by Allen Steele
Rain nodded. “Another ship, yeah…the Pride is pretty much shot. Doc’s gone back up there to see what can be salvaged before she’s scuttled.”
I grimaced. That wouldn’t be a pleasant task; the Pride was Doc’s ship, and she’d brought us home alive. Maybe Morgan didn’t consider it cost-effective to have her refitted again, but nonetheless it would be painful for Doc to let her go. “I hope he doesn’t plan to retire after this,” I said. “He’s a good man.”
“I hope not either. I’d like to work with him again.” Rain hesitated. “I hope you will, too…once we get a new ship.”
“Huh?” I gave her a sharp look. “But Morgan…”
“Morgan fired you, yes…and now he wants to rehire you.” She shrugged. “Or maybe he just decided not to fire you in the first place. At any rate, I’ve been told to tell you that he’d like to offer you a permanent contract, once a new ship is delivered.”
“Same job?”
“No.” She smiled at me again. “This time, you’ve got the helm…unless, of course, you’d really rather be a shuttle jockey.” She paused, then quietly added, “Don’t say no. Please.”
I wasn’t about to refuse, even if it meant having Morgan as my boss again. “I take it that Ted and Emily still have their jobs, too,” I asked, and she nodded. “And you?”
“The only person who isn’t being offered a contract renewal is Ali,” Ash said. “Or at least not until he learns to manage his temper a little better.”
“Do I assume correctly that you are willing to accept this position?” Jas stepped toward me. “Or should I wait until you’ve made a final decision?”
I didn’t reply at once. Instead, I looked at Rain. She said nothing, but something in her eyes told me that she’d make it worthwhile. And I still had a room at the inn…
“Sure. I’m in.” I grinned. “Why not?”
She moved closer to me. Before I knew what was happening, she gave me a kiss. For someone whom I’d once considered to be a prude, she knew how to do that pretty damn well. I was about to put my arms around her when Ash cleared his throat. Damn telepath. I was about to tell him to get out of my head and go take a cold shower when I felt something prod my shoulder. Looking around, I saw what it was.
A hjadd navigation key. Jas held out hisher hand and offered it to me.
“You will need this,” heshe said.
XVII
All this happened many years ago. I was a younger man then, immature and a little too full of myself. Looking back at it now, I realize that perhaps there were things that I should have done in a different way. On the other hand, if I hadn’t been so young and stupid, would I have been so fortunate to be where I am now?
I don’t know. Perhaps it’s human nature to second-guess ourselves. What I do know is that I’ve got a woman who loves me, a ship to fly, and the key to the galaxy. We’ve been out here for quite a while, and there are still plenty of stars left for us to see.
And I also know Ash was right. If all you want is a normal life, then it takes nothing to stay home. But once you’ve been to the Great Beyond, nothing is ever the same again.
Trust me.
Trust yourself.
(TIMELINE: COYOTE HISTORY)
EARTH EVENTS:
July 5, 2070 – URSS Alabama departs from Earth for 47 Ursae Majoris and Coyote.
April–December 2096 – United Republic of America falls. Treaty of Havana cedes control of North America to the Western Hemisphere Union.
June 16, 2256 – WHSS Seeking Glorious Destiny Among the Stars for Greater Good of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote. January 4, 2258 – WHSS Traveling Forth to Spread Social Collectivism to New Frontiers leaves Earth for Coyote.
December 10, 2258 – WHSS Long Journey to the Galaxy in the Spirit of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote.
August 23, 2259 – WHSS Magnificent Voyage to the Stars in Search of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote.
March 4, 2260 – WHSS Spirit of Social Collectivism Carried to the Stars leaves Earth for Coyote.
August 2270 –July 2279 – The Savant Genocide; 30,000 on Earth killed; mass extermination of savants, with the survivors fleeing the inner solar system.
April 2288 – First sighting of Spindrift by telescope array on the lunar farside.
June 1, 2288 – EASS Galileo leaves Earth for rendezvous with Spindrift; contact lost with Earth soon thereafter.
January 2291 – EASS Galileo reaches Spindrift. First contact.
September 18, 2291 – EASS Columbus leaves for Coyote.
February 1, 2344 – CFSS Robert E. Lee returns to Earth, transporting survivors of the Galileo expedition.
COYOTE EVENTS:
August 5, 2300 – URSS Alabama arrives at 47 Ursae Majoris system.
September 7, 2300 / Uriel 47, C.Y. 01 – Colonists arrive on Coyote; later known as “First Landing Day.”
Uriel 52, C.Y. 02 – First child born on Coyote: Susan Gunther Montero.
Gabriel 18, C.Y. 03 – WHSS Glorious Destiny arrives. Original colonists flee Liberty; Western Hemisphere Union occupation of Coyote begins.
Ambriel 32, C.Y. 03 – WHSS New Frontiers arrives.
Hamaliel 2, C.Y. 04 – WHSS Long Journey arrives.
Barachiel 6, C.Y. 05 – WHSS Magnificent Voyage arrives.
Barbiel 30, C.Y. 05 – Thompson’s Ferry Massacre; beginning of the Revolution.
Gabriel 75, C.Y. 06 – WHSS Spirit arrives.
Asmodel 5, C.Y. 06 – Liberty retaken by colonial rebels, Union forces evicted from Coyote; later known as “Liberation Day.”
Hamaliel C.Y. 13 – EASS Columbus arrives; construction of starbridge begins.
November 2340 / Hanael C.Y. 13 – Columbus shuttle EAS Isabella returns to Earth via Starbridge Coyote; United Nations recognition of Coyote Federation.
Muriel 45, C.Y. 15 – Galileo shuttle EAS Maria Celeste returns to Coyote via alien starbridge.
Hamaliel 25, C.Y. 16 – CFS Pride of Cucamonga departs for Rho Coronae Borealis via hjadd starbridge.
(ACKNOWLEDGMENTS)
The author wishes to express his gratitude to his editor, Ginjer Buchanan, and his agent, Martha Millard, for their tireless support; to Sheila Williams and Brian Bieniowski, for serializing the novel in Asimov’s Science Fiction; to Dr. Horace “Ace” Marchant and Bob and Sara Schwager, for reviewing the manuscript and offering suggestions; to Terry Kepner, for astronomical advice; to Patrick O’Connor, for the baseball team (“Beak ’Em, Boids!”); to Chris Offutt, for a phone call when it was needed the most; and to Rob Caswell, for acting as a sounding board during the genesis of this novel.
In addition to the books and articles cited in previous volumes of the Coyote series, works consulted for this novel include: Infinite Worlds: An Illustrated Guide to Planets Beyond Our Sun, by Ray Villard and Lynette R. Cook (University of California Press, 2005); Extrasolar Planets, by Terry L. Kepner (McFarland & Company, 2005); Black Holes: A Traveler’s Guide, by Clifford Pickover (Wiley & Sons, 1996); Black Holes, Quasars, and the Universe, by Harry L. Shipman (Houghton Mifflin, 1976); and Black Holes, Wormholes, and Time Machines, by Jim Al-Khalili (Institute of Physics Publishing, 1999).
—Whately, Massachusetts
August 2006–March 2007