Aurora: CV-01 (32 page)

“I took the liberty of jumping us to a point just inside the target system,” Abigail explained. “Considering how the last three jumps went, I thought it best that we didn’t jump into the middle of everything this time. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Nathan assured her. “Good thinking.”

“We are still adrift, Captain,” Cameron pointed out.

“Sir, Engineering reports the two scrammed reactors are coming back online, and main propulsion should be back up in approximately ten minutes.”

Nathan looked around the room, cocking his head in strange positions and looking about the bridge, as if he were looking for some sign of trouble.

“How far out are we?” he asked no one in particular.

“About two days journey,” Cameron answered. “Assuming we’re still only able to run the mains at ten percent.”

“Any contacts?” he asked.

“No, sir,” Ensign Yosef reported. “We’re the only ones out here.”

“Finally,” Nathan observed. “Some peace and quiet.”

CHAPTER 10

Nathan sat watching the surf crash onto the tropical beach. The sound of the waves as they broke over the reefs, the seagulls overhead—it was the sound of life to him. It was the sound of peace.

The peace was interrupted by the door buzzer.

“Enter,” he called.

Cameron entered the ready room. “Morning Sir,” she greeted.

“Would you knock of the sir, crap?”

“You are the captain,” she reminded. “Which means you out rank me by what, five steps?”

“Yeah, about that. I’ll make you a deal,” he said as he reached into his shirt pocket. “You promise to stop calling me sir, at least in private, and you can have these.” He tossed her a plastic packet containing something shiny.

Cameron caught the packet with ease and looked at the packet. It contained a pair of rank insignia pins. The rank was of a commander. A smile began to grow across her face. “It’s about time,” she muttered. Her smile was now fully developed, going from ear to ear.

“So you can smile, eh Commander Taylor?”

“I’ve got the crew roster ready.” She handed him the data tablet to look at.

“Well, put them on,” he insisted as he took the tablet and began to read the report. “We lost two more?”

“They were injured in the first battle out in the Oort cloud. Doctor Chen said they didn’t have a chance. She was surprised they hung on as long as they did.”

Nathan tried to put their deaths behind him. But she could tell that he had not yet developed that crucial command skill.

Cameron turned to look at the ocean view video displaying on the large screen that covered the forward-facing bulkhead of the Captain’s ready room. A beautiful and energetic little border collie ran out from the bottom of the screen, scampering out onto the beach to run freely and chase the birds. “What’s this?” she asked, pointing to the screen.

“It was in Captain Roberts personal documents file in the computer system. I think it’s the view from his beach house back on Earth. It’s a long file, probably at least forty hours worth. He must’ve run it while he was in here working, to feel like he was back home.” The two of them watched in silence for a moment before continuing their conversation.

“So, did you figure out a way to run the ship with a crew of forty?” Nathan asked as he picked up the remote and shut off the screen.

“We can fly it with forty, but if we get into another fight, we’re not going to have anyone for damage control, let alone backups in case someone gets injured.”

“I guess we’ll just have to steer clear of any more trouble, then. Speaking of the crew, how are they taking the news?”

“They’re all pretty shaken,” she admitted as she sat down across the desk from him. “I mean, after what we went through, and now stranded so far from home? But they’re all well trained, and they all joined Fleet for the same reasons. So they’ll pull through,” she insisted. “How are you doing?”

“Leg still hurts a bit, but it was only a hairline fracture. It’ll heal in a few days.”

Cameron looked him in the eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

Nathan leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. He had tried not to let himself wallow in his own emotions after the crisis had finally resolved. But he knew that it was going to catch up to him sooner or later. They were going to be away from Earth for a long time. And other than Vladimir, Cameron was the only other person on board he could trust.

“I’ll be honest, Cam. I’ve been better.” Cameron said nothing, waiting for him to finish his response. “Hell, I’ve been through more in the last few days than I expected to go through in an entire career.” Nathan felt his emotions bubbling up from deep inside as he looked down at the crew roster. “I look at this list, and I can’t help but wonder how many of them
I
got killed.”

Cameron felt sorry for him, but knew that coddling him wouldn’t help. “You wanted command,” she said.

Nathan chuckled. “Actually, no, I didn’t. I just didn’t wanna roll over and let
you
have it.”

“In that case, it serves you right,” she jabbed.

Nathan laughed even harder. “You really are a bitch, you know that?”

Cameron smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, we all gotta play to our strengths.” Cameron stood to leave. “Listen, Nathan. If it will make you feel any better, truth be told, you did alright.”

Nathan looked up at her, a grin creeping across his face at her compliment of his performance.

“But I’ll deny ever saying that,” she added as she turned to walk out of the room, nodding at Jalea who was just entering the ready room.

“Good Morning, Captain.” Now that the situation had calmed down, Jalea’s demeanor had returned to the warmer, more soulful one that he had first met. Although he definitely preferred this persona, he doubted he could ever forget the other side of her.

“Good Morning. How may I help you?”

“I’ve spoken to one of our contacts in the system,” Jalea informed him as she took a seat across the desk from him.

“What did you tell him?” Nathan asked suspiciously.

“Only that we needed to smuggle in a ship to be repaired. It is not the first time we have made such a request of this person.”

“And this person can help us?”

“He is more of a facilitator,” she explained.

“Like a middle-man?”

“Yes. He will bring the proper transponder and codes out to us. We can then use these to travel throughout this system without raising suspicion.”

“When can he get here?”

“It will take him about two days to reach us. I would request that you take no hostile actions upon his approach. It might lead to unfortunate results,” she stated carefully.

“I’ll alert Jessica to expect him.”

Jalea respectfully nodded.

“Just one question, though. What’s it going to cost us?”

“These people are also repaying debts.”

“Life debts?”

“Correct.”

“But these debts are not owed to my people, Jalea. They’re owed to yours.”

“True. But we owe you far more than we can ever repay.”

“Is that why Marak sacrificed himself? To repay us?”

“Marak did what he felt was in the best interest of both our people.”

“And how is saving this ship in the interest of your people?” Nathan had been curious about this question for a while now.

“The name of your ship,” she smiled, “do you know what it means?”

Nathan was a bit embarrassed to admit that he did not. As far as he knew, it was the name of some pretty lights seen at the northern latitudes on Earth.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” he admitted.

“It means, ‘New Dawn’,” she told him.

Now Nathan smiled. “That’s just a coincidence,” he assured her.

“Perhaps.” Jalea turned and headed for the door. Before she reached the exit, she paused and turned back around to face him again. “And your name, Captain. What does ‘Nathan’ mean?”

“If I remember correctly, it means ‘Gift from God.’”

“Another coincidence?” she asked.

“Perhaps,” Nathan smiled.

Thank you for reading this story.

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BOOK TWO

OF

THE FRONTIERS SAGA

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