by Jason Kent
Robin double checked her read-outs. After a moment, she said, “He was alone. Sir, what do you want to do?” She turned to Bridges and gasped.
Ian looked up and saw the commander slouched to one side of his seat. Ian threw off his harness and was out of seat before either Ghost or Robin could move. Hs pulled himself to Bridges seat and checked for a pulse.
“Nothing!” Ian shouted. He started to undo Bridges’s harness, intending to try CPR. He stopped when he saw the small holes across the other man’s chest. Ian gently leaned the commander forward and checked his back and found there were larger exit wounds. “Crud.”
Ghost joined Ian and double-checked the commander’s pulse. He pulled his hand away covered with blood. The pilot leaned Bridges’ head to one side and discovered another serious wound on his neck.
Robin, unable to get closer due to the other two officers being in the way, asked, “Is he dead?”
Ghost and Ian looked at each other. Over his shoulder, Ghost simply said, “Yeah.”
Ghost gently let go of the commander’s head. It stayed upright since the ship was experiencing zero-gee again. The pilot sighed and wiped his hands on his flight suit. “What now, Commander?”
It took Ian a moment to realize Ghost was talking to him. He looked up to find Robin and the pilot staring at him. Ian knew this was no time to be indecisive.
“Robin, get us pointed to the next wormhole,” Ian said. “I don’t want to hang around here in case we have any more visitors. Ghost, help me get Bridges back in his quarters.”
Robin was staring at the dead Reaper commander.
“Byrd,” Ian said firmly.
The First Lieutenant blinked and stared at Ian.
“We’ll take care of him,” Ian said. “But we also really need to get moving.”
Robin pulled herself back into her chair and strapped in. After a few taps on the control board, she said, “Next jump’s close, only ten minutes.” She tapped for a few more seconds. “Engines reading green, no damage. I’ll keep the accelerator going at fifty percent and run it back up right before we jump.”
Ian nodded and reached to help Ghost pull the commander from his seat. Silently, they removed the body from the bridge.
When Ian came back, he found Robin had taken the time to clean up the command chair. She said, “Sorry, I’ll try and patch it up later.”
Ian looked from the command chair to his jump seat at the back of the bridge.
“Captain,” Robin said, “Don’t sweat it. Lieutenant Colonel Bridges would have wanted you to take it.”
Ian nodded and settled into the command seat.
Ghost squeezed past and settled into the pilot seat as Robin reported, “Transition in one minute.”
Ian looked up at the ceiling where the hull breach had sealed. They would have to take time to do a more thorough inspection when they were clear of this system.
“Transition in thirty seconds,” Robin said. “Accelerator at one hundred percent. Wormhole acquired.”
Ian closed his eyes only to find Bridges lifeless eyes staring back at him. Whatever they found at the end of this path, he hoped the commander’s sacrifice was worth it.
Star System 4576B
Far Space
Jennifer and Rider scrambled down the rocky slope paying little heed to the poor footing. Once on the shelf where they had been setting up their base camp, Jennifer ran ahead, and stopped at the water’s edge.
Debris continued to fall from the sky. Even with the smoke trails pointing the way, the spot where the two ships had crashed was unrecognizable from the rest of the white-crested wave-tossed ocean.
Jennifer turned slowly in disbelief. The airlock annex lay crumpled where it had tore away as the ship lifted off. The rest of the camp was in shambles. What the enemy had not shoot up, Lumpy had blasted with her thrusters.
Rider met her eyes. The geologist simply shook his head. He turned as something off to their side caught his attention.
Her nerves stretched to their breaking point, Jennifer reacted instinctively. She spun and assumed a defensive position. She dropped the sample bag she had managed to keep hold of and pulled the small pick from her belt.
Four human figures emerged from a shallow cave cut into the cliff further down the rocky shelf. Seeing Jennifer and Rider, they walked back to the camp, looking around the sky for more threats.
Like it would do any good, Jennifer thought. Encounter suits would not stop bullets. As the other survivors drew closer, Jennifer began to identify them.
