The Chance Encounter: The Linda Eccles Series - Book One

by Robert Woodard

  Linda turned inward to recall her feelings when the alien ship fired their weapon at her. Remembering the event clearly, she replied, “At first, that’s exactly what I tried to do. I wanted to present a passive attitude toward those creatures. I was in their space, so I wanted to act respectful of that fact. It wasn’t until they fired on my ship, first blood if you will, that I decided to return fire.”

  “That would have been the most opportune time to fire a warning shot, Captain.” Admiral Choi said in a condescending tone. “Why did you not do so?”

  “If they had fired a warning shot at me, I most likely would have done the same. These creatures demonstrated a strong desire to harm. I already suspected them of having destroyed the probe. That ship was hidden from detection, as if expecting someone to come along later to inspect the disappearance of the probe. It wasn’t until I turned away that they finally showed themselves. From that point on they kept upping the ante.

  “I tried everything I could to remain inoffensive, but they fired on my ship anyway. When someone fires at you, you do not stand up and ask them why. When that weapon came at the Privateer, I turned strictly defensive. I wanted to send them a clear message that my intent was to leave the system, whether they liked it or not.”

  “You had already proven your ability to take out their weapon in flight, so why the need to hit the ship, too. Should that have not been enough to keep your ship safe?” Admiral Barba asked.

  Linda felt like a spectator in a tennis match. She constantly had to shift her gaze along the table to face each Admiral asking a question. Taking a deep breath, she responded, “I think I’ve answered that question, but I’ll add that I had no idea what the full capability of this alien ship was at that point. The safety to my ship and crew was first and foremost in my mind. I acted in what I felt was the proper manner considering the situation.”

  “You only ordered Commander Launtra to drive them off,” Admiral Mendez said. “Was it under his own initiative that he chose to fire directly at the ship?”

  The question gave Linda pause. She suspected that it was to test her honesty and whether she would take ownership over what happened. A less scrupulous captain might take this opportunity to lay the blame for the damage to their ship, and the loss of life, directly onto someone else in order to deflect any criticism that might harm one’s career. Linda would not do that. She would tell the truth and let whatever happened fall where it may.

  “In words, yes, but Commander Launtra knew exactly what I meant. If he hadn’t, he would have clarified my order. I could see the target selection from the bridge monitor, so I would have warned him off if he had misunderstood my intent.”

  “Is it true, Captain, that the shot selection that Commander Launtra used is also viewable on the bridge?” Admiral Pacaldo asked.

  “Yes, Admiral, it was presented on the firing solution display I had up at the time.”

  “Did you think that three plasma bolts were a bit much to fire at this single ship?” Admiral Pacaldo asked.

  “I would like to remind each of you that I am a civilian ship commander. I do not have any military or weapons training in my background. I was provided an experienced weapons officer for his knowledge in handling that weapon. I failed to see any reason to question Commander Launtra on his shot selection, or rational behind it. He understands the penetration power of plasma weaponry much better than I.

  “Keep in mind that the Privateer is a civilian ship assigned to commercial use. The only reason the weapon was even on my ship was due to the UMU Executives’ decision to leave it in place. The cost of removing it, and the time delay it would create in putting the ship into service, far exceeded the cost of having it manned by personnel who would be hired anyway for ship security. Of them, only Commander Launtra and one of his crew actually have military background. Had the decision been made to remove it, I have no doubt that the Privateer and its crew would be just as lost as the probe I was sent to find. So, before you start questioning my military tactics, you might want to remember just what kind of captain you are accusing of making poor military decisions.”

  Linda realized she had turned to glaring at each of the Admirals. Leaning back in the chair, she relaxed her face. Reaching within, she pulled up her bridge demeanor again. Show no fear, fear no fear, live no fear; a Captain is always right. Linda tried to remember where she had heard that before.

  “Your point is well taken, Captain,” Admiral Barba said, “But I think this board would like to know why you failed to continue to flee the area after disabling that ship? You said you wanted to buy distance, yet you gave it up once you had the opportunity to gain it.”

  “That is a decision I will always regret,” Linda said, sadly. “First indications showed that we had severely damaged that ship. That had never been my intention, and I wanted to right a wrong by seeing if we could offer aid in any way. It was not until the Privateer closed in on the alien ship that I was able to ascertain the damage had not been as bad as I feared.

  “Before I saw it, I was concerned that I had just put an entire crew, alien or not, into a situation where they could possibly die from exposure. I’m not a cold-blooded killer. I have a soul and a conscience. My intentions in heading for the alien ship revolved strictly around caring for their safety.”

  “Wouldn’t it be true to say that that single decision allowed them to fire on you at close range?” Admiral Choi asked. “Did that not also lead to the other ships having an opportunity to enter the system in a position to cut your exit off? Didn’t it ultimately lead to the death of Commander Sharon Bresee?”

  Linda noticed when all the Admirals nodded in agreement of Admiral Choi’s questions. There was no getting around that mistake. She made the decision, and she had to live with it. Coupling her hands together, Linda placed them lightly on the table in front of her.

