Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10

by Randolph Lalonde

  They didn’t send the charge he was hoping for ahead of the ship for several seconds, then, when they reached 998.4 kilometres range from Destroyer One, the sensor array exploded in a surge of energy, sending a wave of raw power to collide with the enemy’s shields, which were already down to forty percent. His gamble paid off, and the instant before the Revenge collided with the other vessel, its shields were gone.

  The Revenge cut through the top half of the middle of the vessel, expending the entire charge of the forward shields and severely damaging the nose of the ship. “What does their main emitter array look like?” he asked as he activated the rear thrusters again, directing the Revenge towards the asteroid field beneath them.

  “Direct hit,” Agameg reported. He seemed to be the only one who wasn’t stunned by the stunt Jake pulled. “They are no longer emitting transit interference. We can generate a wormhole. Well, if that system survived.”

  “Ayan, get us out of here please?” Jake requested.

  “Secondary sensors will not activate, switching to tertiary backups,” announced Ensign Sexton. “I can confirm that there is no longer an energy wave preventing us from going into Trans-Dimensional space or from generating a wormhole.”

  “Thank you,” Jake said. “Set a course to fall back three,” he said to his co-pilot. Jake guided the Revenge so it found cover behind a massive asteroid that looked more like a cracked, rocky moon. All but the carrier and Destroyer One were busy attempting to catch them. With the emergence of the ships behind them, it looked like an entire Order of Eden Battlegroup had discovered them.

  “Aye,” his navigator, Chatham said.

  “We can create a small dimensional jump,” Ayan said. “It’ll get us half way there.”

  “We have to get out of here, do it,” he said.

  Jake breathed a sigh of relief as the space in front of the Revenge split and it slipped into the trans-dimensional wormhole.

  Chapter 25

  Shuttling

  Alice and Lacey didn’t have to go far to board the special shuttle reserved for the Academy. Haven Port was a five-minute hover train ride from the middle of the Everin Building. The monorail was new, the transit cars were acquired off-world. Haven Shore was expanding and improving quickly under Governor Anderson’s watch.

  Hundreds of cadets who were in the General Crew Training and Placement Program boarded in the lower sections of the ship destined for the Academy, while the Officers in Training, Alice’s group, were ushered to the first class section at the top of the vessel. Officer Trainees were allowed a full luggage bag, a duffel that would fill a seat beside them, a carry-on bag, encouraged to wear whatever they liked, and they were allowed to bring a parent with them. The Cadets were allowed a duffel bag and they had to wear plain white vacsuits that looked flattering on very few.

  The first class section for officers was quiet even though there were nearly seventy people there, about half were Officers like Alice, the other half was the parents who were to come along for the ride. Her grandfather was busy assisting the new Academy with intake, from what Alice had come to learn, new cadets had been showing up for days.

  Alice didn’t expect to have company on the short trip to the main training site, and was surprised to find Lacey at her small apartment in the Everin Building, packing an extra duffel for her. The woman had been a great tutor, she was always patient and friendly. Alice didn’t think twice about asking Lacy to join her, and she seemed moved by the invitation.

  The long grey and blue dress Lacey wore was in stark contrast to Alice’s attire – an armoured waist length jacket from her time with the Rangers, a form-fitted silver and blue vacsuit, combat boots with thick all-surface soles, a survival belt that was slung over the back of her seat, a medium sized sidearm, the TS-133 Lawkeeper in her thigh holster - something she bought on her way home using almost all her luxury credits, and a backpack with the rest of her essential belongings inside. The duffel, with spare vacsuits and the few actual pieces of clothing she owned was in the cargo compartment at the rear of the ship.

  “I should thank you again,” Alice said. “I wouldn’t have made it through the history, law or regulation qualifiers without you.”

  “You would have made it through the regulation qualifier,” she said. “I should thank you, though.”

  “What for?”

  “I never thought I’d enjoy teaching again,” Lacey said. “It’s something I did when I was young, before I moved up in society. I think it’s something I want to keep doing. Just by helping you I understand so much more about Haven Fleet, what they stand for. What they’re teaching you is important – history, how honour applies to the universe we live in, what their purpose is. If the rest of your training continues down the same track, then I can’t wait to see the woman you’ll become by the time you finish, because I know you’ll graduate. I’m sure it’ll be difficult at times, but I’ve never seen anyone fight through obstacles like you have.”

  “Law was brutal,” Alice said, recalling endless hours of memorization, quizzes and puzzles. It was as much philosophy and history as it was practice. Despite that, she nearly bombed on history instead, and she could barely believe it. “That and history make the engineering qualifier look like colour by numbers.”

  “You got through it though,” Lacey said. “And tested well.”

  “Wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.” Light flickered through the portholes as they passed close enough to the Solar Forge to see the tug ships moving chunks of an asteroid that had been dragged next to it into the raw material feeder at the top of the station. She had no idea what was happening within, there had been no time over the past two weeks to snoop on the fleet.

  “I have a gift for you,” Lacey said, drawing her attention from the porthole.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything,” Alice said, humbled and excited at the same time.

