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Bonds of Resolve (Cadicle #3): An Epic Space Opera Series

Page 4

by Amy DuBoff


  “No, what puts me at risk is being in a position where people want me dead.”

  Andy, one of Wil’s roommates, emerged from his room at the back right of the common area. “Not again, guys. Don’t make me send you to your rooms.”

  Wil took a deep breath and headed for his room at the back left. “That was already my plan.”

  “Come on, don’t sulk. What’s wrong?” Andy asked in his kindly mock older brother voice.

  The attitude had annoyed Wil when he first moved into the Junior Agent quarters a year and a half before, but he’d come to value Andy’s advice. “Banks just gave me a teaching assignment for an advanced navigation course. It starts tomorrow.”

  “Bomax. That’s not a lot of prep time.”

  “Not to mention the annoyance of reviewing homework assignments, coming up with lecture material...”

  “If you don’t want to grade homework, then don’t assign any,” Andy said.

  “I can’t not give homework—”

  Andy raised an eyebrow. “Says who? You’re the instructor. You can do whatever the fok you want.”

  “You have a point.”

  Andy shrugged. “Worst case scenario, they take away the teaching assignment you didn’t want in the first place.”

  “I don’t think it’s wise for you to intentionally fail,” Caeron interjected.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Wil countered. “But I guess there’s no reason I shouldn’t try to have a little fun with it.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Andy exclaimed and gave Wil a nod of approval. “Now stop bickering so I can finish my report.” He returned to his room and telekinetically slid the door shut behind him.

  Wil sighed. “I’ll let you know if I’m going back out,” he told Caeron and went to his bedroom.

  “Thank you. Have a good night.” Caeron headed toward his own room at the front left of the common area, next to Wil’s.

  Wil closed the door and settled into his desk chair. Sleep was a rare luxury over the last several months.

  Quality sleep, in particular, was almost non-existent. The nightmares that began after he was shot by Haersen persisted. Some nights it was easier to stay up and work rather than endure waking up in a cold sweat with a racing heart and headache. Just thinking about the images of Tek’s sneering face and fields of charred bodies was enough to turn his stomach.

  To distract himself from the nightmares, he’d taken to late-night work on the independent jump drive design. His initial efforts were dead ends—rehashing the same issues he’d always encountered from other angles. Then, three months before, the Junior Agents had launched the annual competition for an independent jump drive design.

  Most of the Junior Agents formed small workgroups, which Wil had joined in previous years, but he had elected to continue working alone for the latest competition. He had scrapped everything he’d assembled before and spent a week playing mindless video games. When he returned to the problem with fresh eyes, suddenly things started to come together. He saw connections he couldn’t believe he’d missed and solutions started to pop out from the chaos. After a month of roughing out the new structure for the theory in the late-night hours, he’d given the first presentation to Banks and his father. He was on the right track, and they knew it. The late-night work had continued and he was still making progress—even if it was incredibly slow going.

  Regardless of his new class in the morning, he couldn’t afford a night off from the incremental forward progress. There was work to do.

  * * *

  Cris breathed a sigh of relief as he walked in the door to his quarters. What a day. Another Trainee arrival completed, another Wil blowout, and another issue to confront Banks about.

  “How’d it go?” Kate asked from the couch. She got up and came to greet Cris with a kiss.

  He pulled her close. “You know it’s my favorite day of the year.”

  “And now you have 349 days of anticipating the next,” Kate said with a grin.

  “And a shiteload of other things to deal with until then.” Cris eased onto the couch with a groan.

  “What now?”

  “More of the usual. Wil butting heads with Banks again.”

  Kate curled up next to him. “Oh dear.”

  “Apparently Banks has assigned him to teach a group of Initiates advanced navigation related to the new independent jump drive.”

  “The design isn’t even complete.”

  “But the foundation is there. It’s close enough to start explaining.”

  Kate entwined her fingers in his. “I’m worried about Wil. He seems stressed all the time now.”

  “I’m concerned, too. But Banks does have a point—he needs to start getting some hands-on leadership experience. And maybe if he has others who understand the design he’ll get some reprieve. Right now, he’s... it’s not good.”

  “I feel like we should be doing more as parents,” Kate said, looking down. “He pulled away and we haven’t fought to get him back.”

  “He’s fifteen. I wasn’t exactly a model child at that age, either.”

  His wife frowned. “You know full well that’s not all of it.”

  “What are we supposed to do? He’ll barely even talk to me.”

  “Dinner tomorrow night,” Kate suggested. “The first day of class will make for the perfect occasion.”

  “And if he doesn’t show up?”

  “Then his mother will track him down and make a scene in front of all his classmates. Avoiding that should be sufficient motivation.”

  Cris smirked. “You have a bit of a sadistic streak, don’t know?”

  “I’m just committed to getting results.”

  “I love you a little more right now.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Wil entered the advanced navigation class already convinced it would be a disaster. There were fifteen Initiates enrolled in the course, and all of them blinked with confusion when he stepped through the door. “I’m Wil and I’m your instructor.”

  He activated the console at the front center of the room, and nametags illuminated in front of each desk.

