Stealing Endeavour: Book 1 of the Forever Endeavour, Amen Trilogy

by Martin Tays

  “You’re welcome.”

  Ami pushed over. “Moses…”

  Moses shook his head. “Gotta go, babe. The same thing’s going to happen to you folk, you know. At least my stomach’s empty, now.” He assayed a weak grin.

  She reached out and punched him in the arm. “Fine! Fine then! Just don’t die out there, you bastard!”

  “I’ll try my best. Still love you.”

  “I know. Go!”

  Moses turned and quickly locked himself through the shuttle’s small personnel airlock. In a moment, he was moving toward the front of the ship.

  “Ami? I’m here. Open up.”

  “Done.” The cargo doors began swinging open, trailing foam.

  “Great.” He said, staring at the brightly colored material filling the interior of the cargo bay. “My shuttle’s a cannoli.”

  Moses looked up and saw that Ami was peering through the forward port. He waved. She waved back, then looked startled as she brought up one of the bags. Over the radio Moses could hear the sound of her retching.

  “I can hear that, you know.” Ami responded with additional sounds of distress. “Going in now.”

  He moved over to the hatch and, for want of a better tool, used his hands to begin frantically scooping the still soft foam from the compartment. His muscles were aching before he began; they were screaming in agony by the time he reached the bubble. Cold and slimy sweat clung to his face in the zero gravity despite his every attempt to shake it off.

  Moses thumped the side of the bubble and was met with a reassuring firmness. He cleared foam off the side and tried to see inside. Bodies. He could see bodies.

  “Okay. I’m to the bubble. It’s intact, but I can’t see if they’re alive.”

  “Thank the maker. I am flooding the compartment now.”

  Moses felt the shudder as the cargo door shut. His suit began to make crinkling noises as S’Nhu-gli began filling the bay with air. “Why are you doing this, guy?”

  “Friend A’Hmee is… indisposed at the moment. A different type of gastric distress. Doctor Smith has been expecting this also, reportedly.”

  “Damn. Poor kid… I know exactly how she feels, though. Remind me to burn this suit later. Doc’s a putz, by the way.”

  “Fear not, friend M’Hoses. The doctor is… occupied right now himself. And, I should add, making notes about it. You should be able to breath, now.”

  “Good, ‘cause I also gotta hurl.” Moses wrenched the helmet off, just in time to be sick again. When done he detached a glove and gratefully wiped his face. “There. That’s better.”

  He moved over to the bubble just as the internal door popped open. Smith, looking as bad as Moses felt, pushed in. Moses nodded and continued wiping the foam off the ball. Finally, he found what he was looking for. He pulled the release and the great ball of memory plastic fell open with a puff of stale, fetid air.

  “Three people. These things are designed for two, max. Damn.” He squinted and tried to make out who they were, but they were face down. There seemed to be some retinal damage from the barrage of energetic particles, anyway ― everything was hazy and indistinct. He reached out to turn one of them, but the doctor grabbed his hand.

  “No. They probably have internal injuries and they certainly have a multitude of fractures between them. See?”

  Moses followed his pointing finger and saw at least two arms and a leg that were in positions nature had never intended them for. He grimaced.

  “Check. Sorry. Do your stuff, and tell me how I can help.” He paused, then continued. “As soon as I throw up again.”

  “You have no stamina, captain.” Clive commented while bending over the first of his patients.

  “That’s me. Wimp all over. How are they?”

  “Alive. That’s all I can say.”

  “That’s all I need. Thank God.”

  “But they’ve received a massive dose of radiation, massive even compared to ours. I can treat them once we reach the ship, but if I don’t start soon, I will never be able to save them.” He leaned back again into his work.

  “They’ll be here, doc. They’ll be here.” Moses wiped his face again, grateful as never before for the zero gravity. If he tried to walk, right now, he’d fall over.

  He looked up, again, toward the overhead. Toward space, and whispered quietly to himself. “We can’t fail now. We can’t.”

