"No. As one of my colleagues points out, you are missing a critical piece of information. For many centuries, humans have had the technology to re-birth your elite. The deceased child you see on the floor is the Thomas Anino from your histories," he said.
Two major revelations in as many minutes sent my mind reeling with the implications. A small voice of reason broke through the fog, 'Stay in the moment, Cap.' I heard Marny just as clearly as if she were sitting next to me. She was right, people depended on me and I needed to put all this aside and compartmentalize it for now.
"Why would he die for quantum communication crystals?" I asked.
"Three hundred stans previous, NaGEK - through their newly formed company, Belirand - launched ninety-three exploratory missions. Each of these missions was abandoned during the first two centuries of exploration due to failure in mission parameters. In each mission, a quantum communication crystal was sent along with the mission team. These are the matching twin crystals for those missions and are humanity's only remaining link to those explorations," Jonathan said. "Master Anino gave his life not just to preserve these crystals, but to deliver them to you, Master Hoffen."
"Me?" I asked.
"Yes. He chose you because he believed that you, above anyone he'd ever come across in all of his lifetimes, would risk everything to rescue these people - human beings whom the governments of four of Earth's greatest nations had abandoned."
"That's crazy."
"If by crazy, you mean the probability of success is very low, we completely agree."
"Gee, thanks," I said.
"We don't mean to offend. Rather, we agree with Master Anino's assessment."
"Is there any way you could refer to yourself in the singular?" I asked.
"Really?" Tabby asked in disbelief.
"What?"
"You're talking to a sentient being with more than a thousand unique consciousnesses, who just told you that you're in charge of undoing the greatest human secret of the last three centuries and the thing you're bothered by is their use of the 'royal we' when referring to themselves?" Tabby enunciated 'royal we' with exaggerated air-quotes.
"What can I say? It bugs me," I said. I got her point, but I wasn't about to admit to it.
"Thank you, Miss Masters," Jonathan said.
"For what?"
"Recognizing us as individuals and singular, both. You have a fine mind for parsing complexity," Jonathan said.
"You're welcome. And thank you."
"What is your part in this, Jonathan? And, am I talking to the same consciousness every time or are you switching it up on me?" I asked.
Tabby shook her head. "Stay on target, big fella."
"Fine. Forget that for now. I guess I need to understand your part in this. Why would you help Anino?"
"Our reasons are complex and would require a significant amount of time to communicate. Several of us feel the following explanation might suffice. As a whole, our sentience lacks what Master Anino refers to as creative spark. His own creative spark drew us to him, originally. You and your crew possess not only a creative spark, but you act in the best interest of not just your group, but others. For example, with little more than a communication from Captain LeGrande, your crew ignored the threat to themselves and embarked on a rescue mission for the crew of Cape of Good Hope. In short, many of us find you intriguing," he said.
"So you want to study us?" I asked.
"Yes. That is one reasonable interpretation," he said. "I would add an ancillary interpretation. We strongly value humankind and seek to facilitate its long-term survival."
"By helping us?"
"Yes."
I shook my head in disbelief. It was definitely time to compartmentalize this whole conversation, otherwise my head might just explode.
"I'll have to take it up with the rest of the crew. For now, I need to get back to Cape of Good Hope and see what needs to be done. Will you join us, or are you looking to remain anonymous?"
"We only exposed our identity to you because transition to our new host body required your help. We do not believe it is in our best interest to be widely exposed to humans," he said.
"Fine. I'll need you to collect the communication crystals while we sort out the mess we're in." I said as Tabby and I dragged a body bag over to Anino's body.
"Very well, Master Hoffen." I was getting tired of the title and thought about correcting him, but I just didn't have the energy.
"One more thing," he said. "I'd like to start performing repairs on Hotspur and request your permission to interface with the ship's various systems. Master Anino thoughtfully included a substantial repair facility in the cargo we brought aboard."
