Superdreadnought 6

by C H Gideon

  “We’ve collected samples of mors licio plexueris from several locations around the ship,” Takal told Reynolds. “I want to see if there are any other precautions we need to take or a better way to kill it.”

  Reynolds nodded. “Makes sense to me. We don’t know enough about Athena to just take her word for it.”

  Around the bridge, crew members let out sighs of relief.

  “What?” Reynolds asked. “Do I look like an idiot? Don’t answer that, Tactical.” He grinned. “I know I’m a hot commodity.”

  “Do you think she’s trying to bot-nap you?” Jiya asked.

  “No, I don’t,” Reynolds said. “I think she’s exactly what she’s represented herself to be, but I don’t believe in taking stupid chances.”

  “So how do we ensure your safety while you’re on her ship?” Jiya asked.

  “Let’s take a whole team to Athena,” Asya said. “In fact, we shouldn’t risk leaving all our personnel and supplies on a random planet. We can move half to Athena and half dirtside. That protects both you and us.”

  “Excellent plan, Asya,” Reynolds said. “Practical as well as cunning.” He turned to Takal. “See if you can come up with an alternate solution, Takal. I don’t like the idea of emptying the ship. Too easy to miss something essential.”

  “I’ve got a couple of techs working on it already,” Takal said. “We’ve confirmed the death lace creates spores that are impervious to heat. Temperatures below 233 Kelvin stop the growth, but the spores remain. We’ve taken some samples down to 100 Kelvin, and when we bring them back up to growth temperature, they haven’t reactivated. Athena said it takes a week at absolute zero to kill the spores. That might be an overstatement, but we can’t be sure yet. We need more time to test.”

  “Next jump in ten, nine…” Helm announced.

  “Carry on, Helm,” Reynolds said automatically. “Unfortunately, it looks like you’ll have plenty of time to test. We haven’t found a suitable planet yet.”

  As he spoke, the Gate drive split space, and Reynolds sailed through the wormhole. “No energy signatures, no-no-no hostile ships,” XO reported.

  “Is there a way to move XO to an uncorrupted memory bank?” Asya asked. “It seems like he’s getting worse.”

  “Reminds me of Max Headroom,” Tactical muttered. He was finding it difficult to maintain his snarky attitude in the face of his brother personality’s difficulties. Besides, the lace was growing. He didn’t want to be next.

  “He’s bunking with me,” Comm said. “But there’s not a lot of room for two egos the size of ours. The stutter—it might be permanent.”

  “I’m confident we can correct that when we get home,” Reynolds said. “TOM created me, TOM can fix me. Besides, it’s his intelligence and personality we care about, not his delivery.”

  “Now that we have a molecular ID and Geroux’s mathematical growth models, we can pinpoint the lace infestation,” Takal said. “We can temporarily warm areas that are currently unheated, which should slow the damage.”

  “Do it,” Reynolds said.

  “It will take a lot of energy,” Takal cautioned. “That’s why those areas are normally unheated.”

  “It’s only until we find a habitable planet,” Reynolds said. “I’ll suck it up.”

  “No suitable planets,” Helm announced, as if in response. “Navigation, plot the next jump.”

  “Plotting. Next jump in two minutes,” Navigation replied.

  Four days later, they hit pay dirt.

  “Planet in the Goldilocks zone!” Helm announced.

  “Launching probes,” Jiya said, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t know how you guys can do this twenty-four/seven.”

  XO laughed. “It’s what we were m-m-made for. It does get t-t-tedious, though. That’s why I delegate to subroutines.”

  “Who you calling a subroutine?” Helm demanded.

  “This one is looking good,” Maddox said, reading the scans. “Stable landmasses and a protective ozone layer. Plentiful water, and a comfortable temperature. Not like that last one.”

  The previous planet had been habitable—for penguins and polar bears. And death lace. They didn’t want to risk infecting a new world with the spores.

  “Yeah, a week in an ice cave doesn’t sound like fun to me,” Asya said. “Are there beaches?”

  “I thought you were going with Reynolds?” Jiya asked.

  “I can still dream of seaside vacations,” Asya said with a sigh. “If it’s really nice, maybe he’ll let the Athena group have a quick shore leave when we’re done.”

