getting the ZPEDs to work? They didn’t die so that we could have ZPEDs, Nathan. They died defending their world.”
“They died because I couldn’t leave well enough alone!”
Nathan took pause to gather his thoughts, leaning back in his chair again as he regained his composure. “From a practical standpoint, it makes sense to conduct further tests of the hybrid jump system. Should it prove usable, it might allow us to jump right past Jung-occupied space, giving us a better chance of reaching Earth without further incident.” Nathan looked Cameron directly in the eyes. “That’s the reason I’m ‘hell-bent’ on getting the ZPEDs to work, Commander, and that’s the only reason. I don’t want any more of us to die, not if there’s a way to prevent it. The ZPEDs are our best hope, Commander. For us and the Earth. Is that understood?”
“Couldn’t leave well enough alone. Aye, sir, I understand that ,” Cameron retorted, feeling confident that she had gotten to the bottom of Nathan’s reasons for pursuing the ZPEDs so fervently. “Then you’ve decided?”
“No, I haven’t, Commander,” Nathan stated, returning to his previously calm demeanor. “But rest assured that your comments will have some bearing on my decision.”
After a long silence, she dipped her chin down slightly, trying to look into Nathan’s eyes. He had the amazing ability to go from enraged to dead calm in seconds. It was one of the traits that had surprised her early on. “Are we good?”
Despite his best efforts to conceal it, a smile started to form at the corner of his mouth. “We’re good, Commander.”
“Just checking.” She took two steps backward, maintaining eye contact long enough to see that he had relaxed a bit. Satisfied that they truly were okay, she began to turn toward the hatch.
“Hey, Cam,” Nathan called. She stopped and turned back toward him. “If Captain Roberts were still alive and in command, and you were his XO, would you be asking him the same questions?”
“If he was thinking about doing the same stupid thing? Hell yes.”
Nathan’s smile broadened. “Just checking.”
* * *
Nathan walked across the main room of his quarters to the entrance hatch. He swung the hatch open and found Vladimir smiling on the other side.
“Did I wake you?” Vladimir asked. “Of course not,” he added with a laugh, “you don’t sleep.”
“Not from lack of trying,” Nathan said as he closed the hatch and followed Vladimir into the main room.
“Sorry I could not join you for dinner,” Vladimir said as he went to Nathan’s kitchenette, looking for a snack. “Abby had my entire department installing special sensors in the decks around the mini-ZPEDs. That woman…” Vladimir stopped mid-sentence, thinking. “How long have we been gone?”
“From Earth?” Nathan asked, plopping down on the couch.
“Of course from Earth.”
“I don’t know exactly. I kind of lost track. Four months, maybe?”
“Four months, and that woman is still a pain in my popa.”
“Your what?”
“Popa. You know.” Vladimir stopped searching the kitchenette long enough to point at his butt. “Don’t you have anything to eat around here?”
“I have my own cook, remember? I think there are a few of those meal bars in the cupboard over the sink.”
“Oh,” Vladimir declared with glee, “I love these things. I thought Cameron returned them all to the escape pods.”
“I guess she missed a few.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Vladimir took a bite of one of the bars and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. “She doesn’t miss anything.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Nathan said. “She’s been riding me nonstop about my wanting to let Abby test the hybrid jump drive.”
“Why?”
“She thinks it’s an unnecessary risk.”
“What risk? We have sensors everywhere. Not a single electron flows without our knowing it. The worst thing that can happen is that we jump a bit
“They died because I couldn’t leave well enough alone!”
Nathan took pause to gather his thoughts, leaning back in his chair again as he regained his composure. “From a practical standpoint, it makes sense to conduct further tests of the hybrid jump system. Should it prove usable, it might allow us to jump right past Jung-occupied space, giving us a better chance of reaching Earth without further incident.” Nathan looked Cameron directly in the eyes. “That’s the reason I’m ‘hell-bent’ on getting the ZPEDs to work, Commander, and that’s the only reason. I don’t want any more of us to die, not if there’s a way to prevent it. The ZPEDs are our best hope, Commander. For us and the Earth. Is that understood?”
“Couldn’t leave well enough alone. Aye, sir, I understand that ,” Cameron retorted, feeling confident that she had gotten to the bottom of Nathan’s reasons for pursuing the ZPEDs so fervently. “Then you’ve decided?”
“No, I haven’t, Commander,” Nathan stated, returning to his previously calm demeanor. “But rest assured that your comments will have some bearing on my decision.”
After a long silence, she dipped her chin down slightly, trying to look into Nathan’s eyes. He had the amazing ability to go from enraged to dead calm in seconds. It was one of the traits that had surprised her early on. “Are we good?”
Despite his best efforts to conceal it, a smile started to form at the corner of his mouth. “We’re good, Commander.”
“Just checking.” She took two steps backward, maintaining eye contact long enough to see that he had relaxed a bit. Satisfied that they truly were okay, she began to turn toward the hatch.
“Hey, Cam,” Nathan called. She stopped and turned back toward him. “If Captain Roberts were still alive and in command, and you were his XO, would you be asking him the same questions?”
“If he was thinking about doing the same stupid thing? Hell yes.”
Nathan’s smile broadened. “Just checking.”
* * *
Nathan walked across the main room of his quarters to the entrance hatch. He swung the hatch open and found Vladimir smiling on the other side.
“Did I wake you?” Vladimir asked. “Of course not,” he added with a laugh, “you don’t sleep.”
“Not from lack of trying,” Nathan said as he closed the hatch and followed Vladimir into the main room.
“Sorry I could not join you for dinner,” Vladimir said as he went to Nathan’s kitchenette, looking for a snack. “Abby had my entire department installing special sensors in the decks around the mini-ZPEDs. That woman…” Vladimir stopped mid-sentence, thinking. “How long have we been gone?”
“From Earth?” Nathan asked, plopping down on the couch.
“Of course from Earth.”
“I don’t know exactly. I kind of lost track. Four months, maybe?”
“Four months, and that woman is still a pain in my popa.”
“Your what?”
“Popa. You know.” Vladimir stopped searching the kitchenette long enough to point at his butt. “Don’t you have anything to eat around here?”
“I have my own cook, remember? I think there are a few of those meal bars in the cupboard over the sink.”
“Oh,” Vladimir declared with glee, “I love these things. I thought Cameron returned them all to the escape pods.”
“I guess she missed a few.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Vladimir took a bite of one of the bars and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. “She doesn’t miss anything.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Nathan said. “She’s been riding me nonstop about my wanting to let Abby test the hybrid jump drive.”
“Why?”
“She thinks it’s an unnecessary risk.”
“What risk? We have sensors everywhere. Not a single electron flows without our knowing it. The worst thing that can happen is that we jump a bit
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