by G J Ogden
“I want to serve with distinction and earn enough commendations to muster out early, sir,” Razor replied, flatly.
Sterling huffed a laugh and flopped back into his chair. “Is that so?” he said, shaking his head. “Care to explain why, Lieutenant? The war doesn’t end until we’ve won.”
Sterling appreciated candor from his crew, though he appreciated loyalty and commitment to Fleet much more. Razor’s response had pissed him off.
“You’ve read my file, Captain, that should be obvious,” Razor replied.
It was another response delivered with cool detachment, though Sterling detected no hostility in the engineer’s voice. Sterling had known many officers and crew who had been compelled to serve and resented the uniform because of it, even if they had performed their duty without complaint. His mind wandered back to his own Omega Directive test and to Ariel Gunn – the woman he’d been forced to kill. She had contained her bitterness from others, but allowed Sterling to see it because of their friendship and closeness. Still, it was always something about Gunn that he found dislikable. It didn’t matter whether you wanted to serve or not – war made service a necessity. For the same reason that Gunn’s complaining had irked him, Razor’s admission troubled Sterling too.
“You made a hard choice that day, Lieutenant,” Sterling said, addressing the topic head on. “A harder choice than most people have to make in their lifetimes. On this ship, you’ll have to make hard choices again.”
“With respect, Captain, there is no choice I can make that will ever be harder than the one I made to kill my twin brother,” Razor replied.
This time, Sterling detected a touch of bitterness. She had tried hard to conceal it underneath her cool façade, but Sterling’s comment had clearly offended her.
“Perhaps not,” Sterling admitted. After all, Razor had nothing more to lose other than her own life. Sterling suspected that after what she’d done, his new engineer placed a low value on her own worth and existence. “But I want to be sure that you understand our mission, Lieutenant,” he went on, locking onto his engineer’s bizarrely dazzling, blue eyes. “During the course of our journey, a lot of people are going to die. Some of those we kill will wear Fleet uniforms. They may already be turned by the Sa’Nerra, or they may not. Either way, we need to do our job, even when doing so compels us to turn a dark corner. I need to know I can count on you to do what’s necessary, no matter what.”
Sterling had said his piece. He usually disliked giving such speeches – he was not a natural “people-person” or man manager, preferring his own company and the company of a few close confidants, such as Mercedes Banks. However, on this occasion, his words had flowed naturally and with ease. He needed to be sure that Razor was up to the task.
“There is no darker corner than the one I’ve already turned, Captain,” Razor replied. She had gotten control of her emotions fully once more. “I don’t blame Fleet for the choice I made, if that concerns you, sir. I did what I did and I have to live with that. If I can live with what I’ve already done, I can live with what this posting will see me do in the future.”
Sterling’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t interrupt. He was curious to see what else Razor would say, if simply left to talk.
“As I said, Captain, my aim is to serve with distinction and to leave this uniform and this war behind as soon as I can,” Razor went on. She then sat more upright and Sterling realized how tall she was. Until that point, he’d been distracted by her stark white hair and luminous eyes. “I will do my job well, sir. Of that, you can be assured,” Razor added.
Sterling sat forward and continued to study his new engineer like an artist about to begin a new composition. Despite her candor, elements of which had bothered him, Razor’s closing statements had bolstered his confidence. He could hardly blame her for wanting out, especially after what Fleet had already forced her to give. Many would buckle under that strain, or go AWOL, or allow their resentment to ripen into anger and insubordination. Razor appeared to have accepted her own darkness and grown comfortable with it. That too was a trait of all Omega officers.
“Well, I commend your honesty, Lieutenant,” Sterling said, sitting upright and resting his elbows on his desk. “So, there’s your first commendation. The first, hopefully, of many.”
Sterling then stood up and Razor immediately rose from her seat too. She was a good couple of inches taller than he was, and at five eleven that made his engineer’s stature seem practically Amazonian.
