by Ben Winston
“Gold Squadron is away, Command. Alpha bay is secured,” John reported.
“Good work, Flight. Navigation, initiate launch program,” Ian ordered, somewhat apprehensively.
“Aye, Sir. Launch program is online, and running, AG field generators are online.” Chekov replied. “Main reactor at twenty percent. AG field at five percent and climbing.”
Again Chekov paused while the lifter field built up strength, just as in the simulation Ian had witnessed earlier.
“AG field at ten percent.”
Ian heard the ship start to creak as more pressure was applied.
“AG field at fifteen percent. Main reactor at thirty percent. Main engines at stand-by. Maneuvering thrusters at full,” Chekov reported.
“All stress points are still well within safe parameters,” reported Star.
“AG to twenty percent. Reactor to thirty-five percent. We’re kicking up dust.”
“Engineering, inertial dampeners amidships are reporting a two percent fluctuation,” Jenny said calmly.
“We’re already on it, Command, we are still ‘Go’ for launch,” Major Dommer replied.
“AG now at twenty-five percent. Reactor at thirty-seven percent. Bow coming level,” Chekov reported.
When the ship had crashed, she had ended up with the bow lower than the stern. It hadn’t been enough to hamper repairs or make living aboard difficult, especially with internal gravity, but it was noticeable if you looked at the ship externally.
Now, the ship groaned as she started to move after four-thousand plus years. There was a vibration felt through the deck plates, but Ian still felt that the old girl was doing just fine. The vibration though, was short lived as it rapidly faded away to nothing.
“AG to thirty percent. Reactor at forty percent. We’re off the Moon’s surface; altitude zero meters.”
Ian could hear the cheer without the comm; it echoed through the ship as the joyous sound was carried by the frame of the ship.
“AG at forty percent. Reactor at forty-six percent. Altitude; zero-zero-five-zero meters. Main engines coming online.”
“All stress levels are still in the safe zone,” Star reported again.
“AG at fifty-five percent, Altitude is zero-two-zero-zero meters and climbing,” Chekov reported. “Zero-two-five-zero meters; we have officially cleared the Moon’s surface.”
This time, Ian did hear the cheers, as the people in the connected departments gave voice to the announcement, before the Chiefs could call them back to order.
“AG at seventy percent. Altitude now zero-zero-zero-three kilometers. Still climbing. Main engines now at ten percent.”
“Hull torsion readings are climbing,” Star reported.
Chekov looked frustrated. They were now high enough that they could use the normal ship’s engines to pull away from the moon, but the program was supposed to take them all the way to one hundred kilometers.
“Return the main engines to stand-by, Lieutenant,” Ian ordered.
Chekov typed quickly for a moment before replying. “Main engines are dropping back to stand-by.”
“Keel torsion is dropping,” Star reported.
“Steady as she goes, Mr. Chekov,” Ian said when he saw the questioning look on the Lieutenant’s face.
“Aye sir. AG at eighty percent and holding. Reactor at seventy-five percent. Altitude zero-zero-two-nine kilometers.”
“Okay, before we stop gaining altitude, and fall back on a thick anti-grav pillow and get trapped there, I think it might be time for a slight change of plan,” Ian said.
“AG still at eighty percent. Altitude zero-zero-three-six kilometers. Our rate of climb is dropping,” Chekov reported.
“Engineering; stand-by to go to one hundred, ten percent on the reactor,” Ian ordered. A worried sounding Major Dommer acknowledged the order.
“Colonel, would you assist the Lieutenant with navigation. When this starts, don’t worry about replying to my orders, just execute them, because we’re going to have to act fast.
“Star, no matter what; do not shut down the main reactor or we’ll crash. Trust me on this; I can feel what the old girl can handle,” Ian asked.
Star looked up, into his eyes, then nodded slowly. “I’ll try to help as well.”
“Altitude zero-zero-four-four. Climb reaching apogee,” Chekov said. “We need to do this soon, sir.”
