“I didn’t say that either, sir. Best if I show you.” Chief Horris took several steps into the room, went to the control panel for the second MediPod, and a moment later the clamshell began to separate. Jason looked at the dimly lit face through the small window at the top of the pod. Something was definitely wrong. The rest of Perkins’ body came into view.
“I’ve kept him sedated until someone who knows more than I do can address the problem. Perhaps Ricket can help?” the chief asked, concern on his face.
“Good decision, Chief. Yes, best if Perkins is not aware of his condition. At least for the time being.”
Both Jason and the chief continued to stare down at the XO. “And, as I was saying, sir, he seems to be in perfect health otherwise.”
* * *
“Sorry for the delay. Putting out fires,” Jason said, entering Ricket’s domain on Deck 4B. “I need to contact the outpost and we need to get back to Earth. For all we know, the Emperor’s Guard is already there. So we need The Lilly back to her old self as soon as possible.”
“The information Bristol provided did, in fact, allow me to re-access the Lilly AI. We do need to do a cold-start and refresh her back to the previous core version.”
“You mentioned you would have to do that. Is there a problem?” Jason asked, looking at the cluttered bench top and array of strange devices. Ricket was impeccably organized, and this mess seemed out of the norm.
“No, and with your permission, I’ll begin the cold-start within the hour. But that’s actually not what I wanted to talk to you about. It seems Bristol was an inventor. In addition to in his own cabin, he had been working here as well. This is his mess. He was building upon some of the technology I had used for the phase-shift belts.”
“Like the devices he made for the raiders to access the ship?”
“Yes, exactly. But there are other items here. Things based on Caldurian technology that I had not thought of,” Ricket said.
Jason picked up the largest of the devices. “What’s this one do?” he asked.
“That one, I believe, is a phase-duplicator.”
Jason’s face went blank.
“As you know, when we utilize any of our phase-shift devices, things are instantly shifted to a designated plane within the multiverse, yes?”
Jason nodded for Ricket to continue.
“I believe this unit functions identically to any other phase-shift device we have, with one significant exception. Mid-way through the phase-shift process, the originating item is phase-shifted again, perhaps over and over. This happens in virtual space—each residing in subsequent, other, slightly out-of-phase layers. Then, as a batch, they are returned back to the originating time-location continuum.”
Jason let that sink in. “So, for example, if The Lilly phase-shifts to the multiverse, it could return as multiple versions of itself?”
“Basically, yes. What I’ve been able to piece together from the AI database, and Bristol’s own notes, is he had a problem setting numerical values. For this device to play nicely with physics, and be effective, it would need to be one hundred percent configurable for the quantity and the timeframe. Imagine an infinite number of The Lillys phase-shifting back into one’s own particular time and space. Or producing multiples of herself that never leave your timeframe.”
“Would you be able to design-in those parameters? That would align to the laws of physics?” Jason asked.
“Already have. The answers were there, he just hadn’t discovered them yet.”
“Would it be possible for the duplicated items to interact with each other?” Jason asked, now getting excited.
“Yes, and that’s where things get interesting,” Ricket replied.
Chapter 31
The Lilly was dead in space and only minimal ship systems had been operational, so the cold-start reset had no real effect on anyone. Within an hour, the ship was back to normal. Jason’s first order of business was to send the necessary FDL markers to the outpost that would allow for bidirectional communications. He was expecting a reply any minute.
Ricket stood with Dira in front of Perkins’ sealed MediPod. Jason found a countertop, grimaced, and carefully leaned against it.
“I don’t understand,” Jason said. “You can save a life, rebuild a heart, for God’s sake. What’s the big deal with simply changing him back?”
“At this point, the MediPod software does not recognize there is a problem. It will take me some time to reconfigure the software parameters,” Ricket said.
“Seems strange this could even happen,” Jason said, looking at Perkins through the window.
