{"id":2172,"date":"2013-06-10T00:01:58","date_gmt":"2013-06-10T05:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=2172"},"modified":"2013-06-10T01:13:41","modified_gmt":"2013-06-10T06:13:41","slug":"wolfenheim-rising-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=2172","title":{"rendered":"Wolfenheim Rising: III"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 Just about everyone\u2019s heard of the First Battle of Epsilon Reticuli.\u00a0 The greatest Alliance defeat of The War.\u00a0 Over three hundred warships lost in a few hours.\u00a0 First use of gravitic jammers.\u00a0 No survivors.\u00a0 History says a lot of things about that battle.\u00a0 Most of it isn\u2019t true.\u00a0 You see, there were<\/em> survivors, and some of them came to the Wolfenheim Project, looking for work.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I know the truth of what happened there.\u00a0 And why it left such deep scars.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

III<\/h1>\n

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The Peloran construction yard seemed to grow in size as the shuttle approached, main engines firing at near maximum power.\u00a0 The blue glow of fusion-powered engines swept space in the shuttle\u2019s path, decelerating her to match the station\u2019s slow orbit around Alpha Centauri A.\u00a0 Explosions of white-hot light betrayed the existence of dust particles and larger debris in the shuttle\u2019s path, while objects caught in the edge of the four fusion torches burned orange or red.\u00a0 Other colors flared into existence for a second from time to time, only to fade back to black again as whatever strange elements in that particular speck of dust burned away.\u00a0 As Malcolm McDonnell watched, the engine wash created the closest thing to true vacuum he would probably ever see so near a working shipyard.<\/p>\n

Wolfenheim<\/em> floated above the yard, the over six hundred meter length of a modern Class One Colonization Ship gleaming in the pale sunslight of the Alpha Centauri trinary star system.\u00a0 She was everything a new colony needed, from the hibernation systems that could keep ten thousand people asleep during the trip to the literal hundreds of modular sections that would separate to becoming buildings when they reached their destination.\u00a0 The ship had a single mission, one that would be accomplished only by the effective disassembling of the colony ship herself.<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s eyes strayed to the ships whose mission it was to make certain Wolfenheim<\/em> finished that trip alive, no matter what hazards they met along the way.\u00a0 He scowled as his eyes only found eight ships.\u00a0 There should be nine.\u00a0 He sighed and scanned the eight he did have, happy to at least have been able to find them.\u00a0 He counted five frigates, the oldest over a hundred years old.\u00a0 The youngest was a true whippersnapper of a mere eighty-three years, having only been retired twenty years before The War began.\u00a0 The two destroyers hadn\u2019t fired a shot in anger in over fifty years themselves, but at least they\u2019d been able to make the trip to New Earth under their own power.<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s gaze stopped on Normandy<\/em>, the jewel of his squadron.\u00a0 He\u2019d found her in Harmony, playing the part of a floating museum complete with retired fighters in her twin hangar bays.\u00a0 They\u2019d been so ancient nobody had bothered to refit them for the current War, and even Normandy\u2019s<\/em> outer armor had been reclaimed for use by \u201creal\u201d warships years before.\u00a0 That last bit had actually been good news, since it made it easier to access her hyperdrives and refit them for the long trip to New Earth.\u00a0 And the Peloran had done wonders for her, just like they had for every other ship he brought to them.<\/p>\n

The yards restored her to her original appearance, four hundred meters of first generation gravtech beauty that gleamed under the work lights of the platforms still arrayed around her.\u00a0 The rest of the squadron looked just as beautiful to his eyes, long fins and curving armor reminding Malcolm of a time when starships were works of art, not simply one more cog in a giant War machine that no one would miss when their time came to die.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s your ship?\u201d John asked from the other seat in the shuttle\u2019s cockpit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Malcolm answered with a smile, considering once again that the Peloran did good work when it came to restoring art.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Dawn said from behind them, her voice showing her pleasure at John\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n

