Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 4: Difference between revisions

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{{infobox Novel Chapter
{{infobox Novel Chapter
|faction = terran
|faction = terran
|title = Chapter Four
|title = Chapter 4
|image = image:Movienovel.jpg
|image = image:Movienovel.jpg
|book = [[Wing Commander (novelization)|Wing Commander]]
|book = [[Wing Commander (novelization)|Wing Commander]]
|parts = 1
|parts = 1
|previous = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter Three|Chapter Three]]
|previous = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|next = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter Five|Chapter Five]]
|next = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
|pages = 29-34
}}
}}


== Dramatis Personae ==
== Dramatis Personae ==


* [[Christopher Blair]]
{| class="wikitable"
* [[Todd Marshall]]
|-
* [[James Taggart]]
!
! Part 1
|-
! POV
|valign=top|
[[Christopher Blair]]
|-
! Speaking
|valign=top|
[[Todd Marshall|Todd "Maniac" Marshall]]<br>
[[Merlin]]<br>
[[James Taggart|James "Paladin" Taggart]]
|-
! Mentioned
|valign=top|
[[Devi Soulsong]]
|-
|}


== Text ==
== Text ==


<B>REQUISITIONED</B>
{{infobox wcm
 
|line1 = REQUISITIONED<BR><B>MERCHANTMAN<BR><I>DILIGENT</I>
<B>MERCHANTMAN</B>
|line2 = MARCH 15, 2654<BR>2150 HOURS<BR>ZULU TIME
 
|line3 = ENROUTE TO<BR>BEACON 147
<B><I>DILIGENT</I></B>
}}
 
<B>MARCH 15, 2654</B>
 
<B>2150 HOURS</B>
 
<B>ZULU TIME</B>
 
<B>ENROUTE TO</B>
 
<B>BEACON 147</B>
 


Taggart's hatch stood ajar, and Blair peeked through the crack. <i>If a
Taggart's hatch stood ajar, and Blair peeked through the crack. <i>If a
man's quarters say a lot about the man, then this place isn't talking.</i> Taggart kept only the bare essentials: cot, night-stand, and wide, battered
man's quarters say a lot about the man, then this place isn't talking.</i> Taggart kept only the bare essentials: cot, night-stand, and wide, battered
desk. Even the old gray walls were bare, sans the pinups or family photos
desk. Even the old gray walls were bare, sans the pinups or family photos
that hung in the majority of pilot berths. Taggart sat at the desk, poring
that hung in the majority of pilot berths.  
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart sat at the desk, poring
over a collection of ancient star charts printed on real paper. A half-dozen
over a collection of ancient star charts printed on real paper. A half-dozen
of them lay rolled up and bound by rubber bands at his elbow. Still more
of them lay rolled up and bound by rubber bands at his elbow. Still more
Line 44: Line 53:
prepared to knock. "Come in," Taggart said.
prepared to knock. "Come in," Taggart said.


Grinning slightly over the man's keen senses, Blair entered and
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grinning slightly over the man's keen senses, Blair entered and
suddenly felt awkward at standing in this most personal of places. He
suddenly felt awkward at standing in this most personal of places. He
blurted out, "We're holding steady on the beacon. Marshall has the helm."
blurted out, "We're holding steady on the beacon. Marshall has the helm."
Line 50: Line 59:
be antiques."
be antiques."


"Yeah," Taggart said. "They were made by the first explorers in the
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah," Taggart said. "They were made by the first explorers in the
sector. Pilgrims."
sector. Pilgrims."


"How did you get them?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"How did you get them?"


Taggart rolled up one of the maps. "Now that's a story too long to
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart rolled up one of the maps. "Now that's a story too long to
hear."
hear."


"I, uh, before… I couldn't help noticing the tattoo on your neck."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I, uh, before ... I couldn't help noticing the tattoo on your neck."


Smiling wanly, Taggart looked to an empty wall. Blair could only
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smiling wanly, Taggart looked to an empty wall. Blair could only
imagine what ghosts the captain saw there. "What about the Pilgrim cross
imagine what ghosts the captain saw there. "What about the Pilgrim cross
you hide under your shirt?"
you hide under your shirt?"


