“Why?”
“Because Umber is their staging location for the fleet. Without Umber, they won’t have a source for supplies. They’ll have to find somewhere else to go, which hopefully will be back to their own system.”
“Is there any chance that they’ll attack the Residere system?” asked Fernwyn.
“They’re not strong enough for that, fortunately. I don’t think they could mount a successful offensive against anyone right now, but my information about the space fleet isn’t that good.”
“They had enough resources to destroy the Way Station,” said John.
“Yeah, but that’s nothing.”
“How are we going to infect the commander and his staff without their knowledge,” asked Richter, “and if they find out, how can we be sure the Zendreen don’t have an effective antidote?”
Talvan shrugged. “They might. I can’t be sure this virus will even work the way it’s supposed to. But it’s our best bet right now. Nobody else is going to help Umber. As to how we’re going to infect them without their knowledge, I don’t know that either.”
“Tell us more about the inspection tour,” said Richter.
“According to my sources, the commander and his staff show up in an aircraft transport. They land on a platform proximate to the control center of the power station, and go inside to consult with the Zendreen overseers. Once they’re satisfied, they exit the same way.”
“How long do they stay?”
“I don’t know.”
“What benefit could the underground movement derive from attacking the power station?”
“What?”
“I mean, is there any reason why the underground would attack the power station?”
“You’re thinking about a diversion?” asked John.
Richter nodded. “Right.”
“The underground has been known to conduct harassment missions,” said Talvan. “Unfortunately, such missions are usually also suicidal.”
“By choice?”
“No, we’re not trying to martyr ourselves. The odds are just too great against us.”
Richter crossed his arms. “We could mount an attack on one part of the station as a diversion. One team goes out to cause trouble while another deploys the virus.”
“Sounds good,” began John, “but to be the most convincing, we’ll have to make it look like we failed.”
“True. Whoever deploys the virus spray will have to make it look like they stumbled into the commander or his staff by accident. I’m not sure how one would extricate themselves from such a situation without getting killed.”
“Why not hit the transport itself?” asked Christie. “Spraying the crew should be just as effective as spraying the others.”
“That’s a possibility. We really can’t speculate that much until we’re actually on the mission.”
“Okay,” began John, “we’ll plan as much as we can for now. We’re going to need as much intel on the power station as possible. Dana, are we still on the net?”
“Yes,” replied Dana. “The signal is intermittent out here, but I can still download given enough time.”
“Good. See if you can find anything on the station. Refer to Talvan for help. Do it immediately after this meeting. I want to depart for Umber as soon as possible.”
“Will do.”
“In any case, it looks like we’ll have three teams on this one. One team to provide a diversion, like Richter proposed, one team to deploy the virus, and one team to operate the ship. Thank God nothing’s happened to the invisibility shield, otherwise we’d have a hell of a time getting close to the power station. Anything else?”
No one seemed to have anything else to add.
“I’ll begin my search,” said Dana, standing.
“Fine. Everyone else make yourselves available to Talvan, I want to make sure he has everything he needs. Oh, and the service for Nathalier will be in one hour. Aldebaran, Richter, I’d like to have a word with you two alone. That’s all.”
Dana, Christie, Fernwyn, and Talvan exited the conference room.
“What’s up, Scherer?” asked Richter.
“I agree with you, Richter,” John began, “it looks like whoever deploys the virus will be in the most danger this mission. We didn’t bring any fire hoses with us, so I’ll have to get pretty close.”
“Who said you were the one to do it?” asked Richter.
“I see I’ve revealed my thoughts to you. Indeed, I’m planning on being the one to deploy the virus. That’s why I wanted to speak with you both. I want the three of us to underemphasize the danger to the others. I don’t want to have to deal with the constant objections of the others.”
“They’d only do so because they care about you,” said Richter.
“You don’t care about him?” asked Aldebaran.
“I do, but I’m a professional. So are you. That’s why he’s speaking to us in private. He knows we can address this issue properly without letting our emotions get in the way.”
“That’s right,” said John.
Aldebaran nodded. “Thanks, but I don’t agree with you.”
“What?”
“I should be the one to deploy the virus.”
“I thought you’d say that. That’s why I want we three to be the deployment team. We’re all willing to sacrifice our own lives for the mission, but I need people who are also willing to let us do so if need be. Getting close to the commander may be suicide, so I need teammates who are willing to face that possibility. You get me?”
“You can rely on me,” said Richter. “You can also rely on me to try for any other possibility before I’ll let it come to that.”
“Exactly. And you and I are going to impress that upon our dear Aldebaran.”
“I’m not suicidal,” said Aldebaran.
“You have an awfully short memory, then.”
“I mean I’m not suicidal anymore. I understand that the best thing I can do for Umber is to help deploy the virus, but I’m also Seth and I’m committed to keeping you two safe as much as I can.”
“Good. I’m glad the three of us understand each other. Trust me, guys, I’m not ready to die yet. But one way or another, this mission will succeed. Clear?”