  Leaning closer to the microphone, she softly answered, “There is no decision in my life I regret greater than that order. I attempted to bring humanity to a godless situation, and it completely backfired on me. That’s the single greatest mistake I made out there, and I’ll carry that regret with me forever. I wish I could take it back, but of course, I cannot. That is all I have to say on that matter.”

  “We all make mistakes, Captain. It’s how we deal with them going forward that makes the difference. I, for one, thank you for your honestly,” Admiral brown said. Her sincerity showed in her eyes and softened expression.

  “Thank you, Admiral.”

  “Captain, I think you’ve explained the rational on the targeting and shooting decisions between you and Commander Launtra on the first alien vessel,” Admiral Barba said. “What I would like to do now is turn to the decisions made in the way the other five ships were handled. From the ship’s log, you ordered Commander Launtra to fire in a specific targeting order on the three leading ships, but he changed the order in how he fired on them. Did that concern you?”

  “Not at all, Admiral. I relied heavily on his expertise, and I decided that his taking out the trailing ship second was probably more logical then my original order to handle it third. It was putting a lot of fire onto our rear shielding at the time. Thankfully, it was only with energy weapons, but I feared they would fire missiles next if they had them. The way Commander Launtra approached his target selection gave the alien commanders no more indication we were protecting our rear shielding than if he followed my order to the letter.”

  “Now,” Admiral Barba continued, “when the three ships were put out of action, you realized that you still could not outpace the last two ships to the jump point, so you turned away. If these two ships remained a threat, why did you allow your first officer to leave the bridge?”

  Linda noticed that the Admiral had an annoying habit of looking over the top of his old-fashion glasses when he seemed to be making a point. Not letting it bother her, though, she focused on his question, which she had already anticipated. Her order to send Sharon off the bridge ultimately led to her de
ath. That was her responsibility, and Linda had no intention of trying to state otherwise.

  “The distance between the last two ships and the Privateer caused me to believe that any real danger had passed. At this point in the battle, I was not aware that these ships carried weapons with heat-seeking capabilities. The first alien ship’s weapon did not, and none of the three leading ships had the chance to fire any of those deadly missiles, thank God. The crew had been at their stations for a long time at this point. I was concerned about hunger and fatigue impacting the crew’s performance. Therefore, I sent Sharon to oversee the feeding of the crew.”

  “Surely there were others who could have handled such a menial task as that, Captain.” Admiral Mendez said.

  “True, but the stress on that bridge was taking its toll on both Sharon and me. I wanted to give Sharon something to do that would let her relax and refocus.” Linda paused to search inward to see if she really believed what she had just said. Had she really done it for that reason, or did she just want Sharon off the bridge? The answer escaped her.

  “Would you agree that the order cost Sharon her life?” Admiral Brown asked. Everyone seemed to freeze in anticipation of her response.

  Linda looked down at her hands, still folded neatly upon the table. She recalled that very discussion with Bill, and how he mentioned that had it not been Sharon it could just as easily been someone else. Regardless of who it was, Linda’s order killed Sharon. Sorrow welled up from within, and she was not sure she could answer the question without breaking down and crying. Leaning back in the chair and letting her hands slide off the table and land in her lap, Linda looked up at the ceiling as if it would offer encouragement.

  “Captain Eccles, do you need a short break before going on?” Admiral Barba asked. He looked down at her from above his glasses, once again.

  Admiral Barba’s look seemed to represent pity, and Linda did not want pity. The sight gave her the sudden strength to continue. Drawing on a curtain of indifference from within, Linda straightened up, answering, “No, Admiral, I’m fine. The death of Sharon was simply an accident caused by her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had I kept her on the bridge, she more than likely would be attending this inquiry. I ordered her off the bridge. She died following my orders. I take full responsibility for it. As Captain of the Privateer, the responsibility for the entire crew falls on me.”

  Admiral Barba looked down both sides of the table, receiving shakes of the head from the others. Turning back to Linda, he said, “I want to thank you for answering our questions today, Captain Eccles. In closing, I would like to offer you this opportunity to make a final statement.”

  Placing her hands on the table again, Linda looked at each of the Admirals. She found their expressions hard to read. Whether they had already judged her or still had an open mind, she couldn’t tell.

  “Admirals, I want to thank you for allowing me to come into this Board of Inquiry to answer your questions and present the facts as best I could. I also trust that each of you will be fair and impartial in your final findings. Regardless of the outcome of this inquiry, we can expect that the events that occurred in regard to the Privateer and my actions will go down in the telling of history. I have no doubt that future generations of young officers will read and learn about what happened. The professors at the academy will require them to review the logs and formulize their opinions of cause and effect.

  “What the telling of history will never capture, and the young officers will probably never experience, is the sheer terror of the events that unfolded in that unexplored region of space. I was faced with something no other human has experienced. The decision I made will be dissected from every angle, and the what-ifs will run wild, but only Captain Linda Eccles experienced it live and in person. Only I stood on that bridge and lived with the uncertainty of whether each order I gave would be correct or lead to disaster.

