by S. H. Jucha
Danny dropped Belinda and the delegates at the Spryte and then returned to the Belle. Soon after, Dingles gained the bridge and ordered the colony ship underway. The course was set for Triton. This was a common routine for Dingles, but, this time, he stood straighter, with his hands clasped behind his back, proudly accepting his new responsibility.
Aboard the Spryte, Idrian and Dottie were disoriented by the mining ship’s boarding routine. Belinda led them down a long corridor, which was the ship’s axis. She turned and navigated a tunnel that was festooned with handles. She called it a spoke. Finally, she entered a huge curved structure she announced was the ship’s gravity wheel.
“Which we get when?” Dottie asked.
“After the ship is underway,” Belinda explained.
A shifting of cabin assignments was necessary to accommodate the delegates. Jessie had given up his captain’s quarters to Ituau, telling her that it was necessary to underline her new status. In turn, Ituau gave up the cabin to Harbour. She said it was necessary for the delegates’ impression of the envoy, which made Jessie smile.
Idrian was bunked with Henry. Dottie shared a cabin with Belinda. Ituau confiscated Nate’s cabin, and the second mate moved into a spare cabin with Devon.
As soon as Ituau could manage it, she got the ship underway. If nothing else, Ituau hoped to help Dottie, who evinced a slightly green complexion from the effects of zero-g.
Despite Dottie and Idrian’s initial impressions about the lives of spacers, they weren’t given time to dwell on their thoughts. Instead, the delegates and Harbour joined the crew in drills for fires, emergency decompressions, vac suit failures, and every other form of danger the spacers faced.
In addition to the shipwide drills, Belinda and Aurelia put the delegates through their vac suit training.
Aurelia ran Henry and Devon through the newest operational requirements. Also, the equipment had technological updates that the men hadn’t seen. All in all, the men enjoyed their leisurely training exercises. Not to mention, they had good-natured Aurelia as their training instructor.
Idrian and Dottie struggled to adopt their lessons. Belinda was patient, but she was a stern taskmaster. Often, Aurelia used her power to moderate reactions, while physically stepping in to assist one or the other of the delegates.
After the first week, a transition took place. Devon and Henry were rated by Belinda. Then rather than sit out the training, they joined Dottie and Idrian. Now, there were multiple individuals assisting the two delegates who needed the most help.
During a morning meal in the galley, Dottie quipped to Belinda, “I always wanted to lose a few kilos and tone up. Who knew I only had to take a jaunt as a spacer?”
Belinda didn’t have the heart to tell Dottie that traveling aboard a mining ship was the easiest part of a spacer’s life. It was making a living by digging out ore and slush from the surface of asteroids and moons that crippled and killed most spacers.
Idrian was eventually rated. And only three days out from Triton, Dottie passed her exam, much to the relief of Belinda, Harbour, and the other delegates.
Harbour took the opportunity to announce to the delegates the final member of the envoy party. She met with them and Jessie in the captain’s quarters.
“Let me start by saying congratulations to every one of you on your ratings achievement,” Harbour said, addressing the delegates. “I think your participation in the drills and the training helps you comprehend the dangerousness of space travel. Among you, only Captain Stamerson knows what it’s like to transfer from a ship to a shuttle, land on an airless body, and walk its surface. This is exactly what we’ll be doing on Triton, going to and from the dome.”
“Envoy Harbour,” Henry interrupted. “Before you continue, might I suggest we dispense with titles? I think this group will have many intimate discussions, and we can probably save a great deal of time.”
Harbour glanced at Jessie, who nodded, and she replied, “Consider it done.”
“While we’re laying down some basic rules,” Devon said, “I’d like this group to know that I see my primary role as addressing the team’s safety concerns.”
“Negative,” Harbour said firmly. “We’ll be entering locations populated by aliens, exercising customs of which we have no knowledge. We’ll rely on the Jatouche for direction and security. You’ll play the same role as the other delegates.”
“By representing security’s concerns?” Devon asked in confusion.
