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  Mirikami had been thinking while they talked. He returned the subject to the curious radio silence. “Dillon, can you think of any reason why Midwife would not expect our arrival?”

  Dillon shrugged his shoulders. “Our departure date from Ramah had not been precisely set when the previous supply ship Jumped here, and we left a day earlier than anticipated.”

  Pulling again at his lower lip, an evident habitual gesture, Mirikami accepted the first possibility. “A mix up on arrival dates could explain the beacon being off, since we are a little early. However, the absence of extraneous communications is a real oddity. We should be picking up bits and pieces of radio traffic.”

  Then, in a change of subjects, “Noreen, I have a clear panel, and Navcomp shows nothing around us we need to dodge. Since we have a little time to kill, perhaps Dillon would like a beverage.

  Accepting her cue, she lifted her console arm and, when the couch withdrew its restraints, stood up. “There’s a fully stocked small galley just below, Dillon. I could bring you a cup of Evergreen Mist, genuine Earth coffee, Ramaian tea, or nearly any popular carbonated beverage.”

  It was an opportunity Dillon had been looking for. “You have Earth coffee? That will be fine, Good Lady. I’d like to stretch my legs though. Might I accompany you?”

  “Please do,” she replied, moving toward the elevator. “I want to talk you into giving me a tour of Newborn during our lay over. The Tri-Vid holo’s of the surface look awesome. All those volcanoes, the storm whipped oceans crashing upon jagged shores and the heavens rent by constant lightning and meteor trails. Despite its violence, it strikes me as beautiful and sexy.”

  Spirits soaring, he eagerly seized the offered bait. “I would consider it a pleasure to share my first groundside sight of Newborn with so lovely a Lady.” As he signaled his chair to release him, he was thinking that he was going to have to hurry if he intended to beat her to the proposition.

  Romance was not dead, it simply had learned to move faster in the post Gene War universe. Men were no longer overly scarce, but certain traditions, once established, lasted long after their reason for existence disappeared. He was no piece of meat, and liked to set his own agenda.

  Conversation flowed easily as they sat at a galley table, drinking an excellent blend of genuine Earth grown coffee, made from a carefully hoarded stock. Noreen glanced at her thumbnail watch, “Dillon, are you free after dinner tonight? I’d love to continue our conversation, but it’s nearly past time for us to pick up the Midwife beacon.”

  “How about at eight, in the lounge? We could have a few drinks and enjoy the Last Night mixer, then discuss your stay at Midwife in my cabin.”

  “The lounge would be nice, but could we make it eight thirty, and in my compartment? I need to inspect our docking thrusters and airlocks right after dinner, then I’ll want to shower. Perhaps you could help me dry off?”

  His heart and loins both tingled, “Eight thirty it is. However, you could arrive with smudges on both cheeks and still look radiant.”

  “Not sure which cheeks you mean, but thanks for saying so.” She leered at him in her best seductive mode. “I want to dazzle you with the beautiful red gown I found on our stopover at Ramah. It has the most interesting lack of fabric.”

  She glanced at his bulging red heart patch and smiled. With that tease hanging in the air, he followed her, walking somewhat stiffly, as she turned and entered the lift.

  Mirikami, upon their return, said “I was about to call you. Jake gave me the time reminder. Still no radio messages, but I did make a wide electromagnetic spectrum check. The five long-range radar stations of the Bolide warning system were all operating when we arrived, but two on the far side of Mother have quit scanning, which I find odd. One radar station happens to be only six light minutes from us, twelve minutes radio round trip time. I sent it a call a couple of minutes ago and we could get a reply within ten minutes or so, assuming it‘s manned. I really want to know if they have tracks for anything sizeable along our path. Jake has used our Laser Defense System quite a few times on pea-sized gravel. There must be an enormous amount of debris orbiting even outside the planetary plane. Worse than in the Prophet’s Robe.”

  “The Robe?” Dillon questioned. “Interworld certainly spreads out their routes. When did you serve there?”

