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2507: The Star Trader Chronicles

Episode 8: A Place To Call Home

“Nova!” Ian called out.  “We’re losin’ power steadily now.  What’s going on?”

 Brock stood behind the pilot’s chair looking over Ian’s shoulder.  Things weren’t going well, they were not going well at all.   First there had been a bone jarring shudder as the ship seemed to buck and roll, and now the engines seemed to be failing altogether.

“Dunno, Ian!” Nova called back.  “She’s just…dying.”

Brock was trying to let his pilot and his mechanic work things out but now he’d had it.  “Damn it, Nova!” he shouted.  “What do you mean she’s dying?  Explain that!”

“It’s the damndest thing, Cap’n!” Nova answered.  “I can’t figure it out.  I’m going to need a place with some gravity to find out what it is.  We’d better find a place to set down…FAST!”

Brock whacked Ian on the shoulder with his meaty right hand.  They had been cruising towards Jupiter and were somewhere in the midst of its 63 moons. “Where’s the nearest place we can land this thing?”

Ian punched a few buttons to bring up a locator grid.  “There’s no place near us that’s civilized and only one place with any atmosphere.” 

“Where?”

“Right there.”   Ian pointed to a speck on the grid. “That would be one of Jupiter’s smaller moons…and it may not even be within range.  At the rate we’re losing power, we might not even have the punch to get through its weak atmosphere.”

“Go for it!” Brock ordered.

Ian’s eyes glazed over as he began to interface with the dying ship.  “It’s bad,” he mumbled.  “It’s really bad.  I can hardly feel ‘er.”

“Do the best you can, Ian.  Get us down.”

“The best I can do is an uncontrolled descent.  I’m not sure what’s going to happen once we hit that moon’s atmosphere.”

Brock’s eyes widened.  “Uncontrolled descent?!  You mean a crash landing?!”

“I didna want to use those words, Captain, but yeah, I think that would be a good description.”

Brock slapped at the comm box.  “All hands, grab hold of something and hang on!” he yelled.  “We’re coming in fast and are going to hit this moon’s atmosphere…in about 30 seconds!”  He then scrambled to get himself strapped into the co-pilot’s seat.  Nova, in the engine room, lost no time strapping herself into the safety seat there, but the others were scattered about the ship.

Zahirah was in the galley cleaning up the disarray from the original jolt they had felt only minutes before when she heard the captain’s warning.   She looked up and saw Oro, Cowboy and Rose sitting at the galley table.  “Get outta here… NOW!” she screamed, knowing that a galley full of loose equipment was not the place to be in a crash. 

Without hesitation Oro, Cowboy and Rose leapt from their chairs and ran for the door exiting into the corridor.   Zahirah was right at their heels.  As soon as she passed through the opening she reached out and grabbed the hatch door and pulled it closed behind them, locking it down. Winter came running towards them, having abandoned the infirmary for the same reason they had left the galley.  Flying medical equipment could be deadly too.  “What do we do?” she called out, her eyes wide. 

Oro looked around her.  They were almost out of time.  Along the corridor, about waist high, was a utility railing.   It had hand holds to steady some one walking along should there be any turbulence.  They also sometimes used it to secure equipment.  “Grab hold of the railing and hang on for dear life!” she shouted, then grabbed hold herself with both hands and braced her feet against the bulkhead.  The others scrambled to copy her example.  “When we hit, try to let your legs go limp and rubbery,” Oro advised.  “If you kind of ride it out, it might keep your legs from breaking.”

Rose closed her eyes and held on.  “Oh no.  Oh no.  Oh no.  Oh no…,”she repeated softly as she waited, for what she believed, was her demise.

Back on the bridge, Ian was as focused as Brock had ever seen him.  Brock, himself, was hardly breathing.  One small miscalculation and instead of penetrating the atmosphere of the moon below them, they would bounce off and hurtle into the blackness.  After that, they would not be able to help themselves and would have no choice but to sit and wait for rescue and hope that it came before their life support ran out.

Ian began the count down. “Entering atmosphere in 10 seconds, 9…, 8…, 7…, 6…, 5…, 4…, 3…, 2…, 1!” 

“KABOOM!”  A tremendous noise rattled their eardrums and the ship shimmied and shook.  

“We’re through!”  Ian shouted.  “Now all we have to do is set ‘er down in one piece.”

Brock turned to the comm box again.   “All hands, you’ve got about one and a half minutes to get strapped in.  This landing might not be pretty.  Grab a helmet and take any other safety precautions you can.”

The crew members that had sheltered in the corridor had come through the atmospheric impact with only a few bruises.  They stood up slowly, straightening their clothing and stretching their limbs, making sure everything was still intact.    As Brock’s new announcement reached their ears they blinked, then exchanged looks. Even though they were still reeling from the beating they had just taken they knew by the tone of Brock’s voice that the worst was yet to come. 

Every member of the crew, other than Brock and Ian who always strapped themselves in at the controls, had an assigned emergency seat for just such an occasion.  Each seat was equipped with a safety harness and a helmet, which hung from the bulkhead above the seat. Three of these fold down seats were just inside the bridge hatchway, Nova’s was in the engine room, and the other two were in the weapons bay.  “Don’t just stand here….GO!”  Oro shouted and they all scrambled.  Zahirah pulled open the galley door and she, Rose and Winter ran through the now trashed galley toward the bridge where they quickly flew down the stairs, grabbed helmets and strapped themselves into their assigned positions.  Oro and Cowboy headed for the weapons bay where they did the same. 

All of the crew members were in the most secure position possible as Ian guided the lady through the clouds and to the surface of the moon.  “Status!”, Brock called out as they broke through the clouds and the moon’s surface loomed up at them.

“We’re comin’ in a lot faster than I’d hoped, but I haven’t lost all control yet,” Ian replied.   “Here we go…..all or nuthin!”

The initial jolt felt as if they had hit a rock wall.  Brock was thankful that all of his crew had been strapped in because he wasn’t sure anyone could have survived it otherwise.  Pieces of control panels, chess pieces and anything else that had not been firmly attached flew through the air as he felt his body first slam hard against the harness holding him and then, just as quickly, thrown backwards against the back of the seat.

“We’re down, but we’re still rollin’!”  Ian called out, as if it wasn’t apparent that they were bouncing along the surface.  “The brakes aren’t doin’ much!”

Brock strained at his harness to see the control panel in front of him that displayed their forward momentum as still over 100 mph.  As he watched he could see that they actually were slowing some, though the decrease in speed seemed to be taking an eternity.  As the ship finally slowed to a stop, Brock realized he had been holding his breath and he released it slowly through his teeth.  Ian turned to him and grinned. “I believe we’re stopped and, better yet, I believe we’re still pretty much in one piece!”

Brock released the clip on his harness and smiled back.  “I knew I hired you for a reason, Ian,” he said.  “I’m not sure I know of any other pilot who could have brought us down on this rock as safely.”  Brock looked over towards the women who were now unhooking their own harnesses.   “Everyone OK over there?” he asked.

“We’re a bit battered and bruised, but we’re all in one piece,” Rose answered.

Brock turned back towards Ian.  “Start the preliminary scans,” he said.  “I want to know what it’s like out there.”

“I’m already on it,” Ian answered.  He scrutinized the information registering on the gages before him.   “The air out there is a bit thin but I think if we don’t try to run a marathon we’ll be able breathe it all right.”

Win walked over and took a look at the gages herself.  She nodded in agreement.   “If we take it slow, we’ll be able to breathe it, but I do think it would be a good idea for everyone to carry some portable oxygen with them, just in case they begin to feel dizzy or faint.”

“Good thinking, Win.” Brock praised.   “Any sign of animal life, Ian?”

“Yes, several,” Ian answered.  “All quadrupeds and all pretty small.  No sign of human animals.”

“No surprises there.   I can’t see anyone wanting to call this rock home,” Brock said.  Then he turned and stabbed at the communication box with an index finger. “Nova, how are things looking?” he called out.

“Dunno yet, Cap’n.  She held together, but I need to get outside to look.”

“Acknowledged,” Brock responded, “Get your tools together and I’ll have Oro and Cowboy accompany you outside and stand guard as you work.”

“Aye, Cap’n.  I’ll be ready in five.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Cowboy was happy that he was pulling guard duty with Oro.  It sure beat having to work inside the ship and clean up the mess that their not so soft landing had made.   He liked being outside too, even though the air was a little thin and made him feel a bit giddy. 

The moon they found themselves on was unusual because it had its own atmosphere and even its own flora and fauna.  The vegetation was pretty stark but it was there, just a little greenery here and there scattered about its rocky surface.  Nothing that grew was taller than a meter high. 

