Infinity (First Colony Book 13), page 26
Ezra had been sitting nearby, and she looked at him. “You really want to stay here?”
Kyle nodded enthusiastically. “Don’t you? There’s so much work to do, so many things to learn. We discovered a new mineral here that somehow interferes with subspace comms. I detected traces of it on the Uvai. It could be part of them.”
“We think it interferes with subspace, but we don’t know for sure,” Ezra said.
Kyle smiled. “Don’t you want to find out? See whether it does or not? How many planets here have it? Is the lack of it the reason comms worked in the outer star system?”
She hesitated.
“You don’t have to decide anything now,” Noah said, knowing the decision wasn’t one to make without careful consideration. “There will be other trips here. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing commitment anymore.”
Ezra smiled and nodded, looking relieved. “That’s true. I hadn’t considered that. In that case, I’d definitely sign up for a rotation, but will there be a colony here?”
Sean came over to them. “Would you give Noah and I a few minutes?”
Kyle and Ezra both walked away, giving them some space.
Noah sat, leaned back in his chair, and sighed.
“Feeling better?” Sean asked.
Noah nodded. “My chest is a little sore, and I need about ten showers, but yeah, I feel fine. The medical nanites are doing a full check.”
Sean nodded and glanced toward the others to be sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “We need to debrief the Ark II team.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think you understand. This was a massive failure. Saul Ashworth’s actions almost killed five thousand people.”
Noah frowned and glanced around for a second. “It’s probably more complicated than we think it is.”
“It doesn’t matter. This situation spiraled out of control and there needs to be accountability.”
“I’m not following. I mean I understand accountability, but what are you saying? Are we going to bring Saul back to the New Earth and put him on trial?” Noah asked.
“That’s not my decision, but it might come to that when we report this.”
Noah tore open a protein ration bar and bit into it. It tasted like strawberries and cream. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either.
“I guess a decision will be made once we find out all the facts,” Noah said, finally.
They returned to the Infinity and went through decontamination and medical evaluation. The process took hours, but at least they got to take showers and have a hot meal. Those little creature comforts went a long way toward making them feel better.
It was nice to be in a fresh set of clothes, but what was better than all of that was seeing his wife again.
“I can’t even be mad at you,” Kara said.
Noah watched his wife, his eyes drinking up the sight of her.
“Especially not when you look at me like that,” she said.
“I really didn’t know how this was going to play out. To be honest, I’m still getting it straight in my head,” Noah said.
Kara nodded and smiled a little. “I don’t know what the Uvai did when they touched you, but Claire couldn’t find anything different about you.”
Noah shrugged. “That’s good. I wasn’t really thinking about that when… you know. Mostly, I was thinking about the things that were important to me, about my life. I don’t know if they sensed that somehow.”
“Maybe they didn’t like how you taste so they didn’t consume you,” Kara replied.
Noah rolled his eyes and grinned.
“Why is Sean insisting on this debriefing right away?” Kara asked.
They’d been back on the Infinity for about eight hours, and the Ark II team had been given temporary quarters aboard. Sean insisted that the debriefing occur before they were allowed to return to the Ark II.
“We need to find out what happened. Too many things went wrong, and Saul Ashworth’s continued leadership is being called into question,” Noah said.
They headed for the large conference room near the bridge. The Ark II team was being escorted to the room by CDF soldiers.
Noah shared a look with Lars. They all looked much better. They’d been able to get cleaned up and the men had shaved their beards. Nails had been clipped. Being in a medically induced coma only slowed down bodily functions—not quite the same as simply being asleep for six months. The growth experienced by Lars and the others was somewhere in the middle.
“You all hold the record for the most consecutive amount of time in a Pathfinder suit,” Noah said.
Lars grimaced and shook his head. “That’s not what I really want to be known for,” he said and sat down in one of the chairs around the conference table.
The rest of the Ark II team arrived.
Saul Ashworth was an older man, tall and lean. His hair was metallic gray, and his eyes were dark. He, like the rest of his team, were still in shock over what had happened. Being rescued by people from New Earth hadn’t even been a consideration in their minds.
Sean sat next to Noah and gave him a nod.
“It’s time we get this meeting started,” Noah said. “Each of you will get a chance to speak. This session is being recorded and it will be transferred back to New Earth.”
Saul leaned forward. “I’ll go first,” he said. “I know we’ve already said this, but I can’t thank you enough for everything you did to find us. All of us owe the crew of the Infinity our lives. This is one of those times when a simple thank you isn’t enough. We’ll have to come up with something appropriate as a way to honor what you’ve done,” he said and paused for a moment. “I’ll try to answer all your questions. No doubt you’re wondering how we ended up in the situation we found ourselves in. Before we go any further, I want it on the record that I take full responsibility for everything that happened. I was mission commander, and the decisions that were made were mine. Five thousand lives were in my hands, and I’m still coming to grips with the weight of it all.”
“Understood,” Noah said. “Please continue.”
