"Are you all right Minh?" Came Ayan's voice over the comm.
They had been in hyperspace for five hours, and for the whole time Minh felt naked, vulnerable, like he was in nothing but his vacsuit and at any moment the energetic particles that covered the hull of his small fighter could dissipate unevenly and he'd be torn to shreds. His instruments told him everything was fine. When he turned off his head's up display and looked to his right, his left, he saw the dark confines of the cockpit around him. He could feel the adjusting rests on his stomach, his chest, his back, legs and shoulders. They fit snugly, perfectly, but it didn't help. Every time he brought up his head's up display all he saw was a gossamer of statistics and stars. He tried to think of something else, anything else, but his mind wouldn’t settle on anything.
His breaths came in shorter and shorter gasps, he could feel sweat collecting as quickly as it could be soaked away by his vacsuit. Then an image came to him; Ashley, sitting at the bar with her drink after she’d stopped by his table in the Pilot’s Den. He had one brief conversation with her, but would never forget her smile, her dark eyes, or the light curiosity she'd approached him with. That's all it was, he was sure, curiosity, but if he had just approached her, taken the time to look her up on Crewcast during his off hours, or chat with her during a simulation, there might have been more.
From her last known condition and the situation the Triton was in he knew it was more than likely that she was in serious danger. He tried to withdraw from the mental image of her laying somewhere in the Triton’s infirmary, helpless, in a medical coma that could last hours or days.
The rumbling of his engines burning less than two meters beneath his feet lessened. He was reminded once again of where he was, and panic threatened to overtake him. Minh's years alone, drifting at speed in space in a compartment that may fall apart at any time had jaded him to the risks of space travel, or so he thought.
There was a constant fear that his refuge from the destruction in the Blue Belt would fly apart as it drifted aimlessly through space. It would threaten to render him senseless, and yes, there were a few times when he sat with his face in his hands, sure he was past saving, that he’d be lost for all time, and that it might be faster if he opened his drifting home to space, got it all over with. Reduced to a shuddering, mumbling, useless thing he would remain curled up on the deck for hours. The few times it happened he fell into a fitful sleep and would wake up feeling angry at himself for letting his fears get the best of him.
Later in therapy he had difficulty understanding how he could lose control so completely, become so useless. Until the moment came, until the panic threatened to overtake him, he couldn't understand how it happened.
The knot in his belly, his quivering limbs and the pressure in his head, the rising panic made it easy to understand those times. He checked his own statistics every few seconds, glancing, cursing himself for being so weak. His heart was racing, his breathing was becoming more shallow, increasing in speed.
"Minh, are you all right?" came Ayan's voice again.
He worked his dry mouth, struggling to force an answer and finally it came. "No."
"We'll be out of hyperspace in a moment, just hang on," she reassured.
Minh's eyes flicked to the small portrait of her in the corner, concerned and friendly. He nodded, a reflex. "Stupid, God I'm so stupid," he muttered to himself, at first in reference to nodding but then he remembered who he was, what he was supposed to be; the Wing Commander. "Can't keep myself together, how am I supposed to take care of a few dozen pilots? Jonas should have found someone else, I'm a mess, it's too soon." Every word was punctuated with an inhale.
"I'm going to put him out," Jake said as he brought up Minh's profile on his command and control unit. "Try and slave his ship to your Comm."
"I don't have access," Ayan replied from the rear cockpit seat of the Clever Dream.
"You should, I gave it to you myself."
She brought up the status of Minh's sleek Ramiel fighter and saw that it was just finishing its hyperspace deceleration cycle. "I'm ready," she said as she assigned it to follow the Clever Dream at a safe distance. It would be close enough to exit hyperspace and not collide with any of the ships behind.
"All right, just relax Minh, don't do anything you'll regret," Jake said as he administered sedatives remotely.
To Jake and Ayan's relief Minh's life signs normalized, he would be unconscious for several minutes, enough time for him to revert to a calm mental state. "That was unexpected," Jake said quietly.
"I should have seen it coming," Ayan whispered.
