by T J Bryan
"You're sure of this Silvi?"
"Yes, we brought back samples of the ship's hull. They are tiny fragments. In fact the entire structure of what was once a ship is now just dust and gas floating just outside the portal."
"So you think the damage occurred before entering the portal?"
"Yes. Ships exit the portal at a dead stop. If she were damaged on this side we would see a widespread debris field, but the debris field is compact. You can't do anything inside the tunnel, so it must have occurred just as she was approaching the Dello portal to Jamon. If she blew up as she entered then the debris would pass through the tunnel in a compact mass and end up here at a dead stop."
Abel thought for a moment. "When did this happen? Any idea?"
"None replied Silvi. Could have been last week or last year. But the plasma dispersal would indicate sometime in the last eight to four months. That's our best guess."
Abel looked around the table at grim and worried faces. "Could it be the Bountiful?"
After a long pause Silvi nodded to Emmitt. Emmitt stood, "I don't know, or rather we don't know. At the Collegium we can analyze the materials in the small bits of ship we captured. But at this moment I simply do not know."
Abel turned to Helen, "I thought we monitored the entry portal?"
Helen replied, "Well, not really. I mean we pretty much ignore the portal unless we expect a ship. Of course about the time Bountiful was expected the maintenance dock watch office began to monitor looking for the energy signature of a ship like Bountiful. The dock watch office is only one man and if things get busy they might overlook an entry notice. But I doubt it."
Emmitt spoke, "There is an additional problem. We scan for an energy spike at the portal. If the ship had been destroyed prior to entry to the portal when the debris exited the portal there would be no energy signature. She probably exited the portal as cold as the void."
Abel wanted to talk privately with Silvi about their next steps, but with the crew gathered here and everyone on the ship knowing of the event at the portal such a private conversation was unwise. "Ok. Captain Karrlson and crew. We need to keep this a secret for a day or two. I'll take the sample back to the Collegium for analysis. But I want you to disembark when I leave. I understand there is a food shipment available for the Habitat at the sludge farms out on Dios. A hundred metric tons of Algae sludge. I want you to go to Dios, take your time out there, then tow the sludge back. Take at least two days. I'll have notified the Chairman and the Council by then, but right now I need some facts before everyone panics upon hearing endless and fact-less speculation."
"Yes Admiral," said Silvi. "The crew will prepare for departure to Dios. We leave in twenty minutes. We arrived in secrecy and we will leave in secrecy. No inter-tab or vid-com messages to friends or family. We lock down all communications now."
Abel accompanied by Emmitt walked to the main hatch. Emmitt handed Abel a vac-box containing the particles of a now dead ship. "See you in two days Abel, and I hope, no, pray that those particles are not what I suspect they are."
Abel walked quickly to the Collegium with the samples. He had contacted the Metallurgy Department and had found Assistant Professor Hamza Lynn was available and would meet him in the laboratory. As he approached the complex hatch configuration to the Habitat he stopped and entered the Watch Office. Dayna English was Watch Officer of the Night. She was seated at her desk reading a novel and not paying much attention. She looked up, "Hi Chief. Oopps, I mean Admiral. What brings you here at the midnight hour?"
"Have you observed any notification on the inbound portal?"
"Tonight? Nope. Nothing. In fact nothing has happened in months, although we keep checking waiting for the Bountiful."
"Can you look at the watch log?"
"Sure, how far do you want to go back?"
"Let's try a year from today. Just the portal log."
Dayna stood and walked to the watch log station and began a search. The screen for the portal revealed no activity in the last year. There had been no energy signatures at the portal in all that time.
"Thanks Dayna."
"Now that your interested Chief, I'll keep my eyes open."
"Good idea Dayna. Keep a close watch on that portal."
Abel passed through the complex of airlocks and hatches and then entered the Habitat proper. The walk to the Collegium took about ten minuets and when he entered the Metallurgy Department laboratory he found Hamza Lynn waiting for him.
