by Ryk Brown
“Is that what you think I do?”
“Pretty much.”
“Well, one of us has to,” Loki said, “or else you’d surely get us killed.”
“Why do you think I fly with you?” Josh added with a wink.
* * *
“I see we’re not taking a direct route out of the Pentaurus cluster,” Nathan commented as he examined the departure course displayed on the wall-mounted display above the couch in his ready room.
“There are still quite a few inhabited systems between Darvano and the edge of the sector,” Cameron said. “I thought it best to avoid contact with anyone else on our way out.”
“Not a bad idea, Commander. How many jumps will that add?”
“Only four, sir.”
“We’re still sticking to jumps of ten light years?”
“For now,” Cameron said. “Abby still isn’t ready to try increasing our range. She expects she’ll be ready by the time we clear the Pentaurus sector. However, the good news is that the upgrades installed by the Takarans have cut our recharge time in half. So the four extra jumps will only cost us twenty hours instead of forty.”
“I’ve got no problem giving up a day to avoid extra complications,” Nathan said. “I’ve had enough of those to last me a lifetime.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then we’re all set to depart?”
“We’re still waiting on engineering. Lieutenant Commander Kamenetskiy wanted to make one last check of the backup fusion reactors that the Takarans installed.”
“He still doesn’t trust them, does he?”
“The Takarans?”
“No, their fusion reactors,” Nathan said.
“I think he just doesn’t completely understand them yet; that’s all. Until he does, I don’t think he can trust them.”
“According to Vlad, the Takarans’ knowledge of controlled fusion is centuries ahead of us. They’ve been using fusion reactors to power everything from homes to cars to ships,” Nathan said. “Did you know they don’t even have a power grid on Takara? Every building has its own little reactor to provide electrical power. They’re self-contained, little units that require no service whatsoever. They just light them up, and they run for like a decade or something. Then they just swap them out and refurbish them for reuse. Can you imagine?”
“It does sound less complicated. I’m just not sure it’s safe.”
“That’s because we’re not used to such technologies.”
“We’ll have to make sure Mister Montgomery and his people share that knowledge with Fleet once we get home,” Cameron stated.
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Commander.”
Nathan returned his attention to the display on his desk. After a moment, he realized that Commander Taylor was still standing there. “Was there something else?”
“I was wondering what you’re planning to do with Tug’s little present.”
“Nothing for now,” Nathan said.
“Nothing?”
He shrugged. “What did you expect me to do with it? Send it back?”
“You’re actually going to take a platoon of men programmed to kill everything in their path back to Earth with us?” she wondered. “Pardon me, sir, but do you think that’s wise?”
“To be honest, I really don’t know,” Nathan admitted. “But I think Tug was right about one thing. If we ever find ourselves in a situation where we truly need them, we’re going to be glad we have them.”
“Nathan, they’re a deadly weapon, one that we’re not even sure we can control.”
“And nukes on point-and-shoot torpedoes aren’t?”
“That’s not the same thing, and you know it.”
“Look, Cam, I’ve been doing some reading on the Ghatazhak. They’re not as much robots as people like to imagine. In fact, I’m beginning to suspect that much of that is myth, maybe even propaganda used by the Ta’Akar to instill fear in their subjects. Those are men, just like us…”
“You mean like you.”
“You know what I mean. They’re highly trained, fanatically dedicated to their code of honor, which is leader, code, brother, in that order. They’re more akin to holy warriors than special forces, at least in their dedication. In their training, they make special forces look like recruits straight out of boot camp.”
“So you expect to find trouble on the way home?” she asked.
“No, I don’t. But after all we’ve been through, I’m not about to take any chances either.”
“We do have our own platoon of Corinari on board, you know.”
“Yes, I do. Speaking of which, it would be better if Major Waddell did not know about the Ghatazhak. In fact, I would prefer that it remain our little secret.”
Cameron sighed, which was rare.
“Look, Cam, I hope to God we never have to wake those guys up. But they’d be in stasis either way, so why not park a few of them with us?” Nathan leaned back in his chair. “Hell, I wish he would’ve given us a whole company of them.”
“Captain, Comms,” Naralena’s voice called over the intercom on the work terminal on his desk.
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, Cheng reports the engineering department is ready for departure.”
“Very well.” Nathan clicked off his intercom. “I guess we’re ready.” He rose from his seat. “I assume the matter is closed?”
“Yes, sir,” Cameron agreed, “for now.”
“I’ll take what I can get, Commander.” Nathan noticed the look on her face, but he knew she technically had no say in the matter. He also knew that Cameron would continue to pester him about the Ghatazhak hiding in their cargo hold. That was fine with him, as she always kept him on his toes and thinking, which was a good thing. “Shall we?”
“After you, sir,” she said, respecting his rank, as always.
Nathan strolled out of his ready room and onto the bridge of the Aurora, nodding at the guard as he passed with Commander Taylor following behind him.
“Captain on the bridge!” the guard announced.
