Heirs of the New Earth (25 page)

Roberts floated into the teleholo booth to carry out the captain's orders while Firebrandt stepped toward his cabin. Since Edmund Swan left Sufiro, Roberts and Firebrandt had gathered a crew of fifteen. Some were old, trusted friends, but all had experience either with freighters converted from aged privateers like the
Legacy
or with systems that were aboard the antique vessel. Over the past days, Firebrandt and Roberts had forgone the harvest and worked with their crew of fifteen, getting them ready in the event that they were called upon.

Within an hour of receiving the call from the
Sanson
, the crew was gathered on the battle deck of the grounded
Legacy
. The deck had been restored to its one-time glory. The metal surfaces were spotless. The wooden handrails that lined the deck were polished. One of the gunners’ rigs had been modified so that Roberts could operate it from his hover chair. Ellison Firebrandt himself wore the uniform he'd designed for himself many years before. It was a black jacket with black trousers. Underneath, he wore a white turtleneck shirt. On the shoulders were two gold epaulets.

"I'm sure you've suspected by now that we've received an emergency call from Earth,” said Firebrandt. He paced slowly back and forth in front of the holographic tank at the front of the battle deck and looked each of the crewmembers in the eye in turn. “This is much sooner than I hoped, but, given the power of the Cluster it's perhaps not sooner than we feared.” He paused and smiled reassuringly at Anne McClintlock. “I don't know how much we can do, but we have a ship with new weapons, a good engine, and a full load of fuel. The first officer of the mapping vessel
Sanson
tells me that the Cluster is taking actions that could mean the end of Sufiro, Alpha Coma, and virtually every other human colony. It's essential we do everything we can to help. The man in charge of this operation is Edmund Swan—a man I trust implicitly, and I'm sure many of you do, too.” Firebrandt looked at Juan Raton—Manuel's brother who had fought alongside Swan in the war against the Tejans.

"Now, this class of vessel,” continued Firebrandt, stepping over to the rail and patting the wall, “was never designed to land or take off from a planet. However, those of you familiar with EQ engines,” and he looked meaningfully at the mechanics he'd hired, Mary Seaton and Junior Kimura, “know that they work using controlled Quinnium bursts. A gravitational jump point is one way to control the burst and send a ship in a particular direction. However, this ship is equipped to send out a very small burst and jump a short distance without actually being at a jump point. We can use that ability to jump from the surface to orbit."

Junior Kimura held up his hand. “Won't that do considerable damage to the land around the ship?"

Roberts hovered forward, next to Firebrandt. “It'll do less damage than a traditional rocket would. It'll almost certainly destroy the house around us, but not much more. We've cleared several acres around the house just to be safe, but I expect that we'll still be able to harvest our crops when we get back."

"Presuming the frost doesn't get it first,” said Firebrandt with a wry grin. “Any other questions?” He looked around at the nervous, but determined faces and felt a long-forgotten swell of pride at the thought of a crew that was ready to follow him anywhere. “Then let's get to work."

"All hands, to your stations,” barked Roberts.

With less than military precision, the new crew of the
Legacy
shuffled off to their stations. Juan Raton, Anne McClintlock, and Mary Seaton remained on the battle deck. Anne took the central network station at the starboard side of the deck while Juan took station at one of the gunners’ rigs near the holographic tank. Mary sat down at the engine control terminal on the deck's port side while Firebrandt stood at the ship's wheel console in the center of the deck.

"You may bring the engines on line, when ready,” said Firebrandt. “Mr. Roberts, please close all airlocks and make us ready for spaceflight."

Seaton activated several controls, then asked for a report from Junior. A series of red lights flickered on at the engine console. Roberts moved next to Anne McClintlock at the central network station. Together they began bringing other ship's systems on line, including life support, the recently installed graviton generators, and navigational systems. As ordered, Roberts closed all of the airlocks, sealing the ship off from the rest of the homestead. Firebrandt retrieved a pipe from his pocket, packed and lit it, then checked systems on the wheel console. Looking back at the engine console, he saw that most of the red lights had gone green.

Firebrandt started working out the calculation for a jump from the surface of the planet to a position outside the gravitational well. Before he was finished, Seaton announced, “Engines on line, sir. Junior's checking system integrity, but he believes we'll be ready to jump in about fifteen minutes."