  “You’re a Junior Agent?” one of the students, Jordan, asked. His dark hair was buzzed almost to his scalp and his lips were contorted into a mocking sneer.

  “Yes, just starting my final year. Why?”

  Jordan looked to his other classmates. Wil was younger than all of them by at least two years. “You don’t look like it.”

  “Yeah, well, you don’t look like you’re smart enough to be in this class,” Wil shot back. “But I don’t think they would have given you this assignment if you were an idiot, so maybe looks are deceiving.”

  The smug grin melted from Jordan’s face. The other students snickered and sat up straighter in their chairs.

  “Now, let’s talk about advanced navigation,” Wil said as he manipulated the holoprojector at the front of the classroom. A map of the SiNavTech beacon network illuminated around him. “Who’s familiar with the concept of an independent jump drive?”

  The Initiates looked confused.

  “Isn’t that a myth?” Caitlyn, one of the six girls in the class, asked.

  “It was considered a scientific improbability,” Wil stated. “But I cracked the code.” The room fell still and silent. Wil surveyed the shocked faces. “I’m currently finalizing the design for the first independent jump drive, and you get to be among the first to learn how to plot a course.”

  “Where do we start?” Greg questioned from the second row of desks.

  “That’s a very good question.” Wil examined the star map of the SiNavTech network. That way of thinking would eventually be obsolete. “We need to start over,” he said under his breath.

  “What do you mean?” asked Greg.

  Wil sighed. “I want to tell you to forget everything you know about standard navigation, but you’ll still need to use those systems. I need to find a way to make it a consistent user experience, even though the underlying assu
mptions are completely different.”

  “Then how does it work?” Bianca asked from the front row, one of her blonde eyebrows raised with uncertainty.

  “Well, I’m still working out the interface,” Wil admitted. “The equation to calculate the jump is really the only thing that’s final. There is no navigation system for the independent jump drive as things stand now, only some initial sketches.”

  “So how are we supposed to learn how to use it?” Jordan asked, the flush of embarrassment finally fading from his cheeks.

  Wil thought for a moment. “Maybe we could start with you telling me how you’d want to use it and I can come up with something that fits within those parameters.”

  The students looked at each other. Clearly it wasn’t going to be a normal class.

  “What does this equation look like, anyway?” Caitlyn ventured.

  “You probably don’t want to know…” Wil deactivated the star map and instead brought up the independent jump drive equation from his personal files. The three-dimensional model of the interconnecting modules looked like a chaotic jumble of numbers and notations to the untrained eye.

  The class stared at it with open mouths.

  “Fok me…” Bianca breathed.

  “I’ll take that as an expression rather than an invitation,” Wil said. His mind flashed to his brief encounter with Saera, but he hurriedly pushed it away. “So, I don’t think we’ll get anywhere if I try to explain this.”

  “You came up with this whole thing?” Greg asked.

  Wil looked over the equation and rotated the model with his hand. “Yeah, somehow. I had to stare at it until I saw a pattern, then it looked like complete nonsense again, and then finally re-solidified into something I could understand. It’s pretty headache-inducing, isn’t it?”

  The class nodded slowly.

  “Forget about this.” Wil swept the equation from the holoprojector and brought up a blank projection as a background for taking notes. “Now, what do you like to see in any navigation interface?”

  “Destination list,” “Beacon map,” “Transit times,” “Lock stability factor,” “Spaceport locations,” the students called out.

  Wil made the notations on the holoprojector. “Great. But imagine your destination could be anywhere. No beacon needed.” He crossed off the items that weren’t applicable to the independent jump model.

  “I’d still want to know how long the transit would take, since that dictates supply needs,” Bianca said.

  “And knowing the position of spaceports is always important in case there are complications,” Caitlyn added.

  “Excellent points. So we for sure need a star chart with applicable landmarks,” Wil said as he made the appropriate notations on the projector.

  “We might not be limited to a destination list,” Jordan cut in, “but having some pre-programmed common destinations would be handy.”

  “Okay, so maybe like a ‘favorites’ list of sorts?” Wil clarified.

  Jordan nodded. “Sure.”

  “Regardless of if the destination is pre-programmed or not, you still need to know where you’re going relative to everything else,” Greg pointed out.

  “Yes, you do.” Wil thought for a few moments. “Maybe the key is to make it graphical. One interface—just pick your destination on a map and let the computer do the work on the backend. It can activate the protocol for an independent jump if it’s outside of beacon range, or follow beacons if it’s on a standard route.”

  “Graphics are always nice,” Caitlyn agreed. The others murmured agreement.

  “Hmm.” Wil pondered the suggestion. It just might work. It would solve the problems. The existing projector with the SiNavTech consoles is capable—it’s just a software upgrade and retrofit to the jump drive.

  “The challenge will be to come up with a visualization format that takes into account subspace flow,” Wil mused. “Any pilot will need to learn how to read a map so they don’t drop the ship out of subspace in the middle of a planet.”

  “Can’t the computer do that?” Greg asked.

  Wil smiled. “You’d be out of a job as Navigators if the nav computer could do everything. There’s always going to be that 10 percent of the work only a trained person can do. The part that’s art, not pure science.”

