by CJ Williams
“Thank God!” Cassie exclaimed on the set, eliciting a shush from Russell.
Kyoko continued. “I am concerned about infection, so we are watching that very closely.”
“Good idea,” Russell said, prompting a return shush from Cassie.
“As you see,” Kyoko continued, “Grandfather is still unconscious. Alyssa said that is to be expected because of what she did, which was to send a very powerful electrical shock into the water. She is quite knowledgeable about human physiology and judged it would not be lethal but that Grandfather would remain unconscious for a few days.”
“Du musst ihr alles sagen,” Hannah said quietly, and the subtitles read, You have to tell her everything.
“I know,” Kyoko replied, just as quietly. To the camera, she said, “Grandmother, I have some additional information for you about Grandfather’s injury.” She paused to take several breaths. Clearly, it was difficult for her to continue.
“Oh my God,” Cassie said. “The shark ate his legs.”
Russell hissed at her angrily, “His legs are fine; we saw them when they pulled him out. Be quiet.”
“Oh, right, right,” Cassie replied. “Sorry.”
“Anyway,” Kyoko said on the screen. She stopped and looked down at the table.
“Sag’s ihr einfach,” Hannah said somberly. Just tell her.
“I’m going to,” Kyoko growled. “Give me a minute, please.” She looked at the camera and took a long breath.
“Sag es ihr!” Tell her!
Kyoko lost her temper. “I could if you would just shut up for one second!”
“Sag es ihr!” Hannah barked. Tell her! “Der Hai hat einen seiner Eier gefressen!”
The subtitles read, The shark ate one of his balls!
Russell burst out laughing, and Cassie rounded on him angrily. “It’s not funny, Russ, for crying out loud! This is serious!”
Russell was immediately contrite, and Kent complained angrily in his earpiece that viewers would not appreciate his warped sense of humor.
On the video, Kyoko blasted Hannah in a furious tirade that forced the young woman to cringe with shame. After a moment, Kyoko composed herself once more. “Grandmother, this is what happened.” As delicately as possible, she described Gus’s injury. Fortunately, the shark attack had only been a glancing blow, not as severe as it might have been. The wound had been attended to and appeared to be healing.
She apologized once again abjectly, as did Hannah, more heartbroken than before.
“Grandmother,” Kyoko concluded, “I promise that we will make Grandfather well again. We’ll send another video when he is awake so you can see for yourself.”
*.*.*.*
Four days later, still moving a little bow-legged, Gus walked out onto the quarterdeck. Kyoko kept close by his side as he was still unsteady, even though he told her repeatedly that it wasn’t necessary. He was also a bit upset with her for telling Carol the details of his injury, but it was water under the bridge. The day before he had sent a quick, if embarrassing, message that he was fine.
He looked over the starboard rail, but the outriggers were back in their stowed position. That must have been quite a sight. For now, at least, just as Kyoko had said, Alyssa was sailing smoothly…all by herself.
The ship’s wheel rotated back and forth as required to keep the course true. The powerful winches on the port and starboard rails tightened or loosened the sheets as necessary. Unattended, they kept each sail in perfect trim for the ever-changing wind. The crank handles remained safely stowed in their brackets.
Better yet, both the mainmast and the foremast were carrying three full courses of sail. Not just the mainsails that he and Hannah had so struggled with, but the topsails and the topgallants were also rigged. Even the jib and the lateen were up. Gus never imagined that Alyssa could look so beautiful.
“You damned piece of junk,” he growled. “I would have given my left nut to have sailed like this from the start.”
“That option is no longer available to you,” Alyssa replied in a neutral voice.
“What!”
“I said—”
“Never mind!” Gus barked. He glanced quickly at Kyoko, but she was studiously examining the southern sky. Gus sagged a little and Kyoko instantly supported his elbow.
“Grandfather, please don’t push it. Let’s go back to your cabin.”
“Not yet. I’m about to suffocate in there.”
