Excelsior

by Jasper T. Scott

  “We don’t have time to inspect the comm unit’s code and find out if it’s rigged.”

  “Maybe, maybe not, but I have a better idea. What would you say the odds are that bomb was designed to destroy the Lincoln?”

  “Slim to none, assuming the bomber knows something about size of the payload he’s working with.”

  “So if it goes off, what kind of damage are we looking at?”

  “We’ll lose most of our food stores to space, and those decks will be torn wide open, but that’s about it.”

  “Then the bomber isn’t looking to get himself killed. He probably just wants to turn this ship around and go home.”

  Stone blinked. “So…”

  “So, let’s get the crew together. We never did organize a proper funeral service for the pilots we lost.”

  Stone’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Sir, I don’t think this is the time to be discussing—”

  Alexander held up a hand. “Let me stop you there, Lieutenant. I have plan to catch our deviant crewman, but if it’s going to work, we need everyone to be present. The funeral is a good excuse that won’t tip anyone off.”

  “What are your orders, sir?” Ramos asked.

  Alexander turned back to the feed. “Take that food crate to the amidships cargo-loading airlock and wait for me there.”

  “Too heavy for me to move it alone, sir.”

  “Get your squad mates to help,” Alexander said.

  “Roger, Captain.”

  Lieutenant Stone muted the channel. “This plan of yours better not get more of our people killed.”

  “Danger is the spice of life, Lieutenant.”

  “Variety.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Variety is the spice of life, sir.”

  “Well, I’ve never been very good with English idioms.”

  Chapter 7

  It was standing room only in the cargo bay at the amidships airlock—everyone except for Lieutenant Davorian was there. Since he had reported the bad engine code Alexander had decided that he was probably above reproach, so Davorian was back on the bridge as the Officer of the Deck until Hayes and McAdams returned from the funeral.

  Alexander stared dead ahead, through the thick tempered glass at the top of the inner airlock door. The symbolic casket sitting inside the airlock was actually the food crate they’d found rigged with a bomb. Alexander hoped the bomber would notice and start to get nervous, but so far he hadn’t seen any adverse reactions from the crew.

  Alexander stood beside the ship’s chaplain as he read a passage from the Bible.

  “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

  The chaplain went on reading, but Alexander tuned him out. Being an agnostic, he found it ironic that even the chaplain had accepted gener treatments in exchange for his years of service with the navy. Alexander was pretty sure that constituted some kind of hypocrisy—preaching about immortality in the life to come, yet accepting it now in this one.

  Hedging your bets? Alexander wondered.

  Since the advent of medical immortality, the religions of the world had been relegated to promising life eternal to those who had yet to become immortal, and to those who were afraid they might still die of unnatural causes. If the current service was any indication, Alexander supposed that made some degree of sense. The chances of dying from unnatural causes over the course of an infinite lifespan were a hundred percent. Death was still a certainty, but not from old age. Alexander supposed that was why the northern states kept degenerates out. In a society where everyone was scared to death of dying, violent crime was a very serious concern.

  Alexander scanned his crew, looking for someone who seemed particularly edgy. Time was ticking. With everyone here and suitably distracted, it was the perfect moment for the bomber to trigger his device, but if he was smart, he’d already recognized his bomb sitting in the airlock. By now he’d have realized that they were actually gathered here to mourn the loss of a rigged food crate. The saboteur would know that detonating his bomb would actually kill the entire crew—himself included—if he was smart.

  Alexander was counting on that. As soon as the chaplain finished reading, Alexander stepped up to makeshift podium, saying, “Thank you, Chaplain. Now I’d like to share a few of my own words of comfort.”

  The chaplain looked bemused, but he nodded and stepped down.

  Alexander surveyed his crew, studying each of their faces in turn. The ship’s MAs were scattered around, guarding the entrances and exits, just in case the saboteur tried to make a run for it.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, as far as I’m concerned we already mourned our losses. I’ve actually brought you all here for another reason.” Puzzlement flickered across countless faces. Alexander smiled grimly and went on, “Less than an hour ago a bomb was discovered in the ship’s food supply.” People gasped. Faces paled. Crew traded looks of shock and betrayal. “Yes, I know—unconscionable. But don’t worry, our food supply is safe. We’ve relocated the bomb to the amidships cargo airlock.”

  It took a moment for that to sink in, and then all eyes turned to the airlock they were standing next to. People began backing away. Murmurs of discontent filled the air.

  Alexander made a settle down gesture with his hands. “There’s no need to be alarmed! We brought the bomb here because one of you planted it, and we need that same person to step forward now that so we can disable it without any loss of life.”

  “You brought a bomb here?” Max Carter demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Alexander. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “Yes, I am, Max. Now, unless you have something to confess to, please keep quiet so the bomber can speak up.”

