Pilot looked at him darkly for a few minutes, then brightened. “No problem, I can do what I need from C-and-C. The only problem I see is the lack of gravity up there. I don't want you bringing anything that can float around and get into the equipment."
"We'll leave the hub just like we found it,” agreed Neb.
* * * *
As the journey to Saturn continued, Natalie kept a close eye on the ship's progress, making sure that they continued on the slingshot course and didn't start turning toward the planet. As Saturn grew large in the ship's windows, she started breathing easier. The closer they got to the planet, the harder it would be for Pilot to change course. She talked to him several more times, and became more convinced he really did want to write a NASA proposal with her on the return trip rather than attempt anything foolish.
* * * *
"John, I wish you could be here on Earth for your wedding,” said Debra O'Connell. Neb and Lisa sat hand-in-hand in his quarters watching the video message. “The weather here has turned lovely and the flowers are blooming.” Neb smiled, less because of the news of the pleasant weather, but at the hint of rosy color that had returned to his mother's cheeks and the twinkle in her eye. “It's hard to believe you're getting married. Why I remember your senior prom and you took your cousin Vanessa."
Lisa looked at Neb and giggled. “Did you really take your cousin to the prom?"
Neb put his face in his hands and turned bright red.
* * * *
At last, the day of the wedding arrived. Neb borrowed trousers and a nice shirt from Pilot's closet. Dr. Nagamine agreed to serve as Neb's best man and Myra Lee was Lisa's maid of honor. Again, Captain Jefferson donned his medals and cravat. Captain Freeman remained on duty in C-and-C. Captain Jefferson agreed to take over after the ceremony, so she could attend the reception in the galley. Natalie donned her dress uniform for the occasion.
Jefferson made his way to the central hub to await the wedding party. Neb was already there, pushing himself off the walls, floating back and forth. The captain busied himself making sure the cameras were all set to record the ceremony while Kurata Nagamine stood in front of the hub console, looking out at Saturn. The rings—sparkling like delicate, frosted crystal in the sunlight—were turned such that the tops could be seen. “When Galileo first saw the rings of Saturn, he didn't see that they encircled the planet. He just saw them as knobs on each side and called them ‘ears.’ It seems such an unflattering description,” said the astronomer.
Soon after, Myra poked her head through the opening into the hub. “Okay, Lisa's ready."
Jefferson reached over to the pilot's console and started the music. Neb and Nagamine held onto the wall as Myra came all the way into the room. Lisa, wearing the silver skirt and blouse Angus sewed for her, followed. The skirt was stiff enough that even in the null gravity of the hub, it didn't float up and around her legs, but it was soft enough that it drifted and swayed, almost as though she were dancing, even though she stood still.
Myra pulled her forward and Nagamine pushed Neb forward, so the two drifted side by side in front of Jonathan Jefferson.
"It has always been the happy privilege of ship captains to be able to perform wedding ceremonies. We are gathered here,” the captain paused and pointed out to Saturn beyond, “in this most beautiful of places in the solar system to witness the union of Lisa Marie Henry and John Mark O'Connell.” He faced Lisa. “Lisa, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him and comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him as long as you both shall live."
"I do,” said Lisa, with a broad grin.
The captain turned to John and repeated the question. “I do,” answered John, looking into Lisa's eyes.
"The ring please,” said Jefferson. Like the engagement ring, the wedding rings had been cut from conduit tubing by Daryl LaRue.
Dr. Nagamine handed the first ring to Neb, who put it on Lisa's finger and said, “With this ring, I thee wed, and this gold, I thee give and with my body, I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow."
Myra wiped a tear away with a tissue as the captain handed the other ring to Lisa. She repeated the words and put the ring on Neb's finger.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said the captain. He leaned in to Neb. “You may kiss the bride."
Neb O'Connell and Lisa Henry embraced and kissed deeply and passionately. Myra smiled. Nagamine turned and looked out the window again. “Something's wrong,” he said. “Saturn's shifted position ever so slightly."
