“The Icarus,” Iruuk said. “Two hundred and thirty-eight metres long. It is a great ship, the finished prototype. I heard of it, but the rumours said it wasn’t finished. No one knows there are six of them.”
“It’s just starting to sink in,” Alice said, quietly excited. “We could have command of a ship at the end of this program, or at least be bridge staff, or head of security.”
“Not all Nafalli want to work in security, you know,” Iruuk said.
“I was talking about me.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Think about it, though, we’re on track for command ahead of hundreds of people who didn’t make it in, or have to take the nine-month program instead. We’ll be their commanders, for the first time I feel like I’m really on my way to being ready to help in this war. I tried, and even with framework tech, I did okay, but I still felt like I had so much to learn. Now I’ll get that training.”
“I could dance, I’m so excited,” Iruuk said. He looked at his comm unit and flinched. “I still have to make sure my bags were delivered to my bunk, we might get a chance if we leave now. The orientation is across the ship and down nine decks from the berthing, so we’ll have to be quick.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Alice said, checking her comm unit for her bunk assignment. She was bunking with three other trainees, all women. The perk was that they had their own grooming station and two vibroshower stalls.
They started walking down the hall, and Iruuk slowed down to match her pace. She was about to apologize for having short legs when he started moving his hips and shaking his shoulders to a beat she couldn’t hear. His nose pointed straight up in the air as he spun and jigged, keeping up with her along the way. “Feel like dancin’!” he sung tonelessly.
A British maintenance worker bumped into him as she came out of a lift and he stopped, but not before Alice was doubled over, laughing. “Sorry, Ma’am,” Iruuk said to her. He waited until she was gone then danced into the lift, Alice laughing behind him.
Chapter 29
Departure
Captain Jacob Valent enjoyed the opportunity to walk through much of the ship while repairs were under way. Every technician he saw had at least one skitter helping. The small, domed multi-limbed robots were stronger than they looked, had a variety of small tools under that dome along with their motors and circuitry, and excelled at team work. If a technician’s hands were too large, not strong enough, or if they needed schematics projected into the workspace, or to crawl somewhere that they couldn’t fit, the skitter was the answer, and they sped the work up significantly.
The crew were always surprised to see their commander walking through sections distant from the bridge, and Jake made sure he was an encouraging figure to them by shaking a free hand, offering a nod or a smile, but most often, returning a salute. The presence of Ayan made the walk much more special for the crew, together they boosted morale in person for an hour before arriving in the port side hangar. “I’m going to miss that,” Ayan said as they walked to the waiting Uriel fighter. Her bags were already being loaded into the space behind the rear seat by two crewmen.
“What, making an appearance for the crew? You’ll have no problem finding opportunities when you get back to fleet.”
“That’s different. Here, on the Revenge, we just rounded up most if not all of the spies, and we’re recovering from a battle where our losses were under ten, when it could have been hundreds. The morale is on the way up, but walking through the corridors gave it a huge kick.”
“You’re going where you’re most needed, the knowledge you have, and that beautiful mind of yours could give us a chance in this.”
“I know, if I’m lost out here, then it’s a bigger loss than I can afford. I just feel like I’m leaving without finishing anything. Speaking of which, the software to run the new shields and the dimension drive works, Agameg understands it, but the interface is terrible and there could be some problems in the future. I don’t think it’ll be really trustworthy until Finn gets back with his part of the work, so make sure enough people learn how to work with the system without the software to translate for them, Agameg is teaching, but with his other duties, it could take too long.”
“I’ll lighten his load and re-prioritize him. It should be easier now that we have most of the spies in custody,” Jake said. “Don’t worry.”
Ayan took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Ever feel like you’re forgetting something? Like leaving music on after leaving your quarters?”
Jake stroked her cheek lightly and her blue eyes turned to him. “I love you, now go home.”
She shook her head and laughed. “Aye-aye,” she said. “I love you too.” They kissed for a long moment. Long enough to be sure that it was becoming awkward for the hangar crew. “Rewards will be waiting for you when you get home.” She whispered.
“I’ll be there before you know it.” He watched her climb into the back seat of the Uriel fighter, shaking hands with the pilot, who was known by her call sign; Snipe. The canopy closed, and Jake started making his way back to the bridge. Ayan had already programmed the high powered, narrow dimensional corridor that would take the fighter all the way out of the nebula in a single jump. They would be in another dimension for a full day, but travel further than their best wormhole drive could in ten or more. As he understood it, the narrowed width of the corridor allowed them to project it further. The Uriel’s wormhole drive would take them the rest of the way home. The journey would be a safe one, Jacob was sure.
He turned in time to see the Uriel lower on its elevation pad to the launch bay. Ayan smiled at him through the canopy as she disappeared from sight.
Chapter 30
Orientation
The space they used for orientation looked more well-worn than the rest of the ship. It was a general purpose recreation space, a big room with presentation hologram projectors in the ceiling that looked as old as Freeground. There was a shallow stage at front and chairs for at least a hundred. “They were expecting more people to make it,” Iruuk said as he sat down beside Alice. Most of the other Trainees were already there, all in the uniforms provided on their bunks.