  The ambassador’s eyes flashed. “Let us out of here right now, Captain!”

  “Can’t do that, sorry.”

  Commander Korbin spoke up next. “What are you waiting for? Just blow it out the airlock!”

  “We could, but then we’d never find out who our bomber is, and he or she might just find a deadlier way to sabotage this ship at some later date.”

  “He could also blow all of us up, right here and now!” Korbin insisted.

  “True, but if that was the bomber’s intention, then the bomb should have been planted on Red Deck with the ship’s munitions, or next to the fusion reactor. Since this bomb was planted with the ship’s food stores, we believe the intention was to make us turn around, not to destroy the ship or cause any harm to its crew.”

  “You’re willing to stake all of our lives on that?” Max demanded.

  “Yes, I am. In fact, I’ll bet that whoever planted this bomb will rather confess than allow it to go off and kill us all.”

  “That’s a court-martial and a summary execution,” Korbin said. “Where’s the incentive to confess?”

  “Good point, Commander. Tell you what, I promise I won’t execute the saboteur,” Alexander said, placing a hand over his chest and another one in the air, as if he were about to give sworn testimony. “I’ll also make sure that they never see a court-martial. How’s that? Now, whoever you are, you can save your crew and your own filthy skin while you’re at it. Any takers?” Alexander searched the room, but no one spoke up. Everyone was busy looking at one another accusingly. Promised leniency notwithstanding, the saboteur was still better off to disown his handiwork and keep his lips zipped.

  Time to up the ante.

  “All right. Let’s do something,” Alexander said, stepping down from the podium and striding toward the airlock. He snapped his fingers at the nearest MA. “You, Ramos, open the door.”

  “Sir?”

  “You heard me. Open sesame.”

  “Yes, sir…” The security officer opened the airlock with a hiss of equalizing pressure and an accompanying whoosh of wind as the heavy door slid aside.

  Alexander walked in, right up to the rigged crate. “This bomb is a bunch of jury-rigged munitions from Red Deck. That
gives us some idea about who it might be. We found some other clues, too. Turns out the bomb has a remote detonator. It’s wired to a comm band. So all it’ll take is a whisper from our secret friend, and boom—we all get to see firsthand what the chaplain has spent his life preaching about.

  “Naturally, we should have disarmed it on the spot, but just prior to discovering the bomb, we found signs of sabotage in the ship’s engine code. That means that our saboteur knows how to use a computer, so he may have also tampered with the comm band’s code and rigged it to blow the bomb if we try to disarm it. That’s just a guess, mind you. We don’t know for sure.” Alexander went down on his haunches beside the crate. “I suppose there’s an easy way to find out. Any bets it’s rigged?” Alexander reached for the crate’s lid and removed it, revealing the bomb inside.

  The murmurs of discontent were back and growing louder by the second. Suddenly Max Carter stepped forward. “That’s enough! It was me. I did it. Now stop this nonsense before you get us all killed.”

  “Really? You know how to tamper with the ship’s engine code and rig a bomb using hypervelocity rounds and a comm band? How did you get access to Red Deck? Or the engine code? Or even to the storage levels where we found the food crate? You have a civilian clearance on this ship. That means you’re barely authorized to wipe your own ass.”

  Max sneered. “I’ll explain how later, Captain. You have your confession. Don’t be stupid. Arrest me.”

  “I would love to, but there’s just one problem, Max… I don’t believe a word you said.”

  The ambassador’s eyes widened, and he looked genuinely scared. “I said enough, Captain!”

  “Sorry, I’m not done yet. Anyone else? Last chance before I pull the plug on this thing.” Alexander scanned the crew one more time. No one else said a word. Alexander shrugged. “Fine. Have it your way.” He looked up to the chaplain. The man had turned white as a ghost. “Say a prayer for us, minister.” Alexander reached into the crate and lifted the comm band from the bomb assembly. It was trailing wires and detcord. “Red or blue? Hmmmm… Well, I’m no expert, so I guess I’ll just have to cut them all…”

  “Wait!” the voice was shrill, but not feminine. Alexander turned, and so did everyone else. Alexander couldn’t believe who it was.

  “Williams?” Then again it made sense. The sensors operator had taken first watch on the bridge while everyone else was in the officer’s lounge attending the wake for the dead Rapier pilots. Williams would have had the time to plant his bomb, and as the ship’s quartermaster and a member of the bridge crew, he had all the clearance he needed to do just about anything.

  Problem was, Alexander had known Williams for years, and sabotage was the last thing he would have expected from the man. “Why?” Alexander asked, feeling genuinely confused.

  Williams looked stricken, and his entire body was trembling. “If you disconnect that, it’ll kill us all. I’m going to hold you to your word, Captain. No court-martial. No summary execution.”

