Infinite Reef (17 page)
Authors: Karl Kofoed
Johnny chuckled darkly, reclining his seat to watch the tunnel lights flash by. “Not to sound dramatic, but it was a profound melancholy,” he said. “I’m relieved to know we all felt it.”
Connie grew annoyed. “Gowaan,” she said. “There’s nothing mystical about it. We were inside that thing. That’s a scary situation.”
“Yes,” agreed Johnny. “But I think it’s worth relating at the debriefing.”
Connie examined the Professor’s bearded face. “You think it was trying to hurt us?”
Johnny nodded. “Possibly. We should all report it, Connie, as Alex said.”
“I wish we’d brought Mary along,” said Alex. “It might have been the one mission we really needed her.”
“Our mission’s not over yet, Alex.” Johnny sat up as the car slowed to a stop and the doors swished open. When they reached the top of the stairs Alex’s legs were still adjusting to the biocylinder’s artificial gravity. He was surprised to see that the overhead light was at its noontime setting. The place had a springtime feel to it.
No less surprising was the sight of the command staff having a picnic in the shade of some large oaks. Smoke from a barbecue rose into the sky and nearby kegs of geebrew lay waiting to be tapped. A cheer rose up as the crew of
Tai Chi
exited the tubeway. Mary Seventeen, who was waiting near the entrance, ran boldly into Alex’s arms. She squeezed him tightly and whispered in his ear: “Didn’t you hear my messages?”
“Not one,” Alex said. “Missed you.” Looking around, he recognized most of the faces from the control room. As he took in the entire scene, the great curving enclosure made the celebrants look like a fairly puny bunch, but a happy one.
Not a bad
group to be lost in space with
, he thought, and in his mind he heard Mary.
“I’m glad you’re back, Alex. I felt so alone.”
The picnic was a welcome relief to Alex, as well as to Connie and the Professor. Stubbs had personally arranged it for that very reason. Everyone relaxed and ate freshly harvested corn, chicken, and a variety of vegetables and fruits grown aboard the ship. A thanksgiving of sorts was celebrated and toasted with homegrown geebrew, and when everyone had eaten and relaxed, Stubbs rose to speak. He raised a cup of brew into the air. “People,” began the Commander, “I salute the returning crew of
Tai Chi
. Instead of an immediate debriefing, I chose a more relaxing welcome. It helps, I think. If, of course, we have the luxury of time to do so. In our case, we do and we don’t.” Stubbs put his glass on the nearest table and examined the faces around him. “The next few days will determine if we stay in the Lalande system, or leave, as most of you are hoping.
“In a week ...” the Commander glanced at his wrist, “seven days, two hours and a few minutes, to be exact, we’ll be executing a major burn. We have determined that there is a real possibility that the burn may be impossible as long as those two alien objects are out there.”
Johnny raised a hand to make a statement, but the Commander shook his head, smiling. “Let me finish, Johnny. You’ll all have a turn.
“I’ve ordered the crew to execute a burn designed to put us on a slightly different trajectory, one that will take us away from the objects but still get us home. The move is underway as we speak. My reasoning is this: we have demonstrated that we can damage them if we want to, but we brought the instrument of that destruction home.” The Commander looked at Johnny. “The shuttles can easily continue that destruction at any time, but I wanted to make it clear to the aliens that we don’t want a fight, nor to destroy their ships. That’s why I brought
Tai Chi
home.” Stubbs looked at Connie Tsu and smiled sadly. “I think it’s clear that the aliens’ technology is superior to ours. And more importantly, it allows them to draw power from things around them.” The Commander nodded to Alex.
Johnny raised a hand again and the Commander acknowledged him with a nod. “More importantly, Commander,”
Johnny began, “they’re draining the
Goddard
of power right now. And what your data doesn’t show is what it did to the crew, psychologically.” Johnny pointed to Alex and Connie.
“What do you mean?” The Commander looked shocked.
