. “Johannes and Becky are waiting for us at Manila. We’ll go there. I see that Treverstons have a ship due in the day after we’re scheduled to arrive. They can take our passengers and load. We’ll leave little later than we would if we go to African Nations.”

  “Close to true. However, Manila is a few days farther, in the opposite direction from Earth. And, from African Nations, we’ll leave a couple of days earlier and arrive at Earth several days earlier.” Bettina lowered her voice. “I’m sorry Ms Yrden,” she said, shocking Jaswinder with the formality, “but we have no choice in the matter. Matt said immediately. You know what that means. Johannes will make out.” She raised her voice again. “Jordan, have you the course?”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Jaswinder sat down and strapped in. Bettina extended a hand, and grasped hers.

  “One thing I always appreciated about you, my dear cousin-by-marriage: you don’t waste time fighting futile battles. Don’t worry, Johannes will understand.”

  Would he? The Johannes of even two years ago would understand. But now? Now, she just didn’t know. Why had he taken their daughter, and left on what he called a ‘separate vacation’? Surely their problems hadn’t become too big for them to handle, to work out? Surely. She needed some time in Sanctuary. The green room in hydroponics that Ellen Yrden had created for the crew to relax in, with plants all about, called to her. Each head of hydroponics since Ellen and Matt had left Venture, had maintained the room. They pretty well had to in order to avoid a mutiny. Each of their new ships had created one.

  The burn pressed her back into her seat with unusual force. Bettina had kicked out all the stops. When she had accepted Matt’s ‘immediately’, she had accepted it without reservation. Jaswinder turned her head slightly to regard the captain. Bettina looked straight ahead, at the screen with the shipping schedules, no doubt considering how they’d break the news to Paxton. Paxton would not be pleased.

  * * *

  African Nations

  Saturday 08 May

  The coolness of the rented office – neutral territory – couldn’t negate the heat that Fred Paxton generated. He angrily ran his fingers through his now-thinning grey hair, and glared at the two of them.

  Jaswinder had hoped to stay out of it, but Paxton’s incendiary comments about the Yrden Family had drawn the ire of Captain Bettina Yrden. They had all started off sitting at the conference table, but only Jaswinder remained in her chair. The other two had risen to their feet, and glared at each other across the table.

  “You have plenty of room for the cargo, and you know it,” Bettina said, hands trembling with the same fury that Jaswinder felt, but controlled. “Just fulfill your obligation as a signatory to the League.”

  “I knew you’d throw that up at me,” Paxton raged back. “You Yrdens had us over a barrel when you coerced that signature out of us. But that gives you no right to interfere with our trade.”

  “It’s not interference,” Bettina yelled.

  Jaswinder figured that in about ten seconds, someone would say something that couldn’t get unsaid.

  “Enough!” She put all the power into her voice that she could manage. The two combatants, surprised at her entrance into the fight, fell silent. It wouldn’t last. “Captain Yrden, you may wait outside. When we get to the discussion of cartage, I’ll call you back.”

  “Jaswinder,” she began, but Jaswinder held up her hand.

  “I’m speaking to you as one from the Line Direct, Captain Yrden. As the wife and partner of Jonhannes Yrden, brother to Matt Yrden, Head of the Family. I do not require your presence here at this time. Please leave now.”

  Jaswinder could see Bettina take about three mental paces backwards. In the twenty years they’d known each other, Jaswinder had never pulled rank on an Yrden Family member like this. Fred Paxton, too, had a look of astonishment on his face that he couldn’t cover up.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bettina said. She turned, and stalked out the door.

  “Fred. Sit down, please.”

  Paxton hesitated.

  Jaswinder put the power back into her voice. “Now, Fred.”

  Paxton sat. Although a little awed at her assumption of rank, he didn’t appear ready to make any concessions.

  “Fred,�
� she said in a much softer tone, “do you remember the first time we met?”

  Paxton blinked twice, her change in direction confusing him. Then he gave a little grin.

  “How could I forget? I wanted to talk to Johannes on Topside One. He had you on his arm, looking like nothing so much as a hooker.” His grin widened a little. “I could pretty much see through your top, too.”

  Jaswinder gave a rueful smile. “Yes. Johannes had me wearing that. He wanted to make a point to Matt about how he wouldn’t put up with anything more from the Family Head where it affected his personal affairs. Did you know that Matt had gathered the whole Family in the Reception Chamber?”

