Spinward Fringe Broadcast 5: Fracture

by Randolph Lalonde

  “I can spare two teams and assist personally,” Ayan replied with a reassuring smile.

  Oz arrived on the bridge with a security guard carefully balancing a tray filled with spill proof safety cups. He walked to the communications station so Jason could fill him in.

  “In return I ask that you provide us safe harbour long enough to affect repairs on our ship. It should only take about two standard days.” Ayan finished.

  “Certainly. After the support systems are in place we will be able to assist you. We have some of the best technicians in the sector.”

  “Take three teams, Ayan.” Oz added. “We're in good shape.”

  “One more thing, Commander.” The Forewoman asked. “I request that you remove any armed personnel you may have on the station. I'm sure you realize that after the ordeal we've had over the last week we're a little wary.”

  “All of our ships are armed, and I'm not willing to have my teams drift across in that kind of gravity but I can promise you that they will be unarmed.”

  “That's acceptable.”

  “All right, I'll be seeing you soon, Forewoman.”

  The communication line closed and the blue holographic torso disappeared. “So, you're going unarmed?” Oz asked as he took the command seat.

  “I'm going to have two squads stay in the Cold Reaver on a live comm channel and the whole technician crew is going in armoured vacsuits. I don't have enough information to trust these people.”

  “So something seems off to you too, huh?”

  Ayan nodded as she took her coffee from the tray. “I don't want to spend more than six hours on that station. We should be able to make a difference in that time with our own equipment.”

  “Good luck. I'll be watching the comm line from here. If you need anything just say the word.”

  “I hope we don't. Where's the Cold Reaver right now?”

  Oz checked the remote flight control status display. “It's just about to dust off from the station. Looks like the Clever Dream will get here first. Jake's got a load of slaves ready to be processed. He's ordered almost all the security personnel down to the main hangar to register them and give them each a comm and location bracelet.”

  “Isn't it a little early to trust these people? I know they've had a hard go of it, but we've got to screen them somehow.”

  “And we are. The databases from Jake's bounty hunting days were all updated this morning. He's got about a quarter trillion entries there, so if someone's not listed then they were born on a scrub colony.” Jason replied.

  Ayan shook her head. “It's like he's made for this sort of thing. There's a lot I – we don't know.”

  “I could tell you a few things if you take me with you,” Ashley offered cheekily. Larry nudged her and cleared his throat quietly. “Sorry, if we go with you.”

  “Bugging to get off ship Ash?” Oz asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “There's nothing happening here, sir. Darris can take my shift, he and his navigator passed his qualifier.”

  “I know,” Oz smiled. “You're stuck here for a while. Jake wants you ready for something else.”

  “Do I get to know what it is?”

  “He hasn't posted the details yet, but I'm not going to reassign you, sorry Ash.”

  “Huh, weird,” Ashley said as she turned back to the helm and rechecked their position. “Well, can't complain. It's not like there's a nice sandy beach down there or anything.”

  “Nothing's changed,” Larry reassured her, pointing to the main navigational hologram. “We're still right where we're supposed to be.”

  Ayan couldn't help but smile at Ashley's ease at her station and everyone around her. She wished she could be so light hearted. “I'm off, see you in a few hours.”

  “Chief Grady says he'll have three teams meet you in hangar two,” Jason told her as she passed. “He almost signed up himself, but didn't want to add to the long list of people leaving the ship.”

  “Concerned?”

  “As long as we keep everything under control, no. Just be careful. If anything even looks like it might go wrong it'll be better to over react than to get caught by surprise while we're stretched thin.”

  “Be careful, be watchful, I know. Don't fuss,” Ayan replied.

  Chapter 11

  Crossing Paths

  Ayan had checked the armoured layer of her uniform into the foredeck armoury and barely noticed the pair of Triton guards who watched over the security desk as she checked it back out. She was too wrapped in her own thoughts. She didn't know when it happened exactly, but she had started thinking about her argument with Jake again. The thoughts seemed to drift between that and her mother's heartfelt farewell when she left Freeground. It seemed like her mother, the Admiral, wanted to make a real effort at making amends with her daughter. She'd promised to do so before, more times than she could count ever since she registered for junior cadets when she was fourteen. She'd signed up while her mother was deployed, knowing that getting involved with the military would frustrate her to no end. Jessica Rice wanted more for her daughter, to become a scientist or doctor or other well respected specialist.

  Ayan remembered her need to rebel, her urge to get away from the cushy quarters her and her mother lived in, surrounded by other military brats. The junior cadets, and a month later the Junior Military Academy seemed perfect and she even got the blessing of her guardian, Felicia Morrow. Ayan never understood that, she was sure that Felicia knew her mother would be furious at her for letting her daughter enter the cadet program.

  The first six weeks were hell. They called it Junior Program Conditioning, but it was boot camp, pure and simple. They did everything they could to get them in shape, wear them down and strip them of their personal identities. Between the constant exertion, classes, sleep deprivation, drills and removal of privacy they almost succeeded.

