Obsidian Ressurection

by T J Bryan

  "Yes. She is that amazing. Professor Ollon and most of the Physics and Mathematics Department believe that Nomi will make a major breakthrough in their discipline before she is 19 or 20. Or she will be dead by her own hand."

  Abel shook his head. Abel remembered something his mother had said long ago. She was quoting one of the ancient sages: "Tears come from the heart, not the brain." Here in Nomi, Abel could imagine a powerful brain and a broken heart.

  Helen sorted out one of the brown folders and then a second. She placed the two folders in front of Abel. These are the applications, background summary, assessments, and other notes on our astrogation candidates; Taylor Schmidtt and Dilli Ketill. She looked at the time on her inter-tab. You have about twenty minutes. I'll go collect Dilli and prepare him for your meeting." Helen stood approached the door, stopped and turned. "Now don't be too hard on Dilli. Go slow. Sometimes his mind runs too fast for his mouth. He will seem inarticulate at times. Give him time."

  Moments after Helen had left Abel began to wonder about someone who's mind is too fast for their mouth. How could such a person act in a crisis on a starship where fast reactions and clear open communications was the difference between life and death. Well, he thought, we will just have to wait and see. It's not like we have a lot of choice for candidates for the critical astrogation position.

  Abel picked up the first folder. It was for Taylor Schmidtt. He opened the folder and on the first page was Taylor's picture. Quite a handsome lad though Abel. Tall, thin but not skinny, and a square cut jaw and wavy brown hair cut a bit on the fashionably long side. Passing quickly over Taylors grades, which were outstanding, he found the three assessments. All three were by professors within the Collegium. Two had only praise for Taylor. There were no negative comments or notations for areas of improvement as provided on the form. The third assessment was from Professor Ollon himself. Ollon's list of 'pros' for Taylor was long and included his work ethic, his mathematical accomplishments, his strong verbal skills, his outstanding Collegium athletic career as an undergraduate and several other positive assessments in Taylors favor. At the bottom of the page Ollon written in hand writing, which was very unusual, a short comment. 'Taylor tends to over analyze problems.' Abel put the folder down and picked the one for Dilli Ketill and began to read.

  Dilli's photo showed a slightly dishevelled young man of almost indeterminate age with a rather round face and needing both a shave and a haircut. Critical in Abel's mind was that the tab activator on his turtle neck that held his rebreather was misaligned. In an emergency fumbling for the tab could result in very real injury or death. Dill's academic accomplishments were equal to Taylors, but the assessments were uniformly negative. Professor Canry, whom Abel could not remember, a Bill Bax who was a close friend, and the Collegium Rector had all submitted assessments. Their criticism of Dilli was essentially the same: undisciplined, quietly arrogant, snobbish in his own way, and disrespectful of his superiors. One comment caught Abel's eye; 'stubborn beyond belief.' Abel sighed. Not a good outlook he thought. But we have so few to choose from.

  Moments later Helen arrived with Dilli. Dilli was obviously very nervous and Helen motioned to a chair as Abel stood and reached for Dilli's hand. Dilli sat, realized that Abel intended to shake his hand and then responded reaching for Abel while remaining sitting. Abel felt a weak handshake and a sweaty palm. Dilli then wiped his hand against the chest of his shirt which was rumpled by at least three days wear and speckled with what Abel assumed were tea stains but Abel was unsure. Helen turned toward the door but before leaving looked back at and silently mouth what Abel thought was 'be nice.'

  "I'm very glad to meet you Dilli." Abel intoned.

  Dilli looked about the room and while looking out the window behind Able responded, "Why?"

  Not a very social response thought Abel, but very direct and to the point. "Because you applied for the position of astrogator. A critical position we must fill in order to journey to Girots system. There are very few with your academic credentials and knowledge."

  "It was Nomi's idea." Dilli hadn't looked at Abel since the handshake and continued to stare over Abel's right shoulder and out the window.

  Abel turned for a moment and looked behind out the same window but there was nothing to see except the top of a pseudo-fir tree. Abel returned his gaze to find Dilli had looked at Abel but as soon as Abel established eye contact Dilli returned his gaze to the window.