Jefferson turned and checked the console. “Son of a bitch! They're changing course!” Jefferson reached over and tried to activate the intercom, but found the system had been shut down. He reached over and blew into a speaking tube. “Captain Freeman, why are we changing course?” There was no response. “Captain Jefferson to C-and-C, what's going on?"
"Captain Jefferson, this is Captain Freeman.” Her voice came from one of the other tubes. “I've been removed from C-and-C. Pilot has barred the door. Can you take control from the hub?"
Jefferson scanned the console. Red lights indicated all systems were locked out. He tried to override the controls with his command password. He wasn't surprised when he found access was denied. “He's routed all controls down there and locked me out of the system. I'll be down in a minute."
Without another word, Jefferson pushed himself off the console and went to the ladder, climbing down two decks. Reaching the first corridor that would take him to command and control, he ran until he came to the ladder that descended into C-and-C. The hatch was closed and the handle wouldn't spin. He pounded on the hatch. There was no response. He ran back to the ladder that descended from the hub and climbed down one more deck, then ran to the door that led to C-and-C. Natalie Freeman straightened to attention as Jefferson approached. “Quinn,” called Jefferson through the door. “This is mutiny! I'll see you hang if I get in there!” He turned to Freeman and saw the deep frown etched on her face. “Round up everyone you can and any tools you think might help. We're going in."
"Yes, sir!” said Freeman. She saluted and took off down the hall.
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Chapter 22
The Undecipherables
Captain Jefferson paced back and forth outside the door to command and control. It took about half an hour for Natalie Freeman to arrive with eighteen others. Jefferson saw Neb and Lisa, still dressed in their fine clothes, were there with Myra and Nagamine. He smiled a bit to see that both Dr. Garcia and Angus MacDonald were in the group. “He has Berko, LaRue, Chung, and Rodriguez with him, sir,” said Natalie.
Jefferson stepped forward and addressed the remaining members of the crew. “Thomas Alonzo has committed mutiny and is endangering this ship. We must break into C-and-C and take the ship from him. I know many of you consider the people on the other side of that door friends. But we must take the ship back from them. We will confine them to quarters and deal with them later once we've put the ship back onto a safe course."
"When cooler heads will prevail,” interjected Freeman. She directed two of the mechanics forward with tool kits. They began dismantling the hinges on the door. All eyes were on them. Freeman passed a pistol to Jefferson. “I hope you won't need this."
Jefferson took it and put it in his pocket. “I didn't think we had any guns aboard."
She pointed to the dress sword still belted at her waist. “This wasn't the only service weapon I brought along. I didn't know what I was going to find aboard this ship."
"Good thinking,” said Jefferson. “We don't want to fire unless we have to. We could do more damage than Pilot has.” He thought about asking how Pilot and his crew managed to get Natalie off the deck, especially when she was armed, but she looked embarrassed and time was short, so he decided not to press the matter.
The mechanics fini
shed unbolting the hinges and worked on the door with crowbars. After a moment, they pulled it out of the frame. Jefferson and Freeman rushed forward into C-and-C, followed by the other members of the crew. Angus plowed into Daryl pushing him into the wall. Natalie stepped over to Vanda and grabbed her by the wrist. Rodriguez and Chung both put their hands in the air, surrendering to the others. Jefferson drew the pistol and pointed it at Pilot. “Back away from the pilot's console,” he said.
"Captain, this is a critical maneuver I'm performing. If you don't let me do it, we'll crash into the planet and we will all die,” said Pilot.
"You've committed mutiny, mister,” he said. “I don't care who you are or what you're doing. You must surrender control of the ship to me."
"I can't.” Pilot did not take his hands off the console or his gaze from the displays.
Jefferson stepped forward, pushing the gun to Pilot's temple and disengaging the safety.
"If you fire in here, you could destroy a console wrecking everyone's chances,” said Pilot calmly.
"I'm willing to bet your skull will slow the bullet down,” said Jefferson through gritted teeth.