  After those six weeks Ayan felt stronger, like she had accomplished something all on her own for the first time in her life. Amidst her feelings of pride and fresh confidence she gained a new respect for her mother. It was something she didn't reveal to her for long years.

  Boot camp came to a close and when she was given the choice she signed up to join the Junior Military Academy. There was no going back, she'd found what she wanted to do and within the first year she enrolled in the starship engineering program. The regular combat and standard forces training was mandatory, so she underwent all the rigours of the infantry while taking the officer and engineering courses. Some days she barely had the energy to attend the advanced mechanics and science classes she'd added to the already filled curriculum. Her scores were always high, so they allowed her to do it, but thinking back she wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

  The Academy became her life. Her room in her mother's home was a distant memory only months after entering the program. Her mother's first visit, six months after she'd signed into the Junior Academy, was tense. All the instructors knew Jessica Rice personally or by reputation. She was a Major in the Fleet at the time with an impressive career and a great deal of combat command experience.

  Her instructors had fantastic things to say about Jessica Rice's daughter. She met with all of Ayan's instructors before she visited her. She didn't know her mother was back from deployment until she pulled her out of command simulation exercises. Everyone in her class knew Major Rice had come to see her brilliant daughter, and Ayan couldn't have felt more overshadowed. It was as if most of her peers suddenly came to the realization that Ayan did well because her mother was a well known commander in the Freeground Fleet, that everything she was doing was made easier.

  To make matters worse, her mother's lecture began on a congratulatory note but ended with disapproval. She wouldn't pull Ayan out of the Academy, but also couldn't help but make it clear that she wanted something better for her darling little girl. Several years later Ayan realized that her mother had played a dirty trick on her. Infuriating her was a motivational tactic, nothing more. Her mother wanted her
to succeed, as she had succeeded, only she had gotten an early start and Jessica Rice wanted her daughter's performance to reflect positively on her so she was willing to do anything to ensure that she'd stay in the program while she was away.

  Ayan excelled in the Junior Academy and when she entered the Freeground Fleet Academy at the age of seventeen she turned down the offer of taking a pass on boot camp since she'd done it before. It was almost like a vacation the second time around. She was in excellent shape, knew exactly what to expect and had worked harder throughout her Junior Academy career. She didn't speak to her mother once in her first year and posted marks in the top percentile of her class.

  She didn't have time for personal problems. Ayan saw the very thought of communicating with her mother as an inconvenience and a distraction. She justified her silence by telling anyone who asked about her family; 'she sees the scores, she knows where I am and that I'm beating her marks.'

  Her reverie broke as the express car she rode arrived in the hangar. Two of the technician teams had arrived ahead of her and were helping each other make sure they'd secured the armoured layer of their vacsuits properly. I never thought I would be one to avoid my problems, not after spending years away from my mother. She should have put an end to that behaviour, being the adult in the relationship. I'm doing it again with Jake. I've seen the side he doesn't show everyone and now that he's let me in a little I'm mad to see more! It makes him even more frustrating, but in the end I'm running off at the first note of displeasure. Even on the First Light we never had a row. This is our first, and even though he should bloody well explain himself and what he could have possibly meant by 'it's you!' I'm still the one who ran off before he could try and back pedal. What in heaven could he say to make that better though? What could I have possibly done to deserve that? If he thinks saying 'I'm sorry' in front of half the officers on the ship while he's on his way out the door will do it, he's got surprises in store. She thought to herself as she checked the status of the third team. They were on their way.

  “Hello Commander,” Finn approached her with a nervous smile.

  Ayan smiled back and shook his hand. “It's good to meet you in person Finn. Your work on integrating the hypertransmitter into the Triton was fantastic.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I understand you're my second in command for this trip?”

  “Yes Ma'am.”

  “Well, it shouldn't be complicated. An excuse to see the station, really, so keep your wits, make good choices and we'll have a good time over there,” Ayan reassured him. It was good to look forward to something, even if it was simple technician's work.

  “Hey pretty lady.”

  Ayan jumped and turned to face Minh, who was smiling at her with his arms crossed. “Oh hey!”

  “And this is the man responsible or getting us reconnected with entertainment networks from around the galaxy?”

  Finn nodded and offered his hand. "It's not like I did it myself, I had two teams-"

  Minh grabbed his hand and nearly shook his arm out of its socket; "Thank you. Thank you, thank you! When all this clears up I'm going to settle in and watch a whole day of Odd Span. I have one hundred twenty episodes to catch up on."

  "I've never heard of it."

  "It's a HV show about a group of people trapped on a planet where the laws of nature are broken, really good. You're invited, bring whoever you like."

  "Thank you sir,"

  Ayan laughed and shook her head. "I could never get into it, I guess I just can't get used to seeing physics not working properly, even if it is just a holovision program."

  "Can I borrow your commander for a minute?" Minh asked Finn.

  "Uh, sure. I should go meet the third team anyway. It was good meeting you," Finn nodded before walking off to the rest of the team.

  "I think you actually scared him," Ayan smiled.

  "I think he needs some R&R, he's pretty wound up."