“MediPods typically can distinguish the species of the patient. But commands were input improperly. The chief confused the device to the point it defaulted to its default species condition, Caldurian.”
“The issue is, do we keep the XO in stasis while I figure this out, or bring him back now—for the interim?”
Dira continued, “Physically, Perkins will be fine; it’s more a question of how he’ll react to the physical anomaly.”
Jason took it all in. “So how much time are we talking about? Before you figure this out?”
“It could be as long as a week,” Ricket replied.
“What do you need from me?” Jason asked.
“The decision to wake him up or not,” Dira said.
“Okay, I still don’t understand why I’m involved. This is a medical issue, and you are the doctor, right?”
“Captain, the question is, do we need him back on the bridge? He’ll be an able-bodied officer,” Dira said. “If so, we’d like you to be here. Help explain things.”
“So we’ll bring him back while he has the body of a—” Jason stopped and looked through the MediPod’s window—“a Caldurian.”
“That’s right,” both Dira and Ricket said at the same time.
“Fine, wake him up. I’ll tell him about it. You can talk to him about his options, which don’t sound like there are any.”
Dira was at the control panel. In less than a minute, the MediPod was opening. Perkins’ eyes fluttered, then opened wide. Startled, he sat up.
“I’ve been stabbed!”
Jason stepped in closer and knelt down. “Easy, XO, you’re fine. Everything’s fine. Pirates are gone … you’ve been pretty much all patched up.”
Perkins looked somewhat relieved and laid back down. “That pirate, Stalls. He stabbed me in the heart.” Dira, Ricket and Jason watched as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“You can thank the chief for getting you here in time,” Jason said. “From what I understand, it was a close call.”
Perkins nodded. “I’m surprised the old coot knew how to operate one of these things. They’re a bit tricky. Don’t need to tell you that, huh, Dira?”
Perkins’ arms were moving now, fingers opening and closing. Jason and Dira exchanged quick glances.
“Hey, listen. There’s something we need to speak with you about,” Jason said, kneeling down again. “You said it yourself, these devices are tricky. And the truth is, they’re very tricky.”
Perkins wasn’t listening. All of his attention was focused forward. Holding up his two hands in front of his face, and the long, tapered fingers of a Caldurian. “Now that’s weird …”
* * *
The FDL connection was established as soon as Jason entered the bridge. Once situated in the command chair, one of the Gordon twins, Jason wasn’t sure which one it was, opened the channel. Admiral Reynolds, hair somewhat tussled, acknowledged his son with a brief smile.
“Good to see you made it back, Jason. I’m looking forward to hearing about it all. But that will have to wait. Earth is under attack. Right now I’m sitting in the shuttle you left behind. We phase-shifted to the second underground location. In fact, we’ve shuttled more than one hundred and fifty people down here.”
“I didn’t think there was enough space for that many people,” Jason said.
“Well, there is, and the
re’s something else. It’s inhabited.”
“Say again?”
“You heard me.”
“Fine. First tell me about the attack. Who’s attacking?”
“Three ships. Small—each about a quarter of the size of The Lilly,” the admiral said.
“That would be the Emperor’s Guard. From what I understand, those ships, like The Lilly, are actually Caldurian technology. The may be more advanced than The Lilly by as much as a hundred years. But make no mistake about it, it’s the Craing behind the wheel, not the Caldurians,” Jason said.
“Seems the ships are being selective about their targets. They’re not going after government seats of power, or even military instillations or assets,” the admiral remarked, looking confused.
“Maybe they’re looking for The Lilly.”
“I thought that too, but that doesn’t add up either. The ships are situated here in Earth’s outer orbit, where they’re scanning as deep as ten miles below the surface. Every so often one of the ships comes down to ground level and phase-shifts somewhere subterranean.”
“Still, they could be looking for The Lilly. But you’re right, that does sound strange. You said Earth was under attack, what have they attacked?” Jason asked.
