I studied her face. She wasn’t about to let me off with a glib reply. "Yes. I'll stop carrying it. But you should know, I feel a connection to it. It's hard to describe."
"You sound like a Euphoric addict," she said, referencing an illegal drug that had made its way through the mining colony where we grew up.
"Whatever," I said, dismissing the conversation.
"Seriously, Hoffen," she said. "You need to make sure your head is straight on this one."
"I'm good," I said, pushing her off me. I didn't like being compared to a drug addict. It was true, I felt strangely compelled to keep the crystal on my person, but I was also certain I could live without it.
"Don't be a shite," Tabby retorted.
"Let's just get to work," I said. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
The night before, we'd finally given up after running into a particularly long overhang that blocked our passage through the tunnel. I recalled this particular section, as it was the longest stretch we’d crawled through, at a hundred meters, and was also the location of the narrowest gap. We’d had to drag Sendrei through because every time he attempted to move, his muscles bunched up enough that he became stuck.
"Hope we don't run into more of that granite," Tabby said as she spun the cutting head onto the end of the first section of rod.
I slid the hammer into place, mated the square end of Tabby's rod into the socket, dropped a locking hood over it and pushed the lever forward on the side of the hammer. Long bolts ground downward from the hammer's chassis and into the tunnel floor, locking the machine in place. "We're in," I said.
With a hammer and pick, Tabby tapped out a shallow divot in the rock face of the overhang. I pushed the rod forward slightly using a second lever so the head would seat in the divot Tabby had created.
"Ready," she agreed and backed off.
It turns out, like with all good machines, the effort in using a mining hammer is in the preparation. Once things are ready to go, the machine does the rest. I chinned the start and waited for the head to bite into the rock. It turned slowly at first but gained speed as the shaft was forced into the earth and loose dirt started falling out.
"Don't humans ever sleep?" Boerisk complained, coming to stand next to me as his mother and others scooped away the loose dirt the machine generated.
"Not this one," Tabby said, grabbing a new rod from the pile. The AI had calculated the optimal path and we were to widen one side for fifteen meters before making a slight bend to continue following the tunnel.
In near record time, the hammer drove the first rod in and the machine stopped just long enough for Tabby to slap in a new rod. The quick pace of the drilling was a sign that the cutting head hadn't met a lot of resistance, which meant we'd have to place our holes more closely together. That's just one of the joys of drilling: either you're in rock, which means you're drilling slow; or you're in something soft, most likely clay, which isn't as brittle and requires more holes and bags to bust apart.
Six hours later, we'd drilled a total of seven, fifteen-meter-long sets of holes, blown them and removed the loose material down the long tunnel to the big cavern on the other side. The Piscivoru had already moved the loose equipment to the next location. We'd made much better progress than I'd expected and had less than a day's work in front of us before we reached our suit pieces.
"Fire in the hole," I said. Tabby and I had stayed behind and stuffed the deflated gas bags into the final set of holes.
"Do it," Tabby said.
I chinned the button and was unimpressed by the minor tremor caused by the explosive bags or by the debris that fell from the tunnel ceiling. What did get my attention was the mountain’s violent shaking in response.
"Liam!" Tabby exclaimed.
"Up, up, up! We have a cave-in," I said. "Leave the equipment!"
While I couldn't see them, the Piscivoru were in much better shape to respond to the trouble we'd set off. Literally, being trapped by a cave-in had been my worst nightmare, and now it was coming true.
"Liam, move!" Tabby yelled into her comm.
It was horrible to think that we might get flattened by a mountain of earth, unable to move. Even worse; our suits would continue to extract oxygen from the air until the last moment, leaving us to eventually die of hypoxia.
We scrabbled back the way we'd come. The section of tunnel where we'd been working was one of the lowest points and I felt fortunate that our escape was through the widened side.
One second we were making progress; the next, I was slammed into the tunnel's ceiling by a wave of water that filled the tunnel. My suit's face-shield slammed shut as water splashed around me. The force of the wave rolled me and I bounced along the tunnel. If not for my suit's ability to absorb impact, I'd have been crushed by the force of the water slamming me into rock after rock. Instinctively, I placed my hands over my head and rode it out.