“Good to have you on board, Lieutenant,” Sterling continued, offering Razor his hand. Katreena Razor took Sterling’s hand and shook it, nodding respectfully to her new captain. “You’re dismissed,” Sterling added before planting himself back down in his seat and turning to his console again.
Razor pushed the seat back under the desk then took a step toward the door. Then she paused and turned back to face Sterling again.
“Was there something more, Lieutenant?” Sterling asked, with a curious tone.
“It’s just that usually people ask me about my hair and my eyes, sir,” Razor said, frowning slightly. “In fact, it’s almost always the first thing people ask me.”
“It doesn’t make any difference to me what you look like, Lieutenant,” Sterling replied straight away. “We’re all a little different on this ship, so you’ll fit right in.”
Razor nodded. “Thank you, Captain, that’s good to know.” She turned to leave, but again hesitated. “You can ask, though, if you’re curious,” she added. “I find it becomes a distraction otherwise.”
“Fair enough, Lieutenant,” Sterling said, sliding his computer console aside. If he was honest, he was intrigued to discover the reason for is engineer’s laser-like eyes and shimmering skin. “I assume the augments are designed to help with your work in engineering?” he then asked.
“No, actually. My eye augments are simply so that I can see properly,” Razor explained, in what was a surprisingly dull answer. “I have a genetic condition called oculocutaneous albinism,” the engineer went on. “The augmentations to my skin and eyes simply allow me to function normally.” Then Razor paused and corrected herself. “Well, a little better than normal, particularly when it comes to my eyesight. For example, I estimate that your computer console is running twenty percent hotter than it should be.”
Sterling frowned at his computer, suddenly wondering if it was about to burst into flames.
“Well, I’d better ask my chief engineer to check it out,” Sterling said, offering Razor a smile.
“I’ll get right on it, sir,” Razor replied. She turned to leave, but again hesitated. “One last thing, Captain,” she added.
“Go on,” said Sterling. The meeting had turned out to be far more interesting and insightful than he’d expected.
“I prefer to operate from the bridge, when possible,” Razor said, once again standing tall with her hands pressed behind her back. “Obviously, when required, I will return to engineering. But I find that being on the bridge gives me a broader perspective and allows me to react more quickly.”
Sterling thought for a moment then shrugged. “So long as it doesn’t affect your performance that’s fine with me,” he said.
“Thank you, Captain,” replied Razor.
The engineer then turned toward the door again, and this time did not stop. Sterling waited for the door to his compact ready room to swoosh open and for Lieutenant Razor to step outside. Once she was gone and Sterling was finally alone, he reached around the back of his computer console and pressed the flat of his hand to the metal.
“Huh, what do you know...” Sterling said, smiling. “The damn thing does feel a little hot.”
Chapter 10
Star system Omega Four
Sterling peered out at the fifth planet of Omega Four, the new designation for the star system where Sterling and his crew had discovered the Sa’Nerran super-weapon. The Invictus was at battle stations, but running on minimal power to reduce its energy signature. The, low-level cr
imson alert lights cast shadows across the faces of the bridge crew, highlighting expressions of deep focus and heightened readiness.
“Any sign of enemy activity yet, Lieutenant?” Sterling asked, directing the question to his weapons officer.
“Negative, sir,” Lieutenant Shade replied. “But we can’t get a clear reading inside the ring system of the planet. It’s possible any number of ships could be hiding inside.”
Sterling nodded. “We’ll have to take that chance,” he replied, glancing back out toward the ringed planet on the viewscreen. “But let’s assume the Sa’Nerra have left us a few surprises and make sure we’re ready for anything.”
The door to the bridge swooshed open and Lieutenant Katreena Razor stepped inside. She took up a position at the main bank of auxiliary consoles at the rear of the bridge then transferred her engineering controls to several of the stations.