“Then sit in the navigation room. Hannah moved a chair in there, and we put a cushion on it for you.” She helped him get comfortable behind the control panel. He complained that he wanted some privacy. Once she extracted a promise that he would stay put, she retired to her own quarters.
Gus sat quietly for half an hour, in pain but grateful to be out of bed. “So now what, Alyssa? Now that I’m back on my feet are you going to turn off the autopilot?”
“Negative,” the AI responded. “True, you are marginally ambulatory but only for short periods. Any exertion on your part would certainly reopen your wound. Without a qualified medical practitioner to advise otherwise, I have instructed Miss Yoshimoto that you must remain on light duty for the next week. And by that time, we will have reached Paldae Island.”
“Then we’ll have finished this leg of the race?” Gus queried.
“That is correct,” Alyssa said. “However, I am sorry to report that you have been disqualified from the competition. Once I employed extraordinary measures due to the life-threatening situation, this vessel became ineligible. It’s unfortunate as we came so close.”
“What’s that mean then?” Gus demanded. “Are you still going to take us home?”
“Of course. Once we reach Paldae Island, Masters Cup policies no longer apply, and all programming locks will be released. I suggest that you re-provision once we arrive on the island.”
*.*.*.*
“Land ho!” Hannah called from the crow’s nest.
A few minutes later the island was visible to all. “I can’t believe we made it,” Gus said.
“I can!” Kyoko said. “I always knew Alyssa would get us here.” She gave the ship’s wheel a big kiss. “You’re the best!”
“Thank you, Miss Yoshimoto. Certainly, the voyage would not have been possible without the assistance of all aboard. What are your orders, Captain Gus?”
“What are my options?” he replied. “Can I count on your autopilot or do we have to sail the ship in?”
“I will maintain control for the next five nautical miles. Once we are abeam of the southern tip of the island, that constitutes completion of your participation in the race. At that time, I suggest you order the deployment of the strakes to reduce my overall draft, as there are several reefs in this area.”
“Sounds good. Can you show me any charts of the island?”
“Not until the leg is complete,” Alyssa said. “However, I can inform you that Paldae Island is actually an atoll and the approach can be challenging. Once past the outer reef, my records show a reasonable anchorage on the northwestern side of the main island.”
“Can I trust you not to pile us up going through the reef?”
“If you put steering under my control, I guarantee safe passage.”
“Very well,” Gus said. “Until I tell you otherwise, I am appointing you as the ship’s pilot. Deploy the strakes as suggested and tell me when we should drop anchor.”
“Acknowledged.”
*.*.*.*
“This is beautiful,” Kyoko said once again.
Gus had to agree. They had discovered an island paradise. The water changed from deep blue to aquamarine as they neared the reef, and Alyssa kept them in the middle of the channel until they reached the inner bay. A cove on the northwestern side was protected from the wind.
“This island is a lot bigger than our last place,” Gus observed. Paldae Island was just over five miles in length and covered with tropical vegetation. “Anything we need to watch out for, Alyssa?”
“To
my knowledge, this planet does not have surface dwelling life so I do not believe you will find any predators. However, I always recommend caution.”
Alyssa pulled into the cove and began stowing all the sails. The winches hummed as the clew lines and buntlines reeled in and the sheets let out. Within a matter of minutes, the sails were drawn up to their respective yards. Hannah went aloft to secure the fluttering bundles. With bare masts, the ship dropped her anchor just thirty yards from the beach. The outriggers served as easily accessible swim platforms, obviously designed with that in mind.
“Please stay as long as you desire,” Alyssa said after everything was secure. “When you are ready, we shall set out on the next leg of your journey. I recommend food supplies for a minimum of thirty-seven days. Our next stop will be the fourth planet of a star system that we will pass en route to Wheelers Bright. Based on your nutritional requirements, I have identified three waypoints. The first will be the shortest leg and will give you the opportunity to acclimate to the rigors of space travel.”
