by Knox, Barry
“Your people are going to feel a little groggy for a while after they wake up. And sir, we did destroy a door during the exercise,” Captain Neubauer added.
“Again, not a problem, Captain,” the admiral said and then asked, “One question, Captain. How’d you get close enough to the guards to knock them out?”
“We supplied all of your ‘enemy guard’ volunteers with a special weapons-training armband,” Neubauer began to explain. “When a weapon is pointed in the direction of one of these armbands, the weapon is inhibited from firing a particle-beam shot when the trigger is pulled. Instead, the weapon transmits a signal to the armband to inject the wearer with a knockout drug embedded in the armband,” Captain Neubauer explained.
“Interesting,” Admiral Corbin said.
The young volunteer on the floor started to wake.
“How do you feel?” Xia asked through his helmet speaker as he bent down and helped her sit up.
“Like a horse kicked me,” she answered.
“Was it worth the five-day pass?” Admiral Corbin asked her.
“Yes, sir,” she answered with a smile.
Captain’s Quarters, SRS Stephen Hawking
1700—February 17, 2372
Bam! Bam! Bam! Mary knew from the abruptness of the knocks on her cabin door that Gunny Xia had arrived.
She intentionally waited a few seconds to begin the process of making sure Gunny Xia knew who was in charge. Having dealt with hard-core career marines before and after reviewing Xia’s records, she knew what to expect.
“Enter!” Mary yelled.
Xia entered, walked to her desk, stood at attention, and saluted.
Pretending to finish up a report on her desk, Mary ignored him for a few more seconds as he stood, holding his salute.
“At ease. Have a seat, Gunny,” she said as she finally acknowledged his presence and returned his salute.
Xia sat down with a smug look on his face.
“Gunny, you and I have been around this man’s navy for a long time, so I’m not going to try to get to know you better or give you the same pep talk I’m giving the rest of the crew,” Mary began, paused a second, and then continued. “I expect you to be the professional marine that I know you are while you’re aboard my ship. If you or your men have a problem with anything or with my crew, come directly to me. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Xia answered.
“We have a mission, and I want to make sure we bring everyone back safe and sound. As you well know, missions like these usually turn into a disaster. You and I have been in situations like this before and understand. Most of the crew have little to no combat experience, so it’s up to the both of us to get ‘em back safely. I’m relying on you, Gunny.”
“Yes, sir,” Xia responded again, but this time his smugness was gone.
Mary knew, from Xia’s expression, that she’d proved to him she was a seasoned naval captain and he could depend on her if things got rough.
“Any questions or concerns for me?” Mary asked.
“Sir. If we find ourselves in a life-and-death situation, I know the mission comes first. All I ask from you is that you’ll do all you can to save my men if possible,” Xia said.
“Gunny, you can count on it,” Mary immediately answered.
“Very well, sir,” Xia responded.
“Anything else, Gunny?” Mary asked.
“No, sir.”
“Dismissed!”
Bridge, SRS Stephen Hawking
1745—February 17, 2372
Sergeant Kindle stood at attention when Mary entered the bridge. After she made her way to her command chair and sat down, he returned to parade rest.
The bridge was quiet. Ensign Young, the communications officer, was the only other person there.
“Problems, Ensign?” Mary asked, startling Young since he hadn’t noticed her enter.
Young turned toward her and said, “No problems, Captain. Communications systems are optimal. It’s only a few hours before we depart, and I want to make sure we haven’t missed a message concerning the scientists that we’ll be picking up.”
“You don’t trust your Anna to notify you?” Mary asked with a smile.
“It’s not that, sir,” he said. “I…I just wanted to be here if a message comes. I can’t concentrate on anything else anyway, and I feel on edge.”
“It’s okay to be a little jumpy before a mission, Ensign. Especially an extraordinary mission like this one, and don’t forget that it’s your first deep space mission,” Mary said.
