“If you’ve got anyone with any engineering skill on hand…,” Winter began.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Bouchard interrupted. “You’d be surprised what sort of a skill-base some of my units have.” Glancing at his watch, he added, “I’d better get moving. Until next time, gentlemen.” He walked out of the room, head held high, a fresh purpose in his step, already dictating orders into a communicator before he’d even reached the corridor. Shaking his head, Floyd turned to Winter with a smile.
“There goes a happy man. They’ve got most to gain should there be any serious action.” He paused, then said, “Oh, I thought you should be the first to know. It’ll be official tomorrow, but Vicky passed out top in the qualifying examinations for the Academy. Like father, like daughter, I guess. No question about her acceptance, of course. And before you say anything, she did it all by herself. No help from anyone. The only thing I did was speed up her notification letter.”
With a sigh, Winter replied, “I didn’t even know she’d applied.”
“You’re kidding.”
“We haven’t spoken since Christmas. That didn’t go so well. Her mother had her new husband with her, and it’s just possible I might have lost my temper a little.” He grimaced, and said, “In fact, I’m pretty sure I lost my temper a lot. I thought Vicky was still going to Central Tech. That’s what her mother wanted.”
“Her application went in about four months ago. I guess I just assumed you knew.”
Shaking his head, he replied, “At least she passed high. I’d expect nothing less. She’s always been a lot smarter than her dad. Passed her flight certification on the first try.”
“I remember,” Floyd said. “Well, kinda. My mind’s a blank after the third bar we hit that night.” He paused, then said, “Look, I can get everything together for a few hours anyway. Why don’t you go out and see her?”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
Frowning, Floyd replied, “If we do end up in a firefight, you’re going to be in the middle of it. Maybe for days, maybe for weeks. For all you know, it might be the last chance you get. You’ll regret it if you don’t take it.” Clapping his old friend on the shoulder, he added, “Just get back here by oh-four hundred tomorrow morning. I’ll have a transfer shuttle waiting for you.”
Nodding, Winter said, “Thanks, Bill. I appreciate this.”
“Any time.” He paused, then added, “Now quite hanging around here. There’s a train leaving for Crashdown City in half an hour, and I already reserved you a seat.”
“You really do think of everything, don’t you?”
“That’s why they pay me the not-so-big bucks, buddy.”
Chapter 2
Loud music pounded through the air as the newly-minted Flight Cadet Victoria Bradley carried her tray of drinks to the table, a collection of garish-colored cocktails that would wreak havoc with her bank balance. Something to worry about in the morning. Now, she was going to celebrate. She carefully placed her payload on the table, then took her seat with her friends, Dimitri Gordon and Andrew Pryce, the surviving members of the group of thirty who had applied to the Aerospace Academy from Crashdown City. Usually, only one in twenty would pass through the grueling series of mental and physical examinations. They’d done better than average. Cause for celebration.
“Thanks, Vicky,” Pryce said, taking a sip of his purple drink, the color lingering on his lips and tongue. “Nothing like a Venusian Sunrise. At least, that’s what my Grandma used to tell me.” He looked up at the window, at the stars in the sky, and said, “We’re going to be out there in a few days. And for the rest of our lives. I still can’t quite believe it. I mean, I wanted this, sure, but I never actually thought I was going to get it.”
Nodding, Gordon replied, “I feel the same way. Hell, none of my family ever even made it to college. They’re happy enough out at the refinery. Six generations back, since we first moved out here from Lemuria.” Shaking his head, he replied, “I’m not even sure they like the idea that much. They had a job all staked out for me, air scout. Though I think my folks just prefer the idea of staying close to home.” Turning to Bradley, he said, “Different for you, I guess.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she replied, “Now just what the hell do you mean by that?”
