Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10.5: Carnie's Tale

by Randolph Lalonde

  The Admiral looked a little amused. “No one in your class was on track to captain anything, Trainee. Haven Fleet can’t afford to give that command to any fresh graduate in the first Apex class, no matter what kind of experience they have, but your dedication wasn’t wasted. You’ll be picked as an officer in the fleet by a captain you can believe in.” Ayan looked the Trainee’s records up on a holographic display that was blurry to Alice. “You’ve completed all your critical assignments, so go enjoy your time off. Clear your head, move in to the apartment you’ve earned in the new Paradise Landing Complex.”

  “Can I start running command sims with the Reaper Class during leave?” she asked.

  “No,” Ayan said. “It’s time to give your mind a rest. You don’t realize it now; but you need a break,” she said firmly but reassuringly.

  “All right, Admiral.” Pirine nodded uncertainly and left the room quietly, looking a little lost.

  When the door closed behind her, Alice wasn’t sure how to address the Admiral, but the awkwardness fell away when Ayan embraced her warmly. “I’ve been meaning to visit, Alice,” she said. “It seems like months have passed since I got back, but it’s only been weeks, and every time I check on you, you’ve been right in the middle of something. Trainee Pirine would pass out if she saw how much harder you’ve worked.”

  “You can interrupt me any time,” Alice said, finding more comfort in her adopted mother’s arms than she expected. “I think about you and dad when things quiet down. Other times too.”

  “It’s all right,” Ayan said, letting her go slowly. “You’re just as busy as I am.”

  “I doubt it,” Alice said, turning towards the new ship through the transparent bulkhead. The arms were busy putting the finishing touches on the middle-most deck and starting to move on. Navy blue and polished metal plating was going into hallways, and ceiling panels with passive lighting preinstalled were being put into place. “You and your team must have stopped sleeping entirely to put this together.”

  “It’s been busy, but there’s something that they ignored with the Runner Class that we embraced completely. Lorander has been borrowing and implementing technology from multiple galaxies for a few centuries now, and they have a mature system for constructing new ships. This is the fifth design of the Reaper Class, and that’s after two simulated iterations that we put together on day one – so we could learn how to use Lorander’s tools. This is the first we’ve built for real, the official prototype, but their tools and the data we collected from everyone who tested parts of the ship virtually put us decades ahead. Lorander wanted us to win this war, but only if we could understand their technology, and catch up to their science. Figuring out the dimension drive technology that we found on the Fallen Star, the Edxian engineering inside, was a massive hurdle. It would have never happened without their knowledge, and now we have something that puts us on par with our enemies. Lorander’s knowledge has changed the course of this war.”

  “Why do you think they chose us?” Alice asked.

  “I thought about that a lot on my way back from the Nebula,” Ayan said. “I think it was Haven Shore. They kept track of how our democracy was developing, which values we embraced, how we housed our people, and tried to bring them together as a community. Their notes to us with regards to social development are filled with encouragement and markers showing that they are excited about how our new culture is coming together around family and service. There are warnings too, but I didn’t find any surprises there. They mostly want to make sure that we remember how important individual freedoms are even in a closely-knit society. I think they saw the kind of ideas that should spread, so they gave us the technology to defend ourselves, but even more importantly, the ability to quickly understand new breakthroughs in science as they’re found in equipment we acquire from other civilizations. In the wrong hands, that could enable the worst kind of conquerors, but in ours I hope we can become famous explorers, diplomats, and defenders. We have to win a war first.”

  “What if exploring, and forming diplomatic ties are how they want us to win this war?” Alice asked.

  “I quietly hope those become our core strategies,” Ayan replied. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, you know. Not just your scores, but the way you solve problems. You’ve gone from running-and-gunning early in your training to thinking things through, avoiding violence when you could. No puzzle has just one solution to you anymore, it shows.”

  “Thank you,” Alice said. “I can’t wait to stand on that ship. Even with Lorander tech holding your hand, it’s amazing that it’s coming together.”

  “You may not serve on it right away. A carrier is being refitted right now, it’s modern by our standards, and it’ll be critical to system defence. Your name has come up a few times with regards to core staff. It’s not frontline, but it’s an important post where you’ll learn a lot. You’ll also be teaching. You’ll be in broad demand while we finish the training tutorials.”

  “So you’re grooming us as trainers?” Alice asked.

  “First, then you’ll move on to another assignment. I could pull strings and get you assigned to the Reaper Prototype, but I wouldn’t do that to you. Everyone who helps train the fleet commanders will have an amazing addition to their file, the kind that could allow them to choose their post when it’s all over. You’ll be even more important once your father and the rest of the fleet return from the Iron Head Nebula. Your experience and training make you important, it’s a privileged position, trust me,” Ayan reassured. “If you think being assigned as a teacher for a few weeks is holding you back, imagine how I feel.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m on permanent assignment here, in the Rega Gain system. You can get assigned to a crew and leave the system, but I’ll be here taking care of the hardware. I’m not disappointed, not really, it was inevitable with the way things were going. I’m still getting used to the idea, it’s an honour, and I think I’m where I should be, if I’m being honest. It does come with perks though. I can fly home at the end of the day, and the restriction on having a family is restricted. I didn’t plan on having one soon, but who knows what the future will bring with me and Jake? I’m hopeful.”

