Tranquility Down

Part Three

by G. Lawrence

In this sequel to Tranquility in Darkness, we find Grey, Kris, and their allies struggling to establish the Lunar Republic as a legitimate nation. This old-style science fiction novel is told in eleven parts.

Recap: in the summer of 2049, Governor Thomas McKinsey evacuated the moon so the Northern Alliance could not use Tranquility's nuclear arsenal in their global trade wars. 12 months later, McKinsey's followers were dead and he was dying, leaving the colony computers to raise the only lunar survivor, a baby named Grey. In part three, we find a small fleet of spaceships seeking to mine a meteor field that annually threatens Earth. All characters are over 18 years old. All rights reserved.

* * * * * *

Chapter 3

CHASING ASTEROIDS

"Here they come," Michiko said, watching the approaching shuttlecraft from the bridge of Toppas. Attached to Toppas on the port side was RR Black Raven, to starboard was Packet. With room for a crew of ten plus storage, Toppas was proving a spacious headquarters for the six-member Tranquility team gathered at the bridge window.

"That's a C-4 in the lead. NA Lindley towing A-4 Hawkeye," Nicholas reported from the engineering station, comparing the advance intel with the tracking reports. "Bringing up the rear is EC Juno, a C-8. Plenty of room for cargo and crew with that much capacity. Juno is piggybacking A-4 Sword."

Nicholas floated back to the bridge window, taking Tamera's hand. Far off in the distance, the Earth and the moon were but distant bodies. Much closer, the thin ring of asteroids known as the String whisked by in a huge never-ending cartwheel around the sun.

"Two cargo shuttles and two carriers should prove adequate," Grey said. "It will take a few days to position, however. And even though the section we need to mine won't arrive until the 30th, we'll need time to practice. Few of these crews have deep space experience."

"Like we do?" Kris sarcastically said.

"Kris is right," Tamera agreed. "Only Roger has been this far from Earth before, and you made him stay home."

"Major Vandebrown's presence at Tranquility is necessary for maintaining diplomatic stability," Grey said. "But this isn't a difficult mission. We'll simply form a skirmish line parallel to the asteroid string, filter in to mine seven of the mid-rangers, then withdraw before activating the warheads. Two days to arrange position, a day setting the mines, and twelve hours to retreat."

"You make it sound easy, but how easy is it?" Tamera asked.

"It's important not to crash into an asteroid," Grey admitted.

"Like NA Salvation did," Johnston recalled.

"Assuming that's what really happened to them," Michiko wondered.

"TL-68 had formidable mass and was surrounded by a volatile congregation," Grey said. "These mid-rangers are smaller and spread several hours apart. The danger is minimal."

"The shuttles will be here in a couple of hours," Kris said. "Let's get our Sheppard tube ready and review our security procedures."

"Each of us has a sidearm," Nicholas said, tapping the stunner holstered to his hip.

"If Johnny will take bridge duty, I'll launch the guardians and coordinate their programming with the Defense Computer," Michiko added. "We have one guardian to cover each cargo shuttle. The captains aren't going to like it, though. Not any more than we would."

"I don't give a rat's ass what they like," Kris said. "They're going to know that if an accident happens to one of our ships, especially Grey's, then accidents are going to happen to all of theirs."

"Aggressive tactics are unnecessary," Grey objected. "With the publicity this mission is receiving, treachery by the Northern Alliance is unlikely."

"We're going to keep our security tight," Tamera said, staring Grey straight in the face. "Kris is absolutely right, we must be vigilant at all times."

"I agree," Michiko said.

"And me," Johnston chimed in.

"And so do I," Nicholas said.

"That's very noble," Grey said, irritated by their resolve. "But space has enough dangers without inviting an overreaction by robotic weapons. If any humans are killed without justification, it will set back years of effort. I must insist that all safety protocols be observed."

His crew quietly accepted the necessity of such a policy, but Nicholas noticed that Kris was less convinced.

Within hours, the armada of Earth vessels arrived at the rendezvous point, Juno docking near Toppas, then the Lindley docking with Juno, making the big Commonwealth ship the center of activity. As soon as the Sheppard tube was extended and locked in place, Toppas opened her airlock. Assigning Johnston to the bridge, Kris floated through the pressurized tube first, one hand on her sidearm.

"Hello, Captain Fairfield," she was greeted at the far end. It wasn't the voice of a stranger.

"Colonel Kimura?" Kris said as Nicholas and Michiko followed her through.

"Mara!" Michiko said, happy to see her former commanding officer.

"You are looking fine, Colonel," Nicholas quickly added, thinking Kimura wore her new eagles well.

"What are you doing here?" Kris asked in surprise.

"Euro Command has the same concerns about this mission that you do," Kimura said, pointing at the stun weapons each of them was wearing. "I'm in charge of the sky dogs, just to make sure the mission stays flush."

Kris saw the cargo shuttle was even bigger than she expected, the center opening into a dozen peripheral compartments. One area larger than the rest had been set aside as a conference center, complete with specialized monitors and chairs.

"Let me introduce Colonel Francis Johannsen, Juno's commander, and Major Viktor Beketov, commanding Sword," Kimura said, pleased to make the introductions.