  “Believe it or not,” Maddox said, “I’m reading white, sandy beaches and margaritas.”

  “Margaritas?” Geroux asked. “Aren’t those drinks?”

  “We’ll have to bring our own tequila and lime juice,” Maddox said with a grin. “But the sandy beaches are already there.”

  Reynolds strode onto the bridge. “Did I hear ‘beaches?’ Did you find us a pitstop?”

  “Probes are reporting a safe atmosphere,” Jiya said. “Water is just water, with a smattering of non-lethal microbes.”

  “Sentient life?” Reynolds asked.

  “There’s a species that might be sentient,” Jiya said, slowly. “Nomadic, maybe? There don’t appear to be permanent structures.”

  “Maybe you can make some new friends,” Reynolds said to Maddox.

  “As long as they aren’t like Pornath,” Maddox replied.

  “Take us there,” Reynolds ordered.

  The Reynolds landed in a wide valley a few clicks from the ocean. According to Takal’s measurements, the heat of re-entry, combined with the ambient temperature of the landing site, should have killed any fungus still living in the unheated areas of the ship.

  “The spores are still inside the ship, but they’re not on the external surface where they could infect the planet,” he said. “The warm temperature at the landing site should prevent contamination, but we don’t want to leave any spores. You never know how things could evolve.”

  They set up scanning stations to stop any spores from hitchhiking off the ship on crew or materials. Jiya stood at the top of the ramp, overseeing debarkation. “Once you have been scanned, you will not be allowed back aboard,” she repeated for the nth time. “Make sure you have all perishable materials before you leave the ship!” She glanced at Geroux. “I can’t believe I wanted to be a cruise director when I was a kid.”

  Geroux laughed. “I don’t remember you wanting to be a cruise director. Captain, maybe. Pirate, perhaps, back when we thought pirates were romantic.”

  “Yeah, I— Hey! I just said you can’t go back in!” Jiya strode across the ramp to stop a young crewmember.

  Geroux looked longingly at the frond-y trees and beautiful flowers. She’d volunteered to assist with Operation Freeza and wouldn’t get a free week at the beach. She sighed. Sometimes being responsible sucked.

  When half the crew and stores and the largest agroprinters had been unloaded, Reynolds called his core crew together. “We’ll take the rest to Athena,” he said. “Maddox, you’re dirtside command. You’re keeping Ka’nak and Jiya. As soon as we’re in orbit, I’ll send San Roche with his Pod, assuming it’s cleared of spores. That way, you can come up to Athena if necessary. We won’t risk using the Gulg transporters. Too easy for a spore to hitchhike.”

  Maddox nodded.

  “Geroux, Takal, and Asya, you’ll come with me,” Reynolds continued. “We’ll have L’Eliana’s Pod. We’ll be up there for a week, in orbit around that moon. We’ll stay on the dark side so we get the coldest temperatures. We’ll stay in contact.” He paused, looking at his team. Then he nodded at Maddox. “I know you’ll take care of my crew.”

  “Just get yourself well,” Maddox replied with a salute. “I’ll hold down the fort until you return.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The Superdreadnought Reynolds reached orbit around the moon of the planet Maddox had designated Margaritaville.

  �
��I refuse to call this moon ‘Shaker of Salt,’” Reynolds grumbled.

  “Salt’s badass,” Tactical said. “And hot.”

  “Too late,” Ria said, pointing to her screen. “It’s already listed in the database that way. Can’t change the database without paperwork in triplicate.”

  “My ship, my rules,” Reynolds said. “But if you’re that attached to the name, I’ll let it stand. Comm, give me the ship-wide.”

  “Go,” Comm said.

  “Attention!” Reynolds began pacing. “As you know, we are evacuating the ship. Proceed to the boarding tube according to your scheduled departure time. Take all biological items. It’s going to get cold in here, and we don’t want anyone losing their grandma’s prize petunias. Everything will be scanned for spores, and if it can’t be decontaminated, it will be left behind. I’ll see you on Athena. Watch your heads.”

  “Watch your heads?” Ria repeated. “Are we likely to lose them?”

  “I hope not,” Asya replied. “But he means on the ship. The ceilings are low. That’s why the short people didn’t get a beach vacation.”