Johnny glanced around nervously as faces turned toward him. He put down his napkin and stepped away from the table.
“On our way back, we discussed it. We all experienced an emotional drain while we passed through that thing. It wasn’t fear.
It drained us, emotionally and physically. If we’d stayed inside it, who knows what it would have done to us? If I had to give it a name, I’d say we experienced anti-radiation of some kind.”
The Commander raised an eyebrow. “Anti-radiation? Are you saying these things are made of anti-matter?”
Johnny frowned. “I doubt that’s the case, but it may be something as exotic. I do suspect their power source involves something like antimatter, but I have no basis ...”
“So do we, actually, Professor,” interrupted Stubbs. “The samples of the alien material found clinging to the shuttle’s hull were treated as biologically active material. Matt Howarth’s crew is already analyzing it.”
Hearing Matt’s name, Alex surveyed the group and saw neither Matt nor Jeanne Warren among them. But he did see
Tony Sciarra seated at a far table with a slim woman with dark curly hair. They were talking intently, seemingly oblivious to the group. “We should visit Tony,” Alex whispered to Mary as he pointed them out. “Find out if something’s going on with a certain lady.”
“At any rate,” Stubbs said as he rose from his table, “we have some important work to do. Important considerations to make. And we have relatively little time to do it.” Stubbs turned to face the group. “I arranged this little affair, had the central column brightened and so on, so we all could relax. Medicinal purposes, you might say. What’s ahead for all of us is serious work. We all have to be at our best. Remember this: if the maneuver, and our threatening the aliens, doesn’t work, then its war, or ...”
Stubbs never finished his last sentence. He simply turned and walked toward Master Control, causing his staff to rise quickly from their tables to join him.
Alex gulped the last of his brew. “Or what?” he said to Mary.
“Or we stay here,” she answered confidently.
Alex shook his head. “Well, maybe for a while.”
Mary looked around at the group scrambling to beat their Commander to the control room. “All of them are thinking the same thing. Our real mission is the
Goddard
itself. It’s a colony ship. It was designed to function for generations. Look around. There’s lots of empty decks. Room for expansion. Whatever happens, the mission will be a success.”
Alex took Mary’s hand, assisting her to her feet. “And this is also a maiden voyage.”
Some staff appeared and began clearing tables and stacking chairs, and a gardener was moving in equipment to heal the patches of lawn damaged by the picnickers. Alex laughed. “I think now we’ve been invited to the control room.”
“How would you vote?” Mary asked, picking up a banana and stuffing it in a coverall pocket for later.
Alex rescued a peach from a fruit basket just before their table, too, was whisked away. “Vote?”
“War or peace?” said Mary, kissing Alex’s cheek.
“This is no democracy,” he answered. “It doesn’t matter what I think.”
Chapter 6
1
The particulars had been discussed inside the control room, where Captain Wysor and a skeleton staff had been manning the helm while Stubbs’ picnic was going on.
Behind the scenes, frenzied analysis of the alien material revealed only that it contained exotic molecular carbon chains.
Meanwhile, despite a slight course change, the astrometrics staff confirmed that two unspecified objects were still maintaining a consistent course, a thousand kilometers fore and aft of the
Goddard
.
Stubbs continued to address the group as everyone got settled. “It grieves me to think that destroying the alien clusters may become our only option. But now it’s becoming clear that the aliens have not been warned away by our actions. They precisely matched the ship’s course change. Damaged as they seem to be, they persist.” The Commander looked around the control room and sighed deeply. “Their intent remains a mystery. What we’re interpreting as belligerence on their part may not be accurate. For example, they may be preventing our leaving their system to learn more about us, or to prevent our investigating something on the outer planet. In short, I am deeply concerned that we may be misreading their intent.”
