Glow
30 Dec 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Part Thirty-Three
Glow
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Rex had made several attempts to contact Xochitl as the clan readied itself for the potential looming conflict ahead. Each attempt was rebuffed by her assistant and the physical manifestation of the ship's AI, Avery. The only persons who had seen her were the clan’s elders and engineering chief Bowen, who was under orders not to disclose their conversation. Her closest friend, Yatziri, had not seen or talked with her but did not appear bothered by this strange isolation during the growing tension.
Two days had passed before she made a sudden appearance on the bridge, consoling the crew, before retiring to her bridge-wing office. To Rex’s surprise, Yatziri, Zarathustra, and Avery were already present, without his knowledge. Rex began to get the same feeling he had when they constructed the special laboratory in the ship’s medical facility. He had been kept out of the loop as to its design and intentions until after the fact. He swore then to not let that happen again, and his glare at all of those present punctuated that statement.
“Unless I’ve been relieved of my post without notification, I assume someone here will tell me what the hell is going on, aboard the ship that I am supposed to be the captain of?”
He could not place a definition to what he felt as his eyes met Xochitl’s. There was no emotion present in either her human or cybernetic eye or in her facial features. There was an odd sheen to her appearance that he could not describe but that left him feeling uneasy, as Avery motioned for him to take a seat.
“We have been tracking her progress,” Avery stated. “As per our last meeting with each other, the statistical model I outlined has been confirmed. We are her target.”
Rex looked around at each of their faces with his eyes settling on Avery. “We have nothing on our scanners, and have received no reports from any of the navigational beacons being monitored.”
Xochitl looked at Rex in a way that gave him a chill. “The symbiote has been able to ascertain its location and is now able to track the progress of its essence. The carrier they conquered did not have the tritium resources and it is slowing her progress.”
Though he was unsettled, Rex needed to resolve the larger issue in his mind, before they went into battle. “Like the last time, you have kept me out of the loop as to what is taking place. Listen. If you feel that I am not up to the task of leadership, then you need to come straight out and say it. I am personally fed up with all of this secreting around behind my back while maintaining this vessel.”
Yatziri and Zarathustra looked at one another then at Avery, as Rex followed their gaze, with Avery in turn nodding her head, then looked at Xochitl, who leaned forward with her elbows resting on her desk.
“The moment Zooey is secured, Avery will perform a max burn of this ship’s engines and get as much distance as possible from the location of the ship Zooey was on. At the instance of the burn, the jump engines will begin their build-up, to perform a short-distance jump into the next system over. I discussed theoretical options with Chief Bowen on performing low-intensity jumps to shorten the time required. I knew the mechanics and physics would not support it, but I am not so full of my own hubris to think that I know it all, and wanted to hear the opinion of an expert. Unfortunately, there is no way to shorten the duration, so a maximum burn with the engines will be required before you jump.”
“Then why the hell did he not say that,” Rex fired back. “There was no reason to swear him to secrecy over an engineering discussion, aside from why you asked it.”
“That is precisely why he was given the instructions not to talk about it. Because, like now, it leads to the why it was asked, and that point was not discussed with him, or anyone else, except the ship itself.”
“Damn it, we are about to go into battle. If there is another danger to this ship, that I need to be made aware of, then I damned well need to know it, before all the shooting starts.”
“The situation I have in mind may or may not happen. If it should take place, then none of us present have the time, between now and then, for you to debate it to the point where you have an epiphany and realize the futility of your arguments. It is better this way, and Avery can move this ship faster than any of its personnel.”
Rex realized that no one, not even Xochitl herself, had changed their expressions, during his outburst. The thought caught up to him that she had used an unfamiliar designation for the clan members onboard, referring to them as personnel. Something about that particular uncharacteristic phrasing did not feel right.
Calming himself, Rex glanced up at Avery before turning his attention back to Xochitl. “I need an open channel to Monty and his symbiote so that I can plot her progress and maneuver accordingly.”
“We need you to maneuver the ship to a point two hundred thousand light seconds beyond the furthest body in the system,” Avery stated as Rex looked up at her.
“That wasn’t an answer to the question, but since you are changing the subject, then why don’t you want to maintain orbit near a large gravitational source? If I can get a clear shot on their thrusters, I can use the gravity well to our advantage and pull them out of position.”
Xochitl leaned back in her chair, looking at Rex. “The answer to your first question is that Inspector Gladsen is busy preparing for his role in attempting to subdue and retrieve Zooey. As for plotting their progress, Avery will provide you with all the information you require. It is safer this way. As to your second question, no, I do not want us near a gravitational source. It works both ways, and fate has a habit of balancing the scales between skill and determination.”
Rex did not buy into either of the reasons presented to him and had a deep inner feeling that there was more taking place that they were not telling him. He knew it was not because they did not think him capable. There was another reason that he could not put his finger on, and he knew he would not get a straight answer by continuing to harp on the subject.
Monty sat at the small kitchenette inside the dredger. The glow of the exterior green lighting shining inside. He chuckled at the ruse, as the timer on the food processor sounded, letting him know his meal was ready.