by S. H. Jucha
“It’s a turn of a phrase, is all,” Jessie replied.
“Uh-huh,” Yohlin commented.
Jessie spent the intervening minutes reviewing the photos again. None of the ideas that Yohlin had relayed from the crew seemed to fit. “Do you have a theory on what your people have found?” Jessie asked.
“Jessie, I’m a spacer and a miner in that order. I was never an engineer. I haven’t a clue what that site is all about. Right now, I wish we’d never come to Triton. Sorry, Jessie, I didn’t mean it as a comment on your orders,” Yohlin quickly added, when she saw the wince at the corner of Jessie’s eyes. “I was as anxious as you, make that more anxious than you, to come out here.”
“Captain Erring, call patched from the Belle through the Spryte, ma’am,” said a bridge voice over Yohlin’s comm unit.
“Transfer the call to Captain Cinders’ comm unit,” Yohlin ordered.
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
“Jessie, everyone you requested is on the call,” Harbour said.
“What’s this about, Captain Cinders? I was made to understand this was a critical call, and I abandoned an important meeting for it,” Lise Panoy complained.
“Governor Panoy,” Stamerson said evenly, “I believe if you let Captain Cinders speak, this might proceed a little faster.”
“Per the Captain’s Articles, I’m informing you of a find at Triton,” Jessie said. He was referring to an agreement a captain signed before he took command of a ship. In addition to stating that the captain must act in a responsible manner, which did not endanger the crew, other ships, or the stations, it required the captain to promptly report any situation to Pyre’s leaders that might be considered a danger. “We’ve discovered an alien installation.”
Jessie waited, but not a word was said in reply. Yohlin and he exchanged looks of commiseration.
“You’re serious, Captain?” Emerson asked. “This isn’t your idea of a joke, is it?”
“I wish it was. On the surface is a shallow ring of metal one hundred meters around. In the center is a low, round platform, and nearby is some sort of instrumentation. The entire complex is covered in centuries of space dust.”
“You’re saying it’s a long-abandoned site. In other words, it’s neutralized,” Stamerson asked, wishing to confirm its status.
“Afraid not, Captain. We’ve detected the hum of a significant power source belowground.”
“Have you investigated the structure, Jessie?” Lise Panoy asked, an idea taking shape in her mind.
“Captain Erring’s crew of the Annie discovered the site. Their investigation was minimal. A tech tried to sample the metal, but couldn’t. Then he ran a mass spectrometer test, and it came back as unknown substance. It didn’t even identify the elements in the material.”
“Then your people were exposed to the alien site,” Lise said.
“As I said, Governor, briefly, but they were in vac suits during the entire time. What’s your point?”
“And where’s your ship, Captain?” Lise pressed on.
“The Spryte is also at Triton.”
“And have any of your people set foot on Triton?” asked Lise.
“Negative, Governor.”
“But have your crew, Captain, had contact with any of the Annie’s crew?” Lise persisted.
Jessie and Yohlin glanced at each other.
You could tell them no, but you won’t, will you, Jessie? Yohlin thought.
“I’m aboard the Annie, Governor, but no other member of my crew boarded with me.”
“But your shuttle had to make contact with the Annie. Is it still attached, or did it return to the Spryte?” Emerson asked. He was beginning to understand where Lise was headed with her line of inquiry.
“It returned,” Jessie admitted.
“Then it seems obvious to me that we have to order the Annie and Spryte to remain isolated at Triton to prevent any chance of contamination,” Lise summarized.
“For how long?” Harbour asked.
“I would think indefinitely,” Lise replied. “This site was part of an alien civilization. We have no idea what sort of contagions we could be dealing with. Are we willing to risk the life of every Pyrean citizen to rescue a few spacers, who’ve been unfortunate enough to be exposed to an alien construct?”
Dingles, who was monitoring the call, could feel his jaw grinding. He ached to tear into the governor and denounce her for the handful of effluent that she was, but he kept his mouth shut. This conversation was above his pay grade.