“Reactor to one hundred percent. Bow positive twenty degrees, stern negative twenty degrees. All ahead full! Stand by to disengage launch program,” Ian ordered, and both Chekov and Jenny began typing furiously.
“Keel torsion climbing rapidly!” Star reported.
“AG field to neutral. Increase yaw positive three degrees. Stand-by Engineering,”
“We’ve reached apogee and are slowly starting to lose altitude. Main engines at sixty percent, AG field is dissipating. Keel torsion is above the safety limit, but stabilizing,” Star reported.
“Disengage Launch program. Stand-by full-emergency speed,” Ian ordered and closed his eyes to feel the ship. He ‘felt’ the last of the AG field go away, and she shuddered as if shaking off the last vestiges of the program, and Ian felt it was time.
“Full-Emergency speed! Kick her in the ass, Mr. Dommer!” Ian ordered, and felt the ship shuddering for a different reason now. Far back in Main Engineering, the six massive plasma engines began pushing as hard as they could. The Main reactor, surrounded by a containment field was at the very maximum of its controllable limit.
“Rate of descent is decreasing; torsion readings are back to normal, but stress readings are climbing. Climbing a gravity well is not what she was designed for,” Star replied.
Ian smiled slightly, but kept his eyes closed to feel the ship. “Decrease pitch three degrees, and adjust course fifteen degrees starboard.”
“Rate of descent is zero. Altitude is zero-zero-three-five kilometers. We’re beginning to climb.” Star reported. “Number three plasma conduit is approaching overheat. Rate of accelerating at fifty meters per second, per second; the rate is increasing rapidly.”
“Reduce speed one-third. Reactor to one hundred percent. Steady as she goes,” Ian said grinning at Jenny.
A few moments later, or so it seemed to Ian, Star said, “Altitude zero-zero-seven five kilometers.”
“Reduce speed to one third,” Ian ordered while Star reported the altitude.
“Approaching one hundred kilometers, Commander.”
Ian nodded. “Main engines to stand-by, thrusters to station-keeping.”
“Sir, we are free and clear to navigate,” Chekov said, making it official.
“Thank you, Navigation. All departments, this is the Commander, sorry for the bumpy ride, but the best laid plans... Stand down from the launch and assume normal operations. Flight; as soon as you’ve opened back up down there, you may begin flight operations. Engineering; you may begin the removal of the AG field generators. Day watch, stand down. Night watch, you’re on; I wish you a quiet evening. Good evening folks and good work.” Ian switched off the comm. “I don’t know about you folks, but I need a beer!”
“You’re missing a hell of a party, Ol’ Son!” Elias said, almost shouting over the background noise.
“I can hear that. There are a couple parties going on up here tonight as well. I know for a fact there’s one going on at ‘Starlight Cove’,” Ian said referring to the swimming pool that Oly and Julie Laskar built.
“Well, it’s not every day that you get to help return a Star to the heavens! Morale is through the roof down here! That was a nice bit of drama there for a bit, and it scared the hell out of all of us down here, any idea what happened?” Elias asked.
“Actually, I’m putting a commendation on file for each of the five people that got the launch program to work even as well as it did. I think Engineering should receive commendations too. What happened is we were trying to make the ship do something she was never designed to do, and she almost couldn’t do it.”
“Well, you made it, and we’re celebrating it. I sure wish you could join us, but I imagine you’ve had a long day. I just wanted to call and say Congratulations.” Elias said.
“Well, long day or not, I need to at least stop by a couple of those parties, and mingle a bit. You have fun, and have a beer for me!” Ian said.
“Will do, Ian. Have a good night.”
“Same to you, Elias, goodnight,” Ian replied and closed the connection.
Ian, Beth and Jenny did visit the two main parties, and mingle with the crew and their families. The trio received many toasts, and was congratulated by everyone they met. Ian and his girls fell asleep almost as fast as their heads hit the pillows that night. However, Ian did wake in the middle of the night.
