Resolute by Rangnow Tim

Resolute by Rangnow Tim

Author:Rangnow, Tim
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vagabond Publishing
Published: 2020-08-15T00:00:00+00:00


Fifteen

He woke on a soft mattress, under smooth sheets, and threw his arms up to stretch them out. After returning from the Indomitable, President Meyers had stayed aboard the Coalition frigate for a few hours. Meeting with the ship’s senior staff, he’d sketched out everything discussed with Admiral Yumata and waited for their impressions. Commander Richtaus had remained silent, keeping her own opinions inside until she heard what her captain and admiral had to say. Both men still felt that there could be no compromise with the Syndicate ship, and Yumata’s words only convinced them of it.

The ride back to Luna on the Vagabond had been interesting, with Captain Frost smiling and happy for the first time in a couple of days. Meyers couldn’t decide if the young captain were happy they’d made it off the cruiser, or because there didn’t look to be a chance of cooperation. He just wished he could share that joyful feeling, instead of the stone in the pit of his stomach when he thought about how close they were to another battle. He’d lost too many of his people and ships already, and didn’t like the thought of losing more.

After dismissing Dex on his return to the Hall, knowing she’d find her way aboard the docked Vagabond, Meyers spent a few hours replaying the meeting in his head while watching close footage of the cruiser on a loop. Every word Yumata had spoken could be taken either way, the ultimate example of noncommittal negotiation. Except for the part where he admitted he had overthrown the appointed captain but still hoped to work things out with the ruling committees. There had been something in the man’s eyes when he said those words, a look that made Meyers feel certain it was some kind of ploy.

He finally shut everything down after midnight, deciding he needed to spend a night in his own home for once. Sleeping on the couch in his office saved time, but he was getting too old to suffer the lumpy cushions for more than a few nights. His neck and shoulders were constantly tight with stress, and sleeping on that couch wasn’t helping.

It was still early when he crawled out from under the silk sheets, an extravagance he never regretted when he had a chance to enjoy them. The home AI system had woken him with gentle music and a slowly brightening room that simulated sunrise. His shower started spraying water the moment his foot touched the tiles, and coffee was already waiting in the kitchen by the time he’d shaved and dressed. It was enough to give a man an enthusiastic optimism as he started his day.

Meyers walked to his office every day, enjoying the open air feel of the dome and the majestic view of Earth or the stars whenever he looked up. The interior lights were still dim this morning, and he was able to see a great speckled swath of the universe. His secret dream was to build



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.