“Roger that,” said Richter.
Aldebaran nodded. “Clear.”
“Great,” said John. “Let’s get to work.”
28.
John sat in his quarters, silently and lazily puffing on his pipe. He lay in half-repose on his bed, in darkness, staring out at the greenish pink haze of the nebula. In his left hand was a glass of bourbon. If there’d been enough light one could see he was wearing an expression of sadness.
The ship hummed in a reassuring and relaxing manner. When the superluminal drive was running, there was also a deep thrumming sound. It was a great deal like having one’s head next to a purring cat, and no less pleasant. With the exception of the bridge, and of late the cargo bay, it was easy to find such peace aboard the Reckless Faith. It stood in stark contrast to the chaos that met the crew at every turn outside of its steel and aluminum bulkheads. The reliquary of calm had finally been disturbed, however, and John wondered if he could ever visit the zero-g room again without the memory of bloodstained walls, urgent shouts for help, and the bodies of both friend and foe splayed obscenely across the deck.
At least the memory of Byron could be left on Residere Delta. At least John had been spared the vision of Ari’s demise.
And yet, for the latter crewmember, John’s imagination was ceaseless in it’s perverse need to assign a reality to that which had been hidden from him in a distant, noiseless fireball. The possibilities visited John almost every night, and only in wakefulness could he hope that Ari hadn’t suffered.
“Come in,” said John in reply to a knock at his door.
Fernwyn entered the room, and closed the door.
“How are you?” she asked, sitting at the desk.
“My leg is killing me.”
“Suffice it to say it’s for me.”
“I might ask for a glass, but I don’t need to alter myself right now.”
“Wouldn’t do much good. This is the last of the alcohol.”
“I should’ve stocked up before we left Beta. Who knew?”
“Either give me a sitrep or get over here and keep me warm.”
“I didn’t realize we were at the ordering around stage of our relationship,” said Fernwyn, slightly irked.
“I’m sorry, I guess I’m not much in the mood for talking right now. Could you please let me know how things are going?”
“Talvan wants to report that he’s finished synthesizing the virus. Twenty-four hours, just like he said. The man can deliver.”
“What about the power station?”
“He hasn’t had a chance to put anything on paper yet. We have another twelve hours before we arrive at Umber, John. I think Talvan should get some sleep in the meantime.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’ve been hard on him, perhaps unduly so. I just... want this mission to keep moving.”
“Umber’s been occupied for ten years. They can wait another day or so, you know.”
“I guess so. What about the others?”
“They’re doing fine. Richter and I cleaned all of the firearms. You should have seen his reaction when I told him the Phalanx doesn’t need cleaning, at least not like your Earth weapons. I though he was going to cry.”
“He’s the sentimental type.”
There was a long pause. Fernwyn moved to sit on the bed.
“Something’s obviously bothering you, John. I think it would be better if you got it out in the open.”
John sighed, and handed his bourbon to Fernwyn. He put his arm around her waist.
“It’s this mission, Fernwyn. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“One thing that drew me to this ship was the dedication and tenacity of the crew. You, especially. I rarely see this kind of resolve in the face of such odds, outside of the Rakhar anyway. If you represent humans as a whole I dare say you’re doing a fine job of it.”
“Thanks for the flattery, but everyone has their breaking point. I’m starting to fray around the edges. I’m bothered by nightmares almost every night. I’ve always been worried about losing members of the crew, but now that I’ve lost three that worry has grown into constant trepidation. I trust myself to take care of myself, but my greatest fear has already come true, that I’ll fail to protect one of us. That fear is almost crippling, Fernwyn. I don’t know how much longer I can push it aside. I’m becoming angry at Umber, angry at Seth. For months I was in love with the idea of the opportunity to embark upon this unbelievable adventure, to be the first to discover new people and planets, and I didn’t care how difficult or cumbersome the mission would be. All I knew was that by accepting the mission I had the singular responsibility to see it through no matter what. I never imagined the depth of pain that it would entail.” John began to cry. “I know it’s not Seth’s fault that his memory was damaged, but I can’t help but feel angry about how much time we lost and effort we put forth because of that missing information. Stumbling into this mission as blind as we did was nothing but stupid! I can’t believe we all haven’t been killed by now.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit, John,” said Fernwyn, taking his hand. “Think about everything that’s gone right on the mission. You’ve overcome every single adversity that’s been thrown at you and come out on top. Yes, there were some losses, and when a friend dies it’s the greatest loss of all. But look where we are now. You repaired Seth’s memory. You upgraded the ship’s weapons. You even recovered your ship when anybody else would have considered it to be gone forever. You rescued Talvan right from under the nose of the enemy and lived to tell about it! Don’t forget about Aldebaran, either. You helped save his life, and you gained a powerful ally by doing so.”
“You’re awfully nice to point that out, despite the fact that your own life is ruined.”