  “I don’t know if you remember,” Lacey said, taking a long silk scarf out of her purse. “You’ve been through so much, but pilots used to wear these, and I thought it would go well with your jacket.”

  The scarf was made to match the type worn by so many aboard the First Light. Alice didn’t remember that time at all, but she knew from the documentary feature that was made based on that ship’s famous voyage. “Thank you,” she said, noticing a silver ring tied to the end as she put it on. Turning it over in her hand, she found it bore the mark of Haven Shore, only instead of a sun rising over the horizon it was a skull, and the words; PEACEMAKER DAUGHTER ADVENTURER were etched in a semicircle over it.

  It slipped on Alice’s finger perfectly, and she looked at it for a long moment.

  “Your mother isn’t here, but I’m sure this is the kind of gift she’d give you. She might not have given birth to you, but I know her well enough to see that you’re a part of her. It’s a backup ring, it captures and encrypts a copy of your mind every few hours. It’s also made with real silver, so it matches anything, that was my suggestion, but the inscription was made by your Grandfather.”

  “Thank you,” Alice said, embracing Lacey.

  “You’re welcome, just visit sometime. Two weeks wasn’t nearly long enough to get to know you.”

  Alice sat back and stared at the ring on her finger. The galaxy had never felt so large, or so dangerous, and she’d never felt so humble or small. She found herself wishing that her father was there, and wondering about Ayan. “Am I really that much like her?”

  “Ayan? No,” Lacey said. “And very much. You’re both very strong willed, and can dedicate yourselves to something until you’re utterly defeated, I see that in you, I do. I think you’re even more of a fighter though, you’re both thinkers though. Ayan surrounds herself with people and would rather attract new friends, while I think you’re quieter, more pensive. I know her better than I do you, but I think it’s enough to see there are big differences, many of them probably come from your father. I think you’re the best of both of them, really.”


  “Do you think she’ll like me?” Alice asked, a question she felt unsteady asking. “When she gets back, I mean.”

  “She’ll love you,” Lacey said without hesitation. “Oh, you are an amazing young woman my dear, and sometimes I do think I’m seeing Ayan in you. I think the only regret she’ll have is that she couldn’t have been close to you sooner. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I still feel like I should skip all this sometimes. I know enough to get out there myself. I could buy a ship, make my own way,” Alice said, realizing that Lacey’s expression was hardening as the words came out of her mouth.

  “This Academy is a better choice,” she said. “It’s a few months out of your life in trade for a wealth of training and experience. I understand that you miss Ayan and Jacob, there’s a lot you probably want to tell them, but don’t let that uncertainty damage your chances in this program.”

  “I’m just saying, I’ve been on my own before, I was fine,” Alice replied. She looked through the porthole in time to see the stars twist and turn blue; they had entered a wormhole.

  “I know, I suppose,” Lacey said. “You just look so very young, and I think your grandfather is right. This is a time in your life when you can learn so much so easily. The next few months, and even the three years of service following will pass quickly, it’ll be over before you’re ready for it to end. Enter the Academy with confidence, I’ve seen you do so many amazing things these past weeks, you’re ready for this.”

  “I know, thank you, Lacey,” Alice said. They emerged from the wormhole and the Barricade, it’s guns and long armoured hull glinting in the sunlight, could be seen. Past it was a British Alliance battleship. There were several Corvette Class Triton Fleet ships in escort formation around it, at least five from what she could see. It was exactly the same kind as the Concord. There were surprised mutterings amongst the Officer Trainees as their transport closed the distance between it and them.

  “I’ve never seen those before,” Lacey said as she looked over Alice’s shoulder through the porthole.

  “They’re the first of their kind,” said a young man with close cropped blonde hair and broad shoulders. “They're the new Interceptor Corvette. Crew of three hundred fifty-seven, one main hangar, two secondary hangars, three main particle accelerator beams per side, with a shield rating over ninety – that’s on the Cerberus scale.”

  “Whatever that means,” Lacey whispered. “They’re beautiful ships though.”

  Alice didn’t have time to appreciate their form when she was in the simulation, watching one get blown up from the inside. They had a slim profile, two main forward sections that protruded to blunt faces in the front, and a robust middle section. They were sleek and thin, with no more than seven decks, but long. Armoured doors hid dozens of instruments and weapons along the sides and there were more armoured hatches along the top from what she could make out. The style was different from anything she’d seen before, coloured black with silver highlights running the length of the hull from front to back. Several heavy main thrusters, all close to the main hull, suggested that the vessels could accelerate quickly, and manoeuvre exceptionally.

  “The Solar Forge can put one of those out every three days,” said another Officer Candidate. “My Uncle works there, he let me in to the classified section today, right after I finished qualifying. I’m Gambin.”

  Alice turned to see a tall, thickly muscled young man offering his hand, and she shook it. He turned her hand over and looked at her palm. “Wow, you’ve got some calluses.”

  “Pip’s obstacle course will do that,” Alice said, retrieving her hand.

