Ice and Peace (4 page)

“So will you do it?” She asked him to reaffirm his answer.

“Yes, ma’am.” A voice in his head screamed, but he ignored it. He approached and looked her in the eyes. “When do we start?”

“Come with me.”

Chapter Four

“Attention!” The officer of the deck ordered as Keegan and General Hollis entered the bridge.

The gray-and-white eighteen-by-fifteen room comfortably held its complement of crew. Officer of the watch, chief of the watch, who held the gun, along with the navigation, signals, communication, assorted personnel for the steering of the ship and various other duties, and of course, the now executive officer and the captain of the ship. A bead of moisture formed on his brow. The silence and wide-eyed stares unnerved him.

“Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch,” Hollis said to the woman who was in charge of making announcements on the ship, “open a channel for ship-wide broadcast.”

She glared at Keegan, daring him to flinch.

“Aye, ma’am,” the young lady replied, facing the general. She blew into the boatswain’s pipe, a slender metallic tube, shaped like a flute used to get everyone’s attention throughout the ship. As the pipe sang its high-pitched tune, Keegan sighed, looking directly at Hollis. Ready to do his duty, he wasn’t sure if he was making the right decision.

“Channel secured and open.”

Hollis studied the curious crew with her cold-steel gaze. “All hands prepare for an announcement from the CO. This is General Hollis.” She stepped toward Keegan.

Standing at parade rest, with his arms folded behind his back, he remained silent and waited for her to continue.

“I have an announcement to make. Recently, as you all know, we lost our XO to a tragic accident. He will be missed. Because of this, there has been a vacancy in the chain of command, and we have not been able to be the best we could be. All of that will be rectified. Effective immediately, I will no longer be your CO. I will continue to reside aboard ship, acting instead in my capacity in the admiralty with duties representative of the battle group and the fleet. Your new CO has come aboard.”

Turning to him, she looked him firmly in the eye. “As head of the Centauri 4th Fleet Blanchard Battle Group, I now appoint you, Colonel Medoro R. Keegan, to the rank of captain of this ship, the USS Blanchard, effective immediately, thereby making you its commanding officer with all the rights and privileges thereof. Do you accept in front of these witnesses?”

“Yes, I do.” A quiver tore through him, but he stood firm. Weakness or regret was no longer an option. He had to make the best of this opportunity. If only Caitlin was here with him….

“You are thereby held to the duties and regulations as stated in the Constitution of the United States, the rules and regs of the First Treaty of N-TARA, and to the agreements in the United Nations Pact. Do you swear to uphold these and all therein?”

“I do.”

“The ship is yours. Crew, meet your new captain.”

The personnel on the bridge clapped.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said graciously. He could swear he heard clapping from the crew over the PA as well.

“I will remain aboard, tending to my other duties. However, the ship is yours, Colonel.” She saluted him.

He returned the gesture.

“Thank you, ma’am.” His mind raced.

Clearing his thoughts, Keegan recalled his life and duty aboard ship. It came back slowly. He surveyed the bridge as the crew watched him. He could sense a change in their demeanor. Some words needed to be said.

“Thank you all, and I humbly accept this command. For those of you who are familiar with me, it is good to be back, and to those of you who have yet to know me, I look forward to meeting you. I promise to give you my best. As for the ship, know this, she will continue to be the best in the fleet. So,” he paused, “we have much to do and not a lot of time to do it. Let’s get started.”

“First order, Skipper!” the officer of the deck called out.

I hope I still remember how to drive
. He inhaled briefly and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he turned to his right.

“The first order—call all birds back to the nest.”

“Aye, sir, call all birds back to the nest,” she repeated the command.

The order was immediately relayed to the signalman of the watch, who promptly put in a call to the air boss to call all craft on patrol back to the carrier. Which meant they would soon be making back-to-back catches.

Now that the crew had heard the ceremonial first call, it was time to have a little privacy. Turning to the boatswain’s mate, he bellowed, “Down the com.”

“Down the com. Aye, sir,” she replied, switching off the PA.