The shuttle\u2019s engines flared brighter for a moment and Malcolm felt them shed the last of their speed relative to the shipyard.\u00a0 They came to a stop, drifting next to the eight warships and one colonization ship that would soon be the only home that mattered to him.\u00a0 Thrusters came to life and the shuttle moved towards Normandy\u2019s<\/em> bow.\u00a0 He glanced at Dawn and she smiled.\u00a0 Then the bow split open to reveal a hangar bay just large enough to accommodate the Peloran shuttle and the thrusters fired again.\u00a0 They drifted there, holding station off Normandy\u2019<\/em>s bow until four tractor beams locked onto them.\u00a0 The thrusters shut down and Malcolm relaxed as Normandy<\/em> tucked them inside her bay with a precision only cybernetic intelligences could match.\u00a0 The tractor beams dropped them on the deck just as the outer doors shut, and Malcolm felt the clang through the seat of his pants.<\/p>\n

\u201cNicely done,\u201d Malcolm whispered and unbuckled his five-point harness.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to it,\u201d Dawn answered and he heard the hatch screw open behind them.<\/p>\n

He rose out of his seat and walked into the shuttle\u2019s rear compartment, eyes scanning back and forth on instinct.\u00a0 Yesterday, passenger seats filled the shuttle from side to side and fore to aft, with only a narrow aisle splitting them.\u00a0 Now Malcolm\u2019s last shipment that Michael Callahan could acquire on such short notice filled the compartment from one end to the other.\u00a0 Almost everything on board was illegal in the Alpha Centauri A star system, but Malcolm wasn\u2019t concerned about that.\u00a0 As far as he could tell, if something made him giggle when he thought about doing it, somebody had already made it illegal in Alpha Centauri.\u00a0 And using what was in these crates gave him a serious case of the giggles when he thought of the probable response any enemy would have.<\/p>\n

The shuttle\u2019s rear ramp clanged against the deck, making way for a procession of Normandy<\/em> crewmembers to walk on board.\u00a0 They quickly went to work, lifting the heavy crates with an ease that labeled them as members of the cybernetic segment of the crew.<\/p>\n

Dawn looked around, waving a hand to catch the attention of one of the cybers before she could reach a crate.\u00a0 \u201cKara, could you take Pastor Parker to his quarters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d the cyber answered and walked over to the preacher.\u00a0 \u201cWould you follow me?\u201d<\/p>\n

John turned to Malcolm with a calm smile.\u00a0 \u201cMalcolm?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm returned the smile, knowing exactly what John was asking for.\u00a0 This was his ship after all.\u00a0 Well, his and Dawn\u2019s.\u00a0 And maybe a few hundred crewmembers.\u00a0 Malcolm felt a smile take over as he realized just how many people had a claim to the old bucket of bolts.\u00a0 Not that he would ever call her that when Dawn could hear.\u00a0 But John was most certainly the newest visitor to the ship, and it made sense that he would want to ask the one person he knew before taking a step into her.\u00a0 \u201cMake yourself at home, John.\u201d<\/p>\n

The preacher nodded and turned back to Kara with a broad smile.\u00a0 \u201cLead and I shall follow,\u201d he said in a magnanimous tone.<\/p>\n

Kara gave her head an amused shake and turned to lead the man away, exactly as he\u2019d asked.\u00a0 As they approached the ramp, Malcolm heard her ask, \u201cAre you really fluent in half a dozen languages?<\/p>\n

\u201cNot fluent,\u201d John corrected with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can read Latin and Aramaic.\u00a0 And I can muddle through Ethiopian,\u201d he added with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cGreek and Hebrew I suppose you could say I\u2019m fluent in.\u00a0 But those are living languages, so learning them is easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kara turned her head and studied John intently for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you learn so many languages?\u00a0 It must have taken you years.\u00a0 Decades.\u201d\u00a0 She sounded truly curious, and Malcolm wondered how much she already knew.\u00a0 He\u2019d caught Dawn asking him questions she knew the answer to more than once.\u00a0 Although to be fair, that was usually when he should have been thinking along those lines already.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt did,\u201d John answered, and Malcolm heard contentment in the voice that had never been there when he was young.\u00a0 \u201cBut I wanted to study the scriptures myself, to read the words as written so many thousands of years ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s not like they spoke King James English back then,\u201d John said as they walked down the shuttle\u2019s ramp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be lucky if I get her back by the time we hit Sunnydale,\u201d Dawn whispered.<\/p>\n

