Stormcrow, page 20
“We were just talking about Jessica,” Lincoln said easily.
“What about her?” Meredith asked.
“Well, we were talking about how she flew us off the station,” Tony said. “And the little episode she had when she woke up down here.” Meredith nodded.
“And about how she almost kicked Sean's head off a few hours ago,” Lincoln added nonchalantly. It took Meredith's pain-addled mind a few seconds to catch up to that one.
“Say what?” she finally asked, catching herself before trying to jump out of her seat.
Sean briefly explained the events in the lounge of just a few hours before, stressing that it had been his fault for reacting as he had.
“Sean, you don't have to cover for her,” Lincoln told him. “She's not in trouble. If we're right, she really doesn't remember doing it. Or how she did it, either.”
“Right about what?” Meredith demanded. “Let's get back on target here, since I just left Jessica in charge of the bridge of my ship!”
Lincoln carefully relayed to her what the three of them had come up with to explain the odd behavior patterns of their diminutive passenger. Meredith listened with growing alarm until finally she was on her feet.
“I've got to get her off the bridge!”
“Wait a minute,” Tony held up a hand. “You aren't hearing us, I think.”
“Oh, I hear you just fine!” Meredith shot back, trying to get past him. “I've left a ticking time bomb on the watch of my ship!”
“See, we don't know that,” Linc said calmly, trying to soothe his wife. “We're absolutely guessing, Meredith. Postulating because we don't actually know anything other than a handful of facts. Strange facts I admit, but it's not really a lot to go on.”
“So you think we should just leave her on the bridge?” Meredith's voice was incredulous.
“I think that if we are correct, then she only taps into this. . .knowledge, or hard drive as Tony put it, when she's under duress. She responds to threats or to outside stress that activate this learning, wherever it came from.”
“Well, there's no stress on the bridge of a starship, right?” Meredith's sarcasm was biting.
“No more than there is anywhere else on the ship,” Linc shrugged. “And she's already proven she can handle the ship, and do so in times of stress. Even emergency, really,” he added. “I don't think it's a danger to allow her to stand the watch while there are others on the ship who are awake and able to take over in a pinch.”
“So don't let her take the late watch,” Meredith was starting to calm down some.
“Exactly,” Linc nodded. “Let her work while we're under way. If nothing else, it might be good for her. And it gives us a chance to figure her out.”
“Us?” Meredith asked, glancing at Sean Galen. “Does this mean you've changed your mind, Mister Galen?” she asked carefully.
The question caught Sean by surprise, though he didn't allow it to show.
“I hadn't given it any thought,” he admitted. “This just happened. I told Tony because I thought it might be something medical and he told me what had happened with you guys, and I already knew about the piloting. We were just talking about it with Lincoln when you came in.”
“She makes a good point, Sean,” Lincoln didn't miss this opportunity. “And I was meaning to ask you something anyway, before this came up. This is as good a time as any,” he glanced at Meredith.
“Go ahead, then,” Sean nodded.
“We're starting a nearly three-month leg onto the rim,” Linc noted. “That leg includes taking Jess home of course, but there are at least five other stops along the way before we're back even to somewhere like Halcyon. That's a long time for a ship to be without an engineer. There's a lot that can go wrong on the rim, you know that.”
Again Sean nodded, but said nothing.
“I know that things are still tense on the ship to say the least, and I understand where you're coming from. Not your exact point of view,” Linc held up a hand, “but your desire to put this behind you and move on. All I'm asking is this; stick with us until we get back to Halcyon. Don't make us take this journey without you. We'd be forced to take on someone we don't know and whose skill we can't really verify. I'm asking you to not make us do that. That's all. When we hit Halcyon again, if you still want to go then go. You're better off looking for new work there than a backwater like Weytan and we'll come nearer finding a decent replacement for you there than. . .well, a backwater like Weytan.”
“And you can help us figure out what's wrong with Jess,” Tony nodded, liking this idea just fine.
“Not to mention be with us when we see her home,” Linc added to that. Sean almost frowned but caught it before it showed. Mentioning the girl was hitting below the belt a little.
He admitted that Lincoln made sense. He had worried a bit about how well Celia would get by without an engineer as she made this deep space run along the rim. He couldn't care any less about Faulks and the Captain, but Tony was a friend, which was the highest, closest association in Sean Galen Crow's vocabulary. While he didn't consider Linc a friend, he did like and respect the man.