  "Why did your sister Nomi suggest you apply?" Abel asked.

  A long, very long, pause ensued. "She wants the stars."

  "Ahh, so Nomi wants to go to the stars and she thinks you can take her there?"

  Dilli nodded.

  "Dilli, I see by your Collegium transcript that you are really outstanding in your field. By now you should have gained your PhD is Astrophysics, but it seems to have been denied to you at this time. Can you explain why?"

  Again a long pause. "Canry." was all Dilli said.

  "You mean Professor Canry?"

  Once again Dilli only nodded his head.

  "Dilli can you tell me what Professor Canry teaches here at the Collegium?"

  "Statistical Mechanics."

  "Ah, of course. And what seems to be the problem in statistical mechanics that has resulted in this delay."

  Now there was a very long pause. For the first time Dilli established eye contact. Abel for the first time read real determination on Dilli's face.

  "I didn't pass the test."

  Well Abel thought that may well be a disqualification both for a PhD and for the position of astrogator. Abel was unsure the exact nature of statistical mechanics but it sounded as if it must be part of any astrogation curriculum. "So you failed. I'm sorry."

  "Yes I failed. Got 99% on the final. I failed." Dilli's look of determination did not waver and he continued to look Abel in the eye with increasing intensity.

  Abel was stunned. How could any one fail at 99%. For a high achiever like Dilli it's possible that 99% might be a disappointment, but surely Professor Canry would allow the granting of the degree.

  "I don't understand Dilli. Can you explain?" Abel leaned forward. He knew the answer would be short but potentially fascinating.

  "Canry was wrong."

  "The Professor was wrong?"

  "Yes."

  "Now Dilli I am not a statistical genius, nor do I understand statistics at a level even needed to play poker, but how could the professor be wrong?"

  "Question 34. He was wrong"

  "Ah, the answer he had was wrong?" Dilli continued to stare Abel directly in the eyes to the point that Abel began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Abel was surprised by his own reaction. "Can you explain for me as a layperson?"

  "Simple. His answer was wrong."

  "And how did you know the right answer?"

  "I showed him my proof."

  "and then?"

  "Mad. He got mad"

  "Ah so Professor Canry got mad at your proof. Mad that you were right and he was wrong."

  "Yes. Same test for 35 years."

  "Let me get this right Dilli. Canry has been using the same test for PhD candidates in statistical mechanics for 35 years and you found an error on his test. The answer to 34 was wrong?"

  "Yes. Wrong."

  "And did you prove your answer right?"

  "Yes."

  "And what did Canry say?"

  Another very long pause.

  "He said I was right."

  "Why didn't he change the grade to 100%"

  "He wouldn't."

  "Why?"

  "Said he was..." Dilli paused. He was looking for the right word. Dilli continued. "embarrassed."

  "So Professor Canry admitted you were right but would not change the score?"

  "Yes." Dilli broke eye contact and once again looked out the window behind Abel. Abel felt relief that Dilli was no longer drilling into his soul.

  "But Dilli, even 99% would have advanced you."

  "He said for me to mar
k the wrong answer and he would pass me."

  Abel leaned back. The picture was beginning to form. "So you refused to change the answer to prevent embarrassment to Professor Canry?"

  "Yes. It would be wrong."

  "And then?"

  "Took the test back and refused to submit it."

  "Why that's gutsy."

  "Nomi would have killed me."

  "Ah, so your sister would have disapproved of your changing the right answer to wrong just to get your degree on time?"

  Dilli nodded

  Abel thought to himself, now that is the kind of astrogation candidate we need.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jamon System - Temporary Office Collegium - Year 3245. July 2 ET: 11:21

  Abel paused a moment and rubbed his eyes and then his temples. For the past day and a half he had been interviewing the finalists in the trainee crew selection process. He had begun the day before with one hour or half hour individual interviews but had only been able to find reasons to reject the applicants. Yesterday he held interviews for 14 hours or until the applicants lost all personality and description in a haze of many faces, many questions answered the same way, and many dodges around difficult avenues of inquiry. He had in that 14 hours spoken with 22 candidates. At the end of the first day he had a serious headache. Of the 22 applicants Abel rejected 21 for various reasons some of which Abel was himself unsure. The one he had approved, now that he had time to think about it, was just as qualified as the others. No, he thought. I'm just tired. The one selected yesterday was the right one.

