by S. H. Jucha
“Then what idea do you have that might work, Orly?” Smitty encouragingly asked. The fact that Orly hesitated gave Smitty a sinking feeling.
“When I was little, my younger brother loved to play in our fountain,” Yoyo said. “His favorite pastime was to push buoyant objects to the fountain’s base, let them go, and watch them bob to the top.”
“What are you suggesting, Yoyo?” Gerald asked.
“I don’t know if this is even possible,” Yoyo admitted, “but Orly could tell us,” she added and regarded the pilot. “Could we submerge, push the grav engines, bob to the top, and clear enough of the surface to open the ramp and dump the water?”
Orly connected to the controller, which had collected data on the ship’s condition, and input the movements embracing the concept.
“It doesn’t look feasible,” Orly reported. “According to the controller, the stern might clear the surface for only a moment. We won’t be able to open the ramp wide enough and long enough to lose the water and lift. Everyone has to remember that we’ve got meter-high waves on the surface. They’re an added factor.”
“Forget a single operation, Orly,” Smitty urged. “Could Yoyo’s concept work if we performed the action several times?”
“Yes,” Gil encouraged. “If we could dump even some water the first time, we’d gain more height the next time.”
“The first try would be too dangerous,” Orly stated firmly. “The ramp doesn’t open and close with any speed. We run the risk of falling back into the sea and taking on more water.”
“How about combining ideas?” Gerald offered. “We dive, tilt bow up, shoot for the surface, and open a few sampling ports. It won’t drain a great deal of water, but the weight of the water will force it through the ports at a tremendous rate. And we can easily and quickly control the ports.”
Ian winced and then said, “Sers, if you recall, we didn’t connect the science cabinets to power or data controls.”
“The ports were designed to be operated manually,” another tech offered.
“But if we rise from the bottom bow up, the ship’s stern will be meters deep in water, when the ports need to be opened,” Gil noted. “Who’s going to do that?”
“I will. I’m a good swimmer,” Yoyo volunteered.
“You’re from Méridien. When did you learn to swim?” Smitty asked.
“On Haraken. Ginny taught me,” Yoyo replied proudly.
“You’ll float in your suit, Yoyo,” Gerald pointed out, and she nodded her understanding. She would have to strip out of it to submerge beneath the water.
“Are we going to do this?” Smitty asked Orly.
“I don’t hear any other ideas,” Orly replied. “So, I guess so.”
Orly locked eyes with Yoyo, and said, “Listen to me carefully. You operate only two ports, one in each hand. Understand?”
Yoyo immediately nodded. She’d never heard Orly sound so stern.
“Second. You and I will be linked,” Orly continued. “I cue you when to open and when to close, and you promptly obey.”
Yoyo nodded again.
“Third, when I put the ship on the bottom and am ready to lift, I’ll cue you. That’s when you dive under.”
When Yoyo agreed, Orly addressed the team. “You’ll need to strap in using bow-facing seats only. I’ll be shutting off the grav plating for more lift power. Plus, if the plating is on, the water would be slow to settle to the stern, and Yoyo would have a difficult time diving to the ports.” Then he added, “Someone show Yoyo how to operate the ports.”
A tech drew Yoyo to the ramp, and he guided her hands into the water and onto two ports. “They rotate like dials,” the tech explained. “Grab the outer rings. Twisting them this way opens, and this way closes,” he said, with his hands on top of hers.
“Strap in,” Orly ordered, when Yoyo and the tech were finished.
Yoyo was given the rearmost seat, while Orly piloted the traveler toward the ocean’s bottom.
The team felt the ship tip, pressing them into their seats, and the water flooded toward the stern. Yoyo climbed on the back of her seat.
Then Yoyo stepped off her perch and into the water. The stern of the ship rose swiftly to meet her, as she plunged through the water. Her feet hit the ramp, and she flipped over. Her hands searched in the murky water for the ports. She located one and then the other just as she received Orly’s cue to open them.
It seemed to Yoyo as if only a few moments passed before Orly ordered the ports closed. Then she felt the stern fall away, and she stroked to the surface.
Ian had rigged a knotted safety line for Yoyo and attached it to her seat. She used that to pull herself out of the water and back to her perch. She’d barely recovered her seat, when Orly, who had settled the ship near the bottom, sent,
Orly acknowledged Yoyo. He concentrated on piloting, she focused on diving and operating the ports, and the team concentrated on not regurgitating, as the ship shot up and lurched back into the sea.
