Parker's Folly (36 page)

Perhaps the computer was not monitoring this area, or was busy elsewhere, he thought. In reality, Folly was keeping close tabs on the Colonel, but declined to acknowledge the man. Out of frustration, Ivan decided to go up to the hydroponic garden on the upper deck. Perhaps there were other ways to enter the engineering spaces from there.

Hydroponics was not listed on Folly's roster of restricted areas so Col. Kondratov was able to enter the maze of growing shelves, hissing water sprays and overhead grow lights. Carefully advancing down one aisle, he saw lettuce growing to his right and tall tomato plants to the left.

The air was warm and moist, with an earthy organic smell. The gravity seemed higher than in the rest of the ship as well. In fact, the deck gravity was set to around three quarters Earth normal and held constant, regardless of what the other parts of the ship were set to. Plants are adaptable, but zero-g  and even worse, variable gravity disrupted their development.

As he rounded an offset in the rows of plants, Ivan was faced with a forest of hanging tubs, each of which contained a miniature tree. There were oranges, lemons, limes, apples and cherries, an entire orchard on dwarven scale. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed a slight flicker of movement.

It must be the horticulturist, he thought as he called out, “Miss, could I talk to you? Please?” No answer was forthcoming.

Melissa had spotted the nosy Russian as he entered the orchard section and quickly retreated deeper into the lush green oasis that was her workplace. As she dodged quietly between the verdant islands of vegetation, she quietly called for help. “Bear! This is Melissa. I'm in Hydro 3 and that Russian Colonel is here!”

Bear was sleeping in his quarters and not wearing the harness that mounted his communicator pip, so her plea for help went unheard. Fortunately, Folly was never out of range and correctly interpreted the frightened woman's call as a request for assistance.

“Melissa, this is the ship's computer. I will summon help.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, ducking beneath a shelf of hydrangeas. Melissa knew the layout of the hydroponic garden like the back of her hand and in her leaf green jumpsuit she all but disappeared, blending in among her floral wards.

* * * * *

“Lt. Bear, Miss Hamilton needs your help in Hydroponic Section 3. Colonel Kondratov seems to be stalking her.”

Bear awoke with a start. “What did you say?” he demanded, quickly slipping on his utility harness. Before Folly could repeat the entire message Bear was out the door and headed toward hydroponics at a run.

He bolted up the companionway to the upper deck and through the door, the change in deck gravity not bothering him in the least. With the silence of a natural predator, the 1300 lb white bear hardly rustled the leaves of the overhanging green cloister as he past.

* * * * *

Ivan stalked Melissa, unaware that he himself was being hunted. An experienced outdoorsman, Ivan moved quietly, stopping frequently to listen for the sounds of movement. While Melissa was graceful and quiet herself, the space was constrained and her escape routes limited. Only her intimate knowledge of the garden's labyrinthine layout kept her from the Colonel's grasp.

“Got you!” Ivan shouted in triumph, reaching through a stand of cedar bay cherry plants and grasping Melissa by the upper arm. As he roughly extracted the struggling horticulturist from her bushy refuge a snort followed by a low rumbling growl could be heard behind the Russian officer. He turned, triumph changing to primal fear as he saw the polar bear towering over him.

With one swipe of his right paw, Bear sent the hapless Ivan flying across the tangled space, into another stand of miniature fruit trees. The woody plants rebounded, ejecting Ivan's limp form back out into the passageway where he fell to the floor.

“Did he hurt you?” Bear asked Melissa.

“Not that much,” the young woman replied, massaging her arm where Ivan had grasped her.

Bear slowly swung his huge head toward the cosmonaut, accompanied by a growl that started deep within his massive chest. As he closed on the supine figure with slow, deliberate steps, Bear said to Ivan in Russian, “You know, we bears, like many predators, enjoy playing with our food before we eat it.”

The crew had been informed that an all hands meeting would be held in the main guest lounge at the end of second dog watch and that evening watch would be skipped that day. It was also suggested that everyone shower and don a new jumpsuit for the occasion. Some were puzzled when the change of clothing delivered to their quarters sported new colors.