While the meeting went on, the ship passed through the cloud of alien debris. Very little of it came close to the great ship, but some it, including one large chunk, attached itself to
Goddard’s
hull. The Commander ended his musings and ordered the third of
Goddard’s
three shuttles,
Galileo
, dispatched to remove the debris, but after an hour reports of success had not been received.
As time wore on nonessential personnel were allowed to leave the meeting, Alex and Mary included. Before they left, the Commander told them that he might have to send both of them on another mission. “This might not be something you’ll want to do, Alex,” Stubbs warned, “but it may be necessary.” Alex said he’d do whatever was necessary, which seemed to please Stubbs. Without further explanation, the Commander dismissed them and returned to his duties.
As they entered their house Alex and Mary were still mulling over the situation. “I keep trying to see this from the aliens’ viewpoint,” said Alex.
Inky was waiting just inside the door. Mary picked up the cat and gave it a hug. “Alex,” she said, “understanding Inky is far easier than understanding those aliens. Don’t even try. They don’t think like us. I’m not sure they even think.”
She glanced outside as the central light began to dim. Noticing the change of light, Alex sighed, “Back to preflight status.
I guess we should go to our com. Stay in touch.”
When Mary turned on the communications console, an image of the alien cluster appeared on the screen. Telemetry, at the corner of the screen reported distance, speed, and course of both the
Goddard
and the alien cluster. All the numbers, except for the speed, remained constant.
Alex ordered a geebrew and tumbled onto the sofa next to Mary, studying her closely.
“What?” she asked.
“How’s the baby?” Alex asked, almost whispering. How do you feel?”
“I haven’t been nauseous, if that’s what you mean. Didn’t you see me eating?”
Alex hugged her. “I missed you when I was out there, Mary,” he said softly. He glanced at the viewscreen and noticed the image had changed to an outside view showing the
Galileo
with grapple lines attached to the black material clinging to the
Goddard’s
hull. Firing a few small attitude jets, it pulled the alien debris free of the hull and sent it spinning into space.
Moments later a burst of pulser fire destroyed it. The resultant cloud drifted harmlessly into space as the shuttle turned and vanished from view.
“I guess that’s one for our side,” said Alex, unsmiling. “But what about the rest of them?”
“I know ... well, I feel pretty sure there’s no talking to them,” Mary said.
Stubbs’ face appeared on the screen. But the image wasn’t being broadcast to them personally, as Alex and Mary first thought. Rather, it was a general announcement from the Commander.
“The vote,” said Mary confidently as Stubbs began to speak.
“By now, all of you understand our dilemma,” said the Commander. “We all want to get home. But in order to do that we will need to burn our engines, a maneuver designed to use the gravity of Lalande c to catapult us toward Earth. We’ve elected to use the gravity assist to shorten our trip by a few weeks.
“Two clusters of alien objects are preventing us from doing so. Though they are quite a distance from us, they might compromise our burn. Judging from what we have observed, these objects may be able to sap our energy, even from a great distance.
“Our experts – if any of us can be called that– think that several things might happen when we fire our engines. The obvious one is a collision.” The Commander wiped perspiration from his eyes as he continued. “We might, on the other hand, find that the objects will accelerate with us and stay with us as we head toward Earth. Or they may sap our power and leave us in orbit around the planet.”
Stubbs looked drawn and tired as he spoke. Alex wondered how long it had been since the Commander had slept. “We have tried to communicate with the aliens to no avail,” continued Stubbs. “We’ve exhausted all means to send messages and have received no response.” He glared into the camera. “All of you know that our shuttle’s plasma pulse cannons have demonstrated that these objects can be destroyed. But to do so may certainly be interpreted as an act of war, at least by our rules.
“Their motives for following us – for sending the sphere crashing into our ship – are unclear. It may be that they want to even the score for our having invaded their world. Or they might want us to stay here to get to know us better. Whatever their motives we have a choice: destroy them and leave, or stay here. The question I put to you is simple. Yes or no? Yes, we destroy the cluster. No means we abort the trip home.
