George quickly looks up and replies solemnly, “You’re never a distraction. I want you with me.”
She runs her hand down his face, then adds, “You know what I mean. I want you to focus on your duty Mister, and not be worrying about little old me.” She smiles, then adds, “Besides, I will be perfectly safe right here.”
George sighs, and says, “You’re right.” He adds dejectedly, “But I really would rather stay here, on Earth, with you.”
“I know.” Lisa shakes her head slowly as she adds, “Fate is surely playing games with us.”
The couple chats about what they will do, where Lisa will live, and how long the mission is expected to take. A few minutes later, George picks the letter back up, then sighs as he stares at a phone number printed under the address. He shakes his head, and says, “I had better make the call.”
Lisa sighs, then says, “You know they have a spot for him.” She begins to ask, “Do you think Cindy...?”
“No.” George shakes his head interrupting her. He adds, “She wants me onboard, but I doubt she would be a party to this.”
Lisa takes a deep breath, then smiles lovingly at her man. She knows his comment about preferring to stay on Earth is not entirely true. She also wonders whether or not he is even aware how much of a draw the Terran is to him.
Location:
Hawking
New Earth
A light splattering of rain strikes the window before Barbara. She stares at the town before her, deep in thought. The pressure of leading the community, though great, is not what bothers her. The cause for her concern is simple logistics. The colony is not self-sufficient, and thus not sustainable without additional supplies and technology.
A knock at her door precedes General Walker, who asks curiously, “You wanted to see me?”
“Come in,” Barbara replies unnecessarily as Walker is already striding to her table. He sits down in one of the large comfortable chairs, and smiles while he waits.
Barbara turns to face Walker and says, “I know we should not have expected the Terran to return straight away.” She pauses, then adds, “But it’s been three months.”
Walker replies matter-of-factly, “Perhaps Earth is sending another ship, instead?”
Barbara shakes her head and says, “I doubt it. From the way George and Joe were talking when they surveyed the Liberty, we have a long way to go before we can make them reliable enough.”
Walker nods in agreement then suggests, “Perhaps they have found a way, and are working on it?”
With a sigh Barbara says, “Well, for whatever reason, we have not been resupplied. As such, we had better review what we have, and don’t have.”
Walker’s tone becomes business like as he rattles off from memory. “We have a three year supply of MREs, in addition Emma’s hydroponics bays on the Liberty are providing the entire colony with fruits and vegetables.” He takes a breath, smiles, and then continues, “The fish are great eating, as are the local buffalo. It just takes a little time to test them all properly.”
Barbara looks at Walker and says, “You’re forgetting the bad news.” She glances out the window as she continues, “Every crop we plant in the native soil fails, and we’re out of soil from Earth to make any more blends.” She stares at Walker and says, “So we have the means to support our current population, but not much more.”
“I see the dilemma,” Walker replies. He quickly counters. “Emma was growing crops in the local soil, wasn’t she?”
Barbara shakes her head, and replies, “Her crops either failed, or included soil from Earth, forming a blend. That’s how she came up with the fifty-fifty ratio for the bays on the Liberty.”
“I see,” Walker replies with a slight scowl developing. He then queries, “What do you have in mind?”
Barbara stares down at her desk, then says, “I am thinking we should begin preserving and storing our surplus from the Liberty. We should also encourage the people to eat more fish.”
Walker lifts his eyebrows at her words and replies enthusiastically, “That’s a great idea.”
She cringes as she asks another question, “And what about our fuel reserves?”
Walker sighs deeply, then answers, “We have less than one year’s supply left.” He adds optimistically, “That’s a New Earth year though, so maybe thirteen or fourteen months to the folks back home.”
Barbara stares at the pitter patter of rain then says, “Let’s begin fuel rationing. The people need to walk more anyway.”
Walker grins, as he replies, “I have already cut down my rides, from daily to weekly.” His motorbike rides around town have become legendary. It helps that he has the only bike on the planet. But his own fuel reserves are diminishing fast, thanks to the fleet of cargo vans the Liberty brought to the colony.
Barbara turns to him and says, “Let’s encourage more people to take up fishing. We have a large ocean, and a decent sized lake right on our doorstep.”
“I will see if my crew can build some sort of fish-finder. We have a ton of radar equipment, so I am sure we can rig something up.” Walker offers.
“That would be fantastic,” Barbara replies enthusiastically.
Walker stands and says, “If there is nothing else, I shall get started making some fish-finders.”
“Nothing else today,” Barbara replies with a slight sigh. It seems that they meet every day to discuss one issue or another.
Once Walker leaves, Barbara goes back to the rain splattered window and stares outside at the growing colony. She sighs as she ponders another dilemma. We have almost no spare parts. Hawking needs George and Patrick to return with their Gamin bodysuits. We have no way of manufacturing many of the things we need. There are already three construction vehicles earmarked as scrap, thanks to minor mechanical issues. She continues to stare out the window, trepidation building as her thoughts continue. Without a constant supply of parts from Earth, the colony cannot sustain itself. At the very least we would have to revert to a more primitive culture. She shudders, shakes off her negative fears, and begins to focus on more positive events.
