Infinite Reef (39 page)

The Commander nodded. “Looking for me, I suppose.”

Alex noticed that both ultra-lights were black; the chosen color of
Goddard’s
four plane air force. All the others were brightly colored. They launched from hangars located at both hubs of the great cylinder. Alex shielded his eyes from the glare of the central column to see which hangar door was open.

Then he saw two more black aircraft exiting the nearest hub at high speed. For a moment their shadows stretched across the giant turning disk that capped each end of the biosphere. The two shadows swept over the many ring-like levels in the hub quickly, then faded as the planes moved further into open airspace. “Now there are four,” he said. “Do you think they’re looking for us?”

Johnny shook his head. “I doubt it. But I did take off my wrist locator … just in case.”

Ned raised his forearm. “Well, I still have mine,” he observed, giving the gold bracelet encircling his wrist a spin. “They’d call.”

He shaded his eyes as he watched the other two approaching aircraft. “It’s a survey run, I suspect. They do it most days at noon. “

“Surveyin’ what?” asked Bob.

“A security sweep … tally the crop growth … things like that.”

“Reminds me o’ New York,” said one of the men standing with Bob. “Ne’er liked ’em.” He shifted uneasily and searched the faces around him for signs of disapproval. Moments later the two black ultra-lights zoomed overhead and continued on their course following the curvature of the cylinder. The whole group ducked a bit as they passed over.

Johnny watched the two planes as they followed the landscape in a permanent climb, keeping their distance from the ground.

Alex watched, too, remembering how difficult it had been for himself, a trained pilot, to familiarize himself with the physics of flying inside a huge turning cylinder. It was far easier to stay aloft if you followed the length of the cylinder. But one 90° turn meant certain doom if you didn’t climb.

Alex noticed everyone else was watching the two planes as well. “I guess I’m the only one in the group whose flown one of those things. It isn’t easy, I’ll tell you that.”

“Excuse me, sir,” said Bob, pointing a thumb toward the lighted column overhead. “Can’t waste the light. We’ve some ir’gation equips to set up.”

“Of course,” said Johnny. “Thanks for your input.”

As the farm detail walked away, waving politely, one of the men snickered. “Input,” Alex heard him say. “I like that.”

Soon the group was back in the car, moving along the black foam roadway that circumnavigated the cylinder. For a long time no one spoke, each contemplating the situation. It was Ned Binder’s wrist band that finally broke the silence. Barely audible, it was Captain Wysor’s voice. “Mista’ Binder … will ya’ please tell th’ c’mmander that we’ve be’ contacted by Suth’land fro’ the
Ulysses?
”

“I heard that, Captain,” Johnny said loudly, directing his voice to Ned’s wrist. “We’ll be back at Master Control in … say, twenty minutes?” he looked at Ned for confirmation. At first Ned shrugged, then he looked at his watch and said: “That sounds about right.”

Surrounding Master Control was parkland containing many tall oak, maple and ginkgo trees. Here and there hedgerows divided the land into gardens where flowers and herbs were grown. Soon the little car made a turn and Alex caught sight of the large round building. Ned lifted his arm and spoke to his wrist band. “Master Control …we are coming in.”

2
Before entering the large polyglas doors to the building, Alex surveyed the skies of the cylinder. Far at the opposite end he could see four black specks still flying above the landscape. In his heart he wished he could be one of those pilots. “Better than waiting this out in Master Control.”

Mary paused at the door and took Alex’s arm. She had heard his thoughts, obviously. “As for me, I’d rather be in
Diver
,” she said. “Exploring our reef … or heading back to Mars.”

Alex smiled, sympathetically. “You miss your sisters.”

They stopped walking, staying near the door while Johnny and Ned continued to their command station at the center of the room. Mary nodded. “I miss hearing them.”

“You haven’t received anything?”

Mary squeezed Alex’s arm. “If there’s another communication system being used, the Sensors are probably using it.”

“But you got the upgrade.”

“That was a quarter century ago, Alex.”

Alex looked at the dome that hovered over Johnny’s command post. As usual the black spherical zone contained a star chart showing the relative positions of the planets, with the tiny white needle shape representing
Goddard
at its center. Near the ship there was another object, pyramid shaped and colored neon red.

