TNE 02 To Dream of Chaos Read online

  "I knew It," Snapshot said. "A manipulation."

  "Indeed. Once the manipulation was effected, and bad breath fully neutralized, I intended to inform the crew and judge the success of the manipulation on the basis of their acceptance of its utility."

  "That's It?" Coeur asked.

  "Yes, Captain. Would it have made a difference If I said it had been mucus?" The creature seemed to watch Coeur expectantly.

  Huh? Coeur thought. "But it wasn't?"

  "No, it wasn't."

  "Then, no, it wouldn't."

  Newton surreptitiously keyed data into Its chest-mounted computer/translator.

  And I thought Scissorvvascroiy. "And you two," Coeur turned to Gaffer and Snapshot. "What did you think he was up to?"

  "Nothing specific," Snapshot said, "We were just exercising healthy paranoia."

  "Yes, sir," Gaffer agreed, "although I had reason to suspect..."

  "What?" Coeur asked, "Well, nothing. Like Snapshot said, just healthy paranoia."

  CoeuCs eyebrows rose at that, but she did not force the issue.

  "Sir," Gaffer went on, "if punishment is to be handed out, I would ask for leniency on Snapshot's behalf. What we did was entirely my idea."

  "Well, given the circumstances," Coeur said, "I don't think any punishment will be in order,"

  Drop Kick, Coeur noticed, exhaled a far greater sigh of relief than Snapshot.

  "I might be inclined to convene a summary court martial, though," Coeur said sternly, "if anything like this ever happens again. With civilian government representatives aboard, best conduct Is our only conduct. Am I understood?"

  "Indeed," Newton said.

  "Yes, sir," Gaffer and Snapshot seconded.

  "Very good. You're dismissed. Gyro, set space detail and Stand by for launch at 1400 hours."

  The various personnel in the loft then scattered, leaving Coeur alone with Drop Kick and Physic.

  "I assume you'll want the Oriflammen settled in," the doctor said. "They're In my sick bay now, so I could handle that."

  "Very good. But here...." Coeur pressed the half-empty bottle back Into Physic's hands. "Dump this out first I'm sure we can survive without fresh oreath,"

  Or mucus.

  Chapter Seven

  Six hours later. Hornet was in jump space, bound tor Helios, and the junior technarchs were becoming acquainted with the newest additions to their wardrobe.

  "Captain," An-Wing said, holding her new body sleeve out from herself at a distance, "is this really necessary? Do we really have to wear these silly body sleeves?"

  "That's funny, "Masaryk said, with his own body sleeve draped over his arm, "I would have thought you'd want a body sleeve, since it looks so much like the rest of your wardrobe—black and embarrassingly tight."

  Coeur meanwhile smiled, leaning back in the chair at her stateroom's desk.

  "Actually," she said, "they're really rather comfortable, once you get used to wearing them. But in answer to Lady An-Wing's question, no, you don't have to wear yours all the time, just when you're in space."

  "Oh," An-Wing said to Masaryk, "lhafs all."

  "The reason we all wear body sleeves," Coeur explained, "Is that a starship can suffer pressure loss at anytime, and when that happens, we're all forced into vac suits. Those suits are t hecooling garment you wear under a vac suit, and—in a pinch—they'll keep you from suffering the worst effects of vacuum exposure while you look for your emergency suit."

  "Pardon me, Captain," Masaryk said, "but just what are the worst effects of vacuum exposure?"

  "Oh, I'm sure you're heard about them—-capillaries exploding in your skin, eyes popping out, that kind of thing—but I'll have Gyro fill you in dunng the vacuum drill later. Basically, if you hear the vacuum emergency alarm, you pull your sleeve's hood over your head, pinch your nose, squeeze your eyes shut and dash for the nearest suit locker,"

  "Well, then, now will we be able to find our suits with our eyes closed?" An-Wing asked.

  "Oh, no problem," Masaryk guessed, "we probablyiust grope around until we find Them 3nd hope our air doesn't run out first,"

  Yeah, I shouid he so lucky, Coeur thought.

  "Actually, no," Coeur said. "There are powerful strobe lights on all the suit lockers, so you can find them even through your closed eyelids."

  "Think of everything, don't you?" Masaryk said.