  And, with perfect timing, a new voice crackled over his headset. The most wonderful, glorious voice he’d ever heard.

  “Hey! You the folks that ordered the pepperoni pizza?”

  “YES!” Moses glanced over at the doctor, who was looking up at the overhead himself. Smith looked back down at Moses, and Moses was startled to see him grinning from ear to ear. The effect was ruined when his eyes widened and he turned from his patient barely in time to avoid throwing up on them.

  Moses reached up and adjusted the headset boom. “Mattie? Darlin’, what took you so long?”

  “Had to stop for gas. Leo’s on his way in shuttle two. Need anything?”

  “Yeah. A shit load of towels and some corks.”

  “Oooo-kay.”

  Moses sighed. “And home. I need home. It’s been a rough day.”

  “Soon, sweetie, soon. I’ll kiss your boo-boo when you get here.”

  “Is that what you kids are calling it nowadays?”

  “Goober. Endeavour out.”

  Moses sighed again, and looked over toward the three people he’d rescued. He then finally, gratefully, drifted into darkness.

  “It’s called ‘the law of unintended consequences’. It’s Chaos Theory as applied to human interaction, and possibly the greatest and occasionally the worst thing that has ever been.

  And we would have never become what we are without it.

  And I suppose that’s my point. The greatest surprise of human existence is the fact that’ll we’ll always be surprised.

  Welcome to the Universe.”

  Gustav Lynn Wei, from “An Unexpected History”

  “I could say that humanity stands at a crossroad, but humanity has always had crossroads. Some of us go down the well lit, well traveled path, and some of us down the other. The one with the dark, and the mystery, and the danger.

  The thing is this: that we now have an unlimited lifetime ahead of us in which we can excel, or in which we can simply exist.

  And you gotta pick one.”

  Thaddeus Griffin, from “The Ultimate Paradigm”

  “You want to know what it was like to suddenly discover you’re immortal? We were like eight year old kids, being told that it was the first day of summer.

  Forever.”

  J C Harringer, from “A Brief History of Immortality”

  Chapter 29

  “There is no old age. There is, as there always was, just you.”

  Carol Matthau

  Moses always hated this part.

  Waking up from sleep was to emerging from an induced medical coma as a nice cup of tea was to snorting crystal meth.

  Moses’ eyes shot open like window blinds as he was fisted back into sentience by the wake up protocol. He blinked against the light ― once ― then avoided doing it again, certain he could hear the sound of his eyelids slamming open and shut.

  “Uh…” His raspy voice wasn’t loud, but it certainly seemed like it. Everything sounded loud. He tried again. “Um, excuse me. My skin seems to be on fire. Is that right?”

  After a brief pause there was a rustling behind what he realized was a translucent isolation film. The film unsealed down the middle and a skeleton entered.

  Moses blinked, regretfully, and looked again.

  “Doc?” He asked, hesitantly. His voice sounded unoiled.

 
“Captain Dunn. Congratulations, you’re alive. I’ve been keeping you all in an induced coma until I had a chance to complete at least the major parts of the healing process. You are the last to awaken.”

  “Clive…” Moses croaked, then cleared his throat and tried again, opting for brevity over clarity. “Clive, you look like shit. Seriously. The fuck?”

  The doctor smiled, a particularly disconcerting effect given that he was bald and couldn’t weigh more than thirty five, forty kilos. If he’d had a robe and scythe, Moses would have expected him to offer a game of chess.

  “I have been…” This time Smith paused to clear his throat. If Moses sounded unoiled the doctor sounded, well, dead. “I have been… unable to allow myself to be placed into a healing coma until I had… completed the procedures on you. I have been… less than optimal.”

  “No shit. Not that I’m complaining but… how the hell are you still alive?”

  “At this point, I believe it’s mainly because my nanites are holding hands and fearfully singing camp songs to keep their spirits up.”

