Chapter 25
Summers sat in the command position watching Red Shift closely.
The tear gas had been cleared out, and the bridge was again safe to operate. On her left stood Lieutenant Commander Rose who, normally, would have command of this shift. But, given the situation, Summers thought it best she take the deck for now. Either this precaution or the presence of two soldiers on the bridge seemed to make Lieutenant Commander Rose nervous, and he had a habit of pacing back and forth.
“Please, sit down, Mr. Rose,” said Summers. Seeing him anxiously move about made her feel uneasy, even though she knew she had the situation well in hand. Ever since Calvin and his mutineers had been locked away, everything had been calm and uneventful—aside from Miles’s several vain attempts to bribe his door guards with liquor from his apartment cache.
“Ops, any progress on getting outside communications back online?” she asked.
Cassidy spun her chair to face Summers. “Maybe,” she said. “I figured out what is blocking communications. Someone put a subroutine into our communications software that is causing it to think it’s getting hailed over and over, when it isn’t. I cleared it out, but it’s in there redundant times. Hopefully,” she said spinning back to her console, “this is the last one.”
“Keep me informed,” said Summers. She returned her attention to Lieutenant Commander Rose, who had taken a seat but somehow managed to look even more uncomfortable.
“You’re not in any trouble,” said Summers. “So keep it together. Follow my orders, and we’ll be back on mission in no time.”
The lieutenant commander didn’t say anything. He didn’t even make eye contact.
“Mr. Rose.” Summers raised her voice.
“Yes, Commander?” He snapped to attention in such a start it seemed his mind had been elsewhere completely.
“Are you able to perform your duties here?” she asked.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Then look alive.” She debated whether or not she should relieve him. He didn’t seem unfit necessarily. He wasn’t tired or intoxicated or anything. Just nervous—a bad trait for the new acting XO to have.
“I did it, Commander,” Cassidy said. “We have outside communication again!” She beamed, obviously thrilled she’d been able to solve the problem.
Summers was at least as happy. “Excellent work, Midshipman Dupont.”
Practically the instant that communications were restored they received a message from Capital World, this time from the office of Fleet Admiral Tiberon—one of only eleven such admirals, one for each fleet. The lighting in his room seemed a bit unusual, making his face a little harder to see, but it was still recognizable. The diamond emblem of his rank gleamed and reminded them all of his absolute authority.
He kept his message short, expressing concern over their recent loss of communications—a situation Summers assured him was under control—and gave them new orders. Rather than going to Xerxes, they were to meet up with the Andromeda and a flotilla of warships. Summers was surprised the Andromeda was deployed this close to their position but was all the happier for it.
The Phoenix Conspiracy Page 60
