( Read the previous episodes of Journey to Centauri.) |
Journey to Centauri : Episode 30 "Where is the Captain?" asked Deirdre, growing restless. "I have sent him a wakeup," said Lal quietly. "He is timing his emergency stim use carefully. Soon there won't be very much time to sleep." "I have just looked at Planet again," said Deirdre, and Lal could see, in her eyes, reflections of Planet’s beauty mirroring out to infinity. "We are so close." "Yes," said Zakharov sharply, and the others turned to look at him. "Very close. It is time for final preparations. We have a window to land, but it is a small one. Still, I believe we can make it." Morgan nodded; Miriam closed her eyes for a brief and silent prayer. "Are we all clear on our duties?" asked Yang, sweeping the assembled staff with a dark gaze. "Is there anything left undone?" "Our duties are to follow the Captain’s orders," Lal said quietly. Zakharov ignored the comment and spoke again. "We have decelerated almost enough, but we will need to increase the fusion drive output in the last hour of our journey or we will not be able to land on Planet. We may need to split off in the landing pods at a moment's notice, and hope we are close enough to Planet to make it." 'What is the danger then?" asked Lal. "Will there be loss of life?" "Almost certainly," Zakharov answered. "Possibly all of us, in the worst case." "There could not be a worse case than that," murmured Deirdre. "But we have no choice. Unless we want to remain on the ship, sailing through the cosmos. That would guarantee our lives, but I assume we all want to make it to Planet, regardless of the risk. Correct?" He looked around. Several heads nodded. "Then these risks must be taken. They are our only chance to reach Planet. My proposal: each of us in a separate bay, with a full complement of supplies, weapons and staff. We will increase our chances that any one will survive." The room locked into a shocked silence as emotions swirled in currents through the assembled staff. Their own pod, each of them... "Ah," said Yang, finally. "A prudent plan," said Morgan. "A moment," said Lal to Morgan. "You seek only the raw materials for a new empire. And you are not even an officer!" He turned to Zakharov. "Who are you to advance such a proposal without the Captain present?" "I am bringing it up because the issue is foremost in our minds. We must assure the survival of the human race." "The people admire me," said Morgan quietly. "I am a leader. I also own part of the ship." "Enough!" said Lal. "We are talking of redistributing supplies. The ship has been designed with enough redundancy that if two or three pods don't make it the mission will still not be jeopardized." "True," said Zakharov calmly. "I say take it farther. We must accept that perhaps only one pod will make it. Each must be ready to restart the human race from scratch." "As Director Morgan said, a prudent plan," said Yang. "It seems extreme," said Miriam. "What exactly are we proposing here?" "Each pod, a self-contained world," said Zakharov. Lal shot to his feet, his normally soft voice trembling with anger. "This is mutiny." "No!" shouted Zakharov, and they all turned to look at him. He lowered his voice. "There is no mutiny here. We are waiting for the Captain. We are discussing our future, our lives! If we all present a reasonable proposal, he must acknowledge it." "Agreed," said Morgan hastily. "The pods already are self-contained, in theory. Although they don’t all have weapons." "Or the best lab equipment," said Deirdre. "Of course, the 'best' is relative," said Zakharov. "Only one can have the best lab equipment and that must be mine." "Why?" asked Morgan. "Because you are the science officer? With your expertise you should be able to do more with less." "Surely you are proposing that we all reach Planet and reassemble there if humanly possible," said Lal. "Correct?" "Of course!" laughed Morgan. "One pod, one leader," cut in Zakharov. "It is the only guarantee against the chaos approaching." "What chaos?" persisted Lal. "We have a chain of command." "We must prepare for that chain to be decimated," said Yang. "Any or all of us may die before reaching Planet." "That is why we have a Charter," said Lal. "Did Santiago follow your Charter?" asked Zakharov, staring at Lal. He turned to the rest of the core staff. "The Captain will arrive shortly. Will we present a unified front?" Yang lifted a hand. "Why not vote? We have a say in this mission as much as anyone." "I must register my objections to this secret meeting," said Lal. "Look around," said Yang quietly. "This is not the court of a king. We are alone. The Charter is what we make of it." "I motion that each of us become acting captain of a cryocell until Planetfall, and resources be carefully divided between them," said Zakharov. "Second," said Yang. "Second," said Morgan. "You are not an officer," said Deirdre. "I am an owner," said Morgan simply. "I am part of you now." "Against," said Lal. "Against," said Miriam. All heads turned to Deirdre, who seemed to stare off into space, seeking counsel from something beyond their vision. When she spoke her voice was clear and measured, her eyes wide, as if enchanted. "In favor," she said. "Then we will inform the Captain," said Zakharov quickly. Lal, stunned, looked around the command center, watching different scenarios play behind eyes alive with possibility. A few moments passed, and then the door to the command center opened.
Next episode will be posted...soon! |