Tom MacGregor turned to the ocean and stuck his hands on his hips. “What the heck was that?”
Quade Pierce stooped to pick up a piece of smoldering wreckage. Jennifer could not tell if it came from the human or alien ship. He simply shook his head and cursed softly.
Jennifer identified Kalil Mahir. She barely knew the young electronic specialist. As she watched, he sat heavily and dropped his hooded head into his hands.
Kalvin Mason looked around, dazed. “Well that certainly complicates things.”
Pierce snorted and threw the wreckage into the surf.
“Complicates things?!” MacGregor said and turned on Mason. “We’re dead! Don’t you get that? Dead!”
Kalvin held up his hands and started, “I only meant that…”
MacGregor waved in disgust at the Senior Researcher and stalked around in a circle, kicking broken pieces of smashed crates out of the way all the while issuing a string of bitter curses.
Jennifer stood her ground when MacGregor spotted her and stamped over to stand in front of her.
“Oh good,” MacGregor sneered. “Our little navigator survived. At least we’ll all know exactly where we are when we die on this rock.”
“Tom,” Mason said. “This is not the time to…”
MacGregor glared at the older man again then stalked off toward a group of crates scattered in disarray.
Mason stared after MacGregor for a moment before turning back to Jennifer. Leaning close, he asked. “What can we do now, Jennifer?”
Jennifer looked back at the older man and Rider standing nearby. Both looked vulnerable even in their environmental suits. She reached behind her head and unsnapped her hood. With a yank, she pulled the hood and faceplate off.
Mason sputtered and Rider rushed to her side.
Jennifer took her first breath of damp ocean air and met Mason’s wide eyes.
“Now, we survive.”
C-31R SOF Reconnaissance Spacecraft - “Reaper 16”
Far Space – Fourth Jump from Jupiter Space
“We’re quiet,” Ghost reported after they had exited the wormhole and checked the area for threats.
Ian nodded. He gazed at the forward view screen where a green-banded gas giant hung in the distance. Several bright orbs hung nearby – moons circling their mother planet.
“I’ve locked on to the next wormhole threshold in the deck,” Robin said. “We’re good to go as soon as nap time is over.”
“Still no contacts,” Ghost said after checking all the sensor inputs again.
“How long after our quiet time to the wormhole,” Ian asked.
Robin tapped her control board and looked back at Ian. “If we push it, we can make it in about two hours.
Ian thought for a moment before saying. “I want to double check all our systems and perform a hull inspection,” Ian said. “Let’s take our time and do it right. We can’t afford to lose our ride home this far out.”
Ghost nodded and unbuckled his harness. He looked from Robin to Ian then asked, “What about LtCol Bridges, sir?”
Ian rubbed his jaw, thinking. “I have to admit this situation is a little out of my league. Suggestions?”
Robin said, “We could take him back to Europa then come back out.”
“We’d lose too much time,” Ghost said with a shake of his head. “Who knows how much longer the other ship will stay on that planet.”
“You’re right,” Robin admitted with a sigh.
“Get the ship checked out,” Ian said after a moment, “and then we can give LtCol Bridges a proper space burial before we reach the next wormhole. At least as proper as we can manage.”
Ghost was nodding.
“He would approve,” Robin said. She shrugged off her harness.
Ghost and Robin bumped into each other trying to move off to check the rear compartments and lower deck. They both looked at their commander as Ian started unbuckling his harness.
Ghost spoke up, “Sir, Robin and I know this ship like the back of our hands. We can handle this.”
“Besides,” Robin said, blushing, “You can probably handle this thing as well as either of us.”
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for any unwanted guests,” Ian said, settling back into the commander seat. “I can run a system diagnostics from here.”
Ghost and Robin moved aft to their assigned duties.
Ian found the diagnostics programs with a little hunting and pecking through the ship’s file structure. The computer, once started and left to its own devices would run through a series of self-checks and cycle all the mechanical and electrical circuits in the myriad of systems throughout the Reaper. His part of the work done, Ian leaned back and gazed at the Jovian-type planet moving slowly underneath his spacecraft.
