That got her some cheers and smatters of applause.
"But for now, it's time to go home. We've got just about enough supplies to get us there, so no more detours, OK?"
More laughter.
"I just wanted to say thanks, and that I expect a quiet trip home, so get some rest, play some games, whatever. Keep your eyes open, but I think we can stand easy for these next three weeks."
"Thank you, Commander," came a voice from the crew.
She smiled.
"Well, you're welcome. But don't forget that it's you that do all the work. I feel more like an orchestra conductor sometimes than a captain. If I cue you in at the right time, I know I can count on you all to make great music."
She took one last glance around.
"OK, dismissed. Now, how the hell do I get down?"
As she was saying those words, Jack Ballard began his shift at the Conn, ordering the Nav watch to move the ship out of orbit and proceed to Earth, best speed. It was an order fraught with mixed emotions for him. There was so much more to learn here, but they didn't have the right gear, the right expertise, and they certainly didn't have the stores to stay even a week more. They were up against a hard deadline, and there really wasn't any choice. Besides, orders were orders, and they followed them faithfully. He watched Big Blue receding in his aft visual display, it shrank rapidly as the Drive went to full power and then they slipped into FTL mode. He flicked off the display and picked up his tablet, the Commander's test prep course software on the top of the stack.
Antares
Enroute Earth from Beta Hydri
Friday, June 17, 2078, 0755 UTC
Antares was well on her way home, and Carol was about to finish a typically uneventful late shift at the Conn. Many felt that the ships could run themselves, and to a great extent they did, but nobody in the Fleet really wanted to just sleep while under FTL. It was better, they all seemed to believe, to have the crew at their stations, ready to handle anything unforeseen,
As was her usual practice, Terri Michael made a circuit of the watch stations before taking the command chair. She made it a look like a leisurely stroll, but in truth, she was checking each station's readiness, staffing, and situational awareness. This was an open secret, but the crew appreciated the informal attention. Still, Carol was surprised when Michael appeared at her side.
"Hansen, you're out of uniform."
Carol gave herself a quick once over but found everything in order.
"Ma'am?"
Terri pulled a set of Senior Lieutenant's bars out of her pocket.
"Stand up, Hansen."
Carol stood as her captain removed the single silver bar from her collar and replaced it with the double bars in her hand.
"Congratulations, Carol," she said quietly in her ear, "You blew away the SLT test, so start studying for the Commander's exam."
Carol nodded slightly, and Michael reached out to shake her hand.
"Carry on, Senior Lieutenant."
"Yes, ma'am, thank you, I sure will."
A moment later, she was a little disappointed with herself for not having anything more profound to say, or even something modestly meaningful. But she was so surprised it was all she could think of. She had a promotion, again ahead of most of her peers. Sure, she'd pretty well aced the Senior Lieutenant Qualifying Exam, and she had more combat time than any of her peers, which counted heavily in the promotion scores. But, she still wondered if she was really all that much better than the other Ensigns and Lieutenants around her. She was skeptical of that, which she knew was healthy, but the promotion system had just ground out one more for her, and she felt good about it.
Antares
Enroute Earth
Friday, June 17, 2078 0021 UTC
Surveillance Chief SLT Ryan Lewis had the overnight watch when the Fleet message arrived.
ROUTINE 207906151200 UTC
TO: ANTARES
FROM: CINC
TOP SECRET
BRIEFING ON YOUR RESULTS SCHEDULED 071120781200UTC AT FLEET INTEL HQ
WITH CINC FLEETOPS INTEL PLANS PIO.
PREPARE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF VISUAL AND OTHER RESULTS OF
YOUR INVESTIGATION, WITH EMPHASIS ON WHAT CAN BE PROVEN AND WHAT
STILL REQUIRES CONFIRMATION.