Yoyo did disregard one of Orly’s directives. She discovered the pressure of the water inside the ship was enough for her to open the ports prematurely, and she waited to close the ports until she felt the water outside the ship push against her hands. Using these methods, she tripled the ports’ open time.
After more than three-quarters of an hour of operation, Yoyo called a halt, and Orly settled the ship on the surface.
A med tech helped an exhausted Yoyo climb into her suit, and Gil brought her water, while Gerald made her a small meal.
Orly and Smitty reached the main cabin in time to hear a tech say, “We’ve dropped the water level by nine percent.”
Amid the cheering, Smitty asked Orly, “Is that enough to try the ramp?”
Orly consulted the controller for new calculations and shook his head. “The controller estimates that we’ll need to lower the water level by twenty-three percent.”
“I need a little rest,” Yoyo commented, as she spooned the last of her meal. She handed off her tray, climbed onto a makeshift platform resting on seat backs, and promptly closed her eyes.
While Yoyo slept, Smitty queried the team members for another swimmer. He located sailors, but no one considered they could do what Yoyo was accomplishing.
An hour later, Yoyo’s eyes popped open, although she didn’t feel rested. Nonetheless, she requested that Orly go to the pilot’s cabin and the team to strap into their seats.
Orly glanced at Smitty. He realized the security sergeant was right. Gone was the façade of the well-mannered Méridien. In its place was a young woman spending every ounce of energy to save her team members.
During the next session, Orly and Smitty watched their chronometers. Yoyo was far past the time she’d spent during the first session.
The shuttle had dropped into the sea after a lift, and Orly leveled the ship.
Orly and Smitty hurried into the main cabin. Team members had sat Yoyo on a sle
eping platform, and a med tech was staunching the flow of blood from a gash in her scalp.
“Her nanites will seal this in a few more moments,” the med tech reported to Orly, “but she’s done diving.”
Yoyo weakly objected, but medical specialists had authority in these circumstances.
While the med tech helped Yoyo into her suit, Smitty asked, “What’s the water level drop?”
“Twenty-one percent,” a tech responded.
Smitty regarded Orly, and his narrowed eyes communicated his opinion.
“Okay, we’ll try the ramp,” Orly replied, holding up his hands in surrender. As he made his way to the pilot’s cabin, he mumbled, “I just hope the sloshing water from the higher lift elevation, when we fall back into the sea, doesn’t short out something critical.”
Only Smitty had heard Orly, and he had to admit that he hoped the same thing.
The med tech helped Yoyo strap into her seat and took the one beside her, while the rest of the team prepared too.
Orly drove the traveler to the bottom, pointed the bow at the surface, and then halted.
“What’s wrong?” Smitty asked.
“Nothing. I’m programming the controller to operate the ramp, when it judges the time appropriate,” Orly replied. “It can calculate the lift height, the fall time, and the ramp’s operation.
“Smart,” Smitty allowed. “How about we get off this planet? I’d love to get dry and enjoy a full meal aboard the Our People.”
Orly turned to his friend, and his grin shown through his helmet’s faceplate. Then he fully activated the grav engines, and the traveler, with its added buoyancy, leapt for the surface.
The ship broached the oceans’ waves. The controller had anticipated the exit and cued the ramp early. Water inside the ship shoved past the opening against the uppermost two meters of seawater. The water continued to stream out, as the shuttle clawed its way into the air.
Momentum was lost, and the shuttle began to slip backward but ever so slowly.
It was a struggle. The lift engines fought the inordinate weight of the ship’s load of personnel, equipment, and water. The latter continued to pour out through the ramp’s narrow opening.
Orly made a hasty judgment call. He sent a priority override to the controller, and he signaled the ramp to open at maximum speed.
The ship’s stern was two meters above the sea’s tossing waves and the ramp was a third of the way open, when the traveler’s descent was halted. The shuttle hung in the air, as if it was suspended by a thick cable attached to the bow. Then it slowly climbed.
Gerald twisted around in his seat. He was aghast that the ramp was so far open, but he saw the distance from the wave’s white caps slowly growing.
