Copyright © 1997, 1998
Last updated on 1/21/98
PROLOGUE
The Harkeir Gate
"Bored, bored, BORED!" Ighurnu ran a hand through her fur and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She got up from the vanity table in disgust and flounced out of the stateroom into the corridor. Her nose wrinkled at the stench; living with three humans, even on the Cerritos, was a bit too smelly for her tastes....
"I'm BORED!" She announced to no one in particular. "BORED!"
"We know, we know," Ardis Templeton sighed, getting up from a couch in the Common Room. "You've been announcing you were bored for nearly three WEEKS now! WHY didn't you take the opportunity to go to the Sumag-Otebor when you had a chance? Then at least WE'D have some peace and quiet!"
"Ohhh, Peeeeeaace and Quiiiiiiiet," Ighurnu crooned sarcastically, her ears back. "The shavetails wish they had peeeeeeace and Quiiiiiet!" She snarled disgustedly at Templeton. "We've had nothing BUT peace and quiet for who knows HOW long! I'm SICK of it! I'm BORED!"
"Doctor Ighurnu," Louis de Mont-Saint-Michel snapped, "I'm sorry you're bored. You don't know HOW sorry. But if you don't cease your whining very soon, I shall be forced to lock you in your cabin for the duration. Is that clear?"
Ighurnu growled at him dangerously. He folded his arms, unimpressed. "If you two want to start punching each other again," Templeton said with no sympathy at all, "Go to the Cargo Deck to do it. No blood on the furniture. House rules."
"Bah!" Ighurnu turned away and stomped up to the Bridge. "This is ridiculous! GAMI! TELL ME THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE! *ANY* CHANGE!"
Kiru Gamiagaan turned from the Helm to face her. "Well, there HAS, actually," he said mildly. "Another Phase Change. Probably the last before the end."
"Pah! Big DEAL!" Ighurnu plumped down in the Navigator's chair and folded her arms in an unconscious imitation of de Mont-Saint-Michel, her tail stiff. "So we can see MORE nothing-much-at-all! Delightful!"
"Sorry," Gamiagaan shrugged. "Those are the breaks. Not too much longer, though, I don't think. Shrinkage rate is up a few ticks, and-- hello, what's this?"
"I don't know," said Ighurnu, looking out the viewport. "But I hope it's not boring, that's all I ask. Just a LITTLE excitement. PLEASE?"
Aolrkhea' completes her watch in sickbay, nothing to report. Stopping by her stateroom, she packs a bag with equipment and heads for the Khtaliyr.
Onboard, she sets up sickbay, then checks ship's systems, ending in the sensor tank. She clears part of her holo sphere and tries her commdot. Realizing its limited range, she touches the ship to ship comlink, "PATER, I would like to request a secondary sensor input from the Elissa's sensors to KCR Khtaliyr during post-Jump operations. Send a diagnostic test feed for the remainder of the Jump."
_Initiating sensor datalink._ advises PATER. _Testing... link complete and functional, doctor. Test packets are echoing reliably._
Satisfied with display integration, Aolrkhea' verifies the onboard jump alarm. Sluggishly, she heads downstairs and lays down in her bunk to take a cat nap.
At the sound of his wake up chimes, Tar groans and tries to sit up. "I hate waking up." Ugh, nothing like work sleep work. Tar stares at the walls for a while, and then starts the wakeup ritual of standing arround looking confused while gradually cleaning,preening, and clothing.
Stumbling out of the cabin at 01:40, Tar drops down to the mess "Bagles with cream cheese, doughnuts, juice, coffee pot" he orders.
After preparing to go to bed but not really tired Kor just lays down and lets her mind wander. Like everyone else the expectation of emergence has keyed her up. Rereading reports and talking to others over the past couple of weeks about the Alcyon expedition hasn't lessend the impact about the purpose of this mission. Two weeks was a good start at a shake down of the crew and ship but just barely enough for good working relationships to form. "Since we're going to emerge soon at least I'm prepared." Vanessa thinks to herself. "Clothes and equipment laid out. . .Ohhhh!" she yawns "All set." she adds weakly and then starts to drift off to sleep.
Jan steps out of the CMO's quarters into the dimmed environment of the sickbay. Everything, including the medbots are in place, ready as best can be expected for the unknown.
Jan's first stop is the meal dispenser for a cup of tea. He slumps into a chair, checks his trauma vest and triage bag, and settles in for entry into normal space.
"Medical Team, how are we doing this fine morning?"
<< Dr. Jan Yorblin, Aolrkhea' is on station in KCR Khtaliyr. >>
"Most excellent, Dr. 'Khea."
_Dr. Yorblin, this is Igor, Dr. Limner reports that we are ready._
"Roger that, Igor, advise Morton he is free to pursue his threat team tasks, the rest of medical team is in place and ready to roll. We'll advise of any need to pull him out of his cocoon."