“The recon probes are all ready to launch, Captain,” said Razor, standing tall with her hands pressed behind her back. “I managed to modify them to tighten up their surge fields, which will make it harder for any ship or probe to detect them at the perimeter of an aperture. I tightened up their scanning parameters too.” Razor then turned to her station. “Whoever put those things together needed a couple more years at the academy,” she commented, while working.
Sterling smiled. He didn’t have a problem with his crew displaying confidence in their abilities, so long as they could make good on their boasts. If they couldn’t then it was just empty words and arrogance. Time would tell if Razor lived up to her bluster.
“Bring us back to full power, Lieutenant,” said Sterling, glancing over his shoulder at his new engineer.
“Aye sir, full power in ten seconds,” said Razor, who was still flitting between each one of the newly-designated engineering consoles.
Soon the thrum of the Invictus’ reactor started to pulse more powerfully through the deck plates. Sterling rested his hands on the side of his console, feeling the energy of the ship rise. Through the metal, he could detect the unique pattern of vibrations that he’d come to understand as keenly as any language. Then to his surprise the pulse that flowed through his fingertips continued to build and took on a different cadence. He doubted anyone else in the United Governments Fleet could have detected the change, but Sterling knew the Invictus as keenly as he knew his own body. Glancing down at his captain’s console, he switched to the engineering systems overview and saw that their reactor output was two-point nine percent above normal. Yet, at the same time, it was operating with greater efficiency.
“What have you done to my ship, Lieutenant Razor?” said Sterling, turning to face his engineer. “These engine and reactor configurations are out of spec.” Sterling decided to leave out the part about the reactor performance having improved to see how his new engineer responded.
“The specs were wrong, Captain,” replied Razor, displaying the same calm confidence that she’d demonstrated during their meeting in his ready room. “Or, at least, they were overly conservative,” Razor corrected herself. “The Fleet engineers on the COPs are lowest common denominator types. They treat every ship, every reactor, every engine like they just rolled off the same assembly line. The Invictus is unique, even compared to other Marauders. It needs to be treated as such.”
Banks raised her eyebrows and looked over to Sterling, smiling. She then turned back to her station, brushing her hair behind her ear as she did so. Sterling felt a neural link form, and realized that Banks had surreptitiously touched her neural interface at the same time.
“She’s certainly no Clinton Crow, I’ll give her that,” said Banks through the neural link. “Let’s see if she manages to stay on that perch she’s put herself on without falling off.”
Sterling responded to Banks with his eyes then turned to ensign Keller. “Take us into the ring system, Ensign Keller. You know where to go.”
Keller responded with a crisp, “Aye, captain,” then the Invictus began powering toward the fifth planet in the system.
The journey to the planet was uneventful, but Sterling had felt on edge the entire time. Unable to relax, his muscles had remained tense and his mind busy, to the point where both his head and body now ached. It was as if he’d spent the last couple of hours in the gym, focused on beating a personal record in every exercise.
“Take a breath or you’ll bust a blood-vessel or something,” said Banks, speaking through their neural link. Other than status updates and regular ship’s chatter from the other departments, everyone on the bridge had remained silent during the voyage.
“I hate waiting,” replied Sterling, tapping his finger on the side of his console. “If they’re going to attack us, I just want them to attack. Tip-toeing around isn’t my style.”
“Be careful what you wish for…” said Banks, with a cautionary tone.
“Entering the ring system now, sir,” said Keller.
Finally… thought Sterling, pushing himself away from his console and straightening up.
“Point defense guns are active and tracking,” added Lieutenant Shade. “Rock and ice cluster density is increasing exponentially.”
“Hold fire on the point defense guns unless absolutely necessary, Lieutenant,” said Sterling, watching the maze of icy debris fill the viewscreen. “Blasting plasma all around us is a surefire way to tip off any Sa’Nerra that may be hiding in here that we’ve arrived.”
Sterling detected the thuds of rock and ice bouncing off the hull through the deck plating, but he knew the Invictus was as thick-skinned as he was.
