by Dennis Young
Martin blew a breath and shrugged. “I don’t know… if I’m ready to be a father.”
* * *
“Captain Murphy, Sickbay. Can you come to my office at your earliest convenience?” Doctor Melinkov’s voice was coldly formal.
Murphy sat straighter in her command seat and pressed the intercom button. “Sure, Doc. What’s up?”
“Private consultation.”
Cripes. Murphy sighed. “On my way.” She pressed the button again. “Karen, you have the conn. I’ll be in Sickbay.”
She exited and rounded the corridor curve, entered Sickbay and looked to the doctor’s office.
“Here, Captain.” Melinkov was at one of the three beds with Ensign Wèi, her eyes red and puffy.
Murphy approached, a disgusted look on her face. “I know that look.”
Melinkov nodded. “This is a private matter, between Ensign Wèi and Lieutenant Teng-Hey, Captain. However, since it may affect crew morale and ship’s operation, it was necessary to bring it to your attention.”
“I… had a feeling. I’m sorry, Jia-Lan. I won’t say what I really feel, but trust me, I understand your situation.” Murphy paused, then lowered her voice. “He’s a creep. But you can move on from this. You’re strong, and brave, and young.”
Wèi nodded listlessly.
“Still want to go on the next foray to the vessel?”
Jia-Lan looked up. “Of course, Captain. But—”
“What, you thought I was going to make you sit at your station and mope? Not a chance. You’ve got a job to do, so go do it. Feathers in your cap, and all that.”
Jia-Lan showed a weak smile. “Aye, Captain. Don’t want to disappoint all those admirals, right?”
Melinkov nodded, satisfaction in her face. “Very good, Captain. Ensign, I suggest you prepare for your next mission.”
Jia-Lan rose, nodded to them, and left Sickbay.
“What of the Lieutenant?” asked Melinkov.
“What about him? He’s not broken any laws or regs. Let him stew in his own decisions. His loss.”
The doctor thought for a moment. “However…”
“As you said, Doc, it’s between the two of them. Let them sort it out. We’ve got a job to do here. Once we’re back at base, there will be plenty of time for whatever discussions they want to have.”
“As you say, Captain. Still there is time.”
“Captain Murphy, this is Ch’rehrin. We are preparing to debark, waiting now on Ensign Wèi.”
Murphy pressed her wrist comm button. “She’s on her way. Proceed at your discretion once she’s on board. Report when you’re at the vessel.”
“Understood. Ch’rehrin out.”
Murphy switched off and looked again to Melinkov. “Back to work, Doc. Can’t keep all those admirals waiting.”
* * *
The Boarding Party…
“Close to within one hundred meters this time, Lieutenant,” said Ch’rehrin. “Then a parking station, five kilometers away.”
“A bit closer, sir?” Gil nudged the controls. “No disagreement. Passing half a kilometer in open space was the longest half-hour I ever want to spend.”
“Clear space,” said Wèi from the Nav console. “Who’s staying this time?”
“Rock, Paper, Scissors?” asked Ball with a grin.
“You’re on!” They swung around, facing each other after Gil locked the controls.
“Go!” Wèi slammed her hand flat onto her palm. “Damn!” She looked to Ch’rehrin. “Sorry, sir.”
“You always go for paper,” said Gil, showing scissors, as did Ball.
“Ensign, it appears you are the odd woman out,” said Ch’rehrin, showing a hint of a smile. “Keep full comm with all of us and the ship, as before. Full recordings and vid augmentation as required.”
“I know the drill, sir. Thank you for the reminder.”
Ch’rehrin turned to the others. “Lieutenant Gil, continue your analysis of the power source. Mr. Ball, you have yet to access the top deck, correct?”
“Yes, sir, that’s my first priority, above the crew quarters.”
Ch’rehrin nodded. “Very well. Be judicious in your investigation.” He closed his helmet visor.
“You okay, Jia-Lan?” Ball asked quietly. They stood as he suited up.
She nodded. “A bit tired, but yeah, I’m okay. Thanks for asking.” She smiled softly at him.