Handsome men in their late thirties, they were smartly uniformed and appeared friendly. The shuttle captains smiled and floated forward to shake hands, then became alert as Tamera and Grey entered. Kimura pushed forward to meet them at the airlock, then turned toward her officers with a proud squaring of her shoulders.

"Fran, Vik, let me introduce Grey Waters, the Governor of the Moon," Kimura said.

Grey put a hand up against the bulkhead to halt his momentum, then reached out to shake hands as protocol dictated.

"Pleased to meet you," Grey said very formally. "Colonel Kimura, it's an honor to serve with you again."

Kimura smiled with particular delight, though Grey didn't understand why a simple greeting should elicit such a reaction.

"We've set up a command post in the galley," Kimura said. "Marlborough and Sykes will be joining us in a few minutes. Governor Waters, would you mind meeting the rest of our crew?"

Grey wasn't sure what to say, but Tamera floated up next to him and stabilized herself on one of his shoulder straps.

"The Governor will be pleased to meet with our Commonwealth allies," Tamera said.

"Thank you, it's truly appreciated," Colonel Johannsen said.

Grey still didn't know what all the fuss was about, but he spent the next half hour shaking hands and making small talk with excited humans who, in his opinion, may have already spent too much time in outer space.

___________

"Then we agree on this mission plan?" Colonel Marlborough said.

Using static pads to remain seated around the white oval table, the commanders of each shuttlecraft had their note pads secured before them. Given precedence at the head of the table, though he hadn't asked for it, Grey downloaded the final amended instructions as Tamera floated on one side of him and Colonel Kimura on the other. The atmosphere was professional despite tension between the Northern Alliance contingent and their temporary allies.

"This looks like a good strategy," Colonel Johannsen said. "Sword and Black Raven will drop back to mine X109 and X110, then rendezvous with Juno and Lindley before mining X99 and X72. Hawkeye and Packet will stay with Toppas to mine X74, then go forward to mine X51 and X40. We should finish twelve hours before the threshold point."

"A thousand or more of the smaller asteroids will enter Earth's atmosphere," Grey said. "Your shuttles will be safe at Midway until the meteor storm passes, but if any serious malfunctions occur, you are welcome to access emergency facilities at Tranquility."

"That's very generous, Mister Waters," Marlborough said, careful not to grant Grey a title that the Northern Alliance disavowed. Except for Major Sykes, none of the commanders at the table appeared to appreciate Marlborough's discretion.

"We have Safari in reserve at Midway," Sykes said. "She's fully stocked should anyone have fuel or resource problems."

"I think we should appoint an overall commander for the operation," Johannsen suggested. "I would like to nominate Governor Waters. This mission is based on his projections, and he has contributed three of the seven ships."

"My Defense Computer drew up this mission plan," Grey explained. "And only two of the shuttles belong to Tranquility. Black Raven is on loan from the Russian Republic. As I will be alone in Packet near the head of the column, I believe that Colonel Johannsen will be in a better position for overall coordination."

"What do you think, Mara?" Kris asked Kimura.

"Give us a patch to your communications computer and the crew of Juno will do the rest," Kimura said, taking Kris by the hand to show that her real question was understood.

"That's fine with us," Marlborough said. "Commander Sykes and I will pull forward and get our drill teams ready. I'll have Chief McCabe contact Mister Waters as you'll be working together on X40 and X51."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Kris said.

"That will be fine, sir," Grey said. "If Chief McCabe would like to visit Toppas before separation, he can also speak with Mister Woo, our engineering officer. He and I have been training on drilling procedures for the last month."

"Excellent, excellent," Marlborough said. "I know it's against the rules, but I have a small contribution here."

Colonel Marlborough pulled out a plastic envelope and distributed a dozen small packets labeled Scotland Vodka.

"Don't worry, not enough to even get a buzz," Marlborough said.

Tamera snatched up several packets, checked them without trying to appear suspicious, then passed the packets along to Kimura. Kimura appeared aware of the contents and distributed them with a subtle smile in Tamera's direction.

"Chaos to this year's String," Marlborough said. "May we save cities, villages and farms all over the world."

"To cooperation," Johannsen said. "May our alliances never again fight yesterday's battles."

"To a permanent defense fleet," Grey said. "So Earth will never again face destruction from space."

"Here, here," the commanders agreed, sucking their vodka as each imagined a future of well-arrayed spaceships and expanded missions.

"Would you care to meet Lindley's crew, Mister Waters?" Colonel Marlborough asked.

"He'll consider meeting with your crew when you learn to call him governor," Kris said.

"I meant no offense, Captain Fairfield," Marlborough apologized.

"That hasn't stopped you from offending, though, has it?" Tamera responded.

The atmosphere around the galley dining board, never relaxed to begin with, grew even more tense. Only Grey seemed to attach little significance to the slight.

"My units are overprotective, Colonel, please ignore them," he said. "We'll need to be at our stations soon, but I would be very pleased to meet your crew members once the mission is accomplished."

Kris and Tamera were not happy. Marlborough smiled graciously. Nicholas and Kimura grinned to see Grey in familiar form.

___________

"It's beautiful out here," Kris said, holding Grey in her arms as they looked through the view port of their private quarters.

Off in the distance, Earth appeared to be a very small planet while the moon was barely visible at all. A field of stars spread into the distance as far as her imagination could reach.

"It loses its appeal after a while," Grey said.

