Jacovic entered the office and saluted smartly. “I heard that we lost some more patients,” he said. “I assume that’s what this meeting and our recent conversation is about?”
“Yeah. We didn’t get them out of the line of fire just to die as a result of our actions. We were well-intentioned, but evacuating them has turned out to be as dangerous to them as leaving them right where they were.” He grimaced. “Well,
almost
as dangerous,” he amended.
“I assume there are no medical facilities on any nearby Frontier worlds?” said the Teroni.
“None that can handle the quantity and diversity of the patients,” said Cole as Forrice entered the office. “That’s why I’ve called this meeting.”
“Thanks for giving me five minutes to grab some lunch,” said the Molarian.
“You’re not starving,” noted Cole. “You could just as easily have had it when the meeting’s over.”
“I’ve been to your senior officers’ meetings before,” replied the Molarian. “Somehow they have a way of ruining my appetite. I don’t imagine this one will be any different.”
The images of the captains of the four smaller ships suddenly materialized, followed by that of Bertha Salinas.
Christine entered the office, greeted everyone briefly, and leaned against a bulkhead.
“All right, we’re all here,” said Cole. “You all know the situation. We’re four days from the nearest Inner Frontier world with a hospital that can accommodate the evacuees, and we have no idea how much time or space they can spare us. Everything else is either smaller or farther.” He stared at each of them in turn. “Do we all agree that the patients are our responsibility?”
“I think you’re taking an awful lot of guilt on yourself,” said Sharon. “If we’d left them at the hospital station, they’d have been blown to bits.”
“They’re not our responsibility because of any decision we made or didn’t make,” said Cole. “They’re our responsibility because they can’t fend for themselves, they need us, and we’re here. It’s as simple as that. I know we’re mercenaries, but we were trained to help the helpless, and you don’t get much more helpless than these people.”
“We’re
trying
to help them, Wilson,” said Forrice.
“We’re not doing a very good job of it,” said Cole. “We’re going to have to try harder.”
“How?” asked the Molarian.
“Clearly you have something in mind, sir,” said one of the captains, “but I have no idea what it is.”
Cole turned to Jacovic. “How about you, Commander? What would you do?”
“The very same thing you’re going to do,” replied Jacovic calmly. “We’re four days from a Frontier hospital capable of handling the evacuees. But I believe we’re just hours from the Republic world of Meadowbrook. I assume it has a major medical facility. We’re going to have to transfer the patients and their physicians there.”
“
You
don’t have to do anything,” said Bertha Salinas. “Just give us the coordinates and we’ll go there on our own. I can’t believe that the Republic will refuse us.”
“It’s not the Republic you have to worry about,” said Cole. “Meadowbrook is in a war zone. If you run into any Teroni ships, you are probably fair game.”
“We’ll display our medical insignia,” said Bertha Salinas.
Cole turned to Jacovic. “Will the Teronis honor that?”
“If they would, I might not have left the Fleet,” answered Jacovic.
“There’s your answer,” said Cole. “Hopefully there are no Teroni ships anywhere in the area, but you have absolutely no means of defense, and you’re not built to outrun them. We’re going to have to come along as protection.”
“In a ship that’s wanted all over the Republic?” she demanded. “You say you’ll protect us. Who will protect
you
?”
“She’s got a point, Wilson,” said Forrice. “There’s still a ten-million-credit reward on your head, and a twenty-five-million-credit bounty for the ship that destroys or disables the
Teddy R
.”
“That will make it more difficult,” agreed Jacovic. “But there is no alternative if we wish to save most of the patients.”
“He’s right, you know,” said Christine. “I wish he wasn’t, but he is.”
“I suppose so,” said Bertha Salinas unhappily. “I’m not happy about it, but we
must
get to a facility, and if we’re really entering a war zone, we have no choice but to accept your help.”
“I
knew
it!” said Sharon. “That’s why you called this phony meeting, isn’t it? You were always going to go into the Republic. You just wanted Jacovic or someone else to suggest it so you could claim it wasn’t a unilateral decision.”
“Making unilateral decisions goes with being the Captain,” answered Cole. “But things go more smoothly when you can see that I’m right, rather than simply being told that I am.”
“I don’t know that you are . . .” said the Molarian.
“Speak up, Four Eyes,” said Cole. “This is an open forum, and everyone’s free to speak their mind, encouraged even. That goes for you four captains as well,” he added, because clearly they felt uncomfortable about speaking out so recently after joining him. “Until you leave the office. Then we all speak in one voice.”
“I don’t like it,” said Forrice glumly.
“What’s bothering you, other than the obvious?”
“The numbers,” said Forrice.
“I know. The Navy has a couple of hundred million ships, and we have five. But it’s a big galaxy, we’ll only be in the Republic for a few hours, and most if not all of their ships will be in other battle zones or on military bases.”
“Not those numbers,” said Forrice. “If it was just you and me, I’d say sure, let’s take a chance and enter the Republic. After all, we have three hundred patients who are seriously ill.” He paused. “But it’s
not
just you and me. I know we’re running short-handed, but even without Val and her
Red Sphinx
, we still have about sixty-five crewmen on the
Teddy R
and the other four ships. So we’re not risking two men to save three hundred. We’re risking maybe sixty-five or more healthy ones to save three hundred sick ones, many of whom may be beyond saving. I don’t think the reward-to-failure ratio holds up very well.”