"Drs. Tabor and DaSilva, good morning, if you're ready, I'm ready. "
<< Bridge, Medical reports all Jump out stations manned and ready. >>
"Let us hope this will be an unnecessary drill for us all." Tuning a holodisplay to an outside monitor, "Any of you guys seen a ringworld? I know I parked it here somewhere :-)"
The evening before Jumpout is anticipated, Dr. Morton Limner moves much of his personal equipment back into Igor, and then, with the approval of Yorblin, spends the night in Igor.
At 0158, in a dark cabin on Igor, a small red light begins flashing. In its dim light Morton Limner is revealed lying on the narrow bed. His position and pose would make a mortician jealous. It appears as if the sheets beneath him haven't been disturbed, and his arms are neatly folded beneath his sternum. Only the slow shallow breathing indicates life is present. As the light begins to flash, a gentle hum is heard, originating from a small band around his head.
Limner's eyes open, focus, and blink, once. "Igor! Time and Status please!"
_Zero One Five Niner, Doctor. I have just received a report that emergence is expected in approximately ten minutes. As per your directive I am waking you and bringing all systems to full operation_
Blink. "Thank you Igor. Inform PATER and Dr. Yorblin that we are ready. Run surgery prep including area sterilization."
Rising he crosses to the workshop area and opens up a large complex workstation connected to a waveguide that appears to go thru the top of the ship. "Igor: Increase Psishield power to 75%. Extend Zhodtenna, and isolate waveguide to station P-1. Institute data stream filter on incoming FO cable, and reduce to 13.2 M-baud. Pass through analog voice only communications."
_Confirmed_ Outside, the strange antenna on the roof rises and opens until it covers an area almost as large as the Grav-bus. A telltale lights on the workstation, and a graph shows little activity.
Setting up his hand comp as a communications link, Limner also removes two items from a cabinet in the left bench. The first is his fully charged Psihelmet, which he puts close at hand. The second is a very small pouch with 3 fully loaded hyposprayers, one white, one red, and one black.
Satisfied that he's done what he can, he relaxes, eyes glued to the screen in front of him.
[depeche mode
He sings. It is almost dark in the tiny cubicle; the narrow bed against the wild wall is disheveled, the neat sheets and warm blankets in disarray. The ventilation blowers are off, and the room is stifling and hot. He can hear everything. The drum of his heart, the whiplike lashings of his tail in the still air. Her.
He sings. Curled up on his bed, lying half against the wall, one sharp ear pressed hard against the almost-invisible line of dark between anonymous grey velvet, nose straining for something, anything. His voice is somewhere between a cry of agony and a caress. He sings.
You can feel
my discomfort in this heat
And in my head it's worse...."
He sings. The staterooms of the Alcyon are designed to be as comfortable and private as practicality allows. The movable wild walls come apart and store away easily, but when they are in place they interlock tightly, shutting out all light and noise from the adjoining rooms to assure the comfort of the residents. All light, to be sure. But it is almost impossible to shut out all of the sounds that a Vargr can hear. And no human designer ever gave more than a passing thought to sealing out the scent of a Vargr woman.
He cries, he moans, he curses himself a thousand times for putting her in the empty room once held by Andreas Spear, the room next to his. He sings.
Suddenly, miraculously, her voice is there, faint and alluring in his ears, echoing the refrain....
His eyes squeeze tight shut, and he croons to her, her voice mingling with his in the night.
He cannot go on. But she does, her voice strengthening in power and growing louder in his ears, triumphant, mocking, sensuous.
He looks up suddenly. The wall is becoming transparent; through the milky glass he sees her pressed up against the barrier much as he is, the tatooed rondelles in her creamy fur stark against the crystal, the white tufts of her bosom gently heaving with her breath. Her golden eyes are yearning, her black-furred hands clutch at the wall. She sings, and he joins her.
The wall begins to soften and pull apart. He gazes longingly at her as she runs reverent hands over the strong arms that no longer require metal casings. Her golden-brown eyes speak silent volumes of lost and regained love as he drinks in the smell of her, reaches out to touch the black-streaked coppery red fur he remembers from so long ago.
And the barrier dissolves and she is in his arms. He licks her face and ears, feeling her tongue on his fur, wondering at the feel of her tight muscles under his roving hands, tasting the salt on her skin, hearing the gentle tinkling of the crystals woven into
"*YAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUR!!*"
Bhyarrvouf sits bolt upright in bed, shaking and panting. For a long instant, his wide eyes still see the last vision of the dream... then he slowly plops forward onto the mattress with a shuddering sigh.
Running a hand over his hackles to smooth them down, he shakes himself vigorously and gets out of bed. A few laps of warm water from the bowl at his bedside, a moment to glance at the naked reflection in the mirror and note the lingering scent in the room, and he begins to dress.