Chapter Two - Refit and Restock
The bridge of the Terran has never been so busy. Not only is the entire bridge crew at their stations, but Robert McKnight leads a team of six reporters and journalists who insist on recording the day’s historic events. Cameras have been set up covering every crew member, with one even being mounted above and behind Cindy’s command chair, to get a view directly ahead through the ship’s main view.
George stands in his suit at his usual station and tries to focus on his task. He sighs, as his thoughts keep drifting to his family who are settling into their new home in Germany. He gazes around the bridge, his feelings are torn. How can it be that we have been home for almost four months already? It feels like we just got back yesterday. Soon I will have to leave my family behind. He smiles as his gaze traverses the busy bridge, but this feels like home too.
Cindy flicks back a lock of long blonde hair, then issues her orders. “Release the ship, then prepare for atmospheric descent.”
Joe taps his console as he replies. “Umbilicals retracted, Unity’s docking clamps released.”
Cindy smiles as Unity’s holding clamps retract from the Terran. She leans back and says, “Take us down.”
“Yes ma’am,” John replies formally.
The bridge crew met earlier and decided that if they were going to be on display for the world to see, then they would make a good show of it.
Robert pans his camera past the four main consoles in front of Cindy’s impressive command chair. He dictates his commentary while he slowly moves the camera. “Captain John Thompson is the Terran’s pilot, a far cry from his days as an American shuttle pilot. Sitting on his right is Joe Fields, who used to be an Australian astronomer. Now he is the ship’s resident engineer, and after George Stanton, probably has the greatest understanding of this ship’s alien technology. Next to him is Petrovich Ivanov, or as we k
now him, Peter. He is a mysterious Russian, who has been with the Terran from the beginning. Emma is another American, and the crew’s lead planetologist. She is also the one responsible for many of the recent innovations in hydroponics development.”
John activates a series of thrusters, then states with all seriousness, “Activating the GLS.”
One of the reporters nudges the man next to him and quietly asks, “What’s the GLS?”
Joe catches the near whisper, and says, “It’s the Terran’s Gravity Landing System.” He turns his attention back to his console, then after a few seconds, swings around, looks at the reporter and explains, “Basically, it allows the pilot to control the ship’s planetary maneuvers using the gravity plating that lines the underside. And before you ask, the thrusters are not powerful enough to land or launch the ship.”
Once clear of the space station, John activates another bank of thrusters. He tilts the Terran forward, bringing Earth into full view. The visiting reporters gasp at the scene.
Joe touches the surface of his console once more and begins to monitor the Terran’s power usage. He glances to his right, and catches Peter looking at Emma, which brings a smile to his face.
Robert continues his narration with enthusiasm, “Admiral Cindy Klein hails from Germany, and commands this ship’s multinational contingent. Perhaps the greatest example of this is Radclyf, a British Special Air Service veteran, who works hand in hand with Hayato, his Japanese counterpart. Both commands originally consisted of four man teams, but between them, they lost three members during the ships maiden voyage. Chokichi, Paul, and Henry, survived that ordeal.”
Pausing for a moment, Robert stares at the five elite soldiers. He is suddenly aware that they are all wearing identical uniforms. He frowns when he notices their arm patches, which instead of displaying their country of origin, match those on the jackets worn by the rest of the bridge crew. These patches show a mottled green hand with three claws clenched in an upward fist. A small rendition of the Terran is shown orbiting the fist. He zooms his camera closer while talking into his microphone, “The hand is that of a Gamin, the alien race who left this partially built ship in a construction facility in the Australian Outback.”
A gasp from one of the other reporters causes Robert to look up from his camera. He turns to the forward view, which displays streaks of red and orange as the ship descends through layers of clouds.
Joe turns to John and says, “Power curve optimal. Utilization well within expected parameters at twenty percent.”
John nods as he activates another bank of thrusters and increases the power to the gravity lift system. The ship slows its seeming freefall to Earth.
Joe raises his eyebrows, then says, “Thirty percent, boosting the IGD.”
Robert catches the acronym and quickly adds to his commentary, “IGD stands for Internal Gravimetric Dampeners, which, if I understood Joe properly, works in conjunction with other systems to compensate for the ship’s rapid speed changes. Now over here,” he adds as he swings his camera around, “we have another example of alien technology, and that is the Gamin bodysuits. George and Patrick both operate these fascinating pieces of alien technology. They fully encase the wearer, allowing them to work in virtually any environment.”
Cindy turns her attention to Robert and says, “If your colleagues have any questions, they should feel free to speak up.”
George recalls Cindy’s request for a show piece landing. Using his suit’s audio system, which adds a metallic gravel to his voice, he states. “I am monitoring three dark zones in the GLS, indicating gravity plate failures.”
George’s visor is pitch black, adding to his mystique. The visiting reporters glance around warily. George almost chuckles at their obvious distress. He has known about the non-function plates for some time, and knows they pose no real risk.
Cindy responds to George with one word, which only adds to the reporters’ uneasiness, “Acknowledged.”
One of the reporters swallows hard, then with slight fear in his voice asks, “We are safe, aren’t we?”
