Diverse Demands

by Sharon Rose

  When the gathering ended, TarKeen strode to his quarters. ShenLee took a different route but looped around and, just as he reached his quarters, approached from the opposite direction.

  He stepped inside and kept his hand on the door until she slipped through the opening.

  The instant the door closed, she said, “No one saw me.”

  He smoothed her hair. “How tense, you are, my gem. Come and rest.” He pulled her near and soothed her in their link.

  A few minutes later, she stepped back and let out a breath. “What thought you of all that?”

  “VanDar claims nothing changes,” TarKeen said, “but he has changed since Kena left. Fewer rants. He speaks calmly at times and concedes points. Perhaps, I should be glad of the improvements, but I find them hard to trust.”

  She nodded. “When you are not present, he—oh, how to describe it? He pairs you with him.”

  TarKeen sneered and quoted VanDar. “‘Neither TarKeen nor I…’ Is that what you mean?”

  “Yes, but worse at times. He speaks of your common goal—to obtain PitKree ships—and implies that you and he are planning together toward that end.”

  “Is he specific about these plans?”

  “No. He is far more careful than he used to be and more selective about who he invites to gatherings. It’s when he is very selective that I worry the most.”

  TarKeen brushed a thumb across her gathered eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  “I discovered that he met with JedKoom and MorDen but didn’t include me. I suspect, this may have happened more than once. I’ve always thought of JedKoom as more loyal to you than to VanDar. He is one of the watch officers, after all. Answerable to you every day. But…he worries me.”

  “Don’t rely on his loyalty. JedKoom was on duty during the first contact with Kena. He addressed her so aggressively that I ordered him from the command room.”

  ShenLee pursed her lips. “Does that mar his record?”

  TarKeen nodded. “What do you think of MorDen?”

  “I don’t like him. Though, to be fair, I haven’t known him long. He just seems…easily led. A would-be champion in search of a cause.” She tilted her head. “Your opinion?”

  “He was one of the two people removed from Pernanyen’s trial after Kena entered.”

  “Ah…” ShenLee fidgeted. “Sometimes, I feel like things are getting out of control. If I learn that just the three of them are meeting, should I try to get inside?”

  “No. Only go when VanDar invites you. Maintain your voice of reason, but…” He emphasized his words. “…never let him think you are against him.”

  “I won’t.” She sighed, pulling away. “I must go. I promised to meet friends in one of the gardens.”

  As she departed, TarKeen’s brows descended. JedKoom? Why would VanDar have drawn one of the watch officers into his inner circle? TarKeen searched for reasons, but only one made sense. Before the incident with Kena, VanDar had plotted mutiny, but he lacked the knowledge and authority to control the ship. The command room staff knew, too well, that every life depended on the viability of the ship. They would never allow such as VanDar—untrained and untested—to take control. Thus, VanDar needed TarKeen to replace Captain Leonfir. Was he now preparing to replace both the captain and the commander?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Kena entered the astro section—late, due to meeting with Ghent. The most recent PitKreelaundun messages still revolved through her mind. They didn’t say they wouldn’t wait for her. Yet their assurances were strangely vague. Were they pushing for an early return, or was something wrong? Either way, what could she do about it? The Ontrevay couldn’t leave until the science team finished with testing. Neither Ghent nor Piert, the chief scientist, would extend that unnecessarily. Not while relations with the PitKreelaundun remained as volatile as a bucket of tra-pentazine.

  Kena focused on the 3-D display as she strode between consoles. More trouble. They needed more benzlium, which meant going back into dimensional slip to reach it. They used so much, they’d already consumed the local sources. Colored lines zig-zagged across the display. Kena stopped near the front row of consoles, while navigators debated courses.

  “What do you think, Kena,” Hrndl asked.

  “That’s one chaotic mess to fling the ship through.”

  “Good thing you arrived in time to explain that to us,” Tevd said.

  Delf twisted around to get a look at Kena’s face. “He’s joking.”

  Kena gave him a little smile and returned to studying the display. “You’ve had a frustrating start.”

  “What do you think of the courses?” Tevd asked in a mild tone.

  “The direct routes are dangerous, and the safe routes dart everywhere, which will waste fuel and time. But you didn’t need me to tell you that, either, did you?”

  Kena pulled her computer from her belt and followed the railing partway around the display. She inserted her earpieces and selected a few songs, then stared into the cluttered rendering of space.

  She drew her attention wider than the display and drifted with the music, silently worshiping her beloved, while everyone thought she was studying courses. Or thought she was doing nothing. It didn’t matter which.

  She absorbed the whole, not just the area between the Ontrevay and the target benzlium concentration. Few realized the structure of space. Matter followed that structure—whether vast, like clusters and strings of galaxies; or small fractals within a galactic arm. Those structures hinted at the indiscernible fourth spatial dimension they rested upon. A subtle beauty. A symmetry that appeared chaotic, unless one broadened their view. Ah, there! A route farther out than the others had looked, but near enough.

