by PJ Strebor
“Keep going, sir.”
Training the scanner on the wall Nathan walked slowly along it. Normal, normal, normal, whoa. Zero readings.
“Well, well, well,” Nathan said to the Pruessen. “What do we have here?”
Pitzen’s fear was manifest. He looked as if he would yack at any moment.
“Decadone?” Nathan said. Pitzen remained silent. “An area lined with Decadone is an area filled with secrets. Anything you want to share with me, Captain?”
The Pruessen remained mute.
“Very well. Jenner return to the LB and get some shaped charges. We’ll blow it open.”
“No, please,” Pitzen screamed.
“Open it up, or I will.”
The Pruessen hesitantly nodded.
“Stand ready,” Nathan said to the three non-comms, as he drew his sidearm. He didn’t detect danger but wouldn’t take a chance with his crew’s safety.
Pitzen removed a remote from his waistcoat. A beep, and the section of wall fell to the deck. Nathan looked into the large room. Terrified women and children stared back. Nathan holstered his pistol.
“Who are they?” Nathan asked Pitzen. The Captain couldn’t look at him. Nathan seized him roughly by the arms. “Speak. Who are they?”
“Our families,” Pitzen sobbed. “Please, I beg you, don’t harm them.”
Nathan faced the wall of frightened faces.
“Don’t be concerned,” Nathan said. “No harm will come to you.”
Still the fear lingered. He dragged the terrified freighter captain aside.
“Look at me.” Pitzen forced himself to look Nathan in the face.
“My name is Nathan Waugh, acting Captain of the Athenian monitor Adroit. She was seized from league space and her crew brutalized. We’re trying to get home.”
Pitzen’s face immediately relaxed.
“Athenians. Thank God.” Pitzen rubbed his hands over his face. He swallowed deeply, making an audible sound. “As you can see we’re not leaving our families behind. We plan to seek asylum within League space. We’ve heard it’s possible. Is it?”
Nathan couldn’t help but be impressed. He cleared his throat. “You’ve taken a big risk, Captain.”
Pitzen smiled. “We’ve been preparing our escape for years. As you’ve discovered these quarters are lined with Decadone.”
Nathan nodded and hid a smile. “Which is impervious to scans.” His hunting knife had been made from the same material. “Have your people return to their quarters. Athens doesn’t make war on civilians.”
“Thank you, Captain Waugh.”
Nathan had no love for Pruessens, but these were civilians caught in extraordinary circumstances. They had the guts to try and escape an evil regime and that fact alone made them the underdogs.
“Your ship now has an escort, Captain,” Nathan said.
“Edwin.” The two unlikely allies shook hands.
“So Edwin, how were you planning to make it into League space?”
Pitzen shrugged. “There’s been an unusual amount of activity along the frontier so I’ve set my course west and when I see an opening I’ll point the nose south and go.”
“Hmm, that could prove to be quite difficult, I’m afraid.”
CHAPTER 40
Date: 11th September, 326 ASC.
Position: Aboard the transport Odenwald. Northern Quarantine Zone.
Nathan watched from the landing control center as Moe brought Adoit aboard. So huge was the boat bay that Moe could rotate the boat comfortably through her axis. As Nathan approached, Adroit’s fantail lowered. He waited until Moe and Grace joined him.
“Let’s go,” Nathan said.
They met up with Captain Pitzen in Odenwald’s briefing room.
“Captain Edwin Pitzen, this is Lieutenant Moe Bradman, my second-in-command.”
Moe stared at the outstretched hand for a few moments before shaking it.
“And the boat’s D-O, Lieutenant Grace Barrington.”
They shook hands.
“D-O?”
“Operations Officer. Double O or D-O for short. She’s the equivalent of your Executive Officer.”
“Nathan, your presence on my ship is very reassuring,” Pitzen said. “I’d like to invite you and your senior officers to join me for dinner tonight. I have the best chef in the transport wing. We have an abundance of stores”
“Sounds good,” Nathan said. “I’ll pass along your invitation to my officers. Talking of stores, could you put Grace in touch with your supply officer. My boat needs resupplying.”
