Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 101 (October 2018) by John Joseph Adams

Author:John Joseph Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Joseph Adams
Published: 2018-09-29T19:14:26+00:00

4.

“We are holding at five minutes,” said Lord Go Shikimori, captain of the Surveyor.

“Holding at five minutes, my lord,” said Severin.

Surveyor awaited final permission from Ring Control to launch on its mission through Chee and Parkhurst to the possible wormholes beyond. Encircled by the round metal hoops of his acceleration cage, Severin glanced down at the pilot’s board before him—it was he who would steer Surveyor from the ring and into the great emptiness beyond. Not that the job was particularly difficult.

The lights of the pilot’s board glittered on the ring Severin wore on the middle finger of his right hand. Nine small sapphires sparkled around a central opal. The ring had been a parting gift from Lady Liao, one sapphire for each night she and Severin had spent together.

For a moment he was lost in reverie, memories of smooth cool sheets, silken flesh, Lady Liao’s subtle scent. Wind chimes that saluted the dawn on the balcony outside her room.

Lord Roland Martinez, he thought, was very, very intelligent.

“Message from Ring Control, my lord,” reported Lord Barry Montcrief, who sat at the comm board—he had the drawling High City accent that Lord Go preferred as the official voice of his ship. “Permission granted to depart the station en route to Chee system.”

“Resume countdown,” the captain said.

“Countdown resumed,” said Warrant Officer Lily Bhagwati, who sat at the engines station.

“Depressurize boarding tube. Warn crew for zero gravity.”

“Depressurizing boarding tube.” Alarms clattered through the ship. “Zero gravity alarm, my lord.”

Severin checked his board, took the joysticks in his hands, rotated them. “Maneuvering thrusters gimbaled,” he said. “Pressure at thruster heads nominal.”

“Boarding tube depressurized.”

“Withdraw boarding tube,” said the captain.

“Boarding tube . . .” Waiting for the light to go on. “. . . withdrawn, my lord.”

“Electrical connections withdrawn,” said Bhagwati. “Outside connectors sealed. Ships is on one hundred percent internal power.”

“Data connectors withdrawn,” said Lord Barry. “Outside data ports sealed.”

“Main engines gimbaled,” said Bhagwati. “Gimbal test successful.”

“Hold at ten seconds,” said the captain. “Status, everyone.”

All stations reported clean boards.

“Launch in ten,” Lord Go said. “Pilot, the ship is yours.”

“The ship is mine, my lord.” Severin released and clenched his hands on the joysticks.

The digit counter in the corner of his display counted down to zero. Lights flashed. “Clamps withdrawn,” Severin said. “Magnetic grapples released.”

Severin suddenly floated free in his webbing as Surveyor was cast free of Laredo’s accelerator ring. Surveyor had been moored nose-in, and the release of centripetal force from the upper ring, which was spinning at seven times the rate of the planet below, gave the ship a good rate of speed that carried it clear of any potential obstacles.

Severin checked the navigation display anyway, and saw no threats. He thumbed buttons on his joysticks and engaged the maneuvering thrusters. An increase in gravity snugged him against his chest harness. He fired the thrusters several more times to increase the rate at which Surveyor was withdrawing from the ring.

It was very illegal to fire Surveyor’s main antimatter engines, with their radioactive plumes, anywhere near the inhabited ring.

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