"After drifting alone for years, you're right. Do you think he'll be all right to land?"
"I don't know. I mean, if what he was muttering is true, that he feels naked, then probably not. Could you enter an atmosphere with his fighter moored to the ship, Lewis?" Ayan asked the ship AI.
"I know my seals and clamps will survive the heat and shear, but his fighter won't. Ramiel fighters have a soft, fabric seal that would survive the temperatures but not the stress of atmospheric entry."
"Slick, this is Hitman," Jake addressed through the comm.
"I love that call sign for you, it just fits," Ayan winked.
"Slick here. What can I do for you?"
"Can your Uriel clamp onto Minh's Ramiel and enter an atmosphere?"
"Sure can. Might get a little bumpy, but both fighters will be fine."
"All right, Ronin will be coming aboard the Clever Dream then we'll be touching down on Tamber."
"Captain, is the Wing Commander all right?"
"He'll be fine. His command unit was damaged and dosed him with a few milligrams of Taustim. We had to sedate him to get his heart rate down," Jake replied. Anyone who wasn't interested in disproving his white lie would never know the difference.
"Yikes, that explains what I was seeing in the squad status display. I'll stand ready. Slick out."
"And I'll make sure Minh gets a replay of your fantastic cover story as soon as he's lucid," Ayan added.
Lieutenant Garrison put his hands on the Clever Dream's flight controls as he watched the main pilot's display. He had forged a surprisingly uncomplicated bond with Lewis, the pair seemed to get along quietly and communicated well. Jake had witnessed one of their quiet debates already, and listening to them set the priority list for the ship maintenance was nothing short of amusing. The young Lieutenant would counter any of Lewis' objections with pure logic, giving in on some points when it made sense and sticking to others when he could. It was more a conversation than an argument, and it kept both the minder of the Clever Dream and her AI entertained. "I'll keep the Wing Commander's secret, Captain, don't worry. Nothing unusual about losing it when you notice how empty and dangerous space is. I tossed my breakfast on my first space walk."
"Almost everyone does," Ayan comforted.
"Three times."
"I don't know if that makes you tenacious or just special," Captain Valance replied with a sideways grin.
Lieutenant Garrison couldn't help but smile as he watched the small fleet's formation and deceleration rates. "We're emerging into normal space in three seconds, should be right in the middle of empty space."
Jake sat down in the copilot's position and rechecked the position of the other ships and fighters. They hadn't drifted more than a few millimetres, amazing considering the condition of most of the vessels. The Clever Dream wasn't pushing herself, of all the ships it had the most thrust. If all the Samson's engines were operational it would have been the most powerful, since Jake's old ship was originally designed as a cargo hauler.
The group of ships emerged from hyperspace and just as Lieutenant Garrison had predicted, they were at the edge of the solar system, speeding past the eleventh planet, a dark gas giant that appeared marble sized in the forward viewport.
“Ayan, there’s something I should tell you before we get in touch with anyone,” Jake started. “I’ve signed the Clever Dream, the Samson, and the fighters’ registries over to you. I’ve also made capture slips for all the raider ships so you’re listed as the commanding officer during the action. They’re a day off, but that’s not unusual for deep space ship captures.”
Ayan cleared her throat, “So what you’re saying is-“
“I’m in hiding, you’re in charge.”
“You left telling me to the last minute so I couldn’t refuse.”
“Who else would I trust? Everyone who served on the Samson is wanted.”
“Minh, maybe? He served in the Freeground Infantry, and he’s your Wing Commander.”
“Right, but you have years of officer training, more years in service and at least a few people from the Triton won’t be surprised if you take the lead.”
“You and everyone else who has more experience out here will be helping me every step of the way,” Ayan told him.
“Absolutely. Unless you have to go somewhere that’s equipped with DNA sniffers, but we can figure that out later.”
“Oh, lovely,” Ayan groaned. “All right, sucking it up and getting ready to take charge.”
