Impulse by Dave Bara

and her specs,” I said. It wasn’t really what I wanted to talk about, but I was making polite conversation, as I believed an officer should do.
    â€œDon’t hit the books too hard, son. This may be your last real leisure time for at least six months,” he said back, also making conversation before getting down to the point. Assuming there was one, this time.
    â€œI’ll probably take that advice,” I said, trying to act like I wasn’t concerned about my first deep-space mission, one that had gotten considerably more complicated in the last few days.
    â€œNext time you’re in range, be sure and call home, or to Government House,” he said. “I’ll be leaving this office in the next week, and Jonathon Wesley will be assuming the role of Grand Admiral of the Union Navy.”
    He was telling me in not so many words that he would be out of the military decision-making process shortly. I took this as an attempt to reassure me that he would still be running Quantar’s civilian government as Commander in Chief. It didn’t work. It was clear that the safety net I had relied on during my training days as a cadet was gone. It was also clear that this is what the powers that be wanted. I had to grow up fast, and from now on I’d be dealing with Admiral Wesley.
    â€œI’ll be sure not to make that mistake, sir,” I said. A long silence fell over us both then. I stood there staring at my father’s image while he looked back at me. What went unspoken was our mutual fear that this could be the last time we saw each other. I could tell from his face that he was worried about me, his last son, heading off to parts unknown. The reality also sunk in for me that I was heading out on my first deep-space mission, directly into a battle zone. He finally broke the silence between us.
    â€œIs this channel secure?” he asked. I verified my Union Navy security code.
    â€œIt is now,” I said.
    â€œGood. One other thing, son. Serosian sent a message directly to the Admiralty and Admiral Wesley was good enough to forward it to me,” he said. “It seems the Historians have analyzed the telemetry from the
Impulse
incident and confirmed that the frequency of the Hoagland Wave that hit the ship couldn’t be anything but artificial. In fact it’s completely outside the natural spectrum, but it also didn’t match with anything in the existing Imperial catalog. In short, it’s a chimera.”
    I tried to appear confident, mostly to reassure him.
    â€œSo it’s as we suspected,” I said. “Any other good news?” I asked, trying to joke but getting no response. The awkward silence descended again and it seemed clear it was time to sign off.
    â€œOne last question, sir. When will the government be announcing news of the
Impulse
incident to the public?” I said.
    â€œNot for a while, son. We have to see how this second mission to Levant turns out, and so much of that is about you,” he replied. I had nothing to say to that, and again the silence fell.
    â€œI’ve got to catch my shuttle, sir,” I said. He looked at me for a long time, but as usual, I couldn’t read his face or his emotions.
    â€œGood luck, son,” he finally said. I waved back at him.
    â€œThank you, sir. Goodbye,” I said, then signed off the secure channel. Before I could cut the line completely I was switched back to Madrey’s channel and her face reappeared on my display.
    â€œYoung man,” she said to me. “You do us all proud out there, you hear me?”
    â€œI hear you, madam,” I said, even though I knew she had no idea what my father and Wesley were asking of me.
    â€œGood luck, Peter.”
    I smiled back at her. “Thank you, Madrey,” I replied. Then I cut the channel and hustled out of the covey to my waiting shuttle.

    An hour later and I was on my way to Candle aboard the outrigger
Cordoba
.