The trio moved to the airlock and entered. Wèi took the command seat and activated the comm channel. “Pheidippides, this is Wèi on board the skiff. The boarding party is on the way to the vessel. Stand by for full link to the group comm.”
* * *
EAS Pheidippides…
Murphy listened casually to the banter between Tactical, Nav, and the boarding party. Twice she spoke with Taylor Thomas in Engineering to assure herself the ship was ready for whatever might come, be it Qoearc, a rescue should it be necessary, or monsters from the vessel, as she and Ch’rehrin had joked about. She ordered a crew member into the fourth E-suit, stationed at the airlock, just in case. After an hour, she decided she was being selfish, and called the whole thing off. Right after which, Demarcy at Tactical shouted for attention.
“Captain, we have a bogey!”
Murphy came instantly alert. “Bearing, Lieutenant, distance, all the details now. Nav, what are you showing?”
“Indeterminate readings, Captain. Something is out there, but I don’t know exactly where or what it is.”
“Tactical?”
Demarcy shook his head and cursed under his breath. “Just… yeah, it’s out there, but I can’t find it now. It was a quick burst, neutrinos, like a power surge.”
“Qoearc?”
“No idea, Captain. It’s there, then it isn’t. If it’s stealthed, it’s damn good.”
Murphy turned to Martin at the Comm station. “Get me Ch’rehrin, pronto.”
“He’s on, Captain, private line.”
“Lieutenant Ch’rehrin, we’ve got company.”
The line was quiet for a moment. “Acknowledged, Captain, what are your orders?”
“Captain, it’s coming in fast! Locked in, ten million kilometers and headed straight for us!”
No time to get back to the skiff, Murphy thought. “Gather your crew and find shelter, the best place you can get that will mask your suit signals and comm.”
“That would likely be the power source level, Captain. What of the skiff?”
“Martin, put this signal through to the skiff.” Murphy waited for the connection.
“Skiff here, Captain, Ensign Wèi.”
“Jia-Lan, we have an unidentified ship incoming. I want you to look around as quickly as possible and see if there is a nook or cranny you can tuck the skiff into somewhere in the superstructure. Maybe even get it under some of those reflective panels that are loose.”
“What about—”
“They’ve got to shelter in the vessel. No time. Do it now, but don’t endanger yourself or the skiff. As soon as we have a vector, we’ll let you know, and at least you can keep the vessel between you and the intruder.”
“Aye, Captain. Pulling away from the parking orbit now, thrusters only.”
“Good girl. Ch’rehrin, status?”
“We are making way into the power level, Captain. Two minutes.”
“Captain, whatever this thing is, it’s bigger than a scout!” Demarcy turned, and Murphy spun her finger for him to face his instruments. “It’s swinging parallel to the Qoearc border, slowing…”
“Distance?”
“Five million kilometers, heavy stealthing, huge power output now!”
Murphy looked to O’Brien and Connor. “Battle Stations, prepare countermeasures. Confirm polarization and stand by to reverse, if necessary. Lock and load torpedo tube, PAKS at ready.”
She nearly white-knuckled the arms of the command seat. Big One, indeed.
* * *
The Boarding Party…
Ch’rehrin f
ollowed Gil around what he recognized as an ancient reactor complex, nearly filling the entire lower deck of the vessel. Twice they doubled-back, and twice more they changed their hiding place, simply because there was not room for all three of them. At last they settled in a dark enclosure with a massive hatch, likely a safe room in case there had been a radiation accident during construction. The shielding was too heavy for their communicators to penetrate. Ch’rehrin considered how they might know when it was safe to emerge.
“We will stay here for a half hour, then one of us will check the comm channel outside this enclosure,” he said.
“What about the skiff?” asked Ball.
“There is little we can do, Lieutenant. The captain ordered Ensign Wèi to hide the skiff if possible, or keep the vessel between it and the intruder.”
“Intruder,” repeated Gil. “Think it’s the Qoearc shadowing us before?”
Ch’rehrin considered. “Based on what comm I received from the ship, very possible.” He thought to say more, but refrained. He knew, if it came to fighting over the vessel, Murphy might be forced to destroy it, lest it be captured by Qoearc… or others. He also knew Pheidippides was not, in any manner, a fighting ship. Likely the others of the boarding party realized this point, as well.
