Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space (The Henry Gallant Saga) (24 page)

After his visit, he went to the hospital reception room to see a doctor in order to have his wounded arm treated. A nurse greeted him as he signed in. She led him to a treatment room where she began removing his bandages. “Tsk, tsk. You should have come in sooner for additional care,” she said, shaking her head in disgust. “This is a serious wound, and it requires serious care, even though the initial aid you received was actually quite good.” She continued to fret over the arm for several more minutes before she placed a sterile cloth cover with a hole that exposed his burns. Then she administered an analgesic and prepared the area for the doctor’s ministrations. The nurse said, “The surgeon will perform the skin graft procedure using the skin grown from your stem cells. He will cut away dead tissue and graft on the new skin.”

The treatment room was filled with instrumentation and medical devices in stark contrast to Kelsey’s room. Gallant sat on an uncomfortable chair before a metal table; his arm had a covering cloth. There was no music, but instead a constant chatter filled the room from an AI unit that was intent on repeatedly describing to Gallant his medical condition and all the raw and gory details of what the surgeon was going to subject him to.

Gallant waited patiently for twenty minutes until the surgeon came in to the room and began to treat him.

The surgeon was a middle- aged man with a lean body mass and vigorous appearance. He appeared to follow his own medical advice about healthy living. He didn’t offer any chit- chat, but and got right to work.

Gallant watched as the surgeon peeled away his damaged skin and performed the skin graft. Then he applied collagen and healing gels.

The nurse applied a bandage and a covering sleeve to his arm.

“Come back in two days and have the bandage changed,” said the surgeon.

“Thank you for all your help,” said Gallant as he got up the leave. The nurse smiled and said, “Don’t forget to return in two days.”

“Thank you," said Gallant, satisfied that he could return to full-duty status.

The end of fall approached, but the Mars weather remained temperate. The potent storms of winter had not yet arrived, leaving the sky clear. New Annapolis, the center of the Martian government and home to Mars Fleet Command, was an ultramodern city located near the equator. It boasted a metropolitan ambiance, bustling with business and tourist attractions. Its rustic colonial growth was deliberately designed to reflect its namesake. The commercial buildings towered over the smaller local establishments offering goods and services to the inhabitants, as well as to a vibrant tourist crowd. The people lived and worked in much the same way that their ancestors did on Earth. Bankers, merchants, and laborers scurried about the combination seaport and spaceport with cargo of every description. Flying cars and travelers using jet-packs took advantage of the low Martian gravity as they stacked up high above the city during the early-morning commuter traffic. The suburbs were packed with families thriving in this prototypical twenty-second-century colonial settlement.

Recently built canals crisscrossed the entire planet. They channeled water from reservoirs and lakes to irrigate crops and supply cities. The gray stone walls along the sides of the canal guided small ferries as they moved down stream. The small craft traveled toward a junction where the canal flowed into the powerful New Severn River. Recent rains had swelled the river, raising its level as it swept past the wharfs and shoreline buildings of Mars Fleet Command.

On this pleasant day, Gallant was bursting with good spirits. Kelsey was in his thoughts. He had visited her in the hospital again. She was well enough to respond to his comments and they spoke briefly. He was relieved to see that she was of good cheer and striving to recover from her serious injuries. Her doctor said that she would have to remain in the hospital for treatment for at least several weeks and then she would require several months of physical therapy. They predicted that with time, her health would return. However, Gallant noticed, they didn’t say if she would be returned to active service.

Gallant walked toward New Annapolis. He climbed up and over the canal locks to reach a dock where a small ferry was tied. He got on board. The ferry served as a convenient and pleasant form of transportation. It traveled down the canal until the canal merged with the full flood of the river. Gallant was enjoying himself for the first time in days.

A little further along the river, the ferry reached the site of the UP Space Academy. The academy was founded in 2125 following the Unification Wars when the need for a space force to patrol the solar system became clear. The first vessels of the new UP fleet were launched in that year. In just a few decades, the fleet changed from mostly chemical to all nuclear-power drives. This offered greater capacity for space exploration, but also demanded higher standards in officer training and education.