The sunshine coming from the sky was pretty diffused and the light outside was rather dusky.  Before Winter would allow anyone go outside, she made them apply a protective lotion to their skin. It would keep them from absorbing any toxins in the air in through their skin.   Cowboy wasn’t too pleased about the latter.  The lotion felt oily, especially on his hands, and he sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t have to use his side arm  because he wasn’t sure it would even stay in his hand, much less fire accurately.  He turned to Oro.  “Not much to look at, eh?” he asked, nodding towards the landscape.

Oro answered without taking her eyes away from the horizon.   She would turn from time to time to make sure that she was scanning the entire area around them.  “No, but I like the fact that we can see so far in every direction, even though the natural light here isn’t very bright.” 

“Nobody is going to sneak up on us, that’s for sure,” Cowboy agreed.  He looked over at Nova who had several outside panels pulled open on the ship and was busily going over circuitry inside the Lady’s bowels.  At the moment, she was only visible from the knees down.  “How’s it going, Nova?” Cowboy queried.

“OK,” Nova answered, her voice a bit muffled.  He grinned and looked at Oro.  “Just a little chatterbox, isn’t she?”

Oro didn’t answer.  Her eyes were focused on a point about 50 meters out.  “Did you see that movement?” she asked.  “A dark form, right over there.”  She pointed at a spot almost directly in front of them. “It disappeared behind that large clump of brush.”

Cowboy shook his head.  “Nope, but I wasn’t looking that way either.”

”Ian said that there are some small quadrupeds on this moon,” she said.  “I suppose that’s what I saw but I’d like to be sure. It looked pretty big to me.  Stay here.  I’ll be right back.”  Oro began to walk in the direction she had pointed.

“Aye, aye, sir.”  Cowboy said mockingly.  He stood at attention stiffly and saluted.

Oro paused a moment and looked back.  “I see your stint in the UEF taught you some military decorum.”

He groaned and relaxed his stance.  “Don’t remind me of that.  I’m trying to block it out.”

“Then don’t be such an ass,” she retorted.  She turned back and began to move out again.

Cowboy watched her for a few moments and then turned and looked back at the ship.  It wasn’t a pretty site.  They hadn’t had the time to restore the outside of the Lady to her former “glory”.  She still bore the marks of distress that had been put on her hull during his rescue.  He sighed and hoped they could restore her cosmetically soon.  He didn’t like the reminder of his days on the UEF destroyer.  His stomach lurched as he tried to suppress the memories.

“How’s the water, Cowboy?” a familiar voice called out.

Cowboy looked over to the open gangway and saw that Rose and Zahirah were standing together at the top of the ramp peering down at him. “It’s not bad out here,” he answered.  “As long as you don’t have to exert yourself, it feels kind of Earth-like.  Don’t come out here without oxygen though.  I’ve had to take a couple of hits off of my tank just to clear my head.”

“We’ve got our tanks,” Zahirah assured him.

Rose began to walk down the ramp with Zahirah right behind her.  “What’s Oro doing out there?” she asked Cowboy. 

“She says she saw something running around and went to investigate.”

Rose stepped off the ramp onto the ground and paused.  “Is it safe for us to be out here?”  Her brow furrowed. 

“Well, I wouldn’t range too far, but yes, I think it’s safe.  Ian told us that there were some small quadrupeds about.  You do have your side arms, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Zahirah responded as she slapped the holstered weapon hanging at her side.  “We’re not planning to stay out long anyway.  We just wanted to stretch our legs and I thought I’d see if there were any edible greens close in.”

“Look at that!” Rose shouted.  She pointed out towards Oro. “I just saw something big move towards her.”  Oro walked within a few meters of a brush pile and a dark animal darted out and away from her.  “What is that thing?!” Rose called out.

Cowboy squinted in hopes of getting a better view.  “It looks like a dog,” he observed.  “It looks like an Earth dog!”

The animal darted out several meters and then stopped, looking back at Oro.  It was all black with long hair that was shaggy and matted.  Even through all that hair Oro could see that the poor creature was almost skeletal.  She could also see the confusion in its eyes.  It was as if he wanted to approach her but was afraid of what she might do if he did.  Oro turned towards the ship, making sure that she didn’t put her back to the animal she pursued.  “It’s a dog!” she called back to them.  “And he looks as if he’s starving to death.”

“Just a minute, “Zahirah shouted to Oro.  “Let me go get him something to eat.  Maybe we can lure him in.”  She turned and went back up the ramp, disappearing into the ship. 

Oro stayed put.  She didn’t want to spook the dog.  The dog, for his part, stood his ground, his tail between his legs and his ears upright and alert.  Nova had extricated herself from the ship’s belly and walked up to stand by Cowboy. 

“Looks like a bear,” she commented.

“A skinny bear,” Cowboy quipped.

Zahirah reappeared and walked down the ramp.  She carried several slices of cold cuts in her right hand.  She didn’t hesitate but began walking slowly towards Oro and the dog.  When she got about half way there she began calling out, “Here, Boy.   C’mon Boy.  No one’s going to hurt you.”   She got within six meters of the animal and then stopped and waived the meat in the air, hoping the dog could pick up the scent.  Then she stooped and laid a slice on the ground and backed off several steps.  “Come and get it, Boy,” she coaxed.

The dog looked at Zahirah and then looked at Oro, and back again.  He took a few hesitant steps towards the meat.  “It’s OK, c’mon,” Zahirah cooed.  The dog wagged his tail slightly and took a few more steps.  He looked at all the strange people around him, decided that his over powering hunger was worth the risk and ran up and snatched the meat.  He then retreated to his original position and wolfed it down hungrily. 

Zahirah took another slice and this time threw it on the ground only about a meter in front of her.  The dog sprinted up and retrieved it.  As he approached, Zahirah could see how emaciated the poor animal was.  He paused a moment and sized her up with his green eyes, then ran back to a place of safety again.

“Be careful, Zahirah,” Oro advised. “That beast could have Rabies or some other nasty disease.  Don’t touch him.”

Zahirah shook her head.  “Don’t worry, I thought of that.”  She pulled out a medical scanner, and when the dog came back for the next slice of meat, she pointed the scanner at him and did a quick scan of his body.  He lingered for a moment, seemingly curious as to what this human was doing, and then he ran away again.   “I set it on ‘Canine’,” she said,” and it didn’t register anything out of the ordinary.”

Next Zahirah squatted down on her haunches so that she’d be at eye level with the dog.   She placed the rest of the meat on the ground right in front of her.  “C’mon, Boy,” she coaxed.  This time the dog’s tail came up and he wagged it vigorously. He then trotted right up to Zahirah and took the offered meal, remaining near her to eat.

“Rose,” Zahirah said without turning her head towards her, “please go on into the galley fridge and bring us some more meat, and maybe a bowl of water.”  She reached out and patted the dog’s head.  “This guy is hungry.”

Rose grinned.  “Be right back,” she said.

Oro walked slowly to Zahirah and her new four legged friend.  She squatted down and the dog turned to her and licked her face.  “OH YUCK!” she protested. Everyone laughed.  Zahirah stood up then and Oro followed suit.  “Let’s walk closer to the ship and see if he follows,” she suggested.  Oro nodded and they turned from the dog and walked slowly towards the Aurora Lady, Cowboy and Nova.  Zahirah was not at all surprised to see that he followed them. 

Now it was Cowboy’s turn to squat down and pet the dog.  “This guy can’t be native to this moon,” he said, scratching behind the animal’s ear.  “I wonder how he got here.”

“Some moron must have left him,” Oro guessed.  “Poor old fellow.  He sure appears to be an Earth dog.  I’d like to get my hands on whoever abandoned him.”

“Part bear,” Nova offered.  She bent slightly and patted the dog’s side tentatively.

Zahirah laughed.  “Bear would be the perfect name for him!”

Rose reappeared carrying a big bowl of water in one hand and a stack of cold cuts in the other.  This time, however, she was shadowed by a not too happy looking ship’s captain.  Brock paused at the hatch door and looked down at his crew. “What in blazes is going on out here?!” he demanded loudly.  “Nova, why aren’t you working on our engines?!”

“Uh oh!” Nova said. She turned and made her way quickly back to the open panels to finish what she had started.

Brock continued down the ramp and came over to where the group was standing around the dog.  “What the devil is this?!”

“It appears to be a dog, Captain,” Cowboy explained, an innocent look upon his face.

“I KNOW that, but where did he come from?”

“Oro found him out here running around,” Rose explained.  She set the bowl and the meat down and watched the dog dive into them.

“He looks ill,” Brock observed.

“He’s starving to death,” Zahirah explained, “but he’s not sick.  I scanned him.”