"We had some bad experiences with people we don't know very well mucking about with our systems. How about if I give you the same access I give to the shipyard technicians?"
"That will be more than sufficient. We hope you will grow to trust us through our actions," he said.
One thing we'd learned was that carrying body bags on board was essential. They were distasteful to manufacture and look at, but the alternative was a lot worse. If we were to allow Anino's body to thaw, it would be a real mess. I looked down at his young face and considered that some part of him was several centuries old.
"We'll hold a service for him when we are able to assemble the crew," I said to Tabby as we lifted his small body into the black bag. Death was a constant in my life and something I had difficulty reconciling. What did it really mean to die? I had no idea. What I did know was that it sucked. Nothing else I'd ever been exposed to had the same permanence and impact on people around me.
"Are you doing okay?" Tabby placed her hand on my shoulder and made eye contact.
"Not real sure what okay looks like. I have to say, I'm feeling lost at the moment," I said.
"Talk to me."
"Is this what it's all about? In the end, people you barely know zip you into a black bag and drop you out of an airlock?" I asked. I didn't care if she saw the tears on my cheeks this time.
She pulled me in for a hug. "You can't look at it that way. Think about what he did with his life. If you ask me, his death was more heroic than his life. He risked everything because he believed that he had to make things right. To me, that's inspiring. That's how I want to go out."
"You're right. It's just so hard when you see the price," I said.
"Yup. Now, we need to get over to Cape and see about the living. We've some big problems to solve," she said.
We finished closing up the body bag and carried it to the hold's forward pressure barrier. As I looked back, I watched Jonathan carefully picking up the communication crystals and placing them into a pouch.
We turned to the starboard and exited the exterior hatch we'd left open, only a pressure barrier separating us from space. The loading bay we'd used for triage on Cape was empty when we arrived, although a moment after we touched down, two thin Marines entered the bay and looked questioningly at us.
"Our crew. Where are they?" I asked.
"This way, Captain Hoffen," the taller of the two said.
As I lowered the hood on my vac-suit, my nose was assaulted with moist, fetid air. The folks inside Cape of Good Hope were living with extremely poor air quality and it brought to mind how tenuous our situation was.
"What are your names?" I asked the Marines as we walked down the brightly lit corridor of the proud ship.
"I'm Vass and this is Balla," the tall Marine said, introducing the other, a female.
"Liam and Tabby," I said.
"Good to meet you, although we already know your names. Is it true that the only jump ship was destroyed and we're still stranded?" Balla asked.
"Stow it, Balla," Vass said.
"Or what? No jump and we're all dead either way," she said.
I wasn't about to get into it with them and we remained quiet. I feared it was just as Balla was saying.
Balla continued, "See. They've got nothing. You can bet if it was good
news, we'd know already."
"Here we are," Vass said when we arrived at the medical bay.
"Thank you," I said, earning me a glare from Balla.
Once the door closed, Tabby turned to me, "She's right, you know."
"One thing at a time," I said, as we were approached by a medical technician.
He gestured to another room. "They're in here."
I sighed in relief as we entered the room where Ada and Nick were seated. Next to them was a conscious Marny, face down on a hospital cot.
"Look at all of you, up and at 'em," I said, trying to keep things light.
Ada met us as we crossed the room and hugged me tightly.
"Sorry about Anino," Nick said.
"How'd you know about that?" I asked.
"I've been talking with Jonathan," he said.
I looked at him, inspecting his face for a sign of how much he understood. I'd spent most of my life reading his face and I realized immediately that he knew as much as I did about Jonathan.
"Marny?" I asked.
"Right here, Cap," she said. Her voice was higher than usual and her words slightly slurred.
I picked up her hand and looked into her eyes and wasn't surprised to see dilated pupils. "Looks like they've got you pretty well doped up. Your back?"
Nick answered for her. "Yes. Her back was in bad shape. We were fortunate there was a surgeon on board, along with very high quality facilities."
