Assault on Cambriol: The Manhattan Trials

by Jerry Borrowman

  He had tried to--even gone on dates as he was expected to. And he’d kissed his dates, the way he’d seen it done in movies. But it meant nothing to him. I like women. I like their sensitivity and softness. I enjoy their conversation and companionship, but I’m just not aroused by them. He licked his lips to moisten them, the internal turmoil having left his mouth dry. But, if I meet an athletic guy with an assertive personality and the right build my stomach turns to butterflies. That’s how it must feel to other males when they see an attractive female. He shook his head, felt sick to his stomach.

  “Kevin, you okay?”

  “What?” Wight turned to the navigator.

  “The Captain just asked you a question and you didn’t answer. Are you alright?”

  “He did! Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

  Turning to Jesik he said, “I’m sorry, Sir, but I was concentrating on the calculations for our next scheduled correction and didn’t hear you.” He had a desperate look in his eyes.

  Jesik felt a slight panic himself, but answered calmly, “No problem, Lieutenant. I just asked if you’d completed your Third Course Mathematics Trials for the Academy. I know you’ve been studying for them.”

  Wight relaxed noticeably and replied, “Yes, Sir, I passed.”

  “Care to share your score with us?” It was probably the most difficult test in the entire academy experience and most students failed it two or three times before finally passing with the minimum of sixty-three percent on the 300 question exam.

  Wight hesitated, then said quietly, “A score of 297, Sir.”

  At that, nearly everyone on the bridge gasped, then offered congratulations. Wight blushed, tried to turn back to his station, but Jesik wasn’t ready to let it go. “How many cadets have achieved a two ninety-seven, do you suppose?”

  Brighton observed, “Well less than one hundred in the history of the Academy, Sir.”

  Wight tried to fade into the fabric of his seat. Jesik wondered how many men would answer the question without revealing the score, yet be embarrassed because it was so high. Wight is one of those rare people who are truly modest.

  “An outstanding job, Kevin, you’ve brought great distinction to the ship. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you Sir.” Wight turned back to his monitor.

  “Mr. Brighton, I believe such an accomplishment warrants more than a verbal commendation. What do you think would be an appropriate way to recognize Mr. Wight’s triumph?”

  Brighton smiled, sensing where the Captain was going. “Personally, I think a field promotion is in order.”

  “A field promotion?” Jesik paused for dramatic effect. “I agree, Mr. Brighton.” Then, with an authoritative voice, “Computer, on my authority as Captain of Allegro, note that Lieutenant Kevin Wight is hereby promoted to Lieutenant Commander, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities attendant to that grade.”

  The computer confirmed the order, and the entire bridge crew joined in a salute and applause.

  Wight’s face flushed again, but this time accompanied by a modest smile. After enjoying the scene for a few more moments Jesik said, “As you were.” The bridge crew returned to their normal activities.

  Sitting at his post, Wight put his hands on the console, to look busy.

  He called me Kevin. He never calls anyone by their first name. Thoughts of his problem were immediately replaced by his astonishment at the Captain’s recognition. He decided he would march boldly into a pool of boiling tar on the volcanic planet Cirsius, if asked by his Captain. Kevin. He smiled.

  Jesik settled back in his seat as he observed the Lieutenant Commander’s smile. Well, at least that settled the immediate storm, he thought. I sincerely hope Darcy’s right and that it’s a girl, or something else that simple.

  16– An Officer and an Idiot

  The passage to Keswick was routine. The best accomplishment of the journey was that their earlier experience in navigating through the asteroid belt had inspired Lieutenant Commander Wight to develop a new strategy that shortened the transit time by nearly a month. The change was rather revolutionary, in that it called for a slight bend at the inverted end of the Vortex field, to allow them to penetrate nearly one third of the way into the asteroid belt before decelerating. Such a curve had happened occasionally in the past, but never by design. The mathematics involved in warping the vortex were sophisticated enough that Wight invited Eaves and Carter, now on rotating shifts piloting the Allegro, to add their input. The danger of a ship encountering an asteroid while in vortex drive was so significant and possibly lethal that there was absolutely no room for doubt or error. At first, Jesik refused to entertain the idea of coming any closer than 10,000 kilometers to any asteroid. But as the team refined their calculations, they convinced him that the force of a starship’s vortex could sweep aside any small fragments or meteors that might not be indicated on their maps, thus making the technique viable. When scientists on Kalenden confirmed the veracity of the idea, Jesik decided to chance it.