“I deem permanent isolation unnecessary,” Stamerson stated. “I would ask this group to consider a reasonable period of time for the Captain’s ships to be quarantined to give us some assurance that there has been no contamination.”
“Captain Stamerson, how would you define some assurance?” Lise demanded. “As governor of the domes, I think it is proper to ask for zero risk. What if the contagion isn’t biological? What if it’s mechanical in nature, a tiny piece of tech waiting to propagate in the right environment?”
“In my opinion —” Liam Finian started to say, before the commandant cut him off.
“Major, I have no idea why you’ve been asked to be part of this conference, but it would be best, at this point, if you remained silent,” Emerson stated forcefully.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Emerson,” Jessie said. “Major Finian, Captain Stamerson, and Harbour are here at my request, because I respect their opinions, as opposed to how little I value that of Lise and yours. So, do be a good boy and be quiet, while I hear what Major Finian has to say, or I’ll sail my ships back to the JOS. And you can deal with the consequences.”
Yohlin glanced at Jessie. She’d never heard him so angry that he disregarded the use of titles and surnames.
“I was going to say, Captain Cinders, that we should rely on the opinion of others, who’ve had time to consider the implications of these types of discoveries,” Liam said.
“You’re speaking of Earth’s scientists and any files they stored on the colony ship,” Jessie said.
“When I get back to the Belle, Captain Cinders, I’ll comb through the libraries. There’s bound to be a reasonable period of time for quarantine,” Harbour said.
“No need, Harbour, I’m looking at the protocols now,” Lise said coolly. She couldn’t believe her luck. First the governorship falls into her hands, and now she was presented with the perfect opportunity to isolate one of the spacers’ most influential captains.
“How is it, Governor, that you have a copy of the Belle’s files?” Harbour asked.
“I don’t think it’s a copy, Harbour. If I’m not mistaken, the coding on this file indicates it’s an original,” Lise replied.
“And how did you come by it, Governor?” Stamerson asked, seeing the possibility of the Review Board intervening in this matter.
“Your argument isn’t with me, Captain Stamerson. The Andropov family had these files and many others from the Belle in their private library, which I’ve only just discovered,” Lise replied. It wasn’t true. Each of the family heads had copies of the Andropov files, which were taken from the Belle soon after the establishment of the second dome.
“What do Earth’s scientists recommend?” Jessie asked, breaking into the argument.
“Six months,” Lise said. She felt like standing up and cheering, but settled for a broad grin in the privacy of her salon.
“We can’t last that long out here, and you know it,” Jessie ground out.
“I regret, Captain Cinders, it’s not a matter of you and your people lasting. It’s a matter of protecting Pyrean lives.”
“Governor, I’ll require the return of all original files to security administration,” Emerson said. “You may keep copies, but those original files were not the Andropovs to take.”
“Certainly, Commandant, if Major Finian will tell me where to deposit them, I’ll send them this evening.”
“Captain Cinders, providing I verify the authenticity of thi
s particular data file, I think we must follow these protocols,” Emerson stated officiously. “Earth’s scientists surely had more time and resources than we do to determine the steps to take in an eventuality such as this.”
“I’m afraid I must agree, Captain,” Stamerson added. “Without any other credible guidelines, we must follow these protocols.”
“In addition,” Lise said, hurrying on. “Triton and the space around it must be quarantined. This is alien technology. By Captain Cinders’ own account, it exists beyond our normal understanding. Its power source has persisted in a hostile environment throughout the centuries, while the site has been abandoned. Who knows what capabilities it possesses to destroy our people? Furthermore, the protocols state that if any alien technology or samples are collected, the containment facilities must be permanently isolated from the population.”
“You’re condemning two ships full of spacers to death over a threat that hasn’t even been realized, Governor,” Harbour argued. “We could wait two to three weeks and see if anything develops among the crew. Surely that would be more sensible. In the meantime, we find a way to get them additional supplies.”
