Fleet Academy

by M. Scott Cottrell

  “Lieutenant Molter?” a security office called to him as he stepped out of the shuttle.

  “Yes Petty Officer?”

  “The Captain would like you to report to her in her quarters sir.”

  “Very well.” Matt said, returning his salute as he walked off toward the bridge only one deck up. It took only a minute to reach the captain’s quarters where he beeped and was let in. The room was filled with a number of officers. Matt quickly identified the first officer, Commander Bates, Lieutenant Commander Yates and Commander Emerson, the engineering officer. There were a few others Matt did not recognize.

  “Mister Molter! Good of you to join us.” The Captain said from the head of the table. “Normally Commander Haskel would have served here, since your taking his place until we return to port, you’re going to have to sit in. This is a highly unusual situation, and as such I am looking to all of you…” The Captain paused to look at all the officers in the room, “to tell me if we are able to carry out the request fleet is making of us. A little over two hours ago we were notified that the deep space observatory on Triton had detected an unknown object coming in from deep space on this trajectory.” The Captain paused to put a plotting diagram up on the view screen. It showed the current location of all the planetary orbits, the moons and other tracked bodies, such as Earth’s space stations, in a Gods eye view. As they watched a dotted line formed outside the outermost planetary ring and extended slowly toward the sun, and then past it and out of the solar system. “It’s traveling at nearly point two light speed, far faster than we have ever done any kind of transit. What makes this object special is that it does not appear to be a comet or asteroid. High definition radar indicates that it is smooth and roughly cylindrical in shape. They can’t seem to get a visual on it with any of the long range telescope systems, so they suspect that its coating absorbs visible light, although they have gotten some fuzzy infrared images indicating that it is generating or venting heat through its surface. What fleet wants to know is, given this flight path,” another dotted line appeared on the tracking chart. “Can we intercept and identify. The plan calls for some pretty radical velocity work. Ok people, your thoughts?”

  Matt looked at the chart and did some quick mental calculations. This didn’t look good at all. The plan called for a high velocity slingshot around Neptune and catching the incoming artifact shortly before it shoots past the sun.

  “Well Captain. The plan is possible, mathematically. We’re going to have to do a max burn and make the Neptune run in six days instead of the usual twenty four. Then we slingshot to change direction and let the artifact catch up to us. We use what little fuel we have left to match speed and maneuver. There won’t be much, if anything, left for breaking.” Commander Emerson said.

  “In fact there won’t be anywhere near enough for breaking.” The Captain said. “Fleet calculates that we will have to burn the bulk of our current fuel to get to speed, and won’t have enough to slow down or maneuver. They propose sending us a tanker after we speed up to replenish our tanks and give us a fighting chance to do something. We would intercept the tanker somewhere out here.” She said, indicating the dotted line passing Saturn. “The problem is that it will use all the tankers fuel reserves to get up to our speed, catch us and then slow down so we can transfer. It will have to be abandoned after it refuels us.” The Captain responded.

  “I don’t see a good return trajectory at all here.” Commander Emerson said.

  “That’s because there isn’t one.” Commander Bates said. “If we linger too long with the artifact, we will miss the one window we have, that’s to shoot the sun for a return trip. Even then we would have to hit a second tanker going past Earth, and then both of us fire a breaking shot around Venus and then home. The whole trip could take as long as a month. If we miss the window… well, we would just have to hope we don’t miss the window.”

  “We don’t really have enough supplies on hand for this kind of a trip. Is there a chance for an on-load someplace?” The ships operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Petroski asked.

  “Good point. I’ll see what fleet can do. Can you tell me what we’ll need?”

  “I’ll send you the list in an hour or so.” He replied to the Captain.

  “Any other thoughts?” She asked the group waiting for anyone else to speak up.

  “Ma’am?” Matt said just loud enough to be heard.

  “Yes Mister Molter.”

  “It seems to me if we’re going to catch it; we need to do something with it. That means a high velocity EVA.”

  “Go ahead.” The Captain said looking somewhat irritated that she had to lead him on.

  “Well ma’am. Our suits are ok for an outside look, but if this is something we have to go inside, we need something lower profile than a hard suit. They’re just too bulky for anything delicate. It’s hard to get into a shuttle in them, let alone into something small. I was thinking of the new class eight suits with the new high thrust maneuvering packs.”

  “Those are still under development, aren’t they?” The Captain asked.

  “Yes ma’am. I read about them at the academy.”

  “Very well. I’ll see what fleet can do on that topic. Good catch, Mister Molter.”

  “Thank you ma’am.” Matt said, nervously.

  “Anything else?” The Captain asked. “Very well. Dismissed. Look things over and get me the info we need. We meet back here in an hour. Mister Molter. Please stay.” She said, standing up to dismiss the group.

