Trader Vyx

by DePrima, Thomas

  * * *

  After three months on Gollasko, Vyx had been generally accepted into the criminal circles. It had become widely known that he'd done business with Shev Rivemwilth, and that fact alone opened doors that might otherwise have remained permanently sealed. A person in Vyx's line, by necessity, has few friends. His life literally depends upon no one finding out that he's an undercover agent for Space Command. The only people that can usually be trusted to keep that secret are other people who work for Space Command Intelligence. It so happened that there were two at the Gollasko Colony.

  Gordon 'Nels' Nelligen has operated a small electronics repair business in the colony for several years, and is well known. He has a good reputation for being able to fix anything electronic, and a slightly more dubious reputation for being a better than average card player. He can be found in his shop during the day and at one of the card tables in the L'il Nugget tavern almost every evening. A lot of useful information can be picked up where friends and business associates gather to play a few friendly hands of cards while quenching their thirst.

  Another frequent face at the card tables is that of Albert Byers. During the day he serves up mediocre food at a local hash house, but after work he heads to either the L'il Nugget or the SkyRider tavern. While Nelligen is tall and thin, Byers is short and a little heavy around the middle. A resident of the Colony for over five years, he's well known in every tavern.

  Vyx had been apprised of their presence at the Colony but hadn't yet needed to contact them. They also knew of his presence, and were prepared to assist if he requested help, but they were information gatherers rather than line agents. Vyx didn't think that either would be of much use in a dangerous situation.

  News that the Alliance was moving the frontier border, spread like wildfire in a hay field. Merchants specializing in illegal cargo desperately began looking for ways to liquidate their inventories. Vyx was courted by every dealer on the planet, including Shev Rivemwilth, as they tried to sell off everything that they couldn't take with them. Vyx learned where most arms merchants were headed as they talked almost openly about their plans to reach the new Frontier Zone and reestablish their operations. They believed they had six more months before Space Command arrived, but they all intended to be gone in a month's time since the new frontier was more than half a year away at Light-187. Vyx always replied that he was naturally leaving as well, and announced his new base of operations as being the mining colony of Scruscotto. Most of the mining operations there were small independents, so he wouldn't have to worry about a big company's security guards, and the planet was only five light-years inside the new Frontier Zone.

  * * *

  The second space trial of the Colorado went smoother than the first, but still had its share of problems. The biggest problem occurred when the food synthesizers in the crew mess hall broke down and much of the crew was forced to live on field rations from the emergency supplies for three days. Normally, synthesizers were only used for off hours dining, so the number of machines was limited. The few synthesizers in the NCO and Officer dining rooms couldn't provide meals for the entire crew, as small as it was for this test, and they hadn't brought any fresh food along for this trial. The problem was finally located and the crew food synthesizers were brought back on-line. Other problems were minor and the engineers aboard were able to repair them or bypass them until the proper parts could be retrieved from the Prometheus' stores.

  After docking with the Prometheus, the Colorado was again turned over to Commander Cameron's staff for analysis of the problems and proper repair of those systems where temporary repairs or bypasses had been performed. Commander Cameron started pulling things apart as soon as he was allowed aboard.

  The Colorado's systems were disassembled, inspected, and reassembled in time for the third scheduled space trial that would commence at the start of the fourth month into the voyage. The captain called Jenetta to his briefing room on the morning that the Colorado was scheduled to begin the test.

  "Jen, this is the final trial for the Colorado, regardless of the outcome. We must complete the trials before we enter the former Frontier Zone."

  "Yes sir. We'll wrap things up by the thirtieth day, as planned. That will give us a full day before entering the old zone."

  "This thirty-day trial decides whether the Colorado can be used in interdiction activities or not. If the ship fails to perform properly, it will remain docked with the Prometheus until we return to a space dock facility where the problems can be addressed."

  "Yes sir. So far the problems haven't been out of the ordinary, and shouldn't require that the ship be laid up for the rest of the voyage. This third trial will concentrate on tight maneuvering instead of the simple straight-line travel we've been engaged in; at least as tight as can be accomplished at more than a hundred-thirty-million kilometers per second."

  As the ship was readied for its final space trial, it was fully stocked with almost everything that the full crew complement of a hundred eighty-five would normally carry for an extended voyage, including fresh food and a platoon of Space Marines. Jenetta took her cats aboard early and left them in the captain's quarters while she saw to the final details of the month long voyage.

  At 1030 hours the ship was sealed and they began working their way through the departure checklist. The Prometheus dropped out of FTL at 1045 hours and the Colorado's docking clamps were released a couple of seconds before 1100 hours. Floating free, the small ship moved to a position a kilometer off the larboard side of the Prometheus, and on a signal from the mother-ship, both ships began accelerating to Light-412.

  After a week of travel, Jenetta was extremely pleased with the performance of the Colorado. The work that the engineers had done in adjusting, calibrating, and general tweaking, made the ship perform as well as any ship that had been in service for an extended period. They seemed to have corrected every problem, and Commander Cameron slowly relaxed his constant vigil, and even began to take breaks for meals instead of eating as he worked.

