by Jacen Aster
Henry just shook his head. Rapping the portable on the table, he stood. “Well, thanks again. I'm off to implement this now that it's complete.” He hesitated for a moment. “You looked interested, and since you helped finish it, you're welcome to tag along if you want.”
Walter tipped his head to one side consideringly. “Hmm, well, I think I can spare the time, and you're right, I want to see it. I've never seen some of those tricks before, and that is rather saying something in my case. Surely you're not on shift yet though?”
Henry chuckled. “I don't really have a shift per se. Alvedia, the section manager, figured out pretty quick that the best thing to do with me was to just assign me an impossible problem and let me run with it.” He paused and smirked. “Well, that and trade my skills to the other section managers for their best whiskey and spare parts.”
Walter laughed.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
“Alright. That's the last one.” Walter called from a deck down. “Fire her up, Henry.”
“Right. Transferring power now. Look alive.”
Switches flipped and the previously inert systems all around them started lowly humming with power. “Ten percent. How's it look?”
A moment’s pause, then Walter called back, “Good. Bit of rattle, but that's expected. It's within tolerance.”
The process repeated four more times as they slowly shifted it up to one hundred and ten percent of maximum expected power. With no problems, even when pushed well beyond maximum, they slowly shut it down. Walter soon appeared next to Henry, grinning ear-to-ear.
“Amazing, Henry! I've seen a lot of crazy engineering in my life, but I never imagined someone could get that much of a power amplification to work on these systems.” He paused and gave Henry a wry look. “And here I had intended to give you an impossible task when I reassigned those sensor arrays to your section. Ah, no matter, I got my answers and they really will get better data from here.”
Henry froze in the middle of cleaning up his kit. “Wait...what?”
Walter smiled and helped him wrap up the last of his things. “You heard me right. I'm the one that reassigned the sensors to your section. But I guess that needs a bit more explanation.” The last tool was returned to its proper place and he added, “But then I also think the rest of this talk would be better done back at that delightful table in the corner of Everywhere's End.”
It was nearly an hour later when Henry and Walter sat back down at their corner table, this time with steaming plates of food as well as the very best drinks, all on Walter's tab. Henry hadn't been able to get anything more from the man and was growing thoroughly suspicious.
This just seemed to amuse Walter. “Ah, Mr. Harper, please allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Walter Hamilton, co-designer of the Gate to Everywhere. Trademark pending.”
He grinned at the last bit, making Henry reflexively roll his eyes. He'd gotten used to the man's odd sense of humor over the past half day of working with him. Despite the eye roll, he kept his attention firmly on the man. “You're telling me you’re the Walter Hamilton? The one that came up with this crazy idea in the first place?”
“Yep! Though, of course, I could never have made it work without Reece's expertise. He designed most of the Ring systems I theorized.” He took a swig of his drink and a bite of food before adding, “I'm actually a bit surprised you knew I came up with it. Most people assume it was him, given his species’ legendary expertise with the Ring system.”
“Jack has raved about your early papers a few times, though he's never gotten anywhere with them. Then again, he didn't go to the Arabuli. They don't like him, for obvious reasons. At any rate, when I was first approached about the project, I remembered his raving and read into the subject. Found your name pretty quick. I’m a little surprised I didn't recognize you.”
Walter's face had stiffened very slightly at the mention of Jack, and he took several bites of food before he spoke again. “And that, I'm afraid, is the crux of the matter.”
When he didn't immediately elaborate, Henry verbally prodded him a bit. “What matter, exactly? You still haven't explained what this is all about. Why is the co-designer of the entire project slumming around with an engineer, installing power systems and talking shop?”
Several more bites were consumed by both, making Henry almost believe Hamilton wouldn't answer at all, before the man finally sighed and spoke up again. “I doubt, even in your reading, you found much about the actual test, right? Probably lots about the Gate and its construction, but nothing about its use?” When Henry nodded, he continued on. “Good, that's still mostly being kept quiet. You see, there isn't really a truly safe way to test the Gate. It's all great in theory, but only an actual trip through will prove anything. A probe will be sent first, of course, but right after it gets back, a small manned research ship will be going through.”
When he stopped to take a few more bites, Henry suspiciously stated, “Not that this isn't interesting, but it doesn't seem to have much to do with me.”
Hamilton chuckled. “Oh, but it does. You see, there is always a chance that I'm wrong. That even with the probe test, we won’t end up quite where we intend to. In fact, until we can refine the process, I almost expect it. To that end, I am personally going on that ship, to collect data and handle any problems that might crop up in or after transit.” He paused to let that sink in. “And that is where you enter the picture, Mr. Harper. I've been slowly hand-selecting the small team that is going on that ship. Given that your background check reads like an adventure novel, you've been on my short-list from the beginning.” He sighed. “And now I rather suspect I'm in for a long argument.”
Henry looked confused. “Pardon?”
Walter smiled. “Oh, not from you. No, the argument will be from the Arabuli, through Reece as a mouth piece, I imagine.”
“I don't think I understand?”
