Exiles (The Progenitor Trilogy, Book One)

by Dan Worth

  Ramirez sighed. He respected his friend’s knowledge of current affairs, but some things needed to be suppressed aboard ship, like it or not.

  ‘Baljit, look. This whole situation is turning into a shitty mess, but for god’s sake don’t discuss it with the enlisted men will you? Morale isn’t great at the moment, in fact it would probably improve if we actually saw some action, everyone’s pretty jumpy so can you keep all this to yourself?’

  ‘Sure, sorry Al.’

  ‘No problem, but you can talk to me if you have any concerns. That’s me as a friend not just as your superior officer okay?’

  ‘Okay, thanks.’

  ‘Like I said, Michelle will see us through this.’

  Singh gave him an odd look, as though he were scrutinising him. ‘Michelle? You just referred to the Captain by her first name.’

  ‘Shit, a slight breach of protocol, I’m getting careless. I’ve been spending so much time working alone with her on the crew training schedules of late… you know how it is.’

  Singh looked uneasy. ‘Yeah, look ah… that’s what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about?’

  ‘Talk to me about, what do you mean?’

  ‘Sort of a man to man chat, as it were. Not here.’

  Ramirez’s mind started racing. Christ, was his friend hinting at the fact that he knew about him and Michelle? If so, who else knew? This was all he needed.

  ‘Well, it’s half an hour before we have to be on the bridge. What do you say we finish our breakfasts then you can tell me in private before we go on duty?’

  Singh nodded in agreement.

  Some moment later, they headed back to Ramirez’s cabin, and with the door firmly locked, they continued their discussion.

  ‘So, Baljit. What was this “man to man chat” you wanted to have with me?’

  ‘Look Al, mate, this isn’t easy for me to ask you. I mean, it’s really none of my business like but…’ Singh scratched his neatly trimmed beard nervously and avoided Ramirez’s gaze.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Are you and the Captain, you know?’

  ‘Are we what?’

  ‘Like, carrying on in secret or something?’

  ‘What!? Come on, who’d you hear that from? This isn’t some rumour you heard down on the engineering deck is it?’

  ‘Hey look, mate, don’t shoot the messenger. No I heard it from Goldstein, she swears that she saw you two together outside the Captain’s quarters and you looked like you were about to kiss her or something, but you stopped when you saw her coming. She told me when we were off duty, on shore leave at New Colorado’

  ‘Well I hope you told Goldstein to forget it and not to go spreading rumours.’

  ‘Yeah, I did. But after that, well I’ve watched you two together and you do behave like a couple at times.’

  ‘We do?’

  ‘It’s all in the body language. You two keep giving each other little glances for a start.’

  ‘Oh fuck!’ Ramirez threw himself down on the cabin’s small sofa.

  ‘So it’s true then?’ A broad grin spread across Singh’s face.

  ‘For the love of… look, can I trust you to keep this to yourself?’

  ‘Of course.’ Singh snorted a laugh... ‘You sly bastard! First that Ensign in the shuttle, now this? You’re not fit to be let loose! If I were female I’d be in serious danger now, yeah? What was it? Do you get some sort of perverse kick out of banging the Captain?’

  ‘Look, it’s not like that okay? Michelle and I got close, became friends you know… and… well it sort of just happened.’

  ‘It did, did it? When?’

  ‘Shore leave on Elysium.’

  ‘No wonder she looked so refreshed when she came back to the ship,’ he said and wiggled his eyebrows.

  ‘Fuck, I swear you have to keep this to yourself. You know what would happen it became common knowledge. It’d finish both of us. She could even lose her command. I can trust you can’t I?’ He looked imploringly at Singh, who nodded earnestly.

  ‘Al, honest, I won’t tell a soul.’

  ‘Does anyone else know? Or even suspect?’

  ‘I don’t think so, not that I know of. But shit, you need to be more careful you know? It’s only slightly fucking risky what you two are up to.’

  ‘I thought we had been careful.’

  The two men said nothing for a moment. Ramirez appeared to be staring at nothing in particular on the opposite wall. Singh broke the silence.