PREPARE YOUR TEAM'S EVALUATION OF NEXT STEPS TO BE TAKEN AT BIG BLUE
EXPECT EXTENSIVE QUESTIONS ON ACTIONS AND TECHNIQUES USED OR NOT USED
IN ORDER TO FULLY ASSESS RESULTS AND DETERMINE FOLLOW UP ACTIONS.
MEANWHILE, WELL DONE.
DAVENPORT
END
Ryan looked at the message on his monitor. "Oh, that sounds like fun...." he mumbled as the forwarded the message to the officers who would need it most.
Sigma
GL 876
Sunday, June 19, 2078, 1030 UTC
Their target was GL 876, 10.2 light years distance from GL 887. This is another red dwarf with large, close companions. It's about a third the size of GL 887, which they had just left. Before Sigma's arrival, there were four known planets, including a very close, very large terrestrial planet, spinning around the star in less than two days. Tidally locked, the side of GL 876 (d) facing the star is very hot, Venus-like, while the other side, the dark side, is viciously cold. The system is incredibly small by Sol standards, four planets, three gas giants and the large rocky planet, all within a third of an AU of the star - less than the orbital distance of Mercury. Columbia and Soyuz had both already checked GL 876. Len Davis expected yet another routine no-contact visit.
Once again, they came in away from the plane of the system, pausing to examine it passively from a distance. Sigma was closer in this time, only 3 AU away from the star. And David was again working the data, spot-checking their automated review, and watching for anything else that might be interesting. He was keenly aware that this star was about the same distance from Earth as Inor. In his mind, this was a likely place to find evidence of the enemy. He was nervous, and Abe Jackson and Sally Gray could see it.
"Mister Powell, pardon me but what the hell is eating at you?" Abe asked after a few hours of watching David's nervous pacing and finger-tapping.
"Dunno, Abe. Something about this system. I can't shake it."
Sally leaned back from her console.
"You better shake it, or someone is going to be shaking you! You're making me a little nuts."
David laughed it off and promised he'd try not to be so agitated. But something dug at him, and he didn't really know why. It had been five months since the battle of Inor. Maybe, he asked himself, did he just feel that they were overdue for a fight? Columbia, Antares, and Dunkirk had engaged the enemy and won, but so far Sigma had not fired a shot in anger. He decided to take a walk and headed for the Bridge, if for no other reason than to give Abe and Sally a break.
XO Rodriguez gave Lieutenant Boyd his second chance at Weapons, but she also delivered some fairly loud counsel on the treatment of subordinates. If he wanted to progress he had to learn to work with his team. He grudgingly accepted that advice but implemented it by absence. He was almost never in the Intel Section, and Powell was at this point doing Boyd's job and very happy to do so.
The EMR covers were off on the Bridge, and the red star was plain, if small, against the black curtain of the universe. At 3 AU they were too far out to see the terrestrial planet, but David could pick out the two closest gas giants. Again, small from this distance, but obvious against the sky.
Lisa Briggs was also on the Bridge, having just done a status check on her weapons and loaders after some routine maintenance.
"So, out of your hidy-hole Mr. Powell?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, we just need a little natural light once in a while to keep the rickets away."
They shared a smile at the old joke and stood side-by-side behind the Weapons console.
"This system gives me the creeps, Powell," she said quietly.
He looked at her with surprise. "That makes two of us. T
hat's why I came up here - need to shake that feeling."
They stood together, looking out the windows for a full minute before he continued.
"So, what is it? The big rock in close? The small size of the system?"
She shrugged. "I got no clue. I just smell trouble somehow."
"Beautiful, though, don't you think?" he asked.
"Yes. I never really thought much about red dwarfs but they are pleasant to look at. And these planets, so huge and so close. Strange."
"Indeed," he responded, absently, as he looked across the Bridge at the Surveillance console.
Lisa continued to talk about the system, but gradually realized he wasn't listening to her anymore and followed his gaze over to Surveillance, where she could see a white circle on the monitor.
"What the hell?" she said quietly as she started to move.
David was already walking away. She followed. David moved in behind the tech and pointed to the circle.