Orly activated the grav plating, closed the ramp, and shot for space. Then he triggered the comm center and the ship’s broadcast ID. He didn’t bother requesting to speak with anyone specifically. He commed the city-ship and connected with Miriamopus, who greeted him. Then he sent,
Then Orly ended the comm, set the controller’s destination, doffed his helmet, and climbed out of his seat to hug Smitty.
The two men, with tears in their eyes, joined the team in the main cabin to celebrate.
The traveler curved around the planet and shot past the Guardian.
The telemetry officer notified Adrianna, who asked, “Where’s it headed?”
“Looks like the city-ship,” the navigation officer replied.
“Good choice, Orly,” Adrianna commented. “There’s no room in our bays.” Then she added, “Pilot, we’ll join the fleet,” and she connected to the Sojourn to relay the good news.
* * *
Or-Deebaa and Sa-Foosee were on the bridge, when their antenna picked up the small ship’s movement.
“That vessel was underwater for an incredible number of rotations,” Sa-Foosee marveled. “That’s astounding technology.”
“Agreed,” said Or-Deebaa. “What’s more astounding is the commitment of these aliens to their citizens. That’s something to appreciate if they’re your ally and something to fear if they’re your enemy.”
-9-
Toral
Hector collected the lost traveler and the Guardian. His fleet of warships exited the system, joined with the freighters and the Sojourn, and then sailed for the wall.
Hector replied,
Hector replied.
Silence ruled the comm. There hadn’t been any consideration given to the possibility that the Omnian fleet might have been annihilated and Alex gone. It was a terrible thing to contemplate. It wasn’t just for the loss of the fleet, but what it might mean to the future safety of humankind and its allies.
After a long transit, Hector’s fleet decelerated and came to rest in the general vicinity of the wall. He had Miriamopus send a short signal, which included the Our People’s ship ID. It would be enough.
The fleet’s stationary position allowed downtime for crews to enjoy the spaciousness and amenities of the city-ship.
The Our People went through refit years after the Freedom, and Hector ensured it was as well outfitted as its sister ship. The parks and gardens were in full bloom. Fish and plant life filled the streams, and shops lined the peripheries of the green spaces.
Like the Freedom, the Our People held only a portion of the quarter million individuals it could accommodate. Many of the personnel were dedicated to maintenance, services, and bay operations. The latter group included crews and pilots.
The city-ship’s inhabitants took pleasure in hosting the visiting crews, especially some of the distinguished visitors. Captain Azasdau and Willem were early companions of Alex, and, of course, there were Teague and Ginny, who were treated like royalty. Ginny relished the attention, and she was pleased that Teague had mellowed enough over the years to tolerate it.
Then there were the heroes of the hour — Captain Plummer, her crew, and the recovered explorers. Their stories would have been repeated ad nauseam, except the audiences continued to change.
Asu and Adrianna were strolling through the grand park, when they heard the retelling of tales.
“I believe the explorers’ perils grow greater with each telling,” Asu remarked.
“I’ve heard the monster that swallowed the traveler now has a powerful jaw with horrendous teeth,” Adrianna remarked, chuckling.
“Quite clever of a jelly like creature to morph in such a fashion,” As
u replied, in mock surprise.
“Have you heard the iteration about how the traveler crew had to fight off other creatures on the way to the surface?” Adrianna asked.
“With what?” Asu asked incredulously.
“Apparently our intrepid explorers invented a means of firing the traveler’s weapon without the beam energy reflecting onto the shell,” Adrianna explained.
Asu stopped and stared at Adrianna. She’d managed to deliver her comment with a straight face, which had momentarily confused him. Then he caught her joke and burst out laughing, and she joined him.
Farther down the path, Adrianna said, “There is one incredible feat that is getting attention, and the recipient wants none of it.”
“Yoyo. Yes, I heard,” Asu replied. “Amazing, isn’t it? Such a courageous young woman, who prefers to shun the lauding of others.”
“Remind you of anyone?” Adrianna asked.
Asu smiled sadly, and he replied, “If she had three times the mass and was male, then, yes, she would.”
On the city-ship’s bridge, Hector received a brief signal from the Freedom via Miriamopus, and his emotional algorithms rose in celebration.
The information was composed of star coordinates and a brief message to lay off a half-hour’s transit from the system and wait for further instructions. The lack of details created many questions, but at least the Omnian fleet still existed in some part.
Hector paused, and then he sent,