And Jessica, though she had been nothing but trouble since she'd come aboard, just had a quality about her that made you want to like her, and help her. He didn't understand it himself, but there it was.
He considered his relationship with Faulks for a moment. The two of them seemed to have reached a truce of some sort after he'd revealed to her why he'd become who he was. And how. Sean believed he was a decent judge of character and he'd sensed in Faulks a real shame at the thought that her former comrades had committed the atrocities they had. And he had to admit that he believed her when she said she would have killed them herself had she known.
That didn't make them friends by any stretch of the imagination, but it might make them non-enemies at least. And that might be enough for the rest of this trip.
He was also fairly confident that the Captain's issues were behind her at this point and he would not have to endure any more of her intrusive behavior. She might not like him, but they didn't have to like each other to work together.
“Alright,” he sighed a bit as he nodded. “I can do that.”
Lincoln couldn't hide his relief at that and Tony grinned widely, slapping his friend lightly in the shoulder. Meredith nodded, her eyes showing her own appreciation even though she chose to remain silent, believing it best that she didn't speak.
“Sean, I really appreciate this,” Lincoln told him. “I feel better knowing you're with us on this leg. I can't explain it but. . .something just feels off, that's all,” he shrugged carefully. “I got nothing to base that on but a feeling, but there it is.”
“Shouldn't ignore that kind of thing,” Sean told him, nodding. “And this trip has already been a lot of trouble and we haven't really gotten to the Rim yet.”
“Too true,” Linc nodded.
“Well, since I'm working again I guess I better get down to the engine room,” Sean told them. “Everything should be in order but. . .well, it's my job again, isn't it,” he let out a half-hearted chuckle at the statement.
“I'm making spaghetti tonight man, just for you!” Tony told him, still beaming.
“You know what? I'll take that,” Sean nodded. With that he left the infirmary, heading to the engineering section. Meredith released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as the door closed behind him.
“That was well done,” she offered quietly. “I would not have given you good odds on that happening.”
“It was a gamble,” Lincoln agreed. “I assume that was alright with you?” he asked, looking at her.
“Absolutely,” came her firm reply. “Now, if we're satisfied that Jess is okay on the bridge for a while, I'm going to get some rest,” she told them. “Before this shot wears off.”
“You should let me medicate you more, Meredith,” Tony told her firmly. “I know your concerns and I promise you I would never allow that to happen again. The thing is, we can alternate the drugs and use the minimum dosage that give you at least some relief, and that will allow your system to relax some as it adjusts to not being in pain at all times. There are also nerve blockers that might help. They're non-narcotic, non-habit forming. They aren't really pain killers; they just block the signals that tell you you're hurting.” He held up a cautionary finger at her.
“If we go that route you'll have to be examined on a regular basis, especially spinal scans. The pain blockers will prevent you from feeling it if something is wrong. We'll have to keep a close eye on you. But it's an option.”
Meredith cut off her usual reply as the words sank in. What would it be like, she wondered, not to hurt all the time? How long had it been since she hadn't been in pain? She couldn't remember not hurting anymore. She knew there was a time when she hadn't, but she couldn't remember what it felt like to be pain free.
“Alright,” she said suddenly, shocking both her medic and her husband. Neither had expected her to agree to anything remotely like what Tony had suggested. “We'll try it,” she continued. “It would be nice not be in constant and complete pain,” she admitted softly. “I can't remember what it was like not to hurt.”
“I can understand that,” Tony said sincerely. “I've seen it before, usually in vets with war injuries but also from trauma victims who were injured in plain old accidents. Damage may heal, but that's no guarantee that it will be right when it does. That causes pain. If I had to guess, you're also suffering from some serious headaches, stiff neck and shoulders, and hip trouble.”
“I…yes,” her eyes widened as Tony ran down a litany of problems that she was suffering through. “How did you know?”
“All of those things are the result of your keeping yourself so stiff to avoid as much pain as you can,” Tony replied. “Your muscles are bunching in all of those areas and they never get to relax. Even when you sleep, they're so accustomed to being that way they tend to 'learn' to stay like that. All of that stiffness leads to sore muscles and eventually slightly strained muscles. That tightness and tension leads to headaches and other pains, which just adds to the misery you're already in.” He stopped suddenly, aware that he'd been lecturing.
“You sounded like a real doctor then, Anthony,” Meredith's voice held approval. “Well argued. And like I said, I'll do it.”