"What is that?"
"Possible high-reflectance target. Still checking," the tech said without looking up.
"Do we have a long-range scope on it yet?"
The tech shook her head.
"Get a long-range scope on it," he said, firmly.
She looked up at him. "All due respect, Mister Powell, I don't work-"
"Just do it. If Lieutenant Sanders wants to chew my ass later, that's fine."
He turned to the Conn officer.
"Conn, I recommend we go to minimum EMR and inform the Captain."
"Mister Powell, he just went to bed an hour ago. How about the XO?"
David shrugged his agreement and turned back to the Surveillance console. The long-range visual telescope was boring in on the bright object. It was still at the edge of resolution, only a few pixels. Lisa stood next to him, watching.
"Do you think-" she started.
"Can't tell yet," he cut her off.
About this time XO Linda Rodriguez arrived on the Bridge and headed for the gaggle around the Surveillance console.
"OK, so what's up?"
Powell pointed to the main monitor while still looking at the long-range telescope data.
"Can I get spectra on that?" he asked.
The tech nodded and started the process.
"Powell?" Rodriguez called him, finally grabbing his elbow.
"Sorry, Commander. We have a possible high-albedo target on the long-range visual scan. I suggested to the Conn that we go minimum EMR until we know what it is."
She looked over to the Conn officer.
"Conn, set minimum EMR. Weaps - let's preload half Spartans half Lances."
Their beautiful view of the star disappeared as the EMR covers closed over the Bridge windows. Over at the Weaps position Chief Dodson commanded the Fire Control system to load one rotary launcher with defensive Spartans, the other with Lance attack missiles.
"Where are we on the spectra?"
The tech looked over at the results.
"Looks like iron-nickel-carbon, Mr. Powell."
"Motion?"
"Can't tell. There isn't much shift, so it isn't moving very fast relative to us if it's moving at all."
David looked away, thinking. He caught Lisa's eye. She looked frightened as she stared back at him.
"I told you this system gave me the creeps."
David smiled, then turned back to the tech.
"OK, where is this thing, exactly?"
"Maybe a third of the way around to the right. Best I can tell it's outside the orbits of the planets - maybe a half an AU from the star - give or take?"
"So, that makes it say, three and a quarter AU's from here?" Powell asked.
"Sounds right."
John Sanders leaned into the conversation. "It would have to be pretty damn big for us to see it at that range."
Sanders had come up when the tech called him with the contact report. David nodded.
"Yeah...makes me wonder if it's just a big iron asteroid." He turned back to the Surveillance Operator. "How does the albedo compare to what the Liberty data indicates?"
She worked for a few moments.
"Hard to say - best guess is that it's less bright than the ships at Inor. If it's really where I think it is we only see it like one-quarter lit."
"Or," Sanders pointed out, "it is a ship, but we're looking at it ass-on or from the side instead of head-on like Liberty."
"Shit."
David turned again to the Surveillance operator.
"Did this just fade into view or did it appear abruptly? Any IR transients associated with it?"
She ran the data backward, paused, forward slow, back, forwards again, then looked up at the group gathered behind her.
"Faded up, normal for something coming into view. No IR."
"Thanks," Sanders said.
There was an awkward silence as the group thought about the problem. Finally, the XO broke the ice.
"Recommendations?" she asked, looking from Powell to Sanders and back.
Sanders indicated David should go ahead.
"I think it's unlikely this is an enemy object, but I can't say definitively it isn't. Let's hold our orbit, keep our EMR down, and watch this thing for a while and see if it twitches. If we get better imaging, then we should be able to tell one way or the other."
"I agree," added Sanders, "We can probably stand down the Weaps."
Rodriguez shook her head.
"Nope. We're keeping the rotaries ready. How long?"
"Dunno, maybe, twelve hours?"
Rodriguez did not look pleased, but she gave them the time.