There was no need for them to hear the rest.
The scuttlebutt will take care of that
.

“Prepare to get underway,” he said, familiarity rising within him.

All unnecessary personnel exited the bridge as the ship hoisted “anchor” and prepared to journey.

“Getting underway, aye.” The command echoed back to him inside the small room.

“Engine room report,” he said, glancing at the command chair. He wasn’t ready to sit in it yet, even though a mix of excitement and fear ran through him.

“Engine room reports 110 over 110,” the officer of the deck relayed.

“Very well.” Keegan turned to Hollis, who smiled confidently at him. “Where’s our next stop?”

“We gotta do some shopping. Head for the river.”

Eridanus, it is
.

“Aye, ma’am.”

“Colonel, I’ll be in the CIC,” she said, before leaving.

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded automatically and turned to the officer of the deck. “Lieutenant, set your course for the Constellation Eridanus, destination Eckhardt Station. Make your coordinates.” He paused. “Where are we by the way?”

“Sir, we are in the Sadirah System,” the navigational officer responded to his left. She stood and stared at him as if to test him.

“Oh, that’s right. We’re close to home.” He smiled. He knew the area. It was the ninth closest star system to Earth. “Set your course for seven-eight-three-two.”

The ship’s navigator punched the coordinates into the computer. The computer confirmed the accuracy of the coordinates. Impressed, the OOD smirked.

She’s new
.

“All birds are back in the nest,” the lieutenant reported, confidence ringing in his voice.

“Blast shields up. Wrap us up tight, people, and prepare for CS Departure.”

“Prepare for CS Departure,” the boatswain announced over the ship’s public address system.

Keegan stifled a big grin. Wonder and excitement pulsed through him. He couldn’t believe he was running command over the USS Blanchard. It’d been a longtime dream of his. If only the circumstances were different and Caitlin was here to share the moment with him.
I wonder when I can hold inspection?
He shook his head at himself.
Later. Too much work to do
.

Grabbing on to the small handle above him called a jeez bar, he prepared for the jump. Everyone called it that because jeez was the only word people could get out right before going into Curved Space Departure.

“Counting it down,” the lieutenant warned. “Five…four…three…two....”

Her voice faded away before she got to one.

Chapter Five

“Good afternoon, Ms. Driskoll,” the man standing in front of her said soberly. His coarse, curly, short hair reminded her of ground coffee because of its deep umber color.

Alone with a man who regarded her with obvious pity, Caitlin tried to contain her anger. Pity was the last thing she needed. She required answers. Questions abounded in her mind like, why after all this time had they not released her from service? Why weren’t they trying to find a cure for her condition?

The MP at the door fueled her outrage, making her feel like a prisoner instead of a soldier on the same team.

“The name is Keegan. Mrs. Caitlin Keegan, and good afternoon,” she responded. Her proper military demeanor slipped as her anxieties rose.

“According to our records, you are Caitlin Driskoll.”

“Your records are wrong.”

“I doubt that. I’m sure you are listed this way for a reason. Ms. Driskoll, you are here because you have been assigned to the Advanced Cryo Recon and Tactical Training Facility here at Cole. This is a top-secret installation. Because of that, your security classification has been raised. I don’t normally give this talk but, seeing as things are in transition here, I believed it was best I handle this personally. Let me introduce myself. My name is Captain Darryl Grady. I am the base commander.”

Strangely enough, he bore no rank and insignia and wore a piece of cloth over each shoulder board. She wondered why.

“Is it possible you are mistaken?” Lately, she’d only been assigned to training detail. The thought of going back into full-time cryo detail frightened her. The drugs, training, cold, isolation, and death had left her deeply scarred. It was not something she wanted to experience again.

“No.”

“Am I being sent back to the fleet?”

“Possibly.”

“I don’t understand,” she said softly, “I’m not supposed to be here—” Her thoughts jumbled as she tried to recall her previous orders. An image flashed in her mind then faded.
I’m due to stand down
.

Picking up the scriv, Captain Grady read it then placed it on the desk beside him.