Malcolm chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI hope she knows what she\u2019s getting into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe does.\u201d\u00a0 Dawn turned to smile at him.\u00a0 \u201cShe asked me to introduce them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she and Kara had planned for the older man.<\/p>\n

Dawn\u2019s look turned serious.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised how many people claim they believe something so they can gain followers, not because they actually believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm frowned and turned to gaze out the open end of the shuttle where they\u2019d disappeared.\u00a0 \u201cJohn\u2019s not one of them,\u201d he declared with a firm shake of the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that your instincts talking?\u201d Dawn asked in a very serious tone.\u00a0 \u201cOr your friendship?\u201d<\/p>\n

That froze him.\u00a0 Malcolm blinked as he considered the question, wondered if he was letting his friendship blind him to some long con.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 That didn\u2019t feel right.\u00a0 Malcolm frowned at the feeling and looked back at Dawn.\u00a0 \u201cJohn believes what he says he believes,\u201d Malcolm said, paying careful attention for the mental warning that usually told him he was being stupid about something.\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it feels right to say that,\u201d he added with a smile made of more relief than he\u2019d expected.\u00a0 \u201cThe John I know was never that kind of con artist, and he doesn\u2019t feel like one now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn nodded slowly as she processed his words, before finally bestowing a smile on him.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 That makes me feel better.\u00a0 But I hope you don\u2019t mind if we grill him a bit.\u00a0 He has quite a checkered past,\u201d she finished with a very pointed look at Malcolm.<\/p>\n

Malcolm snorted and smiled back at her.\u00a0 \u201cAre you implying something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no,\u201d she answered, her face a paragon of innocence, and waved a hand towards the opening in the rear of the shuttle.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to go?\u00a0 The Captain wants us on the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Malcolm exclaimed and stepped towards the exit.\u00a0 \u201cOne should never keep her<\/em> waiting,\u201d he added and flowed around a crewmember lifting another crate into the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might say that,\u201d Dawn whispered with a knowing smile as they exited the shuttle and finally set foot on Normandy\u2019s<\/em> deck.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The lift doors slid open and Malcolm moved onto the bridge to see nearly a dozen men and women hard at work.\u00a0 Cybers in grey and blue coveralls worked on opened panels, their legs sticking out from under numerous stations.\u00a0 The grey-garbed Peloran yard dogs still worked hard to complete the final refits Normandy<\/em> needed so badly.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t actual<\/em> dogs of course.\u00a0 Not many dogs went into engineering.<\/p>\n

Normandy\u2019s<\/em> blue uniform coveralls and the bridge crew\u2019s Pre-War style of white service uniforms, came from American navy surplus stores, and they had proven as rugged and dependable as promised.\u00a0 Thanks to his long shopping trips, he knew every surplus storeowner within twenty lightyears of New Earth on a first name basis, and most within fifty lightyears at least recognized him when he walked in the door.\u00a0 Excluding Earth of course.\u00a0 He had no fundamental problem with using Charles\u2019 family to acquire the colony equipment without them knowing about their contribution.\u00a0 But flaunting it by buying stuff in their backyards was a bit too flagrant an abuse for his tender peace of mind.\u00a0 And one Malcolm McDonnell needed far too much beauty sleep to be keeping himself awake at night with worries of Hurst family assassins dancing through his halls.<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned his mind away from that unappealing nightmare and nodded at each crewmember as they acknowledged his presence in their domain with a smile, a shrug, or a few less flattering gestures.\u00a0 \u201cWatch it,\u201d he whispered through the side of his mouth at Walter Thompson.\u00a0 \u201cYou might get stuck like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tactical officer snorted under his breath, but returned to work the moment Captain Wyatt cleared her throat.<\/p>\n