Cindy raises an eyebrow, then says, “Captain Thompson is quite skilled at piloting this ship.” She motions to him, then adds, “However this is our first attempt at a planetary landing.” She emphasizes the word attempt, all the while managing to suppress a smile.
Clouds whisk past the ship, then unexpectedly, it drops below them, revealing clear skies. The nose of the ship continues to point downward, which is not necessary, but it affords a great view of the Australian desert rushing up to greet them.
Emma almost forgets her part in the landing, until she receives a questioning look from Peter. She makes a show of reviewing her console, then reports, “Internal atmospherics normal.”
John taps his console, and makes a few small adjustments to their course and speed. He also adjusts the Terran’s trim and levels the ship off, much to the relief of some of the reporters.
One of the reporters, a short chubby man, quips, “The Terran is enormous. What do you do with all the empty space?”
Cindy nods at the reasonable question, then after a moment’s consideration replies, “Almost one third of the ship’s length is taken up by the main engines. The cargo hold accounts for a vast area, as do the five command levels. Then we have reactor control, which is really twenty independent nuclear reactors, spread out throughout the forward section of the ship. Another large area is the hydroponics bay, which is where the Gamin normally house their hatchery.”
All six reporters turn their heads to her in surprise, “Hatchery?” the chubby man states curiously.
“Yes,” Cindy replies, then adds, “The Gamin species lay eggs, from which their young hatch.”
The chubby reporter continues with a doubt filled voice, “And how is it that you know all this?”
Radclyf recalls finding the devastation to the hatchery on the crippled Gamin spacecraft. He stands, then speaks up solemnly, “We discovered large eggs on the derelict we found, in the same area as our hydroponics bay.”
Joe quickly adds, “We did not choose that area for our hydroponics just because of its open area. He pauses, glances at Emma then adds, “The environmental controls for that section of the ship are most sophisticated.”
John interrupts the discussion with his formal tone, “Twenty seconds to arrival, extending landing struts.”
Cindy crosses her legs and replies, “Acknowledged.”
A slight vibration emanates from the deck plates as John feeds more power to the gravity lift systems, along with the thrusters. The visiting reporters glance at each other warily, but say nothing.
Twenty seconds later the Terran’s landing pads make contact with the desert floor, kicking up huge clouds of dust. John shuts down the ship’s thrusters and gravity drive. Each strut flexes, then locks into place, as they are designed to do.
Joe taps on a series of symbols, reviews the data, and glances at John. They are both surprised at how smooth the landing actually went. Joe turns to Cindy, then says, “I will open the ramp once the dust settles.”
Cindy nods to Joe and smiles. She takes a deep breath, stands, then states quite formally. “The Terran has landed.” Turning her attention to the reporters, she says, “Last chance for questions, we have a lot to do.”
They reporters seemingly all speak at once. Now that their apprehension over the landing has passed, they have their confidence back. Cindy sighs, sits back down, and proceeds to answer their never ending barrage of questions.
Eventually, the reporters are all satisfied with the material they have. They pack up their equipment, then under escort from Peter, depart.
Once they have left the bridge, Cindy turns her gaze to Radclyf and Hayato. Her eyes narrow as she motions to their uniforms, and demands, “What’s this all about then?”
Hayato grins, offers Cindy a slight bow, and replies for both men. “We have quit our respective military postings, and now report exclusively to the Terran, or to be more preci
se, to you.”
Radclyf stands, salutes Cindy, then with a grin adds, “You’re stuck with us now.”
Cindy frowns and asks, “There has to be more to it than that?”
The two men glance at each other, then Hayato replies, “I was specifically ordered to monitor certain individuals,” he pauses then adds, “and I felt that such orders conflicted with our primary mission.”
Radclyf nods in agreement, then adds, “I too, had orders that I was at odds with.” He sighs, then motions upward, “Besides, we have all learned what’s really important, and that’s working together.”
Cindy stares at the two men, smiles, then feeling abashed, simply says, “I am honored.”
George interrupts the exchange when he steps from his suit and says, “I would like to spend as much time with my family as I can before we depart.”
Cindy nods, then as his words register, she frowns. She tilts her head, looks at George and asks, “I thought you were staying on Earth.”
“I was planning to,” George replies in a despondent tone. Staring at Cindy he adds, “It is in my family’s best interest if I join the mission.” He offers her a thin smile, then shrugs his shoulders.
Cindy puts a hand to her chin and wonders what it was that changed his mind. With a nod she replies, “Well to be honest, you being here is in our best interest too.”
Joe is also baffled by George’s apparent change of heart, but instead of asking more, he says, “Now that the Terran is on the ground, we can conduct a proper survey of the hull.” He grins as his thoughts drift, then he adds, “I think we should install an ice cream machine in the mess hall.”
The comment changes the mood in the room as the group begins to chuckle. Of all the things Joe could have suggested, this was the least expected.
Peter returns to the bridge to find them all still laughing and grinning. His expression deepens, then before he can speak, Cindy says, “We’re having ice cream on our next trip.”
Alliance (Terran Chronicles Book 4) Page 5