His spacecraft. This was not how Ian wanted to get a command. At least the other crew members were still dedicated to the mission despite the tragedy.
Four jumps down, twelve left. They still had a long way to go.
Ian’s thoughts drifted out into space. He looked harder at the swirling bands of the giant planet.
Jennifer had seen this exact same sight.
I’m coming, Jennifer, God willing, I’m coming.
Star System 4576B
Far Space
Jennifer peeled her wetsuit off one arm and then the other. She finally managed to shrug out of the skin-tight neoprene until the top half hung down about her waist. She sighed with relief as she settled onto the slab of rock next to the rest of her equipment. Looking out over the moon pool of the cavern, Jennifer ran over the highlights of her latest underwater session with the Soosuri. It had been rewarding – she had picked up a few more words for her ever-growing vocabulary. She and Sue had also managed to conduct a discussion on some abstract science topics, proving to Jennifer these creatures were indeed smarter than their humble surroundings revealed. But the time spent trying to communicate with the alien creatures had also been exhausting. Jennifer closed her eyes, wondering if this was what the rest of her days stranded on this watery world held for her.
First contact with the local Soouri had taken place right here in the moon pool of the cavern the humans now used as their base camp. Jennifer’s data pad and expanded database she had worked out while serving as navigator had proven more capable then Quade’s during their attempts to communicate. Quade had stalked off in disgust when Jennifer was finally able to exchange names with the Soo. The linguist had refused to help with any part of the Human-Soosuri interaction since then.
Jennifer smiled grimly at the thought of Quade’s impotence and insecurities. She had attempted to work with Quade during the trip out from Earth and he had blown her off. Even without his help, Jennifer had been able to explain how Humans lived on the land, or tano’, and confirmed the Soo spent all of their lives in the tasi, ocean, under the malinau napu, calm waves, of this world. As she recalled some of the dark looks she had caught Quade shooting at her over the past few days. Her smile faded.
“What’d the sushi have to say?”
Jennifer managed not to jump at the sound of the voice behind her. Gritting her teeth, she took a moment to compose herself before turning to face the speaker, Thomas MacGregor, the team biologist and agitator within the small group of survivors.
A halu’o, shark, if ever a human was worthy of the title, Jennifer thought.
“Soosuri, Tom,” Jennifer said calmly. “They call themselves Soosuri and I would prefer if you would have the courtesy to do the same.”
“Prefer?” Tom snorted. “I don’t really care what you or the little squidysushi-things call themselves.”
Jennifer should have realized the physical appearance of the Soosuri would inevitably lead to the nickname. Tom had immediately started using the slang term after seeing the creatures for himself.
Jennifer glared at Tom, irritated both by the complete collapse of any professional demeanor since they had been stranded and the leer on his face. Trying to ignore him, Jennifer turned to the task of checking the rebreather in the pack at her side. “You’re impossible, you know that, Tom?”
“Sure,” MacGregor said. “I just want to know if they finally suggested a way to get off this rock.”
Looking up, ready to sling a retort his way, Jennifer caught his gaze lingering on her body and felt her heart rise into her throat. She clenched her jaws and forced herself to maintain a stern expression of disgust on her face. Show no fear, she thought. Even the Soosuri had the same advice when facing predators. True on the tasi, true on tano’ – what works in the ocean will hopefully work on the land.
MacGregor’s hungry eyes left Jennifer’s face and roved up and down her body, lingering on the sleeveless bodysuit clinging to her chest, still wet from her time in the water with the Soosuri.
Jennifer stood, hands on hips, and said, “No, Tom, they did not.” She let her eyes rove over his rumpled body suit, keeping her eyes locked on his crotch for a moment before meeting his eyes again. “If they had, you can be sure I would have shoved you aboard the first available ship and launched the thing myself.”
Tom’s cheeks reddened. He took a step forward and grabbed her arm. “What’d you do, spend the whole worthless day learning to say ‘pain-in-the-ass’?”