Peloran ships boasted very small crews, leaving the operations of their warships to the cybernetic brain.\u00a0 The ship captain gave orders and the ship executed them.\u00a0 It was a surprisingly simple command chain, and Malcolm had been sorely tempted to follow that example.\u00a0 But he\u2019d never served in the military, and Dawn was an administrative cyber, with no warship cyber within several generations of her family line.\u00a0 He trusted her to run the ship, but even she admitted that she didn\u2019t have the family experience to fight her like a real warship cyber could.<\/p>\n

So even with the Peloran upgrades that would have made it possible for him to take direct command of Normandy<\/em>, he\u2019d elected to maintain something closer to standard American crew policies.\u00a0 On the one hand, by recruiting experienced naval personnel he also recruited their experience and knowledge.\u00a0 And on the other hand, most of the ten thousand colonists asleep inside Wolfenheim truly were civilians, with very little if any military experience.\u00a0 Recruiting the better part of two thousand retired naval and marine personnel to crew the warships would almost certainly prove invaluable in the very likely event that things got exciting once they reached the other side of The Gateway.<\/p>\n

Malcolm studied the twenty-something looking naval veteran he\u2019d trusted with command of Normandy<\/em>.\u00a0 The brunette was far older and experienced than her looks suggested of course.\u00a0 Her naval dossier held a long series of \u201cperforms above and beyond the call of duty\u201d characterizations from her commanders.\u00a0 That they ended with \u201cshowed profound misjudgment of the tactical situation\u201d meant very little to him.\u00a0 Charles vouched for her, and the reports Malcolm wasn\u2019t supposed to see showed him a classic example of shooting the messenger.\u00a0 The woman who extricated her ship from the Battle of Epsilon Reticuli, mostly alive and against formidable odds, turned away from the recalcitrant tactical officer and aimed a steady gaze to him.\u00a0 \u201cMalcolm,\u201d she intoned, following one of the few actual orders he was prepared to give her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia,\u201d he answered after a quick breath.\u00a0 He was too much a civilian to confuse the issue of command with fake titles he hadn\u2019t earned.\u00a0 And if he was just another civilian, given names were an appropriate form of address.\u00a0 \u201cYou wanted me?\u201d he asked, raising an eyebrow with the highly in<\/em>appropriate words that would have gotten him reprimanded if he were in the military.\u00a0 Lack of rank, in this case, surely had its privileges.<\/p>\n

Olivia rolled her eyes, but amusement colored the haunted look normally in them.\u00a0 \u201cHardly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDarn.\u201d\u00a0 He made a show of a regretful sigh that brought a slight smile to her lips.\u00a0 Very slight.\u00a0 Anyone with less sensitive eyes probably would have missed it altogether.\u00a0 \u201cSo why ask me up here then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia grimaced and waved a hand towards the holodisplay next to her.<\/p>\n

Malcolm followed her eyes and scanned the ships anchored in the Peloran yard.\u00a0 Most were modern or near-modern warships undergoing repairs or refits.\u00a0 British, American, German, and even French ships dotted the girders running through the yard.\u00a0 They were the last of a long line of warships that had been flowing through the yard for months, and Malcolm wondered if they would make it to Sunnydale in time to rendezvous with the fleet.\u00a0 But one ship declared her century of age with every first generation gravtech curve and fin.\u00a0 Hastings<\/em> was the last, the oldest, and the most troublesome of his ships.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to tell you in person,\u201d Olivia said, her voice betraying worry.\u00a0 \u201cWell.\u00a0 Wanted<\/em> isn\u2019t really the right word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm sighed.\u00a0 He hated to throw the word around, but he was starting to wonder if the ship had actually been cursed when she was still in her original building slip.\u00a0 She\u2019d certainly suffered from enough \u201cunfortunate events\u201d during her time in service, and even her brief time under his ownership had been \u201ceventful\u201d as one of his people had said.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened this<\/em> time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia opened her mouth to answer, but an alarmed shout cut her off, and they turned towards the sensor display in the middle of the bridge.\u00a0 \u201cMultiple hyperspace footprints on the Earth-New Earth Run!\u201d Anton Lee reported and Malcolm suppressed a groan as he saw the flashes on the display.\u00a0 \u201cDesignating Bogey One.\u00a0 Thirty-one lightseconds out, point zero one cee, and accelerating to cross The Red Line now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The display zoomed in to show a tight formation of eight ships radiating hyperspace radiation in all directions.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see what they were at first, but the displays confirmed it was a military<\/em> formation.\u00a0 The three dimensional pattern allowed them to support each other on the off chance that someone might be waiting for them.<\/p>\n

