( Read the previous episodes of Journey to Centauri.) |
Journey to Centauri : Episode 12 Deirdre Skye stroked the collar of her uniform and looked out through the transparent wall panels of Hydroponics Module One, tracing their path as they curved down to join the ship's hull. Beyond them she could see the vast sweep of space, the stars swimming around the ship as the Unity hurled forward. From this vantage, at the edge of Mod One, she could also see the surface of the ship stretching away from her, weirdly shaped scraps of metal rising up across a burnt and twisted landscape, the remnants of their collision. Across the damaged surface she could see the dark edge of cryobay seven and its associated living facilities. The edge of the cylinder had caved in, but beyond that it looked intact. Still, they had no contact with bay seven, no signs of life. It was this burnt landscape outside her very windows that had led Deirdre to caution the Captain about Saratov's rush to trigger the pulse test. "Deirdre." She turned to see the Captain walking toward her, pushing through the branches of some dwarf avocado trees. Nearby two of her staff were packing the rough green fruits into lightweight foam coolers. "Captain." She took a sip from the silver mug in her right hand and looked over the climate control tiers of the Greenhouse. "How do the gardens look?" "Quite well, actually. The plants have been on artificially lengthened growing cycles for the duration of our trip, blooming and dropping their fruits into compost bins, then continuing the cycle again." She turned to him. "We forget they can do that without human interference. They have since the dawn of time." "And now that we're interfering again?" "I've shortened the growing cycles and increased fertilizers. Any plants currently blooming are being harvested and stored." She paused. "About a third of the plants perished in transit, actually a little less than I expected. The rest seem to be holding up, better than our crew, it seems." Garland cracked a grim smile. "I'm on my way to the Weapons Bay now to see the damage for myself. Two crew have died, and one is in medical. Saratov..." He stopped, seemed to reconsider his words. "Saratov's men will be back to do the final testing in here. They seem to feel we can put a tension seal on the most vulnerable panels and then this Mod will be all right.We don't have much time...there will be some calculated risks." Deirdre nodded. "Yes, sir," she said, and turned back to focus on the night outside. "And as I mentioned, be careful. Santiago's people seem to be isolated to Bay Two, but we're unsure. Watch the door carefully, and we'll have some weapons delivered here. We're still going to try for a peaceful resolution." Deirdre nodded. The Captain turned and headed for the exit, on his way to the Weapons Bay. Deirdre watched his reflection in the panels, noted idly how the stars seemed to swallow him. She also noted the shredder pistol at his hip, and the uneasy tension in his stride. |
