The Hidden Prophet by Benjamin Douglas

Author:Benjamin Douglas [Douglas, Benjamin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Benjamin Douglas
Published: 2017-09-05T18:30:00+00:00

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The hangar deck was chaos.

Mulligan was surrounded by people—some demanding answers, others pleading that they go back to the tubes to retrieve loved ones. Lucas cleared his throat and stomped on the floor. “Attention!” he bellowed. All eyes turned to him.

“You are aboard a freight-ship bound for the inner system. We took you on because your vessel was about to be destroyed by the same people who destroyed your home seconds before. If you don’t like being here, I’m sorry. You’re here now and you’re stuck until we get to Mars. At that time I’ll expect you to leave the ship and make arrangements for yourself. Until then you will be granted asylum here. Now please organize yourselves into two lines, one forming up to Private Mulligan there, and one forming up to me.”

They began to separate into lines, mumbling.

“Quiet, please. When your turn comes up, give your name and any other information asked for. You’ll be given quarters in a spare bunkhouse in the lower decks, and a dispensary ration. There will be no discussion of returning to Ceres at this time.” He made eye contact with those he had heard arguing loudest for this. “Understand that not only have the tubes been destroyed by substantial bombing, but that the weapons used pose a fallout threat. Furthermore, the hostile forces that attacked you are presumed to still be in the area.”

He sighed.

“I’m Captain Jack. I know this is difficult, and I’m sorry. We’ll do our best to make you comfortable while you’re onboard. That’s all.”

He comm’ed for Private Tompkins to come take his place, but stayed to register the first few people in his line. A mother. A security guard. A miner. Lucas had no illusions about the character of the people he’d taken on. A number of them looked like the type he would assume had mafia or pirate affiliations, and even the most honest civilian among them had been hardened by life in the tubes. But they were homeless now, refugees of a brutal attack, and his charge. He made an effort to show them all equal respect and deference. He couldn’t imagine losing his entire home, and likely everyone he’d ever known, in a few seconds.

Back on the bridge, he found he was rubbing his eyes every few seconds to stay focused. “Caspar, Randall, you both should take some rest.”

Caspar turned, frowning. “What about you, Sir?”

It was a sticky situation. They’d flown out from the Kuiper Belt in the first place with a skeleton crew, because there was a tenuous peace with the Empire at the time, and their mission was supposed to be a simple one of conveying Martian Ambassador Taurius to Pluto. When Captain Harris had been killed, Lucas had found himself thrust into command with a very small, and mostly junior, crew.

“Let’s take it in shifts,” he said. “Four on, four off? For now, anyway. You can relieve me at o-nine-hundred.”

She sighed, nodded, and left the bridge.

“Well, Jeffrey, I think we’re alone now.”

“Goody.”

Lucas thumbed through screens on his console.

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