Battlecruiser Alamo: Forbidden Seas by Tongue Richard

Author:Tongue, Richard [Tongue, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2016-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

 The shuttle soared above the planet, giving the three people in the cockpit a spectacular view of the surface below, the gleaming ice reflecting the sunlight. Maqua, stared down at it, shaking his head in disbelief, while Aussketi, in the flight engineer's seat, ruefully stared forward, occasionally glancing across at her controls. Salazar glanced back at her, then looked across at the his co-pilot.

 “Enjoying the show?” he asked.

 “It's amazing,” the young Neander said. “We didn't get to see it when we were brought here. It might have been hell to live there, but its beautiful from orbit.”

 “I don't mind if I never see it again,” Aussketi replied. “Besides, don't we have a job to do? We haven't got the time to waste on sightseeing.”

 “On the contrary,” Salazar said. “For the next ten minutes, there isn't anything else we can do. The computer is locked onto the transport, and can handle the turnover by itself. I won't be needed again until the time comes for docking.”

 Looking at Maqua, she said, “I still think we should change seats.”

 “You're lucky I brought you at all,” Salazar said. “Maqua got top marks in the simulators, and you managed to narrowest scrape over the line I've ever seen.”

 “I've spent more time in shuttle cockpits...”

 “And evidently, weren't paying much attention. Go back and take a look at the engine manifolds, if you want something to do, and check on our passengers. I want to make sure they're getting all of the data they need.”

 Rising from her chair, she looked at Salazar, and said, “My ancestors were sailing the stars while his were rooting for grubs. I was born to this. He was born to serve. I suggest you remember that.”

 Shaking his head as she left, Salazar turned to Maqua and said, “I still don't understand any of this nonsense.”

 With a sigh, the young pilot said, “As I understand it, your people invented faster-than-light travel only a century after you first ventured out into space. You'd barely begun to colonize the other planets in your system by the time you had learned how to reach others.”

 “It took a little longer than that, but I take it you had a harder road.”

 “We were fortunate, after a fashion. Three worlds with life were within a few light-years of each other, and each of us knew of the other's existence shortly after we discovered radio. We could provide technological assistance, exchange messages and signals, even share cultural developments. When we had learned enough, we sent ships to cross the void between our worlds. Trips that took decades, even with the fastest vessels our science could create.” Gesturing at the transport on the screen, he said, “That was one of ours, a small sample of a slower-than-light starship.”

 Nodding, Salazar replied, “No wonder you're so sure you can modify it.”

 “The Highborn became wealthy, the heirs to vast fortunes gained from the trading runs between the worlds. Naturally, no one had dreamed that faster-than-light travel would be possible.”

 With a smile, he replied, “I see what happened.

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