"When were you last out here?" she asked.

"I ... I don't know what you mean," he replied.

"What I mean is, I think you're not telling me something. Have you been in deep space before?"

"Would you like to have sex again?" he asked.

"If you try changing the subject with sex every time I want a straight answer, your charlie will be nothing more than a nub," Kris warned.

"It's a risk I'll have to take," Grey said, twisting in the net hammock.

"This is the strangest thing I've ever done, floating naked in a rope basket while trying to make love upside down," she said, not exactly complaining.

"I prefer gravity also," he agreed. "These C-class shuttles weren't designed for extended missions. The next generation of deep spacecraft will have gravitational compartments."

"That's great, but those are ten years away."

"Two years. Three at most," he corrected.

"But Tranquility doesn't have the equipment to build shuttles like that, and even if the NA was finally ready to start building some, you can bet they wouldn't share the technology with us."

"The Sales Computer once told me that any product can be purchased if the price is right," Grey said. "We'll find what we need."

Kris twisted in the hammock until they were able to get into a clutch, glad the cargo shuttle had enough space for privacy.

"This is hard," she said as the hammock began swinging in loops. "Do you think Nick and Tammy are doing it, too?"

"It never occurred to me to ask," Grey said, stopping the spinning by catching hold of the bulkhead. "Shall we get them on the intercom?"

"No, no," she laughed. "That would be too embarrassing, though I might ask Tammy later when we're alone. Maybe they've figured out a better technique."

"There are vids available on the subject, we can have the Library Computer download one to our com unit," Grey suggested.

"Outer space porno? No, that's too wild even for me," Kris said. "I think the old-fashioned method of trial and error is more fun."

Later that evening, after they spent some time simply floating in the zero gravity, Kris slipped into the next hammock and Grey turned to look out the view port. There were no planets visible, no moons or space stations. Just empty space. But Grey fell asleep knowing that few things are what they appear.

FIVE YEARS BEFORE - MAY 16, 2065

The huge rock was twisting in space round and round and round. Obscuring the spinning field of stars were thousands of smaller rocks whirling about in complex patterns. Grey tried not to look up. The vertigo was bad enough already. Joanie lay crashed against a spiny peak, the aged shuttle too slow to avoid the impact. Joanie was not alone. Only twenty meters away, the remains of NA Salvation lay jammed in a crevice, the pilot crushed on impact. Another crew member lay dead in the wreckage.

Life Support was right, Grey thought. I shouldn't have come. Now I'm stranded, too. He turned to look ahead toward the blue water planet on a collision course with the giant asteroid. It won't be blue much longer, he knew. An explosion, a plume, airborne dirt, dust and debris. Six months or more without sun, and much of the planet would whither.

The astronauts were brave.

The astronauts are dead.

No, Grey realizes. Someone has survived. There are lifelines strung along the length of the asteroid. Evidence of drilling equipment. A track for moving warheads.

Grey moves closer to the wreck of NA Salvation. He has seen lifeless humans before, one just a year before at the Siberia Mining Station, and many more in Tranquility's morgue. These bodies are different. Just eight days ago they were struggling toward a monstrous threat to their planet and families. Now two of them have ceased to function.

Where is the other one? Grey wondered. Does it matter?

I shouldn't have stowed away. It was arrogant. I want to go! Let me fly the supply shuttle! Why did I have to defy Life Support? And Defense. Security will gloat.

The lifelines lead over the crest of the spiny ridge. Don't look up, the rock is spinning too fast. Hold the lifeline. One of the warheads has been placed, the trigger armed. More than one warhead. He finds a second, and a third. The asteroid is twelve kilometers long. There will be one warhead for each kilometer. Where is the third human?

Grey trudges on, the space suit struggling against the heat of his exertions. It takes hours. At the eleventh warhead, the trail ends. The twelfth warhead is anchored in a crate. The third human lays anchored next to it. He's dead.

So am I, Grey thinks. May as well place the last warhead. These were brave humans. Where is the trigger mechanism?

It takes him most of a day. He's not trained for dragging a warhead across the face of a spinning asteroid and drilling a six-meter-deep hole to drop it in, stringing lifelines as he goes. He learns fast. He has to with only twenty-four hours left to the threshold point. Guess I won't live to be sixteen after all. Shouldn't have stowed away. I shouldn't be afraid, he thinks, but I am. He trembles. He cries. The astronauts were brave. I should be, too. Please let me be brave.

The last warhead is placed. He follows the lines back, crawling over the broken rock, checking the detonators, trying not to look at the spinning stars. Salvation's wreck lays nearby. The water planet looms ahead. Only a few hours left. He is brave, at the end, but it doesn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks.

NA Salvation carries an escape pod, he suddenly remembers. Can it be launched? Could Flight Control send Packet to pick me up? He looks again at the rapidly approaching water planet. Does the trigger mechanism have a timer?

___________

"Grey?" Kris said again.

"What?" Grey replied, the memories drifting away as he woke up.

"You were a million miles away, lover," Kris said in a sleepy voice, still floating in her hammock next to him.

"Farther than that," Grey said.

Later, as Toppas was taking a center position in line between Juno and Lindley, Nicholas entered the navigation dome to find Grey buckled down at the observation console.

"Hello, I thought you were sleeping," Nick said, strapping into the chair next to him. "Is Kris awake, too?"