  ‘So, are you two going to carry on or what?’

  ‘Probably, this isn’t just a bit of fun you know.’

  ‘What, you’re in love with her?’

  ‘Dunno, sort of. I think so.’

  ‘Shit, you like the dominant type then?’

  ‘She has hidden depths. I know that’s maybe hard to believe.’

  ‘Hidden? You don’t say. She’s a bloody good Captain mind you, but not my type, too straight laced. But y’know, each to his own eh?’

  ‘Yeah. Look, thanks for this. I also appreciate that you kept it to yourself.’

  ‘No worries mate.’

  ‘Let me know if you hear anyone else discussing it won’t you?’

  ‘Certainly… hey look at the time. We should get on duty. It wouldn’t do to be late would it?’

  Ramirez and Singh arrived on the bridge together, a couple of minutes late. Chen was already seated at her command position. She made an exaggerated gesture with her watch.

  ‘Good morning gentlemen,’ she said. ‘So glad you could take the time to join us, having a leisurely breakfast were we?’

  ‘My apologies Captain,’ said Ramirez. ‘It was entirely my fault, I wanted to ask the Lieutenant some questions about the sensors, I guess I lost track of the time.’

  Chen seemed amused. ‘Alright, alright you’re both forgiven. Just make sure you’re here on time in future. Now take your stations.’

  Ramirez did so, taking his place at Chen’s side he looked over her as he attached his HUD monocle, she flashed him a quick smile. ‘Christ!’ he thought. ‘Baljit was right about the body language, we have gotten careless.’

  ‘Is something troubling you Commander?’ Chen looked concerned.

  ‘No, no not at all. There is something I’d like to discuss with you later though?’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Yes, it’s a matter of some delicacy. I’d like to discuss it in private if that’s alright?’

  ‘Of course, after we’ve got underway.’

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  Ramirez looked at the view from the bridge. The grey-green orb of the agricultural moon Wichita filled much of the view. Its parent gas-giant, Topeka, peeked out from behind as a sliver of dull orange. The two planetary bodies were located in the Kansas system; an economic satellite to the mining colonies centred in and around Klondike and which had been settled at much the same time. The surfaces of several suitable planets and moons in the system had been terraformed, albeit rather crudely, in order to transform Kansas into one giant breadbasket to feed the hungry miners and their families.

  The HUD monocle overlaid a pattern of sensor data into Ramirez’s field of vision. A constellation of icons denoted the position of the fifty-strong convoy currently rising from the low orbital transfer stations to meet the Mark Antony. The ships were due to make a run to Ulundi, one of the less well policed systems nearby rather than the safer trip to Klondike and they had requested a naval escort. The slow moving freighters would prove a tempting a target to the criminal organisations in the system who seemed to be banding together of late. They had already hit two similar convoys in the past month and had threatened a number of other trading companies that operated within Ulundi and demanded protection money. There was some speculation by Naval Intelligence that the cartel responsible could be attempting to control the trade routes within the system along their own terms. It was time for the Navy to step in.

  Ramirez watched as Chen made contact with the nominal leader o
f the freighter fleet; his image appeared to hang at the front of the bridge. Captain Favreaux was surprisingly young man to be holding such a position. The beads of sweat visible on his dark skin hinted at malfunctioning environmental controls aboard his vessel.

  Chen explained her strategy to him: ‘Captain Favreaux, I’m sure you’re aware that as well as providing you with safe escort to your destination we also intend to draw out the criminals responsible for attacks on shipping within the system and, shall we say, dissuade them from continuing with this behaviour in the future.’

  Favreaux looked worried. ‘You wish to use our ships as bait? I’m not entirely happy with that Captain Chen, if I may say so.’

  Chen sought to calm his fears. ‘Captain please, you shouldn’t worry. This ship carries upgraded armaments that can put up a sphere of defensive fire of ample strength and range to protect your vessels. That, coupled with the smaller weapons mounted on your ships will ensure your safety.’