"What have you got Abel?"
"I have a metallurgy sample here in this vac box. Can you tell me if it's from a ship?"
Hamza gave Abel a strange inquiring look. "Sure, give me the vac box."
"How long will this take? Identifying the sample?"
Hamza replied, "Less than an hour if your in a hurry. I can do it now. Do you want to wait."
"Yes. I'll wait."
Hamza shouted out two names in the rather cavernous metallurgy lab and soon two graduate students arrived. Hamza handed the vac-box to one. "Tell me what this is. You have half an hour."
While the graduate students busied themselves with the analysis Hamza and Abel left the lab and went for coffee in the Collegium Canteen. Hung on the coffee urn was a sign that read "No Coffee Today". Below someone had scrawled a note reading 'Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. And now I can't communicate cause I'm always sleeping.'
They both chose green tea, undoubtedly made for algae sludge rather than the real thing grown on Girots.
Holding his mug in both hands Hamza looked intently into Abel's eyes. "It's about Bountiful isn't it?"
Abel took a breath. "I don't know Hamza. Perhaps your lab can tell me. But right now I don't know. But if it is, you must keep this quiet for a day. We need a bit of time to assess the impact of an event like that." Abel avoided using the term 'Bountiful.'
Hamza went on. "How soon will that ship of yours leave for Girots. That should clear things up."
"December. The end of December. Assuming the worst our freighter will leave no less than 45 days later. If all goes as expected a freighter load of fresh foodstuffs should arrive at most two months later. Probably sooner."
Hamza sighed, looking down at his tea. "Well, I'm not sure I can go without coffee for that long, so I'll stick with green tea. If I start looking green then tell me." Hamza forced a smile. "Don't worry. Regardless of the report I'll remain silent. Your work is too important to us all and any disruption could prove fatal. Fatal to all of us."
Moments later Hamza's inter-tab chimed and he picked it up and opened the frame containing the grad students report. She took a moment to read the lengthy analysis.
"Well, my students ran all the regular analyses except they missed performing an eddy current test but the testing unit is down for repair." Hamza paused longer rereading the lengthy list of test results.
"Now if your wondering what these fragments are, they are consistent with the metallurgy of a starship. A commercial starship built between 540 years ago and about 300 years ago. The metals, carbon, and other elements found are consistent with the construction of ships during that period." Hamza paused, "Now I know your wondering if this is Bountiful. The only answer I can give you is, it is possible. The metallurgy is consistent with the time Bountiful was built, but they built thousands of ships during that period. Perhaps tens of thousands. So we cannot be sure."
Abel stood to thank Hamza, when Hamza interrupted. "Now this is interesting." Hamza looked at Abel and Abel returned to his seat.
"The samples contained traces of cobalt-60, cesium-137 and iridium-192. These do not belong in the samples. Products of fission. Yes fission."
"A conventional fission explosion?"
"I would be speculating, but perhaps. She might have been carrying expended fissionable materials but out here in the void that makes no sense. So probably a fission explosion."
Abel knew that the fusion engines used on starships could not
produce such by-products but he asked anyway, "Could a fusion engine explosion leave these elements.?"
"Nope," was Hamza's reply. "Never."
Abel thought to himself as he took a slow walk to the Chairman's office. A fission explosion. That could only be one thing; a fission weapon. But why a fission weapon when the Great War had adopted the far more powerful fusion weapons. Fission weapons were obsolete hundreds of years before the Great War broke out. Why such a crude weapon? Why now? And why the Bountiful? And most importantly; Who?"
Chapter Twenty Five
Jamon System - Chairman's Office - Year 3245. August 24 ET: 23:55
"So what you're telling me Abel is that the Bountiful has been destroyed. Attacked by some unknown force. Is that it?"
Abel drew in a breath, "No Victor, that is not what I said. I said that a ship entering our system from the Dello portal was destroyed by some kind of fission device. Could be a weapon or some internal malfunction. And as to the ship's name or origin we have no clue."