"The female is sleeping," Grey said. "She finds intimacy in zero gravity fatiguing."

"We all do," Nicholas grinned. "Are you reviewing those reports again?"

"Affirmative. By the time you come back to center line, X51 will have already been mined," Grey explained. "I want Toppas and Black Raven to keep full emergency thrusters on standby, just in case it's necessary to make a quick escape."

"That is common sense," Nicholas said. "Michiko and I are ready. It will be exciting to land on an asteroid."

"You won't actually land," Grey said. "You'll anchor with the explosive hooks, then use the lower storage deck as a drilling platform. Whatever you do, don't tangle or detach your lifelines."

"Yes, we have practiced," Nicholas said. "Are you so nervous?"

"You and Miss Hasegawa make a good team. So do Mister Woo and Captain Fairfield," Grey said. "With help from the other ships, all should go well."

"Kris is unhappy you will be forward with the two Northern Alliance ships," Nicholas said. "Would it not be better if you mine the tail and let Toppas take the lead?"

"From a technical standpoint it should make no difference, but I have reasons for wanting the lead position," Grey said.

"And those reasons would be?" Nicholas asked.

"A complete explanation would prove complicated," Grey demurred.

"You do not want to explain, do you?" Nicholas said, having heard that tone before. And never under auspicious circumstances.

"Whatever happens, don't be concerned," Grey said. "And don't let Kris or Tammy become worried. We're here in a spirit of international cooperation to mine a few of the mid-rangers, none of which are even scheduled to hit Earth this year. As far as anyone else is concerned, that's all we're here to do."

"We will do our best, but you also must be careful," Nicholas urged. "The Lunar Republic depends on you."

"The Lunar Republic depended on me," Grey corrected. "You, Kris and the planning committee, along with the new colonists, have secured Tranquility's future whether the Northern Alliance accepts it or not. I'm just a symbol now."

"You are a symbol that is greatly respected," Nicholas said. "Oh, I know you have never accepted it. That is not important, but it does not make it any less true."

"I have no intention of being killed, if that's your concern," Grey said. "Once this mission is complete, I believe the Northern Alliance will abandon all interest in their pathetic assassination plans."

"That would be a relief," Nicholas said. "When will we know what this is really all about?"

"All should be clear by the time our fleet returns to Tranquility," Grey said. "Whether or not the plan is successful will take somewhat longer."

___________

"You're good at this, Governor Waters," Chief McCabe said over Hawkeye's transmitter as the shuttlecraft creeped up on X51.

"Won't employing my outlawed title result in disciplinary action?" Grey inquired, speaking through his suit's intercom. He waved a homing beacon at the approaching ship, allowing Hawkeye to fix position.

"They can boot my ass anytime," McCabe said, his voice gravelly with a Midwestern accent. "I'd make a hell of a lot more working private anyway. You'd do fine, too. How much does being governor pay?"

"One credit annually," Grey said.

"Damn, are you being screwed," McCabe laughed.

"My salary as Tranquility's chief engineer is somewhat more, but until our accounting computer is realigned to an Earth financial institution, the credits aren't transferable."

"I'll bet the Swiss banks will be glad to take your business. How much is engineering paying on the moon these days?"

"The salary for a staff position is one hundred and twenty-five thousand credits annually, plus benefits," Grey explained. "Chief of engineering pays two-hundred thousand credits plus an eighty thousand credit bonus consideration."

"You make two-hundred and eighty thousand credits a year?!" McCabe nearly shouted.

"I've only been chief of engineering for six years. Before that I was just a technical assistant," Grey said. "What does your military pay?"

"Thirty-two thousand a year, and that's top kick," McCabe answered.

"And you accused me of being abused?" Grey said.

"When this is all over, don't be surprised if me and Majid ask for job applications," McCabe said.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Dan," Lieutenant Ghazi said. "Major Sykes says we're reaching our mark now, prepare for docking."

At the pilot station, Sykes brought the A-4 within several meters of X51, matching the asteroid's speed and rotation.

The crooked asteroid beneath them was oblong in shape, sixty meters long, twenty meters in diameter, and densely massed. The section they approached was comparatively flat with a shallow bowl in the center. Near the crest of the bowl, Packet was already anchored. Through Hawkeye's cargo bay doors, McCabe could see Grey had disembarked and was using the suppression jets on his walker to gain a foothold on their objective.

"Ready for anchor," Grey said after securing himself to a lifeline.

The moment he saw McCabe and Ghazi, Grey shot the hook to them, allowing Hawkeye to share Packet's tether. By cranking the line in, Grey was able to bring the shuttle flush to the asteroid.

"Breaking out the drill," McCabe said.

Using his spacesuit's suppression jets for stability, McCabe lowered the drill, activated the energy blade, and burned a crisp three-meter-deep hole. Then Ghazi reset the head and they lowered the drill back into the hole, widening the shaft enough for someone to enter. During the last two stages, they used an angle drill to cut a fifteen-meter horizontal shaft through the heart of the asteroid.

"I'll send you those employment applications," Grey said, finding the engineers efficient.

Grey used his suppression jets to drift down into the shaft where he placed a floodlight to make the task easier, then he turned back toward Hawkeye.

"Here it comes," McCabe said, gently tossing down the warhead.