So Jo Jo and Freddy would not feel abandoned by the other former wearers of engineering's bright orange, the Captain ordered a subtle change in their jumpsuit color to a darker, burnt orange. As the crew gathered, the three scientists and two engineers were the center of attention, people coming up to ask about their sartorial transformation. The Captain had informed everyone involved with the organizational changes ahead of time, but ordered them not to tell anyone else until he could make the official announcement at the evening meeting.

Susan was sitting with Gretchen, looking like the cat that ate the canary. If this took much longer she might just burst. Gretchen knew, of course, but Ludmilla was still unaware of the significance of the fashion statement being made by the five men across the room.

Tommy Wendover had been released from his incarceration with a stern lecture from the Chief. The words of warning had seemingly little effect however, since Tommy was hovering next to Col. Kondratov, an association the Chief had warned him not to pursue.

Kondratov himself was keeping to the far corners of the lounge, casting fearful glances at Bear. He refused to give an explanation for the livid bruising that could be seen on the left side of his face and neck. Though his left eye was almost swollen shut he refused Dr. Tropsha's offer of medical attention.

For his part, Bear, who was seated on the deck next to the bar where Melissa was tending to customers, would break into a toothy grin and wink whenever he could catch the Colonel's eye. Occasionally he licked his chops in a most disconcerting and predatory way.

Ludmilla joined Gretchen and Susan at their usual table—the Captain, Billy Ray and the rest of the bridge crew had not yet entered the lounge.

“Does anyone know what happened to Ivan?” the Doctor asked. “A training accident or something?”

“No training accidents that I know of,” Gretchen replied, evasively.

“It looks like he fell from a height and landed on his face,” Ludmilla ventured.

“Or like he was beaten to a pulp by someone much bigger and stronger than he is,” Gretchen said, unwilling to keep Ivan's transgressions secret. “Perhaps for being somewhere he shouldn’t have been, threatening someone he had no business to be near.”

“Bear,” Susan and Ludmilla said at the same time. Not a question or a guess, but a flat statement of fact.

“The sneaky bastard's lucky that Melissa called Bear off or the only thing left of him would be random DNA in a pile of polar bear shit,” Gretchen said with contempt.

“Really?” Susan asked, ever the news reporter, “When and where did this happen?”

“Yes, what has that filth been up to?” added Ludmilla, recalling Ivan's grab for her in the passenger's dayroom a few days ago.

“Evidently Ivan the Terrible over there accosted Melissa in the aft hydroponic section. Had her trapped. She called for help and the computer told Bear, he being the closest officer.”

“She's lucky Bear was close by,” said Ludmilla.

“He's lucky she called him off. I believe Bear was actually going to kill and eat him—at least it looked that way in the surveillance video the computer sent to my station.”

“Remind me not to cross her,” Susan said with conviction. “Or Bear.”

“No need to fear Bear,” Gretchen reassured her  companions. “Unless you are either of those two weasels in the corner. Being unarguably the biggest and strongest member of the crew, Bear surprisingly has zero tolerance for anyone who tries to forcibly coerce those smaller or weaker than themselves.”

“I still do not understand how Jack controls him,” Ludmilla said to no one in particular. “Bear offered to tell me about how he and Jack met, now I'm not so sure I want to know.”

“They have some strange kind of male bond—a man, polar bear bromance. I don't understand it either, but Bear holds the Captain in the highest regard. Even so, if Ivan had really hurt Melissa I doubt that even the Captain could have prevented Bear from killing him—in fact, I'm not sure he would have tried.”

The crowd's attention shifted to the front of the lounge where the bridge crew was entering. Billy Ray nodded to Susan, and then went to the bar to get a brew with Bobby. Neither Susan nor Billy Ray was the clinging type by nature. They would have plenty of time to be together later in the evening—when it really mattered.

Finally, the Captain entered. He had purposefully allowed time for all those who wished to visit the bar prior to his joining the gathering. As the Captain moved to the center of the room, Gretchen and her companions stood, a signal to all the others to do likewise.

