by John Walker
The ship shook from an attack and she jumped, sitting up straight in the hotel room bed covered in sweat. That was vivid! What is going on? She got up and went into the bathroom, turning on the hot water for a shower. As the room began to steam, she peered into the mirror, watching her reflection vanish in the fog.
I need to talk to someone about this. But who? Gray? The doctor? One of them might be able to help but then again, we’re all busy with our downtime. They may be off with family. I can probably deal with this alone…or maybe I should speak to Mei’Gora. He’s still here and might even have a better understanding. Maybe he remembers the fight.
Clea sent Anthar Mei’Gora a request for a meeting in the next few days before cleaning up. When she returned to bed, she hoped to make it through the rest of the night without another dream. She’d had enough of revisiting the past through sleep. Especially considering how intense it seemed to be.
I miss Reya and Megs. I wonder how they’re doing. I know they both made it out of there…they sent me congratulations when I took on the liaison assignment. Reya’s in particular stuck out. One line in particular remained in Clea’s mind: ‘you’ll finally stand on your own in the family. Congratulations! You deserve this more than most! Good luck!’
That was the last time the two communicated and it had been too long. She made a mental note to write her in the morning and inquire after how her life had been treating her. Maybe they could get together when Clea returned home. But for the moment, she wanted to enjoy the rest of the night in that fabulous bed.
There may not be many luxurious nights in her future. She had to make the ones she was given count.
***
The crew of the Behemoth took their downtime gratefully. Meagan Pointer spent the first day with Rudy, traveling with him to present the sad news about his lost pilot. They drank together and parted ways the next morning, each heading to spend the rest of their time with family members.
Hoffner spent his time at the academy, relaxing with an old mentor who retired to teach. They kept it low key, quiet evenings watching videos, drinking and relating war stories. The Behemoth’s missions made for some great ones. Some of them might even end up in the infantry books for training purposes.
Maury spent his time in the hospital recovering. Though his prognosis was positive, he was not likely to make the next mission. This really set him off but considering where he’d been shot, he was lucky to be alive. Any protests fell by the wayside when he received that little reminder.
Oliver and Paul spent time together playing games off base at the former’s parents’ house. Redding, Adam and Agatha all visited their respective families. Many
Gray went camping, using a cabin that his father bought when he was young. He kept his activities low key, fishing and hiking in the days and relaxing by the fireplace at night. The silence appealed to him but at the same time, it felt unnerving for the first few days. By the time he got used to it, he wondered how he’d feel when he returned to the constant hum of the ship.
All of them took their peace where they could find it, knowing full well it might be their last for a while. Each of them, in their way, knew they stood at a turning point in human history. Not because of their next mission but their discovery of new intelligent beings, visiting solar systems on the other side of the galaxy and the war with an enemy that wanted to destroy every other being in the universe.
The pressure was great but they’d proven up to the challenge so far. As they made their way back to active duty, none of them felt regret at going back to work. Excitement filled the shuttles heading back up top side and as they settled back into the familiar quarters and duties of ship life, they looked forward to what fate might have in store for them next.
***
Clea’s meeting with Mei’Gora got cancelled by one of his assistants. He sent his regrets and suggested they get together a few days after her leave ended. She replied with a polite thank you, but declined to reschedule. She had a feeling they’d be gone before he found the time.
Instead, she busied herself with visiting engineering. Several technicians worked with the kielan engineers to make modifications and repairs, resulting in a fully functional jump drive. She read through their changes and felt confident that any tampering would be much more difficult. All around, they did great work.
Commander Janet Weatherby took over as Chief Engineer in Maury’s absence. As his second, she was one of the only people he personally trusted. Clea had worked with her several times and also felt good about the choice.
Security also increased around the technical areas, with armed guards standing by as check points for anyone wanting to visit the engine room. The technicians grumbled about it but not too loudly. After what happened to Tim and Amos, everyone understood the need for heightened failsafes.
Clea saw she had a briefing just after lunch with the other senior officers. Gray mentioned they would be starting their next mission, departing Earth for a safe jump position before the end of third shift. She wondered what might be in store when a second meeting popped up for her to talk to Gray in private.
I wonder if that’s good or bad. I suppose I’ll find out.
Gray kept the group meeting quick and to the point. Command was sending the Behemoth to the Kielan home world where they would formally accept admittance to the alliance. Clea’s heart leaped in her chest. I’m going home! It had been several years since she visited and the thought of returning now thrilled her.
Then, some reality kicked in. I have to face my parents after what happened to my sister.
They already knew what happened and had written her back to tell her how sorry they were she had to endure the situation. Now they’d get the chance to lament together. It wouldn’t all be negative but what a sour way to return from a long tour. We’ll make the best of it somehow. There’s still a lot of good to talk about.
“I hope you all had a fantastic leave,” Gray said. “We’ll be breaking orbit in the next two hours so check in with your departments and get ready to go. Dismissed.”
