Dreadnought (Lost Colonies Trilogy Book 2) by B. V. Larson Page B

this complex polynomial, it was then possible to predict the location of the exit.
    “Unload the first tracking device,” I ordered.
    Yamada tapped at her screen and we watched tensely. All of us had viewed historical accounts, and we’d been trained in this process. But actually doing it was another thing entirely in my opinion.
    The first transponder was dropped in our wake, and it seemed to curve off to starboard.
    “We’ve got a gentle curve so far,” she said, “about thirteen degrees over the next hour, judging from very limited data.”
    “Is there any reason not to follow our mission parameters?” I asked.
    “No sir. I’ll drop them at regular intervals. With luck, we’ll pick up the pattern. If it’s simple enough, we’ll find the way out.”
    I dared to smile. “Good. Proceed.”
    Hearing the hatch dissolve open behind me, I spun my chair and saw Lady Grantholm approaching the center of the command deck again. She frowned at the blank screens and quiet instruments.
    “We’ve stopped?” she asked. “Sparhawk, have you gone mad? Why have you stopped this ship? Why are we drifting?”
    “We’re actually moving at great speed, madam,” I said. “At least in relative terms. We’re in hyperspace. It’s quite calm here in most cases.”
    Her face underwent a transformation. She moved across the command deck to stand directly between me and the forward screen. It was a breach of etiquette and regulations to block the captain’s view, but I let it slide.
    She stood tall and stared at the blank nothingness. Now and then, a spot seemed to shimmer, going from pure black to a deep umber, then back again.
    “This is it?” she asked, her voice hushed.
    I stood up and moved to join her. “A perfect nothingness. By comparison, normal space is crowded with gasses, dust and debris.”
    “It’s oppressive,” she said, “I don’t like it. How long must we stay in this limbo?”
    “Until we find the way out.”
    She turned to look at me in alarm. “You don’t know where we’re going?”
    “No madam, not in any traditional sense. We don’t yet know where the exit to this maze is located. Nor do I know what we’ll encounter when we leave this quiet eye of the storm and reenter normal space once again.”
    “Insanity,” she muttered. “Why would anyone place themselves in such jeopardy?”
    I chuckled. “I might ask you that question. I’m a member of Star Guard. I go where I must. I’ve been ordered to explore this bridge, and I’m determined to do it. Why did you volunteer to come along as our emissary?”
    She cast me a dark glance. “We’ll talk about that later. Will you treat me to dinner?”
    “Consider yourself invited to the Captain’s table, Lady,” I said.
    “Thank you, William. At least you’re not a typical ruffian Guardsman. I only hope your navigational skills are as good as your manners.”
    She shook her head and began to walk away. Now that the G-forces were normal, she was no longer hunched by the weight of her own slight body. She stood tall and proud as she swept by me.
    Staring after her for a moment, I turned to Yamada. “Commander, how long do you expect this to take?”
    She shook her head and fooled with calculations. “I’ve got very little to go on, sir. We’ve only dropped two points of reference. They’re deviating, but only by a fairly typical amount according to our historical records. I’ll go out on a limb and call this bridge ‘average’ just for the sake of argument.”
    “Which gives us about eighty hours to figure out the equation.”
    “Right—if this bridge works the way they did in the past. We really don’t know.”
    “All right then, you have the watch. I’m going to check on the rest of the ship.”
    I’d barely taken two steps when Zye stood and began to follow me.
    I glanced over my shoulder, frowning. “I didn’t relieve you yet from your duties on the command deck, Zye.”
    “No sir.”
    “Do you have a special reason for