Spinward Fringe Broadcast 13

by Randolph Lalonde

  When they sat him in his cell they left the door open. The discomfort was over, his nose was mended and he could feel the swelling around his eyes going down. "You forgot something," Noah said as the officers walked off.

  "You're on the honour system," one of the guards replied over her shoulder. "Think of it as a waiting room that your stuck in until a superior officer comes and gets you."

  "Yeah, get some sleep or something," her partner offered. "Safest part of the ship." He tossed Noah his command and control bracers and they moved on, leaving him in a quiet, half-lit cell.

  There was another notification that Alice had tried to call. It was beside a black and silver notice that said; PRIVILEGES AND RANK SUSPENDED. STAY IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The sight of that notification gave him a sinking feeling.

  "How can things get worse?" he asked himself as he clasped the command and control units onto his wrists. The newest versions were made so they had matching weights and more capability. He couldn't delay talking to Alice, for all he knew she could go silent for a week, unable to make long-range calls. He prepared himself, taking a deep breath before tapping Alice's call notification and trying to link up.

  Alice opened the call a moment later, sitting up in bed. "Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?" she asked, shocked. She sat up with a jerk, almost forgetting to strategically adjust the sheets.

  Noah realized that he forgot to clean himself up in his hurry to reply to her, and opened a little video window on his wrist display so he could see what she was seeing. It was a horror, his eyes were still pink-blue as the anti-swelling meds were still at work, and he was covered in crimson from his nose down. "I'm fine, I got into a fight, I didn’t start it. Well, not really. I'll call you right back."

  "Sure, but, what?" Alice said before he cut the connection.

  Some quick work at the sink got the blood off, his eyes still looked puffy, but he could see a little improvement from moment to moment. If it weren't for the medications they shot up his nose, he was sure both his eyes would swell until they were almost shut. The memory of that sucker punch, how it crushed his nose, seemed to hit him in both eyes at the same time, made him shudder as it refreshed his frustration and anger at the stupidity of the whole thing.

  He sluiced the water from his face and neck as best as he could, was about to sit down when Pixie came bounding into the cell. "You're not going to believe this, but Damon's still in medical."

  "I didn't see him there."

  "He's in a private room, you ruptured something really important," she giggled.

  "Yeah," was all Noah said for a moment. Blaming her for being a part of what got the fight going was a waste of time. He wished his cell door was closed, he could use a little more distance from her. As she sat down in his single chair, he shook his head. "Listen, I'm not proud of anything I did. Yeah, he threw the first punch, and the crowd was down for it, but I reacted like a punk, not an officer. If I have a chance to finish this program and learn something useful after this, I'm going to put everything into it. No more distractions, no more trouble."

  "Why are you telling me? I didn't have anything to do with Damon taking a cheap shot."

  Squeezing his eyes shut hurt a little, but it was better than letting his frustration get the better out of him. "Out," he said, pointing to the door. "See ya later, Pixie."

  "Just don't blame me for a fight you finished," she said as she started her retreat. "Oh, and don't forget; you were the one who suggested disabling the safeties on your suits."

  Commander Mars stopped her. "An officer will show you to the next cell," he told her. "We're going to be talking to you about an assault charge."

  The look of shock on her face as two security officers guided her away was an amusing relief, but it only lasted a moment as Commander Mars and Commodore McPatrick entered his cell and activated an isolation field. Noah snapped to attention and saluted.

  Commander Mars returned the salute and gestured to the bed. "Have a seat."

  Noah did so, keeping his back straight as he watched Commodore McPatrick turn the chair around and sit on it backwards.

  Commander Mars brought something up on his command and control unit, Noah couldn't see it, and scrolled through the contents silently for a moment before regarding him. "So, we have a fight that you started agreeing to and then stepped back from. That technically makes you an inciter. You'll get a little credit for listening to your friends, who suggested that you go virtual, and we'll acknowledge that you didn't throw the first punch, but you have to realize that you initially escalated, suggesting open violence, when you should have tried to diffuse the situation or extract yourself from it. We like fighters in this fleet, but we also appreciate real loyalty. We're all brothers and sisters in this fleet, and we may not always get along, but we don't break noses or rupture organs. You should have turned your suit back on the moment you were in distress. Specifically, when he punched you the first time. You would have been protected and could have activated your emergency medical implant to correct your injury."

  "What do you have to say about the incident?" Commodore McPatrick asked.

  "I let instinct take over," Noah said before he gave himself time to think. He took a breath, looked at the pair of officers. They made the cell seem small, especially the Commodore. More certain about his response, he continued. "You're right. I should have activated my suit and gotten out of there. Instead I lost it and did everything I could to win. I was blinded and I expected a beating. I apologize for any disgrace I brought to the Third Watch Squad, the Officer Training Program or this ship."

  "What about yourself? You know you're going to get a reputation for this," Commander Mars said.

  "I'm here to serve the Fleet and to represent my squad well. My own reputation doesn't matter as much," Noah replied.

  "Get to it, Commander," Commodore McPatrick said quietly.

