Rosie leaned closer to whisper, “How tight is their security?”
The shuttle passengers formed a line in front of the officers. At the gate, each person was ordered to peer into a retinal scanner and the officials checked their name on a tablet.
Standing in line behind the Li sisters, Holly overheard the female security officer complain. “Their retinas are so alike, I can’t match the scans to their names.”
The man frowned at his table. “Meiling Li, Fenling Li, and Yuling Li are listed as approved for the voyage.”
After a short consultation with a superior, the security officer led the three identical sisters away.
Unable to contain her amusement at the clones’ plight, Holly quirked a grin at her sister. The Moon sisters’ security exam was next. They were waved though the gate without comment. They crossed yet another airlock into the main station. The stale air of the interior carried the odor of sweat and excrement. Holly wrinkled her nose in disgust and took only shallow breaths. She and Rosie followed the signs to the spaceship in the adjacent dock. The other passengers walked behind.
A burly man in the blue uniform of Taxyon Space stood by the entrance. After confirming their names, he sent them through the airlocked gate and into the spaceship. To Holly’s satisfaction, its interior smelt fresh. The recycled air had a pleasant lemony scent.
A tall dark-haired woman in a Taxyon Space uniform met the new passengers. She said, “Welcome on board Taxyon Two. Will candidates for the tripilot program please wait here. All others may go straight through.”
A line of people, all strangers apart from Dr. Kumar and her assistant Ulrike, marched past and entered an airlock in small groups.
Holly and Rosie stepped to the side wall. The other candidates gathered around. The Li sisters were the last to arrive, delayed by the extra security check.
The uniformed woman indicated her name tag. “Lieutenant Elena Bey. I’m the officer responsible for passengers’ accommodations on Taxyon Two. You have been assigned cabins in Suite D, which is a separate section of the passenger deck.”
Marie asked, “Where’s our luggage?”
“Your bags will be delivered directly to your cabins.” Lieutenant Bey swung her hand to a sealed door. “Follow me to your suite.”
They crossed another airlock into a short passage terminating at a solid partition.
The Lieutenant slapped her palm on a control panel. A hatch slid open to reveal another passage.
“Why are there so many doors blocking the way?” Zabrina asked.
“For safety,” Lieutenant Bey said. “The spaceship is divided into sections separated by airlocks. If an accident causes an air leak in one section, the partitions will shut to maintain air pressure in the other sections.” As they walked along the passage, she indicated a hatch by an emergency sign on one wall. “Each section has an emergency exit with spacesuits, oxygen cylinders and escape pods. We run emergency drills every third day of the voyage.”
Holly asked, “Will we get to meet the ship’s captain?”
“I believe Captain Striker plans to speak to you in the second shift.”
“Second shift?” Holly cocked her head.
“Taxyon Two, like the spaceship in our fleet, operates a traditional maritime schedule of three eight-hour shifts. That means one third of the officers and crew will be on duty in each shift, the second third will be on call, and the rest have an opportunity to sleep. The captain alternates shifts with the first and second senior officers. Most of the critical functions like engineering and navigation are supported in this manner.”
Holly commented, “If there are three officers for each function, it’s rather like the Warrish triads.”
Lieutenant Bey smiled. “Correct. In fact, we have a Warrish triad on board for this outbound trip. But there is an important difference. We work in threes only when serving on the spaceship. During our shore leave, we’re usually with our individual families and special friends.”
“It does seem restrictive,” Holly said, “Though I like being with my sister. We’re sort of a duad.”
Rosie said, “We’re supposed to meet a new candidate. She’s a replacement for the third person in our putative triad.”
“Correct. We expect Miss Lana Cho to arrive on the next Moon shuttle.”
They crossed another partition and Lieutenant Bey indicated a side door. “The exercise room. You may use it during your assigned shift. Regular exercise is critical. Otherwise, your muscles will weaken since the ship’s artificial gravity is about a third of Earth norm.”
The candidates trooped through another section with sign indicating the galley.
