Starborn Odyssey (The Starborn Odyssey Trilogy Book 1)

by Haines Sigurdsson

  “You should go and get some real sleep.” I suggested. “You look very tired.”

  “I couldn’t sleep if I left you here right now,” she objected. “I’ll sleep a little right here where I can take care of the man I love.”

  I didn’t waste my breath trying to talk her out of staying; besides, it was comforting having her there.

  In the morning my Mother, Angie, and Ira came in to see if I was doing alright. I didn’t know mom had been in twice during the night, but I’d been asleep and so had Meeza. “I didn’t stay since I could see that you were in caring hands,” she said with a smile toward Meeza. “Captain Clarke is coming by to see you in a couple of hours. I was supposed to let you know.”

  Of course; Evan Clarke had been second in command for most of my career with the Militia. “How are the rest of the colonists handling this fiasco?” I asked straight out.

  “Most are just plan stunned; to think that a reasonable solution wasn’t acceptable and that psycho would actually put people in a position where a reasonable settlement wouldn’t get the chance of being decided on,” she told me. “Mike saw you and the Captain fall and he cut loose everything he had; it took two people to pull him off of the cannon. He was in tears; you know Captain Pierce was as much a father to him as he had been to you, and he loves you like a brother. He was here to see how you were last night; they had to shoot him up with a sedative to calm him down. He feels horrible about all of the people that he knows he’s personally killed, though he really had no choice.”

  I could imagine Mike feeling badly; he was usually a gentle person, this must have hit him hard. I felt a pang of sorrow for him, just because I knew his disposition so well. Meeza sat quietly through all of this; she looked strained and exhausted. My Mother was putting on a good act at appearing cheerful but I knew better; she’d been close friends with the Captain and her eyes were red as well. I didn’t know at the time, that she’d seen it on the live news net.

  “I think Meeza should stay with us until you’re well enough to come home,” said my Mom; clearly seeing things the same way I did. “Poor child; you don’t look like you’re sleeping well here. I promise you can check up on him every fifteen minutes if you choose and you can come back as often as you wish; it’s only half a mile. Besides; I’ll be coming over to check up on Stan; he’s a couple of rooms away; he’ll be out by tomorrow.” I hadn’t known Stan was there or why.

  I could see that Meeza didn’t want to leave but she also knew that it would be best all the way around. “Thank you; I guess it would be best. It’s going to be a few days anyway and I sure can’t stay here the whole time,” she accepted. I was relieved, though now I’d worry about her all the time.

  Lee came in making her rounds to see how everyone was doing. “Well, you got it this time, didn’t you?” She said with a touch of mock sarcasm. “You can’t stay out of trouble.” She winked. “What would you do without me?”

  “You’ve got me there.” I admitted. “I do seem to have an ability for being in all the wrong places these days.”

  I then heard her tell my Mom that Stan would possibly be able to leave by evening. Stan had been volunteering; bringing food to the Militia troops on duty there; it was just bad timing for him.

  Lee looked over my chart and made a couple of doctor noises. “Well it looks like you’re coming along alright, but it was touch and go for the first few hours. You’re lucky you have such a fine physician, or you’d be on a slab already.”

  I knew that artificial cheerfulness of hers was a way of covering for the stress she was under with so many seriously injured. Although she wasn’t the only Doctor, she worried about everybody there as if she were.

  “Have I any injuries that aren’t going to be completely cured?” I finally brought myself to ask; I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  “Not as far as I can tell, though you’ll probably get pretty out of shape before you’re healed enough to exercise decently. You did come within a half inch of losing your left arm and your ability to have children. You’ll have a few nasty scars that will stick with you for the rest of your life. I was surprised you regained consciousness before I came in this morning. I gave you enough pain medication to knock you out for a whole day,” she claimed.

  “You can’t keep a good man down.” I smiled. “So when can I go home?” I asked.

  “Certainly not before you can stand up without passing out; and don’t even try it yet,” she cautioned. “I know you want out but you really do need a couple of days healing before you even consider standing or walking. I’ll get you out as quickly as it’s safe,” she promised.

  So I settled in for a few days of rest. Several times I awoke and found Meeza sitting beside me but I must have been drugged up because I was unable to stay awake and talk. Finally after what turned out to be three days I awoke for real. I was in a room of my own; I’d apparently been moved while I was asleep. I was definitely feeling better than the last few times I had awakened. Meeza wasn’t there, but Josh was. He had a full length cast on his right leg and a bandage around his left arm; otherwise he didn’t look too bad.

  He smiled when he saw I was awake. “You been sleeping a long time old pal; how you feeling?”

  “Don’t think I’ll run any races today,” I said to be a wise guy. “Anything exciting happening in the big bad world?”

  “They had the mass funeral yesterday,” he said. “There will be a separate one for Capt. Pierce, tomorrow; I’m hoping they’ll let me take you there in a wheelchair. I know you’ll want to go and I don’t think Lee will give me a hard time, especially if Meeza and your Mom and all are there to help. As a matter of fact, Tima will be there to help, too.”

  “How many people were killed all together?” I asked.

