The Outback Stars (3 page)

“Commander who?”

“I mean, Commander Al-Banna. He took over after that big problem with Commander Matsuda. They say the department's having a bad run of luck and I guess Reggie proves that—poor guy went off the road and was trapped for hours before someone found him. Dave Quenger's excited, though, because he's going to get the DIVO job. The commander practically said so.”

The parade of names was making Jodenny dizzy. “Did you say we're going to be working together?”

“Unless they give you Quenger's old job in Maintenance, but you don't want that.”

“How about Flight Support?” Jodenny asked. “Who's in charge there?”

Before Hultz could answer, the lift doors slid open to a bridge identical to the
Yangtze'
s. Dozens of consoles formed a semicircle around the towering mainscreen. Twice as many personnel monitored every aspect of Mainship and the Towers. Back at Alice Base, almost everyone had been appallingly young. The
Aral Sea
's bridge was full of seasoned sailors, crisp and serious as they readied the ship for launch. Overlooking the bridge were the captain's office and, high in the domed overhead, a totem in the shape of a gum tree, a naval tradition since Captain Jackie MacBride and her heroic crew first slid down the Little Alcheringa.

A swarthy Master-at-Arms confronted them, checked their badges, and inspected Jodenny's bag. Only then were they allowed to cross a gangplank toward the captain's suite. Below them, a swarm of techs gathered to fret over an Ops station. Someone at Drive ordered new specs. When Jodenny stopped to let a regular technician roll a unit past she saw a tall, dark-haired, and regrettably familiar figure standing down by the Data Department consoles.

Sam Osherman. Shit and spice. Of all the goddamned bad luck in the universe—

“Something wrong?” Hultz asked.

Jodenny had studied the ship's roster on the P-train and Osherman's name hadn't been on it. What had she ever done to deserve such malign fate?

“Lieutenant?” Hultz asked. “You okay?”

Quickly, before Osherman could look up and see her, Jodenny forced herself forward. The captain's inner offices were guarded by a round-faced aide who took her bag and said, “The Executive Officer's not in, but Captain Umbundo wants to meet you.”

The modular furniture in the captain's office was strictly shipyard design but autographed ASL soccer balls and framed jerseys from the Kookaburra World Cup provided a bit of color. Umbundo sat behind his desk, a sturdy man with dark skin and more than a dozen Alcheringa patches on his jacket. The only decoration on his desk was a Wondjina Sphere paperweight, and the only vid on the wall showed a live relay from the bridge.

“Lieutenant Scott reporting for duty, sir.”

Umbundo didn't stand or smile. “Sit down, Miz Scott.”

She sat, and told herself not to wipe her sweaty palms on her slacks.

“My condolences on the loss of your friends and fellow shipmates,” he said. “You can imagine our shock when we arrived last week and learned the news. It's a terrible tragedy, one that will have repercussions for years to come.”

“Yes, sir,” she said. Information traveled one way down the Alcheringa, no faster than the ships that carried it. The news about what the Colonial Freedom Project had done to the
Yangtze
had yet to reach Fortune. “I'm sure you knew people aboard as well, Captain.”

“I did.” He didn't elaborate. “How was your stay on Kookaburra?”

“There are worse places to convalesce, sir.”

“And better places?”

The wallvid's volume was turned down, but Jodenny could see a group of officers suddenly cluster around the Data panel. She said, “I'd rather not have needed to convalesce at all.”

“You'd rather have been killed?”

That stung, but Jodenny had expected something like it. “I'm not suffering from survivor's guilt, Captain.”

“That ship was your first posting. You had good friends onboard. Friends that became family.”

“Yes, sir,” Jodenny said. Osherman was in the middle of the vid now, explaining something with an expressive wave of his hand. She forced herself to look away. “The orphanage on Fortune where I grew up was my first home. Team Space was my second, and my last ship was my third. But the CFP can't make me afraid to go back into space and I'm not going to let the past interfere with the present.”

Umbundo gazed at her steadily. “I want you to take over Underway Stores.”

Her stomach knotted. “Sir?”

“The position is usually billeted for a lieutenant commander, but we don't have any to spare. Someone's got to straighten out that mess down there. Do the job right, and it'll be a solid step toward lieutenant commander. You up for it?”