Hannah pointed out they had limited water storage since they would not be able to replenish the barrels in space. “We need to keep the destinations close together.”
“That is not correct, Miss Schubert,” Alyssa said. “As of now we are no longer operating under competitive race restrictions. In preparation for space travel, I have already opened the previously inaccessible portions of the interior. This includes sealing off the ballast area. Once we leave the planet, this vessel uses that free space for water storage. We will carry approximately forty-eight thousand gallons of clean, filtered drinking water. Without recycling, and assuming generous use by three crew members, including showers, you will have over six months of water. You may want to check your quarters now that they have been reconfigured.”
Kyoko was the first to connect the dots. “Oh my God,” she said breathlessly, racing into the captain’s cabin. Hannah and Gus followed more slowly. The sealed-off area on his front wall that all of them had wondered about had suddenly developed a door.
Kyoko pushed it open and screamed with excitement. “A bathroom! You have a bathroom! And a shower!” She charged by Gus at top speed, headed toward her own berth.
*.*.*.*
From the near hysterical squeals coming from below, Gus assumed the girls had discovered facilities of their own. No doubt their showers would be running full blast. They would be useless for the rest of the day.
He explored the ship and found there were facilities for the entire crew. Private baths for the officers, a shared bathroom for the midshipmen and warrant officers, and a six-person head and shower room under the forecastle. Even the infirmary had a surgical sink. It was a lot more than the three of them needed, but having real bathrooms would make the rest of the journey seem like a luxury cruise. Gus paused at the thought and muttered, “But that’s how we got here in the first place.”
12 – Star Sail
“The stars don’t look bigger, but they do look brighter.”
(Sally Ride)
The island was a true paradise, but after fourteen days Gus was getting antsy. The stores were laid in and the ship had been scrubbed clean from top to bottom, but the girls were dragging their feet. He understood why; they were scared. It was a little difficult to accept that this opinionated boat they had been living on for the last year was actually a spaceship.
When they sat down for dinner, he brought it up.
“Tomorrow morning,” he said, “it’s time to go.”
No one argued, but after a moment of quiet Kyoko said, “I want to go home, but I don’t understand how this works.”
“I don’t either,” Gus replied. “I’ve asked Alyssa a dozen times to explain it to me, and she does. But what she’s saying is over my head. I’m a shipwright, not a theory guy.”
“Well, I’m no scientist,” Kyoko said. “I thought you two were supposed to be the brains around here.”
“I am,” Hannah said smugly. “I’m smarter than both of you put together.”
“Then explain how all this works,” Kyoko insisted.
“It’s simple,” Hannah said confidently. “Magic.”
Gus nodded. “That’s pretty much how I read it.”
“Please do not worry, Miss Yoshimoto,” Alyssa said. “I suspect your crewmates are teasing you. I acknowledge that this will be your first experience with a star sail, so when the times comes we shall proceed slowly. I will explain it step by step, and when you see it in action, the concept should become clear.”
“I hope so,” Kyoko said. “Thank you, Alyssa.”
“Captain Gus, I take it that our final departure is scheduled for tomorrow?”
“That’s correct.” Gus looked at the girls. “Ten o’clock sound good?”
*.*.*.*
“All right, Alyssa,” Gus said the next morning. “We’re ready. Take us up.” He and the girls were inside the navigation room. The video panels on either side of the magnetic compass were illuminated with dozens of instrument indications. The ship’s AI displayed the labels in English.
“Engaging atmospheric drives,” Alyssa said. The galleon rose slowly from the water and paused to hover about twenty feet in the air.
“Commencing engine run-up sequence.” The instruments cycled up and down as the ship tested each of the circular drive rings under the hull and on the outriggers.
“Checking flight controls.” The outriggers on either side moved up and down, finishing in the normally extended position from the last two weeks.
For three minutes, the ship announced one test after another while the instrument indicators cycled through a dozen screens showing the results.
