Ice and Peace (5 page)

He studied the latest reports. His scriv beeped as he scrolled through the information. All of the ship’s pertinent data as recorded by the department heads was relayed to the small computer.

His conclusion: the ship was a mess. There weren’t enough supplies or crewmembers, not to mention that essential items were being replaced at a diminishing rate. In other words, as they requisitioned supplies, they received fewer and fewer items. And the ship was due for an overhaul, which wasn’t going to happen. Not anytime soon, at least.

When the workload threatened to overwhelm, he allowed himself to think about Caitlin. It was the first time they had been apart since they left Bethesda Medical. Though she seemed perfectly recuperated on the outside, he knew better. She still had her spells and was prone to being influenced by the stuff still in her system. He worried when she refused to share with him what went on at the base. Frustrated and anxious, Keegan pushed those fears away. She was light years from here, safe at home.

He returned his attention to the reports at hand. There was much to do. He settled into the chair, ready to tackle the challenges before him. Keegan continued studying the report. Noticing something strange, he slowly looked up. The ship was swaying ever so slightly. For a vessel at sea, it would not be an issue, but in space, it was supposed to be smooth sailing unless there was something wrong with the inertial dampeners or something worse like the….

Keegan did not allow himself to finish the thought.

“Boatswain’s Mate,” he called out as he stared at his coffee cup on the stand next to him. The liquid inside tilted instead of being level.

“Aye, Captain?”

“I’d like the status of—” The ship shuddered before he could finish the words. It did it again then groaned loudly from its bowels. “What the hell was that?”

Dumbfounded, the officer of the deck stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Sir,” she said, “I don’t know.”

“Find out.”

Stunned, she stood still.

Keegan frowned and barked, “Move it!”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, before scurrying out of the room.

He could only imagine what challenges he’d face on his first day back in command.

***

Lemon-colored light streamed through the blinds as an icy wind wafted in through an open window. A young man dressed in a khaki shirt and black pants sat rather comfortably in the frigid breeze.

“The word combat is derived from the French word
combattre
. Com meaning ‘with each other’ and
battuere
‘to beat or fight,’” Caitlin explained, as she strolled around the classroom.

“We fight together not against each other. Remember that. We are a team, first and foremost. And as for our official classification, officially we are,” she paused and pointed to the illuminated board behind her containing her freshly printed words, “Cold Weather Reconnaissance Operational Ground Assault Special Forces, or Cryos. Our specialty is cold weather warfare. In the past and still today, there are units who operate and train in Arctic environments. We are not them. We don’t merely train in Arctic environments, we live and thrive in them. We are called to serve not only here on Earth but on alien worlds in whose sub-zero temperature, normals cannot survive. This is a lifetime assignment. Once you become a cryo, there is no turning back. There is no cure, and no one is looking for one either.”

She glanced at the young people staring back at her. They were young, clean cut, and very professional. Not like the rag tag bunch she had come from.

“I am certain your JAG representative has explained to you not only your rights but also your societal status. So if you have any questions or complaints in this area, take it up with them. Not me. I’m not interested. If you are unsure as to your commitment, you have less than one minute to change your mind. After that, you are here to the end of your tour. Any takers?”

No one moved. No one spoke.

“Good. Let’s begin. It is important you understand your operational environment as well as your HOL or human operational level. Most of you have had basic combat training. But here, we will be training you in Advanced Cryo Combat Tactics and Strategy. That will be a little later; for now we’ll talk about your HOL. We are not invincible but we are strong. The average person’s core temperature is approximately ninety-eight-point-six degrees Fahrenheit. Ours is a little lower; the average is eighty-six. However we are very comfortable at eighty-three,” she explained with a knowing grin.

We original models like it even colder
.

Which was why she had constant feelings of melting with anything higher, though Medoro never wanted her to acclimate any lower. The thought made her heart tighten. She missed him, but her job kept her grounded and focused. She had a mission now. “Contrary to popular belief, we are not ice cubes. We are still very human and can still suffer from
some
of the same side effects associated with extremely cold temperatures. Though this usually wears off as your body continues to adjust to its new condition. Just to be on the safe side, don’t go and dip your fingers in any liquid nitrogen.”

The group chuckled.

“Cold temperatures reduce the dexterity and sensitivity of the human hand.” She waved her palm in front of the team then picked up a knife known as a K-bar and held it tautly while flipping her wrist. “For example, when in CQB—close quarters battle—cold weather for normals causes reduced sensitivity in the central nervous system, thereby inducing numbness in the hands and other ligaments. There is a tendency to compensate by applying more force to the muscles in the hands and fingers in order to complete the motions. This leads to awkward and ineffective results.”

She placed the knife back into its sheath before settling on the desk behind her.

“Also cold or, as we call them, gelid conditions reduce the ability of tissues to recover from repetitive exertions. This in turn reduces the body’s ability to deliver oxygen and energy to vital tissues. This buildup of heat and waste products results in pain and injury.” She noted the intense expressions on her student’s face. Pleased by their attention, she continued. “Synergistically speaking, these injuries take longer to heal and are more damaging, and as a result, keep a soldier out of combat longer. Our condition practically negates all these effects. We are here because we are adapted to these conditions physiologically and, for the rest of you, one day, psychologically.”

A hand went up at the back of the room.

“Yes,” she said, pointing to the young woman. “State your name.”

“Petty Officer Second Class Georgette Sykes, ma’am. Ma’am, is it true you were one of the first group of combat-ready cryos?”

“You could say that.”

“Have you seen combat?”

“All of the originals saw combat. We had no choice.”

“What was it like?”

“Cold and hard.”