"Out of bed in a couple of days and good as new next week, though," she slurred. A quick look to Nick confirmed that she was at least mostly right.
"Do you remember much of what happened?" I asked, looking at Nick.
"Some, although the whole thing feels off to me," he said. "I can't come up with a scenario where Fist of Justice doesn't follow us here. Anino was too smart for that. It's like he wanted the confrontation. I just can't work out why."
"And why would they have a replacement for Jonathan, and then put it onto Hotspur at the last moment?" Tabby asked.
"Replacement? What?" Ada asked. I leaned over to Ada and quietly explained what we'd learned about Jonathan while Tabby continued.
"Dropped nearly a hundred cubic meters of crates on Hotspur just as we were loading up for combat," Tabby said. "Then bolted out of there like they were on fire."
"Attention on deck," we heard from the adjoining room.
It got our attention and we turned to watch Captain LeGrande walk through the door, accompanied by a Marine carrying a blaster rifle. It was the first weapon I'd seen and wondered if she'd been having difficulty maintaining discipline.
"Welcome aboard, Captain Hoffen, Miss Masters," LeGrande held out her hand and we both shook in turn. "Your supplies couldn't have been timelier."
"Atmo has a pretty funky smell, Captain. I wonder if we want to try running things through Hotspur," I said.
"Engineer Rastof has been beating my door down wanting to talk to you about it. He's worked out a plan to do just that," she said.
"We're leaking atmo from our bridge, we'll need to patch that first. Our engineer is working on it right now," I said. Nick gave me his upraised eyebrow in response.
"How bad is she?" Nick asked.
"Starboard engine is damaged, not sure how bad yet. We were holed through the bridge, big enough that Tabby and I used it as an exit. Engineering and gunny station were completely obliterated all the way down to the tween deck. If anyone had been sitting there, they wouldn't have made it," I said.
"Rastof will help get you patched up and I'll be glad to keep the crew busy. Who should he coordinate with?" LeGrande asked.
"Have Rastof meet me on Hotspur in forty-five minutes," Nick said. "We'll meet with our engineer and make plans from there."
LeGrande paused, typed on a virtual keyboard and looked up. "I have to ask the question that's burning in the mind of every one of my crew. Is there any reason for hope for a rescue now that the Mastodon destroyed?"
I started to answer when Nick cut me off. "Yes, Captain. We have reason for hope."
I turned and raised my eyebrows.
"We have a lot to talk through, though. Is this room secure?" Nick asked.
"Davi, secure the room and see that no one enters." Captain LeGrande looked at the guard who was standing next to the door.
He turned on his heel and exited the room, sliding the door closed behind him.
"What's on your mind, Mr. James," she asked.
"We have a fold-space generator on Hotspur. It will require repair and calibration, however," Nick said. "The more pressing issue is that Tullas has threatened to hunt down your crew if we drop them anywhere in the known universe."
"I can confirm this," LeGrande said.
"Have you shared it with your crew?" I asked.
"It would lead to mutiny," LeGrande said.
Gestalt. I've only experienced a flash of brilliance a few times in my life. At that moment an idea hit me so strongly I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning. "What if we found you a new home?" I asked.
The whole room turned and looked at me like I was a complete nutter.
"What are you talking about?" LeGrande asked.
Tabby was right there with me. "He's right. We have the location of all of Belirand's failed missions."
"How does that help?" LeGrande asked.
"Captain, will you really go home, given the risk to your crew and their families?" I asked.
"Some will want to."
Tabby tipped her head to the side, accepting the Captain's words. It was a rhetorical statement we all knew would have to be dealt with.
"What you need is a new home, a place where you can safely live without fear of reprisals from Tullas and Belirand. What if we found a suitable place for your crew to make a new life? Wouldn't that be better than being hunted for the rest of your days?"
"It's a tough sell, Captain. Most of my crew have families they're not going to want to leave behind," LeGrande said.