Finally, after twenty minutes of terror, the current slowed.
"Tabbs?" I asked, tentatively. "You up?"
I waited for a response.
"Tabbs?"
"Jupiter piss, what the frak was that?" she asked.
"Must have hit a pocket of water."
"Genius," she replied, sarcastically.
"Jaelisk. Can you read me?" I called over comms.
"I hear you, Liam Hoffen," Jaelisk answered. "Are you well?"
"We're a little banged up," I said. "Tabby and I got separated, but I think we're both okay. How about all the Piscivoru workers?"
"We were above the large cavern," she answered. "We felt the shaking, but none were injured. We are cut off from you, however."
"Can you get home?" I asked.
"Yes," she said. "Your equipment is gone. We had to leave it behind."
"As long as everyone is safe, I'll call that a good day," I said.
"We cannot come to you, Liam Hoffen," she said. "You will need to leave the tunnel. There is too much that separates us."
"Got it," I said, dejected to hear that our efforts over the last few days had been for nothing. I pushed along the flooded tunnel, grateful for the grav-suit. The enlarged section was smooth going and I finally caught up with Tabby, grabbing her foot as I approached.
"That could have gone a lot worse," she said. "I'm a spacer. What in the frak are we doing so far under this mountain?"
"We needed those Iskstar crystals and the Popeyes," I said. "I know Jonathan doesn't believe the suits make a difference, but I'd rather not be standing around in a grav-suit waiting for warriors to show up."
"Right there with you, babe," Tabby said. "We must have hit a pretty big pocket of water to have filled that cavern and flooded all the way back up here."
I thought about it a moment and realized what she was saying to be true. We'd opened the passageway into the cavern, which was nearly the size of Hornblower. Tabby stopped moving forward and I ran into the back of her as the flow of debris pushed me forward.
"Wait," Tabby said, just as an idea dawned on me. Sometimes, I believed Tabby and I had some sort of psychic connection, as we often came to the same ideas at exactly the same moment.
"It could have opened another passage," I replied, finishing her thought. "We might not actually be stuck. It's not like these suits can't gather O2 from the water. If we can find a pocket of air, I have at least a couple of days of meal bars in my pack."
"You and your meal bars. I can't believe I'm actually considering this," she said.
Chapter 10
House United
"Ma'am, we're being hailed by Icicles Reflecting Sunshine. Registration, Abasi. House Kifeda," Lieutenant Walser announced.
Hornblower had made good time from the Santaloo-Tamu wormhole to Abasi Prime. Marny had authorized a higher burn rate than was efficient, but they'd take on fuel and supplies while meeting with the Abasi.
"On main video," Marny answered. The starboard third of the bridge’s high forward armored glass turned opaque and a male Felio appeared. To Marny
's left, the holographic display tracked the numerous ships currently sailing within fifty kilometers of Hornblower's position. A heavily armored, frigate class ship throbbed with a red glow, indicating which ship belonged to the speaker. It didn't escape Marny’s notice that the frigate was part of a trio of identical ships.
"Kifeda Prime offers Hornblower welcome to Abasi Prime." Unlike the female Felio, the males had broad manes of dark fur that started between their shoulder blades and traveled up their necks. Most of the males Marny had met kept their manes shortly cropped so they more closely resembled the females. The speaker's mane was long and luxurious, clearly a point of pride for him.
Marny was about to speak when she noticed the comms had been muted.
"House Kifeda is led by Mzuzi. You're looking at Kifeda Tertiary, familiar name is Sefu. House Kifeda was outspoken against the Privateer program Mshindi Prime pushed," Nick said and quickly unmuted.
"Icicles Reflecting Sunshine, greetings from the crew of Hornblower," Marny said. "Your trio of ships are magnificent and we are honored by the welcome. I am Captain James-Bertrand. How may I be of assistance this fine morning?"
"Laying it on a little thick, don't you think?" Nick whispered in Marny's ear on a private comm.
