with Coop’s plan, and we get to head out into the wild black yonder again.”
“ What do you think we’ve been doing?” Barbara said, shaking her head. “Alamo already holds the record for the longest patrol in history without friendly resupply, and we do have five new systems to explore on the way home.”
“ Brown dwarves and all boring as hell, most likely. I’ve been working on the long-range surveys, and all we have to look forward to are barren rocks and ice giants. I can see those any time.”
“ Pining for the bright lights of the Cabal?”
“ I joined up to see new things, explore the universe! Did you ever see the Captain’s recruitment advert?”
Cooper looked at Barbara, then said, “I must have missed that one.”
“ Just after nothing at all interesting happened at Uranus, he did a ninety-second piece about the settlement at Ragnarok, about how it opened up the whole universe to us, about what the Triplanetary ships were doing. That’s why I dropped out of college and signed up, even if my mother did just about disown me for it.”
“ And so far the frontier hasn’t been exciting enough for you?” Barbara said, shaking her head. “I’d hate to be on a cruise you’d find interesting.”
“ So you aren’t going on Ouroboros, then?”
“ If the Captain decides to go for it, then I’ll sign up.” She looked across at Cooper, then said, “Someone has to keep him out of trouble.”
“ From what I saw during the boarding action, he can take care of himself.”
“ Obviously you’ve never been on leave with him before.”
“ Come on, it’s a big mission, and a chance to actually do something hands-on. Smaller crew, so we all get to share the fun stuff. I’m bored with data analysis and replacing burned out relays.”
Cooper’s datapad bleeped; he glanced down at the screen and smiled with glee. “I just got a diary update.”
“ That’s a cause for celebration?” Barbara said.
“ It is when the update is instructing me to report to the briefing room at noon tomorrow for a meeting with the senior staff.”
Cantrell whistled, then said, “That’s it, then. The Captain’s way of telling you the mission is happening.”
“ At the very least, he’s giving you a chance to present your plan to the senior staff,” Barbara said. “I don’t think he’d do that if he wasn’t in favor.”
“ My God,” he said. “We’re going to do it. We’re actually going to get to do it.”
“ Looks like it,” Cantrell said.
He looked at the two of them, then up at the clock, “Feel like pulling an all-nighter?”
Barbara frowned, then said, “What do you have in mind?”
Waving his datapad in the air, Cooper said, “I want to get this report perfect for tomorrow. I’m not going to have time to work on it in the morning, so…”
“ So you want the two of us to beat it into shape now,” Barbara said. Cantrell bristled, but made no attempt to move.
“ Look, if this is a chance for me to sell this plan, I don’t want to mess it up. This needs to be as good as I can make it, so I need to get it right.” He swung over to sit opposite them, moving his datapad in front of him. “Barbara, you pretend to be the Captain. Lisa, you are Zebrova.”
“ Must I?”
“ Try and tear my plan to pieces. If I can make it bomb-proof tonight, we might get to go on the mission tomorrow.” He cleared his throat, took a swig of juice, and started to read.
Chapter 7
Alamo’s senior staff were sitting in the briefing room, most of them looking puzzled. Cooper was sitting at the far end of the table, fidgeting with a datapad, and Zebrova fixed her stare on him, trying to interrogate him through thought alone. Marshall walked into the room, taking his seat at the end of the table, and looked around the room.
“ Good afternoon, everyone. First things first; Mr. Quinn, is your estimate of
“ What do you think we’ve been doing?” Barbara said, shaking her head. “Alamo already holds the record for the longest patrol in history without friendly resupply, and we do have five new systems to explore on the way home.”
“ Brown dwarves and all boring as hell, most likely. I’ve been working on the long-range surveys, and all we have to look forward to are barren rocks and ice giants. I can see those any time.”
“ Pining for the bright lights of the Cabal?”
“ I joined up to see new things, explore the universe! Did you ever see the Captain’s recruitment advert?”
Cooper looked at Barbara, then said, “I must have missed that one.”
“ Just after nothing at all interesting happened at Uranus, he did a ninety-second piece about the settlement at Ragnarok, about how it opened up the whole universe to us, about what the Triplanetary ships were doing. That’s why I dropped out of college and signed up, even if my mother did just about disown me for it.”
“ And so far the frontier hasn’t been exciting enough for you?” Barbara said, shaking her head. “I’d hate to be on a cruise you’d find interesting.”
“ So you aren’t going on Ouroboros, then?”
“ If the Captain decides to go for it, then I’ll sign up.” She looked across at Cooper, then said, “Someone has to keep him out of trouble.”
“ From what I saw during the boarding action, he can take care of himself.”
“ Obviously you’ve never been on leave with him before.”
“ Come on, it’s a big mission, and a chance to actually do something hands-on. Smaller crew, so we all get to share the fun stuff. I’m bored with data analysis and replacing burned out relays.”
Cooper’s datapad bleeped; he glanced down at the screen and smiled with glee. “I just got a diary update.”
“ That’s a cause for celebration?” Barbara said.
“ It is when the update is instructing me to report to the briefing room at noon tomorrow for a meeting with the senior staff.”
Cantrell whistled, then said, “That’s it, then. The Captain’s way of telling you the mission is happening.”
“ At the very least, he’s giving you a chance to present your plan to the senior staff,” Barbara said. “I don’t think he’d do that if he wasn’t in favor.”
“ My God,” he said. “We’re going to do it. We’re actually going to get to do it.”
“ Looks like it,” Cantrell said.
He looked at the two of them, then up at the clock, “Feel like pulling an all-nighter?”
Barbara frowned, then said, “What do you have in mind?”
Waving his datapad in the air, Cooper said, “I want to get this report perfect for tomorrow. I’m not going to have time to work on it in the morning, so…”
“ So you want the two of us to beat it into shape now,” Barbara said. Cantrell bristled, but made no attempt to move.
“ Look, if this is a chance for me to sell this plan, I don’t want to mess it up. This needs to be as good as I can make it, so I need to get it right.” He swung over to sit opposite them, moving his datapad in front of him. “Barbara, you pretend to be the Captain. Lisa, you are Zebrova.”
“ Must I?”
“ Try and tear my plan to pieces. If I can make it bomb-proof tonight, we might get to go on the mission tomorrow.” He cleared his throat, took a swig of juice, and started to read.
Chapter 7
Alamo’s senior staff were sitting in the briefing room, most of them looking puzzled. Cooper was sitting at the far end of the table, fidgeting with a datapad, and Zebrova fixed her stare on him, trying to interrogate him through thought alone. Marshall walked into the room, taking his seat at the end of the table, and looked around the room.
“ Good afternoon, everyone. First things first; Mr. Quinn, is your estimate of
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