Pilot let go of the controls and backed away, his hands in the air. “Captain, you must let me finish laying in the course. It's too late to change back to the slingshot."
Jefferson looked over to Freeman. “Get these people out of my sight,” he growled. “Confine them to quarters."
"Aye aye,” said Freeman.
Berko, LaRue, Rodriguez, and Chung lined up at the doorway. Thomas Quinn, eyes bright with tears, took a deep breath, then turned and lined up with them. Natalie, Angus, and two of the mechanics escorted them to their quarters.
Jefferson looked at the others still in C-and-C. “I need people to man their stations.” He caught the eye of Barry Bonden, one of the control systems technicians. “Bonden, of those left, I believe you know the sailing controls better than anyone."
Bonden swallowed hard. “I think so, sir."
The captain pointed to the console. “Take control, see if you can get us back onto the slingshot course.” He then saw Jenna Reynolds. “Ms. Reynolds, see if you can assist Bonden. He may need some help with calculations."
"Right away,” she said.
O'Connell and Nagamine both hovered over the astrosciences station. “We're accelerating into Saturn,” said Nagamine. “If we don't alter course, we're going to go straight into the planet."
The captain looked back at Bonden and Reynolds. They were in deep discussion. Reynolds brought up several plots above the pilot's console.
Freeman stepped back on deck. “Pilot and the others are confined to quarters,” she reported. “I hate to say it,” she continued quietly. “But it might have been better to let Pilot finish the maneuvers. I don't know what chance we have, now."
Reynolds stepped up to Jefferson and Freeman. “It would appear that we have lost our opportunity for a slingshot course. We've also lost our opportunity to do what Pilot was attempting."
"What choices do we have?” asked the captain.
"If we swing as wide as we can, we'll miss the planet—just barely. We'll graze the outer atmosphere, but we won't be able to swing into orbit. It'll put us onto a course that will take us out of the solar system."
"So,” said Freeman, “our choice is a quick death into the planet, or a lingering death between planets."
Jefferson shook his head. “No, if we survive, there's a chance for a rescue.” He looked into Reynolds’ eyes. “Put us on the wide course. We'll fight as long as we can."
She nodded and returned to the pilot's station. Jefferson surveyed the deck. He saw Lisa sitting at the biosciences station. Myra stood next to her, her hand around her shoulder. At the astronomy station, Neb stood next to Dr. Nagamine with his hands behind his back. They were about to skim Saturn's upper atmosphere and it would be a rough ride. “We're overmanned,” he said to Natalie. “I think we should take Lisa and Neb off duty. Let them go to their quarters. They'll be better off there."
Freeman nodded quickly. “I agree.” She stepped over to the external sensors and spoke quietly to Neb. He went over to Lisa. Together they left C-and-C.
The captain walked around the deck. Myra took the vacated seat at communications as he approached. “How are you doing?” he asked.
"Pretty well, considering,” said Myra. “Why did Pilot do it? Why did he mutiny?"
"He didn't want to go home without stopping at Titan,” said Freeman, stepping up next to Jefferson. “He was planning to go in close to the planet and scoop up some of the atmosphere for fuel."
"It's so pointless,” said Myra. “This mission was such a success. He could have come back."
Bonden looked up from the pilot's station. “We're coming up on the closest approach to Saturn. I'd recommend we get people as safe as we can."
Jefferson had a thousand questions for Natalie. He simply turned to her and said, “Go strap in."
She snapped a salute, turned, and left the deck.
Jefferson nodded to Myra, then stepped to the command console. He sounded the collision warning. Around the deck, people buckled themselves into their chairs. The ship began to shake violently.
"The sails!” called Nagamine. “We're close enough to the planet that we're getting atmospheric resistance. The sails are slowing us down and dragging us in."
"Jettison the sails,” ordered Jefferson.
"Sir,” said Bonden. “If we do that, we'll lose steering control, we'll continue to spiral into the planet."
"Belay that, then,” called Jefferson. He studied the readouts on his console trying to decide what to do.
