farther than we planned.”
“I guess she sees that as a risk.”
“Nathan, she does know that we are in the middle of nowhere, right? It’s not like we are going to run into something. I mean, the odds of that happening are so…”
“Don’t talk to me about odds,” Nathan said, grimacing. “I have a bad habit of proving them wrong, remember?”
“My point is that we are no more likely to run into trouble using the hybrid configuration than we are using the original one. In fact, if you think about it, we are less likely, as we would be making fewer total jumps to get home.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that argument?”
“Because you are not as smart as I am,” Vladimir declared as he opened a second meal bar, “or as pretty.”
“The word is ‘handsome.’”
“Ah, yes. Handsome. I get those two words mixed up sometimes.”
“Then you don’t think I’m making a mistake?”
“Of course not. You are my best friend, Nathan, so trust me on this… If I thought you were doing something terribly stupid, I would tell you.”
“Isn’t that what Cameron is trying to do?”
“Perhaps. But what does she know? She is an administrator. She knows nothing of the jump drive or our power systems. And she definitely does not know anything about the ZPEDs.”
“Do you?”
“No,” he admitted, taking a swig of water from a half empty bottle sitting on the end table, “nothing at all.” Vladimir laughed. “According to what I know of physics, they should not work at all.”
“Then how can you be sure I’m not putting the ship at risk?”
“I can’t,” Vladimir said with a shrug, “but the Takarans do know something about ZPEDs, and they do not seem worried.” Vladimir took another long drink, emptying the bottle. “Besides, Abby knows everything about the jump drive.”
“She doesn’t completely understand how it works,” Nathan reminded him. “She has said as much in the past.”
“Even the Takarans do not completely understand how our jump drive works. She knows enough, Nathan. She is a very smart woman, that one. Just do not tell her that I said this. She will never forget.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand half the techno-babble that comes out of her mouth.”
“Nathan, you don’t understand half the babble that comes out of my mouth.”
He chuckled. “True enough.”
“Do not worry my friend. Everything will be fine; you will see.”
“I don’t know, Vlad. Cameron is really dead set against it. I’m beginning to wonder if she might be right.”
“She is not a risk taker like us,” Vladimir said as he rose and headed for the hatch.
“You sure you don’t want something else to eat?” Nathan asked. “I think I have some stale crackers lying around somewhere.”
“No, I must go. I have much work to do.” Vladimir made his way to the hatch. “We might be testing experimental drive tomorrow, and I must be sure we do not explode!”
“Funny.”
“Get some sleep, my friend!” Vladimir ordered as he closed the hatch behind him.
“Even funnier!”
* * *
“Captain on the bridge!” the Corinari guard at the hatch announced as the captain entered. Nathan paused momentarily, noticing the tension on the faces of his bridge staff. After which, he turned and headed into his ready room.
Before he reached his chair behind his desk, the chief of the boat, Master Chief Montrose, entered. “Captain? A moment of your time, sir?”
“Come in, Master Chief.” He stood behind his desk, watching as the master chief closed the hatch and entered the room. “Uh, oh. Are you going to chew me out as well, Master Chief?”
“I’m afraid so, sir,” Master Chief Montrose told him. “I’m just not sure how to adequately express my concerns in English. I haven’t been speaking it that long.”
“You’re doing fine, Master Chief. You’ve even started using contractions.”
“Let’s see if I remember this correctly,” the master chief said. “Captain, what the
“I guess she sees that as a risk.”
“Nathan, she does know that we are in the middle of nowhere, right? It’s not like we are going to run into something. I mean, the odds of that happening are so…”
“Don’t talk to me about odds,” Nathan said, grimacing. “I have a bad habit of proving them wrong, remember?”
“My point is that we are no more likely to run into trouble using the hybrid configuration than we are using the original one. In fact, if you think about it, we are less likely, as we would be making fewer total jumps to get home.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that argument?”
“Because you are not as smart as I am,” Vladimir declared as he opened a second meal bar, “or as pretty.”
“The word is ‘handsome.’”
“Ah, yes. Handsome. I get those two words mixed up sometimes.”
“Then you don’t think I’m making a mistake?”
“Of course not. You are my best friend, Nathan, so trust me on this… If I thought you were doing something terribly stupid, I would tell you.”
“Isn’t that what Cameron is trying to do?”
“Perhaps. But what does she know? She is an administrator. She knows nothing of the jump drive or our power systems. And she definitely does not know anything about the ZPEDs.”
“Do you?”
“No,” he admitted, taking a swig of water from a half empty bottle sitting on the end table, “nothing at all.” Vladimir laughed. “According to what I know of physics, they should not work at all.”
“Then how can you be sure I’m not putting the ship at risk?”
“I can’t,” Vladimir said with a shrug, “but the Takarans do know something about ZPEDs, and they do not seem worried.” Vladimir took another long drink, emptying the bottle. “Besides, Abby knows everything about the jump drive.”
“She doesn’t completely understand how it works,” Nathan reminded him. “She has said as much in the past.”
“Even the Takarans do not completely understand how our jump drive works. She knows enough, Nathan. She is a very smart woman, that one. Just do not tell her that I said this. She will never forget.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand half the techno-babble that comes out of her mouth.”
“Nathan, you don’t understand half the babble that comes out of my mouth.”
He chuckled. “True enough.”
“Do not worry my friend. Everything will be fine; you will see.”
“I don’t know, Vlad. Cameron is really dead set against it. I’m beginning to wonder if she might be right.”
“She is not a risk taker like us,” Vladimir said as he rose and headed for the hatch.
“You sure you don’t want something else to eat?” Nathan asked. “I think I have some stale crackers lying around somewhere.”
“No, I must go. I have much work to do.” Vladimir made his way to the hatch. “We might be testing experimental drive tomorrow, and I must be sure we do not explode!”
“Funny.”
“Get some sleep, my friend!” Vladimir ordered as he closed the hatch behind him.
“Even funnier!”
* * *
“Captain on the bridge!” the Corinari guard at the hatch announced as the captain entered. Nathan paused momentarily, noticing the tension on the faces of his bridge staff. After which, he turned and headed into his ready room.
Before he reached his chair behind his desk, the chief of the boat, Master Chief Montrose, entered. “Captain? A moment of your time, sir?”
“Come in, Master Chief.” He stood behind his desk, watching as the master chief closed the hatch and entered the room. “Uh, oh. Are you going to chew me out as well, Master Chief?”
“I’m afraid so, sir,” Master Chief Montrose told him. “I’m just not sure how to adequately express my concerns in English. I haven’t been speaking it that long.”
“You’re doing fine, Master Chief. You’ve even started using contractions.”
“Let’s see if I remember this correctly,” the master chief said. “Captain, what the
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