“Certainly.”
“Great,” Nathan said. “I’ll leave you to sort out the details.”
“Dinner will be served at eighteen-hundred, deck one, officer’s lounge.”
Nathan nodded and stepped through the hatch.
***
Adroit’s senior officers sat at one side of the table, Odenwald’s on the other, with Edwin and Nathan at the respective heads. Only a few of the officer’s wives were in attendance. They’d spent the first half hour of their dinner eating fine food within an atmosphere of guarded silence. Slowly, the two wary crews began awkward conversations, with both captains nudging them into, at least trying, to be civil.
Nathan would forever detest the Pruessen form of government, but these men and women were little more than victims; civilians forced into the navy against their collective wills. The ship contained their entire bloodline who only sought to escape from a draconian regime. Nathan could very much relate to their plight.
“So, Nathan,” Edwin said, “you’ve met my family. Do you have one?”
Every Athenian at the table froze. They all knew of his tragic past.
Nathan forced a smile. “Yes, Edwin, I have a wife and two kids. A girl, four, and a boy, two.”
“Excellent. I’m still waiting on my first grandchild. My kids are dragging their feet.” A few chuckles from two of the officers who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Pruessen Captain.
“We’ll start producing grandkids when we’re free,” one of them said.
“I’ll not bring a child into a world ruled by the Emperor and his thugs.” Pure, undisguised bile from the younger brother. He looked at Nathan. “Captain Waugh, what are our chances of making it into League Space.”
“Fifty-fifty.”
“Let’s say we make it,” the elder brother said, “is it true that we can be relocated?”
“Lieutenant Pitzen, despite your lack of choice in the matter, you are Pruessen naval personnel. It will be hard. But if I can get you into Athenian space, I will do everything in my power to see to your speedy assimilation into our society.” He snorted. “My family fled the north after the last war and were welcomed by Athens.”
“It’s the same for me,” Doctor Jahn said. “But it’s better than the alternative. And Athens has an unbeatable lie detector, so that will help reinforce our case.”
“Captain Waugh,” the ship’s doctor asked, “if I may ask, what happened to your hand.”
Nathan nodded to Jahn who spoke to his counterpart in medical techno babble. He couldn’t just say I broke my thumb. Fucking quacks.
“Sounds painful,” Doctor Schauble said.
“It’s not too bad,” Nathan said.
“When did this happen?”
Nathan had to think about it. Jahn didn’t. “Forty seven days ago.”
A month and a half? Feels like a lifetime ago.
Nathan largely tuned out the doctors’ conversation. He didn’t care to be discussed as if he were a lab rat. Taking up the role of peacemaker, he continued to coerce conversations between Athenians and Pruessens. The rest of the meal continued with a gradual easing of tensions between the two crews. With the conclusion of the fine dinner, everyone was directed to a large reception area that contained every member of Odenwald’s crew and their families. Women and children mingled in small groups interspersed with crewmen.
Nathan felt drained by the dinner. He understood the
Pruessen’s plight and could very much relate to it, but at the end of the day they were Pruessens. He had hated them for so long that the thought of considering them to be human defied a lifetime of ingrained conditioning.
A steward hovered behind the bar.
“Oceanian beer?” Nathan ventured.
Without a word from the steward, the beer landed on the bar.
Nathan sighed after the first taste. How the hell do the Pruessens get a hold of beer from the south? The thought of drinking beer that could only have been procured by headhunters soured the sharp stinging taste.
Moe sauntered up to the bar and ordered whisky. “How was dinner?”
“You missed a great meal,” Nathan said.
“I’m amazed by you, Nate. Sitting down to break bread with Pruessens?”
“Yeah, but it comes with the job. Like it or not we have to gain the trust of these people. For the time being I’m suspending my distaste.”
“Then you’re a better man than me.”
Nathan stared fixedly at his friend. “As Adroit’s second-in-command, I will expect you to do the same.”