“Some brainless imbecile must have abandoned him here,” Oro chimed in. 

“Wait a minute!”  Brock looked in turn from Rose to Cowboy to Oro and finally to Zahirah.  “You don’t think we are going to KEEP this beast, do you?”

“His name is ‘Bear’,” Cowboy pointed out with a grin.

Brock zeroed in on Cowboy.  “You NAMED him?” he demanded.

“Nova did,” Zahirah explained, as a smile spread across her own face.

Brock put his hands up before him, as if to ward off evil spirits.  “NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he shouted.  “He’s NOT coming aboard this ship.”

Rose squared her shoulders and readied herself for a fight.  “Daniel Brockman, there is no way in Heaven or Hell that you are going to leave this poor animal behind on this planet!  He’s already been abandoned once.  We’re not going to do it again!”

Brock swung around to look down on his pint-sized cousin.  “I’m not taking that cur with us!  We’ve barely got enough provisions to feed ourselves, let alone THAT beast,” he thrust his chin towards Bear.  “And where is he going to sh…. I mean ……where is he going to do his business??!”

Brock’s outburst was too much for Zahirah, Cowboy and Oro, they dissolved into laughter. Rose, however, was not so easily amused.  She was determined to win this fight.  “We’ll build him a sand box in the cargo hold and I’ll clean it out every day!” Rose volunteered.

Cowboy waved an index finger in the air before speaking.  “Um, I believe a sandbox is for cats,” he pointed out.

Rose turned towards him.  “Shut up, Cowboy!” she said quickly and then she turned back to Brock.  “He’s going with us!  We don’t have to keep him but we DO have to take him someplace where he can have a decent home.”

Brock thought about this newest bit of information.  If taking the stupid dog along to the next inhabited planet would squash this rebellion and get everyone back to work, then maybe he’d give in.  “What do the rest of you think?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t feel right about leaving him behind,” Zahirah said firmly.

“Me either,” said Oro.

“You can tell by looking at him that the poor old guy has had a bad time of it,” Cowboy chimed in.  “I think we should take him.”

Brock sighed.  “OK, we’ll take him with us…but only to the next inhabited planet.  And Rose, you are in charge of him.  I don’t want him barking and waking me up and I don’t want to step in his crap!  Got it?”

Rose smiled and then squatted down to pet the big dog’s head.  “Did you hear that, Bear?  You’re going for a ride!”

At that moment, Nova pulled herself back out of the ship’s innards and walked towards them.  “No, he’s not,” she said flatly.

“NOVA, how could you leave this poor dog behind?!” Rose challenged as her face began to color.

“He’s not going for a ride, and neither are you,” Nova explained with a shrug.  She reached into the pocket of her turquoise overalls and pulled out two pieces of metal that had once been a one piece manifold.  “Not until we get a new one of these.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The faces around the galley table looked grim.  All of the crew members were present, as Brock thought it was important for them all to be a part of this discussion.  He wanted them to know how limited their options were and he wanted to hear their opinions before making his next move.  “I guess you know by now that we are dead in the water,” he began slowly.  “We don’t have a replacement part for the manifold that has broken and we don’t have the ability to make another one.  As I see it, we don’t have a lot of choices.  We also have limited food and water, not to mention limited systems power.”  He looked to his right at Nova, who was seated about half way down the table.  “How many Earth days of water and power do you figure we have, Nova?”

Nova pursed her lips in thought.  “Fourteen days of systems power with about ten days of clean water,” she answered.

 Ian cleared his throat then turned to Zahirah.  “An’ how many days of food?”

“Well, there’s no immediate danger of running out of food, as long as we have water.  Besides about a two week’s worth of fresh and canned foods in the galley, we have a 20lb. bag of rice, a 40lb. bag of dried beans, a 40 lb. bag of oatmeal, a 20lb. bag of dried split peas and about 10lbs. of whole wheat flour.   With rationing, and water, we could last for six months without starving, although the meals might get a little uninteresting. Hopefully, the life on this planet means there is water to be had out there, somewhere.  I think that is our most critical need.”

“Oh, and don’t forget the dog meat on the hoof,” Cowboy piped up. Rose, who was sitting next to him, threw her elbow into Cowboy’s mid-section.  Although it hurt him very little, he let out a yelp. 

Brock gave them a disapproving look and then spoke again.  “That reminds me…I don’t want any of our food going directly into that dog’s mouth.”  Rose started to protest but Brock put up a hand to squelch her protest.  “He can have the scraps off of our plates, but he’s not getting food directly out of the galley.  Got me?”

Rose nodded.  “OK.”   She silently began to calculate how much of her meals she could save for Bear without going hungry herself.

Oro began to get antsy during this exchange.  She wasn’t use to side trips when plotting strategies for survival.  “So, Captain, what do you see are our options?” she asked pointedly.

“Pretty limited.  I think our best bet is to send out a distress beacon and see who happens by,” Brock said flatly.  “The alternative is to sit here, try to identify a passing Indie ship and send her an S.O.S.   The problems with that are the slim likelihood of an Indie ship happening by and identifying it as such.”

Win then asked the question all of them were thinking.  “And what if it’s the UEF that finds us?”

Brock sighed.  “Then we deal with that as it happens.  I know it’s risky, but so is any alternative plan.”

“And where shall I go when the UEF fall out of the sky?  Or, Cowboy too, for that matter?   Either one of us would be a feather in some UEF junior officer’s cap,” Ian pointed out sharply.

“Then those secret compartments we had built into the Lady will come in handy, won’t they?” Brock said with a slight smile.

“I don’t fancy living in there with Cowboy for several days,” Ian complained.

Cowboy feigned surprise.  “I’ll have you know I’m a wonderful room mate,” he quipped.

Win put an index finger in the air, signaling that she wanted to speak.  “And these ‘secret compartments’ can foil a life sign scan?” she asked, now clearly interested.

“Yes, they are lined with a webbing that can foil a life scan into thinking it’s solid material. Perhaps, though, it would be a good idea to put them to the test.  Doctor, can you do that for us?” Brock asked.

Win nodded.  “Certainly.   And I’ll check to make sure that the air in there is breathable too.”

“Thanks, Win,” Cowboy said.  “Being able to breathe would be a plus.”

“Um, what about you, Brock?” Rose pointed out.  “Don’t you think you are still on the UEF’s fugitive list?”

“Yes, I imagine I am, Rose.  That’s why I’m going to hide in plain sight.”

“How?” Rose asked.

“First off, I think I’m due for a haircut.”  Brock tugged at the tail of hair hanging down his back.

“You’re kiddin’, right?”  Ian quipped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without that thing.”

“Exactly,” Brock replied.   “Miss Z, from what I hear, you can do the job?”

Zahirah blinked.  “Well, I have been known to tidy up a head here and there, but are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.  And my other idea involves you too.”

“Me?” Zahirah  asked suspiciously.

“I want you to dust off your BID and be ready to become the boss of this outfit, should the UEF pay us a visit.”

“Me? The captain?” Zahirah asked, her voice rising in surprise.

“Well, you can be the owner and I’ll be your pilot.  It makes sense.  I’m pretty sure if I  or Rose show our BIDs  that  they’ll be on to us in minutes, but your name should be less recognizable.  I think we have a good chance of getting through.  I’ll lay low with the rest of the crew.  There’ll be questions if you have too few crewing for you and, if you act like a pushy First, they’ll back down from you. I can almost guarantee it.”

Zahirah thought about it a moment.  “Well, OK, but I might need some coaching.”

“No problem. Thanks, Miss Z.”  Brock patted her on the shoulder.

“Can I be the cook then?” Rose asked, with a grin.

Brock nodded.  “I reckon so.”

“Cap’n?”  The fake damage?”  Nova ventured to remind Brock.

Brock swung around to face Nova.  “Good point!  I guess we’d better clean that up.  It would be too easy to link us to Cowboy’s rescue.   What will it take?”

Nova thought a moment.  “Buffers and paint.”

“OK then, you’d better get on that, Nova.  Recruit whatever help you need.”  Nova nodded her understanding.

While the other discussions were going on, Oro had kept her mind on basic survival.  “If water is our most critical resource, Captain, do you want me to lead a team out to look for a source?”

“Let’s give it a few days first, Oro.  Take a look around the ship and maybe scan for water here.  We might be able to find some just below the surface if we’re lucky.”

“Yes, sir,” Oro answered.

Brock looked around at the newly determined faces around him. “I want everyone to stay in close.   Don’t venture more than 100 meters from the ship.   We’ve got a lot of work to do, so let’s get at it.   I want to fire that beacon up in about 24 hours.”

