"Then you're more delusional than Tullas is," he fired back.
SENTIENT SPECIES
"Well, that was pleasant," Tabby said as we got ready for bed.
"You can see his point. What if Belirand goes after Mom and Dad, or Jack?"
"Then we expose the whole thing. Right now our families are their leverage for remaining quiet," she said. "They don't gain anything by killing innocents."
"I'm not sure I'm okay with going public. What if there really is a big, bad alien threat out there? Do we open up that Pandora's box?" I asked.
"No. It's still not a good enough reason to let forty-five people die."
"You're right…" I said.
"Of course I am," she said as she snaked her leg over my waist and sat up on me. "And, you'd best remember that."
We only slept for eight hours, but it felt like twelve. I'd been completely worn out and I awoke feeling recharged to the strong smell of coffee. A small movement on the bed alerted me to someone's presence. I rolled over and Tabby was sitting there staring at me with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Is that for me?" I asked.
"If you're getting up," she said. "Marny is up and she made rolls."
"Really, she's feeling that good?"
"Apparently."
I got out of bed and pulled on my vac-suit, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee. After running a quick teeth cleanse, I followed her down to the mess, where Marny, Nick and Ada were already seated.
"Morning, Cap," Marny said. "Cinnamon roll?"
"Sure. Are you sure you should be up and at 'em?"
"Aye, Cap. I'm a little tender, but AI says as long as I keep the nanobots doing their thing, I should be good to go."
"As long as you take it easy."
"Do my best, but to be honest, this injury didn't even make my top five list, so you'll excuse me if I'm a bit cavalier about the whole thing," she said.
Motion caught my eye as Jonathan approached from the aft pressure barrier.
"Good morning, Jonathan," I said.
"Good morning, Captain."
"How is the fold-space generator coming along?" I asked.
"It is operational."
"Nick, any word on Cape's O2 scrubbers and algae fields?"
"They came online last night and Jonathan helped them disconnect the air exchange," he said.
"We should probably talk about last night," I said, looking around the table.
"What's to talk about?" Ada asked. "I'm with Tabby. I don't plan to die out here."
"Let's be clear. I don't think Tullas threatened our families. What I remember her saying was she'd hunt down anyone we told," I said.
"I'm not clear on what the big secret is," Ada said. "Everyone already knows about fold-space travel."
"I'm pretty sure the idea that individual ships can go wherever they want is what she's hiding. Belirand wants to control fold-space and they'll kill to keep it that way," I said.
"That and there are sentient aliens. It has been the practice of the North American, German, Europe and Korean alliance - through Belirand - to cut all ties with any system that has intelligent life," Jonathan said.
"Then why abandon Cape of Good Hope? Surely, there are no aliens around here?" I threw out.
"Sentient species might be a better way to say that," he said.
A light bulb clicked on for me. "You didn't originate in our known universe, did you?"
"It is always a joy to watch the intuitive leaps only humankind seems capable of. And, if by known universe, you mean the four solar systems explored by humankind, then that is a correct assessment."
"Was the 'intuitive leap' thing sarcasm?" I asked.
"We don't find sarcasm a particularly useful means of expression. It seems to make conversations difficult, even hostile at times. No, we are sincere when I convey that the human mind is something we very much admire."
"You didn't answer why they had to abandon Cape of Good Hope," Ada said.
Jonathan looked to Ada and smiled. It creeped me out. Did his kind ordinarily smile? Was he just making it up to seem more human?
"The ideas are very closely related. Your people are very curious, to the point of doing themselves harm. If fold-space were to be opened to everyone who could build a ship, then they would start running into sentient species. Most of which have compatible objectives for preserving life. The problem is that many of them don't."
"As in they want to destroy other species? That's terrifying," Ada said. "It still seems cruel to allow people to die, just to keep that secret."
"But, it sure makes more sense," I said. "Tell me, Jonathan, how many intelligent, non-human species are you aware of?"
"Perhaps this isn't the right time," he said.
"More than ten?"
"Don't push him," Nick said. "We need to show Jonathan the same trust they're showing us by exposing themselves. When they're ready, we'll have that conversation."
I looked at Nick and then back to Jonathan. "Fair enough. I meant no harm. Really, I was just curious," I said.
"I think that was his point earlier. We have an old Earth saying," Marny said. "Curiosity killed the cat. Only, I think Jonathan is trying to make sure curiosity doesn't kill us."
"It kind of casts Tullas and Belirand in a different light," Ada said. "We might not like how they're doing things, but it seems like they're not as awful as we originally thought."
"I call bull on that. Tullas tried to kill everyone here," Tabby said. "I'm taking that bitch out first chance I get."
"Not to change the subject or anything, but what do we need to do before we get out of here?" I asked.
"To go where?" Nick asked.
"Right, sorry. To me, it's clear that we need to repair Hotspur before we go much further and we need to bring supplies back for Cape. How many days can we all survive between what we have on Hotspur and Cape?"
"Fifteen days give or take. O2 and water will keep 'em alive longer than that, but most of the food stuff got destroyed," Nick said.
"So, not a lot of time for messing around," I said. "How about navigation systems? They took a pretty big hit."
