Frontline sf-4

by Randolph Lalonde

  Jake burst out laughing at the dirty look Frost shot him and handed him a spill proof mug of black coffee with a recovery agent additive. “This'll get you feeling steady enough for the gunnery deck.”

  He took the tall silver mug and smelled it. “Strong enough ta clear rust. Thank ye sir.” As he took the first long drink of the strong coffee his irritation at being awakened by the Captain began to fade.

  “Hard night last night, I can't tell you I don't know how you feel. It's gotten around the ship though.”

  “Has it?”

  “It won't harm your reputation much, your men are behind you more than ever. Alice had to break up a brawl between off duty security and gunnery personnel.”

  Frost's eyebrows raised and he sat back on his bunk. “Oi, that's a mess. How many?”

  “Close to three hundred were involved.”

  “Three hundred! How did Alice break it up?”

  “She and Stephanie's lieutenants turned the lights on and started stunning people from on top of the bar. Nothing breaks up a brawl like gunfire, stunned or dead, doesn't matter much when people don't have time to see the difference. A few other senior officers joined her on top of the bar and club night was called off.”

  “Crew can't be happy 'bout that. I've never been much for dance clubs, more a pub crawler myself, but people were lookin' forward to it.”

  Captain Valance nodded. “Now Security personnel are blaming Gunnery and Maintenance crews and vice versa.”

  “I'd have have never thought.”

  “It's not because of last night, though it didn't help. There's a growing environment of mistrust between the departments.”

  “On account of Burke.”

  “No, because of the way you handled it. You didn't trust Stephanie's people to do their jobs and everyone knows it. The whole brawl started over someone in the Gunnery crew telling someone in Security that your people handle their own business, they don't need security 'in their faces.'”

  Frost ran a hand down his face. “Bloody politics. I'll give up the deck for a while if that'll fix it.”

  Jake laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, no easy way out on this one Chief. If you try to back out of the position it'll look like you were forced into it from the top and if you think that brawl was something…”

  “Aye, you're right. Then there's only one thing for it.”

  “Make peace, whether you and Steph are off for good and you just have to put a good face on it or you make amends, it doesn't matter. Your people have to see that something is working, otherwise this'll go on.”

  “Aye, and I'll have to be real hard on 'em for this.”

  “And make sure they know they need the Security Department as much as anyone else. It's going to be hard, especially considering the history behind all this.”

  “Well, I'm sure if Steph won't take me back she'll at least be willin' ta make nice for the crew.”

  “I'm not talking about that; she shot Grace, remember? That's come up all over again. The rumours about Steph orchestrating her death to get her out of the way are all back.”

  “Oi, that business again. I'll get this all put right Captain, won't be easy, but it'll get done.”

  “Good, I'm headed to the Bridge, Steph's just outside.”

  Frost put down the mug and hurriedly tried to sort his hair out while looking into a small mirror built into the wall of the cell. “I didn't mean I'd sort it just now, maybe after a shower an' such.”

  “I meant right now,” Jake said with a crooked grin as he left the cell.

  Stephanie stepped inside mere seconds later. “You and Jake have a good talk?” She was in her long coat, combat boots and black vacsuit, ready for her shift but she looked tired.

  “Aye, heard about the brawl in the main obi-deck.”

  “You should have seen the aftermath, I'm just coming from main observation now.”

  “That couldn't a been an easy mornin'.”

  “Or night, they woke me up at two, I've been there ever since.”

  “Sorry lass, I've made a right mess o' things. Shoulda trusted ye from the start, if anyone knows what kind o' spot Burke left me in, it'd be you.”

  “Do you mean that?” Stephanie asked, smiling a little. Her brown eyes were fixed on him.

  “Aye.”

  She shook her head and chuckled. “For all the cons you've run you're a bad liar.”

  Frost stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. “Now don't be difficult, lass.”

  The look she gave him could have killed. “Don't be difficult? ” she growled through clenched teeth.

  “What I mean ta say is that you need ta give me a chance ta prove myself, that's all.”

  “By going on a drunken tear and showing up at my door? Do you realize how it looks when the Chief of security can't control her boyfriend and needs her own team to step in?”

  “I'm sorry, that's not somethin' that woulda happened if the old boys were 'round, they'd have kept me level enough to know better or at least have held me down long enough ta find sense.”

  “The old boys; you mean Silver, Burke, Carrie and Turner?” Stephanie shot back. “Half of them are dead, the other half turned on you for your bank accounts and left you stranded. They're walking waste.”

  Shamus just stood there and stared at her for a moment. The five of them had been running together on and off for years, signing up on the same ships, getting in on the same cons, watching for opportunities and calling each other in when they could.

  For the first time since she'd known him it was obvious that she'd actually hurt him. His gentler expression faded and was replaced by something made of stone. He looked away from her; “guess I'll stay off the bottle then. Make it plain to the crew that all this is as much my fault, nothing ta blame you or your men for.” He turned to pick up the spill proof mug from where he'd left it on his bunk.