  This morning Abel had attempted to pick up the pace. If he was going to reject 99.95 of the applicants then he could surely reject them faster. He began the morning with a 15 minute target on a day that began at 07:00. But by 08:30 he had given up. There was no way to evaluate a good candidate or reject an inappropriate one in fifteen minutes.

  "Next," Abel called out as he picked up a folder that read 'Farn Mayer.' Abel thought there must be an error. Farn was too young to be attending the Collegium, or for that matter, too young to be admitted to a crew. Perhaps in two or three years. But not today. Abel looked up at a smiling Farn. Abel had come to like Farn and he should have rejected here immediately as too young but he decided to conduct the interview anyway not to hurt her feelings.

  "Hello Farn. Please sit down."

  "Yes Chief. Thank you Chief." Farn sat but remained almost at attention while seated. Abel passed his right hand across his forehead to ease the tension. Actually he thought I can relax and have a nice discussion without any pressure because I will not accept Farn on the basis of her youth.

  "Farn. Can you tell me why you want to join our starship crew?"

  "Yes sir. I want to serve. A life without service has no meaning," she said.

  Abel's first reaction was scepticism in the face of an obvious platitude. A well meaning platitude, but a platitude none the less.

  Rather than launch into his prepared six open ended questions Abel leaned back in his uncomfortable steel chair. "I knew your father Farn. He was a Captain when I first joined the Emergency Management Services. I was just a bit older than you and your dad assigned me to the constabulary division. I'm not sure why. But it turned out to be a good experience. He made me the junior partner to Sergeant Bellor. I hated Bellor for about a year. The man was tough and was constantly reprimanding me for this or that. In hindsight he was right. I was green. That first year I thought Bellor was an idiot and a mean one at that. The second year I was unsure, and the third year I knew Bellor was a remarkably good and effective cop. The fourth year I almost worshiped the ground he walked on. Just goes to show that first impressions can be very very wrong."

  "Why did you join the service Chief Abel?" she asked.

  "At the time I wanted something exciting in my life. My mom was a cop you know. But she rarely got out of the lock up. She was the matron on the night shift. I think I just drifted into it. My dad was a miner and served as a volunteer on the EmVac, but mining seemed dull, I didn't have the stuff for medicine, and I only lasted nine months at the Collegium. I did ok, but I needed to be out. I needed something else in my life. Strangely enough I found enormous satisfaction in my job with Emergency Services as the years flew by."

  "So you found satisfaction in the service to others and the Commonwealth?"

  "I guess you could put it that way. I remember my first arrest. A mugger over by Leslie's pub. He had knocked down Joe Sanders and taken his credit chits. You remember Joe. He ran the package delivery service for many years. Well, when I caught that mugger I felt a sense of triumph. Didn't last long. He hit me in the face and almost knocked me out. Ran off he did. I swore to myself I would catch him and a week later I did. No triumph this time, but when we locked him up Bellor said "Good collar." It made my day, my week, perhaps my year."

  Farn replied, "Yes that's how I feel sometimes. Like at the Council Chamber blow-out. I was scarred to death, but I knew what to do. All those hours and hours of training just kicked in. I kind of went on auto pilot. Well not completely, cause you had to think, and then act fast. It was an emergency. People were in trouble. We acted. Right or wrong, but we acted because delay, even a hesitation, could get someone killed. That's what the training is for. But after all that training you still have to use your head. But in the end you have to act and act fast."

  Abel leaned forward and took a closer look at Farn. "Farn your jacket here says you are 16. To be honest that's too young for our service."

  Surprisingly Farn smiled. "Seventeen in one week."

  Abel looked down at Farn's application. It was full of platitudes and Abel hated the way people hid their true selves behind platitudes, obscured by what others want to hear. Abel looked up at Farn's smiling face and it struck him. To Farn these were not platitudes. To Farn these were her prescription for life. Her roadmap to happiness and success. Abel laughed to himself. Farn was the real thing.

