Proving True: A Sonia MacTaggert Novel

by Robert Culp

  “It’s on my way, ma’am. C’mon, Bub. Let’s get to steppin’.”

  “Gaston, Meredith, with me!” The chef and his two assistants follow the quickly moving trooper.

  “So Captain,” Pipper begins. “This is not your first command, but even so, how are you faring?”

  “Well I think, sir. Granted, Gallagher isn’t Night Searcher, and it certainly isn’t Star Chaser.”

  “Very true,” he says with a chuckle. “In some ways I envy you. From time to time I think my title should be ‘Mayor,’ rather than ‘Captain.’”

  “I should think ‘Governor,’ sir. But during our journey here, I was able to get very acquainted with this ship.”

  “That was by design. It seemed the height of cruelty to ferry you here knowing the command was coming, but keeping you from getting your hands dirty on it.”

  “I appreciate that, sir. I’m sure Commander DuQuois wasn’t happy with me being so near but unavailable.”

  “Oh, she raised quite a ruckus. And every once in a while she made some very valid points. And speaking frankly, Captain to Captain, a stern look and the command ‘Do your job’ will do wonders for those situations when they arise. And believe me, they will. If you haven’t mastered The Look yet, you should invest some time in doing so. You don’t have children, do you?”

  “No sir, not anymore. I had a quasi foster daughter, but that didn’t last.”

  “It’s probably quite the same. I myself have seven. And before you start doing the math and wondering, Lorena is my fourth wife. She has mothered no children. To my knowledge. If I may impose until dinner?” Somehow, we’ve wound up outside my quarters/office. Did he guide me here somehow?

  “Oh, I don’t see why not.” I open the door and enter. He follows me, dismissing his clerk.

  He sits on the settee and gestures at me to sit at my desk, “Now, what are your questions about your mission?”

  Four days have passed. Oedipus has been on station and operational turning seawater into something the reactors can use. Star Chaser has left us. Oedipus has a 100-ton load of fuel if we should need it. Gallagher can maintain geo-synchronous orbit operations for about 46 days before we need to fuel up. As long as all we need are maneuvering and/or station keeping thrusters. If things go awry, Oedipus is streamlined so it can land and process the seawater into fuel. As it is, they are exercising their own small craft pilots and water collection teams.

  Shawna has sought a happy medium being a “helmsman” for Gallagher in orbit and a low-level shuttle pilot for the runs down to Dubus III. She’s definitely happier doing the latter. And it’s hard to blame her. With Gallagher in orbit, there’s not a lot for a helmsman to do other than operate the attitude thrusters to keep the ship stable with respect to the planet. And her understudy, mechanic Will Baumgartner, has been doing that just fine. Shawna is back from one of her hair-raising wave-skimming flights. Some of the imagery is posted on the monitors.

  “Mixed bag, Boss,” she reports after her shuttle is secure. Several of her passengers, Leka among them, look quite shaken. “I made the mistake of taking that load of soft bellied whine tails on this flight. We did some low passes on all of the significant landmasses. Excluding the polar regions, most of the planet is forest…”

  Hanson, one of the botanists, speaks up, “Deciduous to rainforest ma’am.”

  Shawna glares at him, “Yeah, whatever. Anyway, there are lots of trees. But the dominant life form appears to be reptilian. Big carnivorous T. Rex looking beasties.”

  Leka raises her hand. I nod to her. “That’s quite right, ma’am, theropods. And while we didn’t observe any directly for any length of time…”

  “How could we at light speed?” Quips one of the other scientists. I suppress a grin. Shawna loves being above mach 7 if she’s in an atmosphere.

  “…It stands to reason that there are huge carnivores in the oceans as well.”

  “You don’t want to release her here.”

  “Ma’am,” Leka’s eyes glisten, she’s on the verge of tears. “It would be a death sentence. It might not be immediate, but eventually, she’s going into something’s stomach. In my scientific opinion, it isn’t if it’s when.”