"Lights, full on. A/C blowers to point seven. Timestamp, PATER."
_0157, Captain. You are not due to be awakened for another two minutes and ten seconds, but Engineering has just reported that the Grid sensors are beginning to show significant anomalous behavior. There is a 97.8% probability that the Elissa will leave Jumpspace within the next eleven minutes._
"Close enough for jazz. Sound the bell, PATER. I'm going to the Bridge."
There is a double chime on all decks, followed by PATER's voice on the All-Call.
_Attention, all hands, attention. Jumpout approach procedures, all hands, all decks. Engineering and Bridge personnel to stations, Science Division personnel to the Sensor Suite. Medical and Security to alert status._
The Elissa, thus rudely awakened, prepares to meet the Unknown again.
As the jump alarm sounds, Aolrkhea groggily attempts to leap into her grav suit. After stumbling into the mess to get a large bite to eat, she plops into the sensor tank. Reducing the display intensity, she keys the comlink, "Dr. Jan Yorblin, Aolrkhea' is on station in KCR Khtaliyr."
Aolrkhea' eagerly leans forward in anticipation of normal space.
<< Security, Shrike here. I'm down at the simulator, I'll be there in 3 minutes. Shrike out. >>
There is something on the bunk that at one point in time might have been sheets and blankets. Now it is a wadded, rolled, and wrinkled mass, formed around a generous lump of flesh.
As the jumpout warning sounds, an eye slowly opens, stares at the chrono display, and promptly squeezes shut. A pillow moves to cover the eye, muffling a quiet moan.
Zben sleeps on.... (or tries to)
Suddenly, from a hand computer in its charge stand, comes a rising whine, from subsonic to `oh-my-god'! This is followed by a crash of cymbals and music starts to issue forth. Screaming women, shouting men, loud horns, all erupt at once.
Eyes wide, heart tripping, Zben virtually levitates off the bed. He swings his legs out, trys to take a step, and falls flat on his face. Looking down he seems to suddenly notice the sheet wound around his legs. Frantically pulling he somehow succedes in getting out of the sheet, and on his feet. Staggering to the handcomp, he taps in a short code, screws up, tries again, and finally makes the music stop. Shaking his ringing ears he mutters "Gods, do I hate Heavy Metal Wagner.... PATER! Please replay alert and give time check."
_Certainly, Mr. Blaine_ PATER reiterates the All Call, and adds _It is now Zero Two Zero Zero, even_
Throwing on a jumper and his Vacc suit; "PATER, Please give my compliments to the OOD, and let him/her know I'm on my way."
The lights in the cabin are out, and a faint low-frequency sound repeats itself indefinitely, with variations, from the speakers. Any high-tech water-worlder would recognize the noise as that of a superdense pressure hull gently flexing under storm currents. The hand-written sign taped to the outside of the cabin door reads "NO PRIVACY." A form is sprawled on the bed, snoring gently; it still wears the boots to its tailored vacc suit.
A double chime sounds from the speakers as PATER's announcement of impending Jumpout cuts off the room's audio background. The sleeping man mutters something unrelated to any known language and turns over onto his face.
All is still for about ten seconds. Then, suddenly, the room's small terminal begins a voice countdown, simultaneously projecting ten-inch-high glowing holographic numerals over the bed. Just as it reaches "3," the sleeper's arm slams out, hitting the alarm shutoff and the overhead lights simultaneously. Rafe rolls over again and sits up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm awake, PATER. Stamp my sleep chart." Sleep/wake cycle keeps getting worse, he thinks. Perhaps I should consult the Medical Department. I wonder if they can do anything besides prescribing a magic pill or two...?
Checking the terminal readout for the cause of awakening, he springs to his feet, taking thirty seconds to run through a vigorous series of stretches (these look something like a vertical epileptic seizure). He pats his hands hastily along the front of his vacc suit to remove the worst wrinkles, grabs a vest more or less at random from the closet, hits the door release and strides for the Armory, where he had been on duty only two hours before with Andon Shrike.
Rafe acknowledges anyone he passes with a nod and a hand-gesture which could be interpreted as either a friendly wave or a severe motor tic, but says nothing until he reaches the Armory door.
"Good morning, folks," he says to Lazer and Rigo. "Anyone know who's won the Jump pool?" He finds a seat.
"Morning, Rafe. Don't count your jumpships til they hatch."
A soft caress. A gentle touch. Warm, pink skin. Innocent eyes that stare upon the strange world with untold wonder. Such a strange world, and so incomprehensible. Too hard to understand it all. Motion, what's that over there? Recognition. Happiness.
The small infant giggles and stares out at his father, happily gurgling baby-noises to himself and waving a chubby pink fist at the familiar face. Even a father cannot hold a child's attention for long, for a few moments later the baby swivels his head to stare at the warm padding covering the crib.
