Adrift (Dawson's Star Book 1)

by J. P. Larson

He paused.

 

 

  * * *

  The ship was four days from Dawson’s Star, and second shift had the duty. Jimbo was hovering over Alex while Alex ran the boards.

  “Problem, Security?”

  “No problem, Janice. I was just telling Jimbo I would keep the boards for now.”

  “It’s his shift, Alex. Let him do his job.”

  Alex looked at her and stiffled a comment. “Janice, would you come look at something?” She gave Alex a puzzled look, but got up and walked over to stand beside him. “Jimbo, step away, please.” Jimbo wandered over to talk quietly to Spades on Navigation.

  “Janice,” Alex said quietly. “Are you telling me how to run my department? Was that a suggestion or an order?”

  “Do you have a problem with my authority, Mr. Grey?”

  “I can’t be having a problem with your authority if I don’t even know if you’re trying to use it. Are you telling me how to run my department?”

  “Why are you being so difficult? You look terrible. Did Gina take her shift? You were here when I got here, and she was nowhere in sight. How long have you been staring at those screens? If you won’t let Gina or Jimbo take their shifts, you are telling them you don’t trust their judgment. You don’t like it when Pamela or I do that to you, and you seem to offer more opportunity for complaint.”

  “I’m nervous, Janice,” Alex said after a moment. “Going to bed isn’t going to help. I’ll just toss and turn and be back here in an hour.”

  “Go cuddle your wife in her bed, Alex.”

  “I’ll just wake her up that way.”

  “Good. She can help you sleep. Alex, you need it. Leave. I’m telling you as a friend. Get some sleep.”

  “Jimbo, I’ll be back in four hours.” Alex nodded to Janice and headed for the captain’s cabin. He palmed the door, stepped inside, then crossed to her sleeping chamber. He watched her for a minute, then approached the bed and leaned over.

 

 

  He took that as a yes, and climbed in with her.

 

 

  Alex snuggled in and tried to sleep. he felt in his mind.

  “Alex, what time is it?”

  Oh boy, Alex said to himself. “I tried not to wake you this much, Pamela. Go to sleep.” Instead, he felt a tickle in his mind. “Please don’t do that,” he told her.

  “You’ve been on the boards for fourteen hours?”

  “I had a workout in the middle to burn some energy off.”

  “You woke me on purpose.”

  “I can’t sleep. I thought cuddling you would help. I’m sorry.”

  Pamela thought it over. “Get comfortable. You’ll sleep.”

  “I promised Jimbo I would check on-“

  * * *

  Eight hours later, they were three days out from DS. Freshly wakened, Alex stormed onto the bridge and headed straight to the security boards. He barely nodded to Gina before edging her aside.

  “Nothing there, Alex,” Gina told him. “We’ve kept up the search pattern you asked for.”

  Alex checked the logs, then reviewed the current data, then went back through the logs. He looked grim.

  “Nothing there, Alex.” Gina said. “Jimbo said he would be up for a while. Go have a nice workout.”

  Alex ignored her, reviewing the logs. Pamela was watching the entire exchange and wandered over.

  “What’s wrong now, Alex.”

  “Someone’s out there. I just know it.”

  “Alex, no one is there,” Gina said. “Nothing on sensors, and both Janice and Pamela have been doing scans. No one is there.”

  “They’re waiting, hiding,” he said.

  “Go find Jimbo,” Pamela said. “Have a nice, long workout. Come back when you’ve cleaned up. Gina knows her job.”

  Alex looked at Pamela. “Now, Mr. Grey.”

  Alex stormed out, both women watching his back.

  “He’s losing it, Pamela. He’s used to getting people away from terrorists, not keeping them free to begin with. The stress is getting to him.”

  “Only three more days. Gina, do I need a new security officer when I get home? Is this too much for him?”

  “It’s this thing with your mother, Pamela. He’ll be all better without that hanging over him.”