Retreating a step, Blair's hand went instinctively for the cross. Then,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Retreating a step, Blair's hand went instinctively for the cross. Then,
realizing he had betrayed himself, he thrust the hand to his side and
realizing he had betrayed himself, he thrust the hand to his side and
waited for the inevitable.
waited for the inevitable.


"Don't worry. We all have pasts. And secrets."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Don't worry. We all have pasts. And secrets."


Blair gave a slight sigh. "It was my mother's."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair gave a slight sigh. "It was my mother's."


"May I see it?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"May I see it?"


After hesitating, Blair lifted the chain over his head and withdrew the
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After hesitating, Blair lifted the chain over his head and withdrew the
cross. He handed it to Taggart, who ran his fingers slowly, reverently over
cross. He handed it to Taggart, who ran his fingers slowly, reverently over
the semicircle. The glimmer in his eyes grew brighter, and his face
the semicircle. The glimmer in his eyes grew brighter, and his face
Line 81: Line 90:
bottom.
bottom.


As he traced the blade with his index finger, he smiled wanly again and
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As he traced the blade with his index finger, he smiled wanly again and
said, "There was a time long ago when people looked up to the Pilgrims.
said, "There was a time long ago when people looked up to the Pilgrims. They were at the forefront of space exploration. When I was a boy, I knew
 
They were at the forefront of space exploration. When I was a boy, I knew
there was some kind of connection between God and the stars. I think the
there was some kind of connection between God and the stars. I think the
Pilgrims found that connection." He touched the plate again, retracting
Pilgrims found that connection." He touched the plate again, retracting
the blade, then returned it to Blair.
the blade, then returned it to Blair.


"You know," Taggart continued, "since the Pilgrims were defeated, not
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You know," Taggart continued, "since the Pilgrims were defeated, not
a single new quasar has been charted."
a single new quasar has been charted."


"It's so strange hearing someone talk like this. The word Pilgrim has
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's so strange hearing someone talk like this. The word Pilgrim has
always been… I don't know… a curse."
always been ... I don't know ... a curse."


Without warning, a sudden surge of acceleration sent Blair reaching for
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without warning, a sudden surge of acceleration sent Blair reaching for
the desk. He caught the edge and balanced himself as Taggart's coffee
the desk. He caught the edge and balanced himself as Taggart's coffee
mug fell and broke.
mug fell and broke.


"That idiot!" Taggart screamed. He shot to his feet and stormed out of
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That idiot!" Taggart screamed. He shot to his feet and stormed out of
the cabin.
the cabin.


Blair followed close behind, only then realizing what Marshall had done.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair followed close behind, only then realizing what Marshall had done.
As Taggart entered the bridge, he shouted, "Get up!"
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Taggart entered the bridge, he shouted, "Get up!"


Marshall's face grew thin and pale as he quickly vacated the captain's
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marshall's face grew thin and pale as he quickly vacated the captain's
chair and moved to the co-pilot's seat. "That caffeine's killing your
chair and moved to the co-pilot's seat. "That caffeine's killing your
attitude, man."
attitude, man."


"Shut up. Did you change course?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Shut up. Did you change course?"


"You told me to shut up."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You told me to shut up."


"Answer the question!"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Answer the question!"


"No. Just boosted the power. Why dog it when we can be at the beacon
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No. Just boosted the power. Why dog it when we can be at the beacon
in an hour? Unless, of course, you want us to be delayed."
in an hour? Unless, of course, you want us to be delayed."


Blair watched Marshall's hand drift toward the sidearm concealed at
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair watched Marshall's hand drift toward the sidearm concealed at
his calf.
his calf.


"That beacon is marking a gravity well," Taggart said through clenched
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That beacon is marking a gravity well," Taggart said through clenched
teeth.
teeth.


Marshall gave Blair a nervous look and mouthed, "Holy shit."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marshall gave Blair a nervous look and mouthed, "Holy shit."


Swinging the navigation computer in front of him, Taggart's fingers
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Swinging the navigation computer in front of him, Taggart's fingers
danced over the touchpad until a Heads Up Display lit before them. A
danced over the touchpad until a Heads Up Display lit before them. A
green, flat grid rotated and glowed as data bars on each side filled with
green, flat grid rotated and glowed as data bars on each side filled with
Line 132: Line 140:
elliptical spike in the concave surface.
elliptical spike in the concave surface.