  Abel looked through her school grades and levels. Solid but not outstanding. Her volunteer activities had started very young about the time her dad died while rescuing eleven trapped miners in a pressurised diamond dust cavity explosion. It was a bad lingering death. Abel fell into a revere. Captain Mayer was a good man.

  Abel shook himself and returned to Farn's application and her assessments. The first one was written by Lieutenant Bernson of the ES. It was written in long hand scribbled over the boxes set aside for answers on the form. Scrawled across the form Abel read, "Abel, if you don't take Farn you're crazy. The girl has what it takes." Abel laughed and looked again at Farn's smiling face. Her other two assessments while less insistent lead to the same conclusion. Farn was an exceptionally motivated and talented young lady full of energy and a driving desire to serve the Commonwealth. Her volunteer activities were impressive. Police Cadet three years. EmVac volunteer almost five years. Abel was surprised. That meant she joined the EmVac at age of 13. Not unheard of given the dangers even to children living in a vacuum, but still rare. Volunteer Hospital orderly on what Abel knew was the 'bed pan patrol." She had even taken the certification test for junior grade jector mechanic at age fifteen and passed. Abel quickly ran his fingers down the ratings from each of the volunteer associations. Every one was either good or outstanding.

  Abel thought to himself. Not everyone is a Silvi or a Lennie. A successful crew is made up of all kinds and a crew of just brilliant minds may well lead to disaster. No, a crew needed competent 'steady as you go' members; reliable, resourceful, positive and dedicated. That was Farn he realized.

  Looking up at Farn he made a decision. "Welcome aboard Farn. I want you in our service."

  Farn stood and saluted. Abel hated saluting, but in this case it felt right. He stood and returned her salute.

  By 19:00 Abel had interviewed another eighteen and had accepted six. The interview with Farn had resulted in a real shift in his selection criteria. Yes, he wanted 'hot shots.' He wanted a dozen Lennies and ever more Silvi's. But a crew of only 'hot shots'
would never fly. Or it would fly, but into chaos and disaster.

  Abel yawned, shook his head and stood. He looked at the appointments he had for tomorrow and noticed that at 09:30 he was to interview Taylor Schmidt one of the few qualified for the astrogation position. An hour and a half had been blocked out on the his calendar. Although Helen was out on the 1033 with the crew, probably grabbing supplies on what Silvi was calling the daily 'milk run', Helen had somehow allocated an hour and a half for Schmidt. Resourceful that Helen, Abel thought. Resourceful.

  Time to turn in thought Abel as he stood and walked out of his office and into the half dark basketball court. There at halfcourt now stood an octagonal structure about 20 meters wide and perhaps 4 or 5 meters tall; the CTS. On four of its' opposing walls were hatches leading to what Abel imagined were control stations. As Abel approached the nearest hatch to take a look inside he was met by a young man exiting the hatch in an auto chair. The youth had no legs. A tool belt was fastened to one of the rails of the auto chair and the young man held a multi-tool in one hand with the other on the driving joy stick

  "Oh, sorry Chief. Just finishing up." He had a broad smile across his face. "Just found that failed optic junction. Took all day. But it's ok now."

  Abel paused a moment trying to remember the young man's name. Then he remembered this was Wain Peters the son of Piet from Auditing and Fiscal Control.

  "Well done Wain." responded Abel. Abel was about to turn and leave Wain to his work, but paused. "Wain, can you tell me a bit about this unit. These units of the CTS?"

  Wain's grin broadened. "Sure, give me a moment." Wain placed his auto-tool into a holster attached to a side rail of the auto chair.. "Come on, follow me. We can go to the central instructor's section. That's where the really important stuff is."

  Wain powered up his chair and turned left and approached the far side of the octagon. In moments he opened the hatch labelled 'Instructor Station" and rolled in with Abel following. The instructor's station was very crowded with what Abel recognized as vids of each of the three simulator stations. Clearly the instructor could watch actual physical movement of any students as they flew their simulator. In addition there were detailed displays of the command con's of each station. Every button, display, lever, and latch were represented for each station.