Jake glanced over his shoulder to catch a glance of Ayan, who was flushed to her hairline as she looked up some last minute details on her command unit. He couldn’t help but grin as he returned his attention to the tactical display. "Everyone checks in fine. Laura says the Samson will be able to make a landing, they were able to brace all the weak points in hyperspace. I don't want to know what they had to tear apart for the metal, but at least they managed."
"Minh's starting to wake up," Ayan announced quietly. "I'll update him and tell him to come aboard."
He checked his long time friend's vitals and breathed a sigh of relief. He was back to normal, humour included. Minh managed to add the message; "’A moment spent leaning on others can lift a lifetime of egotistical weight gain from one’s shoulders.’ I feel as light as a feather, thanks guys! Mind the road." Jake looked up at the tactical display and noticed three navnet requests appear on screen. Each came with it’s own nationality, Confederation, Omiri and Carthan. All but the Carthan Navnet were demanding a fee. Left with little choice he selected it and viewed their managed territory.
At a closer glance, the situation in the Rega Gain system looked much as it should, according to the information they already had. There were active fire fights and areas of lingering resistance scattered throughout the solar system. Most of them were hot spots were United Core World Confederates were refusing to abandon settlements and a few older cities, while others weren’t as well marked, offering few details. "All right, it looks like Tamber is still our best option. There’s still a little fighting on one side of the moon, but not as much as in some other places."
"I know, I'm confirming that by reviewing the available propaganda now," Lewis replied.
"The good news is the Carthans have several open ground areas that are marked for safe landing. This one looks pretty clear," Jake brought up a broad section of land in the middle of one of the Tamber moon's southern continents. "No conflict markers for several thousand kilometres either."
"I can verify that. The Carthans are assuring people that the Tamber moon is open for business, most vessels without a permit are being directed to the Dower Wastes so they can land while they get proper clearance to set down in a recognized port. Clearance for orbit isn’t available for any part of the solar system.”
"Wonderful. Well, the Carthans are coming in at the right price and we need a place to set down and get organized anyway. Contact Tamber Control and set us up for a landing. Remember, if anyone asks, Ayan's the Captain," Jake smiled.
"I have to ask, Jacob; why don't you assign me to Captain the Clever Dream myself?" Asked Lewis.
"Because someone would probably slag you if they discovered an AI in complete control of a ship. Oh, that reminds me; try not to behave like an artificial intelligence. The last thing we need is someone tracking you and this ship back to Pandem."
"So you’re telling me to pretend I’m a human."
"That’s right.”
“Okay, should be easy. I’ll speak more slowly and unnecessarily add details about my personal life to the conversation while complaining about something I cannot change, like the weather, or my height.”
“That ought to do it,” Lieutenant Garrison laughed. “I’ll listen in.”
When Jake came down the ladder leading to the lower airlock Minh was making sure the hatch leading to his Ramiel fighter was secure. He could see he was still shaking even in the dim light of the small compartment. "You all right?" he asked quietly.
Sitting down on a short bench beside a tool locker, Minh retracted his headpiece. The thin impact absorption plates folded into each other and fit into his collar. He exhaled and lowered his face into his hands. At the sound of the clamps releasing his Ramiel fighter he twitched, but didn't look up. "I should have known I wasn’t ready. Sorry Jake."
"Ayan told me you had to take some time after you came back."
"More like, spend several weeks in containment while therapists rushed me through reintegration therapy."
Jake sat down on the opposite bench from Minh, who had taken his head out of his hands. He looked tired, older somehow. "Why'd they rush?" He asked quietly.
"I didn't want to be there. I had friends, my sisters, and nieces and nephews I'd never met and I couldn't wait to see them. After a couple weeks they cut me loose. They checked in a few times a day from there. Everything was a little too loud, I felt a little unsteady but it was better than being paced by a panel of doctors. I was just happy to be in touch, even if it was so scary sometimes, you know?"