The academy evolved over time to meet the growing needs. As the colonists developed culturally and technologically, so did the entrants to the academy. Life at the academy, in many respects, was radically different from traditional colleges or universities. The programs were designed to challenge every midshipman mentally, physically, and morally. No matter what the individual’s background, they were encouraged to use their talents to the greatest extent. The midshipmen lived and worked together in one huge dormitory complex where men and women from all classes competed continuously.

Often, the first phase of military life could be confusing; involving physical and mental stress. First-year plebes were drilled on all manner of subject, but none more important than the institution's honor code. This standard of integrity was required for every facet of military life. As a result, well-educated and trained midshipmen were graduated to serve as officers and pilots in the Space Fleet.

The core curriculum included numerous major fields of study, a wide variety of elective courses, as well as opportunities for advanced study and research, leading to a science degree. The studies reflected the needs of the service to include science, engineering, mathematics, and astrogation. The program consisted of two academic years followed by a two year deployment aboard a spaceship. This ‘apprenticeship’ period was in the tradition of the historic navies of Earth.

Gallant was pleased to discover that he had arrived at the academy on Homecoming Weekend and many graduates were arriving for a festive few days of reminiscing and celebration. He hoped he would meet up with some of his classmates. The wonderful scene filled him with a sense of recapturing the entire academy experience.

He noticed that smiling relatives and joyful graduates were gathering together. A few familiar faces included one of his closest friends, Sam Wellman. Sam was an astrogator on
Superb
. Standing beside him were two others classmates that Gallant recognized.

“Henry, it’s great to see you. We’ve been following the news stories about you and we were just debating whether they could all be true. You’ll have to tell us. There’s a round of beer waiting on your answer,” said Sam. As an afterthought, he asked, “How’s your arm?”

As tall as Gallant, but more solidly built, Sam was a rugged-looking young man. Sam’s firm handshake put Gallant at ease. He was pleased to see his old friend.

“My arm’s fine, but I’m hungry,” replied Gallant. “I hope you guys haven’t eaten yet.”

Gallant enjoyed looking over the academy grounds as he walked to the mess hall with his friends. They were still in time for the midshipmen’s Saturday morning buffet breakfast. It consisted of eggs and pancakes along with maple syrup which was a delight, to Gallant, after his ordeal on reduced rations. He enjoyed the formality and ritual of the mess hall with tables covered with white cloth and small dark blue pendants. The pendants represented the different academy companies and delineated their competitive intramural standings.

Gallant and his friends were seated at a table reserved for visitors when Sam raised his glass of milk in a toast to Gallant.

Gallant blushed. “Thanks,” he mumbled with his mouth full of pancakes.

“While you’ve been living a life of high adventure, I’ve been spending most of my time taking AI training courses,” said Sam. He started telling Gallant about his service on the Mars Fleet flagship.

Gallant acknowledged, “
Superb
sounds like a wonderful ship.”

“Yes, but tell us about the Titans and your battles.”

“Yeah, well I survived,” was Gallant’s abbreviated response.

“After everything you endured plebe year, I knew, nothing was ever going to stop you,” said Sam.

“Thanks, Sam. Did you also know that Ed Stevenson was on
Renown
?”

“Yes, and I’ve learned that he’s recovering from his wound at Jupiter Station.”

Gallant’s curiosity led him to ask, “Why has the Mars Fleet taken so long to reinforce the Jupiter frontier?”

Sam looked at his companions. He said, “Things on Mars have been chaotic ever since Captain Caine reported an alien fleet moving toward Jupiter. There’s been a great commotion in the press and the civilian population has been agitated. There’s a debate about how the fleet should respond. Admiral Collingsworth has been hampered by politicians. They’ve been complaining about the lack of escorts for merchant convoys and the fears of leaving Mars vulnerable.”