  “You want children?” Alice asked, feeling a little glee for her and her father.

  “Of course. I’d love to give you a little sister or brother, but not before the time is right, mind you. Why?”

  “I just saw you as a career person,” Alice said. “But now that I’m thinking about it, I can see you with a few young ones.”

  “A few?” Ayan asked, slightly taken aback. “I still have to get to know you better, adding to the family right now would be a little much, I think.”

  “I know, just adapting to new possibilities,” Alice said.

  “You have a lot of time, your father and I are just getting used to being together again. I can’t wait for him to get back. They’re due in a couple of weeks, give or take a day or two.”

  “That seems like a long time to wait. I suppose we’ll have to train most of the battlegroup on the new operating systems and technologies.”

  “Yes, but I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly the time passes. You’ll be moving on to an assignment that takes you out of the system before you know it.”

  “No string pulling then,” Alice said. “Half the people in the fleet believe that I’m here because of you and dad already.”

  “I know what that’s like, don’t worry. I suggest you ignore them, just make what you can of the opportunities you have,” Ayan said. “Like you’ve been doing.”

  “Speaking of opportunities, I have an assignment I need to talk to you about, but I can’t talk about it.”

  “Noah Lucas, call sign Carnie,” Ayan said. “I know you’ve been assigned to his file.”

  Alice breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you, I’m so glad I can talk to someone about it.”

  “You’ve effectively been promoted along with everyone w
ho was just here. At their clearance level, you can talk to them about it too,” Ayan said. “Why? Are you having trouble with your report?”

  “No, well, a little, it’s confusing,” Alice said. “I keep on slowing down because I like listening to his narration.”

  “Ah, that would slow you down,” Ayan said. “Maybe you like him a little too?”

  “I don’t know, he seems a little young in spirit to me,” Alice said, smirking. “But I want to finish the report. I feel like we have a lot to learn about Iora, and the automated summary says he’s about to leave the secure building he’s been holed up in. I want to see what a pulsed-out world looks like, especially one like that, where there were over a billion bots serving.”

  “Then do it,” Ayan said. “You have five days, and I’m giving you special permission to investigate Noah Lucas’ past, no matter where it takes you. I’ll give you special clearance, it’s an appropriate measure considering Iora isn’t far from the Rega Gain system. We need the information you’re gathering.”

  “I don’t know if I can get through it in five days,” Alice said. “I guess a trip to Iora is out of the question then.”

  “You already charted the trip, haven’t you?” Ayan asked.

  “Well, yeah, but it would take nine days there and back. Wouldn’t you?”

  “I would,” Ayan said. She looked at the comm unit on the wrist of her jacket and shook her head. “I have to be going. There are shuttles waiting to bring you down to Paradise Landing, enjoy the new apartment.”

  “I can’t believe you’ve already got a new housing complex going,” Alice said.

  “Now that the civilian branch has its own fabricator they can turn out thirty units a day, so our housing problem is under control for the moment. Your group is moving in early though, so you might not have local sushi delivery just yet.” Ayan embraced her briefly, then led the way through the door. “I didn’t pull any strings to get you the view, but you’ll find a welcome package from me in the living room. Everyone got one, but I made sure there were a couple extra things in yours.”

  “Thank you,” Alice said. “I’ll see you soon?”

  “I’ll try to visit, and I’ll call if I don’t make it,” Ayan said as she slipped through a side door.

  “Petty Officer Alice Valent,” said a gentle voice in Alice’s ear. “Please follow the green line to your shuttle.”

  A thin green line appeared at her feet, leading her down the hallway. The embarkation room wasn’t far off, and she found the rest of her group there. “Can you believe it? We’re going to be ahead of everyone, teaching captains and commanders.”

  “I’m sure they’re already learning about the new systems,” Alice said. “We’re filling in for a tutorial program that’ll answer questions when we get our new assignments.”

  “But we’ll get to meet so many people, and answer questions for them when they need help most,” he said. “My father says half of promotion is who you know.”

  “If that’s true, Alice has nothing to worry about,” Buto said. “Hard work, daughter to a Captain, an Admiral and the Defence Minister’s granddaughter? We’ll all be taking orders from her as soon as we enter service.”

  “I work hard, like anyone else here,” Alice said.

  “She’s going to be giving orders because she can solve problems before we even know we have a problem,” Titus said. “She has nothing to prove to you.”

  “You’re right, you’re right,” Buto said, putting his hands up and backing away. “Never mind, okay?”

  “Apologize,” Titus said. Iruuk added tension to the demand as he turned his snout towards the recruit and stood tall.

  “I’m sorry I inferred that you get special treatment,” Buto said. “Oh, look, shuttles.” He said as he moved towards one of the airlock doors. The sounds of clamps engaging and air rushing to fill the airlocks made it clear that the second small ship that would take them down to Tamber was arriving.