“Excellent,” Tony nodded, choosing to ignore the 'real doctor' comment which he interpreted as a request for information. “We'll start out with a schedule of three, maybe four shots per day as needed. When you don't need it, don't take it, but don't allow things to get out of hand because that will just undo all we've managed to accomplish up to that point. Now,” he took a breath. “I have spaghetti to make so I better get to it.”
“You're happy he's staying, aren't you?” Linc smiled.
“I am,” Tony nodded gravely. “He's my friend, and I don't have many. And he's damn handy to have around. I have a feeling similar to yours, and mine is telling me we'll need him somewhere down the line.” With that the medic departed for the kitchen, leaving husband and wife alone in the infirmary.
“I would never have believed that would work,” Meredith commented finally. “That Galen would stay.”
“I would never have believed that Tony could talk you into taking pain meds on a schedule,” Linc shrugged. “It's been that kind of day.”
The two shared a pain-filled laugh in the privacy of the infirmary. It had, indeed, been that kind of day.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Are you sure you can do this, Jessica?”
It was a fair question for all that it had been asked at least a dozen times.
“I'm sure,” the young woman nodded firmly from the pilot's chair. “I got it.”
The trip to Weytan had taken just over eight days. In that time a semblance of peace had settled over the ship once more, for all that it was a bit strained. Sean Galen kept to himself more than before, though he continued to interact with Tony and Jessica regularly.
Lincoln was finally out of the infirmary and back in the quarters he and Meredith shared, Tony satisfied that any lingering effects from the massive concussion would be minor at that point. While the swelling had at long last reduced to a simple knot just above his right temple, Linc's eyesight was still iffy at best. His right eye was subject to blur at any second and do so without warning or reason. Tony hoped that would stop as the damage continued to heal but he could not promise that it would.
Which left the Celia without a pilot. It had never occurred to any of them that someone other than Lincoln might need to fly the ship. That was an oversight that Meredith was only just seeing the magnitude of. She had never envisioned a time when Lincoln wouldn't be at the helm and that was a serious miscalculation on her part. Poor planning from the very beginning. They had been aboard for three years and not one time had anyone considered learning how to handle the Celia in the event Lincoln was indisposed.
Now they were in orbit over Weytan, about to set down to deliver the first of several cargoes on Frontier worlds in a run along the rim.
At least everyone hoped they were going to set down and deliver a cargo. For all of Linc's apparent ineptitude, he'd never actually crashed the ship. He'd come close many times to be sure, but they had always escaped unscathed other than a few quick trips to the head and some minor dishevelment.
Everyone knew that Jess had 'departed' them from Hartley Station without any difficulty, but leaving the station was a far cry from entering atmosphere over a planet and then landing on said planet. To say that some nerves were frayed was an understatement.
But Jessica was firm in her resolve that she could, indeed, land the ship. The crew was on pins and needles as she calmly lined the ship up for entry into Weytan's atmosphere with Lincoln assisting from the co-pilot's chair.
“Alignment set,” Linc told her. “Nozzles locked and lined, straight board green for entry.”
“Got it,” Jessica nodded. “Check angle?”
“Angle check,” Linc nodded, hiding a smile. Checking entry angle wasn't a requirement, but it was one of those unwritten rules of piloting; have someone besides yourself check your angle of approach. People made mistakes sometimes. Mistakes in space usually only happened once. The fact that Jessica knew this meant that she really had gotten some training, somewhere. Where was still a mystery, even to her.
“Initiating,” Jessica said next and Lincoln keyed the I/C.
“May I have your attention please; this is your pilots speaking. That's plural, as in two of us. We are about to make entry into Weytan's atmo. Should we be lucky enough to survive that, we will attempt to set down on the planet below without crashing. Those of you who believe in prayer, now is the time. That is all.”
“Damn you Lincoln Simmons!” Meredith's voice came back at once. “That is not funny!”
“Nag, nag, nag,” Lincoln grinned at Jessica but carefully didn't key the I/C as he said it. “Let's go to Weytan,” he added.
“We are on our way,” Jessica nodded as she nosed the ship down a few degrees and initiated the thrusters for their entry sequence. Behind them Celia's engines could be heard and felt throughout the ship as their timbre changed. Celia nosed over slightly and suddenly there was a flare across the screen before them.
“Friction heating,” Linc called out to reassure Jessica.
“Really?” the sarcasm was thick in her reply. “I thought we had blown a fuse.”
“Everybody's a comedian,” Linc mock groused.