  “No, no. Interworld doesn‘t go there, that’s on the other side of the Hub area.” Mirikami explained. “I served inside that nebula courtesy of the Navy, shortly after I graduated from Navy academy, well before I went to the civil Space Academy. I was an ensign, and it was during the second Qaddafi Jihad, over forty years ago.

  “The male fanatics and their self-styled Sultan had finally retreated into the Robe with their harem slaves, thinking they had escaped Hub laws. They were determined to restore an old defunct Earth culture, where each male virtually owed multiple women. Naturally, the President sent in our only combat capable squadron, which is where I was assigned. That was in Lady Morrisfem’s first term. That got her reelected too. It was the first Navy combat in almost three hundred years.”

  He shifted subjects. “We should reach orbit around Newborn in thirty-one hours, eighteen minutes, then allow about twenty minutes to match orbit and dock with Midway. We’ll reach rollover in about seventeen hours.”

  “Rollover?” asked Dillon.

  “Ship jargon.” Mirikami explained. “We rotate the ship for deceleration at the halfway point. In this case, we are chasing Newborn, so we go a little past halfway. Rotating is not strictly necessary, but it’s more energy efficient for keeping our compensated internal gravity pointing in the right direction, always toward our feet, as we accelerate or decelerate. All we need now is for Midwife to answer us.”

  4. Suspicion

  The last seconds before anticipated reception of the beacon signal was counting down in a corner of the forward view screen. The timer reached zero, then indicated negative as it counted up again. There was no beacon signal.

  “Jake, have you detected any communications of any type since re-entry?”

  “Yes Sir. From the five long-range radars, and two of those are still sending, a third one ended several minutes ago.”

  “Why didn’t you inform me another one had quit?”

  “Sir, you asked me to tell you if the beacon came on or of other new transmissions. That was not a new transmission.”

  Mirikami sighed. “But no other sort of new transmission Jake?”

  “No Sir. If you exclude the natural radio emissions from the gas giants and the star, as I believe you intend. There are no new intelligent signals”

  They waited another ten minutes. There was no reply to the radio calls to either Midwife or the nearest radar station.

  Mirikami issued new instructions to the computer. “Jake, advise the Bridge of any change in the pattern of radar emissions, such as entering tracking mode on us, and of any other artificial signals of any type.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  Switching off, Mirikami swiveled to face Dillon, a concerned expression on his face. “Doctor, I don’t know what is going on in this system but the silence is difficult to understand. There is too much redundancy to consider a simple equipment failure. Something is wrong.”

  “I have to agree, Captain. What do you intend to do now?”

  “Gather more information. First, how good is Midwife’s defense against a comet or asteroid impact? They certainly would have the means to make use of the data from the Bolide network, but lasers and plasma beams are barely flyswatters for a large rock or ice ball. This is a relatively young star system, there are billions of comets and big rocks left wandering around, and some pass through the inner system. What were you going to do to stop one from hitting Midwife?”

  “Midwife has a heavy duty Laser Defense System, almost certainly more powerful than what your ship carries, as well as one large particle beam generator. As you noted, these are for the lighter stuff, a few tons or less. For big ones we intend to get out of
the way, because Midwife is mobile of course, having Jumped here using Trap fields.”

  Mirikami considered for a moment then seemed to make a grudging admission. “The station would seem to be protected from a collision accident. Anyway, there would be a flood of emergency transmissions if it had been hit. I’m forced to conclude that the radio silence has been imposed on them.”

  This explanation had occurred to Dillon as Mirikami spoke, and his thoughts were racing in an unpleasant direction. It was premature to mention them, and he needed time to sort them. He asked, “Assuming you’re correct, what do you suggest?”

  “My first obligation is to the safety of my passengers and my ship, but in the absence of any clear threat I see no reason not to continue. Midway might be in need of assistance. However, I want to meet with your Board of Directors and ask for their recommendations. They’re paying the bills.”