“Gravity plates, checked. Heating systems, checked. Navigation systems, checked,” and many more. Finally, Alyssa said, “All systems operational. Beginning ascent.”
A warning horn sounded, and Alyssa’s voice boomed across the deck. “All hands, prepare for turbulence. Non-essential personnel, clear the main deck. Cold weather gear required for outdoor operations at this time. Internal heating systems on.”
Gus glanced at the girls. Both of them were wide-eyed, and neither showed any inclination of wanting to go out on deck.
The video screens changed into what Gus recognized as a standard instrument panel on an aircraft. A digital ball in the center reflected the ship’s attitude; a speed indicator to the left, and altitude indicator to the right. Below the altitude indicator was vertical velocity. They were climbing at fifteen hundred feet per minute. That wasn’t much of a climb; maybe the equivalent of fifteen miles per hour, but they were going straight up.
At this rate, it would take almost an hour just to get above the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere. Most spacecraft Gus knew of reached orbit in about ten minutes.
“Deck plate gravity engaged,” Alyssa announced.
Twenty-five minutes after starting the ascent, the ride became decidedly bumpy.
“Passing through the local jet stream,” Alyssa said. The roughness smoothed out moments later, and at fifty-seven minutes she added, “All heating systems engaged. External temperature set. Deck operations now authorized.”
Gus glanced at the door to the quarterdeck and then looked at Kyoko with raised eyebrows. She shook her head. He turned to Hannah, and she gave him a “you first” gesture.
Gus smiled and opened the door. On the quarterdeck, he stepped to the side rail and looked down at the planet.
“Great God in heaven,” he whispered.
“Mein Gott,” Hannah said at his shoulder.
An entire world of ocean lay below. At altitude, the water was simply a blue haze, and puffy clouds obscured vast swaths of the surface. The curvature of the horizon added a striking element to the view, and hanging brightly above it was the local sun.
Even more impressive was when he looked up. The sky had turned from blue to black. Away from the sun, the stars were brilliant pinpoints of light.
It was the same scene he had viewed
uncountable times in his life as a shipwright—going up to work on ships or for maintenance inspections, living in various space stations, sometimes for months.
But this was different. In all of his experience, the view was invariably from behind massively thick walls of transparent steel or inside the safety of an extravehicular vacuum suit. Now, it was from the deck of a sailing ship. He was standing outside, in space, in his shirtsleeves.
They were flying away from the planet and accelerating. “What’s our speed, Alyssa?” Gus asked.
“We are now passing four thousand miles per hour at an acceleration of one gravity.”
“Are we still going straight up?”
“That is correct. We will be above the exosphere very shortly and adjust to a linear attitude rather than vertical.”
“And that is when you want us to deploy our sails?” Gus asked. He still had trouble believing what Alyssa had explained in the past.
“That is correct,” she repeated.
He glanced at Hannah and said, “It’s really important now that you stay on the boat.”
She nodded solemnly and headed down to the waist where she donned her safety harness.
“Approaching twenty thousand miles per hour,” Alyssa said. “Initiating attitude adjustment to level flight.” The ship’s bow rose ninety degrees in relation to the planetary horizon below. “Deploy mainsail.”
“That’s your cue,” Gus said. In exactly the same way she did when sailing the oceans below, Hannah climbed up the rigging to the top. “Remember the gravity will be less up there!” he shouted at her. “Be careful!”
“I can tell,” Hannah called back.
Kyoko came to stand beside Gus on the quarterdeck. She grabbed the wheel and held it tightly as though she might fly off the deck from a gust of wind. “What do you mean the gravity is less?” she asked.
“The gravity we’re feeling now is from the floor plates built into the deck,” he said. “Their effectiveness goes down with distance. Alyssa said that in the crow’s nest it’s only about one-sixth of the gravity here on the deck.”
Hannah stood on the footrope beneath the main yard and began untying the gaskets she’d used to secure the sails for liftoff. As she did, Alyssa ran the winches to cinch down the sheets and play out the clew lines and buntlines.