“Time is short. In the next five minutes I expect each of you to say yes or no to your wristbands. The computer will tabulate the verdict.” Stubbs’ image vanished from the screen and was replaced by a view of the alien cluster.
Alex looked darkly at the screen. “I guess this is a democracy after all.”
2
In spite of their intense desire to get back to civilization, Alex and Mary voted against war with the aliens. They discussed it briefly and decided that postponing the launch to home wouldn’t harm the mission as much as an attack. Alex argued that the slingshot effect of a close pass by the second planet would make it nearly impossible to achieve another launch window for some time to come, but even if it meant staying another year, he believed that destroying the two alien clusters was wrong.
Mary had already cast her vote when Alex said, “No,” into his wrist bracelet.
After voting they waited in their com room for the official verdict. Half an hour later the Commander returned to the screen. His expression was somber as he began to speak. “I’m going to keep this short,” he said. “We have reached a consensus. Thirty-eight percent of us have voted no, but the majority, it seems, are more interested in getting home. So be it.
The plan to destroy the alien cluster will proceed immediately.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Alex sadly. “I thought our people had more sense than that.”
Mary put an arm around Alex. “I wish I could be more disappointed with you, but this means we’re going home. And it means we can keep our little secret a while longer.” She patted her tummy and smiled.
The next communication Alex and Mary received was a call to arms from Commander Stubbs. The Commander’s face appeared again. This time the scene behind him wasn’t the control room. It appeared to be his own study. Family pictures and ancient books lined the wall behind his head. Stubbs seemed to be gazing at them when they were connected. “From the look on your faces,” he began, “I can see you aren’t thrilled.”
“We both voted no,” said Alex forthrightly. “We’ll get another launch window, sooner or later.”
“Later, I would think,” mused Stubbs. “But you’re overruled, Alex. The
Goddard’s
crew wants that thing destroyed.
Which brings me to the next question.”
“We’ll do our duty, if that’s what you want to know,” said Alex. “I’m used to following orders I don’t agree with.”
“Good. Report to the shuttle bay immediately.” The screen abruptly went blank.
Dutifully, Alex and Mary dressed in flight coveralls. She made sure Inky’s food and water were well supplied before they went to the tubeway entrance at the base of their home, where a car waited to speed them to the shuttle bay.
Arriving only a few minutes later, they were surprised to see Tony Sciarra and the woman they had seen with him at Stubbs’ picnic floating outside
Diver’s
airlock.
“Are you two the rest of our crew?” asked Alex, letting go of the cable strap that had carried them to the ship.
Tony nodded. “That’s the orders,” he said. “This is Norma. Weapons specialist. She’s the one responsible for improving the pulsers.” He looked at the woman with pride. “I thought she deserved a shot.”
Norma smiled as though slightly embarrassed. “Well, I didn’t design it alone.” She was looking at Mary. “I saw you at Stubbs’ party,” she said. “You’re Mary Seventeen, right?”
Mary smiled politely. She noticed that, on the other side the hangar, the shuttles
Tai Chi
and
Galileo
were ready for launch. “We should get inside, I guess,” she said. “Don’t want to hold up the massacre.”
Norma looked surprised by Mary’s remark but said nothing as they boarded
Diver
. Tony, on the other hand, seemed talkative and very upbeat, a change from the person who’d accompanied Alex and Mary on two missions to explore Jupiter’s reef of life. “Great to be back with you guys,” he said, laughing. “Didn’t expect we’d be goin’ to war, though.”
“How did you vote?” asked Alex.
“Does it matter?” said a voice at the airlock. It was Professor Baltadonis, dressed in flight togs and carrying a small bag.
Without further comment the Professor ducked inside and took his accustomed place at the central console with the overhanging cowl that provided him a virtual environment. He slid the bag under the chair, then sat down and strapped into the seat. His eyes went to Alex.