“Regenerative armor is holding,” said Shade, eyes focused down on her console.
“Steady as she goes, Ensign,” Sterling called out. “The Invictus can take it.”
“Try to avoid the bigger chunks if you can, though, Ensign,” added Commander Banks, casting a quizzical eye across to Sterling. “This isn’t a game of dodgems.”
Sterling continued to wait impatiently as the Invictus weaved a chaotic course though the ring system. The bombardment of rock and ice against their hull was relentless, but the Invictus was every bit as tough as he’d said. It was like hailstones bouncing off the skin of an elephant.
Eventually, the ship emerged into the ring gap, causing the bombardment to cease and the viewscreen to clear. Directly ahead of them, Sterling could see the moonlet with the hole cored through its center. Then as the ring debris cleared further, Sterling caught sight of the massive shipyard structure where the Sa’Nerran super-weapon had been docked. However, the giant alien ship, which was more than twice the size of the mighty Hammer-class Fleet Dreadnaughts, was nowhere to be seen.
“I don’t know if we should be glad that monster warship has gone, or worried that it’s now able to move under its own power,” said Commander Banks.
“Both,” said Sterling, peering out at the abandoned shipyard. “But what actually concerns me more is why they left the shipyard here at all. If it were me, I’d have destroyed it.”
Banks pondered this for a moment. “Maybe they plan to come back?” she suggested.
“They know this system is burned,” replied Sterling, shaking his head. “They must have realized that we’d come back here.”
“So, it’s a trap then,” said Banks.
“Maybe,” said Sterling, though he knew it was wishful thinking to believe otherwise. “Either way, we still need to do our job and drop an aperture relay inside these rings,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck. “The question is where do we hide it?”
“Inside that moonlet would be my suggestion.”
The comment came from Lieutenant Razor, who was again standing tall at the rear of the bridge with her hands behind her back.
“Though I realize you didn’t ask for my suggestion, sir,” Razor then added, as both captain and first officer turned their attention to her.
“I’m not one to discourage input, Lieutenant, though you could explain what you mean,” replied Sterling.
Razor spun
back to her array of consoles, fingers flashing across the various panels. Moments later, the viewscreen updated to show the moonlet with the hole cored through its center.
“The aperture relays have no major propulsion systems of their own. Only station-keeping thrusters,” Razor went on, while flitting from console to console. “However, we can navigate the Invictus inside the moonlet and deploy the relay on its inner surface.”
The viewscreen updated with an overlay that explained Razor’s idea more fully. Sterling frowned and studied the overlay on the screen.
“There’s barely ten meters clearance either side of that cavity,” Sterling said, examining Razor’s data more closely. “That’s pretty tight, don’t you think?”
“I can make it, sir,” said Keller, who had swung his seat around to face the command platform. “And it is a good place to hide the relay.”
“What breakfast meal tray did both of you have this morning?” said Sterling, smiling. “Whatever it was, it seems to have given you balls of steel.”
“It was a number thirty-two, I think, sir,” replied Keller, which elicited a stifled laugh from Banks.
“It was a rhetorical question, Ensign,” said Sterling, causing the helmsman’s cheeks to flush red. “But if you think you can navigate through the cored-out moonlet, make it happen.”
“Aye, sir,” said Keller, grateful for the opportunity to swing his chair forward to hide his embarrassment.
Commander Banks’ console then chimed an update and she checked it without delay. The smile that was present on his first officer’s face then fell away and her brow furrowed.
“Do we have trouble?” asked Sterling, recognizing the look of concern on Banks’ face.
“Maybe,” replied Banks, unhelpfully. “It looks like the scanners picked up some movement. Something other than rock and ice. But the reading shows clear again.”
Sterling felt a knot harden in his stomach. “Lieutenant Razor, see what you can do to enhance our scanners,” he said to the engineer before turning to Keller. “Let’s position this relay as quickly as possible, Ensign,” he added. “Something tells me we’re not alone out here.”