  “Very well. We had discussed this eventuality with her. But what you’re describing is the food chain in action. While she is a predator and probably pretty close to the top, she’s still in the chain. So, it looks like she’s a guest aboard for a while. You’re telling her.” What’s the point in being Captain if you can’t throw your weight around? “But on to happier news, we’ll initiate the outpost there.” I point to an area about a half-kilometer from the ocean. I gesture to my troopers. “I want a minimum of two troopers in marauder armor at all times whenever we have people on the planet. Do we have a crew served weapon that can be mounted on the outpost? It needs to have organic defense systems. And I’ll want two crews for it on station at all times, one active and one reserve. They won’t be there to provoke a fight, but they have the mission to deter any aggression. Most particularly from the T. Rex beasties already mentioned.”

  Freddie answers. “The squad has four FR14s. I don’t think we need more firepower than that.” The Fusion Rifle Mark 14, more commonly known as the FR14, makes each so armed trooper a nuclear force. The weapon launches a particle that is essentially a fusion bomb. “We also have the systems we…found…that could be mounted in the turret on this tub. One of those is a crew served mini fusion cannon to put up there. Good call on the security element, I was going to suggest that.” One trooper will have more firepower on his back than many small craft do. That ought to do what I’m asking.

  I hold two fingers up at him. “Two things. One, If I’m not mistaken, you were the person who taught me that one can never have too much firepower. Two, Star Chaser is not in the area. The conclusion that leads me to is that you intend to get such a device from Oedipus.”

  “To the first, I did, but I’ve also told you not to worry about such things, I’ll handle it. To the second, it would be impertinent of me to indicate there may be flaws in your logic.” His way of telling me he got it before Star Chaser left and to ask no more questions. He was probably going to mount it into one of Gallagher’s turrets, but this is as good a cause as any. I’m not chasing that rabbit.

  “Freddie, it's a commander's job to worry. That's what we do. In fact if you can tell me you don't worry about the troopers under your command I'm going to start having serious doubts about you being the right guy for the job. I'm not talking about a lack of faith in their abilities. I trust you and everybody else to do their job. It's your job to plan the next fight. It's my job to plan the fight after that one and verify assets and resources are on hand for it. And if I do things right, you don’t have to fight.” He nods.

  One of the science types, Hanson, has something on his mind. “We did collect multiple specimens…”

  “After they stopped crying and wetting their APE suits,” Shawna notes unkindly.

  “…Which need cataloging. Then I’ll get on their analysis.”

  “Very well,” I turn to Leka, “are there local fauna in the ocean to worry about? Jellyfish, urchins, rays, sharks, things like that? I’d like to authorize some beach time if it’s safe.”

  “There are almost certainly a few, I’d like a day or two to do some cataloguing myself. My concern is toxins. We’ll need treatment and medication for stings and such. We did get some indications of small sharks and what look similar to blue fin tuna. We should be able to isolate an area we can swim in with minimal danger.”

  “Not a bad idea, but I’d rather not use any physical barriers if we can avoid it. If I remember geology 101 correctly, they can have negative effects down the coast. Perhaps some semi-active sonar type units. We’ll certainly post ‘swim at your own risk’ signs on the bulletin boards and on the shoreline. The ones outside will have motion sensitive firecrackers to scare off any critter that molests them. Hopefully the bang will scare them away and alert us t
o their presence. What else?”

  Shawna has raised her hand, “Can we break out the anti-grav bikes? They’re fast and will cover a lot of territory in minutes with minimal education. I…found…some on Star Chaser before they left.”

  “Will they be missed? Never mind, I don’t want to know anything about them. Once we have the outpost at least in place and powered, then we can start the semi-recreational exploring.”

  My perCom beeps with a call from the bridge. “Ma’am, it’s not anything urgent, but we’re predicting a meteor shower at about midnight ship time, for any that may be interested. At this time there’s about a 30% chance of an impact in that area. It may be prudent to find an alternate site for the outpost.”

  “Noted and thank you, but this is where we’re going to put it. A 30% chance of a hit is a 70% chance of a miss. I like those odds.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Bridge out.”

  “Now,” I say to the people around me, “if there’s nothing else, get to work. Leka, I believe you have a cetacean to disappoint.”

