A Pattern of Details

by James Matt Cox

  Jackson motioned Morris toward the room. No one followed him in. Lydia lay encased in the autodoc with her eyes barely cracked. When Morris drew close they opened a little wider.

  "Morris."

  Her voice was a hoarse, raspy whisper. She moved her heavily-bandaged hand slightly and as gently as he could Morris took it and held it.

  "We... were... have... good... times."

  "We will. We still will!" Whether Morris spoke for himself or her, she knew better.

  "Don't for... forg..."

  "I'll never forget you," he whispered.

  "... what... learned." Her lips formed a brief smile.

  "Find... some... one..."

  "I have you, Lydia. I'll always have you!"

  "Pro... mise..."

  Unable to speak, unable to do anything but what she asked he finally managed a whisper.

  "I promise."

  Blinking back the tears in his eyes Morris leaned over and touched his lips to hers. Then, slowly, the light and warmth that was Lydia dimmed.

  "No. NOOOOOOOO....." Cold hard sobs began wracking Morris. His raw denial turned inside as his voice faded. Then, a single sound in a universe of silence, a hypo hissed.

  Harper conducted the funeral service the next day. Morris fought against the drugged apathy suffusing him. Tears streamed down his face but he felt nothing past the cold, barren grief that held him. He could not voice it. He could not contain it.

  "... and so we commit her body to the vastness of space..."

  Morris fought to remember. Lydia, when she thought he would order her out of engineering. When she first touched him.

  "... until the day..."

  Lydia by moonlight telling him to hold her. To kiss her. The night she returned to the University and the rehearsals with her.

  "... earth to earth..."

  Harper's voice wavered but still she spoke. Lydia spoke. Of the things she had yet to teach him. Of her leave and how she planned to spend it.

  "... ashes to ashes..."

  Of the promise she drew from him. The promise he didn't want to give but could not hold back.

  "... dust to dust. Amen."

  The 'lock containing the sealed tube, containing Lydia, closed with an impersonal clank. Morris fought. Indifferent as only a machine could be, the 'lock cycled and opened, empty. Morris fought to feel, to deal with his grief.

  Harper and others spoke words that Morris didn't hear. The airlock stood, open and empty and mocking him. Finally the others left. Morris stood and fought. The apathy finally lifted and he seized his grief and fought it down. He allowed himself one brief strangled sob of defiance before turning to leave.

  Lace stood before him, blocking his path.

  "Where do you plan on going," she asked, voice soft but with steel behind it.

  "Engineering, Ms. Lace. Midshipman Kody will need my assistance."

  "No."

  "The ship..."

  "The ship can wait. You can't. She was our friend too, Morris, but she was more to you. We all know that. You can't try to hold that inside."

  Morris fought to maintain his control. Almost, almost Lace cracked his resolve but he held it firm.

  "The fusion chamber is damaged," he managed to say, finally, "I must... I..."

  Warm arms enfolded Morris and held him. That burst his dam before he could build it. He cried. He finally allowed his grief to take him, hold him, ravage him and pass from him. Lace held him steady with soft words of comfort. She held him steady until he finished, pale and shaken.

  "You needed that, I think," she said, "You may need it again."

  "Thank you." Barely a whisper.

  Soft lips touching his forehead.

  "You're quite welcome. Everyone needs friends, Morris. Don't ever, ever forget that." She smiled at him. "When you need one you know where I am."

  Morris nodded.

  "Feel better?"

  "A little."

  "Polar. Jared wants you to rest." She interrupted as he shook his head. "No, Morris, you will rest. That's something else you need. We're fine, the ship is fine and you will be soon."

  Jackson waited in Morris' room with a hypo. He and Lace stayed until the sedative took hold.

  Chapter 8. Finding Problems...

  Morris woke with the bleakness still in him. Jena's kind words and kinder actions helped take off the edge but he still felt it, a grievous loss. Something else nagged him as he rose and showered. Realization dawned when the last of the water swirled down the drain. Gravity! Someone activated the gravity pads while he slept.