  Alexander returned the detonator to the crate and rose to his feet. “I’m a man of my word, Lieutenant, but there will still be consequences.”

  “I understand.”

  “Stone, arrest Lieutenant Williams and take him to the brig. Commander Korbin please accompany them and speak with the prisoner. See if you can establish a motive for this insanity.”

  “What about the motive for your insanity, Captain?”

  Alexander turned to see Max Carter staring at him, the diplomat’s normally equanimous face had flushed red with fury.

  “You may have promised amnesty to this criminal—however illegal that might be—but no one’s promised you anything yet. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you arrested and court-martialed.”

  Alexander smiled. “All right.” He dropped to his haunches beside the crate once more and lifted the detonator.

  “Captain!” Williams screamed.

  “Stop him!” Max roared.

  No one was fast enough. Alexander ripped the comm band free, and held it out to the crew. “Boom,” he said.

  Chapter 8

  “Boom?” Lieutenant Williams echoed, incredulous.

  Alexander nodded. “You thought it was real. That’s why you confessed. Only the one who planted this bomb knew for sure that it was rigged to blow with tampering, so threatening to disarm it was a good way to get you to confess. Assuming that your real goal wasn’t actually to kill everyone on this ship, that is.”

  Williams shook his head. “I don’t understand. It should have blown.”

  “Disappointed?”

  “No, sir!”

  “You took a big risk disarming that bomb here with all of us in the blast radius, Captain!” Max Carter said. “Now you’re the one who’s facing a court-martial. Arrest him!” Max snapped his fingers at the nearest MA, Petty Officer Ramos, but Ramos made no move to obey the order.

  “I’m afraid he’s right, Captain,” Commander Korbin said.

  Alexander frowned. “You don’t really think I’d subject my entire crew to that kind of risk, do you? We jettisoned the real bomb out the airlock before any of you arrived.” Alexander turned to regard the ambassador once more. “This one is just a fake that we put together to make you wet your pants, Max.”

  Alexander didn’t think the ambassador’s face could get any redder, but he turned a nice shade of lobster with that retort. If looks could kill…

  “You tricked me,” Williams said.

  “You sabotaged my ship,” Alexander replied, aiming a finger at the man’s chest. “We’re not even close to even yet. Why’d you do it?” Williams’ lower lip trembled, but he said nothing. “Never mind. Tell it to Korbin. Get him out of here, Stone.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “The rest of you, back to your stations.”

  A collective sigh rose from the cargo bay as people began filing for the exits. Alexander lingered, frowning as he watched Williams being escorted away with his hands cuffed behind his back.

  Commander Korbin came to stand beside him and blew out a breath. “Williams a saboteur,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “He’s a romantic at heart. Usually romantics are peaceful souls.”

  “Or tortured ones,” Alexander suggested.

  “He has a wife and daughter back on Earth. Why would he risk a court martial?”

  “Maybe he thinks they’re dead, or he’s just desperate to turn the ship around and find out what happened to them. Go talk to him. See if you can get a full confession. When you’re done I want you to schedule one-on-one’s with all the rest of the crew. We need to make sure we don’t have any more saboteurs on board.”

  “What are the odds of that?” Korbin asked, frowning.

  Alexander turned to her. “You wanted to turn around and go home before we even entered the Looking Glass, even though that would have meant disobeying a direct order.”

  “Are you accusing me of something, sir?”

  “No, but if even you wanted to turn the ship around, and Williams was willing to resort to sabotage, chances are there are plenty of others who aren’t happy about leaving Earth behind. Besides, we still have one act of sabotage that’s unaccounted for.”

  “And that is?”

  “That line of bad engine code that almost stopped us cold before we even left Earth’s orbit.”

  Korbin’s brow furrowed. “I really doubt we have two saboteurs on board. It must have been Williams. Either that or it was an honest mistake between McAdams and her engineers.”

  Alexander held Korbin’s gaze for a long moment. “Like I said, go talk to Williams and see if you can get a confession. If he didn’t touch the engine code, then we need to find out who did before we end up stranded on Wonderland with them.”

  “Yes, sir.” Korbin saluted and hurried off.

  Alexander watched her go, thinking to himself that all of this was a bad omen. The start of World War III f
ollowed by two counts of shipboard sabotage made for an inauspicious start to their mission.

  Hopefully, once their comm probe made contact with Earth there’d be good news.

  *

  “Message incoming, Captain.”

  “On-screen, Lieutenant Hayes.”

  An image appeared, full of snow and glitching distortion. After a moment the image stabilized and a familiar face appeared. It was President Ryan Baker of the Alliance. He appeared to be sitting in his office in the presidential palace, which was a good sign, but he looked grim and haggard, as if he hadn’t slept in days, and that was definitely a bad sign.