The bridge had a completely different feel now that it was fully repaired. Gone were the burnt-out consoles and blackened conduits. The entire comm-center located along the aft end of the bridge between either exit had finally been completely replaced during their layover at the Takaran shipyards. Now there were two comm stations in use, making internal communications far easier to manage during combat.
All six of the stations that lined either side of the bridge had also undergone extensive refit. Their computer systems had been upgraded, as well as their software. In fact, there were only three things that weren’t completely replaced during their time at the shipyards: the helm and navigation console located at the front of the bridge, the command chair in the center, and the tactical station directly behind it. Although they had received some enhancements, they were relatively unchanged.
Not only had everything been repaired, replaced or upgraded, but it had all been cleaned. For that matter, the entire ship sparkled from top to bottom, inside and out. They had even been given a few of the automated cleaning bots used by Takaran warships.
To Nathan, the Aurora felt like a whole new ship. It was still the same design and the same layout, but it felt new, like she had never seen combat. Still, he would have done anything for working shields similar to those used by the Takaran warships. He hoped that Abby and the Takaran scientists that had agreed to travel with them back to Earth would figure out how to make the ZPEDs work without interfering with the jump drive.
“Comms, notify the Corinairans that we are breaking orbit and heading home.”
“Yes, sir,” Naralena said.
“Well, that sure felt good to say,” Nathan said to Cameron. “Helm, take us up to departure altitude, and break orbit as soon as we’re on a general heading for the Sol sector.”
“Aye, Captain,” Josh answered. “Increasing power, climbing to departure altitude.”
“Departure point in six minutes,
sir,” Loki announced after making some quick calculations on the new navigational computer installed by the Takarans.
“Very well. Once we break orbit, bring us on course and speed for the first jump.”
“Aye, sir,” Josh responded.
“Naralena, you’d better send a courtesy call to Karuzara to let them know we’re departing as well.”
“Captain,” Commander Taylor interrupted, “the Karuzari disbanded more than a week ago.”
“What did they do with their base?”
“They gave it back to the Corinairans. Now that FTL travel is no longer reserved for Takaran ships, the asteroid base is being hollowed out further and made into a spaceport.”
“That’s a good idea,” Nathan said. “That will certainly help get them ready for interstellar travel more quickly. What about the Yamaro base?”
“They are expanding that one as well, increasing the interior space so that they can begin fitting interplanetary ships with jump drives once they start production.”
“I have a feeling this entire sector is going to see a major change over the next decade.”
“Indeed.”
“Sir,” Naralena said, “I have the Prime Minister of Corinair on comms. He wishes to speak with you.”
“Put him on the main view screen,” Nathan ordered.
A separate window appeared in the center of the main view screen that wrapped around the forward half of the bridge. In the middle was the Prime Minister.
“Captain Scott,” the minister began in a heavily accented brogue, “on behalf of the peoples of the Darvano system, as well as all peoples in the Pentaurus cluster, I wish again to thank you and your most brave crew for all that you have done.”
Nathan smiled at the minister’s attempt to speak Angla, knowing that he must have practiced that poorly worded phrase repeatedly in order to personally communicate his sincere thanks. “Thank you, Prime Minister. I wasn’t aware that you were learning Angla.”
“I am to trying most hard.”
“You are doing quite well, sir.”
“Perhaps, when someday you are to return to Corinair, we will to have long conversations in your language.”
“I look forward to it, sir.”
“Pleasant journey to you, Na-Tan. To all of you.”
“Thank you, sir. Good luck with your rebuilding. The future of Corinair looks quite exciting.”
“Yes, yes. Goodbye, Captain.”
“Goodbye, sir.” Nathan turned and nodded at Naralena, who ended the communication.
“Breaking orbit in one minute,” Loki reported.
“Ship-wide,” Nathan said, gesturing at Naralena once more.
“Ship-wide, aye.”
“Attention all hands. This is your captain. In less than a minute, we will break orbit and begin our journey back to the Sol sector. It will take us several weeks, perhaps even months, to reach our final destination. During this time, I am confident that each and every one of you will perform your jobs to the best of your ability. Most of you are volunteers on this mission, and for that I am deeply grateful. We know not what we will find when we reach Earth, but I promise that I will do everything within my power to get you all back to your homes once again.”
“Coming up on departure point, Captain,” Loki said softly.
“That is all.” Nathan waited a moment for Naralena to kill the ship-wide broadcast, then took a deep breath and let it out. “Take us out, Mister Hayes.”
“Aye, Captain. Breaking orbit.” Josh increased power to the main engines once again, quickly accelerating the ship and causing her to break out of her high orbit above the planet Corinair. “Coming onto heading for the first jump,” Josh reported. “Transferring helm to auto-nav.”
Nathan felt a bit nervous, as it was the first time that the new jump navigation control system was going to take control of the helm and jump execution systems for a jump of maximum range. He turned to Abby, who sat at the starboard auxiliary console at the aft end of the bridge as she monitored the first long-range jump executed by the automated jump system. “The first jump is going to be nine light years, right, Doctor?”
“Yes, Captain. In fact, we won’t begin experimenting with increased ranges until after we are clear of the Pentaurus sector.”