Christian squats down and proudly looks at his first-born and only son. "Hiya, little man. Daddy's home!" The infant looks back at Christian and gurgles a reply, his face lighting up once more. Reaching into the crib, Christian ever so gently cradles his son in his arms, kissing him on the head. "Yes, Daddy's here now... Have you been a good boy today, hmmm? Yes, Daddy loves you, *sooooo* much." The child, held in the firm grip of his father, yawns briefly. Christian slowly walks around the nursery, humming softly to his son, occasionally pausing to hold the infant close.
"Hey there, Doctor, I have this disease, and it's only cured with a kiss! 'Cmere!" Christian turns and grins at Charissa. "Sssshh! I think he's going to fall asleep soon. Hi yourself!" He inclines his head and kisses his wife. "Mmmmm!" Looking at the two most important parts of his life, Christian's heart swells with his love for Charissa and his son, *their* son.
Davros.
The all-call snaps Christian from his slumbering repose to a sitting position in his bed. His face is lit up with a happy smile for a moment, before the message, and where he is, registers. A heavy curtain of reality slams into Christian, brutally wiping the happiness from his face and replacing it with a moment's keen anguish. He closes his eyes and utters a vicious profanity.
In the ensuing somber silence, he rises and quickly dons his current uniform, adding a small assortment of emergency paraphanalia. In a very few minutes, he leaves the stateroom and makes the journey to the bridge, alert but marginally downcast, despite the air of tense anticipation that hangs heavy.
The announcement rudely wakes her. "Just as I was about to fall asleep!" she says to no one in particular and jumping out of bed she quickly changes from pajamas to working uniform. Strips down and puts on the formfitting vacc suit, boots, gloves. Seals up. Flak vest. Coveralls, magnetic boots. Combat harness with water bottle, food pack, ammo pouches, vacc suit emergency patches, basic med kit, knife, gauss pistol, flash light, communicator, hand comp. Grabs vacc suit helmet and heads to the Armory.
At 02:05, she rolls into the armoury. Joining Lazer, Rigo and Rafe, who has just entered ahead of her, she says, a little excitedly, "Hi!" and turning towards Lazer she asks "What's our assignments?"
"Hmm? Ah, Vigilance. Preparedness. Unswerving Loyalty to the Emperor," Lazer intones. He pauses, then continues, "Jonson and Horne are down in Engineering, trying to stay out of the way. Hfolraw is honour guard on the Bridge. The rest of us are to sit here, waiting for shit to happen. You can hang the harness on that rack, if you like."
"Vigilance: Check. Preparedness: Check. Loyalty to Emperor: Check, check, check, check, check, and check. I guess I'm ready," Rigo quips. "And unless there's someone waiting to board us the moment we emerge, we're going to be as useless as an udder on a _chikkal_ for a long time to come. Do you think we'll be going into that wormhole after the Hoop eventually? I sure hope so."
"Oh." Vanessa sighs with what seems to be a little disappointment. "I think I'll stay suited up until we're back in real space." she says and sits down to wait with the rest.
Lazer looks up from the console. "Well, that won't be long. Twenty seconds to jumpout, people. Take your seats."
"Kharrbyegh!"
_Yes?_
Goughzar rolls out of his bunk and with his eyes still closed grabs his vacc suit and starts pulling it on. "Full Lighting, Power up of all systems and run a quick check on sensor arrays". Hard helmet in hand, Zar steps into the fresher and splashes cold water on his face. As he steps into the hallway, Zar's eyes are wide open and his step quickens as he reaches the bridge.
"Okay..." looking around quickly, checking all systems to active, and makes sure the power systems are all on line - including the manuever drive. "Open a connection to the science team and drop a copy of all incoming sensor data to them. Keep a copy labeled ... rrr ... aekhae. Display data realtime to the holodisplay".
Tapping open a comm channel, "Paladin to Bridge, Goughzar here. All systems active and a data line for the sensors to Science tank open. Awaiting further orders. Goughzar out."
"Grid discharge timeout count confirmed at ten minutes at my mark...Mark!" Aiwi's fingers move over her consoles with smooth, practised ease. "Relay Jump exit counter to all Bridge stations. PATER -- Grid Primary Diagnostics on main screen." The main bridge display windows to show a wireframe of the Elissa's Jump Grid. All major conduits are showing an unmistakeable charge pulsation characteristic of imminent Jumpout.
Akhouw leans back into the command chair, the very picture of concentration. "Thank you, Crew Chief Aiwi." He idly rubs his chin with a claw, willing time to move just a *little* bit faster.
Everything is prepared. To her left, a secondary console displays icons for the batch programs she will launch at a single fingerpress -- local inertial frame orientation, all-array passive sensor scans, comsystem startup, data-pipe to Science Area, threat-assess, and, ancestors forbid, fire-control initialisation...