  “Captain, I’m not on the Board, but in matters that might affect the entire project they have to hold an open meeting, with group discussion from the entire staff.”

  “I understand. While I feel this information is better kept to as few people as possible, if the Board wants an open meeting afterwards it can be arranged. Jake can set up a two-way conference communication system for everyone.”

  “That seems fair enough. How soon do you want to meet with the Board?”

  “Right now, if possible.” He turned slightly. “Noreen, ask Jake to locate all of the Board of Directors, please. Then personally ask them to meet me in the large conference room on deck 8 in five minutes. Don’t explain why for now; just say that it’s important and confidential. Also ask the off duty crew members to report to their duty stations, and have Ms. Jorl’sn join you on the bridge.”

  “Aye, Sir.”

  “By the way,” he added, in an offhand manner, “we trapped several tacs as backup, and I was having Ms. Willfem step up the g’s gradually with the original Jump tac. We are nearly up to fourteen g’s now. Have her step back down to ten g’s and transfer the two extra tacs back into the primary Trap. That will give us redundancy and some more time to plan our approach. Reheat the second beam plasma too. We might stumble on some larger rocks in that debris out there since the Bolide stations aren’t talking to us.”

  Noreen hesitated an instant before replying, with a sharp little nod. “I understand Sir.”

  It was slight, but Dillon noticed her pause, and the way her eyes had briefly darted a look at Mirikami. There had been something implied in Mirikami’s instructions that Noreen had wanted her superior to know she had received. Moreover, they didn’t want to discuss it in front of an outsider.

  The Captain’s next words were again for Martin. “Dillon, I know you are the bridge observer and not a Board Member, but I’d like to have you present when I brief your Board of Directors.”

  Dillon had preferred to stay behind and see if he could pick up on whatever the Captain had covertly passed on to his First Officer. Therefore, he hedged, “I don’t know what I could contribute beyond your own recommendations, Captain.”

  “Confirmation for one thing. If your group agrees to make a slow, circuitous approach, it could add to the transport fee. As I mentioned earlier, few companies bid on this contract. I want the Board to know that this is not some pretext for Interworld to run up charges on a hapless customer.”

  Dillon couldn’t think of a plausible reason to refuse the request. He gave in, “Very well. I appreciate your position.”

  “Thank you Doctor.” Then to Noreen, “Have you reached Ms. Jorl’sn?”

  “On her way up Sir.”

  “Good. I’m going to the conference room.” Mirikami raised his console arm and moved toward the lifts.

  Pressing his own seat release, Dillon followed, his thoughts racing. The last operational instructions to his First Officer reinforced a sense he had that the Captain was considerably more concerned than he wished an outsider to know. There was no apparent risk for the ship, yet Mirikami’s actions seemed to indicate otherwise. He had alerted the entire crew and arranged for two officers to be on the Bridge, despite the fact that Jake could essentially run the ship unassisted.

  The more telling item to him however, had been the order to reduce acceleration and shift the excess tachyons in the secondary field into the primary Trap. The one used for making a Jump.

  One possible answer had been haunting Dillon. Had Mirikami reached the same conclusion? He decided to confront the Captain directly, but not on the bridge, not in the presence of a female subordinate. Mirikami was already in a socially awkward position of direct command over a number of women. A man simply didn’t undermine another man’s status in public, not if it could be avoided.

  When the lift doors closed, Dillon began bluntly. “Captain, you appear to think that something more is wrong here than you choose to admit to me back there. If there’s been a disaster at Midwife, it can’t affect us here and now, and would seem to require us to make the utmost speed to bring assistance. Instead, you reduced speed and saved the excess tachyon energy for an emergency Jump. You seem to be preparing for a threat against this ship, and I want to know what you think it is.”

  Mirikami listened patiently, concealing his surprise with a practiced poker face. He had again underestimated the man. He would try not to let it happen again.