Hamilton gave him a shrewd look. “Don't you? What if I tell you that I'm now dead set on having you as my primary engineer aboard the test ship? Perhaps if I also tell you that I've met every other person on my various lists, saving you for last, and while I set them up with challenges, none of them were half as tough as yours? Which, I might add, was supposed to be impossible. All the challenges were, I wanted to see how people reacted to the impossible and all that comes with it.”
Henry, once he overcame his surprise, was sure he'd found the issue. “It's my connection to Jack Amaril, isn't it?”
“Ding ding ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Yes, the Arabuli hate Jack Amaril with the burning passion of a thousand suns. For many reasons, of course, though the largest and most obvious is how his infinity drive has negatively impacted the need for Jump Rings. The drive has opened up the outer territories to massive expansion that the Ring System just can't keep up with. Sure, the Ring's are faster, but you're a lot more restricted in just where you can go and when you can do it. As the galaxy’s foremost experts on the Rings, they don't like that. They don't like that at all. In this case, they are afraid that you'll go running back to Amaril with all the secrets of the Gate.”
“And you aren't?”
Walter snorted. “More like I don't think it matters if you do or don't. Even more so now that I know he's read my papers. Jack Amaril is a damn genius, one that makes me look like a toddler. Once he knows it can be done, it's only a matter of time before he not only does it, but does it better than we can.”
Henry grinned. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Though, for future reference, he'd never accept any ill-gotten information. It'd rip the challenge out of it for him, and that's what he lives for.”
Walter nodded, just accepting that fact, or more probably, not caring if it was true.
“In any event, after what I've seen today, I want you on board, and I'll get my way in the end. Assuming you're interested?”
Henry smirked. “Of course I am. It's not an accident that my background reads like one of those novels you mentioned. If Ja
ck lives for the challenge, I live for the adventure.” Henry paused, sighed, and added, “It's probably not worth your effort though. As flattered as I am that I'm your first choice, I imagine your next choice will serve perfectly well, and won't cause you near the issues.”
Walter looked completely serious for the first time as he captured Henry's eyes. “No, my next choice isn't just as good. Mr. Harper, I've been from one side of the known galaxy to the other, same as you. I've seen all sorts of exotic tech and plenty of crazy solutions. But, despite making an in-depth study of nearly every major race's tech base in order to figure out how to make this Great Gate of mine work, I haven't seen half of the things you did to those power systems before. Even less have I seen anyone both willing to and capable of melding technologies like that.” Seeing Henry about to protest, he waved him off. “Oh, I fixed the adapter issue faster than you could have. But that doesn't change the fact that I'd never have thought to use those systems together in the first place...even if I had known they all existed! You may not be Jack Amaril, or even me, but we're scientists, not engineers. You're probably a better practical engineer than both of us combined. Given how often he seems to use you, I suspect Amaril knows it too.”
Henry was, for the first time in many years, speechless.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Henry stared at the stellar rift from the ship's observation bubble, mesmerized once again by the view. Constantly writhing and warping green and blue tendrils of light bled off the rift, striking into the surrounding space like chaotic lightning in a silent storm. It was one of the most beautifully hypnotic phenomena Henry had witnessed in his long career. If for no other reason than for this spectacular view, Henry thought, his transfer to the ship had been worth it.
In the end, it hadn't taken long for Dr. Hamilton to win his argument, and even less time for Henry to settle in as the ship's chief engineer. It was an impressive vessel, and somewhat larger than Henry had imagined. Easily three hundred meters long, powerful, armed, and arrayed with all the best sensors. But it was the observation bubble that kept drawing Henry back.
“Henry?”
The voice came from behind him, breaking him from his trance. Henry turned to the entry hatch and saw it was Vairc, his second in command. Average in stature for an Arabuli, he only came to chest height on Henry. His purple-black skin denoted an oddly high ranking in the Arabuli hierarchy for a simple assistant engineer, something that still puzzled Henry. Though he hadn't been quite so rude as to ask, as asking could easily be considered an insult. Biting back his curiosity again, Henry addressed him. “What is it, Vairc?”
“My apologies, sir, but you are requested in lab module three by Designer Hamilton.”
“Oh? Alright then. I'll head there straight away.” Henry stood and made for the entryway, noting that somehow Vairc had disappeared again before he reached it.
There was more than one oddity about that Arabuli, Henry mused to himself. He was creepily silent most of the time, and when he did speak, it was always with a hint of refinement that wasn't normally present in your average engineer. At the same time, his skills could not be doubted. While no match for Henry, he was a very capable fellow all the way around, and as good a second as Henry could hope for, despite his oddities. He cut his musings short as he reached lab three.
Immediately upon entry he was seized by an excited Dr. Hamilton. “Henry! You're here. Good, good. We've got a bit of a problem.”
Dr. Hamilton yanked him by the elbow to a control console. Familiar by now with the lab, and the good doctor's habits, it was no surprise that the unknown female Arabuli next to the console was what immediately drew his attention. Henry frowned. There shouldn't be any crew he didn't know by this point, but he definitely didn't know her. Unusually tall for her race, she came nearly to Henry's chin, resulting in a far more lithe look than was typical of the usually stocky species. Her skin was a deep purple, marking her as considerably lower in the hierarchy than Vairc, but still respectable. Doubly so as she appeared to be much younger, in her early twenties perhaps, to Vairc's thirty-two.
