The rotated bringing the head of the bed up and forward slowly. Charlotte watched her husband's face and his medical monitors carefully for any sign of discomfort or pain. She stopped with the bed at a 30 degree angle. "How's that feel? Are you feeling any pain?"
Rivers smiled then answered, "No. It's great! Could we go up a bit more, please?" Charlotte nodded and pressed the switch. The bed tilted up a few degrees more. "There! That's good enough for now," said Rivers. "Hey, this is so much better this way! I can see something other than just the ceiling!"
Charlotte asked the nurse to check the captain's vitals while she ordered trays of food sent in. When an orderly brought the trays in, Charlotte moved a rolling table over to James' bed and adjusted its height before positioning it in front of him. The orderly set the trays down and excused himself. The nurse finished annotating James' vitals on a tablet computer and left as well. Charlotte pulled a privacy curtain around her husband's sick bed then pulled a chair over to James' left and sat down to eat dinner with him.
Once their meal was over, Charlotte checked her husband's condition once more then excused herself to check on her other patients. "Don't overdo it, Dr. Rivers!" James teased. Charlotte stuck out her tongue then winked at him in response.
Nurses came by with regularity to check on the captain and see if he needed anything. The one thing he needed, they couldn't provide; but his command implant could and did. It provided a running update on repairs to the ship and allowed communications with his senior officers...O'Reilly and Bradley, in particular. O'Reilly assured Rivers that the ship was stable and that repairs were going well. Bradley reported his personnel were continuing to work closely with Pat Deckard's engineers to find out what had caused the ship to drop out of FTL flight and who may have been behind it. So far, they had found nothing.
Charlotte returned later that evening to check on her husband again. While she checked his vitals, an orderly removed the chair from the room and replaced it with a wheeled recliner. When James raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, Charlotte assured him that she planned to sleep with her husband even if they couldn't share a bed at the moment.
Chapter 12
Ship's Log
Terran Colonial Vessel Conestoga
Earthdate: December 1, 2219
Captain James B. Rivers, Commanding
Day: 70
What a difference a few days, a good doctor, and some nanoscopic surgical robots can make. My back is repaired! Dr. Rivers insists I wear the back brace for a week or so as I go through physical therapy and evaluation but I am back on duty...well, light duty, actually.
The Connie's FTL drive is almost operational as well. Our IT and FTL drive personnel have been performing a series of modifications on the FTL Drive System computers to prevent someone from hacking them again. Our power flow programs have been re-installed from back-ups and we're running a series of diagnostics before attempting a short FTL test run.
Commander Bradley and his security personnel are still reviewing the security tapes for the secure areas from pre-launch through the past few hours. Bradley has personally spoken with each of our FTL personnel. No luck!
Most of our injured personnel have returned to light duty. Commander Deckard has worked multiple shifts with his personnel to get the Connie back into flying form. Dr. Rivers is contemplating putting him on the sick list and knocking him out for 24-hours so he can gets some rest.
Speaking of Pat Deckard, he plans to put Lieutenant Commander Steve Ashley and the rest of the Engineering crew in for commendations and medals for their dedication and hard work. Other department heads are planning on doing the same for their people. I plan to put my whole damn crew in for commendations and medals for their dedication and hard work these past few days in getting our ship put back together! What a crew!
Captain Rivers was working from his private office off of his quarters while awaiting his return to full duty status. Rivers shifted in his chair trying to get comfortable. The back brace was uncomfortable and the physical therapy sessions were more so! More than once, Rivers referred to pthe hysical therapists as "a buncha modern-day Torquemadas"! Whenever he did that, Charlotte Rivers would cluck her tongue at him and remind him to be polite to her personnel...or his tour of light duty would be extended!
