Adrift (Dawson's Star Book 1)
Page 28
“Captain?”
“How long is your scheduled workout with Alex?”
“Couple of hours, Captain.”
“You will make it a short workout this time. Then you’ll let him clean up and have something more to eat before putting him to bed.”
“Sure, Captain.” Jimbo gave her a funny look.
“Spit it out, Jimbo.”
“Two hours is a short workout, ma’am. I’m not sure what you’re asking me to do.”
“Two hours is a short workout?” Jimbo nodded. “For him?” Pamela asked, hooking a thumb at Alex. Jimbo nodded. “For him, lately?” Another nod. “Just how long have his workouts been lately?”
“Well, he gets just a little warm up before breakfast, but that’s just a wake up and doesn’t count. Then Gina and I take turns on him until dinner. Then a short little go to bed workout.”
“How long is a ‘short little go to bed workout’, Jimbo?”
“Two hours.”
Pamela looked at Alex, who was grinning. “I thought it was my schedule getting ready for this trip that kept us apart for the past couple of weeks, Alex. I see you’ve been busy, too.” She turned to Jimbo. “I have just given Alex a few orders, Jimbo.” She explained them to him. “I will tell this to Gina, and I expect the two of you to help make sure Alex follows those orders.” She turned to Alex. “For the purposes of your physical training, Alex, Gina and Jimbo rank you. When they say stop, you stop. Is that understood?”
“Aye-aye, Captain. Crystal clear. I’ll be ready to handle any emergency requiring my attention, Pamela.”
“I have a ship to run, people. You have your duties.” Pamela turned on her heel and returned to the bridge.
“I need a bite first, Jimbo,” Alex told him.
“Whatcha got, Johnson?”
“Sandwich? Hot soup?”
“Half a sandwich and maybe some energy bars or something. And a glass of juice. Give us some more for the road, too. And I could use a big sandwich myself, if you don’t mind.”
“I’ve got just the thing.”
* * *
A day later, Alex walked into the bridge and looked around. Jimbo was on the security boards, and the First was in the captain’s chair.
Alex walked over and stood behind the navigator for a minute, watching her boards. She glanced around at him a few times.
“May I help you, Security?” First said.
“Janice -- we’re coming up on my little trick.”
“Now is a bad time to make the navigator nervous.”
“I’m sorry, Janice, Spades. I wanted to see how close we’re getting.”
Pamela took that moment to enter the bridge. She looked around for a brief moment. “Do we have a problem?” she asked.
Alex looked at Janice.
“No, Captain,” Janice told her. “No problem.”
“Yes, Captain, we have a small problem that First was about to deal with by telling Security to mind his own job.”
Janice smiled. “Actually, I was going to ask if Security had anything else to add on this maneuver we’re about to do.”
“I’m assuming someone around here has checked my numbers?”
“Both navigators, Janice, and I have. I also had both helms check them as a training exercise,” Pamela assured him.
“Well then, I guess I’m going to bump Jimbo for a few minutes.” He walked back to the security station. Jimbo got up so that Alex could sit down. “Don’t go far, Jimbo. I’m only here for twenty minutes.”
Jimbo stood behind Alex with the hands on the back of the chair. “Everything’s green, Alex,” he said quietly. “Just like you said it would be.”
“Thanks, Jimbo.” Alex began checking the logs, smiling slightly.
In the meantime, Pamela bumped Janice. Janice took the First’s console and Pamela sat down. Grey Ghost sped for a star known only by number.
“Five minutes,” announced the navigator.
“Status?”
“Helm green. Thrustor diagnostics green. Hyper at 110%, slowing to 85%, right on schedule.”
“Navigation green. We’re right on course.”
Pamela got on the intercom. “Drop from hyper in five. Secure everything, people. That means you, Kevin. Alicia, tell me everything is green.”
“Green, Captain. Not a bad vibe in the ship.”
Alex was watching the scanner boards. He grabbed Jimbo’s attention and pointed. Pamela noticed.
“Anything to tell us, Security?”
“We’re green, Captain.”
She looked at him. “First, begin a scan. Behind us.”
“Captain,” Alex interrupted. “Security doesn’t feel that’s required.”
“Never mind, First.”
“Two minutes,” said the navigator.
Everyone watched their boards intently.
“One minute.”
“Status?”
“Helm, Green.”
“Navigation, Green.”
“Systems, Green,” same Alicia’s voice.
“Security, Green.”
“Comm, very bored.”
Pamela’s lips twitched. There weren’t a lot of radio communications in the middle of nowhere.