“Anything that leaves the ground—commercial planes, helicopters, that sort of thing, as well as orbital satellites. They’re taking those out, one by one, any time they come close to their position in orbit. Needless to say, communications are a mess.”
“What about the Allied Craing fleet?” Jason asked.
“Three battle cruisers and one light cruiser in high orbit were destroyed before anything else. The ones on the ground have been left alone. Strange.”
“What does Washington have to say?” Jason asked.
“Well, they wanted to deploy the rest of the Craing Allied fleet until one, they saw how quickly the four in orbit went down, and two, they discovered we don’t have trained pilots for them anyway. They’re waiting to see what demands are coming; so far there haven’t been any. They’ve been checking in on an hourly basis about The Lilly’s whereabouts. As far as they’re concerned, she may be the planet’s only hope of defeating those ships.”
Jason noticed Ricket standing at his side and looking at the display, his little wheels turning, literally.
The admiral continued, “What’s the status of the Loop? How did it go on the Craing worlds?”
“Loop’s destroyed. And, subsequently, there appears to be an uprising, so I don’t think we’ll need to worry about the Craing bothering us again. At least not for the near term, other than the three Emperor’s Guard vessels there in orbit.”
“We need you back here now, Jason. I can’t emphasize enough what’s at stake. Perhaps planet Earth itself. What’s your ETA?” the admiral asked, looking impatient.
“Tomorrow afternoon at the latest. We’ll see if we can come up with a plan of attack en route,” Jason replied, looking over at Ricket.
Ricket took a step forward. “Admiral, those Caldurian ships. They were built for battle, whereas The Lilly was primarily built as a natural sciences and exploration vessel.”
“I don’t know, The Lilly seems pretty capable to me,” the admiral replied.
“From what I’ve discovered, as hostilities between Caldurian and the Craing worlds grew hundreds of years ago, defenses and weaponry were added as needed. How The Lilly compares now, I don’t know. Our only advantage may be the Craing’s unfamiliarity with these ships’ technology and capabilities,” Ricket said.
“Dad, we know we have to get back there as soon as possible.” Jason was still curious about something. “Before we sign off, who exactly is inhabiting the underground cavern?”
The admiral looked amused. “They are a skittish bunch and keep their distance. From what we’ve discovered, there are many more caverns down here, most much lower—maybe as deep as five miles. These subterranean caverns are interconnected throughout much of Texas and a good portion of Mexico.”
“And you’ve seen them?”
“Oh, yes, now that we know what to look for; they show up on the shuttle’s short and long range scans. There seem to be multiple tribes.”
“You’ve seen them? What do they look like?” Jason asked again.
“We’ve done some exploring. As I said, they’re skittish and typically move to deeper caverns whenever we approach. One time we caught several off-guard. Saw them up close before they ran off. Truth is, they look a little like Craing. But tall, like a human,” the admiral replied.
Chapter 32
Perkins insisted he was fit for duty, which would make Jason’s life easier. Double shifts, prolonged hours sitting in the command chair, had started taking their toll. Earlier, Jason had gathered the remaining crew together in the mess as a way to convey information and address any ship-wide issues. It was more apparent than ever how understaffed they currently were. Their skeleton crew was down-right anemic. Once they were back at the outpost, finding able-bodied applicants would be no problem. Serving aboard The Lilly was in high-demand. For now, Jason needed to bolster morale and reestablish discipline. Ship life had become lax and overly casual. He also needed to address the rumor mill.
“Yes, Lieutenant Commander Perkins is alive. Yes, he is fine and will return to duty shortly. And yes, he has undergone some minor physical changes. It’s temporary.”
The crew immediately started to speak amongst themselves in hushed murmurs.
“This is not for open discussion, people,” Jason said, reprimanding them again for their lax conduct. “When the XO returns to duty, you will not bring attention to his—” Jason had absolutely no idea how to talk about this. At the back of the room, Nan and Dira were standing together, both smirking. Jason continued, “When he returns to duty, just ignore his differences. Don’t gossip or talk behind his back—give him a break, OK?”