“When we arrived in the Zeta-Alpha star system, we received the data from the exploratory probe that had come here first. We’ll go into detail later, but I’m going to give a high-level overview first. When we learned about Zeta-Alpha-5 and the properties of the planet, we weren’t sure whether it made an acceptable colony site. We were the first early risers,” he said, gesturing to the rest of his team. “I decided that we should take a small scouting mission down to the planet and perform an evaluation. We’d only intended to be there for a week at the most,” Saul said and paused while he gathered his thoughts.
“We didn’t understand what had caused the loss of subspace communications. We hadn’t encountered any advanced or hostile alien civilization, but we couldn’t be sure. There were so many things we weren’t sure about, and there were many options to be considered—even leaving this star system altogether. I ordered a lockdown put in place for the Ark II as a protective measure to prevent access by an alien force. I never imagined that anyone from New Earth could have made it here. It’s just something none of us ever anticipated. We had a failsafe that would revive the next senior officer in the event that our mission became overdue. First, Officer Truman Mancuso was to be revived. He could then revive more colonists and investigate what happened to us. We filed mission reports about what we learned on the planet each day so Truman would have current information.”
“Truman Mancuso died while being revived from stasis,” Kara said. “Dr. Hathaway examined the record and his body. He suffered complications of the revival process.”
Saul grimaced and shook his head. Then he rubbed his eyes. “He was a dear friend.” He poured a glass of water and drank it. “You retraced our steps on the planet. The reports will fill in the gaps, but our encounter with the Uvai was similar to yours, if a bit gentler initially. But it spiraled out of control, and we were cut off from our camp.”
Lars cleared his throat. “They captured us. I climbed the tree and tried to contact the Ark II, but communications were spotty at best. I don’t know why the Uvai didn’t kill us. Based on what we’ve learned from your accounts, I think they wanted to study us.”
Saul nodded. “We had nowhere to go. We couldn’t fight anymore. Our only chance was to utilize the Pathfinder suit’s function for extended short-term stasis. We hoped that enough people would come out of stasis to rescue us.”
Sean leaned forward and stared at Saul. “Why didn’t you revive more people before you went down to the planet? This whole situation could’ve been avoided if you’d done that.”
Saul regarded Sean for a few moments. “I didn’t think we were going to stay here—not really—so reviving more people would’ve been pointless.”
“Your decision created a single point of failure that would have killed everyone on the Ark II if we hadn’t come,” Sean replied.
Saul looked away for a second and then lifted his gaze to Sean again. “You’re right, Colonel Quinn. Those would have been the results of my actions had you not come here, and there’s very little I can say that will change those facts. It’s a forgone conclusion that I regret those actions,” Saul said and looked at Lars, “and that I didn’t follow the advice given to me.”
Noah looked at Lars, as did many of the others.
“I did give that advice,” Lars said. “However, I… we… all went along with the plan. Complications while coming out of long-term stasis are so rare that no one could’ve anticipated it.” Lars looked at Sean. “Those of us who’ve had people under our command have learned that there are times when despite out best efforts and intentions, we find ourselves in situations that spiral out of control. It was a bad call, but it didn’t seem bad at the time.”
“Colonel Quinn,” Saul said, “I’d like to know what your intentions are. How long do you plan to prevent us from returning to our ship?”
“I have to report these events back to COMCENT,” Sean replied.
Saul nodded. “As well as you should. I would never dispute that. However, I’d like you to consider what holding me and my team here will accomplish. The decision of whether or not we colonize this star system still resides with us.”
Silence stretched for a few long moments.
Noah cleared his throat and looked at Sean. “Saul is right,” he said.
Sean regarded Noah with a thoughtful frown.
“However,” Noah continued, looking at Saul, “we have good reason to question the decision-making that’s been done. Our authority here is limited, but it’s not nonexistent.”
Saul blinked several times, and then he shifted in his seat. “What do you propose?”
“A bit of a compromise. We’ll file our reports with COMCENT. At the same time, we’ll assist you in reviving more of your senior leadership. Then you can decide as a group what you’ll do as a colony.”
Saul pressed his lips together for a moment, and Noah looked at Sean.
“That’s fair,” Sean said.
Saul looked at the other members of his team. Lars gave him a nod. “Captain Barker, I accept and welcome your proposal.”
Over the next few weeks, they did exactly that. They revived twenty colonists spanning multiple disciplines, and an in-depth review was organized. During that time, they learned the limits of the subspace interference, which extended just under halfway to the sixth planet in the star system. A communication station was deployed there and would act as a hub for the colony. The reports they sent back to New Earth were reviewed, and Governor Mullins endorsed Noah’s proposal.
Noah walked onto the Infinity’s hangar bay. Kyle and Ezra were there with several storage containers.
He strode over to them. “All packed and ready to go?”
Kyle smiled and nodded. He stuck out his hand and Noah shook it. “I’m going to miss this ship, but the opportunities here are too good to pass up.”
“I’m sure you’ll make the most of it,” Noah said.