Blair stood transfixed, knowing all too well what a gravity well could do
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair stood transfixed, knowing all too well what a gravity well could do
to a Confed capital ship, let alone a rusty old transport.
to a Confed capital ship, let alone a rusty old transport.


Something sparkled near the floor, and Blair turned as Merlin
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Something sparkled near the floor, and Blair turned as Merlin
self-activated and began pacing. "I told you this ship wasn't up to the job.
self-activated and began pacing. "I told you this ship wasn't up to the job.
My sensors indicate that there are a number of structural flaws—"
My sensors indicate that there are a number of structural flaws--"


"What the hell is that?" Taggart asked with a lopsided grin.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What the hell is that?" Taggart asked with a lopsided grin.


"That's Merlin," Blair answered. "He's the interface for my PPC."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That's Merlin," Blair answered. "He's the interface for my PPC."


Taggart resumed his gaze on the HUD. "Well, get into his face and tell
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart resumed his gaze on the HUD. "Well, get into his face and tell
him to shut up."
him to shut up."


Blair cocked his head to give the order, but Merlin had already
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair cocked his head to give the order, but Merlin had already
switched to standby mode.
switched to standby mode.


Shoving the navigation computer back on its swingarm, Taggart slid
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shoving the navigation computer back on its swingarm, Taggart slid
another display forward, one that offered multiple views of space via the
another display forward, one that offered multiple views of space via the
<I>Diligent's</I> external cameras. He chose the image from the centerline unit
<I>Diligent's</I> external cameras. He chose the image from the centerline unit
Line 157: Line 165:
toward the same future.
toward the same future.


Taggart beat his knuckle upon a thruster control button, throwing Blair
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart beat his knuckle upon a thruster control button, throwing Blair
and Marshall forward as retros violently kicked in. "One cubic inch of that
and Marshall forward as retros violently kicked in. "One cubic inch of that
well exerts more gravitational force than Earth's sun," he barked at
well exerts more gravitational force than Earth's sun," he barked at
Marshall.
Marshall.


"I screwed up. I get that. Stow the physics lesson," Marshall answered,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I screwed up. I get that. Stow the physics lesson," Marshall answered,
his eyes not leaving the external camera display.
his eyes not leaving the external camera display.


Taggart pushed that display aside and slid back the navigation
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart pushed that display aside and slid back the navigation
computer. He frowned at the coordinates and tapped in new ones. "Come
computer. He frowned at the coordinates and tapped in new ones. "Come
on, come on," he said, driving himself harder. "If I don't realign our entry
on, come on," he said, driving himself harder. "If I don't realign our entry
vector, we won't make the jump."
vector, we won't make the jump."


"And if we don't make the jump…" Marshall began.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And if we don't make the jump ..." Marshall began.


"We die," Taggart finished.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We die," Taggart finished.


"Have we reached the entry vector's point of no return yet?" Blair
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Have we reached the entry vector's point of no return yet?" Blair
asked. Once they hit the PNR, course adjustment would be a fond
asked. Once they hit the PNR, course adjustment would be a fond
memory.
memory.


"Not yet," Taggart said, throwing a toggle to automatically stabilize the
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Not yet," Taggart said, throwing a toggle to automatically stabilize the
now-groaning transport. "She's reaching out for us. Hear that?"
now-groaning transport. "She's reaching out for us. Hear that?"


The <I>Diligent's</I> hull protested much louder now, and through the
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <I>Diligent's</I> hull protested much louder now, and through the
viewport, the gravity well appeared in all of its gluttonous furor. The ship's
viewport, the gravity well appeared in all of its gluttonous furor. The ship's
thrusters whined as they fought to obey Taggart's course corrections. Still,
thrusters whined as they fought to obey Taggart's course corrections. Still,
Line 188: Line 196:
repressed a shiver.
repressed a shiver.


Taggart took one look at the viewport and raised a hand. "Well, ladies,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart took one look at the viewport and raised a hand. "Well, ladies,
meet Scylla, bane to sailors and monster of myth."
meet Scylla, bane to sailors and monster of myth."


Marshall frowned at Blair, then regarded Taggart, his frown deepening.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marshall frowned at Blair, then regarded Taggart, his frown deepening.
"What's a Scylla?"
"What's a Scylla?"