  Work progresses, everyone gets on with his or her job. I could, and honestly probably should return to Gallagher to do some of that command stuff. There’s always something that needs to be addressed. But I don’t answer to anybody here and truthfully, I don’t want to be aboard the ship right now. I pitch in and get my hands dirty emplacing the outpost just like everyone else. We get the walls and roof of the shelter up. True to his word, Freddie arranges for a high energy degaussing cannon to be delivered. The structure doesn’t have a turret for it, per se, but it does have a flat solid roof. Running power cables to it and reinforcing the structure isn’t difficult but it isn’t trivial either.

  At about dusk we have as much done on the shelter as we’re going to get done before daylight returns. And we have a functioning sonar warning system in place. I can’t wait to go swimming. But Leka spoils my fun.

  “Ma’am, I cannot recommend entering the water. The light is fading. Most life forms in most oceans are feeding now. We don’t have a good idea of what might be coming close to shore.”

  “It’s because I made you tell the whale we weren’t leaving her here, isn’t it?” I ask with a bit of a grin. But she is spared from having to answer me. She’s preparing to speak when the air is split with a very loud alarm. She snatches her perCom from her pocket.

  “Unknown aquatic life form in the bay.” She says. “Maybe eleven meters long.”

  “Your point is well made, I’ll stay out of the water until you say it’s safe.”

  “I have no idea when that will be, ma’am.”

  “And I can live with that.” Well, there’s still the meteor shower to watch.

  It’s really hard to not treat this like a camping trip. For the life of me, I want to build a bonfire on the beach and wait for the meteors to start falling. And I’m certain that if such were to happen, someone would start roasting sausages and/or marshmallows. Then the musical instruments would come out. It’s not exactly a tactical environment, but nocturnal creatures, which describes most known predators, are conspicuously curious about things that give off light where there shouldn’t be any. And some of those creatures are very large and perpetually hungry. So there will be no fires.

  But then the meteor shower starts. A side effect of being away from civilization is there’s very little light pollution to distract from the universe showing off. The physicists and chemists in the group argue about why the falling rocks have different color trails. The rest of us tune them out, just enjoying the show. The lack of catastrophe should have been my clue that a shoe was on its way down.

  “Captain,” Athena’s voice is in my perCom. “There is a ship approximately 400 tons in size one hour from orbit. Should I hail them?”

  “By all means,” I reply. “Operation Friendly is in effect. But go to yellow alert just the same. LT Landers and I will be back aboard shortly.”

  “Affirmative, Gallagher out.”

  I leave the highbrows to their bickering. I’ll have an earful from Shawna by the time we get back to the ship.

  She doesn’t disappoint. By the time we get back aboard she has me convinced I’m such a despicable person even I don’t want to hang around me.

  “Captain is on the bridge,” Athena states as I enter the control center.

  “What do we know?” I ask.

  “Very little, thus far they’ve done nothing to acknowledge…”

  “Well, hello again Gallagher,” a man’s voice oozes from the speaker grille. “It is so thrilling to see you in space again. Just in case you’ve forgotten, you may call me ‘Grinning Jack Grangiere.’ I do hope you’re in a more favorable mind to discuss your cargo and any large sums of money you may have, I’ll be relieving you of them, of course. Then I’ll be on my way, there’s no need for this to get unpleasant again.”

  “They are powering weapons,” Athena informs us.

  “Battle stations!” I yell.

  “Really?” Jack doesn’t sound impressed. “That’s far from effective, at this range I can easily avoid your targeting lasers, but your drive systems and your one turret will be hard pressed to avoid mine. For all of our sakes, be a dear, heave to, and prepare to be boarded. Trust me, I’ve done this a few times before.”

  I look at Athena, she leans in close and whispers to me, “He has four turrets, and as he says they are targeting our maneuver and transit drives as well as our weapon system. We are hopelessly outgunned.”

  I whisper back to her, “Oedipus is on the other side of the planet. We don’t know if he knows about them or not. Send them an encrypted message to stay there. They’re essentially a flying bomb and couldn’t help us if they wanted to.” She nods.