Alex knew it was the
Ulysses
. As he studied the display he noticed the distance between the two ships was decreasing. “Let’s go to the lounge, Mary,” Alex suggested. “I need some coffee.”

No one in the room took notice of them as they strolled past the work stations. The staff was obviously too busy to focus on anything but their jobs. It made Alex happy that, for once, Mary wasn’t being studied by the men in the room. They reached the otherwise unoccupied lounge and used the refreshment vendor, then took a seat on the white foam sofa to watch the proceedings. Alex sipped the artificial coffee and made a face. “I sure hope they’ve packed extra coffee aboard that ship.”

“I wish … oh, never mind.” Mary folded her hands over her abdomen.

“What?”

“I’m going to be checked by the meds.”

Alex stiffened. “The baby.” He had almost forgotten that Sensors, or any clone type, were forbidden by law to have children. As far as Alex and Mary knew the secret of her pregnancy was safe. They had hoped to get back to Gannytown in time for them to blend back into their former lives and have the child in a place where Corpies weren’t popular and no one would blow the whistle on them. Now this seemed unlikely.

Mary leaned against Alex and put her head on his shoulder. “What will become of us, Alex,” Mary whispered. “It was all … so perfect.”

Alex nodded. “We’ll be fine. The baby will be fine.”

Mary looked up at him. “What makes you so sure?”

“We’re survivors.”

A bell sounded and the computer’s voice, rarely heard in Master Control, delivered a warning. “
Proximity alert
,” it said.

“Collision in three minutes.”

“Shut that thing off,” bellowed the Commander.

Alex heard one of the technicians laugh then answer, “Sorry sir. Auto alert. Apparently that function hasn’t been switched off since we started the mission.”

“Well, it’s good to know it’s working,” answered Johnny, regaining his composure. “Sorry for the shouting.”

Alex noticed that the holographic projection over Johnny’s head showed both spacecraft blinking on and off. “They’ve locked,” announced someone. “Flight paths synchronized.”

“We’re being hailed,” said Mary.

“We’re being hailed by the
Ulysses
,” echoed a crewman at one of the consoles. “Priority channel one.”

“Open it on the speakers,” Commander Baltadonis said somewhat gravely. “Let’s let everyone hear it.”

“All over the ship sir?”

“Of course. We’re a family. Right?” Johnny searched the faces around him for sign of disagreement.

“He wants everyone to know what’s happening,” Mary whispered.

“I want everyone …” echoed Johnny, “I mean everyone … to know what’s going on.”

A short wave of “hear-hear” and applause drifted through the circular room. Then the overhead speaker panels, built smoothly into the ceiling, began to crackle. “Good afternoon, Commander Baltadonis,” said a feminine voice. “This is Commander Sutherland of
the E.S.S. Ulysses
. Stand to, please open your bay, and prepare to be boarded.”

Johnny made no response. Instead he smiled and nodded to his assistant, Ned Binder, who took the cue and answered for him.

“We read you,
Ulysses
. State the size of the boarding party, please.”

There was a moment of silence, then, “Fourteen.” The word seemed to echo in the room. Alex realized he was hearing the outside public address system, too.

“Are you armed?” asked Binder.

“As a matter of fact we are,” said the woman’s voice. “May I ask to whom I am speaking.”

Ned bit his lip and looked at Johnny. But the Commander remained silent. He gestured inexplicably to his assistant. Then, when Ned failed to understand what he wanted, Johnny mouthed the words.

“Let them board, Ned, ” Mary whispered into Alex’s ear. She was looking at Alex and not watching the commanders gestures at all. “But they can’t bring weapons aboard.”

“Can you hear Commander Sutherland?” asked Alex, making sure he wasn’t overheard.

“No. “ Mary looked perplexed. “I should, I suppose. I think they have some kind of shielding.”

“You have permission to board, Commander Sutherland,” said Ned in a loud voice. He looked back at Johnny who was gesturing wildly. “But I’m afraid you’ll need to leave any weapons on your ship. This is a science vessel. Arms are not allowed.”

There was another moment of crackling radio silence then Commander answered again, this time far more coldly. “Mr. Binder, why is Commander Baltadonis avoiding this conversation?”

Without hesitation Johnny answered. “Protocol is not my forte, Commander Sutherland. I am a science officer, botany by trade.