  Commander Mars nodded, tapped the screen on his command and control unit and cleared his throat. "Trainee Lieutenant Noah Lucas; you are dismissed from the Pilot Apex Training Program and a full report of this incident will remain on your record. You will not receive luxury pay for a month. You will not be eligible for promotion for seven months regardless of any accomplishment whether academic or in the field. You have four hours to clear out your bunk. You can stay on the ship, but I won't have you in my racks. On a personal note; I'm disappointed to see you go this way, but I hope you stay on track from here. No one will stop you from pursuing the same qualification courses and testing that you would receive in the Pilot Apex Program."

  Even though he felt absolutely torn down, even lost, Noah stood and saluted. "Thank you, Commander," he said stiffly.

  "Good luck," Commander Mars said, returning the gesture, turning, then walking through the shimmering privacy barrier. He was on his way to the next cell, where Pixie most likely awaited whatever punishment she was about to receive for kicking Rayman before Noah's fight. Maybe there was something else, too, but Noah was much more interested in why Commodore McPatrrick was still sitting in his cell.

  The Commodore touched the privacy barrier with the back of his hand for a moment, watching it shimmer, then pressed a control on his com-con unit. Noah's command and control systems flashed red for a moment. The Commodore had disabled all recording devices in the room. "Wondering what the other guy got?" McPatrick asked.

  "Now I am," Noah replied.

  "He's out. We're sending him back to the Excalibur where he'll fly as an Able Crewman. He'll serve what's left of his three years as a co-pilot on shuttles at best. Pixie is staying, but she'll have a mark on her record for a year, and the chances of her getting a promotion in the next couple years will be slim at best. She'll be an Ensign if she doesn’t screw up again though. She's getting a break because she's the last member of the Excalibur crew in any enhancement program. Crewmembers from that ship are flunking out of every opportunity we give them. You don't have to worry about that, though. I envy you."

  "
You envy me?" The comment was more heavily laden with scepticism than Noah intended, so much so that it made the Commodore smile.

  "All right, maybe envy's the wrong word there, but you'll see my point in a minute. We're sending you on a solo mission." He looked over his shoulder as if he was concerned about being overheard. That was impossible unless someone was running a hard scan on the room, thanks to the isolation field and other precautions. "You probably feel lower than low right now, and you should. Between you and me, I would have fought back if someone sucker punched me too, especially if they insulted the fleet and made it personal. It wasn't how the book says you should respond though, so we have to punish everyone involved. Your career is stuck in place right now, but after reviewing your file and talking to someone in Intelligence, we've decided to put the skills you've already proven to use. Alice made a real effort to bring an existing resistance group in as an ally. It didn't turn out the way anyone wanted, but that doesn't mean it's not worth trying again. We need someone with the right instincts, someone who can mix in with the rougher elements of the galaxy and connect with other resistance groups we've seen operating on the edge of Order of Eden space. Alice's report on the time you spent on Iora, and your record leading up to this point with the Fleet show us that you have the skills and are trustworthy. You're going under cover. There's a Clever Class Corvette in bay three. You'll steal it and everything inside tomorrow at oh-five-hundred." He handed Noah a tiny command chip. It glittered gold and platinum on its chain.

  Excitement and trepidation filled him. What am I getting into now? He thought. "Would this be happening if I had a totally normal night in the Pilot's Den?" he asked.

  "Not right now, probably near the end of the program in a couple weeks, but this gave us an opportunity to get things rolling sooner. Talk to a few crewmates about how angry you are that your commander put a mark on your record, suspended your luxury pay, made sure you won't be eligible for a promotion for a while. Maybe Hal, while other people are listening. Get a few hours' sleep in guest berthing, then make your way down to Bay Three."

  "So, you wanted me for this assignment for a while."

  "Your name kept coming up as we were narrowing it down. All the pilots from the Excalibur crew ruling themselves out was a surprise. The idea behind this mission is new, anyway. It's something that's just come together and we're following through because we know we have a couple people who fit. If it weren't for you and a couple other candidates who aren't as ready, we wouldn't do it. Back to the mission details." Commodore McPatrick pointed at the chip he handed Noah. "Put that necklace on and hide it under your uniform. It has special programming that will become available once you touch it to the main console. You'll have very limited communication with certain members of the fleet. Once your assignment is over, you'll be brought back into the fold and everyone will be told that you stealing that ship was just a part of building your legend. You will be the first person to steal a quad drive, ships and equipment from Haven Fleet. For now, the most important thing for you to do is convincingly behave like you're breaking ties with the fleet as if you're never coming back."

  Thirty-One

  Farewells

  * * *

  Hopper's fighter wheeled and turned as Traveller got a missile lock on his Uriel. News that there was another class of fighter coming, and that it would be rolled out fleet-wide once enough pilots were familiar with the new generation of small ship systems was spreading. Every time an upgrade or new model was announced, the simulations got crowded. It was the way Hal liked to play. Lots of live pilots meant a challenge, and a nice high kill score on a good night.

  "God dammit, Traveller! This is the fifth time you…" Hopper started whining.