For nearly an hour, the four midshipmen continued to chatter about past glories and future hopes until it was time for the football game. The academy was hosting their archrival, Nuevo-Notre Dame in the stadium just outside of New Annapolis.

Gallant and his friends took the underground high speed rail transit to the stadium. They sat in the stands as the academy midshipmen marched into the stadium and onto the field. With precise steps and snappy movements, they paraded while the band played. After they marched off, the football players took the field and the game began.For a little while, Gallant felt like a carefree student on Saturday liberty once more. The cares of war seemed a fading memory. He was brought back to reality when throughout the game, and especially during half-time, his friends peppered him with questions about the Jupiter Fleet action. Their insatiable curiosity extended from fighter tactics, fleet strategy, and marine actions, to the weapons capability of Titan ships and their ability to absorb punishment.Over and over again, they asked him a variety of questions on how to fight in future actions.

Gallant answered their questions from his personal experience. He told them about the effectiveness of the antimissiles on the Eagle fighter and the dangers of the Titan plasma weapons. He tried to explain what he learned from entering the Titan destroyer, such as, what the aliens looked like.

In return, his friends told him about the current circumstances on the Jupiter frontier where the situation remained static. Captain Caine and his damaged ships were making every effort to rearm and repair damage. They remained near Jupiter Station while the marines consolidated their position on Ganymede. Both sides of the ground war had suffered severe casualties and were exhausted. The colonists remained hidden in the sheltered tunnels. The Titan cruisers and destroyers had moved away from the Jupiter Fleet, yet remained able to support the Titan beachhead, if required.

The midshipman speculated that the Mars Fleet was preparing to advance into the asteroid belt to reengage the Titans. Under the circumstances, Gallant expected to join the fleet soon. Unfortunately, he also expected to leave Kelsey behind.

The game ended in a satisfying 28-21 academy victory, but their discussion continued until finally, Gallant changed the subject. He asked about innovations for the fleet being developed on Mars.

Sam said, “The research facility at Dahlgren Field is converting fighters to carry anti-ship missiles, creating a kind of bomber. The tactics for using them are going to be different and they will require a fighter escort.”

Gallant said, “Bombers could change the dynamics of battle. They’ll give our small craft some real firepower.”

Sam said, “The bombers are expected to carry just four anti-ship missiles, but they will give up all of their antimissile missiles to make space. That’s why they’ll need fighter escorts.”

One of Gallant’s classmates volunteered, “The research test field is just across the river near Mars Fleet Command. We could take a look at the new bombers.”

The idea appealed to all of them, and they set off to Dahlgren Field. When they got there, they were allowed through the gates and permitted to look at the exterior of the craft. Unfortunately, the insides were classified above their current clearance level.

Nevertheless, they concluded that the new weapons might be effective in fighting the Titan forces. The new ships could be forerunners of a weapon capable of affecting the balance of power. Still fighter pilots were fighter pilots, and converting their ships to act as bombers might be resisted.

Gallant’s experience convinced him that the Eagle fighters were just too small to take on the Titan destroyers single-handed, but in combination with the new bomber with its anti-ship missiles, he suspected they could be a deadly combination.

He thought,
Admiral Collingsworth may be delaying his departure, at least in part, because he’s waiting for the addition of these bombers.

Gallant intended to spend the night at the academy’s Bachelor Officer’s Quarters (BOQ), but when he started to take his leave, Sam interrupted him. “No way! You’re coming home with me. You know my parents. They’ll want you to visit for a while.”

“Thanks. That sounds good to me.”

Gallant and Sam left their classmates and made their way to public transportation. After a brief trip in a transit tube, they zipped along underground to the suburbs. When they emerged, they walked down the street leading to the Wellman family home.

“Henry,” asked Sam, “do you remember these ladies?” As he spoke, an older woman motioned from the front door. A young girl stuck her head out of the front window. Both women waved to the midshipmen. Sam’s father also came out to greet the young men.