  “Wow, that’s heightist,” Ria said. “I don’t think I like my stature being held against me.”

  “You’d be here even if you were two meters tall,” Reynolds said. “You’re essential crew.”

  “Gee, thanks, I guess,” Ria said sarcastically, but she smiled, pleased at the compliment.

  “Picking up bad habits from Tactical, I see,” the captain replied. “Go outside and straighten yourself up, then get back in here.”

  Ria’s eyes shot wide. She snapped a sloppy salute before bolting in the wrong direction.

  Hours later, the last of the crew shuffled through the spore detector and onto Athena. Asya and Reynolds remained on board to oversee the final stages of the evacuation. The AI personalities had assumed control of the ship, and Reynolds had Ria double-check the projected flight calculations in case Helm’s circuits had been impacted by the fungus.

  Reynolds, Takal called from the hangar deck. The Pods are a no-go. They’re completely infested. I’m not surprised since they were on Jeranth. I’d hoped since we didn’t see any lace near them…

  We’ll have to go without, Reynolds replied. Athena has a passenger shuttle. It’s tiny but useable if we need it. He turned to Comm. “Run a complete crew check. I want to make sure everyone is off the ship.”

  “Tracking the crew through comm implants,” Comm replied. “I show everyone accounted for. Takal and Geroux are leaving the hangar deck. You and Asya are here. Everyone else is either on the planet or Athena.”

  “Go ahead, Asya,” Reynolds said. “I’ll meet the three of you at the boarding tube.”

  Asya saluted and left the bridge, assuming Reynolds wanted a moment of solitude with his personalities.

  She was right.

  “Are you ready for this?” Reynolds asked.

  “B-b-better sooner than l-l-later,” XO replied. “I need my space. Comm’s socks stink.”

  “You’re lucky I had room on my couch,” Comm replied.

  “Navigation and I are ready,” Helm reported.

  “I’ll continue monitoring the ship from sickbay,” Doc said. “This could be interesting.”

  “More like boring,” Tactical said. “Nothing to blow up. Just you rubes to talk to.”

  “I thought you’d be happy for a break from the meatbags,” Reynolds said.

  “They keep things interesting,” Tactical replied. “Not as predictable as the rest of you.”

  “Engineering?” Reynolds asked.

  “He’s busy tucking in his dilithium crystals,” Comm said. “Says he’s ready.”

  “Right. Let’s do this,” Reynolds hesitated by the door, patting the frame absently. “Good luck.”

  “Blow it out your ass,” Tactical replied.

  With a chuckle, Reynolds headed to the boarding hatch, where the remaining crew waited.

  “We should do a final scan,” Geroux said. “In case anyone forgot anything. Or got lost.” She patted the bulge in her uniform where her new mizzen hid.

  “You think there are more of those things onboard?” Reynolds asked, pointing to the pink nose poking out of her collar.

  “No,” she replied slowly. “But I’d hate to find out later I was wrong.”

  “Good point,” Reynolds said.

  They moved into the airlock, and Reynolds buttoned up the ship. Then they pushed off through the zero-gravity boarding tube and entered Athena.

  Doc, Reynolds called. Run a scan on the ship. Look for unexpected life forms.

  Roger, Doc replied. A moment later, he came back online. Were you expecting something? I show what looks like a plant in the mess hall, and an unknown life form in the hangar bay. No, wait, now it’s in the corridor. Just went into Maintenance.

  Lock it down, Reynolds said. Is it a mizzen?

  I’m not sure what it is, Doc replied. We’ve got it trapped in the Maintenance locker room.

  Make sure it doesn’t damage any of the EVA suits. Reynolds ran to the hatch. “Athena, unlock your hatch. I need to go back to the Reynolds!”

  “I’ve popped the hatch,” Athena said.

  Asya and Geroux exchanged looks and lunged after Reynolds. “We’re coming, too.”

  Takal made a U-turn and followed, and when the hatch opened, the team zipped through the tube to the Reynolds. When they reached the far end, one of the AI personalities had already opened the airlock. Bypassing the spore scanners, they raced toward the maintenance section.