  “A civilian captain had to draw on her leadership experience to escape from a situation never before encountered. Did I do all the right things? I’m sure not. Did I make mistakes? I’m sure I did. In the end, though, I brought the Privateer and her crew home. No one can say for sure that they would have acted differently. Sure, they can say that now, looking back on this incident, but they weren’t there, in that place, at that time, experiencing that very situation. Would any of you have done better? I would surely have hoped so, but we will never know, will we? I leave you with that thought. Thank you.” Linda got up to leave.

  “Before you go, Captain, a moment if you will, please,” Admiral Barba said. He pressed on something in front of him that Linda could not see, and said, “This is off the record.” He looked back at Linda. “Regardless of the outcome of this inquiry, I commend you on the handling of your ship. What you did with the Privateer, in consideration of the damage you received, is beyond words. Nothing less than courageous could describe it. You can be proud of that fact. I speak for each of us on this bench when I say that it was because of you and your ability to handle your ship that your crew owes you a debt of gratitude for their very lives.”

  When the Admiral went quiet, Linda said, “Thank you Admiral.” She gave him a smile, and then nodding to the others, and said, “Admirals.”

  Linda turned and left. The court clerk opened the door for her. Stepping into the hall, she found Bill sitting on the bench with Rebecca Ladd. They both came to their feet and looked at her.

  “Good morning, Captain,” Rebecca said. “How did it go in there? I’m nervous as hell.”

  “Relax, Rebecca, you’ll do fine,” Linda said. “Just remember what Mark Twain said about a person who never lies not having to remember what they said.”

  “Who?” Rebecca asked in confusion.

  “Honestly, what are they teaching in history these days?” Linda asked. She then smiled at Rebecca. “I take it history wasn’t your strongest subject.”

  Before Rebecca could respond, the door opened, and her name was called. As she passed, Linda reached out and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll do fine.”

  “I wouldn’t blame Rebecca for not knowing who the author was,” Bill said. “After all, he was well before her time, and almost before yours.” Bill gave Linda a smile.

  “It’s way too early for that kind of humor, Commander,” Linda said, but then chuckled. “Join me in a cup a coffee?”

  “Love to. If we drop down and head over to the outer passageway, we’ll pass by a cafe.”

  Walking slowly together, they talked about what had transpired at the inquiry and headed for the cafe.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Linda enjoyed the peace and quiet of her cabin. Sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her, she watched the news projecting on one of the nine screens positioned on the wall in front of her. For the first time, in quite a while, the news did not carry any sideline story about her or the Privateer. That brought her some small hope that maybe, finally, the news storm would end.

  A soft beep signaled another message coming into her inbox. Looking at the top-left screen, she could see it came from yet another news agency, most likely wishing to set up a personal interview. So far, she had managed to avoid them, and with any luck, it would stay that way.

  Movement in the middle, left screen caught her attention. She could see a young man on a scooter zipping along the passageway heading toward the imager. While it did not necessarily mean the delivery was for her, she watched with curiosity to see if he would stop outside her cabin door.

  When the scooter came to a hovering stop, Linda watched the man pull an eRecorder from a plastic holder located below the handlebars. She watched him reference the small screen on the device, and then look up at her door. Seeming satisfied, he began to dismount the scooter. Linda got up in preparation of hearing the door chime.

  When she opened the door, a gum-chewing young man of perhaps eighteen said, “Are you Eccles?”

  “Captain Linda Eccles, yes,” Linda answered, a little anno
yed at the unprofessional manner of the young man with piercings above his eyes and in his nose, lips and ears. He did not even have the courtesy to look up, but instead, kept reading from the eRecorder.

  “Yeah, whatever. I have a delivery for you.”

  Linda wanted to strangle the jerk. Instead, she pulled her ePersonal from her back pocket, watching it come to life at the touch of her hand. When the young man held the eRecorder out, she held out her device, too. He pressed an option on the eRecorder, and both devices interacted to transfer information to her.

  “Done,” the young man said, but kept the device in place, obviously expecting his tip.

  Taking the hint, Linda tilted the ePersonal to read the screen, which already displayed the question of whether to transfer any gratuity credits. She selected no. The two devices once again exchanged information.

  As the young man turned to leave, Linda watched him read the tip amount and heard him mumble cheapskate under his breath. Still annoyed at his lackadaisical approach to his job, Linda said, “Hey, young man.”

  “What?” The young man finally looked at her while boarding the scooter.

  “I applied the tip with the same respect you showed me. I am a Captain responsible for the running of a ship with a crew of 388. When you come to my door acting like you have better places to be, you get exactly what you deserve.”

  The young man stood on his scooter trying to stare Linda down, but her hard years of service overpowered his wimpy attempt. Finally lowering his eyes, he whipped his scooter around, and hovered away. Halfway down the passageway, he raised his hand and flipped her off.

  Linda laughed at the brazenness of the man before she retreated into the cabin. Glancing at the wall screen, she watched the young man disappear down the passageway. She wondered what he would do if she pulled off the recording of him flipping her off, and then sent it to the courier company that employed him. Nestling onto the couch, Linda decided to let it pass. She had enough going on without that hassle. Besides, with his attitude he would not be employed there long, anyway. There were way too many highly placed people on this station for him to get away with that nonsense.