Grey temporarily clamped it to the wall, then opened the control panel to activate the computerized timer, running a quick diagnostic.

"Hold on a minute, I'll shoot down and give you a hand," McCabe said.

"Unnecessary," Grey replied. "Free your docking clamp and catch up to X40. I'll be finished here in another forty minutes."

"Okay, kid, but don't get stuck down there," McCabe said, cutting the anchor and closing the cargo bay hatches.

As Hawkeye floated off on wing thrusters, Grey moved the warhead to the far end of the shaft, then ran a cable up to the asteroid's surface. The moment he uncapped the transmission sensor, the device was ready for the ignition sequence.

"Waters to fleet, X51 in place," Grey announced.

"Juno to Waters, status acknowledged," Johannsen said. "Looks like we're ahead of schedule. "Black Raven and Sword have finished with X74. Only X40 is left."

"Hawkeye is in route to X40. Instruct the fleet to withdraw," Grey said.

"Are we ready for that?" Johannsen asked.

"We're going to have a massive fragmentation zone when the warheads are set off," Grey warned. "The more distance we gain, the more effective our evasive action systems will be avoiding the debris."

"Can't argue with you there," Johannsen said. "We've already retrieved Sword. I'll tell Toppas to recover Black Raven. Lindley can start moving up to take Hawkeye. How about you?"

"Packet is designed for extended thrust," Grey explained. "Once X40 is mined, I'll be out of here faster than any of you."

"Good to know, Governor," Johannsen said. "We'll start... Wait a minute. What's that? Fowler? Kimura? What's that signal?"

The transmission went quiet for a moment, then Johannsen came back in a panic.

"Governor, get out of there! The warheads are activated!" he reported. "Do you hear me, Governor? The warheads are activated. Get out of there now. Juno to fleet, the chain is counting down. Scatter! Scatter!"

Grey wasted no time climbing back into Packet's cockpit, blowing the anchor cable, and accelerating forward of the asteroid. Soon he was able to monitor the countdown on his receiver and quickly realized there was inadequate time to outrun the explosion. Radar showed Juno, Toppas and Black Raven climbing steeply away from the String on full thrusters. Up ahead, Lindley was taking Hawkeye in tow. If the cargo shuttle was able to maintain course, the risk would be minimal, but Packet needed shelter.

"Packet, what's your status?" Johannsen asked.

"I don't have time for conversation right now," Grey responded, mixing his fuel ratios for maximum speed.

"You're not going to reach the safety line in time," Johannsen said. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Negative, Juno," Grey said. "Raise your radiation shields. Don't be surprised when we lose communications."

"Black Raven to Packet," Kris cut in. "Grey, what happened? Where are you going? Should we try to pick you up?"

"Negative, Black Raven. Follow your emergency protocols," Grey insisted.

"Toppas to Packet," Nicholas said. "Maybe if you angle your course, we can take you in tow?"

"Achieve the safety line," Grey ordered, reaching to shut the transmitter down. "And stop bothering me, I'm busy."

Up ahead, Grey tracked X40 and pressed the thrusters to maximum, the increased G forces pinning him back in the seat. On the control monitor, he saw time was running out. He wouldn't have the luxury of swinging wide, so he caught up to the lead mid-ranger and burned precious fuel to maneuver in front of the asteroid. Once he had X40 between him and the warhead on X51, he hit the breaking thrusters, reduced velocity, then hit them again, trying to nestle against the face of the asteroid without crashing.

Grey had just positioned within a half dozen meters of the on-coming space rock when his tracking screens were washed out by an overwhelming energy pulse. A bright light appeared all around the protecting asteroid, then a cascade of radioactive emissions. In a fraction of the time it had taken Grey to reach X40, tiny asteroids began whisking by at missile velocity. Then something large slammed into the protecting asteroid, and the asteroid slammed into Packet.

"Grey. Come in, Grey," Kris transmitted on several bands at once. "Black Raven to Packet, report!"

A bright light appeared through Black Raven's bridge window as X51 fragmented, then a chain of explosions quickly spread backward through the five trailing mid-rangers as the nuclear warheads were set off in rapid sequence. Millions of particles large and small burst in every direction, most continuing in the general direction of Earth, but swarms of others diverting outward. Many of the accelerated fragments ranging in size from sand specks to boulders struck smaller asteroids, disrupting their trajectories.

With radiation shields up, the rapidly fleeing cargo shuttles managed to gain their safety zones as the collision avoidance systems kicked in, the maneuvering jets dodging the spacecraft away from dangerous debris. The storm didn't last long, and within an hour the pilots were able to stand down from emergency status.

"Black Raven to Defense Computer, where's Packet?" Kris summoned after failing to reach Grey on any of the established frequencies.

"Immediate information unavailable, Captain," the Defense Computer said. "Tracking resources are overwhelmed. Mapping modes useless. Packet presently unaccounted for."

"Keep searching, we're going back for a closer look," Kris said.

"Negative," Tranquility's Flight Control Computer interjected. "All fleet elements are instructed to remain at your stations until clear flight paths can be established."

"The computer is right, Kris," Johnston said, floating next to her on Black Raven's bridge. "This old Russian ship doesn't have the guidance equipment we need to navigate this field. Let's hook up with Toppas and match notes."