  “Don’t do that again,” Alice said. “I can fight my own battles, and I know there are hundreds of people like him in the service. I can’t spend all my time fighting them, so just ignore it, okay?”

  Iruuk nodded. “I’m sorry, I protect my friends, but I’ll try to adjust.”

  “I see how hard you work,” Titus said. “It just pissed me off, I apologize.”

  “Thank you,” Alice said. She was about to get in line for a shuttle when Titus touched her arm. Iruuk was already moving off to the nearest airlock, the indicator above showed that it was almost ready.

  “I’m wondering, now that we have a few days off,” Titus said quietly. “If we could have dinner, maybe take a walk after?”

  Alice momentarily wished she hadn’t inherited her mother’s complexion as she felt herself blush from neck to forehead. “Make good on that promise, you mean?”

  “I would be asking you either way,” Titus said. His confidence was enviable. “It was the first thing I thought of when I heard we were getting leave.”

  “Sure, give me a call tomorrow after we’ve settled in,” she said. He was attractive, with broad features, and he wasn’t so tall that she felt diminutive next to him. Titus carried himself like an officer already; well spoken, gentlemanly, and he seemed to have a well-evolved moral compass. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Are you coming?” Iruuk called from the inner airlock door as he proceeded through.

  Part Fourteen

  “What is this?” Iruuk asked to himself as the shuttle turned so they could see the Paradise Landing Complex. He looked more excited than Alice had ever seen; his nose and bottom lip twitched, his eyes were wide open and his hand was pressed to the window. “We really get an apartment? Our own apartment?”

  Alice stroked the soft fur beneath his shoulder. It was easy to forget that Iruuk was still a teenager in many ways. Nafalli could hunt their own food when they were only a few months old, and were considered mature when they turned sixteen. Even considering all that, she couldn’t help but be excited right along with him.

  Looking down, she took the sight of the new housing in. It was as though the building were pearlescent seashells balanced between the upper trunks of jungle trees. The jungle’s edge was filled with rounded apartments that overlooked a white and yellow beach. Many of them had a retractable landing pad, and bulbous additions that indicated that there were several rooms and extra storage compartments.

  “I mean, it’s impressive, but not that amazing,” Buto said. “It would take our orbital constructor five minutes to print one of these houses out, maybe six if they printed those artificial trees too.”

  Alice saw them then, the supports holding the apartments up were shaped like trees, but she could see the glint of metal here and there. The walkways looked like they were made of wood as well, but she could tell that they were definitely made of metal. In the middle of the complex was an incomplete space port, its round outline and outer armour looked finished, but dozens of drones were busy delivering segments of walkway, deck plating and parcels of materials to the hollow interior. “I don’t really care how long it took them to build it,” Alice said. “I’m just glad it’s here.”

  “I thought I was lucky to share a room with one person, only one person,” Iruuk said. “I’ve never had a space for myself. Just myself, only me.” He looked at Alice, still excited but a little panicked. “What will I do with it?”

  “Invite your family,” Alice replied.

  “We could have dinner together at my place!” he shouted. “I could make a climbing gym for my brothers and sisters!”

  “His mother just gave birth to eleven,” Alice told Titus, who was stunned.

  “No wonder he’s not used to having his own space,” he replied.

  The shuttle touched down on a landing pad and the door opened. “This is your stop, Valent,” a voice said over the intercom.

  “I’ll see you later, fur-face,” Alice said. “Before you do anything, just relax. You worked hard, you earned it.
”

  The landing pad was much larger than she expected, so much so that when the shuttle left, she felt small. A breeze ran through her hair, bringing with it the fragrance of the upper jungle. If someone ever asked what the colour green smelled like, she’d take them there, where the sweet fragrance of new growth mixed with old jungle surrounded her.

  The sound of the ocean drew her attention to the left, where she smiled at a long line of sand drawn between the jungle and the water that looked so clean and inviting that she was tempted to call the shuttle back. Her friend, Ashley came to mind, the real sun lover, and all at once she missed the friends who were still on their way back from the Iron Head Nebula. Ashley, Minh-Chu, Remmy, her father, among others and one more person who she never met; Carnie, or Noah Lucas as she’d come to know him. She hoped her own artificial intelligence and ship were intact as well, and as Alice thought of them she realized that the landing pad was large enough for the Clever Dream. “You think of everything, mother.” she said to herself as she moved on to the apartment.

  As she stepped up into the side door, the landing pad folded into itself and retracted, turning into a sizeable balcony with a high railing that surrounded most of the suspended building. Upon entering the apartment, she noticed a door to her left and opened it. A winding ramp led to an empty hangar, large enough for the Clever Dream and a pair of small shuttles. “On one hand I can’t believe this is mine, on the other I’m afraid of what the military are going to ask me to do for it,” she said to herself.

  “Expectations are high based on your existing qualification scores and your record, Petty Officer Alice Valent,” a cheery female voice said from overhead. “I’m Roomie, a basic management program that you can modify to suit your needs and whims.”