He nodded curtly to her and did a swift about-face. He tried to focus on what to tell the captain when he felt her slender fingers wrap around his bicep. Startled, Swede looked down. A smile softened Maggie’s features. She squeezed her fingers and leaned her head against his shoulder for a fleeting moment.
“Thanks,” she whispered before turning and ducking into her quarters.
***
Captain Hill looked with narrowed eyes from one freshly showered officer to the other. “She convinced you to go on a run, or she
coerced
you to do so?”
O’Connell made an impatient noise and stepped toward the desk. “Sir the reason for our presence in the bay isn’t relevant.” She stopped just short of leaning over the desk. The arch, frigid, look the captain fixed on her wasn’t quite enough to cool her enthusiasm but it was a close thing.
Hill waited until she was standing once more at attention before returning his attention to the engineer. “So, coercion?” Swede’s fleeting wince was his answer. “No standing bet or arrangement, then? Nothing that another crew member or civilian would know of?”
When O’Connell frowned her auburn brows drew together. She realized what the captain was asking; it bothered her that she hadn’t had the same thought. “I dragged him from his usual workout this morning. It was a spur of the moment thing. No one could have anticipated it.”
That steely blue stare fixed back on her. “You normally run the bays.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes sir, but this morning….”
He smoothly spoke over her, “You were coming off a double flight shift. Any sane person would have been in bed, not running 5K around the ship.”
“Ten, sir.” Swede mumbled the correction. He remained staring straight ahead, refusing to meet O’Connell’s glare as her head whipped around.
“Ten? For heaven’s sake, Commander!”
“Sir!”
The captain’s glance was dismissive, almost casual. “You are supposed to be at attention, Commander.” He waited until she was properly rigid and emotionally constrained once more. “So, while doing an impromptu run through the aft cargo bay, in the dark or as near to it as possible on this ship, you two stumble upon Dwax acting suspiciously?”
“Yes sir,” they chorused.
He tapped one index finger on the desk while he thought. Something had happened in the past day or so to radically alter the commander’s mood. He didn’t, yet, know what had brought about the shift, but he appreciated the lessening of tension. “Signals station pick up any transmissions?”
Guttmann shook his head once in the negative. “I checked, sir. No transmissions have left the
Hudson
beyond those messages you have approved—and the last of those was thirteen hours ago.”
“There’s nothing critical in that bay, is there?”
It was Commander O’Connell’s turn to answer in the negative. “Most of the gear stored there is for deployment to the colony. There is certainly nothing that would affect ship functions.”
“So he wasn’t doing anything overt, anything that definitively says he is our saboteur. And yet…?”
“And yet he’s the only... thing... on board without a locator chip. I cannot account for any of his movements. Why would he be skulking through the cargo bay, obviously trying to avoid detection?”
The captain was pensive for another moment. He had an alien guest acting strangely, an executive officer who had, for whatever reason, been in a royal funk for weeks and was now suddenly back to her old self, and a still unknown person—or thing—out to damage his ship.
One of these things is not like the other, but which?
Captain Hill narrowed his eyes at both officers. “Find out what is in that box. Do it discreetly, and do it today.” The pair performed flawless about faces and walked out, leaving the captain to his thoughts.
“How do you want to play this?”
Maggie thought for a moment before replying. “You draw him to engineering. He’s more likely to find it plausible that you need engineering help. I’ll wait until you have a signal that he’s with you and go to the bay.”
The tall lieutenant shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you going down there alone. Take Price with you.”
“Price is standing watch. I’ll be fine.” Glancing quickly behind her, the commander paused to prop her foot against a bulkhead and pat her boot. “I won’t be alone.”
He sighed, defeated but not reassured. “Yes, that makes me feel
so
much better, ma’am. Let’s get this over with before my brain reminds me of all the possible flaws with this plan.” He went to engineering, pondering what he could destroy that would need Dwax’s assistance for repairs. She detoured to the medical bay to wait for the signal.
“Heya Cass.”
Dr. Ruger smiled over her shoulder. “Hello. What brings you around?”