  “Twenty six of the rebels and so far sixteen on the colony side. There are a few that might yet . . . well; you know.” A cloud of sadness crossed his face. “Not a soul here that didn’t lose someone they loved,” he said. “Most of us more than one.”

  “It’s not the way we all thought it would be, is it? I mean establishing the colony; it was supposed to be joy and harmony.” I was baffled by the turn of events.

  “I just can’t understand that type of hatred; I mean, enough to die for. The big point had been the demand for one of the new ships with the superior technology; but did they really think they could force the issue? We’ve all known each other to some degree all of our lives. I never thought there was anybody here that would actually shoot a fellow colonist. We’ve traveled twelve generations in nearly absolute harmony; then we arrive and begin butchering each other; it makes no sense at all even if it was just a mistake,” Josh said in a quandary.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever underestimate anybody ever again.” I said. “Though I still believe the ultimate fight was triggered accidentally, the problem is they were waiting for it.” I shivered. “Well; what’s done is done; we can’t change it, so best to bury our dead and go on from here the best we can,” I said trying to be a little more upbeat.

  Josh took the cue and changed the subject. “Capt. Clarke was here yesterday to see you; he wanted you to know that we were going to have to decide what to do with the Astro II. It’s taking a lot of work keeping the Matter Compression System from going out of control. They have to dump power every so many hours because there aren’t enough people to use what it produces. It’s become a real hassle for those who are still on duty to monitor it.”

  “We have to either use the ship or let it blow; I thought there was a group of people who wanted to use it to go to yet another system,” I said, quoting a rumor I’d heard. “That would be the ideal solution; it would be a shame to watch it collapse and dissipate after all the years it was our home.”

  “That’s what Capt. Clarke said,” said Josh. “Well, they’d better decide soon or the option will pass of its own accord.” He chuckled.

  At that moment we were interrupted by Dr. Hebron. She told me that Blurg had been there
and wanted me to know that he was sorry not to have been there to help us. “He couldn’t come in because he couldn’t get Sasha to stay outside when he did come in. I thought it best to keep animals out; we don’t need any stray bacteria to attack a bunch of wounded people,” Lee shrugged apologetically. “And what are you doing wandering about, Mr. Getz?” She asked Josh.

  “I had to check up and see if Eric was still alive,” he told her jokingly.

  She smiled. “And?”

  “Yep; he’s mostly there,” said Josh with a grin. “I guess I’d better go back to bed before I’m thrown out,” he said backing toward the door. “See you later.” And he was gone.

  “Now,” she began. “You need to be aware that you received some serious internal injuries. We can fix arms and leg almost overnight, but your intestines and liver, etc. are another story. You were nearly damaged beyond repair, and if you hadn’t been brought in as fast as you were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation at all. I’m telling you this so that you don’t get some foolish idea that you don’t need to be here in bed. If you don’t go really slowly, you’ll open up inside and that will be the end of you; have I made myself clear?”

  “I think I get it,” I said with a smile. “I really don’t feel too bad though.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” she snapped. “It’s not about how you feel under medication; especially with everything reconstructed. You might feel fine but if you’re not careful, your insides will come apart and I won’t be able to fix you again before it’s too late. Don’t think because you feel good that you’re done healing,” she nodded an exclamation point.

  “Ok; you made your point; I won’t do anything until you give the approval.” I chuckled at her.

  “I just don’t want to lose any more of our people, and especially you; we’ve been friends a long time and I will be happy to keep you around a while,” she said looking slightly embarrassed. “I just wanted to impress on you, exactly how delicate you will be for a few more days. You’re healing nicely and I want to keep it that way,” she said as she finished making notes on her charts.

  “Thank you, Lee; I am in your hands.” I told her sincerely. “I won’t do anything to add to the very sad statistics; there’s been enough death and destruction for three lifetimes; I won’t do anything without your orders.”

  She smiled and relaxed a little as she finished running her hand scanner over my mid section. “Everything has stayed in place; that’s because I didn’t let you wake up for a few days. I think you’ll be able to get up and exercise some by tomorrow if you promise to walk no more than across the room for the first day; and I’ll want to check you right after.” I nodded my agreement. There was suddenly a new voice in the mix.

  “Glad to see you conscious,” Greeted Capt. Clarke. He was a big man, with a booming voice. His beard was scruffy and his knees were dirty as if he’d been kneeling in a garden, which he probably was. He had a reputation for getting into everything the colony was doing, personally.

  “I was afraid I was going to lose both you and Lt. Koenigsburg in one blow. Olga was the daughter of my best friend from my childhood; so I really feel the loss. I was good friends with your dad as well, though he was a couple years ahead of me in school,” Clarke gave a smile that didn’t quite look as relaxed as he would have liked. “Doc’s told me that if you obey her orders, you’ll be fit to command again in a few weeks.”

  “So I’ve been told,” I said, trying to be friendly, though I’d never had many dealings with Capt. Clarke. I knew him only from having been in training under him for a brief time about eight years ago; he’d seemed a decent sort.