Ger pauses his game of 4-D tetris, and stares for a few moments at the flurry of activity that Aiwi has suddenly become.
Akhouw surveys the progress for a few more moments. "Crew Chief, please bring power systems to full output. Initialize all combat subsystems and place on standby. Mister Nanadth, ready maneuver drive to engage." He notices the game of 4-D tetris that Ger is involved with a sour glance.
Saving and quitting the game, the Helm again becomes the display that has been set up for the last week: Standard nav controls, visual display (Though Ger is not expecting to see anything), and full feeds from the sensors to construct a image of the surrounding space, when space returns. After checking that everything is in order, the Count moves the new jump exit counter to an out-of-the-way spot on the display and waits...
"Aye sir." Without an apparent break in the rapid data entries she is making, Aiwi backgrounds the sensor ops processes and calls up her engineering repeater screen. "Full power requested, sir. Engineering is responding. 90 per cent of rated power and rising." A flick of the fingers and a new display appears. "FireCon initialisation routines launched. Stage One weapon safety interlocks released. Autoloaders all OK. All turrets to warm standby....tactical to your display, sir.
"Sir, Helm is ready for maneuver pending sensor data", Ger injects finding a moment of silence to report.
"Khrrr...display diagnostics on primary and backup EMS receiver systems. Ka'tai....Number 3 cryo unit is showing back within normal limits. Good. Mister Neriika -- what is the current status on neutrino and densitometric systems?"
"Densitometers and neutrino sensors on warm standby." There is a brief pause, as Nishu checks other windows. Green squares and text hover just above the glassy black surface of the console, the last few amber spots clearing as he watches. "Rider sensors on-line and synched."
"Thank you." She keys up the realspace navgrid on her main console. It is blank at the moment, naturally, but she pauses for a moment as if to study some imaginary trace. A furrow appears at the corner of her eye. A long sigh, then...
"You have an opportunity to put that work in stellar cataloguing and astrometry to good use, Mister Neriika. You may perform the initial guide star scan upon our arrival."
Nishu nods with a polite smile, and closes most of the sensor windows. In less than a minute he has the star-fix program running. A ghostly, soccer-ball-sized globe floats over the console with a bright speck at the center. The outer surface of the sphere is, at the moment, blank.
The ephemeris for this region has automatically been loaded in, along with the view from Nishu's predicted exit point. He waits, for tiny stars to begin appearing on the celestial sphere.
Akhouw sits, and waits, to see what honor will bring.
"Helm -- status of navigation data relay, please." A heartbeat's pause, then a contralto purr with overtones to make the listener's blood run icy cold....
"Ummm..." Ger looks confused for a second.
"*Helm?*"
"Chief, as there is no data for the relay I can only assume that it is working correctly from the records of the last level 3 diagnostic, which was at 0030. Shall I perform another?"
Just after Aiwi's and Ger's exchange of status reports, the iris valve to the Bridge snaps open and the Captain strides in.
"Relieving you, Commander. Take Tactical," he says crisply, and waits for Akhouw to vacate the Command Chair.
Bhyarrvouf then sits down, and snaps his fingers. The Command Status holopanels intantly reconfigure to a muted pattern of reds and browns in a bizarre, almost fractal arrangement.
He runs down the list of status lights quickly, looks around the Bridge, and says to no one in particular, "Look sharp, people; Jumpout's going to be a LOT sooner than," he glances at Aiwi's time display, "Eight minutes. I'd say more like two."
The engineering spaces are abustle with movement and talk. Status reports and comments are flying thickly about the room, sometimes bouncing off the person they are aimed at. Munro is sitting intently over her board, acknowledging the reports, a secondary status window lighting her face with a blue glow.
<< "Grid discharge timeout count confirmed at ten minutes at my mark... Mark!" >> The announcement comes down on high.
Munro glances at the chronometer. It reads 0159. Shakes her head. Softly, "That's not right.." One minute passes. Another. Munro shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Reaching quickly for the bridge channel, she flicks it on.
<< Bridge...Engineering. Prepare for jumpout in less than three minutes. Engineering out. >>
Looking around, she says "Okay gang, get ready. Hole in space, here we come".
On the Bridge, Bhyarrvouf looks shocked, then smiles fondly at the intercomm panel. "I'm going to marry that woman someday," he says to no one in particular. He then flicks on the intercomm. "Engineering, Bridge. Instruments say you're off by six minutes, Mister Munro.... but my money's on TWO. What do the instruments know, anyway?" He barks a quick laugh. "You say 0204, I say 0203. Want to make a wager?"
<< Bridge...Engineering. No bet. I'm being conservative. I'll leave the betting to the gamblers. Engineering out. >> Bhyarrvouf and the rest of the bridge crew can hear the smile in her voice.