But Blair answered for Taggart. "Ulysses sailed between the whirlpool
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But Blair answered for Taggart. "Ulysses sailed between the whirlpool
Charybdis and the island monster Scylla. She snatched six of his men and
Charybdis and the island monster Scylla. She snatched six of his men and
ate them."
ate them."


"I didn't need to know that," Marshall moaned.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I didn't need to know that," Marshall moaned.


Shaking a finger at Scylla, Taggart said, "This beauty's got an even
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shaking a finger at Scylla, Taggart said, "This beauty's got an even
bigger appetite. Hold on."
bigger appetite. Hold on."


Blair got to the navigator's seat behind Taggart and Marshall. The
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair got to the navigator's seat behind Taggart and Marshall. The
captain threw a pair of toggles, and a bank of afterburners kicked the
captain threw a pair of toggles, and a bank of afterburners kicked the
<I>Diligent</I> onto her side. Blair clung to the arms of his seat as the ship
<I>Diligent</I> onto her side. Blair clung to the arms of his seat as the ship
Line 213: Line 221:
as well, and thumped to the floor beside Blair.
as well, and thumped to the floor beside Blair.


Still glued to his seat, Taggart continued adjusting the <I>Diligent's</I>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Still glued to his seat, Taggart continued adjusting the <I>Diligent's</I>
course. The transport slowly rolled upright, sending Blair and Marshall
course. The transport slowly rolled upright, sending Blair and Marshall
sliding toward the true deck. As the ship finally balanced and artificial
sliding toward the true deck. As the ship finally balanced and artificial
Line 220: Line 228:
Scylla's perimeter, the course steady and true.
Scylla's perimeter, the course steady and true.


"Broken your grip, old girl," Taggart said, regarding an external camera
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Broken your grip, old girl," Taggart said, regarding an external camera
display that tracked the gravity well. "Better luck next time."
display that tracked the gravity well. "Better luck next time."


Blair stood and watched Taggart steer the ship along the glide path.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair stood and watched Taggart steer the ship along the glide path.
The <I>Diligent</I> now skipped closer to Scylla, avoiding her maw, but
The <I>Diligent</I> now skipped closer to Scylla, avoiding her maw, but
nonetheless doing some serious flirting. Space wavered along the
nonetheless doing some serious flirting. Space wavered along the
starboard quarter.
starboard quarter.


Clearly, Marshall had a rough time comprehending the gravity well. He
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clearly, Marshall had a rough time comprehending the gravity well. He
stared at the external camera image, at the space distortion through the
stared at the external camera image, at the space distortion through the
viewport, at the glide path. And he began shaking his head. "This isn't a
viewport, at the glide path. And he began shaking his head. "This isn't a
normal gravity well. What the hell is this thing?"
normal gravity well. What the hell is this thing?"


"This <i>thing</i> is a distortion in space-time," Taggart explained. "Pilgrims
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This <i>thing</i> is a distortion in space-time," Taggart explained. "Pilgrims
were the first to chart it."
were the first to chart it."


"So why is it off-limits?" Marshall asked.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So why is it off-limits?" Marshall asked.


"Because it's unstable."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Because it's unstable."


"And we're going to jump it?" Marshall mouthed to Blair, having a hard
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And we're going to jump it?" Marshall mouthed to Blair, having a hard
time keeping his jaw closed.
time keeping his jaw closed.


A warning light flashed on the navigation computer, accompanied by a
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A warning light flashed on the navigation computer, accompanied by a
rapid beeping. The HUD winked out. The <I>Diligent</I> suddenly listed to
rapid beeping. The HUD winked out. The <I>Diligent</I> suddenly listed to
starboard.
starboard.


"Nav computer's off-line," Blair observed.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nav computer's off-line," Blair observed.


"It's the magnetic fields," Taggart said. "Blair. Take the helm."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's the magnetic fields," Taggart said. "Blair. Take the helm."


Normal functions like breathing suddenly escaped Blair. "I've never
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Normal functions like breathing suddenly escaped Blair. "I've never
made a jump before."
made a jump before."


Taggart cocked a brow. "Now would be a good time to learn." He
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taggart cocked a brow. "Now would be a good time to learn." He
rushed toward the hatchway.
rushed toward the hatchway.