Maggie shrugged her shoulders as she perched on one of the chairs in the doctor’s little office. “Inspection tour.” She watched her roommate’s face register concern. “Kidding, Cass! I just thought it might be nice to see what you’ve been up to. I’m... um...” Maggie paused and played with a torn thumbnail. “Anyway, sorry to have been such a bitch the past few weeks.”
In response to this unusual apology, Dr. Ruger pulled a scope out of her pocket and waved the wand-like device in front of the other woman. “Hmm, no fever. Vital signs seem normal. Who are you and what have you done with the real Commander O’Connell?”
“You’re
so
funny,” groused Maggie, but she chuckled too.
“Comedic relief is a great prescription—and cheap too.” The smaller lady leaned back in her chair. “Will you eventually get around to telling me what’s been bothering you?”
Maggie hadn’t anticipated the sharp surge of grief that made her eyes water and her throat constrict. She coughed and blinked before scowling. Voice rough with emotion she mumbled, “My aunt’s dying. Actually, she’s probably already died. We were kind of… we were really close.”
Cassie had been expecting something dramatic, but nothing of that scale. She immediately leaned over and clasped her friend’s hands. “Oh, Mags. You must be in such pain. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Maggie sniffed. “Wasn’t ready I guess. Saying it makes it real, you know?” Confusion tinged the pain ridden words. “I wasn’t prepared for how hard it hit me—is hitting me.” Smiling weakly, eyes bright with tears, she asked, “Forgive me?”
Cassie’s petite hands squeezed delicately over Maggie’s larger fingers. “There’s nothing to forgive. Do you want to grab a coffee later?”
Outside the partition Dr. Fortunas heard the commander’s soft sigh and her response. “I can’t, I’ve got something to take care of before my duty rotation.”
The scientist moved away from the door before he could be accused of eaves-dropping. He hadn’t intended to overhear the women; stopping by to ask the doctor to grab lunch with him, he’d stumbled upon the end of their conversation. The news that O’Connell’s aunt was dead shook him. He left the science area without comment to his assistants and made straight for his quarters. He wanted to be alone to vent his anger. There were some emotions that couldn’t be safely bottled away and needed a physical outlet—but he would look incongruous at best if he showed up in the gym to beat the hell out of the hanging bag. The smaller bag in his private quarters would have to do.
***
Maggie slipped from the medical bay to the cargo hold a few minutes after her conversation with Cassie. She stared down in dismay at the contents of the crate. Whatever it was, she couldn’t remove it. That much was blatantly clear. She wasn’t entirely sure a robo-lift could move the crate. Taking the strange looking jumble of wires and what looked like cathode tubes back to engineering for Swede to dissect being out of the question, she snapped pictures as rapidly as she could and tried not to touch anything.
“Crap, crap, crap,” she muttered between each soft click of her tablet. There was no explosive residue signature from the crate or the device so it didn’t seem to be a bomb—but would her scans detect
alien
explosives? If it was just a signal station, perhaps they could comprise a bug to listen in on whatever messages Dwax transmitted. She made a note to ask Swede about that and hurriedly made sure that the container looked undisturbed. The commander checked her chronometer. She was in and out of the cargo bay in twenty minutes.
We’ll place the bug before reporting back to the captain. At least then I can report that we’ve done something.
After the monitoring device was carefully hidden in the suspicious box, Guttmann and O’Connell returned to report to the captain. Their report was brief. Captain Hill nodded to the both of them and thanked them for their work. He dismissed Swede, but asked O’Connell to stay behind. Exhausted, Swede didn’t care what it was the two needed to discuss that couldn’t be said in front of him. He walked out of the captain’s office and made straight for his bunk.
“Sit, Commander.”
Maggie wondered if the captain realized that every time he did something meant to put people at ease it only made them more nervous. She’d known this conversation was coming, but she still didn’t look forward to it.
Captain Hill leaned back in his chair, folded his hands across his flat stomach and stared directly at his executive officer. “I want the full story on what Admiral O’Connell had Ryan tell you.”
“Please, sir, you really do
not
want to know anything about that. You don’t understand what you are asking.”