Everyone pitched in and the work progressed quickly.  Not only did Nova, with Cowboy and Oro helping, get the ship’s hull cleaned up, but they also used their talents and painted a few symbols on the hull that were associated with Zahirah’s family crest. “A nice touch,” Brock pronounced later.

Zahirah became more confident in her abilities to act as a proper First, with the encouragement of Brock and Rose.  And Ian and Win prepared the secret compartments for Cowboy and Ian to escape into, if need be. 

When the sun came up the next morning, everyone was in a fairly good mood.  Even Bear, who had been brushed and combed and relegated to living outside of the ship for now, seemed happy.  His tail wagged as he romped up and down the side of the ship with Cowboy and Rose.

Ian stuck his head outside the open hatch where the crew had gathered to get some natural light.  “Beacon’s on,” he informed.   “Now I guess it’s a waiting game.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The days began to roll by, each one passed slower than the last.   By day five things began to get tense and Brock, sporting his new short hair cut, decided to take Oro up on her offer.  “Oro,” he began over breakfast coffee, “I think it might be a good idea if you take someone out today and see if you can hunt up a water source.”

“Sure thing,” Oro answered eagerly.  She was happy to have something worthwhile to do.  “Anyone in particular you want me to take along?” 

“Take  Winter.  She can run tests on the spot if you find anything.  And take that infernal dog with you too.  He’s not good for much but he might alert you if something, or someone, decides to sneak up on you.”

Oro cocked her head quizzically.  “You don’t really think someone else is on this moon, do you?”

Brock shook his head.  “Not really, but it always pays to be careful.  There’s a chance that someone detected our beacon but wants to make a surprise approach.  They may have landed out of sight and plan to approach us on foot.  You just don’t know what someone might do.”

Oro nodded.  “I’ll tell Win to get ready.”

An hour later, Oro and Win were packed, dressed and ready to go.  Besides carrying a portable drill and water testing equipment, they also carried emergency rations, a couple of flashlights and some back up oxygen.  The packs they carried on their backs were full. 

For Dr. Green, this was a new adventure.  She rarely found herself selected for missions away from the ship.  She was a little unnerved about going out of sight of the Lady, but was a little exhilarated by it too.  As they started out, Oro whistled to Bear to follow them and then they both turned back to wave to the rest of the crew.  “See you soon,” Win called out.

Rose, Cowboy, Nova and Zahirah sat together on the ramp of the Lady watching Win, Oro and Bear becoming smaller and smaller on the horizon.  “Do you think they’ll find a water source?” Rose asked idly.

“Maybe.  Gotta be out there,” Nova answered in her usual clipped fashion.

“We’re going to have to go on tight water rationing tomorrow, if they don’t,” Zahirah said with a sigh.

“How long are they going to be out there?” Cowboy asked.

“Brock told them to turn around after three hours and start back,” Rose answered. 

 Just then Brock cleared his throat loudly behind them and they all turned to look at him.  “Anyone for volleyball?” he asked tossing a ball in the air and catching it lightly on his fingers.  “Ian’s taking first turn at monitoring the beacon and I feel a need for a little fun.”