  “Yeah, that sounds…” This time Moses did blink. “Wait. Doc, was that a joke?”

  “No. No, of course not.”

  “Ah. Didn’t think so.” He began to realize he might actually survive being healed. “You know, I’m starting to feel very slightly less dead. Skin still feels like it’s on fire, though.”

  “You had… significant nerve damage. Especially epidermal. The new nerves are… getting used to sensation.”

  “Ah. Sensation. That’s what you call this. Goody. New eyes, too?”

  Smith shook his head. “Just corneas. Plus a decent amount of organs. Oh, and all your marrow, of course, and…”

  “Please.” Moses held up his hand, wincing. “But I do still have my wit, charm and winning way with the girls, right?”

  “Such as you originally possessed, yes. You should be sleepy, now. For real sleep. I wanted to be certain you were cogent before I had myself put into a coma. I believe it’s about time, though.”

  Moses nodded. “Yeah, I’d say so, too. Clive?”

  “Yes, captain?”

  “Thanks. You’re a helluva guy.”

  The doctor regarded him for a moment, then simply nodded, turned and exited. His resealing the membrane behind him was the last thing Moses remembered before falling gratefully asleep.

  ☼

  “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  The burning sensation was gone, anyway. Moses smiled without opening his eyes. He felt tired, washed out, and more than a little weak.

  Most of all, though, he felt alive.

  “About time you learned how to say that.” He carefully opened his eyes, blinking against the light, and turned toward Ami. “You look…”

  “Bald? Rail thin? Beat with a stick?”

  “Beautiful.” Moses reached out and grasped her hand. “You look beautiful.”

  Ami squeezed his hand, hard. She was smiling like a loon and crying just a bit.

  “And, yeah, bald and rail thin, too. You need a sandwich, girl.”

  “I’m not the only one. Come on, you’re the last one in bed. Doug’s put on a spread to celebrate.”

  Moses’ stomach growled in response. He hadn’t realized till now, but he was starving. “Huh. You’re right. Elf needs food, badly.”

  Ami blinked. “Um, okay, whatever. Come on. Everyone’s waiting.”

  “Excellent.” He reached out and, with Ami’s help, unfastened the coverings and floated out of the zero g bed. He cocked an eyebrow at Ami. “So… are you bald everywhere?”

  “Pervert.” She smiled and reached out to pull him close. “That feels good.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

  “Well, I am pleased you are awake. I was beginning to worry.”

  Moses looked over at the opening in the curtain, where S’Nhu-gli floated. “Dude! Are you out of bed, too?”

  “I have not been in bed, friend M’Hoses. My people are somewhat more radiation tolerant than yours. There was some sickness, but nothing that the doctor and my medical nanites couldn’t handle. I have been spending the interim learning to maintain the equipment for when Doctor Smith placed himself into my hands.”

  “Really? You know, you’re one remarkable weasel, S’Nhu-gli.”

  The priest’s muzzle wrinkled. “I have always believed so. Your friends are waiting for you. You should go.”

  “What? You’re not coming to the party?”

  He shook his head. “I have some scheduled tests to run to ensure that friend C’Hlive’s recovery continues uneventfully.”

  Moses nodded. He grabbed Ami’s hand, again, and pushed off toward the hatch of the medical module. Halfway there, though, he paused and looked back. “S’Nhu-gli? Take care of him. We owe him a lot. I owe him a lot.”

  “Indeed. Welcome back, friend M’Hoses.”

  “Thanks, pal.” He smiled. “It’s good to be back. It’s good to be.”

  ☼

  Moses looked around the hub, surprised. “Hab ring’s going kind of slow, isn’t it?”

  Ami nodded. “They’re keeping it down to a tenth of a g for us sickies.”

  “Aw. That’s sweet. Shall we?” They pushed over, caught the access tube as it went by, and gingerly descended to the habitat ring. When they reached it, Moses was pleased to find he could stand without too much difficulty. “Look at me, Ma. I can walk.”

