Fiction: The Girassian Debacle Chapter 11: No Turning Back

Previous Chapter 10: Everything We Abhor: https://onthebeachatnightalone.com/2023/02/18/fiction-the-girassian-debacle-chapter-10-everything-we-abhor/

 

“It’s time to get moving,” Commander Gray said, pacing the bridge.

“Patience. We have no mission without Senator Mitchell aboard. Anyways, Wu needs more time to prep his quarters in the lounge,” Maureau said to Gray. 

“He’s going to take over our lounge. More stress on the crew. Great!” 

“The trip is only going to take a couple cycles. Think of a way the crew can unwind other than drinking in their berths.” Maureau looked over at Gray’s muscular physique, knowing she would recommend workouts for the entire crew for off-duty relaxation. Which is good, I guess. But sure is different from Song’s recommendations for meditation. Madelaine is more anxious to leave than I am.

Senator Connor Mitchell arrived aboard the London just two hours before they had planned to leave earth’s orbit. Like Senator Vastatis, he traveled on his private yacht. To try to comply with the Doctor’s recommendation to conserve his energy, Maureau did not want to be the one to greet him. But he was uncertain of Gray’s etiquette as a formal host. He decided to go to the airlock bay and welcome Mitchell aboard. 

Maureau immediately showed Mitchell the converted crew lounge that would serve as his office and bedroom. It was the most spacious quarters on the ship. Mitchell made no effort to hide his displeasure with the quarters. “This trip will be suffocating in these quarters. I will need to be treated for claustrophobia by your doctor. There are so many men in a ship not much bigger than my own yacht.”

Maureau winced. Now this is just wrong in so many ways! In the first place, you’re exaggerating the size of your yacht. This lounge accommodates a dozen crew. And damn it, you need my ship.  

“Yes it will be a much closer ship than you are used to. And it will be one click more claustrophobic with you being aboard,” Mitchell made a sour face, a distinguishing visage caught on countless photos.

“Senator, you may enjoy being on the bridge as we get under way.”

“Yes, that is where I should be as we set off,” Mitchell said. 

“Before that, you have time to get settled in. When you’re ready, push here on this panel. Just identify who you are and let us know you are ready.”

With less than fifteen minutes left before they were to scheduled to leave orbit, the Senator called the bridge. “Maureau,” he blasted in everyone’s headsets. “I’m ready to come to the bridge.”

A stony-faced security officer helped Mitchell through the hatch and Maureau grabbed his arm as he floated up towards the deck above.

“Are we going to be weightless most of the way?” Mitchell said.

“No, we will be accelerating most of the way, so there will be a gravitational force, sometimes greater than what you experience on earth. You will have to climb up and down the ladders against above-normal gravitational forces. They make you feel heavier than you already are.” That did not sound right saying it to an obese man.

“Captain, I’ve been in space before. I know about increased G’s. If they had used a larger capital ship, I would have been spared all this. I have no idea why your ship was chosen.” 

“No matter the size of the ship, it needs to accelerate beyond one-G. The London established itself as faster than the other ships,” Maureau said. “We were chosen to get you to Mars as fast as possible.” 

Commander Gray floated up to the two of them, holding onto the rail before the holographic display that showed Alpha One Base Station and the ship traffic around it. The damage to the Station done by the collision of the London stood out like a prominent blemish.

“Let me introduce you to our XO, Commander Gray,” Maureau said.

The Senator ignored her. “Anthony, you know what’s really at work here. Your ‘Maureau name.’ Your father’s very influential. I believe the other ships could have gotten the job done.” 

Gray withdrew her offered hand from Mitchell. “Senator Mitchell, our ship’s Commander is addressed as ‘Captain’.”

He looked over at Gray. “So, you’re the officer that replaced that mad woman who…”

“…saved both Gray’s and my life,” Maureau finished. “Yes, Commander Gray is our new XO.” He was relieved she had changed the subject away from his father. Why does everyone think my father has anything to do with my position in the Star Force?

Mitchell frowned. “I connect with people, Maureau… Captain. I should be on a first name basis with you.”

“Not on the bridge, Senator,” Gray said. “Or should I address you as Connor?”

“Thank you, Commander, for defending my honor,” Maureau said as he turned to Mitchell. “Senator, I think Commander Gray has a valid point. The bridge is an intense place, and we are very formal here.  Just don’t call Commander Gray, Madelaine. I don’t want to be responsible for the fallout.” Maureau gave a stage smile, first at Mitchell, and then Gray.  “Now that we have been introduced, let’s attend to our voyage to Mars.”