Jake couldn't help but think of his time on the Samson, before he had memories to draw on. He didn't trust anyone. It took him a long time to find people he could leave in charge of the ship, even for an afternoon, without locking the Samson down completely. That was a kind of isolation he became accustomed to, and he was just starting to emerge from his shell. He couldn't imagine what Minh's forced isolation was like, what lasting effects it could have. Sure, they had both attended the mandatory seminars regarding long term isolation in Freeground Fleet Academy, but few people had ever spent so long alone in space with so much uncertainty and so little reassurance. There was no way for Minh to know if anyone was looking for him, or if his body would be found centuries later, aimlessly adrift. Only weeks after he was rescued by a Lorander exploration vessel, he returned to flying a starfighter. "What triggered this? Do you know?"
"It started when I woke up in hyperspace. If I were in a Uriel fighter I would have seen the cockpit around me, been able to stretch, but that Ramiel just wraps around you like a suit. Great for control but, man, I felt like I was trapped. Well, not trapped, but like I was naked. Both maybe, I don't know," Minh said helplessly. "My rep with the squad is shot now though."
"No one knows what happened, other than a stats increase. The only people who got on comms with you were Ayan and I. We can fake a stim overdose in the records and that'll explain the whole thing."
"That'll do it," Minh chuckled. "Were my stats that high? High enough to look like a stim OD?"
"They were through the roof. I've seen interrogation stats that never made it that high."
"Interrogation stats? It sounds like there's a story behind that, you'll have to share some of your shadier adventures some time."
"They're not as exciting as they sound."
Minh held his hands out in front of him, testing his steadiness. His shaking had almost completely gone. "After spending a few years adrift you'd be surprised at what I find exciting. Dinner. Dinner is exciting, and new combat boots, that's pretty interesting too. Oh, and materializers with patterns from the Sol System. If I weren't on energy rations like the rest of the crew my quarters would look like a Sol System Emporium."
Jake laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I could see that."
"Speaking of exciting, it looks like I'm good to go again. When we land I'm getting into my old Uriel with Slick and we're going to go see what's up with the Triton first hand."
"Are you sure you're good for it?"
Minh gave him a withering look. "A Ramiel is one thing, it feels like an oversized vacsuit with fusion fuelled thruster underwear. The Uriel feels like a rig, and I won't be alone. Slick's good people, laughs at half my jokes, oh, and he's a good pilot and SIO.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I'll be fine, Dad."
"Okay, okay. I was hoping we could send someone, even though everyone who knows anything about Freeground protocol is aware that sending a scout into that kind of situation is strictly prohibited."
"This isn't Freeground."
"I was hoping you'd say that. No risks though. If we're going to get the Triton back we're going to need up to date information."
"Aye, Captain. Just make sure that the whole fighter wing is ready to go the moment I get back."
"It'll be ready, but I don’t think it’ll be going anywhere for a while. We’re going to be concentrating on setting ourselves up somewhere while we figure out the next step. Even if we get the Triton back some of the crew will have to live somewhere else while we conduct repairs."
“Gotcha. You set up a homestead, while I’m playing recon.”
“Get some sleep while you're in transit, relax a bit.”
"I don't think I'll have a problem dozing. Those Uriel seats are so comfortable I'll be stealing one for my quarters when we've got our ship back."
"If we manage to get the Triton back I'll have the crew manufacture one for you."
"Do you think Oz's plan is going to work?"
Jake leaned back against the lightly padded bulkhead and thought for a moment before offering his opinion. "If it were just a hundred boarders who came in shuttles I'd have no doubt. I saw the final tactical data though; there were three operable destroyers, one of them had some kind of command segment. Sure the whole security team, our incursion teams and a lot of volunteers stayed behind to help, but who knows how many people the boarders have. Could be thousands."
"I’m going to assume Oz has the high ground here. He’s got to have about a thousand people left aboard."
"According to my numbers he's got about fourteen hundred, including the gunnery team, volunteers who were former raiders and some of the hangar deck crew."
"That's an army for a ship the size of the Triton, especially when a bunch of them probably have cloak suits. I almost wish I could join the fight."
"That's if Oz doesn't cause so much trouble that they just draw back and nuke the hell out of the Triton from a distance. According to the final sensor data we have on her, the Triton is in seriously rough shape. She couldn't outrun anything or take much of a pounding."
