Alder's World Part One: Mass 17 (5 page)

Sam and Elana kept going
up past the pens, the racquetball courts, and the machinery that
ran it all. There, in the last levels before the flower garden that
crowned the structure in a glass dome under the stars, the open
spaces gave way to a series of private rooms, some of them full of
plants, some of them almost empty. Here individuals, couples or
groups could get away from the ship and stare out into space
through the long windows that ran floor to ceiling. The last levels
were high above the ring and, due to the shape of the dome, looked
out and up. In the
“
high
space
”
as it was called, you
could not see the ship, only the stars and space. Crew members were
encouraged to take small vacations there, spending days in the
quiet, going out for strolls in the garden or just resting. You
could even order in. Elana picked an unoccupied room on the side
facing Mass 17.

The room was large, dimly
lit, and dressed like a Japanese beach house, with paper walls and
paper lanterns. It had a bed on a wooden deck by the door and a
wooden railing that led out onto a sandy patch by the window. It
was Alder
’
s favorite.
Although he had never been to Earth himself, he had had a paternal
grandfather from Japan and liked the look and feel of traditional
Japanese fixtures. In the dark of the room, Mass 17 was clearly
visible, side lit in blue white by the young sun and tinted in
shades of orange.

There were wooden chaise
lounges on the sand. Elana asked the computer for some soft music
and they reclined. Alder was immediately uncomfortable, big blob in
space, dead friends, psychologist at his shoulder.
“
Well, it
didn
’
t take you long to get
me stretched out on the couch.
”

Elana
’
s face was still
round and soft but was beginning, in smile lines and crinkles, to
hint that she would someday be a bright, rosy cheeked old
woman.
“
Well, I could have
stretched you out on the bed, but
you
’
ve never really been the
grief sex type.
”

“Grief
sex?
”

“Very good way to make
contact with another human. Usually very energetic. Tends to be a
lot of crying at the end.
”

Alder looked at her out of
the corner of his eye.
“
This
a service you offer to a lot of your
clients?
”

“Only the grieving
ones.
”

“Well,
you
’
ll be busy this
week.
”

“Maria came to see me this
morning while you were still sleeping.
”

“Who?
”

“Maria Estavidos. Cab
Martin
’
s
girlfriend.
”

“Were they still
dating?
”

“Sometimes. She told me
that they had agreed to break up when they got back to human
space.
”

Alder humphed to
himself.
“
How
’
s she taking
it?
”

“Pretty well. She’d been
complaining about what an asshole he was for years. He
doesn
’
t seem like such an
asshole to her now that he
’
s
gone. Death does that for a person.
She
’
s been calling the star
La Cama de Martin. Martin
’
s
Bed.
”

“The star? Martin died in
Mass 17.
”

“Yes, but dealing with the
star is more indirect. I
’
m
not sure she
’
d be able to
give mass 17 such a pleasant name at this
point.
”

“I wonder what
she
’
s calling
me.
”

Sam didn’t see Elana’s smile because
he was staring fixedly out the window.

“I
don
’
t think
she
’
s gotten that far yet.
She doesn
’
t blame you though.
Word on the ship is that they would have lived if
they
’
d have listened to
you.
”

“Well, not
Martin.
”

They lapsed into silence.
Mass 17 was like a third person in the conversation. It
didn
’
t feel menacing but its
closeness and size made it press in on them as if listening
intently.

“I wonder if
we
’
ll head home now.”
Sam mused.
“
Three deaths is a lot.
”

“Yes, I think
we
’
ll turn around. Pilton is
terribly concerned with his legacy. The great explorers who bring
their ships home intact are remembered better than those who lose
all hands. He wants to sail back into orbit around League Prime
with his ship in order and his crew in ranks. It will secure him a
place in spacefaring history. He’s trying to hold out for as much
glory as he can. I think the deaths of three crew and the loss of
the scout will tip the scale.
”

Elana spoke with great
surety and Sam didn
’
t
question her. He had never been very good at reading people but
Elana was the best. He knew some of the crew were desperate to turn
for home but the idea didn
’
t
really stir him much anymore. Maybe because he knew that, at best
speed, the Duster was around three years from League Prime and
Pilton liked to stop and have a peek at everything they passed.
Thinking practically, they were five years from home plus whatever
Pilton stopped to poke at.

“It
’
s
beautiful.”
Elana nodded to the
mass.