  "Sorry buddy, a kill's a kill. Oh, and this time I'm flying backwards," Traveller laughed as he pulled the trigger, sending three micro-missiles the length of his hand into the blackness of virtual space, watching as they turned and took off towards Hopper, who would either have to turn around and attempt to shoot the missiles out of the sky or take his chances with automated countermeasures. If it was up to Hal, he would take the countermeasures, they were better at stopping small tracker missiles.

  "Screw you, Traveller!" Hopper said as he ejected.

  "Or, you could do that," Traveller chuckled. His opponent's fighter exploded into thousands of simulated pieces as he turned his ship towards the nearest large asteroid. It was surrounded by a whirling mass of players in different small ships. It was like looking at a hornet's nest after someone gave it a good kick. An urgent message came up and he accepted it without looking at who it was.

  Carnie's avatar, which was taken before Noah Lucas had his blonde hair cut off, appeared in the co-pilot seat. "Hey, man. Getting some late-night sim time in?"

  "Uh, yeah," Hal replied, unsure of what to say next. He was startled, a little angry and guilty in equal measure from earlier that night.

  "I'm sorry about calling you a coward," Noah said, retracting his helmet.

  "It's okay, I wish I saw that sucker punch coming."

  "Nah, it's not. I know this is a longer conversation, but I don't have that kind of time. That whole fight took seconds. It happened so fast that it would have taken a bot to break it up before there was blood on the deck, so you didn't deserve any grief from me. I know you have my back, and when I get back, I'll watch yours if I can."

  "Thanks, Noah," Hal said, a weight lifted off his conscience. "It really did happen too fast. Wait, where are you going? I heard you got kicked out of Apex, so you're going back to the Merciless when it gets back, right?"

  "I'm not going back, Hal," Noah said. "That's all I can tell you. Watch your six and happy hunting." His avatar froze for a second then faded away.

  "Wait! Where are you…" Hal called after it then gave up with a sigh. "Don't do anything that'll make things worse, you too-tall troublemaker." He knew Noah couldn't hear him and was already starting to worry.

  Alarms went off in his cockpit and he launched countermeasures against a half dozen missiles coming his way. He was sure he'd have a chance to call Noah up later so he could ask for details.

  * * *

  There were only two things Alice set her computer to wake her for: a combat alert or a call from Noah Lucas. It was strange, she's spent so much time in her self-imposed dream state that it didn't make sense that she would wake up tired, but part of the recovery regimen was to spend as much time in normal sleep. Giving her mind time to organize and file all her experiences and emotions was essential to getting control of her empathic abilities again, and the only help she had was a mild herbal tea that Quan gave her so she could slip into REM sleep quickly. There was no rushing it, and she was no longer the director of her dreams.

  The buzz and wibble-wobble noise her command and control unit made on the bedside table sounded very far away at first. Her eyes opened a crack and she saw the wristbands lighting up, flashing a hologram of Noah's face. It hadn't been an hour since he called her looking like he'd been in a terrible accident. Getting back to sleep after was easy, but only because of the tea Quan had her drinking before bed. The quarters she had aboard the Merciless were nice; a bedroom, a main room and bathroom. They still felt strange though, too quiet, and she thought she was still aboard the Clever Dream for a moment.

  Snatching one of her command and control bracers from the dresser, she shook some of the cobwebs off, straightened her crop top and answered it. He was cleaned up, calling from his bunk with the curtain closed. "What happened to you?" Alice asked. "You looked like you lost a fight with a dock loader."

  "You'll hear about it soon, the recording's making its way through the scuttlebutt underground. Long story short: I got sucker punched and instead of turning all the safeties on my suit and implant back on, I went on to win the fight the dirty way."

  "Now I want to see this video," Alice replied with a little smile then self-corrected. "I mean, bad boy, that's not regulation, young man." It was a light-hearted scolding.
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  "Yeah, I know. How are you? What's been going on?"

  "I screwed up some negotiations then lost my head for a while," Alice replied, trying to say as much as she could without breaking the limits of his clearance. "I got in front of a whole crowd of people with the doors to my empathy wide open and I passed out. I guess when I started waking up after, I decided to stay asleep, use my dreams like a personal simulation space where I could be whatever I wanted, do whatever I wanted. It took a lot of effort to snap me out of it." She wanted to tell him; 'They had to send the whole Merciless and a couple major support ships out here to clean my mess up. Then Quan had to build a bridge between my father's and my mind so he could show me it was all right to rejoin the living.' Telling him that would reveal ship movements and the locations of major members of Haven Fleet, though, and it was above his clearance level, so she added; "I've made a mess of things here."

  "I know how you feel, at least a little," Noah said. "I'm out of the Pilot Apex Program. They aren't in a hurry to reassign me to a fighter wing yet, either. I might be an active pilot with Samurai Wing again, but I don't know when."

  "For a fist-fight? Were you in a control room or something?"

  "The Pilot's Den," Noah said. "They're treating it like a serious incident, though. I don't blame them, we were all training to be leaders and I acted like an idiot. I could have sealed my suit up and walked out, but I was more concerned with how the crowd was feeling until the last minute, when I was ready to change my mind."

  "I've lost my cool more than once," Alice said. "Maybe I could talk to Minh for you?"