The vid forgotten, Jodenny reviewed what Spallone had told her about bad apples and Hultz mentioning someone else already being promised the job. “I believe the SUPPO has another replacement in mind.”

“I'm not interested in the SUPPO's idea for a replacement.”

There was really only one answer he wanted to hear, and Jodenny knew it. “Yes, sir. I'm up for the job.”

The comm pinged. The captain's aide said, “You're needed on the bridge, sir.”

Jodenny stood. Umbundo rose, shook her hand with a grip like iron, and said, “Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir.”

His gaze caught on her jumpsuit. “Where's your MacBride Cross? Don't tell me you forgot to put it on.”

“Sorry, sir,” Jodenny said. She didn't tell him that wearing the decoration made her feel like a fraud. She'd been told about her heroic actions, had listened to an admiral speak highly of her bravery, but her memory was a muddy collection of images and sensations: fire, pain, thick choking smoke. The doctors blamed a head injury, and had told her she might never fully recall what had happened. “I'll make sure it's sewed on properly.”

Osherman was standing by the aide's desk when Jodenny stepped out of Umbundo's office. He blinked at her in surprise.

“Lieutenant Scott,” he said, with a trace of Kiwi accent in his voice. His dark hair was a little shorter than she remembered, with strands of silver every here and there. Of course he wouldn't color it. He was a few centimeters taller than she, with strong, handsome features and a freckle under the tip of his chin. She remembered other freckles as well, and the little birthmark on his shoulder blade.

Jodenny said, “Commander. You look well.”

“As do you.” Osherman's gaze slipped to Umbundo. “Good afternoon, sir.”

Umbundo brushed past them. “This isn't high tea, people. Get back to work.”

Osherman opened his mouth and closed it again. That had been cute, before—his tendency to start something and then think the better of it. Now it made him look like a fish suddenly bereft of oxygenated water. Osherman followed Umbundo down to the bridge and the captain's aide said, “Call if you need anything, Lieutenant Scott. Welcome aboard.”

Jodenny thanked him, took her bag back from Hultz, and headed toward the gangplank.

“So what did he say? I heard he's strict—”

“Ensign Hultz, have you ever heard that silence is golden?”

Hultz frowned. “Do you really think that's true?”

They went down to the Flats on D-Deck. Immediately beyond the lift was Ship's Services, which included the mess decks, laundry rooms, barbershops, and other stores. Across the way was the division that oversaw the ship's cleanliness, maintenance, and waste disposal. Standing at the crossroads of two passages, Jodenny also identified the offices for the officers' wardroom, chief petty officer mess, and Colony Stores. Her own office, Underway Stores, would be down on G-Deck. Fronting the Supply Officer's suite was a lobby manned by RT Bartis, who had bloodshot eyes and a wide nose.

“Welcome aboard, ma'am,” Bartis said. “Sorry about the
Yangtze
.”

Jodenny stiffened. “Don't you know it's bad luck to say the name of a lost ship?”

He didn't even blink. “Sorry, ma'am.”

“Is Commander Al-Banna available?” Hultz asked.

“Hear the yelling? Any minute now he'll start throwing those Customs agents up against the bulkhead.”

“Commander Matsuda was never that loud,” Hultz said. “How about Miz Wildstein?”

“She's refereeing.” Bartis brought out a ship's gib and had Jodenny sign for it. “Your agent's waiting for you to set up your preferences. I'll let him or her know when the commander can see you. Here's your check-in list—you have two weeks to visit each department and make sure they sign off. Your quarters assignment is cabin D12.”

A dark-haired lieutenant with a thick mustache and bright blue eyes was waiting for them when they stepped out of the SUPPO's suite. He asked, “Clara, is this our new addition?” and without waiting for an answer reached out to shake Jodenny's hand. “David Quenger, welcome aboard the best ship in the fleet.”

That was his first mistake. She had already served on the best ship in the fleet. “Jodenny Scott. Pleased to be here.”

“Wait until you've been onboard awhile,” said the redheaded man at Quenger's side.

Quenger slapped his shoulder. “This is Kal Ysten. Unhappiest ensign you'll ever meet.”