Then the displays cleared and revealed eight new Austin<\/em>-class destroyers.\u00a0 Even he knew those ships.\u00a0 The Austins<\/em> had a truly unique forward wedge, designed to look like a double-headed hammer.\u00a0 Each of those eight hammerheads carried twice the firepower of any single ship in his squadron, and even if limited to broadside weapons his ships would be hard pressed to defeat them.\u00a0 He licked his lips and knew deep down in his bones that those ships were not just stopping by on their way to Sunnydale.\u00a0 The fleet needed to leave now<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia?\u201d he asked, his voice revealing more nerves than he really meant it to.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it,\u201d she answered and pointed out a pair of chairs at an empty station at the rear of the bridge.\u00a0 He and Dawn took her suggestion with haste and she turned to the man operating the sensor display.\u00a0 \u201cPlot us a course for Sunnydale, Lieutenant Lee,\u201d she ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the man answered and his fingers flew across the controls.\u00a0 On the display, hundreds of possible courses appeared and then faded out as he erased swaths of them that took the squadron too close to the incoming ships.\u00a0 The possible courses narrowed down to a single option, pointing at an angle away from the incoming Austins<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cI have a course laid in for The Red Line in\u2026twenty minutes,\u201d he reported, turning to face her.\u00a0 \u201cWe can be on the New Earth-Sunnydale Run in\u2026forty-three minutes from your order, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Lieutenant,\u201d Olivia said, sat down in her command chair, and studied the display.\u00a0 \u201cI concur,\u201d she finally said with a firm nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Lee answered and ran his fingers across his console.\u00a0 \u201cTransmitting to helm and comm. now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Lopez?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the course, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the helmsman answered after a quick check.<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Jones?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransmitting course now, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the comm. officer reported and leaned to the side to listen to her earpiece.\u00a0 Then she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll ships confirm receipt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Olivia said with a smile and turned her chair towards Malcolm with a look that asked if she really needed to report that they were ready to leave to him.<\/p>\n

He chuckled and shook his head.\u00a0 He\u2019d never been one to require pointless reports like that.\u00a0 Pointless to him at least.\u00a0 He understood why military forces were more careful though.\u00a0 It would never do to shoot up a planetary capital by accident because you mixed up your numbers after all.\u00a0 That would seriously hurt an efficiency report.\u00a0 And that said nothing about how the citizens of the planet would react.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re receiving a transmission from Bogey One, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Jones reported.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s broadcast in the clear.\u00a0 Full holo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia looked at Malcolm, a questioning look on her face.\u00a0 He nodded back and she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if they don\u2019t care who hears, put it on display please,\u201d she ordered, waving at the main forward display.<\/p>\n