“Thanks, Captain,” he responded and continued. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“I know you will, Ensign. Why don’t you stretch your legs and go ask Captain Neubauer and Lieutenant Klaxton to join us for dinner this evening? The walk will help you relax.”
“Yes, sir,” Young answered as he got up to leave the bridge.
Mary asked Stephen to run a full-ship system diagnostic and show the results on her command chair console. She wanted to make sure everything was ready before their scheduled departure at 0700 the next morning.
As Ensign Young approached the bridge door, Kindle quietly spoke to him. “There’s nothing to be worried about, Ensign.” Kindle paused and looked to make sure Captain Bowser was occupied. “I’ve served on fifteen ships, and while I was on board, we only lost eleven ensigns.”
Ensign Young smiled, hesitated for a second and said, “Thanks, Sergeant. That’s good to know…I think.”
After he left, Kindle smiled, and it took all he could do to not laugh out loud.
“I just spent some of my valuable time trying to calm his nerves, and here you go saying something like that. Why are all marines cruel to navy ensigns?” Mary said loudly enough for Kindle to hear as she continued watching the diagnostic reports on her console with her back still turned to him.
Kindle immediately stopped smiling. He thought about how to respond and decided to go for broke. After all, what could she do to him? Assign him to a ship with antimatter equipment that had never been tested while traveling farther than any man had ever gone before? His smile returned, and he answered, “Sorry, Captain…but all marines are trained to harass ensigns anytime there is an opportunity.”
Without a word, Mary continued working, didn’t turn around, and just shook her head from side to side with a smile. She knew Kindle would most likely sacrifice his own life for the ensign if need be.
Captain’s Dining Table, SRS Stephen Hawking
1900—February 17, 2372
All eight Stephen Hawking officers, mission scientists, and Admiral Corbin sat at the captain’s table for dinner. Though the dinner was supposed to be a formal dress affair, each crew member wore his or her mission jumpsuit since none had a dress uniform. Even Admiral Corbin wore his Phobos Naval Station jumpsuit.
The captain’s table was adjacent to the ship’s dining area and galley. Dinner, served by several enlisted crewmen, consisted of already cooked meals, which came from the ship’s fully stocked food-storage locker. The prepackaged meals included salad, steak, and potato—and for dessert, apple pie à la mode. Each meal had been altered with a special chemical that, when activated by oxygen exposure, either warmed the food or made it cooler. In five minutes the steak and potato were hot, the salad cool, and the apple à la mode cold.
“To a successful mission and safe return!” Admiral Corbin proposed as he held up his plastic cup, which contained wine he had brought aboard. It would be the last alcohol the crew would taste until they returned. Every officer and scientist held up his or her cup and drank.
An hour later dinner was over, and the officers and scientists sat around the table, engaged in several individual conversations. Admiral Corbin talked with Mary about her crew and any last-minute needs.
“Captain, I wish I could accompany you on this mission. It’s a historic event,” Admiral Corbin said, drank the last bit of wine in his cup, and continued. “I’m too old and definitely not smart enough. I revie
wed the personnel files of your crew, and I was impressed with the level of experience and intelligence. I was especially intrigued with Lieutenant Klaxton. A genius-level IQ higher than the mission scientists aboard, and he is a marine recon platoon commander to boot. Amazing!”
“They’re indeed a special crew,” Mary said.
“Does Lieutenant Klaxton really have a photographic memory?” Admiral Corbin asked.
“He can remember everything he’s ever read, seen, or heard,” Mary said.
“I’d like to see this for myself,” he said and then stood. He looked at Gideon and continued. “Lieutenant Klaxton.”
“Sir,” Gideon said as he straightened himself in his seat.
“With respect, Lieutenant, I’d like a demonstration of your intellectual ability. That’s, of course, if you’re comfortable doing it,” Admiral Corbin said.
With the exception of Mary and Captain Neubauer, everyone else looked confused as they waited for Gideon to answer.