  Paxton cringed at the thought. “Jesus!”

  Jaswinder gave a short barking laugh. “Yes, you could say that. Matt called me a whore in front of everyone, and determined that he’d have me thrown off his ship before it left.”

  “Matt can be a hard man, Ms Yrden,” Paxton agreed with a nod.

  “Yes he can. He made life very difficult for me, that first voyage.”

  Paxton sat back in his chair, tilted back his head and considered her for a long minute. Jaswinder did nothing to push him.

  “But you didn’t send Captain Yrden off – and very effectively, might I say – to discuss old times with me. We agree that Matt’s a hard man, but that’s as far as it goes, Ms Yrden.”

  “Fred, I’m Jaswinder. We’re partners in the League. Yes, right now, there’s some bad blood between us, but it will change, given time. And yes, Matt’s a hard man, but he’s a fair man. When he saw me for who I was, he apologized, and took me into the Family without reservation.”

  “Yeah, when he knew what you could do for him.”

  “No, Fred, before he knew.”

  Paxton raised his eyebrows. She doubted he’d even considered that. She remembered all too well Matt’s sudden about-turn, the utter outrage in his voice when he found Richardson attacking her, and the kindness he showed immediately after. She turned her thoughts away, before tears came to her eyes.

  “Matt’s a fair man, Fred, and he hasn’t singled you out.” She pulled a hardcopy of the message he’d sent. “Here’s the message. Read it. He didn’t know where it would catch up to us, or what Family we might impose on. We, Bettina and I, had hoped we’d find one of our own ships.”

  “Why didn’t Captain Yrden say this? Why’s she so mad at me, then?”

  “Fred, you’re getting her cargo. Do you know what this will cost Venture? She’s angry, because Matt has given orders without a reason to back them up. She has to follow them, but she doesn’t like it.”

  Paxton scratched at his head, just above his right ear. “Yeah, I can understand that. I don’t much like it either.”

  “Fred, you read the message. He doesn’t want Venture there; he doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone. He wants me. Now. You know what that means.”

  Paxton rubbed his chin. “Haida Gwaii.”

  “Haida Gwaii,” Jaswinder confirmed. “And no matter what differences our two Families may have, we both know how important this is – to all concerned.”

  “Okay, Jaswinder, you’ve convinced me. Let’s get Captain Yrden back in here so we can proceed.”

  “Thank you, Fred, I appreciate it.”

  Bettina came back in, looking sullen and still angry. Her gaze flicked from Jaswinder to Paxton and back again. Paxton took the lead.

  “Captain Yrden, let me apologize to you.” He gave a half-smile at Bettina’s open-mouthed shock. “Jaswinder explained it all very concisely. Sit down, please, and we’ll figure this out.”

  Bettina looked again to Jaswinder, who nodded. She sat, still not believing. Paxton opened his reader, and called up his manifest.

  “I have some cargo for Sol system,” he said. “It’s not time-sensitive, so it will keep until I get there – after dealing with whatever you throw my way. However, we could transship it, and you could take it there for me. It won’t delay you much more than a couple of hours, and it’ll keep you from running with empty holds. We’ll figure something out.”

  Bettina gaped at him, then relaxed into a smile. “Captain Paxton, I’d appreciate that.” She pulled her own reader out, and opened her manifest.

  “I take it you two don’t need me here. I’d only get in the way.” Jaswinder rose.

  “We’ll handle it,” Paxton affirmed. “Oh, and Jaswinder?”

  She turned back. Paxton directed his gaze at her chest.

  “Thanks for recalling the memory.”

  She laughed all the way out of the offices. Once on the concourse, however, she sobered. Haida Gwaii. Something had happened – or was happening – back on Earth. Something not good.

  CHAPTER 3

  Venture in hyperspace

  Monday 17 May

  Captain Bettina Yrden took her place on the bridge just prior to the drop alert.

  Ken Ritter, First Pilot, who had worked on Venture for the last twenty-three years, sat the board. Though not of the Family, he had become the most trusted of their “otherhires”, and knew the truth about how the Family Trading League had displaced the TPCs as the shipping juggernaut.

  “I’ve been slowing the ship for the last hour,” he reported. “We’re ready to make a low-V insertion into normal space.”

  Bettina nodded. “Continue.”

  “OK, Anton, make Gunnar proud,” Ritter said.