Everyone got quickly to their feet and they were soon choosing sides for a rollicking game of volleyball.

~~~~~~~~~~

Winter and Oro found success about two hours out.  Winter’s scan determined that water was about 40 meters down.  Oro deployed the portable water drill and within minutes they had their pay off.   Water shot out of the pump and cascaded down all around them.  Getting wet felt good because it meant that they would not run out of that life giving liquid any time soon.  Bear, thinking it was a game, hopped around and began to bark loudly.  Winter caught a few centimeters of liquid in her test bottle and soon pronounced it fit to drink.  She smiled happily at Oro, who then pulled out a telescoping stake and planted it in the ground with an orange flag on top to mark the location. 

“I guess that’s it,” Oro said, as she repacked her gear.  “We can head back now.”

Winter nodded.  She was eager to get back and let the crew know that water was not going to be the problem they had thought.  The ship was carrying an extravehicular water system that could be used as an aqueduct and pump to carry water directly to the ship.  “I’ll volunteer to come back tomorrow and help set up the water system,” she said happily.  It felt good to be doing something besides sitting around and waiting for a crew member to need her services.

“Thanks, I’d like that,” Oro answered. 

They began their trip back, with Bear ranging far ahead and then running back to spur them on.  “Why does it always seem that the trip back is always further then the trip there?” Win observed.

Oro laughed. “Yes, it does feel like that,” she agreed.

Bear shot past them running full tilt out in front of them again.  When he was about a hundred yards ahead he suddenly stopped and then, instead of running back like he had in the past, stopped and began to bark in the direction of the ship.

“I wonder what that’s all about,” Oro said, her senses starting to sharpen.  “He’s never done that before.  I guess we’d better keep our eyes open.” 

Winter nodded in agreement.  Her nerves were already on edge. They walked for a few more minutes, catching up to Bear, who had now stopped barking but who was still looking ahead with rapt attention.  “Maybe he’s just eager to get back and eat,” Win speculated.

“Wait!  Look up!” Oro called out, as she pointed to the sky.  “It’s a ship.”  Win’s eyes followed Oro’s skyward.  “It’s a small ship.  I think it might be a UEF scout ship.”

“It’s descending.  It must have picked up our beacon’s signal,” Win observed. She tried to swallow her fears as they automatically picked up their pace, trotting forward until they could see the Lady, sitting tranquilly upon the ground, the other small ship had now landed and was  within 20 meters of her. 

Oro quickly reached for a cord on her belt and looped it over Bear’s neck. “We’d better leash him,” she explained.  “If he ran at the UEF soldiers, they’d probably shoot him first and ask questions later.”

“What do we do now?” Win asked, bowing to Oro’s experience in combat. 

“We continue walking in calmly.  If asked, we tell them the truth.  We were just on a mission to find some potable water…and that’s just what we were doing.” As they got closer they noticed that two armed soldiers were headed out to intercept them.  “Here comes our welcoming committee,” Oro said in a low voice.

Winter noted that all of the crew, minus Ian and Cowboy were now standing outside the ship.  Zahirah stood out in front, speaking for all of them to a man who must have been the ranking officer.  “I hope Zahirah has her role down pat.  There’s not going to be much room for error.”

“One good thing, that UEF craft is very small.  I still think it must be a scout ship for a cruiser or other large vessel,” Oro observed.  There was no time for Win to comment.  They were coming too close to the UEF duo and they both knew enough to clam up.   Ten more meters and they were overtaken. 

The soldiers stopped and blocked their paths.  “We are attached to the UEF cruiser, ‘Thor’ and have come in answer to your distress beacon,” a blond corporal said.

Oro immediately slipped into her dumb blond act.  She knew from experience that when she was written off as a simpleton that she was no longer perceived as a threat.   “Oh my,” she gushed, “I didn’t know that cruisers were so tiny.”   She giggled then pulled at Bear’s leash to keep him back from the soldiers, but Bear was already sitting back on his haunches observing them calmly.  “Good dog!” she thought.

The dark haired soldier grimaced.  “That’s because we flew in here on the scout ship ‘Modi’.   The Thor is still four days out.”

The blond corporal suddenly, and without hesitation, drove the butt of his gun into his companion’s gut. The dark haired soldier gasped from the pain.  “Shut up, Moron!” the corporal ordered.  “That’s too much information.”   He pointed his gun first at Oro and then at Win.  Then he motioned them both towards their ship.  “Join the others,” he ordered.

Oro and Win began to walk along in front of the two soldiers but Oro leaned over to Winter and said, loud enough for the corporal and limping private to hear,” The blond one is kind of cute isn’t he?”  Then she giggled again.

As they approached, all of the people in front of the ship turned to watch them. They got within a couple of meters and stopped.   A tall, skinny, dark skinned lieutenant seemed to be in charge of the meeting.  “Who are these two?” he asked, directing his question to Zahirah.

“The black haired one is my personal physician, Dr. Green, and the blond one is Sandy, my housekeeper and general all around go fer,” Zahirah explained, making her voice sound a little miffed at their intrusion.  “As I told you, they were out trying to find us some clean water.”

The lieutenant then zeroed in on Bear.  “Whose dog is that?”  he asked.

Oro didn’t hesitate.  “He’s mine,” she answered.

“How long have you had him?”

 Oro felt it would be easier to lie and claim him than try to explain about how they’d found him. “Since he was a pup.  About four years,” she answered, patting the big dog’s head. “He’s my sweetie.”

The lieutenant seemed to consider that for a few moments.  “He’s awfully skinny.  You don’t take very good care of your pet,” he observed and waited for her response.

Oro frowned. “I’m not allowed to feed him from our provisions, only a few scraps.  When I get a chance, I’ll stock up on dog food again.”

Zahirah threw her hands in the air.  “If Sandy wasn’t such a good assistant, I would have gotten rid of her and that beast months ago,” she complained.  “I don’t like dogs much but he does alert us when strangers are around.”

“Uh huh,” the lieutenant acknowledged vaguely.  Then he turned to the corporal.  “Search those two.  What’s in those packs?”

The private quickly handed the corporal his weapon and pulled the bags from the doctor’s and Oro’s shoulders.  Bear growled low in his throat but Oro reached down and tapped him on the muzzle and he stopped.  The private popped open the snaps and looked inside each bag, then he stuck his hand in them and moved a few things around.  “Yes sir, it checks out,” he reported.  “Water testing equipment, oxygen and some extra provisions.”

Zahirah put her hands on her hips.  “Just as I told you!” she said impatiently. “You have checked my BID. Your men have searched my ship.  Now you have searched the backpacks of my personal physician and housekeeper.   Are you finally satisfied?  Are you going to help us or not?!”

The lieutenant looked uncomfortable.   “Yes, Miss, of course the UEF is always at the disposal of a First Citizen.  I apologize.  We just had to be sure of who we were dealing with.  Your craft is not exactly the type of craft we are use to seeing Firsts travel in.  It looked as if it might belong to one of those Indies who are so fond of making trouble.  They often carry criminals and illegal cargo.”

Zahirah turned and walked a few steps towards the Aurora Lady.  Then, to everyone’s surprise she pulled her foot back and kicked the ship.  “I told my Papa that I needed a newer ship!  This thing is an embarrassment!” she raged.  “He is in the process of finding me one.  Just wait until I get home and tell him how I was stranded because this piece of junk broke down and how the UEF thought my ship was a pirate ship!”  She swung back around to look at the lieutenant.  “When can you fix it?” 

“I…….I’m sorry, Miss,” the lieutenant began hesitantly,” but we can’t actually repair your vessel.   We don’t carry extra parts, or the equipment needed to make them.  I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait for our Mother ship, the Thor.   It will take her about four days to get here, but then they will be able to render any assistance you might need to get you on your way.”

“FOUR DAYS!” Zahirah protested loudly.  “That’s unacceptable.  I don’t want to be trapped here for four more days!”

“The only other option is to have you come with us, Miss,” the lieutenant offered.  “We can give you our V.I.P. cabin and then drop you off at the nearest civilized planet while your crew waits for the Thor to arrive.”

Zahirah though fast.  “No!  Do you think I’d trust these idiots with my ship and my belongings?!” she said, waving her arm towards the rest of the crew.  “They would probably get lost, or run away, and I’d never see them, or my ship, again. As horrible as it is, it would still fetch some unis on the open market.”

The lieutenant nodded.  “Yes, I see your point.  Have your mechanic give us a detailed description of the parts you need and the Thor can begin fabricating them while on their way here.  We will also transfer enough fresh water from our ship to yours to fill your holding tanks.  Is there anything else we can do for you?”

Zahirah thought.  “Our power system could use a charge and we have little palatable food left,” she said firmly.  “I could use something more tasty to eat.”

“The power charge is not a problem and we carry some specialty foods for any V.I.P.s we might transport. We’ll transfer what we have to your ship.”

Zahirah frowned and appeared to think about that a moment.  “Well, I suppose that will have to do,” she said with a sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~

It only took the scout ship a few hours to fulfill their promises and lift off from the moon.   The crew of the Aurora Lady gathered in the galley, they took pleasure in filling in Cowboy and Ian on what had transpired during the time they had been in hiding.  Zahirah and Win worked in the kitchen preparing the steaks that Zahirah had conned from the UEF soldiers, and the mouth watering aroma filled the air.

“You should have heard, Zahirah,” Rose bragged.  “She was perfect!  Not only did she get all of that delicious V.I.P. food from them, but she also got our power and water replenished too!”

“Yes, except for calling us ‘idiots’, I’d say she did a fantastic job,” Brock grinned.  

Ian looked over at Zahirah who was smiling under the great praise of her shipmates. “You actually called them ‘idiots’?” he asked.  “I’d say she did a brilliant job.”

Rose, sitting next to Ian, reached over and slapped him on the shoulder.  “You would have to fixate on that,” she growled.

“I hate to break the mood and point out the darker side of things,” Cowboy ventured slowly, “but handling a small UEF scout ship is one thing, do you really think we’re going to be able to fool a fully manned cruiser?”

Brock sobered, then sighed.  “I was going to save this discussion for after dinner but, since you brought it up; we probably should discuss that now.   No, I think the best thing for us would be if we were out of here by the time that cruiser arrived.  We might be able to fool them, but I’d lay odds against it.”

Oro nodded.  “I agree.  The faster we lift, the better.”

Ian looked at Brock.  “I’d better go crank up that emergency beacon again then, eh?” Ian pushed back his chair and got to his feet.

Brock nodded.  “Yes, I’d rather take our chances with another passing ship than sit here and wait for the Thor to arrive.”

“Hurry up, Ian!” Zahirah called out.  “Dinner is served and I don’t think you’ll want to be late.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two and a half days passed and no one had yet responded to the Lady’s emergency beacon.  Once again the tension was building amongst the crew.  Brock noticed more squabbles and less light hearted banter as the clock ticked down to the arrival of the UEF cruiser.  He was sitting at his desk in his cabin when a light knock sounded on the door.  “Come in,” he called.

The door creaked open slowly and Brock made a mental note to hunt up the oil can again.  Expecting to see Rose, who was a frequent visitor to his cabin, Brock was surprised to see Oro enter.  He stood up and offered Oro his chair, then moved to his bunk, brushed aside several pieces of clothing and plunked himself down there.

Oro sat opposite him.  “I’m sorry to bother you, Captain, but I’m wondering if you’ve got a back up plan, just incase no one answers our beacon before the cruiser arrives.”

Brock shook his head.  “I’ve got no back ups, Oro.  What can we do?   We can’t fight off a fully manned UEF cruiser.  We can’t leave the ship and try to hide somewhere on this moon, they’d find us in minutes.  We don’t have the ability to cloak ourselves and appear invisible.”  He turned up his palms in a gesture of surrender.  “I don’t think we have any options, other than to pull the same thing we did with the scout ship, and hope it works.  If you have any ideas, I’m listening.”

Oro bit her lower lip.  “Being discovered for what we really are by the UEF would be worse for some of us than others, Captain.  Have you thought of that?” she asked, raising her head to hold his brown eyes with her own.

Brock sighed deeply.  “Yes, Oro, I actually have.”

Oro pushed on.  “I mean, Rose, Win and Zahirah would probably get by with a slap on the wrist.   Nova might be pressed into service, but Ian, Cowboy and I would face deep interrogation at best, and slow, lingering deaths, at the worst.  And you, well, you’d get life in prison…at best.”

Brock nodded his acknowledgement. “Oro, putting ourselves in the hands of the U.E.F. is the last thing I want to do, but we discussed our alternatives, and there really aren’t any.”

“There’s one,” she said solemnly.

“You mean..?”

“Yes, it would be an individual decision, but some of us might choose to take ourselves out of U.E.F. hands permanently… while we had the chance.”

Brock swallowed hard.  “Is that what you’d choose, Oro?” he asked softly.

Oro shook her head.  “I don’t know.  It would depend on the circumstances we find ourselves in, and I don’t think I’d do it without taking some of them out with me, but I think it is an option all of us have been afraid to discuss.  I do, however, think it should be brought up, so that when the cruiser arrives everyone will have the choice to be packing their weapon of choice.  Otherwise, there will be no choices to be made.”

Brock stood up and paced back and forth in his small cabin a few times before stopping short  and then swinging back to face Oro.  “I believe in fighting for life, not giving up!”

Oro sprang to her feet.  “And so do I, Brock!  I really do!  But the alternative, especially for Ian and I, would be worse than death.  If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t even have brought the subject up.”

“Why did you bring this to me?” Brock demanded, his face strained.  “If, as you say, this has to be an individual and personal decision, then why did you lay it in my lap?”

Oro’s brow furrowed. “Because you are the captain of this ship, and as captain I wanted your permission to bring this option to the others, not in a big crew meeting, but in private conversation.  I didn’t want to do that behind your back.”

Brock shook his head.  “I suppose I should thank you for that,” he said, “but it doesn’t feel like something I should thank you for.”  He looked at her and for the first time she could see his vulnerabilities lurking just under the surface of his bright eyes. “Lord knows, I wish there were more options.”

Oro touched Brock’s arm and for a fleeting moment there was a connection between them that she hadn’t thought could be possible.  “I’ll broach the subject carefully to those that I think will be receptive she said.”  She turned from him, grabbed the door handle to his compartment door and disappeared as the door closed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening the crew was scattered about the ship.  It seemed as if everyone was seeking their own little nook for solitude.  Rose was alone on the bridge.  The crew members had been taking turns monitoring the emergency beacon.  It was a boring job and Rose was drawing on paper with an old fashioned ink pen to pass the time.  From time to time she’d look at the time display on the console to see how much of her two hour shift was left.   At one point she even tapped the gage, thinking it may be stuck in place. Time seemed to pass so slowly.

Just as she was putting the finishing touches on a nostalgic sketch of her garden at home, an unusual repeating tone began.  She looked down at the panel in disbelief as she realized that a response to their beacon was coming in.   She pushed the sketch book off of her lamp and fumbled for the com box switch.  Befuddled, she did an “all call” on the box.  “Brock, we’re being hailed!” she said loudly.  “It just came in!”

The answer was swift.  “On my way, Rose,” came Brock’s booming voice. 

It wasn’t long before the whole crew had assembled on the bridge.  Normally, due to the lack of space, Brock wouldn’t let them all pile in there, literally standing on each other’s feet, but this time he let it pass.  He pushed past them to plunk down in the co-pilot’s seat as Ian took up occupancy in the pilot’s seat that Rose had just vacated.  Brock put his large hand up to signal quiet and then accessed the transmitter. “This is the captain of the ship that is requesting assistance.  Please respond.”

There was a slight pause and then a voice answered.  “Hello.   This is the freighter Star Chaser.  What is the nature of your emergency?”

“We are stranded,” Brock explained.  “Our emergency is mechanical.  We are in need of a manifold and will not be able to lift off without it.  Can you help us?”

“Possibly.  We do keep some starship parts on hand for sale or trade.  How many in your crew?  Is anyone in need of medical attention?”

“Our ship is presently carrying eight souls,” Brock replied.  “All are in good health and we do have a doctor on board.”

The next query from the Star Chaser was direct. “Are you affiliated with any company or government?” 

Brock made a slashing motion with his hand across his throat that signaled Ian to mute their communications so what he said next could not be heard by the other ship.  “We’ve got a decision to make.  Do we admit to being Indies?”

“I think we’re going to have to,” Rose piped up.

Brock looked around the group.  There were nods all around.  Brock signaled to Ian to open communications.  “No,” he told the Star Chaser, “we are independents.”

The voice on the other end seemed to come to life then.  “Great!  We are Indies too!  I am Captain Ed Eiserman.  The Star Chaser has a crew of nineteen and we are at your disposal.   I don’t want to set my ship down on that moon so I’ll be coming down in our shuttle with my mechanic, Carlos.  Who am I speaking to?”

“This is Daniel Brockman.  I’m the captain of this vessel.”

There was another pause.  “Brockman?  Of the Aurora Lady?”

“Yes.  Uh… do we know each other?”

Eiserman laughed.  “Let’s just say we’ve heard of you.  We’ll be down shortly.  Star Chaser out.”

“Blast!” Ian exclaimed.  “I think we’re becomin’ legendary!”