  “Mother was convinced it would be cleaned up by the time we got home. Alex seemed to agree with her. He asked me not to peek, but he seemed pretty convinced she was right.”

  Gina didn’t say anything. Pamela looked at her.

  “Gina, I never asked you. You don’t command a ship. What do you do?”

  “I’m based at the naval station on Random Walk,” Gina told her.

  “That was evasive, so I won’t push. Keep me posted, Gina.”

  * * *

  Alex relieved Gina several hours later. “I’ll handle it for a while. Go have some dinner or something.”

  “No one’s out there, Alex. We’re going to get back to DS all safe and sound.”

  “Gina,” he said quietly. “Make sure the guys have their gear ready. We’re going to need it.”

  “You’re paranoid. But I’ll make sure.” She patted Alex on the shoulder on her way out the door. “I’ll be back, Alex.”

  “Pamela, do you have a minute?” Pamela looked up, then rose from her chair and stood beside Alex.

  “How far in front of us could a ship be for you to still be able to communicate with it?”

  “At this speed, three or four hours, if the receiver is pretty strong.”

  Alex thought about it. “They’ll hit us tomorrow or early the day after.”

  “Alex, you will turn over that board whenever Gina comes back. You have a standing order to be prepared at all times. You will follow that order.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain.”

  Annoyed, Pamela returned to her seat and tried to ignore him.

  Gina was back in an hour, and Pamela ordered Alex from the bridge.

  * * *

  In the deep of space, eyes were watching.

  * * *

  There was a knock on Alex’s door. He opened it to find Pamela standing there. She was smiling. “I’m going to bed. I was hoping you would join me.”

  Alex looked at her warily. “Not tonight, Pamela.”

  Her face fell, her lips tightened, but without another word, she turned around and left him standing there. He heard her own cabin door open and closed. Alex immediately headed for the bridge. Janice noticed his arrival, but didn’t say anything.

  “Jimbo?”

  “Quiet, Alex. We’re all alone.”

  Alex played with the scanners for a bit. “Take a break, Jimbo. Come back later.”

  “I just got here. You need some sleep.” Alex glared at him, so Jimbo left in a huff.

  He was back an hour later, but Alex sent him away. This repeated for another two hours.

  “Alex, go to bed,” Janice told him as Jimbo walked in.

  Alex ignored her.

  “Mr. Grey! You will vacate my bridge, and you will stay away until summoned by the captain or me. That is a direct order. Get off my bridge.”

  Alex continued to ignore her. Janice gave him a moment, then hit the intercom. “Sorry to wake you, Captain,” she began.

  “Oh, don’t do that, Janice!”

  “We have a personnel problem on the bridge.”

  “Thanks a lot,” he told her. Janice ignored him.

  Pamela arrived a minute later wearing a bath robe.

  “Spades, Mary, wait outside, please. Jimbo, you’re on that board.”
Helm and navigation fled. Jimbo looked at Pamela like a deer caught in the headlights.

  “Alex, in my cabin. Now.”

  Alex looked at her. “We have company.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud! Do they show on the scanners?”

  “Glimpses. They’re out there.”

  “Alex, get off this bridge. I will not tell you again.”

  “We’re being hunted, Pamela.”

  “Jimbo, don’t let him hurt himself when he falls out of the chair.”

  “Pamela, don’t-“

  Jimbo kept the unconscious body from falling to the floor.

  “If you will carry him, Jimbo, and follow me.” Jimbo silently threw Alex over a shoulder and followed Pamela off the bridge. Dan and Mary were waiting on the other side of the door.

  “Not a word, you two,” Pamela told them. “Get back to your stations.” Pamela headed for Alex’s cabin, palmed the door open using the captain’s security override, then pointed to the bed. Jimbo set Alex down. “Back to your boards, Jimbo.”

  Silently, he fled.

  “You stubborn, paranoid… Oh, Alex…” Pamela left, closing his door. She spent a minute rekeying the locks, then returned to the bridge to speak quietly with Janice before returning to her own cabin.