Clea waited for the others to leave and closed the door, returning to her seat. Gray grinned. “How was your time off?”
“It was good,” Clea replied. “I just rested. Tried to see Mei’Gora but he was too busy.”
“Ah, anything urgent?”
“Personal and professional but not urgent.”
“I wanted to talk to you about visiting your home,” Gray said. “First off, I hope you’re excited.”
“I am. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there.”
Gray nodded. “Good. Second, I’m hoping we’ll have some time for you to show me around the way I showed you Earth. I don’t want to take time way from your family, of course…but I’m anticipating we’ll be there for a little while.”
“Yes, likely. There’re ceremonies to perform of course. We’ll be expected to follow them. Your people are to be welcomed into the fold, so to speak. That’ll be good for everyone. Earth will have a say in galactic politics. I suppose right there, that’s what the council has always wanted, right?”
“Probably. A chance to help decide our own fate. One thing we’re particularly good at is being busy bodies too. We like to help, even when it’s not wanted.”
“I saw that with the new culture we encountered. You refused to leave them to die even after they attacked us.”
Gray shrugged. “I won’t leave helpless victims to those monsters. I’ve seen what they can and will do.”
“We both have.” Clea thought back to her dream and felt a film of sweat form on the back of her neck. “I think you’ll find my home to your liking. At least the capital. The weather is just as extreme as Earth…that is, the regions offer the full spectrum of temperatures. At the very least, I’ll take you to the zoo. You’ll certainly appreciate that.”
“I can’t think of a better way to see your culture.” Gray stood up. “We should get to the bridge. I just wanted a quick chat with you. I ha
dn’t seen you since we left.”
“Did you go camping?”
“I did…and it was as soothing as I’d hoped.”
“Ready for something to go wrong?”
Gray chuckled. “You’re reading my mind.”
“Or isn’t the saying…like minds?”
“Great minds think alike.”
“There you go.”
“After you, Clea.”
“I’m glad to be back sir.”
Chapter 3
Clea received the logs she requested about the battle while she sat on the bridge. They’d started traveling to their jump point and been away from Earth’s orbit for over an hour. She brought up the information and started reading, unable to fend off some hope that she might find something new.
Unfortunately, the parts she was most interested in, her saved files, were not there. They’d been lost with the ship supposedly. Other logs survived, indicating where the battle took place. Salvage teams deemed the area too dangerous to risk collecting left behind technology. Many fights meant the area was dominated by considerable debris and apparently, there was already a large asteroid field nearby.
Any essential equipment was deemed destroyed. Whatever’s left will not matter to the alliance.
Clea didn’t feel as certain. A good salvage team would find something out there. In fact, she figured unsanctioned ships probably visited the area and took things all the time. Whatever was out there probably got stripped down a long time ago. However, if those people didn’t know what a storage drive looked like, it may have been overlooked.
Which would mean it could still be out there.
The Tempered Steel did not actually explode. It was split down the middle and depressurized. Much of it probably remained intact. Why not visit the ship and see what happened? She wished she received the information in person so she could ask just that question. Surely, some bureaucrat made the call after looking at the expense for an expedition.
“Captain?” Clea turned away from her data. “Can we speak for a moment in the ready room?”
“Absolutely.” Gray stood up. “Adam, the bridge is yours.”
“Yes, sir,” Adam replied without looking up from his terminal.
Clea and Gray made their way into the small office just off the bridge and had a seat. “What’s on your mind?” Gray asked.
“It may be nothing,” Clea began, “but if we can get authorization, I think it’ll be worth a look. On my first berth, we engaged four enemy vessels. My ship was destroyed or at least, rendered uninhabitable. We had to evacuate.”
“Tough for your first time out,” Gray said. “I know how you feel.”
Clea frowned. “Yes, I know. I don’t mean to bring up poor memories but this may have a silver lining. At the time of the attack, I was working on something…I believe I made a discovery, one which might help us a great deal.”
“Do tell.”
“I was analyzing the enemy throughout the engagement, looking for anything to help our ships get through their shields faster and cause more damage. In the process…I…I think I came up with a coded signal. Or something.” Clea shook her head. “I can only barely remember.”
“There’s a story there,” Gray pointed out. “Why are you just thinking of this now?”
Clea looked down, scowling. “I’m not sure. I…I dreamt about the battle. You see, I took a head injury while we abandoned ship and ended up in the hospital for six days. The psychologist told me I might recover my memories but I hadn’t in years so I guess I just shrugged it off. Now, it’s coming back to me and it feels like we might finding something there.”
“Your teams didn’t salvage the ship?”
“No, it’s dangerous. The area has a lot of natural debris and of course, multiple ships worth of hazards as well.” Clea shrugged. “Our people felt it wasn’t practical to go in there but I’m of the opinion we should try. Again, if we get authorization, a quick investigation may turn something up and if not, we wouldn’t have wasted too much time.”
