Spindrift (24 page)

She tapped the wand again, then pulled the headset around her neck. “Go back to the airlock and wait for me,” she said to Ramirez. “I'll finish up here, then take you back upstairs.”

“Sure.” Ramirez started to climb back up the ladder. Then he stopped and looked at her. “You and Ted…Commander Harker, I mean…”

“I think he'd let you call him Ted.” She favored him with a brief smile. “I'm Emily.”

“Thank you, Emily…and please, call me Jared.” He paused. “You two know what's going on, don't you?”

“We didn't until now.” Again, the smile, more warm than before. “Thank you, Jared.”

“You're welcome.” Despite the danger, he felt a surge of relief. “Nice to know I have friends.” Collins gave him an uncertain look, and he felt like saying something else. Yet words failed him, so he continued to scale the ladder back to the hatch.

JUNE 3, 2288—EASS
GALILEO

C
limbing the last rungs of the ladder, Emily pushed open the Deck A hatch and stepped into the command center. For the first time since
Galileo
came through the starbridge, all the flight officers were at their stations; the only exceptions were Nick and Werner, who were down in Deck B getting the biostasis cells ready. Hands quietly tapped at keyboards as comps beeped and purred, but otherwise there was little sound save for the occasional murmured comment. At T-minus 00:49:39 to main engine ignition, the crew was busy preparing the ship for departure from Eris. Once
Galileo
was under way, only the most dire emergency would cause them to abort the mission.

At the center of the horseshoe, Captain Lawrence was seated in the command chair. Legs casually crossed, he studied status reports on his lapboard, looking up only when Arkady or Simone or Martin said something to him. To all outward appearances, he seemed calm, yet Emily couldn't help but notice that his right foot, propped up on his left knee, twitched like the fretful swish of a cat's tail. As if feeling her eyes on his back, Lawrence peered over his shoulder at her. She said nothing, only gave him a nod, and the captain looked forward again. Yet his ankle stopped jiggling as he self-consciously uncrossed his legs and placed both feet flat upon the floor.

Nervous, Captain? Worried about the countdown? Or perhaps it's just your guilty conscience?
Emily smiled to herself. She'd find out soon enough.

On the other side of the compartment, Ted stood next to Antonia, hunched over her console as he quietly discussed some matter with the XO. Looking up, he caught Emily's eye. A brief nod, then he finished talking to Toni and moved away, slowly walking toward Lawrence. Emily felt her heart flutter. Time for the mice to put the bell around the cat's neck…and suddenly, it was as if her own tail had begun to twitch.

Go on, girl. Get this over and done.
She and Harker had spent the last evening weighing their options: first in her quarters, then in the library where they'd accessed technical information from
Galileo
's data banks, and finally in Ted's cabin, where they'd sought solace in each other's arms. It wasn't until this morning, though, that they'd finally agreed upon a course of action. And now…

“Captain?” Harker stopped next to Lawrence's chair. “May I have a word with you, please?”

Lawrence raised his eyes from the lapboard. “Yes, Mr. Harker?”

“I have something…” Harker paused, waiting for Emily to join him. She stepped closer, approaching Lawrence from the other side of his chair. “A matter has come to our attention that we'd like to discuss with you…sir.”

Surprised to see her coming at him from the opposite direction, Lawrence's expression became wary. “What…well, yes, of course.” He looked at Harker again. “What do you have on your mind?”

Simone half turned in her seat at the helm to gaze back at them. From the corner of her eye, Emily could see Arkady and Martin watching with curiosity. “I think it would be best if we discussed this in private, sir,” Harker replied. “Perhaps in your office?”

The Adam's apple in Lawrence's throat bobbed up and down.

He knew the protocol; if two members of the flight crew, one of whom was either the first officer or the executive officer, formally requested a private hearing, he couldn't refuse their request. “As you wish,” he said, then he folded the lapboard and stood up. “Commander Vincenza, please take the conn until I return. Proceed with the countdown.”