  Lieutenant Commander Wight attempted to persuade Eaves to pilot the ship during the critical last moments in vortex drive, but Eaves deferred, indicating Wight had more experience with the Allegro and understood the concept better than anyone else. That was a big boost to Wight’s self-confidence. He was finally relaxed around Eaves and Carter. Everyone held their breath when the ship entered the asteroid belt under full acceleration, but everything worked exactly as predicted and the ship decelerated smoothly to sub-light drive, significantly ahead of their original schedule.

  One of the benefits of Wight’s discovery was that freighters couldn’t maintain tight enough control of their vortex field to make the necessary curve, which meant that the military finally had a speed advantage over orchidite smugglers. Jesik believed that in time the “Wight Curve,” as it was named, would prove a significant weapon in the fight against crime, as well as reducing the cost of deep-space travel.

  Kensington blustered a bit about junior officers wasting time on scatter-brained ideas, but the technique was well received at fleet headquarters. Jesik was pleased when his bridge officers showed initiative, particularly since it always improved morale.

  During the journey, Colonel Kensington had remained remarkably quiet and unobtrusive, aside from his weekly sermons. For the first two-thirds of the way, he’d maintained the optimistic attitude that characterized his first boarding of the ship. But, for the past few weeks, he’d confined himself to his quarters, working furiously on his computer console. While he didn’t talk about what he was doing, there was ominous urgency to his work.

  Another item that concerned Jesik was Brighton’s patrimony problem. Whenever he attempted to raise the issue, the Commander avoided the topic. He was unusually interested in the arrival of the Legato, a ship that was scheduled to rendezvous with the Allegro approximately half-way between Keswick and Alturus. There was no indication of what he was going to do about the child. It certainly must have been born by now, so Brighton didn’t have much time to deal with it. Jesik decided to wait a while longer for him to talk about it, but would eventually have to force the issue.

  “Captain on the bridge!”

  “At ease, gentlemen.”

  “We’ve established geo-synchronous orbit, Sir and received a number of communications from the surface, as well as from Commander Rowley, who arrived in orbit several days ago.”

  “Very good, Commander. Mr. Williams, please send my regards to Fermata and invite Captain Rowley and his First Officer to join us for dinner this evening?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Mr. Brighton, I hope you’ll join us. It looks like our situation is stable enough for you to implement your R&R schedule for crew transfers to the surface. I’m to meet Colonel Wilkerson tomorrow, so I’ll need the high-speed shuttle.”

  “Will Colonel Kensington be joining you, Sir?”

  “I don’t know. He’s been invited, but I think it’s his intention to wait for a formal welcoming ceremony consi
stent with his status as our representative to Alturus. Mr. Darcy, you’ll need to stay onboard to help him get ready.”

  Darcy growled more than replied, but Jesik let it pass.

  Kensington did not join Jesik the next day. He hardly glanced up from his computer screen when Jesik stopped by to extend a personal invitation and indicated that he was occupied with important matters that he’d bring to Jesik’s attention shortly. Also, it was Lansing and Wilkerson’s place to invite him to the planet, not Jesik’s. The Captain acknowledged and went to the shuttle bay, relieved to be traveling alone.

  On the surface, the shuttle docked at the People’s Palace, which appeared quite different than the first time he’d seen it as a result of multiple attacks by the various rebel and insurgency groups. Inside was changed as well, with most of the private living quarters converted into office space and the place was abuzz with activity. From the fresh, young faces walking up and down the hall, it was obvious that Lansing’s administration had opened government service to a whole new cadre of civil servants who were there because of talent, not heredity. Colonel Wilkerson chatted amiably as they worked their way toward the Kalenden Special Representative suite of offices. He appeared relaxed, acknowledging greetings from those they passed.