  Kena swung around to a console and began sweeping her finger through the three-dimensional rendering to mark the general course, turning it, then sweeping again. Impossible to specify the fourth dimension. That was the computer’s job, to churn through equations that represented the incomprehensible. She hit the calculate button, then strolled off to get some water.

  Aware of Hrndl’s gaze on her, Kena sat at a console among the other navigators. She pulled up the computer’s partial rendering of her course. Looking good.

  “Narrow the possibilities, Kena.” Hrndl said, gesturing at the display behind her. “Which of these are closest to what you’re designing?”

  Kena looked at them again. “I use some areas similar to four, seven, and nine, but not the initial legs.” The computer finished calculating, and she studied the course, moving it through her console display. Ah, yes. She loved it when a course came out this smooth. “It’s not refined, but something like this.” Kena touched a few buttons and projected her proposal, which glowed in bright teal. The swath was wider than the others, but only a few areas showed the dithering pattern that indicated hazards.

  “Why,” Tevd said, “would you go way over th…” He tilted his head, then turned to stare at her.

  Hrndl studied the course in silence, the corners of her eyes slowly rising. “Beautiful, Kena. No one understands the S4 dimension as you do.”

  “Do you always do it like this?” Antony whispered.

  “Not quite. Some areas are easier to work with than others.”

  “But this area was a disaster!”

  “Oh, I didn’t look at the problems. I looked at the whole.” She sat up straighter, growing intent again. “Now to clean it up.”

  Antony moved nearer. “Will it annoy you if I peer over your shoulder?”

  “Peer to your heart’s content,” she murmured, zooming and rotating two problem areas. After a moment, she selected an unrelated point, hit the recalculate button, and flopped back into her chair.

  “Why did you change that part?” Antony asked. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “It avoids these two trouble spots.” As the computer presented the adjusted section, she pointed to features. “You see, clear of both hazards, but with a gradual curve in here, rather than tigh
ter curves over here and here.”

  “Huh.” Antony leaned forward, resting a hand on the consoles edge. “How could you tell it would calculate out like that? I’d have guessed it would require a slip exit for course change.”

  She twisted her hands in opposite directions. “It’s…just…the structure of it.”

  Hrndl cycled through the course in the main display. “If we implement within the hour, we’ll arrive at the end of third shift. Just in time to send the first shift navs out to collect. Can you keep us within that timeframe while you’re cleaning it up, Kena?”

  “Sure.”

  Farian slipped nearer. “Could I please link with you while you refine? Just to observe how you perceive it?”

  “Sorry, no.” Kena gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ve tried that, but I lose the perspective I need.”

  “Oh.” Farian sighed. “The link is too distracting, I suppose.”

  “Mm…”

  “Is that the reason?” Antony asked.

  “Not really. I lose perspective when I differentiate mind and spirit. Apparently, I need a tight integration to grasp the S4 dimension.”

  Antony’s mouth opened. “You mean…” He switched to English. “Your spirit or God’s?”

  At least he understood. “Both.”

  “Decelerate.” Kena said to the seven pilots following her. “Align courses to your assigned areas.”

  Farian, in the couch beside her, overlaid the new scan results on their projections. Four sets of double lines snaked through them, spreading to different areas of the benzlium cluster.

  Kena studied the display. Not great, but workable. She reopened the comm channels. “We have variances from projection. There could be tra-pentazine deposits mixed with this debris. All of you, keep a sharp watch on projections versus actual movement.”

  Kena set the volume low for all craft except her partner’s. “All right, Tevd, let’s get in and start collecting.”

  They deployed their remote anchors, then snared benzlium, depositing it in the energy fields of their anchors. Kena collected less than Tevd, for instabilities forced her to redeploy Jorlit and Quon to another benzlium cluster. Besides, Tevd and Theshain had an efficient rhythm for piloting and robotics.

  “We’ve got this anchor full, Kena,” Tevd said. “Do you want us to add to yours?”

  “Yes. I’m going to drag your anchor clear and run another broad scan. Then, I’ll be back.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  The comments of the other pairs murmured in the background as Kena placed the anchored benzlium where she could pick it up later. She frowned over the fresh scans and opened her comm channel. “Tevd, too much material in our area is just off-projection, but I can’t tell what it’s drawn to. Probably multiple objects. I’m going to reposition us. I’m coming in, now, to pick up the active anchor. Follow me out.”

  “I’m just securing a nice piece of benzlium,” he said. “We’ll bring it over to the new location.”

  Tevd proceeded as stated, heading her way with a large rock positioned in front. No wonder he—

  The rock flashed and disintegrated.

  Farian gasped.

  Tevd’s craft halted like it had struck an invisible wall. It flipped back into the debris cluster in a slow roll.

  “Tevd, report status,” Kena said.

  A moan, then gasping breath. “I can’t see.”

  Oh, no! Kena touched another button on her console. “Jorlit, take over monitoring.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jorlit said. His voice remained calm as he addressed the other navigators.

  Kena ignored him. “Theshain, report your status.”

  After a pause, Tevd said, “He’s unconscious.”

  “How do you feel, Tevd?”

  “Like I was inside a giant gong, and somebody hammered it.” His breath was still audible, but at least he wasn’t gasping.