  “Except with an independent jump drive there aren’t the safeguards of the beacon network,” Bianca added.

  “Right. The equation works—it’s been fully vetted. But there’s still the chance for operator error. This is serious business.” And I somehow need to make it safe enough for a pilot to use under pressure.

  “Are we talking about an application for navigation systems in just cruisers, or jets, too?” Caitlyn asked.

  “Both,” Wil replied. “And obviously, a graphical interface would be challenging to use in the middle of a battle.”

  “Well it’s not like we’ll find ourselves in that situation too often,” Jordan commented.

  Shite, I need to remember they don’t know about the war in the rift. Or even about the rift’s existence. “We need to design it for a worst-case scenario. Quick in, quick out in the heat of battle.”

  “What about a direct neutral link?” Caitlyn suggested. “For the jets.”

  Wil grinned. “Now we’re talking.”

  * * *

  Saera answered the final question on her test and looked around. All of the other Trainees were still furiously making entries on the touchscreen surfaces of their desks. Did I miss something? She had thought she was taking her time and answering thoroughly. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as some of the other written tests over the last two days, especially not compared to the haphazard freefall acrobats.

  Eventually, other Trainees finished the exam and sat back in their chairs, looking worn and worried. The early finishers made note of each other.

  When everyone was finished, the Agent at the front of the room set down his tablet and stood up. “Thank you for your hard work and attention throughout this testing. I’m pleased to report that your intake evaluations are now complete.”

  There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone in the room. Finally!

  “We will now divide you into preliminary training groups. Six months from now, you will have one final evaluation that will determine which Agent class and training track you will ultimately follow if you decide to stay with the TSS beyond the first year. So work hard, because your performance over the next few months will play a large part in determining your future.”

  Three other Agents, two women and one man, entered the room.

  “You will see a group number displayed on your desks. Group 1 will be with me, Agent Poltar. Group 2 with Agent Reylae. Group 3 with Agent Morwen. And Group 4 with Agent Katz.”

  Saera looked down at her desk: Group 4. The Agents held their handhelds in front of them with their group number projected out front. Agent Katz was the blonde woman on the end. Saera lined up with the other Group 4 members near Katz. When all of the Trainees were with their trainer, Saera saw that her group was much smaller, composed of only five girls compared to the twenty or so Trainees in the others. Two of the groups were all boys and another was all girls.

  Agent Katz led them down the hall and into a small conference room, where she had them sit around the table in the middle of the room. When everyone was seated, she began, “I’m Agent Marsie Katz. I’m a Primus Agent and will be your instructor for the next several months. Your scores have earned you conditional designation for the Primus class.”

  Really? Saera’s eyes were as wide as those of the other girls.

  “This is a great opportunity for you, but it’s not without its challenges. While all of the other groups will live and train together, you’ll need to integrate with others. For starters, you’ll share quarters with some Sacon girls, but you’ll do most of your training with the Primus boys.”

  We’re going to be training with the men? Saera quickly suppressed the wave of unease. No, it’
s not like it was back home.

  The girls looked around the table, sizing each other up. Saera assessed that all of the girls looked normal enough. They were attractive in their own ways, and each had brightness in their eyes that hinted at intelligent, inquisitive natures. She was relieved to see that none of the girls with the blatantly haughty attitudes had made it into her group. We’re the best of the best.

  “I’m sure many of you have already talked over the last few days, but why don’t we go around the table and make some introductions,” Agent Katz proposed. “State your name, age, where you’re from, and your favorite academic subject. Let’s start over here.”

  “My name is Leila Gradis,” stated a slim red-head with blue eyes. “I’m sixteen, and I’m from the Fifth Region of Tararia. My favorite subject is applied astrophysics.”

  The next girl was shorter and had dark coloration. She appeared to be studying everyone. “I’m Elise Patera, seventeen. I’m from the planet Maerdan, and my favorite subject is interplanetary biology.”

  “Hi, I’m Nadeen Farilae, and I’m also seventeen-years-old. I grew up on Eridon II. My favorite subject is computational science.” She had brown eyes, fair skin and short, dark hair. Her voice quavered just the slightest measure as she spoke.

  What’s with all these subjects? Most of those things wouldn’t be offered until college. “My name is Saera Alexander, and I’m fifteen. I’m from Earth, and my favorite subject in school was math.” Saera could have sworn the other girls exchanged glances at the mention of Earth.

  “I’m Caryn Tharinaeu and I’m sixteen,” said the last girl. She had platinum blonde hair and light-blue eyes. “I grew up on Aeris, one of Tararia’s moons. My favorite subject is navigation.”

  Agent Katz smiled. “Please to meet all of you. I won’t tell you my age since I’m old enough that it’s no longer polite for anyone to ask, but I will say that I’ve been an Agent for almost twenty years and have trained two groups before you. I was raised on a merchant ship, so I don’t have a planetary home. My favorite subject was socioeconomics, but now I’m all about training bright young ladies like you to control things with your mind.” She tapped the side of her head with her index finger. “Do you have any questions for me?”

 

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