“No, not everybody,” the dry reply made him chuckle as the school teacher gave as good as she got. Celia meanwhile was through the upper atmosphere and headed for the planet below. Unable to resist, Linc picked up the mike again.
“Attention crew and passengers, we are now inside Weytan's atmosphere, but I must caution against the opening of any outer hatches or lock doors at this time since the outside hull temperature is still a balmy two zillion degrees thanks to the incredible heat generated by the friction of the ship sliding into the atmosphere from space. Conversely, the temperature around the ship is roughly three hundred degrees below freezing at this altitude, so even if the heat of the hull didn't roast you, you would freeze solid in a matter of seconds. So just maintain you cras. . .er, landing positions while we try to put this ship on the ground. On purpose I mean.”
Muted cursing could be heard coming up the passageway behind them and Jessica smiled as she shook her head slowly.
“Someone is definitely feeling better,” she observed. “How many is a zillion?” she had to ask.
“No idea,” Linc replied at once. “Of course I also have no idea what the actual hull temperature is, either. There's a gauge that tells, but. . .I found that I really don't want to know that kind of thing. I have to assume that however hot we get the hull can handle it.”
“Why?” Jessica asked. “I have the beacon,” she added, flipping a pair of switches in front of her.
“Locked on,” Linc informed her. “Because I can't imagine a much more horrible end than the hull melting with me right behind it, that's why. I asked one of my instructors if he knew how hot the hull would get and he told me if it got too hot, I'd know it right away.”
“Can't argue that logic,” Jessica observed calmly. “Three-quarter thrust, please.”
“Three-quarters, aye,” Linc replied, making the adjustments. “You know; I should have trained someone to help me like this a long time ago. I've been doing all of this by myself since we started. Three-quarters thrust set.”
“That might explain why everyone is so down on your piloting,” Jessica noted. “Ten degrees up-angle, relative,” she ordered.
“Ten degrees up,” Linc repeated as he adjusted the angle of thrust. “Braking thrusters are online,” he added.
“One-quarter braking thrusters, reduce forward thrust to one-half, please.”
“Done,” Linc said a few seconds later. “So how locked in on that teacher gig are you?” he asked. “'Cause we may need a pilot full time if my sight doesn't heal. You're doing great.”
“What about her?” Meredith asked.
“Well, we were talking about how she flew us off the station,” Tony said. “And the little episode she had when she woke up down here.” Meredith nodded.
“And about how she almost kicked Sean's head off a few hours ago,” Lincoln added nonchalantly. It took Meredith's pain-addled mind a few seconds to catch up to that one.
“Say what?” she finally asked, catching herself before trying to jump out of her seat.
Sean briefly explained the events in the lounge of just a few hours before, stressing that it had been his fault for reacting as he had.
“Sean, you don't have to cover for her,” Lincoln told him. “She's not in trouble. If we're right, she really doesn't remember doing it. Or how she did it, either.”
“Right about what?” Meredith demanded. “Let's get back on target here, since I just left Jessica in charge of the bridge of my ship!”
Lincoln carefully relayed to her what the three of them had come up with to explain the odd behavior patterns of their diminutive passenger. Meredith listened with growing alarm until finally she was on her feet.
“I've got to get her off the bridge!”
“Wait a minute,” Tony held up a hand. “You aren't hearing us, I think.”
“Oh, I hear you just fine!” Meredith shot back, trying to get past him. “I've left a ticking time bomb on the watch of my ship!”
“See, we don't know that,” Linc said calmly, trying to soothe his wife. “We're absolutely guessing, Meredith. Postulating because we don't actually know anything other than a handful of facts. Strange facts I admit, but it's not really a lot to go on.”
“So you think we should just leave her on the bridge?” Meredith's voice was incredulous.
“I think that if we are correct, then she only taps into this. . .knowledge, or hard drive as Tony put it, when she's under duress. She responds to threats or to outside stress that activate this learning, wherever it came from.”
“Well, there's no stress on the bridge of a starship, right?” Meredith's sarcasm was biting.
“No more than there is anywhere else on the ship,” Linc shrugged. “And she's already proven she can handle the ship, and do so in times of stress. Even emergency, really,” he added. “I don't think it's a danger to allow her to stand the watch while there are others on the ship who are awake and able to take over in a pinch.”
“So don't let her take the late watch,” Meredith was starting to calm down some.
