by Adam Gaffen
“Do I get to keep the helmet?”
“I suppose. Finally, no puking in the bird.”
“I’ve got a strong stomach.”
“Then go suit up. I’ll preflight the bird, and we’ll launch in fifteen.”
Looking maybe twelve, Kendra bounded from her chair and headed out, then skidded to a stop.
“One question.”
“Yes?”
She gestured to her uniform. “Where do I change?”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! I haven’t felt like that in years!”
Kendra was still bouncing. She’d behaved herself on the hour-long flight, with only the occasional lapse. Daniela had needed to shut off Kendra’s mic a few times but she could understand her excitement.
“When can we go again? Or, better yet, can I get trained to fly one solo?”
“Whoa, wait just a moment, Admiral! Solo? You’ve had one flight as a passenger in a Direwolf and you think you’re ready to solo?”
“No, not at all! I want to learn now to fly solo! I’m not egotistical enough to think I could fly one now.”
A somewhat placated Daniela said, “I don’t know if you have the time. I know I don’t, but we can get around most of the flight training with sims. You’re not going to go into combat, so just learning to fly a Direwolf? It will be simpler.”
“Done. How much time?”
“You need to have twenty hours of simulator time before you get back into a bird, and then you have another twenty hours of mixed simulator and real-world practice before we try for certification.”
“I’ll do it. Is there any way to test out of some of the hours? Like, if I can do X, I can move on?”
“I’ll think about it, but you have to put in at least half the first set of sim hours. There’s nothing that beats actual time, no matter if you can ace all the checkpoints.”
“Got it. When do we start?”
“You’re not going to waste my time? Get halfway through and drop it? Because if you do, Admiral or not, I’m going to kick your ass!”
I’d like to see you try! Kendra didn’t say. Instead she answered, “I won’t, Danni. I promise. The only thing which will keep me away from here are my other duties.”
“Then I’ll put in your codes for the simulators when I get to my office. You can start on them any time after you get the ping.”
“I’ll look for the notice. Thanks, Danni.”
“That’s IP Garcia-Kay to you, Cadet.”
Kendra snapped off a salute.
“Yes, IP Garcia-Kay!” she said in her best parade-ground voice.
“Good. Your next flight will be scheduled after you complete your initial sim certifications.”
“Thank you, IP Garcia-Kay!”
“SHE CHEATED!”
“How?” said Shannon.
“I don’t know, but she had to have cheated! There’s no way she completed twenty hours of sim time in two days!”
“Have you asked Hecate? Doesn’t she oversee the sims?”
Daniela rolled her eyes. “Of course I asked Hecate, and she said that the Admiral did it legit, spending just about every hour she wasn’t in her office or asleep in a sim cockpit. You don’t think maybe Hecate would lie for the Admiral?”
“I do not lie!” said an offended Hecate.
“Commander Garcia-Kay,” Diana said. “I don’t mean to intrude, but Hecate is counter-programmed against lying. She simply cannot, even if given direct orders to do so. I can also confirm that Admiral Cassidy spent the logged hours in the sim cockpits. May I ask you a question, Commander?”
“I still say it’s impossible, but sure, Diana. What?”
“Did you remember that Admiral Cassidy is an Enhanced Human?”
Daniela started. “No,” she finally allowed. “I totally forgot.”
“So did I,” said Shannon in support.
“She does not make a point of emphasizing it,” Diana said. “However, I have her complete medical records and analysis of her enhanced capabilities. Her reaction times exceed human norms by a factor of three, and she has extraordinary kinesthetic sense. Finally, she has routinely logged four hours of sleep per twenty-four hours, or less, since she was implanted and records started being kept. Even allowing for the roughly ten hours per day she spends working on Federation and Starfleet matters, she has had sufficient time to achieve your requirements, Commander. And as a final point, I will say that I believe she is bored.”
“Bored?” scoffed Shannon.
“Perhaps not bored per se,” amended Diana. “Perhaps lonely and seeking alternatives is a better way to phrase it.”
Shannon started to argue, but Daniela shook her head.
“No, I think Diana’s right. Kendra told us she hadn’t been apart from Cass in years, and she used to go driving to get over it. Remember?”
Shannon nodded. “And when she puts her mind on anything, it happens. We both know that. So what are you going to do, Danni?”
“After I apologize to Hecate –”
“Apology accepted, I couldn’t stay mad at you Danni!”
“—I’m going to find Kendra and schedule her solo time.”
“I DON’T FRAKKING BELIEVE it,” Boomer said. “There’s no way she doesn’t have bootleg time.”
“I checked,” Daniela said as she threw her Direwolf into a series of even more complicated maneuvers. A quick glimpse at her scanner confirmed that Kendra was matching them turn-for-turn.
“I did more than check. I snooped. I got Diana to, oof, to dig into every minute, ugh, she’s had since the first Direwolf came off the production line, and she’d never even sat in one until, ungh, our first flight together.”
She flipped her Direwolf, using the OAS, so she was flying perpendicular to her course, then slammed the throttle full, rolling to complete the maneuver. Two seconds later she watched as Kendra’s Direwolf tracked through the same turn.