Is there some reason you don’t wish to speak to my first officer, Mr. Binder? I thought all this was a boarding formality, not a Captain’s dinner.”

Everyone aboard
Goddard
heard Commander Sutherland’s feminine sigh.

Mary smiled and whispered, “They know us pretty well. Even our voice prints, too.”

“I’m not so sure it’s smart to be playing games with the Corpies,” noted Alex.

“Actually, Johnny’s going by the books,” argued Mary. “It’s not unusual for a first officer to handle ship-to-ship. In fact it’s normal.”

Alex thought for a moment. Mary was correct, of course. If a Sensor like her would know anything, it was transmission protocol. But these weren’t circumstances he regarded as normal.

“You call this situation normal?”

“I could send a sensor message. I’m licensed to under all circumstances.” Mary bit her lip and looked at the Commander. He was slumped in his chair like a monarch waiting for word of victory or total defeat.

Alex shrugged. “They said all transmissions needed approval.”

“I know. Let me think.” Mary tucked her feet underneath her and folded her arms defensively. She called it her ‘thinking-cap’ mode. Alex remembered she assumed the same pose during perilous moments on their past missions together.

“Well, don’t take too long.”

Mary shot him an angry glance but Alex couldn’t resist a smile. Even angry she was gorgeous beyond words. “You know I love you, don’t you?” he asked.

“Of course,” Mary huffed. “I’m thinking!”

“Think away, my love,” Alex answered.

The control room had grown suddenly quiet. Everyone was watching the display screen that took up much of the wall on the opposite side of the room from where the lounge was located. Alex and Mary had, in effect, a back of the theater view of everything as events unfolded.

The screen showed an image recorded by a camera outside the shuttle bay. It was everyone’s first actual view of the
Ulysses
. To Alex’s surprise it wasn’t needle shaped, like the
Goddard
, as he expected. Its shape looked like a pyramid at first, but when the camera widened its view he could see that it was shaped like an elongated eight-faceted gem. It’s sides were a seamless and neutral gray, without any visible ports or sensor arrays. Even the tip, where one might expect the helm to be located, was windowless and plain. It surprised Alex, especially, that a ship traveling out in these dark regions of the solar system would have no running lights. But, as far as he could see, the entire ship might as easily be a block of polished granite floating in space.

“What a lovely ship,” Mary muttered. “How welcoming it looks.”

The hard angled edge of the
Ulysses
’ midsection loomed larger and larger until it filled the screen as it drew closer to the
Goddard’s
shuttle bay. “I wonder how big she is?” Alex said.

“I’m guessing four or five hundred meters in length.” Mary squinted at the screen and pointed. “I think she’s opening up.”

A diamond shaped seam appeared in the corner of the ship forming a doorway. The slab sank deeper into the body of the ship, perhaps a half-meter then began to slide open from the top, moving diagonally, revealing three decks of varying sizes. On each of them were groups of people wearing various styles of space suits. The middle, and largest, of the decks seemed to be populated by armed military. Each of them was carrying packs of varying types, and a rifle-like weapon.

“Space pirates,” observed Alex with a raised eyebrow.

“For all intents and purposes,” replied Mary.

Now the Commander, Captain Wysor, and the rest of the staff were all standing at their consoles facing the screen. Alex saw Johnny touch his console. “Security force,” he said crisply. “Condition white.”

Johnny’s voice didn’t go out over the radio, and Alex never heard it on his wrist band. How then was Johnny mustering
Goddard’s
security forces, he wondered.

Suddenly the wall screen divided and a helmeted woman appeared on it. Her smiling, gaunt, middle aged countenance was lit from below by a light inside the helmet. The view, Alex discerned, was from a small camera mounted on the woman’s suit. Part of the boom was visible where it attached to her suit. Alex couldn’t see her hair. All that he could seem to focus on were the eyes; clear, blue, and full of resolve. “Will you talk to me personally now, dad?” said the woman.

Commander Baltadonis stiffened. “Christine?”

The woman’s smile broadened. “I should have said father, shouldn’t I”

Johnny sat down. “You used the name Sutherland. Is that the same … uh … Bill Sutherland who dated you when …”

The woman cut Johnny off. “We don’t need to be discussing this now, do we, Commander,” she said. “May we enter?”