“Exactly,” Linc nodded. “Let her work while we're under way. If nothing else, it might be good for her. And it gives us a chance to figure her out.”
“Us?” Meredith asked, glancing at Sean Galen. “Does this mean you've changed your mind, Mister Galen?” she asked carefully.
The question caught Sean by surprise, though he didn't allow it to show.
“I hadn't given it any thought,” he admitted. “This just happened. I told Tony because I thought it might be something medical and he told me what had happened with you guys, and I already knew about the piloting. We were just talking about it with Lincoln when you came in.”
“She makes a good point, Sean,” Lincoln didn't miss this opportunity. “And I was meaning to ask you something anyway, before this came up. This is as good a time as any,” he glanced at Meredith.
“Go ahead, then,” Sean nodded.
“We're starting a nearly three-month leg onto the rim,” Linc noted. “That leg includes taking Jess home of course, but there are at least five other stops along the way before we're back even to somewhere like Halcyon. That's a long time for a ship to be without an engineer. There's a lot that can go wrong on the rim, you know that.”
Again Sean nodded, but said nothing.
“I know that things are still tense on the ship to say the least, and I understand where you're coming from. Not your exact point of view,” Linc held up a hand, “but your desire to put this behind you and move on. All I'm asking is this; stick with us until we get back to Halcyon. Don't make us take this journey without you. We'd be forced to take on someone we don't know and whose skill we can't really verify. I'm asking you to not make us do that. That's all. When we hit Halcyon again, if you still want to go then go. You're better off looking for new work there than a backwater like Weytan and we'll come nearer finding a decent replacement for you there than. . .well, a backwater like Weytan.”
“And you can help us figure out what's wrong with Jess,” Tony nodded, liking this idea just fine.
“Not to mention be with us when we see her home,” Linc added to that. Sean almost frowned but caught it before it showed. Mentioning the girl was hitting below the belt a little.
He admitted that Lincoln made sense. He had worried a bit about how well Celia would get by without an engineer as she made this deep space run along the rim. He couldn't care any less about Faulks and the Captain, but Tony was a friend, which was the highest, closest association in Sean Galen Crow's vocabulary. While he didn't consider Linc a friend, he did like and respect the man.
And Jessica, though she had been nothing but trouble since she'd come aboard, just had a quality about her that made you want to like her, and help her. He didn't understand it himself, but there it was.
He considered his relationship with Faulks for a moment. The two of them seemed to have reached a truce of some sort after he'd revealed to her why he'd become who he was. And how. Sean believed he was a decent judge of character and he'd sensed in Faulks a real shame at the thought that her former comrades had committed the atrocities they had. And he had to admit that he believed her when she said she would have killed them herself had she known.
That didn't make them friends by any stretch of the imagination, but it might make them non-enemies at least. And that might be enough for the rest of this trip.
He was also fairly confident that the Captain's issues were behind her at this point and he would not have to endure any more of her intrusive behavior. She might not like him, but they didn't have to like each other to work together.
“Alright,” he sighed a bit as he nodded. “I can do that.”
Lincoln couldn't hide his relief at that and Tony grinned widely, slapping his friend lightly in the shoulder. Meredith nodded, her eyes showing her own appreciation even though she chose to remain silent, believing it best that she didn't speak.
“Sean, I really appreciate this,” Lincoln told him. “I feel better knowing you're with us on this leg. I can't explain it but. . .something just feels off, that's all,” he shrugged carefully. “I got nothing to base that on but a feeling, but there it is.”
“Shouldn't ignore that kind of thing,” Sean told him, nodding. “And this trip has already been a lot of trouble and we haven't really gotten to the Rim yet.”
“Too true,” Linc nodded.
“Well, since I'm working again I guess I better get down to the engine room,” Sean told them. “Everything should be in order but. . .well, it's my job again, isn't it,” he let out a half-hearted chuckle at the statement.
“I'm making spaghetti tonight man, just for you!” Tony told him, still beaming.
“You know what? I'll take that,” Sean nodded. With that he left the infirmary, heading to the engineering section. Meredith released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as the door closed behind him.
“That was well done,” she offered quietly. “I would not have given you good odds on that happening.”
“It was a gamble,” Lincoln agreed. “I assume that was alright with you?” he asked, looking at her.
“Absolutely,” came her firm reply. “Now, if we're satisfied that Jess is okay on the bridge for a while, I'm going to get some rest,” she told them. “Before this shot wears off.”
