Space Armada

by Harp Truman

  Keller looked out the window. Men were working on the new and improved ion cores the armada had ordered for the convoy ships.

  “How are the new cores doing in trials?” Keller asked.

  “Better than we expected. Tests show they’re outperforming every model. That should make somebody back on Earth very happy.”

  Keller got up and pushed in his chair.

  “I’ll see you in the morning? I’ve got a few things to figure out.”

  “Like what?” the governor said.

  “Like how we’re going to survive six years out there.”

  Eight

  Huck sat up in bed, pulled wires out of his arms, and scraped the nanobots off his body. The door opened to reveal a petite nurse in a white coat with a medboard. She looked startled.

  “I’m sorry sir, but what are you doing?”

  Huck flung his jacket over his bare torso and grimaced at the pain.

  “I’m getting out of here,” he said.

  The nurse checked her medboard as if looking for an answer to his behavior.

  “Sir, you’re not ready to leave. The nanobots haven’t finished healing your wounds.”

  “I think I’ll take my chances,” Huck said, slowly buttoning up his jacket. “Is there anything I’ve got to sign or put my fingerprint on?”

  The nurse still couldn’t understand why he was in such a hurry to leave.

  “Sir, I strongly recommend more rest. You don’t have to be back to work for another two weeks if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “I’ve got work to do but it isn’t piloting. I’ve got to check on my girl, make sure she’s okay,” Huck said.

  “Oh,” the nurse said, looking a little embarrassed. “You mean your girlfriend with the purple eyes? She was just here but you were sleeping.”

  Huck didn’t know what to say.

  “She’s not my girlfriend. I mean … I care about her but … um, she was here?”

  The nurse nodded.

  Huck smiled to himself and started to make for the door.

  “She didn’t want to wake you. She really cares about you,” the nurse said.

  Huck stopped and turned back to the nurse.

  “I know,” he said. “I care about her too.”

  He made his way out of the medical center and down to the storage bay where his cruiser was. When he saw it, his heart dropped. He ran his fingers across the craft.

  “Hey girl, how are you doing?” he said to the ship, inspecting the damage with a look of sorrow on his face. The craft had been laid to rest. It had been damaged badly by the phaser and it was clear it wouldn’t be taking to the skies any time soon.

  Keller appeared behind Huck and when he spoke, Huck jumped.

  “Sorry,” Keller said. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I went to check on you in the hospital but they said you’d checked yourself out. I figured you’d be here.”

  “I thought there might be something I could salvage but she’s gone. Not even my father could fix this,” Huck said.

  “Is that what he said when he saw it?” Keller asked.

  “He’s not around anymore.”

  Keller looked down, sorry he had brought it up. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. At least he taught me everything he knew,” Huck said, leaning back against the craft.

  Keller looked over the craft, clearly impressed.

  “I didn’t even know it was possible to put an ion core in a craft this small,” Keller said.

  Huck followed Keller’s eyes to the core.

  “Yeah, it was pretty difficult. I didn’t think the old girl would take it at first, but she flies beautifully.”

  Keller bent down to have a closer look.

  “That settles it,” Keller said.

  “Settles what?”

  “I want you on the convoy, son. I want you on my ship. I want you to come to Alpha Centauri.”

  Huck didn’t know what to say. He just stood there with his mouth open.

  “I won’t lie to you. It’s going to be dangerous out there. It’s six long years in deep space. But I need someone like you who can do the things you’re capable of,” Keller said.

  Huck started to pace back and forth, trying to weigh the options in his mind.

  “I’ve been dreaming about Earth my whole life, and now you want me to fly even farther away from it?” he said.

  “I offered you Earth. You didn’t take it.”

  Huck ran a tired hand through his hair.

  “Look son. I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but what have you got to lose? There’s nothing for you here. You know that. Opportunities like this don’t come along every day, you know.”

  Huck sighed.

  “Can I think about it?”

  “I’d love to give you some time, son, but I need an answer. We’re pulling out soon and there are people back on earth who need to start vetting your file.”

  “So you want an answer right now?”

  “Preferably,” Keller said.

  Huck looked around the bay. Io Station wasn’t much, but it was the only home he’d ever known. He looked at his craft, his pride and joy, damaged beyond repair.

  “Okay,” he said to Keller.

  “Okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine?” Keller said, not sure what Huck meant.

  “I’ll do it.”

  “You will?” Keller said.

  “Yeah. But on one condition.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “Fern gets to come with me. You’ve got to find a job for her too.”

  “Your girlfriend?”

  “No, why does everyone keep saying that? She’s not my girlfriend. But yes, a job for her.”

  Keller looked at him and smiled.

  Nine

  Fern cleaned some beer glasses and stocked the fridges. The bar was empty except for a few workers drinking away the rest of the day. Two guys approached her. One of them was a blonde man, decent looking, but with horrible crooked teeth. The other didn’t say much, he just stared at Fern like she was going to turn into a frog at any moment. The blonde man sat at the bar while the starer stood and waited to see what would happen. Fern slipped over to them with a smile.