"Well, here's to finding out more. Depending on the fighter load outs, we might have the firepower or versatility to give Oz some cover."
"Don’t. We need you to get information on the current situation and get back here."
"I know, I know. I just thought I’d say it out loud to see how it sounds. It just feels like I should be there, doing something."
Jake nodded and stood. "I know. I thought about sending you in with the entire squadron, but those beam weapons. Your pilots aren’t ready for that kind of anti-starfighter weaponry. I can’t see more than a quarter of them coming back."
Minh thought for a moment and finally nodded. “They’re too green. Whatever we do has to be well planned. I saw what happened to one of our Uriels when a beam hit it at full intensity. Those battlecruisers don’t carry fighters because they don’t need them. Trust me, I’ll watch myself. There’s a lot of cover in that nebula, don’t worry.”
“You’d better,” Jake replied with a threatening tone.
He stood, hugged Jake tightly and chuckled as he was patted on the back. "You just get things set up here so I can tell you how we’re going to get the Triton out of this over a few drinks. Oh, and you're going to have to tell me what Steph and I walked into this morning. Hard to get that picture out of my head."
"He's not telling you a thing," Ayan called down from the hatch above them.
"Busted!"
"Otherwise I'll tell the crew the Wing Commander and Captain like to sneak away for cuddles."
Minh burst out laughing as Jake flinched away and started up the ladder. "What's wrong with a good cuddle between friends?" Minh asked.
"We're about to land, you should both come and see this." Ayan stated as she walked out of sight.
"You know, I'm glad you two are working out," Minh commented quietly.
"We're getting on well. She's different though, we're both different. Things still moving along with Paula?"
Minh hesitated, stopping half way up the access ladder altogether for a moment. "I think she's chatting me into submission, so yeah, they're moving along. Whether I like it or not," he replied quietly as he finished his short climb.
"You're not sure?"
"Don't get me wrong, she's got her good points. I always know what she's thinking, since she has every thought out loud, and I'm never caught wondering what I'll do with my off time since she always has it planned for me."
"So it's like you're spending time with An-Linh."
Minh froze in the narrow corridor, his eyes wide. "My sister?" He stared blankly into space and thought for another moment. "My micro-sized, hyper, opinionated sister."
"I always liked her," Jake commented as he finished climbing up the ladder and closed the hatch behind him.
"She was always my secret favourite too, but…"
"Secret favourite?"
"You never tell your sisters you have a favourite," Minh replied dismissively. "I'm really dating a bad copy of my sister," he continued, awe struck.
"I didn't say bad copy. I'm sure Paula has her charms."
"She's terrifying. The last time we went to the Pilot's Den she told me what I was having for dinner. It really is like I'm dating my-" he concluded his comment with a shudder. "How do I end it?"
"Carefully. Quickly. Are you sure though? I mean, there's got to be something there if you've spent so much time together," Jake offered with an impish grin.
"Are you kidding? Next she'll be spending the night and telling me what side of the bed I'll be sleeping on, when to go to the bathroom, and to have dinner parties where all the food comes from the materializer. She doesn't even like Asian food! Did you know that? I mentioned that I used to own an authentic restaurant and she cringed. She didn’t understand why anyone would cook anything, or why they’d want to do it for others, not even for money. She's the first woman I've ever met who doesn't like real cooked food."
Jake chuckled and shrugged. "Well, she’s not on the fleet list, so she must still be on the Triton. That should buy you some time to figure out how to put her down gently."
"Think my reputation would take a hit if I requested a squad or two from security when I did it?"
Jake nodded. “Oh yeah.”
"Suddenly I’m not in as much of a hurry."
"Mind on the mission," Ayan scolded. She had been listening to the entire exchange from the hallway.
“Right, mind on the mission.”
"Pointing out similarities between Paula and Minh’s sister wasn’t fair play, Jake," Ayan mock scolded.
"Better I point it out now than at the wedding."