Seeing his frown, Walter came to a sudden stop. “Right. I forgot, you two haven't met yet. Areina, this is our chief engineer, Henry Harper. Henry, this is Areina of the Second Order of Pilots. Obviously, she's one of our pilots. Only just arrived, I had some trouble getting her approved.”
Her voice had a musical lilt to it when she greeted him. “Glad to meet you, Mr. Harper. Doctor Hamilton says you'll be able to sort the problem I found.”
Henry returned her greeting with a nod. “Pleased to meet you, I'm sure. As for the problem, it very much depends on what it is...and on that note, what is it?”
Before she could answer him, Hamilton broke in, “It was amazing, Henry! Five minutes with the controls and she found a tiny fault in the modulation of the port reactor. The self-test system is set to scan as accurately as it can manage and it never even noticed. I had to completely reprogram the internal sensors to find it. She said she could just feel it.”
Henry, a bit of disbelief on his face, reached over to the console and checked the results. Disbelief turned to surprise as he scanned Hamilton's data. “Huh. That's new.” A few taps brought more details and he shook his head in awe. “This isn't nearly enough to set off the alarms. Damn impressive finding this.”
The doctor nodded fervently. “It would never have mattered on a normal jump, but for this? For this, it could have been a disaster.”
Henry nodded agreement, even as both of them set to work on the data. “So, is she taking over as pilot then?”
Hamilton looked sour. “No, I wanted her to, but I couldn't convince them to sign off on it. She's going to be the backup.”
Henry looked confusedly at him. “What? But the skill it takes to find something like this…?”
It was Areina herself, presence almost forgotten, who answered. “No. They are right. As much as I wish they weren't. My skills are intuitive. I'm a fantastic pilot but I rely far too much on instinct. My technical skills just aren't where they ought to be to fly an experimental ship like this.”
Dr. Hamilton made a disgruntled noise. “I still say that your instinct is more valuable in the face of the unknown than Tevro's technical expertise.”
She just shrugged. “There's also the fact that we launch in three days, I don't have enough time to really get to know the ship.
Henry's head snapped up from the console. “What?”
Walter grinned. “Oh, didn't I mention that? We got word that the Gate is finished just an hour ago. A couple days of diagnostics and we'll be green lighted.”
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Henry watched the Gate powering up from the screens of Lab 1. He and Vairc were playing assistant to Dr. Hamilton, monitoring the gate from nearly ten thousand kilometers away. Being equipped with the best sensors in the sector meant they were still the closest ship, but this was considered the minimum safe distance in case something went wrong. Right now all three of them were bored out of their minds, waiting as the remote operators brought the gate up to full power half a percent at a time.
With the gate at only sixty-five percent an hour after first activation, Henry finally gave into the boredom and spoke. “You know, Doc, I've read over your papers and the details of the Gate, and I still don't quite understand something.”
Hamilton stretched, looking relieved for the distraction. “What's that, Henry?”
“Well, I get how the stellar rift can be harnessed to go from one point to another, but rifts only naturally go from a single point to one other single point. I get that the Jump Ring is supposed to re-aim the rift at will, as well as create the standard passage through it via the normal fold methods, but where does the power come from?”
Walter chuckled. “Ah yes, that's the great mystery, isn't it? Oh, it could be done, on a much smaller scale at least, with localized power sources. But you're quite right. There's no way to get anything manmade to produce enough power to go Every
where, like I claim my Gate will. In fact, that's what makes this project so ambitious and so secret. Most people think the way you do, that I'm re-aiming the rift. I am, of course, but not the way they think. If you have rift energy, and plenty of power, you don't need to re-point the rift itself more than once. Just to a place where you can get the power from.”
Henry cocked his head to one side. “Get the power from? Like a star or something?”
Walter looked smug. “No, though that was suggested. I found a better solution. You see, this particular rift is so important because of where it already opens to. It opens very near the galactic core, meaning that it's within our power to shift the rift just a bit and point it at...well, I think you can guess.”
Henry looked thunderstruck. “Wait, you're using the super-massive-black-hole at the galactic core for power?”
The good doctor had a shark-like grin on his face. “Yep! Crazy, isn't it? But it's the only thing that has the kind of power we need to fold space to Everywhere. Even outside our own galaxy, I think. Considering the nature of a black hole of that size and power, we might just get Everywhen out of the deal too. I doubt it though. That's just a wild shot in the dark that someone came up with. Wasn't me.”
Henry gulped and fought the urge to recheck everything for a fifty-third time.
“Oh, relax, Henry. It's not like we are stupid enough to tie the rift directly to the black hole. It'll be quite a ways off, only just within the primary field of effect for the black hole. Besides, if all else fails, the gate is rigged to blow, which should close the rift entirely. Theoretically, at least.”
It was Vairc who spoke up, not Henry. “Somehow, that doesn't sound terribly reassuring, Doctor.” Indeed, Vairc was pale and a bit wild-eyed looking.
“Meh, what's life without a little risk?”