“Captain, our BDP is standing by to integrate with London,” the Action Information Center officer of the watch said.

“Commander Gray, the London is yours to take us out of earth obit.” Maureau stepped back from the holographic navigation display, giving Gray control of the ship. 

“There is no need to have the BDP integrate at this time,” she said. “We need to be able to pilot our ship out of orbit without relying on the system to do it for us. Lieutenant Ahktar-Gatewood, I trust you are up to it?”

“Of course, Sir. It’s most satisfying. Just as satisfying as it was to manually bring the London into our docking bay at Alpha One.” Ahktar-Gatewood looked relaxed in contrast to Gray, who looked like she was going into battle. 

They felt the gradual shift from the free floating of zero-G to the sense of gaining weight. They settled onto the deck. Mitchell gave a grunt of satisfaction as they gently accelerated, able to plant his feet on the deck. They started to move out of earth orbit. 

“Senator, when our BDP finally does integrate with our navigation system, we’re going to turn the ship over to him.” Maureau gave Ahktar-Gatewood a knowing look. Ahktar-Gatewood would know Yoshi should be integrated with the ship as soon as possible. Maureau was confident he would be able to negotiate this with Gray without threatening her sense of authority. 

“Our BDP is named Yoshi and he will maximize our acceleration,” Maureau continued. “One element of his acceleration is knowing everyone’s response to the physiologic stress he is subjecting us to. He will monitor your vital sign monitors through the g-suit and take into account your physiology to control the ship so that you will not be over-stressed.”

“How can the BDP account for my physiology?”

“Remember, a  Star Force BDP, a computer. He has access to everyone’s medical files and takes into account your limitations.”

“I thought medical records were locked down. Confidential.”

“They are Senator,” Gray said. “But Star Force BDP’s have access to the records of all aboard a deployed ship. None of the crew is going to have access to your medical history.”

“I have someone coming up from Security right now to take you there to be fitted,” Maureau said.

“I need to review my instructions from the Prime Minister first.”

“That’ll wait,” Gray said. “The operations of this ship take precedence. We are going into a hard acceleration in one hour.”

Maureau looked over at Gray, then to Mitchell. He could see that Mitchell was not used to someone talking to him like Gray did. A marine arrived to escort the Senator to the Security Division. The Senator frowned but protested no further.

Engineering’s Freihoff called asking for Maureau. “Captain, good that you’re back with us.”

“Thank you, Chief. What do you have for us?”

“All of the new BDP’s are enhanced to safely work wirelessly. They’re supposed to be just as reliable connected wirelessly as they are when hardwired. Permission requested to try the wireless out now, until Yoshi has to maximize our acceleration? Then we will go hardwire.” 

“We go into hard acceleration in less than hour. Does not give you much time to get him integrated, much less assess his wireless connection.” 

“Both Yoshi and Engineering will monitor the streaming. A half hour should be enough time, Sir.”

“Set battle-level standards for the wireless integration and let’s see how good the connection is. But wait for the order from Commander Gray who has the bridge.”

“Confirmed. Yoshi will be wireless until Commander Gray gives the order for hard acceleration.  When she gives the order for hard acceleration, we will go back to hardwire.”

Gray intervened. “Chief, I will let you know when the BDP should integrate with the London. Right now, we are on manual.”

“Oh?” Freihoff stayed silent.

“Await Commander Gray’s order to integrate in preparation for the hard acceleration planned in,” Maureau said checking the clock, “in fifty-five minutes.” Maureau wondered how explicit he needed to be. She is not picking up the suggestion that Yoshi should be integrated as soon as possible. I will need to find a way to instruct her without undermining her. 

He went into the ready room and switched to a personnel channel. “Song. The Senator will be there in a moment. He is to be fitted with a g-suit. Could you help optimize the experience for him? Help him develop a positive attitude and become engaged with becoming part of the crew. He needs to want to contribute to the record time we are going to set on our trip to Mars.”

“I don’t quite understand, Captain.” Song sounded dull. Flat.

“He is a sour man that wants nothing to do with us. We are too ’small’ for his importance.  But he must rely on us to get him to the Portal as fast as possible. He could benefit from a more positive attitude to help us push for a record time.”

She brightened. “Ok, Captain. I see. We’ll get him engaged in helping us.”

__________

Song anticipated the court martial summons for Hall would arrive as they left earth’s orbit. The London was accelerating at one point zero-G’s and the order had just been given to prepare for super one point zero-G acceleration. 

“Commander… I mean Lieutenant Song. This is the AIC. We just received the transmission you were waiting for, a communication from Alpha One’s Office of Military Justice to the XO.”