  Morris dressed quickly and hurried to find Blakeschiff. No, Harper. He found her in the commander's office.

  "Good morning, Technician." Harper examined him closely. "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm well, ma'am. It still hurts..."

  "To be expected," interrupted Harper, nodding, "If you need anything..."

  "Ma'am," interrupted Morris, "Pardon me but that is not my primary concern. You activated the gravity. From what I saw in the starchamber that is not a good idea."

  "Midshipman Kody is tending things, Technician."

  That stopped Morris.

  "While you were out he initiated the emergency power protocols. The ones Techs designed and the Guild approved. He compartmented the systems you isolated and he is checking the network."

  Morris considered this. The protocols were idiot-proof but abysmally slow and Kody could not have had much experience in engineering.

  "Ms. Harper, I would like to assist Mr. Kody in..."

  "No." She spoke the word with finality.

  "May I ask why?"

  "You may ask." Her tone indicated she wouldn't tell him.

  Morris studied her as closely as she scrutinized him earlier. Though she radiated confidence and command a small thread of uncertainty ran beneath both. Something deeper troubled her as well.

  "Ms. Harper..."

  "No, Technician." She sighed. "Morris, I appreciate that you want to help but there are other issues here." Her steel wavered a little. "I realize we're shorthanded but the ship is stable."

  "I can repair it," said Morris.

  "And?" By her mien Harper would wait until the universe collapsed for an answer.

  "I want to find out what killed Lydia." Those words cost Morris. A wave of grief swept over him again.

  "I thought so," she said, "That's my primary concern, Morris. I want you in engineering but I don't see how, given the circumstances, I can put you there."

  Morris had a response for this!

  "Ms. Harper. Lydia was... was a good engineer. She was an excellent technician and she would not have made a c-careless mistake. I want to find out what... what killed her."

  "I understand that, Morris. That isn't my concern here."

  "Then what is?"

  Harper spoke reluctantly. "You are."

  That stopped him cold. "What do you mean?"

  Harper shook her head. Then, when she realized he'd wait as long as she would she spoke.

  "You will have this out, then. Very well, Technician. I am concerned about your current mental state."

  Morris stared at her, nonplussed. A cold anger formed within him and spread.

  "How so, Lieutenant," he asked, emphasizing her title.

  She didn't flinch. "I read your bio, Morris. Until now you've never had a relationship, much less a serious one. Now, on this mission, you have your first such with our Chief Engineer. Now, on a mission with potentially serious political, diplomatic and scientific repercussions that same Chief Engineer suffers a fatal accident. You were the only person there when the event happened. Couple these two facts together and tell me what conclusion you draw."

  "Commander," said Morris coldly, voice void of all emotion, "if you are questioning my loyalty to the League or the Guild or my professionalism you'd best activate the official log and prepare to record."

  Though shaken by his words she didn't back down.

  "Not so fast, Morris. By your own w
ords Lieutenant Keyson was good at her job. How can I be certain the same thing won't happen to you? How can I be certain that you won't do something worse? By accident, of course, but grief and loss can have profound effects."

  Those words hurt and she had a valid point. Those same points would work against her, though. Morris planned his words carefully.

  "In the first place, Commander, knowing that something happened I shall take exceptional and extra precautions. Secondly, by acknowledging the danger to me, a trained and certified Tech, you have placed Midshipman Kody into grave danger without appropriate preparation or backup. Finally, by doing so and by refusing my offer of help you have jeopardized this mission. Please activate the official log now.

  "Reference League Navy Protocol EP-22109. By article seventeen, section nine, subsection G4 of the referenced protocol and dealing with Naval vessels under weigh, paragraph 19 states: 'Any Guild-certified Technician is ex officio qualified to stand in as ship's engineer, damage control, machinist...' etcetera '... until such time as qualified replacement personnel may be taken on board.' Paragraph 31: '... in any emergency defined as...' this qualifies under at least three conditions '... any and all Guild-certified Technicians are required... ' note required, '... to serve in any and all capacities stated previously until such time as emergency conditions are no longer in effect.'