“What happened with the SUF is based on a lie, John. I have to believe that success of this mission will let me clear my name and restore my life. What is for sure is that drowning your fears in alcohol and isolating yourself from people who need you isn’t going to help anything. I know you’re not willing to give up and go home; nobody on this ship is going to give up until we’ve done everything in our power to help Umber. If Talvan’s right, and this mission goes well, all we have to do is sit back and watch the Zendreen grow weak and die. After the virus kicks in, the Umberians will be able to take back the planet with little or no resistance. And we’ll be damn folk heroes.”
John smiled. “My resolve hasn’t wavered. I’m committed to this mission. I can’t let the sacrifices of those we’ve lost be for nothing. I just can’t wait until we can truly relax again. The prospect of such peace tears at my heart like nothing I’ve ever felt. I can hardly believe such happiness is even possible anymore.”
“One more mission, John. One more. And then we will have it.”
Eight hours later, John woke up. Fernwyn lay beside him, still asleep, her head tucked tightly into the pillow. Friday was nestled between them, equally placid. John carefully got out and went into the bathroom.
There, he brushed his teeth and took a shower. He paid close attention to his left leg, gently moving around the fresh wound as to not disturb the stitches. He tried to clear his mind of all the worries that distracted him, instead focusing on his hunger and what he might have for breakfast.
John turned off the water and realized he hadn’t brought a towel into the bathroom with him. Such an act was never the norm, as the entire bathroom was used as a shower stall. This time, however, Fernwyn was in his bedroom. Despite having just shared a bed, they were not at the level of intimacy required for John to cross the room naked. He decided that Fernwyn probably wouldn’t care about seeing his body so much as the cavalier nature of such an act, so he opened the door a crack and called to her.
“Fernwyn, are you awake?”
“Ki nare faice di yalai ker dan a cham mith tal reta porarte.”
John realized he’d taken off his translator unit before showering.
“I left my translator off. Could you pass me it and a towel, please?”
Fernwyn got up, grabbed the requested items, and handed them to John. She waited until he’d installed the translator, and spoke.
“I said it’s not easy to stay asleep in a room with all metal doors.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“No problem. It’s time to get up anyway. I think I’ll go back to my room and freshen up.”
“Okay. I’ll see you down in the galley.”
Fernwyn exited. John finished drying himself and got dressed. His favorite pair of jeans was still damp from the wash the previous night, so he chose a pair of black BDU pants instead. He armed himself, and exited into the hallway. One door down, Ray had just emerged from his quarters.
“Good morning,” Ray said, smiling.
“Morning. How’s it going?”
“I’m starved. You going to grab some breakfast?”
“Yeah.”
John gestured ahead, and Ray led the way down the stairs and into the galley. Christie was there, pouring herself the first cup of coffee from a fresh pot.
“Morning, boys,” she said.
“You’re a veritable saint, you know that, Christie?” said John, grabbing a mug.
“I make coffee just about every morning.”
“Well, don’t think I didn’t notice. Thanks.”
Christie poured a cup for John and Ray, the latter man also offering his thanks. The three sat down at the table, savoring the welcome scent.
“Where is everybody?” asked Ray.
“Dana only went to sleep four hours ago, so I’m sure she’s still out. It’s not easy getting her to go off duty, you know.”
“W
ho’s minding the till?” asked John.
“Richter’s up there now, with Aldebaran. I swear those two never sleep.”
“They’re getting along okay?”
“Are you kidding? I don’t think they’ve exchanged more than a hundred words since they met. But, they seem to be very comfortable with each other’s presence, sort of like two old friends who don’t feel the need to fill moments of quiet with pointless banter.”
“We’ve never had that problem,” said Ray, grinning.
“That’s because you don’t know how to shut up,” replied John.
“What? Remember the time you insisted on role playing for the entire weekend that one time up at the cabin? You dare to say I don’t know how to shut up?”
“Yeah, but then we’d have never come up with the eight hundred pound gorilla, the Buddhist monkey, and the narcoleptic cynical sleeping bag.”
“Who needs drugs when you’ve got nerd?” said Christie.
“Exactly,” said Ray.
John smiled, then furrowed his brow. “What about Talvan?”
“I think he’s asleep, too,” said Christie, “deservedly so.”
“Agreed. Unfortunately, we’ve only got four hours before we arrive at Umber, so we’d better get everybody up. We still have to plan the mission. Ray, think you can arrange some grub?”
“No problem,” replied Ray.
“I’ll go wake up Dana and Talvan. Nobody touch my coffee.”
One hour later, the crew was gathered in the conference room. Talvan was working on a laptop computer, which was connected to the central system via a wireless card. Dana was seated next to him, struggling to stay awake. To her right, Ray and Fernwyn were discussing the finer points of wine tasting, while across the table John and Richter were going over the operation of the Phalanx. Aldebaran stood behind them, watching with interest. Christie crouched in the corner, scratching Tycho.
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