"Yeah, okay. But hurry," she said. "If Grey's ship is crippled, every minute counts."

Hurrying was not easy. Having fled the String on different trajectories, it took several hours of maneuvering to reach Toppas, and even then there were still enough accelerated particles present to make use of the Sheppard tube unwise.

"Find anything, Nick?" Kris asked over the transmitter.

"Not yet," Nicholas said. "Juno's coming up to starboard. Kimura's using that big dish of theirs to track the asteroid belt."

"Where's Lindley and Hawkeye?" Johnston asked.

"On their way back to Midway," Tamera said.

"They couldn't even stay to help?" Johnston asked.

"What help?" Tamera said. "They set off the warheads."

"We don't know that, Tammy," Nicholas warned.

"I know it. Everyone else knows it, too," Tamera persisted. "And after everything Grey did to help them."

"Tammy, Lindley can read this channel," Michiko warned. "I think the space station can also read it."

"I don't give a shiver what those cowards can read," Tamera said.

"Kris, I think we've found him," Colonel Kimura announced, bursting in on their frequency. "We have a record of Packet's thrusters on our heat sensors just before the explosion. Right next to X40."

A transmission from Juno displayed a tracking grid on the control stations aboard Toppas and Black Raven.

"Defense, are you getting this?" Kris asked.

"Affirmative," the Defense Computer acknowledged. "Mapping indicates the forward fragment of X51 struck X40 and affected the asteroid's trajectory. Packet appears to be anchored to X40."

"Is Packet damaged?" Nicholas asked.

"Unknown," the Defense Computer said. "But asteroid X40's course has been altered from near miss to direct hit. If not deflected, it will cause significant damage to the North American continent in the Great Lakes region."

"Did I hear that right?" Colonel Marlborough asked, breaking in on the channel. "That buster's headed for America?"

"Our tracking indicates that seventeen-hundred first grade meteors will enter Earth's atmosphere in the next four hours, but only X40 is large enough to cause category two damage," the Defense Computer reported.

"We've got to catch that asteroid," Marlborough demanded.

"Not going to happen," Johannsen reported. "We've moved way off track."

"We can catch her," Kris said. "Let's fire this bucket and get going."

"Colonel Johannsen is right, Kris," Nicholas said. "We can't reach the threshold point in time. And even if we did, at this angle we'd burn up in the atmosphere before gaining a safe orbit."

"We've got to contact Grey, find out what's going on," Kris said.

"Do you think he knows that asteroid is headed for Earth?" Tamera asked.

"Grey always knows this kind of stuff," Kris said. "If there's any way to stop it, you can bet he's working on it right now."

On the leading surface of asteroid X40, Grey had Packet securely anchored and was drilling a shaft for the only warhead he had left. From time to time, he glanced up at the rapidly approaching planet, then looked at his timer. The threshold point was approaching quickly, and with Packet damaged from the collision with the asteroid, he didn't want to squander what time remained.

The drill cut sharply, then the energy blade deflected off an angle and chopped back, burning the head. Grey cursed, pulled the drill up, and replaced the bit so quickly hardly more than a few minutes were lost.

At last the shaft was sufficiently wide enough and deep enough to begin a horizontal niche. He edged down using brief puffs of his suppression jets and started cutting the side shaft despite the dangerously close quarters. He didn't have time to cut as deeply as he wanted, but he wasn't sure if it was necessary. All he needed to do was deflect the hurtling rock. If he blew it to pieces, Packet would be blown to pieces with it.

After an hour of drilling and struggling to put the warhead in place, Grey was finally able to set the timer and scramble back up to the surface. Packet's landing gear was buckled, the starboard jet canopy bent, and a ring of holes were perilously close to the fuel cells. He quickly plugged two of the holes with magnetic caps, then checked the small cargo hold to assure himself that the carefully stored contents remained undamaged.

Time was running out. Grey climbed into the cockpit, locked the canopy, and brought the thrusters online slowly to avoid sudden stress on the engines. He wanted to float off the asteroid, not explode off it.

Now too close to Earth to see much else, Grey studied his control panels and gently lifted away. The faster moving debris field was gone now, the minor obstacles easy to avoid. But the planet's gravity wasn't.

Grey fired Packet's thrusters, glancing briefly at the countdown on timing monitor. There was no place to hide except Earth orbit, and no way of avoiding the planet even if he wanted to. Around him, a group of fragments were plunging toward the large oceans. Some would bounce off the atmosphere, most would burn up, and a few would survive the descent. None of them would remain in orbit for long, and Grey knew Packet wouldn't either.

Prepared to exhaust his fuel, Grey hit the breaking thrusters long enough to grab a brief moment of orbital velocity, then blew the explosive bolts on the cargo hold. Behind him, a series of eight shielded communications satellites spilled out to encircle the Earth, each seeking a preprogrammed position using tiny maneuvering thrusters. The satellites were not large, nor especially sophisticated, but adequate enough to relay signals around the globe.

Packet didn't hold the orbit long as the destabilizing loss of mass spun the shuttlecraft down deeper into the stratosphere accompanied by dozens of meteors. Behind him, the warhead on X40 detonated, blowing ripples through the thin sky as the bulk of the asteroid twisted off its trajectory. Within minutes, the remains of the deadly rock sheared through the upper atmosphere and departed into deep space, never to threaten Earth again.

