To The Stars (The Harry Irons Trilogy) (10 page)

Simply enough, it works this way: a spacecraft enters the wormhole at a precise velocity and exits at another hole somewhere else in the galaxy. The entry velocity dictates the destination. For every velocity, plus or minus one Planck constant, there is one and only one destination."

"So?" Nadine asked.

"So, that means that in practical theory there is an infinite number of destinations."

Doris interrupted. "A major part of each survey mission is to monitor velocities and map the entry velocities to the exit coordinates. Simple."

"How long is transit through the wormhole?" asked Parker.

"It varies," Bonner answered, "but never longer than a couple of days. At least, so far. It's the time in transit to and from the wormhole that sometimes takes several months. When we pop out on the other side, we could find ourselves anywhere."

Blane faced Fagen and spoke. "That raises the question of exactly where are we headed?"

Fagen cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we've been given a new velocity and new entry vectors."

"Does that mean we don't know where we're headed?"

"That's right," Fagen said. "Unexplored territory."

Kathleen gaped. "You mean we have no idea where we're going?"

What does it matter when you don't know where you are?
Blane transmitted to Kathleen.

"Not the faintest," Doris said matter-of-factly.

"What if we get through and find nothing there?"

"The corporation hired us as a survey team. We record and map whatever we find, even if it's empty space. Either way, the corporation considers it a successful mission."

Fagen had lapsed into silence and was listening. He stood with his back to the bulkhead, arms folded. He was a peculiar man, aloof and keenly observant. When he spoke again, immediately everyone looked to him for his opinion.

"It will be a successful mission. For the time being, I want Nadine, Bill, Bart, and Doris on the bridge. Now, let's get to work."

Harry stopped Doris on the way out. "What should I do?"

Orders came easy for Doris. "You can make sure everything is stowed away in everybody's space. Afterwards, your time is your own until we begin our approach to the wormhole."

Harry nodded and made his way back to the crew's quarters. Parker and Kathleen went to the infirmary which also doubled as a lab. Parker wanted to make sure everything was secure before departure and Kathleen just wanted to take a look around. The others went forward to the bridge.

Feeling invasive, Harry took a quick look in everyone's space. They were all fine except for Blane's. On his bunk was his collection of pleasure disks, on the floor, his clothes. Harry quickly placed them in a locker and exited. Last was Fagen's room. It was locked. Harry shrugged and turned away.

A klaxon sounded and Harry felt a slight thump. For a moment, the floor seemed to be trying to slide out from under him. An announcement was made over the intercom. "Ship is underway!"

Then Harry heard his name being called over the intercom. "Harry? You want to come forward and have a look?"

That's exactly what Harry wanted and he rushed forward to join the others on the bridge. When he arrived, he saw that the Magellan had just cleared the restraining locks and was pulling away from the station. The others sat at control consoles and watched their monitors. Fagen was in the pilot's chair with Bart alongside in the XO's chair. Harry noted that Doris, ousted from her position, hovered nearby.

As they drew away, Fagen maneuvered with airjets. He turned the vessel around so that it moved backwards and they could watch the station as it receded from view.

A report came through from the controllers on the station. "Magellan, you are moving five by five through your corridor. Take care of yourselves. We'll track you until wormhole entry. Have a good trip."

Nadine flipped open the comms channel. "That is affirmative. Thanks. This is Magellan, out."

Harry watched until he could no longer see the station. After that, he stared out the port for a long time. Only when he grew hungry did he finally move.

"Think I'll look for something to eat."

Doris shook her head. "Don't eat too much, Harry. It won't sit well on your stomach while you sleep."

"It's not safe to eat anything at all," said Parker. "It's not necessary, either. You'll get nutrients as you sleep."

"Well, when do we turn in?"

"All right, I suppose we should get started. Commander?" Parker looked at Fagen.

"By all means. Start getting them wired up."

Parker looked back to Harry. "You're the most nonessential, so you'll be first."

"You didn't have to put it quite that way."

"What way?"

"Never mind. What do I do?"

"Whatever you do to get yourself prepared to sleep. Shower..."

Nadine grinned. "Put on your jammies!"

"Be in your quarters ready to snooze in an hour."

Harry nodded and floated off the bridge. "Good night everybody, see you in about fifteen months."

"Good night, Harry!"

Weightless and enjoying the freedom, he pushed himself along. When he was out of sight from the others, he played in the air, tumbling end over end, darting from one corner to the other until he began to feel he could use a wash.

He took a towel from his cabin and worked his way to the chamber they called the washing machine. It was actually part of a larger system that allowed the crew to wash and perform hygienic functions normally restricted from a weightless environment. The washing machine itself was a closet-sized air/water compression shower. Harry had never used one but it seemed simple enough. He passed through the outer hatch, shut the door and stripped down. He stashed his clothes in a locker, then faced the inner door. He pressed a button and the door parted, the two halves sliding into the wall. As he stepped inside, he felt the wind buffer that kept any particles of water from leaving the washing machine. The door shut behind. Somewhere behind the bulkhead, warm water mixed with compressed air and both were forced through tiny tubes that led to pinholes in the surface of the washing machine. The result was a spray of fine mist that constantly circulated within the chamber.

Harry floated in the air under the mixture of water and air, enjoying the zero gravity shower. A clank sounded from the anteroom. Harry attempted to wipe the water from his eyes. "Who's there?" After a moment, he added, "There's somebody in here."