Momentarily, she was drawn back to her first time on the Blanchard. She recalled being awakened in the infirmary and staring into the eyes of two strangers. Major Anthony Bishop and her husband, Medoro. Two people who changed her life forever. Aware her students were waiting, she focused on the task at hand.

“Any other questions?”

Another raised his hand to speak.

“Yes,” she responded with a nod.

“Petty Officer Nico Jesswan, ma’am. What about hibernation?”

“Sailor, are you sleepy?”

“No, ma’am. What I mean is…. What about its use in the field? There are times when extraction is not forthcoming, and we must conceal our whereabouts from the enemy. We were told hibernation is an effective tool to be utilized in these situations.”

“Don’t use it unless you have to. Remember, concealment, shelter and, as a last resort only, hibernation.” Caitlin frowned as she recalled her experiences with hibernation. They were never positive.

Some likened it to a deep sleep, but for a cryo, it was more akin to coma. Agonizing pain in the arms and legs along with cloudiness in one’s ability to think. More like someone sawing off her body parts while she was on a mind-numbing drug. The hurt was still there, but coherent understanding wasn’t.

“Why?”

“Because it can result in your death. There are certain organisms that have adapted to life in the ice; we’re not one of them. Some can awaken from it on their own, but most have to be awakened. It also hurts like hell. Especially when you start to warm up. You’ll experience an intense burning pain as warmth returns to your chilled extremities. Welcome it, because it means you are alive and you’re warming up and your nerves are responding, which is good news because you don’t have frostbite. By the way, you can still suffer from that,” she added. No doubt with this new batch of cryos, it was more likely to happen….

“What is it like to work on an ice planet?” he asked leaning forward in his chair.

“Your sinuses bleed, and it’s hard to concentrate because you have to be very aware of your surroundings. You have to wear special glasses to keep from going blind from the glare off the snow, and if you’re not careful, darkness and silence will come to you very quickly. This room is approximately sixty-six degrees Fahrenheit. It is like a day at the beach compared to what you will be experiencing when you go operational. So remember, the comfort you have is entirely dependent upon your supply chain. Without it, darkness and silence will return to you rather quickly.”

“Supply chain?” another asked.

“Your gear, your fluid, core temperature, and your team. It is important to keep your internal temperature consistent. Or else you’ll die. Carry enough fluid to protect yourself from dehydration or have the ability to obtain fluid by means of melting snow or ice. Dress warmly—you are not a penguin, though you may be called one, and even they have thick layers of blubber to protect their internal organs. And more importantly, keep in contact with your team; they are your lifeline. Nobody here is to go out alone.”

Everyone in the room fell silent as they digested the information.

“Petty Officer Second Class Mosley, ma’am. What does this have to do with us? All of this info seems to be related to the inner working of human beings. We’re supposed to be fighting the Squats. Not people.”

“We are called to defend our country and our planet against all enemies, foreign and domestic, off-planet or on. Including human and non-human alike. The Verneans are just one group of beings hostile to our existence. I can assure you, their allies are studying as well. Therefore, you should know your own limits and learn how to avoid being exposed.”

She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon. Thank God.

“All right, that’s enough for today. Any questions?”

They shook their heads.

“Class dismissed.”

As the members of the class filed out of the room, speaking among themselves, she couldn’t help but shake her head. She recalled her first days in training on Eridani’s cold base. None of them had volunteered to be there, and none of them knew what the future had in store for them. And here she was now, training the next generation.

Smiling to herself, she wondered what her first husband would have thought of her becoming a Spec Warfare officer. He probably wouldn’t have believed it. She probably would not have either.

She clenched her jaw. She had promised herself that during this stint she would not think of husbands—past or present because it only brought up pain. As much as she loved and missed Medoro, she needed to remember he was far away, and she had a job to here. It was the only thing keeping her from slipping into grief-ridden despair.

Chapter Six

The air inside of Engine Room One on the Blanchard was musty and filled with the stench of lubricant. The loud clanking of a broken pump sounded through the room as various personnel did their best to shut it down, along with the engine it served, before it was too late.

“Sir,” one of the engineers called out, while approaching Keegan.

Her soot-stained face and jacket gave evidence to the battle she was having with the machine.

“It’s Inertial Dampener Number One. It’s gone. Apparently, the lubricator pump failed, and it locked up on us and blew,” she explained over the din.

Keegan’s swayed ever so slightly to the side as the damaged system began to affect the ship.

“Lieutenant, we’re traveling at 2C through free space.” He paused and braced himself against the side of a hatch. “How could something like this happen?”

The engineer blinked at him. “Sir. I’ll find out.”

“Well, how are we going to stop?” he asked, raising his voice in order to be heard.

“I don’t follow, sir,” she responded in an even tone.

“Let me rephrase. Lieutenant, at the speed we’re going, when we finally put on the brakes, we’ll be experiencing Newton’s Third Law in living color. So what’s going to keep us from being spots on the forward walls?”

In order to work in this area, everyone had to know physics better than Einstein. So if she had any bright ideas, he was ready to hear them.

“Sir, we lost only one dampener. We should be fine with the other three. Therefore, we have enough stability to make it to port where I can get the parts I need to make the repairs.”

“All right,” he said checking his watch. “We’ll be at Eckhardt in ten minutes. Fix what you can, and I’ll get you to port.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Carry on.”

“And, sir?”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“Steer us a clear path until we get them all back online. We can’t afford a bumpy ride.”

“I’ll do my job. You just watch those other three. And tell everybody to hold on.”

Keegan watched the engineer head back to her station. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. A dampener blowing was one thing, but getting the new crew to ensure a smooth ride was another.

***

Advance Cryo Training Facility at Cole Naval Air Station - Montana

“Great day, isn’t it, Chief Petty Officer?” Caitlin said to her assistant trainer, who replied with a smile.