Arrival (59 page)

“Captain Ishkin, it is the decision of this council that while you did not actually violate the instructions of this council, you did violate the intent of those instructions. We have reviewed the pertinent information, and while you did not directly jeopardize the safety of this ship and her population, you did limit any future options we may have had by your decision to choose the second course option without any solid evidence that it was an appropriate choice. While we certainly understand that such a decision is your prerogative as the commander of this ship, you must also understand that it is our responsibility to speak for the general population, and to ensure the safety of the population as well as the completion of our mission.”

Ray wanted to speak, to voice his protest. But he had done enough already.

“Unfortunately, you have left this council in a bit of a predicament as we see no way to adequately punish you for your misdeeds. Given our ETA to arrival, criminal prosecution and punishment would not be prudent. Besides, I’m not entirely sure that criminal charges would be warranted. Furthermore, we will need every able body once we reach our destination to ensure our survival, especially someone with your training and experience. We do, however, feel compelled to pass down some sort of punishment. If for no other reason than to set an example to the others. It has therefore been decided that you will be relieved of command and restricted to quarters, pending further assignment. On adjournment of this meeting, you will proceed directly to the bridge and relinquish command to your executive officer.”

Ray could not contain his anger. “This is bullshit!” he yelled.

“Mr. Wilkins! You will control yourself, or you will be removed!”

Threats had never stopped Ray. “We’re only months away from the most critical maneuver of our entire mission, and you want to relieve the most experienced man for the job?”

“Mr. Wilkins!”

“Ray, please,” Hal urged him.

On the bridge of the Daedalus, the communications officer listened intently to the words coming through his headset, as he reached for the intercom. “Sir?”

“
Yes?
” the XO’s voice answered.

“Radio Astronomy reports an incoming message, sir. Over the Doppler system!”

The executive officer burst through the hatch from the ready room onto the bridge and was at the comm officer’s side before he had finished his sentence. “Is it a repeat?”

“No sir, it’s a new message. It’s coming through now, sir,” the communications officer told him, pointing to the display in front of him.

The XO watched as the message printed out across the screen, holding his enthusiasm in until the message was complete. A few seconds later, the last words printed across the screen, followed by the word he was looking for, all in capital letters. ‘MSG CONFIRMED’.

“Alert the captain!” the XO exclaimed as he slapped the comm officer on the back, nearly knocking him off of his seat.

“Sir, the captain is still in the council chambers.”

“I don’t care if he’s talking to God himself, call him! And alert engineering to warm up the engines.” The XO turned to face the bridge, finding that everyone was looking at him with smiles on their faces. “Helm! Prepare to change course! Navigator, plot a course for Tau Ceti Five!”

“Are you kidding?” the ship’s navigator laughed. “I’ve been re-plotting that course every hour for the last few days!”

“So,” the lead council member concluded, “if there is no further business, we shall adjourn.”

Suddenly, a soft beep came from the intercom speaker on the back bulkhead, followed by a shrill, hailing whistle.

“Captain to the bridge!” the speaker announced excitedly.

Hal looked to the lead council member for permission to answer the hail. The lead council member begrudgingly nodded his approval, if only to appear compassionate in front the others.

“Put it on speaker, please,” Hal instructed the system operator sitting at the small control terminal at the end of the conference table. The speaker beeped again, indicating the comm circuit was open.

“Ishkin here, what is it?”

It was the XO’s voice this time. “
Message from the Icarus, Captain! Message reads; ‘All clear, situation resolved, vaccine developed, safe to approach. Tau Ceti Five is safe for colonization. End of message.’
”

“Is the message confirmed?” Hal asked, being very careful to follow strict procedure in front of the council.

“
Message is confirmed, sir.
”

“And is it signed?”

“
Yes sir, it’s signed. By Doctor Gonzales, sir. Her authorization code is confirmed as well, Captain!
”

There was silence throughout the room. Ray was grinning from ear to ear. The lead council member was not.

“
Your orders, sir?
” the XO inquired.