  Matt remained seated and waited for the room to clear.

  “Good idea on the suits. How many do you think we need?”

  “Well ma’am. The suits are supposed to be tailored to the person. We’re going to have to pick the EVA team that will use them and get them made up.”

  “Ok. Who should go with you on the EVA?”

  “ME?”

  “Certainly Mister Molter. You are the ships weapons and suit expert. You will certainly be part of the team. I would like to know who else you think should be on the team with you.”

  “Well ma’am. You need a science type and an engineering type at the least. Probably a medical and security officer as well.”

  “Ok. Commander Emerson from Engineering, and Lieutenant Yang from medical. She can do duty as both the science and medical officer. Who would you pick from security?”

  “Ma’am. I’m not sure Commander Emerson is the best choice. If anything happens, you’re going to need her to get stopped again. As much as I hate the idea, looking at the trajectories, the EVA team has to be expendable. If we get over there and can’t get back to the ship before our braking window, well ma’am. The team will have to be abandoned.”

  “That’s a pretty pessimistic view. You do realize that you’re including yourself in that list?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Very well. I’ll have Commander Emerson detail someone. I want her suited too though, just in case we need her expertise out there.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Now back to security.”

  “I want someone strong. Nothing against the female security teams, but we don’t know what were up against, I want someone with some serious strength. The new suits were using don’t have the load motors like the hard suits do.”

  “Ok. Makes sense. I’ll talk to Commander Kim, see who she recommends.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Ok. On to other business. How was Europa?”

  “Fascinating, ma’am.”

  “Well Doctor Thomas certainly found you fascinating.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “We talked after you left. She was impressed by you. Not only how you handled your team, but your looks and handling of her as well.”

  “I’m not sure I understand ma'am.”

  The Captain laughed. “Mister Molter. You very politely managed to get the job done, and make a graceful exit without pissing off the most powerful and horny woman on the station. The last s
upply mission we sent over there was over three hours late due to the good doctor. That’s why I didn’t send a team of mostly men. You did a good job. My reports will say so.”

  “Thank you ma’am.”

  “So, how are you doing in the new job? I see you survived your first high velocity trip.”

  “Just barely ma’am.”

  “You didn’t enjoy the attentions of the female crew members?”

  “I didn’t say that, ma’am; it was just a bit overwhelming at times.”

  “Well, let me give you a warning then. We don’t know what this higher velocity will do. This will be faster and longer than any other transit made. There is some thinking that the higher the velocity, the greater the effect on the female crew. If we hit a high enough velocity, we might start to see some of the effect on the male crew members too. The doctor has indicated that it could be significant, and he is working on some hormone suppressants. He doesn’t know if it will work or not. No one has ever tried anything like this. We will be hitting velocities that only a few unmanned ships have ever attempted. Time dilation will be an issue. At max v we will lose four days in five on Earth. Under different circumstances you wouldn’t be put into this kind of a pressure situation so early in your career, but the honest truth is, I don’t have anyone I can afford to move from their critical locations. We are a training ship. This trip was supposed to be a simple re-supply mission. It has turned into more than what even fleet would like to see, but the reality is, we’re the only ones in range. It’s quite literally us or no one.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “You’re going to be called on to do much more than training. We don’t know what this is, but it appears to be artificial. We are supposed to examine it and learn as much as we can. That means going over there and touching it. It could be more dangerous than anything you have ever done. I’d have another senior officer handle this if I could, but most of them haven’t been in an EVA suit of any kind for years. I need someone who understands suits and how to use them. Your marks at the academy show you know the theory, and Master Chief Wallace said you are the best suit pilot he’s seen in years, so you're it. I need you to be honest with me, can you handle this?”

  “Ma’am, if I said I wasn’t scared I’d be lying. The honest truth is that I don’t know if I can handle it or not, but I’m willing to do my best.”

  “That’s a fair answer Lieutenant.” The captain said, sitting down from her pacing. “I want you to hand pick two members of your department to handle the rail guns during our encounter. I also want you to train and arm your entire EVA team with the best hand weapons you have, both projectile and energy. We have no idea what this is. It’s not natural, so we have to assume it’s some kind of a ship, and ships mean beings. Only problem is, no one else is out there that we know of.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “I need your list of equipment within the hour. I’m counting on you Mister Molter.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Dismissed.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Matt said standing up. He saluted and turned on his heal and exited the captains quarters, not exhaling until he was safely out into the corridor. He sagged into the wall for a minute, wondering what he had gotten himself into. After a few moments he straightened himself and headed down to the armory to get the information together that the captain needed.

  “Lieutenant Molter” The intercom squawked.

  “Molter here.” Matt replied, pressing the button on the wall mounted intercom.