“Nothing bad, nothing bad,” Gordon said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Just that your family goes way, way back in the service. They were serving in the Aerospace Force before there was an Aerospace Force. Hell, the residence hall we’re staying in is named for your great-grandmother, isn’t it, and your father…”
“Don’t talk about him, please,” she said, taking a long drink of her cocktail. “I’m not here because of him, and I’m not here because of anything my family did or has done in the past. I’m here for me, because this is what I want to do, and I got here by myself. As far as I know, he doesn’t even know I applied. I hope not, anyway.”
Frowning, Pryce replied, “Come on, it can’t be that bad. Maybe he just wants to keep clear, make sure that nobody starts any stupid talk.” Glaring at Gordon, he added, “It gets going easy enough.”
“All I meant is that the family tradition stuff means something. It doesn’t give you a free ride. It sure as hell doesn’t out on the refinery. It just gives you, I don’t know, poise, maybe. Something to look up to.”
“Trust me, Alex, the last person I’m ever going to look up to is my father.”
“You might not have much choice,” Pryce replied. “Didn’t you see the morning Sit-Rep? He’s just been moved to a training squadron, a new one, out at Mitchell Station. Some of us are probably going to end up serving under him when we get our second-year assignments.” He paused, the said, “Besides, he’s got a good service record. I looked it up. Four kills, two campaign stars, half a dozen commendations…”
“Maybe you should see if he’ll adopt you,” she snapped, glaring at him. She drained the rest of her drink, and added, “Maybe I ought to get an early night. Maybe we all should. We’re not locked into the Academy yet. One black mark from our orientation commanders, and we’re in trouble. Probably best that we all make a good first impression.”
Shaking his head, Pryce replied, “I still can’t believe they actually assigned you to a field squadron.”
“Just lucky, I guess,” Gordon said with a grin, taking another sip of his drink, his poise broken as he choked on the bubbles. “What the hell do they put in this?”
“All it means is that Alex and I will just be fetching the coffees on a Patrol ship instead of an orbital station. They’re not going to actually let us do anything much. You’ll probably have a better time on Hercules Station than we will on Ariadne. Last I heard, patrol corvettes don’t have nightclubs.”
Cracking a smile, Pryce said, “I have a feeling none of us is going to have much time for a social life for the next four years or so.” He looked up, his eyes widening, and asked, “Which of you screwed up?”
“What do you mean?”
“Some guy in uniform just walked into the bar. I didn’t think that was allowed.”
“It isn’t, Cadet,” Winter said, “but sometimes we get to break the rules at little in the interests of expediency. Not that I told you that.” He looked down at Bradley, and said, “Congratulations to all of you, by the way.”
“Thank you, sir,” Pryce replied. “Is there something we can do for you, sir?”
“There isn’t,” Bradley said with a sigh. She looked up, and said, “I figured you’d turn up sooner or later.”
“Vicki, you’re talking to…,” Gordon began, eyes wide with panic.
“She’s talking to her father, and I guess she’s got every right to be mad,” Winter said. “Gentlemen, might the two of us have some privacy? It’s getting a little on the late side anyway, as I believe my daughter suggested.”
“Of course, sir,” Gordon replied, leaving the remains of his drink abandoned on the table. “I’ll see you at the shuttle, Vicky.�
�� As he rushed way, Pryce lingered for a moment, turning to Bradley.
“Are you going to be all right, Vicky?”
Nodding, she said, “Don’t worry, Drew. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you on campus.” Pryce glanced at Winter, nodded, then walked after Pryce, and she turned back to her father, and said, “You left it a little late, didn’t you?”
“I’ve spent the last six weeks stranded on a derelict outpost,” he replied, taking a vacated seat. “I didn’t even know that you’d applied to the Academy. Floyd told me this afternoon.” He paused, then added, “Top marks in the class. That’s something to be damned proud of.”
“Something for me to be proud of,” she replied. “I don’t think it has much to do with you. Did it take me putting on the same uniform as you for you to finally show some real interest in my life?”