  ‘If you say so, Captain Chen. Your reputation precedes you, so we’ll have to trust your judgement.’

  ‘Thank you Captain.’

  ‘If I might ask though, how do you intend to lure these pirates to attack your ship? They may be criminals, but I doubt that they’re suicidal.’

  ‘A point well made Captain,’ Chen replied. ‘My intention is that your ships should arrange themselves in a tight spherical formation about my ship, thus disguising our engine signature to some extent. If our adversaries take the bait, your ships should spread out into a larger sphere, allowing our gunners clearer fields of fire. We’ll take down or disable any hostile vessels we encounter and maybe capture a few eh? I doubt they possess enough resources to take on a destroyer.’

  ‘Now I like the sound of that!’ said Favreaux, grinning broadly and nodding. ‘Very well Mark Antony, we’ll form up with you as requested then we’ll get underway, Favreaux out.’ His image disappeared from Ramirez’s view. As he watched, the ungainly looking grain freighters began to cluster around the warship in a tight ball.

  Chen turned to Ramirez and spoke. ‘Commander, what do you think of my plan?’

  He hesitated. ‘It’s bold Captain. You are confident we can cover all of the freighters?’

  ‘We won’t need to Commander. This convoy is too large to take on all in one go. We’ll only need to cover one or two, perhaps none. My guess is that when we reveal ourselves we’ll either become the prime target or else they’ll attempt to flee and we can shoot them as they run.’

  Ramirez nodded. ‘I see. What intelligence do we have on the composition of the pirate fleet?’

  ‘Reports indicated largely modified transports and freighters, some outdated fighters too. We think that they might have a larger vessel acting as a carrier or mobile base. Apparently the pirates themselves are beings from a variety of species, humans included.’

  ‘And their tactics?’

  ‘Ulundi has an unusually high concentration of asteroids that orbit in two belts at three and five AUs out from the star. The vessels that were attacked reported some sort of jump drive inhibitor field that cut their engines as they passed through, that’s when they were attacked.’

  ‘Drive inhibitors huh? That’s unusual, considering how much they cost.’

  ‘Quite. I suppose they must have found or stolen them from someone.’

  Goldstein spoke. ‘Captain, the freighters have formed up with us as you requested, they have slaved their navigational computers to ours and are go for the jump to Ulundi.’

  ‘Very well. Lieutenant O’Rourke, plot a course to Cetawayo Platform around the planet Natal.’

  ‘Course plotted. Time to destination at the freighters’ maximum speed is thirteen hours and fifteen minutes.’

  ‘Time to the outer asteroid belt?’

  ‘Thirteen hours and twelve minutes.’

  ‘Very good. Helm, re-orientate the ship along our new heading and engage the drive.’

  ‘Aye, Captain.’

  Ramirez could sense the ship turn beneath him as it and its surrounding shell of cargo vessels turned slowly as one to face the bright point that was the Ulundi system. The green and orange orbs of Wichita and Topeka swung slowly out of view to be replaced by a densely populated star field threaded with delicate pink nebular strands. This in turn, twisted eye-achingly and vanished from his view as the ships jumped.

  Chen looked at Ramirez. ‘Now Commander, you wanted to have a private discussion?’

  ‘Yes, Captain.’

  ‘Fine, shall we step into my office? Lieutenant Singh, you have the bridge for the moment. Please make sure Commander Davis is fully aware of my intentions, I want the weapons and shields on line before we enter the Ulundi system.’

  Chen’s ready room was surprisingly cluttered. Her desk was strewn with reports and notes and discarded data-pads. Ramirez saw a few hastily scribbled tactical ideas at the top of a sheaf of paper notes. Chen entered the room behind him and shut the door behind them both. She perched herself on the edge of her desk with her arms folded.

  ‘So Al, what was it you wanted to talk about?

  Ramirez bit his lip whilst he tried to compose a suitable opener. Finally he spoke. ‘Actually Michelle, it’s about us.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Apparently we haven’t been as careful in keeping our relationship as secret as we thought we had. Lieutenant Singh came to me today and told me about his suspicions, that he’d heard rumours from another member of the crew.’