  Stephanie hadn't thought about it, how he didn't have any old friends left. She was the closest thing. They'd always had an easy time together when they were just talking amongst friends in the Samson galley, or stuck in the same bunk room while another area was damaged or under repair. Sure, the physical attraction didn't come for a long time, it took a change of scenery to realize there was chemistry, but of all the Samson crew they had known each other the longest. If he was talking to someone else about old friends, she might have been part of the list he mentioned, or at least she hoped she would be. “Frost, Shamus, I'm sorry,” she said, reaching out to him.

  He was quiet for a moment as she put her hands on his large shoulders. “I'm not used ta this, goin' after someone like you and pairin' up. By now I'm usually shaken off an' long gone.”

  “I can't seem to shake you,” Stephanie whispered.

  Frost turned around and put his hands around her waist. “I'm not right without ye lass.”

  She smiled at him and nodded. “I'll give you another chance, just trust me to do what I do best.”

  “Aye, luv. I mean; aye, Security Chief Vega,” he said before kissing her.

  She kissed him a moment and drew back suddenly. “Oh, God, you need a Denta Tab. Your breath is deadly.”

  Shamus laughed and smiled at her toothily. “Haven't been by my quarters yet. Care to come with?”

  “I can't, I have to get to the Security Office and you should show up early for duty, spread the news.”

  “Spread some punishment 'round, you mean. They'll find out about us soon enough. Rumours get 'round this ship faster than gossip on Stellarnet.”

  The pair walked out of the cell, Stephanie making sure to take hold of Frost's hand right in front of the pair of guards on shift. “I thought you'd like to know that the Captain's decided on Burke's punishment.”

  “Oh?”

  “He's being sent to Altima on Chief Vercelli's recruitment run. They're dropping him off at a charity clinic.”

  “That's not much of a punishment.”

  “Well, Captain's donating to the clinic, trying to get in
their favour so they take our request for a doctor to serve on Triton seriously. Since Burke's injuries are non-critical he'll be waiting for weeks to have body parts regrown and cosmetic procedures done.”

  Frost looked around at the brig, all the cells except for his were opaque on the front so he couldn't see who was inside. “Which one is he in?”

  “Oh, he's in stasis in medical. Captain put him in personally and told him he'd be dumped in orbit around a sun.”

  “And here I was starting to think Captain was goin' soft. Turns out he's just goin' smart.”

  Price and Finn watched as Stephanie and Frost came out of the brig and walked down the hall towards the main express car shaft. “You know, it's funny; Frost ended up with the only crew member who could probably kick his butt in a fight,” Finn commented as they took a turn towards the hall leading to the third wormhole generator access point.

  “Does it enhance a human's status when they find a powerful mate?” Price asked a matter of factly.

  “Not anymore, not that I've seen. Then again, there are a few dozen cultures on any given world, some with mixes of different races. That's not what I meant though. I just find it funny that Steph and Frost are together because they're pretty much equals, all things considered.”

  “That's true; in my culture it's popular to try to find a female partner that is greater than yourself.”

  “Doesn't that put a lot of pressure on the women?”

  “Well, yes, but we generally revere them, and being shape shifters, we concentrate on skills and personality much more than any physical attribute.”

  “That makes sense. Is there any attention paid to how well someone can shape shift?”

  “Well, yes, there's some, but other redeeming qualities can make up for someone lacking in aptitude,” Price stopped and looked at Finn. “You don't think I lack shape shifting ability, do you?”

  Finn looked at him, flushing a little. “No, you're fine.”

  “I may not be able to emulate human hair very well, or even maintain a form that is entirely convincing for long, but my speciality has nothing to do with such things.”

  “You can change into other things?”

  “Well, yes,” Price said, looking irritated. “I'm an abstract.”

  “An abstract?”

  Price struck a pose with one bent arm outstretched and extended a leg straight out from his hip. In the next instant he became a number of joined shapes and colours, stretching his vacsuit out into unusual hard angles and corners. His head was a collection of oddly joined circles and triangles, some of them mere millimetres in thickness. After a few seconds some of the shapes started turning and changing colours.

  “That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen,” Finn boggled.

  One of Price's eyes opened, only it was where his shoulder once was. “Thank you, my family always said I was quite proficient, even comical,” the voice came from a mouth Finn couldn't see.

  “You do look pretty funny, it's just too amazing to laugh at. How do you keep your balance?”

  “I can affect density in some parts of my body.” Agameg began to take regular shape again and after a moment he looked like himself once more. He shot Finn a self satisfied grin.

  “Ever hide in plain sight?” Finn asked as they resumed their walk down the hallway.

  “Only as a child. Most of us are too shy to play that kind of trick since we'd have to be naked. We might not value the superficial very highly, but most of us are fairly modest.”

  “You know, we should talk culture more often, I think I learned more about your people in the last five minutes than I have in the last month. You'd have a blast at Halloween parties.”

  “What's a Halloween?”

  “Um, well, I don't know why but every year humans used to dress up as different fictional characters and famous people then go out collecting candy and small gifts. A lot of colonies still do it, even if it's just an excuse for a costume party.”