“You’re supposed to be here. In fact, you were specifically trained to be here. That’s why you were sent to Warrant Officer’s School and then Advanced Arctic Combat Training.”

Caitlin shook her head and sighed. That was why she’d been sent to train with the SEALs.

“Yes, sir,” she replied, resentment boiling within her.

“I’ve never worked with cryos before but I understand you people went through hell out there. Especially you, Ms. Driskoll. I sympathize. And I know sometimes the situation can become confusing to you, but….” He paused. “So out of respect for the sanctity of human will, I chose to address you without my rank and insignia. I have served my country and my planet for over twenty years and I have seen some things in my time. Things that have caused me to question my humanity but never my patriotism. Well until…. Anyway, I believe in giving people a fair shake. And based on your record, you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, touched by his sympathy. It was rare to find a normal who actually cared about the plight of her kind.

“Unfortunately, your work is not done. We need you again. When you accepted the rate CWO-2, you swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. We are holding you to your promise. You O-Cryos have a rep for being rebellious. I want no part of that here. You are a trained officer in the United States Navy, and I expect you to act as such. I want no problems out of you. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” she responded dryly. Once again, she carried the label of insurrectionist though she had taken no part in the Cryo Rebellion on the Blanchard. But of course he did not know that and probably didn’t care to.

“Good.” He reached into his shirt pocket. “I can count on you?”

“Yes, you can.”

“I saw your specs, and they are outstanding when it comes to this kind of work. Basically, you are the best in the field.”

Caitlin became lost in thought as the all-too-familiar words rang in her head.
“You are too valuable to lose.”

As he pinned his silver bars on his lapel, along with the ribbons on his shirt, he removed the pieces of cloth hiding the stripes on his shoulder boards.

“We need your help in the coming months as we ready this command. It needs to be the best and with your help, it can be.”

“Yes, sir.” Her eyes raced back and forth, from his face to his bars. Something in the back of her mind clicked. Her inner self began to fade. Quickly, she began the mental exercises Medoro had taught her to do whenever it started to happen.

My mind is strong. I can resist
, she repeated to herself in earnest.

As she stared at his bars and insignia, a calming sensation surged throughout her body. It started in the recesses of her mind and then flowed forward, making her feel safe and assured that if she followed directions, everything would be all right.

“Chief, are you listening to me?” Captain Grady asked, his voice hollow and distant.

“Yes, sir.”

“As you may know, the Office of Special Warfare has put in a lot of time and energy honoring the men and women who served right along with you in the early years of the war. They fought honorably and bravely. And because of their service, you and others like yourself have classified as regular Navy. I am sure you are pleased to hear that.”

“Yes, sir,” she said reflexively. Her mind was clear of all apprehension. She felt no need to question.

“We believe you are ready to move on to the next level. Tomorrow morning, report to the Advanced Cryo Training Facility at 0600 hours. Once you arrive, you are to see the base physician. I understand they have something special for you. Then you will begin training our first class of cryogenically enhanced soldiers who have completed all of their basic requirements. According to the new specs, they require one last cycle before they go on active duty. And that’s with you. The details are on the scriv in front of you.”

She looked down at the small electronic device.

When did he put that there?

“Your command will oversee their advanced training in Cryo Warfare and Habitat Adaptation before they go operational. Deep space is cold, and it is time for humanity to adapt. You will help us do that.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Questions?”

Caitlin glanced out the window and watched the snowflakes fall lazily to the ground. “No, sir.”

Standing up, Captain Grady peered at her as if to look for damage or missing pieces. She stood motionless, letting him.

“Dismissed,” he said.

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

***

Sitting in the command chair of the Blanchard as her skipper was peculiar for Keegan. Questions raced in his mind. Did he deserve the seat? Had he earned it? Would he be able to keep it? These nagging concerns promised to keep him up at night along with the normal stress of command. An occasional doubt was considered all right, but any more was not permitted because it led to fear and paralysis, which were deadly for a ship’s captain. He had seven thousand men and women depending on him to do his job well. And he was determined to do just that. Bad judgment and self-doubt led to disaster. Neither was in his job description.