"Abel, I know you don't want me to draw unnecessary conclusions, but to me and to the Assembly this will be a real blow. It could only be Girots' Bountiful. In the past 100 years the Bountiful is the only ship that has visited us as The Dark has descended. No. It's the Bountiful. I am sure."
Abel knew that the Chairman was probably right even though he did not have definitive facts to support his conclusion. After all who but Bountiful ever came through the portal, and the time frame fitted her expected arrival date. Abel decided not to argue with Victor.
"I will call an Executive Committee meeting in the morning. We will need a full Council meeting in a few days." Victor paused a moment, "If I can hold them off that long. This is not something we can keep secret, nor is there any reason to do so since it will get out anyway." The Chairman paused, "Once again Abel when will your Ragnarök be ready to go. I fear that further delay may only produce panic now that everyone will know the Bountiful is gone. We need to move now."
"Victor it is way to early. Our astrogators are only half way through their training. It's not like we can just throw them at the problem. The ship command comp will not allow us to leave the system without a certified astrogator. It's not our choice. It is the choice of the ship. There is no arguing with a machine."
Abel had never seen the Chairman pace back and forth behind his desk while running his hands through his thin hair, but Victor did so. He was clearly desperate. "I'm not sure I can control the Assembly at this point. We can give them all the logical reasons in the universe for why we cannot go tomorrow, but the worry, angst, and eventual panic, will force us into some kind of action. Even a self defeating action at that. The 'anti-Abel as Admiral' faction will complain the loudest." Victor turned to Abel.
"Abel you have to give me some kind of expedited plan that reflects the new conditions and shows urgency to the Assembly. Otherwise I can't control their actions. And their actions are most likely to become a disaster for all of us."
"All right Victor. I will draw up an expedited plan, but without an astrogator it's pure bull pucky."
"Good. If I can use bull pucky to delay council action that will help. But we cannot dawdle. Yes, yes, I know your moving as fast as you can and as fast as that damned ship's command comp will allow you. We just need to get moving. Now." The Chairman sat staring at Abel.
As Abel left the Chairman's office he needed to think his way though this challenge. He decided on a quiet stroll up to the Temple. He reached the top of the long steep stairway, turned, and sat upon the cold stone. He sat there for perhaps half an hour taking in the view of the homes, apartments, and structures that made up the Habitat. Some 45,800 citizens lie sleeping in their warm beds tonight he thought. And tomorrow? Nothing came to him. No brilliant idea, no overlooked shortcut, nothing. There was no way for Ragnarök to leave early without additional crew training and without a certified astrogator. The lack of an astrogator kept coming back to him. Astrogation was the bottle neck that could not be moved.
Abel stared down upon the dark sleeping village. As his eyes passed across the houses, parks, apartments, and little community squares, he remembered the folks who lived there, and who carved out an existence in this remote isolated part of the galactic arm. The Habitat was really just a small town, and like small towns everywhere there was a memory on every corner, in every playground, and in every small garden. Funny Abel thought, as Chief of ES I know thousands on a first name basis, and many more by sight or reputation. These are good people. Honest and hardworking. How can I fail them after all these years of dedicating my life to their protection and peace.
Abel heard a slight sound off to his right. He turned and thought he saw motion in the grotto just off the Temple entrance that led to the Hall of the Old Gods. When the founders arrived at Jamon and established the Habitat they brought with them the new religion. But tradition and culture prevailed, and although no one had any faith in the old gods, the Founders were determined that their heritage would not be lost. The old Norse gods offered no salvation, redemption, or comfort to the living, and as every child learned from the legends, the gods were selfish, quarrelling, devious, and often downright stupid. But it was their heritage, and it was preserved, but not adhered to.
