“Whatever happens in Gossamer, I want you all to know that I’m proud of you, you have all served the Dreaming of Atmosphere well, especially these last few weeks. No Captain could ask for a better crew. I love you all. Captain out.”
When she’d hung up the PA mic, she looked at me, her eyes were red rimmed. I smiled at her and tried to be supportive.
“We’re going to be okay, Max.”
“For once,” added Fel, “Seth is right.”
“This warrior is proud to serve with his kitrak!”
“You’re not going to cry, are you?” I joked. This earnt me a punch in the arm from Max. I also got a smile.
“It’s the air filters. I think they need cleaning.”
“Uh huh.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Prepare for burn!” barked Crege, “Inertial stabilisers at maximum. Deactivating Ion Drives. Switching to manoeuvring thrusters in 5…4…3…2…1…engaged!”
The whole ship was silent for almost a full second, then the loudest roar I’d ever heard rocked the command module. It sounded like one long continuous explosion, which in effect it was, and we were all thrown into our webbing. My neck was straining to remain upright, and my whole body was being pressed into my seat.
“Periapse achieved!” reported Crege in a strained voice.
Powered gravity assist manoeuvre initiated. Enjoy the view. Came Tac’s text on all our overlays.
I could make out the atmosphere of the planet above us as we skirted along just outside its reach. The Harakiwa star was just starting to appear over the terminus, and the light from the sun was colouring the upper exosphere a pale blue green. Another screen began to show our wake as we shed ions from out hull into the magnetic field surrounding the planet. We must have seemed like a comet, trailing an aurora effect. We’d be putting on quite a show for the news people in their ships. I was betting that we’d be visible from the planet’s surface as well.
After about fifteen minutes of thrust we reached the terminus line and sunlight bathed our ship in a golden hue. Ice was blasted back from us, and the twinkling sparkle of crystals could be seen drifting along behind us. The gee forces against us slowly began to increase, and in a few more minutes I heard Fel faint beside me.
“Fuel reserves at twenty three percent!” came Eric’s report from the central engineering space.
“Cut manoeuvring thrusters!” commanded Max.
“Burn disengaged! Activating ion drives!” called Crege. Almost instantly the ship’s violent shuddering stopped and the relentless pull of gravity reduced to a more bearable amount. Only the steady thrum of ion propulsion could be heard. A low moan escaped Fel’s mouth and I turned to see him compose himself. He was paler than normal and sweat glistened on his hairless head.
“You okay?” I asked.
He nodded and ran his hand over his face. “I’ll live.”
We were now firmly in the grasp of the planet’s gravity well, as it pulled us around it and shot us off into space once more. It wasn’t long before we left the planet Vengnashi behind us.
26.
The next eight days were rather uneventful. We stopped briefly at the Eridani Jump Station to refuel our manoeuvring thrusters, replenishing our reserves that we used during the sling shot, and we topped up on a few essential supplies. This time, Artemis only allowed Hergo and Denno ashore to do our shopping. I guess she was onto us after our unscheduled stop over at the Argessi Jump Station.
I practiced more of the paradigms I’d been given, and carefully studied the interactive documents that Tac had prepared for me. I learnt that the shroud matrix was a term coined to refer to the thin membrane of reality that holds our three dimensions in place. I received a crash course in string theory, and still it mostly well over my head. Fel assured me, though, that it was only important that my nano-proliferation implant received the data.
What I got out of it was that our universe is traditionally viewed as a three dimensional universe. We perceive the three dimensions, because we live in a three dimensional brane. A brane, as I knew it, was kind of like a membrane of reality. Our three dimensions exist in this membrane, which is actually embedded in up to ten dimensions. Tac explained that there were many other branes, with many other universes. These branes were like the three dimensions of a book filled with two dimensional pages, only this book has ten dimensions, instead of three, and the pages could be any number of dimensions at once. My mind was reeling trying to grasp the concept of more than three dimensions, but ten? That was just too much for my limited brain capacity to fathom.
The whole thing started to fall apart in my mind, especially when the way these branes were traversed, or joined. It all started to sound similar in concept to how a Jump Gate works. As soon as I’d mentioned this similarity, Tac congratulated me on coming to conclusion myself. It seemed to think I’d made progress, and I didn’t want to discourage it.
My head swam with complex mathematical equations and crazy notions of alternate dimensions when Maxine alerted the crew that we were approaching the Eridani Jump Gate. I left my cabin where I was studying and made my way forward to the command module. Fel and Maxine were in the middle of a discussion.
“Tac assures me that it’s perfectly fine, so long as he maintains a shield and doesn’t spend longer than an hour outside.”
“Okay, well I suppose if you think it’s necessary. He’s probably not going to like it though.”
“Who won’t like what?” I broke in, as I sat down at my station.
Fel turned back to his console, and Max turned to face me.
“Fel and Tac believe that it may be within your…educational interests to spend some time EV. Most notably during when we shift.”