Carrying the food the short distance to the armoury, Berana enters and mumbles "Breakfast" sets down the food, grabs a bagel and puts on enough cream cheese so that Tabor would gasp if he saw. Tar sits himself in a corner and listens to the dialog between the other Security members.
"Wake up, Berana. We're not here for your health," Lazer comments.
Reaching just behind Tar, Andon snakes a hand around and grabs a donut. "Thanks Tar," he says around a mouthful of donut and promptly flops down to wait. Shrike is still wearing his vac suit and duty rig from when he got off duty 2 hours ago.
Azani enters the Armoury, clean, sharply pressed, black uniform and gleaming black jump boots. His name can be seen on his right breast pocket and some commendations on the left along with an IISS patch. On his right shoulder is a 12th Imperial Commando crest and on the left is a patch of a unicorn's head. As he enters, he takes off his black beret and sits down. He then pulls out a portacomp and prepares to take notes. All the while acting as serious as cancer, nodding briefly to the other security personnel.
Doctor Werner hurries in the door of the compartment, issuing orders to PATER non-stop, "...and bring doctor Morsers initial survey procedure on line, please."
_Done, doctor Werner._ replies the ceiling. _Program Snapshot-1 is ready for execution._
Wernes stops in front of the main sensor holo-pit, as the door hisses closed behind him, and realizes that he is not the first person in the room. A familiar lean figure is sitting at one of the science consoles, staring at the last holo-simulation run by Morser's team the previous day.
"Mister Bishop." greets Werner. "What brings you to our little sanctuary?"
"I've been off duty since midnight, and I thought I'd come down and take a look at the team's progress." answers Bishop, running his fingers through wet hair. "I *am* still archiving the mission, you know."
"Oh, no doubt, no doubt." comments Werner as he walks around the perimeter of the pit. Thoughts of a recent conversation with doctor Limner race through his head as he passes behind Bishop and he continues, "But surely all that you need to know is available from PATER. Why bother coming down here?"
"It's nice to see things 'live and direct', from time to time, doctor. There's no other holo-projector on the ship that can do this simulation," Bishop gestures at the glowing, callout-covered sphere in from of him, "justice." He smiles thinly and adds, "And even simulations pale before experiencing the 'real thing'."
The door hisses open and in walks Dave Sokuku, gingerly balancing a large tray in each hand. Pastries, breads, spreads, tinned fruit, juices, and two steaming carafes threaten to overflow each tray, assuming that Sokuku doesn't drop them first.
"Hi, doc, Adrian." grins Sokuku. "I stopped by the mess for a cuppa and saw Berana stocking up for the armoury, so I thought I'd do the same." Bishop flows out of his seat to relieve Sokuku of the left tray and set it on a blank holo-console.
"Oof. Thanks, those things are heavy." Sokuku sets the second tray down along side the first one, and unstacks a set of mugs. Pouring himself a coffee, he gestures at the other carafe. "That one's got the tea, if you're not a coffee drinker."
"Ah, good." Werner moves for the tea carafe. "Thank you, David."
"No prob."
"... unt haff mine enneezshul zurvey prozedure rrreadied vor activazhun at der chump-out, bitte, PATER." a rumpled doctor Karl Morser enters the science compartment, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
_Doctor Werner has already made the necessary preparation, doctor Morser._ advises PATER.
"Ah zo? Sahr gut!" Morser yawns, and blinks. "Ah, Manfrrred." Morser stares at Werner's stern face, "Mein Gotte, man. Trrry not to look zo cheerful zis early in der mornink." He smiles and helps himself to coffee and a danish, nodding to Sokuku and Bishop. After taking a huge bite and gulp, he gently elbows Werner in the ribs, "Zmile, you verdamnt golem. Ve are *here*!! Now, ve vind out chust vhere zat rink has got itzzelf off to, ya?"
Sokuku turns towards the holo-display and shoves another donut in his mouth to keep from chuckling. Even Bishop smiles slightly.
Doctor Morser quickly finishes his coffee and shuffles down the the primary sensor station at the base of the massive holo-tank. Bishop steps up out of the pit on the opposite side, making room for the other department members, and assumes a watchful stance at the rail surrounding the pit. Doctor Werner seats himself opposite Morser, placing his mug of tea carefully on the side of the holo-display in front of him. Sokuku grabs some fruit, and then heads for one of the auxiliary positions.
"Ach," Morser glances up from his station, "PATER, vould you be zo kint az too reqvest zee rezt off zee zience team please to choin uz here? Exzept for herr doctor Zmythe, off courze. He haz enough vork, vas mit zat arrrray off his, unt all. Ve haff vork to do!"