“Mark, thirty minutes,” said Ball, clicking his chronometer. He looked around, settled in a corner, and turned off his helmet light.
“Keep conversation to a minimum,” said Ch’rehrin.
Gil nodded, sat as well, and Ch’rehrin followed, turning down the intensity on his head lamp.
“Minimum illumination,” said the First Officer, and Gil doused his light.
The only sounds between them was of worried breathing.
* * *
The Skiff…
Jai-Lan Wèi slowly maneuvered the skiff to the far side of the vessel, keeping a lookout for a hiding place. One by one, she shut down everything except her Nav panel and Conn, relying on her E-suit communicator for talking to the ship. Finally, she realized she couldn’t see a thing outside without her skiff’s exterior lamps. She hit the switch.
There.
A row of reflective panels hung below the underside of the vessel, and she deftly swung the skiff beneath them. She nudged the tiny lifeboat upward until it “clunked” gently against the vessel surface, activated the magnetic coupler on the top, and shut down all main power. She thought to contact Pheidippides, but knew Murphy would prefer radio silence. She sat back to wait, listening to the comm channel from the ship. She waited. Fifteen minutes went by uneventfully. Then twenty.
She rubbed her belly absently, thinking of Martin’s words to her. “I’m only twenty-six, and just not ready to settle down, you know?”
She scowled to herself. Yeah, Martin, I know. I’m only twenty-three, and this isn’t what I planned either, but here we are.
He’d stammered through a few clichés, offered a weak smile, and simply gotten up and left. No “we’ll work this out”, no “I’m willing to give it a try for the sake of the child”, just… left. Walked out of her quarters and her life, as if he could do that on a ship like Pheidippides. Or anywhere.
Fine. I’ll deal with it. You made your call. Goodbye.
She thought about Murphy’s comment then, her “believe me, I understand your situation”.
Oh, God… what if she meant it literally?
* * *
EAS Pheidippides…
“One million kilometers, Captain!” Demarcy at Tactical nearly stood, then looked to Murphy.
“Take it easy, Lieutenant. Karen, what have you got?
“Pacing us, Captain, holding position, no hostile moves.”
Murphy considered her options, which were few. Pheidippides had a grand total of four photon torpedoes, and particlebeams that were good for about two minutes without recharging. She knew they could outrun anything the Qoearc had, but she wasn’t about to leave her boarding party. Besides that, there was little available but destroying the vessel to keep it from the Qoearc. She knew that was a court martial offense, but it all sort of fit her history.
Murphy waited thirty seconds before she spoke again. “Status?”
“No change, Captain,” said Demarcy.
“Ditto, Captain,” said Karen Connor at Nav.
Jules O’Brien looked over his shoulder from Conn, waiting for orders.
“Martin, open a channel, general hail.” Murphy waited until he nodded to her. “Attention intruder. This is Lieutenant Commander Jenni Murphy of EAS Pheidippides. You have entered an interdict zone. The vessel nearby is property of the Earth Alliance and under the protection of Earthfleet. State your origin, authority, and purpose, or withdraw immediately from this area. Failure to comply may result in our use of deadly force.”
“Wow.” Demarcy mumbled under his breath, and Murphy shot him a withering glance.
“Captain, something is happening…” Connor shook her head as a ship materialized on the screen.
Murphy’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
“Captain Jameis Adams, EAS Lawrence. Pleased to meet you, Commander.” The image changed to an Earthfleet Bridge, and a bearded human male in the command chair, smiling into the pickup.
“Captain, that’s a Dolander-class heavy transport,” said Demarcy.
“It sure is,” breathed Murphy, regaining her composure. She sat straighter in her seat. “Happy to see you, Captain. Very happy, actually.” She paused. What the hell?
Murphy licked her lips before continuing. “Might I ask how you found us? This isn’t exactly a well-traveled route.”
“Orders, Commander,” replied Adams. “We received the same OC as you.”