“Yes, sir.” Antonia stood up, waiting for Lawrence to leave his station before she assumed command. Emily noticed that the XO didn't seem surprised by this sudden turn of events. Ted must have warned her that something was going down. The others looked away, assuming the polite pretense that nothing unusual was happening.

The captain's office was a small compartment located adjacent to the command center. A fold-down couch took up room where a bunk might have been; above a small desk was a shelf crammed with operations manuals and loose-leaf binders containing printouts of the ship's log. The only touches of personality were a few framed photos on the walls; among the pictures of Lawrence's family, there was one Emily had seen before in Ted's quarters, a group photo from the ESA astronaut training program. Both Harker and Lawrence stood on the second row, separated from one another by several other cadet-trainees.

“Well, then,” Lawrence said once he shut the door behind them, “what do you want to see me about?” He stepped around behind his desk, motioning to the couch. “Take a seat.”

Harker remained standing, his hands clasped together behind his back. “Sir, it's come to our attention that a torpedo has been attached to
Galileo
's outer hull. We suspect that it's a weapon of undetermined—”

“Oh, hell!” Lawrence snapped, suddenly angry. “Who told you this?”

“No one told us, sir.” Slipping from behind Ted, Emily took an identical stance beside him. “I discovered it when I went below to check out the shuttle. I determined that it was my duty to inform the first officer.”

“I see.” Lawrence calmed down, if only slightly. “And what leads you to believe that it's a torpedo?” he added, sitting down behind the desk.

“There's nothing else it could be, sir.” Harker continued to stand at attention. “There's mention in our manifest of a new probe being added at the last minute…”

“Ah…and what makes you think it was? Added at the last minute, I mean?”

“Because I didn't spot it when I flew past the ship while we were in dry dock,” Emily responded. “I saw the service module clearly at that time, and there was nothing attached to it other than the probes we were already carrying. Of that, I'm quite positive, sir.”

“Are you really?” Lawrence meant his tone to be scornful, yet it only came off as childish annoyance, like a kid who'd been caught lying and was now trying to wiggle out of it by splitting hairs. “Are you sure you haven't mistaken it for…?”

“Yes, sir, we are.” Harker refused to be led off track. “Sir, we have strong reason to believe that this object is a torpedo, possibly containing a nuclear warhead. If that is the case, we respectfully request to know its purpose, and why it was placed aboard
Galileo
without the crew's being informed.”

Lawrence silently regarded them for a moment, as if trying to decide what to do next. Then he turned around in his chair, unhooked the receiver of the intercom phone, and murmured something into it. Another moment passed, then he returned the phone to its hook and turned back to them. “Who else have you spoken to about this?”

“No one, sir,” Harker replied. He and Emily had already promised Ramirez that they'd keep him out of this. There was no reason why he should become involved any more than he already was, and he could face dire consequences if his role were to become known.

“Very good. A wise decision on your part.” Lawrence rocked back in his seat, turning his head to gaze out the porthole beside him. For a few moments he didn't speak; it was as if he was waiting for something and knew that time was on his side. “You know, Mr. Harker,” he said at last, his voice assuming a reflective tone, “I've always believed that, if things had been just different, you would've been in command and not me. Has that ever occurred to you?”

“No, sir, it hasn't.”

“Don't lie to me, Ted. I'm sure it has…and we both know the reasons. That's why I've allowed you a certain amount of leeway, such as ignoring your little dalliance with Lieutenant Collins here.” A sardonic smirk played across his mouth. “Don't believe for a second I haven't noticed what's been going on between you two.”

Emily's face became warm; she quickly looked down at the floor. “But that's the nature of secrets, I suppose,” Lawrence went on. “You've chanced upon something you weren't supposed to know. In hindsight, I suppose it was inevitable. All the same, we're going to have to deal with it. What do you think…?”

A knock on the door. “Come in,” Lawrence said loudly, and Emily looked around to see Cole enter. She felt a chill, even though Ted had warned her this was possible. “Sir Peter. Thank you for joining us. Everything going well in the OC, I take it?” Without waiting for an answer, the captain nodded toward her and Ted. “Mr. Harker and Ms. Collins appear to have tumbled into…”

“Right.” Cole shut the door behind him. “Now you know.” Pushing his way between them, he took a seat upon the couch. “So…where do we go from here?”

