In the back of John’s mind wasalso the notion that the Skarens had snuck up on them. He wasn’t willing togamble with the lives of his crew against a race with an unknown technology.
At the appointed hour, Johncalled back.
“Transport the supplies downhere,” Roppa told him.
“I thought –”
“That I’d tell you where my shipis? Ahh, Madison, you do amuse me.” The light tone turned serious. “You andthe supplies down here, now.”
John transported down with thesupplies. Ignoring the labels, Roppa opened a few random cartons and checkedtheir contents. Satisfied, he agreed to the trade and contacted his own ship. The supplies disappeared. The crew and equipment transported back to Bismarck. John stayed a few minutes longer.
“Do not judge our race by thoseyou may have come across,” John said.
“In my business, you rely oninstinct. But you confuse me.”
“I have no quarrel with you. Weonly came here for mechanical parts.”
“Then go now.” Roppa lookedanxiously around. “The patrols will already be tracking your transportersignal.”
John offered his hand; Roppa tookit. A long scar showed down his forearm where the hair had not grown back.
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Chapter nine
They were only days from the jumpgate and days from there to their first destination. Zimon was a bustlingsystem that made use of traffic coming through the gate. Its outward culturewas commercial. Its subculture ran to the more extreme tastes. John felt thesystem had lost itself in its own commercialism. However, it did make a goodstarting point for Command to shore up support.
Protocols were something CaptainBarrett had dealt with. He had insisted John knew at least the basics – anysecond in command who didn’t know what his captain was walking into wasn’tworth his salt.
John was happy to leave protocolsfor now and focus on the ship.
The helm was the first thing thatneeded perfecting. If they hit the jump gate with a patched up helm, theycould be shaken to pieces or thrown anywhere in the galaxy.
The Skarens knew their work. Their choice of parts was more than adequate. A few adjustments with componentsizing and the helm was handling like a new ship. Giacomo revelled in theconditions.
John decided that all bridge crewshould know how to fly manually. It was a decision he came to regret. Some ofthe piloting was as graceful as a learner behind the wheel of a car for thefirst time, and he found himself gripping the arms of his chair tightly asthough he was hanging on for dear life. A couple of them were even banishedfrom the helm. At least he knew who not to put in charge!
* * *
The jump gate system was decadesoff being complete. A dozen or so gates created artificial worm holes to someof the outer reaches of the galaxy, using alien technology that Earth was stillcatching up on.
It relied on a massive hypergiantstar’s ability to bend gravity and time. The theorists argued that black holesshould have been used – their potential reach greater. But the theoristshadn’t created the system, and sometimes it wasn’t wise to mess with forcesbeyond your capabilities.
While the technology wasn’tshared, use of the gates was. An annual fee kept finances flowing for futuregates and maintaining the entire system.
John couldn’t help wondering whatit was going to cost Earth for the gate Ark Royal had destroyed. A hint of awry smile hit him as he realised it was the first time he’d consciously thoughtof Ark Royal. He dismissed it immediately and shifted in his chair.
The gate that serviced Earth andevery other world in its range was in a stable orbit around a blue hypergiant;close enough to the star to use the its gravity, yet not get sucked in by it. The hypergiant had an official designation in a star catalogue, but was simplyknown by most humans as Cronos.
On first scans, Cronos shone midblue. As they neared it, its colour deepened. A silvery corona drifted andfaded into the surrounding space; its beauty and grace defying its danger.
Bismarck had been through thegate several times and the process had become second nature.
The star rippled; its gravity andsolar wind shimmering like a heatwave across the main screen. The little shiprocked and ebbed on the tide.
As Bismarck drew near, she feltthe pull of the hypergiant. Giacomo pulsed retros, countering the pull whilekeeping their bow to the gate.
John logged into the gate and setthe co-ordinates. The receiver lit up and the gate activated. Lights cascadedalong its vertical beams and the space between them rippled to match thehypergiant. The lights shone a steady blue and the gate was open.
The process took less than asecond.
Giacomo steered the ship throughthe gate. The rippling cleared instantly and she was out the other side intoclear space.
Navigation recalibrated to theircurrent co-ordinates and set the star maps. McReidy locked in their firstdestination and Giacomo set course.
Leaving McReidy in charge, Johnretreated to his office and set about studying protocols. Zimon and a coupleof others were going to be all right, but then they were going to hit Stelicor– a world he hadn’t been to.
He hit the intercom to thebridge. “Anyone been to Stelicor?”
All replies were negative and hisfrustrated sigh filled the bridge.
“Someone get me some coffee.” Heswitched the intercom off and leaned back in his chair, rubbing the heel of hishand across his forehead.
He lowered his hand and stared atthe small screen on the console. Stelicor – just the first of worlds he hadn’tbeen to. And that no one else on the ship had been to.
Command had sent him a heap ofinformation on all the worlds on his list. That only took a backseat to anyonewho’d actually been there. There was nothing like being able to talk tosomeone.
His fingers drummed the desk andhe chewed on his bottom lip while he thought.
The door beeped and he let inGillespie with a fresh pot of hot coffee.
“Thank you,” John’s facesoftened.
Gillespie nodded acknowledgementand left him to it.
The first sip went down well,warming him and clearing his head. He put a call through to Kuiper, wonderingif Mark was home.
A minute later the familiar faceand warm tone greeted him. “John, how are you?”
“Good, thanks,”