"Excellent,” said Firebrandt, his teeth clenched around the pipe stem. “Roberts, check my calculations and make sure I'm not going to send us into the sun."

McClintlock and Raton looked at Firebrandt with wide eyes and Roberts laughed. He brought up Firebrandt's jump algorithm and checked it over carefully. “For an old space dog who hasn't done this in fifty years, you did pretty damn good,” said Roberts. The first mate drifted over to the captain. “Once we get to orbit, we're going to need to do a complete check of hull integrity as well as systems,” he said, quietly.

"I know,” said Firebrandt. “Are the launches ready to go in case this doesn't work?"

"They are,” said Roberts. “We'll be able to get everyone safely to the planet as long as the ship doesn't explode on jump."

Firebrandt nodded somberly and took a few puffs of his pipe. He looked down and saw the crystalline computer network below his feet blinking and pulsing information from one system to another. Once the pipe burned out, he put it back in his pocket.

"Junior says we're ready to go,” said Mary.

"Sound the jump warning,” said Firebrandt. He grabbed one of the handles on the side of the wheel console. Roberts hovered back to the computer console. He lowered the hover chair to the deck. Magnetic clamps grabbed onto the grating and he reached over and helped Anne McClintlock who was having trouble with her seat straps.

The captain looked around the deck, then swallowed hard. “Broadcast a countdown from ten throughout the ship,” said Firebrandt. He swallowed hard and his hand hovered over the button that would activate the Quinnium burst.

Roberts touched a control on the hover chair. “10 ... 9 ... 8...” he began.

Firebrandt felt sweat bead on his forehead.

"7 ... 6 ... 5..."

Juan Raton found himself grabbing the handles on either side of the gunner's rig.

"4 ... 3 ... 2..."

Mary Seaton saw a light on her engine console flicker red for a moment. She reached up to tap it, but it flickered back to green.

"1,” said Roberts. Firebrandt pressed the jump button. Reality collapsed.

Jumping into the fourth dimension played havoc with anybody's senses. Human beings are creatures of three dimensions and when they are transported into the dimension that runs parallel to time, the brain gets confused. For some, like Mary Seaton, it was as though the floor had just dropped out from beneath her, even though she could look down and see herself firmly strapped into her chair. For Anne McClintlock, the world went black but she could swear that she heard the smell of burning electronics. As the ship came out of jump, Juan Raton was holding the handles on either side of the gunners rig and screaming. He opened his eyes and got control of himself and took a few deep breaths. “Sorry,” he said, sheepishly.

Firebrandt had collapsed to his knees. Roberts unclamped his hover chair and sped to his captain's side. The captain waved him off. “I'm all right,” he said. He looked over to Anne. “Turn on the viewer, let's see where we are.” Then he looked from Roberts to Mary. “Let's begin a system and hull check."

Mary and Roberts nodded as the holographic viewer at the front of the deck came to life. The blue-green planet of Sufiro hung in the tank like a great globe surrounded by stars. Juan Raton gasped and Ellison Firebrandt felt a tear run down his cheek. “We made it,” he said.

"We're adrift and tumbling slightly,” reported Anne, “but we're outside Sufiro's gravitational well and all life support systems seem to be functioning.” She reached over and typed in a command that Roberts had taught her. “Thrusters fired. We've stabilized our position,” she reported.

"Junior says we've burned out a few engine relays,” said Mary, “but we have spares and we should be ready to jump again within the hour."

Ellison Firebrandt looked around the battle deck and smiled broadly. “Well done, everyone.” He looked at Roberts who was hovering next to Juan near the deck's door. “Do your survey of the hull then report to me in my cabin,” he said to Roberts.

Roberts and Juan turned and left the deck.

Firebrandt stepped forward and looked at the image of Sufiro. He thought of Suki, his lover and mother of his daughter, whose ashes were scattered on the planet below. “I'll be back, I promise."

[Back to Table of Contents]

Simon Yermakov appeared to be standing between the Perseus and Orion arms of the Milky Way Galaxy within the holographic tank in the bow of the
Sanson's
command deck. Wavy blue lines indicated previously charted jump paths from one star system to another. Wavy green lines indicated how those paths would have changed assuming certain gravitational shifts at the center of the galaxy.