“Any particular reason you want to clear the sector first?” Nathan asked, suspicious.
“No, sir. That’s simply how many jumps it will take us to gather enough data to feel comfortable increasing our range.”
“Very well.”
“Auto-nav has control,” Josh announced.
“Course and speed are in the green,” Loki reported. “Auto-nav is making final adjustments. Jump point in ten seconds. Waiting for your word, sir.”
“Jump the ship, Mister Sheehan.”
“Jumping in three……two……one……jumping.”
The bridge of the Aurora quickly filled with the blue-white flash of the jump fields despite the view screen’s attempt to filter out the intensity of the light generated by the system’s jump field emitters. An instant later, the flash disappeared, and the screen reverted back to normal.
“Jump complete,” Loki reported.
“Position?” Nathan asked. As usual, he couldn’t really tell any difference in the positions of the stars. Tug had been able to notice even the tiniest shifts in the positions of the stars after a max-range jump, but he had spent years piloting his FTL-equipped interceptor through deep space. Despite his current position, Nathan was still a neophyte in comparison.
“One moment, sir,” Lieutenant Yosef reported as she verified the sensor operator’s findings. She was one of the original crew from Earth and had come aboard as an ensign assigned as the Aurora’s science officer. Past events had thrust her into the position of sensor operator, a role in which she had excelled. Now that there were nearly a dozen Takaran scientists on board, all of whom possessed considerably more scientific knowledge than she, Commander Taylor had offered Yosef the position of lead sensor operator. Since it had come with a promotion as well, Kaylah Yosef had accepted the new assignment, but only on the condition that she would be allowed to expand her scientific expertise under the tutelage of the Takarans during the journey back to Earth.
“Right on target, sir,” Lieutenant Yosef reported, grinning widely as she turned toward Nathan. “You would not believe how close we came to the jump point.”
“Try me, Lieutenant.”
“Seven hundred thirty-eight meters, sir.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, sir.”
“You’re telling me that, after a nine light year jump, we came out only seven hundred meters off our target?”
“Seven hundred thirty-eight.” She smiled.
Nathan turned back to Abby. “Nicely done, Doctor.”
“Thank you, sir, but I wouldn’t be too happy, not yet. It may not seem like a lot, but that is nearly a kilometer off target. If the error grows with distance, and if we had been jumping twenty-five light years, the error might have been considerably worse. We will have to become far more precise if we intend to significantly increase our jump range.”
“How long until our next jump?” Nathan asked.
“Just over nine hours to recharge the energy banks.”
“Very well. Helm, put us on course and speed for the next jump, and steady as she goes.”
* * *
Major Prechitt slowed his stride slightly as he exited the service line in the mess hall. He scanned the room looking for a place to sit. Unlike the Takaran warships on which he had served as a young man, the Aurora did not have separate dining facilities for officers and enlisted personnel. The major liked the mixed arrangement, although there was naturally still some degree of separation within the mess hall itself.
After a moment, he spotted one of the Takaran scientists sitting in a corner alone. Understandably so, the dozen scientists and technical specialists on loan from Takara had found themselves more segregated than mo
st. For the most part, they dined together in groups of four or more and usually at the very same table where the lone Takaran currently sat. The major wondered what it must be like for the Takarans, serving aboard a ship full of people who, until recently, had been subjugated by their former empire.
Of course, the Takarans currently aboard the ship were not of noble houses. They were commoners—well educated and well trained commoners, to be sure, and probably of at least moderate socioeconomic status on their worlds, all of them except their leader, Lieutenant Montgomery, the lone diner.
Major Prechitt found himself standing at the lone Takaran man’s table, looking down at him. He could feel the eyes of the other Corinairans in the mess hall, all watching him to see what he would do. “Lieutenant Montgomery, isn’t it?”
The lieutenant looked up from the data pad that he had been studying while dining, a look of surprise on his face. “Uh, yes,” he mumbled. He instantly noticed the rank insignia on the major’s uniform. “Yes, sir,” he said more clearly, standing in respect.
“As you were, Lieutenant,” Major Prechitt told him. “May I join you?”
“Uh, yes, of course, sir.” The lieutenant looked even more confused. “Why?” he added in a more hushed tone.
“I figured I’d set an example for the rest of the men,” Major Prechitt said, “give them something to think about.”
“I appreciate the thought, sir, but it is not necessary. I understand how they feel about us, and I do not blame them. I would feel similar were our roles reversed.”
“That is exactly why it is necessary, Lieutenant,” the major said as he sat. “It will take some time for the animosity between our worlds to subside. Better that the process is started sooner rather than later. We Corinairans must realize that it was the regime that was our enemy, not its people. That regime no longer exists.”
“An enlightened attitude, to be sure,” the lieutenant stated. “However, I served that regime willingly.”
“Did you kill any of my countrymen?” Major Prechitt asked plainly.
“No, sir. I am a scientist, not a combatant. My rank is only for the purpose of leading others.” The lieutenant looked at Major Prechitt with as honest an expression as he could muster. “However, had I been ordered to do so, I would have complied.”