  Chen fiddled with the hair at the nape of her neck, her eyes fixed on a point on the floor. ‘So what did he say?’ she asked with some trepidation.

  ‘Well basically, Goldstein mentioned to him that she thought she’d seen us together. Singh told her to forget it, but he came to me as a friend to tell me what he’d heard. He also says that we behave like a couple in public sometimes, we might not be saying anything but our body language is.’

  ‘No-one else knows?’

  ‘Not that I know of, but who knows? If we make it that obvious in public…’

  ‘And it would be just the sort of thing the crew would gossip about isn’t it?’

  ‘Well quite, and we have genuinely spent a great deal of time alone working together, aside from the other occasions.’ Ramirez went over to her and held her by the shoulders. Chen looked up at him.

  ‘Al, have we been monumentally stupid in carrying on like this?’ she said.

  ‘Possibly. But in all honesty do you really care anymore?’

  ‘I… I don’t know. I used to, once. My career meant everything to me, it still means a lot, but to be honest right now I just want to survive.’

  ‘And what about us, Michelle? How does our relationship fit into all this? If it becomes common knowledge we’ll both be up on a charge and we know it.’

  ‘I need you Al. Right now I need you, and if we’re to survive I need something to fight for besides myself and my own ambitions. Screw the regulations, they can’t stop me from feeling the way I do about you,’ she stared at him, her eyes blazed defiantly. ‘Al I think I’ve fallen in love with you.’

  Ramirez took her face in his hands and kissed her.

  The air on the bridge was tense but businesslike as the time until the Mark Antony and her convoy entered the Ulundi system counted down. The bridge HUD overlaid a schematic diagram of the system in real space over the pitch black view of hyperspace outside. The star was shown as a yellow dot ringed by the green orbital tracks of its planets. Two concentric bands of dots that increased in density towards the ecliptic marked the presence of the asteroid fields. The Mark Antony’s path would cause it to follow the principal trade lane and skirt the densest and most hazardous zone taking it in a gentle loop over the ecliptic and down to Natal.

  Asteroid fields did not usually present much of a hazard to jumping ships, since their progress through hyperspace allowed them to literally pass through the asteroids. Larger bodies presented a problem due to the fact that the larger gravity wells of planets and st
ars also made their presence felt in hyperspace, with potentially lethal consequences. However, the belts around Ulundi and the unusual density of distribution and size of the asteroids created an effect akin to severe turbulence for ships in mid-jump, a potentially hazardous phenomenon for ships in close formation.

  Ramirez had his mind on other things however. He was virtually oblivious to the activity of the bridge that went on around him as he pondered Chen’s words half a day earlier: that she loved him and needed him and would continue to do so despite everything and the pressures of their clandestine relationship. He had confessed on the spot that he felt the same way toward her.

  He was overwhelmed, though Chen herself seemed to be as calm and as focused as usual. Ramirez chided himself for not keeping his mind on the job at hand, and wondered how she maintained such a cool exterior. He tried to focus on his work and requested status reports from all stations. They were approaching the outermost asteroid belt.

  Chen addressed him: ‘Commander, report.’

  ‘All stations report ready status Captain. Shields are active, operating at one hundred percent. All weapon systems on-line.’

  ‘Very good. I wonder if we’ll need to use them?’

  There was tense silence as the convoy crossed the field boundary, Ramirez looked about the bridge. The crew looked tense but ready. So far, nothing. Then the deck started to vibrate slightly. Goldstein seemed to notice it first.

  ‘Captain, you feel that? What on earth?’

  The ship lurched violently. Chen stabbed at her comm.

  ‘Engineering, report!’

  The reply came back quickly. ‘Captain, something appears to be interfering with the integrity of the hyperspace envelope… damn it, it just collapsed completely!’

  Outside, the view of normal space twisted back suddenly and the ship juddered violently. Too late, Chen saw the huge cluster of asteroids that had been manoeuvred into the shipping lane, huge craggy rocks that loomed in the blackness. She acted fast.