The shuttlecraft wasn't so fortunate. Grey tried to use the short wing flaps to break the speed of descent, but the shuttle began to shake violently. Then Grey hit the landing thrusters, but they were useless, the fuel gauges indicating the reserve was empty. To make matters worse, Packet suddenly caught fire and began breaking up. As much as Grey regretted losing such a useful craft, he finally accepted the inevitable and activated the escape pod, pulling the emergency lever and blowing the nose off the shuttlecraft. As the compact escape module separated and plunged through the thickening air, Packet all but disintegrated.

Within hours, Earth had left the pesky asteroid ring behind for another year. Pieces of the String remained, some caught in Earth's gravity, some branching off in wild directions, others forming slow moving directionless groups. As Juno, Sword, Lindley and Hawkeye returned to Midway, Black Raven formed up on Toppas.

"You can't maintain an extensive search pattern," Nicholas reminded Kris over the transmitter. "Don't try for a visual sighting. Look for heat sources."

"I understand, Nick," Kris said, sick to know radar was showing nothing but lifeless space. There was no sign of Packet.

"Any clue what set that warhead off?" Johnston asked.

"No," Michiko said. "We haven't traced a signal yet, but the NA ships were both close. If they did it using a spiral wave, it's not going to show on our tracks."

"Ask if Juno has anything in her logs. I bet Mara's as angry about this as we are," Kris said.

"An understatement magnified," Michiko said. "Kimura's demanding Marlborough and Sykes be brought up on charges."

"We will follow up on it, Kris," Nicholas said. "You and Johnny just be careful. And do not worry, I am sure everything is okay. Toppas out."

As Black Raven dropped back to survey the debris field trailing Earth, Toppas accelerated toward the moon.

"Isn't there more we can do, Nick?" Tamera asked, floating among the bridge seats while holding his arm.

Strapped in the pilot's seat next to Michiko, the three of them looked out the large window at the sea of stars, watching Black Raven's thrusters disappear into the void.

"Grey will be fine, Tammy," Nicholas said.

"I sure hope you're right, Nick," Michiko said. "From here, space sure looks like an awful big place."

___________

"What the hell happened?" Colonel Marlborough asked, storming onto Lindley's bridge as it approached the Midway Space Station. "Johannsen and Kimura are crawling up my butt accusing us of trying to kill Waters!"

"Didn't we?" Chief McCabe asked, frowning with less than appropriate respect.

"What? You, too?" Marlborough said.

"Listen here, Bill," McCabe snarled, poking an angry finger. "I liked that kid. He trusted us to get the job done, and if he hadn't run down that stray, who knows what might have happened? I've downloaded Hawkeye's transmissions and you can bet there's going to be an inquiry."

"Damn it, Dan," Marlborough said. "Just between you and me, I knew an accident might happen, but I sure as hell wouldn't have allowed anything until the mission was complete, and especially not with our ships sitting browneye in the blast zone. How stupid do you think I am?"

"I don't know. I don't know how ambitious Sykes is, or someone else who thought they'd pick up a black star by doing some politician's dirty work," McCabe said. "But lives were put in jeopardy today and someone's going to answer for it."

"This is a military operation, Chief McCabe, and you will keep your suspicions to yourself until a duly appointed board chooses to ask your opinion," Marlborough insisted.

"War's over, Bill," McCabe responded. "I've spent twenty-five years in the corps, fifteen of those in special forces. Could have retired years ago, and still will if I have to. I'll kick you the benefit for now, but don't think for a minute you can muzzle me."

McCabe floated off just as Major Sykes came up, surprised by the hostile glare in the engineer's eyes, and even more bewildered by his commander's sullen expression.

"You damn idiot. Couldn't you have waited until our ships were clear?" Marlborough asked.

"Me? Hell, Colonel, I thought you did it," Sykes replied.

"Someone did something, and we've got to figure it out before returning to base," Marlborough said. "I want all com screened, nothing goes out without permission, and I'll need a private channel to Admiral Trolleni."

"What about the Governor, sir?" Sykes asked.

"Goddamn it! Do you mean Waters?"

"Yes, sir, of course," Sykes corrected.

"His shuttle was trapped between the asteroid and the planet," Marlborough said. "Hardly a chance in hell he's still alive, but let's keep our tracking active. If we can't put together a good explanation, the next accident may happen to us."

___________

"Roger, what's wrong?" Tey asked, catching Vandebrown as he bounced down the administration corridor toward the Governor's Quarters.

"Can't talk now, Tey, something's happened," Roger said.

"To one of our ships? Is someone hurt?"

"Tey, I can't--"

"Roger, I don't care about your dirty blanket nonsense. And I can keep a secret as well as you can. I'm a doctor, remember? Confidentiality is my profession."

"Swear to God, Tey, nothing you hear ever gets repeated. Not to Kris, not to Nick, not even to the computers. Not to anyone."

"You have my word," Tey agreed.

"Congratulations, you're now a spy," Roger said, taking her hand and pulling her down the hall until they reached the Governor's Quarters. He locked the door the moment they stepped inside and went directly to the central control station.

"Defense Computer, screening mode. What happened?" Roger asked.

Blue signature patterns filtered into the monitor screen, taking dominance of the flux and shutting out the minor systems.