“Hello, Professor,” said Alex moving toward the pilot’s seat. “Nice you could make it.”
Johnny surveyed the group. “We have a new member of our crew,” he observed. “You would be Norma Coach, weapons specialist. Welcome aboard.”
Mary and Alex took only seconds to strap in. Alex gave Norma a snappy salute. “Doubles that for me and the missus,” he quipped.
Norma smiled and lowered her eyes. “Nice to be here.”
“Fire her up, Alex, while I introduce myself. I’m Professor John Baltadonis, Terraformer, Mars. To your left you have our esteemed pilot, Alex Rose, who is credited with discovering Jupiter’s Reef. Behind you is Mary Seventeen, Sensor communications officer.”
Alex switched on
Diver’s
computer and power train, while Mary contacted the
Goddard’s
launch control and informed them that their shuttle was ready for launch. Oblivious to the whine of the shuttle bay’s auto-launch system, Johnny continued his introduction. “I understand you know our esteemed radar specialist, Anthony Sciarra?”
Norma nodded and smiled without comment. Tony spoke up instead. “We worked together on the shuttles.” He looked at Norma approvingly. “She upped the amplitude of the pulsers, and narrowed the field. We couldn’t do this as quickly without her.”
“I had plenty of help, Tony.” Norma put on her tactical helmet and examined the console in front of her. Her fingers skipped deftly across its surface, activating the weapons system. “I’m all set, Professor.” Her voice was quiet but confident.
“Launching,” echoed Johnny happily.
Sitting behind Norma, Mary seemed engrossed in her own console. She looked at Johnny and reported that the command center was giving them the go-ahead for launch.
“Eyes front, everyone,” added the Professor.
With a lurch, the shuttle began moving toward the hangar doors as the Commander’s face appeared on the wide viewscreen above the front windows. “Shuttles
Diver
,
Galileo
and
Tai Chi
,” he began. “Let me begin by wishing you well.
Your respective orders and flight plans are already stored in your computers.
Galileo
will be in charge of destroying the trailing cluster.
Diver
and
Tai Chi
will undertake the destruction of the leading cluster. In case the haste of this mission caused confusion among you, I will mention the crews.
Tai Chi
is commanded by Matt Howarth. Pilot, Ted Harris; radar operator, Jeanne Warren; and the chief gunner is Connie Tsu.
“
Diver
, of course, is Alex Rose’s ship. He is piloting it and Mary Seventeen is the communications specialist. At
Diver’s
helm for this mission will be Professor Baltadonis, no stranger to the post, by the way. I should add that Johnny’s specialized module will be
Goddard’s
eyes and ears during the mission.
“
Galileo
is commanded by our esteemed Captain himself, John Wysor, who is also acting as pilot. His gunner is ... let me see ... Julian Kernes. The radar officer is ...”
“Mike Kister, sir,” responded a voice on the intercom.
“Yes, Mike,” said the Commander. “And for the moment your job is to listen, not to chatter on the intercom. Remember, everyone, FIR laser transmissions only. Radar to be switched on only for the attack. Is everyone clear?”
The three shuttles launched simultaneously. As on the first mission, onboard computers guided them. Alex didn’t mind letting the computer his work. He knew that timeliness was important and the autopilot was the most efficient way to go.
Still, it annoyed him to sit and do nothing, but he forced himself to sit back and enjoy the ride.
The shuttles moved quickly into battle. Before the bay doors had shut they had already cleared the giant ship’s needle nose and stern. As
Galileo
raced to face the object trailing behind
Goddard
,
Diver
and
Tai Chi
traveled side by side as they accelerated toward the formation a thousand kilometers ahead. As they picked up speed, Alex stared into the blackness beyond the cockpit windows. His eyes lifted to the viewscreen showing the same scene, rendered artificially to show the formation of alien rods. He could see that the cluster had altered its pattern to accommodate fewer of the rod-like units. The structure looked complete, but smaller than before.