“You should let me medicate you more, Meredith,” Tony told her firmly. “I know your concerns and I promise you I would never allow that to happen again. The thing is, we can alternate the drugs and use the minimum dosage that give you at least some relief, and that will allow your system to relax some as it adjusts to not being in pain at all times. There are also nerve blockers that might help. They're non-narcotic, non-habit forming. They aren't really pain killers; they just block the signals that tell you you're hurting.” He held up a cautionary finger at her.
“If we go that route you'll have to be examined on a regular basis, especially spinal scans. The pain blockers will prevent you from feeling it if something is wrong. We'll have to keep a close eye on you. But it's an option.”
Meredith cut off her usual reply as the words sank in. What would it be like, she wondered, not to hurt all the time? How long had it been since she hadn't been in pain? She couldn't remember not hurting anymore. She knew there was a time when she hadn't, but she couldn't remember what it felt like to be pain free.
“Alright,” she said suddenly, shocking both her medic and her husband. Neither had expected her to agree to anything remotely like what Tony had suggested. “We'll try it,” she continued. “It would be nice not be in constant and complete pain,” she admitted softly. “I can't remember what it was like not to hurt.”
“I can understand that,” Tony said sincerely. “I've seen it before, usually in vets with war injuries but also from trauma victims who were injured in plain old accidents. Damage may heal, but that's no guarantee that it will be right when it does. That causes pain. If I had to guess, you're also suffering from some serious headaches, stiff neck and shoulders, and hip trouble.”
“I…yes,” her eyes widened as Tony ran down a litany of problems that she was suffering through. “How did you know?”
“All of those things are the result of your keeping yourself so stiff to avoid as much pain as you can,” Tony replied. “Your muscles are bunching in all of those areas and they never get to relax. Even when you sleep, they're so accustomed to being that way they tend to 'learn' to stay like that. All of that stiffness leads to sore muscles and eventually slightly strained muscles. That tightness and tension leads to headaches and other pains, which just adds to the misery you're already in.” He stopped suddenly, aware that he'd been lecturing.
“You sounded like a real doctor then, Anthony,” Meredith's voice held approval. “Well argued. And like I said, I'll do it.”
“Excellent,” Tony nodded, choosing to ignore the 'real doctor' comment which he interpreted as a request for information. “We'll start out with a schedule of three, maybe four shots per day as needed. When you don't need it, don't take it, but don't allow things to get out of hand because that will just undo all we've managed to accomplish up to that point. Now,” he took a breath. “I have spaghetti to make so I better get to it.”
“You're happy he's staying, aren't you?” Linc smiled.
“I am,” Tony nodded gravely. “He's my friend, and I don't have many. And he's damn handy to have around. I have a feeling similar to yours, and mine is telling me we'll need him somewhere down the line.” With that the medic departed for the kitchen, leaving husband and wife alone in the infirmary.
“I would never have believed that would work,” Meredith commented finally. “That Galen would stay.”
“I would never have believed that Tony could talk you into taking pain meds on a schedule,” Linc shrugged. “It's been that kind of day.”
The two shared a pain-filled laugh in the privacy of the infirmary. It had, indeed, been that kind of day.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Are you sure you can do this, Jessica?”
It was a fair question for all that it had been asked at least a dozen times.
“I'm sure,” the young woman nodded firmly from the pilot's chair. “I got it.”
The trip to Weytan had taken just over eight days. In that time a semblance of peace had settled over the ship once more, for all that it was a bit strained. Sean Galen kept to himself more than before, though he continued to interact with Tony and Jessica regularly.
Lincoln was finally out of the infirmary and back in the quarters he and Meredith shared, Tony satisfied that any lingering effects from the massive concussion would be minor at that point. While the swelling had at long last reduced to a simple knot just above his right temple, Linc's eyesight was still iffy at best. His right eye was subject to blur at any second and do so without warning or reason. Tony hoped that would stop as the damage continued to heal but he could not promise that it would.
Which left the Celia without a pilot. It had never occurred to any of them that someone other than Lincoln might need to fly the ship. That was an oversight that Meredith was only just seeing the magnitude of. She had never envisioned a time when Lincoln wouldn't be at the helm and that was a serious miscalculation on her part. Poor planning from the very beginning. They had been aboard for three years and not one time had anyone considered learning how to handle the Celia in the event Lincoln was indisposed.
Now they were in orbit over Weytan, about to set down to deliver the first of several cargoes on Frontier worlds in a run along the rim.