“Maybe I’ll just send her a message as soon as the Triton’s safe. I’m sure she won’t care if it’s in the middle of a celebration, and I’d be avoiding an awkward reunion." Minh offered.
"You're doing it through a message?" Ayan gasped. "If you go through with this I'll never look at you the same way, Minh."
He stopped and stared at her for a moment.
Ayan was deadly serious. The quiet of the cockpit was thick as everyone waited for his reaction. They were in an automated holding pattern above Tamber, a green, brown and blue moon with a perfect atmosphere for humans.
Minh sighed finally and nodded. "You're right. Besides, if my sisters ever did find out I broke up with someone using a social system they’d get creative with the punishment."
"And it would be justified," Ayan affirmed.
"How are we for landing?" Jake asked.
"The Carthans assigned us to a desert called the Dower Wastes. According to the navnet pattern we'll be landing in about a minute and a half," Lieutenant Garrison replied from the pilot's seat.
"Any hidden fees?"
"Well, the good news is they're not worried about our fighters, they're just not allowed near population centres or certain parts of the solar system without permits. The bad news is they want twenty eight thousand UCW credits for protection. What they're going to protect us from, I don't know, but I didn't commit since I didn't think you wanted customs coming around to inspect everything before they started posting guards. There’s also a toxicity warning for the Dower Wastes. Apparently some kind of vegetation growth project went wrong, covering the wastes and a neighbouring island with rotting chemical clay. We should send a message to everyone warning them to stay aboard if they can, and to keep their vacsuits sealed if they have to leave their ships.”
"Wonderful. Well, at least we have somewhere to stay while we sort things out."
"Customs may still pay us a visit," Ayan continued. "I know I’d be curious about a Captain with so many recent acquisitions. They advise new Captains visit the Office of the Governor as well and gave me a number to call a bounder."
Jake nodded and took a seat in the copilot's chair. "Bounder is just slang for a short range people mover. The most popular ones used to use jump drives to reach low orbit and then drop down on their destinations."
"Sounds fun," Minh smirked.
"Sounds dangerous," Ayan commented.
"You spend most of the ride in an accelerated descent, so it's like falling in fast forward," Jake grinned. "Steph and Ash love those things."
"Oh, that reminds me. The whole Samson crew are on the bounty board."
"Well, we expected that, but how did you access the bounty board?"
"It's free," Ayan shrugged. "There are a few thousand listings for Greydock alone."
"That's not a good sign." Jake said under his breath.
"Why?"
"Well, normally you have to have a licence or register with the local authorities to get access to the bounty boards. If it's free here and anyone can capture someone and claim the bounty, then the hunters are being used for law enforcement. How did I rank, by the way?" Jake asked.
"I thought you'd be wondering. You're the most wanted man on the planet with a local bounty of three point five million if you're turned in alive at the United Core World Confederation. I think they're planning to resell you to the Galactic High Court. That bounty is a lot higher."
"Oh my God. I'm tempted to turn him in at that price!" Minh burst.
"And the Samson crewmembers?"
"Between fifty thousand all the way up to nine hundred thousand for Frost and Stephanie. She also has two outstanding warrants that apply in Confederation territory."
"You guys should just sell the rights to the Samson years to some holomovie studio. If they can make fifty films about Billy the Kid, I'm sure they can make just one about Jake and his crew," Minh chuckled.
Jake chose to ignore the suggestion and pressed on. "Are the Carthans backing any of the bounties on us?"
Ayan scrolled through the small section of the bounty board reserved for the Samson crew and shook her head. "If Security Chief Vega pays a two thousand credit fine it'll wipe out the fine they're charging her with. It's a failure to appear for some court date two years ago. She was called as a witness, not the accused."
Jake nodded, reminded of the incident. "Right, forward that to her and tell her to transfer the funds so she’s clear with the Carthans, at least. So, what’s Greydock?"
"It's the Carthan Capital for the entire moon, according to the system. Won't there be a ton of bounty hunters looking for you anyway? The bounty board is common here, that's why I could see Confederation marks along with the rest."