Taking a deep breath, Winter said, “That’s not it, not at all. I’d have been just as proud of you whatever you ended up doing, as long as it was something you wanted to do.” He looked down at the table, and added, “I know I haven’t been much of a father to you, I’m well aware of that, but…”
“I was eight when you broke up with Mom.”
“When she broke up with me, to be fair. It wasn’t my idea.”
“She was sick and tired of being a bigamist. You were more married to your uniform than you ever were to her.”
“I can’t argue with that. I never did. I was young, I was stupid, and there are a lot of things I’d do again…”
“You left behind an eight-year old girl who worshipped the ground you walked on. You missed half your visitations those first years, and I forgave you for that, time and again. You know what it was like to wait by the door, waiting for your father to turn up, a part of you knowing that he wouldn’t, that there was something more important than you?”
“It wasn’t exactly a bed of roses for me, Vicky. I didn’t want to sit around and watch while your mother married someone else. I still loved her, damn it, though she did a pretty good job of killing that over the last decade. When they turned me down for shared physical custody…”
“What?” she asked.
“Oh yes, I applied. You probably don’t remember, I don’t think you were ever formally told, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t know. Bill Floyd had arranged for me to transfer to the Academy, an instructor’s job. They had an opening at the time for a Flight Lieutenant, and I could have reoriented my career a different way. I was willing to do that. I was happy to do that. The judge said no, I guess that was inevitable. When the posting to Hibernia came up, well, I didn’t have much choice other than to take it. When you put on this uniform, ultimately, you go where you are sent. You’re going to find that out. I just hope you don’t find it out the hard way.”
“You could have taken the Academy job anyway,” she said, her tone softening. “Why didn’t you?”
“That would have meant denying it to someone else. Someone who still had a family who gave a damn about them. At the time, I just didn’t think that person was me.” He paused, then asked, “Why did you join the service, anyway? I thought you were all set up to follow in New-Dad’s footsteps to Central Tech.”
“Three summer semesters convinced me that the last thing I wanted to be was an accountant. It’s your fault, again. Those damned flying lessons you signed me up for, back in school. I got the taste, and I suppose it’s never let me go.” She paused, looked at him, then added, “Maybe that eight-year-old girl still wants to be just like her Dad. Bad blood, I guess.”
With a deep sigh, Winter replied, “I know I let you down. I know I wasn’t there as often as I should have been, and I can make a hundred excuses about the needs of the uniform, about duty and loyalty, but I know that all of that is just words, and I can’t make up for the past.” He paused, then said, “I’m still damned proud of you, Vicky.”
A sad smile curled her lips, and she said, “That’s more than Mom was. When she found out that I’d applied, I damned near had to move out right away. Aunt Barbara let me crash with her while I was working through testing.” She paused, sighed, and said, “I didn’t even have anyone at the induction ceremony.”
“I’d have been there if I’d known,” he said. “And if I hadn’t been stuck out in the middle of nowhere with Dan Nguyen, living off hope, faith and nutri-bars. Those things are bad enough as a light snack, but living on them for six weeks was a nightmare. I’m not sure my digestion will ever recover.”
“Six weeks?” she asked. “What the hell happened?”
“I can’t talk about it, I’m afraid. It’s still Restricted, at least for the moment, but it’s got to do with my next assignment. That’s the other reason I came to see you. I’m not sure when I’m going to get another chance for a while.” He paused, shook his head, then added, “I know, I’m running out again, but it’s not my choice.”
“I thought you were taking over a training outfit?”
“That’s what the orders say, yeah. Sometimes you’ve got to read between the lines a little.” He paused, then asked, “Where are they sending you?”
“Thirteenth Support, operating out of Ariadne. Field trials of a new fighter launch system, and they need some more warm bodies. I’ll be out for two weeks, out by Taranis, I think. I might get a chance to swing by Mitchell Station on my way home, if the schedules work out.” Concern flashed across Winter’s face, and she added, “Something wrong?”