At least everyone hoped they were going to set down and deliver a cargo. For all of Linc's apparent ineptitude, he'd never actually crashed the ship. He'd come close many times to be sure, but they had always escaped unscathed other than a few quick trips to the head and some minor dishevelment.
Everyone knew that Jess had 'departed' them from Hartley Station without any difficulty, but leaving the station was a far cry from entering atmosphere over a planet and then landing on said planet. To say that some nerves were frayed was an understatement.
But Jessica was firm in her resolve that she could, indeed, land the ship. The crew was on pins and needles as she calmly lined the ship up for entry into Weytan's atmosphere with Lincoln assisting from the co-pilot's chair.
“Alignment set,” Linc told her. “Nozzles locked and lined, straight board green for entry.”
“Got it,” Jessica nodded. “Check angle?”
“Angle check,” Linc nodded, hiding a smile. Checking entry angle wasn't a requirement, but it was one of those unwritten rules of piloting; have someone besides yourself check your angle of approach. People made mistakes sometimes. Mistakes in space usually only happened once. The fact that Jessica knew this meant that she really had gotten some training, somewhere. Where was still a mystery, even to her.
“Initiating,” Jessica said next and Lincoln keyed the I/C.
“May I have your attention please; this is your pilots speaking. That's plural, as in two of us. We are about to make entry into Weytan's atmo. Should we be lucky enough to survive that, we will attempt to set down on the planet below without crashing. Those of you who believe in prayer, now is the time. That is all.”
“Damn you Lincoln Simmons!” Meredith's voice came back at once. “That is not funny!”
“Nag, nag, nag,” Lincoln grinned at Jessica but carefully didn't key the I/C as he said it. “Let's go to Weytan,” he added.
“We are on our way,” Jessica nodded as she nosed the ship down a few degrees and initiated the thrusters for their entry sequence. Behind them Celia's engines could be heard and felt throughout the ship as their timbre changed. Celia nosed over slightly and suddenly there was a flare across the screen before them.
“Friction heating,” Linc called out to reassure Jessica.
“Really?” the sarcasm was thick in her reply. “I thought we had blown a fuse.”
“Everybody's a comedian,” Linc mock groused.
“No, not everybody,” the dry reply made him chuckle as the school teacher gave as good as she got. Celia meanwhile was through the upper atmosphere and headed for the planet below. Unable to resist, Linc picked up the mike again.
“Attention crew and passengers, we are now inside Weytan's atmosphere, but I must caution against the opening of any outer hatches or lock doors at this time since the outside hull temperature is still a balmy two zillion degrees thanks to the incredible heat generated by the friction of the ship sliding into the atmosphere from space. Conversely, the temperature around the ship is roughly three hundred degrees below freezing at this altitude, so even if the heat of the hull didn't roast you, you would freeze solid in a matter of seconds. So just maintain you cras. . .er, landing positions while we try to put this ship on the ground. On purpose I mean.”
Muted cursing could be heard coming up the passageway behind them and Jessica smiled as she shook her head slowly.
“Someone is definitely feeling better,” she observed. “How many is a zillion?” she had to ask.
“No idea,” Linc replied at once. “Of course I also have no idea what the actual hull temperature is, either. There's a gauge that tells, but. . .I found that I really don't want to know that kind of thing. I have to assume that however hot we get the hull can handle it.”
“Why?” Jessica asked. “I have the beacon,” she added, flipping a pair of switches in front of her.
“Locked on,” Linc informed her. “Because I can't imagine a much more horrible end than the hull melting with me right behind it, that's why. I asked one of my instructors if he knew how hot the hull would get and he told me if it got too hot, I'd know it right away.”
“Can't argue that logic,” Jessica observed calmly. “Three-quarter thrust, please.”
“Three-quarters, aye,” Linc replied, making the adjustments. “You know; I should have trained someone to help me like this a long time ago. I've been doing all of this by myself since we started. Three-quarters thrust set.”
“That might explain why everyone is so down on your piloting,” Jessica noted. “Ten degrees up-angle, relative,” she ordered.
“Ten degrees up,” Linc repeated as he adjusted the angle of thrust. “Braking thrusters are online,” he added.
“One-quarter braking thrusters, reduce forward thrust to one-half, please.”
“Done,” Linc said a few seconds later. “So how locked in on that teacher gig are you?” he asked. “'Cause we may need a pilot full time if my sight doesn't heal. You're doing great.”