As was becoming his custom, he asked the computer to display a view of space, just outside the ship. He was rewarded with a view of the curve of the moon being backlit by light reflected from the Earth. Since the moon phase was three-quarters full, there was also some light from the Sun as well. The stars were brighter than he’d ever seem them; it was a majestically beautiful, awe inspiring, yet serenely peaceful, scene. He got a cup of warm tea, and sat on the couch.
He wasn’t surprised when Beth joined him with her own cup of tea. “Hi sailor, is this seat taken?”
“Yes it is. I’m holding it for the most beautiful woman in the system. Since you fit that description, I must be holding it for you,” Ian replied.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, sir. I just can’t resist a man in uniform,” Beth replied.
“I’m mostly nude, so I guess in order to stand a chance with you; I’ll need to go put my uniform on?”
“No, I’m rather partial to the one you’re currently wearing.”
Ian smirked as he put his arm around her, and she snuggled up to him. “This is becoming a habit for you Ian. Is something wrong?”
“I don’t think so, it’s just really nice to have a few quiet moments amidst the chaos that are the daily operations of the ship. I like this time, because it gives me a chance to relax and think about things,” Ian answered. When he felt her tense a little, he reassured her. “Beth, you’re not intruding. You help me a great deal, and add to the peacefulness I get. You give me a quiet clarity.”
“I’d have thought you got plenty of ‘quiet time’ in your ready room. What’s the difference between there and here other than the hour of the day?”
He took a moment to answer her, since he needed to try to put his feelings into words. “There is a different... feeling to the ship here then there is in my ready room. It’s almost like I can feel that most of the ship is asleep, and the business of the ship has paused while we recharge ourselves. Besides, we have more comfortable furniture down here.” He grinned at her. “Not to mention that my ready room doesn’t have you.” He kissed her forehead.
She sighed in contentment and love for her husband. She was finding, more and more, how much happier she was now.
“So,” she said, changing the topic. “Now that we got the ship off the moon and back into space, what’s next?”
He sighed deeply. “Building the research base on the moon, and protecting the system. Shortly after Talena landed, half of our centurions were launched to begin week long outer system, and far side patrols. Kyle, Tara and Stephanie have been assigned to the inner system/solar far side patrols in one of the centurions. Their first task though, is to drop more probes into orbit around the planet to hopefully monitor enemy traffic. Then, once their week is over, they are to return to Talos for their first tour.
“Once we were sure we weren’t going to be attacked. Star issued a ‘begin task’ order to the two hundred construction drones we left on the lunar surface. The plans for the first and second stages have been loaded into their memories for the last week,” he finished.
“I didn’t even know that Dr. Punjab had come aboard!” Beth asked.
“He didn’t. Remember I told you that the eggs down at Talos were getting anxious to get moved up to the moon, or as they call it; Selene?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, I guess in order to pass the time, they got together, and hashed out a design for the base. Well, the basic design anyway. Paula Nelson has been studying designing and building space stations and facilities, so Dr. Punjab asked her to take a look at it. I guess the eggs, in there exuberance, forgot to design any amenities... like residences or apartments, among other things.
“Anyway, Paula got so excited that she invited some of her friends over, and they added all the stuff that the eggs forgot. It tripled in size just from that! Once the architects got all the information from Dr. Punjab, Elias, Luke, and I, they went back to work and kicked out a design that was so massive, it needs to be built in stages because the drone memory isn’t large enough to hold the whole design.”
Seeing how animated he was she relaxed a bit. “So nothing’s really worrying you then. I was afraid there was.”
Ian snorted softly. “Well; no more then what usually has me worried, being attacked, and not being able to stop them. Of course, there is also the almost as bad nightmare of the government discovering us.” He sighed again. “At least now I can stop worrying about the ship.”