“No, no, nothing,” he replied, obviously forcing a smile. “That’s John Baxter’s squadron. We were at the Academy together, far too long ago. He’s good. Tough, but fair. The best sort of commanding officer. Better than me.” Before she could reply, he added, “And no, I’m not going to write to him and tell him that you’re coming. Your grandmother tried that sort of stuff with me, and it took me years to get out from under it. I wouldn’t inflict that sort of crap on you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I appreciate that.” She paused, then added, “That’s one reason I took mother’s name.”
“I wish I’d been that smart when I was your age. It might have saved me a lot of grief. Having said that, if there’s anything I can do, even if you just need someone to ask dumb questions to, I’m there. This at least is something I can do.”
“Answer dumb questions?”
“Trust me, once you’ve been in the uniform for a few years, you’ll realize that’s half the job. More.” He chuckled, then said, “Do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Be careful out there. Even in peacetime, space is no joke, even riding on a corvette. Anything can happen, and anything can go wrong. I’m surprised they’re sending cadets out on deep space assignments anyway. I thought it was always space stations? I spent a month holding a maintenance tech’s toolkit out at Hercules when I finished induction.”
“Just lucky I guess,” she replied. “I thought it might have something to do with you.”
Shaking his head, he said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. The whole point of the orientation period is to find out just how a cadet, any cadet, will manage when they’re put into a field situation. It’s a hell of a waste to put someone through four years at the Academy without finding out just how they cope with the unexpected. Station personnel usually have a hell of a lot more time to work with a cadet, answer questions, give advice. I have a feeling you’re going to spend, what is it, two weeks fetching and carrying, without actually learning anything useful.”
“You might be right about that,” she replied. “The Sky Commodore made it sound like an honor, and I guess she thought it was, but I’d have rather swapped places with Drew if it had been possible.” She shrugged, and said, “I’ll make the best of it.”
“Well, take one piece of advice. If it’s like any training assignment I was ever on, you’ll be given a junior officer as your babysitter, and he or she will have a couple of million other things to do. They’ll be grateful if you keep a low profile, make it nice and easy
for them, especially at the start. You’ll pick up more from the non-coms anyway. Get on the good side of the Crew Chief. Mind you, that’s good advice for any new posting.”
“Aunt Barbara gave me a very through briefing on that,” she replied with a smile.
“Ah, well, she was the black sheep of the family, joining the Patrol,” Winter said. He paused, then said, “You’re going to do great, Vicky. I know that much. Just be careful. And that’s not just me saying that because I’m your father.”
Frowning, she asked, “Is there something going on?”
He frowned, then said, “Sometime within the next twelve hours it is likely to break that the Territorial Guard is mobilizing its reserves and going onto a state of advanced preparedness. I just came out of a meeting with the Combined Chiefs of Staff. That much is in the public domain, or will be soon enough as won’t make any difference. It comes back to reading between the lines again. Don’t volunteer for anything you can’t handle. Hell, don’t volunteer at all.”
“I haven’t seen you like this since Colchis,” she replied. “Dad…”
“I know. I’m not going to make you say it. I love you too.” Glancing at the clock on the wall, close to midnight, he said, “We’ve both got shuttles to catch in the morning. I think you’re getting the better of the two postings, if I’m honest.” With a smile, he added, “I won’t force you to pass on my best to your mother. If I know her, she’s still fuming that you foiled her plans.”
“That sounds about right,” she said. She looked at her empty glass, and said, “I’d better get going.”
“Yeah, me too.” He rose, looked down at her again, and added, “Good luck, Vicky.”
“Good hunting, Dad.”
He smiled, then replied, “You too.”
Chapter 3
The airlock snapped open, and Winter walked onto the concourse of Mitchell Station, Nguyen by his side, tugging a trolley laden with equipment behind him, everything he could think to bring along for the ride. A young man wearing Territorial Guard uniform raced down the corridor towards them, almost colliding with Winter in his haste before snapping to attention, saluting the new arrivals.
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