  "Lieutenant Harper I am a Guild Technician certified at Senior Master level." Morris gave his cert code. "Per the articles stated and per the requirement stated I am standing in as Chief Engineer."

  Harper made no move toward the holocaster.

  "She was my friend too, Morris..."

  "Commander." Morris allowed no warmth in his voice. "I will not deny that Lydia's death hurts like hades itself. My concern is the continued safety of those who are still alive. Whatever killed her should not have. I intend to find out exactly what that was and prevent its happening again. In this endeavor I shall keep my personal life on my personal time." Though the words cost him he spoke only the truth.

  Harper examined him critically and nodded slightly.

  "Welcome back, Morris." Then into the 'comm, "Midshipman Kody, Mister Jackson, to the commander's office please."

  The two called arrived in short order.

  "Gentlemen, please stand in witness."

  Now Harper did activate the official log 'caster. She stated her service code and had the other two do the same.

  "Raise your right hand, Technician Taylor. As commander of this vessel and in accordance to League Navy General Statutes, Article 21, Section 9, paragraph 1 I do hereby emplace you as Chief Engineer until such time as you are officially relieved of this duty." Harper finished with military precision.

  Not exactly what Morris wanted but it would do.

  "Now, Technician," said Harper, deactivating the 'caster, "You are officially a member of this crew now. I do not expect you to salute and the other passengers need not know, is that clear?"

  "Yes ma'am."

  "Good. I also expect you to obey my orders when I give them. Is that understood?"

  Morris hadn't considered that! "Yes ma'am."

  "Polar. Go to the main hold, Mister Kody will let you in, and begin servicing the equipment you find there."

  Morris bit back hard on the words that wanted to come out. Harper stood there smugly, silently daring him to say something.

  "Aye, ma'am." He turned to comply.

  "Belay that, Technician," she said, "Report to engineering along with Mister Kody."

  Morris felt a great relief as he left the office. Not nearly as much as Kody, though; the young midshipman veritably oozed relief as they approached engineering.

  "I'm six-sigma glad you're here, sir," said Kody, "I'm following procedure but I'm not comfortable doing it."

  "Stand easy, Tran," said Morris, "you soon will be."

  ***

  Morris' breath caught as he entered engineering. He almost felt Lydia waiting for him. He felt a momentary pang of grief but a sense of purpose washed it away. He still felt her loss but the imagined closeness made it bearable. Now, by stars, he would find out what happened!

  Morris' first concern was the fusion plant. Kody completed the required procedures and did them well but the plant itself still suffered damage. Now locked at thirty percent the power converters hovered near maximum load. Not good. The starchamber itself also showed some deterioration. Again not good. The bioreactor readout indicated major contamination but Morris didn't want to think about it yet. The hull pressure showed optimal.

  "I checked the hull, sir," said Kody, "No breaches."

  "None?"

  "None whatsoever." The young man grimaced. "I know how to check for them, sir, plus-plus. My drill instructors at the Academy thought it an excellent pastime for cadets with any free time or demerits. The alarm malfunctioned."

  "Very good, Tran. Thank you." Morris would accept that as fact.

  Morris assessed the fusion chamber critically. At the current load they had at least three weeks to decay to dangerous levels; more than long enough to ground, by what Blakeschiff said. Morris didn't trust that number, though, since so many things could go wrong.

  The greatest problem lay in keeping the ship in link. If the L-drive coils failed they would drop instantly into normal space and, if lucky, would spend less than a lifetime navigating home. No, dropping STL was not an option

  Morris carefully checked the jump capacitors. If adjusted to discharge slowly and evenly they could keep the hull grid and phase field coils fed while he took the fusion plant offline. Feasible, but he wouldn't trust the capacitors if they tested at less than tolerance eight.

  Morris prepped the capacitors quickly and efficiently. He mechanically ate what Kody gave him, noting it as fuel and nothing else. The capacitors exceeded tolerance eight so Morris began charging them. For extra safety he hardwired a double-damping gated shunt between the caps and the L-drive.