  * * *

  Alex woke up, jumping from the bed. He was still dressed, so he headed for the door. And it didn’t open.

  “What the?” He tried palming it again, but it just gave an angry buzz at him.

  “She locked me in. Great.” Alex sat down in front of his computer and keyed some commands. His door opened. “So much for that problem,” he told the room over his shoulder. Alex turned right and headed for the bridge.

  Arriving, he ignored everyone but headed straight for the security station. Gina was on the boards. “Nothing, Alex. It’s quiet,” she told him.

  “Mr. Grey.” Pamela didn’t sound happy. Alex didn’t care.

  “They’re out there, Gina. I was catching ghosts of them last night. I can smell them.”

  “Mr. Grey!”

  Alex looked up. “Yes, Captain?”

  “You refused several direct orders last night,” she reminded him. Everyone else carefully studied their boards. “Get off my bridge. You are relieved of all duties. You may have access to your cabin, the gym, the galley, and the corridors immediately linking these areas. I will not have a crew member aboard this ship who can not follow orders. If you do not leave the bridge immediately, or if I find you anywhere you are not permitted, you will spend the rest of the trip sleeping. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Captain, it is quite clear.”

  “Give Ms. Leider your pocket comm. You are not to discuss ship’s activities with any member of my crew. Is that clear?”

  Alex slipped his comm from his pocket and handed it to Gina. “Crystal clear, Captain.”

  “Now get off my bridge!”

  Alex looked at her, then slowly limped around away from the security console before turning to Pamela. “Captain, may I have a very small, very brief personal request, in light of previous service? It will be the last time I bother you.”

  Her look softened. “What is it, Alex?”

  Alex slowly limped up to her, then held out his arms. “Remove these from my wrists. Remove this necklace from around my neck. I will then get out of the way, and you won’t have to deal with me further except to sign the annulment papers.”

 

  “I am in an unconsummated marriage of convenience, Captain, to a woman who does not trust me or my judgment of my own abilities and limitations. As far as I am concerned, this marriage is over. You have no further responsibilities to me, and I have none to you. Remove these!”

  Pamela stared at him, not moving. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “I’ll do it myself.” Alex grabbed the left bracelet with his right hand, concentrated for a moment, and it fell open.

  “You can’t do that!” Pamela said. Alex didn’t reply immediately, but held out the bracelet to her. She didn’t move to take it, so he dropped it, where it fell to the floor, unnoticed. He grabbed the right bracelet, concentrated again, then dropped it to join its pair. Finally, he reached to his neck with both hands, concentrating. Pamela winced as the necklace came away from Alex’s neck. The necklace followed the two bracelets.

  “Not that you could possibly underestimate me, Captain, but I believe I can and did do that.” Alex turned around and began limping to the door leading from the bridge.

 

  He stopped, stood very straight, and turned around again. “My name is Mr. Swanson, Captain. And keep your witch thoughts out of my mind, or I’ll throw them out!”

  Someone gasped, and Pamela rocked as if he had hit her. Alex slowly turned around and limped from the bridge.

  The room stayed silent for a long moment. Pamela looked at the bracelets and necklace lying at her feet, then slowly bent to retrieve them. When she straightened, Gina spoke to her. “Captain, if Commander Swanson says we’re being hunted, then we’re being hunted. He’s never wrong about something like that.”

  “One more word, Gina, and you can join him.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Gina replied. She paused. “Captain, my name is Ms. Leider. With your permission, I will do my duty until we reach Dawson’s Star. Then I go home.”

  Pamela didn’t say anything to her. She turned around and sat there for a moment. “Status!”

  No one said anything. “Status, helm!”

  “Helm green.”

  “Navigation green.”

  Gina paused before responding. “Security appears green,” she said.

  Pamela glared at her. “’Appears’, Ms. Leider? What kind of report is that?”

  “I don’t recognize any distinct threats, Captain.”

  “Then security is green, Ms. Leider.”