  “Grinning Jack Grangiere,” Damn you to the deepest hell suspected! “Welcome to Dubus III,” I say in the most diplomatic voice I can manage right now. “I’m afraid I am the bearer of bad news. We are on a research mission, not a commercial one. Therefore, we have no cargo of any interest outside a museum and no money of any consequence at all. So I must agree with you, there is no need for a fight. That being the case, would you power down your weapons, please?” The whole time I’m talking to him, I’ve been typing out a message to Freddie: DEFCON 2, Weapons Tight, prepare all hands to repel boarders. Pass the word. He now knows an attack is imminent, to fire on anything not identified as “friendly” and that he needs to arm up as many people as he can. After sending the message I whisper to Athena, “Send someone to my stateroom, give him or her the combination to my safe. Fetch me the Amulet of the Ancients and the microfilament saber, please.” I see her turn and relay instructions to one of the troopers with the bad luck to be on the bridge right now, Padilla.

  “I’m certain that’s the case, my dear,” Jack replies.

  I get Freddie’s response: Acknowledged.

  Jack is speaking again, “But I’m afraid as I don’t know you, I can’t accept your word on those counts. By the way, what became of Captain…Oh, what was his name…Harmony? Yes, that was it. Captain Harmony, where is he? He seemed a pleasant enough if obstinate fellow. Anyway, I will see for myself, or more accurately, my soldiers will. And as I am a reasonable fellow, I’m sure we can work out a deal. Perhaps there are a few women aboard Gallagher fit to join my harem. And what remains of your crew can be sold as slaves, or likewise inducted to the stable. So you see, Captain, you do have a cargo from which I can profit. And before the subject leaves my mind; to which angel belongs the voice with whom I’m speaking? What distinguishes you from the rest of the chattel?”

  “No angel I can assure you of that, you silver-tongued scalawag. I am Captain Sonia MacTaggert. And if that’s the deal you have in mind, I must express a considerable lack of interest. Personally, I’ve yet to meet Mr. Right. Mr. Right Now, him I’ve bumped into a few times. And I don’t think any of the ladies aboard would be interested in departing from their careers just yet.” As usual, my brogue creeps in when I get upset.

  “Ah, a—oh, what is the t
erm? —Downlander? Uplander?” he says. “No matter, either way, I’ve heard of you, believe it or not,” Where is Padilla? “I’ll send a shuttle over and…holy flaming balls of Horus!” He shouts, then nothing.

  “Captain,” the communication technician says, “the channel was shut down on that end. Wait, he’s hailing us now.”

  “Answer,” I direct him.

  “All right, now that I know you have a matter transporter, the stakes of our little game have gone up. It appears I’ll be taking it if I can remove it and I’ll take your ship if I can not.”

  “What are you talking about?” I bluster, “we’ve no such thing! Why would you say that?” I bet the simple minded twit activated the amulet without knowing it! In fairness, I can’t be too mad at her. It happened to me a few times as well. But now it and my sword are on the wrong ship and DEFINITELY in the wrong hands!

  “Come now, Captain,” he has regained his composure. “Miss Padilla I believe her name to be, was a bit disoriented and hence easily overpowered when she literally materialized right in front of me. Did she know she was coming or is she a peace offering? If she’s indicative of the feminine members of your crew, I may be marrying more than one. Well, to be fair, consummating imagined marriages is a more accurate term. Would it be convenient for you to send me some pictures? That might speed things up a bit.”

  There’s no way I’m giving in to him, but I need to buy some time. “All right, I’m convinced, you win. We have no hope of winning a fight with you. You leave me no choice but to surrender. Very well, I will send some pictures. But it will take a few minutes to get the pictures separated out, copied and prepared for digital transmission. I’ll contact you again when I’m ready to send them.” I switch the comm off. Athena starts to speak. I silence her with a wave and a “Trust me,” that even I find hard to believe. This is hard enough when it’s me. And I’ve never tried another person. I fall into my chair. I relax my arms onto the armrests and steady my breathing. I picture Padilla in my mind. I see her face, the color of her hair, the shape of her body, her scent, the size of the pores on her nose, everything I can muster to my conscious mind. Then I picture her standing in front of me on the bridge in three…two…one…now. I hear profanity from my right and open my eyes. Padilla is standing right in front of me with a surprised look on her face. Then she keels over, fainting dead away. The troopers standing watch on the bridge holster their sidearms. Good thing Athena wasn’t packing, she probably would have killed Padilla.