“Let’s hope it stays boring, everyone. On your toes. No more diagnostics. Let the computers do their jobs.”
“Twenty seconds.”
“Alex, tell us this is going to work.”
“We’re green, Pamela.”
“Ten.”
“Hang on, people. This is going to be fun. Helm, count it.”
“Ready…” said helm. “Three, two, one, dropping… Thrusters.”
The ship dropped from hyperspace and immediately began kicking sideways to avoid the star. Gravity immediately began having effect, and the ship plummeted towards the star below them.
“Alicia! What’s this vibration doing to us?”
“Rattling our teeth, Captain, but thrusters and inertial systems are green.”
Alex looked at his screens. “Captain, another two gees would be good.”
“Helm, increase thrusters. Alicia, I want to hear your voice when I need to.”
“We’re green, Captain. I’ll let you know if anything twitches.”
“Navigation.”
“Security is being cautious. We’re good.”
“Hull temperature rising,” said helm.
“Why am I not surprised?” Asked Pamela. “Let me know when we can boil an egg.”
“Boiling now, Captain.”
“Helm, bump it one more notch, please.”
“New recommendations from Security on your board, Captain.”
Pamela looked at her boards, saw a circle around the star with the Ghost’s path staying outside that circle.
“Helm, sending recommendations to your board. Do not cross that line. Whatever it takes.”
“We can boil two eggs, Captain.”
“Descent stabilized, Captain,” said Spades. “We’re zipping around.”
Alex checked his scanners.
“Security is happy with our original departure path, Captain. We’ll sneak away real nice.”
“Hull temperature continuing to rise.”
“I don’t want to bake for four hours, Security.”
“Working, Captain.” Alex threw together a simulation, then checked the hyper engine specs again. He got on the line to Alica. “Alicia, can I abuse the hyper drive a little?”
“It’s been getting babied, Alex. You know the specs better than I do, I bet.”
“Thanks, Alicia. Captain, let’s do a little skipping action.” He hit some buttons.
Pamela looked at the sim on her board. “Now would be a bad time to destroy the hyper drive, Alex.”
“We’ll be fine, Captain.”
“Alicia, I want you to access my board and check this plan.”
There was a pause. “Engines are green, Captain. Can we do one and get back to me?”
“Hull at 400C, Captain,” Mary said from helm. “Still rising.”
“Alex, we’re not having fun.”
“Warm star today, Captain. I’ll be having a talk with my map maker. Recommend the skip, Captain.”
“Helm, a single skip. It’s on your board. In and out of hyper, at your soonest.”
“Aye-aye, Captain. Give me a moment.”
Alex watched his boards.
“In five, Captain.”
“Hang on, people!”
“Two, one, hyper.”
The ship folded into hyperspace, stayed there for just a moment, then returned to real space. The maneuver skipped them ahead of their orbit around the star by a small amount. As a straight-line maneuver, it also pushed them slightly further from the star.
“Alicia, report.”
“Engines say that tickles and are disappointed we stopped right away. Do a double?”
“Double skip, helm, at your soonest.”
“In ten, Captain.”
The ship did another skip, stayed in normal space for ten seconds, then skipped again.
“I’m green, Captain. Skip away, but stop if I holler.” Alicia sounded amused.
“Do it, helm. If you hear Alicia’s voice, cease immediately.”
“In ten, Captain.”
The ship made a series of skips, each jumping it further along in its orbit around the sun.
“Security is happy to leave at your discretion, Captain,” Alex said once the Ghost had completed a quarter orbit.
“Navigation?”
“Course is locked in.”
“Get us out of here, helm!”
“Thank you, Captain. Getting us out in ten.”
“Last time, people!” Pamela told them.
The ship entered hyperspace and sped away from the star.
“Alicia?”
“Green, Captain. I can’t believe it, but the engines are smiling at me.”
“Helm?”
“Green. Well, a little black around the edges, but cooling. Coming to 85%.”
“Navigation?”
“We’re on course, Captain.”
“Security?”
“Captain, I guarantee you no one is following us. We can open the throttle a bit and no one will be the wiser.”
“First, feel free to bring us to 150%. Do it in steps and talk with Alicia.”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” Janice told her.
Pamela turned to look at Alex. “Security. We are never, ever, ever doing that again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal, Captain. One sneaky trick, torn and shredded, Captain.”
“Just who was this trick on, Alex?” He grinned at her. She turned to the intercom. “Well people, we’re whole. My husband has just volunteered to finance a party when we make StarInc Station. We will not be thanking him. Good job, everyone.”
