Dawnwind 1: Last Man Standing

by George R. Shirer

  When he had gone through them all, Fel deftly restacked the cases in his closet, arranging them in a new configuration. Shutting the door, he glanced at Kami and smiled.

  “Well, that’s taken care of.”

  She sat on the bed and shook her head, grinning. “You carry all of that with you?”

  “I’ve been traveling with some of those things since I was a child.”

  “Your parents must have been very indulgent.”

  “Oh, I never had parents,” said Fel, cheerfully. “Well, none I remember. I was raised in a crèche.”

  “Oh!” Kami felt a wave of sympathy for the man. “For how long?”

  “All my youth.”

  “No one took you in?”

  “Some tried, but it never worked out.”

  Kami couldn’t comprehend not having a family. “But, you had friends?”

  “Oh lots and lots!” said Fel.

  “None of their families worked out for you?”

  “A lot of them tried, but it just didn’t happen.” He shrugged, smiling. “I suppose I was just too independent. And, besides, that’s all in the past. I have a family now.”

  “You do?”

  “The Guard,” said Fel.

  “How long have you served?”

  “Five years.”

  “And you’re already an Eighth?”

  Fel laughed. “It’s not that impressive, not when you compare it to our First.”

  “Our First?”

  He tilted his head, looked at her oddly. “Don’t you know who our First is?”

  She felt her fingers go hot. “Well, I kept meaning to check, but one thing happened and then another....”

  Fel grinned. “Our First is John Epcott.”

  Kami gaped. “The Last Human?”

  “You honestly didn’t know?”

  “No! I had no idea! My housemates are going to spasm when I comm them!”

  Fel laughed, took her hand. “Well, now you know.”

  “Have you ever met him? Do you know what he’s like? I’ve seen the newsfeeds, but. . . .”

  “I met him once, at a retirement party,” admitted Fel. “He was very nice. If not for his hair color you could almost mistake him for a Junian.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  Kami grinned. “Do you think he’s already aboard?”

  “Maybe. Why?”

  Her grin widened. “Let’s go look for him!”

  * * * * *

  John made his way along the Dawnwind’s corridors, greeting the crewmembers he met, stopping to chat with people here and there. He noted that many of this crew knew each other, which was a good thing. Junians weren’t happy unless they were part of a group. The faster social bonds formed the better. It was easy to spot the new crewmembers, the ones straight out of the Institute. They had hangdog expressions and looked ready to run back to Juni at the drop of a hat. These were the ones John stopped to speak with, to touch their hands and clasp their shoulders. After John left, they still looked shaky, but better than before.

  The corridors John walked through were rounded, with lushly carpeted decks. At the moment, the bulkheads were set to their default gray. Once they were underway, the engineers and medics would put their heads together, consult the crew and decide on a central color theme.

  He was encountering fewer people, now that he was in the aft section of the ship. Around him were the manufactories, the synthesizers, workshops and storerooms. The manufactories were still, the synthesizers quiet. The workshops and storerooms were dark. They would not come to life until they were away from Juni, making their way through the black.

  John kept walking. Occasionally, he encountered sealed passages. Engineering and tech specialists were working in those areas, triple-checking ship functions and integrity. He bypassed those areas, found himself once more among traveled corridors. Here, guardsmen were busy, stevedores from Doorstep Station guiding floatpads above the carpeted deck. John fell into step behind a group loaded with faintly luminescent boxes, curious about their destination.

  They wound through the corridors, emerging into the ship’s arboretum. Here, the plush carpeted deck gave way to green grass and stone paths. The air smelt pleasantly of wet, growing things. As John watched, specialists descended upon the stevedores and relieved them of their burdens. The packages were dissolved, exposing young, flowering trees. Their blossoms were blue, red and green. They were taken and carefully placed in prepared pots. The stevedores trooped out, but John lingered.

  “Are you lost, young man?”

  Turning, John found himself face-to-face with an elderly guardsman. He had short, gray hair and wore green eyepaint. The insignia on his shoulder identified him as a scientific specialist.