  "We try. But if there's anything we missed, we'll to add it to the list."

  "Very well, then," An-Wing said. "I suppose we should go uy these on."

  "Oh, by the way," Coeur said, calling to the junior technarchs as they turned to go, "those body sleeves will probably feel a little bulky at first, but you'll get tsed to wearing them eventually."

  "Hmph," An-Wing snorted, imperiously. "I'll bet she just wants us to feel foolish in front of The crew."

  Coeur did not comment, and the junior technarchs went oh their way.

  Well, of course I wont you to feel foolish, she thought, turning to the paperwork on her desk. If you're embarrassed at the way you look, maybe you'll stay in your cabins and out of my hair for a few days.

  Coeur's secret wish was not fulfilled. The technarchs quickly became adjusted to their suits and comfortably took up their favorite preoccupation—directing anti-Federalist invective at anyone unfortunate enough to be in the area.

  "Captain," Gyro finally said, alter the shipbegan itsnext jump, out of the formal borders of the RC and toward the boneyard I'Steich. "I don't mean to sound undiplomatic, but frankly those Oriflammen are getting on my nerves."

  "Yeah, I know. Just the other day I heard them debating with Snapshot, of all people, about class warfare on Oriflamme."

  "Right. And then there was two days ago, when the Marines chased them out of the loft for suggesting they were stooges of the Hive Federation,"

  "Yeah, you're right," Coeur had to admit. "They are pretty annoying. If it weren't for the fact that they eat their meals alone, they'd really get on everyone's nerves."

  "Actually, they've already managed to do that," Gyro said, "although thai's not what I'm most concerned about. What bothers me is that they're undermining your policy against political debate aboard ship."

  "Yeah, you got me there. I'll lalk to them."

  Coeur found iteasy to track down the junior technarchs; they were in the galley, loudly attempting to pry state secrets from Newton.

  "...Now, Newton, if that is Indeed your name, what do you mean the Coalition Isn't a manipulation? Isn't that what you Hivers do, manipulate people?"

  "Of course we do, Ms. An-Wing, However, l regret that I have noknowledgeof a high-level manipulation designed toshape the destiny of the Coalition. It is an interesting Idea, though. I'll have to see if there's a topical club responsible for that manipulation, so I can join it"

  "If I may interrupt," Coeur said, "I need to talk to the junior technarchs."

  "8y all means," Newton said.

  "I meant alone."

  "In your stateroom?" Masaryk asked Coeur.

  "Yes. After you."

  "So, what's this all about?" An-Wing asked, after they crossed into Coeur's stateroom adjacent to the lounge.

  "What this is about," Coeur said, "is our policy on political discussions aboard this ship. We don't have them."

  "Which?" An-Wing asked. "Policies or discussions?"

  Coeur held her temper, barely. "Oiscusslons. Our policy is that we have no political discussions," she said pleasantly and reasonably.

  An-Wing exploded, "You can't be serious! What about that freedom of speech you prize so much on Aubaine?"

  "Don't get me wrong; I value freedom of speech just as much as anyone. However, on this ship, we don't have it; everybody keeps her opinion to herself so everybody can slay focusedon her work."

  "Captain," Masaryk said, "are you Implying that Liu and I are being disruptive to your ship?"

  "let's just say the people on this ship don't need any more stress in their lives. And let's further say that any
body who aggravates that stress will probably spend the rest of the trip locked in her stateroom."

  "Captain," An-Wing said, "I do believeyou're threatening us."

  "Oh, perish the thought," Coeur responded.

  "Perhaps," Masaryk said, interrupting AtvWirg before she could fire off a protest, "we should take the captain's advice to heart."

  "But—"

  "And," Masaryk wen ton, keeping a wary eye on Coeur, "stop pestering the captain's crew."

  "There's a thought," Coeur said.

  "Fine," An-Wing said, huffily, "although It's not as if we've done anything wrong."

  "Is that all, Captain?" Masaryk asked-"Yes, you may go."

  "Thank )k>u," An-Wing said, with an acid expression. I don 'iknowwhy she's upset, Coeur thought afterward. I didn't even bring up the third option—spacing them vsithout o suit.