Commanders O'Reilly, Bradley, and Deckard were seated across the desk from the captain. They had kept him up to date on the Conestoga's status neuroelectronically during his stay in the Med Center but now that he was back to work, they wished to brief him in person. Rivers finally found a semi-comfortable position, leaning forward with his elbows on his desk and his chin resting on his intertwined fingers as he listened to their reports. Once all three had finished speaking, Rivers slowly leaned back in his chair trying to avoid any twinges in his lower back. The brace helped, of course, but still allowed a little movement which could be painful despite the pain medications he was taking.
"Okay, you all have things under control! I think I'll just stay here and let my aching back heal. Feel free to drop by when you can," said Rivers facetiously, a grin spreading across his face. "Seriously, I expect to be back on full duty status soon...unless Charlotte decides to stick me into a full body cast first. Just keep sending me your reports. You know how much I love reports!"
Rivers' three senior officers stifled grins of their own. They knew the pain their captain was in and that he should have remained in a bed in the Med Center for a while later. Sensing that it was time to leave, O'Reilly rose first.
"Skipper," she said, "I'll be in touch. We're getting our ship put back together so we should be able to return to FTL soon. It's just gonna take a few days. In the meantime, we'll plow on at sublight and recalibrate our astrometric sensors. You just take it easy and get feeling better." She touched his shoulder lightly with her fingertips as she walked past him toward the doorway. Deckard and Bradley followed, each shaking the captain's hand carefully as they passed him.
Rivers relaxed and sank back deeper into his chair. He let the pain he'd been hiding from his face show. He took several slow, deep breathes, letting each exhalation release some of the tension he felt. He knew that his command implant was currently monitoring his medical condition and sending its telemetry to the Med Center and his wife. If Charlotte starts to think that I'm overdoing it, she WILL put me in that body cast! he thought. And back in the Med Center for a while!
Getting his pain under control for the moment, Rivers rose slowly to his feet and left his office to walk the short distance into the private quarters he shared with his wife. He got a glass of water from the faucet in the bathroom and used it to wash down another pain pill. He paused for a moment to keep his balance then walked over to the bed and laid down upon it. Within a few minutes, he was snoring softly. That was how Charlotte Rivers found him an hour later when she stopped at their quarters to check in on him. She put a thin comforter over him and left him to rest.
**********
Down in Main Engineering, Commander Deckard met with his senior FTL personnel. "Okay, we're going to run this simulation again," he told them.
"Ah, Pat, c'mon! We've run it seven times already today!" said Steve Ashley.
"And, it's come back fine exactly three of those times, Steve! Let's run it two more times and if it goes perfectly each of those times, then I'll sign off that we're ready," said Deckard. He knew his personnel didn't really want to try any short cuts. They were just exhausted from hour after hour of repair operations, loading the complex FTL power programs into the computer, and running multiple simulations to ensure the programs were operating correctly. Coffee, tea, and sodas may be caffeinated but they were no replacement for several hours of sleep.
Ashley and the others nodded. "You're right, Pat! Let's do it!" said Ashley. The Engineers contacted their personnel and told them to prepare for another simulation.
**********
Deckard reported to the bridge later that day to personally brief the ship's Executive Officer on t
he results of the FTL simulation. "Commander, we ran the simulations twelve times! We were well within established tolerances during each sim run. I'd say the re-installation of the FTL drive's power system software has been successful. Of course, we're going to need to run a couple of actual short duration FTL test runs before I'd sign off on going into FTL for the long haul to Camadin!"
"That's great news, Pat!" O'Reilly replied. She rewarded Deckard with a tired smile. She could see the strain of many long, sleepless hours on the man's face; no doubt he saw the same thing showed on her face. "I recommend you and your crew get some rest before we make those test runs. You folks have been busting your humps ever since the event. The Connie is safe, secure, and operational for the time being."
Deckard nodded wearily. "That's an excellent idea, Meaghan. I'd like my people to be at their best while we make those test runs. I recommend we schedule them for day after tomorrow, if that's okay with you and the Skipper. I've set up a rotation to allow those who have gone the longest without sleep to get some. The rest of the staff will rotate through short watches and catch some rest when they can."
