Things Fall Apart: Chapter 40

Zephyr, in far orbit of David's Star, 1.64 megaseconds out from Gliese-581

After Traffic Control sent them a bare acknowledgment and informed them the Admiral Himself would be with them after he conferred with the Governor General and the Tau Ceti Treaty ambassador, Zephyr was left cooling its collective heels for a little longer than eighty-six kiloseconds.

Later, when Singer had time to think about it, she would realize that this was exactly one local day in the classic timekeeping system the DSR clung to. She also realized that the admiral was fully aware of the usual timekeeping and shiftkeeping schedule of a Tau Ceti Fleet ship, and had deliberately chosen his own convention over hers, without considering that his call might arrive during her sleep shift.

Which, of course, it did.

Deciding two could play at that game, Singer told Garecki, to inform the Admiral that Singer would be with him shortly, and also to wake Alexander. She didn't dawdle, but neither did she rush getting herself wakeful and presentable before coming to the bridge to take the call from the hot seat.

Alexander was there before her, although Singer guessed only slightly before. Alexander was also not likely to be on camera, so ze had only made a minimal effort to not be out of uniform, while Singer had her hair up, her duty uniform fully buttoned up, and her best attempt at a public "command" demeanor that she so rarely needed with her own crew.

Garecki was looking decidedly uncomfortable in the hot seat and practically bolted to her communication console when Singer relieved her.

Singer settled herself, waited for Garecki to do the same, then signaled to send the call to the holotank.

Singer opened the ball. "I'm Commander Elyah Singer, commanding TCTFS Zephyr. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

There was a delay from their orbit to Newer York of about one hundred seconds—just enough to make it more like passing notes than an actual conversation. On the other hand, it meant she could see the moment her dose of irony hit his brain. It was subtle, just a quirk at the corner of his mouth that told her the barb had found its target.

But then, perhaps he had been expecting an opening gambit of this sort, for he responded, "Commander, I am Admiral Jonathan Donato, speaking for the David's Star Republic. After several months' silence from your government, coming as it did on the heels of a significant attack upon our infrastructure, a few extra minutes hardly seemed significant. Tell me, Commander: are you here, in your fine new starship, with who knows what new capabilities, to finish the job?"

Singer had been prepared for some hostility, but not to be openly accused of coming to do the impossible. Chagrined, she realized far too late that his shot had also found its mark. She felt the telltale flush of heat that told her that her temper was entirely visible as a reddening of her face.

Tongue-tied, but unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her visibly flustered beyond that flush, she stared him down, knowing it would be one hundred seconds of staring at him like an errant child before he reacted further.

What she was not at all prepared for was when the admiral's own stern countenance broke from what had clearly been barely contained laughter.

"Oh, commander! Your face! I'm sorry, I just...I couldn't resist." He mastered his mirth to say, "We are, of course, seriously concerned about the ships that blew up at our docks, but we have already concluded from the lack of contact and the crashing of all network connectivity between the TCTO and other polities that some far wider catastrophe had occurred. Ambassador Ellison has been beside herself trying to get news, without any luck. I imagine you have quite a tale to tell us. You are cleared to send a pinnace downwell to Newer York; you may bring two aides, a pilot, and a co-pilot. We expect the pinnace, and yourselves, to be unarmed. Traffic Control will expedite your clearance into dock, where myself, the Governor General, and your ambassador will meet you. David's Star Actual, clear on your final."

Somehow, Singer managed to require only a single deep breath to say, without rising to any of the other bait, "Copy clearance for a single, unarmed pinnace containing myself, two aides, and two pilots, also unarmed. Will notify upon departure with a firmer arrival time, but expect us mid-afternoon, tomorrow, your time. Zephyr Actual, clear."

Singer gave the kill sign to Garecki, who looked very much like she wanted to climb under the decksole. Singer suspected her face was still bright red. Looking to Alexander, she saw lingering disbelief which ze finally expressed. "Did he just...did...really?"

"He most certainly did. I was aware that the local sense of humor was not quite what we usually appreciate, but it's just possible that was a bridge too far."

"We going to do anything about it?"

"For the moment, I'm going to leave that up to our ambassador. Meanwhile..." Singer closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to head off a headache while she considered. "Where are Cadotte and Espinoza in their rotations right now?"

"Cadotte's awake and prepping both Georgette and Lucas for secure transport. They are annoyed that they haven't had a chance themselves to do the NDI dive on Georgette, but seem resigned to the timing. Espinoza would be coming on shift in about ten kilos."

"That'll do. No need to wake Espinoza but make sure it's top of his queue to be in the boat bay in his dress greys at Alpha plus two kilos. Same to Cadotte. You'll have the ship."

If Alexander was disappointed by this arrangement, they didn't show it, nor did Singer feel a twinge of it. Still, she followed up with, "Unless things go a lot worse than I expect, you'll have a chance later. I'm hoping to arrange general shore leave rotations while we're here. We've all been shipbound for too long."

Alexander nodded, and said, "I agree, and thank you, Captain. Are you going back to bed?"

"Well, back to my quarters, anyway. I don't know about sleeping right away after...that. I'll sleep on the pinnace on the way over."

"Then I'll see you in the boat bay to send you off in a little while."

"Sounds good. Ensign Garecki?" Singer said, getting out of the hot seat. She was genuinely impressed when the younger woman managed an entirely professional, "Yes'm?" despite her clear discomfort with both the conversation she had just witnessed, and the order she was about to receive.

"You have the watch."