Williamson, ship status.”
The engineer’s voice held just a touch of exultation as he answered. “The temporary repairs held, Ma’am. No further damage due to reentry.”
“Well done to you and your people, Jarred. Communications, what do we hear from the rest of the ships?” she asked, her own high spirits showing as she grinned at her crew.
“We are still waiting for word from Shuttle 3, but all others report no problems.”
“Very well.” She paused to look around again, then opened the shipwide announcing system again, and tied in the ship-to-ship as well. “To all hands: Well done, people. We will be landing soon, and I want to remind you all that this is our planet, but not our home. We are deep in the past, and must be careful of everything that we do. All hands, prepare for landfall.”
Their landing area wasn’t perfect for what they wanted, but it would do. And it had the added benefit of being far out in the wilderness where no human was going to see them.
The Wells settled gently to the ground, her thrusters scorching a large circle of earth directly below the ship. The shuttles and landing craft landed in VTOL mode, each making a textbook landing in an arch off to the side of the main ship. As the ship settled, Captain Reordan again addressed her crew.
“This may be redundant, but I want to remind all of you that our presence here is an anomaly. We must avoid any interaction with this time period. Above all, we must avoid any contamination. There is not likely to be anything new here for us, but each and every one of us carries dozens of exotic bacteria and viruses that this era has never seen. Anyone who exits the ship will wear full anti-contamination suits, with helmet respirators. All ship’s air will be filtered and decontaminated before being exhausted to the atmosphere. Mister Williamson, you may take your people out and begin your repairs.”
“Captain,” Commander Frazier’s voice said from the ceiling speaker, “request permission to use the shuttles in atmospheric mode to make a low level survey of the area.”
“Granted, but be careful. Keep it sub-sonic, and minimize your contrails,” the captain answered, her attention on the camera view of the repair crew. They all looked rather bizarre, with the welding and cutting shield attachments on their helmets. Others were setting up a portable test station and powering up the instruments that would tell them what to fix. Nodding to herself, she stood and went to her day room.
She narrated a brief log entry, then slipped off her shoes for a quick nap. Lieutenant Commander Williamson could be counted on to wake her as soon as he was finished. The knock came far too soon.
“Captain?” a voice said from outside of the door. “Ma’am, Mister Williamson reports all repairs complete. The XO has been informed, and is on his way back.”
“What about the COB?”
“Ma’am, she said something about something biting, and she’d be back soon.”
The captain sighed and stood, stretching to relieve her back muscles. She muttered, “What a weird hoby,” then returned to the control room. “Status?”
“All systems are operational. All hands are accounted for. Preflight checks are complete on all craft. We are ready to ascend at your command, Ma’am,” the quartermaster of the watch replied as the senior watch-stander.
“Very well.” The captain opened the ship-to-ship intercom. “All ships, prepare for immediate takeoff. Rendezvous in orbit for recovery, then we will see about visiting the fifteenth century.”
The Wells burned her way into the sky, her small ships blazing up after her like ducklings following their mother.
* * *
The old shaman nodded in satisfaction. He had seen the lights in the sky and had returned to the bluff to seek conformation of the spirit’s will. The strange things he saw on the plain heartened him, and the sight of the kachina spirits dancing around the great pillar had been the answer to
The engineer’s voice held just a touch of exultation as he answered. “The temporary repairs held, Ma’am. No further damage due to reentry.”
“Well done to you and your people, Jarred. Communications, what do we hear from the rest of the ships?” she asked, her own high spirits showing as she grinned at her crew.
“We are still waiting for word from Shuttle 3, but all others report no problems.”
“Very well.” She paused to look around again, then opened the shipwide announcing system again, and tied in the ship-to-ship as well. “To all hands: Well done, people. We will be landing soon, and I want to remind you all that this is our planet, but not our home. We are deep in the past, and must be careful of everything that we do. All hands, prepare for landfall.”
Their landing area wasn’t perfect for what they wanted, but it would do. And it had the added benefit of being far out in the wilderness where no human was going to see them.
The Wells settled gently to the ground, her thrusters scorching a large circle of earth directly below the ship. The shuttles and landing craft landed in VTOL mode, each making a textbook landing in an arch off to the side of the main ship. As the ship settled, Captain Reordan again addressed her crew.
“This may be redundant, but I want to remind all of you that our presence here is an anomaly. We must avoid any interaction with this time period. Above all, we must avoid any contamination. There is not likely to be anything new here for us, but each and every one of us carries dozens of exotic bacteria and viruses that this era has never seen. Anyone who exits the ship will wear full anti-contamination suits, with helmet respirators. All ship’s air will be filtered and decontaminated before being exhausted to the atmosphere. Mister Williamson, you may take your people out and begin your repairs.”
“Captain,” Commander Frazier’s voice said from the ceiling speaker, “request permission to use the shuttles in atmospheric mode to make a low level survey of the area.”
“Granted, but be careful. Keep it sub-sonic, and minimize your contrails,” the captain answered, her attention on the camera view of the repair crew. They all looked rather bizarre, with the welding and cutting shield attachments on their helmets. Others were setting up a portable test station and powering up the instruments that would tell them what to fix. Nodding to herself, she stood and went to her day room.
She narrated a brief log entry, then slipped off her shoes for a quick nap. Lieutenant Commander Williamson could be counted on to wake her as soon as he was finished. The knock came far too soon.
“Captain?” a voice said from outside of the door. “Ma’am, Mister Williamson reports all repairs complete. The XO has been informed, and is on his way back.”
“What about the COB?”
“Ma’am, she said something about something biting, and she’d be back soon.”
The captain sighed and stood, stretching to relieve her back muscles. She muttered, “What a weird hoby,” then returned to the control room. “Status?”
“All systems are operational. All hands are accounted for. Preflight checks are complete on all craft. We are ready to ascend at your command, Ma’am,” the quartermaster of the watch replied as the senior watch-stander.
“Very well.” The captain opened the ship-to-ship intercom. “All ships, prepare for immediate takeoff. Rendezvous in orbit for recovery, then we will see about visiting the fifteenth century.”
The Wells burned her way into the sky, her small ships blazing up after her like ducklings following their mother.
* * *
The old shaman nodded in satisfaction. He had seen the lights in the sky and had returned to the bluff to seek conformation of the spirit’s will. The strange things he saw on the plain heartened him, and the sight of the kachina spirits dancing around the great pillar had been the answer to
Similar Books
