Homeworld, page 5
“What’s wrong?” Holly stepped closer. “Claire?”
The twitching pain dissipated, and Claire waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing. Just a burst of info.” Her NIEC kicked in again without warning, and she jerked. “Ow.” She raised her hand to her temple. New information existed where it hadn’t a second ago. “We have to switch all of them at the same time. We can’t just change the burned-out ones.” She stepped over to the computer console and used her trackpad to look up the specific spare part. “Good news. We actually have 1,500 of these in storage, now that I know what to look for and how.” She used the console and ordered down the number of fuses they needed and sent the other crates back.
“Let me get one of the carts.” Holly reached for a smaller cart, meant to haul items in the cargo bay and the corridors. Magnetic cushions underneath made it hover, and they had yet to stack one full of enough gear to make it touch the deck. They loaded the crates as they arrived on the transport system.
“Good.” Claire sighed in relief. “We should be able to leave on time, Captain.”
“I never doubted it,” Holly said and began walking next to Claire. “I’ll be on the bridge.”
Claire began pushing the hovering cart toward one of the elevators. “As soon as we’re ready, you’ll know, Captain. It should take us an hour.”
They rode the elevator to deck nine, where Claire stepped off with the cart. “Captain,” she said, nodding politely as several of the new arrivals waited outside in the corridor, some looking as if they were lost.
“Chief.” Holly returned the courtesy.
Lengthening her stride, Claire hurried back to the main entrance to engineering. Her subordinates dove on the crates holding the fuses like starving vultures, and Claire had to smile. They should be ready well within an hour.
* * *
Holly meant to let the elevator door shut and return to the bridge on deck three, but several of the new crewmen crowded the door, preventing it from closing.
“Ma’am,” a woman in her fifties said. “I’m not sure where I’m supposed to go. They told me I was to take an elevator to deck seven, but so many stepped off here, and…I can’t find the quarters I’ve been assigned.” She was short and had curly, dark-brown hair, and seemed familiar. Holly didn’t have Samantha’s eye for who people were, but of course it was easier for the former head librarian than for her, who had worked from home ever since she returned to Dennamore nine years ago.
“First of all, just call me captain,” Holly said, cringing at being called ma’am in this setting. “What’s your name…ma’am?” How ironic that she herself had to use the term she loathed.
“Marjory Hopkins.” A young crewman with a large bag nudged the woman from behind. She stumbled forward, and Holly steadied her. Realizing that this group of individuals had fallen through the cracks when it came to guiding them to their quarters or duty stations, she took command.
“Attention!” Holly didn’t raise her voice more than necessary, but it was as if she’d cracked a whip. Everyone froze in place, and Marjory gaped. “Who among you are looking for your quarters?”
Six hands went up.
“And who among you are trying to find your duty station?” Holly scanned the group. Another six hands went up. That left four people doing neither.
“All right, the four of you, what exactly are you up to?” Holly lowered her voice half an octave, a method useful in a classroom on a Monday morning when everyone was tired and not very motivated to pay attention. It apparently worked aboard the Velocity as well. The four without obvious reason to be in the corridor outside engineering looked sheepishly at Holly.
“We were curious about the, um, engine?” a young girl in her late teens or early twenties said.
“You mean the propulsion system.” Holly stepped to the side. “The ones among you who are on their way to their quarters, step inside. The ones among you who know you’re due in engineering, the door is down the corridor to the right. The rest of you, enter your name and rank into a console and get new directions. If you’re not fitted with a NIEC, turn to the closest person who is and ask them to help you. That’s what they signed up to do when they accepted the device.” Holly stood quietly while people sorted themselves into the elevator or began walking toward engineering. Turning to the four curious ones, she raised a deliberate eyebrow. “I suggest you familiarize yourself with more pressing matters than sightseeing in engineering. Go to your quarters or the mess hall. Soon enough we will be breaking orbit, and when we do, you want to be close to your designated area. Understood?”
The girl nodded frantically. “Yes, ma’…Captain. Absolutely.” She tugged at the young man next to her, and the glare she gave him suggested to Holly that their excursion perhaps was his idea. “We’ll take the next elevator, Captain.”
“Good.” Pressing the elevator console’s blue dot, Holly turned to the six inside the elevator, who all looked like they were civilians. “Blue stands for deck six. Orange for deck seven. The identity tags you were issued…wear them at all times, or carry them in your pocket. They will show you where you’re allowed to go. They will also open the door to your quarters automatically when you press the sensor next to it. If you have any questions or struggle with adjusting, Chief Counselor Camilla Tennen will fit you into her schedule.” She paused, looking at Marjory. “I’m guessing that you’re related to Carl Hopkins, my ensign at ops.”
“Yes, Captain. I’m his aunt.” Marjory looked proud despite her nervousness. “I’m very proud of him.”
“So, you should be.” Holly gazed at the other men and women. “As should you. I’ll be seeing much more of you and the other civilians aboard the ship once we’re safely on the right trajectory to Dwynna Major.”