The Lieutenant gestured at the door. “The passengers’ galley. The cooks serve a nutritious meal every four hours. The next mealtime is due in two hours and ten minutes. At other times, you can find snacks or beverages at the counters.”
“Good.” Marie chuckled. “We won’t starve.”
“Nobody goes hungry.” Bey smiled. “We grow a few vegetables on board, and we’ve set up a small fishery to suit Warrish tastes. Since they established the Warrish embassy, we often have one or two triads on flights between Earth and Europa.”
Holly said, “Two of the mermen were on our shuttle.”
“The Warrish will be berthed in a separate section. It’s off limits for us, although you may see them around. They use our gym and sometimes wander into our galley or sim room.” She led the candidates into the next section. “Your cabins are along this passage. We haven’t adopted the Warrish system for sleeping. You’ll have to pair up. Each berth has two bunk beds.”
Rosie nudged her sister. “No problem for us.”
“Yep,” Holly said. “Though it might be tough on the Lunie girl. She won’t know anyone.”
Lieutenant Bey said, “We’ve already assigned you to a cabin. If you’re unhappy with your roommates, let me know and I’ll arrange a swap.” She opened the first door, “Ruby Hall and Marie DuBois have this cabin. Hang your spacesuits and helmets in the cabinet. When you’ve unpacked, you’re free to visit the galley or gym.”
As they expected, the Moon sisters were assigned to share a cabin. Their bags were inside on the carpet by the desk. Rosie volunteered to take the top bunk and they investigated the washroom.
Looking at the bunk beds, small desk and two chairs, Holly said unenthusiastically, “It’s okay.”
Rosie’s optimism was undamped. “We’ll be fine. It’s compact, but we’ll only have to use the place to sleep, wash and dress.” She opened a cabinet. “This entire wall has tons of storage space.”
Holly removed her helmet and wriggled out of her spacesuit with a little help from her sister. They found a tall cabinet with space to stow their space gear.
Free of the spacesuit, Holly frowned at their bags. “I don’t feel like unpacking right now.” Cocking an eyebrow at Rosie, she said, “Let’s explore the galley.”
“Super,” Rosie agreed. “I’d love to munch on a snack.”
Five minutes later, the Moon sisters walked into the galley. They looked around, curious about the other passengers. Five people sat at different tables. The trio from the United African Federation sat in one corner, staring at a screen displaying the diminished hemisphere of Earth.
Rosie, always keen to make new friends, led her sister to a table with two strangers, a man and a woman seated opposite each other.
The woman had a plain face, short blonde hair and olive-green coveralls, while the young man wore military-style garb in sand-colored camouflage.
Rosie said, “May we sit with you?”
“Sure.” The man’s eyes brightened. He nodded vigorously and patted the next seat invitingly.
Rose slid into the place beside him, leaving Holly to sit by the woman.
As the older sister, Holly opened the introductions, “Hi, guys. I’m Holly Moon and she’s my sister, Rosie.”
The woman smiled and said, “Pleased to meet you. I’m Ag Tech Tatiana Krum.�
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Reaching across to shake hands, the man said, “Hen Tech Martin Dobbs.”
“Hen Tech?” Holly asked.
Uttering a self-depreciating laugh, he said, “Hen Tech is military slang for a specialist in high energy explosives. Just call me Marty.”
“Are you going to the war?”
“Yep. I’m going to bomb the bloody Swarm.”
Turning to her neighbor, Holly said, “Are you going to war too?”
“No.” She snickered. “Not unless you count killing weeds. I’ve been recruited to work in the agricultural wing on Galileo Station.”
Marty said, “What about you folks?”
“We’re going to Europa, and possibly to the Warrish home planet of Rishalt.” Holly paused, exhaling a deep breath to quell a flare of anxiety.
Quirking her blonde eyebrows, Tatiana said, “What’s the problem? Why aren’t you certain about going to Rishalt?”
“We’re being considered for training as tripilots, the Warrish astronavigators.” Holly gestured to the table where the Li sisters had joined the three African woman. “Those women are also candidates. Eleven of us are from the four major regions of Earth and one girl is coming from the Lunar colonies. We’ve been tested for different psychic abilities. Apparently, some sort of psychic sensitivity is crucial for navigating through hyperspace.”
