While Making Other Plans:
Chapter 4

  Two weeks later Kathryn was in command of the control centre as the New Horizon II approached the station.  She’d never seen it in person before but was quite familiar with the specs nonetheless.  It was only a couple of years old and advanced as it was, it had yet to be brought to the Terran system for any survey missions.  Several were slated, specifically to explore the ruins of old human outposts elsewhere in the system, but so far its missions had only brought it to other star systems.

  Familiar with its design as she was, she was still quite impressive to see it for herself.  While the design of Orbital One and the original New Horizon were that of a bicycle wheel slowly spinning about a narrow central cylinder, New Horizon II was much bulkier about the central section with two long rotating arms projecting out from the ship on opposite sides from each other about the centre of the ship instead of a contiguous ring.  Along the outer projections were pods which with the rotation of the arms were able to simulate gravity.  The pods housed the living and work sections while the central zero gravity section for the most part was the engineering section of the ship.  The original New Horizon and Orbital One station were designed for long term habitation, but New Horizon II was instead built for missions of only a few months at a time.  People slept and could relax in the areas with artificial gravity, but they tended to spend most of their workdays down in the larger central section where all the equipment, weapons, instruments, fuel, engines, and bridge were located.

  The closer it got to one of the three long and slender prongs extending from Orbital One’s central docking section, the better look she was able to get at it.  The central section consisted essentially of a line of three primary modules.  The first in front was the general shape of a rounded off rectangular prism with dishes, telescopes, and all other manner of instruments on every surface other than the one connecting it to the middle section.  This was the business end of the ship’s research capabilities, with her various instruments able make observations in most directions without reorienting the ship.  

  The middle section was the part which rotated the outer projections attached to its somewhat narrower central part, but on opposite sides of the ship the two arms each housed four discrete segments which looked rather like squashed oval shapes stacked on top of each other.  The two continuously revolved about the central core, with each segment further out from the ship having increasing gravity to the point that the outermost section had approximately the same degree of simulated gravity as the surface of any of their native worlds.  The lower gravity sections were useful for leisure in some cases, but mostly for storage of heavy items which would have been problematic to move around in the higher gravity, or too dangerous to have bumping around in a total absence of it.

  The rear section was all business.  It was of the same general triangular shape as the forward section, but with the point connecting it to the rest of the ship, with the flat rectangular base of the pyramid pointing away from the ship.  Mounted in this rear surface were six antimatter engine reaction bells in two rows of three.  Most of the rest of the rear section was fuel storage and atmospheric control systems, as well as a laser turret on all four surfaces with missile ports which were currently closed.  Kathryn also noticed the two next generation Koboli shuttles docked on two opposite surfaces of the rear section surrounded by the weapons systems which had never been used other than in field tests and training exercises.  They were hoped and expected to never need to be used, but the ship was designed to explore totally alien star systems and the weapons were considered prudent defensive precautions against the unknown.

  “It’s a very different ship, isn’t it?” Kathryn remarked to Jaren as she stood back and crossed her arms to watch the ship attach to the docking prong.  It was lit up fairly well between the ship’s own lights falling on its exterior (including the obligatory light shining on its name painted on the side of the rear section), and Orbital One’s own powerful docking spotlights.

  “Compared to the original New Horizon?” Jaren asked.  “Sure is… no arboretum since it has Koboli atmospheric systems, and the original had no weapons at all.  On its century long cruise between worlds the original New Horizon actually got up to far higher speeds than this one was ever meant to, but for this one’s primary mission her acceleration matters far more.  With all those next gen antimatter engines this one accelerates remarkably fast.”

  “Orbital One, this is Captain Sirius of the New Horizon II requesting permission to dock.”

  Kathryn touched the glass panel in front of her.  “Permission granted to Pier Two as per your approach New Horizon II, we’ve been expecting you.  Fine-looking ship you have there.”

  “Thank you.  Docking Pier Two acknowledged.” was the only reply.

  “All business that one, hunh?” Jaren remarked to Kathryn while rubbing his chin.