  Amazingly enough, Coeur1! little talk seemed to do the trick. Though the junior technarchs were still tempted to harangue the odd crewmember, the victim would usually respond that Coeur had banned all political discussions aboard ship, and add that he'd Overheard a rumor that Coeur would space anyone who didn't agree.

  "Notke how we don't see much of the junior technarchs anymore?" Gaffer asked three weeks later, at a morning mess with Coeur, Drop Kick, Physic, Fubarand Gremlin.

  "Yeah," Fubarsaid, halting a healthy portion of pressed fish— shape-molded into a breakfast patty—on the way to his mouth. "Funny thing, though—they seem to have gotten the vac suit drill down pretty well."

  "I'llbet Iknowwhy that is," Physic said. "It's probably because of that rumor they were going to be spaced. I mean, really, who'd start a nasty rumor like that?"

  "Got me," Coeur said innocently, when the doctor glanced at her.

  "i'll bet It was Newton," Gaffer replied. "Probably as part of some kind of manipulation."

  A sharp look from Coeur, however, pulled him up short.

  "Hey," he said, "I didn't say he was doing anything wrong; I just said it's the sort of thing he would do."

  Fotr enough, Coeur thought.

  Uvid as she'd been at the earlier conduct of Gaffer, Snapshot and Newton, Coeur had to admit that all the parties Involved bad since gone out of their way to prevent another such embarrassment.

  "You know what you ought to do, sarge," Gremlin suggested, "is make a Reformation Day resolution to make friends with Newton."

  Caffer banged down his coffee mug just hard enough to register his response.

  "Or maybe not."

  "Wow," Physic said, sitting back In her chair, "I hadn't thought about that Reformation Day is right around the comer, isn't it?"

  "Yep," Coeur said, "about three weeks away."

  "You know what," Drop Kick suggested, "maybe we should have a party. I mean, it « Reformation Day."

  "Yeah, I've thought about It," Coeur said, "but there is a problem. If everything goes according to schedule, we'll be coming out of jump at Moppo on Reformation Day, and that*s just one jump short of Mexit—hardly a good place to have the crew plastered if mere's any danger in the area."

  "Oh," Physic said, "that's right." Moppo, What a great name. Whose idea was that?

  "Well, what about this," Drop Kick offered. "We could have the party early,"

  "Yeah," Physic said, "why not? I mean, we're so far from the rest of the Coalition, it's not like we'd mess up anyone else's schedule"

  "Hmm," Coeur said, "that's true."

  "So how about it, skipper?" Drop Kick asked.

  "All right, you've talked me into It. But let's not have it until next week, when I announce our mission to the crew. That'll be after we've left Kruml, and we'll have crossed the outer border of the AO."

  Caffer nodded, thoughtfully Introspective.

  "You know," he said, after a moment, "considering how new the Coalition is, you might just be starting a new tradition— having a party every time you cross the AO."

  Coeur smiled.

  "Yeah, that's right. It could be kind of like The old initiation on Terra, whenever sailors crossed the equator the first time."

  "What the hell kind of custom Is that?" Fubar asked.

  Coeur refrained from explaining in detail. Much as she loved her homeworld, some of itscustoms were not only strange, but rather silly.

  "Forget about It," Coeur said. "Drop Kick, since you thought of it, you're officially in charge of party planning."

  "Hey," Physic protested, "I'm the one who remembered the holiday."

  "Well, you know, Physic," Coeur said, "the crewmember in charge of party planning is also the crewmember in charge of cleaning up the party mess."

  "He is?" Drop Kick asked. "Well, In that case...."

  "Hey, forget it," Physic said, resisting Drop Kick's anticipated offer. "I'll just be the party adviser."

  One day later, with absolute precision, Crowbar's jump drive and Deep Six's jump plot deposited Homer 100 diameters from Forcena V, just 168 hours after the ship entered |ump space. The innermost gas giant of the boneyard system Kruml, It was also the most congenial, with neither radiation fields nor Insidious debris rings nor violent storms to thwart refueling. Skimming, therefore, went without incident, and within 20 hours of arrival, Hornet was back in the familiar strangeness of jump space.