Rosie broke in, “You could call us the Psi Techs.”
“Brilliant. I love that name.” Holly chuckled.
Just then, Lieutenant Bey entered the galley with a pale young woman in plain brown coveralls. After a quick survey of the room, they headed straight for the Moon sisters.
Lieutenant Bey indicated her slim companion. “Holly and Rosie Moon, this is Lana Cho, the new candidate from Lunar colony seven. She’s keen to meet you.”
“Hi Lana,” Holly said.
Rosie waved. “Please join us.”
Marty stood, saying courteously, “Please take my seat.” He hastened to fetch a chair from another table for Lana and arranged to sit beside her.
Tatiana asked, “Are you another Psi Tech?”
“Psi Tech?” The Lieutenant looked puzzled.
Holly explained, “Rosie has just invented the name for us.”
“It’s a fitting term,” Bey agreed. “Lana has the cabin next to yours and I’ve given her a quick tour of our facilities.” She swung around to indicate the entrance to the serving counters. “If you’re hungry or thirsty, you’re welcome to help yourselves to snacks or drinks.” Giving a cheerful goodbye, she walked away.
Staring curiously at Lana and the Moon sisters, Tatiana said, “Okay. What are your psychic abilities?”
Foreseeing the need to counter repetitions of this question, Holly went through her usual routine, “I’m a scryer. I find missing people or things.” She tapped Rosie’s shoulder. “Rosie’s a healer.”
They all looked at Lana.
The Lunie girl placed a hand on her cheek, blinked her eyes, and glanced up. “My talent is empathy. I’m sensitive to people’s emotions. The Lunar justices employ me to analyze suspects in criminal cases.”
Holly said, “A true empath may be new in our group. We have several healers and foretellers, Marie talks to spirits, Shauntelle’s an illusionist, and Keisha senses the history of an object.” She frowned and angled her eyes toward the other table. “And then, there’s the Li sisters who refuse to state their talents.”
Rosie asked, “Can you swim?”
“Yes.” Lana cocked her head. “Isn’t it a requirement for tripilots?”
“Sure. I wondered how you’d learned to swim on the Moon.”
Lana explained, “My colony has an underground pool for recreational uses. I learned to swim as a child. When we were eleven years old, the whole creche visited Earth for six months. We stayed on the Greek islands for two weeks and swam every day in the Mediterranean Sea. I loved the sea and demanded diving lessons. Later, when I was in my teens, my colony sponsored me for the Lunar swimming team. We competed in world championships.”
“Wow,” Rosie said. “You’re a truly expert swimmer. We just like to ride the waves.”
Marty asked, “Did you grow up in a creche?”
Lana nodded. “All the children in my colony lived in the creche until they were eighteen. My parents rarely visited.”
“Who looked after you?” Rosie asked.
“We were supervised by various aunties.” Lana gave a faint smile. “It’s normal on the Moon. We have limited supplies of air and water, so births are strictly regulated. I know it’s different on Earth.”
“Quite different,” Rosie said. “We grew up with our parents. But Dad died a few years ago, and we don’t often see Mum since she remarried.”
Marty shrugged. “Same here. Parents got divorced.”
“I lost my father in the war,” Tatiana said. “My brother looks after Mama. I call them when I have news.”
After this exchange, they chatted about their expectations for the future.
AT THE SCHEDULED MEALTIME, more people entered the galley. Some wore military uniforms, other were dressed in civilian clothes. They lined up at the serving counter to select from the available dishes and carried trays to unoccupied seats.
Marty waved at some of the newcomers. Looking at the women seated around the table, he said, “Great to meet you, Psi Techs and Ag Tech. I’ve got to check with my unit. See you later.” He strode off in a chorus of goodbyes and joined a couple of military men in the line for food.
In the momentary silence, Holly asked, “Anyone else ready to eat?”
The other women all replied affirmatively.
“Sure. I’m famished.” Rosie bounced to her feet and headed the raid on the food.