With one exception; the Universe Tree, and Norns, and the tradition of obtaining a knotted rope as a talisman upon significant events in ones life, such as the birth of a child, graduation from Collegium, marriage, and indeed upon death. The Norns who maintained the grotto were simply very old women, often well educated and long retired from professions, who in their very old age became keepers of the ancient traditions and genealogies. Keepers of the old religion? No. But dedicated to preserving some aspects of the ancient culture of the ancestors of the Founders.
Religion in the Habitat was predominately the syncretic Catholic Buddhist, but old ways still lingered.
Abel rose and entered the grotto. Perhaps I might find some inspiration here, or at least some respite. The passageway leading to the grotto itself was dramatic and a very dark made darker by the night. Some thought the miners had over done the theatrical effects of the entrance, but after a few steps Abel entered the grotto itself. The room was carved from rock but one wall was open to the habitat allowing the artificial sunlight to shine upon one face of the grotto. However the night was dark and the rock shelter was not illuminated. Abel could not see the chiselled depiction of the Universe Tree which adorned one wall but he had seen it before. The last time had been upon the death of his father when he had brought back the knotted rope talisman given at his fathers birth by the Norns. Upon that occasion of Abel's return the Norns performed the ritual of unknotting the rope and returning it to Abel's hands. No longer a tangle of knots, symbolizing one's fate and fortune, but no simply a length of rope free to tangles, confusion, and knots.
Abel was about to leave when he heard the soft rustle of feet upon stone. He stared hard into the dark and saw movement. The three Norns appeared from the darkest recesses of the grotto. Abel was startled and then surprised. To be a Norn was an honorary position and the elderly women who tended to the grotto would at this time of night be asleep in their beds down in the Habitat. But something about tonight was different.
The three stepped closer to Abel and he recognized one; Helga Grimsdottir. Abel smiled remembering Helga as his first teacher in kinder school. She was very old then and now she must be very, very old Abel thought. He was about to say something when he remembered that silence was expected in the grotto.
Helga stepped forward and in her hand she held a knotted rope. She said nothing but placed the extraordinarily complex swirls, knots, and tangles of cord into Abel's hands. She did not smile. She did not speak. She simply backed away and returned to the darkness. Moments later Abel found himself alone in the darkness holding the tangle of rope in his hands.
He turned and left the grotto. He felt shaken by the moments with the Norns. And as he reached the landing and the stairway to return to the Ha
bitat he looked at the rope in his hands. The rope was perhaps the most tangled morass of coils, loops, and twists he had ever seen. The message of the Norns was clear. There was a future and a very long one, only now Abel needed to figure out how to deliver upon it.
He descended the long stairway and after wandering around a bit found himself at the Collegium. He looked at the Collegium clock tower. It was just past one o'clock. He decided to make his way to the Annex and the CTS. He knew that no one would be training at this hour, but he decided to visit anyway. He entered the quiet and dark gymnasium and looked about. No one was present. Quiet as a tomb he thought and then regretted that very thought. Rather than carry the talisman he decided to tie the knotted rope to the CTS. Near one booth he found a vent and tied the talisman to the wall.
He headed to the instructors station just to make himself feel better, opened the door, and to his surprise booth 3 was occupied. He looked closely and saw Wain Peters and whom he assumed was his maintenance companion Jerry Renner. They seemed to be playing with the CTS rather than running diagnostics. Abel thought that Wain would call that testing. He smiled. Then Abel noticed a small slender child with long black hair and dark olive skin sitting at the astrogation station. Nomi it dawned upon him. Wain had allowed Nomi to join them, probably during their one hour maintenance slot.
Lacking any need to attend to anything but his worries, Abel sat in one of the instructors chair. He sat and just stared at the display screen in front of him without paying any real attention to the display. Abel was lost in thought.
Abel was brought back to reality by some muffled shouting and hollering. Wain was waving his arms in some kind of victory salute. Abel reached for the audio link, toggled the switch, and heard Wain say. "I told you so. Got the bastard on the first try." Wain was sitting at the weapons station.