~~~~~~~~~~

As promised, the Star Chaser’s shuttle brought Ed Eiserman, their mechanic, Carlos, and a crate of a variety of different sized manifolds down to the moon’s surface.  Their mechanic teamed up with Nova to go over the manifolds.  They determined that none of them were a perfect fit, but that with a little luck, they might be able to shave one down to fit until they could get to a place that would have a proper replacement. 

While the two mechanics worked, Brock invited Eiserman to come into the galley for some talk over coffee.  Ed Eiserman, a large, red-headed man with red cheeks and a hearty laugh, accepted the invitation happily.  As he walked towards the open hatch Bear ran up and began barking madly at him.  “You have a dog?” he asked above the din.

“Yes, he’s just a temporary acquisition,” Brock explained.  He looked over towards Rose.  “Shut that dog up!” he yelled.

Rose ran to Bear and tried to soothe him, but he kept barking.  “I’ve never seen him like this!” she yelled and tried to drag Bear away.

“C’mon inside, Ed,” Brock urged.  He walked past Eiserman and led the way to the ship’s galley.   Ian and Winter joined them and Zahirah was already there. She had coffee and snacks spread out for them.   As they grabbed mugs and plates and chose seats, Rose came in to join them too.  She was still perplexed about Bear’s reaction to Eiserman.

As everyone settled in for a visit, Brock led off with a question that had been bothering him since Eiserman’s first contact.  “Ed, you’ve got to tell us, how did you come to hear of me and the Aurora Lady?”

Ed tipped his head back and laughed.  He had the kind of laugh that warmed a person’s heart. It made him immediately likeable.  “Well, when Indies gather, they talk, and your name has come up a few times…here and there.”

Brock shook his head.  “It’s hard to believe that anyone even knows about us, much less are sitting around talking about us.  Can you remember the name of the person who told you?”

“Well, I recall she had a flame head, like mine.   She was tall and slender, and plenty tough, for a female.  I think she said she worked for your family for quite a long time.”  Ed paused and took a sip from his coffee.  “That’s primo java,” he said turning to Zahirah.  “Where did you score that?”

Zahirah smiled.  “Oh, I have some connections,” she answered.

Rose looked at Brock’s face.  She knew he was thinking the same thing she was.  She turned to look at Ed. “This woman who told you about us,” she began,” was her name Wanda Lighthouse, by any chance?”

Ed pointed to Rose and nodded.  “You’ve got it, little lady.  Her name was Wanda.  You know her?”

“Yes.  Brock, Ian, and I all know her well, but we haven’t heard from her in a long time.”

The sound of his old girlfriend’s name touched off a range of emotions in Brock.  He and Wanda had been very close, but that was a long time ago.  It felt to Brock like a lifetime ago.  Back then, his father had still been alive and running the family freight business.  Brock had been just his father’s son, and a pilot for the family business, taking only the runs he wished and goofing off, as he wished.  Life had been simple and easy.  And back then, he thought Wanda had been just a fling.  She had wanted to get serious but he had more wild oats to sew, and so, he had broken it off.

“How is Wanda?” Brock found himself asking.

Ed looked over at Brock.  “Ah, so you had a thing for the lady,” he said knowingly.  “Well, she’s fine, just fine.  Has herself a nice little ship of her own and a crew to man it.”

“She’s an Indie, then?”  Ian asked, remembering the company woman Wanda had once been.  “I thought she would have stayed with the new management.”

“Yep, she’s definitely Indie,” Ed confirmed.  “In fact, she’s pretty prominent in the Indie community.”

“There’s an Indie community now?” Winter asked, her eyes wide.  “I thought the whole idea of being an independent was to remain low key and isolated.”

“Well, there is strength in numbers and sometimes it is beneficial to know you’ve got friends you can count on,” Ed explained.  “I don’t know about you, but if the UEF are scouting around, I like to know I’ve got a safe place to hide out and lay low.”

Brock frowned.  “There’s something you should know,” he began slowly.  “We all need to be off this rock within 24 hours.”

“What’s this?” Ed asked, sobering instantly.  He could tell by Brock’s demeanor that something wasn’t right.

“Well, we’re expecting a visit from the UEF cruiser, Thor, in about 36 Earth hours.”  Brock proceeded to explain all that had transpired with the UEF Scout ship, Modi.   When he finished, all heads turned towards Ed and you could have heard a pin drop.

“I see,” Ed finally said slowly.  “Well, I’m glad you filled me in.   You do understand that if we can’t get your ship repaired within the next 24 hours that my crew and our ship will have to leave you?”

Brock nodded.  “I figured as much, but please know that we weren’t trying to keep that information from you.  We would have warned you in time to allow you to escape before the cruiser got here.”

Ed nodded.  “I believe you,” he said softly.  He looked around at the sober faces around the table.  “Look, if we can’t get your ship off this moon, I can offer you safe passage aboard our ship.  That would mean, of course, that you would have to leave most of your belongings, and any cargo, behind.  Our holds are full now and we would be stretching just to take on 8 passengers.”

“That’s a generous offer,” Rose said quickly.  “It’s good to know that we have an option, other than falling into the hands of the UEF.”

Brock reached out and shook hands with Ed.  “Yes, that is a very generous offer,” he agreed.  “We are all in your debt.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The adaptation of the manifold did not go as easily as hoped.  Ed and Carlos ended up returning to the Star Chaser, with Nova, so that the two mechanics could work in the shop they had on board.   Oro, always looking out for the welfare of her crewmates, asked to go along with them.    She didn’t like the idea of Nova going to the other ship alone.