Chief Horris raised his hand.
“Chief?”
“Captain, what’s our destination? You know, now with the overlords dead.”
“There’s really no point in continuing on. We’re headed back to Earth. Anything else? Anyone? Then you’re dismissed.”
Now, Perkins stood at the entrance to the bridge. Jason turned in his seat and nodded to his XO. He looked fine, Jason thought. Apparently his garment replicator had no problem with his physical alterations.
"I am ready to relieve you, sir," Lieutenant Commander Perkins said.
"I am ready to be relieved," Jason replied and relinquished the command chair.
* * *
Jason entered Orion’s domain. Other crewmembers on board also utilized the gym, but there was no mistaking that it was Orion who was in charge. A sectioned-off area of the forward hold, the gym was comprised of different sections one would find at any well-appointed facility, including aerobic, endurance, conditioning and strength-building. The similarities stopped there. Orion, from what Jason had gleaned since being on board, was a well-known sports figure on her home planet of Tarkin. He’d learned that on her planet the women were the larger, stronger of the sexes. The only similarity between females from Earth and Tarkin is they were both the bearer of offspring.
Orion’s acclaim as a sports figure came from the team sport of Bend. Two teams on an elevated field, of sorts, and something they call the Lorm. Jason had assumed the Lorm was equivalent to some kind of ball. Orion had scoffed at that. Turns out, the Lorm was a four-sided open square, with only metal struts connecting the sides together. Easy to grab, get your fingers around. That is, if you could heft it. At nearly three hundred pounds, only the strongest, most agile females competed at the national or international level. Few athletes competed beyond their twenty-fifth birthday. The toll on one’s body was cumulative, causing tendons and joints to wear down quickly. Jason found out Orion didn’t like talking about her life on Tarkin, but she did mention she had retired as some kind of superstar athlete and was undefeated.
Now, looking around the ship’s gym, Jason ass
umed that much of what was in evidence here was reflective of what Tarkin Bend athletes would have utilized for their training. The other sections of the gym, uniquely configured to Orion’s predisposition for weapons and self-defense, were the dojo, where he stood now, and the weapons practice range next door.
Nan and Mollie were on mats. Both wore a modified version of their spacer’s jumpsuits—but looser. Orion was wearing sweats and a snug tank top. Seeing her here, with her tattooed skin and enlarged musculature, Jason was confronted by her beauty, femininity, yet overt masculinity. Billy, a cigar-smoking, macho SEAL, having such attraction to Orion, reminded Jason that there was someone special for everyone and, if nothing else, Billy and Orion were the most quintessential power couple.
Orion was talking in low tones to her two students. Another woman entered the gym. Like Orion, she wore sweats and a tight-tank top as well. Dira rushed over and joined Nan and Mollie on the mats, both greeting her with excited smiles.
Orion looked over at Jason and gestured for him to come closer. He removed his shoes and stepped onto a mat.
“Thank you for coming, Captain,” Orion said.
“My pleasure, but I’m not real sure why I’m here.”
“I just want you to be clear on what I’ll be teaching these three. I have a rough idea from what Nan has told me, as well as Dira, but I’d like your input, too, especially from a Navy SEAL standpoint.”
“As both Nan and Dira, and even Mollie, have discovered, life in space can be dangerous: Craing mutants, rhino warriors, Serapin-Terplins, man-sized insects, pirate raiders … there’s no one size that’ll fit all combatants when it comes to self-defense. Weapons training will be just as important as hand-to-hand drill, what we call close quarters combat training. Being able to think strategically, intuitively and even in new or abstract ways, may save their lives. So I’d concentrate on those areas, as well. Does that help?” Jason asked.
“Yes, sir. I think I have the perfect training regimen for them.”
HAB 12 (Scrapyard Ship) Page 21