"We've developed several stress fractures in the sails,” said Nagamine. “They're breaking apart. Outer hull is starting to heat as we're being pulled into the atmosphere."
Just then, the ship jolted. The captain felt as though he would be ripped in half by his seat harness. Then his stomach felt suddenly hollow, as though the ground had fallen away. The ship was no longer rotating and the simulated gravity was gone.
"My God,” said Nagamine. “All motion has stopped. We were moving over fifty kilometers per second and we just stopped.” He checked the sensors, then looked up at the captain. “There's some kind of object behind us. If I'm not mistaken, we're caught in a magnetic beam of some kind. It's pulling us back, away from the planet."
"We're being rescued.” Jefferson allowed a note of hope into his voice. “But by whom?"
A series of tones issued from the communication's station. Myra inclined her head, as though trying to figure out what she was hearing. Then, with a start, she turned and activated the translation program. “I think we're being signaled."
A message appeared on the screen above Myra's console:
"We are the [undecipherables]. We have your [uncertain: possibly conveyance or wood] in our [no word available]. Once you are safe, we will [uncertain: possibly embark] and attempt to help."
"What in the world?” asked the captain. “What's the message mean?"
Myra chewed on her knuckle as she stared at the message. “Well, much of our vocabulary comes from whales. They wouldn't share a lot of concepts with us, but I think it says, ‘We have your ship in our ... was it a magnetic beam? Once you're safe, we will board and attempt to help."
"Undecipherables?” asked Jefferson. “Who are they? Are they from Earth?"
"I don't think so,” said Myra. “I think they may be the so-called keepers of the rings. They use the same language. I'll run another pass on the name, but it doesn't seem to make any sense. It keeps coming up as a bunch of consonants all strung together. Something like RDDGN. Sometimes the program tries to toss in a ‘Y’ or an ‘IA,’ but it doesn't help."
Jefferson turned his attention back to the pilot's console. Bonden brought up a schematic showing the Aristarchus, Saturn, and the alien ship. With considerable relief, Jefferson saw the Aristarchus was being pulled away from Saturn. Natalie Freeman drifted through the open door b
ack into C-and-C.
"What's happening?” she asked. “I heard the collision warning, then suddenly we lost all gravity."
Jefferson pointed first to the communications station, then to the pilot's station. “Apparently, we're being rescued."
"Who by?” Natalie's brow furrowed.
More of the chirps and twitters issued from the communications station. “Captain,” said Myra, “we're being contacted again.” There was a tremor in her voice.
A new message flashed on the communications screen:
"This is the [undecipherable] [uncertain: possibly leader]. You are now in a stable [uncertain: possibly circle or ellipse]. Please open one of your [uncertain: possibly chamber, mouth or blowhole]. We will board and attempt to assist."
Myra was virtually bouncing in her chair. “I can't believe it, it's working. The translation program is really working!"
"Working?” asked Jefferson. “I'm having a hard time making heads or tales out of it."
Myra shook her head and then pointed at the screen. “It says the undecipherable leader—I'm guessing the captain—is calling. He says we're in a stable orbit and he wants us to open something.” She thought for a moment. “He wants us to open our airlock, so they can board and assist."
Instinctively, Natalie reached down and grabbed the hilt of her sword. “I've been taken by surprise once today. I'm not sure I like the idea of letting them board until we know more."
"What other options do we have?” asked Jefferson. “We can talk to them over the radio or we can talk to them face to face."
"They are intelligent,” said Myra. “They rescued us."
"They could be pirates,” cautioned Natalie. “Perhaps they rescued us just so they can salvage the ship."
Jefferson nodded, conceding the possibility. “You're the diplomat, Captain Freeman. What do your instincts tell you?"
Natalie Freeman's hand tightened and loosened on the sword. Finally, she let go. “I vote that we let them board. My instincts tell me Myra's right. Even if I'm wrong, we're in no position to fight them."
Jefferson touched the button opening the tow shuttle's bay. He looked over to the communications station. “Dr. Lee, would you like to come along and welcome our guests?"
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