  “Yes, Captain. As you say. Security appears green.”

  * * *

  Alex limped away from the bridge. He headed straight for the gym. It was empty, and Alex began a strenuous workout. He was nearly an hour into it before Alicia and Linda walked in.

  “Hi, Alex,” Alicia said. Alex nodded at them, then turned back to the machine he was using and continued lifting.

  Linda headed for another machine, but Alicia stopped by. “Can you help me with my math later, Alex?”

  Alex stopped and looked at her. “I’m sorry, Alicia, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “Oh,” she said. Then her eyes got wide. “What happened to your necklace?” She glanced to his wrists. “And the bracelets?”

  Alex thought about it before responding. “I took them off. I’m sorry, Ms. Danforth, but it would be very bad for your career to talk to me any further. I would appreciate it if you could let the other women know it would be best to stay away from me. For their own sakes.”

  Alicia stared at him. “Alex?”

  “Ms. Danforth, it really would be bad for you to talk to me. Please, don’t make this any harder.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Grey,” she said turning away. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  “Ms. Danforth, you were not intruding. But my name is Swanson, not Grey, please. I’m sorry.”

  She turned around. “Alex, what happened?”

  “Alicia, please. I’m poison. Stay away from me.”

  Alicia looked at him, then turned and fled, Linda immediately following her.

  No one else interrupted, and Alex eventually completed a long workout, then returned to his cabin to clean up and change clothes. He left again, heading to the galley.

  “Hey, Johnson,” Alex said. “I’m going to be eating in my quarters. Got something portable?”

  “Sure, Commander. Sandwich and some fruit?”

  “A couple of sandwiches? I don’t want to come out for a while. And Jimbo might stop by, so maybe I better really pack up.”

  Kevin nodded and begin rummaging through his supplies, setting them out. “What’s going on, Commander? I brought a couple of pots of te
a to the bridge, and no one’s talking. I asked a few other people, but no one will tell me anything.”

  “Sorry, Johnson,” Alex said. “You’ll have to ask the Captain. I’ve been ordered to shut up about anything and everything.”

  Kevin didn’t say anything, but put together a nice sack of sandwich fixings and other things. Alex looked at his cousin, wondering what to say. “Thanks, Johnson. You’re a good man.”

  He returned to his cabin with his supplies, then settled in. He worked on the computer while he ate. “Captain didn’t say I couldn’t use the computers,” he told the cabin. He accessed his personal files, then used his security clearances to sneak an occasional peek at the scanner logs. Eventually, he grunted, then began poking more carefully through the logs.

  “I wish I were wrong once in a while,” he told the screen. “This time, for instance.” He continued to work on the computer, checking the logs from time to time.

  “Well, that’s that,” he said finally, getting up. Alex collected several items from his wardrobe, grabbed the rest of his sandwich, then left the cabin. He turned left, towards the air lock.

  * * *

  “Alex?” Pamela suddenly said on the bridge. “What?” She paused, then turned to Gina. “Ms. Leider, where is my husband?”

  “Excuse me, Captain?”

  “Where is Mr. Grey?”

  Gina stared at her blankly, then her face brightened. “Oh, I’m sorry, Captain. You want to know where Mr. Swanson is. Let me see if I can find him.”

  Pamela fumed, but said nothing.

  “Computers have him in his cabin,” Gina finally said.

  Pamela turned to her console and pressed a button. “Mr. Swanson, what are you doing?” There was no response.

  She turned back to Gina. “Ms. Leider, please get Jimbo to Mr. Swanson’s cabin immediately. I believe something may be wrong with him. He is to personally and visually verify there is nothing amiss.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Gina replied. She raised Jimbo on his comm. “Jimbo, please check on the Commander. Make sure he’s okay. With your own eyes. He should be in his cabin.” Gina listened for a minute. “He’s on his way, Captain. It should just be a moment.”

  Gina turned back to her boards, then was interrupted by Jimbo’s voice in his ear. She listened.