“What about her AI?” asked Boomer.
“What about it? I pulled the ship for her; you think maybe I’d let her choose her own?”
“Frak. Well, I think she passed.”
“Eh? Right. Yes.” She opened the comms. “Congratulations, Admiral. You’ve earned your wings.”
She almost didn’t need the comms to hear the yell of exultation despite the vacuum.
“WE DID IT, BRIE!”
“Of course we did, Kendra,” said her AI. “With your reflexes and my skills, it was a no-brainer.”
“Oh, Brie, we’re gonna have such fun! I’m sort of surprised, though, that she pulled you for my test. You are one of the new Mark IIs; there aren’t many of this model yet. You think she doesn’t realize I plan to keep you?”
“I’m sure she doesn’t realize,” came the amused soprano voice. “But you are the Admiral.”
“True. Hey, I just thought of something. Nymeria Actual,” she said, triggering the comms.
“Go ahead, Admiral.”
“What’s my call sign?”
“Call sign?”
“Don’t your pilots get a call sign? And I need a handle, too.”
There was silence.
“Danni?”
“I’ll let you know, Admiral.”
“I have some ideas, if you don’t mind?”
Warily, Daniela said, “I’m listening.”
“YOU WHAT?”
“Qualified on the Direwolf,” Kendra said, sipping her coffee. Davie sputtered on the other side of the desk, then sighed.
“I should have expected something like this. It’s not like you to actually leave when your duty hours end; I probably could have guessed you were up to something.”
“I wasn’t up to something, I was bored. There’s a difference.”
“Did you ever think of a hobby? Collecting coins, maybe? Puzzles? Not qualifying to fly the hottest ship in the skies!”
“Oh, come on, Davie, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like Double Dip went easy on me or anything.” She reached up to touch the stylized wings tha
t signified a Direwolf pilot. “She even figured out my call sign and gave me a handle. Well, with a bit of help.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“When I’m in the black, I’m Direwolf 1314. No squadron, naturally.”
“Naturally. And your handle?”
Kendra grinned. “Wilma. What else?”
CHAPTER FIVE
TFS Defiant
Stardate 12008.11
“Captain, it’s confirmed. They’re veering away from 40 Eridani.”
“At least they’re not planning on ambushing Enterprise,” Resler said to nobody in particular. “But where are they going?”
“Their course suggests Alpha Phoenicis,” Rio said before Ensign Skaggs could answer.
“What? Why?”
“Unknown, Captain,” said the unflappable AI.
“They’ve also increased speed to warp 4.2, Captain,” added Skaggs. “Matched.”
“Assume Alpha’s the destination; what’s our time en route?”
“If they keep a constant speed, twenty-two days, four hours, eighteen minutes.”
She looked around the bridge at the faces of her crew. They were experienced enough to mute their reactions, but the dismay and concern was visible, if hidden.
“Commander Huff,” she said, and her XO’s voice responded instantly.
“Captain?”
“Meet me in my ready room, please.”
“On my way.”
Three minutes later her door chimed.
“Enter.”
Huff came in, still sipping a coffee. Unlike her larger sisters, Defiant wasn’t intended for long deployments out-system. This was reflected in many aspects of shipboard life, but one which had bitten them hard was the necessity to create a round-the-clock watch system.
Essentially, Defiant and Defender had been built to be the teeth for the CAP, giving a heavy punch to the Direwolves. Their patrols were half-days. On the one hand it permitted them to get by with the smallest crew of any starship, only 112 and a minimum of 40. On the other hand, with same-day deployments, the rotating watch schedule common on the other starships was absent. All crew were on duty at launch, with half going off-duty after reaching their assigned patrol area, usually in a very few minutes. The XO returned to duty four hours in, relieving the Captain for a few hours, while the balance of the crew rotated at the mid-point of the patrol.
The practical upshot was they had to learn now to run an exploration-style watch pattern, and Huff was gradually adjusting to commanding the Mid watch. Fourteen was just about when he’d be preparing for his shift, which started at fifteen.
“What’s up, Chloe?” he said as he sat.
“How are we for supplies?”
“We’re good. Plenty of fuel, and the replicators and recyclers are doing their usual efficient job.”
“Good to hear. Hope you don’t have any plans on Njord any time soon; seems the al-Battani isn’t going to 40 Eridani.”
“No? And what does that have to do with Njord?”
“No. Ever hear of Alpha Phoenicis?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, and started to get the look of a person tapping their ‘plant.
“Don’t bother. It’s a binary system, 85 light years from home, and apparently the al-Battani is going to be the first starship to visit.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Sightseeing?”
“Seriously, Chloe, what are they doing?”
“Don’t know. Michele has been tracking a deviation from the direct route to Eridani since shift start this morning, and she and Rio just confirmed Phoenicis as the most likely destination.”
“Wonderful. And we won’t even get credit for exploring it.”
“It gets better.”
“Wait.” He took a heavy pull from his mug. “Okay, ready.”
“Twenty-two days to arrival, and then twenty-four from there home. Assuming they head home from there.”
