Rianya brought a cup of sugar-loaded black coffee to him and climbed back into bed. He didn’t indulge in it right away as usual. His thoughts started to go in circles, tighter and tighter until they all crashed on each other like nuclear fusion. Why hadn’t she become pregnant again? As much as he feared another child he also wanted another child in their family. So many decades of social pressure on Earth to limit population growth had taken a toll on children of the 22nd century. His sister had one child, he’d had none until Zalara. The negative population growth culture begat an entire generation of only children.
Maybe his connection to Honey had something to do with the population crash of an entire world thanks to the Malaria Vaccine disaster. Maybe he was recruited as a donor. Since he’d never received the vaccine, he wouldn’t pass on the defective gamete to children. That had to be it. His life wasn’t over by a long shot, and in a year, they’d be back on Earth. Like Adams said, children are created in dozens of different ways in this day and age.
“Where did you go?” Rianya asked quietly, leaning in, making playful love to his chest with her hand. He snapped back immediately, relieved that he’d solved the puzzle of Commander Wiseman. Honey must be mixed in there somewhere because she was not a vaccine victim either. When did Rianya get back in bed?
“I’m here,” he said. Her long hair brushed his ribs.
“You are now; you weren’t a minute ago.”
“Just out in space,” he said. He took the coffee and sat up against a pile of pillows. “Perfect, thank you,” he told her. “Love, we’ve never really talked about it, but are you, are we… ever adding to our family? And I don’t mean Honey.”
“I would like that,” she said. She scooted up against him with her head on his shoulder. “But I think maybe Zalara was one time lucky for Kinnae and Human genes.”
~~~
“Captain on deck,” Lieutenant Lee said.“Good morning, everyone. Are we still on our way?” Jackson sat in his chair, his coffee in hand, and looked out at a black landscape spattered with white sparkles and discs.
“Aye, Captain,” Ensign Rougeau answered. “We’re en route to the Beta Hydri system, travel time at our current speed of FTL10 to 2nd power is five weeks, two days, nine hours.”
“Recalculate for 3rd power.” Tom took stock of the bridge. Repairs from the Pegasi incident had been completed and his crew seemed on their game. All seemed calm, promising.
“New ETA is four weeks, four days, two hours.”
“I like it. Increase to 3rd power and carry on, gentlemen. The sooner we get there and bring the science team on board the sooner we can stop twelve hours for a normal seven five life on board.”
“Captain, we received a com from the SA early this morning,” Chief Petty Officer Watson told him.
“Send it to the doyen’s office,” Jackson stood, took his coffee and closed the door behind him. The message was from Admiral Wallace.
“Hello Captain Jackson, I hope this finds you well. We have received your casualty report and send our condolences. The Administration will contact her nearest kin regarding Honey York.
Seems the Pegasi are always going to be gum on our shoes. I’m glad you were able to Cooperate with the Kiians. They’re funny people but at least not violent.
I was happy to hear Rianya has recovered from the incident with the artifact.”
Artifact? It wasn’t a stone arrowhead. It was a human body!
"The Los Angeles History Museum is anxious to add it to their collection. I’m wondering if they will put it in their anthropology department or their science department. At any rate, it’s a titanic discovery for humanity, both, the mummy and the time ship.
Our last contact with the planet Kinnae science team was about ten days ago. They are making preparations to receive you. Commander Jameson said relations with the local population are satisfactory, but they don’t interact on a regular basis. I’m not sure how that will translate for you, but Rianya will be a good ambassador, I’m certain of it.
Also, Captain, congratulations on the success in ending the pandemic on Eta Cass Five. This news has inspired doctors here on Earth that we can recover from the malaria vaccine disaster.
Finally, Jackson, I want to say, job well done. Earth has risen in credibility among our celestial neighbors, if you will, which means more trade and commerce, science and technology. I look forward to your arrival in the Beta Hydri system.
Tell my daughter that her mother and I miss her."
Tom shut the message off, refilled his coffee from the carafe that finally was there as requested, and stood up to look out the window at the cosmos. Did he dare say the morning felt good, felt normal, however normal was defined twenty one light years from Earth and heading in the opposite direction.
One of the white spots seemed slightly, ever so slightly, elongated. Was that a gargantuan galaxy he was seeing with the naked eye? He took electron binoculars off the shelf and aimed at the white spot. When he finally sited it, he realized it was no galaxy. He set the instrument down and jogged out on the bridge.
“Ensign Rougeau, turn on the starboard telescope and monitor.” The navigator did so and routed the image to both the captain’s and his own projectors. “Is that documented in our cartography?”