  “I’m just looking,” said John. He greeted the stranger, introducing himself.

  The older man brushed John’s palms. “Welcome, First. I am Jesko Nozeta, agricultural specialist.”

  “Is this your lab?” John nodded at the space around them.

  Jesko nodded, smiling. “Hopefully, we’ll be providing most of the produce the crew will be eating.”

  “Really?”

  “Most of our plants are still being transported aboard the ship, First. When they’re all here, this deck will look like a grove in the Muxis Forrest.”

  “So those are fruit trees?” John nodded at the trees that had been potted.

  “Flower trees for the pollinators.”

  “Insects?” asked John, frowning.

  “Sweet-stingers,” said Jesko. “They thrive on flower trees.”

  “Well, then, I think I’ll be staying well clear of your lab, specialist.”

  The scientist looked amused. “You don’t care for insects?”

  “I don’t care for sweet-stingers. I nearly died from a sweet-stinger bite, once.

  “Really?” Jesko frowned. “Their venom isn’t toxic.”

  “Not to Junians.”

  “Ah. I forgot your origins, First.” Jesko pursed his lips. “We’ll have to make sure the biomembrane is properly calibrated then, so that we can get out but not our little friends.”

  John couldn’t help grinning. “I’d appreciate that.”

  Another crew of stevedores arrived, bearing more plants. Jesko excused himself and hurried over to supervise the unwrapping and installation of the new additions. Wishing him well, John left the arboretum and continued on his wandering journey.

  * * * * *

  “I’m sorry for the delay, Third,” murmured the guardsman on duty. His fingers slid across his panel. “We’ve gotten reports of a rogue agent running wild across the infostructure. Our systems are crawling while the techs try to purge it.”

  Upio Jovut raised a pale blue eyebrow. “Is that so? Has the First been notified?”

  The guardsman shook his head. Glaring at his panel now, he stabbed at it. “I don’t know, Third. Comms are down.”

  Upio frowned. “Because of the rogue?”

  “Yes, sir. I was told the techs are working on that.” His panel chimed. “Finally! Welcome aboard the Dawnwind, Third Officer.”

  “Thank you. Do you know if the First Engineer is aboard?”

  “Yes, sir. First Engineer Siv signed in a couple of hours ago.”

  Jovut nodded. “Thank you. If anyone asks for me, guardsman, let them know I’m headed for the core.”

  * * * * *

  Vetew was not in a good mood. When he had walked into the core, he had found the place in an uproar. People were shouting at each other across the huge, circular chamber. Somewhere, an emergency claxon was ringing. A trio of technicians was standing around an exposed infonode, arguing with one another over how to proceed.

  “Quiet!”

  Vetew had a powerful voice. It cut through the din, bouncing off the circular walls of the core. The entire chamber fell silent. Guardsmen turned from their workstations to stare at him.

  “I am First Engineer Siv,” shouted Vetew. “Who’s in charge he
re?”

  A heavyset woman with short, dark yellow hair stepped forward. “Eighth Engineer Neli Amap, sir. Doorstep Station.”

  “Well, Eighth Engineer, what in the Wastes is going on here?”

  “Ship systems are infected with a rogue agent, sir.”

  Vetew’s eyes narrowed. “Is the shunt secure?”

  Amap gaped, stammered. “I...I don’t know, sir.”

  Vetew turned away from the flustered woman and raised his voice. “First priorities, people! Secure the shunt! And someone turn off that cursed alarm!”

  “We’ve tried, sir!” shouted a guardsman on one of the upper levels. “It won’t respond!”

  “Then tear it out of the wall!” roared Vetew. “Have you been coordinating with Doorstep on this, Amap?”

  “Comms are down, First Engineer.”

  Suddenly, the warning claxon died.