  “I wasn’t saying they were bad, just, well, I know you worked hard at that thing, but I guess I didn’t realize how hard. Now I don’t feel so bad for taking two tries to finish.”

  “You shouldn’t, it’s a hard course,” Alice said.

  The transport slowed down and started lining up with the main docking port for the British Alliance battleship. It loomed larger and larger as they closed in. “Looks like we’re about to debark. Might want to get your things together and say goodbye.”

  “Oh, right,” Gambin said. “See you in there, Alice.”

  “He seems nice,” Lacey whispered once he was out of earshot and talking to an older man.

  “Sure,” Alice replied, rolling her eyes. The clink and clatter of docking clamps securing sounded throughout the ship, and the airlock at the rear of the first class compartment turned green. “Thank you again, Lacey.”

  “Don’t be afraid to send me a message if they give you a chance,” she replied. “If you need anything or just want to share with someone outside of the Academy.”

  Alice smiled at the show of maternal instincts, something that she’d seen grow over the time they spent together. “I’ll keep you in the loop,” she promised.

  “Officer Trainees,” said a young man in a green and black uniform as he stepped through the airlock. “I am Junior Lieutenant Karper. Welcome to your temporary training facility. You will follow me through the airlock and to the briefing room immediately. The faster you get off the ship, the sooner we can get the Crew Cadets off and turn this bucket around for the next group.”

  “Are there more Officer Trainees?” asked someone with a cracking voice from the back.

  “I am not here to answer your questions, I am here to guide you off the ship,” he replied wearily. “Let’s go!” he turned and slowly walked back through the airlock. “You will lose one point if you get lost, something you cannot afford because you only get one hundred.”

  “Oh crap, I didn’t know it was so easy to lose those,” Alice said, hurriedly putting her backpack on, checking to see that she had everything, then getting in line behind Karper, who was picking up his pace as he passed between the ships.

  “Look at Officer Trainee Valent here,” he said in a tone so mundane and flat that she didn’t know if the attention was good or bad. “She is one of three cadets who have one hundred and five points, and she is keeping right up.”

  “How do we get extra points?” asked a well-kept woman who looked younger than Alice. “I didn’t think we could get extra points.”

  “I will not answer your questions, newbie, but I will tell you that there is no such thing as an extra point. You cannot afford to lose one whether you have one hundred five or five.”

  Alice and the twenty-eight Officer Trainees she was with were escorted through the exterior armoured sections of the old British Battleship at a brisk walk. They arrived in a well-used common room filled with folding chairs. The deck plating was clean, but worn down to the bare metal in many places. The front of the room was covered in displays.

  “Here you are,” Junior Lieutenant Karper announced. “Do not wander, this is a functioning battleship, and I will not spend my evening tracking down lost baby officers, it’s bad enough that we have to load knuckle draggers and button pushers today too.”

  “Wait, questions, I have questions,” a girl with long hair down to her lower back asked urgently.

  “I don’t care!” Karper shouted in her face so hard Alice could see his stomach and chest squeeze all the air out of him. He inhaled and expressed himself even more loudly as he squared up with her, nose to nose. “You are an Officer! You do not need your hand held, your nose wiped, or your every question answered by me.” Another deep breath. “You will use the resources at hand to find answers, and if you cannot find them, you use those same resources to find out where they are.”

  “Don’t yell at me!” she screeched back with far less force.

  “One point docked, Trainee Ensign Talb!” Karper burst at her. “How does it feel to be the first Trainee to lose a point on her file on the first day of the first Advanced Officer Training Program in Haven Fleet? That is how you will be remembered until you can show us something new. Something more impressive. Now, sit your prissy ass down and wait for your instructor!”

  Trainee Ensign Talb watched in stunned silence as
Karper left the room. When the hatch slid closed she fell onto the nearest seat and began to cry softly. Alice almost felt for her enough to sit beside her, but Iruuk was waving her over to the second row, and she decided that would be a better use of her time. There were a pair of young women on their way to Talb already anyway.

  “Girls,” muttered a young woman with a square jaw and an Irish accent. “How they made it through, I’ll never know.”

  “It’ll take some people longer to learn how to listen,” Alice said as she sat down beside Iruuk, who smiled at her.

  “Too late for that, we’re supposed to be over that. I’m Yawen,” she said, offering her hand. “I’ve seen your scores, so I’m going to watch and learn, all right? I’m good with history and I was a maintenance worker on the Hell Shrike, so I’ll be good for something.”

  “Sure,” Alice said, shaking her hand. “This is Iruuk.”

  “I know, I’ll be sticking to you too, big guy,” Yawen said. “If I can get within five percent overall of you two, I’ll be sailin’ right.”

  “There are only thirty people in our class,” Iruuk said. “According to the Academy Bulletin, they’re moving the start of the regular Officer Training up so it starts in three days. Our class will be competing with them for crewmembers, even though they’re in a nine-month program, and we’re on the Advanced Fast Track.”

  “We get crews?” Alice asked.

  “I don’t know, I’m just passing on exactly what I read,” Iruuk said. “I think anyone who got into AFT is highly skilled. We should all be proud to be here.”