For a second, Harker was at a loss for words, while Cole crossed his legs as if this were little more than a polite meeting between friends. “Let's cut to the quick, shall we?” Cole went on, not waiting for a response. “You've become aware that a nuclear torpedo has been placed aboard ship. You want to know why it's here, and why you haven't been advised. Well, then, here it is…” Lifting his right hand, he raised a finger. “First, there's little doubt that Spindrift is an alien artifact of some sort…”

“Although I'm not entirely convinced that's the case.” Lawrence's voice was low. “The possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence seems…well, rather far-fetched.”

Emily glanced at Harker, saw his eyes widen in surprise. “If I didn't know better, sir,” he murmured, “I'd say that you sound like a Dominionist.”

Lawrence's face colored; he glared at his first officer. Before he could speak, though, Cole shook his head. “I'd just as soon not get into a religious debate just now, if you don't mind.” He shot the captain a look, and Lawrence kept his mouth shut. Cole raised another finger. “Second, if we accept that as a given, then there's a possibility, however remote, that it may be hostile…”

“We can't assume that,” Ted said.

“Of course not. But the possibility remains nonetheless.” Cole raised a third finger. “Third, if Spindrift is indeed hostile, then we have to protect not only ourselves but also Earth itself. We have no idea what we may be facing out there.”

“Exactly…we don't know.” Harker stood his ground. “Sir Peter, if this is a first-contact situation, don't you see the risk of charging in there with guns blazing?”

“Mr. Harker, no one is suggesting that we shoot first and ask questions later…”

“Nonetheless, the mere fact that we're carrying a nuclear weapon could jeopardize any chance of establishing peaceful contact. Not to mention the risk just having this thing aboard carries for the ship and—”

“Mr. Harker, you're out of line,” Lawrence said, his voice terse. “Stand down.”

“Captain, you can't—”

“Stand down, mister!” Lawrence half rose from his chair. “Or you're relieved!”

Emily practically felt Ted tremble with outrage. She alone noticed that his right hand curled into a fist. For a moment, she thought he was going to take a swing at his former classmate. She started to raise a hand to his shoulder, but before she could, Ted slowly let out his breath.

“My apologies, sir,” he muttered. “And to you, Sir Peter.”

The tension eased, if only a degree. Still glaring at his first officer, Lawrence settled back into his chair, while Cole shifted uneasily on the couch. “I understand your concerns, Mr. Harker,” Sir Peter said quietly. “You're thinking of your ship and its crew, and that's commendable. To a certain extent, I share those concerns as well.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “But it's the opinion of our government and the ESA senior directors that we take…well, certain precautions…in the event that this encounter proves to be less peaceful than we might desire.”

“I see.” Harker straightened his shoulders. “So this comes from the top?”

“From the very top, yes, that's correct.” Cole glanced at Lawrence. “If it makes any difference, your captain wasn't informed of this decision until shortly before launch, when he met privately with the associate director.”

Now it all fell together. Emily pursed her lips, trying to remain calm. This was why Lawrence had taken a leave of absence during training to return to Earth. It wasn't just to have a holiday in England, but rather to be briefed by Shillinglaw.

“Naturally, this aspect of the mission remains classified,” Sir Peter continued. “We'd rather hoped that you'd remain in blissful ignorance, but…” An offhand shrug, as if all this were merely a minor nuisance. “Well, I trust that the two of you will keep this to yourselves and not tell anyone else what you've learned.”

“Consider that an order,” Lawrence added, his voice low and menacing.

“Aye, sir.” To Emily's surprise, there was no trace of reluctance in Ted's reply. He glanced at her, and the look in his eyes was as clear as words:
We're beaten. Do as he says
.

“Yes, sir,” she said, feeling a tightness in her voice.

“Very good.” Lawrence appeared to be satisfied. He looked over at Cole, and Sir Peter nodded. “Right, then…resume your duties. Dismissed.”