  Once inside the privacy of his office, his tone became much more serious. “I’m glad you’re here, Captain. After the insurgency Lansing has accomplished a great deal in terms of reorganizing the government, and the economy is finally starting to improve. But his hands are more than full. The Loyalist bureaucrats have instituted a number of “by the book” slowdowns to protest his demands for greater accountability and efficiency. The former rebel coalition is also feeling the strain of having to deal with day-to-day management, which isn’t nearly as exciting as coming together in a common cause of bringing a government down. And there’s still unease at the thought of another Loyalist uprising. He’s under a constant threat of the coalition breaking up and we continue to experience armed fighting in the provinces. Probably the greatest threat to the peace, however, comes from the orchidite traders. They’ve timed our one-year occupation down to the second and the price of orchidite futures has gone through the roof. It’s tempting to an immature government to let the market drive prices up, promising untold wealth for the people of Keswick, with no increase in production. But neither Kalenden nor Alturus would stand for the prices that are in play right now.”

  “What role do you play in this, Colonel?”

  “I try to be the voice of reason. Our stock with the UCG is pretty high after Lieutenant Commander Magill’s little trick in ending the uprising. And I think Lansing understands that neither Alturus nor Keswick will allow fully deregulated prices, but the people he associates with don’t get it. They admire Magill, but most look at me as an extension of the old Royal Family and can’t wait for the day we clear out. Moreover, I’m not sure there won’t be additional bloodshed before we finish the first year.”

  Jesik pondered quietly for a few moments then asked, “Where does Alturus stand on these issues? Have you been able to maintain meaningful contact with them?”

  “Yes, but they’re much more belligerent than Kalenden, with threats that the price had better not increase more than thirty percent. Considering that the futures are trading at one several hundred percent of current prices you can see why things are so tense. I guess that’s why I’m pleased to have Allegro’s firepower nearby. It may discourage the traders.”

  “Unfortunately, we won’t be here very long. As soon as Colonel Kensington meets with you and Lansing, we’re moving on to Alturus, where he’ll take up permanent residence.”

  “Can’t a smaller ship transport Kensington?”

  “I’m afraid not. It wouldn’t be consistent with the image he hopes to project to Alturus. More than that, however, is the fact that the Quadrant Council is very interested in getting my report of the political situation on Alturus. Fortunately, Legato is scheduled to arrive in a few weeks to relieve Captain Rowley, so at least you’ll have a full battle-cruiser at your disposal. While not as heavily armed as Allegro, it’s more than a match for anything the traders or smugglers can put up. Plus, at dinner last night, Rowley indicated he would keep the frigate here if needed, at least for awhile,. That would give you nearly twice the firepower you’ve had the last nine months.”

  “Then that’ll have to do.”

  Wilkerson was thoughtful. “May I speak off the record, Captain?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why Colonel Kensington? He’ll aggravate Lansing and the United Governing Coalition without contributing much to the discussion. And I say that as an Army man.”

  Jesik laughed. “His reputation precedes him, then?”

  “Reputation hell! We’re in the same service branch and I’ve had to put up with some of his lectures personally. The man has no sensitivity whatsoever.”

  Jesik could see from his expression that Wilkerson wasn’t in the mood to joke about this. “My impression is that the Council wants to rile Lansing a bit. If I understand their strategy, and no one has said this to me, they want to strengthen your hand by making you the good cop compared to Kensington. By drawing a contrast between the two of you the Council can make clear that if the Keswicks don’t support you, they could wind up with a lot worse. I’m part of the package too, forming a back door line of communication that you and Lansing can use to communicate outside formal diplomatic channels. Plus,” said Jesik, “You will shortly be notified of your promotion to full Colonel. They planned to do it earlier, but it got bogged down in the Esper network.”

