Into the Void by Joshua A. Johnston

Author:Joshua A. Johnston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Published: 2017-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

14

E’reb / Free Town

Earth Index 1306.349

Jared crossed the threshold into one of the Hattan’s smaller recreational areas. It was empty, just as he had hoped it would be. He wandered over to a corner of the room, reached into a box, and pulled out a small rubberized ball the size of an orange. He absently tossed the ball against the wall, catching it on the first bounce, then repeated the action. It was mindless, just the sort of activity he needed to clear his head.

There was a lot of head-­clearing to do. While discussion had continued between his team on the planet and the No Greater leadership, Jared had returned to the cruiser to check on the status of repairs, discuss the situation with Tir and other senior staff members, and, just as importantly, get a little rest.

But rest hadn’t come easy. There was so much to do and so much to decide, both on the ship and on the planet below. For each decision he could make with certainty, there were two more that were so uncertain, he couldn’t even begin to guess at the consequences of a wrong choice. It was not often that he faced such complicated, far-­reaching pathways with so little insight into their ultimate outcomes. It wasn’t hyperbole to say that this was the most consequential crossroads of his career. Even the difficult choices he’d faced during the heat of the Malum crisis seemed straightforward by comparison.

The ball hit the wall and came back at an awkward bounce. He moved to his left to pick it up, then straightened and threw again.

What made this situation different from past ones was the reality that he was out of communication with Navy Command. His ship had been sending regular updates back to the Confederacy by way of the Hattan’s experimental long-­range communications array, but for various logistical reasons, the ship could not receive replies. For the first time in his career, he was having to make substantial command decisions with no option to consult his superiors. That he had a capable support staff—people like Tir, Redelia, Garo, and Vetta—did not lessen the burden. They could advise, but the decision was his. Surrounded by counsel, he nevertheless felt alone.

The ball ricocheted off the wall, this time bouncing off to his far left, beyond his ability to cut it off. It kept going, bobbing and rolling as it headed for the exit.

The door opened. Rami stepped in, saw the ball, and stooped to pick it up as it rolled to her feet. “Here you go, sir,” she said, tossing the ball back to him.

“Hi, Rami,” he said, raising his hands to catch it. “Is there something you need?”

“No,” she said. “I just came down here to use the vlexdrk.” She pointed over at the large, dark crate sitting next to the box Jared had retrieved his ball from. “No one seems to use this room as much as the others, and I worry less about accidentally hurting someone when I’m using it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.