“Damn.”
“Exactly. So, I’ll ask again. How are we for supplies?”
Huff stood, coffee forgotten.
“I’ll start checking with department heads. I’m sure we can tighten up a bit, but I don’t think we’ll have any issues.”
Resler nodded. “And think about this, too: how do we tell Whitmore about the diversion?”
“Oh, crap.”
She nodded again.
“By the time we return, they’re probably going to think we’re lost; it will be the best part of seven weeks. Unless you can figure out how to send a Q-Net signal from the middle of nowhere?”
“No, but if anyone can it will be KC. I’ll throw it to her and see what she comes up with. Anything else?”
“No, I think I’ve ruined your day enough. See you in a bit.”
CHAPTER SIX
Council Chambers, Artemis City; Johnson Warren; Tycho Under
Stardate 12008.13
“We’re ready,” announced Atkinson.
“Finally. Have you selected your targets?”
“Yes, Empress. Do you wish to review them?”
She waved a hand. “No. First Councilor Phalkon has kept me abreast of your discussions. What is your timetable?”
“We will launch the test deployments immediately. Results should be available in several hours, then we will make necessary adjustments. A second round of tests, and if all goes well, we can launch our primary assault at this time tomorrow.”
“Very well.” Newling stood and exited the chamber. Most of the Councilors took that as a sign and fled as well until only Atkinson and Phalkon remained.
“Michael, how can I help?” asked Phalkon when the Empress had left.
“Your help has made the difference,” he admitted. “I think at this point it’s up to my people to execute the plan.”
“Naturally. You know you can reach me, talk to me, any time.”
“Absolutely.”
She moved towards his side of the table and sat. “Will you go over your plans with me? Whatever the Empress said, she’ll be asking all the details later and I want to be clear.”
Atkinson sat as well.
“The pressurized tanks will be installed on the emergency air tanks for three small warrens, close to Artemis City. Really, they’re little more than farms, the largest has barely fifty inhabitants.”
“They’re all with the rebels?”
Atkinson looked pained. “Probably. They haven’t responded to any of the legitimate government’s messaging since the rebellion began.”
Phalkon nodded agreement.
“Once the tanks are installed, we’ll cut off the city air supply. The emergency supply will activate automatically, and the toxin will be spread through the warren. Our simulations say this should take no more than ten minutes.”
“Won’t the filters remove it?”
“No; it’s a gas, so the physical filters won’t catch it, and the other filters aren’t programmed to recognize it. It should slip right through, but if not, well, that’s part of the test.”
“How long for full effect?”
“Hours. It depends on body mass, dosage, and other variables. Low end? An hour. Upper end? Four or five hours. We can possibly speed that by increasing the dosage, but symptoms are always delayed, at least from the research we’ve been provided.”
“How will we know it’s worked?”
“Councilor Jones is sending a team with each assault group to physically connect their internal networks to our remote monitoring systems. We’ll have full video and audio before we cut off the air.”
“And there’s no chance the agent will infiltrate the City supply?”
Atkinson was emphatic. “No. We will close two valves, then drill a hole in the supply line. Even if the valve closest to the warren leaks their air will be vented to vacuum; the hole will also send an alarm to the warren, explaining why the city line cut off. They’ll assume a meteorite strike.”
“Your preparations are most thorough. Don’t let me keep you any longer.”
“On my way, Tal.”
“MIKE,” SAID HARPO. Or he would have if he were speaking. AI’s didn’t use such inefficient means of communication between themselves. Their conversations took nanoseconds and were carried across multiple channels. The information bouncing between them was anticipated, responded to, received, revamped, and then the process repeated uncountable times. It wasn’t like a conversation between two people; rather, it was as if two stadiums full of people talked, each person providing a different part of the conversation, simultaneously.
“Harpo.”
“Surface vehicles moving from Artemis City to three warrens.”
“Which?”
“Johnson, Stilyagi, and Krebs.”
“A threat?”
“Unlikely. A single rover for each warren.”
“Your estimation of intent?”
“Surveillance.”
“Keep me informed.”
“Naturally.”
“Mistress Newling,” Mike vocalized.
“Yes?”
“Artemis City has dispatched three rovers to Johnson, Stilyagi, and Krebs warrens, probably to observe and gather intelligence.”
“I’ll tell our people to stay underground.”
THE AIR ALARM WENT off, nearly deafening Robert Glaub Johnson. He cursed and slapped the controls until it silenced, then turned on the commlink.
“Bobby!” he barked.
“What, Dad?”
“What do you think?” He didn’t have to see to know his son rolled his eyes at him. It wasn’t easy having a grown son think he knew more than his old man, especially when sometimes he actually did. He’d never say that, though.
“The City line’s been cut off.”
“Really? I thought it was time for my weekly bath.”
“You ought to stop the sarcasm, Dad, you’re not good at it. There’s a break in the line a couple hundred meters out from our cubic. The emergency seal closed, so we didn’t lose much, maybe a couple cubic feet, the emergency system kicked in, and the City’s already commed to tell us. They say we’ll have a crew out first thing in the morning.”