O'Reilly responded, "Excellent idea, Pat! That's what we'll do. Anything else to report?"
"The structural repairs should be finished by tomorrow. And the rest of the ship's systems are in the green," Deckard added. He paused, then continued, "Well...we're still getting those wonky power usage irregularities from the stasis pod compartments. Almost as if a number of empty pods in other compartments are being activated at random for short periods of time while others are turned off. The pod techs verify that everyone's accounted for and can find no evidence of tampering with the units. It may just be a glitch in the software." Deckard yawned then looked sheepishly at the executive officer.
"Go get some sleep, Pat! You've earned it. Go!" said O'Reilly as she took him by the shoulder and turned him gently towards the elevator. Deckard nodded his head and waved a hand in acceptance as he walked towards the elevator doors.
Chapter 13
Ship's Log
Terran Colonial Vessel Conestoga
Earthdate: December 4, 2219
Executive Officer Meaghan O'Reilly in Temporary Command
Day: 73
We postponed the short duration FTL flight tests until today based on Commander Deckard's latest recommendations and a request from Captain Rivers. Deckard asked to give his personnel additional time to finalize some repairs and to get some much needed rest.
Based on Dr. Rivers report, the captain should be able to return to the bridge today. The Connie's captain should be on duty when his ship gets to stretch her legs once more. While it has been exciting and fun to be in temporary command, the crew and I are eager for Captain Rivers to return to his post on the bridge!
James moved stiffly as he pulled on his uniform trousers. His back was much better but Charlotte wanted him to take it easy for a few more days. She came over to help him don the back brace then his tunic. Once they were both ready for work, they paused to look around their upgraded quarters.
"Are you going ahead with the FTL drive tests today?" she asked.
"Yep!" responded James cheerfully. "Pat and his FTL team say we're ready to give it a whirl."
"Well, be careful," said Charlotte.
He stepped over to his wife and gathered her in his arms. "We will. I love you, Honey! You have a great day!"
Charlotte returned his hug carefully then kissed him. "You too, James! And be careful of your back!" They stepped through their 'front door' and into the corridor beyond. After another quick kiss, they set off in different directions.
**********
"Bridge...Engineering!" came Commander Pat Deckard's voice from the speakers on the bridge.
"Go Engineering!"
"Captain, FTL drive system shows green across the board."
Rivers looked over to XO O'Reilly and Chief Pilot Polewytewa. Both nodded, signifying that their instruments read the same as Engineering's. Rivers signaled Communications Officer Bynes to activate the ship wide intercom. "Attention, all personnel. This is Captain Rivers. Engineering reports our FTL drive has been restored and we are ready to commence testing the system. We will attempt a short 10-minute FTL run momentarily. Please standby." Rivers signaled Bynes to cut the intercom and turned to Commander O'Reilly.
"XO, run the checklist!"
Meaghan O'Reilly rose from her chair. "Aye, Captain. Commencing FTL drive checklist." In a cool, calm voice the executive officer called each section for FTL Go/No Go status. Each section answered Go when their turn came.
"Captain, the Conestoga is ready for FTL insertion," the XO reported.
"Roger that," said Rivers. He punched the intercom button again, "Attention, all personnel. FTL insertion in 30 seconds...mark!"
The bridge crew of the TCV Conestoga went to work. As the countdown reached zero, Lieutenant Commander Polewytewa engaged the drive and the Conestoga leaped into FTL effortlessly. On the bridge and in Engineering, dozens of sets of eyes monitored the FTL Drive System and its subsystems. Computer technicians carefully monitored the FTL power system program and its operation. All too soon, ten minutes had passed and the Captain ordered the Conestoga to drop back into normal space for a review of the test flight data.
Over the next two hours, bridge, Engineering, and Computer personnel dissected and discussed the data derived from the test flight. Once finished, they presented their findings to the Captain and Executive Officer...the Conestoga's FTL drive had performed perfectly! Rivers and O'Reilly spoke to one another for several minutes then announced another, longer, test run.