  A hand shook his shoulder.

  "We need to report to the Commander," said Kody, "She'll want to know this."

  ***

  Not needing her steel facade now, Harper showed signs of strain. She looked tired, almost haggard.

  "Slowly, Technician," she said, looking up from the pilot's console.

  "I'm going to fix the fusion plant," explained Morris, "In order to do so I'll need to reduce it to just above the ignition point. To keep us in link I'll feed the L-drive from the capacitors. I've hard-isolated them and started charging."

  "What happens when the fusion plant goes offline?"

  "We shut down everything but life support. We have over two weeks of battery power, so no problem there, and the caps will keep us in link longer than I need to fix the starchamber. They might even last until we unlink but I'm not counting on that. While the fusion chamber is regenerating I am going to fine-tooth the power systems."

  "Do we need to unlink now?"

  "No ma'am," said Morris quickly, "As I said the capacitors will last us more than long enough to fix the power!"

  "That is an option, Morris." Harper flashed a small grin. "We're a lot better at abort locating, jitter correction and relink continuation than we used to be."

  "Unnecessary, Commander," assured Morris.

  Harper considered his plan for a few minutes.

  "Do it."

  Morris left Harper to explain the situation to the passengers. He and Kody physically isolated every system they could and Morris reduced the load on the fusion plant. When the capacitors reached full charge he switched the link drive over. He and Kody wore armored and sealed vacc suits when he did so. Nothing out of sorts happened so he quickly separated the link drive and capacitors from the power grid and isolated them into a single system. The fusion chamber he powered down to repair-access level, just above ignition.

  "That is done, Mister Kody," said Morris as he removed his helmet, "We are safe and safely in link until we complete the repairs."

  "Aye sir," said Kody, shedding his own suit, "Si
x sigmas safe but not necessarily comfortable."

  Morris nodded. He took down every nonessential system until they finished repairs and this included the internal gravity. Morris neither liked nor disliked freefall but he doubted all the passengers shared his ambivalence. He removed his vacc suit and started donning radiation armor.

  "Excuse me, sir," said an alarmed Kody, "What exactly are you planning to do?"

  "I'm going to fix the fusion chamber."

  "That chamber is still active, sir!"

  Morris came close to grinning at this. Darken the hair and change the build slightly and Kody could easily have been Kelven McCrory.

  "Yes it is."

  "You can't go in there! There's still a lot of loose radiation."

  "Phase down, Tran. I know what I'm doing. The catalyst rings and induction points need replacement, or at least a good cleaning, and I want to check the containment." He took note of Kody's genuine distress. "Mister Kody, Tran, I've done this dozens of times. I've interned other Techs inside a chamber. Yes, there is some radiation but this armor is hardened specifically against it. The starchamber itself is highly localized and self-contained.

  "I know you haven't had a lot of theory on this but basically the innermost containment is both self-reinforcing and proportionally regulated with exponential order. I'll be working well away from that; close to the outside containment vessel. The metal. The greatest threat where I intend to be is light. The second-greatest is loose plasma. All but a thousandth of a percent of the hard radiation is contained and constricted in the starchamber. I promise you I'll stay away from that! Would you care to join me?"

  "No sir!"

  "Then don't worry." He did take the precaution of chewing up several antirad tablets. They always gave him horrible indigestion but such was the price of safety.

  Morris carefully entered the fusion chamber, a drastically different pastel-surreal universe. His visor cut out most of the light but he still saw strange, twisting artifacts through the heavy, dark lenses. Wisps of ionized plasma ghosted around and beyond him giving the place an illusion of inhabitants. His skin tingled as the light-creatures touched him, a totally psychological effect since all of his radiation indicators showed him well within safe margins.

  Repairing the damage consumed a lot of time. Replacing catalyst rings took no large effort but the things did require exact placement and alignment. He only had to replace two induction points although several others required cleaning and realignment. The inner wall of the outer containment vessel took on a polychromatic sheen as the catalyst rings began working together and the regen cycle finally worked efficiently.