The static system display that showed every ship near the Peloran yard faded away as he watched.\u00a0 In its place, the transmission Bogey One sent over half a minute ago came into focus.\u00a0 The transmission lag didn\u2019t allow for live conversations of course, but the woman who appeared on the display looked almost stubborn enough to try.\u00a0 Malcolm studied her black hair and narrow face, wondering if he knew her.\u00a0 She looked familiar, and he could have sworn he\u2019d seen that face wearing a smile in the past, but he couldn\u2019t place her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Commodore Murphy,\u201d she began in a clear soprano, \u201ccommander Third Destroyer Squadron, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Star Fleet.\u00a0 On order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, we have been sent to impound all assets of the Wolfenheim Project and secure them for return to Earth.\u00a0 All starships belonging to the Wolfenheim Project will stand down immediately and prepare to be boarded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm frowned, a feeling of almost recognition filling him, as the display returned to the standard rendering of nearby space.\u00a0 He\u2019d never heard a voice like that sound so harsh, but an echo of warmth tickled the back of his memories.\u00a0 He glanced at Dawn, a question in his eyes.\u00a0 She crossed her arms and smiled back with determination.\u00a0 Then he turned to see the eyes of the bridge crew on him.\u00a0 Now wasn\u2019t the time to wonder why that woman over there felt familiar.\u00a0 Now was the time for action.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re leaving,\u201d he announced in a determined tone without rising from his chair.\u00a0 Beside him, Dawn nodded in agreement.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I think she\u2019s gonna follow.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve got reservations about running from something like that, I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bridge crew returned his look, recognizing the offer behind his words, and then turned to their captain.\u00a0 She smiled and he saw the haunted look in her eyes again.\u00a0 But he saw determination too, and she nodded at him.\u00a0 \u201cLieutenant Jones,\u201d she began, her voice clear and strong.\u00a0 \u201cPlease inform Wolfenheim<\/em> she can initiate acceleration now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Jones answered without hesitation and began whispering into her microphone.<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Lopez,\u201d Olivia continued, her voice that of a woman born to command a starship.\u00a0 \u201cMaintain formation with Wolfenheim<\/em> if you please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the helmsman answered and ran his hands across the controls.\u00a0 He finally finished and leaned back in his chair, a pleased look on his face.\u00a0 A few seconds later, the massive colony ship\u2019s engines glowed to life and she began to pull away from the Peloran yard complex.\u00a0 Normandy\u2019s<\/em> main engines rumbled in time with the larger ship, and Malcolm watched every ship of his squadron accelerate away from the complex in perfect synchronization.\u00a0 Not one of them was holding back.\u00a0 Except Hastings<\/em> of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cMalcolm,\u201d Dawn whispered and he turned to look at her again.\u00a0 She glanced down and he followed her gaze to a small holodisplay floating in the air before him.\u00a0 It showed their small fleet accelerating away from the station and the incoming squadron.\u00a0 Projected courses of each fleet showed their routes through the sphere of space controlled by the Peloran yard\u2019s gravitic interference.\u00a0 The Red Line marked the gravitic jamming field that forced all ships to keep their distance from the yard when diving or rising in and out of hyperspace.\u00a0 The display twitched, showing an escape pod accelerating away from Hastings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Mary,\u201d Dawn reported with approval.\u00a0 \u201cShe flashed the primary computers before evacuating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 If they couldn\u2019t have Hastings<\/em>, leaving the ship brain dead was one way to make certain it couldn\u2019t be used to chase them down.\u00a0 The display showed the escape pod accelerating away from the ship until a passing shuttle snagged her with a tractor beam.\u00a0 Malcolm frowned and glanced at Dawn.\u00a0 \u201cIs that good or bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

She chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cVery good.\u201d\u00a0 A gaggle of shuttles joined the first on the display, each accelerating away from the yard at what had to be maximum acceleration.\u00a0 \u201cIt seems somebody was thinking ahead,\u201d Dawn whispered with a look towards Olivia.\u00a0 \u201cShe already had the crew assemble in the station hangar bays.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm hated leaving people behind.\u00a0 \u201cThose shuttles can catch us, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can catch Wolfenheim<\/em> if they need to,\u201d she answered, not quite correcting him.\u00a0 \u201cThey could never meet the rest of us if she wasn\u2019t slowing us down though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it,\u201d Malcolm whispered, back to scanning the display for any clue he could find.<\/p>\n