  “Really,” said Wilkerson, pleased. “But why?”

  “Because you deserve it. Plus it puts you at an even rank with Kensington, so he can’t try to give you orders.”

  Wilkerson shook his head appreciatively. At least there was some logic behind what was going on, even if he didn’t yet know if he agreed with it.

  “ As for Alturus, it’s the feeling of Admiral Park and Prime Minister Larimore that Colonel Kensington will actually fit in quite nicely with their Royal Family. He certainly flaunts the superiority of his own family line.” Jesik smiled ruefully, which made Wilkerson laugh.

  “Maybe, but I’ve got an idea the Royal Family on Alturus is pretty shrewd. They’ll recognize an amateur when they see him and if Kensington doesn’t watch himself, he’ll cede the whole Kalenden Quadrant to Alturus.”

  Jesik laughed and with their former chemistry reestablished, they talked on for another hour, reviewing specific players and issues in the orchidite drama until Jesik was comfortably ready to meet Lansing again. A call was placed and they scheduled a meeting first thing the following morning. They then adjourned to their rooms to change for dinner.

  As Jesik entered the restaurant an hour later, he was surprised to see the place was packed. Perhaps the speed of the revolution minimized the psychological damage, but it looked like once the uprising had been put down the citizenry had adapted quickly to their new government. As he approached the maitre-d, he heard a familiar voice from behind and turned with a smile to greet Lieutenant Commander Magill. He was shocked by what he saw, for though the young man had always been thin, he was athletic. The young officer who stood before him now appeared downright gaunt. Jesik smiled brightly and returned Magill’s crisp salute. Still, the surprise must have shown on his face.

  “Don’t worry, Sir, I don’t feel nearly as bad as I look.”

  “You’ve lost some weight.”

  “Yes, Sir. The constant pain in my feet has affected my appetite. Plus, I can’t exercise as I’d like to, although I continue to work on upper body strength. I also force myself to eat some high-nutrient supplements in addition to whatever meals I do eat, so the doctors say I’m not in any danger of malnutrition.” He looked down at his feet. Jesik followed his gaze and couldn’t help but notice that he now used two full length crutches.

  “Some people say I should just get it over with and have them amputated.
Artificial limb technology makes it possible to have virtually full function again, but I don’t want to lose the feeling down there. One of my doctors thinks I should use a wheelchair, but at least for now I prefer to keep my legs as strong as possible so I don’t have to go through therapy once the feet heal.” He looked up and smiled. “I’d really like to play soccer again and need my real limbs to make it on a sanctioned team.”

  While Jesik thought it unlikely that Sean would ever play soccer again, he didn’t say so. They moved to the table reserved for them. He was surprised that people seemed not to notice Magill’s infirmity, even though it would have caused a notable stir on Kalenden, but realized that his prominence here undoubtedly had put people at ease with the condition.

  It was Magill’s misfortune to have suffered radiation burns prior to taking the antidote and even the most sophisticated medications had failed to cure him. Then there was the injury to his right foot during his espionage. “I’d probably have given up hope for my feet if it weren’t for the gel boots the Alturians gave me. As long as the gel remained active I could get by pretty well. But about a month ago, the gel began to harden, so I had to give them up. The pain is getting worse.”

  “I understand the Alturians have offered to perform surgery for you.”

  “Yes, Sir. I hope you can find room for me as you transport Colonel Kensington to Alturus. It’s the only hope for keeping my feet.”

  “Of course you’ll come with us. Lieutenant Eaves has been pestering me to see you, anyway. Plus, I think your diplomatic experience here will prove useful to our discussions with the Alturians. Colonel Wilkerson tells me you’ve done a great job helping him sort out the politics of Keswick.”

  “I’ve enjoyed working with him, very much. He’s a skilled adviser to PM Lansing, but the fact that he comes from a first-class family makes it difficult for many rebels to relate to him. My lower-class credentials open doors into private conversations which we wouldn’t otherwise hear.”