  During the second week they began to test the ship's maneuverability. The Prometheus remained in constant communication and at the end of each series of tests they would slow and allow the Colorado to catch up before resuming Light-412.

  On the twenty-ninth day, all tests had been completed except one. The Colorado had performed flawlessly, and Jenetta looked forward to certifying the ship as ready for active duty. The final series of tests were the speed tests. Thus far they had only attempted Light-412, and the ship had maintained that speed without problem. Now they would test the engines at full power. Space Command had said that Light-487 was possible, although a full power test hadn't been made at the Mars facility during the initial tests. If that claim was true, then this would be the fastest flight of any ship in the known galaxy.

  Jenetta had the communications officer notify the Prometheus that the Colorado was about to apply full power to the engines at 1100 hours. It was agreed that the Colorado would travel at top speed for six hours, and then slow to Light-225 until the Prometheus caught up. The Prometheus would simply maintain its top speed of Light-412 until they met up again.

  With Commander Cameron set to monitor the ship's performance from the Engineering deck, Jenetta gave the order to the helmsman to apply full power. Rather than keying in a specific speed value, the normal method, the helmsman toggled the selector switch from 'speed' to 'engine power', then keyed in one hundred. As the command was entered, there was a sudden flash and everything on the bridge went dark.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  ~ February 22nd, 2273 ~

  A second later, the bridge's emergency lighting flicked on.

  "What happened, helm," Jenetta asked quickly.

  "I don't know, Captain," Lieutenant Kerrey replied. "I keyed in the power change and the console readout flashed briefly."

  "What's our current speed?"

  "All console readouts are now blank, ma'am. Nothing's functioning."


  "Com, ask Commander Cameron what's happening."

  "The com station is dead, Captain. I don't have any power at all."

  Jenetta lifted her right hand and pressed the front of her Space Command ring before saying, "Commander Cameron, respond please."

  After waiting several seconds she pressed the ring again and said, "All Engineering personnel, this is the captain. Anyone respond, please."

  When nothing was received after thirty seconds, Jenetta jumped out of her chair and headed for the door to the corridor. Over her shoulder she shouted, "Lieutenant Kerrey, you have the bridge," and then promptly ran into the door when it failed to open automatically. She bounced back a half meter but managed to keep her footing. Fortunately she had been leading with her left shoulder because she was issuing the order to Lieutenant Kerrey as she hurried.

  "I guess that the doors aren't working either," Jenetta said, scowling. To an ensign manning one of the tactical console stations, she said, "Ensign Danzig, you're with me; I might need help getting to Engineering."

  It took several minutes to open the door to the corridor because they hadn't practiced using the modified manual release system in previous trials. Emergency lighting, like the type on the bridge, illuminated the corridor. The Marine stationed at the door to her quarters was still at his post, but he looked a bit bewildered. He hadn't been able to contact anyone in the security office.

  Although it was unlikely that the lift was operating, Jenetta tried anyway. There was no way of knowing what power systems, if any, were still operating.

  When the lift failed to arrive, Jenetta walked to the nearest access shaft that would permit travel to the Engineering Deck, four levels below. After opening the shaft door, Jenetta peered into a semi-dark passage that extended from the lowest deck to the highest. The shaft was illuminated only by dim emergency lighting, but anyone in the shaft would have been clearly visible. Not seeing anyone above or below, she dove in head first.

  The vertical shaft, like all of the engineering shafts and travel tubes in Space Command ships, were shielded from the artificial gravity inside the ship, and Jenetta felt a momentary queasiness as she passed over the threshold of the door and gravity gave up its impermanent hold on her. Gravity deck plating was used inside lift cars and transit tube cars, so weightlessness was never a problem there. Ensign Danzig waited a couple of seconds for Jenetta to make some headway and then also dove into the shaft. The pneumatics on the hatch door slowly closed it behind him.

  Using the hand grip depressions in the shaft walls, they pulled and pushed themselves along as they sailed almost effortlessly down to the lower decks.

  Emerging from the shaft, Jenetta and Danzig found the corridor doors to the Engineering section already open. Commander Cameron was drawing a diagram on an electronic clipboard for two of his people, while others peered into uncovered consoles with portable lights.

  "Commander, what's the situation as you know it?" Jenetta asked.

  "We've lost most power, Captain, but we haven't yet figured out why or how to restore it."

  "Are we dead in space?"

  "No, ma'am. We're still traveling FTL."

  "How can you tell without instruments?"

  "Put your hand flat against any bulkhead," he said, demonstrating. "You can feel the vibrations that occur as we're pulled from the old envelope into the new one. If we were stalled out, you wouldn't feel anything."

  "Can you tell me our course?"

  "Negative, Captain. Not until we get some power restored."

  "Okay, Bill, keep at it. Send a runner to the bridge when you learn anything, unless you can get the personal or shipboard com systems working."

