Lacuna: Demons of the Void (5 page)

Risking another wave of distress Liao nodded slightly. “I am, yes. I heard Captain Yavari took the TFR
Tehran
out for her maiden voyage a couple of months ago, completing it without incident.” A wry grin crossed her features, and despite how pale she looked, her face held a confidence she hoped Sheng would find inspiring. “...I hope to do
better
.”

“I’m sure you will, Commander, but...” Commander Sheng looked confused. “Regarding Captain Yavari, didn’t you hear what happened...?”

Liao blinked a few times, her surprise genuine. Had something gone wrong with the
Tehran’s
systems? Was this something she needed to know about? It seemed like she was always the last to hear these things.

“Hear what? All I’ve heard is that the voyage was without incident...”

Sheng chuckled. “No, no. It went fine... but Yavari’s not in command of the
Tehran
, nor was he even there for her shakedown. During a routine physical he was found to have pancreatic cancer so they pulled him off the line. He’s commanding a desk now, on Earth, but he still checks in every now and then over the ship’s long range radios and he’s copied into all their reports.”

That was unfortunate. Liao knew Yavari by reputation only, but what she had heard was good. The man was a good commander and a solid officer.

“So who’s the
Tehran
’s CO now?” Liao switched handholds, feeling somewhat better. She dared to move the paper bag away from her face.

“Yavari’s former XO, Captain James Grégoire.”

Liao couldn’t help but allow a playful little smile to dance on her lips. “Ah, my old friend. The Iranians must
not
have liked that... an EU sycophant in charge of the ship named after their capitol.”

“They were positively livid, but Grégoire was the XO. He knew the ship, stem to stern. There was – and still is – nobody better.”

There was a pause, as though Liao was determining just how polite it was to ask. “How is the old bastard anyway? Not too lost without his Captain?”

Sheng shrugged. “Last time I was at the lunar colony he was doing just fine... a bit pissed that his Captain had gone and gotten cancer on him. But hey, I honestly think he was glad to have the command, all other things aside. The shakedown cruise went well, so that’s a good start.”

Liao could understand that. “How long until we arrive? I’m anxious to see the
Beijing
for myself... I’ve studied the blueprints and 3D models, and been through simulation after simulation, but nothing compares to the real thing...”

Sheng smiled. “From the Earth to the Moon is not that far at all. Three days – just a quick jaunt out in space. Don’t worry; you’ll get a good view of the ship as we land.”

Liao did sincerely hope so. The woman opened her mouth to ask another question, but a voice interrupted her.

“Liao? Melissa Liao?”

Liao knew that voice. Twisting around (not the wisest decision, she discovered), Melissa’s disapproving eyes fell upon a torrent of floating red hair, bobbing about excitedly as though animated with a power of its own.

Summer Rowe. The geek from Chekhov’s Armoury in Sydney... if there was anyone Liao fervently hoped to have left behind on Earth, it was this woman.

“Isn’t this
AWESOME
?”

The redhead’s voice was even more high pitched and nasally than before, and she quickly chuffed down a puff of her asthma inhaler. The woman’s light blue eyes darted all around the room, taking in every detail.

Liao tried to keep her voice even. “We are about six thousand kilometres from the Earth, on a special chartered flight for the People’s Navy.
What
are you doing here?”

Summer just grinned impishly. “Oh, you haven’t heard? I’ve been assigned to the
Beijing
as a consultant. I mean, half the ship’s technology was fucking built by us anyway... and nobody knows it better than I do.”

Liao raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” she remarked dryly, shooting Sheng a ‘I will gut you for allowing this’ look out of the corner of one eye. “Nobody bothered to tell
me
, but I guess that’s okay. I’m only the
Captain
and all...”

Rowe gave a laugh. “Aww, well, I was originally intended to ship out with the
Tehran
, but there was a scheduling conflict and they couldn’t make it work in time.”

The Chinese woman shook her head in confusion. “Well, no matter. I guess we could use your voice on our shakedown cruise... not that I’m expecting any problems.”

Summer grasped one of the handles, curling up into a tight ball and spinning herself backwards. The redhead laughed giddily and Liao felt queasy again. It was going to be a long trip...

*****

Space, fifty thousand kilometres from the lunar surface

2037 A.D.

Three days after lift-off from Jiuquan

It had been a long three days, but for Melissa Liao it was worth every insufferable moment with Summer. Sheng had been of invaluable assistance. But if she was honest with herself, she hadn’t spoken to him very much. This, on reflection, she felt was quite a shame. He was going to be her XO, after all; they should be at least familiar with each other. Still, she found Grégoire to be much better company and couldn’t wait to meet him on the surface. It would be very nice to chat with him in person. They had kept in touch after the attack on Sydney, his letters a distinct comfort to her as her hip mended. James had written every other day. Liao had worried that she would lose mobility and be discharged, but the Australian surgeons had done good work. These days, aside from a seriously heavy-duty scar, it was like she had never been injured at all.

It would be very nice to chat with him in person. They had kept in touch after the attack on Sydney, his letters a distinct comfort to her as her hip mended. James had written every other day. Liao had worried that she would lose mobility and be discharged, but the Australian surgeons had done good work. These days, aside from a seriously heavy-duty scar, it was like she had never been injured at all.

Liao pressed her face against the round porthole. The view from this altitude was glorious – the dark side of the lunar surface filled up the perspex, with only an edge of the black inkiness of space to be seen. She’d never seen the moon in such detail before, although it was understandable that it might look even more impressive than usual with it being so close and with no atmosphere in the way.