“I’ll find out, sir,” and Rougeau tapped up the local star maps around Eta Cassiopeia. Lieutenant Lee’s curiosity prompted him to leave his station and nose in.
“Lieutenant, take us off course and follow that comet.”
“Aye, Captain. Heading 66 degrees, -15, 08.”
“It’s not on the map, sir, I think it’s ours!” Rougeau said. Now Watson joined the huddle.
The men watched in silence. The glistening hunk of ice grew larger as they neared it. Jackson walked out to the most rostral point of the bow where he could watch their approach.
“About eight minutes, sir,” Rougeau advised.
“What system does it belong to?” Jackson asked anyone who would answer.
“There is no system on our direct course to Beta Hydri, Captain. Closest system is Cetus A and B.” A 3D holographic map appeared on Rougeau’s projection screen.
“A lost comet? Three light years from the nearest system? I’ll be damned!” Jackson whispered. “And it’s undiscovered.” He punched a button on the intercom.
“Gregory.”
“Scott, get up here. You’re gonna want to see this.”
The men watched in silence. The glistening hunk of ice grew larger as they neared it. Jackson walked out to the most rostral point of the bow where he could watch their approach.
“About eight minutes, sir,” Rougeau advised.
“What system does it belong to?” Jackson asked anyone who would answer.
“There is no system on our direct course to Beta Hydri, Captain. Closest system is Cetus A and B.” A 3D holographic map appeared on Rougeau’s projection screen.
“A lost comet? Three light years from the nearest system? I’ll be damned!” Jackson whispered. “And it’s undiscovered.” He punched a button on the intercom.
“Gregory.”
“Scott, get up here. You’re gonna want to see this.”
"I just went to bed."
"On the double, Doctor."
The Maria Mitchell began to catch up to the comet racing towards its pair of red stars so far away. It was no match for the engines of the Maria Mitchell, and soon they reached its tail, a long, white and silvery spray of ice and miscellaneous cosmic elements. The beauty of this icy stone was inversely magnified by its simplicity. It tumbled slowly but couldn’t escape.
“Sir, it’s nearly a hundred kilometers in diameter,” Rougeau said.
“Look at that!” shouted Scott the moment the elevator door opened. He rushed out and hurried to stand in the glass bow of the ship’s bridge, leaning on the guard rail to keep his hands off the glass. “That’s maybe the biggest comet I’ve ever seen! Will you look at it?!” he cried.
“Don’t hurt yourself!” Tom said with a laugh. His old friend’s enthusiasm was contagious to all members on the bridge and a smile appeared on everyone’s face.
“Captain,” Chen Lee said. “What are you going to name it?” All the crew glanced at Lee, then at Jackson.
“Jackson’s Snowball?” Dr. Gregory suggested with faint jocularity. A few snickers rounded the dashboards.
“I haven’t thought about it, men, we’ve only discovered it in the last five minutes. But I will.” Jackson leaned over the helm and opened the ship wide intercom. “Attention crew, this is Jackson. If you’re not near a starboard window, proceed to the nearest and take a look. It’s possibly a rogue, or just really far from home. In any case, it’s not in cartography. We’re going to need a name for it, if anyone has any ideas.”
The Maria Mitchell began to catch up to the comet racing towards its pair of red stars so far away. It was no match for the engines of the Maria Mitchell, and soon they reached its tail, a long, white and silvery spray of ice and miscellaneous cosmic elements. The beauty of this icy stone was inversely magnified by its simplicity. It tumbled slowly but couldn’t escape.
“Sir, it’s nearly a hundred kilometers in diameter,” Rougeau said.
“Look at that!” shouted Scott the moment the elevator door opened. He rushed out and hurried to stand in the glass bow of the ship’s bridge, leaning on the guard rail to keep his hands off the glass. “That’s maybe the biggest comet I’ve ever seen! Will you look at it?!” he cried.
“Don’t hurt yourself!” Tom said with a laugh. His old friend’s enthusiasm was contagious to all members on the bridge and a smile appeared on everyone’s face.
“Captain,” Chen Lee said. “What are you going to name it?” All the crew glanced at Lee, then at Jackson.
“Jackson’s Snowball?” Dr. Gregory suggested with faint jocularity. A few snickers rounded the dashboards.
“I haven’t thought about it, men, we’ve only discovered it in the last five minutes. But I will.” Jackson leaned over the helm and opened the ship wide intercom. “Attention crew, this is Jackson. If you’re not near a starboard window, proceed to the nearest and take a look. It’s possibly a rogue, or just really far from home. In any case, it’s not in cartography. We’re going to need a name for it, if anyone has any ideas.”
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