Marny smiled as her words had their intended effect.
Kifeda Tertiary straightened in his chair. "Well, yes. Thank you," he started, clearly taken off script. "It is I, Sefu, third of Kifeda, who requires a lockdown of offensive weapons within near space of Abasi Prime."
A turret lockdown acknowledgement showed on Marny's screen.
"And you'll provide for our safety while we're in orbit or below?" she asked.
"On my honor, James-Bertrand Captain, your ship will not be harmed while at Abasi Prime," he replied, chuffing.
"The honor of Kifeda is more than sufficient for me," Marny answered, accepting the lockdown.
"Hornblower, you are cleared for orbit," Sefu said. "Prosperous travels to you."
"And to you," Marny replied. "Hornblower out."
"What was that all about?" Nick asked.
"Something a Mars Protectorate man wouldn't understand. Sefu is a male in a female-dominated position," Marny explained. "I gambled that he was looking for acknowledgement."
"Seems like you got that right," Nick answered. "I've made contact with the naval repair yard Mshindi Prime set us up with. They're ready to receive us."
"Do you have orders for shore-leave?" Ada asked. "I have a schedule templated. I'd recommend four hours since we haven't been out that long yet. Also, you might consider allowing crew a draw against future pay. Mars Protectorate folks and even the people we recruited from Zuri didn't start with a lot of credits. Finally, I need to know how long we'll be on station."
"Four hours is approved," Marny said. "I'll authorize a draw against the next ten-day's pay. Nick, what's the word we're getting from the shipyard for turnaround?"
"Damage to Hornblower is light; mostly surface damage to the armor plates" Nick said. "Even with structural repairs, we're looking at eighteen hours."
"That's fast," Ada said.
"Couldn't have happened without Mshindi Prime's help," Nick answered. "I met with Semper and Martinez to organize labor for loading supplies. We’ll make a few sales with the Abasi once they see how well my stevedore bots work."
Marny sat back in the captain's chair, not nearly as enamored with ultimate command as she had once been. Liam had grown into the responsibilities of the chair so easily – or so it seemed – and yet she found herself constantly worried she was missing a critical detail. The guilt she felt for her intermittent care of Little Pete added to the pressure she knew she would simply have to bear.
"We received a navigation path from the shipyard." Lieutenant Brown's announcement pulled Marny from self-recrimination.
"On screen," Ada, sitting in the first-pilot's chair, answered. A jagged blue line full of small course corrections showed on the opaque port-side glass. "Lock it in, Lieutenant Brown. On your approval, Captain."
"Ambassador Parlastio Stelantifi Gertano Fentari's shuttle has arrived, Captain," Walser cut in. "The Ambassador is requesting permission to come alongside and dock with us."
The sound of Little Pete crying outside the bridge hatch momentarily distracted Marny. She'd been on the bridge longer than she'd expected and the tenderness in her chest reminded her of her failure at multi-tasking.
An old Earth saying regarding rain flitted into her overtaxed mind and she stood, struggling to find her center. Little Pete's cries intensified as a request for bridge access was communicated. Marny gave Ada a pained look as she struggled to breathe.
"Engage navigation plan," Ada ordered, picking up the slack. "Lieutenant Walser, negotiate docking with the Ambassador's ship. Captain, I've got the helm. As for that little tyrant in the hallway. I think he's all yours."
Mouthing a thank-you to Ada, Marny wordlessly excused herself. Doubt flooded her as she exited the bridge to the angry cries of her too-long-ignored infant. "I'm so sorry, Flaer. My timing is horrible."
"Slow your mind, child," Flaer said. "Use the strength of the bond you have with Peter and do not allow conventions of others to dictate how you lead. There are many who watch you but are quiet. Show them that a woman is not made weak, but is made stronger by her offspring."
"I'm not following, but I have to meet with the Ambassador," Marny answered, still distracted by the fact that the Cetacar Ambassador would expect her to greet him in only a few minutes – roughly the amount of time it would take her to get to the correct deck.
Flaer folded a large soft blanket and lay it over Marny's shoulder so that it rested over Little Pete's head. She smiled as he rooted against her, looking for what her grav-suit blocked.