“Do you think I’m representing the Review Board?” Henry asked Devon.
“The stationers elected you,” Devon objected.
“Because I was the only decent choice,” Henry replied, his lips twisting wryly.
“Devon, you might speak to Captain Ituau,” Jessie volunteered. Devon frowned at the suggestion, and Jessie explained, “Her circumstances are similar to yours … a trained officer who has been elevated and must deal with a greater level of responsibility.”
“I want it understood that, as far as I’m concerned, each of you is a Pyrean delegate,” Harbour said. “In private conversations, you may discuss the concerns of those you represent, but when we communicate with the Jatouche or any other alien race, we will speak as one. Is that understood?”
“That wasn’t why we were selected,” Idrian objected.
“I’m not concerned with why your peers selected you, Idrian,” Harbour replied. “You’ll follow my rules or find yourself sent home.”
“You might consider the fact, Idrian,” Henry interjected, “that being sent home means you’ll journey from the Jatouche dome to Triton. Then you’ll wait there, hoping a captain will take pity on you and divert his or her ship for you.”
Idrian looked around at the other delegates for backing, but none of them offered him any semblance of moral support.
Jessie regarded Harbour. His eyes shone in appreciation for her adoption of her new role. It occurred to him that she’d done the same thing when she’d been elected the Belle’s captain. At first, Harbour had resisted the residents’ desire to have her lead, but once she chose to accept the situation, she’d dived wholeheartedly into learning what she needed to know to be effective.
“At this time, I want to inform you that we’ll be adding another member to our team. Aurelia Garmenti,” Harbour announced.
This time, Idrian bristled. “In the space of a few minutes, you’ve chosen to change the team’s dynamics twice,” he declared hotly. “These are issues that should have been shared with our leaders before the delegates were chosen.”
“Let me ask you, Idrian,” said Jessie, his voice hard. “What would Dorelyn have done if Harbour had announced that Aurelia would accompany us?”
“That’s unknown,” Idrian replied quickly, “but she should have been given the opportunity to respond.”
Jessie smiled, his eyes narrowing, and Idrian realized that he’d openly admitted that Dorelyn was responsible for choosing him as the delegate.
“I can tell you what would have happened, Idrian,” Jessie volunteered. “Dorelyn would have strenuously objected, and Harbour would have heard her out and then ignored her. What I think you’re forgetting Idrian is that Harbour wasn’t selected by Pyreans. This envoy team exists because Her Highness Tacticnok requested her. These two females spent months in close proximity and had hours of intimate discussions. It’s their relationship that we’re trading on. Anything you do that interferes in this tenuous twining runs the chance of disturbing, if not ending, negotiations.”
“Idrian, Jessie has a valid point,” Dottie said quietly. “I might represent investors, but first and foremost, we must secure a position of confidence with the Jatouche and discover our mutual benefits. The representation of our individual groups will come later when negotiations become more detailed.”
Idrian didn’t appear to be mollified, but he quieted.
“The primary reasons that Aurelia will be accompanying us are that she is qualified as a vac suit team safety member and she
’s an empath,” Harbour said. “Think of it this way. If you have suit problems, an empath will sense your fear before you can comm or signal someone. Saving those precious seconds can mean saving your life.”
“If you care to talk to this ship’s crew,” Jessie said, “you’ll discover that, first and foremost, they think of Aurelia as a spacer and a good one. Yes, she’s employed her power on them, including me. In every instance, it was to help a bunch of tired, worn-out spacers forget their aches and pains for a little while.”
“We should have had an empath aboard every mining ship,” Henry said. It might have sounded like a lament, but his eyes were hard, as he recalled the dangerous and exhausting toiling of his crew.
While Dottie looked at Henry, she imagined her husband. As usual, they’d said goodbye in their cabin before he sailed on the trip that led to his death. Both men looked older than their years. Her eyes blurred, and she blinked back the tears. She’d hoped that no one noticed, but she caught Harbour regarding her with sympathy.