A few hours after their departure from the moon, all four returned.  As they disembarked, their smiles told the story.  “I think we did it!” Nova announced triumphantly.  She, Carlos and Oro proceeded quickly to the Lady’s side to see if they were right.

Ed pulled Brock aside.  “Is there a place where we can talk in private?” he asked.

“Sure,” Brock answered and he showed Ed the way to his own compartment and private office.  He knew it was one of the few places on the ship that they could talk privately.

Once seated within Brock’s private haven, Ed began to talk and got right to the point.   “Brock, has the Aurora Lady got a home port, a place to shelter where you can relax and not have to constantly look over your shoulder?”

Brock, who was seated on a crate next to his lav, sighed.  “Well, there’s no going home to Nashville anymore,” he replied sadly.  “I guess you heard about that.  And we haven’t really established ourselves any where else so, no, no home port.”

Ed leaned forward towards Brock and put an elbow on his knee.  “There’s a special place for Indies like us, Brock, a place that is kept so secretive that we are not even allowed to speak of it, at least not without permission from those who established it.”

Brock’s eyes opened wide.   “A secret hide out for Indies?” he asked.

“Yes, but I can’t emphasize how important it is to keep this hushed up.  People with loose lips have lost their lives by being too free with information.  Unless you are really serious about finding out more, it would be better just to forget I mentioned it and not ever say another word about it.”

Brock was intrigued. “This place you are talking about.  Is it a place where a captain could bring his ship and crew to lay low for a while? “

“Yes, an indefinite stay is possible, if you need it. There’s a hangar there with lifts and tools to help with repairs too.”

“And this group who runs this place, what do they require of those who come there?”  Brock wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to be signing himself, and his crew, up to be pirates or gang members under some dictator.

Ed smiled.  “You are wise to ask,” he said with a nod.  “Many captains just want to know what they can get out of this, not what is required of them and their crews.  In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m screening you right now and you are doing well.”

“OK, but you still haven’t answered my question,” Brock pointed out, a serious crease now showing in his brow.

“Well, the manager of this place requires that you do what you can to support it. and there are various ways that this can be done.  The easiest thing would be to donate unis, but some can afford that easier than others.  You can also render your services.  Some crews volunteer to take a rotation or two in the defense stations.  The place is monitored around the clock.   Everyone has to check in and out.  It is heavily fortified and armed.”

“What about offering some of our talents?  We have a great mechanic, gifted doctor, a brilliant accountant, to name a few of our resources.  Could they offer their services in payment?” Brock asked.

“Sure.  In fact, a lot of the ship’s crews share those kinds of skills back and forth amongst themselves.  There is an electronic board there where you can advertise for trades, skills and goods.”

“And I suppose the management would take goods in payment too?”

“Yes, food stuffs, clothing, mechanical parts…anything that a ship might need when they dock there.  Sound interesting?”

Brock nodded.  “I’ve got to admit it does.  I’d like to find a place where we could relax and not have to be looking over our shoulders every moment.”  He paused in thought a moment, biting his lower lip before speaking again.  “I can’t help but wonder what the catch is though.  It sounds too good to be true.”

Ed shook his head.  “No catch, except for the strict code of secrecy.  If the UEF found out about it they would find a way to blow the place to Kingdom Come.  That’s why no breeches of security are allowed.  None. Nodda.  Zip.  NONE!” he emphasized. 

“I can understand that,” Brock said.  “The place must be well hidden from patrols.  Those kinds of places are not easy to find and revealing its location would also risk a lot of lives.”

“Exactly,” Ed agreed.  He shifted uneasily on his chair.  “Brock, there is also the question of your crew.  Captains are obligated to vouch for every member of their crew.  Do you believe that every one of them can keep their trap shut?  Would you stake your life on it?”

Brock thought about this briefly.  “Well, we haven’t been together for a long period of time but we’ve already been through a lot.  They’ve fought for each other and pulled together as well as any crew I’ve ever known.  Yes, I’d vouch for all of them.”

“That’s good Brock, because you really have to be sure about them.  If any one of your crew breaks the code of secrecy, it wouldn’t be just that crewman who would lose their life, yours would be taken too.”

Brock’s eyes grew wide.  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Ed said.   He got to his feet.  “So think about it, sound your crew out about it, if you like, and let me know your decision this evening.  If you’re for it, and your ship is space worthy by then, I’ll give you all the info you need.  Then, after a short sleep period, you can follow us into the haven. I think we can all use some rest.”

“I’ll give you our answer in three Earth hours,” Brock promised. 

~~~~~~~~~~

As the crew of the Aurora Lady sat down to dinner together, Nova suddenly announced with a grin.  “She’s fixed! We can fly!” There was a lot of commotion as everyone congratulated Nova and everyone’s spirits soared.   Knowing that they would be able to get off that moon before the UEF arrived made them almost giddy.

“Where are we bound now, Captain?” Cowboy asked happily as he waved a portion of steak around on his fork. 

“Yes, and how soon are we leaving?” Rose chimed in. 

Brock looked at all of their smiling faces.  He felt a closeness to them that he had never felt to any other group of people, not even his own family.  If he couldn’t trust them, he didn’t know who he could trust.  He took a deep breath and announced, “Well, I wanted to talk to all of you about that very subject…”   Then he launched into a replay of the conversation that he and Ed had earlier that day.  When he was finished, the room was unusually silent. 

“Whoa!” Ian declared.  “That was quite an offer.”

Rose looked worried.  “They’d actually kill you, if one of us leaked the information?”

“Yes, Rose.  There is a lot at stake.  I believe they would keep their promise,” Brock answered.

Oro was brooding over this turn of events.  “I don’t like it, Captain.  I don’t like it at all.  How do we know it’s not a trap?”

“I don’t know what kind of a trap it would be, Oro,” Brock said patiently.  “We are carrying no cargo so I don’t think we’d be attractive to pirates, and if the UEF was trying to trap us, why would they send Ed in to fix our ship when they could have just swooped in and captured us here like sitting ducks?”

Oro shook her head.  “It’s a security nightmare,” she explained.  “I’m not one for trusting someone we don’t know with our lives and our ship.”

“I’ve got to admit, the idea of a haven where we can rest and recuperate sounds pretty good,” Zahriah argued.  “Did he say how many ships and crews gather there at any one time?”

“No,” Brock admitted.  “I don’t know that but he’s going to come back here in about an hour and fill us in and answer any questions we might have…providing we are in agreement about it.”   He looked around the table.  “I guess the best way to do that is to call for a vote.  If anyone of you is against it, I will tell Ed we are not interested.  It’s going to be all or nothing.  So, let’s see a show of hands.  If you are for going to this Indie haven, hands up.”

Everyone at the table quickly raised a hand, except one.  All eyes turned towards Oro.  “I don’t know,” she said, “I’m just not sure I can go for that.”  The hands around her started to drop. 

Brock eyed Oro.  “Well, it’s up to you then, Oro.  If you say ‘no’ then I guess we all pass.”

Oro looked at Brock.  They had butted heads in the past but now his willingness to go with her decision touched her.  Perhaps he wasn’t as hard headed as she had thought.  She looked at all the hopeful faces around the table.  It was true that they could all use a place that was a safe haven, a place where they didn’t have to be constantly on guard, a place to rest.  Sometimes little pleasures were worth the risk. She smiled and raised both hands as if to surrender.  “OK, I’ll go with the majority,” she said, “but if we all get killed, I’ll never let you forget it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When Ed returned, he was not alone.  He brought two of his crewmen along.  He introduced them as Zach and Georg.  This raised Oro’s suspicions again and she went into predator mode, watching their every movement with keen eyes.  Ed and his men settled down at the Lady’s galley table and Zahirah set hot cups of coffee and a small plate of biscotti in front of each of them.  Ed nodded his thanks and secretly wondered if their dark haired cook would consider a move to a bigger ship.  Then his focus changed.  “So, what’s the verdict?” he asked, turning towards Brock.

“It’s unanimous.  We are interested,” he answered.

“And you told them the penalty if the location or even the existence of this haven is leaked?”

“Yes,” Brock said solemnly, “they understand that.”

Ed smiled.  “Great!  Hole in the Wall can use the friendship and support of another good ship and crew.”

“Hole in the Wall?”  Rose asked, as she reached for a biscotti and dunked it in her coffee.  “Is that what it’s called?”

“Yes,” Ed replied. 

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!” Cowboy called out.  “It’s named after the safe haven on Earth back in the 19^th century.   It was a valley in Wyoming that was surrounded by mountains with only one pass and it was there that the gang would go to hide out and rest.  Great name!”

“That’s exactly right,” Ed confirmed.  “Only our Hole in the Wall is not far from here. It’s on Elara, another of the 63 moons of Jupiter. “

Oro looked skeptical.  “If it’s that close to the main travel routes, how does it escape detection by the UEF?”

Ed grinned. “Ah, that’s the best part.  Hole in the Wall is subterranean.  And it’s located on one of the smaller moons that has already been prospected and deemed worthless by the UEF.  The diameter of the moon is only 7 miles.  On the surface there is no breathable atmosphere.  However, inside there is a full hangar that can accommodate up to 50 vessels, as well as a boarding house, conference rooms, sports areas, a saloon, gaming establishment, and many other amenities.  I think you’ll find it a nice place to use as your home base.”

“So how do ya gain entrance to this country club?  Ya can’t just knock on the door,” Ian quipped.

Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case.  “In here is a chip with a transmission code on it.  The code is the access to Hole In the Wall.  It should be transmitted upon approach, about 3,000 kilometers out. Approach is always made when the entrance is on the dark side.”  He handed it across the table to Brock, who in turned pressed it into Ian’s hand.

Ian opened the case and looked at the chip inside.  “What’s to keep someone else, like the UEF, from picking up the transmission?” he asked.

“It’s embedded in static and is at a frequency that will be hard to detect.  Anyone who picks it up will think it’s a solar flare or other trash signal,” Ed explained.

Ian was impressed.  “Clever.  You boys seemed to have thought of everythin’.“

“When do we leave?” Brock asked.  “We’re pretty anxious to get out of here.”

“How about five Earth hours?”  Ed suggested.  “That will give our crews some time to get a little shut eye and our mechanics a chance to double check all of your ship’s systems.”

“She’s fit to fly,” Nova piped up.

Ed looked at Brock.  “If Nova says she’s fit to fly then she’s fit to fly,” Brock echoed.  He knew from experience that Nova spoke little but was always confident about what she said.

“All right then, I guess our mechanics could use some rest too.  We’ll be ready to lift off at 0500 Central Earth time.  Does that suit you?” Ed asked.

Brock reached across the table and offered Ed his hand.  “We’ll be ready.  Thanks again for your help.”