Chief Engineer Mahuk strode onto the command deck and shook his head, bewildered. “What is all of that?"

Simon stepped through the arm of galaxy to stand next to the hologram. He pointed to a yellow sphere in the Orion arm of the galaxy that represented the Sun. “That's where we jumped from.” Then he pointed to a red sphere in the outer most part of the Perseus arm. “This is where we are now.” He pointed to the end of a blue streamer a few inches to the left. “This is where we should have come out of jump according to the charts."

Mahuk joined Simon in the tank and saw that a green streamer came very close to connecting the yellow and red spheres. “This must be close to the path we followed,” said Mahuk, knowingly.

Simon smiled. “It is. I was able to use some of the mapping programs we have to model the way the jump points are moving as a result of the Cluster's interference at the center of the galaxy."

"Can we use this to get back to Earth?” asked Mahuk.

Simon stepped out of the holographic tank and put his hands on the pilot's console and looked down, not meeting the engineer's eyes. “The Cluster hasn't stopped adding stars to the black hole at the center of the galaxy. The jump points will keep changing until they stop or someone stops them. This projection is good for an hour or two at most.” He looked up at the chief engineer. “How are the engines doing?"

Mahuk held out his hands. “The engines still lack the fine tuning for a mapping jump, but we can do a coarse jump again when you give the word."

"Good,” said Simon, softly. “I think we need to get moving soon, or else we're going to be stranded here—out on the rim.” He stepped back toward the holographic display. “However, I don't think we should head back to Earth."

"If not Earth, then where?” asked Mahuk.

"We need to get back to Alpha Coma and let them know what we've learned so far.” Simon pointed to the chart. With another jump, I might be able to refine this model. I might be able to predict what's happening to the jump points—at least well enough that they can get a few ships to Earth."

"Do you think that will do any good?” asked Mahuk, his brow knitted. “No one has ever been able to attack a Cluster ship and survive."

Simon puffed out his cheeks, making him look more like a squirrel than before. “It's not our job to ask that question,” he said after a moment. “Our job's just to get the information back to Herbert Firebrandt on Alpha Coma."

Mahuk stepped forward and put his hand on Simon's shoulder. “You're beginning to sound a lot like Captain Ellis.” The chief engineer chuckled when Simon looked mortally wounded. “Simon,” he said sincerely, “that's meant as a compliment. Keep this up and you'll end up in command of the ship."

"Somehow, I don't think Ellis is going anywhere,” said Simon bitterly.

"Maybe not,” said Mahuk, still cheerful. “Still there are plenty of ships in TransGalactic's fleet. You're working on a promotion, my friend.” With a cheering smile, Mahuk stepped to the rear of the command deck then turned around. “I'll prepare the engines for jump. You get things ready up here and give the word.” With that, he stepped into the elevator.

Simon activated the intercom. “Natalie, break's over, I need you back on the command deck.” He turned and stepped into the holographic tank and pointed to a green ribbon that was near their position. The ribbon terminated near Alpha Coma Bereneces. “Computer,” he called. “Store this course in the navigational computer.” He then moved back to the pilot's console and charted a course to the new jump point for Alpha Coma.

As Simon pushed at the holographic lever that applied forward thrust, Natalie stepped onto the command deck and took her seat at the communications station. “Natalie,” he said, “activate sensors, we're going to need to feel around for the exact position of the jump point. They're moving around a bit."

She nodded and did as Simon asked. She brought up a display that hovered over her console that showed the ship and readings of gravitational density. She touched her hand to her forehead. “Simon, two Titan ships have just jumped into the area. They're ordering us to return with them to Titan."

Without thinking about it, Simon increased the thrust to full and chewed on his lower lip. “Why are they trying to stop us?” asked Simon, aloud. “You'd think they'd want to see the Cluster stopped, too."

"They're scared,” said Natalie.

Simon looked around at her.

"They're afraid we won't be able to stop the Cluster and things are going to be a lot worse,” she said dreamily. She pointed to her forehead. “I've been listening in to the Titan frequencies. There's been chatter.” She looked at another of her screens. “The Titans are pursuing us."