“The protocols state otherwise, Harbour,” Lise replied. She loved it when things went her way. “Anyone who aids Captain Cinders’ ships will join the quarantine, forcing the clock to reset to zero and await the passing of another six months, and that’s providing that none of the technology or samples were brought aboard Cinders’ ships.”
Lise was confident that no mining captain could afford the trip to ferry supplies to Triton and wait out a six-month period. Furthermore, the attempt might bring about a crew’s mutiny, all of which would serve her end goal, that of fomenting enough divisiveness among the people to create and take the position of Pyre’s first president.
“Lise Panoy, you had better stay downside, while I live,” Harbour ground out. “If we ever cross paths, you’ll regret your stance against these people.”
“There’s no need for threats, Harbour,” Emerson said.
“Save your breath, Harbour,” Jessie said. “Lise and Emerson have found the perfect opportunity for a power grab, and my people have handed it to them. And, unfortunately, the problem has enough credibility that Captain Stamerson must concur. Well, in the time we do have, we will be investigating the alien site. Maybe there’s something we can learn about alien technology that might be of value to us all.”
“Captain, I would advise —” Emerson began, only to see the link to Jessie drop off.
“I believe, Commandant, that Captain Cinders considers your advice unnecessary,” Stamerson said. He was developing a bad taste in his mouth and wondering if he’d made the mistake of his life by agreeing with Lise and Emerson’s proposal.
“Harbour, you need to tell us if you can dispassionately take part in this discussion. Otherwise, it might be better to excuse yourself,” Lise said, targeting the next individual she wanted to remove from the call. She was pleased to see the commandant had dropped the links to the Belle and Major Finian.
“You’re absolutely right, Lise. As a woman, who lacks any compassion, you’re well-suited to take advantage of these spacers’ misfortune. I’ll leave it to the commandant and you to decide how to cut up the spoils and share the pieces among your cabal. Captain Stamerson, I wish you good day,” Harbour replied, and closed her comm unit.
“Well, sirs,” Lise said, with equanimity, “it appears to us to safeguard the Pyrean populace.”
Harbour stalked out of Major Finian’s office. She was challenged to squelch her anger, so as not to broadcast it throughout security, as she made her way out. Passing by Sasha, who was waiting in security’s outer lobby, Harbour said, “Come, Sasha, we have work to do.”
Sasha observed the tension in Harbour’s face and fell quickly into line.
-26-
Alien Site
“That didn’t go so well,” Yohlin commented drily.
“Kind of what I expected,” Jessie replied. “I’ve found out from Harbour that Emerson is in bed with Lise. Harbour has reviewed recorded conversations between the two and heard them colluding on power politics. Plus, Lise is paying for Emerson’s support.
“Why that little excuse for a human being!”
“I think Lise Panoy has been planning Markos Andropov’s downfall for a long time. The death of Dimitri and Aurelia’s escape played right into her hands.”
“And now we’ve done the same.”
“Yeah, but we’re going to be a lot harder to take down than a tawdry excuse for a governor.”
“If you say so, Jessie.”
“I say so.”
“Okay, what’s the first order of business?”
“I have to tell our crew what’s happening.”
Jessie had the Annie’s bridge link to the Spryte, and his address was sent throughout both ships. He explained in detail the conversation between Pyre’s leaders and himself, leaving out the part about Emerson and Lise taking advantage of the situation.
“I’m aware that the thought on everyone’s minds right now is that we don’t have six months’ worth of supplies. Well, if you’re wondering if I’m going to sit out here until they run out, then you’ve signed on with the wrong captain. We might have a little slack in our skins by the time we make our move, but then I notice a few of you could do with the loss of a few kilos here and there. Bottom line is this: If we sit out here for two or three months and see no ill effects from the site, we’re running for supplies, and I’ve a good idea where to get them.”
From inside Yohlin’s quarters, Jessie and she could hear the crew yelling and clapping.
“Rousing speech,” Yohlin commented. “You think you can make it happen.”