"Guess we both know what he's about," Marshall said softly. "He's
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Guess we both know what he's about," Marshall said softly. "He's
about getting us killed."
about getting us killed."


Blair ignored that, focusing instead on the vortex as it now shifted to
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blair ignored that, focusing instead on the vortex as it now shifted to
the center viewport. Without the nav computer's assistance, the <I>Diligent</I>
the center viewport. Without the nav computer's assistance, the <I>Diligent</I>
would return to the previous course, and Blair, Marshall, and Taggart
would return to the previous course, and Blair, Marshall, and Taggart
would learn the mysteries of the afterlife, free of charge.
would learn the mysteries of the afterlife, free of charge.


Near the hatchway, Taggart had pulled off a maintenance panel and
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Near the hatchway, Taggart had pulled off a maintenance panel and
now considered the exposed intricacy of wires. He pulled out a pair of
now considered the exposed intricacy of wires. He pulled out a pair of
protein processing chips, studied them a moment, then tossed them over
protein processing chips, studied them a moment, then tossed them over
his shoulder. He opened another panel and withdrew fresh chips.
his shoulder. He opened another panel and withdrew fresh chips.


The gravity well now dominated all viewports, a malevolent queen at
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gravity well now dominated all viewports, a malevolent queen at
her banquet table. A pair of discarded O2 canisters collided and exploded
her banquet table. A pair of discarded O₂ canisters collided and exploded
on their way into her stomach. Asteroids spun and broke apart, leaving
on their way into her stomach. Asteroids spun and broke apart, leaving
trails of themselves across the whirlpool. Even a comet had strayed too
trails of themselves across the whirlpool. Even a comet had strayed too
Line 277: Line 285:
watery blur of her physique.
watery blur of her physique.


A proximity alarm blared, and a digital countdown at Marshall's
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A proximity alarm blared, and a digital countdown at Marshall's
station read 9, 8, 7—
station read 9, 8, 7--
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh, Captain?" Marshall called out.
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What?"
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Five seconds to jump."
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So?"


"Uh, Captain?" Marshall called out.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So if you don't get the nav computer back on line, this unstable gravity
well is going to pull us in--one molecule at a time."


"What?"
== Scans ==


"Five seconds to jump."
<gallery>
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_029.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_030.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_031.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_032.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_033.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_034.jpg
</gallery>


"So?"
{{novelindex/wingcommander}}


"So if you don't get the nav computer back on line, this unstable gravity
[[Category:Wing Commander (novelization)]]
well is going to pull us in—one molecule at a time.

Latest revision as of 03:18, 9 April 2024

Chapter 4
Movienovel.jpg
Book Wing Commander
Parts 1
Previous Chapter 3
Next Chapter 5
Pages 29-34


Dramatis Personae

Part 1
POV

Christopher Blair

Speaking

Todd "Maniac" Marshall
Merlin
James "Paladin" Taggart

Mentioned

Devi Soulsong

Text

REQUISITIONED
MERCHANTMAN
DILIGENT
MARCH 15, 2654
2150 HOURS
ZULU TIME
ENROUTE TO
BEACON 147


Taggart's hatch stood ajar, and Blair peeked through the crack. If a man's quarters say a lot about the man, then this place isn't talking. Taggart kept only the bare essentials: cot, night-stand, and wide, battered desk. Even the old gray walls were bare, sans the pinups or family photos that hung in the majority of pilot berths.

     Taggart sat at the desk, poring over a collection of ancient star charts printed on real paper. A half-dozen of them lay rolled up and bound by rubber bands at his elbow. Still more of the scrolls sat in a pile on the floor. Amid the charts lay an unwrapped and half-eaten sandwich and Taggart's coffee mug. Lifting a knuckle, Blair prepared to knock. "Come in," Taggart said.

     Grinning slightly over the man's keen senses, Blair entered and suddenly felt awkward at standing in this most personal of places. He blurted out, "We're holding steady on the beacon. Marshall has the helm." He neared the desk and ran his finger over one of the charts. "These must be antiques."

     "Yeah," Taggart said. "They were made by the first explorers in the sector. Pilgrims."

     "How did you get them?"

     Taggart rolled up one of the maps. "Now that's a story too long to hear."

     "I, uh, before ... I couldn't help noticing the tattoo on your neck."