Alice liked the new uniform, it wasn’t too thick, had a small emergency pouch on the lower right thigh, a holster built in for her recently purchased sidearm above it, and a real pocket on the left thigh with a tech kit in a separate pouch in the bottom. They were matte black, with a reflective blue stripe running down the sides. The boots were built in, comfortable but made for light duty, for sure. There was a noticeable groove in the top of the foot that suggested that these were basic suits, made to fit under something else.
The bunks they were assigned to were cramped, but she had exactly enough space in her locker to shove her duffel bag, backpack and jacket in and close the door. Yawen was a bunkmate, and she was so happy to see that they had not one, but two vibroshowers in an all-girl bunk cabin of four with a locking door, that she cheered, then began to strip. “I’ll be along soon!” she said.
Gambin was about to sit down in the folding chair beside Alice, but she put her feet up on the cushion. “Saved!” she told him.
He started to go around her to sit on her other side, and she shook her head. “Iruuk.”
“Fine, you look good in uniform, by the way,” he said, sitting down in the row in front and turning around. Gambin looked her all the way up and down slowly, his gaze taking extra seconds on her chest before making it the rest of the way up.
“Thanks,” Alice said, feeling like she was being examined.
“How was the interview? Mine took almost an hour, I’ve heard that’s long.”
“Yup, that’s long. I was out in fifteen minutes,” Alice said.
“So, how was it?”
“I guess it was fine, because I’m here.”
“Yeah, did you hear? We’re down to twenty-eight members. I guess the interviews didn’t go so well for a couple people.”
“Iruuk!” Alice called ou
t as he loped through the door. He seemed much smaller in a full uniform.
He smiled and made his way to her, sitting down beside her. “I am bunking with the only other Nafalli, and we have the only amphibian. She, I mean Ute, seems very nice. Oh, and you’re not the shortest here anymore. She’s exactly one metre tall.”
A blue-green headed, broad bodied creature with five fingers and two opposable thumbs entered then. She looked exactly like the amphibian pilot Alice met in the simulation. “I think they used her image in my sim.”
“Ute’s very nice, I thought it would take longer for her to be ready.”
“Freaky,” Gambin said.
Yawen came through the door next with two other women behind. They made their way straight to Alice and Iruuk, steps behind Ute, who walked with surprisingly quick steps. She sat beside Iruuk and smiled at Alice, her lips stretching whole head wide. “Hello, you’re Alice, aren’t you?” she asked, waving her dainty pale hand.
“Yup, were you in my sim?” Alice asked.
“Yes, I had to fly the ship using only rear thrusters so as few enemy ships could dock while the pods got away,” she replied in a pleasantly high-pitched voice. “I liked your trick, blowing up the main magazine. A little more warning next time though, I almost didn’t get off in time.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was in the simulation.”
“I think I was the only one. I had to take my test remotely because they didn’t have a brain bud at the main site that would work with my physiology.”
“Yeah, that’s a good question, what are you?” Gambin asked.
“I’m an Allegian Ner, from a place many light years from here.”
“Oh, I guess I’ll have to look it up.”
“You go ahead and do that, pretty boy,” Yawen said, sitting to Alice’s right. “Or I could look it up and whisper it into your ear after lights out. I could use a playmate tonight, and you’re pretty enough. I wonder, though, do you have the stamina?”
“Wow, just- wow,” Gambin said, turning in his seat so he faced forward.
“Thanks,” Alice whispered.
“What? I’m serious,” Yawen said, smiling impishly. “He’s fit when he’s not talking.”
The lights in the room dimmed and whoever didn’t have a seat found one. It wasn’t hard, the twenty-eight trainees couldn’t fill a quarter of the multipurpose room.
“I’m Lieutenant Commander Ippitz,” said an amplified voice before she was seen in the room. “I am not here to welcome you to the program, that will come in a little while.” She finally emerged from the door at the right of the shallow stage, and she stopped at its edge. “Welcome to the Brighton, it’s an old British Alliance battleship. You will never know why it’s here, but you should be polite to her crew and thankful that it is here. They are providing a staging and early training area for us while they’re on another mission in this Solar System. The alternative was more cramped and uncomfortable, trust me. There is another training centre being prepared, and you will be moving. Be ready. I’m here to tell you about the points system. This is not a competition, you are all here to become excellent officers and should help each other learn. There are some darlings here, but everyone has an equal opportunity to rise in the ranks. The points system is inverted. You start with one hundred, except for Alice Valent, Iruuk Murlen and Tamera Nitz. They start with one hundred five, so they already have an advantage.”
“How did they get more points?” shouted someone at the back.