“I know I can, Yohlin. There’s things I can’t share with you, yet, but we have more supporters than you think.”
“Okay, Jessie, what’s next?”
Jessie picked up his comm unit again and called his first mate. “Ituau, I want you to work with Captain Erring. Inventory the food supplies onboard the Spryte. The captain will do the same for the Annie. Both crews are now on rations, to be doled out at seventy-five percent of the usual volume.”
“Any exceptions, Captain?”
“Yes, anyone downside gets a full ration.”
“I thought the Annie’s crew was back aboard, Captain. By any chance, are you intending to do some sightseeing?”
“I want a closeup view of the alien site, Ituau. I’ll be taking a small team downside tomorrow.”
“Be careful, Captain. You’d look even funnier than you do now if you started growing a second head.”
Jessie laughed and closed his comm unit.
“Are you serious about investigating the site, Jessie?” Yohlin asked.
“Absolutely.”
“What’s your grand plan for us after we wait out the two or three months you mentioned? Emperion has slush and the Pearl has basic processing gear. We could extend the time there.”
“We’d add a month, maybe two, but we still wouldn’t reach six months, and our crews would have been on reduced rations the entire time.”
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“Me? I’m going to check out the site.”
Yohlin shook her head in exasperation. “Fine, Jessie. Keep me in suspense. Okay, if you’re adamant about going downside, I suggest you take the original discovery team, plus Darrin, my first mate, if they’re willing. I’ll have my people prep the large search rover. It’s equipped to handle the six of you.”
* * *
Five crew members sat around the captain’s table: Darrin, Belinda, Aurelia, Tully, and Hamoi.
“I’m headed downside to take a close look at the alien site. It’ll be a cursory exploratory expedition. This is volunteers only,” Jessie said.
“I’m in,” Aurelia announced excitedly.
“It’s polite, Rules, to wait until Captain Cinders finishes,” Belinda said.
“Sorry, Captain.”
/> “As I was saying, accompanying me is strictly voluntary. If you wish to opt out, I’ll completely understand. Questions?”
“What’s your opinion about the possibility of alien contamination, Captain?” Hamoi asked.
“I have no idea, son,” Jessie replied to the young assay tech. “I do know the six months of quarantine seems overly cautious. If anything were to develop, it should have done so by now.”
“But if we investigate deeper, that could change,” Belinda said.
“I can’t argue with that, Belinda,” Jessie replied. “That’s why I am asking for volunteers.”
“But what does it matter, who goes downside, Captain, if those people return to the ship? We’ll all share in their exposure,” Darrin said.
“True. That’s why the shelter will be moved close to the site and be attended by a couple of volunteers. Once I’m satisfied with our research on the site, we’ll stay in the shelter for two weeks before we return to the ship. If the contaminant is biological, it should develop by then. If it’s some form of mechanical nanotechnology, then it’s probably already aboard this ship, but continuous inspections have revealed nothing. Any more questions?”
When no one replied, Jessie said, “Raise your hand if you’re volunteering.” Five hands went up.
“Thank you,” Jessie said, and everyone felt Aurelia’s pulse of pleasure. “We launch tomorrow morning. Darrin, you’re in charge of our drop and the relocation of the shelter to a point within five kilometers of the site. Belinda and Tully, you’ll review the prep of the rover. Hamoi, work with the two crew members who’ll be stationed at the shelter. Captain Erring is gathering the pair. Check with her. Dismissed.”
As the five stood, Jessie said, “Aurelia, please stay.” Once the door closed, Jessie said, “I want to understand how you led the team to the site, what you felt, initially, and what you felt at the site.”
Aurelia walked Jessie through her perception of the site’s power, starting from the shelter’s original position and how the signal increased and shifted as they moved closer.
“I think what was probably oddest to me, Captain,” Aurelia said, applying Jessie’s title to sound more like a spacer, “was that the signal was more of an irritant, until we got within a few hundred meters. Then it smoothed out and felt, I don’t know, relaxing.”