"It's not like we have a schedule to meet. But let's keep our guard up and keep looking elsewhere in the system. After twelve hours we'll take a status and decide what to do. I'll brief the Captain when he wakes up."
Sanders headed back to his quarters, Lisa Briggs remained on the Bridge with David. After a few minutes, she leaned over to him, speaking quietly.
"If you scared the crap outta me for no reason Powell I am going to kick your ass."
He looked over at her, holding his expression neutral.
"Does it help if I'm as scared as you are, Lieutenant?"
She smiled a little.
"Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see."
She moved on off the Bridge and headed back to the Weapons area. David remained where he was, watching the long-range telescope's image of the object. It seemed to hold itself just beyond his mind's reach, just outside what he could confidently explain. He watched, hoping for another clue, some change that would tip him off to what it was he was staring at. SLT Jake Fleming arrived on the Bridge during the discussion, then headed back to the Weapons station afterwards. Now, having noticed Powell was still at the Surveillance console, he left the Weaps position and walked over to him.
"Planning to stay the whole twelve hours, Mister Powell?"
David, his mind elsewhere, jumped in surprise at Fleming's question. "Oh, no, sir. Just a little while."
His eyes went back to the display. Fleming considered whether he needed to order Powell off the Bridge for some rest but decided against it.
"OK but don't be here when I take the Conn in 90 minutes."
"Sure, sir. Will do."
The lead tech on duty tonight was Paula Johnson, a second-career crew member, like many of the technical staff. Aside from physical separation, space travel now had few physical demands greater than any other job, so Fleet had become open, even welcoming, to middle-aged individuals who wanted to contribute. Paula had worked in IT while raising a family and then decided, after a tough divorce, to join the Fleet. With her proven technical skills and maturity, she excelled in the surveillance role. On a few ships, spouses served together, but the Fleet's version of the Sullivan Brothers Rule prevented them from serving with their children, which could well have happened otherwise. The crew liked Paula; she was a stable, calming presence on ship and someone to whom the younger crew could look to as an example.
David watc
hed for perhaps 20 minutes. Finally, he leaned down to Paula.
"Watch for changes in the intensity. If it's natural it'll have some rotation, so we'll see a regular cycle in the intensity. Back home Ceres rotates about three times a day. If it moves on its own, sound the alarm."
"Yes, Mister Powell, I was thinking the same thing." she hesitated a second, then spoke again. "Mister Powell, I meant no disrespect before..." She stopped, unsure of how to finish her thought.
"No offense taken. It's true - you don't work for me - but I couldn't afford to wait for Lieutenant Sanders to get up here in case it was closer than I thought. You're doing fine - keep up the good work."
"Yes, sir."
He leaned in closer. "I'm just a warrant - you don't have to call me sir."
She turned to look at him. "When we call you sir, Mister Powell, it has nothing to do with your rank."
She held his eye for just a moment more, then went back to her task. David was left looking at the back of her head, at the point in space where her face had been just before.
"Thank you, Paula," he said quietly.
Without turning her head, she responded, "Just how it is," only loud enough for him to hear.
David left the Bridge and returned to his quarters, entering as quietly as possible so as not to disturb his three sleeping roommates. He laid there for a while, looking at his tablet in the dark. Where is Antares tonight? He wondered. He hoped she was safe.
He thought about Lisa Briggs and how she kept turning up at interesting moments. Setting aside rank, she was an attractive, personable woman with an excellent sense of humor. He liked her very much. She was unattached. She was about his age. In some other quantum universe, he thought, there might be more to that. But, he concluded, not in this one. After more than a year of silence, mostly his own, he knew, he'd finally heard from Carol and she was all he needed. Staring at the ceiling in the dark, he decided to let his friendship with Lisa remain as it was for now, but if she pressed him for more, he'd have to push back. He was never one to hurt anyone's feelings, let alone someone as kind as Lisa, but if necessary it would be the right and merciful thing to do. He drifted off thinking about the sky outside that October window, and how far away it was in both time and space.
Silver Enigma Page 28