  "I thought of leaving him aboard, but there aren't many team leaders and he was the only one whose had a night's rest."

  "How do you feel about leading a mission off ship?" Minh asked in a whisper.

  "Well, it's been a few years. Since before the First Light."

  "That's a few years," Minh chuckled. "Nervous?"

  Ayan took a slow, deep breath as she looked over the two teams gathered along the side of the hangar. They spoke leisurely amongst themselves as they waited for the third team and their transport to be ready. "Honestly? Just a little."

  "I was too, don't worry. Just concentrate on what has to be done and it'll all be fine."

  "You nervous? That I'd like to see."

  "I'm nervous all the time, even now."

  "Riiight, what's got you in jitters now? Debriefing coming up?"

  “Just finished debriefing two for today. We lost two people and four ships out there. Way too heavy on losses for what we were doing.”

  “I'm so sorry.”

  “I didn't expect it, but it can't be helped. Paula is meeting me for dinner, now that's got me nervous. I'll probably end up chatting her ear off about flying tonight anyway."

  "It was rough out there today, you should have someone to talk to about it."

  "I think she expects something else, but you're right, as usual. No one expected such a big fight when we got here. I'm just glad it ended well. I sort of wish I could sit down with the old crew. You know, Oz, Jason, Laura, you, Jake, but you're needed on the station, Oz is busy on the bridge with Jason, Laura's busy trying to figure out where the obscuring field is coming from and Jake is unloading slaves from the Palamo.”

  “I wish I could stick around, but I need to see that station. I also want to have a go at forming a relationship with the people over there so we can have a safe port for a while."

  "Oh, I'm not saying everyone should stop what they're doing so we can have a shindig. I hear the station's a mess, but it's huge, and I've never seen a gravity mill before, it's pretty impressive. You should check it out."

  "I'll be sure and tell you about it in the morning." Ayan and Minh took a moment to just look at the large hangar. There was so much going on. Two fighters were having particle weapons installed while heavy braces were being brought out so a larger ship could be moved. High above their heads an aft hold access point was opening to accommodate a forty eight meter long captured ship. Its hull looked like it had never been cleaned, showing the debris and common scorch marks of a ship that had seen many different environments. Past that vessel Ayan could make out the shape of another, slightly smaller vessel that had been secured inside the hold already. The rack on the port bulkhead was rotating so three fighters could be loaded into the punter well beneath the deck, and a squad of soldiers were making their way to the large doors across the hangar deck so they could help with the slaves being offloaded in the adjacent hangar. "So he's not looking at keeping the Palamo?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

  “Nope. After the pummelling it took to stop that thing repairs would take months. You should see him though. All the slaves are trying to get his ear and tell him how they can help on Triton. A few are asking when he can take them home, but most want to serve. Some even want to go back to the Palamo to help strip her for parts.”

  “He's not going to?”

  Minh shook his head. “He said what he found in her hold is more important so the Clever Dream is going to start ferrying the cargo across. Ashley and I have been put on the roster tomorrow with our navigators to lead recovery crews just in case the ships we've captured don't fill us up. There are three more ships in the Palamo he's taking and a couple adrift he's marked for Chief Vercelli to look at.”

  “If I weren't taking care of the station I'd go along with you. I think we'll find an ally here if we give them a hand and considering how well hidden this place is I think it could be a good fit for us. If we give them limited use of our fabrication systems we might have a long term safe port here.”

  “Smart and beautiful,
what a package,” Minh winked.

  “Charmer. What's up with you and Paula, anyway?”

  “Just a late dinner before I pass out for a few hours.”

  “What if she follows you back to your quarters?” Ayan grinned wryly, dimples playing on her cheeks.

  Minh waved her insinuation off. “I don't think it's anything like that, she probably just wants to get to know the new Wing Commander. Maybe berate me a little more for wrecking an Uriel.”

  “Doubtful, but you delude yourself however you must. Have fun.”

  “How are you and Jake getting along?”

  Ayan's attention was drawn by a bulk express car moving through a transparent steel tube leading up into the rest of the ship. Jake was inside, even from across the bay he was instantly recognizable. He was looking right at her, she looked back to Minh, who didn't notice the express car behind him. “Little steps back and forth,” she replied quietly.

  Chapter 12

  Evening Falls

  Jake couldn't help but look down through the transparent metal wall of the express car as it rose between hangars one and two. Minh and Ayan were down there. He looked at how at ease Minh was while speaking with her. She was more difficult to read. The armoured hood, with its overlapping plate strips was drawn down, he could see only a few locks of her curly blonde hair, but her face was hidden.

  She was standing like a soldier, shoulders squared with hips, aware and ready. He could have sworn she looked up at him as the lift accelerated upwards towards the main body of the ship but from such a distance it was difficult to tell. I hope not. Considering what she's going into I'd rather she wasn't distracted. I have to apologize again. I can't let things lay as they are. He thought to himself, sure he'd follow through despite the knot that tightened in his stomach at the very thought. He didn't apologize often, but then he didn't blurt out the worst possible thing at the worst possible moment either.