Oh ho, I said, said I… Murphy grinned, knowing if she didn’t, she would probably grimace at the transparency of what was happening. “And now, I assume you’re here to haul this thing back to Fleet Base Twenty-three, right?”
Adams was noncommittal. “We’ll be taking charge of this operation. Your orders are to head to Fleet Base Twenty-three immediately.”
Murphy nodded to herself. “Permission to escort you back to base, Captain. There are still Qoearc afoot in the area.”
“Lawrence is capable of handling any situation, Commander. Permission denied, but thank you.”
“Even when you’re towing half a million kilos of cargo? Sort of cuts down on your maneuverability, I’ll bet.”
Adams lost his ingratiating smile. “As said, your orders are to return to base. No exceptions. Get moving, Commander.”
Looks passed around the Bridge as Murphy’s jaw clenched. “I have a boarding party on the vessel I need to retrieve. Give us an hour and we’ll get back to you.” She made a throat-cutting gesture to Teng-Hey at Comm. The screen changed to the vessel and Lawrence now closing on it. “Go to Standby Alert. And get me the skiff, quick!”
Martin turned to his instruments, then back to Murphy. “She’s on, Captain.”
“Jai-Lan, we’ve got Earthfleet company.”
“I heard, Captain. Orders?”
“Get the boarding party out as soon as possible, but don’t rush. Safety first.”
“Captain, they’ve gone to radio silence, and Lieutenant Ch’rehrin sent a quick fleettext just before, saying it would be thirty minutes before we heard from them.”
Murphy glanced at the chronometer. “About ten minutes from now. That gives you time to get to the entry hatch. Be careful. Keep yourself as hidden as you can while you move. I don’t trust this Captain Adams any farther than I can probably throw him.” Which I’d like to do right now. Damn regs, anyway.
“Understood, Captain. Getting underway now.”
Murphy clicked off. “Martin, did Lawrence call back?”
“No, Captain. Nothing.”
Murphy nodded slowly. “Maybe we’ll get out of this alive after all.”
* * *
The Boarding Party…
It took all of the ten minutes and a bit more, for Jai-Lan to maneuver the skiff from hiding and
around the curve of the vessel to the entry hatch. She waited as the ship slowly rotated, so the hatch would be beyond sight of Lawrence before the skiff drifted into place.
Ch’rehrin had called; the boarding party was outside and waiting. It took another fifteen minutes for everyone to cross and get into the airlock.
“Stay put,” Jai-Lan radioed to the others, “I’m taking us back to Pheidippides as quickly as possible. We’ve got company.”
Ch’rehrin, Gil, and Ball braced themselves in the airlock as they could, as Wèi swung the skiff around and headed for Pheidippides, a hundred kilometers distant. Another twenty minutes and they were docked. Ball and Gil exited quickly, but Ch’rehrin hung back and cornered Jai-Lan as she came into the airlock.
“Ensign, why did you take such chances with us in the airlock. You know the regulations.”
“Captain’s orders, sir. She said get back as quickly as possible.”
“Lawrence is an Earthfleet vessel. Surely they are here to assist us.”
Wèi nodded. “I fully agree, sir, but we’re back safely, and I have duty on the Bridge. Please excuse me.”
She passed by and into the docking bay. Ch’rehrin raised an eyebrow. “She seems to be acquiring some of the captain’s mannerisms,” he muttered to himself.
* * *
EAS Pheidippides…
“Contact Lawrence, get me Captain Adams, please.” Murphy had taken time to compose her thoughts as the skiff docked. She watched the Bridge stations, all manned now by A-shift personnel and seconds standing by as necessary.
Jai-Lan Wèi stood uncomfortably at the Comm station as Martin Teng-Hey watched the instruments. At last, Murphy motioned her to the command seat. “Stay here with me, Ensign. Tell me what you see when we speak with Lawrence.”
“Aye, Captain.”
The screen lit. “I trust your skiff is back aboard with all hands safe.” Adams’s face was neutral, and his words were not a question, Murphy noted.
“Correct, sir. Pheidippides is preparing to get underway to Fleet Base Twenty-three now. Just making sure everything is secured in the docking bay.”
“Excellent. Well done, Commander. Give my regards to the Admiral.”