\u201cAspect change on Bogey One,\u201d Lieutenant Lee announced as Malcolm saw the display begin to shift.\u00a0 \u201cAcceleration and course change.\u00a0 They\u2019re turning our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan they intercept us short of The Red Line?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill calculating, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Lee answered as the displayed course continued to change towards them.\u00a0 The man turned to her with a frown.\u00a0 \u201cBut one thing I can say is that these ships have absolutely modern drives, and the emissions we\u2019re getting are right off the last refit package.\u00a0 I think they sent their Alpha Team to get us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Olivia responded with an approving smile.\u00a0 The bridge crew seemed to waver at her demeanor, and she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cJust think what it will do for morale when we pick up our skirts and dance away from the very best,\u201d she added with a look towards Malcolm.<\/p>\n

He met her gaze and for the first time he truly saw the woman Charles had recommended to him.\u00a0 The captain who extricated a cruiser from the slaughter of Epsilon Reticuli stood in the center of the bridge, bereft of the doubts she\u2019d tried to hide in all the time he\u2019d known her.\u00a0 Even the strongest individuals would have to wonder if there was some grain of truth to the kind of charges she\u2019d lived through after that battle.\u00a0 But the Captain Olivia Wyatt that turned back to her crew showed none of those doubts, and he could almost see the tendrils of her command presence reach out and take control of the bridge like never before.<\/p>\n

\u201cBogey One has sent another transmission,\u201d Jones reported from her station, then leaned into her ear.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a repeat.\u201d\u00a0 After another pause, she looked up.\u00a0 \u201cBut there\u2019s a companion signal addressed to Alan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Wyatt turned to her, eyes bright with interest, and Malcolm expected her to order it displayed again.\u00a0 \u201cSummarize it,\u201d she said instead.<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019 lips pressed together in worry, but then she twitched again and brought a hand to her ear.\u00a0 She looked up with a smile after that, her eyes bright.\u00a0 \u201cThey demand that Alan stop us from leaving, using all necessary force.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone on the bridge tensed for a split second.\u00a0 Alan had more than enough firepower at his command to do exactly that, but Jones kept on talking.\u00a0 \u201cBut Alan just said he can\u2019t.\u00a0 Seems his targeting grid is down due to scheduled maintenance,\u201d she reported in a melancholy tone.\u00a0 Scattered laughter broke the tension and Malcolm smiled at Dawn.\u00a0 He\u2019d been right about the man.\u00a0 Dawn returned his smile, a very slight shoulder twitch suggesting she\u2019d never doubted the other cyber, as Jones continued her report.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s most apologetic of course, and promises<\/em> to hurry the reboot along.\u00a0 But he\u2019s very much afraid it\u2019ll take at least<\/em> five minutes.\u00a0 Maybe longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Wyatt cleared her throat in something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cKeep that recording,\u201d she ordered in a light tone.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to want to watch it later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Jones returned and one hand flashed across her console.\u00a0 \u201cSent to your personal<\/em> storage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Lieutenant,\u201d Wyatt said, gave Malcolm a sidelong glance with amused eyes, and turned back to the forward display.\u00a0 \u201cNow let\u2019s see how she likes them<\/em> apples.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would take at least a minute for Alan\u2019s transmission to speed across space to Murphy\u2019s squadron, and for her response to come back.\u00a0 And that entire minute they would spend accelerating away from Alan\u2019s shipyard, getting one minute closer to escape.\u00a0 There were times when Malcolm appreciated that science fiction\u2019s faster than light communications were still science fiction.\u00a0 It allowed for some purely amusing ways of giving someone the digitus maximus.\u00a0 It was almost enough to make him giggle.\u00a0 Almost.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive Alan my thanks,\u201d Malcolm whispered for Dawn\u2019s ears only.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe accepts them,\u201d she answered after a short pause.\u00a0 \u201cHe just has one request.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned to meet her gaze and said \u201cAnything,\u201d without hesitation.\u00a0 At her look of surprise, he raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAlan\u2019s not the kind of man to ask for something I\u2019d object to,\u201d he noted with a shrug.<\/p>\n