Gideon paused for few seconds and said, “Of course, Admiral, I’d be happy to if you think you’d find it interesting. What did you have in mind, sir?”
“Can you quote something you’ve read years ago?”
“Yes, sir. I remember everything I’ve ever read.”
“How about something you read while attending Annapolis?”
“I took a classic literature class my freshman year and read quite a few classics.”
“That’ll do,” the admiral said with a smile. “Captain Neubauer, would you ask your Anna to access the lieutenant’s Annapolis files and list all the books he read in that class?”
“Yes, sir,” Captain Neubauer replied and began to type the request on his Anna’s keypad attached to his left forearm.
“Lieutenant Klaxton, not that I don’t trust you, but will you disable your Anna so there won’t be a chance of it assisting you,” Admiral Corbin said.
“Anna,” Gideon said aloud.
“Yes, Gideon,” Anna replied in his ear implant.
“Please discontinue any communications with me until Captain Neubauer’s Anna contacts you,” Gideon said aloud.
“Got something for me, Captain?” Admiral Corbin asked.
“Yes, sir, several,” Captain Neubauer said as he showed the admiral his Anna display on his forearm. The display listed the classics Gideon had read.
The admiral scanned the list and pointed at one. “Captain, have the lieutenant read the first paragraph of the second chapter of this classic; and Captain, have your Anna display the paragraph for us while the lieutenant recites it from memory.”
“Anna, please display the first paragraph of the second chapter of A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay, published in 1920,” Neubauer said, then looked at Gideon and continued. “Lieutenant, whenever you’re ready.”
Gideon closed his eyes and recalled the year, date, month, and time that he’d read the novel. A few seconds later, an image of the page appeared in his mind, and he read from that image. “The three men gathered in the street outside the house. The night was slightly frosty, but particularly clear, with an east wind blowing. The multitude of blazing stars caused the sky to appear like a vast scroll of hieroglyphic symbols. Maskull felt oddly excited; he had a sense that something extraordinary was about to happen ‘What brought you to this house tonight, Krag, and what made you do what you did? How are we to understand that apparition?’”
Admiral Corbin and Captain Neubauer followed along on Captain Neubauer’s Anna display as Gideon read.
“That’s remarkable!” Admiral Corbin said when Gideon finished.
The demonstration awed everyone sitting around the table. Two individuals, Dr. Harper and Dr. Jones, were envious.
Petty Officer Joseph Sipes’s Quarters, SRS Stephen Hawking
0000—February 18, 2372
Joseph entered a small building through double doors. Inside the doors was a single room with a podium. Instead of chairs, long wooden benches lined a center aisle-the benches facing the podium. People he’d never seen before sat on the benches and turned his direction as he walked to the podium. He looked at the people seated and saw them smiling at him and their heads slowly nodding approval. Joseph looked at the podium again, and there stood his great- grandmother looking down at him from behind the wooden structure.
He stopped and just stood there, looking at her.
She also had a smile on her face, and, using her right hand, she motioned him to continue walking toward her. He started walking, and before he got to his great-grandmother, she motioned for him to sit on the front bench. Joseph sat there, looking at her. He thought it strange that his great-grandmother didn’t look as old as he remembered. As a matter of fact, she looked a lot younger.
“Joseph,” she said, “I have a job for you.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
“You’re going on a long journey, and the people you’re with need your help.”
“Yes, Grandma, you know I’ll help them with anything they need.”
“You’ll help save them from death.”
“Yes, Grandma, I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will, Joseph,” she said with a smile and then motioned for everyone in the room to stand. They all stood and began singing. The song was familiar to Joseph, yet one he couldn’t remember the words to. He did remember his great-grandmother had hummed the tune all the time as she worked.
He started humming the tune, since he didn’t remember the words, as everyone in the building starting singing louder and louder. What a wonderful sound, he thought. It eventually got so loud in the little one-room building that it awoke him.