The doors to the washing machine slid open. Kathleen stood in the dressing room, completely undressed and completely unashamed. A smile played across her face. "I know. Hope you don't mind if I join you; this is the only place to wash."

Harry stared at the beautiful young woman as she floated into the shower. The door closed behind her. She looked expectantly at him. Harry was shy, but he wasn't slow. He took her in his arms and he did what he'd wanted to do since the first time he'd seen her. He held her and kissed her, her naked body close to his. They made love until Parker interrupted by pounding on the door.

"I know you're in there, so open up! It's time for sleep!"

Harry didn't rush it. When he finally opened the door, Parker said nothing, preferring instead to angrily stare at the two lovers. Kathleen laughed, more a giggle actually, up until the time Parker injected both her and Harry with the cryoshot. The last thing Harry recalled before falling asleep was Kathleen's laughter. For the moment he completely forgot that he was in outer space embarking on the greatest adventure of his life.

*

"Harry? Wake up! Is he back with us yet?"

Voices invaded Harry's consciousness. He wanted to force them away but they were insistent: they wanted him to get up. And yet he was so sleepy.

"He's coming around now."

Harry opened his eyes. Nadine stood over him with Parker off to the side. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Seems like I just drifted off a minute ago."

"It's fifteen months later, Harry. We're closing in on the wormhole. So get up!"

"Where's Kathleen?"

"She's awake and already on the bridge with everybody else. Get dressed and come on up."

Slowly, Harry roused himself. The hangover from cryo-sleep was more than he'd expected. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and pulled on his clothes. Remembering his shower with Kathleen, he wondered if it was just a dream.

The time prior to wormhole entry passed rapidly. As they approached, Harry, Kathleen, and the doctor were ordered back to their cabins and told to strap themselves in.

On the bridge, Nadine checked the entry vectors while Bonner prepared to ignite the fusion plasma generators. Blane plugged into the ship's computers and monitored the entire process.

The plan was to light the fires as soon as the wormhole began its fluctuation and then to fly through as the hole reached its widest point. It was a delicate operation. The wormhole, pulled by the gravitational forces of the entire cosmos, continually yawned and closed. Sometimes it was as small as a micron across and other times it could stretch to as much as a quarter mile across. The corporation had placed a series of plasma field generators in the space around the hole. They helped to stabilize the hole when it reached its widest point and then to stretch it even further. There was plenty of room for a fully-equipped starship.

Still, everything had to work in exact synchronization. Bonner counted down. Ignition had to occur at exactly the right moment. The velocity of the craft, as ordered by the corporation, had to be precise and steady upon entry.

Everyone was quiet when the computers engaged the ignition. Instantly, the fusion engines sprang to life and the Magellan began to gather speed.

Before them, the wormhole gaped open, widening as they approached.

Below, in his quarters, Harry clung to the sides of his bunk as the Magellan began to shake and vibrate. On his monitor, he watched the wormhole as it grew larger. Like lightening, flashes of light stretched across the opening and disappeared as quickly. This is it, Harry thought. This is what I've dreamed of for so long.

Back on the bridge, the crew watched their monitors.

"Thirty seconds to entry," Nadine announced.

"Right," said Bonner, "we will achieve speed in... well, we just hit cruising speed. Looking good, steady."

Blane reported from cyberspace, murmuring, "Fivers on all systems..."

Fagen looked relaxed, almost bored.

Blane sat upright, eyes open. "Problem in propulsions... something with the software..."

Suddenly Bonner called out, "Speed is wavering high!"

"Hold her steady!" Doris ordered from the auxiliary chair.

Nadine continued her count, "...two, one, zero! That's it. We just passed the event horizon."

The fusion engines shut off automatically. The Magellan coursed its way through the wormhole. Outside the craft, the darkness was occasionally split by flashes of light.

"Mark the time, Mr. Bonner."

"Right, I've got it."

"So do I," said Blane.

"Specify the problem, Dr. Blane."

"A messed up solution in the software caused a power surge resulting in a high waver of velocity. The same problem is causing a malfunction in a heating unit."

"Yeah," Bonner agreed, "I've got a light on my board."

"Disengage the software routine," Fagen ordered.

"Done," Bart replied.

Fagen turned to Bonner. "We need to repair the heating unit, probably just a re-calibration. Would you take care of that?"

"No problem." Bonner unstrapped himself, rose, and left the bridge.

"Doris, help Mr. Bonner please."

As ordered, she followed the engineer off the bridge.

When they were gone, Fagen faced Blane. "Enter a new solution in the vector guidance routine. Make it point oh-two-five-seven five."

"Shouldn't we wait until we pop out and see where we land?"

"No, I want to be ready as soon as..."

Fagen was interrupted by a call from Doris over the intercom. "We've got a fire down here! Re-route coolants to the secondary system!"

"I hear you," Fagen replied. "Do you need any help?"

"No, we've got it under control, but it's a real mess."

"Great way to start off," commented Nadine.

Fagen called into the intercom. "Bonner?"

"Here."

"Can you repair the damage?"

"No problem. It's going to take a few minutes though."

"How long?"

"With Doris helping, no more than thirty to forty-five minutes."

"All right, do it."

"Roger that."

Fagen turned back to Blane. "Have you input the new vector?"

"Yes, but why that vector? It's different from the corporation assignment."

Fagen waved his hand to dismiss Blane's concerns. "It's an alternate vector to be used in case of circumstances like what we've encountered."