  "Will do, Captain."

  Cameron turned immediately back to his two people. Jenetta and Danzig returned to the bridge using the access shaft.

  "Commander Cameron is working on the problem," Jenetta said to the bridge crew, "but we don't know the cause of the problem or how long it will take to restore power. Remain on the bridge but you can move around and talk until we get power back. Ensign Danzig, why don't you be our town crier."

  "Excuse me, Captain?" he said.

  "Hundreds of years ago, on Earth, a person would pass through the streets of a town shouting out the news. It was their only way of conveying important information because there were no telecommunications and many people couldn't read or write. I want you to visit the other decks and tell people that the reason for our power outage is unknown, but it's not from attack. Tell them that it's being worked on and that they should remain calm."

  "You want me to go to each deck?"

  "Yes. Either yell out the information yourself, or conscript an NCO for the task and have them shout it out throughout the deck."

  "Yes, ma'am," Danzig said before running from the bridge to complete his mission.

  Jenetta waited for an hour, according to her still functioning chrono-patch, then went to the Engineering section again. Not much thicker than a tattoo, chrono-patches are powered by a harmless chemical reaction produced when it comes into contact with human skin. It doesn't have timekeeping functions, and merely displays the GST time being broadcast throughout the ship. But the broadcast signal equipment does require minimal power, so Jen decided that it must be receiving its power from the emergency lighting circuits. The disposable waterproof patch could last several days before needing replacement.

  Jen found Cameron working with several people at a wall console with all panel covers removed. Thick cables snaked along the floor and led into the open panels along the walls.

  "Bill, can I interrupt you for a minute?"

  "Just a minute, Captain. I'll be right with you."

  Jenetta stood back and watched as Bill issued instructions to the other crewmen working with him. "Lower that light down a little, Tony. Good. Lock that connection down, Sam. Yeah, that's got it. Good, it's tight. Okay, everybody set? Get your arms out of the consoles and we'll see what we got." The crewmen working with Bill stepped back out of the way. After verifying that everyone was out of the panel, he said, "Alright, Bonnie, give it a try."

  A lieutenant(jg) standing at another panel flipped a switch and one wall of gauges and displays lit up. A cheer went up in the room.

  Bill turned to Jenetta and smiled. "At last."

  "Did you find the problem?"

  "Not yet, Captain. My first priority was to get the life support systems operating again. In another hour it would have started to get noticeably cold in the ship, and in several more hours we'd be breathing substantially elevated levels of carbon dioxide." Glancing at the displays, he said, "But we now appear to have life support systems functioning throughout the ship again."

  "Good job, Bill. What next?"

  "Ship's lighting. The emergency lights just don't give us enough illumination to work properly. Then we'll tackle the main problem. I did originally spend about half an hour trying to track down the problem, but I didn't find the cause, and I had to stop to take care of the more immediate concerns."

  "How long before we run out of power?"

  "We won't. As you know, fully charged power cells are designed to support basic ship functions for several months. Since the engines are still functioning and the power cells are constantly being recharged, we don't have to worry about losing life support or the artificial gravity system."

  "Good. I'll get out of your hair for a while. What do you estimate for time in getting the lighting restored?"

  "About an hour. Maybe less. I'm going to use the same bypass arrangement that I used with life support."

  "Okay, Bill. I'll check back with you later."

  Jenetta turned and left, satisfied with the progress and grateful that Cameron was aboard. Arriving on the bridge, she plopped down in the command chair. "Ensign Danzig?"

  "Yes, Captain."

  "Notify all decks that life support systems are back on line and that we're working on getting our lighting restored."

  "On my way, ma'am."

 
The overhead lighting popped on about forty minutes later. At the same time, the emergency lighting shut down and the doors between the bridge and the corridor slid silently close. But for all the consoles remaining dark, things were taking on the appearance of being normal. It was warm, light, and the oxygen was plentiful. Now, if only they could see where they were headed at a hundred-twenty-one million kilometers per second, assuming that they had maintained their Light-412 speed. For all Jenetta knew, they could have dropped to Plus One, which was just one kilometer per second. If only they had communication with the Prometheus.

  As if in response to her thoughts, several crewmen from the engineering staff arrived to work on the bridge systems. They spread out to examine the helm, navigation, and communication consoles.

  Along with the ship's lighting had come other functions such as lift power, transit car travel, and food synthesizers. When the latter was discovered, the first thing that Jenetta did was to prepare a large mug of Colombian, black and steaming. Then she personally visited each of the decks, instead of sending Ensign Danzig. Some crewmen were eating, now that food preparation devices and synthesizers were functioning again, and some were engaged in leisure activities, but everyone was calm and relaxed. Jenetta finished up at the Engineering section where everyone was as busy as on her previous visit. Looking around, she failed to see Bill Cameron. The normally tidy engineering section was in a complete state of disarray, with thick cables crisscrossing the floor and panel covers stacked up everywhere. A lieutenant, seeing Jenetta looking around, approached her.