  “Don’t try to go too fast. Trust me.” Ami waved grandly upturn, and they carefully moved off toward the mess deck.

  “By the way.” He paused and turned to her. “Exactly who the hell did we rescue?”

  “Oh, yeah. You don’t know, do you?” She smiled. “Cool.”

  “Crap. I hate surprises.”

  “You’ll like this one. Look.”

  Moses peered into the room. Mattie and No, Doug and Fi, Leo and Sher were waiting, goofy grins on their faces. Even No was grinning, which was slightly disturbing.

  Still, his attention was mainly fixed on two of the three people sitting at the table. They looked as wrung out as he and Ami. They looked about half dead.

  They looked wonderful.

  He grinned himself and shook his head, surprised to feel tears begin to form. “Well, well, well… it’s the weasel fucking son of a bitch. I will be damned.”

  Rafe stood as he approached and stuck out his hand. Moses ignored it and pulled him into a bear hug.

  “Ow.”

  “Shut up, you wuss.” Moses pulled back and looked him over. “Rafe, you look like hell. Good to see you.”

  “You too. On both counts.”

  He turned. “Mad? You…”

  Whatever he planned to say next was forgotten as Madeline threw herself into his arms, planting an extremely friendly and tongue intensive kiss on his startled face. She finally broke off and pulled back, grinning at the stupefied expression on his face.

  “Holy shit.” Moses reached up and rubbed his lips. “Is that thing articulated?”

  “More importantly…” Added Ami sweetly. “Is that thing insured?”

  Madeline, hand on Moses’ chest, started laughing. She turned and came over to Ami, enveloping the surprised girl in a bone crunching embrace.

  “Ow.”

  Mad pulled back, looking Ami in the face. “Sweetie, I couldn’t come between the two of you with a crowbar. I know it. He’s yours.”

  “Oh.” Ami smiled. “Oh, okay. Cool.”

  “But I still feel like I owe you both for being stupid enough to come out and rescue us. So let me know if you ever want a three way.”

  Ami blinked. “Gosh, that’s… tell you what, we’ll get back to you on that.” She looked over. “And Moses Dunn, you can wipe that expression right of
f your face.”

  “You know, it would be the polite thing to…”

  “Moses…”

  “Sorry.” He looked back at Rafe, then down at the last rescuee. “So, friend of yours?”

  Rafe nodded, reaching down to take the thin girl’s hand. “Moses Hamish Dunn, I’d like you to meet Samantha Dharmadkikari.”

  “Gesundheit.”

  Rafe sighed patiently, then looked down at Sam. “Actually, come to think of it, you’ve met.”

  “We have?” He turned and looked. “Oh! Wait, you’re the one who arrested him, right?”

  She smiled. “Twice. It’s becoming a habit.”

  “I guess so.” Moses smiled and pointed to their intertwined hands. “All out of handcuffs?”

  “Something like that. You know, I’ve been waiting to meet you for months, now. And you know what?”

  “What?”

  “You’re precisely what I expected you to be.”

  “Oh. Um. Thanks. I think.” He turned to Mattie, smiling again. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself. How you feel?”

  “Like I’ve been run hard and put away wet.” He looked around at his friends. “So what have y’all been… say, how long have I been out, anyway?”

  “Couple of months, actually.” Leo piped up.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Things were getting boring around here.” Leo put his arm around Sher, then continued. “Right now, we’re in high orbit around Taan. Mattie’s been acting all leadery and stuff, and Cath’s been the official dispenser of spiffy technology to the weasels.”

  Moses looked around. “Where is Cath, now?”

  “Sandar had the bridge watch, and Cath’s up with her. There’s something they apparently needed to work out.”

  “Um. ‘Kay. Say… someone mentioned food? Because I could eat a horse right about now.”

  Doug grinned. “And how would you like that horse cooked?”