I looked at her deadpan. “EV? When we go through the Jump Gate?”
Any residual Fiddich radiation will fade, so long as you limit your exposure time. Offered Tac.
Fiddich radiation, also known by the slang term heat, was a by-product of tearing giant holes in reality. In small doses it was harmless, but frequent trips through Jump Gates tended to build up large amounts. For example if a ship went through one direction, and then turned around and went right back again, they’d probably cause some damage to their ship and crew. It’s similar in effect to standard radiation, only it rarely causes permanent cellular damage.
“And what possible benefit would I gain by giving myself a dosage of heat?”
“Fel says that you can use your nanites to gather data about the transfer.”
Fel turned around and cleared his throat. “That is correct. They’ll see first-hand how the spatial translation works. You may even be able to load up the new paradigm afterwards.”
“How much of a dose will I get?”
You can confirm with Medical Officer Ward, but I believe no more than 47 fids if you return to the ship within one hour.
Zoe, can you check something for me? I texted Zoe, How many fids would I get dosed with if I went EV while we shifted through the Jump Gate?
Why on earth would you do that?
Fel and Tac think I should do it for science.
Oh! To scan, right? That’s a great idea!
Seriously? Of all the people who’d be against this, I thought you’d be number one when it came to backing me up.
Well, there are some health considerations, for sure. But think of the data you would gain!
So you don’t think this is a stupid idea?
No, it’s brilliant!
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “All right, I’ll go suit up.”
“I’ll patch you through to the command module. We’ll be with you the whole way.” Said Fel.
“You sure about this, Donny?” asked Maxine, a trace of concern on her features.
“Yeah, I think Zoe would punish me for not taking the opportunity, and Fel here will lecture me to no end if I take a pass.”
“Our brains are only capable of what they can conceive, and they can’
t conceive what they haven’t experienced. A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” Added Fel, ever the sagely advisor. His eyes were a deep purple, a shade similar to what he normally shows when he is investigating a new device or piece of technology. Good heavens, I thought, I’m his latest experiment.
I left the command module and returned to my cabin. My M4 MAEL was tucked away in my locker and I drew it out. There were still several black scorch marks from the last time I’d worn it. I laid out the various pieces and went to work using my Repair paradigm, converting the material from a solid block of metal alloy I’d collected from the engineering spaces that were used in hull repairs. My nanites used the material to weave into fresh laminates for the suit, and in a few minutes my suit was good as new.
As I was starting to put on my first few pieces, there was a knock at my cabin hatch. I called for them to come in, I could use some help getting suited up, I thought. Zoe came in, all excited. She was practically skipping.
“What kind of health considerations are we talking about? Tac says I should be okay if I take less than an hour.” I asked as she dropped what she was carrying and automatically started to help me dress. I’d trained her well.
“Technically, it’s correct. You should come down with no more than mild radiation poisoning.”
“Radiation poisoning? That doesn’t sound mind at all!”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby. This is coming from a man who regularly goes toe to toe with a Garz’a using real swords. You’ll get some skin irritations, a little nausea, something of a headache. Kind of like heat stroke.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
“As your medical officer, I’m a little against it. But as a scientist, the benefits in the long term far outweigh any temporary discomfort on your behalf.”
“You know, I can’t help but remember the last time I tried something foolish on behalf of science. You got cranky at me.”
“I got cranky because you didn’t get me first. You’re learning. Here I am.”
“Here you are,” I sighed, pulling the last of my suit on.
“Aren’t you in the least bit curious?” she asked
“Not enough to make myself sick. I just got out of the med lab a week ago.”
“So why are you going this, then?”
I paused what I was doing and thought about it. “I need to be at my best when we get to Gossamer. If I master this it will be one more tool at my disposal. It might make all the difference.”
“You keep pushing yourself. I’ve seen it with Crege and your sparing. The Viridian March, these nanites. You’re the first person to volunteer whenever Max needs something dangerous done.”
“It’s my job.” I said and made to leave the cabin, but Zoe grabbed my arm.
“You feel that you need to put yourself in these situations, because you never really left one. You’re still back in Gossamer, two years ago. I think you never left.”
I was silent for a while, just standing there thinking about it. “I wasn’t the only one who never left.” I exited the cabin, and made my way forward to the airlock. I grabbed a tether line from the inner chamber, and clipped it onto my suit. I sent Maxine a text telling her I was ready to go. I started to make sure the airlock was secured and that no loose tools or items were left sculling around. I was just closing up a utility locker when I noticed another suited figure climb through the inner airlock hatch with me. I looked up into the helmet and saw that it was Zoe. She gave me a smile and placed her helmet to mine.
“We’re going to do this together.” She said simply, and grabbed a tether line herself. When she was secure I checked her over, giving her a buddy check to make sure everything was in place. We took two personal shields out of a locker and attached them to our belts. After a few minutes, the PA system barked to life.
