“Did she say anything about what happened?”
Ayan didn't think about it until then, but her mother didn't say a word about the Paladin or why she was forced to abandon ship. “No, I guess that's above our pay grade.”
Minh's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and he gasped exaggeratedly. “We're getting paid?”
Departure
The command deck observation area was dim and quiet. Several high ranking officers sat quietly working through reports, reviewing intelligence materials or just watching the ships come and go. Admiral Jessica Rice knew the show she had come to see would be starting soon and she walked to the large observation windows towards the area of space used for projecting wormholes. The view from her office, just on the other side of the large command deck was all wrong, and she didn't feel like watching on a monitor.
For the first time she could remember she felt old. When her daughter had set off on her first military assignment she wasn't there to see her off, nor was she able to watch her leave on the First Light or any assignment in between. She had watched Ayan take her first steps, say her first word; 'ommy'. Her heart felt full in that moment, there was nothing more precious, no one more dear than her daughter.
Her daughter. Was it the woman who had most likely died in a part of the galaxy she'd never seen? Was it the woman who was about to leave again? Was it both? Could it be both? Every time she started thinking about Ayan she started down a long spiral of distress and confusion. So many beginnings and endings all at the same time and she felt as though she just didn't know what to think anymore. Nothing felt as simple as it should have been.
The sounds of orders being shouted and urgent action being taken on the deck behind the forward observation area shattered the quiet for a moment as the transparent doors behind her opened. They closed and brought near silence down on everyone present.
A hand was placed with care on her back, and she realized she must have looked absolutely lost then. “She's on her way?” Jessica Rice asked quietly.
“She is. Intelligence has arranged the main wormhole generator to operate under Ayan's old pass codes. Everyone will think she hacked in on her own and forced the systems to create a wormhole using all of Freeground's power reserves.”
“Full deniability,” she whispered with a nod. “I hope this is the right thing for her.”
“So do I. I'll be stripped of privileges by the end of the day. Once the investigation is complete they'll reinstate me.” Doctor Anderson whispered back quietly.
“The investigation could take weeks.”
“I don't think Intelligence could do anything about it without tipping their hand.”
“I'm sorry it came to that. If I had known, if you had told me-” she said quietly, she didn't want to scold him so it came as a whisper. It was just another instance in which she felt helpless. Far too many of those had been happening recently.
“You would have done the same thing Jessica. When you're afraid of something you push it away, find another place to be. When you started to panic right before Ayan was reborn I knew you had to get some distance, I'm sorry.”
“I don't regret being reassigned to the Paladin. I was in the right place at the right time, saved thousands of lives. We'll need them all.”
“Is it that bad?”
“The Sunspire is self modifying. Using everything in its database to improve itself autonomously. The last time I saw it on sensors it was headed straight for a blue dwarf.”
“Gathering power.”
Admiral Rice nodded slowly. “The automation systems and other improvements made while she was the First Light were still in place. We guess the crew didn't take them offline yet and an AI was able to take full control. The computing and communications package started broadcasting to other ships and when it detected that we unplugged the AI's on the Paladin in time to save the ship it began to hunt for us.”
“I read the report. I'm surprised so many made it out alive.”
“We were lucky. I'll be under review for abandoning ship so early but if you could see what the Sunspire did to us in just a couple of minutes,” Jessica shook her head slowly. “By the time most of us were in hyperspace escape shuttles you couldn't recognize what was left.”
“Are you sure it's coming here?”
“Yes, it'll hunt ships down at our outer perimeter. What it can't infect it'll destroy. We put too many powerful technologies in one place. It's too well armoured, fast, smart and too advanced for any one ship in our fleet to destroy.”
“If Fleet had the same decision to make all over again, they'd do it the same way.”
“And under most circumstances they'd be right. I'm just glad all artificial intelligences on Freeground and the colony will be erased by the end of the day.”
The Warpig came into view then, from underfoot it sped towards a wormhole none of the onlookers could see. A rough, hardy looking ship with large, blocky engines and a patchwork hull, no one suspected where it could be going, what its purpose was. All Fleet Command knew was that someone aboard was opening a wormhole that would send the old ship towards the outer galaxy faster than most high priority missions were permitted to go.
The amount of power sent to the spear like wormhole emitters jutting out from the side of the station segment caused the tips to turn white hot, waves of spacial distortion made the stars in the distance waver like candle flames. “Do you think she'll be back?” asked Jessica.
“She's your daughter, what do you think?”
She just watched the ship disappear into the wormhole and smiled. “She is our daughter, isn't she?”
“Uniquely and certainly.” Doctor Anderson replied with a smile matching that of his ex-wife's.
“Did you tell her you were her father?”
“No, I'm respecting your wishes, just like last time.”
“Thank you,” Jessica looked at Doctor Anderson then, her expression soft and pleasant for the first time in years. Over sixty five years to him. “This time I'd like you to tell her, whenever you can, however you like. She should know.”
“I will, but I don't think she'll be surprised.”
Jessica Rice turned and started towards the doors that would lead her to the Command Deck.
“Where to now, Admiral?”
“My office for a little damage control. I'm going to reactivate your Fleet rank. I may as well put you on the bridge of a ship while your research and intelligence privileges are suspended. We'll need you in a command chair before the month is out and you're not getting off that easy.”
“So much for my vacation.”
A Night Out
The Pilot's Den was quiet that night. As Finn walked in and spotted Frost at the bar he second guessed his choice to meet Price there. He made his way around a group of simulation hologram spectators and was relieved that the gruff Chief didn't notice him. He was just getting off from an extended shift in engineering while Price was on his night off and after meeting several friends in Oota Galoona, he was going to make the trip down a few decks and to the fore to see the Pilot's Den for himself.
It was a sight. The whole front of the observation deck had been opened up to reveal the transparent hull and view beyond. To each side was a long bar but only one had been opened. The rationing of intoxicants limited the demand and with the help of a few materializers off to the side one bar was more than enough.
At the rear of the observation deck, or pub as a lot of the gunnery and lower deck crews had come to call it,