"Rastof helped us manufacture basic units. We'll have to buy new ones when we get back in system, but what we have will get us somewhere for real repairs," he said.
"Are we going to have enough credits?" I asked.
"It'll be close," Nick said.
"I believe if you check your contract with Master Anino, you will find a clause that covers damage to your ship," Jonathan said.
"I'm not sure how valid that is with Anino being deceased," I said.
"It's valid, but I'd expect Anino's estate to be tied up," Nick said.
"I have sufficient standing in his companies to move the appropriate funds," Jonathan said. "Master Anino anticipated this possibility and made preparations for it. You should know he has granted Loose Nuts the exclusive use of his residences on Curie while under contract."
"Residences, as in the dome under the Radium Sea?" Ada asked.
"There are several, but that is one of them. Its security profile is well suited to your current needs."
"How about Lèger Gros?" I asked.
"Are you thinking Meerkat Shipyard?" Nick asked.
I nodded and looked to Jonathan.
"We do not specifically own any residences on Lèger Gros, but it is possible to make arrangements," he said.
"I think it's time to finish our conversation with Captain LeGrande," I said. "Ada, can you work on a good location for us to jump to near Gros? It shouldn't be so close that we surprise anyone. Marny, are you up to working through a security protocol for us to follow while we're in the city?"
"Are you worried about Belirand sending agents after us, Cap?" Marny asked.
"I'm not sure what I'm worried about. I don't think Lèger would allow Belirand to just grab us, but there's a lot on the line and we'll be exposed," I said.
"Nick, Tabby, let's go up to the conference room and give Ca
ptain LeGrande a call," I said.
"Captain?" Jonathan asked as we all started to stand up.
"Yes?"
"Do you have any requests for us?" Jonathan asked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure how to treat you, Jonathan. Are you a passenger, crew, or do you simply represent Anino's interests?" I asked.
"We'd like to be treated as part of the crew, as long as it doesn't conflict with our commitment to Thomas Anino," he said.
I looked to the rest of the crew, each subtly nodding assent in their own way.
"Welcome to Loose Nuts," I said. "I assume you'll be forthright about these conflicts when they arise?"
"Yes, Captain, and thank you for your vote of confidence," he said.
"First on the list is to manufacture a case to hold those quantum crystals. It would be a shame to have any of them damaged. Also, would you upload a synopsis on each of the destinations they represent to each of the crew? Once we're underway, we'll want to start reviewing them for suitability," I said.
"Yes, Captain," he said.
"After that, work with Ada so she's comfortable with how to engage the fold-space generator to fulfill her navigation plans," I said.
"Anything else?" Jonathan asked.
"Marny will coordinate the supplies we're offloading to Cape. Any assistance you could provide would be appreciated," I said.
"Go, Cap. We've got it," Marny said.
I smiled. It was good to have her back.
Nick, Tabby and I made our way up to the small conference room that adjoined the Captain's quarters.
Open comm with Captain LeGrande, I said.
Twenty seconds later her image popped up on the translucent vid screen I'd pulled up in the center of the small table.
"Good morning, Captain Hoffen," she said. "I feel like I owe you an apology for my first mate's behavior last night." If anything, LeGrande's appearance was more haggard than when we'd arrived.
"Apology accepted. Although, for the record, I don't believe any of us felt anything but empathy for his position. Are you all doing okay?" I asked.
"No, not really. We're hanging on by a thread over here," she said. "Our discipline is strained and there is a very real possibility of mutiny."
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Beyond supplies and a new place to live?" she laughed without humor.
"Captain, you need to remain hopeful. We won't abandon you. We're packing up the supplies we can afford to leave and will transfer them shortly. My plan is to jump to Tipperary, repair Hotspur and bring back more supplies," I said.
"And what of a new home? Does such a place exist?" she asked.
"We believe it does. Belirand abandoning you out here happened because of a secret they desperately want to keep," I said.
"About being able to generate a fold-space wave with smaller ships?"
"No, about finding habitable planets that are also home to sentient life forms," I said.
"Aliens? There've been rumors, but why keep that a secret?"
"I could only speculate. What we know is that Belirand abandoned almost a hundred missions over the last three centuries."
"And you want to drop us at one of those worlds. With aliens?" she asked.
"I'll leave it to you, Captain. But just as Anino found you with a quantum communication crystal, we can find these settlements. Anino saved crystals for those abandoned missions. We'll have some idea what we're getting into," I said.
"That's incredible and it is indeed hopeful. When will you depart?"
"We're making preparations now and I'd like to be underway within the hour," I said. "We're expecting to bring back three months of consumables. Do you have a list of supplies that you're specifically in need of?"
"I'll have a final list to you within the hour and I'll send crew over to pick up what you have," she said and closed comm.
"She's in a tough position," Tabby said. "Can you imagine how many people on that ship believe they should be going home?"
"Hate to hear a captain talk about mutiny. I hope she can keep it together," Nick said.
"Won't matter if we can't find them a place to live," I said. "I sure hope Anino thought it through more than he did this trip."
"Tabbs, you want to help Marny get the supplies offloaded? I suspect LeGrande's crew will be over shortly," I said.