  “Hey guys, what are you having?” she said.

  The blonde shot her a grin, flashing his ugly teeth.

  “I was hoping you,” he said.

  Fern looked him up and down, wondering to herself why anybody would think a line like that would work. Especially coming from a person as unattractive as he was.

  “I don’t know. I would, but there’s just one problem,” Fern said with a sad look.

  The blonde guy leaned in, thinking he had a chance.

  “Whatever it is, I can solve it,” he said.

  “I would love to go out with you but…” Fern said, making the guy wait.

  “Yes?

  “I don’t date assholes,” she said.

  Then she was off collecting glasses and ignoring the dumbfounded looks on their faces.

  She continued her work and was wiping up the bar when somebody tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, thinking it was the two idiots from before. But it wasn’t. It was an officer from the frigate. Immediately her heart sank.

  “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you,” the officer said.

  “No, no it’s fine,” Fern said with a huge lump in her throat.

  She was terrified the officer was here to give her some bad news about Huck’s injuries.

  “You’re Fern right? I’ve been told to come find you.”

  Fern gripped her cloth tightly in her hand, expecting the worst news.

  “What’s this about? Please tell me Huck is okay.”

  The officer put his hands up in a calming fashion.

  “Huck is fine. He was released from hospital.”

  Fern was relieved at first, but then she got a little angry and crossed her arms.

  �
�What?” she said.

  “Is that not the news you wanted to hear?”

  “Of course it is. I just thought he would have told me himself. He probably ran off to check on his cruiser before coming to find me. Anyway, if Huck’s okay then why are you here?”

  “I’m here for you, Fern. There are some people who would like to speak to you.”

  Fern looked at him.

  “Speak to me? What for?”

  “You’ll find out when you get there.”

  Fern didn’t know what to say to that. She put down her cloth and told the other bartender she’d be right back. Then she followed the officer in his smart armada uniform as he led her to the control tower. He brought her to the door of an important looking office, knocked twice on the door, and then walked away.

  The door opened abruptly to reveal Commander Keller and an entire room full of people from Earth. Fern was gobsmacked. She’d never seen so many earthborn before in her life, let alone in the same room. They all looked perfect, like magazine cover perfect, with clear skin, chiseled features, immaculate hair, and toned healthy bodies.

  Fern had never felt so inadequate as she walked in, smiling and saying hello to everybody. It was daunting to be around people who appeared so superior to her.

  Keller beamed at her and started to introduce her to everyone.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to meet Fern. She works in the bar here on Io Station and from what I can tell, she is one of the most talented mixologists in the entire solar system.”

  Fern started to blush. She’d never heard anybody speak so highly of her before. One of the ladies, Moira, started to speak. She was a middle aged woman with a red dress and pronounced earthborn accent. She sounded like someone out of a period drama.

  “Please, sit” Moira said and pointed to the seat next to her.

  Fern walked over and sat down awkwardly.

  “Do you like Io Station?” Moria said.

  Fern shifted in her seat, not sure what she was supposed to say.

  “It’s okay. I mean it’s home, right?”

  “And where was your home before? I hear you were a scrubber?” Moira said.

  Fern wasn’t sure she liked Moira’s tone. There was something about the way she said scrubber that sounded disapproving. As if she was afraid the word would sully her perfect, earthborn mouth.

  “Yeah. I grew up in the hub,” Fern said.

  “Your family is still there?”

  Fern took a deep breath and forced herself not to show any emotion.

  “No. I lost my family in the riots. The other scrubber kids became my family,” Fern said with a few tears in her eyes.

  Moira touched her gently on the shoulder.

  “We want you to come work for us on the frigate,” she said. “We need a bartender of your caliber and it would give you the chance to extend your family.”

  Fern didn’t know what to say. She looked around the room expecting them all to burst out laughing at any moment and reveal it was all a big joke.

  “But Io is my home,” she said. “I can’t just leave.”

  The others in the room looked to Keller. No one had expected her to refuse the offer to work for something so prestigious. She was just a scrubber from Io after all.

  Commander Keller came over to her.

  “Fern, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?” he said. “In my office, if that’s all right?”

  Fern got up and followed Keller to his office. He closed the door gently behind them.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say what you wanted to hear,” Fern said.

  Keller brushed away her apology.

  “Don’t be silly. It’s important you say what you’re feeling,” he said.

  “I just don’t want to leave people behind, you know?” Fern said.

  Keller looked at her as if he understood.

  “You mean Huck? You don’t want to leave him behind?”

  Fern shrugged.

  “I guess so.”

  “You both really don’t like leaving each other behind, do you?” Keller remarked.

  “What do you mean?” Fern said.

  “How do you think you got to Io Station?” Keller said.

  Fern shook her head slowly, trying to understand.