He’d come to like both the young scientists, but staying on Zeta-Alpha-5 really was a great opportunity for both of them. “It’s not often that an opportunity comes to put you at the forefront like this.”
“It’s not forever,” Ezra said. “I hadn’t considered that they’d establish a lunar colony instead of a planet-side one.”
“I think it’s the best choice, for whatever that’s worth,” Noah said.
“I agree. It gives us some space from the Uvai. You never know whether they’ll decide they don’t want us on the planet… their planet that is,” Kyle said.
“Have you met the lead scientists you’ll be working with?” Noah asked.
They both nodded.
“We had to interview with them,” Ezra said.
“We did, but it felt more like a formality. Right now, we’re the foremost experts,” Kyle said.
“How long do you think it will be before more people from New Earth will come here?” Ezra asked.
“Will you be coming back here?” Kyle asked.
“Yes, I’ll be back. I’m just not sure when. There are some production issues with making more I-Drives, but we’ll work those out. It could be another six months at the earliest before another ship arrives. But we’ve got the relay set up, so it’s not like you’ll be completely cut off from us back home,” Noah said.
He expected that there would be regular voyages between the two colonies as time went on, and this was just the beginning.
Kyle and Ezra, along with Dr. Lachlan, would be staying with the lunar colony, and they walked through the docking port to the Ark II. They wouldn’t have to stay aboard ship long. The outposts being built on the alpha moon were almost finished. Seeing the autofactories being deployed from the Ark II made him remember his early days on New Earth. No, it wouldn’t be long before the lunar colony was up and running, and there would be plenty of mysteries to keep them occupied.
Sean walked over to him. “Feeling nostalgic?”
Noah nodded. “A little bit. Reminds me of when we arrived at New Earth.”
Sean nodded. “Yeah, it does. At least they won’t be completely cut off from us. No one will anymore, thanks to you and Kara.”
Noah snorted. “Are you going to become clingy now?”
Sean grinned. “I miss my cuddle time with Oriana.”
Noah laughed. “I can’t help you with that. One thing I can promise is that the trip back home will be much shorter than it was to get here.”
“How much shorter?”
“Less than a month.”
“A month? I thought you were trying to impress me.”
“All right, fine. Twenty-four days.”
Sean nodded, pursing his lips. “Well, color me impressed then.”
“I aim to please.”
31
The Infinity transitioned back into normal space fifty thousand kilometers from New Earth.
Noah stood on the bridge and looked at the video feed on the main holoscreen. External feeds showed a bright blue planet with a ring around it in the distance, and it put a smile on his face. Sometimes the best part of a long journey was coming home.
“Captain,” Jessica Yu said from the comms station, “we’re being hailed by COMCENT.”
“Put it on the main holoscreen,” Noah said.
The head and shoulders of Connor Gates appeared on screen. “Welcome back, Infinity.”
“It’s good to be back,” Noah replied.
Connor smiled. “I bet. I’ve read the reports, but I look forward to hearing all about it in person.”
Noah inhaled deeply and sighed. “She still has that new-ship smell. Do want to take her for a spin?”
Connor grinned. “One of these days, but not today. I’ll see you at the lunar base.”
They flew the Infinity to the lunar base, where they gave control of the helm to the space dock to guide them the rest of the way.
“Mister Markovich,” Noah said, “change our readiness status to docked. Secure all moorings.”
“Aye, Captain,” Markovich replied, and an announcement was broadcast to the ship.
Noah walked off the bridge and headed for the docking port. Just outside the bridge, Sean and the platoon of CDF soldiers lined the corridors. Noah’s eyes widened as they all stood at attention and saluted him.
Noah felt the edges of his lips lift, and he returned the salute. As he walked past the soldiers, Sergeant Staggart caught his eye.
“Thank you for getting us home, Captain,” Staggart said.
“You’re welcome. Thanks for keeping us safe,” Noah replied.
Sergeant Staggart smiled a little. “We don’t usually get a choice in our assignments, but if you ever need someone to watch your back, we’d be proud to have the opportunity, sir.”
As the soldiers in the corridor broke into deafening screams of appreciation, Sean walked over to him, and they continued down the corridor.
“I knew you’d win them over,” Sean said.
Noah snorted. “It was touch and go there for a while.”
Over the next few hours, care of the Infinity was turned over to a relief crew, and Noah and Kara were escorted to Connor’s office. Oriana had already met them on the space dock and hadn’t left Sean’s side.
The door opened to Connor’s office, and Noah saw Connor and Lenora speaking with Ethan.
Ethan wore a serious expression. “But he was my brother.”
Connor nodded. “He was.”
“And he died a hero,” Ethan said.
“He did,” Connor replied.
Noah could hear the slight rasp in Connor’s voice when he answered. Connor had left a son behind on Old Earth when he’d been shanghaied onto the Ark, and when they’d suspected that a calamity had decimated Old Earth, it hit Connor hard. Although he didn’t have a choice about coming to New Earth, he still carried the guilt of leaving his son behind. Over the years, he’d made his peace with it, but Noah knew it was always with him.