     Smiling wanly, Taggart looked to an empty wall. Blair could only imagine what ghosts the captain saw there. "What about the Pilgrim cross you hide under your shirt?"

     Retreating a step, Blair's hand went instinctively for the cross. Then, realizing he had betrayed himself, he thrust the hand to his side and waited for the inevitable.

     "Don't worry. We all have pasts. And secrets."

     Blair gave a slight sigh. "It was my mother's."

     "May I see it?"

     After hesitating, Blair lifted the chain over his head and withdrew the cross. He handed it to Taggart, who ran his fingers slowly, reverently over the semicircle. The glimmer in his eyes grew brighter, and his face tightened into the countenance of a priest staring at a recovered relic. He pressed the center symbol. A seven-inch blade telescoped from the cross's bottom.

     As he traced the blade with his index finger, he smiled wanly again and said, "There was a time long ago when people looked up to the Pilgrims. They were at the forefront of space exploration. When I was a boy, I knew there was some kind of connection between God and the stars. I think the Pilgrims found that connection." He touched the plate again, retracting the blade, then returned it to Blair.

     "You know," Taggart continued, "since the Pilgrims were defeated, not a single new quasar has been charted."

     "It's so strange hearing someone talk like this. The word Pilgrim has always been ... I don't know ... a curse."

     Without warning, a sudden surge of acceleration sent Blair reaching for the desk. He caught the edge and balanced himself as Taggart's coffee mug fell and broke.

     "That idiot!" Taggart screamed. He shot to his feet and stormed out of the cabin.

     Blair followed close behind, only then realizing what Marshall had done.

     As Taggart entered the bridge, he shouted, "Get up!"

     Marshall's face grew thin and pale as he quickly vacated the captain's chair and moved to the co-pilot's seat. "That caffeine's killing your attitude, man."

     "Shut up. Did you change course?"

     "You told me to shut up."

     "Answer the question!"

     "No. Just boosted the power. Why dog it when we can be at the beacon in an hour? Unless, of course, you want us to be delayed."

     Blair watched Marshall's hand drift toward the sidearm concealed at his calf.

     "That beacon is marking a gravity well," Taggart said through clenched teeth.

     Marshall gave Blair a nervous look and mouthed, "Holy shit."

     Swinging the navigation computer in front of him, Taggart's fingers danced over the touchpad until a Heads Up Display lit before them. A green, flat grid rotated and glowed as data bars on each side filled with coordinates. The grid began folding inward, creating a strange, swirling, elliptical spike in the concave surface.

     Blair stood transfixed, knowing all too well what a gravity well could do to a Confed capital ship, let alone a rusty old transport.

     Something sparkled near the floor, and Blair turned as Merlin self-activated and began pacing. "I told you this ship wasn't up to the job. My sensors indicate that there are a number of structural flaws--"

     "What the hell is that?" Taggart asked with a lopsided grin.

     "That's Merlin," Blair answered. "He's the interface for my PPC."

     Taggart resumed his gaze on the HUD. "Well, get into his face and tell him to shut up."

     Blair cocked his head to give the order, but Merlin had already switched to standby mode.

     Shoving the navigation computer back on its swingarm, Taggart slid another display forward, one that offered multiple views of space via the Diligent's external cameras. He chose the image from the centerline unit and adjusted the telescopic lens to bring a dim object, the gravity well, into focus. Blair spotted asteroids and space debris being sucked into the well, as though into a whirlpool, and disappearing. The Diligent screamed toward the same future.

     Taggart beat his knuckle upon a thruster control button, throwing Blair and Marshall forward as retros violently kicked in. "One cubic inch of that well exerts more gravitational force than Earth's sun," he barked at Marshall.

     "I screwed up. I get that. Stow the physics lesson," Marshall answered, his eyes not leaving the external camera display.

     Taggart pushed that display aside and slid back the navigation computer. He frowned at the coordinates and tapped in new ones. "Come on, come on," he said, driving himself harder. "If I don't realign our entry vector, we won't make the jump."

     "And if we don't make the jump ..." Marshall began.

     "We die," Taggart finished.

     "Have we reached the entry vector's point of no return yet?" Blair asked. Once they hit the PNR, course adjustment would be a fond memory.