Catching up with her sister at the counter, Holly said, “I doubt it’ll be as delicious as the meals we had at the Warrish embassy.”
“Maybe there’ll be less fish,” Rosie quipped.
Holly shook her head dubiously. “We might have nothing but fishy dishes if we go to Rishalt.”
Rosie shrugged. “So, we’d better make the most of the ship’s food.”
As Holly had predicted, the meals were less tasty than the ones served at the embassy, although adequate and hearty enough to suit the most energetic passengers.
Near the end of the meal, a tall woman entered. She wore the Taxyon Space uniform with an officer’s cap over her iron-gray hair.
A couple of the military types stood up and saluted.
At a gesture from the newcomer, they sat down.
“Hello ladies and gentlemen,” she said in a powerful voice. “I’m Captain Alice Striker, the commanding officer of Taxyon Two. It’s a pleasure to welcome you on board for our voyage to Europa.” She swung her arm in a semicircle to encompass her entire audience. “We are transporting passengers with vital roles and different destinations. Some of you are volunteers for the Warrish battle against the Swarm. We are grateful for your service. Our passengers include twelve special young woman who have volunteered to enter a school on Rishalt where they will be trained to navigate hyperspace. We rely on your success to expand the reach of our starships. Lastly, we are ferrying medical staff to care for a shipload of wounded soldiers on our inbound voyage to Earth. Dr. Ivan Kimber is in charge of the medics.” She gestured to a thin, solemn-faced man seated beside Dr. Kumar.
Dr. Kimber gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.
The captain resumed, “We appreciate your dedication to humanity. All of my officers and crew wish you a pleasant voyage and success in your missions.”
A round of enthusiastic applause greeted the conclusion of her speech.
“Wow,” Rosie whispered to her sister. “Our job sounds easy compared to the guys fighting the horrible Swarm.”
Holly nodded. “Right. And I don’t envy the medics dealing with the wounded.”
Chapter 19
ONCE AGAIN, BASWIN woke in a strange place with no memory of how he had arrived there.
This
time, his thoughts were sharper, less blurred by illness and fatigue. He recalled swallowing the sedative and starting to feel drowsy. The Black Arrows must have carried him through Security at the Space Station and into the spaceship. Somebody had removed his helmet and spacesuit, laid him on the lower of two bunks, and even pulled a fleece blanket up to his chin. He eased an arm out of the warm blanket. Underneath, he wore the same white tunic.
Good. If nothing had interfered with their plans, he should be in a cabin on the Taxyon Two spacecraft. This room certainly had the same furnishings, a small desk, two chairs and a wall of built-in cabinets, as the cabin he had shared with Alarik on the space ferry traveling from the Asteroid Belt to Earth. A travel bag lay on the floor by the desk, presumably the one packed for him by the Black Arrows.
Reassured, he pushed up on his elbows, propped his head against the padded wall, and looked around the compact berth. The door bore the blue spiral logo of Taxyon Space above the words, ‘Taxyon Two, Suite B, room 3,’ and the usual sketch of the deck with red dots marking the emergency exits with lifepods. This evidence confirmed his guess, and he hoped, his destination of Europa. He relaxed, resting his head on the padded board.
The absence of an external viewer and the low-pitched hum of the life support system tickled his imagination. He might be lying in the belly of a leviathan, swimming toward his home world and his brothers.
He raised his wrist and glanced at the com band with the new qtel. The Triarch had given him permission to call Alarik and this cabin offered him privacy for the moment.
Growing more cheerful, Baswin tapped the familiar code for his brother. As their qtels synched, he said, “Calm seas, brother.”
Alarik answered swiftly, “Baswin, what took you so long to reply? I sent a message four hexads ago.”
Chuckling at his First’s impatient tone, he flipped on visual. “I was delayed by an accident at sea. What message did I miss?”
“The coded message to say I had arrived on Europa.” Alarik’s face appeared on the small screen. He had redone his triad mark and his hair rose above his forehead in a fiery wave of orange tipped in yellow. Staring in undisguised concern, he murmured, “Bas, you look positively haggard. What hit you?”
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