“There is one more thing I might as well mention,” Harbour said. “As an empath, I have abilities that are assets to me and this team, and I intend to use them. If you have personal objections to that, you have two choices … curb your emotions in my presence or choose to remain aboard this ship.”
“But isn’t the Spryte sailing for Emperion after Triton?” Dottie asked.
“Yes,” Jessie replied. “You’ll be out there for about six months while the crews sling slush off the moon’s surface. If nothing else, the Belle’s accommodations have become first rate.”
“Do you intend to read us continuously?” Dottie asked.
“No,” Harbour replied, laughing lightly. “That would exhaust me. But there will be times when I need to know what you’re feeling.”
“Why?” Idrian asked.
“To see if your words and your emotional context match,” Jessie supplied.
“That’s invasive,” Idrian replied.
“You could consider it that way,” Henry interjected. “Then again, if you’re saying what you believe, what’s the difference? Personally, I’ve no problem with being read. I intend to tell Envoy Harbour what I believe.”
-13-
Journey
A crew member picked up Henry’s duffels and headed around the gravity wheel toward the bay, and Henry took the opportunity to visit the bridge. It was near the end of first watch, and he expected to find Ituau on duty. He was right and tapped at the hatch to catch her attention.
“Captain Stamerson, nice of you to visit before you launch downside,” Ituau said.
“I wanted to congratulate you again on your captaincy,” Henry said. “I look forward to buying you a drink at the Miner’s Pit when I return.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Ituau replied, with a smile. When Henry paused, she asked, “Is there something else?”
“No … well, maybe,” Henry said, his words tumbling out. “I believe I owe you an apology, Captain. Many years ago, I was present in a cantina when you had an altercation with two spacers … big men, both of them. You wiped the deck with them, and I remember thinking that you would never rise in rank. At that time, you were a third mate. I’m pleased to see that I was wrong.”
Ituau laughed deep and hearty. “At that time, Captain, you had a good chance of being right,” she said. “I tried to mitigate my behavior, but I ran into trouble with a senior officer when I was a second mate. It was Captain Cinders who gave me another chance, and I’ve worked hard to repay him.”
“It looks like you’ve done a fine job of it, Captain,” Henry admitted.
“I can tell you something that makes your life easier,” Ituau said quietly, as if she was sharing a secret. “Hang out with the empaths. They do a great job of mellowing you out.”
Henry smiled, touched two fingers to his brow, and made his way around the gravity wheel to the vac suit room. Yes, they do, Henry thought.
Jessie had Ituau fill the shuttle with a rover and crew. The rover would transport the delegates. But Jessie’s purpose in taking Nate Mikado, the newly promoted first mate, and other crew members was to instruct them in the dome’s operation.
When Harbour and the delegates were suited up, Belinda and Aurelia led them through the axis and into the bay. The group settled into seats that were saved for them, and Belinda and Aurelia ensured everyone was properly secured. The shuttle launched, and a short flight later landed on Triton.
“Makes you appreciate the Belle’s shuttle,” Idrian whispered on a private comm channel to Dottie. He didn’t receive a reply, and he glanced at her. She had her eyes closed and was repeatedly swallowing.
“We’re on the surface, Dottie,” Aurelia said to Dottie and Belinda, to alert her fellow spacer. “The rough ride is over. I want you to breathe deeply.”
Harbour sensed Dottie’s overwrought emotional condition, but she waited. As she hoped, Aurelia came to Dottie’s aid. Despite being seated across the shuttle from the delegate, Aurelia focused her power and inundated Dottie with sensations of calm.
Dottie felt her fear shoved aside by a sense of well-being. It gave her strength, and she held on to it. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she opened her eyes. The wonderful wave continued to wash through her mind, as she stared across the shuttle at the young woman who stared intently at her.
When Dottie felt ready, she said, “Thank you, Aurelia.”
“My pleasure, Dottie,” Aurelia replied and smiled.
Seated on either side of Dottie, Idrian and Belinda felt some of the effects of Aurelia’s power. Idrian was slightly annoyed, which mitigated the opportunity to enjoy it. On the other hand, Belinda relaxed into the sensation, savoring it.
