The Unseen Eye: Potential Obstacle
21 Jan 2022Orwell Vandeman
Meanwhile, somewhere between the Bubble and ColoniaIt was cool enough on the top decks for Orewll to do away with his mask entirely. The bottom decks facing the systems’ brilliant-white star were nice and warm, but with all the power off, the life support system wasn’t circulating the air or balancing the tempter. The cool suited Orwell just fine, he’d always had an issue with being too warm. His girls were wafting great lightweight fans he had synthesised before the shutdown, to stop the air stagnating in his spacious personal cabin.
A few glowing energy cells powered soft lamps and a handful of devices for creature comforts Orewll didn’t want to do without. The cool light gave the atmosphere a serenity Orwell took advantage of as he floated mostly naked above his luxuriant sofa. Ideally, he flicked between helm-cams of the men and women rerouting power conduits and ship systems around the area of hull they were going to cut away in the next few days.
The captain, Lambast Mercy was there directing, and taking part in the work. She had talked with the foreman as she had requested, and he reported to his master that she clearly knew more about the task then he did. The foreman was ground crew at a major star-port on Sothis Five, and a Ship Breaker before he joined the Seekers of the Unseen Eye; so Orwell found it a little unusual that a liner pilot knew how to carefully take apart a ship more efficiently than a man that had done that for a living.
He took a pull of something fruity and lightly alcoholic from a strawed zero-gee cup then let it hang in the air while he watch Lambast .. .bridge.. the foreman called it.. .. a power conduit up and around the section that was going to be cut away before she sliced off the bypassed length of high power cabling and other conduits. She alone did it faster than a team the foreman had been training for weeks.
Shrinking the window on his slate, Orwell called his computer expert, Dorn.
“Her-h-h High Seeker! It’s an honour to be addressed by you personally. What can your humble ser-ser-servant do in your name?” stammered the overly nervous man.
“Be at eeease Seeker Dorrrn. You are a frieeend, not a mere servann-tar. Without your blessed insight with in the digital worrrrldah, the Seekers would have faltered mmmay tiiimes my dear dear man”
The ‘benevolent master’ act played well with meek little men like Dorn, and Orwell stifled a snigger. He fancied he could hear the man pressing his head into his keyboard as he bowed to the High Seeker that wasn’t even in the room.
“Now Dorn, I would like to you press deeper into our Captains past if you will be so kiiind. We are closer to Colonia than Sothis at this staaaage of the blessed paath-ah. The great distance, and the Unseeeen eye will pro-tect its willing seekerrrs from any that may deee-tect your trail ”
A line of prostrations and reassurances flowed from Dorn as Orwell ended the call. Taking another pull from the cup one of his girls had prepared for him; Orwell outlined dealing with the captain once the Catalyst Chamber had been delivered to the moons’ surface in his mind. He was beginning to worry that the military history he had for Lambast Mercy was incomplete, and if she wasn’t dealt with swiftly at journeys' end, she could be a problem.
What was worse, if the woman was actually clever, she may realise the ‘Beacon for the Unseen Eye’ was just a giant chemistry experiment. If that got out, his own Seekers would tear him limb from limb before he’d learn if taking all their credits and investing it the professors' plan was even worthwhile.
If the Captain got too inquisitive, she would have to be killed. The two pilots Orwell had within the Seekers had an average of about sixty percent success on the simulator for landing on the nightmarish moon; they would have to do more training once the power was back on. Stressing about what could happen never did his temper any good. He beckoned the redhead over; she always managed to help him relax.