He lay in his bunk aboard the Stephen Hawking. It had been a dream, a very beautiful dream.
Part Four: Marine Operations
Bridge, SRS Stephen Hawking
0645—February 18, 2372
Mary sat in the bridge command chair. The triangular-shaped bridge had several critical command and control stations now manned by the bridge officers who worked to prepare for departure from Phobos. A single marine, Corporal Gault, stood on the bridge as the traditional bridge guard.
The main bridge holographic view screen, located in front of the command and control consoles, currently showed ship system status bars and a timer counting down to liftoff. As bridge officers and crew completed launch tasks, the task status bars turned green. By 0655, all status bars were green.
“Ready to launch, Captain,” the executive office, Commander Steward, said and added, “We’re also in complete stealth mode.”
“Very well. Ensign Young, give the five-minute launch alert,” Mary ordered.
“Yes, Captain,” Ensign Young said and then used his holographic communications console to access the ship’s intercom system. “All crew members, launch in five minutes. Crewmen should be at their launch stations.”
When Ensign Young ended his message, an audible launch alert was continually broadcast through the intercom system. The launch warble sound would continue until the launch engines were started.
Most of the crew were already at their launch posts, strapped in a chair using a harness, monitoring specific ship systems. For the crew and marines who didn’t have systems to monitor, they strapped themselves to their bunks.
Captain Neubauer and Lieutenant Klaxton sat in the Triple C along with Dr. Harper and Dr. Jones. The main Triple C holographic display was identical to the bridge display, showing everything the bridge officers were seeing.
A minute before launch, Lieutenant Commander Buz Vanderver turned to Corporal Gault and motioned him to strap in at an unused seat by him at the engineering console.
A traditional second-by-second countdown started as Stephen began counting backward from sixty seconds. The computer’s voice was calm as it counted down the seconds.
At thirty seconds, all umbilicals to the ship from the Phobos Naval Station hangar support systems were retracted. At twenty seconds the massive hangar doors above the Stephen Hawking began to open. As
the doors opened, stars could be seen above, and when the doors were fully opened, the planet Mars took up half the moon’s sky.
At five seconds the launch engines ignited, and the ship began to vibrate. At zero seconds SRS Stephen Hawking lifted off and began retracting its landing gear while moving upward out of the hangar. The bridge’s holographic display showed the launch from Phobos Naval Station. The ship’s crew watched as the ship slowly slipped out of the hangar and then accelerated into space.
“Captain, we’re now one hundred kilometers above Phobos and can navigate,” Lieutenant Temani LaPalm said as she continued looking at her navigation console.
“Secure from stealth mode and set course for Gliese, point five power, five percent light speed,” Mary ordered.
“Yes, sir,” LaPalm answered as her hands selected various holographic console options. “Stealth mode disabled. Course set for Gliese. Power at point five. Speed set to five percent. Ship’s computer responding, sir.”
Within seconds Stephen calculated the direction to Gliese and the exact speed needed to arrive at the appointed time. Stephen then brought the main antimatter engines online for thrust and projected a black hole in front of the ship. In an instant the ship entered the time-speed dimension as it was being pushed and pulled toward the planet Gliese at five percent light speed.
“I thought the black hole would be a lot bigger than that,” Corporal Gault said to Lieutenant Commander Vanderver as he looked at the main bridge holographic display, which now showed the black hole in front of the ship.
“We’re only using point five percent power. When we lay in our course for the observation point, it’ll be gigantic,” Vanderver said as he continued monitoring his control panel.
After double-checking all systems, Mary gave the order for the crew to return to regular-flight duty stations and then asked her Anna to contact Captain Neubauer, Lieutenant Klaxton, Dr. Harper, and Dr. Jones and tell them to remain in the Triple C and wait for her.
Combat Control Center, SRS Stephen Hawking
0915—February 18, 2372