"Can do." Tabby got up and walked out of the room.
"I'm going to have to work in here for the trip back," Nick said. "We don't have any replacements for the workstations we lost."
"Understood. I'm going forward to work with Ada on our navigation plan. Do you want to start running your checklists?"
"I'm not sure what the point would be. We've more systems in the red than we do anything else," he said.
"Can Meerkat get us back and going in a week?" I asked.
"Depends on how deep Jonathan is willing to dig into his pockets."
"I was thinking, what if we built you and Marny a bunk room above the pop out where the armory is? If we flipped gravity to the forward of the ship, you'd have a nice-sized space," I said.
"It's an idea, let's get through this run and then talk about it," he said. "We're comfortable and I know Marny likes being by the galley and mess. She says she knows everything that's going on in the ship because of that location."
"We'll, we could give Ada that new space and extend your bunk back into where she's at," I said.
"I hear my name," Ada called from the bridge.
Nick nodded thoughtfully. "Sure, pitch the idea to Ada. She'd probably even do the design."
"Design what?" Ada leaned into the room, smiling. I was momentarily distracted by the sheer beauty of her face.
"Uh… we were talking about making the bunk rooms larger by expanding over the armory. There's quite a bit of space there if you rotate the gravity forward," I said.
"And you want me to design it?"
"We were thinking it'd be your space," Nick said. "Although, we were talking about blowing out the wall between the two bunk rooms to give me and Marny more space."
"I'll do it, but I have to say, I enjoy having Jonathan for a bunk mate," she said.
"Does he sleep?" I asked.
"Not really, but he does lie down for several hours. He said they could just stand in the hold if I wanted privacy, but they prefer company," she said.
I shook my head in disbelief. "Weird. Okay, how's your navigation plan coming?"
"All set. The fold-space generator isn't difficult to program, especially with Jonathan on board. I've got us dropping in six hours from Grünholz on a medium burn. We'll be way outside of normal shipping lanes, so there's not much of a chance of anyone being within a hundred thousand kilometers," she said.
"Great. Let's go work through our check lists, such as they are," I said.
Forty minutes later Tabby and Marny made it back to the bridge. Marny was tiring, made obvious by her willingness to sit on the bridge couch.
"All closed up?" I asked.
"Aye, Cap. It was heartbreaking, though. The crew they sent over from Cape to get the supplies didn't believe we were coming back. They begged us to take them along," she said.
"That's horrible," Ada gasped.
"It was," Tabby agreed.
"Well, we can't help 'em if we're sitting around here," I said. "Ada, you have the helm."
All hands, prepare for departure. Ada said.
Tabby jumped up the short flight of stairs to the cockpit and slid into the chair next to Ada.
***
"Belirand cruiser at fifteen thousand kilometers," Ada announced.
It had been eighteen hours since we'd left Cape of Good Hope. We'd been sailing on a medium burn for Lèger Gros under our quiet running protocols. Not all of our fixes to the armor were as good as others, but as long as we kept at least fifteen thousand kilometers from other ships, they couldn't see us.
"Slow and quiet," I said.
"Roger that, Captain," Ada said.
&nbs
p; With the damage we'd taken, we wouldn't last two minutes in a firefight.
"We're crossing into Lèger territory in ten, nine…" Ada counted backward for us, although I could see the boundary coming up on a dimmed vid screen.
"Well, here goes nothing," I said.
Turn on transponder, I said. Hail Lèger Air Defense.
"Welcome back, Hotspur. How may we be of assistance this fine morning?" The face of a woman I'd talked to before popped up on the forward vid-screen. Darned if I could remember her name.
"Good morning," I said with a broad smile. "We'd like to file our flight plan, destination Lèger Gros."
"Captain Hoffen, if I wasn't a married woman, I'd think you were flirting with me. You know you don't have to file a plan as long as you're sailing under a Lèger flag. I don't suppose getting our attention has anything to do with the Belirand cruiser that's closing on your position?"
"Oh that? We might have recently crossed paths with Belirand."
"You owe me a drink, Captain. I'll let them know we're tracking you on the way in," she said and closed comm.
"That was ballsy," Ada said.
"Learned a couple of things. First, she didn't demand we stow our turrets. That leads me to believe that Belirand hasn't asked or hasn't convinced Lèger to take us into custody. Second, this isn't the first time Lèger Air Defense has been asked to watch approaching ships," I said. "Makes you wonder what other things are going on around here."
"Incoming hail, Belirand Cruiser Stark Justice."
"Tell me that's not Fist of Justice's sister," I said.
Accept hail. "Hotspur. Go ahead,"
"Captain Hoffen, we're requesting you heave-to for an in-person confab."
I gestured to Ada to keep going.
"Who am I talking with?" I asked.
"Captain Ciaran MacAsgaill, Belirand security services."
"Captain MacAsgaill, with all due respect, we're declining your request. Our recent experience with your sister ship Fist of Justice leads me to be suspicious of your motives," I said.
"You can't keep a runnin', Captain," he said. "But, I jus' want tah talk." He spoke with a thick accent I couldn't quite pick out.
A Matter of Honor (Privateer Tales Book 9) Page 19