“Mute, please,” the lead council member ordered the systems operator, who immediately complied, trying to hide her own smile. The lead council member leaned to his left, conferring with the other members of the council. The mumbling went on for several seconds.

To Ray, it seemed an eternity had passed before the lead council member straightened up to speak.

“Captain,” he stated, trying to hide his own disappointment. “In light of recent developments, the council has decided to reconsider its position pending further investigation. You may continue your duties as Captain…for now.” He slammed the gavel down hard. “Meeting adjourned!” As he rose to exit, he turned back toward Hal for a moment. “Captain? I believe your executive officer is waiting for orders?”

Hal’s stone-cold expression faded into a beaming smile as he signaled the systems operator to un-mute the intercom. “XO! How much time until we reach the optimum course-change point?”

“
Twenty-eight minutes, sir!
”

“Notify engineering to…”

“
Already done, sir!
”

“Alert the ship! Prepare for maneuvering! Course change as soon as the population is secure! I’m on my way!”

“
Aye aye, sir!
”

Hal turned to step away from the podium as the intercom clicked off.

“Congratulations, my boy!” Ray shouted as he struggled to rise from his seat.

Suddenly, the public address system sounded all over the ship. “
Attention! All hands! Prepare for maneuvering. General population! Set condition blue. Return to quarters and secure! We are changing course for Tau Ceti Five in twenty-seven minutes!
”

Cheers erupted in the hallway as the news was broadcast throughout the ship. They all knew what it meant. The crew of the Icarus was alive and well, and their new home was waiting for them.

“You’d better get moving, old-timer,” Hal teased over the commotion. “I don’t want to have to wait for you to get those tired old bones back to your cabin and get secured before I can start turning this barge.”

Ray smiled, patting Hal on his cheek. “You kids have no respect for your elders.”

* * *

Frank watched as Maria scurried around the med-lab. It had been nearly four hours since she started to slowly bring Lynn out of RMS. It would be several hours more before she would regain consciousness.

Jack also watched, from the hatchway, having managed to overcome the nearly overwhelming feeling of confinement to return to the LRV at least one more time.

“How’s she doing?” Frank asked, only returned a few minutes ago.

“She’s coming along nicely. She should be regaining consciousness in an hour or two. Then I can give her the antidote.”

Jack watched Frank. He was looking better than ever, now that he had completely recovered. Even Maria, as overworked as she was, looked to be the picture of health once more. But to Jack, they also appeared more
human
than ever before. And thus, more
alien
.

But soon it would be him who was the alien, and he knew it. He reached down for his backpack on the floor near the bulkhead just outside the med-lab, pulling out his data pad. He turned it on, hoping to scan the words, to proofread them one last time, but by now, he could no longer discern their meaning. If it hadn’t been for the grammar and spelling correction software built into the data pad, he doubted his thoughts would have been understandable to Frank and Maria.

Summoning all his resolve, he forced himself to step into the even tighter confines of the med-lab one last time, before it was too late.

Frank was the first to notice Jack’s entry into the compartment, as well as his sorrowful face. His first instinct was to ask Jack what was wrong, but he doubted that Jack would understand him.

Jack stepped up to Frank and handed him the data pad, gesturing as best he could in his now alien body language, for him to read it.

Maria turned, sensing Jack’s presence in the room. She saw Jack hand Frank the data pad as he slung his pack onto his shoulder, as if to depart. Something was not right. She felt it, the same as Frank. “What is it, Frank?” she asked.

“It’s a letter, from Jack here.”

“How did he manage to write it?”

“It must’ve been hard.”

“What does it say?” Neither of them had heard a single thought from Jack in nearly a week.

Frank scanned the letter briefly, trying not to let his emotions get in the way as they suddenly surged up from inside him. Finally, he began to read.

My friends, I must go. No surprise. Knew to come. I not belong now. No tell them about me. I died long ago. Like Will. They must never know truth. Panic. Fear. Disagreement. This world only home now for all you. No choice. Best for all. This my last order.

