The End of Winter -- Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Return to Space—Phase 1

 

Misha didn’t talk much. But she would talk to Curt when asked.

“Misha, I need advice.”

“By all means.”

“Behemoth hasn’t had a functioning shield or 3^rd engine for a year. Granted, the resources involved are huge, but you can’t run a fleet like that. What’s up with this?”

A long pause…

“The politics have been odd. There’s no real central government. The Guardians just want an honorable society. While all Guardians are powerful, some Ancients are good, and some are…less so. You and I are fortunate to have met well.”

“Absolutely, but we need to make this work. The time for drifting is over. I feel an odd instability…an opportunity! With the upcoming meeting on Behemoth, we have few options. If I was certain I could get Behemoth space worthy and battle ready by the time of the arrival, I’d be OK with just doing that for now. But I don’t think I can do it. The structural damage, the shields. I can probably get him in the air, but in any real fight…he’d lose.

I need your help. I can’t do this alone.”

“And you shall have it,” Misha said. “I will be occupied for a day or so.”

“Thank you!”

Curt went back to the crew lounge area to relax for a bit.

“Hey, Boss, where’s your ear muff?”

“Misha will be occupied for a while…and show some respect!”

Behemoth said quietly “Well, this should be interesting.”

Amazona responded “Why?”
And Behemoth replied “In the 12,000 years I’ve been watching, a council meeting of the Guardians has been good most of the time, and sometimes produces awful results. But I can tell you this, it’s never boring. That’s what Misha’s doing now.”

 

July 25^th, 2808

The Commander staggered out of bed as was his habit, and Cygnus (as was his habit) rushed up to greet him.

“Sir! I have something to show you!” They went a few yards, and there was ….something.

“What the hell is that?” the Commander asked.

“The new ship, sir! Chimera finished it last night.”

“What do you mean she finished it last night? I never even saw the plans!”

“Well, then, don’t sleep so much,” Chimera said.  “We are so far below my energy capacity I’m starting to get bored. Which means, I’m going to start to build things. Do you really want that?”

“OK, OK, but what is this? It looks like a truck.”

“Well, it sort of is,” Cygnus said. “We have the old #1 TriStar engine providing power for Behemoth. This has the other two engines ready to go. We thought you might want to go on a scavenger hunt!”

“You guys are so full of shit. It’s way too early in the morning for this…”

“But sir, Chimera said--suppose we could bring back half a dozen engines we could make work?”

Curt was instantly fully awake.

“Lieutenant Cygnus, I’d be honored if you would accompany me as first officer on this mission.”

“Absolutely, sir!”

“Then be ready to go by 1000.”

They christened the new craft Phoenix. It was certainly completely transformed from its earlier configuration!

Cygnus was just beaming--his first flight with the new Commander! And he was going back into space! He was bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm.

When Curt came out, the two met to confer.

“OK, here’s the deal. You will be the pilot for take off, and orbital flight. We’ll go scout around the debris field, and if we can find at least two good engines, we’ll bring them in. I will do the landing, and the announcement of success. Clear?”

“Clear sir! This is an honor sir!”

“It’s an honor for me, because you are a galaxy class pilot. I checked.  But let’s be 100% clear about this: this is an experimental spacecraft, and you are a better pilot than I am, and I know it. If this thing acts squirrely, or doesn’t work right, you are in command, and I will follow your lead. Are we clear?”

(Pause)

“Are we clear?”

“Yes sir!”

“Then let’s go saddle up, kid!”

The launch of the Phoenix was largely uneventful. Everyone came out to watch, but the launch was flawless.

For the first time since the battle, the crew was in orbit. Although a different crew, and a different ship, to be sure.

The orbital field was a complete mess. Chimera had rigged a detector, but it was still tough navigation. By the end of the mission, they found four renegade engines that didn’t seem so bad. One decent looking TriStar engine.

The Phoenix was amazingly smooth (he’d have to comment to Behemoth about that), and the landing was flawless.

Once they came to a stop, Curt opened the canopy, and said “Ladies and gentlemen, the crew of the Great Ancient Starship Behemoth is now space borne again!”

The applause was thunderous!

Later in the evening, Curt was sitting at his desk. He had spent hours going over the project plans. The structural damage was the worst. How do you lift a 200,000 ton spacecraft to fix it? He put his head down on the desk to rest for a bit.

Misha came up, and purred next to him, which was always incredibly soothing.

“Curt,” she said. “Do you trust me?”

An odd question.

“Well, as long as we’re not locked in a plastic container together, absolutely!”

Misha bit his nose, and said, more somberly, “Curt, this is important. Do you trust me?”

“Absolutely. With my life, and the lives of my crew.”

Misha visibly relaxed. “We have our customs of course, as you do. Did you know that I am Captain of this ship?”

Curt was appalled! “Ma’am, I never meant any disrespect. People just did what I told them to do. It never really came up. I…just did what had to be done…”

“Relax, Captain. Note the title. I will be announcing your official appointment as Captain of the Grand Imperial Starship Behemoth tomorrow. This has been approved by the Council of Guardians, but that’s still classified. For your information, this is the first time in history a Modern has been appointed Captain of an Ancient ship. As you’ve realized, we can’t get Behemoth fixed quickly enough, so things are going to need to change. Your life will never be the same again.”

“Let me guess,” Curt said. ”I won’t be bored?”

Misha bit him on the ear this time.

 

July 26^th, 2808

 

 “Attention crew. Captain Misha requires your attendance at a crew meeting at 1000 on the bridge.”

Cygnus whispered to Behemoth “Captain Misha? What’s that about?”

Behemoth said “Well, she IS Captain of the ship after all”

Cygnus replied “Well, of course I know that, but this formality is so odd.”

And Behemoth said “Maybe something formal is going to happen.”

With a crew of six (one virtual), meetings are pretty easy to schedule!

At 1000 precisely, Misha said:

“You all know I’m a person of few words, so this will be brief. We have had an interesting week or so. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that without the efforts of Commander Jackson, we would all be dead by now.  Every one of us. He has a supernatural ability to figure out what’s going on, and come up with the right answer. Effective immediately, I am resigning my commission as Captain of the Grand Imperial Starship Behemoth, and appointing Commander Curt Jackson to that position. Behemoth!”

“Ma’am!”

“Please record this transfer in the official ship’s log. When Captain Jackson authorizes external communication, forward the change to central records. Captain Jackson, you are now officially in command of the Grand Imperial Starship Behemoth. The success and life of the crew are now your responsibility. Discharge it well!”

“Ma’am, I accept this challenge as an honor and a privilege.”

Cygnus said quietly to Behemoth,  “Well, I’ll be damned!”

And Behemoth said “We will do well. I’ve only seen two others as good as he is in 12,000 years. And if you quote that, I’ll denounce you as a filthy liar!”