"Do not hide your need to care for him from your duties," Flaer answered. "Can you really not talk with an ambassador with Peter in your arms?"
Marny blushed at the thought. "Um."
"Oh, dear woman," Flaer pushed back the blanket and released the shoulder of Marny's grav-suit so Little Pete could find what he insistently searched for. "I have always been mystified at how the obvious fails to reach the brilliant."
Calm spread through Marny's body as Pete's angry cries turned to happy little grunts.
"Now, you will accompany me to meet your important visitor." Flaer placed a hand at Marny's back and pushed her toward the elevator doors which stood open waiting for them.
"Deck three," Marny ordered, shifting Peter as the elevator sank. "I don't know how I'm going to do all this on my own. I'm making a mess of things. First, Ada has to bail me out and now you."
"Perhaps you do not recall our first meeting, Marny," Flaer answered.
Marny tipped her head. Flaer had been a refugee from the Kroerak planet Cradle where humans were nothing more than cattle bred to feed the elite. "I remember the circumstances. I'm not sure why you bring it up."
"Perhaps you have never been rescued from a hole so deep that you preferred death to another day, but that is what you did for me. Every day I live free is a testament to the sacrifice you willingly gave. When I hold Little Pete, I am reminded that life is innocent and worth fighting for. You are welcome, but please understand, I would rather be no other place than beside the woman who came to my village and rescued my daughters from those that murdered our children. If I die in a failed attempt to stop this evil, it will have been a life well given. I am no warrior, so I rejoice at the opportunity to serve one, even if it means showing her how ridiculous she is behaving," Flaer said, immediately looking at the deck, realizing she'd said too much.
"We're here," Marny said, stepping from the elevator. The midship lift was twenty meters from the airlock and she felt Little Pete sag and fall asleep as they walked down the empty passageway. "Hold him a moment, would you? That feeding should make him happy for a few minutes."
"Of course," Flaer answered, accepting the sleeping child.
Marny adjusted her suit and took Little Pete
back. "You're right. No more apologies."
Flaer smiled triumphantly and fell in step behind Marny as they approached the two armed Marines who stood guard next to the airlock. The guards snapped to attention at her approach.
"As you were," Marny said and looked through the airlock window. A familiar blue shape was about halfway across the extended umbilical that connected the Cetacar shuttle to Hornblower. Marny palmed the security panel and opened the door.
"Greetings to Marny James-Bertrand." The sonorous voice half-spoke and half-sang the greeting.
The hairless, blue giant Cetacar, Parlastio, or Parl as they'd nick-named him, approached, grinning broadly. Marny had enjoyed the short time she'd spent with the Cetacar previously and had looked forward to their next meeting.
As if on cue, Little Pete rustled under the cover over Marny’s shoulder. A look of surprise filled Parl's face as his eyes cut from Marny's to the lump beneath the blanket.
"On behalf of Loose Nuts and the crew of Hornblower, welcome aboard," Marny said, chuckling as she cut her planned speech short.
"Life," Parlastio said, his surprised look shifting to awe. "You have blessed my visit with the presence of an infant."
"I am so sorry. It couldn't be avoided," Marny apologized.
"Please," Parl said, reaching for the blanket that covered Little Pete. "May I see him? Illaria Telleria will feel such loss at her misfortune at having stayed behind. Is this the progeny of the brilliant Nicholas James?"
Marny watched as Parl's long, blue fingers gently pulled back the white blanket so he could see the child beneath.
"Peter James-Bertrand meet Parlastio Stelantifi," Marny said.
At the longing in Parl's face, Marny was reminded that the Cetacar had difficulty producing even a single offspring in their long lives. As cool air wafted onto Peter, he cried out, annoyed at the disturbance.
"May I hold him? I assure you I will be most gentle," Parl said, nonplussed by the fussy baby.
Marny had spent enough time with the blue giants to understand their gentle personalities, and she transferred Little Pete into Parl's broad hands. Her baby calmed immediately as he came into contact with the alien.
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