Gray nodded, looking thoughtful. “So we have to hop out to this area you’re talking about, perform some salvage to see if you find anything and if you do, we can determine how it helps the war effort, is that it?”
“In a nutshell, sir…yes.”
“Must’ve been some find if it’s got you thinking about it.”
Clea sighed. “I’m sure I should’ve remembered years ago. Back then, I might’ve just been lucky because I’ve done that job since then and never found anything I’d call a game changer. This feels big. Believe me, I wouldn’t waste your time if I didn’t think it absolutely necessary. Besides, we’ve proven to be pretty lucky so far, right?”
“Good and bad in equal measures I’m afraid,” Gray replied. He smiled as he stood. “I’ll go back to my office and contact the council before we make the jump. Thanks for bringing this to me.”
“Don’t thank me until we’ve found something,” Clea said. “If I’m just crazy or it was all a hopeful dream, then I’ll feel like a real ass.”
“Sometimes hunches lead to great discoveries. Don’t worry about it. We’ll see what we can do, Clea. I just have to find a way to explain this that doesn’t involve dreams. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Thank you, sir.” Clea returned to her post on the bridge and directed her attention to the various technical reports throughout the ship. She made her case and it was time to stop fixating on the past. Not that she could easily do so. A sense of urgency clung to her heart, one that made it feel as if she’d discovered one of the most important things of her career.
Again. Though it’s probably not even there anymore. It’s been far too long. I’m leading us on a fool’s errand…but it could be so lucrative if I’m somehow right. Okay, there’s a problem with the network links on deck seven. Not exactly my job, but I can focus on that. Here and now, Clea. That’s the important thing for the time being. Remain focused.
***
Gray considered Clea’s proposal as he headed for his office. She definitely wouldn’t have brought it to him if she didn’t think it was important but he felt rational enough to question the situation. Memories could come back to a person through dreams and that’s why he was willing to make the request. If she was right and something important was hiding out there, they’d be fools to leave it.
And what’s it really going to do to our schedule? We’ll be done with the ceremony and ready to go home soon enough. A quick side trip won’t hurt anything.
To sell the council, that was the important part of the equation. He believed he could do it but needed to think specifically how he would. Maybe she discovered something in some logs that led her to believe we might want to look at the salvage again. The danger of it meant we should send a ship like the Behemoth.
That was definitely one good story. What else can I try?
Ultimately, he wanted to avoid surfaced memories and work toward something more tangible. Command allowed them considerable latitude lately but this would be pushing it. If she found something in logs, then they’d likely want to see the records. Perhaps a little honest mixed with some omission would work best.
Gray sat behind his desk and fired up the long distance communication network. They were still within the solar system so lag would be almost nonexistent. As he waited for Daniel to pick up, he wondered what time it might be back home near the base. When Daniel’s image appeared bleary eyed, illuminated by the screen, he figured it out.
“Gray,” Daniel sounded surprised. “I didn’t expect to hear from you soon. I hope this isn’t terrible news. Not another attack?”
“No, sir,” Gray replied. “I wanted to bring something to your attention and receive permission to append an objective to our mission. It should be little more than a minor detour but considering what it is, we’ll need permission.”
“What’s going on?”
“Clea shared with me a major battle from their past, one which ended with four enemy ships being
destroyed and three alliance vessels meeting the same fate. The sector was incredibly dangerous at the time so salvage crews did not go in. We have reason to believe there may be sensitive data, possible game changing information, we can extract.”
“I see.” Daniel rubbed his eyes. “Any idea what it might be?”
“I’d rather not speculate too much at the moment but the alliance ships were scanning the enemy vessels and may have discovered a vulnerability.” Gray shrugged. “Considering our capabilities, I thought it might be worth a look. We can always just leave if it’s too dangerous…and if you give me permission, I’d like to get the kielans involved too. Perform another joint operation.”
“I like that idea,” Daniel said. “Somewhat safe, for the most part and good for the political view. How dangerous is the sector though?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to jump in on the edge, determine whether or not it’s worth the risk and go in from there.”
“I don’t like unnecessary risks at a time like this,” Daniel said. “Right on the verge of everything we’re about to accomplish, it would damage relations considerably if you got yourselves killed.”
“Considering our track record, I’d say losing the Behemoth is unlikely to say the least. I’d rather keep this out of the hands of the council. Can we call it a hunch and let me check? You can trust that I’ll get us home safely.”
Daniel considered the screen for long enough that Gray wondered if he lost the connection. When the chief spoke again, he began with a heavy sigh. “I want to give you this chance…it just could bite us both.”
“Unofficially, back me up. Imagine if we find what we’re looking for and if we don’t, we’ll just come home.” Gray shrugged. “We’ll even find out if there’s been any activity in the area before we depart. The kielans keep record of that sort of thing.”