  “Thank you, guardsman!” Vetew shouted, without even looking to see who had done the job. He turned and stabbed a finger at one of the techs standing by the infonode. “You!”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Run down to the security check-in. Let the guardsmen there know that when engineering or technical specialists arrive, they’re to come straight to the core. Straight. To. The. Core! Go!”

  The tech fled.

  Vetew jabbed at another of the trio. “You! Do the same with anyone you find in crew quarters!”

  The second tech ran after the first.

  “And you,” said Vetew, addressing the final tech. “Head to the command and let whoever’s in charge know what’s happening.”

  He watched the third tech vanish after the other two, then turned back to the remaining guardsmen.

  “All right, people! Who can loan me a personal comm?”

  That had been almost three hours ago. Now, the core chamber was still chaotic, but it was organized chaos. Vetew himself had ensured that the shunt was secured, and had spent the last three hours coordinating repair teams with Doorstep Station. Eighth Engineer Amap had fled back to Doorstep Station as quickly as she could.

  “First Engineer Siv?”

  Vetew turned away from the panel he was working at, and found himself facing a tall man with long, light blue hair. The eyepaint applied around his eyes was red and black, giving him a fearsome aspect. The insignia on his left shoulder identified him as the ship’s Third Officer, and First Defender.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Upio Jovut, Third Officer, First Defender.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, Third.”

  Vetew’s panel chirped at him. Frowning, he turned to it and smacked it with his fist. The panel warbled sickly.

  “We’re getting off to a rough start,” noted Upio.

  To his surprise, the First Engineer grinned. “The mission doesn’t officially begin until we leave Doorstep, Third. By the time that happens, we’ll be fine. I guarantee it!”

  “I like your confidence, First Engineer. Do you know if the First has been notified of our situation?”

  Vetew shook his head. “I don’t know, sir, but the Second is aware of the situation.”

  “You’ve reestablished comms?”

  “Not yet. I’ve been using runners to keep tabs on my repair crews and personal comms to let the Second know what’s going on.”

  “Nicely done,” said Upio, beaming. “I’m going to adopt your strategy for my defense personnel. Would you contact the Second and advise him that I’m on my way to the command?”

  “Of course, Third.”

  * * * * *

  The command was an ovoid chamber at the fore of the ship. The rounded wallscreens were inert, dull gray. Illuminators flickered annoyingly. A quick glance at the workstations showed that over half of their displays were black. Of the remainder, the displays were either functioning normally, or flickering erratically. At least one panel’s screen had liquefied, the translucent fluid forming a puddle in the chair positioned before it.

  People milled about, drifting from one panel to another, speaking in quiet, urgent tones. A technician had exposed an infonode and was staring at the readings on his handscanner. Seated at the First’s position was a young man with almost luminescent yellow hair. For a moment, Upio stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. He approached the yellowhair, who offered a wan smile.

  “Third Officer Jovut, I presume?”

  Upio nodded. “Reporting for duty, Second.” He glanced around the command. “What’s our status?”

  “Understaffed and overworked,” said Temun. “We barely have enough people on board to make up even a skeleton crew and half our systems are spasming at random.”

  “Is the First aboard?”

  Temun nodded. “I met him in quarters, but I have no idea where he is now. I think he was heading for the transport bay.”

  “The First Engineer’s people seem to have things under control. With your approval, Second, I’ll find the First and advise him of the situation.”

  A stricken look flashed across the Second Officer’s face. “I should have done that already.”

  “There’s been no harm done, Second,” said Upio. He bowed his head, and left.

  Temun sighed and wondered, vaguely, what else would go wrong today?

  * * * * *

  “I can’t believe how big this ship is,” said Kami.

  Fel nodded. “I know. The last ship I was posted on would have fit in this corridor.”

  Kami chuckled. She and Fel had been wandering for hours, exploring the Dawnwind. They’d spent some time in the crew halls, found that the dining halls were closed and then picked a direction at random and started walking.

  “Are we still looking for the First?” asked Fel.

  Kami had paused to stick her head through a doorway. The chamber beyond it was set up as a classroom. The wallscreens were changing at random.