Jake turned and re-checked their navnet course as their small fleet of fighters and damaged ships began making their way to their final approach trajectory. Everything checked out and he half turned to face Ayan again. "You're right. It looks like you're on your own if you want to visit the Governor and get us proper landing permits. You’ll probably have no problem getting a privateering licence. I’m sure you’re not the only one with recent acquisitions coming in. I wish I could go with you, but I'm sure they’ve got DNA sniffers or deep tissue scanners there."
“Wouldn’t they leave you alone, since the Carthans are enemies to the Order of Eden and Regent Galactic?”
“Sure, but there’s no telling how many of their people are crooked. The nearest Confederation held solar system is only a few light years away.”
"Maybe I could take Victor and a couple of his squad members along."
"Bring the whole squad, except for Alaka."
"I don’t want it to look like I’m there to start trouble, I’m sure just a couple will be fine.”
“I think the smart move here is to bring too many friends. You don’t want to end up a few people light.”
“I think I’ll just take Victor, one of his hand picked people, and Laura,” Ayan countered. “Besides, what could happen in the Governor’s Office? A beaurocracy ambush?”
“You’re the Captain,” Jake dismissed lightly.
“Wow, that was quick,” Minh chuckled. “What are you going to do while she’s off hob-knobbing with the politicians?”
"And help me maintain order,” Stephanie interjected from the communications system. “We’re all secure back here Captain.”
“All our ships have checked in, we’re ready to set down on Tamber,” Lieutenant Garrison reported.
The four occupants of the cockpit fell silent as the Clever Dream began to pass through the atmosphere. Jake watched his tactical screen closely for any signs that the ships in their convoy were running into trouble, focusing mostly on the Samson. Whoever Laura had piloting his old ship was good at their job; they had the vessel angled just right so the more damaged dorsal and port sections saw little or no direct exposure. The shields were still doing most of the work, and he had to admit he was surprised they had managed to get the system back online after the beating it had taken only weeks before. He wouldn't have used the Samson, one of her main beams were twisted, three of the engines were out of commission and two compartments were completely open to space while several others weren't safe for atmospheric entry without shields.
When they came through the thick atmosphere he breathed a sigh of relief. Only one of them had gone slightly off course, a fighter near the rear of the group. The sky was a shade of dun brown, and as they passed through clouds a desert unlike any he'd seen stretched out in front of them.
There were no dunes, no shade indicating golden sand or dark dust, but hundreds of kilometres of gray and deep brown flat, cracked planes. "Lewis, can you run an analysis on that?"
"On what, exactly?"
"The ground. I know what the advisory said, but can you give me more detail?"
"The terrain below us consists of a combination of formerly life-giving chemicals combined with a porous, clay like medium. It is several meters thick in some places and covers large bodies of water in others."
"Formerly life giving?" asked Ayan.
"Yes. This material is called Dower Company Life Generating Topsoil, or LGT for short. It is designed to generate a diverse range of plant life in a balanced ecological range."
"A forest in a box," Stephanie said as she entered the cabin. "I saw this from the common room and had to check for myself. Any idea why it failed?"
"Based on what I'm seeing I can only assume something failed early in the chemical reaction, perhaps there was wide spread contamination. I don't have enough information to be certain. There are several unsecured networks within range, would you like me to look into it for you?"
"No, Lewis, thank you," Ayan answered. "The last thing we need is to have you detected by some artificial intelligence scanner. Complex AI's are outlawed by the Carthans."
"I am aware, thank you Ayan."
"I think you hurt his feelings," Stephanie said as she patted the ceiling. "Do you know what exposure to this stuff could do to us?"
"I think you should obey the Carthan advisory to the letter, don't touch it with bare skin and don't breathe too much of the dust. This entire expanse is a low level biohazard."
The five occupants of the cockpit watched as the Clever Dream completed its descent. The colour of the landscape, the uniformity of it and the level plane of the land made it look like it went on forever. What was there before, no one could guess, but no one was left with any question as to why the place was called the Dower Wastes.