“I know you’re right,” she said, staring into her drink. “I guess I’ll just have to do what needs to be done.” She finished her drink and ordered another. Turning back toward him she looked down and smiled. “Looks like you’ve got a fan.”
A boy, perhaps a little older than his son, Garrison, stood so closed to him that he almost touched. He didn’t look up or speak. Nathan looked around the room until he spotted a young couple keeping tabs on the boy. Their apprehension shone clearly.
Nathan knelt down but was still well above the boy. “Hello.”
“Hello.” He looked at Nathan with large, curious brown eyes.
“I’m Nathan, what’s your name?” Not original but the basics usually worked.
“Jeremy.”
“Hello Jeremy, it’s very nice to meet you.” Silence. “How old are you?”
He fumbled to hold up three fingers.
“I have a boy who is nearly your age.”
“What’s his name?”
“Garrison.”
Again he appeared to be as tongue tied as any child of his age. His parents followed Nathan’s every move. Right, time to break the ice.
Nathan pointed toward the anxious parents. “Are those your mother and father?”
Jeremy nodded.
“Why don’t I take you back to them?”
He replied with a vigorous nod.
Walking at kid’s pace Nathan escorted the child to his parents. Jeremy remained close by his left leg.
“Good evening,” he said. “I’m Nathan.”
They appeared to be rendered mute.
“I was just having a nice chat with Jeremy.” He chuckled. “I have a boy about his age.”
Nervously they introduced themselves as Cora and Johan Dieter. For the boy’s sake Nathan tolerated the banal excuse for a conversation. Cora tried to disengage Jeremy from his close proximity to Nathan. Jeremy stubbornly maintained his stance. With an easing of anxiety from the parents he made his excuse, disengaged from the family and returned to the bar.
He finished his beer and ordered another. The conversation, although stilted, had given him an idea.
“Lieutenant Okuma, we should mingle,” Nathan said.
“What?”
“You’re going to have to do it eventually, so we start now,” Nathan said.
“What if I don’t feel like it.”
“Then that falls under the I-don’t-give-a-shit clause.” Nathan held her eyes and slapped her on the back.
Moe sighed. “All right. Hey, watch your six.”
Jeremy had returned.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“If he keeps this up we might be mistaken for a family,” Nathan said.
“Great,” Moe groaned.
Nathan wandered around the room with his two cohorts close at hand.
“Good evening,” he said. “Nathan Waugh,” he held out his hand to the nearest male. Tentatively the male shook his hand and introduced himself. “This is Moe Bradman.” Polite nods. He looked down. “And I think you all know Jeremy.” A few cautious smiles was better than nothing.
A few hours later after pressing the flesh of almost everyone aboard Odenwald, the trio returned to the bar. While Moe ordered a nightcap, Nathan scooped up Jeremy who cuddled into him. The little guy was ready to crash so he returned him to his parents.
He’d broken the ice with the crew and their families. The rest would be up to Moe. And them.
***
Nathan entered Odenwald’s sickbay. He hated sickbays but his doctor said it would be good to take advantage of the ship’s advanced medical facilities. Nathan would do anything to lessen the time he had to wear the restrictive cast to his damaged hand.
“Good morning, Nathan,” Doctor Jahn said.
“Luther,” Nathan said.
Doctor Schauble waited by what looked to Nathan to be a very advanced medical scanner.
“Would you step over here, Captain?”
Nathan complied and presented his hand to the Pruessen quack. After removing his cast the doctors scanned his hand onto a screen and examined the detailed image.
“Yes, that suture has healed nicely,” Jahn said.
“That’s remarkable,” Odenwald’s doctor said. “The bone is almost fully knitted.” He stared at Nathan. “Do you generally heal so quickly?”
“Good genes, I guess,” Nathan said.
“Have you been using pain management?”
“Not for the last week,” Nathan said.
“Wiggle your fingers,” Doctor Schauble said.
Nathan did. It hurt.
“And the thumb?”
Nathan moved it gingerly. It hurt a lot.
