Clidepp Requital (22 page)

"Aye, Captain, I'm on it."

By the time sunrise broke on the horizon, the Marines had finished erecting the holo-projector screen. The Special Ops team had supplied their two units and then helped position the units in a network that would give maximum coverage. With the two MATs re-linked to the ship to minimize exposed surfaces, about ninety percent of the ship was covered, and the parts not covered did not appear as a contiguous mass. The separated holo-images made the uncovered areas appear like shadows.

"That's it, Syd," Kelly MacDonald said as they stood outside the ship, evaluating the completed work.

"Good work, Kel. I don't know how long we're going to be here and I didn't want someone coming to investigate a large, unexplained black mass."

"You really have no idea how long it will take to make repairs?"

"Not yet. I've asked the engineers to give me a briefing at 1100. Hopefully, they'll have a better idea by then. So far, they've drained the repository and used heat wands to dry the compartment. They didn't want to begin dismantling anything until there was no chance they could make it worse, but they've now disconnected the generator, unbolted it from the extension shaft, and brought it inside the ship so they can work on it."

"How could the designers not have known the ship would submerge? They designed the tanks and pumps that permit it to happen."

"Perhaps the submergence idea was an afterthought and the already designed repository cover just got overlooked. Or perhaps someone believed the repository was airtight. I don't know— but you'd better believe I'm going to make sure Space Command knows when we get back."

"Then you believe we'll get back?"

"Yes, of course. But— it may take months. The worst case scenario is that Space Command has to send another ship for us, either with the parts we need or another CPS-14 that we can link with. Their envelope can then enclose us as well. After the briefing with the engineers I'm going to send an encrypted message to the
Denver
in which I'll brief them on our condition."

"We still don't have an answer for you, Captain," Lt. Barron, the engineering officer, said. "We know what's shorted out, but we don't yet know if we can fix it. We might be able to scavenge some parts from other, unnecessary systems and devices in the ship, as we used to do on the
Perry
."

"Why don't you simply replace the entire generator?"

"Uh, we don't have a backup."

"No backup? Every military FTL ship is required to carry a backup generator, even a tug."

"Yes, ma'am. The equipment manifest lists a backup generator, and even points to the engineering storage locker where it's located. The problem is that there's no backup generator in the designated locker. There's a crated office desk where the crated generator is supposed to be."

"But I have the only office aboard this ship and I already have a desk."

"Yes, ma'am. And should you need another desk, there's one in the engineering locker where the generator should be."

"What about the other storage lockers?"

"We didn't attempt to determine if everything we should have is accounted for, but we know there's no generator anywhere in the engineering compartments."

"Then can you provide any idea at all of a timeframe for the required work? For instance, when will you give up trying to fix it?"

Barron looked briefly at Chief Luscome before replying. "As long as we're stuck here, never. But I'd say if we can't repair it in a month, we'll probably never be able to repair it."

Luscome nodded his agreement with the statement.

"Okay, men," Sydnee said, "thank you. That will be all."

"A month?" Kelly MacDonald said after they had gone.

The office was so crowded that Weems and Caruthers had to stand inside Sydnee's sleeping quarters, but they had heard everything. With the engineers gone, they came into the office.

"We can't stay here a month," Weems said. "Someone is bound to spot us. Even with the holo-projector bubbles over the ship, the view from space has to look considerably different. A mapping satellite may automatically call the changed image to the attention of someone in a geological office and then it will filter upwards until it reaches someone who might come to investigate."

"We have no choice about staying here, unless you know of a better place to conceal ourselves. It would take a lifetime to reach another marginally habitable planet outside this solar system, even a planet as awful as Diabolisto, with just our sub-light engines."

"The Major said the entire planet had been mapped by our diplomatic ship," Weems said. "The mission planners were able to identify that lake as a good hiding spot. If the Major has all the maps, we might be able to spot another good hiding place. Of course, it would have to be one that doesn't require us to submerge."

"Good idea, Jerry. Maybe you or Kelly could request that from him. I'd do it, but he isn't very happy with me right now."

"What about the envoy mentioned in the mission briefing?" Caruthers asked. "If we could contact him, he might be able to get the parts the engineers need from some shipyard. It's the power from our matter/anti-matter system that permits the envelope generation, not the generator itself, and it's the Dakinium that creates the double envelope so we can travel at Light-9790. Just because Clidepp ships don't come close to matching the speed of our non-Dakinium ships, the generator shouldn't make a difference. The Clidepp military and commercial shipbuilding companies have access to parts that let them build a temporal envelope, so maybe we just need to find out if their temporal generator parts are standard enough for us to use them."

"That's a good suggestion, Pete," Sydney said. "Perhaps we can get the parts we need from someone on this planet. But first the engineers have to identify which parts must be replaced to fix the generator. Okay, I'm going to send a message to the
Denver
and tell them of our predicament. Perhaps they'll have some other suggestions. It'll take eight days for the message to reach them and eight days to hear back after they come up with a plan, and maybe we'll come up with something on our own before then."

"I don't like people going behind my back," Blade said as Sydnee's office door closed behind him. She had rolled her eyes when the computer announced his presence outside the room but made her face expressionless before he came in.

"To what are you referring, Major?"

"You sent MacDonald to circumvent my authority. She had some of my people set up holo-projectors."

Blade's voice was calm. It was a considerable change from their last conversation.