  I got video, Comm said, passing it to the HUD screen in Reynolds’ helmet.

  Reynolds slowed to a walk. “Did you see this?” he asked his crew. “What is it?”

  Maddox stood with a hand shading his eyes, watching the superdreadnought lift, then shoot away into the stratosphere.

  “It feels kind of ominous,” Ka’nak said. “Watching the ship fly away. Almost like we’ll never see it again.”

  Jiya smacked his arm. “Ow.” She shook her fingers. “We’ll see it again. They’ll be back in a week.”

  “Unless that homewrecker steals him away,” Ka’nak said darkly.

  “Nothing is going to happen,” Jiya said. “Asya will keep an eye on Athena, and Reynolds can handle himself. You heard him—he’s on guard.”

  Maddox turned his back on the twinkling point of light before it disappeared into the glare of the sun. “We’ve got half the crew up there. What’s she going to do, vent them?”

  Jiya’s eyes widened. “What if she isolates Reynolds and does just that? I’m going to call Asya.”

  “She’s not going to get Reynolds alone,” Maddox said. “They have a plan.” He paused for a moment, listening to his internal comm. “Reynolds says the Pod is a no-go. Too many spores.”

  “And so it begins,” Ka’nak said.

  Maddox rolled his eyes. “We have to trust Reynolds and Asya to handle Athena. Meanwhile, we need to handle this lot.” He gestured to the crowd milling around the clearing. “Let’s get to work.”

  Jiya handed out assignments to the team leaders, getting temporary structures erected. “The weather looks nice now, but we have no historical data,” she explained to the crew. “For all we know, it rains every day at four pm. Let’s get some shelters erected.”

  Ka’nak set a security watch. “This planet might be mostly deserted, but we aren’t taking any chances.”

  “The scans are showing life forms about a click away,” Maddox said. “Adding a real-time relay from the ship was genius.”

  “That’s why we have Takal,” Ka’nak agreed. “He’s a wily little guy.”

  “Too bad they’ll be in Salt’s shadow half the time. But it’s still better than nothing,” the general said. “After you’ve organized the watch, take a team to investigate those life forms. They might be the nomads we scanned, although there weren’t supposed to be any natives near this site. That was one of the reasons we picked it.”

  A team of botanists teste
d local fruits. The combination of agroprinter and Melliferi cube technology could convert any carbon-based material into food, but fresh fruit was always welcome.

  “We’ve found three species of fruit trees,” Aaront, the head botanist, reported a few hours later, placing three fruits on the table. “We’re calling these ‘dulchees’ because they’re sweet. All three are safe to eat, but these are intoxicants.” He held up one of the palm-sized, green-skinned ovoids. “They’ll get you drunker than a skunk in no time flat. The problem is, all three look identical to the untrained eye.”

  “Then train some eyes,” Maddox replied. “We don’t need the crew getting drunk. Inspect all harvests, and put any of the intoxicants into the Melliferi hoppers. They’ll filter out the bad stuff. Regardless of how much this place looks like a vacation spot, we can’t relax. We don’t know the dangers.”

  “On it, sir,” Aaront said with gusto.

  Maddox rubbed his neck. He’d forgotten the sheer volume of paperwork a deployment this size required. It was all digital, but everything still had to be tracked: equipment, personnel, and supplies. This was the part of being a general he didn’t miss in the slightest.

  Maddox, Ka’nak called. We haven’t found the natives, but they were definitely here. We’ve got evidence of a camp. Temporary shelters, refuse, even a fire pit. Maybe our landing scared them away.

  They make fire? Maddox asked. Definitely sentient, then. Any idea which direction they went?

  No, Ka’nak replied. Their campsite is a disaster, but there’s no visible trail. I’ve got a tracker here—an expert we recruited back on Lariest—and he’s got nothing. It’s like they disappeared. Maybe they Gated in and out. Ka’nak laughed.

  Keep looking. Maddox stood and stretched. When the ship comes out of the moon’s shadow, I’ll run another scan and pinpoint their location.

  Roger, Ka’nak out.

  Maddox rubbed his neck again. Maybe he should take a break and get lunch. He could smell the agroprinters from here—Taco Tuesday! Before he reached the chow tent, Jiya waylaid him.