  Debris tumbled in the display without trajectory projections. The explosion prevented extrapolation, though Farian hurried to sort it out.

  “Tevd,” Kena said, “keep your hands off the control sticks. I’m sending the command to your craft’s computer for emergency tumble control.”

  “That never works!”

  “Your tumble rate isn’t that bad. It’ll work.”

  “You can’t get us out, that way.”

  “I know. Just hang on until—”

  He blurted something in his native language, ending with, “Antony, come and get us, before she crashes us into something!”

  Kena compressed her lips. Tevd wasn’t going to make this easy.

  “Hey, calm down, partner,” Antony said. “Kena is closer. She’ll take care of you.”

  Kena said, “Tevd, I’m—”

  The sound of vomiting filled Tevd’s comm channel.

  Kena grimaced and gave him a moment, using the pause to consider debris paths and course options. When his panting breaths slowed, she asked, “Tevd, was that you or Theshain who vomited?”

  “Me. Theshain might be waking up a little. He’s blinked a couple times but hasn’t moved yet.”

  Strange. “How’s your vision, Tevd?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my vision.”

  “You said you couldn’t see.”

  “I can’t!” he shouted. “The sensors are down. I can’t tell where I’m heading. Antony, are you coming?”

  She clamped her teeth together. So obvious that he had never trusted her, and now look what came of it. “Tevd,” Kena said, “you need to—”

  “Why aren’t you listening to me?”

  “Tevd, you are in shock. Focus on my voice. Do you understand me?”

  A couple more breaths rasped over the comm channel before he said, “Yes.”

  Kena glanced at Farian’s half-finished course plan. She had targeted the debris that Tevd was heading into. Farian pointed and whispered. “This unstable matter is closing in. We can’t fly through that.”

  “Tevd,” Kena said, “I’m going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer them.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Who has the control sticks pulled out?”

  “Oh! Theshain. I’m pushing them in.”

  “Fine, but wait for instructions from now on.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Read shield levels to me.” Kena listened as he read the data. “That’s all good,” she said. “Do any of your thrusters still work?”

  “Yeah.” He read off the functional thruster numbers. His voice grew clearer.

  “I just want to confirm what you told me before,” she said. “What do your navigation sensors indicate?”

  “No information forward. Aft sensors show I’m moving away from you…or where you were. I can’t see anyone.”

  Aft was better than nothing. “Okay. Now, think about this next question for a minute. If I give you instructions, are you capable of operating the craft?”

  “Yes, Kena, but don’t you understand? I can’t see where I’m going.”

  “I do understand that, but I can see your surroundings and where you are heading. We need to change your heading. It is going to feel very unnatural. You’ll have to trust me, in order for this to work.”

  “Oh.” Another strained breath. “Yeah, I can do it.”

  “Good.” Kena marked a location on the display. “Farian, start working on a course to here.”

  “That, we can reach.” Farian said.

  Kena determined adjustments and gave Tevd instructions, keeping them simple. Once she had him aligned, she gave him a power level and burn duration.

  “I’ve got it programmed, Kena.” He read the figures back to her, then asked, “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes, I am. Farian confirmed the calculations, if that makes you feel any better. Initiate now.” She waited a couple minutes to confirm results. “You’re on the correct course, Tevd. I’ll meet you in a few minutes. How do you feel?”

  Silence.

  “Tevd,
respond to me. How do you feel?”

  “Sorry, Kena. I muted so you didn’t have to listen to me turning my stomach out. Other than that, my head hurts.”

  “How many times have you vomited?”

  “Just this once.”

  Kena exchanged a glance with Farian before saying, “All right. Relax. Has Theshain woken up?”

  “Yes, but he can barely hear. He said his ears are ringing.”

  “Acknowledged. I see your burn has ended. I want you to put your control sticks away.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “We’re getting close. I’m going to match speed with you and grab your craft. You shouldn’t feel much until we turn. Don’t be surprised when your aft view changes, okay?”

  “Got it.”

  “Metchell wants to talk to you, and I need to talk with Jorlit. You’re off duty now. You can relax, or sleep, or anything you like. But no piloting.”

  Kena secured Tevd’s craft in an energy field, then swung around to follow the course Farian had mapped out. “Where is that anchor I had to release?”

  Farian highlighted it on the display. “I suggest we leave it. Quon is picking up the one you pulled out earlier.”

  Kena touched her comm control. “Jorlit, status update?”

  “Here’s the short version: We are at 30 percent of goal. Explosion analysis suggests that tra-pentazine was embedded in that benzlium Tevd was moving. Hrndl has ordered us to return. When we reach the Ontrevay, we will be dropping the benzlium at anchor for external analysis, rather than bringing it into the hold for processing.”

  Kena pursed her lips, reviewing the positions and loads of the other six craft. “Right, then. Let’s increase separation for the trip back. If anyone notices any anomaly in one of their loads, either now or en route, abandon it immediately.”

  They made it back without further damage to the craft, but Quon had to drop one of his anchors, forfeiting its benzlium collection.