The elevator door opened, and everyone but Marjory stepped out at deck six. When the door closed again, she turned to Holly, her round face serious. “I was not certain I should come on this journey,” she said in a low, intense tone. “I thought his parents, or even an older sibling, should be the ones taking an interest, finally, in the boy. I should’ve known better. When my sister and brother proved they had nothing but disdain for his knowledge, but instead berated him for keeping secrets from them, I knew. I’m sure he hasn’t told you, Captain, how his brilliance and sweet nature set him apart from the rest of his family members. So…when they couldn’t see themselves supporting the boy, I was sure this was my destiny. Please put me to work eventually, Captain. I’m a great cook, an avid organizer, and a good singer.”
Holly regarded Marjory for a few beats, seeing nothing but pure determination and love for Carl, the youngest among the group of people who had worked relentlessly to uncover the mystery of Dennamore’s past. “Marjory, Carl is lucky to have you in his life and on board the Velocity. And don’t worry. You will be asked to work. We regard the next of kin as a great asset, not just emotionally for the crew, which is obvious, but as a resource to tap into.”
“Excellent. Oh, this is me, then.” Marjory hoisted her two bags. “Deck seven. Thank you for taking the time to guide us, Captain. And for listening.” She smiled quickly and then hurried down the corridor as the elevator door closed behind her. As it made its way to deck three, Holly realized that though Camilla was the chief counselor, at times the crew and civilians would have to hear from their captain. A new role for her, but something she recognized as vital to the mission. Yes, keeping on top of the alien technology was important, but it was equally important to keep the people on board stimulated, cared for, and reassured that the one ultimately in charge did her best for them.
Clearly, being the captain entailed so much more than she knew when she first put on the captain’s NIEC. Much larger than the regular NIECs, it enveloped her head like a crown. As she stepped off the elevator, she was reminded of a quote from Shakespeare’s play King Henry IV, Part Two: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” The line didn’t express megalomania. She knew herself well enough to recognize how grounded she always was. Yet she was venturing into unknown territories, in outer space, where she was ultimately responsible for the many souls aboard the ship.
“Captain on the bridge,” Carl said as Holly stepped onto the bridge and took the captain’s chair.
Uneasy, indeed.
Chapter Four
Darian took her seat on the bridge, to the left behind the captain’s chair, but considering her heightened adrenaline rush, she’d rather be standing up. She wanted to rock back and forth on her soles and be ready to act at a moment’s notice. No doubt the cop in her still drowned out her new duties as chief of security and tactical.
“We’ve heard from engineering, Captain,” Carl said from his station. “We’re clear to break orbit when you give the order.”
“Thank you, Ensign.” Holly’s calm voice did little to settle Darian’s nervous energy. Her skittishness didn’t come from fear, but her body was definitely in fight mode. “Connect me to the ship-wide speaker system.”
Carl gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re connected, Captain.”
Holly was quiet for a few moments, but then she spoke in her clear alto voice. “All hands, all civilians, this is your captain. I have received the go-ahead for us to leave Earth’s orbit and commence our journey to the homeworld of our ancestors, Dwynna Major. Earlier, I spoke with both the secretary-general of the United Nations and the president of the United States, as we’re all US citizens. Secretary-general Lilavati Banerjee wished us the best of luck on our journey and a safe return back to Earth.” Holly sent a bemused look toward Walker on her right, and then back at Darian, but didn’t expand on how the US president had still tried to get Holly to surrender the Velocity to “more apt individuals.”
“As for the crew, secure your duty stations and yourselves. You civilians should secure yourself and your family members in your quarters or in whatever common area you happen to be. Nobody, and I want to make that clear, nobody can be unrestrained when we go through this solar system and jump to interstellar drive. Once the bridge gives you the all-clear to move about, I urge those of you who might display side effects of the jump to visit the infirmary.”
Holly met the eyes of her bridge crew, and for the first time since Darian took her seat at her station, she felt herself settle down. “You will hear the countdown to our breaking orbit over the speakers in approximately five minutes. Crowe out.”
Darian adjusted her harness and focused on the information shown on the nine screens of her computer console. From her point of view, they were set to go. Below the captain, on a lower level and facing the largest viewscreen, Samantha oversaw the helm, with one subordinate on either side. Her fingers danced over the controls, and it was hard to believe how much she had doubted her own ability to pilot the speeders, let alone the mothership.
“Two minutes to go, Captain,” Carl said. “All departments are signing in that their crew and passengers are secure.”
“Good.” Holly tapped the side of her massive NIEC. The thing had to weigh a ton, but Darian had never heard her complain. “Begin the prelaunch sequence, Samantha.”
“Aye, Captain.” Samantha was clearly prepared, as she only pushed one orange, glowing dot on her console. The hum around them seemed to change in tonality. A muted vibration traveled along the ship’s struts and the hull, and into the deck under their feet. “Systems working.”
Carl gripped the edge of his console. “One minute.”
“Tactical?” Holly glanced back at Darian. “No space debris or any shuttles launched at the last minute from Earth to get in our way?”
“Nothing on sensors that poses a risk to us…or anyone else, Captain.” Darian nodded as she browsed through the different screen settings. “We are so far up in the exosphere, no working satellites can reach this far. I see minor dust, but all my indicators remain blue, which is a good thing.” Orange or green ones could have alerted them to a problem.