  “I wanted to let you know that the Reeshian colonists have all been asking how you were doing, so I promised them I’d come and see, just to report to them on your condition. You’re somewhat of a hero in their society; and rightfully so,” he said, to partially explain his visit. “The other half of the reason for my visit is to ask you to help me to make a few decisions about the colony and our new friends, because I think you have more information than I do on their society and also, even our own in relationship to all that’s happened since we arrived. I was too busy directing the organization of our colony to have seen or taken part in most of the events involving our relations both internal and otherwise,” he said with a shrug. “There’s a lot going on and I will need your input; but not for a few more days. I need you better first.”

  “I’ll help you in any way that I can.” I offered. “I don’t want any more issues getting out of control,” I told him sincerely.

  “Good; then that’s settled. I’ll wait to hear from you when Lee says it’s ok,” he said. “I’ll go and let you rest; and thank you, Commander Duncan.” Then he saluted and left.

  The salute was intended as an honor and it surprised me to be so honored by our new Captain after his brief visit; I didn’t feel I’d done anything to earn it. Lee seemed to notice my expression.

  “You’re the next in line to be Captain; you do realize that, don’t you?” She said, making me aware of that fact for the first time.

  “Stars above!” I said in shock. “There’s no way I’m anywhere near ready for that!” I couldn’t believe it was true; things had changed so rapidly.

  “You’re second in command of the Militia now, no matter how you cut it,” she reaffirmed.

  “While you’re here I guess I’d better ask you if I can be taken in a wheelchair to Captain Pierce’s funeral service tomorrow.” I asked. “I’d hate to not be there.”

  “I already discussed this with your mother and Meeza and I’ll allow it only because I’m going to be with you to be sure you don’t get foolish,” she answered with a smile. “You’re going to be pretty well sedated though; I’m not taking any chances with our second in command.”

  “Man, this is going to take some getting used to.” I told her.

  “Well, just take it slowly,” she said with a wink.

  Things had moved so rapidly because of the mortality of the command positions. Olga should have been next in line, and if Capt. Pierce had lived she’d have been promoted to the position I was to fill; now I supposed it was a moot point. When I thought about it, of course, the position wasn’t the same as on the ship. On Astro II the Captain was the primary leadership of the colony but now it was mostly the Militia that would be under my command; the rest was the Mayor’s responsibility. That was somewhat of a relief, at least.

  I realized Lee was standing there watching me. “Are you ok?” she asked with a look of genuine concern.

  “Yes,” I answered. “I was just taken a little off guard by the realization of the reality of my position,” I said honestly. “Having just gone from fourth in line to second overnight was a bit of a shock. I don’t want to give up command of a shuttle, though; it’s where my heart is.” I confessed to her.

  “And I want to stay on the Homer when it goes out again,” she said. “You’re a top rate leader, and I wouldn’t want to be under someone with less real experience.” It made me feel good to hear her say that.

  “Thanks, Lee,” I said humbly. “I needed to hear that; especially from someone I respect as much as I do you.” I hoped I wouldn’t embarrass her; or worse, seem patronizing.

  I could see that Lee saw I was sincere and it had brought her near to tears. I hadn’t realized that my opinion meant that much to her; I felt truly honored. She cleared her throat and said, “Well; I’ve other patients to tend to, so I’d best get cracking. Don’t do anything foolish and I’ll see you later.” Then she left me thinking way more than I wanted until at some point I drifted back to sleep. Dr. Sneaky had slipped a sleep drug into my IV.

  When I awoke it was a new day and Meeza was there, and so was Nettie. They seemed to have become fast friends; it made me a little uncomfortable at first, but that sort of faded as it became obvious that their friendship was genuine. I remembered that I had asked Lee about being taken to Capt. Pierces’ funeral. After her lecture I was afr
aid she’d change her mind about letting me go.

  “Well; my dearest friend,” said Nettie. “You just can’t seem to stay out of trouble these days.” She looked somewhat strained in spite of the light tone she’d used.

  “Hi, Nettie; nice to see you, too,” I said. “This business giving you a lot of extra work?”

  “You better believe it,” she affirmed. “There are a great number of people who’ve been disenchanted with our new life. I have to keep telling everybody that things will settle down after a little while. The number of violent events has really overwhelmed most and now they all fear some other problems will arise and make someone else do something foolish.” She shook her head.

  “Even my people are unnerved by all of the events and some are afraid that something equally as bad may be brewing back on New Reesh,” said Meeza.

  “It will pass.” I reassured them both. “Right now I need one of you to find Lee and see if I can be taken to Capt. Pierces’ service. I really don’t want to miss it if I don’t have to.”

  “Roger’s out getting a float chair for you to ride; Lee doesn’t want you bounced around,” Nettie said. “That’s the reason we’re here; to get you ready for the short ride to the park where the farewell service is to be held. Being second in command of the Militia, you really need to be there; all of the people want to see you looking alive. It should do a lot for morale just to see one of their heroes there.”

  “Some hero,” I said. “All I succeeded in doing was to get shot; and not very heroically.”

  “Still; everybody loves you and they want to see that you’re really getting better,” said Meeza. “There are rumors that you weren’t going to make it and the people need to see that the rumors are false.”