Things Fall Apart: Chapter 39

Zephyr, surfacing at David's Star

Singer had, as promised, gotten the sleep she needed. If anyone thought the sudden alteration to the shift rotation odd, no one said so.

That said, all the usual rotation was set aside as the countdown to emergence dwindled. Singer, Alexander, Cadotte, Cordé, and Wasserman were all present. Singer half-expected Espinoza, Saito, and Terranova to appear, as well, although none of them really had a place on the bridge ordinarily. Further reflection let Singer realize that Espinoza would be watching the time-compression drive closely. They had so far encountered not the slightest hiccup in its functioning, but somehow, that just made him more nervous.

Two hundred gigaseconds or so of human civilization, and we're still superstitious when things go right too often.

For her own part, Singer was perfectly content with how well the new systems had performed. She had enough to worry about right now.

Alexander announced, "Emergence in ten." It was not really necessary—the count was on the holodisplay in multiple orientations for all to see. It was just the done thing, and it broke the silence. Everyone here remembered emergence at Gliese-581, and had been holding their breath.

From their perspective, normal space re-formed around them. Sensors provided the big, obvious things first: the dwarf star once catalogued as TRAPPIST-1. Seven planets. Two asteroid belts, one between the fourth and fifth, another between the sixth and seventh. The whole system together was tiny. Each planet could see the others in its sky as disks, not points. All were tidally locked to the star. One had an atmosphere that had proven fatefully alluring, drawing the original generation ship Dream of Spring here, only to find that it was not quite habitable. That it was inhabited anyway was a testament to human stubbornness. Even there, however, technological support remained necessary for the population to survive. If the flaw that had taken out Tau Ceti Treaty AIs had somehow also affected other technologies...

But there, Singer found herself finally able to exhale. There was the transponder signal from New Anaheim, followed closely by a sensor return showing it intact. Other details began to fill in—ships in motion, although fewer maybe than expected; New Albany, in the Inner Ring but closer to their current orbit, which meant Newer York would be on the far side, and last to appear.

The system's smallness kept anyone from passing out holding their breath. Even Newer York showed whole.

Well, mostly.

Sensory details kept filling in, and it became apparent that in fact, each of the major stations had sustained damage. In addition, none of the transponders they saw in motion hailed from a Tau Ceti Treaty Fleet ship.

Still, it was a better result than they'd seen at Gliese-581.

Able to breathe almost normally again, Singer ordered, "Ensign Cordé, please log us in with traffic control and pull the current system status packet."

She managed to give that order steadily enough, but one corner of her mind was laughing. How mundane.

She had no expectation that their reception would be as commonplace, and she braced herself now for the response.

Newer York, Office of the Admiral, 3 Tammuz 2541 After Starfall

Jonathan Donato, one hundred and fifty third Admiral of the Outbound, had arrived at his desk that morning anticipating the first almost-normal day in months. The worst of the damage to the various stations' systems had been repaired, with the exception of a still-gaping hole in the Bronx Ring here, and the Hollywood Ring at New Anaheim. In-system traffic was starting to approximate normal patterns. No further untoward explosions had disrupted the peace and lives of the system and its inhabitants.

Only one thing remained glaringly abnormal: the complete loss of contact with their Tau Ceti Treaty neighbors. The relays at the edge of the system, one anchoring a chain that led to Gliese-581, another to Tau Ceti itself, were both gone, obliterated in the same instant as other TCTF ships had immolated themselves. No new ship had arrived to explain this event, and the Tau Ceti Treaty Organization ambassador was both mystified and increasingly despondent.

Engrossed in the paperwork that was so much of his job, he was startled when the comm buzzed. Even so, he answered it almost absently, still intent on the repair figures for the Bronx Ring.

"Admiral, this is Tower Actual."

Ordinarily, the Admiral was a perceptive person, but he was distracted, and did not catch the tone of voice in Captain Leider's otherwise ordinary greeting.

Instead, without really looking at her, knowing it was rude but still focused, he said, "Yes, Tower?"

There was a pause. A long pause. Long enough for Donato to finally look up and meet Leider's eyes.

"Tower?"

She was, quite visibly, at a loss for words. Rather than continue to leave him hanging, however, she simply shared her display with him. It held a fairly standard-looking "log in" message from arriving traffic. Except...

TCTFS Zephyr arriving in good order, 1.56 megaseconds out 
of Borass Station, under diplomatic flag. We are assuming 
standard holding orbit outside the heliopause and awaiting
instructions. We request access to our ambassador and an 
opportunity as well to confer with DSR leadership. 
Respectfully, Commander Elyah Singer, Commanding TCTFS Zephyr.

Donato closed his eyes and counted backward from ninety-nine by threes. When he opened them again, Leider was waiting, with every appearance of patience.

Finally, he said, "Allow Zephyr to know that we have received their message. I assume that they have, in fact, taken up the orbit promised?"

"Yes, sir, quite tidily, and with no effort to disguise her lines. She's a new ship of a new class, but unquestionably a TCT ship."

The admiral nodded as if this was news, but of course, he had heard of Zephyr, despite the TCTO's efforts to keep it quiet. Granted, he had also heard its construction had been "paused" some time before the recent conflagration.

Which also means it might well be the only ship they had to work with, he thought, with a slight chill.

Aloud, he said, "They can stay there for now. I have to speak with the Governor General and, of course, with the ambassador."

"Shall I give them an estimate of when they can expect to hear further instructions?"

Donato allowed himself a smile he knew Leider would recognize. The Admiral had at least one lesson to deliver.

"No. That won't be necessary at this time."

"Very well, sir," she said. She did not smile in return, and it was impossible to tell how she felt about his decision to let these new arrivals stew. "Anything else?"

"Keep me informed if their ephemerides change or if we sense any emissions beyond the usual sensors."

"Of course, sir. Tower clear."

"Donato clear."

The screen darkened, and he allowed his smile to become wolfish.

So much for routine reasserting itself.