The second test flight lasted exactly one hour during which time the Conestoga FLT drive again performed perfectly. Back at sublight speed, the crew spent the next few hours analyzing the data. When the results were in, the crew's cheers and smiling faces told Rivers how well it had gone...another flawless FTL flight. Captain Rivers contacted all of his senior officers via command implant and held a quick conference. When asked, each answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!" to resume their flight to Camadin under FLT drive. The captain thanked them and signed off.
Rivers had Bynes punch up the intercom once more. "Attention, all personnel. This is the Captain. Our tests of the FTL drive have been completed and were successful. The TCV Conestoga will return to FTL tomorrow morning at 0930 hours. All personnel be prepared for FTL insertion at that time. Captain out!" A cheer went up across the bridge and throughout Engineering and the Computer center. Those passengers who were eager to get to Camadin cheered as well.
However, a few isolated people aboard the Conestoga did not join in the cheering!
**********
James and Charlotte Rivers held a small celebration in the Captain's Mess for the senior officers that evening. Quiet music played through hidden speakers, a smorgasbord was laid out along one wall, and the Mess Officer had drawn a few chilled bottles of her best wine from the ship's 'wine cellar'. Once everyone was seated, the captain rose slowly from his chair and lifted his wine glass high.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank each of you, and in turn ask each of your to thank your personnel, for saving our ship and our lives," Rivers began. "Because of you and your personnel, the Conestoga shall fly in FTL once more! So please raise your glasses to toast the finest crew any captain could hope to command...to the crew of the TCV Conestoga!"
The officers rose from their seats and raised their glasses. "To the crew!" they said in unison. The captain sat down but his officers remained standing. They looked to Commander O'Reilly who raised her glass once more. "To the best captain in the whole Terran Colonial Fleet, Captain James B. Rivers!"
The officers repeated the toast with some adding, "Here, here!" James rose once more to accept the toast. "Thank you! Thank you all. Now, please, let's sit down and eat before we find ourselves getting maudlin!"
Everyone took their seats and began to eat. As always, the quiet conversation and good humor made the pleasant evening pass all
too quickly. At 2130 hours, Captain Rivers tapped his water glass with a spoon to get everyone's. "Folks, I really hate to break up this little get-together, but we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow...and I for one need some rest. So, let's call it an evening, shall we? Charlotte and I thank you all for joining us tonight and we will see you all in the morning."
Dr. Charlotte Rivers could tell by her husband's voice that his back was bothering him and that he needed his rest if he was to be on the bridge when his ship re-entered FTL travel for the final leg of the voyage to Camadin. She helped James rise from his chair and the two of them prepared to leave.
LTCDR Ainsley Truscott stepped into the Captain's Mess and asked the captain and his guests if their meal had been satisfactory. Captain Rivers assured her that it had indeed and asked that she accept his thanks for a job well done. The other officers expressed their thanks as well. Truscott graciously accepted their compliments and promised to share them with her staff. With that James, Charlotte, and the other senior officers said their goodnights and left the Captain's Mess.
Chapter 14
Ship's Log
Terran Colonial Vessel Conestoga
Earthdate: December 22, 2219
Captain James B. Rivers, Commanding
Day: 91
The Conestoga and her crew and colonists have been traveling safely at faster-than-light speeds for the 18 days. The ship and her systems are performing perfectly!
Still, I worry about further sabotage attempts. Commander Bradley and Dr. Schmidt have done extensive research on the Earth Only Movement, its founders, its agenda, and its recent activity on Earth. But, as previously mentioned, their research has been limited to the data available in our ship's library records. Commanders O'Reilly and Bradley have also completed a very thorough review of the personnel records of the colonists and crew members. We've chased leads, clues, and suppositions ad nauseum and haven't been able to put it all together to identify our culprits.
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