  “A costume party, I've seen one in a movie. Yes, that would be fun.”

  They arrived at the heavy hatch leading into the center of the main emitter systems that the engineering crew were rebuilding. Both of them sealed their vacsuits and made sure their tool boxes were firmly shut before opening the door.

  “I can't wait to get the wormhole generator running again,” Finn said as he stepped through airlock's inner door. “I've never been through one before.”

  “It is incredible. You can turn your inertial compensation systems off once you've finished accelerating. There is no turbulence and since there is a directionality to all force in a wormhole any debris or particles is normally drawn out before a vessel even enters. Very smooth travel, quite peaceful,” Price explained as he closed the first hatch behind them and looked over Finn's shoulder at the display showing the status inside.

  “Well, the other teams finished all the work around the main chamber. It's about time we start reconnecting leads and checking the primary control systems. I hear a couple astronomers actually want to use the emitters to create micro wormholes so they can see further into the galaxy.”

  “I hope Captain gives them the opportunity, I'd love to see the results,” Price said with mild enthusiasm.

  “Thank you for coming along to lend a hand, by the way. I know you just finished a shift on the bridge.”

  “Don't mention it. I'd rather be here getting a first look at one of the most interesting systems on the ship than in the Oota Galoona or getting extra sleep,” Price paused for a moment, taking a closer look at the display Finn was scrolling through. “Is that reading right?”

  “I'm double checking it now but it says there's no pressure or gravity inside. Someone turned all the environmental systems off and opened the main access door.”

  “When? Does it say?”

  Finn shook his head as he finished rechecking the status of the room beyond the inner door. “Last night. Let's take a look,” he said as he started the decompression sequence inside the airlock.

  “I'll send a note to security detailing what we found,” Price said as he highlighted the recording of the conversation he just had with Finn and sent a copy to Stephanie and another to the security office.

  The depressurization sequence completed and Finn opened the inner door. The main control room for the primary emitters was lit but cold and empty. A few old parts had drifted up off the deck in the null gravity and the semicircular console in the center of the power management systems crowding it blinked lazily, waiting to be activated by an authorized member of the crew. There was enough space inside the main room for six to eight people. Three crewmen would work the main control station, and the rest would be entrusted with maintaining the delicate systems that transformed raw power from the ship reactors into gravity, energetic mass or other types of energy. The primary purpose of the main emitter was to create wormholes, but it could be reconfigured for other tasks if needed.

  “I don't see anything that will cause damage if we turn the gravity back on and it were to fall to the deck suddenly,” Price said as he took a look around the space. “We might want to close the service aperture first though.”

  Finn drifted towards the two and a half meter wide circular opening at the far end of the room and looked outside towards the distant nebula. It still dominated the view, he couldn't see past it to the left, right, above or below but he knew it was actually over two light years away. He was just about to turn away when something caught his eye. “Agameg, has the ship changed course since last night?”

  “No, we're moving in a straight line in dead space.”

  Finn magnified a section of his view using his command unit controls. “Then this makes sense. There's a body out there.”

  “From the funeral? That doesn't make sense at all.”

  “No, she's in a vacsuit, her headpiece isn't sealed.”

  “I'll inform security. Good thing you noticed before we turned on the gravity, Stephanie will probably want to see the room u
ndisturbed.”

  “I think our work is going to be delayed a while,” Finn said, shaking his head. “My C and C unit's forensic package just confirmed that she was strangled before being tossed out the service hatch.”

  Gabriel's Gift

  “A loss of coordination is to be expected.”, Gabriel had told him as he passed him the high density storage chip. It was labelled simply; General Collins, Collected Intensive Neural Scan. Wheeler had looked to the scrawny, dishevelled fellow then and gave him an apprehensive look. “So you want me to become him?”

  Gabriel laughed loudly, uproariously, shaking his head. It was obnoxious, the man didn't acknowledge half of what was going on with more than an absent nod most of the time and when he did it was some extreme, over exaggerated gesture that was so over the top that it was distracting. “Not at all. That information has been distilled by a computer system. Once a neural scan has been passed through a digital system it becomes reorganized into pure data. If you were to plug that into an AI it would be nothing more than a large database of what it would call; informative experiences. Sure, the AI would learn from it, most likely emulate Collins very convincingly, maybe even think it was the old General, but it couldn't be him. When you load that into your own cranial unit your organic mind will be able to search it, read it like memories but they will be static, look as though you were viewing them through a holographic projection or simulation that you could fast forward or rewind, search at your leisure.”

  “Because a computer read and rewrote the data.”

  “Exactly, that's why there's been so much research into reintegrating digital memory into an organic mind.”

  “And why you pursue Alice.”

  For a moment Gabriel's eyes lost focus, as though he was looking at something far distant, then his gaze fell back onto Lucius. “Yes, but even I am becoming convinced she's not necessarily the answer to the problem. Finding her, having a chance to communicate with her is something I believe may never happen, though I wish it would. For the time being, I would like you to take the next step forward.”