  “I mean, it’s not easy for a scrubber to get a job here, is it?”

  Fern shook her head. “What are you talking about?” she said.

  “It was Huck, Fern. They needed his flight skills, but he wouldn’t accept a position on the station unless you got one too.”

  Fern felt tears fill her eyes. “I never knew that.”

  “And he’s doing it again now,” Keller said.

  “You mean he’s the reason this is happening?”

  “I offered him a job on the convoy. He won’t come without you,” Keller said.

  Fern put a hand to her head, trying to process everything she was being told.

  “I always thought it was too lucky how both of us got pulled out of the hub at exactly the same time,” she said.

  Keller looked at her.

  “I’d say the lucky thing is having the kind of bond you two have”.

  Ten

  Huck sat in the lobby of the frigate. Everything around him was pure elegance, the bar, the food, the decor. He was especially fascinated with a huge chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room with huge shards of rare crystal. He’d ordered two drinks from the bar and he sat and nursed his while waiting for Fern.

  They’d just spent the last day saying goodbye to their friends. He would miss them. He’d never seen Bee cry before, and Gentle Ace looked heartbroken until Huck told him he’d taken the liberty of asking Estel out on his behalf. She’d said yes. They were true friends and he loved them like family, but he knew he was making the right decision. He couldn’t spend his whole life on Io Station, and he knew Fern couldn’t either.

  He was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Fern slip into the seat beside him. When he turned to look she took his breath away.

  She looked stunning.

  She was dressed in a sky blue dress that hugged a figure he wasn’t used to seeing under her baggy work clothes. Her hair was freshly cut and washed and she was wearing an intoxicating perfume. Huck could only stare while Fern smiled awkwardly.

  “You can stop staring now,” she teased.

  She had sky blue dolphin earrings that matched her dress and waved in the air every time her head moved.

  “I’m sorry, you just ... you look perfect,” Huck said.

  Fern smoothed down her dress, admiring the quality.

  “I don’t even know how they knew my size,” she said.

  “Well it looks great on you. I mean, I prefer your scrubber suit but,” Huck said, but didn’t get a chance to finish before Fern hit him playfully.

  She sipped her drink, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

  “It’s a little weird, don’t you think?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, they don’t do the best drinks here. Maybe you should help them out,” he said.

  “No, you idiot. I’m talking about leaving everyone behind,” she said.

  Together, they looked out the huge window to see Io Station fading into the distance.

  “It’s sad. But maybe goodbye doesn’t have to be forever,” Huck said.

  “So why does it feel like that?” Fern said.

  She took another sip of her drink.

  “Hey, you gotta stop thinking like that. We were given a chance and we took it.”

  “Actually, you were given a chance. I’m just the extra baggage along for the ride.”

  Huck took her by the hand. She closed her hand over his and squeezed him tightly.

  “You are not baggage. You are the entire reason we’re doing this,” Huck said.

  For a moment they looked at each other. Huck was wondering what it would feel like to put his lips on hers. He was about to kiss her, their first kiss, and he knew it would change th
eir entire lives even more profoundly than the fact they were leaving Io, but just as he began to lean forward, Fern burst out laughing.

  “Look at us,” she said, running her hands over her new dress. “Aren’t we getting dramatic! This is an amazing opportunity. I promise I’ll make the most of it.”

  Huck straightened up, relieved she hadn’t noticed what he was about to do, and clinked his glass against hers.

  “I’ll drink to that,” he said.

  “Cheers,” Fern said.

  Huck cleared his throat. “I’m serious though,” he said. “I could never take on this mission without you, Fern. It means everything that you’re here too.”

  Fern smiled and wiped a hair away from her eye.

  Huck had an idea. He got up and took a surprised Fern by the hand and led her to a small dance floor. Together they slow danced. Fern leaned her head on his chest and he couldn’t help but breathe in the scent of her. The music wasn’t particularly slow. Huck and Fern naturally fell into a rhythm.

  Their moment was interrupted by a frigate staff member who approached them.

  He came over, dressed in a swanky waistcoat with slick hair that made him look like a wax figure.

  “Would you two please follow me?” he said.

  Huck looked from him back to Fern and sighed.

  They were led to their quarters which were in one of the best parts of the ship. All the hallways were walled with glass that showed off the most breathtaking views of the cosmos all the time.

  There was something calming about staring out at the stars and knowing that everything was connected. As it turned out, Huck and Fern had been put in rooms right next to each other. The worker gave them their room keys and scuttled off, aware that he’d interrupted something between them.

  Huck opened his room first and Fern followed him in. The room was nothing like what they were used to back on Io. There was a large, king size bed with fresh silk sheets and lily white towels laid on top. On the wall across from the bed was a hologram TV with a virtual pad to control it. All the best entertainment hardware was provided. The bathroom was off the bedroom and where an entire wall should have been, there was a large window that looked out into space. The view was mesmerizing.