  Anton Yrden, just twenty-two years of age, looked over to the First Pilot, and grinned. “Truly?”

  Ritter laughed. “Truly. Shall I call Engineering, and warn your father that his baby has control this drop?”

  Anton’s eyes widened in fear. “No, don’t do that, please, Pilot. With no passengers to worry about, he might cause the grav-gens to fail – or something.”

  Now, Bettina laughed. Stolid Tech-Engineer Gunnar Yrden doing something like that? It would never happen. “Don’t worry, Anton,” she said. “We don’t do that to anyone on their first drop. Be ready next time, though.”

  The worry disappeared from Anton’s face. “What’s next?”

  Ritter turned to him, smile gone. “You have the controls, Pilot. Merely explain to us your actions and decisions. We keep a happy bridge, but we do not condone laxness.”

  Anton swallowed hard, and turned to his piloting controls. “Entering program Drop-Final. That will change the hyperspace field to brake the ship for final insertion velocity. That way we need not expend extra fuel to brake in normal space – unlike the TPCs.”

  And in that, thought Bettina, lay the secret that the TPCs would kill to get – literally. Perhaps the best-kept secret in the galaxy. Young Anton had Family secrecy inculcated into him from childhood, since Jaswinder had come to them with her theory, and proved it. Only when a gathering of the Family had pronounced him ‘safe’, had he received it, and only then because of his pilot training. Non-bridgecrew Family members never learned it.

  “Comm Tech, please announce to the crew and passengers ... er, the crew, that we drop in one minute.” He waited while she made the announcement

  “Meteor shields warmed and ready. I’ll put them up as soon as we confirm drop.”

  “Why not now?” Ritter asked.

  Anton shook his head at the easy question. “Meteor shields interact with hyperspace fields, making them unstable. Shield nodes and field nodes are on a fail-safe switch. Only one set can be active at any one time.

  “Ten seconds to drop. Drop.” Anton cut the hyperspace field entirely. “Drop confirmed. Field nodes inactive. Raising shields. Detectors?”

  Detector Tech Simmons, one of the few who married into the Yrden line and hadn’t changed his name, reported, “No objects within 100 kilometres. 200 kilometres. Emergence zone safe.”

  Everyone gave an unconscious sigh of relief. The greatest danger to a ship came with drop. Even meteor shields couldn’t protect against a large object moving with high relative speed.

  “Comm Tech, ping the platform, prepare outgoing mail, and load incomi
ng.”

  Bettina blinked. That order should come from her, not the pilot. The comm tech glanced over, and Bettina gave a short nod. No use to rattle Anton. She’d bring it up later. “Why download mail for Earth, here, when we’re going there to deliver it ourselves?” she asked, continuing the test.

  “Redundancy, Captain,” Anton replied. “We upload the mail that the previous ship took to Earth – or wherever – in case that ship didn’t make it. Until someone downloads a ‘cancel order’ confirming mail received, every ship passing here will do the same. We’ll download our mail in case we have an accident which prevents us from delivering. We are also carrying ‘cancel orders’ on mail that African Nations has received.”

  “Very good. Now, plot us a course—”

  The comm alarm interrupted her.

  “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Emergency message. All ships. Pirates active this system. They’ve fired missiles. Going to maximum burn. Amalgamated 684.”

  Anton turned his head to look at his captain, shocked betrayal in his eyes, in his posture. “You promised—”

  But Bettina had no time for him. She hit the Emergency Stations alarm. Ritter grabbed back control of the piloting boards, and began to warm their one beam weapon.

  “Detectors: maximum range. Comm Tech: date-time stamp.”

  “Thirteen days ago, Captain. Something funny here, though. The carrier frequency date-time stamp differs from the platform logged date-time stamp by just over 36 hours.”

  “Thirty-six hours? The attack occurred thirty-six light-hours away? Doesn’t seem likely.”

  “Detectors show nothing, Captain, well, almost nothing. The platform return signal looks a little strange.”

  “Ritter, how long before we can jump?”

  “Fifty-six minutes, Captain. Ready for maximum burn on your order.”

  “Turn us away from the platform. That strange signal return may be the pirates.” Pirates. Rumours abounded, but few people had any facts. One fact: some ships had disappeared. Some ships had reported finding other ships looted, crews gone. Rumour: some few crewmembers had hidden, and survived the attacks. No public announcements had come forth from Family, TPC, or government sources confirming this.