"I'm working to keep our location secure, repair this ship,
and
get us back to GA space. I'm not playing chain-of-command power games. It's been my understanding from the beginning that this command is composed of three units— Space Command, a Marine platoon from the
Denver
, and a Special Ops teams headed by you. My orders were to get you to the home of the package and get everyone back safely. Your mission is over, it's been accomplished, and now I'm in full command. We needed holo-projectors set up to disguise our presence in this clearing. As the officer in command of her platoon, I put MacDonald in charge of that effort. I never instructed her to circumvent your authority. We're in a difficult position and I need everyone working together for our mutual benefit. I would welcome your help, if you feel you can work with us, but let's be perfectly clear on one thing. Your part of the original mission is complete and over. You were successful, and none of our people have been lost or injured. For that you are to be commended. But now,
I'm
in command. If you can't accept that, I can't involve you."

Blade looked at her intently for several seconds, then showed a hint of a smile before replying. "You're far stronger than I originally thought. That indecisive attitude and 'umming' you exhibited back at the
Denver
really had me fooled. I thought for sure you'd fall apart before the mission was over, despite Burrow's glowing recommendations, and that I'd have to take command. I admire someone who stands their ground and refuses to yield when they believe they're in the right. I apologize for testing you earlier this morning. I had to see if you could handle the stress I know is coming from being stuck in Clidepp space with a broken ship. The officer I was introduced to back in GA space hasn't been seen since we deployed."

Sydnee stared at Blade, not knowing if this was another tactic to take control of the ship or if his words were genuine. "Does that mean you'll work
with
us and not against us as we try to get this ship repaired?"

"It does. Just tell me what you need of me or my people."

"If we can't get the ship operational with what materials we have on board, we may have to run a mission to a populated area. I'm still waiting to hear from our engineers before I make a decision on that. We might be able to secure parts from a Clidepp shipyard, and if so we'll have to determine which yard has the parts and then go get them. Can you provide a contact number for the GA envoy? I checked the DB and there's nothing in there."

"With good reason. When the civil war officially began, the GA pulled our ambassador and the entire diplomatic staff out, except for the one envoy. Then when the Clidepp government refused to assist our efforts to find the person responsible for the bombing of the Trade Show, the GA pulled the last dip out. How are we going to learn who has the parts we need?"

"Our database is the standard DB used for interdiction purposes. It contains the complete ship schematics for every ship we've ever encountered in GA space. It's necessary so our people know where illegal aliens might be hiding or where contraband is likely to be hidden. Once we know what parts we need, the computer can perform a search and tell us who makes it and what ship uses it. If we can't find specific usable parts, we may have to 'acquire' an entire generator. That is if we can find a model compatible with our electronics."

"And if we can't find compatible equipment?"

"Then we sit here until Space Command sends another ship to rescue us. We'll have to hope the package is still so important that they'll risk another incursion into Clidepp space."

Blade took a deep breath and then released it. "We might have a possible contact on the planet— one who would be willing to help us find the right equipment. The intelligence file contains the name of a person who provided critical information about the location of the person we were seeking. When you determine exactly what we need, let me know. I'll try to reach the person who helped us before."

"Okay, stay ready."

"We're always ready,
Captain
."

"Thank you, Major."

* * *

"There's still no word from Lt. Marcola," Commander Bryant said to Captain Lidden during their morning briefing session.

"It's only been, what? Six weeks?"

"Almost seven. They should have reached Yolongus three weeks ago and been on their way back by now."

"She has orders to send us a status report as soon as she leaves the planet. We should hear soon."

"I hope so. You don't think putting this much responsibility on her shoulders might have been a little too much too soon?"

"She's demonstrated an innate ability for command. I think she can handle it."

"But can she deal with Blade? He came across as being a hard man to work with."

"It'll be good experience for her."

* * *

"Captain," Sydnee heard when she responded to a call on her CT, "I've found what might be a better location for us while we wait on the repair work." The call was from Lt. Olivetti, working at the navigation console on the bridge.

Sydnee, mulling over options as she sat on her bunk, stood up and said, "I'll be right there. Marcola out."

As Sydnee came to the navigation console on the bridge, Olivetti said, "It's right here," pointing to a dot on a surface map.

"What is that? It looks like an enormous hole in the planet."

"Let me zoom in."

A second later the area was clearly visible.

"Is that a volcano?"

"Yes, ma'am. It certainly is."

"Let me get this straight. You want us to hide
inside
a volcano?"

"It's dormant."

"So was Mt. Requetti on Eulosi thirty-five years ago. Twenty thousand Eulosians died in the three days following that eruption. Dormant doesn't mean extinct. It just means it's not erupting—
today
."

~ February 23
^rd
, 2286 ~

"Mt. Requetti
had
been dormant," Lt. Olivetti said, "but in the weeks before the eruption, it began showing definite signs it was coming to life. There were powerful ground tremors in the vicinity on a daily basis, the wildlife was scattering away from the mountain, and the community's aquifer had become contaminated with sulfur. The people chose to ignore all of the warning signs."

"Are you a volcanologist?" Sydnee asked, surprised by Olivetti's detailed knowledge of an event older than she was.

"Only on an amateur level, Captain. But it's always been a passion of mine. I chose Space Command for a career in space over a career that would consist mostly of sitting in a lab on some planet while studying seismic readings, but I never lost my interest in volcanology."

"And you believe this location to be safe?"

"Yes. At the present, it seems like the ideal spot. The lava is black, so even without the holo-projectors, it'd be almost impossible to spot us."

"What if the volcano erupts? This ship is well protected by the Dakinium skin, but I don't know if it could tolerate the heat of molten lava."

"The maps created by the diplomatic ship are fantastic. We have normal imagery, infrared, surface contour, and thermal versions. The thermal readings for the volcano interior aren't any higher than those for the surrounding land mass. As you can see, vegetation has started to cover all of the outer slopes. It takes decades following an eruption for flora to establish a toehold as widespread as this in a lava field. And in addition to allowing us to hide in plain sight, the volcano is within an hour's flying time in a MAT to the three largest industrial and manufacturing centers on the planet. There are dozens of shipbuilding facilities at those centers."