  “Probably pissed we’re stealing his ship.”

  “No doubt,” Jaren said with a raised eyebrow and a nod.  “I would be.”

  “Well let’s go and meet him then, see if we can smooth over any ruffled feathers.”

   

  It took Jaren and Kathryn some time to take an elevator through one of the central spokes from the habitat ring up to the engineering section and then pull themselves in microgravity along the length of the long docking prong used for ships too large to come right up to the central section of the station.  Eventually they did manage to arrive in time to greet the captain.  Like everything on the station, the docking controls were optimized for thought control, but Kathryn and the others had become proficient enough at using the comparatively clumsy touch control panels instead.  With a few taps she normalized the air pressure and the round hatches on either side rolled to the side.

  “Captain Sirius,” she greeted the man with a crisp, formal salute.  As his superior officer she had no obligation to salute him first, but it was a courtesy she was happy to extend given the circumstances.  “Welcome aboard Orbital One Captain.  Is this your first time on the station?”

  “Thank you Admiral,” he answered with an equally formal salute before continuing.  “Yes it is Ma’am.  This is my XO, Commander Sengupta,” he introduced a woman who emerged from behind him with a wave of his hand.  Her face was narrow with her skin the colour of almond.  Her dark hair was cut quite short which accentuating her long neck.  Kathryn was glad to be leaving this one behind and not having to stuff down another crush.

  Kathryn shook her hand.  “Of the Senguptas?” she asked.

  “Indeed,” the woman answered simply.

  Captain Sirius spoke up again and blessedly broke her focus on the woman.  “Our orders dictate that a Mr. Jaren Snow here will be commissioned to serve as the admiral’s XO, so Sengupta will be joining me for the duration of my tour here.

  “That’d be me,” Jaren offered respectfully but not submissively.  “Would you like to be shown around?

  “Absolutely Mr. Snow.  I’ve studied her schematics of course, but I’ll need to be as familiar with my new post as possible before assuming command.”

  “Yes, of course,” Jaren agreed.

  Command had deemed it most practical for Kathryn and Sirius to merely swap commands for the duration of the mission.

  “I appreciate your relinquishing command for this mission Captain, I hope you understand our wish to get one more mission like this under our belt after being stuck on station for so long,” Kathryn offered as she and Jaren led him handrail by handrail back towards the central engineering section.

  “We go where command says,” he replied indifferently.  “Though if I may speak candidly Admiral?” he asked.

  “Of course,” she granted.

  “My crew and I were all very much looking forward to the first rift ship calling home since we were all fairly confident they’d be sending the flagship through.  You will be met by a very excited crew, but Commander Sengupta and I are… disappointed.”

  “I understand of course,” she offered as sympathetically as she could without giving any ground.

  “You are of course entitled to assume command of this mission given your history,” he acknowledged, “and I am looking forward to getting to know this station during our tour here.  After all there is every chance that in your absence we will hear back from another rift ship and be slated to explore that one when you return.  It should happen with a somewhat regular cadence for some time now.”

  “Absolutely,” Kathryn acknowledged.

  “Survey missions are certainly what we’re most excited for, but this is also the Commander and I’s first-time visiting Earth.  I am hoping to find it equally stimulating to familiarize myself with all of the research being conducted here and to see our home world for myself.  The more I thought about it on our way here the more I find myself looking forward to it.”

  “I’m very happy to hear that, Captain.  We’ll take very good care of your ship for you I promise, don’t worry.”

  “It’s not mine,” he answered with oddly bitter coldness.  “It’s the Star Fleet’s, but it is the fleet’s best by a light year.  My tour as captain was only for three years, extended now as it may be by the time your expedition takes.  She was never mine for good, and it made me a little sad from day one that the day would come where I’d have to give her up.  Someday too soon some other very qualified officer will relieve me of her command for good and have the privilege of commanding the New Horizon II for themselves, then sometime after another.  Captains don’t have ships Admirals, ships have captains,” he said with the same hint of sadness.

  “It is the way of things,” he added with an indifferent shrug.