“Jack,” Maria begged, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“There’s more.” Frank warned, his eyes welling up.

No worry me. I good. I know what you never know. Nature. This world. We are one. I belong out there. In trees. In rivers. In mountains. I to miss you all. But I be happy. No cry for me. Please no cry.

Frank turned his gaze away from the data pad, handing it to Maria. “The next part is for you,” he whispered.

Maria took the tablet into her trembling hands and began to read.

Maria. Care for crew. Make well. Keep human. Protect colonists. Protect my children. Love yours. No cry for me. I good.

Maria handed the data pad back to Frank as she tried to hold back the tears.

Frank read the message intended for him.

Frank. Always my friend. Always. Protect my family. Tell I love. Someday, when right, tell truth about me. In your berth is journal. Will journal. At right time, give to Will son. Tell him truth. Will die brave. Save my life many. Good man. Brave man. Honest man. My friend.

Frank looked up from the data pad at Jack. “I will Jack. I promise.” He wiped the tears from his own eyes and finished reading.

No one can know of me. Not now. You have new world. Build good. Build strong. Be ready. Someday, Earth come. You know, I not stay. I not belong. I not human.

“Jack, please,” Frank pleaded.

Jack grunted, pointing at the data pad, indicating for Frank to finish.

Out there, happy. In here, not happy. Out there, belong. In here, not belong. Out there, understand all. In here, understand nothing. In here, freak, pet, specimen. Out there, free. I still around. Always hiding. Always watching. You will know. I remember all. Always. Not forget me.

Love, Jack.

Silence fell on the compartment, broken only by the sound of Maria’s sniffles as she stepped forward and put her arms around Jack, burying her face in his furry shoulder, ignoring the alien stench of his bluish-gray fur as she whispered something in his ear that he would probably not understand. “I won’t forget you Jack. I promise.”

After a long moment, she finally let go, retreating several steps back, until she was leaning once again against the exam table where Lynn still lay unconscious.

Frank was frozen, afraid to speak, afraid he would break down and cry like a baby.

Jack turned to look at him as he struggled to try to remember his own humanity, or what little was left of it. Then, instinctively, he remembered something that seemed appropriate at the moment.

Jack held out his big, leathery hand, extending it to Frank.

Frank looked into his friend’s eyes. Despite his grotesquely alien appearance, his eyes had not changed. Still blue, still honest, still Jack. Frank took Jack’s hand, grasping it firmly, as he stepped forward and took Jack in his free arm to hug him. Almost as quickly as it had happened, it ended, and Jack turned to exit.

Frank followed him out, if only to be with him a moment longer. He watched as Jack slung the heavily loaded pack over his broad alien shoulders with ease.

Jack took a deep breath of the cold, evening air. Winter was almost over now. He looked around the area. Most of the snow had melted away, leaving a fresh, bright, blue-green layer of plant life exposed to soak up the Cetian sun. Jack wondered for a moment if the foliage had always been the same color, or if it too had been re-sequenced from something other than what it originally had been. It was one of many questions he hoped to answer in the years to come. And his answer would be found somewhere out there, in the wilderness of his new home.

Jack turned to look at Frank one last time, face-to-face, meeting his eyes. Although he planned to check on them from time to time, this would probably be the last time they actually made eye contact.

Frank understood the significance of the look Jack was now giving him. “Be safe, Jack.”

Jack heard only strange grunts and vocalizations. They all sounded familiar, but were incomprehensible nonetheless. But he understood the sentiment.

Jack reached out and slapped Frank on the shoulder one last time, just as he had when they were young, then turned and walked away.

Frank stood there as Jack walked away, watching until he disappeared from sight.

As Jack moved across the open meadows and rolling hills that would soon become the first, human, extrasolar colony, his despair seemed to fade away. Birds chirped from the distant treetops, animals grunted from distances too far away for any human to hear. Smells, many and varied, wafted through his nostrils, alerting him to the presence of all sorts of creatures large and small. A late winter breeze tossed his long blue-gray hair. Everything was right for him out here.