“Thirty seconds.” Carl’s voice was tighter now, but his face showed pure concentration.
“When we’re at fifteen seconds, start the countdown,” Holly said.
Glancing around the room before she refocused on her console, Darian saw the same tense concentration on the faces of the rest of the bridge crew. Fourteen people could work there at one time, but only at critical moments like this did they need a full bridge crew.
Behind Walker, Camilla—Darian’s grandmother—whom she lovingly referred to as Gran, sat with her hands calmly laced on her lap. She didn’t even blink as the countdown began. It was unfathomable that her formerly frail Gran now looked so strong, so healthy, after receiving alien medication and having undergone alien surgery, performed by their ship’s doctor. Now working as their chief counselor and responsible for the crew’s mental wellbeing, she looked entirely in her element.
“Five—four—three—two—one.” The computerized voice droned on. It wasn’t speaking English, but it felt like English to Darian, which was another odd sensation as their NIECs provided the translation. Even the passengers and crewmembers who weren’t outfitted with a NIEC understood, as they’d all received small translators, even the very young children.
“Breaking orbit,” Samantha said. She used both hands, running her fingers up and down small indentations. The pressure as well as the speed mattered when you piloted the ships. Now Darian watched on the external sensors how Samantha eased the large spaceship from the high orbit they’d inhabited the last few days. The course had been pre-plotted, checked, and double-checked, and once Samantha steered the ship away from orbit, she would set the propulsion and navigational system on the aliens’ version of autopilot.
The ship moaned as it broke free from the last remnants of Earth’s gravity. The way it changed from humming and stomping to almost silent mode made Darian’s heart jump. Was something wrong? Had the propulsion stopped working? Were they drifting? She reeled herself in, forcing herself to pay attention to the information on her screens.
After another couple of minutes, someone in the far back of the bridge gasped and then whispered, “Oh, look.”
Darian stared up at the main screen that was surrounded by eight smaller ones. On one of them, she saw Earth…and it was visibly shrinking. They were nowhere near interstellar-drive speed, but they were moving very fast, compared to ships containing Earth technology. The moon was already visible and also shrinking exponentially on the same screen.
“Speed is now 2 percent of ISD.” Samantha spoke tightly.
“And if that’s this fast…” Holly murmured and shook her head. “Breaking orbit was a little bumpy, but that is why we need everyone strapped down. We just don’t know how it’s going to feel.”
Or what jumping to ISD would do to them. After all, they were all mostly human, some of them all human. Darian was searching for anything that might pose a tactical problem when her security alarm went off. “Darian here. Report!” she barked into her speaker, noticing how Holly, Walker, and Gran whipped their heads her way.
“Chief, it’s one of the agents, the one from the CIA, Neville Brewer. He unhooked his harness in the common area on deck two and is on his way to the bridge.” The woman speaking sounded out of breath. “I’m in pursuit.”
“Use caution, Ensign. I’m leaving the bridge and heading toward you.” Darian unbuckled her own harness as she spoke. “Tennen out.” Darian pushed at her console and stood.
“What are you doing?” Walker asked, frowning.
“We have a loose cannon. CIA Agent Brewer is on his way here.”
“You need to be strapped in, Chief,” Walker said.
“I need to keep that fool off the bridge.” She turned to the woman behind her station. “You have my tactical station.” Speaking through clenched teeth, Darian then hurried across the bridge and out into the corridor, which was still empty. She engaged her speaker again. “Tennen here. I need Brewer’s location.”
“He ran toward the elevators.” Her subordinate had answered immediately. “Or the ladder, rather, as the elevators are not operational before a jump.”
“True.” Darian stopped at the bulkhead that separated the corridor outside the bridge with its surrounding offices and workstations from the senior crews’ living quarters. A large screen showed the layout of the ship, and she ran her trackpad along the side of it to identify herself. In seconds, she saw a complete, layered blueprint of the eleven decks. She couldn’t be certain that Brewer was actually heading to the bridge, but he could do potential harm in plenty of other areas.
Sliding her left index finger along a blue line ending in a yellow dot, Darian could now detect all the speakers, trackpads, and TAGs. As everyone should be strapped into harnesses at this point, she should be able to see only three moving targets: herself, the ensign in pursuit—and Brewer. She scanned the deck above that held the common areas and saw a moving dot halt about ten yards to her left, near an elevator and a ladder. She heard, before she saw, the swooshing sound when someone slid down the pole.
A woman she recognized as Ensign Sarah Lawson came into view as she touched down with a thud. “Ensign.”
Sarah pivoted, her hand on her sidearm. Seeing Darian, she nodded briskly. “Chief. Did he come through here?”
“Not that I saw.” Darian turned back to the screen. “There. He’s right next to the ladder…on deck nine.” She cursed under her breath. “Shit. Engineering. The main weapon lockers.” She began to run toward the ladder. Lockers were located on all decks of the ship, but on deck nine an entire corridor was lined with them. “Tennen to bridge. Brewer is on deck nine. Alert the crew. Ensign Lawson and I are in pursuit.”