With reflexes honed by years of tae-kwon-do training, Jennifer drove the palm of her hand into Tom’s chest while twisting her other arm free. Before Tom could stagger back even a single step, Jennifer swept his feet out from under him with her left foot, causing him to fall flat on his back. She pinned the larger man to the ground with the heel of her right foot pressing against his windpipe.
“Touch me again and I’ll teach you the word for ‘asphyxiation’,” Jennifer said.
“What’s this?”
Jennifer did not look up at Rider Thuros’ question. She pressed harder against Tom’s throat then stepped back out of his reach. “Just discussing linguistics, Thuros.”
Tom stood up, his smoldering gaze never leaving Jennifer’s face. Rubbing his throat, he said, “Watch yourself around this one, Rider.”
Jennifer snorted and pointedly turned her back on MacGregor; an attempt to show she did not consider him a serious threat and also dismissing him with one movement. She heard Tom stomp off. Still, she did not relax, worried a slight slump in her shoulders or a drop of her head even a millimeter would be taken as a sign of weakness and offer Tom an incentive to re-engage in his verbal assault.
“Well, that’s odd,” Thuros muttered.
Turning, Jennifer took in the stocky geologist. She smiled and wondered how a man as smart as Rider could be so completely clueless when it came to dealing with people. Jennifer stepped over to him and squeezed his arm.
“I don’t know why he’s so upset with you,” Thuros was saying. “If it’s anybody’s fault we’re stuck here, it was Captain Merck, and there isn’t much point in arguing with a dead man.” He sighed. “Anyway, Tom will be all right once he cools off a bit.”
Jennifer looked beyond Thuros to where Tom was speaking in low tones with Quade Pierce near the back of the cavern. Yeah, right, she said to herself.
By way of changing the topic, Thuros held up a data pad. “You won’t believe what I found in the south tunnel!” He launched into a one-sided discussion about sedimentation patterns, crystalline structures, and ore potentials. After a cursory look at the information on the data pad, Jennifer bent to gather her equipment.
Thuros, happy to have a will
ing ear, did not notice as Jennifer retreated into her own musings as she peeled off the rest of the dive suit. The body suit she wore under the wetsuit was skin tight and unfortunately, the only piece of clothing she had available to wear when outside of the water. It would dry out quickly enough and, as it covered her legs down to her ankles, was reasonably warm in the constant environment of the cave.
The suit also left nothing to the imagination. She thought back to MacGregor’s hungry look and wondered if the rules and restraints of civilization were so superficial they could fade after only a matter of days. Of course, the man seemed to be on the edge of restraint as it was. What would it really take for him to simply cross over the final line? Would Tom’s next move be more than simply grabbing her arm?
The thought of one of her colleagues attacking her gave Jennifer pause. Here was something which had never seriously concerned her. Jennifer had not been worried about her personal safety back on Earth in the cities where she had lived. Even during the difficult and dark days following the initial enemy attack when panic had taken over. Now, stranded on a distant world, her own crew mates were more threatening than the alien creatures she spent her days trying to understand.
“Well, I just hope you can find some time to come see these mineral veins for yourself,” Thuros said, holding a picture of a glittering rock wall up for Jennifer to examine.
Snapping out of her disturbing inner thoughts, Jennifer turned her attention to the images on the data pad. “Of course, Rider, I’d love to see them. But, I’m really tired…”
“Of course!” Thuros said. “I didn’t mean right now! You’ve had a full day getting to know these fascinating creatures a little better.” He leaned in close and whispered, “I just wish our real linguist showed as much enthusiasm as you.” He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head away from the pool where Tom and Quade were still deep in an animated, if muted, discussion.
“Me too, Rider,” Jennifer said. “I could use the help.”
“You’re doing fine,” Thuros said, squeezing her arm. “Just keep it up.” He turned and hurried back to the corner of the cave where he had set up shop. The area was littered with rock samples and the few tools he had managed to salvage.