"Is Doctor Meriwether now a member of the cabal?" the Defense Computer asked, the disapproving tone bordering on sarcasm.

"Physicians have privileges not extended to ordinary mortals," Tey insisted.

"What about Grey? Did he make it down okay?" Roger asked.

"Flight Control is unable to verify Packet's status," Defense said.

"What can you verify?" Roger asked, growling with impatience. "Tracking showed Grey's shuttle close to that stray."

"Packet took shelter behind X40 with several minutes to spare, the remainder of the fleet having time to disengage," the Defense Computer said, blue signature patterns steady. "The Commonwealth commanders believe the NA commanders activated the warheads prematurely and are reporting as such to their superiors. It won't be long before this belief takes hold throughout the world's media despite denials by the Congress-In-Council."

The Defense Computer sounded very pleased with the report and Roger smiled as well. Tey could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"And the satellites?" Roger asked.

"All eight com links are successfully deployed," Defense said. "Within seventy-two hours, the world will have a global communications network that the Northern Alliance cannot jam or censor."

"And any traffic the com links can't handle, we can support from the lunar web?" Roger asked.

"Affirmative," the Defense Computer said.

Roger took a deep breath, then glanced at Tey.

"Patience, honey," he whispered. "Okay, Defense, bring in Security."

Within moments black signature patterns swirled into the flux, the waves agitated.

"Do you have a signal?" Roger asked.

"Negative," Security reported. "The blast effect has disrupted communications. And even if a signal is received, it will not reveal the Governor's status, only that the tracking device survived the crash."

"The crash?" Tey said. "Grey crashed? Where?"

"Hello, Doctor Meriwether," Security said, the black signature patterns going from excitement to reservation. "Major Vandebrown, you understand this individual has not been granted an appropriate security clearance?"

"I trust Doctor Meriwether with my life," Roger said.

"It's the Governor's life that depends on this information remaining classified," Security clarified.

Tey studied the black signature patterns and realized the computer wasn't exaggerating. She sighed a soft breath and looked directly at the monitor screen.

"I'll do whatever's necessary to protect Grey," Tey said. "He's not just my patient, he's my friend."

Both the black signature patterns and blue signature patterns paused on contemplation mode, then seemed to release residual doubts.

"Remember, we can't make any attempts to contact Grey," Roger ordered. "The last thing he needs are directed signals entering NA ground tracking without apparent explanation. Implement the cover story, get our new web going, and let's have an emergency shuttle standing by in case we need to make a quick retrieval."

"The last option is not viable," the Defense Computer warned. "As explained to the Governor--"

"That's fine, Defense, I understand we can't just drop in and pick him up without someone challenging our flight plan," Roger interrupted. "Let's have a ship standing by anyway, okay?"

"Acknowledged," the Defense Computer conceded.

"Security, insure that Communications is reviewing the media broadcasts. Have Library maintain a continuous analysis. We need to know the world's reaction to the assassination attempt. And we might also find a clue to Grey's whereabouts."

"Agreed," the Security Computer said.

"Oh, Security, you were right about that secondary signal," Roger said.

"Secondary signal?" Tey asked.

"Com tracking shows two sources tried to activate the warheads," Roger revealed.

"The Council's agents must have issued one of the signals, but who issued the other one?" Tey asked. "Not the Commonwealth?"

"No, it wasn't the Commonwealth," Roger said.

"My systems have a strong suspicion," the Security Computer said. "Until the truth is known, this information is classified."

"That means play dumb, Tey," Roger said. "I know it's hard, but any conversation we have outside this room must proceed as if you don't have a clue about what's going on."

"That's easy, because I don't," she said.

"That's all we can do for now," Roger said to the computers. "Recall our ships. Davis will issue a press release. And keep investigating that secondary signal."

The Defense Computer and Security Computer dropped offline, leaving the flux empty but for the common rhythms of the minor function levels. Not even the Life Support Computer appeared aware of the unusual conversation.

"I've got a few questions, Roger," Tey understated.

"Come with me," he said, leading her from the monitor room, through the study, and back into the sleeping chamber. He slid the folding doors closed to activate the privacy protocol.

"Christ's sake, Roger, what are you guys up to?" Tey asked, kicking off her shoes and taking a seat on the oversize bed. "What does Kris think about all this?"

"She doesn't know about any of it," Roger said. "If Kris learned Grey's shuttle crashed on Earth, probably on Northern Alliance territory, what would she do?"

"She'd charge down there and rescue him," Tey said. "And woe to anyone who tried to stop her."

"Exactly," Roger said. "And do you know what would happen? Her flight would be tracked, she'd be arrested, the Council's agents would locate Grey, and he'd disappear into government custody, never to be seen again. That's precisely what we're trying to avoid."

"People are going to be worried, and they're going to have a lot more questions than I do," Tey insisted.

"I like Kris. I like her a lot," Roger said. "If it was up to me, I'd have brought her in on this from the beginning. But I promised Grey to keep his confidence. He's got enough to worry about without wondering if Kris will jump into something she doesn't understand."

"I don't understand it, either," Tey said.

"Honey, even I don't understand it," Roger said, sitting next to her on the bed. "Grey only tells me what I need to know. But I got the impression that if he gets what he wants out of this mission, our world might never be the same again."

* * * * * *

To be continued ...