“Sure is a lot prettier from up here,” remarked Sheng from his own viewing port, voicing all of their thoughts.

Soon the craft turned, descending towards the lunar surface. When it grew close, Liao could see the bright cluster of lights on the moon’s dark surface that she knew was the TFR
Beijing
. Competition was fierce for the tiny view out of the porthole, but Liao had the lion’s share – that was one of the privileges of rank.

Almost as though on cue, brilliant floodlights on the surface flicked on, illuminating the whole area. Every detail of the ship was immediately visible and Liao eagerly drank in the view. Painted a gunmetal grey, the vessel was long and thin, with dozens of large heat sinks protruding from its surface to try and dissipate as much heat as possible. It was like a long thin fish, dotted along the top with missile launch tubes.

To Liao it appeared graceful and elegant, but also functional and dangerous. If the ship were a sword it would be a rapier - long and thin, but deceptively deadly.

As the tiny, cramped module and its forty passengers descended, the retro-thrusters fired, slowing the craft. “Gravity” of a sort began to assert itself, and Liao felt herself pushed ever so gently back into her seat.

All in all, a few seconds glimpse of the full ship was all she had before the craft dipped below the rim of a vast crater, but it was enough. The vessel – bathed in thousands of bright lights – shone like a beacon of hope for all of humanity, and proudly emblazoned on its side was the insignia he would bear on all of his journeys.

TFR N00003 -
Beijing

Justice belongs to those who claim it.

“I wanted to name it
Enterprise
,” remarked Rowe, her face pressed up against Liao’s in competition for the view.

Chapter III

“Shakedown”

*****

Lunar Drydock

Task Force Resolution Lunar Colony

The Moon

One day later

It was a great personal moment for Liao. She stood in the TFR
Beijing
’s umbilical, the long rubbery airtight passage connecting the hulking starship –
her
hulking starship – to the drydock. As it was, she was neither inside the great vessel, nor inside the spartan, cramped lunar colony. She stood in the void between moon and vessel.

The next step would take her there, would be her first step on the cool, gunmetal grey deck that lead directly onto deck six. She had studied the blueprints endlessly – she knew the ship’s every bolt, every weld, but she had never before this moment seen its inside with her own eyes.

“Captain on deck!”

A passing junior officer spotted Liao in her white naval uniform and Commander’s epaulette, coming swiftly to attention.

“As you were,” Liao offered, and then stepped forward. With a satisfying
clink
her booted foot hit the metal of the deck. With intense personal satisfaction she savoured the thought that she was now aboard her first command. And not just any old ship, one the entire world was watching with eager anticipation.

A great personal moment indeed.

But it passed, and Liao made her way into the
Beijing
’s interior. She made her way to her quarters on deck two, but was stopped in the road by a familiar face wearing civilian clothes.

“Hey, Melissa!”

Summer Rowe – her arms burdened with all manner of cables, devices and laptops – pushed her way through a group of chattering petty officers towards her. Liao scowled instantly at the Caucasian woman’s informality.

“Ahh, Summer Rowe. A word?”

Summer jostled her equipment, her bespectacled, red-headed visage poking out from beside two heavy looking books.

“Yeah, sure...”

Liao placed her hands on her hips, employing something she called her ‘Captain’s Voice’. “This is the Task Force Resolution’s vessel, the
Beijing
. I am his Captain and you are a guest upon it. While you are a civilian, and I do not expect you to follow military protocol, here and in the presence of my crew you will refer to me as
Captain
,
Captain Liao
, or
ma’am
. Am I in any way unclear?”

Rowe looked distinctly unhappy. “You’re not
serious
…”

“Deadly. This vessel is a
warship
, Rowe, not a pleasure cruise – and I
will
have discipline from you on this matter if you want to stay on board.”

Frowning, the red-headed woman finally shrugged. “Fine,” a pause, then, “...Captain.”

Nodding, Liao motioned for her to continue on her way, but then changed her mind. “Actually, Rowe, if you could – you are here as a technical advisor. I require your advice. Walk with me.”

“But my equipment…”

“…will be securely stored away by this fine gentleman. Crewman?” Liao beckoned to a junior enlisted crewman, waving him over. “Take this equipment and stow it in Rowe’s quarters.”

“
是的，船长
.”

Liao frowned again. “English only, crewman. You know the rules.”

“My apologies, Captain. It won’t happen again.”

She waved for him to continue, nodding to Rowe as she unloaded her (apparently quite heavy) load onto the unfortunate man. Together, the two women walked towards the stern of the vessel.

“Let’s talk about the ship first. Tell me what you know.”

Rowe immediately began to speak in a rapid-fire manner, her tone almost frenzied as she spoke.

“Well, she’s what they call a
Triumph
class assault cruiser. 200,000 tonnes, half a kilometre long.”

Liao nodded. They turned a corner – the crew moved out of their way as they strode aft, despite the cramped corridors. “Why 200,000 tonnes?”

“That’s all the jump drive can safely handle. Also, any bigger and it wouldn’t be able to lift off.”

Liao mused coyly to herself, amused by how her term ‘jump drive’ had reached the public lexicon, even amongst technically minded holdouts such as Rowe. It had taken only a few months after Liao coined it for the term to become the almost universally accepted term for the device.

“Good, continue.”

“Well, she’s made of a variety of materials, almost all of them mined here on the moon. Her outer hull is comprised of interlocking plates of the indestructium I showed you back in Sydney. When we need to, we pass an electric charge through it to induce rigidity – makes the damn stuff almost impossible to destroy and very radiation resistant... takes a lot of juice though. Fortunately, the ship’s nuclear powered.”