_Immediately, doctor Morser_ is the reply. Then, the ships all-call sounds with the message, << _Science team members Abuko, Hryawi, Niigurd, Schmud, and Witfield, please report to the physical sciences compartment immediately._ >>
Morser verifies a sensor setting component on his wristcomp, and then a thought occurs to him. Tapping his own commdot, he opens a channel to cargo bay #1.
Merkle shifts in his place, loosening his tight muscles, unconsciously rubbing along the edge of the scar on his neck.
Merkle shouts over his shoulder amid the raised level of noise, "Chief, I'm prepping Life Support for Jump! Shut down and prep complete within 60 seconds!"
Flicking his fingers along a line of preset indicators and controls, a countdown timer springs into life, glowing just above level with Merkle's forehead, numbers counting down from :59. Boris starts chanting a litany, as off to one side a third indicator in block red letters pulses RECORDING.
"Life Support Prep initiated..."
| Temperature....... | stable, 21 celcius. |
| Humidity.......... | stable, 62%. |
| Atmosphere........ | stable, intruder prevention atmosphere system prepped and ready for deployment. |
| Lighting.......... |
stable, ready for reduction to standby.
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| "Sonics............ | public sonics shutdown to standby. |
| Food and Fluids... | public despensaries shutdown to standby." |
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"Corridors..... | clear." |
Merkle touches another preset, opening a channel to Munro, the Bridgeof the Elissa, and the bridges of the ships riding with Elissa, and in a calm voice..
<< Attention Riders. This is Elissa Life Support. Rider access points will be locked and secured in twenty seconds. Please clear the area in preparation. You folks have a comfortable trip! >>
A second glowing timer appears, counting down from :20
"Manual hatches.....secure. Iris valves .....secured... and locked."
"Airlocks.....secure. Remote observation confirms rider access points are free and clear of personnel."
"Airlocks.....locked.
"Public and private lighting, now reduced to standby.
As the final 15 seconds tick by on Merkle's timer, only the manned stations of the Elissa are still alive. Engineering personnel continue to prepare for the somewhat hasty exit from jump, hardly giving a glance to what Boris is doing.
As non-essential systems are reduced to minimum operating levels or are completely shutoff for the transit, the Elissa once again settles into a calm and restive state.
Those who would displace human like feelings upon inanimate objects, (given PATER's part in this dance, some would say she *is* alive) can feel the Elissa giving herself over to the care of the sophonts she carries and to whatever other forces might have a hand in the upcoming Jump transit.
How many times has she done this in her 51.5 year life-span, Boris thinks, as he watches the timer count down, each indicator calmly switching from 'processing' amber to 'shutdown' red.
:03
:02
:01
<< Elissa Life Support secure for Jump transit. Merkle out. >>
Touching several pads, that reconfigure the controls and indicators for the engineer who will revive Elissa's Life Support functions after the transit, Merkle fastens his vacc-suit, grabs his hard helmet.
Approaching Chief Munro, Merkle snaps off, "Permission to prepare for Hold #1 deployment of the VLA package, Sir?"
Munro glances up from her board. "Permission granted." The jumpout wave washes through the engineering compartment. "Humm. Better hurry Mister Merkle. Feels like we just just hit the curb."
"Silvmane, take over for Mister Merkle at Life Support".
"Hoka hoka hey," Silvmane says idly, strolling over to the recently vacated status board and adjusting his headphones.
Dr. Ostyn Smythe sits nervously in one of his two pods, nicknamed HMS Huey (Duey is the other one on the Elissa, Louie didn't make the trip!), tapping his fingers on the display in front of him. Thoughts race through his mind... "I've waited all my life for this moment! My biggest adventure yet! The rewards are staggering! Hope I don't fuck up!"
At that moment, Smythe's commdot chirps. << Oztyn? Zis is Karl. I azzume you haff zat bik, zilver beechball off yours powered up unt rrready to go, ya? >>
Smythe touches his comdot << Yaah, herr doktor, meen beachball izz veddy to giddyyapp... Heyya Karl, how are those last fine tune adjustments I made on the HOLOPTIC looking on the simulation? The JUMPOUT notice came just as I finished... didn't gettachance to check them out?... Well, everything down here is just dandy. Them there steers'r just champing at d'bit waitin' to gettout t' pasture. We'll deploy 33 drones. I'm going for 6 virtual pentagons arranged in a super hex config. We'll hold 3 in reserve in case of any problems. For a quick deploy, we're gonna go for a 1 km dispersement. Depending on what we get, we can go to a dynamic 10km virtual array in an hour. From the gittgo, we oughta be on-line within 5-10 minutes. Howza party at your end? >>
Smythe turns to examine the readouts on the drones. #28 was giving some tempermental readings. "Damn," Smythe thinks, "thought I'd nail'd that down yesterday..." A couple taps of the fingers, though, and Smythe instructs the neural-net command processor on that troublesom drone to route around the problem. the warning light blinks out. Silence and Smythe's thoughts wander off to his first VLA deployment back on Warinir...