“Mmm.”
Alder agreed then scowled.
“
It
’
s too
big.
”

“Too big for
what?
”

“It had started to
collapse as the nanobots bound materials in the cloud. Have we
moved closer?
”

“I
don
’
t think so. Sam
what
’
s wrong?”
Alder was out of his seat, his face to the glass
boring into the mass with his eyes.

“We were tracking the
collapse for hours after we lost contact. How long was I
out?
”

“About twenty-four hours.
We...
”

“Shit. Computer, science
bay seven. I need to talk to whoever is on
duty.
”

“Connecting to Doctor
Subramanian.
”

“Hi Alder.”
Subramanian
’
s voice came on
the line a few seconds later. He was from a place called Pakistan
on Earth and had never really lost his accent.
“
I
’
m glad you are awake. How is Elana
doing?
”

“She
’
s fine.
She
’
s here with
me.
”

“Oh hello Elana. How are
you doing?
”

“I
’
m fine Shiri.
How
’
s...
”

“Look Shiri.” Alder
interrupted.
“
I need to know
what
’
s happening in Mass 17.
Is it still collapsing?
”

“No.
It
’
s very interesting. The
gravity waves have not come back but something in the processes
with the nanobots is causing a lot of
turbulence.
”

“Is it
heat?
”

“We
can
’
t tell.
There
’
s too much dust for
infrared imaging in the core. We do
know...
”

“Water. Is the amount of
water vapor increasing?
”

“Yes, we have been getting
spectrograph signals indicating an increased level of water in the
cloud. We don
’
t know by what
process...
”

“It
’
s on fire. How long
ago did the turbulence start?
”

“About sixteen hours ago.
Sir, if the core is burning...
”

“Exactly. Stand by.
Computer, I need the commander on duty.
”

Elana rose and stood next
to Alder,
“
What
’
s going
on?
”

“Connecting to Lieutenant
Fisher.
”

“Hey Alder.
You
’
re up.”
Fisher
’
s
voice came from the bridge.

“In a second.”
Alder shot at Elana.
“
D
’
Ray, we
’
ve got a
problem.
”

“Elana not letting you get
any sleep?
”

“No.
I
’
ve got quite a bit of
science that says Mass 17 is about to
explode.
”

“Explode?”
Fischer was the number two security officer
behind Tallen, and only in charge of the bridge when nothing
exciting was expected.

“Yes. We need to move
now.
”

“Hey. You know
I
’
d love to be going but your
science crew has got about a billion projects going at the
moment.
”

“Forget that. We need to
go now.
”

There was a pause on the
other end.
“
Look Sam. You got
relieved of duty. You can
’
t
really give orders right now.
”

Alder cursed.
“
Okay.
Who
’
s the duty
officer.
”

“Captain Pilton
but...
”

“Hold that thought.
Computer I need to speak to the captain.
”

“Captain Pilton is not
available at this time.
”

“Okay. Priority voice
authorization. Alder Samuel C. Respond.
”

“Alder Samuel C. is
currently relieved of duty. Authorization
denied.
”

“Alder!
”
Fisher
’
s voice cut back
in.
“
Cool off man.
I
’
ve got the bridge. I can
call an emergency if we need one. Now what the hell is going
on?
”

“Sorry
D
’
Ray.”
Alder rubbed his face.
“
The Oxygen level in the mass has been rising since Pakerson
first started pinging the cube. Now suddenly
there
’
s
water.
”

“I
don
’
t get
it.
”

“Water is made by fusing
Hydrogen and Oxygen.”
There was no noise
on the other end.
“
They burn
at about 2800 C.
”

“So,
you
’
re telling me the inside
of a big ball of dust is...on fire?
”

“And the pressure is
building. Do you remember the physics experiment where they held
the flame up to the balloon full of
Hydrogen?
”

“Yea
sure.
”

“Well the weight of the
mass is the skin of the balloon holding the heat in until it bursts
and we
’
re the spaceship
that
’
s way too
close.
”

Elana put her hand on
Alder
’
s forearm.

“Right.”
Alder could hear the gears in
Fisher
’
s brain
whirring.
“
How
long?
”

The left side of
Elana
’
s face lit up suddenly
orange. A gout of fire sprung from the surface to the left of the
ship.

“It
’
s destabilizing.”
Came Subramanian
’
s somewhat
useless observation.

Elana
’
s eyes lit up
with fire and horror as the gout of flame pulsed into the dark of
space. It looked as if the surface of the mass was being dragged up
with it and the fiery maw was spreading at kilometers per second.
On the opposite horizon, a sudden glowing halo reported that a
second fire had erupted.