She looked at him. “You do have some money, don’t you Alex?”
* * *
“Gutsy trick, that one.”
“Did you see where they went?”
“Totally lost them. I’m going to remember that one.”
“Well, we know where they’re going. Let’s go find them again.”
* * *
Alex took a break from his session with Jimbo. “Come with me. We’ll check with Gina, then get back to this.”
The two of them entered the bridge and headed towards the security station. Pamela turned and stared at them, but they ignored her and stood behind Gina.
“Right here, Alex,” Gina said, gesturing.
“Right.”
Pamela cleared her throat. Alex looked up and saw her expression.
“Why is my entire security team on the bridge right now? Why is anyone on my bridge looking as unprofessional as you do, Alex?”
Alex looked around and got a twinkle in his eye.
Pamela caught his expression and nipped it in the bud. “Why are the three of you conferring over something important enough to disgrace my bridge but not sharing a training opportunity with Sue Walker?”
“I’m sorry, Captain. I was torn between the need for my physical therapy and the need to have a quick check as we approach StarInc Station. I only intended a quick in and out. No disrespect was intended.”
“Have you finished your quick check?”
“Yes, Captain. Security is green.”
“Get off my bridge, Alex.”
“Yes, Captain.” He and Jimbo fled.
Pamela looked at Gina. “Gina, what’s going on?”
“He’s paranoid, Captain. Everything is exactly as he wants it, and it’s making him nervous.”
* * *
Two hours later, Alex returned to the bridge. He was clean and wearing fresh clothes. Second shift was on, which meant Janice in command, Linda on Helm, and Dan at Navigation. Communications were managed by navigation. Second shift is rarely supposed to be real busy.
“Take off, Gina,” he told her. “I’ll watch the approach. Eat, sleep, whatever. I’ll want the ship physically secured at StarInc. Jimbo is already in bed. You can have Johnson and Sue as you need them.”
“Got it. Later, Alex.”
Alex checked the boards, searching the space behind them.
“First, humor me?”
Janice looked at him warily. “Another trip through a star, Alex?”
“Nothing so dramatic. Exactly an hour from StarInc, could we drop out of hyper for two minutes? Exactly one hour out.”
“You make some strange requests. You want to explain why?”
“If anyone is watching us, I want them to wonder what we’re up to. That’s all.”
Janice shook her head. “I can’t surprise the captain with that, Alex. I’m inclined to humor you, but this is growing old.”
“When did she say she would be back.”
“For the last hour. I’ll invite her to join us a bit early.” She looked at him. “Enough time to give you your hour out, Alex.”
“Thank you, Janice.”
Alex watched his boards as they approached StarInc Station, ignoring the other operations on the bridge. An hour and fifteen minutes out, Pamela appeared on the bridge.
“Status?” she asked immediately. Janice moved seats while Pamela sat down.
“Everything green, Captain,” Janice told her. “Security is being paranoid again, however, and has a request I don’t have a problem with.” Janice relayed the request.
“Is this critical, Alex?” she asked him.
“Not at all. I just like to be unpredictable. In case anyone is watching. It’s just two minutes, Captain.”
“Do it, Helm.”
“Exactly one hour out, Captain?” Alex asked her.
“You heard him, Linda. To the second, if you can.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
Exactly one hour from StarInc, the Grey Ghost dropped out of hyper. Alex watched his boards and smiled.
“Well, Alex, are you seeing what you wanted to see?”
“Oh, most definitely, Captain. If you care to step over here, I’ll even show
you.”
Puzzled, Pamela got up and walked to his station. Alex pointed to his screens.
“What is this, Alex?”
“Coming up on two minutes, Captain,” Linda announced.
“Leaving on schedule is fine with me, Captain. Exactly at two minutes would be perfect.”
“Hyper at two minutes, Helm.”
Alex gave her a direction and range. Pamela took a vacant look for a moment, then her gaze returned to look at him.
“Hyper in ten,” Linda announced.
“Three, two, one, hyper,” said Linda. The Ghost returned to hyperspace with the familiar twisting feeling.
“Status?” Janice asked after waiting for Pamela to do it.
“Helm green.”
“Nav green.”
“Security green.”
“Maintenance green,” came the final voice of Jeff Neilson. Alicia should be in her cabin, getting some shut eye before a night on the town.
“Anything I need to know, Captain?” Janice asked.
“No, Janice. Everything’s fine. My husband was just trying to explain why he’s so paranoid. We’ll continue to humor him, Janice, but let’s not take him too seriously.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”