“I wish I could think of a way to make the numbers look a little better,” said Cole, “but we can’t wait any longer. When this meeting ends, Pilot’s got to alter course and get us into the Republic by the shortest possible route. Even if some wormhole spits us out a thousand light-years inside the Republic, we have no choice. Christine, I’m sorry to keep you awake, but I want you running the communications until each ship has been informed of our route, especially if we find a wormhole that will serve our purposes. I know we’ve got Rachel at your station now, and she’s good, but for this operation I want the best.”
“Yes, sir,” said Christine.
“And Commander Jacovic?”
“Yes?”
“If you would like to stay behind, I’ll turn the
Kermit
over to you. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that once we’re inside the Republic the Commander of the Fifth Teroni Fleet will not be welcomed with open arms.”
“Thank you for the offer,” said Jacovic. “It is extremely considerate of you. But it is not necessary.”
“You’re sure?”
Jacovic smiled. “Do you think they’re going to ascertain who is aboard the
Theodore Roosevelt
before they start shooting?”
“He’s got a point,” said Forrice.
“And if they
do
learn who’s aboard,” added Sharon, “who do you think they’ll shoot first—Jacovic or Wilson Cole?”
“All right,” said Cole. “I just felt I owed you the opportunity to say no.” He looked around the room. “Are there any other questions? Captains? Administrator Salinas? No? Then the meeting is over.” The five holographic images vanished. “Christine, tell Pilot to get us to Meadowbrook as fast as possible. And once he’s got the coordinates, make sure Mr. Briggs passes them on to all the other ships.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, saluting and heading to the door. Sharon and Jacovic followed her out, while Forrice lingered behind.
“Are we going to argue some more?” asked Cole.
“No,” said the Molarian. “You’ve made your decision. The time to talk you out of it was five minutes ago. I tried, I failed, it’s over.”
“Good,” said Cole. “I didn’t feel like another fight. What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to explain something to you,” said Forrice. “Probably I should have explained it a long time ago.”
Cole looked at him curiously. “Go ahead.”
“There are four other ships in our little fleet, not counting the
Red Sphinx
. Val has wanted a ship ever since she lost the
Pegasus
, and now she’s got one. I can’t imagine that Jacovic doesn’t want one, not after commanding an entire military fleet, and of course he’ll get one as he becomes more comfortable working with us. Perez use to be the captain of the
Red Sphinx
; doubtless he deserves one, too.” The Molarian paused. “By rank, I should have had a ship ahead of everyone.”
“I have no disagreement with that,” said Cole. “Is that what you’re leading up to.”
“No,” said Forrice. “If I wanted one, I’ve have asked for it.”
“I’ve wondered about it from time to time,” admitted Cole. “I figured you were just waiting for a better one, something more substantial than the
Red Sphinx
. I’d miss working side by side with you, but of course you’ve got one coming to you any time you want it.”
“That’s just the point,” said Forrice. “I
don’t
want it. I’ve watched what command does to you.” He paused. “Every life-and-death decision you make affects not only you, but the crews of five ships—six if Val ever rejoins us. Just now you had to make a decision that will doubtless affect the lives, and possibly the deaths, of close to four hundred patients and medics.”
“It goes with the job.”
“I don’t
want
the job, even the smaller job of commanding just one ship and crew. Oh, if we were still in the Navy I’d want my own command, if for no other reason than the extra pay and the prestige. But there would still be a chain of command, and I wouldn’t bear the ultimate responsibility for the victories
or
the catastrophes.” The Molarian paused again, ordering his thoughts. “Out here you’re the top of the chain. I’m not. But I sleep well every night. Have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror lately? You’ve got bags under your eyes, you’re developing nervous tics and twitches, and you’ve lost a lot of weight.” Forrice walked to the door. “I like the thought of commanding a ship of my own—but I like being able to sleep well every night even more.”
Then Cole was alone. He sat there, wondering if he’d missed an alternative, wondering if he’d made the right decision. What if he got them to the hospital and they all died anyway? And what if the
Teddy R
got shot up on the way back? He’d have killed the one without saving the other. But on the other hand . . .
“Sir? Wxakgini has pinpointed the Chabon Wormhole—I gather it’s moved since it was originally charted—and says we should be entering it in fifty-one Standard minutes.”
“Good!” said Cole. “Give the coordinates to our four other ships and the hospital ships.”
“Already done, sir.”
Cole spent the next two hours walking the ship, inspecting the Gunnery section, conversing with the other ships, having the medics access blueprints of the Meadowbrook hospital so they’d know exactly where to go once they arrived. He tried to alert the hospital, but something about the structure of the wormhole prevented it. Wormholes were like that; some moved constantly, some were stationary, some were transparent to messages, some were opaque.
Then they were out of the wormhole and into the Republic.
It was exactly eleven minutes later that he got a message from Jack-in-the-Box, who had replaced Christine at the communications center.
“Sir, we’ve been spotted,” he said. “According to Lieutenant Domak, a fleet of twelve Navy ships is headed directly toward us.”
Damn!
thought Cole.
You were right, Four Eyes. I’m not going to get any sleep again today.
25
“How much time have we got?” asked Cole.
“They should reach us in about two Standard hours, sir,” replied Jack-in-the-Box. “Shall I get Christine up here?”
“No,” said Cole. “I’m not going to wake her twice in one day. Is Four Eyes up there?”
“He says he’s on his way, sir.”
“Okay. Ask Pilot if there are any handy wormholes, not the one we just came out of, but one that’ll get us around these ships and over to another Republic world with medical facilities.”
A brief pause. “Sir, he says no. There are only two wormholes in our proximity: the one that will take us back to the Inner Frontier, and another one that will dump us off between a pair of blue giants with no habitable planets for close to two hundred light-years.”