On an open channel, Belinda said, “We load the delegates in the rover now.”
It was an uncommon procedure, but Jessie and the crew accepted Belinda’s pronouncement as an order. Jessie noted that the rover had been backed into the shuttle. Access to a shuttle, while housed inside a bay, was through a hatch amidships, which made loading through the rover’s rear hatch easy.
Jessie signed to Nate, “Rover backed into shuttle.”
“Captain’s orders,” Nate signed in return.
“Smart,” Jessie signed.
“Crew thinks so,” Nate signed back.
From Nate’s simple remarks, Jessie learned that the crew had accepted, even welcomed, his choice for captain of the Spryte and a significant load was taken off his mind.
“If no one minds,” Henry sent over the open channel, “I’d like to walk on the surface of Triton.”
Jessie signed quickly to Harbour that he could accompany Henry, but Harbour signaled him to wait.
“Aurelia, you have the captain. I’ll ride in the rover,” Belinda replied. Her first thought had been for Dottie’s emotional well-being. Then she realized that Harbour would be in the rover with her. More important, this was a perfect low-level test for Aurelia.
“Belinda, I’d like to go with Captain Stamerson,” Devon requested.
“Aurelia?” Belinda queried.
“I have them,” Aurelia replied confidently. “It’s a nice night for a walk.”
Nate swung open the rover’s hatches, which bracketed an airlock large enough for one crew member. He slipped up to the front seat, Jessie took the navigator’s position, and Harbour, Dottie, Idrian, and Belinda climbed aboard.
Aurelia, Henry, and Devon remained seated, while the pilot dropped the shuttle’s wide rear ramp. Nate drove the rover off and waited until crew members surrounded the vehicle. Then he set off, following the tracks of previous visitors to the dome.
The last personnel off the shuttle were Aurelia, Henry, and Devon. When the threesome stepped off the ramp onto the loose aggregate of Triton, Aurelia turned to her charges, unclipped the safety lines on either side of her belt, extended them toward the men, and said, “Hook on, delegates. I’m not about to lose my first trainees.”
Henry accepted a line, snapped it on hi
s suit’s ring, and replied, “Aye, latched on.”
Devon took his line, clipped it to his suit, and said, “I’m good too.”
Behind their visors, Aurelia and Henry smiled. There was no quicker means of identifying a stationer than failing to hear the iconic response to the request to hook on.
The rover was a hundred meters ahead, moving slowly. Its lights lit the moon’s dark landscape, and Aurelia let the men set the pace. Their heads were on swivels, as they absorbed the unreal landscape. Aurelia gently steered the delegates around rocks and craters, while they focused on the stars overhead and the outlines of distant ridges.
“Unbelievable,” Devon shared over the comm channel.
“My times in these environments have always been while working,” Henry said, “and my mind was focused on the crew and the ore. It’s a rare thing to enjoy this without the responsibilities. Thank you, Aurelia.”
“It’s a small thing to do for a lifelong spacer,” Aurelia replied.
Aurelia’s feeling of satisfaction leaked through her gates, and the men’s heads swung toward her.
“Did I just feel your power, Aurelia?” Devon asked. “I mean, this is an airless environment.”
“Empaths … we’re such mysterious women,” Aurelia replied enigmatically. She realized Harbour was right about the opportunity to expand her horizons. I just might enjoy this journey, she thought.
At the dome’s entrance, Jessie waited until Aurelia and her charges arrived. Once the rover was unloaded, he led a class on understanding the dome’s glyphs and basic operations. At every step of the way, he instructed which glyphs should be recorded in comm units and what text should be annotated to the images. He was bombarded with questions, the majority of which he couldn’t answer. It became a constant phrase of his: Ask the Messinants, when you see them.
Using the information supplied by the engineers, Jessie led the group to the third level and walked through the processes of food, water, sleep, and facilities.
“Didn’t you say the engineers stayed here for weeks?” Idrian asked.
“That’s correct,” Jessie replied.