Her eyes softened at the explanation, and she nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cHe wants you to say hello to his family when we reach the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDone,\u201d Malcolm said in the tone of a man giving a solemn oath, and turned back to watch the fun.<\/p>\n

It took twenty minutes to reach the edge of the gravitic distortion field the Peloran yard generated, and they spent the entire time listening to Jones relaying increasingly annoyed transmissions between Alan and Murphy.\u00a0 Wyatt stopped asking for copies after the third set of transmissions, but only because Jones preempted her with what had to have been an actual giggle.\u00a0 The tension that had filled the bridge evaporated as reports of recovering the shuttles carrying Hastings\u2019<\/em> crew arrived, and even the grey-coveralled yard dogs joined in the banter that took over.\u00a0 Not a single one of them stood up to leave, telling everyone where they stood without a single word.\u00a0 Or in this case, where they crawled under consoles still in need of work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll ships confirm crossing The Red Line, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Jones finally reported and all eyes turned to Captain Wyatt.<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Lee?\u201d Captain Wyatt asked, her voice somehow mixing strength with amusement, hovering over an inner core of iron.<\/p>\n

\u201cSensors confirm, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the officer manning the sensors returned.\u00a0 \u201cAll ships are safe to dive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Captain glanced at her first officer.<\/p>\n

Commander Hill met her gaze and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll stations report ready to dive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, then,\u201d The Captain said and turned to her helm officer.\u00a0 \u201cLieutenant Lopez.\u00a0 Commence diving operations immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDiving now, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Lopez answered, hands running over his controls.\u00a0 Then the ship twisted around them, and Malcolm\u2019s stomach took a hard turn to the left while the rest of his body went right.\u00a0 At least that is what it felt like.\u00a0 He\u2019d never cared for going in and out of hyperspace, especially at the kinds of speeds that twenty minutes of hard acceleration could generate.\u00a0 He held onto his breakfast through force of will.\u00a0 It had been a very good breakfast after all, and he didn\u2019t want to remember it splashed all over the deck.<\/p>\n

And then his eyes registered the sight all around them.\u00a0 Rivers of light made of every color of the rainbow flowed around Normandy<\/em> and the other ships of the fleet.\u00a0 Gravity itself shivered and bent as their powerful gravitic fields smashed the rivers before their prows, and wakes of disturbed gravity radiated away from the fresh intruders into its domain.<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Lopez.\u00a0 Set course for the New Earth-Sunnydale Run and take us to maximum depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Earth-Sunnydale Run, aye Ma\u2019am,\u201d Lopez responded and Normandy<\/em> began accelerating again.\u00a0 \u201cMaximum depth, aye Ma\u2019am,\u201d the helm officer added and the brightly colored gravitic waves became muted as they dove away from the wall between hyperspace and normalspace.<\/p>\n

Malcolm sighed and watched the fleet pick up their skirts and dance away from their pursuers.\u00a0 The Captain turned her chair and their eyes met.\u00a0 He saw Olivia in them again, softer now than the persona she\u2019d used to hold the bridge crew to her command.\u00a0 And he saw something new over the haunted look that still resided back there.\u00a0 Now he saw pleasure in a job well done, and confidence that she hadn\u2019t lost her touch.\u00a0 There were still doubts there, worries that perhaps some of the charges against her were right.\u00a0 But in the first test of her metal since the court martial that ended her career as a Captain in the United States Navy, she\u2019d risen to the challenge.<\/p>\n

Malcolm smiled.\u00a0 They\u2019d all made it out of Alpha Centauri.\u00a0 And whatever the future held, he had a feeling they would all remember that until the day they died.\u00a0 Whenever the day came for them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 Just about everyone\u2019s heard of the First Battle of Epsilon Reticuli.\u00a0 The greatest Alliance defeat of The War.\u00a0 Over three hundred warships lost in a few hours.\u00a0 First use of gravitic jammers.\u00a0 No survivors.\u00a0 History[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2309-wolfenheim-rising-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-malcolm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2172"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2176,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2172\/revisions\/2176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}