Ysten shook Jodenny's hand. “That's not true.”

“Wait until you hear him start complaining, Jo,” Quenger said.

“Jo's not my name,” she replied.

Hultz giggled. Quenger smiled even brighter. “Clara, if you're busy, we could show Jodenny around for her check-ins.”

“It's okay, David,” Hultz said. “I'm not busy.”

The constant and improper use of first names in public set Jodenny's teeth on edge. Just as she was about to tell
Mr. Quenger
that she and
Miz Hultz
would do fine, he reached over and touched her shoulder.

“Let's do dinner tonight,” he suggested.

She removed his hand. “I'll be dining in the wardroom tonight. Good day, gentlemen.”

Jodenny couldn't resist a look at Quenger's face as they moved away: still a smirk, but a confused one at that. He obviously wasn't accustomed to being turned down. Once out of earshot Hultz said, “You should get to know him. He's really a great guy.”

“I already know his type.”

Jodenny followed Hultz into Supply officers' country. She could have found her own way, but Hultz's presence at least distracted her from the double vision that had started to bother her eyes.
Yangtze. Aral Sea.
Two ships, two fates.

“So what's the story with Ysten?” Jodenny asked.

“Oh, I don't know, he's always miserable about something. Nobody likes him.”

Jodenny's knees weakened when they passed what would have been her stateroom on the
Yangtze.
The doorplate read
A. FRANCESCO.
Hultz continued to jabber on, and the image of the ensign wavered in Jodenny's vision. She took a deep breath and refused to faint.

“Lieutenant? Jodenny?” Hultz sounded worried. “Spacesick so soon, eh? Don't worry. I used to puke all the time. Here's your cabin.”

Jodenny forced herself to focus on the hatch. The sign
J. SCOTT
was already in place. She logged her thumbprint and voice into the door lock and walked inside to a small cabin filled with standard blue and gray furnishings.

“Dump your stuff and we can go grab a snack,” Hultz said.

“No, thanks. I think I'll stay here for a while, get myself oriented.”

“You sure?” At Jodenny's nod Hultz said, “Okay. I'll come and get you for dinner. See you at eighteen hundred hours.”

After the ensign was gone, Jodenny began unpacking. She tried to remember everyone she'd met. Captain Umbundo. Clara Hultz, with her short hair and unfocused enthusiasm. That bloodshot tech who worked for the SUPPO—Bartis, that was his name. David Quenger, so incredibly full of himself. His unhappy friend Ysten. And Osherman, on the bridge. Jodenny went to her desk and accessed Core.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant Scott,” a male voice said. “Would you like to set up your agent now?”

“No. Tell me when Commander Samuel Osherman reported onboard.”

“May first.”

Eight days earlier. “Where did he report from?”

“Alice Training Base.”

Nonsense. She had never seen him at Alice. Jodenny sat back in her chair. After a few minutes she leaned forward to check her imail. Standard messages had already started pouring into her queue. Rules for quarters, emergency procedures, boring bureaucracy … Where had Osherman been since the accident? Definitely not at Alice. She logged onto the ship's message boards and scanned the several dozen listed topics. Thousands of messages from strangers, the chorus and chaos of a ship she knew so little about—

An alarm shrieked through the cabin, making her jerk away from the desk. General Quarters. The alarm that had started the nightmare on the
Yangtze.

It was starting all over again, all over, all over …

CHAPTER THREE

Myell's gib beeped as soon as the birdie landed.

“Get yourself over to T6,” Chief Nitta said. “Ishikawa's sick and I need someone in the tower for launch.”

Myell was a sergeant and Ishikawa was an able tech. Underway Stores had twenty personnel assigned to it, and almost any of them could have babysat the DNGOs in Tower 6. But there was no use arguing about it. He dropped his rucksack off in his cabin and took a tram from Mainship to the Rocks. The access ring to T6 switched him around to the tower's gravity orientation and six minutes after Nitta's page he was relieving Ahmed Lange in the command module. Lange had his feet up on the counter and was playing Snipe.

“What's wrong with Ish?” Myell asked.

“Who knows?” Lange gestured toward the windows. “Your dogs missed you.”