     "Not yet," Taggart said, throwing a toggle to automatically stabilize the now-groaning transport. "She's reaching out for us. Hear that?"

     The Diligent's hull protested much louder now, and through the viewport, the gravity well appeared in all of its gluttonous furor. The ship's thrusters whined as they fought to obey Taggart's course corrections. Still, the well grew larger, more ominous, and the space distortions now seemed more like gelatinous hands reaching incessantly into the cosmos. Blair repressed a shiver.

     Taggart took one look at the viewport and raised a hand. "Well, ladies, meet Scylla, bane to sailors and monster of myth."

     Marshall frowned at Blair, then regarded Taggart, his frown deepening. "What's a Scylla?"

     But Blair answered for Taggart. "Ulysses sailed between the whirlpool Charybdis and the island monster Scylla. She snatched six of his men and ate them."

     "I didn't need to know that," Marshall moaned.

     Shaking a finger at Scylla, Taggart said, "This beauty's got an even bigger appetite. Hold on."

     Blair got to the navigator's seat behind Taggart and Marshall. The captain threw a pair of toggles, and a bank of afterburners kicked the Diligent onto her side. Blair clung to the arms of his seat as the ship continued to yaw and tremble like a piece of Los Angeles real estate. Every seam and conduit in the old transport begged for relief. Within a few seconds the tremors became so violent that Blair fell from his chair and crashed to the wall that now served as the deck. He rolled over and spotted Merlin, whose image shook so hard that it blurred. Marshall lost his grip as well, and thumped to the floor beside Blair.

      Still glued to his seat, Taggart continued adjusting the Diligent's course. The transport slowly rolled upright, sending Blair and Marshall sliding toward the true deck. As the ship finally balanced and artificial gravity readjusted, Blair looked over Taggart's shoulder at the Heads Up Display, which now showed a digital glide path that took them along Scylla's perimeter, the course steady and true.

     "Broken your grip, old girl," Taggart said, regarding an external camera display that tracked the gravity well. "Better luck next time."

     Blair stood and watched Taggart steer the ship along the glide path. The Diligent now skipped closer to Scylla, avoiding her maw, but nonetheless doing some serious flirting. Space wavered along the starboard quarter.

     Clearly, Marshall had a rough time comprehending the gravity well. He stared at the external camera image, at the space distortion through the viewport, at the glide path. And he began shaking his head. "This isn't a normal gravity well. What the hell is this thing?"

     "This thing is a distortion in space-time," Taggart explained. "Pilgrims were the first to chart it."

     "So why is it off-limits?" Marshall asked.

     "Because it's unstable."

     "And we're going to jump it?" Marshall mouthed to Blair, having a hard time keeping his jaw closed.

     A warning light flashed on the navigation computer, accompanied by a rapid beeping. The HUD winked out. The Diligent suddenly listed to starboard.

     "Nav computer's off-line," Blair observed.

     "It's the magnetic fields," Taggart said. "Blair. Take the helm."

     Normal functions like breathing suddenly escaped Blair. "I've never made a jump before."

     Taggart cocked a brow. "Now would be a good time to learn." He rushed toward the hatchway.

     "Guess we both know what he's about," Marshall said softly. "He's about getting us killed."

     Blair ignored that, focusing instead on the vortex as it now shifted to the center viewport. Without the nav computer's assistance, the Diligent would return to the previous course, and Blair, Marshall, and Taggart would learn the mysteries of the afterlife, free of charge.

     Near the hatchway, Taggart had pulled off a maintenance panel and now considered the exposed intricacy of wires. He pulled out a pair of protein processing chips, studied them a moment, then tossed them over his shoulder. He opened another panel and withdrew fresh chips.

     The gravity well now dominated all viewports, a malevolent queen at her banquet table. A pair of discarded O₂ canisters collided and exploded on their way into her stomach. Asteroids spun and broke apart, leaving trails of themselves across the whirlpool. Even a comet had strayed too close to Scylla's amorous arms and now painted an even streak across the watery blur of her physique.

     A proximity alarm blared, and a digital countdown at Marshall's station read 9, 8, 7--

     "Uh, Captain?" Marshall called out.

     "What?"

     "Five seconds to jump."

     "So?"

     "So if you don't get the nav computer back on line, this unstable gravity well is going to pull us in--one molecule at a time."

Scans