Quiet, dark... He is walking... the sand is rustling under his feet, stupid bungler, trying to catch us and walking like the proverbial Giant Rhodonderon Eater... The radio clicks lightly in her ear, once, twice, three times.
She strains her ears, a bloody cat's needed here to see in the dark on Bicornn. Three Obridians, well, well. There, there's the other two, a bit behind the first.
Injector bolts loaded... sight along the top of the box, like you were tought... squeeze, now!
*BEEEP* *BEEEP* *BEEEP*
Alliara wakes immediately as the alarm sounds, and grabs the crossbow lying besides the bed, looks wildly around and... realizes where she is.
"HELLLLL!!!! WHO'S the idiot playing with the blasted..."
<< _Attention, all hands, attention. Jumpout approach procedures, all hands, all decks. Engineering and Bridge personnel to stations, Science Division personnel to the Sensor Suite. Medical and Security to alert status._ >>
Alliara jumps out of bunk and makes a grab for her trousers. They try to run away, she gives chase and hits her shin on the bunk's edge --- lists, with examples, the bunks progenitors and sibling, including a number of water-backing toilets and a bidet. Turns to the bunk-side table, which, rather traitorously changes its height, and spills everything to the floor.
"BLOODY SHIP'S TABLES AND ALARMS! PUTTER, GIMME LIGHT!"
The light comes on, majestic in its impartiality. Alliara grabs the runaway trousers, half jumps, half falls into them, grabs a shirt and throws it on. Grabbing everything else in her hands (in a rather big and ungainly pile), she bolts to the door, which fails to open in time and gets a kick for its tardiness. Once at the lift, she drops everything on the floor and sits down to wear her shoes. As she does, the comdot sounds (rather faintly, as it is somewhere inside the pile):
<< _Science team members Abuko, Hryawi, Niigurd, Schmud, and Witfield, please report to the physical sciences compartment immediately._ >>
Rummaging through the pile, Alliara locates the 'dot and snarls into it, as she is wearing her shoes:
<< Niigurd here, am on my way. WITH a bashed shin. AND WITH half my clothes OFF. ANYONE says the wrong thing about my questionable charms, cops it in the tender bits just below their brains. Bloody emergency jumpout jokes! >>
But... before the lift stops and the last shoe is tied (to say nothing of the flapping shirt...) the ship shudders and the Jumpout nausea washes over her. 'Vouf's voice cuts to the comm:
<< Science Division, this is the Bridge. All sensors should be hot and running, or else. Doctor Smythe, you are GO to launch VLA Drones, I repeat, you are GO to launch VLA drones. If Mister Shrike isn't on hand to help you, call him in ASAP. Bridge out. >>
The lift stops, and Alliara is stamping out, unlimbering the flat camera and the sound recorder, taking no notice of her shirt. Only when she's approaching the Phy-Sci compartment and starts to arrange her belt equipment, that connects the ship-suit shirt to the trousers, and closes it.
As the door opens, she looks at the sensor display and snorts - "Well, linguistics and xenology section here, now what, gentleMEN!? You have interrupted a perfectly wonderful dream, I was going to shoot someone!"
So intent on the holo-tank and the impending exit from jumpspace, none of the scientists have noticed Bishop leaving the room. In the sensor pit, doctor Morser frowns. "'Veddy'? Vas ist 'veddy'?" Then he breaks into a smile as it dawns on him. "Oh, ya, ya, Ich verste'hen! Mein akzent!!" Pressing his commdot again, he replies, << All ist gute mit zee holo-optik. It iss rrruning pervvectly. Ve are vaiting impaschuntly vor chump-out. >> Morser pauses and nods to doctor Werner, "Manfrred? How iss der VLA telemetry?"
Werner taps a pair of contacts, and then touches his own commdot, << Doctor Smythe? Werner here. The VLA link is solid. We are receiving pacing protocol packets and are ready to collect live, real-time on your mark. >>
Smythe replies, << Okie dokie Mannie. Twenty-eight was acting up, but looks like it's okay now. Roger the solid link. VLA continues in stand- bye. >>
Morser jumps in, << Ya, sahr gutte. Ve arrre all rrready on zis ent, Oztyn. Be carrrevul outzzide. Morzzer, out. >>
<< Roger that herrr docktorr Morzer, Y'all dun wurry 'bout lil ol' me, these here mules dont' kick _too_ bad! In all seriousness, I'll be okay herr doctor, >> Smythe replies.
Morser settles back in his chair and shakes his head. "Er ist ein verruckt 'cowboy'."
<< _Science team members Abuko, Hryawi, Niigurd, Schmud, and Witfield, please report to the physical sciences compartment immediately._ >>
"On my way." Witfield speaks through the commlink, and proceed to the science compartment.
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