“I think I can handle it, Commander. It wasn’t a request. Anything that so drastically affects your moods, and work performance, is most certainly my business.”
“Don’t you understand?” She whispered in a fear riddled tone, “The people who get mixed up in my father’s plots end up getting hurt. If I thought either the Admiral or your brother was behind the engine sabotage, I would tell you. I don’t think they are, though. I think that’s why they are trying to twist my arm, trying to make me an informer among the crew.” She stood up. Posture rigid, she said, “Sir, I owe you an apology for my behavior. I thought...” Maggie shook her head. “No excuse, sir. It won’t happen again, sir.”
“You thought I asked the Admiral to apply pressure on you?”
She winced even as she nodded.
“Commander let’s get this straight right now. I expect my orders to be obeyed promptly and without question. I do not feel the need to play the “daddy-card” in order to gain your obedience. Furthermore, the next time my brother, or anyone else, tries such tactics, I expect to be informed immediately. No one intimidates
my
crew.” He watched her face, hoping to interpret the emotions he saw there. He suspected there was something more to this situation, but felt like pushing her would only exacerbate the tension. “Apology accepted, Commander. Dismissed.”
He waited until she left before standing and walking to his, adjoining, private quarters. Yanking at the buttons, he stripped out of his uniform while contemplating what the commander had said.
I knew from the moment I saw her name on the crew roster that having Maggie O’Connell on board would mean dealing with her father’s shadow. I thought that would mean watching what I said about Admiralty decisions and keeping her from using his influence to get out of trouble. But she’s not doing that, is she? Damn it, what are the Admiral and Ryan up to?
He finally had a lead on who might have sabotaged the engines. Instead of answering his questions, though, the discovery of Dwax’s possible duplicity only raised more avenues of inquiry. What had Dwax been trying to do—slow them down or destroy the vessel? Who was he working for? Why would a Dremikian want to slow the progress of the
Hudson
?
The captain grimaced. He needed time to work out what exactly was going on—and the
Hudson
was speeding ahead to Dremiks. They were quickly running out of time.
Chapter 14
“Bridge, this is engineering. Sir, jump is complete.”
Ensign Robertson said, “Sir, I have confirmed navigational data. Jump 10 is complete.”
“Commander maintain course and prepare for sequential engine shutdown and inspection. I’ll be in quarters.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
Having completed their seventh jump since the engine malfunction, the crew of the
Hudson
adopted an easy routine. Lieutenant Price finished his bridge medical checks while Commander O’Connell prepared for the rest of her duty rotation. She checked reports, confirmed navigational data, and wondered if Swede would have anything to report from their bug in Dwax’s mysterious crate.
“All crew vitals within parameters, ma’am,” Price reported.
“Thank you, Lieutenant, you are relieved. I’ll see you at shift change.” She watched him leave the bridge, but her thoughts were elsewhere. They had confirmed, after previous jumps, that Dwax was sending some sort of coded transmissions from the aft cargo bay. The three of them, Captain Hill, Lieutenant Guttmann, and she, had been unable to crack the code. Sending secretive transmissions outside of normal channels was certainly suspicious, but O’Connell wasn’t sure it was an indication of Dwax’s guilt as the saboteur. She was also worried that she had, as yet, been unable to determine a motive for the act of sabotage.
Mentally shrugging off the problem, for the moment, she flipped the bridge HUD to the panoramic setting. Just at the edge of visual range from the slowly drifting
Hudson
, a nebula swirled with bright greens and magenta. With a soft smile of appreciation, the commander programmed the ship’s telescopes to take video and still images of the beautiful sight.
***
Dr. Marissa Hill made a beautiful pregnant woman. Considering her lovely skin-tone and svelte pre-pregnancy figure, Brett Hill should have anticipated that she would carry her child well. He hadn’t, though, and he certainly wasn’t prepared for the stabbing sensation in his chest when he saw his brother reach down and lightly pat the bulge at Marissa’s waist.
Why do I torture myself with these dinners? More to the point, why do I allow them to torture me? She’s his. She made her choice, and I’m over her.