“All hands, prepare for jump.”
The inner airlock hatch closed and the air was pumped out of the airlock. In a few moments the outer ‘lock dialled open and we were greeted to the magnificent sight of the Jump Gate as we approached the event horizon. We flashed up our shields and left the airlock.
“Shifting in three…two…one…”
I reached out with my senses as we drifted out of the airlock hatch. Before us was the rippling mirror of the Jump Gate event horizon. We saw ourselves, hand in hand as traversed alongside the Dreaming of Atmosphere, distorted but clearly reflected in the quicksilver of reality. We passed through it, my nanites stretched out around us like a net. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was it supposed to be like falling into a pool? Was it like drifting through a mist? Was I supposed to not feel anything at all?
I could hear Zoe draw in her breath as the sensation started, like being encased in a block of ice and a pool of magma at the same time. There was no pain, only a sensation of passing through two extremes. One moment we were in our reality, the next we were not. We’d stepped outside our normal reality and into a different dimension that was never meant for our meagre senses to perceive, let alone understand.
To my nanites, it was a completely different picture. They saw the whole experience as breaking through a plate of glass, only instead of shards of glass shattering everywhere it was millions of impossibly long strands of reality. They flailed about and were like a bundle of strings fluttering in a strong wind. First one, then another, and then more began to connect with something at their ends. We became the strings, moving through realities towards the other ends of the strings.
I gasped in understanding.
“What is it?” said Zoe, turning her helmet to look at me as we drifted through the strangely colour lights and shapes between dimensions. I could see the patterns reflected on her visor, and I could see me looking back at her.
“I can see where we are going!”
“What do you mean?”
“I can see the other side of the Jump Gate!”
“How is that possible?”
“My nanites are gone, they followed the strings and made it out before us, and they are showing me what happens at the other side…it’s…beautiful!”
She looked around us, at the ship flying along to our right.
“What do you see?”
“I can see the Dreaming of Atmosphere leaving the Jump Gate, my nanites are at the event horizon on the other side. I can sense…something…” I trailed off.
“Go on…” prompted Zoe.
I activated a communications channel back to the Dreaming.
“Captain, we need to leave the Jump ready for combat. They are going to try and ambush us as we leave.”
“Say again, Seth” came Maxine, “what are you talking about?”
“My nanites can see at the other end of the Jump, there’s another Corporate organo-ship waiting for us.”
“Come aboard, we need to discuss this, Captain out.”
I turned to Zoe. “I have what I need, my nanites got their data. Are you ready to leave?”
“Yeah, these lights are starting to give me a headache.”
We started to retract our tether lines, and when we were inside I closed the outer ‘lock. In minutes we had oxygen in the airlock and our helmets came off. As I started to unsuit, Zoe ran some instruments over us both. We’d only been outside for about twenty minutes, so we’d only gain a little heat. I feel like I was sunburnt, and I had a slight throbbing headache, but otherwise I felt fine. I could see Zoe had a bright red face and her eyes were bloodshot. She gave us both a tablet, to ease the Fiddish radiation sickness from us, and then we helped each other de-suit.
Maxine was waiting for us on the other side of the airlock, a questioning look on her features.
“Koveli-Xue will attack us as soon as we leave the Jump.”
27.
Maxine, Fel’negr, Crege, Artemis and I were in Max’s cabin, seated around her conference table. Max was finishing off a swearing tirade directed at Artemis, and no one wanted to get in the way. Eventually, she calmed d
own enough to speak plainly, though through clenched teeth.
“So you’re telling me that these Corporate bastards know that we’re taking something they want into Gossamer? That all along you’ve known they would try and stop us and you said nothing.”
“Close enough, a little paraphrasing but yes.” Artemis said.
“And you didn’t think to tell us about this the last time they shot us to pieces, and nearly killed you too, by the way. You didn’t think that when I asked you about it then, that you should have perhaps parted with some of this information?”
“The thought had crossed my mind.”
“We thought it was you they were after.” I offered.
“That is true, they do wish to detain me, probably torture me to give up what I know. But ultimately they want the package.”
“Why? What is it?” demanded Max.
“It’s a piece of technology stolen from the facilities at Votus Station.”
“What’s at Votus Station?” I asked. Fel answered for me.
“It’s a frequent stop over for Corporate organo-ships. It’s run by the Votus, and has all kinds of high tech research facilities there.”
“Koveli-Xue, in particular.” Explained Artemis.
“What’s this technology?”
“You don’t need to know that right now.”
“You bitch!” cried Max and stood up in a rush, drawing a blaster from her hip.
“Tsk, tsk.” Chided Artemis, “You can’t shoot me yet, you haven’t found and removed all the bombs yet.” She gave that wicked grin she was so fond of wearing.
“Maxine, we need clear heads to resolve this.” Said Fel. The stand-off lasted a few more tense seconds before Max swore again and sat. She pointed a finger at Artemis.
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