  "All right, people," Coeur said on ship-wide intercom, after all stations reported secured, "it's time for what you've all been waiting for. Hornet has left the Primary AO, and I am now authorized to tell you precisely what we're doing out here.

  "In a nutshell, our mission is to recover the crew and cargo of an Orlflammen starship named Crazyjone, which disappeared on Me/it several months ago. Crazy Jane was a 400-ton Petty
  "What we believe they discovered is a black globe generator, which Is basically the ultimate starship defense system—a device that can absorbevery/ouleof erteigy directed at It and completely hide a starship for good measure. And If that isn't enough, it's also possible that Crazy Jane found an entire Final War depot, filled with God-knows-how-much relic technology. At a conservative estimate, it's probably huge, because Mexit had a very large precollapse population, had a very high tech level and was located on a vital transportation route.

  'The reason we care about all this Is two-fold. Obviously, our leaders could put that relic equipment to a lot of good use—If we can find it and make friendly contact with its owners, But even if we can't, it Is Imperative that relic technology like the black globe not fall into the hands of our enemies. The Solee, in particular, are shaping up to be a major menace in this area—with the relic fleet they're resurrecting. If necessary, we will destroy the depot rather than let it fall into their hands.

  "But I may be getting ahead of myself. We don't have much good intelligence on Mexit. and we don't know what the situation is there. Zero's people may be in the custody of a hostile—possibly well-armed— power, and so may the depot, for that matter. Therefore, the best course for all of us is to take our training and other preparations very seriously. Of course, everyone on this ship is a professional, and I don't doubt you'll have a healthy respect for any opposition we meet. But all the same, it doesn't hurt to remember we're heading out into the hardest of the Wilds. Out here, there won't be any rescue, or reinforcements, no matter what happens."

  Coeur then paused, gazing into the jump Ore as she prepared to sign off, when she remembered the other key piece of Information she'd been asked to give the crew.

  "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Drop Kick and Physic would like everyone to know that the Reformation Day party Is officially set for the 8th of Pisces, which Is two days from tow, and will be held in the top deck loft.

  "That is all. Bridge oul"

  "Captain," Deep Six said then, "I don't mean to appear slow, but Isn't Reformation Day three weeks
after the 8th of Pisces?"

  "Well, yes," Coeur said, "but I figure ifll be better to celebrate early, so the shlp'll be safely In Jump space If anybody Important gets plastered."

  "I take it, then," the Schalli said, "that you'll be opening up we liquor locker."

  At which point, Coeur understood what Deep Six was aiming at. During a jump, off-duty personnel could always pull a light alcoholic beverage from the locker, such as a beer, but the heavy stuff was kept strictly for serious celebrations.

  "Yes," Coeur answered, "but if you're thinking what i think you're thinking, forget about IT You're not touching a drop of ee'kwat, or anything else alcoholic—not alter that scare you gave us last time you touched the fermented algae."

  "Oh," Deep Six said, sinking down in his roller-chair.

  "But don't worry," Coeur said, loosening her seat restraints and rising to stand, "Crowbar and I aren'l planning to drink either."

  "Very responsible of you, sir."

  "Yeah, well, unlikely as It is, Homefcould suHera misjumpand fall out of jump space, and if that happened, Hammer'd probably like to know that we had a designated driver."

  * * •

  The party, when It finally rolled around, was a complete success. Newton contrived a clock that ticked down the seconds until midnight, then shot out sparks and laser beams at 2100 hours to the delight of the revelers.

  "Happy New Year!" Drop Kick exclaimed.

  "Damn right," Physic said. "Happy Reformation Dayl"

  Even the junior technarchs—who'd generally stuck to themselves recently—emerged from their staterooms to have a cup of strongly spiked punch and share a toast with Gaffer.

  "Well, your ladyship," the big Marine said, clinking glasses with An-Wing, "here's to 1202."

  "Hear hear," Masaryk seconded.

  "Yes," An-Wing said, after downing her own glass, "perhaps this year your planet will get a responsible form of government"

  "Whatwas that?" Gaffer asked, unable to hear clearly for all the racket.

  "ffr—," Masaryk said, steering An-Wing away from the sergeant, "she said you have a wonderful form of government!"

  "Oh." Gaffer said, shrugging and pouring himself another cup of punch.