  “I suppose so. When do you have to report for duty?”

  “Fourth shift. I’ve got hours yet. You?”

  “Third,” said Kami. “Tomorrow.”

  “Lucky,” said Fel.

  The corridor ahead was sealed, so they wandered down a side passage. A technician hauled himself out of a tube and frowned at them.

  “Are either of you engineers or tech specialists?”

  Kami glanced at Fel. “No. Why?”

  The tech trotted toward them. “We’re rounding up all the techs and getting them to the core.”

  Fel frowned. “Is something the matter?”

  “We’ve got a rogue agent running wild through the ship’s systems. First Engineer wants all of his people working on the problem.”

  Kami frowned. “Why doesn’t he just make an announcement over the comms?”

  “Comms are down,” said the tech. “Is there anyone else on this deck?”

  “Not that we’ve seen,” said Kami.

  “Are primary systems affected?” asked Fel.

  “No,” said the tech. “The last I heard, it was just comms and info systems that were spasming.”

  The corridor’s lights flickered and died.

  “I think you might want to add illuminators to your list, guardsman,” said Fel, blandly.

  “Lonely souls,” muttered the tech.

  A moment later, a warm golden light began to press against the darkness. The tech had produced a pressure-torch from his tool belt and was gripping it tightly.

  “I’d better keep moving,” he said. “You two might want to get back to quarters.” With a bob of his head, the tech trotted down the corridor.

  Kami touched Fel’s hand. “Do you think he’s right? Should we head back to quarters?”

  “He didn’t seem that worried about things,” said Fel. He squeezed Kami’s hand. “I say we keep going.”

  “All right, but let’s try another deck. I’ve never liked the dark.”

  “Up or down?”

  “Down,” said Kami.

  They stepped into the tube and pulled themselves down, to the next deck. This one was still illu
minated.

  Thank the gods, thought Kami. She stepped out of the tube and looked around. Fel had gone to an infoscreen and was trying to get it to respond. The screen remained gray and inert.

  “No joy?” asked Kami.

  Fel shook his head. “None. That tech wasn’t joking when he said the infosystems were spasming.”

  “Any idea where we are?”

  “Aft section, Deck 5, Corridor 7.”

  Kami turned, startled, to see a man pulling himself out of the tube. She stared at him. He had short black hair.

  “First!”

  Kami found herself snapping to attention. Beside her, Fel did the same.

  “At ease, guardsmen,” said John. He smiled. “But you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don’t know who you are.”

  Kami smiled at the man, tried not to stare at his hair. Instead, she focused on his face, and realized that the First had blue eyes. She found herself staring at them instead. Blue eyes!

  “Eighth Officer Fel Ezep, First” said Fel, greeting the man properly. “Second Defender.”

  Kami watched the two men touch palms and saw the First had small, blunt talon-like extrusions at the end of his fingertips.

  “And you, guardsmen?”

  Blinking, her own fingertips flushing with embarrassment at being caught staring, Kami greeted the First. “Ninth Officer Kami Guso, sir. First Allocator.”

  They brushed palms lightly.

  “A pleasure to meet you both,” said John. “I was making my way to the transport bay, but the corridor was blocked.”

  “The corridor above was sealed as well, First,” reported Fel.

  The man’s brow furrowed. “Odd.”

  “We ran into a technician earlier, sir,” said Kami. “He said there was a rogue agent affecting the ship’s systems. That may be why they’ve sealed the corridors.”

  “Or it could be the agent itself,” said John. “I assume comms aren’t working?”

  “No, sir,” said Fel. “Neither are the infoscreens.”

  “And the illuminators failed on the level above,” added Kami. “Sir.”

  “Well, I was hunting for my luggage, but that will have to wait.” John glanced at the two junior officers. “What are you two doing?”

  Kami opened her mouth, but hesitated. Telling the First that they had been wandering the ship, looking for him, just didn’t sound very . . . mature. It was the sort of thing someone would do during their lifechange.