"Surely that's better than getting your families killed," I said.
"That's not how they'll see it," she said tersely.
"Well…" I was getting annoyed. It was the obvious solution and I hadn't expected LeGrande to be so resistant.
"Hold on," Tabby said. "You're both so far down the path of 'if' it's ridiculous. We need to focus on the here and now." She'd placed herself physically between LeGrande and me. I suppressed a grin, it was usually my job to get between her and someone else.
For a tense few moments, LeGrande and I stared at each other and she finally broke the silence.
"You're right. No sense killing the messenger. What do you need from me?" she asked.
"Equilibrium," Nick said. "We clean the air on Cape and return Hotspur to operational status. At that point you and your crew have a decision to make. We'll drop you anywhere you ask, but you'll have to accept the consequences. You know better than I what Belirand is willing to do."
LESSONS FROM THE PAST
Yishuv Settlement, Planet Ophir
"Why have you brought an apprentice engineer to our meeting, Eliora?" Captain Gian asked.
"Merrie has two new inventions," she responded. "I believe they are of enough significant tactical importance to require your immediate attention."
Gian considered the two women. They couldn't be more different. Eliora - willowy, severe, and sharp as a knife. Over the last few months, she'd grown into her role as a leader among the protectors. Merrie, on the other hand, was shapely, with soft hands and a quick smile though no less confident. Each woman was deadly in her own way; one with her martial skills, the other with her mind.
He nodded. "I assume it will wait until we finish our normal business?"
"Yes, Captain," Eliora agreed.
"I would be happy to wait outside," Merrie said, smiling cheerfully.
"That won't be necessary. Shem, you're up first." Gian looked at his second in command.
"Yes, Captain," Shem said, more formally than was usual. "As you know, we're re
ceiving more reports of brief encounters with Ophie. It appears they are surveilling our movements. Also, along the same lines, Eliora will report today that her patrol was met by an ambush. Both of these behaviors are highly unusual for the Ophie."
"Anything else unusual?" Gian asked.
"Yes. We've had several Ophie sightings at the edge of the forest, just past the front gate," Shem replied. "They don't advance, but stand in the open for a short period. They're doing the same near the fields. It is hard on the farmers, so much so that we've moved the blaster cannon to that gate," he said.
"That is unusual," Gian said. "Recommendations?"
"I've already upped the patrols around the edges of the fields. But I recommend cutting the forest back to create a dead zone for one hundred meters in all directions," Shem said. "It would give us much better warning when the Ophie did advance."
Merrie started fidgeting and coughed but then looked back to the table.
"Engineer Merrie, do you have something to add to this?"
"Yes and no. Shem's reference to a dead zone gave me an idea. If you were to declare a dead zone, I could install audible alarms - like really, really loud ones - so the farmers wouldn't ever be surprised," she said.
"How would your alarms distinguish between Ophie, people, and wild animals?" Shem asked.
"Not sure. But, where there's a will, there's a way," she said. "Would you like me to research it?"
Gian looked to Shem and Eliora in turn who both nodded assent.
"Yes, that is a good idea. As for moving the forest back, Shem, I will make this request of the council. Did you have anything else?" Gian looked to Shem.
"No, Captain, although I believe Eliora's report will be most interesting," Shem said.
"Very well. Eliora, I understand your citizen patrol ran into its first test," Gian said.
"As Shem alluded, my patrol was ambushed by a full pod of Ophies…"
"You had eight in your patrol?" Shem interrupted.
"Yes," Eliora answered and continued, unperturbed. "We were walking a path we'd established over the last few tendays. A pair of Ophie were sighted just off the path, perhaps thirty meters ahead, so we held up. It was only moments after we stopped that the remaining three jumped our patrol from behind. Popette and Melifan didn't even have time to draw their weapons."
A Matter of Honor (Privateer Tales Book 9) Page 16