“What is going on in the bridge?”

“Captain Maureau has left. Commander Gray has the watch. She is arguing, I mean discussing something with Lieutenant Akhtar-Gatewood.”

“How soon will we go super one point zero?”

“Pretty soon,” the AIC officer said. “Within an hour.

“How long can you hold the communication?” Song said.

“Not at all. But I can make the ‘mistake’ of putting it into the ‘routine’ administrative queue, even though it is flagged as ‘action-needed’.”

“How long will it sit there, do you think?” Song said.

“The XO should get to these messages on this watch.”

“I believe this is not a priority for the XO at this time. Getting this mission off is much more important. I recommend you make it ‘routine’.”

 Song expected that Commander Gray was immersed in the details of getting the BDP integrated into the London and setting the crew up for a hard acceleration. Attending to administrative notices would not be a priority. That was good. Song still had some influence on the bridge and had insured the Action Information Center would not bring it to her attention.  

By the time the AIC brought the message to Gray’s attention it would be too late for her to comply as the ship would be on its way. Gray would not recommend the ship turn back to Alpha One Station. 

Song did not care if Gray found out about her recommendation to the Action Information Center to reclassify the message to ‘routine’. Gray would have sent Hall back to Alpha One. She felt her demotion to command of the marines  left her little to lose. Gray might feel her authority had been subverted. In more than one way, there was no turning back, both the ship and her challenge of Gray. In the meantime, Song felt she had added a good marine to her team.

__________

Song made a point to tell the marine who went up for Mitchell that the Senator needed to participate in making the transit to Mars as fast as possible. For this reason, the marine needed to make him feel important, a critical participant in a successful mission. The marine acted extremely formal upon arriving back in the airlock chamber with the Senator. He behaved as if he were accompanying a most important dignitary.  

Mitchell breathed heavily. Assessing his paunch, Song thought that Yoshi would be challenged to push acceleration. They were not even up to normal earth gravity.

“Senator Mitchell. I am Lieutenant Song.” 

“You are the former XO!”

This took her by surprise. “Yes, I am, Senator.”

“You nearly killed the delegation reviewing the Task Force.”

“The fractured plastiglass was not expected. I extend my sincere apology for the alarm the incident caused you and the delegation.”

“And now you’re a lieutenant assisting a fat man into a space suit.” He studied her as if she were a statue in an art museum. She ignored his stare. 

One of the marines brought over a g-suit. “We will give you privacy to suit up, Senator. One of my men, or women if you prefer, will help you secure the g-suit.”

Song remembered Nicholas Hall had been in with the delegates when the London hit the Station. She had him offer help to the Senator in fitting and in completing the suit-up, while she stepped out of the airlock bay. 

 While working with Mitchell, Hall shared his experience with the fractured plastiglass and the ensuing mayhem. The Senator readily discussed his own fear for his life. Mitchell had been physically helped by Hall in evacuating the amphitheater and he expressed gratitude. Apparently, he felt a camaraderie with him.

Hall stood at attention and inspected the Senator. “Senator, we are ‘a go’ for setting a record to get you to the Mars Portal.”

Senator Mitchell smiled.

Song stepped back into the airlock bay. “Thank you, Hall.” The gravitational force was increasing above one-G. “Accompany Senator Mitchell back to the bridge. It feels like we are preparing to take off.”

__________

Two hours later, they had just completed the hard acceleration and were cruising at one point three-G’s when the Gray contacted Song.

“Song. What authority do you have to move an ‘action-needed’ message to ‘routine’?”

“I know what the message is and its content is not urgent given the priorities of the London.”

“How the fuck do you know what it’s about? And how dare you decide how communications come to the XO and whether it is important to executive leadership? I found out it was held at the Station for twelve hours!” 

“Commander Gray, we need Hall. The charge is preposterous against him. He acted to save many people. I saved you from having to decide to turn the ship back. This is all administrative crap. He can face this bullshit court martial later.”

Gray’s voice was icy. “Song, I don’t care how much influence you have. On the Station. Or on this ship. You are not the XO. This was not your call. This isn’t the way to start your career back as a lieutenant. Do not pull something like this again. I have a temptation to leave him on the Portal for transport back to Alpha One. They may insist we do that anyways. So you left me with a tough decision, after all.”

“I trust you will make the best decision for the London,” Song said.

There was a long silence. “I will perform my duty as the ship’s XO and you will not question me or my orders. You cannot judge me.”

Gray was taking Song’s action personally. It was clear to her that she not only had to deal with a demotion, but she would also have to manage being commanded by someone who had it out for her. She had made an enemy.