The Captain stood, waiting for silence which came quickly. Good, he thought, they are starting to act like a real crew and not just a bunch of civilians thrown together by happenstance. Now for him to act like a captain, and prepare the crew for the coming action.

“Good evening,” he began, bringing muted replies of “good evening, sir,” from the crowd. Jack smiled and looked about him.

“First order of business, I have decided to reassign some personnel in light of our recent experiences. I have asked Dr. Gupta to head up an independent science section, tasked with investigating any alien technology we encounter during the mission. Both Dr. Saito and Mr. Taylor will be detailed to the new science team.

“Mr. Medina is now the ship's Chief Engineer and I'm sure that he and Mr. Adams will keep everything shipshape. In keeping with our practice, the science team is now recognizable by their new burgundy jumpsuits. The engineering department now sports a new shade of orange as well. I know everyone will continue to do their same exemplary jobs in their new positions.”

Applause broke out among the crew. The Captain himself joined in and then, assuming a more somber posture, waited for order to return.

“This is only the second time we have all met like this. The last time was after the rescue of those stranded on the ISS and just before our encounter on the Moon.” Jack gave the significance of what they had already experienced time to sink in before proceeding.

“We are now faced with what will undoubtedly prove to be our greatest challenge. Tomorrow, we will emerge into normal space in a new star system—a place where no humans,” he paused and smiled at Bear, “or ursines have ever gone before.”

“If that is our only accomplishment, tomorrow will stand as an important day in the history of our species and our planet. But that is not all that will likely transpire.

“As you know, we started this journey in pursuit of an alien vessel, an unquestionably hostile alien vessel. Ladies and gentlemen, our current overriding mission remains the destruction of that alien craft.

“Some of you may be wondering why this is important, and why we should all risk our lives traveling through alter-space—something we didn't even know was possible a few days ago—to enter an unknown star system, facing unknown opponents in order to destroy a ship that may not even contain a living enemy.

“I have considered this question myself and I am here to tell you that we travel this course because we have no alternative. Not if we wish to be sure that our home world is safe. Because our scientists have managed to decode records, left behind by ancient visitors to our world. Records that warn of a peril greater than any we have previously encountered.”

This last statement sent murmurs around the room. The Captain again waited for the noise to die down before continuing.

“Ask yourselves whether our world is ready to face an invasion by aliens more technically advanced than we are. I think you will agree that neither our leaders nor our people are prepared for such an event. Fortunately, there are others who know this terrible secret still on Earth. They will be working to inform the leaders of every nation about the threat we face, but their job will not be easy.

“Think how hard it was for many of you to accept that aliens exist and that they may be hostile. Of course, getting shot at by giant mechanical spiders has a way of focusing the mind.”

That brought chuckles from the crowd and some high-fiving among the Marines assembled along the far wall. Jack hazarded a glance at Ludmilla, who nodded in reply.
I'll probably pay for that crack later
.

“Simply put, Earth needs more time to prepare. I have considered our overall mission and concluded that we must make every effort to buy that time tomorrow. Precisely what we will be called upon to do I cannot tell you; what we will find at Beta Comae remains unknown. Our actions will be dictated by circumstances.

“All that I ask, all that Earth can ask, is for each one of you to do your duty. With that and the grace of God, I have no doubt that this fine ship and this fine crew will win the day. So, attention to orders.”

“Starting with forenoon watch tomorrow we will go to General Quarters. Those Marines not assigned as gunner's mates are to assemble in the cargo hold in full combat gear, in case we need to board the alien vessel. Those who do not have an assigned action station, see Lt. Curtis. She will tell you where to be while we are at General Quarters.

“Return to normal 3-space is expected just after noon, but I am told that there is some uncertainty in the exact timing of the event. Regardless, we will be at our action stations and ready.

“The bar will close in an hour, the lounge will stay open until midnight. Relax, enjoy yourselves and get a goodnight's sleep. Tomorrow we will face the unknown together. That is all.”

With that the Captain turned and left the lounge.