  “Report to the Captain’s quarters.” The communications officer said across the tinny speaker.

  “On my way.” He said, clicking the unit off, and heading out of the armory and up the levels to her quarters. He arrived about the same time as Commander Emerson.

  “Well Mister Molter. Do you think we can handle this?”

  “I don’t think we have a choice ma’am. I think that we’re going to have to try even if we can’t handle it.”

  “That’s a pretty good answer for a young Lieutenant JG.”

  “Thank you ma’am. Do you think we can handle it?”

  She stood there with her hand poised over the call button on for the captain’s door. “I don’t know Lieutenant, but I know this… this may be the biggest challenge any crew on any ship ever faced.” She finished as she hit the button for the door.

  The door quickly slid back and Matt followed Commander Emerson into the room. Most of the same officers that were there in the earlier meeting were there now as well as a tall thin Lieutenant from Engineering, a burly Chief from Security and a very nice looking Lieutenant with medical insignia on her collar.

  “Commander, Lieutenant.” The captain said as they stepped inside. “Have a seat. Ok Commander, let’s hear it.”

  “Yes ma’am.” She said standing up. “Working with nav we came up with the following plan. This will be a ten g burn for six continuous days.” She said popping a slide up on the view screen. “It will consume right at ninety six percent of the fuel we have on board. We will cover the twenty seven AU’s in six days; with a final velocity when we hit Neptune of just over point one seven light speed. That has never been done before, in fact, no engines in this class have ever been run that hard that long before. If we don’t blow up we should leave enough fuel to match speed with the tanker and re-fuel. We will hit Neptune and pull a seven g turn to get on the intercept trajectory. Once we clear Neptune we will have just twenty hours to acquire the object, match speed, investigate and break away or we won’t be able to change our trajectory to catch the sun for a breaking maneuver. It’s fortunate that the trajectory seems to be so close to the sun. In fact, it has us a bit worried.”

  “Why is that Commander?”

  “Well ma’am. Think of it this way. We don’t know where this thing came from, we have no clue where it’s headed or how long it’s been going. But the chances of it just accidentally coming this close to a trajectory with our sun are so slim that I wouldn’t even want to calculate it.”

  “So you think there is some active, intelligent force at work on this thing lining it up?”

  “It seems like it ma’am.”

  “We haven’t been able to discern any readily identifiable propulsion system or maneuvering thrusters.” The Captain said.

  “I know ma’am. I’m just saying.”

  “Good point, ok, science section. Lieutenant Yang?”

  The Lieutenant stood up and stepped to the head of the table. She was tall and slim with a tiny waist and full chest. She had the typical oriental eye shape and dark coarse hair, which was pulled back onto a high pony tail. “Yes ma’am. So far what we know is that it’s not much different in size than one of our big shuttles, a bit bigger than us actually. It appears to be tubular with a rounded front end. We have no idea what the stern looks like. We don’t have any visuals, only radar image data. Its traveling at just about point one seven light speed. We estimate from its speed and trajectory that it either came from or through the Wolf359 system roughly forty-five years ago. That’s pretty much what we have.”

  “Not much.” Commander Bates mumbled.

  “No it’s not much, which is why we’re going to learn more.” The aptain said. Fleet has set up a tanker, but unfortunately the only way to get it to us is to chase us down. It’s loading now, and will be pilotless. It has to because to catch us in time it’s going to have to do a thirty g burn, and the ships artificial gravity system can only compensate to ten. A crew wouldn’t survive the trip. We’re going to pick it up just before we hit Neptune. That will give us less than six hours to transfer equipment and fuel. We let it sail off out of the system when we make our turn. If we miss the tanker, were out of luck.” She said looking around the room. “Chief Petty Officer Hilliard will be joining the team as security officer. Commander Emerson has selected Lieutenant Tina Brody from engineering to accompany the EVA team to the artifact.”

  The Lieutenant stood up for a moment to let everyone see her. Sh
e was bean pole thin with lanky arms and legs that seemed have trouble filling out even the slim size jump suit she was wearing. She had very long blond hair, nearly touching the belt on the back of her jump suit. She smiled at the group and sat down.

  “Ok. Lieutenant Yang will be in charge of the EVA team, accompanied by Lieutenants Molter and Brody, and Chief Hillard. Any questions?” She asked looking around the room. Seeing no one making a move to ask anything she continued. “I need the EVA team to work with Lieutenant Molter on weapons issue and training. Also we won’t have the new suits to train in until we make the turn. That will leave you only a few hours to get used to them. Since we are going high g, the suit cage room and the zero g gym are off limits until we hit the coast phase just before the turn.” She paused to look around. “I don’t have to tell you how important this mission is. Let’s get it done right! Or at least done as right as we can. Dismissed.”