“Impressive. And after only forty seven-days.”
“Ouch. What the fuck.” Schauble had pricked his thumb with a pin.
“Good, no nerve damage.”
I’ll give you nerve damage, you square headed fucker.
“Well, Luther, the patient looks to be well on the way to a full recovery,” Schauble said. “There’s nothing else I can do for him.”
“Thanks for your time, Doctor,” Jahn said.
“You’re welcome.”
Pruessens and doctors. But …
“Yeah, ah, thanks,” Nathan said.
CHAPTER 41
Date: 12th September, 326 ASC.
Position: Odenwald, traversing hyperspace. Northern Quarantine Zone.
Nathan ordered ham and eggs for breakfast. The supplies from Odenwald topped up Adroit’s withering stocks. The thick slices of ham and fresh eggs made for a pleasant change. He was considering seconds when his comm beeped.
“Captain.”
“Good morning, Captain,” Grace said.
“Morning, Grace. What’s up?”
“All is well. This is an update. I’ve tied into Odenwald’s comms and have touched bases with them. She’s six hours from egression. All systems are in the green. Captain Pitzen would like a word with you at your convenience.”
“Very well,” Nathan said. Moe always joined him for breakfast but not today. “Do you have any idea where Moe is?”
“She’s having breakfast on Odenwald.”
Nathan smiled. Good for you, Moe. “Very well. Tell Pitzen that I’ll be with him in an hour.”
“Shall do. Bridge out.”
Nathan finished his coffee. The stocks from the Pruessen transport included coffee that he considered to be almost drinkable.
As he did every morning, he walked the boat. At alert stand-down the pace of activity had slowed but Nathan knew that the crew appreciated his interest.
After completing his walk he left the boat and two minutes later stepped onto Odenwald’s bridge. Captain Pitzen ushered him into the briefing room.
“Please, have a seat. May I offer you a coffee, Nathan?”
“Yes, thank you, Edwin.”
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They sat for a time savoring the fine blend.
“So what can I do for you, Edwin?” Nathan asked.
“I thought you might enjoy a tour of my ship. If you have the time, of course.”
“With Adroit at alert stand-down I have nothing but time.”
“Good.” He keyed his comm. “Good morning, Sarah, would you report to the briefing room.” A pause whilst she replied. “Yes, that’s right. He’s here.” Another pause. “Very well.”
“You’re not conducting the tour?”
“I’ve got a ship to run. You should know how demanding that is.”
Nathan smiled and nodded. He’d just finished his coffee when the hatch opened. Nathan stood as a woman, about his age, entered.
“Hello, Captain Waugh, I’m Sarah.”
Nathan shook her hand. A beautiful young woman with the most mesmerizing green eyes he had ever seen.
“Nice to meet you, Sarah. Please, call me Nathan.”
“All right.” Unlike a lot of women he’d met, Sarah maintained eye contact. No coyness from this impressive young woman. Yet beneath the beauty a hardness lingered. Life in the empire could be brutal for non-citizens.
“The Captain tells me you’re going to show me around.”
“Yes, I’m the tour guide. By your leave, Captain.” Pitzen nodded. “Shall be go?”
Nathan followed her out and into a corridor where they awaited a lift.
“I thought we’d start with engineering. I’ve cleared our visit with the Chief Engineer but don’t touch anything. You know how touchy engineers can be.”
Nathan didn’t care to be handled. Perhaps it was only Sarah’s style but he found it to be off-putting. The lift stopped at deck thirty-nine. They stepped out and walked sternward. The sign stenciled onto the hatch was familiar to Nathan. Engineering. No unauthorized personnel past this point.
Sarah keyed her comm. “Chief Engineer – Maddington.” A pause while she awaited an answer. “Good morning, Commander. I’m ready to show our guest around. Permission to enter engineering.” Pause. “Thank you.”
They waited until the hatch opened. They were met by a tall man, about fifty, with graying hair and a scar running down the right side of his face.
“Commander Spaatz, this is Captain Waugh.”