Beth was quiet then, and Ian just held her, and looked at the star-scape and the moon. After a few long quiet moments, he looked down and saw that she was asleep against him. He smiled at her, lifted her into his arms as he stood, and carried her back to their bedroom. He sat her down beside Talena and the two instantly cuddled together. Ian briefly looked at all of the angels sleeping before him. This time his sigh was one of contentment as he climbed in behind Beth.
Epilogue
A month and a half later, construction was still ongoing in the huge lunar facility, but that was far from this silent, glass walled room, built right on the lunar surface and up against a small cliff. The large room was enclosed in super-strong plas-glass. There were numerous comfortable benches both facing the serene lunar surface, and facing the wall. This place had been named ‘The Hall of Names’, because on the flattened and polished surface of the lunar rock, the names and places of birth of the fallen were inscribed. A trick of the design helped to dampen noise, and in the center of the hall, on a small pedestal, a holographic flame burned in remembrance.
Ian had this room added to the lunar facility in the spot where the nose of the ship had come to rest, because of a promise he’d made to himself and to Talena. As the new Commander, Ian felt a sense of duty to his predecessor, and the former crew.
“Ladies and Gentleman, this is The Hall of Names; it is meant to be a place of restfulness, and peace. On the rock wall behind me are the names, ages and places of birth, of all the members of the former crew of Olympus save for one. She is here with us today to say her farewells to friends and family.
“Although the fallen crew is unknown to most of us, we need to remember, a good share of us have a few of these as ancestors. It is my hope that by placing their names here, they won’t be forgotten. If you touch one of the names, a small hologram of the person will be briefly displayed.
“After surviving the attack, and crashing here on this spot, those still alive witnessed the end of their race. I believe that it is a testimony to those few people that instead of simply lying down and joining their brethren; they abandoned the ship to try to save something of their race.
“We are here today because of them. We are reclaiming the heritage left for us by them. We are taking control of our own destinies because of them. Though there are some that would argue the merits of reclaiming all of this, these people,” he gestured to the wall behind him. “Deserve to be remembered, and to be honored. I ask that all of you to please join me in a moment of quiet reflection in honor of those on this wall.” He bowed his head, as did most of those present.
“In our honor to them, we must also look to the future. We need more information, and more people. Only the first part of this story has been written. Now, it’
s up to us and our children to write the rest. Thank you, thank you all.”
The old being sat with its fellows quietly enjoying the evenings repast and discussing the issues facing them. It was about to begin to chastise Praetor Dren for the decline in the slave population. It was sure that Dren would just whine again about sterile females, and needing more ‘fresh blood’. The Grand Praetor hated whiners with a passion, and not for the first time did it wish they weren’t related. It was illegal to kill a member of your own house without full council approval; which was unlikely to happen since the whining imbecile in question was on the damn council.
Taking a defensive posture, the Grand Praetor prepared to defend the decision against the outright invasion of the only surviving human world. As it drew in the breath for the first volley, its assistant announced a message had arrived for the council.
The old being directed it to the big view screen on the wall so they all could watch it.
“It is by your leave that I intrude upon your time to deliver news most urgent. Two of our freighter captains that have returned from the human planet have reported Talosian shuttle craft flying back and forth from the planet to the only moon.” The smaller being on the screen held up two of its hands in a gesture of supplication. “I admit we have observed this before, and we were directed to ignore it, however, the shuttle flights seem to be increasing, and there are rumors of a small Talosian outpost on the planet. We have not investigated the moon as per your directions. We anxiously await your commands, your faithful servant, Calsith, director of shipping.”
The old being rocked back on its stool. Calsith was indeed a faithful servant of the council, and one that didn’t lean to exaggeration. If anything he probably understated the reports. It needed further investigation. Perhaps if he can convince the rest of the council to send someone to investigate, he could send Dren, it was just reckless enough to make mistakes. Perhaps the humans would kill the idiot, then some being less... whiny could be appointed to replace Dren.