  “You have an astute mind, Doctor Martin,” reverting to a more formal mode. “But you are only partially correct. I did effectively place the ship on alert. Noreen understood my intent, of course, and like the good officer she is, didn’t ask me to elaborate with you present. However I have kept nothing from you, I give you my word. My sole motive for concealment was to avoid spreading alarm, through you, to my other passengers.”

  He made a half bow to Dillon. “Allow me to offer my apology for the deception, and more so for having underestimated your perception.”

  Dillon was still grim faced. “I’ll condition my acceptance on your telling me your reasons.”

  “Agreed. In addition, I will repeat them for your Board members in a few minutes. They can then decide if my concern should be conveyed to everyone. Though my experience would recommend against that action, at least until we know more.”

  “Fair enough.” Dillon’s face lost some of its hardness. “Why did you take those precautions? We are still well out from Midwife.”

  “Several reasons, all tenuous. The total radio silence can hardly be accidental. The lack of communications is almost certainly an indication of some sort of problem or trouble. Then, three of five radar stations have gone dead since we arrived. Another reason is based on several scattered news reports circulating around this general side of the Rim, of missing or overdue ships, and of a number of mysteriously deserted small mining outposts in remote systems.

  “An unexplained loss of twenty or thirty ships in a couple of years is an anomaly, but not a great one. Despite our technology, over two thousand ships are lost to accidents every year. There are a hundred and fifty million Jump ships of all classes in space, and some are going to meet disaster no matter how fail-safe we try to make them. What drew my attention was the fact that many of the ships lost in the Rim area were on the galactic core side of explored space, where we are now. Rimmers may have a ragtag reputation, but their equipment gets first rate repair, and they are very careful when operating in undeveloped systems with no hope of prompt rescue.”

  Dillon wasn’t satisfied. “And now we are just outside the Rim region closest to the galactic center. How does that translate into danger?” With a mild note of sarcasm he asked, “So, are you afraid Midwife has been hit by pirates and they’re waiting for us?”

  The pirate reference wasn’t serious, but the possibility of some sort of a raid had definitely been preying on Dillon’s mind. The Captain surprised him when he indicated the pirate notion had been given some thought.

  “No, I considered pirates, but it doesn’t fit the facts. Pirate bands are very rare, and they don’t stick around to clean up their
mess after blasting a ship or a station for its cargo. In their haste, they usually leave debris, and survivors that call for help. Anyway, few Rim ships would be carrying precious and easily disposable cargo, but kidnapping and ransom might be a motive. Some of the few thousand missing people in the news stories would have to be worth something to their families, governments, or their companies.

  “Only I’ve not heard of any ransom cases recently, and that sort of story is never kept secret for long. Besides, we are discussing Midwife station. Your most precious equipment is still in our cargo hold, and is of limited value on the black market in any event. Your major resource is your people.”

  He looked at the taller man before he spoke again, assessing his demeanor.

  “Forgive me for saying this so bluntly Doctor, but how much ransom do you think a pirate would expect to get for a group of bio-scientists? Tossing all of you out an air lock for fun might prove to be their only pay back.”

  There was no need to answer that. It would be hard to overcome the “Good riddance” attitude of many that were asked to pay a ransom for the Midwife scientists.

  The lift doors opened and the two men entered the central common area. There were people around, but none within earshot.

  Mirikami paused a moment, recalling a sense of déjà vu he had experienced on the bridge earlier. He tried to put it into words. “I suppose the real reason for my caution is an itchy feeling in my instinct. I developed a keen sensitivity for that feeling, serving in the Navy during the Qaddafi Jihad I spoke of earlier. The Faithful Few in the Sultan’s service would dive suicide ships eagerly into any infidel vessel they could seduce into coming too close. My cruiser was nearly taken out twice while patrolling mining bases in the Robe. A favorite trick of the Few was to standoff behind a planet or moon until a Navy ship came so close that there was no time to trap a Jump energy tachyon before at least one attacker made it through the defenses and rammed.”