~~~~~~~~~

Oro remained vigilant while the rest of the crew tried to get some rest.  For most, sleep was not a possibility.  They could not keep their minds from racing ahead, speculating about Hole in the Wall and the possibilities and dangers that might lurk there.   By 0400 they had grabbed something to eat in the galley and were all at their posts, ready to go.  Brock decided a test firing of their engines and a lift off into orbit might be in order.  That way, if there were any bugs to work out of the Lady, they’d be ahead of the game.

Rose had already pressed her crewmates to help her ready a pen in their cargo hold for Bear.  It was equipped with a makeshift dog bed and large “sandbox” for his bodily functions.  She brought him on board as they were getting underway and put him in the pen.  He sniffed around it a bit and then immediately sank down onto the dog bed.  It was apparent to Rose that it had been a long time since he’d had such a soft place to relax.

Ian, who had often felt that the bridge of the Aurora Lady was too confining during their long voyages, now felt good to be back in the pilot seat.  Just as Nova promised, the Lady lifted off from the moon without a hitch.  They assumed a smooth orbit around the moon, just above the Star Chaser.  At 0500, they received their destination coordinates from Ed’s pilot, with the instructions to begin their journey to Hole in the Wall.  Star Chaser would be following at a respectable distance.   It was never wise for Indy ships to travel in pairs, just incase the UEF should suddenly appear.  Both captains had also agreed to limit communications between their ships during the journey.  With the Thor expected in the vicinity soon, they thought that would be prudent.

The term “close” in space was relative.   Ed had said that Elara was “close” but it was a good two days flight away.  The Aurora Lady’s crew settled in and tried to relax but as the ship closed in on Elara, their anticipation heightened.  Oro, still nervous about the whole plan, spent most of her time checking and rechecking their weapons systems and arms.  She still had a feeling that something about all of this was not right.

As the Lady approached Elara, Ian initiated the transmission code that would allow them access to Hole in the Wall.  Not knowing what to expect, they opened all communication channels and waited for instructions as they neared the moon. “I can see why they think no one would pay much attention to this place,” Brock commented as Elara became visible on their view screen. “It’s so small that, if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was an asteroid.”

“Nothin’ from them yet,” Ian reported.  “I think we’re being scanned though.  There’s a definite rise in the level of sonawaves surrounding the Lady.  I’ve never seen them this concentrated without someone pointing a scan in our direction.”

“Well, since there is no direct response, put us in a standard orbit and we’ll wait until they’re feeling more communicative,” Brock directed. 

“You’re the boss,” Ian quipped.  He eased the ship into orbit, then sat back in his chair.  “I guess now we wait.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Two Earth hours later, there still had been no response.  Brock and Ian played checkers on the bridge, trying to kill time while they waited, but neither one really had their mind on the game.  “So, sounds like maybe Wanda might hang out at this country club,” Ian said out of the blue.

Brock’s head jerked up and he fixed Ian with a serious glare.  “I don’t want to talk about her, Ian.”  Then he reached out and double jumped two of Ian’s red checkers.

“Blast!” Ian swore, looking as he surveyed his dwindling playing pieces.  He pushed one of his checkers forward with an index finger.  “I just thought it might be best to prepare yourself, just in case you run into her.”

“Let it go,” Brock growled.

A beeping signal sounded and Ian turned quickly to his controls.  “Looks like they’re rolling out the welcome mat!” he exclaimed.  They were in orbit on the dark side of Elara and, as they watched on their main view screen, a tiny hole of light appeared on Elara’s surface.  The circular light began to expand and then a beacon of light shot out and enveloped the Lady.   “I guess they’re goin’ to tractor us in,” Ian observed.

Brock turned to the ship’s communication box and sent out a ship wide alert.  “We are now entering Hole in the Wall,” he announced.  “Be ready for anything.”

Ian released control of the ship to the tractor beam and they slowly started sliding towards the now gaping, lighted opening on Elara.  The closer they got, the brighter the light seemed to be and they struggled to see what was inside the moon, but the glare was too overwhelming.  As they slid inside, they noticed via the rear view screen, that the entrance was closing tight behind them.  “I guess we’d better love it here,” Ian said softly.

Once inside Elara, their view screen cleared.  Brock and Ian could see that they were being eased into an empty berth inside a large, well lit hangar.  The beam set them down with a slight jolt and their communication box came to life.  “Aurora Lady crew, remain inside of your ship and wait for further instructions,” a pleasant feminine voice said.  Then the communication line abruptly closed.

The sound of footsteps sounded on the stairs descending to the Lady’s bridge and Oro suddenly appeared.  “Permission to come onto the bridge?” she asked.

“Granted,” Brock said and Oro came over to stand behind Ian.  Her face looked strained.  Brock could tell that this whole affair was taking its toll on her nerves.  The next move by their hosts did nothing to calm her fears. 

“Look!” Oro called out, pointing to their view screen.  A line of heavily armed men and women were parading into view and surrounding their ship.  “This is not looking good,” she breathed.

“Oro, I want you to man the weapons systems, but do not even think of firing unless I give you the go ahead.  Got it?” Brock ordered.

“Got it!” Oro said over her shoulder as she dashed away to man her post.

Brock turned to the comm box and began giving orders.  “Zahirah and Cowboy, stand by the aft hatch.  Nova, we need you to stay put in the engine room.  Winter and Rose, just keep on your toes.  I’m not sure what’s next but I need everyone to stay alert and ready to move. Brock out.”   He looked at Ian.  “Any change?”

“No.  It’s quiet, but we’re definitely not alone.  They’ve surrounded us.”

“Try to contact them!” Brock called out.  “I’m tired of these little games.”

Ian leaned forward and sent out a hail on the frequency that had first been used to contact them.  After a minute, he looked up.  “No response.”

“Damn,” Brock swore.  He began to pace back and forth in the small space afforded him on their bridge.  It was five minutes before their comm box finally sprung to life again. 

“Captain Brockman, we are ready to receive you now,” the pleasant woman’s voice said.  “Please have your entire crew, and any passengers on board, exit your vessel via your aft ramp.”

Brock and Ian exchanged looks.   “Now what?” Ian asked.

“Now, I guess we exit the ship, as requested, but they didn’t say anything about leaving our arms behind.”  He turned yet again to the communications box.  “All hands, assemble at the aft ramp.  Make sure you bring your side arms. Brock out.”

Five minutes later, the entire crew of the Aurora Lady stood at the bottom of her aft ramp.  They stood in a tight knot, staring across at the armed line of people surrounding their entire ship.  As they watched another small