“They got more points because they are already better at their jobs than you are! They demonstrated initiative, intelligence, ingenuity and since Fleet wants them more, we have given them a little more license to learn from the errors they’ll make by pushing this program to its limit.” The Lieutenant Commander explained humourlessly. “In a way, we are telling you that Fleet already sees them as more promotable than anyone with one hundred points. This is a lesson. In order to have their level of prestige, you will have to work hard. This is a condition that exists in most command structures in history. There is a record of how they got those points, you should look it up and, if you think you need improvement in that area, ask them for help. Their time off is precious, so beg, Petty Officer, and they might give you a hand.”
Several of the trainees laughed at the Lieutenant Commander’s praying pantomime. She let everyone settle before moving on. “This inverted points system is simple. If you screw up, or do not perform above the expected average in any task, you will be docked. If you are docked more than five points in one week, you will be sent to me and we will see what we can do about improving your performance in weak areas. That means that you are responsible for recognizing when you are having trouble and approaching someone for help before you are docked points in academic work, for example. In combat training, that could mean requesting assistance from your fellow trainees, or simply changing your methods until you are getting the results you need. There is one other way to lose points, and to lose them fast: breaking regulations. You are all under Class C Regulations.” There was a chorus of moans and groans throughout the room. Alice couldn’t help but grumble a little herself, the Class C regulations were the most strict available, meant for crewmembers who were on probation. The Lieutenant Commander went on. “That’s regulations for new trainees and pro-bees, which means no fraternizing, don’t be late for duty, and make sure you are well sorted by the time you show up. Keep your bunk in order, attend to your duties, and do not put yourself in a situation where a regulation will be broken. This is your golden opportunity to become officers in the greatest military organization in this sector, not a game of musical bunk beds. If you are caught fraternizing, you will lose ten points each. The rest of the penalties are listed in the regulations on your comm units. You will get away with nothing. We are watching you through your comm units, through the ship surveillance, and you will provide an example for the cadets who will eventually take orders from you, or you will lose points until you are out of the program. For anyone wondering how serious the point system is, they should know that it is actually possible for someone to lose one hundred points in three hours. Your points must last you three months. Good luck, and if you have any problems with the points system, or need assistance in your training, please contact me.” She walked off the stage and back through the door she entered in.
“Rough start,” Alice said quietly. Iruuk’s long, narrow snout bobbed up and down in her peripheral vision.
Yawen leaned forward so she could whisper; “So much for our after-hours activities,” to Gambin.
“Bring the lights up please,” said the familiar voice of Governor Carl Anderson, Alice’s biological grandfather. She’d adopted him as her real grandfather the moment she laid eyes on him in her new body, it felt right, and he was one of the few people she trusted. The lights returned to near-normal levels and he walked to the middle of the stage only to stop and sit down on the edge. “Congratulations on making it into Haven Fleet Advanced Officer Training. The official name we’re using now that the first group is through qualifications is Apex, and another group will begin testing in thirty days. That’s how long you have to successfully reach the next phase of Apex, and the time will go by quickly, so use it well.
Right now you are the only class, there are twenty-eight of you, and there are a few things you should know. First, I need to address something that is being passed in personal messages through Crewcast. There have been rumours that a few of the students have been shown favouritism, that they passed their qualifications because they know someone in government or the military.”
Alice was struck completely still at being singled out.
“Wishing you had a stealth suit right about now, aye?” asked Yawen in a whisper.
“My response to this is simple: It stops now. Every single one of you is here because you earned your place. We are actually disappointed that more people did not qualify, those empty seats represent people we expected to make it. If you
doubt anyone in a seat should be there, you can check the qualification records yourself, and you will be amazed at how some of your classmates approached the problems we put in front of them. From now on the regulations apply. If you are caught making allegations against an officer to an inappropriate person, you will be docked points. In this case, an inappropriate person is any person who is not designated to take your report on a fellow classmate. In other words, you can complain to your senior officer until they tell you to drop it. If anyone else hears it, you lose points. This Class C regulation is in place to protect each and every one of you and to maintain order. As of today you are all Petty Officers. You will behave like the Officers you are.” He let his statement sink in for a moment, and Alice felt as though her skin had discovered new shades of red by the time he went on. “The purpose of this program is to find people with officer qualities, previous experience, and get them ready to serve in the upper levels of Haven Fleet. The galaxy has never been more chaotic or dangerous. The Apex program is the brainchild of Admiral Terry Ozark McPatrick, who struggled to find officers who were qualified for the flagship of Haven Fleet. He sent me a detailed proposal three months ago and we have been developing it in secret, bringing experts in from the British Alliance, the Gurwen – an Issyrian culture you’ll learn about, and getting as much information as we can on new training methods from our other allies. Lorander, Freeground, and several Nafalli have contributed to the program as well. The result, Apex, is the most comprehensive program any of our allies have ever seen. There are British Alliance classes starting up in four solar systems starting this week. You will have contact with some of them later in the program. In this thirty day period you will learn the foundations of the best in tactics, applicable new sciences, technology, and team work. It will all be presented in the context of being a better commander. To join Haven Fleet is to become a member of a tight family, we work together and watch out for each other.”
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10 Page 24
